1. Home About the Price School Academic Programs Faculty and Research Admission search
more news
Petraeus, Consul
official discuss
China’s economic
landscape
April 17, 2015
Students engage
community through
college prep, bike
donation programs
April 9, 2015
Children suffer in
shadow of parent’s
unauthorized
immigration status
April 7, 2015
USC student forum
shapes ‘narratives to
advance social
justice’
April 7, 2015
Price students win $5,000 to launch
water conservation project
April 22, 2014
from USC Price staff reports
A team of graduate students from the USC Price School of Public Policy reached the final round of the third
annual National Invitational Public Policy Challenge in Philadelphia March 22-23, and received a $5,000
runner-up prize to be used toward the implementation of its proposal, LASaves — an online platform to
engage customers in water conservation efforts.
The competition, hosted by the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania with
Governing magazine, challenged students from public policy and administration schools nationwide to
develop policy proposals and strategies addressing a critical issue facing their respective communities.
The USC Price team consisted of Master
of Public Policy students Yixue Chen,
Brandon DeBruhl and Heidi
Greenhalgh, Master of Planning student
Adrienne Lindgren and Rhett-Alexander
Paranay, a dual MPP/MPL student. The
group was led by faculty adviser Diane
Yoder.
“I’m extremely proud of the effort and
innovation our students displayed
among such stiff competition,” said
Yoder, adjunct assistant professor at USC Price. “Their success demonstrates their desire and ability to
translate their Price education into an initiative that addresses a local billing problem in a way that may
result in reduced water usage and help meet statewide water conservation goals.”
On the first day of the policy challenge, the students took part in a round-robin competition that included
USC Price News

2. Contact Information
Price School in Sacramento
Faculty Jobs
Price School Intranet
Price School Webmail
Intranet Calendar
Subscribe to our newsletter
your email address
website by USC Web Services
teams from University of Chicago, Columbia, Georgetown and University of Texas at Austin, among others.
USC Price represented one of only four schools to advance to the final round the following day. NYU finished
first overall for its program proposal focused on raising awareness about breastfeeding.
As a finalist, the USC Price team received a significant award to jump-start LASaves. Given the severe
drought affecting California and the Los Angeles area in particular, the USC Price team chose to address this
pressing crisis. The students proposed the development of a web application that will enable residents in the
San Gabriel Valley to conserve water usage through improved billing, conservation awareness and text- and
email-alert systems. The LASaves , and are
available online.
With its LASaves program, the USC Price team also plans to compete in the Metropolitan Water District’s
Spring Green Expo in May.
Yoder added, “I am thrilled that the students are seeking additional funding sources and are working with
water district officials to begin to implement LASaves.”
executive summary full proposal presentation
LIVE WEBCAST: USC Schwarzenegger Institute CA Water Forum
April 24, 2015
MRED alum’s project gives LA food makers environment to grow
business April 20, 2015
Petraeus, Consul official discuss China’s economic landscape
April 17, 2015
Villaraigosa discusses recent political choices April 16, 2015
recent news
more news
Highlights: Cyber Security
(USC Executive Education
Forum)
36 minutes ago
Highlights: Policing in the
21st Century (USC Executive
Education Forum)
37 minutes ago
recent videos
more videos