USC Dornsife News

From Classroom to Center Stage

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:58:00 -0500

USC Dornsife’s Jennifer Do swapped a lab coat for a traditional Vietnamese gown when she participated in the 2012 Miss Vietnam of Southern California Pageant. An assignment in Professor Andrew Simpson’s class compelled her to study her Vietnamese culture.

Kaya Press Moves from New York to USC Dornsife

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:22:00 -0500

The non-profit publisher of Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic literature, housed in USC Dornsife’s Department of American Studies and Ethnicity, brings innovative fiction, poetry and critical essays to the public.

White Key to Have West Coast Premiere

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:51:00 -0500

The poem by USC Dornsife's Carol Muske-Dukes about "leaning up into love" will be performed in a musical composition by Reena Esmail.

Time Flies

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:03:00 -0500

USC Dornsife's Kevin Le and USC School of Cinematic Arts' Edward Saavedra, both sophomores, took the top prize in the inaugural science-themed filmmaking competition for their short movie Time. USC Dornsife students also won an honorable mention.

USC Sea Grant Funds Studies of "Urban Ocean" Issues

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:47:00 -0500

The University of Southern California Sea Grant Program has awarded $727,700 to support seven new research projects led by researchers at universities throughout California. The studies look at issues such fish contamination,...

Emotional Economics

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:05:00 -0500

Neuroeconomics looks inside the brain with scanning tools to investigate patterns of motivation and decision-making. Some businesses are profiting. Individuals can, too.

Andrew McMahon to Join USC Dornsife's Department of Biological Sciences

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:02:00 -0500

Biologist Andrew P. McMahon will leave Harvard University to join the Keck School of Medicine of USC on July 1 as a Provost Professor and the inaugural holder of the W. M. Keck Professorship of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative...

Mark Benthien Honored by the White House

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:46:00 -0500

The earthquake preparedness expert in the Southern California Earthquake Center, based in USC Dornsife, has been named a White House Champion of Change for his international work.

Ray Irani, Michael Waterman Elected to NAE

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:19:00 -0500

USC trustee Ray R. Irani Ph.D. ’57 and USC University Professor Michael Waterman have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). An alumnus of USC Dornsife, Irani is executive chairman of the Occidental...

Fasting Weakens Cancer in Mice

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 08:41:00 -0500

Man may not live by bread alone, but cancer in animals appears less resilient, judging by a study that found chemotherapy drugs work better when combined with cycles of short, severe fasting. Even fasting on its own effectively...

Life on the Rez

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 13:34:00 -0500

Combining journalism, history and memoir, David Treuer of English writes about Native American reservations from conception to the modern day in his new book Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life.

USC Dornsife Launches the Dornsife Scholars Program

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 09:37:00 -0500

The new designation combines the talents sought in USC’s Discovery, Renaissance and Global Scholars programs with an added emphasis on positive human impact.

President Nikias Visits a Young Scientists Program Lab

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 09:17:00 -0500

Observing and talking with USC Dornsife students and Norwood Street Elementary School children, USC President C. L. Max Nikias experienced firsthand the many benefits of YSP, operated in conjunction with USC Dornsife's Joint Educational Project.

Behind Those Violet Eyes

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 10:43:00 -0500

Thinking of Elizabeth Taylor what comes to mind? Those eyes? Diamonds? The eight marriages? A new book by cultural critic M. G. Lord of USC Dornsife describes how the late actress’ feminist impact has been hidden in plain sight.

A Lesson in Leadership from the Mayor

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:03:00 -0500

Students in the USC Dornsife course "Case Studies in Modern Leadership" get advice from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

USC Shoah Foundation Institute Launches IWitness

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:49:00 -0500

High school students throughout the New York metropolitan area utilized the new online educational resource IWitness — then met Roman Kent, one of the Holocaust survivors featured in the archive.

USC Scientists Build Working Model of Life’s Engine

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:30:00 -0500

Researchers at USC have built a theoretical working model of the cellular engine that powers all life. The model will allow scientists to better understand the forces of life at the molecular level and potentially replicate them,...

Life Discovered on Dead Hydrothermal Vents

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:38:00 -0500

Scientists at USC have uncovered evidence that even when hydrothermal sea vents go dormant and their blistering warmth turns to frigid cold, life goes on. Or rather, it is replaced. A team led by USC Dornsife microbiologist...

Nod to the Nanoscale

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:27:00 -0500

Richard Brutchey is named a 2012 Emerging Investigator by ChemComm, a publication of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

What Lies Beneath the Asbestos Crisis

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:39:00 -0500

In his new book, Dust-Up: Asbestos Litigation and the Failure of Commonsense Policy Reform, USC Dornsife’s Jeb Barnes uses an interbranch perspective to explore the most recent congressional efforts to reform asbestos litigation.

From the Bottom of My Heart

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:25:00 -0500

Glenn Fox, a neuroscience Ph.D. student in USC Dornsife, conducts the first study on the emotion of gratitude using functional brain imaging and archives from the USC Shoah Foundation Institute, and wins an award from the Oskar Schindler Humanities Foundation.

In Memoriam: Thomas C. Cox, 72

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:59:00 -0500

The associate professor emeritus of history’s publications included a recent book examining how federal and local governments instituted laws to help Kansas residents who lost everything during a grasshopper epidemic.

Mexico Program Targets Care for Mentally Ill

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:07:00 -0500

USC Dornsife’s Steven Lopez helps train future researchers who will address disparities in health care for Latinos with mental illness in the United States. The deadline to apply for the summer program that takes place in Mexico is Feb. 1.

USC Scientists Keep Their Eyes on Peripheral Vision

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:49:00 -0500

Two USC scientists are bringing peripheral vision into focus, showing that the way the brain sharpens its attention while the eyes are in motion leads to false assumptions about how objects should look. The eye’s...

Material Cleans Carbon Dioxide from the Air

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:22:00 -0500

A team of USC scientists has developed an easy-to-make material that can scrub large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. One day in the future, large artificial trees made from the material could be used to lower the...