May 6, 2022

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU concludes 2022 spring commencement ceremonies

California Baptist University wrapped up three days of celebration this week for the spring commencement ceremonies held at the CBU Events Center. Students received cheers and praise in front of thousands of friends and family members during five ceremonies on May 2-4.

Combined applications for graduation for spring 2022 commencement ceremonies consisted of nine candidates for doctoral degrees, 661 for master’s degrees and 1,217 for undergraduate degrees for a total of 1,887 applicants.

In the commencement address, Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, president of California Baptist University, congratulated the graduates.

“Commencement is the occasion when we celebrate academic achievements,” Ellis said. “Even more, you weathered continual changes, interruptions and unknowns caused by a global pandemic. You adapted to these unprecedented circumstances and finished strong. … And through the sacrifices you made, your true character was exemplified, and the relentless pursuit of your educational goals was steadfast.”

Ellis told the graduates he hoped their CBU experience will continue to inspire and influence them as they live their lives and serve others.

“May you also take with you a continuing passion for learning, the friendships made and the life lessons gained during your college years. My earnest hope and prayer is that each of you will embrace this new beginning with Lancer enthusiasm,” Ellis said.

Walter Price, a CBU Board of Trustees member who gave the invocation, read from Psalm 46:1-3. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling” (ESV).

“Graduates as you entered today, I noticed that almost every one of you was looking up as you came into the room,” Price said. “I want to encourage you on the basis of this scripture to keep looking up, but look farther up, to the God who is your refuge and your strength. Whatever comes, good or bad, He is your refuge and strength.”

During the ceremonies, CBU recognized the efforts of two students who achieved excellence in their academic accomplishments. David Torres Salas, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in pre-law and a minor in music, received the 2022 Outstanding Senior Award. Shalomita Sumito, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, received the Min Sung Kim International Student Award.

For Jonathon Vancil, who earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, commencement was extra special. He is the first in his family to graduate from college.

“I am first generation from Cuba, and I am the first of my family to finish college,” Vancil said. “There was a lot of stuff that was on my shoulders, and I took the next step to finish my degree. I’m excited to finish and now I can pass this onto my children.”

Marcelo Blanco, police captain of the Upland Police Department, earned his Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership to fulfill his goal of becoming a leader in his organization.

“Most of the things I’ve learned in the master’s program are things that we are doing, so it made sense to me. It’s where the rubber meets the road,” Blanco said. “You take the academic side of things and apply it to the real world.”

 

CBU receives multiple awards in Baptist media competition

California Baptist University won numerous communication awards at the 58th annual Wilmer C. Fields Awards competition. The awards were presented during the annual Baptist Communicators Association workshop, held April 25-28.

The Lancer Media Group and the Marketing and Communication division won a combined 26 awards in the student and professional competitions, including one of the eight grand prizes awarded.

The Angelos 2021 yearbook—Adapt—won the grand prize for Best Overall Student Entry in addition to first place in several categories, including Best Yearbook Whole Issue and Best Yearbook Cover.

In other student awards, CBU TV’s Wyatt Mitchison won first place for his video “CBU Sports Minute” in the Video Storytelling category. Philip Elijah won first place for Single Photograph. Marharyta Smirnova and Claire Grimes earned first place in Series Photography for Midnight Madness, and Luc Stringer won first place for Best Portrait for “Endless Spinning” in Angelos Yearbook.

Camille Grochowski won first place in design for her magazine article spread in Pursuit magazine. Grochowski, Stringer and Caleb Chong also won first place for Best Magazine Cover and first place for Best Magazine Whole Issue Design for the fall 2021 issue of Pursuit. 

Ignacio Dominguez and Lauren Brooks won first place for Mixed Media Coverage. The Banner took home first place for Best Newspaper.

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, interim director of student publications, said her and Sonya Singh, assistant director of student publications, were thrilled for the students.

“We are so very proud of Lancer Media Group and the dedication and tenacity they continue to demonstrate,” Pearson said.

Additionally, the Marketing and Communication division at CBU won three awards in the professional competition. The Roundtable, the alumni magazine, earned first place in the Overall Print Publication Magazine category. CBU’s State of the University and Breaking the Silence also received awards.

