Welcome to the new academic year — we hope it’s off to a roaring good start!

In this issue:

USC Dornsife researchers turned the world into a laboratory, traveling to all seven continents as part of a broad research footprint that stretched around the globe. Trace their paths with our interactive map.

A new book by USC Dornsife historian Steve Ross reveals how ordinary Americans secretly infiltrated Nazi and white supremacist groups after World War II.

Why it matters: The postwar era is often remembered as a turn toward greater tolerance.

The big picture: In his new book, The Secret War Against Hate, Ross chronicles civilian operatives who risked their lives gathering intelligence on extremists in the U.S. and abroad.

Of note: One of America’s postwar Nazi movement leaders, Emmanuel Trujuillo, was secretly reporting to antifascist organizations and tracking fellow extremists.

In his words: Ross says researching the book allowed him to write his own spy story, “only unlike the fiction I read, this stuff is true.”

What it means: The book shows how individual courage can help protect democracy when extremism grows.

What profession was most common in Colonial America?

A - Soldier

B - Carpenter

C - Farmer

D - Sailor

Your gut may play a surprising role in helping your brain form memories, especially those involving food.

Why it matters: The discovery by USC Dornsife researchers deepens our understanding of the gut-brain connection and could point toward new ways to protect memory and cognitive health.

How it works: Signals from the gut travel through the vagus nerve to the brain, boosting a chemical called acetylcholine that helps form memories.

What’s new: The memory response appears to depend more on a food’s nutrients than its taste.

Yes, but: Too much high-fat and high-sugar food may have the opposite effect over time.

What to watch: The findings could help researchers explore new approaches to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.

In his words: “The disruption of acetylcholine signaling in the hippocampus is one of the earliest neurochemical changes in Alzheimer’s disease,” says study leader Scott Kanoski, professor of human and evolutionary biology and neurobiology.

Track and field star Rai Benjamin ’19 (political science) proudly represents both Team USA and USC Trojans when he blazes across the finish line.

What’s new: Benjamin was recently included on the 2026 USC Dornsife 10 to Watch list, which highlights outstanding alumni. 

By the numbers: The son of an Antiguan cricketer, Benjamin has climbed from international teenage standout to global champion, collecting Olympic and World Championship medals along the way.

What else? Benjamin co-hosts the podcast Beyond the Records with fellow Olympians Noah Lyles and Grant Holloway and serves as an ambassador for Antigua and Barbuda.

USC was the only university to host the Freedom Plane, a traveling exhibit of the nation’s founding documents. Historian Peter Mancall takes us behind the display glass to examine living history.

Grammy-nominated musician Aloe Blacc ’01 shares how studying psychology and linguistics at USC Dornsife shaped his legendary songwriting process.

If your book was published last year and you don’t see it in this Google Sheet, please add it.

Explore what history can teach us about the nation America is becoming and how evolving ideas about freedom, citizenship and democracy can help us navigate the future.

Register to vote and explore internship and entry-level job opportunities for students interested in politics, public service, and community engagement.

Learn about the complex history of race and power in early Los Angeles and the diverse communities that helped shape the city.

C - Farmer

In 1776, 94% of the population lived in rural areas, where they tended crops and animals. You can read more about what life was like for the colonists in the latest issue of USC Dornsife Magazine.

“Consciousness is a lower process compared to thinking and, very importantly, is a process that is protective of life.”

Antonio Damasio of psychology, philosophy, neurology and neuroscience on the origins of consciousness in Popular Mechanics

“It’s true that we have made strides in seismic design and construction practices, but we have lots of vulnerabilities.”

Ahmed Elbanna of Earth sciences and the Statewide California Earthquake Center speaking about earthquake preparedness with HuffPost

“Climate change has forced people to rethink our notions of history and progress.”

William Handley of English discussing what century-old art reveals about the future of the American West on KJZZ-FM

Capital Experience. The USC Capital Campus in Washington’s Dupont Circle neighborhood welcomed USC Dornsife seniors Liam Adams, Zelda Fishman and Channing Mack this summer. The trio took their professional development from coast to coast for career-shaping opportunities in the public, private and nonprofit sectors, all while taking advantage of summer housing, scholarships and activities offered by the Campus. USC News covered their experiences. (Photo: Sydney Walley.)