Welcome to February! We hope your spring semester is going smoothly.
In this issue, watch and learn how chess is more than a game at Dornsife, explore how the brain processes social rejection and find out how a professor can grant new life to discarded car and airplane parts.
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Class Spotlight: Chess and Critical Thinking |
What practical skills can the ancient game of chess teach us nowadays? This class uses chess to teach valuable life skills like strategy, patience and reasoning.
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1 Big Thing: Social Rejection — a Learning Tool |
Social rejection can be a learning tool, helping us navigate relationships. A study by psychology professor Leor Hackel explores the brain mechanisms behind rejection.
Why it matters: Understanding the neuroscience of social rejection reveals valuable insights into social behaviors and mental health.
Forming social ties relies on two brain functions: learning from social rewards like compliments, and tracking relational value, such as recognizing when others value us.
How they did it: Hackel and his team at the Social Learning Choice Lab combined behavioral experiments, MRI scans and computational models.
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While in the MRI, study participants played a trust-based game against a computer-generated opponent they believed was real.
- Each game round provided two key insights: whether the participant and computer opponents matched (a social reward) and how participants were ranked based on trustworthiness (relational value).
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What they found: Different brain regions lit up depending on whether the feedback was social or relational, suggesting distinct neural pathways for each type of learning.
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Acceptance: A match activated the brain region associated with reward learning – similar to responses from money, praise or other positive experiences.
- Adjustment: When participants changed their beliefs about how much others valued them, brain regions linked to social rejection lit up.
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In his words: “Our study raises questions about how people learn differently from the same feedback to form connections,” said Hackel. “Understanding these differences could unlock deeper insights into how we build and maintain relationships.”
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The oil industry’s efforts to avoid regulation have helped to make climate change a partisan issue. Go Deeper >>
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The Irei monument honors Japanese Americans imprisoned in the U.S. during World War II by naming them. Go Deeper >>
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Newly discovered holocaust photos allow researchers to identify Jewish victims and share their stories. Go Deeper >>
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Breakthrough Saves Carbon Fiber From Landfill |
Imagine turning old car parts, airplane wings, or sports gear into high-quality, reusable materials. A new method developed by USC Dornsife Professor of Chemistry Travis Williams and his team makes it possible—without any loss in quality.
Why it matters: Carbon fiber composites are durable but difficult to recycle, creating tons of waste.. This method offers an eco-friendly fix, reducing landfill use and boosting sustainability.
How it works: Researchers use a mild chemical solution that breaks down the epoxy resin binding the composite.
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- The solution separates the carbon fiber, which can be reused.
- Unlike with current methods, the fibers keep their strength, making them ideal for high-performance uses.
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By the numbers: The scale of carbon fiber usage highlights the urgent need for effective recycling solutions.
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The global carbon fiber market was valued at $3.7 billion in 2022.
- Recycling methods like this could significantly reduce the 30% of composite waste that ends up in landfills.
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What’s next: The USC team plans to optimize the process for large-scale applications and collaborate with industry leaders.
The bottom line: This method has the potential to revolutionize how industries manage composite waste, making recycling efficient and sustainable.
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Attention Graduating Seniors! |
Registration for the USC Dornsife Academic School Graduation Ceremony is now open. Eligible students with graduation terms of Fall 2024, Spring 2025 or Summer 2025 have been sent a link to register via email. Can’t find yours? Be sure to check your spam or junk folders.
For questions regarding registration, please send an email to events@dornsife.usc.edu. And make dornsife.usc.edu/commencement/ your first stop for commencement announcements, FAQs and more!
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USC Dornsife students, faculty and researchers now have free access to Gallup survey data — valuable for research and coursework. Data sets include:
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World Poll Data (2006–24): global insights on economic, political and social trends
- U.S. Polling Surveys (2008–24): covering politics, well-being and economic sentiments
- Gallup Poll Social Series: monthly surveys on governance, economy, health care and more
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Special reports on race relations, confidence in institutions, religion and more
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The access is provided through an agreement negotiated by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research. After registering, use a USC secure network or VPN and visit the Gallup Analytics Portal.
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Whose birthday falls in February? |
A. Author and activist Frederick Douglass
B. Baseball great Hank Aaron
C. Civil rights icon Rosa Parks
D. Basketball great Michael Jordan
E. Rapper and USC benefactor Andre “Dr. Dre” Young
F. Oscar-winning Actor Sidney Poitier
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Highlight the box below for the answer.
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| Trick question! They were all born in February.
A. Frederick Douglass – Feb. 1818 (exact date unknown)
B. Rosa Parks – Feb. 4, 1913
C. Hank Aaron – Feb. 5, 1934
D. Michael Jordan – Feb. 17, 1963
E. Dr. Dre – Feb. 18, 1965
F. Sidney Poitier – Feb. 20, 1927
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Trick question! They were all born in February.
A. Frederick Douglass – Feb. 1818 (exact date unknown)
B. Rosa Parks – Feb. 4, 1913
C. Hank Aaron – Feb. 5, 1934
D. Michael Jordan – Feb. 17, 1963
E. Dr. Dre – Feb. 18, 1965
F. Sidney Poitier – Feb. 20, 1927
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USC Eco Film + Media Arts Festival |
 | Feb. 21, 4 - 8 p.m. |
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 | SCI 106 |
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Attend a environmentally themed film and media arts festival of student works.
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Quantum Leap: Redefine Possibilities |
| Feb. 28, noon - 1 p.m. |
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| Virtual |
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Explore quantum computing’s power and potential in this live online discussion with industry leaders. Read more about the course at USC Dornsife News.
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Continuing Student Scholarships |
USC Dornsife offers a variety of scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, to current students who have declared a major and plan to be enrolled full-time in the next academic year.
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