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 a new spot in your holiday playlist.

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 great time to give, and how to make sure your gift is going to the right place.

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 individuals, and what everyone can do to try to improve conditions and remove some of the ambiguity around our food.

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. She talks about her research on the topic -- what goes into the decision, and why one approach doesn't fit every family.

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 why, to him, basketball is like making music. 

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 contributing to a greater understanding that could someday cure the disease that’s affected his family and so many others.

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 help free the innocent and learn the real-world practice of law.

Learn more about USD School of Law's legal clinics: https://www.sandiego.edu/law/clinics/

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 uncertainty.