Dentists without drills: Minimally invasive dentistry is on the rise
Microdentistry is now part of the USC dental curriculum, and its focus on stopping cavities early and without drills can make a big difference for patients with dental anxiety.
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USC Dornsife/L.A. Times poll: Democrats believe a white male is most likely to beat Trump
When asked which specific candidate could defeat President Donald Trump, 86% of Democrats said Joe Biden could “probably” or “definitely” win.
A new weapon in the battle to protect endangered animals: predictive AI
In tandem with nine animal conservation groups, a USC research team’s AI software is being deployed in wildlife parks worldwide to thwart poachers and protect species at risk.
Video: How AI can protect the world’s most endangered animals
Find out how new AI software from the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society will help stop poachers in nearly 600 wildlife parks across 55 countries.
Commitment to change: Ongoing updates on USC administrative, personnel changes
KABC-TV
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles ranked best in the west
The USC-affiliated hospital is ranked No. 5 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s newly released annual list of Best Children’s Hospitals.
San Francisco Chronicle
Why lawmakers need to fix the distorted economics of ride hailing
In an op-ed, USC’s Zakhary Mallett argues that the financial models of gig companies like Lyft, Uber and GrubHub are unsustainable because customers don’t pay the full cost of the service. Those subsidies harm industries that are self-sufficient and exploit workers, too.
The Hill
A way to control drug costs while spurring innovation
In an op-ed, USC’s Dana Goldman argues that a revived federal Office of Technology Assessment could provide a sharp focus on medical innovation and advise lawmakers on appropriating pricing for new technologies.
KNBC-TV
Lung cancer screen program could be key to survival
Keck Medicine of USC hopes to save lives with early lung cancer detection. “We really need to educate peopleL If you catch lung cancer early, it’s not a death sentence,” said USC’s Christopher Lee.
PC Magazine
Is that your fingerprint or a fake? This AI can tell
These days, downloading a CTO’s headshot to create a 3D replica and break into a secret lab is not just the stuff of espionage movies; it could happen. But USC’s Wael Abd-Almageed is working on artificial intelligence that will protect your biometric security.
Los Angeles Times
Say goodbye to your local precinct: Voting in California is about to change dramatically
In an op-ed, USC’s Mindy Romero and colleagues describe California’s new election plan, which shifts voters to voting by mail or at centralized vote centers rather than at polls in every neighborhood. The plan starts in L.A. and Orange counties in 2020.
Los Angeles Times
The good that can come when we stop seeing cancer as a battle to win or lose
In an op-ed, USC’s Sunita Puri notes many patients find it empowering to describe themselves as “fighting” and “beating” cancer. But others say that very language divides the sick into winners and losers, and can allow patients to hide some deeply felt emotions.
Variety
USC’s Middle East media program sparks industry change
The Middle East Media Initiative, a Hollywood training and mentorship program, launched in 2018 at USC School of Cinematic Arts to boost the careers of Arabic TV writers and producers from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
Entertainment Weekly
USC physicist’s superpower: Mastering the Marvel universe
USC’s Clifford Johnson explains his behind-the-scene advisory role in hit films like Avengers; Endgame: “My job is to help them tell the best story and give them the means to do so in a way that keeps you in the movie.”
Wired
Strong evidence: Air pollution seems to cause dementia
Research by USC’s Caleb Finch indicates that air pollution can lead to systemic inflammation in the body, which in turn can lead to the formation of Alzheimer’s disease plaques in the brain
Fortune
Married women do more housework than single moms, study finds
USC researchers and colleagues found that the married moms were more likely to “perform gender” in their relationships: working to meet expectations about home-cooked meals, clean clothes and well-kept houses, for instance.
Los Angeles Times
The first MaltinFest at the Egyptian draws Leonard Maltin and family even closer
The longtime film critic, who has taught at USC for more than two decades, curated the films featured in the three-day festival that begins Friday.
Occupational therapists find their place in providing health care for the homeless
USC Chan’s Deborah Pitts has worked to integrate occupational therapists into agencies that help the homeless, and her efforts are opening doors to new opportunities.
Investment services expert Michael Felix joins USC Board of Trustees
The Trojan alumnus has held leadership roles with numerous USC organizations and is a seasoned veteran of the financial services industry.
When an LAFC player suffers a mouth injury, Trojan dentists spring to action
A trio of Ostrow School alums provide both emergency and routine dental care for players on the Los Angeles Football Club, combining a love of sports and dentistry.
Film and TV miss the mark in portraying mental health conditions
A new study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative finds popular media underrepresents and misrepresents characters with mental health conditions.
Study links racism to chronic inflammation among African Americans
USC researchers have found that racism can trigger heightened inflammatory responses among African Americans, which could lead to heart attacks, neurodegenerative diseases and metastatic cancer.
Students can afford to go abroad thanks to USC Dornsife fellowship
International travel, field research and community service projects are accessible to first-generation students at USC through the Fisher Fellowship program.
Native Hawaiians have a 60% greater risk than whites for pancreatic cancer
A new USC study highlights uninvestigated disparities between certain ethnic groups as to their risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
High schooler researching cancer at USC preps for his next stop: the Ivy League
Though Anthony Ball is only a high school senior, he’s already an integral part of a USC research team. His next stop? Dartmouth College on a full scholarship.
USC Thornton organist/composer gets special moment in the spotlight — and shines
Thanks to the generosity of a world-famous organist, grad student Thomas Mellan recently took the stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall for an experience he’ll never forget.
Award-winning doctoral student plans to explore the molecular unknown
After graduating from USC Dornsife with a level of scholarly productivity that her faculty advisor called ‘breathtaking,’ Pragya Goel is ready to further transform neuroscience.
Alice Schoenfeld, renowned violinist and longtime faculty member, 98
USC mourns the noted teacher and generous philanthropist, who died May 25. Schoenfeld taught countless students and underwrote music scholarships and renovation of the school’s orchestral rehearsal hall.
In her darkest hour, Eugenia Huang found a supportive new home at USC
Getting into USC was bittersweet after the death of her father. But thanks to her Trojan Family, this 2019 graduate bounced back and reaffirmed that this was where she was meant to be.
In memoriam: Robert R. Scales, former dean of the USC School of Dramatic Arts
An acclaimed designer, technical director and educator, he remained involved with the life of the university after his retirement, including serving as a leader with the Emeriti Center.
Driven to help the underserved, first-gen student graduates with dual degrees in health
Born in Vietnam to parents with fifth-grade educations, Amy Nham was taught that learning is the way out of poverty. As one of the first students to graduate from USC with the dual PharmD/MPH degree, she plans to use her skills to help those in real need.
In memoriam: Nobel Prize-winning physicist Murray Gell-Mann, 89
The pioneering scientist who won the Nobel Prize in 1969 is known for his creative insights into the particles that comprise the universe.
In memoriam: Roy Irvin, MVP on 1954 men’s basketball Final Four team
The 6-foot-5 center still ranks in USC’s top 10 for both rebounds and rebounding average.
USC grad looks to bring her journalism skillset to documentary filmmaking
Shushan Minasian came from her native Russia to L.A. believing in the Hollywood version of the city. Now that she’s seen the real thing, she plans to use her master’s degree from USC Annenberg to tell those stories and more through documentaries.
Trojans honor body donors who make realistic anatomy classes possible
USC’s Anatomical Gift Program gives students the opportunity to dissect real bodies. Spurred on by Professor Mikel Snow, the students also pause once a year to give back in their own way.
The key to avoiding measles: knowing your vaccination history
Experts at the Keck School of Medicine of USC say that worried adults should seek out their immunization histories, then decide whether to get vaccinated.
Battle for the thermostat: USC study finds women are more productive at warmer temperatures
The study also found that men perform slightly better at a lower temperature, suggesting that gender and temperature are linked in more ways than one.
USC undergrad lab shatters world altitude record for student rockets
The USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory says this is the first entirely student-designed-and-built rocket to pass the Kármán line into outer space.
Improved air quality leads to fewer L.A.-area kids developing asthma
USC scientists have linked nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter reductions to a decrease in new asthma cases, reinforcing the health detriments of air pollution.
What geology reveals, and obscures, about North Korea’s nuclear weapons
A USC PhD candidate explains how geological knowledge of North Korea’s nuclear test site could provide deeper insights into the nation’s weapons capability.
Trojan wants to bring the lessons of the L.A. Zoo to everyone
Anna Becker fell in love with the zoo as a child. As a member of the Los Angeles Zoo’s education team, she’s working to make its programs more accessible for students throughout the city.