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What an incredible time it is to be part of the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ community!

The Aztecs’ magical run to the NCAA men’s basketball national championship final was an experience few of us will ever forget. In this issue, we explore how that success might impact the university, and we get to know rising senior Lamont Butler, whose iconic buzzer-beater propelled Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ into the championship game.

But that’s just the beginning. Research activity and support are at all-time highs, and Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s global impact is growing through our programs in Palau, the Republic of Georgia and our newest campus center in Oaxaca, Mexico. And, true to our mission, we celebrate our rich diversity and soaring student success, all while shrinking achievement gaps and expanding access to an excellent university education.

We’ll examine the powerful benefits of our many student community centers and introduce you to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Imperial Valley’s new Student Accommodation Services Center, which is minimizing both academic and physical barriers for students with disabilities. Our Imperial Valley location is growing fast, with development of its new $80 million STEM laboratory and teaching facility that will offer new programs in engineering, chemistry and sustainability to serve California’s Lithium Valley.

And as Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ continues to rise as an elite academic institution, we check in on construction progress at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Mission Valley and dive into groundbreaking research being conducted by students and award-winning faculty on artificial intelligence and a binational approach to studying Mexico’s Coronado Islands. We introduce you to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s first-ever recipient of the prestigious Truman Scholarship, and further abroad, we spend time with Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ doctoral student and Fulbright Scholar Al Schleicher, who taught and conducted research on teacher education programs at the University of Belize.

Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ launches its graduates into meaningful careers where they tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. Highlighting our award-winning pre-professional health programs, we follow the Flying Samaritans of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ as they provide free health care in Tijuana. We also peek in on Aztec Electric Racing, a student-run team that is preparing a new generation of minds to drive the global evolution of electric vehicles. And we introduce Techstars San Diego Powered by Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­, a small-business accelerator that will connect our students and innovation ecosystem with exciting startups from around the world.

As you learn more about our people, their studies and their bright futures, I hope you’ll be part of the continued ascendancy of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­!