University of San Diego: College of Arts and Sciences

06/04/2026

USD Assistant Professor of Sociology Odilka Santiago, PhD, began studying homelessness and housing justice in 2017 after her sister entered a shelter in New York. Click the link below to watch more on the story and Dr. Santiago's work.

A USD professor's research highlights the rise of first-time homeless individuals, emphasizing housing costs and system challenges.

06/02/2026

In early 2022, a computer science student stood before Darby Vickers’ artificial intelligence (AI) ethics class to present on GPT-3, OpenAI’s language model that was just beginning to capture attention beyond tech circles. When he demonstrated the tool on screen, generating increasingly sophisticated results after each prompt, the implications were crystal clear.

“That was a moment when I knew something big was coming,” said Vickers, PhD, assistant professor of philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences. And it arrived quickly. By the time ChatGPT 3.5 launched in November 2022, faculty meetings were being convened almost immediately. The provost’s office wasted no time in forming a steering committee to prepare for AI’s evolving impacts.

Click the link below to read the full article from USD's magazine!!
https://www.sandiego.edu/newscenter/141942

05/31/2026

The American Marketing Association of San Diego recently recognized the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) marketing team at the University of San Diego with four bronze honors at the annual Sandie Awards. The event spotlights creative and innovative marketing campaigns and projects across San Diego. CAS marketing received awards within multiple categories, including Social Media, Public Relations and Digital Marketing.

The Arts & Sciences magazine became instrumental in building a distinct identity for the college since its first issue in 2023. Now in production with its fourth edition, the magazine highlights the interconnectedness of a liberal arts education and illustrates genuine USD experiences through its engagement with students, faculty and alumni. Arts & Sciences magazine received the bronze award in the Public Relations: In-House category, for its impactful visual designs and liberal arts-centered narratives.

The magazine was developed by CAS Creative Manager Tanya Aubin '24 (MA) and Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Michelle Kennedy, MA. Through its illustrative storytelling, the magazine features the college's wide range of departments and programs, including the Honors Program and pre-health advising. By spotlighting students, faculty and the college’s unique offerings, the magazine presents CAS as the university’s center for intellectual exploration through the Core Curriculum and interdisciplinary studies. Each issue includes articles written and edited by CAS Digital Content Manager Gaby Ortiz Flores (MA), faculty and students, which enhances the storytelling.

Click the link below to learn more and see projects that won!
https://www.sandiego.edu/newscenter/141837

05/29/2026

Exciting news!

The renowned Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program was recognized by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the best drama schools in the world in an article published in May 2026.

The program ranked #5 in MFA programs, #8 in the United States and #12 in the world. Since its inception in 1987, it has grown into one of the most acclaimed classical training programs both within and beyond the nation. Each year, seven students are accepted into the highly competitive two-year program, which comes with free tuition and a monthly living stipend.

Read the full article: https://bit.ly/usd-mfa-program-2026

USD Department of Theatre

05/28/2026

On this episode of "At the Edge of it All," USD sat down with Professor of Biology Geoffrey Morse, PhD, who talked about the challenges that monarch butterflies face like, climate change and pesticide use and how their decline impacts our entire ecosystem.

Morse also shares what you can do at home to help the monarch butterflies thrive.

On this episode of "At the Edge of it All," we sat down with biology professor Geoffrey Morse who talked about the challenges that monarch butterflies face l...

05/27/2026

The University of San Diego's Department of Physics and Biophysics recently won an American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) Physics & Astrophysics (P/A) SEA Change Award, which will help the department to improve support to students, faculty and staff. The overall aim of the SEA Change Awards program is “to advance institutional transformation that supports success for all in STEMM — science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine — fields.”

A little over two years ago, the department began an evaluation process to figure out how to improve under the guidelines of the AAAS’s P/A SEA Change program. “Through this work, we have gained a clearer perspective on our strengths and areas that need our attention,” explains Chair and Associate Professor of Physics and Biophysics Ryan McGorty, PhD.

The P/A SEA Change program recognizes and works with institutions seeking to take concrete, mission-aligned action to make academic environments more equitable and supportive. The program’s process includes a self-assessment as well as the creation of a five-year plan with measurable goals. The plan is then reviewed by the P/A SEA Change Committee, a panel of physics and astronomy stakeholders.
Click the link below to read more!
https://www.sandiego.edu/newscenter/141307

05/25/2026

More from our incredible graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences!

05/25/2026

So proud of our incredible graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences!

05/24/2026

Some snapshots from our 3 graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of San Diego!

The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program is a highly competitive, funded two-year MFA in Acting. Accepting only seven students globally per year, it pairs conservatory training with professional work at San Diego's Tony Award–winning The Old Globe Theatre!

Our Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) program offers students the chance to deepen their understanding of world politics while developing the necessary skills to advance their careers through a customized, flexible curriculum.

And finally, our Master of Science in Environmental and Ocean Sciences combines intensive coursework and independent research with personalized faculty mentoring, providing students with experience and skills for success in their careers or doctoral programs. Students design experiments or observations that test hypotheses, contribute new information to a knowledge base and learn to write in a way that facilitates scientific exchange, ultimately culminating in a written thesis.

Congrats to our incredible graduates! Stay tuned for coverage of our full undergraduate ceremony kicking off in a couple hours!

05/22/2026

Professor of Theology and Religious Studies Jacqueline M. Hidalgo, PhD, has been selected as one of only 25 scholars to receive a 2026–27 Louisville Institute Grant for Researchers.

The Louisville Institute’s Grant for Researchers enables ecclesially-engaged academics and scholarly religious leaders to conduct a major study that can contribute to the vitality of Christianity in North America. Louisville Institute is funded through the generous support of Lilly Endowment Inc. and based at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Louisville, Kentucky). The Institute’s mission is to enrich the religious life of North American Christians for the flourishing of the Church, by bringing together those who lead religious institutions with those who study them, so that the work of each might inform and strengthen the other.

The Grant for Researchers offers awards of up to $55,000 for scholars and Hidalgo’s project was chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants. Her project, "Children of the Apocalypse," examines how the U.S. Latine literary and activist traditions reimagine biblical apocalyptic texts in order to confront environmental catastrophe, colonial legacies and epistemic violence. Drawing on Puerto Rican and ethnic Mexican cultural production, the project pairs canonical and non-canonical apocalyptic writings with Latine responses to ecological crises.

"I am so excited to receive this support from the Louisville Institute because it affirms the value of Latine environmental concerns and stories in relationship to the study of biblical traditions," says Hidalgo.

Click the link below to read more!!
https://www.sandiego.edu/newscenter/122515