In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU honors President Ronald L. Ellis for 20 years of leadership

California Baptist University honored President Ronald L. Ellis for two decades of service in a series of events this week under the theme “Celebrating 20 Years of Great Commission Leadership.”

Receptions by faculty, staff and students expressed thanks to Ellis for his vision for turning a small Baptist college into a thriving university.

Dr. Dawn Ellen Jacobs, CBU vice provost and professor of English, recalled that Ellis brought a plan to transform the institution when he became the fifth president of California Baptist College on Nov. 1, 1994.

“There were about 40 of us when he came in 1994,” Jacobs said. “We cared about our teaching and enjoyed relationships with our students, but President Ellis brought a sense of purpose and a vision for something more. Under his leadership, we matured as a faculty. We became a university.”

“I was present at the board of trustees’ meeting where he was elected,” said Dr. Mark A. Wyatt, vice president of marketing and communication. “All of us who have observed and have been part of the CBC/CBU family over the past two decades know the amazing impact that Ron Ellis has had on this place.”

Speaking at a reception with CBU staff, Ellis compared building the university to assembling a puzzle.

“Putting the pieces of the puzzle together is how we have built CBU,” he said. “There are the building blocks: getting the right people—getting champions to direct key programs and offices and efforts; getting the right programs to offer in the marketplace. Of course, getting the housing to come online, the food, the classrooms. It’s kind of like a big puzzle. It’s really difficult to do if you don’t know what the picture looks like.”

CBU’s board of trustees honored Ellis at a dinner at which about 120 friends of the university gathered, including present and former trustees, donors and community leaders.

Dr. Mary Crist, professor of education in the Division of Online and Professional Studies, brought remarks as a faculty member who has served throughout the Ellis presidency.

“Dr. Ellis is a man of faith and vision, an inspirational leader, and a man with a good sense of humor,” she said. “He came here because he felt God’s call to lead a Baptist college, especially one that was struggling. God equipped him with a vision needed to be a phenomenal “turn around” present. The results are obvious today.”

Mike Poma, recently elected chair of the board of trustees, commented that it is an exciting time to be part of such a vigorous enterprise.

“I am eager to see what unfolds at CBU in the days and years ahead as the Lord blesses this university through one of the most effective leaders in higher education today,” Poma said.

Walt Crabtree, immediate past chair of the board, announced gifts from the trustees to Ellis and remarked, “I have been looking forward to this evening for quite some time. As you know, it is an occasion that has been two decades in the making.”

Others who brought testimonials during the dinner were: Dr. E. Glen Paden, retired pastor and president emeritus of the California Baptist Foundation; Dr. Anthony Dockery, pastor of St. Stephen Baptist Church in La Puente and a former chair of the CBU board of trustees; and Dr. Ronald O. Loveridge, former mayor of Riverside and professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside.

Dr. E. Bruce Heilman, chancellor of the University of Richmond and a longtime friend and mentor of Ellis, was keynote speaker for the celebration dinner.

Ellis also will be honored by CBU alumni during homecoming festivities Nov. 7-8.

Under Ellis’ leadership, California Baptist College officially became California Baptist University in 1998. New schools and colleges have been established, including the School of Music, School of Nursing, College of Engineering, the College of Allied Health and the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design. Today, the university comprises 10 colleges and professional schools, offering 158 undergraduate majors/concentrations and 41 master’s degree programs.

Enrollment has grown from 808 in the fall of 1994 to 7,957 in the fall of 2014, more than a 900 percent increase. About 75 percent of CBC/CBU alumni graduated during the Ellis presidency.

To view the video retrospective of Ellis’ leadership, click here.

 

CBU celebrates Arbor Day by planting trees on campus

About 40 students, faculty and other volunteers celebrated Arbor Day by planting 10 trees at California Baptist University Nov. 15. It was CBU’s first Arbor Day observance.

Although Arbor Day traditionally occurs in the spring, CBU celebrated early to become part of Tree Campus USA, said Christopher Carlberg, senior environmental science major and president of the Environmental Science Club. Tree Campus USA is a program by the Arbor Day Foundation that recognizes campuses that effectively manage their trees, promote student involvement and develop connectivity with the community through forestry efforts. Carlberg said there will be another tree planting closer to Arbor Day on April 24. He was pleased with the turnout at the first event.

“It’s good to get out here and get everyone working,” Carlberg said. “Our goal as a club is to engage and learn about the environment. So if people can learn how to plant a tree, that’s a big plus.”

Though there were minor setbacks — mostly due to unplanned encounters of shovels and pipes — the group finished planting the Jacaranda and Chinese pistache trees in less than two hours.

The group was broken into teams of five or six students. Students with more experience were quick to help other groups with the project.

Dr. Bonjun Koo, professor of environmental science and adviser of the club, facilitated the effort. Through encouraging words and constant teaching moments, Koo kept his troops of volunteers going.

“All of us realize the importance of trees, and we are proud to participate in the first Arbor Day event on campus,” Koo said.

Danielle Brubaker, senior English major, become aware of the event through the campus-wide email.

“I got excited because I have never planted a tree before,” Brubaker said. “I wanted to participate in this so I could come back in 20 years and show my kids and friends that I helped plant these trees on campus.”

When the last tree was put into the ground, a prayer was said over the campus.

To Brubaker this event showed that “we have students who not only care about each other but care about God’s earth, who care about making it better and preserving it and showing the city of Riverside that our campus is gorgeous.”

 

CBU packs it up for Operation Christmas Child

Nearly 700 California Baptist University students and staff participated Nov. 13 in the Operation Christmas Child’s Packing Party.

Operation Christmas Child, sponsored by the Samaritan’s Purse ministry organization, sends shoebox-sized gift boxes to children in need. The 600 boxes that were packed during the CBU event will be sent to children in Africa, Asia and South America. The participants chose whether to pack a gift box for a boy or girl, then moved from table to table choosing donated items, which included school supplies, toys and clothing.

“It is great to hear stories of those who have received boxes, and you know you are really making a difference in their lives,” said Jayde Cordes, nursing senior, as she packed her box.

Other students had more personal reasons for participating.

“When I was in India over the summer for ISP, I met a girl who received a box through Operation Christmas Child,” said Rebecca Rex, an early childhood studies sophomore. “She still had the box sitting in her living room. I got to see the impact it can make.”

“This is one of my favorite fall events because it is for such a great cause, and it is rooted in a spirit of giving and being a part of something centered around God’s love,” said Julie Dobbins, Operation Christmas Child Committee head and event organizer. “There are a lot of people who helped with coordinating the event. It was really a campus-wide effort.”

Members of Associated Students of California Baptist University, Office of Spiritual Life, the men’s and women’s soccer teams and the baseball team were among the volunteers.

“This is my first time doing charity and it’s great,” said soccer player Daniel Westholm, a business freshman. “It’s nice to help, especially when you do it with your friends. It can be fun and nice at the same time.”

“It is not just a box. When a child gets a box of gifts, they also have the chance to hear about the gift of salvation and be a part of a discipleship program,” Dobbins said. “It is the first time a lot of them have heard the gospel, so we get to be a small part of spreading God’s word.”

 

CBU take time to remember veterans

Students, staff and faculty at California Baptist University took time on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, to remember those who have served.

The CBU orchestra performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey, a military veteran, took the stage.

“I want to recognize all the veterans tonight and thank you for your service, and applaud those families of veterans for their sacrifice,” said Bailey.

Organized by ASCBU, the event featured speeches by Bailey and CBU senior and veteran Jacob Williams, as well as a special remembrance of Marine Lance Cpl. Sean Neal.

Williams, who served in the Army for more than two years, reminded the crowd of the gratitude they owe to service members overseas and at home.

“As a veteran on this campus, I get to spend everyday by the men and women whom soldiers have fought and died for,” Williams said. “It is a reminder to me of the countless thousands who have paid the ultimate price, so I can walk on this campus and get an education.”

It took a team to organize the event, said Trent Ward, ASCBU executive president.

“I orchestrated a committee of those from ROTC, Community Life and the School of Music. It was a campus-wide effort,” he said. “It is important to honor those who deserve to be honored.”

ASCBU also provided T-shirts for Lancer veterans and gave others an opportunity to write a message to those in the service.

The night ended in a special remembrance of Marine Sean Neal who died Oct. 23 as the first casualty in the war against ISIS. Neal, a Riverside resident and La Sierra High School graduate, died in a non-combat-related incident in Baghdad.

“It was emotional. It touches your heart with gratitude for those who lost their lives and are losing their lives,” said Genesis Sandoval, a freshman business administration major. “It helps you understand what Veterans Day is all about.”

 

Homecoming and Family Weekend attracts 7,500 to campus

Homecoming at California Baptist University drew an estimated 7,500 alumni and friends to Homecoming and Family Weekend activities Nov. 7-8.

