A BRIGHTER FORECAST The Climate Issue - USC Dornsife
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F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S O F U S C D A N A A N D D AV I D D O R N S I F E C O L L E G E O F L E T T E R S , A R T S A N D S C I E N C E S
SPRING / SUMMER 2019 MAGAZINE
The Climate Issue
A BRIGHTER
FORECAST
As our familiar world starts behaving in new and
unexpected ways, our scholars find opportunities
and hope where many see only obstacles.
Climate of Hope
Faculty find optimism in our changing climate.
“We all have hopes for our future, and for our childrens’
future. Take a moment to consider: What are your hopes,
priorities and values? All of us here at USC are looking
forward, striving for new knowledge — pursuing higher
education is the ultimate expression of hope for the future “I have to admit it’s hard to find hope amidst
the many changing climates we face daily,
and dedication to evolve our thinking. Knowing that we
be it climate change itself, or the shifting
collectively prioritize personal growth and learning gives tenor of political and public discourse,
me hope. The science is clear, and our students know it: especially around race and gender politics.
A sense of equilibrium, let alone futurity is
Our actions (e.g., driving, flying and consuming relentlessly) difficult to see on the horizon. But every time
are damaging our environment. We owe it to ourselves, I fear things may be irreparable, I find hope
our students and our children to adopt better ways of in the optimism, tenacity and commitment
of my students. Their sheer force of effort,
being in the world right now, while our students, faculty the power of their desires and their capacities
and alumni work on understanding problems and pursuing to transform the world, punctures my
solutions for a better future. Our climate depends upon it.” own cynicism. They are ready to do the
SARAH FEAKINS, associate professor of Earth sciences difficult work — and to fight, if necessary,
for restorative justice. In turn, we have to
remember that our role is to give them the
tools to perform this transformative work,
both intellectually and spiritually.”
KAREN TONGSON, associate professor of English, gender
studies and American studies and ethnicity
“What brings me hope is that Americans overwhelmingly
believe that climate change is a threat, and that we have
to deal with it. That’s true especially for Democrats, but
independents largely share that view, and so do a plurality
of Republicans. The support for a rational climate policy
grows steadily, and that gives me hope.
Two other things also give me hope. First, we’re seeing
states and cities act on their own even as the federal
government rolls back some of the policies designed
to deal with the climate crisis. Many of them have
independently signed up to do their part to observe and
fulfill the Paris Agreement. Second, the private sector
now perceives real economic opportunity in coming
up with solutions on climate. Today there are far more
people employed in the solar energy industry than there
are in coal mining.”
ROBERT SHRUM, Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in
Practical Politics and professor of the practice of political
science, director of the Center for the Political Future
“I am not sure ‘hope’ is the word I would “It makes me hopeful when I see military veterans “What gives me hope
use. I would say I derive strength from the organizing for peace, especially when their actions is that our talented
places where climates of resistance exist: against militarism forge connections with efforts to students are taking
In the region I study, Palestinians continue end Islamophobia, violence against women, racial much more interest in
to struggle against a brutal Israeli military injustice and destruction of the natural environment. political participation.
occupation; Algerians and Sudanese in the When groups and coalitions connect the dots between They are increasingly
hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, what might seem on the surface to be separate issues, speaking out about
have protested peacefully over months to they shift the political climate in ways that point to a the injustices they
bring down corrupt systems; Egyptian more peaceful and just future.” observe on campus,
defenders of human rights continue to resist MICHAEL MESSNER, professor of sociology and gender studies in the United States
the repressive Sisi regime. and across the
Closer to home, many of the 2018 class of “I believe we are living in an era of rapidly globe. Our students
U.S. congressional representatives have set changing climates that are competing for are principled and
a new standard of tenacity and fearlessness political space and for our attention. One is they truly have the
in confronting structures of oppression and a climate of fear. This is a pessimistic view of courage of their
injustice. humanity that invites hatred and violence. It convictions. Our
These examples, both at home and abroad, promotes authoritarianism and the interests of brilliant Trojans
demand of us all not to hope, but, each in a few at the expense of freedom, liberty and will help effect the
her/his own way, to accept the responsibility, human rights for all. This rather Machiavellian changes that are so
as part of a common humanity, to act — climate seems to be dominant at this time. urgently needed.
to engage in the struggle for social, economic The good news is that the climate may Their commitment
and political justice.” be changing. The successor generation is to human rights
LAURIE BRAND, Robert Grandford Wright Professor and promoting a climate of change that encourages and global justice is
professor of international relations and Middle East studies open societies, innovation, creativity, social inspiring.”
justice and respect for all humankind. They say ALISON DUNDES RENTELN,
professor of political science,
the world is not a dangerous place. It is a place anthropology, public policy
to encourage cooperation and problem solving. and law
This climate promotes courage and hope
not fear and despair.
“Fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) on Earth are based on stored The words of St. Augustine
carbon derived from the sun’s energy and synthesized over eons
and can be broadly characterized as ‘fossilized sunshine.’ The sun is
capture this climate of change:
going to be around for the next 4.5 billion years. Therefore, Earth,
per se, does not have an energy problem (plenty of solar and wind Hope has two beautiful
energy is available to produce electricity), but rather energy storage
and energy carrier problems. daughters. … anger at the
All living things on planet Earth are invariably tied to carbon. way things are, and courage
Renewable methanol made through carbon dioxide capture and to see that they do not
conversion using water and renewable energies is a simple solution
to a very complex climate change conundrum. Liquid methanol remain the way they are.
is a versatile fuel to replace gasoline and diesel and is a chemical
feedstock to make petroleum products.
