FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF USC DANA AND DAVID DORNSIFE COLLEGE OF LETTERS, ARTS AND SCIENCES SPRING / SUMMER 2013 MAGAZINE The Creativity Issue IMAGINATIONFREE YOUR Experience the originality and flair of USC Dornsife’s masters of ingenuity. 2 CONTRIBUTOR REID LIDOW ’14 International Relations and Political Science Major “While we were in Russia, we first learned this quote: ‘Don’t dig a hole for others to fall into,’ ” said Reid Lidow at the March 9, 2013, celebration launching USC Dornsife’s $750 million fundraising initiative. “This program dropped us right into the middle of this hole and asked us to begin to think about how we stop the digging,” Lidow con- tinued. While participating in the Problems Without Passports program, Lidow described how he and 17 other students traveled to Finland, Russia and Sweden to meet with diplomatic, energy and environmental experts. Led by professors Steven Lamy and Robert English, they explored not only how long the Earth’s Arctic ice can be sustained, but also how governance and the forging of transnational partner- ships can endure after the ice disappears. Celebrants also heard presentations by two other students: sociol- ogy major Jasmine Torres ’14, whose goal is to be an advocate for foster youth, and neuroscience doctoral student Glenn Fox, who uses functional brain imag- ing to research the emotion of gratitude. Together with Lidow, they demonstrated how USC Dornsife is prepar- ing its students to be the next generation of leaders who will make critical ad- vances in the areas of sus- tainability, human health and our communities. PHOTO BY STEVE COHN No Bounds An international relations major created a painting. A physics major penned a EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR short story. An environmental science and health major wrote a song. Emily Cavalcanti SENIOR EDITOR This spring, when we sponsored an “I am Pamela J. Johnson USC Dornsife” contest, for which we invited DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION students to use their creativity to define how Dan Knapp they embody the spirit and mission of USC GRAPHIC DESIGNER Dornsife, the submissions were fascinating. Letty Avila In addition to paintings, short stories and a SENIOR VIDEO PRODUCER song, we received essays, poems and videos Mira Zimet from students across the College. In her first-place essay describing how SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST her undergraduate experience has led her Michelle Salzman to this pinnacle moment, Rebecca Braun, WEB EDITOR AND WRITER an international relations major and French Laura Paisley minor, writes, “USC Dornsife has helped STAFF WRITER make me unlimited, unable to be bound by Susan Bell national frontiers, stereotypes or academic COORDINATOR assumptions.” Second-place winner Brittany Letitia Franklin Lala, a neuroscience and biological sciences CONTRIBUTING WRITER double major, created two paintings — one Robert Perkins of a human mother swaddling her child and USC DORNSIFE ADMINISTRATION the other of a chimpanzee mother hugging her baby — to reflect the innate biological Steve Kay, Dean • Dani Byrd, Vice Dean for Institutional Affairs • Charles McKenna, Vice Dean for Natural Sciences • Peter C. Mancall, connection among all species. Sociology ma- Vice Dean for the Humanities • Wendy Wood, Vice Dean for Social Sciences jor John Ingram placed third for his poem • Steven Lamy, Vice Dean for Academic Programs • Donal Manahan, Vice “Composing USC,” a collection of three Dean for Students • George Sanchez, Vice Dean for College Diversity & works written to form U-S-C in large letters. Strategic Initiatives • Ted Budge, Chief Financial Officer & Senior What each of these entries reinforced for Associate Dean • Kathleen Speer, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty & me is the critical role USC Dornsife plays as Research an engine for discovery. There are quite sim- USC DORNSIFE BOARD OF COUNCILORS ply no limits to what we can create. Jana Waring Greer, Chair • Joan Abrahamson • William Barkett • We build academic enterprises that Leslie Berger • Robert D. Beyer • Gregory Brakovich • Susan Casden • transform how we think about and conduct Richard Cook • Diane Dixon • Richard S. Flores • Shane Foley • Lisa research. We imagine new worlds where Goldman • Yossie Hollander • Janice Bryant Howroyd • Suzanne Nora Johnson • Stephen G. Johnson • Samuel King • David Y. Lee • Mitchell characters explore the depths of our human- Lew • Andrew Littlefair • Robert Osher • Gerald Papazian • Lawrence ity. We push the boundaries of our fields by Piro • Kelly Porter • Michael Reilly • Harry Robinson • Alicia combining disparate disciplines such as his- Smotherman • Glenn A. Sonnenberg • Kumarakulasingam “Suri” tory and accounting. We investigate how Suriyakumar • Rosemary Tomich to form organizations that can do the most USC DORNSIFE MAGAZINE good for the greatest number of individuals. Published twice a year by the USC Dornsife Office of Communication While the dreams of our students and fac- at the University of Southern California. © 2013 USC Dana and David ulty members are each unique, there