Classics Department and Offers USC Classicists a Window on the Ancient World

Fall 2003

William Thalmann, Amy Richlin and Thomas Habinek department is often very contemporary. Last spring, William Thalmann’s course on Homer’s “The Iliad” coin- cided with the onset of the U.S. war in Iraq. “As a result,” Thalmann says, “students ‘got’ this text like I’ve never seen before. On many levels, the poem is about how individuals come to terms with controlling and eradicating violence.”

In the Classroom The comprehensive study of Latin and Greek is the foundation of the classics department and offers USC classicists a window on the ancient world. Thalmann, who began learning Latin when he was 11 and was fluent in Greek by his 14th birthday, says John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” is one of his favorite texts to teach. “Language is a wonderful way into the ancient world. When you just read the translation, there is a real barrier between you and the text. There is a wonderful analytical aspect to learning the languages. It carries over to the way you think, read and write,” he says. Thalmann and Habinek are revising our understanding of the relationship between oral and written performance through their research on Latin and Greek literature respectively. Classics professors and their grad- Classics: Back to the Future uate students often find themselves in the midst of unusual research projects that link two seemingly ith a roster of only eight faculty, the USC College classics guage, philosophy and archaeology unrelated topics. Take associate pro- department is small but mighty. As its professors fessor Vincent Farenga’s study of continuously engage ancient examples to explain communication and psychology. His modern phenomena, like the war with Iraq and When he heard a New Englander say that scholars research explains how communica- racial conflicts, and with its cutting-edge syllabi, should not study the classics because its languages tion influences the political and like the one that compares the leadership styles are dead, Henry David Thoreau responded: “We cognitive development of the Greek Wof Socrates to Thomas Jefferson, the department has gained a reputa- might as well refuse to study nature because she is city-state citizens. Anthony Boyle’s tion as being a laboratory for the future of the classics. expertise in Senecan drama has also old.” This issue is devoted to the classics, the cradle of “In the College, the study of classics is much more than a search led him to teach courses on the for roots,” says College Dean Joseph Aoun. “By understanding the modern culture. To study these timeless teachings is reception of Seneca in the successes and failures of ancient civilizations we are better equipped to discover our past and prepare for our future. Renaissance. Kate Gilhuly research- to analyze modern society.” es prostitution in the ancient world. “What we can draw out of the ancient world are historical patterns It’s this unusual mix of subjects that that impact the way our society functions today,” says department chair Thomas into a broader framework.” Habinek. “USC classicists are very good at putting the nuts and bolts of lan- Despite its focus on the past, the continued on page 5

The Classics: Timeless Teachings VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

Love Letters in Students Dig Here Comes Brain Research Partners in Ancient Rome Despotiko the Sun Gets a Boost Crime PAGE 6 PAGE 8 PAGE 16 PAGE 20 PAGE 21 HABINEK, RICHLIN AND THALMANN PHOTO BY PHILIP CHANNING; BACKGROUND PHOTO, GRAVE NAISKOS OF A SEATED MAN COURTESY THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Initiative and is an example of how and read with a critical intellect. we value and constantly improve Learning about the ancient world Classic Answers to Perennial Problems undergraduate education in the provides a solid basis for other areas College. Our classics students may do students may wish to pursue, such as hands-on field work in archaeology at art history, history, philosophy, politi- one time, then use Homer’s “The cal science, comparative literature, Students who study the classics in Iliad” to understand and analyze the law and other professions, to name USC College often use innovative war in Iraq. All of this reinforces the just a few. But most importantly, the means to connect the ancient world idea that studies of the ancient world classics teach us about ourselves— to contemporary problems. Under- reveal historical patterns that impact where we have come from and how standing these ancient cultures the way our society functions today. we have been shaped by our history, provides students with deeper under- This exceptional department has culture, language and literature. standing of contemporary affairs and gained much prestige in recent years. provides a basis for creative thinking. Three faculty members have recently Throughout the department’s won coveted senior fellowships from offerings, students look to the ancient the American Council of Learned world to explore the timeless con- Societies (ACLS), given to fewer Joseph Aoun cepts of leadership, democracy and than 10 percent of applicants. Dean of USC College diversity, concepts brought to us from New faculty appointments provide Anna H. Bing Professor democracy’s birthplace in Greece. broadened scope, adding to the In one course, students examine department scholars of late antiquity, the readings of Sophocles, Melville the intersection between Greek and Dean Aoun USC College of Letters, and Shakespeare, repeatedly poring Roman culture and the Mediter- Arts & Sciences through the texts to analyze race, ranean world. ethnicity, nationality, gender and reli- available for study. There are four undergraduate Board of Councilors Robert F. Erburu, Chairman gious differences within the Western Each summer, a group of classics tracks for study: civilization and soci- Joan Abrahamson tradition. students visits a tiny island in the ety; literature and mythology; and Ken Ambrose A new minor examines the politi- Aegean Sea exploring excavations at separate tracks in language, literature Mark Benjamin cal and moral leadership qualities of Despotiko. and culture, in Greek or Latin. This Jay V. Berger history’s tyrants, lawgivers, oligarchs, In this issue of The College array of concentrations gives students Robert Beyer George N. Boone demagogues and autocratic emperors. Magazine, we examine in depth multiple pathways for academic dis- Gregory Brakovich A collaboration with the USC these programs and others in our covery. The department also offers Robin Broidy School of Religion embraces the West classics department, which has a the Ph.D. in classics (Greek and Susan Casden Semitic Research project, a photo worldwide reputation as a laboratory Latin) and the M.A. in Greek, Latin Richard W. Cook archival research project that has for the future of the classics. and classics. James S. Corfman Robert Dockson amassed a collection of more than The department helps drive our Studying the classics teaches stu- Allen Gilbert 100,000 images of ancient inscriptions Language, Mind and Culture dents how to think, write, analyze Ilene Gold Jana Waring Greer Patrick C. Haden Gary R. Hooper George “Chip” Hughes Stephen G. Johnson BOARD OF COUNCILORS’ CORNER Suzanne Nora Johnson David Y. Lee Katherine Loker Gerald S. Papazian Beyer Sold on Well-Rounded Education Debra L. Reed Marilyn Simpson Alicia Smotherman Rosemary Tomich Robert Beyer has a list of subjects he Angeles with his wife, Catherine, Nancy Vickers wants to learn more about—and it’s Beyer is particularly excited about Administration growing fast. “Every time I visit the the vast opportunities students have Joseph Aoun, Dean College, I hear of another topic or to enrich themselves in the College, Donal Manahan, Dean of Research subject that just fascinates me,” he specifically, with the emergence of Beth Meyerowitz, Dean of Faculty June Poust, Senior, Associate Dean for says. more joint degree programs. “Joint Advancement As president, chief investment degree programs are critical to build- Sarah Pratt, Dean of Academic Programs officer and director of Trust Company ing new and exciting businesses into Robert Beyer Margo Steurbaut, Senior Associate Dean for of the West, a Los Angeles-based established and mature industries. It’s Business Affairs Roger Stewart, Senior Associate Dean for investment advisory firm that man- a privilege to have a front-row seat Like many students who study in Administration and Planning ages more than $85 billion in assets, while these transformations take the College, Beyer has a must-read USC College Magazine Beyer is a well-respected expert in place.” list that expands with every campus Karen Newell Young, Executive Editor the business arena. He earned his Beyer is excited to be serving on visit. “At each board meeting, Dean Nicole St.Pierre, Senior Editor B.S. in business administration from the board of councilors, especially at a Aoun focuses on a particular theme, Eva Emerson, Science Writer USC in 1981. time when the College is so fortu- such as the life sciences or the Pacific Kathy Yoshihara, Graphic Designer “Initially, it seemed my business nate. “In most institutions of higher Rim. The faculty, researchers and Merlyn Stigger, Administrator Al Kildow, Advisor orientation wouldn’t have much to education right now, the greatest students I have met at these meet- offer the College,” says Beyer, who challenge is having the leadership ings have caused my list of what I USC College Magazine is published by joined USC College’s Board of and financial resources to pursue your want to learn more about to grow the USC College of Letters, Arts & Councilors in 2002. “But that was goals. Reduced levels of support have substantially.” Sciences at the University of Southern California. Permission to quote or repub- when I had an archaic view of what severely impacted the development It’s the unbridled energy on cam- lish is given freely. Attribution to “USC education is all about. In the work- of many academic programs at com- pus that inspires Beyer. “If for College Magazine” is appreciated. place today, people no longer have peting schools. At USC, we have nothing else, I love having an excuse Please send all correspondence to: one career, and as a result, students these resources,” he says. “Our goal to visit the USC campus during days USC College Magazine no longer want to be prepared in only of becoming one of the top 10 private that would otherwise be a tough work c/o Karen Newell Young one academic discipline.” colleges in the nation is certainly day in the financial markets.” 3551 Trousdale Pkwy., ADM 310 Los Angeles, CA 90089-5014 A father of four who lives in Los achievable.” —Nicole St.Pierre [email protected]

2 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

DNA PHOTO BY PHOTODISC Aoun, deanoftheCollegeand hold- research ingeneral,”saysJoseph College, andforUSCgenomics tional biologyprogramatthe boost forthemolecularandcomputa- Washington, Seattle. Columbia andtheUniversityof CEGS sitesincludeYale, Stanford, one inSouthernCalifornia.Other CEGS programgrantandtheonly ties selectedasasitefornational killers andmostexpensivediseases. rank amongthenation’s biggest betes, asthmaanddepression,which vascular disease,Alzheimer’s, dia- ronment—such ascancer, cardio- combination ofgenesandtheenvi- enced bymultiplegenes,ora reveal thecausesofdiseasesinflu- center istobuildthetoolsneeded ern andwesternEuropeandescent. Japanese andU.S.residentsofnorth- Chinese, theYorubas inNigeria, about 300individuals,includingHan genetic variationinsamplesfrom nations investigatingpatternsof which involvesresearchersinfive genetic variationeverattempted, Project, thelargest studyofhuman gral roleintheInternationalHapMap Associates ChairinNaturalSciences. Waterman, holderoftheUSC edge fromthehumangenome,”says genes andextractotherusefulknowl- our abilitytofinddisease-related tational techniquesthatwillincrease testing newexperimentalandcompu- evolution. standing humandiseaseand of genomicsintoadvancesinunder- role intheeffort toturnthepromise Michael Waterman, toplayaleading team, ledbyUniversityProfessor way peoplerespondtotreatments. eases andexplaindifferences in the be usedtoidentifythecausesofdis- human geneticvariationdatathatcan develop newmethodsforstudying Keck SchoolofMedicineUSCto scientists fromUSCCollegeandthe panion trainingprogramwillunite Institutes ofHealth(N.I.H.). Genome ResearchInstituteoftheNational million ingrantsfromtheNationalHuman $18.7 million grant funds USC efforts tospeedupsearchfordisease-relatedgenes $18.7 efforts fundsUSC milliongrant GenomicsCenter College LaunchesNewNIH “This centergrantisafantastic USC isoneofonlysevenuniversi- The long-termaimoftheUSC The researcherswillplayaninte- “We willfocusondevelopingand The centerwillenabletheUSC The researchcenterandacom- center fundedforfiveyearsby$18.7 Science (CEGS),aninterdisciplinary Center ofExcellenceinGenomic fall withthelaunchofUSC paced worldofgenomicsresearchthis SC willexpanditsroleinthefast- focus ondetermininghowSNPs answers tothesequestions.One will projects, theUSCteamseeks nor howbesttousethem. know theoriginsofhaplotypeblocks genome. Butscientistsdonotyet eases thatwouldcovertheentire to linkspecificmutationswithdis- vidual SNPs,tobuildageneticmap to usethepatterns,insteadofindi- found inuniquepatterns.Theplanis blocks” containmanySNPsthatare big chunks.These“haplotype regions ofthegenomeinheritedin search bycharacterizingcertain proved challenging. important incommondiseaseshas in thegenome.IdentifyingSNPs or singlenucleotidepolymorphisms, There aremillionsofthese“SNPs,” variation assmalloneDNAbase. harm. drug willworkorcauseunintended sure orbreastcancer, orwhethera another todevelophighbloodpres- why onepersonismorelikelythan deleterious effects, afewdetermine color. Whilemostvariationshaveno differences suchasbloodtypeoreye cally, slightvariationsdetermine humans are99.9percentalikegeneti- human geneticvariation.Althoughall focuses oninvestigatingpatternsof Understanding Variation demiological studyofdisease.” application ofthesefieldstotheepi- computational biology, andinthe nomenal programsingenomicsand recognition thatUSChasbuiltphe- Chair. “ThismarkstheNIH’s er oftheAnnaH.BingDean’s Through avarietyofinterrelated Scientists hopetosimplifythe Such differences maystemfroma The center’s coreresearchmission VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME that theblocksarechromosome tion. TheUSCteamwilltesttheidea shuffling thatoccursduringfertiliza- nation withinchromosomes,genetic arose fromvariableratesofrecombi- block structure. processes thathavecreatedhaplotype Another groupwillstudybiological techniques usedtofindSNPs. tion data,andlookatwaystoimprove the qualityofhumangeneticvaria- type blocks.Anotherwillinvestigate could beusedastagstolabelhaplo- Global andLocalHelioseismology” Study oftheChangingSolarInteriorUsing Space Administrationfortheproject“The $301,378 fromtheNationalAeronautics and Edward RhodesJr. Wittig andVitalyCurt Kresin Kim LindseyandFranklin Manis GRANTS RECENT Collective andAnionicStates” Clusters inHeliumNanodroplets:Chaotic, Foundation fortheproject“Moleculesand received $473,333fromtheNationalScience Development inEnglish-LanguageLearners” Development fortheproject“Literacy Institute ofChildHealthandHuman gy, received$1,096,875fromtheNational Michael Waterman One hypothesisisthatblocks Fall 2003 , physics,received A samplingofrecentsupport Grants , chemistry, , psycholo- USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts diseases,” hesays. nose andtreatcommonhuman that datatobetterunderstand,diag- genetic variationdataandtoapply to developnewmethodsinterpret will looktoUSC,alongwithothers, variation remainsinitsinfancy. [We] lyze andutilizehumangenetic analysis group. Research, whoco-chairstheHapMap MIT/Whitehead CenterforGenome research,” saysDavidAltshulerofthe stars—and inepidemiologicaldisease contributions andanumberofyoung biology—with alongtrackrecordof world leadersincomputational ical school. the epidemiologygroupinmed- real cancergeneticsdatacollectedby tational methodstheydevelopusing hoped. approach willnotbeaspowerful different fromothergroups,the block patternsthataresubstantially different geographicregionshave world. Ifnot,andpopulationsfrom blocks foundinpeopleallaroundthe there willbeafewtypesofhaplotype quent recombination. bordered byareasthatundergo fre- regions withlowrecombinationrates, ect “UnionRescueMission” from theUnionRescueMissionforproj- Novel ExtremeEnvironment” of Non-SalineHyperalkalineSprings:A from theNASAforproject“Geobiology “Prenatal SmokingandAggressionin Twins” Institute ofDrugAbusefortheproject Institute, received$37,238fromtheNational Laura Baker Rye Robert Donald Miller Induced Mutagenesis” for theproject“BiochemicalBasisofSOS- Institute ofEnvironmentalHealthSciences received $2,031,250fromtheNational Myron Goodman “Our understandingofhowtoana- “The USCgroupisoneofthe The USCteamwillrefinecompu- If true,teammembersexpect , earthsciences,received$80,000 , SocialScienceResearch , religion,received$100,000 , biologicalsciences, 3

The Classics: Timeless Teachings

Let There Be Light Words lost in time are revealed online

lthough he’s not an archaeolo- attention in the early 1990s, while gist, Bruce Zuckerman working with a team of scientists unearths treasures of the past from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. by deciphering ancient Together they employed specialized Ainscriptions that have been illegible infrared imaging cameras to uncover a through the centuries. Using sophisti- previously undeciphered phrase in a cated technology, Zuckerman is Dead Sea Scroll that made reference bringing words to light that have to “the Book of the Words of Noah.” been lost to time. More recently, a team led by For the past 20 years, Zuckerman, Zuckerman and his colleague Marilyn with his brother, photographer Lundberg documented the earliest Kenneth Zuckerman, has developed known alphabetic inscriptions, writ- advanced photographic techniques ten on a cliff face in the Wadi el Hol, Archaeologist Lynn Swartz Dodd, undergraduate student Brett Strom and Associate for capturing images of ancient texts literally, “the Gulch of Terror” in the Professor of Religion Bruce Zuckerman examine artifacts at the Archaeologist Research Center in Taper Hall. from biblical times. This past sum- Sahara desert in southern Egypt. mer, for example, the Zuckermans This work was featured on the front amassed a collection of more than Zuckerman, associate professor of were in Berlin photographing worn page of the New York Times. 100,000 images of ancient inscriptions religion and director of WSRP; text on the kilt of a 14-foot statue The Zuckermans and Lundberg available for study by scholars around Lundberg, associate director of with a nine-foot-high studio camera are the core members of the West the globe. WSRP; and Leta Hunt, a software stand and large format camera. Semitic Research Project (WSRP), a Now, another chapter in the histo- development expert from the The brothers gained national photo archival project that has ry of lost texts is about to begin. Information Services Division; have

like Pericles and Alexander the Great. Students question how politi- Enduring Principles cal counselor Niccolo Machiavelli redefined the morality of successful Leadership, democracy and diversity courses merge the past with the present leadership and community in the early modern age. They also dissect the writings of Roman intellectuals like Cicero, Sallust and Seneca, to better evaluate powerful generals and n one classroom, a lively discussion emperors like Julius Caesar and takes place about the intellectual Augustus. and moral dilemmas that challenged Integrating the classic and contem- Republican leaders like Thomas porary into one syllabus seems to be IJefferson. old hat for Farenga. Five years prior Down the hall, students pore over to his creation of the leadership “The Federalist Papers,” written by course, he pioneered a course in the James Madison, Alexander Hamilton College called “Democracies Ancient and John Jay, which highlight the and Modern,” in which students republican and democratic principles explore the formations, achievements that trace back to Athenian democra- and ideologies of democratic and cy, the Roman republic and republican societies in Athens, Rome, city-republics of early modern Italy. early modern Italy, the new American Meanwhile, in another nearby republic and the contemporary world. class, students look to the writings of In the course, students study how Herman Melville to understand how Athenian democracy and the Roman Relating the classic to the contemporary is a hallmark of the College classics depart- the difference between white and republic served as positive and nega- ment. In one innovative course, students compare the leadership styles of Socrates (left) black became a social rather than a to Thomas Jefferson (right). tive models for later societies. biological distinction. “I believe knowledge of the Sometimes it’s easy to forget this is ancient world to explore the timeless without first examining the political Greeks and Romans is only worth a classics department. In intellectual concepts of leadership, democracy and moral leadership qualities of his- pursuing for what it can tell us about circles, USC College has gained a and diversity. tory’s tyrants, lawgivers, oligarchs, ourselves and our societies today,” reputation as being a laboratory for Several years ago, when the demagogues and autocratic emper- says Farenga. the future of classics. “We strive to be College created a new minor called ors,” he says. Farenga’s colleagues in the innovative, without sacrificing the Critical Approaches to Leadership, Out of Farenga’s vision grew the College embrace this approach, too. disciplinary core,” says department associate professor of classics and undergraduate course “Leaders and In the general education course chair Thomas Habinek. comparative literature Vincent Communities: Classical Models.” “Diversity and the Classical Western Indicative of this politically and Farenga was intent on incorporating Greek philosophers like Socrates and Tradition,” Habinek’s teachings also socially engaged approach are three the classics. “You can’t fully under- Zeno of Citium (the founder of look to the past to understand mod- courses in which students look to the stand contemporary leadership Stoicism) are compared to leaders ern-day challenges. In this course, ARC. PHOTO BY PHILIP CHANNING; SOCRATES AND JEFFERSON PHOTOS COURTESY OF THOEMMES PRESS

