Office of Media Relations at the University of San Diego
July 8, 2025 | View in web browser

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

July 8, 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.*

New Law Makes Canceling Subscriptions Easier

Have you ever struggled to cancel a subscription? A new law that took effect July 1 requires businesses to make cancellations as easy as sign-ups and to get clear consent before auto-renewing subscriptions. Justine Farrell, chair and professor of marketing, can explain what this means for everyday consumers and explore whether the change could hurt subscriber retention or actually help build trust between brands and their customers.

USD's Women's Volleyball Team is Playing in World University Games in Berlin

Student-athletes at USD are taking over Europe this summer. First, USD Men's Tennis player Oliver Tarvert competed in England at Wimbledon. USD Men's Rowing competed in the Henley Royal Regatta in London last week. Now, USD Women's Volleyball is heading to Berlin from July 12-24 to compete in the World University Games, playing for Team USA. Around 8,500 student-athletes from more than 150 countries will be competing in 18 sports during the games, which is considered one of the largest multi-sport events in the world. Players and assistant coaches are available for interviews this week and will be practicing in the Jenny Craig Pavilion before they leave on July 12.

Week-Long Summer Camp Engages Students in Social Innovation

The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the University of San Diego has partnered with the San Diego Foundation's Level Up SD to bring the ImPactful Teen Innovation Sandbox to teenagers in San Diego this week. During the week-long camp, students engage in social innovation—combining design thinking, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and podcasting to promote civic engagement and create local impact. Ashley Ahrens-Víquez from USD's Jacob Institute is available to discuss the partnership and how families can discover and access this and other cost-free opportunities for growth during the summer break.

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: Integrated Engineering - Bringing a New Perspective to the Field

This week, “At the Edge of It All” was joined by chair and professor of integrated engineering, Susan Lord. She discussed her background as a woman in engineering, and how she didn’t always feel like she fit in. Then she explains what integrated engineering is, and why she thinks it’s so important to mix the perspectives and context of the liberal arts with the technical science of engineering; how does that prepare students to be Changemakers? Listen here.