Trojan Family Magazine Spring 2015 by University of Southern California

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CA L I F OR N I A SP R I N G 2 0 1 5

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T H E B ES T M ED I C I N E

USC pins its future on caring for the health of Southern Californians and the world

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In the fictional city of Rilao, humans use their cyborg features to become part of their environment. A conceptual exoskeleton, created by USC School of Cinematic Arts doctoral student Behnaz Farahi and modeled here by Jessie Rabideau ’13, enables Rilaoans to hide and reveal themselves to each other. World-builders imagined life in Rilao—and in our own future, real-life cities—at the 2014 Science of Fiction Festival, co-curated by USC School of Cinematic Arts professor and award-winning Hollywood production designer Alex McDowell.

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autumn 2014

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PHOTO BY ELKO WEAVER, COURTESY OF WORLD BUILDING MEDIA LAB, 2014

REDISCOVER WHAT WILL ALWAYS BE

UNDERSTATED AND SEAMLESS, THE ART OF HOSPITALITY.

HALEKULANI PAST, PRESENT, FOREVER...

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT

IT’S NOT ABOUT US

inside

Editor’s Note Making a place in the Trojan Family for the next generation of promising students. President’s Page We’re two-thirds of the way toward our $6 billion fundraising goal, thanks to all segments of the Trojan Family. Mailbag Pats, pride and other observations from our readers.

News Treasures from the USC Pacific Asia Museum, what’s really in e-cigarettes, and a virologist creates a deadly pandemic for the small screen.

20 Student, Leader, Marine

By Diane Krieger Michael Johnson completed two tours of duty in Iraq and is ready for a new mission: earning his undergraduate degree at USC Viterbi.

Lessons in Anatomy By Robert Perkins When he’s not teaching anatomy to medical students, Michael Habib digs into flying dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum.

26 Be Well, Connected

By Josh Grossberg Can high tech keep you healthy? USC physician Leslie Saxon is a digital believer.

PHOTO BY DUSTIN SNIPES

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The Best Medicine

USC students and alumni find success at the intersection of business and art.

A big investment into health is the next natural step in USC’s evolution. By Alicia Di Rado

The Art of Success

Forget those stereotypes of starving artists. Trojans are blending artistic expression, creative freedom and entrepreneurial spirit to spectacular success. By Allison Engel Alumni News A warm welcome to alums who also are Trojan parents, a networking group for veterans, and this year’s Asa V. Call Award winner shares entrepreneurial insights. Class Notes Who’s doing what and where? Ask Tommy Readers share their tales of romance and falling in love at USC.

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Redefining the Trojan Skyline

Take a guided tour through the innovative buildings and athletic facilities of a transformed University Park Campus. By Diane Krieger

On Drier Ground

USC scientists, engineers and policy experts search for sustainable solutions to ensure the future of Los Angeles’ most precious and scarce commodity: water. By Greg Hardesty usc trojan family

e d i t o r’ s n o t e

Inspiration in Unlikely Places It was one of those mornings that remind you what’s special about USC. I’d gotten a latte (decaf, tall) at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center and was splashing through some puddles when I heard a lilting melody from the solitary piano in the middle of the Tutor Center’s almost-empty courtyard. A student had stopped there to tease some chords from the keyboard, and I stopped to listen. I’m sure she didn’t see me, but she did touch me with the notes to a song I didn’t recognize. No mom or dad was making her play. No stern piano teacher was forcing her to practice. Maybe she was pulling the tune from the keys because of heartache, or maybe she needed to express herself after a long morning of lectures. I’ll never know. Soon she had packed up and gone, but she left me with a magic moment. And that’s one of the great parts about being on a college campus. Almost every day as I walk across McCarthy Quad or along Trousdale Parkway, USC students inspire and surprise me. In the pages of this issue of USC Trojan Family Magazine, you’ll learn about students and fresh graduates, like Michael Johnson and Brett Ressler ’14, who were determined to get their USC degrees after careers in the military, and Jessica Garcia ’13, who helps high school students challenge themselves and go on to great colleges. We often talk about how the Campaign for USC, our $6 billion fundraising effort, looms so large in advancing research and attracting great faculty. The quieter, but just as important, story lies in how scholarships help bring promising students into our USC family. As these young Trojans write the first chapters of their life stories, we promise to keep sharing them in our pages. Alicia Di Rado Editor-In-Chief, USC Trojan Family Magazine

The quarterly magazine of the University of Southern California E DI TO R-I N- CHI E F

Alicia Di Rado M ANAGI NG E DI TO R

Elisa Huang SE NI O R E DI TO R

Diane Krieger PRO DUCT I O N M ANAGE R

Mary Modina ART DI RE CTO R

Sheharazad P. Fleming DE SI GN AND PRO DUCT I O N

Pentagram Design, Austin

CO NT RI BUTO RS

Kirsten Aten Susan Bell Laurie Bellman Kevin Chuang James Feigert Paul Goldberg Melinda Hayes Sue Khodarahmi

Dan Knapp Russ Ono Candace Pearson Robert Perkins Julie Riggot Grace Shiba Holly Wilder Claude Zachary

PUBLI SHE R

Minne Ho M ARKE T I NG M ANAGE R

Rod Yabut ADVE RT I SI NG I NQ UI RI E S

Kristy Day | kday@lamag.com USC Trojan Family Magazine 3434 S. Grand Ave., CAL 140 Los Angeles, CA 90089-2818 magazines@usc.edu | (213) 740-2684

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spring 2015

PHOTO BY ALICIA DI RADO

USC Trojan Family Magazine (ISSN 8750-7927) is published in March, June, September and December by USC University Communications.

p r e s i d e n t’ s p a g e

A Trojan Milestone

PHOTO BY STEVE COHN

b y c. l. m a x n i k i a s

As our historic Campaign for USC advances, I recently announced a significant milestone in our journey, one that only five other universities have achieved in the history of higher education: USC has surpassed the $4 billion fundraising mark. Among all colleges and universities in our nation, only Harvard, Cornell, Columbia and Stanford universities and the University of Pennsylvania have accomplished this, and what is even more remarkable is that we achieved this milestone in just four and a half years. Last month, in addressing our faculty, I shared this news with great pride and gratitude, as it represents the collective efforts and dedication of the entire Trojan Family, with gifts coming from every corner of the world and every constituent group in our community. More important than the money raised, though, is how this success benefits academic excellence at USC and how this excellence in turn benefits all of society. Each gift makes a difference! Of the $4 billion, $1.4 billion was directed to our university endowment, including student scholarships and student aid. In the last four and a half years alone, this endowment has allowed us to create 77 new faculty chairs. Additionally, of the money raised, $2.1 billion has advanced other academic priorities, comprising faculty research programs, research institutes, schoolbased programs and the medical enterprise, including pediatric research and care. The campaign has also increased funds for student scholarships, services and residential life, as well as innovative teaching programs. Finally, of the $4 billion, $500 million has supported building construction. These successes, however, would not be possible without our trustees, who have led the way with their singular generosity, along with our dedicated alumni and parents. Collectively, our trustees have given a total of $1.12 billion to our campaign. Their philanthropic leadership has inspired others to support USC, and they have been ardent ambassadors on the fundraising trail. Participation among our undergraduate alumni stands at 37 percent, which places us significantly ahead of a number of our peer institutions, including Stanford, Columbia, Cornell and UCLA. Just as important, we continue to see dramatic increases in the number of undergraduate alumni donors stepping up to support their alma mater. In fact, in the past three years alone, participation among this group has risen almost 30 percent! tfm.usc.edu

As further points of pride, 60 percent of the money raised has come from non-alumni, and USC Athletics has raised nearly $280 million during this campaign, thereby achieving its most successful fundraising ever—all against the backdrop of NCAA sanctions. This speaks to the tremendous power of the Trojan spirit and the abiding sense that our community always stands together. Niki and I feel this support every time we shake the hand of a Trojan—whether we’re outside the United States at one of our global conferences, on the East Coast for an alumni event or right here on campus at a football game. I would like to conclude with a word of caution. As we celebrate our accomplishment, and as we work toward our larger goal of $6 billion, I must emphasize that now is not the time to become complacent. We still have $2 billion left to raise, and the final stretch of any campaign is always the most difficult. Our deans have done an outstanding job inspiring their schools’ communities, and I would like to warmly commend their exceptional efforts and the enormous support you have shown them. You play a critical role in this campaign’s success. Moving forward, we must redouble our efforts and remind ourselves of our mission. In a very real way, our campaign advances academic excellence that touches all sectors of society and improves lives, while cementing USC’s position among the world’s top research universities.

C. L. Max Nikias and Niki Nikias at a gala for USC’s urology program

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Eat Less, Sleep More

I read with interest the article “Live Long and Prosper” in the Winter 2014 issue (p. 28). I agree with the role of periodic fasting, low animal protein intake and stress reduction through exercise and other means. However, the role of deep sleep and the needed hours of daily sleep were not mentioned. Does deep sleep have any role in the self-repair processes mentioned in the article? Usamah O. Farrukh PhD ’74 (ENG)

Beruit, Lebanon

Physicians Terese Hammond and Baljinder Sidhu of the USC Sleep Disorders Center reply: “Sleep quality has been associated with human longevity. Deep sleep is associated with memory and cognitive functioning as well as hormonal balances of cortisol, growth hormones and testosterone. Optimizing this restorative form of sleep can have high impact on overall health. This includes routinely sleeping 7-8 hours per night, moderating alcohol consumption, and utilizing light exposure and melatonin supplements appropriately.”

Trojan Hospitality

I recently had the pleasure of meeting our university president and his lovely wife. I can’t seem to find the right way to express my feelings regarding the wonderful evening at President and Mrs. Nikias’ home. My son Gregory, who is also an alumnus of USC, and I were met at the entrance to their lovely home by Mrs. Nikias. She immediately made us feel at home. The wonderful impression that I left with is that they are indeed representative of the Greek culture and family. They are warm, friendly and truly fun people. March is my birth month and I plan to thank President Nikias for his marvelously outstanding leadership and the warm friendship that he has extended to all of our Trojan Family. Instead of receiving a gift, I will donate as much as my budget allows to

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We welcome your feedback. Submit your letter to the editor at tfm.usc. edu/mailbag or by email at magazines@usc.edu.

thank President Nikias for making USC the benchmark of higher education. I urge all Trojans to join with me with your generous donation to help meet the university’s fundraising goal of $6 billion. Fight on. Fran k C ort e z Fl or e s ’55, P h D ’5 7 ( D EN ), MS ’88 (ED U) Whittier, CA

Troy Rising

As a student, I led a student organization focused on making the USC Village a project that benefits all. The university delivered (“The Rise of Troy,” Autumn 2014, p. 44). With 2,700 beds and $20 million for affordable housing, students will stop displacing neighborhood residents. Still, we must work hard to make Troy a welcoming environment. Restaurants and businesses that fill the space should reflect students’ and community members’ economic backgrounds and tastes. At the same time, since the campus is gated from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Trojans need to make themselves more available to the surrounding area. Whether by educating youth with JEP ( Joint Educational Project), hosting residents on campus or volunteering, we have a duty to make our community a better place for all. Nick Brown ’12 (LAS) Indianola, MS I have been reading and reviewing the photos in the “The Rise of Troy” article, detailing the planned USC Village. My comment is to integrate green technology, such as solar panels and perhaps a solar fountain, into this and other new Trojan buildings. It will still retain the elegance of the classic style, but will also bring in the future, and reduce energy costs, create environmental precedents, help the Earth, and be an example to the students and the community of a commitment to sustainable living. Gary “Dov” Gertzweig ’81 (BUS) North Hollywood, CA

SPOTLIGHT:

VETERANS

Tens of thousands of veterans are expected to come back home from service and enter the workforce or college in the next few years. The Trojan Family is stepping up to help them. Throughout this issue of USC Trojan Family Magazine, you’ll learn about a variety of USC’s efforts to reach out to veterans, from opening a campus resource center to creating a professional network for military Trojan alumni. Here’s a quick look at the presence of service members and veterans at USC, in numbers.

896

Service members, veterans and military dependents enrolled at USC in 2014

174 ¾ Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets at USC today

Proportion of USC student-veterans who are in graduate school

Dive deeper into USC’s relationship with veterans online at bit.ly/USCVets. One of those stories documents a day in the life of studentveteran David Flores, an undergrad at the USC Leventhal School of Accounting who served four years in the U.S. Army. Watch his journey at bit.ly/DavidFloresUSC.

PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS

mailbag

spring 2015

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TROJAN

PHOTO BY BILL KALLENBERG

SMACKDOWN Playing in his first-ever NCAA Championship, Max de Vroome clinched the nationaltitle-winning match for USC menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis in 2014. And high expectations continue: The junior from the Netherlands and his Trojan teammates entered this season ranked as the No. 1 Division I squad.

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Learn about the USC Pacific Asia Museum at pacificasiamuseum.org or (626) 449-2742. Free admission for USC staff, faculty, alumni and students with ID.

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The Art of Engagement

1 #2 SALON DE BEAUTÉ China, 1985 Oil on canvas In 1987, the USC Pacific Asia Museum hosted the first-ever American exhibition of Chinese modern art, which was little known at the time. This painting by Geng Jianyi helped introduce the world to the burgeoning Chinese “First Wave” movement, which emerged with the increase in artistic

Christina Yu Yu invites you into the USC Pacific Asia Museum.

BY E L I S A H UA N G

Christina Yu Yu

#1 PORCELAIN PLATE China, Yuan/Ming Dynasty (late 1400s) Porcelain, cobalt-oxide lead underglaze Filled with symbolism, this dish brings wishes of good fortune: The qilin, a mythic, horselike creature, is an omen of longevity and grandeur, and the circle of peony blossoms represents prosperity and honorability.

In her own words: “We have many ceramics, but this is my favorite. It shows the blending of two worlds—Chinese artisans used a blue cobalt color that would have come from Persia, and the outermost ring also shows a Persian artistic influence with the floral motif.”

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In her own words: “I always remembered this bold painting from the 1987 exhibition catalog. I had never seen it in real life until I came here for my job interview. I came across the piece in the basement and I flipped! I couldn’t believe it. I never knew who had it—and here it was.” 4

#3 BODHISATTVA Tibet, circa 1300 Silver with gilding and precious stone inlay Made with exceptional detailing, this bodhisattva figure has remnants of lapis lazuli pigment, gilding and precious stone inlay that traces the original splendor of the piece.

#4 MT. FUJI IN CLEAR WEATHER Japan, Edo Period (circa 1830) Woodblock print on paper Legend has it that Japan’s Mt. Fuji takes on a red hue around sunset under particular weather conditions. Renowned artist Katsushika Hokusai’s bold, vibrant woodblock captures the beauty of the unusual occurrence.

In her own words: “This has such intricacy of detail, from the eyes and lips to each neckIn her own words: lace bead and finger. It’s complete and intact “This rare, early-stage print is from one of centuries later. This Hokusai’s original is an excellent reprecarved blocks. To make sentation for the time this print, each color period and religion—a great educational piece.” had its own block, so behind its simplicity is masterful technique. The exuberant colors, crisp lines and excellent condition make it highly prized.”

spring 2015

PHOTOS COURTESY OF USC PACIFIC ASIA MUSEUM

Christina Yu Yu is on a mission of intercultural exchange, and she’s running it from a 1924 Qing Dynasty-style mansion in downtown Pasadena, California. The director of the USC Pacific Asia Museum knows that her museum may be small in size, but its influence is anything but. “With our unique space, our priority is being impactful,” Yu says of the building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. “We want to offer visitors a focused, engaged and intimate experience.” Museum-goers this year can look forward to live music, family cultural events, collaborations with USC scholars and summer Fusion Friday parties. But the museum’s permanent 17,000-item collection may be its biggest selling point. Yu, former Chinese art assistant curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, sees a wealth of enlightening pieces among the museum’s holdings. Here are a few of her favorites—all gifts from generous collectors.

and intellectual freedom in the 1980s.

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The New World of Food

An 18th-century family cookbook chronicles America’s early love affair with sugar and fat. Despite its handsome brown calfskin cover and imposing size, an unpublished 18thcentury manuscript had been overlooked by academics until Juliette Parsons PhD ’14 discovered it. Now its torn, yellowed pages have opened a window on the diet of a long-ago era. Intrigued by early American food culture, Parsons focused her USC Dornsife history dissertation on The Recipe Book of Bettee Saffin and Ann Ellis, a scrapbooksized tome with the heft of an encyclopedia

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volume, which is housed at the University of Pennsylvania Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Thanks to Parsons’ efforts—including squinting at inked script so faded it was sometimes impossible to read—the book proved to be a treasure trove of information on our nation’s food history. The cookbook was first composed by Bettee Saffin, a well-to-do gentlewoman living in Somerset, England, and continued by her daughter Ann Ellis, who immigrated to America in the 1760s and settled in Pennsylvania. It chronicles how traditional English recipes were adapted to meet the challenges of the New World. When Ellis arrived, she discovered that the rolling green pastures of Pennsylvania were filled with dairy cows and sugar prices were among the cheapest in the world. “We tend to think of our sugar-rich American diet as a modern phenomenon, but it isn’t. Eighteenth-century Pennsylvanians consumed much more sugar than

modern Americans. The food culture of 18th-century Pennsylvania was dessertcentric, with the majority of calories provided by a daily intake of pies and other baked goods,” Parsons says. Ellis adapted her mother’s recipes in accordance with local ingredients. From Quakers, Ellis learned to use cream cheese to make cheesecake. From Dutch neighbors, she learned to preserve meat and make cookies. From Native Americans, she borrowed the practice of frying in lard. “It was a very rich and fattening diet. It contained vastly more sugar and food fried in animal fat than was usual in England,” Parsons notes. Although Ellis wrote her recipes only a few decades after her mother, she breaks with food traditions that existed in Europe for thousands of years. “Their recipes became more than just practical adaptations to local conditions,” Parson says. “They became American food.”

