Office of Media Relations at the University of San Diego
January 13, 2026 | View in web browser

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

January 13, 2026

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.*

January is Mental Wellness Awareness Month

January is a time to bring awareness to mental health disorders and encourage anyone to seek help. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association says 38% of Americans are making a mental health new year’s resolution, which is a 5% increase from last year. Lauren Bruaski is the director of USD Tele-mental Health Training Clinic. She is available to speak about how people can take charge of their mental health in 2026 and provide tips for people to cope with stress.

USD School of Law's Innocence Clinic Launches on Thursday to Begin Pro-Bono Work on Wrongful Conviction Cases

The newly formed Innocence Clinic at USD's School of Law is holding their first meeting on Thursday evening. The Innocence Clinic will work alongside The Innocence Center in San Diego, allowing USD law students to work alongside their team on wrongful conviction cases. This is USD School of Law's 13th legal clinic which offers free legal services to the community while providing practical legal skills to students. Justin Brooks, USD law professor and leader of The Innocence Clinic, is available to discuss the new clinic and what projects they'll be working on this year.

Instagram Denies Breach After Password Reset Emails Were Sent to Users

Instagram denies a breach, but Malwarebytes warns that a 17.5-million-user data leak triggered recent concerns after password reset emails were sent to users. Nikolas Behar, adjunct professor of cybersecurity, is available to discuss why "no breach" doesn't mean you're safe and can offer tips to secure your account.

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:

How Wetlands Play an Essential Role in Connecting Habitats

Drew Talley, professor of environmental and ocean sciences, joined the "At the Edge of it All" podcast to talk about his journey into studying wetlands and how they play a crucial role in keeping our environment healthy. Talley also shared how his decades-long research on Baja California wetlands is providing insight into how we can better protect ecosystems everywhere. You can watch the episode here .