Office of Media Relations at the University of San Diego
August 29, 2023 | View in web browser

USD News Connect: Connecting Expert Voices to the Stories Impacting Our Community

August 29, 2023

Good morning newsrooms!

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.*

Lowering Health Care Costs

The Biden administration is preparing to reveal Tuesday the first 10 drugs that will be subject to negotiation in Medicare. The White House says this will lower costs on key drugs for vulnerable seniors, but some analysts believe it could raise costs for private insurers and impact drug companies' ability to innovate. Rick Warne, department chair of accountancy, researches public incentives and is available to speak about the pros and cons of the proposal.

Tips to Save on Labor Day Travel

Traveling over the Labor Day weekend is up this year, according to AAA. Domestic travel is up 4%, while international travel is up 44%. Dan Roccato, clinical professor of finance, is available to discuss what we might expect with Labor Day travel this year and how to save on trips with high gas prices and inflation.

Founding Director of California Innocence Project Joins USD's Law School

Justin Brooks, the Founding Director of the California Innocence Project from 1999-2023, joins USD's School of Law as the Academic Director of a brand new master's program in Comparative Law taught in Spanish. Brooks will also work as the Grant Administrator of Mexican Mediation and Litigation Programs which is a training program for Mexican law professors and students to learn the ins and outs of oral arguments following a recent change in the Mexican trial system. As the Founding Director of the California Innocence Project, Brooks helped to free 40 innocent people from prison, including former NFL player Brian Banks which even led to a movie. Brooks now plans to focus his attention on 35 innocence organizations in Latin America that are working to free prisoners who were wrongfully convicted.

For all media inquiries, email our team at

press@sandiego.edu.

* Please note that times of availability will vary according to professors' schedules.

USD Spotlight

USD Media Relations Podcast Episode: "At the Edge of it All" - Past and Future Weather Patterns

“At the Edge of It All” talked to Dr. Zhi-Yong Yin, professor of environmental and ocean sciences, about his work researching climates of the past, present and future. He explains how he used ancient trees to learn about rainy seasons from hundreds of years ago, the state of drought in California today, and what we can do to help address climate change. Listen here.