Trojan Family Magazine Winter 2010 by University of Southern California

USC

PUBLISH ED BY TH E UN IVERSITY O F SO UTH ERN CALIFO RN IA

VO LUM E 42

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WI NTER 2010

Tr o j a nFa mi l yMag az i ne

Ur ban Educat i on Meet s t heDi gi t al Age PAGE28

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Teach It Forward

Play a key role in mentoring our next generation of great teachers

Connecting the dots…and the teachers. The MAT@USC, our trailblazing Master of Arts in Teaching program delivered online, places student teachers into faculty-monitored, hands-on classroom experiences in schools around the world. Because of the extraordinary demand and growth of our program, we now need to vastly expand our global network of mentorship-placement schools and teachers that meet the high standards of the USC Rossier School of Education. If you have personal or professional ties to an outstanding school and would like to play a role in mentoring the next generation of great USC-educated teachers, we’d love for you to introduce us. If a family member, friend or business acquaintance is a superintendent, administrator, or teacher anywhere in the US or around the world, we’d love for you to introduce us. In doing so, you will be playing a meaningful role in shaping communities, schools, teachers and, most importantly, the future generations of students across the country.

The Trojan Family network is strong. Fight On, and help us Teach It Forward!

“

I was extremely happy to ﬁnd an innovative program from such a prestigious university that incorporates new research, technology, and ﬁrst class professors. I was delighted to be accepted and be part of the “new wave” of teachers who get the best hands-on training available. Sigrid Wilson, Waikoloa, HI

To recommend a school district, charter management organization, school, administrator or teacher that you think should be part of our mentorship-placement program, please let us know at mat.usc.edu/mentor or 1-888-878-5370 x125.

mat.usc.edu/mentor Recently awarded the Best Practices Award for Innovative Use of Technology by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). ©2010 USC Rossier School of Education. All rights reserved.

Inside FEATURES

22 The Destined Reign of Troy A phrase from Virgil’s Aeneid (also etched on the base of Tommy Trojan) is the president’s inaugural theme. By C. L. Max Nikias

28 Urban Education Meets

the Digital Age

One hundred years young, the USC Rossier School of Education has reinvented itself in the new century. By Diane Krieger

36 Reaching Toward the

Fountain of Youth

USC gerontologists say that exposing false remedies can be as important as discovering true breakthroughs. By Carl Marziali

44 Restoring Form and

Function

›› PAGE 36 Caleb Finch: “Future benefits of longevity may be limited to a very small privileged group of people.”

USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery helps cancer patients recover. By Katie Neith

›› PAGE 22 “We can indeed be a new Rome for

the Age of the Pacific. It was said, ‘A thousand roads all lead to Rome.’ And in the coming years all roads will lead to Southern California and a great university that sits at its center.” – USC President C. L. Max Nikias, in his stirring inaugural address that is reprinted here in full, with behind-the-scenes photographs.

USC Trojan Family Magazine Winter ’10 Published by the University of Southern California Volume 42 Number 4

Warren Bennis

›› PAGE 15

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Winter 2o1o

COLUMNS

4 Editor’s Note 5 President’s Page Alumni are key to USC’s next transformation, the new president writes, and so is the ancient legend of Prometheus. 64 Last Word After reading Bozo’s biography (Larry Harmon ‘50), we couldn’t stop thinking about clowns.

Edward Rhodes

›› PAGE 17 16 Lab Work USC neuroscientists untangle the wiring of the brain using a new method for tracing brain circuits; why your body thinks fizzy drinks are spicy. 18 Shelf Life Aimee Bender’s latest novel is a tart slice of feelings, not flavors; bandleader Art Bartner’s 40 years of climbing the ladder; USC’s fountains and flourishes.

DEPARTMENTS

6 Mailbag Pats, pans and other observations and opinions from readers.

››

PAGE 13 Barack Obama: “Political groups with innocuous names like ‘Mothers for Motherhood’ spend millions without disclosing donors. The trend is a threat not only to Democrats, it’s a threat to our democracy.”

10 What’s New Two $50 million gifts electrify the inauguration; the Ronald Tutor Campus Center opens; Barack Obama crams for his midterms on campus; U.S. News & World Report gives USC its highest ranking ever. 14 People Watch Elyn Saks uses her “genius grant” for mental health policy; rocker Steve Miller, the Space Cowboy, is now a professor.

20 Arts & Culture USC architecture students and colleagues in Egypt meet in Second Life – and in real life; a Chicano literary festival has a second life of its own. 48 Family Ties Champagne flows as the USC Alumni Association opens the Epstein Family Alumni Center; a 125-year timeline for the association’s sesquicentennial. 53 Class Notes Who’s doing what and where. On the cover: USC Rossier School of Education Dean Karen Symms Gallagher Photo by Mark Berndt, chalkboard illustration by George Bates

For past issues of USC Trojan Family Magazine, visit www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

[ EDITOR’S NOTE ]

Hold on to Your Hats

To give you an idea of what to expect from USC during the Nikias presidency, I’d like to share the announcements posted on the home page of USC Web (www.usc.edu) in the weeks after his inauguration in October. First was the opening of a new center in Marina del Rey that will house the Institute for Creative Technologies (the folks who created the software that animated Avatar, among many

USC

Trojan Family Magazine EDITOR

Susan Heitman ART DIRECTOR

Rick Simner

other accomplishments), followed by the opening of

SENIOR EDITORS

the new Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Re-

Allison Engel Diane Krieger

generative Medicine and Stem Cell Research on the CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Health Sciences campus (Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut the ribbon), the announcement by athletic director Pat Haden of plans to build a new $70 million athletic facility adjacent to Heritage Hall, the receipt of a $50 million leadership gift from the Annenberg Foundation for a new building for the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism (named in honor of Wallis Annenberg, USC’s longest-serving trustee), and another $50 million gift from trustee and alumnus Ming Hsieh to fund the USC Ming Hsieh Institute for Research on Engineering-Medicine for Cancer (helping bridge the gap between the laboratory and patient care). You’ll ﬁnd more information on some of these announcements in this issue; others came too late

Susan Andrews, Andrea Bennett Alex Boekelheide, Mary Bruce Ariel Carpenter, Talia Cohen Mel Cowan, Lori Craig Jackson DeMos, Bill Dotson Beth Dunham, Kevin Durkin James Grant, Richard Hoops Pamela J. Johnson, Timothy O. Knight Ross M. Levine, Meghan Lewit Sam Lopez, Eric Mankin, Carl Marziali Cynthia Monticue, Annette Moore Laurie Moore, Jon Nalick Katie Neith, Eddie North-Hager Justin Pierce, Sara Reeve Leslie Ridgeway, Shirley S. Shin Gilien Silsby, Kukla Vera, Suzanne Wu

to meet our deadline, and I expect that even more will emerge in the coming months. The best way ACTING MANAGING EDITOR

to keep up with the changes is through USC’s Web site – which has been given a major face-lift and reorganization, also at the instigation of our new president.

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Finally, on a personal note, this is the ﬁnal issue of USC Trojan Family Magazine under my editorial direction. After 28 years spent telling the stories of this amazing university, I am retiring from USC at the end of December. It’s been a privilege to be a part of USC during these transformative years, and I look forward to following the continuing achievements from afar. – Susan Heitman

Please attach your current mailing label and send to: USC Trojan Family Magazine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-7790. Or e-mail us at: magazines@usc.edu

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USC Trojan Family Magazine University of Southern California Los Angeles, California 90089-7790 tel: (213) 740-2684 / fax: (213) 821-1100 e-mail: magazines@usc.edu web: www.usc.edu/trojan_family USC Trojan Family Magazine (ISSN 8750-7927) is published four times a year, in March, June, September and December, by the University of Southern California, Ofﬁce of University Communications, 3375 S. Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA 90089-7790.

President’s Page By C. L. Max Nikias

My formal installation as president of USC came exactly

74 days after I officially took office. Of course, I’ve had the benefit of 19 years at USC – as a member of the faculty, the director of a research center, a dean and then provost. This experience gave me a tremendous running start as president, enabling me quickly to bring feet-on-the-ground insight into the needs and strengths of the university, what our priorities should be,

PHOTO BY STEVE COHN

C. L. Max Nikias

how we are going to achieve our ambitions, and who is going to help us accelerate our pace. When that special morning arrived, I knew the inauguration ceremony would do what public rituals are intended to do, and that is lend gravity and solemnity to an important moment in life – both my own life and the life of USC. But more than impressing on me the significance of my obligations to this university, the ceremony impressed me with the greatness of the Trojan Family. Everyone gathered – the trustees, faculty, students, alumni, staff, parents, friends and neighbors – to affirm their shared commitment to USC. It was clear that we were all linking arms as members of the Trojan Family to advance this university – idea by idea, brick by brick, goal by goal, gift by gift. All of us were standing in a long, unbroken line that stretched back to the university’s founding in 1880 and forward to future generations, collectively working to realize the potential of this university. With every generation, USC has been a place that fulfills new hopes and dreams. Each year, new programs and disciplines are added, new structures are erected, and new students set out on their voyage of intellectual, creative and personal discovery. At this stage of its evolution, I see USC as a place of even greater promise. We have not yet achieved what we can and should become as a university. I am confident that – led by

new hopes and dreams – our most significant achievements are yet to come. Our alumni are key to USC’s next transformation. Because alumni have a real stake in the vitality of this university, as well as in its preeminence among the world’s leading universities, you are well equipped to help USC achieve its goals. And, as your president, I need your support and inspiration. All of the printed materials connected with the inauguration – from invitations and banners to a keepsake bookmark – feature a stylized flame. I chose this motif personally. Why? One of my favorite ancient stories is the legend of Prometheus, the Titan who stole fire from the gods and brought it to humanity, thereby enabling mortals to move from darkness to light, from ignorance to the illumination of civilization’s great gifts of the arts, the sciences and the professions. I believe that a great research university like USC has a role to play as a second Prometheus. Through our research and innovation, through our affirmation of humane values, through lively teaching and interaction, and through encounters with new ideas and new people, we are capturing and carrying forward life-giving and enlivening fire. The flame symbolizes the rekindling of timeless truths and the kindling of new ways of thinking and doing. I am eager to ignite this new fire. Our board chairman, Ed Roski, issued a charge to me at my installation. “Lead the university wisely and well,” he said. “Serve it with dignity and integrity, exercising both your mind and your heart in building it up for this generation and for those generations that follow.” I have accepted that charge with sincerity and joy, and I hope that someday when I look back at the fires USC kindled during my presidency, I can say to you, our alumni, “We did it together.” ●

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Mailbag

“I am not offended by The Daily Beast statement at all. I am thrilled, I am proud and grateful for the vision, leadership and hard work that have allowed USC to be recognized as a member of the top tier of educational institutions. I’ll be doubling my donation when called.” QUOTED ››

Better than Ever While reading the letters section in the Autumn 2010 edition (Mailbag, p. 8), I was surprised to learn that an alumnus was actually offended by an observation in The Daily Beast. Touting USC as the hottest school of the decade, the article noted USC was matriculating a higher caliber of student than it once was. I can assure you, I was far from offended. I initially beamed with pride, and then a glimmer of unease crept in. You see, my son was among the 50,000-plus students vying for the roughly 8,000 spots available for fall 2010, and we were anxiously awaiting word from Admissions. I knew that USC had become a top-notch school, but I had assumed USC was the best-kept secret in academia. Upon reading the article, I realized the secret is out. I consider myself lucky to have been part of the last class to graduate from USC before President Steven Sample took over and raised the bar. I realize that I may not have been accepted to USC had I been subjected to today’s admissions standards. But that doesn’t offend me. It makes me feel grateful that I had the opportunity when I did. The value of my degree increases nonetheless. Fortunately for my family and for the Trojan Family, my son meets those higher standards. It has been said that it is every parent’s dream for his or her child to exceed the parent’s accomplishments. I am thrilled that my son made USC his ﬁrst choice over schools like Northwestern and NYU. The fact that my son and his freshmen peers are the ﬁrst class to enter USC

as it enjoys an edge over its crosstown rival in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of best colleges is icing on the cake. (Editor’s note: See news article on page 12.) Welcome to the Class of 2014. I am proud you are part of the Trojan Family and don’t mind being considered of lesser caliber than you. We’re good. You make us better. Fight on. Aimee DiGiovanni ’91 BELLEVILLE, IL

[LAST WORD]

Reader Janice Merrill ’81 was offended by The Daily Beast’s report that USC is “matriculating a completely different caliber of student than it once was.” She feels that past graduates were maligned as “lesser caliber” and inferred that we should “remember this the next time we are solicited for a donation.” USC has always been a ﬁne educational institution, but I have to agree with The Daily Beast. The bar for admission is much higher than in previous decades and the quality of faculty, instruction and physical facilities are better than ever. My son is now a second-generation, legacy biomedical engineering student at USC Viterbi and I visit him often. USC is an even better school in 2010 than it was when I attended in the 1980s. I could not be more proud or pleased regarding the improve-

Car Talk, Circa 1950

Profuse apologies, car buffs, for the absurd error in clue 3. Don’t ask how we could have identified a Pontiac as a Chrysler model. Carbon-induced Big Three amnesia, perhaps? The clue was deemed so misleading that our judges voided it in their tally. Puzzler James D. Campbell III – whose media-enriched submission came charmingly embedded with photos of each car – admitted he “struggled” with clue 3, and overall called this Last Word “interesting and challenging.” In contrast, puzzler Howard Tidwell declared it “almost too easy,” claiming we “gave it away” by mentioning the Doheny photo exhibition. (Did we forget to say it? “Ladies and gentlemen, start your search engines.”) Several Last Worders pointed out that clue 9 was overly vague, as the “forward look” and push-button automatic transmission were found in all Plymouth models by 1956. Our judges allowed any Plymouth answer. Even with clue 3 disqualified and clue 9 relaxed, 31 out of 59 entries fell short. Of the 28 correct entries, these five winners were randomly selected to receive $30 Borders gift certificates: Thomas Kenna MS ‘93; Richard I. Cole ‘63, MD ‘68; Karen Hickel Rathburn MS ‘88, PhD ‘98; Adam Williams MFA ‘07; and Sheila Griffin-Dawson ‘78. Answers ›› 1. Corvette XP-64 2. Oldsmobile Golden Rocket 3. Pontiac Club de Mer 4. Cadillac Cyclone 5. Pontiac Firebird I and II 6. Lincoln Futura 7. Ford FX-Atmos and Ford Mystère 8. Lincoln Premiere 9. Plymouth Belvedere ●

We welcome letters from readers although we do reserve the right to select and edit for space. Please include your name, address, e-mail address, degree and year of graduation, if applicable, with each letter and mail to: USC Trojan Family Magazine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-7790 or e-mail us at: magazines@usc.edu. Please note that, because of our production schedule, it might be several months before your letter appears.

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

ments our school has achieved under Steven Sample. I only hope that when my sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s child attends USC in two or three decades, he stands in awe as I do at the improvements and gains his alma mater has achieved in the years since his matriculation. No, I am not offended by The Daily Beast statement at all. I am thrilled, I am proud and I am grateful for the vision, leadership and hard work that have allowed USC to be recognized as a member of the top tier of educational institutions in this country. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be doubling my donation when called. Lauren Koch â&#x20AC;&#x2122;82 NASHVILLE, TN

I Before E I much appreciated your story about the Berlin Airlift (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Daring Young Men,â&#x20AC;? Autumn 2010, p. 33). In my high school years, 1948-50, I lived in Bremen, Germany, which was one of the airďŹ elds from which supply planes ďŹ&#x201A;ew. It was a splendid demonstration of American ingenuity, perseverance and compassion. A slight correction: The German city of Wiesbaden is spelled with â&#x20AC;&#x153;ieâ&#x20AC;? not â&#x20AC;&#x153;ei.â&#x20AC;? (It was correct four times, incorrect

three times.) I will look for author Richard Reevesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; book. David Lessley MS â&#x20AC;&#x2122;66 BURBANK, CA

I came to this country in 1967 and am old enough to remember and deeply appreciate the Berlin Airlift. I also had the distinct pleasure and privilege to know one of its pilots, the father of a very dear and longtime friend. The book from which the excerpt was drawn will be my holiday gift to her, in memory of her dad, who died almost six years ago. As a graduate of USCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school of journalism, I was surprised, however, and somewhat disturbed by the lack of prooďŹ ng on that excerpt from Richard Reevesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; book. Wiesbaden was spelled correctly twice on page 34, then misspelled three times on page 35. Needless to say, Wiesbaden, not Weisbaden, has been home to many American servicemen and women since that awful war ended. The medical facilities there continue to receive injured soldiers today. I think its name deserves to be spelled correctly. Bernhild E. Quinteroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;76, MA â&#x20AC;&#x2122;79 A LTA D E N A , C A

A very interesting, informative and enjoyable article. It brought back memories of my army service 1946 to 1949. I was serving in Korea (army of occupation) during the Berlin Airlift. Curlee Ross BS â&#x20AC;&#x2122;53, MD â&#x20AC;&#x2122;57 Professor Emeritus, Keck School of Medicine of USC LOS ANGELES, CA

Military Matters Louis C. Kleber â&#x20AC;&#x2122;51 asked about soldiers in the Civil War and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) (Mailbag, Autumn 2010, p. 6). Yes, but it was called â&#x20AC;&#x153;irritable heartâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;nostalgia,â&#x20AC;? and the symptoms then were much like they are now, ranging from fatigue, shortness of breath and heart palpitations to disturbed sleep and ďŹ&#x201A;ashbacks. In World War I, it was called â&#x20AC;&#x153;shell shock.â&#x20AC;? Same symptoms. In World War II and Korea, it was called â&#x20AC;&#x153;combat stress reaction.â&#x20AC;? Same symptoms. During WWII, researchers found that after 200 days of combat, most troops were likely to develop debilitating PTSD. Following the 1982 war in Lebanon, Israel found that older reserve troops were

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U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

more susceptible, since they weren’t accustomed to the daily stresses of military life. There is a reason troops are constantly faced with tough discipline and training. It toughens them and reduces the incidence of PTSD. They’ve also learned that what previous generations of soldiers would call “coddling the troops” actually extends the number of days of combat before PTSD sets in, especially in severe cases. That’s why American and British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have air-conditioned sleeping facilities, good food, electricity (video games help them unwind) and the rest. Not everyone sleeps in air-conditioned comfort every night, but just knowing that, as soon as this current mission is over and you will get air conditioning, showers, good food and all the rest, helps. The United States and Britain are going into unexplored territory, with a signiﬁcant number of troops getting a total of 400 or more days of combat. Good accommodations and creature comforts have postponed the onset of PTSD, permitting a number of ofﬁcers and senior enlisted to have three or four yearlong tours in combat. We’re learning what the results are as we go, which is no different than in any previous war. Robin Rumack ’06 apparently doesn’t know that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rules the military is enforcing were passed by a Democratic congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, in 1993. The military can’t change the rule nor can they ignore it. It’s up to the current Democratic congress and (Democratic) President Barack Obama to change it if they want to. Walter M. Clark MSEd ’78 P U L L M A N , WA

PHOTO BY STEVE COHN

Atomic Cars Regarding Carl Marziali’s story on our growing need for energy (“Watt Now,” Winter 2008, p. 40): I read an article in the Los Angeles Times about United States nuclear-reactor construction companies looking forward to work in India. It seems ironic that the U.S. is eagerly waiting to participate in and promote the nuclear energy program of India, while we do next to nothing in our own country. Where are the policymakers and legislators on our stalled nuclear generation program? My young granddaughters Kate and Mia and grandson Drew should be driving electric cars with energy from nuclear plants. Brad Fielder ’72 WHITTIER, CA

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Notice Board Mark your calendars for April 30 to May 1: The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books – the nation’s largest public literary festival – will kick off its 16th storied year in a new home on USC’s University Park campus.

USC President C. L. Max Nikias, left and Los Angeles Times publisher and CEO Eddy Hartenstein

The festival previously was held on UCLA’s campus in Westwood. Everyone interested in famous authors, celebrity appearances, speaker panels, superstar chefs and local musicians will have something extra special to look forward to as the celebration debuts at USC. The move allows for increased attendance due to USC’s central location, proximity to public transportation, abundant parking and newly enhanced campus facilities. The Times and the university will work together to best utilize the University Park campus to expand programming and provide exhibitors and sponsors with the benefit of more usable space and more concession opportunities. Last year, more than 140,000 people enjoyed the literary festival, where more than 400 authors mixed with hundreds of exhibitors representing booksellers, publishers and literacy and cultural organizations. Poetry, mystery, politics, young adult, comic book, graphic novel and manga all flavor the festival’s author readings, book signings, intimate Q&As, comedy, children’s activities and more. The event, which is free to the public, delivers a diverse celebration of all the written word inspires. USC President C. L. Max Nikias says: “The festival is a great fit for our world-

class faculty authors and writing programs, as well as for our literacy work in the community. USC and the Los Angeles Times are two of the oldest institutions in Los Angeles, and it’s ﬁtting that we would be joining together for this event that is so important to the intellectual life of Southern California.” More information can be found at latimesfestivalofbooks. com, on the festival’s Facebook fan page or on its Twitter stream (@latimesfob). Track & Field Reunions The USC Track & Field program will host its biennial 50/51-year and 25/26-year team reunions during the USC-UCLA dual meet at USC’s Loker Stadium on Saturday, April 30. We will be honoring the 1960, 1961, 1985 and 1986 teams. We are asking all members of those teams to contact Ira Monosson, Trojan Force vice president for reunions, at ihm4usc@gmail.com. Please provide your name, current address, phone number and e-mail address. We want to bring back as many members from the teams as possible. Attendees will be our guests at the track meet and an afternoon reception in Heritage Hall. Members of all four teams will be introduced to the crowd. Ira Monosson LOS ANGELES, CA

Archives Request We need your assistance in preserving the heritage of our university. The USC University Archives exist to collect, preserve and make available records having permanent value in documenting the history of the university, its administrative ofﬁces and academic departments, and USC-related organizations as well as the activities of faculty, staff and students. Books, manuscripts, USC periodicals and newspapers, posters, photographic images, disc and tape recordings, and other archival items are available for research under supervised conditions. Gifts will be greatly appreciated and carefully preserved. Please contact me at (213) 740-2587 or czachary@usc.edu, or visit us at www.usc. edu/arc/libraries/uscarchives. Claude Zachary USC UNIVERSITY ARCHIVIST CAMPUS

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NOTES ON ALL THINGS TROJAN

USC’s 11th President Takes Office Nikias promises ‘to run the next marathon at a sprinter’s pace,’ as two $50 million gifts electrify the ceremony. as one of the great universities of the world” – that is the audacious goal C. L. Max Nikias set for USC before an audience of 7,500 assembled in Alumni Park on Oct. 15 to witness his installation as the 11th president of the university. “This is our moment,” Nikias told the festive crowd, studded with the bright colors of academic regalia, heraldic banners and international flags denoting the 120 nations currently represented in the student body. He vowed: “My own commitment to you is to run the next marathon at a sprinter’s pace.” (Read Nikias’ full speech starting on page 22.) As a sign of the energy and momentum Nikias brings to the presidency, two separate gifts of $50 million to the university were ACHIEVING “UNDISPUTED STATUS

announced within the first few minutes of his formal investiture. USC trustee Ming Hsieh ’83, MS ’84 rose to the podium and pledged $50 million to establish a research institute bringing together engineers, scientists and physicians to support the burgeoning field of nanomedicine for cancer. The university will create the USC Ming Hsieh Institute for Research on Engineering-Medicine for Cancer to recognize his generous support and service. Moments later, Edward P. Roski, Jr., chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees, who served as master of ceremonies, announced a second gift of $50 million – this one from Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation, to support a new state-of-the-art building for the USC Annenberg School for Communication

The newly installed president greets trustee and donor Ming Hsieh ’83, MS ‘84.

& Journalism at McClintock Avenue and West 34th Street. Annenberg, chairman of the board of the Annenberg Foundation and the longest-serving USC trustee, has been a lifelong advocate for the essential role journalism plays in enriching society and sustaining democracy. “One hundred million dollars. I’d say that’s getting off to a good start, Max!” Roski quipped. Guest speaker John Hood spoke of the evolution of a university’s character. “It is USC’s essential character today and in the future that has been consuming President Nikias’ thinking and will guide his journey,” said the former vice chancellor of Oxford University. The entertainment included a fireworks display from the roof of Doheny Memorial Library and the premiere of “… toward sunrise and the prime of light … ,” commissioned for the event. Composer Andrew Norman, a USC Thornton School of Music alumnus, wrote the work, which was performed by the Calder Quartet, composed of USC Thornton graduates. Perhaps the most touching moment, on a day filled with emotion, was the actual investiture, when USC President Emeritus Steven B. Sample rose to place the University Medallion around Nikias’ neck. The two engineers go back a long way: Not only had Sample promoted Nikias to provost years earlier, but he also had signed Nikias’ doctoral diploma at the University at Buffalo. As they shook hands and then hugged, the sense of history in the making pervaded. Calling it a “once-in-a-generation event,” Roski said: “The last time we inaugurated a president, no one was taking pictures with their cell phones. The Internet was in its infancy in 1991. This year’s freshman class hadn’t even been born.” – Diane Krieger

PHOTO BY MARK BERNDT

NEWS

PLAZA SWEET

Where Trojans Gather A ‘thank you’ written across the sky highlights the opening of the Ronald Tutor Campus Center in August.

