March 8, 2019

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Biblical scholar discusses ways the Holy Spirit moves

The Holy Spirit is active today in a variety of ways in a Christian’s life, Dr. Graham Cole told a California Baptist University audience on March 5.

Cole is the dean and professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has written or contributed to multiple books, including “Engaging With the Holy Spirit” and “The God Who Became Human.” Cole spoke as part of the School of Christian Ministries Lecture Series at CBU.

Cole discussed ways the Holy Spirit can be seen in the life of the believer, starting with “birthing believers.” He cited John 3:1-8, where Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born of the Spirit.

“Our birth from above, is our entrance into the family of God,” Cole said. “Regeneration is a miracle, whether the human experience is spectacular or quiet, it is a divine work.”

The Holy Spirit also provides assurance, Cole said.

“The very fact that the children of God call on their heavenly father is itself evidence of the Spirit’s work,” Cole said.

Additionally, the Holy Spirit intercedes for believers, Cole said.

“If you live long enough, you’ll be spiritually winded more than once. The devil is real. Our fallenness is real and our fragility is real,” Cole said. “The Holy Spirit maintains our access to the Father, and sustains our intentionality to pray, even when we’re spiritually winded by circumstances and we just don’t know what to pray.”

Finally, Cole said, the Holy Spirit dwells in believers and God is to be glorified in how they live.

“In the Old Testament, the nations flock to Zion,” Cole said. “The New Testament idea is that Zion goes everywhere—wherever you are, there is Zion; there is the temple, the temple has gone global.”

Jenesis Andrews-Kendale, an applied theology freshman, said she took away from the lecture that prayer reveals a Christian’s beliefs.

“What stuck with me was the way that we pray models our relationship with the Father,” Andrews-Kendale said. The Holy Spirit is part of that relationship and needs to be part of prayer, she added.

Zac Bezansky, an applied theology sophomore, said he appreciates the lecture series.

“I love these opportunities. It’s really helpful because they do a good job of tying together everything [through the speakers] that we’re learning in the classroom in an applicable way,” Bezansky said.

 

Professor encourages students to pursue social enterprise

Dr. Darla Donaldson, associate professor of finance and social entrepreneurship at California Baptist University, has a knack for keeping interesting props in her office.

Jewelry from Nigeria, a knit cap from Uganda, an empty compost bag, a bar of soap and a soccer ball found on the shelves are some of the teaching tools used to spark entrepreneur creativity.

Creating new enterprises can help rescue people out of poverty and human trafficking in addition to providing opportunities for environmental stewardship, Donaldson said.

Donaldson has a history as a social entrepreneur herself. She has been involved with organizations such as: Path of Life Ministries, which offers holistic system of health care to the homeless population; Business 4 Transformation, which works in the 10-40 window; and Olive Crest, which assists at-risk children. She has worked with nonprofit organizations, helping them brainstorm social enterprise options; served on advisory boards; and helped to formulate metrics to evaluate a company’s spiritual impact.

“My whole motivation for social enterprise is to help people and help them provide an avenue to support their families,” Donaldson said. “The difference between a social entrepreneur and an entrepreneur is that social entrepreneurs are motivated from compassion.”

Donaldson takes this passion and seeks to pass it along to her students to pursue such endeavors. For instance, in one course—Microfinance (BUS 363), she has her students examine ways microfinance, as a tool, can help alleviate global poverty so that sustainable change might occur.

In her Social Entrepreneurship course (ENT 362), Donaldson instructs students how to use business skills and knowledge to create social change. Students develop a business plan for a social enterprise by determining what service or good to sell, analyzing market trends to understand who their customer would be in addition to proposing Christian principles for their core business values.

Donaldson said being an entrepreneur or social entrepreneur are equal pursuits.

“God wired some people to be entrepreneurs, but there are other people who have a compassion for a particular people group,” Donaldson said.

For those students who have the compassionate wiring, Donaldson seeks to open a window into the social entrepreneurship arena and help inspire ideas that make positive changes in society.

“I hope that the students will look to see where God is at work in the lives of people around them and join Him in that work. God can use their skills to make a difference,” Donaldson said.

 

CBU wrestling earns distinctions at national competition

Four Lancer wrestlers walked away with All-American awards, including a championship title for Zach Schrader, at the 2019 National Collegiate Open. The championship event is an opportunity for NCAA Division 1 wrestlers, who are ineligible for the NCAA Championships, to compete against each other.

California Baptist University is in a multi-year transition into D-I play. During the first four transitional years, CBU athletic teams will not be eligible for NCAA playoffs.

Read the full story here.

 

 

 

Mohler encourages students to see the truth of the Gospel

The world is divided into two groups, those who will see Jesus and those who will not see Him, Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. told a California Baptist University chapel audience on Feb. 26.

Mohler is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also hosts two popular programs called “The Briefing,” a daily analysis of news and world events from a Christian perspective, and “Thinking in Public,” a show that hosts influential leaders.

Mohler expounded from John 9 and the story of Jesus healing a man that was born blind.

“John was a master storyteller through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,” Mohler said. “In John chapter 9 you get a story full of irony. The guy who ends up knowing the most is the person who saw the least.”

The blind man was not even allowed in the temple due to his disability, but he became a theologian after he had a life-transforming experience through the healing of Jesus, explained Mohler, when the blind man lectured the Pharisees about his miraculous healing.

“The Pharisees had perfectly good eyes but couldn’t see anything spiritually,” Mohler said.  “This story is not just a fairytale. This story happened so that people can understand they are one of these two groups in the story.”

“There are people who will see Jesus, and there are those who will not see him,” Mohler said.  “This is the difference between heaven and hell.

“What this story does is it points us back to the Gospel. Whoever believes or sees will be saved. He who has eyes let him or she see,” Mohler said.

 

CBU students present research at math and science symposium

Gurparsad Singh Suri, a biology junior at California Baptist University, stood next to a large poster board filled with charts, figures and diagrams. He motioned back and forth from the poster to his audience, as he explained the different types of air pollution in the environment.

“I initially thought when you open up a window you get better air quality, but that is not always the case. Even when you open a window, you are letting dust inside, and that can build up over time,” Suri explained. “The research was taxing because every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we had to go out and do the measurements. And it was also awesome learning that there are things you can’t see or sense that can affect your health.”

Suri was one of the more than 40 presenters throughout the day at the 11th annual Natural and Mathematical Sciences Research Symposium that was held on Feb. 23 at CBU.

Dr. Lisa Hernandez, associate dean for the Division of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at CBU, said the goal of the symposium is to cultivate a culture of research.

“This event gives students an opportunity to participate in undergraduate research and to present it in a style that is professional,” Hernandez said.

Scientists and mathematicians need to know how to communicate their ideas effectively, Hernandez said. These professionals are constantly presenting at conferences, she added.

“All student researchers work closely with a faculty advisor,” said Hernandez, on how students’ work is added to the symposium. “One of our goals of the symposium is to give presentation opportunities to as many students as possible, so we are very encouraging even to the students who are just starting out in research.”

Ashley Lobos, an environmental science junior, presented research on the effects of plastics on the growth of lettuce.

Lobos said she enjoyed the practical experience she gained from her research.

“I enjoyed conducting hands-on research. I love plants, and it was a great experience to grow and then examine them,” Lobos said. “[Through the research] I learned that plastics are a big issue when it comes to affecting the food we eat. Plastics don’t completely biodegrade, it just gets broken down into small pieces. We can eventually consume plastic particles.”

Lobos said a take-away from her research was to find out more ways society can reduce its dependency on plastic products.

“I’m always blown away by what the students produce and the research that they’re doing. They produce some high-quality things and are thought-provoking and applicable and necessary,” Hernandez said.

 

Career Expo brings job opportunities to CBU students

Tomas Perez approached the Spring Career Expo at California Baptist University on Feb. 20 as a learning experience. Before the event, the computer science sophomore had the Career Center critique his resume. He also researched and learned more about organizations that would be participating in the expo.

“I think it’s very beneficial to have this event on campus because it brings employers who are willing to look at potential candidates,” Perez said. “It brings them all here so it’s very easy for students to attend and get some experience speaking to employers.”

The Career Expo coordinated by the CBU Career Center featured nearly 100 commercial businesses, nonprofits and government agencies that were offering internship and job opportunities.

The event is a great way for students to connect with an employer, said Lisa Singer, associate director of employer relations in the Career Center.

“This is an outstanding opportunity to network and get their name and face in front of people,” Singer said. “It is a perfect atmosphere to practice professional communication with recruiters.”

Rio Guzman, a sociology junior, said it was a bit nerve-wracking to engage with potential employers at first but the experience grew easier as she continued the process.

“It’s nice that CBU is able to bring all the businesses and organizations to us because it makes it easier and accessible rather than having all go and find out them,” Guzman said. “It feels like they’re trying to enhance our experience here and make sure we get jobs with our degrees.”

Andrew Kotlewski, a mechanical engineering junior, secured an internship at the Fall Engineering Fair last semester. He stopped by the Career Expo to greet the company he will intern with this summer.

“Working with the Career Center prepared me for the event. Then I went and I got an internship,” Kotlewski recalled of his prior experience at the engineering fair.

 

Lancer Day aims to solidify college choice for high schoolers

Savannah Olszewski, a Lake Elsinore resident, made her commitment to California Baptist University official on Feb. 19 at Lancer Day. At the “Choose CBU Party,” she wrote her name on the large CBU letters, indicating her decision to become a Lancer beginning in fall 2019.

Throughout the day, Olszewski also learned about academics at CBU, met her peers and learned about the CBU culture.

“I’m a nursing major, so I felt a lot more comfortable with what I needed to do for the major,” Olszewski said of her experience at Lancer Day. “I chose CBU because it is a mix between a big university and a small private university.”

Lancer Day is one of several days that CBU holds throughout the year to connect prospective and accepted students to campus life. More than 200 potential Lancers, many accompanied by their parents, participated in the event. The visitors had the opportunity to attend chapel, hear from deans, program directors and various campus offices.

“This day is meant to help [potential students] make their decision to choose CBU. It’s giving them a sneak peek into CBU,” said Dustin Lowe, director of undergraduate admissions. “The Choose CBU Party is a celebratory and exciting and fun way to say ‘I’m committed.’”

Chloe Daniels, a high school senior from Huntington Beach, said she liked the faculty, the academics and the food at CBU. She also made her commitment to attend CBU at Lancer Day.

“I know what I want to do for my career. I just have to find the path to get there. Today really helped me with that,” said Daniels, who plans to major in psychology.  “The housing is nicer than a lot of other colleges I toured. I felt like, ‘I can see myself living here.’”

 

Speaker encourages audience to trust Jesus in the storm

Jesus is trustworthy, D.A. Horton declared to a chapel audience at California Baptist University on Feb. 19.

“I don’t know what God has in store for you when you leave chapel today, but I do know that He wants you to come to Him,” Horton said.

Horton is pastor of Reach Fellowship located in Long Beach, California. He is also a chief evangelist for the Urban Youth Workers Institute, a nonprofit that trains urban youth workers to evangelize and disciple at-risk youth throughout the U.S. Prior to becoming a pastor, Horton was the executive director at Reach Records a production company that aims to use rap music as a way to preach the Good News.

Horton taught from the Gospel accounts that record Jesus’ miracle of walking on water.

Before that miracle, Jesus sent his disciples on a journey that would lead them directly into a storm, Horton said.

“Complications prevented the disciples from getting to the other side of the lake,” Horton said. “This was all a part of God’s will. The scriptures say that in the midst of their struggles, ‘Jesus saw his disciples struggling.’”

Jesus also sees when believers are struggling in life, when they are crying, when they do not see a way out of their storm in life, Horton said.

“Jesus will never leave you or forsake you,” Horton said. “Even in the lowest points of your life, Jesus sees you and wants to have fellowship with you in that storm.”

The disciples had reached a point where no resources and no people would help them with the storm they were facing, Horton said.

“When Jesus appeared to His disciples He declared that, ‘It is I, do not be afraid,” Horton said. “He reminded them that—He is God—and He was with them in the storm—and that He was going to take care of them.”

Storms in life allow believers to develop spiritual maturity, Horton said. Christians mature as they are forged through fire, he added.

“If there is one point I want you to leave with today, it is that Jesus is trustworthy. Turn to Jesus let Him be the center of all your pursuits,” Horton said.

 

CBU practicum luncheon honors collaborative agencies

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences hosted a practicum luncheon to honor 40 agencies—ranging from school districts to government programs to nonprofits— for their collaboration and support of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program on Feb 15.

The event also gave counseling psychology students at California Baptist University a chance to network with the agencies representatives. Counseling psychology students at CBU are required to obtain at least 400 practicum hours.

“The practicum luncheon is a time when our students and our wonderful agencies come together to bring all this hard work to fruition to really begin to help clients,” Dr. Mischa Routon, associate dean of graduate programs in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, told the audience.

The event benefits both the agencies and the students, said Dr. Jay Burke, program director of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program at CBU.

“For the students, it’s accessibility,” Burke said. “This is an opportunity for them to come in and meet people face to face. Through these conversations, they can get clarity on a potential placement for them.”

For the agencies, it is a way for them to get a sense of which students they think will be a good fit, Burke added.

Leslie Delgado, a graduate student in the counseling psychology program, wants to work with couples and children. Delgado said she looks forward to starting her practicum work.

“The practicum will definitely give me that experience that I need,” Delgado said. “It will help me put into practice what I’ve learned in the classroom.”

Arvely Lopez, a counseling psychology graduate student, desires to conduct a practicum at a school or a hospital.

“It’s all about exposure. The more clients you see, the more prepared you are,” Lopez said. “Also, you’re building up experience. Clients from different cultures and different issues are going to come up, so getting exposure is good experience.”

 

Family Updates

Dr. Jeff Gage, professor of nursing, co-authored an article in the Disability and Rehabilitation journal. The title is Living well with chronic pain: A classical grounded theory.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Erin Smith, associate professor of psychology, participated in the Bridging the Two Cultures of Science and the Humanities II, North American Colloquium in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Feb. 15-17. Smith moderated a session titled Developing research to equip churches to address science and faith questions. She also presented in a session titled Collaborative student and faculty research and its impact on teaching.

 

 

 

Dr. Joshua Rodriguez, assistant professor of music theory and composition, had his orchestral work performed by Symphony Irvine in Bellflower, California, on Jan. 25. Titled Souls Like Birds, the work explores themes of poverty and the transformative work of Christians to renew the inner city.

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Prather, professor of aviation science, was a guest speaker at the Experimental Aircraft Association chapter 905 luncheon at St. Simons Island Airport, St. Simons Island, Georgia, on Feb. 10.  Prather presented on Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Airports.

 

 

 

 

 

Greta Anderson, assistant director of undergraduate admissions, was named employee of the month for March. Her nomination included the following statements: “Greta is always here when needed and I constantly see her staying after work to finish up projects to make sure that the team is successful. I can always rely on Greta to perform her daily responsibilities and she consistently goes above and beyond to help others with their work.  She has become a ‘rock’ for this office.”

 

 

 

Dr. Joel Bigley, assistant professor of business, published a textbook, Executing Transformation (Archway, Jan. 31, 2019), on change leadership.

 

 

 

Dr. Joe Way, director of multimedia services for Information Technology Services, was named a finalist and runner-up for the global 2018 “AV Professional of the Year” award presented by AV Nation. He had articles in Church Production Magazine: The Most Underrated Must-Have FOH Technology for Churches; A 4-Point Checklist for Portable Church Staging; and How to Get Started (and Thrive) in Church Tech. He also was a guest on AVWeek discussing the topic AV Risk.

 

 

Dr. Seung-Jae Kim, professor of bioengineering, co-authored a paper with CBU students—Kailey Nishimura, Eva Martinez, Alexander Loeza and Jessica Parker—that was published in PLOS ONE (December 2018). The paper was titled Effects of periodic sensory perturbations during electrical stimulation on gait cycle period.

 

 

 

Dr. Karen Cross, assistant professor of education, and Dr. Ted Murcray, assistant professor of education, presented at the California Association for the Gifted conference in Palm Springs on Feb. 24. The title of the presentation was Are 2E Students Getting What They Need? Cross also co-presented Are Gifted Identification Practices and Services Connected?

 

 

 

The Fletcher Jones Foundation recently awarded CBU with a $600,000 grant—which will be doubled through the University endowment matching program—to create a future Fletcher Jones Foundation Endowed Professorship of Research position at CBU. Dr. Mary Spellman, executive director of the Fletcher Jones Foundation, attended the dedication ceremony at CBU on March 1. She expressed the confidence the foundation’s Board of Trustees have in CBU’s leadership to implement and sustain this professorship and its appreciation of the vision that guides the university’s future.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jay Burke, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Lauren Bennett were married in Zion National Park in Utah on Oct. 27.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Tom Schneider, associate professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, and his wife, Rita, welcomed a son on Feb. 4. Simon Mark Schneider weighed 9 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20.75 inches. He joins brother, Ethan, 2.

 

 

 

Personnel Updates