A climate change cannot
Therefore, if carbon is considered the problem (excessive
atmospheric CO2 concentrations causing climate change), carbon come soon enough.”
has to be the solution.” STEVEN LAMY, professor of
G.K. SURYA PRAKASH, George A. and Judith A. Olah Nobel international relations and
Laureate Chair in Hydrocarbon Chemistry and professor of spatial sciences
chemistry
SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN
FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND COMMUNICATION
Lance Ignon
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Darrin S. Joy
MANAGING EDITOR
Susan Bell
ART DIRECTOR / PRODUCTION MANAGER
Letty Avila
WRITERS AND EDITORS
Michelle Boston
Margaret Crable
Emily Gersema
Jim Key
Stephen Koenig
DESIGNER
Dennis Lan
VIDEOGRAPHER AND PHOTOGRAPHER
Mike Glier
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT
Deann Webb
CONTRIBUTORS
Joanna Clay, Lilly Kate Diaz, Eric Lindberg,
Laura Russell, Annamaria Sauer
USC DORNSIFE ADMINISTRATION
Amber D. Miller, Dean • Stephen Bradforth, Divisional Dean for Natural
Sciences and Mathematics • Steven Finkel, College Dean of Graduate and
Professional Education • Lance Ignon, Senior Associate Dean for Strategic
Initiatives and Communication • Andrew Lakoff, Divisional Dean for Social
Sciences • Peter Mancall, Divisional Dean for the Humanities • Renee Perez,
Senior Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer • Eddie Sartin, Senior
Associate Dean for Advancement • Andrew Stott, College Dean of Under-
graduate Education
USC DORNSIFE BOARD OF COUNCILORS
Robert D. Beyer, Chair • Wendy Abrams • Robert Alvarado • Richard S.
Flores • Shane Foley • Lisa Goldman • Jana Waring Greer • Pierre Habis •
Yossie Hollander • Janice Bryant Howroyd • Martin Irani • Dan James •
Stephen G. Johnson • Suzanne Nora Johnson • Bettina Kallins • Yoon Kim •
Samuel King • Jaime Lee • Arthur Lev • Kathy Leventhal • Rodger Lynch •
Robert Osher • Gerald Papazian • Andrew Perlman • Lawrence Piro •
Edoardo Ponti • Kelly Porter • Michael Reilly • Harry Robinson • Carole
Shammas • Kumarakulasingam “Suri” Suriyakumar • Rajeev Tandon
USC DORNSIFE MAGAZINE
Published twice a year by the USC Dornsife Office of Communication
at the University of Southern California. © 2019 USC Dornsife College.
The diverse opinions expressed in USC Dornsife Magazine do not necessarily
represent the views of the editors, USC Dornsife administration or
USC. USC Dornsife Magazine welcomes comments from its readers to
magazine@dornsife.usc.edu or USC Dornsife Magazine, SCT-2400,
PHOTO BY THOMAS ECKHARDT
Los Angeles, CA 90089.
Contents SPRING / SUMMER 2019
1 CLIMATE OF HOPE
Faculty find optimism in our
changing climate.
4 FROM THE HEART OF USC
Mother follows kids to school;
Yoga helps young’uns; Poet laureate
completes state tour; Cancer’s
clock may be unwound.
5 Curriculum
6 Profile
10 In The Field
12 Our World
40 SMOKE SIGNALS
Earth scientist Julien Emile-Geay
links wildfires to inequity.
THE CLIMATE ISSUE 42 Legacy
Matters of Degrees
14 43 Faculty News
43 Alumni News
Apocalypse fatigue got you down? The remedy may be found in a different climate change narrative emphasizing
the vast potential for a thriving planet. By Stephen Koenig 44 DORNSIFE FAMILY
Top science academy elects two
20
Gut Reaction more members; Technology alters
the search for love; Young rancher
becomes genomics pioneer.
The science is clear: Microbes living within us hold great sway over our well-being. But how much do they control
our internal climate, and can we manipulate the microbiome to adjust the thermostat? By Darrin S. Joy 44 Faculty Canon
24
Baby, Can I Change My Mind? 46
47
Alumni Canon
Remembering
It’s our beliefs, even those that are unmoored from objective reality, that determine what to us is true and false.
And that’s why it’s so difficult to change your mind, much less someone else’s. By Lance Ignon
48 IN MY OPINION
Making Politics Civil Again
Geology alumnus S. Julio Friedmann
28 gives the recipe for energy and
climate success.
Scholarly leaders from USC Dornsife’s Center for the Political Future discuss the forces driving Americans apart
and explore how those same forces could bring them together. By Emily Gersema ON THE COVER
Much more than the weather is changing.
32
The Mustard Seed Man
Cover illustration by Dan Stiles for
USC Dornsife magazine.
Steve Fabijanski’s holistic approach to climate change tackles two major contributors to greenhouse gases: CONNECT WITH USC DORNSIFE
airline travel and meat production. His solution? A mustard-like oilseed called carinata. By Susan Bell
dornsife.usc.edu/facebook
PHOTO BY PHILLIP COLLA
36
Environmental Ingenuity
dornsife.usc.edu/twitter
dornsife.usc.edu/youtube
Cars that run on kelp. Cosmetics from waste products. Energy fueled by clean chemicals. USC Dornsife scholars dornsife.usc.edu/instagram
are creating new products and businesses to mend the planet and create a strong economy. By Michelle Boston dornsife.usc.edu/magazine
FROM THE HE ART OF USC
Viewpoint
Back to School
EXPERT OPINIONS
“Cultural repre-
sentation is about
something deeper After home-schooling eight children, Margarita Lopez set her sights on a psychology degree. By Joanna Clay
than parity for the Margarita Lopez is getting her son ready for the day. It made me so sad. Here she was, encouraging me.”
sake of parity – that Emilio, 22, has cerebral palsy. That day, when Emma was pushing her to pursue her
everyone needs to be She turns on the Channel 5 news, his favorite, and gets dream, Lopez felt like it was time to see it through.
mirrored in the public him dressed before using a lift to hoist him from the bed “I felt it was my daughter [Milanca] urging me on,” she
sphere in order to into his wheelchair. She buckles him in before wheeling said. “That it was my turn. That I could do this.”
exist and to count as him into the kitchen for breakfast. Lopez not only got into USC, which gave her a partial
“It’s like one of those pit stops at a race,” she said. “You scholarship, but also Columbia University, UCLA and
a fully dimensional just do it fast.” UC Berkeley. She wants to be a counselor for young
human being.” Lopez, 58, has to leave for school soon. It’s her first people from marginalized communities and is considering
DORINNE KONDO, professor of semester studying psychology at USC Dornsife. Lopez a master’s degree.
