USC Media and Public Relations

Featured Stories

The New York Times highlighted research by Andrew Curtis of the USC Dornsife College, who leads a team of students and local community members who have documented the substantial changes in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina. The interactive piece, which features Curtis' videos documenting the changes in the area, was part of a package marking the hurricane's fifth anniversary.

Fox & Hounds Daily featured the kickoff for the Global Cities Initiative, which was held at USC and included Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. USC President C. L. Max Nikias said Los Angeles and California are dynamic economies, having grown from Wild West outposts to a gateway to the world. Richard Drobnick of the USC Marshall School said that small businesses should be informed and educated about the potential for exporting their goods and services. Los Angeles Daily News highlighted the kickoff and noted that the Marshall School is part of the Los Angeles Regional Export Council, a consortium created to promote overseas exports.

The Washington Post featured Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School, who will be performing with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra March 31 and April 1. Before the concerts, Goto will visit high school classes around Alexandria and Arlington to help students prepare for performances with the orchestra as part of her Orchestra Residencies Program, which supports young musicians. "I am passionate about education and music education in particular," Goto said. The story noted she heads the Thornton School's strings department and participates in a number of philanthropic organizations.

Los Angeles Times highlighted the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC, which will take place April 21-22. The event will feature notable authors including T.C. Boyle of the USC Dornsife College, Judy Blume, Robert Crais and John Green.

Jewish Journal featured a Q&A with USC President C. L. Max Nikias about a university delegation's recent trip to Israel and USC's connections to Israeli universities and Jewish students. Nikias noted USC's close collaboration with Hebrew Union College, which led to the formation of USC's Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life. He also said that USC is a pluralistic institution that embraces students from all backgrounds, representing students from more than 115 countries and more than 90 religious organizations and worldviews. "This was no accident — it resulted from an unwavering commitment to pluralism and dialogue across every tradition," Nikias said.

Blogdowntown highlighted a conference on the music of Woody Guthrie that will be held as part of Visions & Voices: The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative. "This celebration of Woody Guthrie's life, work, and legacy is going to be as fun as it is educational, and we're thrilled to be able to play a role," said William Deverell of the USC Dornsife College.

Jewish Journal featured Ron Avi Astor of the USC School of Social Work and highlighted his research on bullying. The story noted he has studied school violence for nearly 30 years, and with a colleague conducted the first large-scale school violence survey in Israel. Astor said that the motivation for his studies was growing up Jewish, with an ancestral history of persecution, and growing up in Los Angeles, where racial tension exploded between gangs. "We lived in a much more violent society than we have right now," he said.