USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

A new study from Professor and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, Mindy Romero, finds persistent low turnout for Latino, Asian-American and Black voters in all nine swing states.

If participation is boosted, it could be a gamechanger for the upcoming election.

Read here: https://uscprice.page/3Mmv7Dw

🚗Today's the day!🚙

Join Professor Marlon Boarnet, Professor Petros Ioannou, and and Waymo Government Affairs Manager Adam Lane as they discuss the future of autonomous vehicles and driverless robotaxis in today’s Price Presents event at 12 PM.

RSVP for the virtual discussion here:
https://calendar.usc.edu/event/robotaxi-friend-or-foe

🗣️ Calling all alums! ✌️

This election is shaping up to be one of the most pivotal in our nation’s history. The next milestone?

A historic debate between Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Join us in Downtown Los Angeles for an unforgettable evening at our debate watch party.

USC experts will be on hand to offer live commentary and in-depth post-debate analysis, helping you navigate the key moments and implications of this significant event.

Don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity to watch the action unfold while connecting and engaging with fellow Trojans!

Buy your tickets here: https://uscprice.page/3X32xw2

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences | USC Gould School of Law | USC Alumni Association

Ready to take the next step in your academic journey? Or know someone who should?

Help us spread the word about USC’s 4th Annual DIVERSE Graduate + Professional School Recruitment Conference from November 1-3!

This event is designed for underrepresented students currently attending Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) who are exploring graduate school opportunities. Meet with USC faculty, admissions staff, and fellow students while learning about our diverse programs, resources, and community.

The USC Price School of Public Policy is one of the participating schools! Discover our graduate programs in public administration, policy, planning, and nonprofit leadership and see how we’re preparing the next generation of change-makers.

Know a student at an MSI who would be a great fit? Be sure to share this post with them!

Don’t miss out—submit your interest form by August 30, 2024! Limited travel and housing vouchers may be available:
https://uscprice.page/3X84gAc

For more details or questions please contact Maria Romero-Morales at [email protected].

Learn about our undergraduate semester program at the USC Capital Campus in Washington, D.C!

We'll discuss course offerings, internships, housing, and the application process.

Students are welcome to attend in person or via Zoom.

RSVP here: uscprice.page/dcinfosession

and USC Schwarzenegger Institute Director Christian Grose joined the Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit podcast to discuss polling outcomes of the recent Democratic National Convention in Chicago and how presidential candidates and stack competitively.

"The electoral college weighs certain states more," stated Grose. "Those states tend to be just a little bit more republican than the country as a whole. If the country was voting in a popular vote, Harris would almost certainly win. Most democrats typically win in competitive races in the popular vote. But, on balance, because of the states that matter, Trump is still competitive."

Listen to their discussion here: https://uscprice.page/4cGULgQ

Chick-fil-A and Northwell Health, typically far from the entertainment industry, are venturing into film and TV production.

Chick-fil-A plans to launch original content on its own streaming platform, while Northwell is creating shows and movies set in its medical facilities.

While the exact motivations, especially for Chick-fil-A, remain unclear, experts like associate professor Michael Thom suggest to Inc. Magazine these moves may be driven by profit and marketing opportunities rather than tax incentives.

Both firms could still reap indirect benefits if state filmmaking incentives reduce their production costs and thus "buffer them against risk," Thom says.

Read more here: https://uscprice.page/4dBHUxT

Join Professor Marlon Boarnet, USC Viterbi School of Engineering Professor Petros Ioannou, and Waymo Government Affairs Manager Adam Lane as they discuss the future of autonomous vehicles and driverless robotaxis in our upcoming Price Presents event August 30th at 12 PM.

RSVP for the virtual discussion here:
https://uscprice.page/4dlAQVY

Mark your calendars! Price Presents: Racing Towards Policies for a Sustainable Future is soon approaching.

Environmental policy expert Alon Tal will discuss his recent book "Making Climate Tech Work," followed by a engaging discussion about the policies required to incentivize climate technology with professor Santina Contreras.

See you on Monday, September 9th at 12pm!

RSVP here: https://uscprice.page/3AsCy9C

From viral memes to powerful speeches, young voters are beginning to feel the buzz this upcoming presidential election.

In a recent article from CalMatters, Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, said, “I think all of the momentum and activities that we’ve been seeing [to] grab the attention of young people.”

In a state and across the country, where those between the ages of 18 and 24 historically voted at a far lower rate than every other age group, registered Gen Z voters could be enough to flip the races in some battleground districts.

Read more here:
https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/08/young-voters-california-democrats-kamala-harris/

Politicians and environmental activists use phrases like “climate crisis,” “climate emergency,” and “climate justice" to convey the seriousness of climate change.

But a USC study shows that people are not only more familiar with “climate change” and “global warming,” but those terms generate more concern than their over-heated alternatives.

“Terms that are familiar are more likely to resonate with people,” said Professor and lead author Wändi Bruine de Bruin. “It’s harder to feel concern about something you’re not sure you’ve heard of.”

Read more on this study here:
https://uscprice.page/4dle7JB

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences | USC Wrigley Institute for Environment & Sustainability

Historically, young people have been generally underrepresented in . While Harris' campaign has seemingly energized the party, can she motivate Gen Z voters- especially , to buy in?

When talking to Boyle Heights Beat, Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, said, “Young people are often discouraged and not encouraged. They want to see the goods and sometimes make the choice of not voting because they don’t see it as an actionable step to the issue they care about.

We have this long history of discounting and disrespecting young people when it comes to their political participation, even though young people have been that foundational piece as to basically every social movement around the world.”

Read more here: https://uscprice.page/4fFy7YY

Congratulations to Anna Cockrell for earning Silver in the 400 meter hurdles.

The two-time Olympian representing the United States ran a personal best with her time of 51.87 at the 2024 in Paris!

Keep making us !✌️

Read more on the event: https://uscprice.page/46Deqgq

Erroll G. Southers, President of the Los Angeles Police Commission and professor at School, finds pride in seeing many of his former students in leadership roles within the LAPD.

Alumni like Captain Kelly Muniz and Captain Robin Petillo are navigating modern challenges in policing, from managing media communications to addressing recruitment shortfalls, demonstrating the practical and forward-thinking education they received.

Read more on how these alums are transforming public safety:
https://uscprice.page/4cnMU7L

Congratulations to Nicole Yeargin for earning Bronze in the mixed 400x4 meter relay while representing the Great Britain team, marking the first medal won by a athlete at the 2024 in Paris!

Keep making us !✌️

Read more on the event: https://uscprice.page/3A5Oqht

Is back to school season making you think about going back to school?📚

In August, we're offering online information sessions for prospective students or anyone eager to learn more about our graduate programs and application process.

Information on upcoming sessions can be found here: https://priceschool.usc.edu/admission/information-session/

A recent study revealed that non-white residents in areas with high COVID-19 mortality faced a higher risk of depression compared to their white counterparts in LA County. The pandemic exacerbated mental health challenges, particularly among Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities.

“There’s a stark divide in terms of COVID’s impact," said Professor and senior author Neeraj Sood. "Depending on who you are and where you live, your experience during the pandemic could be far worse."

These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted mental health resources in the most affected areas.

Read more on this study here:
https://uscprice.page/3WkQ3iI



Keck Medicine of USC | USC Schaeffer Center | L.A. County Department of Public Health

Congratulations to Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Adjunct Associate Professor Meredith Drake Reitan for receiving the Zumberge Large Program Research Award and a grant from USC’s Arts in Action program.

Drake Reitan is Co-Director of the Bunker Hill Refrain Team, which created a 3-D immersive digital representation of Bunker Hill, a crucial neighborhood in Los Angeles History lost to urban renewal. This model also includes stories of displaced persons and elements from community archives, holistically reconstructing the social life of this historic neighborhood and reflecting on the strength of its civic culture.

Congratulations Meredith! We are of you and your team.

Congratulations to our Olympians Nicole Yeargin (Class of ‘21), Michal Chmielewski, Artem Selin and Verica Bakoc (Class of ‘21)! Wish them luck as they compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics and attempt to win gold for their home country.

View the full schedule of USC athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics here:
https://olympics.usctrojans.com/

Meet Cara Esposito, an alum, adjunct associate professor and Chair of the Board of Councilors for the USC Price School of Public Policy.

She may be the school’s number one fan, too.

“Price changed my life,” said Esposito. “Price, to me, is the greatest school that has ever existed.”

Read how changed the trajectory of Esposito's career — and how she's paying it forward by supporting today's Price students:
https://uscprice.page/3zXFURL

As ’ presidential campaign begins to take shape following President Biden’s decision to exit the race, Center for Inclusive Democracy director Mindy Romero shares with Bloomberg what it might take for younger , especially , to show up this presidential election.

“It's if [Gen Z] believes that taking the step to vote actually will bring about the change that they seek and that they're not just participating in a political system that actually might do more harm than good, as some young people are concerned about.”

Watch the interview here:
https://uscprice.page/4di5leX
University of Southern California

Hard to Engage Young Voters: Romero on Elections Professor Mindy Romero, Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, talks about whether or not Vice President Kamala Harris will get the support of younger voters, specifically the votes from Gen Z. Romero shares her insight on why it's hard to get young....

How do we create more effective public policy? The answer lies in behavioral science.

Last week, the USC Schaeffer Center launched the Behavioral Science and Policy Initiative which will conduct research to understand people’s beliefs and behaviors to create policies and communication that better fit people’s needs.

“We want to help policymakers make a difference,” said Wändi Bruine de Bruin the initiative’s director and Schaeffer Senior Scholar and Provost Professor of Public Policy, Psychology, and Behavioral Science at the School of Public Policy. “And that means creating policies and policy communication that better inform the people they want to reach.”

Learn more here: https://uscprice.page/3Sgmr51

Schaeffer Institute Launches New Initiative to Improve Public Policy Climate change, health and food insecurity will be major focuses of a new initiative aimed at creating policies and communication that better fit people’s needs.

As the debate heats up over President Joe Biden’s future, Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID) director Mindy Romero and USC PIPE Collaborative director Jeff Jenkins share their thoughts on the mounting pressure faced by key California Democrats to make a pivotal choice in a new article from CalMatters.

“If there’s an enthusiasm issue with Biden, that could impact Democrats coming out, period, which could impact down-ballot races,” said Mindy Romero.

Read here: https://uscprice.page/3LuYO4U

As more California Democratic reps ask Biden to drop out, those in key districts face a pivotal choice Adam Schiff’s call for President Biden to drop out increases the pressure on California Democrats in swing House districts.

Nivea Krishnan, a recent grad, researched ranked choice voting systems for her undergraduate thesis. But she didn’t stop at academic theory. She put the idea into practice during this year’s USC Undergraduate Student Government (USG) election.

As Krishnan explained, this system is “more empowering for the average voter, especially in the system that is so two-party dominated.”

Krishnan, who won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant to teach in Madrid this August, wants to continue ranked-choice research, believing the emerging voting system offers a brighter future for elections.

Read more about her work here https://uscprice.page/4fcmzMW

Last week, USC's Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit (USC NROTC) held a Change-of-Command ceremony to pass its command from Colonel Gilbert D. Juarez to Colonel Tracy A. Perry.

This marked the official transfer of total responsibility and authority of the unit from one commanding officer to another and formally demonstrates the continuity of authority within a U.S. military command.


University of Southern California | U.S. Navy | U.S. Marine Corps