Order of the Torch bio

Along with father Dr. Michael F. Press (USC Professor of Pathology and Harold E. Lee Chair in Cancer Research) and brother Oliver A. Press (USC Alumnus ’02, current medical student at USC Keck School of Medicine), David J. Press (USC undergraduate senior with a major in Health Promotion and a minor Religious Studies) is a proud member of the Trojan Family. David has been involved with Alpha Gamma Omega, the Christ-centered fraternity, since his first semester at USC. Serving as Treasurer, David assisted AGO in transitioning into their first house on Fraternity Row. As President of the Invisible Children Movement at USC, David flew to Washington D.C. to lobby California’s congressmen to alleviate the dire situation for the children of Northern Uganda. He has volunteered at the USC University Hospital, St. John’s Free Clinic and with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. David has also served as President of the USC Biotechnology Club and Treasurer of Mortar Board, a national senior honors society. Other honors include: Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership honors society), Gamma Sigma Alpha (Greek honors society), Theta Alpha Kappa (religious studies honors society), USC Alumni Club scholarship recipient, and USC Renaissance Scholar candidate. David is currently a combined bachelor's and master's (Public Health) student at USC's Keck School of Medicine.
Since the summer of 2002, David has been a member of the Manhattan Beach Kyokushin Karate Dojo where he has been dedicated to cultivating his mind, body, and spirit and aspires to achieve his black belt. David is grateful to Sensei Patrick Fard for encouraging David to find a balance in all areas of life. David’s professional interests are as diverse as his extracurricular involvement. Under the supervision of Dr. Leslie Bernstein of the USC Department of Preventive Medicine, David has conducted epidemiological research assessing the association between reproductive surgeries and breast cancer risk in a large population of US women. Possible fields of post-graduate study for David include medicine, epidemiology, and public health. David feels honored to be among the twelve exceptional Order of the Torch members. Looking back on his time at USC, David feels blessed to have experienced such diverse opportunities and met such inspirational people.