Each year, USC programs and faculty research are highlighted in print, broadcast and online stories throughout the world. Highlights of recent news coverage are compiled by USC Media Relations.
USC in the News 4/19/2012
Featured Stories
The New York Times ran an op-ed by William Fulton of the USC Price School on whether Los Angeles should increase its urban density to be more like New York. "While L.A. is still fairly low-rise and auto-oriented over all, it's increasingly a place where you can live a more traditional car-free urban lifestyle," Fulton wrote. "New Yorkers may think that reinventing Hollywood as an urban center is nuts, but the truth is Hollywood already is an urban center."
Los Angeles Times featured the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC, which will feature talks by actress and children's book author Julie Andrews and Karen Tongson of the USC Dornsife College, and a performance by the USC Thornton Jazz Honors Combo. The festival is the premier event of the literary calendar, stated Jewish Journal. The festival's move to USC last year resulted in an event that was rich, lively, diverse, accessible and well attended, the story stated. This weekend's festivities will include appearances by several USC faculty authors, as well as a performance by the USC Trojan Marching Band. The festival was also featured by another Los Angeles Times story and LAist.
CNN ran an op-ed by Edward McCaffery of the USC Gould School about the Buffet Rule, which would place a 30 percent minimum tax rate on individuals making more than a million dollars a year. "The idea is another attempt by President Barack Obama to restore some measure of progressivity to the tax code," McCaffery wrote, adding that the idea is dead on arrival. "The rule has no chance of getting through the House, even if it can get through the Senate."
The Atlantic featured Andrew Curtis of the USC Dornsife College, who uses car-mounted video cameras to document neighborhoods affected by natural disasters, in order to understand how recovery takes place and the factors that may hold it back. Curtis has documented several New Orleans neighborhoods over the six years since Hurricane Katrina. More recently, he began studying storm-ravaged areas of Joplin, Missouri, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. "There are not many places in the U.S. — whether it's a post-disaster environment or not — where you've got that level of visual data that you can see how places have changed," Curtis said, adding that the video recordings are like time capsules with many possible future applications.
Los Angeles Times covered the deaths of two USC students, and the memorial service held this week in their honor. The news was also covered by a second Los Angeles Times story, Xinhua News Agency (China), a second Xinhua News Agency story, a third Xinhua News Agency story, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, KPCC-FM's "The Madeleine Brand Show," another KPCC-FM story, ABC News Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV, CBS News Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Gothamist and Los Angeles Wave.
Catholic News Service featured research by Diane Winston of the USC Annenberg School and a University of Akron colleague, finding a large gap in understanding between reporters and news consumers on the issue of religion. "If I wanted to find out what's going on in Catholic life and did not get a Catholic newspaper, I would have a hard time," Winston said. Scripps Howard News Service highlighted the research.
Courier-Post ran a column by Susan Estrich of the USC Gould School about the Buffet Rule, which would place a 30 percent minimum tax rate on individuals making more than a million dollars a year. "The Buffett Rule isn't just about tax rates," Estrich wrote. "It's about whether you're on the side of the people who own the sports teams and the NASCAR fleets and the rest, or the ones who spring for a ticket in the stands, the side of the people who own the horses, or the ones who'd be happy to get a job cleaning the stables."
KPCC-FM's "Patt Morrison" featured research by Joseph Miller of the Keck School of USC and colleagues, asserting that the Viking Lander discovered life on Mars in 1976. Miller was interviewed about his work. ABC News (Australia) also featured the research.
Experts Quoted
Los Angeles Times quoted USC Annenberg School Dean Ernest J. Wilson III about a dearth of self-produced programming at KCET-TV, and noted that Wilson served on the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Los Angeles Times quoted Guilbert Hentschke of the USC Rossier School about the importance of college-prep courses in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Los Angeles Times quoted Naj Meshkati of the USC Viterbi School about lost trust in the nuclear industry in the wake of Japan's Fukushima crisis.
Los Angeles Times quoted Richard Green of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate about the Southern California housing market.
Reuters quoted Jerome Lucido of the USC Rossier School about university recruitment of international students.
Reuters quoted David Carter of the USC Marshall School about rough play in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Science News quoted Cheng-Ming Chuong of the Keck School of USC about a new study involving engineered hair follicles for hair transplants.
KPCC-FM interviewed Gisele Ragusa of the USC Rossier School about California's English-learner policies.
KPCC-FM interviewed David Carter of the USC Marshall School about the possibility of the Sacramento Kings team relocating to another city.
Los Angeles Daily News quoted Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's support for extending Measure R, which involves a tax to support public transit.
The Daily Beast quoted Larry Kamer of the USC Annenberg School about the scandal involving General Services Administration spending.
News at a Glance
The Washington Post, in an Associated Press story, reported on the shooting and arrest of a robbery suspect near USC. The news was also covered by Los Angeles Times (additional links available on request), Reuters, Xinhua News Agency (China), The Huffington Post, a Neon Tommy story in The Huffington Post, KPCC-FM, a second KPCC-FM story, a third KPCC-FM story, Los Angeles Daily News, ABC News Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV, CBS News Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV, NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV, ABC Radio Los Angeles affiliate KABC-AM and L.A. Weekly.
The New York Times reported that Caine Monroy, a nine-year-old boy who was featured in a documentary after he constructed a functioning arcade, will be speaking to a USC Marshall School class.
The Wall Street Journal, in an Associated Press story, cited doctoral research conducted at USC on school districts' social media policies.
Los Angeles Times highlighted USC School of Cinematic Arts event titled "Crosstown Rivals: Films from USC and UCLA in the 1960s."
Associated Press covered a new lease that the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission is preparing to sign with USC. Contra Costa Times also ran a story.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that USC is partnering with the Long Beach health department and several other institutions on a study of an HIV prevention pill for high-risk populations.
Yahoo! News ran a column by Susan Estrich of the USC Gould School on Democratic pundit Hilary Rosen's comment that Ann Romney hadn't worked a day in her life.
Business Insider ran a column by Ira Kalb of the USC Marshall School on the federal government's antitrust suit against Apple and other e-book publishers.
Science reported that Francisco Valero-Cuevas of the USC Viterbi School is working with other researchers to study the physiology of tightrope-walking, and quoted him on the subject.
The Times of Israel (Israel) highlighted the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education's iWitness program, an online application that lets high school students and teachers search through the institute's Holocaust survivor testimonies.
Mashable highlighted the online graduate programs at the USC Rossier School and USC School of Social Work, developed in collaboration with tech company 2tor. Socaltech also mentioned the programs.
Los Angeles Times noted that the USC Dornsife College's Department of Anthropology has offered a class titled "Social Issues in Human Sexuality and Reproduction."
Scientific American ran an article by Jim Haw of the USC Dornsife College and USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies Safety Specialist Gerry Smith, on USC's scientific diving program.
Tallahassee Democrat mentioned the Holocaust survivor testimonies held by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education.
The Rafu Shimpo mentioned that USC will award honorary degrees to Nisei students interned by the U.S. government during World War II.
Oneindia noted that USC gave an honorary doctorate to playwright Girish Karnad last year.
Maryland Gazette mentioned an event to be held in conjunction with the USC Marshall School's Center for Effective Organizations.
The Huffington Post cited a speech given by actress Rosario Dawson during the Voto Latino conference this past weekend at USC. Hispanic Business also cited the speech.