USC Viterbi COVID-19 Response

Please find activities, links and resources below surrounding USC Viterbi's response to COVID-19.

FAQ and COVID-19 Related Pages

Quick-links below to any FAQ page or other pages created on our school site in relationship to COVID-19.

Our Four-Pillar Themes

Content relating to our four pillar themes (people, programs, thought leadership, innovation and outreach) that are unique to USC Viterbi in the current environment.

Viterbi vs. Pandemics! - A Lecture Series by Viterbi Faculty
Dean Yortsos moderates ASEE EDGE Deans Panel Discussion on the COVID-19 Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Call to action from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) - USC Viterbi has been instrumental in an effort to engage brilliant engineering minds, whether students, faculty or others, in a call to action for COVID-19. The action involves the creation of a virtual incubator, which accepts ideas and transforms them into actionable concepts, using the lean startup methodology of the NSF I-Corps Program and specifically the participation of the Los Angeles Innovation Node, in which USC Viterbi is the lead institution.
- Related Story: A Call to Action for Engineers
USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Center's Parents Page - A hub for at-home STEM enrichment
COVID-19 FAQ for the USC Viterbi Community
Student Advising Resources during COVID-19
Video Series: Day-in-the-life of a USC Viterbi Student

Online Events and Seminars

For upcoming school-level events, please see our Online Events Series page. Links to past events that have been recorded as well as links to materials such as slide decks (when made available) can also be found here.

Many different departments, units, groups and faculty have been holding online events since the start of the pandemic as well and whenever possible have recorded such and made them publicly available. Please understand that some events were held for a closed audience (for example alumni, current or perspective students) and are therefore are not publicly listed. Please visit the various USC Viterbi associated YouTube channels below to view archived online events.

USC Viterbi Online Events Playlist
USC Viterbi Admission
USC Viterbi Current Students
USC Viterbi Graduate and Professional Programs
USC Viterbi Careers
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Computer Science
USC ISI
USC Aviation Safety
USC Viterbi K12 Stem
USC CAIS
Professor Andrea Armani
CAIS++
Professor Jeff Miller
USC Viterbi VAST Program
USC Viterbi CAM

Research Related to COVID-19

To learn about research at USC Viterbi that addresses COVID-19 challenges, please browse our News and Media section at the bottom of this page, as many of our research projects have been written about or been covered by media. If you are a researcher yourself, you might want to visit COVID-19 FAQ for USC Viterbi Researchers.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Please visit our Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Help page if you are seeking PPE or are able to help to produce, donate, etc. We are trying to coordinate such efforts on this page to protect as many people as possible. Stories about PPE can be found lower down on this page in the Related News and Media section section.

USC Student Emergency Fund Options

CARES - For more information on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, please click here
Ignite.com - For donation and volunteer opportunities including USC's crowdfunding platform ignite.usc.edu, please click here
Student Government emergency funds
USC Viterbi Emergency Fund – Financial support for registered students at the Viterbi School of Engineering who face unforeseen expenses due the impact of COVID-19

Messages from Leadership

For complete list of community messages from USC Central please visit this page

03/23/2021 - Provost Zukoski: Important Update

03/18/2021 - President Folt: Commencement update for 2020 and 2021 graduates

03/18/2021 - Chief Health Officer Van Orman: Reminder on COVID-19 Safety and Spring Travel

03/05/2021 - President Folt: A Year Together Apart

03/05/2021 - Provost Zukoski: Letter Regarding Increased On-Campus Activities

01/01/2021 - President Folt: Compliance with Public Health

11/18/2020 - Chief Health Officer Van Orman: Spring COVID-19 Safety Planning

11/13/2020 - Provost Zukoski: Looking Forward to Spring

11/10/2020 - Dean Yortsos and Vice Dean Johnson: Viterbi Spring 2021 Wellness Days and Grading Option

10/19/2020 - Dean Yortsos: Viterbi Fall 2020 P/NP and Spring 2021 Calendar and Classes

10/14/2020 - Provost Zukoski: Important Updates for Fall and Spring Semesters

10/14/2020 - President Folt: Planning ahead for Spring 2021

9/14/2020 - Provost Zukoski: Fall Semester Update

8/5/2020 - Provost Zukoski: On Fall Semester Remote Instruction

7/8/2020 - Dean Yortsos' Letter to USC Viterbi International Students

7/8/2020 - President Folt: Message Regarding International Students

7/7/2020 - Dean Yortsos' Letter to USC Viterbi Undergraduate Students

7/1/2020 - Provost Zukoski: On Student Housing and Course Schedules

6/29/2020 - Chief Health Officer Van Orman and Vice President of Student Affairs Crisp: Fall 2020 on Campus