4 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

developed the logical extension to get and digitizing them for everyone many cases, significant portions of the have to totally rethink our methodolo- WSRP, a database of the images col- to use. This will be a tremendous aid writings are either gone or obscured gy in studying it. It’s like working on lected by WSRP, digitized and to scholars studying these important so they can no longer be seen. WSRP a very big jigsaw puzzle or a crossword organized in a user-friendly format texts. And the educational potential has harnessed advanced technologies puzzle, or a little of both.” called InscriptiFact. Hunt serves as of InscriptiFact for the general public in photography, computer imaging Reports from Baghdad’s pillaged associate director of this image dis- is also significant.” and enhancement to reclaim ancient national museum remind us that texts tribution project under Zuckerman’s With curator Lynn Swartz texts—in many cases making their from ancient times are highly vulnera- supervision. Dodd, Zuckerman also runs the readings available for the first time ble to the tremors of world events and The Internet database prototype Archaeological Research Collection since they were written. have been so for centuries. But USC, became available online in May with in Taper Hall, which houses more “When you have these kind of through WSRP and InscriptiFact, is a test set of 840 images. By the end than 5,000 ancient artifacts found in clear images, you study things differ- ensuring that these ancient messages of the year this will be increased to archaeological digs or donated by ently,” he adds. “Because of the will be preserved and made available 5,000 images. Within three years, private collectors. It is the only such quality of data, you ask different for future generations. thanks to a grant from the Andrew W. program to allow undergraduates the questions and get better answers. —Karen Newell Young Mellon Foundation, it is expected to opportunity to do sophisticated, Because the data is so detailed, we house more than 20,000 high-resolu- mentored, original research on the tion images available for use by material culture of the ancient anyone who registers and establishes world, says Zuckerman. a password online. “Our students have done so well Its creators say InscriptiFact is in their undergraduate research that the first of its kind. Other digitized for the five years since the competi- databases of ancient images are tive Undergraduate Research available, but none with the kind of Symposium has been in existence, high-resolution images and advanced our students have always won at least search and display features that are one first prize and usually much An Aramaic letter from Egypt with instruc- found in InscriptiFact. more,” he adds. “It’s a record tions for the observance of Passover, 5th “We are the leaders of our field in unmatched by any other program in century B.C., was photographed by Bruce computer imaging technology,” says the university.” and Kenneth Zuckerman. Zuckerman. “We’re collecting the Zuckerman says studying ancient highest quality data we can possibly texts can be challenging because in so

which was one of the first approved Back to the Future The Acropolis at sunset to the meet the university’s diversity continued from page 1 requirement in 1992, students examine the readings of Sophocles, creates the intellectual fervor so Melville, William Shakespeare and easily spotted in the classics depart- Karl Marx. As the texts are read— ment, whose faculty can also be then re-read—they become windows found teaching in the departments to analyze race, ethnicity, nationality, of philosophy, German, art history gender, sexuality and religious differ- and English. ences within the Western tradition. “Every society has grappled with a Setting the Pace fault line of how to handle diversity,” USC College classicists hold some says Habinek, who came to USC of the top honors in their field. In from UC Berkeley thrilled to find the past few years, three faculty that USC encouraged a broad histori- members—Habinek, professor Amy cal perspective on diversity in its Richlin and associate professor general education program. Clifford Ando—have won prestigious “Contemporary configurations of senior fellowships from the American diversity are not natural, but the Council of Learned Societies result of complex historical processes. (ACLS), a coveted Knowing how a category came into humanities research being, and how it has transformed award that fewer than over time, helps us understand its use 10 percent of appli- Bryan Burns. or abuse today.” cants win annually. ‘What we can draw out of the In addition, collaborations with the For example, students spend time Also notable, associ- ancient world are historical patterns USC School of Religion in the areas reflecting on Herodotus’ depiction of ate professor Carolyn of archaeology and the ancient world the ancient peoples of the Near East, Dewald recently wrote that impact the way our society further extend the reach of the asking questions such as: Does he the introduction to the functions today.’ department. regard them as different ethnicities? popular Oxford World’s With such a broad wealth of Different races? And how is this defi- Classics translation of knowledge it’s no wonder why the —Thomas Habinek, classics department chair nition tied up with the power Herodotus, the world’s department’s contributions to USC’s struggles between Greece and Persia first historian who general education program outstrip in his day and age? recorded the astonish- that of classics departments at most “I think a real advantage of the ing achievements of both the Greek enhanced with the addition of Ando, other research universities. Classics course is that it allows students to get and non-Greek peoples dating back to and the exploration of the intersection faculty are key contributors to the some perspective on issues that too the fifth century B.C. between Greek and Roman culture intellectual excitement of USC’s often spark only emotional or defen- New faculty appointments have and the larger Mediterranean world vigorous honors program, Thematic sive reactions.” broadened departmental expertise. has been augmented with the —Nicole St.Pierre Research of late antiquity has been appointment of assistant professor continued on page 6 ACROPOLIS PHOTO BY LEO CURRAN; LETTER COURTESY AEGYPTISCHES MUSEUM, STAATLICHE MUSEEN, BERLIN

VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 Fall 2003 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences 5

The Classics: Timeless Teachings

But at the age Amy Richlin numerous works prone to lapses into unchastity,” she Lost Letters, of 24, Marcus on Roman sexu- writes. married his ality, satire, In writing about festivals that were cousin Faustina, feminist theory special to women, she notes that the Forbidden Love who bore him 12 and Roman women played a part in many of the children. The women’s history. festival days that “were patterned by love letters Her study of carefully performed rituals.” But became less fre- Roman women’s again, what history provides is based quent and religion forms on men’s accounts. lassics professor Amy Richlin eventually disap- the chapter Richlin is the author of “The is striding into an area of peared. Richlin titled “Carrying Garden of Priapus,” editor of scholarship where others have says that Marcus Water in a “Pornography and Representation in only tiptoed. seems to tire of Sieve” in the Greece and Rome,” and co-editor CFor reasons lost to history, love let- rhetoric (in favor book “Women with Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz of ters between two figures of antiquity of philosophy) and Goddess “Feminist Theory and the Classics.” have been largely ignored for two about the time Traditions in Her book “Plautus and the centuries. But now a fellowship from he tires of Antiquity and Mysterious Orient” is forthcoming the American Council of Learned Fronto. After Today,” edited from University of California Press. Societies is allowing Richlin the time Marcus’ mar- by Fortress But one of her liveliest writings is to explore a collection of passionate riage, she says, Press. From one at her Web site: www.usc.edu/dept/ exchanges between Cornelius Fronto, “The fire goes passage we learn that for cen- LAS/classics/Fac/Amy/index.html. a famous Roman orator, and Marcus out.” turies free-born women of the “When I came to L.A. in 1989 I Aurelius, who later became emperor Richlin, for- citizen class had a network was euphoric for a long time. I just of Rome from 161 to 180 A.D. mer chair of that enabled them to act as a drove up and down Hollywood The letters were discovered in a the classics group on occasions. Boulevard playing tunes on the radio palimpsest—a manuscript that had department, is However, “such groups and taking it all in. The light pours been scraped down in order to use it interested in were heavily enmeshed in an down like honey, a beautiful golden again. When Roman cardinal and cel- sex and gen- ideological system that was light—this is the best place for writ- ebrated philologist Angelo Mai der in Greece always ready to belittle them, ing I’ve ever been to, no wonder it discovered the manuscript in Milan’s and Rome; the that approved of them only turned into Hollywood. I’d never Ambrosian Library in 1815, he repub- culture, oratory and history of ancient insofar as they ratified the social lived in a city before I came here, and lished the letters thinking they would Rome; and feminist theory. Her stud- assessment of them as the property of I wound up here, the new Alexandria, attract as much attention as the ies also focus on women in antiquity individual men for the production of the jewel of the Pacific Rim.” Cicero orations he discovered had and Roman law. She has published children and that saw them as always —Karen Newell Young years before. But the letters drew little attention and, as Richlin puts it, “for almost 200 years they have lain hidden in plain sight.” Back to the Future The department’s dis- The question is, why? continued from page 5 tinctive identity enables it “There are many amazing things to compete with larger about these letters,” Richlin says. Option (see story, page 7), and the graduate programs. “But one of the most surprising department is offering a new general Graduate students come things is that they were illegal. It was education course in the study of from first-rate schools in criminal for Fronto and Marcus, a comparative colonialism, ancient and Europe, such as Oxford and free-born teenager, to have had a sex- modern. Bristol University, as well as ual or romantic relationship. And so leading American college it’s also amazing that the letters International Impact and universities. stirred no comment.” With their explorations through the Many USC classics stu- Sexual relationships occurred, of ancient world, many classicists find dents have marked success course, but they were not accepted themselves far away from urban Los in the job market. Ph.D. between an older teacher and a free- Angeles. “In many ways, classics is alumnus Pete O’Neil born teenager, Richlin explains. really an international field,” says recently completed a year Relationships between male owner Habinek. “As a department, we com- as a Rome Prize Fellow at and slave or matches among the lower pete with classics departments all over the American Academy classes were ignored, but romantic the world for the best graduate stu- in Rome and will join the relationships between higher classes dents and faculty. And our own faculty of the University of were not. One would think such a faculty often do important work in Exeter. Mean-while, his relationship between two prominent other countries.” USC classmate Rhiannon men might be better known. For example, Burns spends each Evans has accepted a facul- Part of her studies of the letters summer on a tiny island in the bitions at the Greco-Roman site of ty position at the University of will form a chapter in a book, to be Aegean Sea heading up the volunteer Aphrodisias, Turkey, and the Etruscan Melbourne. edited by Mathew Kuefler and pub- program for the excavations at site of Ghiaccio Forte, Italy. “When I was a sophomore in lished by the University of Chicago Despotiko (see story, page 8). Graduate and undergraduate stu- college, I was torn about what to Press. The letters cover the years Professor Anthony Boyle helps the dents pack their bags too, traveling to major in: architecture, history, liter- from Fronto’s first tenure as Marcus’ department maintain strong links with Athens and Rome where they view ature? Then I discovered in classics tutor, in 139 A.D., until his death in British classical studies through his historical sites, ruins and relics that you study all of these things,” says 167. When the exchanges begin, regular participation in seminars and mark where Western civilization Habinek. “There is so much some- Fronto is 44 and Marcus is 18. Richlin conferences at the University of began (see story, page 10). Some one can learn—about our past and described the letters dated between Cambridge. As a professor of ancient spend their summers with Burns at present—by analyzing an entire 139 and 145 as “pervasively amatory.” art, John Pollini’s passion for classical Despotiko, raking through rubble to civilization.” Meaning: they’re hot. art and archaeology leads him to exhi- identify ancient objects. —Nicole St.Pierre RICHLIN PHOTO BY PHIL CHANNING; ROMAN SOLDIER PHOTODISC

6 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

The Art of Ancient Acting Jed Fuhrman

efore great literature, the Thomas Habinek, shares a similar world was a stage. At USC interest. College classicists study how “In the Roman world, there was lit- cultural performances shaped tle or no concept of literature as a Bsociety long ago. private experience of reading and writ- “Literature as we know it today, ing,” says Habinek, who teaches where you curl up on the couch with graduate seminars on topics about the a book, was very different in ancient Roman arena and performance and culture,” says William Thalmann, pro- genre in classical Greece and Rome. fessor of classics and comparative “We have a better appreciation and anti-war the actors and chorus and of compos- literature. “In ancient Rome, people understanding of these texts, when we comedy to ing the music for the various songs made their career by making speech- back away from interpreting them in a promote and providing choreography for the es. One can’t begin to understand strongly textual and literal way, and peace during chorus. Greece and Rome without acknowl- instead approach them as a cultural the Iraq war. Since women were not allowed to William Thalmann edging the cultural influence of performance,” says Habinek, who is Analyzing take part in dramatic productions, public performance.” currently working on a study on the how texts were performed holds male actors had to play female roles. In Thalmann’s seminar “Early role of song in Roman culture. unique challenges for scholars of As a result, masks with broad varia- Greek Literature,” poetic texts are “The Romans ritualized language Greek epic and drama. For instance, tions helped the audience identify examined as one of the discursive through the use of diction, melody there is no written record of exactly the sex, age and social rank of the practices of Greek culture during its and meter. What we think of as litera- where and how Greek drama was per- characters. critically formative period from the ture today, was a social as opposed to formed in the fifth century. In “Because the actors were masked late eighth century through Ephialtes’ an individual practice,” says Habinek. addition, key elements beyond the and there was likely always someone reforms in Athens in 460 B.C. Stu- His other research concerns literature’s script of the play are inevitably sitting very far away in the top row, dents ask questions like what roles involvement in the construction of missed when studying only the text, the performances included very did performances of epic, choral and social authority and distribution of such as scenery, inflection of actors’ broad, obvious effects and there are monodic song and tragedy play within power within traditional societies. voices, actors’ gestures and postures, traces of this in the text,” says the process of the formation and evo- At USC College, one can catch a costumes and masks, singing, danc- Thalmann. For example, when a lution of the polis. public performance reminiscent of the ing, sounds of the original language character was supposed to weep, he “In addition to providing entertain- Greek and Roman era. On sunny and its various poetic rhythms. (or more often she) would draw atten- ment, the performances of ancient afternoons, students gather in One unique characteristic is that tion to the fact by saying in effect, “I texts were occasion for the conver- Founders Park to act out plays from the writer of the classical script was am weeping.” gence of class and gender discourse,” Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. also the producer, says Thalmann. In “These descriptions make it easier says Thalmann, whose Ph.D. in clas- Recently, graduate students per- ancient Greece, when the writer’s to piece together details and visualize sics is from Yale University. “These formed scenes from Aristophanes’ work was approved for presentation at how these ancient dramas were per- texts played a key role within con- “Lysistrata”—a play about the the state religious festival in honor of formed,” says Thalmann. “It can still temporary social and political Peloponnesian War where the women Dionysus (the god of wine and fertili- be frustrating, but the insight leads to processes, especially early state forma- withhold sex to get the men to stop ty), the state assigned him actors and a greater appreciation of literature and tion.” fighting. It was part of a worldwide a chorus. The author then had to per- drama.” His colleague, classics professor staging of the bawdy ancient Greek form the additional tasks of training —Nicole St.Pierre

men are of culture from many perspectives. A Love of Learning enrolled in the They think about the connections USC Annenberg between how we live our lives today School for and how that compares with earlier Communication, cultures.” the USC School With its emphasis on small inter- of Cinema- disciplinary classes, Thematic Option hey read Homer’s “Odyssey,” core classes, sup- Television, the provides a learning environment com- write about Shakespeare’s plemental theme USC Thornton parable to the finest small liberal arts “Hamlet” and debate the courses and writ- School of Music colleges, says Romans. “It’s an intel- virtues of Virgil’s “Aeneid.” ing seminars. and other units lectual community that emphasizes TThey are the intellectually adventur- Just as the across the serious liberal arts study. Faculty are ous students of the freshmen class level of excel- university. attracted to the program because who have been invited to participate lence of USC Thematic there is room for experimentation in in an intense liberal arts program for students has increased, so has the Option also includes many classics classes with serious students that have honors students called Thematic quality of those enrolled in Thematic majors, supported by the program’s a thirst for learning. The students are Option. Option. This year’s participating fresh- close connection with the classics attracted by its focus on writing, close Since its beginning in 1975—due, men have an average GPA of 4.17 and faculty. advisement, field trips and annual in large part, to a $750,000 grant from an average SAT score of 1463. “Students in Thematic Option and research conference. the National Endowment for the Housed within USC College, it’s the classics have a lot in common,” “These kinds of activities foster Humanities—Thematic Option has not surprising that Thematic Option says Robin Romans, director of the tight bonds among classmates and grown from 60 students to the nearly includes a majority of liberal arts stu- program. “They begin with the foun- faculty, and help strengthen commu- 200 who each year are invited to par- dents. However, the program serves dation of Western culture in Greece nity,” adds Romans. ticipate in the unique combination of the entire campus; this year’s fresh- and Rome, and examine the evolution —Karen Newell Young THALMANN PHOTO BY NICOLE ST.PIERRE; AMPHITHEATRE LEO CURRAN; STUDENT COURTESY USC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 Fall 2003 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences 7

The Classics: Timeless Teachings

USC Students Dig Greek Culture

t’s 6 a.m. USC College Assistant Professor Bryan Burns and a dozen USC volunteers excavate at the Mandra site. student volunteers prepare to leave the quiet fishing village of Soros they Icall home. From the western edge of the small Greek island of Antiparos, they stare across the Aegean Sea at the scores of Cycladic islands, many of which are now only inhabited by rabbits, birds and goats. As the sun rises, the group boards a boat for the island of Despotiko, where people no longer reside, but traces of earlier Greek civilization—a Greek sanctuary, a Roman farmhouse, a medieval tower, early Bronze Age tombs—remain. Since 2001, Burns, who teaches in the College’s classics department, has led volunteer student groups on six- week summer excursions to Despotiko, a rocky island measuring only 4 square miles. Here, students from USC College, the University of Athens and various other institutions learn the basic techniques of field and recording the week’s finds. There Students board a boat headed for Despotiko. research through hands-on experience are no phones, no e-mail. A trip to buy recovering, reviewing and recording milk requires a 6-mile trek to the main ancient objects. village of Antiparos. “The students endure many hard- Sifting and Sorting ships, but they always seem to rise to A number of early Cycladic tombs the occasion,” says Burns. Some morn- were excavated from Despotiko in the ings, the fierce winds stir up so much 19th and 20th centuries, and isolated dust and dirt on the excavation site remains of Doric architecture were that it is almost impossible to see. By discovered in 1958. mid-afternoon, the temperature can Today, excavations focus on surpass 100 degrees. But the team of Mandra, a sanctuary site with signifi- budding classicists and archaeologists cant remains of the archaic period barely seems to notice. (800-500 B.C.). During this era, the An interest in antiquities isn’t the technologies and styles of classical only prerequisite for students interest- Greece were developed, producing Mainly what the students find are attempt to piece the vessels into their ed in making the trip to Despotiko. “It works such as finely painted pottery, shards of ancient pottery—seemingly original form. “It is a painstakingly helps if they like goats,” says Burns, intricately carved brooches, sturdy unexciting at first, but the writing and slow and detailed process,” says who is not being entirely facetious. iron sickles and sharp bronze daggers. designs on the small fragments offer Burns. Until 2002, the Mandra site on On hands and knees, students great value. Inscriptions on the pot- Focusing on the cultural connec- Despotiko was home to a large flock work with small picks, trowels and tery discovered at the site suggest tion between ancient Greece and of goats. (The Greek word mandra brushes to sift through dirt and identi- worship to Apollo, the Greek god of other areas of the Mediterranean, means “animal pens.”) Because the fy such relics. One student finds the the sun and music. Burns is now in the final stages of modern activities were negatively remains of a cooking pot. Another “The remains of the archaic period writing a book on the consumption of impacting the archaeological remains, dusts off a fragment believed to be were partially covered by domestic imported goods and materials in late a rescue excavation was initiated, and part of a larger Greek sculpture. structures of the Roman and medieval Bronze Age Greece. the goats were relocated to another “I would encourage anyone to par- periods, but some have been pre- area. The original mandra was built ticipate in this archaeology dig,” says served, such as the architectural Island Life 70 years ago by the grandfather of Georgiana Nikias, a student in the remains of three archaic buildings that Despite the promise of crystal blue the goat keeper who still tends to his College who spent a summer digging were discovered built into later walls water and white sandy beaches, the animals, which roam alongside the and wheelbarrowing on Despotiko, on the modern surface,” says Burns, Despotiko program is hardly a holiday. student volunteers in the same area. along with students Sameer Asad, whose own research focuses on the There are a number of practical chal- “When we started this project, we Jonathan Vidar and Nicholas West. study and publication of “small” lenges due to the area’s remote were literally surrounded by 700 “I learned how to set up trenches and finds, including a wide range of arti- location and unstable weather pat- goats,” Burns remembers. document all of the pottery, marble facts such as ivory and stone jewelry, terns, even in mid-summer. and other artifacts we found. And it’s intricate figurines and metal tools. Students live in a modest house, Supporting the Cause always exciting when you uncover an Each day, students wash and with four or five to a room, although The current excavation at important artifact and you start yelling record their findings, which then are many opt to sleep in tents outside. A Despotiko Mandra was initiated by at the top of your lungs and everyone transferred to the archaeological night on the town in Soros presents the Greek government in 1996 as a rushes over in a big group to see what museum on the nearby island of the choice of only two small restau- you’ve found.” Paros. There, two ceramic analysts rants. Weekends are spent swimming continued on page 27 PHOTOS BY BRYAN BURNS

8 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

From Roman Rule to Religious Relics Ando offers a fresh perspective

ountless scholars before him faculty in 1998. exception of Judaism, per- have chased the question of By revealing the positive aspects of haps. But over time only a what led to the fall of the the Roman Empire, Ando’s book sug- small number of religions have Roman Empire. Clifford gests that the longevity of the Empire actually grown and spread, like CAndo, the young associate professor rested not on Roman military power, Christianity. Why is that?” who recently received a prestigious but on a gradually realized consensus Ando is currently writing a book on MOBILE GODS: Denarius issued by Julius American Council of Learned Society that Roman rule was justified. the history and periodization of reli- Caesar in 46 B.C. The coin portrays Aeneas, fellowship, asks what led to its Specifically, Ando describes how gious change in the ancient world. Caesar’s putative ancestor, fleeing Troy with longevity. the emperor used coins and law “Many people study the ancient his father Anchises on his shoulders and In his new book “Imperial codes, roads and aqueducts, and world seeking to learn something the Palladium, a tutelary cult statue, in his right hand. Ideology and Provincial Loyalty in statues and portraits to remind his about themselves, and so they are the Roman Empire,” Ando explores subjects of the stability he provided comforted by its similarities. But in sacralization of space. the empire that stretched from the and common values they shared— matters of religion, it is the staggering “Today most people believe that Tyne to the Euphrates and concludes and thus disposed them to receive difference with modernity that is most God exists up in the heavens some- Rome did not rule the world in power favorably his requests for information, striking,” he says. where, or in some place that’s not a as much as it ruled in ideology. money and obedience. In his journey through the ancient place at all. But Romans believed “Why did the Roman Empire— world, Ando offers comparisons their Gods had ‘sedes,’ ‘seats,’ or with 50 million inhabitants who Cult Comparisons between ancient and modern reli- ‘homes’ and that they moved around. shared neither language nor dress, Today, the books on Ando’s gions. They were present in the world— neither climate nor cuisine—last so shelves include “The Religion of the “Today people assume that joining very different from what mainstream long?” he asks. Greeks and Romans” and “Myth, a religion is a matter of individual religions hold today.” “Rome survived its crises because Religion and Society.” The titles bear choice,” he says. “But in the ancient To illustrate the importance, Ando the two centuries of peace after testimony to his latest academic world, the power to choose was often shares one of his favorites examples: Augustus allowed the population of quest: to understand what caused understood to belong to the God, not the Romans once consulted the its provinces to internalize its ideolo- some religious cults to spread and oth- to humans.” Oracle of Delphi. It told them to find gy,” says the classicist who earned a ers to fail in ancient times. Ando’s research also sheds new the Goddess Cybele and worship her. Ph.D. from the University of “I think most people assume reli- light on the value and importance of Michigan in 1996 and joined the USC gions want to grow, with the religious images and relics, and the continued on page 27

of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with Parties, Politics and Poetics highest distinctions in classics. “There was a moment when I realized that the Romans were the first to Classics come alive for college graduate student Eleanor Rust deal with issues similar to those we see in our modern urban culture.” Recently, the U.S. Department of Education selected Rust to receive n the Doheny Library Humanities text’s hero. the Jacob Javits Fellowship, a national Eleanor Rust Reading Room, graduate student The party, the narrator seems to be award given to students of superior Eleanor Rust scans the shelves of saying, is tacky. academic ability and exceptional green and red cloth-covered books. “The narrator is defining ‘good promise. IThis collection of compact volumes, taste,’ ” says Rust. “The narrator labels “Eleanor is exactly the kind of stu- color-coded into red (for Latin texts by the host Trimalchio as a crass social dent who makes USC classics ancient Romans) and green (Greek climber, a member of what today we special,” says Thomas Habinek, pro- works), contains the canon of the clas- would call the nouveaux riche. This fessor of classics and department sics, the textual heart of scholarship story is about the anxieties of social chair. “She has the technical skills of into the language, literature, history, class and class mobility—issues as rel- the traditional classicist, but uses art and culture of the ancient world. evant in our world as they were in them to understand ancient culture A fourth-year doctoral student in ancient Rome.” more comprehensively. She is both a classics at USC College, Rust reaches Rust’s interest in classical lan- scholar and an intellectual.” for a single, compact red volume titled guages began early. Her father, an In August, Rust took her last set of “Satyricon by Petronius.” In Rust’s amateur classicist, began teaching qualifying exams and has started craft- hands the book, written long ago in a her the Greek alphabet while she Now, she sees that the ancient ing a research project for her tongue often referred to as a “dead was still a child. Her own apprecia- texts not only reflect the beginnings dissertation work. She is considering language,” brings antiquity to life. tion for the classics began when she of Western thought and literature, but focusing on the origins and customs of One story describes a dinner party, read Ovid, the Roman poet, in col- also can inform the world in which symposia and convivia. In ancient Rust explains with the air of a born lege. Rust found a kindred spirit in she lives today. Greece and Rome, these were terms teacher, hosted by a freed Roman this writer, whose retelling of tradi- “Two thousand years ago, Rome for “drinking parties” where elite slave who has become extremely tional myths, often from the had already become what today we young men were informally mentored wealthy. The party’s extravagant food perspective of the heroine instead of would call an urban landscape,” says by older men in public speaking, and spectacle, including live birds the hero, were infused with humor Rust, who as an undergraduate at poetics, philosophy, politics and, Rust escaping from one of the main courses, and even irreverence. She found Indiana University won eight academ- says, how to drink properly. earns the host the disapproval of the them surprisingly modern. ic scholarships, was named a member —Eva Emerson RUST PHOTO BY EVA EMERSON

VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 Fall 2003 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences 9

10 studies absorb thefullexperienceoftheir abroad studentshaveachanceto adventures ontheirown,study organized courseworktoweekend can takeonnewmeaning.From vide acontext inwhichteachings inside classroomsatUSC andpro- enhance thelessonslearned nothing beatstherealdeal. those interested intheclassics, isonething.Butfor the Parthenon An afternoon spentreadingabout Classroom Quintessential side andalluringGreekislands. close tothemountains,country- program’s convenientlocation fieldtrips, whichareaidedbythe invarious credits, studentspartake spring) andyearlybases. gram isofferedonsemester (fallor The CollegeYear inAthenspro- cational andculturalopportunities. Athens thatpresentssimilaredu- students canattend aprogramin tions, canalsojoininthefun.USC orinternational rela- anthropology related majorssuchashistory, but withinterest inthesubjectvia Canadian facultyattheICCS. classes taughtbyAmericanand earn upto20 creditsthrough (fall orspring)allowsstudentsto dents. The semester-long program living laboratoryforclassicsstu- multiple eras,theEternal Cityisa 2,000-year-old historytranscending Withliterature a andancientart. archaeology, GreekandLatin marvels ofancienthistoryand students areabletouncoverthe toward classicsmajors.Here, (ICCS), whichisspecificallygeared Centerlegiate forClassicalStudies program inRome,attheIntercol- life doingso. Study abroadprograms In additiontoearningUSC Those notmajoringinclassics, USC studentsmayattend a USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts — and havethetimeoftheir —Elaine Paoloni R W by-the-day customersincludepeople hate tours,”saysCaldwell,whose pay- islands. mountain villagesandlittle-known per year, mostlytoout-of-the-way Caldwell organizes roughly12tours years later. Now, inhisretirement, 1978 andturnedcommercialthree as aprogramforUSCstudentsin now-flourishing touroperationstarted trips throughGreeceandTurkey. His minded travelersontwo-tofour-week been takinggroupsofindependent- Turkey,” saysCaldwell. there werebetterancientruinsin to Greece.ButIconvincedthem junket throughGreeceandTurkey. producer andalyricistontwo-week crew consistingofdirectors,artists,a man touroperation,Caldwellledthe Richard Caldwell.Asownerofaone Trojan: classicsemeritusprofessor feature “Hercules,”theyturnedtoa ground imagesforthe1997animated time,” saysSteel,whohaspublished foreign policyhasevolvedthrough discussed inthecontextofhowour But theseculturalissuesarerarely relations, religionanddemographics. a state’s historicalorigins,interstate cy, closeattentionispaidtoissueslike cultural perspective. he willstudyforeignpolicyfroma on ForeignRelations,duringwhich Shepardson FellowwiththeCouncil next semesterasaWhitneyH. point, Steelwillspendthe from ahistoricalvantage lyzes internationalrelations States’ occupationofIraq. talks abouttheUnited Western movieswhenhe struggles, slaveryand mentions NativeAmerican Emeritus Promotes PicturesqueLocales Religion, slaveryandWesterns yieldbigpictureinsights Religion, American CulturePermeates Foreign Policy “I’m thetourguideforpeoplewho For thepast23years,Caldwellhas “At first,Disneyonlywantedtogo “When weconsiderdomesticpoli- As ascholarwhoana- onald Steelisoneof the fewinternational relations professors in USCCollegewho create accurateback- expert adviceonhowto duction staff needed hen aWalt Disneypro- Fall 2003 of Greece’s mostpicturesque small destinations, Caldwellsays.“It’s one ble tosomeofSwitzerland’s finest with alpinearchitecture,itiscompara- Union percapita.Aposhskiresort is therichestcityinEuropean northern GreececalledMetsovo.” Skopelos andamountainvillagein tions: “It’s atiebetweentheisland scenery issimplystriking.” tour orcruiseboatdoesn’t. Andthe company goestoplacesyourtypical Canada, EnglandandGermany. “This of allages-mostlyfromAmerica, Turkey, May2003 Scenes fromtourthroughGreeceand ideological factorsthathaveshaped fies thevariouscultural,socialand will culminateinabookthatidenti- since World War II. governing Americanforeignrelations three booksthatanalyzetheforces has shown. foreign policy, Steel’s research and mayinfluenceAmerica’s witch trials—shapedU.S.culture Historical events—liketheSalem VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME Metsovo hasonly4,000peopleand As forCaldwell’s favoritedestina- In hisnextproject,Steel’s research David Bach Ronald Steel “But it’s alotofwork.” ‘Aeneid. 1989). Hislatestbookis“Virgil’s Gods” (OxfordUniversityPress, Publishing, 1987)and“Originofthe Hesiod’s “Theogony”(Focus of thewidelyusedtranslation psychoanalysis, Caldwellistheauthor try department. the UniversityofColorado’s psychia- accomplished Greekscholartaughtin fact, beforecomingtoUSC,the erature andancientmythology. In theory, andhowitbearsonGreeklit- focused onstudyingpsychoanalytic subject areasproducedacareerthat lications thatshapedtheU.S.identity, about America’s origins;readingpub- include talkingwithreligiousleaders self,” saysSteel.Hisresearchwill hands-on approachandnotlimityour- tory? “You havetotakeavery begin analyzing227-plusyearsofhis- “I’m enjoyingretirement,”hesays. In additiontonumerousarticleson His uniquecombinationof travel andpsychoanalysis. with adualpassionfor tion asasharpclassicist before earningareputa- USC in1999,butnot of thePindus.” some ofthehighestpeaks beautiful valleyamong graphical location.It’s ina towns inauniquegeo- eign policywedo.” why wehavethefor- ultimately understand United States,youcan are uniquetothe Caldwell retiredfrom So howdoesone and traditionsthat the socialcustoms says. “Byexamining foreign policy,” he view andanalyze through whichto ple adifferent lens crack, andgivepeo- open thedoora I hopemyworkwill big undertaking,but foreign policy. “It’s a the U.S.approachto —Nicole St.Pierre

GREECE PHOTO BY CHERYL ONTIVEROS

VOTER PHOTO BY MARC POKEMPNER/GETTY IMAGES politics. Heiscurrentlyediting a book to includeLatinos’involvement in ed beyondissuesofblackandwhite then, hisareaofexpertisehasexpand- he joinedthefacultyin1986.Since about African-Americanpoliticswhen ment ofimmigrants.” only profitfromtheincreasedengage- Preston. “Americandemocracywill black voters,”saysprofessorMichael of uninterestedandunregistered increase theinterestandvoterturnout become voters,aswellhowto process bywhichnewimmigrants people willneedtounderstandthe of Americanpoliticsinthefuture, important questionsonthesubject. ask—and ultimatelyanswer—some and theirindividualheritagesto look tothediversityofLosAngeles science department,whereprofessors hardly newtoUSCCollege’s political their politicalparticipation. racing tounderstandwhatinfluences political strategistsandcandidatesare York, NewJersey, Texas andFlorida, College, includingCalifornia,New ed inkeystatesoftheElectoral that therewasaconspiracybythe the Salemwitchtrialsandidea with afearofdamnation.“Justlookat the Puritans,whowereconsumed around fear,” saysSteel,referringto a large extent,oursocietywas built study ofAmericancultureisfear. “To nation.” influence howwebehavetodayasa other Western society. Thesebeliefs themselves tobebelieversthanany population ofpeoplewhodeclare right,’” hesays.“We havealarger ‘useful,’ theyarecalled‘morally pursue asanation.Conceptsaren’t often usedtojustifythepolicieswe foreign policy. “Today, religionis will involvereligion’s influenceon the impactofslavery. in NorthAmerica,theCivilWar and that markedtheColonialexperience of theclashwithNativeAmericans ence, suchasthepresent-dayeffects issues uniquetotheAmericanexperi- “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”;andstudying Sense” andHarrietBeecherStowe’s including ThomasPaine’s “Common Trio faceofpolitics studieschanging Dissecting Diversity, Vote byVote Because thesevotersareconcentrat- percent ofthevoting-agepopulation. grants willmakeuproughly13 n the2003primaryelection,immi- Preston taughtUSC’s firstcourse “If oneistounderstandtheshape The studyofdiversityinpoliticsis Another recurringthemeinSteel’s A paramountpartoftheproject States representsthatsheriff,” he standing. InmanywaystheUnited there isthesheriff, thelastbrave man an entirecommunity. lence, andthesheriff isleftto defend people backdowninthefaceofvio- protect peoplefromoutlaws.The town, inwhichasheriff ridesin to film aboutaviolence-riddensmall like “HighNoon”—anemblematic Western movies foreign policyand lels betweenU.S. Steel drawsparal- lems. Forinstance, adjusting toprob- than temperingor of solving,rather ted tothenotion country commit- ture, henoticesarecurringtheme: classic Americanmoviesandlitera- light ontheproject.Bydissecting ture andfilmhasalreadyshedmuch has stuckwithusthroughtime.” afraid ofthoseoutsidetheperimeter devil. Thisideaofasocietybeing tion atnationalandstatelevels. Heis impacting partycontrolandcompeti- torate andamongelectedofficials is presence inthepopulation, elec- Latino electedofficials ballooned. Latino electorateandthenumberof 1990s, whenboththesizeof diversity inpoliticstheearly University, first beganexamining College thissemesterfromStanford Ricardo Ramirez,whojoinedthe future,” saysPreston. rather thanconflictinthe tion betweenthesegroups likely toseemorecoopera- will bewhetherweare One ofthekeyquestions makes themmajorplayers. increased voterturnout Latino populationand that thegrowthof stayed thesame.Itisclear increased, decreasedor political empowermenthas whether blackandLatino Tom Bradleywasmayor. since theearly1980swhen have shapedLosAngeles the politicalchangesthat Angeles,” whichdissects and LatinoPoliticsinLos titled “AfterBradley:Black “There’s ashootout—andthen Steel’s researchofAmericanlitera- Today, heresearcheshowLatinos’ Assistant professor “We arestudying VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME ‘By examiningthesocialcustoms and traditionsthatareuniqueto mately understandwhywehave the United States, youcanulti- the foreignpolicywedo.’ with state-specificsocialandpolitical gauges howthesedifferences interact that areevidentamongLatinos, and identifies theintragroupdifferences not amonolithicgroup,Ramirez American PoliticsSince1990.” “Continuity andChange:Latinosin currently workingonabooktitled “We AreAllAmericans.” French newspaperheadlinesread: ately followingthedisaster, when AIDS,” hesays. similar toadiseasesuchasarthritisor chronic problemthatcanbemanaged, ism, othercountriesviewitasa States isfocusedon‘ending’terror- dual perspective.“WhiletheUnited difference inapproach,”hesays. eradicate, problems.Thisisahuge they learntomanage,ratherthan eties don’t lookforclosure.Instead, describe asclosure.Butothersoci- problem, andthengetwhatwe go inandhaveabigfighttosolvethe says. “TheU.S.approachtendstobe, register tovote.register Members oftheLatinocommunity Understanding thatLatinosare “But thentherewassomething He remembersthedaysimmedi- Fall 2003 James Dolan sis, Steelgaineda of theSept.11cri- in Parisatthetime ly. Whileteaching concept different- define asingle two culturescan example ofhow more specific Terrorism isa USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts foreign policyovertime,”hesays. framed ourthinkingandapproachto stand theforcesandsentimentsthat trying todowithAmerica.To under- himself andhowotherssawhim. analyze theperson,assubjectsaw biographies justice,Steelsoughtto and RobertKennedy. To dotheir cultural iconslikeWalter Lippmann dent, healsohaswrittenabout English andpoliticalscienceasastu- concept toSteel.Adoublemajorin big-picture perspectiveisnotanew good againstevil.” “dead oralive”and“astruggleof “you’re eitherwithusoragainstus,” using popularculturalsayingslike the Americanhistoricalexperience, 11 touchedonthemesveryspecificto says thespeechesthatfollowedSept. administration asanexample.Steel pointing totherhetoricofBush difficulty relatingtous,”hesays, American, andothercountrieshad ed totheeventsthatwasvery particular aboutthewaywerespond- This isaninvaluableresearchsite.” the worldIcouldhavedonethat. Wong. “Therearen’t manyplacesin immigrants inLosAngeles,”says specifically onChineseandMexican “For onestudy, Iwasabletofocus in whichtostudydiversitypolitics. location createsanidealenvironment believe thattheCollege’s PacificRim counterparts. their whiteandAfrican-American vote atratesthatarecomparableto registered tovote,AsianAmericans immigrant groups.However, once have alowervoterturnoutthanother political orientation.Theyalsotendto more liberalthanconservativeintheir is thatAsianAmericansasagroupare January 2004.Oneofherkeyfindings Conway, isscheduledforreleasein authors Pei-Te LienandMargaret Attitudes andBehavior,” withco- Community: AsianAmericanPolitical participation intheUnitedStates. gual studyofAsian-Americanpolitical first multi-ethnic,multi-city, multilin- researchers currentlycompletingthe University, ispartofateam Wong, whohasaPh.D.fromYale Janelle Wong istheCollege’s expert. Asian Americans,assistantprofessor political attitudesandpracticesof Florida,” hesays. their counterpartsinTexas or engaged intheelectoralsystemthan California appeartobemore Latino naturalizedcitizensin clear exampleisthefactthatrecent national politicallandscape.“One contexts toimpactthefutureof “In manyways,thisiswhatIam Piecing togetherdetailstogaina Preston, RamirezandWong all Her latestbook,“Diversityand When itcomestoanalyzingthe —Nicole St.Pierre —Nicole St.Pierre 11

New Faculty

Beautiful Minds: College Attracts Renowned Scholars and Rising Stars

he College’s Senior Hiring Initiative, which will allocate as last year. The College has had great initial success in attracting much as $100 million over three years to hire top-rank faculty, faculty in the top of their fields. Meet some of the new faces Treceived widespread media attention when it was announced joining the College this year.

Malcolm Baker, Art History Professor eling. “I am hoping I will be able to continue my work in this area and build Baker, a scholar of museums and collecting, is a the foundation of what might one day be called Real-Time Econometrics.” research fellow at England’s prestigious Victoria He has published more than 150 academic articles and 13 books. and Albert Museum, where he heads a project to redesign the presentation of the museum’s thou- Bruce Smith, English Professor sands of Medieval and Renaissance objects. A member of Georgetown University’s English Baker is a world-renowned curator and a prize- department since 1972, Smith studies the litera- winning scholar with several books to his credit. He worked at the Royal Scottish Museum in ture and culture of early modern England, Edinburgh for 11 years, where he was responsible including Shakespeare, gender, sexuality, acoustic for European metalwork, woodwork and sculp- ecology and historical phenomenology. A former Malcolm Baker ture. His honors include: a two-time visiting president of the Shakespeare Association of fellow at the Yale Center for British Art; a Getty America, he has held fellowships from the Scholar; an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at the Huntington Library; and recip- Guggenheim Foundation, the Mellon ient of the Mitchell Prize for the History of Art. Baker will head a new Foundation, the National Endowment for the collaborative graduate program between USC College and the Getty Humanities, and the American Council of Bruce Smith Research Institute, a program of the J. Paul Getty Trust, about the culture Learned Societies. of art collecting. Among the six books he has published, “The Acoustic World of Early Modern England” won the 2000 Roland H. Bainton Prize for Literature, David Lloyd, English Professor attracting the attention of theater professionals, communications specialists Born in Dublin, Lloyd joins the English depart- and musicologists. At USC College, Smith hopes to develop courses that ment as a full professor. He has studied interest English students, as well as students of music and drama. Smith, extensively in Belfast and Cambridge receiving a who has a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, has also been a curator at Ph.D. in Anglo Irish Literature at King’s College, the Folger Shakespeare Library. His current work explores what it was like Cambridge University. He was previously the to live in the kind of body imagined by early modern medicine and to per- Hartley Burr Alexander Chair in the Humanities ceive the world through that body. at Scripps College in Claremont and was a professor of English at UC Berkeley, where he “I’m particularly interested in how important the senses and the passions specialized in teaching literature and colonialism, were to perception before Descartes divorced the thinking mind from the modern Irish literature and poetry. He has pub- sensing body in the middle of the 17th century,” says Smith. “USC has a David Lloyd lished a collection of essays on Irish culture and reputation these days as a happening place. I’m happy to be part of it.” history and several books, including: “National and Minor Literature: James Clarence Mangan and the Emergence of Irish Culture Nationalism;” “The Nature and Context of Minority Discourse;” Dennis Hedgecock, Biological Sciences and “Anomalous States: Irish Writing in the Postcolonial Moment.” Professor Hedgecock, who is in the marine and environ- Hashem Pesaran, Economics Professor mental biology program, comes from UC Davis’s Pesaran is one of five new scholars to join the department of animal science where he was a economics department as it rapidly strengthens its geneticist in the Bodega Marine Laboratory. His core in econometrics, economic policy develop- research interests include genetics of aquatic ani- ment and behavioral economics. As a leading mals and evolutionary and conservation genetics expert of applied econometrics, Pesaran brings of commercially important marine organisms, par- expertise in quantitative analysis of financial mar- ticularly Pacific oysters and salmon. He received kets, macroeconometric modeling, energy his Ph.D. from UC Davis in 1974. Dennis Hedgecock, demand and the Middle East economy. He comes from University of Cambridge (where he also earned a Ph.D.) and joins the Hashem Pesaran Guofu Tan, Economics Professor College on a part-time basis. A former economist Tan specializes in the economics of East Asia and for the Central Bank of Iran, he has served as consultant to the United the Chinese economy. Tan has a Ph.D. and M.Sc. Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Recently, from the California Institute of Technology. A for- he worked with the Tudor Corporation in Connecticut, where he developed mer consultant to the World Bank, Tan was most a computerized trading system that is currently in operation. recently an associate professor of economics at “The next stage in quantitative economic analysis is to develop tech- the University of British Columbia and has held niques suitable for real-time applications of econometrics in the fields of positions at Tsinghua University in Beijing and business and government decision making,” says Pesaran, who has begun the Hong Kong University of Science and this process by developing recursive techniques now used in financial mod- Technology. Guofu Tan

12 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

PHOTO BY FIRST LASTNAME USC Collegeeconomicsprofessor. under Jean-JacquesLaffont, nowa Toulouse inFrance,shestudied Ph.D. fromtheUniversityof information. Whilereceivingher and economicsofuncertainty al organization, managerialeconomics University whereshetaughtindustri- economics, comesfromColumbia specificity ofproteolyticenzymes. method forassayingthesubstrate ment andapplicationofanovel Francisco, shestudiedthedevelop- postdoctoral fellowatUCSan Institute ofTechnology. AsanNIH Massachusetts from the has aPh.D. chemistry and inorganic bio- studies chemistry, professor of assistant statistics fromHarvardUniversity. Economic ReviewandhasanM.A.in is anassociateeditoroftheSpanish Spanish, FrenchandEnglish,Carrillo University ofBrussels.Fluentin professor atECARES,Free became anassistant,thenassociate University ofToulouse inFrance,he ics. AfterearninghisPh.D.fromthe organization andbehavioraleconom- economics, isanexpertinindustrial Samantha Butler Samantha Isabelle Brocas Amy Barrios Arbeitman Michelle ASSISTANT PROFESSORS Juan Carrillo ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Her postdoctoralresearchat physiology andcellularbiophysics. Princeton Universityandstudies science program,hasaPh.D.from of biologicalsciencesintheneuro- in molecularcellbiology. Berkeley, wheresheearnedaB.A. I.L. Chaikoff Award fromUC Research ServiceAward, andthe doctoral Award, theNIHNational National ScienceFoundationPre- of Medicine.Shereceivedthe from StanfordUniversitySchool Ph.D. indevelopmentalbiology gram, hasa biology pro- computational molecular and ences inthe biological sci- fessor of assistant pro- , , , associateprofessorof , assistant professorof , assistantprofessor Amy Barrios Michelle Arbeitman and characterizationofthecold/ His researchinterestsincludecloning cellular andmolecularpharmacology. al fellowinthedepartmentof Francisco wherehewasapostdoctor- Medicine. HecomesfromUCSan of Nevada,RenoSchool and physiologyfromtheUniversity cellular andmolecularpharmacology a Ph.D.in program, has neuroscience ences inthe biological sci- dentistry and professor of assistant Universita degliStudidiMilano,Italy. ophy (summacumlaude)fromthe interfaces. semantics andsemantics-pragmatics semantics, pragmatics,andthesyntax- Technology, whereshestudied Institute of chusetts the Massa- Ph.D. from received her linguistics, fessor of assistant pro- McKemy David Lubowicz Anna Jinwoo Kim Guerzoni Elena campaign spending. ments, voterheterogeneityand about rivals’typesinauctionexperi- researching asymmetricinformation of Wisconsin-Madison andiscurrently Ph.D. andM.Sc.fromtheUniversity and politicaleconomics.Kimhasa auction theory, industrialorganization nomics, studiesmicroeconomics, ing mammalianspinalcord. spinal sensoryaxonsinthedevelop- Columbia Universityfocusedon in phoneticsandphonology. academic programandtaughtcourses visiting professorinthelinguistics Twin Citiescampus,whereshewasa from theUniversityofMinnesota, Massachusetts, Amherst.Shecomes linguistics fromtheUniversityof Slavic languages.ShehasaPh.D.in semantics and ory, formal optimality the- phonology, studies linguistics, professor of assistant She hasalaureatedegreeinphilos- , , , , assistantprofessorofeco- VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME David McKemy Elena Guerzoni Anna Lubowicz policy. constitutional lawandvotingrights and localpolitics,judicial on electionandvotingbehavior, state ing diversityinpolitics,withafocus He isparticularlyinterestedinstudy- mobilization bynaturalizedLatinos. California andpatternsinpolitical essays aboutLatinoincorporationin cy analysis.Ramirezhaspublished in educationadministrationandpoli- Ph.D. inpoliticalscienceandanM.A. ies. AStanfordalumnus,hehasa Chicano stud- an expertin studies, is American science and political professor of assistant somatosensory system. menthol-gated ionchannelinthe menthol receptor, acoldand Ramirez Ricardo Nummedal Tara sequences tobetterunderstand the lyzes DNA program, ana- tional biology and computa- molecular ences inthe biological sci- fessor of assistant pro- Jeffrey Wall Megan Reid Europe. Her areaofexpertiseisearlymodern the UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress. Europe,” whichisundercontractwith Alchemist’s CareerinReformation the Lion’s Blood:AFemale ly isworkingon“AnnaZieglerinand from StanfordUniversityandcurrent- She receivedherPh.D.inhistory University. Brown history at professor of as assistant history, served fessor of assistant proof religion. of Islam,modernIslamandthestudy teaching interestsincludethehistory University inPhiladelphia.Her department atSaintJoseph’s was asaninstructorinthetheology Her mostrecentteachingposition receive herdoctorateinNovember. Princeton Universitywhoexpectsto religion, isaPh.D.candidatefrom Fall 2003 , , , , assistantprofessorof Jeffrey Wall Ricardo Ramirez Tara Nummedal USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts Zhou (Jasmine) Xianghong Zhang Jianfeng informatics. University, hestudiedbiological postdoctoral fellowatHarvard department ofhumangenetics.Asa recently aresearchassociateinthe University ofChicago,wherehewas ecology andevolutionfromthe tionary geneticist,hehasaPh.D.in other species.Atheoreticalevolu- origins andevolutionofhumans Wiebke Ziebis mathematical finance. stochastic differential equations and tial equations,numericalmethodsfor analysis, backwardstochasticdifferen- research interestsincludestochastic from PurdueUniversity. Zhang’s mathematics has aPh.D.in Minnesota and University of from the ics, comes of mathemat- tant professor chemical micro-environments. including high-resolutionstudies of ical andgeochemicalmarineresearch, ography, herinterestsincludebiolog- fellow atScrippsInstitutionofOcean- in biology. Most recentlyaresearch with aPh.D.ingeologyandanM.S. bio-geochemist gram, isa biology pro- environmental marine and ences inthe biological sci- fessor of assistant pro- problems incancergenomics. al techniquesaimedatsolving plans todevelopnewcomputation- and analyzesmicroarraydata.She function throughdataintegration ways topredictgeneandprotein Public Health.Zhouresearches matics attheHarvardSchoolof postdoctoral fellowshipinbioinfor- biology. Sherecentlycompleteda between computerscienceand where sheworkedattheinterface Institute ofTechnology inZurich, science fromtheSwissFederal received herdoctorateinnatural program, tional biology and computa- the molecular sciences in of biological tant professor , assis- , assis- , Zhou Xianghong (Jasmine) Wiebke Ziebis Jianfeng Zhang 13

In Tune Poetry in Motion Cinema is not the only field intrin- sically linked with poetry, St. John says. Last spring, he taught a pioneer- St. John directs rare Ph.D. program for aspiring writers ing course in conjunction with Frank Ticheli, a professor of musical compo- sition at the USC Thornton School of Music, where graduate students teamed up with budding musical tacks of books stretch from the composers to understand how operas floor to the ceiling in David St. are made. John’s office. “I keep them “Fascinating stuff came out of this around for inspiration and to course. The writers and composers Sshare with my students,” says the developed relationships that will tran- USC College English professor and scend their lives as students and accomplished poet. continue into their professional lives But in the past few months, St. as artists,” says St. John. John admits he has barely had time to Because of the course’s collabora- re-read any of the poems in his tive approach, College graduate favorite collections. As the new direc- student and writer Jennifer Kwon tor of the USC College Literature and Dobbs is now working with musician Creative Writing graduate program, and composer Charles Lee to develop his free time has been spent reading an opera about Korean Comfort poems and critical essays by aspiring Women who were prisoners of the writers, who hope to one day have a Japanese during World War II. book of their own sitting on St. John’s In the future, St. shelf. John hopes to incor- The College is one of only half a porate more dozen institutions in the country to cross-disciplinary offer a Ph.D. in literature and creative Letters and the O.B. Hardison with the movie workshops into the writing. This year there were 80 prize—a career award for the teaching premiere. College’s creative applications for the graduate program and writing of poetry—from the That’s all the writing program. “I that admits an average of only four Folger Shakespeare Library. His work details St. John want to continue to students per year—two in the genre has been published in countless liter- will give away. ensure that our cre- of poetry and two in the genre of fic- ary magazines and in 1995, St. John’s “This book ative writing courses tion. The program, founded and collection “Study for the World’s is so nuts, peo- are taught in a con- previously chaired by English profes- Body: New and Selected Poems” was ple will either text of other realms, sor Carol Muske-Dukes, is entering nominated for The National Book love it or hate not just of the arts, its third year. Award in Poetry. it,” he jokes. David St. .John but also of the sci- “If you are an aspiring English/cre- But St. John has ences as well. The ative writing professor, having a Ph.D. The Face actually been developing the premise possibilities are limitless.” makes you far more competitive in St. John’s eighth book of poetry, of the book-length poem for more Other books by St. John include, today’s job market,” says St. John. “The Face,” will be published by than ten years. “I’ve always been “No Heaven;” “The Shore;” “Each year, the caliber of applicants HarperCollins in May 2004. The intrigued by the connection between “Terraces of Rain: An Italian becomes more exceptional. About 80 poem is about a man who struggles to cinema and contemporary poetry. In Sketchbook;” “Where the Angels percent of our applicants already have reassemble his shattered identity a very provocative way, I hope, ‘The Come Toward Us: Selected Essays, a graduate degree of some kind and I while a movie is simultaneously being Face’ brings both of these worlds Reviews and Interviews;” “In the have little doubt many of them will made about his life. In an unusual together.” Pines: Lost Poems;” “The Red someday have books.” twist, a female actress is cast to play “It’s a wild ride,” he says. “And Leaves of Night” and “Prism.” In fact, some students already do. him in the movie. The poem ends I’m very excited about it.” —Nicole St.Pierre USC graduate student Chris Abani recently published his second collec-

tion of poems, “Daphne’s Lot,” and Timur Kuran, the King Faisal Chair in Islamic Thought and Culture has a novel forthcoming next year, to Heads Together be published by Farrar, Strauss & Giroux—one of the top publishing houses in the nation.

In Good Company Students who are admitted to the ncouraging a “non-traditional” tiating or selective program study under some approach to academic research, advancing of the most distinguished poets and an emerging program at USC creative fiction writers of their generation, emphasizes the power of col- interdisci- including St. John, Muske-Dukes, Elaboration. Through the university’s plinary Aimee Bender, T.C. Boyle and Center for Interdisciplinary Research projects, Percival Everett. (CIR), established in 2002 by Provost such as a In many ways, St. John has Lloyd Armstrong Jr., professors project pro- matured as a poet in the public eye, combine expertise on projects that posal for federal or foundation funding Shrikanth Narayanan, an associate after his first book, “Hush,” was a cut across traditional disciplinary or a book. professor of electrical engineering, lin- huge success. Since then, he has been boundaries. Twelve CIR fellows have been guistics and computer science, enjoys honored with many of the most signif- Each academic year, six tenured or appointed thus far—many from USC interdisciplinary research involving icant prizes for poets, such as the tenure-track faculty members are College—and it is clear that interdisci- many people. This way, “the same Award in Literature from the selected to receive up to $50,000 in plinary research means very different problem can be viewed from different American Academy of Arts and research funding to work full-time ini- things to different professors. angles,” he says. Narayanan has TYPEWRITER PHOTO BY PAUL STOVER/GETTY IMAGES; ST.JOHN NICOLE ST.PIERRE

14 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

experts in their fields of study and are guided through the dissertation Providing a Pipeline process. The summer workshops provide participants with a tight schedule of peer review and faculty Center boosts opportunities for underrepresented students input. By the end of the workshops, students are ready to apply to national fellowship competitions that allow them time and financial support to focus on their dissertations the next n a state with dramatically chang- academic year. ing demographics, USC recently was faced with a tall order. It Something for Everyone sought to create a climate that George Sanchez, associate profes- Isupports diversity and academic sor of history, director of the program success, and to increase the number in American studies and ethnicity, of graduate students of color who and head of the center, says that the go on to faculty positions. Irvine Foundation fellowship pro- With generous partial funding gram not only benefits graduate from The James Irvine Foundation, students of color, but also benefits and a commitment from the professors in the humanities who do provost’s office, and the deans of not ordinarily receive research assis- USC College and the USC Rossier tance from graduate students. School of Education, the Center for “Unlike in the scientific fields, little American Studies and Ethnicity was outside money comes the way of created in the fall of 2001. humanities professors,” he says. “So The goals of the center are to both faculty and students have a lot overcome the socioeconomic gap in to gain from the fellowships.” college achievement, and the gap Graduates say the center and fel- A diverse mix of students benefit from the College’s Center for American Studies and between higher-education profession- Ethnicity programs. lowships go far beyond mentoring als and professors. Since its inception, and expanded opportunities. What the center has expanded opportuni- they gain is a community of scholar- ties for graduate students of color, three years from USC. The five-year families to attend college. Without ship and support. fostering a diverse climate at USC program focuses on preparing gradu- the fellowship support most would “For me it was a lifeline,” says that better reflects the population of ate students to become professors at have to work and would not be able Ana Rosas, who graduated in 2000 the Golden State; attracted ambitious research institutions such as USC. to focus on their academic ambitions with a bachelor’s degree in history graduate students who are guided To be eligible, students must be a full time. and American studies. Her disserta- into higher levels of education and member of an underrepresented Along with research opportunities, tion “Cultural Citizenship: Mexican scholarship; and provided a pool of minority, generally African-American, the students are provided faculty Immigration and the Politics of trained candidates for faculty recruit- Latino or Asian. Their work must mentoring, dissertation workshops, Ethnicity, Race and Place in Los ment across the nation. take on issues of race and ethnicity. academic resources and interaction Angeles, circa 1942-1965” landed Fellows participate in Ph.D. pro- with professors at other universities her a fellowship at the Smithsonian Creating Opportunities grams in American studies and who are experts in their chosen Institution in Washington for the As part of its campus diversity ini- ethnicity, cinema-television, commu- fields. The grant allows students to 2003-2004 academic year. “As a tiative, the Irvine Foundation nication, education, English, attend conferences, obtain peer working-class student, the fellowship bestowed a $3.6 million grant to geography, history, political science, reviews and meet students at other gave me tools and skills I could not launch the center and fund more than psychology and sociology. universities in similar programs. have gotten elsewhere,” she says. 45 fellowships. Graduate students are The stipends are especially impor- A critical phase of the fellowship “Sanchez was always there for me at nominated by their departments, and tant to underrepresented minority is the summer dissertation work- every stage, always encouraging peo- are provided with two years of fund- graduate students, many of whom are shops. The students are enrolled in ple by his example. I want to do the ing from the Irvine Foundation and working class and the first in their intense, one-on-one sessions with kind of work he does.” Rosas, who was the first member of her family to attend college, says focused his CIR project on creating stems from the intersection of history, at USC. “Anyone who is serious about her Irvine Foundation fellowship pro- information and communication tech- art history, film studies and French studying a major social issue must be vided her with a wealth of knowledge nologies for children. “Universality in studies. prepared to ignore the prevailing she otherwise would not have communications is one of our goals,” Kuran, a professor of economics boundaries among established aca- received, including essential informa- says Narayanan, whose fellowship and law, has set out to identify the demic disciplines.” tion on how academia works, how to involves linguists, psychologists, com- social mechanisms that caused the Adds historian Schwartz, “But this put together a competitive package munication specialists, engineers and Islamic Middle East, once considered is not to discount disciplinary knowl- for attracting fellowships and what to mathematicians. economically advanced, to turn into edge. Without it, you would not have include in her C.V. “The whole pro- Former CIR fellows Vanessa an underdeveloped region. interdisciplinarity. It’s like cross- gram was community-building and Schwartz and Timur Kuran incorpo- Drawing on law, economics, histo- fertilization. How did Mendel make very supportive for students like me,” rate “interdisciplinarity” into their ry, sociology, political science and a better pea?” she adds. work but maintain a “one-person cultural studies, he focuses his efforts Still, interdisciplinary research “The Irvine fellowships address a band approach.” on explaining the role that Islamic law faces major challenges in the academ- lot of issues in higher education,” “Although I am an historian, I use played in preventing the Middle East ic world—such as young faculty who Sanchez says. “They help expand the the methods and materials that peo- from keeping up with economic mod- are interested in interdisciplinary pipeline of future professors of color, ple in other disciplines traditionally ernization in Western Europe. research, but worry it puts them at they shorten the length of time most use,” says Schwartz, an associate pro- “I’ve always considered the estab- risk of not getting promoted or pub- students take to complete their dis- fessor of history in the College. lished disciplines of the social lished in journals. sertations and they provide research Schwartz’s fellowship project—a sciences unduly confining when it But from the sound of its support- help to professors who don’t ordinari- book examining the relationship of comes to addressing big issues,” says ers, the interdisciplinary approach is ly receive it. In this program, there is film to ideas of “nation-ness” in Kuran, who holds the King Faisal here to stay. something for everyone.” France and America in the 1950s— Chair in Islamic Thought and Culture —Gia Scafidi, USC News Service —Karen Newell Young CASE PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN STUDIES AND ETHNICITY

VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 Fall 2003 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences 15

many new questions—about how its wild ways impact the climate and Sun Seekers lives of people on Earth.

The Inside Story College scientists reveal spots, quakes and flares Däppen considers physics his true calling. It just happens that the physics problems that most intrigue him occur at the very very day, the core of the sun. sun bathes The sun’s size and the planet in its enormous inward a steady gravitational pull Estream of heat and make the sun’s center light. Or so most of an extremely hot and us think. New dense place. At tem- research paints a peratures of nearly 29 very different por- million degrees trait, revealing a Fahrenheit, even the sun plagued by hydrogen and helium ebbs and flows, gases that make up sputters, spots, the sun become 150 The extreme sun: Each of these false-color images was taken at a different wavelength of explosions, shaking and wobbling. light in the extreme ultraviolet spectral region from SOHO. times as dense as water and eight The sun, it seems, is more dynamic times as dense as gold. and variable than anyone had The conditions are so intense that guessed. Edward Rhodes Jr., Darrell Judge and the sun. atoms regularly fuse in a nuclear reac- The work of three USC College Werner Däppen—has been crucial to Perhaps most important, their work tion that powers the sun and, by professors of astronomy and physics— the development of the new vision of is providing new insights—and as extension, the entire solar system. A theoretician, Däppen develops sophisticated computer models of the sun’s core. He has shown how the action of very small forces acting deep Compounds May Help People Remember within the sun can lead to significant changes in the sun’s structure, and he latest work of USC fearfully (freezing in place) whenever they heard the thus, its activity. College neuroscientist tone or were put into the training cage, whether or “We know like particles repel and Michel Baudry tempers not a shock followed. Researchers tested memory by opposites attract. But, if you’ve got a the good with the bad. tracking how long mice froze when placed in the soup of negatively and positively TThe bad news, for mice at cage or hearing the tone—those that froze the longest charged particles, as we see inside the least, is that mild memory had the sharpest memory. sun, what happens?” Däppen says. loss begins earlier in life than After three months, the team compared memory “We discovered that, added up, these previously thought. The good function in groups treated with one of the two com- very small pushes and pulls can news is that two experimental pounds to those of an untreated control group. change the overall density of the sun’s compounds Baudry, professor Memory significantly declined in the untreated mice, core by about 5 percent.” By taking of biological sciences, has while the treated groups fared much better. Mice this effect into account, Däppen has

helped to develop can pre- Michel Baudry treated with EUK-207, for example, scored three created more accurate models of the vent that memory loss. And times higher than controls of the same age in the sun’s interior. while his results apply to mice, not humans, they do sup- cage test, with an ability to remember equal to that of Däppen’s work is ultimately impor- port the notion that in the future drugs may help people younger, eight-month-old mice. tant to understanding the connection halt the memory loss that has been an unavoidable conse- “We found that these drugs prevent the age-relat- between sun and Earth. “What hap- quence of aging. ed decline in memory,” says Richard F. Thompson, pens in the solar interior affects Beyond its implications for those battling the loss of the William M. Keck Chair in Biological Sciences and events in the outer layers and surface memory, Baudry’s work gives new support to a leading the- professor of psychology in the College, who took part of the sun,” Rhodes says. “In turn, ory of aging and points to early middle age as the time in the research. changes in solar surface dynamics lead when the first cognitive declines begin. In his study, Baudry found strong evidence that to the kinds of changes in solar output “This was definitely one of our more dramatic results,” the antioxidant compounds protected the brain from that have come under intense scrutiny says Baudry, who did the research with then graduate stu- oxidative assaults, preventing damage and maintain- in terms of climate.” dent Ruolan Liu—the paper’s first author and currently a ing memory. To measure the drugs’ ability to sop up postdoctoral fellow in Baudry’s lab—as well as colleagues reactive oxygen, the team analyzed the brain tissue Sun Spots, Quakes and Flares from USC, UC Irvine and Eukarion, Inc. (a company co- from the mice, looking for telltale signs of oxidative Rhodes has the work habits most founded by Baudry). damage. Overall, treated mice showed fewer signs of would associate with an astronomer, One popular explanation of aging posits that aging damage than controls, with cells of the older, treated except that he works by the light of results from oxidative damage—itself caused by destructive mice most closely resembling cells found in younger day. He does much of his research forms of oxygen called free radicals formed as a byproduct mice. In fact, some of the treated 11-month-old mice high atop a mountain, where he oper- of metabolism. Free radicals wreak havoc on cells by dam- actually had fewer oxidative scars than untreated ates the 60-Foot Solar Tower of the aging key molecules such as DNA, proteins and fats. eight-month-olds. Mt. Wilson Observatory. Rhodes stud- Dependent on oxygen, the body makes its own antioxi- That, Baudry says, suggests that the compounds ies the sun from space, too, as part of dants (such as catalase and superoxide dismutase) designed may not only prevent damage, but may actually the joint NASA/ESA Solar and to capture free radicals and render them harmless. reverse prior damage to brain proteins. For his next Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) In the study, Baudry’s team looked at the effects of two step, Baudry will investigate these and similar com- Mission. antioxidant compounds, EUK-189 and EUK-207, on mem- pounds in younger and older mice, investigating how “I try to understand what’s going ory in middle-aged mice. they affect memory, learning and other brain func- on at the sun’s surface, and below that They trained 120 eight-month-old mice to associate a tions as well as longevity. in the sun’s convection zone,” says tone with a mild electric shock. The mice learned to react —Eva Emerson Rhodes, who is also a part-time astronomer at the Jet Propulsion SUN PHOTO COURTESY OF SOLAR & HELIOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY (SOHO). SOHO IS A PROJECT INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION BETWEEN ESA AND NASA; BAUDRY BY EVA EMERSON

16 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

Laboratory in Pasadena. Rhodes studies the shaking and wobbling caused by solar “quakes” A Catalytic Breakthrough called solar oscillations, the cyclical appearance of magnetic storms that mar the sun’s fiery surface with dark- Periana taps precious metal for new one-step method ened sun spots as well as the eruption of solar flares that spew electrically charged gases into space. Since 1987, Rhodes’ group has col- USC chemist has ing palladium sulfate, heated the mix- lected high-resolution images from found what ture to 180 degrees Celsius and Mt. Wilson, including the only com- eventually watched as the methane was convert- plete set of high-resolution images could be a ed to acetic acid and methanol. that records the last solar cycle from Acheaper and more effi- “This is the first time we’ve start to finish. cient way to create acetic obtained acetic acid with methane as The 11-year solar cycle impacts a acid, a petrochemical the only starting material with any of number of the phenomena that most used in products ranging the catalysts we’ve tried,” Periana interest Rhodes. Sunspot activity is from aspirin to cosmetics. says. “This reaction cannot be com- highest during the solar maximum Acetic acid is typically mercialized as it is, but it shows the and lowest at the minimum of the made from methanol and first possibility for making the acetic solar cycle. Counter-intuitively, the carbon monoxide, both of acid molecule in a fundamentally dif- more spots, the greater the amount of which are derived from ferent way than it was made before.” light the sun emits. methane, the major com- Roy Periana Finding new, cheaper ways to con- The sun’s cycles, including the low ponent of natural gas. vert natural gas—one of the planet’s sunspot activity that occurs at the The technology is expensive take the methane, blast it to pieces most abundant resources—to useful solar minimum, might explain at least because it requires the chemicals to and then recombine it,” says Periana. products is considered one of the one period of unusual cold, often be blasted at temperatures up to 900 The key to the one-step process, he “Holy Grails” of chemistry, Periana called the Little Ice Age, that hit degrees Celsius, and in three separate explains, was the catalyst. says. northern Europe in the late 17th and steps. But USC chemistry professor Periana and his team, which “I wouldn’t say this has solved that early 18th centuries. “The sun shone Roy Periana has made acetic acid included USC graduate students problem, but it adds another piece to less powerfully over this time, and at directly from methane at 180 degrees Oleg Mironov, Gaurav Bhalla and the solution,” he says. “We are the same time people were ice skat- Celsius. C.J. Jones, used palladium, a precious inventing the next generation of cata- ing on the Thames in London,” “What our chemistry shows for the metal. They introduced the methane lysts that will allow us to convert Rhodes says. first time is that you don’t have to into a solution of sulfuric acid contain- methane at lower temperatures.” “We’re trying to help improve understanding of how the sun varies position well above the planet with time to see whether or not we Solar maximum: Just can ultimately show exactly how the before the last solar allowed Judge to discover that the sun affects our climate,” says Rhodes, maximum, dark sunspots output of EUV light regularly fluctu- who is most known for his trailblazing dotted the face of the sun. ates by factors of two to four, and This image was captured research pinpointing the cause of solar from the Mt. Wilson 60- even more during the solar maximum. oscillations and figuring out how the foot Solar Tower in July “It’s a steady stream, punctuated by sun rotates below the surface. 2000. highly variable solar eruptions,” says Sunspots also have been linked Judge, director of the USC Space with increases in solar flares and the Sciences Center. electrical solar storms that can tem- To figure out how this affects porarily take out satellites and Earth, Judge needs more detailed communication networks, threaten data about the total energy the sun astronauts aboard the International emits in the EUV. He and colleagues Space Station and render Earth-based at the University of Colorado are power sys- building a set of next-generation tems lifeless, space-faring light detectors, to be car- like the ried on NASA’s 2007 solar mission, intense solar the Solar Dynamics Observatory storm that Scholars and (SDO). took out award-winning Hopefully, the SDO mission will teachers Werner Solar physicist Darrell Judge’s Quebec’s also help to answer key questions Däppen (left) and studies of invisible sunlight power grid in Ed Rhodes Jr. have led to a new view of the about the sun’s role in global climate 1989. investigate the sun. change, he says. Many sun’s wild ways “Current climate models probably from the inside researchers out. ble to the human eye. It’s also underestimate the influence of the are studying blocked by Earth’s atmosphere. sun’s changing output,” says Rhodes, the solar EUV light represents a tiny frac- who will also take part in the SDO cycle with an aim of better predicting abilities to building state-of-the-art tion of the sun’s total output, but is mission. damaging solar storms. Rhodes’ UV light detectors. His instruments incredibly important to life on Earth. Däppen adds: “What some of us extensive data will be key to their are designed to stare, 24 hours a day, Considered the most energetic por- are asking is, What if the sun is one of studies. seven days a week, straight at the sun. tion of sunlight, EUV drives the culprits behind the warming of Right now, a detector designed photochemical reactions in the plan- the Earth?” Seeing the (Invisible) Light by Judge and his colleagues is et’s upper atmosphere and creates a The work of all three scientists will Trained in the early days of the aboard the sun-orbiting spacecraft layer of charged particles called the contribute, directly or indirectly, to U.S. space program, Judge is a physi- SOHO, measuring the sun’s emis- ionosphere. The EUV light also heats the answer. cist at heart. “I enjoy figuring out how sion of light in the “deep, deep blue the Earth’s thermosphere and in so “This is one of the big, open ques- things work,” says Judge, who tinkers region of the UV spectrum,” he says. doing influences climate and weather. tions in solar science today,” says with old tractors in his spare time. The sunlight he studies, in the Until SOHO, EUV light had only Däppen. At work, he turns his mechanical extreme ultraviolet (EUV), is invisi- been studied sporadically. SOHO’s —Eva Emerson SUN SPOTS PHOTO COURTESY OF ED RHODES JR.; DÄPPEN AND RHODES, JUDGE BY EVA EMERSON

VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 Fall 2003 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences 17

G Exotic bacteriacouldaidinsearchforalienlifeandimproveddatastorage Magnetic Personality ways todetectevidenceofpastlife to theirphysiology. exotic lifestyle,fromtheirmigration speedy microbestounderstandtheir Environmental Sciences,studythese the Wrigley ChairinEarthand College. PopaandKennethNealson, fessor ofmarinebiologyatUSC Radu Popa,aresearchassistantpro- fastest bacteriaI’veeverseen,”says sediments. of lakesorseasandtheanaerobic gate betweentheoxygenatedwater senses, includingmagnetism,tonavi- per hour. Thebacteriausespecial them ataspeedofabouthalf-a-meter mobile, thankstoflagellathatpropels survival nolessdramatic. magnetic bacteriatraverseapathfor migrations escapethenoticeofmost, find foodandsurvive.Whiletheir 18 The duo’s workmayleadtonew “These guysaresomeofthe Magnetic bacteriaareextremely ing, reportedinApril,movedscientists closertoa involved inthebody’s immuneresponse.Thefind- discovered theworkingsofAID, avitalenzyme Earlier thisyear, ateam of researchersledbyUSC Mimicking immunity Bacteria totheRescue? how theoceanscouldmitigateeffects ofpollution. absorption ofthegreenhousegasmayshedlighton Learning aboutthebacteria’s abilitytopromotethe fixed nitrogenwouldotherwisepreventtheprocess. ide, eveninoceanregionswhereshortsuppliesof gen tomarineplanktonthatneeditgrow. break itschemicalbondandpassonthefixednitro- zotrophs thatpullnitrogenfromtheatmosphere, USC Wrigley Institute,studiesbacteriacalleddia- Chair inEnvironmentalStudiesandamemberofthe could slowglobalwarming. USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts In theprocess,diazotrophssequestercarbondiox- Marine biologistDouglasCapone,theWrigley sands ofmilesterrainto the seasons,crossingthou- ground withthechangingof eese andcariboumovetonew College LifeSciencesinBrief toxic metalsfromwaterways. magnetic recordingtapeandclean on Mars,increasestoragecapacityof Nealson. “Theyalignwiththe astrobiology researchgroupledby the interdisciplinarygeobiologyand compass,” saysPopa,amemberof ‘A LivingCompass’ world’s oceans reveal howthe plants may form usableby gen gastoa convert nitro- that “fix”or marine bacteria microscopic research on College “A magneticbacteriumisaliving Fall 2003 clever.” no hardparts,it’s a hugechallenge.We havetobe behind. Sincethesecreaturesare sosmallandhave of alienlife,pastorpresent. regions hethinksarethemostlikelytoharborsigns areas ontheRedPlanetrichinmineralslikeiron, Environmental Sciences.THEMISwillpinpoint Nealson, theWrigley ChairinEarthand primitive microbiallife.Butitwillnotbeeasy,” says instrument onNASA’s MarsOdyssey mission. principal investigatoroftheTHEMISinfrared microbes,” saystheCollege’s KennethNealson, co- mals, nothingobvious.Sothesearchhasturnedto are nolarge lifeformsonMars—noplants,noani- “To thechagrinofalmosteveryone,itisclearthere Minuscule Martians of diseases. Antibodies enablethebodytofendoff awiderange antibodies responsibleforimmunityinatesttube. the biochemicalmutationprocessthatdiversifies professor ofmolecularbiology, theteamsimulated progress inthejournalNature.LedbyJohnPetruska, tem canrespondtodifferent pathogens. precise understandingofhowthebody’s immunesys- response,” saysPetruska. that wouldcompletelymimicthebody’s immune “We’re lookingforthe footprintthatbacterialeft “I wouldbehappytofindanythingresembling “This isabigstepinbuildingan Just threemonthslater, theteamreportednew transmission electronmicroscope. Magnetosomes insideabacterium, asseenthrougha these microbesbeganafteragroup called magnetosomes. magnetic crystalsformstructures Enveloped withinamembrane,the scope, seemtodotthebacterialcell. crystals that,seenthroughamicro- from thechainsofiron-richmagnetite north-south direction.” VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME Popa andNealson’s interestin These bacteriaearnedtheirname in vitro system tors thatcontroltheproduction of Investigating theenvironmental fac- vestable amountsofmagnetite. get thefinickybacteriatoproduce har- group showswhyothershavefailed to be usefulhasprovedformidable. magnetite onascalelarge enoughto Harvesting Crystals nology andspace,Popasays. bioremediation, medicine,nanotech- inch oftape. about 600)thatcouldfitacrossahalf- the numberofdatatracks(currently theoretically couldbeusedtoincrease dard industrialcrystals,andso smaller andmoreuniformthanstan- magnetite crystals,Popasays,are tal datastorage.Thebiogenic with thelimitsofstate-of-the-artdigi- would beaboonforthosewrestling Greater tapedatastoragecapacity remains amultibillion-dollarindustry. audio, videoandcomputerdata, ing tape,usedtorecordandplay bacteria. Reel-to-reelmagneticrecord- quality magnetitecrystalsmadebythe on findingawaytoharvestthehigh- living things—ornot. silized crystalsarebiogenic—madeby give scientistsaclueastowhetherfos- the fourironisotopesinasamplecan different ratio.Analyzingtheratioof porate theisotopesinaslightly bacteria makethecrystalstheyincor- abundance. However, whenmagnetic reflective oftheisotopes’natural contains aratiooftheironisotopes or isotopes.Ingeneral,magnetite iron, whichexistsinfourstableforms, crystals.” haps wecouldfindsomeofthese surface ofMars,”Popasays.“Butper- expect toseeproteinsorDNAonthe Jupiter’s moonEuropa.“We don’t (and signsofpastlife)onMarsor ful “fingerprints”inthesearchforlife suggest thatthecrystalsmightbeuse- the meteorite.” thatlifecouldhaveexistedin ‘proof’ tosomes remain“theonepossible says themeteorite’s putativemagne- have sincebeendiscredited,Popa While mostofthatgroup’s arguments of fossilizedextraterrestriallife. 84001 andoffered itupasevidence ancient MartianmeteoriteALH- some-like particlespreservedinthe from NASAAmesfoundmagneto- New workbyPopaandNealson’s But gettingthebacteriatoproduce The crystalsmayalsofindusesin The teamhasalsofocusedefforts Magnetite ismadeofoxygenand The resilienceofthemagnetite

VIRGINIA SOUZA-EGIPSY/USC GEOBIOLOGY GROUP

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCEC Provost LloydArmstrongJr. research programsponsoredby support fromtheundergraduate conditions. Somestudentsreceived ing thebacteriaunderallsortsof students—who hadthetaskofgrow- Nealson can’t sayenoughaboutthe student conferences.BothPopaand by theteam’s undergraduates attwo as cantoolittleoxygen. ronmental cuesandblockproduction, shaking thebacteriacandisruptenvi- halt crystalproduction.Stirringand rely onothersensesfornavigationand magnetic fieldcausesthebacteriato that anythinginterfereswiththe mineral inthelab.Theteamshowed encouraging thebacteriatomake netite iftheycan’t useit—akeyto the “energetically expensive”mag- magnetite. traveling to-and-froandproducing the bacteriaspendalmostasmuch amount ofenergy formetabolism. he says. ‘smell’ hydrogensulfideandoxygen,” it reliesontosurvive.“It’s likethey teria candetectbothofthechemicals where theyproduceenergy. toward surfacewaterrichinoxygen, mud) andstoreitasthey“snorkel” where it’s moreabundant(deepinthe that problem.Theycollectsulfur lifestyle allowsthemtoworkaround very lowconcentrations.” are usuallyonlyfoundtogetherat react fastwhenevertheymeet,andso hydrogen sulfide.Thesecompounds get energy bycombiningoxygen and before joiningNealson’s team.“They microbiology intheUnitedStates earned asecondPh.D.inmolecular ecologist originallyfromRomaniawho out inspacetolive,”saysPopa,acave release assolidwasteinsediments. ria accumulatemetals,whichthey sediments ofthelakebed,bacte- oxygen-poor, hydrogensulfide-rich oxygen-rich layersofwaterandthe ria. To migratebetweenthe serves asagoodhometothebacte- debris fromaformermetaltower the LosAngelesArboretum,where the magneticbacteriaatalakein living cell,”saysPopa. ing biochemicalactivityinsidea has shownalowmagneticfieldaffect- synthesizing enzymeinthebacteria. curtailed theactivityofamagnetite- that alow-frequencymagneticfield conditions formineralsynthesis. application describing—theoptimal ered—and submittedapatent magnetite bacterial,theyhavediscov- The initialfindingswerepresented Popa saysthebacteriawon’t make But asmuchenergy astheymake, The reactionproducesalarge Popa alsohasshownthatthebac- Magnetic bacteria’s on-the-go “These guysuseresourcesspread The teamcollectedsamplesof “To myknowledge,nooneelse They weremostintriguedtofind —Eva Emerson I prestigious institutions. the U.S.GeologicalSurveyand other USC, HarvardUniversity, Caltech, field, includingSCECscientists from with researchersatthetopoftheir interns andgraduatementorsinteract earthquake science.Eachterm, ing informationtechnologyand through complicatedprojectsinvolv- has guidedsome20undergraduates second year, theEITinternprogram tion technology(EIT)research.Inits Foundation forearthquakeinforma- from theNationalScience part ofa$10million,five-yeargrant interns attackeachsummer.” information technologyprojectsthe illustrates thekindofsophisticated Chair inGeologicalSciences.“It says theW.M. KeckFoundation captured byacomputerinthisway,” first timeanearthquakehasbeen sible, andtomyknowledge,it’s the it. “Alotofpeoplesaiditwasimpos- says hehasneverseenanythinglike is critical. immediacy duringapotentialdisaster media andotherswhoseneedfor than anhour—abigadvantageforthe produce the“live”imagesinless ware, thestudentswereableto code withfree,widelyavailablesoft- buildings, bridgesandnearbytowns. tial undersuchfeaturesasland, shows viewerstheearthquakepoten- below ground,thedigitizedmovie Traveling alongthefault,aboveand what happenswhenatemblorstrikes. station toillustrate downloaded byaTV screen thatcanbe images onacomputer capturing earthquake developed amethodof in USCCollege— core institutions,based ter composedof14 national researchcen- interns atSCEC—a the pasttwoyears. program havedonefor (SCEC) internship Earthquake Center Southern California undergraduates inthe But that’s exactlywhat SCEC experience internshipsenrichtheundergraduate Shaking Things Up way ofseeingthings. researchers anew interns showveteran t isn’t everydaythat The internprogramisfundedas SCEC DirectorThomasJordan By developingtheirowncomputer Last summer, VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME field trip. On theedgeofdiscovery:Interns getanupcloseviewona had tostretchabitintellectually to science outtheretoday,” shesays.“I beyond thecurrenttechnology and only gobeyondthemselves,but also session thatengagesstudentsto not cally andacademicallyaggressive program isachallenging,technologi- turing anaturalphenomenon.“The program’s emphasisonvisuallycap- philosophy. Shewasattractedtothe fifth-year pre-lawstudentmajoringin information technology. the synergy ofearthscienceand ence orearthquakescience,butseek had noexperienceincomputersci- aspect oftheprogram.Othershave are attractedtothecomputerscience ence oreducationinearthquakesbut Many ofthemhavehadnoexperi- ence inteamworkandcollaboration. the studentsgaininvaluableexperi- sciences andinformationtechnology, training andresearchinearthquake field trips,mentoringandadvanced this asanundergraduate.” been fabuloustohaveexperienced intern program.“Itwouldreallyhave says SuePerry, directoroftheEIT learn inatypicalclassroom.” nology inawaytheywouldnever learning howtouseadvancedtech- really somethingspecial.Theyare in thefield,”saysJordan.“Thisis sophisticated problemswiththebest research andworkingonextremely are atthecenterofearthquake of theprogramisthattheseinterns Brandee Pierce,forexample,isa Along withworkshops,symposia, “Sometimes Igetalittleenvious,” “One ofthemostexcitingaspects Fall 2003 USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts dents aregaining.” demand thekindofskillsthese stu- gy andthenaturalscienceswill intersection ofinformationtechnolo- earthquake science.Theincreasing opportunities infieldsotherthan equip themforawiderangeof experiences theseinternsgetwill high technology,” saysJordan.“The advanced scienceintermsofusing scale. sonably enoughtobeusedonabroad Geowall isportableandpricedrea- other 3-Dprojectionsystems, viewer wearsspecialglasses.Unlike illusion ofthreedimensionswhena two polarizedimagesthatcreatethe system calledGeowall,whichuses and earthquakesontoaspecial3-D They projectedtheirimagesoffaults sets thatrepresentseismicactivity. visualizations ofmultiple,large data typed computercodethatcreates3-D relationships amongthem. ing ofthespatialandtemporal in ordertogainabetterunderstand- quakes andsurfacefeaturesin3-D, Southern California’s faults,earth- tions producedbytheinternstoshow movies of“L.A.3-D,”thevisualiza- was tocreatecomputer-scripted geared towardschoolyearschedules. what less-ambitiouschallenges with part-timeinternshipsandsome- school year, theprogramcontinues summer program.Throughoutthe which servesasaculminationofthe work attheSCECannualmeeting, 10 weeks.Theythenpresenttheir scale innovativeresearchprojectin challenged toaccomplishalarge- Jordan. student ingeophysics,workingwith quake, butnowheisagraduate couldn’t tellafaultfromanearth- an intern.Byhisownadmission,he computer sciencewhenhebecame before theirSCECinternships. in computerscienceorearth Link norPiercehadanyexperience SCEC thispastsummer. Neither Northridge. Hereturnedtoworkfor rhetoric atCaliforniaStateUniversity, who isnowagraduatestudentin was aUSCcommunicationsmajor creatively solvevisualizationissues.” think evenfurtheroutsidetheboxto “Earth scienceisbecomingamore Last summer, thestudentsproto- This pastsummer, thechallenge Each summer, theinternsare Jeremy Zecharwasaseniorin Jed Link,a2002summerintern, —Karen NewellYoung 19

D the university’s efforts toadvance can thinkofnobetterwaytosupport provided byUSC,”saysDornsife.“I quality educationandresearch first-hand thebenefitofhigh- my familyandIhaveexperienced teaching andresearchatUSC. ily hasalonghistoryofpromoting Marshall SchoolofBusiness.Hisfam- and a1965graduateoftheUSC president oftheHedcoFoundation Corp. andGilligCorp.,isalsovice chairman oftheboardHerrick than 55millionAmericans. orders anddiseasesthatafflict more new insightsintothebrain-baseddis- brain researchatUSC,andleadto tool willspeedupthepaceofhuman ativity. Accesstothisindispensable such asmemory, sensationandcre- bases ofdifficult-to-study functions shedding lightonthebiological organization ofthehumanbrain, a rushofnewdiscoveriesaboutthe ping afinger. such asreading,seeingafaceortap- subject performsaspecifictask, brain thatbecomeactivewhena scans revealtheprecisepartsof and where.Colorchangesonthe looks like,butalsowhat’s happening them toseenotonlywhatthebrain view intothelivingbrain,allowing vides researcherswitha“realtime” The non-invasivefMRIsystempro- resonance imaging(fMRI)scanner. state-of-the-art functionalmagnetic at USCCollege. Dornsife Gift to Establish New Brain Imaging Center atUSCDornsife GifttoEstablishNewBrainImaging Gifts andGrants 20 port intheDepartmentofEarthSciences pledge toprovidegraduatefellowship sup- Howard Gould Biology Building for theUSCMolecular&Computational An anonymousdonorpledged$1million GIFTS RECENT “As partoftheUSCcommunity, Mr. Dornsife,aUSCtrusteeand Already, fMRIstudieshaveledto The newcenterwillhousea Imaging Centerheadquartered USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts Cognitive Neuroscience avid Dornsifeandhiswife Dana havegivenan$8mil- lion leadgifttoestablisha completed a$100,000 Gifts A samplingofrecentsupport the brainprocessesunderlyingreadinganddyslexia. tion’s scanningfacility. scansinhisresearchon ManisusesfMRI do theirresearchwithouthavingtoviefortimeatanotherinstitu- atUSCtists likeFrank College,to Manis,professorofpsychology centerThe willmakeiteasierforUSC newimaging neuroscien- and itsprograms,”saysUSC reflects theiresteemfortheuniversity teaching andresearchatUSC an exemplaryfamilylegacypromoting a particularlymeaningfulextensionof 1999 and2000,respectively. porters ofUSCuntiltheirdeathsin were USCalumsandgeneroussup- Dornsife’s parents,HaroldandEster, port fromtheDornsifefamily. David player inthefield.” and strengthenitspositionasamajor this gifttomakemajordiscoveries Center. We’re confidentUSCwilluse Cognitive NeuroscienceImaging research thantojumpstartthe Dyslexics Normal readers Endowment inPoliticalScience fund theLesherFamilyScholarship Stephen C.Lesher John andMerryHagestad Computational BiologyBuilding $100,000 totheUSCMolecular& “Dana andDavid’s generousgiftis The giftcontinuesahistoryofsup- pledged $50,000to Fall 2003 pledged faculty andthebeststudents.” will helpusrecruitmoreprominent keeping ourprogramcompetitive and “The Dornsifes’giftiscriticalto er oftheAnnaH.BingDean’s Chair. Aoun, deanofUSCCollegeandhold- research institution,”saysJoseph key inourgrowthasapremier extensive researchareasandhasbeen become oneofourstrongestandmost Dornsife family, neurosciencehas in USCCollege. Harold DornsifeNeurosciencesChair Chair inBiologicalSciencesandthe tories, aswelltheEsterDornsife Hedco MolecularBiologyLabora- Neurosciences Buildingandthe Engineering Building,theHedco the HedcoPetroleumandChemical in USC’s SeeleyG.MuddBuilding, helped createtheHedcoAuditorium the Dornsifefamily’s philanthropyhas this vitalsupport.” Imaging Centerandaregratefulfor Neuroscience Cognitive Dornsife David Dana and to namethe opportunity accept this are thrilledto Sample. “We Steven B. President VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME “Thanks tothevisionof Through theHedcoFoundation, Dana andDavidDornsife continue toflourishatUSC.” ies andwondersofthebrainwill ensures thatresearchintothemyster- Dornsife’s support ofthenewfacility Sciences atUSCCollege,says: “The Appleman ProfessorshipinBiological holder oftheMiloDonandLucille USC Neuroscienceprogram,and moral learningandself-restraint. ciencies inabrainregionimportant other techniques,herevealeddefi- studies ofconvictedmurderers.Using Adrian RainewillusefMRIinhis generates movement.Psychologist visual information,andhowthebrain language, readingacquisitionand processes learning,emotions,spoken understandings ofhowthebrain fMRI studiesthatwillleadtonew wide teachingefforts. university andintegratinguniversity- tions amongfacultyacrossthe in experiments,fosteringcollabora- remote locationstotakeanactivepart data analysisandvisualization;large- ture, enablingreal-time,interactive the latestincomputationalinfrastruc- to clinicaluse,thecenterwillfeature advanced imagingtechnologies. demand forresearcherstrainedin campuses. Currently, thereisahigh methods tostudentsfromallUSC that willbeusedtoteachimaging offices andanetworkedseminarroom room, asubjectpreparation ing, whichwillfeaturethescanning winter onthe2,500square-footbuild- scanner. equipment attheheartoffMRI the large magnetandothersensitive a speciallydesignedbuildingtohouse the $16millioncenter, whichrequires vide fundstolaunchconstructionof Larry Swanson,directorofthe USC facultyplantoundertake Optimized forresearch,asopposed Work isexpectedtobeginthis The Dornsifes’supportwillpro- Campus orother Sciences the USCHealth allow scientistsat is designedto Advisory Group, Neuroscience Provost’s overseen bythe which willbe capabilities. advanced tion andother remote observa- matics research); for neuroinfor- data storage(vital scale, sharable The facility,

BRAIN IMAGE COURTESY OF FRANK MANIS’S LAB; DORNSIFE PHOTO BY USC NEWS SERVICE

C JONATHAN KELLERMAN PHOTO BY EXLEY-FOTO, INC.; FAYE KELLERMAN PHOTO BY JONATHON EXLEY writing career, Kellermanwrotefrom out work.Forthefirstdecadeofhis milestone forme,”hesays. grade. Gettingpublishedwasquitea wanted towritesincethefourth best-selling suspensenovels.“I’ve College haspublished19consecutive ical professorofpsychologyatUSC Breaks” in1985.Sincethen,theclin- his firstnovel“WhentheBough Alex Delaware,Kellermanpublished in anupcomingcrimenovel. library willbeabackdroptoscene down descriptivedetailssincethe ing thisvisit,theauthorcarefullyjots from USCCollegein1974.Butdur- graduated withaPh.D.inpsychology somewhat familiartohim.Kellerman Library. Thesettingwasalready Edward L.DohenyJr. Memorial Partners inCrime Partners But milestonesdon’t comewith- Creator ofthepsychologist-sleuth afternoon touringUSC’s Kellerman spendsanAugust of suspenseJonathan linical psychologistandmaster years laterhestoppedpracticingpsy- career asasuspensenovelist.Five million copiesandkick-startedhis Bough Breaks”soldmorethanone 1985 whenhisbook“Whenthe lishing houses,hecaughtabreakin of rejectionfrommagazineandpub- an olddeskinhisgarage.Afteryears Jonathan Kellerman VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME Kellerman, hasasimilarstory. She questions aboutpsychologicalissues.) docs whentheyhavespecific Trojan graduatestudentsandpost- Kellerman stillenjoystalkingwith to writingfull-time.(However chology anddevotedhiscareer Faye Kellerman His wife,best-sellingauthorFaye Fall 2003 USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts good stuff asyoupossiblycan.” fully aspossible,andreadmuch “And youneedtoexperiencelife as worst thingyoucando,”hesays. down anddoit.Introspectionisthe listen totheNikecommercial.Justsit ers: “Ifyouwanttowriteabook, research, clinicalworkandteaching.” students tobehighlycompetentin good clinicalprogram.USCprepares chologists needtobetrainedata role forclinicalpsychology. Butpsy- plicated, thereneedstobemoreofa children. Andaslifegetsmorecom- are veryeffective, especiallywith work arescientificallyapplied,they that whenpsychotherapyandclinical 25th anniversary. The programrecentlycelebratedits healthy transitionbacktonormallife. survived chemotherapymakea social workerstohelpchildrenwho physicians, psychologists,nursesand oncology. Specifically, ittrained rehabilitation programtopediatric ed thefirstcomprehensive Angeles (CHLA).In1977,hedirect- ical workatChildrensHospitalLos College, Jonathancompletedhisclin- couldn’t behappier.” engaged towonderfulpeopleandwe ments. “Thetwooldestchildrenare are hisproudestlifeaccomplish- years ofmarriageandfourchildren at USC,”hesays,notingthattheir31 leave her, soIendedup,thankfully, the EastCoast,butIcouldn’t bearto fellowships tonumerousschoolson we firstmetandIhadjustreceived College. prompted himtoattendUSC Jonathan, addingitwasFayewho sary towriteabestseller,” says the insightandlifeexperienceneces- becoming apsychologistandgaining become anovelistwithoutfirst the school.Icouldhavenever great dealofmycurrentsuccessto lowships inpsychology. “AndIowea committed $750,000forgraduatefel- he says.TheKellermansrecently alumnus, youreallyappreciatethat,” beings. Notlikeanumber. Asan is thattheytreatpeoplelikehuman respect forhighereducation. only strengthenedtheirinterestand Rina Lazarustothemysteryworld. characters PeterDeckerandhiswife lished in1986andintroducedthe novel, “TheRitualBath,”waspub- dentistry. Faye’s firstgroundbreaking where sheconductedresearchonoral doctorate indentistryatUCLA, earned aB.A.inmathematicsand As forhisadvicetoaspiringwrit- “The thingaboutpsychologyis While ingraduateschoolatUSC “She wasattendingUCLAwhen “What IadmiremostaboutUSC The Kellermans’jointsuccesshas —Nicole St.Pierre 21

