In this issue, discover what the devastating wildfires in L.A. can teach us about tempering future disasters, learn how our researchers developed an eco-friendly method to repurpose discarded vehicle parts and uncover how we’re identifying Holocaust victims from recently found photographs.
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1 Big Thing: Lessons from the LA Fires |
An interdisciplinary, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles wildfires could better prepare communities for future disasters.
Why it matters: Natural disasters — including hurricanes, wildfires and floods — are becoming more severe and frequent due to climate change, endangering lives and infrastructure at an unprecedented scale.
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Damage estimates from the L.A. wildfires top $135 billion and could affect homeowners insurance rates nationwide.
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Backstory: Human-made and organizational failures have exacerbated the impact of past natural disasters due to issues like poor training, inadequate inspections and lax regulations.
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- Though an earthquake and tsunami triggered the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, it was ultimately a failure of the utility and government.
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Problem: Finding ways to better handle disasters requires independent investigators who are free from government jurisdictional and bureaucratic constraints.
Solution: The president and Congress can direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and the National Research Council to establish an independent commission.
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The National Academies are private nonprofits with a reputation for producing independent, rigorous and nonpartisan studies.
- Investigators are screened for technical expertise and conflicts of interest.
- All studies go through formal peer review.
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Bonus: The academies were created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to provide the nation with independent, objective advice on complex problems.
Key takeaway: A thorough investigation into the L.A. fires could help communities across the country reframe their thinking about emergency planning.
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- Los Angeles has long turned catastrophe into opportunity, proving resilient in the face of disaster. More >>
- The oil industry and increasing political polarization have turned climate change into a partisan issue. More >>
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Research on quantum coatings aims to develop advanced anti-corrosive materials. More >>
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Breakthrough Gives Carbon Trash New Life |
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. The method developed by Prof. Williams’ team 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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Newly Discovered Photos of Nazi Victims |
Newly discovered photographs capture Jewish victims being deported by the Nazis. Now, USC Dornsife researchers are working to identify the names of those pictured.
Why it matters: The photos provide a rare glimpse of Nazi mass deportations from a victim’s perspective, says Wolf Gruner, founding director of USC Dornsife’s Center for Advanced Genocide Research (CAGR).
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- Most previously discovered photos were taken by Nazis, often portraying victims as a faceless mass or through an antisemitic lens.
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What’s new: The #LastSeen project, co-directed by Gruner, uncovered the images from a German archive in an envelope titled “miscellaneous.”
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#LastSeen is an international research effort collecting images documenting Nazi mass deportations of Jews, Roma and Sinti and euthanasia victims in Nazi Germany.
- The photos depict Jewish families held at a detention site in Breslau, Germany — today Wroclaw, Poland — before being sent to Nazi-controlled camps.
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The images were likely photographed in secret by an employee of the local Jewish community.
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Descendants of survivors played a crucial role in identifying individuals in the photographs, sometimes providing family photos for reference.
In his words: “As descendants of survivors help our researchers identify the deportees in these images and tell their stories, we give previously faceless victims a voice,” says Gruner.
What’s next: Artificial intelligence may one day help researchers identify even more holocaust victims from photos, ensuring their stories are not lost.
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Attention Parents of 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. If your student hasn’t received it, be sure to have them check their 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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Rock Superstar, USC Dornsife Triple Alumnus |
Did you know that Dexter Holland, founding singer, guitarist and songwriter for The Offspring, has not one, not two, but three degrees from USC Dornsife? Find out how his studies sparked the iconic lyric, “You gotta keep ‘em separated.”
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Teaching Critical Thinking with Chess |
What practical skills can an ancient game teach us today? This course uses chess to teach valuable life skills like strategy, patience and reasoning.
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| The Quantum Leap:
Redefine What’s Possible |
 | Feb. 28, noon - 1 p.m. PT |
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 | Virtual |
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Explore quantum computing’s power and potential in this live, online discussion with experts in the field, moderated by USC Dornsife Interim Dean Moh El-Naggar. See the promo video >>
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