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The University of San Diego celebrated a new tradition on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, as the Office of the Provost and the Center for Educational Excellence (CEE) hosted the inaugural Illuminating Excellence: A Luncheon Honoring Faculty Achievements. Vice Provost and CEE Director Dr. Regina Dixon-Reeves opened the event by reflecting on its purpose: “‘Illuminating Excellence’ celebrates the University of San Diego faculty members who have achieved the milestone of tenure and promotion. Their achievements embody the ideals of Lighting The Way to 2030, USD’s strategic plan, and reflect the enduring vision of our founders, Bishop Charles Francis Buddy and Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill, who believed that the light of knowledge transforms both individuals and the world.” Set within the symbolic theme of illumination, this celebration highlights the faculty’s vital role in shaping the university’s intellectual life, inspiring students to become changemakers, and advancing scholarship across disciplines. Together, these honorees light the way forward for the University of San Diego — affirming that faculty excellence is at the heart of institutional excellence. Interim Vice President and Provost Dr. Nicholas R. Santilli highlighted the significance of the milestone for the 55 faculty recognized: “To our 55 newly tenured and promoted faculty: this is a milestone, but it is also a launching point. We are counting on you to lead new cross-school collaborations, to mentor junior colleagues, to help us design programs that respond to emerging fields, and to keep our curriculum aligned with the needs of our students and the challenges of our world.” USD President Dr. James T. Harris III echoed this message of gratitude and esteem.  “A university is only as strong as its faculty.” He continued, “And on behalf of the University of San Diego, thank you. Thank you to our honored faculty members. Thank you to the deans and department chairs and fellow faculty who mentored and evaluated these colleagues. Thank you to those who served on promotion and tenure committees. And thank you, especially, to the friends, the family members and the loved ones who supported late nights of writing, teaching, grading and serving.” Surrounded by family, friends, and colleagues, honorees received commemorative awards and gathered for a group photo with university leadership, marking the milestone in true celebratory spirit. Please join us in congratulating the following faculty members: College of Arts and Sciences James Bolender, PhD – Professor (2024) Evan Crawford, PhD – Associate Professor (2024) Christopher Daley, PhD – Professor (2024) Victoria Fu, MFA – Professor (2024) Eleanor Gillette, PhD – Associate Professor (2024) Marilynn Johnson, PhD – Associate Professor (2024) Farrah Karapetian, MFA – Associate Professor (2024) Diane Keeling, PhD – Professor (2024) Daniel López‑Pérez, PhD – Professor (2024) Antonieta Mercado, PhD – Professor (2024) Marjorie Patrick, PhD – Professor (2024) Samuel (Greg) Prieto, PhD – Professor (2024) Emily Reimer‑Barry, PhD – Professor (2024) Eliza Smith, PhD – Associate Professor (2024) Suzanné Walther, PhD – Professor (2024) Brittany Asaro, PhD – Associate Professor (2025) Susie Babka, PhD – Professor (2025) Malachi Black, PhD– Professor (2025) Emily Cilli‑Turner, PhD – Associate Professor (2025) Adriana Cuéllar, MDesS – Associate Professor (2025) Laura Getz, PhD – Associate Professor (2025) Chad Kishimoto, PhD – Professor (2025) Jesse Mills, PhD – Professor (2025) Rico Monge, PhD – Professor (2025) Geoffrey Morse, PhD – Professor (2025) Angela Nurse, PhD – Associate Professor (2025) Nate Parde, MFA – Professor (2025) Jennifer Parkinson, PhD – Professor (2025) Jennifer Prairie, PhD – Professor (2025) Martin Repinecz, PhD – Professor (2025) Amanda Ruiz, PhD – Professor (2025) Michael Shulman, PhD – Professor (2025) Cawa Tran, PhD – Associate Professor (2025) Stefan Vander Elst, PhD – Professor (2025) Meaghan Weatherdon, PhD – Associate Professor (2025) Inigo Yanguas, PhD – Professor (2025) Copley Library Millicent  Fullmer, MLIS – Associate Professor (2024) Hugh Burkhart, MLIS – Professor (2025) Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies Philip Gamaghelyan, PhD – Associate Professor (2024) Knauss School of Business Marko Svetina, PhD – Professor (2024) William Beggs, PhD – Associate Professor (2025) Adriana Vamosiu, PhD – Professor (2025) Wenli Xiao, PhD – Professor, (2025) School of Law Michelle Layser, JD – Professor (2024) Caley Petrucci, JD – Associate Professor (2025) School of Leadership and Education Sciences Sarina Chugani Molina, EdD – Professor (2024) Rebekka J. Jez, EdD – Associate Professor (2024) Antonio Jiménez‑Luque, PhD – Associate Professor (2024) Ian Martin, EdD – Professor (2024) Saundra M. Tabet, PhD – Associate Professor (2024) Shiley‑Marcos School of Engineering Mark Chapman, PhD – Associate Professor (2024) Melissa Gibbons, PhD – Associate Professor (2024) Imane Khalil, PhD – Professor (2024) Odesma Dalrymple, PhD – Professor (2025) Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science Razel Milo, PhD – Professor (2025)

The University of San Diego’s Department of History is celebrating the recognition of two of its faculty members, Adjunct Assistant Professor David Miller, PhD, and Associate Professor T.J. Tallie, PhD, who were both recently honored by university's Center for Educational Excellence (CEE) as part of its 25th anniversary celebration.

With so many demands on faculty time and looming deadlines, we recognize that it is hard to find the time and motivation to complete papers in progress and submit them to peer-reviewed journals. To offer support, t he Office of the Provost and Center for Inclusion and Diversity are offering 3 deadlines throughout the year to encourage faculty to submit their papers. All faculty who submit a paper to a peer-reviewed journal before the deadline , and upload details and proof of submission here , will be invited to a recognition reception and be featured on the USD faculty research support webpage . We will also have a raffle for an Aromas gift card to help faculty fuel future writing projects. The submission deadlines for this coming year are: September 1, 2024, February 1, 2025, and June 1, 2025

The Center for Educational Excellence is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2023-24 Racial   Equity  Awards . We are both impressed and inspired by the work that was described in the nominations for each nominee. We are grateful to the nominators who took the time and energy to put these educators up for the awards. We are also grateful to each nominee for the inspiring work they have been doing to help make USD a place where  racial  justice, BIPOC scholarship, and Black excellence is part and parcel to academic life.

We interviewed Professor of Practice, Ebrahim Tarshizi, PhD, MBA, USD's program director for the MS in Applied Artificial Intelligence and MS in Applied Data Science programs. Dr. Tarshizi was recently named co-director of the Center for Digital Civil Society (CDCS) and we asked him to discuss the technical expertise that he brings to the center and his vision for expanding the services and resources offered to the communities it serves.

The Center for Educational Excellence, the Mulvaney Center, and the Faculty Council on Community Engagement are pleased to announce the recipient of this year’s university-wide Educational Excellence in the Community Award, Kate DeConinck, PhD! 

First, there’s awareness. Last year when the Urgent Challenges Collective branded a fall semester week to addressing homelessness and food insecurity, it mostly kept itself focused on ways that members of the University of San Diego community could learn and share their thoughts about the issues. It was a solid first step forward.