July 10, 2020

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Professor’s photos featured in exhibition on protests

For Adrian White, photography is about documenting life.

“I know the power of photography. I know it’s important to let the photograph tell the story,” said White, adjunct professor of photography at California Baptist University. “I’m following in the footsteps of [photographer] Gordon Parks, who said the camera is one of the most powerful tools that anybody could ever wield.”

White, for his Master of Fine Arts thesis in photography, brought the past and the present together in a project that featured relatives holding old family photographs. He also posed family members in various landscapes in North Carolina, where he grew up.

White also has documented historical events around the world, including the recent Black Lives Matter protests that took place in and around Los Angeles.

“It’s very important for a person with a specific experience to document the experience,” White said. “Because I’m Black and this

issue is so close to my heart, when I go to the protest, I see things in a different way. I’m going to approach the shoot from a different way.”

“It’s this moment in history,” White said of the recent protests. “It’s important, and I think everybody sees its importance. I’m amazed with the unity I see on the streets. I know that I have to be out there to document it because this moment is calling me to be there.”

His photos from the protests are featured as part of a current exhibition titled “Protest in Place” at SoLA Contemporary in Los Angeles. White also is scheduled to debut a solo show focusing on family and ancestry at SoLA in late August.

White has taught CBU classes such as history of photography, commercial photography and studio photography. He said he enjoys instructing his students on professionalism, from showing up on time to putting the necessary work into a project.

White also wants his students to know that photography can provide commentary.

“What’s going on in the world right now? What are the people doing? I think art is so important and I want all my students to understand the power of art,” White said. “You can easily get an idea to another person all the way on the other side of the world.”

 

Duo earn honors at regional, national advertising competitions

A California Baptist University student and an alumnus earned acclaim for their work at the American Advertising Federation (AAF) national awards, which was livestreamed on June 26.

Andres Alegria, a graphic design senior, won a silver for his entry titled “Duracell” in the consumer campaign category. Alegria, who will graduate in August, had won gold at the AAF-Inland Empire Awards and then in AAF District 15, which covers Southern California and Southern Nevada.

James Drew (’20) won a silver for his entry titled “Muntz” in the illustration category.

Drew, who uses the name James Earhart professionally, had won silver at the AAF-Inland Empire Awards and then gold in AAF District 15.

Drew, who is working as a freelancer designer, said he was overwhelmed when he first learned he won a national AAF award, also known as ADDYs.

“I didn’t understand the magnitude of it,” Drew said. “I sat there watching Coca-Cola, Netflix and Disney [win] and I was like, ‘this is a lot bigger than I thought.’ I think that’s when it hit me the most.”

Alegria, who is working at a marketing agency in Riverside, said his project was initially a class assignment and then the professor suggested he expand it for the ADDYs.

“These professors not only care about the work you do at school, your homework and your projects, but they care for you as a student and a person,” Alegria said. “They really want you to be successful in the industry, so they prepare you. I’m really grateful for the guidance.”

Mark Roberson, dean of the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design, said it is an amazing honor to get a national ADDY award.

“This competition is against the very best student work in the country,” Roberson said. “Our students are competing against the biggest and most prestigious design schools in the nation.”

 

 

School of Business announces interim dean 

Dr. Wayne Fletcher, associate provost for academic services, has been appointed as the interim dean for the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business at California Baptist University.

“Dr. Fletcher’s professional and academic background align extremely well with the role required to continue strong leadership in the business school,” said Dr. Chuck Sands, provost and vice president for academic affairs at CBU.  “With a doctoral degree in higher education leadership from UCLA as well as an MBA from the University of Denver, along with his time serving as a chief operating officer and also working extensively in healthcare administration, you can see that Dr. Fletcher is an extremely good fit for this interim role.”

Sands said that he will be appointing a search committee to secure a full-time dean for the School of Business.

 

Architecture program featured in virtual festival

Academic work by students in the architecture program at California Baptist University was showcased for the Dezeen Virtual Design Festival on June 29.  Ten designs by CBU students were featured in the online architecture and design magazine based in London.

“Being featured is a step toward getting more visibility in the broader design community of professionals and academics,” said Keelan Kaiser, program director of architecture in the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design.

The magazine invited academic architecture programs to participate in the festival. Kaiser asked CBU faculty to choose the most creative works from their design classes this past academic year. The final 10 designs represent the work of second- through fifth-year students in the program.