I Fear ofChange are working,”shesays. how wellourmajorsocialinstitutions questions thatcauseustoconsider decades. We arereluctanttoask gal streetracinghasbeenaroundfor prised thataconnectionwasmade. accidents, Sternheimerwasnotsur- quently werekilledindrag-racing released inMay, andteenssubse- movie “2Fast2Furious”was department. lectures intheCollegesociology for ustosee,”saysSternheimer, who culture becauseit’s theeasiestthing (Westview Press,2003).“We fearpop Pop Culture’s InfluenceonChildren” Not theMedia:TheTruth About Sternheimer inhernewbook,“It’s concludes sociologistKaren is oftenmisdirectedandshortsighted, is generallythesame—it’s themedia. dents. Buttheblameforsuchevents nuance andcontext.” sume childrendon’t understandthe take contenttooliterallyandpre- child. We getintotrouble whenwe judgment basedoneachindividual need tobeattentiveandmakea provides “comicrelief.” lence isoftenslapstickinnatureand need toconsiderthatcartoonvio- example, Sternheimersaysparents ing, musicandtheInternet.For cartoons andvideogamestoadvertis- damaging effects ofeverythingfrom parental fearsaboutthepotential ble ratherthanlookinginthemirror.” finger atpopcultureforcreatingtrou- And wehavefrequentlypointedthe younger generationisoutofcontrol. erations havebelievedthatthe “The factis,forcenturies,oldergen- several decades,”Sternheimersays. we haveexperiencedoverthepast economic, socialandpoliticalchanges ier topinpointthancomplex ing culture. lies attheheartofourmedia-bash- concludes thatfearofsocialchange effects ofmediaonchildren.She current socialscienceresearchonthe of thepastcenturyandexamines into thehistoricalandsocietaltrends Media? Blame the College Commons 22 teens dyingindrag-racingacci- Spears orastragicastringof lip-syncing thetunesofBritney t maybeasminora6-year-old “There wasabigoutcry, butille- For example,whenthedrag-racing While mediaphobiaisnotnew, it “The bottomlineisthatparents Sternheimer addressestypical “Changes inmediacultureareeas- In herbook,Sternheimerdelves USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts actually declinedsharply.” 1990s, incidentsofjuvenileviolence video gameindustryexplodedinthe often don’t realizethatwhilethe ly ayoungmalepastime,”shesays. ask whysimulatedkillingisfrequent- male players,theprimaryaudience. violence—especially amongyoung ily criticizedasbeingresponsiblefor analysis butasoundbite.” than information.It’s notcritical says. “Soit’s moreaboutfascination real lookatthesetroubledkids,”she ing alotofotherfactors,possibly killers andGothmusic,they’reignor- nection betweentheColumbine uals fearthemedia. news mediathemselveshelpindivid- Fascination vs.Information Natural HistoryMuseum. medicine andtheL.A.County College, engineering,gerontology, will betrainedbyfacultyfromthe engineering andbiology. Students professor ofkinesiology, biomedical director JillMcNitt-Gray, associate lenge forthefuture,”saysprogram an integrativesenseisthechal- humans andotherlivingthings. tion andphysiology, inboth at theinterfaceofgenomics,evolu- students willstudyemerging areas using thelensofevolution.IEB questions aboutthelifesciences, program willexploreabroadsetof Evolutionary Biology(IEB)Ph.D. Evolutionary Biology Ph.D. inIntegrated and this fall.Theyinclude: got offtoasmoothstartatUSCCollege programs Four newinterdisciplinary Karen Sternheimer “Those whoblamevideogames “We oughttotakeastepbackand Video gamesalsohavebeenheav- “When Newsat11makesacon- Ironically, Sternheimersays,the “Figuring outwhatgenesdoin Students intheIntegratedand —Gilien Silsby, USCNewsService Fall 2003 New programsexpandstudentacademicchoices I land-hungry settlersandspeculators, Colonial explorersandtraders, Americans butalsobecamehometo remained dominatedbyNative west ofColonialsettlements 18th centuries,thelandlyingto ward,” saysMancall. the BritishEmpireexpandedwest- and metaphoricregionthatevolvedas place, butratherashiftinggeographic Ritchie. its researchdirectorRobertC. for intellectualactivity, accordingto been describedasanurturingground Modern StudiesInstitute,whichhas USC-Huntington LibraryEarly ry,” saysMancall,whoalsodirectsthe major roleinshapingAmericanhisto- and Jamestown,theWest hasplayeda independence longbefore1776. inspired adesirefor country culturethat the distinctiveback- Peter Mancalllooksat College historian Press, 2003),USC Hopkins University America” (Johns British North A DeclarationofIndependence VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME students tobenefitfromthecom- International Relationsenables department andtheSchoolof jointly bythepoliticalscience tive medicine. biology, mathematics andpreven- Kawamoto Chair, andprofessorof holder oftheGeorge andLouise program directorSimonTavaré, quality, trained applicants,says field currentlyfaroutnumberhigh- and computerscience.Jobsinthis molecular biology, genetics,math young scientistsconversantin program seekstotrainhybrid biology andbioinformatics.The ciplinary fieldsofcomputational new Ph.D.programintheinterdis- International Relations Ph.D. inPolitics and and Bioinformatics Ph.D. inComputationalBiology Backcountry in Empire: The “At theEdgeof n hisnewbook, From theearly17thtolate “The backcountrywasnotafixed “Since thefoundingofPlymouth A newPh.D.programoffered Biological sciencesisoffering a Peter Mancall a littlebitdifferently.” hope peoplewilllookatourhistory experience,” Mancalladds.“We standing ofAmerica’s Colonial would deepenandwidenourunder- narrative historythatwehoped Mancall. accepted asapartofdailylife,says which violencetowardotherswas earlier experienceshapedaculturein lations resistanttoalienrule.This repeatedly encounterednativepopu- where Englishauthoritiesandsettlers sion inWales, ScotlandandIreland, the medievalAnglo-Normanexpan- experiences withthebackcountryto University ofUtah,traceEnglish Hinderaker, whoteachesatthe North America. pathogens broughtbyEuropeansto the Office ofCollegeAdvising. ground,” saysJanelleHerrickof for studentswithabroadback- aging. studying bioethics,healthor health-related internshipwhile instance, studentscancompletea health-related socialsciences.For and chemistrywithexplorationsof blends basictraininginbiology major, offered byanthropology, College. Thenewliberalarts health andhumanityatthe professions canpursueaB.A.in medicine, nursingorotherhealth B.A. inHealthandHumanity two fields. teaching inareasthatbridgethe carry onexistingresearchand program willmakeiteasierto retical andregionalissues.The bined faculties’expertiseintheo- “We setouttowriteanengaging Mancall andco-authorEric “Medical schoolsarelooking Students consideringgoinginto —Gilien Silsby, USCNewsService exposed tothevirulent eties andcultures native populations,soci- devastation suffered by ideas. Itdescribesthe and tradegoods make alliances,fightwars who cametogetherto Colonists andIndians, interactions between Empire” chroniclesthe he explains. “At theEdgeof

MANCALL PHOTO BY USC NEWS SERVICE

Q RUSSETT PHOTO BY NICOLE ST. PIERRE Romantic periodinliterature.Using says Russett,whospecializesinthe esting persondoingseriouswork,” for criticaltreatment.Thisisaninter- dunits writtenunderherownname. dramatically fromthe40-oddwho- more thanadozennovelsthatdepart Barbara Vine, Rendellhasauthored Writing underthepseudonym publish booksmoreliteraryinstyle. “transcend” thedetectivegenreand mystery writers,RuthRendell,triesto that oneoftoday’s leadingfemale the literaryworld,shesays. lowers thebook’s perceivedvaluein Even callinganovel“agenrenovel” belittle themorefemininegenres. at USCCollege.Indoingso,many Russett, associateprofessorofEnglish specific gender, saysMargaret genres ofbookswitha to associatecertain but ourculturetends gender? Notexactly, talking detectives? mysteries withtough- West? Andwhatabout about talesoftheOld or female?What Russett ConsidersGenre-BendingMysteries The CaseoftheHiddenGender Trustee Y.H. Cho. College DeanJosephAoun;President ofInhaUniversitySeoung-Yong Hong;andUSC Pictured atthelibrarydedication(from lefttoright)isUSC Trustee GinD.Wong; nanotechnology. advancements, includingwirelesscommunications, Remote MediaImmersionand Hoon Cho.RepresentativesfromInhaandUSC discussedseveralnewtechnological dedicated byY.H. Cho,chairmanofKoreanAirlines,inmemoryhisfather, Choong ence wasthegrandopeningofJungSeokMemorialLibrary, anewhigh-tech library by InhaUniversitySept.17 and18 inIncheon,Korea.The keynote eventoftheconfer- College DeanJosephAountraveledtotheInha-USC HighTech Conferencepresented Rendell is“awriterlongoverdue So perhapsitisn’t toosurprising Do bookshavea novels male romance Harlequin uick: Are Margaret Russett female Gothicgenre.Inthebook between theVine novelsandthe Rendell’s otherbooks. women andtheirissuesthan and theVine booksfocusmoreon considers Vine afemininealterego, Barbara Vine. Forexample,Rendell Rendell’s shiftintothepersonaof erature. Genderissuesalsocomplicate low andpopularfictionfromelitelit- “generic,” thehighculturefrom separating theliteraryfrom genre, andhowthisrevealstheline Rendell’s ambitiontomovebeyond even thewhat. out thewhy, thehowandsometimes the story, leavingthereadertofigure crime, andwhocommittedit,earlyin The readerisoftentoldabouta professional detective,onlyanarrator. Russett notesmanysimilarities In heranalysis,Russettexplores VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME mysteries. There’s no more mysteriousthan Genre.” the Questionof Popular Fiction,and Rendell: Feminism, “Three FacesofRuth in arecentessaytitled them, Rendellherself books and,through explores theVine scholar, Russett her skillsasaliterary Vine’s booksare A writes alotabouthowmother women iscentraltoidentity. Vine relationship toone’s mother, whichfor els areworriedaboutone’s on theGothictradition.“Gothicnov- gothic works,”saysRussett,anexpert “makes explicitallusionstoearlier “The HouseofStairs,”Vine/Rendell then seeregularlyupdatedinforma- showers, parkingorvolleyballcourts, a beachbasedoncriteriasuchas environmental studies. lic safety, public educationand federal grantwithapplicationsinpub- Network, theprogramisfundedbya known astheCoastalMonitoring ed every30minutes. amenities. Theinformationisupdat- search adatabaseoffacilitiesand rent weatherandsurfconditions can viewimagesofthebeach,getcur- www.watchthewater.org harbors. ty’s departmentofbeachesand Environmental Studiesandthecoun- Program attheWrigley Institutefor Sea Grant the USCCollege partnership with Department, in County Fire Los Angeles division ofthe by thelifeguard The publicwillbeabletolook for Part ofatechnologyinitiative By goingtotheWeb siteat: Surfs UpinCyberspace Surfs Fall 2003 new Web site has been launched the public USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts new fan. read. Iwilltreasureit.” all thetime.Your essaywasajoyto ably askedifIthinkaboutmurder be treatedseriouslyandnotinvari- Rendell wrote:“It’s alwaysniceto the effort: InanotetoRussett, their attention.Rendellappreciates nize Rendellasanauthorworth encourage otherscholarstorecog- the progressofpsychoanalysis.” Vine’s unusualstyle,which“mimics Russett linksFreud’s casehistoriesto Taylor ColeridgeandHenryJames. including SigmundFreud,Samuel erary influencesinVine’s work, sisters. Russettalsoidentifiesmalelit- Ann Radcliffe oroneoftheBrontë mother” wouldbeGothicnovelists Agatha Christie,buther“chosen erary “naturalmother”mightbe a writer. Metaphorically, Rendell’s lit- ing asVine, seekstodefineherselfas chosen mother-figures.” ship betweenbiologicalmothersand defines you,andabouttherelation- USC SeaGrantProgram. Grifman, associatedirectorofthe from thecoast,”saysPhyllis living inLosAngelesCountyfar curricula forstudentsandfamilies op classroomandInternet-based the LosAngelesarea. science educationingradesK-12 nered withUCLAtoimprovemarine Sea Grantscientists,whohavepart- for thescientificcommunity. rials andcollectenvironmentaldata activity, create publiceducationmate- make staffing decisions,trackrescue this year. are installed,withothersbeingadded thermometers. Fourcamerascurrently logical instrumentsandfivewater Russett seemstohaveearneda Russett hopesherworkwill Russett argues thatRendell,writ- “Beach imageswillhelpusdevel- The networkalsowillhelpUSC The networkwillhelplifeguards sets ofmeteoro- cameras, three sist of27Web network willcon- pleted, the Mike Frazer. chief lifeguard advisories, says conditions and surf, current beach, suchas tion aboutthat —Eva Emerson When com- 23

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changing nature of household govern- Davison’s Lifetime Achievement Anna H. Bing Dean’s Chair and professor ment in America and the effects these of linguistics, and Yen-Hui Audrey Li, Faculty News Gerald Davison, professor of psycholo- changes had on the governmental sys- professor of East Asian languages and gy, received the Association for tem. Combining evidence from legal cultures, include detailed analyses of Advancement of Behavior Therapy 2003 sources, literature, art and census novel data and a sophisticated apprecia- Lifetime Achievement Award, for his records, Shammas argues that the disin- tion of current grammatical theory. outstanding contributions to the field of tegration of the household powers during Published by MIT Press, the first part cognitive behavioral therapy. the middle of the 19th century was much of the book investigates the distribution more central to the definition of a mod- and interpretations of multiple wh-inter- Sellers to Lead Metropolitan Project ern United States than industrialization rogative constructions, focusing on or urbanization. Jefferey Sellers, assistant professor of notions of superiority. Part two investi- Published by University of Virginia political science, received a grant of sup- gates the structure and derivation of Press, the book analyzes why heads of port from the French GRALE, a joint relative constructions. households ultimately lost their power funding organization of the National “This book contains the most inter- and considers factors previously ignored Ministry of Research and the National esting and provocative syntax I have by other theorists, including weak line- Center for Scientific Research, to lead seen in the last five years. Aoun and Li age controls, testamentary freedom and the International Metropolitan are considered to be two of the best syn- the lack of an established church. Observatory project. The project will tacticians around. This wonderful book conduct a series of workshops over sever- shows why,” says Norbert Hornstein, Naipaul’s Strangers al years to collect and analyze data on professor of linguistics at the University metropolitan areas throughout 13 devel- The new of Maryland College Park. oped countries in North America, book Europe and Asia. Dekmejian’s Manual of Leadership “Naipaul’s Strangers,” by Professor of Linguistic Scholars Release Book Professor of Political A Historian of Household German and Science Government Comparative Richard Literature Dekmejian From colonial times until the Civil War, Dagmar Barnouw Dagmar co-authored households in the United States consist- Barnouw, the new book ed of a single head (usually an adult explores the strategies and literary tech- “The Just male) who had authority over the proper- niques that V.S. Naipaul, the winner of Prince: A Richard ty, labor and mobility of his wife and the 2001 Nobel Prize in Literature, used Manual of Dekmejian minor children. in his controversial writings about the Leadership.” In her new book “A History of strangeness of the world. Other books by The book will be used in Dekmejian’s Household Government in America,” Barnouw include “Weimar Intellectuals world political leadership course. Carole Shammas—the John R. and the Threat of Modernity” and Hubbard Chair in History—analyzes the “Germany 1945.” Braudy’s Next Book In November, University Professor and holder of the Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature Leo Braudy will release his next book “From Prakash Wins Major Chemistry Prize Chivalry to Terrorism: War and the Changing Nature of Masculinity,” pub- In the Sept. 1 issue of the Chemical & Engineering News, the American Chemical Society lished by Alfred Knopf.

(ACS) announced the selection of USC College chemist G.K. Surya Prakash as the win- Rosendorff Directs Center for In their new book, “Essays on the International Studies ner of the prestigious 2004 American Chemical Society Award for Creative Work in Representational and Derivational Fluorine Chemistry. The award will be presented to him at the 227th ACS meeting to be Nature of Grammar: The Diversity of Peter Rosendorff, associate professor of Wh-Constructions,” Joseph Aoun, the international relations and economics, is held in Anaheim in March 2004. Fluorine’s tendency to overreact, or “catch fire,” and its usefulness—it is a key com- ponent in drugs used to treat malaria, HIV and cancer—has made finding a way to tame it a goal of chemists for more than 40 years, notes Prakash, holder of the George A. and Judith A. Olah Nobel Laureate Chair in Hydrocarbon Chemistry and scientific co-director Virtually Aging @ USC of the Loker Hydrocarbon Institute at USC. Prakash has made major contributions to the field of fluorine research. Despite the Faced with an aging population and a maturing difficulties of working with the very reactive element, the unusual properties of fluorinat- research community, ed molecules have made them valuable in biology, materials science and the investigations of aging pharmaceutical industry. and aging-related dis- The award follows a flurry of fluorinated activity: Earlier this year, Prakash co-chaired eases have exploded at the nation’s largest meeting on fluorine chemistry in Florida. There, his group presented USC over the past 30 years. Today, by one esti- results from his latest work, describing his team’s development of a new chemical mate, more than 100 method for introducing trifluoromethyl (CF3) groups into molecules. USC scholars, represent- The team’s method “tames” the trifluoromethylation process, Prakash says. The new ing natural science and method is easier to use than existing methods and provides a more stable source of the social science disciplines trifluoromethyl groups for applications in the lab and industry. The finding also has envi- and professional schools, are studying biological, ronmental value: previously, ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) had been the social, health, economic, policy or Caleb Finch, USC University most common source for the trifluoromethyl groups. Prakash’s “environmentally friend- other aspects of aging. For a glimpse Professor, the ARCO/William F. ly” trifluoromethyl reagent is made from non-ozone depleting trifluoromethane, which of just how extensive the USC aging Kieschnick Chair in the Neuro-biolo- itself is an inexpensive, industrial chemical by-product that has had few uses. research enterprise has become, and gy of Aging in the School of “Fluorine is a small atom with a big ego, because it does so many valuable for information on aging-related Gerontology and a College professor research and resources, visit of biology, and his team. things,” Prakash says. University Wide Aging Nexus at Visit the site at: —Eva Emerson USC, a new Web site designed by www.usc.edu/projects/nexus PHOTO BY FIRST LASTNAME

24 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

PHOTO BY FIRST LASTNAME enjoying. tion (andanewhome)heisverymuch International ResidentialCollege,aposi- new FacultyMasterattheParkside ferent: Thisfall,Waterman becamethe science. Butthisone,hesays,isabitdif- ences, mathematicsandcomputer Sciences andprofessorofbiologicalsci- of theUSCAssociatesChairinNatural an alreadylonglistthatincludesholder in thepoliticaleconomyoftradepolicy. three-year term.Rosendorff isanexpert from theCollege,whocompletedher borders. HereplacesJ.AnnTickner, also es, ideasandcultureacrossinternational increased flowsofgoods,money, servic- geographic causesandeffects of logical, political,historicaland to focusontheeconomic,social,psycho- Richard Meyer Meyer Wins EldredgePrize University Professor Waterman’s NewTitle Prize forthebestbookonAmericanart: history, receivedtheCharlesC.Eldredge Waterman Letters totheEditor of nations,Israelandothers from Canada,theEuropeanblock that separateAmericanthinking This questionhascreatedissues people withequalhumanrights? ally different personsnormal Are homosexualsandothersexu- with littlesubstanceforguidance. divided byopinionandprejudice and clarification,thepublicis subject leftunattended? societal problems,howisthis solutions tocurrentandfuture entific researchtodevelop Seeking fullmaximizationofsci- studies ofhumansexuality? sible thatnoattentionispaidto and thinking.Howthenisitpos- cutting edgeoffutureplanning versity seemstobeonthe inconceivable omission:Ouruni- And soinspiring.Butwithone What abeautifulpublication! A glaringomission Peter Rosendorff From alackofacademicstudy has addedonemoretitleto , associateprofessorofart Michael the university throughout ty from together facul- center brings USC. The Studies at International Center for tor ofthe the newdirec- American ArtMuseum. Wars,” Nov. 20attheSmithsonian Public ControversySincetheCulture lecture, titled“Outlaws:QueerArtand traditional boundaries. en thedisciplinebyreachingbeyond focus debatesinthefield,orwhobroad- is meanttohonorauthorswhodeepenor nality andthoroughnessofresearch ceremony inWashington, D.C. Smithsonian AmericanArtMuseumata Meyer bythedirectorof 2002). Theprizewillbeawardedto American Art”(OxfordUniversityPress, Homosexuality inTwentieth-Century “Outlaw Representation:Censorshipand color pictureoffourwhitemales shock andsadnesstoseethelarge zine atmyaddress.Imagine of USCandwereceivethemaga- My daughterisarecentgraduate Too manymen tion Trojan. in MontereyPark,isathird-genera- master’s degrees fromUSCandlives hisbachelor’sElliott, whoearned and sexuality. studies intheareaofhuman valuable researchprogramsand idly movingaheadintosuch left farbehindothersthatarerap- afraid ouruniversityisgoingtobe comes tobasichumanissues.I’m very narrowopeningwhenit many organized religions. that isamajorbreakingpointfor Meyer willdelivertheEldredgePrize The EldredgePrizerecognizesorigi- USC seemstoseethrougha VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME —J. DouglasElliott Los Angeles white males. religion thanfouralmostdead decision. There’s somuchmoreto lege thatcouldmakesucha about diversity. hend givenyoursupposedclaims It’s especiallydifficult tocompre- publication inthisdayandage! place suchapictureonanyUSC I can’t understandhowyoucould issue. “UniversalBeliefs,”indeed. on thefrontofSummer2003 better. Thanksforwriting. hope youlikethecoverofthisissue subject ofreligionattheCollege.We ture wasnotintendedtorepresentthe highlighted inthemagazine.Thepic- conferencethatwe nated theinterfaith Catholic andaMuslim—whocoordi- was fourmen—aJew, aProtestant, Unfortunately forthecoverphoto,it I simplycannotsupportacol- Neuroscience All-Stars ISI siteathttp://isihighlycited.com. ISI Michel Baudry, sciences.For moreinformationgotothe professorofbiological SarnoffMednick,directoroftheSocialScienceResearchInstitute;and ogy; of theWilliam Sciencesandaprofessorofpsychol- M.Keck ChairinBiological Sciences; NationalAcademyofSciencesMemberRichardF. Thompson, holder holder oftheMiloDonandLucilleApplemanProfessorshipinBiological listed intheTop 100. Collegecanclaimfourofthese—LarrySwanson, USC Neurosciencerackedupsomestrongstats,with5facultymembers fields. USC highly citedresearchersbetween1981 and1999 foranumberofscientific works areconsideredmajorcontributionstothefield. citation statsprovideanobjectiveviewoftheimpacttheirwork.Highlycited Fall 2003 Using citation indices like these, the ISI recentlycalculatedthe100Using citationindiceslikethese,theISI most —Nancy Cervetti Kansas City, MO USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts Corrections at thesymposiumlastspring. Place/Special InterdisciplinaryAward Creative Work. ShereceivedaFirst Symposium forScholarlyand onthe Undergraduate 2003 article omittedfromaSummer vertently Faculty News. and shouldhavebeenlistedunder in EastAsianlanguagesandculture News. Birgeisanassociateprofessor mistakenly listedunderStudent Fulbright ScholarAward toBeijingwas that BettineBirgehadreceiveda edited forclarityandlength. [email protected]. Letters maybe Please submitallcommunication to your commentsandreactions. USC CollegeMagazinewelcomes Tracy Hensley’snamewasinad- In theSummer2003 issue,news tist’s work.To many, these is referencedinanotherscien- of timesascientificpublication isthenumber most important stats forscientists.Amongthe talliescareer Information (ISI) Institute forScientific ratings ofpoliticians,the ball playersandtheapproval Like battingaveragesofbase- —Eva Emerson 25

