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 5/5 to 5/7/2012
Featured Stories
The Hollywood Reporter featured the USC School of Cinematic Arts in its list of top film schools. The story stated that the School of Cinematic Arts probably has more graduates working in the film industry than any other school, with 10,000-plus alumni including filmmakers George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis. "One of the hardest things to understand is the culture of filmmaking," said School of Cinematic Arts Dean Elizabeth Daley. "You're not going to get that out of a book. Come here and you'll understand." The story stated that USC's Peter Stark Producing Program, led by Lawrence Turman of the School of Cinematic Arts, remains the premier venue for aspiring producers and executives. The Hollywood Reporter also featured the USC School of Theatre in its list of top drama schools. "USC is in Hollywood's front yard," said alumnus and producer Todd Black. The school's notable alumni include actors Forest Whitaker, Swoosie Kurtz, Kyra Sedgwick and Eric Stoltz.
Los Angeles Times featured Joseph Pereira of the USC Thornton School, whose new concerto for percussion and chamber orchestra will premiere Tuesday night at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In 2007 Pereira joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as principal timpanist, after more than 10 years with the New York Philharmonic. "There is a lot of creativity and exploration in sound that we have to do for percussion," Pereira said.
The Sacramento Bee featured a study by Dominic Brewer of the USC Rossier School, USC graduate student Richard Welsh and colleagues, finding that California's school system needs more money and major reforms. The research found that the recession and state budget deficits have deeply hurt education spending. The study concluded that optimism over the state's educational system in 2007 was unwarranted, Education Week reported. Funding for K-12 has dropped 15 percent from its peak in 2007-08, the report found.
Associated Press highlighted a study by Mitchell Geffner of the Keck School of USC and colleagues on the best way to keep teens from developing diabetes. The study focused on 699 overweight and obese teens with diabetes who received one of three treatments. After nearly four years, half of the group taking the drug metformin failed to maintain blood sugar control. "A single pill or single approach is not going to get the job done," Geffner said.
NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV ran an op-ed by Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of the USC Price School on how politicians have used dogs to humanize themselves. Jeffe noted that Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton used their dogs Fala, Checkers and Buddy to connect with voters. The latest example of the phenomenon is Gov. Jerry Brown enlisting his dog, Sutter, to promote a "pet lovers" license plate. "In today's 'dog-eat-dog' political environment, the Sutter-Jerry 'bromance' stands out," Jeffe wrote.
L.A. Weekly highlighted the USC Price School's Executive Education for Local Leaders program, noting that it offers current politicians lessons in public transparency and ethics, leadership, governance and environmental policy. The program's upcoming event will include 18 mayors, mayors pro tem and council members from cities ranging from West Hollywood to Diamond Bar.
Good featured "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 story reported that the National Endowment for the Arts recently awarded a grant to further develop the game. "I think a lot of people can relate to the fact that Thoreau was writing at a time when life seemed to be getting more and more complex, to move faster and faster," said Tracy Fullerton of the School of Cinematic Arts, who initially conceived of the game and is its lead designer.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education gave its first Inspiration Award to Arnold Spielberg, father of institute founder Steven Spielberg. The story stated that the institute has a library of 52,000 genocide survivor testimonies, and is admired for its historical and educational values and technological prowess. The award has been renamed the Arnold Spielberg Inspiration Award.
CBC News (Canada) highlighted a presentation by Thomas Lyon of the USC Gould School at a Calgary conference for child abuse experts. He discussed how to best interview children who may have been victims of abuse. "The word that I'm spreading is, kids can be very articulate, we just have to know how to question them correctly," Lyon said.
Experts Quoted
The Chronicle of Higher Education cited Jacob Soll of the USC Dornsife College about his reasons for leaving Rutgers University to come to USC.
The New York Times cited Jacques Hymans of the USC Dornsife College regarding North Korea's difficulty in developing a successful nuclear program.
Los Angeles Times quoted Nicolas Cull of the USC Annenberg School about Twitter's role in the recent controversy over a deal guaranteeing protection for Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng.
Hindustan Times (India) quoted Gary Painter of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate about the time it will take for the U.S. housing market to recover.
U.S. News & World Report cited Jody Agius Vallejo of the USC Dornsife College about the importance of Cinco de Mayo among Mexican Americans.
Houston Chronicle quoted David Carter of the USC Marshall School about Houston's new soccer stadium.
CW News Los Angeles affiliate KTLA-TV interviewed Sharon Orrange of the Keck School of USC about GoodRX, a site that allows users to compare drug prices.
Pasadena Star-News quoted Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about California state term limits.
News at a Glance
Los Angeles Times noted that the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate forecast a 10 percent jump in L.A. area rents over the next two years.
Los Angeles Times highlighted "The Coat," a poem by Dana Gioia, Judge Widney Professor of Poetry and Public Culture at USC.
KPCC-FM interviewed Cecil "Chip" Murray of the USC Dornsife College about the late Rev. Eugene Williams, an advocate for the South Los Angeles poor who worked with the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture on Passing the Mantle, a program that trained some 200 pastors to become more active in their communities. The story noted that a memorial service for Williams will be held at USC.
The Dallas Morning News ran a book review by Philip Seib of the USC Annenberg School, on "The Boxer Rebellion and the Great Game in China" by David Silber.
Truthdig ran a column by Richard Reeves of the USC Annenberg School about Granada Hills Charter High School and its diverse mix of immigrant students.
Scientific American ran a column by USC Viterbi School student Austin Hay about the USC Dornsife College's Guam and Palau Program, and the lessons he's learned about water conservation. Scientific American also ran a column on the program by David Ginsburg of the Dornsife College.
The Star-Ledger noted that Morten Lauridsen of the USC Thornton School will be the commencement guest speaker at Rider University's Westminster Choir College.
The Seattle Times noted that it ran several stories with help from the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, administered by the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships, a program of the USC Annenberg School.
KCET-TV mentioned that the new Expo Line stops at USC. The Huffington Post also ran a story.