6/19/2020 - Provost Zukoski: Regarding restart activities

6/02/2020 - President Folt: The 2020-2021 Academic Year

5/07/2020 - Provost Zukoski: Project Restart – The Path to Bringing USC Back to Campus

4/29/2020 - President Folt: State of the University Address

4/28/2020 - Provost Zukoski: Academic Updates for Current and Future Trojans

4/24/2020 - President Folt: Celebrating USC’s Graduating Class of 2020

4/16/2020 - Provost Zukoski: Support for the USC Graduate and Professional Student Community

4/15/2020 - Message to Trojan Community from President Folt

4/14/2020 - A message from Dean Yortsos to members of our USC Viterbi Trojan Family

4/3/2020 - Memo from Dean Yortsos: Competence and Character

4/3/2020 - An Important Message from the Provost and Chief Financial Officer

3/30/2020 - President Folt and Provost Zukoski: Important Modification to Undergraduate Grading Policy

3/30/2020 - President Folt: Join USC in Helping Those Impacted by COVID-19

3/24/2020 - President Folt: COVID-19 New Actions

3/20/2020 - Provost Zukoski: Options for Course Grades and Withdrawals

3/17/2020 - Memo from Dean Yortsos: Facing the COVID-19 Challenge

Community and Resource Links

USC Student Health - Find info for Operational Updates. TeleHealth and more

CDC - Find Travel Advice, Facts & Figures, How to Protect Yourself and more

Music for Surviving a Pandemic - What Trojan engineers are listening to during this period of self-isolation

Related News and Media

Virus Minority Report

April 6, 2021

USC Viterbi researchers show how we might one day develop vaccines for viruses that haven’t even evolved yet

What Happens To All Those COVID Test Nasal Swabs? That’s Where It Gets Complicated.

March 15, 2021

Recent XPRIZE finalist Tapestry, led by Manoj Gopalkrishnan, ’08, could save time, money and lives by testing hundreds of samples at once

Can We Predict Which COVID-19 Patients Will End Up in the ICU?

March 1, 2021

USC researchers created an algorithm that uses five biomarkers to determine which COVID-19 patients will need intensive care after hospitalization.

USC Undergraduate Student Team Reaches Final Round of $500k Pandemic Response Challenge

February 23, 2021

The USC team was among 48 teams from 17 countries chosen to advance to the second and final phase of the competition.

USC News: Artificial intelligence yields new ways to combat the coronavirus

February 5, 2021

Computer model created by Paul Bogdan and colleagues eliminates 95% of the compounds that could have possibly treated SARS-CoV-2 and pinpoints the best options

The Four-Legged Robot That Can Crawl, Crouch, Clean and Fight COVID

January 25, 2021

A team of USC master’s students creates a disinfection robot to use on COVID-19 prevention.

Adobe Spark: How Working from Home Changed Us

December 16, 2020

After March’s stay-at-home orders took effect, USC researchers studied the impact of widespread work from home on well-being and productivity.

Technology and Design Keep Holiday Tradition Alive–Even at a Distance

December 16, 2020

Roboticist and first-year student collaborate on social-distanced tech solution

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics” Lecture 11: Environmental Influences on Work From Home

November 24, 2020

As part of an 11-part lecture series, USC Viterbi researchers spoke on the role and influence of built environments on mental and physical health, and work productivity and satisfaction.

Youtube: Quadruped Robots to Disinfect

November 24, 2020

Working with Professor Gupta and Professor Nguyen, students are developing semi-autonomous robots to disinfect hard to-reach spaces to protect against COVID

USC ISI Researcher Uses AI to Combat COVID-19 Under the Microsoft AI for Health Program

November 20, 2020

The Microsoft grant will help develop knowledge graphs for a COVID-19 data infrastructure.

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics” Lecture 10: Protein Engineering by Directed Evolution

November 19, 2020

Richard Roberts’s lab invented mRNA display to design new peptides and proteins. He is now using this and other tools to help scientists develop therapies and diagnostics for COVID-19.

WIRED: Proning COVID Patients Seems to Save Lives

November 15, 2020

Andrea Armani was interviewed on simple interventions that can improve COVID-19 patient outcomes

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics” Lecture 9: Digital Contact Tracing

November 13, 2020

Cyrus Shahabi’s digital contact tracing goes beyond mobile phones, reducing false positives.

After a record-breaking deployment Navy Officer returns to USC for second graduate degree

November 7, 2020

Jonathan Messer, M.S. ’18, put his systems engineering degree to use during a global pandemic and a humanitarian mission in Central America. He’s now taking it to outer space.

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics” Lecture 8: Misinformation Detection

November 6, 2020

Yan Liu shares how machine learning and AI could help combat COVID-19 by identifying and mitigating misinformation on social media.

