September 15, 2016

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU advances in “Best Colleges” rankings for 2017

California Baptist University has been named one of America’s Best Colleges for 2017 in rankings by U.S. News and World Report. It is the 11th time in as many years that CBU has received the recognition and the third consecutive year as a top 40-ranked “Best Regional University.”

The rankings for 2017 place CBU at No. 37 in the top tier of the nation’s educational institutions. That advances CBU’s position from the No. 39 ranking received the previous year among the publication’s “Best Regional Universities” in the West.

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, termed the third-party ranking “significant.” He said recognition by the national publication validates the choices made by thousands of students pursuing their higher education goals at California Baptist University.

“I am pleased that these influential rankings have recognized California Baptist University once again,” Ellis said. “It says good things about the value and quality of the educational programs that CBU offers in both traditional and online settings,” Ellis said.

“Best Colleges” rankings are published in U.S. News & World Report each year to aid prospective students and their parents looking for the best academic values for their money. Now in its 32nd year, the annual comparative listing uses a system of weighted indicators of academic excellence to rank universities. Those indicators include: student selectivity, retention and graduation rates; assessment by peer institutions; faculty resources; financial resources and alumni giving.

The category of Best Regional Universities includes 653 institutions in four regions of the nation that offer a broad scope of undergraduate degrees and master’s degrees but few, if any, doctoral programs.

California Baptist University offers more than 150 majors, minors and concentrations, as well as more than 40 graduate programs and three doctoral programs.

A full list of the 2017 rankings can be viewed at http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges.

 

CBU remembers 15th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attack

Students, faculty and staff at California Baptist University took time to commemorate the 15^th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.

The Associated Students of California Baptist University offered an opportunity to remember and honor the 2,977 people who lost their lives. At the Stamps Courtyard, students, faculty and staff took one of 2,977 flags, one for each victim, and placed the flag in the lawn, outlining a cross.

Andrew Graff, ASCBU director of office affairs and a junior health science major, said the event gave the CBU community an opportunity to reflect on that tragic day.

“It’s important to remember because it was a big tragedy that caused a lot of sadness and confusion,” Andrew said.

James Vest, a biochemistry junior, was in second-grade at the time of the attacks. He remembers his mom hugging him when he got home from school. His sister was in New York on vacation at the time and his family was frantic until they heard from her. Vest said remembering 9/11 is important for many reasons.

“It was a time when the nation came together,” Vest said. “At that point in time, it didn’t matter what color skin you had, what faith you were … at the end of the day, we’re all Americans.”

Ken Sanford, an education adjunct professor, was teaching middle school at the time. He said it is important to remember major events that happened in the country.

“It’s got a special place in my heart to remember the people and the families [affected by the tragedy since] every year they have to remember this,” Sanford said.

Christian McCowan, a liberal studies freshman, is too young to remember the attacks, however, she felt it was important to plant a flag and pray.

“With every tragedy, you don’t want to forget those who were lost,” McCowan said. “It’s hard to imagine so much went down that day and so many lives were lost. I feel that people can feel prayer wherever they are. Hopefully my flag, whatever name it may represent, sends peace out to that family, because they are probably still dealing with that grief.”

 

CBU Gallery to host “Into the Mystic” exhibit

The CBU Gallery in downtown Riverside will host an exhibit titled “Into the Mystic: The Quest of Six West Coast Artists” from Sept. 20 – Nov. 19.

The exhibit will showcase 30 pieces by West Coast artists Noah Buchanan, Steve Dzerigian, Anne Marie Karlsen, Guy Kinnear, Laura Lasworth and Duncan Simcoe (CBU director of the Gallery). The exhibit represents an inspiration of spiritual themes, visionary imagery and drawing insights from transcendent encounters. The art includes painting, photography, installation, mixed media and digital configuration.

Gordon Fuglie, guest curator for the CBU exhibit, said the themes displayed in the art remind him of the Apostle John’s contrast of light and darkness in a spiritual sense: “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:5 NASB).

“I believe that encouragement for this artistic quest (spiritual enlightenment) lies within us, and is a striving born within our consciousness as human beings. Some would say that it comes from an inner light emanating from a greater power,” said Fuglie, who is the director and head of curatorial affairs at the Central California Museum of Art.

An artists reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 6, from 6:30 p.m.–9 p.m.

Into the Mystic: The Quest of Six West Coast Artists

Where: CBU Gallery, downtown Riverside
Exhibition Dates: Tuesday, Sept. 20 – Saturday, Nov. 19
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Questions or to arrange special visit: Karen Heinze, administrative secretary for the College of Architecture, Visual Arts & Design, kheinze@calbaptist.edu or 951-552-8733

 

New students focus on faith as classes begin at CBU

Hundreds of members of the Class of 2020 at California Baptist University officially started their classes on Sept.6.  For many, faith was a key reason they chose CBU.

Amelia Horton, from Hemet, California and a biology pre-med major, indicated she chose CBU because of the sense of family and God’s presence she felt on campus during prior visits.

“I’m looking forward to making a lot of friends and meeting people who are as eager as I am to get plugged in,” Horton said. “I love that I feel that God is so present here.”

Levi Hargrove, from Istanbul, Turkey, and a nursing major, said he wants to grow in his faith and looked forward to speaking with professors that shared his Christian faith.

“I’m looking forward to interacting with professors on a deeper level than high school,” Hargrove said.

Phillip Ndowu, from Nashville, Tennessee, and a biology pre-med major, appreciates the fact that CBU encourages and enables conversations about faith.

“I’m looking forward to being able to openly have conversations about God (with his peers),” Ndowu said.

CBU offers many opportunities for students to grow in their faith, including chapel services featuring respected Christian leaders; the integration of faith and learning in the classroom; discipleship ministries that aim to show students how to live out the Great Commission; and numerous local and international service opportunities.

John Montgomery, dean of Spiritual Life, said college is a crucial time for students to form their identity.

“Traditionally students decide who they are and who they will be during these highly formative years, and they are making their faith their own,” Montgomery said. “They are looking for opportunities to discuss their thoughts and find guidance from Scripture. As a result, many students either make a [new] commitment to follow Christ or make a previous commitment stronger.”

 

Oxford project inspires prof to pursue religion-science dialogue

Dr. Erin Smith wants to bring more conversation about religion and science to the campus of California Baptist University.

Smith, assistant professor of psychology, said God has provided two ways to know truth—scripture and science.

“To get a better understanding of God, his creation and the relationship between God and his creation, those different methods of knowing truth need to be in conversation with each other,” Smith said.

Smith spent four weeks at the Oxford Summer Seminar in England over the past two summers, participating in the Bridging the Two Cultures of Science and the Humanities 2015-16 project. The seminar was geared toward equipping professors with the interdisciplinary skills required to enhance the science-religion dialogue on their campuses. Smith was one of 25 faculty participants from universities throughout the world at the seminar.

Additionally, this summer the seminar invited presidents of participating schools to attend. Dr. Ronald L. Ellis represented CBU at the conference. The goal was to discuss how to continue the science-religion dialogue on college campuses, Smith said.

Last year Smith created a science and religion club at CBU with the goal of providing a place where students can explore the connections and tensions between science and religion. This fall, Smith will be teaching a new course “Cognitive Science and the Human Person” (Psy401), which looks at the issues cognitive science (study of thought, learning and mental organization) raises and how it influences the definition of what it is to be human.

Beyond influencing the campus culture, Smith also is collaborating with fellow seminar participants to seek grants and to conduct research on this topic.

“The conservation isn’t over. It doesn’t end with the end of the seminar,” Smith said. “I’m actually trying to strengthen [the students’] faith by giving them the freedom to ask questions.”

The seminar was hosted by Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford, a United Kingdom subsidiary of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, and funded by the Templeton Religion Trust.

 

Newest members of Lancer Nation arrive for Welcome Weekend

More than 1,800 freshmen and transfer students arrived at California Baptist University as newcomers during Welcome Weekend, Sept. 2-4. Within days, however, they emerged as members of the Lancer Nation thanks to a full schedule of activities.

“Welcome Weekend is an opportunity for us officially to welcome our new Lancers to the community and help them make connections with the campus community, with the university, with fellow classmates and with Christ,” said Heather Hubbert, assistant dean of students-assessment and conduct.

First on the Welcome Weekend schedule was move-in opportunities. As students arrived on campus with carloads of luggage, CBU student leaders lined up next to the living areas prepared to help the newest Lancers move in. They carried boxes and televisions, and pushed rolling bins full of clothes and other items.

“The move-in experience was amazing,” said Anna Ent, from the San Francisco Bay area, who moved into The Cottages. “Everybody came right up to my car and unloaded everything and I didn’t have to do anything. I carried one bag.”

Additional weekend activities included a picnic on the Front Lawn, a welcome from CBU President Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, an opportunity to meet with faculty members, a Quakes minor league baseball game, and a special discount shopping opportunity at Bed Bath and Beyond. Students also met in FOCUS groups, which help acclimate students to campus life. They also participated in the Kugel walk, a CBU tradition where new students touch the Kugel (a massive floating granite globe) symbolizing their commitment to live a life of purpose as they begin their college experience at CBU.

“We are very intentional in what we do so that they do feel connected,” said Jay Stovall, director of new student programs and orientation.

Collin Magness, a nursing major from Fresno, California, was eager to become part of the CBU family.

“I’m really looking forward to the new experiences and seeing what doors God opens up for me,” he said.

Parents and guests also were able to attend some of the events.

“I think it helps the parents feel good about their choice and feel good about leaving their son or daughter here,” Hubbert said. “We try our best to give the parents a glimpse into what the CBU community and culture is all about.”

Mike Row, from Corona, California, said he attended the Academic Open House with his daughter, Shaelyn, a theatre major, to get some questions answered. The CBU community has been “awesome” he said afterward.

“She has been welcomed with open arms,” Row said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re bringing a freshman in, it feels like you’re bringing a new member to the family.”

 

New class explores the changing role of women in art

The “Women in the Arts” (ART 381) class, offered for the first time this fall at California Baptist University, will seek to analyze the evolution of women both as the subjects and the creators of art.

“We have a lot of female students in the visual arts and it’s important for them to know the history [of women artists] and to know where they’re going to fit in that trajectory,” said Dr. Katherine Papineau, assistant professor of architecture and art history, who will teach the course.

The new class was added as part of the upper division elective options for the art history minor in the College of Architecture, Visual Arts & Design.

Historically, artists–—particularly painters, drawers, sculptors and architects—were mostly men, Papineau said. Accepted art forms for females were limited to needlepoint and embroidery. If women did paint, Papineau said, they did not do portraits; but that mindset changed in the 20^th century and in modern times, women are creating all forms of art.

Papineau said gender is no longer an issue when it comes to creating art.

“Today, women are painting everything and anything, and they’re engaging with political themes and racial themes. The door is wide open, which is really nice to see,” Papineau said.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Barry Parker, librarian, had an interview with 710 WOR-AM radio in New York City about his book, Phantom Revelation, that aired on June 26. The novel is a mystery/romance.

 

 

 

Margaret Appenzeller, visiting professor of communication disorders, and Dr. Candace Vickers, associate professor of communication disorders, presented at the annual Headstart Conference for San Bernardino at the Ontario Convention Center on Aug. 24. The name of the presentation was Magic Moments for Language Learning.

 

 

 

Dr. Jong-Wha Bai, associate professor of civil engineering, Dr. Yeesock Kim, associate professor of construction management and civil engineering, co-authored a paper titled Fragility Analysis of Bridge Structures Subjected to Collision Forces. It was presented at the 5^th International Symposium on Reliability Engineering and Risk Management in Seoul, Korea, on Aug. 17-20 and received the Distinguished Paper Award from the symposium committee. Bai also co-authored and presented a paper titled Sensitivity Analysis of Shear Capacity Model for Concrete Members with Internal Composite Reinforcement.

 

 

Dr. Kyle Stewart, assistant professor of physics, gave a presentation of his research at the 2016 UCSC Galaxy Formation Workshop in Santa Cruz, Calif., on Aug. 12.  His talk was titled High Angular Momentum Halo Gas: a Code and Feedback-Independent Prediction of LCDM.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Shields, assistant professor of computer information technology for the Online and Professional Studies, successfully defended his dissertation on Aug. 31 for the Doctor of Education degree at California State University, Fullerton.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Marc Weniger, associate professor of business, completed a new textbook, International Marketing, published by Kendall Hunt.

 

 

 

 

Dr. James Yoo, assistant professor of economics, co-authored a paper that was published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy on Sept. 6. The title of the paper was An externality of groundwater depletion: land subsidence and residential property prices in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Andrew Herrity, professor of entrepreneurship and director of CBU’s new program in Entrepreneurship, presented information on the new program to the Riverside Technology CEOs Forum on Sept. 6.

 

 

 

Personnel Updates