USD Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering

By day, ArtBuilds' latest installation, Bloom, disguises itself as just another piece of street infrastructure. It is a plain, seven-foot white box trimmed in black that effortlessly blends into the background, staying quiet until the sun sets. Co-founded by Dr. Gordon Hoople, the ArtBuilds collective specializes in these kinds of surprising, community-driven public experiences.

At twilight, the tower begins to glow with a gentle, ambient rhythm that matches the city's evening hum. Step or jump onto the small platform nearby, and it bursts into vivid, motion-reactive colors. Step off, and it instantly fades back into dormancy.

Ultimately, Bloom challenges passersby to offer a tiny act of public bravery by stepping into the spotlight for a fleeting moment while the world looks on.

Shiley STEM Building construction update: Today the builders removed the fence covering surrounding the construction site so you can really see the unbelievable process being made on the concrete foundation.

Huge congratulations to USD Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering alumnus and Alumni Council member Zach Kinzler '23 (ISyE), '24 (MS)!

As Head of AI Solutions at BoodleBox, Zach played a key role in the landmark social media addiction trial where The Lanier Law Firm secured a historic multi-million dollar verdict against Meta and YouTube.

Zach’s team provided the collaborative AI platform used to organize and analyze massive amounts of data for the case, proving what’s possible when human expertise is paired with cutting-edge technology.

So proud to see our alumni driving real-world impact! Read the full story here: https://www.sandiego.edu/newscenter/151573

Celebrating community and connection at the President’s Ice Cream Social. 🍦 Great to gather with our colleagues at Paseo de Colachis on such a beautiful afternoon at USD. 💙

Throwback Thursday! 🎓

Looking back at some of our favorite moments from the Class of 2026 commencement ceremony!.Congratulations again to all of our incredible graduates. Go !

Drop a 🎓 in the comments if you see yourself or someone you know! 👇

2019 alums Austin Hirsh and Anton Navazzo came to say hi at last night’s Summer Sendoff in Seattle. We have the best alums!!! Go !

ArtBuilds Collective — led in part by USD Integrated Engineering Associate Professor Gordon Hoople — has officially unveiled “Threshold Five” at Kit Carson Park. Commissioned by the Escondido Community Foundation, the dynamic sculpture marks ArtBuilds’ very first permanent installation.

The interactive design features five hexagonal gates that shift in perspective as you move around them, creating a unique visual experience from every angle. The project originated in 2021 as a student concept "Carl the Caterpillar" before being refined into a permanent, multi-decade fixture.

Known for temporary installations at events like Burning Man, this milestone opens new doors for ArtBuilds to apply for major permanent public art proposals moving forward. Congratulations to the entire interdisciplinary team of artists and engineers on this incredible achievement!

University of San Diego: College of Arts and Sciences

What a weekend! Over 830 learners of all ages showed up for the 10th annual STEAM Youth & Community Conference, a full day of hands-on innovation, learning and fun offered in both English and Spanish!

From building robots and exploring AI to African drumming to paper engineering, our community came together to celebrate science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

For a decade, this milestone event has helped youth see themselves as the scientists, artists, and engineers of today. A huge thank you to all of the incredible collaborators for making this free event possible! Here’s to sparking curiosity for the next 10 years!

Click here for the full article.https://www.sandiego.edu/newscenter/147372

University of San Diego: College of Arts and Sciences USD Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education

Construction on the Shiley STEM Building is moving at lightning speed! Here’s a sneak peek at the physical footprint coming to life at USD. Drop a 🏗️ in the comments if you’re as excited for 2027 as we are!

Mark your calendars! The STEAM Youth and Community Conference is celebrating 10 years, and you're invited to be part of it.

Join us Saturday, July 18, 2026 at Mother Rosalie Hill Hall, University of San Diego for a free, bilingual, all-ages celebration of curiosity and community. Whether you're 2 or 102, there's something for you: hands-on workshops, live experiments, robotics demos, bike repair basics (with free refurbished bikes for the first 27 registrants!), and engineering challenges built entirely out of marshmallows and toothpicks.

Meet inspiring STEAM professionals and youth presenters, including origami artist Cekouat León and pediatric neurologist Dr. Aliya Frederick, and stick around for the keynote, prizes, and opportunity drawing to close out the day.

Best of all, it's completely free. Registration just helps us plan ahead, so save your spot today.

📍 Mother Rosalie Hill Hall, University of San Diego
🗓️ Saturday, July 18, 2026
💵 Free for everyone

Register now, with QR code or at https://usdsteamteam.wixsite.com/2026-conference.

See you there!