USD Magazine Fall 2026

FALL 2026

BEAUTY, GOODNESS AND TRUTH

12 COUNSEL FOR THE COMMUNITY USD School of Law’s 13 legal clinics give students experience on real cases while providing free legal services to San Diego residents in need.

26 CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE USD is helping turn collaborations and policies into actions that make climate solutions a reality for communities.

Contents

On the Cover Members from USD’s

Sustainability Club teamed up with I Love a Clean San Diego to pick up trash in Tecolote Canyon for Coastal Cleanup Day.

FALL 2026

20 TOREROS TOGETHER FOR GLOBAL IMPACT A group of USD student-athletes immersed themselves in a Jamaican community for a service trip, and left with a life-changing experience.

BEAUTY, GOODNESS AND TRUTH

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A Community’s Mural The World Arts Village mural on the previous spread was created by the students and staff of the University of San Diego Institute for College Initiatives. It consists of 60 individual panels representing the diverse cultures of the Linda Vista neighborhood. The work is the culmination of dedicated efforts of more than 40 students from Summer 2025 through Spring 2026.

DEAR TOREROS

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Comm unity FAITH IN ACTION 18 AT THE EDGE OF IT ALL 31 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES 32 TORERO ATHLETICS 34 TOREROS MAKING WAVES 38 IN MEMORIAM 47 LEADING WITH LOVE 48 2 | University of San Diego Magazine

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Dear Toreros, O ne of the things that has always drawn me to the University of San Diego is the way our mission comes to life beyond our campus. We talk often about educating compassionate leaders, but what stands out is the way our students, faculty, staff and alumni put that compassion into action. We learn alongside our communities, build relationships rooted in trust and recognize that some of our greatest teachers are the people and organizations working every day to strengthen our neighborhoods. That commitment has been part of USD since its founding. Forty years ago, what is now the Karen and Tom Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness and Social Action was established to help connect our university with the communities we call home. Those relationships have continued to grow over the decades, creating opportunities for students to learn through service while supporting community partners whose work inspires us every day. This has been a meaningful year for community engagement at USD. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching selected USD to become the academic host of its Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. Having been among the first universities to receive this recognition 20 years ago, it is especially meaningful that we now have the opportunity to support colleges and universities across the country as they deepen their own commitments to community engagement. USD is also the administrative home of LEAD California and the Place-Based Justice Network, two organizations that provide resources and support for colleges and universities to advance civic engagement, public service and student and faculty involvement in campus-community partnerships. We are also grateful that the Mulvaney Center’s College Corps program has been renewed with a $5.5 million grant from California Volunteers, the Office of the Governor and the California State Legislature. Over the next three years, more than 380 USD students will receive scholarships while serving alongside local nonprofit organizations, schools and community partners. That investment is ultimately an investment in our students, our communities and the relationships that connect them.

Light the Way FORWARD

[President] James T. Harris III, DEd [Vice President, University Advancement]

Richard P. Virgin ’24 (PhD) [Associate VP, University Marketing and Communications, University Advancement] Russell J. Yost [Editor] Steven Covella [Contributing Writers] Steven Covella Elena Gomez Kelsey Grey ’15 (BA)

As a valued member of the University of San Diego community, you know firsthand what makes this university so special. Inspire someone you know to become a Torero and help us recruit the next generation of students by encouraging them to apply today.

The University of San Diego has four undergraduate admission plans to consider:

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November 1 November 1 January 5 January 15

Ben Peterson Talya Sanders Mike Sauer Michelle Sztupkay Stacey Truver Russell J. Yost [Design Team] Tricia Caparas

Patrick Simon Marina Woods [University of San Diego Magazine] Published two times a year by the University of San Diego. U.S. postage paid at San Diego, CA 92110. Please note that content for University of San Diego Magazine has a long lead time. Toreros Making Waves will be reviewed and included based on deadlines for each issue. [Contact Us] University of San Diego 5998 Alcalá Park San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 260-4600 publications@sandiego.edu [Website] sandiego.edu [Be Blue, Go Green] University of San Diego Magazine is printed with vegetable-based inks on paper certified in accordance with FSC® standards, which support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

As you read this issue, I hope you’ll see community engagement not simply as a program or an initiative, but as a reflection of who we are as a university. The stories you’ll find here remind us that meaningful change begins with listening, showing up and working together. Whether your community is here in San Diego or somewhere else in the world, I hope they encourage you to find your own ways to stay connected, serve others and continue carrying forward the values we share as Toreros.

