USC Media and Public Relations

Featured Stories

The Chronicle of Higher Education featured Anne Balsamo of the USC Annenberg School and her work digitizing the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Balsamo, director of learning at the Annenberg Innovation Lab, began the project in 2010. Since then, the quilt has appeared in digital form on a tablet-like, table-sized computer and on regular Internet browsers at AidsQuiltTouch.org. The quilt, which has grown to 48,000 panels that covers more than 1.3 million square feet, is now more accessible to the public than ever before. "We are stewards of culture, and we want this to push not only the humanities and digital humanities, but computer scientists, hard sciences, to create this collaborative project," Balsamo said.

NPR News reviewed "Shadow of Night" by Deborah Harkness of the USC Dornsife College. The novel is the second in a planned trilogy that combines historical realism with fantasy and the supernatural. The review notes that Harkness, a historian of science, is the perfect person to pull of a mix that some readers have called "Harry Potter for intellectuals."

LatinoLA featured a study by Tatiana Melguizo of the USC Rossier School and a colleague, finding that minority college students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields typically earn more than their peers. Those who found jobs relating to their STEM degrees earned at least 50 percent more than their classmates who majored in education or the humanities. "The premiums for majoring in STEM fields are huge," Melguizo said. The story also highlighted USC's commitment to produce more graduates with STEM-related degrees through different programs. These include an online gardening game that teaches children about obesity; an interactive website, mobile app and game to teach children about water conservation; and an educational toolkit to educate teachers and parents about autism.

ABC Radio (Australia) 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. "We can do a much better job promoting healthy behaviors if we understand the social network contexts and design these interventions with those cues in mind," he said.

Montreal Gazette (Canada) 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 story was also covered by ABC News San Diego affiliate KGTV-TV, Fox News Greensboro, N.C., affiliate WGHP-TV; Fox News Portland, Ore., affiliate KPTV-TV; and Terra (Peru).

RedOrbit featured research by R. William DePaolo of the Keck School of USC about a natural occurring protein that protects the body from illnesses caused by eating undercooked pork or drinking contaminated water. The discovery could lead to more effective oral vaccines for infections of both respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. It has already launched an examination of how the protein, TLR1, is linked to inflammatory bowel disease. "Now that we have identified the receptor's role, the next step is to determine how we can manipulate that receptor to enhance vaccine development," DePaolo said. Science Codex also reported the story.

Science Codex featured research by D. Brent Polk of the Keck School of USC and colleagues on how to prevent chronic bowel inflammation, which can elevate the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Inactivating a key receptor increases the frequency and severity of colorectal tumors. Polk's research suggest that understanding this receptor can decrease inflammation, and in turn, the risk of cancer.