OUT OF THIS WORLD The Cosmos 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
FALL 2021 / WINTER 2022 MAGAZINE
The Cosmos Issue
OUT OF THIS WORLD
USC Dornsife scholars explore the mysteries of the universe.
Stars in Their Eyes
M ESSAGE F ROM T H E D E A N
USC Dornsife faculty reflect on how the cosmos inspires them. Universal Questions
Since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by the vastness of space, the mystery of the
“The moon is my connection to the night sky and the cosmos: It provides a endless expanse, and the possibilities of alien civilizations and extreme natural
sense of awe, even in Los Angeles (where there often isn’t much else clearly phenomena. Certainly, I am not alone. From the earliest days of humanity’s history,
visible). Following the moon’s waxing and waning makes me think not only of our eyes and minds have been set on the cosmos. Celestial objects and events
the lunar calendar — followed by Jews and Muslims — but of a different way to captured imaginations, provoking the development of origin myths, religions and
cultural traditions. Perhaps nothing more strongly connects our species across time
order time. The slim beauty of a crescent moon promises a new month, and the than an innate curiosity about where we all come from.
possibility of a new beginning.” My own interest has always been that of a scientist, trying to make sense of what we
JESSICA MARGLIN, Ruth Ziegler Early Career Chair in Jewish Studies and associate professor have collectively learned about the nature of the universe, and striving to add to that
of religion, law and history understanding. It is astounding to me both how much we have been able to piece
“May we accept the universe’s many invitations to look together, and how much remains to be explored.
up in faith, while never forgetting just how intricately The collective work of astrophysicists and cosmologists over decades has enabled us to take
connected we are to other living beings, near and far. “baby pictures” of the cosmos from which we can glean amazingly detailed information about
“Two hundred billion trillion stars in the universe; the age, composition, history and fundamental underlying physics of our universe. We have
May we see and take care of each other as if our very lives
12 billion neurons in my body — and these are all observed extreme phenomena like black holes that hold the key to understanding how gravity
depended on it, reassured that the universe — so rich and quantum mechanics work together. High-powered telescopes have given us a clear
mere parts of the incomprehensibly vast cosmos.
in biodiversity, energy, light and shadow — is but one of understanding of how stars, planets and galaxies form, along with beautiful images of stars
We look to the stars, and wonder, and craft stories
many teachers. And right now, it is graciously working being born and spectacularly exploding. And we have confirmed almost 5,000 planets outside
tying our lives in with the heavens. Myths give us a our solar system within the closest region of our own galaxy alone.
feverishly to hold us all. May we see this, too.”
place in the cosmos, and I find myth-making truly But each incredible insight that we uncover opens up a new set of questions: We know that
LANITA JACOBS, associate professor of American studies
a thing of wonder: the cosmos contemplating itself.” the universe started off microscopic in size and has expanded to a vastness that is difficult to
ILLUS TR ATION: IS TOCK; THE HE ART OF THE ANDES BY FREDERIC EDWIN CHURCH (1826–1900); ILLUS TR ATION COURTESY OF NASA , ESA , AND G. BACON (S T SCI)
and ethnicity and anthropology
TOK THOMPSON, professor (teaching) of anthropology comprehend and that space itself continues to expand. Where did our infant universe come
from in the first place, and into what is it expanding? We know that most of the universe
is composed of some kind of missing mass and another kind of missing energy. What are
“According to German explorer and naturalist these mysterious forms of mass and energy, and what do they mean for us? From a statistical
“Literature has for me always provided a touchstone Alexander von Humboldt’s compendious Cosmos perspective, it is all but certain that intelligent life exists on other planets. Who are these
(1845–62), the word encompasses the harmony other beings, what are they like, and will we ever have contact with them?
for making sense of the impossibly vast. Powerful This issue of USC Dornsife Magazine offers our experts’ perspectives on a wide array of
“I’m inspired by the vastness of the universe and examples from classical Greece and Rome abound of heavens and Earth; recognizes ‘unity in
topics related to the cosmos. You’ll find insights about the ways in which ancient cultures
everything we still have to learn: every star seen — Sappho’s introspective verses on the sinking of diversity.’ Close scientific observation of nature, experienced the skies, the future ownership of outer space and its resources, how we explore
and unseen represents a possibility, a home for the Pleiades, the sprawling world image on Achilles’ Humboldt explains, reveals interconnectedness the origins of the universe, what it might be like to encounter alien life and more. We hope
life unknown, and perhaps an adventure into the and completeness: Damage a part, and you damage you enjoy the read.
shield in the Iliad, Ovid’s moving stories of personal
culture and art of another civilization. I hope that loss told against a cosmic landscape forever in the whole. Above all, I love how he shows that
AMBER D. MILLER
we will make contact within my lifetime, that we motion — all important reminders of the value of subjective responses — whether our own or those Dean, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
will once and for all answer ‘are we alone?’ with the language arts, however imperfect, in placing of artists and writers — are crucial to internalizing Anna H. Bing Dean’s Chair
a resounding ‘no!’ ” ourselves within such immenseness and multiplicity.” these ecological truths.”
VAHÉ PEROOMIAN, professor (teaching) of physics KATE FLINT, Provost Professor of Art History and English
and astronomy LUCAS HERCHENROEDER, associate professor (teaching)
of classics
“I am inspired by the beauty and complexity of
everything in the universe, and the fact that we can
understand it through science, without invoking magic
or the supernatural. The counterpoint to the small,
ephemeral existence of humanity in such a vast cosmos
is to know that our time is precious beyond measure,
and our understanding of each other, the natural world,
IMAGES: ISTOCK
and of the universe itself is ultimately all that matters.”
NICHOLAS WARNER, professor of physics and astronomy
and mathematics
Fall 2021 / Winter 2022 | 1
COVER STORY
“And I’m floating in a most peculiar way
Contents FA LL 2 0 2 1 / W I N T E R 2 0 2 2
STARS IN THEIR EYES
USC Dornsife faculty reflect on how
And the stars look very different today …” the cosmos inspires them.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN
FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND COMMUNICATION It was July 1969 and while I sang along to David Bowie’s newly released “Space Oddity” 4 FROM THE HEART OF USC
Lance Ignon on breakfast radio, my grandmother, born in Wales at the tail end of the 19th century, Counting Catalina’s creatures;
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
was pouring her modest retirement savings into the purchase of an “extravagantly expensive” New microscopy facility; Historic
Susan Bell (according to my mother) color television, determined to watch the first humans walk on the Pompeii discovery; Latinx center
moon in full Technicolor. Even more vividly than I can remember seeing Buzz Aldrin and launch; Mapping pollution
ART DIRECTOR / PRODUCTION MANAGER
Letty Avila Neil Armstrong take those first tentative steps on the dusty lunar surface, I remember my in Los Angeles; Simplifying
grandmother’s palpable excitement and sense of wonder at what was to her, born before the climate jargon.
