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.*

Governor Newsom Signs Bill to Create New Rebates for Electric Vehicle Buyers

Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill that will give $3,500 rebates to California families buying their first electric vehicle.  The rebates are a part of a larger $600 million zero-emission vehicle investment agenda in the state's budget. Jae Kim, associate professor and chair of Industrial and Systems Engineering, can discuss what this rebate will mean for California drivers and what needs to be done to get California to its goal of getting more EVs on the road.

Expectations vs. Reality: How the New ROAD to Housing Act Impacts California Renters and Homeowner

Over the weekend, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed through Congress with a goal of trying to help with housing affordability through increased home construction and restricting real estate investors. Norm Miller, Ernest Hahn Chair and Emeritus Professor of Real Estate at the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate, can discuss this new law, what it will mean for homebuyers/renters and how it could impact housing affordability in the future.

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. According to one report, Black (39%) and Hispanic (36%) adults who reported fair or poor mental health were less likely than White (50%) adults to receive mental health services in the last three years. Amanda Cuellar, DNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC and adjunct clinical associate professor, has spent her entire nursing career in the Imperial Valley where she grew up. After noticing how many of her predominately Hispanic patients didn’t have a resource for mental health support in her community, she decided to get a psychiatric nurse practitioner degree to fill this gap. Cuellar can discuss why mental health support should be a resource for all communities and how she has seen her Hispanic patients thrive with more support. *Only available via Zoom

For all media inquiries, email our team at

press@sandiego.edu.

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