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 6/27/2012
Featured Stories
Press Trust of India (India) reported that USC will create the first chair of Hindu studies in the United States funded by the Indian-American community. A $3.24 million gift from the Dharma Civilization Foundation will establish the Swami Vivekananda Visiting Faculty in Hindu Studies and the Dharma Civilization Foundation Chair in Hindu Studies at the USC Dornsife College, promoting the study of Indian civilization. "We are very proud to house the first chair of Hindu studies in the United States endowed by the Indian-American community," said USC President C. L. Max Nikias. "I believe that this is a watershed moment for the Indian-American community," said USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni, who is the first Hindu to serve as chief religious leader of an American university. "This historic gift to the USC School of Religion highlights the department's commitment to study the enduring questions of human life and values from a global perspective," added Duncan Williams of the USC Dornsife College.
Campus Technology featured USC's five-year initiative to remodel all 210 general-access learning spaces on campus, upgrading them with cutting-edge technology. New features include small-group collaboration spaces, loaner laptops, wireless printing, movable furniture and digital projection screens. "We're going to continuously look to upgrade, refresh, and make sure that our learning spaces are appropriate to our student body and the kind of teaching that our faculty is doing," said Joseph Cevetello, USC director of learning environments. Cevetello noted that the spaces being remodeled are in buildings constructed when "ideas about what classrooms should be were very different from what we want today." As of April, 110 classrooms had been renovated; an additional 55 classes and five auditoriums will be renovated this summer.
The Wall Street Journal highlighted work by Leslie Saxon of the Keck School of USC, who uses wireless medical devices to monitor the health of her patients. Saxon had a patient's defibrillator send data to a website, where she could monitor its performance from her hospital. When the device appeared to be malfunctioning, she called the patient and arranged to replace a wire the next day, preventing a potential accidental shock. Saxon that said many physicians still haven't adopted wireless monitoring into their practices. "It vexes me, because they're techies," Saxon added. She said that the USC Center for Body Computing is working to educate doctors about the practice.
The Washington Post ran a book review by Tim Page of the USC Annenberg School and USC Thornton School. Page reviewed "Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock 'n' Roll," a new biography detailing the musician's life and career. "Those who are interested in the shaping of an American icon — and, more significantly, the creation of some lasting American music — may be directed safely to this book," Page wrote.
Daily Mail (U.K.) featured research by Kathleen Page of the Keck School of USC and colleagues finding that images of sugary foods induce cravings for the same foods, possibly contributing to diabetes and obesity. "We thought this was a striking finding, because the current environment is inundated with advertisements showing images of high-calorie foods," Page said. The study was also covered by Press Trust of India (India), MSNBC, The Huffington Post and Cosmopolitan.
The Record featured a study by the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration at USC and the California Immigrant Policy Center, finding that immigrants boost local economies, stay in one place longer than people realize, and generally have a higher rate of employment than native-born residents. Immigrants earn higher incomes the longer they live in one place. "These are all good signs of moving forward," said Manuel Pastor of the USC Dornsife College, co-director of the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration.
io9 featured a robotic finger developed at the USC Viterbi School that can identify materials better than a human can. A study, authored by Gerald Loeb of the USC Viterbi School and recent USC doctoral graduate Jeremy Fishel, trained the finger on 117 common materials, including paper, wood and sponge. The work was also covered by RedOrbit.
Experts Quoted
The Telegraph (U.K.) cited Antonio Damasio of the USC Dornsife College regarding a patient of his who suffered impaired emotions as a result of a brain tumor.
U.S. News & World Report quoted Lawrence Turman of the USC School of Cinematic Arts about Hollywood blockbuster sequels.
ABC News Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV interviewed Tamiko Ralson of the Keck School of USC about how the presence of dogs in a home can help prevent asthma in babies.
Oregon Public Broadcasting quoted Rob McConnell of the Keck School of USC about environmental factors and asthma.
KPCC-FM interviewed Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about efforts to pass California's budget.
Merced Sun-Star cited Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College regarding partisanship in Californian politics.
News at a Glance
The Washington Post mentioned that the newly elected president of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, is a USC alumnus. The story was also covered by Associated Press, two Reuters stories (second link here), Financial Times (U.K.), MarketWatch, The Boston Globe, Nature, Voice of America, New York Daily News, National Journal, The Huffington Post, two McClatchy Newspapers stories (second link here), The Daily Beast, Asia Times (China), Sky News (U.K.), two Al-Masry Al-Youm (Egypt) stories (second link here), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, GlobalPost, Atlanta Black Star and Latinos Post.
Los Angeles Times reported on the delayed arraignment of suspects alleged to have killed two USC students, Ming Qu and Ying Wu. The news was also reported by two Associated Press stories (second link here), Xinhua News Agency (China), Radio Television Hong Kong (China), KPCC-FM, The Huffington Post, ABC News Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV, CBS News Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV, NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV, L.A. Weekly, City News Service and Los Angeles Wave.
The Telegraph (Australia) covered work by researchers at the USC Viterbi School and other institutions, who found a way to transmit data at speeds up to 2.56 terabits per second using twisted beams of light.
Inside Higher Ed stated that USC President C. L. Max Nikias was one of a dozen university presidents who decided on a college football playoff.
Forbes included "War Time: An Idea, Its History, Its Consequences," by Mary Dudziak of the USC Gould School in a list of recommended books.
The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) cited a USC study of 100 Hollywood blockbusters which found that women had fewer speaking roles and were more likely to wear sexy clothing.
L.A. Weekly covered a study by Marco Bortolato and Jean Chen Shih of the USC School of Pharmacy and colleagues, finding that pathological rage can be blocked in mice, which suggests potential new treatments for severe aggression.
The Commercial Appeal highlighted a lecture on Parkinson's disease by Mark Lew of the Keck School of USC.
HealthDay News covered a study by Natalie Leland of the Ostrow School of USC and colleagues, finding that one in five short-stay nursing home patients sustained a fall after admission.
The Sacramento Bee stated that reductions in Cal Grant scholarships due to state budget cuts won't affect private schools like USC as much as they will public schools.
NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV mentioned that the USC Marshall School invited Caine Monroy, a boy who became famous for building his own arcade out of cardboard, to speak at the school.
Associated Press ran a photo of a student at the USC Annenberg School checking a Twitter page.
The Oregonian ran a story produced 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.