Grayson Schmidt
Grayson Schmidt is a writer and multimedia journalist with USC News. He comes to USC with news experience in print, radio and television. He also worked as a crime reporter for three years in Iowa, and is well aware of the irony.
Stories by Grayson Schmidt:
Why does L.A. have so many COVID-19 cases?
A lack of affordable housing and the resulting crowded apartments play a major role in L.A. County’s nearly 1.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases, USC experts say.
Student intellectual society doesn’t just discuss big ideas; it makes a big impact
The Philologos Society started as a way for USC students to share knowledge, but its members also make a point to give back to people in need throughout Los Angeles.
Keck Medicine of USC vaccinates elderly relatives of hospital staff
Roughly 300 family members of Keck Medicine’s environmental services, cafeteria and warehouse workers were vaccinated over the weekend in an effort to further combat COVID-19 disparities in L.A.
A sequel 17 years in the making: How a USC staffer’s side project became the perfect follow-up to his cult hit
Though Patricio Ginelsa only makes films in his spare time, his recent passion project, Lumpia with a Vengeance, is winning awards and charming audiences.
‘Studio buddies’ help architecture students create digital camaraderie
There’s nothing like the collaborative magic of the architecture studio. That’s why the graduate student leaders at the USC School of Architecture found a way to recreate it online.
No gym? No problem — USC Rec Sports brings stretches and squats to your home
On-demand and live online classes come right to students, faculty and staff, even during winter break. Choose from yoga, cardio and more, all at a deep discount.
Jacob Vogel ready to become new USC Trojan Marching Band director
The Southern California native will take over direction of the band on Jan. 1, 2021, after four years as its associate director and arranger.
New equity, civil rights and Title IX role is ‘key bridge’ to Keck Medicine of USC
As a health care-focused deputy coordinator with the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, Nicoli Richardson will ensure compliance with federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws.
High-stress emergencies have a long-lasting impact on ER doctors — longer than expected
As COVID-19 surges and patients pile into emergency rooms, researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC emphasize that even the quickest medical emergencies can have serious aftereffects.
Virtual mentors bring the campus experience to remote first-year students
When classes moved online, the USC students set to be RAs were left wondering: Who do you assist when there aren’t any residents? Enter the virtual peer mentors.
USC community making final push to get out the vote
With less than a week to go until the election, the university is turning two buildings into voting centers and is encouraging the entire Trojan community to exercise their civic duty.
Gayle Garner Roski, artist, benefactor and namesake of USC art school and eye institute, 79
The USC alumna was a longtime patron of the arts within the university and across Los Angeles.
USC Kaufman alums return to teach dance in a virtual world
Three alumni find themselves in a unique scenario: teaching a piece they learned as freshmen to current USC Kaufman students, only this time it’s through Zoom.
🎧 Latinx, Latino/a or Chicano: Students share what they call themselves and why
USC students talk about which labels they prefer, the stories behind them and the significance of self-identifying the way they do.
USC’s esports club maintains a sense of community during the pandemic
Despite being more than 1,500 miles away, incoming freshman Edward Jin has found an organization on campus that brings gamers together in ways that go beyond Zoom.
Alan Kreditor, prolific fundraiser and a founding leader at USC Price, 84
Over a five-decade career at USC, the professor, administrator and chief fundraiser helped build today’s school of public policy.
Earthquakes are coming, and this webinar will get you ready — even in a pandemic
On Oct. 15 — also known as International ShakeOut Day — an emergency preparedness webinar open to the entire USC community will explain how to prep for a quake during the era of COVID-19.
Beyond binary: USC dance student Zackery Torres finds their voice
For several years, Torres has been documenting instances of non-inclusive terminology still used in the dance world. Now, the USC Kaufman senior has turned those observations into a gender-inclusive guidebook.
Big names help students make sense of business in a COVID-19 world
Two new USC Marshall classes will assist Trojans of all majors — not just business — in better understanding how the pandemic has affected financial markets and the economy.
How USC clubs are using the Involvement Fair to build online communities
Representatives from four very different student organizations describe how they’re adapting to the world of remote recruitment and engagement.
What’s ahead for the U.S. economy after the pandemic? President Folt and Dean Garrett discuss
USC Marshall’s new dean, Geoffrey Garrett, sits down for a conversation with President Carol L. Folt — and COVID-19 isn’t far from their minds.
Aspiring product designers’ and creators’ Zoom pitch sessions go virtual
USC Iovine and Young Academy seniors usually exhibit their final projects in a showcase to classmates and faculty. But thanks to the pandemic — and Zoom — they ended up pitching the fruits of their hard labor to alumni and industry pros.
Four incoming freshmen share their stories of perseverance
A quartet of new Trojans discuss how they overcame personal challenges and found themselves heading to USC.
USC welcomes newest Trojans with virtual convocation
President Carol L. Folt, student leaders, USC’s deans and more greeted this year’s new students and urged them to embrace this transformative opportunity.