SUSAN BELL

spring 2015

PHOTO COURTESY OF KISLAK CENTER FOR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, RARE BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

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✑✍❚❁❐❆✿❄❉■❇❂❁▼▲✿❁❂❃❄❅❆❇❈❉❊❋●❍■❏❐❑❒▲▼◆❖◗❘❙❚❀✑✒✓✔✕✖✗✘✙✐✍✝✻✽✼✛✌✎✏ ✡✢✣✤✥✦✧★✩✪✫✬✭✮✯✰✱✲✳✴✵✶✷✸✹✺❞✁✠✃✄☎✾✆☛✈✉✿☞❛❝❜✚✓✜✞✟■ marriot_light_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" €$€£¥₩฿руб ≠ marriot_light_italic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $€£¥₩฿руб ≠ marriott_med_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $€£¥₩฿руб ≠ marriott_med_italic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $€£¥₩฿руб ≠ marriott_bold_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷áÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜ØŒ‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" €á$€£¥₩฿руб marriott_bold_italic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷áÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜ØŒ‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" €á$€£¥₩฿руб marriot_condensed_light_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $€£¥₩฿руб ≠ marriot_condensed_medium_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $€£¥₩฿руб marriot_condensed_bold_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-=[]\;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $€£¥₩฿руб ≠ AbadiMTStd-Light_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥�`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $‚Ç¨¬£¬•‚Ç©‡∏ø—Ä—É–± AbadiMTStd-LightItalic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥�`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $‚Ç¨¬£¬•‚Ç©‡∏ø—Ä—É–±

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AbadiMTStd_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $‚Ç¨¬£¬•‚Ç©‡∏ø—Ä—É–± AbadiMTStd-Italic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒÂ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚÆ¯˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € $‚Ç¨¬£¬•‚Ç©‡∏ø—Ä—É–±

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The Driven Dean

To hear his friends tell it, Andrew Guzman probably would have launched a tech startup if he hadn’t become an attorney. Innovation and drive run through his veins. Guzman, 47, leaves his longtime academic home of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in July to become dean of the USC Gould School of Law, and he’s bringing his entrepreneurial spirit with him. “I think top law schools know that we have to approach the future of legal education differently,” says Guzman, an authority on international law and economics who holds a JD and a PhD in economics from Harvard University. “We have to be creative and maybe try a few things that could be risky but have a big payoff in the end.” The seemingly unflappable Guzman tackles challenges with purpose. He began as a junior faculty member at Berkeley Law only two years after finishing law school, and rose through its ranks to spearhead the school’s international and executive legal programs. He built the international education program from a tiny staff with a few students to one of the most respected programs in the country. His commitment and patience explain how he has completed eight marathons since age 36. His training program includes small but steady goals, including waking up at 5:30 a.m. to run. “The pillow always feels better than going out into the cold,” Guzman says with a chuckle. Marathons suit the goal-oriented Guzman. He loves tackling big projects and rarely is overwhelmed by complicated ventures. Take his book, for one. In 2013, he published Overheated: The Human Cost of Climate Change. “I wanted someone like my mom to read it and understand why we should care about climate change and that it truly is one of the biggest problems in the world right now,” he says. Guzman credits his parents for inspiring his work ethic. Raised in Canada by his English mother and Dominican father, Guzman identifies with his Latin-American heritage. As the first Latino dean of USC Gould, he wants to make his father proud. “My father had to adapt to this completely alien country and way of life while barely a teenager. His story motivates me. You can see his pride when he recounts the story of not only learning English from scratch, but winning the school’s English literature award when he graduated from high school.” As dean of USC Gould, Guzman’s mission is to continue to grow the quality and reputation of the law school. Achieving those goals may come from doing what he loves best: thinking unconventionally. “I truly believe that as the second-largest city in the country Los Angeles should have a top 10 law school,” he says, “and my intention is to move USC Gould in that direction.” G I L I E N S I L S BY

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Let’s Work It Out Sometimes the best way to solve a legal dispute is to stay out of the courtroom. Thanks to the high costs of traditional litigation and often drawn-out legal proceedings, more people today are choosing mediation instead of going to court. That’s not lost on the USC Gould School of Law, which launched its Alternative Dispute Resolution Program to prepare students for arbitration and mediation work. Judith O. Hollinger ’61, a retired Los Angeles Superior Court and Beverly Hills Municipal Court judge, recognizes the importance of the movement. Hollinger helped launch USC Gould’s program through her $5 million gift that names it the Judge Judith O. Hollinger Alternative Dispute Resolution Program. One of the few of its kind in the nation, the program builds on USC Gould’s leadership in mediation. The program introduces a certificate in alternative dispute resolution and a variety of new courses related to the field. “The main point,” Hollinger says, “is to resolve cases through settlement and not clog the court system.” spring 2015

PHOTO BY MIKEL HEALY

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Up in Smoke

First it was SARS. Then came swine and bird flus. And last year, Ebola. In the past decade, viruses have made news, bringing public attention to USC virologist Paula Cannon’s world. But she’s used to it. While Cannon’s primary focus is HIV, she also studies a variety of hemorrhagic fever viruses that cause diseases similar to Ebola, such the rodent-borne Lassa virus and Junin virus. That insight has brought unexpected opportunities to share her expertise. The U.S. military funded research to analyze the threat of viruses as potential bioterrorism agents. More recently, her work caught the attention of Hollywood, where she consults for the TNT series The Last Ship. Created by Steven Kane MA ’95 and co-executive producer Hank Steinberg, the show centers on a Navy destroyer carrying survivors of a deadly global virus. A British virologist onboard is humanity’s last hope to discover a cure. As it turns out, the character and Cannon—a native of England—have a lot in common. When Kane reached out to Cannon for assistance with the show, he couldn’t believe his luck. “I thought, Oh my gosh, you’re the character we’ve been creating for the past year and a half.” An associate professor of microbiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Cannon helped the show’s writers “take the best bits” from various viruses to make a new, unnamed virus she calls “such an interesting character.” The task appealed to the teacher in her. She’s convinced that viewers better understand viruses as a result. “We’re trying to create an entertaining drama,” Kane adds. “The best way to do that is to make it as realistic as possible at the core.” Sounds like they couldn’t have cast a better expert.

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Helping Hands Whether they’re rebuilding homes after earthquakes or improving health in isolated villages, members of the Trojan Family use their knowledge to help people abroad who are in need. These are just a few of the ways they’re making a difference.

Peru

Philippines Armenia

Ecuador Tanzania

RURAL HEALTH Students in USC’s chapter of Medlife, an international nongovernmental organization, help local doctors care for patients and offer health education to people in remote villages through mobile clinics several times a year.

STORM RELIEF USC School of Social Work faculty and alumni assisted social service organizations in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and Typhoon Hagupit in 2014. They partnered with the government and humanitarian groups to ease grief and loss among children and adults.

MEDICAL SUPPLIES USC Dornsife student Tomik Vertanous partnered with friend Meher Khechadori, a student at Glendale Community College, to create the nonprofit Hyer United. They collect expired but still usable medical equipment and supplies from Los Angeles-area hospitals to send to rural areas.

Ghana

Honduras MICROFINANCE USC students from Global Brigades @ Marshall share business concepts with small enterprises to help them succeed. Three trips this year will focus on pro bono consulting and microfinance, which brings financial services to people who often have minimal access to banks.

spring 2015

CANNON PHOTO BY DON MILICI

Going Viral

Smokers who think e-cigarettes are a healthy way to ditch tobacco might want to pause before their next puff. While e-cigarettes are marketed as safer alternatives, they still release some toxins at levels unseen in traditional cigarettes, says a USC scientist who has studied them. “Overall, electronic cigarettes seem to be less harmful than regular cigarettes, but their elevated content of toxic metals such as nickel and chromium does raise concerns,” says Constantinos Sioutas, professor at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Working with colleagues in New York, Wisconsin and Italy, Sioutas has found that e-cigarette vapor contains chromium—absent in smoke from traditional cigarettes— and has nearly four times as much nickel as cigarette smoke. “Studies of this kind are necessary for implementing effective regulatory measures,” Sioutas says.

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Pop Secret

TIREBITER PHOTO COURTESY OF USC UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES; IKETTES PHOTO BY MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES

Bite On!

Before Tommy and Traveler, there was Tirebiter. By Dustin Jacobs and Ronald L. Olson Jr.

t’s been more than 70 years since a feisty dog named George Tirebiter was first spotted on campus, but his statue near Zumberge Hall still keeps a steady eye toward the Coliseum. In 1940, George Tirebiter was a campus fixture often seen chasing cars down Trousdale Parkway (then called University Avenue and open to traffic). He eventually chased his way into the hearts of students and faculty, and on Oct. 23, 1947, the student body voted to make him the first official mascot of USC. Trojans marked the day with a parade, and the canine soon pressed his paw prints into fresh cement at the corner of University Avenue and Hoover Street. He became an accidental celebrity when he was kidnapped by UCLA students and made headlines across the country when he was found with “UCLA” shaved on his back. George would get the last laugh: He later bit Joe Bruin during a USCUCLA game. While some of the Tirebiter tales seem tfm.usc.edu

larger than life, many are true, including chasing Oski—the University of California, Berkeley’s bear mascot—up a goalpost. He also rode alongside then-USC President Fred D. Fagg in a convertible at the Coliseum at a football game. After a few years, Tirebiter’s celebrity status wore on him and his behavior began to deteriorate. His appetite for rubber became an appetite for anything and anyone within biting distance. George was retired to a farm near the Mexican border, where he would chase his last tire. After his passing, the Daily Trojan wrote, “Gone to Heaven where he will have cushion rides for breakfast, white sidewalls for lunch, and cold rubber recaps for dinner.” As decades passed, the spirited dog’s memory could have faded, but his statue is a reminder that in the Trojan Family, loyalty is never forgotten.

What made Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” a Billboard No. 1 hit in 1983 while Madonna’s 1999 “Nothing Really Matters” floundered at No. 90? Backup vocals may be the secret to success. USC Marshall School of Business marketing professor Joseph Nunes and colleagues analyzed thousands of songs from Billboard’s Hot 100 to determine the instruments and vocals used in the most popular songs in the United States since 1958. After sifting through nearly 2,500 songs they found one surprising commonality. “Using background vocals in your song increases your chances of reaching the top of the charts,” Nunes says. Every hit song featured backup vocals, while bottom-dwelling songs excluded them. The researchers also found two combinations of core instruments and vocals most often present in No. 1 songs: background vocals, synthesizer and clean guitar or background vocals, synthesizer and distorted electric guitar. Still, music is an art, not a science, and the analysis can’t fully explain a song’s popularity. Sometimes star power from a singer like Rihanna, Nunes says, “may overcome any effect of instrumentation.” Singers Jessie Smith, Robbie Montgomery and Venetta Fields helped Ike and Tina Turner to a series of musical hits by providing backup vocals as The Ikettes.

Authors Dustin Jacobs ’13 and Ronald L. Olson Jr. ’12 are writing a screenplay about the life of George Tirebiter. usc trojan family

H E A LT H F I L E S The nation will spend $1.5 trillion a year on health care related to Alzheimer’s disease by 2050, increasing expenditures nearly five-fold since 2010, say USC experts. But if medical advances could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s by five years, related costs would drop by 40 percent in 2050 and the average person would live 2.7 years longer.

40 PERCENT

College athletes report more joint problems later in life than non-athletes, but they have better psychological health, say researchers from the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. And despite achy knees and ankles, former athletes report similar healthrelated quality of life as their peers, suggesting their health care may help keep them in the game.

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P I O N E E R I N G

P L AY E R S

USC baseball had humble origins—an editorial in 1911’s El Rodeo yearbook lamented that students and faculty “have not been behind the team with hearty cooperation and support which is shown in other lines of athletics.” These pioneering ballplayers—whose team began in 1907—would surely have been surprised to see the legacy they helped start. One hundred years on, USC has the winningest baseball program in college history with 12 NCAA titles—seven more than its second-most successful rival, Arizona State. This spring, a new chapter opens on the storied baseball legacy as Dan Hubbs ’93 steps in as USC’s sixth head coach since 1930. Key home series include games against UCLA (April 10-12), Oregon (April 17-19) and Stanford (May 8-10), before the season’s final games versus Arizona State (May 22-24).

Sugar Without the Weight Gain? Humans haven’t always had the sweetest relationship with sugar. While most of us love ice cream, cookies and chocolate, we’re also quick to bemoan what happens to our waistlines after the last bite is gone. But what if you could eat all your favorite treats without gaining a pound? It might be more than a sweet fantasy. The answer could come from the hyperactive version of a gene that’s found in everything from yeast to humans. USC researchers led by Sean Curran, an assistant professor at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, USC Davis School of Gerontology and Keck School of Medicine of USC, are scrutinizing the gene, dubbed SKN-1. So far, they’ve studied it in the one-millimeter-long worm Caenorhabditis elegans, and

results were enticing. While normal C. elegans worms ballooned on a high-sugar diet, worms with a mutated version of the gene gained no weight. “The high-sugar diet that the bacteria ate was the equivalent of a human eating the Western diet,” says Curran, referring to the diet favored by the industrialized world, characterized by high-fat and high-sugar foods like burgers, fries and soda. The human version of SKN-1 helps our cells fight off damage, and pharmaceutical companies are developing drugs to target potential benefits from it, such as slowing the signs of aging. But scientists are proceeding carefully—a hyperactive version of the gene in humans is also linked to aggressive cancers.

spring 2015

PHOTO COURTESY OF USC UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Sometimes diabetes patients benefit more from convenient care than from medication. When doctors offer Type 2 diabetes patients flexible hours, the same doctor at each visit, and coordinated care and referrals, patients have better quality of life related to their health, according to a study from Keck Medicine of USC and Johns Hopkins University researchers.

Next Stop, College

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USC Rossier’s near-peer advising program puts firstgeneration high school seniors on track for college. If it weren’t for Jessica Garcia ’13, Kortney Pham would be going to a local community college instead of attending a four-year university. Garcia, an inaugural adviser with the newly formed Southern California College Advising Corps (SCCAC), encouraged Pham to aim higher. SCCAC places full-time college advisers like Garcia in under-resourced Southern California high schools, at no cost to the schools. It’s a program of the USC Rossier School of Education’s Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice (CERPP). “I was just planning to stay in the area, go the community college route and transfer,” says Pham, a first-generation immigrant from Vietnam who graduated high school with a 3.95 GPA. “I was scared of venturing out. But Jessica opened up my eyes.” Pham is now a freshman at UC Santa Barbara. Pham, of Garden Grove, was one of the initial beneficiaries of SCCAC, which strives to improve college outcomes for low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students. The advisers go through four weeks of intensive training at USC. They learn how to help students navigate the world of college applications, essay writing, financial

aid and ACT/SAT test preparation. Garcia said outreach efforts paid off in 2014: High school students submitted 20 percent more federal financial aid applications than in the previous year. The program is especially important because many California public schools offer little college counseling—sometimes one counselor handles as many as 950 students, says Jerome “Jerry” Lucido, CERPP’s executive director. With generous contributions from the national College Advising Corps, the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, CTBC Bank and the Los Angeles Scholars Investment Fund, SCCAC has grown from three advisers in 2013–14 to 16 advisers for the 2014–15 school year, serving 16 high schools throughout Los Angeles, Long Beach and Orange County. All the advisers are recent college graduates with backgrounds that are similar to the high school students they work with. Having a mentor to provide oneon-one help and expertise made all the difference for Pham: “School counselors are always busy. With Jessica, she was always there for you.”

A N A B E AT R I Z C H O L O

At a Glance The Southern California College Advising Corps has helped thousands of students this school year. •

1,200

•

Nearly 4,000

•

got help completing at least one college application received college advising

>2,000

were helped with ACT and SAT registration

>2,000

received ACT or SAT fee waivers

67% more likely to be accepted to college

62% more likely to file a financial aid form

PHOTO BY ANA BEATRIZ CHOLO

40% more likely to take the ACT or SAT

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After two tours of duty in Iraq, Michael Johnson focuses on a new mission: earning his USC degree. By Diane Krieger

pl. Michael Johnson remembers little about that night in Al-Ramadi, Iraq, though he wears memorial bracelets on both wrists to remind him of two Marine buddies he lost there. Johnson had been deployed to the Sunni stronghold in 2005, the height of the insurgency. By day, his unit carried out “coordinated knocks”—randomly visiting Iraqi homes to politely inquire about any suspicious activity. After dark, they conducted raids, going after known fighters. That particular night, a bomb hit the rear vehicle in his group. When the convoy backed up to recover the injured, a second improvised device exploded. Then came the ambush—rocket-propelled grenades and rifle assault fire from everywhere. Insurgents stood atop the tallest buildings,

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out of the Marines’ range. “You’re out there with just your rifle, and all you see is muzzle flashes,” Johnson says. The firefight lasted for what seemed like hours, but Johnson remembers little of his own part in it, only the welcome sound of Apache helicopters firing from above, and then looking down to see he had exhausted his ammunition. Johnson survived numerous direct hits from explosives during that first tour and witnessed the devastating realities of warfare. He was part of the response unit after a school bus exploded at a checkpoint (the insurgents knew the Marines would just wave it through, he explains) and a suicide vest worn by a developmentally disabled child detonated (insurgents counted on the fact that Marines would let the boy approach and offer him candy). Few college undergraduates have such harrowing memories. But Johnson belongs

to a growing community of student-veterans at USC. Now retired from service and a junior majoring in aerospace engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, he is president of the USC Veterans Association, a student organization that represents roughly 900 Trojans with military ties. He also serves as a commuter senator in the 2014–15 Undergraduate Student Government. At 28, Johnson has long outgrown youthful excess. “I have no desire to go out and do keg stands ever again,” he says with a smile. “Most of us [veterans] are coming here with a very professional attitude. Our main focus is to get our education.” That isn’t always easy. Johnson suffers from daily headaches, some so acute he typically misses about a quarter of his classes. His bomb-induced traumatic brain injury went undiagnosed for years. He spent a spring 2015

PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS

Student, Leader, Marine

FROM LEFT: USC President C. L. Max Nikias, USC Trustee John Mork, Michael Johnson and retired Gen. David Petraeus gather at the opening of USC’s Veterans Resource Center, where Petraeus gifted his combat cap to the university.

trojan news year in rehab at Naval Medical Center San Diego, receiving PTSD counseling, vestibular rehab to help with his poor balance, and speech rehabilitation for the stutter and difficulties communicating caused by the brain injury. He also had surfing lessons, which he calls “one of the best things that ever happened to me, [and] a big reason why the bad PTSD stuff doesn’t affect me as much.” Growing up in Carrollton, Texas, Johnson excelled in science. He devoured books on meteorology and dreamed of chasing tornadoes. Now, with his military service over, he’s determined to make a place for himself in the aerospace industry. His course load is demanding—he’s taking dynamics, mechoptronics (a melding of optical, biological, chemical and electrical systems), thermodynamics and dynamic systems this semester. Johnson, who commutes to USC from Playa Del Rey, is married as well. He met his wife in 2008, while training in the Mojave Desert. A newly minted USC dentist, Gina Randazzo Johnson DDS ’14 recently joined a dental practice in her hometown of San Jose, California, so she and Johnson currently only see each other on weekends. What little spare time he has, Johnson devotes to his fellow student-veterans. “I feel very passionate about seeing vets succeed,” he says, glancing down at his memorial bracelets. “I know that being around veterans makes things better. We feed off each other, motivate each other, keep each other on track.”

PHOTO BY UYEN BUI PHOTOGRAPHY

Q U OTAT I O N

“To see the seriousness of ’SC in its commitment to those who have raised their right hand in the wake of 9/11, knowing that reciting that oath meant they’re going into combat, is really wonderful. It makes me feel really proud to be part of this great Trojan Family.” Retired Gen. David Petraeus, speaking at the dedication ceremony of USC’s Veterans Resource Center tfm.usc.edu

Operation Education After years of hard work, Brett Ressler held the key to his dreams: admission to the USC Marshall School of Business. But elation quickly turned to questions when he saw the cost of tuition and fees. As a Navy veteran, Ressler had faced many challenges, but he didn’t know how to overcome this one. How would he pay for his USC degree? “Military people are problem solvers, and the more we realize there might not be a solution, the more frustrated we get,” Ressler says. His persistence goes back a few years. After high school, Ressler was one of the first in his family to leave Iowa when he departed for U.S. Navy boot camp. Despite a serious injury during advanced training that required extensive surgeries, he served aboard the USS Harry S. Truman in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. When he finished his military service, he headed to junior college for two years, studying for hours to earn the grades he needed to get into USC in 2012. Thankfully, he got a financial hand at USC from supporters he’d never met: USC Trustee William J. Schoen ’60, MBA ’63 and his wife, Sharon. Ressler may not have known the Schoens, but the Schoens knew all too well the challenges he was facing. A scholarship enabled William Schoen to attend USC after serving in the Marine Corps, and the couple is on a mission to give other young veterans the same opportunity. In 1986, they established the Schoen Family Scholarship for Veterans Endowment, which provides scholarships for studentveterans at USC Marshall and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. In 2012, the Schoens dramatically bolstered the endowment with an additional $10 million gift. To date, the endowment has provided $1.9 million in financial support to 242 students. “Sharon and I believe the individuals who have served their country in the armed forces should be allowed the best university education—and they will find that at USC,” Schoen says. With the assistance of the Schoen Family Scholarship, along with a USC grant and the GI Bill, Ressler, 29, graduated in December with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He started work as a district manager for Aldi, a global grocery chain, and is looking forward to his wedding in July to fiancée Alyssa Campos. He says his USC education and contacts in the Trojan network have set him up for a lifetime of success. “The scholarship recipients write the Schoens thank-you letters, but you can’t really put into words what it means,” Ressler says. “There’s a monetary value to the scholarship, but it’s much more than that. The Schoens are helping provide us with an education, and that’s something that can never be taken away.” J E S S I C A R AY M O N D

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F Ar C UoL Tj Ya Pn R O Fn I Le E w M Is C H A E L t

H A B I B

Lessons in Anatomy Whether investigating humans, arachnids or dinosaurs, a researcher unlocks the mysteries of motion.

