USD College of Arts and Sciences Magazine Fall 2024 by University of San Diego

EXPLORING THE CAUSES OF CORAL REEF DECLINE IN THE BAHAMAS

USD Environmental and Ocean Sciences students research the effects of human and environmental stressors on San Salvador Island

d page 10

A REFLECTIVE AND JUBILANT MILESTONE

The College of Arts and Sciences celebrates 75 years of innovation, diversity and humanity d page 22

IN DEFENSE OF AWE, ASTONISHMENT AND CURIOSITY

How does Artificial Intelligence change what it means to be human? d page 29

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Tanya Aubin

SENIOR EDITOR

Michelle Kennedy

COPY EDITORS

Tanya Aubin

Michelle Kennedy

Krystn Shrieve

DESIGN TEAM

University Marketing and Communications

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lily Anderson

Tanya Aubin

Andrew Faught

Michelle Kennedy

Erica Ortiz

Gaby Ortiz Flores

Katie Payne

Leslie Ridgeway

Julene Snyder

PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM DIRECTOR

Michelle Kennedy

VIDEO EDITOR

Tanya Aubin

COLLEGE ADVISORY BOARD

Patrick Morrin ’83 (Chair)

Valerie Attisha ’94

Peter Kiley ’85

Brianna Kirkpatrick ’15

Maria Manning ’83

Mary McKenzie ’07 (JD), PhD

Mary O’Connor ’83, DDS

Colleen Rodriguez ’97

Jared Ruga ’11, MFA, MBA, JD

Jensen Shirley ’09 (EdD)

Celeste Soto ’11, MA

Jeffrey Vijungco ’96

Glenn D. White Jr. ’78

message from the dean

of the College of Arts and Sciences

DEAR ALUMNI, PARENTS AND FRIENDS:

This year marks a milestone for the College of Arts and Sciences as we commemorate our 75th anniversary, along with the University of San Diego. Beginning with the College for Women to the present-day College of Arts and Sciences, our robust and vibrant college remains rooted in the liberal arts while pushing boundaries and embracing new technology and information. We are proud to be the heart of the University of San Diego.

On a personal note, it is also my 30th anniversary here at USD. In 1994, I began teaching in the Department of Political Science and International Relations and then went on to serve as associate dean and co-director of USD’s Living Learning Communities program as well as director of the Honors Program. I have enjoyed developing and executing the college’s cluster hiring initiative, the Humanities Center and the revision of USD’s Core Curriculum. I am incredibly proud of the College of Arts and Sciences’ continued dedication to building rich, interdisciplinary programs, including new minors in food studies, law, justice and society, and public relations, as well as an embedded ethics certificate. We also launched the Center for Food Systems Transformation this fall which supports scholarship and the advancement of food systems change.

Paramount to the college’s mission of providing a holistic education, we continue to offer several immersive and transformational team-taught courses. This past spring, some of our classes traveled to The Bahamas, Columbia and New Zealand to study coral reef geology, politics, the environment and society. These experiential learning opportunities allow our students to engage with other cultures and immerse themselves in real-life issues and landscapes.

In this second edition of Arts & Sciences magazine, you will find stories that demonstrate the proven excellence of our faculty, students and alumni within the fields of arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences community’s enduring commitment to championing the liberal arts for the 21st century continues to make a difference on campus and in the world.

I hope you enjoy these stories that reflect on the past 75 years, celebrate current-day

Dean,

College of Arts and Sciences

college news

Cultivating Radical Empathy on Stage

How The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program Creates a Supportive Space for Actors to Celebrate Their Differences

by Michelle Kennedy

Leaning off the edge of his seat in the University of San Diego’s intimate Studio Theatre, The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program Director Jesse Perez analyzes his students’ acting on the stage in front of him like a scientist observing cells through a microscope. From noticing the way someone’s gait isn’t collapsed enough to portray shame to communicating how volume doesn’t always connote anger, he examines every blink, breath and the subtlest changes of expression.

Most notably, he cultivates his actors’ progression in bringing their own unique spirit into their characters, rather than disappearing from themselves on the stage.

“You don’t have to arch yourself up to something classical,” says Perez. “You can bring those words down to yourself and see how they resonate and make it sound real for you.”

Perez is a true artist training other artists in the highly selective MFA program. For the past six years, Perez — the Craig Noel Distinguished Professor and now a Lunt-Fontanne Fellow representing The Old Globe — has poured his soul into working with the seven actors who are chosen each year to receive classical training, tuition-free.

“It’s the beginning of your artistry and your journey as an artist to come here for a two-year program that will allow you to experience the classics, the contemporary work and also to work as an apprentice at a major regional theater,” says Perez.

The Old Globe in San Diego is a renowned theater, where trained Equity actors work with students such as Vandous Stripling II, who graduated in Spring 2024.

“We get to work next to some really great people at The Globe. It’s a lot of work, and it requires a lot of dedication — we’re like monks on a mountain,” says Stripling. “One of the greatest gifts is that I grew as an actor in this program, but I’m also growing as a man and a human being.”

And that’s what Perez, who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Julliard, wants for his students — to own their humanness and not feel stuck in a box when it comes to playing classical characters.

“The actors we’re bringing here are from all walks of life, different places and cultures,” says Perez. “So, it becomes that

thing where it’s like, ‘OK, we know Hamlet is Danish, but you’re not. And we’re going to say that you’re going to walk out there and pretend to be that? No, be yourself.’”

The program’s newest faculty member, Nathan Crocker, brings with him a Master of Fine Arts in acting from University of California, Irvine, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from University of North Carolina, Greensboro and years of expertise in teaching speech for the stage. His methodology stresses that accent is identity. Like Perez, Crocker centers actors in their experience and background.

“It used to be that you went and learned how to speak correctly with a curriculum that essentially washes away your identity,” says Crocker. “But, this pedagogy really kind of focuses on ‘let’s understand how you speak and make speech happen for you so that you have the ability and the autonomy to transform as you need to for the dramatic text that you’re working on.’”

This approach to teaching creates a safe space for students to bring their unique differences into the characters they’re portraying.

“It really helps develop a sense of radical empathy,” says Crocker. “It creates a more skillful and versatile actor.”

Students in the program follow a rigorous schedule with classes all day during the semester and rehearsals that

“[This approach to teaching] really helps develop a sense of radical empathy. It creates a more skillful and versatile actor.”

Nathan Crocker, MFA

go into the night. Summers are reserved for work with the actors at The Old Globe.

The program is consistently ranked as one of the top-10 graduate drama schools in the world by The Hollywood Reporter and has attracted actors such as second-year Lisa VillaMil. She credits her mentors in the program with showing her how to stop trying to be so interesting on stage.

“A pervasive thought here and true belief is that you are enough. You don’t have to be interesting to be on stage. What you bring is already interesting,” VillaMil says. “What’s more productive is being interested in your partner, interested in what you want from them and interested in your environment.”

Looking ahead, Perez hopes to continue working with Darlene Shiley, whose transformative gift made The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program possible. Mrs. Shiley’s dedication and commitment to the students in the program is an inspiration to him.

Perez is also committed to continuing to lead by example.

“Knowing that I’m a MexicanAmerican who made my way through classical work, who had a career in classical training, who is an educator of the work, I feel like people should look at me and be like, ‘I can do it too.’

Not because it’s easy, but because there are directors out there who are looking for that different way of telling stories, especially classical stories.”

Healing Through Art

How One USD Alumni Family Leaned into the Liberal Arts to Embrace a Path of Artistic Expression

by Michelle Kennedy

Their spacious San Diego home is an artist’s playground, with sprawling compositions adorning the walls, a life-sized chess board in the front room and a vast painting studio in the garage, housing stacks of mind-blowingly colorful canvases of famous faces.

The artist is University of San Diego communication studies graduate Erik Wahl ’93. His muse is his wife and fellow USD interdisciplinary humanities graduate, Tasha Moffitt Wahl ’94. The two of them almost move in sync with similar blonde hair, colorful outfits, and a love for art, imagination and family, which is shown in the portraits on their living room shelves and in their work out in the world.

They met on the USD campus while acting in a play together. A year older than Tasha, Erik had planned to graduate that semester and move back to his hometown of Seattle. Their encounter changed the trajectory of their lives.

“We didn’t know what we were going to do, but we knew we wanted to do it together,” says Erik.

After graduation, Erik worked as a broker for a speakers agency until the dot-com bust and the collapse of many internet-based companies in 2000 left him searching

for meaning. With three young boys to support, he felt completely defeated.

“At age 30, I was left with nothing,” says Erik. So, with no formal training, he started painting as a way to move through his grief.

“Immersing myself in the arts gave me a little bit of ease, because art was interesting to me, so that I could think and feel and heal,” says Erik.

Motivated by a change in perspective, the couple decided to take the biggest risk of their lives and began building an artistic expression empire. “I let go of my preconceived idea of what I thought success was supposed to be,” says Erik.

The Art of Vision

Their company, The Art of Vision, was born out of Erik and Tasha’s desire to motivate businesses to consider the impact and healing power of promoting creativity in the workplace. Wahl’s goal was to encourage corporations to utilize the magic of imagination and to move them away from primitive business practices that sometimes ignore how much creativity can enhance workplace production and morale.

“It comes back to being human, transparent and genuine. Those are things that really make businesses go, make relationships go and make leadership positions grow,” says Erik.

To build their brand, Erik used what he learned working with speakers to carefully construct his own TED Talk that emphasizes disruptive innovations and strategies as competitive advantages. With Tasha by his side managing operations, Erik presents to sold-out stadiums around the world, often painting colorful portraits of iconic people on stage while he speaks. “So with organizations, what we’re doing is we’re teaching them to think like an artist, but act like an entrepreneur,” says Erik.

Erik and Tasha have published four books, including Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius. They see their family’s success as proof that the creative path is worth the risk.

Continued on page 6

Erik and Tasha Wahl with son, Harley (middle).

A Family of Alumni

Erik and Tasha were overjoyed when their son, Harley chose to attend USD. He played soccer for the university and graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in environmental and ocean sciences and communication studies. Harley is grateful to have grown up in a supportive environment where he and his classmates were welcomed and celebrated by his parents. At the Wahls’ home, the door is always open.

“There will probably be 10 people before the end of the day who aren’t a part of our family that will come to our house just to spend time here and heal and be creative and hang out,” says Harley.

“We had this idea that church isn’t necessarily a place that you go on Sundays,” says Tasha. “It’s a place you live.”

Their devotion to community is part of why Tasha, Erik and Harley loved attending the University of San Diego. Through participation in clubs, sports, the arts and study abroad, the Wahls experienced firsthand how learning in a liberal arts-based environment empowers and prepares individuals not only to change the world, but to lead healthier lives within it.

“Mental flexibility, mental agility and understanding of what it means to be human, I think, is the greatest competitive advantage that anyone can have out of an education going forward,” says Erik.

Tasha is grateful for the scholarships she received that made her education possible. She sees the liberal arts as a kaleidoscope of opportunities for graduates to embrace career paths and passions that will evolve over time.

“That’s the most interesting part of the story for someone in college — that they can shift careers,” says Tasha. “You can go in one direction, and it feels like your life is ending and it’s actually just beginning.”

Erik agrees. “USD played a huge role for us because we thought we knew what we wanted when we went to college and ended up getting something way more beautiful than we ever thought we could have.”

Building Across Borders

Associate Professor Marcel Sanchez Prieto Empowers Communities Through Architecture by Gaby Ortiz Flores

Borders are often described as liminal spaces — a type of limbo that can be permanent or transitory depending on who you are. University of San Diego Associate Professor of Architecture Marcel Sanchez Prieto, MArch, has dedicated much of his career to understanding and exploring these unique spaces. Sanchez grew up in Tijuana and has witnessed the changes that have taken place in communities on both sides of the fence. Though his work has taken him around the world and garnered prestigious awards, Sanchez’s true passion lies at the Tijuana and San Diego border. It is in this region where he focuses his efforts on creating spaces of community and wielding architecture as a tool for empowerment and social justice.

