USD College of Arts and Sciences Fall 2023 Magazine

FALL 2023

CULT I VAT ING G LOBA L PER S PECT I V E S IN JA PA N

Students immerse themselves in Japanese culture as part of the Chapman Family Foundation International Program d page 10

CRAFTING DREAMS, SHAPING FUTURES The grand opening of the College Academic District d page 19 THE DESERT SUBLIME Integrating geology and philosophy in Death Valley d page 22

Volume 1 | Issue 1 | Fall 2023 E X EC U T I V E E DI TOR

Tanya Aubin

C OPY E DI TOR S

Tanya Aubin Michelle Kennedy Krystn Shrieve DE S IG N TE A M

Tricia Caparas Marina Woods C ONTR IBU T IN G W R I TE R S

Tanya Aubin Michelle Kennedy Erica Ortiz Taylor Polcyn Leslie Ridgeway

PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM DIRECTOR

Michelle Kennedy V IDEO E DI TOR S

Tanya Aubin Michelle Kennedy Mariah Mendoza Erica Ortiz Taylor Polcyn C OLLEG E A DV I S ORY B OA R D

Patrick Morrin ’83 (Chair) Valerie Attisha ’94 Peter Kiley ’85 Timothy Lynch ’95 Maria Manning ’83 Mary McKenzie ’07 (JD), PhD Rennie Nicholson ’93 Mary O’Connor ’83, DDS Jared Ruga ’11, MFA, MBA, JD Jensen Shirley ’09 (EdD) Jeffrey Vijungco ’96 Glenn D. White Jr. ’78 S O C I A L ME DI A

usdcas Celebrating the “hole” fall semester journey and having a “hole” lot of fun with a special “Donuts with the Dean!”

Scan this QR code to see a full list of the College of Arts and Sciences’ videos.

features 10

Cultivating Global Perspectives in Japan USD offers students an opportunity to explore different cultures through experiential learning.

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Crafting Dreams, Shaping Futures The new College Academic District is dedicated to student advising and resources.

The Desert Sublime USD students journey to Death Valley to experience the sublime and the beautiful.

2 Message from the Dean

d 3 College News

3 Celebrating 20 Years of Science 6 Empowering Song 8 Welcome to The Collaboratory

16 “From the Heart” Centerpiece 27 Faculty Awards and Honors

d 29 Spotlight 29

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Alumni Karissa Valencia ’13 and Jared Ruga ’11 Students Amaya Rodriguez-Agiss ’24 and Jae Johnson ’24 Faculty members Cid Martinez, PhD, and Nicole Danos, PhD

32 Off the Shelf 33 Flashback

DEAR ALUMNI, PARENTS AND FRIENDS: It is with great pride that I share with you this inaugural issue of our Arts & Sciences Magazine — a showcase of the incredible work of our faculty, students, staff and the spaces in which they teach, write, research and create. In the following pages, you will see why the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest academic unit on campus, truly is the heart of the University of San Diego.

This past year has been exceptional for the College of Arts and Sciences, with classes traveling to Japan as part of the Chapman Family Foundation International Program and to Death Valley to study the Desert Sublime. Experiential and interdisciplinary learning continue to be integral to our educational vision in the college, as our students benefit tremendously from examining subjects through multiple lenses.

Echoing the words from the university’s new values statements: “We value the complexity of the human mind and strive to optimize the intellectual potential of every learner.” I feel confident that our students are being prepared for exceptional experiences and careers after graduation.

message from the dean

of the College of Arts and Sciences

The college is delighted to announce the expansion of its academic advising and undergraduate studies space. We have formed the new College Academic District in Founders Hall, connecting rooms 117 and 114. This central hub for students provides, among other resources, pre-professional advising and first-year experience coordination. We enjoyed celebrating its grand opening in September with our entire campus community.

Our highly acclaimed faculty members have proven their excellence time and again as they continue to earn prestigious honors, research grants and fellowships. Notably, two of our visual arts faculty members had the honor of being selected to paint one of the murals for the LA Metro. Additionally, another faculty member is on the verge of completing his second book of poetry — a testament to the creativity and intellectual prowess that thrives within our institution. It is the combined passion, effort and achievements of this incredible community of faculty and students that truly sets the college apart and fuels our commitment to excellence.

As the university approaches its 75th anniversary, I find myself reflecting on how much we’ve grown since 1949. The stories in this magazine showcase how the college connects students with important ideas, foundation in the Catholic intellectual tradition and groundbreaking concepts that transcend disciplinary boundaries and prepare them to go out and change the world.

Enjoy this first edition. I look forward to preparing the next set of stories for the second.

Noelle Norton, PhD Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

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college news Celebrating 20 Years of Science The Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology

by Leslie Ridgeway More than 20 years ago, an idea began taking shape at the University of San Diego: Bring the campus’ four science programs together into a brand-new, thoughtfully planned building with up-to-date instrumentation and equipment, a focus on interdisciplinary teaching and collaboration and the potential for program growth. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the idea, which ultimately turned into the Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology.

With features including a rooftop greenhouse, two nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, the distinctive Strata Plaza — replicating the geology of San Diego County, and more than 70 classrooms and laboratories, the 150,000square-foot, four-story building ushered the sciences at USD into the modern age.

“In my old lab, I had to use a chest freezer to hold chemicals and used the top of it as a lab bench,” says Professor Sue Lowery, the current chair of the Department of Biology and the faculty lead on the committee organized to design the building. “When we moved in [to the new building], it was so much easier to work and accommodate multiple students, as well as to manage the support services for teaching labs.

The new building opened up possibilities that we didn’t have before.”

Bolstered by a $10 million naming gift from Donald and Darlene Shiley in 2002, Patrick Drinan, now the dean emeritus of the College of Arts and Sciences, promoted the building’s development from 1986 to 2006. Lowery and Professor Sarah Gray, a faculty member in environmental and ocean sciences, Professor Tammy Dwyer, then-chair of chemistry and biochemistry, and Professor Greg Severn, then-chair of physics and biophysics, all agree that Drinan’s support got the project off the ground and helped the science faculty plan for 20 years of growth.

“Pat was really the leader,” says Severn. “If you didn’t have a champion at a higher level than the faculty level, what could you do? Pat was the motivating force [who] caused things to happen.”

According to Lowery, the committee was guided by a planning process from

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the American Association of Colleges and Universities Project Kaleidoscope, founded in 1989 to advance undergraduate STEM education. The rest was up to the sciences faculty, who saw this as an opportunity to dream big, with efficiency and functionality top of mind.

The committee took its time with a needs assessment. It worked closely with the architects to ensure the building fit in with the campus’ Spanish Renaissance architecture. It sought input from the university’s Board of Trustees on fundraising and determining the building’s final size. The science center includes an open atrium with a striking art piece attached to the ceiling that portrays the interdisciplinary nature of science, landscaping featuring prehistoric and native plants, labs that accommodate both undergraduateand graduate-level courses and two departments on each floor to promote collaboration.

“To be able to see your colleagues in all other sciences in that space is invaluable,” says Dwyer. “That interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration, and collegiality, benefits students. We learned all the philosophies we had in common, our differences and where we can share and work together.”

Severn also credits current Dean Noelle Norton with fostering that collaborative spirit through informal science department get-togethers in the new building that helped department chairs understand the challenges each department faced.

The building’s potential unleashed imaginations. The Strata Plaza came about during a discussion about the surrounding grounds, and Gray thought a patio with a geologic theme — including real fossils — could significantly represent the building’s function. For Gray, the real fun was working with the cement contractors who enthusiastically embraced the idea.

“We taught them some geology and showed them pictures of the different layers and brought in pebbles and fossils, and they were thrilled because it was such a cool approach to them,” says Gray.

Fall 2023

“We use [the plaza] now as a teaching tool. When we teach about geologic time, and before we go on field trips, we have the students look at the Strata Plaza.”

Also critical to the center’s success was a building manager responsible for safety and scheduling as well as serving as a point person for IT, facilities and other university and government agencies.

Starla Tudor served in that role from 2003 to 2016. Keith Macdonald, who has held the position since 2016, sees himself as the “mortar” between the “bricks” of the four science departments. Over the years, his role in safety training, especially for the different levels of access for faculty members, staff and students, has expanded, and he continues to teach one lab course per year to stay connected with building operations and the USD teaching mission.