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to explore their religious beliefs in a the 1960s. Meador, a book collector and a with the marketing and sales of feature Alumni News multi-faith world. She will also be teach- freelance writer, has been published in films and TV content to the international ing gender studies. Akiyama earned her the New York Times, Chicago Tribune market, with an emphasis on documen- Ph.D. in religion and social ethics. and Smithsonian, among other national tary projects. Prince named Citigroup chair publications. The book is published by International reach Carroll & Graf Publishers. McIllwain pens first book Charles Owen Prince, (M.A. ’75) who Peter O’Neill (Ph.D., ’00) and Jeffrey McIllwain (B.A., ’91) has written holds three USC degrees, was recently Osterman helps preserve the past (Ph.D.,’99) are his first book, “Organizing Crime in named Chairman and CEO of Citigroup’s Rhiannon Evans expanding the international influence of Joe Osterman (B.A., ’50) taught and Chinatown: Race, Crime and Global Corporate and Investment Bank. the classics department by taking jobs coached at El Rancho High School in Acculturation in New York’s Chinatown, Before taking over as chairman, Prince overseas. O’Neill recently finished a year Pico Rivera for 40 years before retiring in 1890-1910,” which will be published this was chief operating officer of Citigroup. as Rome Prize Fellow at the American 1991. He has been active in preserving year. McIllwain is an assistant professor Prince began his career as an attorney at Academy in Rome and will be joining memories of the southern Orange of public administration and criminal jus- U.S. Steel Corporation in 1975 and in the faculty of the University of Exeter in County rural lifestyle before urbaniza- tice, and coordinator for the international 1979 joined Commercial Credit Company his native England. Evans has accepted a tion, water and wheels. He is the author security and conflict resolution program (a predecessor company to Citigroup). faculty position at the University of of three books and close to 100 articles at San Diego State University. Born in 1950, Prince holds a master’s Melbourne, Australia. and essays. degree in international relations and a law Wilson attends graduate school degree from USC as well as a master of Shortnancy joins NYC firm Albanese retires law degree from Georgetown University. Janet Wilson (B.A., ’99) is attending He lives in Manhattan and has two grown Michael Shortnacy (B.A.,’96) received Bobbie F. Albanese (B.A., ’61, M.A. graduate school at the University of West children. his law degree from American University ’68) recently retired from the law firm Florida in Pensacola, studying public his- Washington College of Law in May and Lozano Smith. Her husband and her son tory, with an emphasis on museology and Akiyama heads religious is now a litigation associate with the law also have degrees from USC. She is a exhibit design. She is engaged to be mar- program at Occidental firm Loeb & Loeb in New York City. member of USC Associates. ried in 2003. Diana Akiyama (Ph.D., ’01) was recent- Meador writes about book trade Pisarik develops sports series Chiu receives Phi Alpha Theta award ly named director of religious and spiritual life at Occidental College in Los Roy Meador (B.A.,’51) recently pub- Michael Pisarik (B.A., ’90) is currently Alden Chiu (B.A., ’01) received the Phi Angeles. She will direct a $2 million lished, with Marvin Mondlin, the book developing a collegiate sports competi- Alpha Theta award for best history paper grant from the Lilly Foundation to “Book Row: An Anecdotal and Pictorial tion series for a cable television network. of the year in 2001. He is currently a first explore the relationship between spiritu- History of the Antiquarian Book Trade,” Since graduation, he has been involved year student at Cornell Medical School. ality, human values, vocation and about the seven blocks of Fourth Avenue meaningful work. She will also provide that used to be called New York leadership for the campus interfaith cen- Booksellers’ Row, a magnet for book- ter whose programs encourage students sellers and bibliophiles from the 1890s to Money Can’t Buy Me Love

Got Nutrition? he Beatles would you say Healthy foods may prevent schizophrenia said it. things are these Benjamin days? Would you Franklin said say that you are Tit. Even your mother very happy, pret- said it—money can’t ty happy or not oddlers who eat of daily exercise and buy happiness. too happy?” well, exercise daily treated to intense cogni- Now there’s sci- The survey and attend pre- tive stimulation over a entific proof. queried roughly school are less two-year period in a pre- Greater wealth 1,500 people Tlikely to develop mental school setting. does not lead to annually for 28 illnesses as young adults, Compared to 355 chil- greater happiness, years—from 1972 to 2000. Easterlin a USC study has found. dren who received no according to a USC recast the data to study people’s Published in the cur- special treatment, the study titled experience from early adulthood rent issue of the enriched group had a “Explaining through their retirement years. Richard Easterlin American Journal of Adrian Raine 31.9 percent reduction in Happiness,” pub- The data show people are no hap- Psychiatry, the study is schizotypal personality at lished in the pier when they acquire greater among the first to look at ways to pre- age 17, a precursor to schizophrenia. current online edition of the wealth, Easterlin says. Happiness, he vent psychotic disorders. Those who received the interven- Proceedings of the National Academy found, typically came from spending “Parents often feel helpless as tion also had a 27.9 percent reduction of Sciences. quality time with loved ones and though there’s nothing they can do to in antisocial-behavior problems at age The study also concluded that from good health. ward off mental illness,” says Adrian 17. The crime rate also was cut by 35 there is no internal “setpoint” of Using the data as a gauge, Raine, a psychology professor in USC percent at age 23. The benefits of the happiness, as many psychologists Easterlin tested two opposing theo- College and leader of the project, enrichment were much stronger in have theorized. ries of happiness—the psychological which was funded by the National children who were poorly nourished “Many people are under the illu- theory that claims individuals are Institute of Mental Health and the before the study started, suggesting sion that the more money we make, wired with an internal happiness Ministry of Health in Mauritius where that good nutrition was the active the happier we’ll be,” says USC “setpoint” to which people eventual- the study was conducted. ingredient in the prevention program. University Professor Richard ly return despite life events such as Mauritius is a small tropical island “This suggests that proper nutri- Easterlin, a College economist and the loss of a job, divorce or serious in the Indian Ocean. tion, exercise and cognitive member of the National Academy of injury; and the economic theory that “Our results clearly show there stimulation in preschool very likely Sciences. “So we put all of our increasing a person’s wealth increases are several proactive steps parents will create better behavior 20 years resources into making money at the his or her well-being. can take,” says Raine, the Robert later,” says Raine. “The implication expense of our family and our health.” Neither theory was supported by Granford Wright professor of for society is that we may have identi- Easterlin based his analysis on data the data, Easterlin says. psychology. fied some of the building blocks of from the United States General Social To view the complete study, visit: In the study, 83 three-year-olds schizophrenia and crime.” Survey (GSS), which asks questions www.pnas.org. 1 were fed hot meals, led in 2 /2 hours —Gilien Silsby, USC News Service such as: “Taken all together, how —Gilien Silsby, USC News Service PHOTO BY FIRST LASTNAME

26 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3

LECTURE PHOTOS BY ELAINE PAOLONI a fourthwasnamedinhishonor. These American ChemicalSocietyawardsand Adamson receivedthreenational education (includingmanyfromUSC), awards forresearchandexcellencein chemistry. cal chemistry, andsurfacecolloid is knownforhistextbooksaboutphysi- father ofinorganic photochemistry”and lific writer, hehasbeencalled“the 1946. Aninspirationalteacherandapro- the USCfacultyin Chicago, hejoined University of Ph.D. fromthe Berkeley anda B.S. fromU.C. on July22.With a of chemistry, died emeritus professor Arthur Adamson Arthur W.Arthur Adamson,professor, 83 Obituaries The recipientofnumerousscientific Role inAmericanLife. the lecturesponsoredbyUSC CasdenInstitute fortheStudyof theJewish USC Trustee AlanCasden andhiswifeSusanenjoySenatorColeman’sremarksat his wifeLaurie(right). Louis Warschaw DistinguishedLecturer, SenatorNormColeman(R-Minn.),and USC AlumnaCarmenWarschaw (left)poseswiththeFifthAnnualCarmenand Louis Warschaw Lecture , Malone David Henry David HenryMalone,dean,84 great-grandchildren. daughters, sevengrandchildrenandfive his wifeof61years,Virginia, three Palos Verdes, Calif.Heissurvivedby active inhiscommunityandchurch coordination chemistry. Adamsonwas papers abouttransportprocessand istry andpublishedmorethan140 the areaofsurfaceandcolloidchem- and chemicaleducation. ganic photochemistry, surfacechemistry awards spanthreedistinctfields:inor- Carolina wherehemethiswifeof60 Malone attendedtheUniversityofNorth D.C., in1919, Born inWashington, struggle withcancer. after afour-year in Kirkland,WA, passed awayJune8 dean ofhumanities, emeritus andformer He authoredmorethan65papersin , professor VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 4NUMBER VOLUME continued from pagecontinued from 8 Relics Roman RuletoReligious grandchildren. Seattle andBruceofSunValley; andfour leaves hiswife,Alice;sons,Stephenof attaining therankofcommander. He a memberoftheU.S.NavalReserve, Navy from1942to1945andcontinuedas from theRockefellerFoundation. Endowment oftheHumanitiesandone received twograntsfromtheNational of Vienna. DuringhiscareeratUSChe Fulbright ProfessorshipattheUniversity and theUniversityofParis,aVisiting study atPhillipsUniversitatinGermany post-doctoral FordFoundationgrantto and visitingprofessorships,includinga Sciences (1980-81). acting dean,CollegeofLetters,Arts& the DivisionofHumanities(1972-1980); English department(1964-1968);deanof parative literature(1962-1972);chairman, administrative positions:chairman,com- During histenureatUSCheheldseveral Auburn Universityfrom1948to1962. English afterservingonthefacultyof fessor ofcomparativeliteratureand 1940. the sameuniversity, earninghisPh.D.in undergraduate andgraduateeducationat years, AliceWells. Hereceivedbothhis Friends ofDespotiko. newly formedorganization called support theexcavationthrougha project. the MinistryofAegeanfund The GreekMinistryofCultureand of museumartifactsandburiedruins. the governmentdepartmentincharge of theGreekMinistryCulture— Prehistoric andClassicalAntiquities for Parosinthe21stEphorateof tion asthesupervisoryarchaeologist by Yannos Kourayos,throughhisposi- were incorporatedin2001. of theCyclades.Studentvolunteers rescue projecttopreservetheregion to anotherchurchandtakeitsGod.” exemption. Iwouldn’t havetotravel ists, buildabuildingandseek tax would raisemoney, seekco-religion- travel, saysAndo. a Christianemperor,” hesays. for 700years,untilitwasoutlawedby Rome andworshipedherstoneform cessfully broughtthegoddessbackto Cybele wasablackstone.“Theysuc- a shrineinTurkey. Asithappened, continued from pagecontinued from 8 Students DigGreekCulture Malone servedasanofficer intheU.S. He alsoreceivedseveralfellowships Malone cametoUSCin1962aspro- Individuals canmakedonationsto Today, theexcavationisdirected “If Iwastobuildachurchtoday, I Worship todayinvolvesfarless The RomansfoundtheGoddessat Fall 2003 —Nicole St.Pierre —Nicole St.Pierre USC &Sciences College of Letters, Arts Lani; andfoursistersonebrother. Julie; sons,Tom andTim; granddaughter, is survivedbyhiswife,Susan;daughter, He studiedEnglishatUSCCollegeand five grandchildrenandtwobrothers. he issurvivedbyhiswife,twodaughters, fessor emeritusatIowaStateUniversity, June 7ofcongestiveheartfailure.Apro- papers, ninebooksand10patents,died plishments includemorethan100 psychologist whoseprofessionalaccom- Patricia RyanBox volunteer, 81 Patricia RyanBox, motherand Donald Schuster Donald Schuster, professor, 76 Armando Francisco DeCastro Armando Francisco DeCastro,CEO, 61 A residentofFullerton,Calif. James E.Mussleman,alumnus,77 Mussleman also survivedbyhiswifeJane. with adegreeincommunication.Heis Stephanie graduatedfromUSCin1997 USC athleticsprogram.Hisdaughter DeCastro wasastrongsupporterofthe ber oftheKappaSigmaFraternity. science atUSCCollegeandwasamem- Maintenance Systemsstudiedpolitical ’66), CEOandfounderofDiversified children. and devotedherlifetoraisingtheirnine was marriedtoWilliam Boxfor45years ers forImmaculateHeartCollege.She Catholic Church,andorganized fundrais- ran theparishlibraryatSt.Jerome’s College. ShewasactiveinL.A.Beautiful, Navy, shestudiedEnglishatUSC Calif. Afterservingfouryearsinthe June 16atherhomeinPalosVerdes, a phonenumberandaddress. Anddon’tforgettoinclude your degree. and include theyearyougraduated pleasebesureto graduate, USC 90089-5014.Angeles, CA Ifyouare a 3551 Trousdale Pkwy., ADM310, Los Magazine, c/oKarenNewellYoung, College or bymailingittoUSC the [email protected], career? Pleaseletusknowbye-mailing award? Written anew abook?Started you’ve beenupto.Haveyouwonan interested inlearningaboutwhat faculty andaffiliates.That’s whywe’re munity createdbyitsstudents,alumni, Collegevaluestheclose-knitcom- USC What’s New? (B.A., ’53) diedonJuly21. (B.A., ’53) (Ph.D., ’61),a (M.A.,’59) diedon James (B.A., 27

University of Southern California Non-Profit Fall 2003 3551 Trousdale Parkway, ADM 310 Organization Los Angeles, CA 90089-5014 U.S. Postage Paid University of Southern California INSIDE: • Genomic Science Set to Expand at USC • Mystery Writer Reveals His Own Story

California Press, September 2003). The intimate interviews and Capturing the Spirit of Armenia Berndt’s photography trace the social, economic and spiritual journey of The faces of triumphs and tragedy Armenians during the 1980s and 1990s, when the country faced a series of tragic setbacks, including earthquakes, pogroms, poverty and war. The authors focused on ver long dinners of eggplant four groups of people: survivors of and dolma, religion profes- the earthquake that devastated sor Donald Miller and his northwestern Armenia in 1988; wife Lorna spent months refugees from Azerbaijan who Olistening to her father spin tales of his fled Baku and Sumgait because Armenian childhood. The stories so of pogroms against them; women, enthralled both Millers that soon they children and soldiers who were began tape recording the material for affected by the war in Nagorno- posterity. Karabakh; and ordinary citizens Woven throughout the stories told who survived several winters by Lorna’s father, Vahram Touryan, without heat because of a Turkish was a painful theme: the Armenian and Azerbaijani blockade. genocide of 1915. Everyone in While working on the book, Touryan’s family except himself and the Millers and Berndt created an his sister died in the first major geno- exhibit of their work, which was cide of the 20th century. displayed in major “Lorna and I were undergraduates metropolitan areas. at USC and planning to marry,” says The trio also was Donald Miller, a USC College profes- invited to speak about sor of religion and executive director A man takes a break while reconstructing his earthquake- Armenia at confer- of the Center for Religion and Civic damaged house. ences and workshops Culture. “Lorna’s father was not keen around the globe. on her marrying a non-Armenian. But family Sunday feast,” says Donald covery. But In 2001, Donald when it looked like a done deal, he Miller, the Leonard K. Firestone they were and Lorna were asked decided to educate me. He was a Professor of Religion. “We would eat wrong. The to participate in an very clever fellow who shared the his- for hours and my father-in-law would project was international confer-

tory of the Armenian people by tell stories of his childhood, weaving not over. A warmly dressed child studies in an ence on genocide in telling stories of his own childhood.” in accounts of his people’s history Shortly unheated primary school. Kigali, Rwanda, where Lorna’s mother, Adelina, also had from the fifth century or so. When he after writing they presented their personal stories stemming from the became ill, we were afraid these sto- “Survivors,” the Millers received a research and became acquainted with tragedy, and soon these conversations ries would disappear with his death, call from a representative of Howard survivors of the 1994 Rwandan geno- led to interviews with other survivors so we began interviewing him with and Roberta Ahmanson, who were cide that claimed the lives of 800,000 of the Armenian genocide. no intention of writing a book, but interested in funding a research proj- people. “Through interviews with The taped interviews, which start- simply to pass on this life history to ect focusing on the struggle for members of an association of orphans ed out as a family project to preserve our children.” independence of the Republic of who were heading households of sur- the Touryans’ stories for future gen- For the Millers, who lived in the Armenia, a former Soviet Republic. viving siblings, we could see these erations, became an academic Armenian section of Pasadena, this Although both Donald and Lorna young adults struggling with the same endeavor that spanned several project led them down painful and were on to other projects, the oppor- issues that Armenians faced a decade decades and resulted in the publica- enlightening paths. It allowed Lorna tunity to expand their research on after their genocide—but in some tion of “Survivors: An Oral History of to learn more about her father and his Armenia proved too compelling to ways with even less support than the Armenian Genocide,” by Donald extraordinary life after he was adopt- pass up. Armenian survivors had experienced,” and Lorna Touryan Miller (University ed into a Turkish household, only to With photographer Jerry Berndt, says Donald. of California Press, 1993). More than flee it with a surviving sister to an the Millers traveled to Armenia mul- Their interactions in Kigali have 100 of the Millers’ interviews with Armenian orphanage. It provided tiple times during 1993 and 1994, and led the Millers to start a new project Southern California Armenians in Donald an opportunity to better set up a research team to help with on genocide, this time collaborating their 70s, 80s and 90s are included understand the Armenian roots of his the 300 interviews that appear in the with the orphan organization as its in the book. wife’s culture. Both were glad when culmination of the Ahmanson project, members document their own experi- “During the first few years of our publication of the book signaled an which is titled “Armenia: Portraits of ences of survival and hope. marriage, we would be invited to the end to a long, arduous journey of dis- Survival and Hope” (University of —Karen Newell Young

28 USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences Fall 2003 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 PHOTOS BY JERRY BERNDT