USC Media and Public Relations

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The Washington Post, in an Associated Press story, reported that USC and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced new safety measures Thursday in response to the deaths of two students. "We will make this the safest campus of any urban campus," Police Chief Charlie Beck said. Los Angeles Times reported that 30 more Los Angeles police officers will patrol the area around USC, and four will be assigned specifically to neighborhoods bordering the campus. A city prosecutor will be assigned to the area, and street lighting will be improved. "These safety enhancement initiatives complement steps that will be implemented by the city of Los Angeles and the LAPD," said USC President C. L. Max Nikias. The story was covered by other Los Angeles Times articles (additional links available on request), two KPCC-FM stories (second link here), KPCC-FM's "Patt Morrison," two stories in The Huffington Post (second link here), two CBS News Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV stories (second link here), NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV, CW News Los Angeles affiliate KTLA-TV, Daily Breeze, L.A. Observed and KTLK-AM's "The David Cruz Show."

Los Angeles Times highlighted the benefit to USC of the new Expo Line light-rail, which begins service this weekend. The line will expand transportation options for students and open up the campus and nearby museums to visitors from all over L.A., said USC Senior Vice President for University Relations Thomas Sayles. The story was also covered by ABC News Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV, CBS News Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV and NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV.

Los Angeles Times ran an op-ed by Mei Fong of the USC Annenberg School about Chinese reaction to the death of two USC students. Fong wrote that the exchange of students between the U.S. and China refutes the stereotypes each nation has about the other. "Such an exercise of informal diplomacy on a grand scale cannot help but change U.S.-China relations," she wrote. KPCC-FM's "The Madeleine Brand Show" interviewed Fong on the subject.

Los Angeles Times covered the opening of a new home for the Violence Intervention Program at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. The program treats victims of violence and abuse, including child, domestic and elder abuse. Astrid Heger of the Keck School of USC, director of the program, said that the goal is to have a place where children and other patients feel comfortable and respected while they get the treatment they need.

The Guardian (U.K.) reported that the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded a grant to "Walden," an online video game based on the writings of Henry David Thoreau, developed at the USC School of Cinematic Arts' Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab. The news was also covered by The Atlantic, National Review, Reason, Gamasutra, Flavorwire, The Verge and Newser.

The Atlantic featured a study by Travis Longcore of the USC Dornsife College and colleagues finding that 6.8 million birds are killed each year by collisions with radio towers. The vast majority of the birds are migrating at night, the study found, though the researchers aren't sure why the birds have trouble navigating around bright light sources. "The minute you turn the light out the birds will disperse," Longcore told Postmedia News. "It breaks the spell." The research was also covered by BBC News (U.K.), Agence France-Presse, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, CBC News (Canada), a second CBC News story, LiveScience and Heti Vilaggazdasag (Hungary).

Foreign Affairs ran an op-ed by Jacques Hymans of the USC Dornsife College on why the U.S. might want to let Iran's nuclear program fail on its own. "Despite regular warnings that proliferation is spinning out of control, the fact is that since the 1970s, there has been a persistent slowdown in the pace of technical progress on nuclear weapons projects and an equally dramatic decline in their ultimate success rate," Hymans wrote. Time cited the op-ed.

Forbes ran a column by Edward Lawler of the USC Marshall School about how companies can prepare for the recovering economy and hold on to top talent. "I think it is a great time for organizations to adopt a new approach to talent management," Lawler wrote.

New Scientist highlighted research by Nathanael Fast of the USC Marshall School on how celebrities stay famous in the era of social media. Access to technology and information has exploded, but "what hasn't changed is our psychological need to connect with other people, and famous people become common ground for us to use to connect to each other in conversation," Fast said.

Toronto Star (Canada) featured the online project SimCoach, developed by Albert Rizzo of USC's Institute for Creative Technologies. The site allows soldiers to talk to a virtual character in order to find more information about post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. "There is still a significant problem that people are afraid their colleagues, their commanders will think less of them if they admit they have a problem," Rizzo said.

The Gazette (Canada) featured USC research finding that when mice exercise for 30 minutes a day, their brains are more active. Researchers believe the exercise boosts mitochondria production and may retard the growth of age-related brain diseases like Alzheimer's.

The Register-Guard featured a lesson given by Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School to a group of elementary school music students in Eugene, Ore. Goto has supported music education in a number of ways; through her Orchestra Residencies Program, she spends a week in a local community working with youth orchestras and other young musicians in the community.