Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, a day traditionally marked by celebrations of love and romance — and a fitting day for compassion, empathy, kindness and gratitude. Thank you for helping USC Dornsife push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation while preparing students to be future leaders.

In this issue, learn what the devastating wildfires in L.A. can teach us about future disasters, discover a valuable resource for pre-health students and examine recently uncovered holocaust photos.

Learn practical strategies for enhancing your well-being with Quade French, associate dean for academic culture and well-being. This interactive workshop will help you define and cultivate a fulfilling life and identify barriers to positive change. Learn more >>

Explore quantum computing’s power and potential in this live, online discussion with professors Rosa Di Felice and Daniel Lidar, and moderated by USC Dornsife Interim Dean Moh El-Naggar. Learn more >>

Connect with alumni, parents and friends in the D.C. area at a reception celebrating USC Dornsife’s global impact. Hear from Interim Dean Moh El-Naggar about the bold ways the College is shaping the future and transforming lives around the world. Learn more >>

Discover upcoming events on the Dornsife Alumni Events Calendar.

An interdisciplinary, nonpartisan study of the Los Angeles wildfires could better prepare communities for future disasters.

Why it matters: Natural disasters — including hurricanes, wildfires and floods — are becoming more severe and frequent due to climate change, endangering lives and infrastructure at an unprecedented scale.

Backstory: Human-made and organizational failures have exacerbated the impact of past natural disasters due to issues like poor training, inadequate inspections and lax regulations.

Problem: Finding ways to better handle disasters requires independent investigators who are free from government jurisdictional and bureaucratic constraints.

Solution: The president and Congress can direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and the National Research Council to establish an independent commission.

Bonus: The academies were created by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to provide the nation with independent, objective advice on complex problems.

Key takeaway: A thorough investigation into the L.A. fires could help communities across the country reframe their thinking about emergency planning.

A new USC Dornsife facility for pre-health students fosters connection, wellness and success. The Pre-Health Scholars Den offers peer advising and mental health resources, thanks to a generous $100,000 endowment.

Why it matters: Pre-health students face intense academic and career pressures, making wellness and community crucial to their success.

What’s new: The first initiative funded by the Wesley Tyra Mizutani Endowed Fund, the Pre-Health Scholars Den offers:

In his words: “We think we’re not supposed to have that kind of weakness,” says Wesley Mizutani, a rheumatologist and USC alumus. “I wanted to support programs that make mental health care more accessible for students.”

The big picture: As demand grows for compassionate, well-rounded health care professionals, pre-health advising at USC Dornsife equips students with the skills to excel.

“Your generosity has colored my college experience with once-in-a-lifetime encounters with people, places, languages and ideas, from which I am emerging inspired, equipped and all the more eager to give back.”

— Michelle Reilly, senior majoring in comparative literature and mathematics, supported by the Elizabeth Toye Williams Memorial Scholarship Fund

You can help USC Dornsife students like Michelle succeed, too.

Newly discovered photographs capture Jewish victims being deported by the Nazis. Now, USC Dornsife researchers are working to identify the names of those pictured.

Why it matters: The photos provide a rare glimpse of Nazi mass deportations from a victim’s perspective, says Wolf Gruner, founding director of USC Dornsife’s Center for Advanced Genocide Research (CAGR).

What’s new: The #LastSeen project, co-directed by Gruner, uncovered the images from a German archive in an envelope titled “miscellaneous.”

Descendants of survivors played a crucial role in identifying individuals in the photographs, sometimes providing family photos for reference.

In his words: “As descendants of survivors help our researchers identify the deportees in these images and tell their stories, we give previously faceless victims a voice,” says Gruner.

What’s next: Artificial intelligence may one day help researchers identify even more holocaust victims from photos, ensuring their stories are not lost.

What practical skills can an ancient game teach us today? This course uses chess to teach valuable life skills like strategy, patience and reasoning.

Enter your creative writing by March 16 for an opportunity to be published in USC Dornsife Magazine. 

Save the date for an evening with Interim Dean Moh El-Naggar as USC Dornsife brings the spirit of innovation and discovery to the heart of Silicon Valley. Connect with fellow alumni and explore the Computer History Museum on April 23. Stay tuned for more information soon!

The USC Alumni Awards honor Trojans who have impacted their fields and communities. This year, Dornsife alumna Ego Nwodim ’10, renowned member of Saturday Night Live’s cast, will receive the Alumni Merit Award for her contributions to entertainment. Additionally, Shelly Nemirovsky ’85, philanthropist and USC Trustee, will be honored with the Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award for her leadership and commitment to the university.

Submit your professional achievement to Alumni News by April 18 for a chance to win one of two $50 gift vouchers for the USC Bookstore. Your news item will automatically be considered for publication in USC Dornsife Magazine.

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

“The greatest threat to aviation safety in the U.S. lies not in the skies, but on our airport runways.”

Najmedin Meshkati of international relations contributed to a story by Newsweek about aviation safety and runway risks following the Reagan Airport plane crash.

“They knew it’s perilous for basic reasons: It’s a Mediterranean environment that has a necessary regular annual drought.”

Philip Ethington of history, political science and spatial sciences spoke with the Los Angeles Times about L.A.’s history of building in fire-prone hillsides.

“In the future, more and more knowledge-based work, which many of us do, will be done with AI, so the most in-demand employees will be those with strong AI skills.”

Meredith Lepley of psychology was interviewed by Medium’s Authority Magazine about workplace trends.

Dornsife Career Pathways offers a platform for alumni to search for jobs, research employers and read company reviews from other employees. Also, a resource library offers access to self-assessments, career guides and curated job websites.