The Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) has launched a new video series – Coffee with Ish – to highlight the innovative, impactful work being led across the university by USC faculty. The videos highlight topics ranging from sustainability to artificial intelligence, with a precedent placed on key disciplines relevant to the university’s strategic priority areas. The video series marks a unique collaboration between multiple USC entities, including USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, with Michael Taylor, Professor of Film and Television Production and Executive Director of the Media Institute for Social Change, leading the production side of the series creation.
“We want the impactful work of our faculty not just to be known by their colleagues or throughout their departments but across the university and beyond,” said Dr. Ishwar Puri. Dr. Puri – the name behind ‘Coffee with Ish’ – leads each video by engaging USC faculty in a conversational setting to express and explore the insights and innovations in their day-to-day research work.
“The video series is an incredible way to showcase the work of our faculty, many of whom have worked closely with OORI and Research Strategy & Development on their research efforts and proposal development activities,” said Dr. Steven Moldin, Associate Vice President of Research Strategy & Innovation.
The first set of videos covers five critical topic areas, featuring several faculty members across each:
USC Research – Coffee with Ish – Sustainability
Interviewees: Mahta Moghaddam, Ph.D., Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering-Electrophysics and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Viterbi); Rima Habre, ScD, Associate Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences (Keck); Sergey Nuzhdin, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Sciences (Dornsife). Writer & Producer: Michael Taylor – Director & Editor: John Berardo.
USC Research – Coffee with Ish – Quantum Computing
Interviewees: Daniel Lidar, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy (Viterbi); Stephan Haas, Ph.D., Professor of Physics and Astronomy (Dornsife). Writer & Producer: Michael Taylor – Director & Editor: John Berardo.
USC Research – Coffee with Ish – Artificial Intelligence
Interviewees: Yolanda Gil, Ph.D., Research Professor of Computer Science and Spatial Sciences and Principal Scientist at USC Information Sciences Institute (Viterbi); Mike Ananny, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism (Annenberg); Holly Willis, Ph.D., Chair of the Media Arts + Practice Division, Professor of Cinematic Arts (Cinema); Bistra Dilkina, Ph.D., Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Early Career Chair in Computer Science and Associate Professor of Computer Science (Viterbi); Albert “Skip” Rizzo, Ph.D., Director for Medical Virtual Reality (Institute for Creative Technologies, ICT) and Research Professor (Gerontology & Keck). Writer & Producer: Michael Taylor – Director & Editor: John Berardo.
USC Research – Coffee with Ish – Childhood Development
Interviewees: Pat Levitt, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Pathology, and Neurology, Chair in Neurogenetics (Keck); Assal Habibi, Ph.D., Associate Professor (Research) of Psychology (Dornsife); Mark Harris, B.A., Distinguished Professor and Chair in Production (Cinema); Albert “Skip” Rizzo, Ph.D., Director for Medical Virtual Reality (Institute for Creative Technologies, ICT) and Research Professor (Gerontology & Keck). Writer & Producer: Michael Taylor – Director & Editor: John Berardo.
USC Research – Coffee with Ish – Neuroscience
Interviewees: Mark Humayun, MD, Ph.D., University Professor of Ophthalmology, Chair in Biomedical Sciences, Director of the USC Ginsberg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, and Co-Director of the Roski Eye Institute (Keck); Jane Lebkowski, Ph.D., President (Regenerative Patch Technologies); Maryam Shanechi, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Systems, Biomedical Engineering, and Computer Science (Viterbi). Writer & Producer: Michael Taylor – Director & Editor: John Berardo.