USD Magazine Fall 2026

AROUND ALCALÁ PARK

# 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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