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics!” Lecture 7: Vaccine Development

November 3, 2020

Zohrab A. Kaprielian fellow in Engineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering Pin Wang discussed immunology behind the COVID-19 vaccine.

Pasadena Star-News: Digital Contact Tracing Stalls Out Nationwide

October 30, 2020

Pasadena Star-News quoted Cyrus Shahabi regarding the concerns around contact tracing apps.

A 10-Day Forecast for COVID-19

October 28, 2020

USC Viterbi’s Roger Ghanem and Xiaoshu Zeng have created models which predict daily, new COVID-19 cases.

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics” Lecture 6: Predictions on COVID-19 to the C.D.C.

October 23, 2020

USC Viterbi data scientists helping decision-makers see beyond the fog of data to provide better pandemic forecasts and save lives

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics!” Lecture 5: Estimation of Risk

October 19, 2020

Bhaskar Krishnamachari shares how to visualize COVID risk over time for different communities using real data from L.A. County to illustrate the approach.

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics!” Lecture 4: Automation Technologies for Ensuring Human Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic

October 14, 2020

The fourth lecture in the 10-part series focuses on how automation can help enhance human productivity in industries such as manufacturing while keeping them safe during the global pandemic.

Graphs: The Hidden Ingredient to More Realistic Simulations

October 12, 2020

New PhD graduate Alana Shine researches graph theory, which can help create more accurate models of disease spread.

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics!” Lecture 3: Biology and Disinfection for COVID-19

October 9, 2020

Professor Andrea Armani, the Ray Irani Chair in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, discusses new approaches to sterilizing medical equipment to meet urgent needs during the pandemic.

Urgent Times Call for Urgent Measures

October 7, 2020

USC ISI scientists research urgency detection in short crisis situations through social media

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics!” Lecture 2: Fluid Dynamics of the Spread of COVID-19

October 5, 2020

The second lecture in the 10-part series focuses on how the virus spreads in droplets and what masks are most effective

“Viterbi vs. Pandemics!” Lecture 1: Modeling Epidemics

September 30, 2020

Inaugural lecture in 10-part series focuses on modeling epidemics as a chemical reaction process

KCBS: Effectiveness of UV Light to Sanitize Surfaces Amid COVID-19

September 24, 2020

CBS featured Andrea Armani who discussed the use of UV light to sanitize surfaces amid COVID-19.

Engineering Our Way Through a Global Pandemic

September 11, 2020

USC master’s students tackle robots, masks and droplet dispersion, to better understand how to live with COVID-19.

USC Viterbi Offers Two New Short Courses: “Viterbi vs. Pandemics!” and “Sustainable Energy”

September 3, 2020

Both lecture series launch the week after Labor Day, offering students a comprehensive faculty coverage of COVID-19 and a series on sustainable energy with Dean Yortsos

Biegler Hall Gets a Makeover

September 1, 2020

The third floor Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering lab was reconfigured over the summer to offer students an interactive, yet safe experience this fall.

Zoom Work Meetings, Anyone?

August 28, 2020

Researchers at USC ISI prepare for future emergencies during COVID 19 pandemic.

USC Viterbi Researchers Win 1st Place, Develop COVID-19 Risk Score for Los Angeles

August 26, 2020

Recent data science challenge, hosted by the city, identifies a new, color-coded metric for individual risk.

A Warm Fall 2020 Welcome from USC Viterbi

August 24, 2020

Dean Yannis Yortsos, faculty and staff welcome students and parents in this most unique of years.

USC Viterbi Alumnus Donates 33,000 Masks

August 20, 2020

Qihong Wang, B.S. EE ’19, donated essential masks to USC Viterbi researchers, allowing them to continue pursuing their work during the pandemic.

What’s Next in Pandemic Forecasting?

August 17, 2020

USC Viterbi Researchers Answer Questions About Their Unique Modeling Tool and Share Advice for Future Forecasters.

NBC News: How LA’s Sewers Could Be an Early Warning System for Coronavirus Outbreaks

August 5, 2020

Researchers believe waste water could serve as a warning sign for coronavirus outbreaks.

KCRW: Scientists turn to LA wastewater to track coronavirus outbreaks

August 5, 2020

A Lifeline For Students During The Pandemic

August 3, 2020

Over 100 students have been aided by USC Viterbi’s Emergency Relief Fund; Ming Hsieh, alumnus and university trustee, offers an additional $50K match to donors

Designing for a Better World: A Summer of Innovation

July 30, 2020

Over 100 high school students from across the nation ideate solutions for the COVID-19 pandemic in USC-led bootcamp

Helping La Peñita Through COVID-19

July 2, 2020

Travis Mendoza, ’16, came to Mexico to build a hotel; when the pandemic struck, he began to focus more on building a community.

