USC Media and Public Relations

Featured Stories

The Chronicle of Higher Education ran an op-ed by John Allen of the USC Dornsife College, excerpted from his new book, "The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship with Food." Allen wrote about crispy foods and why they appeal to so many cultures. He suggested humans might have evolved to enjoy crispy "fallback" foods like insects and fresh vegetables in the ancient past. "Crispy may make relatively common, unpalatable fallback foods more acceptable, and an 'innate' preference for crispy could be adaptive," he wrote. NPR's "Science Friday" interviewed Allen about his new book.

The New York Times featured a program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts that enrolls two Afghan students annually for a crash course in the school's summer program. For about seven weeks, students receive day-and-night education in writing, editing, cinematography and more. David Weitzner of the School of Cinematic Arts oversees the program, and the students are sponsored by former MTV and Viacom executive Tom Freston. The program is entering its second year.

The New York Times ran an op-ed by Ralph Wedgewood of the USC Dornsife College about the differing meanings of same-sex marriage to voters. He wrote that marriage has both a legalistic and social meaning. Same-sex marriage will change its social meaning – but only in the sense that it will no longer be confined to a union of a man and a woman. "There is no evidence that the introduction of same-sex marriage will change any other elements of this social meaning," Wedgewood wrote. 

Los Angeles Times reported on USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Poll results finding that President Obama has a wide lead among California voters in a broad range of demographics. The poll found him leading 56 percent to Mitt Romney's 37 percent. The poll questioned 1,002 California voters from May 17-21 with a 3.5 percent margin of error in either direction. Obama was said to better handle the economy and jobs better than Romney (50 percent to 37 percent) the deficit (45 percent to 34 percent) and taxes (49 percent to 34 percent). Another Los Angeles Times story cited the poll, finding that Romney was losing the Latino vote to Obama 74 percent to 18 percent. The poll's findings were also reported by CNN, Politico and RTT News.

ABC News Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV featured the USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative, which helps local students graduate from high school and attend college. This year, of the 54 program graduates, 26 will attend USC on full tuition scholarships. One student will attend Harvard; another will attend West Point USMC. The program, which has been around for more than a decade now, helps students get scholarships, grants and loans to attend the schools of their choice.

The Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted this year's USC Rossier School commencement speech by USC alumnus Don Shalvey, deputy director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and co-founder of Aspire Public Schools. He offered 2012 graduates a few lessons he's learned since his graduation. "Make excellent mistakes," he said. "Work for someone who will let you fail so you'll learn to embrace the learning that only comes from failure."

Los Angeles Times featured Naj Meshkati of the USC Viterbi School, who has raised questions of safety along the new Expo line.

Los Angeles Times mentioned that Princeton Review ranked USC the No. 1 video game design school in the country. The story noted that an advanced games class, operated by the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the USC Viterbi School, has been offered since 2007.

Publishers Weekly reviewed a new biography on Marilyn Monroe by Lois Banner of the USC Dornsife College. "Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox," relies on new interviews with Monroe's friends and newly available archival material. The Huffington Post ran a column by Banner about why Monroe continues to fascinate. "Marilyn created an image for the ages, in one of the great personal transformations of the American experience," Banner wrote.

NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV ran a column by Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of the USC Price School about the race for California's new 30th Congressional District between Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman. Jeffe wrote that the race represents a classic split in representational government. "However Valley voters decide, I agree with CalBuzz: 'Who defines the race, wins the seat,'" Jeffe wrote.