Trojan Family Magazine Winter 2013 by University of Southern California

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CA L I F OR N I A WINTER 2013

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NOBEL MAN Arieh Warshel 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

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When engineers need to test propulsion systems in space—without actually sending them into space—they turn to the Collaborative High Altitude Flow Facility. Part of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the chamber can be cryogenically cooled to below -400 degrees Fahrenheit (brrr!) Te cold walls of the chamber maintain a simulated space environment by condensing and trapping thruster exhaust gases.

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inside 4

Editor’s Note USC aims to both spark our students’ imagination and shape their intellect.

President’s Page USC toasts its newest Nobel laureate in chemistry.

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

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News Two Trojans get the national medal for the arts, a new design studio will let architectural students combine creativity with construction, and USC Athletics turns 125.

Care Package By Diane Krieger Te new USC Engemann Student Health Center sets standards for next-generation medical care.

Dynamic Duo By Joe Battaglia Cynthia Cooper and Andy Enfeld shoot to bring a winning attitude back to USC basketball.

Growth Mode By Ryan Ball Te Keck Medicine of USC’s network of satellite locations reaches across Southern California.

A trio of Trojan scholar-athletes prove you can have smarts in the classroom and on the court. By Annette Moore

Alumni News Read the latest from the USC Alumni Association, including awards to volunteers who keep the Trojan spirit alive.

Class Notes Who’s doing what and where.

Ask Tommy Grab the popcorn, USC’s at the movies.

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Dr. Discovery USC physician-scientist Berislav Zlokovic searches for better treatments for dementia with a drive to make a diference now. By Katharine Gammon

Te Nobel Man USC Distinguished Professor Arieh Warshel’s curiosity and hard work led him to the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. By Robert Perkins

FA M I LY

Mind Gamers

Image Conscious USC’s two new brain experts explore the frontiers of the human mind using imaging techniques to understand such cryptic diseases as schizophrenia, autism and Alzheimer’s. By Suzanne Wu

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e d i t o r’ s n o t e

Explore Like a Child, Think Like a Grownup You’ve probably seen the series of phone-company ads starring comedian Beck Bennett ’07, knees wedged under a grade-school table, as the sole adult chatting with kids who say impossibly precocious things. Te spots are popular, I suspect, because grownups miss wonder and play; we ache for the wildly unexpected ideas that once popped out of our heads. Tis is what I love about great innovators unencumbered by convention: Tey’ve still got it, whatever “it” is. As Albert Einstein said about creativity, “A new idea comes suddenly and in a rather intuitive way. Tat means it is not reached by conscious logical conclusions.” Many of humanity’s brilliant advances were born not out of a search for a specifc solution, but because curious people were just looking around. When USC Nobel Prize winner and cover story subject Arieh Warshel talks about why he pursues chemistry, he says he’s just fat-out curious about how molecules work. Te greatest scientists combine this imagination with knowledge to drive quantum-leap discoveries. As Einstein said, “Tinking it through afterwards, you can always discover the reasons which have led you unconsciously to your guess and you will fnd a logical way to justify it. Intuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.” USC aims to both spark our students’ imagination and shape their intellect. Be sure to keep sharing your own creative successes with us at magazines@usc.edu. Alicia Di Rado Editor-In-Chief, USC Trojan Family Magazine

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Trojan Pride

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b y c. l. m a x n i k i a s Each fall, a sense of anticipation swells at leading universities around the world, as a select few of their most preeminent faculty hope for a certain phone call. For those in the United States, the call comes in the middle of the night, from a polite stranger in Sweden, one whose accent ofers assurance that the call is real. Tat moment is life-changing and career-defning, as it brings the extraordinary news of a Nobel Prize. Tis year the call came to USC Distinguished Professor Arieh Warshel of our USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Professor Warshel was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in chemistry, along with two esteemed colleagues at other institutions, Harvard’s Martin Karplus and Stanford’s Michael Levitt, with whom he collaborated earlier in his career. Tis was a joyful, historic day for USC. Professor Warshel joined USC’s faculty as an assistant professor in 1976, and this prize refects the university’s longstanding investment in research, especially in science and technology. Professor Warshel has essentially spent his entire career at USC, and our pride is palpable. Niki and I congratulated Professor Warshel and his family on the morning of the announcement. And when we entered Town & Gown for the press conference, and as media cameras fashed, the crowd burst into sustained applause for our Nobel winner. Afection and admiration flled the room. When the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences called at 2 a.m., it was Tamar, Professor Warshel’s wife of 47 years, who answered the phone. Words initially eluded both. “I don’t think he knew what to say to me,” she later recalled. “But I understood right away. You could see the happiness.” From there congratulatory calls poured in, including one from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who asked Professor Warshel to describe the signifcance of his work. Professor Warshel’s one-minute explanation was so efective that the prime minister said he would now expect all his advisers to explain everything in the same speedy manner. Among Nobel laureates in chemistry—a list that dates back to 1901—Professor Warshel and his colleagues are somewhat special, as this year’s award recognizes work that did not involve beakers or Bunsen burners. Instead, they used sophisticated computer modeling to advance our understanding of molecules, tfm.usc.edu

pioneering a modern update to plastic balls and sticks. Beginning in the 1970s, long before computers were commonplace, Professor Warshel and his colleagues created numerical simulations of molecules, which enabled them to examine these particles even more minutely and rigorously. Tis has dramatically deepened our understanding of complex chemical reactions, such as combustion and photosynthesis, and has signifcantly improved the design of new drugs. At USC’s press conference, Professor Warshel charmed everyone with his humor. When asked how he persevered over the decades and maintained his drive and focus, he shrugged and said, “I had nothing else to do.” And when asked how he would spend his third of the $1.2 million prize, he jokingly told reporters to ask his wife. Te Warshels’ daughter, Yael, who is an alumna of USC, sat in the front row, and her presence lent poetic coincidence to the morning. When USC’s Distinguished Professor George Olah won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1994, Yael was a reporter for the Daily Trojan, and it was she who photographed him for the story. Now, 19 years later, Professor Olah was also in the front row, warmly cheering Yael’s father, his venerable colleague, and USC’s newest Nobel laureate.

On the morning of the Nobel announcement

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We welcome your feedback. Submit your letter to the editor at usc.tfm.edu/mailbag.

Local Flavor

Breathe Deep

“Tooth Squad” (Autumn 2013, p. 36) reminded me and my older sister of the children’s dental clinic that was located on the south side of Jeferson Boulevard, a few blocks east of Vermont Avenue, in the late 1930s and stafed by USC graduate dentists. In the late 1940s, it was called Brooks Dental Clinic. My sister and I both had our braces there and rode the yellow Jeferson streetcar with our mother to get there. Tose USC dentists saved our teeth, which other dentists refused to do at that time, so we were very grateful. Many years later, after I graduated from USC in 1956, one of the popular attractions at every Homecoming was the Dental Alumni Dixieland Band. I often wondered if any of those old dentists had worked at the dental clinic in previous years. Harriett Kalpakian Donnell ’56 (las) Ojai, CA

I read the article on lung cancer in the Summer 2013 issue (“Fresh Air,” p. 34). I would like to know if there have been any advances in emphysema and lung diseases. My husband and son are graduates of USC, and I am a great fan of the school and love the USC Trojan Family Magazine. Car ol e Van H o u t e n Orange, CA

I really enjoyed “Los Angeles by the Book” (p. 38) and “Tooth Squad” from our Autumn 2013 issue. Tey represented sides of USC of which I am very proud—a celebration of community service and of Los Angeles’ ordinary folk and eccentric intellectualism. C hr i s Paul u s m s ’9 6 ( l as) Canoga Park, CA

On the Road Again I read the article “Te Road Scholars” (Autumn 2013, p. 22). Very interesting. I travel from Newhall, Calif., to the USC Health Sciences Campus (HSC). When I evaluate the cost and time factors with driving Interstate 5 or taking Metro to downtown and taking a USC shuttle to HSC, the drive is better for me. Among my reasons: On average, it takes less time to drive than to take the train, when considering the waiting for the train and the waiting for the shuttle to HSC. I’m sure I’m not the only person who not only thinks of time, gas and the commute. Tere are other external factors [for example, safety, location and food options] that come into play when considering commuting. Tere was no consideration in the article for these factors. S t e pha ni e G ir el l in i Newhall, CA

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Kamyar Afshar, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of the USC Center for Advanced Lung Disease, replies: Te USC Center for Advanced Lung Disease is at the forefront of considerable advances in treating emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One new treatment option is alpha 1-antitrypsin infusion. Alpha 1-antitrypsin is a naturally occurring enzyme that protects the lungs from tissue damage. A reduced level of this enzyme can result in COPD. Patients can receive the enzyme through an IV or aerosol spray to reduce a decline in lung function. Minimally invasive lung-volume-reduction surgery can improve symptoms for some patients. Endobronchial one-way valves can be used in the airways to reduce airfow obstruction, reduce shortness of breath and increase exercise abilities. Keck Medicine of USC will have several COPD clinical trials that target infammatory cells in the airways or lung tissues. For more information or to make an appointment with a lung specialist, call (800) USC-CARE.

Notice Board Te USC University Archives needs your assistance in preserving the heritage of our university. We collect, preserve and share records having permanent value in documenting the university’s history. Books, manuscripts, USC periodicals and newspapers, posters, photographs, recordings and other archival items are available for research under supervised conditions. Gifts are greatly appreciated and carefully preserved. Contact czachary@usc.edu or visit us at usc.edu/arc/libraries/uscarchives. Cl aude Zachary USC University Archivist

S O C I A L

M E D I A

What blows up on Facebook bigger than faux anchorman Ron Burgundy’s ego? Will Ferrell ’90 in a drum major’s outﬁt. Ferrell led the Trojan Marching Band on the stage at Bovard Auditorium in October, spurring buzz on social media. Go to bit.ly/USC_Ferrell to watch it on YouTube. Ferrell was at USC to support USC classmate and fraternity brother Craig Pollard’s charity, Cancer for College, which gives college scholarships to cancer survivors.

1,050 C O U N T I N G

C L I C K S

Number of Facebook “likes” for the Oct. 9 announcement of Arieh Warshel’s Nobel Prize in chemistry

168,656

Number of USC alumni on the career networking site LinkedIn in mid-October. Register as a USC alumnus or alumna and follow the University of Southern California to see notable classmates, ﬁnd potential connections and learn about other Trojans in your region.

1.75 M

Clicks as of mid-October on a YouTube video of LittleDog, a clambering robot created by USC’s Computational Learning and Motor Control Lab. See it at bit.ly/USC_robot.

winter 2013

PHOTO BY BRETT PADELFORD

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What was, is

Island of Hawaii 866.977.4589 TimelessMaunaKea.com

TROJAN

PHOTO BY STEVE COHN

FAB FROSH Only 19.8 percent of applicants were accepted for autumnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incoming class, making it the most selective ever at USC. Average national standardized test scores for the 2,922 students were in the 95th percentile.

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Q U OTAT I O N

“Going to the movies is going to cost you 50 bucks, maybe 100. Maybe 150.” George Lucas ’66 speaking at a USC School of Cinematic Arts event on the future of the ﬁlm industry.

OUT OF THIS WORLD Star Wars creator George Lucas ’66 and musician, producer and former Trojan Marching Band member Herb Alpert were recognized as two of the 12 recipients of the 2012 National Medal of Arts at a star-studded gathering at the White House in July. Longtime Star Wars fan President Barack Obama quipped about “a whole generation that thinks that special eﬀects always looked like they do today,” as he honored Lucas for his contributions to American cinema. Alpert was praised for his music as well as for supporting arts education nationwide.

SAVE THAT TEXT Libraries serve doubleduty in the digital age: They’re pioneers of new ways to store knowledge, but they’re also guardians of the old way— namely, books. An irreplaceable piece of our heritage, the book is “very, very robust,” says Marje Schuetze-Coburn, head of USC Libraries Special Collections. But even the toughest hide-bound volume needs the occasional spa treatment—a rebacked cover or rehinged spine—to counter wear. Thousands of rare books in USC’s collections merit this attention, but the library’s budget can handle perhaps a dozen such projects a year. This is where USC Shelf Life comes in. The program pairs a book with a devoted reader who wants to conserve it. For as little as $150, anyone can support a treasured work. In addition to meticulous conservation, the chosen book gets its own cloth-lined, marble-papered box inscribed with a commemorative nameplate. Dozens of book lovers have participated in Shelf Life. Bo and Bano Pozin welcomed their daughter Leila, a freshman, into the Trojan family by conserving the library’s 1677 edition of Thomas Hobbes’ classic Latin translation of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Provost Elizabeth Garrett often conserves rare books to honor faculty on special occasions. Library assistant Amber Dubeshter enjoys playing matchmaker, connecting a patron with the perfect needy volume. “We have donors who have really close associations with a particular book,” she says. “Some can remember their parents reading it to them as children.” To conserve a book through USC Shelf Life, contact Hugh McHarg at hmcharg@usc.edu.

California Cool

DAHON FOLDING BIKE Seeking an alternative to gas-guzzling cars, physicist David Hon PhD ’73 created a bicycle that could be folded quickly and was reasonably priced. It’s now ubiquitous on the streets of downtown LA.

BOOGIE BOARD In 1971, surfoard builder Tom Morey ’57 (who now goes by the name Y) carved a piece of polyethylene foam into a rectangular mat and took to the waves on the island of Hawaii. The boogie board was born.

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FRISBEE USC classmates Richard Knerr ’47 and Arthur K. “Spud” Melin ’48 founded Wham-O, which developed the ﬂying disc seen so often at McCarthy Quad. Wham-O also popularized hula hoops and other toys.

QUIKSILVER BOARD SHORTS While traveling the world to surf, Robert McKnight ’76 met Jeﬀ Hakman, who became his business partner. The duo bought the rights to an Australian shorts company and brought board shorts to America.

LUCAS PHOTO BY CAROLYN KASTER; BOOK PHOTO COURTESY OF USC LIBRARIES

USC alumni aren’t just entrepreneurial; they’ve also got design fair with a Southern California infuence. Here are four products that became household names thanks to USC alumni.

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Design Builder

MARNELL PHOTO COURTESY OF MARNELL COMPANIES

An innovative new program lets architectural students combine creativity with constructivity.

Master builders—skilled creators who both design and construct structures—built the great cathedrals and bridges of centuries past. With time, the ancient master builder eventually gave way to specialist architects, engineers and contractors. In 1972, when Anthony Marnell II graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the USC School of Architecture, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) barred any professional from registering as both an architect and builder. But today, the AIA and USC’s architecture program embrace the designand-build philosophy. Marnell, who is recognized for designing and constructing renowned resort, hotel and gaming properties, believes that architecture students should get more experience practicing architecture and building their designs. His recent $1 million gift to the USC School of Architecture will launch

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a multidisciplinary design studio to foster future design-builders. “Te M Studio,” as it will be known, will focus on the critical thinking necessary to complete a large-scale construction project. Directed by a faculty member who is also an accomplished master builder, the semester-long studio will include teaching in business, real estate development and engineering. Te idea for the studio grew out of conversations between Marnell and School of Architecture Dean Qingyun Ma. Marnell understands frsthand how important it is for aspiring builders to immerse themselves in diferent aspects of their discipline and craft. He worked for several architectural and construction frms after college, including Corrao Construction, which became Marnell Corrao Associates after its founder retired in 1982. As CEO and chairman of the frm, Marnell oversaw the building of

well-known Las Vegas casinos including Te Mirage, Bellagio and Wynn Las Vegas, and several Caesars Palace expansion projects. A registered architect in 31 states and the District of Columbia, Marnell is certifed by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and is an honorary member of the AIA. He’s also a member of the USC School of Architecture’s Board of Councilors. His gift is part of the Campaign for the University of Southern California, a multiyear efort to secure $6 billion or more in private philanthropy to advance USC’s academic priorities and expand the university’s positive impact on the community and world. Te School of Architecture has a goal of $75 million as part of the campaign. ALLISON ENGEL

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Trojan Pride = Doing Your Part There are a lot of things to be proud of at USC. Let’s make alumni participation one of them! More than 190,000 donors have supported the $6 billion Campaign for USC. You can join them today. It takes only a few minutes to make a gift and a diﬀerence. There is strength in numbers, so let’s show the world that USC’s alumni are proud to be Trojans!

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Please call or make a gift online: USC Oﬃce of Annual Giving (213) 740-7500 Toll Free: 877 GIVE USC https://giveto.usc.edu

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Care Package

PHOTO BY STEVE COHN

College health services have changed, and the Engemann Student Health Center sets standards for next-generation medical care. When physician Lawrence Neinstein took charge of USC’s student health center in 1995, the clinic’s pace was relaxed. Most students commuted to the University Park Campus, which grew quiet after dark and on weekends. Today, however, nearly all undergraduates live on or near the campus, and they look to the university as their primary support network. Te efects on student health services are enormous. Last year, the 150 physicians, nurse practitioners and other staf members working at the new Engemann Student Health Center handled more than 94,000 individual patient visits, says Neinstein, the center’s executive director. Tat’s a threefold increase since 1995. Te services they provide have also changed. Muscle sprains and stomach fu are still common, but these days clinicians also see chronic illnesses including cancer, congenital heart disease, severe diabetes and cystic fbrosis. Tanks to medical advances, young adults who a generation ago would have been too sick to leave home are now attending college. Te demand for mental health services has also spiked, as substance abuse, anxiety and depression skyrocket among young adults. “It’s a whole new world,” says Neinstein, professor of pediatrics and medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and assistant provost of student health and wellness. “Te need and expectation for services on campus have increased.” The Engemann Center’s opening nearly a year ago has attracted attention on and of campus. Last June, the building was featured on the cover of the Journal of American College Health, the feld’s premier periodical, as an example of advanced, integrated services. “We have one of the leading student health facilities and programs in the country,” Neinstein says. tfm.usc.edu

Sophomore Sydney Fishman, an environmental studies major from Chicago, appreciates what it means to students. As a peer health educator, Fishman volunteers at least two hours a week in the center’s Student Resource Room. Here, students can drop in for a cold-care kit, read up on the perils of the “Freshman 15,” or ask questions about safe sex or any other wellness issues. “It’s not threatening like a medical ofce would be,” Fishman says. “It’s a warm, inviting environment. And it’s absolutely beautiful.” Te center brings together all student health services under one harmonious roof. Technology throughout the four-story complex eliminates many hassles of health care. A student-friendly health records portal, online appointment system and easy check-in kiosks (a phone app is on the way) make communication a snap. Walk-in visits are welcome. Most services at the Engemann Student Health Center are covered by the $262 semesterly student health fee. Some services that previously

were charged—such as immunizations or screening laboratory tests—are now covered under the university’s student health insurance plan. Te coverage, Neinstein notes, is relatively inexpensive—at $1,519 a year, it’s a third to half the price of plans at other top schools. The center also hosts meditation and yoga sessions and wellness workshops, and services include acupuncture and chiropractic as well as medical specialties. Says Fishman: “It’s a great thing for the campus.” DIANE KRIEGER

Te Engemann Student Health Center was made possible through a $15 million gift from Roger and Michele Dedeaux Engemann. Learn more about the center at usc.edu/engemann.

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Life, Continued

PHOTO BY JIM STROUP

At Carvins Cove Reservoir in Roanoke, Va., one of Williams’ favorite places

Ryan Williams was all about Southern California’s outdoor lifestyle. A PhD student at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering from Roanoke, Va., he played golf, swam and skied with gusto. Then everything changed. In 2008, while surﬁng in Santa Monica, Calif., Williams landed headﬁrst in a hidden sandbar and snapped his neck. He lost all feeling in his legs and arms. If not for the two surfers who pulled him from the water, he would have drowned. At 26, the former high school pitcher and star basketball player had become a quadriplegic. Many people in a similar position might have retreated into bitterness. Not Williams. “I don’t feel downtrodden at all,” he says. “I try to say, ‘This is life. This is the way it is. Let’s try to do something with it.’ ” Williams returned home to Virginia, nearly 2,500 miles away. But through DEN@Viterbi, USC Viterbi’s Distance Education Network, he takes online graduate engineering classes to complete his doctoral program’s course work. “With DEN, I feel like I’m getting an equivalent experience as when I’m partici-

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pating in a classroom setting,” Williams says. U.S. News & World Report named DEN@Viterbi the nation’s No. 1 online graduate engineering program. Still, his transition from on-campus to distance-learning student required adjustments. He’d planned to study underwater robots at USC, but his distance from the USC robotics lab made him change his focus. Today, Williams develops algorithms for multi-agent systems to interact intelligently and autonomously. These are computerized systems that tackle such complex problems that they need several pieces—like software agents or robots—to work together. His work might one day help satellites, robots or military drones function more eﬃciently. “I want to be able to wake up every day and do something rare, interesting and novel,” Williams says. “I want to capture creativity and new ideas.” He’s already overcome a lot: Just getting out of bed and ready in the morning takes an hour and a half. To type at his computer, Williams puts his hands into a brace with an attached

pencil at the end. His right hand hunts and pecks about 25 to 30 words per minute; his left hand operates the mouse and shift key. This makeshift method gives him intense arm and neck pain. He could take medication but doesn’t. He worries that pills would dull his mind. With an inner fortitude as powerful as his analytical skills, Williams tries to carry on much as he did before. He returned to USC in 2012 for his oral PhD qualifying exam, which he passed. In May, he went to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers conference in Germany to talk about how robots can interact and coordinate to accomplish a joint mission; conferences in Japan and Italy soon followed. Next up: Williams plans to graduate in 2014, with hopes for an academic career. “Within the next decade, I expect to have an academic research lab at a top university and serve as an adviser to a committed group of graduate students,” he says. “I don’t know that any of this would have been possible without USC.” MARC BALLON

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Visit usctrojans.com to learn more about the teams, check TV schedules and get game tickets.

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Te Dynamic Duo No one will deny that USC is a football school. Tat’s not to say that the Trojans haven’t also found success on the basketball court. Sustaining that success is what’s proven to be elusive. But that may soon be a problem of the past. Last spring, USC tabbed a pair of proven winners, Andy Enfeld and former Trojan star Cynthia Cooper, to shepherd the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Now they’re tackling their frst Pac-12 seasons as USC coaches. Enfeld comes to USC from Florida Gulf Coast University, which he guided to a 41-28 record in his two seasons as coach, including last year’s remarkable 26-11 run that saw the Eagles advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament as the 15th seed in the South Region. Te Eagles captured the nation’s imagination with a style that emphasized fun and a fast tempo. As a player, Cooper helped USC win back-to-back NCAA tournament titles in 1983 and 1984, and in 2010 was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Te Los Angeles native has come back and made USC her fourth stop as a collegiate women’s basketball head coach, having already revived programs at UNC-Wilmington, Prairie View and most recently Texas Southern. “It feels great to be back at home,” Cooper says. “Tis is my dream job. I really feel like this is a blessing.” Both coaches are anxious to begin laying a foundation for the future—and each stresses that the bedrock will extend beyond the hardwood. “One thing I had as a player and have as a coach is a mentality of winning,” Cooper says. “I know how to win. When I say winning, I mean winning in the classroom, I mean winning in life and winning on the basketball court. You have to be at your best when your best is needed. Tat is what I am teaching.”

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Andy Enﬁeld and Cynthia Cooper are changing the culture of USC basketball.

Enfeld agrees. “We’re trying to build a winning culture here and to compete at the highest level,” he says. “It starts with accountability in the classroom. Tere is a lot of carryover from how you do in the classroom and what you do on the basketball court.” He should know. Valedictorian of his high school, Enfeld starred as a sharpshooting guard for Johns Hopkins University, where he studied economics. He earned his MBA from the University of Maryland, and later worked both as a fnance executive at a software startup and as a coach in the NBA. Cooper, meanwhile, ofers her team members worldly experience: She played extensively in the WNBA and Italian and Spanish professional leagues, becoming profcient in Italian in the process. Both coaches are pleased with their current rosters, and each added to that talent pool with transfers. Enfield has four transfers on the roster, highlighted by 7-foot-1 center D.J. Haley, who joins the program after graduating early from Virginia Commonwealth University. Also in the mix is former Maryland point guard Pe’Shon Howard. University of Nevada, Las Vegas guard Katin Reinhardt and University of North Carolina-Charlotte forward Darion Clark will sit out the season under NCAA transfer rules. Te women’s team adds 6-foot-1 junior forward Kaneisha Horn from Alabama and 5-10 sophomore guard Alexis Lloyd from Virginia Tech. Neither coach plans to rush any changes. “I might have a concept or a philosophy going into a certain program, but I am fexible with that philosophy,” Cooper says. “I try to tailor my coaching and the things I want to accomplish to best ft the team I’m coaching.” Enfeld, who is planning to run a high-octane ofense similar to the one that produced 175 dunks and thrived on high-percentage shots in the paint, also says he will make “minor tweaks” to tailor that up-tempo system to the players he has. Te coaches know winning will take time, but they’re also eager to push the basketball programs forward. “Realistically it might take a couple of years,” Cooper says, “but the coaching staf is approaching it like we want it to happen like yesterday.” “My goal is to compete at a national level very quickly,” Enfeld adds. “Tat means competing for Pac-12 championships, for Final Four berths, and being a Top 25 team every single year. Our goal is to build something that the city of Los Angeles and the school itself can be excited about and can be proud of. “USC has always been a football school, and always will be, but at that point hopefully the basketball programs have caught up on a national scale,” he adds. “We’re trying to do our part to get to where they are now.” J O E B AT TA G L I A

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PHOTOS BY JOHN MCGILLEN

Cynthia Cooper and Andy Enfeld shoot to bring a winning attitude back to USC basketball.

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NAI PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS; COLISEUM PHOTO COURTESY OF USC ATHLETICS; KIM PHOTO BY PAUL GOLDBERG

TROJANS’ HOME TILL 2111 It’s official: Trojan football can call the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum home for another 98 years. The governing board of the California Science Center approved the final points of a lease agreement for the Coliseum, clearing the way for USC to operate and restore the historic landmark. USC will make at least $70 million in renovations to the 90-year-old, late Art Deco-period stadium, restoring this public resource for all Angelenos. USC hosted the first-ever football game in the Coliseum in June 1923 (beating Pomona College, 23-7), and the stadium has served as the Trojans’ home field ever since. It’s also the only stadium in the world to host two Olympiads, two Super Bowls and a World Series. As part of the lease, USC will also manage the operations of the Sports Arena in Exposition Park.

Eastside Students Get a Boost Nearly 750 students from South Los Angeles have gone to college thanks to the USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI), and now hundreds more in East LA will get that same chance. Te popular NAI program has expanded to include more than 100 sixth graders at Murchison and El Sereno elementary schools, located near the university’s Health Sciences Campus in Boyle Heights. NAI eventually will serve about 600 students from sixth to 12th grade. Te initiative is an intensive, seven-year pre-college program to help low-income neighborhood students from the Los Angeles Unifed School District get ready for admission to a university. In the 15 years since the f rst students enrolled, NAI has graduated 99 percent of its students, with 83 percent enrolling as freshmen in four-year colleges. Tose who are accepted to USC receive a full scholarship. tfm.usc.edu

We’re

No. 1

Members of the USC women’s golf team destroyed the record books in winning the NCAA national championship last season, posting the most shots under par ever (-19) for a women’s national title. Sophomore Annie Park had her own memorable year, winning the Pac-12, regional NCAA and national NCAA individual titles. Returning all fve starters—sophomores Park and Kyung Kim, junior Doris Chen and seniors Rachel Morris and Sophia Popov—the Women of Troy Kyung Kim look ahead to the 2014 Pac-12 tournament this spring, seeking their second consecutive conference championship.

trojan news USC Athletics Turns 125

1922 USC FIGHT SONG 1912 “TROJANS” Los

Angeles Times sports editor Owen Bird dubs USC athletes the “Trojans” for the ﬁrst time in an article published Feb. 24.

1904 FIRST TROJAN 1880

USC ATHLETICS IS BORN On Nov. 14, USC Football plays the university’s ﬁrst athletic contest against Alliance Athletic Club. USC wins 16-0.

Q U OTAT I O N

“They still don’t really get what I’m doing.” Tracy Fullerton, Electronic Arts Endowed Chair in the USC School of Cinematic Arts, joked about her parents’ understanding of her acclaimed game design career while thanking them during her acceptance of the Trailblazer Award at IndieCade 2013. 20

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OLYMPIAN Emil Breitkreutz (Class of 1906) becomes the ﬁrst Trojan to compete in the Olympic Games. His bronze medal ﬁnish in the 800-meter run in St. Louis marked the beginning of USC’s Olympic legacy.

USC dental student Milo Sweet composes “Fight On” as an entry in a Trojan spirit contest.

1928 FIRST NATIONAL

CHAMPIONSHIP USC Football wins the school’s ﬁrst national title. Team championships in men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and ﬁeld, men’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s volleyball, baseball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s water polo, women’s soccer and women’s golf would follow.

WOMEN IN ART LA Woman: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, a group exhibition featuring 24 of Los Angeles’ leading female artists, includes six faculty and alumnae of the USC Roski School of Art and Design. A selection of works from former dean and Professor Ruth Weisberg, Professor Margaret Lazzari, Associate Professor Ann Page, Marisa Mandler MFA ’08, Margaret Garcia MFA ’92 and the school’s naming patron, Gayle Garner Roski, are on view at Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale, Calif., through Jan. 5, 2014. “They are all powerful women,” says museum curator Joan Adan. “You can see it in their artwork. Some of them emote that quietly, some a little more loudly. But they all have strength.”

TIMELINE PHOTOS COURTESY OF USC UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES; LA WOMAN PHOTO COURTESY OF GAYLE GARNER ROSKI; ARTISTS PHOTO BY DIETMAR QUISTORF

USC has had an unparalleled athletic tradition, boasting 120 national team championships and an unrivaled 420 Olympians. Throughout the 2013–14 season, USC Athletics celebrates its 125th anniversary, a centerpiece for its $300 million Heritage Initiative. Here’s a look at just a few of the remarkable moments in Trojan history. Visit usctrojans.com/125 online for a complete timeline, polls and more.

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1976 FULL SCHOLAR-

SHIPS FOR FEMALE ATHLETES Barbara Hallquist becomes USC’s ﬁrst full scholarship female athlete. She would go on to win four women’s tennis team national titles.

1965 FIRST HEISMAN Mike Garrett ’67 brings the ﬁrst Heisman honor to USC. A versatile athlete, Garrett would be drafted by baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates before turning to pro football.

1970 USC IS FIRST

INTEGRATED TEAM TO PLAY FOOTBALL IN ALABAMA The Trojans open the 1970 season with a 42-21 win against the Crimson Tide in Birmingham, becoming the ﬁrst fully integrated team to play collegiate sports in the state of Alabama.

