🧹Witching your October is filled with treats and just the right amount of spooky fun! 👻

In this issue, discover a course that took students abroad to learn about human rights, uncover a threat leading to the declines in the wild bee population and learn some surprising things about how your gut is linked to health.

A Maymester course at USC Dornsife this summer took students to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, where they met with activists, politicians and journalists to learn about the challenges and rewards of advocating for human rights.

Why it matters: As acts of repression increase in regions like Central Asia, inspiring students to consider careers in human rights is crucial to addressing these issues.

The big picture: Authoritarianism is rising in Central Asia, with countries like Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan increasingly cracking down on dissent.

During the Maymester, students heard from activists and public officials entrenched in the region’s ongoing human rights struggles.

In his words: “Before this program, I knew nothing about Central Asia. Now I see how Central Asia is vital to understanding Russia, Ukraine and the lingering Soviet legacy,” said Radulf Mohika, a philosophy, politics, and law major.

Alongside their human rights studies, students also immersed themselves in Central Asia’s local culture by engaging with communities, exploring traditional cuisine, and participating in cultural events.

Pesticide use could be a major contributor to the decline of wild bee populations, with significant ecological and agricultural consequences, according to research by Laura Melissa Guzman, of biological sciences and quantitative and computational biology.

Problem: Wild bee populations are experiencing a widespread decline across the United States.

Why it matters: Wild bees are vital pollinators that support natural ecosystems, ensuring plants reproduce and maintaining the balance of food webs that sustain diverse animal species.

Guzman headed a team of researchers to investigate the reasons behind the decline, focusing on the impact of pesticide use.

What they found: They discovered a strong correlation between pesticide use and fewer wild bee sightings, with sightings of some species dropping by as much as 56% in areas of high pesticide use.

Solution: Reserving pesticides as a last resort and using alternative strategies like natural predators and traps can help protect declining wild bee populations.

92

The number of countries represented by USC Dornsife undergraduates.

The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of trillions of microbes in the intestines influencing our overall health. USC Dornsife experts recently discussed the latest science about our gut during a recent Dornsife Dialogue.

Why it matters: The gut microbiome affects the body’s physiology, metabolism and immunity, yet it is often overlooked, underscoring the need for further research.

Certain gut bacteria prevent inflammation, while others can trigger it, and diet influences the balance between them.

What to do? Focus on consuming a diet rich in fiber, which beneficial bacteria can break down to enhance metabolism.

What else: In addition to a high-sugar diet negatively affecting the gut microbiome, Scott Kanoski, professor of biological sciences, has shown that it can be especially harmful during key developmental stages, such as adolescence.

Randy Hetrick, who graduated from USC Dornsife with a history degree in 1987, is best known as the inventor of the TRX Suspension Trainer — equipment he developed while deployed on a military counter-piracy mission.

Growing up, money was tight. But his mom, a flight attendant, allowed them to travel for free to the UK, where they visited the castles that sparked his lifelong love of history.

While at USC Dornsife, he started rowing, leading him to realize, “the sports that are the best for SEAL selection are endurance sports with a high misery quotient and low crowd approval.”

Following a family tradition of military service, he achieved his dream of joining the U.S. Navy SEALs in 1987. During SEAL training he learned, “You’ve got to be thick-skinned, lucky not to get hurt, and determined not to let your mind fail you. That was my specialty and still is as an entrepreneur.”

The idea for the TRX Suspension Trainers was born of necessity. Deployed without training equipment in Southeast Asia, he resorted to using his jujutsu belt. “I tied a knot in it, threw it over a door, leaned back against gravity and lifted my body. The possibilities opened up like a flower.”

TRX Training was launched from his garage in 2004, one year after finishing his MBA at Stanford University. It has grown from a bootstrap start-up to a leading, global physical training brand.

Follow along as USC Dornsife student Jayda Kimura, a law, history and culture and intelligence and cyber operations double major, tackles classes, a work study job and a social life!

News headlines and social media are filled with people questioning the validity of election polling. USC Dornsife political scientist and professor Christian Grose explains the challenges of polling and why polls are crucial to informing research and policy.

Ask an expert panel about the issues driving engagement among underrepresented voters, the challenges they face and their potential impact on swing state results.

Discover how creativity can drive climate action as Jake Barton, a visionary designer known for award-winning immersive experiences, shares how storytelling can inspire solutions for climate change.

Explore political experts’ predictions for Election Night and which key states to watch. Get insights on campaign strategies and potential outcomes in this crucial moment for America.

Join the Institute of Armenian Studies for a symposium featuring voices from embattled Artsakh, leading scholarly work on dispossession, and a rap performance, film screening, cooking demonstration and photo exhibit.

Get a professional headshot at the Iris photo booth in the USC Career Center! Perfect for your LinkedIn or Trojan Network profile. Make a strong first impression with a polished, career-ready photo.