American studies and ethnicity transferred from Santa Monica College and is now a “This is a dream,” she said of going to USC.
and anthropology, in a Feb. 21 junior. If it weren’t for her kids, she’d be the first in her For her kids’ college graduations, Lopez made T-shirts
op-ed in The Conversation on her family to go to college. and themed leis. She remembers her own from Santa
research that shows the impor-
tance of people seeing their own “I can’t believe I’ve done what I’ve done,” said Lopez. Monica College.
experiences and lives mirrored in “It’s surreal.” “Everyone showed up at my graduation and they had
popular culture. Education was always a priority in the Lopez household. T-shirts,” she said. “I see ‘Margarita’ [on the front] and
Even though she only completed eighth grade, Lopez home- they turn around and it said ‘badass’ on the back. I was
schooled her eight children for the bulk of their child- laughing so hard.”
“The huge widespread hoods, then did whatever she could to get them into elite Her family stacked her neck with leis — made from
success of the Black private and public high schools. In between jobs cleaning candy, money and flowers — so high she could barely see.
Panther movie, homes and working at the craft store Michaels, Lopez Next year, she knows her family will be there to root
showcasing T’Challa, volunteered at her children’s schools. Many went on to for her again.
four-year universities, including the University of California, It’s her turn.
Shuri and other San Diego and the Univer-
Wakandans as highly sity of California, Berkeley.
accomplished scien- Now, for probably the
tists, remains one of first time in Lopez’s life,
the most significant she’s doing something just
boosts for science for herself.
It started five years
engagement in recent ago, when her daughter,
times.” Emma, told Lopez she
CLIFFORD JOHNSON, professor was enrolling at a commu-
of physics and astronomy, in a nity college.
Feb. 21 op-ed in The Conversation At the time, Lopez was
about the movie’s ability to inspire reeling from the death of
future generations of scientists.
her daughter Milanca, a
high school valedictorian
“I don’t know any who had a child at 16 and
went on to graduate from
other way to tell UC Berkeley. Milanca was
Indian history than about to start graduate
through Indian school at UCLA when she
voices.” and her 6-year-old son were
killed in a car accident.
IL L U S T R AT I O N BY D E N N I S L A N
DAVID TREUER, professor of
English, in a Jan. 22 Los Angeles Milanca had encouraged
Times Q&A about his new book, her mother to chase her
Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, dream of higher education.
which he says offers a counter- “I found a message on
narrative to Native American
history, which often focuses on
Facebook. She said, ‘It’s
tragedy and is told from non- your turn,’ ” Lopez said.
native perspectives. “I never responded to her.
4
Curriculum HIST-210gw
PHOTO BY DOROTHE A L ANGE, NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINIS TR ATION; PERL-ROSENTHAL PHOTO BY PE TER ZHAOYU ZHOU
HOW TO BE AN AMERICAN: of immigration and citizenship granted or denied, compiled Japanese American and laws and policies that result
GLOBAL HISTORIES OF U.S. policies in the United States and retold by students for became a jewelry store owner in inequitable access to
CITIZENSHIP by exploring their own family their final essays, demonstrate in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo. citizenship. —E.G.
Instructor: Nathan Perl- history, enabling them to not only the evolution of U.S. She was forced into an intern-
Rosenthal, associate professor understand the hurdles that citizenship and immigration ment camp during World War Children recite the Pledge of
of history their own ancestors faced to policies, but the enduring II, only gaining citizenship Allegiance at San Francisco’s
become American citizens. trauma caused when citizen- in 1952. Raphael Weill Public School in
“I wanted to give students ship rights are stripped away “My great-grandmother the early 1940s. Those of Japanese
a civics lesson — to get them or held out of reach, and for faced many barriers obtaining ancestry and their parents, along
thinking about how the commu- some, the joy of citizenship citizenship,” said Yee. with thousands more throughout
nity of Americans came to be,” when it’s finally granted. In some ways, she argues, the country, were sent to War
Perl-Rosenthal said. Psychology major Nathalie Yee immigration policy isn’t very Relocation Authority centers —
As students interviewed traced the citizenship struggles different today. Certain groups internment camps — where they
relatives and friends they of her great-grandmother, Chiyo of immigrants continue to remained until the end of World
Perl-Rosenthal challenges discovered painful experiences. Machikawa, who immigrated face discrimination, their fate War II.
students to examine the history The stories of citizenship to the U.S. in 1918, married a determined in large part by
Spring / Summer 2019 | 5
Profile S T E V E N L A M Y , P R O F E S S O R O F I N T E R N AT I O N A L R E L AT I O N S
A N D S PAT I A L S C I E N C E S
Mug Shot
Steven Lamy looks back over
Polaroids he took of former
students when they first enrolled
in his classes — a trick he
developed long before student
O ne of USC’s most beloved
professors, Steven Lamy
holds the distinction of being
Malley (the name is a twist
on Lamy’s) in the 2007 play-
turned-movie Lions for Lambs,
character, Carnahan wrote,
“Frankly, at the end of the
day, Redford didn’t really
most inspirational professor.
He’s also (in)famous across
campus for knowing every-
PHOTO BY LE T T Y AVIL A
head shots were common practice the only member of its faculty to written by Lamy’s former come close to his character’s body’s name and whether they
and one that underpins his have been portrayed by Robert student, Matthew Carnahan, inspiration.” attended class the previous
legendary ability to remember Redford on the silver screen. and directed by Redford. Carnahan is not alone in feel- week. No mean feat when his
names and faces. Redford played the inspi- In a letter to Lamy explaining ing this: Alumni and students international relations classes
rational Professor Stephen he was the basis for Redford’s frequently cite Lamy as their are often packed with upwards
6
FROM THE HE ART OF USC
of 250 students. So, what’s his Returning home from his School of International Rela- Explain, Predict, Prescribe and In addition to creating
secret? first day of elementary school, tions (SIR) in 1982, promptly Participate — that allow them to PWP and the USC Dornsife
“Getting people to sit in the Lamy tried to read the local taking on the challenge of go beyond ideological labels. Washington, D.C. Program,
same place,” Lamy says, eyes newspaper, then burst into revitalizing its undergraduate “The whole concept of PWP and serving for five years as
twinkling. “And I make them tears. “I started crying curriculum. was to get kids involved in think- director of SIR and for 10 years
wear name tags.” because my mother had A firm believer in case-based ing about global challenges and as vice dean for academic
But that’s not all. When told me as soon as I went to learning, Lamy says, “We don’t problems and finding ways to programs, he set up SOAR
Lamy joined USC Dornsife in school, I’d learn to read,” learn by PowerPoint, we learn resolve them,” he said. (Student Opportunities
1982, he invested in a Polaroid Lamy said. by decision-making stories. It’s He’s led undergraduates on for Academic Research)
camera. He takes mugshots By his senior year of high not stepping on the student’s four PWP trips to the Arctic, and SURF (Summer Under-
of each student on the first school, he was a foreign toe, the top of their head visiting Finland, Norway and graduate Research Fund)
day of class and keeps them exchange student with the opening up, and pouring in Iceland and looking at the — two programs that award
pinned to his office wall. He American Field Service, knowledge. It’s wrestling with impact of climate change on funds to students for doing
grades all papers himself. spending 16 months in that knowledge.” culture, economics and politics. research with professors.
(His teaching assistants use Flemish-speaking Belgium
pencil; he uses pen.) where he learned to speak
“While I’m grading, I’ll keep
the pictures next to me. It’s a
Dutch, perfected his French
and taught himself to read
“We don’t learn by PowerPoint, we learn
big time commitment, but it’s
worth it,” says Lamy, former
German. Later, he would add
Afrikaans.
by decision-making stories. It’s not stepping
director of the USC Center for
Excellence in Teaching.
Lamy’s Belgian classmates
were supportive, but critical on the student’s toe, the top of their head
“These kids matter. They’re
not numbers.”
of America’s role in Vietnam.
“I found myself in a situation opening up, and pouring in knowledge.
It’s wrestling with that knowledge.”
On the morning of this inter- of trying to defend America,
view, Lamy had received an but not defend the war,” Lamy
email from a former student said. “I learned a lot about the
he taught in 2011 requesting a importance of different narra-
letter of recommendation for tives and belief systems.” His case-based class Lamy tells his students that He also established the Fisher
law school. “I’m the kid who The death of his father remains among the most “what happens in the Arctic Fellowship for first-generation
went to Tokyo for a marathon shortly after Lamy’s return popular he’s created at SIR. never stays in the Arctic” students and founded TIRP
and burned his hand trying to narrowed his college choices. One of the first case studies because the region is consid- (Teaching International
climb right before graduation. “I had to be closer to home. he teaches is titled “Keeping ered a canary in the coal mine Relations Program), which
Remember?” writes Marcus Often in life you have dreams the Cold War Cold: Dick for climate change. gives high school students
Knoll. to do one thing, and some- Cheney and the Department a basic grounding in the key
Lamy does remember — thing else intervenes,” he of Defense.” JUST DO IT principles of foreign relations.
he still has Knoll’s photograph says, adding philosophically, “It looks inside Cheney’s Lamy was a serious runner Now he wants to concentrate
in his files. “but it’s all been to the good.” head, examining theoretical for many years, participat- on a new master’s program
“I keep them all,” Lamy says, Lamy earned his bachelor’s and analytical concepts like the ing in the Los Angeles, Skylon he’s developing and the Global
“because you never know when degree in political science from importance of belief systems,” (renamed in 2007 the Niagara Policy Institute he recently
somebody’s going to need a Siena College near Albany, Lamy says. “I’ve got lots of Falls International Marathon) created.
letter of recommendation.” New York. Despite his love for emails from kids who saw Vice and Boston marathons. He still “I’m very proud of the classes
the great outdoors, and the (the 2018 biographical film runs or cycles for 45 minutes I teach and the work I’ve done
GROWING UP fact that all his college career about Cheney), saying, ‘It’s just a day. Two years ago, he was intellectually,” he says. “There
Born in Goffstown, in rural aptitude tests said he should like the case study.’ ” knocked off his bicycle by a hit- are some regrets in terms of
New Hampshire, one of five become a forest ranger, Lamy also fosters problem- and-run driver who ran a red not spending enough time
children of a French-Canadian Lamy’s passion for world based learning through USC light. Lamy’s watch was ripped writing the best book or the
regional sales manager for affairs won out. He earned his Dornsife’s Problems Without off by the impact as he went best article in the world. I still
Miller Brewing Company and a master’s and doctoral degrees Passports (PWP) program, face first into the asphalt. have time to do that.”
homemaker who later became at the University of Denver’s which he created. Two black eyes and a couple of But when asked what he con-
a bank manager, Lamy spent Josef Korbel School of Inter- One of his particular gifts is bruised ribs later, Lamy’s motto siders his greatest achieve-
his childhood outdoors, national Studies, where he to break down complex world remains, “just keep going.” He ment, Lamy talks about how
fishing, hiking and riding his was taught by Korbel, father problems into relatable, hu- cites an old Nike commercial good he always feels when he
bike. He grew up hearing and of former U.S. Secretary of man concepts. He encour- showing a man rising at 4:30 sees students graduating.
speaking French at home State Madeleine Albright. ages students to analyze a.m. to run in the dark and rain. “I don’t have children, so
and was an avid reader who global affairs from multiple “It’s that ‘Just Do It’ kind of they’re like my kids, and to see
showed an early predilection PASSION FOR PEDAGOGY perspectives using what he thing. I love that,” Lamy says. them go on, it’s kind of neat.”
for world affairs. Lamy joined USC Dornsife’s calls DEPPP skills — Describe, Lamy certainly got it done. —S.B.