CAMPUS CENTER PHOTO © ART GRAY / TAPESTRY PHOTO BY PHILIP CHANNING

AT THE GRAND OPENING

of the new Ronald Tutor Campus Center Aug. 26, students, alumni, trustees, faculty, staff and donors gathered in the center’s International Plaza to celebrate the historic moment and reflect on its significance. “Here conversations are encouraged,” USC President C. L. Max Nikias told the crowd. “Here learning takes place between faculty and students, and between Trojans at all stages of their lives. Future generations of Trojans will say, many of them, ‘I met my wife for the first time at the piazza of the Tutor Campus Center.’ This building reflects our Trojan values. It gives voice to our greatest aspirations.” As Nikias proudly described the 193,000-square-foot, $136-million building that has become USC’s new gathering place, he focused on the “Trojan touches” – from the Renaissance-style architecture to the cardinal and gold furniture. “Push the elevator buttons to change floors, and you will notice that the buttons have the SC logo,” Nikias said. Joining Nikias on the podium were vice president for student affairs Michael L. Jackson and trustee, alumnus and lead donor Ronald N. Tutor ’63. “For a young man who was from the San Fernando Valley, went into the Marines and came to USC, it’s an unimaginable experience to be feeling what I’m feeling,”

said Tutor, who was 11 years old when he first started rooting for the Trojans during a USC-UCLA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. “I can’t tell you emotionally how strongly I feel about being a part of this university,” he concluded, “and doing whatever I can to make it a better place.” Student leaders surprised Tutor by

[IN STITCHES]

offering him a symbolic key and by hiring a skywriter to spell out “Thank you, Ronald Tutor” high above the plaza. The USC Trojan Marching Band premiered its newest fanfare, “Trojan Reign,” before Jackson brought the ceremony to a close. Said Jackson: “These are moments that should be cherished and remembered for many years to come.” Earlier that day, Nikias and first lady Niki Nikias joined more than 150 alumni and university leaders to celebrate the opening of the Epstein Family Alumni Center, the USC Alumni Association’s new headquarters on the third floor of the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. (For full coverage of the Epstein center opening, see page 48.) The Ronald Tutor Campus Center is the first USC building to earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which means it is healthier inside and out for the environment. The five-story building was designed by AC Martin Partners, which has been responsible for several other buildings on the University Park campus. Stan Westfall ’69, MA ’71 was the project manager for USC Capital Construction Development. Eating options in the center include newcomers Moreton Fig (a fine-dining restaurant named after the historic fig trees saved during construction), Lemonade (a sophisticated cafeteria serving small plates), California Pizza Kitchen, Panda Express and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, as well as Carl’s Jr., Wahoo’s Fish Taco and Traditions that are familiar to USC students, faculty and staff. ●

Figuratively Speaking

“The Trojan Family Tapestry,” by renowned artist John Nava, hangs just inside Steven and Kathryn Sample Hall in the new Ronald Tutor Campus Center. The piece is one of more than 100 works of art and Trojan memorabilia that were celebrated during the building’s Art Grand Opening Sept. 30. The massive tapestry, which hangs 22 feet tall by 22 feet wide and was woven near Bruges, Belgium, is the signature commission of the center’s Art & Trojan Traditions program and permanent art collection. The figures depict USC students and staff members, as well as USC President Emeritus Steven B. Sample and campus center donor Ronald Tutor ’63. An unusual feature of the cotton, wool and silk piece is the background, a “field of knowledge” made up of historic documents that are part of the holdings of USC Libraries. ●

For a full description of how the tapestry was created and installed, visit http://tinyurl.com/2fluwfq

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

recently have made promising and innovative changes. Two USC schools were singled out in the rankings for quality: The USC Marshall School of Business was ranked No. 10 nationally and was listed as No. 4 in entrepreneurship and No. 5 in real estate. The USC Viterbi School of Engineering was rated 26th overall. IN THE 21ST ANNUAL RANKINGS of “America’s

UPWARD MARCH

USC Receives Best Ranking Ever U.S. News also gives top scores to USC Hospitals, citing six specialty areas and affiliated medical centers. directors and high school counselors across the United States. The views of high school counselors were included in the rankings for the first time. Among national universities, USC was ranked No. 22 by counselors. USC came in 39th in the “great schools, great prices” category among universities listed for offering the best value. College administrators also voted USC No. 11 on a list of “up-and-comers” among institutions that

[STATUS UPDATE]

– James Grant and Leslie Ridgeway

Be Our Facebook Friend

USC has launched its official Facebook page to better connect with students, alumni, faculty, staff and fans. The page features updates on faculty research and activities, events, notable alumni mentions and other stories from the USC News Web site. It also offers Facebook-only content, such as a Q&A with Timothy Brunold, the university’s new dean of admissions, answering questions from the page’s fans. “We’ve had a terrific response to our USC Facebook presence,” says Ariel Carpenter, director of public relations. “It’s been a great tool for the university to engage the Trojan Family online. We’re able to share pictures, videos and other informative content that allows everyone to get a feel for what’s happening on campus and beyond.” Since the page was launched, USC has garnered more than 8,400 fans, some of whom have used the page to connect to each other. For example, an alumnus recently offered to help mentor a student who expressed interest in attending USC. – Maya Meinert

“Friend” USC or simply check out the posts at www.facebook.com/usc

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

PHOTO BY PHILIP CHANNING

its historic rise in national academic rankings, with U.S. News & World Report this year naming the university No. 23 in the nation for the “best national universities” category. At 23rd, USC was tied with Carnegie Mellon University. U.S. News listed USC among only five institutions in the American West in the top 25; it also included Stanford (No. 5), the California Institute of Technology (No. 7), the University of California, Berkeley (No. 22), and UCLA (No. 25). “USC’s rise in academic quality over the past two decades has been unprecedented, and this year’s rankings help confirm this,” said USC President C. L. Max Nikias. “But our goal is to continue our momentum – and even to escalate it – in order to make this one of the most productive and influential universities in an epoch of global change.” From 1991 to date, USC has risen 28 places in the U.S. News rankings. Moreover, the university was rated as having the third most economically diverse student body among top schools. USC was listed as third in that category, behind UCLA and UC Berkeley. To create its rankings, the magazine annually compiles data on 16 indicators of quality, including academic reputation as rated by university leaders, admissions USC CONTINUES

Best Hospitals,” U.S. News & World Report placed USC University Hospital among the top hospitals in the nation. In addition to USC University Hospital, USC-affiliated Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center also was ranked. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, staffed exclusively by USC faculty physicians, was recognized in June as a top children’s hospital. The rankings are categorized by medical specialty, with the top 50 medical centers listed for most specialties. USC University Hospital ranked eighth in ophthalmology (USC Department of Ophthalmology at the Doheny Eye Institute), 16th in urology, 20th in neurology and neurosurgery (up 25 spots from last year), 28th in pulmonology, 29th in gynecology and 31st in orthopedics. Rancho Los Amigos ranked 17th in rehabilitation. This year’s rankings included patient satisfaction, and USC University Hospital received ratings above state and national averages. The full list of hospital rankings and methodology is available at www.usnews. com/besthospitals

HE HAD MIDTERMS, TOO

Another Presidential Milestone The U.S. president visits campus at the behest of student political groups, and fills Alumni Park. of the United States, Barack Obama, spoke before an estimated 37,500 people at a political rally in front of Doheny Memorial Library on the University Park campus on Oct. 22. It was the fifth in a series of “Moving America Forward” rallies intended to get out the Democratic vote prior to the November midterm elections. The event was organized by the Democratic National Committee after an invitation from the USC Political Student Assembly, a coalition of 25 campus political groups. USC student volunteers were heavily involved in the event, from USC Annenberg students who coordinated live streaming video of the rally, to the USC Helenes and others who helped direct the crowd. To see a slide show of the presidential visit, go to http://tinyurl.com/2fmve7a The president spoke following two hours of entertainment and speeches by a mix of state and national Democratic candidates, including U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, California gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown and Kamala Harris, who was vying for state attor-

PHOTO BY MARK BERNDT

THE 44TH PRESIDENT

ney general. U.S. Secretary of Labor and USC alumna Hilda Solis spoke, as did Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Obama, appearing without a jacket and wearing his trademark white shirt, rolled up his shirtsleeves, spoke without notes and rarely glanced at the Teleprompter. “This is a Trojan kind of welcome right here,” he began. “Fight on!” He barely had begun his speech when a voice called out, “We love you!” and he stopped, grinned and said, “I love you back!” Obama spoke for a half hour, ending his speech with a warning about phony political front groups spending millions of dollars without disclosing donors. These groups often have innocuous names such as “Mothers for Motherhood,” he said, adding that he just made up that name. The trend “is a threat not only to Democrats, it’s a threat to our democracy,” he said. When Obama finished speaking, he spent another 10 minutes shaking hands with those gathered at the front of Alumni Park as well as with the students behind him.

Barbara Solish, a senior political science major from La Cañada, was one of the students who shook his hand. She said she thought his speech was eloquent.“This was one of the best opportunities our school has had as a platform to show us on the level of the top universities in the nation, and we’re very grateful that Obama chose to come here,” Solish said. A fundraising lunch for Boxer was held before the rally. Obama also had a meeting with USC President C. L. Max Nikias. Doheny Memorial Library also has been the site of speeches delivered by sitting President Gerald R. Ford and by presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. – Allison Engel

›› “The USC/ Los Angeles Times polls turned out to be right on the money. ... The differences resulted from using bilingual interviewers, doing a better job of capturing the Latino vote.” OVERHEARD

– Nate Silver of The New York Times, in a blog on who made the most accurate election predictions

Students active in the USC Political Student Assembly, a coalition of 25 campus groups, were rewarded with spaces on the risers just behind the president.

People Watch Spinning a Prize into Scholarship Elyn Saks uses her ‘genius grant’ money to create a center on mental health policy at USC.

includes faculty members from seven USC departments: law, psychiatry, psychology, social work, gerontology, philosophy and engineering. Future topics may include coercion in psychiatric research, mental illness and veterans, and the criminalization of mental illness. “I’m very, very interested in these issues,” Saks says. “The idea of having a whole group of people study and work

strings attached? For USC Gould School of Law professor and associate dean Elyn Saks, the recipient of a 2009 MacArthur Foundation “genius grant,” the answer was simple. Like anyone in her position, Saks had fleeting thoughts about burning through the money herself. “I could go to the French Riviera, drinking wine and eating wonderful cheese for a few years,” she once thought. “But I wanted to do something useful.” Instead of indulging in summer soirées on the Mediterranean, the Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences used some of the money to establish a center on mental health policy that she hopes will become the best of its kind. And so was born the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy and Ethics. The institute will spotlight one important mental health issue per academic year. For 2010-11, it is focusing on the use of mechanical restraints in psychiatric hospitals. Each fall, one or more experts on that year’s topic will give a lecture. In the spring, the institute will host a symposium

[MILLER TIME]

where Saks hopes to develop model laws and policy recommendations. Cambridge University Press has expressed interest in publishing each year’s proceedings. Headquartered at USC Gould, the Saks Institute is a collaborative effort that

Professor Pompitus?

Some people call him the Space Cowboy. Some call him the Gangster of Love. But when Steve

Miller, one of rock music’s all-time greats, joined the USC faculty this fall, he had to get used to another moniker: professor. Miller is teaching at the USC Thornton School of Music, named by Rolling Stone as one of the top music schools in the country. “To say we are thrilled about Steve joining our faculty would be an understatement,” says Chris Sampson, associate dean. With a blues-rock style, the Steve Miller Band has come to define classic rock, selling more than 30 million albums and introducing the phrase “pompitus of love” to the English lexicon. – Suzanne Wu

together on an important project is great for me, and I think it will be good for the field.” Saks, whose highly regarded memoir, The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness, chronicles her battle with schizophrenia, has assembled a who’s who among mental health experts to serve on the institute’s external board, including Oliver Sacks, Kitty Dukakis and Nobel laureate Eric Kandel. Five or six USC Gould students each year also will play an active role at the institute. Along with students from other disciplines, the students will conduct the background research necessary to frame the study of that year’s topic. Each student affiliated with the institute will receive the title of USC Law and Mental Health Scholar. Saks has seen the impact that similar mental health organizations around the country have had. She believes the Saks Institute’s wide focus and unique format can make it a leader in the field. “I hope it will become the ‘go-to’ organization for certain mental health law and ethical issues for other people around the country,” she says. – Jason Finkelstein

Read about Miller’s involvement with USC and the philanthropy Kids Rock Free at http://tinyurl.com/2g5nohj

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

SAKS PHOTO BY MIKEL HEALEY / MILLER PHOTO BY TIM BROWN

WHAT WOULD YOU DO with $500,000 and no

A Conversation with WARREN BENNIS

University Professor Warren Bennis served as one of the youngest infantry officers in World War II, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his efforts as a 19-year-old leading his

Being Bennis Over the past 30 years, the leadership guru has penned 30 books. This time, it’s a memoir.

platoon in the Battle of the Bulge. So sparked a life interest in the study of leadership. After helping establish leadership as an academic field in his time teaching at MIT, Harvard and Boston University in the 1950s and ‘60s, Bennis put his preparation into practice as president of the University of Cincinnati from 1971 to ’77. A 1943 graduate of Dorsey High School, Bennis returned to Los Angeles in 1980 to join the faculty of the USC Marshall School of Business. In his new memoir, Bennis calls these past 30 years at USC the most enjoyable of his life. He spoke with journalist Matthew Kredell. What led you to devote your life to studying and teaching leadership? I think often people work on issues they have conflict about. I think what led me to leadership was the fact that I did not want to personally feel helpless as I thought my older twin brothers were – they were 10 years older than me – or my dad, who was unceremoniously dumped from his job jo as a shipping clerk overnight in 1932. So I think I was attracted to leadership because to be in a position where nobody could do to me what happened to my dad. I wanted wan chaired the committee that selected Steven Sample in 1991. What would you You c was Sample’s biggest accomplishment as USC president? I feel about Dr. Sample say w way Prime Minister Nehru of India once said about Gandhi. He said Gandhi made India the w proud of herself. We were attracting better and better students every year, and I think the faculty members were proud to be here. facult also served on the committee that chose C. L. Max Nikias as USC’s 11th You a president. What made him stand out from the others? The search came down to a presi very impressive group. Max, I think, was equal to the best of them in every area. You cannot hire a president without having a number of seemingly contradictory criteria – like knowledge of intercollegiate athletics, knowledge of medical schools, knowledge of kn ffundraising, being articulate, being able to be the avatar of what the school stands for. No one came close to him in terms of satisfying the criteria, plus there was his experiN ence on this campus. He really understood this disparate community of colleges and e departments. de Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership is your 30th book. What is it Stil about putting together a book that so enthralls you? Well, partly it was a way to abo gain influence, not through position but through “voice.” To have people read your words, have a book reviewed – and this one has received some positive reviews, including from to hav Economist and The Wall Street Journal – is a way of feeling I’ve influenced the lives of The E others for the common good. Running through all my work, I think there’s a humanitarother that if we work together for a good cause, we can change the world. Then I ian impulse im rewarded in people knowing I’m an author. “Author,” after all, is the root of the word got re “authority.” That is probably what drove me, wanting to be in a position of authority. “auth What was it like writing a memoir? I think everyone ought to write a memoir every five years because it makes you pay attention to the details. Not necessarily to be published, but to check your progress. You can see what has led you to where you are now. Doug McGregor, the president of Antioch College when you attended the school, turned out to be an important mentor in your life. How critical is the mentor relaturne tionship in today’s world? Mentors are terribly important. Wouldn’t it be marvelous if every tions organization had a directory of terrific mentors who were available, and you could asterisk organ

PHOTO BY PHILIP CHANNING

certain people because they really are good at it and enjoy doing it? The more interesting certa mentors you can have without becoming a clone of any of them, the merrier. But I think you ment have to carefully choose them so they are in accord with what you want to do in life. ●

A long longer version of this interview can be found at http://tinyurl.com/24x79nw

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Milestones

Lab Work

›› PROVOST Legal scholar and interim provost Elizabeth Garrett has been named USC provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. As the second-ranking officer under the president, Garrett oversees USC deans and vice provosts, and the CEO of USC’s two hospitals. Prior to coming to USC in 2003, Garrett was a professor of law at the University of Chicago. She has been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, the University of Virginia Law School and universities in Budapest and Israel. Previously, she clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall on the U.S. Supreme Court and was legal counsel for Sen. David L. Boren (D-Okla).

›› TRUSTEE Wanda M. Austin PhD ’88, president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation of El Segundo, Calif., was elected to the USC Board of Trustees in October. Austin is internationally recognized for her work in satellite and payload system acquisition, systems engineering and system simulation. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics, and previously was senior vice president of the company’s division that supports the national security space and intelligence community. Her B.A. is from Franklin & Marshall College and her M.A. is from the University of Pittsburgh. ›› TRUSTEE Also elected to the USC Board of Trustees in October was John C. Martin, chairman of the board and CEO of Gilead Sciences, Inc., of Foster City, Calif., a biopharmaceutical company that is one of the world’s leading developers of drugs for infectious diseases. Martin, one of Harvard Business Review’s 100 best-performing CEOs worldwide, is former president of the International Society for Antiviral Research and has served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, an MBA from Golden Gate University and a B.A. from Purdue University. ● For a complete list of USC trustees, senior officers and deans, visit www.usc.edu/about/administration

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Brain’s Wiring Untangled New circuit-tracing method allows the study of incoming and outgoing signals from any two brain centers. mapped to the smallest fold for at least a century, yet still no one knows how all the parts talk to each other. Now a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences answers that question for a small area of the rat brain and, in so doing, takes a big step toward revealing the brain’s wiring. The network of brain connections was thought too complex to describe, but molecular biology and computing methods have improved to the point where the National Institutes of Health have announced a $30 million plan to map the human “connectome.” The study shows the power of a new method for tracing brain circuits. USC College neuroscientists Richard H. Thompson and Larry W. Swanson used the method to trace circuits running through a “hedonic hot spot” related to food enjoyment. The circuits showed up as patterns of circular loops, suggesting that at least in this part of the rat brain, the wiring diagram looks like a distributed network. Neuroscientists are split between a traditional view that the brain is organized as a hierarchy, with most regions feeding into the “higher” centers of conscious thought, and a more recent model of the brain as a THE BRAIN HAS BEEN

flat network similar to the Internet. “We started in one place and looked at the connections,” says Swanson, a member of the National Academy of Sciences. “It led into a very complicated series of loops and circuits. It’s not an organizational chart. There’s no top and bottom to it.” The circuit-tracing method allows the study of incoming and outgoing signals from any two brain centers. It was invented and refined by Thompson over eight years. Thompson is a research assistant professor of biological sciences at USC College. Most other tracing studies at present focus only on one signal, in one direction, at one location. “[We] can look at up to four links in a circuit, in the same animal at the same time,” Swanson says. “That was our technical innovation.” The Internet model would explain the brain’s ability to overcome much local damage, Swanson continues. “You can knock out almost any single part of the Internet and the rest of it works.” Likewise, he adds: “There are usually alternate pathways through the nervous system. It’s very hard to say that any one part is absolutely essential.” – Carl Marziali

Shelf Life A Tart Slice of Literature Aimee Bender’s latest novel is all about tasting emotions rather than flavors. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

by Aimee Bender DOUBLEDAY, $25.95

of the written word like Aimee Bender admits the difficulty in communicating feelings. In her new novel, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, the USC College professor of English circumvents that mortal dilemma. On her ninth birthday, Bender’s protagonist and narrator Rose Edelstein bites into a lemon cake and is overpowered by aching hollowness. The emotions are coming from her mother, who baked the cake from scratch. It tastes empty, I said. The cake? She laughed a little, startled. Is it that bad? Did I miss an ingredient? No, I said. Not like that. Like you were away? You feel okay? I kept shaking my head. The words, stupid words, which made no sense. Rose’s strange sensor extends to every morsel of food she puts in her mouth. She tastes her father’s distraction in his butterscotch pudding. She feels a deli clerk’s desperate “love me, love me” in each bite of her ham-and-cheese sandwich. Her older brother Joseph’s toast with butter, jam and sugar sprinkles has such a rank taste of blankness and graininess – like a sea anemone – that she spits it into a napkin. Flooded with emotions, the young girl tries to rip her own mouth off her face: I TASTED YOU, I said. GET OUT OF MY MOUTH. “The food gives me a way to write about feelings in a way that’s super-concrete,” Bender says. “So I can talk about lettuce leaves instead of having to talk about the kind of morphosis, ethereal, ephemeral world of emotions which are so – they can be hard to talk about.” Although an avid traveler raised in West Los Angeles, Bender lacks the world weariness of her characters. The author, who could have emerged from the Iowa cornfields, has a generous smile and steady gaze that radiates natural warmth. Her dark, wavy hair falls around her shoulders. EVEN A COGNOSCENTE

Lithe and wearing a delicate, white cotton blouse and black jeans, she leans forward when emphasizing a point, elbows and forearms extended on her desk.

[SIS, BOOM, BAH]

Reviews for Lemon Cake have been stellar, and Oprah Winfrey placed the book on her summer reading list. But some have taken to Twitter and Amazon to express their confusion about what the story means. Rose’s extra-strength empathy is not the only extraordinary talent in the Edelstein family. Her emotionally absent father has what might be a gift, but he’s too petrified to go near it. Her brilliant and troubled, possibly disturbed brother Joseph has a bizarre way of vanishing, and it’s not your typical teenage escapism. Or is it? Magical realism is at play here. “I could never really discern between the fact and fantasy part of Joseph’s life,” cries Bookworm-Red Rock on Amazon.com. “Was he psychotic, autistic or are we to believe that he really possessed extraordinary powers?” The “talents” of each member of the dysfunctional Edelstein family become a sort of Rorschach test, and Bender makes the reader do much of the work to eke out specific meaning. “I can feel it if it feels true to me, if it feels that I’m onto something,” Bender says. “If it feels like the metaphor is charged, then I feel interested in what I’m writing. But I don’t know what it means. I kind of try to shape it the best I can. So when people are frustrated about the meaning, my wondering is how do they feel? I want the reader to have some sort of feeling at the end.” Bender is exploring empathy and sensitivities and awareness and coping and families. “And all that mucky underground terri-

Success Cymbal

It would take a very big book to illustrate all of the highlights of Arthur C. Bartner’s 40 years leading the USC Trojan Marching Band. And that is exactly what writer Keith H. Walker and impressionist painter Robert W. Jensen have produced: a 112-page volume stuffed with color photographs. The Man on the Ladder (Figueroa Press, $49.95) is a visual scrapbook, along with a timeline of high notes, peppered with tributes. Composer

John Williams writes: “If we ask ourselves which educator, over the past 40 years, has consistently and skillfully put more talented feet on the ground, aimed more hearts and minds in the right direction, and synchronized the hands, embouchures and fingers of thousands of young people … the answer has to be Art Bartner.” – Allison Engel

Find the book at the Trojan Bookstores or online at www.uscbookstore.com

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

tory that influences our behavior,” she says. “What’s the line between talent and illness?” Bender asks. “What can land on one person and be a talent and land on another person and be an illness? What makes that so hard to know? There’s something painful about that. We all know people on both sides of that scenario.” She recalls the gut-wrenching rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” by singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, who drowned in 1997 at age 30.

“His rendition is so raw,” Bender says. “It feels like a person with every pore open. It’s unbelievably beautiful. But there is no surprise that he died, there really is not. How did he walk outside? How did he have a conversation? He’s like a living, pulsing nerve.” The same can be said for the characters in Lemon Cake, each a varying degree of open wounds. To truly understand how they cope, just go with your gut. – Pamela J. Johnson

WATER FEATURES

The Fountains of Troy The architectural flourishes on the university’s campuses are celebrated in a new book of photographs. among first-time visitors to the University Park campus is surprise at its beautiful architecture and landscape. Often expecting a gritty urban campus, visitors are struck by its green spaces, fountains and sense of gracious tranquility. Now a new book of photographs, Fountains and Flourishes of the University of Southern California, spotlights the many architectural and landscape embellishments there and on the Health Sciences campus. The idea for the book came from former first lady Kathryn Sample. Holly Bridges, then head of USC Public Relations Projects, edited the book, with help from Ruth Wallach, Annette Moore, Lydia Shabestari and Dennis Martinez. Photographs are by freelancers Philip Channing, John Livzey and Grant Mudford, as well as staffers A COMMON REACTION

Martinez, Dietmar Quistorf and Joel Zink. Sarah Lifton, who co-authored a recent book on USC history, wrote the captions. In the preface, Sample calls USC “one of the most beautiful university campuses in America” and invites readers “to pause, linger, truly see and appreciate” USC’s lovely spaces, fountains and buildings. “ ‘Urban oasis’ may be overused and trite, but the phrase really does describe USC,” Bridges says. “As the book was being put together, we were continually having new fountains and flourishes to add, such as the fountain by the USC Rossier School of Education and everything at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. The campus is only getting more beautiful.” The book, priced at $29.95, is available at the Trojan Bookstores. – Allison Engel

NewRELEASES Listening Through the Noise: The Aesthetics of Experimental Electronic Music

By Joanna Demers OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, $24.95

“We live in an era where all types of sound in art have become equally legitimate,” writes Joanna Demers, associate professor at the USC Thornton School of Music. “Electronic music has precipitated an end of music.” Her book offers the first comprehensive assessment of electronic music, explaining how our approach to listening has radically departed from the norms of the last 500 years. Demers describes how electronic music has destroyed the conventions, such as tempo and harmony, that demarcate music from the sounds of everyday life.