The designs included specialized housing for dementia patients, an elementary school, a performing arts center and a place of worship. The theme of CBU’s submission was “design for the public good,” which is one of the program’s strong emphases, Kaiser said.

“We were trying to distinguish ourselves from other schools,” Kaiser said. “All architecture schools are socially conscious and care about the broader public. At CBU, we also include a faith-based perspective.”

The architecture program at CBU started in 2012 and received initial accreditation in the spring 2019.

For more information on the program, click here.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, professor of communication, presented a webinar for the Inland Empire Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America on June 17. It was titled Podcasting on a Shoestring Budget.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Brandi Robinson, adjunct professor of Spanish for Online and Professional Studies, successfully defended her dissertation on June 24. She earned a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University. Her dissertation was on computer-based interventions in online learning.

 

 

 

Dr. Ed Garrett, associate professor of kinesiology, was featured in Blackboard’s higher education blog. The blog was titled #InItTogether During COVID-19 and Beyond: How Institutions Are Advancing Remote Learning Through Creativity (May 12, 2020).

 

 

 

Andrew Cress, director of special projects for Academic Affairs, moderated a webinar for the California Association for Institutional Research on May 29. It was titled Sanity in Statistics: Finding a Healthy Balance in a Stressful Field.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jennifer Costello, assistant professor of social work, Dr. Krystal Hays, assistant professor of social work, and Dr. Ana Gamez, associate professor of psychology, had an article published in the Journal of Spirituality and Mental Health (2020). It was titled Using mental health first aid to promote mental health in churches.

 

 

Dr. Shawn Wilhite, assistant professor of Christian studies for Online and Professional studies, had an article published in Credo Magazine (2020). It was titled Gregory of Nyssa: The Father of Fathers.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, associate professor of public administration for Online and Professional Studies, had an article published in PA Times (June 17, 2020). It was titled Government Operations Via Web Conferencing: Serving Citizens During COVID-19 and Beyond.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Rod Foist, professor of electrical and computer engineering, presented a paper at the annual American Society for Engineering Education conference held virtually on June 23. Dr. John Butler, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Gibson Fleming, an electrical and computer engineering student, were co-authors. The paper was titled An Electronics Lab Project—Tutorial and Design of Printed Circuit Board “big_blinky.”

 

 

Dr. Cammy Purper, associate professor of education, and Dr. Mary Crist, adjunct professor of education, both for Online and Professional Studies, gave a virtual presentation at the 2020 Annual Conference of the California Association for the Education of Young Children on June 29. It was titled Talking to Children in Difficult Times.

 

 

 

Ben Sanders, professor of computing, software and data sciences, published a book, Foundations of Videogame Programming: Code Repository (June 2020).

 

 

 

 

Dr. Amanie Abdelmessih, professor of mechanical engineering, recently joined the nominating committee for the Nancy Deloye Fitzroy and Roland V. Fitzroy Medal given by American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The award recognizes pioneering contributions to the frontiers of engineering that have led to a breakthrough in existing technology, or to new applications or new areas of engineering endeavor.

 

 

 

Erin Kirk, adjunct professor of piano, published an article in the journal Musicologist: International Journal of Music Studies (June 2020). The article is titled The Development of an American Sound: From the Perspective of Twentieth Century Masters, Aaron Copland & Leonard Bernstein.

 

 

 

Dr. Erin Smith, associate professor of psychology, was selected to serve as a science advisor for Denver Seminary as part of the Science for Seminaries Project, funded through the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion program within the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She will serve as advisor until December 2021.

 

 

 

Dr. Bonjun Koo, professor of environmental science, was invited to be an academic editor for the journal, Applied and Environmental Soil Sciences. Academic editors assess the scope and quality of manuscripts, run the peer review process and make recommendations based on feedback from peer reviewers.

 

 

 

Philip Breitenbucher, assistant professor of social work, facilitated a national webinar for the Administration for Children and Families on June 24. The title of the webinar was An Overview of the 2020 Adoptions and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Final Rule.

 

 

 

 

Julie Dobbins, director of compassion and women’s ministries, and her husband, Jared, welcomed a son on May 29. Rowen Allen Dobbins weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 21 inches in length. He joins brothers Parker, 5, and Everett, 3.

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Shortall, director of athletics communications, and Chelsea Shortall, assistant women’s water polo coach, welcomed a daughter on May 24. Mae Marin Shortall weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 20.5 inches.

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates