USF News http://www.usfca.edu USF News Feed Mercury Rising: A Bad Sign if You Eat Fish http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Research/USF_Research_Reveals_High_Mercury_Levels_in_Fish/ Allison Luengen, assistant professor of environmental science/management at USF, worries that California consumers are being sold fish with high mercury levels at popular grocery stores, fish markets, and sushi restaurants.  A Leading Literary Light http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Scholarship/D_A__Powell_Wins_National_Book_Critics_Circle_Award/ USF's D.A. Powell is the National Book Critics Circle Award-winner for his book of poetry, "Useless Landscapes, or A Guide for Boys." (2012) Can Sea Life Adapt to Climate Change? http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Research/USF_Biologist_Researches_Antarctic_Climate_Change/ Phytoplankton are the oceans' canaries in a coalmine for USF's Deneb Karentz, which is why she travels to one of the coldest places on earth to learn how these microscopic life forms are adapting to climate change. Can Snail's Immunity Stop Human Infections? http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Research/Professor_Researches_Snail_s_Immunity_to_Schistosomiasis/ University of San Francisco biology Professor John T. Sullivan sees the struggle between man and nature when he peers through his microscope at a freshwater snail, the kind that sickened at least 240 million people in 78 countries in 2011, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). But the same snails that carry and spread the illness might also hold the secret to stopping it, and they offer one tantalizing clue that could change everything. America's Harsh Criminal Sentences Are Out of Step http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Global_Perspective/America_s_Harsh_Criminal_Sentences_Are_Out_of_Step/ Criminals in the U.S. receive longer sentences for lesser crimes, including life without parole (LWOP) for nonviolent offenders and for juveniles, putting the country at odds with sentencing practices in the rest of the world, according to a recent University of San Francisco study. USFers Mine "Big Data" for Better Business Results  http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Scholarship/USFers_Mine_Big_Data_for_Better_Business_Results/ Students in the University of San Francisco's new graduate analytics program are learning how "Moneyball" math can help some of Silicon Valley's best known companies see patterns in their customers' behavior and make better business decisions with the information. USF Named College of Distinction http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Scholarship/USF_Named_College_of_Distinction/ The University of San Francisco is one of California's Colleges of Distinction for 2012, an honor that highlights the university's hands-on teaching approach, outstanding faculty, and high praise from graduates. Legalize It? http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Passion_for_Justice/State_Supreme_Court_Hears_Medical_Marijuana_Challenge/ The California Supreme Court held a special session at the University of San Francisco on Feb. 5 to hear arguments on one of the most controversial issues facing the state: the legalization of medical marijuana. Teaching the Science and Business of Biotechnology http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Research/USF_Launches_Biotechnology_Master’s_Program/ Capitalizing on its location in the region that gave birth to the global biotechnology industry, the University of San Francisco launched an interdisciplinary program that brings together the scientific expertise and business know-how needed to develop the next generation of biotech innovators.