To see a full list of the awards, please visit the BCA website here.

 

Student filmmakers showcase work at CBU film festival 

California Baptist University’s film department hosted its annual Student Film Festival at The Box theatre in downtown Riverside on April 24. The event, which is part of the Riverside International Film Festival, featured the screening of a series of films, created and submitted by CBU film students, as well as an awards ceremony.

Dr. Melissa Croteau, professor of film studies, has been involved in the planning process for the annual event for years. The film festival is open to all CBU students.

“The students have an opportunity to share what they have been doing in classes and out of classes in the last year creatively,” Croteau said. “There are people from all over campus who come to the festival, but also the friends, the church communities, the co-workers and the families of these filmmakers come and cheer on the work. There is no substitute to seeing one’s work with a group of people and having your work appreciated. I really think that is invaluable.”

The festival offered a vast array of short films from multiple genres, including narrative, horror and a music video. Croteau views the variety as a strength of the festival.

“We didn’t put a particular topic only because we didn’t want to limit anyone,” Croteau said.

Michael Metzler Jr., junior film major, submitted two films for the festival, including “What Is Real” and the film that won best picture, “Simon Says.”

“What I enjoyed about sharing my films was being able to see them on a real big screen and being able to experience the audience’s reactions to the stories,” Metzler said. “I learned that spontaneity often gives rise to the best ideas, and you can’t get better at something unless you actually take initiative and dive straight in.”

Josiah Murphy, film senior, worked on several films—“One Night Only” and “Saudade,” which won best actress, and “What Is Real.” Murphy enjoyed collaborating with other film students throughout the filmmaking process and then attending the festival.

“It’s always fun to come together as students and watch others’ work in support,” Murphy said. “It also makes it even better when there’s a big turnout so others can see the varied work that the film program is doing.”

This film festival is the first one to take place indoors and in-person since the start of the pandemic. The 2020 festival was cancelled and the 2021 event took place on the Mission Hall Lawn.

Croteau said that the film festival offers students valuable experience and opportunities as they can go on to submit their films to other festivals. She also said the film festival allows others to see the potential of future filmmakers on campus.

“These are people who are going to go on and impact the world,” Croteau said. “You can see a piece of their future and certainly the promise in the creative minds and careers of these filmmakers.”

Student Film Festival Awards

Best film: “Simon Says”
Best Actress: Jolene Automo, “Saudade”
Best actor: Michael Metzler Jr., “Simon Says”
Best cinematography: Viviana Delgado, “Whiplash Reprised”
Best music and soundtrack: “broken promises”
Best screenplay: Michael Metzler Jr., “Simon Says”
Best special visual effects: Benjamin Morey, “Shoot … to Kill!”
Best editing: Michael Metzler Jr., “Simon Says”
Best production design: “Simon Says”

 

Outstanding students ring bell in commencement ceremonies

More than 1,880 students at California Baptist University were eligible to participate in five commencement ceremonies held in the Events Center from May 2-4.

Five distinguished students were selected to begin each ceremony with a traditional ringing of the CBU bell. Each toll of the bell represents one decade of the university’s existence. At the spring ceremonies, the bell will ring seven times to honor the seven decades of academic excellence since CBU’s inception in 1950.

On May 2, Nathan Moretti, a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics candidate, rang the bell at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony, and Aimee Yeager, a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Studies candidate did so at the 2 p.m. ceremony. On May 3, Skye Morikawa, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology candidate, rang the bell at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony, and Ashley Cote, a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science candidate, did at the 2 p.m. ceremony. Brendan Kane, a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering candidate, rang the bell at the May 4 ceremony.

Morikawa, who has a 4.0 GPA, said her biggest success is related to her biggest challenge in college.

“Finding balance was one of the most difficult things I had to do,” Morikawa said. “I have been able to grow in my relationship with God, develop lasting relationships, provide for myself and remain successful in my academic endeavors. I would not have been able to get through these last few years without my community of people supporting me.”

After commencement, Morikawa will celebrate her wedding this summer and transition to a full-time entry-level social worker.

