Office of Media Relations at the University of San Diego
December 5, 2023 | View in web browser

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

December 5, 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.*

Tips for Thinking with a Sustainable Mindset When Shopping for Holiday Gifts This Year

While the holiday season brings many positives like spending time with loved ones, it also brings extra waste. According to sustainable company Brightly, the average American increases their trash by 1.25 pounds each day during the holidays with extra items like wrapping paper and decorations. John Alejandro, Director of Sustainability at USD, can discuss tips to help shoppers find gifts that provide experiences for loved ones vs. physical items and support local businesses and nonprofits at the same time. For background, Alejandro recently discussed this topic on the media relation team's podcast, "At the Edge of it All."

Cyber Attacks Ramp Up During the Holidays

During the holiday season, cybercriminals take advantage of the rise in online retail activity by targeting shoppers. They not only target shoppers, but also businesses. Cybersecurity expert Nikolas Behar is available to discuss why the holidays are a particularly vulnerable time for cyber attacks and the easy steps people and businesses can take to protect themselves.

State Forum Featuring USD Research on Political Threats and Harassment

On Friday, USD’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies will host the monthly meeting and community forum of the California Commission on the State of Hate. USD’s Violence, Inequality and Power (VIP) Lab is helping organize the event, which is focused on threats and harassment toward public officials. The VIP Lab, along with the Institute for Civil Civic Engagement (ICCE) recently released a report on threats and harassment of elected officials in San Diego County, and are working to expand on that research. USD's featured speakers can discuss their research on this topic.

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

"At the Edge of it All" Podcast: How a Professor is Using Her Passion for Latin American Culture to Examine Gender Violence and Women's Studies

"At the Edge of it All" was joined by Amanda Peterson, Professor of Spanish and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at USD, who talked about her passion for the Spanish language and Latin American culture. She explains how her work goes beyond what many might consider traditional "literature" and how she's blending her passions to examine important issues like gender violence and women's studies. Listen here