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anatomy at the Keck School of Medicine, in which new medical students dissect a human cadaver for the first time. But he also uses his passion for biomechanics and physics to decipher the flight dynamics of dinosaurs, understand why spiders are always able to right themselves in a free fall and explore the kinesiology of kung fu. “My interests are a little eclectic. But they’re all connected by a theme,” Habib says. “It’s all about how bone and muscle systems work together.” Habib has a particular love for pterosaurs—ancient flying reptiles—but he made waves shortly after joining USC by overturning conventional wisdom about other primeval fliers: four-winged dinosaurs. Previously, scientists believed that these dinosaurs, which had feathers on both forelimbs and hind limbs, would spread both sets of wings to glide like a flying squirrel.

“It would require the dinosaurs to disjoint their hips each time they wanted to fly,” Habib says. “There had to be a simpler way.” Habib and colleague Justin Hall, a PhD student at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, demonstrated instead that the winged raptors likely instead kept their hind limbs vertical and used them to steer sharp turns through heavily wooded forests. With such a wide range of passions and curiosity, it only makes sense for Habib to partner with the Natural History Museum, “where 35 million specimens spanning the entire history of Earth are kept and used regularly by scientists,” says Luis Chiappe, head of the museum’s Dinosaur Institute. And that curiosity started early. Habib’s mother, who volunteered as an ecologist at the Baltimore Zoo, wrangled her precocious son a job as a volunteer zookeeper there when

he was 12 years old, a job he kept right up until he entered academia. After grad school, he worked as a professor at Chatham University in Pittsburgh until Mikel Snow, director of anatomy at the Keck School, recruited him. “I love Dr. Habib’s energy and enthusiasm,” says Snow, who co-teaches anatomy with Habib. Students love it too. Every semester, students’ class evaluations praise the passion Habib brings to his teaching. With so many USC biologists delving into projects that pique his interest, don’t expect that passion to run out anytime soon. Says Habib: “There’s no shortage of people doing interesting research for me to collaborate with.” ROBERT PERKINS

PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS

It was the fossil hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that sealed Mike Habib’s fate. His parents took him to visit when he was 4 years old and, staring up at the dinosaur exhibits, he decided on the spot that he would be a paleontologist. “But it wasn’t just that I was interested in the giant skeletons. I was interested in all of it,” he says. Selected by Popular Science as one of its “Brilliant 10” researchers in 2014, Habib may not be a wide-eyed child anymore, but his insatiable curiosity about the inner workings of bodies has only grown over his wide-ranging career. “There are days when I don’t sleep as much as I should,” admits the assistant professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, who has a joint appointment with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. An anatomist by trade, Habib helps teach human gross

spring 2015

SAVE the date APRIL 18 & 19 USC CAMPUS | FREE ADMISSION

learn more at latimes.com/festivalofbooks

trojan news

Page Turner

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USC LIBRARIES ONLINE

From rare books to comic strips, browse USC’s digitized collections at digitallibrary.usc.edu or at pinterest.com/uscdiglib.

PHOTOS BY PAULA GOLDMAN

Open Sammlung exotischer Schmetterlinge (Collection of Exotic Butterflies) and beautifully detailed butterflies—drawn more than 200 years ago—seem to come alive and flutter across the pages. Published between 1806 and 1824 by German entomologist and illustrator Jacob Hübner, the two-volume masterwork includes 572 hand-colored plates identifying and classifying hundreds of the winged insects. With few copies in existence, this treasure from the USC Special Collections is just one of hundreds of USC’s rare books exploring the natural world. Located in Doheny Memorial Library, the USC Special Collections house more than 200,000 volumes, 2 million photographs and unique items that range from ancient mastodon fossils to modern movie memorabilia. While there’s no telling what intriguing object you might stumble upon, each artifact is part of our enduring human fascination to discover and document the world around us.

spring 2015

MOVING BEYOND CANCER MOVING TOWARD A CURE

By analyzing the genetic makeup of cancer patients, we’re moving beyond traditional treatment protocols to deliver more personalized care. Understanding how cells behave enables us to get ahead of the disease — dramatically improving our ability to prevent, diagnose and treat cancers earlier and with greater precision. Learn how we’re transforming cancer care. Call (800) USC-CARE or visit cancer.KeckMedicine.org

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Beverly Hills • Los Angeles • Pasadena

trojan health

BE WELL, CONNECTED your smartphone could become as instrumental to your health as your prescriptions, and the usc center for body computing is making it happen. BY JOSH GROSSBERG I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y V I K T O R K O E N

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trojan health “What if you could monitor everybody all the time from their body computer?” Cardiologist Leslie Saxon poses the question with an air of nonchalance, as if she’s merely asking how your day is going. But the question’s implications—and its answer—are perhaps as far-reaching as anything medical science has ever pondered. If a computer designed to monitor your health 24 hours a day sounds like science fiction à la George Orwell’s 1984, consider that fitness watches are becoming ubiquitous and Apple and other tech giants are already getting into the business of tapping your health data. Apps on your phone or tablet can tell you to chill out when you’re anxious. But what Saxon has in mind goes beyond urging you to meditate or logging the steps you walk and the calories you burn. Saxon, professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, is founder and executive director of the USC Center for Body Computing. Headquartered at the Keck School of Medicine, the center works with private businesses, from

USC PARTNERS IN DIGITAL HEALTH These schools and programs have partnered with the USC Center for Body Computing:

• Keck Medicine of USC • USC Marshall School of Business • USC Viterbi School of Engineering • USC School of Cinematic Arts • USC Institute for Creative Technologies • USC Athletics

Big Steps in Health Care Here are a few ways Keck Medicine of USC is using technology to promote health. KECKCA R E Keck Medicine health care providers can look up details from patients’ medical records securely through KeckCare. “I can refill prescriptions and check on test results, whether I’m in Los Angeles or Chicago,” says Josh Lee, Keck Medicine chief information officer and physician. CAREAWA R E A ND “S MA RT ” B E D S Hospital patients can talk to a nurse through a CareAware speaker on their pillow. And soon, “smart” beds will sense when a patient might be at risk for a fall and quickly alert nurses who can respond. M YUS CC H A RT Patients can send secure messages to their physicians, see test results, get prescriptions renewed and make appointments through their computer or mobile device at myUSCchart.keckmedicine.org.

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tiny startups to multibillion-dollar biotech behemoths, as well as other USC schools and programs to bring on a revolution in personal health. Consider their mission a seismic shift: a potentially major change in our relationships with doctors, and a way to lower medical costs and help people enjoy longer—and healthier—lives. The immediate future looks bright for wearable health and fitness tech. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued 23 digital health-related clearances for smartphone-connected medical devices and apps in 2014. One in five Americans plans to buy a wearable device, according to marketing firm Ipsos, and the wearables market is predicted to hit $12.6 billion by 2018. But eventually, Saxon envisions, health devices won’t be worn; they’ll be implanted under the skin, where they’ll collect health information without the hassle of having to remember to put them on. (If that sounds far-fetched, consider that surgeons have been implanting pacemakers in patients’ chests for 60 years.) Are you about to have a heart attack? How are your blood sugar levels? Your device could alert you if your numbers veer into dangerous territory. The devices also will wirelessly share data with a central database that will analyze and compare numbers with those of thousands of other people. By combining your data with others’, the sensor networks could point out important patterns. For example, public health scientists could be notified if cancer rates spike over time in a neighborhood. It’s wellness by way of crowdsourcing, and Saxon likens it to smartphone apps like the commuting tool Waze, which collects data transmitted from other Waze drivers and then calculates real-time traffic solutions based on the reports. Saxon’s vision is far-reaching, but she’s not alone in her passion to bridge the digital divide between health and technology. Some ideas that were science fiction fantasy just a few years ago are now in everyday use. Keck Medical Center of USC provides secure work iPhones to help certain staff members more quickly access patient information when and where they need it. The program, which started in 2013 to save time and speed communication among those who care for patients, has grown to 500 devices across the hospital. The phones are securely linked with KeckCare, Keck Medicine of USC’s expansive electronic medical records system. For Jesus Diaz, the ubiquitous smartphone can be an indispensible tool to help patients stay healthy at home. Take people confined to their beds or a wheelchair who are at risk of developing pressure ulcers, says Diaz, a research assistant professor in the USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science. These ulcers can be treated easily when they first develop, but, left unattended, they can send a patient to the hospital with a serious infection. With support from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Diaz came up with an app—complete with a body map—that reminds people to check for these ulcers daily. “The app will prompt you to take a picture of it so you can keep track of the progress of the sore,” Diaz says. It also provides recommendations to keep sores from becoming more serious and spring 2015

suggests patients call their doctor for an appointment. Even if new technologies work flawlessly, though, privacy and data security remain an issue. With recent high-profile electronic security breaches at companies like Anthem, Sony and Target, will people accept having their sensitive personal information available to others electronically? Will they worry it might be shared without their consent, or that it’s susceptible to theft? In most modern medical enterprises, personal health data are stored through secure electronic medical records. At Keck Medicine, “our data reside in a data center in Missouri within bunkers that are tolerant to an F5 tornado,” says Josh Lee, Keck Medicine’s chief information officer and a practicing physician. Medical institutions and tech companies that work with hospitals and doctors must comply with HIPAA, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act—familiar to Americans for spurring those privacy forms you have to sign at the doctor’s office every year. It protects patients’ medical privacy rights. The government has accelerated its enforcement of the law, aggressively going after those who violate it. But security becomes murkier when data used in smartphone apps are stored offsite in the cloud. HIPAA only protects privacy when personal health data from apps are shared with health care providers. When Keck Medicine staff use phones to look at health information, none of the information is in the cloud, and “no data of yours are residing on a phone itself. All data are encrypted at rest and in flight,” Lee says. “We use layers upon layers of protection.” As medical providers begin to partner with companies to interpret patient data from smartphone apps like Apple’s HealthKit, Lee says, “we have an obligation to protect that data stream.” Already, entrepreneurs like those at the Silicon Valley startup Medable (see sidebar, right) are crafting tools that use data encryption and authentication to help developers ensure their health apps meet HIPAA requirements. Patients’ data privacy also depends on a realm that’s outside technology and the law: the professionalism of everyone who has access to the data. “People confuse HIPAA with a locked safe, rather than being a framework of security,” Lee says. “It’s all about standards, practices and education.” Keck Medicine ingrains a culture of respect among staff for patients’ health information, he adds. “We endorse the idea that you establish a relationship with your patient when you go into a chart.” There’s always a balance of risk and benefit when it comes to sharing medical data, Lee says. Since a doctor can’t be with a patient at every moment, the health apps and technology pioneered by Saxon could extend some of the benefits of a care center to patients wherever they are. Saxon believes the advantages of the digital health revolution far outweigh the potential negatives. And in the age of social media and instant access to information, she says, the very meaning of privacy is open for discussion. Ultimately, it’s up to the consumer whether to use personal health tools and how to share the information. As Saxon puts it, “What would you give up if you knew you could live longer?” tfm.usc.edu

“The Internet of Things” Goes Medical

Movers and shakers in the mobile health world convene annually at the USC Body Computing Conference in Los Angeles to envision the future. These are just a few of the projects and products shared at the most recent confab.

SINGFIT

Los Angeles-based Music Tech Health developed an app targeted at Alzheimer’s disease. The music therapy app prompts patients with music lyrics to sing along. Researchers see positive responses, even from patients with significant brain disease. Besides remembering lyrics, SingFit’s users get up, move and socialize. The app won the $10,000 top prize in the USC Center for Body Computing’s 2014 SLAM competition, sponsored by the audio brand Skullcandy, for technology that uses music to boost health.

“Advancing sensor technology has already started to create an entirely new market: invisibles. Invisibles will create a world in which we don’t see technology or sensors; they are seamlessly integrated into the human body.” STUART KARTEN, Karten Design

ALIVECOR

The USC Center for Body Computing partnered with San Francisco-based AliveCor to study the usability of the company’s portable electrocardiogram (ECG) devices for use in patient diagnosis and for general consumer use. AliveCor devices record ECG and heart rate when you rest your fingertips on its metal pads. (Check out what a cup of coffee does to your ECG, all on your Apple or Android phone. For details about a clinical trial of the device, visit www.bodycomputing.org.)

BIOGRAM

Developed by Silicon Valley startup Medable and the USC Center for Body Computing, BioGram is a photo-sharing app that lets you overlay your heart rate from AliveCor on an image and share it socially. Did you finally conquer that big climb up Angeles Crest Highway on your bike? Show off your beats per minute on your selfie. You can enhance photo sharing with a body computing biometric “tattoo” and save all ECGs in the cloud, creating a real-time medical record that’s more powerful than any single ECG. Available for Apple and Android, it’s compatible with Apple’s HealthKit.

HEART COACH

Leslie Saxon partnered with medical product designer Karten Design on an app for patients with implanted cardiac defibrillators to treat heart failure. The friendly app gives patients feedback from their defibrillator data to encourage them to eat better, exercise, take their medication and boost their emotional health.

VIRTUAL HEALTH CARE

In partnership with colleagues at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, the Center for Body Computing is adapting existing virtual reality technologies that treat and diagnose conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The goal is to provide patients with on-demand access to virtual care providers and medical content to improve health and the understanding of health care options.

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The Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute is one of the hotbeds of USC medical research.

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spring 2015

cover

The Best Medicine From superstar scientists to top doctors, USC is going all-in on academic medicine in the nation’s second-largest city.

PHOTO BY CHRIS SHINN

by alicia di rado

Dodger Stadium’s lights peek over the hills of Elysian Park as the land tumbles westward into Silver Lake and Hollywood. The Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Mountains rise in the distance. Los Angeles shines before us. Urologic surgeon Inderbir Gill, his arms crossed over slate blue surgical scrubs, scans the horizon from his seventh-floor office at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck Medicine of USC and smiles. This vibrant city is USC’s hometown. Gill has reason to feel a special connection to it: He and his fellow Keck Medicine of USC physicians are caring for growing numbers of its residents. In the past four years, as the number of inpatients discharged from hospitals across California dropped, discharges at Keck Medical Center of USC climbed by 31 percent. At the same time, Keck Medicine’s revenues more than doubled, making it a $1.2 billion operation. USC’s medical enterprise is expanding faster than anyone could have imagined—and increasing in reputation at the same time. “We have the skill, the talent for patients seeking health care not just from across the city, but from across the country and across the globe,” says Gill, chairman of the Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology and executive director of the USC Institute of Urology. As if to prove his point, the day tfm.usc.edu

after we spoke, Gill flew to India to participate in the inauguration ceremonies of that country’s newest flagship multispecialty hospital in Mumbai—one created in consultation with Keck Medicine and two other top American medical institutions. Mounting numbers of satisfied patients. Swelling ranks of top physicians. New satellite medical offices and partnerships with local hospitals. Highly recruited scientists joining the faculty. Buildings rising on the Health Sciences Campus. They’re the drumbeat for a movement: USC is going all-in on academic medicine. “USC stands at the center of where the action is: at the nexus of a new century of the Pacific, in a place that is the greatest living laboratory for the health challenges of the 21st century,” says USC President C. L. Max Nikias. “We want to be one of the most influential academic medical centers of the Pacific Rim.” With dramatic changes in the health care landscape underway, the nation’s academic medical centers are seeing their profit margins perilously whittled down. At the same time, bioscientists are scrambling to win endangered federal research dollars. So why would USC embrace financial risk by growing its medical enterprise? “This brings bigger liability, and much bigger uncertainty. But it comes with the territory,” Nikias says. “If you still want to

be one of the top research universities, you have no choice but to make serious investments in the medical and biological sciences and biotech. “Middle ground is failure, guaranteed. There is no middle ground.”

ikias sees medicine as the next step in USC’s evolution. In the last 50 years, a revolution in physics and electronics drove global innovation. Scientists and engineers pushed advances in industry and aerospace. Next came personal computing and the Internet. Now the great age of medicine and bioscience is dawning, Nikias says. That means big changes for USC, from patient care to biomedical research. Within the past few years, USC took ownership of its flagship private hospitals— the 401-bed Keck Hospital of USC and the 60-bed USC Norris Cancer Hospital—for $280 million from Tenet Healthcare. “USC understood that to become one of the top universities in the country, it needed a very good medical school and medical center, and we weren’t going to get there unless we owned the hospitals,” says renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Vaughn Starnes, chair of the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and director of the USC CardioVascular Thoracic Institute. usc trojan family

cover USC also pulled 520 of its doctors from 19 different practices into a unified university medical group practice. “Suddenly, more than 40 percent of USC’s overall budget was related to medicine and health, up from 14 percent,” Nikias says. “We irreversibly committed the entire, worldwide Trojan Family, in perpetuity, to taking a leadership role in the human health revolution.” And more changes are coming as part of a plan to bring a fully integrated system to patients, explains Thomas E. Jackiewicz, senior vice president and CEO for Keck Medicine. Right now, USC’s two main hospitals treat patients with the most challenging health problems—so much so that Keck Medical Center has the highest acuity rate (a measure of the seriousness of patients’ illnesses) of any hospital west of the Mississippi. Patients fly from other continents to see top surgeons like Starnes and Gill. “We have a tremendously good surgical hospital,” Jackiewicz says. “Now it is time to build out the other parts of the network.” A true health network also offers neighborhood doctors who provide everyday care, from women’s exams to heart checkups. It has community-based ambulatory surgery centers and hospitals where patients can get routine surgeries close to home. “This is where faculty deliver basic health care, appendectomies, gallbladder removals and the like,” Starnes says. And all Keck Medicine caregivers, from a family physician to an oncologist dealing with rare cancers, coordinate their care. As part of this integration, USC bought its first community hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, in 2013. Keck Medicine also

“We’re growing a better environment for researchers. That’s going to result in greater innovative clinical translational research and a vibrant bioengineering program at USC.” VAUGHN STARNES

Dream Big Look for USC to grow its biomedical research, patient care and health education in the coming decade. Here are a few of its goals.

1,200 Double the size of the physician network to more than 1,200 clinical doctors

Create new buildings for medical education, biomedical research and interdisciplinary patient care, as well as a hotel for patients’ families

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has joined with existing medical centers across Southern California to provide specialty care, such as an oncology affiliation with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Orange County, and a joint venture with Surgical Care Affiliates for surgery centers. It set up its own offices and institutes in places like Bakersfield, Beverly Hills, Pasadena and Irvine, as well. Doctors in the Keck Medicine system share electronic medical records so that if a patient was treated in a satellite office for diabetes, for example, his surgeon will know every detail of his history before operating on him, to ensure a smooth recovery. Despite other mature health systems already operating in the Los Angeles area, USC leaders aren’t deterred. They see Keck Medicine as a sort of medical startup—and its infancy is an asset in a rapidly changing environment. “We are shaping and defining the academic medical center of the future under today’s health care reality,” Nikias says. “We don’t have the constraints of other universities. We’re creating a new culture. “We’re entrepreneurial. We can make decisions quickly, and as a result we’re very nimble.” As to whether there’s room for Keck Medicine physicians to help more patients in the competitive LA region, Gill’s recent experience in urology gives some insight. Keck Medicine’s urologic surgeons performed six times as many robotic surgeries in 2013 as they did in 2009 when Gill arrived from the Cleveland Clinic—a growth of some 660 cases. The team is a world leader in advanced, innovative robotic surgeries, and according to state data, USC is now the largest provider of urologic care in Southern California, with a 60 percent hike in all urologic surgeries over the past four years. “The demand for quality specialty care is only going to continue to grow,” Jackiewicz says.

Open at least 10 satellite locations in the region

eck Medicine is growing up, but thanks to the Keck School of Medicine (established in 1885), USC already has a storied medical history. USC also has long contributed to bioscience research and drug discovery. Now the growth in clinical services may enable more medical students and residents to become great physicians and more scientists to find answers to disease. Across the nation, revenue from patient care in academic medical centers like USC’s is critical to universities because they underwrite some of the costs of educating medical students and conducting research. Increased patient dollars drive more scientific discovery and produce the next generation of healers. That dovetails into USC’s aspirations as a bioscience hub. The university has recruited bioscientists who are tackling mysteries from how the brain grows to how cancer moves and spreads. And star scientists attract star physicians who want to collaborate with them. As USC hired six new directors of research centers and institutes, Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen Puliafito recruited more than 70 professors in the Keck School over the past five years. spring 2015

Numbers to Know The university has recruited a wide swath of star physicians and researchers since 2010.

New chairs in the Keck School of Medicine of USC and new directors of biomedical research centers and institutes

$140 MILLION

National Institutes of Health funding brought by new recruits

New Keck School of Medicine professors

They bring with them more than $140 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and include groups from Harvard University, University of Rochester, UCLA and the Scripps Research Institute. Many USC bioscientists will join engineers at the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, set to open in 2017, and another new research building is planned for the Health Sciences Campus. Nikias envisions that USC’s life sciences and engineering brainpower will help propel Los Angeles’ emergence as a center for biotech. The USC Eye Institute and the Keck School’s Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery are among the top 10 in NIH funding in their areas. This increased emphasis on life sciences research translates to benefits for patients, Jackiewicz says. “When people are sick, they want the newest and most innovative, and that’s what we’re about.” At the same time, the provision of medicine is changing, thanks to health care reforms wrought by the Affordable Care Act, as well as the evolution in medical technology. Ultimately these changes will shape USC’s infrastructure. Besides mandating that Americans get health insurance, the Affordable Care Act requires health care providers to report on their costs and the quality of their patient care and outcomes. Political changes could roll back some elements of health care reform, but experts believe many elements will stay, and that means greater transparency. “People are going to be getting a lot more information than they have today when shopping for their health care. I believe that’s going to be really good for us,” Jackiewicz says. Comparison shopping and the pursuit of efficiencies mean that even more consumers with simple health problems will likely turn to small general hospitals and outpatient surgery centers where care costs less. For more serious problems, they’ll continue to head to highly specialized, large academic hospitals, which are more expensive because care is more intensive. And as more patients have insurance, many expect that fewer patients will turn to emergency rooms for primary care, leaving these treatment centers for true

“Collaborations between medicine, life sciences and engineering and other professions are assuming more central roles in the life of the American research university.”

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C. L. MAX NIKIAS

life-and-death cases (although a projected national shortage of primary care physicians may complicate matters). Add to that the challenge facing USC physicians: Some facilities built one or two decades ago are already technologically obsolete for today’s operations. Take Starnes’ surgeries, for example. Fixing a faulty aortic valve in the heart used to mean opening the patient’s chest. Today, Starnes and his fellow cardiac surgeons can do it by inserting their instruments through a tiny incision in the groin and guiding them up an artery toward the heart. That innovation means quicker recovery for patients, but requires surgeons to use more imaging equipment—which takes up space—during procedures. “Medicine has changed dramatically in the last 20 years, particularly the surgical sciences,” Starnes says. To help more patients benefit from these advanced procedures, Keck Medical Center created a hybrid operating room to squeeze in hightech imaging machines, but it needs more of these rooms. And since the hospital is at capacity—and more patients are expected as the nation ages—it needs more beds too. That means USC must build and grow its intensive hospital facilities for the sickest patients. “Otherwise, we’re going to be limited by the things that we can do, the technology that we can introduce to stay current and stay on the leading edge,” Starnes says. USC also is building a new facility for less intensive (and less expensive) outpatient cancer treatments across medical disciplines, set to open in 2016. Buying and affiliating with existing small hospitals and clinics in the community is in the works as well. None of this is cheap. Much of the funding will come from gifts to the Campaign for USC, the university’s $6 billion fundraising effort. Keck Medicine aims to raise a quarter of that target—$1.5 billion. It’s a lot, but there’s also confidence in the air, as USC hit the $4 billion mark in four and a half years. “President Max Nikias says something that totally resonates with me: ‘USC’s dreams and aspirations far exceed our ability to pay for them,’” says Gill with a wry laugh. “He exhorts us to take calculated risks. I take him at his word. Heck yes! USC medicine is truly coming of age.” usc trojan family

The Art of Success At USC, an arts education is more akin to creative entrepreneurship—and more than business as usual.

KamranV ’00 used his entrepreneurial instincts and creative vision to co-found Bedrock.LA in Echo Park.

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MORRISON PHOTO BY JOHN SKALICKY; CLARK PHOTO BY PHILIP CHANNING

by allison engel

spring 2015

PHOTO BY DUSTIN SNIPES

The year: 2008. Davey Martinez enrolls as a USC freshman just as the Los Ange Angeles electronic dance music scene explodes from its niche with pyrotechnics and puls pulsing beats. Raves like the ones at the nearby Shrine and LA Sports Arena bowl him over with spectacle and the rhythm of tens of thousands of techno fans dancing as one. Already a music performance major at the USC Thornton School of Music, Martinez is so fascinated with the elec electronic dance movement that he switches to the school’s music industry program, where students get hands-on experience in live promotion and production, music publish publishing and other facets of the industry. In one popular (and notoriously difficult) class, Martinez produces a live show with no budget. Along the way he meets two USC alums who started a dance music promotions company called DANCEiSM. He begs for a chance to learn their business and starts humbly, passing out event fliers. DANCEiSM co-founders Corey Johnson ’09 and Vivek Srinivasan ’08 would later partner with production designer Miguel Risueño to start a new business called Production Club, focusing on design for touring musicians and special events. The company grows to build elaborate shows for DJs Skrillex and Zedd and tech companies like Amazon. Shortly before he graduates in 2012, Martinez gets an opportunity from Production Club that he can’t pass up: the chance to become a VJ, a video operator who controls live show visuals. Soon he’s on the road with Skrillex full time as his touring VJ. Today, Martinez has also learned lighting design—and now tours the world as Skrillex’s lighting operator. “When our professors told us how chaotic the music industry is and how we need to be prepared when opportunity strikes, I was super interested,” says Martinez, who grew up in nearby Santa Monica. “It was a skill set I learned at USC—how to create my own opportunities.” Ken Lopez, chair of the music intfm.usc.edu

dustry program, who taught Martinez, Johnson and others at Production Club, loves watching his former students invent their own careers. “This is a superbly explosive, creative time for the music industry, perhaps the most exciting time since the late ’60s, and it’s a great time to be an entrepreneur,” he says. This raises a bold thought for art majors (and perhaps their parents): Is the stereotype of starving artists toiling on a labor of love finally a relic of the past? Many students at USC’s six arts schools are inventing jobs that didn’t exist a decade ago. They’re branding, marketing and networking their way into successful creative careers. Consider another of the music industry program’s alumni, a 2000 graduate who today goes by the name KamranV. He’s an example of a serial entrepreneur who can mash up technology, art and marketing— all revolving around music. A partial listing of his business endeavors includes creating Interscope Records’ multimillion-dollar mobile business; designing POP-AUT, a payment system for music, games, art and other creative projects; and reimagining Moogfest, a festival sponsored by the synthesizer company Moog. He’s produced new music formats for artists like Nine Inch Nails, Sting and Beck. He’s also one of the founders of Bedrock.LA, a converted manufacturing building that’s a musician’s dream: a combination of more than 100 rehearsal rooms for rent, recording space, equipment rental and an instrument repair shop and retail store. Hundreds of bands call the space home, and it has fostered a musical community that gathers each year for its own BEDROCKtoberfest festival. Operating under an umbrella company called CyKiK, KamranV describes his enterprises with this philosophy: “I realize that everything I do ends up making space for people’s dreams.” What USC did for him, he says, was to take a guy from Oklahoma and give him a soft landing in Los Angeles,

introducing him to interesting, motivated people. “It’s sink or swim with the music industry degree,” he says, “and those who have kept with it have thrived in media, arts and culture.” CREATIVITY UNBOUND In an era in which easy access to technology unbundles creators from the traditional hold of studios, book publishers, concert promoters, record companies and museums, opportunities have a way of emerging amid rapid industry transformations. One shift is the spillover of entertainment into other fields, as creativity is increasingly recognized as a valuable asset across industries. A new USC Marshall School of Business course called Entertainment Entrepreneurship examines how the “experience economy”—which revolves around how companies provide memorable experiences to consumers—is moving into fields as disparate as retail and higher education. Michael Napoliello, a movie producer, entrepreneur and longtime USC Marshall lecturer, teaches this spring’s course, which includes cinematic arts students, public relations majors and international students interested in global changes in entertainment. “Everyone is looking for fresh ways to delight the consumer, and there are entertainment opportunities there,” Napoliello says. To get a firsthand look, students take a field trip to nearby Maker Studios (purchased by Disney in 2014), where fledgling YouTube stars develop ideas for their channels. Students are examining the do-it-yourself movement among aspiring restaurateurs, fashion designers and gardeners who celebrate the handmade, locally sourced or heirloom products and techniques. USC Marshall’s two flagship courses for budding entrepreneurs often attract arts majors. And according to Patrick Henry, who teaches the courses, all arts disciplines today have businesses built around them. “Top actors and artists all are entrepreneurs,” usc trojan family

Where Practice Meets Practicality

A sampling of USC courses for the budding artistic entrepreneur: LIVE MUSIC PRODUCTION AND PROMOTION USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC With no budget, small teams of students dive headfirst into event planning: They create a concept, find talent, secure sponsors and a venue, get permits, and promote and execute the event. VISUAL LITERACY IN MEDIA FOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN USC SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE Students learn how to use digital storytelling and crowdfunding to promote design projects and build an audience and community support. The last online class filled immediately and had to double capacity to accommodate student demand. THE MANAGEMENT OF NEW ENTERPRISES/ FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS USC MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS A two-course sequence that attracts cinematic arts and music students who flesh out their new venture ideas with marketing, operating and financial plans, and risk assessments. INTERACTIVE MEDIA STARTUP USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS Over two classes, interactive entertainment designers learn to focus their creations and bridge the gap between being creators and entrepreneurs. It’s taught by Jordan Weisman, an entrepreneur who has built and sold several entertainment companies. VOICE-OVER ACTING USC SCHOOL OF DRAMATIC ARTS Voice-over professional Vicki Lewis and sound engineer Phil Allen lead students through recording and editing their voices, creating a demo reel, and auditioning digitally for the expanding animation and video game market.

Henry says. “Look at Will Smith. He’s a production company and he’s a producer of his own films. He’s built a business around his brand. And film projects themselves are like startups now. You assemble a team and then, two years later, you close up shop.” USC Marshall has been teaching entrepreneurs of all stripes for years. It offers several entrepreneurship minors, including joint programs with the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and USC School of Cinematic Arts. USC Marshall’s venture management classes are part of the required curriculum at the USC Iovine and Young Academy, whose students are expected to riff among computer programs, 3-D printers and hand

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“This is a superbly explosive, creative time for the music industry.… It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur.” KEN LOPEZ

tools to create the “next big thing” in design and entertainment. Henry sees an emerging trend as artists cross over into so many fields that it’s hard to neatly categorize—or pigeonhole— their work. One of his students, Tre Ulseth, a business major who’s minoring in music performance, fits that description. When asked about Ulseth’s genre, Henry fumbles for words. “I don’t even know what to call what he does.” Ulseth, a fifth-year senior, can’t succinctly describe his show either, but points to acts like Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil, which also were difficult to categorize when they launched. His stage show, OuR MoDeRn CiRcUs, combines a live band (Ulseth on bass, plus a drummer and a keyboard player), two ringleaders, two freak-show characters, and video and light projections in a multimedia remix of musical theater and the circus. Inspired by Sokamba, a USC-based student collaborative arts troupe, Ulseth launched his show in November and says he’d like to find a residency in London or Los Angeles. He’s on his way: The act has been invited to perform in London this year. ENTREPRENEURS ARE EVERYWHERE Sokamba is one of many student-run performance groups that give students hands-on experience with directing and producing. The Brand New Theatre, which produces students’ original dramatic work, Musical Theatre Repertory and the Commedus Interruptus improv group are just a few of the active student-run theater groups at USC. One factor in their longevity is the supportive environment for enterprising students. Each semester, a USC Dramatic Arts faculty committee awards three or four grants for up to $2,000 each to help student productions premiere at campus locations like GroundZero Performance Café and the Physical Education Building courtyard. Several alumni, including Stephen Edlund ’09, who co-founded USC’s Musical Theatre Repertory a decade ago, credit the student-run experience for jump-starting their careers. “Musical Theatre Repertory was a life-changing experience and is a product of USC’s unending support of student-produced work,” says Edlund, now an associate director on Broadway and at Lincoln Center in New York City. “It empowers you to make bold choices in the safest of environments.” USC’s efforts to mix business skills with artistic expression are intentional. Last October came word of a new online master’s degree that will partner the USC Roski School of Art and Design with mass media behemoth Condé Nast and Wired magazine. The degree in integrated design, business and technology will attract people who want to be leaders in both business and culture, says USC Roski Dean Erica Muhl. Starting this fall, USC Thornton’s Contemporary Music division will have a new music production degree designed with help from music engineer and acclaimed hip-hop producer Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton. The new major acknowledges that behindthe-scenes music producers are now recognized artists in their own right, with an elastic job description that includes business aspects of music as well as composing, arranging, engineering and performance. Music production students will be expected to collaborate with songwriters, artists and bands at USC Thornton as well as students from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, spring 2015

See a video of USC music alumni in action at bit.ly/USCProductionClub.

GETTING CREATIVE #1 and #4 USC dramatic arts alums take Shakespeare to Hulu while #2 performers in OuR MoDeRn CiRcUs defy entertainment conventions. #3 Students in a voice-over acting class pick up skills from professionals working in animation and video game fields.

PHOTOS 1 AND 4 COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS; PHOTO 2 BY CEREN YUKSEK; PHOTO 3 BY GUS RUELAS

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autumn 2014

PHOTO BY DUSTIN SNIPES

View the Complete Works series at hulu.com/ complete-works.

USC Viterbi and USC Annenberg. This interdisciplinary approach characterizes the schools’ efforts to prepare artists to navigate the increasingly uncharted waters of artistic life. For example, in 2014, the USC School of Architecture debuted a class to show students how to promote their design projects through crowdfunding and building online communities. Lee Schneider, who runs an online marketing and public relations company, teaches this popular class. “It’s imperative that designers become media makers so they can propagate their ideas, do product promotion and self-promotion, and build a community around what they do,” Schneider says. USC Thornton’s music industry faculty often create 2-unit courses quickly, some of which may be offered for only a semester or two. “Classes exist only as the information is truly new,” Lopez says. “The curriculum is designed to evolve.” One upcoming 2-unit course will be taught by Vivian Wang ’12, a music industry and neuroscience graduate who is product manager at AXS Venue and Event Services, a ticketing startup run by entertainment giant AEG and Cirque du Soleil. Her course will cover big data and ticket marketing—an emerging topic inadequately covered in textbooks, Lopez notes. At the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, undergraduates entering this fall will encounter an entirely reimagined interdisciplinary curriculum that includes classes in new media and career skills for the 21st century. Grounded with a rigorous curriculum in dance fundamentals, students will also be expected to learn about cinematic arts, music and multimedia platforms. Jodie Gates, the school’s vice dean and director, envisions USC’s dance graduates as “versatile hybrids who learn how to apply choreography to stage, film, television and mobile devices.” As artists mash up business and performance, music and marketing, a new name for these genre-breaking explorations seems fitting. Asked to describe today’s climate for artists, Gates settles on a simple two-word description: “career entrepreneurship.”

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Fasten Thy Seatbelt: A Fresh Spin on Shakespeare

“It’s incumbent on young artists to make their own content and not wait for others to give them permission to do so.” ADAM NORTH

Vivian Wang ’12, a product manager at AXS, a venue and ticketing startup, teaches timely, in-demand skills in her USC course on big data and ticket marketing.