2013 WOMEN’S GOLF TITLE

WIN BREAKS RECORD The Women of Troy break the NCAA record for team low round (276).

1972 TITLE IX On June 23, 1972, President Richard Nixon signs Title IX of the Education Amendments into law. In the 41 years since Title IX opened the door for women’s athletics, the Women of Troy have won 25 national championships, 69 individual NCAA titles and 15 Honda Awards.

2010 USC ADDS 21ST SPORT On Nov. 18, 2010, USC Athletic Director Pat Haden ’75 announces that women’s lacrosse will be USC’s 21st sport.

1984 UNIVERSITY PARK 1961 TRAVELER, USC’S

OFFICIAL MASCOT USC adopts Traveler as its oﬃcial mascot at the Tournament of Roses Parade.

HOSTS OLYMPIC VILLAGE IN 1984 LOS ANGELES GAMES University Park Campus hosts swimming and diving events during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and also serves as host to the largest Olympic Village.

ART FROM NEAR AND FAR Jacinto Astiazarán wants to focus his videos on social issues involving Mexico and the U.S. Russian classical guitarist Vladimir Gorbach is eager to explore chamber music opportunities in Los Angeles. Chinese writer Fei Kayser is “desperate” to write plays about contemporary Chinese life. And Frederico Fernandez, of Brazil, aims to continue his street art and make as many animated ﬁlms as possible in the next three years. They’re the inaugural fellows in the USC International Artist Fellowship Program, which provides tuition, travel and living expenses for up-andcoming creative leaders. Artists will stay at USC for two to three years, depending on their intended degree.

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Getting Philosophical Te humanities are alive and well at USC. Just ask the philosophers. In 2013 rankings of graduate philosophy departments across the country, USC Dornsife’s School of Philosophy surged to No. 11, up from 46th just a few years ago, according to the Philosophical Gourmet Report rankings, the most widely respected poll of the discipline. Te rise is due in part to a dozen hires in the past decade, including many from Oxford University, one of the world’s great philosophical centers. Senior philosophers Gabriel Uzquiano and Ralph Wedgwood joined USC Dornsife in 2012, and John Hawthorne, who holds one of Oxford’s most prestigious chairs in philosophy, started teaching part time at USC this fall semester. “We’re bringing in world-class faculty and building innovative programs around them,” says Scott Soames, department chair. “Tis is just the beginning.” Student enrollment in philosophy has doubled to 228, thanks partly to the philosophy, politics and law (PPL) major for undergraduates, which fuses the critical-thinking skills bred in philosophers with the applications of politics and law. In fall 2013, 162 students were majoring in PPL, up from 18 when the major was frst ofered in 2009–10. “It combines the three disciplines in a way that makes sense,” said Andrei Marmor, professor of philosophy and Maurice Jones Jr. Professor of Law, who helped develop the PPL program. “[Te major] combines the training in careful and critical thinking that is characteristic of philosophical analysis, with a broad range of moral and political dilemmas that we face in the world we live in.” Te school also ofers a combined major with linguistics and plans to participate in new interdisciplinary programs related to environmental sciences and health ethics and policy.

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Persian Is Proving Popular By some accounts, Los Angeles is home to more Iranians than any city outside Iran. So it only makes sense that USC students have the opportunity to learn about Iranian culture and history. Te USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences made it ofcial, signing an agreement with the Farhang Foundation that sealed a long-term commitment to Iranian studies. USC Dornsife now ofers a minor in the subject. Te Farhang Foundation is a nonreligious, nonpolitical and not-for-proft foundation established in 2008 to celebrate and promote Iranian art and culture for the beneft of the community at large. Working with Iranian-American communities across California, Farhang Foundation’s Iranian Studies Initiative at USC has raised more than $875,000.

H O O F I N G

I T

Before Los Angeles gave birth to the food truck revolution, there was Tom the Hot Tamales Man. In this photograph taken around 1910, a vendor poses with his horse-drawn refreshment wagon at USC. The ice cream, peanuts and popcorn advertised on his cart could have been sold anywhere across the country, but his tamales make this wagon quintessentially LA.

winter 2013

GARGOYLE PHOTO BY DIETMAR QUISTORF; TAMALE WAGON PHOTO COURTESY OF USC UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

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trojan news Music Makers

PATTI SMITH, a poet, singer, songwriter, photographer and ﬁne artist whose cultural inﬂuence branches through generations, across disciplines and around the world.

ROBERTA FLACK, the Grammy Awardwinning songstress best known for hit songs including “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly” and “The Closer I Get to You.”

THE NEW GUYS IN TOWN Meet Tommy and Traveler. They’ve been busy pumping up the crowd and posing for snapshots with kids at the Galen Center since they were unveiled Nov. 12. You can see them at home basketball and baseball games and other selected games and athletic events. As for fans of the equine Traveler: Don’t worry. The noble white horse will continue to gallop on the Coliseum grass at football games—just as he has since 1961.

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JOHN WILLIAMS, considered one of the greatest ﬁlm composers, who created scores for movies including Jaws, the Star Wars series, Superman and the Indiana Jones series. He conducted the USC Thornton Symphony Orchestra.

ICE CUBE, an inﬂuential rapper, record and ﬁlm producer, and actor considered a founding artist of gangster rap. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group NWA.

QUINCY JONES, the famed trumpeter, composer and Grammy-Award-winning producer who’s worked with legendary musicians such as Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Aretha Franklin.

H E A LT H F I L E S

A medication used to ﬁght parasites might eventually be used to ﬁght the craving for another beer. USC’s Daryl Davies found that the drug ivermectin cut alcohol consumption in lab mice, leading researchers to open a pilot study among alcohol abusers. An experimental drug appears to reduce the damage from stroke in mouse models. Research by USC’s Berislav Zlokovic shows the drug 3K3A-APC could eventually work together with today’s clot-busting drugs to save the lives—and quality of life—of stroke patients.

13 in

One in three people have a genetic variant that raises their risk of developing colorectal cancer due to eating red or processed meat. USC Assistant Professor Jane Figueiredo’s work and other similar studies might one day be used to tailor customized cancer-prevention strategies.

winter 2013

JOHN PHOTO BY DIETMAR QUISTORF; MUSIC MAKERS PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIONS AND VOICES; MASCOT PHOTO BY SAM CARTER

Iconic rocker Elton John lit up Bovard Auditorium in a September Vision and Voices event that paired him with nearly 40 student musicians, thanks to a partnership with the USC Tornton School of Music. One thousand USC students received free tickets by lottery to see John roar through “Bennie and the Jets,” “Rocket Man” and other hits. Visions and Voices—USC’s arts and humanities initiative—aims to make culture a central part of every USC student’s experience. Tese are among the many notable musical guests who’ve come to USC through Visions and Voices since it started in 2006:

THE ARTS DELIVERED. IN BEVERLY HILLS. WELCOME TO THE WALLIS THE INAUGURAL 2013-2014 SEASON

Theater. Photo of Frederica von Stade by Eric Melear

Opera. NOËL COWARD’S BRIEF ENCOUNTER PARFUMERIE

A COFFIN IN EGYPT

Music.

Children’s Theater.

Family Concerts.

WHITE JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS

RUEIBIN CHEN BASEBALL SWING

RAMIN BAHRAMI

TRUMPET OF THE SWAN

ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET

SpecialAttractions.

Dance. MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY JESSICA LANG DANCE

LOVE, NOËL

BALLETS JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL

MAURICE HINES IS TAPPIN’ THRU LIFE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE COMPOSERSLAB

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW ON SALE AT 310.746.4000 thewallis.org tfm.usc.edu

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Visit USCVHH.org for more on USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. To learn about Keck Medicine of USC, go to KeckMedicine.org.

Growth Mode Keck Medicine of USC reaches across Southern California by ryan ball Beverly Hills. Pasadena. Downtown Los Angeles. Now it’s the Foothill communities’ turn to join Keck Medicine of USC’s network of satellite locations spanning Los Angeles County. Keck Medicine of USC is expanding, and its most recent addition is the Glendale, Calif., community medical center now known as USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. Nestled close to areas such as La CrescentaMontrose, La Cañada and Pasadena, the hospital has provided vital medical services to Foothills residents for more than 40 years. Te hospital’s integration into Keck Medicine of USC promises to give patients the benefts of a world-class academic medical center while maintaining the intimacy of a neighborhood health care facility, says Debbie Walsh, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital CEO. Te move also means more patients than ever will be able to turn to Keck Medicine of USC physicians for convenient care, right in their own communities. Tom Jackiewicz, senior vice president and CEO for USC Health, says patients at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and other Keck Medicine satellite sites have the advantage of excellent care from Keck School of Medicine faculty who apply the newest methods and latest fndings from medical research. “In terms of our critical care, we have expertise in all major surgical and medical disciplines,” Jackiewicz says. “We really pride ourselves on being one of the places where you can actually get the most innovative, most advanced care anywhere in the world.” Te hospital has a 24-hour emergency room, allowing its patients round-the-clock access to care. Soon-to-be mothers will be able to take advantage of tfm.usc.edu

obstetric services, including labor and delivery, at the hospital as well. USC Verdugo Hills Hospital’s new medical leader knows the needs of the area well. When Donald W. Larsen MBA ’01 was chosen as the hospital’s frst chief medical ofcer, it was a sort of homecoming. Larsen has called the Foothills his home for 15 years. He believes bringing the hospital into the Trojan Family will help USC forge stronger ties with referring physicians in the area. “Te independent physicians on staf at Verdugo who are not USC-afliated now have a closer relationship with our specialists at Keck,” says Larsen, former chief medical ofcer for Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. “I see this as a win for all parties involved.” Te move—and Keck Medicine of USC’s overall growth in sites and services— refects major shifts in the national health care system. “In a changing health care

environment, it is important for hospitals to be part of strategic alliances, to be part of a bigger system,” Jackiewicz says. “We can help not only bring additional services to USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, but we can help reduce costs and bring in new information technology.” USC Verdugo Hills Hospital has already seen extensive exterior and interior renovations since the acquisition, and more improvements in the facility and its programs, including expansion of obstetrics and emergency services, are to come. “With our investments in the facility, we’re going to make sure that USC Verdugo Hills Hospital is there to serve the community for the long term,” Jackiewicz says. “In addition, as part of the Keck Medicine of USC system, the continued investments in information technology, clinical research and teaching are going to make sure that our Verdugo Hills location is at the forefront of health care for many years to come.” usc trojan family

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Visit KeckMedicine.org for more information. Ofces may be reached at 800-USC-CARE (800-872-2273) unless otherwise noted.

#1 Keck Hospital of USC, Los Angeles A private, 411-bed hospital boasting advanced services such as neurointerventional radiology, cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology. Surgical specialties include organ transplantation, neurosurgery and cardiothoracic, bariatric, esophageal, orthopaedic, and plastic and reconstructive surgeries.

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Keck Medicine of USC’s satellite oﬃces and clinics and partnerships with community hospitals mean more men, women and children can get the quality care they need in the comfort of their own neighborhoods. Nearly 600 faculty physicians from the Keck School of Medicine of USC staﬀ a variety of medical facilities across the Southland.

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#2 USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles One of the original eight comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute, this 60-bed inpatient facility offers leading technology and provides access to the latest research in cancer treatment and prevention. #3 USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, Glendale 818-790-7100 A 158-bed community hospital, its services include a 24-hour emergency room staffed by USC faculty physicians, a stroke center, minimally invasive surgery, and OB-GYN and infant services. #4 HCC I and HCC II, Los Angeles Located adjacent to Keck Hospital of USC on USC’s Health Sciences Campus, these facilities house many outpatient offices. Convenient parking and valet service are available.

#5 Keck Medicine Outpatient Surgery Center, Los Angeles Located on the Health Sciences Campus in front of Keck Hospital of USC, this facility is dedicated to procedures including eye, gynecologic, orthopaedic, otolaryngology–head and neck, plastic and urologic surgeries. The USC Pain Management Center is also located here. #6 Keck Medicine of USC-Beverly Hills This satellite center offers patients ophthalmology care and prostate cancer/ urology care through the USC Norris Westside Cancer Center and the USC Institute of Urology. It also encompasses dermatology, pain management and other specialties. #7 Keck Medicine of USC-Downtown LA This health care practice serves busy professionals living and working in downtown Los Angeles. Same-day appointments are typically available. Physicians offer services including internal medicine, women’s health, cosmetic and therapeutic dermatology, and retail pharmacy. #8 Keck Medicine of USC-La Cañada This satellite office offers premier, specialized services in endocrinology, internal medicine, orthopaedics, nutrition medicine and rheumatology.

#9 Keck Medicine of USC-Pasadena This is USC’s largest specialty physician office outside the Keck Medical Center Campus. Nearly 24 specialties are offered, including cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, oncology, neurosurgery, occupational therapy, urology, and plastic and reconstructive surgery. #10 USC Eye Institute Affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of USC, whose ophthalmology program is consistently ranked among the top 10 in the country by U.S. News & World Report, the institute provides advanced surgical care. The main location is at Keck Medical Center of USC, but physicians also see patients at Keck Medicine-Beverly Hills (#12), Arcadia (#16), Fountain Valley (#14) and Riverside (#15). #11 Faculty/Staff Health Clinic–USC Engemann Student Health Center, Los Angeles This University Park Campus location brings Keck Medicine of USC services to USC faculty and staff through the USC Engemann Student Health Center. Services include primary care, rheumatology, dermatology, endocrinology, nutrition medicine and orthopaedics. #12 USC Eye Institute, Beverly Hills

#13 USC Westside Center for Diabetes Beverly Hills 310-657-3030 Physicians address all aspects of diabetes in one location, oﬀering preventive services, diagnostic tests and holistic disease management options. Patients have access to clinical trials and new technologies. #14 USC Eye Institute, Fountain Valley 714-628-2966 #15 USC Eye Institute, Riverside 951-788-1231 #16 USC Eye Institute, Arcadia 626-446-2122 #17 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles 323-660-2450 Pediatricians from the Keck School of Medicine of USC have been treating the most seriously ill and injured children in Los Angeles at this premier teaching hospital since 1932. #18 LAC+USC Medical Center Los Angeles 323-226-2622 A partner institution of the Keck School of Medicine of USC since 1885, Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center provides a full spectrum of emergency, inpatient and outpatient services. It houses a trauma center, a burn unit, and neurotrauma and neonatal intensive care units. Staﬀ also provide critical services for the region’s medically underserved.

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ARGUS PLATINUM RATED

autumn 2012

Mind Gamers A special group of scholar-athletes prove you can have smarts in the classroom and on the court. BY ANNET TE MOORE PHOTOGRAPHY BY DUSTIN SNIPES

“Some of the world’s best athletes happen to be some of USC’s best students.” Tat audacious claim was made by USC Athletic Director Pat Haden—who’s living proof that it’s true. Te former Trojan quarterback and Rhodes Scholar takes pride in all the studentathletes under his charge, but he’s especially proud of one particular group: USC’s David X. Marks Scholar-Athletes. Te 2013 Marks Scholar-Athlete class included four Olympians, 17 All-Americans, three NCAA individual champions, two conference players of the year, six Pac-12 individual champs, seven members of NCAA championship teams, numerous All-Conference First Team members and a Pac-12 medal winner. It also included an NCAA Academic All-District Team member, a Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and three All-Academic honorees. Teir majors ranged from aerospace engineering to biochemistry and from economics to fne arts. “At their core, the triumphs of athletics and the triumphs of education are the same,” says USC President C. L. Max Nikias. “Body and mind, working together in harmony: Tat is the Trojan ideal.” Te Marks Scholar-Athlete program is about celebrating that ideal. Scholars must have studied for a year at USC with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be on an athletic scholarship. Te 70 Marks Scholar-Athletes for 2013 make up about 20 percent of the students on athletic aid at USC. Tey balance grueling schedules of practices and high-level competition with the demands of classes, papers and fnal exams. Meet three of the young men and women who make the grade. tfm.usc.edu

ABOUT DAVID X. MARKS David X. Marks (1891–1977) never attended USC. He never even attended high school, quitting school after eighth grade to help support his family. But he was a Trojan through and through. As one story goes, in 1904—three years after his family moved to California from Canada—the 13-year-old Marks saw a photo of Harvard University’s ivy-covered walls. Curious, he followed Los Angeles streetcar tracks that led toward “University”—USC— and fell in love with what he found. Another account has it that Marks hitched a ride by wagon to watch the Trojans play football against Los Angeles High School on old Bovard Field. Either way, Marks found his way to the University Park Campus and remained a devoted fan. Though he lacked formal education, Marks possessed an innate business sense. By age 21, he had established his own insurance brokerage firm. And as his company grew, so did his affection for USC. He funded construction of a men’s residence, David X. Marks Hall, in 1953. Ten years later, he built another residence hall, the David X. Marks Tower. An avid tennis player, he created the David X. Marks Tennis Stadium, dedicated in 1973. Around the same time, he turned over the assets of the David X. Marks Foundation to USC. Designated an official university support group, the Marks Foundation has given more than $34.5 million to the university. While most of those funds have gone to athletics, the Trojan Marching Band is also a longtime beneficiary. Money directed to athletics helps offset the USC Athletic Department’s annual scholarship costs—about $14 million in 2013—through the David X. Marks ScholarAthlete program.

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winter 2013

Flora Bolonyai: Time Manager

The shoulders are a potential trouble spot in water polo. Bolonyai stays on the lookout for the onset of injuries, which are most common to hips, shoulders, elbows and knees.

Water polo players need strong hip muscles to do the “eggbeater kick.” This constant motion keeps the upper body out of the water so players can throw, catch and block.

Bolonyai applies herself in the classroom. Despite initial struggles in English class, she’s now ﬁnding her advanced writing coursework much easier.

Water polo goalies depend on fast reaction times. It takes practice to train the brain’s neurons to react quickly and correctly to an oncoming shot.

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usc trojan family

Contrary to what some might believe, water polo players don’t grow out their toenails to kick other players, Bolonyai says with a laugh.

Hailed as one of the best goalies in women’s water polo, junior Flora Bolonyai was named tournament MVP as a member of USC’s 2013 NCAA championship team. The Budapest-born athlete is also an Olympian: She helped Team Hungary to a fourth-place ﬁnish at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Bolonyai started getting serious about water polo at age 12 and came to USC largely because of the reputation of its water polo program. But she brings just as much discipline and determination to her studies as she does to her sport. Together with men’s swimmer Alex Lendrum ’13, Bolonyai was named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America First Team—joining an elite group of 816 college athletes with a B+ grade point average or better. She’s double-majoring in mathematics and economics. “You need really good time-management skills to be able to excel both in the pool and in the classroom,” says Bolonyai, who was named a Mountain Paciﬁc Sports Federation Scholar-Athlete and earned All-Academic honors from the American Water Polo Coaches Association in 2012. She credits USC for emphasizing academic performance among its student-athletes. “We have the amazing new John McKay Center, which is probably the best in the country,” she says. “We have a great computer lab.” When she graduates in 2015, Bolonyai plans to return to Hungary to train for the next Olympics. After the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, she hopes to continue her education, pursuing a master’s degree and a career as a statistician or actuary. Bolonyai uses sunscreen to protect her skin during mid-day practices.

Next up, he says, is the NFL draft. When his playing days are over, Kennard hopes to go into corporate brand management or the administrative side of collegiate sports. “Maybe become an athletic director down the line,” Kennard muses. Like a former Trojan scholar-athlete named Pat Haden.

His hands take the biggest beating during games, as he often jams ﬁngers when he tangles with other players.

Strong glutes and hips are key to the speed, power and explosiveness of a linebacker.

winter 2013

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Devon Kennard: Unstoppable Back in 2009, Trojan football player Devon Kennard ’12 made both the ESPN and the Sporting News Pac-10 All-Freshman first teams. And he picked up USC’s John McKay Award, which recognizes competitive spirit. But after this dynamite debut, he suffered a string of injuries—most recently a torn chest muscle and surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2012 season. A communications major, Kennard used the downtime to his advantage, earning his bachelor’s degree in just three years. The Phoenix native says he came to USC “because I wanted to go to a university that would challenge me both in the classroom and on the football field.” So when he couldn’t join his teammates on the turf, he hurled himself into his studies. “Being a Marks Scholar-Athlete for three years straight is something I’m proud of,” Kennard says. “I’ve taken at least 16 units every semester and in the summer I’ve taken eight units. I’ve been in school nonstop yearround. It’s been tough balancing academics with football, but it’ll pay off down the line. I’ll thank myself later.” In spring 2012, he found time to join 15 Trojan teammates for a five-day service trip to Haiti, building houses and delivering supplies to communities devastated by a catastrophic earthquake in 2010. This year, Kennard came back as a fifth-year senior on the Trojan squad starting at outside linebacker. Fox Sports West dubbed him one of USC’s “keys to success.”

Kennard watches three to four hours of game ﬁlm each day. His goal: understanding tendencies in opposing oﬀenses.

His record on the bench press: 405 pounds.

Kennard is careful about what he eats, especially during the season. No fast food, though he’s been known to treat himself with In-N-Out on special occasions.

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Swimmer Alex Lendrum ’13 is the second-fastest Trojan ever in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke as well as the 200-yard individual medley. The two-time All-American also completed premed studies as a biochemistry major, posting a 3.76 cumulative GPA and making the Dean’s List every semester of his college career. Putting athletics and academics on parallel paths takes discipline. “You get home from practice, eat a good meal, and study,” Lendrum says. “And then you wake up, go to practice, go to class and then you study.” Even more discipline is required in spring, when traveling to competitions forces swimmers to miss entire weeks of class. But, Lendrum says, “you ﬁnd time, and everything gets done.” Fortunately, USC professors are supportive. “They associate athletics with hard work and discipline,” he says. “They see it as a good thing.” As co-captain of the men’s swim team during his junior and senior years, Lendrum encouraged his teammates to follow his lead in making athletics and academics both No. 1 priorities. “One of the things I tried to impress upon the freshmen is how important that ﬁrst-semester GPA is,” he says. “That’s what helps you get certain awards and jobs.” Lendrum speaks from experience. A three-time Pac-12 All-Academic First Team selection, 2013 Capital One Academic All-America First Team member and

Alex Lendrum: Synchronized Strokes

During training, Lendrum ate tons of carbs to restock burned calories. Now he’s a little more careful with his calorie count.

Only recently has Lendrum recovered his sense of smell. Olfactory fatigue from chlorine is a common swimming complaint.

The key to majoring in biochemistry while breaking swimming records, says Lendrum, is time management.

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At the heart of every great swimmer is a solid core. USC swimmers do dry-land workouts for strong abs.

Lendrum sat on his feet regularly to stretch his ankle ligaments. Pointing your toes during a kick helps propulsion.

2013 Pac-12 Men’s Swimming Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Lendrum received a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship for combined excellence as a swimmer and a scholar. He’s now taking a year oﬀ to work with an orthopaedic surgeon and learn about the discipline of surgery—something he didn’t have time to do as a student-athlete—as he interviews with medical schools. Lendrum grew fascinated with physiology and the function of the human body through his study of biochemistry. But it was his experience as an athlete that drew him to orthopaedics. “You have to be so in tune with your body when you’re an athlete, and the same thing goes with being a physician,” he says. “I think it’ll be a good transition.”

PHYSICIAN-SCIENTIST BERISLAV ZLOKOVIC SEARCHES FOR BETTER TREATMENTS FOR DEMENTIA WITH A DRIVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE NOW. BY K AT H A R I N E G A M M O N I L LUS T R AT I O N S BY LORENZO PETRANTONI

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Zlokovic studies the function of brain pericytes—cells that scientists have known about for more than a century, but whose purpose was unclear. He found that pericytes control key neurovascular functions, basically acting as guards for the blood-brain barrier. Tis barrier keeps potentially dangerous foreign substances from moving from blood vessels into brain tissue and maintains a constant environment for the brain. If pericytes start to break down, the brain ultimately sufers. In research published two years ago while Zlokovic was working at the University of Rochester in New York, his team found that when they reduced the number of working pericytes in the brains of mice, the efects included reduced blood fow, greater exposure of brain tissue to toxic substances, impaired learning and memory, and damage to neurons—all phenomena that are likely to happen to people as they age. A year later, the team showed that a gene linked to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease called ApoE4 appears to cause harmful levels of an infammatory protein to accumulate in pericytes, which in turn causes blood vessels in the brain to become leaky. Zlokovic’s work has had a huge infuence on the feld of neurodegenerative disorders, says former student Robert Bell, now a principal scientist and lab head at Pfzer’s neuroscience research unit in Cambridge, Mass. “He’s done it in the face of people who take a more neurocentric approach, and it hasn’t been an easy path to carve out,” says Bell, who studied with Zlokovic in Rochester. “Betza stuck with it, and now most neuroscientists agree that understanding the neurovasculature is essential to developing treatments.” Some of those treatments may come from Zlokovic’s own lab. Using transgenic mice and studying human brains post-mortem, Zlokovic’s team at the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute is now looking at ways to harness the power of pericytes to help patients. “What we’d really like is to detect early changes in the vascular system that predispose people to loss of cognitive function. If we can start detecting changes in someone who is 40, the declines don’t start happening for another two decades, giving a lot of time for treatments,” Zlokovic says. winter 2013

LAB PHOTO BY CHRIS SHINN

Berislav Zlokovic’s ofce at USC’s Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute is a jumble, stufed with pictures of singers and musicians and diplomas written in Cyrillic script. A small waterfall burbles down a wall and gurgles steadily, punctuated every so often by Zlokovic’s avuncular chuckle. He’s a man quick to smile. On this day, he’s nursing a shoulder injury that happened while playing volleyball with “guys who were much younger and faster,” he says with a laugh. Zlokovic is more than the charismatic character known as “Betza” to friends and colleagues. He’s committed to whatever he puts his mind to, whether it’s music, barbecue or science. And when it comes to science, he’s drawn to problems that matter to a great many. He’s changing the way modern medicine studies and treats Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that cause dementia. Across the globe, about 35.6 million Zlokovic was the ﬁrst people have dementia—and that number is to point to blood vessels as a culprit in expected to double within 20 years. Tere’s degenerative diseases no known cure for dementia, but Zlokovic of the brain. is working on it. While studying the vascular system as a research fellow in London in the 1980s, cognitive disorders piqued Zlokovic’s interest. He had personal reasons: His grandmother had a form of dementia. Maybe, he thought, blood vessels in the brain might play a part in the syndrome. Many researchers studying Alzheimer’s “When he puts disease focus on the tangles of proteins his mind to in the brains of people affected by the something, it disease, but Zlokovic takes a different will happen— approach. He was the frst to propose that impaired blood fow and faws in what’s both in the lab called the blood-brain barrier drive neu- and in life.” rodegeneration, which underlies all kinds of cognitive disorders, from Parkinson’s to — Robert Bell Alzheimer’s. “We began to see Alzheimer’s not as a disease of overproduction of proteins in the brain, but a lack of clearing out those proteins—and the blood vessels take an active role in the clearing process,” he explains. His work has shown that declining memory and thinking is only a secondary symptom in people with dementia. Te frst signal that something is awry happens in the blood vessels, he says. By targeting the vascular system and keeping its shortcomings from damaging important nervous system cells called neurons, he believes that dementia could be halted or prevented.

Learn more about dementia research from Berislav Zlokovic on YouTube. Visit bit.ly/USC_Alzheimers.

Scientists have already applied his research to therapies. Zlokovic is listed as an inventor on 14 patents. He’s founded three biotech companies, and his discoveries have contributed to the development of clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. Zlokovic’s research on the connection between blood fow and brain health has led him to a surprising conclusion: Brains could function for much longer than the average human life, if only the vascular system would stay in shape. “Our brains have the capability to live 150 years if the vascular system could keep up. Heart disease or heart attack, known as infarction, isn’t disease of heart muscle. It’s a disease of vessels in the heart—coronary vessels,” he explains. “Te brain was never exceptional in the body—it’s only as strong as the weakest links.” For Zlokovic, the passion for discovery pushes him onward. His next frontier: fnding markers that could predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease 10 to 15 years before symptoms arise. His research group is trying to identify such biomarkers in people who are cognitively normal today but who may develop Alzheimer’s later in life. Te earlier patients can get treatment, the better the chances of slowing down the progression of the disease, Zlokovic says. “We are searching for biomarkers in brain fuids, particularly cerebrospinal fuid, and blood, or imaging markers in the brain, in individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s and in models of Alzheimer’s and neurodegeneration that will tell us about leaky blood vessels and early damage of the brain’s vascular system and its impact on the brain,” he says. “We believe that sealing damaged vessels would allow the brain to self-repair and re-establish its normal functions. “Tis is why I’m so excited about what we’re doing at USC, working with colleagues from so many diferent departments to reduce the gap between experimental and clinical fndings. Tat process has already started.”

The Many Faces of Berislav USC scientist Berislav Zlokovic is a Renaissance man of research, a well-rounded physicianbiologist who’s just as comfortable at a barbecue as he is at a lab bench. THE TASKMASTER Berislav “Betza” Zlokovic’s lab efficiency is legendary. Stories about him completing 50 dogfish experiments a day might be tall tales, but some suspect they’re true. Though demanding, he’s known for leading his team and students with genuine interest and encouragement. “He really has an attitude of ‘keep raising the bar’—he’s not going to get comfortable with any one thing,” says Pfizer neuroscientist Robert Bell, a former student. “He has shown me how to always have goals, increase the goals and not be afraid of failure.” THE ENTERTAINER “When he puts his mind to something, it will happen—both in the lab and in life,” Bell says. From grilling up octopus for visiting Nobel laureates to delivering jaw-dropping operatic tenor performances at his annual holiday party for the lab, Zlokovic constantly hits the high notes. “His party was always the highlight of the holiday season,” recalls Bell. “You’re around great intellectual scientists and doctors, but everyone’s still a person and they know how to have a really nice time.” A tenor and music lover, Zlokovic is at home in front of an audience and at a lab bench.

THE SINGER As a child growing up in what is now Serbia, Zlokovic studied violin. Then he turned to his true love: opera. Singing releases energy, which helps him concentrate on his research. “Science is always surprising. You think you have something and you find you don’t—and that can be extremely frustrating,” Zlokovic says. “When you sing, you hit your high note, and the results are immediate. I like to do something with immediate results.” His wife, Zora Mihailovich, is a top pianist and teacher who plays 20 to 30 concerts a year. “We have performed together. But I’m glad she’s not a scientist, and I’m sure she’s glad I’m not a musician,” he says with a chuckle. THE INNOVATOR Zlokovic’s work fits with USC’s larger mission to engage in research that has the ability to benefit millions, says Michael Quick, USC executive vice provost and professor of biological sciences. “The things Betza’s team works on—dementia, aging societies, and how expensive those diseases are to treat— have immediate impact,” he says. “The only way we’re going to be able to afford these kinds of problems is to innovate our way out of them.”