Spring / Summer 2019 | 7
FROM THE HE ART OF USC
Numbers
Climate Change Is Bipartisan
HOLOCAUST AND
GENOCIDE COLLECTION
USC boasts one of the largest
standalone collections on the
Holocaust and genocide of any
university in the United States, Republican and Democratic leaders at a USC conference on climate change agree that global warming is an urgent
largely due to the efforts of issue that must be addressed from both sides of the aisle. By Emily Gersema
Wolf Gruner. The founding
director of the Center for
Advanced Genocide Research The issue of climate change is “completely consistent with Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New
at USC Shoah Foundation — Christian conservative orthodoxy,” former Republican York. It calls for multiple measures, such as reducing
The Institute for Visual History U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina argued. dependence on fossil fuels and switching to sustainable
and Education, Gruner began
to build a Holocaust library
“It is not hearsay. It is actually starting to pop, and it’s energy options, such as hydrogen, wind and solar power,
when he arrived at USC Dorn- really pleasant to see Republicans come around,” Inglis to slow global warming.
sife via Berlin to take his post said on April 4 at the “Climate Forward: Navigating the Robert Shrum, Center for the Political Future director,
as professor of history and the Politics of Climate Change” conference. asked if promotion of the Green New Deal hurts or helps
Shapell-Guerin Chair in Jewish The event drew an estimated 1,000 people, including the cause.
studies.
1
former Secretary of State John Kerry, former British Prime Inglis noted that the far left supports the deal. The left
Minister Gordon Brown, former California Senator Kevin should avoid repeating the mistakes of the “tea party”
Decade since de León and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. members of the Republican Party, who learned and did
the Holocaust and The conference was hosted by USC Dornsife’s Center nothing about climate change, he warned.
Genocide Studies for the Political Future and USC Wrigley Institute for Julien Emile-Geay, associate professor of Earth sciences
Collection was
Environmental Studies, and the USC Schwarzenegger at USC Dornsife, says he finds it incomprehensible that
launched.
Institute for State and Global Policy at USC Price School climate science somehow became a liberal issue.
of Public Policy. “I find it really dumbfounding that it comes to be
18K+
Inglis lost his seat in 2010 after declaring support for a branded as an issue of the ‘tea party of the left,’ ” he said.
tax on carbon emissions. His stance has since intensified as “Theoretically, it should be more oriented to the right.”
he advocates for various measures to slow global warming. Former California Senate President pro tempore
New York Times environmental writer Lisa Friedman de León, a Democrat, told the panel that California is
Books in the collection. said that there appears to be momentum to address the leading the nation and world on reducing pollution, with
problem, citing the “Green New Deal” resolution by its stringent auto emissions standards.
1930s
– 40s
Publication years of rare
books held exclusively by
the collection.
1k
Books added
to the collection
annually.
300
Boxes containing transcripts
of the Nuremberg Trials.
PHOTO BY MAURICE ROPER
B-24
The room in Doheny Library
that houses this collection. Former Republican Congressman Bob Inglis, left, now works to promote measures to cut back on greenhouse gases.
8FROM THE HE ART OF USC
Spotlight
Yoga for the Young “If kids master some of these poses, they feel they are
masters of their own universe, and then they can go out
and do productive things in the world,” Power said. —S.B.
Learning yoga helps inner-city grade school students
overcome stress and focus better in the classroom.
Grand Poetry Tour
California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia fulfilled his
mission last fall, visiting every county in the state.
In 2017, California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia announced a NIKKI AFLATOONI ’19
challenge that would further familiarize him with his home Health and Human Sciences
state and expand poetry’s cultural reach: He would visit all of SHALIZ AFLATOONI ’22
California’s 58 counties over the course of two years and lead Human Biology
poetry events at each.
After that announcement, Gioia, Judge Widney Professor “Our parents always
of Poetry and Public Culture at USC Dornsife and USC Price wanted us to get exposed
School of Public Policy, drove thousands of miles, often to other experiences, …
accompanied by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Gioia, and an
so we started volunteering.
audio book or two. Throughout this modern-day odyssey,
Gioia brought poetry to the people, and he heard poetry of “Having these scholar-
and by the people. ships has helped us be able
For years, Gioia has written commentary and criticisms to focus on our academics
about modern poetry, and in particular, about its exclusivity. and volunteer involve-
In Los Angeles, yoga tends to be associated with affluent In his 1991 landmark essay, “Can Poetry Matter?,” published ment. And we’ll definitely
women on the city’s West Side, but USC Dornsife’s Joint in The Atlantic, Gioia lamented that ownership and apprecia-
Educational Project (JEP), one of the oldest and largest tion for poetry had shifted from “bohemia to bureaucracy,”
want to come back and
service learning organizations in the United States, confined by academic writing programs that emphasized stay involved after we
is teaching this ancient Indian physical, mental and spiri- analysis and criticism rather than performance and writing. graduate.”
tual practice to underserved elementary students in L.A.’s Gioia, who hails from South Los Angeles, has practiced
Nikki Aflatooni, an aspiring
inner city schools. Why? what he preached. Since that essay, he has emerged as a dentist, and her sister Shaliz
As Tina Koneazny, JEP’s associate director of adminis- vociferous advocate for arts and culture nationwide and has Alfatooni have received merit-
tration and educational outreach, explains, yoga can have led the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2015, Gioia based scholarships, inspiring
a profoundly positive influence on the lives of these young was named California poet laureate by Gov. Jerry Brown. them to volunteer and help
others while they study.
students, many of whom desperately need the benefits it Gioia may be the first laureate to have visited all 58 coun-
J E P P H O T O BY S U S A N B E L L ; IL L U S T R AT I O N BY D E N N I S L A N; A F L AT O O N I P H O T O BY E R I C L IN D B E R G
As president of USC’s chapter
can bring. All too often, inner-city children face consider- ties, state officials say. He met his goal in October, with final of Global Dental Brigades,
able stress in their everyday lives — a result of poverty, stops in Kings, Merced and Santa Barbara counties. Nikki traveled to Central
proximity to gang violence and, increasingly for many, the “There is always this debate in public arts policy about America with other USC students,
fear that their families could be torn apart by deportation. who you serve. Do you serve the artist? Serve youth? Serve helping set up a clinic to provide
dental care in underserved ar-
Indeed, a 2014 study by the Centers for Disease minorities?” says Gioia. “There is only one proper answer in a eas. During a trip to Honduras,
Control and Prevention found that almost a third of democracy. We must serve everyone.” —E.G. she screened kids for oral
inner-city children in the United States suffer from post- health issues. She also teaches
traumatic stress disorder at a higher level than soldiers. oral health in neighborhood
schools through USC Dornsife’s
Teaching these kids yoga, Koneazny says, gives them
Joint Educational Project.
