Explore USC’s unseen gems. Get the skinny on ancient history. See the Jet Age’s lasting influence. Learn how 2020 was a good year for Muslim’s on TV and what one of USC’s newest centers hopes to learn about families.
USC’s Hidden Treasures
Ever wonder where the first USC president lived? Did you know about Jesse Owen’s unusual gift to the university? These and many other little-known facts are revealed as USC’s unofficial historian Jerry Papazian ’77, a USC Dornsife alumnus, gives a fascinating virtual tour of the university.
Students YouTube Channel Makes Archaeology and History Fun
Archaeology and history aren’t just Sean Silvia’s majors at USC Dornsife, they’re his passion. And with his YouTube channel, Archaeologists Anonymous, Sean shares that passion with the world through enlightening, entertaining and educational videos that might change how you think about archaeologists and historians.
Jet Age Aesthetic: Why Its Appeal Is So Enduring
From Disneyland to Life magazine, the jet plane not only defined a new age, it also allowed people to imagine themselves living in the future. Vanessa Schwartz, professor of art and art history, argues that the jet created an aesthetic that circulated on the ground below, represented in realms as diverse as airport architecture, theme park design, film and photography.
Depictions of Muslims in TV and Film Are Improving — But There’s More Progress To Be Made
Hollywood’s depictions of Muslim people have improved tremendously, but there are still very few Muslim characters whose lives are reflected authentically and with the complexity of other characters. To help remedy this, Evelyn Alsultany, associate professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, teamed with a colleague to create a test modeled after the famed Bechdel Test.
USC Dornsife Center for the Changing Family
Families can vary in size and structure. They’re dynamic. They can reconfigure as couples make the transition into parenthood or an empty-nester phase, separate or divorce, or experience illness and bereavement. The diverse working group of scholars who make up the new USC Center for the Changing Family, headquartered at USC Dornsife, studies family systems, close relationships, and mental and physical health across the lifespan.