COVID-19, suicide and substandard medical care driving high rate of death among ICE detainees
Deaths among ICE detainees increased sevenfold since April 2018 despite far fewer people being in custody, a USC study shows.
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Richard Lindheim, 81, founder of the USC Institute for Creative Technologies
Along with founding Paramount Digital Entertainment and creating beloved TV shows, Lindheim — who passed away on Jan. 18 — helped unite academia and technology to advance military training.
Half of U.S. adults don’t wear masks around people outside their households
Though a large majority of Americans believe wearing a mask provides protection from COVID-19, USC research finds that many — including 3 in 10 Angelenos — still don’t wear them in high-risk situations.
Bold initiative strengthens partnerships with local diverse businesses
Office of Business Diversity and Economic Opportunity will connect with small businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans.
USC Dornsife launches first undergraduate civil rights advocacy clinic in U.S.
Led by noted civil rights attorney Olu Orange, the Agents of Change Initiative enables students to participate in key areas of social reform.
MarketWatch.com
The U.S. is overlooking a powerful tool to loosen the COVID-19 vaccine logjam
Local pharmacies are ideally suited for the job, notes Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos of the USC School of Pharmacy. For starters, they’re convenient — and neighborhood pharmacists often already have a relationship with their customers.
Business Insider
Months after George Floyd’s death, companies are still ‘diversity washing’ instead of making actual changes
While some companies are making real progress, an op-ed from USC Marshall’s Susan Harmeling and a colleague issues a warning: Some overtures may be nothing more than slogans for an Instagram feed or cynical marketing opportunities.
U.S. News & World Report
Stressed out in lockdown, America’s young adults are overeating
Nearly half of those surveyed said they were using food to cope with the pandemic, said Tyler Mason of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. And women were more likely to be doing so.
KNBC-TV
USC will be able to conduct 100,000 COVID-19 tests per week this spring
It’s a huge jump from fall’s 5,000 tests per week. Most results will be ready on the same day as the test.
Los Angeles Daily News
L.A. County cities face a tough task if serious about own public health departments
Only a handful of L.A. County cities have their own health departments. Those that might want to set one up face an uphill battle for staff, funding, accreditation and more, says USC Price’s Howard Greenwald.
The New York Times
What’s between 30 million Americans and an eviction tsunami?
USC Price’s Gary Painter proposes that the government finance 10-year, low-interest loans so tenants can pay their accrued back rent — a program ideally subsidized and negotiated with landlords.
CNN
As COVID-19 cases surge, health care workers say PPE is still a struggle
California hospitals fared better in the beginning of the pandemic and were able to stockpile PPE early on as they watched what was unfolding in the Northeast, notes Sunny Jha of the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Foster youth face enough hardships — the path to college shouldn’t be one of them
Transition to adulthood is much more complex for foster youth compared to those growing up outside the foster care system, write Rachel Kuebler and Rachelle Rivera, graduate students at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
Variety
USC screen scoring diversity scholarship expands opportunities for Black composers
Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Bleeding Fingers Music have established a Screen Scoring Diversity Scholarship for Black composition students at the USC Thornton School of Music. The scholarship is funded by a gift from Quincy Jones and will cover the full cost of the school’s Screen Scoring master’s program.
Psychology Today
New AI predicts movie ratings before filming
The machine learning model, which analyzes language data in a movie script, was developed by USC researchers in collaboration with a UCLA colleague.
KCET
Even with museums closed, art finds a way through public spaces
Art can help us make sense of these charged, complex and difficult times, says USC Dornsife’s Enrique Martínez Celaya. And Amelia Jones of the USC Roski School of Art and Design notes that art displayed in public needs to reflect the current conditions — not just be plunked down without context.
NPR
FDA advisory panel rejects controversial Alzheimer’s drug
USC Alzheimer’s expert Lon Schneider says the panel made the right call in rejecting aducanumab. Studies showed the drug’s impact to be insignificant at best.
