USD Magazine Spring 2026

Opposite page: 1) Jace enthusiastically explains how science can open the door to other passions. 2) Another day of exploration comes to an end at Ocean Discovery Institute. 3) Ocean Leaders participate in weekly after-school programming focused on personal growth, academic success and college readiness. 4) Valeria and Shara Fisler conduct fisheries research during a summer program in Baja California, Mexico. 5) Ocean Leader Gabriel experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do research at USD. 6) Ocean Discovery students with community research partners in Baja California, Mexico. 7) A volunteer college mentor (left) works with a 12th-grade student on her college applications. 8) Ocean Leader Carlos learns lab research methods with guidance from USD faculty. 9) USD Teaching Professor Whitney Ryan (center) with a group of high school Ocean Leaders conducting summer research on wave physics.

In October 2025, USD and Ocean Discovery reached a new milestone in their relationship by signing an Anchor Collaboration Agreement, which formalizes their partnership and deepens their commitment to educational access and community engagement. It’s one of fewer than 100 official anchor partnerships at the university, further reinforcing USD’s role as an anchor institution. An anchor institution is a university that actively invests in the communities around it, explained Christopher Nayve ’98 (BA), ’06 (JD), ’07 (MBA), associate vice president and endowed chair for community engagement at USD’s Karen and Tom Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness and Social Action. “There’s a lot to learn in the neighborhood,” Nayve said. “What you’re learning in the classroom can really come alive from wisdom holders in the community.” At USD, this means partnering with organizations like Ocean Discovery to connect students and faculty with programs that support learning opportunities. “I think the impact of Ocean Discovery’s work, their influence and their connection to the community are all big factors in why we wanted to form this anchor partnership with them,” added Nayve. One major component of the agreement focuses on public service. The Mulvaney Center will select public service fellows to work with

Ocean Discovery, with many serving as fellows in the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program. College Corps provides students with up to $10,000 per year in exchange for completing 450 hours of community service in areas such as K-12 education, food insecurity, environmental stewardship and community health. At Ocean Discovery, fellows will work directly with young students. “For all of our students, they can get out in the community and translate what they’re learning in the classroom — and not just the classroom but also what the culture of USD is all about,” said Nayve. “We want them to be a Changemaker. We want them to be kind and empathetic. That plays out in real life when they’re with the Ocean Discovery students.” From City Heights to Alcalá Park The partnership will also continue to introduce high school students to life on a college campus. Each year, about 25 Ocean Discovery 11th-grade students are invited to USD for an on-campus research and living experience hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences. During the program, students live in residence halls and conduct research with USD faculty and staff. “That’s one of the projects that’s amazing because the students get on campus and become college students for a few days,” Fisler said.

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