Good morning newsrooms!

Here's your USD News Connect — where each week the University of San Diego public affairs 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.*

USPS Lowriders Stamp Unveiling Ceremony This Friday

This Friday, the U.S. Postal Service, in partnership with the University of San Diego, the City of San Diego and the San Diego Public Library, will unveil first-day-of-issue Lowriders stamps during a ceremony at Logan Heights Library. The stamps celebrate lowrider culture, which emerged from 1940s working-class Mexican-American and Chicano communities across the American Southwest and has since become an influential form of cultural expression through art, cars and community. USD ethnic studies professor Alberto Pulido was instrumental in the creation of the stamps and is available to discuss the history and cultural significance of lowriders, as well as how the commemorative stamps came to fruition.

USD’s 13th Annual Mariachi Conference This Friday and Saturday

USD’s 13th Annual Mariachi Conference kicks off on Friday. During the two-day event, participants will explore the tradition, technique and artistry of mariachi music from accomplished mariachi artists. On both Friday and Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m., there will be a Mariachi concert open to the public at Shiley Theatre – showcasing what the students learned during the workshops. RSVP if you’re interested in covering this event. Interviews in both English and Spanish available.

USD Program for Lifelong Learners 55+ Years Old Begins March 23

USD's University of the Third Age program (U3A) is a three-week program, held twice a year, that invites adults ages 55 and older to attend online lessons covering everything from legal topics to history. The next cohort begins on March 23 with classes featuring topics like "Lessons Not Learned from Vietnam," "What’s Good for the Heart, Is Good for the Brain," and "The Secret Life of Jokes." Nicole Matthews, program director of the University of the Third Age (U3A), can discuss the program, what attendees can expect, and how it has been educating lifelong learners for five decades.

For all media inquiries, email our team at

press@sandiego.edu.

* Please note that times of availability will vary according to professors' schedules.