Here's your USD News Connect — where each week the University of San Diego media relations team offers expert voices to speak on stories impacting our community. If you're interested in the stories below, or need experts for any other topic you might be working on, don't hesitate to reach out to us at press@sandiego.edu.*
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USD Professor, Who Studies Gun Violence, Produces Documentary About a Program Looking to Prevent Gun Violence in Urban Neighborhoods
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June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month. Professor Cid Martinez studies gun violence and recently produced a short documentary that puts a spotlight on a Sacramento violence interruption program that could serve as a model to prevent gun violence in urban neighborhoods. The documentary follows the Advance Peace team in Sacramento to learn more about their community-led public safety philosophy, which works to connect mentors, with street credibility, with local youth to find alternate ways to deal with conflict instead of resorting to retaliatory gun violence. In the context of the police abolition movement, this model provides an alternative to traditional policing in dealing with gun violence. Cid Martinez, professor of sociology, is available to discuss the documentary, how this program is proving to be a successful model for preventing gun violence, and more about what he has seen when it comes to gun violence, based on his research. *B-roll from the documentary available to use.
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USD’s Nonprofit Institute Release Their Annual Quality of Life Dashboard Today
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The Equinox Quality of Life Dashboard, which annually tracks key environmental and economic indicators in San Diego, was released today by The Nonprofit Institute which is housed at USD. In this year’s report, researchers found that air quality worsened in San Diego in 2022 with poor air quality days increasing from 16 to 25 days between 2021-2022. The data also showcased how only 19% of San Diegans are able to buy a home in the County, a drop from 25% in 2021. Even though the County experienced fewer days of heavy rain in 2022, the number of beach closures due to sewage flowing across the US-Mexico border increased, with twelve miles of beaches from Border Field State Park through Coronado regularly if not permanently closed due to untreated effluent flowing across the border. The Dashboard tracks 16 “indicators,” from local air quality to traffic congestion, to showcase how San Diego’s quality of life is improving or declining in each of these sectors, year-after-year. Darbi Berry, Director of Climate & Environmental Programs at The Nonprofit Institute, is available to discuss this year’s findings (which reflect the most recent data from 2022) and what these numbers mean for our quality of life in San Diego.
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USD Professor Publishes Study on the Economic Impact of the Firearms Market in the U.S.
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USD Professor Topher McDougal and his team recently published research that looks at the economics behind the United States firearms market with a goal of understanding how real-world events, like legislation and crime, impact the industry. The team developed a model of the US firearms market, using national data on prices and quantities of firearms sales, and found that violent crimes, including homicide and mass shootings, boosted the sales of guns -- however, issues like natural disasters or inflation, didn’t impact the market at all. This study also shows that when firearm stockpiles increase, it likely increases demand for guns and boosts sales – which is contrary to the standard economic supply and demand model. Topher McDougal, professor of economic development, can discuss this research and some of the key findings that can explain more of the economy behind the firearms industry in our country.
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* Please note that times of availability will vary according to professors' schedules.
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USD Media Relations Podcast Episode: "At the Edge of it All" - How Mexico's Future Impacts the U.S.
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"At the Edge of It All" was joined by David Shirk, department chair of political science and international relations at the University of San Diego, to talk about the perception -- and reality -- of crime in Mexico, and why he believes America should be invested in improving the quality of life south of our border. Listen here.
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Office of Media Relations
University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110
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