is one Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The diverse opinions common thread. To be realized, these vi- expressed in USC Dornsife Magazine do not necessarily represent the sions require financial resources. To ensure views of the editors, USC Dornsife administration or USC. that discovery does not have to wait, I invite you to join USC Dornsife’s $750 million USC Dornsife Magazine welcomes comments from its readers. Send fundraising initiative as part of The Campaign for the University of Southern California, letters to [email protected] or USC Dornsife Magazine, the most ambitious fundraising effort in USC’s history. Together, with your support, we LALA BRITTANY BY PAINTINGS Citigroup Center 8206, 41st Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90089-8206 can create a future that knows no bounds. Steve Kay Dean of USC Dornsife Anna H. Bing Dean’s Chair SPRING / SUMMER 2013 2 From the Dean Contents 4 What Life happened Line to the end of the world?; Professor honored at White House; USC Dornsife kicks off fundraising initiative 5 SOCIAL DORNSIFE Follow USC Dornsife Dean Steve Kay on Twitter 6 FROM THE HEART OF USC USC Dornsife graduate debunks theory about L.A.; New center for economic and social research launched; Dinosaurs take flight 7 Curriculum 8 Archive 10 Profile 13 Lexicon 16 In the Field 18 THE CREATIVITY ISSUE Our World 50 DORNSIFE FAMILY Thirteen faculty honored as AAAS 20 fellows; Alumnus receives top Castle in the Clouds science award; New USC Dornsife In a stratospheric leap for neuroscience, researchers at the Brain and Creativity Institute are limited only advancement leader by their imaginations. By Pamela J. Johnson 50 Legacy 28 Crood Awakening 51 Faculty News In The Croods, the new box-office hit from DreamWorks Animation, Kirk DeMicco ’91 has created an 52 endearingly dysfunctional prehistoric family who must learn to evolve … or die. By Susan Bell Faculty Canon 54 32 Alumni News 58 FindingHire USC DornsifePurpose a destination for entrepreneurial thinking, these newest faculty members are Alumni Canon heading in exciting and novel directions. By Pamela J. Johnson 62 Remembering 64 IN MY OPINION 42 Big City Ways WritingThe fiction givesDark Deborah Harknessof licenseHarkness to explore where her inner historian would not dare to PHOTO BY JOHN LIVZEY tread. By Michelle Salzman ON THE COVER USC Dornsife students, faculty 46 and alumni are always thinking out of the box. InPositive a university-wide effort, Change USC Dornsife undergraduates teach civic engagement and entrepreneurship to Illustration by John Hersey elementary schoolchildren — who learn that every penny counts. By Laura Paisley Life Line NEWS AND EVENTS NOVEMBER NSF ILLUSTRATION SCHINDLER’S CANDYJAMES HWANG; COURTESY AND BY LIST DAVID PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHER UNIVERSAL OF SENATE U.S. PICTURES FRANKEN MCEVOY, JEFF PHOTO BY AMBLIN AND ENTERTAINMENT; 11.9.12–11.10.12 12.5.12 USC Dornsife alumni cheer the Trojans to victory over the Arizona DECEMBER 12.21.12 State Sun Devils during ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND. “The so-called ‘end of the calendar’ is only the end of a particular count in a particular calendar — known as the ‘long- Doctoral student CANDY HWANG wins two top National Science count calendar.’ ” G. ALEXANDER MOORE, professor of Foundation awards for a video that 1.22.13 anthropology, notes the prediction of dissects the chemistry behind the nitrogenase enzyme that produces A panel of experts, including the world’s demise on Dec. 21, 2012, was JANUARY based on a misunderstanding of the ammonia from nitrogen in the Professor of Chemistry STEPHEN Maya calendar. atmosphere. BRADFORTH, discuss with alumni and supporters what solar energy means for USC, the community and individuals. 2.1.13 2.12.13 President Barack Obama presents As the keynote speakers for the SOLOMON GOLOMB, University HERBERT G. KLEIN LECTURE ON and Distinguished Professor of Elec- FEBRUARY CIVIC AND COMMUNITY LEADER- trical Engineering and Mathematics, SHIP, USC Trustee David Dornsife with the National Medal of Science and his wife, Dana, discuss their during a White House ceremony. work to provide clean drinking water access in Africa. 3.1.13 3.5.13 3.9.13 3.12.13 Professors DAVID HUTCHINS and DOUGLAS CAPONE lead a workshop MARCH M. HASHEM PESARAN, professor “To dream widely, to use focusing on ocean health and human dimensions in a changing climate. of economics, speaks to alumni resources at hand wisely, to and supporters in New York City about market factors that have make those dreams a reality, impacted recent bubbles and that’s what USC Dornsife is crashes, and how one might profit all about.” A 20th-anniversary edition of from these fluctuations. DEAN STEVE KAY helps kick off USC Trustee Steven Spielberg’s USC Dornsife’s $750 million fun- acclaimed film Schindler’s List is draising initiative as part of THE released. His experience making CAMPAIGN FOR THE UNIVERSITY the film inspired Spielberg to OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. APRIL establish what is now the USC SHOAH FOUNDATION — THE 4.3.13 INSTITUTE FOR VISUAL HISTORY 4.17.13 Sen.