Dear USC Faculty and Staff,
.
On behalf of the 2020 Student Recognition Committee, we invite you to nominate undergraduate, graduate and professional students whose dedication and notable contributions have enriched the quality of campus life and in the local, national and international community.
We are asking your support to identify and nominate outstanding students deserving of this special recognition. To be eligible, nominees must be scheduled for graduation in either May 2020 or August 2020. Recent graduates from December 2019 are also eligible. Faculty and staff may nominate as many students as they deem worthy of consideration; however, not all nominees will receive a Student Recognition award.
By honoring these students, USC continues to celebrate the values of leadership, service and engagement. Nominated students may be eligible to receive one of the following awards:
Undergraduate Students:
• The Order of the Torch: Awarded to outstanding undergraduate students whose dedication to leadership and community service go beyond that of their peers.
• The Order of Troy: Awarded to graduating undergraduate students whose leadership, in conjunction with academic excellence, has provided significant value to the USC community.
• The Order of the Laurel and the Palm: Awarded to less than 1% of graduating undergraduate students who have distinguished themselves from their peers in the fields of leadership, scholarship, and service both on and off campus.
Graduate/Professional Students:
• The Order of the Torch: Awarded to outstanding graduate students whose dedication to leadership and community service go beyond that of their peers.
• The Order of Areté: Awarded to graduating graduate students who have demonstrated significant depth and scope of responsibility in leadership roles benefiting their peers and their broader communities.
The nomination and selection process is as follows:
• Nominations are available online starting Feb. 21, 2020 at http://studentrecognition.usc.edu/ and close on Friday, March 6, 2020 (Only complete nominations will be considered.)
• Faculty and staff nominators must provide all information about each nominee’s involvement and justify their excellence in leadership, scholarship, and service.
• Nominators are responsible for the completion of nomination forms for students,which they nominate.
Student nominees will not be involved in the selection process.
• At least three members from the Student Recognition Review Committee will review completed nominations.
• The committee will select based on academic achievement, leadership, and service including those who have enhanced their academics with a variety of co-curricular activities (including paid positions) and have positively contributed to USC.
• The committee will notify award recipients and their nominators via email to attend the USC Student Recognition Ceremony taking place on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at Bovard Auditorium at 1 p.m.
More information about the awards are located on the Student Recognition Awards.
Please direct any specific questions to 2020 Student Recognition Committee Chair, Cynthia Tucker at uscsrc@usc.edu.
Thank you for helping us recognize and honor our outstanding students.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
2020 PhD Achievement Award
2020 PhD Achievement Award by uscbiscgrad on Scribd
Signature Page
PhD Achievement Signature Page 2020 by uscbiscgrad on Scribd
QCB Faculty Candidate Seminar | Dr. Assaf Amitai
Dr. Assaf Amitai
Post-Doctoral Researcher, MIT
Research Website
Geometry and stochastic dynamics in biological systems
Thursday, February 27, 2 PM, RRI 101
Abstract: The interaction of proteins with chromatin regulates many cellular functions. Most DNA-binding proteins interact both non-specifically and transiently with many chromatin sites, as well as specifically and more stably with cognate binding sites. These interactions and chromatin structure are important in governing protein dynamics. By analyzing the motion of CTCF, a DNA binding protein responsible for chromosomal organization, we inferred that it interacts with a new type of small nuclear domains. These domains, composed of RNA, are central in guiding CTCF to find its cognate binding site. Hence, weak transient interactions govern chromatin organization and dynamics. In the second part of the talk, I will describe recent advances in the development of a universal vaccine for the influenza virus. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and a population scale models of the adaptive immune system, we study the immune response to nanoparticles presenting flu proteins at unique geometries and compositions. We show that these nanoparticles can direct the immune response in distinct evolutionary paths, and elicit the creation of antibodies of high breadth - capable of neutralizing multiple flu strains.
Post-Doctoral Researcher, MIT
Research Website
Geometry and stochastic dynamics in biological systems
Thursday, February 27, 2 PM, RRI 101
Abstract: The interaction of proteins with chromatin regulates many cellular functions. Most DNA-binding proteins interact both non-specifically and transiently with many chromatin sites, as well as specifically and more stably with cognate binding sites. These interactions and chromatin structure are important in governing protein dynamics. By analyzing the motion of CTCF, a DNA binding protein responsible for chromosomal organization, we inferred that it interacts with a new type of small nuclear domains. These domains, composed of RNA, are central in guiding CTCF to find its cognate binding site. Hence, weak transient interactions govern chromatin organization and dynamics. In the second part of the talk, I will describe recent advances in the development of a universal vaccine for the influenza virus. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and a population scale models of the adaptive immune system, we study the immune response to nanoparticles presenting flu proteins at unique geometries and compositions. We show that these nanoparticles can direct the immune response in distinct evolutionary paths, and elicit the creation of antibodies of high breadth - capable of neutralizing multiple flu strains.
Monday, February 17, 2020
QCB Faculty Candidate Seminar | Dr. David Zeevi
Dr. David Zeevi
Independent Fellow, Rockerfeller University, Center for Studies in Physics & Biology
Research Website
Mining the marine microbiome for remediation targets: lessons from the human microbiome
Thursday, February 20, 2 PM, RRI 101
Abstract: Microbial communities can have an immense effect on their environment and are strongly affected by it. Using new methods for metagenomic sequencing analysis, we systematically identified microbial genomic structural variants and found them to be highly prevalent in the gut microbiome and to correlate with disease risk factors (Zeevi et al., Nature 2019). Our results suggest that these variants facilitate adaptation to environmental stress. Exploring genes that are clustered in the same variant, we uncovered potential mechanistic links between microbiome and its host. Inspired by our discovery of potential microbial adaptation to host pressures, I developed a strategy for mining marine microbiome samples for novel bioremediation genes. To this end, we devised a high-throughput evolutionary analysis, and revealed an unexpected insight into the structure of our genetic code (Shenhav and Zeevi, bioRxiv 2019). Our primary analyses uncovered overwhelmingly strong purifying selective pressure across marine microbial life. This selection was highly correlated with nutrient concentrations and has led us to explore robustness in the genetic code, common to nearly all life forms. We show that the structure of the genetic code, along with amino acid choices across all kingdoms of Life, confers robustness to mutations that incorporate additional nitrogen and carbon into protein sequences. By accounting for this nutrient-conservation-driven purifying selection, we will be able to expose a new layer of selection associated with marine pollution.
Independent Fellow, Rockerfeller University, Center for Studies in Physics & Biology
Research Website
Mining the marine microbiome for remediation targets: lessons from the human microbiome
Thursday, February 20, 2 PM, RRI 101
Abstract: Microbial communities can have an immense effect on their environment and are strongly affected by it. Using new methods for metagenomic sequencing analysis, we systematically identified microbial genomic structural variants and found them to be highly prevalent in the gut microbiome and to correlate with disease risk factors (Zeevi et al., Nature 2019). Our results suggest that these variants facilitate adaptation to environmental stress. Exploring genes that are clustered in the same variant, we uncovered potential mechanistic links between microbiome and its host. Inspired by our discovery of potential microbial adaptation to host pressures, I developed a strategy for mining marine microbiome samples for novel bioremediation genes. To this end, we devised a high-throughput evolutionary analysis, and revealed an unexpected insight into the structure of our genetic code (Shenhav and Zeevi, bioRxiv 2019). Our primary analyses uncovered overwhelmingly strong purifying selective pressure across marine microbial life. This selection was highly correlated with nutrient concentrations and has led us to explore robustness in the genetic code, common to nearly all life forms. We show that the structure of the genetic code, along with amino acid choices across all kingdoms of Life, confers robustness to mutations that incorporate additional nitrogen and carbon into protein sequences. By accounting for this nutrient-conservation-driven purifying selection, we will be able to expose a new layer of selection associated with marine pollution.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Wrigley Sonosky Sustainability summer fellowship
The USC Wrigley Institute is now accepting applications for the 2020 Sonosky Sustainability Summer Fellowship. Applications due March 11. Notice is attached.
Sonosky 2020 Announcement by uscbiscgrad on Scribd
MEB Seminar | Dr. Leslie Babonis
Dr. Leslie Babonis
Research Assistant Scientist, University of Florida, Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience
Research Profile
Understanding biodiversity, one cell at a time
Thursday, February 6, 12 PM, AHF 153 (Torrey Webb Room)
Abstract: I study novelty. Specifically, I am interested in understanding the factors that drive the origin and diversification of novel cell types. More than just taxon-specific oddities, novel cell types can promote niche specialization and facilitate speciation events; thus, studying novelty is critical for understanding the evolution of biodiversity. One of my favorite projects focuses on understanding the mechanisms driving morphological and functional specialization of cnidocytes (stinging cells) across cnidarians (corals, jellyfish, and their kin). Using a combination of observational and functional techniques, I have constructed a cnidocyte gene regulatory network that I use to test hypotheses about the evolutionary origin of this truly bizarre lineage of cells. Surprisingly, the fate of this novel cell lineage seems to have been acquired through recycling and reorganization of an old gene regulatory network, rather that the origin of a novel regulation strategy.
Research Assistant Scientist, University of Florida, Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience
Research Profile
Understanding biodiversity, one cell at a time
Thursday, February 6, 12 PM, AHF 153 (Torrey Webb Room)
Abstract: I study novelty. Specifically, I am interested in understanding the factors that drive the origin and diversification of novel cell types. More than just taxon-specific oddities, novel cell types can promote niche specialization and facilitate speciation events; thus, studying novelty is critical for understanding the evolution of biodiversity. One of my favorite projects focuses on understanding the mechanisms driving morphological and functional specialization of cnidocytes (stinging cells) across cnidarians (corals, jellyfish, and their kin). Using a combination of observational and functional techniques, I have constructed a cnidocyte gene regulatory network that I use to test hypotheses about the evolutionary origin of this truly bizarre lineage of cells. Surprisingly, the fate of this novel cell lineage seems to have been acquired through recycling and reorganization of an old gene regulatory network, rather that the origin of a novel regulation strategy.
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