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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What People Should Know about Sharks and Stingrays as They Head to the Beach for the Holiday
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This week, hot temperatures and a holiday weekend will drive thousands of people to San Diego’s beaches. Between climate change and other environmental factors, ocean ecosystems are changing. Michel Boudrias is an associate professor of environmental and ocean sciences at USD. He can talk about how, as people flock to the beaches this summer, those environmental changes could impact what kind of wildlife we share the ocean with, and how that could affect interactions with animals like stingrays and sharks.
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Travelers Taking on Debt To Go on Summer Vacation
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A Bankrate survey says more than 1 in 3 travelers plan to go into debt for their summer vacations this year. However, it also found that almost half of those surveyed plan to skip their summer vacation, citing affordability as the main issue. Dan Roccato, clinical professor of finance, is available to talk about how to save money on vacations and options for those who think they may not be able to afford it.
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USD Professor Utilizing Virtual Reality for Alzheimer's Research
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Rachel Blaser, professor of psychological sciences, and her research students are utilizing virtual reality to study spatial awareness and how it changes as we age -- more specifically in people with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Blaser and her students are available to talk about the work they will be doing this summer in building the virtual reality module, as well as the overall importance of this research.
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* Please note that times of availability will vary according to professors' schedules.
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