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This place has an insane history. The original owner, Jessie M. Murphy, was a mining heiress with no record of her existence. In the 1930s, the land was taken over by fascist sympathizers (booooo) who fashioned it into a self-sustaining compound for the end of the Second World War—complete with a 20,000-gallon fuel tank, a power station (the only structure still standing), gardens for growing food, a four-story, neoclassical mansion, and a water tank that could hold almost 400,000 gallons. After the FBI raided the ranch in 1948, the property was sold to the Huntington Hartford Foundation to become an artist’s colony. Once the colony disbanded in 1965, Murphy Ranch was placed under the city’s ownership.
Join us to discuss current environmental challenges, the location’s history, and the ethics of complete demolition (not to mention the beautiful scenery around the ranch!).
PACKING LIST:
Sunscreen
Snacks
H2O
Waivers
PROFESSOR: DAN MCCURRY
SCHOOL: Viterbi
DEPARTMENT: Environmental Engineering
RATE MY PROFESSOR: “Overall an amazing professor and he explains all the concepts really well. Super charismatic and understanding!”
Dr. McCurry is an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He completed his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a Chemistry minor at Stanford in 2016. Before enrolling at Stanford, he earned an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Yale, a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and even worked in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development. Professor McCurry’s research focuses on protecting public health by improving the long-term safety of engineered water sources. He applies the tools of organic and analytical chemistry to water quality challenges, particularly related to chemical and ultraviolet disinfection of wastewater and drinking water. (Click here to learn more about his work!)
Besides the cool research stuff, be sure to ask him about his trip to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone!
PEAK: MURPHY RANCH
DIFFICULTY: 1/5
SCENERY: Abandoned structures with lots of graffiti and views of the Pacific Palisades!
FUN FACT: There are over five HUNDRED concrete stairs to climb (but you can do it).
TRIP LEAD: LAUREN
is currently very into Trader Joe’s lattes and her new skateboard
Contact Lauren: laurena4@usc.edu
Read Lauren's bio here.