Michelle Boston
Michelle Boston is a senior communication specialist in the USC Dornsife Communication Office. She covers student, faculty and alumni news from across the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Her work is featured in USC Dornsife print publications and on the web. She also manages USC Dornsife’s social media presence and connects the media with USC Dornsife’s faculty experts.
Stories by Michelle Boston:
Alum travels the world documenting life in and out of the ocean
Photographer and documentary filmmaker Tyler Schiffman traverses the globe to chronicle nature’s stories and promote conservation.
Trojans lead kids’ science lessons, story time and yoga practice from home
Students taking part in USC Dornsife’s Joint Educational Project are bringing their service-learning program to children remotely through a new video series.
USC-educated CEO aims to revolutionize the future of cool
A chemist by training and an entrepreneur by trade, Tony Atti has transformed a discarded 200-year-old invention into cutting-edge technology that could change the cooling world.
Illuminating what home means for a global community of Filipinos
USC Dornsife historian and poet Adrian De Leon traces the histories of the Filipino diaspora across continents all the while exploring the meaning of home.
Read these 11 books to better understand race and privilege in America
As protestors take to the streets, USC Dornsife faculty offer reading suggestions that provide historical and cultural background on the roots of American racism.
NASA astronauts train for space exploration at USC’s island science center
The underwater environment at USC Dornsife’s Wrigley Marine Science Center is the perfect place for NASA astronauts to simulate space and prepare for future missions.
From understanding GMOs to calculating calories, this course teaches the science of food
Why are students in an introductory USC Dornsife science course setting cheese puffs on fire? To learn about the fundamentals of biology, of course.
These environment-friendly business ideas aim to be both sustainable and successful
Cars that run on kelp. Cosmetics made from waste. USC Dornsife researchers are creating new products designed to both mend the planet and make it in the marketplace.
What can Pokémon character names teach us about language?
With Pikachu back on the big screen, USC researchers are taking a serious look at the linguistics of the Pokémon universe to better grasp how the brain processes language.
Win the Iron Throne by mastering these 7 liberal arts specialties
Whether you’re a Stark, a Lannister or a Targaryen, nothing would help more in the Game of Thrones than a mastery of the letters, arts and sciences. USC Dornsife experts explain why.
Surprises from the past: What 5 paintings reveal about how our view of love has changed
The modern Valentine card was born in Victorian England in a time when weight put on marriages based on love and companionship as opposed to convenience, strategic alliances or money.
On National Read a Book Day, USC faculty give their top choices
Citing works of science fiction, nonfiction, biography, humor and horror, six professors offer their literary choices.
USC Shoah Foundation-backed film Last Goodbye offers haunting reminder of Holocaust history
A visit by survivor Pinchas Gutter to his homeland is a recollection of the family he lost and the life he might have lived.
USC alum makes reading more relevant to homeless students
Veteran writer uses book on L.A., homelessness and even the Gettysburg Address to inspire questions and pique curiosity.
Renowned seismologist joins USC to lead Southern California Earthquake Center
With three decades of experience studying Earth science, John Vidale’s research focuses on anything related to seismic waves and earthquakes.
A new microbe goes under the microscope at USC
Community college students from across the country get a rare opportunity to learn about ecology in the lab.
Why dementia-causing plaques become trapped in the brain
USC researchers plan to explore whether constricted vessels could be targeted by existing drugs that were approved for treating other health conditions.
Historic paper trail shows difficulty of governing from half a world away
USC researcher examines the British Empire’s bureaucracy through American and Indian colonial-era archives.
USC lessons help a Brooklyn teacher groom her students for success
Alumna’s college experiences help her inspire her own students to expect more from themselves.
Alumna works on navigational instruments that boost space flight
Chemist who holds 14 U.S. patents and two trade secrets helps develop key components for gyroscopes and Mars rovers.
Martial arts enthusiast — and scientist — breaks down the physics of fighting
Alum Jason Thalken uses his head to help fighters sharpen their skills.
How being funny changes your brain
USC researchers pinpoint the regions of the brain that spark during the telling of a joke.
A Trojan connection forged in love and service
Studying at USC Dornsife brought Linda and Harlan Martens together. More than four decades later, they are still bound by their love for each other and the university.
USC Dornsife experts forecast foreign policy under the Trump administration
International relations faculty map out a possible shape for U.S. relations with Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Russia under the new president.