Growing up in Playas de Tijuana, a neighborhood immediately adjacent to the border, Sanchez started noticing the ways in which living on the border impacted his family. “I started kind of noticing what the border is. And more in the sense of because my brother was [a] U.S. citizen, I was not. And he was able to cross the border very easily and I couldn’t,” says Sanchez.

As he continued his studies and later through his work, Sanchez developed a broader understanding of how the border impacts communities on both sides. In particular, he noted the changes that have occurred over time — not just those represented by shifts in the physical structure of the border, but also how Tijuana and its communities have changed as a result of the United States’ policies and practices.

High housing prices in Southern California, for example, have caused an increase in the number of people who move to Tijuana and commute daily into the U.S. for work. “People who work at Walmart and have family [who] cannot afford to have a house. So they are displaced to Mexico, they are displaced to Tijuana,” says Sanchez.

He grapples with this issue by designing affordable housing options for communities on both sides of the border. He recently collaborated with three other architects to develop mechanisms to build affordable housing in San Diego. In the coming year, he will also join forces to develop two prototypes for affordable housing in Tijuana.

What he ultimately wants to drive home is the interconnectedness of the two cities — whatever happens on one side of the border will inevitably impact the other side. Affordable housing, citizenship status, displacement and a sense of belonging are issues that he works to address through his projects along the border.

Sanchez’s work aligns with the university’s values, which may contribute to why the University of San Diego is a university of choice for Hispanic families. Applications from students who identify as Hispanic continue to grow, in no small part due to USD’s location on the border and the work being done with local communities. “All my classes deal with the border — the border’s relationship with how we design in a context that’s very particular, very unique,” says Sanchez.

Additionally, Sanchez is committed to shifting the conventional pedagogy and practices of architecture to better serve the border region. For more than a year, he has spearheaded an initiative that is part of the World Design Capital 2024 — a year-long series of events that bring together designers and community members to create designs and projects to improve a specific city. Sanchez’s project, the Converging Horizons Project, focuses on shifting how architecture is taught and practiced. The project unites all the architecture schools in both Tijuana and San Diego under the Transborder Association

of Architectural Education (TAAE). Together, faculty members from participating schools are working to build cross-border relationships, create collaborative spaces and projects, and develop new types of educational opportunities for architecture students.

The Converging Horizons Project culminates in October 2024, with a two-day symposium meant to showcase the designs and projects accomplished this year through collaboration and community outreach as well as to explore the past, present and future of architecture education in the region.

The work of the TAAE includes the development of the TAAE Student Fellowship Program, an educational exchange program between the TAAE schools, which they hope to launch this fall. Ultimately, Sanchez’s goal with all his projects, including this one, is to empower and support all stakeholders — communities, students and educators — as they tackle the unique challenges of the region.

He says, “For me, at the end of the day, it’s not about my practice, it’s not about the accolades we have as an office, it’s not about me, it’s about the empowerment to the people we want to help — the community, the students … that’s the most important thing — how can we, everybody, contribute in one way or form?”

Sanchez (far left) in front of the border wall, members of the TAAE and attendees (top left) at the Converging Horizons event Unity Through Design in May 2024, part of a design from the Unity Through Design event (bottom left) and students during TAAE’s Architecture Week in October 2023 (above).

“The center is here to provide solutions and to provide the research that can advance our understanding so that we can transform our food system in ways that align with our values.”

Aaron Gross, PhD

Introducing USD’s New Center for Food Systems Transformation

The Laudato Si’-Inspired Center Finds Its Perfect Home at USD

by Katie Payne

Professor Aaron Gross, PhD, calls his latest project more than a passion project. It embodies Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ message, which urges action to care for our common home and reflects USD’s commitment to social justice, environmental stewardship and the protection of human life and dignity.

It is the Center for Food Systems Transformation (CFST), the newest center at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of San Diego.

After years of preparation, the center launched in the fall of 2024. It supports research to advance changes in food systems and to address climate change, specifically, as well as other issues of justice related to the food system.

“Our food system is hugely broken, and people recognize this,” says Dr. Gross, the director of the new center and a professor in USD’s Department of Theology and Religious Studies.

“Public health, pandemic risk, environmental racism and animal cruelty are all things that shape our food system,” says Gross. “The center is here to provide solutions and to provide the research that can advance our understanding so that we can transform our food system in ways that align with our values.”

Driven by Values and Vision

The idea for the center was born out of a revelation between Dr. Gross and former Associate Professor Christopher Carter, PhD, also from the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. “We discovered that we had more than 25 colleagues around the university who not only had expertise in food studies and adjacent areas, but who also shared a kind of vision of wanting to create a more just food system,” says Gross.

With Laudato Si’ as inspiration, the center was established with two core values. The first is the concept of care for our common home, which focuses on the human relationship with the environment, animals and the natural world. The second value is inclusivity and anti-racism.

“We’re recognizing that the harms in our food system — whether we’re talking about public health, or environmental degradation or worker protection — have really been disproportionately faced by people of color, especially Black, Latinx and Indigenous peoples,” says Gross.

“The center really wants to attend to both of these deep problems: the fractured relationship with the natural world and the way in which our farming system reflects the inequality we’re still fighting.”

Benefits to the Community

For the immediate future, as the center continues to grow, the focus will be on national and global issues. As it evolves, Gross explains that the goals will shift closer to home — especially because USD’s surrounding neighborhood of Linda Vista is a federally defined food desert. “This is something that has to be addressed,” he says.

Gross has convened a board of advisors, with members from across the university, that he’s hopeful will incite a dialogue with community, nonprofit and business leaders to begin building connections.

“One of the top priorities will be to figure out how we connect the global challenges we’re speaking to, like climate change, with the realities of food in our local community.”

CFST will also focus on research and action on campus to reduce scope 3 emissions by supporting dietary shifts necessary for a sustainable food system. Scope 3 emissions include everything from greenhouse gasses generated by delivery trucks, employee commuting and other value chain emissions, like company waste.

(Far left) Adam McCurdy, director of farm production and distribution at Coastal Root Farms in Encinitas, discusses using heritage chickens in sustainable farming with Professor Gross.

“Peer-reviewed studies confirm that the most effective method for universities to lower scope 3 emissions is by reducing animal product consumption on campus,” says Gross.

More Than a Center — A Food Studies Minor

“Students are going to play really dynamic roles as well,” he adds. On top of getting involved with the center, USD students have a unique opportunity to invest in their own passions for food systems change through a new Food Studies minor.

Created in tandem with the center, the interdisciplinary program in the College of Arts and Sciences will prepare students for various careers in the food industry, community organizations, health and wellness sectors, social impact companies and policymaking.

“We’re very excited about how [the center and minor] are going to interact,” Gross says, especially as the center convenes important community figures on campus to have critical discussions about food systems issues.

“It’s going to give our students an opportunity to interact with them, to learn from them and occasionally even prep to be a part of processes that influence food policy,” says Gross.

Hitting the Ground Running

In November, Gross is diving head-first into the deep end by hosting a higher education conference to work on creating a climatefriendly food system.

“We’re hoping to bring together scholars from more than a dozen colleges and universities,” he explains. Together, they will present research and discuss pedagogy, but “the real aim is to start to build a coalition and intercollegiate research that looks at how campuses can be a kind of ground zero for food systems transformation.”

USD, a university guided by the values of Laudato Si’, will be the starting point. As Gross says, “The center belongs here.”

EXPLORING THE CAUSES OF CORAL REEF DECLINE IN THE BAHAMAS

USD ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCEAN SCIENCES STUDENTS RESEARCH THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS ON SAN SALVADOR ISLAND

by Michelle Kennedy

University of San Diego Environmental and Ocean Sciences professors Sarah Gray and Eric Cathcart stood at the entry point of Lighthouse Cave on San Salvador Island, The Bahamas, meticulously delivering safety instructions to their 20 students.

Staggered along a palm tree-lined trail, the students listened intently, between swatting mosquitoes and wiping sweat off their faces. Their instructions: hold tight to a ladder secured to a 4-foot hole in the ground, which would take them into a subterranean cave of narrow waterways that promised to challenge them both physically and mentally.

Cathcart, a geologist known to his students as Cathy, aimed to keep the group of mostly environmental and ocean sciences majors whole and continuously learning in the process.

“Put your hand on top of your head in the shape of a fist, before you lift your head up, and it will stop you from conking it,” he said to the group. “Our job when we get in there is not only to swim around and have fun exploring the cave, but also to identify what formation we are in.”

One by one, the students climbed down the ladder and onto a small cliff that led them into a pitch-black cave trail in chesthigh water. After sloshing through the path with flashlights and curiosity, the group landed inside a cavern with sandy walls that twisted up into more passageways above. Once the students settled, Cathcart asked them to turn their lights off to experience total darkness and silence.

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental and Ocean Sciences Eric Cathcart, MS, speaks to students on the beach where Columbus is said to have first landed in the Americas.

Like all good experiments involving quiet and young people, the smallest snicker ignited a thunderclap of laughter that rumbled up the cave walls. That laughter — a signifier of how much the class had connected in the first few days of the trip. It began with flight delays involving 10-hour waits at small airports and bags that didn’t make it the first night.

“Ultimately, it took one group of us two full days to get to the station, and then it took another group three,” says Gray. “Eric and I decided to use that as a teaching moment, because we realized that this feeling of not being in control and having to adapt is actually what a lot of people go through.”

Students like environmental and ocean sciences major Nikki Cardino found a silver lining of their own. “As much as the airport sucked, I feel like that was so fun because that was the beginning of our bonding,” says Cardino.

The Lighthouse Cave excursion ended with a trek through shaft openings so tight, it took the students several

minutes to crawl and slide a few inches through them. With Cathcart at the midpoint coaching their next moves, another student at the end to cheer them on and Gray clapping on a boulder nearby, they were never alone.

“It was honestly one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” says biology major Sofia Morales. “It really helped that we had this huge support system.”

The experience concluded with a sharing circle where everyone reflected on their journey. Some realized they weren’t claustrophobic after all. Most said the encouragement got them through.

“I liked how everyone was laughing, like even when we were uncomfortable,” says environmental and ocean sciences graduate Julia Humphrey ’24 (BS). Another voice from the group behind her followed with, “Laughter is how we deal with fear.”

In another cave, the day before, the class had to crawl between three feet of ceiling and sand to get in. Environmental and ocean sciences alumna Maddie Glenna ’24 (BS) became emotional watching dozens of fruit bats fly in circles above her.

“I kind of want to cry,” she says. “It is really such a great experience.”

Her emotional reaction did not surprise her professors.

“These students’ boundaries are being pushed to what they experience in their daily lives, and we are showing them some new experiences,” says Cathcart. “One of the natural ways to react to that is to get emotional.”

“That’s what education should do,” says Gray. “When you see the emotion, you know that the spark has been ignited.”

Forming Environmental and Ocean Sciences 494

Shortly after the class arrived at the Gerace Research Centre, where they’d sleep, eat and study for the next week, over spring break, many jumped straight into the translucent water kissing powdered sugar-like sand across the street. Operated by the University of The Bahamas, the center was designed more than 50 years ago for students and researchers to have a safe place to learn on the most southeastern island in The Bahamas Archipelago.

An old military field station, the research center houses banks of rooms for students, faculty and researchers. The property also includes a large cafeteria, serving up to three meals a day, as well as several classrooms where the students gather with their professors to debrief and reflect each night.

The group ate breakfast at 7 o’clock each morning and jumped into a long truck with benches lining the flatbed to head out on tightly packed daylong excursions with Cathcart at the wheel and Gray riding shotgun.

