USD Magazine Fall 2026

AT THE EDGE OF IT ALL

Changing USD’s Move-Out Culture

“The program has been nothing but a success,

so much so that it is growing in scale, in scope and in size. And, it’s really just a testament to the university being open to actually make these types of things

Sixteen tons. That’s about how much waste a group of USD students were able to divert from a landfill through USD’s newly created sustainable move-out initiative called EcoExit. Beginning in the spring of 2025, students have been able to donate their unwanted dorm items (i.e., lamps, comforters, rugs and desk organizers) during move-out season and store them in donation PODs. Once students move back onto campus, the items are made available for students to “shop” for free — not only reducing waste but also encouraging students to buy fewer items during move-in. Last year, the makeshift thrift store was sold out in 90 minutes, showing a demand from students to shop more sustainably. “It was very rewarding last year because we had all three PODs filled and we had to play tetris to get all the items into the POD and make it fit and that was a huge reward to see that this is a project that’s needed here at USD,” said Aliana Taliaferro, now a fourth-year communication major with a double minor in environmental studies and Changemaking and leader of EcoExit. The concept for EcoExit began in 2024 after a USD student noticed a large amount of trash being thrown away by students during move-out. The student reached out to Juan Carlos Rivas ’19 (PhD), director of social change and student engagement at the Changemaker Hub, leading Rivas to assemble a team of student leaders to find a solution. After researching and connecting with other universities

Making Solutions a Reality TURNING POLICY INTO ACTION MAKES CLIMATE SOLUTIONS A REALITY IN COMMUNITIES, AND THE CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE’S COMMUNITY DESIGN SERIES IS FACILITATING EXACTLY THAT. It provides neighborhood organizations with

happen.” — John Alejandro

While technical advice is important, Ortiz also looks forward to learning from other organizations tackling similar challenges — a hallmark of the Climate Collaborative’s mission. “This gives us an opportunity to work with regional partners and co-develop practical, community-driven solutions,” said Ortiz. “Everyone brings a different perspective, and I can learn from other people’s ideas and take them back to my own community.” Projects like Bayside Community Center’s may begin in a single neighborhood, but they reflect a much larger strategy. Whether it’s helping cities develop climate action plans, giving local leaders the knowledge to make better energy decisions or helping community organizations design more effective policies, USD is empowering communities across San Diego to respond to a changing climate. “We want to make sure climate solutions work at scale,” said Berry. “Climate change is happening around the world, but how we feel it — in our wallets, in the places we spend our time — impacts our day-to-day lives. So, our solutions need to be not only on a large scale, but also hyperlocal.”

grants and technical support to work directly with residents on practical responses to extreme heat. Grant recipient Bayside Community Center in Linda Vista hopes to better understand exactly what its residents need and then design solutions tailored to them. Many of Bayside’s residents — especially seniors, low-income families and people with disabilities — are especially vulnerable to heat related illnesses, and the effects of extreme heat are already impacting them. The organization adjusts its community garden volunteer schedule on the hottest days. During weekly food distributions, residents often wait outside in long lines with little natural shade. “We’re participating in the Community Design Series to build the knowledge, partnerships and strategies needed to better support the Linda Vista community in adapting to extreme heat,” said Bayside’s environmental community advocate Tyana Ortiz. “We’re really committed to making sure our services match our community’s needs as temperatures rise. We can make assumptions, but with this grant, we’ll really learn what people need and what their vulnerabilities are.”

Top: Members of the Linda Vista community wait in line for the weekly food distribution. Inset: Bayside Community Center’s environmental advocate Tyana Ortiz participated in the City of San Diego’s Ready, Set, Grow event by assisting in the planting of 11 Southern magnolia trees in Linda Vista in response to community feedback pertaining to lack of shade.

ECOEXIT In the first year, EcoExit had three storage donation PODs and diverted more than 4.3 tons of waste from the landfill. In May of 2026, EcoExit doubled in size, adding six storage POD locations and saving more than 12.6 tons of waste from ending up in the trash. In this episode of At the Edge of It All , we speak with University of San Diego Director of Sustainability John Alejandro and student leader Aliana Taliaferro about this student-led initiative on campus.

doing similar programs, the student leaders created EcoExit in the spring of 2025. However, what makes USD’s program unique from other universities is the thrift store element. Instead of donating to a local thrift store, the items are kept at USD for students to reuse. “I’ve always said that students really are the change here on campus. They really do bring a lot of energy and new ideas, and I think this is proof of that,” said John Alejandro, director of Sustainability. Student leaders hope that EcoExit can become part of USD’s culture, with the goal of more and more waste being reused by students in the years ahead. — Elena Gomez

At the Edge of It All is a University of San Diego podcast where USD experts speak on topics and stories that impact you and the broader community.

Download episodes wherever you get your podcasts or visit sandiego.edu/at-the-edge .

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