February 3, 2017

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Journey to Israel inspiring, educational for CBU group

A group from California Baptist University traveled to Israel for an opportunity to see the Bible come to life and to learn more about the various geopolitical factors facing the land.

The trip was part of a traveling package offered through Passages, an organization aimed at providing an innovative experience of the Holy Land for Christian college students with leadership potential. The group’s trip spanned from Dec. 31 – Jan. 11.

Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history, organized the trip and was one of three faculty members who participated. He said the journey was inspirational and educational.

“As a group we read passages from the Bible that were directly related to the places we visited, and we heard from various people whose everyday lives are affected by events in the Middle East,” Chute said.

The itinerary included biblical sites as the Mount of Beatitudes, where students took turns reading the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). They also experienced a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, prayed together in the Garden of Gethsemane and shared in communion at the Garden Tomb.

John Lee, one of 34 students who attended the trip, said reading scripture in the locations where the biblical events occurred gave him a deeper understanding of the surrounding environment.

“It’s made the mission of God more tangible,” said Lee, an applied theology junior. “I got a broader perspective of how the gospel spread. I have more vigor coming back for ministry, [knowing] that God has worked thus far and He’ll continue to work.”

With regard to modern Israel, the group traveled to Tel Aviv and the site where Israel officially declared statehood. They visited the Israeli Supreme Court and Parliament buildings and prayed at the Western Wall. They also listened to perspectives from Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders on the issues that face the land. Additionally, they interacted with people living near Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

Jamie Perlee, a junior majoring in communications and business administration, said she feels more attuned to the various issues in Israel.

“I know names to pray for, faces to pray for now,” Perlee said.

The trip benefited the students in two ways, said Dr. Natalie Winter, associate professor of marketing, after returning from the trip.

“I think it brings the Bible to life in a way that is hard to really appreciate unless you have been to Israel,” Winter said. “Also, it deepened their understanding of modern-day Israel and the geopolitical dynamics that are unique to that country.”

 

CBU celebrates Lunar New Year with festival

Dragons, logograms, karate, Boba Tea and plenty of celebration welcomed in the year of the Rooster at a Lunar New Year Festival at California Baptist University on Jan. 31.

Leslie Shelton, director of International Student Services at CBU, said that in East Asian cultures the Lunar New Year Celebration has similarities to how Americans celebrate the Christmas season.

Both cultures have gift-giving opportunities, value spending time with family and offer multiple opportunities to attend celebrations, Shelton said.

“We want to honor our international students with providing an experience similar to back home,” Shelton said. “We also want to give our domestic students a chance to learn more about other cultures.”

The Lunar New Year began Jan. 28 and celebrations typically continue through February. The event at CBU featured Chinese snacks, games, music and student performers. Additionally, students had the opportunity to learn how to write their name in Chinese.

“I would have never known how my name is written in Chinese, so I think that was awesome,” said Victoria Jimenez, a business administration freshman. “CBU does a good job of promoting diversity on campus.”

Shelton said that CBU has a growing international population, especially from China.

“We want [international students] to feel at home. Hopefully, the CBU community can become a second home for them,” Shelton said.

 

No injuries reported in small fire at student residence

No injuries were reported from a fire that started in a student residence at California Baptist University around 8 a.m. on Feb. 1. Units from the Riverside Fire Department responded and quickly extinguished the fire in The Village student residence complex.

Initial reports indicate fire damage was contained to one apartment.

Riverside Fire Department investigators determined that the fire was caused by “an unknown electrical malfunction.” A Public Safety spokesman said CBU Residence Life staff was assisting residents of the damaged apartment in removing salvageable property and relocating them, as other university staff worked to mitigate smoke and odor from adjacent apartments.

 

Mihalko is 3rd woman Lancer to join elite 2,000-point club

Lancer Cassidy Mihalko reached and surpassed the 2,000-career point threshold on Jan. 30, becoming the third women’s basketball player to reach this feat at California Baptist University.

The senior guard came into the game needing only 16 points to surpass the 2,000-point mark. Mihalko was up for the task as she ended up with 25 points as CBU easily defeated the University of Hawaii at Hilo 85-55.

Mihalko’s 2,000 plus points are an achievement Mihalko could never have predicted for herself.

“When I was a freshman, my main focus was just to get good minutes; I never thought this was possible, making history and setting records. It’s been fun,” Mihalko said.

Mihalko is the first Lancer to score 2,000 plus points since Nicole Davis (’09), who is second on CBU’s women’s basketball all-time scoring list with 2,090 points. Sonja Akkerman (’91) owns the Lancer women’s career point’s record with 2,373 points scored.

The Lancers, who are eighth-ranked nationally in NCAA Division II, have now won 19 straight games. They have also earned 31 consecutive victories while playing in the Van Dyne Gym.

Read the complete game recap here.

 

CBU students record music for Disney projects

Students at the Collinsworth School of Music have put their magical touches on music tied to Disney’s live-action adaption of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Last month, the University Choir and a smaller group of vocalists recorded music in the school’s studio that will be used in Disney video games and karaoke recordings based off the new movie.

“The fact that professional institutions are seeking out our students for opportunities like this is a testament to the quality of students that we have at CBU, and the quality of training that we provide at CBU,” said Dr. Joseph Bolin, dean of the School of Music. “To combine professional and educational endeavors is a big win for the school.”

This was the second project associated with Disney this academic year. In October, students also recorded music to be used on various projects related to the animated movie “Moana.”

“It’s great to have professional people come in and see how the industry really works,” said Traivon Williams, a music composition graduate student, who recorded on the “Beauty and the Beast” project. “It’s one of those opportunities that a lot of people don’t get. It’s great that not only I get to be a part of it but they chose our school.”

Bolin is looking forward to forming additional collaborations in the professional recording industry.

“One of our objectives here at the School of Music is to expose our students to industry professionals to prepare them for success in the real world,” Bolin said. “This is something I would like to see us continue to develop in the future as a school.”

 

Rec Center offers hope, help for CBU community members

For those who may have already broken New Year’s resolutions of getting into shape, do not fret; there is still hope, said Stefani Plummer, director of the Recreation Center at California Baptist University.

Plummer said the staff at the Rec Center wants to help people make realistic health resolutions.

“What was your wagon?” is a question that the staff commonly asks individuals seeking help for fitness and health goals, said Plummer. The question is intended to find out why a person has quit or stopped a workout routine.

“We want to help them from the get-go, to set realistic goals so that they’re actually successful and it becomes a lifestyle,” Plummer said. “The CBU Recreation Center is committed to making sure that the entire CBU community is fit and well.”

The Rec Center, which is open to all CBU students, faculty, staff and their spouses, offers cardio and strength-training equipment, basketball and racquetball courts, a climbing and bouldering wall and a turf track. Additionally, the Rec Center offers group classes such as boxing boot camp, step, cycle and Zumba.

“Versatility is the key,” Plummer said. “That’s what keeps people from getting bored. You’re changing it up and you’re constantly keeping yourself invigorated.”

The Rec Center also provides personal training sessions. Gym-goers can receive eight sessions per semester. They also can meet with a personal trainer for a fitness assessment to help determine their goal and how to reach it. Additionally, fitness programs, such as “ARC attack” (using the elliptical machine) or “Olympic Weightlifting” (teaching technique) or “Couch to 5K” (training for a 5K race) are offered.

Joe Fix, fitness program coordinator at CBU, said the personal training and fitness programs teach people how to integrate fitness into a lifestyle.

Sydney Smith, a graphic design senior who goes to the gym almost every day, said she appreciates the Rec Center.

“If you start going to the gym a bit more, you start thinking about what you’re going to eat a bit more. You start becoming healthier,” Smith said.

Smith also said that the Rec Center offers a place to relax from the stresses of a class projects.

With all the options, there is something for everyone at the Rec Center, Plummer said.

“We’re trying to promote healthy lifestyles, not quick fixes,” Plummer said. “We’re creating a lifestyle that allows you to be fit in whatever season of life that you’re in.”

 

Lecture discusses benefits of Pongo Poetry as a psychology tool

“We know in psychology that one of the most important things in resiliency in kids that helps them get through a trauma is having one positive connection with an adult,” Dr. Becky Sherman told a California Baptist University audience. “As a psychologist, that is an awesome thing to remember.”

Sherman works with a nonprofit organization called Pongo Teen Writing, which reaches out to incarcerated children in Seattle, Washington, helping them overcome life’s difficulties through Pongo Poetry, an expressive form of poetry. She spoke as part of the School of the Behavioral Sciences’ Culture and Justice Lecture Series on Jan. 19.

Sherman shared examples of poetry that the children have written.

“I stayed in the house by myself until the landlord kicked me out,” Sherman read. “I went back to group homes, that’s what I get for being a bad kid I guess, but when people neglect and abandoned you it’s hard to treat them with respect… [this is] dedicated to my father.”

Sherman said that in the poetry she encounters, there is a common thread that kids write about — the effects of broken relationships.

“Kids can take on blame for what their parents have done,” Sherman said. “The confusion in all of that is there is love in spite of abandonment. This happens a lot with abused and abandoned kids. When their parents do bad things to them, they still love them in spite of all of that.”

The mission of Pongo is to help incarcerated children understand their difficult feelings and then find their strong voices and also address their life’s challenges and their hopes, Sherman said.

Sherman listed some of the benefits of writing poetry after trauma, which include: it helps integrate the feelings of disconnect and confusion; the youth learn to see themselves beyond a perspective of hurt; and the act of writing and sharing with a mentor provides a safe experience of trust.

“Expressive writing can be incredibly healing, especially if you are writing about something that you haven’t been talking to someone about,” Sherman said. “Poetry taps into another part of the brain in a really cool way.”

 

Family Updates

Dr. Dirk Davis, associate vice president for academics, and Dr. Kathryn Norwood, dean of assessment and accreditation, both for Online and Professional Studies, presented two workshops at the Clute Institute International Academic Conference, in Lahaina, Hawaii, and two papers at the Hawaii International Conference on Education in Honolulu on Jan. 2-4. The papers and workshops were titled Automated Assessment: Developing a Community of Collaboration and E-Mentorship: Providing Support to Non-Traditional Learners.

 

 

Dr. Jacob Lanphere, assistant professor of environmental science, made a presentation via Skype at the Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development: Issues, Challenges and Prospects International Seminar at Loyola College, Secunderabad, India on Jan. 20. The title of his presentation was Using Fate and Transport Studies of Engineered Nanomaterials in the Environment to Determine the Optimum Green Chemistry Synthesis Technique; a Life Cycle Approach.

 

 

 

Dr. Juliann Perdue, professor of nursing, Dr. Teresa Hamilton, assistant professor of nursing, Dr. Susan Drummond, associate professor of nursing, and Dr. Geneva Oaks, dean of the College of Nursing, co-authored published in the newsletter Illuminations (Volume 25, No. 2). The article was titled Animal assisted therapy: Parse’s Community Model on both sides of the leash.

 

 

Dr. Chris Morgan, dean of the School of Christian Ministries, had his recent book The Love of God, volume 7 in his Theology in Community series, honored. In a Christianity Today article, David Dockery listed The Love of God among the top books of 2016.

 

 

 

Dr. Creed Jones, professor in computing, software and data sciences, spoke at the International Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Kunshan, China. Jones presented on the glaucoma sensing technology being developed in cooperation with Dr. Matthew Rickard, associate professor of bioengineering.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Melissa Wigginton, associate professor of health science, was elected to the Healthy Yucaipa Committee in January. She will serve a one-year term helping to perform a needs assessment, including the development of a vision, mission, goals and objectives for the committee. Wigginton also is tasked with creating health-related programs for the city of Yucaipa.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Derek Updegraff, assistant professor of English and creative writing, published a short story, The Incident at Our Lady, in the magazine Tikkun.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Andrew Herrity, professor of entrepreneurship and business, presented a paper at the annual meeting of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship in Philadelphia on Jan. 19-22.  The title of the paper was Semi-structured Interviews with 30 Founders: How Socially-Mediated Cognition Explains Entrepreneurs’ Shifting from Biases and Heuristics to Deliberate Thinking.

 

 

 

Dr. Matthew Rickard, professor of bioengineering, took part in the Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference Jan. 19-20 in Provo, Utah. He made a presentation, CBU Glaucoma Sensor: A Technology Overview; presented a poster, Design of a Practice Fundamentals of Engineering Exam for Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Students; participated on a panel, Biomedical Engineering in the Next 10 Years; and served as a presentation judge.

 

 

 

Scott Glackin, lead food-service equipment technician in Facilities and Planning, was named employee of the month for February. The nomination form included the following statements: “Scott serves as a role model to others in our department and consistently provides outstanding and dependable service, ensuring that our food-service equipment is operational. He is helpful to others and represents a Christ-like attitude in his service to our campus.”

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis was recently interviewed for a book on CBU’s Spanish Colonial Revival style on campus. The book was commissioned by RAM publishing on the Getty Foundation’s “Pacific Standard Time” initiative, which aims to tell the story of the birth of the L.A. art scene. The book’s title will be Myth and Mirage: Inland Southern California, Birthplace of the Spanish Colonial Revival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Crosby, assistant professor of psychology for Online and Professional Studies, and student Bryce Ritt co-authored a poster that Ritt presented at the undergraduate poster session at the 2017 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Convention in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 19-21. The title of the poster was Motivated Sacrifice as a Predictor of Religiosity and Spirituality.

 

 

 

Dr. Alexandra Shin, assistant professor of biology, co-authored an article published in Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry (Nov. 16). The title of the article was Proteomic analysis of endothelin-1 targets in the regulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation.

 

 

 

 

Tami Fleming, head cheer coach, and her husband, Kevin, adjunct professor for education, welcomed a daughter on Oct. 13. Aria Capri Fleming weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 22 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

Bryce Burditt (’13), undergraduate admissions counselor, and his wife, Shelbie (’13), welcomed a son on Dec. 3.  Levi Taylor Burditt weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 21 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Shields, assistant dean of curriculum development for Online and Professional Studies, and his wife, Jessika (’08), welcomed a son on Jan. 23. Michael Caiden Shields weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 21.5 inches long. He joins older siblings Robert Jr., 13, Jasmine, 10, and Brian, 8.

 

 

 

Amanda Dago, director of intensive English program, and her husband, Achille, welcomed a son on Dec. 22. Ezra Shilo Lagognon Dago weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 21 inches long. He joins his older brother, Micah, 4.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates