Office of Media Relations at the University of San Diego
April 22, 2025 | View in web browser

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

April 22, 2025

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.*

TODAY: The University of San Diego Opens the Doors to its New Palomar Health Student Wellness Center

The University of San Diego (USD) and Palomar Health are excited to announce the dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony of the Palomar Health Student Wellness Center on USD’s campus today at 12:15 p.m. The three-story, 80,000 square-foot facility, along with another 69,000 square feet of outdoor space, sets a new standard for inclusive wellness resources. The building also houses NCAA Division 1 basketball practice facilities for the university’s student-athletes. The wellness center is a part of a larger mission to provide students with a variety of wellness tools to help them create healthy habits for years to come. RSVP at press@sandiego.edu if you would like to attend.

Earth Month: USD's On-Campus Composter is Combating Food Waste & Providing Mulch for the Campus' Landscaping

A recent EPA report found that wasted food is the single most common material landfilled, making up 22-24% of landfilled waste. USD has been using a composter since 2009. In fact, the university was the first college campus to install a Biohitech Digester, a wet composter, which has since been replaced with a dry digester (which uses no water to operate). The university's composter takes food waste from the campus' dining hall and turns it into a soil-like substance in just 24 hours. That soil amendment is used throughout the campus' landscaping -- reducing the amount of food waste going into a landfill and providing key nutrients to the university's plants. A member of Auxiliary Services is available for interviews.

Tariffs and the Auto Industry

Vehicle inventory is shrinking fast as buyers rush to beat looming tariffs. Dan Roccato, clinical professor of finance, can break down the sharp drop in inventory and what it means for consumers, dealers and the auto industry.

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: A USD Professor on How Our Memory Works

In this episode of "At the Edge of It All," we sit down with Jena Hales, PhD, Associate Professor and Program Director of Neuroscience, Cognition and Behavior at the University of San Diego. Her work explores how our memories are anchored in both space and time. Hales takes us through the science behind what makes memory such a defining part of who we are and how this research intersects with conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Listen here.