USC Viterbi team reaches for the sky in annual design/build/fly competition
Sure, the Trojans set out to win, but they also built lifelong friendships — and gained a huge competitive edge as they looked for their first jobs after graduation.
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USC Gould’s Small Business Clinic gives healthy meals business peace of mind
Second-year law student Megan Ricker provided budding businessperson Mackenzie Burgess with exactly what she needed.
In memoriam: Lamont Dozier, songwriter and producer behind countless Motown hits
The celebrated musician was the first artist-in-residence for USC Thornton’s Popular Music program.
The Hill
Bad news: COVID-19 numbers are pretty meaningless
Among the problems: With the widespread availability of self-testing, the real number of cases greatly exceeds the number of reported cases, notes Jeffrey Klausner of the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Axios
Fake online reviews lead shoppers to overpay, new study says
Shoppers who use Amazon more frequently were more likely to be affected by phony ratings, USC Dornsife’s Robert Metcalfe says. You’d expect that more sophisticated participants would be less likely to be duped, but frequent Amazon users shop the platform faster and tend to trust it more, he says.
Los Angeles Times
People trying to get pregnant (or avoid pregnancy) are turning to apps for help — but should they?
Cynthia Sanchez of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work tries to discourage her patients from using the apps for pregnancy prevention. She believes they give a false sense of security.
Los Angeles Times
EV demand is so hot that Tesla owners are flipping their cars like houses
“When supply and demand are not in alignment, you get these opportunities where clever people can take advantage,” says USC Marshall’s Larry Harris, former Securities and Exchange Commission chief economist. “We’ve seen this in all kinds of markets.”
Futurity
Depression symptoms spike for teen boys after grandmother’s death
A study co-authored by USC’s Michelle Livings notes that more than 4 million children and adolescents in the United States have lost a grandparent to COVID-19. That’s on top of the 10 million to 12 million kids who typically lose a grandparent each year.
Los Angeles Times
In memoriam: Shinzo Abe, former prime minister of Japan who attended USC
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was shot as he delivered a speech in the western city of Nara.
Los Angeles Times
EV demand is so hot that Tesla owners are flipping their cars like houses
“When supply and demand are not in alignment, you get these opportunities where clever people can take advantage,” says USC Marshall’s Larry Harris, former Securities and Exchange Commission chief economist. “We’ve seen this in all kinds of markets.” (Los Angeles Times)
KCET
Augmented reality experience will bring L.A.’s original Chinatown back to life
A rare collection of photos from the 1930s provides insight into the neighborhood that was torn down for the construction of Union Station.
Futurity
Depression symptoms spike for teen boys after grandmother’s death
A study co-authored by USC’s Michelle Livings notes that more than 4 million children and adolescents in the United States have lost a grandparent to COVID-19. That’s on top of the 10 million to 12 million kids who typically lose a grandparent each year.
Time
Forget physique; mental health is the newest, hottest fitness goal
“People are reporting slightly different motives for wanting to be active,” compared with before the pandemic, says Genevieve Dunton of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “The reasons are certainly more about stress reduction, anxiety release and improved sleep.”
Inside Higher Ed
Navigating the path from a community college to a prestigious private university
Private universities are increasingly looking to the community college transfer pipeline to broaden access and diversify the student body. For USC President Carol L. Folt — herself a community college transfer student — it’s personal.
CNN
Seniors with long COVID should prepare to go slow
Caitlin Mcauley of the Keck School of Medicine of USC recommends a neuropsychological exam. “Plenty of older patients who’ve had COVID feel like they now have dementia. But when they do the testing, all their higher-level cognitive functioning is intact, and it’s things like attention or cognitive fluency that are impaired,” she says.
California millionaire’s tax that funds mental health programs prevented 5,500 suicides, study shows
Reductions in suicide were greatest among older adults, raising questions about how to better serve younger people with mental health challenges, a USC Price study finds.
A majority of people around the world are concerned about climate change
Americans are also showing increased concerns about climate change, an analysis by USC Price’s Wändi Bruine de Bruin finds.
USC Radio Group names public broadcasting executive as its new president
James A. Muhammad will oversee Classical California, the No. 1 classical music radio station network in the nation, which operates KUSC-FM in Los Angeles and KDFC-FM in San Francisco.
Artificial intelligence amplifies core research strengths at Keck School of Medicine of USC
Researchers see AI’s potential in areas including cancer, neurodegenerative disease and population health.
Keck Medical Center of USC signs White House Health Care Sector Climate Pledge
The pledge invites organizations to commit to lowering their greenhouse gas emissions and building a more climate-resilient infrastructure.
Most Americans today are choosing cremation. Here’s why burials are becoming less common
As late as 1970, only about 5% of Americans chose cremation; now, more than half of us choose the method. A USC expert explains why.
USC Trustee Dominic Ng to chair key government business advisory effort
Ng, a USC trustee since 2014, will chair the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council next year.
Defying gravity: One Trojan’s zero-G flight of a lifetime
Ever wonder what it feels like to float in space? USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy student Anna Shaposhnik has a pretty good idea.
USC students compete in NASA augmented reality challenge
The team of USC and Arizona students was one of 10 selected to design an AR interface for lunar and Martian exploration.
Pipe dreams: We take plumbing for granted, but it’s a ‘modern miracle’ with roots more than 6,000 years old
From the communal baths of Rome to the Great Stink of London and the fortuitously named sanitary engineer Thomas Crapper, USC scholars tell the history of plumbing through the ages.
From in-crowds to power couples, network science uncovers the hidden structure of community dynamics
A USC researcher and colleagues found a way to detect powerful “inner circles” in large organizations simply by studying networks that map emails being sent among employees.
Sophisticated math and computing — and a healthy dose of collaboration — tackle questions about genetics
Scientists in USC Dornsife’s new Quantitative and Computational Biology Department discuss the mysteries within and moral issues surrounding our DNA.
For many Slavic studies students, war in Ukraine hits home — literally
Graduate students in USC Dorsnfie’s Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures grapple with Russia’s war on Ukraine, which has thrust their studies into the spotlight.
Students explore novel pathway to increase homeownership
USC Price students are recognized for their work on land contracts, legal agreements that allow homebuyers to make payments directly to the seller instead of a bank.
Machine learning, nature benefits: How AI helps 2 USC environmental scientists unlock the natural world’s mysteries
How do you measure a cloud? How do you count a swarm of bees? Machine learning provides insights into complex natural phenomena.
Health risks of high-potency cannabis products show regulations are inadequate
Current legislation to legalize cannabis doesn’t do enough to regulate high-potency cannabis products like edibles and vape cartridges, a new white paper from USC Schaeffer Center warns.
What L.A.’s notorious ‘water wars’ say about the city’s history — and its future
The infamous events of the early 20th century inspired the classic film Chinatown, but USC Dornsife experts note that it may be a story without any heroes.
What the controversial 1972 ‘Limits to Growth’ report got right: Our choices today shape future conditions for life on Earth
A 1972 report warned that unchecked consumption could crater the world economy by 2100. Fifty years and much debate later, USC Dornsife’s Matthew Kahn asks: Can humanity innovate quickly enough to avoid that fate?
USC chemists create greener research labs
Professors are implementing sustainable processes and using equipment that generates less heat — and that’s just the start.
From USC stem cell master’s alum to rural New Mexico dentist
Nelson Poliran Jr. admits that, after years of studying in L.A., practicing dentistry in the rural town of Hobbs, N.M., was a bit of a culture shock.
Trojan trailblazer cherishes being 1st woman to receive USC athletic scholarship
TITLE IX: Tennis standout Barbara Hallquist DeGroot quickly made a name for herself, winning back-to-back national collegiate singles titles in the 1970s. She later returned to USC as a volunteer coach.
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.
Long COVID affects 23% of positive cases, causing symptoms in ‘long haulers’ that may last for months
Interdisciplinary USC study also reveals predictors of long COVID.
Students head to Costa Rica for lessons on longevity
Trojans travel to the Nicoya Peninsula to understand why Costa Rica has one of the longest-lived populations in the world.