More faculty members bringing in grants, more students and more classes are a problem nearly every university wants to have, and a new committee is looking ahead to deal with the space issues that these developments pose.

“Working with a space committee comprised of representatives from the four departments and led by me, we have introduced some creative repurposing of several spaces and we have made more efficient use of others,” says Macdonald.

Since opening its doors in 2003, the Shiley Center for Science and Technology has only blossomed. The science departments have hosted many conferences in the building, such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Frontiers in Soft Matter and Macromolecular Networks Symposium.

As the first building at USD designed by the people using it, the Shiley Center for Science and Technology demonstrates how listening, careful planning and big dreaming boost STEM and make USD better known for its scientific research and education.

“It’s hard to believe it’s 20 years old,” says Gray. “I still call it ‘our new building.’ ” watch now: bit.ly/celebrating-20-yearsof-science

2003 The Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology opens its doors, housing all four science departments: Biology; Chemistry and Biochemistry; Environmental and Ocean Sciences; Physics and Biophysics.

2004 Construction of USD’s Alice B. Hayes Greenhouse is complete.

This 1,200-square-foot greenhouse has been an integral part of many plant physiology classes within the Department of Biology.

Peter Iovine, PhD, becomes a Cottrell scholar.

A new advanced scientific instrument, a 500 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, comes to the science center thanks to an NSF award to Leigh Plesniak, PhD.

2007-08

2014-16

2021

Timothy Clark, PhD, becomes a Cottrell

Dozens of

Timothy Clark, PhD, is recognized as a STAR

scholar.

undergraduates

Award recipient.

Peter Iovine, PhD, receives an NSF CAREER Award.

get summer

J. Ellis Bell, PhD, becomes a fellow of the

research

American Society for Biochemistry and

experiences at USD thanks to an NSF REU award to Sonia

2011

Zárate, PhD, and Drew Talley, PhD.

Lauren Benz, PhD, becomes a Cottrell scholar.

A new advanced scientific instrument,

Mitchell Malachowski, PhD, is recognized as the 2014 CASE/Carnegie Foundation California Professor of the Year.

Dozens of undergraduates receive summer research experiences at USD thanks to an NSF REU award to Elisa Maldonado

an X-ray diffraction

Stephanie Gorczyca is the recipient of the

Greene, PhD, and Tammy

system, comes to the

2016 LeRoy Apker Award.

Dwyer, PhD.

2017

2022

The science center completes the

Rae Robertson-Anderson, PhD, receives a

construction of its new outdoor classroom.

STAR Award.

Jennifer Prairie, PhD, earns an NSF CAREER

Arietta Fleming-Davies, PhD, earns an NSF

Award.

CAREER Award.

science center thanks to an NSF award to Christopher Daley, PhD.

2012 Timothy Clark, PhD, earns an NSF CAREER Award.

A new advanced scientific instrument, a laser scanning confocal microscope, comes

Tammy Dwyer, PhD, becomes a fellow of the American Chemical Society.

to the science center thanks to an NSF award

Drew Talley, PhD, earns the Coastal and

to Marjorie Patrick, PhD.

Estuarine Research Federation’s Niering

2013 Rae Robertson-Anderson, PhD, receives an

Outstanding Educator Award.

2019

NSF CAREER Award.

A new advanced scientific instrument,

Lauren Benz, PhD, is honored with an NSF

a rheometer, comes

CAREER Award.

to the science center

USD students receive scholarships and

thanks to an NSF award

research funding thanks to an award to

to Ryan McGorty, PhD.

Lauren Benz, PhD, from the Beckman Foundation.

Molecular Biology.

Ryan McGorty, PhD, becomes a Cottrell scholar.

2023 Rae Robertson-Anderson, PhD, becomes a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Nicole Danos, PhD, is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award.

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college news Empowering Song Professor Emilie Amrein Rethinks Music Education and Performance

by Leslie Ridgeway For Associate Professor Emilie Amrein, DMA, music education and performance are expressions of body and spirit. In a recent collaboration with students on a choral opera, a July summer colloquium focused on music’s role in mobility and a new fall course based on a book that Amrein co-wrote with Boston University Professor André de Quadros, Empowering Song: Music Education from the Margins, Amrein challenges the notion of a single “right way” to compose or experience music. The Empowering Song course, especially, is an opportunity for Amrein to break music free from the typical structures of teaching and performing.

“The course is a long time coming and a labor of love,” says Amrein, chair of music and director of choral studies at the University of San Diego since 2014.

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“From the experiences that my colleague André and I shared working in refugee shelters, prisons and other contexts, we realized music education has often been about productivity, obedience and conformity, where your sole utility is to show up and execute — like a cog in a wheel, a factory worker.”

Drawing profound insights from their personal journey, Amrein has cultivated a more holistic avenue to teaching. “We’ve spent many years theorizing a more compassionate and just approach to music education, informed by our experiences with our collaborators in prisons, refugee shelters and hospitals. From them, we learned how creativity and imagination can be restorative, transformational and healing,” Amrein said.

Empowering Song is anchored by four pillars: the body as a repository for creativity, the relationship between self and other, storytelling as a way of “wording the world” and freedomdreaming about liberation and joy. The pillars are a gateway to what people outside of the academy already know — that music-making can be a conduit for connection and building communities full of care and mutuality.

Amrein set these pillars into action earlier this year with the development and a one-time performance of a sci-fi choral opera called “After the Flood.”

With 25 of USD’s Choral Scholars, this project imagines an alternate ending to the true story of a doomsday cult in a

Chicago suburb in 1954. Members of the cult, who called themselves the Seekers, believed that an enormous flood would wipe out all of humanity except for the Seekers, who believed that aliens would come to their rescue. Amrein asked the students to write about what would have happened after the flood if the prophecy had come true.

“I wanted to give them an opportunity to have the reins, to figure out what to say and how to say it, and how to weave together the voices,” Amrein said. “They came up with five story themes that we explored using movement and sound, and [it] was amazing. [The opera] is futuristic, but so many of the themes [were about] what it means to be alive right now.” The opera was performed at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park this past March.

Amrein’s goals to advance music scholarship across disciplines attracted the attention of the Borchard Foundation.

The foundation awarded Amrein, and collaborator Beatriz Ilari of the University of Southern California, a $35,000 grant to host a four-day international colloquium this past July at the Château de la Bretesche in France. Twelve scholars from the U.S. and Europe, including two MacArthur Genius Grant recipients, discussed how the arts can be used for improved mobility in a variety of contexts, including migration, detention and education.

“We hope this will be a generative series of conversations about movement and mobility related to ideas across time and space, class, as related to incarceration and restraint, disability and structures that prevent free movement and thriving of people,” said Amrein, who hopes to write a book with Ilari capturing the conversations to further scholarship in fields including music, communication and politics.

Amrein considers USD an ideal environment where faculty members and students can develop the trust to flourish. “There’s a feeling of possibility that comes when you can trust the people that you’re with to take risks and to take care of one another when we sometimes fail. We keep showing up for one another,” Amrein said. “It feels idealistic and utopian, but also real. The faculty members have been intentional about co-creating these spaces with students, and it ends up being a reciprocal space.”

That has been evident in the USD Choral Scholars, which Amrein has worked with since starting at USD, growing the program from 13 to 30 students, including music majors and minors from diverse fields of study. With various backgrounds coming together, Amrein continues to be excited by the possibilities.

“They come from every corner of campus with a passion to learn and contribute,” Amrein said. “It’s an unusual scholarship — we are looking for fit and the person’s potential for growth as much as raw talent and prior experience. And not everyone plans to pursue music professionally. As someone who has spent their professional life doing music, there’s something special and beautiful about making music a sanctuary … it changes your relationship with it. You can practice it as a spiritual craft without worrying about it being consumable.”

That freedom is what Amrein treasures about being part of the USD community, where they believe they have the best opportunity to shape musical education.

“This is a space for interdisciplinary inquiry with an orientation to work that is relational, not product-based; [a place to] think about difficult questions without easy, quick solutions; a community with a sort of spirit of humility and learning that is so wellmodeled in Catholic social teaching,” Amrein said. “I don’t think I could do this work at any other school.”