Doctoral student works to end inflamm-aging
After receiving her PhD from USC, Ruzanna “Rose” Shkhyan intends to continue her work on inflammation, osteoarthritis and other age-related diseases.
Updates on COVID-19 vaccination efforts at USC
Two Keck Medicine of USC experts recently provided an update on the vaccination process, including how they are prioritizing recipients and the safety profile of the Pfizer vaccine.
USC welcomes spring admits with virtual convocation
President Carol L. Folt, USC’s deans and more greeted the newest Trojans and urged them to embrace every opportunity.
COVID-19: Important spring testing program and campus access updates
The Pop Testing 3.0 program is required for all on-site USC students and employees, and the university recommends that students living off campus delay their return.
Mapping a life’s worth of changes in a mysterious brain structure
A five-year, $1.4 million study led by USC researchers will investigate the role of perivascular spaces in brain function across the human lifespan.
Student-created nonprofit delivers thousands of gallons of water to people in need
Three USC students have raised more than $400,000 since July to supply L.A. residents experiencing homelessness with clean, reliable bottled water.
Beyond changing DNA, mutagens also cause errors in gene transcription
The USC research discovery opens new avenues of research for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Stem cells may correct deformity and restore brain function after childhood disorder
USC scientists have regenerated parts of the skull affected by a common birth defect called craniosynostosis.
Sam Tsagalakis, 88, USC kicker whose late field goal beat Stanford in 1953
He was just the second Trojan kicker to make a game-winning field goal in the final minute.
USC students map uncharted territory to assist in rescue efforts
Trojans joined their UCLA counterparts in a three-day “mapathon” to plot out some of the world’s most remote regions. The work assists humanitarian efforts after disasters.
‘Junk DNA’ plays a key role in regulating our circadian clocks
USC research on the impact of microRNAs on circadian rhythms could reveal novel ways to treat or prevent specific diseases.
Largest, most diverse prostate cancer study in history shows genetic role in health disparities
The research — co-led by the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center — identified 86 new genetic variations that increase the risk of prostate cancer.
‘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.
To better understand aging, look at both biological and social factors
Incorporating socioeconomic status and childhood adversity alongside biological mechanisms is critical for improving aging research, a USC study finds.
Paul Westphal, 70, USC All-American and Basketball Hall of Fame guard
The three-time letterman went on to the NBA, where he was named an all-star five times.
New AI tool can predict in seconds what a movie will be rated
USC Viterbi researchers are using artificial intelligence to identify violent and sexual content in scripts before a single scene is shot.
9 books that offer inspiration and comfort at the end of a challenging 2020
USC English professors reflect on the books that soothed and uplifted them during a tumultuous year.
Have you been naughty? Then beware: Krampus is coming
With a new movie, a comic book series and Krampus-based festivities growing in popularity, the scary Alpine holiday legend has gained a firm foothold in America.
How USC researchers advanced science in 2020 — even during a pandemic
Learn more about this year’s accomplishments in the lab and the field — including discoveries about Alzheimer’s disease, earthquakes and COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccines roll into USC health centers: Watch it in GIFs
Some 2,500 doses of extremely cold vaccines arrive to the sound of applause and The Spirit of Troy.
The most significant social impact films of 2020, all streaming at home
This list of 15 movies and shows, compiled by the Media Institute for Social Change at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, highlights the stories that traumatized, moved and inspired us this year.
How USC plans to distribute its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine
Two Keck Medicine of USC experts discuss the storage and prioritization of roughly 2,500 doses of groundbreaking vaccine.
Student club helps introduce children to music, whether in person or on Zoom
USC junior Danika Banh created the Music Inspiring Community club to bring regular lessons to underserved elementary school classrooms.
How working from home has changed us
After March’s stay-at-home order took effect, USC researchers studied the impact of widespread work from home on well-being and productivity.