USC Media and Public Relations

The Washington Post, in an Associated Press story, covered GLIMPSE, a showcase of USC digital technology held last week at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The story highlighted work by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, which is using digital imaging to create interactive holographic projections of Holocaust survivors. Future generations of students will be able to ask these three-dimensional virtual survivors questions and learn more about their personal experiences. “Having actually put it together, it’s clear this will happen,” said Paul Debevec of USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies. “This takes it one step further as far as you won’t be projecting onto a screen, you’ll be projecting into space,” said Stephen Smith, executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute.

Los Angeles Times reported that President Barack Obama presented Solomon Golomb of the USC Viterbi School with the National Medal of Science this past Friday. Golomb, who is celebrating his 50th year at USC, was recognized for his contributions to communications systems used in cell phones and deep space. Golomb is also known as “the godfather of Tetris” for creating polyominoes, which inspired the hit puzzle game. The news was also covered by CBS News and Santa Cruz Sentinel.

The New York Times highlighted a study co-authored by Antonio Damasio of the USC Dornsife College about a woman who feels no fear due to a malfunctioning amygdala. A separate study recently found that the woman could experience panic under certain circumstances, confirming a theory in a 2011 study Damasio co-authored. “I think it’s a very interesting and important result,” Damasio said.

Los Angeles Times ran an op-ed co-authored by Raphael Bostic of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate about L.A.’s housing crunch. Bostic and colleague made several suggestions for addressing a lack of affordable rental housing. “Los Angeles is an expensive place to live,” they wrote. “This won’t change. The next mayor must take an assertive approach and deal with the affordability challenges directly.”

San Francisco Chronicle featured USC classical music station KDFC-FM and its first capital fundraising drive. The story highlighted KDFC-FM Producer Dianne Nicolini, who said that the station has been supported by listeners and by staff — including USC Radio President Brenda Barnes and KUSC-FM President Bill Lueth. “And in many ways we’re better than before,” Nicolini said. “Nobody misses the commercials; the music is broader; we have strong relationships with the San Francisco Symphony and Opera — it’s a better radio station.”

KPCC-FM featured a conference at USC on human trafficking. “Human trafficking is an extensive problem that many people talk about but they actually know very little about it,” said Rhacel Salazar Parrenas of the USC Dornsife College. The event brought together academics, social workers and government officials to discuss the issue.

Scientific American reported that USC is one of several institutions working to develop a more lifelike robotic limb. Previous models picked up brain signals from the motor cortex; the new limb would detect signals from the parietal cortex — the seat of higher-level cognition in the brain — reducing the number of neural signals needed to control the arm’s movement.

CBS News Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV featured a group of USC Gould School students who are working for the parole of a terminally ill woman who has been imprisoned for 25 years for killing her abusive husband. “He came at her with a shovel and she shot him once with a shotgun,” said Heidi Rummel of the USC Gould School, co-director of the school’s Post-Conviction Justice Project.

The Washington Post, in an Associated Press story, quoted Dowell Myers of the USC Price School about projected Latino population growth in California. Los Angeles Times also quoted Myers.

Los Angeles Times quoted Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about the credibility that firefighter and police support can give a politician.

The Sacramento Bee quoted Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about California Republicans taking on the issue of education.

KQED-FM’s “The California Report” interviewed Ron Avi Astor of the USC School of Social Work about K-12 school districts choosing to arm their safety officers.

Variety quoted Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of the USC Price School about film industry support of Los Angeles mayoral candidates.

The New York Times reported that the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity at USC is raising $18,000 for a car to be donated to the charity Meals on Wheels West.

Variety reported that filmmaker and USC alumnus George Lucas and media magnate Sumner Redstone will attend the dedication of the Sumner Redstone Production Building at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Ventura County Star highlighted a recent performance by Norman Krieger of the USC Thornton School of a Gershwin piece, stating that the lauded pianist “brought the jazz style and rhythms to life with infectious vigor and finesse.”

Business Insider ran a column by Ira Kalb of the USC Marshall School about Super Bowl advertising.

Odessa American ran a column by Susan Estrich of the USC Gould School about gay marriage.

Truthdig cited a study by Stacy Smith of the USC Annenberg School and colleagues on the role women play in the filmmaking industry.

LAist mentioned the deaths of two USC students last year.

Los Angeles Sentinel covered new security measures at USC.

Los Angeles Times ran a story supported by the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships, which are administered by the USC Annenberg School.

L.A. Weekly covered Bill Murray Appreciation Day, an event organized by USC students.