Sustainability stories from the greater USC community in Los Angeles, the media and other organizations.
10 Projects, 10 Solutions: Student Engineers Tackle Everyday Problems
USC Makers celebrated its 10th anniversary with 10 student-built projects, including tools to reduce food waste and inventive assistive robots.
USC Scientists Built a Tiny System That Thinks Like a Brain and Runs on Thin Air
USC researchers created a coin-sized analog system that senses, learns and makes decisions using energy from its surroundings, without a battery.
Engineering for Energy Demands Summit 2026: Meeting Rising Global Energy Needs
USC Viterbi and the National Academy of Engineering convened leaders to discuss rising energy demand, infrastructure, investment and the future workforce.
Team MatterFlow Triumph at the Das Family Innovate x LA Student Competition
The student team won $20,000 for a system that uses computer vision and mechanical sorting to recover aluminum from waste at large venues.
Will Higher Gas Prices Affect Transportation?
USC Price professor Marlon Boarnet examines what rising fuel prices mean for travel, transportation funding and the transition to electric vehicles.
Waves of the Future
From wave pools to tsunami simulations, USC researchers explore the science of waves and how it can shape safer, more engaging experiences.
ARCH 580: Entropy and the New Monuments Maymester
Architecture students studied land art and changing landscapes during a Maymester journey through the Bonneville Salt Flats, Spiral Jetty and Sun Tunnels.
A New Model to Improve Resource Planning and Allocation
USC Viterbi researcher Karmel S. Shehadeh developed a framework to balance cost, shortages and waste when planning supplies under uncertain demand.
MPH Career Spotlight: Stephanie Ly, MPH ’11, PhD, Works to Protect Health and the Environment Through Sustainable Transportation
USC alumna Stephanie Ly advances electric mobility at the World Resources Institute, drawing on public health research to address climate and transportation challenges.
Alumna Nisha Lerdsuwanrut Reflects on Environmental Health Research Through EH MATTERS
Through the EH MATTERS fellowship, Lerdsuwanrut studied how transportation infrastructure and air pollution intersect with health disparities in Los Angeles.
Class of ’26 Spotlight: Jintong Li
Jintong Li discusses how her background in landscape architecture and interest in climate and geography shaped her path to USC Architecture.
Class of ’26 Spotlight: Faith Fullerton
Faith Fullerton reflects on design, the natural world and her commitment to sustainable architecture as she completes her USC studies.
Class of ’26 Spotlight: Eniko Csanaki
Eniko Csanaki discusses building science, healthier materials and her goal of working in sustainable design and community resilience.
Fire, Water, Data: Elements of an Engineer-Entrepreneur’s Education
USC Viterbi graduate Mitchell Kirby is developing Ember Corps, a drone-based wildfire response concept, after building ventures around infrastructure resilience.
During Move-In Week, Trojans Settle In for a New Year of Growth and Opportunity
More than 8,000 students settled into USC residences as the university welcomed new and returning Trojans with a focus on a sustainable move-in process.
USC Dornsife Professor Moh El-Naggar Named Director at Carnegie Science
USC Dornsife professor Moh El-Naggar will lead an interdisciplinary Carnegie Science research enterprise spanning biology, ecology and plant science.
How USC Research Sparked a New Vision for Keeping Los Angeles Cool
USC research helped identify neighborhoods most exposed to extreme heat and guide ShadeLA’s work to make temporary shade more accessible.
A New Way to Monitor Methane From Abandoned Wells
USC Viterbi researchers developed a low-cost, connected system for continuous methane monitoring at abandoned oil and gas wells.
USC Students Explore Conservation Careers on Catalina Island
At USC’s Wrigley Institute, students gained hands-on marine science experience and explored pathways into conservation careers.
Trump Administration Relied on Flawed Analysis to Justify Vehicle Emissions Rollback, Study Finds
A study co-authored by USC Price economist Antonio Bento finds that correcting key assumptions would overturn the economic case for the federal vehicle emissions rollback.
Shade Zones Design Competition Underway for Second Year
USC Architecture and USC Dornsife Public Exchange launched another student design competition to create shade solutions for a hotter Los Angeles.
Great Salt Lake’s Ancient Past Reveals How Quickly Fresh Water Can Disappear
USC Dornsife researchers used ancient lake sediments to show how rapidly fresh water can vanish from the Great Salt Lake basin.
The Science Gap Fueling Africa’s Water Wars
USC researchers argue that rigorous, reproducible water modeling could reduce uncertainty and help countries cooperate over shared resources.
Four New Life Sciences Departments Showcase USC Dornsife’s Strengths in Biology
USC Dornsife’s four new life sciences departments highlight the breadth of its research and teaching across biology.
Rethinking What Urban River Restoration Can Look Like
A USC-led study at Taylor Yard explores ways to reconnect the Los Angeles River with neighboring land and rethink urban river restoration.