WRITERS AND EDITORS Wright Brothers’ inaugural flight, an almost inconceivable achievement.
Michelle Boston
Margaret Crable I also remember the music. “Space Oddity” was initially banned in the United States, and 5 Curriculum
Darrin S. Joy also by the BBC in the United Kingdom, in case its haunting tale of “Major Tom,” a doomed
Jim Key astronaut cut adrift in space, should prove too much of a downer at what was intended to 6 Profile
Stephen Koenig be a time of jubilant celebration. However, fortunately for nascent Bowie fans like me, the
Meredith McGroarty BBC TV team responsible for handling the U.K.’s Apollo coverage apparently never got the 9 Lexicon
VIDEOGRAPHER AND PHOTOGRAPHER memo, blithely broadcasting his song to the nation as the background music to the landing.
Mike Glier In this issue, we celebrate how the cosmos has inspired human creativity among artists of 12 Academy in the
all genres — from musicians and writers to painters, designers and filmmakers. We listen
SENIOR WEB SPECIALIST
in on a conversation between two theoretical cosmologists discussing their research into some
Public Square
Michael Liu
of the greatest mysteries of the universe. We learn about our dean’s first major experiments as
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT an astrophysicist in Chile’s Atacama Desert. We meet two alumni who co-lead a laboratory at
14 Our World
Deann Webb
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena where they search for the origins of life on Earth to 38 Archive
CONTRIBUTORS better understand where life might begin elsewhere in the universe. We look at the possibility
Crisann Begley-Smith, Maddy Davis, Eric Lindberg, Marc Merhej, of extraterrestrial life and how we might best communicate with aliens. Our experts debate 39 DORNSIFE FAMILY
Jenesse Miller, Tia Richards the ethical and political implications of attempting to own the cosmos and its resources. Hanna Reisler elected to American
USC DORNSIFE ADMINISTRATION
Since our ancestors first walked the Earth, we have experienced awe and wonder as we Academy of Arts and Sciences; Twin
Amber D. Miller, Dean • Jan Amend, Divisional Dean for the Life Sciences • look up at the magnificent splendor of the night sky. In this issue, we also take you on a alumnae earn USC degrees while
Emily Hodgson Anderson, College Dean of Undergraduate Education • journey back in time to explore what the ancients figured out about the universe. raising children as single mothers.
Stephen Bradforth, Senior Advisor to the Dean for Research Strategy and We hope you enjoy the immersive and painterly qualities of our cover image —
Development • Kimberly Freeman, Associate Dean, Chief Diversity Officer • a photograph released last year by NASA to celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope’s 30th 39 Faculty News
Moh El-Naggar, Divisional Dean for the Physical Sciences and Mathematics •
birthday. The giant red nebula and its smaller blue neighbor are part of a vast star-forming
Lance Ignon, Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Communication •
Peter Mancall, Divisional Dean for the Social Sciences • Renee Perez, Vice
region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, located Vahé Peroomian, professor (teaching) of physics and astronomy at USC Dornsife, photographed the total lunar eclipse of May 26 against the backdrop 40 Faculty Canon
Dean, Administration and Finance • Eddie Sartin, Senior Associate Dean for 163,000 light-years away. The image is nicknamed the “Cosmic Reef,” for its resemblance to of the Milky Way at Boot Arch in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California. The eclipsed moon appears as a faint red disk in the sky due to a small
Advancement • Sam Steinberg, Interim College Dean of Graduate and a coral reef floating in a vast sea of stars. Some of those stars are monsters, each 10 to 20 times amount of light being refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere, giving the lunar eclipse its “blood moon” nickname. 40 Alumni News
Professional Education • Sherry Velasco, Divisional Dean for the Humanities more massive than our sun, while the seemingly isolated blue nebula was created by a solitary
USC DORNSIFE BOARD OF COUNCILORS mammoth star 200,000 times brighter than our sun. THE COSMOS ISSUE 42 Alumni Canon
And if that doesn’t inspire awe and wonder, I don’t know what will! —S.B.
Kathy Leventhal, Chair • Wendy Abrams • Robert D. Beyer • David Bohnett •
Jon Brayshaw • Ramona Cappello • Alan Colowick • Richard S. Flores • Shane 16 A Cosmic Conversation 43 Dornsife Olympians
Foley • Vab Goel • Lisa Goldman • Jana Waring Greer • Pierre Habis • Yossie COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF NASA, ESA AND STSCI USC Dornsife cosmologists Vera Gluscevic and Elena Pierpaoli are searching for answers to the mysteries of
Hollander • Janice Bryant Howroyd • Martin Irani • Dan James • Suzanne the universe. By Susan Bell 44 TROJAN COMMUNITY
Nora Johnson • Bettina Kallins • Yoon Kim • Samuel King • Jaime Lee •
New alumni adventure:
Arthur Lev • Roger Lynch • Robert Osher • Gerald Papazian • Andrew
Perlman • Lawrence Piro • Edoardo Ponti • Kelly Porter • Michael Reilly •
22 Children of the Cosmos: What the Ancients Knew An opportunity to participate in
Carole Shammas • Rajeev Tandon We have been fascinated by the wonders of the universe since our earliest ancestors first gazed up in awe at the night a weeklong literary experience —
sky. So, how did ancient civilizations make sense of the cosmos — and what did they get right? By Susan Bell “bookpacking” in New Mexico.
USC DORNSIFE MAGAZINE
Published twice a year by USC Dornsife Office of Communication
at the University of Southern California. © 2021 USC Dornsife College.
26 Celestial Inspiration
The diverse opinions expressed in USC Dornsife Magazine do not necessarily Our sense of wonder at the cosmos, and our desire to try to make sense of our place within it, have inspired generations CONNECT WITH USC DORNSIFE
represent the views of the editors, USC Dornsife administration or of artists, writers, designers, musicians and filmmakers. By Darrin S. Joy Facebook.com/USCDornsife
USC. USC Dornsife Magazine welcomes comments from its readers to
magazine@dornsife.usc.edu or USC Dornsife Magazine, SCT-2400, 30 Who Owns the Universe? Instagram.com/USCDornsife
PHOTO BY VAHÉ PEROOMIAN
Los Angeles, CA 90089.
With many countries, companies and individuals intensifying their space exploration programs, questions about rights, Twitter.com/USCDornsife
© 1964 WILLIAM KLEIN
ownership and the feasibility of manned space missions are coming to the fore of public debate. By Meredith McGroarty
LinkedIn.com/school/USCDornsife
34 Is There Anyone Out There? YouTube.com/USCDornsife
Fight On! Futuristic designs by the so-called "godfather of Space-Age fashion" André Courrèges were featured in For many scientists, it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when” we encounter alien life. So, what will happen when
the March 1964 issue of Vogue, heralding a popular trend that still persists today. humans finally do come face-to-face with E.T.? By Margaret Crable dornsife.usc.edu/magazine
2 Fall 2021 / Winter 2022 | 3
FROM THE HE ART OF USC CUR R ICULU M
Viewpoint Healing Magic
Counting Catalina’s Creatures
EXPERT OPINIONS
“Parents, especially
immigrant parents,
have often worked A professor and his student complete the first comprehensive biodiversity survey of one of Santa Catalina
incredibly hard to Island’s treasured nature preserves. By Margaret Crable
create opportunities
for their children. Blue Cavern Point on the eastern edge of Santa Catalina Some of their encounters were newsworthy. On Looby’s
Still, some parents Island, 25 miles off the coast of San Pedro, California, is a hot- last dive of the summer, she and her fellow divers spotted
bed of life. In the shallows, sea urchins and sea cucumbers a great white shark that was 15-feet long and pregnant. It
have to learn that cling to rocks. Farther out in deeper seas, bright orange was one of only a handful of such sightings ever recorded
their children’s lives garibaldi and giant sea bass the size of pianos make their in the area.
are not theirs, no matter home in rippling forests of giant kelp. Ginsburg and Looby’s work also produced more
what they sacrificed.” The area is divided into two protected areas: offshore ominous findings — how humans are changing the cove,
VIET THANH NGUYEN, and onshore. The onshore region encompasses the first despite protective efforts.
University Professor, Aerol Arnold three square miles of the preserve. Since 1988, the area has The psychedelic nudibranch, for example, has declined
Chair of English and professor of been fiercely protected from fishing or specimen collection. severely in number, likely due to pollution and collecting
English, American studies and
ethnicity and comparative The USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies for home aquariums. Sightings of subtropical species
literature, in a July 9 op-ed in The Marine Science Center is located on the edge of the preserve. uncommon to the cove, such as the finescale triggerfish,
New York Times offering advice to Despite this area’s exceptional biodiversity, no one point to warming oceans.
artists whose parents want them had completed a comprehensive survey of its enormous By the end of their research, Ginsburg and Looby had
to be engineers.
variety of marine life. In 2015, David Ginsburg, professor documented more than 1,000 different kinds of marine
“Nowadays, what (teaching) of environmental studies, and Audrey Looby, macroalgae, plants, invertebrates and fish.
we are seeing is that then an undergraduate majoring in environmental studies, Their study, “Nearshore Species Biodiversity of a Marine
set out to change that. Protected Area off Santa Catalina Island, California,”
the effects of climate Ginsburg and Looby completed visual surveys of five was published in the March 2021 issue of Western North
change are hitting intertidal reefs around the point, meticulously identifying American Naturalist.
much closer to home and recording everything from the smallest microalgae to Their ecological discoveries combined with the catalog
and much closer to the those piano-sized bass. They also dived into old records and of species — the most complete in history — make
present than the future. archives, noting the flora and fauna that had been spotted Ginsburg and Looby’s study an important baseline for
As that’s happening, in the area in the past. keeping this treasured area intact.
obviously our concern
is becoming heightened,
our anxiety is becoming
heightened, our desire
to act is heightened
VODOU CEREMONY AROUND TREE PAINTING BY GER ARD VALCIN; WARD PHOTO BY EDDIE NORTH-HAGER
as well.”
JOE ÁRVAI, Dana and David
Dornsife Chair and Wrigley
MAGIC, WITCHCRAFT not in the shape of human and while witchcraft can be causal relationships that we nature, spirits and ancestors.
Institute Director and professor
of psychology, in a Sept. 28 AND HEALING (ANTH 373) beings but are little round used for healing or harm, our don’t completely understand. So, healing is much more
Spectrum News 1 feature on the Instructor: Thomas Ward, balls topped with conical class focuses only on ‘white The focus of the course, comprehensive — it restores
increasing anxiety related to associate professor (teaching) “hats.” Filled with dense soil magic,’ ” he says. he says, is on expanding our a person’s health, happiness
climate change. of anthropology and wrapped tightly with In the anthropological, horizons while remaining and wholeness.”
black and red ribbon, they’re cross-cultural context, the respectful and humble about These ideas, Ward says,
“Research for decades
as heavy as paperweights. term ‘magic’ is used for non- other people’s traditions. are starting to gain traction
has shown that if we “They are beautiful objects,” Western methods of healing Ward wants students to think in the United States, with
allow employees to have Ward says of the dolls, which or other ritual practices. Ward about what healing means more emphasis on social
autonomy over how
PHOTO COURTESY OF GRIFFIN SREDNICK
he brought back from a trip defines magic in the context from a holistic perspective. relationships, community and
they do their work, to Haiti in 1983. “They can of this course as unexplained “We tend to think of healing spirituality. —S.B.
and flexibility in their be used for healing and they causality. in the West as mainly physical,
schedules, they are much can also be used for the “Something happens and emotional and psychological, In the course “Magic, Witchcraft
more likely to be happy dark arts.” it causes something else to whereas in the non-Western and Healing,” students explore
in their jobs.” But Ward is no Severus happen and we see the result, context, healing means to historical and geographical aspects
Snape from the Harry Potter but we don’t know exactly restore a balance or a sense of mystical arts, including Voudo
PATRICIA GRABAREK,
lecturer of psychology, in a Sept. 24 Perched on a shelf in Thomas franchise. how it works,” he says, noting of wholeness in an individual rituals like the one depicted in
CBS Los Angeles report on the Ward’s home office is a set of “Our class explores the that the term is used even in and his or her environment, the painting above by Haitian
effects of working from home. Although great white sharks are rare close to the shores of Catalina Island, undergraduate researcher Audrey Looby sighted one during a research dive. Vodou dolls. Curiously, they’re magical components of healing, quantum physics to explain including family, friends, artist Gerard Valcin.
4 Fall 2021 / Winter 2022 | 5
PROF ILE FROM THE HE ART OF USC
Searching for the Origins of Life
Scott Perl ’19 is nearly a mile They grew up watching Star climate of Mars, and struck where life first began is hotly in our scientific knowledge
beneath the Earth’s surface, Trek: The Next Generation up a friendship. They were debated, with some researchers that Barge hopes to fill.
crunching through the tunnels and dreamed of exploring the working as investigation arguing for shallow seas while “We need to better under-
of the Boulby Underground universe. Both enrolled as scientists for instruments others favor the hot waters stand the boundary between
Laboratory on England’s North undergraduates with the goal of aboard the craft — Barge for bubbling up from deep ocean life and non-life,” she says.
