
Darrin S. Joy
Darrin S. Joy writes for the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Stories by Darrin S. Joy:

USC alumna’s transformative $15 million gift puts history department on a path to preeminence
Elizabeth Van Hunnick’s endowment gift, one of the largest to a university history department, is intended to support the development of more informed leaders.

Protein protects cells from stressful forces, and diseases such as muscular dystrophy, by forming ‘nanoclusters’
A team of USC Dornsife scientists finds new evidence of how the protein emerin functions and how it may be linked to a rare and debilitating form of muscular dystrophy.

Graduating anthropology major discovers a deeper sense of self and purpose
COMMENCEMENT 2022: Encounters with key faculty members helped Hameedha Khan overcome the uncertainty that marked her initial days at USC.

Eileen Crimmins, Manuel Pastor elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The prestigious honorary society recognizes exceptional individuals from academia, the arts, industry, public policy and research and engages them in addressing significant global and national challenges.

A protein that enables us to detect cold and menthol may also be key to migraine headaches
The laboratory findings point to a target for new treatments that could mean relief for millions suffering from debilitating pain.

Trojans clear the harbor during 40th annual Avalon Underwater Cleanup
Volunteers from USC Dornsife’s Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies help pull tons of damaging garbage from Santa Catalina Island’s historic tourist location.

A dark anniversary: Japanese Americans exiled to prison camps 80 years ago by FDR’s Executive Order 9066
USC Dornsife experts discuss the legacy of the Feb. 19, 1942, decision that forever changed the lives of many Japanese American families and their descendants.

Scientists reveal where schizophrenia may originate in the brain
Researchers studying a protein that is strongly linked to the psychiatric disorder are the first to determine its function.

Celestial inspiration: Why generations of artists, writers and filmmakers have looked to the sky
USC experts consider why our sense of wonder at the cosmos — and our desire to try to make sense of our place within it — have inspired creative work for generations.

Economist Matthew Kahn says human ingenuity is key to living with climate change
The USC Dornsife professor explains how market capitalism will help us adapt to the growing challenges unleashed by a warming planet.

Communication between cells plays a major role in deciding their fate
Findings from a new study could point the way to new treatments for blood diseases including cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.

Three USC professors elected fellows of the National Academy of Inventors
USC Viterbi’s Andrea Armani and Cyrus Shahabi and USC Dornsife’s Sri Narayan join a distinguished class of 175 inductees who demonstrate “a prolific spirit of innovation.”

Want less pandemic stress? Consider getting vaccinated
A USC Dornsife study finds that people who receive a COVID-19 vaccine experience a decrease in mental distress such as anxiety and depression.

Citywide sensor network aims to measure carbon dioxide and pollutant levels across L.A.
The devices installed by USC’s William Berelson will help create a detailed map of greenhouse gases and other noxious emissions in various Los Angeles neighborhoods.

5 ways the ancient Olympics differ from the modern games
The games that begin July 23 in Tokyo will be quite different from their ancient counterparts.

USC Dornsife chemist named to prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Hanna Reisler joins luminaries including civil rights attorney Kimberlé Crenshaw, neurosurgeon and CNN correspondent Sanjay Gupta and Oprah Winfrey in being elected to the academy’s Class of 2021.

Microbiologist brings his photography skills to support a global research effort
Christopher Corzett of USC Dornsife’s Department of Biological Sciences documents efforts to study and preserve gut bacteria of people around the globe.

2 USC faculty members named Guggenheim Fellows
Art historian Lisa Pon is recognized for exploring Renaissance artist Raphael’s collaborations, while composer Nina C. Young is known for her genre-defying work.

Drinking sugary beverages early in life could mean memory trouble later
The study by a team of researchers at USC, UCLA and the University of Georgia, Athens, finds a direct connection between particular bacteria in the gut and impaired brain function.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a wave of anti-Asian violence has risen
USC experts discuss the recent murders in Atlanta, a surge in violence against people of Asian descent throughout America and what can be done about it.

Clinical trial explores the use of traditional Chinese medicine against COVID-19
The pilot study centers on a combination of 13 traditional medicinal compounds used in China early on in the coronavirus outbreak.

Mars rover Perseverance will look for signs of life backed by USC research
USC Dornsife’s Ken Nealson and a team of researchers helped develop SHERLOC, the ultraviolet laser technology that will probe the red planet for chemicals produced by living organisms.

2 Trojans receive prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship to study in Beijing
The accomplished USC duo will learn about Chinese culture and study with top professors as part of a one-year master’s program in global affairs.

USC biological imaging innovator Scott Fraser elected to National Academy of Medicine
Provost Professor Fraser is recognized for developing technology that provides “unprecedented views of … live organisms, from embryonic development to old age.”