August 26, 2022

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

The view behind the landscape at CBU

California Baptist University resides on more than 155 acres in the heart of Riverside’s historic Magnolia Avenue District in sunny Southern California.

To complement the buildings on campus, the landscape was planned to not only enhance the natural beauty of the campus and its surroundings but also to help support CBU’s sustainability efforts.

CBU’s Facilities and Planning Services contracts with BrightView Landscape to maintain CBU’s grounds. From the sports fields to the lawns and various types of trees, a team of 13 ensures that CBU is kept beautiful.

Ed Schmachtenberger, manager of grounds and landscaping at CBU, said BrightView brings a vast knowledge of landscape and sports field maintenance to campus.

“BrightView maintains CBU’s campus landscape to provide students, parents, faculty and staff with an aesthetically pleasing experience while on campus,” Schmachtenberger said.

Kyle Kramer, account manager for BrightView, said the crew is on campus five days a week, trimming, mowing and edging, as well as removing and preventing weeds.

“We work with a very knowledgeable crew and alongside CBU Facilities to maintain the campus, proactively solve any problems, and ensure things are running smoothly,” Kramer said.

BrightView also maintains CBU’s outdoor sports fields—soccer, softball and baseball.

CBU recently completed its transition to NCAA Division 1. Each field must comply with NCAA regulations. Specific mowers are used to ensure that CBU adheres to the guidelines.

“Our job is to ensure than the infields and outfields are absolutely playable,” Kramer said. “We are mowing upwards of five days a week with a specific type of mower for the infield and a specific type of mower for the outfield.”

Around campus, water-wise vegetation has been planted to support CBU’s water conservation efforts. They require less watering but still contribute to the overall beauty and feel of the campus. CBU has two wells on campus that provide 80 percent of the campus’s irrigation.

“CBU is great because it has access to its own water,” Kramer said. “We are trying to create more of a desertscape, and these plants are acclimated to the climate.”

BrightView has a full-time irrigation tech on campus to ensure that the water systems are running smoothly. Most of the campus is on smart controllers that is managed by both BrightView and CBU staff.

“The controllers will make adjustments depending on how hot it is, the humidity in the air, the wind and how much sunlight is actually hitting the ground versus the shaded areas,” said Kramer. “Everything has turned really high tech when it comes to watering.”

 

Graduates celebrated at summer commencement ceremonies

While the temperatures were rising outside, excitement was rising inside the Events Center at California Baptist University during the summer 2022 commencement ceremonies. Students received cheers and encouragement from friends and family members during three ceremonies on Aug. 17-18.

Combined applications for summer 2022 commencement included 58 candidates for doctoral degrees, 582 for master’s degrees and 311 for bachelor’s degrees for a total of 951 applicants.

“Each of these graduating students has arrived at this point because of a shared commitment to the challenging yet rewarding endeavor of higher education. Graduates, you have faced many difficulties and yet you persevered,” said Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, president of CBU. “The faculty and the entire university family join me in saying we are proud of you, and we pray God’s blessings upon you.”

In giving the graduates words of advice, Dr. Anthony Dockery, chair of the CBU Board of Trustees, referred to the words of David before he faced Goliath in I Samuel 17.

“I selected that passage because you have already slayed some Goliaths in your life, you’ve already slayed some bears as well as some lions. And now you’re moving to the next chapter, the next phase of your life,” Dockery said. “Know that God has already equipped you and prepared you to face whatever Goliaths you may have in your profession.”

In the commencement address, Ellis told the graduates their effort in academics paid off.

“Today, all the demanding work and sacrifice poured into your college years finally pays off. The goal you have been pursuing at last is at hand,” Ellis said. “You have successfully navigated the various requirements, deadlines and assessments necessary to receive your diploma.”

Ellis said he hoped that CBU provided a foundation for the graduates’ ambitions and dreams as they moved forward.

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

Jenna Rivero, who earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, said CBU helped prepare her to enter the field by equipping her with the skills needed to work in a variety of settings.  After graduation, Rivero will work at a school.

“They placed us in different settings throughout our two-year program,” Rivero said. “We’ve experienced both ends, working with children and adults.”

Lindsey Supple, who also earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, said the program offered plenty of clinical rotations.

“We had our different experiences all around, and we each were able to choose the path we wanted to take,” Supple said. “I’m excited to work in a private practice with pediatrics.”

Mauro Moreno, who received a Master of Business Administration, said the program helped him get a manager position.

“The program set me up with leadership skills and that is a key role in business,” Moreno said. “It took a deep dive into the decisions that have to be made, and how marketing goes into a product and how that product gets into the customer’s hands.”

 

Hoodings include first cohort from Doctor of Social Work

This week hundreds of graduate degree candidates at California Baptist University celebrated their academic achievements with hooding ceremonies leading up to commencement on Aug. 17-18.

More than 580 master’s degree candidates and 58 doctoral candidates are eligible to participate in the summer commencements. Colleges and schools at CBU host program-specific hooding ceremonies to recognize their candidates. Students are given distinctive colored hoods, representative of their program, to wear at their commencement ceremony.

The doctoral candidates included the first cohort to graduate from the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program. The 30 students made up the largest graduating doctoral class in CBU history.

“All of these students started their doctoral journey during a global pandemic that was fraught with uncertainty,” said Dr. Krystal Hays, program director of the Doctor of Social Work. “It was beautiful to watch God use them to develop all kinds of socially innovative programs that will have a real impact on the world.”

During the two-year program, the students designed social innovations to address a specific social problem. Their projects ranged from nonprofit organizations seeking to eliminate homelessness to initiatives that will reduce disparities in healthcare.

“The breadth and depth of these innovations is amazing and will make a significant impact on families, organizations and communities in our region and around the globe,” Hays said.

Dr. April Johnson, who earned her DSW, created a nonprofit, Genesis Hope, aimed at providing communities with equitable access to nutritious food. She is also a licensed marriage and family therapist and became an adjunct professor at CBU.

“Being a part of the first cohort to graduate is a wonderful but humbling experience,” Johnson said. “I want to show that I am living proof for all the boys and girls who would never dream or think it is possible to become a doctor because of their situation, ethnicity, lack of resources or health. Guess what? There is hope.”

Dr. Autumn King wanted to earn her DSW to expand her knowledge of serving communities. She created the National Fatherhood League, a nonprofit aimed at increasing father involvement in the Black American community.

Because of the program, she was promoted at her foster care employment agency and is also an adjunct professor at CBU.

“The DSW program has developed my leadership, management and community engagement skills,” King said. “It has also prepared me to see others from the eyes of the Lord.”

Along with her DSW, Dr. Teresa Serrano also earned her bachelor’s and master’s at CBU. She is CEO of Hope Wellness Counseling Inc. in Riverside.

“The DSW program has eliminated self-doubt and given me the mindset to want more advancement in my career to lead others. It also has given me the skills to advance in my own group practice,” Serrano said. “As a first generation, former teen mother and woman of color, it is an honor to receive a doctor title by CBU.”

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is thrilled to celebrate the inaugural graduation of Doctor of Social Work students, said Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

“This applied program is designed to develop leaders as change agents within the field of social work,” Gustafson said. “Those students who are graduating will impact our local, national and global communities in meaningful ways—bettering the lives of children, families and systems.”

 

CBU alumna is part of Emmy-winning team

California Baptist University alumna Kiani Margolis (‘20) is part of a team at “Entertainment Tonight” (“ET”) that recently won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment News Series.

Margolis works at “ET” as a music assistant, where she juggles many different responsibilities in her role. She pitches celebrity guests, works with music producers to set up interviews and works with directors to ensure all materials are ready to go when guests arrive.

“I have recently taken over producing the music shoots for ‘The Download,’ the online show for ‘ET,’” Margolis said. “In this role I oversee and produce the shoots with my supervisor.”

A typical day on set is an exciting and busy one.

“My day can vary from working with directors to pulling materials for their pieces, looking over the script for music pieces, approving videos of music interviews and working with my supervisor to prepare for future guests,” Margolis said. “I occasionally shadow the film and TV producers on shoots, and I get to go to the premieres and learn how red carpets work.”

While studying at CBU, Margolis pursued a degree in film through the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design (CAVAD).

The CAVAD program helps prepare students for their careers by stressing the importance of not only working hard but utilizing the connections around you, Margolis said.

“Whether you know it or not, the people you are surrounded by have the potential to help you with your career,” Margolis said.

Margolis landed at the show because of a connection she made with a fellow student while working as a tour guide in the CBU Admissions office.

“My co-worker posted on her Instagram story that her roommate had just won her first Emmy from working at ‘Entertainment Tonight.’ I replied to it and said her roommate had my dream job,” Margolis said.

That turned into a bigger conversation, and by September 2021 Margolis started at “ET” as a production assistant.

“By June 2022, I won my first Emmy. It was a full circle moment, and it wouldn’t have happened without CBU!” Margolis said.

Mark Roberson, dean of CAVAD, said the program takes great care to prepare its students to have the knowledge and tools they need to be successful in their professional pursuits.

“This Emmy win by Kiani is another in a long line of impressive achievements for CAVAD alumni and students. We pride ourselves on our students’ ability to successfully compete against the very best students from across the country,” Roberson said.

CAVAD’s film program combines a solid film studies foundation, cutting-edge technological training and extensive business-of-film exposure to equip students to enter the field, Roberson said.

“Kiani’s unusually quick rise through the ranks at ‘ET’ to being an Emmy winner is evidence of that preparation in action,” Roberson said. “We are so proud of her for her amazing accomplishment and also for how she represents CBU film every day.”

 

Family Updates

Academic work by CBU students in the architecture program was showcased in the Annual Dezeen School Shows. Eleven designs were featured in the online architecture and design magazine (Aug. 9).

 

 

 

Dr. Veola Vazquez, professor of psychology, and Savannah Senger, Josue Esperante and Leah Manya, students in the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program, presented a research poster at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention on Aug. 5. The poster was titled Religion/Spirituality, Expectations of Discrimination, and Distress Among Biracial Christians.

 

 

 

Dr. Elisa Shepard, associate provost for psychology, Dr. Robert Shields, associate professor of computer information technology, Dr. Dirk Davis, professor of organizational leadership, and Julianna Carrera, assistant director of disability services, co-presented virtually at the 38th Annual Distance Teaching and Learning Conference on Aug. 3. The presentation was titled Examining a Teaching Assistant Model for Online Courses.

 

David Isaacs, visiting professor of English, presented at the East/Southeast Regional Conference on Christianity and Literature in Purcellville, Virginia, on June 10-11. The title of his paper was Pixel Perfect: Heroes in Graphic Novel Bibles.

 

 

 

 

Dr. John Marselus, professor of aviation science, organized the fifth Missionary Aviation Leadership Summit in McNeal, Arizona, on Aug. 9-10. Additionally, he was re-elected to the board for Mission Safety International. He had previously served on the board for nine years as vice chair. He also serves on the board of the International Association of Missionary Aviation.

 

 

 

Dr. Karim Youssef, assistant professor of architecture, had a book published. It was titled The Morphological Development of Square Victoria in Montreal (Nova Science Publishers Inc., July 8).

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology, and Dr Hyun-Woo (Andrew) Park, professor of biology, co-authored a paper published in the journal Nature Communications (July 2022). It was titled De novo determination of mosquitocidal Cry11Aa and Cry11Ba structures from naturally-occurring nanocrystals.

 

 

 

 

Zachary Bortot, associate professor of theatre, directed a staged reading of a play for New Threads Theatre Company at Madison Street Church in Riverside on July 30. The name of the play was An Almost Holy Picture.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Josh Rodriguez, assistant professor of music, presented a paper at the Academic Roundtable of the C. S. Lewis Summer Institute in Oxford, England, on July 27-Aug. 5. The title of the paper was Transcending Text: Tradition over Transcendentalism? Charles Ives’s Fourth Symphony and Musical Depictions of a Pilgrim’s Progress Toward Faith.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Candace Vickers, professor of communication sciences and disorders, presented a virtual seminar for Speech Recovery Pathways, a nonprofit dedicated to serving stroke and brain injury survivors with aphasia, on July 18. It was titled Multiple ways to elicit communication: EBP approaches for aphasia.

 

 

 

Kristin Beinschroth, visiting professor of radiologic sciences, was featured on the RadTechLife Podcast (Season 1, Episode 6). She talked about advocacy, radiologic professionalism and why to consider radiology as a career field.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mark Kling, professor of criminal justice, and Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, professor of public administration, had an article published in the PA Times (July 8). It was titled Nonprofit Regulations: Does Accountability Discourage Helping Others.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Richard Ardito, associate professor of accounting, Dr. Scott Dunbar, associate professor of human resource management, Dr. Thomas Frederick, professor of psychology, Dr. Joe Putulowski, associate professor of marketing, and Heather Chester, a CBU student, published an article in Journal of Faith in the Academic Profession (July 27). It was titled Spirituality and Psychological Well-Being Among Faculty at a Private Christian University.

 

 

Dr. Keanon Alderson, professor of business, published an article in the Inland Empire Business Edge magazine (August 2022). It was titled Family Business Governance: The key to increasing business effectiveness.

 

 

 

 

Christopher Kern, associate professor of photography, was nominated for a Callanan Excellence in Teaching Award by CENTER, a photography nonprofit.

 

 

 

 

Ruth Noemy Wheeler, instructor of music, was invited as the guest conductor of the Los Angeles Conducting Competition on Aug. 6. She won first prize at last year’s competition.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff McNair, professor of education, was named recipient of the 2022 Reimagining Spirituality Leadership Award by the Religion and Spirituality Interest Network of AAIDD (American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities). The award was presented on June 13.

 

 

 

The Career Center hosted the 2022 Student Leadership Workshop in the College of Engineering on Aug. 13. More than 125 engineering student leaders from CBU and surrounding University of California schools attended the event. The day featured recruiters from engineering companies who presented on leadership topics, followed by a job fair.

 

 

Spiritual Life is holding the first chapel of the 2022-23 year on Sept. 6. Faculty and staff are invited to attend. Watch the invite by Dr. John Montgomery, associate vice president for Student Services, here.

 

Andrew Shortall, director of Athletics communications, and his wife, Chelsea, assistant women’s water polo coach, welcomed a daughter on July 25. Penny Marin Shortall weighed 8 pounds, 1.5 ounce and measured 19.5inches. She joins sister Mae, 2.

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates