Countdown to Mars 2020 Perseverance Launch
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
Release Date: 07/29/2020
Living Long & Living Well: Longevity Today
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
How can we live long and live well, too? Experts on aging will discuss the individual and societal challenges as well as gifts of longevity from legal, health, and practical perspectives, as well as share advice on preparing for a safe and healthy old age. M.T. Connolly, author of The Measure of Our Age: Navigating Care, Safety, Money, and Meaning Later in Life, is a leading elder justice expert who won a MacArthur Fellowship for her work. Her book’s compelling stories reveal longevity’s abundant challenges and gifts, showing how unprepared we are for both—as...
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Muslim Inclusion and Empowerment: from Hollywood to Higher Education
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
Since 9/11, Muslims have occupied the U.S. public and political spheres as threats to national security, as victims of hate crimes, as targets of torture and war, and as a community to be included in diversity initiatives. This insightful panel will explore Muslim inclusion and representation in a variety of contexts, including education, politics, and the entertainment industry. Shafiqa Ahmadi is an associate professor of Clinical Education at the Rossier School of Education and the co-director for USC’s Center for Education, Identity, and Social Justice. She is an expert on diversity...
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Mending America: Overcoming Our Political and Cultural Divides
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
In light of the growing divisions among Americans, this panel will address the intersection of culture and politics in society, how we can better understand divisiveness, and find common ground. Geoffrey Cowan is an award-winning writer, television producer, and University Professor and Annenberg Family Chair in Communication Leadership at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He is the author of several books, including Let the People Rule: Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Presidential Primary, See No Evil: The Backstage Battle Over Sex and Violence...
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Laughing Matters: The History and Power of Comedy
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
Comedy can be seen and experienced in many forms—onstage, on screens, and even in hospitals. Like laughter, its effects are contagious and its power spills over onto all of us. This panel of experts, comedians, and expert comedians will talk about the history of comedy and its potential to create change. Wayne Federman is a stand-up comic, actor, author, comedy writer, professor, and Emmy-winning producer. He has appeared multiple times on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and has his own stand-up special on Comedy Central. He is the author of...
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Net Zero: California Climate Policy and The Future of Energy
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
California, the nation’s leader in clean energy and climate policies, has set an ambitious goal to achieve net zero carbon pollution by 2045. But what will it take? How might the policies affect the availability, reliability, and price of power consumption? This panel will address the political, technological, economic, as well as human and societal factors that play into our energy system and explore what must do to achieve our energy goals. Moderator: Genevieve Giuliano is a Distinguished Professor and the Margaret and John Ferraro Chair in Effective Local Government at the USC...
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Confronting L.A.’s Housing Crisis
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
Increasing rents and home prices, gentrification, and historic inequities have contributed to a major housing crisis in Los Angeles. Yet, L.A. has a rich residential legacy that includes innovative housing design, successful housing developments, and leadership in historical preservation. Panelists will draw upon their interrelated recent books on housing, architecture, and preservation to offer compelling approaches to help address L.A.’s housing crisis. Frances Anderton covers Los Angeles design and architecture in print, broadcast media, and public events. She is the author...
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BONUS EPISODE: Queer Bodies: Gender and Power in Art and Society
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
Academics, artists, and authors will have a wide-ranging conversation exploring gender, sexuality, queerness, and the body in art, culture, fashion, and society. Topics will include, but not be limited to, an inside look at being a professional dominatrix, queer performance art and theory, and fabulousness as resistance. Chris Belcher is a writer, professor, book coach, and assistant professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies and Writing at USC. Under her working name, Natalie West, she edited the acclaimed anthology We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival. Her debut...
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Supporting Mental Health and Developing Resilience for Youth Today
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
Growing up has never been easy, and today’s children and young adults must also face modern anxieties stemming from the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, threat of mass shootings, pressures of social media, and looming specter of climate change. Experts will discuss factors that are exacerbating the mental-health struggles of youth today and how we can better support their wellness and resilience. Broderick Leaks is the Vice Chair for Student Mental Health, director of Counseling and Mental Health, and licensed clinical psychologist and clinical associate professor of...
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Crossing Borders: Stories of Struggle, Survival, and Community
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
This discussion will explore a wide range of immigrant stories and experiences, including Vietnamese refugee girlhood, community-building for Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles, and the role of Black migrant women’s labor in the construction of the Panama Canal. Lan Duong is associate professor in Cinema and Media Studies at USC. She is the author of Treacherous Subjects: Gender, Culture, and Trans-Vietnamese Feminism and co-writer of Departures: An Introduction to Critical Refugee Studies. Her debut collection of poetry, Nothing Follows, is forthcoming (April...
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Neurodiversity: Lived Experience, Advocacy and Allyship
IDEAS IN ACTION | USC's Podcast Series
This panel will include a variety of perspectives on neurodiversity and developmental disabilities, from autism to schizophrenia. Experts will share their research as well as personal experiences and discuss how to support neurodiverse children and adults and create a more equitable and inclusive society. Sneha Kohli Mathur is the author of Understanding the Lived Experiences of Autistic Adults and a lecturer of Applied Behavior Analysis and Psychology at USC. Considering herself an ally to the disAbility and Autism communities, she started Spectrum Success to support...
info_outlineListen in on the conversation with experts from USC Dornsife, USC Viterbi and the California Science Center about the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover launch.
Kenneth Phillips is Curator for Aerospace Science at the California Science Center and an adjunct professor of the practice of physics and astronomy at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He’s an expert in aeronautics, space exploration and science education.
Anita Sengupta is an associate professor of astronautics at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and a former engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She’s an expert in spacecraft design for interplanetary exploration and was responsible for the supersonic parachute system of the Curiosity rover that landed on Mars in 2012.
Ken Nealson is an emeritus professor of Earth science at the Dornsife College. He is an expert in astrobiology, microbial life in extreme environments and the evolution of life in the universe. He led the astrobiology program at JPL, started the geobiology program at USC and is a member of the science team for the 2020 Mars mission.
Garrett Reisman is a professor of astronautical engineering at the Viterbi School of Engineering at USC. He was an astronaut for NASA and conducted missions aboard the Space Shuttles Endeavor, Discovery and Atlantis as well as the International Space Station. He was also director of space operations for SpaceX and remains a senior advisor to the company.