When Lili Fuller ’09, Joe Sofranko ’09 and Adam North ’09, MFA ’13 were students at the USC School of Dramatic Arts, they had ample opportunity to perform in school-sponsored and independent productions. “We were so fortunate,” Fuller says. “We did something ridiculous like 12 shows a year.” After they left USC, reality hit. “We realized as actors you don’t really have much control over when people cast you,” Sofranko says. So they decided to greenlight themselves. In 2012, North and Sofranko wrote a script for a comedy Web series, Complete Works, detailing the behind-the-scenes drama of contestants in a fictional college Shakespeare competition. With the writers as co-directors and Fuller as an executive producer, they raised money, lassoed volunteers and pulled off a professional 20-day shoot on an estate in the Palos Verdes, California, area. Their undergraduate experience helped. As students, North and Fuller founded and ran the dance company Boom Kat Dance Theatre, where Sofranko was a performer. He and North honed their storytelling skills developing dance shows, and it was a logical step after graduation for them to form a production company. The resulting five 25-minute episodes of Complete Works landed at Hulu, which debuted the series April 23, 2014— Shakespeare’s 450th birthday. Since then, it has been screened at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and embraced online by Bard enthusiasts around the world, including Shakespeare camps, blogs and theater groups. The trio used a crowdfunding site to raise one-fourth of the project’s $42,000 budget and brought in the rest with letters, phone calls, support from a partnership with the nonprofit ETC Theatre Company and money from their day jobs. (North is a creative executive at Columbia Studios, Fuller a freelance choreographer, and Sofranko an actor, stage combat choreographer and caterer.) What made the series possible, the three acknowledged, was the volunteer support from USC School of Dramatic Arts students, alumni, faculty and staff. “We had a ton of help from USC people on the crew, production design, set decoration and as extras,” Fuller notes. “Former Dean Bob Scales helped us build the amphitheater stage over four or five weekends. We would call a bunch of USC grads and undergrads and work all day with the help of his tech expertise.” Current Dean Madeline Puzo “was so supportive of us right from the beginning,” Sofranko adds. Last September, Puzo sponsored a screening and reception at the Bing Theatre attended by hundreds of students and alumni, telling them, “This is the best celebration of what we hope you learn. It’s collaborative and entrepreneurial.” Sofranko says the series gave the group a calling card to meet with production companies, agencies and management companies. “Complete Works has been a great jumping off point for our careers.” usc trojan family

The Campaign for USC is dramatically transforming the University Park Campus. by diane krieger

Redefining the Trojan Skyline

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS SHINN

Before electricity, paved roads and cars arrived in the frontier town of Los Angeles, there was USC—a single two-story building on 308 donated lots of uncultivated land. USC’s entering class of 53 students in 1880 couldn’t have imagined that their school would one day stand in the heart of one of the world’s most creative cities, or that the 229-acre University Park Campus would eventually rise around that first humble structure. As Los Angeles blossomed over the past 135 years, so did the university. Since the 2011 kick-off of the $6 billion Campaign for USC, a building boom has transformed the Trojan skyline. Alumni returning to the University Park Campus may see a new dance complex rising where their old health center once stood, or they might never recognize their old shortcut to chemistry class. And that’s a good thing. In the past three years, the face of the campus has matured dramatically. Read on for a glimpse at what’s new and what’s coming. spring 2015

LIGHT DOME PHOTO BY CHRIS SHINN

The interior lobby in Dr. Verna and Peter Dauterive Hall

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Roger and Michele Dedeaux Engemann Student Health Center THE STATS GRAND OPENING: Jan. 29, 2013 AREA: Student Affairs LOCATION: On Jefferson Boulevard between Fluor Tower and Parking Structure B (formerly Parking Lot L) SIZE: 105,000 square feet MAJOR GIFT: $15 million from the Engemann family THE SCOOP

Michele Dedeaux Engemann ’68 still remembers that immune-boosting gamma globulin injection she received almost 50 years ago as a student. Arriving at the infirmary on 34th Street at 6 a.m., she found it packed. Space was limited, so she had to receive her shot in a corridor—a story she shared in a light-hearted speech at the grand opening of the student health center that now bears her and her husband’s name. Today, there’s plenty of room for students to get shots, have sore throats checked out or get X-rays after a wrist sprain. “We probably have the best student health facility in the country,” says Larry Neinstein, the Engemann Student Health Center’s executive director. Between the student-friendly health records portal, online appointment system and check-in kiosks, the center’s technology makes communication easy and confidential. Walk-in visits are welcome. The five-story building more than doubles the space previously allotted to student health services, which had spilled over from the original 1949 infirmary building into six satellite locations scattered across campus. Today, 50 state-of-the-art examination rooms replace the 16 closet-sized rooms that had doubled as staff offices in the old facility. The airy new complex encompasses 22 departments and services, including mental health counseling, radiology, dermatology, oral health, nutrition, allergy, orthopedics, physical and occupational therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, wellness and, yes, immunizations. Most services at the Engemann Student Health Center are covered by students’ health fees. Last year, the center’s 175 physicians, nurse practitioners and other staff handled nearly 100,000 patient visits. And none of those exams took place in a hallway.

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Heritage Hall THE STATS GRAND REOPENING: Feb. 1, 2014 AREA: Athletics LOCATION: Between the Cinematic Arts Complex and Cromwell Field SIZE: 80,000 square feet MAJOR GIFT: $4 million for the Hall of Champions THE SCOOP

USC Athletic Director Patrick C. Haden ’75 thought he knew every detail of Heritage Hall’s renovation, so he was puzzled when friends who gathered for his 60th birthday celebration in 2013 handed him the latest rendering of the Heisman Lobby, the building’s centerpiece. Turns out a group of friends, colleagues and university trustees had quietly raised $4 million in his honor to endow the Hall of Champions. The former USC quarterback, Rose Bowl Hall of Famer and Rhodes Scholar choked up when, moments later, President C. L. Max Nikias extolled him as “one of the greatest Trojans of all time.” Haden was a freshman when Heritage Hall opened in 1971. The brick and concrete colonnaded structure has been the heart of Trojan athletics ever since. Originally 48,000 square feet, the building went through three expansions that added two weight rooms and the Academic Resource Center. The latest renovation in 2014 was its biggest and drew support from hundreds of donors, large and small, as part of the $300 million Heritage Initiative. The Hall of Champions showcases USC’s highest athletic accolades, including video profiles of its collection of Rose Bowl and Heisman trophies. At the center of the circular atrium a statue depicts a USC drum major kneeling with his sword planted in the ground, a symbol of the unbreakable bond between the Trojan Marching Band and USC Trojan Athletics. The basement level provides dedicated space for five teams: men’s golf and women’s soccer, golf, crew and lacrosse. This subterranean oasis includes high-tech training rooms, lockers with built-in iPads, a sports performance center, and golf simulators where golfers can play any of 500 courses by hitting balls at a screen. A broadcast studio developed with the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism features a digital editing room with a direct feed to Pac-12 Networks. In an adjacent viewing room, athletes, coaches and NFL scouts study game footage. An underground tunnel connects to the John McKay Center, a $70 million facility that opened in 2012, offering academic counseling and other services for all USC athletic teams. Heritage Hall celebrates a USC athletic tradition that has produced 100 NCAA championships and more than 400 Olympians. “In one space we can celebrate 125 years of our great student-athletes, coaches and great athletic moments,” Haden says. “It really captures what it is to be a Trojan.” The museum in Heritage Hall is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

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ABOVE: Roger and Michele Dedeaux Engemann Student Health Center

BELOW: The Hall of Champions in Heritage Hall

NEW PLACES Buildings on the rise include #1 the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, #2 Jill and Frank Fertitta Hall and #3 Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center. #4 Wallis Annenberg Hall opened in 2014. 1

Works in Progress

Wallis Annenberg Hall THE STATS GRAND OPENING: Oct. 1, 2014 AREA: USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism LOCATION: Facing Lazzaro Plaza at Childs and Watt ways (next to the Pertusati book store on this site of Parking Lot 5) SIZE: 88,000 square feet LEAD GIFT: $50 million from the Annenberg Foundation THE SCOOP

Journalism is changing rapidly. Today, journalists need all sorts of technological tools to report, research and create their stories, says Willow Bay, director of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism. “We expect them to be fluid in multimedia storytelling skills,” she says. “We expect them, increasingly, to be their own marketing and distribution arms, to get their stories in front of audiences and to spread those stories as far as they can.” Wallis Annenberg Hall makes it achievable. At its heart is a 20,000-square-foot media center. Here, students working in print, digital and broadcast journalism, communications and public relations sit side by side in the center’s many studios and workstations. Screens overhead stream news from dozens of sources. The media center also has three production facilities: a full-service broadcast studio with a green screen and professional-quality cameras, an audio studio, and a do-it-yourself studio where students can record video podcasts. Journalists from student-run outlets—including USC’s daily TV newscast, radio news programs and award-winning news site—share one assignment desk so that every project gets team input, and they work with public relations students to track social media metrics and find potential story leads. USC Annenberg Dean Ernest J. Wilson III calls the new building “a pulsing, networked, fully collaborative space.” Never have journalism students had so many tools to create “gorgeous-looking, deeply engaging, powerful news reporting,” Bay adds. Faculty members have their own spaces for working together on projects as well, and on the upper levels, they teach in 23 fully wired classrooms. Instruction ranges from computer programming to storytelling with Google Glass. Coffee and snacks are available at a first-floor café. The new building supplements USC Annenberg’s headquarters, which still houses faculty offices and classrooms 500 feet away. The original building, erected in 1976 with the help of philanthropist Walter Annenberg, will undergo technology upgrades over the next few years. More than an instructional building, Wallis Annenberg Hall heralds a new era in digital media education. “A great school of journalism and communication leads the way, serves as a laboratory for change,” USC Trustee Wallis Annenberg told attendees at the building’s opening. “It doesn’t just anticipate the future but wills it into being.”

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Thanks to the Campaign for USC, the university’s $6 billion fundraising effort, the University Park Campus will see new buildings rise in the next several years. USC MICHELSON CENTER FOR CONVERGENT BIOSCIENCE OPENING: Fall 2017 LOCATION: McClintock Avenue between Downey and Childs Way THERE NOW: Parking Lot 6, Childs Way Buildings I and II LEARN MORE: convergence.usc.edu DETAILS: Made possible by a $50 million gift from philanthropist and retired orthopaedic spinal surgeon Gary K. Michelson and his wife, Alya Michelson, the center will help USC biologists and engineers create biomedical devices, discover drugs, invent new materials and more. The 190,000-square-foot USC Michelson Center will house the labs of some 30 researchers, along with a nanofabrication facility and a suite of microscopy imaging technologies. THOMAS J. BARRACK HALL LOCATION: Bridge Hall, Trousdale Parkway at Bloom Walk DETAILS: Major renovation of historic Bridge Hall will create a home for the USC Marshall School of Business’ 15 international programs. The transformation—resulting in new research centers, classrooms,

offices and gathering areas—is funded by a $15 million lead gift from USC Trustee Thomas J. Barrack Jr. and his family. JILL AND FRANK FERTITTA HALL OPENING: Fall 2016 LOCATION: Adjacent to Popovich Hall THERE NOW: The Registration Building DETAILS: A technologically advanced instructional facility, Fertitta Hall will house USC Marshall’s undergraduate program. A gift from USC Trustee Frank Fertitta III ’84 and his wife, Jill, funds the project. A separate gift from USC Marshall alumnus Michael R.B. Uytengsu ’90 will name the building’s first floor. GLORYA KAUFMAN INTERNATIONAL DANCE CENTER OPENING: March 2016 LOCATION: Watt Way, between Jefferson Boulevard and West 34th Street THERE NOW: The Student Health Services building and Parking Lot M LEARN MORE: kaufman.usc.edu DETAILS: This teaching and performance space will house USC’s sixth arts school, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Plans call for a recital stage and dressing rooms, five dance

studios, a dance wellness center, classrooms and a group area. Merging a conservatory environment with the academic rigor of a major research institution, USC Kaufman matriculates its first BFA class this fall. USC VILLAGE OPENING: Fall 2017 LOCATION: The city block bordered by McClintock Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard, South Hoover Street and West 30th Street THERE NOW: The University Village shopping center LEARN MORE: village.usc.edu DETAILS: Soon to be home to 2,700 students, USC Village’s five residence halls will surround a grand plaza and a mix of restaurants, shops, a Trader Joe’s market, a fitness center and underground parking. A $30 million gift from USC Trustee Kathleen Leavey McCarthy ’57 will name the Kathleen L. McCarthy Honors College. Two additional residential colleges have also been named: USC Trustee Ray Irani PhD ’57 contributed $20 million to name the Ray Irani Residential College, and an anonymous donor has contributed $15 million to name another residential college.

USC Village

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Dr. Verna and Peter Dauterive Hall THE STATS GRAND OPENING: Sept. 3, 2014 AREA: Interdisciplinary social sciences LOCATION: On Childs Way near the USC Gould School of Law (replaces the original University Club, which moved to Stoops Hall) SIZE: 110,000 square feet MAJOR GIFT: $30 million from USC Trustee Verna B. Dauterive THE SCOOP

Every teacher dreams of making a difference by advancing learning, and with the opening of the building that bears her name, Verna Dauterive MEd ’49, EdD ’66 accomplished just that—on a grand scale. Building occupants include think tanks like the USC Dornsife Mind and Society Center, the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, the USC Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, the Sol Price Center for Social Innovation and USC Dornsife’s Center for Economic and Social Research. This academic diversity is no accident, because the center aims to get scholars from different fields together to come up with great ideas. A six-story atrium crowned by a 1,200-square-foot skylight serves as the hall’s axis. The airy space is dominated by a cascading hardwood staircase with cushioned benches that encourage spontaneous conversation among students and faculty. The atrium easily transforms into an amphitheater, with the staircase functioning as raised seating, or into a conference center supported by nearby meeting spaces and a ground floor café. Interview and study rooms and computing laboratories occupy the building’s entry level. “I am very excited about the building,” Verna Dauterive said at the opening ceremony, “but I am even more excited about what will happen inside—gifted, bright stars working together to change the world in wonderful ways that will create brighter futures for all societies.” The building grew out of a landmark $30 million gift that Verna Dauterive made in memory of her late husband, Peter W. Dauterive ’49. The couple met in Doheny Memorial Library as students in 1947. Verna Dauterive worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 62 years, the last 23 as principal of Franklin Avenue Elementary School in Los Feliz. Along the way, she earned master’s and doctoral degrees in education at USC and became a leader in her profession, overseeing parts of the evolution of California’s secondary education system.

Uytengsu Aquatics Center THE STATS GRAND REOPENING: Feb. 21, 2014 AREA: Athletics LOCATION: Between the Lyon Recreation Center and Howard Jones Field (formerly the McDonald’s Olympic Swim Stadium) SIZE: 30,000 square feet MAJOR GIFT: $9 million from Fred Uytengsu ’83 THE SCOOP

Fred Uytengsu ’83 still remembers the first time he saw the USC swimming pool. A high school student checking out prospective colleges, he had made his way to USC’s training pool in the basement of the Physical Education Building and found legendary Trojan swim coach Peter Daland in the middle of practice. In the water were Olympic medalists Bruce Furniss ’79, John Naber ’77 and Steve Pickell ’81 powering through drills, yet Daland took the time to talk with Uytengsu. “I was sold at that moment,” Uytengsu recalls. Daland, who passed away last October at age 93, lived long enough to see his name appear as part of the new stadium facility. Named at Uytengsu’s request, the Peter Daland Pool is a lasting tribute to the mentor who led the Trojans to nine national titles. Uytengsu donated $9 million—the largest gift ever from a former Trojan student-athlete—to transform the McDonald’s Olympic Swim Stadium into a state-of-the-art aquatics center. Built for the 1984 Olympics, the facility served as the main aquatics venue for swimming, diving and synchronized swimming competitions during the Los Angeles Games. Three decades later, with the opening of the Uytengsu Aquatics Center, the original pool and diving well are now buoyed by a raft of new amenities. Two shaded pavilions seat up to 2,500 spectators. There’s a high-tech video scoreboard, training center, rooftop sundeck and dive tower named after USC Olympic diving hero Sammy Lee. A grand entrance from McClintock Avenue, with turnstile access, is steps away from new men’s and women’s locker rooms, a lounge for athletes and a practice studio for the USC Song Girls. “I want to instill a source of pride for swimmers, divers and water polo athletes to make it a special experience during those long hours,” Uytengsu told the crowd at the center’s grand opening. Uytengsu, the president and CEO of Alaska Milk Corp. in the Philippines, has come a long way from his first days as a USC walk-on swimmer. And thanks to his gift, so has the next generation of Trojan swimmers.

USC offers a variety of tours for those new or returning to campus. Get a glimpse at visit.usc.edu/tours.

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spring 2015

ABOVE: Dr. Verna and Peter Dauterive Hall

BELOW: Uytengsu Aquatics Center

HISTORIC PHOTO COURTESY OF USC UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Reverse osmosis filters are used in water treatment plants. USC researchers are working on ways to improve traditional reverse osmosis systems.

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winter 2014

On Drier Ground With California wilting during a drought that could last 20 years or longer, USC researchers wade through ways LA might tap a sustainable water supply. by greg hardesty

PHOTO BY ERIC NOLAND / SAN MARINO OUTLOOK

It’s another cloudless day in drought-stricken Southern California. A patio umbrella shields Kelly Sanders from the midday sun outside the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Sanders, an assistant professor in the Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is talking about the surprising amount of energy it takes to bring in and manage our water supply. Nearby, a courtyard fountain burbles. Los Angeles wouldn’t be here—at least not in its current shape—if it weren’t for this imported water. tfm.usc.edu

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“A large fraction of that water is probably coming from Arizona,” Sanders says of the fountain’s splashing droplets. The water has likely been diverted from the Colorado River Aqueduct’s point of origin, some 245 miles away at Lake Havasu’s Parker Dam, on the California-Arizona border. Operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Colorado River Aqueduct is a herculean marvel of engineering, delivering water to Greater Los Angeles over mountain passes and across deserts via a complex maze of siphons, canals, underground tunnels and distribution lines. Up to 89 percent of Los Angeles’ water comes from imported water sources including the Colorado River and two other massive pipelines, the Owens Valley-fed Los Angeles Aqueduct and the California Aqueduct (a major component of the State Water Project), which transports water originating from the Sierra Nevada mountains and Central and Northern California rivers. Thanks to the drought, though, the State Water Project’s spigot for Southern California has eked out a fraction of the water it would during wet years. With LA and the rest of the state withering in the grip of what some experts are pegging as the worst drought in 150 years, research by Sanders and other USC water experts has never been more timely. They’re advancing policy on smart water use and creating technology that could advance water supply-boosting efforts from water reuse and purification to desalination. WHAT’S IN STORE “Would you like a glass of water?” Paleoclimatologist Sarah Feakins, an assistant professor of earth sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, asks this from behind her desk. Her world is water. Even the view from her office window evokes talk about the precious resource. She points at a stately tree outside—a southern magnolia. Its deep-green leaves, coated in a waxy sheen, provide a visual clue into Feakins’ research into past climates, including drought. 2014 was one of the driest of the last 150 years, Feakins says. Even with winter’s sporadic rainstorms, the predicted sustained warmer weather will continue to deplete

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the already dwindling Sierra snowpack, a critical resource for the state’s natural water supply. Most experts say the current drought in California could be a harbinger of more water shortages in the future. According to Feakins, the current drought, while severe, still pales in comparison to centuries-long droughts in the past. That’s why Feakins’ USC colleagues, including Amy Childress, are working on solutions to Southern California’s longterm thirst. “If the worst-case drought scenario continues, we will have to get more serious about conservation and finding alternative water supplies,” says Childress, a USC Viterbi environmental engineering professor. “Even if we improve our conservation efforts, at some point we’re going to need more water.” Childress’ innovative research on polymer membranes aims to find ways to use less energy to reclaim wastewater and desalinate salt water. When it comes to desalination, energy use and environmental concerns are key barriers. In typical reverse osmosis desalination systems using membranes, salt water enters the membrane module and is separated into two streams, one that’s purified and another that’s highly salty. Releasing the concentrated salt water back into the ocean can threaten ocean chemistry and harm sea life. Childress and her team are going one better than the typical system. They were the first to pilot what’s called a reverse osmosis-pressured retarded osmosis system. It uses less energy and reduces the amount of salt returning to the sea. Results from their study will help determine if the system can make desalination more sustainable. Meanwhile, in Southern California, officials have taken their first steps to make desalination a reality. A 50 million-gallonper-day desalination facility in Huntington Beach is set to open in 2018. Another plant, the Carlsbad Desalination Project near San Diego, piloted for operation in 2016, will be the largest seawater desalination facility in the Western Hemisphere. And about 10 percent of water supplied by the West Basin Municipal Water District, a Los Angeles-based agency that provides drinking and recycled water to a 185-square mile

Far beneath the murky surface of the lakes lie secrets. These secrets are hidden dozens of feet below the sediment and hold clues about the Earth’s climate dating back tens of thousands of years. And today, these ancient secrets are providing insight into California’s current drought—and what we might be facing today. Paleoclimatologist Sarah Feakins, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, says there’s no clear, predictable pattern when it comes to droughts. But she says some have lasted decades and even centuries as a common feature of California’s climate. The evidence, Feakins says, is contained in the wax of plant leaves that become part of the sediment under lowland lakes. Feakins’ USC lab specializes in extracting molecular-level hydrogen isotopic information out of the waxy molecules from plant leaves, which stay relatively well preserved deep under lakes. The tools of Feakins’ trade include such lab equipment as a gas chromatograph and an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. And, from the surface of a lake, Feakins and her researchers use a pipe to drill down into the sediment core some 30 feet—a method called “coring” that she and her team have used at Zaca Lake in the San Rafael Mountains near Santa Ynez. With students and a colleague at Cal State University Fullerton, Feakins’ team also has worked on sediment from Lake Elsinore in Southern California. At Zaca Lake, Feakins was able to detect climate clues dating back some 3,000 years that showed signs of droughts lasting several hundred years. At Lake Elsinore, the wax from plant leaves provided a window going back an astonishing 33,000 years. Feakins’ research is critical to understanding the drought because state climate records only go back around 150 years. And her work is especially vital in a region whose relatively low elevation means there are no deep tree rings to study as there are in the Sierras, for example. 2014 was exceptionally hot and dry. “In the last 150 years, it’s the worst on record,” Feakins says of the current threeyear drought. How long the drought will continue, however, is one secret that can’t be found deep beneath the bottom of a lake. “California has seen long droughts before,” Feakins says. “We just now have a huge population to deal with.”

service area including Rancho Palos Verdes and Malibu, could come from desalinated ocean water. Its planned facility would produce at least 20 million gallons a day. But the sea is just one possible water source. Lately, Californians are taking spring 2015

PHOTO BY MARY KNOX MERRILL/GETTY IMAGES; PREVIOUS PAGE PHOTO BY DENGUY/GETTY IMAGES

The Lady in the Lake

Reverse osmosis membranes are in use in Southern California facilities that purify wastewater.

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Water, Water Everywhere

USC students, alumni, faculty and friends have found unique ways to tackle the challenges of water accessibility. Here are a few of their projects. USC WATER BRIGADES This group, a part of Global Brigades, one of the largest student global health organizations, sent student-volunteers to Honduras and Ghana in 2014 to design rainwater collecting and filtration systems. LASAVES In April 2014, graduate students from the USC Price School of Public Policy won $5,000 to start LASaves, a Web application aimed at water conservation in LA’s San Gabriel Valley. THE COMMUNITY WATER PROJECT Three USC Viterbi engineering alums designed bio-sand filters that can bring drinking water to rural communities affordably, and they’ve already worked with residents to install the system in a Rwandan village. WATER FILTERS IN AFGHANISTAN With the fundraising help of her fellow USC Marshall classmates, U.S. Air Force pilot Stephanie Soltis MBA ’14 delivered 32 water filters to remote villages in Afghanistan— enough to provide clean water to 3,200 people for five years. MY NAME IS WATER After seeing the devastating effects of water inaccessibility in Mozambique, Justin Arana ’05 documented his efforts to build a village well. Produced by Sharon Stone, his documentary, My Name Is Water, aims to inspire others to make a difference. WATER PROJECT WINS FIRST PLACE AT SCIENCE FAIR Dieuwertje Kast BS ’11, MS ’11, MAT ’14 mentored fifth-graders at East LA’s Sheridan Street Elementary who were interested in studying water quality. After presenting findings about samples of local water, the class won first place at a science fair hosted by the USC Health Sciences Campus. A DA M LI NZEY

another look at recycling wastewater into drinkable water. Once anathema to the public, the concept of transforming water containing human waste into water that’s safe to drink is gaining more traction and could become a reality over the next decade, according to Childress. San Diego recently announced a $2 billion plan to begin recycling and reusing wastewater. In Northern California, upgrades at the Santa Clara Valley Water District allow the plant to generate 8 million

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gallons of purified water a day from a supply that originated from residents’ sinks, washing machines and, yes, bathrooms. According to Santa Clara Valley Water District officials, the purified water is safe to drink, and as they await state regulation guidelines, they’re hopeful that they’ll be able to convince the public one day. Until then, the 8 million gallons are diverted for landscaping use. Other states are in similar straits. Drought-stricken Texas is facing the same need for alternative water supplies, and it’s also turning to membrane technologies for seawater desalination and wastewater reuse. Massoud “Mike” Pirbazari, an expert on water purification and professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC Viterbi, aims to improve these membranes and other technologies used to purify water. Pirbazari says many countries are conducting research to develop more efficient and economical membranes for water desalination and water reclamation and reuse for communities, cities and industries. Childress, for one, has been to South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Kuwait and Australia to share her research with others studying water issues in arid regions. The results have been promising, Pirbazari says. Massive desalination plants have been built from Australia to Israel, and more are coming. AN ENERGY DRAIN Researchers are grappling with more than simply getting water. There’s the question of how to get it to those who need it, and at what cost. USC Viterbi’s Sanders focuses on how much energy is expended on water— delivering it, heating it and treating it. Nationally, 13 percent of energy consumption goes to pumping, heating and treating water for end use, Sanders says. In California, that figure climbs to 19 percent. The State Water Project is California’s largest single consumer of electricity, which it needs to pump water through the maze of pipes and canals to a parched Los Angeles and its surrounding area. When politicians and water officials consider possible solutions to Southern California’s quandary—a huge population living in a virtual desert that needs to import more than two-thirds of its water

19%

Percentage of energy consumption that goes to pumping, heating and treating water

to survive—factoring in energy costs is crucial, Sanders says. While her USC colleagues and others are looking at ways to desalinate water and reuse wastewater, these solutions come with large economic and environmental costs. “Both seawater desalination and wastewater reuse have their challenges. Neither is easy or cheap,” Childress says. And energy consumption isn’t just expensive, it also could increase greenhouse gas emissions. Then there’s the matter of how much water we’re using from our underground aquifers. Getting a better handle on that is important, according to Sanders. Until this year, California was the only Western state that didn’t regulate groundwater at the state level. Officials had very little data on how much water was being sucked from beneath the ground, as this usage largely was unmetered. In 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a series of bills to create a framework for managing California’s groundwater aquifers. However, in the meantime, groundwater pumping has reached unprecedented levels due to the drought, especially in agricultural regions, and experts say it’s being pumped out faster than it can be replenished. “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” says Sanders, using the analogy of a person who uses a checking account without knowing how much money he has or how much is in the bank. We can’t spring 2015

Quenching Their Thirst CALIFORNIA’S WATER USE

80%

Farm Irrigation

Industrial

14%

Residential

Commercial

simply hope that the cash doesn’t run out. Strengthening how agricultural water use is measured is crucial to sustaining the state’s water supply, she says. “The elephant in the room is agriculture,” adds Sanders, noting that 80 percent of California’s water goes to irrigate farms. The other 20 percent goes to urban use. “We have to make serious conservation efforts in agriculture to make any dent.” Looking more closely at urban water use, residential use accounts for 14 percent of total statewide water use, followed by commercial use at 5 percent and industrial at 1 percent. Half of the state’s 20 percent chunk of urban water use, Sanders says, goes to outdoor purposes like keeping grass, plants and trees lush. But, to look at this another way, if every homeowner and office landlord in the state suddenly decided to do away with lawns and landscaping, the total amount of water saved only would account for 10 percent of the state’s current total water use—and that’s not enough to solve the water problem on its own. That doesn’t mean people and businesses shouldn’t try to conserve water, Sanders and other USC scholars say. Every drop counts, especially since lawns are largely aesthetic, unlike working farms. Pirbazari, the water purification expert, says Southern Californians need to be tfm.usc.edu

educated at an early age about water conservation, recycling and reuse. “People have to understand that they have to change their habits when it comes to how they use water,” he says. “People are not in the habit of looking at water as a precious commodity. Now, it seems, they gradually are starting to.” Like Sanders, Pirbazari advocates for better management of the state’s groundwater supplies, and says improvements also are needed in how we manage runoff from melted snow and rainstorms. Whether it’s investing more in desalination plants or recycling wastewater, or expanding the use of “greywater” (water from showers, baths and kitchen sinks that can be recycled for landscape irrigation and other uses), the state needs to be persistent and purposeful in its management efforts to solve the crisis, Pirbazari says. “We accept that climate change is happening, that the gradual warming of the planet is not going to be reversed,” Pirbazari adds. “We are in a dire situation. And drought is a major global problem. Addressing the issue aggressively for six months and then stopping and not working on it until the next crisis happens won’t be enough.” WORKING TOGETHER As a veteran of California’s water wars and negotiations, Julie Spezia ’84, has faith in the state’s savvy thinkers. “There are some really smart people who are planning and making sure that the water needs of Southern California, as well as the entire state, can be met moving forward,” says Spezia, a consultant to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the California Department of Water Resources. “I actually think we can muddle our way through this. “We know what the problem is and what the possible solutions are. We just have to get there,” continues Spezia, whose consulting includes work on the Bay Delta Initiative, which aims to address water quantity and quality, as well as the habitat restoration needs of the Bay Delta region near Sacramento. Spezia says all regions of the state need to work together on the water issue, from making necessary investments in the delivery infrastructure to improving conser-

USC supporters Dana and David Dornsife ’65 have seen firsthand the importance of what many in the United States take for granted: clean water. In Africa, some 345 million people have no access to clean water, according to the nonprofit Water.org. Long trips to wells and springs often mean that children skip school, as they’re needed to help carry water for their families. Each year 3.4 million people die from diarrhea and other preventable, sanitation-related illnesses. The Dornsifes were inspired to help make a difference in Africa. They partnered with World Vision’s WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) program to create village wells and provide sanitation and hygiene education. The goal, says USC Trustee David Dornsife, is to build wells that are no farther than a 30-minute round trip from people’s homes. WASH has targeted 27 African nations and brings water, sanitation and hygiene to a new person in Africa every 30 seconds. Says David Dornsife of the couple’s work with WASH: “It’s truly a life-changing event that can be accomplished in a short period of time.” A DA M L I N Z E Y

vation efforts. She notes that over the past two decades, Southern Californians have cut enough of their water use to more than make up for the added demand for water caused by the region’s population growth. And despite the prospects of a prolonged drought, she believes there’s “enough water in the state if we carefully manage it and if we make key investments.” Sanders says scientific innovation alone won’t be enough to fix the water problem. It will come down to making tough choices. “We have the technology and solutions to make our situation better,” she says. “Are we willing to conserve more, pay more for water, maybe even get rid of our lawns? “It’s a matter of not only having the political will, but everyone doing their own part.” usc trojan family

Scholarships change lives. Every gift counts. giveto.usc.edu “ I was in the very ﬁrst cohort of Mork Scholars. When I’m 50 years old, it will be really interesting to look around and see what all the hundreds of us Mork Scholars have done.” Steven Strozza Mork Family Scholar Double major in biological sciences and international relations, Class of 2015

FA M I LY

PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS

STRONG SUPPORT USCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship with the armed services reached a milestone when the Division of Student Affairs opened the USC Veterans Resource Center, a 1,300-squarefoot facility in the Ronald Tutor Campus Center that offers a lounge, computers and spaces for academic advising.

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family news

A Necessary Skill for Leadership Though USC entered their lives in different ways, Ross Necessary ’00 and Tracy Lewis ’01 are now on the same path as lifelong Trojans. Necessary became smitten with USC through his older brother Del “DH” Necessary ’91. “I spent a lot of time on campus because DH brought his ‘cute little brother’ to help him meet people—namely coeds,” Necessary says. “I believed in my heart of hearts USC was where I belonged.” For Lewis, tagging along with her close friend’s family to a USC football game as an eighth-grader turned her into an instant Trojan fan. When it was time to apply for college, she was set on USC Annenberg’s broadcast journalism program. “It was the place I felt most at home,” she says. During Lewis’ freshman year, a mutual friend introduced her to Necessary. “She was the cutest thing I’d ever seen,” he says. “But my ears went numb and I couldn’t remember her name.” That summer, while working part time at an Abercrombie & Fitch store, Necessary overheard his supervisor talking to a job applicant—Lewis. “I said to my boss, ‘Not only do you have to hire her, but you have to schedule us to work during the same hours,’” he re remembers. By summer’s end, their Trojan romance had bloomed. Necessary dove into other relationships at USC too, get-

The Trojan Family Tree

ting involved in lots of campus groups. “That seed was really watered when I got my SCion scholarship and continued to grow when accomplishing things like getting into the Skull and Dagger secret honor society,” he says. By the time he graduated, the USC School of Cinematic Arts critical studies major had balanced a hefty class load with joining Zeta Beta Tau, political campaign work and presidency of the Interfraternity Council. Necessary credits his undergraduate experience for learning to juggle multiple projects—and for honing his leadership potential. “Greek life validated that I had leadership skills worth applying,” he says. He’s now executive director of worldwide marketing services at Warner Bros. Pictures, and he still makes time for USC. He’s served on the 10th Reunion Committee and Second Decade Society leadership board. Lewis, who graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law and practices civil litigation with Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLC, followed suit with her own 10th Reunion Committee. “I saw how much fun it was for him to reconnect with people and be involved with USC as an alum,” Lewis says. Now happily married— they entered their wedding reception to the Trojan fight song—the couple are raising their two daughters, ages 7 and 3, to follow in their USC footsteps. “I had no idea how good I had it because of people giving back then,” Necessary says of his undergrad years. Lewis firmly agrees: “It’s important to be part of the preservation of that.” BEKAH WRIGHT

If SCions are the children of Trojan alumni, then what do we call their parents? “Doubly blessed,” says Patrick Auerbach EdD ’08, associate senior vice president for alumni relations, with a laugh. While there’s no agreement yet on an official name for Trojan alumni who pull double duty as USC moms and dads, the USC Alumni Association’s efforts to reach out to them are well underway. Last November during Trojan Family Weekend, the USC Alumni Association (USCAA) hosted a lunch for 150 alumni who are also parents of USC students. “It was a way to plant our flag in the sand,” says Auerbach, who, along with USCAA board President Amy Ross PhD ’86, greeted each parent with hearty handshakes, complimentary box lunches and lots of Trojan gear. About 90 percent of the attendees turned out to be alumni who had never before connected with the association. Trojan Family Weekend is a four-day blitz of activities organized by the USC Office for Parent Programs. Last year more than 2,300 people attended. The picnic during Trojan Family Weekend was just one part of the growing outreach to this group. “Not all alumni are the same,” notes Auerbach. “Some will go on to be Trojan parents, and that’s special.” More than 5,000 SCions applied to USC last year—just under 10 percent of all applicants. According to Dean of Admissions Timothy Brunold, 20 percent to 22 percent of today’s undergraduates are SCions. While USC has no SCion admission quota, “we see the status as being important,” Brunold says. They tend to be accepted to USC at a higher rate than the overall acceptance rate for applicants, which was 18 percent in 2014. SCions also have a higher rate of attending once admitted. About half of SCions accepted become USC freshmen, says Brunold, compared to about a third of the general applicant pool. It’s no coincidence that Trojan alums are dedicated to supporting USC and that it would naturally extend to encouraging their children to attend. Of the $4 billion raised so far for the Campaign for USC, $999 million has come from Trojan parents—many of whom are also alumni. More than anything else, Auerbach encourages SCion parents to stay connected: “You’re only a parent for four years, but you’re an alum for life.” DIANE KRIEGER PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS

spring 2015

Check out photos from recent USC alumni events at flickr.com/usc_alumni.

H O M E C O M I N G #1 WELCOME HOME Verna Dauterive MEd ’49, EdD ’66, C. L. Max Nikias and Niki Nikias celebrate with members of the USC Black Alumni Association. #2 AND #3 GROWING UP TROJAN Young Trojans-to-be show their school spirit.

2 0 1 4

#4 GAME ON Returning Trojans dive into food, carnival games and Trojan swag. #5 THAT’S THE SPIRIT A part of the university’s heritage since 1967, the USC Song Girls welcome alumni back to campus.

SCion Stats

Fall 2014 Undergrads Total: 18,740 SCions: 4,208

22%

19% Incoming Freshman Class (2014–15)

are SCions

Spring 2015 Undergrads Total: 18,344 SCions: 4,199 %

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PHOTOS BY STEVE COHN

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USC will honor Mark Stevens and other distinguished alumni at the 82nd Annual USC Alumni Awards on April 25. Learn more at alumnigroups.usc.edu/awards.

Venture capitalist Mark Stevens ’81, MS ’84 adds the 2015 Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award to his portfolio. Ask USC Trustee Mark Stevens ’81, MS ’84 for the rules of success, and he’ll likely point out that he was never one to follow the rules. A visionary venture capitalist, Stevens skipped the corporate ladder and took calculated risks to create his own brand of success. Stevens is the managing partner of S-Cubed Capital, his family’s investment company, and a special limited partner of the global venture capital firm Sequoia Capital. But he’ll be recognized in April for another facet of his work: his exceptional commitment to giving back and generously contributing his time, energy and dedication to USC. The USC Alumni Association tapped him as this year’s recipient of the Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award, the university’s highest alumni honor. Previous honorees include Neil Armstrong MS ’70 and Frank Gehry ’54. Stevens has promoted a culture of innovation at USC since his election to the Board of Trustees in 2001 and as a member of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Board of Councilors. In 2004, he and his wife, Mary, gave $22 million to establish the USC Stevens Center for Innovation, which is dedicated to translating innovative USC research into new products or services that benefit the public. They also support the education of USC’s student-athletes; the couple funded the Stevens Academic Center, a space in the John McKay Center that offers counseling, computer rooms and tutoring. Stevens showed his entrepreneurial

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spirit at a young age. He enrolled at USC at 17 and double majored in electrical engineering and economics. As an undergraduate, he worked for Hughes Aircraft and had a full-time job waiting for him there following graduation. Much to the chagrin of family and friends, he opted instead for a position as a technical sales engineer at a small tech company that was relatively unknown at the time: Intel. “I had an educated hunch that Intel’s microprocessors would transform society,” Stevens says of the multibillion-dollar microchip firm. While working full time, he completed a master’s degree in computer engineering from USC Viterbi through the Distance Education Network. He left Intel after five years to earn an MBA at Harvard University, and then made yet another unexpected decision by accepting an offer from Sequoia Capital. “Again my friends and family were scratching their heads. Today, everyone knows what a venture capitalist is, but back in 1989, for most people it was a mysterious corner of the investment world,” Stevens says. “I knew many companies had been backed by venture capitalists at that point, so I researched the top firms on the West Coast, and Sequoia happened to be looking for an associate with my type of experience. It was perfect timing.” Stevens remembers that the first investment he recommended as an asso-

ciate at Sequoia ended in failure. But the lessons he learned from that experience helped lead to his first major success as a venture capitalist: an investment in Nvidia, which has since become the world’s leading graphics technology company. During his 22 years with Sequoia, he backed tech startups that grew into gamechanging giants, including Google, Yahoo! and YouTube. Stevens is excited about Los Angeles’ continued growth as a tech center and sees USC playing an important role in that development. He serves on the board of Second Spectrum, a sports analytics startup founded by USC Viterbi computer scientists. His words of wisdom for USC students hoping to make their mark in business? Embrace risk. “Don’t just fall into the accepted ways of building a career. Take gambles, but do so with forethought and after doing research and considering the long-range opportunities,” Stevens advises. “You have to possess a sustained willingness to work hard, remain true to your belief system and not look for shortcuts. Those are the keys to a healthy and successful career.” J E S S I C A R AY M O N D PHOTO BY ZIVA SANTOP/STEVE COHN PHOTOGRAPHY © 2013

The Winning Investor

A Place for Vets

BOLDEN PHOTO NASA/BILL INGALLS; SCHWARZKOPF PHOTO BY TIM MCNEESE (2003); ARMSTRONG PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA; ZAMPERINI PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. ARMY

From career contacts to making new friends, USCAA connects Trojan veterans. Veterans don’t always like calling attention to themselves, maybe because they’re trained to keep their heads down and get the job done. But the USC Alumni Association (USCAA) has a message for Trojans who served their country: It’s time to put away the camouflage. Though veterans cut across every professional, geographic and demographic boundary, they share a strong culture that makes them a distinctive alumni community. Last fall, USCAA launched an affinity group to represent them: the USC Veteran Alumni Network (VAN). “VAN provides a new opportunity to connect and empower Trojans,” said Erin Mascho, associate director of USCAA affinity programs. Organizers attracted 120 veterans to VAN’s inaugural reception, nearly half of them Trojans who had never before attended an alumni event. It was a good start. “Too many of our brothers- and sisters-in-arms have been lost in time and translation,” said Oscar Colindres ’13, speaking at the event. “They deserve to be honored and recognized.” A 39-yearold Iraq War veteran and former Marine recruiter, Colindres was a catalyst behind VAN. Past president of the student-run USC Veterans Association, he graduated with a bachelor’s in English literature and a minor in business law. He’s currently enrolled in the USC Marshall School of Business’ Master in Business for Veterans degree program. VAN’s inaugural reception on Nov. 5 coincided with the opening of USC’s Veterans Resource Center, the official campus home for all Trojan service members. Soon after retired Gen. David Petraeus and USC President C. L. Max Nikias dedicated the space on the third floor in the Tutor Campus Center, newly minted VAN members were making themselves comfortable there. “I’m here to see what’s going on, maybe reconnect with some guys,” said retired Marine Maxx Martinez MPAP ’10, who visited the center. A graduate of the Master

of Physician Assistant Practice program at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, he continues to volunteer as part-time faculty in the Alhambra-based program. Joel Hoffman PharmD ’61 said VAN will provide veteran alumni with social, educational and career-oriented programming throughout the year. A member of the USCAA board of governors, Hoffman serves on USCAA’s committee tasked with building industry- and affinity-based alumni networks like VAN. The veterans group kickoff follows last spring’s successful launch of the Trojan Entertainment Network for alumni working in the entertainment industry. Two more groups—for Trojans working in education and in real estate—are in development. But VAN “is particularly important to me,” noted Hoffman, who is a Korean War Army veteran. Intended to cross generations, VAN also attracts plenty of young veterans—like Brett Ressler ’14, a retired Navy engineman who was deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom. Ressler completed his bachelor’s degree in business last December. He has accepted a management position in Indianapolis and wants to stay connected with other Trojan veterans. (Read more about Ressler, a Schoen Family Scholarship recipient, on page 23.) So does Raphael Flores, of Downey, California—a senior business major, retired Marine corporal and father of three. “This Veteran Alumni Network is not about me,” Flores said. “It’s not about Oscar [Colindres], it’s not about an individual. It’s about a collective of generations, of military people who were willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for this country. And we finally have a place to get together at USC.”

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USC alumni have left a mark on all branches of the military. Here are a few famous vets whose stories are knitted into the Trojan Family fabric.

NASA administrator Gen. Charles Bolden MS ’77

Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf MS ’64

Astronaut Neil Armstrong MS ’70

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Louis Zamperini ’40

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Class notes appear online. Read news about each graduate at tfm.usc.edu/classnotes and send your news for consideration to classnotes@usc.edu.

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member for California’s 4th Assembly District.

Jim S. Gaede MSW ’60 (SSW) recently retired after 17 years as a faculty member in the Department of Social Work at California State University, Fresno. He enjoyed determining each student’s placement in social work after listening to their life stories. He also served 35 years with Kings View Behavioral Health System as manager of its mental health program.

Christie Ciraulo ’75, MPR ’77 (SCJ), a preTitle IX NCAA Division I swimmer, had a banner 18 months in masters swimming, setting five world records and 11 national records and recording 14 all-American rankings and one individual all-world No. 1 ranking. She won two 2013 Pan-American Masters Championships and four 2014 national championships. In open water swimming, she won a 2014 Pan American Championship (Gulf of Mexico) and the 2014 Open Water National Championship in the 2-mile cable event. She also was named Southern Pacific Masters open water high point champion.

Royce Saltzman DMA ’64 (MUS) was honored at the 2015 American Choral Directors Association National Conference with the Robert Shaw Award, which is presented to a choral leader who has made significant contributions to the art of choral music. Saltzman was nominated for his outstanding leadership in the formation of the Oregon Bach Festival. Dale Gribow ’65 (LAS) was again named as a Top Lawyer by Palm Springs Life Magazine and received an Avvo peer review rating of “superb” in June 2014. A founder of Shutdown Drunk Driving, he was appointed to the Coachella Valley Association of Government’s Public Safety Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Committee and to the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Health Matters Committee addressing drunk driving. 1 9 7 0 s Miles Swarthout MA ’73 (SCA) published The Last Shootist in October. The book is a sequel to his late father’s classic Western novel The Shootist, which was the basis for John Wayne’s final film.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DON AOKI

family class notes

Debbie Leilani Shon ’74 (LAS) was appointed vice president–international trade and global public policy for United States Steel Corp. Mariko Yamada MSW ’74 (SSW), who is completing her term in the California State Assembly, was named one of the “Most Influential Social Workers Alive Today” by the website Social Work Degree Guide. A Democrat, she is assembly tfm.usc.edu

Distinguished Careers Institute, a yearlong program that provides an opportunity for personal reflection and intellectual exploration. The program is designed for exceptional leaders with 20 to 30 years of experience who are interested in reinventing and redirecting their careers toward social impact. 1 9 8 0 s Carol (Scott) Berry ’81 (SPP) was reappointed by the Phoenix City Council to a four-year term as a Phoenix Municipal Court judge. The Record Reporter (the Arizona division of Daily Journal) profiled her on its front page. James W. Gigantelli ’81 (LAS) is a member of the American College of Surgeons’ Board of Regents. He is a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), specializing in oculofacial plastic surgery. He also serves as vice chair of clinical affairs for his department and assistant dean of governmental affairs for the UNMC College of Medicine.

Don Aoki

Don Aoki ’78 (ENG) is a Silicon Valley technology executive and investor who’s passionate about community service. In April, he and his daughter Caroline traveled to Bisidimo, Ethiopia, to participate in a Habitat for Humanity Global Village Build to help eliminate poverty housing and provide improved housing for families with members suffering from severe disabilities. Aoki is a veteran of four Silicon Valley startups (Telenova, Oracle, Teknekron Software Systems and Keynote) and is also an active investor with DreamFunded, SF Angels Group, MIT Angels and Rembrandt Venture Partners. Lisa Ann Rapp ’79 (ENG) was recently named one of the American Public Works Association’s 2014 Top Ten Public Works Leaders. She is the director of public works for Lakewood, California. James G. Wetrich ’79 (LAS) is one of 24 fellows chosen to inaugurate Stanford’s

Donald S. Muehlbach Jr. ’81 (ENG), a professor of system engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, was presented the Rear Admiral John Jay Schieffelin Award for Excellence in Teaching in June. This award is presented annually to the top professor as chosen by students and faculty from a teaching staff of 1,200. Marta Figueras-Dotti ’82 (LAS), coach of Spain’s national women’s golf team, served as a captain’s assistant for the European Solheim Cup team last year and has been honored with a medal by the National Sports Council of Spain. Yvette Burney (Sanchez) ’83 (SPP), commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Scientific Investigation Division, was selected to assist in the development of two National Institute of Standards and Technology publications, The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook: Best Practices for Evidence Handlers and Forensic Science Laboratories: Handbook for usc trojan family

Facility Planning, Design, Construction, and Relocation. Sarah Hospodor-Pallone ’83 (SPP), former Environmental Protection Agency deputy associate administrator for intergovernmental relations and senior policy adviser appointed by President Barack Obama, served a key role during responses for national emergencies such as Superstorm Sandy. She is a public affairs consultant, is on the board of directors for Wider Opportunities for Women, and serves on New Jersey’s Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education. Monica D. Higgins ’84 (LAS) founded RemodelEinstein.com, an online remodeling resource, and Renovation Planners, a California-certified construction management firm. Scott Hardiman ’84 (ENG) received the prestigious AFCEA Leadership Award at an Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association international conference in June. Hardiman is deputy chief of the Space, Aerial and Nuclear Networks Division at Hanscom Air Force Base’s Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. Zafer Babur ’86 (ENG) joined Turkish Airlines in 2010, taking responsibility for revenue management projects as a program manager. Recently, he was assigned as architect and project management services manager.

Bel Lazar

Bel Lazar MS ’86 (ENG) was featured in the August 2014 issue of Wi Magazine. He is the president and chief executive officer of API Technologies, which designs and manufactures components for technically demanding radio frequency, microwave, millimeter wave, electromagnetic, power and security applications. API’s technology is used by more than 3,000 commercial and military customers for U.S. and international defense programs.

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Jennifer Bowles ’87 (SCJ) was recently named executive director of the Water Education Foundation. She’s an award-winning former journalist who covered Western water issues and became a communications strategist for a major California law firm known for its water law practice. Edward A. Sullivan ’87 (ENG), MS ’92, PhD ’98 (EDU) was recently named assistant vice chancellor for academic research and resources for the California State University system. John “Nick” Skimas II ’88 (ENG) has been promoted to Northwest regional information technology manager for GeorgiaPacific LLC in Camas, Washington. He is responsible for four facilities. Travis W. Winsor ’89 (BUS) is celebrating his 17th anniversary with The Raymond Group, a national wall and ceiling contractor, where he is CEO. He lives with his wife, Nicolle Winsor ’93 (SCJ), and their three children in Orange County, California. 1 9 9 0 s Frank Balkin ’90 (SCA) left the talent agency business and is now partner and head of television at Worldwide Production Agency, which specializes in representing producers, cinematographers, production designers and editors. Boyd K. Rutherford PhD ’90, JD/MCM ’90 (SCJ) was sworn in as Maryland’s ninth lieutenant governor on Jan. 21. He was admitted to the California Bar in 1990, the District of Columbia Bar in 1993 and the Maryland Bar in 1997. Jim Hagen ’91 (LAS), the South Dakota secretary of tourism, was named State Tourism Director of the Year by the U.S. Travel Association’s National Council of State Tourism Directors. Jillisa (Jill) Bronfman MA ’92, JD/MCM ’92 (SCJ), assistant general counsel at Verizon, was named to The Recorder’s 2014 list of the 50 Women Leaders in Tech Law.

The Recorder is California’s leading news and analysis publication covering legal, business and technology trends shaping law practice today. Max Polyak ’92 (LAS) was elected to the board of trustees of Whitney Laboratory for Marine Biosciences at the University of Florida, where he will help direct the construction of its Sea Turtle Hospital. Warren Pottebaum ’96 (ENG) has been promoted to vice president in the San Francisco office of Thornton Tomasetti, an international engineering firm. Ruth Cossio-Muniz ’97 (SCJ) of Orange County, California, was appointed deputy sector navigator by the California Community Colleges to create career pathways in the retail, hospitality and tourism industries in Orange and Los Angeles counties. Previously, she was assistant director of the Orange County Small Business Development Center, a U.S. Small Business Administration Center of Excellence. Lt. Col. Aaron Tucker ’97 (ENG) completed a one-year deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan, in command of the 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan, where he helped develop a fixed-wing airlift capability for the Afghan Air Force. He now returns to Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio, as deputy chief of the Turbine Engines Division. Ellisen Turner ’97 (ENG) is an intellectual property litigator and partner with Irell & Manella LLP. The Century City Bar Association named him the 2014 Patent Litigation Lawyer of the Year. He was also named a 2014 Southern California Super Lawyer. Bradley Schmidt ’98 (SCJ) received the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Medical Group CEO award at the 2014 Healthcare Leadership Awards in Los Angeles. He is the founder and CEO of Inglewood Imaging Center LLC, which aims to modernize the radiology delivery system in central Los Angeles County. spring 2015

PHOTO COURTESY OF WI MAGAZINE

family class notes

We welcome updates from our fellow Trojans. Go to tfm.usc.edu/classnotes to submit news for consideration through your school’s online form or to your school’s listed contact.

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Inventive Minds

PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS

Two brothers combine their backgrounds in biology, medicine, business and law to create an innovative biomedical startup.

As boys, Arman MS ’04, MBA ’10 and Afshin Nadershahi MD ’09 would go on adventures in the woods behind their suburban St. Louis home. “We’d explore all day. We’d build forts,” says Arman, the elder by two years. “Sometimes we’d form expeditions and bring along a motley crew of kids.” Today, the Nadershahi brothers scout a different fron-

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tier as entrepreneurs: a tangled thicket of patent filings, product prototyping and the thorny Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process. Their medical device startup, Proa Medical, spun out of USC’s Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering hightech accelerator. The name Proa is Spanish for the prow of a ship and was chosen for the symbolism of cutting through the open seas. Based in Redondo Beach, California, the company brings physician-invented gadgets to market. Their first two products—the Brella vaginal retractor and the Brella-Spec vaginal speculum—received

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FDA approval in 2014 and are in limited trials in hospitals. Every day, 360,000 babies come into the world, making child delivery one of the globe’s highest-volume procedures. It turns out that the health care workers delivering these babies would benefit from sterile gynecological devices they could use once and discard. In Western hospitals, Arman explains, the time it takes to set up, sterilize and replace reusable devices would be far better spent on patient care. And in developing countries, where women routinely give birth in unsterile environments, disposable gynecological devices could greatly

reduce the risk of infections. Eleven more Proa devices are already in the pipeline, half of them geared toward women’s health. Looking back, Proa seems like the Nadershahi brothers’ destiny. For starters, medicine runs in their family: Their Iranian-born father is a retired physician, and an older brother has a medical practice in Seattle. (A fourth brother works in information technology.) Arman and Afshin earned master’s degrees in biology at the University of Minnesota before Arman got his law degree there and headed to California to work as a biotech patent lawyer. That’s when Arman had his epiphany. Doctors would approach him with terrific ideas for new devices, but their ideas invariably went nowhere because “physicians are really busy doing their full-time job treating patients,” Arman says. “I thought, There’s obviously a need here.” So Arman ditched his prestigious law firm and went back to school, earning his master’s degree in regulatory science from the USC School of Pharmacy. Soon he was working at the Alfred Mann Institute (AMI), combining his regulatory and legal knowledge to move biotech innovations to market. Meanwhile, Afshin had followed Arman to USC, enrolling at the Keck School of Medicine and interning at AMI, where he too was swept up in research and development. Because of the brothers’ AMI connection, some of their company’s revenues will return to AMI, where Arman serves as senior director for corporate intellectual property counsel. At Proa, the brothers assembled a team that shepherds devices through product development and complex approval processes. For the Brella devices, they needed dozens of studies just to establish the biocompatibility of different plastics and the safety of their lighting. They even tested packaging to measure shelf life and shipping durability. “It’s almost an extension of what we did as kids,” Arman says. “Playing, exploring, building stuff, getting a team together, seeing what happens, going into uncharted territory.” DIANE KRIEGER

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Pioneering Physician

Masako Miura ’36, MD ’41 was one of two women in the graduating class of 1941 at USC’s medical school. When Masako Kusayanagi Miura graduated in 1941 from what was then called the USC School of Medicine, the certificate she received congratulated “him” on “his” accomplishment. Since she was one of only two women getting a medical degree alongside 45 men, she brushed it off as an honest mistake. Miura, who celebrated her 100th birthday on June 29, might be the oldest living alumna of what’s now known as the Keck School of Medicine of USC—and possibly its most humble. “I guess I got in because I got pretty good grades,” says Miura, who also was an undergraduate at USC. “Pretty good grades” is her modest way of saying she graduated Phi Beta Kappa in chemistry in 1936. Medicine appealed to

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her desire to help people in distress. At the time, it was far more common for health-minded women to attend nursing school, but being a physician appealed to Miura because she likes being in charge. “It seemed to me the doctors had more say-so, and that was what I wanted,” she says. These days Miura looks back fondly on medical school. Her studies were challenging but interesting and she fit in well in the male-dominated classrooms. “I made a lot of friends,” she says. A far bigger personal and professional challenge came soon after she graduated from medical school. She had barely started her residency at Los Angeles County General (now known as LAC+USC Medical Center) when the United States entered World War II after Japan’s strike on Pearl Harbor. She and her then-husband, James Goto, a fellow USC medical school graduate she met while both were students, were sent to an internment camp for Japanese-Americans. They ran the hospital at

Manzanar, a camp in California’s Owens Valley, with five other doctors, all JapaneseAmerican internees. More than 10,000 people were crowded into the camp’s barracks. “We were always working,” Miura remembers. The physicians dealt with every kind of illness and injury, from simple colds to the gunshot wounds many of internees suffered during Manzanar’s riots. For what she says was the most difficult assignment of her career, she and the other doctors were paid $19 a month. Miura and Goto were transferred to a camp in Topaz, Utah, in 1943. At the close of the war, they returned to Los Angeles to run a medical practice in Little Tokyo. “They let people pay them however they could—boxes of celery or a bag of peaches,” recalls Miura’s daughter, Denise Kodani ’60, PharmD ’67. Most of their patients also were Japanese-Americans just released from internment. After many years in private practice in general medicine, Miura decided to specialize in dermatology. She continued

working almost until her 80th birthday. Kodani adds that Miura has never boasted about her professional achievements, but she has always been proud of her affiliation with USC. In part because of her mother’s prodding, Kodani also attended USC, first as an undergraduate and then again for pharmacy school. Kodani says one of her mother’s favorite rituals is making the pilgrimage from her home in Watsonville, California, to USC for Half Century Trojans functions at least once a year. Stepping onto campus again, more than eight decades since she did so for the first time as a freshman, remains a thrill for Miura, and she still thrusts her fingers skyward in a victory salute every time she hears the first note of “Fight On.” “She loves being a Trojan,” Kodani says, “and even though she’s humble about it, she loves being a doctor.” HOPE HAMASHIGE

spring 2015

LITTLE TOKYO PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION; MIURA PHOTO COURTESY OF MASAKO MIURA

Little Tokyo, seen here in the early 1940s, was home to Masako Miura’s office after the war.

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Byers ’03 (MUS), members of the Calder Quartet, a string quartet formed at the USC Thornton School of Music, kicked off their two-year residency in October at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, California.

Neil Sadhu ’00 (SCA), creative lead at advertising agency interTrend Communications and co-chair of the Writers Guild of America Asian American Writers Committee, won an Effie Award for his work on Away We Happened. The romantic comedy Web series, presented by AT&T and Wong Fu Productions, has more than 13 million YouTube views. The Effie Awards honor the most effective ideas in marketing communications.

joining CPSE, Bassi-Turner served as the director of finance and administration for the International Accreditation Service, where she also managed the fire and life safety department and building department accreditation programs. She previously worked for the city of Anaheim, California, and the California State Assembly.

Georgia Lorenz PhD ’02 (EDU) was appointed vice president of academic affairs at Santa Monica College in July. She was formerly associate director of the USC Rossier School of Education’s Center for Urban Education.

Matt Dalton ’01, EdD ’09 (EDU) was recently promoted to principal at Toll Middle School in Glendale, California. He has spent the past seven years at Toll Middle School as a teacher, teacher specialist and then assistant principal.

Norm Brennan MS ’03 (EDU) was named 2014 California State Science Fair Teacher of the Year by the California Science Center Foundation. The award is given to the science teacher who has been most inspirational to middle school and high school students by encouraging them to develop a science fair project and pursue a science career.

Benjamin Jacobson ’01, MM ’07 (MUS), Andrew Bulbrook ’02 (LAS), Jonathan Moerschel ’01, MM ’03 (MUS) and Eric

Preet Bassi-Turner MPA ’04 (SPP) was appointed CEO of the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) Inc. Prior to

Marion Pyle MA ’04 (SCJ) released the book Healed, Healthy and Whole: How We Beat Cancer with Integrative Therapies and Essential Healing Strategies, inspired by her husband’s battle with cancer. Alexia Tsotsis ’04 (LAS) is the co-editor of TechCrunch, where she covers young companies. Prior to joining TechCrunch in 2010, she served as LA Weekly’s Internet culture reporter and San Francisco Weekly’s Web editor. In 2011, she made Forbes’ “30 Under 30: Rising Stars of Media” list. Jeff Welcher MS ’04 (SCJ) of Rochester, New York, was among the honorees to re-

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ceive the Rochester Business Journal ’s “Forty Under 40” award for demonstrating leadership in the workplace and the community. Welcher is an account consultant at BeneCare Agency, a benefits advocate for more than 6,100 employer groups. Justin Arana ’05 (LAS) directed and starred in My Name Is Water, produced by actress-filmmaker Sharon Stone. The documentary, which chronicles Arana’s efforts to bring clean water to Mozambique, was an opening film at the Hollywood Film Festival.

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Ryan Cornner MSW ’06, EdD ’10 (EDU) is associate vice president of strategic planning and innovation at Pasadena City College. He is responsible for guiding the college through planning processes that maximize student success and reward innovative practices.

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Ayesha Dixon MSMPA ’10 (SPP), MS ’12 (GRN) was recently promoted to manager with the Alzheimer’s Association, California Southland Chapter.

John Storie ’06 (MUS) was featured twice in The New York Times for his performances with actor Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Jazz Orchestra at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan. The New York Post and Wall Street Journal also wrote favorable reviews of the show. A founding member of the New West Guitar Group, Storie has gained recognition as a noted jazz guitarist and active contributor to the jazz and classical music community.

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Sukrutha Bhadouria MS ’07 (ENG) was recently named one of the “30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Tech” by

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Alex Cherniss EdD ’08 (EDU) was recently named superintendent of the San Marino Unified School District in San Marino, California.

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John Storie

Austin Wintory ’07 (MUS) conducted the orchestra of The Third Estate in October in a concert titled Mythos, a showcase of great music across modern orchestral genres, including modern concert works, video games, TV and film. All of the music was composed in the last several years and was performed without pause.

Ryan Lerman ’09 (MUS) is the music director and guitarist for Grammy Award-winning artist John Legend’s All of Me tour.

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Dina Gachman MFA ’07 (SCA) published her first book, Brokenomics: 50 Ways to Live the Dream on a Dime, in March.

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Grissel Granados MSW ’10 (SSW), an expert on perinatal HIV transmission, has been appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). PACHA provides advice, information and recommendations to the White House on programs and policies to promote the prevention of HIV disease, and to advance research on HIV/AIDS. She is also an HIV testing coordinator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Lui Hokoana EdD ’10 (EDU) has been appointed chancellor of the University of Hawaii Maui College. He started his career at the University of Hawaii (UH) in 1991 and has served as the vice chancellor for student affairs at UH West Oahu, associate vice president for student affairs for the spring 2015

PHOTO BY DARIO GRIFFIN

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Business Insider. She is a senior member of the technical staff at Salesforce as well as the managing director of the Bay Area’s popular Girl Geek Dinners.

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Got Camel’s Milk?

PHOTO BY EMIL KARA

An enterprising USC Marshall alum finds a unique niche at the intersection of food, health and Amish farming.

Let’s state for the record that Walid Abdul-Wahab ’13 is not Amish. His company publicity photo shows him in a field sporting Amish-appropriate attire (a straw hat, suspenders and a mustache-less beard), but it’s simply a reflection of his close ties to the Plain community: The Middle Eastern-originated beverage he markets comes from Amish and Mennonite family farms scattered across the American heartland. Asked if his beard is a marketing gimmick, the 22-year-old Abdul-Wahab smiles sheepishly: “No, no. I’ve always had that. I’m a Muslim.” Raised in Saudi Arabia, the USC-educated entrepreneur is founder of Desert Farms, America’s first retail distributor of camel’s milk. Sold by roadside camel herders in the Middle East, camel’s milk is gaining traction in America among health-conscious consumers looking for cow’s milk alternative. The Wall Street Journal even declared camel’s milk the

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new “it” drink. Low in fat, camel’s milk tastes similar to cow’s milk, with a saltier finish. An Indian research center has linked it to improved wound healing and healthier response to blood sugar in patients with diabetes. Though it’s scientifically unproven, some believe it might help people with neurological disorders—which explains why about 90 percent of Desert Farms’ customers are the parents of children with autism. “It keeps me going all day,” adds Abdul-Wahab, who downs a 16-ounce bottle every morning. “I don’t know how to explain it. But when a Bedouin goes into the desert, he sustains himself purely on camel milk.” The idea for Desert Farms sprouted from Abdul-Wahab’s marketing class at USC Marshall School of Business and was refined in his financial entrepreneurship course. His senior year, it earned him the school’s prestigious Marcia Israel Award for entrepreneurship. The USC

Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies helped launch the fledgling business through its AIM accelerator program last summer, providing downtown office space and alumni mentoring. Less than a year since launching, Abdul-Wahab ships about 6,000 bottles a week milked from Amish-owned camels in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Missouri to people and retailers around the country. In California, Desert Farms products sit alongside bottles of raw juices and coconut water in more than 100 retail locations including Whole Foods, Lassens and Rainbow Groceries. Sold as milk or kefir, raw or gently pasteurized, fresh or frozen, Desert Farms’ products run $16 to $18 a pint. Sales are expected to reach $200,000 by year’s end, and the company is growing. Abdul-Wahab, who favors paid interns, many of them USC students, hopes to have 10 staffers on board soon. Desert Farms’ biggest shareholder is the founder’s father,

a successful steel mill owner in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. What does Dad think of his entrepreneurial son? “He always makes fun of me,” says the younger AbdulWahab, the second of five children. “He says, ‘I sent you to USC to study finance, and now you’re a farmer!’ But when I was featured on the Wall Street Journal website, he was very happy.” Non-perishable and long shelf-life products are an important hedge against the vicissitudes of camel milk production. Last fall, Abdul-Wahab introduced a line of camel-milk soaps. Powdered camel milk, ice cream and chocolates are coming soon, he says. As for the future, AbdulWahab is inspired by Dubai, where camel products run the gamut from cream to cheese. They even have a camel-milk signature coffee, he says: “They call it camel-ccino.” DIANE KRIEGER

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It’s not just travel. It’s Trojan Travel. Pare down your bucket list with a classic African safari in Botswana. Thrill to Victoria Falls, wildlife’s “Big Five,” stunning landscapes and more, while enjoying all the advantages offered by USC’s affinity-travel experts. Or choose from nearly 40 other group-travel adventures, including exotic Indonesia, Russia’s far north, Patagonia’s fords and the holiday markets of central Europe. Plus, we now offer complete travel health services through Passport Health. Visit trojantravel.usc.edu or call (213) 821-6005 for more information and to book your next Trojan Travel adventure.

ALUMNI.USC.EDU | ALUMNI@USC.EDU | TEL: 213 740 2300

family class notes

Obituaries of members of the Trojan Family appear online at tfm.usc. edu/memoriam.

UH System and vice chancellor of student affairs at Windward Community College. Kamala Kirk ’11 (SCJ) is the new director of marketing and communication for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. She was also recently appointed by the mayor to the Los Angeles Board of Neighborhood Commissioners. Peter Lancellotti ’11 (GRN) launched Seniors Helping Seniors/West Los Angeles, a franchise agency specializing in providing in-home supportive services to seniors and those recovering from health conditions. He hired fellow Trojan Wendy Goldman MSMBA ’95 (GRN) as marketing director.

Scarlett Adams ’70 (ART), ’72 (LAS) and Bill Adams ’69 (BUS).

Julia Adolphe MM ’12 (MUS) had her musical piece “Dark Sand, Sifting Light” performed by the New York Philharmonic. The piece was inspired by her experiences living in a city.

B I R T H S

Jane Rosenthal EdD ’12 (EDU) was recently named as an assistant dean of the School of Applied Life Sciences at the Keck Graduate Institute at Claremont Colleges in Claremont, California. As assistant dean, she heads several initiatives in active learning, student engagement, academic success and assessment, including work on accreditation, faculty development and institutional effectiveness teams.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE GALPIN FAMILY AND THE KAKEHASHI FAMILY

Erin Sullivan Maynes PhD ’14 (LAS) has joined the University of San Diego as curator for the Hoehn Family Galleries. Maynes has also worked at projects at the Getty Research Institute, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Smith College Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Jay Roth ’12 (BUS) and Sean Nasiri ’12 (BUS) launched GenYrator.com, an equity crowdfunding platform that aims to accelerate the businesses of Gen Y entrepreneurs.

M A R R I A G E S

Jaime Lee ’06 (LAS), JD ’09 (LAW) and Matt Cheesebro MS ’09 (ENG).

Rebekah (Sick) Olkowski ’09 (LAS) and Gary Olkowski, twin sons, Darin James and David William. They are nephews of Kellen Sick ’06 (ENG) and Sarah (Santos) Sick. I N

tfm.usc.edu

Herman H. Reece DDS ’46 (DEN) of Palm Desert, California; July 14, 2014, at the age of 93.

M E M O R I A M

A LU M N I Arthur P. Adamson ’41 (ENG) of Cincinnati; May 3, 2014, at the age of 95.

Nathan Graeser MSW ’13 (SSW), an Army National Guard chaplain, was recognized as an emerging faith leader in Los Angeles by the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture. He worked at the USC School of Social Work’s Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families, administering the Los Angeles Veterans Collaborative to identify and resolve local veterans’ needs. Andrew Lowy MM ’13 (MUS) was recently awarded the position of second E-flat clarinet with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

ceremony in 1942 due to being drafted in the U.S. military, Kakehashi was honored in 2012 along with other Trojan Nisei (a term used to describe second-generation Japanese-Americans) whose studies at USC were interrupted by World War II. Seventy years after the forced internment of Japanese-American citizens and nationals in camps during the war, USC invited the Trojan Nisei to receive honorary degrees at a special reception after the university’s 2012 commencement ceremonies. The Trojan Nisei, including the nine in attendance, were praised by university leaders for “embodying those supreme Trojan virtues of courage, faithfulness and loyalty.” Three of Kakehashi’s fellow Trojan Nisei, Kody Kodama, George Mio and Hitoshi Sameshima, also recently passed away. Kakehashi was preceded in death by his wife, Chiyo. He is survived by his children, Kathi, Burton (Ruth), Amy (Paul Pederson) and Suzy ( John Swanton); and grandchildren, Michelle, Austin, Elise and Nicole.

Barbara Taft “Bobbie” Galpin

George Kakehashi

George Kakehashi ’42 (LAS) of Gardena, California, died Oct. 19, 2014, at the age of 96. Unable to attend his graduation

Barbara Taft “Bobbie” Galpin ’47 (BUS) of San Marino, California, died Sept. 11, 2014, at the age of 89. Galpin, daughter of Mabel and Harold Taft, grew up in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles and graduated from John Marshall High School. She was a third-generation Trojan and a secondgeneration Delta Gamma at USC, where she met her husband, Kennedy Galpin. With her upbeat personality and ability to inspire others, she had a long usc trojan family

The USC Alumni Association proudly announces the

82nd annual usc alumni awards Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award MA RK ST E V E N S ’8 1, MS ’8 4 Special limited partner and former managing partner at Sequoia Capital

Alumni Merit Awards CURT I S C ON WAY ’9 4 Former NFL wide receiver and current PAC-12 Network studio analyst

DAL I L A C O RRA L LYO N S ’8 1 Los Angeles County Superior Court judge

DIC K RA N T E V RI ZI A N ’ 6 2 , JD ’ 6 5 First Armenian-American federal judge in U.S. history

Young Alumni Merit Award LIZE T T E SA L A S ’ 11 LPGA professional golfer

Alumni Service Awards J O A N N E ROGE RS ’ 6 0 Former Alumnae Coordinating Council chair GE O RGE STON E MA N MD ’ 6 5 Former president and current member of the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Salerni Collegium Alumni Association

Honorary Alumni Award LE O & I V Y C HU Distinguished advocates for USC’s global reach in the Pacific Rim

ALUMNI.USC.EDU | ALUMNI@USC.EDU | TEL: 213 740 2300

Saturday, April 25, 2015 The Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles

family class notes

PHOTO BY PHILIP CHANNING

legacy of leadership. She chaired the first Senior Citizens’ Day for the Pasadena Assistance League, Grad Night for San Marino High School and the Children’s Festival for the Blue Ribbon of the LA Music Center. She served as benefit chairwoman and president of the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee, Luminaires of the Estelle Doheny Eye Foundation, the Pasadena Guild of Children’s Hospital and Achievement Rewards for College Scientists. Galpin is best remembered for her work at USC, where she chaired and served as president of eight organizations: the Trojan League of Los Angeles, the Association of Trojan Leagues, USC Centennial Celebration, the first USC Women’s Day, Town and Gown, USC Associates, USC Women of Troy and, for the last decade, the USC Athletic Hall of Fame. She received the Woman of the Year award from the Trojan Junior Auxiliary, the Service Award from the USC General Alumni Association, and the Arnold Eddy Service Award from the Skull and Dagger honor society. An arts patron, she supported many cultural institutions, including the Los Angeles Music Center and the LA County Museum of Art. She served on the Board of Councilors for USC’s medical school and the advisory board for the University Hospital Guild. She was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, who died in 1992, and her son, Christopher Lane Galpin, who passed away on May 11. She is survived by her daughter, Cinda Hoeven; three grandchildren, Hilary Hoeven Carlson (David), Drew Christopher Hoeven ( Jaime) and Chasen Kennedy Hoeven; three greatgranddaughters, Hadley Ryan Hoeven, Avery Payton Hoeven and Caitlyn Jean Carlson; and a great-grandson on the way.

Darell Brown MS ’71 (BUS) of Bemidji, Minnesota; Aug. 10, 2014, at the age of 77.

L E G E N D

Randal “Randy” Lawson MM ’71 (MUS) of Santa Monica, California; Aug. 19, 2014, at the age of 66.

LAS

Nien-Ling Wacker MS ’73 (LAS) of Long Beach, California; Oct. 19, 2014, at the age of 70. Graeme Wilson MA ’81 (LAS) of Pretoria, South Africa; Sept. 2, 2014, at the age of 60. Matthew A. Schmitmeyer ’14 (ENG) of Dallas; Dec. 30, 2014, at the age of 23. FA C U LT Y, S TA F F & F R I E N D S Kody Kodama of Rancho Mirage, California; Oct. 15, 2013, at the age of 91. Carry (Kalman) William Levine of Kansas City, Missouri; Nov. 18, 2014, at the age of 55. María Elena Martínez-López of Los Angeles; Nov. 16, 2014, at the age of 47. George Mio of Wilmington, California; May 17, 2014, at the age of 92. Kenneth B. Noble of Gainesville, Florida; July 17, 2014, at the age of 60.

ACC ARC BUS SCA SCJ DNC DEN DRA EDU ENG ART GRN LAW LIB MED MUS OST PHM BPT SPP SSW

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences USC Leventhal School of Accounting USC School of Architecture USC Marshall School of Business USC School of Cinematic Arts USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism USC Kaufman School of Dance Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC USC School of Dramatic Arts USC Rossier School of Education USC Viterbi School of Engineering USC Roski School of Art and Design USC Davis School of Gerontology USC Gould School of Law USC Libraries Keck School of Medicine of USC USC Thornton School of Music USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy USC School of Pharmacy Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy USC Price School of Public Policy USC School of Social Work

Oswaldo Abreu, Susan Bell, Kristin Borella, Matt DeGrushe, Wendy Gragg, Maya Meinert, James Morse, Jane Ong, Kristi Patton, Kathleen Rayburn and Mara Simon-Meyer contributed to this section.

Richard Perry of Riverside, Calif.; Oct. 19, 2014, at the age of 85. Hitoshi Sameshima of Altadena, California; May 15, 2014, at the age of 92. Marvin S. Stone of Rancho Palos Verdes, California; Sept. 11, 2014, at the age of 74.

Ronald Edward Burbank ’51 (BUS) of Grass Valley, California; Aug. 15, 2014, at the age of 85. William H. (Bill) Sutton ’56 (ENG) of Los Angeles; June 3, 2014, at the age of 84. Ted Ehring ’55, MS ’57 (LAS) of Pismo Beach, California; Sept. 3, 2014, at the age of 84. tfm.usc.edu

usc trojan family

family q & a

Send your questions or memories to Ask Tommy at magazines@usc.edu. Include your name, degree, class year and a way to contact you. Questions may be edited for space.

Questions and answers with Tommy Trojan Dear Readers,

What is it about spring that always puts a little extra crackle in the air and energy in my step? Maybe it’s the smell of freshly mown grass and the feel of my well-worn baseball mitt as we head into another great Trojan baseball season. And with the return of warmer weather and longer days, there’s always the extra hour to toss a Frisbee on McCarthy Quad or relax with an iced tea on the sunny patio at Tutor Campus Center. Maybe it’s that finals and Commencement are right around the corner. Every day the anticipation seems to grow as our seniors and departing grad students turn their attention to life beyond campus. Or maybe spring is all about that most heady and potent of forces: love. In the Summer 2014 issue of USC Trojan Family Magazine, I wanted to hear your stories about how your Trojan romance bloomed at USC. Here are some of your responses. The year was 1946, when a great influx of veterans were returning from World War II. I was a freshman at Alpha Delta Pi’s first social meeting with the boys at Kappa Alpha. My partner was Ray, a boy from my Man and Civilization class. Suddenly a big, goodlooking fellow tapped him on the shoulder and cut in. Ray responded, “Well, since you’re the president, OK.” My new dance partner, Frank, had just returned to ’SC after serving as a pilot in the Naval Air Corps. I was swept off my feet! Just after graduation, we were married. That happy union lasted 62 years! A N N E R O S E S N Y D ER ’49 (married F RANK B. S NYDER ’48, JD ’49, ME ’59) My husband, Gary, and I met in fall 1985 when I joined the Army ROTC program. Within the first few weeks I knew he was the one when I kept introducing him as my husband. We dated all through our time at USC

usc trojan family

and married two weeks after my graduation. We have been married 25 years this past May. We keep the USC spirit alive in Ohio by hanging our ’SC flag out every fall and utilizing our USC clothing and chairs at local events. We constantly get comments from the locals about our school. M A RT H A (G A RRI C K ) E RA ’89 (married to G A RY E RA ’88) Back in 1993, we used to have a little convenience store in the basement of the bookstore. I would go in every morning hoping “the cute guy” was working there. This went on for months and then all of a sudden he wasn’t there anymore. I thought I had missed my chance, but he showed up at a sorority formal with a friend of mine. We danced once and then I had to head out. Luckily, the following year I spotted him at 28th Street and, as he tells it, I went “climbing over tables and chairs to talk to him.” We’ve now been together for 20 years, married for 14 of them. We have two future Trojans and

Read more stories of Trojan romance at bit.ly/ TrojanRomance or follow #TrojanLoveStory on social media.

a dog named Rosebowl. Thank you, USC and the Trojan Family, for helping us make a little Trojan family of our own. K A RI H U RL E Y ’95, ME ’00 (married to C H RI S H U RL E Y ’95)

Dear Readers,

Though Commencement is always a bittersweet time of year for me as students leave USC and close a chapter in their lives, one thing always cheers me up: welcoming a new class of freshmen into the Trojan Family a few months later. Looking back on your own time in college, do you have advice for our incoming Class of 2019? What would you have done differently? Share your thoughts and memories at magazines@usc.edu and you might see your letter in an upcoming issue.

spring 2015

PHOTO BY HELEN RUSHBROOK

Ask Tommy

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