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

Trojan will use rare, prestigious Truman Scholarship to springboard career as civil rights attorney
USC Dornsife history and international relations double major Michael Solomon is “a firm believer in the potential of scholarship and shared knowledge as vehicles for change.”

AI sheds new light on the ‘code of life’
USC Dornsife researchers employ artificial intelligence to unveil the intricate world of DNA structure and chemistry, enabling unprecedented insights into gene regulation and disease.

USC Dornsife’s Percival Everett elected to American Academy of Arts and Letters
The Distinguished Professor of English is the fourth USC faculty member elected to the academy.

Structural biologist Helen Berman elected to the National Academy of Sciences
The USC Dornsife professor (research) of quantitative and computational biology is recognized for “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”

2 more USC professors elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Maja Matarić and James Van Cleve join the prestigious organization, which recognizes excellence in academia, the arts, industry, policy, research and science.

Filmmaker and alumnus Edoardo Ponti will deliver 2023 USC Dornsife commencement addresses
Ponti, who graduated in 1994 and now serves on USC Dornsife’s Board of Councilors, will speak to the college’s more than 2,000 graduates at ceremonies on May 12.

As Earth Month kicks off, experts at Climate Forward event seek to ‘bridge divides, share solutions’
EARTH MONTH: Conference features former U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Val Demings, former White House National Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy and New York Times columnist Bret Stephens.

Toward the cancer solution we need: Experts from science, engineering and the humanities join together
Scientists from USC Dornsife and Cedars-Sinai rally scholars around the country and in diverse fields to find better ways of beating the disease.

Mathematician leads monumental effort to better understand our 4D universe
USC Dornsife’s Aaron Lauda earns an $8 million grant from the Simons Foundation in a project that could turn science fiction dreams into reality.

What do good investing and saving the world’s dying coral reefs have in common? Diversification
Scientists aiming to save failing reefs by transplanting healthy coral reveal that success lies with genetic diversity — and not a single, coveted “super coral.”

Videos of 2022 present the breadth and depth of the very special USC experience
USC Dornsife videos capture unique aspects of education, expertise and life within the Trojan Family.

Low-calorie sugar substitute consumption during adolescence appears to impair memory later in life
Scientists using lab models find that eating FDA-approved levels of saccharin, ACE-K and stevia early in life may result in several changes to the body, including in brain regions involved in memory and reward-motivated behavior.

COVID-19 mutations are accelerated by virus-fighting enzyme in human cells
The findings by a team of USC researchers could help scientists predict new coronavirus variants and subvariants and give them a leg up on producing effective vaccines.

Liquid magic: Scientists reveal why water is one of the most remarkable substances in the universe
We can’t live without water, of course. But the H20 molecule itself is quite remarkable. Find out why.

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.