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Te Nobel Man

USC’s Arieh Warshel ﬁgured that the dawning computer revolution in the late ’60s and ’70s might push biochemistry beyond the limits of the lab. It led him on a trail to the Nobel Prize.

A Warshel’s ﬁrst breakthrough was his simulation of a key protein in the eye in 1972.

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BY ROBERT PERKINS

A handsome young officer with a perfect coif of jet-black hair, Arieh Warshel was dubbed the “Late James Dean” by his fellow servicemen in the Israeli Army. At age 27, he fought in 1967’s Six-Day War, catching a Syrian bullet that blew of his helmet and nicked his right ear in the Golan Heights while he was handling communications for the commander of a tank battalion on the last day of fghting. Te scar on his ear is barely visible today. Perhaps more noticeable is the unexpected impact that his military service had on his scientifc career. It was an army buddy from ofcer training who nudged the ambivalent Warshel toward studying chemistry during his military stint—all because Warshel was thought to have a good eye for color. “First of all, I don’t have good color vision,” Warshel admits today. “He assumed that since he had glasses and I did not … He thought that chemists should see colors. You know, you used to have these test tubes, and do analyses.” usc trojan family

ABOVE: Arieh Warshel’s Nobel Prize-winning work paralleled the rise of computers in the 1960s and ’70s. Computers can juggle the many variables involved in chemical reactions. BELOW: Warshel drew praise from people around the world for his Nobel Prize win.

“I want to congratulate you on behalf of anyone who ever hoped to overcome illness and suffering because of your discoveries … I am sure that the scientific breakthrough you led will give rise to medical and other scientific discoveries.” Israeli President Shimone Peres

“Distinguished Professor Arieh Warshel is quite simply a trailblazer of the highest order.” USC Dornsife Dean Steve A. Kay

“Congratulations, you are doing huge, incredible and impressive things.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

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Regardless of the reasoning, it somehow worked out. In a way, it’s symbolic of Warshel’s charmed life, a 73-years-long-andcounting journey driven by Warshel’s faith that curiosity and hard work will steer you down the right path. In October, that journey led him to the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. During the 1960s, when Warshel was starting his academic career as a chemist, computers were about the size of a refrigerator but less powerful than the cell phone in your pocket. Te thought that scientists could use them to understand the chemical actions of enzymes—substances critical to how the human body functions— was shocking, even laughable. Fifty years later, you can get your PhD in computational chemistry. Warshel saw the potential of computers early on. With a small cohort of like-minded scientists, he pushed the boundaries of what those then-lumbering machines could tell us about the natural world. Warshel—together with colleagues Martin Karplus of the Université de Strasbourg in France and Harvard University, and Michael Levitt of Stanford University—received the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems.” Te trio pioneered the concept of using computers to model chemical processes in biological systems—essentially taking experiments out of the test tube and into the machine. In the words of USC President C. L. Max Nikias at Warshel’s Nobel press conference: “Tey have forever transformed the feld of chemistry and forever changed our understanding of the world. Trough their work, they have combined quantum and classical mechanics, describing the delicate dance between atoms and electrons that are at the heart of all chemical reactions.” Te honor—the highest a scientist can achieve—goes beyond recognizing three brilliant scientists. It represents the academy’s validation of their concept, a win after a long battle. Even as computer modeling improved with new technology, many in the scientifc community believed that computer modeling in chemistry was only good for generating pretty images to accompany journal articles—not to investigate actual scientifc questions, Warshel says. Asked why he persevered despite the doubters, Warshel gives a self-efacing laugh and answers: “Tere was nothing else to do.” “He had to fght back a lot of the skepticism,” says Chi Mak, chair of USC Dornsife’s Chemistry Department. “Arieh has had to endure and he has had to persevere. But he is very persistent, and he proved the entire world wrong. Tat’s why this is such a precious and sweet victory.” Born in 1940 in Kibbutz Sde-Nahum before Israel achieved independence, Warshel is the oldest of four brothers. His mother and father had emigrated from Poland in 1929 and 1936, respectively, and helped build the kibbutz—an Israeli commune focused, at the time, on agriculture. Warshel’s education was less formal than that of big-city children, but group life with the other kids in the kibbutz fostered a competitive streak that complemented his curious nature, helping to build his hard-fghting drive. At age 17, he enlisted in the Israeli Army, attaining the rank of captain before transferring to reserve duty. It was a superior ofcer in the tank corps who made sure that Warshel had a fexible enough schedule to pass the matriculation exams that were essential for acceptance to the Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, where he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in chemistry in 1966. winter 2013

HISTORICAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF USC UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

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PHOTOS BY MAX S. GERBER

Today, Warshel uses computing to understand and predict how complex molecules will behave during reactions. He focuses on enzymes, large molecules critical to life.

“This tremendous honor speaks volumes about the quality of his research and the quality of USC’s faculty.” USC President C. L. Max Nikias

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Students chimed in on LinkedIn: Sabrina LawrenceGomez: “So lucky to have Dr. Warshel as my chemistry professor. I still remember the Energizer Bunny question he asked on the ﬁnal exam. Congratulations!” Emanuel Meza: “Congratulations! I too feel honored that he was my professor. He helped me remember the Henderson-Hasselbalch by making a comparison to Bay Watch and calling it the “Pamela Anderson/ David Hasselhoﬀ ” equation. Way to go Dr. Warshel!!”

decades later. “We really are like scientifc brothers,” Levitt says. At the time, the men set out on a scientifc hunt to better understand the structural features and vibrations of molecules. Tat’s straightforward in a small molecule, but many important molecules comprise many rings of linked atoms. Each bond in the chain depends on the next, creating many variables to deal with, Warshel explains. Warshel plotted each atom in three-dimensional space, instead of describing the molecules by their bonding pattern, and boiled the problem down to a single equation that could be solved by the institute’s computer, nicknamed Golem (named, incidentally, after a creature in Jewish folklore brought to life from clay). Te work eventually led Warshel and his colleagues to a huge leap. Computers could use classical physics to study the “quiet” part of molecules—a task that demanded comparatively little computer efort. But Warshel and his colleagues combined that with quantum mechanics to study the chemically active part of molecules—a feat that demanded more number-crunching power from computers, but that also allowed them to study bondbreaking and bond-making reactions. In 1976, Warshel was recruited to teach at USC Dornsife with the support of Gerald Segal and Phillip Stephens, at the recommendation of Otto Schnepp. (Segal and Schnepp are now professors emeritus of chemistry at USC; Stephens died in 2012.) Schnepp had previously collaborated with Warshel on a paper that used winter 2013

PHOTO BY MAX S. GERBER

While he was at the Technion, Warshel met Tami, a girl from a town north of Haifa. Tey would marry, and she would be by his side through the decades of groundbreaking research ahead. “I have been so involved in his work. Not as a scientist, but because he shares everything with me,” Tami Warshel says. Te couple had two daughters together, and both young women earned their doctorates. But when they asked for their father’s guidance on which specifc courses they should take, he had an unsurprising reply. “I didn’t have any advice because I don’t think you can make any prediction,” he says. “My answer is it does not matter. You have to try to do your best, and then you will probably fnd out your direction.” Warshel found his own direction during graduate studies at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. Tere, he studied under chemical physicist (and fellow kibbutznik) Shneior Lifson. At Weizmann, Warshel connected with Levitt, with whom he would share the Nobel

AP PHOTO/NICK UT

computer modeling, and though Schnepp expressed doubts about the process, he was impressed with the results. “He had special insights into processes and understanding—deep understanding, obviously—of natural phenomena,” Schnepp says. “He’s hardworking, hard-driving and a very original thinker.” Warshel’s molecular modeling has potential applications throughout the chemical world, from new drugs to fght cancer and HIV/AIDS to building better solar cells, but in typical Warshel fashion, he cares mainly about the science. “Te thing that makes me most excited is not to fnd a cure, but to understand how things are working,” Warshel says. Even when asked about the impact of his work on other felds, Warshel shrugs modestly. “I was mainly just curious.” His inquisitiveness and drive have not gone unrecognized. During his time at USC, Warshel has been named an Alfred P. Sloan fellow, a fellow of the Biophysical Society, a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He won both the annual award and the president’s award of the International Society of Quantum Biology and Pharmacology, as well as the Tolman Medal and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Soft Matter and Biophysical Chemistry Award. He also recently earned the American Biophysical Society’s Founders Award. Warshel has been so productive and infuential that his “h-index” of 100 puts him in a small class of the world’s elite scientists. (Te h-index is a tool for measuring research impact; a score of 100 means he’s published 100 papers that have been cited at least 100 times by other scientists, a sort of academic grand slam.) USC Dornsife Dean Steve A. Kay points out that Warshel earned the accolades because he is driven to fnd scientifc answers out of inquisitiveness. “Tis shows the value of curiosity-directed research,” Kay says. “And it shows the value of an education at USC. Students here were able to participate in this research.” (Warshel also teaches a frst-year general chemistry course for undergraduates.) Warshel’s award marks the second Nobel Prize awarded to a USC Dornsife chemistry professor in 19 years. Te frst was awarded to George Olah, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Chair in Organic Chemistry. Asked for his advice for Warshel in the wake of the prize announcement and the many demands for speaking engagements that follow, Olah says: “Tere is one thing that he must learn, and that’s to say no.” Warshel, for his part, says he hopes the Nobel will help unlock doors for additional funding for computational chemistry. He recounted past proposals for research into ways to fght cancer and drug resistance that had been dismissed as too exotic by funding agencies—much the way his original computer modeling work was once dismissed. G.K. Surya Prakash, one of his colleagues in the chemistry department, expressed his confdence in Warshel’s future eforts. “He’s a heavyweight, but he’s been really underrated,” Prakash says, “until now.” tfm.usc.edu

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An Early Start

Alumni and local leaders used Twitter: America Ferrera @AmericaFerrera wow. Very cool. “@USC: .@USC prof Arieh Warshel wins 2013 Nobel Prize in chemistry!” Eric Garcetti @ericgarcetti Congrats @USC for bringing a Nobel Prize home to LA with Arieh Warshel’s win today. Watch videos and learn more online at tfm.usc.edu/2013Nobel.

The phone jolted a sleepy Arieh and Tami Warshel awake at 2 a.m. on Oct. 9. Tami Warshel grabbed the phone from the side of the bed, quickly handed it to her husband and froze in anticipation, watching him. Within moments, his beaming face told her everything. After years of being considered, Arieh Warshel had finally won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. “I don’t think he knew what to say to me,” she said. “But I understood right away. You could see the happiness.” As for her husband, he thought it might be a prank—until he heard the caller’s Swedish accent. There was no going back to sleep after that. The phone kept ringing into the morning hours as members of the media called for interviews and well wishers offered congratulations. Warshel, who has dual Israeli-U.S. citizenship, received calls from Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both told him they were proud of his accomplishments. When Netanyahu admitted that he probably wouldn’t comprehend the research, Warshel said, “I gave him a one-minute lecture, he understood it, and he said that from now on he will force his ministers to say whatever they want—just within one minute.” By 10 a.m., Warshel found himself at a press conference at the Town & Gown Ballroom, where he was lauded by USC’s top administrators and explained his research to news crews. “If I had my slides here it would be much easier,” he said, before launching into a discussion about his work. Warshel pursues his research because he’s curious about how enzymes work, he told them. But he acknowledged to reporters that his tools have practical implications for biomedical researchers. Computer analysis can tell researchers how strongly a potential drug could bind to receptors in a cell, for example, or how an enzyme changes in the body due to a genetic mutation. It might also hint at how HIV could mutate to grow resistant to a drug. He showed his sense of humor as well. When members of the media asked him how he would spend the money from the Nobel Prize (his share works out to about $400,000), he gave a deadpan response: “You could ask my wife.” He also found out that he was receiving a priceless and unexpected perk also enjoyed by fellow USC Nobel laureate George Olah: a dedicated, free parking spot on campus for life. “You will never have to search or pay for parking on this campus again,” USC President C. L. Max Nikias told him, to a round of applause and knowing laughter. With champagne flutes in hand, the two men toasted the occasion. “It’s a great honor for our university, for our community and for the Trojan nation,” Nikias said. “It’s a great honor, but also it’s a testament to all the investment we’ve been making as a university in the area of research, especially in the areas of science and technology.”

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Image Conscious “You will remember some things about this conversation, and that will change your brain.”

EVENT PHOTOS BY GUS RUELAS

by suzanne wu Just a few decades ago, the human brain was uncharted territory. Te best maps looked like a hovering cloud, all shadowy contours and empty space, an X-ray of the soft tissue inside your skull. So to get another view of how the brain worked, scientists poked around. Surgeons peered inside the heads of stroke patients and compiled directories linking visible damage to changes in behavior. Trying to understand the brain this way was a bit like opening a car hood and breaking part of the engine. You can bash the carburetor or pull out spark plugs and fgure out that the car won’t start, but you’ll learn nothing about how the pieces work together. It took the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) about 30 years ago to construct the frst three-dimensional pictures of the brain. Ten functional MRIs (fMRI) came along and hinted at the duties of diferent parts of the brain—which use the most resources when you read a book, for example, or when you listen to music. “fMRI led to some incredible insights, but the problem is, we’re always thinking and moving. Tis data is superimposed on all of the extraordinary things the brain already does,” says USC’s Paul Tompson, professor of neurology, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, radiology, engineering and ophthalmology. “It was a little bit like looking at the city lights from an airplane.” What scientists needed was a street view of the brain’s roadways, the 100 billion neurons and quadrillion connections in the human brain. Ideally, researchers could then overlay this atom-level anatomy with other maps, charting, say, the movement of drugs in the brain, much like meteorologists plot weather systems moving across a continent. In April, the Obama administration announced its support for a grand project: the $100 million BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechtfm.usc.edu

use hyperbole when you speak of [them]— they’re so outstanding.” USC Provost Elizabeth Garrett recalls her frst dinner with Toga during the recruitment process. “When I talk to scholars, researchers or creative artists, I listen to hear an excitement, almost an impatience, to accomplish all that they want to do,” she says. “We look for people who are driven by the sheer joy of discovery, the feeling that they can’t wait to begin the next project because they know it’s going to make an important diference. It was clear that Arthur and Paul have these qualities. Once you meet them, you can’t fail to be excited about the future.” Among the researchers’ projects is the ENIGMA network, a 125-institution At the new USC Insticollaboration led by tute for Neuroimaging Tompson. Te largest and Neuroinformatics, President C. L. Max Nikias sees studies by brain-mapping project Toga and Thompson Paul Thompson, left, and Arthur Toga, are leading mapmak- right, as critical to USC’s focus on the brain. in the world, ENIGMA enables scientists ers of the human brain. Teir work straddles the worlds of bio- to sift out discoveries from mounds of data. logical science and engineering, bridging “We’re all so diferent from each other improved raw measurements to clinical that you need to amass a large amount of treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s information before you can see patterns,” or autism. With about 100 faculty and data Tompson says. Take ENIGMA’s work on HIV/AIDS. analysts, the institute houses a supercomputer, wet labs, a production studio and Researchers are beginning to understand more than four petabytes of data (enough that cocktails of HIV-fghting drugs, for to render the special efects of a summer all the lives they’ve saved, can’t suppress the virus in the cerebral cortex. Otherwiseblockbuster movie four times over). Harvard radiologist and leading im- healthy people treated for HIV/AIDS for aging expert Bruce Rosen described Toga the last 15 to 20 years are starting to show and Tompson’s group in the Los Angeles early signs of dementia and memory loss. Researchers need to look at HIV/ Times as “the world’s premier lab when it comes to fnding insights about the brain AIDS patients’ brain scans to see the in massive amounts of data from scans and virus’ efects. Te ENIGMA team developed a genetic tests.” Another colleague, Michael Weiner, professor of radiology and biomedi- computer program for colleagues from cal imaging at University of California, San places as diverse as Tailand, South Africa Francisco, told the Times, “It’s impossible to and Pittsburgh, to pull out relevant pieces of nologies) Initiative. Just as scientists once united to map the human genome, BRAIN parallels an efort in China and a European program endowed with what works out to $1.5 billion in government support. Some of the U.S. funds will likely go to refning scanning technology, but that’s just part of the challenge. fMRI and other scanning techniques produce no images, just strings of numbers that require computational algorithms to make sense. Researchers have a lot of digital information, says Arthur W. Toga, Provost Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Radiology and Engineering. “But a lot of the data is, frankly, underutilized,” he explains.

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YOU ARE YOUR CONNECTOME, or so some neuroscientists say. The connectome is an atlas of sorts, a set of maps of the roads and highways of neurons (nerve cells) coursing through the brain. Advanced technology now gives scientists the power to map the connectome and potentially decipher the electrical impulses that flip the switches for our thoughts and actions. In these images, each delicate, ethereal line is a thread of white matter—a chain of nerve cells surrounded by a protective layer of fat called myelin. Researchers generate the maps through diffusion spectrum imaging, which tracks movement of water through nerve fibers across the brain. USC’s Arthur Toga and Paul Thompson are integral researchers in the Human Connectome Project, a massive five-year study into brain connectivity.

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Backing Brain Research Today, the federal government funds about 18 percent of the research grant proposals that health and medicine researchers submit to the National Institutes of Health—signiﬁcantly less than the 30 percent supported a decade earlier. “I think that’s a tragic mistake, because this external funding has been the engine of innovation and progress in the treatment of diseases,” says USC Provost Elizabeth Garrett. In lean times, funding agencies tend to avoid early-stage research, supporting only proven ideas. “Fortunately, great scholars like Professors Toga and Thompson will still get a piece of the federal funding pie, but support for some of their most exciting future work must involve philanthropy,” Garrett says. “USC is now seen as a home for people with vision, who have a track record of success and want to move in new directions, because of the established support of the Trojan Family and our enthusiasm for the process of discovery.” Donations that support graduate students, new lines of inquiry or laboratories will advance USC’s efforts in neuroscience, a major area of focus for the institution. Says Garrett: “USC is one of the few places in this country where mapping the brain is going to be undertaken in a serious and sustained way.” Visit campaign.usc.edu to learn how to support research, including brain studies, at USC.

SCIENTIFIC IMAGES COURTESY OF THE LABORATORY OF NEURO IMAGING AND MARTINOS CENTER FOR BIOMEDICAL IMAGING, CONSORTIUM OF THE HUMAN CONNECTOME PROJECT.

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information from brain scans. Tese fgures then flter to USC, where engineers take on the heavy number crunching, including cross-referencing the brain data with other medical history. Early analyses already have yielded surprises. As the virus moves through the brain, it seems to skip over certain cells. Te data show that HIV afects mostly the motor regions of the brain—the parts that control movement—and regions less afected by other disorders such as Alzheimer’s. Tis border-crossing science symbolizes the possibility of collaboration that drew Toga and Tompson to USC. “We’d like to build a program that is not only an amalgamation of diferent disciplines, but the amalgamation of diferent data types across diseases, across subjects and across institutes,” Toga says. “We are going to extract more information from these various data types than has ever been done before.”

foods forward through parts of the brain associated with language acquisition. In the teenage years, the surge moves to the front of the brain, which is linked to decision making and judgment. But perhaps the biggest revelation of seeing how the brain grows wasn’t that there might be a reason teenagers make stupid mistakes. To the researchers’ surprise, they discovered that the growing brain prunes itself, cutting of whole clusters of cells. Many parts of the brain actually shrink during adolescence. “When we frst ran into it in the data, we thought we’d made a blunder, all this tissue loss,” Tompson says. Tat was just the beginning. Turns out, schizophrenics’ brains shed mass faster than normal. And kids with autism tend to have bigger brains; some theorize their brains don’t go through enough pruning. “It would seem like you need all of your brain, but you Another project from don’t,” Tompson says. Toga and Tompson “Clearly not all of it is demonstrates the imabsolutely vital—there’s portance in brain some redundancy. But Elizabeth Garrett, left, says mapping of the fourth also, clearly, you can’t do Paul Thompson and Arthur Toga are dimension: time. The without certain critical driven by joy of discovery. living brain is dynamic, components.” and a single image might pick up a tranAt the other end of life, our brains unsient signal that disappears the next instant. ravel in the reverse order of development, “Te brain is supposed to be adaptive— Toga and Tompson’s research has found. that’s how we learn. You will remember Just as infants develop sensory skills frst, some things about this conversation, and Alzheimer’s patients don’t lose their senses that will change your brain,” Toga says. of sight and touch until the very end. Over a lifetime, some of these changes pile up. Toga and Tompson, who both hold “We’ve learned more about the brain in the joint appointments at the Keck School of last 25 years than in all of previous history,” Medicine of USC and the USC Viterbi Toga says. “It’s one of the most exciting School of Engineering, study the develop- times to be a neuroscientist only because ment of age-related diseases by visualizing the techniques have fnally caught up with how the healthy brain grows. With support the complexity of the problem.” from the National Institute for Mental Still, there are many things that a Health, the researchers created a time-lapse map of the brain might never tell us, or arrangement of hundreds of brain scans that we might not want to know. Toga and taken from infancy to early adulthood. Toga’s Tompson’s advanced imaging can reveal daughters served as the frst test subjects. Alzheimer’s about a decade before sympTompson likens fndings from the toms appear. For now, it’s like seeing a tidal growth chart to being told by a pediatrician wave before it falls, Toga says, but the scans that your child is tall for her age, but under- will be critical to early treatment if an weight. “Imagine doing that for the brain,” Alzheimer’s cure is ever found. he says. Tompson holds out hope that it will In a landmark study in Nature, the happen: “With these cryptic diseases in the researchers showed that the back of the brain, with a little bit of investment into brain grows rapidly in infants as senses fguring them out, you get a real leg up in of sight and touch develop. Growth then treating them.” winter 2013

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Third Annual

USC Alumni Day of SCervice Daylong and Worldwide.

Arts & crafts with kids in Boston

Park restoration in Los Angeles

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aid project in Munich

Beach clean-up in the OC Senior center activities in Shanghai

Saturday, March 22, 2014 Roll up your sleeves and join thousands of fellow Trojans participating in community service projects around the world. Sign up for a project in your area: http://alumni.usc.edu/scervice

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

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PHOTO BY STEVE COHN

PASS THE BATON There’s a lot you need to know when you’re trying to be a Trojan for the ﬁrst time. That’s why USC created a boot camp for freshmen and transfers during Welcome Week in August. Students learned about USC traditions with the help of the Trojan Marching Band, including twirler Beverly Tse.

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family news

Tanks for Serving Te USC Alumni Association recognizes volunteers who keep the Trojan spirit alive. b y t i m o t h y o. k n i g h t

Dedicated. Selfess. Invaluable. Tose are just a few of the words that describe the global network of Trojan Family volunteers honored at the USC Alumni Association’s (USCAA) annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner on Sept. 19. ¶ Nearly 550 attendees gathered for the event emceed by Ramona Cappello ’81, president of the USCAA Board of Governors, and Patrick E. Auerbach EdD ’08, associate senior vice president for alumni relations. ¶ Volunteer Organization of the Year Awards were presented to the USC School of Pharmacy’s QSAD Centurion and the USC Alumni Club of North Texas in recognition of their eforts to engage alumni and foster philanthropy. Cynthia Wiese ’96, executive assistant to USC Trojan Marching Band Director Arthur C. Bartner, received the Volunteer Friend of the Year Award, which is given to a USC faculty or staf member in recognition of outstanding support for alumni volunteers. In addition, 35 USC volunteers went home with Widney Alumni House Awards for their loyalty, support and dedication to USC and the community. Six Trojans received the President’s Award in recognition of their leadership, service, achievement and contributions to USC. Meet the honorees:

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MODESTA J. BASSITY MA ’73 USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

A ffth-generation Californian, Modesta Bassity began volunteering for her alma mater in the early 1980s because, in the words of a fellow alumna, “she felt it was the right thing to do.” For Bassity, that means putting others frst and working for the common good of all, whether it’s on behalf of the Trojan Guild of Los Angeles, Town

& Gown of USC or the USC Rossier School of Education. Fellow volunteers call her a born leader and problem solver who is reliable, self-motivated, gracious and persistent. As another alumna put it, “Mo does not know the meaning of the word ‘no.’” GREGORY R. HILLGREN ’76, MBA ’77 USC MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Not only is Gregory Hillgren co-chair of the USC Marshall School of Business Campaign Committee, but he’s also president of two real estate investment and development frms—all while serving as Dean James G. Ellis’ adviser and a staunch supporter of the school’s academic program. Yet no matter how busy he is, Hillgren still makes time to share his insights on important strategic initiatives and priorities with USC Marshall’s Board of Leaders. Ellis praised him for being “faithful, courageous and ambitious in helping achieve the vision we share as members of the USC Trojan Family. We at Marshall are so very grateful for Greg’s leadership, energy and passion for our school.” ROD Y. NAKAMOTO ’83, MBA ’94 USC MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Rod Nakamoto’s leadership skills, creative thinking and “big picture” vision have made the USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association (APAA) what it is today. During his two terms as APAA’s president, Nakamoto enthusiastically attended nearly every APAA event. He helped launch the group’s Orange County Committee in 2011 and established the professional leadership/ development series in 2013. He also led the charge to turn APAA’s popular homecoming tailgate into a signature event. According to fellow APAA volunteers, few Trojans are more deserving of this honor than Nakamoto. winter 2013

KATHRYN SHIRLEY MBT ’97 USC LEVENTHAL SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING

Fellow USC Black Alumni Association (BAA) leaders said two adjectives immediately spring to mind when describing Kathryn Shirley: selfess and supportive. A longtime BAA volunteer, she stewards key programs, mentors students and devotes countless hours of her time to the alumni organization. As the chair of the BAA’s Advisory Council, Shirley has impressed her fellow association members with her hands-on approach, strategic fair and enthusiastic leadership in overseeing BAA’s alumni and scholar programs. Shirley also chairs the BAA’s Recruitment and Retention Committee. ROBERT L. SKINNER ’85, JD ’90 USC MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS USC GOULD SCHOOL OF LAW

Robert Skinner gives generously of his time, energy and expertise to USC. Te chairman of the USC Gould School of Law Board of Councilors, he has inspired record-setting fnancial participation by fellow board members. Giving to the school has increased 126 percent during his tenure. “Rob and his family have stepped up to ensure that we can continue to provide a world-class education at Gould,” Dean Robert Rasmussen said. “When I think of those who give from the heart of their time and treasure, Rob belongs at the top of the list.”

PHOTOS BY ARMANDO BROWN

LINDA WARD ’71, MA ’74 USC DORNSIFE COLLEGE OF LETTERS, ARTS AND SCIENCES

Cheerful and organized, Linda Ward brings her resolve, tireless work ethic and meticulous attention to detail to a wide variety of USC projects. A fellow volunteer said the Trojan Club of the Desert president always “jumps in with both feet and never stops helping.” Ward also coordinates the annual Coaches Tour in the desert and football gameviewing parties. In the words of another volunteer, “You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who cheers louder for the Trojans than Linda!” tfm.usc.edu

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Raising Arizona USC President C. L. Max Nikias is hitting the road to meet members of the Trojan Family in a nine-city tour that will run through April. Nikias said he’ll journey across the country to “visit personally with members of the Trojan Family, to thank them and give them an inside look at USC’s ongoing metamorphosis.” At the kickof in Phoenix on Sept. 24, Nikias spoke enthusiastically about developments related to faculty, students, online education, medicine, infrastructure and athletics. He concluded with news that the Campaign for the University of Southern California is nearly halfway to its $6 billion goal— thanks to 200,000 gifts, both large and small. Te events aim to echo the excitement of Nikias’ cross-country tour after his inauguration, when he met with hundreds of Trojan alumni. After Phoenix, Nikias appeared in Chicago in October and San Francisco in November. MEET THE PRESIDENT “[Te president] brought USC to Join the USCAA for a special evening with me,” said Phoenix attendee Su Wen USC President C. L. Max Nikias in a city near Chang DDS ’02, president of the you. To register for these 2014 events, go USC Alumni Chapter of Tucson. to alumni.usc.edu/ meetnikias. “Te sense of pride and reafrmation Seattle 1/23 of being a USC graduate resonates Santa Monica 1/29 San Diego 1/30 2/5 with the continued successful devel- Pasadena Washington, D.C. 4/29 Dallas 4/30 opment of USC.” — Ross M. Levine usc trojan family

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN TENNIEL. COURTESY OF THE USC LIBRARIES, CASSADY LEWIS CARROLL COLLECTION; PHOTO BY DEVIN BEGLEY

Curiouser and Curiouser

USC Bay Area alumni enjoyed all things Alice at the “Wonderland Everywhere, Everywhere Wonderland” reception at San Francisco’s University Club on Oct. 15. Using Lewis Carroll’s beloved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as her inspiration, USC Libraries Dean Catherine Quinlan described the modern library as a place of discovery, invention and reinvention. The event highlighted USC libraries’ prized Cassady Lewis Carroll Collection, which contains more than 3,000 books, pamphlets, games and other items that reveal the renowned English writer’s scholarship and creativity. In addition, the event kicked oﬀ a yearlong, 10th anniversary celebration of the USC Libraries Wonderland Awards, which inspire student creativity and scholarship. Pictured with Quinlan is George Cassady ’55, the collection donor and event co-host.

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

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PHOTOS BY TOM QUEALLY; ELTON PAN; DAN AVILA

#1 CARDINAL AND GOLDEN YEARS Hailing attendees as “true pillars of the Trojan Family,” USC President C. L. Max Nikias delivered the 2013 Half Century Trojans Annual Hall of Fame Luncheon keynote address to nearly 350 senior alumni at Town & Gown on Oct. 8. Lorna Reed ’58, 2013–14 Half Century Trojans president, and Patrick E. Auerbach EdD ’08, associate senior vice president for alumni relations, emceed the luncheon, which recognized five outstanding Half Century Trojans. From left, Reed; Hall of Fame honorees John C. Bedrosian LLB ’59, Barbara Solomon DSW ’66, Kathleen McCarthy Kostlan ’57, John F. Shea ’49; Distinguished Service Award recipient James Maddux ’56; and Auerbach. #2 JOIN THE FAMILY From Shanghai to San Diego, USC alumni welcomed incoming USC students to the Trojan Family at SCend Off receptions in July and August. Hosted by Trojans worldwide, these informal gettogethers connect new students and their families to local USC graduates and alumni groups. Clubs in 23 states organized events, and SCend Offs also were held in China, England, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

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#3 LEADING BY EXAMPLE Hundreds of alumni volunteer leaders from across the country and around the world gathered on Sept. 19–20 at the 2013 Alumni Leadership Conference. Attendees at the conference, themed “Inspiring Volunteer Leadership,” enjoyed a breakfast with USC President C. L. Max Nikias; panel discussions moderated by Elizabeth Garrett, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, and Carmen Puliafito, Keck School of Medicine of USC dean; and a lunch program with student leaders, hosted by Adlai Wertman, USC Marshall School of Business professor and founding director of the Society and Business Lab. #4-5 TROPICAL TROJANS The USC Alumni Association kicked off its 2013 awaygame Football Weekenders with a trip to Honolulu on Aug. 29. The night before the game against the University of Hawaii, hundreds of Trojan faithful attended a pep rally that featured Hawaiian dancers, the Trojan Marching Band and the USC Song Girls. Game-day revelry continued with a tailgate party next to Aloha Stadium, where the Trojans triumphed over the Rainbow Warriors, 30-13. Four more Weekenders took place in Phoenix, Chicago, San Francisco and Boulder, Colo., for the Arizona State, Notre Dame, Cal and Colorado games, respectively.

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Redefining care from discovery to recovery. The most complex medical needs require the expertise and care of private university hospitals and health systems. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Keck Medicine of USC is pioneering insights into the human genome, stem cells, nanotechnologies, molecular medicine, and more to advance treatment in locations across the Los Angeles area. Our private hospital system is home to more than 600 leading physicians with a single vision: to offer you convenient access to the most influential medical center of the Los Angeles area. To make an appointment at a location near you, visit KeckMedicine.org/beyond or call 800-USC-CARE.

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U SC NORRIS C OMPREHENSIVE C ANCER CENTER

autumn winter 2012 2013 ÂŠ 2013 Keck Medicine of USC

family class notes 1 9 5 0 s

Conrad F. Newberry ’57 (ENG) is professor emeritus at California State Polytechnic University’s aerospace engineering department and the Naval Postgraduate School’s aeronautics and astronautics department. A fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education, he recently wrote “Skyhawk: A Cessna Legend,” a chapter for the textbook Fundamentals of Aircraft and Airship Design, Volume Two—Airship Design and Case Studies.

D. D. “Don” Warrick DBA ’72 (BUS), professor of management and organization change and President’s Teaching Scholar at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, was named outstanding faculty member in the school’s College of Business. He is the author of Lessons in Leadership, Lessons in Leading Change and Lessons in Changing Culture. Nick Strimple MM ’73 (MUS), DMA ’76 (MUS) recently conducted his farewell concert at the Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir, where he has conducted for 35 years.

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John W. House ’64 (LAS), MD ’67 (MED) was elected president of the American Otological Society, a professional organization for ear specialists. He is president of the House Research Institute, an associate in clinical practice with the House Clinic, and a clinical professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Theodore “Ted” Craver ’74 (LAS), MBA ’77 (BUS) was elected vice chairman of Edison Electric Institute. He is chairman, president and CEO of Edison International, based in Rosemead, Calif. 1 9 8 0 s

John R. Hook DPA ’80 (SPP) is the author of the book Adventuring: It Is Not Just for the Young and Strong. He lives in Elkridge, Md.

Don Brann ’68 (BUS), EdD ’82 (EDU) was appointed State Trustee for the Inglewood (Calif.) Unifed School District by California State Superintendent Tom Torlakson.

William A. Covino PhD ’81 (LAS) was named president of California State University, Los Angeles.

Jeﬀ Smulyan ’68 (LAS), JD ’72 (LAW) was honored at the 11th annual staging of the Giants of Broadcasting in New York in October, which celebrated his more than 40 years as a pioneer in the radio industry.

Al Morelli MS ’81 (ENG), CEO of consulting group Searchtec, was appointed to the lean manufacturing advisory group for the Institute of Industrial Engineers in Orange County, Calif.

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Bonnie Nijst ’81 (LAS), president and CEO of Zeesman, a brand strategy and marketing company, was honored by the City of Los Angeles, which named her company Minority Professional Services Firm of the Year.

Raymond Swan DSW ’70 (SSW) published his book, Explore Your Options: A Personal Guide to Self-Help Psychotherapy. He is professor emeritus of social work at Tulane University in New Orleans. Timothy P. Ireland ’72 (LAS) is retiring as deputy director of the Ofce of Congressional Afairs at the Central Intelligence Agency after more than 32 years of service as an intelligence ofcer.

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Steve Hubler ’83 (LAS), MA ’86 (LAS) is serving as U.S. Consul General in Dusseldorf, Germany, leading a team of U.S. and German professionals working to strengthen German-American trade, cultural and political relations in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

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

William Wang ’86 (ENG) is founder and CEO of Vizio, a producer of high-quality consumer electronics based in Irvine, Calif. He was recognized as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008 and the Orange County Business Journal’s Business Person of the Year in 2010. Laurie Stone ’88 (LAS) was appointed associate senior director for real estate and asset management at USC. 1 9 9 0 s

Paul Suchman ’90 (BUS) of New York City was appointed chief marketing ofcer for CBRE Group Inc., a full-service real estate company. Greg Guedel ’91 (BUS), an attorney afliated with Foster Pepper PLLC, published his book Strategies and Methods for Tribal Economic Development, which ofers strategic business guidance and resources for Native American governments and businesses to help eliminate poverty and create opportunity in tribal communities. He lives in Seattle. Paul Fejtek ’92 (BUS) of Newport Beach, Calif., recently climbed Mt. Everest and published his book Steps to the Summit: Reaching the Top in Business and Life. He is a managing director at Hunter Wise Financial Group, specializing in mergers and acquisitions in oil and gas, medical devices, and food and beverage. Emerson Swinford MM ’92 (MUS) of Hillsborough, N.C., recently joined Rod Stewart’s band and is touring as the lead guitarist. He also co-wrote two songs on Stewart’s latest CD, Time. Susan Hess MSW ’93 (SSW) was awarded the Dr. Marjorie Braude Award from the City of Los Angeles Domestic Violence Task Force for her work in the feld of domestic violence. Ian McPherson MA ’95 (SCJ) is director of product marketing at Guavus Inc., a bigdata startup based in San Mateo, Calif.

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John Whitener MM ’95 (MUS), DMA ’07 (MUS), director of USC Tornton School of Music’s Master of Arts in Teaching program and associate professor of practice in music education at USC Tornton, recently was a guest lecturer at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the China Conservatory in Beijing and the Xi’an Conservatory. Meg Palisoc ’96 (LAS), MEd ’98, EdD ’13 (EDU) and Randy Palisoc ’96 (BUS), EdD ’13 (EDU) are founders of South Los Angeles’ Synergy Charter Academy, which was named the Best Urban Elementary School in America by the National Center for Urban School Transformation, and the No. 1 charter elementary school in California by the 2013 USC School Performance Dashboard. Wei Li PhD ’97 (LAS), professor of Asian Pacifc American studies and geography at Arizona State University, was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations by the U.S. Census Bureau. K. Alec Mahmood MHA ’98 (SPP) recently joined Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota as the chief fnancial ofcer, bringing more than 20 years of experience in health care management and fnancial leadership. Melissa (Dettmer) Schild ’98 (LAS), MPA ’02 (SPP) of Annandale, Va., was selected to be the U.S. Department of State’s representative to the 2013–14 International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation Fellows Program.

competitive world of bird watching. Te narrative follows a race between a doctoral student in physics and the president of the nation’s oldest birding society to scope out the most bird species around L.A. County in one year. Her current flm project, Te Flicker’s Dance, also deals with birding. Te feature flm was written and will be directed by Kumar, who lives in Santa Fe, NM. Mark Montoya ’99 (ACC) was recently promoted to partner at Ernst & Young in Orange County, Calif.

Priyanka Kumar MFA ’99 (SCA), an award-winning flmmaker, launched her debut novel in November. In Take Wing and Fly Here, Kumar looks at the intensely

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Jim J. Adams EdD ’02 (EDU) was named president of Life Pacifc College in San Dimas, Calif. He previously served as interim president of the college and executive director for the Center of Global Learning & Engagement at Azusa Pacifc University in Azusa, Calif.

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Ali Fakhari ’02 (ENG) is a founding partner of advisory frm Ivy Venture Partners, which helps high net-worth clients build successful businesses. He lives in Los Angeles.

Tomás A. Aguirre MS ’00, EdD ’12 (EDU) was appointed dean of students at the University of New Mexico. Previously, he was the associate dean of students at Humboldt State University.

Matthew C. Armstrong ’05 (LAS), MPD ’07 (LAS/SCJ) was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees all U.S. government-supported civilian international media. He lives in Glencoe, Ill.

Stanton Hunter MFA ’00 (ART) of Sierra Madre, Calif., had his artwork “Migration Grid #26” published in Te STEAM Journal, a peer-reviewed online academic online journal of art and science. He was recently named a full professor at Chafey College. Damion Desai ’01 (ENG) is celebrating his 13th year at Intel with a new role managing all aspects of the company’s relationship with the Cisco Mobility Business Group. He lives in Los Gatos, Calif., with his wife, Michelle, and son, Chancellor. Nikhil Korula ’01 (MUS) and his band opened for singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw at Summerfest 2013, an annual music festival in Milwaukee. He also released an EP titled Solo Sessions, which he recorded with Dave Matthews Band members Butch Taylor and Jef Cofn. Todd Nelson MA ’01 (SCJ) was named chairman of the Financial Services Shared Interest Group of the Chicago chapter of the American Marketing Association.

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the founder of the University of Illinois at Chicago College Prep High School.

Oliver Sicat ’01 (EDU) was named principal of USC Hybrid High School and CEO of Emagine Charter Management Organization. He is the former chief portfolio ofcer for Chicago Public Schools and

Charles Park EdD ’05 (EDU) is principal of Palos Verdes (Calif.) High School. Wesley Smith EdD ’05 (EDU) was named executive director of the Association of California School Administrators. He was previously superintendent of Morgan Hill (Calif.) Unifed School District. Samit Varma MBA ’05 (BUS), formerly a partner at Anthem Venture Partners, has co-founded Te Pizza Studio, a fast-casual dining franchise concept with locations in Los Angeles and Buena Park, Calif. Laura Barraclough PhD ’06 (LAS) accepted a tenure-track position as assistant professor of American studies at Yale University this fall. She has published two books, Making the San Fernando Valley: Rural Landscapes, Urban Development, and White Privilege and A People’s Guide to Los Angeles. La Shonda Coleman MSW ’06 (SSW) is the new director of the USC Center for Men and Women and is working on her PhD in clinical social work through the Sanville Institute. She previously worked in program outreach at the Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center.

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PHOTO BY MICHAEL GRAESSER

family class notes

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

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BAY FOUNDATION

Steward of the Bay

Lia Protopapadakis ’01 worries about halibut. By 2010, numbers of the popular sport ﬁsh had plummeted to about 14 percent what they should be in the Santa Monica Bay. The onceplentiful sea-bottom dweller is depleted. As a marine scientist for The Bay Foundation, Protopapadakis tries to understand why. On any given day, she might be calibrating an

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ultrasound machine used to determine the sex of halibut or diving into a kelp forest to evaluate the progress of restoration eﬀorts. Or she might be lobbying local chefs to put the California spiny lobster—a sustainable crustacean—on their menus, instead of shipping in its cousin from Maine. “There aren’t too many jobs that let you do all of this,” says Protopapadakis, who serves on

two state advisory committees, including the California Spiny Lobster Fishery Management Plan. The Bay Foundation aims to restore and enhance Santa Monica Bay and its watershed. As a staff marine scientist, Protopapadakis must balance research data with the often-conflicting agendas of conservationists, consumers and fishermen.

“I have always been drawn to challenges,” Protopapadakis says. “Fisheries are that wild frontier. Fishermen are just people trying to make a living with their wits and their cunning. They don’t want to be managed. Yet all our uses of the ocean can’t coexist peacefully.” She grew up inland in Claremont, Calif., but “my Greek blood drives me to the ocean,” Protopapadakis says. She got hooked on marine biology in her introductory biology class at USC. After seeing a slideshow of underwater polar research, she recalls, “I thought, I could get paid to work underwater? Sign me up!” Her senior year, Protopapadakis enrolled in USC’s Catalina Semester. She took a scientific diving course in underwater research methods and completed much of her senior thesis project (on the feeding preferences of Catalina sea urchins) in a wetsuit. After graduating, Protopapadakis conducted shipboard research for Doug Capone, the Wrigley Professor of Environmental Biology and chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Capone’s wife and fellow biologist, Linda Duguay, director of the USC Sea Grant Program, encouraged Protopapadakis to go on to graduate school. Her master’s thesis at Duke University focused on bluefin tuna and the challenge of sustainable fisheries management across international boundaries. With help from Duguay, Protopapadakis landed a highly competitive Knauss Sea Grant Fellowship, which took her to Washington, D.C., in 2007 as an aide to U.S. Rep. Sam Farr of California. She joined the staff of The Bay Foundation the following year. Protopapadakis has found her niche in the group’s geographic reach and focus on science. “We look at the bay as if it starts at the headwaters of the watershed, through the creeks and streams and all the way out into the ocean,” she says. “Our work is making a difference.” WENDY WOLFSON

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

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

Suzy Jack ’06 (BUS) recently graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. A deputy controller of the City of Los Angeles, she is co-founder of FAIR (Freedom, Action, Inclusion, Rights) and has received the L.A. Pride Harvey Milk Award, the Angel Award for Public Service and the Laurel Award from L.A. County Young Democrats. Amanda Ross-Ho MFA ’06 (ART) of Los Angeles completed her frst outdoor public art project, “Te Character and Shape of Illuminated Tings,” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Plaza in Chicago. Andrew Huang ’07 (ART) of Los Angeles was named one of the Top 25 New Faces of Independent Film 2013 by Filmmaker Magazine. His recent work includes “Mutual Core,” a Björk music video, and “Brennisteinn,” a music video for Sigur Rós.

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

Merrill L. Irving Jr. EdD ’07 (EDU), associate vice president of continuing education, training and workforce development for Oakton Community College in Skokie, Ill., was recently appointed by the American Association of Community Colleges to a three-year term on its Commission on Economics and Workforce Development. Erik Larsen ’08 (ENG) is senior expert, network communications for Bombardier Transportation, a manufacturer of planes and trains. He lives in Sewickley, Pa., with his wife, Shannon, and daughters, Jessica and Molly. Noah Auerhahn ’09 (BUS) and Jeﬀ Nobbs ’09 (BUS) sold their company Extrabux Inc., an online comparison-shopping search engine and discount provider, to Performance Marketing Brands.

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Erica Phillips MA ’10 (SCJ) of Los Angeles writes news features and covers breaking news in Southern California and Arizona for Te Wall Street Journal. Joseph Chicas MSW ’11 (SSW) joined the ofce of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as its South Los Angeles representative. Callie Schweitzer ’11 (SCJ) was recently hired as the director of digital innovation for Time, where she will oversee the social media team, newsletters and various other new product initiatives and content partnerships. She lives in New York City. Carla Groves MSW ’12 (SSW) recently published her article “Military Sexual Assault: An Ongoing and Prevalent Problem” in the Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. She lives in Anchorage, Alaska. Alana Hitchcock MPA ’12 (SPP) and Mark Weber MPA ’12 (SPP) launched Trade Monkey, a business that supports small ar-

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tisans and businesses in Northern Tailand by bringing handmade, socially responsible products to the world. Katinka Hosszu ’12 (LAS) dominated the 400-meter individual medley at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, in July, winning for Hungary. Carmen Maiz-Bar MCM ’12 (SCJ) founded Outrabanda Comunicación in Vigo, Spain, which specializes in communication training and consulting. Jonathan D. Mathis PhD ’12 (EDU), former regional director of Partnerships to Uplift Communities, a nonproft charter school management organization, was named director of education and training for the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Kate Rooney MA ’12 (SCJ) recently published her article “Do, Re, Media: Te Image of the Journalist in the Broadway Musical,” in the fourth edition of Te Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture Project Journal. She lives in San Francisco.

Jeremy Tisser GCRT ’12 (MUS) was recently nominated for Best Mobile Game Score at the 2013 Hollywood Music in Media awards for his score to the iPhone game ZombieSC. He also scored the short flm Valiant and iPad game Tricklab, which features Gina Luciani MM ’13 (MUS) on fute and piccolo. Matthew Burton ’12 (LAS) was selected to the Capital One Academic All-America second team. A.J. McCaﬀrey DMA ’13 (MUS) was named the winner of American Composers Orchestra’s 2013 Underwood Commission and received $15,000 for his work Tank You for Waiting, which will be premiered by ACO in the 2014–15 season. Paul Salveson MFA ’13 (ART) received the 2013 First Book Award for Between the Shell, a collection of photographs taken in New York, Virginia and Los Angeles between 2006 and 2011. He lives in Philadelphia.

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Haifa Reda Jamalallail PhD ’91 is juggling her culture with her belief in the power of education, and she’s making it work for the benefit of women. Jamalallail, 53, is the first president of Effat University, the first private institution of higher education for women in Saudi Arabia. “I am in a position where I have to draw a balance between cultural norms and demands for reform and change,” she says.

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Not long after graduating from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and returning to her homeland of Saudi Arabia, Jamalallail blazed a trail in academic leadership. She became the ﬁrst head of the Public Administration Department at King Abdulaziz University, then vice dean of the College of Economic and Administration. When she ascended to dean of that university’s campus for women,

she oversaw seven colleges and 34,000 students. Jamalallail is no stranger to leadership. Her father was a leader in government, which had a big impact on her upbringing. “And my mother played an influential role in shaping my ambitious personality,” she says. Established in 1999 by the late Queen Effat Al Thunayan, wife of the late King Faisal, Effat University is poised to

bring about change in a Muslim country notorious for legally mandated gender segregation and punitive restrictions on women. Under Jamalallail’s leadership, Effat is broadening opportunities for women, offering courses that once were out of their reach. Effat began with 25 students enrolled in three majors: information systems, psychology, and English and translation. Now students choose from 12 majors under three colleges: the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Engineering and the College of Business. Effat enrolls some 2,200 students. The university offers architecture and electrical and computer engineering—programs once closed to Saudi women. In September 2012, Effat signed an agreement with the USC School of Cinematic Arts to collaborate in the establishment and development of a world-class academic program in media and digital production. Saudi women will learn to use the moving image to convey stories, experiences and information, and to advance the industry of news and media in the country. Additionally, students benefit from the Effat Ambassador Program, which provides workshops, seminars and activities to help build students’ professional, social, academic and personal experiences based on the Muslim commandment Iqra, or “read.” EAP aims to develop students into well-rounded individuals who lead meaningful lives. Students also can depend on a strong alumnae association. When asked how her education prepared her for this position, Jamalallail says: “USC Price School made me value the importance of openness and the benefit of multiculturalism. I learned that learning from others and building on other experiences is a key instrument toward making any kind of positive difference whether at a personal, professional or national level.” BEN DIMAPINDAN

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PHOTO COURTESY OF EFFAT UNIVERSITY

Leap of Faith

family class notes

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

M A R R I A G E S

Lauren Gregor MPA ’08 (SPP) and Chris Gregor, a son, Bennett Rhys.

Robert “Bob” Rudzik ’58 (ENG), Mariposa, Calif.; July 6, at the age of 81.

Michael Kawada ’99 (LAS), MHA ’02 (SPP) and Mabel Phan.

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Timothy Stephen Novoselski ’74 (SCJ), McCall, Idaho; Aug. 15, at the age of 61.

Carl Alameda MPA ’05, MPL ’06 (SPP) and Bridget Lander.

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James S. Plumtree MA ’78 (OST), Garden City, Idaho; July 1, at the age of 77.

C. Gene Mako ’37 (LAS), Los Angeles; June 14, at the age of 97.

B I R T H S

Claudine (Scotti) Shumey MSW ’97 (SSW) and Bryan Shumey, a daughter, Sophie Karen. She joins brother Sam. Katherine Desilets Weston ’99 (LAS) and Gary L. Weston Jr. ’99 (LAS), a son, Benjamin Kirby. He is the nephew of Richard “Ricky” Weston ’03 (LAS). Anthony J. Gallegos ’06 (LAS), MA ’07 (OST) and Mirza C. Gallegos, a son, Anthony Esteban.

Leland Vance Blackburn ’40 (ENG), Central Point, Ore.; March 1, at the age of 94. Jacqueline Boice Wells ’46 (LAS), Point Loma, Calif.; March 12, at the age of 88. Faustina Solis MSW ’54 (SSW), San Diego; Aug. 4, at the age of 90. Frank Flores ’57 (LAS), DDS ’62 (DEN), Newport Beach, Calif.; July 29, at the age of 83.

Ronald Joseph Skelton MS ’79 (ENG), Fort Worth, Texas; Aug. 2, 2012, at the age of 72. FA C U LT Y, F R I E N D S

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Russell Paul Sherwin Pasadena, Calif.; July 24, at the age of 89. Susan Bell, Andrea Bennett, Caroline Bhalla, Kristin Borella, Erin Connors, Wendy Gragg, Katherine Grifths, Mike McNulty, Jane Ong, Kathleen Rayburn, Mara Simon-Meyer, and Teresa Marie Whitaker contributed to this section.

CONNECT WITH A QUARTER MILLION PASSIONATE TROJANS advertise in

UPCOMING ISSUES: SPRING 2014 Available in March Advertising Close: January 31

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For advertising inquiries, please call Kristy Day 323.801.0018 or email kday@lamag.com

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Educate Your Palate. Unique wines crafted exclusively for the Trojan Family. The inaugural Trojan Wine Collection includes three exceptional vintages — a Stuhlmuller Vineyards Chardonnay, a Luna Vineyards Cabernet and a Highway 12 red blend. Taste-tested and recommended by wine industry experts, this year’s release proudly features two USC alumni-managed vineyards. You’ll want to savor and share these exquisite wines, custom-labeled with iconic USC imagery. Quantities are limited so order today: TrojanWineCollection.com Proceeds support the programs and services of the USC Alumni Association. In partnership with

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PHOTO BY JORDAN STRAUSS

Patrick McClenahan, left, with USC President C. L. Max Nikias and Niki Nikias

Everyone in Los Angeles knows who Peter Ueberroth is, but few have heard of Patrick McClenahan ’80. That’s about to change as Los Angeles gears up to host the 2015 Special Olympics World Games. As president and CEO of the biennial international games, McClenahan has a colossal job. It includes housing and feeding 3,000 coaches and 7,000 athletes from 170 nations for 12 days; recruiting and training 30,000 polyglot volunteers; accommodating 500,000 spectators; and raising $91 million in corporate sponsorship and private philanthropy. Two years out, the pieces are coming together. In late

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July, President Barack Obama and ﬁrst lady Michelle Obama agreed to serve as honorary chairs of the World Games. By September, McClenahan’s team had raised $20 million from blue-chip corporations like AEG, Mattel, Coca-Cola, Walt Disney Co., Deloitte and Kaiser Permanente, as well as A-list celebrities like David Geﬀen and Steven Spielberg. “And we’ve only just started our packages and pitches,” says the Glendale, Calif., native. A TV executive by trade, McClenahan was most recently president and general manager of the CBS-owned sister-stations CBS2 and KCAL9. His long career in sports broadcast-

ing—with six Emmys under his belt—includes senior executive stints with Prime Ticket and Fox Sports. In a way, his leadership of the games in Los Angeles traces its roots to both his television work and his family. McClenahan and his wife, Karren, have two adult children; their daughter, Kelly, 26, has cerebral palsy. Kelly was a little girl when her dad produced an Emmy Award-winning 1994 television special about the Special Olympics. Soon afterward, he was invited to join the board of Special Olympics Southern California, which today serves 13,000 intellectually disabled athletes across 11

Southland counties. McClenahan served as the chapter’s chairman from 2001 to 2012, when he was tapped to lead the bid committee that successfully wooed the flagship event of the Special Olympics movement to LA. An avid Trojan who doublemajored in marketing and finance, McClenahan founded his own video production company in 1986. USC became his biggest client. Among his early creations are Trojan Video Gold: The History of USC Football and Crosstown: The USC/UCLA Rivalry. “I’ve had such a strong connection with the university,” he says, noting with satisfaction that USC plays a central role in his latest endeavor. “From the first day he heard about the 2015 games, President Nikias was incredibly supportive,” McClenahan says. That support includes a commitment of 6,500 beds for coaches and athletes. USC will also be the venue for all aquatics, athletics and basketball contests. There will be a Special Olympics festival on campus, including a “Healthy Athletes” program that offers all competitors free check-ups. Besides the University Park Campus, athletes will compete at more than 20 sports venues countywide—from downtown LA to Long Beach, Encino to Carson, Westwood to Griffith Park. Like the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, the 2015 World Games will begin with an opening ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. For more information on the World Games, visit LA2015.org. DIANE KRIEGER

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A Patron with Passion Barbara J. Rossier MS ’62, MEd ’70, EdD ’71, one of the namesakes of the USC Rossier School of Education, died on Aug. 11 of lung cancer. She was 78. Rossier, a prominent educator and entrepreneur, was a USC trustee, USC Rossier Board of Councilors member and president of Rossier Educational & Mental Health Enterprises Inc., which provides mental health services to public and private schools. A USC alumna twice over, Rossier (née Sharp) received a master’s degree in educational guidance from USC in 1962. In 1964, she went to work as a school counselor at Westminster High School, where she met her future husband, fellow Trojan alumnus Roger Rossier. Five years later, as a young couple with two boys, the Rossiers returned to USC to pursue doctoral studies. Barbara Rossier completed her MEd degree in 1970 and her EdD in 1971; Roger followed with his EdD in 1972. The Rossiers’ entrepreneurial spirit and expertise in serving children with academic, social and emotional disabilities laid the groundwork for what soon became a multimilliondollar enterprise. In 1980, they purchased a small private school for children with special needs, building it into one of the largest special-education schools in the state. Over the years, they also operated an infant preschool program; became involved in educational publishing; ran an educational travel agency; created a private counseling practice for students with special vocational or educational needs; and established a real estate venture serving schools, churches and other tenants. Barbara Rossier also served for a time on the faculty of the University of California, Irvine, as a clinical professor of psychiatry. In 1998, the Rossiers made a $20 million gift to the USC School of Education, at the time believed to be the largest gift ever made to an education school in the United States. In recognition of their generosity and commitment to promoting

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excellence in education, the USC Board of Trustees voted to rename the then-90-yearold school the USC Barbara J. and Roger W. Rossier School of Education. Rossier was a past member of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors and a chairman-level member of the USC Associates. She was honored with a USC Alumni Service Award in 1992, and the USC Rossier ROSE (Recognition of Outstanding Service in Education) Award in 1996. Rossier is survived by her husband and two sons, Dan and Steve; grandchildren Jennifer, Seth and Sophia; and daughters-in-law Linda and Anne.

“Barbara Rossier’s impact on USC Rossier is very signiﬁcant, and I am so grateful for her generous commitment to the school, our students and our graduates. She will be missed.” —USC Rossier Dean Karen Symms Gallagher

ANNETTE MOORE

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Changing lives by transforming medicine

At Keck Medicine of USC, we’re changing lives by transforming medicine. From repairing damaged hearts and helping patients walk again to treating cancer with tailor-made therapies, we’re turning groundbreaking research into remarkable recoveries. So more people have a second chance at life.

family q & a

Write to Ask Tommy at magazines@usc.edu. Please include your name, degree, class year and a way to contact you. Questions and comments may be edited for space.

Ask Tommy Questions and answers with Tommy Trojan

Doheny Memorial Library stood in for the Berkeley campus in The Graduate.

Dear Tommy,

During a Netfix binge, I was watching Te Graduate (1967) and I could swear I saw the fountain at Doheny Memorial Library, even though it was set in Berkeley. Was it flmed at USC?

You probably also didn’t know about these campus transformations: •

•

• •

•

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Trousdale Parkway became a Parisian marketplace for the J.J. Abrams TV show Undercovers. Bovard Administration Building and Doheny Library both were dorms in the movies Legally Blonde and Die Hard. Te Leventhal School of Accounting became a police station in the Japanese flm Ataru. Hoose Library of Philosophy became an Egyptian museum (complete with hundreds of artifacts) in a Brett Ratner TV pilot. Doheny Library and the Von KleinSmid Center courtyard have both been train stations (the former for an ad, the latter for a television show). Doheny Library’s lobby became a church for a Got Milk? commercial. Te concourse of the Galen Center became an airport terminal for an Amazon commercial. Te Bovard Administration Building exterior and auditorium served as the convention hall for the Democratic

•

National Convention in Te West Wing. Te basement of the Physical Education Department Building stood in for a morgue in NCIS.

Dear Readers,

I recently invited readers to share their advice for living with a Bruin. Be sure to read our next issue to see their responses. In the meantime, here’s a question for you. What was (or still is) your favorite hangout to grab food and drinks with friends at USC, and why? Any special memories? I’ll share a few of yours, as well as my own, in a future issue.

FIND TOMMY I’m hiding somewhere in this issue. Can you ﬁnd me? Tweet your sighting using #ﬁndtommytrojan, or check our next issue for the answer. (Autumn 2013 answer: Tommy was on page 22.)

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You’ve got a keen eye. USC stood in for UC Berkeley in parts of the flm. Te Graduate’s protagonist, Benjamin Braddock, waited for his true love, Elaine Robinson, at the fountain in front of Doheny. Look carefully and you’ll see a few other USC locations, including the Von KleinSmid Center and the Physical Education Department Building. If you’re on a movie-watching tear, you might want to see a few of the dozens of other features shot at USC, like Being John Malkovich, Four Seasons, Forrest Gump, Frost/Nixon and the forthcoming Million Dollar Arm (May 2014). Bonus points for checking out Hog Wild with Laurel and Hardy, flmed back in 1930. Lots of TV programs have been flmed on campus, too: Sarah Michelle Gellar was at her campy best in Buffy the Vampire Slayer at USC, and 24, Te Ofce, Te Mentalist and many more shows have used USC locations. While we’re at it, I picked up a few USC flm trivia tidbits while talking to the staf in USC’s Campus Filming Ofce. Did you know that when 1995’s Species was flmed across from Cromwell Field, flmmakers couldn’t use the sound they recorded during a shoot because it was flmed during band camp and the Spirit of Troy’s “Conquest” and “Fight On” could be heard in every take?

EVERY DAY WE HELP PEOPLE GET BACK TO THEIR EVERYDAY. Every day you spend living with joint pain, you miss out on doing the things you love. At the USC Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement, a national leader in orthopaedic surgery, our mission is to help you move past your joint pain. Our surgeons use the latest technologies, minimally invasive techniques, innovative pain management, and intensive physical therapy to help minimize pain and shorten recovery time. So you can get on your feet as quickly as possible. Call us today, and get back to your everyday. 800-USC-CARE or ortho.KeckMedicine.org

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