“USD is a space for interdisciplinary inquiry … a community with a sort of spirit of humility and learning that is so well-modeled in Catholic social teaching.”

— EMIL IE AMRE IN, DMA

watch now: bit.ly/empowering-song

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college news

Create Critique Connect Welcome to The Collaboratory Fostering Community and Collaboration

by Taylor Polcyn ’25 Exciting things are happening in the University of San Diego’s Department of Communication. Last semester, the department established a new space for students — The Collaboratory (collaboration + lab). The Collaboratory is a place for communication students to cultivate community, study and collaborate.

The Collaboratory is adjacent to communication faculty offices, emphasizing this space as the heart of the department.

The space accommodates the diverse schedules of students, ensuring that they can utilize its resources effectively. The spacious room includes several tables, couches, a monitor, a microwave and a refrigerator.

Along with the communal workspace, The Collaboratory houses a media lab featuring two workstations equipped with professional editing software. Students are encouraged to use the media lab both creatively and for media production projects.

The Collaboratory also serves as a base for outreach efforts. The Forward Thinking speaker series, in which alumni visit campus to speak about their transitions from USD to their vocations, will continue to take place in this space. This speaker series benefits students by offering professional alumni networking opportunities.

Future goals are to expand its impact and accessibility. As this area continues to serve as a central hub for communication students, The Collaboratory will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the department and contribute to the success of its students for years to come. watch now: bit.ly/the-collaboratory-at-usd

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“

Having a space inside of the building where I spend the majority of my time and where I can work individually or alongside my peers is invaluable. I am so grateful and excited to utilize The Collaboratory and its resources more.

— Abby Soderquist ’24

Having a quiet space to study surrounded by students is a great thing to have for the communication department and something that I look forward to using.

— Rebecca Wayne ’24

We built this space to give student and faculty relationships the opportunity to be both established and reinforced.

— Bradley Bond, PhD Communication Chair and Professor

”

The Collaboratory

Location: Camino Hall, Room 125 Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Resources at The Collaboratory are available to all students.

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CULT I VAT ING GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES IN

This spring break trip to Kyoto and Tokyo would culminate all the students had learned in their Intercultural Communication and Politics and the Environment classes over the first half of the spring semester at the University of San Diego.

by Michelle Kennedy

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History and political science alumnus Ryan Tate ’23 fed the birds in Kamakura.

Politics and the Environment students visited Tokyo’s Meiji Jingū Shrine.

THIRTY-SIX COMMUNICATION AND POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS

“We talked about individualist culture versus collectivist cultures, which is something I have observed a lot during this trip.”

— JASMIN ZHENG ’23

rolled their bags around the corner of the bus stop cheering and kicking pebbles into the air behind them. After 14 hours of flying, I expected them to wear their jet lag from San Diego like weighted blankets, but they didn’t. Many skipped and waved to the camera as I recorded them happily plowing into the front door of our hotel in Kyoto, Japan.

This spring break trip to Kyoto and Tokyo would culminate all the students had learned in their Intercultural Communication and Politics and the Environment classes over the first half of the spring semester at the University of San Diego. The seven-day excursion would allow the two classes a chance to experience how their respective subjects play out in Japan compared to the United States.

Professor of Political Science and International Relations and Director of the Chapman Family Foundation International Program, Emily Edmonds-Poli, PhD, wrote the proposal

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to implement a study-abroad experience into a regular semester to expand experiential learning and international education at USD. “The students really come away with a real appreciation, not just for the experience but the way that they’re able to connect that experience to their academic learning,” said Edmonds-Poli.

Students had to apply and be accepted into the program, funded by a gift from the Chapman Family Foundation.

Communication major Lily Rand knew an opportunity to use what she’d learned at USD in another country would most likely not come again. “The fact that we’re really able to dive into the culture of Japan, not only in class but in person, and see how they’re the same and how our cultures differ, is really insightful,” said Rand.

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Noelle Norton, PhD, asked me to film the trip and showcase the students’ experiential learning firsthand. So, I followed them each day, gladly documenting their adventures and learning experiences.

THE WHY We toured Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine on our first day out.

The grounds there are famous for the thousands of orange torii gates that outline crowded pathways and straddle various nature trails behind the property. The trails lead to maple trees that follow the wind between bamboo shoots stacked in hundreds of perfect rows.

The group of communication students I shadowed that day strolled in awe through the gates. They eventually veered off to a dirt trail that ended with the five of them leaning against a fence in silence while watching the trees rustle in the breeze. I eventually asked them to pose for a couple of pictures, “For me, it’s realizing testing the waters to see if they would that there’s more be bothered by my camera lens. But they were not. They smiled and let me outside of the San follow them all the way to dinner, where Diego bubble, the we reconnected with the other students and their professors and cooked food in USA bubble, and boiling hot pots on the table. there’s like this The students chatted quietly while carefully dropping meat and vegetables whole other world into steaming pots before us. As words that is out there.” like collectivism, class structure and transnationalism ricocheted around — L ILY R AND the room, I observed a remarkable sense of maturity and an eagerness to absorb the subject matter that surpassed my initial expectations. While I anticipated their excitement, I was pleasantly surprised by the gratitude they exuded, realizing in that moment that this trip would have a profound impact on them, far beyond what I had imagined.

Intercultural Communication students explore the grounds around Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine.

POLITICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations Andrew Tirrell, PhD, led his Politics and the Environment class to a fish market, a presentation from a lawyer from the Japanese Bar Association and a lecture at a world-renowned peace foundation in Minato City, Tokyo, a couple of days into the trip. It was the first time I gladly ate raw fish for breakfast and attended a lecture about the link between the environment and peace.

“I hope they get so much out of it by seeing it in practice,” said Tirrell. “Not just reading about it in our course readings or talking about it in class but seeing it.”

The lecture happened at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing international exchange and cooperation. With bellies full of fish and white strawberries from the fish market, the students listened intently around a square table as one of the foundation’s leaders spoke. Many asked pointed questions that showed they’d pondered the material long before they arrived.

Scenes from the Tenryu‑ji Zen Temple, Kyoto, Japan.

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CONNECTIONS “I think it’s interesting to talk to people who are really highup in climate policy in a different country because coming here, I think we have such a different idea of what we think of climate policy from a United States perspective,” said political science and Spanish major Hannah Hintermeister. “So, it’s really interesting to hear from them about what they value — even if we don’t see it right away because it’s just very different.”

I N T E R C U LT U R A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N Professor of Communication Leeva Chung, PhD, invited two alumni to aid in mentoring her students in Japan. Joyce Chan ’06, who received a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies, traveled from Hong Kong, and Christina (Coco) Hart ’22, also a communication studies alumna, traveled from San Diego. Both have maintained a close relationship with Dr. Chung since they graduated.

“I had Dr. Chung my freshman year as my LC advisor, and that was when I decided I wanted to be a communication studies major,” said Hart. “She really teaches in her courses how to connect with people through communication with anyone.”

Joyce Chan assigned an activity for the students to research and decide what would be an appropriate gift to bring to a dinner party in Japan.

“It’s an intercultural Japanese gem scavenger hunt, but then the gist of it is for them to sort out and source appropriate items and locations for each of the projects,” said Chan. “Throughout the process, they get to enjoy and explore while also being culturally inquisitive, aware and sensitive.”

Dr. Chung planned several lectures for the students at Oberlin University in Machida, Tokyo, including a Zoom presentation from another alumnus who produces K-pop music in South Korea and a trip to the renowned Ghibli Museum showcasing Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, one of Japan’s most famous animation studios.

“I think what, literally, the liberal arts means to me is the actual doing,” said Chung. “Not reading and not expressing it, but actually doing. When we say, ‘What does it mean to be a whole person? What does it mean to connect? What does it mean to be interdisciplinary?’ It means to go out and try it with the tools you have and see what you are capable of doing by giving yourself that opportunity to do it.”

After they toured the Ghibli Museum, seven intercultural communication students strolled through a park veiled in cherry trees in full bloom. Ecstatic, they posed for pictures, danced through pink flower petals spinning through the air and climbed trees in the sun. Snapping shots of them for this piece, I was reminded that some are still in their teens.

Lily Rand had never traveled outside of the United States before this. “I think for me, it’s realizing that there’s more outside of the San Diego bubble, the USA bubble, and there’s like this whole other world that is out there.”

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On their last day, Dr. Tirrell’s students traveled to Kamakura, a small coastal city about an hour-and-a-half train ride from Tokyo. The village contains shops, street food stalls and a giant 13th-century Buddha statue that we got to go inside of. We all spent money, ate strange things that tasted like heaven (I went back for seconds on that fried curry ball), and we ended the day watching the sunset on the beach.

Ryan Tate ’23 (BA in history and poltical science) bought some seeds near the Buddha statue and let pigeons land on his arms and head to eat them. He said the experience of attending a Japanese baseball game the day before made him think about his place in the world.

“Whenever they were even cheering, it was just like all in unison, and it’s not like individual chanting or impromptu things; it’s like a collective effort to do everything,” said Tate.

“I think it’s something that I should take to heart. Even though I like doing my own thing, being very individualistic, there are definitely perks to making yourself part of the whole.”

I watched each and every one of them make themselves a part of the whole on trains when they reminded each other to settle down when they got too loud. Or when the students wanted to throw something away and learned to just hold the trash until a bin eventually appeared. (Japan has almost zero trash on the ground and very few cans out for people walking.) Or simply when they observed the communities around them and appreciated the kindness embedded in Japanese culture.

“We talked about individualist cultures versus collectivist cultures, which is something I have observed a lot during this trip. This experience is helping me connect to those class concepts,” said communication studies graduate Jasmin Zheng ’23.

Both professors Chung and Tirrell wanted the students to connect the dots of their course concepts to Japan, but also to have fun — and they did. The two classes balanced the learning at historic shrines and environmental landmarks and the fun of feeding monkeys, making their own noodles at the CupNoodles Museum and sliding down slides at the park, like kids at camp.

“It’s spring break and I want them to have the kind of fun that will stick with them,” said Tirrell. “I hope this is something they think back to and say, ‘How cool is that? We flew to Japan and met people who are doing amazing things that we were studying.

We got to be immersed in the culture and we had a good time.’ ” Through their exploration of intercultural communication and politics and the environment in Japan, the students embarked on a transformative adventure. The trip not only allowed them to witness their academic studies in action but also provided them with a broader perspective of the world beyond their own familiar surroundings. Ultimately, this immersive experience will forever shape their understanding of global interconnectedness and the importance of appreciating diverse cultures. watch now: bit.ly/chapman-program-2023

Greg Chapman ’94

and

CEO and Founder of the Chapman Family Foundation

CA S: What intrigued you about funding a program where students learn about a particular subject and travel to another country to study that subject over spring break?

G C: Classroom learning is valuable, but the opportunity to be immersed in a subject is a game changer. Imagine reading about Shintoism and Buddhism in your Religions of the East class and then visiting a Shinto shrine in Kyoto where you can smell the incense and hear the chimes while walking through a torii gate with local worshippers.

understanding and appreciation of differ-

understanding of each culture’s unique val-

That is very powerful. Supporting students

ent perspectives, values and beliefs. By

ues, customs and traditions. This experience

to study abroad is a great way to invest

improving our intercultural competency, we

can help them to become more tolerant and

in their future success. By providing this

can effectively communicate and collabo-

understanding of others. In addition, com-

opportunity, we can help them expand their

rate with people from diverse backgrounds,

parative, experiential study abroad can

knowledge and gain a better understanding

leading to better personal and professional

help students to develop a stronger sense

of the world around them. It’s important to

relationships and outcomes.

of global citizenship. This means that they

me that they have access to a global perspective and the chance to experience different cultures. The benefits for the students involved are invaluable and will help them grow personally and academically.

CA S: Why is a program like this important for

CA S: What was your impression of the students’ experience through watching the video we produced?

G C: It was wonderful to see the excitement and enthusiasm of the students. It was clear

will be more aware of the interconnectedness of the world and that they will be more likely to take action to make the world a better place.

CA S: What do you love about giving?

that they were fully engaged in the program.

G C: Giving back to USD feels right. USD

Their growth over the week in Japan was

gave me the opportunity to participate in

G C: Comparative, experiential study abroad

clear, and they will return to USD with new

Semester at Sea which was the most im-

is a very beneficial experience for students.

eyes.

pactful semester of my college experience.

students in their development?

It helps them develop a more nuanced understanding of the world, improve their

CA S: What is your hope for these students?

The opportunity to fund these programs which allow students to experience the

critical thinking and problem-solving skills,

G C: My hope is that this experience will

world through comparative, experiential

and increase their confidence. Immersing

inspire the students to be curious and con-

learning supports my belief in the value of

ourselves in other cultures is import-

tinue to explore the world. By comparing

global education and a desire to make the

ant because it allows us to gain a deeper

different cultures, students can gain a deeper

world a better place.

sandiego.edu/cas

| 15

from the heart MEET THE ARTIST d page 18

Meet the Artist: Ismael Chavez Ravettino ’23 CA S: Tell us about yourself.

ICR: I’m from Lima, Peru. The capital. I used to run my own business in Peru selling art.

I thought it would be a great idea to study business for having the tools to put art inside of that. But now I try to do art [during my] free time. I really love the outdoors, so I think I get a lot of creativity from there.

CA S: What got you interested in art?

ICR: [When I was a child], I did a little bit of art [at an art school], and then I started with some common art courses in high school. I had a lot of fun, learned a lot of tools and my skills have improved.

CA S: What do you like about art?

ICR: I think it relaxes me a lot and allows me to express myself in ways that I can’t with people. That’s why I have a lot of [written] messages in my art. I take inspiration from one of my favorite artists, [Jean-Michel] Basquiat. I like a lot of his art because he highlights the simple things. And, for me, there’s no wrong art. There are multiple ways of expressing yourself and looking at things.

CA S: What are you going to do after you graduate from USD? ICR: I want to start working at a big company to learn more skills before I run my own thing. Art is definitely going to be something that is going to be with me all the time.”

watch now: bit.ly/meet-the-artist-ravettino

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Fall 2023

’Tis the Season for Thanksgiving Weekend and Cyber Monday Savings on College of Arts and Sciences Gear!

From snug hoodies to sleek mugs, we’ve got your holiday wish list covered. Get 10% off November 22 through November 27 online and in the Torero Store using code CAS2023.

Shop now. Visit sandiego.edu/torerostorecas.

The College Academic District

Crafting Dreams, Shaping Futures THE COLLEGE DEAN’S OFFICE EXPANDS SPACE, WELCOMING STUDENTS TO A NEW STUDENT-FOCUSED AREA

by Tanya Aubin The College of Arts and Sciences

where they can come with their questions

Dean’s Office expanded its

and come for advising.”

horizons and unveiled a new space,

“ I am delighted that we now have a central district or location where students can gather to explore opportunities to build the LC program and get advice about the benefits of a liberal arts education.”

— DE AN NOELLE NORTON, PHD

The district leaves no stone unturned in

the College Academic District (the district),

ensuring students are set up for success.

over the past academic year. This exciting

This new space also provides a welcoming

new development expands the dean’s office

atmosphere for students to socialize, work

space to include 117 and 114 in Founders Hall.

on group projects and study. The student

Founders 117 is now solely dedicated to

area features comfortable lounge furniture,

student academic advising and resources.

a conference table with chairs, a multi-

Alumni may remember this area as the

purpose monitor and additional study areas.

former Office of the Registrar.

“We’re the dean’s office, but we have

Creating the district was conceived as

opened up a central space for students to

an opportunity to expand student-facing

socialize and study as well,” says Assistant

spaces for all of USD’s Learning Community

Dean Pauline Powell. “Students can get away;

(LC) students and programs, core curriculum

it’s like making your own home away from

advising and college major exploration. When

maybe your residential space or away from

the university unveiled USD’s Renaissance

a classroom.” Associate Dean of Faculty

Plan, which provided the college the

Dr. Kristin Moran adds, “We truly want a

opportunity to redistribute space to better

space where students can drop in and

serve students, the dean of the College of

find a welcoming environment to get their

Arts and Sciences, Dr. Noelle Norton, viewed

questions answered.”

it as an opportunity to reorganize the office

To mark its official opening, the College

and student space to enhance academic

Academic District welcomed students on

advising responsibilities across the board.

Tuesday, Sept. 12. The occasion was

Dr. Amanda Petersen, the college’s

celebrated with snacks and students were

associate dean of undergraduate studies,

able to explore the new space, ask questions

has her office housed in the district, where

and engage with the dean’s office team.

she oversees the work of the LC program

By prioritizing the needs of students, the

and curricular and programmatic academic

College of Arts and Sciences has successfully

advising with a strong team of assistant

created an environment that fosters

deans and directors.

community and enhances the student

Director of Pre-Health Advising Services

experience from the very beginning of their

Cassandra Gomez emphasizes the district’s

college journey, all the way through to

importance. “This space is significant

graduation and beyond.

because it’s intended for both College of Arts and Sciences majors and for any student who is interested in pre-health to national

watch now: bit.ly/college-academicdistrict

scholarships.” She adds, “This is a place

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| 19

Get to know our Student-Facing Staff Founders Hall, Room 117, is an open area where all USD students, regardless of major or school, can access a wide range of resources, such as core academic advising, preprofessional advising, national fellowship advising and first-year experience coordination — all in one place. It houses several staff members dedicated to student academic support, including the associate dean for undergraduate studies, assistant deans and college academic advisors.

S.B.

P.P.

Pauline Powell, MA Assistant Dean What’s your favorite season? Fall.

What activity instantly calms you? Being around water.

What do you do? I provide academic support and counsel students who are making difficult decisions.

Favorite part of your job.

Helping students mitigate the hurdles of academia.

20 |

Fall 2023

Stephanie Bernasconi, MA

Emily Bolender, MA

Assistant Dean

Academic Advisor

What activity instantly calms you? Swimming underwater.

What activity instantly calms you? Running.

What activity instantly calms you?

Watching the waves.

If you could be an animal, what would you be? A raccoon.

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Mashed potatoes.

Favorite part of your job.

When students have that “aha” moment.

What do you do? I help students with things such as registration, the core curriculum and choosing a major/minor.

If you could be an animal, what would you be? An okapi.

What do you do?

I ensure students understand and have access to academic policies, processes and resources.

Favorite part of your job. Witnessing the resilience of these students.

A .H.

E.B.

Student tip: Be openminded and resilient!

K.W.

Karina Westra, MA

Alexis Humphreys

Academic Advisor

Undergraduate Studies Coordinator

Favorite part of your job. Helping students get their questions answered and think about their future.

What activity instantly calms you? Jigsaw puzzles.

What’s your go-to comfort food? Potatoes.

If you could be an animal, what would you be? A goat.

What do you do? I help students navigate the administrative background work that goes into critical academic processes.

M.D.

K.S.

A .P.

Amanda Petersen, PhD

Margaret Daley, PhD

Cassandra Gomez, MPH

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Professor, Spanish

Director of the Liberal Studies Program / Adjunct Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry / Liberal Studies Honors Faculty Liaison

Director of the Pre‑Health Advising Services

What activity instantly calms you? Plant gazing.

If you could be an animal, what would you be? A cat.

What do you do? I work with students and faculty to help create an experience for new students at USD. Student tip: Explore and take advantage of the interdisciplinary classes that USD offers.

D.M.

C.G.

What activity instantly calms you? Reading.

What’s your go-to comfort food? Cheese.

Student tip: Your professors care about you and want you to learn.

What activity instantly calms you? Music based on my mood.

If you could be an animal, what would you be? A hummingbird.

Student tip: Make a plan and set goals, but be flexible because life happens.

Favorite part of your job. Getting to work with amazing students every day and hearing their stories and dreams.

Karen Shelby, PhD

David Miller, PhD

Director of National Fellowships and Scholarships / Adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations

Director of the Pre-Collegiate Pathways Program / Adjunct Assistant Professor, History

What’s your favorite season? Spring.

If you could be an animal, what would you be? A monarch butterfly.

What do you do? I help students identify and apply for prestigious fellowships.

What’s your favorite season? Summer.

If you could be an animal, what would you be? A dolphin or an orca.

What do you do? I enroll talented local high school students into a class at USD and then manage, guide and support them as they experience a college class.

sandiego.edu/cas

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[ E X P L O R I N G T H E P O W E R O F E N V I R O N M E N TA L H U M A N I T I E S ]

the

Desert

Sublime [ SUBLIME? ]

22 |

Fall 2023

Death Valley National Park is renowned for the captivating power and beauty that emanates from its stark landscapes. From Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, to Dante’s View, a breathtaking outlook over the valley floor, Death Valley stands as a geological wonder and a philosophical quandary. by Tanya Aubin

[ B E A U T I F U L? ]

sandiego.edu/cas

| 23

T

his past spring, Professor of Environmental and Ocean Sciences Bethany O’Shea, PhD, and Professor of Philosophy Brian Clack, PhD, collaborated to design a unique course that brought the classroom to Death Valley. This course, The Desert Sublime, blended the study of geology and philosophy, creating a meaningful experience for students.

The Human-Landscape Connection As the class learned about geology in Death Valley, the students also read A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757), written by 18th-century British philosopher Edmund Burke. In this book, Burke explores the emotional and sensory basis of our experiences of the sublime and the beautiful. He associates the sublime with feelings such as terror, fear and awe, whereas the beautiful relates to experiences of harmony, pleasure and elegance. This book offered the students a fresh perspective on geology, analyzing it through a philosophical framework.

“Burke’s book is poetic and gorgeous in itself and easy for students to come to terms with,” says Dr. Clack. “He also provides students with the vocabulary to understand different types of landscapes.”

Dr. O’Shea also finds Burke’s book a powerful resource in a geological context. “As a geologist, I find it exciting. In a typical geology class, students learn a language to describe the processes that have formed a landscape. However, we never stop to think about how the land makes us feel,” says Dr. O’Shea. “This is a great opportunity for me as a geology professor to slow down and think about how humans are connected to the landscape in which we study.”

The Journey The sound of laughter and excitement filled the air as students packed and loaded their bags, camping gear and supplies into cars in USD’s parking lot. This was many students’ first trip to Death Valley. In a sense, the upcoming expedition was somewhat sublime in itself, with a hint of the unknown awaiting them.

After the five-and-a-half-hour journey to the Shoshone Education and Research Center, where bags were dropped off and supplies unloaded, the class wasted no time and drove to the China Ranch Date Farm. Students relaxed and drank shakes made from fresh dates before embarking on a three-mile hike along the Amargosa Canyon Trail, where they caught a glimpse into what was to come in the next couple of days.

The second day marked the beginning of The Desert Sublime class itinerary. The first destination was Badwater Basin, about an hour from the research center. As the students arrived, they were greeted by a vast valley floor that resembled a snowy landscape. As they made their way to what was actually a salt pan, they were struck with wonderment, knowing that this place, surrounded by nothingness, was the lowest point in North America. Pondering the vastness and depth of the area, one student, Makahla Lim, described the landscape as sublime. “You look out, and there’s nothing around you except for the people we’re with. It’s kind of scary, looking at the vastness of it and not knowing what’s out there.”

The class then proceeded to the Natural Bridge. From a geology perspective, students observed the landscape for evidence of water and analyzed the rock formations that shaped the canyon walls. Dr. O’Shea explained, “We have a structure called a natural bridge because the rock is extended across the current canyon. It’s not an arch but a bridge because water can flow precisely where we are standing.”

From a philosophical perspective, Dr. Clack focused on the privation of sound — or silence — a key attribute of the sublime. “Burke is enumerating a number of features that come together in the experience of the sublime,” said Clack. “He’s concerned with a range of things that fall under the category of privation, one of which is silence.”

The sublime theme continued as students made their way to the Devil’s Golf Course.

They were asked to sit alone in silence for 20 minutes before returning to the cars.

It was now time to experience the beautiful. Students listened to Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” as they took in the picturesque turquoise, pink and lavender-colored rocks 24 |

Fall 2023

along the Artist’s Drive. Standing in front of the multicolored rocks at Artists Palette, Sebastian Poli, a mathematics major, reflected on the beauty of color. “It’s super colorful and smooth … completely beautiful … as opposed to the [last stop], which was eerie and jagged, more like the sublime,” said Poli.

The students continued the day’s sublime and beautiful journey as they explored more of Death Valley — Furnace Creek, the Mosaic Canyon and the Mesquite Sand Dunes — before returning to the research center for dinner.

Death Valley has an enigmatic aura — full of history and intrigue — the Amargosa Opera House being one of several captivating landmarks. This landmark was the first stop on day three. As they were ushered in, students saw a stage filled with props, a grand piano and intricate murals on the walls and ceiling. A docent discussed the history of the Amargosa Opera House and its founder, Marta Becket, who fell in love with Death Valley and remained there until her passing in 2017.

While relishing the experience at the eccentric and captivating opera house, students ventured to the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada. The class read about and admired the ruins and the geology surrounding them in real time. They also delved into the philosophical aspect. Clack and the students discussed how obscurity related to the sublime as they reflected on their experiences at the opera house and ghost town.

The students continued their journey to the Keane Wonder Mine, Zabriskie Point and, finally, Dante’s View, which brought everything full circle. Dante’s View overlooked the Badwater Basin on the valley floor where the class started their morning the previous day. The students hiked to rocks where they took in the view and deliberated whether the area was sublime or beautiful. One student reflected, “I’d say the Burke word I’m thinking about is more picturesque. It’s not as terrifying.

It’s just more peaceful, but it’s too vast to be beautiful.” Another student said it was definitely sublime. “We’re now looking at some of the places that we visited. From this perspective, they look so small, which feels sublime.”

A Lasting Impact “These students immersed themselves as they laid down on the salt flats, climbed on top of the natural bridge and slid down the marble canyon — they just seemed to want to connect,” O’Shea remarked, as she reflected on the trip. “I also enjoyed hearing students talk about the philosophy of the landscapes with Dr. Clack. That doesn’t happen in a typical science class.”

Teren Grey, a biology major, contemplated her time in the desert. “I really enjoyed looking at different landscapes through the lens of philosophy and geochemistry because it gives a humanities approach to nature,” she said. “Drs. O’Shea and Clack always had something really insightful to say no matter where we were stopping, and it brought everything together.”

“If students can come away from this class where they don’t just think about philosophy and environmental science as mutually exclusive, but somehow interconnected … that’s a result for us,” said Clack.

Sebastian Poli added, “This class is interesting because I get to use both sides of my brain. To me, one of the most powerful things you can do to learn about something is to attach an emotion to an experience.”

This environmental humanities approach embodies the ethos of a liberal arts education. “This is the liberal arts. A student might take a career working for the National Park Service or even a county or a city developer and be tasked with writing a report about the value of a piece of land. These students cannot only write about whether the water quality is good but they can also talk about the value of silence,” says O’Shea.

The Desert Sublime trip left a lasting impact on the students, mostly graduating seniors. Whether it’s the sublime or the beautiful, a holistic mindset allows for the realization that everything is complex and interconnected — and the ability to think critically is something they will take with them throughout their professional and personal lives.

The Course inst-350 Interdisciplinary Studies (INST) 350, The Desert Sublime, used Edmund Burke’s book, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, as a compass to explore geology through a philosophical lens.

The Journey • Shoshone Education and Research Center, Shoshone, CA • China Ranch Date Farm, Tecopa, CA • Amargosa Canyon Trail, Tecopa, CA • Death Valley National Park, CA » Badwater Basin » Natural Bridge » Devil’s Golf Course » Artists Palette » Furnace Creek Visitor Center » Mosaic Canyon » Mesquite Sand Dunes • Amargosa Opera House, Death Valley, CA • Rhyolite Ghost Town, Rhyolite, NV • Death Valley National Park, CA » Keane Wonder Mine » Zabriskie Point » Dante’s View

The Impact By making connections across disciplines, students were able to view science from a philosophical lens, which gave them the courage and confidence to think critically about all aspects of life.

watch now: bit.ly/the-desert-sublime

sandiego.edu/cas

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[ B E A U T I F U L? ]

“This class combines the two disciplines of geology and philosophy, which is a really unusual pairing.”

— Bethany O’Shea, PhD

Eighteenth-century philosopher Edmund Burke provides a robust vocabulary on how to describe the sublime and the beautiful. Some examples of these terms are listed below.

The Sublime

The Beautiful

• Terror

• Smooth

• Fear

• Small

• Power

• Gradual variation

• Obscurity

• Delicacy

• Vastness

• Bright colors

• Potential

• Gracefulness

• Privation

• Elegance

• Infinity

• Touch

• Succession and

• Pleasant sounds

uniformity • Magnitude • Magnificence

26 |

Fall 2023

[ SUBLIME? ]

awards&honors C O L L E G E F A C U LT Y

National and International RESEARCH GRANTS

RECOGNITION AND HONORS

Emilie Amrein, DMA, chair and associate professor of music, received a $35,000 grant from the Albert & Elaine Borchard Foundation. The symposium, funded by the grant, brought together 12 scholars from the United States and Europe doing interdisciplinary work in the arts and mobility studies, focusing on migration, detention and education in France.

Sophia Baik, PhD, assistant professor of communication, was named one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics, awarded

by Women in AI Ethics. This honor speaks to Dr. Baik’s commitment to diversity in AI and making it accessible.

Tim Clark, PhD, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation for $300,000. This grant will fund the development of novel chemical synthetic methods for producing potentially useful organic compounds. Nine undergraduate students and a postdoctoral scholar will participate in this research program.

Nicole Danos, PhD, associate professor of biology, was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award Grant for $1.1 million. This grant will help establish a research program that will examine the form and function of skeletal muscle and its connective tissues during pregnancy and lactation.

David De Haan, PhD, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, received $500,000 from the National Science Foundation to study the chemistry of smoke aging in the atmosphere.

Ryan McGorty, PhD, chair and associate professor of physics and biophysics, received a $275,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to send undergraduate students to Mexico for an eight- to 10-week research experience in physics and materials science labs investigating soft matter.

Perla Myers, PhD, professor of mathematics and executive director of Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education, has been granted $1.2 million from the National Science Foundation to develop spatial computational thinking in Latino upper-elementary students.

David Shirk, PhD, professor of political science and international relations, earned an $891,000 grant from the State Department to continue USD’s internationally recognized Justice in Mexico program.

Nikki Usher, PhD, associate professor of communication, was awarded a $273,000 New Directions grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to build capacity for innovative approaches to analyze contemporary journalism.

Thomas Barton, PhD, professor of history, and author of Victory’s Shadow Conquest and Governance in Medieval Catalonia was the co-winner of The Medieval Academy of America’s 2023 Jerome E. Singerman Prize for the best second book on a medieval topic in any discipline.

Emily Edmonds-Poli, PhD, professor of political science and international relations, was presented with the 2002 Adaljiza Sosa-Riddell Mentor Award by the American Political Science Association (APSA) Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession to recognize her exemplary mentoring of Latinx students.

Rebecca Ingram, PhD, professor of Spanish, earned a 2023 Gourmand International Cookbook Award for Spain in the Women of the World category. Her book, Women’s Work: How Culinary Cultures Shaped Modern Spain, is a study of cooking as it relates to Spanish modernity and the roles of Spanish women.

Wilnelia Recart González, PhD, assistant professor of biology, was awarded the Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award from the Ecological Society of America. This award recognizes González’s work to uplift diverse voices in ecology and develop initiatives for underrepresented students in this field.

Rae Robertson-Anderson, PhD, professor of physics and biophysics, has been recognized by the American Physical Society as one of the few elected fellows this year, for making significant contributions and advances to science. Additionally, Dr. Robertson-Anderson was awarded the esteemed Prize for Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Institution by the American Physical Society, along with various other prestigious honors and awards.

Matt Rich, MFA, and Victoria Fu, MFA, associate professors of visual arts, were selected to create site-specific artwork for the Metro’s Purple (D Line) Extension in Los Angeles. Their artwork will be displayed in the Westwood/VA Hospital Station.

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New Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences Individualized Major: Tailoring Academic Journeys The individualized major allows students to customize their academic path based on their interests and goals. Students create a curriculum that caters to their chosen field by combining courses from various disciplines. This program empowers students to pursue their passions and develop a diverse skill set that prepares them for success.

Cognitive Science Minor: Exploring the Mind and Behavior The cognitive science minor delves into the fascinating world of the mind and behavior.

Drawing from disciplines such as psychology, philosophy

and

neuroscience,

students

gain a multidisciplinary perspective on the complexities of human cognition. Through coursework and research, students develop critical thinking skills and gain insights into the factors that shape human behavior.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate: Navigating Spatial Data The GIS certificate equips students with skills to work with geospatial data and use advanced mapping technologies. Through hands-on training, students learn to visualize and analyze data connected to physical locations, gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship between space and time.

This program prepares students for urban planning, environmental science and data analysis careers.

Education Certificates: Empowering Future Educators The college offers education certificates designed to prepare students for careers in teaching. The elementary/special education certificate provides foundational learning experiences,

equipping

them

with

the

knowledge and skills needed to support the diverse needs of young learners. Similarly, the secondary education certificate focuses on preparing students to teach at the middle or high school level, providing them with a robust pedagogical foundation and subject-specific expertise.

Learn more about the liberal arts at USD watch now: bit.ly/liberal-arts-at-usd

28 |

Fall 2023

University Awards E XC E L L E N C E I N T E A C H I N G

Carol Huston, PhD, professor of communication, received the 2023 Dean’s Award for Exceptional Teaching. This accolade reflects Huston’s long-standing commitment to the values of a liberal arts education, engaging teaching style and mentorship.

S E RV IC E- A N D C O M M U N I T Y- B A S E D R EC O G N I T IO N

Anne Koenig, PhD, chair and professor of psychological studies, was presented with the 2023 Drinan Award for Distinguished Service. Her significant contributions to advancing the university’s mission include chairing the Critical Thinking and Information Literacy Area Task Force and Committee on Undergraduate Teaching and Learning.

Alberto López Pulido, PhD, chair and professor of ethnic studies, was named a recipient of USD’s 2022-23 Educational Excellence in the Community Award, commending his ongoing dedication to fostering meaningful connections with the community through his innovative and groundbreaking initiatives.

DI VERSIT Y AND INCLUSION

Pauline Powell, MA, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, was announced as this year’s recipient of the Anti-Racism Transformation Award. This award is a testament to Powell’s unwavering commitment and advocacy in championing antiracist initiatives at USD and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Jillian Tullis, PhD, associate professor of communication and director of biomedical ethics, received a 2023 Diversity and Inclusion Impact Award for her commitment to promoting a pluralistic and nurturing campus environment.

UNIVERSIT Y PROFESSORSHIPS

Emily Reimer-Barry, PhD, associate professor of theology and religious studies, was a recipient of the Clarence L. Steber Professorship Award. This honor recognizes Dr. ReimerBarry’s substantial contributions to the areas of teaching, research and service.

Nathalie Reyns, PhD, chair and professor of environmental and ocean sciences, and Kathryn C. Statler, PhD, professor of history, were two of the five recipients of University Professorships for the 2023-2024 academic year for outstanding scholarly achievements in teaching and research.

spotlight College Alumni Take on Hollywood Karissa Valencia and Jared Ruga Find Success After Exploring the Liberal Arts at USD

by Leslie Ridgeway Two University of San Diego alumni are leveraging their education to break down barriers in entertainment by centering narratives, characters and topics often underrepresented in mainstream media.

Karissa Valencia ’13 (BA) is the first California Native American showrunner and creator of an animated series based on Indigenous characters to be nominated for an Annie Award for excellence in animated media for her Netflix show, “Spirit Rangers.” Jared Ruga ’11 (BA) produces and directs social justice-focused documentaries, feature films and other media as founder and CEO of Vavani Productions. His 2018 documentary, “Quiet Heroes,” won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2019 for Outstanding Special Class Special.

In their own spheres, each broadens the understanding and acceptance of marginalized populations and opens doors for other talented creators in the entertainment industry. Their years of

producing stories and content as students at USD helped shape their careers.

Ruga earned his USD degree magna cum laude in philosophy/communication studies and international business before earning a JD, MBA and MFA in film and media arts at the University of Utah. His interest in media was sparked by a chance to serve as station manager for USDtv. For seven semesters, he managed a team with creative and operations oversight while also writing scripts, including a TV pilot and a short film — all of which honed his production skills and prepared him to study film.

“In filmmaking, especially as a producer, your job is to solve about a hundred problems a day, and the more you can think about those problems from different angles, the more likely that you are to solve them,” Ruga says. “Having that predisposition to put on different hats, thinking about things through different lenses, approaching life as a puzzle — all comes from a liberal arts approach.”

Valencia, who earned her USD degree in communication studies and English and MFA in TV, radio and film from Syracuse University, pursued storytelling thanks to her Samala Chumash/Mexican background, where stories formed the basis for understanding the surrounding world. “Spirit Rangers” brought to life the stories she had heard since childhood.

Her USD education helped shape her ideas and ambitions beyond her own experiences.

“We studied media at a global level, which I think is what really inspired me as a storyteller to think outside of the box and how important it is to create culture, change culture and the impact that it can have,” she says. “I know that if I’m going to make content, I want it to impact the greater world.”

Ruga is currently at work on projects including films, podcasts and a stage musical. Valencia is busy with the third season of “Spirit Rangers.” Ruga and Valencia encourage USD students to explore different interests and keep an open mind about their education and career paths.

“I never thought I would take [World Religions], but it was a requirement, and it was amazing,” Valencia says. “I went to so many different services, and it just opened my eyes again to the world and expanded my horizons.”

“The idea of being flexible, being able to change your mind, change your major, take a random class in anthropology that has nothing to do with what you think you want to do with your life but may change your perspective long term… take those risks. You have time,” says Ruga. watch now: bit.ly/alumni-takeon-hollywood

sandiego.edu/cas

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spotlight

spotlight

STUDENT

STUDENT

USD Senior Amaya Rodriguez-Agiss Empowers Other Latino Students to Find Community on Campus

USD Black Excellence Award Winner, Jae Johnson, Cultivates a Storytelling Space for Students

Creating a Home Away from Home

by Erica Ortiz ’24

There is no stopping Amaya Rodriguez-Agiss ’24, a USD biology major, when it comes to campus involvement. Whether attending an Associated Student Government senate meeting, organizing a fundraiser for the Association of Chicano Activists (A.Ch.A) or immersing herself in a biology lab — one thing remains constant — Rodriguez-Agiss’s beaming smile, reflecting her motivation and positive attitude.

As a commuter student and a woman of color, RodriguezAgiss initially struggled to fit in on campus. She wondered if she would be perceived as a diversity statistic at a predominantly white institution (PWI) — a common experience for students of color and marginalized backgrounds.

“I grew up in a low-income household with parents who were born and raised in Mexico, migrated to the United States and built their empire off of that — off of basically nothing,” she says. “It’s important to have people to relate to you like that, especially at a PWI.” In search of community, Rodriguez-Agiss joined Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (M.E.Ch.A.) and A.Ch.A., two of USD’s Chicano/Latino organizations that seek to promote higher education, cultural awareness, politics and leadership of Chicano/Latino students, in addition to fostering a sense of community and activism on campus. Both organizations immediately gave her the sense of belonging she sought.

“These organizations are important to me because they’re the first places that I felt at home at USD,” she says.

Rodriguez-Agiss plans cultural events and activities in these organizations, including fiesta nights and the annual Virgen De Guadalupe Mass, volunteers at Chicano Park and plays on the M.E.Ch.A. softball intramural team. She will be the co-chair of both M.E.Ch.A. and A.Ch.A. this semester and plans to increase support for Hispanic/Latino-identifying students through dialogue with President Harris regarding USD’s mission to become a Hispanic Serving Institution.

Her advice to other incoming and current students is to try as many organizations and clubs as possible and join a community that makes them feel at home. watch now: bit.ly/amaya-rodriguez-agiss

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Fall 2023

From Poetry to Podcast

by Michelle Kennedy and Taylor Polcyn ’25

USD psychology major Jae Johnson ’24 started writing poetry in middle school. In his teenage years, Johnson spent many hours in his room, where books and the written word became some of his best friends.

Johnson never stopped reading, writing and studying. And through hard work in honors classes, he secured a military scholarship to attend the University of San Diego.

When Johnson met now-graduate Kaia Morrison ’23, they shared poetry and similar stories about using their writing to express themselves. His conversations with Morrison gave Johnson the courage to perform spoken word on campus and to create his podcast, Black Royalty.

“Jae puts his best foot forward with everything he does,” says Morrison. “Whether it’s academics, his art, poetry or podcast, he puts his whole heart into it.”

The podcast is a platform that amplifies and celebrates the experiences and stories of students of color at USD. “The intention of my podcast is not just to have an outlet for me but for others to look at and know that they’re not alone,” says Johnson.

Johnson chose the title of his podcast because of his admiration for Black Royalty’s strong and wise characteristics.

“To me, everyone is royalty. We can all have a higher mental being without racism or segregation. It is about unification and empowerment.”

Through episodes such as “Black vs. White” and “Story of Color,” Black Royalty encourages listeners to break free from silence and be authentic. Johnson fosters a sense of belonging among sometimes underrepresented students through personal stories, performances and discussing topics like pursuing education, diversity and entrepreneurship.

In addition to the success of his podcast, Johnson received the Black Excellence Award from the Black Student Resource Commons (BSRC) this past spring. This award recognized Johnson’s outstanding commitment and dedication to the Black campus community at USD, further solidifying his impact.

After he graduates, Johnson plans to pursue an MBA and grow Black Royalty into a platform where people of color can express themselves through words, performances and music. Johnson feels called to continue his work of supporting other creatives. watch now: bit.ly/jae-johnson

F A C U LT Y

F A C U LT Y

Professor Cid Martinez’s Research and Teaching Leverage Connections

Assistant Professor Nicole Danos Wins a National Science Foundation Grant to Study the Effect of Pregnancy on Women’s Leg Muscles

Fostering Community Engagement

by Leslie Ridgeway

As an ethnographic researcher and sociologist, Associate Professor Cid Martinez, PhD, immerses himself in communities. As an observer and a participant, Martinez uncovers insights into complex relationships between residents and police and shares his scholarship as a member of community groups and committees to improve relationships and foster collaboration and crime reduction.

Martinez aims to highlight the lived experiences of community members grappling with issues of trust, gun violence and law enforcement policy.

“Ethnography is not just interviewing people,” says Martinez, who belonged to a community policing group in Sacramento and is a member of the newly established City of San Diego Privacy Advisory Board, weighing in on privacy and law enforcement concerns. “Being civically involved is a way to use my knowledge and to learn, and to connect students to my research.”

Martinez, author of the book, The Neighborhood Has Its Own Rules: Latinos and African Americans in South Los Angeles (2016, New York University Press), is at work on two manuscripts: Cops and Clergy, Legitimacy, Trust and Violence Reduction (tentative title), and a book on ghost guns — unserialized guns used in an alarming number of homicides and shootings in the United States.

The first book, based on Martinez’s experiences and work in South Los Angeles, is an in-depth look at how government, police and Black and Latino residents work together to manage violence. The new manuscript examines the potential role of religious leaders as liaisons between police and residents, based on two years of research Martinez conducted in Sacramento as a member of a community policing group called Cops and Clergy.

Martinez says he appreciates what he learns from his students in the courses he teaches, including juvenile justice, criminology, crime and inequality and a course he created that has been added to the curriculum, Sociology of Guns, giving students a real-time look at current social justice issues. watch now: bit.ly/cid-martinez-phd

Decoding an Enigma

by Leslie Ridgeway

When Assistant Professor Nicole Danos, PhD, was pregnant with her first child 11 years ago, she heard something that intrigued her professionally.

“At the time, I was studying the effects of aging on muscles and tendons,” says Danos, who researches animal physiology for clues to growth and development issues. “I heard in the doctor’s appointment that the tendons loosen, and women need to be more careful with exercise when pregnant. When I investigated who was studying this, I found no one was.”

Danos, a comparative vertebrate anatomist in the USD Department of Biology, jumped to fill this gap. Recently, she was awarded a prestigious $1.1 million National Science Foundation CAREER award to study how the muscles and connective tissues are affected by pregnancy and lactation — specifically, the leg muscles. Danos hopes the findings will lead to treatment strategies for women suffering from pregnancyinduced musculoskeletal conditions such as hip dysplasia and carpal tunnel syndrome and spotlight neglected medical issues for women in general.

“There isn’t enough data to treat them because these problems haven’t been elevated to a concern,” says Danos.

“Investing money and time into a female-centric question gives more visibility to women whose concerns are traditionally dismissed.”

That concern about who science benefits motivates Danos to pursue social justice in her field, and she credits her USD science colleagues for inspiring her with their own social justice focus.

Danos teaches two courses: Natural History of Vertebrates, a survey of vertebrate animals of San Diego County, and Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates, where students examine form and function and how skeletal functions evolved. She hopes students pick up on her enthusiasm for discovery and come away with a better understanding of the scientific process.

For Danos, as a researcher, the NSF grant stands as validation and encouragement to continue exploring scientific questions at the margins of the field.

“I hedged my bets that this area that no one else was asking about was an interesting area of study,” she says. “It felt great to win it.” watch now: bit.ly/nicole-danos-phd

sandiego.edu/cas

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Off the Shelf

T H E L AT E S T C O L L E G E FA C U LT Y P U B L I C AT I O N S

Postcolonial Configurations: Dictatorship, the Racial Cold War, and Filipino America Josen Diaz, PhD, Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies

Diaz’s Postcolonial Configurations examines the formation of Filipino America under the influence of dictatorship, coloniality and subjectivity. Diaz explores the impact of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship and U.S. Cold War policies on shaping a gendered and racialized Filipino American identity.

Through carefully juxtaposing cultural texts with official records, the book offers a reconceptualization of Filipino America during the Cold War.

The Memory Seeker

Ronald Niezen, PhD, Professor of Practice, Political Science and International Relations This novel is about investigator Peter Dekker, who unwittingly uncovers war crimes within his own family when he joins the International Criminal Court. Tasked with documenting atrocities in Timbuktu alongside Malian colleagues, Peter’s girlfriend Nora stumbles upon a disturbing history of murder and collaboration involving his estranged aunt. As Peter delves deeper into his family’s Nazi connections, he becomes entangled in a shocking war crime where he transitions from an investigator of remote crimes to finding his own family member implicated.

Children and Media Research and Practice During the Crises of 2020 Co-editor: Bradley Bond, PhD, Chair and Professor, Communication

This book explores the unprecedented events of 2020, from the COVID-19 pandemic to international protests for racial justice and its effects on children and media scholars and practitioners. The 36 international contributions reveal how children and media scholars and professionals worked through the crises of 2020 and how the crises can be used for creative ways to problem solve.

The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism Co-author: Matt Zwolinski, PhD, Professor, Philosophy The Individualists delves into the history of libertarianism, a political doctrine rooted in the principle of individual liberty.

The authors explore its emergence in the mid-19th century, where it championed progressive causes such as women’s rights, antislavery and anticolonialism. The book traces the evolution of libertarianism through themes such as private property, skepticism of authority, free markets, individualism and individual liberty. It reveals how the movement shifted conservatively during the Cold War due to concerns over communism.

Save the Date: August 2024

The University of San Diego, including the College of Arts and Sciences and the Humanities Center, is proud to be the presenting sponsor of The San Diego Union-Tribune Festival of Books.

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flashback1979

Indoor plants were one step closer to becoming a responsible adult, but macramé plant hangers kept it cool.

Spirograph designs and woven baskets brought art and science together for iconic 1970s wall decor.

Dorothy Hamill’s hairstyle, known as the “Dorothy,” Tony Duffy/Getty Images Sport

Living in the Founders Hall residence hall at the University of San Diego in 1979 was an experience filled with a unique blend of camaraderie, independence and exploration. Halls were adorned with vintage posters of the hit movie, “Grease,” music from classic rock bands like Pink Floyd resonated through the corridors and the smell of incense often lingered in the air. The absence of modern technology encouraged face-toface interactions, fostering lasting friendships and a strong sense of unity among residents. Late-night conversations were commonplace, as students delved into philosophical debates or simply shared their dreams and aspirations.

went viral after she won the 1976 Olympic gold medal in figure skating.

Founders Hall, Room 114 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

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