Almost there! We hope your study days are proving useful and you’re ready for your final exams. And for those of you graduating, congratulations! We hope to see you at commencement.
In this month’s newsletter:
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- Meet a few outstanding Trojans graduating in a few days
- Why is this alumnus, one of our new “10 to Watch,” on a crusade to promote tofu?
- Yearbooks: What they tell us about society
- How last year’s Eaton fire polluted L.A., forewarning of things to come
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4 Exemplary Members of the Class of 2026 |
Before they cross the commencement stage, meet four USC Dornsife students whose undergraduate experiences took them from labs and campus communities to the Galapagos and futures in medicine.
From AI safety and computational linguistics to conservation work and service to others, their stories reflect the breadth of the USC Dornsife experience and the Trojan spirit.
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Which globally renowned USC Dornsife program is currently celebrating its 125th year?
A - The Marine and Environmental Biology program
B - The School of International Relations
C - The School of Philosophy
D - The Center for Applied Mathematical Sciences
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Alumnus Wants You to Rethink Tofu |
One alumnus is on a mission to change how Americans think about tofu. George Stiffman ’19 wants it seen as a flavorful centerpiece — not a bland substitute.
What’s new: Stiffman, who recently was named to the inaugural USC Dornsife 10 to Watch list, is promoting tofu as a versatile, crave-worthy ingredient.
Why it matters: Tofu could play a bigger role in healthier, more sustainable diets if people rethink how to use it..
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- Many Americans still see tofu as boring or niche, but plant-based proteins have lower environmental impact.
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In his words: “Tofu has three times lower carbon emissions than chicken and 25 times lower emissions than beef,” Stiffman says.
Zoom in: His interest in plant-based eating started in high school.
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- Concerns about climate change led him to ditch meat to improve his carbon footprint.
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While studying East Asian languages and cultures at USC Dornsife, he embarked on study-abroad programs to China and apprenticed under a tofu master.
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Opportunity: After graduation, Stiffman began building a career as tofu’s most devoted hype man.
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- He published a cookbook in 2024 and credits writing skills gained at USC Dornsife for enabling him to complete the project.
- He’s cooked for celebrities and lectured at the Culinary Institute of America.
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Stiffman launched Soycery in 2024, a pop-up selling tofu skewers that has since pivoted to helping institutional dining halls offer more tofu varieties.
The bottom line: Tofu might be an unusual career focus, but with traditional career paths rapidly changing, the unexpected could be the best way forward
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“Being able to think critically, figuring out where you can fit in or making your own role, that’s going to be really important,” says Stiffman.
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Get Ahead with a Summer GE Course |
Just a few reasons why taking a GE this summer is a good idea:
✅ Flexible schedules with online and asynchronous courses
✅ Financial aid available
✅ Lighter load in the fall
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The Hidden Side of Yearbooks |
High school yearbooks are meant to capture memories. But research by Professor Michael Messner of sociology suggests they tell only part of the story.
Why it matters: Yearbooks shape how students understand their past — and what they think is “normal” in school life.
What’s new: Analyzing a century’s worth of yearbooks, Messner found they focus on fun and belonging while obscuring pain.
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The books present an idealized version of adolescence, centering on friendship, sport and celebrations.
- Stress, exclusion and mental health struggles are seldom shown.
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Zoom in: What’s missing sends a message.
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Struggles are treated as outside the “official” story, and students facing challenges may feel their experiences don’t count.
- Yearbooks show “what we want high school to be,” not necessarily what it is, and that gap can distort collective memory.
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What to do? Yearbooks could present a more honest, inclusive picture of student life, says Messner.
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- Include stories that acknowledge stress, loneliness and challenges — not just celebrations.
- Invite more student voices, especially those who feel marginalized or left out.
- Balance candid moments with posed, upbeat images.
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Go Deeper: The goal isn’t to make yearbooks negative — it’s to make them more truthful and representative of the full high school experience.
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Documenting reality — not just ideal moments — can help students feel seen and preserve history more accurately.
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Pollution Wave Hit LA Hard |
The Eaton fire’s smoke didn’t just darken Los Angeles skies — it overwhelmed the region’s air. A USC Dornsife study shows how the blaze created a massive pollution surge across the county.
Why it matters: Urban wildfires are increasingly common, so understanding the composition, spread and volume of pollutants they produce is important to public health.
What’s new: This one fire produced pollution far beyond what’s generated by normal human activity.
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“This one fire was producing carbon monoxide on a scale that exceeded the entire county’s usual daily emissions from human activity,” said William Berelson of Earth sciences, environmental studies and spatial sciences.
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Carbon monoxide and certain dangerous particles were more than 20 times the levels typically caused by human activity.
- About 153 million kilograms of carbon were released across the L.A. area.
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Between the lines: What burned mattered as much as the amount that burned.
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Homes and buildings drove more emissions than vegetation, intensifying the pollution wave.
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What to watch: Future fires may hit harder in cities as urban growth increases fuel sources in the form of structures and as climate conditions worsen smoke exposure.
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$200M for AI Research - A gift from economics alumnus Mark Stevens ’81 and his wife, Mary, supports faculty hires and other initiatives across USC. Find out more >>
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Fundamental rule of gravity holds up - The motion of galaxy clusters hundreds of millions of light-years apart strengthens the case for dark matter, says a physics and astronomy professor. Fall into the details >>
- ‘Dad brain’ is real - Welcoming a child changes men’s brains, not just women’s, says a professor of psychology. Get more brain-changing info >>
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A Beacon of Bipartisanship |
Founded by legendary political consultant Robert Shrum, the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future inspires the next generation of leaders to find common ground in a polarized world.
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| California’s Primary Election is on June 2. Make sure you’re ready; register to vote by May 18.
Registering is quick, easy and saves you time — whether you choose to vote by mail, drop off your ballot or vote in person at a Vote Center.
Check your registration status or register today through TurboVote.
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Attention: Graduating Students |
We’re looking for graduating USC Dornsife seniors or master’s students who took a risk or tried something for the first time, completed something never done before, or came in first at something while at USC.
Maybe you tried a course you didn’t think you’d like and it worked out, or completed an experiment that’s never been done before. Maybe you won first place in an AI hackathon or found a previously unknown artifact on an archaeological dig.
If that sounds like you, email us right away at communication@dornsife.usc.edu.
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Scholars of Impact. Ten exemplary students recently joined USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock, College Dean of Undergraduate Education Emily Hodgson Anderson and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs Richard Fliegel for a luncheon celebrating an extraordinary achievement: being named 2026 USC Dornsife Scholar Award recipients.
The USC Dornsife Scholars Program — supported by philanthropists Dana and David Dornsife — recognizes graduating seniors who pair rigorous academic work with a commitment to addressing pressing global challenges..
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University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences | Los Angeles, CA 90089 US
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