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 7/6/2012
Featured Stories
Los Angeles Times ran an op-ed by Pamela Starr of the USC Dornsife College about Enrique Pena Nieto, president-elect of Mexico. She wrote that Nieto's ability to make reforms will be hemmed in by a number of factors, including the fact that his party, PRI, won't have a congressional majority. "It will require the PRI to build alliances with opposition parties — to use the tactics of negotiation and compromise that are the foundation of democratic governance, rather than falling back on its past practice of imposing its will on the nation," Starr wrote.
Los Angeles Business Journal reported that Scott Evans has been appointed CEO of the USC Norris Cancer Hospital and Keck Hospital of USC. Evans had been the interim CEO of the two hospitals. Evans has been a USC hospital administrator since 2004. "We are confident that Scott's experience, foresight, commitment and vision will build our hospitals' reputation as leading, innovative and patient-driven facilities," said Tom Jackiewicz, CEO and senior vice president of USC Health. San Gabriel Valley Tribune also covered the news.
Inc. highlighted a partnership between USC and tech company 2tor to create online master's programs for the USC School of Social Work and USC Rossier School. Since it launched the online component, the USC Rossier School has seen its master's program grow from 75 on-campus students to 1,500 worldwide. In one year, the program jumped from 38th to 14th in U.S. News & World Report rankings. The first online class achieved a 100 percent job placement rate, the story reported. Jeremy Johnson, 2tor's co-founder, said that online students still feel a close connection to their school and each other. Speaking about the USC Rossier School's first class of online graduates, he said: "We had a higher percentage of online students fly to USC to walk in graduation than offline students. For me, what that shows is that they fully understand that they're Trojans. That's part of what makes a quality academic experience." A second Inc. story mentioned the programs.
Asian News International featured research by Thomas Valente of the Keck School of USC and colleagues on how social networks can be used for health education. The researchers are looking to understand the science behind social influence, with the goal of using that influence to prevent disease. "If I want to go into a high school and change physical activity or other obesity behaviors, I have to understand there are cliques and subgroups of students that exhibit different risks," Valente said. "I would design different interventions for the different groups." The study was also covered by Europa Press (Spain), El Mundo (Spain), ABC (Spain), Cadena SER (Spain), Infobae (Argentina) and ScienceDaily.
San Francisco Chronicle reported that the USC School of Cinematic Arts has installed a permanent exhibition of USC alumnus John Wayne's personal effects and movie memorabilia. The archive includes Wayne's rifle from "Stagecoach," his eye patch from "True Grit," and a bracelet from the Montagnard tribesmen who fought for the U.S. in Vietnam. After shooting "The Green Berets," Wayne wore the bracelet every day of his life.
United Press International featured research by Mary Helen Immordino-Yang of the USC Rossier School and colleagues, on the benefits students get from daydreaming. "What are we doing in schools to support kids turning inward?" Immordino-Yang asked.
NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV ran a column by Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of the USC Price School about educational activist Molly Munger's use of the California initiative process to advance her agenda. Jeffe wrote that the initiative process, which began as a way for voters to wrench control back from special interests, has changed. "Now it's a stratagem for loaded individuals who don't like the direction our duly-elected representatives are taking to single-handedly attempt to put their own imprimaturs on the policy process," Jeffe added.
Experts Quoted
The Wall Street Journal quoted Grant Stevens of the Keck School of USC about a new cellulite treatment.
USA Today quoted Michael Barr of the USC Viterbi School about the need for improved pilot training on how to fly without autopilot.
Los Angeles Times quoted Cecil "Chip" Murray of the USC Dornsife College about L.A.'s Dunbar Hotel, which was built in 1928 by John Somerville, USC's first African American graduate.
The Telegraph (U.K.) quoted Scott Altman of the USC Gould School about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' divorce, and whether courts would factor religion into child custody decisions.
Time cited Naj Meshkati of the USC Viterbi School regarding the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
CBS News interviewed Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about critics of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Associated Press quoted Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about the role the health care debate will play in the 2012 presidential election.
Al Jazeera interviewed Gerardo Munck of the USC Dornsife College about the role of the media in Latin American politics.
Bloomberg News quoted Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney "playing defense."
New Scientist cited Antonio Damasio of the USC Dornsife College about the human mind's "core self," a representation of an innate feeling of subjective awareness.
San Francisco Chronicle quoted Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about the role of the economy in the 2012 presidential election.
The Huffington Post cited Dominic Brewer of the USC Rossier School about the process of setting up the school's online master's program.
Akron Beacon Journal quoted Edward Kleinbard of the USC Gould School about Mitt Romney's Swiss bank account.
WebMD quoted Richard Paulson of the Keck School of USC a small study of caffeine use during IVF fertility treatments.
HealthDay News quoted James Salz of the Keck School of USC about children who experience vision problems or nausea while watching 3-D movies.
ScienceDaily quoted John Heidemann of the USC Viterbi School's Information Sciences Institute about the ability of technology to aggregate large amounts of data.
News at a Glance
The Washington Post ran an article with the assistance of the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, which is administered by the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships, a program of the USC Annenberg School.
Los Angeles Times mentioned the deaths of two USC students in April.
Dawn (Pakistan) mentioned "The Center Cannot Hold," a book by Elyn Saks of the USC Gould School about her struggles with schizophrenia.
Daily Mail (U.K.) highlighted USC research finding that regularly eating fried or barbecued white fish may increase the risk of advanced prostate cancer.
The Bay Citizen covered 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.
The Columbus Dispatch mentioned the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Poll finding that 55 percent of Californians would vote against the state high-speed rail project if given another chance.
Star-Tribune mentioned that recently elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is a USC alumnus.