In his 2015 papal encyclical, known as Laudato Si’, Pope Francis called for urgent action to support the poor and the vulnerable who are disproportionately impacted by global environmental problems such as climate change, pollution, access to clean water and loss of biodiversity. Care for Our Common Home is one of USD’s six core values.
The message of Laudato Si’ frames our care for creation. At USD, we acknowledge our location on Kumeyaay land and we embrace our singular placement on the San Diego-Tijuana border, a uniquely diverse — both culturally and biologically — environment. As an anchor institution, we build reciprocal partnerships with our Indigenous, local, national and global partners and we integrate environmentally, economically and socially responsible practices.
Sustainability is baked into the University of San Diego’s DNA, rooted in its mission and its commitment to Pope Francis’ call to care for our common home. It is a focus on a greener future, with the campus looking to set the standard for sustainability efforts in the region.
“The university has a very aggressive goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035,” said Director of Sustainability John Alejandro. “USD uses quite a bit of electricity, water and natural gas in its daily operations. First and foremost, our goal is to reduce the consumption of all of these, which in turn will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately help the environment.”
Environmental efforts are underway throughout the university, with projects having widespread impact, from working on air conditioning units to generating renewable energy onsite to be directly supplied to the campus.
“These projects are very important,” said Alejandro. “Oftentimes a lot of the work is behind the scenes that can go unnoticed. But then there are the bigger projects, like installing new solar arrays on campus, that are highly visible. The university is very committed to not only reducing energy use, but also creating new ways of generating power.”
Alejandro’s passion for sustainability is clear, and he loves connecting with members of the community to discuss efforts to achieve USD’s green goals. From working on a new solar project that’s set to begin in the summer, to addressing food waste and composting with his team, Alejandro sees firsthand how sustainability across campus impacts everyone.
“It really does touch virtually every aspect of a person’s life,” he said. “How we live our lives helps to determine whether or not we’ll have a positive impact in making the planet a better place.”
For him, it’s all about applying an environmental lens to everything, which enables one person’s actions to have a greater impact.
“If people live their lives through a lens of sustainability, through a green lens so to speak, they can really see how they can make changes in virtually everything they do,” he said. “One person’s efforts, when combined with other people’s efforts, can lead to great change.”
It is this great change that Alejandro sees as a defining part of USD’s future, a future that takes sustainability practices from the campus and helps in building environmental stewardship on a larger scale.
“Our efforts should not only take care of USD’s environment, but also that of the surrounding community and the greater San Diego region,” he said. “In doing so, USD can demonstrate to the entire Southern California region how working together can achieve all of our environmental goals.”
— Story by USD alumna Allyson Meyer ’16 (BA), ’21 (MBA)
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Studio S
AUGUST 28, 2026
The Art of Slowing Down at Little Frenchie
Inspired by the effortless charm of French cafés, this taste of France on Orange Avenue invites guests to embrace the simple pleasure of taking their time.
Strolling down Orange Avenue on a sunny afternoon, you’ll hear the hum of beach cruisers rolling by and visitors making their way toward the Hotel del Coronado. Dogs pause to greet one another on the sidewalk, palm trees sway overhead, and for a moment, you’re convinced you’re living inside the postcard from the gift shop you just passed.
Then the scene shifts. Towering white columns, black café awnings and gold-trimmed windows frame Little Frenchie, where woven bistro chairs spill onto the sidewalk and servers deliver bubbling crocks of French onion soup. The scent of caramelized onions and melted Gruyère is practically an invitation to ask, “How long for a table for two?”
That feeling of pulling up a chair and staying awhile is exactly what inspired Little Frenchie. French cuisine has a reputation for feeling a little intimidating, but the restaurant is rewriting that narrative with food and wine that feels approachable.
“Sometimes when you read a French menu, you come across words you can’t even pronounce,” David Spatafore, the owner of Little Frenchie, says. “We wanted to create a restaurant where people felt comfortable.”
Little Frenchie was designed to capture the spirit of the French sidewalk cafés that inspired it. Dating back to 1917, the space already carried the charm of a Parisian bistro, with architectural details that felt more at home on a European street corner than in Coronado. The team saw an opportunity to create a restaurant that matched the character of the space while filling a gap in the neighborhood.
The result is a French restaurant that honors tradition without taking itself too seriously.
At Little Frenchie, classic French techniques are at the heart of the menu, but there is always room for creativity. A cassoulet featuring Toulouse sausage and duck confit pays homage to the recipes and regions that inspired it, while a rich hot chocolate made with ingredients imported from France brings a taste of French café culture to Coronado.
The team loves finding unexpected ways to make familiar dishes feel new. A burger becomes a showstopper when it is finished tableside with melted raclette, while a French Dip gets elevated with prime beef and Wagyu makes its way into the burgers. Even Eggs Benedict gets a French twist, swapping the traditional English muffin for a buttery croissant. The GB&J, Little Frenchie’s take on a grilled cheese, brings that same playful approach with seasonal jam and French Brie layered into a comforting classic.
Nearly everything at Little Frenchie is made from scratch, with ingredients carefully chosen to match the restaurant’s standards. Even the bread receives special attention. Each morning, the team sends a car to Prager Brothers Artisan Bread to pick up freshly baked loaves, ensuring every element of the meal reflects the restaurant’s commitment to quality.
Wine is woven into the experience just as naturally as the food. Inspired by the effortless pairings found in French cafés and bistros, Little Frenchie’s by-the-glass selection invites guests to sip their way through different regions and discover new favorites without the pressure of knowing all the rules.
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
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Your feet and ankles probably aren’t something you give much thought to—until something goes wrong. Orthopedic surgeons at Scripps Clinic are on the leading edge of foot and ankle reconstruction, treating patients with sports injuries, deformities, traumatic injuries and other conditions. That includes repairing torn Achilles tendons with a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks the incision site to less than a centimeter, and performing advanced ankle replacement on some patients with ankle arthritis. Read more about Scripps’ innovations in foot and ankle care here.
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Mai Vue was just 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered her baby. Her pregnancy had been complicated, and she’d had a recent second trimester pregnancy loss, which led to her receiving specialized care from Sean Daneshmand, MD, a Scripps Clinic perinatologist who oversees high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Daneshmand and his team took care of Mai during her pregnancy, through the birth of her healthy baby girl and beyond. Mai was part of a program Scripps launched to provide support to new moms in the weeks and months after delivery. The postpartum program, known as Scripps Health’s Fourth Trimester Continuum of Care, provides care for women with high-risk pregnancies to optimize their health after childbirth and reduce the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Click here to learn more.
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It’s estimated that one in five people in the U.S. will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. When you factor in living in a sun-soaked city like San Diego and the outdoorsy lifestyle that comes with it, that figure can jump to as high as one in three, which makes early detection and intervention all the more important. Dermatologists at Bighorn Mohs and Dermatology Center are using innovative imaging methods and advanced surgical techniques to diagnose and treat skin cancer. For certain cancers in sensitive spots, like the face, dermatologists perform Mohs surgery, removing skin tissue layer by layer until reaching healthy, cancer-free tissue. They also use a process called immunohistochemistry to view tissue samples taken during Mohs surgery in far greater detail than previous methods. Read more about how Scripps is advancing skin cancer care here.
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When endurance athlete Isaac Sanchez learned he had cancer, he felt blindsided. He was healthy, surfed often and was training for an Ironman triathlon. But he had to put that on hold to undergo treatment. His physicians at Scripps Cancer Center developed a plan to treat the cancer in his tonsil and lymph nodes that included six-and-a-half weeks of near-daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy. He also worked with a Scripps Cancer Center dietitian to enhance his nutrition to promote strength and healing. Today, Isaac’s back to doing what he loves. Read more of his story here.
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