In this issue, find out how a fitness entrepreneur used his history major and Navy SEAL training to build a successful business and learn about the neuroscience behind social rejection, which could help us understand social behaviors.

Alumnus Randy Hetrick, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, drew on his USC Dornsife history degree and military experience to become an entrepreneur, inventing the TRX Suspension Trainer and launching a fitness empire.

Why it matters: Hetrick’s story proves that, even when faced with a daunting challenge, resilience, determination and a rich educational experience can lead to success.

While at USC, Hetrick embraced a wide range of opportunities, benefiting from mentorship by President Emeritus John Hubbard and forging lifelong Trojan connections.

SEAL training included the infamous “Hell Week,” which Hetrick describes as a week of round-the-clock torture.

The idea for TRX Suspension Trainers came to Hetrick while he was deployed on a counter-piracy operation in Southeast Asia, where soldiers lacked access to fitness equipment.

In his words: “I don’t really believe in failure. I obviously understand it because throughout my career I have undershot my goals many times. But I have never viewed that as failure. It’s all part of this process of trial and error, improvement and retrial,” Hetrick says.

Go deeper: Hetrick shared his life and career path in USC Dornsife Magazine.

Social rejection can be a learning tool, helping us navigate relationships. A study by Leor Hackel of psychology explores the mechanisms in the brain behind this potential.

Why it matters: Understanding the neuroscience behind social rejection can help us better understand social behaviors and mental health challenges.

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: Researchers used a combination of behavioral experiments, MRI neuroimaging and computational models.

What they found: Different brain regions were activated depending on whether the feedback was social or relational, suggesting that these two forms of learning involve different neural pathways.

In his words: “Our study raises questions about how people learn differently from the same feedback to form connections. Understanding these differences could unlock deeper insights into how we build and maintain relationships,” explains Hackel.

Many USC students, faculty and staff have been affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. If you would like to help them during this difficult time, visit the Trojan Family L.A. Wildfire Relief Fund website.

USC Dornsife professors are the scientists, thinkers and authors who help us understand the world around us. Scholars have appeared in countless media interviews, podcasts and editorials in some of the world’s largest publications to inform us all.

Limiting sugar during pregnancy and during a child’s first two years could significantly cut the child’s risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and other diseases later in life, according to research by USC Dornsife’s Tadeja Gracner and her colleagues.

Join Danzy Senna, professor of English and best-selling author, as she discusses her literary journey, central themes in her work — including mixed-race identity — and more.