A warm Trojan welcome to all of the alumni, donors and friends of USC Dornsife. Thank you for making USC Dornsife what it is.
In this special edition, learn why the director of the hit documentary Blackfish lauds her Dornsife education, hear about a JEP partnership propelling elementary students to future STEM careers, discover why the job market loves a liberal arts degree and meet the alumna who is using tech to make camping more accessible.
✍️ Oh, and if you’re feeling creative, consider entering our writing contest.
🗓️ Great Opportunity! Supercharge your career at the Career Success Summit. Details and an early-bird discount below.
NEWS
1 Big Thing: Blackfish Director Into “Good Trouble”
The influential documentary Blackfish, highlighting SeaWorld’s poor treatment of orcas, was created by USC Dornsife alumna Gabriela Cowperthwaite. She shares how her political science studies directed her focus toward uncovering and addressing pressing social issues through film.
Why it matters: Cowperthwaite’s experience exemplifies how exposure to diverse ideas and disciplines at USC Dornsife can ignite curiosity and lead to rewarding careers.
How it started: News of a SeaWorld trainer’s death by an orca in 2010 sparked Cowperthwaite’s interest in the incident.
The motivation behind the project wasn’t moral outrage, but rather curiosity.
During production, the film evolved from focusing on the attacked trainer to critically examining SeaWorld.
Blackfish significantly shifted SeaWorld’s public image and led them to discontinue orca performances and breeding.
The film enraged audiences with footage of baby orcas being captured, images of captive orcas with sickly dorsal fins and harrowing stories of trainer deaths at the theme park.
Cowperthwaite doesn’t shy away from controversial topics and continues to cover socially significant subjects.
Her documentary seriesChildren of the Underground, follows families of sexually abused children who are “kidnapped” and put into hiding to escape their abusers.
Her newest documentary, The Grab, covers reporters exposing powerful corporations and governments snapping up rights to global natural resources.
In her words: “If I were to say there was a thematic thread across my documentaries, it would be one of pulling back the curtain on the things we thought we knew, but we truly had no idea about,” says Cowperthwaite.
“I loved being around people whose wheels are turning, and that’s something you’re going to get at a place like USC, studying political science,” she says.
Fueling Dreams: Propelling Young Minds into Science
The Joint Educational Project (JEP) at USC Dornsife has partnered with Hyundai Motors to rev the intellectual engines of elementary school students and encourage them to pursue a future in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.
Why it matters: By offering STEM experiences at an early age, students are more likely to pursue future careers in STEM, which is beneficial for groups traditionally underrepresented in scientific fields.
By the numbers: JEP’s Young Scientists Program brings hands-on science lessons to more than 2,400 elementary students and 85 LAUSD teachers every year.
JEP recruits undergraduate and graduate students to serve as teaching assistants in seven USC community schools to address the critical lack of science education available.
Initiated by a USC Dornsife alumnus who worked at Hyundai, the partnership between Hyundai and JEP has led to rewarding projects.
At Career Experience Days, JEP students met with Hyundai engineers to learn about pathways to STEM careers.
During a workshop with drones, students explored flight mechanics, analyzed aerial drone photography and piloted remote-controlled drones.
Recently, the Young Scientists Program and Hyundai held a workshop where fifth-grade students built and raced hydrogen-fueled model cars.
A full-size hydrogen-powered car was brought to the event for students to explore.
In her words: “Our Young Scientists Program aims to level the playing field for students, providing a more equitable and accessible STEM experience that we hope will encourage them to consider STEM careers,” said Dieuwertje “DJ” Kast, director of JEP’s STEM Education Programs.
For long-term career success, research suggests students should take a cue from ancient Athenians: Study the liberal arts.
According to a study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, degrees from the most selective liberal arts colleges yield a long-term return on investment that’s comparable to degrees from comprehensive, top-tier research universities.
Why it matters: Graduates with liberal arts degrees are in demand by a growing number of companies, particularly in the technology sector, where their unique blend of skills is highly valued.
In the game: Video game companies like Sucker Punch Productions, known for its character-driven action games like the hugely popular “Ghost of Tsushima,” value employees with backgrounds in history, creative writing and art to create rich, immersive game worlds.
Co-founder Brian Fleming, a physics major, says about three-quarters of his employees have a background in the liberal arts.
AI and leadership: The value of a liberal arts education extends into the realm of artificial intelligence and beyond. In AI, graduates with a background in humanities and social sciences are essential for developing technologies that are ethically sound and culturally sensitive.
Furthermore, the broad perspective and critical thinking skills honed through a liberal arts education are key to leadership roles across industries. Graduates are equipped to navigate complex challenges, lead diverse teams and drive innovation.
High earnings potential: Liberal arts disciplines, such as economics, physics and psychology, rank particularly high in earnings potential. These fields combine the depth of specialized knowledge with the broad skill set that is characteristic of a liberal arts education, making their graduates highly sought after in the job market.
Beyond gaming: The appeal of liberal arts graduates extends beyond the tech and gaming sectors. Their ability to think critically, solve complex problems and communicate effectively is sought after in fields ranging from finance to creative industries.
What they’re saying: “The CEOs of Goldman historically majored in political science, English, history or economics,” says Matt Weir, managing director at Goldman Sachs and a USC Dornsife economics alumnus. This reflects a broader trend where liberal arts graduates are excelling in diverse career paths, including high-level roles in various industries.
The bigger picture: In an era dominated by AI and interactive media, the human-centric skills developed through a liberal arts education are becoming increasingly crucial. Graduates are equipped to navigate the ethical, cultural and communicative challenges of these advanced technologies.
An app created by USC Dornsife alumna Lestarya Molloy aims to make camping more accessible and enjoyable, particularly for novice and diverse groups who don’t often participate and reap the rewards.
Why it matters: Spending time in nature and camping offer numerous mental health benefits and contribute to overall well-being. However, many individuals, particularly people of color, feel intimidated due to their lack of camping experience.
Hiking in the wilderness played an important role in Molloy’s healing process after a family tragedy, fueling her determination to make this opportunity accessible to all.
Molloy’s app, Fridie Outdoors, offers easy-to-follow instructions tailored for novice campers. It teaches safety tips and skills such as campfire building and recipe preparation, and all lessons are accessible offline.
Molloy found inspiration after witnessing a family struggling to start a campfire in an area without internet access.
The online Master of Science in Applied Psychology degree she earned not only expanded her UX Design skills, it provided her with valuable experience in market research.
The course perfectly aligned with her industry background, enabling her to effectively develop the app and business, she says.
What's next: The app received overwhelmingly positive feedback during the pilot program and Mollyoy’s business was selected to participate in the selective REI Co-op Embark program, which empowers entrepreneurs of color.
Open to all USC Dornsife alumni and undergraduate and graduate students, the USC Dornsife Magazine Creative Writing Contest is looking for original fiction, poetry, memoirs or essays on the theme of health and well-being. The winning entry will be published in USC Dornsife’s award-winning alumni magazine next Spring. Entry deadline is March 15, 2024.
Do you have opportunities for paid summer internships at your organization? Make a lasting impact on the next generation of Trojans and contribute to the future of your industry by providing an internship through the Gateway Internship Program. Learn more or email Sonya Vanhoof to connect with the program.
Wanted: Alumni Stories
We want to highlight the impact of our alumni. If you know an alum — maybe yourself? — doing important, interesting work, tell us! We’re especially interested in stories that fit an upcoming USC Dornsife Magazine theme of either “Health and Well-being” or “California.”
“The movie, like the novel, makes a strong political critique of the media, the government, and the cultural elite by showcasing their shallowness and reliance on popular opinion polls and social media algorithms.”
David Roman of English and American studies and ethnicity spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about a lawsuit against director Adam McKay for allegedly copying a novel by author William Collier.
“DeSantis had little to lose. Newsom had little to gain. Both may have been thinking about what many suspect will be their 2028 matchup.”
Kambiz Akhavan from the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future spoke with Business Insider about the debate between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“By focusing teenagers’ attention on mental health issues, these interventions may have unwittingly exacerbated their problems.”
Darby Saxbe of psychology wrote an op-ed for The New York Times about the increase of teenage suicide since the pandemic.
Events
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Feb. 2, 2024, noon - 6 p.m. PT
Ronald Tutor Campus Center, UPC
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