The USC Stevens Institute for Innovation released the beta version of its new Facebook application MatchYard in late February 2008, which it hopes will enable interdepartmental and interdisciplinary students to come together to develop future programs for USC students interested in innovation. 

Krisztina Holly's letter to the Editor in The New York Times on December 30, 2007.

USC Associate Professor Peter Beerel knows how to get his message across to sleep-deprived electrical engineering students and effectively present his research to peers at professional conferences.

But last Wednesday he was a newbie struggling to get his message across to deep-pocketed investors who could bankroll his entrepreneurial dream.

Michael Aherne's invention defeats the gravity of the moon. Kaveh Motamed's deflects the gravity of the Earth.

And tucked between Aherne's home-brew lunar lander and Motamed's do-it-yourself pelvis protector Thursday were three dozen other inventions -- some even more far-out, and others more down-to-earth.

It was USC's first student innovator showcase, and fledgling entrepreneurs...