Moretti, a 4.0 GPA student and intern for the office of Community Life, hopes to work in higher education through one-on-one interaction with students. He said he is not the same person graduating from CBU as when he first entered as a freshman.

“I thank God for showing me His goodness throughout my time here,” Moretti said. “My professors at CBU have shown me how math can glorify God and that God must be central to all aspects of life.”

Yeager, a 3.99 GPA student, said God guided her as she moved from Thailand to the United States to begin her academic journey.

“I had never been to California before coming to college,” Yeager said. “God has humbled me a lot. Teaching me to trust Him, not just with the big things but also with the smallest things. I am developing the habit of bringing it all to the feet of Jesus.”

Kane, a 4.0 GPA student, will join SpaceX as a structural engineer on the Falcon program. He said his time at CBU has allowed him to grow in many ways.

“I have been able to really push the limits of what I thought was possible and have grown to view and appreciate new challenges as opportunities for growth,” Kane said. “It has also been meaningful to me to be able to meet so many hard-working and compassionate people throughout my time at CBU.”

Cote, a 4.0 GPA student, said that her support system helped her overcome chronic pain she experienced while earning her degree and was able to maintain her grades through grit, determination and hard work.

“Every hour spent studying was worth it,” Cote said. “CBU has shaped me in more ways than I can describe. I am forever grateful for the experiences that CBU has given me, and I will use all the lessons that I have learned to glorify God in my future career.”

 

Hooding ceremonies honor graduates’ academic achievements

Hundreds of graduate degree candidates at California Baptist University celebrated their academic achievements with hooding ceremonies leading up to commencement May 2-4.

More than 650 master’s degree candidates and nine doctoral candidates were eligible to participate in the spring commencements. Colleges and schools at CBU host program-specific hooding ceremonies to recognize their candidates. Students are given distinctive colored hoods that represent their major to wear at their commencement ceremony.

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences had the largest group of master’s candidates with 266. The Bonnie G. Metcalf School of Education had the second largest group with 135 candidates.

During the master’s of English hooding ceremony on April 25, Dr. Erika Travis, director of the graduate English program at CBU, said words are powerful.

“As you go from here, may your words always be seasoned with grace, bring peace and life, enrich your relationships with understanding of others, impart knowledge and wisdom and ultimately bring glory to God who has brought you to this moment,” Travis said.

Nicole Terada, who earned a Master of Arts in English, works in marketing and communications at Harvest Christian Fellowship. Her goal is to become a college professor, but she has applied her degree to her current career.

“My main goal is still to teach, but I’m using my degree in a way that I didn’t think that I would,” Terada said.

Alison Bravenec, who earned a Master of Arts in English, said her professors worked with her as a busy mom of five.

“I took a lot of time off while having my kids,” Bravenec said. “So, when I finally wanted to come back, they were on board, supportive, very encouraging and helped me build my confidence.”

David Little, who earned a Master of Arts in English, works for Graduate Admissions at CBU and hopes to become a teacher. He began the program 10 years ago and attributes his success to his professors.

“My professors were always encouraging me to come back, and I never took them up on their advice,” Little said. “But religiously they kept coming back, and ultimately, I finished here and I can further my passion for teaching.”

 

Engineering Design Showcase features students’ projects 

Students, families and faculty gathered in the Dennis and Carol Troesh Engineering Building at California Baptist University on April 22 to celebrate another year of innovation.

Students in the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering presented their projects from the year as part of the Engineering Design Showcase. The event featured senior capstone projects, junior design projects and a robotics competition consisting of teams comprised of first-year engineering students.

Dr. Mark Gordon, associate professor of mechanical engineering, said this event is important because it allows students to share their work with others.

“We feel it is important for students to be able to show what they have done,” Gordon said. “It is one thing to get to the end of a course and hand something in but to be able to show it to other people is a valuable thing for them. It gives them extra motivation and also provides a more satisfying experience.”

Gordon also emphasized that the design showcase presents first-year students with the opportunity to interact with juniors and seniors to gain a better understanding of what field of engineering they might want to pursue.

“We find it to be valuable for our first-year students because we have a lot of types of engineering, so one of the things we want them to do is find which type of engineering is right for them,” Gordon said. “This is an opportunity to go around and see what the juniors and seniors are doing and see which type of engineering they might want to go into.”

Celise Vaughan, a mechanical engineering junior, shared about her team’s junior design project, which was a solar windmill design. The goal of the design was to create a product that could produce both solar and wind energy since neither form of energy is consistent. She enjoyed sharing her work at the showcase, especially after facing several obstacles with parts failing during the design process.

“It’s nice having a finished product,” Vaughan said. “It really is a struggle, especially near the end rushing to get everything done, especially when you hit bumps in the road. It’s nice to be proud of something.”

Jonathan Samonte, a mechanical engineering senior, and his team showcased their capstone project—a miniature, wearable heating and cooling device, which uses ceramic tiles to either heat or cool the user. He said he appreciated the opportunity to share the project he and his teammates had worked on all year.

“There is a sense of finality about it,” Samonte said. “You get to the end of the project and think ‘Wow, that’s a whole year’s worth of effort put into a project.’ Now, we actually get to show people what we were doing for an entire year.”

First-year engineering teams participated in a competition in which robots they designed collected data remotely via sensors. The robots used the information to collect orbs based on amount and color. The robots were judged based on accuracy, the energy spent, the cost and the time taken to complete the task.

Members of the winning team, 8-Bit Butler, said they spent weeks perfecting the design and drawings and building their robots for the competition.

“A lot of it was testing and trying to see if our designs were reliable and if they could withstand running for repetitive times and putting stress on them,” said Joshua Miller, an electrical and computer engineering freshman.

The team encountered some major obstacles, including the challenge of having to redesign and rebuild one of their robots five hours before the competition began. However, the team enjoyed the collaboration throughout the process.

“My personal favorite thing is the team collaboration,” said Bryan Mayen, a mechanical engineering freshman. “Since the beginning, we were all so determined to get that main master plan going. We just let our hearts go toward building these things. That’s what matters—being a team and having good team collaboration.”

 

Student literary journal releases 2022 issue

The Dazed Starling, a literary journal that features fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry submitted by California Baptist University students and recent graduates, recently released its annual issue.

The journal, started in 2014, is edited by undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Literary Journal Editing and Publishing (ENG 431 and ENG 531). It is published in the spring of each year, and students from all majors are encouraged to submit their stories to have their voices heard.

Dr. Erika Travis, faculty advisor and managing editor of the journal, said she hopes the audience sees something of themselves reflected in the journal.

“There are others out there with the same hopes, dreams, trials and frustrations,” said Travis, who is also the director of the English graduate program. “We hope that in the sense of community and in the acts of creative expression and revision, writers, editors and the audience all find a glimpse of the creative nature of God and the beauty of participating in that creative experience.”

The name of the journal was inspired by Richard Wilbur’s poem “The Writer” that tells the story of a man observing his daughter as she struggles through the creative process of writing. The dazed starling is a bird referenced in the poem that has difficulties learning to take flight. The bird is used as a symbol in the poem to signify the daughter’s challenges with writing before she can flourish.

For many students this is their first publication, which Travis said is exciting.

“They have created something powerful, and they were brave enough to share it,” Travis said.

Ben Lang, an English graduate student and editor of the journal, said it is often difficult for writers to get their foot in the door in the publishing industry.

“This journal gives students a place to express themselves creatively by giving them an outlet to publish their pieces,” Lang said.

Trinton Spencer, an English graduate student and editor, said this is a great opportunity for students to share a piece of their life in various creative forms with others.

“Some pieces evoke old emotions, inspire the reader to become better or give a sense of relief and peace,” Spencer said.

 

Recognized water polo player reflects on final season with CBU

Kira O’Donell, a social work graduate student at California Baptist University, is filled with mixed emotions as she finishes up her fifth and final season on the CBU women’s water polo team.

“The reality is barely hitting me, and frankly I am filled with heightened and mixed emotions,” O’Donell said. “I think the biggest part of me preparing for my final round of conference play with this team is just my commitment to focus and energy during each practice.”

O’Donell made history for CBU women’s water polo when she became the first player in program history to earn four All-Golden Coast Conference awards on April 19. O’Donell earned All-GCC Second Team recognition. The attacker is also a three-time All-American. In the GCC, O’Donell leads all players with 70 goals this year and has had at least one goal in the last 26 games.

