Jean-Pierre Rwigema is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. He has studied in South Africa and now continues his education at the USC School of Dentistry focusing his stem cell research on immortalized human fetal bone marrow and the possibilities it offers. 

Michael Naimark is a long time media artist and researcher. His work in new media has led to a collaboration of Google-proportions between the USC Interactive Media Division and Institute for Creative Technologies.

Bryan Stimmler began his researching career by gathering samples in the rivers of the San Gabriel mountains. Now doing research that is more laboratory based, he is researching two different projects at the USC School of Dentistry.

Rungnapa Warotayanont is a Ph.D. candidate in Craniofacial Biology program and a research assistant at the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology (CCMB) at the USC School of Dentistry. Joining the Trojan Family from Thailand, Rungnapa's research is dedicated to stem cell research for bone formation.

Based on the concept of creating a repeatable and low cost prototype flight vehicle that simulates the key techniques required to descend and land on the lunar surface, LEAPFROG is pioneered by USC Astronautical Engineering Students.

Mark Wilde is a PhD candidate in the Ming Hsieh department of Electrical Engineering at USC. He and his collaborators, Todd Brun and Hari Krovi, are exhausting novel ways to exploit quantum mechanics for quantum communications in the future.

Ivan Wong is a masters student in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering at USC. He is the entrepreneurial spirit behind Flixya.com, a social networking site that pays ad revenues to users.

Professor Gérard Medioni has been at USC since 1983 after earning his MS and PhD in computer science. Technology developed by Prof. Medioni, licensed by Pasadena start-up Big Stage, enables users to create 3D digital avatars for all forms of digital media and can place them in the action.

Founded in the Spring of 2006, thatgamecompany has landed a three-game deal with SONY for the Playstation 3 Network creating experimental, innovation games, tapping into different emotional experiences not offered in today's primary video game market.

Ronald Nguyen is a young dental student at the University of Southern California'.  Beginning with the common phrase, "why can't they make this better?", a true innovator, Ron pursued his idea and successfully developed a new dental product, the Feather Light. 

As the creator of "Swim with Mike,' a fundraising swim-a-thon, Ron has overseen the accrual of $7.4 million in scholarship funds for physically challenged athletes, 69 student athletes have received scholarships at universities throughout the country. Ron received the President's Award for Staff Achievement at USC in 1992 and is a noted national speaker on alcohol and drug education. 

Project:Possibility is a nonprofit, community service project committed to creating groundbreaking software for the disabled community--for free.

Bahman Elyassi didn't realize that when he set out to create the miniaturized oxygen sensor he would win an international award, have a patent pending, publish four papers, and fall in love.

The Windfall Fund is an interdisciplinary collaborative effort between three USC undergraduate students. Together, these young innovators created The Windfall Fund, a charitable nonprofit  that enables a person to make a small donation today, and with 150 years of compounding interest, that small donation will have a large charitable impact tomorrow.

A cultural historian of early modern science, Bleichmar's work focuses on the production and uses of visual material in science and more.

USC Law School J.D. Candidates, pioneering forces behind The Prometheus Institute

Sean Rad is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.  Gaining marketing and business experience working for various entertainment firms in Los Angeles, Sean has further experience from years of working with his family's business, ESI International, manufacturers and distributors of popular electronics brands such as Akai, Nakamichi, iSymphony, and Cellboost. 

Co-founder and director of the EA Game Innovation Lab, Chris Swain is a game designer, entrepreneur, and co-author of the textbook Game Design Workshop.

Dr. Wei-Min Shen is the Director of Polymorphic Robotics Laboratory, the Associate Director of the Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems, and a Research Associate Professor in Computer Science at University of Southern California. Dr. Shen has more than 20 years of research experience. His current research interests include self-reconfigurable and metamorphic systems, autonomous robots, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Life Science.

USC Student Ari Levinson is making a name for himself as one of Los Angeles's premiere young photographers and innovators. Through his work, he is hoping to create social change necessary to save the African wildlife environment – raising money through the sales of his safari photographs to preserve, educate and inspire.

Geobiologist Kenneth Nealson leads a USC College-based effort to develop bacteria-powered fuel cells that could act as remote, portable power supplies for a multitude of purposes.

 Dr. Johnson is also the current director of the Center for Advanced Research in Technology for Education at the Information Sciences Institute of the University of Southern California, where he is principal investigator of the Tactical Language project. His work on Tactical Language won him the DARPA's Significant Technical Achievement Award in 2005.

Professor of Molecular Pharmacology, Toxicology, Biology and Neurobiology
USC School of Pharmacy
Director of the USC STAR Science Education Program