The importance of studying health data that represents everyone
The American Life in Realtime project includes numbers from vulnerable and historically underrepresented populations to help improve health care across the board.
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Master in Social Work graduate dedicated to helping children experiencing homelessness
COMMENCEMENT 2022: Jennifer Weck was named School Social Work Intern of the Year by the San Diego Department of Education.
Former Trojan offensive lineman has been driven to succeed from childhood — on and off the field
COMMENCEMENT 2022: Frank Martin II is a busy guy: He’s accumulated three USC degrees in six years, all while being a spokesman for Athletics’ Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Now he’s moving on to the world of venture capital.
USC researchers know what you did on Venmo — and they’re not alone
The popular social payments app makes user profiles, payment notes and friend lists public by default. That’s laid the groundwork for millions of privacy leaks.
USC President Carol L. Folt recaps a year of Trojan accomplishments
As the 2021-2022 academic year wraps up, the president shares a video message highlighting an incredible year. Watch her roundup of the year’s events and hear her words of thanks to students, faculty and staff.
Celebrating the Class of 2022
Relive all of the memories of Commencement Day:
A return to normal and a proper sendoff: Class of 2022 is urged to live ‘a life of purpose’
COMMENCEMENT 2022: A class tempered by the uncertainty of COVID-19 crosses a finish line during USC’s 139th commencement ceremony — where a new passage awaits. Share in the festivities and see some of our favorite photos of the day.
For these Trojans, commencement is a family affair
COMMENCEMENT 2022: USC alumni return to their alma mater to watch their children receive degrees of their own.
Parents, as they often do, create the foundation of USC student’s success
COMMENCEMENT 2022: Jacqueline Martinez will receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees on Friday, thanks to her mom and dad’s loving support.
People
Incoming USC freshman makes history as youngest U.S. woman to reach top of Mount Everest
Lucy Westlake, who started climbing mountains with her father when she was just 7 years old, reached the summit early Thursday morning.
The Wall Street Journal
Below the Hollywood sign, a once-private enclave becomes a home-buying hot spot
But Hollywoodland is also a hot spot for tourists, setting the stage for conflict between residents and visitors, notes USC Dornsife’s Leo Braudy. He’s the author of The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon.
The Guardian
‘Bossware is coming for almost every worker’: The software you might not realize is watching you
It’s not just a privacy issue: Being monitored lowers your sense of perceived autonomy, which can increase stress and anxiety, says USC Marshall Associate Professor Nathanael Fast.
New Humanist
How do we warn future generations about our toxic waste?
Saving our planet may depend on communicating with people 10,000 years from now. USC Dornsife visiting scholar Vincent Ialenti says that the speed at which language evolves will make such communication difficult. The word “internet,” he notes, would mean little to someone living in the 1970s.
Deadline.com
The Batman director Matt Reeves to deliver USC School Of Cinematic Arts commencement address
The USC alum will speak on May 13 at the Shrine Auditorium. Insecure writer-director-EP Prentice Penny will receive its Mary Pickford Alumni Award.
Los Angeles Times
What Elon Musk’s Twitter move says about social media’s political tightrope
“When I look at Twitter, I don’t see a social network, I see an information network,” says USC Annenberg’s Karen North. “It’s a network of people who are communicators, either journalists or people who act like journalists conveying information to their audiences.”
The Associated Press
For Russian diplomats, disinformation is part of the job
Russian embassies around the world are prolifically using Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to undermine the international coalition supporting Ukraine. “They must know better, but that’s what it’s like living in and working for a totalitarian regime,” said Nicholas Cull, a USC professor who studies diplomacy and propaganda.
Slate
Inside L.A.’s housing crisis, from someone who lived it
Trojan Ethan Ward reports on homelessness for KPCC-FM. It’s topic into which he has special insight: Before attending USC or becoming a reporter, he lived in his car.
LAist
California’s largest cities saw significant population decline during 1st full year of COVID
Rising housing costs in Los Angeles County and the Bay Area are chasing away both California natives and immigrants, USC Dornsife Professor Manuel Pastor says.
Los Angeles Times
Will Smith’s attack on Chris Rock shows toxic masculinity boiling over
Recovering from a lifetime of toxic masculinity requires men to be mindful of the ways we have been socialized to handle anger in interactions with other men, women and genderqueer persons, Executive Director Shaun Harper of the USC Race and Equity Center notes in an op-ed.
The New York Times
What’s next for the pandemic in California?
An increase in COVID cases in 2022 should be entirely different from one in 2020, says Jeffrey Klausner of the Keck School of Medicine of USC: “We’re kind of more in the realm right now of what a typical influenza season might look like.”
The Wall Street Journal
Scream or Scream? Hollywood loves sequels so much that not even the names change
Longer, more creative titles can be intimidating to some viewers and unnecessary for others, says Associate Professor J.D. Connor of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. And adding numbers to the end of sequels can discourage viewers who haven’t already seen the previous movies.
Graduating senior Divya Jeyasingh: ‘The Trojan Family is very real’
COMMENCEMENT 2022: The Portland, Ore., native looks back on four years, two degrees and countless memorable experiences with the USC Helenes, Swim With Mike and other groups.
4 years later: Graduating senior Nadia Filanovsky expanded her horizons — and got her driver’s license
COMMENCEMENT 2022: The native New Yorker may be heading back home after commencement, but L.A. and USC have a special place in her heart.
If Supreme Court abortion ruling overturns Roe v. Wade, here are 5 things that could happen next
A USC expert on medicine access, drug utilization and pharmaceutical policy weighs in on what’s at stake across the country.
Graduating senior Bryan Huang feels a moral imperative to help those in need
COMMENCEMENT 2022: A spirit for volunteering and an attentive ear serve the Trojan well, whether its as president of USC Code the Change or through social entrepreneurship.
4 years later: Graduating senior Lauren Gilmour speaks to how USC widened her perspective
COMMENCEMENT 2022: Deepening her knowledge on the most pressing issues today and making solid connections over the past four years enabled Gilmour to better understand herself — and the world.
USC Viterbi startup is the No. 1 virtual cardiac rehab program in the U.S.
Moving Analytics, cofounded by three USC Viterbi alumni, seeks to be in all 50 states by the end of 2023.
USC Schwarzenegger Institute hosts Eisenhower Fellows
The participants came from seven African countries and represent diverse fields including agriculture, housing, public safety, water quality, finance, food security, environmental protection and fashion.
4 years later: Graduating senior Anthony Llamas shares his wisdom on failure and success
COMMENCEMENT 2022: The soon-to-be-graduate also had some advice for other first-generation students like himself on navigating life’s ups and downs: “You’ll never be alone.”
Graduating anthropology major discovers a deeper sense of self and purpose
COMMENCEMENT 2022: Encounters with key faculty members helped Hameedha Khan overcome the uncertainty that marked her initial days at USC.
USC commencement 2022: What you need to know if you’ll be attending
COMMENCEMENT 2022: Thousands will descend on the University Park Campus for the university’s 139th commencement on May 13 — so you’ll want to plan accordingly.
4 years later: Graduating senior Neysa Sanghavi reflects on the impact of her volunteer work
COMMENCEMENT 2022: Service has been at the heart of the USC experience for Sanghavi, who next week will receive degrees in human biology and in pharmacology and drug development.
USC Children’s Health Study, now 30 years old, raises nationwide awareness of pollution’s harms
The research helped establish clean-air norms and inspired dozens of spinoff studies on air quality.
New Unchained Scholars leaders look to carry on their predecessor’s message of hope
They weren’t seeking leadership roles, but Tangela “Tangie” Griffin and Myra Waters stepped up when the president of the group — which supports formerly incarcerated master’s and doctoral social work students — died unexpectedly.
USC Michelson Center celebrates 3 state-of-the-art research facilities
The grand opening ceremonies celebrate the latest cutting-edge facilities at the center, which brings together researchers from the university’s engineering and medical schools and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Increasing discord over abortion, LGBTQ+ issues keep polarization levels high
The USC Polarization Index shows immigration remains the most divisive topic in the first quarter of 2022, while the war in Ukraine is the most discussed.
4 years later: Graduating senior Leily Zhu talks about gaining a global perspective
COMMENCEMENT 2022: The business major from Omaha, Neb., and soon-to-be USC alumna answers some questions on her last four years.
Peace Pods bring islands of serenity to USC community
The Peace Pods project, a collaborative effort of USC Arts in Action, provides solitary space for people to decompress from everyday life.
Architect builds expertise in equitable, sustainable urban planning at USC Price
The school provided the perfect opportunity for Colin Montoute to develop his passion creating public spaces that enable civic relationships and economic opportunities to thrive.
Legal scholar wins Fulbright award to study intersection of folklore and the legal system
USC Dornsife’s Alison Dundes Renteln will examine the ways in which laws address and protect traditional beliefs, stories and cultural ideas.
USC scientists identify genetic variants linked to mobility changes in aging
Study suggests changes in strength and mobility may depend on genetic variations in a critical mitochondrial enzyme and provides a new biomarker linked to age-related muscle health.
Eileen Crimmins, Manuel Pastor elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The prestigious honorary society recognizes exceptional individuals from academia, the arts, industry, public policy and research and engages them in addressing significant global and national challenges.
Mural celebrates 40 years of service to USC Asian American and Pacific Islander students
The piece at the Asian Pacific American Student Services celebrates the countless USC students who have found support and community through the cultural center in the last 40 years.
4 years later: Graduating senior Meg Schwartz looks back at the ‘happy bubble’
COMMENCEMENT 2022: The communications major reflects on her student experience, how she’s changed and what’s next.
USC beach volleyball team captures 4th Pac-12 championship
The Women of Troy took down UCLA for the fourth straight time to secure the conference crown.