“Complacency does not create champions,” O’Donell said.

“I know that through this team I have been blessed to be surrounded by a large group of girls that will support me unconditionally, work alongside me to achieve a common goal and genuinely desire me to succeed in all aspects of my life,” O’Donell said.

When practices and games came to a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Donell took this time of uncertainty to reflect.

“I had to come to terms with the fact that I had placed my identity as a water polo player higher than most other aspects of myself,” O’Donell said. “COVID forced me to consider the fragileness of my identity as a water polo player as it can be easily taken away, via graduation, injury or even a pandemic. I committed to prioritize my status as a Christian before any fleeting identity or activity because that is the one thing that could not be taken from me.”

O’Donell became more intentional about her thoughts, actions and the people she surrounded herself with to help her reflect on her faith. By modifying her training and routines, she was able to see herself emerge from a water polo player to an athlete.

“I learned that I love to exercise and challenge myself to move and build muscle without the external pressure of daily practice,” O’Donell said. “My self-perceived identity shifted, and I noticed that exercise truly increases my daily productivity and improves my mental health.”

O’Donell discussed that the primary lessons she learned from the pandemic are that nothing in life is guaranteed and that her relationship with God is unchanging.

“I am applying this lesson to my life today by doing all things to the best of my ability to glorify Him,” O’Donell said. “It is my goal for people to see a light in me that can only be from the Lord as I strive to follow His will, utilizing the talents I’ve been given and encouraging others to also join me in this race.”

 

Students win President’s Award for Excellence in Writing

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, presents Morgan Vandiver a certificate for winning the 2022 President’s Award for Excellence in Writing.

Morgan Vandiver, a graduate student in English at California Baptist University, was unanimously named the winner of the 2022 President’s Award for Excellence in Writing.

Vandiver’s research paper, titled “The ‘Madwoman’ is Not Your Metaphor: A Feminist Disability Studies Perspective on Wide Sargasso Sea,” explores mental illness and disability through the lens of feminism.

“This is a clear and persuasive literary criticism paper that intervenes across several important topics from mental health and disability studies to feminism and ethnic studies,” Dr. Tae Sung, dean of student success and member of the selection committee, wrote of the paper. “By acknowledging the attempt by feminist scholars to treat madness as a form of agency, the paper carefully pushes back against reductive attempts to interpret mental illness and disability metaphorically in a way that substitutes and erases the lived experience of people with such conditions.”

Vandiver said she was amazed to win the award and drew her inspiration from her interest in disability studies.

“I have friends who have disabilities, and it is a crucial, underrepresented field,” Vandiver said. “We were learning about a character in a book with a mental disability, and I approached it from a feminist perspective.”

Vandiver received a certificate and a check for $600.

Michael Dome, an aviation management junior, received first runner-up for his paper, “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Southern California Flight Schools.” The paper explores the timely topic of experiences with COVID-19 and provides those who are unfamiliar with aviation education a better understanding through research conducted in the paper.

“This paper is a surprisingly engaging presentation of original research on what initially seemed an esoteric topic,” Dr. Amy Stumpf, professor of society and religion and a member of the selection committee, said of the paper. “The entire project demonstrates a maturity of thought and skill, and the written presentation of the project is technically outstanding.”

Dome received a certificate and a check for $360.

Bethany Bruce, an English senior, received second runner-up for her paper, “Not Just a Piece in Their Games.” Her paper observes an analysis of the novel “The Hunger Games” and argues that the book is a critique of the mass media and its destructive influence on personal identity.

“It highlights the unique power of stories to inspire us to examine our own lives in this case, primarily our engagement with social media,” Dr. Thomas Schneider, associate professor of English, wrote of the paper.

Bruce received a certificate and a check for $240.

A six-member faculty selection committee used a formal voting process to choose the winning entries.

