Delavan Dickson, JD., PhD, has taught at USD since 1987 in the department of Political Science and International Relations.  He teaches Introduction to Political Science and a variety of upper division law courses, including Constitutional Law, Judicial Behavior, Comparative Law, and International Law.  His research focuses on the U.S. Supreme Court, justice in common law countries, lay justice, and the relationship between law and democracy.

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Lauren Benz, PhD, joined the University of San Diego in 2009 as the recipient of a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professorship. Her teaching interests are in the areas of general, inorganic, and physical chemistry. She strives to motivate students by incorporating fun and interactive demonstrations in class, and by connecting the course material to the real world. Lauren’s research merges the general areas of surface science and materials chemistry, and focuses on the development of an atomic-level understanding of structure-reactivity relationships.

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Stephen Conroy joined the faculty of USD in the fall of 2004 as an associate professor of Economics after spending five years at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Professor Conroy has received several research and teaching awards, including the Outstanding Undergraduate Business Educator Award (2007), Teaching Incentive Program (TIP) Award (2004), Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Advising Award (2003) and the Dyson Faculty Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarly Activity (2002 and 2004). 

In addition to his academic scholarship, Professor Conroy has also participated in a number of economic consulting projects for clients in the private and public sectors, especially in the area of economic base analysis and, more recently, in valuation of nonmarket assets. Professor Conroy has several years of business experience in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, including positions with Hallmark Cards, Inc. (inventory controller), Catholic Charities of Los Angeles (outreach specialist/coordinator), El Centro del Pueblo of Los Angeles (emergency services caseworker) and Jovenes, Inc., a nonprofit organization serving homeless youth in Los Angeles.

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Maura Giles-Watson teaches early English literature and drama and specializes in the Renaissance. She has taught at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Massachusetts-Boston; she also taught at the secondary level and holds teaching credentials in English and Latin. Maura plays the cello and previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Arts and Humanities in Boston.

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Florence M. Gillman, PhD, has been a member of USD’s faculty since 1986. She  previously also served as chair of the department of Theology and Religious Studies and as Coordinator of the Ppogram in Interdisciplinary Humanities. Gillman teaches the courses entitled Introduction to Biblical Studies, Pauline Theology, The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and the World of the Bible. Her research interests include the New Testament world, women in the Pauline churches and the history of earliest Christianity.

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James O. Gump, PhD, has been a member of the faculty since 1981.  He currently serves as an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. In the History Department, Gump offers undergraduate courses on war and peace in the modern world, history of Africa, rise and fall of apartheid, and modern Europe.  His research focus is comparative, South African, and Native American history, with special interests in ethnic conflict, state-sponsored violence, and transitional justice.

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Diane Hoffoss, PhD, has been a member of the faculty  since 2001, where she teaches all levels of mathematics.  Her research interests are in the areas of 3-manifold topology, foliations, and hyperbolic geometry.  In addition to her teaching and research activity, she is responsible for authoring and maintaining the Mathematics Placement Exam software system.  Also, each year Hoffoss advises teams of students who participate in COMAP’s International Mathematical Contest in Modeling.

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Dr. Frank Jacobitz pursues research that focuses on numerical simulation of fluid flow. Problems considered include turbulent and mixing processes in density stratified and rotating shear flows with geophysical applications in the atmosphere and oceans, as well as biological flows of blood in skeletal muscle and muscle fascia vessel networks.

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Michael Mayer, PhD, came to USD in 1994 and teaches general biological topics and more specialized courses in botany and evolutionary biology. He conducts research in plant systematics, which is essentially the study of plant diversity. It involves deciphering the evolutionary relationships among plants, and then using these patterns to infer the processes by which plants evolve, speciate, and produce new lineages. Mayer has conducted several projects involving plants of the southern California landscape, and maintains collaborations with colleagues at San Diego State University and the San Diego Natural History Museum.

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Geoffrey Morse, PhD, came to USD in 2008 and teaches general biological topics and more specialized courses in entomology and evolutionary biology.  He conducts research in insect evolution and ecology, the goal of which is to understand how ecological interactions, environmental conditions, and geographic distributions have structured their impressive diversification.  This research involves reconstructing evolutionary relationships among insect species, examining patterns and mechanisms of speciation, understanding processes that link or separate populations, and understanding the adaptations that cause ecological specialization of insect species.  Morse works on these interactions at levels that span from local California landscapes to global patterns of diversification.

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Roger C. Pace, PhD, has been a member of the faculty since 1987.  He is a professor of Communication Studies and also currently serves as the director of the basic speech courses.   He teaches courses in communication theory and organizational communication.  Pace’s research interests are group and organizational decision making and the effects of emerging technologies on communication patterns and outcomes.  He is the former associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Faculty Senate.

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Erin Prickett performs detailed administrative work for the Honors Program. She assists the Honors Program Director in all aspects of the program, including course scheduling and advising, media development, and event coordinating. Prickett joined the Honors office in 2011.

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