Wrigley Marine Science Center is part of Mission Blue’s newest Hope Spot
Mission Blue's Hope Spot logo in front of a coastal photo of Catalina Island.

“This new Hope Spot is more than a place, it’s an experience. Students and researchers create core memories of their time at USC during their visits to Catalina Island.”

How ‘Dune’ became a beacon for the fledgling environmental movement − and a rallying cry for the new science of ecology
Oregon’s Umpqua Dunes

When Frank Herbert sat down in 1963 to start writing ‘Dune,’ he wasn’t thinking about how to leave Earth behind. He was thinking about how to save it.

$4 million gift launches new climate and carbon management initiative
A fountain outside of Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

“This generous gift will enable innovative research to accelerate decarbonization strategies,” says Dornsife College Dean Amber D. Miller.

Q&A with actress and activist Jane Fonda: Environmental issues, her childhood and the best hikes in L.A.
USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay joins actress and activist Jane Fonda at Temperature Check on April 11. (Photo by Alan Mittelstaedt)

Fonda reflects on the past and offers advice for the future in an exclusive with Annenberg Media.

Master of Building Science Alumnus’ Wind Energy System Launches Pilot Program this Summer in L.A.
Mack Research logo in front of a picture of a lake.

Casey Castor ’19 is on mission to harvest sustainable energy with a unique leaf-like wind module for the ‘skin’ of buildings, and will launch a pilot program with Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator.

Price student’s big idea to cut auto emissions: mini EVs
Dylan Qichen Di, a Master of Urban Planning student from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.

Dylan Qichen Di, a Master of Urban Planning student from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, has a big idea to solve the electric car cost problem: mini EVs.

Slippery situation: Microbes in oil spills could shed light on ecosystem recovery
An oil slick spreads across surface waters.

Earth sciences researcher hopes a long-term study of a 2021 oil spill in Southern California will help guide future decisions about how to repair affected ecosystems.

From wood fossils to plant-based burgers with an Earth sciences degree
Hyejung “Hazel” Lee posing in front of a list of names at Beyond Meat.

Alumna Hyejung “Hazel” Lee honed her lab skills at USC Dornsife, and now she uses them at Beyond Meat, a maker of meat substitutes.

April’s eclipse will mean interruptions in solar power generation, which could strain electrical grids
Solar panels converting sunlight into electricity.

When the Moon blocks the Sun during an eclipse, utility suppliers have to pull power from the grid to make up for gaps in solar energy.

USC Dornsife celebrates Tyler Prize winner for defining Earth’s vital limits
2024 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement winner Johan Rockström. (Photo: Jadranko Marjanovic.)

Johan Rockström joins the ranks of environmental visionaries honored by the Tyler Prize, administered by USC Dornsife, for his pioneering work on the “Planetary Boundaries” framework.