When Assistant Professor of Languages, Cultures and Literatures Karen López Alonzo, PhD, reflects on teaching, she thinks about salsa dancing. Not the choreography, but the feeling — moving with confidence, understanding the rhythm instinctively and expressing something deeply-rooted. It’s the same experience she hopes to create for heritage Spanish speakers in her classrooms at the University of San Diego.

The University of San Diego Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is delighted to announce that Shukriya Osman, a junior majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Biomedical Ethics, has been named a recipient of the Kyle O’Connell Memorial Scholarship. 

The University of San Diego has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Monterrey to strengthen education, research and innovation in library services through an international academic and library collaboration as part of the American Library Association’s Sister Libraries program.

For Taylor Wong ’19 (CS), blending a career in cybersecurity with a passion for music isn’t a contradiction — it’s a calling. Now a senior product manager at Microsoft, working on the Customer Experience Engineering Team for Microsoft Threat Protection, Wong lives in Vancouver, Washington, and spends her days navigating complex technical landscapes. But when the workday ends, she steps into a different spotlight: one filled with microphones, melodies and meaning.

The Office of Undergraduate Research is very excited to announce the 20 25-26 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award ( OURMA ) recipients. 

Before the doors to the Palomar Health Student Wellness Center opened in April, Kimmel Yeager arrived several months earlier for her newly created position as the facility’s executive director. From counseling services to fitness gear, Yeager was tasked with knowing the ins and outs of all the wellness offerings at USD. The problem? There was a lot to learn.

At USD’s Palomar Health Student Wellness Center, wellness isn’t just a routine — it’s a lifestyle, a place where students are learning how to be the best versions of themselves. Opened in April, the three-story, 80,000 square-foot facility is redefining campus wellness. Students do more than work out — they move with purpose, rest intentionally, connect meaningfully, learn continuously and nourish their minds, bodies and spirits.

The University of San Diego (USD) was selected as one of 237 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification , an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that highlights an institution’s commitment to community engagement.