Copley Connects Fall 2025 / Spring 2026

Message from the Dean

C opley cherishes the Arts, Connections, and Events. The cover of this issue of Copley Connects features noé olivas, a USD alum, educator, and artist. noé’s art piece titled, Que sueñes con los angelitos , translates in English to, “may you dream of little angels.” This circular neon sign, located next to the Access Services Desk, is a centerpiece on the library’s first floor. Additionally, artwork by Joe Yorty, a former Facilities Manager in USD’s Art Department, was displayed in Copley’s exhibit area from December 2025 through January 2026. Copley purchased Yorty’s artwork, “First Home.” It can be viewed on the first floor near the large classroom. The library hosted several stellar community events. In October, Dr. Regina Gong arranged the third annual Filipino American History Month celebration. The keynote speaker was San Diego Superior Court Judge Rohanee Zapanta, a double alumna (bachelor’s and law) of USD. The evening showcased a cultural dance performance and a Filipino dinner, too. Martha Adkins, Research and Instruction Librarian, partnered with the History Department to present a Veterans/Armistice Day Remembrance activity on November 12, 2025. The Veterans for Peace speakers shared their experiences with the audience. Their talks were riveting and provided depth on the military and war that we could not have imagined. Dr. Gong also hosted a national student success webinar, “Navigating Natalie Baszile was the Black History Month (BHM) speaker on February 23. She spoke about her novel, Queen Sugar , which inspired Oprah Winfrey’s OWN TV series by the same name. She also discussed her nonfiction book, We Are Each Other’s Harvest . Following her presentation, USD professors Cory Gooding, Kyle E. Brooks, and Olutoyosi (Toyo) Aboderin were part of a panel discussion, “(Re)Claiming Space: A Discussion of Resilience, Loss and Land in Baszile’s Queen Sugar ” on February 25. Later in the Future Together: Student Success Symposium” on November 12, 2025.

the semester, Copley’s signature event of the year, the Provost’s Research and Scholarly Achievement Awards and Reception, was held on April 7. This program continues to grow with 428 faculty submissions included in the 2026 bibliography. I am thrilled to inform you of our international engagements. Copley has a Sister Library, the Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) in Mexico, and five library employees visited UDEM on January 26. UDEM is a Catholic institution similar to USD, but it has more commuter students. Our UDEM host, Lilianna Araujo, was wonderful. We discussed library issues and learned about their library renovation project. Copley’s Dennis-Michael Broussard, Night Supervisor for 22 years, joined Mayor Todd Gloria’s delegation on a trip to Marseille, France, where the mayors signed a Sister Cities agreement. Copley employees’ book recommendations are always fascinating, and new titles appear towards the end of the newsletter. Several library representatives attended the United States Postal Service’s unveiling of the Lowrider Stamp in Barrio Logan on March 13. It was a grand day and significant recognition for the Lowrider community. Congratulations to Dr. Alberto Pulido, who has worked on the Lowrider initiatives, which is Copley’s marquee institutional repository collection. Dr. Theresa S. Byrd DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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