USC Media and Public Relations

The Washington Post featured research by Suzanne Houston of the Keck School of USC regarding studies on how parental education and economic status affect the development of children’s brains. Subjects with higher education had larger hippocampal regions, which process learning and memory; those with lower education or income had larger amygdalas, in which stress is processed. Deseret News also highlighted the research.

Times Higher Education (U.K.) covered the USC Global Conversation, noting that USC has seen a surge of interest from British students since tuition fees in the United Kingdom have risen. “The change in the level of interest in USC from last year to this is quite stupendous,” said Katharine Harrington, USC vice president of admissions and planning. Last year, 80 British students enrolled at USC; in the next year, USC admissions staff will visit more than 2,200 high schools in 44 U.S. states and in nine countries, including the U.K.

Yedioth Ahronoth (Israel) featured Israeli artist Ofri Cnaani’s “The Sota Project,” a video tapestry on display at the USC Fisher Museum of Art. The tapestry retells an ancient Talmudic story about two sisters who swap places when one’s fidelity is tested. Jewish Journal also featured the exhibition and quoted Selma Holo of the USC Dornsife College, the museum’s director. “[Cnaani] is without question an important, young contemporary artist on the international art scene,” Holo said. “But she’s not afraid, because of the way things have moved in the world, to be able to plumb her own history, the Jewish roots of it all.” KCRW-FM’s “Art Talk” also highlighted the exhibit.

CNN highlighted research by USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, which has developed virtual reality programs to help combat veterans confront post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “It’s a snowball cascade effect,” said the institute’s Albert “Skip” Rizzo. “The things that evoke the fear and anxiety are no longer directly tied to the original trauma but generalized to the outside world. You see people with PTSD who will no longer leave their house, and if they do, they’re a nervous wreck.” The story highlighted SimCoach, a virtual human designed to interact with veterans who might shy away from visiting a therapist for PTSD.

KCET-TV highlighted late California poet and USC alumnus Robinson Jeffers through photos from USC Libraries and an interview with Dana Gioia, Judge Widney Professor of Poetry and Public Culture at USC. “I consider Jeffers the most important American poet in the western third of the country — the great poet of the West,” said Gioia, who is helping organize a Jeffers festival in conjunction with USC Libraries and other institutions. The USC University Archives holds some of Jeffers’ materials, including poetry he published in a university newspaper.

Bell Gardens Sun featured a free health fair sponsored by USC and White Memorial Hospital. Attended by roughly 1,000 people, the event provided “much needed information and preventive healthcare services to the underserved community of Boyle Heights, and beyond,” said USC Outreach Program Specialist Cesar Sanchez.

The Huffington Post ran a column by Martin Kaplan of the USC Annenberg School about the reactions of undecided voters to the second presidential debate. “This election will likely come down to the last-minute decisions of a few thousand people in a handful of states,” Kaplan wrote. “Micro-pandering: that’s how you win elections and ratings these days, and yes, winning is what counts.”

NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV ran a column by Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of the USC Price School about a need to do away with the Electoral College. “What if we ditched the Electoral College, which apportions electoral votes to each state according to its representation in Congress, and elected our Presidents by a nationwide popular vote?” Jeffe wrote.

Los Angeles Times quoted Dina Mayzlin of the USC Marshall School about small-business owners using social media.

The Canberra Times (Australia) quoted David Carter of the USC Marshall School about cyclist Lance Armstrong rehabilitating his public image. NBC Sports also quoted Carter.

New York Daily News quoted Carole Handler of the USC Gould School about free-speech protections in the United States.

The New York Times quoted Roberto Suro of the USC Annenberg School about Latinos in the 2012 campaign.

International Business Times quoted Morley Winograd of the USC Annenberg School about the relationship between millennials and their parents.

CBS News Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV interviewed Lawrence Harris of the USC Marshall School about Google’s premature earnings announcement.

Portland Business Journal quoted David Carter of the USC Marshall School about cyclist Lance Armstrong’s endorsement relationship with Nike.

Science Codex quoted Pia Pannaraj of the Keck School of USC about school-age children spreading the flu.

The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned Mission: Admission, a Facebook-based game developed by Tracy Fullerton of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and colleagues to teach high school students about the college admissions process.

The Age (Australia) mentioned research by Behrokh Khoshnevis of the USC Viterbi School on how 3-D printers can be used to create concrete houses.

Daily Express (U.K.) covered research by Chelsea Catsburg, a doctoral researcher at the Keck School of USC, and colleagues, finding that red meat consumption could increase the risk of bladder cancer. The research was also covered by NBC News Peoria, Ill., affiliate WEEK-TV and Fox News West Palm Beach, Fla., affiliate WFLX-TV.

The Atlantic included an op-ed by K.C. Cole of the USC Annenberg School in a list of the day’s best columns.

The Huffington Post ran a column by Philip Seib of the USC Annenberg School about the risks of “Twitter diplomacy.”

Idaho Statesman highlighted research by Richard Easterlin of the USC Dornsife College finding that the year of one’s birth can affect lifetime earnings. The work was explained in his book “Birth and Fortune.”

Business Insider ran a column by Ira Kalb of the USC Marshall School about the second presidential debate.

Inside Higher Ed mentioned a lecture that late novelist Gore Vidal gave at USC.

ABC News Redding, Calif., affiliate KRCR-TV mentioned that the Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill is organized by USC and other institutions.

Los Angeles Times ran a story about possible misconduct involving former USC student athletes.