we are resilient
As we bid farewell to a year of unprecedented challenges, I want to thank all of you — our extended USC Dornsife community — for your empathy, compassion and support. The holidays have always been a time when traditions are celebrated, and this year it is the Trojan Family’s tradition of resilience that is helping us move forward together toward a brighter 2021. I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well during the holiday season.
Amber D. Miller Dean of USC Dornsife Anna H. Bing Dean’s Chair
RISING FROM THE ASHES: A SYMBOL OF RESILIENCE he phoenix has symbolized regeneration and resilience for thousands of years, dating back to antiquity, when it was revered by ancient Egyptians and Greeks, according to John Pollini, USC Associates Professor in Art History and professor of art history and history. It was said that every 500 years the phoenix would fly to a nest in a palm tree — itself a symbol of immortality — and self-immolate, and from the ashes a new phoenix would emerge, reborn.
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FIGHTING ON SINCE 1880 ant a model for resiliency? Look no further than USC, which has adapted and thrived through world wars, pandemics, a great recession and depression, and civil uprisings across its 140-year history. “Some of the most interesting forms of resilience are seizing the most unexpected moment to make something of it that wasn’t there before,” says Professor of Philosophy Mark Schroeder.
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any Americans are consuming inadequate amounts of vitamins, such as A, C, D and E, which help build a resilient immune system. Luckily, says Grayson Jaggers, assistant professor (teaching) of biological sciences, our favorite autumnal foods can help. Try pumpkin, squash and spinach for vitamins C and E, eggs for vitamin D, and a slice of holiday turkey or roast beef for vitamin A.
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1. Tackle a stressful situation in small parts, the most manageable first. Celebrate even small wins.
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arine microbes may have two ways to survive climate change, according to research led by Naomi Levine, assistant professor of biological sciences and Earth sciences. Some evolve quickly, adapting to changing conditions on the fly, while others lay low, waiting for conditions to stabilize. “It’s like a tortoise and hare comparison, two different strategies to finishing the race,” she said.
hen faced with adversity, resilience is a skill that can be learned and practiced, says Beth Meyerowitz, professor of psychology and preventive medicine.
She shares five tips to remain resilient:
2. Stay in touch with the important people in your life. Positive social support is an important component of resilience.
3. Be kind and helpful to others and to yourself. Expressing kindness and offering help makes us feel better. Extend this kindness to yourself, too. PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN AND NOÉ SARDET
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE his beloved film can be interpreted as an enduring tale of resilience. George Bailey nurtures ambitions to travel the world, yet life intervenes to keep him in his small hometown of Bedford Falls. George sacrifices his own dreams to help realize the dreams of others, showing resilience in overcoming disappointments and setbacks and fighting the avaricious Henry Potter, to create not only his own “wonderful life,” but a wonderful life for the good people of Bedford Falls. When George loses that resilience and life seems so hopeless that he contemplates suicide, he regains it, with the help of Clarence, his guardian angel. “The film satisfies both urges — the desire for personal change and the fear of it,” says University Professor and Professor of English, Art History and History Leo Braudy. “I think of it as a Jekyll and Hyde film, which mirrors both optimism and pessimism about the postwar world.”
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esilience in a material is important to engineers, who calculate it using the mathematical formula . “The resilience here is in a technical sense,” says Kenneth Alexander, professor of mathematics, referring to the material’s ability to absorb energy when it is deformed elastically. Resilience (μ) depends on both the maximum stress the material can take before deforming ( 1) and the material’s rigidity (E).
4. Find safe ways to increase the fun and joy in daily life. Resilience also means enhancing the positive aspects of life.
5. Focus on your core values and principles. Maintain your goals and sense of purpose in life.
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), anti-apartheid leader and philanthropist, former president of South Africa
PHOTO BY KARL E. HUGGINS
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isit the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Santa Catalina Island and you will likely spot tiny Catalina Island Foxes with oversized ears and auburn and gray coats. They appear to overrun the island, though just 25 years ago they teetered on the brink of extinction. After conservation efforts, the adorable canids are thriving. USC Dornsife researchers have studied their genetics to better understand what contributes to a species’ resilience.
University of Southern California dornsife.usc.edu