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KPCC-FM reported that Patrick Lynett and Jose Borrero of the USC Viterbi School are working with the state of California to study past tsunami data and project how tsunamis could affect the coast. "California is being proactive in its effort to re-evaluate certain elements of its tsunami preparedness based on lessons learned from the Japan event," Borrero said. If an oil tanker or cargo ship tore loose in the ports during a tsunami, the problem could escalate very quickly, Lynett told Daily Breeze.

The Huffington Post featured Elyn Saks of the USC Gould School, who recently gave the keynote address at Loyola Marymount University for the 50th anniversary of the Airport Marina Counseling Service. The story stated that Saks is an accomplished academic who is also schizophrenic. Her address focused on how the mentally ill are still capable of successful, happy lives. The article noted that Saks used her MacArthur "genius" grant to set up a think tank at USC, the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy and Ethics.

The Huffington Post ran a column by Martin Kaplan of the USC Annenberg School about young people being more risk-averse than in the past, and what that means for the culture at large. Kaplan wrote that he's not surprised many students are less likely to embrace a carefree, entrepreneurial spirit, since they recognize just how difficult it is to find success, and how "Horatio Alger platitudes" are built on unrealistic notions of luck. "It's not called 'dumb luck' for nothing," Kaplan added.

The Desert Sun highlighted research by W. James Gauderman of the Keck School of USC on the link between lung development in children and air pollution. He found that in highly polluted areas on average five percent of children have abnormally low lung development. "Any new source of particulate matter would be of concern to children's health," Gauderman said.

Business Insider ran a column by Ira Kalb of the USC Marshall School about the NCAA's marketing of March Madness. Names like Sweet Sixteen, Final Four and Elite Eight help keep these competitions in the forefront of fans' minds, Kalb wrote. If you create catchy slogans and logos, "people will broadcast them for you and further your brand reach, frequency, and engagement," he added.