USC Viterbi engineers are masters of problem-solving and finding innovative ways to tackle complex challenges. So, who better to turn to for life hack ideas than those who specialize in designing solutions for the world’s toughest obstacles? We spoke to some of our faculty about their favorite tricks for streamlining their day-to-day lives.

 

Eun Ji Chung

Dr. Karl Jacob Jr. and Karl Jacob III Early-Career Chair and associate professor of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering and materials science

A Grab-and-Go Bag
“I have a travel bag that has everything I need all ready to go: laptop charger, phone charger, toiletries, masks, international adapter, Band-Aids and earbuds in one backpack. I simply put my laptop in there, and I’m ready to go. I travel a lot for work, so I have this down pat. I also do this for teaching. I have a bag with a whiteboard eraser, markers, charger, whatever I will need for teaching. I just grab that and go.”

Stay Sustainable
“Instead of using paper towels, I use microfiber towels for wiping things, and silicone reusable bags or Tupperware instead of single-use plastics for the kids’ lunches.”

Hydrate and Keep Moving
“I drink water whenever I see a drinking fountain as a reminder to myself to stay hydrated. I’m often too busy to go to the gym, so I take the stairs to get extra exercise. (I see my colleagues on the stairs a lot!) I also have an under-the-desk elliptical for additional exercise in my office.”

Set Goals for Each Season
“I also goal-set every year for career, home life, family life and personal life. I break it into seasons so that they have a projectable time I will achieve them.”

 

Scott John Easley

Senior lecturer of computer science and technology and applied computing

A Morning Routine
“I always have black coffee before the sun comes up and chat with my wife in the living room. It’s a nice way to ease into the world and a reminder of all the other things framing my life outside of work.”

 Stay Interested
“I try to play a lecture through the car stereo on the drive to and from work. If I make sure it’s something I’m interested in, then stalls in traffic aren’t so noticeable. Sometimes a stand-up routine on the way home can take the edge off.”

Discover Something New
“A Parisian I once worked with insisted we walk to a new place for lunch once every week. I try to continue doing this and found plenty of interesting food nearby campus in all four directions. Sometimes the stroll alone is worth it.”

 

John Carlsson

Kellner Family Early Career Chair and associate professor of industrial and systems engineering

An Electoral Trick to Find Consensus
“Approval voting is my go-to method for finding consensus. I use it in all the committees I run, or for scheduling exam dates for students, or deciding where a group of people should eat. It’s so simple: Everyone gives a thumbs-up or thumbs-down for each option, and there is no limit to how many thumbs-up (or thumbs-down) they can give. The final selection is just whichever option got the most votes. It has yet to fail me!”

A Card-Playing Hack to Clean Up a Messy Desk
“Patience sorting is an efficient method for alphabetizing a big pile of papers without taking up too much table space. It’s an algorithm based on the card game Patience (or Solitaire), in which you sort papers into piles based on their values (whether alphabetical, numerical or by subject). You then merge those papers together with the goal of creating the fewest piles. It is very useful for quickly sorting students’ problem sets or exams on my desk without taking up too much real estate. It’s also handy for organizing flash cards, index cards with research notes, or business cards. And I’ve used it to sort printed components of longer research proposals.”

 

Murali Annavaram

Lloyd F. Hunt Chair of Electrical Power Engineering and professor of electrical and computing engineering and computer science

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
“Sign up for something that seems out of your reach, even if you have to practice every day for a while to achieve it. Think of a running a 10K if you have never done it before.”

Listen to Your Body
“Take a nap at work if you feel unproductive during the day.”