Enemy Amongst Trojans: A Soviet Spy at USC

By Mike Gruntman FIGUEROA PRESS, $15

In 1945, a part-time USC political science instructor, Ignacy Samuel Witcza, disappeared from a California beach. Years later, the U.S. Congress identified the vanished Trojan as an important Soviet spy. In the 1990s, declassified documents revealed his true name, which was Litvin. Professor Mike Gruntman of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering traces the enigmatic life of Litvin, who used his cover as a USC instructor to support various espionage operations.

Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles

By Charles Fleming

PHOTO BY PHILIP CHANNING

SANTA MONICA PRESS, $16.95

In Los Angeles, where walking is a foreign concept to many, it’s surprising to learn that more than 200 staircases cut across the cityscape. In this walking guide, Charles Fleming, who teaches at USC Annenberg, shares 42 outings from Pasadena to Pacific Palisades designed around public staircases – rated for difficulty – with maps and trivia that highlight this little-known side of the city. ●

Alumni author? Tell others about your book at http://alumni.usc.edu/news/authors

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

WATER FEATURES

NewRELEASES Listening Through the Noise: The Aesthetics of Experimental Electronic Music

By Joanna Demers OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, $24.95

Enemy Amongst Trojans: A Soviet Spy at USC

By Mike Gruntman FIGUEROA PRESS, $15

Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles

By Charles Fleming

PHOTO BY PHILIP CHANNING

SANTA MONICA PRESS, $16.95

Alumni author? Tell others about your book at http://alumni.usc.edu/news/authors

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Arts & Culture

Second Life, First Meeting After months of online work, Egyptian architecture students meet their USC colleagues face to face. a grand experiment: one semester of joint collaboration in which students would design a multiuse complex to be located between the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum. The first meeting was chaotic. Sixty Egyptian and American avatars were running and flying around their new virtual kingdom, trying to distinguish classmates from strangers. It was like an episode of Star Trek: pixel by pixel, individual avatars

[CHAPTER TWO]

Festival de Flor Returns

In 1973, USC hosted a literary festival that captured the energy of the emerging Chicano movement. Thirty-seven years later, the spirit of that original festival returned in the form of Festival de Flor y Canto: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. From Sept. 15 to 17, many of the original poets and authors, joined by a new generation of voices, presented their work at USC’s Doheny Memorial Library. The renowned Chicano poet Alurista was among the returning writers. Ron Arias, another of the returning writers, calls the festival’s reprisal energizing. “I’m glad the flame is still burning and that a lot of young people are still writing about what’s important to them,” he says. – Nathan Masters

To read a colorful wrap-up of the festival, visit http://tinyurl.com/25dzqb2

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

– Adam Smith

ILLUSTRATION BY TIM BOWER / PHOTO BY MARIUS CONSTANTIN

two groups of students – one at Ain Shams University in Egypt and one at the USC School of Architecture – had been collaborating on a design project via Second Life, the world’s largest usercreated 3-D Internet community. During the spring semester, at 6 p.m. Cairo time and 8 a.m. Los Angeles time, the two groups would gather in Second Life meeting rooms to critique each other’s designs, chat with instant messages, post notes and images on their joint studio’s Facebook page, and explore the retail shops in their virtual world. Their collaboration is called the Kansas to Cairo Project, and was sparked by a wish that President Barack Obama expressed in a speech at Cairo University in June 2009. He called for the creation of “a new online network, so a young person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a young person in Cairo.” Those words caught fire with Los Angeles architect David Denton who, having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease several years ago and exhausted by attending client meetings in Egypt, seized upon Second Life as his way to stay involved with the design community. Denton joined forces with longtime friend Amr Attia of Ain Shams University and USC School of Architecture assistant professor Kara Bartelt. The three proposed FOR MONTHS,

materializing in the desert, disappearing, reappearing, bits of feedback and conversation blaring over the audio channels. But soon the mob reshaped into smaller groups of two Trojans paired with multiple Egyptians, with the Cairo students performing the site analysis and creating the master plan as the USC students placed specific architecture into the open spaces. The Kansas to Cairo studio found an immediate champion in the form of William May, director of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Innovative Engagement. A traveler of Second Life himself, May was looking for creative ways to build upon Obama’s speech. “The question was, would the kids get to know and understand each other?” May says. “Would the exchange do many of the same things that a physical exchange would, without the expense and carbon footprint?” If the experiences of Nourhan ElZafarany and Tiffany Wei are any indication, May shouldn’t have worried. The two young women, one in Cairo who had never flown in a plane, and the other who has traveled all over the world, became friends on their first day in Second Life. The two talked about fashion, books and design. On their screens was the virtual world they built: fountains, amphitheatres, marketplaces, fantastic villas. “The class was all about bridging cultural differences,” says USC student Ben Dansby. “We kept hearing about all the differences to be aware of, but once the Egyptian students actually got here, all I saw was a group of students my age who love architecture.”

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INAUGURAL SPECIAL

The Destined Reign of Troy ... fas regna Trojae ... For the title of his inaugural address, C. L. Max Nikias, the 11th president of USC, chose a phrase from Virgilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aeneid that is inscribed on the base of Tommy Trojan. Here are the stirring words he spoke on Oct. 15 in Alumni Memorial Park. Photographs by Mark Berndt

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USC President C. L. Max Nikias accepts congratulations outside Bovard Administration Building after his inauguration.

USC Inaugural Special

ODAY IS AN UNUSUAL MILESTONE for my wife, Niki, and me on our shared journey.

Our voyage began more than a third of a century ago, when we decided to pursue the dream of a better life through better education, and to cast our fate across the Atlantic, toward America. Coming from so far away, so many years ago, we could not have imagined how wonderful this American journey would be. I became forever fascinated, by the intellectual electricity and the openness you could find only at an American university. And, far from ending up lost, we were carried along on the gracious currents of goodness. We were welcomed and embraced, and we were given opportunities that we never could have found elsewhere. So, on our journey, at last, two decades ago, Niki and I reached our Ithaca, by which I mean Los Angeles, and our home at USC. Georgiana and Maria, our daughters, were small children when we arrived in Los Angeles. Our family quickly became a Trojan Family, and we were grateful for how the larger Trojan Family embraced us. We have a passion for this university, and for what it represents. Our family is rooted here. We have immersed ourselves in USC’s rich intellectual and cultural life. And we have cherished the great Trojan athletic spirit, which serves as the glue for our worldwide Trojan Family. Niki and I believe that, when you have been given so much, you have a debt to repay. Because we are grateful, grateful beyond words, we look for ways to repay that debt. One way is by ensuring that the best students – from here and from abroad – can pursue their dreams here, the dreams that are made possible by the best education.

We have always believed that education is the great equalizer for a society. Education lifts up the weak from despair and it teaches humility to the mighty. Education is what helps us to be fully human, and to appreciate the full range of human experience in our own life. Education is what expands our lives to be as vast as the frontiers of the cosmos, and the edges of eternity, and yet, it gives us deep insight into the fleeting moments of our own inner existence. Working together to take USC higher, to the undisputed mountaintop, will be our payment on the debt – our debt to this great nation, to the Trojan Family, and to Steve and Kathryn Sample. In a coincidence of fate, one that the playwrights of antiquity would have loved, we never could have imagined that Steve Sample, the man who signed my diploma and Niki’s diploma in Buffalo, New York, would be such a wonderful mentor. Steve and Kathryn Sample demonstrated for us what it means to dedicate oneself fully to the demands of the presidency. The best way to honor their legacy is to take this great university they have given us … and make it even greater. Indeed, we owe it to future generations of Trojans to do so! We owe it to our children and grandchildren! TODAY WE LIVE in a time of great anxiety. The

wisest experts can find little agreement on what the future holds for our society. Regarding the next twenty years, there is no consensus on: – which institutions and industries will exist in

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their current form; or whether the career or specialty that a person has chosen today will still exist then; – or whether the ways in which we interact and communicate will resemble the way we do so now; – or whether the United States can remain at the forefront of technology, commerce and culture. Universities have their own special concerns. The college-age population will decrease in size in the next few years, making competition for students even harder. Universities will be under added pressure, to make college affordable for capable young people from every background. One of the few certainties in our world is that, as the pace of change accelerates, the level of uncertainty will increase. But what is uncertainty? In the proper light, uncertainty is the beginning of adventure! And the ability to turn uncertainty into adventure, into a magnificent journey forward, is what defines a Trojan. It is, what it means to be a Trojan. As a child, I grew up reading the various legends of the ancient city of Troy. The Trojan empire represented a classical tradition of excellence and purity of purpose. The Trojans represented a tradition of ongoing renewal. They renewed their great society many times, each time achieving a new glory for themselves, and for those who would come after them. No one worked harder than the Trojans, no one was more determined than the Trojans.

”My commitment to you is to champion your cause in every way, around the nation, around the Pacific Rim, in our nation’s capital, in Sacramento, in city hall, in Indianapolis and wherever else you need allies.” – C. L. Max Nikias

And, their will toward greatness could even bend the will of the gods in their favor. So in this moment of our renewal, allow me to look back to an epic story told two thousand years ago, by the Roman poet Virgil. In the epic poem, The Aeneid, Virgil chronicled the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas. Aeneas and the Trojans responded with courage when fate, made it clear, that the Trojans would have to seek their destiny beyond the walls of the old City of Troy. And so the Trojans set sail, and navigated the uncertainties of their times. They navigated their way through raging winds and waters. They navigated through the extreme anger of gods and spirits. They navigated through the full catalog of uncontrollable monsters of antiquity. Aeneas and the Trojans would reach their destination, where they would lay the cornerstone for a new city of Troy. And this Troy would grow into the Great City of Rome. Rome ... the home to the mightiest of and most enduring of all empires. That was the destiny the Trojans began to claim, when they moved from what was comfortable and familiar, when they were willing to lose sight of their native shores … and undertake a Great Journey. Virgil’s Aeneid makes the timely eternal, and the eternal timely. For this university and for our Trojan Family, our own quest for undisputed, elite status could be likened to the voyage of Aeneas. It means the difference between being a “hot” and “up and coming” university and being undisputedly one of the most elite and influential institutions in the world! A Great Journey awaits us, and on the other side of the adventure lies our destiny. My own commitment to you is to clear and lead the way for you as we move forward in this Great Journey. My commitment to you is to champion your cause in every way, around the nation, around the Pacific Rim, in our nation’s capital, in Sacramento, in city hall, in Indianapolis … and wherever else you need allies.

Prelude to a Presidency clockwise, from top left: Steven B. Sample and Nikias confer; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa salutes as he greets Edward

P. Roski, Jr., Nikias and Sample; Niki and Max Nikias share a private moment before the ceremony; Nikias watches the processional on a live feed in his office.

My commitment to you is to point the world’s attention to you, as the women and men who will drive society forward. My commitment to you is to seek the outside resources and raise the funds USC needs, relentlessly, in order to secure academic excellence for the long haul. My own commitment to you, and that of my administration, is to run the next marathon at a sprinter’s pace. We can make incredible progress in just the next few years! USC has already come. Consider the small and dusty village that represented Los Angeles and USC in 1880. Look at USC’s breathtaking rise in the past two decades. Look at the impact we are now able to make because of the lofty position USC has now claimed. And now, consider the voyage that still lies ahead. USC’s Great Journey will be different from that of other great universities. And USC’s role and identity will be different, once we have reached our destination of undisputed elite status. Let’s make no mistake about it: When it comes to doing good for the world, we believe there is a USC way of doing it. This way is entrepreneurial, imaginative, collaborative, ethical, adaptable and global. We must place this USC stamp on the intellectual and the social revolutions that lie ahead. LOOK HOW FAR

The Great Journey for USC is ultimately about five priorities that are ultimately embodied in people – the very best people. First, our Great Journey requires that we achieve a critical mass of the world’s most brilliant faculty minds – the most productive and renowned intellectual giants of our generation. Transformational faculty whose reputation for productivity will place USC at the vanguard of every intellectual revolution. This requires that we give our faculty the resources to fulfill their immense potential. This requires that we aggressively recruit new, interdisciplinary superstars who can raise the skyline of our entire academic community. Second, we must build an unsurpassed network and quality of young women and men capable of leading the future – students from all 50 states and from across the Pacific Rim – from East Asia and South Asia and India and the emerging economies of Latin America. And for these students, let us make them a pledge. Let us pledge to build for them a curriculum of unique quality and variety: a rich curriculum that presents them with an unsurpassed range of choices, so that they may explore and discover their strengths and their passions. Let us pledge to ensure for them unlimited social and cultural opportunities that prepare them for life in the new world that awaits them. May we do this through the most engaging environment for learning and for living.

May we do this through an experience that immerses them in the arts and through emerging forms of media literacy. May we do this through an experience that immerses them in the very manner of global diversity, which they must learn to understand and to navigate. In this way, our students will become world citizen leaders, who can find and open new doors, and who can support one another as a worldwide Trojan Family. For our third priority, our Great Journey demands that our academic community be equipped to explore and to lead the major new frontiers of human progress: – in the arts and humanities that infuse our society with imagination, creativity and wisdom; – in the social sciences and the professions that organize and mobilize our human society; – in engineering and sciences that reach out across the cosmos; – in the digital media that enable human interaction, entertainment, news and information; – and in medicine and biology and biotech, which together represent the most promising frontier of our young century. Fourth, our Great Journey demands that our Health Sciences Campus and the University Park Campus represent one, unified USC. Though they are seated at different ends of downtown Los Angeles, they must have one

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character and one shared identity. Our faculty and students must bridge the distance between the two campuses, with interdisciplinary work that provides USC with a crucial leadership asset as biology and medicine emerge as the queen of the sciences in this century. The residential and academic environment on both campuses must be perfected for undergraduate students, for graduate and Ph.D. students, and for faculty masters. USC should be an around-the-clock living and learning community, a rare social and physical environment that radiates academic energy. And our fifth priority must be to recognize the surrounding community as the jewel that it is. The 224 languages that are spoken in this city, and the 115 nations represented today on this campus, are distinctly representative of a new world that is tilted toward the civilizations of the Pacific. A simple drive up Vermont Avenue does not simply show us a city. It displays to us the extraordinary span of Pacific Rim, in microcosm. We will embrace this community as a unique social laboratory, within the context of our mission in education, social-science scholarship, health care and public service. This local microcosm of a new, global reality will help USC guide the tectonic shift that is already underway in this world. The old City of Troy was in the heart of the great Mediterranean civilization, which long represented the center of gravity for much of human society’s development. The center of gravity gradually moved westward. And for the past two centuries, we have lived in the Age of the Atlantic. Many institutions gained prominence by their proximity and relevance to this region. For most of this time, Southern California was a far-off outpost in the American West. Yet for decades or even centuries to come, this remote Western outpost will be the hub connecting the United States to a world that is centered around the Pacific Rim. Cultures and ideas will collide in this global, Age of the Pacific, in ways we cannot yet predict. Who will have the ability to lead, to bring shape to the changes? A story comes to mind about the chief founder of USC, Robert Maclay Widney, who would also become USC’s first chairman of the board of trustees. He personally wrote the USC articles of incorporation. In the 1870s, Robert Widney had a strong desire to establish a great university in Southern

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Trail of Trojans Niki and Max Nikias hold hands as they walk toward the platform.

California. He had accomplished much in his life. He was a U.S. district judge. He helped bring the Southern Pacific railroad to Los Angeles. He organized the first chamber of commerce and the city’s first light and power company. But he wasn’t yet able to build a university that could shape the future of this region. For 10 years, Judge Widney struggled. Yet, he did not give up. During that same time, the American West was struggling with an early collision of cultures. Anti-Chinese sentiment ran high across the West. Jealousy, economic fears and labor disputes fanned the flames of violence and murder. One night, anti-Chinese riots broke out in Los Angeles. Deadly mobs took to the streets. And at a moment of high fever during those riots, Judge Widney plunged into the crowd, at the risk of his own life. Judge Widney held his gun high, and fired a single shot. The crowd stepped back. And the future founder and first chairman of USC then escorted a number of Chinese immigrants to safety. It was at that moment, on that evening, that the DNA of USC as a global institution was called into being. In that moment, on that evening, the ethos, the character, of USC began to take shape. Character is destiny, and USC would have a global character. A few years later, Japanese students would be among USC’s first graduates. And USC would develop the largest body of

international alumni in the world, mostly from the emerging nations of the Pacific. USC would develop an international curriculum that benefits both our American and international students. USC would pioneer trans-cultural scholarship that addresses the pressing needs of this age. What USC has accomplished locally and regionally can now be done at a global level. While USC imitates no one, I do believe USC has the chance to serve as an intellectual engine in this century, in much the way Oxford University emerged earlier as the intellectual engine of the British Empire and Commonwealth nations. As our world today is shifting away from an Atlantic to a Pacific Century, USC is better positioned than anyone else to lead this change. To become the intellectual and cultural and spiritual fabric of a world that is tied to the Age of the Pacific. To become the foremost laboratory of experimentation of “East-West” ideas, in scholarship and the arts and media and journalism and culture. To become the campus where the influencers of the Pacific Age will be educated, shaped and molded here. This is our moment. And, I believe, that should be our vision! Do you know what alma mater means? It means, literally, “Mother who feeds us all.” Consider what it could mean for USC to firmly take its role as alma mater for this Age of the Pacific.

”We can indeed be a new Rome for the Age of the Pacific. It was said, ‘A thousand roads all lead to Rome.’ And in the coming years all roads will lead to Southern California and a great university that sits at its center.” – C. L. Max Nikias

Let the best young minds from across the Pacific Rim compete to receive a USC education. Let us build special scholarship programs for students represented from all Pacific Rim nations. Let them take full advantage of a highly diverse environment they won’t find anywhere else. Great talent exists in America and around the Pacific Rim. Let that talent be refined in the unique intellectual crucible here, which represents a dynamic blend of the arts and humanities and culture, and cutting-edge science and technology, and social sciences and professions. Indeed, USC, as an American university, is strategically positioned to serve as the intellectual crucible – the intellectual melting pot – of the Pacific Rim. Destiny has dealt a favorable hand to USC. Let us play this out wisely. The hero Aeneas and the Trojans completed a great adventure that led to a new City of Troy, which would grow into mighty Rome. For the Trojans of USC and for Southern California, our own New City of Troy can indeed be a new Rome in higher education for the Age of the Pacific. It was said, “A thousand roads all lead to Rome.” And in the coming years all roads will lead to Southern California and a great university that sits at its center. Does all this sound far too audacious? Does all this sound far too bold to be our goal? Many prestigious universities attract brilliant

people. But consider for a moment the full power, the full potential of our university: USC will allow brilliant people to make a dramatic difference, to improve the lives of women and men and children around our world! And as we move forward in our new Great Journey, what are the signposts that we are approaching our destination? When people around the world think of the intellectual giants of the 21st century, they will be thinking of the faculty and students of the University of Southern California. When people look back in the next century at how the medical revolution exploded forth in life-giving ways, they will see that USC’s stamp was placed upon that revolution, as well as on many other revolutions of the mind such as the arts and social sciences. The critical mass of academic excellence on our two campuses will give us the academic gravitas necessary to pull everything else into USC’s orbit. We will see a dramatic boost in our ability to recruit the world’s best graduate and Ph.D. students, who serve as the manpower and womanpower of America’s research innovation enterprise. We will celebrate a Trojan heritage of student athletics that will be more glorious than before. Yes, our Trojan student-athletes are indeed students first and foremost. And so our athletic heritage will demonstrate that the triumphs of athletics and the triumphs of education are the same, at their core. Body and mind, working together, in pursuit of excellence. We will also know we are reaching our destination when the Trojans are known as the premier network of leaders across the Pacific Rim. We will all enjoy access to the greatest international network of rainmakers and decisionmakers – leaders in scholarship and business and government and the arts and culture. Thanks to the dedication of countless Trojans and USC friends, USC has already made a remarkable impact. But as we look ahead, and see what remains to be done, I would like to ask: Are we, the

Trojan Family, ready to embark for the most important leg of this journey? After all, the last part of the journey is often the most complex and the most costly and the most difficult. And yet the greatest prize of all lies ahead. Let me draw your eyes to the familiar statue behind you, in the southwest corner of this park. Behold there is the figure of Tommy Trojan, who has stood guard for 80 years without losing his youth, or his strength, or his optimism. On the southwest-facing base of the statue are some words from Virgil’s Aeneid. I ask you to pass by the statue today and read those words, which are written in both Latin and English. You may need your glasses to read these lines, which are inscribed in very small letters: “Here are provided seats of meditative joy… where shall rise again the destined reign of Troy.” Consider those words: “There shall rise again the destined reign of Troy … ” Those words call us to work together to claim destiny’s promises, and to renew those promises within our individual lives and our collective lives. The destined reign of Troy is an intellectual community that has achieved undisputed, elite status – at the very epicenter of global influence! When you are there, there is no doubt, there is no argument, you belong within the pantheon of world-class universities! There is no question that your voice shall be heard, and that your ideas are received. And there is no limit on the impact USC is able to make upon the world. Ours will indeed be the task of nurturing and guiding this global, Pacific Age, and rejuvenating the American pioneering spirit. Ours will be the privilege of finding new ways to bring healing to the ill and insight to the innocent. Ours will be a movement that illustrates the power of a diverse and democratic community in full blossom. Ours will be the task of shaping the most pressing debates of the day. Ours will be an ongoing rebellion against the conventional order of things, as we help individuals and societies, to consider and to create, limitless possibilities for themselves. So too, ours will be an intellectual renewal which delights in uncovering and discovering new knowledge, so that we are tantalized by the chance that what we discover today will change what we believed yesterday. All this is the Great Adventure. All this is the Great Journey. All this is the way forward to the Destined Reign of Troy. Thank you, and Fight On, always! ●

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Urban Education Meets the Digital Age One hundred years young, the USC Rossier School of Education has reinvented itself as a dominant force for urban education in the new century. BY DIANE KRIEGER Photograph by Mark Berndt Illustrations by George Bates

hen the USC Rossier School of Education celebrated its centennial last year, it not only honored its storied past (it is the oldest education program in Southern California and at one time was the alma mater of nearly everyone who was anyone in the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school systems), but also announced a bold new future. Dean Karen Symms Gallagher, who took over as dean of the school in 2000, has spent the past decade on a mission, leading her faculty, students, staff and alumni in a strategic plan designed to strengthen urban education locally, nationally and globally. The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s endowment has gone up by nearly 50 percent, from $30 million in 2000 (including the $20 million nam-

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A senior leadership meeting at USC Rossier includes, from left, Dominic Brewer, Lawrence Picus, Kathy Stowe, dean Karen Symms Gallagher and Melora Sundt.

ing gift from Barbara and Roger Rossier in 1998) to $41 million in 2010; and annual sponsored research has doubled from $3.6 million a decade ago to a current level of nearly $7 million. Expect the numbers to keep growing. Last year, Gallagher wowed the national education scene by trailblazing the virtual domain with the first entirely online master of arts in teaching program to be offered by a major research university. Enrollment began at 142 in the inaugural year and hit over 1,000 this summer, making it the fastest-growing teacher preparation program, online or on-campus, at a not-

for-profit college or university. Continuing at this rate, MAT@USC could be the largest notfor-profit teacher preparation program in the country in just three years. In August, USC Rossier, in partnership with other major Los Angeles stakeholders, landed a prestigious three-year, $6 million U.S. Department of Education grant to turn around the lowest-performing 1 percent of schools in the L.A. Unified School District. The goal is to ratchet up citywide competition through the Public School Choice process. The USC teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winning proposal was one of 49 funded projects

selected from 1,700 applications nationwide. Faculty hiring at the school is keeping pace with these changes. In just the past two years, the school has added about 25 new full-time faculty, plus additional adjuncts. Without eliminating any permanent appointments, USC Rossier has repopulated itself with distinguished scholars (about three-quarters arrived in the past 10 years) who are on board with the changes that Gallagher has instituted. Asked to imagine USC Rossier 20 years from now, she says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would like the school to continue to be seen as innovative and committed

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Urban Education Meets the Digital Age

As Gallagher sees it, urban education brings everyone to the table, helping meet the needs of “families living in poverty, schools with a large percentage of students receiving free and reducedprice school lunch, English language learners and under-resourced schools,” whether those needs crop up downtown, in the suburbs or in remote areas. to the improvement of urban education. And to continue to do the research that helps the profession understand what we can do better.” USC ROSSIER FACULTY

concur. “The future is bright because we envision a new approach to excellence in which we use theory and research to impact the field,” says USC Rossier emeritus professor Myron H. Dembo, who recently retired after 41 years. “Many universities simply attempt to excel by producing more research papers. We are saying you attain excellence by original research, but at the same time apply research to improve practice. This is the unique approach that we are taking, unlike the Stanford or Harvard model where the traditional approach has emphasized research productivity. This will help us break into the top 10 schools of education in the country. It’s a different model for excellence.” Assistant professor Katharine Strunk credits the faculty members Gallagher has hired. “They are doing important research in classrooms and in districts,” she said, “such as looking at supplementary education service providers’ effectiveness, examining teacher training, and studying governance and district reforms.” Things did not look this rosy 10 years ago, when Gallagher was interviewing for the job she now holds; in fact, there was a distinct possibility the school might not have survived to see 100. In 2000, just two years after Barbara and Roger Rossier made their landmark $20 million gift to name the school, a blistering external review exposed systemic problems of staggering proportions. What was wrong with the school? “Every-

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thing!” Gallagher says with brutal candor, quoting from the 2000 Academic Program Review, a report issued from the provost’s office every seven years that utilizes both self-study and outside evaluation: “Mediocre programs, mediocre students, mediocre faculty.” Rumors of closure were not without substance: A similarly dismal review released around the same time eventually led to the demise of USC’s nursing program. But when Gallagher – who was then education dean at the University of Kansas – met with the search committee for the USC job, she told its members plainly: “I am not coming in to close the school. Don’t hire me if that is where you’re going.” She recalls, “Well, they hired me, so …” Gallagher had won a reprieve for her new school, but the task ahead, she knew, would be unbelievably difficult. To name but a few areas of concern: rollercoaster budgets, abysmal faculty morale, undergraduate enrollment in full retreat, the university’s lowest GRE and SAT scores, graduate students languishing for want of faculty mentors and labyrinthine doctoral programs that seldom yielded any sheepskin. A decade later, having brought it back from the edge, Gallagher presides over a school she and her leadership team have rebuilt from the ground up. Among their major achievements: • Stabilizing the budget by instituting strict enrollment management systems; • Eliminating the school’s arcane academic divisions and engendering a student-centered culture focused on results; • Eliminating the moribund baccalaureate degree program; • Replacing a bloated and incoherent Ph.D. program with a focused, highly selective one; • Overhauling and streamlining the Ed.D. program, allowing it to be completed in just three years through a pioneering “thematic dissertation” process; • Phasing out the counseling psychology concentration that, although top-notch, was out of sync with USC Rossier’s urban education mission; • Building up faculty excellence, with an emphasis on grant-supported research of national and international importance. “We had to jettison a lot of things we were not doing well,” says Gallagher. “That’s hard to do. But we also pledged to do what we can do well, focusing on four core academic themes: leadership, learning, accountability and diversity.” Seven years into Gallagher’s tenure, a new Academic Program Review called her achievements “nothing short of a miracle,” adding: “She has managed a complete turnaround of the school. She can and should declare victory.”