a valuable lifelong skill that enables them to relax and Shaliz volunteers with USC
find an inner place of calm, even if they’re in the midst Science Outreach and is a Red
of chaos. It helps children focus in school, and improves Cross member.
behavior and interpersonal relationships. Both sisters received merit-
based scholarships from Town
A donation from alumna Teresa Updegraff Power ’84 & Gown of USC. Nikki received
has enabled JEP to expand the Little Yoginis after- the Presidential Scholarship
school program by training USC students to become yoga and additional support from
instructors — “USC Yogis” — who teach the Little Yoginis alumni groups while her sister
received the Dean’s Scholar-
curriculum at USC ReadersPlus partner schools.
ship from USC Dornsife.
A former lawyer turned yoga teacher, Power is the “I definitely want to continue
author of The ABCs of Yoga for Kids series of books volunteering here,” said Shaliz,
(Stafford House) and the founder of the nonprofit World who hopes to become a pedia-
Yoga Power that aims to bring the benefits of yoga to trician. “Because I have these
scholarships, I feel like it will be
inner-city children. my way of giving back.”
Spring / Summer 2019 | 9In The Field
Mudslides After Fires
EARTH SCIENCES
Rainfall can be a risk as much
as a relief in fire-damaged areas NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
of California. Last year, at least
21 people died and more than
100 were injured when heavy
rains prompted a mudslide in
Montecito, California, which Most fires in California used to happen in summer, leaving time for
was heavily damaged in the recovery before the rains came in the fall or winter. Now, fires often
Thomas fire. occur into December, allowing little time to rebound before the
Joshua West, Wilford and storms arrive.
Daris Zinsmeyer Early Career
Chair in Marine Studies and The rate of rainfall is key — a large
associate professor of Earth amount of rainfall in a short time is
sciences, explains what a recipe for disaster.
mudslides are, and why the
risk heightens in fire-ravaged
areas when rainstorms strike.
He notes that the condi-
tions are exacerbated due to
a changing pattern in climate.
California now has longer wild- HOW LANDSLIDES CAN FORM AFTER A WILDFIRE
fire seasons that are quickly
punctuated by a rainy season.
Fires strip away grasses and
brush, clearing a path for debris
1
During a fire, burning
to slide down. In addition, when
vegetation burns, it leaves plants release chemicals
behind waxy leaf residues that that permeate into soil.
coat the soil, creating a film.
This hydrophobic layer actually
repels water.
However, the hydrophobic
2
layer isn’t on the surface. It’s
a few inches below. The rain
percolates through until it These chemicals create a waxy,
reaches that waxy layer, and, water-resistant layer.
because it cannot penetrate,
it starts to accumulate, creating
a soupy mess that easily slips
off steep slopes.
3 Water can’t sink below that layer,
Scientists are learning so it accumulates in the soil above.
more and more about the
relationship between fires
and debris flows. Important
factors to consider include
the intensity of the burn, how
4 Soil and rocks slide
steep the slopes are, and the off slopes due to the
type of soil. By looking at past buildup of water.
fires, scientists and authori-
ties can make predictions on
where the worst mudflows
might occur for a given rain-
fall. That is why authorities
keep an eye on the weather
and anticipate areas most
at risk, so they may issue
10FROM THE HE ART OF USC
warnings for vulnerable areas
during heavy rains.
Those Left Behind deportation. “Latino immigrants and Latino children are
going to be the majority of Americans in the future,” she
said. “If their households are struggling as these kids are
The steeper the slope, Doctoral student Blanca Ramirez researches how growing up, that will have significant consequences for
the more likely that mud and families cope when a parent is detained or deported. the United States down the road.” —S.B.
debris will slip off. When rain
is forecast, authorities now
warn residents in fire-scarred
areas of a risk of mudflows.
Cancer’s Biological Clock
To try and divert a mud- Scientists find a molecule that can disrupt cancer
flow, homeowners can put cells’ sleep cycle and hinder their spread.
sandbags out and create
other barriers. But that does A new drug shows potential to halt cancer cells’ growth by
not guarantee that their home stunting the cells’ biological clock.
will stay safe. And when there The findings from scientists at the USC Michelson
are evacuations for potential Center for Convergent Bioscience and Nagoya University
mudslides, residents should in Japan advance a burgeoning area of research: turning
leave their homes so that they the body’s circadian rhythms against cancer.
don’t become trapped — Their study, conducted on human kidney cancer cells
or worse. — E.G. and on acute myeloid leukemia in mice, was published
Jan. 23 in the journal Science Advances. The study showed
the molecule, GO289, was also effective on human bone
cancer cells.
Blanca Ramirez is haunted by a little girl who stopped “In some cancers, the disease takes over the circadian clock
buying lollipops. Each lollipop cost a quarter, and the mechanism and uses it for the evil purpose of helping itself
young girl loved to buy one every day after school. grow,” said Steve Kay, director of convergent biosciences
But then she stopped. Her undocumented father had at the USC Michelson Center and Provost Professor of
been deported, and she was determined to contribute that Neurology, Biomedical Engineering and Biological Sciences.
daily quarter to her family’s finances instead. “With GO289, we can interfere with those processes and
Ramirez, a doctoral student in sociology, researches what stop the cancer from growing.”
happens to families of Latino immigrants in California who Scientists know that disrupting sleep and other elements
have lost a parent because of detention or deportation. How of humans’ circadian rhythm can harm health. The same is
do those left behind — including children — cope? To find true for the circadian clock of cells themselves.
answers, she interviews them. GO289 targets an enzyme that controls the cells’ circa-
“I generally find that children become emotional dian rhythm. This drug-protein interaction disrupts the cell’s
anchors for their parents, although they themselves are sleep cycle and other functions critical for survival.
going through psychological pain,” she said. “They also It worked on other forms of cancer, too — kidney cancer
try to give financial support to their family. Even if they’re in human cells, and acute myeloid leukemia in mice. And it
too young, they still try in their own small ways to figure had very little impact on healthy cells.
out how they can contribute financially.” “This could become an effective new weapon that kills
Ramirez refers to this process of being forced to take cancer,” said Kay. —E.G.
on adult responsibilities at a young age as “adultification.”
