Welcome to the new academic year! This is the first of the e-newsletters you’ll receive for 2024–25. Keep an eye out for it each month for news, videos, announcements, event information and more.

In this issue, discover why a Dornsife center’s work on mass violence is so important, learn about the often overlooked mental burden associated with household chores, and read about the loneliness epidemic and what you can do about it.

Celebrating its 10th year, USC Dornsife’s Center for Advanced Genocide Research (CAGR), led by Wolf Gruner, continues to advance research on the origins of and resistance to mass violence.

Why it matters: Understanding the mechanisms of oppression enables development of more effective strategies for resistance and prevention.

As an interdisciplinary and research-driven center, CAGR focuses on historical incidents of mass violence.

Gruner, the Shapell-Guerin Chair in Jewish Studies and professor of history, is a renowned Holocaust and genocide studies scholar.

In his words: “By understanding the historic causes of mass violence, beyond simplistic explanations of hate as the sole driving force, we can find new approaches to slow these processes and enact positive interventions,” explains Gruner.

Beyond the physical demands of household chores, new research highlights the often overlooked “mental load” that mothers frequently carry.

What it means: The cognitive burden involves the mental work of anticipating needs and planning, organizing and delegating household tasks.

Why it matters: This additional burden placed on mothers could lead to heightened levels of stress, depression and burnout.

How it works: The study, led by Darby Saxbe in partnership with Public Exchange, surveyed 322 mothers with young children, asking who in their family is responsible for 30 common household tasks.

What they found: Mothers not only performed more physical housework but also carried a significantly greater share of cognitive labor compared with their partners.

What’s next: Future studies could survey both partners and observe chores done at home, including various relationship configurations, such as gay and lesbian couples.

6, 1, 2

Number of gold, silver and bronze medals that USC Dornsife students and alumni won at the Paris Olympics this month.

America is mired in a “loneliness epidemic,” according to the U.S. surgeon general. USC Dornsife scholars explore why.

Why it matters: Loneliness can lead to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.

The big picture: Nearly half of Americans reported measurable loneliness, even before COVID-19 struck.

Yes, but: Former USC Director of Belonging and USC Dornsife alumna Cat Moore emphasizes that loneliness is a normal experience and warns that labeling it an epidemic may wrongly stigmatize it.

Go deeper: Declining marriage rates, more adults choosing not to have children, and the rise in solo living are reducing daily social interactions and increasing loneliness among Americans.

What else? Online dating and social media, despite their promise of  connectivity, often hinder meaningful in-person relationships and increase loneliness, says Julie Albright of the Master of Science in Applied Psychology program.

The decline in religious participation, which once offered a ready-made community, may also be fueling the rise in loneliness.

What to do? Reducing screen time and actively seeking face-to-face interactions can help.

What’s unique about a USC Dornsife liberal arts education? Students share how they appreciate the diverse range of study areas, the exceptional faculty and the encouragement to explore their curiosity.

Olympic judge Cheryl Russell outlines the difficulty and athleticism required for artistic swimming, the Olympic sport formerly known as synchronized swimming.

Engage in a conversation about sustainable options with a USC Transportation representative while staying active.

Explore best practices to keep safe and be ready for anything through interactive demos and activities.

Listen to a conversation among Center for the Political Future fellows discussing recent political trials, debates and the upcoming 2024 election.

Join USC’s WorkWell Center in a six-week, team-based wellness challenge to promote the university's well-being value.

Join Nobel Laureate Sir Angus Deaton, a leading voice in economics, for a discussion about how flaws in modern capitalism are impacting society.

Sign-up to receive NewsRound, a weekly listing of news stories featuring USC Dornsife scholars.

“When the next life-threatening heat wave comes, we will need evacuation facilities and shifts of teams so that we can save as many coral colonies as possible.”

The New York Times published an op-ed by Carly Kenkel of biological sciences titled “Want to See Coral Reefs Grow? Freeze Them.“

“There could be this giant mercury bomb in the Arctic waiting to explode.’”

ABC News quoted Josh West of Earth sciences in the article “Melting permafrost releasing toxic mercury into the Arctic, scientists say.”

“China learnt all they could from Hollywood. Now, they make their own big-budget blockbuster films with good special effects and even good animated films. ... They don’t need Hollywood any more.”

The Star quoted Stanley Rosen of political science in the article “‘China doesn’t need Hollywood anymore’: Chinese movie ‘Successor’ surpasses ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’”

The USC WorkWell Center has partnered with USC Hospitality to offer specially curated, dietician-designed meals to make it easy to eat healthy on campus. Several on-campus dining locations will feature the meals designated by the EatWell logo. You can EatWell at home, too, by watching a collection of videos that demonstrate easy and nutritious recipes.