Global Online Symposia Focus on COVID-19 Research

June 30, 2020

Faculty presentations help address COVID-19 and related technology topics

New Math Model Predicts Real-World Systems

June 22, 2020

New USC Viterbi research models complex, real-world outcomes, including coronavirus and Alzheimer’s disease

AI to Better Diagnose and Treat Renal Cancer and COVID-19

June 18, 2020

USC researchers are using AI to fuel more confident diagnosis of renal tumors, as well as more customized treatment for cancer patients and patients infected with COVID-19.

Beating A Pandemic To The Punch

June 4, 2020

USC Viterbi researchers are helping us understand what COVID-19 might do next.

Six Innovative Ideas To Aid People in Crisis Zones

May 28, 2020

USC Viterbi’s Virtual Demo Day showcases student-designed products for the world’s hardest-to-reach people.

Wastewater Surveillance Could Promote Early COVID-19 Detection

May 28, 2020

USC Researchers Receive NSF RAPID grant to track coronavirus spread through wastewater samples.

The Engineering Bat Signal for COVID-19 Went Out. She Answered It.

May 12, 2020

How Julia Sircar, a Class of 2020 graduate, came to work with top engineers to combat a pandemic.

A Call to Action for Engineers

April 27, 2020

USC Viterbi dean, faculty and students play key role in NAE’s Call to Action to finding engineering solutions to problems posed by COVID-19.

KPCC: Teaching College from Home

April 25, 2020

Andrea Armani was interviewed about online teaching, webinars and ppe efforts at USC

Spectrum News: USC Professor Uses 3D Printers to Create Face Shields for Essential Workers

April 25, 2020

Andrea Armani was interviewed about her and colleagues’ efforts to collaborate with industry and produce PPE

Washington Post: Your smartphone as a weapon against Coronavirus

April 25, 2020

Cyrus Shahabi was interviewed about a contact tracing app his team is working on to fight the spread of COVID19

Fast Company: UVC Light and COVID19

April 25, 2020

Andrea Armani was interviewed on whether UVC light could fight COVID19

Opinion: Why We Need More Than Bluetooth Data to Fight Covid-19

April 24, 2020

In order to stop the pandemic in its tracks, we need a nuanced risk assessment that takes many factors into consideration, including people’s mobility patterns, says Cyrus Shahabi.

USC Student Collects and Distributes Protective Gear for Hospitals

April 20, 2020

Computer science and business administration student MacKenzie McClung is rounding up much-needed protective equipment for healthcare workers in Florida.

Your Social Media Feed is Biased

April 15, 2020

A USC Viterbi professor’s new research paper exposes the inherently biased nature of our social media networks.

Robotic Arms Extend the Reach of UV Disinfection

April 13, 2020

USC researchers adapt a customizable robot to autonomously perform disinfection tasks in both small and large spaces.

A Coronavirus Tracking App That’s Putting Privacy First

April 9, 2020

By anonymously tracking coronavirus spread through contact tracing, smartphone technology could help people get back to their daily lives—while keeping a close eye on the resurgence of the virus.

As the World Goes Remote, USC Researchers, Entrepreneurs Work to Fill Gap in Healthcare Supply Chain

April 8, 2020

USC researchers and alumni emphasize innovation and collaboration to support the fight against COVID-19 on the front lines.

Center for Cyber-Physical Systems: CCI Virtual Mini-Workshop on Digital Technologies for COVID-19

April 8, 2020

USC Researchers and faculty presented on how digital technologies– mobile applications, internet of things, data science, AI, and machine learning can play a role in understanding, monitoring and combatting COVID-19.

USC News: How Hardware Store Parts Transformed into Virus-Destroying Devices

April 6, 2020

A partnership between USC Viterbi and the Keck School of Medicine has produced a system — built from off-the-shelf items — that uses UV light to disinfect face shields.

USC Researchers Analyze Coronavirus Misinformation on Twitter

March 31, 2020

By analyzing millions of tweets, USC computer science researchers are investigating how false information about the coronavirus spreads on social media.

Adobe Spark: 5 Scientific Achievements Accomplished Remotely

March 26, 2020

How USC Viterbi researchers innovated, disrupted, and engaged new frontiers from a distance

USC Researchers Release Public Coronavirus Twitter Set for Academics

March 25, 2020

Dataset to track public sentiment and help researchers understand the social dimensions of the pandemic

Research Team in Race to Develop COVID-19 Vaccine and Treatments

March 25, 2020

Researchers in the USC Viterbi Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science are joining the global research effort to develop a viable vaccine to halt the global pandemic.

USC News: Faculty and staff send protective gear to medical center during coronavirus crisis

March 24, 2020

Viterbi faculty and staff are stepping up to donate masks or produce eyewear to protect Keck Medicine of USC healthcare professionals against the new coronavirus