Sincerely,

BECOME A TORERO TODAY (619) 260-4506 | admissions@sandiego.edu | sandiego.edu/BecomeATorero

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Christopher Nayve ’98 (BA), ’06 (JD), ’07 (MBA) AVP and Inaugural Endowed Chair for the Karen and Tom Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness and Social Action

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# 1 Most Beautiful Campus The Princeton Review

# 4 Green Matters: Everyone Cares About Conservation The Princeton Review

Global Alliance for Laudato Si’ A pillar of USD’s mission is to provide a holistic education, mixing liberal arts with the sciences to enable students to think

THE DIGESTER USD is on a mission to become more and more self-sustaining. One example lies behind the dining hall at the Student Life Pavilion. That’s where Auxiliary Services operates a biodigester that runs without the use of water. USD Dining collects postconsumer organic waste from campus dining locations and deposits it into the composter. In just 24 hours, the machine can process hundreds of pounds of waste. Once the process is complete, the compost is turned over to the Facilities team to use as fertilizer for landscaping across the country’s most beautiful campus.

and enabling collaboration, a key focus of Baillie’s research and work at USD. She showed how the university is putting these ideas into action through MESH. The second day included the formation of working groups to bring the vision into action. “We spent a day planning what the groups might do over the next two years and to establish a budget.” She adds, “We aimed to explore how these amazing principles can be implemented across the world and into different programs.” Ultimately, the convening ignited an enduring collaborative movement that ensures the power of science is directly harnessed to answer what Pope Francis eloquently named “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” This alliance perfectly mirrors USD’s own commitment to the Vatican’s environmental call. “This is a conversation about the very future USD is helping to build,” concluded Baillie. “This matters for the USD community because knowledge integration defines how we bridge the gap between engineering, health and social justice in a sustainable way. Global citizenship also speaks to engaging with international leaders to reshape higher education.” USD has had a long commitment to being a Laudato Si’ university, and participating in the action plan is another step in the university’s journey. In July 2026, President James T. Harris III issued a formal letter of commitment to participate in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. “ Laudato Si’ has inspired initiatives across our campus — from food, energy, waste and water stewardship to the understanding of ‘integral ecology’ concepts in our educational programs,” Harris said. “I am grateful to Dr. Baillie for representing USD in this collaboration, which positions the university at the forefront of understanding what globally focused, faith-integrated ecological action looks like.” — Michelle Sztupkay

critically and solve some of the world’s most pressing issues. Caroline Baillie champions that ethos. A professor and academic director of the Master of Science in Sustainability, Health and Engineering (MESH) program, she’s dedicated her career in engineering to social and environmental justice. She recently took that mission directly to the heart of the Vatican, and found that she and USD are part of a growing global movement. In 2015, Pope Francis published his encyclical, Laudato Si’ . The document issued a profound challenge to humanity: to honor the inherent dignity of the Earth and everyone on it. Now, that call to action is taking a massive step forward. Rooted in the encyclical’s vision, the Global Alliance for Integral Ecology launched in 2026 to develop a strategy to implement these teachings and address complex ecological crises by pooling international research and best practices. The Global Alliance is made up of a network of universities, research centers and international organizations. Born from a partnership between the University of Notre Dame and the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, the alliance marks a major milestone in collaboration between global academia and the Holy See. This spring, Baillie was one of more than 100 scholars and leaders invited to the Global Alliance’s inaugural convening in Vatican City to develop and advance a long-term vision for the group. Participants reflected on sustainability research and education while drawing inspiration from the principles of integral ecology. The gathering also helped to build partnerships and establish goals consistent with the Pope’s message. One day experts led panel discussions on redefining fields, reimagining futures

A VISION REALIZED FOR FOWLER GLOBAL SOCIAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE Pitching the Future

“When we come and listen to you students, listen to your ideas, there’s far more faith in the future,” said Ron Fowler, chair emeritus of USD’s Board of Trustees. “To the students who put themselves out there, to the students who have belief in their ideas and how they can impact the world, I say thank you.” The competition started in 2011 with only USD students and expanded into a global pitch contest in 2018. Since then, it has connected thousands of students from more than 25 countries. To date, more than $1 million has been distributed to seed the most innovative global ventures. SEMESTER AT SEA AND USD For years, University of San Diego students and faculty have seen the world through unique educational experiences as part of Semester at Sea, and soon USD will take a leadership role with the program. The Institute for Shipboard Education, the parent organization of Semester at Sea, announced USD 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. Nearly 90% of USD undergraduates go abroad. The inaugural USD-backed voyage will set sail in Fall 2028.

Students flew in from around the world — Ghana, Indonesia and more — and presented innovative business ideas touching on everything ranging from health care for the underserved to sustainable farming. Contestants are tasked with showing how their business ideas align with one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and pitching a panel of judges for thousands of dollars in seed funding. After a whirlwind weekend and a slate of impressive pitches from finalists, the competition’s namesake was left with a sense of optimism.

Middle: USD’s Caroline Baillie, PhD, was one of 100 scholars and leaders from around the world invited to Rome this year for the Global Alliance’s inaugural convening. Bottom: The sculpture titled Disk in the Form of a Desert Rose stands at the entrance of the Borgo Laudato Si’ greenhouse.