Yorkshire coast. He’s gathering eventually working at NASA. the High Resolution Imaging vents. Perl, Barge, their Barge notes that planets like
salt — 250-million-year-old As Barge began studying Science Experiment (HiRISE) students and postdocs Mars or moons like Jupiter’s
salt, to be precise. astronomy and astrophysics and Perl for the Compact conduct experiments that Europa or Saturn’s Enceladus
Boulby was dug into an at Villanova University in Reconnaissance Imaging mimic various early Earth and could show evidence of organic
ancient sea bed, where layers Pennsylvania, she found herself Spectrometer for Mars planetary environments to compounds, yet it might be
of salty sediment keep a record increasingly drawn to the
“How I worked with my adviser at
of the chemistry of past life. question of where life on Earth
At the end of his trip, Perl will came from, and whether there
ship hundreds of pounds of might be life elsewhere in the
briny sand back to his lab in
California, where he’ll examine
universe.
She enrolled at USC Dornsife USC Dornsife is how I work with my
it for chemical signatures to pursue a Ph.D. in geological
of ancient microbial life and
to determine how long that
sciences after discovering the
research of Ken Nealson, who
students here in the lab.”
evidence might have survived was using geobiology to search
— an important factor when for life on other planets. (CRISM). The HiRISE camera understand which conditions hard to determine if these
looking for signs of life on Nealson, now Professor Emeritus snaps images and helps would have been most conducive compounds would qualify as
other planets. of Earth Sciences, became her find landing sites for future to chemistry leading to once-living organisms.
His briny samples will share doctoral adviser. missions while CRISM maps life’s origin.
storage space with specimens “The department was mineral residue that appears They also look at samples LAB RESULTS
from another extreme environ- wonderful; it really paid where water once existed. from areas that once held life Along with solving pressing
ment: deep-sea vents. Perl’s attention to students. I enjoyed Barge and Perl didn’t realize on Earth, like the sediment at scientific questions, Perl
laboratory partner and fellow having the freedom to explore at first that they were both Boulby, to see what traces life and Barge are also defying
USC Dornsife Ph.D. graduate, astrobiology and biosignatures USC Dornsife alumni or that leaves behind. Understanding stereotypes of scientists as
Laurie Barge ’09, is researching research for my thesis, and to they had attended the same the chemical signature of lone geniuses.
fluid and minerals gathered also work at JPL part time as an astrobiology summer school past life on our planet allows “Laurie and I collaborate on
from ocean floor vents that intern, both of which led to my in Spain, just one year apart. scientists to look for those everything,” Perl says. “We
bubble 200 miles off the coast eventual postdoctoral research “It’s funny, you can have the similar signs in the rocks they each have our favorite science
of southern Oregon. at JPL,” says Barge. same life path as someone but analyze on, say, Mars — or, projects but we write proposals
The duo co-leads the Origins Perl graduated from State never meet,” says Barge. perhaps, in the icy plumes of together and serve as co-
and Habitability Lab at NASA’s University of New York at The two eventually decided the ocean moons of Jupiter mentors to all of our students.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Stony Brook with degrees in to join forces and combined and Saturn. Our work is a collective.”
(JPL) in Pasadena, California. geology and material science, their individual labs into one. “If life can emerge in deep- They host a rotating crew
They research how life formed then accepted a job at JPL. “We realized there were sea vents, then maybe it could of undergraduate and graduate
on Earth to better understand He selected USC Dornsife for many benefits of sharing have emerged on these ocean students who assist with
how life might form on other his geological sciences and leadership of a research worlds as well, and future research projects or embark
planets. This means important geobiology Ph.D. program group,” explains Perl. missions might be able to see on their own science investi-
lab collaborators are working because of its flexibility for signs of that organic chemistry,” gations. Barge and Perl credit
“off-world.” working students. SALT AND SEAS explains Barge. USC Dornsife with helping
“We can analyze samples “I was looking for a depart- Now they spend their days NASA’s rovers can touch inspire their lab group’s
in our lab using instrument ment that was small enough trying to unravel one of the down on Mars where water collaborative culture, which
techniques similar to the that I could have face time most complex conundrums once stood and then scan for prioritizes curiosity and long-
instruments on the Mars with my adviser and where I in astrobiology — how life signs of life, or future missions term friendship.
rovers,” says Perl. Their lab wouldn’t be treated differ- began on our planet and how could analyze plume material “How I worked with my
can also mimic the environ- ently because I was already it can thrive on other solar from the icy moons, with Barge adviser at USC Dornsife is
ments of other planets, helping full time at JPL,” says Perl. system bodies. They use Earth and Perl comparing the mission how I work with my students
scientists determine the best “USC and JPL have a strong field sites as test beds and data to what they see in the lab here in the lab,” says Perl. “I
methods for how to look for professional network.” analogous laboratory experi- and in the field. still talk to my thesis advisers
Alumni Laurie Barge and Scott Perl life on other worlds. Barge and Perl met while ments to recreate rock-fluid The precise point at which and our students return again
outside the building housing the Origins working at JPL on the Mars interactions that could have organic compounds acquire and again. We focus not just
and Habitability Lab they co-lead at CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH Reconnaissance Orbiter led to the origin of life. enough complexity to on science experiments and
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Barge and Perl were space mission, a spacecraft designed It’s a surprisingly unresolved sufficiently form “life” is also research, but also on building
in Pasadena, California. enthusiasts from an early age. to study the geology and question. Even pinpointing still fuzzy — an important gap lifelong careers.” —M.C.
6 PHOTO BY MIKE GLIER Fall 2021 / Winter 2022 | 7
FROM THE HE ART OF USC LE X ICON
Stretched Thin PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
CALLING Tax Savings Cockerell adds that she enjoyed applying concepts SPAGHETTIFICATION
ALL JEP learned in Dubin’s class to a real-world setting. Hearing
them featured on a popular show on public radio was even
spə. . .fə. ke . ən / noun
Aka the noodle effect, the
ALUMNI Student-faculty research team finds biennial tax filing
financially benefits the public and the government.
better, she says.
“If you’d told me two years ago that I would have
stretching of an object due to
gravitational tidal forces as it
co-written a paper with a professor, much less one about falls into a black hole.
taxation, I would have been really surprised.” —M.M. Origin: Coined by Stephen
Hawking in his book A Brief
History of Time to describe
Magnificent Views the unfortunate effect a black
hole’s enormous gravitational
forces would have upon an
USC teams up with biotechnology giant Amgen to open astronaut standing on the
a universe of research possibilities. surface of a collapsed star.
J E P H O U S E P H O T O BY M A R C M E R H E J; U S C D O R N S I F E M AG A Z I N E C OV E R BY D E N N I S L A N; TA X S AV I N G S I M AG E S O U R C E: I S T O C K ; M I C R O S C O P Y FAC I L I T Y I M AG E S O U R C E: W I K I C O M M O N S
Usage: Although spaghetti-
About 500 years ago, a Dutch maker of spectacles first paired fication can occur any time
Are you one of the 100,000 two refractive lenses to magnify objects, revealing a world strong tidal forces are involved,
alumni who participated in so unexpected and new it could only be described by the the term is most often used
USC’s Joint Educational instrument that revealed it. Ever since, scientists have to describe the gravitational
Project (JEP) as a student? endeavored to peer ever deeper into the microscopic universe, effect near black holes.
If so, JEP would love to
reconnect with you now
inventing new instruments and techniques — including “A stellar-mass black hole
in preparation for its 50th Paying taxes every two years would not only halve spring- electron microscopy — that have brought innumerable benefits, typically has a radius of about
anniversary celebrations time blood pressure spikes, it could actually save the federal particularly in the fields of biology and human health. 6 miles. An astronaut falling
in 2022. government and the American public up to $83 billion, One of the most significant advances in structural in feet first from 1,000 yards
according to new research by a USC Dornsife economics biology — imaging molecules — builds on the power of away would experience a tidal
To learn more go to:
dornsife.usc.edu/jep50. professor and one of his students. electron microscopy by cooling samples to temperatures force — the difference
In their research study, Emma Cockerell, a senior approaching absolute zero, where molecules stop moving between the gravitational
majoring in economics/mathematics, and Jeffrey Dubin, altogether. Called cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo- forces on his feet and head
adjunct professor of the practice of economics, compared EM, the technique enables scientists to take a snapshot of — that would be a thousand
the financial impact of annual versus biennial tax filing biological molecules in three dimensions. times stronger than the tidal
by analyzing several factors, such as the amount of money “It really is a game changer in biology,” says USC Dornsife’s forces the moon exerts on
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) spends on annual Stephen Bradforth, professor of chemistry and senior advisor Earth. This would result in
PAT E S B A R O N I L I T H O G R A P H BY L EO N E T T O C A P P IE L LO; P E R O O M I A N P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F VA H É P E R O O M I A N
return audits, IRS staffing levels and the annual cost of to the dean for research strategy and development. the spaghettification of the
Recognition tax preparation services for the public. “It enables us to very quickly do what used to be impossible.” astronaut into a thin strand
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
The research, which was featured on NPR’s “The Now USC will be part of that game change thanks to a of molecules long before he
Indicator,” showed that biennial taxation would significantly colocation agreement with Amgen, one of the world’s largest reached the black hole.”
decrease the $67 billion Americans spend each year on biotechnology companies, resulting in the establishment of a
FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021 MAGAZINE
tax preparation, a figure that includes both the cost of cryo-EM core facility at the university.
accounting services and the amount of time individuals Two of the world’s most advanced cryo-EM systems,
spend calculating their own taxes. the Glacios and Krios cryo-EM instruments, reside in the
“The tax system as it is imposes huge burdens on USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. There,
everyday Americans,” Cockerell says. “Part of making it scientists from both USC and Amgen will share access to
The Memory Issue
ALL IN GOOD TIME
more equitable is making it more accessible, cheaper and the technology, which has value in searching for potential
less burdensome for low-income earners.” new therapeutic drug targets.
In the past lie the keys to a better future.
L.A. PRESS CLUB HONORS Filing taxes every two years would also ease the pressure The new cryo-EM facility will create a central core for
USC Dornsife Magazine’s The on enforcement staff at the IRS — already stretched thin rapid problem-solving, accelerating USC’s research efforts
Memory Issue was honored
with an award by the Los
due to budget cuts — and allow them to pursue non- while also helping to generate new research grants for the Vahé Peroomian, professor
Angeles Press Club at the 63rd compliance issues, like tax evasion, more thoroughly. university. —D.S.J. (teaching) of physics and
Southern California Journalism Between 2011 and 2013, noncompliance cost the govern- astronomy, has 25 years of
Awards held at the Millennium ment about $380 billion in annual revenue. With biennial research experience in space
Biltmore Hotel in downtown tax filing, Cockerell says, IRS auditors could handle twice as weather and geomagnetic
Los Angeles on Oct. 16. Judges
awarded the Fall 2020/Winter many returns and spend more time investigating them. storms. His passion for
2021 issue second place in Cockerell says her partnership with Dubin began in astronomy is reflected in teaching
the “Magazines, Best In-house spring 2020, when she took his “Economic Consulting and interdisciplinary courses on the
or Corporate Publication” Applied Managerial Economics” class. Dubin mentioned possibility of extraterrestrial life
category, bringing the total
number of honors awarded to
during the course that he often has research work for in the universe and on the human
USC Dornsife Magazine to 41 students who are looking to invest extra effort in their studies exploration and settlement of the
since its 2012 redesign. and hone career skills, such as writing and analysis. solar system.
8 Fall 2021 / Winter 2022 | 9
FROM THE HE ART OF USC FROM THE HE ART OF USC
Numbers
Spotlight
A Skeleton Speaks
LIVING IN L.A.
A new Understanding Corona-
virus in America Study led by
Latinx Center Launch Mapping L.A.’s CO2
researchers at USC Dornsife’s This summer, USC Dornsife undergraduates helped excavate one of the most well-preserved sets of human New institute will examine the issues important to New sensor network aims to measure greenhouse
Center for Economic and Social remains ever discovered in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. By Margaret Crable Latinx populations in Southern California and beyond. gases and other noxious emissions.
Research found that those who
received a COVID-19 vaccine Juan De Lara spent his childhood traveling throughout the
when the shots were first made western United States with his parents, who were migrant
available experienced reduced farmworkers. His family, like many others who take similar
anxiety after just one dose. routes today, picked the grapes, apples and asparagus that
While the vaccine’s expected end up on tables across the country. ROBERT TANAKA ’22
physical benefits — including De Lara’s early experiences fundamentally shaped MATHEMATICS AND ECONOMICS
protection from infection, life- his academic research interests. He has published widely
threatening symptoms and on issues related to immigrant worker rights and
hospitalization — are obvious, environmental justice, and on the effects of globalization “When I catch somebody
the resulting mental health on the Latinx populations of Southern California. Now, in competition and
benefits have received less he is applying his expertise to his new role as director they just fly, that’s
consideration until now. of the Latinx and Latin American Studies Center at
The research, published in the USC Dornsife. the greatest feeling in
journal PLOS One, compared “This center has been established as part of a larger the world. It’s hard to
changes in the mental health movement for diversity, equity and inclusion,” says USC Dornsife’s William Berelson installs a USC Carbon Census sensor near the roof of explain what it’s like,
of people vaccinated for De Lara, associate professor of American studies and
but making a super-
the Ahmanson Center on the University Park campus.
COVID-19 and people who ethnicity. “This is about acknowledging that USC is in
were unvaccinated. the middle of a city and a county that is overwhelmingly They look simple enough, light gray and about the size of strong guy just look like
Latina and Latino, and yet has not focused enough as a loaf of bread. On their face, a label sports a colorful “C” he slipped on a banana
~8,000
The number of adult United
Undergraduate archaeology students Lauren Malkoun sifted through layers of sediment looking for clues about
an institution on serving those communities. We are
beginning to change that.”
De Lara says he hopes the center will become a place
stylized to resemble a molecular structure along with the
words “Carbon Census at USC.”
Inside the metal boxes, a highly sophisticated package
peel in a cartoon —
that, to me, is an
States residents surveyed for
and Luis Rodriguez-Perez and economics major Sabrina how life was lived in ancient Pompeii, a clump of ash — where community members, academics and students of electronic sensors sniffs the surrounding air for an array incredible feeling.”
the study from March 2020 Dimesa helped excavate the partially mummified remains an indication of burnt grave offerings — signaled that he can “celebrate the diverse Latinx community” and of pollutants. The climate-warming gas carbon dioxide, its
L AT N I X C E N T E R I M AG E S O U R C E: I S T O C K ; C A R B O N C E N S U S P H O T O BY M I K E G L I E R ; TA N A K A P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F I B S A
through March 2021. of Marcus Venerius Secundio, a former slave and priest was on the right path to discovery. “I knew before I even engage in research projects that pertain to issues affecting suffocating cousin carbon monoxide and various nitrogen
15%
who lived and died in Pompeii before the eruption of got down [to the urn] that I was going to find something Latinx communities not only in the U.S. but across oxide-containing compounds, the type that turn the Born in Denver, Colorado, judo
Mount Vesuvius more than 2,000 years ago. incredible,” he says. Latin America. Los Angeles air hazy orange and brown, rank high among champion Robert Tanaka was
The skeleton still possesses wisps of white hair and the While digging, he reflected on his training at “I want to increase the presence of the Latinx community the noxious air components. diagnosed with albinism as
The decrease vaccinated remains of an earlobe. USC Dornsife. “It made me think about all the things on the USC campus,” he says. “In the fall, we hope to have The sensors also detect particulate matter — microscopic a young child. The inherited
participants felt in the Secundio’s grave is significant not just for his excellent I had done to get there, all my work at the USC Archaeology a space on campus where we can bring people together bits of smoke, soot, dust and other harmful compounds — condition not only gives this
likelihood of feeling physical preservation but also for what the tombstone tells Research Center, the digs I’d done beforehand,” says to engage in conversations about the critical issues that and ozone, and measure air temperature and humidity. fourth-generation Japanese
1M
severely depressed. us about his life. According to the grave’s inscription, Rodriquez-Perez. “Because this could definitely be the are affecting the lives of our diverse Latin American and The boxes are part of a network assembled by American his distinctive pale
in addition to his work as a priest in a religious group coolest thing I might ever excavate.” Latinx communities, such as sustainable environmental justice, USC Dornsife’s William Berelson, professor of Earth skin, hair and eyes, but it also
dedicated to Emperor Augustus, Secundio was a patron of All three students grappled with the morality of Latinx youth, economic equity and political power.” —M.M. sciences, environmental studies and spatial sciences, to map caused his visual impairment.
the arts, paying for plays to be performed in Greek. excavating a gravesite. Although there’s much to be learned air quality in L.A. neighborhoods to determine if and how the Tanaka can only see five feet
This was a particularly exciting discovery for scholars, historically from these types of digs, such excavations come concentration of the assorted pollutants changes over time. before objects dissolve into
The approximate number who say it is the first concrete evidence that the language at the price of disturbing human remains. “For example, is carbon monoxide always higher at sites blurry, colored shapes.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGIC AL PARK OF P OMPEII
of adults who stopped was used theatrically in the city where most residents “Coming into these sacred spaces as archaeologists near freeways — does truck traffic drive CO concentration? As a child, he was delighted
experiencing mild mental
distress after receiving a spoke Latin. requires an understanding of cultural practices and also the That hypothesis is based on the fact that CO forms and relieved to discover judo,
COVID-19 vaccine between “That performances in Greek were organized is evidence duty to respect the rituals of these spaces,” says Dimesa. in combustion engines,” he says. His sensors can help as it was impossible for him
4
Dec. 2020 and March 2021. of the lively and open cultural climate which characterized Hopefully, future funerary archaeology will rely less determine if that belief is correct. to play most other sports.
ancient Pompeii,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the on disturbing graves and more on new methods such Berelson also aims to find out if levels of particulate matter After 16 years of training and
Archaeological Park of Pompeii. as photogrammetry, which uses hundreds of photos to — particularly the dangerous “PM2.5” — are higher or lower competition, he qualified for
Most Roman adults were cremated, so finding skeletal assemble a 3D model of an artifact. Researchers can then in regions of the city with more trees and plants. The project the Tokyo Paralympic Games,
The number of questions remains is uncommon, and Secundio’s body was unusually study the object virtually, without having to move it from contributes to USC’s Urban Trees Initiative, a collaborative where he proudly represented
used to assess anxiety and well-preserved for its age. Researchers are still determining its original site. project led by USC Dornsife’s Public Exchange. The initiative Team USA this summer.
depression levels in the study. if there was any intentional effort to mummify the corpse. Secundio’s tomb was located in the Porta Sarno Necropolis, is designed to assist L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s goal of “I get to wear both my last
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Buried outside Secundio’s tomb were several urns where many of the city’s dead were buried. The necropolis is a planting nearly 100,000 trees throughout the city. name and USA on my back.
containing ashes, probably the cremated remains of rich site for learning about Roman burial practices. A key function of Berelson’s carbon sensor network will That will be an incredible
members of his family. The remains are currently under analysis at the Laboratory be to establish the current levels of CO2 throughout L.A. feeling,” he said before leaving
The number of observations Rodriguez-Perez helped bring one of these urns into of Applied Research in Pompeii, where researchers are also so researchers, policymakers and others can clearly see the for Japan. “For me, there’s no
that make up the study data. the light for the first time in nearly 2,000 years. As he determining how to preserve them. effects of moving to more eco-friendly practices. —D.S.J. higher honor.” —S.B.
10 Fall 2021 / Winter 2022 | 11
ACA DE M Y I N T H E P U B L I C S Q U A R E FROM THE HE ART OF USC
Tackling Hunger in Los Angeles County
While food insecurity has
associate professor of
population and public health Climate Jargon Cure elegant alternatives to existing language,” Bruine de Bruin
said. “Even though climate change may be a complex
1/10
returned to pre-pandemic sciences at the Keck School of issue, there is no need to make it even more complex by using
levels, nearly 1 million During the first half of 2021, the ratio of those Medicine of USC. Information about climate change abounds, but is it complicated words.” —L.I.
Los Angeles County residents One in three Los Angeles County households experiencing food insecurity fell to just over During the pandemic, understandable? A new study suggests simplicity.
— one in 10 Angelenos — experienced food insecurity during 1 in 10 Los Angeles County households. many food outlets had to
are still food insecure,
according to a new report
April to December 2020. temporarily close or reduce
their number of customers, Think Like a Scientist
... ?????
spearheaded by USC Dornsife de la Haye noted.
Public Exchange. “New sources of data USC Sea Grant initiative “Storytime with a Scientist”
One in three L.A. County
households experienced food
insecurity — disruptions in
77% More than three-quarters of census
tracts that are food deserts have no
food assistance providers.
allowed us to identify when
and where these closures
occurred, as well as neighbor-
...
teaches local students about the wonders of science.
When his classes went remote in Spring 2020, fifth-grade
student Benjamin Santos felt that learning had lost its spark.
eating because of a lack of
money or resources — from
hoods with a double burden
of food deserts and ‘food ??? But after attending a Zoom session about the perseverance
April to December 2020. assistance deserts,’ meaning of Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the Super Soaker, he feels the
During the first half of 2021, no food assistance providers A new USC Dornsife Public Exchange-UN Foundation spark has returned.
the ratio fell to just over 1 in 10, were nearby,” she said. study finds that United States residents struggle to under- The meeting was part of USC Sea Grant’s monthly
according to the new study. The data showed that stand terms frequently used by scientists to describe climate “Storytime with a Scientist” virtual learning series that
Researchers found adults one in three census tracts change. Study participants said some were too complex while allows students in the Los Angeles Unified School District
who remained food insecure in the Antelope Valley and others were misunderstood in the context of climate change. to engage with scientists remotely.
in the first half of 2021 were South L.A. face that double “One survey respondent summed it up nicely, saying, An initiative of the Sea Grant enrichment program
predominantly low-income, burden. Researchers also ‘It sounds like you’re talking over people,’ ” said Wändi at USC Dornsife, “Storytime with a Scientist” aims to
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female, Latinx and between found that 77% of census Bruine de Bruin, the study’s lead author and Provost Professor provide students from the communities surrounding
the ages of 18 and 40. tracts that are food deserts of Public Policy, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences USC and beyond with STEM (science, technology,
As of June 2021, just one in have no food assistance at USC Dornsife and USC Price School of Public Policy. engineering and mathematics) experiences that pique
four food-insecure households providers. “Scientists need to replace jargon with everyday language to their curiosity and encourage them to investigate and
were receiving benefits from Also, one in three people be understood by a lay audience.” explore using scientific thinking.
CalFresh, a California state food experiencing food insecurity Study participants were asked to rate how easy or hard it Program leaders are helping the children see themselves as
assistance program. More than Nearly 1 million Los Angeles had difficulty getting was to understand eight terms drawn from publicly available scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, said
a third of them live in “food County residents find it difficult food because they lacked reports written by the Intergovernmental Panel on Linda Anne Chilton, the education program coordinator
deserts” — low-income areas to put food on the table. transportation or because Climate Change (IPCC): “mitigation,” “carbon neutral,” for USC Sea Grant.
with poor access to supermarkets food stores were either “unprecedented transition,” “tipping point,” “sustainable As part of the Sea Grant program, fifth-grade students
and large grocery stores. closed or had limited hours. development,” “carbon dioxide removal,” “adaptation” and developed and carried out experiments with the lab at the
“abrupt change.” USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Santa Catalina
NEW DATA, NEW INSIGHTS FINDING SOLUTIONS Participants said “mitigation” was the most difficult to Island to understand how plants gain mass.
The research included data The report on the findings understand. Mitigation, in the context of climate change, This spring, middle schoolers developed bioengineered
C O M P O S I T E B Y L E T T Y A V I L A / I M A G E S O U R C E : I S T O C K ; S E A G R A N T I M A G E SS O
provided by two private-sector includes several recommend- refers to actions intended to reduce the rate of climate solutions using the adaptations they learned from studying
partners: Yelp, the company ations for L.A. County. change. More than half of the respondents referred to the intertidal life on the island, and high schoolers studied
that connects people with local They include: word in the context of the law or insurance. Mitigation was plastics and learned more about alternatives in the lab of
businesses; and findhelp.org, • Targeting outreach to also commonly confused with mediation or “discussions Megan Fieser, Gabilan Assistant Professor of Chemistry.
which provides a free, search enroll more food-insecure with peers.” Chilton said participants are “starting to think about
and referral platform tool to people in CalFresh. Participants said “abrupt change” was the easiest to themselves more as an engineer, an inventor or a designer,”
50%
connect people with free and USC DORNSIFE PUBLIC EXCHANGE • Investigating community understand. In the context of climate change, the term refers rather than just as students.
reduced-cost programs in their USC Dornsife Public Exchange, which fast-tracks collaborations between perspectives by inter- to a change that’s so rapid and unexpected that humans have She noted that there’s an element of social-emotional
local area. The partnerships academic researchers and the public and private sectors to define, analyze viewing those impacted a hard time adapting to it. learning, as well. Students are learning ways to “express
allowed researchers to better and solve complex problems, spearheaded the study. It was conducted by food insecurity. Although participants had heard of “abrupt” and feelings and concern,” she said, “and tying it also to the
understand resources and Half of the people who by researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the USC Dornsife • Addressing equitable “change,” they were not necessarily aware of the terms natural world and what they’re exploring.” —T.R.
challenges for those experiencing were food insecure were unable Spatial Sciences Institute and the USC Price School of Public Policy, in access to food through being used together or their meaning in the climate
food insecurity in real time. to get groceries delivered. collaboration with the Los Angeles County Emergency Food Security Branch. urban planning. context. Some defined it in terms of personal action, rather
“Collaborating with private- Data came from the Understanding Coronavirus in America tracking survey • Monitoring and investing than broad changes to the environment.
sector organizations, such administered by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research. in fair and resilient food Participants were also surprised to learn that “abrupt
as Yelp and findhelp.org, systems by building partner- change” in the climate context may occur over centuries.
revolutionizes our ability to ships with researchers, Participants were also asked to provide suggestions for
analyze time-sensitive inform- government, community alternative language. For example, for “tipping point,” which
B YU RDCE EN:NI ISST O
ation quickly so our research One in three people experiencing food insecurity had organizations and private the IPCC defines as “an irreversible change in the climate
can inform solutions,” said lead difficulty obtaining food because they lacked transportation or partners before a crisis system,” one respondent offered “too late to fix anything.”
L AC N
researcher Kayla de la Haye, because food stores were either closed or had limited hours. hits. —J.M. “In several cases, the respondents proposed simple,
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12 Fall 2021 / Winter 2022 | 13
Our World
FROM THE HE ART OF USC
FACULTY/STUDENTS Glasgow, Scotland STUDENT San Pedro STUDENTS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW ALUMNUS Santa Catalina Island, Palau, Worldwide ALUMNUS France
Santa Catalina Island Texas Mexico Border
COP26 Just a few blocks from a busy
store, homes and a preschool
in San Pedro, California, sit
Each summer, the USC Wrigley
Institute for Environmental
An imagined concert in an
abandoned space rocket facility
Conservation photographer and filmmaker Tyler Schiffman ’17 spent
much of the past four years underwater (and sometimes out of it),
shooting close-ups of animals worldwide for The New York Times,
The Globe Trotter
USC Dornsife faculty and students had front-row seats at the pivotal climate change two tanks containing nearly Studies on Santa Catalina features in the multimedia The Atlantic and Nature Conservancy Magazine.
meeting attended by global leaders and representatives from nearly 200 countries. 25 million gallons of butane Island hosts students for nine music project created by “My goal is to raise awareness of conservation and humanitarian
gas. If a spill occurs, a single weeks of hands-on research, incoming Assistant Professor work,” Schiffman says. “Getting the word out to the public raises
Billed as the “world’s last chance to get runaway climate change under control,” the Nov. 26 spark could ignite the highly lectures, field trips and of English Jonathan Leal and money for these nongovernmental organizations and can make a
“Conference of the Parties,” or COP26, aimed to reach agreements to aggressively combustible gas, detonating mentorship from faculty. producer Charlie Vela. Set big difference.”
F U T U R O C O N J U N T O IM AG E C O U R T E S Y O F F U T U R O C O N J U N T O ; U N D E R WAT E R P H O T O BY T Y L E R S C H IF F M A N; G R A Z I A N O P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F J O H N G R A Z I A N O
reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet and leading to a potentially a massive explosion. Students scuba dive, snorkel nearly 200 years in the future, An environmental science and health major, Schiffman’s intro-
calamitous future. Nearby residents have and collect samples from the the sci-fi themed album Futuro duction to underwater photography came through USC Dornsife’s
USC Dornsife was well represented, with faculty and students playing diverse roles. unsuccessfully petitioned sea to understand and solve Conjunto imagines what’s to Environmental Studies program. There he gained certification as
Wändi Bruine de Bruin, Provost Professor of Public Policy, Psychology and Behavioral for the tanks’ removal since environmental problems. come in the borderlands a scientific diver at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on
Science, presented findings from a USC Dornsife Public Exchange-UN Foundation study their installation in the 1970s. Environmental studies between Mexico and Texas — Santa Catalina Island with David Ginsburg, professor (teaching)
showing how easily people misunderstand common climate change terms. Now, USC Dornsife biological students Erin Tharp, who and the songs that will of environmental studies.
The study aims to help climate scientists, policymakers and journalists communicate sciences major Tim Saunders enrolled in the Summer commemorate these events. During Ginsburg’s “Problems Without Passports: Integrated
climate science more clearly so that nonexperts better understand the looming climate crisis is joining the fight, thanks Research Experience for “The spirit of the album was, Ecosystem Management” summer course in Palau in the western
and how to prevent it. to an Environmental Health Undergraduates: Coastal let’s imagine a future together, Pacific, Schiffman began considering a photography career after
Joe Árvai, director of USC Dornsife’s Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, MethodologicAl, Trainings Ocean Processes program, and a ‘futuro conjunto,’ ” says Leal, meeting an acquaintance of Ginsburg’s who had worked for
attended COP26 as part of the delegation from the Global Council for Science and the and Teaching EnterpriSE (EH Vineet Bhandari, a Zinsmeyer currently a USC Dornsife National Geographic. As the Fulbright program, which connects students in the
Environment, which works to elevate the role of science in decision-making — a mission that MATTERS) fellowship provided Summer Undergradute Program postdoctoral fellow. Back at USC, Schiffman minored in cinematic arts to gain technical United States with more than 160 partner countries world-
dovetails with his own research. As a credentialed observer, Árvai, Dana and David Dornsife by the USC Environmental participant, created a baseline To make music about the proficiency. wide, celebrates the 75th anniversary of its founding, we
Chair and professor of psychology, briefed policymakers and assessed the latest approaches Health Centers. population count for the area’s future, the duo first looked He began photographing ocean life, especially small, delicate salute one of USC Dornsife’s earliest Fulbright Scholars.
to protecting our environment. Funded by the National sea cucumbers — marine to the past. The region’s animals few people ever see. One of his images made the cover John Graziano, who earned a B.A. in French in 1955,
Shannon Gibson, associate professor (teaching) of international relations and environmental Institute of Environmental animals essential to maintaining tradition of “corridos,” Spanish- of The New York Times’ science section. studied in France as a Fulbright Scholar in 1957 before
studies, and her students attended COP26 virtually, as observers, to investigate how protests Health Sciences, the new healthy ocean ecosystems. language songs that memorialize Schiffman recently branched out into filmmaking, with a returning to USC Dornsife to earn an M.A. in Slavic studies
and grassroots activities impact language and communication about climate change at formal fellowship gives students This experience allowed Tharp events and local legends, documentary about a sea urchin diver. in 1972.
conferences such as COP26. —L.I. from underrepresented to pursue her primary passion, served as a primary inspiration “Other photographers said, ‘It's not the photos you take, it’s the When Graziano’s professors at USC Dornsife encour-
groups a chance to conduct scuba diving. “When you’re under- for the two musicians who both stories you tell.’ I have found what I love: It’s being a storyteller,” aged him to apply for a Fulbright scholarship, he thought
research on environmental water, you feel one with nature hail from the area. he says. —M.M. and M.B. he would never get it.
health and safety issues. instead of like an intruder,” “The album is a 21st-century “But lo and behold, I did get it. And it changed my whole
Saunders is building a case says Tharp, who earned her look at possible futures for life,” says Graziano, now 88.
study of the tanks’ impact diving certification through the region, and it’s directly His Fulbright to study French linguistics in Grenoble,
on the neighborhood and USC’s Scientific Diving Program. informed by that local story- France, opened the door to a lifetime of travel and provided
creating a website and Diving was also a draw for telling tradition,” says Leal. the impetus to his future career as a language teacher.
infographics that will help Bhandari, who earned his certifi- The result is as much a He since traveled to more than 80 countries world-
others visualize the danger the cation during his fellowship this warning about our present wide and taught French, Italian, Russian and Spanish at
tanks pose to the community. summer, completing nearly 50 political and ecological Los Angeles high schools, Los Angeles City College and
COP 26 IMAGE COURTESY OF UKCOP 26
His goal is to convince policy- scientific dives — far more than trajectories as a musing upon California State University, Northridge.
makers to take action. the 12 needed for his certificate. the future of music. —M.C. Graziano also spent a couple of years living in Georgia
“Being a man of color, EH “You don’t get that same in the then-Soviet Union before studying at Moscow
MATTERS gave me a platform experience when you’re just in University. He met family members in Italy and made many
to speak for my community,” the classroom,” he says. “Once friends around the world.
he says. —M.C. you go out [in the water], it’s “The Fulbright absolutely changed my world view. I
a whole different immersive gained a deep understanding of myself that I never would
experience that you never Alumnus Tyler Schiffman uses his photography, like this shot of a seal in a kelp bed near
have had otherwise,” Graziano says. “I wish I had two or
imagined before.” —M.C. Monterey, California, to promote conservation. three lifetimes so that I could do it all again.” —S.B.
14 Fall 2021 / Winter 2022 | 15
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