USD Magazine Spring 2021

[ A R O U N D T H E P A R K ]

to claim the Pro Buggy title in October and had a breakout per- formance for Honda with a sec- ond-place finish in SCORE Baja 500’s UTV Pro Turbo class. Watson is the son of Tom Watson Jr., a four-time off-road desert buggy racing champion. The latter stepped away from competitive racing in 2007 to focus on his electrical company, a growing family and to teach racing to Eliott. First it was Trophy Karts, then the move to Pro Buggy. At 14, Eliott was the youngest to join this competitive class. “It was all adults and me,” he said. “It was a big learning curve, but I had fun with it. I started slow, but we’ve been running hard ever since.” Last year in Chandler, Arizo- na, Watson checked the box on his first LOORRS Pro Buggy points championship. Tied in the standings late, Watson bat- tled through a tough final race to clinch the title. “Finally, after chasing the Pro Buggy title for three years and coming up short, we got it done,” Watson said. “We have fought so hard to get this cham- pionship. To lock it up, finally, is something I’ve dreamed about my whole life.” He repeated the title feat in San Bernardino, California, and was named LOORRS Driver of the Year. Racing has been at the fore- front, but attending USD is equally rewarding. He’s gain- ing time management skills by balancing both. Remote learning has been helpful, given his schedule commit- ments, but he’s also got a rac- ing colleague who under- stands. One of his best friends, Christopher Polvoorde, is a third-year business finance and real estate double major. Polvoorde has raced in the LOORRS Pro Lite (Truck)

series since 2017. Polvoorde and Watson are Honda team- mates, too. “We’ve had our eyes on Eliott and Christopher for some time,” said Jeff Proctor, team principal for the Honda Talon Factory Racing, when he announced the drivers’ signing. “At their young ages, they already have long and successful careers in short- course racing, with multiple championships between them in many classes and they show no signs of slowing down. They’re perfect for our program and we look forward to helping them develop as racers.” “Eliott is an outstanding race car driver who has a large future ahead of him. Just look at his results, which provide plenty of proof,” Polvoorde says. “Eliott is a great example of how results are earned, not given, and this applies to both his racing and academics. He’s one of the most down-to-earth, hardest-working individuals I know.” They enjoyed a good laugh during Honda’s recruitment pro- cess when they were USD room- mates during their second year. “We were talking to the same company about a new team they were putting togeth- er and we both signed confi- dentiality agreements,” Watson says. “We were talking to them, but Honda didn’t know we were roommates. When they got us both to sign, they introduced us in an email. We looked at each other and both said, ‘You were talking to them and you didn’t tell me?’ It was so funny.” Engineering-wise, Watson enjoys a bonus benefit from the Honda signing. “It has been awe- some to work with the engineers at Honda and to see what goes into their jobs on a day-to-day basis. Being around them inspires me to get back in the classroom and get my degree.”

Torero Tuesday Breaks Record More than 2,200 USD alumni, parents, students, employees and friends kicked off Homecoming and Family Week 2020 with their gifts in sup- port of student scholarships, academic pro- grams, Torero Athletics, University Ministry and all aspects of campus life. These gifts — more than $900,000 — along with $150,000 in special challenge gifts thanks to the generous support of Karen and Tom ’77 Mulvaney and Mike Persall ’02, totaled more than $1 million. Immersive Study Abroad Gift Greg Chapman ’92 (BA) and his wife, Kristin, recently committed to supporting the cre- ation of the Chapman Family Foundation International Program. This new program at the College of Arts and Sciences will provide immersive first-hand and virtual exchange courses for students and faculty. The gift will provide annual full scholarships to an entire class of students — largely bene- fitting underrepresented students at USD. New Law School Dean Named USD named Robert Schapiro, JD, as the new dean of the School of Law. Most recently, he was the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law at Emory University and co-director of Emory Law’s Center on Federalism and Intersystemic Governance. He also served as the dean of Emory Law School from 2012 to 2017. His appointment comes at the end of an extensive national search process. He assumed his new role on January 1, 2021. Ahlers Center for International Business Founded in 1994, the Ahlers Center enhances international business education at USD. As the School of Business will celebrate the center’s 30th anniversary in 2024, it is amplifying its regional contributions. The reimagined center will leverage flagship institutes focused on supply chain, economic research and business analytics to maximize San Diego’s position in international trade and global competitiveness for students, faculty and the business community.

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Spr ing 2021