April 28, 2017

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Architecture students show concepts for “future” CBU buildings

Architecture students used several opportunities to present their latest coursework—theoretical renderings of future California Baptist University building projects—to the university community this past week.

Third-year students worked on designs for a proposed performing arts building at CBU, while fourth-year students were tasked with designing a building for the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design (CAVAD).

“Our architecture students are working on design projects based on two projects that have or will hopefully have some degree of real consideration for the CBU campus,” Mark Roberson, CAVAD dean, explained. “Both of these are theoretical explorations of what these buildings could be and how they might fit into the CBU campus.”

Joanna Nsenga, a senior architecture student, focused on incorporating environmental graphics into the CAVAD building concept.

“I worked on creating logos and various graphic elements and spaces that would create an environment of collaboration,” Nsenga said. “While doing research for my project, I learned the importance of an environment that aids in a creative environment but also allows for some privacy.”

Nsenga said the project, for her Studio 412 course, was an effective learning experience.

“Through the process, I came to understand the benefits of research and surveys that I conducted,” Nsenga said. “It was rewarding to see the end results.”

Third-year students made a series of individual project presentations on April 21, and the fourth-year students staged an exhibit on April 24.  CAVAD also hosted an open house on April 28 that displayed the variety of student design projects and allowed another opportunity for students to present their work.

 

Students select top professor and staff member of the year

Students at California Baptist University recently honored Kathleen Kopitzke, visiting professor of music, as the 2016-2017 Faculty Member of the Year and Brett Vowell, director of chapel, as Staff Member of the Year.

Kopitzke has taught at CBU for two years, teaching classes such as Music Theory and Musicianship Lab. She also conducts the Choral Union, New Song Women’s Choir, and is the advisor for small vocal groups. Kopitzke received her bachelor’s in music in 2013 and her master’s in 2015 from CBU.

“I am absolutely blown away and so very honored that the students have chosen me,” Kopitzke said. “I have been blessed to teach so many exceptional students these past two years, and it’s nice to know they like me as much as I like them!”

Kopitzke said her goal as she interacts with the students is to establish a relationship and a sense of trust.

“The students know that I care about what’s going on outside my classroom just as much as what’s going on inside my classroom,” Kopitzke said. “My door is always open for help with homework or just a nice conversation. Having been a student at CBU not too long ago, I know what this season of life looks like for them.”

Vowell coordinates all chapel programming and is the administrator for students’ chapel attendance. For many years Vowell, who came to CBU in 2003, also served as a public address announcer for CBU Athletics.

“CBU is an exciting place to be, and I feel like our students are on the cutting edge of culture,” Vowell said. “Students help keep a pulse in the ministry I have here, so to be recognized by the population of Lancers in this way is special and motivating.”

Vowell said he values the opportunities the staff has at CBU to serve the campus and community all the while keeping Christ at the forefront.

“The collegiate years can be such a formative season in one’s life, and I seek to be an encourager and supporter of students as they deal with challenging questions and tackle new experiences,” Vowell said.

The voting process, conducted by the Associated Students of California Baptist University (ASCBU) organization, was a two-tiered process. First, students nominated individuals for both recognitions. Next, the top eight names in both categories were placed on a ballot giving students the opportunity to vote for their top selection in each category.

 

Disaster simulation aims to prepare students for real life 

Approximately 110 graduate students from health-care programs at California Baptist University scrambled to helped “victims” during an interprofessional education (IPE) disaster simulation on April 22.

Cries and moans for help filled the Van Dyne Gym as the “injured” awaited assistance. Nearly 50 students, family members and friends were given simulated wounds, which were prepared by Sarah Pearce, assistant director of simulation at the College of Nursing, for the mass-casualty disaster simulation. Twelve faculty members at CBU, who have undergone IPE training, facilitated the event.

The event is the culmination of the first year for the IPE program at CBU, said Dr. Jolene Dickert, associate professor of athletic training. These students should be able to go out and work effectively with other health-care professionals, she added.

“The purpose of the simulation is to bring together [different health] professions to display teamwork, communication and understanding of roles and responsibilities of other healthcare professionals,” Dickert said.

Before the simulation took place, students were organized into teams. They then watched simulated news footage of a disaster. After the footage, the teams were then briefed on the disaster situation and then received instructions on how they could maximize care for the “victims.” The students then rushed into the gym to begin administering aid.

Morgan Goodson, a graduate student in physician assistant studies, said the IPE event helped to educate her on the various responsibilities of other health care workers.

“The event honed in on the point that during an emergency situation all hands on deck are needed and each player is as valuable as the next,” Goodson said. “Working as a team not only provides a dynamic patient care plan but also allows us as healthcare providers to have a valuable support system.”

Anna Garduno, an athletic training student, learned to triage under pressure.

“This simulation made things come to life. I learned things about myself… in something so intense,” Garduno said.

After the simulation, the teams turned their focus on planning and rebuilding the community. The students learned that their job is not finished once the disaster is over, Dickert said.

“It’s not just respond and then everybody leaves. What would each profession do [for] the community-rebuilding phase and what do their roles look like?” Dickert said. “At CBU, we teach our healthcare students with a whole person care philosophy. The well-being of their patients following a major event is something that should be important to them.”

The simulation prepares the students to be collaborative-practice ready, meaning they can work with other health-care practitioners, said Dr. Dayna Herrera, associate professor of nursing and CBU’s chair administrator of IPE. The IPE program was recently approved by the graduate curriculum committee and will be added as a requirement for many of the health profession programs at CBU.

 

“Mounted Lancer” sculpture takes its place at Events Center

Riding his fearless horse, a lance in one hand and a shield emblazoned with a cross in the other, California Baptist University’s “Mounted Lancer” arrived on campus April 24 after nearly two years in the making.

The Mounted Lancer is a bronze sculpture of the CBU mascot riding a charging war horse. The sculpture weighs some 4,000 pounds and rises 15 feet from its base to the top of the armored helmet. It arrived at CBU aboard a lowboy trailer after an hours-long journey from a foundry in San Fernando where the lost wax bronze casting process that produced the statue was performed. The sculpture was hoisted into place and welded atop its base near the entrance of the CBU Events Center. The installation at CBU will be completed April 25 when the lance is attached.

The Mounted Lancer is the artistic creation of Lance Jost and joins several of his other works on the CBU campus. Jost designed the cross that sits atop the James Building Bell Tower (1995); the Lancer Mosaic on the south exterior wall of the Van Dyne Gym (1998); and the Bible sculpture situated in the Stamps Courtyard (2009).

The Mounted Sculpture statue is a gift to CBU from the Classes of 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 and the Associated Students of California Baptist University.

Delivery of the statue comes just in time for the Events Center ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for May 4. The Events Center is being built adjacent to the CBU Recreation Center. The north-facing front entrance will be located on Lancer Lane.

The design of the two-level building complements the Mission Revival architecture style that is a hallmark of the CBU campus. The centerpiece of the 153,000-square-feet building will be a more than 5,000-seat arena that will showcase some of the CBU athletics teams competing in NCAA competition.

Besides athletics, the arena also will provide space for CBU’s chapel program attended by nearly 5,000 students weekly during the academic year. Other uses planned for the Events Center include student orientation activities and commencement ceremonies

 

CBU claims multiple wins at the Wilmer C. Fields Awards 

California Baptist University won multiple communication awards at the 2017 Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition hosted by the Baptist Communicators Association (BCA) on April 21 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. CBU students and the university’s Marketing and Communication Division combined for 21 top-three finishes in various categories.

The BCA awarded Pursuit magazine with the “Overall Best Student Entry” grand prize. The summer edition of the Pursuit magazine also won first place for best magazine and best magazine cover. Additionally, CBU student Makenna Sones won first place in the Student Feature Writing Division for her story “Leaps and Bounds” that was featured in Pursuit magazine.

Courtney Coleman, editor in chief of Pursuit, said receiving the BCA awards was encouraging.

“All of the teams on all of our various publications work day and night to produce great content. We all take a lot of pride in our work and give 100 percent,” Coleman said. “When those awards were announced, everyone started texting everyone saying, ‘Look guys! We did it!’”

CBU’s Marketing and Communication Division won four awards including first place in the Audio – Communication Division – Video, less than three minutes for the “Veterans Stories” campaign.

The BCA awards are the latest communication recognitions for CBU. In March, students, faculty and staff combined to win 33 awards from the American Advertising Federation-Inland Empire chapter.

 

Student entrepreneurs pitch start-ups at inaugural competition

Aspiring student entrepreneurs at California Baptist University participated in the inaugural Bob Goodrich Business Plan Competition that awarded a combined $10,000 for the top business models presented.

Team Deaf Made claimed the first prize and $4,000 on April 19 for the competition that was sponsored by the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business. Deaf Made is a proposed company that would partner with international deaf artisans to sell their products in the U.S.

Caleb Randolph, a business administration senior and part of the team, said his passion for the deaf community comes from personal experiences. Randolph’s father is deaf, and he witnessed some of his dad’s struggles. Additionally, Randolph said he has also interacted with the deaf community on mission trips and noticed how the deaf community could be marginalized.

“I learned this is what I actually want to do with my life,” Randolph said. “I think [working to give] people the opportunity to raise themselves out of poverty is some of the most fulfilling work you can do.”

The competition began earlier in the semester when a dozen teams submitted business plans and were judged in areas such as market opportunity, financial understanding and investment potential. From those 12 teams, four finalists were selected. Each of the final four teams made a 5-minute presentation to a panel of judges. The teams also responded to questions about patents, wages, tariffs and start-up costs.

The judges for the competition were CBU alumni: James Cypert (’12, ’14), CEO of Simulation and Education Technology Trainers; David Walker (’85), strategic consultant; and Paul Burke (’05), CFO consultant.

The remaining finalists included team RHEO, which proposed to create a bottle drink cap that is filled with concentrating liquid flavorings. RHEO won second place and $3,000. Team Rush, a proposed campus service that delivers beverages and snacks to students and faculty, won third and $2,000 in cash; and team MakeScents, which proposed a fashionable rubber band bracelet that contains a dispenser than can extract essential oils, took fourth place and $1,000.

Walker said he was impressed with the presentations and the details that went into the plans.

“Trying to get a tough, complex concept across in a 5-minute presentation is not easy, and each team did a magnificent job,” Walker said.

The competition, which was open to all CBU students, was intended to simulate the real-world process of entrepreneurship, said Natalie Winter, associate professor marketing.

“It gives [students] an opportunity to think about how to bring an idea to life, to learn the entrepreneurial process, to get practice pitching in front of potential investors and for them to think through the logistics,” Winter said.

 

Student wins President’s Award for Excellence in Writing

Sarah N. Rodriguez, a junior English major at California Baptist University, is the winner of the 2017 President’s Award for Excellence in Writing. Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, presented the award at a luncheon on April 19.

Rodriguez’s paper, “Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker, and the Influence of the Christ-Haunted South,” compares several short stories by two female writers featured in the title of her essay.

“By exploring the two writers’ ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs, Ms. Rodriquez calls attention to the differences as well as similarities in the ways Walker and O’Connor portray characters and depict violence within a complex social environment,” the selection committee wrote of the paper.

Rodriguez received a certificate and a check for $500.

Two other students received runner-up honors.

Katie E. Venzke, a graduate student in education, was awarded first runner-up for her paper, “Philosophy of Ministry.” Venzke’s essay looks at how the church responds to Christ’s mandate to serve an entire community. Venzke’s critique challenged the church to go beyond meeting the material and religious needs of the disabled and be creative in finding ways for them to participate more in the leadership and service of the church. Venzke received a certificate and a check for $300.

Maigen Turner, a music senior, was awarded first runner-up for her paper, “A Task Fit Only for Ladies: Music and the Early Nineteenth-Century English Gentlewoman.” The essay explores the practical function music served for English women of the 19th century. Turner was awarded a certificate and a check for $200.

A six-member faculty selection committee using a formal voting process chose all winning entries.

 

Illusionist tells CBU audience to be aware of world’s deceptions

People can easily be tricked and deceived and not just by magicians up on stage, illusionist Harris III, told a chapel audience at California Baptist University on April 21.

Americans take in thousands of ads every day. Those messages can influence how you view yourself, Harris said.

“If you believe a lie about yourself and who you are and whom God created you to be, all the sudden it’s easier to fall into the lies of deception of this world,” Harris said.

While telling his story, Harris performed several cards illusions, “levitated” a table and escaped from a straitjacket.

Deception works because of a willingness to let other people think for us, Harris said. It began in Genesis with Satan’s crafty deception, Harris added. It starts with a simple question, “Did God really say?”

“Adam and Eve had perfection in the entire Garden of Eden, and yet they still reached for the illusion of more,” Harris said. “You and I have been reaching for the same illusion ever since.”

Harris told the students they might not be entertainers, but they are still putting on a show by pretending to be someone they are not.

“The good news of the gospel is that God’s love for you is not rooted in your performance,” Harris said. “If we root our identities and our value as human beings in the eyes of our heavenly Father … it can change everything, and it can set you free from the burden of how it feels to be entangled and trapped by the lies of deception.”

Harris said everyone has one thing in common— metaphorically, all people have a strait jacket.

“At one time or another we’ve all allowed ourselves to get tricked into believing some sort of lies,” Harris said.

Harris told students it doesn’t matter what entraps and entangles them. What does matter is there is truth that can set us free, he said, after reading John 8:32.

“In Christ and in Christ alone, there is hope, there is freedom and there in unbelievable joy,” Harris said. “If Jesus is offering you that and Himself, why would you settle for a counterfeit version of life offered to you by the world?”

 

CBU professors to lead evaluation of mental-health project

Two professors from the public health sciences department at California Baptist University will serve as principal evaluators of $1.2 million mental-health project.

The California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP), a project of the California Department of Public Health Office of Health Equity, has announced the funding of a 5-year program aimed to reduce mental health disparities in African-Americans across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The Riverside-based organization, Healthy Heritage Movement, will implement the program, while CBU faculty, Dr. Marshare Penny, associate professor of public health, and Dr. Jessica Miller, adjunct professor of public health sciences, will lead the evaluation of the project.

The CRDP program will take place in select churches in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties.  It includes an intervention called Broken Crayons Still Color, which is an 8-week program that aims to increase knowledge of core mental health issues, such as depression and the work to reduce the perceived stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment.  Additionally, the program will establish mental health ministries that will provide education, outreach and advocacy.

“It is exciting that we not only have this opportunity to actively participate in the reduction of mental health disparities locally, but CBU students can also be engaged in this important effort,” Penny said.

Penny said the evaluations will give CBU students an opportunity to help facilitate focus group sessions and participate in data collection along with additional community engagement opportunities.

The primary goal of the CRDP grant is to invest in new and existing community programs that have shown promise in reducing mental health disparities in underserved communities across California.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Candace Vickers, associate professor of communication disorders, made a presentation at the American Heart Association Executive Leadership Mixer on April 6 in Riverside. The presentation was titled The Impact of Aphasia on Patients and their Families.

 

 

 

Dr. Marion Dunkerley, assistant professor of nursing, Terri Thompson, assistant professor of nursing, and Dr. Susan Jetton, assistant professor of nursing, organized a PPE (preconception peer educator) conference at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles on April 10. Jetton made two presentations—on the PPE vision and Preconception Health Across the Lifespan—and held a faculty advisor breakout session. Thompson co-presented on the PPE vision and did a presentation on health education. Dunkerley spoke on infant mortality. Twenty CBU students assisted or taught at the full-day conference.

 

 

 

CBU hosted a Southern California regional conference for the local chapter of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA) on April 8. The ASA is a national professional organization of Christians in the sciences.  Seventy-five people attended from institutions such as CBU, Westmont College, Azusa Pacific University, Point Loma Nazarene University and California Institute of Technology. Six CBU faculty gave presentations: Dr. Linn Carothers, professor of mathematics; Dr. Alan Fossett, professor of chemistry; Dr. Bruce Prins, professor of biology; Dr. Tom Ferko, professor of chemistry; Dr. Jim Buchholz, professor of mathematics and physics; and Dr. Erin Smith, assistant professor of psychology. Four CBU faculty had research posters presented by their undergraduate student researchers:  Dr. Nathanael Heyman, associate professor of biology; Dr. Daniel Szeto, associate professor of biology and biochemistry; Dr. Stephen Runyan, assistant professor of biology; and Dr. Ying (Hannah) Hu, associate professor of chemistry.

 

Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, associate professor of public administration for Online and Professional Studies, moderated a panel, International Political Trends, at the Western Social Science Association Conference in San Francisco on April 12-15. She also made a panel presentation on The California Voting Rights Act & Local Government Representation.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Sanggon Nam, associate professor of public health, recently joined the editorial board of the Epidemiology section of Frontiers in Public Health as a review editor. Frontiers in Public Health is a peer-reviewed journal aimed at the scientific community interested in the broad area of public health.

 

 

 

Dr. Jessica Alzen, adjunct professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, successfully defended her dissertation at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education on April 7. The title of her dissertation was Using observation protocol scores to make inferences about change in teacher practices. She also co-authored an article that was published in the American Educational Research Association’s AERA Open journal on April 7. The article was titled The implications of reduced testing for teacher accountability.

 

 

The inaugural CBU Student Research Colloquium, held April 13, showcased students’ peer-reviewed research. Two students received top scores in the review and selection process: Maria Perez, from the College of Health Science, presented Trends in Heart Disease and Cancer Mortality in Riverside County, CA 2006-2015; and Rosa Hunt, from the School of Behavioral Sciences, presented Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation as Predictors of Career Engagement among College Professors. More than 30 students presented research. Faculty selected Hanchu Dai and Zhehao Xiong for a best poster presentation, and peers selected Cheyenne Denison and Isabel Otero for a best poster presentation. Dr. Jeffrey Gage, professor of nursing, presented on the importance and process of conducting research. The colloquium was sponsored by the College of Health Science, the School of Behavioral Sciences and the Center for the Study of Human Behavior, and organized by Dr. Robert LaChausse, Dr. Sean Sullivan, Dr. Erin Smith and Dr. Kristin Mauldin.

 

Dr. Sandra Romo, assistant professor of communication for Online and Professional Studies, presented research at the National Social Science Association Annual Meeting in Las Vegas on April 10. The title of the research was Master Course Models: Developing Online and Face-to-Face Courses Highlighting Andragogy.

 

 

 

The Office of Mobilization is holding a blood drive fundraiser May 18 for the ISP and SOS teams going overseas this summer. Every donation earns Mobilization $15. Click here to make an appointment.

 

 

 

Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, organized “Walk for Health” events to celebrate National Public Health Week (April 3-9). Faculty, staff, and student walked at the Tyler Plaza location in Riverside and groups participated in one-mile walks inside the Tyler Galleria. The purpose of National Public Health Week is to help communities connect, highlight national public health issues and acknowledge public heath contributions to communities across the country. CBU Online is recognized as a national partner for the National Public Health Week initiative, which is organized by the American Public Health Association.

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, spoke at Cal State San Bernardino, Public Relations Society of America Student chapter meeting on April 18. The presentation was on Building Networking and Public Relations Skills.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Monica O’Rourke, visiting professor of kinesiology for Online and Professional Studies, presided and led an online symposium for Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies on April 19. The symposium was titled The Value of Mentoring.  CBU Online hosted the event with Joe Cameron, online learning systems administrator, directing the technology for the webinar.

 

 

 

Dr. Julian Mills-Beale, assistant professor of civil engineering, Dr. Jong-Wha Bai, associate professor of civil engineering, and some of their students took an educational project site tour of the new College of Engineering building on April 4. The group, mainly comprising Soils and Foundation Design students, talked with project engineer Ryan Kahrs, a CBU College of Engineering alumnus, and his team. Students were briefed on the use of Geopier foundations and how the structure is going to be supported by the foundation soil.

 

 

Dr. Berniece Bruinius Alspach, assistant professor of English, and her husband, Brent, welcomed a daughter on March 4. Olivia Faith Alspach weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates