2020 President's Report

Chemistry Professor Jim Bolender, PhD, led an interdisciplinary group of faculty (nursing, engineering, biology) and a group of seven current students (nursing, chemistry, engineering) and one alumna (behavioral neuroscience) on a Uganda research trip.

Matthew Dominick ’05 (BS/BA Engineering) and Jonny Kim ’12 (BA, Math) finished their two-year NASA astronaut training candidacy on January 10, making them eligible for spaceflight.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Engineering Alex Mejia, PhD, received the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Career grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote Latino success in engineering.

San Francisco 49ers tight end Ross Dwelley ‘18 (BS/BA), became the first USD alumnus to play in a Super Bowl game. A special teams player and back-up tight end, Dwelley plays for the San Francisco 49ers. Bill Vinovich ‘83 (BA) served as head referee.

USD Professors Channon Miller (History), Cory Gooding (Political Science) and Joi Spencer (School of Leadership and Education Sciences) shared what Black History Month has meant in their lives and academic work.

Vice President and Provost Gail F. Baker, PhD, received an African-American Community Treasures Award from her hometown of Chicago at its 21st annual Black History Month event. “To have people recognize the work I’ve been doing is a very humbling feeling,” she said.

As the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, USD President Harris’ first video message to the campus community shared plans for keeping the community safe as well as stories about how USD responded with care and compassion for students.

Supply Chain Management professor Simon Croom shared his experience to help other USD faculty members adapt to remote teaching and to get the most from students as remote learning began in earnest at USD in mid-March.

The Toreros Together Emergency Fund for Students helped students with a variety of pandemic-related expenses, such as a laptop purchase, funds for four new tires and a one-night hotel stay for a student to drive back home to Colorado.

The sixth annual celebration of USD’s many research and grant activities happened April 20-24. It showcased the value of resources that make experiential education opportunities possible for faculty, students, staff and programs.

This free podcast for kids is “designed to be listened to throughout the day, or as you get ready for bedtime.” Stories are narrated in English and Spanish by USD’s Director of International Engagement and Alumni Outreach, Claudia Gonzales ’99 (BA), ’03 (MA).

Programs and events organized by the Office for Mission and Ministry served as a primary source of comfort and a sense of calm and inspiration for students during these uncertain times.

Celebrating the many ways that we are #TorerosTogether, a community that exemplifies compassion, resilience, courage and love. Take heart in an inspiring performance of “Amazing Grace” from current and alumni members of the Founders Chapel Choir.

Even without the walk across the Jenny Craig Pavilion stage, Toreros were honored virtually and via social media for academics, athletics success. Explore various videos chronically the end of this most unprecedented academic year.

Seven exceptional USD graduates were profiled by Univision and shared powerful, personal stories of what their education means to them. Four 2020 graduates were featured along with an additional three worthy new alumni.

Sixteen teams from around the world vied for a share of $60,000 in this virtual entrepreneurship event. Five San Diego-based teams were in the finals field, including two USD teams, Sunlight U and Xatalyze, and earned funding.

A new free mobile app was created exclusively for current and incoming undergraduate and graduate USD business students by double graduate alumnus David Jimenez Burgos ’18 (MBA/MS). The app helped students to actively engage during the summer with one another.

Doing a virtual toast from coast to coast did not put a damper on the 12th annual USD Wine Classic. The event was both fun and successful, raising more than $80,000 in net proceeds to support current-use scholarship funds for underrepresented USD students.

Sou Fang ’15 (BA, Architecture) embodies everything that the Upward Bound program is — a pathway for first-generation, low-income and underrepresented students from Kearny High in Linda Vista to prepare for college.

The third annual summer research showcase had 64 students present their projects virtually in categories such as Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Math, Computer Science, Social Sciences, Behavioral Neuroscience, Life and Physical Sciences.

The new Learning Commons is a two-story, 36,000-square-foot building just north of Copley Library, which features nine collaborative study spaces and 13 classrooms. It will host classes, study groups, work teams and solo exploration as well as USD’s Honors Program and the USD Writing Center.

New graduate engineering programs in applied data science and applied artificial intelligence are attracting strong interest from professionals looking to expand their skills during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interim Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Richard Miller, DPE joined the university on September 1. He plans to help prepare students for “careers in a society that is very multicultural.”

The Office of Admissions and a coalition of campus representatives developed a series of virtual sessions that focused on what it means to belong at USD. These informative discussions helped connect all Toreros to the university’s core values.

Across the U.S., National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed and celebrated from Sept. 15 - Oct.15 to honor the rich cultural heritage, history and contributions of descendants of Mexican, Spanish, Caribbean and Central and South American people in the nation.

Take a trip back to the year 2000 and the transition from the USD Sports Center gymnasium to the debut of USD Athletics’ current beautiful facility for men and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and numerous special USD events.

USD launched a new homepage, a new main website and new websites for the undergraduate and graduate admission offices, the culmination of nearly two years of collaborative work with stakeholders from across the university.

USD’s story is intrinsically tied to the Kumeyaay band of indigenous peoples, who owned the land upon which the university was built prior to its founding in 1949. The relationship between USD and the Kumeyaay has spanned more than seven decades.

The School of Law honored two Distinguished Alumni, Steven J. Cologne ’84 (JD), managing partner for Higgs Fletcher & Mack, LLP, and Kimberly M. Koro ’86 (JD), senior vice president for Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and division president for Qualcomm Government Technologies.

Using data from the 2018-19 academic year, the Institute for International Education’s 2020 Open Doors Report, USD is ranked second in the nation for undergraduate study abroad participation percentage (83.8%).

The first wave of graduates for USD’s Class of 2021 traditionally attends an in-person Mass at Founders Chapel with a social event afterward in the Founders Hall foyer. In 2020, students graduating were invited to a virtual mass with a chance to mingle with fellow Torero grads online.