THE PROBLEMS THAT

plagued USC Rossier had piled up over decades, and many were not of its own making. The Civil Rights era had provoked massive social upheavals and sparked a rethinking of the role of education in shaping a better society. Many education schools were overwhelmed by the new demands placed on them to help prepare teachers and administrators who would lead the way in desegregation, Title IX, bilingual teaching and special education. Against this backdrop, in California, the Master Plan for Higher Education laid out a three-tiered system of public colleges and universities, creating, almost overnight, a network of Cal State campuses ready to train an army of new teachers – at a fraction of the cost of a USC education. During the 1960s, a California master plan for public schools and universities expanded the state higher education system and put stronger priorities on teacher education. This undercut the value of USC Rossier’s flagship bachelor’s programs, chiseling away at what was once the school’s biggest source of enrollment. By 2000, there were fewer than 30 undergraduate education majors at USC. USC’s overhaul of its general education program, part of President Emeritus Steven B. Sample’s push for undergraduate excellence in the early 1990s, dealt a financial blow to the school. Under the new plan, all GE courses (once a reliable source of revenue for professional schools) would be consolidated in USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. Other problems were USC Rossier-specific. For example, lack of central planning and rigorous oversight had made the Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs virtually indistinguishable from each other. Ponderous in size – enrollment hit 578 in 1999 – the doctoral programs were a deadend with many candidates destined never to finish. Overdependence on enrollment income had pushed the faculty-to-student ratio through the roof, while the requirements for graduation had become opaque, and required courses were difficult to schedule. Gallagher tackled the numerous problems by first convening a three-day “Futures” conference. In attendance were not only faculty – the key planning team included Myron Dembo as well as current faculty members Melora Sundt and Robert Rueda – but also alumni and students. USC trustee and USC Rossier alumna Verna Dauterive EdD ’66 played a key role as well. Their groundbreaking work essentially overhauled the entire system. One of the first directives coming out of the conference in January 2001 was to split apart the Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs, reengineering both from the ground up. “We decided the Ed.D. would become a

three-year degree for working professionals, training about 150 students each year,” Gallagher says. “And our Ph.D. would be a highly selective, fully supported, full-time program for people interested in pursuing academic and research careers.” The Ph.D. program enrolls just 12 to 18 students per year, all of whom earn their degrees in four years. Each student is on full scholarship and receives an annual stipend of up to $35,000, paid through a combination of the USC Provost’s Ph.D. Fellowship program, USC Rossier’s own coffers, and teaching and research assistantships funded by faculty grants. Why the generous support? “That’s the price of staying competitive with peer programs,” says Gallagher. Unlike mega-programs at public universities, however, USC Rossier offers only one track for its Ph.D. candidates: urban policy. “We’re a private school,” Gallagher explains. “We don’t have to do everything. We can determine what we can do well.” Keeping the Ph.D. program small and focused means candidates receive intensive mentoring by senior faculty. According to associate professor Darnell Cole, “That mentorship is essential to the kind of intellectual development, academic rigor and practical research skills that students develop during their time here.” The Ed.D., on the other hand, is designed to fit the schedule of working professionals. (The average age of an Ed.D. student is 36, while that of a Ph.D. student is closer to 26.) There are four concentrations for the Ed.D.: K-12 leadership in urban education settings, educational psychology, higher education/community college leadership and teacher education in multicultural societies. The students benefit from another USC Rossier innovation: the thematic dissertation. Instead of writing their theses independently, teams of eight to 10 students work together around a specific topic or theme, identified by the faculty adviser, with real-world implications. “That is how things get done out in the real world,” notes Gallagher. “You don’t have a single researcher come in to solve a problem. You work in a team.” In fact, some thematic dissertations are proposed by school districts, so the effort becomes, in effect, an elaborate consultating report. “They are solving problems of practice, not trying to write something that will win the dissertation-of-the-year award,” she says. The team approach also helps keep students on track to graduate in three years. “Thanks to the thematic dissertation,” says Kathy Stowe, former executive director of the Ed.D. program who recently became an associate dean, “our completion rates are much higher than the

national average.” In drawing such a stark line between the Ed.D. and the Ph.D., USC Rossier has established itself as a pioneer. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has launched a program, the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, based on USC’s model. Thirtyfive research universities have signed on. This revamped structure for its doctoral programs also has turned USC Rossier into a more student-centered environment, Gallagher says, pointing to the school’s Doctoral Support Center as an example. Recognizing that USC Rossier is second to only USC College in the number of doctoral dissertations it turns out – more than 100 each spring – the school established a service center to make sure those dissertations meet the university’s ironclad requirements. The center is the only one of its kind at USC. In addition to providing technical review, the center’s professional staff can coach students on everything from quantitative methodology to dangling modifiers. Many graduate programs pride themselves on being tough – so tough that a portion of students won’t get through. Gallagher rejects the idea of accepting students in a program only to put “landmines, hurdles and hoops in their way, almost as if you’re hoping they’ll fail.” She explains: “This is the opposite of the mindset we’ve achieved in the USC Rossier School. We want people to graduate and do their work, and represent us well.” FOR ALL OF GALLAGHER’S

can-do optimism, these remain hard times for traditional schools of education. Alternate pathways to certifying

teachers and principals are siphoning away students from traditional programs, and also siphoning away federal funds. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan threw down the gauntlet when he outlined why his department – with some $46 billion in discretionary funding – is looking for spending alternatives. “Many, if not most, of the nation’s 1,450 schools, colleges and departments of education are doing a mediocre job of preparing teachers for the realities of the 21st-century classroom,” Duncan said in a 2009 speech at Teachers College at Columbia University. Gallagher’s answer to Duncan’s gauntlet: the pioneering master of arts in teaching degree custom-made for the digital age. Dubbed MAT@USC, it’s an innovative partnership with 2tor, a company dedicated to high-quality online university education started by John Katzman, founder of the Princeton Review. Unlike other online initiatives, this is a full-fledged USC program – the same as the traditional on-campus MAT program, with the same tuition – requiring a year’s worth of coursework and 20 weeks of in-classroom practice. The program places the students in high-need schools in their own communities. How can a USC student living in Duluth accomplish this? Working with a full-time “guiding” teacher under the virtual supervision of a USC Rossier faculty adviser, each student uploads daily videos of his work in the classroom and participates in live video conversations. The result, says Melora Sundt, associate dean for academic programs, is far more frequent opportunities for assessment and strategizing than students

The Great Degree Gap

Before the online MAT program, USC Rossier graduated about 100 teachers per year. But California alone needs about 10,000 new teachers each year. The only way to have a meaningful impact in this environment was to scale up.

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Urban Education Meets the Digital Age

receive in traditional teacher-training programs. To help in the long-distance credentialing process, USC Rossier offers a nifty online tool called the Certification Map (www.certificationmap.com). This interactive site provides state-by-state information on how to become a teacher, what the certification requirements are and average salary rates. It also features a teacher credential blog. Developed by 2tor for MAT@USC, the Certification Map is a public service to the entire profession that has gained traction among educators on the Internet. “We are on the homepages of a whole lot of schools of education,” says Gallagher. Building on the program’s success, the school rolled out a second online learning program in September – also in partnership with 2tor – called MAT TESOL. A program for those wanting to teach English to speakers of other languages, MAT TESOL replicates USC Rossier’s existing curriculum in the same way that MAT@ USC does. It’s another area of teaching expertise in hot demand, and another that lends itself to the scope and scale of an online program. Incidentally, online doesn’t necessarily mean out of state. Almost half of the current MAT@USC students live in California, says Gallagher. “We have people who live three blocks from the USC campus, but they can’t come to our full-time program.” Interestingly, the next largest geographic cluster is in Atlanta, Ga. The region has four education schools:

University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Emory University and Spelman College. But the USC name – along with the online format – is a big draw. Gallagher met a group of MAT@USC students at an Atlanta Trojan Alumni Association gathering. “Many of these people say they always wanted to go to USC,” she reports. “Now they can – without leaving home.” BEFORE THE ONLINE MAT

program, explains Melora Sundt, USC Rossier graduated about 100 teachers per year. But California alone needs about 10,000 new teachers each year. “Producing 100 of these means USC wasn’t even part of the conversation,” she says. “We were invisible.” The only way to have a meaningful impact in this environment was to scale up. That may sound crazy, given that around the country, and especially in big cities, the economic downturn has resulted in budget deficits with dire warnings of schools in crisis. But don’t let the much-publicized teacher layoffs fool you. There will always be a market for teachers. Between teacher retirements and growing student enrollment, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that the number of teachers needed over the next decade will grow by 12 percent. “Teacher” is already the largest BLS category, with 3.5 million American workers in the K-12 public, private and parochial ranks. Union handwringing notwithstanding, it is not a profession in decline.

“Perceptions are a little skewed,” says Gallagher. “To protect themselves, districts will send out blanket pink slips in March or April. We hear about that. What we don’t hear about is that a large percent of [the laid-off teachers] will be rehired in August.” Another cool Web tool sponsored by USC Rossier addresses this issue. Called Education World (www.teachingjobsportal.com), also designed by 2tor, it provides a central clearinghouse where school districts can post teacher vacancies. A color-coded map indicates where demand is highest. California pops out bright red – indicating teacher shortages are at critical levels here. Most of those vacancies are concentrated in science, technology, engineering and math. In fact, just about every district in the country is starved for teachers in so-called STEM fields. The push for getting more people – especially underrepresented minorities – into STEM fields is on. The Obama administration has earmarked $5 billion for it. For its part, USC Rossier has joined with the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and USC College in a consortium that is building a searchable database on STEM-related projects throughout the university. Additionally, 16 percent of the MAT@ USC online students are in STEM concentrations, making the program the largest provider of STEM teachers in the country. The good news is that, as the runaway suc-

The Knowledge Game USC Rossier’s major research centers dig deep into the challenges of real-world education. One thing that Dean Karen Gallagher loves about USC is the university-wide commitment to solving society’s problems. At the education school, that translates into real emphasis on applied research, not only among the Ed.D. students but also among Ph.D.s. This is evident in USC Rossier’s six major research centers. Each is a player on the national scene, producing reports and databases that get national headlines – and are backed by major grants.

For associate dean of research and faculty affairs Dominic Brewer, valuing and fostering a multidisciplinary faculty is an important part of what makes USC Rossier special. “We are very lucky to have some of education’s most ambitious and committed scholars, drawn from a wide array of disciplinary backgrounds,” he says. “Unlike many schools of education, we aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions, to bring data and state-of-the-art methods to bear, and to look at issues that challenge the status quo.

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“Our research is driven by a focus on improving urban education – what works for whom and under what conditions,” Brewer continues. “One of our hallmarks is that our research is not abstract, ivory-tower theorizing, but rather applied and problem-focused. It helps generate tools, interventions and insights that can be used by practitioners and by policymakers who need help now. Through close collaborations with practitioners, our research is grounded in real educational settings.”

The College Admissions Game: Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis Students at inner-city high schools face major obstacles when it comes to applying to college. Guidance counseling is, understandably, not a high priority in schools where the dropout rate hovers at 50 percent and the college-bound rate is just 25 percent. That’s where USC Rossier’s Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis (CHEPA) comes in. The center has created a mentoring program at 10 schools in the poorest areas of Los Angeles, helping qualified students navigate the application and financial aid processes to go on to four-year institutions. Now, through a program called Pathfinder, CHEPA researchers have teamed with designers from the Game Innovation Lab

Movin’ On Up

cess of MAT@USC suggests, the current crop of teachers-in-training is breaking traditional molds. For starters, they’re no strangers to technology. “It’s just a generational difference,” says Gallagher. “These people are comfortable in virtual environments. They’re comfortable sharing their lives through social networking.” There’s a Facebook fan page for MAT@USC that recently got its 7,100th fan. These fans are breaking down into smaller groups: middleschool math teachers who love USC football; people who love Harry Potter or the Twilight series and want to teach literature. “You can build on that to form learning communities,” says Gallagher.

Seven years into dean Karen Symms Gallagher’s tenure, a new Academic Program Review from the provost’s office called her achievements “nothing short of a miracle,” adding: “She has managed a complete turnaround of the school. She can and should declare victory.”

ANOTHER WAY

USC Rossier has pushed the urban education envelope is with a global worldview that sees linkages between the problems of urban American schools and Asia’s emerging economies. “What linkages might those be?” you wonder. That’s what a recent delegation from Vietnam wanted to know. Mark Robison, director of the Asia Pacific Rim International Study Experience, a unit within the school that coordinates USC Rossier’s international activities, recalls an interaction with the visiting group. “They were impressed with what they saw happening at USC Rossier, but they were vexed by the notion of urban education, since

in the USC School of Cinematic Arts to create a highly interactive, entertaining, online game that they say boosts students’ college aspirations, emphasizes connections between high school performance and career choices, and equips players with knowledge about preparing for and succeeding in college. “We couldn’t do this at other universities,” says CHEPA director William Tierney. “USC is an entrepreneurial institution that not only encourages us to engage in nontraditional thinking, but also provides the support for it.” Considered one of the top five higher education research centers in the United States, CHEPA and its faculty have received funding from Atlantic Philanthropies, the Lumina Foundation, the Lilly

education in their country is largely rural,” he says. “At first, they had trouble understanding the relevance.” Gallagher explains it thus: “We don’t use ‘urban’ as a geographical marker. Instead, we use it to refer to the kinds of students and school communities that one encounters in greater magnitude in urban areas – but that could, and do, exist elsewhere.” While it’s true USC Rossier is in the middle of a major metropolis, the issues at the core of its mission – questions of migration and immigration, diversity (cultural, racial, linguistic) and economic

Endowment, the Ford Foundation, the Pew Endowment, the Bush Foundation, the Irvine Foundation, the Teagle Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. Center research ranges from effective postsecondary governance to financial aid for students of color to successful college outreach programs. The center has an international agenda aimed broadly at the Pacific Rim; individual scholars have conducted research and served as visiting professors in Australia, Malaysia, China and Saudi Arabia.

Equity in Student Outcomes: Center for Urban Education A pilot project at two Boston high schools to measure equitable college access among underrepresented kids, a state-funded program in Illinois to improve graduation and

disparities – are all crucial parts of creating and sustaining an effective educational system, no matter where it might be. As Gallagher sees it, urban education brings everyone to the table, helping meet the needs of “families living in poverty, schools with a large percentage of students receiving free and reduced-price school lunch, English language learners and under-resourced schools,” whether those needs crop up downtown, in the suburbs or in remote areas. This was an answer that resonated with the Vietnamese officials. In fact, that nation’s

employment prospects for students at 10 community colleges, and a new academic journal devoted to research on college pathways for African-American males – these are the tangible products of a series of workshops created by USC Rossier’s Center for Urban Education (CUE) and funded by a $1.4 million Ford Foundation grant. Established at USC in 1999, CUE leads socially conscious research and develops tools for institutions of higher education to produce equity in student outcomes. Led by codirectors Estela Mara Bensimon and Alicia Dowd, the center plays a vital role in helping institutions across the country become more accountable to students from underserved racial and ethnic communities. For so long, says Bensimon: “Colleges proudly reported the percentages

of black and Latino students in their entering classes. But none talked about whether the same percentage was represented in their graduating classes. CUE saw that diversity was not the same as equity.” The center’s research provides leaders and policymakers with a set of data tools and practices to assess progress toward closing the gap in college completion.

In Policy, What Works: Center on Educational Governance While public schools are starved for funds, charter schools are riding the economic downturn and surviving California’s deficits nicely. That was the conclusion of a report published in May by USC Rossier’s elite Center on Educational Governance (CEG). CEG researches the linkages

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Urban Education Meets the Digital Age

Ministry of Education and Training is taking steps to replicate USC Rossier’s doctorate in education program in its own major universities. “We think the Ed.D. program is very practical,” says Do Huy Thinh, associate professor and director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization regional training center. “We want to use the [USC model] to instigate change into the education system in Vietnam.” Thinh’s ambitious plan calls for setting up the program at campuses in Hanoi, Hue and Saigon as early as 2011, with USC Rossier advising throughout the process. Thematic dissertation groups will be used to tackle real problems of practice faced in different provinces, he says. In other outreach efforts, USC Rossier is taking advantage of its position at the gateway to the Pacific Rim to establish working partnerships with universities across Latin America and Asia. One involves a collaborative master’s degree with Peking University, among China’s preeminent centers of higher learning. Another, with the University of Hong Kong, will result in a dual-degree doctoral program. USC Rossier is “devising opportunities you just don’t find anywhere else,” says Robison. For instance, the international study experience’s marquee program introduces USC Rossier students to urban education on a global stage. In 10-day trips – open to students in both the doctoral as well as the MAT programs – participants visit China, Singapore, Vietnam, Kuala

among policy, educational governance, and the improvement of urban schools and systems. Founded by director Priscilla Wohlstetter, the center uses an interdisciplinary approach to offer policy solutions to educational challenges, developing basic research about what works, using action research to improve practice, and partnering with practitioners in the field to develop products and services. It is studying the rise of the private sector in providing services to low-performing schools, from curriculum development to school management. One of the center’s primary products, the Charter School Indicators Report, includes a searchable database that lets users compare the academic and fiscal performance of California charter schools over time and against other

Lumpur and other destinations that “open students’ eyes to different perspectives and what we have in common,” Gallagher says. Former executive vice provost and current USC Marshall School of Business professor Michael Diamond, who also holds joint appointments in education and social work, helped launch the study program. He notes that many of the problems confronting education at all levels in the United States are being confronted in other countries. “Every one of us is going to operate in a global environment, and we have to learn to do it on the ground,” he says. Now USC Rossier is taking these global relationships to the next level. Two years ago, Gallagher and USC Marshall School Dean James Ellis started a spin-off of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. That organization, cofounded in 1997 by USC President Emeritus Steven B. Sample, brings together the presidents of 42 research universities on both sides of the Pacific Ocean to discuss shared goals. Gallagher and Ellis decided to convene a similar executive group – composed of education and business deans from West Coast universities – and bring them together with their counterparts in Russia, Japan, Korea, Central and South America, Australia, and New Zealand. “We’ve given ourselves three years to establish strong partnerships around research, technology and their impact, and teacher education,” she says. “We all have similar challenges,” Gallagher

charter schools. “Are you a parent deciding between schools for your child? Are you a foundation thinking about where to invest? Are you a charter school authorizer that needs guidance on where to focus your attention?” Wohlstetter asks. “USC’s annual charter school report offers information to help you with your decisions.”

Those Who Do, Can’t Teach: Center for Cognitive Technology Surgeons may seem superhuman in their power to repair the human body, but they are but flawed creatures when it comes to imparting that know-how. Research shows that when asked to describe how they perform a complex procedure, surgeons fail to describe about 70

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adds. “For instance, as many of the countries begin to expand into the knowledge economy, and women and other groups gain access to new opportunities, you see the same problems we’ve had here in terms of getting people into teaching and keeping them there.” “This is the Asian century,” Gallagher notes. “China, Vietnam and India are starting to see that you have to invest in the children and youth of the country, getting them as much education as possible, because that’s the way to participate in the global economy.” At the school’s 100th anniversary gala on Feb. 1, it was announced that event proceeds would go toward two new global initiatives. The Cindy Hensley McCain Global Educator Fellowship, named in honor of the USC Rossier alumna whose husband was the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, is a travel award for aspiring teachers and school-based educators who face global challenges in meeting the learning needs of children and youth. These are educators who rarely get international travel opportunities. The second initiative, the Steven B. Sample Global Education Leadership Fellowship, will enable USC Rossier Ph.D. and Ed.D. doctoral candidates to participate in international study tours to Asian Pacific and Latin American schools and universities, government ministries and NGOs. The first trip, to Southeast Asia, took place in August and included fellows from both groups. Good management is obviously an essential

percent of the critical knowledge. This is not deliberate withholding. Their physical and mental skills simply have become automated and unconscious over years of practice. How, then, can one effectively teach surgery? This is a question that USC Rossier’s Center for Cognitive Technology (CCT) has been exploring through an interdisciplinary partnership with the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. To probe deeply, CCT co-directors Richard Clark and Allen Munro have donned surgical scrubs and entered the operating room as clinical professors of surgery. Their education students are currently preparing a thematic dissertation on the subject. A test curriculum is in the works. In another project, Munro and CCT research associate Quentin

Pizzini have developed a sophisticated game to help U.S. Naval officers learn antisubmarine warfare tactics in an immersive and engaging way. The center’s primary interests include the use of cognitive task analysis to capture expertise for education and training, evidencebased instructional design for complex skills, and effective use of serious games and simulations for learning and instruction. CCT’s broader mission is to improve learning, assessment and motivation in diverse settings. “We are the only educational research center that specializes in doing background research and instructional development work on the use of technology and design models for other research centers and large government organizations,” says Clark.

ingredient for a good school, and, historically, USC Rossier has been the prime mover in training education policymakers. “There’s no question that, here in California, USC Rossier graduates hold the highest number of superintendent positions in the state,” says Michael Escalante EdD ’02, recently retired superintendent of the Glendale Unified School District. “I think one of the best ways of measuring a school of education’s impact is to look at the number of effective and successful educators out in the field,” he says. There are about 1,000 school districts in California. About 70 of these districts have superintendents who are USC Rossier graduates. That’s impressive, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the school’s glory days. According to Southern California and Its University, 100 percent of Los Angeles and San Diego county superintendents were Trojans in the 1950s and ’60s, as were nearly 50 percent of all Los Angeles County school principals. In its heyday, USC education dean Irving Melbo famously could get school superintendents to resign just by picking up the phone, and name their successors with equal ease. Those days are gone forever, says Gallagher. When she first came to USC, she met with a group of influential alumni called the “Dean’s Superintendents Advisory Group.” The members complained bitterly about the deterioration they had seen in their alma mater. Gallagher lis-

Developing a Taste for Engineering: Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation You can lead a horse to water, but how do you get him to drink? That’s the age-old question being asked by researchers Gisele Ragusa and Jean-Pierre Bardet; only instead of horses, they hope to get inner-city middle- and high- school students to drink deeply of the engineering discipline. With well-documented shortages of students choosing engineering majors, it’s an urgent question, which is why the National Science Foundation awarded $100,000 to USC Rossier’s Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) to study the problem. Bardet, who is on the faculty of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, teamed with

Teaching Across Time Zones

“This is the Asian century,” Gallagher notes. “China, Vietnam and India are starting to see that you have to invest in the children and youth of the country, getting them as much education as possible, because that’s the way to participate in the global economy.

tened, and then she made them a promise: that they would be proud to be Trojans again and that she would bring back excellence, but with the proviso that it would not look like it had in the Melbo years. It would be a new kind of excellence. “I don’t aspire to that,” says Gallagher of her predecessor’s kingmaker role in the region. “Even if I thought it could happen, I don’t know what each district needs.” She promises, though, that “we are going again to be seen as producing leaders, whether for classrooms, the principal’s office, or superintendents or community colleges.”

CORE director Ragusa to develop innovative engineering educational materials, pedagogy and curricula that have dramatically improved the content knowledge and retention of USC engineering students. Now, through the USC Inner-City Civil and Environmental Engineering Academy, they are transferring this knowledge to urban secondary teachers and their classrooms. CORE works on multiple fronts to improve education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the so-called STEM fields). The center’s research projects involve interdisciplinary faculty from other USC schools, and are funded by such elite agencies as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Education.

Ten years on, she seems to have delivered. At the school’s glittering gala centennial celebration, she flattered a crowd of alumni, faculty and supporters by saying, “Like Jack Benny, no one in this room looks like they’re over 39.” Then she added, more seriously, “That’s because the USC Rossier School doesn’t think or act like it is 100 years old.” It certainly doesn’t. ● Jeremy Deutchman and Allison Engel contributed to this story. If you have questions or comments on this article, please send them to magazines@usc.edu.

Moving the Needle on Attending and Completing College: Center for Enrollment Research, Policy, and Practice USC Rossier’s latest research center, under the direction of Jerome Lucido, recently moved from the provost’s office and intends to collaborate with USC Rossier’s Center for Urban Education and Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis. It launched the new College Access and Success Assessment, a 45-minute survey that has been given to more than 3,000 12th-grade students in the Long Beach and Fresno school districts. The survey results will provide a valuable snapshot of each high school’s collegegoing culture and offer the schools statistical measures and guidance. In 2012, the center intends to imple-

ment the assessment in up to 100 urban, high-need schools throughout the United States. In January, the center will host another in its annual series of admission policy conferences, bringing together top scholars with enrollment practitioners and policymakers from around the country to debate what is right and wrong about selective college admissions. The center also partnered with Indiana University to complete “Organizing for Student Persistence,” a study that examines how four-year colleges and universities are organizing to promote student success and completion. Recently, the College Board awarded the center a $200,000 grant to launch a study of community college efforts toward student success, again in partnership with Indiana University. ●

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Reaching Toward the Fountain of Youth

BY CARL MARZIALI Photographs by Mark Berndt

C A L E B F I N C H I N H I S B A C K YA R D P O O L I N A LTA D E N A , C A L I F.

Sometimes the value of research lies as much in exposing false remedies as in discovering true breakthroughs. Scientists at the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first school of gerontology and in laboratories around campus do both, mindful of their responsibility to a society focused on healthful aging.

and pitfalls of anti-aging therapies, start with the research and lifestyles of anti-aging scholars. Valter Longo knows how to give yeast cells 10 lives, but neither he nor any other biologist knows for sure how to add even one year to the human lifespan. So Longo plays the Longevity Casino with a conservative strategy: exercise moderately, follow the Okinawa diet (whole grains, vegetables and fish) and leave the table a little hungry. Christian Pike believes in a link between low hormone levels and Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease, and he has seen how middle-aged mice perk up when given testosterone. Yet he is leery enough of potential side effects that he advises his own parents not to

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O UNDERSTAND THE PROMISE

Caleb Finch professor of gerontology/neurobiology of aging

take hormone supplements, and jokes that so far he has resisted the temptation to dip into his laboratory’s testosterone stock. Caleb Finch, a world authority on inflammation and aging, takes statins to control his cholesterol level, and also because the drugs appear to tame damaging inflammatory substances. He swims regularly but does not like to push his body too hard. These experts’ ambitious research programs embody the promise of anti-aging medicine. Their lifestyles reflect their modest personal approaches to longevity. Nowhere is the rift

Finch, a world authority on inflammation and aging, takes statins to control his cholesterol level. He swims regularly but does not like to push his body too hard. between theory and practice wider than in the pursuit of longer, healthier lives. The 1990s were supposed to break open the promise of gene therapy. Tom Johnson of the University of Colorado startled the research world in 1990 by reporting that the mutation of a single gene could more than double the maximum lifespan of earthworms. Confirmed and extended by Cynthia Kenyon of UC San

Francisco in 1993, the experiments showed that the mutated worms not only lived longer, but also looked younger and fitter. Scientists then achieved lifespan extension of 30 to 50 percent in genetically engineered mice. By 2008, at the USC Davis School of Gerontology – the first such school in the country – Longo’s laboratory had achieved a record tenfold lifespan extension in genetically engi-

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C H R I S T I A N P I K E , A R E G U L A R O C E A N K AYA K E R , I N S A N TA M O N I C A

Christian Pike associate professor of gerontology

“Testosterone is one of those hot anti-aging drugs. But you have to be nervous because you don’t know what all of its effects are. You wait. There are going to be downsides.” neered baker’s yeast. Genetically engineered humans are a different brew, for both ethical and technical reasons. In a 2010 review of lifespan extension in the journal Science, Longo noted the lack of mutation studies even on monkeys and other primates. If and when such studies are done, results will not arrive for decades due to the long lifespan of the animals. Ethical questions about gene therapy and genetic engineering in humans guarantee additional, possibly indefinite, delays. The efficacy of longevity therapies marketed today will not be proven for at least a generation. Nature abhors a vacuum, and scammers are quick to spot an opportunity. The anti-aging industry is an obvious magnet for charlatans. Yet in theory, the genetic study of longevity holds vast potential. If scientists can identify genetic mutations that prolong lifespan – and a few strong candidates have emerged from studies of centenarians around the world – drugs that mimic the action of those mutations might also mimic their life-prolonging effects. For the past few years, a group led by Longo has been studying a few hundred Ecuadorians who appear immune to cancer. Members of this isolated mountain community share a mutation that makes them insensitive to human growth

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hormone – resulting in dwarfish stature but possibly lowering the risk of cancer, since the same genetic pathway has been linked to tumor growth. Longo’s group is trying to verify whether the Ecuadorian subjects are truly resistant to cancer and whether they live longer than other populations. A related group with a mutation inherited from only one parent holds special interest: Subjects in this group are of normal height, yet may still possess unusual cancer resistance. Results from the Ecuadorian study are not expected for several years. At USC’s Davis School and in laboratories around the university, biologists focus their energy on credible strategies for lifespan extension – while also collaborating with demographers, sociologists, social workers and psychologists in a broader discussion of aging – not as an avoidance of disease, but as a natural condition of life. THE BULK OF LIFESPAN extension, to date, has

come from improved public health: clean water, better hygiene, immunizations, safer childbirth. Modern medicine has lowered mortality from heart disease somewhat and lowered cancer rates very slightly since 1990 (cancer mortality

had risen steadily up to that point). In 1996, Finch and colleague Malcolm Pike of the Keck School of Medicine of USC authored an influential paper suggesting that 120 years would be a feasible average human lifespan if caloric restriction worked as well in people as in mice. (So far only one human has lived past 120: Jeanne Calment of France, who died in 1997 at age 122.) We are moving slowly toward a triple-digit lifespan. Life expectancy for a person born in the United States today is about 78 years – up from 71 years in 1970, and 60 years in 1930. But the rising numbers mask deterioration. The age curve is starting to level off, or at least to rise more slowly. Medical technology keeps some people breathing who may not wish to keep living – not just the brain-damaged on ventilators, but older adults on pacemakers and other devices whose minds decline while their artificially supported bodies show stubborn stamina. Even with technology prolonging lives of dubious quality, the United States lags in the race to 120. At a conference this spring hosted by USC’s Davis School and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research Advancement, noted demographer Eileen Crimmins, a professor of gerontology at the school, showed that the United States ranks lower than many developed countries. “It’s hard to find any evidence that we’re in good shape relative to anyplace else,” says Crimmins, who holds the AARP Chair in

Interdisciplinary Gerontology

Gerontology at USC and is director of a joint USC/UCLA center on biodemography. Some attribute the poor U.S. showing to violent crime and infant mortality in the inner city – tragedies to be sure, but ones that would suggest a much better outlook for the middle class. However, Crimmins’ data offer no such comfort. She compares life expectancy starting from age 50. Infant mortality has no influence on her numbers, and since most victims of crime are younger, violent death is a negligible factor. Instead Crimmins blames past smoking, especially by women; a high incidence of heart disease and diabetes; high rates of physical disability, possibly related to obesity and sedentary lifestyles; and variation in disease and mortality by class, with well-educated Americans doing somewhat better. “People who are poor and have low education live shorter and less healthy lives,” she says, regardless of their race. Crimmins’ frequent collaborator, University Professor and neurobiologist Finch, described a future in which most people will lead less healthy lives than the wealthy few, due to rising health care costs and uneven environmental conditions. “There are very powerful counter-longevity forces that are building,” says Finch. “Future benefits of longevity may be limited to a very small privileged group of people.” Against that backdrop, how can the average person stay healthy longer? Leaving Food and Loving It

Biologists agree that only one strategy has been shown to extend lifespan in a range of animals. As often happens, it is the least pleasant option in the spectrum of alleged anti-aging remedies, which includes such enticing elixirs as red wine (for resveratrol, a much-touted but unproven tonic), blueberries (for their anti-oxidant properties) and growth hormones (for their libidoand muscle-building capacity). The strategy is caloric restriction – a euphemism for staying hungry. As early as the 1930s, scientists noticed that mice fed a low-calorie diet lived longer than their counterparts that were fed a normal diet. Scientists speculate that partial starvation drives organisms into a highly stress-resistant state, what Longo calls a “maintenance mode.” He views caloric restriction – or CR – as a way to fool the body into holding out for better times. The strategy seems to act as a natural kind of genetic engineering, reducing the activity of key genes involved in growth and development but linked to cancer later in life. A study in macaque monkeys is starting to yield results. Begun in 1989 at the University of Wisconsin by Richard Weindruch, who like Longo is a former graduate student of caloric-

reduction pioneer Roy Walford of UCLA, the study shows that underfed monkeys develop far fewer age-related disorders such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Unfortunately, they also are more likely to die from unusual causes (caloric restriction has been linked to a weakened immune system). Overall the calorie-restricted monkeys seem to live longer, but the difference so far is not statistically significant. The case for CR developed complications this year with the release of a study by James Nelson, a former graduate student of Finch now at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Nelson compared 41 genetically engineered strains of mice and found that more strains lived shorter lives with caloric restriction than actually benefited. (Longo cautions that Nelson’s mice had their caloric intake cut almost in half, making it likely that many simply starved.) Four years earlier, Nelson’s UT colleague Steven Austad had shown that caloric restriction does not work on wild mice, raising the possibility that the whole thing may be a laboratory effect. In a paper published last year in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Mark Mattson of the National Institute on Aging questioned the value of studies based on lab mice. He noted that lab mouse populations are unnatural in several ways. For example, they are bred to reproduce very quickly and grow very fat with no limit on their food intake. There had always been CR skeptics among longevity researchers, but until recently Mattson wasn’t one of them. “He was one of the defenders of this idea that caloric restriction is universal,” says Raj Sohal, a professor in the USC School of Pharmacy. Sohal himself was an early believer and co-author, with Weindruch, of an influential Science paper on caloric restriction. Sohal has since qualified his enthusiasm, as in a widely publicized study with Michael Forster of the University of North Texas that compared a fat and a lean mouse strain and found that caloric restriction helped only the chubby mice. Critics point to these studies as proof that results from lab mice do not apply to humans. But consider the following laboratory population: • Three quarters of males and nearly twothirds of females are overweight or obese. • Specimens have access to cheap, energydense food around the clock. • Abundant calories help the young develop and reach reproductive age faster than their counterparts in food-scarce environments. • Opportunities for physical activity are limited. THAT DESCRIBES Americans today, according

to scores of studies, including the latest weight

The efficacy of longevity therapies marketed today will not be proven for at least a generation. Nature abhors a vacuum, and scammers are quick to spot an opportunity. The anti-aging industry is an obvious magnet for charlatans. statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. “Humans are behaving exactly like lab mice and rats,” Sohal says, with evident disgust. So maybe caloric restriction could work for today’s couch potatoes. But even a caloric restriction enthusiast like Longo urges caution, pending the results of two clinical trials with some brave and very disciplined human volunteers. “These guys are super skinny. I look skinny; imagine me minus 20 pounds,” he says, pointing to his six-foot, 172-pound frame. “The point of these diets is to get you to weigh 25 percent less than normal. “It’s very extreme, too extreme,” he says. And unproven. Instead, Longo supports time-tested diets such as those followed by the long-lived people of Okinawa: meals rich in vegetables, whole grains and fish, complemented by physical activity and governed by the principle of hara hachi bu (eat only until 80 percent full). Or, closer to Longo’s own ancestry, the Mediterranean diet of his Southern ltalian parents. “Hamburgers? Even chicken was out of the question,” Longo said. “They ate a lot of vegetables, not that much fruit actually, when they could get their hands on it some cheese – a little bit – but other than that, it was grains, whole grains a lot of the time, and that’s it. And meat was just once a month. “My father is 85 and he eats meat sometimes, but most of the time he eats a pretty good diet: green beans, some pasta, a lot of other vegetables thrown in there, carrots and leafy greens. “Not surprisingly, now they (Southern Italians) are one of the longest lived in the world, together with the Japanese. Is it going to last? No, because the new Italians are eating like Americans.”

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Caloric restriction may leave its biggest mark in the cancer clinic. In March 2008, Longo surprised the medical community with a study showing that tumor-carrying mice forced to fast before chemotherapy showed fewer side effects and tolerated higher doses than normally fed mice. Longo theorized that short-term starvation drove healthy cells into a stress-resistance maintenance mode, but didn’t slow the activity of cancer cells. That would make all the difference in chemotherapy, which attacks the most rapidly dividing cells. In theory, Longo’s group had found a way to protect healthy cells during treatment. Because fasting can be dangerous, especially for weakened individuals, Longo urges cancer patients not to try it on their own. Clinical trials at USC Norris Cancer Hospital and at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., are testing the safety of this approach in humans.

Valter Longo associate professor of gerontology

Longo recommends caloric restriction -- a euphemism for staying hungry. Since the 1930s, scientists have noticed that mice fed a lowcalorie diet lived longer than others fed a normal diet.

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Elixir of Youth

There is an elixir of youth, and its name is youth. All substitutes have failed the test. It sounded too good to be true: You could enjoy red wine and longer life. Soon after its discovery in 2003, a grape ingredient called resveratrol made headlines in media from the British tabloids to The New York Times. In 2008, the group behind resveratrol, led by David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, sold its small company to GlaxoSmithKline for $720 million – and no doubt celebrated with a fine glass of red. Resveratrol and related compounds still might prove their value in ongoing clinical trials against adult-onset diabetes, inflammation and cardiovascular disease. But as the journal Nature reported this year, scientists see technical flaws in the experiments that made resveratrol famous. Further, a Pfizer-funded study concluded that resveratrol and related compounds were dubious drug candidates due to their many potential side effects. As this feature went to press, two more studies came out. One, in the journal Cell, claimed that the gene allegedly activated by resveratrol – SIRT1 – slows Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice engineered to over-express the gene. A study in The Journal of Neuroscience, led by Valter Longo, found that while SIRT1 is important for learning and memory, over-expressing the gene does not improve cognition in mice. “This is a very controversial topic since [proteins in the SIRT1 family] have been shown to be both good and bad,” Longo notes. “In

our previous studies [in mice and mammalian cells], for example, we showed that it was the absence of SIRT1 that protected neurons.” At the very least, the conflicting results suggest that taking a walk around the block may do more good than driving to Walgreens for resveratrol pills. Widely prescribed for lowering cholesterol, statins also appear to reduce inflammation, which Finch and others have linked to aging and cell damage. “The great question,” says Finch, “is, ‘What can we learn from existing anti-inflammatory drugs and diet manipulations that influence the inflammatory process that are going to be applicable to maintaining human health?’ ” Statins may yet help scientists probe the connection between inflammation and aging. But whether statins themselves prolong life remains an open question. “Everybody thinks statins do good things, and so nobody wants to rock the boat,” Crimmins says. But when she and a group of geriatrics researchers from UCLA submitted an article to a leading journal showing that statins used in the treatment of cholesterol have no effect at all on survival in old people, the article was rejected. “Honestly, I was shocked,” she recalls. “The editors said, ‘We’re not interested in this paper because the use of statins is so ingrained in practice right now that it would upset things too much to say this kind of thing.’ “We don’t know what the statins are doing,” she adds. “But everybody thinks that statins in theory should be good for a lot of things, not just cholesterol; that they should lower your inflammatory burden; maybe they are good for your cognition.” If a food’s marketing literature, and maybe even the food itself, is “loaded with powerful antioxidants,” will it help you live longer? No one would love to say yes more than Kelvin Davies, a top authority on the damage caused by oxidative stress. Holder of the James E. Birren Chair in Gerontology with a joint appointment in molecular biology in USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Davies coined the term “oxygen paradox” to describe the conundrum facing almost all life on earth. Animals need oxygen to breathe, but respiration produces free radicals – highly reactive and toxic oxygenated byproducts. Davies also discovered two “mechanics” in the cell that break

VA LT E R L O N G O H A S A N E S P R E S S O L U N C H AT E ATA L I A N C A F E I N G A R D E N A , C A L I F.

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down proteins damaged by free radicals. For reasons unknown, the mechanics slow down with age, and eventually close up shop. Davies’ findings echo research on fruit flies by John Tower, a professor of computational and molecular biology in USC College who has a joint appointment in the USC Davis School. Tower’s group showed that free radicals can serve as useful and necessary carriers of signals between cells. During youth and middle age, the cells’ mechanics, such as those discovered by Davies, fix any damage done by free radicals. But in the last third of life, say Davies and Tower, something goes wrong. “Our ability to get rid of damaged proteins seems to be declining – are we making abnormal proteins at a greater rate, or are we failing to get rid of them?” Tower asks. Scientists are no different than others in hoping for clear, simple solutions. For a long time, it seemed that aging boiled down to accumulated damage from oxidative stress. Now, Davies says that when he is “very honest” with himself, he sees a cloudy picture: one that involves some increase in oxidative stress and some decrease in the body’s ability to remove and repair damage – with the two changes feeding on each other and causing an exponentially rapid mental and physical decline in old age. Davies’ colleague John Walsh, associate professor of gerontology, believes oxidative stress plays a leading role in the part of the body that he studies: the basal ganglia, a region of the brain involved in motor function and movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Because the brain consumes more energy than any other organ, it contains more mitochondria – the energy factories of the cell. Mitochondria convert oxygen into useful energy and spit out free radicals as byproducts. The more mitochondria, the more free radicals. In addition, biologists agree that mitochondria degrade through chance DNA mutations, leading to greater production of free radicals with age. “The more of these mitochondria you have,” Walsh says, the more prone you are to damage. “Two percent of the time, just because of the randomness of biology, you’re going to be generating free radicals in normal mitochondria.” If this is true, why can’t you just load up on anti-oxidant blueberries and be fine? Maybe it is a question of timing and delivery, Walsh speculates.

Eileen Crimmins professor of gerontology

Davies is skeptical. He doubts higher doses or better delivery would help. First, the body contains thousands of different free radicals, and vitamins C and E fail to take out some of the most common types. On a chemical level, Davies sees a point of diminishing returns where ingesting more anti-oxidant molecules will bring little benefit. Whether a river is lined with 100 or 200 fishermen during salmon season, some fish will always get away. In addition, vitamin A has been shown to raise the risk of lung cancer and vitamin C seems to protect cancer cells. So load up on powerful anti-oxidants if you wish, but realize that beyond a common-sense dose, they offer scarce protection and may carry unexpected risks. Elixir of Youthfulness?

Estrogen and testosterone supplements may not help people live longer. They might even kill you sooner. But they could make the ride to oblivion more enjoyable. In 1994, when Finch was directing USC’s Alzheimer Disease Research Center (now headed by Keck School neurologist Helena Chang Chui) and musing aloud about a possible link between dementia and estrogen, his thencolleague Victor Henderson gathered surprising data from women living in the Leisure World retirement community in Laguna Woods, Calif. “Among women who had used hormone therapy, the dementia prevalence was about 50 percent lower,” Finch recalls. “It was a very

Crimmins found that welleducated Americans have better life expectancy. “People who are poor and have low education live shorter and less healthy lives.”

strong correlation. That is one of the key pieces of evidence in the chain that has led to this really quite large field: studying hormones in relation to Alzheimer’s.” Correlation does not equal causation, but the link made sense to many biologists. Estrogen is critically involved in the production of energy, and the brain is the most energy-intensive organ in the body. It seemed plausible that a lack of estrogen might contribute to neural deterioration. More than two-thirds of Alzheimer’s disease victims are women. In a long-running study in Baltimore, Alzheimer’s disease in men also has been linked to low hormone levels. The latest data suggest that men in the study who developed Alzheimer’s had low testosterone even when healthy. “Low testosterone seems to occur prior to the development of dementia,” says USC Davis School gerontologist Christian Pike, whose team studies sex hormones and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. “In that case it’s likely one of many contributing factors.”

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Interdisciplinary Gerontology

“We’re on the clock,” Roberta Brinton says of her team’s battle to vindicate estrogen therapy just as a massive wave of Baby Boomers approaches a point where the mind will fail before the body. When given to neutered rats with low libido, testosterone makes them “all better,” Pike says. Disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis demonstrated testosterone’s power in an amazing solo ride over a mountain stage of the 2006 Tour de France. The amazement was not limited to fans. Tour officials and medical experts were amazed at the testosterone levels in the two positive urine samples from Landis that day – levels so high they could not have been reached naturally. So why not prescribe testosterone for all middle-aged men? Pike admits that more men are getting prescriptions for the hormone and, so far, conclusive evidence of major health risks is lacking. Every time Pike talks about his research at a social event, some older man halfjokingly volunteers for a trial. “The most reproducible effects are decreased fat, increased muscle,” Pike says. “You’re going to be leaner, trimmer, feel better.” But he does not plan to use the hormone, and he has advised his father not to take it either. “It’s one of those hot anti-aging drugs,” he says. “But any time something like that comes along, you have to be nervous because you don’t know what all of its effects are. “You wait. There’s going to be some downsides.” Not a day after this was written, a study linked testosterone supplements to an increased risk of heart attacks. Testosterone therapy may wind up driving off the same cliff as estrogen replacement. Millions of women stopped taking estrogen in 2004 after a massive trial showed little benefit and an increased risk of stroke. A trial of estrogen in combination with progestin had been stopped earlier, in 2002, due to an increased risk

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of breast cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke and pulmonary embolism. (The studies also found some benefits, notably a decreased risk of bone fractures and colorectal cancer.) The news was a major setback for estrogen therapy researchers. USC’s Roberta Brinton considers herself an exception. Professionally, she believes her research shows that estrogen has a “healthy cell bias,” improving brain function when the organ is healthy but making matters worse when neurons degenerate. Personally, Brinton continues taking estrogen to counter symptoms of menopause and, she believes, to lower her risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Brinton, a professor in the USC School of Pharmacy with joint appointments in engineering and medicine, was featured in a New York Times Magazine feature that explored the “timing hypothesis”: that estrogen may be helpful against Alzheimer’s if started early, during or soon after menopause. Other scientists caution that estrogen therapy carries a risk of serious health problems whether started early or late. It is clear that the loss of estrogen during menopause imposes a tremendous burden on some women. “We’re on the clock,” Brinton says of her team’s battle to vindicate estrogen therapy just as a massive wave of Baby Boomers approaches a point where the mind will fail before the body. “Women can now expect to live a third of their lifetime in the post-menopausal state. We now know this has profound implications for the brain and particularly for its ability to convert glucose into the energy the brain needs to function. I liken it to that 30 percent drop in people’s stock portfolio, which many have experienced during this recession. It didn’t kill you, but it really hurt.” Some women make up the loss, or at least adjust fairly well. Others need help to recover. Others, for poorly understood reasons that may include estrogen depletion, begin the slide into dementia. In a long-term clinical trial at the Keck School of Medicine, faculty members Wendy Mack and Howard Hodis are testing different combinations of estrogen and progesterone in the hope of finding a safe hormone replacement therapy. Finch, Brinton and Pike are starting joint work on a research grant to study the link between hormone therapy and inflammation. Estrogen deficits seem to impair the body’s ability to fight inflammation, Finch says. Taxpayers should be rooting for Brinton. If lifespan keeps increasing and no one figures out how to slow Alzheimer’s, society will face a staggering financial and emotional burden. Health care economist Dana Goldman, director of USC’s new Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, a collaboration between the USC School of

Pharmacy and the School of Policy, Planning, and Development, is an optimist on lifespan and a pessimist on Alzheimer’s. “Cancer became a social epidemic in this country because we finally lived longer to age into cancer,” he says. “[Alzheimer’s] is the next social epidemic. Our bodies will survive, but now we have to figure out how to keep our minds in shape.” As hard as cancer can be on a patient’s family, Alzheimer’s represents a lower circle of hell. “Cognitive decline from Alzheimer’s affects everybody in a very fundamental way,” Goldman says. “When you can’t recognize your family members but they have to take care of you, that imposes an incredible amount of wear and tear on the other family members. Cognitive decline is infectious in a different way than infectious disease.” It is hard enough to look after normally aging relatives. William Vega is learning this firsthand as he tries to balance his responsibilities as a parent, as director of the Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging in the USC School of Social Work and as dutiful son to aging in-laws who require expensive home care. Vega’s mission as institute director is to help people age in their own homes and their own communities. It is easier said than done. (Jon Pynoos of the USC Davis School has been working on this issue for more than 30 years, both with home design and fall-prevention strategies.) Consider an octogenarian couple. An 84-year-old woman is going to have a real problem lifting her husband off the floor when he falls, Vega says. As chair of the prestigious Institute of Medicine’s Health Care Disparities Roundtable, Vega has spent years studying the social and financial stress on families who lack access to health care. They experience a vicious cycle where financial stress leads to emotional and health stress, which leads to more financial stress, and so on. “We already know that low-income people age faster than upper-income people,” he says. The difference is already apparent by age 25: more than a six-year gap in expected lifespan, according to Vega. And today’s children are more likely to lack the economic opportunities enjoyed by their parents, Vega believes. While awaiting a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research, worried individuals should know that DNA is not destiny. Decades-long studies on twins by USC psychologist Margaret Gatz and others have found big societal influences on cognitive health and aging. Studies have shown the protective value of love, friendships and social networks, not just against Alzheimer’s but to slow aging overall.

