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 11/19/2012
The Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted a study by Darnell Cole of the USC Rossier School, USC doctoral student Sable Manson and colleagues, who studied how college courses promoting diversity can bolster critical thinking. The study tracked 529 undergrads taking diversity courses, who appeared to have big gains in their critical thinking scores on essays.
Los Angeles Times featured the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Poll, which found that Californians feel more upbeat about the state's general direction. The percentage of respondents who say California is on the right track stood at 38 percent — more than double the percentage in August 2011. The percentage of voters who say the state economy is starting to improve has almost doubled since July 2011, to 43 percent. Forty-seven percent of California voters said changes to the California Environmental Quality Act would be a good idea, Los Angeles Times reported. The poll was also covered by Associated Press, KCET-TV and Ventura County Star.
Los Angeles Times featured "Music for Sleeping Children," an online art project by Charlie White of the USC Roski School and musician Bryan Hollon that investigates turmoil in the social lives of adolescent girls. Actual interviews with several teens were set to '80s-style dance pop jams. "I see the liminal (from child to adult) state of adolescence in contemporary consumer culture as a sleep state, and like sleep, it is a period of dreams and nightmares," White said.
Los Angeles Times reviewed the USC Thornton School production of "The Tempest," highlighting performances by USC students Austin Thompson, Jen Lee, Blake Howard, David Castillo and Diana Newman. "A talented and well-prepared large cast provided many pleasures," the review stated.
Poynter noted that Geneva Overholser of the USC Annenberg School will leave her post as director of the School of Journalism in June 2013. Overholser was appointed to a five-year term in 2008. "Overholser launched several key initiatives at USC Annenberg, including Neon Tommy, the award-winning Annenberg digital news site, along with civic engagement projects such as Intersections South LA, a hyper-local news site," the story stated. "Geneva Overholser is a visionary leader who has spent her career focused on how to make journalism excellent in every way — more inclusive, more democratic, more focused on civic engagement," USC Annenberg School Dean Ernest J. Wilson III told L.A. Observed. Columbia Journalism Review also ran a story.
The Telegraph (U.K.) featured research by USC Davis School postdoctoral fellow Jennifer Ailshire and colleagues, finding that elderly people do worse on thinking tests if they live in areas with high air pollution. "Air pollution has been linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory problems, and even premature death, in older populations, and there is emerging evidence that exposure to particulate air pollution may have adverse effects on brain health and functioning as well," the study stated. The research was also covered by Daily Mail (U.K.), Central News Agency (Taiwan), Europa Press (Spain), Thanh Nien News (Thailand), United Press International and RedOrbit.
U.S. News & World Report featured research by Mark Latonero and Geoffrey Cowan of the USC Annenberg School and colleagues, finding that mobile phones are playing an increasing role in human sex trafficking. "We weren't aware of it before and a lot of law enforcement offices weren't focused on it either," Latonero said. He added that mobile phone use creates a larger digital trail that law enforcement can use in anti-trafficking efforts.
Wired featured work by Kevin Knight of the USC Viterbi School and colleagues, who deciphered the Copiale Cipher, a medieval manuscript detailing the rituals of a secret society. Knight's team used algorithm-driven translation to crack the code.
Polish Press Agency (Poland) featured research by Chongwu Zhou of the USC Viterbi School and colleagues, who discovered a way to produce carbon nanotubes that have consistent dimensions. Carbon nanotubes are being studied as an alternative to silicon in microelectronics; one of the challenges has been creating them in a uniform way.
The New York Times quoted Genevieve Giuliano of the USC Price School about a need for toll roads to alleviate congestion on California roadways.
Inside Higher Ed quoted William Tierney of the USC Rossier School about collective responsibility and the child abuse scandal at The Pennsylvania State University.
NBC News interviewed Robert Kirkland of the USC Price School about past American generals who had extramarital affairs. Kirkland was also quoted by Daily Mail (U.K.).
The Seattle Times quoted Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about the demographic challenges facing the Republican Party.
American Public Media's "Marketplace" interviewed Raphael Bostic of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate about the Federal Housing Administration.
Variety quoted Jack Lerner of the USC Gould School about how technology like Dish Network's AutoHop service has changed TV advertising.
The Plain Dealer quoted David Carter of the USC Marshall on how sports franchises can develop their brands when they're not winning.
KCET-TV's "SoCal Connected" interviewed Andrew Lih of the USC Annenberg School about the privacy concerns surrounding the Gen. David Petraeus scandal.
Voice of America highlighted Chinese international students at USC, and quoted USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni about their widening fields of study.
Los Angeles Times reported that Geoffrey Baum of the USC Annenberg School's Center on Communication Leadership was made vice president of the governing board of California's community colleges.
Los Angeles Times highlighted the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries.
Slate highlighted research by Junfeng Zhang of the Keck School of USC and colleagues on the effects of coal emissions on young Chinese.
Sioux City Journal covered research by Richard Green and Gary Painter of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, finding that children growing up in owner-occupied homes do better in school.
Bloomberg Businessweek highlighted research by Richard Easterlin of the USC Dornsife College finding that life satisfaction for the majority of China's population has declined from 1990 to 2007, despite the country's rapid economic growth.
The Huffington Post ran a column by Martin Kaplan of the USC Annenberg School about the Republican Party's response to a study on copyright.
Truthdig ran a column by Robert Scheer of the USC Annenberg School about California's shifting demographics.
The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that Paul Debevec of USC's Institute for Creative Technologies accepted an invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Science and Technology Council.
Associated Press noted that California Attorney General Kamala Harris attended a human trafficking conference at USC. KQED-FM and Los Angeles Daily News also ran stories.
CBS News Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV mentioned a gas leak on USC's campus.
Los Angeles Times mentioned that L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lacey is an alumna of the USC Gould School.
The Star (Malaysia) highlighted a collaborative cinematic arts degree course from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Multimedia University in Malaysia.
KCET-TV highlighted USC graduate student Elisabeth Sedano, who conducted her geography dissertation on billboard advertising in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Times mentioned that actress Miranda Cosgrove is a USC student.
KCET-TV noted that images for a story were provided by the USC Libraries and by L.A. as Subject, a research collective hosted by the USC Libraries.