Before and after each adventure — whether it was to stand where many history books say Columbus first landed in the Americas, to analyze the best-preserved fossil reef in the world (120,000 years old) or to determine how a specific rock wall was formed — the students were consistently challenged with analyses and questions from their instructors along the way.

Cathcart was inspired to study carbonates and coral reef geology on a class visit to Gerace Research Centre as an undergraduate. He then earned a master’s degree in marine science from the University of San Diego. Now, an adjunct assistant professor of environmental and ocean sciences at USD, he admits the exquisite white sand beaches and undisturbed marine environment in the turquoise waters of San Salvador motivated him to study coral reefs.

“You are not going to find a place like this anywhere else in the world,” he says. “It’s completely untouched, anthropogenically, and makes a wonderful location to come and study.”

So, he and Gray spent extensive time on the island and carefully planned a study abroad course where students could examine coral reefs, caves and the cultural history of San Salvador.

Their course, Environmental and Ocean Sciences 494 (EOSC 494), would be called Coral Reefs, Sea-Level and Climate Change.

“YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FIND A PLACE LIKE THIS ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. IT’S COMPLETELY UNTOUCHED, ANTHROPOGENICALLY, AND MAKES A WONDERFUL LOCATION TO COME AND STUDY.”

Eric Cathcart, MS

“I’ve now been back about eight times in the last five years,” says Cathcart, who knows the island better than most. “I’ve brought a couple of graduate students and undergrads, but this is the first time we’ve brought a class.”

A professor of environmental and ocean sciences, Gray earned a PhD in earth sciences from UC Santa Cruz and has been teaching at USD for decades. She has researched coral reefs for most of her life.

“I have been snorkeling or diving on coral reefs around the world since the early ’80s. And, during that time, there have been huge changes in the number of hard corals,” she says. “These changes are related to climate change, anthropogenic pollution and coral diseases,” — all of which the students were prepared for and tasked with examining underwater.

Undergraduate Research

Environmental and Ocean Sciences 494 students cruise around San Salvador Island in the back of a truck provided by the Gerace Research Centre.

Their first big snorkeling excursion happened in the pristine French Bay.

Imagine a white sand beach with crystal clear water that dissolves into a perfect light blue, mild waves and coral reefs that you can see for miles because the water is that clear.

French Bay, like all of the beaches the class explored on the trip, is a postcard that students got to experience without another soul in sight. San Salvador is home to only 1,500 people, and the beaches and waters there are usually empty. Because of this, the coral reefs around the island are often untouched.

Upon diving in — with masks, fins and extreme anticipation — the students and their professors headed for the reefs in French Bay only to discover a shock they hadn’t anticipated.

“THE HEARTBREAKING ASPECT IS THAT THE STUDENTS ARE SEEING FIRSTHAND HOW THESE REEFS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY OVERFISHING, DISEASES FROM INVASIVE SPECIES TRANSPORTED ACROSS OCEANS BY HUMANS, AND NOW, CLIMATE CHANGE.”

Sarah Gray, PhD

“The corals were dead and overtaken by algae,” recalls environmental and ocean sciences alumnus Dillon Pao ’24 (BA). While Pao prepared all semester to observe the reefs affected by human activities and environmental changes, even Dr. Gray was taken aback by the extent of brown algae that blanketed much of the coral.

“The heartbreaking aspect is that the students are seeing firsthand how these reefs have been impacted by overfishing, diseases from invasive species transported across oceans by humans, and now, climate change,” says Gray.

The next day, the students explored another part of the Atlantic Ocean that reached depths of 13,000 feet, hoping to see more color and life in the reef there.

Led in the water by both professors, the class saw stingrays and a colorful variety of puffer and parrot fish, but the algae remained.

While students continued their work identifying different types of corals, Gray watched them discuss potential solutions that included coral reef restoration experiments local

researchers were already implementing — such as transplanting corals from a coral nursery housed on underwater PVC pipes.

Those experiments inspired the entire group.

“There’s a deep emotional reaction happening that I think will spur many of them into action,” says Gray. “This experience will motivate many of them to continue their studies. And that is exactly what we’re hoping for with this experiential learning — that you can’t necessarily get when you’re sitting in San Diego reading a paper about coral reefs.”

The condition of the reefs propelled students, such as environmental and ocean sciences major Tommy Arabian, to conduct his undergraduate research there. With the help of both professors, Arabian stretched transect tape underwater to measure the length of the coral reefs. “They have not been surveyed for the past 30 years,” says Arabian. “I am examining their biodiversity, their overall health and what’s changed.”

A few feet from Arabian, classmate Laila Richards ’24 (BS) dove down to collect sediment samples for her research. Richards, an environmental and ocean sciences graduate, credits her professors with inspiring her in her academic journey. “They just want to make us really good scientists.”

Arabian agrees. “It’s their excitement that makes learning more interesting and more fun because the passion comes through them.”

Building Intercultural Competence and Historical Awareness

Part of the trip was made possible by the Chapman Family Foundation International Program, which supports international experiential learning and encourages students to engage with diverse international perspectives and pursue a deeper understanding of people and cultures.

To build intercultural competence in The Bahamas, the EOSC 494 students met up with local historian Janet Storr to learn more about San Salvador. With notebooks in hand, the

Students listen to a local researcher talk about coral reef restoration through transplanting corals from a coral nursery housed on underwater pipes.

students followed Storr as she guided them on a long hike and walk around the historic Fortune Hill plantation, a few miles from the research center, where enslaved people were once forced to work.

Sofia Morales valued understanding more about San Salvador’s complicated past. “It’s really important to learn about because if people don’t learn about past history, even though it was such a horrible time, then history is bound to repeat itself,” says Morales.

Along the way, Storr told the students about the medicinal uses of the plants lining the trail. As they walked around broken-down stone structures enveloped in long arms of overgrown vegetation, Gray reminded the group that research is about more than swimming around coral reefs.

“I have worked in all kinds of remote places, and it is essential for scientists to understand the culture where they’re going, to understand the impact of their research, to be able to navigate their goals along with the needs of the people in the area,” says Gray.

The Magic of Experiential Learning

On their final day out, the group jumped into a stretch of water to float through a mangrove garden, only to find the tide was so low that they ended up on their stomachs in a few inches of water. When the students stood up to try to walk out, their feet sank into quicksand. Cutting through their bellowing laughter, Gray again found a teachable moment.

“When you’re doing fieldwork, you always end up having to solve problems that you don’t anticipate,” says Gray. And they did solve the problem and found a way out, equipped with another story to tell about their adventure.

Most of the students in EOSC 494 graduated in May of 2024. Most also shared that the trip changed them. For Laila Richards, the course cemented her passion for wanting to use what she learned in San Salvador to find ways to help the environment moving forward. “It’s important to preserve our amazing world for the next generations,” she says.

That motivation and spark is a gift her professors hoped the trip would provide.

watch now: bit.ly/eosc-bahamas-2024

We Want to Hear Your Story!

Your time in the USD College of Arts and Sciences was just the beginning of an incredible journey. We know that each of you has a unique story to tell, filled with achievements, challenges and memorable experiences since graduation. We invite you to share these stories with us!

Whether you’ve climbed the corporate ladder, started your own business, traveled the world or pursued further education, your journey can inspire current students and fellow alumni. Your experiences are a testament to the diverse and impactful paths our graduates take.

Sharing is Quick and Easy

Scan this QR code to share your story with us. Your experiences could be featured on our website, social media or newsletters!

College of Arts and Sciences Marketing Team Earns 2023 Marketing Awards

The College of Arts and Sciences’ marketing team won eight awards for their marketing and communications work produced this past year. The categories ranged from print content to special videos to external publications.

2024 COMMUNICATOR AWARDS

Gold Award of Excellence for Print Content ( Arts & Sciences magazine)

Distinction Award for Educational Institutions (“Desert Sublime” video)

2023 COLLEGIATE ADVERTISING AWARDS

Gold Winner for Self-Promotion (“Liberal Arts at USD” video)

Bronze Winner for Advertising Specialty (“Heart of USD” bilingual tote bag design)

2023 EDUCATIONAL ADVERTISING AWARDS

Gold Winner in the Special Video category (“Desert Sublime” video)

Gold Winner in the Digital Video Ad category (“Liberal Arts at USD” video)

Gold Winner in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion category (“20 Years of Ethnic Studies at USD” video)

Bronze Winner in the Publication/External category ( Arts & Sciences magazine)

Learn more about the College of Arts and Sciences marketing and communications team at USD.

awards&honors

FACULTY

National and International

Christopher Adler, PhD, professor of music and director of the Asian Studies program, was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to compose music in South Korea at the National Gugak Center during the fall of 2024.

Claudia Christine E. Avila, PhD, assistant professor of environmental and ocean sciences, was awarded a $5,000 grant for her efforts to improve soil health. The Story Exchange’s Women in Science Incentive Prize, awarded to innovative female scientists combating climate change, recognized Avila as one of five soil scientists to receive the grant this year.

Lauren Benz, PhD, Clare Boothe Luce Professor of chemistry and biochemistry, received $156,000 over three years from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation to support a program pairing research students with dedicated faculty mentors. Dr. Benz, in collaboration with Eleanor Gillette, PhD, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, received a $642,440 grant from the National Science Foundation to acquire an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer.

Malachi Black, PhD, associate professor of English, received a Fulbright Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year to study in Lithuania, where he will work on his third poetry collection, Theatrum Mundi, and teach courses in American literature at Vytautas Magnus University.

Rachel Blaser, PhD, professor of neuroscience, cognition and behavior, received a $500,000 Excellence in Scientific Research Leadership grant from the Conrad Prebys Foundation. This award recognized Dr. Blaser’s contributions to basic research, which have led to advances in biomedicine.

Bradley Bond, PhD, chair and professor of communication, partnered with Hopelab Foundation, Inc. to conduct a study on parasocial relationships on social media among LGBTQ+ teens and young adults, including those who are Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC).

Victor Carmona, PhD, associate professor of theology and religious studies, was selected as a 2024-2025 Visiting Fellow in the Center for US-Mexican Studies in the UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy.

Adriana Cuéllar, assistant professor of architecture, and Marcel Sanchez Prieto, associate professor architecture, received a $95,000 grant through the San Diego Foundation’s Binational Resilience Initiative (BRI) to support the project “Border Ecologies: Between Water and Land | Ecologías Fronterizas: Entre el Agua y la Tierra.”

Laura Getz, PhD, assistant professor of neuroscience, cognition and behavior, was accepted as a Fellow in the Psychonomic Society.

Chad Kishimoto, PhD, associate professor of physics and biophysics, earned the 2023 Society of Physics Students (SPS) Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award from the SPS National Office for exceptional leadership, student development, support and encouragement provided by a chapter advisor to enable a successful SPS program. Kishimoto also received a $199,282 grant from the National Science Foundation for his project, “Quantum Kinetics of Neutrinos: Leveraging the Universe at the Interface of Neutrino and Nuclear Astrophysics.”

Jeremy Kua, PhD, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, secured a prestigious $51,368 research grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The grant, awarded in the field of exobiology, aims to delve into the chemistry of life’s origins.

Geoffrey Morse, PhD, associate professor of biology, received a $128,485 cooperative agreement from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for his work on seed beetles and an additional $117,500 cooperative agreement from the USDA to develop and implement geometric morphometrics and machine learning tools for identification of seed beetles of quarantine importance.

Maren Mossman, PhD, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of physics and biophysics, was named a Cottrell Scholar by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. This distinguished award, one of only 19 given in the U.S. this year, provides $120,000 to support research on quantum hydrodynamics. Mossman also received $100,000 from Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a collaborative project to evaluate performance of computer chips designed to operate in microgravity. Additionally, Mossman received $88,000 from the American Physical Society to host the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP).

Jennifer Parkinson, PhD, associate professor of anthropology, received a $29,996 research grant from the Leakey Foundation for her work in Uganda exploring human origins in the Albertine Rift Valley.