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Roberta Brinton professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences

In a paper published this year in the freely accessible PLoS Medicine journal, researchers from Brigham Young University analyzed dozens of studies on longevity and social ties, and concluded that having strong networks of friends, family and colleagues improves one’s odds of survival by as much as 50 percent. The long-running Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing found similar benefits for participants with strong friendships. It is a message you will never hear from the pharmaceutical lobby: A supplement is no substitute for a friend. Elixir of Age

Aside from the stereotypical (and not entirely true) decline in function, libido, earning power and mental sharpness, aging is just terrific. That is the conclusion of several studies that consistently show an increase in happiness as people enter their 60s. This “positivity effect” intrigues gerontologist Mara Mather, a young associate professor in the USC Davis School. Mather has been conducting brain-imaging studies to try to understand the phenomenon. First she wondered if fear-related areas of the brain simply shrank as the brain aged. But that does not seem to be the case, Mather says. Her initial results suggest that older adults redirect their brains to positive thoughts without even realizing it. “They tend to be more likely than younger

Brinton finds time for daily exercise, even jumping rope between meetings (and in heels). She’s been known to jump rope at airports while waiting for her luggage. adults to ignore negative information,” she says. “A larger percentage of what they remember tends to be positive.” To test her conjecture that the positivity effect stems from willful effort, Mather tracked the time older adults spent looking at a series of positive and negative images. If allowed to concentrate, the study volunteers looked mainly at positive images. But if Mather added a distracting sound or visual cue to the test, older subjects were no more positive than young adults. “If they had a cognitive load, they were unable to focus more on the positive things,” Mather says. Whether consciously or not, USC Davis School dean Gerald Davison finds it easy to focus on the positive things. Professionally, he heads a resurgent school in a growth industry. Programs such as USC’s Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center and Tingstad Older Adult Counseling Center serve the entire region. For a school in what is still a niche field, student enrollment is a healthy 50 to 60 undergraduates, 100 professional master’s students and around 25 Ph.D.s, and enrollments have been increasing over the past few years. The school just added two junior faculty: molecular biologist Sean Curran, a UCLA Ph.D. fresh

from a post-doctoral position at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital; and psychologist Cleopatra Abdou, also a UCLA Ph.D. and, more recently, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation scholar studying nonmaterial factors that influence happiness. Personally, Davison is having the time of his life. “Your priorities change as you get older, and there are things that you can no longer do as much, but they’re not as important as they used to be,” he says. “Younger people have looked at older people and said, ‘My God, you don’t taste as much, you don’t see as well, you don’t get as much sex, your friends are dying ... who wouldn’t be depressed?’ “That’s the limited perspective of the younger person. What they’re really saying is, ‘Given my 45-year-old self, I look at those losses with horror, I say, oh God, those poor people.’ “And apparently that’s not the case for most older people, the ones who have a reasonable amount of health. And these days there are more and more of them.” ● If you have questions or comments on this article, please send them to magazines@usc.edu.

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USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery helps put cancer patients on the road to recovery by katie neith

Restoring Form and Function

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P H O T O B Y VA N U R FA L I A N

OR MANY WOMEN, THE SURGICAL REMOVAL OF A BREAST from cancer can cause an emotional sense of loss. But for Diane Amelotte, who was diagnosed with recurrent breast cancer in April 2010, the focus was on getting rid of the cancer. “I wanted to try and ensure my own wellness in the future,” says Amelotte, a 59-year-old professor of reading for the Long Beach Community College District in Long Beach, Calif. Since it was her second bout with breast cancer – she had received radiation therapy 12 years prior for a tumor in the same breast – she opted for a skinsparing bilateral mastectomy, the removal of most of the breast tissue that lies beneath the skin. Despite not feeling an emotional connection to her breasts, she chose to have reconstructive surgery after treatment. “As a college professor, I feel like I need to present myself in a particular way,” explains Amelotte. “I knew that if I didn’t go through some reconstruction, my clothes would not ﬁt right. In order to maintain a professional look, I decided to have reconstructive surgery.” At USC Norris Cancer Hospital, she was able to start the reconstructive process during the same surgical session as her bilateral mastectomy, thanks to Regina Baker, a surgeon with USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “We have an overall team approach to taking care of patients here at USC,” says Baker, who

BACK TO WORK After a skin-sparing double mastectomy to treat breast cancer, Diane Amelotte chose breast reconstruction to help maintain a professional look as a college professor.

is also assistant professor of surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She says that for cancer patients who may want or need reconstructive surgery after treatment, surgeons from USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery are often part of the treatment team from the start. “Dr. Baker was very considerate in listening to my unique concerns,” says

Amelotte. “She did not try to sway me one way or another. She just listened to me and outlined my choices.” USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is part of The Doctors of USC and consists of eight full-time faculty surgeons who practice at USC University Hospital, USC Norris Cancer Hospital and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

“Our division is dedicated to transforming lives by restoring both form and function for our patients,” says Mark Urata, chief of USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. For breast cancer patients who require surgery, there are numerous options for reconstruction. “If a patient is a good candidate for imme-

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

A TEAM APPROACH Mark Urata, second from right, leads a team of reconstructive surgery experts as chief of USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. From left, Wesley Schooler, Alex Wong and Regina Baker specialize in adult reconstructive and plastic surgery.

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

myocutaneous flap, which takes skin and fat from the back, along with the latissimus muscle (a broad muscle in the back directly behind the breast), and tunnels it up into the chest to reconstruct the breast. A third option is called a free flap. For this procedure, tissue is taken from elsewhere in the body – most commonly from the abdomen – to reconstruct the breast. This procedure is considered an autotransplant, or transplant from a patient’s own body. Schooler, Wong and Baker all specialize in a field called reconstructive microsurgery, in which they utilize operating microscopes in order to do autotransplants. “We may take tissue from a patient’s back, or muscle, fat and skin from the abdomen, to fill a gap in her breast,” explains Wong. “Then we create the essential framework for the tissue so that it can survive on a single artery or single vein. We transplant it into the breast, and then connect it to an artery and vein so that it’s immediately vascularized.” Reconstructive surgery also may be used for skin, bone, spine and pelvic cancers, among others. “Typically, cancers are very destructive – they invade structures and destroy tissue and normal anatomy,” explains Wong. “If you were to have a large squamous cell cancer of your cheek or eye, you may end up with a large defect of your face.” For more complex cancers, the main goal is to close the wound left from the surgery so patients are less susceptible to infection. Wound closure is essential for ensuring that the patient can undergo radiation or chemotherapy without higher risk, says Schooler. “We take the worst problems and help

G R O U P P H O T O B Y B I L L Y O U N G B L O O D, S U R G E R Y P H O T O S B Y G E O F F J O H N S O N

disease,” says Wong. Fortunately, the government and insurance companies now agree and cover breast reconstruction in most treatment plans. For curable cancers such as breast cancer, it’s been shown that most women have a more positive attitude toward beating the cancer when they feel like they are on the road to recovery, according to Wesley Schooler, a surgeon with the program and an assistant professor of surgery at the Keck School. “Reconstruction can be A CLOSER LOOK Regina Baker uses high-powered loupes, initiated at the first operaor magnification lenses, to get a magnified, detailed look at tion if possible to aid in this a reconstructive surgery site. recovery,” he says. For women who undergo diate breast reconstruction at the time of her a lumpectomy – where portions of the lumpectomy or mastectomy, then she will breast are removed, not the entire breast – see us before treatment,” says Baker. postablative mammoplasty is available as a “Some women elect not to reconstruct reconstruction option. their breasts,” says Baker. “But I think it’s Says Baker: “We rearrange breast tissue best to see a plastic surgeon at the beginat the time of the lumpectomy to give it a ning of their initial work-up so that they better shape after the affected breast tiscan get more information. Treatment is sue is removed. At the same time, we often highly individualized and depends on their reconstruct the other breast. If you take out body types and their goals for breast recona portion of tissue from one side, you are struction.” going to have a volume asymmetry on the “Breast reconstruction is a complex other side, so we can reduce the other side process because it can be devastating, parto match.” ticularly for younger patients,” says Alex A common way of reconstructing a Wong, a surgeon in the program and an breast after mastectomy is implant-based assistant professor of surgery at the Keck reconstruction. This involves first inserting School. “Younger patients are going to live a tissue expander to stretch the remaining with their disease and reconstructed body skin so that it can eventually hold a breast parts for many years.” implant or breast prosthesis. He says that at USC, the plastic and Another method is a latissimus dorsi reconstructive surgeons work in conjunction with the breast cancer surgeons to put together a multidisciplinary approach to care. They often see the patients in the same clinic space as the breast surgeons, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists. “We consider breast reconstruction as part of the management of the entire

piece people back together, problems that no one else wants to tackle,” he says. For example, the plastic surgeons often work with spine surgeons who have resected large metastatic tumors by using muscle flaps to close radiated wounds that are prone to poor healing. For orthopedic tumors in the lower and upper extremities, reconstruction may require either a local muscle flap or a microvascular flap. The surgeons also assist in the recovery of patients who require abdominal colorectal surgery and may need flap reconstruction to cover the area where the tumor was removed. For example, the surgeons work with gynecologic oncologists at USC to help pelvic cancer patients who need wound coverage with reconstruction, which usually requires a skin graft or flap surgery. “I work not only with medical and surgical oncologists, but also with physicians and staff members of various other disciplines – we’re all involved in one patient’s care,” says Baker. surgeries, USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery surgeons perform hand surgery, pediatric plastic surgery including craniofacial and cleft lip and palate, burn injury reconstruction and cosmetic surgery. “In the same day, a plastic surgeon can operate on an eyelid or a nose, do a breast reconstruction, do hand surgery or help reconstruct a leg after a lower extremity trauma,” says Wong. “We’re not limited by any part of the body. Our specialty encompasses the skin and all of its contents, which is quite a bit. The only things we don’t operate on are the brain and the thoIN ADDITION TO RECONSTRUCTIVE

IMMEDIATE RESULTS Wesley Schooler (red cap) and Regina Baker (pink cap) perform a microsurgical breast reconstruction directly following a mastectomy. They work with a patient’s primary breast cancer surgeon to put together a multidisciplinary approach to care.

rax – heart and lung.” At USC, the comprehensive academic medical center environment also allows for research opportunities aimed at developing state-of-the-art techniques and ways to treat patients with cancer and other reconstructive needs. USC has one of the most robust plastic surgery research programs in the nation, with multiple studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. “Plastic and reconstructive surgery is currently the most competitive medical specialty, and we are one of the leading training programs in the nation,” says Urata, who is also an associate professor of surgery at the Keck School. “In large part, that is

A True Trojan Chief USC alumni are known around the world for their infectious school spirit. But Mark Urata, who was named chief of USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC in 2009, may hold the top prize for Trojan pride. He has been studying, teaching and practicing for nearly 30 consecutive years at USC. Urata, an associate professor of surgery who holds the Audrey Skirball-Kenis Endowed Chair in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, started his USC journey in 1981 as an undergraduate in biological sciences. After receiving his B.S., he earned his D.D.S (‘89) at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC and his M.D. (‘96) at the Keck School. “In a sense, USC and I have undergone a trans-

formation together,” says Urata. “While I was maturing from my crazy days in the Trojan Marching Band to my current academic position, USC was likewise evolving from a regional center of education to one of the nation’s truly elite research universities.” Urata did three years of general surgery at LAC+USC Medical Center, followed by two surgical residencies there. He is board certiﬁed in plastic surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery. “My passion to elevate USC Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is driven in large part by my allegiance to my alma mater,” says Urata. “Most of us have a strong connection to our undergraduate university, and I consider it an honor to have the opportunity every day to make mine better.” ●

due to our collective of faculty experts in almost every aspect of the ﬁeld.” Schooler points to the small yet specialized hospital atmosphere as a particular strength of the reconstructive surgery program at USC hospitals. “We can offer personal, hands-on care from world-class physicians,” he says. Amelotte can back up Schooler’s claim. She says the kindness and consideration she found in Baker and others in the division, as well as in all of her caregivers at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, were sincere. “A cancer diagnosis is a traumatic time of life, but because of their attitude, it made everything less threatening and scary, and much more comfortable,” she says. “I have implicit trust in my doctors and can attest to the fact that their work is of the highest quality.” “When cancer treatment involves surgery, recovery can be a huge challenge for our patients,” says Wong. “The defect that results is a daily reminder of what happened to them. Our goal is to make that less of a daily reminder and make it such that the disease process is minimized. Providing functional restoration as well as aesthetic restoration can make that a lot more palpable. We take pride in being able to help people with that process.” ●

To schedule an appointment or for additional information, please call (323) 442-7920, or visit www.uscplasticsurgery.net.

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Family Ties NEWS FROM THE USC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Trojan Family Housewarming Alumni and university leaders celebrate the grand opening of the Epstein Family Alumni Center. Cappello ’77 and Len Fuller ’68, as well as the generosity of several other individuals and organizations. Mory then introduced President Nikias, who expressed heartfelt thanks to the Epsteins “on behalf of the entire Trojan Family.” Then, as a swarm of photographers snapped pictures, Epstein spoke of his family’s longterm vision of a proper workplace to realize the alumni association’s programming initiatives.

USC Black Alumni Association executive director Michèle G. Turner ’81 (second from left) with campus center donors Reid Lathan, left, Reginald Lathan ’76 and Nancy Lathan

THE FESTIVITIES CONCLUDED with Pres-

ident Nikias, Epstein and Cappello cutting the cardinal-colored ribbon to cheers and applause. They were joined by Mory, Niki Nikias, Phyllis Epstein, Fuller, life trustee Verna Dauterive EdD ’66 and 2010-11 USC Alumni Association president Carol C. Fox MS ’62. According to Mory, the USC Alumni Association’s new home in the heart of the University Park campus “will empower us to further our mission of advancing USC.” – Timothy O. Knight

Former USCAA presidents Alexander L. Cappello ’77, Richard A. DeBeikes Jr. ’78 and Gale Bensussen ’70 at the Alumni Center Legacy Wall with Carol C. Fox MS ’62, Scott M. Mory and Albert R. Checcio, senior vice president for university advancement

In 2008, the Epstein family contributed a $4 million lead gift to create the Epstein Family Alumni Center. From left, Mike Epstein ’94, Phyllis Epstein, Daniel J. Epstein ’62, Julie (Epstein) Bronstein MPA ’93 and George Bronstein

Joining USC trustee Daniel J. Epstein ’62 (center with scissors) at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Epstein Family Alumni Center are, from left: life trustee Verna Dauterive EdD ’66; USC Alumni Association CEO Scott M. Mory; USC President C. L. Max Nikias; Julie Bronstein MPA ’93; USC ﬁrst lady Niki Nikias; Phyllis Epstein; Mike Epstein ’94; former USC trustee Alexander L. Cappello ’77; 2010-11 alumni association president Carol C. Fox MS ’62; and former USC trustee Len Fuller ’68.

PHOTOS BY DEVIN BEGLEY

and first lady Niki Nikias joined more than 150 alumni and university leaders on Aug. 26 to celebrate the grand opening of the Epstein Family Alumni Center, the USC Alumni Association’s new home in the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. Attendees enjoyed champagne and appetizers while touring the new offices on the campus center’s third floor. For the first time in USC history, the alumni association is united under one roof with four of the university’s multicultural alumni associations: the Asian Pacific Alumni Association, the Black Alumni Association, Lambda LGBT Alumni Association and the Mexican American Alumni Association. In his opening remarks, Alumni Association CEO Scott M. Mory thanked USC trustee Daniel J. Epstein ’62 and his family – contributors of the $4 million alumni center naming gift – for their advice and leadership. He also acknowledged the contributions of the fundraising co-chairs, USC trustee Michele Dedeaux Engemann ’68 and former USC trustees Alexander L. USC PRESIDENT C. L. MAX NIKIAS

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

125 Cardinal and Gold Years: The USC Alumni Association marks a major milestone. Doheny Jr. ’16 is named ﬁrst GAA president. Annual dues are $1.50. 1924: GAA inaugurates the annual Homecoming celebration on Dec. 5, the weekend of the USC-Syracuse football game. 1930: GAA raises funds to donate a statue of Tommy Trojan to USC.

sesquicentennial of the USC Alumni Association, here is a timeline of some of the most notable dates in Trojan Family history. Read On! TO COMMEMORATE THE 2010

1885: All eight graduates of the classes of 1884-85 gather in the ofﬁce of the University Building (today’s Widney Alumni House) to form the Alumni Association of the College of Liberal Arts. 1917: The alumni magazine is introduced. Published intermittently under various names, it becomes the Southern California Alumni Review in 1925 and publishes until summer 1969. USC Trojan Family Magazine, introduced in 1968 as Trojan Parent, expands its coverage to include alumni news. 1919: The ﬁrst regional alumni club is established in Fresno, Calif.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE USC ARCHIVES

1923: The General Alumni Association (GAA) is founded to foster a spirit of loyalty among USC graduates and former students and to support the university. Edward. L.

1930 – Tommy Trojan installation celebration draws a large crowd of onlookers.

1932: USC President Rufus B. von KleinSmid presents the ﬁrst Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award (named for the 193132 GAA president) to retired Harvard economist Thomas Nixon Carver (Class of 1891). Subsequent recipients of USC’s highest alumni honor include astronaut Neil Armstrong, opera great Marilyn Horne and screen icon John Wayne. 1949: Half Century Trojans, the university’s senior alumni group, is founded. Today it’s one of four alumni association generational groups that include: Society 53, the student outreach program for current students; Young Alumni (ages 22-35); and Second Decade Society (alumni ages 35-45). 1950: Alumni action saves USC’s Fraternity Row from being razed for the Harbor Freeway extension.

1967: Phyllis Norton Cooper ’35, LLB ’38 becomes the ﬁrst GAA woman president. 1976: The alumni association moves into the newly renovated Widney Alumni House, the university’s oldest building and a state historic monument since 1955. Then located on Childs Way across from Doheny Memorial Library, Widney Alumni House was moved in 1997 to the end of Pardee Way – its fourth campus address since 1880. 1978: A cruise on Germany’s Rhine River with 138 Trojans marks the beginning of USC Trojan Travel. 1996: Len Fuller ’68 becomes the ﬁrst African-American GAA president. 1998: Under USC President Steven B. Sample, GAA changes its name to the USC Alumni Association (USCAA), and membership fees are eliminated. USCAA president William Allen ’79 coins the phrase “lifelong and worldwide,” which becomes the association’s tagline. 2005: In honor of USC’s 125th anniversary, USCAA sponsors “USC on the Road,” a two-year program that brings university administrators and faculty members to alumni across the country. 2008: The Widney Alumni House interior gets a cardinal and gold-themed makeover.

1961: The Alumnae Coordinating Council is founded to encourage interest and participation by all alumnae in university and alumni programs. It provides a forum for USC women’s organizations to connect and share ideas.

2010: Two 2009 USCAA conferences – the Women’s Conference and the Alumni Leadership Conference – take top national honors in the 2010 Circle of Excellence Awards presented by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). And, in late summer, the USCAA moves into the new Epstein Family Alumni Center. ●

1977 – John Wayne receives the Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award.

1997 – Widney Alumni House is relocated to its current address at the end of Pardee Way.

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

TALES OF FOUR CITIES

The Alumni SCene

P H O T O B Y J O S E P H L AV I G N A N I / R I C C A R D O S T U D I O S

4 1. Party in Piccadilly USC Marshall School of Business Dean James G. Ellis and USC Alumni Association CEO Scott M. Mory logged thousands of air miles in June, connecting with alumni in London, Paris and Boston at three Trojan Family receptions. Pictured in London, from left are: Priya Rana Kapoor MFT ’06, Jennifer Gaines ’01, James and Gail Ellis, Lisa Barkett ’81 (USC Aumni Association president-elect for 2011-12), club president Matthew Dresch ’01, Jennifer Ladwig ’99 and Mory. 2. Our Kind of Town On July 21, Windy City alumni and friends learned about “Building a Better World” from USC School of Architecture Dean Qingyun Ma and Philip Enquist ’74, MArch ’79, a partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Prior to the presentation on global architecture and sustainable building practices, Enquist led alumni on a garden tour of downtown Chicago. Pictured from left are: Robert Geiger ’00, Scott

PHOTO BY CHUCK ESPINOZA

PHOTO BY DEVIN BEGLEY

PHOTO BY HARRY RICHARDS

Best of times in London, N.Y., Chicago and L.A.

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Mangum ’02, Enquist, Suzanne Reichart ’92 (president of the USC Alumni Club of Chicago), George Anderson ’93 and, in front, Liya Wang and USC architecture student Dongyang Chen ’15.

3. Creativity on the Hudson Nearly 600 Trojans and friends attended the second annual Tommy Awards on June 28 in New York City’s Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at NYU. Presented by the USC Alumni Club of New York, the evening showcased the creative talents of USC graduates, honored the extraordinary contributions of USC alumni to the New York community, and awarded more than $30,000 in scholarships to incoming freshmen and continuing students. Pictured from left are: (back row) Kate Russo ’03, Julie Boardman ’04, Danielle Faitelson ’07, Kevin Mambo ’95, Donald Webber Jr. ’08, Lara Janine ’03, Briga Heelan ’09 and Michael Schwartz ’06; (front row) Laurie Hymes ’04, Kamille Rudisill ’05, Sara Benjamin ’05 and Kelly Rudisill ’05.

4. Lambda in L.A. On Saturday, Aug. 28, the USC Lambda LGBT Alumni Association held its third annual scholarship awards dinner. The keynote speaker was Capt. Melissa Ward ’86 (the ﬁrst African-American woman to serve as a captain for a commercial airline). John Heilman JD ’82, MPA ’07, MRED ’09, mayor of West Hollywood, Calif., received one of two Recognition Awards. (The other went to Nancy E. Warner, M.D., professor emerita of pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.) Pictured from left are: Christopher Lane ’04, Amy Ross PhD ’86, USC Alumni Association CEO Scott M. Mory, pharmacy student Sandra Safford, Heilman, USC Lambda president Vince Wong ’03, Tom Peterson MBA ’80, USC Marshall student Richard Solomon, Capt. Ward, cinematic arts student Becca Louisell, architecture student Robin Abad Ocubillo, Russell Gamble ’69, cinematic arts student Emily Taymor, Ward Rolland ’90 and Mark DeAngelis MBA ’99. The students pictured all received USC Lambda scholarships. ●

LEADING THE WAY

Volunteers: USC’s Heart and Soul Worldwide members of the Trojan Family gather for the 9th annual USC Alumni Leadership Conference.

Left, Second Decade Society chair Donald Dean ‘90 receives a round of applause at the 2010 Alumni Leadership Conference. Above, USC President C. L. Max Nikias spoke at a special breakfast hosted in Davidson Continuing Education Conference Center.

Conference on Sept. 30 – Oct. 1 brought together nearly 300 participants from alumni clubs, women’s groups, multicultural organizations, the Alumni Association Board of Governors, USC schools and USC athletics support groups to the University Park campus for two days of workshops, presentations and brieﬁngs. The conference was launched by USC Alumni Association President Carol C. Fox MS ’62 and CEO Scott M. Mory, who hailed the participants as representative of the “energy, ingenuity and generosity of spirit that are the hallmarks of the Trojan Family.” After a networking lunch and a series of working sessions, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost Elizabeth Garrett introduced four “Trojans Transforming the World” to highlight the broad range of research at USC. Topics

PHOTOS BY DEVIN BEGLEY

THE 2010 USC ALUMNI LEADERSHIP

covered copyright protection (or the lack thereof) in the fashion industry, a promising new cancer treatment involving stem cells, life in the ocean’s darkest reaches and a student’s moving exploration of the Cambodian genocide. The afternoon concluded with a dynamite performance by Superaxe, a four-guitar fusion ensemble from the USC Thornton School of Music. That evening, conference attendees had the opportunity to check out the new Epstein Family Alumni Center and to attend a special grand-opening celebration of the numerous art pieces within the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. The next morning, USC President C. L. Max Nikias hosted a special breakfast at the USC Davidson Continuing Education Center. Nikias spoke passionately about propelling USC to what he calls “undisputed elite status,” and how he’s “looking to our alumni to lead the way,” since they are “the engine that drives this university’s progress.” Following brieﬁngs by two new members of USC’s administration – Albert R. Checcio, senior vice president of university advancement, and Kenneth McGillivray, vice provost of global initiatives – conference delegates enjoyed a lunchtime talk by former USC trustee and past USC

Alumni Association Board of Governors members, from left, Christopher J. Harrer ‘96, Ramona Cappello ‘81 and Amir Akhavan ‘02.

Alumni Association President (1998-99) Bill Allen ’79. Allen, president and CEO of the L.A. County Economic Development Corporation, gave a realistic yet optimistic picture of the organization’s plans to revitalize the local economy. The conference ended with a presentation on an issue crucial to alumni – athletics compliance. David M. Roberts, vice president for athletics compliance, and John McKay ’75, senior associate athletic director, inspired volunteers about the future of USC athletics and encouraged their continued support. Following the conference, the alumni association held its annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner in the Trojan Ballroom at the new Campus Center. Five-hundred volunteers and USC staff turned out to see members of the Trojan Family receive President’s and Widney Alumni House awards. Danielle Harvey ’04, director of special interest programs, received the Alumni Volunteer Friend of the Year award, while the USC Alumni Club of Austin and the USC Parents Association were named Alumni Volunteer Organizations of the Year. And Carol Fox exercised her “presidential prerogative” to give special recognition to a Trojan who’s gone above and beyond the call of duty by presenting a surprise award to Martha Harris, USC senior vice president for university relations, for her exemplary leadership of alumni relations over the past decade. At evening’s end, Janelle Holmboe ’03 of the USC Alumni Club of Portland summed up the true value of the conference: “It provides a tremendous opportunity to develop leadership skills that enhance my organization. Each year I leave with not only new connections and big ideas, but most importantly, a renewed Trojan Spirit!” – Ross M. Levine

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Piece of cake.

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To learn more about minimally invasive heart valve repair, call (323) 442-5849 or visit uschospitals.com/heart.

Class Notes WHO’S DOING WHAT

& WHERE

’45 Dana Larson, a former missionary with the Baptist General Conference, served for 20 years in India and 18 years in Argentina. He lives in Cambridge, Minn.

consultant and former president of the Los Angeles Fire Commission, was named honorary co-chair of National Philanthropy Day.

’71 C. Michael Bowers DDS ’75, MS ’81 published Forensic Dental Evidence, 2nd edition: An Investigator’s Handbook. He works with the Innocence Project, a nonproﬁt dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing and criminal justice system reform. • Carmen L. Siddiqi MSW is director of House of Healing, a trauma treatment center in Santa Maria, Calif. She is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Board of Examiners in Social Work.

’61 Brahama D. Sharma PhD was nomi-

’73 Carolyn Howard-Johnson received two

nated for the ofﬁce of president of the California State Association of Parliamentarians.

awards from the Military Writers Society of America for her books A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions and She Wore Emerald Then. She is an instructor for UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. • Ed Poll MBA was the keynote presenter at the LexisNexis CIC customer conference in Las Vegas. He also chaired the 2nd annual Midwest Law Firm Management Conference. He is a principal at LawBiz Management in Venice, Calif.

’52 Royce E. Malm MM ’54 wrote an article for Pro Musica Sana, a monthly publication by the Miklós Rózsa Society, detailing his experience as a student in Rózsa’s ﬁlm music class at USC. Malm is a music archivist in Lomita, Calif.

’57 Carl R. Terzian, a public relations

’65 Richard G. McEwen, a guitarist, banjo player and folk singer, has toured the world with his music, landing a TV show in Pago Pago, American Samoa, and appearing on the Andy Williams Show.

’66 James F. Porter is cofounder of Altoon + Porter Architects LLP. His ﬁrm was recognized with a Best-of-the-Best design award for its work on CentralWorld, a shopping complex in Thailand.

›› ARCHIVES ROCK

Dying to see the famed Eagle Rock in its younger years? Hankering for photos of turn-of-the-century SoCal surgical theatres? Crazy for ephemera about oranges? Mark your calendars for the annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar, hosted by USC Libraries each fall. The 2010 event boasted nearly 80 exhibitors, from the Center for the Study of Political Graphics to the LA84 Foundation Sports Library. Libraries, museums, archives and individual collectors brought examples from their rare collections and freely shared wisdom about research. Discover more at www.laassubject.org ●

the Journal of Adhesion Science & Technology in 1987.

’68 Ronald A. Altoon co-founded Los Angeles-based Altoon + Porter Architects LLP, which beat out 94 competitors to receive a global design award from the International Council of Shopping Centers.

’70 Thomas F. Andrews MA/PhD created Keeping History Alive, a program that gives grants to K-12 history teachers in public, private and parochial schools of Los Angeles County. He is a research historian at Azusa Pacific University. • Kashmiri Mittal PhD of Hopewell Junction, N.Y., was honored at a symposium of scientists for being the first scientific writer and editor to publish his 100th edited book. He founded

’74 Mark A. Kroeker MS is vice president in the global security department of the Walt Disney Company. He is a retired deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and founder of the World Children’s Transplant Fund.

’75 Roy Kahn Johnston DMA received a California Assembly Resolution from the City of Los Angeles for his 35 years of service as a performer, professor, poet and pioneer in the ﬁeld of cultural integration.

’76 David L. Fenell was appointed interim dean of the College of Education at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He recently retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, having served tours as a psychologist in Afghanistan and Iraq.

We welcome news items from all USC alumni. Please include your name, street address, e-mail address, degree and year of graduation with each submission. Mail to: USC Trojan Family Magazine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-7790 or e-mail us at: magazines@usc.edu. Please note that, because of our long production schedule and the heavy volume of submissions, it might be several months before your notice appears.

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

The USC Alumni Association IS PROUD

ACKNOWLEDGE ITS

Premier Partners

University Gateway

For 20 years, the USC Alumni Association and Bank of America have partnered to provide quality financial products to the Trojan Family. Please visit http://alumni.usc.edu/bankofamerica for more information.

PREMIER PARTNERS

“The House That Trojans Built” Many USC alumni, including the five pictured here, helped build University Gateway, and continue to play key roles in its development and marketing. Daniel Chan ’01, MS ‘02 USC Viterbi School of Engineering Project Engineer

John Hrovat ’89 USC Marshall School of Business Project Executive

Bernadette Reyes ‘04 USC School of Architecture / USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Project Manager

Tim Smith ‘69 USC School of Architecture Project Architect

USC Alumni Association programs and services are made possible, in part, by the support of our premier partners. To find out more about your alumni benefits offered by our premier partners, visit http://alumni.usc.edu/benefits

lifelong and worldwide

Glenn Togawa ‘69 USC School of Architecture Project Architect

University Gateway supports USC’s mission by providing additional student housing as well as a variety of important services to the greater USC community. For details, visit:

http://alumni.usc.edu/gateway

’77 Leah Gasendo of Camarillo, Calif., was appointed administrative law judge for the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. • Joseph F. Gentile MPA received an honorary Chairman Emeritus title from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for his 31 years of service as chair of the Employee Relations Commission.

Class of ’93

ALUMNI PROFILE

Hits and Myths Grant Imahara ’93 may have the most fun job in the world. A typical day at the ofﬁce has included building a 7-foot, 3,000-pound, 1-million-piece ball of Legos to roll down a road at a car, trying

’79 John Frith was named director of

creative ways to beat a lie detector and taking remote control of a

communications and research for the Civil Justice Association of California. Previously, he was vice president for public affairs for the California Building Industry Association. • Sylvana Guidotti MD ’84 is director of emergency medicine at Ventura (Calif.) County Medical Center.

full-size bus to ﬁnd out how large a chasm it could jump.

’82 Alexis Galindo, a partner at Curd, Galindo & Smith, LLP, in Long Beach, Calif., was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He practices product liability and personal injury law.

It’s all for science, as Imahara tests urban legends for the Discovery Channel series MythBusters. It’s hard to believe Imahara dropped all of his classes during the spring semester of his sophomore year at USC because he couldn’t envision an exciting future in engineering. He got it in his head that he wanted to be a screenwriter and went to see a counselor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. There, he found out what many students have before and since, that one can’t just switch majors to the highly exclusive cinematic arts school. The counselor was dismissive of Imahara’s plan but sympathetic to his issue. But one small suggestion changed the course of the student’s life. The counselor recommended that he talk to Tomlinson

’83 Dale M. Gin PharmD caught a potential

Holman, a professor of cinematic arts known for developing the renowned sound quality-assurance

world record halibut in Gustavus, Ala., weighing in at 466 pounds and measuring 96 inches, beating the rod-and-reel record for the state of Alaska. • Mark R. Henschke PharmD was selected as one of “America’s Top Physicians” by the Consumers’ Research Council of America and will be listed in the 2010 Guide to America’s Top Physicians. • Steven Travers, a former pro baseball player and author of 16 published books, has released two books in paperback about the USC football team. He lives in Marin County, Calif.

system THX (Tomlinson Holman eXperiment) for Lucasﬁlm. Imahara was in awe meeting the man who had revolutionized cinema sound and volunteered to be his personal assistant. “Not many people came in and asked to work for free,” Holman recalls. “The cinema students didn’t have the time. He had dropped out, so he had the time.” It ended up being time well spent. The year working for Holman gave Imahara a new outlook on engineering when he returned to classes. “Working with Tom and being introduced to this world of engineering that has a more creative edge to it showed me where I was getting bogged down before,” Imahara says. “He introduced me to something I could potentially do.” With Holman’s help, Imahara got an internship with THX that led to a

’84 Gary A. Green MBA was elected to the board of directors of the Risk Management Association. He is executive vice president and manager for California Bank & Trust in Tustin, Calif.

’85 Blake Christian MBT, a Long Beach certiﬁed public accountant with Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP, won the regional Business Rotarian of the Year award from Rotary District 5320. ’87 Lance McCollough is founder and CEO of ProSites, a Web site design and Internet marketing ﬁrm that was recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing private companies. • Brad Pomerance received an Emmy nomination from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his work as host and producer of a program about the revitalization of the Los Angeles River. This is his third nomination. • Carol (Peterson) Schillne joined Craig Realty Group in Newport

full-time job once he completed his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. After three years at THX, Imahara moved across Skywalker Ranch to another Lucasfilm company, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). During nine years at ILM, he lived the sci-fi fanatic’s dream. The guy who couldn’t see the potential for an interesting career in engineering got to build the updated version of R2-D2 for the Star Wars prequels. Other movies for which he created models at ILM include the two Matrix sequels, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. More recently, he created the skeleton robot sidekick Geoff Petersen for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. At the ILM model shop, Imahara worked with future MythBusters hosts Adam Savage and Tory Belleci, then joined them on the show in 2005. Imahara serves as the electronics expert, the go-to guy when a myth calls for building, say, a robotic arm to swing a sword to test if one sword really can cut the blade off another, as shown in many movie fights. “We shoot guns and jump out of planes and set off huge explosions, but at the core of it all is science,” Imahara says. Working and living in the Bay Area since graduation, Imahara returned to USC for the first time in 17 years last April to speak to students at Bovard Auditorium about his amazing experiences. Students questioning the potential for an exciting career in engineering need only look at Imahara. – Matthew Kredell

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Beach, Calif., as a senior leasing executive. She previously worked for 23 years as a commercial broker at CB Richard Ellis.

’88 Ed Buclatin is a captain in the U.S. Navy, serving as director of public affairs for the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. He oversees communication programs for the headquarters and 51 partner nations in the European theatre. • Karen (McClintock) Combs MBA of Pasadena, Calif., is the managing principal and portfolio manager of LS Investment Advisors. Previously, she worked in the investment counseling group of Loomis, Sayles & Company. • Mark T. Lucas was appointed director of business affairs for the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA. He has served in health-care administration for the past 20 years.

’89 Matthew D. Heller is a partner at Willner & Heller LLC, an investment advisory ﬁrm that was recognized as a 2011 Five Star Wealth Manager by Los Angeles magazine. • Kelly Moore launched www.HappilyEverAfterOrBust.com, a blog where she writes about dating and relationship issues.

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

’91 Philip E. Graham has been appointed vice president of institutional advancement at the Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. • Rema Johnson MSW is an inspirational speaker and author of Afraid No More: From Poverty to PhD. • Mauro Morales JD was appointed by President Obama to serve as policy counsel in the Ofﬁce of General Counsel at the Ofﬁce of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C.

’92 Helena Halmari MA, PhD ’94 was

was the lead coordinator of an international symposium held at the National University of Mexico in Mexico City. She has been cast in the feature ﬁlm Cristiada. • Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana PhD was named 2010 Woman of the Year by Hispanic Business magazine. She is the U.S. assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education and a former superintendent of the Pomona Uniﬁed School District.

’96 Pamela Hawley MA is founder and

deputy probation ofﬁcer with the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

CEO of UniversalGiving, a nonproﬁt that connects people who want to give and volunteer with projects and opportunities around the world. She is a guest lecturer at the USC Marshall School of Business. • Federico Mariscal was elected to the board of directors of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council of Los Angeles to represent Larchmont Village for the 2010-12 term. • Katharine Valdes of Glendale, Calif., was board certiﬁed in sports dietetics by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.

’95 Dana C. R. Gress of Detroit released

’98 Vlad Gendelman is an orthopedic sur-

the CD Dawn of the Blu Frog with his jazz group, Chill FX. • Alma Martinez MFA, a professor of theatre at Pomona College,

geon in private practice in Beverly Hills and Encino, Calif. • Michael Rosendahl MBA, an investment banker with PCE Invest-

appointed chair of the Department of English at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Tex. • Douglas A. Solorzano was promoted to ﬁrst vice president for investments for Wells Fargo Advisors, heading his own investment management group, DAS Wealth Management.

’94 Jose Juarez MSW is a supervising

ment Bankers, was appointed to the board of directors of the Association for Corporate Growth’s Orlando, Fla., chapter for the 2010-11 term.

’99 Sandro Corsaro is the creator and executive producer of Kick Buttowski, an Emmy-nominated animated series for Disney XD about a boy who aspires to become the world’s greatest daredevil. • Suzie Fromer MFA is a talent outreach and public relations specialist working with Canadian musician Kyle Dine to educate people dealing with food allergies. • Noel Hacegaba MA/MPL ’01 was appointed executive ofﬁcer for the Port of Long Beach. He earned his doctorate in public administration from the University of La Verne.

’00 Jarryd Gonzales, a recent MBA graduate from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, accepted a position with T-Mobile U.S.A. as west region manager of development and external affairs. • Charles H. McBride MBA was named ﬁnance director for the City of Carlsbad, Calif. He has served as a U.S. Marine attack helicopter pilot since 1991, currently holding the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Pioneer Woman If you asked Ree Drummond ’91 in 1991 where she was headed in life, chances are she wouldn’t have said a ranch outside of Pawhuska, Okla. But that’s where she ended up when she met and subsequently fell in love with a cowboy. Ranch life didn’t come naturally for Drummond. The daughter of an orthopedic surgeon, she grew up on the grounds of a country club in the corporate town of Bartlesville, Okla. After high school, Drummond, eager to broaden her horizons, left for USC, ﬁrst to study journalism, and later, gerontology. “I loved [the city] from the second I arrived,” she says. From trips to nail salons to regular sushi dinners, city life didn’t disappoint. But after several years as an Angeleno, Drummond was ready for a change. She set her sights on Chicago, where some family and friends lived. First, though, she made a stopover in her hometown. During a night out with old friends at a bar, she met Ladd Drummond, a rugged modern-day cowboy. It wasn’t long before she was trading in her high heels and big-city plans for cowboy boots and an isolated existence 25 miles from the nearest town (that would be Pawhuska, population 3,600). “It was jarring,” Drummond says of her adjustment to a rural lifestyle with a cattle rancher. “I’m living

’01 Alex Grager JD ’04, an associate at

out in the middle of nowhere, no grocery store down the street. There were cows in my yard and mud

Feinberg Mindel Brandt & Klein LLP, was named a 2010 Rising Star by Los Angeles magazine.

was everywhere.”

’03 Gilda Clift Breland JD, an attorney at McBirney & Chuck, was recognized as one of the National Bar Association’s “Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Lawyers Under 40.” She is president-elect of the John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles and a member of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. • Tillman W. Nechtman MA, PhD ’05 released Nabobs: Empire and Identity in Eighteenth-Century Britain. He is an assistant professor of history at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. • Polly (Gordon) Stenberg is director of sales at Forsta Filters, a Los Angeles-based company that produces self-cleaning water ﬁlters.

’06 Bobby Ojose EdD published Math-

P H O T O B Y B I L L N YA R D

Class of ’91

ALUMNI PROFILE

Fast-forward to 2006. One day, on a lark, she decided to create a blog. Calling it Confessions of a Pioneer Woman (www.thepioneerwoman.com), she saw it as a way to share pictures with her mother. She ﬁrst posted photos, then started writing amusing anecdotes about her pre-ranch days. “Lo and behold, one day I noticed that I had a comment on something I had written,” she says. “I thought, ‘Mom, is that you?’ It wasn’t my mom. It was a reader who had stumbled upon the site.” As Drummond added tales of her romance with her husband – whom she dubbed Marlboro Man – shared adventures as an unintended country gal and mother of four homeschooled children, and posted recipes with step-by-step photographs, the readership grew. Within a year, the site was named the Best-Kept Secret Weblog at the Weblog Awards – The Bloggies. Her online chronicle – a Bloggie winner for Weblog of the Year in 2009 and 2010 – now gets about 20 million pageviews a month. Even better, the site has led Drummond to the holy grail for bloggers: books and (possibly) a movie deal. Released last fall, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl spent several weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. The Pioneer Woman – Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story, based on Drummond’s unlikely courtship and ﬁrst year of marriage, will be published on Valentine’s Day 2011. A big-screen adaptation is in development at a major studio.

ematics Education: Perspectives on Issues and Methods of Instruction. He is an assistant professor at the University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif. • Dan Stenberg launched a water ﬁltration company called Forsta Filters and serves as its president.

like this,” she says. “Everything’s been a surprise, and that has allowed me to really enjoy it.”

’07 Kelly McMullan completed ofﬁcer

if I ever really knew myself before I moved to the middle of nowhere, which is sort of the irony in the

training in the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant. She attends medical school at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md.

whole thing.”

“This whole experience has been so fun for me, because you never could orchestrate something

And the biggest surprise? “The country has really centered me; I found myself in the country,” Drummond says. “I’m not sure

– Sandy Siegel

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Class of ’04

ALUMNI PROFILE

Having His Cake

• Tom Prieto MBT published an article about alternative minimum tax planning for Practical Tax Strategies. He teaches business and accounting courses at American Jewish University in Bel Air, Calif.

His entrepreneurship professors at the USC Marshall School of

’09 Jonathan Horn MA is an associate staff

Business drilled him on ﬁnancial plans and feasibility studies, but no

writer at the San Diego Union-Tribune.

one prepared Roberto Lee MBA‘04 for what it would take to run a

Marriages

company in the wild, wild East. “A lot of people who come to China don’t understand the culture or speak the language,“ says Lee. “You have to be able to schmooze and tap into the local network.” The 36-year-old native Angeleno founded Fresh Bread and grew the company to become one of the largest wholesale bakeries in eastern China. He’s now in the process of negotiating a merger with a multinational corporation. Based in Shanghai with two factories

• Allen Michael Shiry ’92 and Alison Michelle Prakin • Douglas A. Solorzano ’92 and Julianne Harrison • Joshua R. Stock ’95 and Jennifer L. Rosen ’96 • David Bonaccorso ’98 and Anastasia Stamos • Victor Chu ’06 and Nicole Wong ’06 • Meysam Zaker DDS ’07 and Sara Behbehani ME ’09

and 1,000 employees, Fresh Bread currently supplies Starbucks, Häagen-Dazs, 7-Eleven and the British

Births

grocery giant Tesco, among others. It also runs a small chain of retail bakeries in Shanghai. At its inception, Fresh Bread was a 50-50 joint venture with an “800-pound gorilla” – a Chinese stateowned food manufacturer that had the biggest flourmill in eastern China, says Lee. The manufacturer promised to provide Fresh Bread with key raw ingredients as well as open up the local distribution channels. In turn, Fresh Bread would import global expertise in bread and dessert making. Soon, Lee was rethinking the arrangement. “We should have demanded a 51-49 joint venture,” recalls Lee. “We were deadlocked on everything.” Eventually, Fresh Bread bought out the manufacturer’s share. In 2006, when he noticed that the company’s shipping and delivery costs were unusually high, Lee audited the logistics department. He found that his drivers were filing bogus repairs and selling the company’s prepaid gas cards for cash. Lee gave them a stern warning, but nothing changed. One morning, he announced that all 30 drivers would be let go, and Fresh Bread would outsource its logistics in the future. By the afternoon, his factory was surrounded. The drivers contacted their friends, who brought more friends and formed a human wall. Lee called the police, the labor department, even the foreign investment bureau, but he was told the same thing everywhere: This was the company’s internal problem, and they couldn’t help him. That night, Lee sat down with three representatives in a teahouse to resolve the matter. The drivers demanded two years’ salary as severance. Lee responded that that would only force him to close the company and no one would get anything. After four hours of difficult negotiation, the two sides agreed on a severance payment of one year’s salary to the drivers. Looking back, Lee says that having previous work experience in China was a big help. Born to Taiwanese parents in Los Angeles, Lee first visited China in 1995. After graduating from the University of California, Riverside, in 1996, he moved to Shanghai to work for a real estate developer in 2000. He chose to return to California and attend USC’s entrepreneurship program “because all the professors are entrepreneurs themselves,” he says. Lee understands the importance of entertaining officials with fancy dinners on holidays and weekends, even helping their kids find a job, to make business run smoothly. “You have to keep up the relationships,” he says. When he steps down as Fresh Bread’s CEO, Lee sees himself leading another company or starting something new in China. His feet are firmly planted in the world’s biggest marketplace. – Jean Yung

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

JoAnn Forgit Cox ’91 and Stephen G. Cox, a son, Ethan George Lenard • Nancy L. (Wong) Davis ’91 and Neil T. Davis ’92, a

daughter, Charlotte Emma. She joins sister Bethany, 2. She is the granddaughter of Harry Wong PharmD ’63 • Preston Sullivan ’91 and Lori Sullivan, a son, Garrett Wade. He joins brother Reid. He is the grandson of Neal Sullivan and nephew of Shane Sullivan ’93 and Chelsea Sullivan ’06 • Christine Kralovansky Wahl-Dukes ’91 and Rick Dukes, a son, Cooper Harrison. He joins brothers Austin, 15, Tristan, 11, and Eli, 1, and sisters Madison, 13, and Georgia, 9 • Douglas A. Solorzano ’92 and Julianne Solorzano, a son, Donovan Alfredo • Joseph Andolino ’95 and Alissa Andolino, a son, Giancarlo • Brian Baugh ’95 and Catherine Baugh, a son, Daniel Jaden. He joins sister Noelle • Tim Spaeth ’96, MBA ’00 and Autumn (Gresowski) Spaeth MA/JD ’00, a daughter, Samantha Kealani. She joins brother Caden, 3 • Tina (Fischer) Florance ’97 and Brandon Florance, a daughter, Leighton Riley. She joins sister Madison and brother Connor • Natalie (Trask) McDonald ’97, JD ’00 and James McDonald, a daughter, Julia Corinne. She is the granddaughter of the late Robert Williamson ’48 and niece of Trey Trask ’98 • Molly Mistretta Higley ’99 and Kris Higley, a son, Brady Chandler. He is the grandson of Richard Martin ’84 and nephew of Tara Martin ’07 • Karin (Diltz) Polischuk ’00 and Derek Kealii Polischuk ’01, MM ’03, DMA ’06, a daughter, Veronica Kahelemeakua • Bhavin Shah ’00 and Pankti Shah, a son, Rayhil Bhavin • Julie (Backowski) King ’03 and Ryan King ’03, a daughter, Ellie Marie • Christine A. (Banchich) Renken ’04 and Kenneth Renken, a daughter, Catherine Ann • Queena (Go) Ang MBA ’07 and Linus Ang MBA ’07, a son, Lucas Adrian.

Join Us for Our Upcoming 2011 Featured Events Celebration and Trojan Pride! HALF CENTURY TROJANS GOING BACK TO COLLEGE DAY FEBRUARY

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30 For the latest on all the events and programs of the USC Alumni Association, visit us online at http://alumni.usc.edu or call (213) 740-2300.

lifelong and worldwide

Deaths Robert F. Boyle ’33, of Los Angeles; Aug.

3, at the age of 100. He was a production designer who worked on more than 80 ﬁlms, collaborating with directors such as Cecil B. DeMille, Norman Jewison, Fritz Lang, Douglas Sirk and Alfred Hitchcock. After working with Hitchcock on Shadow of a Doubt, Boyle served in the Army Signal Corps in France and Germany as a combat photographer during World War II. He received Academy Award nominations for his work on North by Northwest, Fiddler on the Roof, Gaily, Gaily and The Shootist. In 2008, he was recognized with an honorary Oscar for his career as an art director. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bess Taffel. He is survived by daughters Emily Boyle and Susan Licon, and three grandchildren. Mary Lee Shon ’39, of Mililani, Hawaii; July

10, at the age of 94. She was one of the ﬁrst Korean Americans to graduate from USC and enjoyed a long career as a teacher with the Los Angeles Uniﬁed School District. She also taught as an adjunct professor in the graduate school of education at USC. In 1990, The Mary Lee Shon Scholarship was established at USC, awarded annually to a student majoring in education, social work, medicine or law. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert Pedro Shon. She is survived by daughters Debbie ’74 and Kathryn ’75, sons Michael and Herb Jr., seven grandchildren, and brother Sammy Lee. Richard “Duke” Llewellyn ’40, of Los Ange-

les; June 4, at the age of 93. He played professional football for the Los Angeles Bulldogs, Hollywood Rangers and Los Angeles Dons. He later became a boxer in the Army, ﬁghting matches against world heavyweight champion Joe Louis. In 1956, he joined the Los Angeles Athletic Club as director of athletics, later advancing to senior vice president. A friend of John Wooden for more than 60 years, Llewellyn founded the John R. Wooden Award. He was a member of the 1984 Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games. He is survived by his longtime companion, Nancy Tew, children Mark, Mike and Debby, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Henry J. Friel Jr. ’42, of Ridgecrest, Calif.;

Aug. 19, of cancer, at the age of 93. He was an architect and headed Friel and Linde for 40 years. He was best known for his design of the harbor master building and Tony’s on the Pier in Redondo Beach. He helped found the USC Alumni Club of the South Bay, served as planning commissioner of Redondo Beach for 22 years and was a

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

member of the Redondo Beach Exchange Club. He was preceded in death by his wife, Stanley McDowell. He is survived by children Katharine Friel, Terri Allred, Jay Friel and Laurel Shepherd ’78, son-in-law Jeffrey Shepherd ’78, 11 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and sister Geraldine Miller. Melvin A. Brenner MD ’46, of Palm Desert,

Calif.; Jan. 14, at the age of 89. For three years, he served as a captain in the Army Medical Corps. He practiced urology in Beverly Hills, San Fernando and Newport Beach, and volunteered at Los Angeles County Hospital as a clinical professor working with residents. He was chief of staff at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach and Sante Fe Hospital in Los Angeles. He was professor emeritus at USC. He was preceded in death by his ﬁrst wife, Aileen Ashley. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, children Jim, Tom and Kristine, and four grandchildren.

Johnson and grandson Wills Johnson. Joe Heber Bradford MD ’49, of Newport

Beach, Calif.; Aug. 18, at the age of 87. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and played center on the USC varsity football team. The highlight of his gridiron days was 58 minutes in the 1946 Rose Bowl. He was chief of staff at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, Calif., and on the faculty at USC, where he founded the Family Practice Residency Program at Presbyterian Hospital. He was preceded in death by his ﬁrst wife, Kathryn Hon. He is survived by his wife, Judy Johnson Wix, children Deborah Exley, Victoria Vance, Curt Bradford and Jamie Klippert, sons-inlaw Landon Exley, Joe Vance and Younger Klippert, stepchildren Susan Patten, John Wix and Alyson Princler, stepsons-in-law Crane Patten and Charles Princler, and grandchildren Lauren, Whitney, Courtney, Samantha, Amy, Kathryn, Blake and Garrett. Don Doll ’49, of San Juan Capistrano, Calif.;

Norman L. Hawes ’47, of Huntington Beach,

Calif.; May 3, at the age of 83. He served in the Korean War as a lieutenant junior grade aboard the USS Natchaug. He entered USC through the Naval V-12 program, which later became the NROTC. He was a member of both the Trojan Squires and Trojan Knights and served as president of Theta XI fraternity and the Interfraternity Council. He enjoyed a long career at the Southern California Gas Company, retiring as vice president. He is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Joann Jones Hawes, children Kathleen H. Butler and Gary N. Hawes, and four grandchildren.

Sept. 22, at the age of 84. He was a fouryear letterman halfback at USC, winning All-Paciﬁc Coast Conference ﬁrst team honors in 1947 and 1948. For six seasons, he was a defensive back in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Rams. After his playing career, he became head coach at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Calif., and then an assistant coach at USC. He coached in the NFL for 25 years, spending 11 seasons as assistant coach with the Detroit Lions. He is survived by his wife, Diana, children Steven, Wendy, Kevan, Heidi and Michael, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Jeane Ferrel Wood ’47, of Los Osos, Calif.;

Lee “LeRoy” Joseph Streit ’49, of Cardiff,

June 12, at the age of 88. She was an active member of her church and a hospice volunteer. She is survived by her husband, James Charles Wood, two daughters and 17 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Calif.; Sept. 3, at the age of 88. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a marine bomber pilot in Zamboanga, Philippines. He flew 42 combat missions and earned a series of medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross with a Gold Star, the Air Medal with five Gold Stars, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Pacific Campaign Medal and the WWII Victory Medal. After USC, he worked as an executive with Bigelow Sanford Carpet Company until retirement. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Higgins, children Andrea Streit Yesalis, Lloyd Streit and Louis Streit, 11 grandchildren and sister Marjorie Williams.

Gordon William “Bill” Grundy ’48, MBA ’49,

of Newport Beach, Calif.; Jan. 1, at the age of 85. At USC, he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and the Trojan Knights. He worked as an engineer for Beckman Instruments and Hughes Aircraft, and later opened his own residential real estate ofﬁce. He founded the Newport Harbor Trojan Alumni Club and later the Newport Beach Historical Society, serving as its president. In 2002, the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce named him its Citizen of the Year. At the time of his death, he was on the board of the Half Century Trojans. He is survived by his wife, Audrey Grundy ’50, son Gordy Grundy ’83, daughter Lisa Johnson ’83, son-in-law Bill

Jerry Reed Alsobrook ’50, of Laguna Beach,

Calif.; March 17, at the age of 86. He joined the U.S. Army during World War II and served three years in China, Burma and India. He began his interior design career at Cannell & Chafﬁn in Los Angeles and remained there for 38 years. In 1975, he

became the ﬁrst president of the Los Angeles chapter of the newly formed American Society of Interior Designers. During his career, he was asked to design the interior of the Western White House for former president Richard Nixon and Pat Nixon, as well as the interiors of the mayoral mansion in Los Angeles for then-mayor Tom Bradley. James “Jim” E. Black ’50, MS ’58, EdD ’71,

of San Mateo, Calif.; July 2010, at the age of 83. He served as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Corps from the end of World War II until 1946. At USC, he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He served as superintendent of the Burlingame (Calif.) school district for 15 years. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Black, son Michael James Black, daughters Rebecca Black-Isabella and Martha Markham, sons-in-law Tony Isabella and Marshall Markham, and grandchildren Erik, Kevin and Kaitlin Black. Ann Harvey Donker ’50, of Oceanside, Calif.;

Aug. 17, at the age of 81. She was a member of both Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and the Trojan Club of Orange County. She was a kindergarten teacher in Santa Ana for 28 years before retiring. She is survived by her daughter, Wendy Donker Hammar ’80, MS ’81, son-in-law Dave Hammar ’80, grandtwins Gregory and Nicholas, brother Milburn Harvey ’57 and sister-in-law Ercel Harvey.

Clayton G. Wannamaker ’50, of Rancho Pa-

los Verdes, Calif.; May 16, at the age of 83. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. For 35 years, he worked for the Dow Chemical Company’s western division. He was an Eagle Scout, Scout Master and was awarded the Silver Beaver for his many years of service to the Boy Scouts of America. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ann Wannamaker, daughter Elizabeth Wannamaker Werhel ’79, son Douglas Wannamaker, son-in-law Richard A. Werhel Jr., daughter-in-law Kandis Wannamaker, and grandchildren Annelise Werhel and Joshua Wannamaker. Marie T. Wonsey ’51, of Williamsburg, Va.;

March 12, from cancer. At USC, she was active in several campus service organizations such as the Spurs and the Amazons, and was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta. She also was active as a volunteer at Bruton

[ IN MEMORIAM ]

Parish Episcopal Church. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Baird Wonsey ’50, and children Marguerite and David. Virginia Jane Curtis Hougham Connolly ’54,

of Naples Island in Long Beach, Calif.; July 2, at the age of 77. At USC, she was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. She worked as an interior designer at an architecture ﬁrm, and also volunteered for the 1984 Olympic Games. She was preceded in death by her ﬁrst husband, Eugene Edward Hougham. She is survived by her husband, William Connolly, daughters Dorinda Nyberg, Laurel Hieatt, Andrina Hougham and Marni Hougham, sons-in-law David Nyberg, Walter Krebsbach and Craig Hara, and 12 grandchildren. Joan “Joni” Mannix Neckerman ’55, of Eagle

Rock, Calif.; June 4, at the age of 76. While at USC, she was the women’s editor of

David S. Tappan Jr.

David S. Tappan Jr., a USC life trustee since 1984, died on Sept. 27. He was 88. “As a wise and dedicated trustee of this university, he helped drive USC’s extraordinary academic progress in recent decades,” said USC President C. L. Max Nikias. “He also served our nation and the civic and business worlds in remarkable ways throughout a long and illustrious career.” Following four years with the U.S. Steel Corp.’s Columbia-Geneva steel division, Tappan joined Fluor Corp., an engineering and construction company, as administrative assistant to the vice president for sales. He quickly rose through the

Robert Edwin Donker ’50, of Oceanside, Ca-

lif.; Feb. 28, of bone cancer, at the age of 83. He was a founding member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and an active member of the Trojan Club of Orange County. He worked for the Orange County Department of Education for several years before retiring. He is survived by his daughter, Wendy Donker Hammar ’80, MS ’81, son-in-law Dave Hammar ’80, grandtwins Gregory and Nicholas, brother-in-law Milburn Harvey ’57 and sister-in-law Ercel Harvey.

company ranks during his four decades of service, eventually retiring as chairman and chief executive ofﬁcer. Maintaining ties with the country of his birth, Tappan oversaw several collaborative projects with Chinese companies during his years at Fluor. He also was director of the National Committee for U.S.-China Trade and the Los Angeles-Guangzhou Sister City Association. Tappan was active on several corporate boards, including those of Genentech Inc., Allianz Insurance Co., Regenesis and Advanced Tissue Sciences, Inc. He also served on the boards of the National Energy Foundation, Scripps Research Institute and Beckman Laser Institute.

Jack Roberts DDS ’50, of Redding, Calif.;

June 6, of natural causes, at the age of 93. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving in the Solomon Islands, Guam, Philippines and Okinawa. After graduating from USC, he practiced dentistry in Torrance, Calif., and for one year taught operative dentistry at the university. He was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity, the American Dental Society and Mensa International, and a 50-year member of the Redding Masonic Lodge, where he was a 32nd-degree Mason. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Betsy, son Coby, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

During his quarter-century service as a USC trustee, Tappan was involved in many facets of university life. He was a presidential-level member of the USC Associates and a member of the USC Marshall Board of Leaders. In 1990, the Tappan family endowed the Dave and Jeanne Tappan Chair in Marketing at USC Marshall. In appreciation of their support, a case room in USC Marshall’s Popovich Hall was named for Dave and Jeanne Tappan. Additionally, through the Tappan Foundation, the couple provided medical scholarships to the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He is survived by his wife, the former Jeanne Boone, whom he married in 1944, children David, Janet ’71, Diane ’72, Connie ’73 and Steve ’74, MBA ’75, 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a grandson. ●

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

the Daily Trojan and a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. She became a bylined writer for the Los Angeles Examiner and Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and was a member of the Theta Sigma Phi Association for Women in Communications. Later, she worked as a technical editor and writer for several Ventura County ﬁrms. She is survived by her son, Michael Neckerman ’87, and sister Pat Calhoun. W. Wallace Cayard PhD ’56, of Cranberry

Township, Pa.; Aug. 7, of Parkinson’s disease, at the age of 89. For 30 years, he served as a professor of philosophy and religion at West Liberty University in West Liberty, W. Va., and was instrumental in founding its faculty senate. He was a leader in the community, lobbying senators and representatives in support of legislation for peace. He was a member of the Religious Society of Friends. He is survived by his

[ IN MEMORIAM ]

wife, Leonora Cayard, four children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Cammie King Conlon ’56, of Ft. Bragg,

Calif.; Sept. 1, of lung cancer, at the age of 76. She played Bonnie Blue Butler, the daughter of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. She also voiced the fawn Faline in Bambi. At USC, she was president of Mortar Board and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and was honored as the 1956 Helen of Troy. She worked for CBS-TV as a production assistant, and later for the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce. She is survived by her two children, Matthew Ned Conlon and Katie Conlon Byrne, and three grandchildren. John K. Parsons MA ’59, of Glendale, Ariz.;

Aug. 16. He spent two years with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, four years as a

Robert P. Biller

Robert P. Biller MPA ’65, DPA ’69, professor emeritus of public administration and a 25-year administrator at USC, died on Aug. 29. He was 73. “Bob Biller was an engaging teacher, scholar and leader whose positive impact on his fellow Trojans and on the life of this university cannot be measured with any conventional yardstick,” said USC President C. L. Max Nikias. Biller’s ﬁrst academic position was on the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, where he helped establish the Graduate School of Public Policy and its Experimental Program in Health and Medical Sciences. In 1976, he returned to his alma mater to serve as dean of public administration until 1982. From 1982 to 1988, as executive vice provost, Biller pushed for the reinstatement of an all-university course catalogue, forged a close relationship with Hebrew Union College and helped launch USC’s highest honor, the Presidential Medallion – an award he would receive in 1998.

civil design engineer in California, and two years as a structural draftsman and designer with M.K. Goldsmith and Associates. He opened his own structural engineering business in 1961. He was a member of the American Concrete Institute, International Association of Shell Structures, American Society of Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers of Arizona and National Society of Professional Engineers. He is survived by his wife, Lavelle Parsons. Frederick Dowell Williams Sr. MS ’60, PhD

’62, of Houston, Texas; May 29, at the age of 76. He was the founding dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. He served in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant touring on the USS Lenawee. He authored and edited 54 books and lectured on communication topics for the United States International Communication Agency. From 1990 to 1991, he served as a distinguished research fellow in the Gannett Media Research Center at Columbia University. He is survived by his children, Frederick D. Williams Jr. ’79, Mary K. Williams ’81, Tiffany Townsend, Robert Williams, John D. Williams and Peter A. Williams, niece Amanda Williams, and ﬁve grandchildren. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi MA ’64, of Riyadh, Saudi

Arabia; Aug. 15, of cancer, at the age of 70. In the 1970s, he was director of the Saudi Railways Organization and later minister of industry and electricity, where he helped pioneer development of the petrochemicals industry. An outspoken critic of conservative Saudi society, he was ﬁred as minister of health after publishing a poem that highlighted the corruption of the Saudi elite. He was later removed as ambassador to Britain after publishing an ode to a Palestinian suicide bomber. He served as minister of labor until his death. He is survived by his wife, four children and eight grandchildren.

From 1988 to 1989, Biller served as dean of admissions and ﬁnancial aid. During this time, he reversed the decline in enrollment by resolving student-service issues. In 1998, Biller helped form the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development, and served as the school’s interim dean until 2000. After retiring in 2001, Biller served as chair of the California Student Aid Commission, president of the USC Retired Faculty Association and volunteer associate director of the USC Emeriti Center. Over the course of his career, Biller was honored by several university organizations, including the Faculty Senate, Student Senate and Phi Kappa Phi. He also received the USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. He sat on numerous boards, including those of the California Research Universities Network, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the California Master Plan Review Commission. He is survived by his wife, Yvonne, son and daughter-in-law Martin and Elisa, and grandchildren Jason Benjamin and Rachel Elizabeth. He was predeceased by son Kevin Michael. ●

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Jack E. Cartwright ME ’67, of Paris, Ill.;

May 8, of cancer, at the age of 69. He served as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years, earning a Meritorious Service Medal, an Air Medal, an Air Force Commendation Medal and a National Defense Service Medal. He received a master’s equivalent from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and was a member of Lawton-Byrum Post 972 Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was preceded in death by his parents and his ﬁrst wife, Katherine Cartwright. He is survived by his wife, Rose (Scribner) Cartwright, daughters Kristen Sanders and Karin Cartwright, son-in-law David Sanders, grandchildren Kaylee and Kyler Sanders and Cainin and Caleb Richey, and sister Elaine Newell.

Paul W. Kane PhD ’69, of Yorba Linda, Calif.; Jan. 29, at the age of 72. He was a full-time professor at California State University, Fullerton. He also served in a number of administrative positions, including acting dean of the school of education, chair of the teacher education division and several terms as chair of the secondary education department. He is survived by his wife, Carol, sons Mark, Kevin, Neil and John, daughters-in-law Jan, Karen, Pam and Sharon, and grandchildren Lilyanne, Gavin, Keaton, Karson, Paul, Thomas, Jack, Connell and Bailey. Daniel Ho-Ming Woo ’72 of Los Angeles;

May 13, 2006. Norm Lacy ’77; May 29, of a heart attack, at

the age of 56. He was an offensive lineman at USC for the 1975 and 1976 football teams. After serving as assistant football coach at Santa Monica High, where he taught and also coached wrestling and golf, he was later appointed head football coach. In 2001, he led the school to the CIF Division X title. He also served as football coach at St. Monica Catholic High, leading that team to the 1998 CIF Division XI title. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, two daughters, father Norm Sr., a sister and two brothers.

For two years, he taught history in Brooklyn, N.Y., as a Teach for America fellow. He completed his ﬁrst year as a Ph.D. student in history at Columbia University and was in India participating in a State Department critical language program at the time of his death. He is survived by his parents, Joginder Singh and Jaswant Kaur Matharu, sister Amandeep Kaur Matharu, grandfather Kartar Singh Chahal, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Timothy Glen Miller, of Lakewood, Calif.;

Aug. 21, at the age of 47. For 12 years, he worked in the facilities and technology department at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. He was a graduate of Santa Ana College and was less than a year away from earning his bachelor’s from USC Annenberg. He served as a deacon at Westwood Presbyterian Church for many years. He is survived by his mother,

[ IN MEMORIAM ]

Ramona, father Paul, brother Todd, sisterin-law Rosie, one niece and one nephew. James F. Smith, of Los Angeles; Sept. 24, of brain cancer, at the age of 65. He was chair of the classical guitar department at the USC Thornton School of Music and helped build the program into one of the most innovative in the country. He was a member of the international guitar community. Among his achievements were the training of two guitar ensembles, the Falla Trio and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, organizing the Segovia Master Classes at USC, and running the school’s weekly recital series, Music at Noon. He served as president of the Guitar Foundation of America and sat on the advisory committee of the First American Guitar Congress. He is survived by his children, Judson, Adrienne, Earyn and Dusan, mother Marie Hymel, sisters Anne and Christine, and brother Thomas. ●

David L. Wolper

David L. Wolper MFA ’49, a producer of the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries, Roots, along with more than 300 ﬁlms, died on Aug. 10. He was 82. “David was an absolute master of his craft, which spanned virtually every part of the media spec-

Larry Zepeda ’78, of Los Angeles; Sept. 2,

trum,” said Elizabeth M. Daley, dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. “His unquenchable thirst for

2007, after a long illness, at the age of 51. After graduating from USC, he worked for Hughes Aircraft Company. He later served as director of business computing for California State University, Long Beach. He is survived by his son, Christopher Zepeda, and twin brother Ronnie Zepeda ’77.

knowledge, combined with an innate understanding of how to engage an audience,

LuAnne (Maruyama) Kirst ’88 of Dove Can-

yon, Calif.; Feb. 24, of gynecological cancer, at the age of 56. She was vice president of correspondent sales for Wells Fargo, focusing on sales in the mortgage business. She is survived by her husband, Stanley Kirst, his children and grandchildren. Tiffany Suzanne Aguirre ’01, of Rowland

Heights, Calif.; June 21, of gastric cancer, at the age of 30. While a student at USC, she was a presidential scholar, a student ambassador, a Thematic Option honor student and a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta academic honor society. She spent most of her career working in Los Angeles for the Capital Group Companies, an investment management ﬁrm. She is survived by her parents, Susan and Anthony Aguirre, sister Courtney Aguirre, and most devoted felines Harrison, Munchie and Nickolas.

allowed him to create some of the most important works of the last 60 years.” While studying cinema and journalism at USC, he became business manager of the humor magazine Wampus. In 1949, he left USC and partnered with a high school friend to start a television distribution company, Flamingo Films. The company later moved into production with the release of Wolper’s ﬁrst documentary, The Race for Space, which earned him an Oscar nomination. Wolper’s company eventually received nine Oscar nominations for its documentary projects, along with two Peabodys and more than 100 other awards. In 1962, Time dubbed him “Mr. Documentary.” Ten years later, he won the Academy Award for best documentary for The Hellstrom Chronicle, which depicted the struggle for survival between humans and insects. Wolper is best known for his ABC miniseries, Roots, an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning best seller by Alex Haley. The series won nine Emmys and a Peabody. He later moved into television comedies, made-for-TV movies and theatrical ﬁlms. He also produced several major outdoor events, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In 1999, Wolper donated his personal archives to create the David L. Wolper Center for the Study of the Documentary at USC. The center, housed at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, contains his 50-year collection of papers, photographs, contracts, scripts and other memorabilia. He is survived by his wife, Gloria, along with three children from a previous marriage, and 10 grandchildren.

●

Ajeet Singh Matharu ’05, of Fresno, Calif.;

July 26, in a car accident, at the age of 27.

U S C T R O J A N FA M I LY M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

Last Word

USC alumnus Larry Harmon ’50 turned Bozo the Clown into an international entertainment icon. He also got us thinking about the art of clowning. Whether you love them or fear them, one thing’s for sure: You don’t have to be a graduate of Clown College to pass this quiz. 1. The art of clowning began with court jesters in ancient Greece and early Rome. But it wasn’t until 1768 that this equestrian master developed the bona fide circus as we know it today. He was later dubbed the “father of modern circus.” 2. Coulrophobia – an abnormal fear of clowns – is often undiagnosed, but seemingly widespread. Horror films and novels such as Stephen King’s 1990 classic, It, perpetuate these fears. Name the real life serial murderer who entertained children as a clown and even painted clown portraits to pass time in prison. (Bonus points for identifying him by his clown name.) 3. An actor who got his first big break as a teenager performing on Australian television, his performance as “The Clown Prince of Crime” earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2009.

›› CONTEST RULES

This is no joking matter. We are looking for correct answers to each clown clue. Up to five $30 gift certificates from Borders Books and Music will be awarded to the wisest wisecrackers among the Last Worders to respond. If more than five perfect entries are received, the winners will be drawn by lot.

4. Ronald McDonald, also known as the “Hamburger-Happy Clown,” made his first televised appearance in 1963. He was portrayed by this man, a fun-loving entertainer who later went on to become NBCTV’s Today show weatherman. 5. Coining the phrase “hip hop horrorcore,” this American hip hop duo gained an international following of devoted fans who attend concerts in clown makeup and refer to themselves as “Juggalos” and “Juggalettes.”

6. This chain-smoking cartoon clown hosts a children’s variety show that airs every afternoon at 4 p.m. on Springfield’s Channel 6. 7. In 1956, this popular clown took a temporary sabbatical from his success as a circus performer in order to be the mascot for the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team. That same year, he made a memorable appearance as Mystery Guest on the popular television show What’s My Line? delighting the studio audience by maintaining his pantomime gestures and answering panelists’ questions with grunts instead of words. 8. This San Francisco punk rock musician’s 1979 mayoral campaign platform required all businessmen to wear clown suits within city limits. 9. Humor can be healing. Each year, this man organizes an international group of medical volunteers to travel to various countries where they dress as clowns in an effort to bring laughter to patients and orphans around the globe. 10. Clowns can be politicians too. Known as the “President’s Court Jester” because of his friendships with President Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, during the height of his clown career he became so popular that he ran for president of the United States in the 1898 election against Ulysses S. Grant. Although he ran an energetic campaign, he ultimately dropped out of the race when opponents ridiculed him for being a “professional clown.” 11. American circus aficionados use this term to signify the clowns’ dressing tent. 12. Released in 1970 by Motown Records, this No. 1 hit single recreated a circus sound by using the bassoon as part of the instrumental arrangement. ●

Send your answers no later than Jan. 24 to The Last Word c/o USC Trojan Family Magazine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-7790. Submissions by fax (213-821-1100) and e-mail <magazines@usc.edu> are welcome.

U S C T R O J A N F A M I L Y M A G A Z I N E winter 2010

ILLUSTRATION BY TIM BOWER

Clownin’ Around

Photo Credit: Steve Cohn

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