No April fools, keep reading for some gripping stories and events you won’t want to miss.
In this issue, read about the disturbing trend of dissidents disappearing in Tajikistan, remember the visionary scholar Jan Amend, learn tips for a healthier relationship with social media and hear Dean Miller’s perspectives on the power of public/private sector collaborations with research universities.
🗓️ Save the date: 4/10. Impressive new technologies and geoengineering offer hope for climate change solutions — but critics have concerns. Have your questions ready for our experts as they discuss the options during this free, online Dornsife Dialogues event.
News
1 Big Thing: Disturbing Disappearances in Tajikistan
Tajikistan’s government systematically employs enforced disappearances to quell dissent, as they did in 2023 with Nasimjon Sharipov (pictured above), according to research by Steve Swerdlow, professor of political science and international relations.
What it means: The government practice of detaining, imprisoning or killing a person while refusing to acknowledge their whereabouts, leaving loved ones uncertain about their fate, is known as “enforced disappearance.”
The term entered the popular lexicon after the practice of enforced disappearances became the hallmark of brutal juntas that violently took power in Latin America 50 years ago.
Why it matters: As authoritarian governments proliferate, they’re turning to sanctioned disappearances as part of a troubling pattern of human rights abuses.
Case in point: Thousands are unaccounted for in Tajikistan since President Emomali Rahmon came to power in 1992, but an accurate count is difficult to achieve due to government interference.
A U.N. team investigating the disappearances noted an “unprecedented” indifference from the Tajik government.
The Rahmon government used enforced disappearances in 2022 to crack down on the Pamiris, an ethnic minority that opposed the president.
Hundreds of Pamiri intellectuals, journalists and religious and community leaders were imprisoned under the guise of a counterterrorism operation.
Tajikistan has allegedly partnered with Russia, Turkey and Belarus to disappear Tajik dissidents living in those countries.
What to watch: The European Parliament in January 2024 issued a resolution calling on Tajik authorities to “unconditionally release those who have been arbitrarily detained.”
USC mourns the loss of Jan Amend, a pioneer in biogeochemistry who explored life in extreme environments and fostered cross-disciplinary collaborations.
Amend was divisional dean for the life sciences and a professor of Earth sciences and biological sciences at USC Dornsife.
As a graduate student, he studied how microbes could obtain energy from unusual sources in geologically extreme locations, in the process creating the field of biogeochemistry.
“This was a novel, mind-blowing concept, the blending of biology and geology at a time when biologists worked in their realm and geologists in theirs,” said his wife, Andrea Amend.
In focus: Jan Amend’s research revealed the ability of organisms to survive in severe environments, including microbes capable of consuming arsenic or thriving near hydrothermal vents.
As an expert of life in extreme environments, he supported NASA’s mission of detecting life beyond Earth and led NASA’s Astrobiology Institute.
His research led him to conduct fieldwork in challenging locations around the world, including the depths of the ocean, the Aeolian Islands and Papua New Guinea.
As divisional dean for life sciences, Amend was instrumental in recruiting distinguished faculty and solidifying USC Dornsife’s place as a leading institution for marine microbiology and marine ecology.
He led the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations and was pivotal in fostering cutting-edge research regarding the ocean’s deep subsurface biosphere.
In her words: “Jan was a brilliant scientist and a generous and beloved mentor who was known for bringing out the best in teams of colleagues and students,” said USC Dornsife Dean Amber D. Miller.
The strategies social media companies use to keep users engaged may have negative consequences. USC Dornsife scholars provide guidance to foster a healthier relationship with social media.
Why it matters: The negative effects of apps such as Instagram and YouTube, particularly on young adults, are increasingly raising concerns among experts.
Studies suggest that social media use is contributing to historic-levels of depression in teens, fueling disordered eating and destroying our attention spans, and even inciting violence, says behavioral neuroscientist Ian Anderson ’24, who researches social media.
A powerful tactic called “random reinforcement,” the same strategy used in slot machines, keeps users scrolling endlessly.
Controversial posts generate the most engagement, so apps prioritize them in feeds, often causing harmful or false content to be amplified.
The solution: As many individuals try to reduce their personal or family usage on their own, the experts offer helpful tips.
Create barriers to entry: Turn off notifications, hide or delete social media apps, place the phone in a different room or use a lock box with a timer, and switch to an old-fashioned alarm clock to keep phones out of the bedroom.
Make a healthy swap: Try replacing social media apps with something more productive, like a language-learning app.
Model restraint: Parents can avoid scrolling online for hours while their children are present.
Set aside sacred spaces: Avoid using phones during meals or social gatherings with others.
In her words: “The research shows that if you even have a phone on the table, it’s like a drug. Part of your attention is on that phone and you’re not really paying attention to those around you,” says Albright.
A solar eclipse is coming in a few days. Will electrical grids hold up without solar power? Go deeper >>
In memoriam: Nora Hamilton pioneered studies on Latin American communities in the United States and advocated for the underserved. Go deeper >>
The Dean’s Corner
The Pivotal Role of Research Universities
How can research universities play an even bigger role in tackling some of society’s biggest challenges? Dean Amber D. Miller shares her thoughts in an article for the Stanford Social Innovation Review and video interview with Dornsife News.
At this live streaming event, learn about technologies to decarbonize our economy and our atmosphere. And bring your questions about this emerging field.
“Our thoughts and our feelings and emotions are not just influenced by our bodies but [are] actually inconceivable without them. All of our mental activity is a consequence of body/brain interactions.”
