Sign ups are first come first serve! Links will open at 9PM sharp on Sunday.
HIKING TO A BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL!!! Come with us to Switzer Falls, a 3.6-mile hike with 600ft of elevation gain to slow-max with the coolest professor at SC! We’ll start the day at 8 AM, aim to get to the trail at 9, hike, grab some lunch afterwards on the way home, and return to campus around 2:00 PM. This is a moderate trail, so come if you’re experienced! We’ll have a lot of time to relax by the rushing water and learn from Professor Mataric, so it should be a very chill hike!
PACKING LIST:
Shoes you don’t mind getting wet (stream crossings unavoidable)
H2O
WAIVERS
Sunscreen!!!!
PROFESSOR: DR. MAJA MATARIC
DEPARTMENT: Viterbi
Dr. Mataric is a distinguished professor of Computer Science at the Viterbi School of Engineering. She works in Pediatrics and Neuroscience, and is a principal scientist at Google DeepMind. She received her PhD in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at MIT. Dr. Mataric has a long list of awards she has received over the course of her professional career, one highlight being the recipient of the US Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) from President Obama.
Professor Mataric’s research focuses on creating machines that help people work to their full potential. She also works on developing assistive robots that improve human-robot interactions. Dr. Mataric’s research with robots stretches across many different disciplines, so there will be a lot to talk about on this hike!
PEAK: SWITZER FALLS
DIFFICULTY: 3/5
SCENERY: Angeles forest with a stunning waterfall
FUN FACT: Switzer Falls, a stunning 50-foot waterfall in the Angeles National Forest, was once the site of a popular 19th-century luxury resort called "Switzer-land". Founded in 1884, the camp featured a 15-mile hiking trail, a chapel, and was famously visited by celebrities like Shirley Temple and Clark Gable in its heyday.
TRIP LEAD: PIPER HART
Cool girl who likes to hike. Ask her about fish.
Contact PIPER: pjhart@usc.edu
Read PIPER's bio here.