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.*

Researching Ways to Better Address Housing Insecurity and Homelessness

Sociology professor Odilka Santiago's work in studying homelessness started in 2017 with a question, "Does staying in a homeless shelter lead to permanent housing for people facing housing insecurity?" Recently, Santiago interviewed 45 unhoused individuals to learn the challenges in becoming permanently housed. She is also working with other local homelessness nonprofits, researchers and leaders to better understand what research needs to be done to make an impact in getting people housed, including alternative models for addressing housing affordability. Santiago is available to discuss her research.

The Institute for Shipboard Education Selects the University of San Diego as its Next University Partner

The Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE), the parent organization of Semester at Sea, recently announced that the University of San Diego will be the study abroad program’s next university partner. USD was selected as Semester at Sea’s next partner following an invite-only search initiated last year. The university, which ranks No. 2 among universities nationally for the percentage of undergraduate students who study abroad, is an international leader in education abroad and a recipient of NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Award for Internationalization. Read a full press release here.

 USD Summer Aquatics Programs Open to the Community 

The University of San Diego's Summer Aquatics programming is officially open to our local community this summer. Designed for swimmers of all ages and experience levels, the program offers a welcoming, community-focused environment for children, families, and adults to build confidence in the water while learning from trained instructors in our collegiate wellness facilities. Programs include youth swim lessons (beginner to advanced), adult swim instruction and family recreational swim opportunities from Friday to Sunday. Community members can register for swim lessons, buy day passes and reserve pool parties through our website. 

For all media inquiries, email our team at

press@sandiego.edu.

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