As countries across Africa face growing pressure over shared water resources, USC water scientists argue that one of the most powerful tools for preventing conflict may be found not at the negotiating table, but in the mathematical models used to understand water itself.

Essam Heggy, a research scientist in USC Viterbi School of Engineering and USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and AI’s Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and co-founder of the USC Water ReUse and Resource Recovery Center, believes that African water conflicts are driven less by an absolute lack of water than by uncertainty over how much water will be available under extreme climate conditions like droughts, and how that supply may change.

University of Phoenix scholars have published new peer-reviewed research examining how non-traditional undergraduate students use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in online higher education. The study found that more frequent GenAI use was significantly associated with higher academic performance and stronger confidence in technology skills, while lower confidence in reading, writing and math and greater time demands from work, study or family responsibilities did not significantly predict use. The article, “Strategic Integration or Skill Compensation? Understanding GenAI Use in Online Higher Education,” was published June 30, 2026, in Artificial Intelligence in Education, 2(1), 205–223. The research was conducted by fellows and scholars affiliated with the University’s Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR): Jessica Sylvester, EdD; Melinda Kulick, EdD; Leonidas Maganares, EdD; and Stella Smith, PhD, associate university research chair.