December 15, 2022

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU honors graduates at fall 2022 commencement ceremonies

Cheers and excitement filled the Events Center during the two fall commencement ceremonies on Dec. 14. Family and friends celebrated as each name was called and the graduates walked across the stage. A total of 919 students were eligible to participate. Combined applications for graduation included 24 candidates for doctoral degrees, 285 for master’s degrees and 610 candidates for undergraduate degrees.

CBU administration offered congratulations to the graduates, for persevering and overcoming obstacles to achieve their goal of earning their degree. After many late nights completing homework and projects, practicing presentations and studying for tests, the students reached their target.

“Commencement is the occasion when we celebrate academic achievements,” said Dr. John Montgomery, associate vice president of student services, during the commencement address.

“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. You have successfully navigated the various requirements, deadlines and assessments necessary to receive your diploma.”

During their time at CBU, students are encouraged to find their purpose, Montgomery said.

“Graduates of this institution are challenged to become individuals whose skills, principles and sense of purpose glorify God and distinguish them in the workplace and in the world,” Montgomery said. “You have met that challenge by continuing to develop your knowledge and skills with integrity. Because of that, you are truly distinguished and prepared to make the most of your CBU experience.”

During the ceremony, Dr. Walter Price, chair of the California Baptist University Board of Trustees, prayed for the graduates.

“We pray that they will take with them what they learned at this Great Commission university, and that they will go out into the world wherever You may lead them and make disciples of all nations,” Price said.

Montgomery offered encouragement to the graduates as they move into the next chapter of their lives.

“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,” he said. “You are ready to move on to what lies ahead in life, no doubt better prepared than you might imagine for whatever that may be.”

 

Graduating students reflect on time at CBU

Excitement was in the air at California Baptist University as more than 900 students prepared to become part of the Class of 2022 during the fall commencement.

CBU held two ceremonies for graduates to celebrate with family and friends on Dec. 14. A total of 919 students were eligible to participate.

Combined applications for graduation consist of 24 candidates for doctoral degrees, 285 for master’s degrees and 610 candidates for undergraduate degrees. We interviewed a few graduates to find out about their time at CBU.

Jason Baron
Jason Baron will earn his Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He wants to pursue work in pediatrics.

Baron was diagnosed with bone cancer when he was 15 and again in his later teenage years. Then the cancer went into remission. In 2019, after almost 12 years, his cancer returned. He had surgery and stayed in school. But when cancer was discovered again in the fall of 2020, he took time off from school for chemotherapy.

The CBU professors have been supportive and understanding, Baron said.

“Even right now they’re supporting me, making sure when I graduate, I’m going to have all the work that I need to have in,” Baron said. “Even other professors [outside of nursing] were very supportive and understanding and were very on my side, wanting to see me succeed.”

He pursued a college degree elsewhere before transferring to CBU.

“I liked the message — live your purpose,” Baron said. “I like how they incorporate the Christian values and the Christian application. I found that great to have in an education.”

Throughout the nursing program, Baron said he appreciated the skills taught and the experience provided along with the book information.

“They prepared us by not only the knowledge that they gave us in the program but also the clinical and skill knowledge,” Baron said. “They explained to us how important clinicals were and how they were a microcosm of what you’ll be doing as a nurse. …  They had us doing various things in clinicals and ensuring that we were confident in terms of our skills and knowledge.”

Baron would tell incoming students that CBU professors will help them along the way.

“I would tell a new student that CBU professors are on your side and they’ll work with you. Focus on the major that you want and CBU will support you on your journey, but it’s important to focus,” Baron said. “Once you follow that path, you’ll see that it’s so worth it, and there’ll be so many wonderful rewards when you finish.”

Candice Cromwell
Candice Cromwell, who will receive a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders, wants to work with children who have speech and language impairments. She also plans to attend graduate school.

Cromwell is grateful for the professors who made themselves available to the students.

“The professors in the CDS [communication sciences and disorders] department are as passionate and invested in our education and futures as much as we are,” Cromwell said.

She said that many professors helped her, but she is especially appreciative of Dr. Namhee Kim, professor of communication sciences and disorders.

“Dr. Kim introduced me to many areas of the field of speech and language, which made me realize becoming a speech-language pathologist is my purpose,” Cromwell said.

Cromwell enjoyed being a member of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association CBU Chapter, building friendships with CDS students and networking with individuals in the field. She also appreciated the services at the Career Center, including mock interviews, resume reviews and career fairs.

Time management was crucial for Cromwell: She had to juggle being a single mom of four, being a full-time student, going to practicum sites for 18-plus hours a week, and volunteering at a speech and language therapy center every week.

“Finding the balance between school, family and volunteering was definitely a challenge and wouldn’t be possible without the support of all my family,” Cromwell said. “Being so involved in the field of speech and language has assured me that I am headed in the right direction and am living my purpose in life!”

She would encourage new students to use all the resources CBU offers, ranging from the Career Center and Disability Services to the Counseling Center and Campus Recreation.

“Also, never be afraid to ask questions. At CBU, the staff and professors are accommodating, and if they can’t help you, they will guide you in the right direction to get the needed help,” Cromwell said.

Lillian McConnell
Lillian McConnell earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in American Sign Language. She is in the middle of applying to law school.

“I chose to attend CBU because I genuinely felt as though I was the one being chosen. This university prioritizes their students above all else and I could feel that commitment to the student body when I was applying during my senior year of high school,” McConnell said. “Their support of me, even at the very beginning of my college journey, instilled a confidence within me about the quality of education and care I would receive at this university.”

McConnell is grateful for her professors, saying they have been friends and allies during her time at CBU. She said she is particularly thankful for the support of Dr. Chase Porter, assistant professor of political science.

“His personable style and wit in class made him immediately approachable. He also prioritizes the voices of the students and makes class a collaborative experience in which all the students have the freedom to voice their opinions freely and learn from one another,” McConnell said. “He has become a trusted friend and mentor.”

Another professor, Jim Bishop, associate professor of criminal justice and business law, took time to help her plan her educational journey with law school in mind, she said.

“He helped me to conceptualize the demands of law school. This meeting right at the beginning of my sophomore year, was vital in preparing me for the application process. I am grateful to [Professor] Bishop for his care and support,” McConnell said.

She encourages new students to be themselves.

“Do not change into a person you think people will like; do not hide away your true self out of fear. Promise yourself that you will be authentic no matter who you are with,” McConnell said. “If people cannot respect and appreciate you for who you are, do not give yourself to them. Set boundaries for yourself and prioritize people who are genuine and see you for who you truly are.”

Amber Stout
Amber Stout (‘20) will earn a Master of Science in Information Technology Management. She works in information technology for a government agency and hopes her new degree will help her advance in the workplace.

“CBU prepared me for my career as it is fast paced just like the IT environment,” Stout said. “With these new skills that I have learned, I cannot wait to use them at my workplace or in life.”

She earned her degree taking online classes.

“With my current schedule, [online classes] make it easy to work a full-time job and earn degrees at the same time,” Stout said.

Stout’s educational journey was a roller coaster, she said. In high school, she did not see herself going to college.

“I remember, high school me never wanted to go to college as I did not see myself being able to get a degree. When plans changed and I started my educational journey, I had a lot of up-and-down moments,” Stout said. “Once I got my bachelor’s degree, my family and boyfriend challenged me to get my master’s degree. I accepted the challenge and faced the same hardships. In the end, I went from never wanting to go to college to now finishing college with a master’s degree.”

Her advice to new students? Do not give up.

“No matter how hard it becomes, no matter how many times you must retake a class or must take a break, keep going. In the end it will be worth every hardship you face,” Stout said.

 

Lego tournament mixes fun and learning

Bustling crowds of parents and students ages 6-14 brought the halls of the Dennis and Carol Troesh Engineering Building to life on Dec. 2 for the First Lego League Regional Tournament held at California Baptist University.

Thirty-nine Challenge teams (ages 9-14) and two Explore teams (ages 6-10) competed in the regionals, which included teams from San Luis Obispo to San Diego and Arizona. Each team had designed a Lego robot, coded to complete rounds of challenges throughout the day.

The robotics tournament felt similar to a sporting event — students arrived clad in team shirts showcasing their names and sponsors, families gathered around to watch, the kids cheered for fellow team members and there were even teams celebrating with colorful pom-poms in hand.

Before the first round, students made last-minute preparations for their robots. Powered by the Son, a team sponsored by CBU, performed practice runs, rewrote a piece of code and headed into the competition area with a giant “Lance Up” foam hand.

Then, it was time to compete. Each round consisted of matches that lasted 2.5 minutes. During that time, each robot, controlled by a drive team of four students, attempted to complete as many of the 15 challenges as possible on the Lego League mat. This year’s theme was Superpowered, so challenges revolved around energy. The teams had to harvest energy units from solar farms, wind turbines and hydroelectric dams; recharge a hybrid Lego car; and energize a dinosaur toy. Each completed challenge added points to the team’s score.

“It’s kind of nerve-wracking but it’s kind of exciting also,” said Rebekah Daggett, age 12, a member of Powered by the Son. “It’s fun to hang out here at our home college and it’s cool to be here and watch your robot.”

Not just playing with Legos

This is the first time the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering hosted teams and a tournament for First Lego League.

“Hosting this event was a tremendous opportunity for CBU to showcase our university to young aspiring students of STEM as well as to teachers and parents,” said Rhonda Clement, director of strategic initiatives for CBU’s College of Engineering.

Mitch Boretz, head referee for the Southern California region and event volunteer for the regional tournament, said CBU was a wonderful partner.

“I’ve been working at these events for about 15 years. This is the largest one I’ve ever been involved with, and I think it was the smoothest, too. That is thanks in large part to CBU’s careful and thorough planning and the great support we got from your students,” Boretz said.

CBU sponsored six teams, which started meeting in September. Each team built and programmed their own robot for the competition. They also pursued a research project in the power field.

Students learned skills such as coding, building and teamwork. This meant a lot of trial and error – writing code; running it and then adjusting it to make the robot move, turn and perform tasks correctly.  They also had to research energy sources and had to choose a renewable energy source that would power their robot in the real world.

“I just like going on computers and making it do stuff,” said Zayden Roberts, age 12, a member of Powered by the Son. “It’s fun making an actual physical robot complete Lego tasks.”

Jake Speyer, a software engineering senior at CBU, was the mentor for Powered by the Son. He brought experience, having competed in the tournament twice when he was a youth.

“That’s what got me into STEM as a kid,” Speyer said. “I was super down to come back and help and be like that coach that I had when I was a kid that got me all excited about it.”

Speyer has given the kids tips along the way, but they have coded and built the robot themselves.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize how complex it is. An outsider may think, oh, they’re just playing with Legos, but they’re actually coding or building a robot,” Speyer said.

At a qualifying tournament in November at the University of California, Riverside, CBU teams won several awards. The coach for Electric Dragons received a coach/mentor award. A participant on the Llama Jamas team received the rising star award. Powered by the Son team received first place for robot design. Powered earned enough points to get to the regional competition.

The team faced a crisis when the night before the competition, the codes were deleted. An app update caused the loss. The team worked with tech support to downgrade the system and then members Elijah and Jeremiah Abdelmalik and Traivon Williams II worked until 9:30 p.m. rebuilding the codes.

Coming together as a team

Zayden said he enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of the Lego competition.

“It’s just fun to build [with] Legos and then make the Lego thing you created do something,” Zayden said.

He also emphasized that being on the team has allowed him to grow as a collaborator, and his ability to work with others has greatly improved.

“I think the best part about being on a team is being able to just work together, putting suggestions out there, and just being able to collaborate because if you were working solo, you would have to do everything yourself,” Zayden said. “Having a team gives you all the different mindsets and helps you out a lot.”

Rebekah said she enjoyed seeing their work in action.

“My favorite part is seeing the robot do all the missions and how it can do all these tasks that are really cool,” Rebekah said.

But, of course, the kids are also in it to win it. After receiving the award at the qualifying tournament, Eloise Reynolds, 10 and a member of Powered, said she was excited to try to earn more.

“It was so exciting” to get a trophy, Eloise said.

While the CBU team will not advance to the championships at University of California, Riverside, later this month, the students enjoyed competing together as a team.

“It feels so amazing to come here and do this,” Eloise said.

The youths will get another opportunity to learn and play. CBU is planning a First Lego League bootcamp next summer.

 

Speech-language pathology students connect with clients

In pursuing a master’s in speech-language pathology, Annalyese Fausel, a student at California Baptist University, learned how to assess clients, develop a treatment plan and counsel families.

She also learned a lot about the Beatles this fall. One of her clients, Mike Morales, is a fan of the band, so she fills their sessions with Beatles trivia to engage him. She finds photos of the band and asks him questions. They listen to music videos and he sings along.

“It was really cool because I tapped into an area he really enjoys. It’s an easy motivator for him because it’s like he’s teaching me,” Fausel said.

Morales has aphasia, a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate, after having a stroke in 2014.

“I’ve learned how to have patience. He has so much to say; he has had such a wonderful life,” Fausel said. “When you work with people who have aphasia, there are a lot of awkward silences because they’re thinking things over. They’re trying to come up with their sentence.”

Along with talking about the Beatles, Fausel helps Morales work on spontaneous speech. Morales, who started painting and drawing after his stroke, often goes to art expos, but he is nervous about talking with new people.

“If they don’t know what aphasia is, they don’t really give him the time to come up with the answer and sometimes they don’t understand what he says,” Fausel said. “I came up with a script for him. The biggest questions that he was asked, he has an answer to and we practice those.”

They practiced the script for a month. Early in November at an art show, he made an effort to talk to all the people who came up to him, Fausel said.

“I am just so proud that Mike gained the confidence to start speaking to people and saw that his own words matter,” Fausel said.

Making a connection

Fausel said she tries to find ways to connect with each of her clients and uses their interests in therapy.

“I think it’s helpful because they then start to trust you more and they are enjoying themselves and they want to come to session versus it just being this drill of me trying to get something out of them and it doesn’t roll over into everyday society,” Fausel said.

Making a connection is important, said Dr. Danette Bonillo, director of clinical education. With each new client, the student clinician finds out what they are interested in and their background. That helps in creating conversation and knowing questions to ask to prompt dialogue, she said.

Bonillo also matches clinicians and clients. For instance, Fausel understands sarcasm and Morales has a sense of humor.

“Annalyese’s passion to provide services is strong and sometimes it’s hard to rotate to another practicum site,” Bonillo said. “And that’s what we want student clinicians to feel. That passion that leads to a sense of sadness when you’re done at your practicum site because you want to spend more time with your clients.”

The student clinicians have clients for one semester. At the end, they write up a progress report to pass on and will collaborate with the next student clinician.

“It’s a nice smooth transition,” Bonillo said. “People have said how much they enjoy being able to go from different clinicians every semester because it’s important to be able to adjust to new people.”

Telepractice continues

Morales and his wife, Royce, connected with Dr. Candace Vickers, founding director of CBU’s graduate program, about seven years ago and Morales has received speech therapy from CBU since.

The students and supervisors “exude true caring. They’re all just incredible,” Royce said.

The couple live in Rimforest, California. His twice weekly sessions with Fausel are online. The clinician and client finally met in person in October. Morales received an award from Able Arts Work, an organization in Long Beach, California, for his art. Fausel and a fellow student went to the awards event to meet Morales and celebrate his achievement.

“It was heartwarming,” Fausel said. “I felt like, in a lot of ways, it solidifies to our patients that they’re not just a person on our checklist, but they’re a human being we want to help cultivate a relationship with. We want the best for them. We want to see them succeed, whether it’s with speech but also with other things that they really like to do.”

Before COVID, students had never done telepractice. When everything shut down, the graduate program taught students how to use technology to conduct virtual speech therapy sessions in telepractice, Bonillo said. Those skills are still being taught.

While sessions are back in person, some clients are choosing the telepractice option. For adults who have limited mobility, telepractice eliminates an exhausting drive, Bonillo said. Also, therapists have more opportunity to talk with family members about strategies.

Telepractice works better for Morales, his wife said.

“It’s so much easier. He was always so exhausted after driving four hours a day,” Royce said. “He’s so much happier doing it this way.”

 

CBU reorganizing academic departments

California Baptist University is reorganizing two academic departments, effective Jan. 1.

The Department of Aviation Science will move from the College of Arts and Sciences into the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering. The Dr. Paul and Annie Kienel Leadership Institute, a standalone entity, will move into the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business.

“These structural changes will enhance the opportunity to provide quality education to our students,” said Dr. Charles Sands, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “It will also make us more effective and efficient as we combine resources and streamline some of the administrative and operational processes.”

With aviation science part of the College of Engineering, students and faculty will have daily interactions and collaborations said Dr. Phil van Haaster, dean of the College of Engineering. There are more than 175 students in the aviation science program.

“Aviation science is a field in the aerospace industry that regularly collaborates with developmental engineers. Combining the student cohorts within the same overarching college nurtures this natural partnership, enhancing the ability of both cohorts to innovate after their academic career,” van Haaster said.

Engineers pursuing an aerospace minor may take additional courses from the Department of Aviation Science, combining aspiring engineers and aviators in the classroom. Additionally, Aviation’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) club works with the College of Engineering on outreach programs and community activities to develop an interest in STEM and aviation.

“It is very common for aviators to be engineers and engineers to be aviators,” van Haaster said. “The combination of the disciplines is a natural progression that exemplifies the maturity of these two programs at CBU.”

The Leadership Institute, which has 75 students, offers the Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies. This program will join a new division in the School of Business that includes the Doctor of Business Administration and Doctor of Organizational Change and Administration, along with the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership.

The move will combine resources, with several Leadership Institute fellows among the School of Business faculty, said Dr. Tim Gramling, dean of the School of Business. It also will bring all the leadership students together.

In 2021, the School of Business launched the Center for Business Excellence to provide seminars and certifications for the local community.

“The mission of the center aligns closely with the Dr. Paul and Annie Kienel Leadership Institute and its emphasis on seminars, mentoring networks and forums,” Gramling said.

CBU has made other organizational changes in the past year. All academics were brought under one umbrella by consolidating Online and Professional Studies with the university’s other academic programs in the Division of Academic Affairs, effective Jan. 1, 2022. The restructuring helped standardize programs and allowed greater flexibility in delivery mode.

Additionally, the music and theatre programs at CBU joined together to create the Shelby and Ferne Collinsworth School of Performing Arts, effective July 1, 2022.

 

New Student Senate aims to amplify CBU student voices

This fall, California Baptist University announced a new student governmental body. Formerly the Associated Students of CBU, the CBU Student Senate was created to focus on the voices of students and the direct relationship between the student body and university officials.

Throughout the 2021-22 academic year, ASCBU and university officials met to address the issues related to lack of student engagement, including low voter turnout and overall effectiveness. Both groups researched structures at various colleges and universities across the country, which led to the student senate model at CBU.

During the spring of 2022, ASCBU’s executive council unanimously voted to disband the modality and recommended creating a student senate focused format. The recommendation was accepted by both university administration and the Board of Trustees.

In ASCBU, students elected two student representatives from the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior class. Now, each school and college and student-serving department, such as Athletics and Spiritual Life, submits three to five nominations for a student senator. In order to be nominated, students must complete one semester as a full-time traditional undergraduate student, have a 2.5 GPA or higher and be in good standing with the university. Nominees then are invited to apply for the position; 60 applications were received during the fall semester.

There are 17 representatives in total. Each senator represents various groups, such as commuters, men, women and students within academic programs.

Joe Adcock, associate dean of students for administrative support, will serve as the Student Senate advisor. He has spent over half of his life working for the university and has seen many positive and impactful changes.

“Growth brings change, and I’ve seen a lot of it,” Adcock said. “Change is good, and I am very excited about being a part of this new chapter in student representation at CBU. I want nothing more than to make CBU a place that students will cherish in their heart for the rest of their lives.”

This change will benefit the student population by allowing their voices to be heard, said Chris Hofschroer, dean of students.

“We want to get this right,” Hofschroer said. “In addition to providing a balanced representation of our student body, the Student Senate is designed to operate with a focus on serving as a formal conduit through which student-related concerns, views and interests are communicated to university officials.”

Dylan Parry, a political science sophomore, was nominated by Student Services.

The Student Senate will be better for students in many ways, Parry said.

“I most look forward to the new representative structure. The primary function is to be a voice for students and nothing else,” Parry said. “It frees the Student Senate to get in touch with students and hear their concerns. We will act as a direct line to the administration for students on campus.”

Nathanael Hovda, a chemical engineering senior, was nominated by Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering. The senate is a chance to give back to CBU, improve the student experience and leave the university in a better position than when we started, Hovda said.

“I wanted the senate to be a pulse for CBU students,” Hovda said. “We know some of the larger concerns students have, but we can’t miss the details. It’s about bringing every piece of the puzzle together, and if some of the pieces don’t exist yet, we work alongside students to create them.”

Makenna Wells Ayres, an applied theology senior, was nominated by the School of Christian Ministries.

“I wanted to be involved because I truly love CBU, and I want to be part of improving and enhancing student experiences on campus as well as cultivating growth throughout our university,” Ayres said. “Ultimately, I want to be a part of seeing more people come to know Christ and grow in their relationship with Him.”

 

Family Updates

Dr. Joshua Knabb, professor of psychology, published a second edition of his workbook, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Christian Clients: A Faith-Based Workbook (Routledge, Nov. 1, 2022).

 

 

 

 

Dr. Erin Smith, professor of psychology, co-authored a paper in the journal Religion, Brain & Behavior (Nov. 24). The title is The interaction between forgiveness and resentment on mental health outcomes: two sides of the same coin?

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Shields, associate professor of computer information technology, served as a judge for the Technical Research Exhibition held during the 2022 National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Fall Regional Conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 18. The exhibition highlighted the research and communication skills of collegiate students.

 

 

 

Dr. Lisa Bursch, professor of nursing, and Dr. Dayna Herrera, professor of nursing, received a grant through the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. The $132,000 from the Song-Brown Healthcare Workforce Training Program will expand programs for underrepresented students admitted into the family nurse practitioner program.

 

 

 

Dr. John Park, assistant professor of psychology, published a paper in the Journal of Scholarly Engagement (Vol. 5, Issue 2). It was titled A preliminary pilot study of the College Exodus Health Professions Program in San Bernardino County, CA.

 

 

 

 

Jennie Riad, curriculum and accreditation coordinator in Academic Affairs, had an article published in the International Journal for Innovation Education and Research (Dec. 1). It was titled Obstacles to successful curriculum management in higher education and opportunities for improvement.

 

 

 

Dr. Candace Vickers, professor of communication sciences and disorders, presented on Nov. 21 the third in a series of webinars on aphasia for Speech Recovery Pathways, a nonprofit organization that serves people with aphasia and brain injury. The title of the webinar was Communication Partner Training for Speech Language Pathologists + Tips for Partners and Speakers with Aphasia.

 

 

Dr. Michael Nalbandian, associate professor of civil engineering, published a paper in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances (Nov. 25). It is titled Recent advances and remaining barriers to the development of electrospun nanofiber and nanofiber composites for point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment systems.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Gretchen Bartels-Ray, professor of English, presented a paper at the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association Conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 11. It was titled Now, Eolo, can you hear me?’: Narration, Performative Utterance, and Heterotopic Space in Ann Leckie’s The Raven Tower.

 

 

 

Keelan Kaiser, professor of architecture, presented a paper at the AMPS (Architecture Media Politics Society) Representing Pasts – Visioning Futures virtual Architecture Conference on Dec. 1. It was titled Material Exploits: Exploring Genomic Data in Cosmological Architecture Toward Alternative Material Expression.

 

 

 

Rida Leonard, adjunct professor of English, presented at the PAMLA (Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association) conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 11. The paper was titled Langston Hughes’ Diverse Portrayal of Women.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Trevor Gillum, professor of kinesiology, Dr. William Boyer, associate professor of kinesiology, and Dr. Jong-Kyung Kim, professor of kinesiology, participated in the Southwest Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in Costa Mesa, California, on Oct. 28-29. As president-elect of the chapter, Gillum developed and coordinated the conference program. Boyer gave a symposia presentation Resistance training and Health: A summary of the epidemiologic literature and suggestions for future research. Kim, with kinesiology graduate students, presented a poster Effects of Acute Grape Seed Extract Supplementation on Muscle Metaboreflex in Healthy Young Individuals.

 

Dr. Melissa Anozie, assistant professor of nursing, presented a poster of her Ph.D. dissertation at the Sigma SoCal Odyssey Research Conference in San Diego on Oct. 12-13. It was titled It’s More Than Nursing: The Experiences of Psychological Safety of Pre-Licensure Nursing Students that Identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

 

 

 

Dr. Dayna Herrera, professor of nursing, and Dr. Heather Ontiveros, associate professor of physician assistant studies, presented at the 2022 Interprofessional Education Collaborative annual poster fair virtually on Nov 29. The presentation was titled IPE Exposure to Roles & Responsibilities; A Large Scale Table -Top Simulation.

 

 

 

Dr. Sophia S. Mun, assistant professor of behavioral and social sciences, with undergraduate students Jonathan Nava, Rebecca Petty and Rowen Zamora presented at the Southern California Conferences for Undergraduate Research at Pepperdine University on Nov. 19. The presentation was titled The Relationship between Pro-environmental Behaviors, Compassion, and Subjective Well-being.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, professor of public administration, Jim Bishop, associate professor of criminal justice and business law, and Dr. Mark Kling, professor of criminal justice, had an article published in the PA Times (Nov. 14). It was titled Citizen Volunteers or Lawless Vigilantes: Who is Helping Protect our Cities?

 

 

Three faculty members had poetry published in Inlandia: A Literary Journal (Fall 2022). Poems by Dr. Berniece Alspach, associate professor of English, were But Not New and Preschool Zoom School. Dr. Gretchen Bartels-Ray, professor of English, published Eclipse and Hygiene Theater. Dr. Erika Travis, professor of English and behavioral sciences, published before evening comes, After and Pentecost.

 

 

Dr. Melissa Croteau, professor of film studies, published a book titled Transcendence and Spirituality in Japanese Cinema: Framing Sacred Spaces (Routledge, Nov. 14). It is a study about Japanese aesthetics and cinema, exploring representations of Shinto and Buddhist sacred space, spiritual symbols and religious concepts that are embedded in the framework of Japanese films.

 

 

 

Dr. Shawn Wilhite, associate professor of New Testament, had an article published in Credo Magazine (13, No. 3). It was titled The Beatific Vision and Augustine: Happiness and Beatific Enjoyment in Seeing God.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Christy Gonet, assistant professor of theology, presented at the Evangelical Theological Society’s annual meeting in Denver on Nov. 15. Her paper was titled The Narrative of Salvation in Anselm of Canterbury’s Cur Deus homo.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jiliang Li, assistant professor of civil engineering and construction management, co-wrote a chapter in Advances in Transportation Geotechnics IV (Spring International Publishing, 2022). The chapter was titled Application of FEA in a Highway Fill Embankment Slope Stability Failure Study.

 

 

 

Dr. Owen Staley, lecturer of English, participated in a roundtable discussion at the Pacific Ancient and Modern Languages Association on Nov. 13. The discussion was called French Visions of LA. Staley contributed a paper titled Blaise Cendrars’ Trompe L’œil L.A., focusing on the Swiss author and his visit to California in 1936.

 

 

 

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Electronic & Photonic Packaging Division (EPPD) awarded Dr. Amanie Abdelmessih, professor of mechanical engineering, the EPPD Woman Engineer Award in recognition of her accomplishments and service. The award was presented to Abdelmessih at the ASME 2022 InterPACK Conference in Garden Grove, California, on Oct. 25-27. Abdelmessih also received a Certificate of Appreciation for her service as a track co-chair, heterogeneous integrated systems at ASME 2022 InterPACK.

 

 

Dr. Kenneth Nehrbass, director of special projects, Dr. Ted Murcray, associate professor of education, and Dr. Elizabeth Morris, professor of education and mathematics, published an article in the Journal of Applied Instructional Design (11, 3). It was titled Flexibility Within Structure: Factors Contributing to Faculty Perceptions of Autonomy and Standardization in Course Design and Delivery.

 

 

Psychological Services of Riverside, the CBU-run community clinic that also provides training for Doctor of Psychology students, was recently awarded $25,000 from the Rauch Family Foundation to support therapy services for low-income clients.

 

 

The CBU student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) won second place in the Dev Jam 2022 hackathon competition at the 2022 NSBE Fall Regional Conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 17-20. The 12-hour competition was hosted by video game developer Sledgehammer Games, one of the developers of the video game Call of Duty. The CBU team formed two teams in the competition. One team, named (/CBU), won second place in the competition for its entry titled NsWork, which was a chat-based application.

 

 

 

CBU Photography has an exhibition featuring the work of more than 30 students at the Riverside Art Museum. The show, Interlude, represents a variety of projects from the 2022 fall semester. More than 500 guests attended the opening reception on Dec. 1. The exhibit will be on display until Jan. 22.

 

 

 

The Robert K. Jabs School of Business held the grand opening for the Center for Family Business on Dec. 1. Nearly 100 people attended, representing 22 family-owned businesses. Moss Bro’s Auto Group was presented with the first Centennial Award for being a continuously family-owned business for 100 years and is now in its fourth generation. Dr. Keanon Alderson, professor of business and director of the Family Business Center, interviewed third-generation CEO Glenn Moss Sr. regarding learning lessons from a 100-year-old firm.

 

 

The creative writing department published its second annual Advent edition of the Dazed Starling: Unbound. It features work from CBU faculty, students and alumni.

 

 

Personnel Updates