Almost there! You’re heading into the homestretch of the academic year and your finals, so keep up the good work. You’ve got this!

In this issue, find out what L.A.’s original inhabitants can teach us about sustainability, uncover why it’s a bad idea to let AI call all the shots and learn why complicated graphics could be doing the climate a disservice.

USC Dornsife researchers are reviving and studying Indigenous sustainable practices and maritime heritage.

The Tongva tribe, Los Angeles’ original inhabitants, lost many of their traditions, including sustainable living practices that could be beneficial today, when Spanish settlers moved in.

Why it matters: Preserving Native American traditions and raising awareness of Indigenous ecological knowledge could help safeguard oceans and foster sustainability, especially as the planet confronts climate change.

Archaeologist Lynn Dodd of religion and spatial sciences secured a $50,000 Library of Congress grant supporting a collaboration between USC scholars and the Ti’at Society, a group reviving Tongva maritime practices by restoring a traditional canoe called a “ti’at.”

What to watch: The AltaSea-Tongva partnership connects the Indigenous practice of kelp forest cultivation to the research Professor of Biological Sciences Sergey Nuzhdin conducts at his AltaSea-based aquaculture lab.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly making decisions on our behalf, but USC Dornsife scholar Joe Árvai, an expert in the science of decision-making, cautions against automating everyday choices.

Why it matters: People prefer making minimal mental effort in decision-making and often like having seemingly good choices made for them. Letting AI make those decisions could diminish human autonomy and decision-making skills.

Problem: AI’s process takes place behind the scenes, presenting answers that lack necessary context and deliberation.

Solution: While making thoughtful decisions isn’t inherently difficult, the process is not intuitive and requires practice and self-discipline.

Thoughtful decision-making involves three common sense steps, according to Árvai:

In his words: “Indeed, we owe it to ourselves to resist the siren’s call of AI and take back ownership of the true privilege — and responsibility — of being human: being able to think and choose for ourselves,” Árvai writes.

Graphics can powerfully convey information, yet a USC-led study discovered that graphics designed for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were overly complex, even for policymakers.

Why it matters: Readers often engage with graphics first, and overly complex graphics make climate science harder to understand.

How it works: USC Dornsife Public Exchange, collaborating with the United Nations Foundation, assembled a team of USC behavioral scientists.

Key takeaway: The policymakers thought the graphics contained too much information, making their message unclear.

In her words: “Because climate experts want to be accurate and complete, they tend to cram too much information into their graphics,” explained Wändi Bruine de Bruin of psychology at USC Dornsife and the study’s lead author.

The solution: Researchers recommended that each graphic focus on one key message.

Go deeper: The researchers developed a checklist for designing more effective graphs for IPCC communications.

Commencement is right around the corner! Check out the Before the Ceremony page to make sure you’re ready for the big day!

Dean Amber Miller explores USC Dornsife’s commitment to sharing expertise outside university walls to help inform the public and create solutions to today’s existential problems.

Climate technology experts discuss some of the most promising emerging technologies and their potential risks during this Dornsife Dialogues discussion.

Practice and learn new languages using virtual reality. VR headsets are available to explore immersive experiences in language learning, culture and history.

Attend an engaging workshop to practice the valuable skill of understanding other perspectives, even when they differ from your own. For Earth month, practice will focus on climate change.

Join this online event celebrating the Center for Advanced Genocide Research’s 10th anniversary and featuring an overview of the center and remarks by former fellows and visiting scholars.

USC students have access to the online tool What Can I Do With This Major? Learn about typical career areas and types of employers that hire people with each major as well as strategies to become a great candidate.