I3@USD-Fall 2025

Remembering Ned McMahon

Enhanced Spaces, Brighter Futures

Shaping Boards, Lives and a Sustainable Future

Transforming the Footprint of USD Engineering

(1956-2024)

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By Michelle Sztupkay

he Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering is undergoing a period of unprecedented

cross-disciplinary projects, enabling new majors and minors and expanding the curriculum. In addition, significant upgrades are taking place throughout the Belanich Engineering Center (BEC), including renovations to four labs and a complete overhaul of Guadalupe Hall, thanks to generous donor support. The first renovated lab, BEC 315, functions as a lab and classroom and was completed in Fall 2024 with support from the Bill Hannon Foundation, Erin Fullwinder Alex and Tony and Siri Mitchell. Second-floor renovations of BEC 205 and BEC 206 took place over the

Summer 2025. BEC 205 is a dedicated electrical engineering lab, while BEC 206, the Chang Innovation Lab, serves as an innovation hub for entrepreneurship classes and capstone design projects. A key enhancement for the second-floor labs is the installation of windows, slated for Intersession 2026. The Chang Innovation Lab was made possible by major donations from the DHC and CLC Foundation and the J.D. Power family. Funding for BEC 205 came from an array of donors, with fund-matching from the school. Renovation of BEC 207 will commence once funding is secured. The final component of the initiative is the transformation of Guadalupe Hall, funded by John and Raffaella Belanich. The building will be reborn as an extension of the Belanich Engineering Center, providing expanded space for academic and administrative functions. Key features include the installation of an elevator, expansion of the Linux Lab and a new dean’s administrative suite. By inhabiting the entirety of Guadalupe Hall, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering will now be positioned to face the heart of the USD campus. Dean Chell Roberts, PhD, emphasizes that these upgrades are an “investment in the school's future, ensuring it remains a top ranked destination for high-quality engineering education.”

E dward Francis “Ned” McMahon, whose life embodied adventure, innovation and unwavering kindness, passed away while surrounded by his family on Aug. 13, 2024. A devoted partner of the University of San Diego, McMahon was a man of undeniable presence — navigating life with a boundless spirit. Born on April 4, 1956, McMahon’s love for the ocean began early. At 18, he took a gap year and moved to Hawaii, where he embraced the legendary surf and began shaping a career — literally. After earning his degree in marine engineering from Texas A&M, he went on to handcraft more than 35,000 surfboards, influencing generations of surfers and collaborating with some of the most respected names in the industry — Nat Young, Rip Curl, Lightning Bolt and Town & Country Surf. McMahon wasn’t content to simply ride waves; in the surfing industry he created them. He embraced new technology early; brought innovation to surfboard production; pioneered advanced soft boards; and helped develop the rescue sled, which transformed water safety around the globe. His passion was boundless. As he once wrote in his “Inspirocean” blog: “I love the sea and need to be By Michelle Sztupkay

energy advisor. “Ned so inspired me that I recruited him to teach the Sustainable Energy course for my Master’s in Engineering, Sustainability and Health program.” McMahon also guided Professor Odesma Dalrymple, PhD, on a wind energy initiative to support small farm energy needs for the island of Tobago and to teach alternative energy technology to locals. The De Sanctis Professor of Engineering and Entrepreneurship, Venkat Shastri, PhD, collaborated with McMahon on senior design projects and the installation of three EnergiPlants across campus: “Ned never veered from his commitment to his mission of sustainable energy. He embodied a strong work ethic that proliferated throughout his organization.” McMahon routinely hired USD seniors and interns, whom, Shastri confirmed, "loved working for Ned.” Ned McMahon’s legacy is found in the surfers who ride boards he shaped, the communities empowered by his sustainable innovations and the countless individuals he inspired to dream bigger, work harder and live kinder. Sculptor and EnergiPlant collaborator Jon Koehler reflects, “Ned was one of those amazing people who could see the invisible and do the impossible.”

around it, whether in a shack on a beach somewhere or from the deck of an old wooden schooner — the sea is life.” McMahon’s adventurous spirit extended beyond shaping and surfing; he was a skilled sailor who spent years navigating the Caribbean and East Coast. During his sailing adventures, he met his former wife, Christine. Together, they lovingly raised two daughters, Emilie and Jessica. Beyond the waves, McMahon’s life was defined by his deep faith and commitment to others. He served the Catholic Worker movement, managing Casa Milagro in San Diego to assist refugees. In 2007, his love for the planet inspired the founding of Malama Composites, producing recyclable, bio-based foam. In 2012, he launched Primo Wind, creating innovative wind-energy solutions. His commitment to sustainability brought him to the University of San Diego where he served on the advisory board of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies and partnered with the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. Professor Caroline Baillie, PhD, worked with McMahon on her Forest School Design Project, where he served as an alternative

transformation, marked by concurrent renovations and new construction projects. These initiatives are expanding the school’s footprint and revitalizing key learning and collaboration spaces to provide students with access to cutting-edge facilities. Looking ahead, the new STEM facility — funded by Darlene Marcos Shiley — will integrate engineering with the natural sciences. The building is being designed to revolutionize STEM programming by fostering

Engineering to inhabit the entirety of the Belanich Engineering Center and Guadalupe Hall.

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