Herself the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Ramirez
grew up in Orange County, California, where many of her
family’s neighbors were also immigrants. Ramirez says
her passion for her research stems from them.
“When I go out and talk to families, they seem like people
I could have easily grown up with, but they’ve lived through
so much more and they’re still standing and still trying to
maintain their families,” Ramirez said. “To me, they’re some
of the strongest, most resilient people I’ve met.”
A first-generation college student, Ramirez has earned
two of the most competitive graduate fellowships avail-
IMAGES BY DENNIS LAN
able — in any discipline: a National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowship and a Ford Foundation
Predoctoral Fellowship.
She hopes her research inspires critical thinking
about the long-term effects of a single act of detention or
Spring / Summer 2019 | 11Our World
FACULTY Myanmar FACULTY/ ALUMNUS Global STUDENTS California
As the seven justices on the
Preventing Genocide Despite toiling up to 18 hours a day, Rhoda, a Filipina migrant
domestic worker in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was given
food only once every 24 hours by her employers, who insisted
California Supreme Court filed
into the San Francisco court
house, Chief Justice Tani Gorre
Pioneering small satellite technology detects and she finish all her daily chores before eating. Cantil-Sakauye welcomed the
documents evidence of human rights violations. “They expected her to survive just drinking water throughout 10 USC undergraduates and
the day,” said Rhacel Parreñas, professor of sociology and gen- their instructor, gathered in
der studies and an expert on human trafficking. the audience. The group had
Parreñas interviewed Rhoda — whose last name is omitted to traveled to San Francisco in
protect her identity — for her current research on Southeast October to hear oral arguments
Asian migrant domestic workers in the UAE. It is one of 165 in- presented before the court
depth interviews Parreñas has completed on workers’ experi- as part of Antonio Elefano‘s
ence of what she prefers to term “unfree labor,” but which is “Advanced Legal Writing”
often described by those within the trafficking community as course, an upper division
modern-day slavery. elective offered by the Writing
Trafficking, Parreñas explains, differs very little whether it Program at USC Dornsife.
occurs in the United States or in the Middle East. “In the U.S., Aimed at students serious
it’s very hard to quantify the extent of trafficking because it’s a about working in law, politics
hidden problem,” she said. or policy, Elefano’s course
However, Parreñas notes, the National Human Trafficking enables them to learn the art
Hotline reports calls from around 10,000 people in 2017. of legal writing by studying
At USC Dornsife’s Spatial Sciences Institute, Andrew California Superior Court Judge Curtis Kin ’93 first fought current cases going before the
Marx runs the Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence human trafficking as a federal prosecutor working for the U.S. California Supreme Court and
PREVENTING GENOCIDE IMAGE COURTESY OF ANDREW MARX; TRAFFICKING IMAGE BY DENNIS LAN
Lab, developing and leveraging new, “smallsat” technol- Department of Justice in Los Angeles. As head of the unit spe- then by researching cases to
ogy to quickly detect human rights abuses and violations, cializing in sex and labor trafficking, he supervised cases and recommend to Southwestern
preventing isolated events from developing into genocide. trained prosecutors to work with federal agents to bring traf- Law School’s Amicus Project.
The information collected provides evidence that can be fickers to justice. He agrees that in the U.S. we tend to underes- Erica Kelley, a senior majoring
used to corroborate refugee accounts of atrocities in inter- timate the scale of human trafficking, believing it occurs in other in psychology, described seeing
national courts. countries rather than right here on our doorstep. how a Supreme Court case is
Many of the world’s worst human rights abuses, including “It’s the type of crime that can go unnoticed due to its hidden conducted as “eye-opening.”
genocide, occur in areas that are difficult to observe, notes nature, so raising awareness among the community so that it can “It’s not something that most
Marx, associate professor of the practice of spatial sciences be discovered and reported is the best way to combat traffick- people have the opportunity to
and creative technologies. While smallsat technology can ing,” he said. see in their lifetime,” she said.
provide daily imagery of the entire Earth, the images are too “Maybe that could be me even-
fuzzy to visually identify details that can signal human rights tually, arguing a case before
abuses. Marx and his team are overcoming this by designing the Supreme Court.”
algorithms to automatically detect potential human rights The students were struck by
violations — such as villages that have been burned down. one case in particular, in which
Working with Human Rights Watch and Physicians for it was evident which attorney
Human Rights, the team is monitoring the persecution of would probably lose.
the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar. “For them to be able to see
“Satellite imagery provides data that cannot be refuted that,” said Elefano, assistant
when used in conjunction with geospatial intelligence and professor (teaching) of writing,
victim testimony,” said Marx, whose goal is to develop an “to watch it play out, to talk to
early warning system to prevent human rights violations. the lawyer afterward — there’s
“Once you work on something that powerful,” he adds, no substitute for this as a
“you don’t really have an appetite to do anything else.” learning experience.”
12FROM THE HE ART OF USC
FACULTY Armenia STUDENT Peru FACULTY Middle East
Since the Republic of Armenia
gained independence from
the Soviet Union in 1991, it
has struggled to establish a
Sustainability Focus
stable, genuinely democratic Middle East Studies Department aims to train new leaders to address region’s
government. Last year’s “velvet critical environmental issues.
revolution,” one of the most
peaceful regime changes in USC Dornsife’s Department of Middle East Studies is the first ever university department
history, offered many of its kind to focus specifically on the role of the environment on social change in the Middle
Armenians new hope. East, providing a distinctive framework to explore more traditional topics such as politics,
However, the country faces ethnicity and religion.
many challenges as it transi- Earth sciences Ph.D. student For example, scholars might explore regional politics in Egypt, where air pollution and
tions to democracy. To tackle Emily Burt researches the congestion incited the government to build a new administrative capital. Approaching
them, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Amazon River watershed, Egypt’s political system from this angle inspires connections with environmental issues such
Garcetti, L.A. City Council- studying how sulfur makes as population density, infrastructure deterioration and globalization.
member Paul Krekorian, and its way across the South Department Chair Ramzi Rouighi, associate professor of Middle East studies and
USC Dornsife’s Institute of American continent. history, said the department’s approach is unique. “This sort of scholarship does exist
Armenian Studies teamed up Her research explores how out there, but it’s fragmented. Scholars who work on sustainability issues are studying
with the Armenian government water moves through a water- the Middle East, but they aren’t part of a Middle East program.”
to launch the USC Institute of shed — a land area that Rouighi says Middle East universities are excited about sending students to
Armenian Studies Policy Fellows channels rainfall and snow- USC Dornsife. While students in the region can train in science or engineering fields
Program. The program invites melt to creeks, streams and that produce sustainable technology, there are few opportunities for them to develop
mid-career public servants from rivers, and eventually to social science skills that help leaders and communities take action.
Armenia to L.A. to experience outflow points such as lakes, “These kinds of experts do not yet exist,” he said. “We have to develop them here —
the inner workings of demo- bays and the ocean. that’s our bet.”
cratic institutions. Conducting her research
“The world expected post- mainly in Peru, she uses the
Soviet societies to naturally Amazon flood plain as a natural
transition to functioning lab to investigate how dramatic
democracies, forgetting that the environmental gradients like
frameworks that make for effec- large changes in elevation,
tive, participatory governance topography, temperature and
often don’t exist,” said institute forest type can affect how
Director Salpi Ghazarian. watersheds work.
The first fellows spent the “I’m really interested in the
Fall 2018 semester working with processes that happen as rain
the city’s planning and public falls on a watershed, moves
works and sanitation depart- through the ground and
P E R U P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F E M I LY B U R T
ments. They also visited USC becomes water that you see
centers and faculty. in a river.”
“This is a most direct path By learning how such an
linking scholarship, USC and environment functions,
global impact,” Ghazarian said. her work can help scientists
For Armenia, in this crucial understand how more basic
moment in its history, the les- land features, such as elevation
sons gained from the program or topography, can influence
promise to be revolutionary. other environments.
Spring / Summer 2019 | 1314
Matters of Degrees Apocalypse fatigue got you down? The remedy may be found in a different climate change
narrative emphasizing the vast potential for a thriving planet.
By Stephen Koenig
Conversations about climate change often beeline to the motivate action toward a future that may look different,
weather du jour. We’ll gather around the water cooler to but also more vibrant, more alive?
lament the onslaught of extreme storm systems, seemingly These strategies have already started in California. The
born of a comic book universe. Polar Vortex has finally met state has planted its flag as America’s leader on environmental
his match: Thundersnow! Veer toward the incisive policy or policy and activism, and it continues to pursue a sustainable
collective action needed to address climate change at a funda- future in the face of a disruptive politic. Los Angeles, too,
mental level and discussions quickly fizzle into sighs, shrugs is leaning on its tradition of ingenuity to meet the needs
or plans to buy a hybrid. of 10 million residents while wearing a smaller carbon
It’s not surprising. This is existential stuff. Birkenstock.
We can no longer claim the target is vague. It’s the bold- The actions we take during the next few years will
face headline of 2018’s special report released by the Inter- demonstrate our resolve as a society and a species. Most of
governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): To ensure the stories we hear threaten a future in which we get it wrong.
a livable world, we must limit global average temperatures to But what will life be like — in L.A. and beyond — if we get
no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. it right?
The good news is that this goal is viable. The bad news is
that we’re on the wrong trajectory. At the current rate we’re ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
polluting the atmosphere, the world will exceed the IPCC’s “As long as things happen slowly, everything seems to be
recommended limit sometime between 2036 and 2052. OK,” says Professor of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences
We didn’t need this report to make obvious the need for Ken Nealson, the sanguine director of the USC Wrigley
drastic action. From raging wildfires that intensify each year Institute for Environmental Studies. “But if you look through
to flooded coastal city streets, climate change is already here. the geological record and see when the great extinction events
But fear or frustration hasn’t motivated collective action. happened, they were all when things got out of balance — and
It hasn’t for more than 100 years. The greenhouse effect was they happen fast.”
identified before the turn of the 20th century. Case in point: “In less than 200 years, humans have been
The fact is, climate change is not a scientific challenge, but digging up 200 million years’ worth of carbon dioxide and
a psychological one. putting it back into the atmosphere,” Nealson said.
Clip-art perceptions of greenhouse gas emissions evoke
AN OBLIQUE STRATEGY Dickensian factories or congested, rush-hour freeways. But
When rock icon and celebrated chameleon David Bowie the two most aggressive producers of carbon dioxide emis-
felt stuck in a rut, he would turn to producer Brian Eno sions are fossil fuel-burning electric utilities and deforesta-
and artist Peter Schmidt’s deck of “Oblique Strategies,” tion. Theoretically, these are among the easiest to curb with
cards that would send him off in a new direction — to obvious, accessible solutions. CLOCKING IN
change instruments or “discover the recipes you are using Time is no longer on our side.
and abandon them.” CATCHING SOME RAYS We need all hands on deck,
If the way we think about climate change only leads to We can electrify almost anything under the sun. In a place joining the innovators and
resignation, maybe we need to abandon the recipe. Could like L.A., solar-centric electric grids are virtually guaranteed leaders taking on our climate
we talk instead about the abundant opportunities to create to become the standard for energy production over the next change crisis.
new wealth and improve human health by transitioning to few decades. Already, these systems can be cheaper and more
an economy powered by renewable energy? Or highlight efficient than utilities burning fossil fuels.
the ever-improving technology that can curtail human- In years to come, a stroll through the neighborhood could
caused emissions? Could we push creative, new policy and also mean strolling through a power plant. By 2050, smaller
Spring / Summer 2019 | 15You can also read
