The Wall Street Journal
How to build robots people can relate to
As robots take on bigger service roles, it’s crucial that users both trust and like them. As USC’s Maja Matarić notes, that can be tricky.
Cleveland.com
Some kids could see benefits from a parent’s incarceration
A study by co-authors including USC’s Jeffrey Weaver found that if a judge opts to sentence a criminal defendant to jail or prison, it could actually decrease the likelihood the defendant’s child turns to crime.
The Sacramento Bee
Will California renew its bet on stem cells? Agency touts economic impact as its seeks funding
A report from the USC Price School of Public Publicy found that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has generated more than $641 million in state and local revenue as well as more than $726 million in federal tax revenue.
Variety
After decades of stagnation, women directors see major gains in Hollywood
Of the directors behind the 100 top-grossing movies of 2018, less than 4% were women — fewer than the year before. This year, though, Stacy L. Smith of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative sees a different picture: an all-time high with women at the helm of at least 12 of this year’s top films.
The Hollywood Reporter
Partnership will ‘spellcheck’ Disney scripts for gender bias
The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media has partnered with Walt Disney Studios to deploy a USC-developed digital tool that uses AI technology to examine film and television scripts.
Quartz
The reasons why every academic and business conference should offer childcare
“Why is it important for [women] to attend the conferences for the first few years after they have a child?” asks USC Viterbi’s Yan Liu. “Because this is the critical time not only for childbearing, but also a critical time for career development, and the women miss important opportunities if they don’t participate in the conference[s].”
U.S. News & World Report
USC’s University Park Campus is like a city within a city
The magazine, which again ranked USC among its top 25 national universities, makes a stop in L.A. on its California College Road Trip.
The Hill
Does the U.S. need to be represented at Dubai Expo 2020?
In an op-ed, USC Annenberg’s Nicholas Cull notes that international expositions — sometimes called world’s fairs — remain an important image-maker on the global stage. With the next expo opening in Dubai in fall 2020, he argues that plans for a U.S. pavilion are overdue.
USC Annenberg students join the conversation on climate change
USC Annenberg students questioned 2020 presidential candidates about their climate change proposals as part of MSNBC’s two-day Climate Forum at Georgetown University. USC one of three satellite locations from which students across the country participated in the live event.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Health systems’ wellness officers look inward
More and more academic medical centers making groundbreaking changes to address burnout and stress. At the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Dean Laura Mosqueda chose to tie wellness and leadership into an associate dean role.
USCTrojans.com
Matt Leinart, Heisman winner at USC, named to Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
Leinart, who led the Trojans to a pair of Rose Bowls and was MVP of the 2004 Rose Bowl, is the 25th Trojan player, coach or administrator elected to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
San Francisco Chronicle
Patrice Rushen goes back to her roots
The keyboardist, vocalist, composer and USC Thornton faculty member returns to the Monterey Jazz Festival on Friday. This time, she’s a featured member of the Christian McBride Situation, a funk-powered group that delivers a kaleidoscopic array of African American musical idioms.
Voice of America
Scientists study whether virtual reality can prevent cognitive decline, dementia
Judy Pa is part of a USC team studying the effects of virtual reality on the brain and cognition related to aging. She explained that, unlike 2D games, VR provides a first-person, 3D immersive experience that is critical to spatial memory training.
The Baltimore Sun
2020 campaign warning: more humanlike bots, better deep-fake videos and wall-to-wall disinformation
A study by researchers at USC’s Information Sciences Institute bots and fake accounts enabled by artificial intelligence have become even more skipped at copying human behaviors — and avoidindg detection.
La Cañada Valley Sun
Hospital cafe entices seniors with healthy options, sweet discount
By expanding its menu, the USC Verdugo Hills Hospital has turned its cafeteria into a dinner destination for seniors. “You can come down here and eat cheaper than you’d buy the stuff from the store, and maybe you’ll run into another old senior and have a nice meal,” said diner Phil Downs.
The Orange County Register
Innovation and planning reform key to fixing housing market
In an op-ed, Gary Painter of the USC Price School of Public Policy argues that there are many common sense planning reforms that could be enacted to bring much needed housing to the market.
CBS Los Angeles
Health experts: Poor summer air quality putting Angelenos at risk
Professor Ed Avol of the Keck School of Medicine of USC notes one way to limit the damage: Walk through a neighborhood rather than along a busy thoroughfare.
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.