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Raising the Bar, Reducing Recidivism A USD program that prepares justice-impacted students for meaningful careers in the criminal justice sector has received $927,000 in federal funding. The JusticeForward: Safer Students Workforce Initiative builds upon the work of Torero Urban Scholars, which works to reduce recidivism by supporting students on their journeys from prison to higher education. Through JusticeForward, students will be prepared for roles within the justice system through a mix of on-campus academics and off-campus practice opportunities. Each student will complete at least one paid, semester-long practicum with a justice system agency or organization aligned with their career interests, while also receiving student support services that will allow them to translate both their on-campus and off-campus experience into career opportunities within the justice system. “JusticeForward recognizes that justice-impacted students with lived experience bring invaluable insight to the justice system,” said Austin Galy, cofounder of the Torero Urban Scholars program. “It empowers them to turn those experiences into professional expertise that can drive positive change within their community.” Additionally, USD’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice will lead research that identifies barriers limiting the integration of these individuals into the justice workforce and develop recommendations to address them. together USD faculty members from a wide range of disciplines to discuss excerpts from Magnifica Humanitas , a letter by Pope Leo XIV on humanity and artificial intelligence. “So much of the conversation around artificial intelligence is the capabilities or ramifications of it, but what the Pope is drawing our attention to is the impact on the human being,” said Michael Lovette-Colyer, PhD, vice president of Mission Integration. The event was a collaboration between the Humanities Center, Mission Integration and the College of Arts and Sciences, reflecting the aim of an interdisciplinary discussion. “The best way of addressing any topic is to do it from multiple perspectives,” said Brian Clack, PhD, A. Vassiliadis Distinguished Director of the Humanities Center. “People reading it from their own perspective, within their own discipline, and engaging in conversation with all the people we saw here today. Real conversational teamwork about a vital matter for all of us. That’s the model.” God, Humanity and AI An event this fall brought

Record Participation in USD’s OCIA Program Earlier this year, Archbishop Michael Pham helped welcome dozens of members of the USD community to the Catholic faith. Participants were baptized, confirmed and took their first communion as full members of the Church. The Mass was put on by University Ministry’s Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) program, which helps prepare people for the sacraments and develop a deeper relationship with God. People come to the Church at different times of their lives for different reasons. Some people want to get married in the Church, some are starting a family and want to raise their children in the faith. Many of them have big questions about existence or spirituality, and they look to religion. OCIA at USD provides people an avenue to become full members of the Catholic community and ask questions to learn more about faith, the Church and themselves. The program gives them a way to pursue these interests through the university, where they have a built-in community and a place where they feel welcomed.

USD MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 WITH MEMORIAL STAIR CLIMB This year marks 25 years since the September 11, 2001, attacks, and the University of San Diego’s Epstein Family Military Center honored the day with a memorial stair climb challenge. Participants gathered at the Palomar Health Student Wellness Center, where they stepped onto StairMasters and climbed the equivalent of 2,200 stairs, or 110 floors, mirroring the height of the World Trade Center towers. The physically demanding challenge was designed to honor the courage and sacrifice of the first responders and civilians who lost their lives that day. Each step served as a tribute to those who climbed the towers’ stairwells 25 years ago in an effort to save others. Participants also had the opportunity to donate to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, established in memory of firefighter Stephen Siller, who died on 9/11 after running through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel with his gear to reach the towers. The stair climb was organized alongside an annual tradition at USD — a ceremony where first responders and members of the military honor the lives lost in the attacks, and local faith leaders come together to pray for peace.

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE, REAL IMPACT

health promotion, prevention, and the social factors that affect health outside of a traditional hospital setting, while also supporting Nativity students and exposing them to nursing and health care careers. “It’s an invaluable setting to practice community-based health care,” said Kathy Marsh, PhD, RN, associate dean and professor at HSON. “By spending time at Nativity, our nursing students learn about the social impact of health firsthand, gaining insight into the unique challenges faced by these first generation, under-resourced students.” The partnership has also included bringing Nativity students to the USD campus for nursing-focused experiences like “A Day in the Life of a Nurse” and providing health education and screenings to the Nativity community.

In addition to their classroom and clinical education, students in the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science (HSON) Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN) gain experience caring for people and communities outside of traditional health care settings. Since 2014, Nativity Prep Academy has provided an important setting for students to learn about community and population health firsthand. USD partners with the middle school on its Torero Promise program, which helps prepare students for college and puts them on a track to attend USD. A group of nursing students goes to Nativity Prep every week between June and December to work with the students there, gaining hands-on experience in community and population health. It allows MEPN students to learn about

“We have something very special at USD. It’s a place where we have contemporary Catholic faith being

LEARN MORE about ways to support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. t2t.org

lived out in real ways.” — Nicolas Estrada ’11 (BA), ’24 (FSTMTS), Associate University Minister for Liturgy

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# 2 Happiest Students The Princeton Review

USD PREPARES FOR THE DONALD AND DARLENE SHILEY STEM INSTITUTE

Hundreds gathered for music, arts, crafts and more at the annual Neon Night event for OLÉ! Weekend. It was a chance to cool down and make new friends ahead of the school year.

Classrooms. Courts. Labs. Libraries. Alumni generosity illuminates the places where Toreros learn, grow and prepare for their futures. Help us continue lighting the way forward in academic, athletic and lifelong success — one gift at a time. Your support today brightens tomorrow.

SPRING 2026 Darlene Marcos Shiley and a group of USD leaders broke ground on the future site of the Donald and Darlene Shiley STEM Institute.

FALL 2026 Work is well underway and a topping off ceremony will be held in December.

SPRING 2028 The facility will be open for classes dedicated to human cognition, neurophysiology, biomechanics, geospatial analysis and advanced visualization across STEM disciplines.

“I can’t wait to see what’s discovered, what’s created in this splendid building.” — Darlene Marcos Shiley

Ten Years of the Humanities Center When the University of San Diego

“For me, the impact has been most visible in our work connecting with different sectors of the campus community (and beyond). Rather than focusing narrowly on what might be termed the ‘pure humanities subjects,’ we have worked with scientists and social scientists to produce truly eclectic programming,” he said. The Humanities Center stands as a shining example of the multi-perspective environment that makes USD so unique. By fostering these vital spaces for dialogue and discovery, L E B R A T I N

Humanities Center opened its doors on October 13, 2016, it was founded with a vision: to explore the human condition and the limitless ways in which human beings understand and interact with our world. Designed as a dynamic hub for dialogue and discovery, the center was built to nurture bold, interdisciplinary thinking across the University of San Diego. Reflecting on nearly a decade of growth and transformation, A. Vassiliadis Distinguished Director of the Humanities Center Brian Clack, PhD, points to the center’s unique ability to transcend traditional academic silos as its greatest achievement.

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COUNSEL FOR THE COMMUNITY By Ben Peterson

THE USD SCHOOL OF LAW’S LEGAL CLINICS CONNECT STUDENTS WITH CASES AND REAL CLIENTS WHOSE LIVES DEPEND ON THE OUTCOMES

Every day, the phones start ringing early and often at the clinics. From all over the San Diego area and beyond, community members are calling about evictions, immigration hearings, veterans’ benefits, wrongful convictions and workplace disputes. These are legal problems that can upend a life, and most callers have no idea how to navigate them on their own. In the last year alone, USD School of Law’s Legal Clinics received more than 8,000 of those calls. With 13 total clinics, USD is home to one of the leading clinical education programs in the country. The National Jurist’s preLaw magazine gave USD Law an A+ for practical training in 2026, placing it in the top 10 nationally. And in 2025, more than 145 student interns logged over 19,200 hours of free legal services, work estimated to be worth more than $3.3 million to San Diego County residents who, in most cases, had nowhere else to turn. The clinics have operated this way for more than 55 years, built on a simple but demanding premise: that the best way to train a lawyer is to have them represent a real client with a real problem, under the supervision of experienced attorneys who have done it themselves. “Both of those things come together here,” said Eric Austin ’11 (JD), interim academic director of the clinics. “It’s absolutely beautiful to watch students who are eager to provide that service matched with people who desperately need it.” Each clinic is supervised by experienced attorneys who also serve as faculty. Austin describes the program as a single law firm with multiple practice areas, and clinic faculty regularly cross refer clients whose problems span more than one specialty. In fact, students sometimes find themselves working alongside colleagues from other clinics on the same case. What draws faculty to this work, and what keeps them here, is harder to quantify than hours logged or cases closed. For many, it comes down to a particular kind of moment when a student stops performing the role of lawyer and simply becomes one. “I wanted a law school that was going to bridge the gap between studying to be a lawyer and being a practicing lawyer in the real world,” said Alienor Alexander, a 3L currently interning at the Women’s Legal Clinic. “I don’t think that I would be as strong a candidate or as productive if I didn’t have practical experience.”

Top row (left to right): Logan Quessenberry ’26 (JD), Meredith Levin, JD, James Spradley ’23 (JD), Alienor Alexander, Eric Austin ’11 (JD). Bottom row (left to right): Emily Schroeder, Renee Ding, Olivia Wallgren, Joe Villaseñor ’07 (JD), Tammy Lin ’06 (JD), Katie Parker ’02 (JD).

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Tyler Lam ’25 (JD), Camryn Melanson ’24 (JD), Maeven McShane ’25 (MSLS), who participated with the Housing Rights Clinic, which helps tenants facing evictions and other legal issues.

STANDING UP FOR CONSUMER AND CIVIL RIGHTS

SUPPORTING SURVIVORS AND FAMILIES

head of a lawyer and the heart of a social worker.” That dual sensibility is baked into how the clinic operates. Weekly classes cover trauma-informed lawyering, helping students better understand how clients who have experienced violence or abuse may present and act differently than expected. And students always know they’re not alone, backed by the expertise and guidance of seasoned attorneys. Alienor Alexander, currently interning at the clinic, secured five-year restraining orders — the maximum available — for two clients this semester. “When I’m talking to clients, I can tell how scared they are,” she said. “It feels good to know I’ve helped make a change in their lives.” Today, eight former clinic students are now working at family law firms in San Diego, and Levin sees that growing pipeline as an essential part of the clinic’s purpose.

Katie Parker ’02 (JD) spent 17 years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the last seven as chief of the Civil Division, where she supervised more than 35 attorneys. She joined the Civil Clinic faculty in 2025, her first year in academic life, and found herself doing something new: letting go. “I’m not able to just do all the client work myself,” she said. “A lot of clinical teaching in law school is about letting the students figure it out.” The Civil Clinic, which Parker co-teaches with Professor of Practice Joe Villaseñor ’09 (JD), represents consumers in debt collection disputes, identity theft cases, financial elder abuse matters and civil rights cases in both state and federal court. Villaseñor, a first-generation college graduate and lawyer who has taught the clinic for several years, describes the power dynamic at the heart of consumer law cases in straightforward terms. “It’s not just the powerful and the corporations that should have advocates,” he said. “Everybody needs that advocate to be able to have a fair system and have true justice.” Parker has started to expand the clinic’s reach into Section 1983 civil rights cases, excessive force, conditions of confinement and deaths in custody, areas where the filing fees, depositions and expert witnesses required make cases too expensive for contingency-fee lawyers to take on. It’s exactly the kind of gap the clinic is positioned to fill.

Meredith Levin is designated as a Certified Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization. With more than 20 years of experience as a family law attorney, she has spent much of her career representing victims of domestic violence. That background shapes how she leads the Women’s Clinic, which serves women, men and families on matters including domestic violence restraining orders, dissolution, support and child custody cases, with particular attention to survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Given the complex emotional demands of these kinds of cases, Levin emphasizes the need to come equipped with “the

ADVOCATING FOR IMMIGRANTS AT THE BORDER AND BEYOND San Diego’s position on the U.S.-Mexico border has always made immigration law both urgent and personal. The Immigration Clinic has been operating here since 1984, and today it handles the full range of issues facing immigrants in the region: work authorization, asylum cases, assistance for victims of crime and domestic violence, and representation in immigration court and before the Board of Immigration Appeals. Tammy Lin ’06 (JD), professor of practice and supervising attorney for the clinic, joined the faculty in 2022 after building the immigration asylum program at the nonprofit Jewish Family Service of San Diego and running her own practice. In 2025, as arrests and deportations increased significantly, the clinic received funding to hire additional staff attorneys and elevate Lin to a full-time professor of practice. The clinic now enrolls 10 students each semester, with returning students pushing that number higher. “My vision is that this clinic becomes the preeminent border clinic in the United States,” Lin said. The cases can take years to resolve, meaning students often inherit work started by someone who graduated before them. For example, Amber Rahim ’26 (JD) picked up an asylum case involving a USD graduate from Myanmar that previous clinical interns had managed across multiple semesters. When U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services scheduled an interview with the client during the Fall 2025 semester, Rahim prepared her for it and accompanied her to the appointment. Ultimately, Rahim was the one who delivered the argument for her client’s asylum.

HELPING TENANTS STAY IN THEIR HOMES The Housing Rights Clinic was established in 2022 by former USD faculty member Alysson Snow, who brought more than a decade of experience representing consumers and tenants at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego. She had seen firsthand what happens to people who face the legal system without representation. But it wasn’t until she started taking students to court that the scale of the problem came into focus. Most landlords have representation on their side, but about 80% of tenants facing eviction show up to court without a lawyer. The clinic’s response was the creation of the Eviction Negotiation Program, launched in June 2025. On days when eviction cases are heard at the San Diego County Superior Courthouse, clinic students and supervising attorneys position themselves outside Department 501 and approach unrepresented tenants before their cases are called. They conduct an intake, review the materials and negotiate, all before noon. The clinic has also secured space at the San Diego Law Library, just a block from the courthouse, where students

“When I’m talking to clients, I can tell how scared they are. It feels good to know I’ve helped make a change in their lives.” ALIENOR ALEXANDER, 3L, WOMEN’S LEGAL CLINIC INTERN

can meet with clients confidentially. It’s an effective model built for the standing judicial order that requires parties to negotiate before seeing a judge — and that means the moment the clinic steps in is precisely when it matters most. In 2025 alone, the program assisted 153 households. Forty-seven families remained in their homes. Another 71 secured additional time to relocate without immediate displacement. Students negotiated 89 cases and helped save tenants more than $523,000 in claimed housing debt. The human reality behind those numbers stays with the students long after they finish their work at the clinic. Makenna Haskill ’26 (JD), who received the Housing Rights Clinic’s graduation award this year, wrote in her case reflection: “It wasn’t just the legal issues that made it unforgettable. It was the sheer humanity of it. Watching someone so vulnerable have to fight so hard for something as basic as a roof over their head was deeply unsettling. But what stood out to me wasn’t the injustice. It was the response. We provided more than just legal assistance. We approached each case with genuine concern for the person behind it.”

WORKING TO FREE THE INNOCENT

law school. The Innocence Clinic was the result, operating in partnership with The Innocence Center, an independent nonprofit dedicated to freeing wrongfully convicted people from prison. The work is painstaking. In a typical year, the clinic might receive 2,000 requests for help. Around 100 move to serious investigation. Two or three innocent people might ultimately walk free. Students review thousands of pages of court records and police files, looking for red flags that include eyewitness identification issues, junk science, ineffective counsel and government misconduct. It takes time and dedication, but the reward is well worth the effort. As Brooks said, “There is no better service for a lawyer to engage in than freeing innocent people from prison.”

In January 2026, USD Law opened its 13th clinic. The launch coincided with Wrongful Conviction Day, and the event at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre drew an overflow crowd that included Amanda Knox, whom Professor Justin Brooks called the most famous exoneree in the world. Brooks cofounded and directed the California Innocence Project from 1999 to 2023, a program that freed more than 40 innocent people who together had served more than 500 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. He joined USD’s faculty in 2023 and was immediately lobbied by students to start an innocence organization at the

WATCH THE PODCAST episode of At the Edge of It All featuring Joe Villaseñor ’09 (JD) and Ian Pike ’19 (JD). sandiego.edu/usd-civil-clinic

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13 USD’S LEGAL CLINICS APPELLATE CLINIC Established 2009 HOUSING RIGHTS CLINIC Established 2022

Law student Sierra Arguilez assisted the Veterans Legal Clinic at the 2026 Stand Down event which offers resources to homeless veterans.

STATE SALES AND USE TAX – CALIFORNIA CLINIC Established 2010 A joint effort between USD Legal Clinics and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the clinic places students under the supervision of an attorney from the CDTFA’s Taxpayer Rights Advocate Office to represent clients appealing California Sales and Use Tax determinations. Represents veterans and their families before the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, focusing on VA disability appeals, military record corrections and cases involving military sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury and PTSD. Meets the legal needs of women, men and families, providing assistance related to human trafficking, domestic violence restraining orders, child custody and guardianship matters and dissolution cases. WORKERS’ RIGHTS CLINIC Established 2016 In collaboration with Legal Aid at Work, provides free legal advice to low-income workers in San Diego County on a variety of employment law issues, including employee rights and unemployment benefits. VETERANS CLINIC Established 2012 WOMEN’S CLINIC Established 2020

Handles cases referred from the pro bono panel at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, taking each appeal from brief writing through oral argument.

Provides low-income community members with legal assistance related to housing instability, including homelessness, eviction, foreclosure and threats to housing such as uninhabitability and harassment.

COLLABORATIVE IMPACT

CIVIL CLINIC Established 1971

Although the 13 clinics have their specific focus areas, they don’t operate in isolation. Clients who come to the Housing Rights Clinic sometimes need immigration help. Veterans navigating disability appeals may also be going through a divorce. A victim of domestic violence may have a housing crisis too. The clinics share staff, common spaces and a culture of collaboration that faculty and students describe as one of USD Law’s defining qualities. “It really made me understand and appreciate how our legal clinics function as one law firm,” Parker said. That collaborative culture extends beyond San Diego. In May 2026, Brown, Levin and Parker presented together at the AALS Conference on Clinical Legal Education in Portland, Oregon, on the ethical challenges of representing vulnerable clients in an increasingly difficult legal environment. It was the first time a USD Law clinical faculty group had presented at the conference, just one of the latest signals of how far the program has come since its volunteer origins in 1971. Even as the clinics continue to explore more opportunities for impact, their purpose and value remain clear. As Dean Robert A. Schapiro said at the Class of 2026 graduation ceremony for the legal clinics, “For more than 55 years, our clinics have provided free legal assistance to those members of our San Diego community most in need. This is the place where our students begin to confront humanity’s challenges.”

Represents clients in a range of civil litigation matters including consumer issues, breach of contract, fraud, uninsured motorist defense, consumer debt collection disputes, civil rights cases and access to government information under FOIA and the Public Records Act. Represents the parents of students with disabilities in cases ranging from IEP eligibility and services, placement, discipline and expulsion, 504 plans and limited conservatorships. ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLINIC Established 2005 Provides transactional legal services for technology startups and emerging growth companies, assisting entrepreneurs with business entity structuring, financing regulations and related legal needs. FEDERAL TAX CLINIC Established 1999 Represents lower-income taxpayers in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service, including collection action, audits, earned income tax credits and offers in compromise. EDUCATION AND DISABILITY CLINIC Established 2003

IMMIGRATION CLINIC Established 1984

Assists immigrants and their families with a wide range of immigration related matters, including immigrating family members, work authorization, naturalization, derivative citizenship, deferred action (such as DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), Immigration Court (removal cases), asylum and immigration assistance for victims of crime, domestic violence and abuse. Partners with The Innocence Center, an independent nonprofit dedicated to freeing wrongfully convicted people from prison, to give students the opportunity to review wrongful conviction cases alongside experienced attorneys. A joint effort between USD Legal Clinics and the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), this clinic places students under the supervision of an attorney from the FTB’s Taxpayer Rights Advocate Office to represent taxpayers with state income tax disputes at the California Office of Tax Appeals. INNOCENCE CLINIC Established 2026 STATE INCOME TAX CLINIC Established 2008

“For more than 55 years, our clinics have provided free legal assistance to those members of our San Diego community most in need. This is the place where our students begin to confront humanity’s challenges.” ROBERT A. SCHAPIRO, JD, DEAN AND C. HUGH FRIEDMAN PROFESSOR OF LAW

MODERNIZING SPACES FOR THE FUTURE OF LEGAL EDUCATION

The University of San Diego School of Law has long cultivated practice-ready attorneys equipped to solve the world’s most pressing legal challenges. To create spaces worthy of USD’s prestigious legal programs, the School of Law is launching a bold initiative to transform its campus footprint by creating state-of-the-art classrooms, collaboration workshops and modernized legal clinic spaces. These enhancements directly elevate the student experience, empower faculty research, strengthen client services and foster deeper connections with with community, alumni and employer networks.

FIGHTING FOR THOSE WHO SERVED The Veterans Clinic has never had trouble finding clients. What it has trouble with right now is keeping up with them. At its peak, the clinic was managing 165 open matters with four attorneys. Demand surged as many nonprofits lost federal funding and a wave of veterans began retiring from service. A new California law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2026 cracked down on so-called claim sharks, unaccredited companies charging veterans anywhere from $2,000 to $30,000 to handle VA disability claims that accredited representatives handle free of charge. The clinic has been fielding calls from veterans who have been exploited by exactly these kinds of operators. Alison Brown ’13 (JD), PhD, who supervises the clinic alongside a staff attorney, found her way to a career in law after earning her PhD in philosophy

from Florida State University, where her concentrations included philosophy of law, action theory, responsibility, luck and ethics. Her vision and leadership inform how the clinic helps veterans with VA disability appeals, corrections of military records, and cases involving military sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury and PTSD. James Spradley ’23 (JD), a Coast Guard veteran who attended USD Law, was part of the Veterans Clinic as both a 2L and a 3L, returning for a second semester after he had already been hired by the California Attorney General’s office. He now works in the Special Prosecutions Section of the California Department of Justice, handling complex criminal cases involving financial fraud and public corruption. The skills he developed in the clinic continue to be valuable. “It can be hard to get somebody to invest in you and teach you and train you how to be a lawyer,” he said. “That was critical as far as what the Veterans Clinic did for me.”

EXPLORE MORE about how your support can light the way for legal education. sandiego.edu/key-initiatives/ initiatives/law.php

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FAITH IN ACTION

People come to ministers and therapists looking for answers, but oftentimes the questions are different.

to patients about mental health and spirituality and how the two might intersect. Concepcion says that option makes mental health care more accessible to people who want religion to be a part of their therapy experience. At USD, where spirituality is a core part of the campus’s identity, that provides students with a new on-ramp to engage with their mental health. “In the last five to six years, we’ve seen more students coming to counseling asking questions about their place in the world and their connection to their spirituality and faith,” Burden said. “This offers students another invitation — another way — to interact with all of the wellness services and opportunities that we have, that also honors their identity as a person of faith.” Burden and Concepcion say there are only a handful of universities developing this kind of counseling. It’s a natural fit at USD, where cross-campus collaboration is encouraged and where there’s a strong emphasis on holistic education and health. Having ministry so engrained with the campus culture made it easy to connect and find trained professionals like Concepcion to launch a clinical pastoral counseling program. Concepcion is passionate about the project and her work. She can talk about the evolution of counseling theory and how it’s led to this moment, how spirituality is being recognized as a key aspect of mental health. Ultimately, though, what it comes down to is helping students. To her, that’s all that matters. “I view it as a different way of listening. At the end of the day, students don’t care about your role. Sometimes they just care that there’s someone who’s listening to them and supporting them,” said Concepcion. “I want to create spaces where people can feel supported to be the most healthy and authentic versions of themselves. In order to do that, we need to make sure they feel seen.” — Steven Covella

Spirituality and mental health. Until relatively recently, these areas were viewed as separate. Clinical counselors, while highly trained, weren’t equipped to talk about religion. Similarly, ministers are spiritual guides who consult on questions of faith and people’s relationship to God, but they’re not trained therapists. Out of respect for their own limitations, and the sensitivities involved, both fields decided to stay in their lane. That, though, could leave people who are in search of help lost, their needs siloed. Someone’s spirituality can be a core component of their mental health and any emotional struggles they’re experiencing. The University of San Diego is at the forefront of a new movement that seeks to provide a more holistic approach. “There’s a distinctiveness of each of these disciplines, but they’re not mutually exclusive. Oftentimes they overlap when you ask questions about meaning and God,” said Christian Santa Maria, director of University Ministry. “So, if we, as a university, are interested in forming a whole person, then understanding both the spiritual and mental aspects are important to help students heal and thrive.” Marian Concepcion came to USD in the fall of 2024 with a unique skillset. With master’s degrees in theology and social work, she has the training to discuss matters of religion and mental health in a professional setting. It’s called clinical pastoral counseling — an emerging, specialized form of therapy where counselors have their traditional training paired with a degree in theology. Coming up in the mental health care field, Concepcion started to notice a gap while serving as a social work intern at a hospital where she worked closely with refugees and migrants, and religion often came up in their discussions. But the social workers — trained counselors — often weren’t equipped to handle those discussions. Out of a desire to learn to serve clients more holistically, Concepcion

switched graduate programs and expanded her toolbox with a dual degree that incorporated religion. “It’s not that people in the mental health field don’t want to address religion and spirituality if it comes up. It’s that a lot of times our training doesn’t really provide that,” Concepcion said. “And if we want to serve our patients and really see their health and wellness holistically, we can’t ignore the spiritual aspect of their health.” At USD, where she’d work in both University Ministry as well as Student Wellness, to develop programming that intentionally integrates faith and mental health, Concepcion found the ideal environment to apply all her knowledge. Santa Maria had already had conversations with Chistopher Burden, PsyD, assistant vice president of wellness, about a clinical pastoral counseling program at Boston College, where Concepcion was coming from. Her arrival at USD helped them put it into practice. “It was fortuitous that Marian came to campus as a professional that was on track to be a clinical service worker. It coincided with the launch of the Palomar Health Student Wellness Center and all of these dimensions of wellness at USD,” Burden said. USD is coming off its Year of Wellness, and has committed to programming that not only expands mental health resources available to students but simply gets conversations started. The goal is to destigmatize those discussions, get students with a foot in the door. Even if they don’t want counseling now, once they know who they can talk to and what resources are available, it’s easier to reach out once they’re ready. Clinical pastoral counseling offers another avenue in that regard. When students connect with a therapist, they can check a box saying that they want to include religion in those discussions. Then they’re connected with someone like Concepcion, who’s trained to talk

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TOGETHER TOREROS ƒor Global Impact

By Steven Covella

In Duncans, locals don’t have much. Adults work to make ends meet, and their children’s schools have limited resources. But the community has a rich history and strong bonds. That welcoming community and bright energy has brought John Loggins ’95 (BA), ’12 (MA), back for more than 20 years. He first came to Duncans in 1996. He was in the Peace Corps and volunteered in Jamaica. When he came to USD a few years later, he met a professor, Rafik Mohamed, PhD, who had ties there. The two of them worked with the International Center to create a summer service program, which has evolved since. Today, Loggins is the director of community engaged learning at the Karen and Tom Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness and Social Action. Last year, after running programs that brought USD students to Jamaica for decades, he was presented with a new opportunity: a collaboration with USD Athletics that would bring eight student athletes to Duncans for 10 days and change their lives forever. Stars Aligned Mya Johnson is an assistant athletic director at USD, overseeing student-athlete development, people and culture. She came to USD from Oregon State, where she worked closely with now-USD Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey. In addition to a winning culture on the field, the two of them strive to create leaders off the field, giving student-athletes experiences that get them engaged with the community and broaden their horizons. They wanted to start a service program that took student-athletes overseas, and naturally they were connected with Loggins. Duncans is nestled along the central northern coast of Jamaica. It’s quiet — a few miles inland — hours away from popular tourist destinations like Montego Bay or Negril to the west, and from the capital, Kingston, to the southeast.

Emiliano Salazar and Khalil Cueva pose with children from Duncans All Age. Groups from USD have been working with the school for years. This summer was the inaugural visit for Athletics’ Toreros Go Global program.

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