July 15, 2022

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU photography students receive Award of Excellence

Three students from the California Baptist University photography program recently received the Communication Arts magazine’s Award of Excellence.

Over 2,200 entries were submitted to this year’s photography competition. Of those entries, only 117 were accepted. The competition is judged by an international jury of established creative professionals, and participants are awarded based on creativity. The winning entries are included in the Communication Arts Photography Annual.

Only seven student photographs were selected, with four of them being taken by CBU students—Alicia Berardelli, Caleb Ericksen and David Ardill, who had two winning entries.

Christopher Kern, photography program lead and associate professor of photography, said the achievement is one of the most coveted awards in the photography industry.

“It places our students among the highest ranks in the field and creates a destination for employers to seek out creative professionals for various career opportunities,” Kern said. “It’s a launching pad for their efforts that they now must maintain and continue to nurture.”

The CBU photography program prepares students to enter the field by running like a photography studio. Additionally, the Christian worldview is implemented throughout the curriculum and coursework, Kern said.

“We’re creating servants of the Lord through our every interaction,” Kern said. “We are sending our students into the secular world to be His light.”

See the students’ winning entries here. 

 

Athletics win two NACMA ‘Best Of’ Awards for the first time

California Baptist University Athletics earned its first-ever National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) “Best Of” Awards, which were announced during the NACMA Convention in Las Vegas on June 29.

The Lancers won Silver in the Digital Video Segment and Bronze in Fan Engagement Video in Group II, which is includes all NCAA Division I Non-Power 5 institutions. Group I includes only Power 5 schools while Group III involves all non-DI members.

CBU was one of only 24 NCAA Division I schools in the country to receive two or more NACMA “Best of” Awards this year. Of those 24 DI schools, only eight including CBU are classified as NCAA DI-AAA (non-football).

Initiated in 2003, the NACMA “Best Of” Awards program honors outstanding achievement in marketing and promotions. Awards are presented in 16 categories, with each category divided into three groups based upon school size and conference affiliations.

The Digital Video Segment was an Instagram Reel that promoted the women’s basketball home opener and generated over 17,000 views on the platform. The Fan Engagement Video was the Men’s Basketball “Isn’t it Great to be Back?” feature produced to welcome fans back to the Events Center for the 2021-22 season after not having fans in the stands the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

See CBU’s winning entries here.

 

SAE club goes to the track in Formula competition

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) club at California Baptist University traveled to the Michigan International Speedway for the annual Formula SAE Competition held June 15-18.

CBU entered two vehicles this year: Lancer 5, an internal combustion entry and, for the first time, an electric vehicle (EV), eLancer 1. The internal combustion car won first place for fuel efficiency and placed ninth overall, beating schools such as Cal Poly Pomona; University of California, Berkeley; and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The 2022 competition had 49 universities participating, nearly a 50 percent increase from previous years.

“It was not without challenges,” said Dr. Phil van Haaster, club advisor and dean of the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering. “Day one inspections revealed some minor faults that required corrections. Even minor issues take time to correct and there are hundreds of moving parts. The team’s efforts lasted past 2 a.m. with a wakeup call at 6 a.m. Their hard work and tenacity paid off.”

The SAE competition included presentations on cost and design as well as dynamic events such as acceleration and autocross. On day four, the internal combustion vehicle was on the track for the endurance event, outlasting and outperforming the competition.

While the internal combustion team had a four-hour inspection, the eLancer 1 had to pass the same mechanical inspection along with an electrical systems inspection, called eTech. The EV passed the mechanical technical inspection, no easy feat for a new car.

“The pressure is intense,” van Haaster said. “The list of universities that can field the quality engineering required to design and build a vehicle in one of the competition categories is small; the list of universities that have a program mature enough to produce two vehicles is probably less than a dozen across the nation.”

During this year’s competition, Tesla sponsored several first-year EV teams with power cells. CBU was awarded nearly $10,000 worth of Tesla power cells to energize the motor.

Jordan Fabbrini (‘22), outgoing president of the SAE club, said the most memorable part of this experience was seeing the vehicle finish the endurance race.

“The team has worked so hard to get to this point and we finally get to see the team’s efforts pay off,” Fabbrini said.

Every year the team designs the car in the fall semester and manufactures it in the spring semester.

“Once the build is complete, we transition to testing for about a month. The most challenging part is testing,” Fabbrini said. “We had multiple engine failures, which made it very frustrating because we’ve spent so much time designing and building the car. Then you realize there’s still even more work you must do to get the car ready for competition.”

David Everhart, an electrical and computer engineering senior and incoming president of the EV team, said the highlight of the competition was talking with professionals in the field.

“Talking with the design judges and the sponsors who came out to the event made it all worth it,” Everhart said. “We were able to talk knowledgeably to the engineers about things they do on a daily basis.”

The team starts preparing for the next competition upon returning from the previous season’s competition.

Lindsay Monroe, a mechanical engineering junior and incoming president of the internal combustion vehicle, said preparation for the competitions take dedication to the vehicle and to each other.

“As soon as we can, we get the car out on the track and begin testing it to validate our designs,” Monroe said. “It’s so worth it because you will learn invaluable lessons on how to work with an engineering team, meet deadlines and expand your skills in both knowledge and craft.”

 

CBU creates Collinsworth School of Performing Arts 

The music and theatre programs at California Baptist University have been joined together to create the Shelby and Ferne Collinsworth School of Performing Arts effective July 1.

The change will benefit students by integrating faculty and resources, said Dr. Joseph Bolin, dean of the Collinsworth School of Performing Arts. The school was formerly known as the Collinsworth School of Music.

“The faculty and administration are confident that we can serve our theatre and music students better by combining faculty, resources, vision, and cultures,” Bolin said.

The coming academic year will bring minimal changes to the programs as faculty and administrators focus on developing a strategy as the school moves forward, he said.

“This is a merger of two significant CBU communities into something new and unprecedented in the university’s history—a unified school of performing artists committed to applying its full power toward cultivating the next generation of actors, musicians, educators, producers, technicians and worship facilitators,” Bolin said.

An immediate perk is that performance schedules can be adjusted so students can participate in both a theatre production and a musical ensemble, said Lee Lyons, director of the theatre program.

“That’s a clear benefit because before a student would have to choose,” Lyons said.

In 2021-22, CBU music programs had nearly 250 students and 71 full-time and adjunct faculty. The theatre program had more than 40 students and five full-time and adjunct faculty.

“Our mission moving forward is to inspire students to the highest standards of craft and character, preparing them to impact the world through careers in the performing arts,” Bolin said.

Dr. Charles Sands, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said CBU is thrilled to be joining these performing arts programs.

“We know that both of these areas have a rich history, and I am excited about the future collaboration as we continually create conditions for success for our students,” Sands said.

 

Orientation gives new students an inside look to life at CBU

Hundreds of incoming students attended New Student Orientation at California Baptist University on June 20 to prepare for the upcoming fall 2022 semester.

Over 200 first-year and transfer students attended the event alongside their families as they learned about life as a new Lancer.

The day included informational sessions highlighting CBU’s mission, campus traditions, important resources and offices along with campus tours and a living area open house to see what living at CBU is like.

Gavin Andrew, director of new student programs, said the event is designed to give new students the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of CBU from faculty, current students and staff members.

“We know that the transition to college can sometimes be overwhelming, but we are committed to making sure new Lancers are set up for success as they begin their time at CBU,” Andrew said.

Ketsia Kabangu, a pre-nursing major from Upland, said she chose CBU because she loved the campus. She is especially looking forward to using the Recreation Center.

“I really enjoy the atmosphere here,” Kabangu said.

Her mom, Malika Kabangu, said she feels safe knowing her daughter will be at CBU.

“I like CBU because it’s Christian, and as a mom, you want something that feels safe for your kid,” Kabangu said.

Alessia James, a health science major from Corona, said the Christian environment was super important to her.

“My brother goes here and hearing about his one-on-one connections with his professors and all the experiences he had helped me decide that CBU is the place I wanted to be,” James said.

Kylie Gerger, an early childhood studies major from Orange, said she fell in love with CBU’s campus.

“The first time I stepped on campus I just felt so welcomed,” Gerger said. “I’ll be living in the dorms and I’m excited but also nervous. I’m excited for the social aspect of it and being able to get involved, make new friends and do intramural sports.” 

 

Engagement practicum brings lessons to life in Australia

During the spring semester, students at California Baptist University in Cultural Social Service Engagement Practicum (BEH 334) studied indigenous people groups, focusing on Australia.

Coursework covered social issues such as racism, cultural identity and life on the missions for Indigenous people. CBU student-athletes from Australia also talked to the class about the country. Come late May, the students then traveled to Australia for two weeks to bring the lessons to life.

Dr. Carol Minton-Ryan, professor of sociology, and Dr. Doug Wallace, associate dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, started the course several years ago. Previously, Minton-Ryan had led eight International Service Projects teams. That caused her to want to apply academics to the travel and service.

“I wanted to create a course where the students can study the culture before visiting the country,” she said. “It’s academic engagement combined with service when that’s relevant. If you ever want to serve a particular population, you should be knowledgeable about the people and their culture and the organizations that serve them.”

Wallace said the trip is an amazing opportunity for the students because they live in a global village and having a cross-cultural experience is important.

“In my international travels, what has stood out to me is that every culture is different and yet there are many things about humanity that is the same,” Wallace said. “That’s always been profound to me—at our core we’re human beings, and yet we live differently. We dress differently. We like different kinds of foods and different music. We do our families in different ways but we’re all human.”

The faculty decided each year would have a focus. The first year was on food insecurity in third world countries, and the class went to Malawi. The second year was the impact of a lost generation. The course studied the Holocaust and the impact of Alzheimer’s disease. The third year, 2020, was focused on the culture in Peru and Ecuador, though it turned into journaling about COVID when the trip was canceled.

In Australia, the group took cultural tours with elders of Indigenous tribes and heard from University of Sydney researchers of the indigenous people groups.

“The trip was extraordinary!” Minton-Ryan said. “We learned from the Indigenous elders who shared about their culture including art, dance and knowledge of plants and trees for eating, healing and making tools.”

Abigail Lopez, an English sophomore, said she learned about the Indigenous peoples’ culture and Australia’s history.

“Every location we visited in-country paid homage to each native group whose contributions maintained the local environments before colonization,” Lopez said. “As we toured and learned throughout Sydney, at each destination, the tour guides would articulate gratitude to the elders—past, present and emerging.”

Highlights included a boomerang throwing lesson and visiting Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, she said.

“The guide for this trip was a native Indigenous who shared many stories throughout our day that brought facts to life,” Lopez said. “He taught us the value of respecting the ancestors by applying clay to our hands before entering what he considered sacred space.”

Kene Thomas, a psychology junior, learned that Australia is comprised of over 200 Indigenous “nations” or countries.

“While in Australia, it is customary to acknowledge the country which one has entered out of respect for the land and the indigenous people groups to whom it belongs,” Thomas said. “An acknowledgment of country usually begins by honoring the traditional custodians of the land and past, present and future elders.”

The trip made Thomas widen her perspective, she said.

“Although much progress toward restorative justice for the Indigenous people still needs to be made, Australia’s steps towards reconciliation has inspired me further to educate myself on the history of Native Americans and seek opportunities to help broaden my understanding and my worldview,” Thomas said.

For Wallace, a highlight was being there during Australia’s National Reconciliation Week, which celebrates Indigenous history and culture in Australia and foster the relationship between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

“Australia has made serious efforts to try to reconcile things of the past, and they’ve done it in a way that people from each group can feel respected,” Wallace said. “They have entire cultural celebrations around this reconciliation. It’s like ‘Here’s what we can do to acknowledge this, now let’s try to move together as a unified people of Australia.’ I think that was something we can all learn from.”

 

Language and literacy preschool provides support to families

California Baptist University wrapped up its first language and literacy preschool this week. The school was aimed at children ages 18 months to 4 years with communication disorders.

The Clinical Education Center at CBU held the preschool over eight sessions offered at no cost to the participants and their families. Graduate students from the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program helped run the activities.

Dr. Danette Bonillo, director of the Clinical Education Center, said students have learned so much theory and now they’re able to apply it to real life situations.

“There’s a dynamic learning process of working with preschoolers, and students can use a variety of materials like crafts, books and songs to engage them,” Bonillo said. “When you learn how to adapt, it’s just amazing. It’s like magic watching these children mix and participate in activities.”

The graduate students also practice parent engagement, Bonillo said.

“Students are learning how to educate the families and feel more comfortable with that,” Bonillo said. “They tell the families how to build activities to facilitate language in the home.”

Jessica Goolsby, whose 4-year-old daughter has mosaic Down syndrome, said this program integrates learning all the senses into fun new ways.

Goolsby’s husband, Chip, has lupus and needs the support of a service dog named Boaz for mobility and detecting flare ups. The clinical education team created a program about Boaz and invited him to class to engage in activities where the children learned that the dog has a purpose and to teach them to see and not touch.

“They were very thoughtful in how they came to class and included him,” Goolsby said. “Touch, visual and movement are taught all at once, and that makes the learning experience faster and makes it stay with them. My daughter is already talking more in the few weeks she’s been here.”

Brittney Colvin, a graduate student at CBU, said this program is setting her up for success.

“We come in and provide these children with an opportunity to have a space and make sure they understand that they are loved and feel that love,” Colvin said.

Mercy Homer, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, said hands-on experience is the most valuable to students.

“We give the students a lot of book and research knowledge, but I really feel in my heart that hands-on knowledge and interaction with parents is a valuable asset,” Homer said. “It gives the students this priceless opportunity, and I think that has been a blessing to them to reap the rewards of that.”

 

New vice president for Marketing and Communication named

California Baptist University has announced the appointment of Angela Meluski as vice president for Marketing and Communication.

She began her new duties at CBU on July 1.

“I am pleased to welcome Angela Meluski to the executive leadership team at California Baptist University,” said Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president.

“With her background in higher education and previous marketing experience, I believe she will make an important contribution to support and strengthen the positive reputation, enrollment growth, and strong brand identity that mark CBU as a leader in Christian higher education with a global impact,” Ellis said.

Meluski brings to her new role at CBU more than 15 years of combined marketing leadership in higher education and award-winning public relations campaign management for local organizations, national brands and Fortune 500 companies.

Meluski was assistant dean for strategic initiatives and marketing for the Marian and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) at the University of California, Riverside. Prior to becoming assistant dean, Meluski held successive positions as manager and director of marketing and communications at BCOE.

Previously Meluski was an account supervisor in San Bernardino for Westbound Communications, a public relations agency with headquarters in Orange County.

Meluski received a Bachelor of Science in Communications from California State University, Fullerton. Her professional affiliations include the Public Relations Society of America and the Council for Higher Education.

Meluski succeeds Dr. Mark A. Wyatt, who retired in January 2020 after 18 years as the first to serve in that position at California Baptist University.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Erika Travis, associate professor of English and behavioral sciences, Jennifer Tronti, assistant professor of English, and David Isaacs, visiting professor of English, presented a panel at the Charlotte Huck Children’s Literature Festival in Redlands in March. It was titled Getting Graphic: Exploring Adaptations into Graphic Novels.

 

 

Dr. Shasha Zheng, associate professor of nutrition, published two articles. One was collaborative research published in the Frontiers in Immunology (February 2022). It was titled Maternal Influences and Intervention Strategies on the Development of Food Allergy in Offspring. The second article included Fatma Kadayifci and Madelyn Bradley, now CBU alumni, and was published in Nutrition Reviews titled Review of nutritional approaches to fibromyalgia.

 

 

 

Amanda Madrid, assistant professor of nursing, last month accepted two positions:  Western Region member-at-large for the Association of Community Health Nursing Educators and president of the Greater Inland Empire Black Nurses Association. She will serve two-year terms on both.

 

 

 

Dr. Erika J. Travis, associate professor of English and behavioral sciences, had a poem published in KAIROS literary journal (April 2022). It was titled Portland, not.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dinah Herrick, associate professor of nursing, presented at the Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse conference in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 6. The title of the presentation was Elderly Partners’ Lived Experience of Bladder/ Colorectal Cancer living with ostomy. 

 

 

 

Dr. Melissa Croteau, professor of film studies, presented a paper at the 2022 International Conference on Religion & Film in Amsterdam on June 9^. It was titled Framing Sacred Spaces in Japanese Cinema: Explorations of Space-Time and Expanded Approaches to Transcendental Aesthetics.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Sandra Romo, associate professor of communication, and Dr. Shannon Leinen, adjunct professor of communication, presented at the National Social Science Association Virtual Summer Seminar on June 20. Their presentations were titled Inclusive Branding Strategies of SeaWorld San Diego Sesame’s Place Certified Autism Center and Storywalks: Indirect Communication for Health, Literacy, Communities, and Entertainment.

 

 

Dr. Joshua Rodriguez, assistant professor of music theory and composition, won first place in The American Prize band/wind ensemble category on June 17. His piece is titled When Stone Becomes Forest, a work that was premiered by CBU Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. Guy Holliday, on Nov. 5.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology, co-authored a paper published in the journal Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins (May 2022). It is titled Thurincin H is a Non-hemolytic Bacteriocin of Bacillus thuringiensis With Potential for Applied Use.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robin Duncan, dean of Metcalf School of Education, Mandy Themm, adjunct professor of education, Yvonne McFadzean, adjunct professor of education, and Stacy Meyer, lecturer of education, traveled to Belize to discuss a CBU partnership with the University of Belize on May 31. They also met with Belize’s prime minister, Johnny Briceño, to discuss support of Themm’s ministry of literacy training and materials for the K-12 schools.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Riste Simnjanovski, associate professor of public administration, and Dr. Scott Dunbar, associate professor of human resource management, published an article on Bitcoin Magazine titled Bitcoin is the Answer to Financial Burnout (June 7). Additionally, Simnjanovski published two other articles on Bitcoin Magazine: Gilded Age Greed and Golden Bitcoin (May 28) and Bitcoin and the Soul-Seeking of Humanity (May 23).

 

 

Dr. Mark Kling, professor of criminal justice, and Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, professor of public administration, had an article published in the PA Times (June 10). It was titled Public-Nonprofit Partnerships: Selecting the Right Partners.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robin Duncan, dean of the Metcalf School of Education, graduated as part of Leadership Riverside’s 2022 class on June 17. Leadership Riverside is a 10-month program sponsored by the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce to empower and educate decision makers in the community by immersing them in the issues and challenges that shape Riverside’s future. The class project is an interactive sculpture downtown Riverside titled Lock in Your Love. Dr. Victoria Brodie, assistant professor of public relations, is chair of Leadership Riverside.

 

 

 

Dr. Lisa Hernández, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Esther Lee, associate professor of statistics, and Dr. Ricardo Cordero-Soto, professor of mathematics, presented at the 23rd Biennial Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences at Azusa Pacific University on June 1-4. Hernández and Lee presented Topological data analysis and the housing market. Cordero-Soto presented Restoring faith: a philosophy and model for faith integration in mathematics and co-presented Discovered or Invented: the ontology of mathematics. He also facilitated a pre-conference workshop.

 

 

Dr. Teresa Hamilton, associate professor of nursing, was a panel presenter at the Pre-Health Symposium held at the California University of Science and Medicine in Colton on May 28. The panel was titled Pathways in Healthcare.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Keanon Alderson, professor of business, published an article in the Inland Empire Business Edge magazine. It was titled Family Business Challenges and Opportunities (June). He also was interviewed for the Bigger than Business podcast, titled Overcoming the Challenges of a Family Business (May).

 

 

 

Kristin Beinschroth, visiting professor of radiologic sciences, published an article in the American Society of Radiologic Technologists periodical magazine Scanner (June/July). It was titled Arrange for Change.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Candace Vickers, professor of communication sciences and disorders, presented a virtual seminar for Speech Recovery Pathways, a nonprofit organization offering virtual aphasia conversation groups and other training, on June 27. The seminar was titled Social Networks Approach to Aphasia.

 

 

 

Dr. Erin Smith, professor of psychology, presented a paper, Relational Shaping of Rationality, at the Dabar Conference at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois on May 18-21. She also participated on Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s panel on Valuing Life: Insights from the Bible and Science at the Southern Baptist Convention in Anaheim on June 14. Additionally, she presented at the 2022 Science for Seminaries Retreat in Maine on (June 20-23). Her presentation was titled Developmental Process in Religious Context.

 

 

Dr. Tom Frederick, professor of psychology, and Dr. Scott Dunbar, associate professor of human resource management, published a book. It is titled Identity, Calling, and Workplace Spirituality: Meaning Making and Developing Career Fit (Lexington Books, July).

 

 

 

 

Dr. Lizbeth Gaona, assistant professor of social work, was chosen to attend the Center for Health Equity Research Institute in Long Beach on June 6-10. There she continued her clinical research that would support identifying beneficial interventions for minorities and underserved children, youth and adults who are receiving mental health services due to engaging in self-harm behaviors or suicide ideation.

 

 

 

Russ Bermejo, lecturer of social work, co-authored an article published in CW360° (2022), an annual publication by the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare. The article was titled A Call to Reimagine: The Role of Resource Parents in Family Recovery and Reunification. 

 

 

 

CBU Graduate Admissions welcomed more than 200 new graduate students at its Graduate Student Kickoff on June 16. Students connected with various campus resources and met other students, staff and program directors.

 

 

 

Dr. Charles Lee-Johnson, associate professor social work, and the Master of Social Work program were awarded a $25,000 grant from Health Care Access and Information Health Careers Exploration Program for the project Be the Difference: Mental Health Matters. The project seeks to engage underrepresented high school and community college students to provide mentoring in behavioral health.

 

 

 

CBU’s Civil Engineering and Construction Management Department hosted its first summer camp on June 20-22. Five faculty taught 30 fifth through eighth graders. Topics included 3D scanning technology, surveying, water pipe design and shake table testing.

 

 

 

Dr. Joshua Knabb, professor of psychology, has published a second edition of his book, Faith-Based ACT for Christian Clients: An Integrative Treatment Approach (Routledge, July 2022).

 

 

 

 

Dr. Juliann Perdue, professor of nursing, and therapy dog Rugar were invited to attend the Southern Baptist Convention in Anaheim on June 15. They provided stress relief with animal-assisted therapy to the executive committee.

 

 

 

 

Patty VanBuskirk, department secretary for communication arts, and her husband, Scott, welcomed their second grandchild on April 10. Levi Scott VanBuskirk weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20.5 inches. His parents are Brandon (’14) and Casey (Lee, ’13) VanBuskirk.

 

 

 

The son of Alycia Benson, adjunct professor of education, graduated from the University of California, Merced, on May 16. Robert Benson earned a degree in mechanical engineering.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jin-Sil Mock, assistant professor of education, and her husband, Frank Yi, welcomed a daughter on June 28. Eden Hyosung Yi weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 22 inches.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates