At the Edge of it All

Monica Thieu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Cognition, and Behavior at USD, joined "At the Edge of It All" to discuss how the brain makes sense of the world through emotion. She shares what first sparked her curiosity about the brain and talks about her work on how the brain processes fast-moving emotional information, like panic or joy, and how mathematical models of the...

Blanche Alverson, the head coach of USD's women's basketball team, joined the "At the Edge of It All" team for a special "Athletics Edge" edition to share her journey into coaching at USD and her coaching style on and off the court. Alverson also stopped by to talk about an upcoming basketball game at USD that will raise awareness for cancer in support of the Play4Kay initiative. You can find out...

Ashley Ahrens-Víquez, Program Operations and Engagement Manager for The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the University of San Diego, joined the "At the Edge of it All" podcast to share how her work at The Jacobs Institute empowers young learners to think outside the box by using an innovator's mindset. Ahrens-Víquez also talked about her team's upcoming Jacobs Teen Innovation Chall...

Ashley Ahrens-Víquez, gerente de Operaciones y Participación en Programas del Instituto Jacobs para la Innovación en la Educación de la Universidad de San Diego, participó en el podcast "Al Borde de Todo" para compartir cómo su trabajo impulsa el pensamiento innovador en jóvenes y para presentar el Desafío de Innovación para Adolescentes de Jacobs, una iniciativa internacional que invita a adolesc...

How does our mindset play a role in how we tackle everyday challenges? And, what is the science behind it? Rebekah Wanic, assistant professor of psychological sciences, joined the "At the Edge of it All" podcast to share how she got into the psychology field and why her work focuses on helping others use the power of their minds to build happier lives.

Drew Talley, professor of Environmental and Ocean Sciences, joined the "At the Edge of it All" podcast to talk about his journey into studying wetlands and how they play a crucial role in keeping our environment healthy. Talley also shared how his decades-long research on Baja California wetlands is providing insight into how we can better protect ecosystems everywhere.

Whether you're applying for your first job or looking to switch careers, navigating the application process can be daunting. In case you missed it, we’re revisiting our conversation with Matt Yepez, senior director of USD’s Career Development Center. This replay is especially timely: a recent survey from business consulting firm Robert Half found that 38% of U.S. workers plan to look for a new job...

Everywhere you go this year, you’re probably hearing those familiar tunes. Music tastes may change, but every year we return to the same holiday songs. Why is that? This week, Jeffrey Malecki, DMA, chair of USD’s music department, joined “At the Edge of It All” to explain what makes a song uniquely “Christmas-y,” why some songs endure after all these years, and about the few that are able to claim...

The holidays are here, and if you're looking for a gift that will have an impact, look no further. This time of year is crucial for nonprofits, which affect our lives and communities in all kinds of ways. Laura Deitrick, PhD, Executive Director of The Nonprofit Institute, joined us to explain all the work that nonprofits do that may sometimes go overlooked, why now -- before the New Year -- is a g...

This week, "At the Edge of It All" was joined by Amanda Roth, PhD, of USD's School of Leadership and Education Sciences. She talks about her journey into teaching, what she finds so rewarding about being in the classroom and how to get more people into the teaching ranks in K-12 and special education.

This week, we welcomed back Aaron Gross, PhD, director of USD's Center for Food Systems Transformation. He explained to us how food -- vegetables and meat alike -- make it from farms to our plates, and how they can pick up bacteria and food-borne illnesses along the way. He talks about how the systems in place make it difficult for consumers to make informed decisions, what they can do as individu...

Phones are everywhere, and parents are being confronted with the difficult decision of when to give their child one. This week, "At the Edge of It All" was joined by Susannah Stern, professor of communication. Stern has studied how children interact with media and technology since the early days of the World Wide Web, and is a mom who's had to make decisions about her children's tech use as well....

This week, "At the Edge of It All" was joined by USD Men's Basketball Head Coach Steve Lavin. He grew up in a home of educators, and learned from a young age the value of being a well-rounded person. He took that into his coaching career, where, coming up, he crossed paths with some of the game's biggest names. Now at USD, Lavin has a wealth of knowledge he's sharing with his team. And he explains...

Adam Haberman, PhD, has a personal connection to his work. He’d always studied cell biology and the health of neurons, but once his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he felt a new urge to study the disease and improve our understanding of it. On “At the Edge of It All,” he helped explain what we know about how diseases affect our brain cells, and how his work with undergrads on fruit flies is...

In this episode of At the Edge of It All, Lauren Kirby, Director of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of San Diego, shares her journey from college athlete to NIL leader. Kirby explains how student-athletes can build their personal brands and navigate financial literacy. She also discusses NIL’s growing impact on local businesses and the broader college athletics landscape.

In this episode of At the Edge of It All, we welcome back Justin Brooks, JD, professor of law and founding director of the California Innocence Project. Brooks discusses the ongoing challenges of wrongful convictions and the fight for reform in the justice system. He also talks about the new Innocence Clinic at the University of San Diego's School of Law, where law students will work hands-on to h...

Lorri Sulpizio, PhD, director of the Conscious Leadership Academy at the University of San Diego, sat down with "At the Edge of It All" to discuss the role of mindset and resilience in professional and personal development. In this episode, Sulpizio talks about common challenges such as job loss and career transitions and provides strategies for maintaining stability during those periods of uncert...

From saved passwords to smart devices, everyday conveniences can quietly expose us to cyber threats. For Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Nikolas Behar, professor of cybersecurity at the University of San Diego, sat down with "At the Edge of It All" to talk about how digital shortcuts and household devices make families and individuals prime targets to hackers. He also provided some simple tips for...

Erik Fritsvold, PhD, Academic Director of USD’s Law Enforcement & Public Safety Leadership program, joined "At the Edge of It All" to talk about the evolving world of policing. He discusses what makes a great officer and leader and how leadership can combat burnout and staffing shortages. Dr. Fritsvold also explores how higher education impacts officer performance and what the future of polici...

Kate Sealy, an all-star defender on USD's Women's Soccer team, joined the "At the Edge of it All" team to talk about how she balances being a student-athlete while excelling in her accounting classes. Sealy also shared how her coaches have supported her while she pursues a competitive internship while juggling a full course load.

Sebastian Lucier, supervising attorney for USD's Entrepreneurship Clinic, sat down with the "At the Edge of it All" team to discuss what legalities business owners should consider before and after starting a business. Lucier also shared the work he and his students are doing at the Entrepreneurship Clinic by providing free legal support to local entrepreneurs and giving students hands-on experienc...

Greg LaPorte, head coach for the women's soccer team at USD, sat down with the "At the Edge of it All' team for a special edition of "The Athletics Edge." Greg discusses his last highly successful season as head coach and how he worked to build his all-star team. Greg also shares how culture plays a large role in shaping a thriving team of players both on and off the soccer field. 

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10). And, to help raise awareness, we sat down with Chris Burden, assistant vice president of wellness and a clinical psychologist, to discuss the suicide prevention resources available to the community and how to connect loved ones to support. Burden also shared how the University of San Diego is in The JED Foundation campus program, a national pro...

Lily Vistica is a director of Clinical Training for the Counseling and Marital and Family Therapy Department at USD. In her free time, she volunteers with the American Red Cross as the lead of the Disaster Mental Health team, providing mental health services to victims of disasters in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Vistica shares what mental health support looks like on the ground after people a...

Kimmel Yeager spent years working at high-end fitness clubs before helping establish the transformative Palomar Health Student Wellness Center at USD. On “At the Edge of It All” she talks about her journey, and all the cutting edge offerings at USD, but she also talks about how fitness extends beyond just looking good. How does feeling good incorporate physical and mental wellness? And how does th...