In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU theatre program receives arts and innovation city award

The California Baptist University theatre program has received the March 2017 Arts and Innovation Honoree of the Month award from the Riverside Arts Council and the City of Riverside.

Lee Lyons, professor of theatre, accepted the award from Patrick Brien, executive director of the Riverside Arts Council, during the Riverside City Council meeting on March 14.

“California Baptist University’s theatre program has been producing work at a high level of excellence,” Brien said. “In addition to keeping their students busy with on-campus projects, the program encourages participation in the community. … CBU has been supplying local community and professional theatres with well-trained, eager and talented individuals.”

Lyons said the award is a great honor.

“We realize our students are going out into the community and are taking leadership roles in local arts programs and schools and theatre companies,” Lyons said. “That fills us with pride as we see our students finding success in the arts community.”

Lyons said local residents have shown their support by attending CBU’s theatre productions, including last year’s inaugural Courtyard Shakespeare Festival, which featured students, alumni and actors from the community who comprised the casts for “Romeo and Juliet” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

This June, the festival will return with “Julius Caesar” and “Taming of the Shrew.”

“We think the Courtyard Shakespeare Festival has the potential to be the cornerstone, the drawing card of our program,” Lyons said. “Our students are funneled in through that and then we prepare them to go out into the professional world.”

 

CBU to launch Industrial-Organizational Psychology program

The School of Behavioral Sciences at California Baptist University is launching its Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (I-O Psychology) in the fall 2017.

Nathan Iverson, director of the I-O Psychology program, said the program is designed to equip individuals to shape the workplace.

“At 40 hours a week, the majority of us will spend the majority of our lives at work. What if those hours could be even more meaningful?” asked Iverson. “What if the most productive version of our workplace has yet to be discovered?”

Upon graduation, students will be equipped to work in a number of areas including leadership development, employee engagement, human resources and talent management, Iverson said.

Industrial Psychology is the highest-paying field within psychology with a median wage of $77,350, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2015). CBU’s program offers three unique differentiators. For one, there is a justice emphasis, where students will learn about their individual role in creating an ideal work environment. Additionally, CBU takes a global approach to understanding the diverse populations in the workforce. And the program also will take a practitioner approach that trains students for taking action, using a hybrid of statistics, business and psychology to move workers to their optimal performance across nonprofit, corporate and religious settings.

“We are attracting students who want to leave a legacy, who want to make a change in our workplace culture—leaders who want to leave a mark in their career field,” Iverson said.

To learn more about the program click here.

 

Women’s basketball team secures second trip to Elite 8

With hopes of returning to the Elite 8, No. 3-ranked California Baptist University came prepared to battle Simon Fraser University March 13 in the West Regional Championship game in Anchorage, Alaska.

The Lancers grabbed a 77-64 win and secured a trip to the Elite 8, the second time in three years. The games will take place in Columbus, Ohio, beginning March 21. With the win, CBU continued its streak with 31 consecutive games won and improves to 34-2.

Veteran leadership from senior guards Cassidy Mihalko and Kamille Diaz led the charge. Mihalko posted 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals and earned herself a spot on the all-tournament team. Diaz scored a team-high 28 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished nine assists and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

Read the full story here.

 

Waste wins NCAA championship for CBU wrestling 

The Lancer wrestling team took third place and crowned three All-Americans, including a national champion—Jacob Waste—at the NCAA II Championships. Additionally, coach Lennie Zalesky was named D-II Coach of the Year.

Read full story here.

 

 

 

 

 

Teacher Career Fair connects students with job opportunities

Students interested in a career in K-12 education had more than 35 schools and school districts from California to interact with at the Teacher Career Fair at California Baptist University on March 9. There were also various Christian, and charter schools along with nonprofit organizations in attendance.

The schools were looking for teachers and beyond, said Lisa Singer, employer relations specialist for the Career Center. Jobs in speech language pathology, communications disorders, nutrition, school counseling, kinesiology and more were available.

“A fair such as the Teachers fair seems to enlarge students’ perspective. Many candidates are not aware that many of the attendees are looking for additional candidates other than teachers,” Singer said. “The fair also helps students network and continue to improve their professional development.”

Jay Nieto, a communications disorders senior, said the fair broadened his career perspectives.

“It helped me open up my eyes a little bit about the communities out there that are always looking for speech language pathologists,” Nieto said. “It’s good to know that we are needed and that there is always a demand for us.”

Zachary Nichols, a graduate student, is interested in physical education. He appreciated the opportunity to network with a variety of schools.

“What I want to do is lower the obesity rates [school children],” Nichols said. “I want to get the kids smart and more educated on a healthier lifestyle as far as what they can do after high school … because it benefits them in so many other ways.”

The career fair also benefited the schools by allowing them to meet a variety of strong candidates, Singer said.

“It is always a positive outcome when employers actually step onto the CBU campus and meet our students—they are able to see firsthand their character, integrity and professionalism,” Singer said.

 

Former U.S. ambassador shares his foreign service experiences 

Working as an U.S. ambassador comes with a lot of responsibility but it is also fascinating and exciting, former Ambassador Kenneth Yalowitz told an audience at California Baptist University on March 7.

Yalowitz served 35 years as a U.S. foreign service officer and twice as a U.S. ambassador—to the Republic of Belarus (1994-1997) and to Georgia (1998-2001). Yalowitz received the Ambassador Robert Frasure award for peacemaking and conflict prevention in 2000 for his work to prevent the spillover of the Chechen war into Georgia. He is also a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.

“When you represent the United States and you walk into the office of the president of the country in which you are assigned, you realize … you alone have the authority to speak for the president of the United States and the authority to make a commitment on behalf of the United States in that particular country. It’s a lot of responsibility,” Yalowitz said.

Yalowitz said an important aspect of the job is identifying the key players in the country. He talked to government officials, political opponents, student groups and the press.

“That’s the way I took the pulse,” Yalowitz said. “For an ambassador, one of the most important functions is informing Washington what is going on in the country to which you are an ambassador. What is it we need to be doing? Are we doing the right things?”

Yalowitz urged the students to be involved in politics, from voting to joining a political party to thinking critically.

“I hope that you take very seriously your education in terms of being able to read and understand critically,” Yalowitz said. “Be very aware of what is going on and talk with family, friends and people who may not share your viewpoints, start a dialogue…. You have to also get out of your comfort zone and understand what the other side is saying.”

Yalowitz spent the week at CBU, talking with students and faculty. He also met with the Riverside mayor, the Riverside Office of Education and the World Affairs Council of Inland Southern California.

“It has been a great honor to host Ambassador Yalowitz at CBU as a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow,” said Dr. Charles Sands, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “His keen insight coupled with his vast experience in foreign policy, having served more than 35 years, has helped to raise the level of conversation on campus.”

 

CBU brings French films on campus withTournées Film Festival

The College of Arts and Science at California Baptist University is offering students a unique opportunity to explore several acclaimed French films through the Tournées Film Festival. The festival kicked off on March 6 and will feature six films in three weeks.

The Tournées program is an initiative of the Franco-American Cultural Exchange, which is dedicated to fostering greater international awareness of French and Francophone cultures.

Dr. Owen Staley, CBU lecturer in modern languages and literature and festival coordinator, said CBU applied to host the festival on campus along with a selected list of films that would be relevant to a CBU audience.

Staley said each movie will be a unique experience for CBU students.

“Mainly what we are looking for in the selected films are compelling stories that are told in different genres that can inspire students to think how they can advance the mission of CBU,” Staley said.

On March 6, the festival opened with “Diplomatie” (2014), a film about a Swedish diplomat who has to bargain with a Nazi commander. On March 8, the second film of the festival featured “Monsieur Lazhar” (2011). The film follows an Algerian refugee living in Canada who takes over a demoralized sixth-grade class whose teacher has committed suicide.

The second week of the festival featured a classic film that is hard to get a hold of, Staley said.

“‘L’Armée des ombres’ is a great film about the French resistance during the second World War,” Staley said. “The film doesn’t romanticize the resistance, and it raises moral questions such as wartime killings…it’s a reflective piece.”

All films are in French with English subtitles. At each screening, a speaker will introduce the film and then lead the audience in a discussion after the conclusion of the film.

“This is an opportunity [for students] to have a foreign film experience they will remember for the rest of their lives,” Staley said. “These are great films and the themes will mean something to them…films have a way of making the world smaller.”

For a full list of films with times and locations click here.

 

CBU earns consecutive tree conservation award

For the third consecutive year California Baptist University has earned a Tree Campus USA recognition. CBU is one of 11 higher education institutions in California designated as a Tree Campus USA.

“We applaud your commitment to the community and to the trees of your school and thank you for helping to create a healthier planet for us all,” wrote Mary Sweeney, program manager at Arbor Day Foundation, in an email to CBU on the award.

To obtain this distinction, CBU met five core standards set by Tree Campus USA in order to maintain an effective campus forest management. The requirements consist of having a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and a student service-learning project.

“California Baptist University is proud to have received this recognition again for the third year in a row,” said Steve Smith, director of Facilities and Planning Services. “We take great pride in maintaining, managing and increasing the our dynamic and important urban forest, and sustainable foliage on our campus.”

Tree Campus USA, a national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota, honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.

 

Family Updates

The Division of Natural and Mathematical Sciences held its ninth Annual Research Seminar on Feb. 18. Faculty, alumni, and students presented research in areas of biology, chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, environmental science, mathematics and statistics. Approximately 150 people attended. More than 25 students and faculty represented research on poster presentations, and more than 30 students, faculty and alumni gave oral presentations.

 

 

 

 

 

Wes Blasjo, mechanical laboratory technician for the College of Engineering, was named employee of the month for March. The nomination form included the following statements: “Wes understands his role within the College of Engineering and serves all faculty and students well.  His vast experience enables him to provide excellent customer service to our students and faculty. Whenever a challenge is presented to him, he always finds a solution with a smile. Wes expands the gospel of Christ through his generous, helpful nature.”

 

 

 

 

Dr. Joshua Knabb, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Thomas Frederick, associate professor of psychology for Online and Professional Studies, had a workbook published in February titled Contemplative Prayer for Christians with Chronic Worry.

 

 

 

Joe Way, director of multimedia services for Information and Technology Services, had an article published with Church Production magazine in February. The article was titled What Church Techs Can Learn from McDonald’s.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Pate, associate professor of psychology for Online and Professional Studies, provided training on Feb. 10 and 24 to marriage and family, psychology and social work interns with San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health. The training was on psychotherapy with traditional men and emotion-focused couple’s therapy.

 

 

 

 

The Teaching and Learning Center celebrated the accomplishment of five faculty who posted their terminal degrees in the past year. The following new doctoral faculty presented posters outlining their research at the inaugural New Scholars’ Colloquium held Feb. 14: Dr. Debra Coleman, assistant professor of nursing, The Lived Experience of Nurses Transitioning from Personal Bereavement to Providers of Compassionate Nursing Care; Dr. Virginia Hart-Kepler, nursing lecturer, How do Mexican Immigrants Make Decisions About Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes?; Dr. Amy Miller, assistant professor of kinesiology, A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Weight Loss Interventions for Long-Term Health Outcomes; Dr. Erika Travis, assistant professor of English and behavioral sciences, Unitarian Theology and the Short Fiction of Elizabeth Gaskell; and Dr. Michael Niermann, assistant professor of architecture, Architectural Evangelism: An Examination of the Relationship between Exterior Protestant Church Design and the Conceptualization of the Churched and Unchurched.

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations, participated in the leadership panel at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Western District Conference in Riverside March 2-3. Pearson discussed servant and transformational leadership. More than 150 people attended the event hosted by the PRSA Inland Empire Chapter. Victoria Brodie, visiting professor of public relations, is the chapter president, and Pearson is the chapter’s director of Public Relations Student Society of America and assembly delegate. CBU public relations students also volunteered at the event with registration and logistics.

 

 

 

 

The Division of Natural and Mathematical Sciences held its colloquium on March 6. Dr. Joshua Morgan, adjunct professor of behavioral science for Online and Professional Studies, was the keynote speaker. Morgan is also the interim deputy director of Program Support Services for the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, and he spoke on Faith Integration With the Transforming Climate of Mental Health Information.

 

 

 

Timothy Kiefer, environmental health and safety coordinator in Facilities and Planning Services, and Dr. Tom Ferko, professor of chemistry, provided a fire extinguisher training experience for chemistry and biochemistry and molecular biology majors on March 7. Students learned proper techniques for using a fire extinguisher and were taught about when it is appropriate and not appropriate to use fire extinguishers and discuss scenarios for when they may have to use one in a laboratory setting.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology, will serve another term as a member of the Ascoviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). He coauthored a paper with the study group titled ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Ascoviridae that was recently published in the Journal of General Virology.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Nicole MacDonald, professor of athletic training, athletic training students and alumni attended the 9th Annual Hit the Hill Legislative Day on Feb. 27 in Sacramento, California. The group met with senators and assemblymen in support of a new bill being introduced for licensure for athletic trainers in California, AB 1510.

 

 

 

Dr. Dave Pearson, dean of the College of Health Science, served as a site representative at the 2017 NCAA Division II Winter Sports Championship Festival in Birmingham, Alabama, March 7-11. As a member of the NCAA Wrestling Committee, Pearson presented the Elite 90 award to Nolan Kistler, CBU wrestler and criminal justice major. The Elite 90 is awarded to the athlete with the highest GPA who qualifies for nationals. This is the second year in a row that Kistler, whose GPA is 3.99, has won the award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Monica O’Rourke, visiting professor of kinesiology for Online and Professional Studies, Lauri Hauck, visiting professor of kinesiology for department of kinesiology, and CBU kinesiology majors attended the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance state conference in San Diego on Feb. 24.  O’Rourke presented Sport Science K-20 and co-presented Title IX 2.0, recognizing gender variations in health for exercise program planning. CBU kinesiology majors volunteered at the conference and participated with other universities in the future professional events.

 

Carolyn Heine, associate librarian for Annie Gabriel Library, made a presentation at the SCELCapalooza (Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium conference), at Loyola Marymount University on March 7-9. The title was Piloting Point-of-Need Research Instruction to Online Doctoral Students.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis was presented with the NESA (National Eagle Scout Association) Outstanding Eagle Scout Award on March 11. He received the award from the California Inland Empire Council in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions as an Eagle Scout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Office of Mobilization is holding a blood drive fundraiser for the ISP and SOS teams going overseas this summer. Every donation earns Mobilization $15. Appointments may be made through the following links: March 28: https://giftoflife.lstream.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/62726; March 29: https://giftoflife.lstream.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/62725

 

 

Morgan Teruel (’14), career counselor for the Career Center, and her husband, Mike (’13) welcomed a son Feb. 22. Mosha Teruel weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 21 inches.

 

 

 

 

David Little, graduate admissions counselor, and his wife, Jolene, welcomed a daughter on March 5. Arayah Renee Little weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces and measured 21 inches long.

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Mihalko clinches CoSIDA’s top academic award

Cassidy Mihalko added another accolade to her senior season when the California Baptist University guard received the 2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year award March 1.

Mihalko was the first Lancer to earn the top Academic All-America award from CoSIDA when she made the first team last season. Of the six first-team Academic All-America selections, Mihalko was the only one who earned the honor two years running. The award recognizes student-athletes across the United States and Canada as top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.

Earlier this season, Mihalko became the third Lancer to score 2,000 points. At 2,097 all-time points, she ranks second in that statistic in CBU history.

Postseason play begins this week, as the Lancers earned a first-round bye in the PacWest Tournament. They will face the winner of Thursday’s fourth and fifth-seed game between Notre Dame de Namur University and Azusa Pacific University, respectively, on Friday at 5 p.m.

Read the full story here.

 

CBU professor to serve on Healthy Yucaipa Committee

Dr. Melissa Wigginton, associate professor of public health science at California Baptist University, has been elected to serve a one-year term with the Healthy Yucaipa Committee.

“I wanted to get back to helping out my community directly,” Wigginton said of her new opportunity. “I feel that I have a lot of experience that can be helpful to the city of Yucaipa.”

Wigginton obtained her doctorate in health education from Loma Linda University, and during her studies, she spent time working with the Healthy San Bernardino Coalition and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. She has also spent time conducting research at CBU on various health-related issues such as childhood and adult obesity; health promotion and education; chronic disease intervention; and stress and health correlations.

In her role with the city of Yucaipa, Wigginton will develop goals and objectives for the committee. She will also be tasked with creating health-related programs to be implemented by the city.

Wigginton, who lives in Yucaipa, said her faith drives her desire to make a positive impact on her community.

“The Bible discusses loving and caring for your neighbor, doing the most to help those that need help,” Wigginton said.

Wigginton said for her, being a healthy person has a spiritual connection.

“I’m driven to lead a healthy life a lot by what I learn at church and in the Bible… God created us in his image; I treat my body as a part of that image,” Wigginton said. “I want to be the best version of myself, and I can’t do that when I’m not healthy.”

 

CBUOnline earns several top 10 national rankings

California Baptist University has earned the No. 8 spot among online bachelor’s programs in the 2017 Top Online Education Program national rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. This puts CBU as the only college in California ranked in the top 10 for the best online bachelor’s programs. CBU has placed in the top 40 for the fifth consecutive year.

CBU Online and Professional Studies (OPS) currently serves more than 3,643 students online. OPS offers 20 online undergraduate majors and concentrations, 14 graduate majors and specializations, and two doctoral programs in business administration and public administration.

“We are pleased this year’s ranking moved us from the top 40 into the top 10 nationwide. The ranking affirms CBU Online’s commitment to increasing access to education, and serving the adult student,” said Dr. David Poole, vice president for OPS.

CBU also received high online rankings for training instructors with a No. 2 for online MBA faculty and credentials training; No. 2 for online graduate business programs faculty and credentials training; No. 3 for online graduate education faculty training; and a No. 5 for faculty and training in the bachelor’s degree category.

“The latest rankings support our mission and goals to build and deliver quality programs and an effective learning experience that serves the growing need for online education,” Poole said.

For more information on the U.S. News Top Online Education Program rankings, click here.

 

Missions health conference explores medical missionary calling

California Baptist University hosted the Global Mission Health Conference-West Coast on Feb. 24-25, which provided conference participants an opportunity to explore a calling in the medical mission field. CBU’s College of Health Science and School of Nursing hosted the event for the third straight year.

Andrew Scott, president of Operation Mobilization USA, was the opening keynote speaker on Feb. 24. Scott said people can think a person’s calling is some mystical moment.

“You are not called to the purposes of God, you were made for the purposes of God,” Scott told the audience. “No one is excluded from that…The meaning of calling so often in scripture is this eternal reality that God was calling out a people for Himself in eternity through Christ…No one is excluded from this idea of being in relationship with Him”

Anthony Dockery, senior pastor at St. Stephen Baptist Church and one of the keynote speakers on Feb. 25, told the audience that missions are not just something people do, but who they are.

“Growing up I used to love to help and serve people. Still to this day, I am one of God’s servants,” Dockery said. “Being serious about being a Christian must mean we are serious about missions.”

Additional keynote speakers were Elizabeth Styffe, director of Orphan Care Initiatives at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and Claude Hickman, executive director of The Traveling Team.

Joshua Gladney, a CBU exercise science junior, said that the keynote speakers gave him a new perspective on everyday life.

“I definitely learned that if you are a true follower of Christ, then you are in fact a missionary,” Gladney said. “I can contribute to missions even in the city of Riverside. Engaging and creating strong relationships with others is what being a missionary is all about, as well as serving and just being dependable.”

 

Recognize Bible as authority for living, Mohler urges

The Bible is God’s revelation of who He is and what He requires of us, Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. told a California Baptist University chapel audience on Feb. 27.

Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said that even though God has revealed Himself, people would rather live by their own rules than recognize the Bible as the authority for how they should live.

“We live in the day of the cult of the individual, where people believe that ‘I am the most important unit on the planet,’” Mohler said. “But the problem is, it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work in the dorm, it doesn’t work in a dating relationship, it doesn’t work in life.”

Mohler acknowledged that before submitting to the authority of the Bible, one must ask whether God exists and whether God speaks.

“It’s not just the universe outside of us that cries out the existence of God, it’s the universe inside of us,” Mohler said. “If we really do know in our hearts, in our minds that God exists, then we have to recognize the most important question in the world … what does that God then expect of us?”

If God does exist, but He does not speak, then people are doomed, Mohler said. However, He does reveal Himself. The Bible, Mohler said, is the Creator’s “user manual.”

“What we have is the Creator loving us enough, not only to create us made in His image, but to speak to us so we know we’re not alone in the cosmos and we know we’re not accidents,” Mohler said.

The Bible tells people who God is, who they are and how they can be rescued from sin, Mohler said.

“The Bible makes demands on us because it the communication of our Creator,” Mohler said. “He makes demands of us because He created us for His glory and He knows that which is good for us.”

 

Future of healthcare includes innovation, CBU lecturer says

Technology will be critical to longevity and the vitality of life, Sarah Thomas told a California Baptist University audience.

Thomas, who is the senior director of global innovation for Genesis Rehabilitation/Genesis Healthcare, the largest post-acute care provider in the country, spoke on Feb. 21 as part of the College of Health Science’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

“We need to be visionaries as we enter the field of health care,” Thomas said. “In this time of change, we have the opportunity to harness the energy, imagination and creativity around us, to shape the new emerging world of healthcare.”

Thomas also works with Aging2.0, an organization that aims to accelerate innovation in order to improve the lives of the elderly. Thomas offered examples on how technology is contributing to patient care. For instance, Thomas said there is a sensor pill that a patient swallows, which allows the doctor more insights into how that patient is responding to prescribed medication.

Thomas encouraged the students that whatever environment they plan to work in, “to experience it from the other side” in order to come up with ideas that lead to solutions.

“Interview people who are impacted in that setting, patients [and] everyone you have to interact with,” Thomas said. “Look from their perspective. That empathetic perspective is so important as you’re innovating.”

As part of her job, Thomas works with startup tech companies. Two new products she mentioned included a spoon, with stabilizing and leveling handles, designed to help people who have hand tremors and “powered clothing,” equipped with “electric muscles” to support the torso, hips and legs.

“We’re seeing really creative things come out to make lives easier, better, safer,” Thomas said.

She challenged the students to keep learning and to realize the impact they can make on the world around them.

“Health care as a whole does need changing,” Thomas said. “I want to empower you to make that change and to encourage that change in the practices that you develop and that you enter into.”

 

Career fair brings job opportunities to CBU students

More than 105 businesses were on hand to offer internships, part-time jobs or full-time jobs at the Business, Engineering and Communication Studies Career Fair at California Baptist University on Feb. 22.

The Career Center has been intentional about networking with local employers and government agencies, said Mike Bishop, senior director of the Career Center at CBU.

Bishop said employers are interested in CBU graduates who not only have a great education, but who also understand what character, integrity and commitment means.

“When those [traits] are bundled together, that’s a win for an employer, because employers not only want to hire, they want to make hires that will stick,” Bishop said.

The fair also provided students with a chance to practice presenting themselves professionally and to interact with different employers, Bishop said. Students needed to come dressed professionally, have a resume and be able to tell potential employers about themselves.

“There are a lot of good opportunities for our students to get hired or to be chosen for an internship,” Bishop said. “These employers align with what the students have been studying, so it’s a win-win for both parties.”

The Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District had internships and a junior civil engineer position available.

“The benefit [of the fair] is we get to meet with people, tell them a little bit about what we do and why we’re such a good place to work,” said Cassandra Sanchez, a representative of the water district. “It allows us to find people that we know are interested in us.”

Melissa Perez, an accounting junior, said having the fair on campus made it accessible to meet employers.

“It gives us more of a real-world experience. We get to talk to people who are actually in the field we want to be in,” Perez said. “It gives us more of a sense of what we’re going to do when we graduate.”

Peter Dunckel, a software engineering major, attended the fair to network with companies that might fit his career pursuits.

“It takes a lot of work to submit a lot of resumes online and go through the process, but to be able to actually talk to people in person and give a resume in person is so much better. It really is a blessing,” Dunckel said.

 

Chapel speaker says to trust in a good God despite world’s evil 

Believing God is good in the midst of prevalent evil can be a struggle, Nik Ripken, an overseas fieldworker and author, told a California Baptist University chapel audience on Feb. 22.

“What do you do when you believe in a God that is the creator, a God that is great, a God that is gracious, but when we get outside of the walls of church and we get outside of Christian community, why is it that evil seems to dominate … in much of the world?” Ripken asked.

Ripken and his wife, Ruth, have worked for more than 30 years sharing Jesus around the world. Eight of those years were in Somalia, where he witnessed injustices such as being shot at while providing charitable assistance; knowing Christians who were killed for their faith; and seeing babies die due to malnutrition.

“I want you to understand that if indeed, greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world, He has to be a mighty God because evil is astronomically present and strong in the world,” Ripken said, referring to I John 4:4.

After leaving Somali, he spent the next 10 years talking with persecuted believers around the world, asking them how they can follow Jesus when there is so much evil in the world. From those interactions, he wrote “The Insanity of God” and “The Insanity of Obedience.”

It was a question he struggled with, Ripken said, but he has arrived at some truths through his faith and his experiences.

God took a risk on people by allowing them to choose between good and evil, Ripken said.

“God wants children in relationship to him, therefore, every day he gives you a choice and the direction of this world depends on what choice you make,” Ripen said. “There’s a real war out there and we get to choose sides. We can’t be neutral.”

 

CBU selects PepsiCo for university-wide partnership

California Baptist University today announced a multiyear integrated athletic marketing and campus-wide relationship with PepsiCo. The agreement is the second founding level partnership for the university’s new 5,050-seat events center.

“We are thrilled to partner with PepsiCo,” said Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU President.  “From the beginning of our discussions, it was clear that they were the right partner for our university. Their commitment to quality, variety and innovation is tremendous. We genuinely appreciate their support.”

“This is an unprecedented integrated partnership for CBU,” said Dr. Micah Parker, director of athletics.  “To have PepsiCo brands including Gatorade, G-Series and Aquafina as part of our student athletes’ day-to-day performance training program and as a founding level partner with our new events center is a perfect fit. They will bring an amazing energy to our athletic contests, rivalries and new events center as our video board partner.”

The university-wide partnership provides for a number of PepsiCo brands to be incorporated into the daily lives of thousands of students who dine at CBU’s six food service venues. Brands such as Starbuck’s ready-to-drink coffee beverages, Lipton Iced Tea, Ocean Spray, Tropicana juices and Muscle Milk will be featured in the university’s nationally acclaimed food service program, led by Provider Hospitality CEO, Rodney Couch, who orchestrated the partnership along with Micah Fuller, associate director of athletics, marketing.

 

CBU Urban Excursion team serves homeless in San Diego

Students from California Baptist University partnered with New Vision Christian Fellowship’s Urban Missions Ministry to conduct a food distribution project serving homeless communities in San Diego the weekend of February 17-19.

The CBU team was formed through the Urban Excursion service learning projects that are operated out of the Office of Spiritual Life. Julie Dobbins, director of compassion and women’s ministries at CBU, said Urban Excursion projects are a tangible way to show the love of Christ as well as learn about how students can integrate service and care into their daily lives.

“Students get to put Christ on display in their actions,” Dobbins said.

Dobbins said the Urban Excursion projects are open to all CBU students. There are several opportunities throughout a semester for students to serve, from weekly opportunities in Riverside to service trips to cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.

Students train for three weeks before participating in a service trip, Dobbins said. Training nights and team-building activities help prepare students for their activity.

“The training offers students an opportunity to get to know their team, and also learn about the vision and values at CBU and learn why we serve,” Dobbins said.

By the end of the training, students learn valuable skills related to communication, connecting with others and sharing about Christ, Dobbins said.

“We want students to know how to pray for someone they’ve never met, understand the culture they are going into and also be able to show a person respect by shaking a hand and looking them in the eye,” Dobbins said.

Urban Excursion projects in the past have helped with harvest festivals, assisting children with special needs, taking care of the elderly and various homeless assistance.

 

CBU speaker discusses solutions for helping the homeless

“We know that transformation can happen when the right support, right encouragement, right love and right resources are given,” Damien O’Farrell (’00) told a California Baptist University audience on Feb 16.

O’Farrell, Path of Life Ministries CEO, spoke as part of the School of Behavioral Sciences Culture and Justice Lecture Series. Path of Life is a nonprofit organization located in Riverside that offers numerous programs aimed to get individuals off the streets and on the way to restoring and rebuilding their lives.

“In order to talk about homelessness, if we are even going to get close to creating solutions, we have to talk about poverty,” O’Farrell said. “Homelessness is a symptom of poverty; there is a direct correlation.”

O’Farrell presented a historical perspective on poverty rates, economic trends and how the U.S. government has handled these issues. O’Farrell advocated for taking individuals out of a homeless situation—once a person has a place of residence, that is one less issue a person has to navigate. Additionally, he said, it is more cost effective if the homeless are offered some sort of housing option.

“When you count in the cost of police, emergency room visits, code enforcement, education, loss of business, etc., etc., not even counting the cost of the individual which I think is important, it’s very expensive for someone to stay homeless,” O’Farrell said. “You might not feel it, but these costs are coming from our tax base.”

O’Farrell said at the very least Christians should be interested in helping the homeless community.

“Spread throughout the whole of the scriptures there is a story of bringing restoration and help to not only people but (also to) the community and helping people escape situations in which they are outsiders,” O’Farrell said.

Family Updates

Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology, co-authored a paper that was published in Folia Microbiologica (February 2017). The paper was titled Recombinant Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD73 strain that synthesizes Cry1Ac and chimeric ChiA74Δsp chitinase inclusions.

 

 

 

 

Dr. A. Abdelmessih, professor of mechanical engineering, spoke at the 2017 Society of Women Engineers Sonora Region Conference in Irvine on Feb. 11-12. The title of her speech was Present for Success. Student members of CBU Society of Women Engineers—Abigail Lu, Andrea Davila and Joyeuse Dufitumukiza—also attended the event.

 

 

 

Dr. Veola Vazquez, associate professor of psychology, made presentations at a marriage conference, Marriage: Fan the Flame, at Evangel Ministries in Detroit, Michigan, on Feb. 18. She presented two talks: Supporting a Spouse When Life Brings Pain and Marriage: An Emotional Dance. The conference was sponsored by the Center for Marriage and Relationships at Biola University.

 

 

 

Dr. Dayna Herrera, associate professor of nursing, and Sarah Pearce, assistant director of the Learning Resource Center for the College of Nursing, co-authored an abstract published in the Society for Simulation in Healthcare journal (December 2016). The abstract was titled The Simulation Studio: An Innovative Practice Enviroment for Enhancement of High-Fidelity Simulation in Nursing Education. They also presented the abstract at the 17^th annual International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare conference in Orlando, Florida, on Jan 30.

 

 

Dr. Torria Davis, instructional designer for Online and Professional Studies, has been named a winner in Blackboard’s 2016-17 Exemplary Course Program. The program recognizes faculty and course designers from schools, colleges and universities around the world who develop innovative courses that represent the best in technology and learning. Davis won for her course Educational Computing Level 1.

 

 

 

The Department of Natural and Mathematical Sciences held its 9^th annual Research Seminar on Feb. 18. Faculty, alumni, and students presented research in areas of biology, chemistry, biochemistry & molecular biology, environmental science, mathematics and statistics. Included in that were students in the research group of Dr. Jacob Lanphere, assistant professor of environmental science, who co-authored all their presentations. Steven Thorp presented a poster titled Effects of Silver Nanomaterials on the Growth of S. Lycopersicum Cerasiforme (cherry tomato plants) in Hydroponics Systems. Cooper May presented a poster titled Prevention and Removal of Southern California Invasive Plants Species in the Oak Glen Preserve. Karina Elias made a poster and oral presentation titled Fate and Aggregation Behavior of Molybdenum Disulfide Nanomaterials in Southern California Aquatic Environments. Gabrielle Seratti made a poster and oral presentation titled Invasive Aquatic Marine Species Colonization in the Dana Point Harbor.

 

Dr. Gayne Anacker, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, presented a paper to CBU’s Consortium on Faith Integration in the Sciences on Feb. 6. The title of the paper was Reason and Faith: Inductive Logic and the Existence of God. Dr. Linn Carothers, professor of mathematics, organized the consortium.

 

 

 

Dr. Linn Carothers, professor of mathematics, presented a lecture to the Chinese Center for Disease Control Zhejiang Public Health Conference in Hangzhou, China on May 27. The lecture was titled The Three Critical Challenges to 21st Century Chinese Healthy Life Expectancy.   

 

 

 

Dr. Ricardo Cordero-Soto, associate professor of mathematics, gave a presentation at the Faith in Mathematics Colloquium at CBU on Oct. 24. The title was The Problem of God and Abstract Objects.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Esther Lee, assistant professor of statistics, made a presentation at the Seminar on Faith and the Academic Profession Colloquium at CBU on Nov. 16. The title was An Application of Bayes’ Theorem to The Case of the Resurrection of Jesus.

 

 

 

Dr. Michael Sill, assistant professor of mathematics, gave a presentation at the Faith in Mathematics Colloquium at CBU on Nov. 8. The title was God, Mathematics, and Language.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Kyle Stewart, assistant professor physics, gave an oral presentation at the Galaxy Formation and Evolution in Southern California Conference at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena on Sept 8-9. The title was High Angular Momentum Halo Gas: a Code & Feedback Independent Prediction of LCDM.

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Willett, assistant professor of mathematics, gave a presentation at Division of Natural and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Colloquium at CBU Nov. 28. It was titled Volume Comparison and Ricci Curvature.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Wallace Theatre brings “Peter and the Starcatcher” to CBU

A theatrical story telling the origins of Peter Pan is coming to Wallace Theatre with “Peter and the Starcatcher.”

Frank Mihelich, assistant professor of theatre and the play’s director, described the show as a dramatic story of how a young orphan boy becomes Peter Pan. It sets the stage for most of the characters that will appear in “Peter Pan,” Mihelich said.

Mihelich said the script requires the play’s 12 actors to be on stage for a majority of the show.

“The 12 actors in this piece rarely leave the stage and therefore they must build a true ensemble and team. There is a tremendous amount of imagination and playfulness required of the actors,” Mihelich said.

Maddison Rickard, junior theater major, plays Molly, a “Starcatcher-in-training.”

“My character is practically myself when I was 13,” Rickard said. “She’s precocious and a know-it-all, but deep down she always makes decisions because she believes them to be right. She’s so fiercely loyal and she’s just such a fun sassy character to portray. She’s a little firecracker.”

“Peter and the Starcatcher”

When: Feb. 17 -18, Feb. 23 – 25, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 18 and 25, 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.

 

Young, aspiring mathematicians compete at CBU

California Baptist University hosted students from 48 middle schools from Riverside and San Bernardino counties for a regional MATHCOUNTS competition, on Feb 11.

MATHCOUNTS is a national organization that holds competitions for students in grades 6–8. Students can compete as individuals or on teams to solve various math problems in a series of timed rounds. More than 110 students participated in the event.

CBU students from the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering assisted in the event with registration, proctoring and grading. The College of Engineering has hosted the competition since 2009.

Dr. Ziliang Zhou, professor and chair of the mechanical engineering at CBU, said helping with MATHCOUNTS provides younger students with an invaluable opportunity for success in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

Top finishers at the CBU event in the individual and team categories will move on to compete at the state competition. Additionally, CBU’s College of Engineering awards $10,000 scholarships ($2,500 per year) to top performers if they enroll in the CBU engineering program as a full-time student in the future.

 

Women’s swimming and diving team win 4th RMAC title

The Lancer women’s swimming and diving team earned its fourth consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships in Grand Junction, Colorado, on Feb. 11. The team finished with 1,067 points, 271 more than the next team.

Rick Rowland, swim and dive head coach, was voted the RMAC Coach of the Year, after the meet, while Breanne Schlenger secured conference Diver of the Meet honors after she swept both boards with a win on the 3-meter.

Read full event recap here.

 

 

Job fair promotes summer ministry opportunities for students

More than 30 camps, conference centers and ministry groups participated in the Summer Ministry and Job Fair on Feb. 9 at California Baptist University. Organized by the Career Center, the event offered students internships and summer ministry opportunities.

Natalie Young, a visual arts junior, took advantage of the event to learn about several summer camp ministries. Young said some of these camps offer “the full package” during the summer, such as room and board, pay and other benefits.

Several ministries returned to participate in the Summer Ministry and Job Fair due to past success with recruiting students, said Megan Turner, administrative assistant in the Career Center, who organized the fair. Additionally, the fair offers students an opportunity to develop their skill set, Turner said.

“The Summer Ministry and Job Fair is a perfect event for students to explore leadership, ministry and work opportunities over the summer,” Turner said. “The skills that these students will learn from summer jobs are skills that can be transferred to future workplace opportunities.”

The Career Center has two more fairs planned this semester. On Feb 22, there will be a Business, Engineering and Communications Studies Fair, which is the most attended job fair on campus. Additionally, a Teacher Career Fair is scheduled on March 9 and a Nursing Career Fair on April 7.

 

CBU professor invites readers to explore issues such as bullying

Krista Wagner, an adjunct professor of English at California Baptist University, takes a novel approach to addressing significant social issues. Literally.

Wagner, a creative fiction writer with an imagination guided by a Christian worldview, creates worlds and characters to press into a range of topics. One of her recent publications, “indigo” delves into a high school student who faces bullying, peer pressure, sin, guilt and depression.

Indigo is a high school senior who falls for a “bad boy” and makes choices that she comes to regret. Those decisions result in Indigo having her life being scrutinized by cruel peers.

Wagner has published four novels. Her first, “Intent,” was published in 2014. She has addressed themes such as the loss of parents, wrestling with one’s faith and trust issues.

In her research for “indigo,” Wagner was intrigued to find minimal fictional material at bookstores on the topic of bullying. It is a topic that is often on the news and is frequently mentioned on social media forums, but the dialogue is quick and short, she said.

“[As a reader] you’re disconnected when you’re talking about snippets from the news,” Wagner said. “In a novel you’re immersed in that world … you’re able to slow down and really concentrate on that idea and really explore it.”

Bullying is painful for those people who face it, but they find it difficult to talk about, Wagner said.

“I like being able to help people through a fictional world,” Wagner said. “I’m writing about relatable things while still entertaining.”

Wagner hopes that her readers will be able to find a way to overcome the pain of the past, let go of the guilt and accept forgiveness.

“They will realize their worth in God by recognizing that it doesn’t come from man,” Wagner said.

 

Seminar offers perspective to employers, future employees

“When [employees] say a ‘great place to work,’ it doesn’t mean having your HR team put in a lot of training programs and a lot of perks. It means mentoring and coaching,” Dr. Gaynell Vanderslice, organizational change management specialist at Esri, told a California Baptist University audience.

Vanderslice spoke as part of the Leadership Seminar Series for the Bonnie G. Metcalf School of Education on Feb. 6. Vanderslice travels the country addressing conference audiences on topics focused around change management.

“Employers must provide development opportunities and also provide leadership training at every level,” Vanderslice said.

Hiring employees who think like an entrepreneur is the key to successful work culture, Vanderslice said.

“When you bring people into your organization think entrepreneur. You want them to be creative, you want them to have a vision and then you want them to take that vision and align it with your vision,” Vanderslice said.

Vanderslice also offered advice for students who will soon be seeking employment.

“There is a huge gap between the experience and the soft skills that you need, those professional skills that you will need outside of your education.” Vanderslice said.

Students should be proactive about developing those soft skills such as communication, she said.

“You have to take it upon yourself and ask where can I get those skills?” Vanderslice asked. “Volunteer within your own profession and outside your profession. Communications is communications no matter what field you’re in, so a lot of your soft skills you can glean in any field.”

 

Family Updates

Dr. Joe Putulowski, visiting professor of business and marketing, and Dr. Robert Crosby, assistant professor of psychology, both for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper at the 2017 International Conference on Education in Lahaina, Hawaii. Their paper, Building Strong Faculty-Student Relationships: A Path to Lower Attrition Rates at Online Universities, received the Best Presentation Award through a peer-review process.

 

 

 

Dr. Trevor Gillum, associate professor of kinesiology, along with graduate students Zachary McKenna and Micaela Castillo and undergraduate students Alex Jordan-Patterson and Caitlin Bohnert co-authored an article in the Journal of Sports Sciences. The title of the article was Exercise does not increase salivary lymphocytes, monocytes, or granulocytes, but does increase salivary lysozyme.

 

 

 

Dr. Lesley Mayne, assistant professor in the department of allied health, presented at the California Speech Language Hearing Association District 7 conference in Covina, California, on Jan. 28. The presentation was titled, What to Do on Monday Morning? Articulation A-Z: Articulation Tool Kit, A Course Designed for SLPAs and Students.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Yeesock Kim, associate professor of construction management and civil engineering, and Dr. Jong-Wha Bai, associate professor of civil engineering, co-authored a book chapter in Computational Methods in Earthquake Engineering (January 2017). The chapter was titled Seismic Fragility Analysis of Faulty Smart Structures.

 

 

 

For the second year in a row, Lancer wrestler Nolan Kistler was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Summit Award winner. Kistler, a junior, earned the honor for having the highest grade-point average of any wrestler competing at the RMAC Championships.

 

 

 

 

Caron Rand, adjunct professor of art, was invited to display three pieces from her series of “bee” art at the BackStreet Art District’s Art Walk in Caughlan Art Lab on Feb 1, in Palm Springs. The series looks at the global demise of bees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Fred Pontius, professor of civil and environmental engineering, served as a science fair judge at the St. Catherine of Alexandria Science Fair in Riverside on Jan. 5.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Thomas Frederick, associate professor of psychology, Dr. Susan Purrington, assistant professor of psychology, and Scott Dunbar, assistant professor for human resource management, all for Online and Professional Studies, published an article in Mental Health, Religion & Culture. The title was Differentiation of self, religious coping, and subjective well-being.

 

 

 

Jenelle Vine, regional manager – external relations for Online and Professional Studies, was named Ambassador of the Month in December by the Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce. Ambassadors volunteer their time to help with Rancho Cucamonga Chamber events.

 

 

 

 

Rich Simpson, registrar for Online and Professional Studies, presented at the Blackboard Analytics Symposium held Feb. 1-2 in Austin, Texas. The title of his presentation was Using Analytics to Track Non-Attending Students.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Glenn Pickett, associate professor of music, was honored in December by the mayor of Corona and the City Council for composing the Circle City Suite. The Corona Symphony Orchestra commissioned Pickett to compose a five-movement suite, which the orchestra debuted in October.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Heather Hamilton-Stilwell, assistant professor of journalism, and Victoria Brodie, visiting professor of public relations, made presentations at the Impact Conference on Feb. 4 held at Azusa Pacific University. Hamilton-Stilwell’s presentation was titled Breaking boundaries of marginalization: Stories of self-worth, hope, and love. Brodie’s presentation was titled Public relations: Communicating effectively in times of digital disruption. Also, Randy Plavajka, a journalism and new media student, presented a paper titled Is there a difference between truth and honesty? A critical look at the importance of fact-checking in modern political communication.

 

 

Dr. Julie Browning, associate professor of accounting for Online and Professional Studies, gave a presentation at the Hawaii International Conference on Education in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Jan. 3-6. The title of the presentation was Lions and Tigers and Rubrics, Oh My! Lessons Learned in Taming the Assessment Bear.

 

 

 

 

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 first of a quarterly Public Health Webinar Series: Talking Public Health. The purpose of the series is to improve the field of public health through education, promotion and advocacy.

 

 

 

Dr. Kenneth Minesinger, associate professor of law for Online and Professional Studies, wrote the introduction and served as reviewer and final approver for Issue 4, 2016, of the Business Law News, the official publication of the State Bar of California’s Business Law Section.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Torria Davis, instructional designer, and Dr. Monica O’Rourke, visiting professor of kinesiology, both for Online and Professional Studies, presented for Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies, a webinar series hosted by OPS. The presentation was titled Pedagogical approach to technology and kinesiology in university instruction. Joe Cameron, online learning systems administrator, was presider and assisted with the technology during the webinar.

 

 

A newly released video documents CBU’s Cheer team’s fourth straight Division II championship. The team will compete for its fifth championship in April.

 

 

 

 

Nine CBU employees participated as group in a SoCal Spartan Sprint Race on Jan. 28. The team was made up of Josh Morey, director of Financial Aid; Andy Musser, financial aid assistant director; Joel Brown, financial aid special programs coordinator; David Little, graduate admissions counselor/recuiter; Melissa Beals, financial aid counselor; Sandy Frazer, NCAA financial aid coordinator; Daley Roche, financial aid counselor; Melissa Dick, financial aid counselor; Shane Paulson, financial aid counselor; and his wife, Amber Paulson. The race consisted of 5 miles and 24 obstacles, such as running in mud, carrying buckets of gravel and climbing ropes.

 

 

Laura Linos, gifts administrator for University Advancement, and her husband, Alex, welcomed a daughter on Jan. 13. Katelyn Addison Linos weighed 6 pounds and measured 20.5 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Journey to Israel inspiring, educational for CBU group

A group from California Baptist University traveled to Israel for an opportunity to see the Bible come to life and to learn more about the various geopolitical factors facing the land.

The trip was part of a traveling package offered through Passages, an organization aimed at providing an innovative experience of the Holy Land for Christian college students with leadership potential. The group’s trip spanned from Dec. 31 – Jan. 11.

Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history, organized the trip and was one of three faculty members who participated. He said the journey was inspirational and educational.

“As a group we read passages from the Bible that were directly related to the places we visited, and we heard from various people whose everyday lives are affected by events in the Middle East,” Chute said.

The itinerary included biblical sites as the Mount of Beatitudes, where students took turns reading the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). They also experienced a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, prayed together in the Garden of Gethsemane and shared in communion at the Garden Tomb.

John Lee, one of 34 students who attended the trip, said reading scripture in the locations where the biblical events occurred gave him a deeper understanding of the surrounding environment.

“It’s made the mission of God more tangible,” said Lee, an applied theology junior. “I got a broader perspective of how the gospel spread. I have more vigor coming back for ministry, [knowing] that God has worked thus far and He’ll continue to work.”

With regard to modern Israel, the group traveled to Tel Aviv and the site where Israel officially declared statehood. They visited the Israeli Supreme Court and Parliament buildings and prayed at the Western Wall. They also listened to perspectives from Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders on the issues that face the land. Additionally, they interacted with people living near Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

Jamie Perlee, a junior majoring in communications and business administration, said she feels more attuned to the various issues in Israel.

“I know names to pray for, faces to pray for now,” Perlee said.

The trip benefited the students in two ways, said Dr. Natalie Winter, associate professor of marketing, after returning from the trip.

“I think it brings the Bible to life in a way that is hard to really appreciate unless you have been to Israel,” Winter said. “Also, it deepened their understanding of modern-day Israel and the geopolitical dynamics that are unique to that country.”

 

CBU celebrates Lunar New Year with festival

Dragons, logograms, karate, Boba Tea and plenty of celebration welcomed in the year of the Rooster at a Lunar New Year Festival at California Baptist University on Jan. 31.

Leslie Shelton, director of International Student Services at CBU, said that in East Asian cultures the Lunar New Year Celebration has similarities to how Americans celebrate the Christmas season.

Both cultures have gift-giving opportunities, value spending time with family and offer multiple opportunities to attend celebrations, Shelton said.

“We want to honor our international students with providing an experience similar to back home,” Shelton said. “We also want to give our domestic students a chance to learn more about other cultures.”

The Lunar New Year began Jan. 28 and celebrations typically continue through February. The event at CBU featured Chinese snacks, games, music and student performers. Additionally, students had the opportunity to learn how to write their name in Chinese.

“I would have never known how my name is written in Chinese, so I think that was awesome,” said Victoria Jimenez, a business administration freshman. “CBU does a good job of promoting diversity on campus.”

Shelton said that CBU has a growing international population, especially from China.

“We want [international students] to feel at home. Hopefully, the CBU community can become a second home for them,” Shelton said.

 

No injuries reported in small fire at student residence

No injuries were reported from a fire that started in a student residence at California Baptist University around 8 a.m. on Feb. 1. Units from the Riverside Fire Department responded and quickly extinguished the fire in The Village student residence complex.

Initial reports indicate fire damage was contained to one apartment.

Riverside Fire Department investigators determined that the fire was caused by “an unknown electrical malfunction.” A Public Safety spokesman said CBU Residence Life staff was assisting residents of the damaged apartment in removing salvageable property and relocating them, as other university staff worked to mitigate smoke and odor from adjacent apartments.

 

Mihalko is 3rd woman Lancer to join elite 2,000-point club

Lancer Cassidy Mihalko reached and surpassed the 2,000-career point threshold on Jan. 30, becoming the third women’s basketball player to reach this feat at California Baptist University.

The senior guard came into the game needing only 16 points to surpass the 2,000-point mark. Mihalko was up for the task as she ended up with 25 points as CBU easily defeated the University of Hawaii at Hilo 85-55.

Mihalko’s 2,000 plus points are an achievement Mihalko could never have predicted for herself.

“When I was a freshman, my main focus was just to get good minutes; I never thought this was possible, making history and setting records. It’s been fun,” Mihalko said.

Mihalko is the first Lancer to score 2,000 plus points since Nicole Davis (’09), who is second on CBU’s women’s basketball all-time scoring list with 2,090 points. Sonja Akkerman (’91) owns the Lancer women’s career point’s record with 2,373 points scored.

The Lancers, who are eighth-ranked nationally in NCAA Division II, have now won 19 straight games. They have also earned 31 consecutive victories while playing in the Van Dyne Gym.

Read the complete game recap here.

 

CBU students record music for Disney projects

Students at the Collinsworth School of Music have put their magical touches on music tied to Disney’s live-action adaption of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Last month, the University Choir and a smaller group of vocalists recorded music in the school’s studio that will be used in Disney video games and karaoke recordings based off the new movie.

“The fact that professional institutions are seeking out our students for opportunities like this is a testament to the quality of students that we have at CBU, and the quality of training that we provide at CBU,” said Dr. Joseph Bolin, dean of the School of Music. “To combine professional and educational endeavors is a big win for the school.”

This was the second project associated with Disney this academic year. In October, students also recorded music to be used on various projects related to the animated movie “Moana.”

“It’s great to have professional people come in and see how the industry really works,” said Traivon Williams, a music composition graduate student, who recorded on the “Beauty and the Beast” project. “It’s one of those opportunities that a lot of people don’t get. It’s great that not only I get to be a part of it but they chose our school.”

Bolin is looking forward to forming additional collaborations in the professional recording industry.

“One of our objectives here at the School of Music is to expose our students to industry professionals to prepare them for success in the real world,” Bolin said. “This is something I would like to see us continue to develop in the future as a school.”

 

Rec Center offers hope, help for CBU community members

For those who may have already broken New Year’s resolutions of getting into shape, do not fret; there is still hope, said Stefani Plummer, director of the Recreation Center at California Baptist University.

Plummer said the staff at the Rec Center wants to help people make realistic health resolutions.

“What was your wagon?” is a question that the staff commonly asks individuals seeking help for fitness and health goals, said Plummer. The question is intended to find out why a person has quit or stopped a workout routine.

“We want to help them from the get-go, to set realistic goals so that they’re actually successful and it becomes a lifestyle,” Plummer said. “The CBU Recreation Center is committed to making sure that the entire CBU community is fit and well.”

The Rec Center, which is open to all CBU students, faculty, staff and their spouses, offers cardio and strength-training equipment, basketball and racquetball courts, a climbing and bouldering wall and a turf track. Additionally, the Rec Center offers group classes such as boxing boot camp, step, cycle and Zumba.

“Versatility is the key,” Plummer said. “That’s what keeps people from getting bored. You’re changing it up and you’re constantly keeping yourself invigorated.”

The Rec Center also provides personal training sessions. Gym-goers can receive eight sessions per semester. They also can meet with a personal trainer for a fitness assessment to help determine their goal and how to reach it. Additionally, fitness programs, such as “ARC attack” (using the elliptical machine) or “Olympic Weightlifting” (teaching technique) or “Couch to 5K” (training for a 5K race) are offered.

Joe Fix, fitness program coordinator at CBU, said the personal training and fitness programs teach people how to integrate fitness into a lifestyle.

Sydney Smith, a graphic design senior who goes to the gym almost every day, said she appreciates the Rec Center.

“If you start going to the gym a bit more, you start thinking about what you’re going to eat a bit more. You start becoming healthier,” Smith said.

Smith also said that the Rec Center offers a place to relax from the stresses of a class projects.

With all the options, there is something for everyone at the Rec Center, Plummer said.

“We’re trying to promote healthy lifestyles, not quick fixes,” Plummer said. “We’re creating a lifestyle that allows you to be fit in whatever season of life that you’re in.”

 

Lecture discusses benefits of Pongo Poetry as a psychology tool

“We know in psychology that one of the most important things in resiliency in kids that helps them get through a trauma is having one positive connection with an adult,” Dr. Becky Sherman told a California Baptist University audience. “As a psychologist, that is an awesome thing to remember.”

Sherman works with a nonprofit organization called Pongo Teen Writing, which reaches out to incarcerated children in Seattle, Washington, helping them overcome life’s difficulties through Pongo Poetry, an expressive form of poetry. She spoke as part of the School of the Behavioral Sciences’ Culture and Justice Lecture Series on Jan. 19.

Sherman shared examples of poetry that the children have written.

“I stayed in the house by myself until the landlord kicked me out,” Sherman read. “I went back to group homes, that’s what I get for being a bad kid I guess, but when people neglect and abandoned you it’s hard to treat them with respect… [this is] dedicated to my father.”

Sherman said that in the poetry she encounters, there is a common thread that kids write about — the effects of broken relationships.

“Kids can take on blame for what their parents have done,” Sherman said. “The confusion in all of that is there is love in spite of abandonment. This happens a lot with abused and abandoned kids. When their parents do bad things to them, they still love them in spite of all of that.”

The mission of Pongo is to help incarcerated children understand their difficult feelings and then find their strong voices and also address their life’s challenges and their hopes, Sherman said.

Sherman listed some of the benefits of writing poetry after trauma, which include: it helps integrate the feelings of disconnect and confusion; the youth learn to see themselves beyond a perspective of hurt; and the act of writing and sharing with a mentor provides a safe experience of trust.

“Expressive writing can be incredibly healing, especially if you are writing about something that you haven’t been talking to someone about,” Sherman said. “Poetry taps into another part of the brain in a really cool way.”

 

Family Updates

Dr. Dirk Davis, associate vice president for academics, and Dr. Kathryn Norwood, dean of assessment and accreditation, both for Online and Professional Studies, presented two workshops at the Clute Institute International Academic Conference, in Lahaina, Hawaii, and two papers at the Hawaii International Conference on Education in Honolulu on Jan. 2-4. The papers and workshops were titled Automated Assessment: Developing a Community of Collaboration and E-Mentorship: Providing Support to Non-Traditional Learners.

 

 

Dr. Jacob Lanphere, assistant professor of environmental science, made a presentation via Skype at the Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development: Issues, Challenges and Prospects International Seminar at Loyola College, Secunderabad, India on Jan. 20. The title of his presentation was Using Fate and Transport Studies of Engineered Nanomaterials in the Environment to Determine the Optimum Green Chemistry Synthesis Technique; a Life Cycle Approach.

 

 

 

Dr. Juliann Perdue, professor of nursing, Dr. Teresa Hamilton, assistant professor of nursing, Dr. Susan Drummond, associate professor of nursing, and Dr. Geneva Oaks, dean of the College of Nursing, co-authored published in the newsletter Illuminations (Volume 25, No. 2). The article was titled Animal assisted therapy: Parse’s Community Model on both sides of the leash.

 

 

Dr. Chris Morgan, dean of the School of Christian Ministries, had his recent book The Love of God, volume 7 in his Theology in Community series, honored. In a Christianity Today article, David Dockery listed The Love of God among the top books of 2016.

 

 

 

Dr. Creed Jones, professor in computing, software and data sciences, spoke at the International Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Kunshan, China. Jones presented on the glaucoma sensing technology being developed in cooperation with Dr. Matthew Rickard, associate professor of bioengineering.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Melissa Wigginton, associate professor of health science, was elected to the Healthy Yucaipa Committee in January. She will serve a one-year term helping to perform a needs assessment, including the development of a vision, mission, goals and objectives for the committee. Wigginton also is tasked with creating health-related programs for the city of Yucaipa.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Derek Updegraff, assistant professor of English and creative writing, published a short story, The Incident at Our Lady, in the magazine Tikkun.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Andrew Herrity, professor of entrepreneurship and business, presented a paper at the annual meeting of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship in Philadelphia on Jan. 19-22.  The title of the paper was Semi-structured Interviews with 30 Founders: How Socially-Mediated Cognition Explains Entrepreneurs’ Shifting from Biases and Heuristics to Deliberate Thinking.

 

 

 

Dr. Matthew Rickard, professor of bioengineering, took part in the Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference Jan. 19-20 in Provo, Utah. He made a presentation, CBU Glaucoma Sensor: A Technology Overview; presented a poster, Design of a Practice Fundamentals of Engineering Exam for Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Students; participated on a panel, Biomedical Engineering in the Next 10 Years; and served as a presentation judge.

 

 

 

Scott Glackin, lead food-service equipment technician in Facilities and Planning, was named employee of the month for February. The nomination form included the following statements: “Scott serves as a role model to others in our department and consistently provides outstanding and dependable service, ensuring that our food-service equipment is operational. He is helpful to others and represents a Christ-like attitude in his service to our campus.”

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis was recently interviewed for a book on CBU’s Spanish Colonial Revival style on campus. The book was commissioned by RAM publishing on the Getty Foundation’s “Pacific Standard Time” initiative, which aims to tell the story of the birth of the L.A. art scene. The book’s title will be Myth and Mirage: Inland Southern California, Birthplace of the Spanish Colonial Revival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Crosby, assistant professor of psychology for Online and Professional Studies, and student Bryce Ritt co-authored a poster that Ritt presented at the undergraduate poster session at the 2017 Society for Personality and Social Psychology Convention in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 19-21. The title of the poster was Motivated Sacrifice as a Predictor of Religiosity and Spirituality.

 

 

 

Dr. Alexandra Shin, assistant professor of biology, co-authored an article published in Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry (Nov. 16). The title of the article was Proteomic analysis of endothelin-1 targets in the regulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation.

 

 

 

 

Tami Fleming, head cheer coach, and her husband, Kevin, adjunct professor for education, welcomed a daughter on Oct. 13. Aria Capri Fleming weighed 9 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 22 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

Bryce Burditt (’13), undergraduate admissions counselor, and his wife, Shelbie (’13), welcomed a son on Dec. 3.  Levi Taylor Burditt weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 21 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Shields, assistant dean of curriculum development for Online and Professional Studies, and his wife, Jessika (’08), welcomed a son on Jan. 23. Michael Caiden Shields weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 21.5 inches long. He joins older siblings Robert Jr., 13, Jasmine, 10, and Brian, 8.

 

 

 

Amanda Dago, director of intensive English program, and her husband, Achille, welcomed a son on Dec. 22. Ezra Shilo Lagognon Dago weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 21 inches long. He joins his older brother, Micah, 4.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

College of Health Science campus receives Beautification Award

The revitalization of the College of Health Science campus at California Baptist University has received a beautification award from the Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful (KRCB) program.

CBU received second place in the category of Exterior Reconstruction with Landscaping. Mayor Rusty Bailey and Cindy Roth, CEO of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, presented the KRCB awards after the annual State of the City address on Jan. 19. Dr. Charles D. “Chuck” Sands, CBU provost and vice president for academic affairs, accepted the accolade on behalf of the university.

KRCB is a community-sponsored program by the City of Riverside and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. Its mission is to foster a sense of community pride by creating partnerships that work toward the beautification of the city.

CBU’s College of Health Science project was a $17.5 million-plus infrastructure remodel of the former Riverside Christian School complex located at 3532 Monroe St. The facility now serves as the campus for CBU’s College of Health Science. It includes office space, classrooms and labs, hosting a broad range of programs including an associate degree program plus 15 undergraduate and five graduate programs. More than 1,000 students are enrolled at the College of Health Science during the 2016-17 academic year.

The 2017 award follows two consecutive first-place finishes for CBU in the Exterior Reconstruction with Landscaping category the past two years. In 2016, CBU was recognized for the remodeling project of student residences known as The Point, and in 2015 for the Lancer Plaza North project.

 

CBU Outdoor Adventures program hosts Mammoth trip

A group of California Baptist University students and staff spent part of the first holiday weekend of 2017 skiing and snowboarding the snow-covered slopes of Mammoth Mountain.

The two-day excursion was operated through the CBU Community Life Outdoor Adventures program. 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. Community Life provides, for a nominal fee, transportation, appropriate gear for the adventure and most of the food. Twenty-six CBU students and four staff members participated in the latest Mammoth excursion.

“Usually you don’t get to go with 26 other students or friends or people of your age, so there’s a common bond that’s formed,” said Tucker Carl, Community Life’s program coordinator – outdoor adventures. “It’s just a great way to make friends.”

Christina McDonald, a junior double majoring in leadership studies and business administration, made it a goal this semester to join an Outdoor Adventure to meet a new group of Lancers. She said a highlight was learning how to snowboard again from peers and staff.

“I loved the group that went. Every one [that I met] had different majors within CBU. We all came together to have a great weekend,” McDonald said.

Other Outdoor Adventures this semester includes kayaking in La Jolla (San Diego), and several five-day camping trips to Big Sur (California’s central coast) and Santa Barbara, and also to the Grand Canyon and Page, Arizona.

Community Life offers these opportunities to provide unique experiences, Carl said.

“It is a great way to create an environment in which people can interact and build relationships while enjoying God’s creation,” Carl said.

 

CBU Gallery features first alumni exhibit, “Hello Riverside”

A university art gallery may seem an unlikely place to display a children’s book, but for an exhibit now showing in downtown Riverside it makes perfect sense.

California Baptist University alumnus Mark Cloud (‘05) and his wife, Giselle, collaborated with another CBU graduate, Jessica Robyn (nee Ford ‘13), to create a children’s board book, “Hello Riverside,” that presents Riverside in a whimsical way. The team’s work is the latest exhibit at the CBU Gallery.

The Clouds wrote the book and Robyn created the illustrations. “Hello Riverside” takes children on a tour of Riverside, stopping at 12 landmarks.

Mark said the idea for the book was prompted when he and his wife began to read to their young son. With Mark growing up in Riverside and Giselle growing up in the Inland Empire, the couple developed a fondness for the city.

“The main purpose of writing this book was to introduce Riverside to its newest generation of residents,” Cloud said. “We wanted to create something for parents and grandparents to share [with children] … that would help both of them foster a love and appreciation for the city.”

Robyn said she had recently found out she was pregnant when asked to illustrate the book, which made it perfect timing.

Robyn’s enjoys producing artwork that is fun and whimsical, which can be seen in the book and other illustrations that are on display at the Gallery. Robyn admits that doing serious art in class at CBU was a challenge.

“I just wanted to doodle and have fun and create something playful and happy,” Robyn said. “I appreciate being able to make people smile.”

The book will be available for $10 at www.helloriversidebook.com by month’s end.

The exhibit is CBU Gallery’s first to feature work by CBU alumni.

Kristi Lippire, assistant professor of visual art, said the exhibit demonstrates support for alumni, promotes CBU programs and benefits current students by providing an example of how to use their skills after graduation.

The exhibit runs through March 4 at CBU’s Gallery, located at 3737 Main St., Suite 101 in downtown Riverside. The gallery is open Tuesday–Saturday from noon–8 p.m. 

 

CBU community pays tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

After a day off to observe the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, students, faculty and staff at California Baptist University returned to campus on Jan. 17 with an opportunity to pay tribute to the late iconic figure of the civil rights movement.

The event in the Stamps Courtyard was the first of several planned over the next few weeks by Community Life to honor King and highlight other influential African-American figures.

George Martin, director of cultural and commuter programs in Community Life, said these types of events educate and promote support for one another.

“It’s important to be exposed to the different cultures, different heritages and to be able to appreciate and embrace differences…so that we can have a better appreciation of one another,” Martin said.

At the tribute, people wrote on the “Dream Wall” their hopes for the future and had an opportunity to watch King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which played on a loop throughout the afternoon. Additionally, drummers, featuring elementary students from Excel Prep Academy (Moreno Valley, California) performed at the event.

“Martin Luther King Jr. had a message that still is relevant today and not just in the ‘60s,” Vandenberg said.

On Jan. 26, a poetry slam event will be held in the Community Life lounge. Community Life will partner with the Slam Poetry Club at CBU to feature student poets and two local spoken word artists, Brandon Allen and Treesje Thomas. Additionally, historic and current African-American poets and figures will be highlighted at the event.

“Poetry—we use the term spoken word—was a major part of expression in the African-American culture,” Martin said.

On Feb. 10, there will also be a “Living Out the Dream” event in Innovators Auditorium. It will include vocal performances by students, a church choir and local recording artists Joslynn James and Leon Hawley. Students will also re-enact historical characters, such as King, Maya Angelou and Harriet Tubman.

 

CBU plans move to Western Athletic Conference, NCAA Division I

California Baptist University has accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference, paving the way for a multi-year transition to NCAA Division I status, CBU and WAC officials announced today.

CBU and WAC officials held a joint news conference and released statements expressing enthusiasm about the move that was approved at the university’s regular Board of Trustees meeting.

“This represents a great step forward for California Baptist University and Lancer Athletics,” said Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president. “We are honored to join the Western Athletic Conference and to advance CBU to NCAA Division I, the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics. I am confident that moving to D-I as a member of the WAC will further elevate CBU’s reputation for excellence in athletics as well as academics.”

Dr. Horace Mitchell, President of California State University, Bakersfield, and Chairman of the WAC’s Board of Directors congratulated CBU on becoming the newest member of the conference.

“On behalf of my fellow WAC Presidents and Chancellors, I am delighted to welcome California Baptist University as a Western Athletic Conference member institution effective July 1, 2018,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said Ellis made “a compelling case for membership in the WAC” last November at a meeting with the full WAC Board in Denver. The previous month, Mitchell visited CBU along with Utah Valley President Matthew Holland, Grand Canyon President Brian Mueller, and WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd.

“We were impressed by the university’s academic programs, its commitment to transitioning its athletics program to NCAA Division I and its strong desire to join the WAC,” Mitchell said.

Commissioner Hurd said several factors make California Baptist University a great fit for the WAC.

“Commitment to quality academics and athletics programs along with the extraordinary vision provided by President Ellis are at the top of the list. There is no doubt that CBU will make a smooth transition to Division I and to the WAC,” Hurd said.

CBU currently is a member of the NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference and will remain eligible for all PacWest championships and NCAA D-II postseason play through the 2017-18 season. University officials plan to apply for NCAA D-I membership in June 2018.

Click here to view the announcement.

 

Spring 2017 semester begins at California Baptist University

Spring semester at California Baptist University started Jan. 9 with freshman and transfer students moving into residential facilities and attending orientation activities.

During orientation, students attended activities and presentations such as a “purpose session” that explained CBU’s vision and also an “involvement fair” that helped connect new students to various campus resources. Later, students participated in the traditional Kugel Walk for newly enrolled students. Tradition calls for students to touch the Kugel, a floating granite globe structure that symbolizes the Great Commission, as they begin their educational experience at CBU.

FOCUS groups—short for First-year Orientation & Christian University Success—began Jan. 10 to help acclimate students to campus life. The groups will provide support and connection for students as they begin collegiate life at CBU.

Kathleen Zambrano, a healthcare administration junior transferring to CBU, found orientation helpful. 

“There was a lot of opportunity to get a lot of questions answered,” Zambrano said. “I feel a lot better about knowing where everything is and what each department does.”

Elyanna Aceres, a nursing freshman, was encouraged to hear that CBU faculty is accessible.

“They told us, we’re here to help you,” Aceres said. “You’re not only just a student, we’re here to help you outside of class as well.”

Classes began for the spring 2017 semester on Jan. 11.

 

Spring intramural season tips-off with basketball sign-ups

Sign-ups for intramural men’s and women’s basketball started Jan. 11, tipping-off the spring 2017 intramural sports schedule at California Baptist University.

Tyler Cox, director of recreation programs, anticipates close to 50 teams forming to compete in the several different basketball leagues offered at CBU. Additionally, CBU will also have a co-ed soccer season that starts sign-ups on Feb. 7.

There will also be various day tournaments that are held through the spring semester for sports such as whiffle ball and kickball.

CBU students are very competitive in intramural sports, Cox said.

“The environment allows students to be competitive but also to form a sense of community,” Cox said. “We hear back from students that they enjoy spending time with friends and doing something different on campus.”

 

Family Updates

Dr. Berniece Bruinius Alspach, assistant professor of English, presented a paper at the Modernist Studies Association 18 conference in Pasadena on Nov. 17-20. It was titled Blending Modernism, Postmodernism, and Neomodernism Through the Lens of “The Remains of the Day” and “Crooner” by Kazuo Ishiguro. She also participated in a workshop titled Teaching Modernism, which discussed her course on Transatlantic Modernism.

 

 

 

Amanda Snodgrass, an aviation flight major, successfully completed her FAA dispatch practical exam on Dec. 8. Amanda is the first CBU student to have earned her FAA dispatch certificate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provider, the food services contractor for California Baptist University, held its annual Holiday Cookie Competition in December. Seventeen students submitted recipes. The Alumni Dining Commons bakers chose four recipes to make and serve during a lunch to students, who then voted. The winner was Rebecca Lam with her Eggnog Snickerdoodles. Finalists were Disha Gandhi’s Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookie; Kaylee Foraker’s White Chocolate Peppermint Pudding Cookie; and Shelby McDonald’s Andes Mint Cookie.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Sanggon Nam, associate professor of public health, had a paper published in Geriatrics & Gerontology International (December 2016).  The paper was titled Lower body function as a predictor of mortality over 13 years of follow up: Findings from Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly. He also presented a poster at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research in New Orleans on Jan. 11-15. The title was Neighborhood Characteristics, Size of Social Network and Social Cohesion, and Self-Reported Health Among Hispanics Aged 75 and over.

 

 

The Love of God, (Crossway) edited by Dr. Chris Morgan, dean of the School of Christian Ministries, was named one of the 10 best books in biblical studies for 2016 by Biblical Foundations, a website dedicated to helping restore biblical foundations for the family, the church and society.

 

 

 

 

Enrico Rojo, 29, a CBU aviation science student who died Dec. 19, was buried Jan. 6 at the Houston National Cemetery. Rojo, a Marine, was struck by a car and killed as he tried to assist a motorist who had crashed her vehicle on Interstate 10 in Loma Linda. His fiancé, Michelle Medina, is also a CBU aviation science student. There will be a Marine Corps Memorial Service in Twentynine Palms on Jan. 22.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, participated in a book club for high school students at Grand Terrace High School on Dec. 7. The Colton Joint Unified School District Superintendent Jerry Almendaraz’s book club discussed the book “I am Malala” by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai. Pearson is also a member of the superintendent’s community cabinet.

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Prather, professor of aviation science, facilitated the University Aviation Association Policy Seminar with 38 collegiate aviation students from across the nation on Jan. 3-6 in Washington, D.C.  Students met with industry professionals at the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Government Accountability Office, National Business Aviation Association and other industry associations.

 

 

Krista Wagner, adjunct professor of English, had a novel, indigo, published last month. The book is a Young Adult realistic issue-driven novel dealing with teen bullying, consequences of sin and renewal of faith.

 

 

 

Dr. Riste Simnjanovski, dean of faculty development, Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health, and Richard Ardito, assistant professor of accounting, all for Online and Professional Studies, gave a presentation at the Clute Institute International Conference on Education in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Jan. 2-5. The title of the presentation was Personalized Weekly Overviews: A Comparison of Text and Video Notifications Measuring Student Engagement, Achievement and Misunderstanding in an Online Classroom.

 

 

Dr. Derek Updegraff, assistant professor of English and creative writing, had a short story, At the Dog Park, published in the University of Montana’s literary journal CutBank. The story was runner-up in the Big Sky, Small Prose Flash Contest. At the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association Conference in Pasadena on Nov. 11, Updegraff read from The Butcher’s Tale and Other Stories and participated in a panel discussion on the form of the short story. Also at the conference, he arranged and chaired a session on Old English language and literature. On Dec. 1, he gave the Fall 2016 Faculty Colloquium presentation at CBU. It was titled Syntax, Rhythm, and the Poetic Line: A Poetry Reading and Craft Talk.

 

 

Dr. Nicole MacDonald, professor of athletic training, co-wrote an article that was published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy (December). The article was titled The effects of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization on lower extremity muscle performance: A randomized controlled trial.

 

 

 

 

Victoria Brodie, visiting professor of public relations, was elected as the president of the Public Relations Society of America Inland Empire (PRSAIE) chapter for the 2017 calendar year. PRSAIE is the largest communications group in the Inland Empire focusing on the professional development of public relations professionals.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Heather Hamilton-Stilwell, assistant professor of journalism, made a presentation at the Religious Communication Association in Philadelphia on Nov. 9. It was titled The Construction of Young Adults’ Religious Rights Understandings: Information Sources’ Civic Voice and Influence. She also made presentations and chaired a panel at the National Communication Association in Philadelphia on Nov. 10-13. The presentations were: C.S. Lewis’ Spiritual Truths through the Art of Identification and Indirect Communication; Great Ideas For Teaching: A Culture Scavenger Hunt; Using Photos to Realize How Cultural Meanings Have Developed and Changed Over Time; and Social Influence Explorations of Familial and Media Messages on Parental Decisions to Vaccinate (co-authored with Dr. Sandra Romo, assistant professor of communication for Online and Professional Studies). The panel was Feminist Hacking, Fandom, Gaming, and Social Media Competitive Papers.

 

 

Carmela Russell, administrative secretary for academic advising, was named employee of the month for January. The nomination form included the following statements: “Carmela is customer-oriented and consistently looks for opportunities to serve. She reflects the grace, kindness and joy that God has extended to her. She maintains the highest level of professionalism in her dealings with all members of the academic community. Carmela performs all her duties with little, if any, direction, and quietly assumes a whole host of responsibilities that ultimately result in better service delivery.”

 

 

 

 

David E. Isaacs, assistant professor of English, published a chapter titled Will Smith and the White Imaginary in Science Fiction Cinema in the ebook The London Film and Media Reader 4: Visions of Identity – Global Film & Media (December 2016).

 

 

 

Morgan Cox, sales floor manager for the Campus Store, and her husband, Joel (’16), welcomed a son on Sept. 30. Logan Michael Cox weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 21 inches long. His older sister is Kennedi, 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachael Solis, administrative assistant for Conferences and Events, and her husband, Cesar, welcomed their second son on Dec. 28. Benjamin Paul Solis weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 20 inches long. His older brother is Obadiah, 1.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Wanda Price, friend to generations of CBU students, dies at 87

Wanda Price, a beloved former California Baptist University employee, passed away Dec. 7, at the age of 87.

Price’s connection to the university dates back to 1965 when Price joined the staff at California Baptist College as the nursery director. Over the next several decades, her positions included student center director, secretary to the Registrar, assistant bookkeeper, manager of the café named in her honor (Wanda’s) and alumni consultant.

Over her many years of service, she earned the love and respect of both students and faculty, who presented her with numerous awards, including “Definite Contribution to College Life,” and “Outstanding Staff Member.” She had the reputation of having an excellent memory with her ability to remember students’ names and their student ID numbers.

While Price served in many positions through the years, it was her interaction with the students that stood out.

“She would just step up wherever she was needed or wanted,” said Gail Ronveaux, director of alumni and parent relations. “People would stop her in the hallway and say ‘my grandma just died’ and she would pray with them. Or they would tell her that they had financial difficulties and she would introduce them to someone who might be able to help.”

“She was important to a lot of people because of the relationships she built with them,” Carrie Smith, alumni and parent communications manager, said. “She was a surrogate mom and grandma to a lot of these students. She was the one a lot of them went to when they had a problem. She was the listening ear.”

An article in The Banner newspaper in April 1989 told of Price learning to skateboard. She also ran a 10K race in Death Valley in 1985. Her favorite hobbies included reading, jogging, flying a kite, and watching baseball; she was an Angels fan.

In 1991, when a new snack bar opened in the basement of the James Building, it was named Wanda’s Place, in her honor. The café was relocated to the Eugene and Billie Yeager Center when it opened in 2003.

In 2008, an endowed scholarship fund was established to honor Price’s 80th birthday. The funds provide scholarship support for eligible CBU students demonstrating financial need.

In 2010, she was recognized as the longest-serving employee in CBU history. CBU president Dr. Ronald L. Ellis presented her with a leaf from a 1611 edition King James Bible containing her favorite scripture passage (Philippians 1:3). Ellis also gave her a baseball that was signed by a professional baseball player in 1965, the same year she came to work at CBU.

Price worked at CBU until the spring of 2011.

“If I could instill anything into students it would be: learn to love and take the risks,” Price told The Banner in 1989. “Learn to love one another, and it would eliminate 99 percent of our problems. And always remember, it’s no fun hugging yourself!”

 

Travis Ryan encourages reverence for God during worship

“My prayer today is that our worship of God would be real and honest; that it wouldn’t be caught up in the lights or the production,” Travis Ryan, a California Baptist University alumnus, told a chapel audience on Dec. 7. “He wants your heart, and He wants your attention…let’s be moved in our worship to give God our attention and affection. He deserves it.”

Ryan is a multi-Dove Award nominee, singer/writer and a senior worship pastor at LifePoint Church in Smyrna, Tennessee.  Ryan led the chapel audience members in worship and spoke about the importance of genuine reverence toward God.

After reading Revelation 4 and describing God’s throne, Ryan told the audience that one way or another everyone will worship God.

“Did you see that picture (in Revelation 4)? Did you behold the glory of God?” Ryan said. “One day we all will give Him that attention, one day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.”

Ryan encouraged the audience to stand and give glory and affection to God.

“Love always comes with a price. God himself sacrificed incredibly,” Ryan said. “God left all splendor and glory to put on human skin. That is what we celebrate at this time and in this season.”

 

Engineering hosts “Robot’s Got Talent” event

Engineering students displayed their robots’ talents at California Baptist University on Dec. 6 during a “Robot’s Got Talent” event hosted by the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering. The annual event featured the top eight teams in a semester-long competition to construct robots designed to perform specific tasks.

Teams comprising undergraduate students enrolled in Introduction to Engineering courses designed robots from scratch, aiming to satisfy the twofold criteria of creativity and functionality, said Dr. Matthew Rickard, professor and chair of engineering at CBU.

“Students start off with a blank slate. It’s a wide open venue as to what students can create. This format really requires the students to design something unique and that can be a challenge,” Rickard said. “The exciting thing is that students in software engineering get to try out their programming skills, electrical engineering students get to deal with electric motors, and there is also mechanical design as well as structures within the robot.”

At the event, teams presented robots that performed various tasks such as writing, surveillance, cleaning, tossing objects, and even dipping an Oreo cookie into milk.

Members of the winning team—Dwayne Symonette, Jorda Miller, Marleigh Saenz and Jason Quijano—designed and programmed their robot to cross over a 5-inch gap. Their design used three motors to power the robot and a two-touch sensor to guide the robot and also activate a platform (underneath the robot) that extended over the gap, allowing the robot to cross to the other side.

 

CBU hosts Spanish spelling bee for local high schoolers

More than 140 high school students competed in a Spanish Spelling Bee at California Baptist University on Dec. 3.

CBU’s College of Arts and Sciences and Omega Phi, the CBU chapter of the National Spanish Honor Society Sigma Delta Pi, organized the event for high schoolers in or near the Inland Empire area. Judges for the event included CBU faculty.

In the final round, students tackled words such as “machihembrar” (dovetail) and “incognoscible” (unknowable). The top three finishes in the competition received cash prizes to be used for educational expenses. In first place was Benjamin Martinez from Villa Park High School (Orange, California), who earned $400. In second place was Rodrigo Amaya from Perris High (Perris, California), who won $300. Emily Gonzalez, from La Sierra High School (Riverside), finished in third place and earned $200.

“Our motivation behind hosting the event is to showcase the Spanish language and CBU,” said Dr. Noé Ruvalcaba, assistant professor of Spanish at CBU.

The event also gave high school students the experience of visiting a university campus and meeting Hispanic professionals, Ruvalcaba said.

“Many of our participants will be the first in their families to attend college,” Ruvalcaba observed.

 

CBU community observes “Autumn Arbor Day” activities

Seventy-five students, faculty and staff at California Baptist University observed Autumn Arbor Day with a campus service project on Dec. 3.

Participants were assigned to teams to help trim citrus trees around the historic Hawthorne House and to lay down new mulch.

Amy Graham, a biology freshman, said the event was a new experience for her.

“I have never had the opportunity to take care of trees,” Graham said. “I just really enjoyed giving back to the community. I want to make my campus beautiful and want to have an impact.”

Eric Lewis, an environmental science senior, enjoyed the camaraderie between students during the event.

“This event will help make the campus look better and is a great way of serving others, and we also get to build relationships with other students,” Lewis said. “Stuff like this builds character.”

John Fyne-Nsofor, an environmental science senior, said CBU does a good job of being environmentally conscious.

“When CBU heard about the drought [in California], they took out a lot of the plants and changed their watering habits. They then put in more drought-resistant plants, and they are installing more mulch instead of grass,” Fyne-Nsofor said.

CBU is one of 11 higher education institutions in California designated as a Tree Campus USA college by a program implemented by the Arbor Day Foundation.

 

CBU names Paul Eldridge VP for University Advancement

Paul Eldridge, J.D. has been named Vice President for University Advancement for California Baptist University, President Ronald L. Ellis, announced. Eldridge is scheduled to begin his new duties Jan. 11, 2017.

Ellis said the selection of Eldridge culminates a lengthy national search.

“Paul Eldridge brings a strong commitment to Christian higher education and a proven track record of development,” Ellis said. “We look forward to welcoming him to the CBU leadership team.”

Eldridge comes to CBU from Colorado Christian University where he has served as vice president of development and alumni relations since May 2011. He previously was senior director of development and planned giving at John Brown University for more than eight years.

The move to CBU will be a homecoming of sorts for Eldridge, who practiced law in Southern California prior to his work in development and planned giving.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from John Brown University, a Master of Arts degree from Simon Greenleaf University and a Juris Doctor degree from Trinity Law School.

Eldridge and his wife, Laurie, have been married for 24 years and have three daughters.

Eldridge will succeed Dr. Art Cleveland, who retired last April after nearly a decade at CBU, including more than four years at the helm of the University Advancement division.

 

CBU volunteers to serve in 22 countries on 36 teams in 2017

Anticipation filled the air on Dec. 1 as several hundred California Baptist University students packed the gym at the College of Health Science for Team Reveal—a time when the Office of Mobilization reveals which volunteer teams the students will serve on.

“The position that you’re in is perfect for what God has in store for you,” Jeff Lewis, director of Mobilization, told the students.

Next year will mark the 21st year of global outreach by students, staff and faculty members. In 2017, 335 students and team leaders will comprise 36 teams for International Service Projects and Summer of Service. The teams will serve in 22 countries.

Lewis noted the theme for the 2017 service projects is “Insanity,” which corresponds with the theme verse Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ.”

“That would seem totally insane to a world that says no, the way you make much of life is make much of yourself,” Lewis said. “But we realize as followers of Christ, the way you find joy in life is making much of Him and His purpose.”

Students later met with their fellow team members and learned where they would serve.

Ken Sanford, adjunct professor of education, will be leading his eighth team.

“I get so blessed by being involved with these students who are willing to do this,” said Sanford, whose team is going to East Asia. “God has put me in this position to mentor students and help them have the experience of going overseas to do a task and share their faith.”

In the past 20 years, CBU has sent out 479 teams to 58 countries. Before leaving for their fields of service, students participate in 75 hours of training half of which takes place during Intensive Training Weekend. Additionally, teams receive weekly training for 15 weeks, covering topics including culture shock, spiritual warfare and specific customs.

 

CBU celebrates Christmas season traditions with tree lighting

Students, faculty and staff ushered in the holiday season at the annual California Baptist University Christmas event on the Front Lawn on Dec. 1.

“This is a chance for the CBU community to come together and celebrate the Christmas holiday and experience some of the special traditions we hold for the season,” said Kristin Waters, director of campus activities in Community Life.

The event, attended by approximately 2,000 people, was organized by Community Life and the Associated Students of California Baptist University (ACSBU). This year the event aimed to focus on the traditions of the season, said Makenna Lammons, ASCBU president.

“We want to zero in on the reason for the season,” Lammons said. “It’s a more intimate feel. We want the focus to be, we’re lighting the Christmas tree, we’re celebrating Jesus’ birth.”

Attendees warmed up with hot cider and cocoa on the chilly evening while the chapel band performed, and CBU President Dr. Ronald L. Ellis read from Luke 2, which records the birth of Jesus. Then a School of Music choir sang “Silent Night” as people lit their candles, which they had received earlier. All the lights went out and then the countdown to the Christmas tree lighting occurred.

After that, attendees decorated gift tags, signed letters to military troops, played games, watched the classic movie “White Christmas” and enjoyed treats.

Michael Sandy, a chemical engineering junior, enjoyed the tree lighting.

“It gets you in the Christmas spirit,” Sandy said. “All in all, it’s just a great CBU tradition.”

Madison Taylor, a journalism junior, came with friends to get a picture next to the tree.

“I think it brings all of us together, and it’s a great way to relieve ourselves from all that stress (of school work) and just enjoy some time off,” Taylor said.

 

Navy SEAL shares his transition into God’s army at CBU chapel

“He forgave me of so much… I want to be a part of [His] army,” Chad Williams, a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran told a California Baptist University chapel audience on Nov. 30. “The whole point of life is more than just knowing God. We’re in His army, we’re to make him known.”

Becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL was one of the most fulfilling moments of his life, Williams said. But another—unexpected—emotion shortly followed.

“What I didn’t expect, that in the same 24-hour period, it became one of the most deflating, downward times of my life. [At the time] I couldn’t understand why,” said Williams, now an author and speaker.

Adding to his misery, days before Williams was to report to training, he learned a former SEAL, who was a friend and mentor, was killed in an ambush in Fallujah, Iraq.

“I felt like I was better off not being a SEAL,” Williams said. “Then at least I had something to drive me.”

Williams would eventually learn that reaching a goal did not mean he would have lasting satisfaction. That type of peace, he said, can only come through a relationship with Jesus.

Williams shared how he often got into trouble while on military leave to the point that even his family became afraid of him. To ease their concerns, he agreed to go to church with them. He attended a service where Pastor Greg Laurie was speaking on II Kings 5 and Naaman, an army commander who had leprosy. Naaman was a successful commander, but under the armor, he was wasting away.

Williams said he could relate to that.

“What type of man, what type of woman are you on the outside in front of your friends?” Williams asked. “Who are you when you’re in your room all by yourself and all you’re left with is your own thoughts. I didn’t like that person. But I got this front, this thing that I put on, just like Naaman, the armor.”

As Naaman was told to wash in the river seven times to be healed, Williams realized Jesus would forgive him and clean him from his sin, Williams said.

“Jesus takes our sin upon himself so we can be lavished by God’s grace and mercy,” Williams said.

 

Foodology opens as newest dining option at CBU

California Baptist University continues to add to its top-rated dining options, with the addition of Foodology, a modern, urban decor eatery that offers a variety of dishes.

Open weekdays and located on the College of Health Science campus, the menu consists of handcrafted salads with homemade dressings, homemade chips, artisan sandwiches and burgers. Foodology will serve Starbucks coffee as well as a variety of specialty coffee options. For those in a rush, there will be “Grab and Go” options.

“The new addition to our food choices continues the tradition of offering a diversity of food choices at CBU,” said Kipp Dougherty, director of food services. “Foodology is already a hit; students are coming from all over to experience Foodology.”

Niche.com has ranked California Baptist University No. 2 among California universities for best campus food and No. 8 in the nationwide listing. The website 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.

Dining services for CBU is managed by Provider Food Services, which offers a variety of choices through the Alumni Dining Commons, Brisco’s, Chick-fil-A, El Monte Grille and Wanda’s.

Foodology’s hours are Monday – Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Foodology accepts cash, credit cards, Lancerbucks, meal swipes and dining dollars.

 

Lecture talks of factors for successful international adoptions

“We try to help the parents feel empowered, because empowerment is the key in this whole process,” Dr. Gary Feldman told a California Baptist University audience, on the topic of international adoption. “The key issue is being prepared. The more prepared parents are about any possible condition, the better the outcome.”

Feldman, who specializes in international adoption medicine, spoke as part of the School of the Behavioral Science’s Culture and Justice Lecture Series on Nov. 17. He is the medical director of the Stramski Children’s Developmental Center at Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Long Beach. Feldman also provides services in the pre-adoptive and post-adoptive stages.

“Pro-active parenting is much better than reactive parenting because it puts you in control,” Feldman said. “If you’re a reactive parent, you essentially are defensive and you’re reacting. You’re not making progress. If you’re pro-active, you have a greater chance of making progress.”

Feldman sees his role, and other doctors like him, as helping parents seeking adoption to become successful parents. In order to do this, the adoptive parents need to know what the potential struggles the child may have and then become educated to make appropriate decisions, Feldman said.

Children adopted internationally can have issues with health, development or attachment. Prospective parents may not receive an accurate or complete medical history. That is why it is important for individuals considering international adoption to be educated about overall health issues.

Additionally, he advises parents that when they bring a child home, they make the transition as calm as possible. Even a bedroom full of Disney characters may be too much for a child who spent years in an orphanage, he said.

“The kids are coming from Mars to Earth,” Feldman said. “They don’t understand your language, they don’t understand your culture, so there is a lot of transition that has to take place.”

 

Panel discusses “Mystic” exhibit at CBU Gallery

A panel of five art enthusiasts spoke about the exhibit, “Into the Mystic,” at the CBU Gallery and the influence art can have on a person on Nov. 16.

Panelists included Drew Oberjuerge, director of the Riverside Art Museum (RAM) and four California Baptist University faculty. The exhibit represents an inspiration of spiritual themes, visionary imagery and drawing insights from transcendent encounters.

Transcendence means the existence or experience beyond the normal or the physical level, said Dr. Melissa Croteau, associate professor film studies and literature at CBU.

Dr. Katie Papineau, assistant professor of architecture and art history, said everyone is searching for something, a truth, answers to life’s mysteries, and the search for something is made visible through art at this exhibit.

“On the surface…you can understand what you’re looking at,” Papineau said, referring to the art. “But the layers are deeper, asking us to contemplate the mystic in our own lives, to ask deeper questions.”

Many people are fearful to come into a museum and talk about their interpretation of a piece of art, Oberjuerge said.

“People have to start with their own experience,” Oberjuerge said. “I’m a firm believer in aesthetic. Do you like it, do you not like it? If you like something, I would keep pursuing it.”

Dr. Scott Key, professor of philosophy, said the exhibit is an invitation for visitors to open themselves to concepts beyond the temporal.

“We are surrounded by images, but they flash before us. They influence us, but we don’t spend much time with them. This [exhibit] invites you to do much more than that and you have to,” Key said. “You have to let it speak to you and drink it in. You have to ponder, and it takes a little time.”

 

Events Center tower becomes the tallest structure at CBU

A new iconic symbol at California Baptist University achieved its full 100-foot height as the last portion of the Events Center north facing tower was lifted into place on Nov. 17.

Sundt Construction workers spent several hours preparing to hoist the final tower section into place. Weighing more than 6 tons, the topmost section was flown by crane and secured in place shortly after 11 a.m.

The tower is now the tallest structure on campus and is the latest milestone for the new Events Center arena that is scheduled to open in April 2017, in time for spring commencement activities.

“Watching the tower go up is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Steve Smith, director of

Facilities and Planning Services, told a small audience who had gathered to watch the tower be hoisted into place.

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 the PacWest Conference and NCAA Division II.

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.

 

Lecturer gives look into a career as an occupational therapist

Students from the College of Health Science at California Baptist University were offered a unique perspective on what a career in occupational therapy encompasses from Dr. Bryan Gee, who is the occupational therapy program director at Idaho State University.

Gee spoke as part of the College of Health Science’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

Gee said that he is often asked to differentiate between occupational therapy and physical therapy.

“One major difference is that occupational therapy rehabilitates the most intimate aspects of someone’s life.”

Occupational therapists help their patients with daily activities, Gee said. Occupational therapists are also interested in patients developing a life of play and leisure.

“These are probably the most meaningful aspects of [their] daily lives,” Gee said. “If [patients] can’t do them, then they’ll probably experience some physiological and physical discomfort.”

The scope of occupational therapy is very broad, Gee said.

“We focus on accessibility. We want to make sure everybody can do anything regardless of a patient’s condition,” he said.

Gee gave an example of how students could help at their local church as an occupational therapist.

A family that includes an autistic child can find going to church difficult, Gee said. An occupational therapist can work with the family and the pastor at a church to help create a beneficial experience by being a trained liaison.

“The clergy aren’t trained to assist children [with special needs],” he said. “As an occupational therapist, I can take the speech language pathologist with me or the behavioral specialist with me, and we can go do a consult…so the family can go to church together.”

Gee also shared how he has worked with a child who had Down Syndrome to improve the child’s muscle skills. He helped the family develop a plan that they could all participate in that would help his patient.

“Occupational therapy does a good job at addressing the whole person,” he said. “In this field you have to be comfortable addressing the intimate details of a person’s life.”

 

Family Updates

Fifteen CBU graphic design students participated in a Design For Good event  held at CBU on Oct. 22-23. The students spent 24 continuous hours creating original branding materials for nonprofit organizations in the region. Dirk Dallas, assistant professor of graphic design, co-led the event and Michael Berger, assistant professor of graphic design, and Andrew Hochradel, adjunct professor for graphic design, were student mentors.

 

 

Dr. Robert LaChausse, associate professor of public health, was elected in November as the chairman of the Health Evaluation Topic Interest Group for the American Evaluation Association. During the two-year term, he will lead more than 2,500 professional members and be charged with establishing professional standards and practices for the evaluation health and human service programs.

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff Gage, professor of nursing, co-authored an article in Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action (Fall 2016). The article was titled Applying community-based participatory research to create a diabetes prevention documentary with New Zealand Māori.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history, presented a paper at the 68^th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 15-17. The name of the paper was Pastoral Advice from the Past.

 

 

 

 

Members of the CBU Investment Group student club presented investment selections for the student-managed investment fund to the Finance Program Advisory Board on Nov. 15. The advisory board provides students interaction with industry professionals and practice making professional presentations. The students pitched three stock choices, the professionals asked questions and then affirmed or voted down the choices. The students later placed the trade authorization.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Matthew Rickard, associate professor of bioengineering, Dr. Creed Jones, professor of software engineering, and four biomedical engineering students presented a paper at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Optometry in Anaheim on Nov. 11. The title of the paper was Geometric measurements of natural features at the temporal limbus in support of an image-based, real-time IOP sensing system. The presentation is the latest in the development of the CBU Glaucoma Sensor Project, in which Rickard and Jones are creating a wearable imaging system (technology-enhanced pair of eyeglass frames) that can determine eye pressure and a patient’s risk of glaucoma.

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff McNair, professor of education, had a book published Nov. 17. Meowoof is juvenile fiction about what it is to be different.

 

 

 

Rachael Solis, administrative assistant for Conferences and Events, was named employee of the month for December. The nomination form included the following statements: “Rachael provides consistent information, accurate communication, and thoughtful insight when assisting groups with scheduling and planning events. She’s consistently looking for ways to improve performance. Rachael is enthusiastic, able to multi-task, able to accept constructive criticism, and has a servant’s heart.”

 

 

 

 

Dr. Gretchen Bartels, assistant professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper at the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association Conference in Pasadena on Nov. 12. The title was Digital Archives, Publishing History, and Teaching Frankenstein.

 

 

 

Dr. Tim Luther, professor of political science, presented a paper at the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association Annual Conference in Pasadena on Nov. 11. The title of the paper was Creativity, Human Solidarity, and Justice.

 

 

 

 

Marketing and Communication, School of Behavioral Sciences and the College of Health Science sponsored a corporate tree at the Festival of Trees Nov. 25-27 at the Riverside Convention Center. The theme of the tree was “Wise Men Still Seek Him” and it was designed to show the majesty of the manger. The tree was decorated by Janet Crate, special events and volunteer coordinator in University Advancement, and Daphne Paramo, department secretary for kinesiology, who also painted the Live Your Purpose “scroll.” The tree will be on display through the Christmas season at the CBU Gallery on Main Street in Downtown Riverside.

 

 

 

CBU chemical engineering students received recognition for the team’s first showing at the national Chem-E-Car competition on Nov. 13. The team won the Golden Tire Award, which is presented to the car deemed most unique in design by competing teams. The team also was awarded third place for a poster the team designed that describes how the car operates, and the Chem-E-Car earned a top 20 finish in the competition. Stephen Dueck, a chemical engineering major, is featured in the official Chem-E-Car Competition video talking about CBU’s team car.

 

 

 

 

Kristi Lippire, assistant professor of visual art, and her Advanced Art Class had their sculpture unveiled Nov. 25 for the Festival of Lights in downtown Riverside. The sculpture is on display through the end of January outside the Riverside Art Museum. The students in the class are: Yareli Bramble-Salazar, Tawny Frazen, Sabrina Hagan, Stacy Hernandez, Marlisa Morales, Magdalene Nsek, Lauren Sankey, Gloriana Sandoval, Amy Scharz and Brooke Villegas.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Virginia Hart-Kepler, nursing lecturer, successfully defended her dissertation at University of San Diego on Nov. 29. It was titled “How do Mexican Immigrants Make Decisions About Self-Management of Diabetes 2?”

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, wrote a chapter in Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Health: A Multicultural Perspective (Jossey-Bass). The title of the chapter is The Role of Spirituality in Healing. This textbook is written with focus for current and future healthcare practitioners.

 

 

 

Dr. Anthony Donaldson, dean of the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering, was named as honorary technical director for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division, on Nov. 28. The appointment allows the center to recognize, honor and harness the knowledge of community leaders to further the warfare center’s strategic initiatives and bring greater understanding of the warfare center’s role for the Navy and Marine Corps to the community.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff Mooney, professor of Old Testament, Dr. Kyle Stewart, assistant professor of physics, and Dr. Erin Smith, assistant professor of psychology, participated in a faculty panel for a discussion on the Test of Faith movie by the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. CBU’s Science and Religion Club hosted the event on Nov. 29. The attendees watched part of the movie and then the panel answered questions.

 

 

Dr. Mark Anklam, professor of chemical engineering, gave a presentation, Stealing a Freshman-Level Separations Project, at the AIChE Annual Meeting Nov. 13-18 in San Francisco. He co-authored the paper with Dr. Mario Oyanader, associate professor chemical engineering, Dr. Xueyan (Sarah) Zhao, assistant professor of chemical engineering, Dr. Mark Gordon, assistant professor of bioengineering, and Dr. Valerie Young from Ohio University. Oyanader also co-authored six posters with students—Stephen Dueck, Steffano Oyanader, Robin Smallwood, Isaak Juntunen, Joshua Park and Christopher Fernandes—who presented the posters at the meeting. The papers were: Effect Of Electrical Field And Radius Ratio On The Effective Angular Velocity For Couette And Poiseuille Flows; Molecular Effective Dispersion Under Electrical Field and Channel Curving Effects for Couette and Poiseuille Flows; Meso-Microscopic Analysis of Chemo-Electro-Thermotherapy in Capillary Systems; Micro-Molecular Scale Modelling of Electro-Chemotherapy; A Framework for Undergraduate Research on Chemo-Electro-Thermotherapy; and Dynamic Modeling of Fluid Flow Fractionation Under Couette and Poiseuille Flows.

 

The CBU PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) chapter hosted a networking event on Nov. 16 to introduce industry public relations professionals to students. Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, Victoria Brodie, visiting professor of public relations, Robbie Silver (’12), and other PRSA members coached and provided tips to students. Over 50 students attended the event.

 

 

 

Dr. Kenneth Minesinger, associate professor of law for Online and Professional Studies, served as a reviewer for the current issue of the State Bar of California’s Business Law News (Issue No. 3, 2016). The executive board of the business law section also chose him to serve as editor in chief for the 2016-2017 term. On a separate note, he also was appointed to the board of directors of the Riverside Medical Clinic Charitable Foundation as treasurer for a one-year term.

 

 

 

Heather Ontiveros, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, and Jennifer Zamora, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, helped organize SoCal HEAL, an inter-professional education event, on Nov. 4 held at The Grove Community Church in Riverside. Thirty CBU students were among the almost 400 students from six different health care educational institutions attended. The goals were to dispel stereotypes, define healthcare and foster inter-professional communication skills and team skills that will benefit healthcare recipients in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

CBU President Dr. Ronald L. Ellis delivered the keynote address at the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce “Good Morning Riverside” gathering Dec. 8. His presentation was titled CBU Update: A Growing Legacy of Excellence and Success. The event was held in the Grand Parisian Ballroom of the Mission Inn.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Sandra Romo, assistant professor of communication for Online and Professional Studies, and Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Services, participated in the Colton Joint Unified School District coats drive with Girl Scout Troop 960. Romo and Pearson are co-leaders of the troop.

 

 

 

 

Christopher W. Flores, 7, son of Dr. William Flores, associate professor of Spanish, and Ruth Flores, visiting professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, won a first place prize at the National Elementary (K-6) Chess Championship last month. The win allowed him to be listed by the U.S. Chess Federation as top player in the category age 7 and under.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU Jazz Band performs concert “under the stars”

The sounds of swing music and the blues filled Stamps Courtyard as the California Baptist University Jazz Band performed an outdoor concert on Nov. 14.

Under the unusually large “supermoon,” students, staff, faculty and family members came out on a cool and crisp fall evening to enjoy “Jazz Under the Stars IV.”

“We have success in reaching more CBU students with our music by performing these outdoor concerts on campus,” said Guy Holliday, assistant professor of music and director of the Jazz Band. “We love to share our music with as many people as possible.”

The band performed a variety of styles, including bebop, Latin, funk and fusion. It also played highlights from the fall theatre musical, “The 1940s Radio Hour.” The musical featured the Jazz Band on stage accompanying singers performing music from the Swing Era of the 1930s and ’40s. For the jazz concert, singers performed several numbers from the show, including “Love Is Here to Stay” and “Ain’t She Sweet.”

The concert is offered to the CBU community for a variety of reasons, Holliday said, including that jazz is fun, creative to play and it is an American art form.

“We believe these gifts and talents come from God. We want to use them well and play with excellence as an act of worship,” Holliday said.

 

Engineering club impresses at first national Chem-E-Car contest

Chemical engineering students from California Baptist University received recognition for the team’s first-ever showing at the national Chem-E-Car competition on Nov. 13.

The team won the Golden Tire Award, which is presented to the car deemed most unique in design by competing teams. Additionally, the team was awarded third place for a poster the team designed that describes how the car operates. Furthermore, CBU’s Chem-E-Car earned a top 20 finish in the competition.

The Chem-E-Car competition, which took place in San Francisco, featured 41 teams, including 10 international teams.

The annual competition pitted universities’ American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) clubs against each other. The teams designed and constructed cars powered with a chemical energy source. In the competition, the car is tasked to carry a specified load over a given distance. In April, the CBU team placed third in the regional competition, which qualified the team for the national competition.

The finish is a great showing for CBU’s chemical engineering program, said Dr. Mark Anklam, professor of chemical engineering and chair of the program.

“This competition represents a great way for students to get involved with a project and have fun applying principles learned in the classroom,” Anklam said. “This can be a great draw for prospective students.”

 

CBU community packs shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child

Christmas charity was on the minds of California Baptist University students, faculty, staff and their families on Nov. 10 as they worked in groups to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child (OCC).

“The essence of the event is to bring together the CBU Family to pack boxes for children who live overseas and may not be getting a gift this year,” said Julie Dobbins, director of Compassion and Women’s Ministries at CBU and event organizer.

OCC is a project of Samaritan’s Purse that has delivered more than 135 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children affected by war, poverty, natural disasters and other crises. The gift boxes have reached approximately 150 countries and territories since 1993.

More than 1,000 individuals packed the CBU Recreation Center gym to fill more than 800 boxes with items such as hygiene products, clothes, school supplies and toys. Volunteers also had the opportunity to write a special message on a card for the child who receives the box.

“I just love that I have the opportunity to do this… just writing a little note and showing them there is someone out there who loves you makes me really happy,” said Alicia Williams, a nursing junior.

Earlier this year, Dobbins had the opportunity to travel to Guyana to deliver shoeboxes with OCC. She recalled how children would take time to read the personalized letter.

“It’s something that makes [the gift] very special and very personal,” Dobbins said. “It helps them see that there is someone across the world who cares about them.”

The event was a campus-wide effort. For instance, Residence Life provided donations for the shoeboxes, a FOCUS group assembled 500 boxes and the Associated Students of CBU decorated the gym and provided food for the event.

OCC ties into the vision and mission of the university, Dobbins said. Included with each box is a pamphlet, “The Greatest Gift,” that tells the story of Jesus.

“This is an opportunity for a child to hear the Gospel,” Dobbins said. “By giving them a gift, we’re able to meet a small need, and we’re hopefully opening a door to be able to talk to them about the greatest need, which is Christ.”

 

CBU’s “Comedy of Errors” is Shakespeare with cartoonish twist

The theatre department at California Baptist University is set to bring plenty of laughs and slapstick humor to the stage with Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors.”

Set in an Atlantic City-like world in the late 1950s, the production tells the story of two sets of identical twins who were accidentally separated at birth. When one set of twins blunders into the others’ hometown and encounters the local twins’ friends and families, a series of wild mishaps and mistaken identities create a mirth-filled theatrical experience.

Frank Mihelich, assistant professor of theatre and the play’s director, described the production as having broad slapstick humor.

“The best way to describe the style of the play is a living cartoon—think Looney Tunes,” Mihelich said.

The students had to learn a physical and choreographed method of acting, he said.

Josh Hoefling, a theatre senior, plays Dromio of Syracuse and had to learn to act similarly to his “twin.”

“I love comedy… the ability to make people laugh and have fun in the show is always a wonderful experience,” Hoefling said.

Caleb Leal, a theatre sophomore, plays the twin, Dromio of Ephesus. He worked on learning the physicality of the show and matching his twin’s movements.

“The show as a whole has been a blast and is a riot,” Leal said. “I hope the audience takes the time to relax and enjoy and laugh.”

“Comedy of Errors”

When: Nov. 17-19, at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 19, 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

 

Midnight Madness kicks off basketball season at CBU

Hundreds of students packed into the Van Dyne Gym at California Baptist University to welcome the basketball season with the high-energy Midnight Madness event on Nov. 9.

Midnight Madness, one of the most popular events at CBU, had students lining up overnight Monday to secure tickets for the evening’s activities that included a concert, dunk competition, cheer routines and plenty of Lancer pride.

Lancers have many reasons to be excited about the upcoming season. The men’s squad was ranked No. 9 nationally by the Association of Basketball Coaches NCAA Division II Preseason Poll and named preseason favorite to the win the PacWest Conference. Additionally, Michael Smith, senior guard, was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year, coming off his PacWest Player of the Year award last season. The Lancers have high expectations this year after boasting a 28-7 overall record last year, finishing with a No. 14 national ranking. CBU went to its third-straight postseason tournament last year after winning its first PacWest Tournament Championship with a 101-64 victory over rival Azusa Pacific.

The men’s team will kick off its season at home on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. against Montana State University Billings.

The women’s squad has already kicked off its season at the D2 Tipoff Classic in Orange, California, going 2-1. The Lancers were ranked No. 2 in the nation by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association prior to the start of the season. CBU went 29-3 last year and finished No. 5 nationally. This year they have also been picked to win the PacWest. Additionally, Cassidy Mihalko was named the Preseason Player of the Year. Mihalko, senior guard, is a two-time All-American, All-West Region and All-PacWest honoree.

The Lancers’ first home game is on Thursday, Nov. 17 against California State University, San Bernardino at 7 p.m.

View men’s schedule here.

View women’s schedule here.

 

NASA pilots talk career paths with CBU students

Two NASA pilots soared into town to address California Baptist University aviation students about their career options including one in unmanned systems on Nov. 8.

Scott Howe, a research test pilot, and Herman Posada, a research pilot, flew a NASA T-34C aircraft into the Riverside Municipal Airport to attend the event. Based out of Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, they both operate remotely piloted unmanned aircraft and mission support aircraft for NASA. The event was held in part to help promote the department of Aviation Science’s newest program—aviation unmanned systems.

Paul Haley, assistant professor of aviation science, said students are trying to determine what jobs are available. Having people who are in the industry talk to students gives them an opportunity to see what paths they can take.

“It gives the students motivation, that what they’re doing … is all for a reason,” Haley said. “It also gives them exposure to people they maybe would have never met.”

Howe attended the Air Force Academy, where he became a pilot and flew the F-15C tactical fighter aircraft. After the Air Force, he worked for a contractor before joining NASA.

“One of my favorite parts of the job is no two months are ever the same,” Howe said.

Posada, who soloed in a plane before he could drive a car, worked at General Atomics, a defense contractor, before going to NASA.

“We’re in a niche aviation,” Posada said. “Unmanned is a fascinating field.”

Brandan Walker, a flight aviation sophomore and former Army serviceman, wants to return to the Army as a flight officer. He said he could see himself working at NASA in the future.

“It was a good opportunity to see the different paths you can take,” Walker said.

 

CBU art students take learning to the community

With the noise of elementary school-age kids playing in the background and with an occasional ball or two bouncing near them, California Baptist University art students continued with their task at hand—painting a mural in the school’s playground.

Ten students in ART 300, Advanced Art, are creating a mural at Tomas Rivera Elementary in Riverside.

The project gives the students painting experience plus exposure to the community, said Kristi Lippire, assistant professor of visual art.

“They get to be part of the whole process,” Lippire said. “It’s one thing to be handed a design and do it, but from concept to finished product, it’s all them.”

Creighton Goodman, assistant professor of aviation flight and a parent who has children attending the school, asked Lippire if art students could create a mural. After getting the school district’s approval, the students began painting this semester.

The mural is the backdrop of a handball court. The images feature an adventure theme, which include an astronaut, a spaceship, a plane, a pirate ship, a mermaid and a sunken treasure. Each student is in charge of a section, so one of their challenges is to ensure the sections flow together, Lippire said.

The students also are busy building a sculpture for Riverside’s Festival of Lights, which is scheduled to be on display Nov. 25 – Jan. 7 outside the Riverside Art Museum (RAM).

This is the second year the class is creating a sculpture for RAM. Students are making an abstract art piece representing ice and light using wood, metal, plexiglass and lights.

The project gives them real-world experience, Lippire said. When determining what to create and how, students needed to talk about longevity, structure and mass appeal.

“It’s one thing to have an idea, it’s another thing to actually try to execute it,” Lippire said. “It’s an opportunity to expand their concepts and then the practical side of actually executing that concept.”

Lauren Sankey, a visual arts junior, said it has been fun to work on projects for the community. For the mural, she had to learn how to mix paint, for the sculpture, she learned how to drill and sand.

“It’s nice to get out of your comfort zone and do things you’re not used to,” Sankey said. “I think it’s making me a more well-rounded artist.”

 

Events Center to offer online ticketing through new partnership

California Baptist University entered into a multi-year ticketing partnership with TicketsWest to offer 24/7 online ticketing for events at the new Events Center. The university-wide partnership will center on developing and implementing a new ticketing system for CBU’s 5,050-seat venue slated to open in April of 2017.

Dr. Micah Parker, director of athletics, said he is thrilled with new partnership.

“TicketsWest has shown that they are among the elite ticketing partners in the country. This partnership will allow CBU to significantly expand our ticketing platform for all events on our campus, including athletic events, summer camps, graduations and theater arts,” Parker said. “With over 200 ticketed events held on campus, our fans will be able to seamlessly view and purchase tickets via their desktop, tablet, mobile device or at the new box office located at the new events center. With this partnership, the real winner will be our fans that come out to enjoy athletic and theater events on campus.”

For more information on ticketing, please contact Zachary LaGuardia, director of ticketing and sales at zlaguardia@calbaptist.edu.

 

Homecoming events draw large crowds to campus

Homecoming activities at California Baptist University drew an estimated 7,500 alumni and friends to campus on Nov. 4-5.

Friday evening, the annual Alumni Awards Dinner recognized several alumni: Dave King (’69), recipient of the Lancer Medal for Lifetime Achievement Award; Darrel Walker (’75), Alumnus of the Year Award; Candice Trummell (‘07), recipient of the Young Alumni Achievement Award; Mike McGuffee (’74), recipient of the Distinguished Service in Christian Ministry Award; and Eric McBride (’09) recipient of the Alumni Service Award.

On Saturday, the festivities shifted outside with a Block Party featuring games, live music, food, academic displays and activities for the whole family.

For Juliana O’Neal, a freshman international studies major, it might have been her first homecoming weekend but the event made her feel at home.

“The atmosphere feels like one big family here,” O’Neal said. “There’s stuff here for people of all ages to do and listening to the live music has been fun as well.”

The Christian band The Digital Age performed in the afternoon for the second annual “Zest”ival music concert.

Alumnus Nick Van Dyke (’87) said he enjoys homecoming because it reminds him of the pleasant memories he has of CBU.

“Coming back for homecoming is such a good feeling because from my experience [at CBU], this a second home for me,” Dyke said.

Grace Allen (’15) said her two years at CBU were the best years of her life.

“I found myself while I was here at CBU,” Allen said. “I got to grow a lot and learn a lot about myself and my faith in Christ, about Him and how much He loves me.”

The annual Fortuna Bowl championship games on Saturday evening drew a packed crowd of more than 5,000. Bus Drivers won the women’s game and Fruit of the Boom came out on top on the men’s side. The night also featured a firework show after the games.

 

Chapel kicks off homecoming weekend at CBU

California Baptist University started off Homecoming 2016 on Nov. 4 with chapel service that featured Christian band The Digital Age and Pastor Josh Daffern (’99).

The Digital Age, from Waco, Texas, performed lively worship music that got students clapping their hands and stomping their feet through several songs. Then Daffern, a pastor at MTV church in Columbus, Mississippi, shared a message on how students can have a positive influence on the future of Christianity.

Believers need to be disciples of Jesus rather than stereotypical Christians—and there is a difference, Daffern said.

“What the world needs is an uprising of disciples, people who live a radical life, who look a lot like the chief rebel and the chief instigator of our faith—Jesus,” Daffern said.

Disciples not only agree with the teachings of Jesus, they obey them, he said.

“[Jesus] said it’s not enough to agree with the words of Scripture, you have to obey them as well,” Daffern said.

Daffern challenged students to help change the perception of Christianity by living out Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, such as not judging others, turning the other cheek and praying for their enemies.

A disciple also needs to depend on the Holy Spirit, Daffern said.

“You cannot live out the Sermon on the Mount on your own power. It’s too difficult and will leave you frustrated and disillusioned,” Daffern said. “We have to learn how to depend on the Holy Spirit, like the early church depended on the Holy Spirit.”

A disciple also runs toward the messes, said Daffern.

“God doesn’t love us because we’re good. God loves us because we’re His,” Daffern said. “God has children all over this planet who are hurting … and as the hands and feet of Jesus, He wants us to run toward the messes.”

 

CBU alumni share experiences of joining the workforce

California Baptist University alumni offered advice on how to prepare for the workforce and what to expect after college at the “Footsteps to Follow” event on Nov. 3. The Career Center and the Alumni Relations Office at CBU organized the event.

The evening program consisted of a panel of eight alumni who worked in varied fields such as engineering, accounting, health and art. The participants included Aaron Singer (‘16), Geoff Gouveia (‘13), Lisa Prins (‘16), Ben Coe (‘15), Ken Herrink (‘14), Katie Wester (‘14), Bryce Huyser (‘14) and Morgan Hydinger (‘14).

Gouveia, a freelance artist, described how his jobs come through working hard each day.

“In school, the professor will give you an assignment and its due in two weeks and you’ll get feedback,” Gouveia said. “A lot of the times in the real world … it’s really just about putting in work day after day. The work that I’m doing now is because of the seeds I had planted two years ago, and it is now coming to fruition, so it’s really about patience.”

Panelists also stressed building connections within CBU, especially help securing internships. Coe, a speech language pathologist assistant, said he did not take advantage when professors talked of job openings.

“I didn’t take a hold of that opportunity. After I graduated I couldn’t land a job immediately,” Coe said. “I later realized that if I had taken those opportunities, I would have settled into a job (sooner) after I had graduated.”

 

Family Updates

Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences, presented a workshop at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Conference on Nov. 2 in Rancho Mirage. The workshop was titled International Service: Pitfalls, Ethics, and Best Practices in Host Locations.

 

 

 

Dr. Robert G. LaChausse, associate professor of public health, presented Innovative Approaches to Evaluating Implementation Fidelity in Health Programs at the American Evaluation Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 24-29. He also presented Influence of Parental Monitoring on Adolescent Drug Use at the American Public Health Association National Conference in Denver on Oct.-Nov. 2.

 

 

 

Dr. Gretchen Bartels, assistant professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper, A Little Bit of Sugar and Quite a Bit more Spice: Maggie Tulliver, Desire, Rage, and the Doll, at the North American Victorian Studies Association Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, on Nov. 3.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Julie Browning, associate professor of accounting for Online and Professional Studies, presented at the Western Council Regional Conference of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs in San Diego on Oct. 20.  Her presentation was titled Using Experiential Learning in the Classroom to Replicate Job Experience.

 

 

 

Dr. Trevor Gillum, associate professor of kinesiology, and Nathan Bodell, kinesiology graduate student, had an article published in International Journal of Exercise Science (Volume 9: Issue 5). The title of the article was 90 Minutes of Moderate-Intensity Exercise does not attenuate Postprandial Triglycerides in Older Adults.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Greg Cochran, associate professor of applied theology, spoke at the NexGen Leadership Network in Sacramento on Oct. 24. His session was titled Provocative Preaching: Proclamation and Conflict in New Testament Perspective.

 

 

 

 

Tyler Cox, director of recreation programs, and Chris Hofschroer, assistant dean of students – community life, presented at the 2016 NIRSA Region VI Conference in Riverside on Nov. 2-4. They spoke on It’s Not Just the T-Shirt – The Importance of Intramural Championships. Attendees from schools such as Stanford, UCLA, University of Arizona and other regional universities were challenged to reframe their thinking in regards to intramural championships and saw how CBU is an industry leader in student retention and alumni reconnection through intramural championship events such as Fortuna Bowl.

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Services, spoke to California Lutheran University’s PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) chapter on Nov. 8. Her talk, Personal Branding for Success after Commencement, encouraged students to research their employment options, find a mentor and complete internships.

 

 

 

Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history, contributed multiple articles on denominations, literature and biographical figures for Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Nov. 11, 2016).

 

 

 

Matthew McConnell, technical director in the School of Music, made a presentation at the ProLight + Sound convention in Shanghai on Oct. 26. He presented on Introduction to Overseas Recording Major Courses, Student Cultivation and Recording Technology.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, served on the executive planning committee for the 16th Annual Binational Health Fair held at the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino on Oct. 23.  Sturz has served on the planning committee for the last six years and fulfilled the position of coordinator for the health education presentations.  The health fair kicked off the Annual Binational Health Week, which involved collaboration among more than 80 health agencies and community organizations, foreign governments, multiple universities and served approximately 2,000 participants.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ogbochi McKinney, assistant professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper at the 150^th Annual American Public Health Association (APHA) Conference held in Denver on Oct. 30-Nov. 2. The paper, Factors Associated with the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa: African immigrants’ Perceptions, was a collaborative effort between McKinney and Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies.

 

 

Dr. William Flores, associate professor of Spanish, wrote a chapter in Gabriel García Márquez in Retrospect (Lexington Books). The title of the chapter is Satire, Ecocentrism, and Luddite Discourse in One Hundred Years of Solitude: Regional Approaches for a Global Environmental Crisis.

 

 

 

Dr. Monica O’Rourke, visiting professor of kinesiology for Online and Professional Studies, helped plan, organize and presided over the first Christian Society for Kinesiology and Leisure Studies international webinar series hosted by CBU Online and Professional Studies on Oct 24. Joe Cameron, online learning systems administrator, and Dr. Torria Davis, instructional designer for Online and Professional Studies, assisted with the technology during the webinar. The webinar was titled Faith Integration: Teaching Integratively in Kinesiology. O’Rourke also spoke to more than 300 Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) students at Rialto High School in San Bernardino on Oct. 14. She shared her testimony and spoke about careers in the field of health science.

 

 

Students Hannah Bernal, Christopher Chen and William Ernst, working with Dr. A. Louise Perkins, professor of computer science, presented their research, Lukasiewicz Logic Examples Provide Hands-on Truth Table Exploration, at the Southern California Conferences for Undergraduate Research on Nov. 12 at UC Riverside.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU launches online Christmas Gift Catalog

California Baptist University has launched a new tool to make it easier than ever to support the CBU mission through an online Christmas Gift Catalog.

The catalog, hosted on calbaptist.edu/gift, launched on Nov. 2.

“This new online Christmas Gift Catalog provides a convenient way for donors to learn about and support many of the exciting things that are happening at California Baptist University,” said Dr. Mark A. Wyatt, interim vice president for university advancement. “The opportunities for giving that are included in the catalog make it easy to give to student scholarships, individual academic programs, support for athletics and much, much more.”

Using the online Christmas Gift Catalog, individuals may specify programs or projects they wish to support with their gifts, many of which may be tax deductible. They can also make gifts on behalf of others. In that case, CBU also will notify the person that a special donation has been made on their behalf. Qualifying gifts will be acknowledged with a receipt for tax purposes.

Click here to review the categories and specific giving opportunities.

 

2016 Homecoming to take place over the weekend

California Baptist University will host alumni and friends at Homecoming and Family Weekend on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4-5.

The activities kicked off at chapel services on Friday at 9:30 a.m. Worship was led by Christian recording band The Digital Age, and the chapel speaker was Josh Daffern (’99), lead pastor of Mt. Vernon Church in Mississippi.

Friday evening, the annual Alumni Awards Dinner (tickets required) takes place at the Recreation Center. Awards will be presented to Dave King (’69), recipient of the Lancer Medal for Lifetime Achievement Award; Darrel Walker (’75), Alumnus of the Year Award; Candice Trummell (‘07), recipient of the Young Alumni Achievement Award; Mike McGuffee (’74), recipient of the Distinguished Service in Christian Ministry Award; and Eric McBride (’09), Alumni Service Award.

On Saturday, the Alumni Association holds its annual meeting at 9 a.m. in the Copenbarger Dining Room. At 10 a.m., the Athletics Association hosts the third annual FLAApjack Breakfast at the Van Dyne Gym lawn.

A Block Party scheduled from noon to 8 p.m. will feature events and activities for all ages, including food trucks, inflatable attractions for children, games, live entertainment and interactive academic booths on the Front Lawn. Campus tours also will be available.

Food truck vendors will include Belly BombZ (Korean chicken wings and sliders); JoJo’s Grill a Dog (gourmet hotdogs); Classic Taco Truck (burritos, quesadilla and tacos); Cousins Maine (lobster rolls and lobster tacos); Big Wave Grill (cheeseburgers and fries); Sweet Stop (corn dogs and fruit juices); Frankie’s Frozen Treats (shaved ice) and Kettle Masters of America (kettle corn).

The CBU Lancers women’s volleyball team will host Concordia University, Irvine at 2 p.m. in the Van Dyne Gym.

There will also be the second annual “Zest”ival concert with The Digital Age in Stamps Courtyard at 3:30 p.m. The free concert will feature festival-style seating—spectators should bring a blanket or lawn chair.

The Fortuna Bowl kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday. The annual event features men’s and women’s championship intramural flag football games.

The 2016 Homecoming weekend activities will close with a fireworks show immediately following the Fortuna Bowl championship game.

For more information, contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at 951-343-4439 or visit www.calbaptist.edu/homecoming.

 

MacArthur stresses need for convictions during address at CBU

Pastors need to have convictions like the Apostle Paul in order to say they fought the good fight and they kept the faith, Dr. John MacArthur told an audience at California Baptist University.

“Convictions are what control your life,” MacArthur said. “The fewer convictions you have, the more vulnerable you are.”

MacArthur is pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and president of The Master’s College and The Master’s Seminary. He spoke at the School of Christian Ministries Lecture Series on Nov. 1.

MacArthur stated that Paul, despite hardships and persecution, remained faithful in his ministry until the end of his life. Paul lived by certain convictions and gospel certainties that protected him, and today’s pastors need to do the same, MacArthur said.

One of Paul’s convictions was in the superiority of the New Covenant, MacArthur said, adding that pastors today need to live in awe of the gospel.

“You have to be so overwhelmed with the reality of what God has done in your life that you wouldn’t even think of doing anything other than live to proclaim the glory of that gospel,” he said.

Another necessary conviction, according to MacArthur, is that results depend on God. If someone does not believe the Gospel, pastors are not to change the message, he said. The power to make someone believe is not in their hands.

“What is in your hands is to preach Jesus is Lord,” MacArthur sad. “That’s where you’re done and God steps in.”

MacArthur said Paul also had a conviction of his own insignificance, referring to himself as a jar of clay in II Corinthians 4:7.

“The power is not in the pot. That’s why God gets all the glory,” MacArthur said. “Our weakness, our smallness doesn’t not prove fatal to the work of the gospel.”

 

Chapel speaker tells of the hope she found in a shoebox

“I was afraid to open my shoebox, because until that point, I had been disappointed so many times in my life,” Elena Hagemeier said of the box she received from Operation Christmas Child. “I was afraid that the inside of my box wouldn’t be as bright as the outside of the box.”

Hagemeier grew up in a very poor and abusive home in the former Soviet Union. When she was 8, she and her younger sister where placed in an orphanage, Hagemeier told California Baptist University students in chapel on Oct. 31.

Although life was better, Hagemeier recalled not having hope for her future. Then, when she was around 10 years old, she got the shoebox from Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. It was the first gift she had ever received.

She let her sister, who liked to draw, open her box first. It was full of coloring books, markers and colored pencils.

“The cool thing about these shoeboxes—God knows where these shoeboxes go,” Hagemeier said

When Hagemeier opened her box, it was full of pink items, a color that she loved. However, the shoebox meant more to her than just the stuff inside.

“This small box was telling me that I was worth somebody’s time to pack a box,” Hagemeier said.

The shoeboxes included a booklet, “The Greatest Gift,” in her language, which told the story about Jesus. Although she could not imagine a God that would love her so much, Hagemeier started to pray for a family for her and her sister. In 2004, they were adopted by an American family.

Hagemeier encouraged CBU students to participate in Operation Christmas Child.

“What [the children] will love the most is the fact that you packed a shoebox for them, and that [some will] feel love for the first time and that they get to feel that hope that God gives them,” Hagemeier said. “That is the greatest gift that we can give to these kids.”

CBU packed more than 550 shoeboxes last year. This year, the CBU community can participate in Operation Christmas Child on Nov. 10 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Recreation Center.

 

Interprofessional pilot program aims to better equip students

More than 100 California Baptist University graduate students from six health care programs gathered on Oct. 28 as part of a pilot program for new interprofessional education (IPE).

The Interprofessional Education Seminar, held at CBU’s College of Health Science campus, came as a result of an IPE committee that is working to create interprofessional curriculum for CBU students.

“The end goal of all of this is to help our students be collaborative practice-ready, which is a requirement in health care now,” said Dr. Dayna Herrera, associate professor of nursing and the IPE committee chair. “Working in teams shows improvements in patient care and community outcomes.”

Dr. Nicole MacDonald, professor of athletic training, said bringing students together to learn how to work with each other goes beyond traditional classroom discussions.

“Just sitting in a classroom [next to] other professions is not interprofessional education,” MacDonald said. “You need to learn about them, learn how to work with them, learn what their roles are and then you need to educate them on what your roles are.”

Heather Ontiveros, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, organized the seminar. In prior occupations, she transitioned from an athletic trainer to a physician assistant and noticed a gap in communication between the two health providers.

“Because of my relationships, I was able to bridge gaps,” Ontiveros said. “We need to be comfortable calling other professions.”

During the seminar, students teamed up on a case study that helped them understand each profession’s roles and responsibilities within a patient’s care.

Elvis Garcia, an athletic training graduate student, learned how many of the roles between professions overlap.

“It’s easy just to focus on our profession,” Garcia said. “It’s easy to not even think about other providers and the relationship they have with your patient, [but] it’s critical for the best patient health overall.”

Herrera said more health care programs are being required to have IPE in their curriculum as part of accreditation standards, she said.

“IPE improves patient outcomes because providers have to work in teams,” Herrera said. “They all have a part to play; not one person can do it all.”

 

Club aimed at female students pursuing careers in medicine

A desire to support women pursuing careers in medicine led Jocelyn Parra, a health science senior, and her friends to start an academic club at California Baptist University last year. This year the club has grown to 25 female students.

“We wanted a group that focused on helping students build connections with medical professionals and give opportunities to do community outreach,” Parra said.

The club—the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)—holds professional development events throughout the year. The group also invites medical professionals to share their experiences as health providers; guest speakers have included doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and medical school admission counselors. The club has also provided a social forum for members to discuss women’s issues in medicine along with developing a plan to balance the roles of seeking a career in medicine and raising a family. Additionally, the club members perform volunteer work, such as participating in health fairs and assisting in medical clinics.

“The aim of this club is to prepare female students for work as clinicians in healthcare,” said Dr. Marshare Penny, associate professor of public health and faculty advisor for AMWA. “For this club, the students are able to connect with national chapters and have access to resources that will help them be successful in the future.”

Parra said she hopes students stay connected beyond CBU.

“I would love for students to be empowered and motivated to continue their careers with the connections and networks that they will make through this club,” Parra said.

 

CBU nutrition course challenges students’ eating habits

College students are not necessarily known for their good eating habits. Dr. Jan Edmisten, professor of kinesiology, would like that reputation to change.

Edmisten teaches KIN 300: Nutrition Science at California Baptist University. The course offers students the opportunity to learn what a healthy eating lifestyle entails through the study of nutrition.

“We try to talk about the most general macronutrients, like carbohydrates, nutrients, fats and how those are broken down and used by the body,” Edmisten said.

Although this class was originally designed for exercise science and kinesiology majors, Edmisten said many College of Health Science students enroll in the course to fulfill their upper division requirements.

“We tried to design the course with enough science to help the student understand what happens when you take in food and what it does in your body, but with enough application that it applies across a lot of majors,” Edmisten said.

Edmisten said she hopes the course will transform the typical college student’s diet, influencing them to seek positive change in their eating habits.

Matt Garcia, an exercise science senior, said the class has had an impact on his food choices.

“This class definitely helped me learn more about healthy habits and about what ingredients are in the food we eat on a regular basis,” Garcia said. “I enjoyed learning about what we need to eat to stay healthy and what we can do to prevent diseases, such as diabetes.”

Preventative action taken against disease during college years through healthy eating is a habit students will carry with them for the rest of their lives, Edmisten said.

“I think (this course) is important because the more you learn about your body, the better steward you can be of what God gave us,” Edmisten said. “He wants us to live a full and happy life, and it’s hard to do that when you’re sick all the time; so I try to teach it from that approach.”

 

Former NFL player shares his journey with CBU audience

“I just wanted to be in the marching band with my white shoes and my green uniform and marching at halftime,” former NFL player Reggie Doss told a California Baptist University audience. “But God had other plans for me.”

Doss, who played in more than 200 games for the Los Angeles Rams from 1978 – 1988, was invited to speak by the department of mathematical sciences at CBU to help launch their newest major—sports analytics.

Doss grew up in Texas and dreamed of participating in halftime show at NFL games. But when a high school friend noticed his talent in a PE class and encouraged Doss to play football, Doss took his advice and joined the school’s team.

Doss said in high school he was not the best player on his team but had undeveloped talent. After high school, he attended a small NCAA Division II school—Hampton University—to continue playing football and to see if he could develop his talent. It was there that he learned the value of hard work.

His team would go through a grueling two-week pre-season training regimen, including holding practice four times a day starting at 5 a.m. It was this intense environment that Doss credits to preparing him for a career in the NFL.

“God doesn’t put things in your life just to put them in your life as an obstacle,” he said. “[These experiences] make you stronger.”

Doss said when he got to his first day of training camp in the NFL, he felt that his college training was harder.

“When I got into camp I knew what to expect…I had been through one of the toughest camps in the nation,” Doss said. “With all the hard work and wanting to succeed, that is what really made me excel.”

Doss said he was fortunate to play as a defensive lineman in the NFL, but his purpose in life did not end there.

Doss and his wife, Tamara, have adopted three children. After living as a single man for 48 years, he now lives to raise his family.

“God touched my heart and my wife’s heart,” he said. “My life is completely different now than in my single days, and God has a way working His way through me.”

 

Lecturer urges students to use their passions to make an impact

“Honor God, yourself and the world by knowing who you are, what makes your heart sink and break. That fertile soil where your passions combine can lead to beautiful things for you and the world,” Curtis Romjue told an audience at California Baptist University.

Romjue is president and co-founder of First Aid Arts, an organization that trains others to use the arts to help trauma survivors begin the process of recovering from experiences such as abuse, violence or natural disaster. He spoke on Oct. 20 as part of the School of Behavioral Sciences’ Culture and Justice Lecture Series.

There are currently 30 million people around the world who are victims of modern-day slavery, Romjue said. First Aid Arts offers training and materials to equip professional and volunteer care providers to help those who are rescued. Trauma survivors are encouraged to use various art forms such as drawing or dancing as an escape and to help in their healing.

Romjue encouraged the students to discover what their passions are and also what makes their hearts break. That will help them determine how to use their passions to make a positive impact on the world.

While in college, Romjue heard Gary Haugen, president of International Justice Mission, speak on rescuing children as young as 4- and 5-year-olds from brothels. That spurred in him a desire to create a solution to such a problem.

“For me, coming out with that new knowledge that slavery still exists … prompted me to ask, what can I do about it?” Romjue said.

He developed First Aid Arts in response to the needs of social workers serving survivors of sex trafficking and slave labor.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Shasha Zheng, assistant professor of nutrition, presided as chairperson for the Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Session and Marine Biotechnology Session at the Global Biotechnology Congress in Boston on Aug. 22-25, and gave a presentation on phytonutrient and bioactivity analysis of traditionally used Native American edible plants. Zheng also wrote a chapter, Fish, Fish Oil and Liver Cancer, in a recently published book Fish and Fish Oil in Health and Disease Prevention.

 

 

 

Victoria Brodie, visiting professor of public relations, served as the chairperson for the first day of Leadership Riverside’s class of 2017 on Sept. 9. Leadership Riverside is a 10-month program developed to educate decision-makers in the community by immersing them in the issues and challenges that shape Riverside’s future.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Kathryn A. Short, professor of education, recently received a $9,000 grant from the James L. Stamps Foundation to purchase a Nao humanoid robot for her study working with 4-year-old children with autism. She is currently on sabbatical researching the use of robotics, specifically a humanoid, as a communication tool to solicit joint attention and language skills with children who have difficulty engaging and connecting in social situations.

 

 

 

Dr. David Pearson, dean of the College of Health Science, spoke at the college’s Distinguished Lecture Series event on Oct. 18 in honor of his professional mentor, Dick Yoder. Yoder, a coach, director of athletics and director of the graduate program in Athletic Administration at West Chester University, was to be a speaker in the series but died in May. The topic of the presentation was Finding your professional self. Pearson made a similar presentation at Woodcrest Christian School in Riverside for its 2016 College, Military, and Career Day event on Oct. 19.

 

 

Dr. Juliann Perdue, associate professor of nursing, and Rugar, a certified therapy dog, presented at the 12^th Nursing and Healthcare Congress in Vancouver, Canada, on Oct. 3. Perdue spoke on the topic of Integrating animal-assisted interventions in nursing curriculum.

 

 

 

Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology, co-authored a paper, The thnR gene is a negative transcription regulator of the thurinicn H genetic cassette in Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. morrisoni, that was published online in the journal Archives in Microbiology (October 2016).

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff Cate, professor of New Testament, had two essays published in Book of Seven Seals (Mohr Siebeck) on the manuscripts of the Revelation of John. One essay analyzes a small, enigmatic 7^th century papyrus fragment from the book of Revelation that was found in Egypt in the early 20^th century. The other essay compares two miniature Greek NT manuscripts, one housed in Athens, Greece, and the other in the UC-Riverside special collections, that were both copied from the same exemplar in the 13th century.

 

 

Shawn Wilhite, assistant professor of Christian studies for Online and Professional Studies, edited and was the primary contributor to Apostolic Fathers Greek Reader vol 2 (Glossa House 2016). He also co-authored a chapter in the book, Didache and Barnabas. He also has had four book reviews published: The Genre and Development of the Didache by Nancy Pardee; Augustine’s Theology of Preaching by Peter T. Sanlon; and Ancient Christian Worship: Early Church Practices in Social, Historical, and Theological Perspective by Andrew B. McGowan were published in Trinity Journal 37; You Are My Son: The Family of God in the Epistle to the Hebrews by Amy L. B. Peeler was published in Reviews of Biblical and Early Christian Studies.

 

Dr. Melissa Antonio, assistant professor of biology, had an essay, Giving Repetitive Courses A Fresh Look, published on the Emerging Scholars Network blog.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, delivered the University’s report to messengers at the 2016 annual meeting of the California Southern Baptist Convention in Sacramento on Oct. 25.

 

 

 

 

 

Elevate, an ensemble from the Collingsworth School of Music, led worship during the opening session of the 2016 California Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Sacramento on Oct. 25.

 

 

 

 

The Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business hosted an alumni panel on Oct. 12 featuring Micah Tokuda (’09, ’10), Paula Mora (’11, ’12), Grant Young (’10, ’13), Ashley Hoppes (’15) and Michelle Van Gent (’15, nee Cok). The panelists shared with students about life after CBU and the lessons that they had learned since graduating.

 

 

 

The Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business hosted 22 students from the Business Academy at Canyon Springs High School on Oct. 22. Dr. Keanon Alderson, associate professor of business, facilitated the visit. Students sat in a class, toured the campus and heard from members of the Jabs School of Business Student Leadership Council.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Natalie Winter, associate professor of marketing, spoke on living selflessly as God’s child, a message from I Corinthians, at Compass Bible Church in Aliso Viejo on Oct. 11-12.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, chair of arts and sciences for CBU/Online and Professional Studies, presented at the ninth annual Mentoring Conference at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Oct. 26. The presentation was on her paper, Natural, Holistic Mentoring, which was published in the conference journal.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Andrew Herrity, professor of entrepreneurship and business, wrote a paper that won Best Academic Paper from the Christian Business Faculty Association. The paper is titled Preparing Young Adults for Ministry in the Marketplace: Observations, Explanations and Implications of Truthfulness as Utilitarian Rather Than Virtuous among Millennials.

 

 

 

Dr. Joel Bigley, assistant professor of business, co-authored a paper that was published in the International Journal of Business and Applied Social Science (Vol.2, No. 9). The name of the paper was Sustained Advantage from a Robust Dimensional Design.

 

 

 

Dr. Monica O’Rourke, visiting professor of kinesiology, was elected to serve as the Future Professional Liaison for the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD).  Her three-year term involves advising CAHPERD’s future professional president and overseeing leadership opportunities for university kinesiology students across the state.

 

 

 

Jim Scheer, landscape lead for Facilities and Planning Services, has been chosen employee of the month for November. The nomination form included the following statements: “Jim is a hard worker, very diligent and dedicated to the beauty of the campus. He’s a kind, helpful and encouraging person. Jim is always willing to lend a hand and will go out of his way to make sure that the job is completed. He is a spiritual leader to his co-workers and with the student workers; an example of Christ in his gentle and humble spirit.”

 

 

 

Dr. Greg Cochran, associate professor of applied theology, had his book, Christians in the Crosshairs: Persecution in the Bible and Around the World Today, published in September by Weaver Book Co.

 

 

 

 

CBU Online announces the opening of a Career Center office aimed at Online and Professional Studies students. The opening is coordinated with a veterans’ event being held Nov. 11. Laura Acosta, associate director of the Career Center, will head up the office, which is located at Tyler Plaza, 10370 Hemet St., Suite 140, Riverside.

 

 

 

Lynnae Nagel, College of Nursing data technician, and her husband, Charles, welcomed their first child on Sept. 3. Wayde Niklaus Nagel weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 20 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU enrollment tops 9,000, continuing growth trend

Fall 2016 enrollment at California Baptist University set another record with 9,157 students—a 7.2 percent increase above the fall enrollment figure the previous year, President Ronald L. Ellis announced Sept. 30.

The year to year increase numbered 616 more students than the previous record of 8,541 established in 2015, Ellis said.

“The Lord continues to bless CBU in a mighty way,” Ellis told members of the California Baptist University Board of Trustees at their regular fall meeting.

“In the last 24 months we have had an enrollment increase of 1,200,” he said, noting that the two-year growth total was greater than the annual enrollment in any of CBU’s first 44 years of operation.

Ellis said CBU’s continuing enrollment growth is taking place “across the board” in all markets—undergraduate, graduate and online.

This fall marks the first time graduate enrollment at CBU has exceeded 2,000 students. Ellis said a net increase of 310 students pushed the graduate total to 2,221 for fall 2016, compared to 1,911 the year before.

“We are very excited for each student represented by these numbers and we praise the Lord,” Ellis said.

“Absorbing that (increase) takes a tremendous effort on the part of our faculty and staff, but we are committed to the Great Commission and we truly welcome the growth,” he added.

Founded in 1950, CBU is a private comprehensive institution located in Riverside, Calif. and affiliated with the California Southern Baptist Convention. CBU is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, and the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities.

 

Professor serves to make Christ known in action-sports scene

During the workweek, Dr. Monica O’Rourke is busy teaching and helping her CBU Online students. But along with her regular job, she is also a passionate weekend warrior for Christ.

O’Rourke, visiting professor of kinesiology for Online and Professional Studies at California Baptist University, is frequently found helping at motocross tracks or watercross competitions. O’Rourke has been involved with husband Brian’s ministry—Team Faith—since the couple married more than 11 years ago. The organization is a nonprofit outreach ministry geared toward professional action-sports athletes.

O’Rourke has her own dirt bike and Jet Ski. She has even been known to race against her husband to help him train.

“The Lord tells us to go … and I would add go to the motocross, dirt bike, action sport people who are tattooed from head to toe,” O’Rourke said.

Team Faith sends teams to nationally televised sporting events all across the nation and to countries such as Egypt and Canada. The group includes a chaplain, who leads devotions and provides other services as needed, and the athletes who compete in the events. Team Faith also provides free meals or fruit smoothies and Bibles to participants of action sporting events. The group’s athletes include Kevin Johnson, an X-Games gold medalist, and Kelly Smith, a national watercraft champion. The group also has a freestyle motocross jump show that opens the door for the team to share the Gospel.

Prior to teaching at CBU, O’Rourke worked as a physical educator, a university PE program director and a corporate health consultant. With Team Faith, she serves as the director of public relations. She also works behind the scenes, from meeting ministry needs and praying for the athletes and families to cleaning bikes, taping athletes’ wrists and feet and offering rehab exercises.

O’Rourke travels with the teams one or two weekends a month during the winter and more during the summer.

“It’s an honor to serve, and they need Jesus just as much as anybody else does,” O’Rourke said.

Years ago, she wrote “be available” on a sticky note that she still holds onto.

“I ask God to keep my eyes and my heart and my ears open,” O’Rourke said. “We are all called by the Great Commission to go serve. Why would we not be going through action sports, performing there as well as sharing the Gospel?”

 

Professor receives federal grant to study youth drug prevention

A federal grant awarded to Dr. Robert G. LaChausse, department chair and associate professor of public health sciences at California Baptist University, will fund a five-year study of drug prevention among youth in Riverside County.

LaChausse, a recognized expert in preventing high-risk health behaviors among youth, plans to use the $500,000 award from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to work with the city of Jurupa Valley and local nonprofit community-based agencies. The research project is designed to develop and study innovative approaches to drug prevention among youth.

“Alcohol, tobacco or other drug use during adolescence is associated with a wide range of health, social and academic problems,” LaChausse said. “The opportunity to work with the city of Jurupa Valley and its Healthy Jurupa Valley Coalition represents a tremendous opportunity to reduce substance use among youth by identifying and addressing the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.”

LaChausse 28 percent of teens in grades 9-12 in Riverside County report consuming alcohol at least once within 30 days and 37 percent report using marijuana or other drugs in the same time period. Additionally, 54 percent of high school students in Riverside County said it would be very easy to obtain alcohol or drugs in their community.

LaChausse said he is interested in studying approaches to drug prevention including policy and social norm changes and examining the effectiveness of such approaches.

“The work we do in my research lab has real-world applications,” LaChausse said. “Most alcohol and drug prevention programs for teens are not effective. Understanding which types of alcohol and drug prevention approaches are effective and how to assist local organizations in implementing and evaluating their programs is crucial to making an impact.”

LaChausse also noted that the grant will allow him to hire CBU health science students, giving them an opportunity to gain experience in the realm of public health.

“CBU is well-known for its International Service Projects and the Global Health Engagement Initiative, where faculty and students go out into the world and use their skills to serve as the hands and feet of Christ abroad,” LaChausse said. “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 that the results of his study will be presented at national conferences and published in academic journals.

“I want to continue a program of research at CBU so that we are not only invited to sit at the table, but we are setting the table for other researchers and students to continue this work and make a difference in the Inland Empire and the nation.”

 

CBU Online set to offer its second doctoral program

“The 1940’s Radio Hour” opens CBU’s 2016-17 theatre season

California Baptist University’s theatre arts program is bringing comedy and music to the Wallace Theatre with its opening production for the 2016-2017 season “The 1940’s Radio Hour.”

With music by Walton Jones, the story takes place in December 1942 at a New York City radio station. The producer deals with the performers and other personnel as they put on a radio show, which includes music from the 1940s, such as “Strike up the Band,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

The cast members have grown in their abilities as they have learned to sing, hold harmonies and dance at the same time, said Lisa Lyons, adjunct professor of theatre and the play’s director.

“I hope the audience gets pure enjoyment out of the show,” Lyons said.

Assisting with the show is the jazz band from the School of Music. Seventeen musicians will be on the stage for each show, re-creating that special “big band” sound, said Dr. Guy Holliday, associate dean and director of bands.

“These shows are different from our regular concerts in that we are interacting with vocalists/dancers/actors throughout the show, so the timing, tempos and balance have to be precise,” Holliday said. “We can’t let down our energy for any part of those shows. This is what professional musicians who play musical theater shows have to do, so this is truly a real world experience for our musicians.”

Mason Lee, a theatre senior, plays Pops Bailey, a cranky old man who works at the station.

“It’s a show that’s heavily designed to just be a high energy hour and a half for an audience to come in and relax,” Lee said. “We put a lot of hard work into learning the songs, and I think the audience is going to enjoy that.”

“The 1940’s Radio Hour”

When: Oct. 21-22 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct 22, 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

 

Club Fair offers CBU students ways to connect with campus life

A Club Fair on Oct. 7 at California Baptist University offered students an opportunity to learn about the clubs on campus, sign up and ultimately get connected with other like-minded students. CBU offers nearly 60 clubs ranging from Art to Pre-Medical to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Girls to Ultimate Frisbee.

“Clubs are another way for students to feel more connected,” said Taylor Allen, program coordinator of clubs and events with Community Life. “Whatever a student is interested in, hopefully they’ll be able to find that within the clubs.”

When deciding whether to approve a club, the staff looks at what it has to offer, Allen said.

“Our biggest concern is that every student has an opportunity to join,” Allen said. “We also want clubs to be an encouraging and inviting environment for students.”

Margaret Jones, an undeclared sophomore, is president of the Slam Poetry club. She said the club is open to all types of poets and will provide an opportunity for students to have their work critiqued and practice performing.

“I want students to become involved in expressing themselves and become comfortable with that,” Jones said.

Itzel Tiscareno, a political science junior and transfer student, said she attended the Club Fair looking for clubs with ties to her major or hobbies, including being outdoors. She signed up for the Environmental Science club and looks forward to meeting new students.

“It will help me get better connected with the CBU family and grow spiritually and academically,” Tiscareno said. “I feel like if you’re involved, you learn so much more, you’re connected more.”

 

CBU students, faculty offer a helping hand at community clinic

California Baptist University students and faculty offered their clinical and educational assistance at a free community health clinic hosted at Arlanza Elementary School on Sept. 30.

Jennifer Zamora, assistant professor of physician assistance studies at CBU, helped coordinate the event. She said the fair provided health screenings such as blood pressure and blood sugar exams led by CBU physician assistant students. Additionally, CBU communication disorder students offered hearing screenings and exercise science students offered physical activities to attendees.

More than 40 CBU students and seven faculty members volunteered for the event.

“We want to serve the community and be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Zamora said.

Zamora said that the principal at Arlanza Elementary School told her that nothing like this has ever been done in their community.

“The event allowed students to practice having contact with patients, which is important; but on a larger level it’s teaching our students the importance of serving the underserved populations in our community,” Zamora said. “I hope our students develop a passion to serve the underserved through events such as this one.”

 

CBU Counseling Center hosts a week to “choose healing”

The Counseling Center at California Baptist University hosted “Choose Healing” week in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Week (Oct. 3 – 7). The center provided education to students throughout the week at various table locations on campus.

“We want to decrease the stigma about mental health [issues]. We just have a heart for our student body to realize that everybody needs help at one time or another,” said Jeff Biddle, director of the Counseling Center. “A lot of time there is a stigma out there that you have to have a severe mental health disorder, but we’re all broken.”

With the theme “Choose Healing,” each day focused on an issue pertinent to college campuses, such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, suicide and psychosis.

“The onset of significant mental, emotional crisis often happens between the ages of 18-23 nationwide,” Biddle said. “Our students are in the very window of potentially experiencing significant emotional crisis.”

Often students are surprised when faced with a mental health issue such as significant depression or anxiety and they do not know where to get help, he said.

“We want the Counseling Center to be seen as any other department on campus,” Biddle said. “We want people to understand that we’re here for them. We’re available.”

 

Meet the Firms event offers a look at prospective careers 

More than 25 employers were on hand to speak to students about job or internship opportunities at the Meet the Firms event hosted by the Career Center at California Baptist University on Sept. 29.

The majority of the organizations in attendance came from the accounting and finance industries.

Anna Crosby, an applied statistical analysis senior, said the event showed her that companies are looking for people who have life experiences.

“They’re looking for something that is just beyond your degree,” Crosby said. “They want someone who has experience in doing other things than in just their field.”

Catherine Llores, an accounting junior, said she gained some perspective on future employment opportunities.

“After talking with a lot of different companies and getting to know how they work, I now see that personality plays a big part of the hiring process,” Llores said. ”They want to know you’re a hard worker and that you are teachable.”

Mike Bishop, senior director for the Career Center, said that in the course of the year, his office will bring approximately 500 organizations on campus for students to interact with.

“Even if the students do not get a job or internship offer, each career fair offers students the opportunity to polish their interview skills for future job opportunities,” Bishop said.

Additional Career Center fairs include: Seminary Fair (Oct. 11, 2016); Government, Non-Profit and Internship Fair (Nov. 9, 2016); Summer Ministry and Job Fair (Feb. 9, 2017); Business, Engineering and Communications Fair (Feb. 22, 2017); Teacher Career Fair (March 3, 2017); and the Nursing Career Fair (April 7, 2017).

 

Ceremony signifies commitment to a career in healthcare

The inaugural class for the Master of Science in physician assistant (PA) studies at California Baptist University participated in white coat ceremony on Sept. 29. Thirty students took place in the event as family, friends and CBU faculty and staff were on hand to offer their support.

Dr. David Pearson, dean of the College of Health Science, said the ceremony is a student’s public acknowledgement that they will commit to a career in healthcare services.

“It is their professional baptism in the sense that a baptized believer is ready for continued growth and service to the Lord and similarly a white coat recipient is ready for continued growth and service to humanity,” Pearson said.

For the students, both the ceremony and being part of the first class have significant meaning.

“It means so much to me,” said Amy Plaia, a PA student. “It’s an honor and I know that it was divinely orchestrated for all of us who are in the first class.”

The two-year program features both a didactic and clinical year and is housed on the new Health Science Campus at CBU.

“This is a significant time for the College of Health Science because we regard the PA program as an essential element of our quest to transform lives through the health professions,” Pearson said.  “This group of students will have an amazing impact on the health and wellness of the Inland Empire for decades.”

 

CBU President delivers 2016 State of the University address

California Baptist University President Dr. Ronald L. Ellis shared his 2016 State of the University video address at chapel services the week of September 26. The address reported on key accomplishments at CBU over the past year and also highlighted significant upcoming events.

 

 

 

 

 

The Constitution is “a noble document,” law professor says

“I think the U.S. Constitution is one of the greatest works of human thought in world history,” Myron Steeves, a law professor, told an audience at a Constitution Day event held at California Baptist University on Sept. 28.

Steeves is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, teaches at Trinity Law School and has practiced law in the nonprofit area, particularly advising churches. Constitution Day marks the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787.

Steeves lectured on the history of the Constitution, its limits and the challenges it has faced since it was signed 229 years ago.

It has elements not seen by any other government prior to its creation, Steeves said. Those elements include centering on the individual, limiting government and privileging localism.

However, the document was not perfect, Steeves said. Some were minor flaws, some significant, such as when the creators decided to make slaves count as 3/5th a person when determining a state’s population to for legislation representation. That section was later changed by the 14^th Amendment, adopted in 1868.

The challenges of this historic document include the evolution of a nation’s priorities, the definition of words and development of technology not foreseen, Steeves said.

Despite its flaws, it is still a great document, he said.

“It is a great, magnificent and a noble document that has served well the purpose of giving us a great deal of freedom and liberty,” Steeves said. “While the document isn’t perfect, it’s done a magnificent job of giving us more liberty over a longer period of time than other country in history has experienced.”

 

CBU cheer team honored by Riverside City Council

Lancer Cheerleading was honored for the team’s fourth straight National Cheerleaders Association All-Girls Division II championship at the Riverside City Council meeting on Sept. 27.

Coach Tami Fleming also spoke to the councilmembers about her current team and some new additions, both new recruits and a new assistant coach in Brandon Seagondollar. The councilmembers expressed affirmation for the Lancers’ commitment to academics as well. The team had a combined GPA of 3.29 last year.

Read the full article here.

 

 

Family Updates

Cameron Council, customer support analyst II for Information and Technology Services, has been chosen Employee of the Month for October. The nomination form included the following statements: “Cameron is a dedicated individual with tremendous attitude and work ethic. His gentle demeanor and attentiveness are a calming influence on customers as he works with them to resolve problems. Cameron has proven to be an important part to the ITS department.”

 

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Prather, professor of aviation science, was elected and installed as president of the University Aviation Association (UAA) on Oct. 1 at its annual board meeting held in Omaha, Nebraska.  The UAA represents more than 100 collegiate aviation programs nationwide, as well as a number of aviation high schools and aviation companies. Prather will serve a one-year term as president and will serve as master of ceremonies during the 2017 UAA Fall Education conference, which will be hosted by CBU in Riverside on Sept. 13-16, 2017.

 

 

 

Dr. Robert Crosby, assistant professor of psychology for Online and Professional Studies, co-authored an article that was published in the Christian Education Journal, Volume 13. The title of the article was The measurement and evaluation of children’s ministry praxis.

 

 

 

 

Nathan Iverson, assistant professor of psychology, had an article published in the October issue of the National Institute of Career and Educational Counseling Journal. The title of the article was Career development practices: a global comparison.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Geneva Oaks, dean of the College of Nursing, and Dr. Susan Drummond, associate professor of nursing, presented at the 17^th Biennial International Conference of the International Consortium Parse Scholars at Loyola University in Chicago on Sept. 24. Their presentation was titled Witnessing Unfolding with Nursing Graduates Educated in the Humanbecoming Paradigm.

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Services, presented at the Colton Joint Unified School District’s first Career Fair held in Colton on Oct. 4. She spoke to high school students on Tips for a Successful Interview.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Joshua Knabb, associate professor of psychology, had a new workbook, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Christian Clients: A Faith-Based Workbook, published by Routledge this month.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology, and Dr, Hyun-Woo Park, professor of biology, co-authored a paper, De novo phasing with X-ray laser reveals mosquito larvicide BinAB structure, that was published in the journal Nature. Twenty-two other scientists from six national and international institutions collaborated in the study. The data obtained have provided insight into genetically engineering a potent toxin that specifically targets mosquitoes that vector a number of parasitic and viral diseases, including malaria, elephantiasis, river blindness, and dengue and West Nile encephalitis that are endemic primarily in Africa, South East Asia and Central and South America.

 

Dr. Barry Parker, librarian, had a book, The Darkened Trail, published in September. The book, a mystery/romance, is the second book in an online series, Jacob’s worlds.

 

 

 

 

Dr. William Flores, associate professor of Spanish, had an article recently published in Revista Internacional d’Humanitats, a peer-reviewed journal. The article is titled Deconstrucciones teoréticas, desmitificación y voces indígenas: hacia una ecocrítica latinoamericana [Theoretical Deconstructions, Demythifying, and Indigenous Voices: Toward a Latin American Ecocriticism].

 

 

 

Dr. Robert G. LaChausse, associate professor of public health, had an article published in the American Journal of Public Health. It was titled A Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial of the Positive Prevention PLUS Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Thomas R. Schneider, assistant professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, had an article published in the medieval literature journal Arthuriana, Fall 2016. The article is titled The Chivalric Masculinity of Marie de France’s Shape-Changers.

 

 

 

 

David Byrne, adjunct history professor for Online and Professional Studies, had an article published in the journal Restoration: Studies in English Literary Culture, 1660-1700, Volume 41. The article is titled Ragley Hall and the Decline of Cartesianism.

 

Dr. Scott B. Key, professor of philosophy, presented a lecture on The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis at the Edward-Dean Museum in Cherry Valley on Oct. 8.  The lecture, titled An Introduction to the Chronicles of Narnia, coincided with a special exhibit on children’s literature developed by the museum staff. The event was coordinated with the C. S. Lewis Foundation.

 

 

Jeff Biddle, director of the Counseling Center, recently became a California Association of Marriage Family Therapist Certified Supervisor. Certification requires completion of coursework, consultation hours with a mentor, and submission of a log and a case summary addressing specific topics pertinent to supervising marriage family therapist trainees and interns.

 

 

 

Dr. Michael Kolta, assistant professor of computer science, and his wife, Lisa, welcomed their third child on May 13. Elizabeth weighed 7 pounds, 20 ounces and measured 20 inches long. Her older siblings are Emma, 5, and Zachary, 3.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

View church as new creation of triune God, advises theologian

While the New Testament uses a variety of images to refer to the church, a theologian and author focused on one perspective during a lecture at California Baptist University. Dr. Gregg Allison urged his audience to view the church as a new creation of the triune God.

Allison is a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He has written several books, including “Historical Theology, Sojourners and Strangers,” and is the book review editor for theological, historical, and philosophical studies, “Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.”

 “The Father, Son and Holy Spirit operate inseparably yet with particular primary responsibilities to originate, develop and perfect the church as a new creation,” Allison said. He spoke Sept. 27 as part of the School of Christian Ministries Lecture Series.

Allison said the basic definition of church is the people of God who have been saved, repenting of their sins, believing in Jesus Christ, then becoming incorporated into the body through baptism of the Holy Spirit. He said he wants churches to launch new fellowships because the Holy Spirit has stirred up to the desire to bring the gospel to others.

“Each member has a gift or gifts according to the sovereign will of the Holy Spirit to be used all together with the other members and their gifts for the building up of the body of Christ,” Allison said. “Each gift is vitally important, which banishes all sense of superiority or inferiority.”

Although the church is not perfect, believers need to be part of the church, Allison said.

“Here’s my plea: love the church, serve in your church, join your church, pray for your church,” Allison said. “Your church is the work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so rejoice and flourish in being the triune God’s new creation.”

 

TWIRP tradition connects students with each other, campus life

It is officially TWIRP (The Woman Is Required to Pay) week at California Baptist University. The week is a part of many unique traditions on campus.

During TWIRP Week, girls have the opportunity to ask guys to join them at different activities, said Kristin Waters, director of campus activities for Community Life. But it is not just a date week.

“We also encourage groups of friends or whole halls to join in on the fun and attend events together,” Waters said. “The purpose of this week is to kick off the year with a fun tradition, get students connected to each other and the campus, and see a variety of activities offered through Community Life.”

This year the week’s activities include a free concert by Tow’rs (a folk band from Flagstaff, Arizona), an outing to an Angels major league baseball game, a car-less drive-in movie, a barn dance on the Front Lawn and an outing to Disney’s California Adventure.

“We think the purpose benefits the students, getting them connected to each other and to campus traditions,” Waters said. “Involvement adds value to their college experience!”

Other traditions at CBU include the Kugel walk, where new students touch the Kugel (a massive floating granite globe) and the Fortuna Bowl, the championship intramural flag football game that wraps up Homecoming in early November.

The office of Community Life also holds a number of the traditional events, such as Midnight Madness (the kickoff to the year’s basketball season) and Yule (a formal dinner in December).

 

CBU hosts inaugural “Girls in Aviation” event

The Aviation Science program at California Baptist University welcomed girls who are interested in a career in aviation to its inaugural “Girls in Aviation” event on Sept. 24.

The event was held to encourage and empower women to pursue careers in the aviation industry. Hannah Maria Guajardo, Amanda Snodgrass, Lacey Schimming and Laura Walker, who are Aviation Science seniors and the founders of the Women in Aviation International Student Chapter “Blue Yonder,” led the event.

“I would love for these young women to walk away feeling motivated and confident in pursuing a career in aviation,” Schimming said.  “It is important for them to know how big of a support system they have behind them and that they can be successful in this industry.”

Those in attendance had the opportunity to tour the Riverside Municipal Airport’s Air Traffic Control facility and several of the Aviation Science program’s aircraft. Additionally, participants performed test landings at the flight simulator studio and attended several sessions on the concepts of flying and what it takes to be successful in the industry.

Snodgrass, and Guajardo are among four CBU students who were given conditional offers of employment by ExpressJet earlier in the year.

Guajardo, who is also a CBU flight instructor, said her career path is already lined up after graduation.

“It’s a huge relief knowing that once I meet the hour requirements for the job, I have one open for me,” she said.

 

Engineering showcases CBU IndyCar at event

The Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University along with KVSH IndyCar Racing hosted an Anatomy of an IndyCar event on Sept 20. The event was geared toward high school students interested in majoring in STEM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

CBU has partnered with KVSH Racing for the current IndyCar season, which has allowed unique opportunities for CBU students to learn more about the ins-and-outs of an IndyCar. The No. 11 CBU – KVSH Racing Chevrolet IndyCar was on display at the event. Additionally, the KVSH traveling trailer was on display and its crewmembers were on hand to talk about all the technology that goes into a successful IndyCar race.

“We transformed the College of Engineering into the KVSH paddock, similar to what you would experience on race day,” said Drew Collins, a CBU student, event coordinator and owner of DC Powerhouse, which works on performance motorcycles. “I have spent a lifetime focused on motorsports racing. As an athlete, mechanic, and student, I have experienced a wide range of competitive passion and engineering expertise. The IndyCar event offered [prospective students] this type of experience plus offered students a perspective on pragmatic business principles that have built a race winning team.”

Dr. Anthony Donaldson, dean of the College of Engineering, said the event is consistent with the College of Engineering’s commitment to creating varied learning experiences for its students.

“It is the hands-on approach to creating unique engineering experiences that make the College Engineering distinctive,” said Donaldson. “Students get and conduct hands-on design throughout their time at CBU.”

 

2016 Fortuna Bowl Trophy quest kicks off at CBU

The quest for the 2016 Fortuna Bowl Trophy kicked off Sept. 19 on the Front Lawn at California Baptist University.

Flag football is the most popular intramural sport at CBU. This year’s 26 teams–14 men’s and 12 women’s—represents the largest number ever to chase the coveted Fortuna Bowl Trophy in a single season. This year also marks the 25^th anniversary of a championship presentation.

The championship games will be held Nov. 5 during California Baptist University Homecoming Weekend. Last year’s championship games drew more than 4,500 spectators.

Tyler Cox, director of recreation programs, said he is planning something special for the Fortuna Bowl Championship games.

“Stay tuned for some surprises that will revolve around the silver anniversary theme,” Cox said. “Additionally, we will be reaching out to some alumni who have played flag football in the past and welcome them back in style.”

Cox said that the leagues help students build friendships and a sense of community on campus. Additionally, the teams are all very competitive.

Last year’s Fortuna Bowl champions were the Goon Squad for the men’s league and the Bombshell for the women’s league. Both teams return this year to defend their titles.

Cox said that more than half of the squads are legacy teams, meaning they have been continuing teams and, in some cases, have been around for more than a decade.

 

Professor’s suite to debut with Corona Symphony Orchestra

It took Dr. Glenn Pickett, associate professor of music, almost two years to write “Circle City Suite.” Now that the work is completed, he eagerly awaits its premiere with the Corona Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 15.

The orchestra commissioned Pickett to compose the suite—a first for both. The “Circle City Suite” concert also will include music by Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and Peter Boyer, a teacher of Pickett’s when he attended Claremont Graduate University.

Pickett has heard his five-movement work of music played via a computer program numerous times, but he is excited to hear the production performed live.

“The thing that humans can do that the computer can’t do is put emotion into it,” Pickett said. “To hear 72 people interact with one another and dance with one another musically is something I’m very much looking forward to hear.”

The concert will have additional ties to CBU. Pickett composed a violin solo for Noemy Wheeler, a CBU lecturer and conductor. She is also the artistic personnel director with the Corona Orchestra.

Additionally, Marco Mejia, the conductor of the orchestra, is a CBU music graduate (’06).

Pickett said Mejia has a “go-for-it mentality” that he trusts.

“Marco approaches music in an entrepreneurial spirit,” Pickett said. “It was his idea to do the Peter Boyer [combination]. That’s kind of cool, to have the teacher’s work and then the student’s work together.”

Mejia is looking forward to conducting the piece and the concert, which he said will give the audience a taste of American classical music.

“Dr. Pickett’s piece at times reflects certain sections of the American musical landscape,” Mejia said about Pickett’s score. “To have someone in your university writing such caliber of music is wonderful.”

Pickett is thankful for his musical talents.

“I’m deeply grateful to the Lord to be working in academia, particularly CBU, where I’m encouraged to write…and to have the chance to model and walk in front my students and say here’s what a writer does,” Pickett said.

Corona Symphony Orchestra presents “Circle City Suite” to open its ninth season. The concert is will be at on Oct. 15 at 7:00 p.m., at Northpoint Church, 988 W. Ontario Ave., Corona, California.

For more information, go to www.coronasymphonyorchestra.org/.

 

Family Updates

Charles Vela, housing maintenance manager with Facilities and Planning Services, passed the Educational Facilities Professional (EFP) Credentialing Exam. The exam is issued by APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities, an organization that promotes leadership in educational facilities for professionals seeking to build their careers and elevate the value and recognition of facilities in education. The EFP credential is a way to validate the knowledge and competency required of an accomplished professional in the educational facilities field.

 

 

 

Dr. Bob Namvar, professor of economics, had an article, A sluggish U.S. Economy is no Surprise, published in the International Journal of Business and Economic Development, Volume 4 Number 1, March 2016.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Linda-Marie Sundstrom, associate professor of public administration for Online and Professional Studies, had a chapter, Working for the Collective: A Comparative Analysis of Communist Subbotniks and American Charities, published in a book. The book, Global Perspectives on Development Administration and Cultural Change, was published last month by IGI Global.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Namhee Kim, assistant professor of communication disorders, and 10 communication disorders undergraduate students volunteered at the SOS program for special children at The Grove Community Church in Riverside on Sept. 16. The program is a monthly event offered to the families who have a child with special needs.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Sean Sullivan, professor of kinesiology, presented a paper, Moving Forward: Sport and Worship in the Christian Life, at the Inaugural Global Congress on Sports and Christianity in York, England, on Aug. 27.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ogbochi McKinney, assistant professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper, Effectiveness of the Medical Response Teams to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa: African immigrants’ Perceptions, at the United States Conference on African Immigrant & Refugee Health held in New York, N.Y., from Sept. 16-18. Dr. Dominick Sturz, associate professor of public health for Online and Professional Studies, co-authored the paper.

 

 

Dr. Veola Vazquez, associate professor of psychology, served as the keynote speaker at Awaken: Educating Hearts & Minds on Mental Health, an event held by Magnolia Church in Riverside on Sept. 10. Vazquez spoke on Mental Health, Mental Illness and God: Finding Meaning in Suffering.

 

 

 

Dr. Robert G. LaChausse, associate professor of public health, co-authored a paper, How Collaboration Strengthens Program Evaluation and Can Lead to Program Sustainability. It was presented at the 2016 U.S Department of Health & Human Service Conference in Baltimore in July 2016. LaChausse also received a $500,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention to work with the City of Jurupa Valley to study the factors in a community that increase the risk of drug use among youth.

 

 

 

Dr. Larry Linamen, vice president for Global Initiatives, has been nominated to serve on the board for the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), an association of university chief executives from higher education institutions in Asia Pacific and around the world. He will serve on the board for two years.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. William Flores, associate professor of Spanish, had a review of his book Ecocrítica poscolonial y literatura moderna latinoamericana (Postcolonial Ecocriticism and Modern Latin American Literature) featured in the September 2016 issue of Hispania.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates