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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New Data: Housing Strain Grows Across San Diego County
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San Diego’s housing crisis worsened in 2025, according to new data from The Nonprofit Institute at USD. The institute’s Equinox Project San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard shows median home prices near $1 million, with just 13% of county residents able to afford a median-priced home. More than half of renters now spend over 30% of their income on rent, signaling growing financial strain across the region. Eo Hanabusa, researcher at The Nonprofit Institute, is available to discuss these findings and other newly released indicators from the dashboard, including trends in air quality, water resources and access to outdoor spaces across the county.
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A recent survey found that 38% of employed workers in the U.S. plan to look for a new job in the first half of the year – up from 27% just six months ago. Their top motivators are a desire for better benefits, limited career advancement opportunities at their company, more competitive pay and burnout. Matt Yepez, the senior director of USD’s Career Development Center, can talk about some of the steps people can take to stand out in a job application, what to consider when applying for a new job and AI tools job seekers can use to help them in their search.
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USD Student-Athletes Deliver Record Community Impact
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90% of USD’s student-athletes – 440 in total – dedicated more than 2,800 service hours to the San Diego region over the course of last year. Their efforts generated nearly $100,000 in economic impact for local schools, youth organizations, faith-based groups and civic agencies. One example of that is Skylar Horder from Women's Swimming & Dive. She recently co-organized a hygiene product drive for women experiencing homelessness in our community. She is available to speak about the project and why USD athletes are prioritizing community service alongside their sport.
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* Please note that times of availability will vary according to professors' schedules.
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At the Edge of It All: Navigating Children's Tech Use
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Phones are everywhere, and parents are being confronted with the difficult decision of when to give their child one. Susannah Stern, professor of communication, has studied how children interact with media and technology since the early days of the World Wide Web, and is a mom who's had to make decisions about her children's tech use as well. She talked about her research on the topic – what goes into the decision, and why one approach doesn't fit every family. You can watch the episode here.
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Office of Media Relations
University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110
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