 

Family Updates

Alpha Tau Sigma, CBU’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society, inducted 10 new members on April 7. To be eligible for membership, students must exhibit high academic achievement in English language and literature courses and gain the recommendation of the English faculty. Students inducted are: Alec Arbizo, Grace Crandall, Hannah Gregson, Adrian King, Abigail Lopez. Hope Ocegueda, Isabelle Ray, Connor Ryan, Jasmine Severi and Emma Totaro. Current officers are Angelina Hope, Haley McPherson and Kristen Dunskey. David Isaacs, visiting professor of English, is the faculty advisor.

 

The Modern Languages and Literature department hosted a Novel Tea for students and faculty on March 17. Dr. Jennifer Newton, professor of English, presented Tea in the Works of Victorian Women Novelists, and Dr. Gretchen Bartels-Ray, associate professor of English, presented a paper titled They have Been Eating Muffins,That Looks Like Repentance: Social (Dis)Connection and Tea Time in The Importance of Being Earnest.

 

 

 

 

The Department of Biological Sciences held a Bio Sci Wellness Fair on April 8, and more than 200 students attended. The Counseling and Recreation centers handed out information, and the Pre-Dental Club gave away dental kits from ASCBU. The Environmental Science and Botany clubs helped students pot flowers. Additionally, trainers from Inland Empire Therapy Dogs organization participated along with their therapy dogs.

 

 

Dr. Virginia Cadenhead, assistant professor of nursing, received the Health Literacy Award for Research from the Institute for Health Advancement. She received the award for her research titled Focused Ethnography: Storytelling for Diabetes with Low Health Literacy and Diabetes.

 

 

 

 

Lancer Media Group received eight awards from the Evangelical Press Association. The wins include first place for Samantha Rojo for Best Cartoon and for her illustration The Night Season; Kia Harlan won first place for her article Hi, My Name is… Luc Stringer won second place for his photo Our 9/11 and third place in the student writer of the year category. Pursuit magazine won the award of excellence for campus print magazine, and The Banner newspaper won an award of merit for both its print and digital publications.

 

 

 

Dr. Cammy Purper, professor of education, Dr. Yvonne Thai, associate professor of sociology, Dr. Thomas Frederick, professor of psychology, and Dr. Shari Farris, associate professor of education, published an article in the Early Childhood Education Journal (April). The article was titled Exploring the Challenge of Teachers’ Emotional Labor in Early Childhood Settings.

 

Dr. Russell Schmidt, adjunct professor of behavioral sciences, successfully defended his doctoral research on April 18. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in pastoral counseling from Liberty University. The title was The pastoral counselor’s use of holistic health practices as part of a comprehensive treatment modality.

 

 

 

The 14^th Annual Natural and Mathematical Sciences Research Symposium was held at CBU March 26. About 100 students from the Division of Natural and Mathematical Sciences presented research as they showcased their projects. The keynote speaker was Dr. Derek C. Schuurman, professor of computer science from Calvin University, who presented on Connecting Bytes and Beliefs.

 

 

Russell Meek, adjunct professor of Christian Studies, had a book published. It is titled Ecclesiastes and the Search for Meaning in an Upside-Down World (Hendrickson Publishers, April 19, 2022).

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mark Kling, associate professor of criminal justice, and Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, professor of public administration, had an article published in the PA Times on April 8. It was titled Ukraine: Winning the Peace.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Tae Sung, dean of Student Success, published a chapter in the book Literature and Religious Experience: Beyond Belief and Unbelief (Bloomsbury Academic, Feb. 10, 2022). The chapter is titled Gift: The (Im)possible Conditions of Grace in Melville’s Fiction.

 

 

 

Dr. Berniece Alspach, associate professor of English, presented at the Western Regional Conference on Christianity and Literature at Biola University on April 8. The paper was titled We are More than a Pile of Bones: The Value of the Body in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go.

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Tronti, assistant professor of English, presented at the Western Regional Conference on Christianity and Literature at Biola University on April 8. The title of her paper was ‘No Semicolons in the Apocalypse’: Indigenous Futurism’s Reclamation of the Anthropocene. She also did a panel presentation, titled Importance of Audio-visual Literacy in the Digital Age.

 

 

Rida Leonard, adjunct professor of English, presented at the Western Regional Conference on Christianity and Literature at Biola University on April 8. The title of the paper was Home and Displacement: An Analysis of Dorothy West’s The Living is Easy (1948) and Nella Larsen’s Quicksand (1928).

 

 

 

Dr. Guy Holliday, assistant professor of music, was the guest conductor for the Whittier Union High School District Honor Band. He led 10 hours of rehearsal and the performance on April 5, 7 and 8. The honor band consisted of 73 students, the best woodwind, brass, and percussion students from five Whittier area high schools.

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Crosby, associate professor of psychology, published a book, Trauma-Informed Children’s Ministry: A Practical Guide to Reaching Hurting Kids (Cascade Books, April 13, 2022). The book is the product of research conducted with Dr. Erin Smith, associate professor of psychology. The book is targeted to children’s ministry leaders and volunteers, as well as Christian ministry students.

 

 

CBU kinesiology students helped at the Captain’s Challenge Fit Finals hosted by the Anaheim Ducks on April 8. Students recorded fitness assessments for 1,000 fifth-grade students.

 

 

 

Dr. Chris Morgan, dean of the School of Christian Ministries, had a book published. He co-wrote The Glory of God and Paul (IVP Academic, Feb. 22), which is part of the New Studies in Biblical Theology series.

 

 

 

Dr. Dominick Sturz, professor of public health, hosted live and virtual events on April 4-5 in celebration of National Public Health Week. Participants could join live with the Southern California Public Health Association or join from their own locations and participate in moving for health.

 

 

 

Dr. Riste Simnjanovski, associate professor of public administration, published a book, The Bitcoin Heir Next Door: Happiness Beyond Generational Wealth (April 13).

 

 

 

Dr. Ogbochi McKinney, associate professor of public health, was interviewed for an article in the hearhere Journal of Christian Thought by The Claremont Colleges (March 31). The title of the article is Role of the Black Church in Promoting Public Health.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Effat Zeidan Hatoum, assistant professor of general education, presented virtually at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education conference on April 13. The title was An Interdisciplinary Approach to Assessing Student Learning in an Inclusive Online Classroom.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Thomas Frederick, professor of psychology, Dr. Scott Dunbar, associate professor of human resource management, Dr. Yvonne Thai, associate professor of sociology, Dr. Richard Ardito, associate professor of accounting, Julianna Carrera, CBU alumna and academic support coordinator, and Kristen Kidd and Mimi Almero, CBU students, published a research abstract in the Review of Religious Research. The title is The Effects of Role Differentiation Among Clergy: Impact on Pastoral Burnout and Job Satisfaction.

 

Dr. Ed Garrett, associate professor of sport and performance psychology, presented research at the Los Angeles County Psychological Association’s meeting for Sport and Performance Psychology on April 23. His research is titled Expanding the novel application of sport and performance psychology in other career fields: A pilot study on behavioral understanding and its effects on stress in the medical community.

 

 

 

Dr. Joshua Rodriguez, assistant professor of music theory and composition, received first place in the Springfield Chamber Chorus Composition contest. The Springfield Chamber Chorus (Missouri) premiered his work, Dos Palabras (Two Words), in a concert on April 3.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Gabriel Estrada, visiting professor of Old Testament, presented at the Far West Region Evangelical Theological Society meeting at Gateway Seminary on April 1. The presentation was titled Israel’s Story in the Songs of Ascents: Toward a Missional Hermeneutic.

 

 

 

Dr. Tim Gramling, dean of the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business, was a judge for the Greater Corona Regional Fast Pitch Competition on April 5. Entrepreneurs presented products or services. Joshua Newton, a CBU aviation student, received third place with his business, Newton’s Drone Service.

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff Cate, professor of New Testament, participated in an academic panel at Lanier Theological Library in Houston on April 22. The panel discussed the text of the New Testament.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Angela Coaston, associate professor of nursing, co-authored an article in Population Health Management (April). It was titled Mobile Medical Clinics in the United States Post-Affordable Care Act: An Integrative Review.

 

 

 

 

Randall Stamen, presiding judge of the Riverside County Veterans Court, visited CBU on April 21 to meet student veterans who are interested in practicing law. The Veterans Court is designed to supervise felony and misdemeanor veterans through a comprehensive judicially monitored program of treatment and rehabilitation services.

 

 

 

Personnel Updates