Jesse Perez, director and Craig Noel Distinguished Professor of The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, was selected as a LuntFontanne Fellow, allowing him to participate in an eight-day immersion at Ten Chimneys, which will benefit the MFA in Acting community at USD.

Jennifer Prairie, PhD, associate professor of environmental and ocean sciences, received an $81,751 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the role of ocean physics and biological processes in the composition of plankton communities in the Pacific Ocean.

Leonora Simonovis, PhD, professor of languages, cultures and literatures, earned an Individual Artists Fellowship from the California Arts Council to work on a series of pieces for her next manuscript, a hybrid of environmental speculative poems that explore the thresholds between the human and the natural world.

FACULTY

University Awards

EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

Jena Hales, PhD, associate professor of neuroscience, cognition and behavior, was recognized as the 2023-2024 Glenn D. White, Jr. ’78 Faculty Research Award recipient. This award recognizes Dr. Hales’ exemplary dedication and respect to mentoring students in research and other scholarly activities, cultivating the next generation of research leaders.

Kelli Khuong, PhD, director of organic chemistry and adjunct assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was honored with the 2024 Perla and Jeff Myers Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. This award recognizes Dr. Khuong’s dedication to teaching and highlights the lasting impact she has had on her students’ academic experiences.

Jeremy Kua, PhD, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, received the 2024 Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence. This accolade reflects Dr. Kua’s enduring dedication to the principles of a liberal arts education, engaging teaching style and exceptional mentorship.

SERVICE- AND COMMUNITY-BASED RECOGNITION

Tammy Dwyer, PhD, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was this year’s recipient of the Drinan Award for Distinguished Service. This award is a testament to her exceptional leadership throughout her 13-year tenure as chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and her dedication to fostering inclusivity on campus.

Vidya Nadkarni, PhD, professor of political science and international relations, was honored with the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Mentor Award for her commitment to mentoring faculty colleagues.

Laura Rivard, PhD, adjunct assistant professor of biology, received the USD Mulvaney Center and the Center for Educational Excellence’s 2023-2024 Educational Excellence in the Community Award for her innovative approaches to community engagement and fostering of sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships that enhance student civic learning.

The Core Curriculum

The University of San Diego’s Core Curriculum is founded on a respect for and a dedication to the liberal arts. That foundation not only adds richness to the student experience but also helps students make the most of their opportunities at USD.

When USD reimagined the Core the foundation upon which the entire student experience is built we fashioned the dynamic curriculum to be customized by students so they could curate their own academic experience tailored to their interests and passions. It is crafted in a way that allows students to explore unique courses, try options, change their minds or pivot and adjust their path.

The Core Curriculum is a signature experience. It will look different for each student yet perfectly fit individual needs and diverse visions of what each person’s future holds.

Scan this QR code to learn more about the Core Curriculum at USD.

“The Core Curriculum classes I’ve taken have honestly shaped me into the person I am today.”

Erica Ortiz ’24 (BA in communication and sociology)

Jennifer Parkinson, PhD, associate professor of anthropology, received a $29,996 research grant from the Leakey Foundation for her work in Uganda exploring human origins in the Albertine Rift Valley.

FACULTY

University Awards

EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

SERVICE- AND COMMUNITY-BASED RECOGNITION

from the heart

October

HUMANITIES CENTER DISCUSSION SERIES

THE ALLURE OF THE MOUNTAIN

4 P.M.

Humanities Center, Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall

DEPARTMENT OF ART, ARCHITECTURE + ART HISTORY

CONVERGING HORIZONS, EXPLORING ARCHITECTURE

EDUCATION AT THE BORDERLAND

OCT. 24, 10:30 A.M.

Centro Estatal de las Artes Tijuana OCT. 25, 10:30 A.M.

Museum of Photographic Arts

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC ARTS AND CULTURE FESTIVAL NOON

Camino/Founders Patio

HUMANITIES CENTER

SCREENINGS 13: YANG FUDONG ON VIEW: OCT. 28 – DEC. 13

Humanities Center Gallery, Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall

HUMANITIES CENTER DISCUSSION SERIES

LIFE AT HIGH ALTITUDE

4 P.M.

Humanities Center, Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall

November

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC USD WIND ENSEMBLE

6 P.M.

Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

HUMANITIES CENTER DISCUSSION SERIES

THE MOUNTAIN IN FILM AND DOCUMENTARY

4 P.M.

Humanities Center, Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall

THE LINDSAY J. CROPPER MEMORIAL WRITERS SERIES MALACHI BLACK

6 P.M.

Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre

DEPARTMENT OF ART, ARCHITECTURE + ART HISTORY

VISUAL ARTS SENIOR THESIS EXHIBITIONS

ON VIEW: NOV. 11 – DEC. 13

MONDAY – FRIDAY; 9 A.M. – 5 P.M.

Visual Arts Center Gallery

Sacred Heart Hall, Room 102

HUMANITIES CENTER POLITICIZING AND POETICIZING DIASPORTIC EXPERIENCES: A CHINESESPANISH LITERARY VOICE PALOMA CHEN, POET

2:30 P.M.

Warren Auditorium, Mother Rosalie Hill Hall

HUMANITIES CENTER AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ART, ARCHITECTURE + ART HISTORY

EXTRAORDINARY BODIES: ART, ILLNESS AND DISABILITY

5:30 P.M.

Humanities Center, Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall

GRADUATE THEATRE HENRY 8 NOV. 16 THROUGH 24

The Old Globe: Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre

Don’t Miss a Beat!

Stay up-to-date with the all the events coming from the heart of USD. Go to sandiego.edu/events/cas. Dates are subject to change. Underlined number indicates the event runs multiple days.

HUMANITIES CENTER

KNAPP LECTURE SERIES BEYOND THE STANDARD WESTERN DIET: WHY FIXING GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEMS REQUIRES A NEW CONFRONTATION WITH ANIMAL AGRICULTURE

DAVID CLOUGH, MST, PHD, FHEA

5:30 P.M.

Warren Auditorium, Mother Rosalie Hill Hall

DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE FALL PRODUCTION: THE WOLVES NOV. 21 – 25

Studio Theatre, Sacred Heart Hall

December

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

USD STRINGS WINTER SALON

7:30 P.M.

Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

STUDENT RECITAL: APPLIED VOICE

1 P.M.

French Parlor, Founders Hall

HUMANITIES CENTER

MINERVA LECTURE SERIES ARE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ILLUSIONS?

PATRICK J. HURLEY, PHD

5 P.M.

Humanities Center, Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

STUDENT RECITAL: APPLIED INSTRUMENTAL

5:30 P.M.

Shiley Theatre, Camino Hall

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC LESSONS AND CAROLS

DEC. 6, 7:30 P.M.

DEC. 7, 2 P.M.

Founders Chapel, Founders Hall

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC ENSEMBLE X 2 P.M.

Founders Hall Foyer

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

USD JAZZ ENSEMBLE AND TORERO BLUES

7:30 P.M.

Shiley Theatre, Camino Hall

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

STUDENT RECITAL: APPLIED

JAZZ AND GUITAR

1 P.M.

Shiley Theatre, Camino Hall

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

MARIACHI AND FOLKLORICO

DANCE ENSEMBLE

7:30 P.M.

Shiley Theatre, Camino Hall

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC A NIGHT OF GOSPEL MUSIC

7:30 P.M.

Shiley Theatre, Camino Hall

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

STUDENT RECITAL: APPLIED

VOICE AND INSTRUMENTAL

1 P.M.

French Parlor, Founders Hall

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

USD GAMELAN ENSEMBLE: SOUNDS OF INDONESIA

7:30 P.M.

Studio Theatre, Sacred Heart Hall

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

SONG/STORY/STAGE

7:30 P.M.

Shiley Theatre, Camino Hall

February

DEPARTMENT OF ART, ARCHITECTURE + ART HISTORY

VISUAL ARTS SENIOR THESIS EXHIBITIONS

ON VIEW: FEB. 3 – MAY 23

MONDAY – FRIDAY; 9 A.M. – 5 P.M. Visual Arts Center Gallery Sacred Heart Hall, Room 102

GRADUATE THEATRE TIGER AT THE GATES FEB.28 THROUGH MAR.2

Studio Theatre, Sacred Heart Hall

March

5 THE JOANNE T. DEMPSEY MEMORIAL LECTURE SERIES

KIMBERLY JOHNSON 4 P.M.

Manchester Hall Auditorium

April

DEPARTMENT OF ART, ARCHITECTURE + ART HISTORY

ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION OF STUDENT ARTWORK

APRIL 1 – 16; 9 A.M. – 5 P.M. Student Life Pavilion Exhibit Hall

GRADUATE THEATRE ORLANDO APRIL 11 – 13

Studio Theatre, Sacred Heart Hall

GRADUATE THEATRE CLASS OF 2025 THESIS

PRESENTATIONS

Studio Theatre, Sacred Heart Hall

May

DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE SPRING PRODUCTION: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME MAY 1 – 5

Vassiliadis Family Black Box Theatre

“I’m from a very small college in Southern Vermont that doesn’t have the funding to have any of the equipment like this. I’ve never used a microscope before coming here. So, I’m getting that hands-on research experience.”

Zayda Kellogg, National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) participant

“I think my most satisfying experiences are when the students come to me and we’ve been struggling with an experiment and they haven’t quite latched on to what we’re doing and they just come and succinctly tell me what they’re doing and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, they got it.’”

Jessica Bell, PhD, Chair and Associate Professor

of Chemistry

and Biochemistry

“This research means a lot because I get to come in and learn the lab techniques and learn what it is like to be a biochem major at USD and what lab will be like to be sure that is what I want to declare my major as.”

Tina

Abelson, First-Year Student

“Our focus is making a pathway for new drug design and creating new approaches to combat malaria. With half of the world’s population at risk of contracting malaria, this is important.”

Daniel Armendariz, Biochemistry Major

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Alberto López Pulido, PhD, chair and professor of ethnic studies, was this year’s recipient of the Anti-Racism Transformation Award. This honor is a testament to Dr. Pulido’s commitment and advocacy in promoting anti-racist initiatives at USD and within the College of Arts and Sciences.

Amanda Ruiz, PhD, associate professor of mathematics, received a 2024 Diversity and Inclusion Impact Award for her efforts to promote an inclusive and diverse environment on campus.

T.J. Tallie, PhD, associate professor of history, was presented with a 2024 Diversity and Inclusion Impact Award for his commitment to justice for communities historically marginalized for their race and ethnicity.

UNIVERSITY PROFESSORSHIPS

Peter Mena, PhD, associate professor of theology and religious studies, received the Clarence L. Steber Professorship, which recognizes substantial contributions in the areas of teaching, research and service.

Joseph Provost, PhD, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Greg Severn, PhD, professor of physics and biophysics, were two of the five recipients of University Professorships for the 2024-2025 academic year for outstanding scholarly achievements in teaching and research.

STUDENT

National and International

Lila Fowler ’26, math and physics major, was named a 2024 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.

Deric Fryer ’25, behavioral neuroscience major, received the David L. Boren Award from the National Security Education Program.

Hannah Hintermeister ’24 (BA in political science and Spanish) was named a Fulbright Scholar recipient and is headed to Colombia, where she will work as an English teaching assistant and participate in cross-cultural education between Colombia and the U.S.

STUDENT

University Awards

Anisa Beckett ’24 (BA in behavioral neuroscience) and Emilia Orosco ’24 (BA in psychology) were given the Carmen M. Vazquez Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Entire Campus Through Their Involvement.

Andres Fernandez Perez ’24 (BA in political science) and Amaya Rodriguez-Agiss ’24 (BA in biology) received the Dr. Thomas J. Cosgrove Award for Outstanding Service in Student Government in May 2024.

Briana Guardado ’24 (BA in sociology) was named a recipient of the Chet Pagni Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service.

Hannah Hintermeister ’24 (BA in political science and Spanish) was honored with the 2024 Alcalá Award for her exceptional dedication to advancing USD’s mission.

Janea McCoy ’24 (BA in political science) was presented with the 2024 Alcalá Award for her exemplary commitment to the mission of USD as well as the Outstanding Service in Official University-Sponsored Activities award.

A Heartfelt Thank You!

The College of Arts and Sciences thanks its award-winning faculty members and students for advancing academic excellence to create a more inclusive, sustainable and hopeful world.

Shayla Rodriguez ’24 (BA in political science; BBA in marketing) and Ezra Wheeler ’24 (BA in sociology) were awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Multicultural Awareness and Understanding award.

Vita Olson ’24 (BA in biology) received the Anne Catherine Swanke Award for her excellent contributions to the University of San Diego and to the Honors Program.

YE A RS

Built on a Liberal Arts Foundation, the College of Arts and Sciences

Celebrates 75 Years of Innovation, Diversity and Humanity

A Reflective and Jubilant Milestone

by Julene Snyder and Leslie Ridgeway

Seventy-five years ago, in 1949, ground was broken on a hilltop overlooking Mission Bay for a campus that would eventually become what’s now known as the University of San Diego. This year, the College of Arts and Sciences joins USD in celebrating the vision of founders Bishop Charles Francis Buddy and Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill, who fervently believed that the liberal arts were the heart of the Catholic intellectual tradition.

“That’s a value that clearly continues to this day,” says Associate Professor of English Sister Mary Hotz, PhD, who’s been with USD since 1996. “And it’s an important value.”

Today, the college features 20 departments, six centers and an Honors Program. Students can choose from more than 57 academic programs and three graduate programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. The foundation laid by Bishop Buddy, Mother Hill and many others guides the college as it reflects on its origins and looks ahead to expanding on the innovation and excellence built on a bedrock of commitment to advancing the liberal arts.

“The San Diego College for Women was a liberal arts college from the very beginning and then, it became the College of Arts and Sciences,” says Sister Virginia Rodee ’57 (BA) ’74 (MA), who vividly recalls the excitement of those early days. “The thought was if you had the liberal arts, you could advance in any direction with that strong base as the preparation for life.”

Dean Noelle Norton, PhD who began her tenure at the university 30 years ago and has led the college for more than a decade is eloquent about the significance of the college’s foundational touchstone.

“The liberal arts are important, as are the broad range of disciplines within the liberal arts,” she says. “I’d like to see more interdisciplinary connections across all the different divisions. I’d like to see the college continue with the attention to our community of scholars, including our students, faculty and staff. These are foundations established by those who began USD, and particularly the College for Women.”

“When I think back on the early days of that liberal arts college, we were encouraged to serve others, that our education wasn’t just for ourselves.”

Sister Virginia Rodee ’57 (BA) ’74 (MA)

In the Beginning

In 1952, with approval from Rome, the College for Women was established with the goal of providing higher education for Catholic high school students. At the time, there were no local options for students with ambitions to study at a Catholic university.

The College for Men and the USD Law School followed in 1954 and merged to become the University of San Diego nearly 20 years later. While the merger might seem like a seamless process in hindsight, the truth was much more complicated. As Sister Hotz recalls, there was enough of a financial crunch that the colleges could have been closed. But instead, everyone involved worked hard to see that higher education won the battle.

“The argument for the merger was an argument for ongoing education and an argument for collaboration,” says Sister Hotz. “That’s how USD came into being. It was forged by a group of people who were willing to take a risk.”

She sees the emphasis on critical thinking in the liberal arts as its longtime strength: “It’s the imagination of thinking about the how and the why of how people problem-solve that’s critical. It offers the space and the time to probe complexities and ambiguities.” ◂ 1949: The construction of Founders Hall (and Founders Chapel), Camino Hall and Sacred Heart Hall begins.

1952: On-campus classes begin at the College for Women in Founders and Camino Halls.

▴

1954: On-campus classes begin at the College for Men, later moved to Serra Hall (now known as Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall) in 1959.

“When we celebrate this anniversary, let’s also celebrate diversity.”

Assistant

Dean Pauline Berryman Powell, MA

“ The fact is that ever since [the College for Women and the College for Men] merged, we’ve enormously increased enrollment. We’ve built a new building almost every two or three years. I doubt Reverend Mother Hill or Bishop Buddy would have ever envisioned that. But God’s plans aren’t all seen at once, and his vision isn’t captured all at once.”

Sister Agnes Murphy, RSCJ USD Professor of History from 1952 to 1977

1972: The College for Women, College for Men, and the School of Law merge to become the University of San Diego.

1974: The college establishes preceptorial programs at USD, designed to provide first-year students with an advisor before declaring a major. After students declare a major, they connect with an advisor within their major.

Diversity and Community Outreach

Over the years, the importance of diversity among students, faculty and staff at the college has surfaced as an enduring priority efforts that Assistant Dean Pauline Powell sees as pivotal in the college’s growth.

“When we celebrate this anniversary, let’s also celebrate diversity,” she says. “We’re seeing more diversity among the faculty than we did 20 years ago, and our students are much more diverse. Difference brings different discussions; that’s where the liberal arts come in.” And, of course, representation matters. “When students can walk into a classroom and see a faculty member who somewhat looks like them, they’re thinking, ‘Wow. I never thought about being a faculty member until I saw someone doing that job.’”

Powell believes it’s crucial to educate students as global citizens. “Studying abroad is a wonderful way for students to understand differences. When I’m having discussions with them after they come back [from abroad], they’ve learned so much more about people living in ways they’ve never even imagined. You have got to get outside of your bubble. That’s why diversity and having conversations about difference is very important.”

Powell’s emphasis on the importance of global perspective and understanding differences resonates with the university’s broader mission of community engagement and outreach.

“As an anchor institution, our focus is on outreach: Going out and working in the community and not just stopping within San Diego,” says Chair and Professor of the Department of Ethnic Studies Alberto Pulido, PhD. “As a college, we’re really taking advantage

1987: The college partners with The Old Globe to establish what is now known as The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. This highly selective program is continuously ranked as one of the top-10 graduate drama programs in the world.

1979: USD launches its Honors Program to promote interdisciplinary learning and undergraduate research, to strengthen the intellectual climate of the campus and to maintain the vision of the liberal arts as central to the College of Arts and Sciences experience.

Sister Sally Furay, RSCJ USD Provost from 1971 to 1996

of putting together faculty, programs and projects that emphasize the importance of our border and the fact that we’re actually neighbors who share a similar history and a similar destiny.”

Building Momentum

Elevating the study of the human condition has been at the core of the college’s evolution over the course of its history. In 1979, the Honors Program was initiated with a mission to stimulate interdisciplinary education and undergraduate research, further cementing the liberal arts as core to the university experience.

In 1987, The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program was established by The Old Globe’s Founding Artistic Director Craig Noel and by USD Vice President and Provost Sister Sally Furay. Consistently ranked among the top-10 graduate theatre programs in the United States, the highly competitive two-year Master of Fine Arts program offers comprehensive training and performance work in stage productions.

In 2003, two breakthroughs helped to accelerate the college’s mission: an extraordinary gift from Donald and Darlene Shiley that established the Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology,

as well as the creation of the Department of Ethnic Studies, in response to student desires for courses focused on social justice.

2003: Thanks to a transformative gift from Donald and Darlene Shiley, the University of San Diego opens the Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology. USD also establishes the Department of Ethnic Studies.

Pulido who notes that USD is one of only three Catholic universities to offer ethnic studies says that the college’s teaching of the history of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and its roots in the contributions of working-class immigrants within the panoply of the liberal arts, enriches its social justice offerings.

“We take the value of human dignity very seriously and honor and respect that part of ourselves,” he says. “It’s through literature, art, history, theater and music where all of that can be found.”

Last year, the Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology celebrated its 20th anniversary and its accomplishment of bringing together the university’s four science departments under one modernized roof. The result was an increase in enrollment in the college, particularly among undergraduates, drawn by enhanced research opportunities due to a rise in faculty science grants.

Faculty and administration are poised to continue accommodating the accompanying growth.

Chair and Professor of the Department of Biology Sue Lowery, PhD, who is also a member of the committee that brought the Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology from a dream to a bricks“ [The master of fine arts program] was an extraordinary opportunity to bring in a program at a very high level of excellence from the start.”

2004: Barrie and Dorothy Cropper establish the Linsday J. Cropper Center and Lindsay J. Cropper Memorial Writers Series in memory of their daughter, Lindsay, an English major, aspiring writer and alumna of USD.

2012: Under Dean Mary K. Boyd, PhD, Associate Dean Noelle Norton, PhD, spearheads the college’s Living Learning Communities (LLCs) program for all first-year students, building upon the preceptorial programs.

and-mortar reality, says it’s a wonderful experience to launch students in careers of all sorts and be a part of developing their critical thinking skills.

“Bringing together the sciences has been a great bonus for the faculty members,” says Lowery. “We’ve done more interdisciplinary work in both teaching and research. We’ve certainly been able to elevate the level of research that we’re doing.”

Not Just for Ourselves, But for Others

One of the college’s hallmarks is its capacity to boldly build upon its assets. One of those opportunities took place in 2012. That was the year that Norton then associate dean under former Dean Mary Boyd launched the Living Learning Communities, reshaping the preceptorial programs that were first set up in 1974 to provide firstyear students with advisors before declaring their majors.

“That’s been a phenomenal way to show what we do and how we care for our students, both academically and with their life within the university,” Norton says.

The college also pioneered the inquiry-based undergraduate Core Curriculum, which gives students a deep dive into the Catholic

2016: The USD Humanities Center opens thanks to a generous gift from Carol Vassiliadis. This endowment funds The A. Vassiliadis Director of the Humanities Center’s position and supports programming, lectures and special events.

intellectual tradition in hopes of sparking curricular inspiration. “The Core Curriculum classes I’ve taken have honestly shaped me into the person I am today,” says Erica Ortiz ’24 (BA), who majored in communication and sociology.

The college is also a leader in undergraduate research, as well as in experiential and immersive education.

Although the liberal arts which emphasizes what’s been defined as “a culture of critical discourse” have come under fire in some quarters in recent years, the college has leaned into its value by stressing academic rigor and a willingness to adapt learning paths to best serve student learning.

One way the college has thrown more support behind the social sciences and the humanities is evidenced, in part, by the 2016 founding of the Humanities Center.

A. Vassiliadis Humanities Center Director Brian Clack, PhD, believes the center’s wide variety of classes, lectures and workshops, which explore how humans exist within and react to their environments, makes for more well-rounded students and, ultimately, graduates.

“By the humanities, we mean not just those subjects that traditionally come within its realm, but also that entire way of

2017: The college leads the establishment of a new inquirybased USD-wide undergraduate Core Curriculum, a signature student experience.

“ Our students will greatly benefit from the deliberate attention to the integration of ideas, diversity and inclusion. The skills students will acquire by completing the Core will lead to meaningful, successful lives after graduation.”

Dean Noelle Norton, PhD

2023: The College of Arts and Sciences opens the College Academic District, creating a space dedicated to student-centric academic experiences.

2021: Architectural changes are implemented inside Founders, Camino and Sacred Heart Halls. The college also activates the Arts District outside of Sacred Heart Hall.

thinking about the human condition in its various and infinitely fascinating forms,” he says. “The center really showcases, values and highlights all the work that’s done in the humanities at USD.”

As technology grows by leaps and bounds with issues such as climate change, social justice and economic inequity becoming more urgent amid the cacophony of a volatile global and political the future of the liberal arts holds both possibility and uncertainty. The rapid emergence and evolution of artificial intelligence has pushed the college to assess new ways of learning, communicating and problem-solving, without losing sight of human needs in a time of dizzying advancements.

For the College of Arts and Sciences, the constant, collective drumbeat is simple: to encourage young minds and scholars of their own prime directive to be a positive influence on the world around them.

“When I think back on the early days of that liberal arts college, we were encouraged to serve others, knowing that our education wasn’t just for ourselves,” says Sister Rodee. “The learning was important, and it was important for our lives, but it was for others, to make a difference in the world.”

Norton looks forward to the next 75 years.

“We care about the whole student, their whole experience, both inside and outside of the classroom. While these are things that began at USD’s very beginning, we’ve doubled down and have seen it change over time. We’re ready to move forward.”

watch now: bit.ly/cas-75-years

“We take the value of human dignity very seriously and honor and respect that part of ourselves … it’s through literature, art, history, theater and music where all of that can be found.”

Alberto López Pulido, PhD

New Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences

Embedded Ethics Certificate

The embedded ethics certificate helps students become leaders in identifying and addressing ethical issues in emerging technologies throughout their development processes. Students will receive in-depth experience in practical ethics with the goal of thinking critically and constructively about technology and about how to assist development teams whether academic or industry-based to likewise infuse ethics-focused thinking into their work.

Food Studies Minor

The food studies minor explores key issues in the study of food, such as the ethical complexities of factory farming and global malnutrition, the significance of foodways for identity and community, and the links between food systems and climate change. This minor prepares students for diverse careers, as foodways and food systems evolve in response to ethical, environmental, technological and political changes.

Law, Justice and Society Minor

The law, justice and society minor offers a broad understanding of the interaction between law and society and how legal systems are shaped by social, cultural and political forces. It covers the history, methods and practice of socio-legal studies, highlighting the connections between law, sociology, political science, anthropology and related fields. The focus on legal systems encompasses the institutional origins of social change through public policy.

Public Relations Minor

The public relations minor at USD prepares students to build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their stakeholders. Students in the PR minor will create and critically analyze communication strategies that organizations employ to cultivate mutual trust and respect while also effectively influencing and empowering their stakeholders. The minor is ideal for students with interests in marketing, changemaking, social advocacy, politics, consumer psychology and relational dynamics.

’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 25 through December 5, 2024, online and in the Torero Store using code CAS2024. Shop now. Visit sandiego.edu/torerostore/cas

In Defense of Awe, Astonishment and Curiosity

How does Artificial Intelligence change what it means to be human? For the College of Arts and Sciences, the answer starts with asking some deep questions.

by Julene Snyder

How do we interact with a machine

The technological tsunami that moves faster every year (every month, every week, every day, every hour) feels unprecedented. But even though the adoption of advances such as artificial intelligence (AI) feels inevitable, it’s vital to recognize that even the notion that there is nothing new under the sun isn’t, itself, new.

Quite the contrary. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes, 1:9).

While tools and technologies can and do evolve, the essence of human endeavor, creativity and intellectual curiosity remain timeless. The USD College of Arts and Sciences has been tackling big ideas for several years surrounding the ways that higher education can find inventive and grounded approaches to use this intersection of humanity and technology to build well-rounded world citizens.

“We’ve been all-in on this, pre-COVID,” says Dean Noelle Norton, PhD. “We didn’t just jump in when ChatGPT came along. We aren’t on the cusp of it. We’re at the front of it.”

Back in 2019, Philosophy Professor and A. Vassiliadis Director of the Humanities Center Brian Clack, PhD, interviewed novelist Ian McEwan about his book, Machines Like Me, at USD’s Shiley Theatre.

“He was really remarkable,” Clack recalls. “He talked about ideas like, ‘How do we interact with a machine that looks like us, that appears to have emotions, desires and intelligence?’ At their best, novelists present us with possibilities to think through scenarios of the present and the future, where we come to terms with deeply philosophical themes.”

Dean Norton credits Dr. Clack for putting together the syllabus for an ambitious AI reading group held via Zoom in the fall of 2020, which attracted 25 faculty members, including herself.

“We started with René Descartes and philosophers from the Enlightenment period, which was centuries ago,” says Norton. “Humans have always been dealing with the question, ‘What’s a machine and what’s human?’” Readings included Alan Turing’s seminal 1950 paper, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” which first introduced what has come to be known as the Turing Test to the public. The test seeks to answer the question, “Can machines think?”

“It was eye-opening for me, as a political scientist who studies American institutions, to go back and see that we have always wondered what our relationship was to technology. The question the Turing Test seeks to answer is one we’ve always been building toward,” Norton reflects.

Her face lights up when she talks about the camaraderie that arose from that group. “It’s important to talk about what it is to be human,” says Norton. “Not necessarily because we want to remain static as a species; we know that species change. We want to know about our relationship with the new world. We want to make sure we’re keeping our values of equity and equality. That’s something that we’ve held onto and strived for, not just for centuries, but for millennia.”

Ethically Speaking, Ethically Teaching

When thinking about how higher education can integrate evolving technology into the curriculum, the college is setting the standard for how to use AI and other tools in ways that align with the institution’s ethos, vision and values. “We remain dedicated to the liberal arts and the Catholic intellectual tradition,” Norton stresses.

Toward that end, she appointed a dean’s advisory committee on artificial intelligence, which presented a report in February 2024 titled “The College in the Age of AI.” While recognizing that AI will profoundly affect education, the report emphasizes that the value of a liberal arts education remains key, and care should be taken to “avoid an uncritical embrace of new technologies.”

Enter Assistant Professor of Philosophy Daniel Tigard, PhD, the founding director of the college’s new Embedded Ethics certificate program. Tigard who was hired in 2023 under the strategic cluster “Technology and the Human Experience” is perfectly positioned to teach this. “There’s already a strong focus on ethical inquiry at USD, and most of my courses

Does AI absorb human bias?

“It’s important to talk about what it is to be human.”

Dean Noelle Norton, PhD

How

that looks like us?

“I’ve really enjoyed helping [students] think beyond their technical education about the real-world impacts that their creations are going to have.”

Daniel Tigard, PhD

satisfy the ethical inquiry component for students here. Specifically, my engineering ethics course is a course that all engineering students take before they graduate, which is really cool,” he says. “I’ve really enjoyed helping them think beyond their technical education about the real-world impacts that their creations are going to have.”

The brand new 13-unit certificate which features already established philosophy courses aims to “help set the standard for contemporary higher education’s calling for novel approaches to addressing emerging technologies.”

In Fall 2024, it’s expected that students from USD’s arts and sciences, business and engineering disciplines will benefit by supplementing their existing majors with a “highly practical ethics skillset.”

“Students will look at AI through the lens of biomedical ethics, business ethics, mass media ethics, environmental ethics, engineering ethics, neuroethics and more,” explains Norton. “Professor Tigard also plans to get students out doing internships as part of the certificate, where they can become an AI ethicist in the field, in a company.”

The dean sees the value of the certificate as a no-brainer for students. “What we imagine is if students are business majors, engineers or in political science or communication studies, they would really want to set themselves apart by having that Embedded Ethics certificate.”

As expected, the subjects to be explored are deep. For example, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Darby Vickers’ Ethics of AI and Robotics course asks, “Does AI naturally absorb and amplify human bias? Is it possible to create ethically responsible training data to limit downstream effects? Can organizations like the ‘AI for Good’ movement protect us and the planet from the potential harms of AI?”

Dr. Vickers, element chair of the Humanities Center’s human and technology efforts, sees the certificate as a winwin for undergraduates. “It’s small and self-contained enough and has enough different options that people can start in a variety of different places. They can dive into engineering ethics. They can start with our AI and robotic ethics course, which is new,” she says. “They can study computer ethics, which is really fun.”

And they can think about ways to use technology as a force for good.

Real-Life Lessons

Environmental humanities is defined as “employing humanistic questions to address pressing environmental problems.” Clack is particularly concerned with the ways that technology may be training young minds to tune out the natural world in favor of instant digital gratification.

“Last year, I taught a class in Death Valley about the desert,” he says. “We took students there, and they had to disconnect

from their devices because you couldn’t get a signal out in the desert. I don’t see how you could possibly replicate that meaningfully with AI. Some might say, ‘Wear a virtual reality headset.’ But I’ll never be persuaded that seeing the Grand Canyon virtually is the same as standing on its rim and feeling that strange sense of wonder, vertigo and danger.”

Clack was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence — which was established in 2023 — and points to that work as a guidebook for how the college can navigate the minefields of this technology. “One of the useful things in that report was to adjust the education experiences of students by making their work as experiential as possible,” Clack explains. “There’s a great opportunity for our work to include real hands-on stuff that is very different from what AI can offer.”

The report is straightforward and eloquent in its defense of humanity, stressing the need to take care not to lose what’s most important. “Our lives are at their most vivid when they contain and are responsive to experiences of awe, astonishment and curiosity,” it says. “These experiences are not automatically attained; rather, they are nurtured through time and attention, often being facilitated by a skilled teacher.”

Vickers notes what may be a familiar feeling to many of us: “AI vertigo” can result when technology is moving so fast that you feel like you’re “getting pushed into the future.” She thinks it’s imperative that places like USD make sure their technologists have a firm grounding in ethics training by making the field part of USD’s Core Curriculum.

“One of the things that happens is that people get so interested in solving technical problems and being able to push something forward that they don’t think about the human impact,” she says. “This has been something that’s been true for a long time.

being used and who has access to it?

Who’s gathering the data?

“Try something first, and think about the consequences later. That culture needs to shift.”

Darby Vickers, PhD

Engineers and business majors didn’t tend to get this kind of training. They were more interested in the ‘Hold my beer’ model of invention: Somebody says, ‘You can’t do this,’ and they say, ‘Hold my beer. I’ll hack it together right now.’ That culture is not a good one as we learn how to live in today’s world.”

It’s hard to deny that it currently feels like technology development is a free-forall. “It’s rebels take all,” says Vickers. “Move fast and break things. Try something first, and think about the consequences later. That culture needs to shift. We must get new people going into these fields to have a different mindset. That’s what’s really key for the future.”

She says that environmental humanities is a key component to making a better future. “It’s really about using humanist tools, like writing and performance, to create awareness about environmental problems, issues or benefits,” she explains. For example, she might ask students to brainstorm solutions to the impact of lithium batteries and other heavy metals, which power autonomous AI systems such as self-driving cars.

“I ask them to think creatively about what it would look like to make people aware of how we’re using all this energy and what we’re doing to the environment when we build these tools.”

Is the Future Now?

Clack and his colleagues are all too aware that predicting the future can be a fool’s errand.

“The musician Humphrey Lyttelton was once asked, ‘What’s the next big thing that’s going to happen in jazz?’; He said, ‘Man, if I knew that, I’d be there already,’” Clack says, with a rueful laugh. “Things develop in ways that you can’t predict. At the Humanities Center, we try to register that there are big changes coming and reflect upon what these changes could mean for our humanity and for the human condition.”

Dean Norton notes that it’s possible that technology may very well help us solve seemingly unsolvable issues. “If it turns out it can solve all our problems, we need to explore that,” she says. “But we need to make sure we keep our values and principles in mind.”

Tigard sees that as vital when he thinks about ways to guide students this fall as they begin working toward earning an Embedded Ethics certificate. He’s excited to get started, particularly when it comes to guiding students through their capstone project.

Can machines think?

“For example, look at smart surveillance technology in San Diego. I can imagine a student building a project around ethical concerns with privacy. ‘Who’s gathering the data, how is that data being used and who has access to it?’” he asks. “I can see students developing a public presentation for executives or politicians that have some say in how and where these things are deployed. I want my students to take a relevant contemporary issue that they’re passionate about to the relevant audience that needs to hear it.”

In the end, it comes down to the human touch.

“What does it now mean to be human in an age where maybe very soon you won’t be able to tell if the person you’re talking to is a human being or AI?” asks Clack. “What does it mean for writing creativity to have a machine that can churn out poetry or an essay within 30 seconds, as opposed to actually doing research? How do we offset this? How do we, at the very least, come to terms with it?”

What we must do now to quote from the advisory council report is to understand the perils, pitfalls and potential of this technology. And act accordingly: “The key is in adoption, if for no other reason than to understand the shifting tides so that AI does not become a thing that happens to us.”

“ There’s a great opportunity for our work to include real hands-on stuff that is very different from what AI can offer.”

Brian Clack, PhD

spotlight

FACULTY

Postales del Confinamiento

Dr. Alejandro Meter captures writers’ experiences of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic

by Tanya Aubin

Something extraordinary happens when two worlds collide — for Alejandro Meter, PhD, his dual passions for visual arts and literature converged beautifully when he began photographing writers.

In 2020, the world was thrust into sudden isolation. Confined at home, Dr. Meter, chair and professor of the Department of Languages, Cultures and Literatures at USD, found himself unable to take in-person portraits — something he had done for years.

“After a few months at home, I started experimenting with ways to continue taking photos. And I thought, ‘Would it be possible to create portraits of writers remotely?’” Meter reflects.

With tools like Skype, Zoom and Google Meet available, creating photos virtually seemed feasible. While connecting online, with writers from Argentina to Germany, he was tasked with meeting them where they were at — with varying devices and technological skills.

He soon realized this project would be incredibly different from his previous photography ventures. He could not create the perfect lighting or the perfect pose remotely; he needed to let go of perfection.

“This was my eureka moment. Rather than fighting imperfections, I embraced them,” says Meter. “I started using different backgrounds that showed various textures. I also would give [the writers] tips on how to create different kinds of spaces and environments.”

In addition to creating images, Meter invited the writers to share their experiences of isolation, which he compiled as testimonials, poems and reflections. These unique glimpses into lives during the pandemic formed a significant historical document.

“At some point, I realized that I was capturing part of the reality as well, where we felt pixelated, we felt out of focus.”

The more Meter interacted with these writers, the deeper the connection he felt. “We found that we were creating community from a distance,” he explains. “It was a way to exchange news, to see what others were up to [in isolation].”

During this challenging time, Meter found ways to convey the lighter side of confinement. For instance, Jericho Brown, unable to leave his home in Atlanta, Georgia, describes his experience meditating and thanking people on the couch shortly after receiving news that he won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

Facilitating interviews such as this one led Meter to have an epiphany. “At some point, I realized that I was capturing part of the reality as well, where we felt pixelated, we felt out of focus,” says Meter.

This project, a visual and textual representation of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, turned into a book, titled Postales del Confinamiento or “Postcards from Confinement,” published by the University of Guadalajara Press in the fall of 2023.

“It’s a slice of life with a twist … I hope it invites people to reflect and think about how we lived through this period.”

Meter reflects on the book’s purpose. “It invites people to think about how writers lived through the pandemic,” he says. “One thing I hope readers will take away is how complex [the pandemic] was.”

Meter’s work has significantly influenced his teaching. “I teach a course on visual cultures of Latin America,” he says. “We study film, photography, arts and more, giving students tools to critically analyze and discuss these works.” By sharing his project, Meter provides students with a tangible example of the intersection of creativity and literature.

Meter’s book has created a lasting record of the pandemic, offering future generations a unique perspective on this unprecedented time. “It’s a slice of life with a twist,” he says. “I hope it invites people to reflect and think about how we lived through this period.”

(Top right) Paco Ignacio II (Mexico), writer, politician and director of the Fondo de Cultura Económica, who enhances cultural access by offering free or discounted books. (Bottom right) Luisa Valenzuela (Argentina), writer and journalist, embraces the innovative use of Zoom for virtual travel and writing. (Bottom left) Francisco Hagenbeck (Mexico), former graphic novel writer and scriptwriter, who published two books before passing away in 2021 due to complications with COVID-19.

FACULTY

Advancing Science and Fostering Diversity

Professor Rachel Blaser Awarded “Prebys Research Heroes” Grant

by Katie Payne

Rachel Blaser, PhD, is deeply committed to her research — but also to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion within the scientific community. So, it’s fitting that the Conrad Prebys Foundation’s Board of Trustees found the professor of neuroscience, cognition and behavior to be deserving of its “Prebys Research Heroes” Award, which includes a two-year, $500,000 research grant.

“On one hand, the foundation is supporting my research,” Dr. Blaser says. Her area of expertise is comparative psychology with a focus on comparative learning. She approaches learning from both theoretical and biological perspectives, focusing on both the mental processes and neurobiological bases of learning and cognition.

“But, in doing so, [the foundation is] really supporting my research students.” With the award, Dr. Blaser has a greater opportunity to attract and nurture the next generation of researchers. And a pivotal part of her vision for the grant is to amplify research opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds in her lab. “The idea is to foster diversity and inclusion in the sciences, especially in basic biomedical research,” she says.

Her goal is for students from a variety of backgrounds to go on to earn PhDs in psychology and neuroscience, but also continue to advance and become doctors, nurses and other health care professionals. “Diversity in all of those areas helps to reduce disparities in health care and to improve access to care,” she says.

This past summer, Blaser used funds from the Prebys award to establish a cutting-edge eye-tracking and virtual reality lab at USD. It supports her most recent research on spatial cognition, which is the study of how animals perceive and remember spatial information. The state-of-the-art lab not only facilitates groundbreaking research into spatial cognition, but also provides innovative ways to engage students in the scientific process.

To dive deeper into the neurobiology of spatial cognition, Blaser has also been in close collaboration with Associate Professor Jena Hales, another colleague in the Department of Neuroscience, Cognition and Behavior at USD.

“We’re interested in using [the lab] as a way to understand neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease because spatial cognition is often affected early in the disease,” Blaser explains. “Now, I’m planning to look at some of the variables that affect how humans solve these spatial tasks to see how they compare to the processes that we have observed in animal models.”

“Only by inviting diverse voices into the scientific process can we hope to address current inequities in our health care system.”

Beyond the scientific advancements, Blaser envisions that her biggest achievement would be creating a vibrant and inclusive research environment that not only draws students to scientific research, but also supports their development and progression beyond USD.

“Only by inviting diverse voices into the scientific process can we hope to address current inequities in our health care system,” says Blaser.

Blaser’s efforts are not just advancing critical scientific research — they’re also paving the way for a more diverse and equitable scientific community. It’s a dedication that’s most certainly worthy of an honor.

FACULTY

Composing Cultural Bridges

Dr. Christopher Adler’s New Chapter with Fulbright in South Korea

by Tanya Aubin

In our interconnected world, cultural exchange and mutual understanding are of the utmost importance. For Professor Christopher Adler, PhD, a distinguished scholar in music and the director of the Asian Studies program at the University of San Diego, this mission manifests through composing contemporary music with traditional Asian instruments. This fall, Dr. Adler, who has been honored with the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, ventures to South Korea to do just that.

Adler’s passion for composing music, specifically for Asian instruments, began during his undergraduate and graduate studies. At MIT, he was deeply inspired by his composition teacher, Evan Ziporyn, whose integration of diverse musical traditions, including Balinese Gamelan, profoundly influenced his career path.

“Ziporyn is someone who had made a really big investment in learning this foreign tradition and then made that part of his music,” says Adler. “That became a model for how I went forward because I’m doing the very same thing, just with different traditions and instruments.”

During his PhD program at Duke University, Adler discovered a love for Thai musical instruments — particularly the khaen, a wind instrument central to traditional Thai and Lao music. “It really appealed to me. It was very exotic and unusual, and also a solo tradition … something I could play while in North Carolina,” says Adler.

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that Adler reignited his passion for playing the khaen. “I had the opportunity to pay a lot more attention to the khaen doing solo work because we were stuck at home,” Adler says. “I started a CD series and made an instructional video to help composers write for it.”

Around the same time, Adler serendipitously met a Korean composer and musician in San Diego who worked at the National Gugak Center, the premier institution in Korea for traditional music. Subsequently, he attended the International Gugak Workshop in Seoul, Korea.

“We spent two weeks learning about all the different Korean instruments,” says Adler. “Then I kept writing, collaborating with this musician in Korea … it’s led to one thing after another … and with this Fulbright Scholarship, I am going back to that same community.”

“Traditional music … opens a door to respecting a different way of thinking.”

With the financial support of the Fulbright Scholarship Program, Adler aims to spend a semester composing music for the Gugak orchestra in Korea, a Western-style orchestra, using traditional Korean instruments. “I hope to meet more musicians and develop new collaborations,” says Adler. “And then immerse myself in traditional Korean music and culture.”

Adler also hopes to bring his experiences in Korea back to USD, enriching the curriculum in both music and Asian Studies courses. “I would love to enliven the presence of Korean culture at USD,” Adler says.

Adler believes that everyone can benefit from understanding different worldviews through music. “In a way, music can be some of the most challenging parts of that because we all tend to enjoy music that we grew up listening to and not realize how fundamentally different other systems of esthetics can be,” says Adler. “Traditional music really opens the door to understanding culture and difference. It opens a door to respecting a different way of thinking.”

As Adler embarks on this new chapter, he will certainly open doors to cultural understanding in Korea and right here at the University of San Diego.

ALUMNI

Championing Social Justice

Alumna Paloma Aguirre Thrives as First Latina Mayor of Imperial Beach by Andrew

Faught

Paloma Aguirre ’05 (BA) found her political calling surfing the breakers of Imperial Beach, California.

There, the city’s future mayor — and the first Latina to hold the post when she was elected in December 2022 — was alarmed by waters becoming polluted by Tijuana River sewage runoff. The situation has since worsened. Imperial Beach has been closed for more than two years due to contaminants.

“I had been surfing for many years at beaches there, without knowing how polluted they were,” Aguirre says.

Shortly after earning a master’s degree in marine biodiversity and conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, Aguirre became the coastal and marine director for WILDCOAST, a nonprofit organization that promotes conservation programs for ecosystems in southern San Diego and northern Baja California.

Aguirre’s bachelor’s degree in psychology from USD would prove to be advantageous: “It’s helped me to better understand people,” she says. “This is what politics is about — people.”

Specifically, she says her social psychology and anthropology coursework “taught me how to organize people … and also how to work collaboratively. That’s the ethos that I use in my dayto-day work.”

Aguirre, who was elected to the Imperial Beach City Council in 2018, put those skills to work by collaborating with 17 other San Diego County mayors to promote a resolution demanding that the federal government declare an environmental national emergency in the South Bay.

The joint resolution, which was passed by the California Assembly, is in the hands of the state Senate.

The group already successfully persuaded the federal government to allot $156 million for the rehabilitation and expansion of an international wastewater treatment plant in California.

“For the people of Imperial Beach and all of South San Diego County, we feel uplifted,” Aguirre says. “We feel seen, we feel supported in this existential crisis that is harming our communities.”

“We’ve built a massive coalition of not just elected officials, but also environmentalists, activists and partners both in the U.S. and across the border that have really led us to take steps in the right direction.”

The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Aguirre was born in San Francisco but moved to Mexico when she was seven years old. She studied psychology for two years in her parents’ native country and later returned to the United States to complete her degree at USD.

It was at the university that Aguirre learned that it’s OK to diverge from a plan. She initially wanted to become a licensed marriage and family therapist, but she decided that the job would take too heavy a toll on her own mental health.

“The advice I would give to USD students is, don’t be afraid to try new things,” Aguirre says. “Don’t be afraid to engage in social activism. There’s so much need in the world right now. There’s so much social injustice, environmental injustice and climate injustice.”

She calls her mayorship “the proudest moment of my life.”

“I know the responsibility I carry for future generations to be a good example,” Aguirre adds. “I’m proud to do that.”

watch now: bit.ly/paloma-aguirre-spotlight

“Don’t be afraid to engage in social activism. There’s so much need in the world right now. There’s so much social injustice, environmental injustice and climate injustice.”

Paloma Aguirre ’05 (BA) Mayor of Imperial Beach

Encouraging Students to Take Risks

Patrick Harris’ Journey to Snap Inc. President of Americas & Global Partnerships

by Katie Payne

For Patrick Harris ’98, (BA) road to becoming President of Americas & Global Partnerships at Snap Inc. might never have been traveled — if it wasn’t for advice he received as an undergrad from a professor at the University of San Diego. While taking an HTML class during what Harris calls the days of “early internet,” his professor, Robert Hanczor, said to him, “You know, if you’re really interested in pursuing media as a career, you should probably go to New York and do an internship,” Harris recalls.

It piqued the curiosity of Harris, a communication studies major with a minor in business. So he decided to go for it. The summer before his senior year at USD, Harris interned at Turner Broadcasting Interactive for what was at the time, a new website, CNN.com. From there, he caught the internet bug, and the experience reinforced his desire to work in media, although he did “not really know what part of media I wanted to be connected to.”

“It’s amazing the difference even just one professor can make,” Harris says. Since graduating from USD, he’s held roles at internet search engine Ask Jeeves, ad agency Reprise Media, at Microsoft, before it became Bing and, perhaps most notably, at Facebook (now Meta) for 12 years. “It’s small moments that led to all of these progressions,” Harris says.

He moved to Snap relatively recently, in the spring of 2023. With the title of President of Americas & Global

Partnerships at Snap Inc., Harris’ role is what he describes as “the intersection of sales, technology and audiences,” being responsible for the teams that work with advertisers on the platform.

“I had plenty of people tell me I was crazy when I left Facebook/Meta to go to Snap,” Harris admits. But chasing entrepreneurial opportunities has always been important to him. “I think it takes instincts and gut sometimes. It’s not always going to be a ladder that you’re climbing — sometimes it’s going to feel much more like a jungle gym.”

While he considers himself lucky to have been part of the organizations he has, Harris advises students entering the workforce to take a calculated risk. “Go for it, but set an intention, set a plan. Follow things that you’re curious about, and then get real-life experience doing them.”

He attributes his success to the relationships he’s built along the way, as well. “Not just social media relationships — relationships in real life,” he says. “I think it’s the thing that most people underestimate and undervalue.”

“I am a proud alumnus. I loved the hands-on approach, the small class sizes and the beautiful campus. And I made some lifelong friends.”

Also important to Harris is continuing to learn and improve, “but then continuing to find ways to give back.” He’s passionate about mentoring young people to help them accomplish their goals — much like the guidance he received during his time at USD.

“Between academics, fraternity life [in Phi Kappa Theta], and working in the Alumni Association department, it was a pretty formidable experience,” Harris says. “I am a proud alumnus. I loved the hands-on approach, the small class sizes and the beautiful campus. And I made some lifelong friends.”

He adds, “The university is even better today than it was back then.”

Navigating Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Omsu Nguyen’s Quest to Improve the Future of the U.S. Health Care System

by Lily Anderson

When Omsu Nguyen stepped onto the University of San Diego campus, she planned to major in history as a pathway to law school. During her first year at USD, she was captivated by the unique and diverse perspectives stemming from various Core Curriculum courses.

“Not only do you unlearn a lot of biases you have about history, but I feel like each professor gives you a different lens on how to view things,” says Nguyen.

Empowered by USD’s encouragement to cultivate a unique academic path, Nguyen has found the perfect combination of disciplines to expand her understanding of the world. A biomedical ethics course, in particular, opened her eyes to problematic aspects of the health care system in the United States.

The role of USD’s faculty members in Nguyen’s journey has been instrumental. Her advisor, Department Chair and Professor of History Michael Gonzales, PhD, and Associate Professor of History T.J. Tallie, PhD, have provided guidance every step of the way.

“If the door is open, they are,” says Nguyen. “They welcome you in, and they want to know what you want to know.”

“Not only do you unlearn a lot of biases you have about history, but I feel like each professor gives you a different lens on how to view things.”

“It shows a pattern of how certain groups are treated and how certain outsiders are treated based on the people in power,” says Nguyen.

Now in her third year, she is majoring in history and minoring in both biomedical ethics and Africana studies, which complements her belief that one needs to understand Africana history in order to understand American history.

Confident in her combination of courses, Nguyen has honed her ability to compassionately view issues from multiple angles.

“I can put myself into another person’s shoes and be able to explore what it means to live this person’s life,” says Nguyen.

While expanding her knowledge, Nguyen has become interested in health and medical law. Her courses have taught her to recognize patterns and connections between past and current injustices and how to make systems more inclusive.

Beyond academics, Nguyen heads up the history club at USD and is a member of USD’s pre-law fraternity, Pi Alpha Delta, which allows her to organize events, engage with peers and connect with professionals.

Her journey at USD has helped Nguyen find the tools to express her interests and grow within an educational environment that nurtures her aspirations. Nguyen is not just majoring in history — she is making it, one interdisciplinary connection at a time.

STUDENT

Scaling New Heights

Erik Christensen’s Thoughtful Path from the Marine Corps to a Master’s at USD by Andrew Faught

Erik Christensen developed a passion for international relations during his four years of overseas service with the Marine Corps. It was in Japan and Bahrain that he interacted with foreign government operatives on topics relating to security.

The conversations gave him valuable insiders’ perspectives on global affairs.

“It was fascinating talking about world events,” says Christensen, who reached the rank of captain during a Marine career that spanned from 2015 to 2022. “It became obvious to me that I wanted to study international relations.”

He went online to browse master’s degree programs. USD’s Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) program stood out.

“I liked the seminar style, smaller classroom settings and the more conversational, interactive approach,” he says. “It ticked all of the boxes. I was intrigued.”

In class, Christensen has been able to contribute his own military perspectives and experiences to conversations, further expanding his outlook.

“The more I’ve learned, the more I realized that the world is far larger and more complex than I could have ever appreciated before,” Christensen says.

“A lot of the value I’ve gained out of MAIR is about developing the tools to help me conduct research and to analyze and understand how to interpret information,” he adds.

Christensen will earn his MA in international relations this December, and he’s considering pursuing a career in the foreign service, possibly in the intelligence, defense or security sectors. “I’m not married to any particular thing, so I’m going to cast a wide net and see where that gets me,” he says.

Growing up in Denver, Colorado, Christensen dreamed of serving his country. Military service runs in the family; Christensen’s father and both of his grandfathers served in the Navy. He joined the Marines after earning an undergraduate degree at Colorado State University.

These days, in addition to earning his master’s degree, Christensen is a member of the Marines reserve, doing his duty with the 4th Recon Alpha Company in Alameda, California. When he’s not in the classroom or on duty, Christensen enjoys rock climbing, a hobby he developed upon leaving active duty.

“A lot of the value I’ve gained out of MAIR is about developing the tools to help me conduct research and to analyze and understand how to interpret information.”

He’s climbed the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve. He’s also used rock climbing as an extension of his interest in the world, climbing this year in Argentina.

Rock climbing, like diplomacy, can, at times, require a similar temperament.

“I take a safety focus,” Christensen says of his outdoor pursuits. “I’m somebody who can read the rock and knows his limits, and when it’s appropriate to push them, and when it’s time to go home.”

Going forward, Christensen expects his MA to give him an edge on the global stage.

“USD has really helped me get a much higher-level understanding of the factors that play into diplomacy, international relations and security considerations,” he says. “My military experience was security-focused, and I have a much better view from other perspectives now — economic and diplomatic considerations.”

in the community

The College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Ethnic Studies Broadens Connection Between USD and the Local San Diego Community

As the Department of Ethnic Studies celebrates over 20 years at USD, it also continues to expand its presence in the local San Diego community. Chair and Professor of Ethnic Studies Alberto López Pulido, PhD, frequently brings his ethnic studies students to Barrio Logan to facilitate various community engagement activities highlighting topics such as lowrider culture in San Diego.

“We are trying to do community outreach with our youth,” says Dr. Pulido. “Lowriding has a lot to do with building community.”

As the Department of Ethnic Studies looks forward to the next 20 years, its faculty envisions its community impact growing even more. Jesse Mills, PhD, associate professor of ethnic studies, states, “I would like to see our department just help be a part of 20 more years of positive changes on campus and positive changes in our communities.”

Being of service to our local, national and international communities is of the utmost importance at the University of San Diego. Through the classes USD offers, students are able to broaden their connections and worldviews to become more well-rounded global citizens.

“President Harris’ vision of creating anchor spaces and anchor institutions has driven me to build on this work,” says Dr. Pulido. “And that is also one of the reasons we established the Turning Wheel bus so that we could go out, work in the community [and serve] the community. They learn from us, but more importantly, we learn from them.”

watch now: bit.ly/ ethnic-studies-20-years

Off the Shelf

A Phenomenological Analysis of Envy

Michael Robert Kelly, PhD, Professor

of Philosophy

THE LATEST COLLEGE FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

A Phenomenological Analysis of Envy identifies two predominant expressions of envy, renews the traditional view that envy is inherently bad and distinguishes envy from similar emotions like covetousness and jealousy. By drawing on literary sources and social scientific literature, Dr. Kelly provides concrete examples of the lived experience of an envier.

Commander in Chief: Partisanship, Nationalism, and the Reconstruction of Congressional War Powers

Casey Dominguez, PhD, Chair and Professor of Political Science and International Relations

Dr. Dominguez analyzes how members of Congress interpreted the commander in chief clause of the Constitution prior to World War I. In the early Republic, Congress viewed the president’s authority narrowly, akin to that of a high-ranking military officer, but began to expand it in a wave of nationalism around 1900. Partisanship also played a role in their interpretations. Dominguez argues modern presidential war powers were established earlier than commonly recognized.

Performing Arguments: Debate in Early English Poetry and Drama

Maura Giles-Watson, PhD, Associate Professor of English and English Honors Faculty Liaison

Performing Arguments: Debate in Early English Poetry and Drama offers a new perspective on rhetoric by analyzing the aesthetics of argumentation in early literary-performance genres, such as Middle English debate poetry, and in fully representational dramatic genres from the Henrician household play through Shakespeare’s “rhetorical problem plays.” The book further distinguishes “instrumental” argumentation (for persuasion) from “performative” argumentation (for display) and applies historical and contemporary theories of both rhetoric and performance.

Postales del Confinamiento

Alejandro Meter, PhD, Chair and Professor of Languages, Cultures and Literatures

Postales del Confinamiento showcases portraits of writers by Dr. Meter. During the pandemic, Meter used online platforms such as Zoom to connect with writers globally, capturing their lives in quarantine. His photographs reveal the resilience and creativity of these individuals, offering a deep, introspective look into their emotions and experiences. The collection stands as a powerful visual and textual testimony to a unique period in history.

Transforming Academic Culture and Curriculum: Integrating and Scaffolding Research Throughout Undergraduate Education

Mitch Malachowski, PhD, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Transforming Academic Culture and Curriculum describes how institutions can create research-rich curricula that better prepare students for life in a STEM world. Based on the six-year Council on Undergraduate Research Transformations project, it features strategies and outcomes from 24 STEM departments at a collection of diverse universities. The book includes scholarly findings, step-bystep guides and a toolkit with online resources to help readers develop change processes to maximize student success.

Test and Win!

Thank you for reading the second edition of Arts & Sciences magazine! Scan this QR code to answer trivia questions and enter for a chance to win a College of Arts and Sciences swag bag!

flashback1960s

In the College for Women, a cherished tradition involved planting trees on campus every summer as a senior gift. Both students and nuns participated in this meaningful activity, adding to the natural beauty in the Geranium Garden around Camino and Founders Halls. These photographs capture these memorable moments, highlighting the community’s dedication to enhancing their environment and creating a lasting legacy.

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

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED