In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU team wins physician assistants challenge bowl

Students from California Baptist University were faced with this question: A patient with polymyalgia rheumatica develops headaches, jaw tightness and unilateral vision changes. What test will confirm the diagnosis?

Most people would not know the answer, but a student in the College of Health Science physician assistant studies program should. That was the final question the team of CBU students answered to win the California Academy of Physician Assistants (CAPA) Student Medical Challenge Bowl. (The answer: Temporal artery biopsy.)

The CBU program, which just completed its first year, sent a team to the competition Aug. 12 during CAPA’s Summer Conference in San Diego. Four other programs competed in the bowl. In the final round, CBU faced the University of Southern California and Loma Linda University and came out on top.

“The students put us on the map, which is very exciting when you’re going up against these other well-established programs,” said Mary Ann Stahovich, assistant professor of physician assistant studies.

The team—Willie Rivera Landeros, Jillian McCoy and Robin Atkins—started practicing in May, often competing against classmates. McShirley Math, another student, organized the weekly practices, came up with questions and purchased buzzers to make the practices realistic.

The students did extra studying and learned the pressure of the buzzer—buzz too soon, they might not hear the whole question and what it was asking for; wait too long and another team might buzz and get the answer. Teams scored 10 points for each correct answer and lost 10 points for each incorrect one.

“The team worked really well together and we complemented each other,” Rivera Landeros said.

The CBU team received a check for $250.

“When we realized we won, we were in total disbelief,” Atkins said. “Going into the competition we did not expect to be very competitive, let alone win, considering we were up against some big schools with well-established programs. It’s kind of like a fairytale dream come true…first-year students in a new program at a small private school and we won!”

 

Nursing simulation program receives provisional accreditation

The College of Nursing at California Baptist University has received provisional accreditation through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

The college’s Interprofessional Education Learning Resource Center is one of a handful of programs accredited in California and the only one in the Inland Empire. The Society for Simulation is the largest international accrediting body for healthcare simulation.

“CBU is all about being practice-ready,” said Sarah Pearce, assistant director of the Learning Resource Center. “If students can come here and learn the skill in simulation, it’s good for them when they actually go out into their clinical practice, because they feel less apprehension. They’ve already practiced it.”

The state-of-the-art simulation studio at the CBU College of Nursing can place students in a scenarios such a mental health ward or an apartment simulating community health. Simulation also happens in skills laboratories, where students learn to handle “emergencies,” and in interprofessional education simulations, where graduate students learn to work in teams with other health-care professionals.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing is looking at increasing simulation to 50 percent of students’ clinical time, said Dr. Dayna Herrera, associate professor of nursing and director of clinical simulation and learning resources.

“It prepares them for the real world,” Herrera said. “They can make errors safely.”

Students retain more in simulation compared to lecture or group projects, because it is applied practice, said Pearce.

“It improves overall patient outcomes,” Pearce said.

In two years, the program can apply for full accreditation. In the meantime, the program will work on upholding the society’s standards and collecting data, such as feedback from students and educators on the simulations, Herrera said.

One of the strengths the society noted on the accreditation form was “administrative support for innovation and development of new simulation programs throughout the School of Nursing and other disciplines on campus.”

“We’re excited about the accreditation,” Herrera said. “We’re also thankful for the support we get from the university.”

 

CBU wrestling coach hailed as hero after helping foil a robbery

California Baptist University assistant wrestling coach Derek Moore was in the right place at the right time when his instincts compelled him to do the “right thing” and help block a robbery attempt.

Moore was attending the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s annual convention in Daytona, Florida with the Lancers wrestling coaching staff Aug. 4-6. On the last day of the conference, Moore heard a cry for help.

Jill Thompson, a Florida vacationer, had her wallet seized from behind by a man who then made a mad-dash get away. Thompson followed in pursuit, all the while screaming that her wallet had been stolen.

Moore, along with two wrestling coaches from Bellarmine University (Kentucky), Brandon Sellers and Spencer Adams, were nearby in a hotel parking lot when they heard Thompson’s cries for help. The three men immediately responded to the situation.

Moore was the first to catch up and subdue the thief. The two other coaches soon arrived on the scene and helped hold the alleged thief. A fourth man assisted the coaches, pinning the suspect to the ground until police arrived.

“Derek’s response was immediate and very brave,” Thompson related in an email to CBU. “I could tell he truly cared about my well-being and safety and was concerned about me. To me, he was the hands and feet of Jesus and a real-life superhero.”

“Everything happened so quickly,” Moore said, recalling the incident. “In Jill’s voice, I could hear a genuine cry for help and I wanted to do what I could to help her. I believe my instinct to chase down the thief comes from a combination of my upbringing and faith, both encouraging me to what is right and help others.”

Police indicated that the suspected thief was on probation for assault and battery, Thompson said.

 

CBU offers new worship arts and ministry degree

The Shelby and Ferne Collinsworth School of Music at California Baptist University will offer a new bachelor of arts in worship arts and ministry starting this fall semester.

“One of the most exciting dimensions of the worship arts and ministry degree is its focus on training students to be successful pastoral and professional leaders in the church,” said Dr. Joseph Bolin, dean of the School of Music. “It isn’t enough for the modern worship leader to be a skillful musician or have a strong platform presence. The role requires skills as a leader, pastor, counselor, administrator, motivator, organizer, manager, theologian and communicator.”

Bolin, who transitioned to CBU last year after a 20-year career in church worship ministry, said the new worship arts and ministry degree at CBU is designed to develop worship leaders who will be successful in the eclectic culture of the modern church.

“As the church in the U.S. attempts to connect with existing and emerging subcultures through worship style, the musical skill set of the worship leader or pastor must be increasingly diverse,” Bolin explained. “Also, today’s worship leader is called upon to incorporate an expansive palette of technical studio production and even theatrical elements in each worship experience.”

To ensure the program would be on the cutting edge of worship, Bolin brought together a steering and development board comprising influential worship leaders and innovators from throughout the U.S. to help develop the degree. Included in the group are: CBU alumnus Travis Ryan, worship pastor and multi-Dove Award nominated songwriter; Don Koch, music producer who has won three Dove awards and produced 38 No. 1 hit songs in the contemporary Christian music scene; and Tommy Walker and Rick Muchow, both seasoned worship leaders with more than 25 years each of worship leading and songwriting experience.

The worship arts and ministry degree will challenge students with a wide-ranging curriculum that includes upper-division courses in private instruction for voice, piano and guitar in addition to lower-division courses such as music in global cultures and the technical integration of live worship.

“The objective is to prepare future worship leaders to be competent in a multitude of styles —from modern band-driven to choir and/or orchestra models, from hymnody and liturgy to multicultural music,” Bolin said. “We will train students to utilize these eclectic styles individually or in concert to create a coherent, unified and powerful worship experience.”

Bolin also indicated that the program will have a strong emphasis on personal development.

“The program will draw from a cross-section of disciplines to prepare students to be strong and wise leaders as they manage resources, projects and the people the Lord has placed in their sphere of influence,” Bolin said.

The worship arts and ministry degree will be the seventh bachelor’s degree option in the School of Music, which also offers a Master of Music degree.

For more information on the worship arts and ministry major click here.

 

CBU dominates national cheer competition

With an unprecedented five-consecutive National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) titles under their belts, the California Baptist University cheer team has earned a ticket to compete for its sixth-straight feat.

At the National Cheerleaders Association/USA Cheer Collegiate Camp last week, the Lancers won the competition with a combined score of 148, beating out the second place team by 24 points. CBU also won other events including Best All-Around Team, Game Day Runoff, Most Collegiate, Most Spirited, Rally Routine-All Girls, Game Day Routine-All Girls and the Top Gun Stunt. Twelve Lancers earned All-American status at the event.

 

Professor works to foster a spirit of service in her students

Jennifer Zamora has been serving others as long as she can remember. Wrapping Christmas gifts, holding car washes and doing beach cleanup with her church youth group brought a warm feeling to her life and helped her forget about a difficult personal life.

“[Helping] was a way to escape the negativity I was going through at the time,” said Zamora, assistant professor of physician assistant studies at California Baptist University. “Not focusing on my problems and helping other people felt good to me.”

The concept of experiencing joy through service has stayed with Zamora through her development into a professional. As an instructor at CBU, she sees service in the community as a way of putting her Christian faith into action.

“We want our students [at CBU] to serve the community and be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Zamora said. “I hope our students develop a passion to serve the underserved.”

Through the years, Zamora’s heart for service has led her to various servant roles.

While working on her Master of Physician Assistant Practice degree at the University of Southern California, she did volunteer work including organizing a bone marrow registration drive. She also worked in a clinic in Uganda for 2½ weeks. Later, she helped in Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010.

“I had that moment in Africa, [thinking] what can I do for my community that I don’t have to travel across the world to do?” Zamora said.

After discussing the ideas with other students, she started a free health clinic in 2008 at her home church in Corona, California. Initially, the care she provided with two other pre-med students was basic: they offered health education and checked blood pressure and blood sugar.

But Zamora wanted to meet more needs, so she developed a collaboration with Health to Hope Clinics, federally qualified health centers that serve homeless and vulnerable individuals and families in Riverside County. Health to Hope provided a mobile unit and now patients can also have blood work screened and get a physical exam from head to toe. When serious health issues are detected, patients are referred elsewhere. The clinic also helps patients to determine what insurance they qualify for and then assists them with the paperwork.

Up to 20 volunteers including students from CBU help at the monthly clinic. The volunteers see 10 to 30 patients on any given Saturday, but Zamora said it isn’t about the numbers.

“It’s sometimes that one or two individuals who really needed help that day,” Zamora said.

“I’m trying to teach that to my students —even though you’re stressed and busy, there is so much we can still do for our community,” she said. “We can go into a nearby community and affect a different culture and a different neighborhood.”

Community service is required in CBU’s physician assistant program. The free clinic organized by Zamora provides the students an opportunity to interact with patients, make clinical judgments and serve others.

“I feel if you get them passionate about practicing now, it’s easier to do when they’re a health care provider,” Zamora said.

 

Professor encourages students to “wrestle” with biblical texts

Dr. Dan Wilson regards the Bible as a book that is meant to be understood. But, he concedes, it contains texts that might require some mental “wrestling.”

“I really believe that you can understand the Bible,” said Wilson, professor of biblical studies at California Baptist University. “We typically don’t understand it because we stop reading and stop trying when we don’t instantly understand.”

Wilson said biblical interpretation requires wrestling with the biblical text.

“If we’re not ready to wrestle with the text—observe it, question it, swim in it, surround ourselves with it—we’re not ready to communicate the truth of the Bible,” Wilson said.

When it comes to understanding “troubling” portions of scripture, Wilson said some students have expressed concern about certain biblical texts.

“I get questions about things that seem bizarre to them, things that might even be disturbing to us today,” Wilson said. “It’s OK to be disturbed by what we read in the Bible but we need to pay attention to what God is doing and what God is saying to his people.”

Wilson, who served as founding dean of the CBU School of Christian Ministries, teaches several courses including Old and New Testament Survey and Biblical Interpretation. His dissertation at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary focused on the idea of “the Messianic Secret” in the gospels. Wilson examined connections between the concept in the gospels, primarily in the transfiguration narratives, and secrecy elements in the later Old Testament writings.

Wilson enjoys teaching the Bible to believers as well as those who do not identify as people of faith.

“I sense from a large percentage of my students an eagerness to study the Bible and to see if it has any relevance for their day-to-day life,” Wilson said.

Wilson also believes that understanding the Bible should affect the way we live.

“I want my students to see me putting into practice what’s in the Bible,” Wilson said. “I don’t want to be that person who knows but doesn’t practice it.”

After spending decades teaching the Bible, Wilson got a fresh perspective as he traveled to Israel the past several summers. As a member and former chair of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary board of trustees, Wilson participated in an excavation project sponsored by the seminary at the site of the ancient Canaanite city of Gezer, near the Mediterranean Sea and the Aijalon Valley.

“Being in Israel changed my perspective on the Bible,” Wilson said. “I had a muted perspective beforehand, but after walking alongside the Sea of Galilee, through the old city of Jerusalem, and among the olive trees at Gethsemane, I read the Bible in vivid color now. I hear the voices more clearly; I taste and smell and feel the biblical story in ways I never did before.”

Those experiences, he added, motivate him to bring the Bible to life for his students.

 

Associate dean studies link between architecture, evangelism

As an architect, Dr. Matthew Niermann aims to use his training and research to understand and refine the relationship between evangelism theories and church design.

Niermann is the new associate dean of the College of Architecture, Visual Art and Design at California Baptist University. He has studied evangelism theories that have affected church architecture in the U.S. since the 1970s.

One such theory, known as “architectural evangelism,” proposes that traditional church architecture is an evangelistic barrier because steeples, crosses and other elements of church architecture are unfamiliar and uncomfortable for the non-churchgoer. Architectural evangelism theory has led to a trend among American Protestant congregations to construct buildings featuring more secular exteriors.

Niermann, who has also serves as a consultant for several church committees, confirmed that many congregations make architecture decisions based on creating a campus environment that is welcoming and comfortable.

Niermann’s doctoral dissertation at the University of Michigan examined the theory of architectural evangelism and ultimately produced research results that challenge the norm.  He reviewed the judgment and perceptions of a cross-section of churched and unchurched individuals drawn from Riverside and Ann Arbor, Michigan.  In the study, people participated in a series of image-based activities during an in-person interview, which revealed the underlying structures of each person’s perceptions and decision-making processes.

One of Niermann’s key findings in his research was that “comfort” or “welcoming” environment was not a primary consideration for the unchurched. They instead based their understandings and judgments on what they found to be more beautiful, typically structures that looked more like a church and less like a secular building.

“We need to stop asking what the unchurched find comfortable and start asking what they find beautiful,” Niermann said. “Even their sense of comfort is driven by their sense of aesthetic quality.”

Additionally, architectural evangelism makes an argument for buildings that are simple and austere, so that churches will not be judged as hypocritical by spending more on a building than on serving others, Niermann said. However, his research found the opposite was true.

“The results actually show that if a church constructs a really plain, low-cost looking building, the unchurched perceive that the church cares more for itself than the community,” Niermann said. “Architecture is a public art. Therefore, if the building has a high aesthetic quality, it is perceived as a gift to the community at large and thus the church is perceived as caring about the community.”

The results ultimately make a case that aesthetic considerations are not superfluous, but fundamentally a mission and evangelism category, Niermann added.

From a church outreach standpoint, Niermann encourages congregations to engage the non-churchgoers to better understand their perspectives.

“We need to be cautious of deducing our own understanding of the unchurched without having spoken with them,” Niermann said.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Sanggon Nam, associate professor of public health, co-authored an article in Texas Public Health Journal (Volume 69, Issue 3). The title of the article was The Effects of Chronic Medical Conditions and Obesity on Self-Reported Disability in Older Mexican Americans. Nam also visited Handong Global University (HGU) in Pohang, South Korea, July 5-6. Nam graduated from HGU, a sister university with CBU. He met the HGU president, vice president and various deans and made a CBU Master of Public Health informational session to HGU undergraduate students.

 

 

Dr. Joel Bigley, assistant professor of management, was a session chair and a speaker at the 4th Academic International Conference on Business, Marketing and Management in Boston on July 17-19 as part of the Institute of Research, Learning, and Development. His presentation was titled Situational Environmental Scanning Frameworks to Optimize Strategic Enactment, which will be published in the conference proceedings.

 

 

 

Dr. Sean Sullivan, professor of kinesiology, published an article in Sport and Society (August 2017). It was titled Single, Separate or Unified? Exploring Christian Academicians’ Views of the Body, Sport and Religious Experience.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, professor of public relations, and C.L. Lopez, adjunct professor of public relations, both for Online and Professional Studies, were the keynote speakers at Western Municipal Water Districts Summer Teacher workshop in Riverside on Aug. 3. Pearson shared research on personal branding for educators, and Lopez spoke about online visual resources for educators.

 

 

 

Dr. Jessica Alzen, adjunct professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, gave two presentations at the American Association of Physics Teachers annual conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 25. The presentations were titled The Learning Assistant Model and DFW Rates in Introductory Physics Courses and Relationship between Learning Assistants and Persistence to Graduation.

 

 

 

Frank Mihelich, associate professor of theatre, was a panelist at the annual conference for the Association of Theatre in Higher Education in Las Vegas on Aug. 3. The title of the panel was Integrating Faith the in Classroom and Theatrical Productions.

 

 

 

Dr. Amanie Abdelmessih, professor of mechanical engineering, presented a peer-reviewed article at the 2017 ASME Summer Heat Transfer Conference, in Bellevue, Washington, on July 12. The article, titled Inexpensive Numerical Methods for Heat Transfer Computation, is included in the conference proceedings.

 

 

 

Dr. Candace Vickers, associate professor of communication disorders, was interviewed for a podcast on AphasiaAccess, an Alliance of Life Participation Providers. The podcast is called Best Business Practices in Aphasia Care.

 

 

 

Dr. Dennis Bideshi, professor of biology, and Dr. Hyun-Woo Park, professor of biology, co-authored an articled published in the Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. The article was titled Contributions of 5’-UTR and 3’-UTR cis elements to Cyt1Aa synthesis in Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis.

 

 

 

 

Janie Armentrout, administrative assistant to School of Education, was named employee of the month for August. The nomination form included the following statements: “Janie eagerly assists people and provides an extra touch of hospitality to the office and various SOE events.  She’s consistently kind, eagerly assists others, provides timely encouragement, and is genuinely gracious to all, 100% of the time.”

 

 

 

 

Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history, contributed a chapter to volume 9 of A Noble Company: Biographical Essays on Notable Particular-Regular Baptists in America (Particular Baptist Press). The title of the chapter is Joshua S. Callaway, 1789-1854.

 

 

 

Victoria Brodie, visiting professor of public relations, presented at the Fourth International Academic Conference of Exploring Leadership and Learning Theories: Perspectives on Leadership, Learning and Social Enterprise in Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 26. The title of the presentation was One Belt, One Road: Exploring the Impact of Social Entrepreneurship in China towards 2030.

 

 

 

Robyn Glessner, adjunct professor of history and English, served as a scorer at the 2017 Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History reading conference in Tampa, Florida, for two weeks this summer. She helped establish and prepare nationwide standards and samples for the assessment of the AP U.S. History exam.

 

 

 

Dr. Dirk Davis, associate vice president for academics, and Dr. Kathryn Norwood, dean of assessment and accreditation, both for Online and Professional Studies, completed a four-part blog series, Advancing Assessment at California Baptist University. The Taskstream blog is aimed at assessment leaders in higher education across the United States. Davis and Norwood also presented at the Taskstream-TK-20 Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas, June 13. The presentation was titled Painting Change with Automated Assessment.

 

 

Dr. Fred Pontius, professor of civil engineering, served as a moderator for the 2nd International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering held in Suzhou, China, on July 25-27. Pontius also gave a presentation titled Sustainable Infrastructure: Climate Change and Carbon Dioxide.

 

 

 

About 45 members of CBU Athletics made up four teams for the department’s annual softball game. The teams were Team Jessica Case, assistant women’s basketball coach; Team Hardy Asprilla, assistant head men’s basketball coach; Team Kevin Rosa, head men’s water polo coach; Team Brenden Higa, head women’s volleyball coach. They battled it out on the Front Lawn on Aug. 8.

 

 

 

Sam Ramos, residence director-Lancer Arms, and his wife, Emily, welcomed their daughter on July 1. Rose Liliana Ramos weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 19 inches. She joins brother Jude, 1½ years old.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Staff and faculty enjoy sneak peek inside CBU the Events Center

The sound of admiring “oohs” and “aahs” echoed through the new CBU Events Center as staff and faculty at California Baptist University attended an open house and tour of the multi-use arena on July 25.

“I was blown away at how professional and collegiate the Events Center looks,” said Natalie Specht, graduate assistant for the Office of Leadership and Transitions. “It really brings CBU up to the next level as we transition to [NCAA] Division I competition.”

The Events Center open house for CBU employees featured a guided tour of offices, working spaces, CBU training and locker rooms, and ultimately a view of the basketball court and seating areas. Representatives from CBU Athletics and University Advancement at each stop provided brief descriptions about the area visitors were passing through.

Jason Stephenson, director of media productions for Lancer Athletics, spoke about digital features planned for the in-game experience for Lancer fans.

“We’re going to have four cameras stationed throughout the arena to capture not only the action on the court to display on the large overhead LED screens but also the faithful Crazies that are in the crowd. We’re also going to have dunk cameras stationed on top of the basketball backboards to showcase up-and-close our amazing athletes,” Stephenson described. “Our audio and video displays are state-of-the-art and you will have a similar experience to any big arenas in our area.”

CBU also plans to go big on food. The Events Center will feature three concession stands that will serve standard sporting cuisine as well as specialty sausage sandwiches and street tacos.

“The Events Center is a game-changer for the campus,” said Kipp Dougherty, director of Food Services at CBU. “We definitely want the food to provide the same ‘wow’ factor.”

Micah Fuller, associate director of athletics for marketing/media relations, said CBU employees and their families will enjoy free admission to basketball games this year. Fuller also said CBU has sold more than 500 individual season tickets plans to date, featuring designated seating locations.

“We want this to be an environment that you and your whole family can attend,” Fuller told a tour group.

Andrew Musser, assistant director of financial aid, said he has not attended a basketball game at CBU but, after the tour, that might change.

“Impressive, massive were the first words that pop into my mind when I looked down at the basketball court,” Musser said. “This does inspire me to want to come check out a game to see what the environment of a basketball game will be like.”

The Events Center is scheduled to open in mid-August with Welcome Weekend for new students scheduled as the first large event in the arena. The Lancers’ first basketball games are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 10.

 

CBU food services announces expanded offerings, new app

This fall California Baptist University will welcome some tasty new additions to the food options offered on campus, along with a new way students can order food.

Menu revamps coming to CBU restaurants include a new “Torta” at El Monte Grill and built-to-order pasta dishes at Brisco’s. Additionally, evenings at the Alumni Dining Commons will feature Italian specialties including pastas; custom-made burgers with a toppings bar; and various appetizers.

Foodology, CBU’s newest café located on the College of Health Science campus, will serve breakfast all day, including eggs benedict, pancakes and breakfast bowls.

“That’s a hot trend right now. People love breakfast, and a lot of our students don’t necessarily have time first thing in the morning, but they still like breakfast,” said Kipp Dougherty, director of Food Services at CBU.

Also new at CBU this fall will be Tapingo, a food-ordering mobile app. The app will allow students to place an order, pay for it—using a meal plan, dining dollars or credit card—and pick up the order at a set time. The app will be available for download before the fall semester on iTunes. The Tapingo app is the second app offered by CBU Food Services. The CBU Dining app, which premiered last spring, allows users to see restaurants’ hours of operation, daily menu options, and can filter menu options for certain dietary restrictions.

“We want [guests] to have the kind of experience they would have if they went to their favorite restaurant,” Dougherty said.

A research and development committee, made up of chefs and managers of Food Services at CBU, continuously works throughout the year on product and menu development.

It typically takes one to two years of research before a new dish appears on the menu at CBU, Dougherty explained. During that time, the committee conducts research by sampling a variety of dishes including new fads at various restaurants to compare flavors.

The Food Services team believes food is important and not just for fuel, Dougherty added.

“Food is really where people come together. It’s a moment for fellowship,” she said. “It’s the tradition of breaking bread and stopping for a moment—not only to get nourishment but to share time with others.”

CBU food service has earned strong rankings in recent years. Niche.com ranked California Baptist University No. 2 among California universities in the site’s 2017 “Best College Food” rankings and No. 8 nationwide. Niche ranks more than a thousand colleges across the U.S. based on meal plan cost and more than 470,000 opinions from 64,000 students. A high ranking indicates the college offers a variety of healthy, quality food options that accommodate various dietary preferences and that the students are happy with the quality of campus food.

CBU operates seven food service locations in partnership with Provider Food Services.

 

CBU students seize Global Health Engagement opportunity

Joshua Gladney, an exercise science senior at California Baptist University, had a key insight during his Global Health Engagement trip to East Africa over the summer: prayer and health care go hand-in-hand.

“I learned how powerful prayer is in a clinical setting,” Gladney said. “God clearly intervened in the healing process with so many patients while we were there, so I learned that prayer and health care should definitely not be separate.”

The College of Health Science at CBU sent three teams this summer to serve in various health care roles in communities located in China, East Africa and the Philippines.

The trips are part of the Global Health Engagement (GHE) program, which provides students an opportunity to provide health care services while gaining course credits. Global service is part of CBU’s commitment to live out the Great Commission.

GHE benefits the students by giving them experience related to their profession of interest and the opportunity to share Christ cross-culturally, said Dr. Erik Salley, assistant professor of kinesiology and coordinator of the GHE program.

“The students develop cultural competence and sensitivity with respect to global health engagement,” Salley said. “They also learn about spiritual formation and its relationship to service in the health professions.”

Salley served with a team comprising seven students and two faculty members that spent three weeks in East Africa. The team assisted with physical therapy at a Baptist hospital in addition to teaching health seminars in a nearby village. The team also held Bible studies at the hospital and the village where they administered care.

“The students saw the integration of faith and profession, got hands-on experience practicing their skills and witnessed what life in a different country looks like,” said Dr. Amy Miller, assistant professor of kinesiology, who also participated in the East Africa trip.

The GHE China team was made up of five students and one faculty member. The team assisted children with special needs and hosted seminars to offer instruction on how to better take care of children with special needs, to their parents, teachers and childcare workers.

The experience gave students valuable learning opportunities such as hands-on evaluation and treatment, teaming up to help patients with individuals outside their field of study and learning how to communicate through interpreters, said Margaret Appenzeller, visiting professor of communication sciences and disorders. It was also about encouraging the parents of special-needs children, she added.

The third GHE team currently is serving at three locations in the Philippines: the Philippine Heart Center, a remote health clinic and a rehabilitation clinic.

 

Family Updates

David Isaacs, assistant professor English, presented at the 2017 Children’s Literature Association Annual Conference in Tampa, Florida, June 22-24. The title was Wandering Women: Variations on the Quest Motif in Young Adult Fantasy.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff McNair, professor of education, published a Bible study curriculum for adults with disabilities. Lessons from the Light & Power Company: The Psalms offers 40 lessons from the book of Psalms.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Pate, associate professor of psychology, presented a workshop to approximately 50 medical residents at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton on July 17. His workshop, Self-Care for Medical Residents, was one in a monthly series the residency program puts on as part of a new national focus on training healthy physicians.

 

 

 

Dr. Tad Hove, adjunct professor of management, successfully defended his dissertation at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara on July 10. The title of his dissertation was Self-Determination Theory and Higher Education Student Development.

 

 

 

Dr. Jong-Wha Bai, associate professor of civil engineering, received the Outstanding ASCE Faculty Advisor Award from the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) San Bernardino-Riverside Branch on June 29 at an award banquet. He has served as vice president of student activities for the ASCE LA Section since 2015. Cameron Adams, a CBU civil engineering student, received a scholarship at the banquet.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jessica Miller, adjunct professor of public health sciences, gave a presentation at the J. W. Vines Medical Foundation’s Summer Health Academy in Moreno Valley on July 5. The title of the presentation was Creating a Captivating Professional Presentation. The academy provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to shadow a group of physician mentors.

 

 

 

Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean of the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, graduated as part of Leadership Riverside’s 2017 Class on June 16. Leadership Riverside is a 10-month program developed to educate decision-makers in the community by immersing them in the issues and challenges that face Riverside. The program is sponsored by the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.

 

 

Jay Stovall, director of new student programs, and his wife, Tiffany, welcomed their daughter June 25. India Rae Stovall weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 21 inches.

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

New alumni and parent relations director has strong ties to CBU

For Joshua Moss, taking on the director of alumni and parent relations role at California Baptist University has many positives. For one, it represents a new opportunity at the post-secondary education level. Additionally, CBU is his alma mater. Moreover, the job is located in his hometown.

Ultimately, Moss’ passion for the university and its alumni sealed his decision to accept the position.

“I believe in the mission of CBU and the programs offered to its students,” said Moss, who started his position last week. “As an alumnus, I grew as a believer, got the support and encouragement that I needed and even met my beautiful wife, Brianna (06’), at CBU.”

Moss graduated from CBU in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. He then completed his teacher’s credential at CBU in 2004. He taught for four years in the Alvord Unified School District in Riverside. Moss then came back to CBU to obtain his Master of Science in secondary education and teaching in 2006. The degrees helped him advance in his career.

After completing his master’s degree, Moss transitioned to a school administrator and served as an assistant principal, middle school principal and high school principal—all in the past 10 years—within the Alvord district. He has also taught as an adjunct professor in the School of Education at CBU for the past four years.

Moss said he wants to contribute to the continual development of alumni.

“I want our department to offer opportunities for Lancers to fellowship, provide mentorship opportunities, and help open doors of possibilities for each other,” Moss said.

To accomplish this vision, Moss plans to be intentional on how he builds relationships and connections with alumni, not only locally but nationally as well. Moss also looks forward to hosting some of his office’s events that aim to reunite Lancers, such as the Parent & Family Weekend (Nov. 10-11) and Homecoming (Feb. 9-10).

“I look forward to meeting and engaging with Lancers from all eras and hope to provide support and resources for all of our alumni,” Moss said. “There are so many amazing things happening in the lives of our alumni and we want to know about the impact they are making all over the world.”

 

CBU to offer new bachelor’s degree in finance

The stewardship of money will be on the minds of new finance majors come the fall 2017 semester at California Baptist University. The new bachelor of science degree in finance offered through the Dr. Robert K Jabs School of Business will emphasize a Christian worldview approach to handling finances.

“Throughout our program at CBU a student will learn how to acquire, multiply and protect money in addition to grappling with how to accomplish this in a God-honoring way,” said Dr. Adele Harrison, professor of finance. “The program will teach students to invest time developing analytical tools, improving interpersonal skills, plus establishing the values-actions connection. This combination of skills and values-based decision-making is useful in any industry, in any organization.”

The program prepares students for a variety of competing opportunities, whether in corporate finance, insurance, banking or pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or Certified Financial Planner (CFP) roles, Harrison added.

“Tell me one area in life that doesn’t have a financial complexity to it?” Harrison asked. “We want our students to have a comprehensive Christian worldview that teaches them how to be good stewards so that they can help themselves, their families, churches and communities make good financial decisions.”

Harrison sees students’ ability to make sound financial decisions developing from not only a solid academic program but also from opportunities to connect and learn from successful individuals.

To that end, Harrison plans to coordinates trips to top investment firms in the area in addition to hosting investment summits on campus that deals with responsible investing. Additionally, Harrison oversees the Investment Group at CBU where students gain hands-on experience with the stewardship of money.

“Our investment group is a student-managed investment fund run by students under the director and guidance of a faculty advisor and an external board of advisors,” Harrison said. “Student gets to pitch multiple investment opportunities, defend their selections and monitor and track their performance. It’s an excellent learning experience.”

The Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business at CBU is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), the premier accreditor for teaching-focused business programs. The finance degree is the fifth major offered within the school of business. The degree requires a completion of 72 units.

For more information on the finance program at CBU click here.

 

Dawn Ellen Jacobs builds up new faculty on a biblical foundation

Before new faculty members at California Baptist University even set foot on campus there are a number of individuals already planning for their success.

Dr. Dawn Ellen Jacobs is one of those persons.

“One of the joys of my work is to collaborate with the new faculty that we are hiring,” said Jacobs, CBU veteran of 26 years. “Not only are we hiring excellent scholars who are academically prepared but they are committed to serving and want to be in the classroom, and they want to impact students’ lives.”

For the past 12 years, Jacobs has served as the associate provost of faculty development, helping new faculty develop and transition into their roles at CBU. This fall, Jacobs will be transitioning into a full-time teaching position in the department of modern languages and literature; however, she also will remain a key person in faculty development by taking on the role of director of new faculty development.

Jacobs said that the number of faculty has grown significantly in correlation to the enrollment boom CBU has experienced during the past decade. Stepping away from the provost position and transitioning into the director role will help her devote more time and energy to the growing faculty development needs.

Jacobs has been instrumental in developing programs that help new faculty members become accustomed to CBU.

For instance, all new faculty members attend as a cohort The Seminar on Faith and Academic Profession at CBU. The seminar is designed to support the faculty throughout their first year. The group meets for an initial two-day workshop in August and then they meet every two weeks throughout the academic year along with day workshops in January and May. The seminar, which Jacobs helped launch a decade ago, also helps facilitate faculty members’ biblical worldview formation.

“These seminars offer our instructors a good baseline for where they are in their biblical worldview,” Jacobs said. “It also offers a way where we can identify areas for improvement. We want to support them in their spiritual life.”

A biblical worldview is relevant to CBU students, Jacobs said, because they desire a connection from their faith to the real world.

“‘How does my faith play out in the world?’ This concept is something our students are asking about more and more: ‘What does my field of study have to do with my faith and my desire to serve,’” said Jacobs, reflecting on questions she has heard from students at CBU. “Faculty at CBU need to have the answers to these questions.”

Jacobs said that CBU is intentional in its biblical worldview training. The seminar is run as a class. Instructors have a safe space to ask questions and to have dialogue for what a biblical worldview means, Jacobs added.

“What I appreciate at CBU is the community of believers we have, who are always challenged to grow in understanding. I don’t have all the answers; I don’t have a magic bag. However the Bible teaches us that iron sharpens iron,” Jacobs said.

Dr. Charles Sands, CBU provost and vice president, said he is pleased that Jacobs will continue to oversee new faculty development.

“Dr. Jacobs has served this institution with energy, professionalism and a very strong sense of purpose for the last 26 years,” Sands said.  “We are fortunate that as she transitions out of administration, she will still maintain a vital role in developing our new faculty moving forward.”

 

Lancer basketball schedules for 2017-2018 season available

A new era for Lancer basketball in the California Baptist University Events Center will tip-off for the men’s and women’s squads starting on Nov. 10. Both teams at CBU will host season-opening tournaments.

CBU men’s squad hosts California State University, Dominguez Hills in its home opener at 7 p.m., before taking on California State University, Los Angeles the following day at 3 p.m. Both games are part of the Lancers Tip-off Challenge. The women’s squad will open against California State University, San Marcos at 3 p.m. and the next day against University of California, San Diego at 1 p.m. at the team’s first-ever Conference Challenge tournament.

“We are excited about this year’s men’s and women’s basketball schedules,” said Dr. Micah Parker, director of athletics. “Some of the highlights in the schedules include hosting two tournaments, a very competitive non-conference schedule and our first-ever basketball homecoming game.”

This season will be the last for CBU in the PacWest. The Lancers will transition to NCAA Division I beginning in the 2018-2019 season and compete in the Western Athletic Conference.

Lancer fans can purchase tickets at various levels at cbulancers.com/seasontickets. Additionally, for the first time, CBU Athletics has announced a season ticket campaign, allowing fans to secure their seat for the entire basketball season in the new Events Center.

View complete men’s schedule here.
View complete women’s schedule here.

 

School of Behavioral Sciences at CBU transitions into a college

The School of Behavioral Sciences at California Baptist University officially transitioned into the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences on July 1.

“This transition to a college follows significant growth in enrollment, faculty and degree offerings within the school and more appropriately aligns the offerings in this area with regional and national trends,” said Dr. Charles Sands, CBU provost and vice president.

The college has seen enrollment grow to nearly 900 students in the various programs this past fall. With the growth, CBU will be adding two new programs this fall—a Master of Social Work and a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences will have five majors, five minors and five graduate programs. Additionally, in the fall of 2018, the college is set to introduce a Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology  along with a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology—the first doctoral program in the behavioral and social sciences at CBU.

Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, said the transition is an opportunity to build on a solid foundation.

“I see this as building on a legacy of excellence that was started more than 35 years ago,” Gustafson said. “Our alumni continue to be well represented in our communities and beyond.”

In the past decade, the School of Behavioral Sciences has seen its number of graduates significantly increase year-by-year accumulating to nearly seven-thousand students.

Phil Breitencuher (00’), psychology alumnus and director at the non-profit group Children and Family Futures, said the culture at CBU helped prepare him for his future career pursuits.

“I enjoyed the high expectations and small class atmosphere which prepared me for graduate school.  After graduating from CBU, I was immediately able to apply the knowledge I gained to the field of social work,” said Breitenbucher, who also serves as the program director for the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Family Recovery Initiative.

“In my professional interactions with CBU alumni, I see them as being passionate and mission-driven individuals,” Breitenbucher added.

Gustafson said the additional programs, including at the doctoral level, will help CBU influence behavioral and social science discussions not only on a regional level but a national level as well.

“Our programs are positioned to offer high commitment to academics with an emphasis on culture and justice issues this attracts bright and gifted instructors who want to be a part of our mission,” Gustafson said. “We are about bringing individuals back into relationships… in our communities, this means helping the underserved and sometimes the most vulnerable people.”

 

Music lecturer enjoys spending time as a student

Ruth Noemy Wheeler, violin instructor and Symphony Orchestra conductor at California Baptist University, believes in the concept of lifelong learning. That is why she recently took time to once again assume the role of a student.

Wheeler attended the Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies at the Juilliard School of Music located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. Wheeler was one of 200 musicians selected worldwide to attend the symposium that was held from May 30-June 3. It was Wheeler’s third time participating in the conference. She also attended an orchestra-conducting workshop at the New York Conducting Institute from June 4-6.

The knowledge gained in these opportunities not only challenges Wheeler to develop her own talents and creativity, but she also observed how the instructors taught the students. Wheeler enjoys learning from others.

“I had a violin teacher tell me, ‘the best violin teacher isn’t just one who teaches violin, it’s also one who teaches character and helps a student through their personality to become a better musician,’” Wheeler said.

Wheeler has grown up in an environment of instruction. Her dad, Gilberto Orellana, Jr. is a violinist, composer and conductor, and has professional ties to the National Symphony Orchestra in El Salvador. Since the age of three, when she picked up her first violin, Wheeler has sought to become like her dad.

Wheeler recalls her first memories of playing the violin as both fun yet hard.

“I realized it wasn’t easy,” Wheeler said. “The violin doesn’t play by itself.”

Wheeler continued to follow in her father’s footsteps while developing as a young promising violinist. She attended the Superior Conservatory of Music in Malaga, Spain. She then earned a master’s degree in violin performance and conducting from CBU.

She joined the music department at CBU as an adjunct faculty in 2010 teaching violin and then transitioned into a lecturer in 2012. That year she also started to conduct the Symphony Orchestra.

Wheeler is also a concertmaster for the Corona Symphony Orchestra and works with the Riverside Arts Academy, which provides low-cost and free arts programs for the community.

Wheeler said she seeks to connect with her students by following Jesus’ example and caring for each one of them.

“One of my goals is to inspire my students to build up their character and to be able to be successful in their musical craft,” Wheeler said.

 

Mihalko earns PacWest Female Athlete of the Year

The awards keep pouring in for Cassidy Mihalko’s historic senior season at California Baptist University. Mihalko was awarded the PacWest Female Athlete of the Year on June 21—a first at CBU.

This past season, Mihalko became the PacWest’s all-time leading scorer with 2,231 career points.

Read the full story here.

 

 

 

 

Family Updates

Josh Morey, director of Financial Aid, and Joel Brown, special programs coordinator for Financial Aid, presented at the Jenzabar Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., on June 2. The name of the presentation was Using Cognos Reports for Your Awarding and Compliance Processes.

 

 

 

The College of Nursing Learning Resource and Interprofessional Education Center at California Baptist University has been granted provisional accreditation through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. The society is the largest international accrediting body for healthcare simulation.

 

 

 

Allison “Ally” Russell, administrative assistant to the College of Health Science, was named employee of the month for July. The nomination form included the following statements: “Ally’s effort on the Global Missions Health Conference held last February reflects the spirit of a university committed to the Great Commission. Her leadership with the GMHC was an amazing example for so many CBU student workers, volunteers and conference attendees. Ally wants things to be done well. She has not once cut corners, sought the easy way out, or wanted to cruise through a task. The work ethic and initiative are something to be proud of and she provides a great example for those around her.”

 

 

Dr. Lisa Bursch, associate professor of nursing, gave a presentation at the International Council of Nursing Conference in Barcelona, Spain, May 27-June 1. The title of the presentation was Creating a Multidisciplinary Team to Develop and Implement Interprofessional Education (IPE) Simulations Preparing Students for Collaborative Practice. More than 9,000 nurses from more than 20 countries attended the conference focusing on nurses at the forefront transforming care.

 

 

 

Shawn Wilhite, assistant professor of Christian studies for Online and Professional Studies, wrote an essay for theLAB: The Logos Academic Blog (June 27, 2017). The title was A Strategic Approach to Reading Background Texts of the New Testament.

 

 

 

Dr. Dayna Herrera, associate professor of nursing, presented at the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning in Washington, D.C., on June 21. The presentation was titled Developing Highly Immersive IPE Simulations.

 

 

 

The College of Arts and Sciences sponsored a tour of Italy on May 15-24, led by Dr. Troy Hinrichs, professor of criminal justice, Dr. Eric Brook, professor of history and humanities, and Tiffany Brook, adjunct professor of English for Online and Professional Studies. The 21 tour members included students, alumni and friends of CBU. With a theme of humanities, the group focused on arts and culture, visiting Venice, Florence and Rome.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Yeesock Kim, associate professor of civil engineering and construction management, co-wrote several articles that were recently published. The articles were Fuzzy modeling of holding capacity of offshore suction caisson anchors in International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, (Issue 7, 2017); A model updating method with strain measurement from impact test for the safety of steel frame structures in Measurement (May 2017); System identification, health monitoring, and control design of smart structures and materials in Advances in Mechanical Engineering, (Issue 4, 2017).

 

 

Waylon Baumgardner, senior web services manager for Marketing and Communication, was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors for HighEdWeb Association. He is also serving as interim treasurer for the association.

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty Master of Public Health students took part in a disaster simulation on June 29 to conclude their Outbreak and Emergency Preparedness and Response course. The simulation was facilitated by Dr. Marshare Penny, associate professor of public health, and Ramon Leon, the program chief of Riverside County’s Emergency Management Department. The event took place at the County’s Department Operations Center in Riverside. During the simulation, students worked with public health trained practitioners to respond to a fictional scenario—a major earthquake hitting CBU. Students developed search and rescue, sheltering, and communication strategies for the disaster response.

 

Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history, presented two papers at the Baptist History & Heritage Society Annual Conference held in Augusta, Georgia, on June 1-3. The papers presented were titled Joshua Callaway: Inflexible, Stern, and Beloved Georgia Pastor and Samuel Boykin’s Biographical Compendium: Developing a Nineteenth-Century Ministerial Profile.

 

 

 

Dr. H. Bruce Stokes, professor of anthropology and behavioral sciences, recently had two articles published. Gentiles in the Messianic Movement was included in the book The Jewish Concern for the Church (Wipf and Stock Publishers). The second was titled A Response to Messianic Jewish Ethics Concerning Intimacy and Sexuality and published in Kesher, A Journal of the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute (Summer 2017).

 

 

 

The Society of Automotive Engineers student club at CBU competed at the Collegiate Design Series national competition against 99 other schools in Lincoln, Nebraska, June 21-24. Their student-designed and -built Formula SAE vehicle was sponsored by the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering and industrial partners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, attended the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering July 2-7 in Bangkok, Thailand. During the gathering, Dr. Elijah M. Brown was elected as general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance. Brown is executive vice president of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative and general secretary of the North American Baptist Fellowship. He begins his new duties with the BWA on Jan. 1, 2018, succeeding Neville Callam of Jamaica, who is retiring Dec. 31 after serving more than 10 years as BWA general secretary.

 

 

 

 

 

Morgan Teruel, career counselor for Career Services, sang The Star-Spangled Banner before a LA Galaxy game on June 30 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU alumni reflect on crossing paths during combat missions

While serving in the U.S. armed forces, two pilots fighting ISIS in the Middle East crossed paths in the air—literally—and quickly realized they had something else in common; they were California Baptist University Lancers.

“I was thrilled to have a fellow Lancer in the air with me over a combat zone,” said Keli Kaaekuahiwi (2006-08), who was piloting an A-10 Warthog. “It’s very cool knowing that over a combat zone, halfway around the world, there’s a guy who went to the same small—when we were there—Christian school and share the same beliefs.”

Daniel Greer (’06) pilots a KC-135 Stratotanker military aerial refueling aircraft for the Air Force Reserves. Greer was stationed in Turkey this spring, where he and his crew provided air refueling for fighter jets. While refueling Kaaekuahiwi’s jet, the two pilots discovered they were Lancers. A week later, Greer and his team once again refueled Kaaekuahiwi’s fighter jet and a few weeks later the two CBU alumni met in a chow hall at a military base in Turkey.

“We agreed it was pretty cool that two former CBU undergrad students got to do air refueling while flying missions in the war against terror,” Greer said.

Kaaekuahiwi, a captain now stationed in Korea, said flying in the Middle East had its rewards.

“We were constantly flying over specific places that we all remember from the Bible. I could see the ancient ruins of Nineveh, and the Euphrates River,” Kaaekuahiwi said. “It was very rewarding knowing that we were there to save some really good people who are just in a horrible situation.”

Greer, also a captain, has returned to March Air Reserve Base, where he coordinates missions for KC-135 Stratotankers.

After his return, Greer spoke to an aviation class at CBU. He said he is excited to see how CBU has grown, especially the Department of Aviation Science.

“I would encourage all the students to be open what God may have in store for them because it may not have anything to do with what they’re majoring in,” Greer said, noting that he was a college senior before setting his sights on being a pilot in the U. S. Air Force.

“You never know where God is leading you or what He’s going to do,” Greer said.

 

CBU sends out season’s final wave of service project teams

California Baptist University launched the fourth and final wave of 2017 volunteer global service teams this past weekend. Teams will continue to depart from CBU through July 12.

The last wave of service projects involves seven teams scheduled to serve in Central Asia, Belize, France, Spain and South Africa. The teams join eight other teams currently serving in various locations. A number of other teams already have returned after completing their projects.

Kris Smith, assistant director of mobilization, said the International Service Project/Summer of Service program (ISP/SOS) is about the participants learning Christian discipleship.

“Our hope is that this prompts a lifestyle change,” Smith said. “Even though they are going abroad and have the opportunity to share the gospel, our goal is for them to do in their own neighborhood.”

Devon Emans, a mathematics senior, recently returned after participating in a service project in Southeast Asia. Emans said he enjoyed the relationships he formed with his team as they hosted basketball clinics and games.

“I have learned what it looks like to truly love someone that you don’t even know,” Emans said. “God has done a work in my heart and if I can love someone from a different country who is a stranger, how much better should I be able to love those around me back in the states that I do know and I do care about?”

Justina Dreschler, a nursing senior, recently returned from South America with her ISP team, which provided assistance to a mobile health clinic in an underserved area.

Dreschler said a highlight for her during the trip was watching Christians shine for Jesus.

“I continued to learn how big God is as I learned about another culture,” Dreschler said.

This summer, more than 300 volunteers comprising 36 teams will serve in 23 countries, assisting with English clubs, university ministry, engineering projects, healthcare support and sports and children camps. The 2017 ISP/SOS schedule marks the 21st year of CBU’s flagship global mobilization program.

 

Lancer ace Garett King selected by Tigers in MLB draft

Garrett King, starting pitcher for California Baptist University during the past season, became the 31 Lancer to be selected in the Major League Baseball draft. King joins a growing list of Lancers at the next level with six former players participating in the minor leagues.

Read the full story here.

 

 

 

 

 

Master of Social Work program at CBU gains candidacy status

The School of Behavioral Sciences at California Baptist University will launch its fifth graduate program—Master of Social Work (MSW)—starting fall 2017. The MSW program has been granted candidacy status by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE).

Dr. Satara Armstrong, director of the social work program, said the MSW program comes at a much-needed time with a shortage of social workers in California.

“We have a number of social needs in our communities to deal with, issues such as intimate partner abuse, child abuse, human trafficking and access to affordable health care. The Inland Empire ranks higher than the national averages in these reported areas,” Armstrong said. “Our courses will be designed and tailored to equip our students to face these complex issues.”

Social work is a profession that is committed to enhancing people’s well-being and helping those in need, especially vulnerable populations, Armstrong added.

All students accepted to the program will be retroactively recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited program when MSW achieves full accreditation, said Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences at CBU. Gustafson said the inaugural class is expected to draw nearly 50 students.

Gustafson said the MSW program has undergone a significant development phase to ensure CBU will launch a relevant program.

“Our school has spent time researching the needs of our communities,” Gustafson said. “We have also formed significant community partnerships with government agencies and nonprofit organizations that have an understanding of the issues that affect our surroundings.”

Gustafson said the MSW program is tailored toward working adults with a flexible schedule option. Students will be assigned a faculty mentor who will help them identify a specific field of calling. Additionally, leadership-training aspects of the program will help prepare students to succeed in endeavors such as operating a social work practice. Students also will receive opportunities to work alongside government and community partners in their field practicum courses.

Students may choose between two tracks of study: Clinical Social Work or Community Social Work Practice. Additionally, there will be three optional focus areas: Children and Families; Older Adults; and Global Justice.

Gustafson said students will benefit from the diverse faculty who have spent significant time practicing social work.

“CBU School of Behavioral Science has been graduating successful students in the social work field for more than 20 years,” Gustafson said. “We have a solid reputation in the community, and we plan to continue to contribute to the growing needs of our community.”

For more information on the MSW program, please click here.

 

Students grateful for spending time in prison to capture stories

For Randy Plavajka, a senior at California Baptist University, going on a third consecutive trip to the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) was an opportunity he could not miss.

“The people there are what keep me going back each year. Everyone I meet along the way is genuine and passionate, despite being incarcerated,” Plavajka said. “If you want to be challenged and have your worldview expanded…try and understand the viewpoints and lives of the incarcerated.”

Plavajka, a journalism and new media student, along with eight additional CBU students spent time in May to capture stories of the ministries Awana Lifeline offers at Angola. The students created content through articles, photographs and video for the nonprofit group.

Plavajka was one of two students responsible for producing a video on the Returning Hearts Celebration, an event that reunites inmates with their children for a day of fun.

“The most important takeaway [I got] is the heart some of these inmates have for people,” Plavajka said of the inmates who participate in the ministries Awana offers. “The inmates are more intentional, more meaningful with their conversations than anyone I’ve ever met outside of prison. They genuinely listen to your life story as if you were one of their own children.”

For Olivia Quebe, a liberal studies sophomore, this was her first trip to Angola. She wrote stories of inmates involved in Malachi Dads, which teaches biblical parenting concepts to inmates.

She said she could see the fruits of the ministry.

“The inmates that I had the chance to speak with who graduated from the Malachi Dads program were true testaments of God’s mercy and love,” Quebe said. “I believe there is something to be learned from the vulnerability and perseverance of these men.”

Dr. Michael Chute, professor of journalism, said the experience teaches students how to work on deadline and to strike a conversation in unique circumstances. The students also learn there is a ministry aspect to journalism, he added.

“I think these students are starting to realize—journalism is about bringing some understanding,” Chute said.

 

Associate vice president for University Advancement named

Dan Westermann, a veteran development officer with extensive experience in higher education fundraising, has been named associate vice president for University Advancement at California Baptist University. He began his new duties at CBU June 12.

“I am delighted to welcome Dan to our team at California Baptist University,” said Paul Eldridge, vice president for University Advancement. “He brings a wealth of experience to this position and I believe he will make a significant contribution to our work of advancing the mission and programs of CBU.”

Westermann comes to CBU from the advancement team at Colorado State University, where he led the gift planning team as executive director of gift planning (interim), director of gift planning, and regional director of principal gifts.

Prior to his work at CSU, Westermann was director of development and planned giving at Colorado Christian University for six years and was instrumental in setting new fundraising records at CCU.

Westermann has earned the certified fundraising executive credential and holds a B.A. degree in biblical studies and an MBA from Colorado Christian University. He also holds an M.A. degree in nonprofit management from Washington University in St. Louis.

Westermann and his wife, Bonnie, have two sons.

 

Vi Estel, CBU archivist, retires after living the history of CBU

Vi Estel, former CBU archivist, has filed her last book; she retired June 2 at the age of 74. During her career at CBU, Estel became the go-to person for research pertaining to history on California Baptist University and the California Southern Baptist Convention (CSBC) for the past 13 years.

“My story is they looked around campus for the oldest Southern Baptist and there I was, so they asked me to come and be the archivist,” quipped Estel, who originally started in the Office of Admissions at CBU in 2002. “That was one of the strengths I brought, because I’ve lived the history, both of this school and of the convention.”

Estel’s connection to CBU predates her years as an employee. She graduated from CBU in 1964, met her husband at CBU, served on the Alumni Association Board and two of her sons attended CBU. She formerly worked at the CSBC and currently is president of the California Baptist Historical Society.

One of her tasks as an archivist was responding to calls from church historians and researchers seeking information on projects. CBU is home to the Southern Baptist Depository and Archive that resides on the second floor of the Annie Gabriel Library. The depository has become a prominent source of information on Southern Baptist life and thought with its collection that contains nearly 3,000 books on church history, biblical studies and theology. Additionally, there is also a California Baptist University Queenie Simmons Archive dedicated to CBU history. The archive provides access to CBU yearbooks, campus publications, photographs and other historical documents. It also includes historical records and photographs related to the history of Tahquitz Pines Conference Center.

Estel described archiving as a never-ending job. She worked on digitizing photos and issues of The Banner (campus newspaper) and The Roundtable magazine (alumni publication). She also archived and ensured proper storage of historical outdated electronic media such as reel-to-reel film, reel-to-reel recordings and even wire recordings.

There will continue to be photos to identify, scan and store, but Estel said that is a good thing.

“Hopefully we’re never caught up,” Estel said.

Estel said she was grateful to be a part of God’s work at CBU.

“One of the things I’m most grateful for and proud of is how, even in exponentially dramatic growth, CBU is still keeping the main thing the main thing, and that is its Christian heritage and roots,” Estel said. “No matter what you study here, you are impacted by the truth of God’s Word.”

After retiring, Estel said she plans to continue her ministry as director of senior adult ministries at Magnolia Church in Riverside.

 

Michael Smith claims another player-of-the-year award for CBU

Michael Smith, an all-American senior guard for California Baptist University this past season, was named the “Area College Men’s Player of the Year” by The Press-Enterprise. The announcement comes on the heels of Cassidy Mihalko winning the Women’s Athlete of the Year award from the PE.

Head coach Rick Croy called Smith the “best player” in Lancer men’s basketball history. During Smith’s career, CBU advanced to the NCA Division II playoffs all four years and had an impressive 104-23 overall record. This past season, Smith averaged 24.9 points (third best national average) and finished his career as the all-time leading scorer at CBU and in the PacWest with 2,031 career points. Smith is a two-time PacWest Player of the Year, D-II West Region Player of the Year, top-10 finalist for the Bevo Francis Award, six-time All-American honoree and PacWest Tournament MVP.

Smith graduated this past spring with a degree in business administration.

Read The P-E story here.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Candace Vickers, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, provided information and assistance to people with aphasia and their families at the Stroke Awareness Picnic at University of California, Irvine, Medical School on May 13. She also served as a subject matter expert for the Aphasia Practice Portal, which provides clinicians with access to information on a number of clinical and professional issues, on the American Speech Language Hearing Association website.

 

 

Mary Ann Stahovich, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, and 30 CBU physician assistant students volunteered at the Mental Health Fair at Fairmount Park in Riverside on May 25. They conducted nearly 185 glucose and blood pressure screenings.

 

 

 

 

Cecelia Aboytes, transport manager in Public Safety, Linda Valenzuela, manager of Accounts Payable, and Allison “Allie” Floyd, secretary in Natural and Mathematical Sciences, graduated in May with their master’s degrees in Organizational Leadership through Online and Professional Studies.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, associate professor of public administration for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper at the Teaching Public Administration Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, May 31-June 3. The paper was titled Two Minutes Before Class.

 

 

 

 

Kipp Smith, web applications developer for ITS, and Rich Simpson, registrar for Online and Professional Studies, presented at Jenzabar’s Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, May 31-June 3. The presentation was on how OPS automated its graduation application. Rhonda Moll, director of program administration for OPS, contributed to the presentation.

 

 

 

 

 

Randy Markley, adjunct professor of management, recently completed the Certificate in Faculty Preparation: Teaching in Higher Education program at Humboldt State University. The program is designed to meet the needs of current and aspiring faculty who are interested in enhancing their careers.

 

 

 

Ruth Noemy Wheeler, music lecturer, was selected for the third time to participate at the Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies at Juilliard School of Music in New York from May 30-June 3. Wheeler was also selected to attend an orchestra conducting workshop with conductor Donald Schleicher, of the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra, at the New York Conducting Institute from June 4-6.

 

 

 

Jennifer Zamora, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, went to San Quintin, Baja, Mexico, on a medical missions trip with Mexican Medical Ministries on May 21-25. The team visited rural villages and distributed patient education, healthcare and medicines. The team also had games and activities for the children where they could learn more about hygiene.

 

 

 

Dr. Patricia Kircher, professor of political science for Online and Professional Studies, was named Outstanding Educator by the Inland Empire Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration (IEASPA) at the organization’s annual awards banquet on June 15. Nominations for the outstanding educator award are for those who exemplify and advance the art, science, teaching, and practice of public and nonprofit administration, and are advocates for greater effectiveness in government. Additionally, three OPS students in the Master of Public Administration program received scholarship awards from IEASPA. Erika Herrera, Scott Nyland and Michael Jones were awarded $1,000, $750 and $500 respectively.

 

 

 

Dr. Monica O’Rourke, visiting professor of kinesiology for Online and Professional Studies, and Bryce Bovee, kinesiology student, and Brian Berthod, Christian ministries student, made presentations at the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure, and Sport Studies International Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, June 7-9. Bovee presented Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: Integration of Christ-focused Learning in the High School Anatomy Classroom. Berthod presented Understanding Faith, Fitness, and Idolatry: Crossfit and FaithRx. O’Rourke presented Professional Development Web Tools that Enhance Online Kinesiology Courses. O’Rourke was also awarded the Presidential Award for service to the organization.

 

 

Gavin Andrew, graduate admissions counselor, and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed a son on May 31. Davison John weighed 8.28 pounds and measured 21 inches. He joins older brothers Calvin, 4, and Everett, 2.

 

 

 

 

 

Kristen Holderman, director of campus activities for Community Life, and her husband, Donald, welcomed their son on May 26. Finn Ezekiel William weighed 7 pounds and measured 19.75 inches.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Lancers earn No. 2 spot in Learfield Directors’ Cup standings

California Baptist University earned its highest placement in the NCAA Division II Learfield Directors’ Cup standings—finishing as the No. 2 athletic program in the nation.

This past academic year, CBU won seven conference championships, three regional championships and crowned an individual D-II wrestling national champion in Jacob Waste. The Lancers were also declared the best program in the PacWest by winning the Commissioner’s Cup for the fifth time.

Read full story here.

 

 

Cassidy Mihalko receives Athlete of the Year honor

Cassidy Mihalko finished her California Baptist University basketball career as one of the most decorated players in the program’s history. She can add a new accolade to her growing list from a historic season—“The Press-Enterprise Area College Women’s Athlete of the Year.”

Mihalko was the first women’s basketball player at CBU to be named a NCAA Division II All-American. Mihalko finished her career as the second all-time leading scorer* at CBU and the first in the PacWest Conference with 2,231 points.

This past season Mihalko averaged 19.8 points per game while leading the Lancers to a record-setting 35-3 record, including a perfect 20-0 PacWest record. The Lancers went on to win the PacWest tournament for the first time and advanced to the D-II Final Four.

The season earned Mihalko a PacWest and D-II West Region Player of the Year awards.

Read The Press-Enterprise announcement here.

*Sonja Akkerman (‘88-‘91) is the all-time leading women’s basketball scorer at CBU with 2,373 points.

 

Graduate student earns recognition for fellowship work

Eduardo Sida, a public health graduate student at California Baptist University, was presented with a proclamation last month from the city of Perris for his “outstanding achievements” in running a successful community garden program.

For the past nine months, Sida worked as a Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) Public Service Fellow for the city of Perris. WRCOG aims to place students in one of 22 local government agencies to gain high-level experience with a career in the public sector. Fellows work with executive management to learn, develop and create new programs, policy and initiatives in Western Riverside County. CBU is one of two universities selected for students to submit applications for the fellowship program.

Sida said he developed a sustainable community garden, created a volunteer program to recruit community members to upkeep the garden and developed a plan on how to create additional garden sites.

“Everything I learned at CBU, I was able to apply it to the actual workforce,” Sida said.

Graduate students in the public health program at CBU are required to do a practicum; as a result, Sida, who will complete his coursework in August, was searching for an opportunity to gain hands-on experience. Sida was alerted to the WRCOG fellowship by a professor at CBU and received assistance with his resume and preparing for the interview from the Career Center at CBU.

“It was one of the best experiences,” said Sida of his time with the city of Perris. “I dipped my hands into almost every public health aspect.”

The fellowships benefit all of those involved, said Laura Acosta, associate director for CBU’s Career Center.

“The agency wins by having a high level, experienced fellow for nine months,” Acosta said. “The student wins by getting exposure to the public sector and being able to learn how the public sector works. WRCOG wins by providing another resource for its agencies and the students.”

Sida’s role at the city was extended to June 30 to continue working on the community garden project. Additionally, during this extension, Sida will be training Maria Marquez, who is also a CBU public health graduate student and the next fellowship student.

“My purpose is wanting to help the community,” Sida said. “That’s really what I wanted to do—give back to the under-served communities.”

 

More CBU volunteers depart for global service projects

California Baptist University sent out its third wave of volunteer teams to serve on the International Service Projects (ISP) and Summer of Service programs. Three teams departed CBU between May 30 and June 5 for destinations in Africa and East Asia.

Kris Smith, assistant director of mobilization, said teams serve in particular locations for specific reasons.

“We’re really focusing on the unreached. We’re very intentional to go to those places,” Smith said. “We’re also very intentional about using our gifting, our talents, and our majors in order to learn how to use them overseas.”

The latest group of teams joined 14 others already serving in Southeast Asia, East Asia, Thailand, United Kingdom, Poland, Spain, Portugal and Germany. In all, 36 teams with more than 300 volunteers will serve this summer in 23 countries, assisting with English clubs, university ministry, engineering projects, health care support and sports and children camps.

William Yih, a health care administration senior, recently returned from his ISP trip to Southeast Asia where his team hosted basketball clinics and taught English.

Yih said a highlight from his trip was connecting with the locals and the fieldworkers and learning about their life stories.

“I believe that going on ISP allowed me to have a bigger and broader perspective of God’s people and His world,” Yih said. “It allowed me to grow deeper in my relationship with God and deeper with my understanding of the different cultures and religions in the world.”

Breanna Reyes, who graduated in May with a biology degree, served in Greece with organizations that provided food, clothes and other resources for Middle East immigrants. After the experience, she is reconsidering plans for the future.

“I realized that the plan I had was not the plan God had for me,” Reyes said. “Now I’m taking more time off before graduate school in order to go back to Greece or somewhere else in Europe to help with the immigrants.”

 

CBU Gallery exhibit celebrates comedian Red Skelton

A new exhibition at the California Baptist University Gallery explores the life and works of Red Skelton, renowned American comedian and entertainer also known for his paintings of clowns.

The display includes 35 Skelton works donated to CBU by the Jim and Edna White family. Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, joined the Whites along with comedian Dick Hardwick and Lothian Skelton, the entertainer’s widow, at an opening reception on May 30.

“I’m so glad I could do something for the university,” said Lothian Skelton. “The fact that Red is honored here, I’m very proud of that.”

Red Skelton was the star of national programs on radio and television for more than three decades. The exhibit, which runs through Aug. 31, includes brief written summaries of his contributions as an entertainer and displays memorabilia including a trumpet that he used in his TV sketches as the “Mean Widdle Kid” character. Additionally, the exhibit features original art that Skelton created including books, musical scores and paintings of clowns.

John Pate, assistant professor of communication at CBU and a stand-up comedian for 40 years, recalled opening for Skelton for six years until his death in 1997.

“He was incredible. I would quiz him and ask him questions and just learn stuff from him,” Pate said. “He had the best guidance and was so willing to help and compliment you.”

“The exhibit is going to be an exhibition of his whole career,” Pate added.  “We’re trying to give people a little bit of an insight into what he was all about.”

The Skelton exhibit is a unique experience at the CBU Gallery, said Duncan Simcoe, professor of visual arts.

“It is truly a first for us to exhibit works by such a pioneering comedian and TV and movie celebrity,” Simcoe said. “It also means that our programming range has been enlarged in a dynamic way, introducing a different art-viewing public to the gallery.”

The CBU Gallery is located at 3737 Main Street, Suite 101, Riverside.

 

Courtyard Shakespeare Festival returns to CBU

The Bard returned to the outdoor stage at California Baptist University in June for the second annual Courtyard Shakespeare Festival.

The festival is building on its successful inaugural season last year, said Frank Mihelich, assistant professor of theatre and director of “Taming of the Shrew” in this season’s schedule. In addition to offering more performances and more seats, the festival also will feature a high school Shakespeare day camp during its final week.

“For so many people to show up last year, that was a huge victory and it made us go, ‘Oh, there’s an audience,’” Mihelich said. “Because the casts are made of CBU [students], CBU alumni and then the wider theatre community, we get a lot of people in the courtyard that aren’t usually part of the CBU community.”

The festival will host in repertory “Julius Caesar” and “Taming of the Shrew.” The former is set in Rome during the historical time of 44 B.C.; the latter is set in a completely different era—1950s.

Garret Replogle, CBU theatre shop foreman, is directing “Julius Caesar.” He said actors have to be larger than life in outdoor theatre, and that brings to life a famous Shakespeare line: “All the world’s a stage.”

“In a dark theater, you rarely see the audience. In outdoor theatre, a lot of times the actors are wanting to connect with the audience,” Replogle said. “For the audience, instead of sitting back and watching something it feels like they’re actually a part of something.”

Maddison Rickard, a CBU theatre senior, plays Bianca in “Taming of the Shrew.” This is her first time performing Shakespeare.

“It’s a lot harder to memorize than anything else,” Rickard said. “With Shakespeare the text is so important and that’s been my biggest struggle—figuring out how to memorize the text and then not only memorize it but bring it to life.”

Mihelich is excited that the festival is growing. The event benefits the area and the actors, he said.

“If there’s a region and it has a theatre community, for that theatre community to be healthy there needs to be at least one organization serving the classics,” Mihelich said. “[The classics] demand every ounce of your talent, as a director and as a performer.”

“Taming of the Shrew”
8 p.m. June 8, 10, 14 and 16

“Julius Caesar”
8 p.m. June 9, 11, 15 and 17

The Courtyard Theatre opens at 7:30 p.m. Performances begin at 8 p.m.
Where: Smith Courtyard, California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, CA, 92504
Tickets: $12
Tickets or questions? Call the theatre box office at 951-343-4319 or email: mhyde@calbaptist.edu

 

New Radiologic Sciences program at CBU will launch fall 2017

Radiologic Sciences at California Baptist University is set to bring a new experience on campus come this fall—the ability to perform diagnostic x-ray exams on patients.

Mark DeHaro, director, said the program will be licensed to perform diagnostic radiology exams and procedures such as radiographs and fluoroscopic procedures. In the future, DeHaro said, the program also will be able to offer additional radiology procedures such as a CT, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, mammography, and many others.

DeHaro said the investment in radiology technology at CBU will give students an advantage with hands-on training with the latest technology.

“It’s important for CBU graduates to start their new careers acquainted with the technology used in medical industries,” DeHaro said. “CBU students will be educated on the equipment that is most utilized by the medical facilities that they will be employed by.”

DeHaro said that employers in the radiologic science field are seeking turnkey employees.

“As I’ve met with various medical administrators across our region, I’ve heard some common themes that employers are looking for,” DeHaro said. “A main concern employers have is they have to spend countless amount of time on training new employees to operate their systems before they can even work.”

Radiologic Sciences, a major within the College of Health Science, will begin in the fall 2017. The program will prepare practitioners to perform a wide variety of diagnostic imaging exams and procedures within a radiology (X-ray) department. The program emphasizes the knowledge in the principles of anatomy, physiology, pathology, radiographic imaging, radiation safety, radiology leadership, computerized equipment, and the professional care and handling of patients.

By the end of the year, DeHaro anticipates having approximately 60 students working toward their degree in Radiologic Sciences.

“Future graduates will take their education on the whole-person philosophy we teach within the College of Health Science and seek to edify the patients they treat in the community,” DeHaro said.

For more information on the Radiologic Sciences program, please click here.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Anne-Marie Larsen, associate professor of psychology, and graduate students in forensic psychology—Stephanie Butler, April Cetina, Vincent Fuentes, Randall Howard, Elisabeth Knopp, Anyssa Llerena, Jessica Norwood and Beatriz Thomas—presented at the Western Psychological Association’s annual conference in Sacramento on April 26-30. They presented a symposium of papers, Psychopathy, a New Look at an Old Issue. Butler also presented a poster of her thesis on post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use among veterans.

 

 

 

Dr. Robert G. LaChausse, associate professor of public health sciences, presented a paper at the 2017 National Innovative Communities Conference in Ontario, California, on May 23. The paper, Changing Health Behaviors, was on research that examines the factors that shape the health behaviors of children and adolescents. Jessica Folmer, research associate for the College of Health Science, and Taylor Vandenbossche, graduate student research assistant, also presented, A Case Study: Teen Substance Abuse and Availability.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Erin Smith, assistant professor of psychology, presented two posters at the 29^th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science in Boston on May 25-28. One poster, Understanding science rejection: Using memory to investigate implicit biases about scientists, was presented with Dr. Robert G. Crosby, assistant professor of psychology for Online and Professional Studies, and recent graduate Jake Love. The other poster was presented with recent graduates Samantha Houston and Cody Moberg. The title was Is neuroscience equally seductive? The role of individual difference variables in predicting when the presence of brain scans influence argument acceptance.

 

 

Dr. Jessica Miller, adjunct professor of public health, gave a teaching demonstration for the faculty of Hangzhou Medical College in Hangzhou, China, on the topic of public health nutrition on May 10. The lecture, prepared for a class of freshman students, explored contemporary health issues related to nutrition. Miller spent four weeks in Hangzhou as a visiting professor, teaching two courses in the medical school’s department of public health.

 

 

 

Dr. Ogbochi McKinney, assistant professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, gave a lecture to resident doctors at Mercy Medical Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on May 23. The lecture was titled Vaccines Preventable Diseases. She also had an article published in the journal HIV: Current Research. The article was titled Evaluation of Pill Counts Adherence with Self-Reported Adherence in Assessing Antiretroviral Therapy Behavior of Women living with HIV at a Faith-based Clinic in Malawi.

 

 

 

Shawn Wilhite, assistant professor of Christian studies for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper at the North American Patristics Society in Chicago on May 25-27. The title of the paper was “A Psalm Implies Serenity of Soul”: Basil of Caesarea’s Virtue Reading of Psalm 1 and Christian Appropriation of a Jewish Two Ways Metaphor.

 

 

 

Amy Leonard, director of development for University Advancement, was recently named for a second year as one of Corona’s “40 under 40” by the Corona Chamber of Commerce. The list honors the city’s best and brightest young leaders in the region. Honorees are nominated by their peers and friends and selected by a panel of independent judges.

 

 

 

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, was elected vice chair and president-elect of the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities at the group’s annual meeting in Memphis, Tennessee, on June 4-6.

 

 

 

 

Julie Goodman-Bowling, assistant professor of anthropology, and her husband, David, welcomed their second daughter on May 21. Emma Hope weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 19 inches. Her older sister is Elizabeth, 2½ years.

 

 

 

 

Shannon Kearns, sales and merchandise coordinator for the campus store, and Austin Cary, adjunct professor for ASL, were married May 20 at the Secret Garden in Oak Glen, California.

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Final steel beam placed on new engineering building

California Baptist University celebrated a topping-off ceremony to mark the placement of the symbolic final steel beam on its 100,000-square-foot engineering building on May 23. The milestone was celebrated with a ceremonial topping out luncheon attended by construction team members along with CBU staff and faculty.

The new building will house the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering. It will feature a three-story layout that is targeted for completion in the summer of 2018. Plans for the innovative building design will feature two blocks of classroom, faculty and administrative space bracketing a massive engineering hall, providing multipurpose space for labs, projects, exhibits, presentations and student collaboration, as well as an interactive studio for K-12 STEM education.

 

 

Gordon Bourns, CEO of Bourns, Inc., signs the final steel beam of a new building that will house the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University. The 3-story, 100,000 sq. ft. structure is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2018.

 

 

Key leaders share a “Lance Up” salute after signing the final steel beam for the new 3-story structure that will house the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University. The 100,000-square-foot project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2018. Pictured (from left): Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU President; Gordon Bourns, CEO of Bourns, Inc.; and Dr. Anthony Donaldson, dean of the Bourns College of Engineering.

 

 

Lancers win PacWest Commissioner’s Cup for 4th-straight year

For the fourth-straight year and fifth since joining the conference, California Baptist University has been named the best program in the PacWest by winning the coveted Commissioner’s Cup.

The PacWest Commissioner’s Cup was established in 2007-08 to honor the athletic program with the best overall performance in that academic year. CBU scored 157 points, an all-time high in the current 14-sport format. CBU won five PacWest Championships in 2016-17—men’s cross country, women’s cross country, women’s basketball, women’s golf and softball. CBU also finished in second place in men’s soccer, volleyball, men’s basketball and men’s golf.

“I’m proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff for winning the cup four years in a row,” said Dr. Micah Parker, CBU director of Athletics. “Particularly, this group of senior athletes has been consistently outstanding in PacWest competition, evident in them winning the Commissioner’s Cup all four years of their careers. This accomplishment is a true blessing.”

 

Second wave of volunteers en route to global service

California Baptist University has sent out its second wave of volunteer teams to serve on the International Service Projects and Summer of Service (SOS) programs.

Eleven teams departed from CBU May 15-24 en route to Spain, Poland, Portugal, Germany, United Kingdom, Thailand, Southeast Asia and East Asia.

Crystal Castro, a sociology junior, will work with an indigenous church in Spain as part of SOS.

“I’m looking forward to learning about the culture and being relational with the people there,” Castro said. “God just pushed it on my heart to go. It was a walk of obedience to see if this is something I want to do in the future.”

The purpose of going on a service project is not to check off a box, said Jeff Lewis, director of Mobilization.

“This activity that they’re participating in is not the end of something,” Lewis said. “It is the continual development that we pray and hope will last them for the rest of their lives. That after they graduate from CBU, that they begin to make decisions based on the mission of God and not just on their whims and their desires of what they want to accomplish.”

The teams join 15 others already serving in South America, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Eastern Europe, Greece, United Kingdom, Poland, France and Germany. This summer, 36 teams with more than 300 volunteers will serve in 23 countries, assisting with English clubs, university ministry, engineering projects, sports and kids camps and healthcare.

 

CBU offers new student orientation months before fall semester

The 2017 fall semester may be months away, but new incoming students were eagerly preparing for it at California Baptist University on May 15.

More than 230 students, along with their parents, attended a New Student Orientation event.

The purpose of orientation is twofold, said Taylor Neece, director of undergraduate admissions. First, students can register for their classes. Second, students and their parents learn about the university’s culture and the services CBU offers.

“When they leave, we want them to feel oriented to classes, campus community and the culture,” Neece said.

Throughout the day, students and parents heard information about housing, meal plans, financial aid and CBU’s purpose. The students also received their student ID card.

“I’m really excited to come to college,” said Thomas Lotero, of Murrieta, California, whose brother attends CBU. “I love the campus and the culture.”

Thomas’ dad, Reed Lotero, said although he has been through orientation before, he still found it informative.

“[The speaker] mentioned several steps in making that transition easier for your kid. It’s about them, trying to support them,” Reed said.

Jay Stovall, director of new student programs, said the event also reassures parents that CBU cares about their student.

“This helps with the trust factor of parents feeling good about that decision [to come to CBU], and knowing that we intentionally care about their future and the success of the student,” Stovall said.

Kimberly Wright, mother of new CBU student Cindy Terrio, echoed Stovall’s sentiments.

“Orientation helped me on what I need to do as a parent to help her get her future going,” Wright said. “It gave me confidence in the decision she made in coming here.”

Orientation will be offered seven times for first-time students and five for transfer students before the start of the fall semester. For students who live more than four hours away, they have the option of doing a Virtual Orientation.

 

CBU men’s golf claims historic victory at regional championships

The men’s golf team at California Baptist University claimed a program first postseason victory by winning the NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional tournament on May 10. With the victory, the team qualifies to participate in the NCAA Division II Championships at the Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Florida on May 26.

Read the full story here.

 

 

 

Graduates set to start medical or doctoral programs

Sixteen alumni from the Division of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at California Baptist University will attend medical schools or doctoral programs in fall 2017.

Graduates will be attending a variety of universities, including nearby University of California, Los Angeles, and Riverside (UCR) to colleges on the East Coast such as Washington University in St. Louis and Auburn University in Alabama.

Kathy Gomez, who graduated with a biology degree with a pre-med concentration, will attend the UCR School of Medicine.

Gomez accredits the faculty at CBU in helping her gain acceptance into a medical school.

“Whenever I felt overwhelmed, I knew I could go to them for help, prayer or even a shoulder [to lean on],” Gomez said. “They helped build up my application by connecting me to different leadership, volunteer, and clinical opportunities.”

Gomez plans to pursue a career in the medical mission field. At CBU, she discovered that changing the world is not a complex concept.

“I found it to be simple—have a heart like Christ’s,” Gomez said. “Be kind to everyone and help those who need it with a smile. You never know what someone is going through and small actions, that you don’t really think about, can have a big impact.”

Dr. Lisa Hernandez, professor of mathematics and associate dean of the division, said the faculty places a great emphasis on community and getting to know the students on a personal level.

“Not only does this allow faculty members to pour in and mentor their students, but when it’s time for recommendation letters, the application process, and mock interviews, our faculty have a vested interest in the success of our students,” Hernandez said.

The division strives for academic rigor and excellence in order to prepare the students for future success, Hernandez said. The increase in acceptances into medical schools and other professional doctoral programs is a sure measure of that preparation, she added.

“We are continuously developing a culture of research and encouraging our undergraduates to partake in serious science and math research in order to show them how their disciplines can be applied to real-world situations, as well as, prepare them for the workplace and future study within their fields,” Hernandez said.

Natural and Mathematical Sciences graduates

Daley Thomale, 2017 mathematics:  University of California, Riverside, seeking a Ph.D. in mathematics
Gwendolyn Reynolds, 2017 mathematics: University of California, Riverside, seeking a Ph.D. in mathematics
Christian Shema Mugisha, 2017 biochemistry and molecular biology: Washington University, seeking a Ph.D. in genetics and genomics
Christopher Chan, 2017 biology pre-med: Loma Linda University, School of Dentistry
Brittni Hall, 2017 mathematics: Auburn University, seeking a Ph.D. in math education
Lindsey McCartin, 2016 biology: Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine
Elliott Best, 2016 mathematics: University of California, Riverside, seeking a Ph.D. in mathematics
Madeline Le, 2016 biology pre-med: Pacific University School of Pharmacy
Viral Patel, 2016 biology pre-med: Marshall B. Ketchum University, College of Pharmacy
Casey Reid, 2016 biology pre-med: University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine
Nicole Van Spronsen, 2016 biology pre-med: University of New Mexico, School of Medicine
Jacob Frey, 2016 biology pre-med: University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine
Timothy Torrez, 2015 biology pre-med: University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine
Carl Carlson, 2015 biology pre-med: University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine
Brent Pino, 2012 biology pre-med: Western University of Health Sciences

Family Updates

The student leadership of the CBU Investment Group attended the Responsible Investing Summit in San Francisco on March 9-10. Students had the opportunity to network and were challenged by industry professionals who seek to do socially responsible investing.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Joel Bigley, assistant professor of management, had an article published in Journal for Quality and Participation in April. The title of the article was Using Risk Mapping and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis to Address Security Threats.

 

 

 

 

Michael Scarano, associate director of athletics for compliance, was recently named as a mentor as part of the National Association for Athletics Compliance’s Athletics Compliance Elite Mentoring Program. Participants of the year-long program are paired to match senior-level compliance administrators with professionals who are newer to the compliance industry.

 

 

 

Dr. Erin Smith, assistant professor of psychology, participated at University of California, Riverside’s Teaching Development Day on May 12. Smith presented a lecture titled Incorporating Pedagogical Theory in Course Design and participated in a panel titled Getting Hired at a Teaching Institution.

 

 

 

 

Evoke Magazine, CBU/Online’s student-produced magazine, won a Gold Hermes Award for the third edition of the magazine, which features articles about CBU/Online faculty, students and staff. Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, professor of public relations, and Sam Park, assistant professor of graphic design, both for Online and Professional Studies, serve as faculty advisors for the publication.

 

 

Dr. Thomas Schneider, assistant professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, presented at the West Regional Conference on Christianity and Literature at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego on May 11-13. He presented a talk called Wolfram’s Parzival: Expanding the Boundaries of the Arthurian World.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Elaine Ahumada, professor of public administration for Online and Professional Studies, was the guest speaker for the Education Success Luncheon for the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino on April 25. The event honored employees of the Superior Court who received an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree or completed certificate programs in 2016.

 

 

 

Jennifer Zamora, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, helped plan an interprofessional education event with faculty from several other universities. The event was held at University of California, Riverside Extension on April 28. Twenty-eight CBU students joined approximately 370 other students. The students worked as interprofessional teams to learn about their roles in transitional care as well as come up with a plan for their patient in the scenario. Dr. Allan Bedashi, professor of physician assistant studies, Mary Ann Stahovich, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, and Heather Ontiveros, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, also served as facilitators at the event.

 

 

 

Dr. Heather Hamilton-Stilwell, assistant professor of journalism, was elected as founding chair for the Religion and Media Interest Division of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) at the BEA Convention in Las Vegas April 22-25. During the convention, she chaired the Religion and Media Inaugural Address and was a panelist for the panel titled Grad/New Faculty 101 – What You Need to Know for That First Job.

 

 

 

Dr. Laura J. Veltman, professor of English, presented a paper at the Western Regional Conference on Christianity and Literature, hosted by Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, on May 11. The title of the paper was Controlling Metaphors, Defending Borders: Rhetorics of Space in Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima and Silko’s Ceremony.

 

 

 

 

Victoria Brodie, visiting professor of public relations, guest lectured for students and faculty at Guangxi Normal University in Guilin, China, on the topic of Strategic Communications on May 10. The lecture explored the need to strategize communications in the new dynamic and rapidly changing digital environment.

 

 

 

Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, collaborated with the Southern California Public Health Association in developing and hosting the second of a quarterly Public Health Webinar Series: Talking Public Health. The topic for the session focused on the health freedom movement versus consumer protections and was attended by almost 60 public health professionals. The purpose of the series is to improve the field of public health through education, promotion and advocacy.

 

 

Jennifer Zamora, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, spoke at the American Medical Women’s Association at California Baptist University Health Science Campus on April 8.  She spoke on how to balance a career in medicine with raising a family. Zamora was also a key speaker at a conference called Journey to Becoming a PA hosted by Marshall B. Ketchum University Physician Assistant Program in Fontana, California, on April 15. She spoke to more than 160 Pre-PA students on becoming a physician assistant.  At the conference, CBU physician assistant students also helped with break-out sessions for special mentoring.

 

 

Dr. Marshare Penny, associate professor of public health, presented at the Association of Public Health Nurses Conference in San Diego on April 25.The title of the presentation was Trends in Heart Disease and Cancer Mortality in Riverside County, CA 2006-2015.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Monica O’Rourke, visiting professor of kinesiology for Online and Professional Studies, participated in a professional athlete visitation day at the Children’s Hospital of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, on April 20. O’Rourke, along with the National Arenacross Professional Motocross athletes and Pro Watercross athletes, visited children in the pediatric neurology, orthopedic rehabilitation and children cancer wings, providing toys and autographing posters.

 

Students and faculty from the CBU Biological Sciences and Environmental Science departments attended the 42^nd Annual West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference at Santa Clara University on April 22. Gabrielle Serrati, a student in Environmental Science, presented her research Invasive Aquatic Marine Species Colonization in the Dana Point Harbor. Karina Elias, a student in biological science, presented a poster, Fate and Aggregation Behavior of Molybdenum Disulfide Nanomaterials in Southern California Aquatic Environments. Environmental science graduate Stephanie Lara and biological science graduate Chau Nguyen presented a poster, Distinguishing and Quantifying ‘New Carbon’ from ‘Old Carbon’ on Reclaimed Coal Mine Sites. Alyssa Garcia, Timothy Koo, and Ariana Hartoonian, students from biological science, presented a poster, In Vivo, Ex Vivo, and Embryonic Cardiovascular Physiological Analysis in Zebrafish. The students were led by Dr. Jacob Lanphere, Dr. Bonjun Koo, Dr. Won-Pyo Park, Dr. Nathanael Heyman and Dr. Daniel Szeto.

 

Dr. Gary Steward, adjunct professor of history for Online and Professional Studies, received the Outstanding Scholar of the Year award from the faculty of Colorado Christian University, where he also teaches.

 

 

 

 

Eight CBU students were selected for the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) Public Service Fellowships for 2017-18. The nine-month program, a partnership with CBU, University of California, Riverside and WRCOG, places fellows in one of 22 local government agencies to gain high level experience with a career in the public sector. Fellows work with executive management to learn, develop and create new programs, policy and initiatives in Western Riverside County. Students who received fellowships are: Alexandra Nay (OPS public relations) – City of Murrieta Fellow; Jessica Sanchez (OPS public relations) – City of Lake Elsinore Fellow; Sarah Rodriguez (English) – District 3 Fellow with Chuck Washington’s Office; Stephanie Lara (environmental science) – Western Municipal Water District Fellow; Maria Marquez (master’s in public health) – City of Perris Fellow; Daniel Bokelman (OPS business administration) – City of San Jacinto Fellow; Michelle Holguin (master’s in public health) – City of Jurupa Valley Fellow; Karla Aparicio (political science) – City of Menifee Fellow.

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

First wave of CBU volunteers begins 2017 global service projects

California Baptist University officially launched the 2017 mobilization season May 7 as the first wave of volunteers headed out on Summer of Service (SOS) and International Service Projects (ISP).

More than 300 volunteers, comprising 36 teams, will serve this summer in 23 countries. Fifteen teams will depart from CBU May 7-9 enroute to South America, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Eastern Europe, Greece, United Kingdom, Poland, France and Germany.

Teams are going to Portugal, South America and new areas of Southeast Asia for the first time. The teams will be assisting in many areas, including English clubs, university ministry, engineering projects, sports and kids camps and healthcare.

This year’s theme is Insanity, inspired by Philippians 1:21, which states “To live is Christ, to die is gain.”

“Our theme beautifully captures the insane nature of Christ’s call to the cruciform life in contrast with the egocentric focus of our present culture,” said Jeff Lewis, director of Mobilization. “Full engagement in the mission of Christ calls Christians to be liberated from the slavery of living for self that we might live for Him. To the world that is insane.”

Per CBU tradition, before their departure, teams gather to pray at the Kugel, a globe that rests on a base with the scripture from Matthew 28:19-20 etched in stone symbolizing CBU’s commitment to the Great Commission.

Participants received more than 75 hours of training to prepare for service opportunities, including an “Intensive Training Weekend’ that simulates situations to engage in service and gospel conversations.

 

Record 1,940 graduates honored during spring commencement

CBU 360 2017 Spring Commencement – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, president of California Baptist University, congratulated 1,940 graduating students during commencement ceremonies at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, on May 6.

Afternoon exercises included 850 traditional undergraduate degree candidates, while the evening ceremony honored 1,090 students, including all master’s degree candidates, as well as undergraduates from Online and Professional Studies programs.

Combined with students who graduated last December, the Class of 2017 totals 2,554 applications for graduation, the largest number for a single year in CBU history.

Ellis noted that the class was part of a record 9,157 students enrolled at CBU in the 2016-2017 academic year.

“Each of these graduating students has arrived at this point because of a shared commitment to the challenging yet rewarding endeavor of higher education. Each one has overcome obstacles to achieve this goal,” Ellis said. “We congratulate each one of you. The faculty and the entire university family join me in saying we are proud of you, and we pray God’s blessings upon you.”

Bruce Hitchcock, CBU vice president emeritus, was the commencement speaker. Hitchcock, an ordained Southern Baptist minister and author of nine books, currently serves as a church growth specialist with the Inland Empire Southern Baptist Association. Hitchcock told the students that coming to CBU was a good decision.

“You made the right choice when you decided to come to CBU. You made a good choice when you decided to study and persevere to get here today,” Hitchcock said. “Now, from this point on, the life choices you make will continue to get more difficult.”

Hitchcock emphasized two concepts he has used to make life’s decisions—spiritual honesty and spiritual integrity. Hitchcock defined spiritual honesty as adhering to God’s truth and spiritual integrity as steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.

“My challenge to you today is very simple: choose to practice a life of spiritual honesty. Choose to live a life of spiritual integrity,” Hitchcock said. “Now, go out, and with God’s help and direction, ‘Live Your Purpose.’”

Awards for student achievement were presented at both ceremonies. Nadia Mugisha, an engineering major from Africa, received the Min Sung Kim International Student Award, and Christopher Sands, an aviation management major from Camarillo, California, received CBU’s Outstanding Senior Award. Dawn Taylor, from Alta Loma, California, and who works with special needs children for an elementary school, was honored with the Outstanding Online and Professional Studies Student Award. Taylor received a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

 

Distinguished Professor, Scholar and Staff of the Year honored

California Baptist University honored two faculty and a staff member on May 4 during its annual faculty and staff awards banquet.

CBU’s Board of Trustees each year selects the Distinguished Professor and Distinguished Scholar award recipients.

Dr. Kathryn Norwood, dean of assessment and accreditation for the Division of Online and Professional Studies (OPS), was named Distinguished Professor, a faculty member who has established an impressive record of service to CBU.

Norwood has been at CBU for 11 years. She teaches education courses for OPS and helps prepare numerous reports for accreditation purposes.

“Her students consistently characterize her as passionate, articulate, engaging, and clearly an expert at ensuring that students are able to meet learning objectives in a wide range of courses,” Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, said at the awards ceremony. “Dr. Norwood exemplifies a servant’s heart wherever she goes.”

Dr. Ogbochi McKinney, assistant professor of public health, was named Distinguished Scholar. She was honored for a research proposal to study factors that contribute to an increase in mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Uganda and Nigeria. McKinney plans to assess the effect of HIV testing and counseling, in addition to measuring access to food, nutrition and HIV care, along with quantifying social support, intimate partner violence and mental health issues.

“This project typifies the kind of scholarly research that this award is intended to recognize,” Ellis said.

Nathan Hicks, housing service coordinator in Residence Life, received the 2017 Employee of the Year award. CBU’s Executive Council selects the Employee of the Year recipient from among staff members chosen as employee of the month during the academic year. Any CBU employee may submit a nomination for employee of the month to that nominee’s supervisor.

Hicks in February responded to a fire that started in an apartment unit located in The Village. He immediately took action, made sure to vacate the immediate premises and used extinguishers to knock down the fire before the fire department responded.

“Nathan clearly went above and beyond in this situation,” Ellis said. “Nathan exemplifies the Lancers’ spirit as well as the CBU values of excellence, teamwork and customer service.”

 

Events Center dedicated at ribbon-cutting ceremony

California Baptist University celebrated a new 5,050 seat Events Center with a Ribbon-cutting and Dedication Ceremony on May 4.

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, said the new multi-use arena is the realization of dreams and prayers of generations of Lancers.

“We were in pursuit of this for most of my 23 years here [at CBU]. And I know that people dreamed about such a facility long before I arrived in 1994,” Ellis said. “So this is an accumulation of generational dreams for many, many people affiliated with California Baptist College and California Baptist University.”

Plans for the Events Center were unveiled on Aug. 28, 2015. Completion of the more than $73 million project is expected in June.

Officials of Sundt Construction, the project contractor, estimated more than 266,000 man-hours and more than 2,000 individual workers went into building the Events Center. The 153,000-square-feet building is adjacent to the CBU Recreation Center located in Lancer Plaza near the corner of Adams Street and Diana Avenue. The center’s north-facing front entrance will be located on Lancer Lane.

Dr. Micah Parker, director of Athletics, envisions CBU providing exciting family fun entertainment for the Inland Empire community.

“We’re currently working on planning our opening basketball weekend tournament for both men’s and women’s basketball, which will be Nov. 10 and Nov. 11,” Parker said. Season tickets will be available online after May 9.

Besides athletics, the arena also will provide space for CBU’s chapel program attended by nearly 5,000 students weekly during the academic year. Other uses planned for the Events Center include student orientation activities and commencement ceremonies that are held each spring and fall.

“The CBU Events Center has been widely anticipated by everyone in the CBU community,” said Makenna Lammons, president of the Associated Student of CBU. “[Students] have eagerly waited and watched from the time the project broke ground…and we’re patiently waiting for when the doors will officially open.”

Lammons expressed gratitude to the CBU administration and thanked the CBU graduating classes of 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 as well as the ASCBU student government organization for “substantial” gifts that helped fund the massive bronze statue, the Mounted Lancer, which towers above the Events Center entrance plaza.

 

Graduate students participate in hooding ceremonies

Hundreds of master’s degree candidates at California Baptist University have been celebrating their academic achievements at hooding ceremonies last week, leading up to commencement ceremonies on May 6.

Nearly 700 graduate students are eligible to participate in the spring commencements. Many of CBU’s graduate programs hold hooding ceremonies to recognize their candidates and give students their distinctive colored hoods to wear at their commencement ceremony.

The largest group of master’s candidates comes from the School of Behavioral Sciences with 108 candidates. CBU also had a large number of candidates from the Online and Professional Studies Division (OPS), numbering 271 candidates among multiple programs.

At the School of Behavioral Sciences hooding ceremony held on May 3, Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean, challenged students to help meet the needs of those hurting and vulnerable.

“We know that you have persevered through this experience…because you believe in making a difference for those whom you serve in your professions,” Gustafson said. “You will be the difference—one culture, one community and one person at a time.”

Meagan Minson, who is graduating with a Master of Science in Athletic Training, received her sage green hood at the College of Health Science ceremony on May 2.

“My experience [at CBU] was great. I came in with 18 other strangers, and I left with 18 family members,” Minson said. “I’ve always had a passion for helping people, and I love sports so this is where my world came together.”

 

Five Lancers selected to 2017 CBU Hall of Fame class

Five former Lancers were inducted into the California Baptist University Hall of Fame at the Senior Banquet on April 30.

The 2017 Hall of Fame class includes—Fabiola Zanella da Silva (women’s soccer), Aaron Steiger (men’s water polo), Steve Goins (baseball), Angela Willis (women’s volleyball) and Blair Penner (men’s volleyball). The CBU’s Hall of Fame is now home to 70 legendary Lancers.

CBU also awarded individuals for the past academic year. Male Outstanding Co-Athletes of the Year went to Michael Smith, guard for men’s basketball, and Jacob Waste, heavyweight wrestler. Cassidy Mihalko, women’s basketball guard, won Female Outstanding Athlete of the Year, while Joseph Moorman, water polo goalie and Jenna Perry, women’s volleyball outside hitter, both won the Scholar Athlete of the Year awards.

Read the full story here.

 

Late-night breakfast aimed to help students cope with finals

Students put finals on hold for a short time April 27 to feast on a late-night breakfast served by California Baptist University faculty and staff.

The nighttime breakfast, served from 9-11 p.m., is a CBU tradition that gives faculty and staff an opportunity to encourage and serve students during finals week. Students were served a spread of eggs, French toast, bacon, Tater Tots and doughnuts at the Alumni Dining Commons.

“Before I came to CBU, I went to a community college and it was pretty dull, to be honest. The school was great but the teachers, they just taught the students and then went home,” said Sam Jacob, an engineering major. “Whereas CBU [professors] are always in constant communication with you to try and help you pass all your courses. They try to serve you.”

For Riley Forristel, a CBU freshman, the breakfast was a much-needed break.

“I have been studying all day, so this is the time I get to come and eat some food, hang out with some friends and enjoy their company,” Forristel said. “I feel pretty blessed just because all the staff and faculty are going around and serving us food. It’s a cool experience.”

Other stress-relieving activities for students during finals week included opportunities in the Stamps Courtyard for chair massages, petting puppies, popping bubble wrap and enjoying refreshments.

 

Up-and-coming filmmakers honored at CBU film festival

The 6^th annual Student Film Festival featured 15 short films that were shown at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on April 22 in conjunction with the Riverside International Film Festival.

The CBU festival draws new student filmmakers and motivates returning students to try new ideas, said Dr. Melissa Croteau, professor of film studies.

“It’s a forum for students to show how far they’ve come, but also to give them some motivation to start making films,” Croteau said.  “Students are really excited to see their work on a large screen and appreciated by a group of people.”

Mario Adurias, a junior double majoring in film and theatre, won seven awards for two films. “The Student,” his tribute to silent films, earned Adurias the Best Narrative Film award. The comical short flick follows a college student who is determined to do the right thing.

Adding to his creative work, Adurias used a stop-motion process for “Strung Together,” a story based on a Chinese proverb about a red string that ties two fated lovers. The film won Best Editing at the festival.

“We learned the stop-motion process is both grueling and rewarding,” said Adurias, who spent nearly 20 hours editing “Strung Together.” “It is wonderful to see imagination come alive.”

Jordan Riley, a film studies senior, was inspired by the book of Exodus and films such as “Lord of the Rings,” “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “Avatar” for her film “Existence: Age of Discovery,” which won Best Production Design.

“The entire film is filled with metaphors, symbols and religious ideas, because I truly love stories that have a much deeper meaning and purpose,” Riley said. “I want to change lives through making films and connecting to the audience’s emotions.”

One of the entries, “Lifeline,” a public service announcement (PSA) won Best Non-Narrative film. It is also nominated for the Directing Change Student Film Contest, a statewide competition that is part of the California Mental Health initiative.

“The students are making great films,” Croteau said. “I think it’s very important to have a film major on campus, something that trains young Christian filmmakers to really be a force, to be the salt and light in the film industry.”

Student Film Festival Awards

Best Actress:
Tess Braden, in Shortness of Breath

Best Actor:
Sean Lewis, The Student

Best Supporting Actress:
Summer Betancourt, in The Student and Strung Together

Best Supporting
Caleb Leal in The Student 

Best Cinematography:
Robert Kojo Mensah for Existence: Age of Discovery 

Best Music:
Traivon Williams for Existence: Age of Discovery

Best Screenplay:
Kenedie Gayle & Austin Campbell, Shortness of Breath

Best Special/Visual Effects:
Strung Together

Best Editing:
Strung Together

Best Production Design:
Existence: Age of Discovery

Best Film
Non-narrative: Lifeline, directed by Rebecca Lam
Narrative: The Student, directed by Mario Adurias and Danny Burger

 

Family Updates

Rosaria Lawrie, student accounts counselor, was named employee of the month for May. The nomination form included the following statements: “Despite managing one of the largest populations of students in our office this past year, Rosaria has successfully maintained a high level of service to her students.  She’s has accomplished this by always having a positive attitude, remaining focused, and always being available and ready to serve students.”

 

 

 

 

CBU’s student publications—Pursuit magazine and The Banner newspaper—received several awards from the Evangelical Press Association last month. Pursuit received the Campus Award of Excellence and The Banner received a Campus Award of Merit. The Banner also received the Award of Excellence in the Campus-Digital category. Raine Paul was named the Student Writer of the Year for his story in Pursuit, “I Am a Syrian-American: Bringing the Refugee Crisis to Light.” In the professional categories, Pursuit placed fifth in the Feature Article and second in the Original Art: Traditional. For the entire list, please go here.

 

Dr. Gary Steward, adjunct professor of history for Online and Professional Studies, successfully defended his dissertation, at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 29. The title of his dissertation was Justifying Revolution: The American Clergy’s Argument for Political Resistance, 1763–1783.

 

 

 

Dr. Greg Cochran, associate professor of applied theology, presented a paper at the Evangelical Theological Society-Far West meeting at Gateway Seminary in Ontario, California, on April 21. The paper was titled 500 Years Later: Is There (or should there be) a Protestant Work Ethic?

 

 

 

 

Dr. Doug Barnett, adjunct professor of business for the School of Online and Professional Studies, participated in The Regional Conference of Francophone Africa in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire, on April 18-22. Doug facilitated a workshop on Business as Mission. The conference brought together about 150 individuals from more than a dozen French-speaking African countries as well as Europe and North America. Together they discussed and strategized on how to bring the Gospel to the African continent by the African church.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Andy Herrity, professor of entrepreneurship and business, had a paper published in the Christian Business Academy Review (Spring 2017). The title of the paper was What if We are Graduating Utilitarians?

 

 

 

 

Andy Musser (’12), financial aid assistant director-traditional, and his wife, Kaleen, (’12), welcomed a son on March 22. Ronan Andrew Musser weighed 6 pounds, 16 ounces and measured 20 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Clark, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and his wife, Nataliya, welcomed a daughter on April 27. Anita Jemima Clark weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 20 inches long. Her older brother is Caleb, 21 months.

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Architecture students show concepts for “future” CBU buildings

Architecture students used several opportunities to present their latest coursework—theoretical renderings of future California Baptist University building projects—to the university community this past week.

Third-year students worked on designs for a proposed performing arts building at CBU, while fourth-year students were tasked with designing a building for the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design (CAVAD).

“Our architecture students are working on design projects based on two projects that have or will hopefully have some degree of real consideration for the CBU campus,” Mark Roberson, CAVAD dean, explained. “Both of these are theoretical explorations of what these buildings could be and how they might fit into the CBU campus.”

Joanna Nsenga, a senior architecture student, focused on incorporating environmental graphics into the CAVAD building concept.

“I worked on creating logos and various graphic elements and spaces that would create an environment of collaboration,” Nsenga said. “While doing research for my project, I learned the importance of an environment that aids in a creative environment but also allows for some privacy.”

Nsenga said the project, for her Studio 412 course, was an effective learning experience.

“Through the process, I came to understand the benefits of research and surveys that I conducted,” Nsenga said. “It was rewarding to see the end results.”

Third-year students made a series of individual project presentations on April 21, and the fourth-year students staged an exhibit on April 24.  CAVAD also hosted an open house on April 28 that displayed the variety of student design projects and allowed another opportunity for students to present their work.

 

Students select top professor and staff member of the year

Students at California Baptist University recently honored Kathleen Kopitzke, visiting professor of music, as the 2016-2017 Faculty Member of the Year and Brett Vowell, director of chapel, as Staff Member of the Year.

Kopitzke has taught at CBU for two years, teaching classes such as Music Theory and Musicianship Lab. She also conducts the Choral Union, New Song Women’s Choir, and is the advisor for small vocal groups. Kopitzke received her bachelor’s in music in 2013 and her master’s in 2015 from CBU.

“I am absolutely blown away and so very honored that the students have chosen me,” Kopitzke said. “I have been blessed to teach so many exceptional students these past two years, and it’s nice to know they like me as much as I like them!”

Kopitzke said her goal as she interacts with the students is to establish a relationship and a sense of trust.

“The students know that I care about what’s going on outside my classroom just as much as what’s going on inside my classroom,” Kopitzke said. “My door is always open for help with homework or just a nice conversation. Having been a student at CBU not too long ago, I know what this season of life looks like for them.”

Vowell coordinates all chapel programming and is the administrator for students’ chapel attendance. For many years Vowell, who came to CBU in 2003, also served as a public address announcer for CBU Athletics.

“CBU is an exciting place to be, and I feel like our students are on the cutting edge of culture,” Vowell said. “Students help keep a pulse in the ministry I have here, so to be recognized by the population of Lancers in this way is special and motivating.”

Vowell said he values the opportunities the staff has at CBU to serve the campus and community all the while keeping Christ at the forefront.

“The collegiate years can be such a formative season in one’s life, and I seek to be an encourager and supporter of students as they deal with challenging questions and tackle new experiences,” Vowell said.

The voting process, conducted by the Associated Students of California Baptist University (ASCBU) organization, was a two-tiered process. First, students nominated individuals for both recognitions. Next, the top eight names in both categories were placed on a ballot giving students the opportunity to vote for their top selection in each category.

 

Disaster simulation aims to prepare students for real life 

Approximately 110 graduate students from health-care programs at California Baptist University scrambled to helped “victims” during an interprofessional education (IPE) disaster simulation on April 22.

Cries and moans for help filled the Van Dyne Gym as the “injured” awaited assistance. Nearly 50 students, family members and friends were given simulated wounds, which were prepared by Sarah Pearce, assistant director of simulation at the College of Nursing, for the mass-casualty disaster simulation. Twelve faculty members at CBU, who have undergone IPE training, facilitated the event.

The event is the culmination of the first year for the IPE program at CBU, said Dr. Jolene Dickert, associate professor of athletic training. These students should be able to go out and work effectively with other health-care professionals, she added.

“The purpose of the simulation is to bring together [different health] professions to display teamwork, communication and understanding of roles and responsibilities of other healthcare professionals,” Dickert said.

Before the simulation took place, students were organized into teams. They then watched simulated news footage of a disaster. After the footage, the teams were then briefed on the disaster situation and then received instructions on how they could maximize care for the “victims.” The students then rushed into the gym to begin administering aid.

Morgan Goodson, a graduate student in physician assistant studies, said the IPE event helped to educate her on the various responsibilities of other health care workers.

“The event honed in on the point that during an emergency situation all hands on deck are needed and each player is as valuable as the next,” Goodson said. “Working as a team not only provides a dynamic patient care plan but also allows us as healthcare providers to have a valuable support system.”

Anna Garduno, an athletic training student, learned to triage under pressure.

“This simulation made things come to life. I learned things about myself… in something so intense,” Garduno said.

After the simulation, the teams turned their focus on planning and rebuilding the community. The students learned that their job is not finished once the disaster is over, Dickert said.

“It’s not just respond and then everybody leaves. What would each profession do [for] the community-rebuilding phase and what do their roles look like?” Dickert said. “At CBU, we teach our healthcare students with a whole person care philosophy. The well-being of their patients following a major event is something that should be important to them.”

The simulation prepares the students to be collaborative-practice ready, meaning they can work with other health-care practitioners, said Dr. Dayna Herrera, associate professor of nursing and CBU’s chair administrator of IPE. The IPE program was recently approved by the graduate curriculum committee and will be added as a requirement for many of the health profession programs at CBU.

 

“Mounted Lancer” sculpture takes its place at Events Center

Riding his fearless horse, a lance in one hand and a shield emblazoned with a cross in the other, California Baptist University’s “Mounted Lancer” arrived on campus April 24 after nearly two years in the making.

The Mounted Lancer is a bronze sculpture of the CBU mascot riding a charging war horse. The sculpture weighs some 4,000 pounds and rises 15 feet from its base to the top of the armored helmet. It arrived at CBU aboard a lowboy trailer after an hours-long journey from a foundry in San Fernando where the lost wax bronze casting process that produced the statue was performed. The sculpture was hoisted into place and welded atop its base near the entrance of the CBU Events Center. The installation at CBU will be completed April 25 when the lance is attached.

The Mounted Lancer is the artistic creation of Lance Jost and joins several of his other works on the CBU campus. Jost designed the cross that sits atop the James Building Bell Tower (1995); the Lancer Mosaic on the south exterior wall of the Van Dyne Gym (1998); and the Bible sculpture situated in the Stamps Courtyard (2009).

The Mounted Sculpture statue is a gift to CBU from the Classes of 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 and the Associated Students of California Baptist University.

Delivery of the statue comes just in time for the Events Center ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for May 4. The Events Center is being built adjacent to the CBU Recreation Center. The north-facing front entrance will be located on Lancer Lane.

The design of the two-level building complements the Mission Revival architecture style that is a hallmark of the CBU campus. The centerpiece of the 153,000-square-feet building will be a more than 5,000-seat arena that will showcase some of the CBU athletics teams competing in NCAA competition.

Besides athletics, the arena also will provide space for CBU’s chapel program attended by nearly 5,000 students weekly during the academic year. Other uses planned for the Events Center include student orientation activities and commencement ceremonies

 

CBU claims multiple wins at the Wilmer C. Fields Awards 

California Baptist University won multiple communication awards at the 2017 Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition hosted by the Baptist Communicators Association (BCA) on April 21 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. CBU students and the university’s Marketing and Communication Division combined for 21 top-three finishes in various categories.

The BCA awarded Pursuit magazine with the “Overall Best Student Entry” grand prize. The summer edition of the Pursuit magazine also won first place for best magazine and best magazine cover. Additionally, CBU student Makenna Sones won first place in the Student Feature Writing Division for her story “Leaps and Bounds” that was featured in Pursuit magazine.

Courtney Coleman, editor in chief of Pursuit, said receiving the BCA awards was encouraging.

“All of the teams on all of our various publications work day and night to produce great content. We all take a lot of pride in our work and give 100 percent,” Coleman said. “When those awards were announced, everyone started texting everyone saying, ‘Look guys! We did it!’”

CBU’s Marketing and Communication Division won four awards including first place in the Audio – Communication Division – Video, less than three minutes for the “Veterans Stories” campaign.

The BCA awards are the latest communication recognitions for CBU. In March, students, faculty and staff combined to win 33 awards from the American Advertising Federation-Inland Empire chapter.

 

Student entrepreneurs pitch start-ups at inaugural competition

Aspiring student entrepreneurs at California Baptist University participated in the inaugural Bob Goodrich Business Plan Competition that awarded a combined $10,000 for the top business models presented.

Team Deaf Made claimed the first prize and $4,000 on April 19 for the competition that was sponsored by the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business. Deaf Made is a proposed company that would partner with international deaf artisans to sell their products in the U.S.

Caleb Randolph, a business administration senior and part of the team, said his passion for the deaf community comes from personal experiences. Randolph’s father is deaf, and he witnessed some of his dad’s struggles. Additionally, Randolph said he has also interacted with the deaf community on mission trips and noticed how the deaf community could be marginalized.

“I learned this is what I actually want to do with my life,” Randolph said. “I think [working to give] people the opportunity to raise themselves out of poverty is some of the most fulfilling work you can do.”

The competition began earlier in the semester when a dozen teams submitted business plans and were judged in areas such as market opportunity, financial understanding and investment potential. From those 12 teams, four finalists were selected. Each of the final four teams made a 5-minute presentation to a panel of judges. The teams also responded to questions about patents, wages, tariffs and start-up costs.

The judges for the competition were CBU alumni: James Cypert (’12, ’14), CEO of Simulation and Education Technology Trainers; David Walker (’85), strategic consultant; and Paul Burke (’05), CFO consultant.

The remaining finalists included team RHEO, which proposed to create a bottle drink cap that is filled with concentrating liquid flavorings. RHEO won second place and $3,000. Team Rush, a proposed campus service that delivers beverages and snacks to students and faculty, won third and $2,000 in cash; and team MakeScents, which proposed a fashionable rubber band bracelet that contains a dispenser than can extract essential oils, took fourth place and $1,000.

Walker said he was impressed with the presentations and the details that went into the plans.

“Trying to get a tough, complex concept across in a 5-minute presentation is not easy, and each team did a magnificent job,” Walker said.

The competition, which was open to all CBU students, was intended to simulate the real-world process of entrepreneurship, said Natalie Winter, associate professor marketing.

“It gives [students] an opportunity to think about how to bring an idea to life, to learn the entrepreneurial process, to get practice pitching in front of potential investors and for them to think through the logistics,” Winter said.

 

Student wins President’s Award for Excellence in Writing

Sarah N. Rodriguez, a junior English major at California Baptist University, is the winner of the 2017 President’s Award for Excellence in Writing. Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, presented the award at a luncheon on April 19.

Rodriguez’s paper, “Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker, and the Influence of the Christ-Haunted South,” compares several short stories by two female writers featured in the title of her essay.

“By exploring the two writers’ ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs, Ms. Rodriquez calls attention to the differences as well as similarities in the ways Walker and O’Connor portray characters and depict violence within a complex social environment,” the selection committee wrote of the paper.

Rodriguez received a certificate and a check for $500.

Two other students received runner-up honors.

Katie E. Venzke, a graduate student in education, was awarded first runner-up for her paper, “Philosophy of Ministry.” Venzke’s essay looks at how the church responds to Christ’s mandate to serve an entire community. Venzke’s critique challenged the church to go beyond meeting the material and religious needs of the disabled and be creative in finding ways for them to participate more in the leadership and service of the church. Venzke received a certificate and a check for $300.

Maigen Turner, a music senior, was awarded first runner-up for her paper, “A Task Fit Only for Ladies: Music and the Early Nineteenth-Century English Gentlewoman.” The essay explores the practical function music served for English women of the 19th century. Turner was awarded a certificate and a check for $200.

A six-member faculty selection committee using a formal voting process chose all winning entries.

 

Illusionist tells CBU audience to be aware of world’s deceptions

People can easily be tricked and deceived and not just by magicians up on stage, illusionist Harris III, told a chapel audience at California Baptist University on April 21.

Americans take in thousands of ads every day. Those messages can influence how you view yourself, Harris said.

“If you believe a lie about yourself and who you are and whom God created you to be, all the sudden it’s easier to fall into the lies of deception of this world,” Harris said.

While telling his story, Harris performed several cards illusions, “levitated” a table and escaped from a straitjacket.

Deception works because of a willingness to let other people think for us, Harris said. It began in Genesis with Satan’s crafty deception, Harris added. It starts with a simple question, “Did God really say?”

“Adam and Eve had perfection in the entire Garden of Eden, and yet they still reached for the illusion of more,” Harris said. “You and I have been reaching for the same illusion ever since.”

Harris told the students they might not be entertainers, but they are still putting on a show by pretending to be someone they are not.

“The good news of the gospel is that God’s love for you is not rooted in your performance,” Harris said. “If we root our identities and our value as human beings in the eyes of our heavenly Father … it can change everything, and it can set you free from the burden of how it feels to be entangled and trapped by the lies of deception.”

Harris said everyone has one thing in common— metaphorically, all people have a strait jacket.

“At one time or another we’ve all allowed ourselves to get tricked into believing some sort of lies,” Harris said.

Harris told students it doesn’t matter what entraps and entangles them. What does matter is there is truth that can set us free, he said, after reading John 8:32.

“In Christ and in Christ alone, there is hope, there is freedom and there in unbelievable joy,” Harris said. “If Jesus is offering you that and Himself, why would you settle for a counterfeit version of life offered to you by the world?”

 

CBU professors to lead evaluation of mental-health project

Two professors from the public health sciences department at California Baptist University will serve as principal evaluators of $1.2 million mental-health project.

The California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP), a project of the California Department of Public Health Office of Health Equity, has announced the funding of a 5-year program aimed to reduce mental health disparities in African-Americans across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The Riverside-based organization, Healthy Heritage Movement, will implement the program, while CBU faculty, Dr. Marshare Penny, associate professor of public health, and Dr. Jessica Miller, adjunct professor of public health sciences, will lead the evaluation of the project.

The CRDP program will take place in select churches in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties.  It includes an intervention called Broken Crayons Still Color, which is an 8-week program that aims to increase knowledge of core mental health issues, such as depression and the work to reduce the perceived stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment.  Additionally, the program will establish mental health ministries that will provide education, outreach and advocacy.

“It is exciting that we not only have this opportunity to actively participate in the reduction of mental health disparities locally, but CBU students can also be engaged in this important effort,” Penny said.

Penny said the evaluations will give CBU students an opportunity to help facilitate focus group sessions and participate in data collection along with additional community engagement opportunities.

The primary goal of the CRDP grant is to invest in new and existing community programs that have shown promise in reducing mental health disparities in underserved communities across California.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Candace Vickers, associate professor of communication disorders, made a presentation at the American Heart Association Executive Leadership Mixer on April 6 in Riverside. The presentation was titled The Impact of Aphasia on Patients and their Families.

 

 

 

Dr. Marion Dunkerley, assistant professor of nursing, Terri Thompson, assistant professor of nursing, and Dr. Susan Jetton, assistant professor of nursing, organized a PPE (preconception peer educator) conference at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles on April 10. Jetton made two presentations—on the PPE vision and Preconception Health Across the Lifespan—and held a faculty advisor breakout session. Thompson co-presented on the PPE vision and did a presentation on health education. Dunkerley spoke on infant mortality. Twenty CBU students assisted or taught at the full-day conference.

 

 

 

CBU hosted a Southern California regional conference for the local chapter of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA) on April 8. The ASA is a national professional organization of Christians in the sciences.  Seventy-five people attended from institutions such as CBU, Westmont College, Azusa Pacific University, Point Loma Nazarene University and California Institute of Technology. Six CBU faculty gave presentations: Dr. Linn Carothers, professor of mathematics; Dr. Alan Fossett, professor of chemistry; Dr. Bruce Prins, professor of biology; Dr. Tom Ferko, professor of chemistry; Dr. Jim Buchholz, professor of mathematics and physics; and Dr. Erin Smith, assistant professor of psychology. Four CBU faculty had research posters presented by their undergraduate student researchers:  Dr. Nathanael Heyman, associate professor of biology; Dr. Daniel Szeto, associate professor of biology and biochemistry; Dr. Stephen Runyan, assistant professor of biology; and Dr. Ying (Hannah) Hu, associate professor of chemistry.

 

Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, associate professor of public administration for Online and Professional Studies, moderated a panel, International Political Trends, at the Western Social Science Association Conference in San Francisco on April 12-15. She also made a panel presentation on The California Voting Rights Act & Local Government Representation.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Sanggon Nam, associate professor of public health, recently joined the editorial board of the Epidemiology section of Frontiers in Public Health as a review editor. Frontiers in Public Health is a peer-reviewed journal aimed at the scientific community interested in the broad area of public health.

 

 

 

Dr. Jessica Alzen, adjunct professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, successfully defended her dissertation at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education on April 7. The title of her dissertation was Using observation protocol scores to make inferences about change in teacher practices. She also co-authored an article that was published in the American Educational Research Association’s AERA Open journal on April 7. The article was titled The implications of reduced testing for teacher accountability.

 

 

The inaugural CBU Student Research Colloquium, held April 13, showcased students’ peer-reviewed research. Two students received top scores in the review and selection process: Maria Perez, from the College of Health Science, presented Trends in Heart Disease and Cancer Mortality in Riverside County, CA 2006-2015; and Rosa Hunt, from the School of Behavioral Sciences, presented Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation as Predictors of Career Engagement among College Professors. More than 30 students presented research. Faculty selected Hanchu Dai and Zhehao Xiong for a best poster presentation, and peers selected Cheyenne Denison and Isabel Otero for a best poster presentation. Dr. Jeffrey Gage, professor of nursing, presented on the importance and process of conducting research. The colloquium was sponsored by the College of Health Science, the School of Behavioral Sciences and the Center for the Study of Human Behavior, and organized by Dr. Robert LaChausse, Dr. Sean Sullivan, Dr. Erin Smith and Dr. Kristin Mauldin.

 

Dr. Sandra Romo, assistant professor of communication for Online and Professional Studies, presented research at the National Social Science Association Annual Meeting in Las Vegas on April 10. The title of the research was Master Course Models: Developing Online and Face-to-Face Courses Highlighting Andragogy.

 

 

 

The Office of Mobilization is holding a blood drive fundraiser May 18 for the ISP and SOS teams going overseas this summer. Every donation earns Mobilization $15. Click here to make an appointment.

 

 

 

Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, organized “Walk for Health” events to celebrate National Public Health Week (April 3-9). Faculty, staff, and student walked at the Tyler Plaza location in Riverside and groups participated in one-mile walks inside the Tyler Galleria. The purpose of National Public Health Week is to help communities connect, highlight national public health issues and acknowledge public heath contributions to communities across the country. CBU Online is recognized as a national partner for the National Public Health Week initiative, which is organized by the American Public Health Association.

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, spoke at Cal State San Bernardino, Public Relations Society of America Student chapter meeting on April 18. The presentation was on Building Networking and Public Relations Skills.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Monica O’Rourke, visiting professor of kinesiology for Online and Professional Studies, presided and led an online symposium for Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies on April 19. The symposium was titled The Value of Mentoring.  CBU Online hosted the event with Joe Cameron, online learning systems administrator, directing the technology for the webinar.

 

 

 

Dr. Julian Mills-Beale, assistant professor of civil engineering, Dr. Jong-Wha Bai, associate professor of civil engineering, and some of their students took an educational project site tour of the new College of Engineering building on April 4. The group, mainly comprising Soils and Foundation Design students, talked with project engineer Ryan Kahrs, a CBU College of Engineering alumnus, and his team. Students were briefed on the use of Geopier foundations and how the structure is going to be supported by the foundation soil.

 

 

Dr. Berniece Bruinius Alspach, assistant professor of English, and her husband, Brent, welcomed a daughter on March 4. Olivia Faith Alspach weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Lancer Cup celebrates intramurals and global service

More than a thousand spectators watched Wales defeat Ireland, 3-2, to claim the coveted Lancer Cup—the championship trophy for co-ed intramural soccer—at California Baptist University on April 11.

The Front Lawn was transformed into a mini soccer stadium to host the championship game that featured bleacher seating, live pre-game entertainment along with several food trucks parked near the soccer field. The first 600 CBU students were also treated to a free meal courtesy of the Community Life department.

Tyler Cox, director of recreation programs, said students are very competitive in intramural play.

“The environment allows students to be competitive while forming a sense of community,” Cox said.

The Lancer Cup featured the two teams left standing after a regular season lineup of 35 teams and a single elimination playoff bracket that pitted the eight best regular season records against each other.

Cox said that the soccer teams’ names represented the countries where CBU students will serve during the 2017 International Service Projects (ISP). This year CBU will send student volunteers to 22 countries on 36 teams during the summer.

During the opening ceremony for the Lancer Cup, students walked out onto the field holding the flags of each country that ISP teams will visit.

“Lancer Cup is a great night to celebrate the intramural soccer season and to celebrate two teams making the championship game,” said Cox.  “I love that we incorporate a sport that is popular across the globe and at the same time recognize the students and staff who will be headed out this summer to serve the nations.”

 

Keep learning even in midst of career, lecturer tells students

Susan Harrington, a seasoned public health professional, stressed the importance of lifelong learning to a California Baptist University audience on April 11.

“No matter your background and your education, you can work in different industries through continued learning and you can be successful,” Harrington said.

Harrington worked for 30 years for the Riverside County Department of Public Health before retiring last year. She is also a CBU adjunct professor of public health sciences. Harrington spoke as part of the College of Health Science’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

At the county, Harrington held various positions, starting as a nutritionist and working her way to the director of the public health position. Over the years, she learned different professional skills such as developing a budget, how reorganize departments and implementing policies and procedures by working with a wide range of professionals.

At the peak of her tenure, the department she led had 1,200 employees and an annual budget of $122 million, Harrington said.

“[Becoming director] was the biggest learning curve because I had to move out of my comfort zone of being in nutrition to learning about communicable disease control and … emergency medical services,” Harrington said. “I really had to learn more and expand my knowledge.”

Harrington gave the example of when Proposition 215 passed in 1996, allowing for use of medical marijuana. She worked with sheriffs, district attorneys and drug and alcohol prevention professionals to determine how to best implement the initiative measure.

Harrington also spoke of the new challenges for people going into public health such as new disease like the Zika virus and the decriminalized use of cannabis.

“When you look to have a career, find an organization that you can make a difference and serve and share your talents,” Harrington said.

 

Student magazine and newspaper claim multiple awards

The California Baptist University campus publications, produced by the journalism & new media and public relations program, received several awards in March.

In the California College Media Association’s (CCMA) Awards competition held in San Francisco in March, Pursuit magazine received four first-place awards—Best Magazine Photo Series, Best Magazine Inside Page/Spread Design, Best Magazine Cover Design and Best Magazine Story—and two second-place awards Best—Magazine and Best Magazine Photo.

Also at CCMA, The Banner newspaper received three first-place awards for Best Infographic, Best Newspaper Inside Page/ Spread and Best News Photograph. The Banner also received Best Newspaper Front Page Design (2^nd place) and Best Photo Series (3^rd place), as well as honorable mention in Best Arts and Entertainment Story, Best Feature Photograph and Best Newspaper Website.

In the competition for the CCMA awards, 37 public and private colleges and universities throughout California submitted 1,138 entries.

In San Francisco last month, the Associated Collegiate Press awarded fourth place in “Best of Show” to both Pursuit magazine and The Banner, as well as fifth place to The Banner website in the same category.

In the College Media Association Apple Awards competition, in New York City in March, Pursuit Magazine received third place in Best Magazine Design, displaying what the judges called, “immense strength in the photography and design skills of the staff.”

“CBU earned the Apple Award alongside Pepperdine and Baylor as the only Christian universities in the nation to be honored with one of these prestigious awards,” said Dr. Michael Chute, professor of journalism and director of the program.

Furthermore, two CBU students—Iona Brannon and Megan Ballard—tied for first-place in the “Photo Shoot-Out” competition at the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, in March.

“We are proud of the students’ efforts, using their God-given skills and abilities to provide outstanding campus publications for our university,” Chute said.

 

CBU Outdoor Adventures program hosts “glamping trip”

A group of students and staff from California Baptist University got some much needed R & R before the start of finals at the San Onofre State Beach through the Outdoor Adventures program.

The outdoor excursion was run through the CBU Community Life department on April 7-9. The program provides opportunities for students to enjoy natural wonders such as prestigious national parks, popular mountain ranges and the iconic beaches of the Pacific coast. Thirty-eight CBU students and seven staff members participated in the latest outdoor adventure.

Tucker Carl, program coordinator – outdoor adventures, said the outing was promoted as a “glamping trip.”

With the end of the semester approaching, the trip was focused on relaxation, Carl said.  The group played games, sat around the campfire and enjoyed more “glamorous” food than regular camp food— including a pig roasted on a spit for a luau-type dinner.

“The Southern California beaches are a world-renowned thing,” Carl said. “Giving students the opportunity to go and to go glamping and enjoy each other’s company and create community is why we’re offering a trip like this.”

Grace Barnes, an early childhood studies major, went on the trip to experience camping and meet new peers.

“I loved meeting everyone and playing games,” Barnes said. “All the other students were really cool and it was fun to get to know each of them.”

 

Students plant multiple trees in honor of Spring Arbor Day

Sixty students, staff and faculty from California Baptist University celebrated Spring Arbor Day by planting 14 trees in various parking lot areas on April 8.

The event was organized by the university’s Facilities and Planning Services and the Environmental Science Club at CBU. The club’s goal is to do its part to better the environment at CBU. The volunteers worked several hours digging holes and planting the trees.

Austin Philobos, a graphic design freshman, came out to the event to do his part to upkeep CBU.

“It is really important to plant trees for our campus environment,” Philobos said. “It’s also been fantastic to work with a bunch of people and get to know them.”

Angela Green, a health science senior, enjoyed getting her hands dirty for a good cause.

“It was a lot of fun actually. I expected the trees to be a lot smaller like little trees, but it was actually really cool coming in and then seeing the big trees and working as a team and just getting to experience the fun in it and serve the Lord in all of it,” Green said.

The Arbor Day Foundation recently recognized CBU as a 2017 Tree Campus USA for the third consecutive year.

“We take great pride in maintaining, managing and increasing the dynamic and important urban forest, and sustainable foliage on our campus,” said Steve Smith, director of Facilities and Planning Services.

 

CBU Cheer wins fifth-straight national championship

The Lancers cheer team at California Baptist University continued its dominance, winning its fifth-straight National Cheerleaders Association Championship at Daytona Beach, Florida, on April 7. The Lancers have not lost a team competition match since 2013.

“It was a great day to be a Lancer,” said Coach Tami Fleming. “We are proud to be bringing home another national championship to CBU. Five feels pretty great.”

Read the full story here.

The Lancers made even more history the next day when two CBU teams finished in the top three stops at the stunt group competition. The Lancers have never placed higher than eighth in group stunt at nationals. This year, Taylor Contratto, Taylor Frasca, Dazmyn Dull and Evynn Richard took first.

Read the full story here.

 

Chapel speaker challenges students to be “Moment Makers”

“Moments are the makers in our lives,” Carlos Whittaker told a California Baptist University chapel audience. “You guys are living in a season right now where the moments you decide to create will mark the rest of your lives.”

Whittaker is a worship leader, author, blogger and musician who resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and three children. He spoke at the CBU chapel service on April 7.

Whittaker said as he started to study the life of Jesus to become more like Him, he began to form the concept of becoming a “Moment Maker,” which he describes as a deliberate way to make every moment of every day count.

“Jesus was the ultimate ‘Moment Maker,’” Whittaker said.

Whittaker used scripture to illustrate the numerous “Creator Moments” Jesus had when it came to healing the sick.

“[For us], ‘Creator Moments’ are the moments we are in charge of; these are the moments that we get to create for other people,” Whittaker said. “Imagine CBU for a moment, if every day you create moments on purpose so that other people feel [special].”

Whittaker said if these moments are wrapped in Jesus, then one day the fruit of those acts will be revival.

“We can’t live our Christian faith on accident,” Whittaker said. “I did that far too long. Once you start living your faith on purpose, you start seeing small hints of revival.”

Whittaker said the Christian faith also includes “Receive Moments.”

“These are the times believers need to stand still and try to discern the voice of God,” Whittaker said.

Whittaker shared a humorous story of a Justin Bieber concert he attended with his daughters. He recalls feeling distraught when he noticed that one of his daughters cried throughout the concert. His confusion turned to frustration when he found out the reason for the crying—“It’s because I love him so much,” his daughter said on the way home.

“Excuse me, you love him? I almost launched into her. ‘You don’t know about the first thing about love,’” said Whittaker with a chuckle about his immediate thoughts to his daughter’s response. “[In that moment] I felt like the Lord said, ‘stand still… Instead of telling your daughter why her love is so wrong, instead, tell her why my love is right.’”

Whittaker said he proceeded to have a lengthy conversation about Jesus’ love on their way home from the concert.

“We need to learn to gaze at God and glance at life,” Whittaker said. “We can flip it. We can gaze at life and then when we’re desperate, glance at God, but that’s not how we live a ‘Moment Making’ Christian life.”

 

CBU Army ROTC duplicates success at national drill competition

For the second year in a row, the California Baptist University Army ROTC women’s squad won first place in the color guard event at the John J. Pershing Memorial Drill Competition in Jacksonville, Florida. The men’s team also repeated their previous year’s performance with a third place finish in the same event.

The competition, held in March, pitted 42 programs against each other in several categories, including squad regulation drill, platoon exhibition drill, individual drill and color guard.

The winning CBU team included returning cadets Shannon Garcia, Sheraya Bentick, Imelda Camaja and newcomer Amanda Tetreault. The men’s team included returning cadets Kendall Morris and Joshua Fink along with new additions Nathan Tucker and Brandan Walker.

Tetreault said the event was a learning and rewarding experience.

“Knowing that they had already won first place put a lot of pressure on [me], but it was good pressure,” Tetreault said. “In the end, it made us practice harder and go there with determination.”

Two of the women cadets are graduating in the spring, so the event took on a greater meaning for the team, Bentick said.

“Even though we wanted first place, at the end of the day, it’s not completely about winning first place,” Bentick said. “Whether we win or lose, whether we mess up or do great, this is our last experience together so let’s make it count.”

The cadets put hours of practice and attention to detail, said Sgt. 1st Class Jason Winkle, military science instructor.

“It all comes down to precision. These [cadets] don’t accept anything less than perfection,” Winkle said.

Tucker said it was a challenge learning all the commands in order for the team’s seven-minute routine.

“You don’t necessarily have time to react once the commands are called, you have to know what the next movement is,” Tucker said.

This is the fourth consecutive year CBU teams have returned from the competition with awards. In 2015, the men’s team also placed third in the color guard event and 2014, the men’s team took first place in the same category.

“We have developed a name for ourselves,” Winkle said.

Pershing Rifles is an ROTC related national organization that was started by Lt. John J. Pershing in 1894 when he was the professor of military science at the University of Nebraska.

 

CBU students pack food boxes for Children’s Hunger Fund

More than 140 California Baptist University students worked through the evening to pack 500 food boxes with items such as cans of corn, soup, tuna and bags of beans, rice and cereal for Children’s Hunger Fund on March 30.

The event was organized by Compassion Ministries in the CBU Office of Spiritual Life. The Children’s Hunger Fund provides balanced food options for hungry children across America and throughout the world. The group distributes the food through churches to help bridge relationships with families in the churches’ communities. Students also had the opportunity to write a personalized note to the family who would receive the food box.

Anna Goff, a psychology senior, said she appreciates the various service options CBU offers.

“[The event] provides opportunities for students to get out there and serve when they don’t know exactly how they are able to help,” Goff said. “This gives students that option and it’s easy for them to come because it’s on campus.”

Kaden Specht, a liberal studies freshman, said the event made her reflect on the blessings she has in her life.

“It makes me feel good that I can [help], but I’m also really thankful about all the things I do have,” Specht said.

Julie Dobbins, director of Compassion and Women’s Ministries, said there are a lot of logistics when it comes to getting the meals into the hands of those who need it.

“We are just one step in that process, but it is great for our students to be able to organize and pack all of the different supplies needed for a balanced meal for a family,” Dobbins said.

 

CBU lecturer touts theology of human thriving

“What are you being shaped and formed for?” Dr. Pamela King, associate professor of applied developmental science at Fuller Theological Seminary, asked a California Baptist University audience. “What are you learning at this stage that will prepare you for this world?”

King, who is an ordained Presbyterian minister in addition to holding a doctorate in psychology, spoke at the School of Behavioral Sciences Culture and Justice Lecture Series on March 30.

King said she would never have predicted her life’s course.

“I never cut out to be in ministry. I never aspired to be a professor. I thought I would go into business and do marketing,” King said. “Something happened along my journey that drew me toward issues of transcendence and theology and understanding how humans function… I began to appreciate the uniqueness of each human being.”

As a professor at Fuller, King has dedicated her academic research pursuits to the concept of human thriving. She said identifying human thriving as a social scientist comes down to experiences.

“As a social scientist, we don’t have the tools to define what is ultimate in life or what is sacred or transcendent,” King said. “Those are more of epistemological tools that theology or philosophy have.”

King said she has turned to theology to answer questions pertaining to defining human thriving.

“What would be God’s perspective on human development or a biblical perspective?” King asked.

The answer to that question lies in the claim that humans are created in the image of God, she said.

“The Bible talks about Jesus Christ as the perfect image of God,” King said. “Part of the process of imaging God is becoming more like Christ.”

King said the biblical language for imaging God is to be “conformed into the image of Christ.”

“It’s not to be uniform to the image of Christ, so I strongly believe that we are all created in the image of God, to become more like Christ in our lives, to become more virtuous, more honest, more serving, more self-giving, more advocates of justice, and we’re all called to do that in our unique ways,” King said. “God created you to be you. There is something about imaging God that involves being unique people.”

When you are yourself, your actions reflect your deepest passions, values and interests, King said.

“That’s when you experience ultimate performance and most joy,” King said. “So much of life’s journey is finding out, ‘who am I and what do I love?’”

 

Theatre Tech Week puts all of play’s components together 

As audiences enjoyed “The Plain Princess” performances at California Baptist University recently, there was another production happening behind the scenes.

The costume and makeup crew gave the actors the right look, the backstage crew moved scenery and props, and the lighting and sound operators made sure the actors could be seen and heard.

“There’s a whole second show going on backstage that you never see,” said Jacob Gomez, a theatre junior.

Earlier this month, the Theatre Arts program at CBU held Theatre Tech Week. Lee Lyons, professor of theatre, said the week is dedicated to learning about all the elements and roles that are needed for the show come together.

“[Students] are brought together and unified in the rehearsal process and all the problems are exposed … we then hone [in on the problems] during our dress rehearsal process until opening night,” Lyons said.

Students get hands-on experiences such as operating a light board, a sound board, or working on costumes and makeup, Lyons said.

“When these kids graduate and leave, we want them to be playmakers,” Lyons said.

Gomez, lighting board operator for “The Plain Princess,” said he has learned to be precise in making sure the lighting cues happen at the moment the stage manager signals them.

“You really see everything that goes into a single performance,” Gomez said. “It’s not just the actors on the stage. You develop an appreciation for all of the hard work that every single part in the show has to put in.”

Alumna Kiana Miskel (’16) was contracted to be costume designer for the “Plain Princess.” Since graduating, she has worked with several theatre companies in the area as a performer and part of stage crew.

Miskel said she appreciated the hands-on experience she obtained while at CBU.

“If you know how everything happens and how everything is put together, you can easily throw yourself into [the production of a play],” Miskel said.

Lisa Lyons, a theatre adjunct and director of “The Plain Princess,” said the cast members are told every role is important.

“You can’t do a show without everybody else back stage or else it wouldn’t happen,” Lyons said. “You’d be standing on a blank stage. Working tech certainly gives them an appreciation of everything that happens. We reiterate that a lot, you need to appreciate your staff, your crew.”

 

Lancer baseball Coach Gary Adcock racks up 500th win

With a 6-2 Lancer win over Point Loma University on March 30, the victory moved baseball head coach Gary Adcock’s all-time record to an impressive 500-242-1.

CBU has enjoyed great success in Adcock’s 14 seasons. Twelve of his 13 teams have qualified for the postseason, of those teams two went on to win Christian College Athletic Association World Series titles in 2012 and 2013. His teams have won six conference championships, 19 of his players have been named All-Americans and 19 have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.

Read full story here.

 

 

 

Hundreds of grandparents attend annual event at CBU

California Baptist University welcomed more than 250 grandparents of students for the fifth annual Grandparents Day on March 30.

Grandparents had the opportunity to participate in a full day of planned activities as they caught a glimpse of life at CBU. The day started with a welcome session, which highlighted the various facts that make CBU unique and a devotional thought shared by John Montgomery, dean of Spiritual Life. Grandparents then had an array of courses they could attend throughout the day, such as 3D Printing, The Next Best Thing to Real – College of Nursing Simulation Lab and C.S. Lewis’ Remarkable Spiritual Journey. Additionally, grandparents were offered an opportunity to participate in a campus tour, watch a women’s choir performance and attend a men’s volleyball game.

Paul Eldridge, vice president for University Advancement, said it was an honor to host the grandparents of CBU students.

“Your grandkids attend a Great Commission school. We want our students to go out and impact the world,” said Eldridge, at the welcome session.

Dr. Charles D. Sands, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, reassured the grandparents of the university’s commitment to provide a place for students to excel.

“We want our students to thrive spiritually and physically. We strive to create an environment for students to thrive in,” Sands said. “We are here to fulfill the Great Commission and to ensure our students succeed at CBU.”

 

Justification by faith brings assurance, stresses theologian

“Our job isn’t to work for God but to rest and believe in God,” said Dr. Thomas Schreiner. “We’re to cease striving and be still and know that God is our salvation.”

Schreiner is an associate dean and professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He spoke on March 30 as part of the School of Christian Ministries Lecture Series at California Baptist University.

Schreiner argued that good works cannot be the basis of salvation since God demands perfection and believers fall short in many ways.

“A true understanding of justification by faith gives us assurance,” Schreiner said. “We’re comforted in our doubts, because we know salvation doesn’t rest on us and what we do. Our salvation doesn’t depend on our own righteousness but Christ’s righteousness.”

Schreiner said justification by faith reminds believers that their sins are forgiven.

“Justification by faith frees us from guilt,” Schreiner said.  “If we’re not forgiving ourselves, we’re despising Christ’s sacrifice. We’re saying ‘my sins are too important to be forgiven by you.’”

Schreiner said good works are evidence of a new life in Christ and believers should have a praised-filled response to justification.

“Justification by faith brings joy,” Schreiner said. “When we recognize that God’s grace is amazing and entirely apart from our work and that grace is stunning to us, we’re thankful. We give thanks.”

Schreiner said it is the object of a person’s faith that saves them.

“[Justification] is the very root of our relationship with God. Do we depend upon ourselves or upon God and Jesus Christ?” Schreiner said.

 

Professor appointed to California health education committee

Dr. Robert G. LaChausse, department chair and associate professor of public health sciences at California Baptist University, has been appointed to a three-year term to serve on the California Health Education Curriculum Framework Committee.

LaChausse said the committee oversees the development of criteria, standards, policies and educational codes for health education in California public schools.

Tom Torlakson, secretary of education for the California Department of Education, appointed LaChausse to fill one of the 20 positions on the committee. LaChausse will head to Sacramento for his first meeting in May.

“I hope this will be an opportunity to make an impact on the quality of school health programs and policies as well as bring recognition to CBU at the state level,” LaChausse said.

LaChausse has built a reputation for his research on drug prevention. He has extensive experience in alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention and is a recognized expert in preventing high-risk health behaviors among youth. He previously received funds from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, this past academic year, LaChausse was awarded a $500,000 grant to study drug prevention among youth in Riverside County.

“There are needs in the communities that surround CBU and throughout Riverside County. With the expertise of faculty at CBU and the passion of students to serve, we can help those in our own backyard,” LaChausse said of the latest grant to study drug prevention.

 

CBU medical club hosts clinic to practice suturing

With gloves, scalpels and scissors in hand, along with a good sense of concentration, California Baptist University students practiced stitching together lacerations on their test subject—a pig’s foot—at the Suture Clinic on March 28.

The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) student chapter at CBU hosted the event at the College of Health Science. The clinic offered students from a wide range of majors an opportunity to practice the art of suturing (mending a laceration).

Maria Perez, AMWA CBU president, said the event was open to everyone at CBU.

“Events like these allow students to gain practical experience, but they also allow students to network with students pursuing different medical professions,” said Perez, a health science senior. “At CBU, we learn about the importance of interdisciplinary work.”

Dr. Allan Bedashi, director of physician assistant studies program at CBU, offered a lecture on the definitions of lacerations and the procedures that medical professionals perform to mend the wounds. He then led the students in a live demonstration on how to properly stitch a laceration. The students were then encouraged to try out the procedure on their own.

Olivia Weber, a health science senior, said she enjoyed the clinic.

“I learned how to suture,” Weber said. “I love that the College of Health Science offers hands-on experiences like this one.”

 

Family Updates

Nathan Hicks, housing services coordinator – Residence Life, was named employee of the month for April. The nomination form included the following statements: “On the morning of Feb. 1, 2017, there was a fire that started in a campus housing apartment located in The Village. Upon notification of the fire, Nathan immediately took action by making sure everyone was out of the apartment, personally using CBU fire extinguishers to knock down most of the fire before the fire department arrived, and continuing to assist the residents throughout the rest of the day as they recovered their personal items. Without Nathan’s actions and quick response in this incident, the outcome would have been much worse. Nathan clearly went above and beyond in this situation.”

 

 

Dr. Bonjun Koo, professor of environmental science, led a group of 12 students on an ecotour to Costa Rica on March 18-26. Activities included field research involving assessing different conservation practices. They interviewed farmers, park managers, business owners and community stakeholders and visited sites such as a coffee plantation, the Institute of Biodiversity INBioparque; the wetlands of Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge; the coastal ecosystems at Manuel Antonio National Park; the Santa Elena Cloud Forest; and tree-planting at the Santa Elena Reserve. Koo also was recently recognized as a member of 2017-2018 Who’s Who in America by the Marquis Who’s Who Publication Board. He was approved as a subject of biographical record in the Who’s Who in America inclusion in which is limited to individuals who possess professional integrity, demonstrate outstanding achievement in their respective fields and have made innumerable contributions to society as a whole.

 

Dr. Virgo Handojo, professor of behavioral sciences, spoke as a plenary speaker and led two workshops at the National Symposium for Research and Intervention to Family Therapy in Indonesia. He spoke on The Theory and Intervention behind Family Therapy and the workshops were Imago Therapy and Structural Family Therapy of Salvador Minuchin. The symposium was held in Bandung, Indonesia, on March 2-4.

 

 

 

Dr. Derek Updegraff, assistant professor of English and creative writing, published a short story titled Release from the Ceramic Doghouse in The Carolina Quarterly (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, volume 66.3). He also published a poem titled Midnight or So, at an Arco Station in Long Beach in THINK: A Journal of Poetry, Criticism, and Reviews (Western State Colorado University, volume 7.1).

 

 

 

Dr. Kyle Stewart, assistant professor of physics, contributed a chapter to the textbook Gas Accretion onto Galaxies (Springer), which was recently published as part of the Astrophysics and Space Science Library series. The chapter was titled Gas Accretion and Angular Momentum.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Darla Donaldson, assistant professor of finance and social entrepreneurship, presented the results from her dissertation to members of the International Mission Board–Edgar Aponte, vice president for Mobilization, and Chris Kennedy, development leader–on March 31, 2017. The title was Individuals’ Donation Decisions and Social Enterprise:  A Quantitative Investigation.

 

 

 

Victoria Brodie, visiting professor of public relations, presented a paper at the International Social Science and Behavioral Research Conference on March 24 held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The title of her paper was Agile Public Relations: Engaging Stakeholders in Times of Digital Disruption, addressing the impacts of technology on effective organizational outreach.

 

 

Dr. William Flores, associate professor of Spanish, presented a paper at the XIX Congreso Internacional de Literatura Hispánica held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 8-10. The paper was titled Recent Developments in Ecocritical Theory: Possibilities and Limitations for Application in Latin American Literary Studies.

 

 

 

The CBU American Medical Women’s Association chapter was awarded the Branch Event Award at the 102nd American Medical Women’s Association conference in San Francisco on April 1. The chapter was awarded for its involvement in the community and participation in outreach programs, specifically, for the partnership with Health to Hope Mobile Clinic in the Inland Empire. The CBU AMWA club members volunteer their time and skills every fourth Saturday of the month at the Health to Hope Mobile Clinic at Inland Vineyard Church in Corona. The students help with scribing, translation, taking vitals, glucose testing and signing up attendees for mammograms and insurance.

 

 

Dr. Veola Vazquez, associate professor of psychology, spoke at the Biola University AfterDark Chapel service on April 5. She provided a message on Healing from Broken Family Relationships to more than 300 students.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, president, participated in the first Higher Education Summit of the United States and Mexico March 29–31, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Ellis was among 24 independent college and university presidents and five cabinet-level officers from U.S. institutions in the U.S. delegation at the summit. Participants explored partnerships and ways to provide enhanced exchange opportunities for students and faculty members in both countries; provide students with increased access to internships in Mexico and the United States; and allow faculty members and students to collaborate in shared research projects and development programs. The meeting was organized by the Council of Independent Colleges and Mexican Federation of Private Higher Education Institutions.

 

 

Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology, co-authored a paper in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (April 1, 2017). The title of the paper was Role of the C-terminal and chitin insertion domains on enzymatic activity of endochitinase ChiA74 of  Bacillus thuringiensis.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations, presented research on Millennials in the Workplace at the Capio (California Public Information Officials) Conference in San Diego on April 5. C.L. Lopez, adjunct professor of Arts and Sciences for Online and Professional Studies and president of Capio, spoke on crisis management and the San Bernardino County shooting incident.

 

 

 

 

Heather Ontiveros, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, Jennifer Zamora, assistant professor, and Mary Ann Stahovich, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, spoke at an event called “Inspire Her Mind” aimed at high school girls in the Riverside Unified School District on March 16. They discussed their journeys as women into medicine and how they use science, technology, engineering and math in medicine.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Hyun-Woo Park, professor of biology, and members of the Pre-Pharmacy Club had a campus tour at Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy on April 6 to learn about the school environment, the program and meet people working there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Bob Namvar, professor of economics, made a presentation at the Annual Tokyo Business Research Conference on April 4. The title was How Does a Change in the Distribution of Income Impact the US Economy?

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Crosby, assistant professor of psychology for Online and Professional Studies, and Dr. Erin Smith, assistant professor of psychology, co-authored a paper that was published in a special issue of British Journal of Developmental Psychology (March 2017).  The theme of the issue was Religion, culture and development.  The title of the paper was Unpacking religious affiliation: Exploring associations between Christian children’s religious cultural context, God image, and self-esteem across development.

 

 

Mollie Bohrer, financial aid compliance coordinator, and her husband, Tim, welcomed a son on Jan. 22.  Josiah Rivers Bohrer weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 21 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

“The Plain Princess” displays where true beauty resides

The theatre program at California Baptist University is bringing a transformational story of beauty to the Wallace Theatre for its final show of the 2016-17 season with “The Plain Princess.”

The production is a fairy tale about a princess who, having a dour expression and selfish disposition, appears quite plain to all who see her. The king and queen turn to doctors and wizards to find a way to make her beautiful, with no avail. They then offer great riches to anyone who can transform their daughter. Dame Goodwit offers to take the princess to her home, where, with the help of her five daughters, she transforms the plain princess into a royal beauty. As the princess learns about being polite and doing her chores, she becomes more beautiful.

The story is a reminder that God looks on the inside and not on the outside, said Lisa Lyons, a theatre adjunct professor at CBU and director of the play.

“It’s something you want to live by, that you don’t judge people by their outward appearance, that you look on the inside,” Lyons said. “Sometimes people are hiding a lovely inside on a not-so-lovely outside. Take the time to see the beauty on the inside.”

The production includes singing and dancing and is geared toward the whole family.

The challenge of the show is bringing a simple fairy tale to life, Lyons said.

“It’s harder than it looks,” Lyons said. “You have to tell me the story and make it exciting. You have to infuse it with a lot of energy and physicality.”

Sean Lewis, a senior English major and theatre minor, plays the Wizard of State, who is dejected and frustrated by his inability to cure the princess, yet he still attempts to save some of his dignity.

“The biggest challenge of my role has been balancing the numerous emotions of my character,” Lewis said. “Making sure that all of these emotions read for the audience is crucial.”

Alexis Safoyan, a sophomore double majoring in public relations and theatre, plays Dame Goodwit. She hopes children will be in the audience.

“I hope that the audience is not only entertained but that they also are able to teach their kids, or even learn themselves, about where true beauty comes from,” Safoyan said.

“The Plain Princess”

When: March 31-April 1, April 6-8, at 7:30 p.m.; April 1, April 8, at 2 p.m.
Where: Wallace Theatre, California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, CA, 92504
Tickets: General admission $15, CBU Faculty and Staff $12, CBU students $10
Tickets or questions? Call the theatre box office at 951- 343-4319 or email: mhyde@calbaptist.edu

 

Retreat teaches students how to grow in spiritual journey

More than 80 California Baptist University students escaped to the mountains over spring break for a Challenge Discipleship Retreat that aimed to strengthen their Christian walk.

The retreat, held at Thousand Pines Christian Camp and Conference Center in Crestline, California, was organized by Discipleship Ministries in the Office of Spiritual Life.

Brian Zunigha, director of Discipleship Ministries, said the conference aimed to help students grow in their faith journey.

“We want to help students take the next step in their spiritual journey,” Zunigha said. “I think the purpose would be, wherever students are at, to help them get to the point where they’re investing in others. For some, it might be learning a little bit more about their faith, for others, you need to start investing in others right now.”

Two main speakers ministered to the students during their five-day retreat—Neil Walker, director of Christian Challenge at University of Southern California, and Steve Ross, church planter and pastor of a church in Long Beach, California. Students also had breakout sessions, time for reflection and free time to enjoy the environment.

Jessica Troyer, a Christian behavioral science senior, said the sessions were essential to Christian life. She plans to be more disciplined in prayer and memorizing Scripture.

“The truths of the Bible can never be exhausted. I was reminded of Christ’s beauty and the incomprehensible grace He has given in letting ordinary people take part in His global plan,” Troyer said.

Lauren Hou, a liberal arts senior, said the conference gave her practical tools for her spiritual walk.

“One thing I plan to start doing is spending more time with those who are investing in me, and being more intentional in the way I care for, talk with, and spend time with those I am investing in,” Hou said.

 

Garett King pitches a no-hitter, first in the NCAA era for CBU

Lancer ace Garett King, threw a no-hitter, the first in the NCAA era for California Baptist University, as the Lancers beat the Academy of Art University 3-0 on March 23. King faced the minimum 27 batters and set another CBU NCAA record by striking out 15 batters.

“This is first no-hitter I’ve ever had, high school or little league, included. It’s really amazing, just one of those moments I won’t forget the rest of my life,” King said.

King used just 92 pitches in CBU’s first complete game of the season. His 15 strikeouts was the most a Lancer recorded in a single game since Taylor Siemens punched out 16 against La Sierra University on February 15, 2011. King had control most of the game as he never found himself in a 3-2 count and only had one 2-2 count the whole game.

Read the full story here.

 

CBU wins “Best of Show” in two categories, 33 ad awards total

Students, faculty and staff at California Baptist University combined to win 33 awards including Best of Show in the student and professional categories at the American Advertising Awards—Inland Empire Gala on March 17.

CBU alumnus Matthew Cook (’16) won Gold and Best of Show in the student category for his work with animation and special effects in a promotional video for Harvest America. Additionally, a promotional video for the College of Architecture, Visual Arts & Design titled, “The Calling,” produced by Dirk Dallas, assistant professor of graphic design, won Gold and Best of Show in the professional category.

Michael Berger, program director for graphic design and photography at CBU, said the award process helps CBU students to network with other universities and design communities at the award ceremonies; and it also allows the students to have a barometer to measure their work.

“The American Advertising Awards are another opportunity the students get to get out of the classroom and into the community,” Berger said. “They see other work from students and professionals that reinforce what they learn in the classroom. They are competing against art schools and holding their own.”

Local Gold and Best of Show winners will advance to the regional competition with a chance to move on and compete at the national level.

To see photos and a complete list of winners in all categories, visit http://aaf-inlandempire.com.

 

Honors Exhibit at CBU Gallery displays students’ artwork

Art enthusiasts filled the California Baptist University Gallery in downtown Riverside during the opening reception for the fifth annual Honors Exhibit on March 16.

A variety of CBU students’ work, which were produced in visual arts courses, are on display at the exhibit. Visual arts faculty selected the artwork, featuring mixed media, paintings, drawings and sculptures. The opening reception also included an inaugural awards ceremony that highlighted excellence within the students’ work.

Kristine Lippire, assistant professor of visual art, said the awards ceremony is the first of a yearly recognition of excellence within the visual arts program.

“Though the works come from the visual arts classes, the students represented in the exhibition come from a variety of disciplines,” Lippire said. “As such, this exhibition seeks to honor and recognize the creative talents of all those who participate in the arts—not just the visual art majors.”

Awards given were:
Best Watercolor: Celina Montenegro
Best Work on Paper: Celia Hinzman
Best Ceramic Work: Remy Diaz
Best Painting: Gloriana Sandoval
Best Drawing: Annabelle Lim
Best Design Project: Alex Degotari
Best Mixed Media Work: Beka Leininger
People’s Choice for Best Artwork: Amy Schwarz
Best Overall Work by a Student, Faculty Choice: Brooke Villegas

Sandoval, a visual arts junior, said that she appreciated the promotion of an art culture on campus.

“It’s a great thing that everyone has an opportunity to practice fine art,” Sandoval said. “In art, you have freedom, you can express yourself and not be afraid.”

 

Chapel speaker talks about searching for one’s purpose

“Is your life going to matter?” Claude Hickman, executive director of The Traveling Team, asked students in chapel at California Baptist University on March 17. “I think that is a question that comes from within all human beings.”

The Traveling Team is a ministry that aims to mobilize university students to live out the Great Commission.

It can be scary to figure out what to do in life, Hickman said. People can be given the wrong advice when searching for their purpose—it can be all about your dreams and your talents.

“We probably know deep down that if it starts with us, it’s probably not the right person to start with,” Hickman said. “God is saying to you, ‘listen, trust me. There is something bigger than money, than fame or power, there’s something bigger that you can give your life to.’”

Hickman said the Bible indicates there is only one thing that lasts forever—people, and God says the main purpose in life comes from what He is doing to reach people.

Hickman said God is on a global mission to bring eternal salvation and offered Isaiah 49:6 as a reference, “I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

“What’s bigger in this world if it’s a global purpose and it’s an eternal purpose?” Hickman asked. “Find something bigger to give your life to.”

Hickman said there are billions of people who have not heard about Jesus, so there is still a job for believers to do.

“God loves the world. Is that a big enough reason to say, ‘I need to love the world too?’” Hickman said. “Here’s the choice you have to make. Are you going to live your life or are you going to live your purpose?”

 

CBU alumnus shares his passion for storytelling through film

“The formula that I have used in my creative pursuits is ‘create now and work hard,’” Fraser Kershaw (’03) told a California Baptist University audience on March 13.

Kershaw, film producer and clean-water activist, spoke about his first featured documentary—“Behind the Water”—at the event hosted by the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design.

“Behind the Water” tells the true stories of individuals who have overcome obstacles to find clean water.  Kershaw traveled with his camera crew through highly restricted areas to find unique stories for the film. The finished product shows the both the bond of family and the commitment to search for a better life.

Kershaw said his faith and creative personality drove him forward with the film project.

“Whatever you put out in the world, it affects people in some type of way, which is tremendously important,” Kershaw said. “Taking action and speaking life to people is what I will continually do.”

Dr. Melissa Croteau, professor of film studies, said Kershaw had a positive message.

“For someone to come and explain how passionate you have to be to pursue this career field and succeed, as well as using God’s will, is just such an inspiring message,” Croteau said.

Micah Emerine, a film studies senior, said he appreciated the Christian point of view.

“You can tell that sharing God’s love is a big part of [Kershaw’s] message and I really got a lot out of it,” Emerine said.

 

CBU hosts The State of Riverside County Need conference

More than 150 individuals who represent Riverside County government and nonprofit organizations attended The State of Riverside County Need conference at California Baptist University on March 15.

The social work program at CBU co-sponsored the conference that was organized by 211 Community Connect. The event focused on the issues pertaining to the homeless, veterans and seniors.

In Riverside County, 211 reports that it received more than 40,000 calls requesting access and referrals to community and health information in 2016.

“Every hour of everyday, people dial 211 for assistance navigating the complex system of community, health and social services,” said Marie Davis, CEO of 211 Community Connect. “We aim to simplify access to comprehensive, seamless services for our citizens, partners and service providers.”

Faculty members from CBU’s social work program served as moderators. Jan Stanfield, assistant professor of social work, moderated the veterans and advocacy session; Dr. Satara Armstrong, director of the social work program, moderated the seniors and advocacy session; and Dr. Charles Lee-Johnson, field director of the social work program, moderated the housing and homelessness session.

Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences, said it was beneficial to address these issues collaboratively.

“The State of Riverside County Need event allowed us to bring together important voices and perspectives in these three key areas,” Gustafson said.

Gustafson also sees the launch of CBU’s new Master of Social Work program in the fall of 2017 as a positive step in continued community collaboration.

“In the School of Behavioral Sciences at CBU, we believe that meaningful, positive and measurable change is possible for our community,” Gustafson said. “The partnership between the upcoming Master of Social Work Program and 211 Community Connect represents collaborative, like-minded, work toward meeting the needs of our community’s veteran, elder and homeless populations.”

 

Family Updates

Joel Brown, special programs coordinator in Financial Aid, and two students, Gio Berrocal and Natalie Hollis, attended the annual AICCU (Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities) Day in the Capitol in Sacramento on Feb. 28. The students met with seven senators, assembly members and/or staff, encouraging them to repeal the proposed cut to Cal Grant. More than 100 staff and students from AICCU met with legislators encouraging them to repeal the proposed cut.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Seung-Jae Kim, associate professor of biomedical engineering, co-authored a paper with CBU students—Marie Aimee Kayitesi, Amy Chan and Kimberli Graham— that was published in the journal Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (March). The title of the paper was Effects of Partial Absence of Visual Feedback Information on Gait Symmetry.

 

 

 

Dr. Greg Bowden, associate professor of education, and Dr. Cammy Purper, associate professor of education, both for Online and Professional Studies, presented at the Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching and Learning on Feb. 24 in Anaheim. The interim results of their study that they presented was titled Using Structured Reflection Journals in the Online Classroom.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Timothy Mosteller, associate professor of philosophy, and Dr. Gayne Anacker, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, co-edited Contemporary Perspectives on C.S. Lewis’ The Abolition of Man (Bloomsbury Press). The eBook was published last month.

 

 

 

 

Ruth Flores, visiting professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, spoke at the 2017 American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Conference held at Santiago Canyon College in Orange on March 4. The title of her presentation was Teaching Spanish Online: A Review of Portales. Dr. William Flores, associate professor of Spanish, served as event organizer on the association’s board of directors. His students of Iberian literature presented undergraduate research at a panel.

 

 

 

 

 

Shawn Wilhite, assistant professor of Christian studies for Online and Professional Studies, had an article, Revisiting the Historical Present: John 13 as a Test Case for the Prominence of Discourse Features, published in Trinity Journal (Winter 2016). He also had two book reviews published: The Didache: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle in Early Christianity edited by Jonathan A. Draper and Clayton N. Jefford in Bulletin of Biblical Research (Fall 2016) and Faith and the Faithfulness of Jesus in Hebrews by Matthew C. Easter in Biblical Theology Bulletin  (November 2016). He presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Pacific Coast regional meeting March 12-13. His presentation was titled There are Two Ways: Ancient Two Ways Texts as an Apocalyptic Sub-Genre of Ancient Jewish and Early Christian Literature. He also had article, One God in the Trinity of the Holy Name”: Patrick’s Trinitarian Theology and Regula Fidei, published online for the Center for Ancient Christian Studies (March 17).

 

Dr. Kenneth Minesinger, associate professor of law for Online and Professional Studies, wrote the introduction, served as editor-in-chief, reviewer and final approver for Issue 1, 2017, of the Business Law News, the official publication of the State Bar of California’s Business Law Section.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff Cate, professor of New Testament, presented a paper at the 10th Birmingham Colloquium on the Textual Criticism of the New Testament on March 22 held at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. The paper was titled The Living Text of Temple Replacement in Mark 13:2.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Barry Parker, librarian, has published the third book in his Jacob’s worlds series. The book, a mystery/romance, is titled Autumn Moods.

 

 

 

The Faculty Senate sponsored its first colloquium at California Baptist University on March 16. Dr. Steven Garber, founder and principal of The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation & Culture, spoke. The event gave faculty an opportunity to strengthen its purpose of providing a biblically rooted educational experience while exploring what it means to be called by God to the 21 century professoriate in the diverse disciplines served at CBU.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ogbochi McKinney, assistant professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, spoke at Mission Middle School in Riverside on March 14. She addressed seventh- and eighth-grade AVID students on the topics of college preparation, possible health majors and future careers.

 

 

 

 

The CBU Aviation department provided two aircraft and four students to be “victims” of a simulated aircraft accident in an emergency exercise at the Riverside Municipal Airport on March 23. The airport coordinated with Riverside City Fire and Police departments to conduct the emergency response exercise.

 

 

Dr. Chris Morgan, dean of the School of Christian Ministries, and Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history, contributed a chapter to Spirituality for the Sent: Casting a New Vision for the Missional Church (IVP Academic), edited by Nathan Finn and Keith Whitfield. The title of the chapter is Missional Spirituality as Congregational.

 

 

 

Carla Liu, assistant professor of English and TESOL, presented her dissertation research at the annual TESOL International Convention in Seattle, Washington, on March 21. The topic was The Effect of Raising Awareness to Prosodic Features in Speech through Noticing Techniques and Visual Feedback: A Practioner’s Approach.

 

 

 

Dr. Linn Carothers, professor of mathematics, gave a lecture at Carnegie High School in Riverside on Feb. 23. The lecture, The Math of Falling Down a Rabbit Hole, exposed the 2012 Hollywood film Total Recall as wrongly predicting travel down a gravity shaft from London to Sydney as 17 minutes. It’s at least 42 minutes down the shaft to the other side of the earth, Carothers said.

 

 

 

Dr. Sanggon Nam, associate professor pf public health, had a paper published in Geriatrics & Gerontology International (March 2017). The title was A concordance of self-reported and performance-based assessments of mobility as a mortality predictor for older Mexican Americans. He also gave a presentation at a Korean pastors’ study group in the Korean Program at International Theological Seminary in El Monte on March 24. The title was The Integration of Faith and Science in Public Health.

 

 

 

John Pate, assistant professor of communication, published a novel in February. Tears of Gaduhav is historical fiction. Dr. Derek Updegraff, assistant professor English and creative writing, edited the book.

 

 

 

Personnel Updates