Move-in Day madness: Campuses come to life as Trojans arrive for the fall semester
USC’s campuses are buzzing as students return. Our slideshow gives you an eyewitness view of Wednesday’s Move-in Day happenings on the University Park Campus.
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Hip-hop or country? USC student’s AI tool analyzes ‘Old Town Road’
According to a PhD student’s artificial intelligence tool that analyzes lyrics and chords, Lil Nas X’s record-setting hit really does cross genres.
New to the family? Students and alumni offer a crash course in Trojan life
From the best food and hangout spots to game day traditions, this overview of campus life will help incoming freshmen become USC experts.
Jim Hardy, 1945 Rose Bowl MVP and the oldest living USC football player, 96
The MVP of the 1945 Rose Bowl played seven seasons as a quarterback in the NFL.
Settlement notice for patients of former USC gynecologist George Tyndall
Deadline.com
‘First Jobs’ program: 200 jobs in 2 years
The program provides paid entry-level jobs to USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni within five years of their graduation. TV producer Aaron Kaplan hatched the idea during a lunch with the school’s dean, Elizabeth M. Daley, and helped launch it.
The Hill
How voting becomes a habit
When you think of habits, you probably think of nail biting, tooth brushing and coffee drinking. USC’s Wendy Wood and a colleague are in an op-ed that voting seems habitual, too: Whether you voted in the past affects whether you’ll turn out for the next election.
The Washington Post
Why Amnesty International’s travel warning about the U.S. is a mistake
In an op-ed, USC doctoral candidate Suzie Mulesky says the human rights group mischaracterized the nature of gun violence here, and that its advisory could be counterproductive.
NPR
How to talk with kids about violent attacks in the news
Advice from USC’s David Schonfeld, director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement: “The last thing you want is for your children to find out about this from someone else, and for them to think you either will not or don’t feel able to tell them important things.”
Forbes
Infinite Children asks difficult questions about life and the future
The philosophical new video game, from USC’s Peter Brinson, concerns controversial life extension and speaks through time as long-dead family members communicate in an attempt to shape the player’s decisions.
Los Angeles Magazine
How rude virtual humans are helping veterans re-enter the job market
The USC Institute for Creative Technologies developed lifelike interviewers to help prep veterans for what they might encounter in the real world
USCTrojans.com
Olympic gold medalist Dain Blanton named USC beach volleyball head coach
Blanton was previously a member of the Trojans’ staff as an assistant coach and helped lead USC to three national titles.
The Huffington Post
When to take a warm bath if you want to sleep better
USC researchers and colleagues found that when study participants took a bath one to two hours before bedtime, it could speed up falling asleep by an average of 10 minutes. The optimal temperature: 104 to 109 degrees.
CityLab
Affordable housing in Shanghai: a bed in the kitchen
Rural migrants flocking to “first-tier” cities like Shanghai are often pushed into the nation’s informal housing markets. There, USC researchers find, it’s common for three-bedroom apartments to house two dozen people, with bunk beds crowding bedrooms and common areas like the kitchen.
CNN
Will Americans return to the moon?
“There are new reasons to go to space,” says USC’s Anita Sengupta. Among them: tourism, mining and telecommunications.
The Hill
Justice John Paul Stevens’ fiercely modest judicial method
USC’s Sam Erman reflects on working as law clerk to the late justice: “I discovered a man whose sincere humility animated fierce commitments to justice, fairness, and the judicial role.“
Los Angeles Times
There’s a loneliness crisis on college campuses
In an op-ed, USC’s Varun Soni notes that students used to ask “How should I live?” Now they are more likely to ask “Why should I live?”
Keck Medical Center of USC named to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals list
The academic medical center was also ranked among the top five hospitals in California and the top three hospitals in Los Angeles.
Environmental ingenuity: These creative 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.
Poll: Though many Democratic primary voters are switching candidates, Biden still leads
The latest USC Dornsife/L.A. Times poll shows Joe Biden in the lead, followed by a virtual three-way tie between Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.
Can tinkering with gut microbes really improve our health?
The human microbiome is a complex system; a probiotic that works for one person might not work for another. USC Dornsife scientists are looking to better understand our microbes and help people harness their health.
For some USC professors, every week is Shark Week
Sharks aren’t just the apex predators we see in movies; they’re complicated, fascinating creatures that Trojans are investigating from many angles.
Believing is seeing: USC Dornsife professors investigate how we form beliefs
These days, facts aren’t always enough to win an argument. Find out where our beliefs come from and why they’ve become even harder to change.
The 20th century was Earth’s hottest period in nearly 2,000 years
Two global warming studies from an international network of scientists indicate that the greatest increase in the Earth’s temperatures began after the Industrial Revolution.
As the black church shifts toward gender equality, USC lends faith communities a guiding hand
After the explosive impact of #MeToo, concerns about the #ChurchToo movement have inspired USC Dornsife’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture to assist in reshaping the patriarchal culture of the African American church.
Empowering health care professionals and the public to spot elder abuse
Laura Mosqueda, dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, wants to reshape how physicians and the general public talk and think about elder abuse.
A Trojan on the moon: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11
On July 20, 1969, Trojan Neil Armstrong guided the Apollo 11 lunar module to a safe landing on the moon. Find out how that day and its aftermath affected future USC engineers and students from around the world.
Amid a time of cultural upheaval, the moon landing united millions
Fifty years after the first moon landing, USC professors reflect on how the Apollo 11 mission invigorated a tumultuous nation.
Troy Camp kids return to forest years later — as USC students
They created unforgettable memories as children in USC’s mentorship program. Now these Trojans are helping the next generation of campers build confidence and make lifelong friends.
How immigrants give American companies a competitive boost against Chinese rivals
USC research has shown that immigrants provide U.S. companies with a true competitive advantage, and policies that limit them could be just as detrimental in the long run.
USC Gould Immigration Clinic helps reunite Cameroonian brothers
Clinton and Gerard Tibuck — who had been separated since 2015 — spent Thanksgiving together after a USC law student helped Clinton win asylum.
Young Americans deserve a 21st-century moonshot to Mars
As interest in science declines, would a decades-long plan to set foot on Mars reignite America’s passion for giant leaps? One USC professor believes it just might.
Is a testifying child telling the truth? This USC student’s research could help courts predict
USC Viterbi student Zane Durante is developing natural language processing techniques to identify truthful or deceptive speech in child forensic interviews.
Researcher explores links between transgender brain and gender identity
Understanding the brain structure of transgender people could help tailor care and support, says recent USC grad and neuroscientist Jonathan Vanhoecke.
USC scientists shift goals in Alzheimer’s research to focus on prevention
Amid mounting discoveries about Alzheimer’s complex list of triggers, USC Dornsife researchers turn their attention to preventive measures.
Unique scholarship turns higher ed dream into reality for kids from military families
High school students from military families aren’t always sure what to expect from college. That’s where the USC Provost’s Pre-College Scholarship for Military Families comes in.
Healthy blood vessels may be the answer to Alzheimer’s prevention
USC research into Alzheimer’s — which will be on display at the upcoming Alzheimer’s Association International Conference — has uncovered much about the disease, including establishing a link between cardiovascular health and a fully functioning brain.
Does pre-ordering groceries help shoppers make healthier choices?
USC researchers investigate whether exercising self-control by selecting groceries ahead of time produces healthy benefits for hungry shoppers.
Unshaken: After an earthquake, USC scientists race to its epicenter
Seismologists and engineers unite after a quake to quickly gather information and share it through a statewide clearinghouse that is critical for improving simulations and emergency preparedness.
Commitment to change: Ongoing updates on USC administrative, personnel changes
Study probes effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on brain development
Researchers have long known that babies born to mothers who drank heavily while pregnant have impairments. Now, an innovative study will test their sensory processing — in a community where drinking while pregnant is socially acceptable.