The Anniversary Reunion Tea held Friday afternoon recognized the classes of 1954, 1964 and 1989, who celebrated their 60th, 50^th and 25^th reunions.

The 2014 Alumni Dinner held that evening showcased the incredible growth of world-wide relations and partnerships under the leadership of Dr. Ronald L. Ellis during his 20 years of service to CBU.

Christian music artist Jonathan Thulin, a Swedish-American recording artist and songwriter, provided the entertainment.

Eva De La Rosa (’02 and ’07) received the Distinguished Service in Christian Ministry Award. De La Rosa has been helping women for years. She founded California’s first Christian Women’s Job Corps. She is executive director of the California Woman’s Missionary Union & Women’s Ministries. In this role, she oversees women’s ministries and missions groups for more than 2,200 churches, providing training and leadership development. She also serves as education director at New Hope Community Church in El Monte, where her husband is pastor.

Josh Moss (’03 and ’07) was honored as recipient of the Young Alumni Achievement Award. Moss started teaching with Alvord Unified School District in 2003. In 2007, he became program manager, overseeing after-school programs and activities for at-risk youth within Alvord USD.He has worked his way up and became principal at a middle school this past summer. He also teaches as an adjunct in CBU’s education credential program.

Sue (nee Rogers) Etheridge (’68) received the Alumna of the Year award. When she left CBU in 1968, she was one semester shy of graduating with a degree in Spanish. She returned to college to get her bachelor’s and then her master’s in art therapy. For the next 24 years, she worked in the federal correctional system as an art therapist, providing psychiatric assessment and treatment of inmates through the analysis of their artwork. Earlier this year, she was honored as an “Unsung Hero of Compassion” by the Dalai Lama Foundation. Today she works in the state prison system.

Dr. James Forkum (’69) was recognized as the recipient of the highest honor given by the CBU Alumni Association: the Lancer Medal for Lifetime Achievement. His career has included positions as professor, head coach, academic and athletic administrator, admissions director and recruiter at numerous colleges around the United States. He was inducted into CBU’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987 for men’s basketball. In August 2014, Jim and his wife, Sherry (’73), began a new adventure at Schutz American School in Alexandria, Egypt. Jim will establish and oversee the first official interscholastic athletics league in Alexandria.

Saturday featured the fifth annual Block Party. The program included the artisan walk, live entertainment, gourmet food trucks, interactive booths and children’s activities.

Saturday night’s program included meeting former NFL players, including Kermit Alexander. It also featured the crowning of seniors Joshua Perez as Mr. CBU and Catherine Rice as Ms. CBU. More than 4,000 people cheered for the men’s and women’s intramural teams competing in the Fortuna Bowl. In a rematch from last year’s game, the Bus Drivers women’s team beat SWAT, 18-0, while in the men’s contest, The Webelos beat Fruit of the Boom, 8-0.

 

Chapel speakers share their story of hope

Jay and Katherine Wolf are on a mission to share their story of hope. They were on California Baptist University’s campus this week to share that story in chapel.

Jay and Katherine met at a college in Alabama, married after they graduated in 2004 and then moved to Southern California. In 2007, they had their son, James. Six months later, without any warning, Katherine had a massive stroke. She was 26.

“There are these moments in our lives where everything changes,” Jay said. “As much as we want to, we can’t ever go back. That day for us was April 21, 2008. That’s the kind of world we live in. Our ability to control it is just really an illusion. We don’t know where we’re going to end up this afternoon.”

Katherine was in a coma for two months and was in hospitals and rehabilitation for about two years. She had to re-learn how to swallow, to speak and to walk. She is deaf in one ear, has double vision and facial paralysis. Since her stroke, she has had 11 surgeries, including one for a brain aneurysm.

A low moment for Katherine came about seven months after her stroke.

“I remember thinking, God made a mistake here. This isn’t what was intended. Surely God messed up, because God would never have allowed this in my life. This could not be God’s plan,” she said. Then the Bible verses she had learned since she was a child came to her. “In that deep dark moment of wondering, the deep truth of the Lord was impressed on me. I almost heard the ridiculousness of that. God doesn’t make mistakes.”

Jay and Katherine have started a full-time ministry called Hope Heals. They want to share their story of hope and joy with people and point them to the kingdom of God, they said.

“Maybe you don’t have it figured out, you don’t have a job yet, or you don’t know what’s next for you. None of us do,” Jay said. “There’s a great hope in that. You don’t have to have it all figured out. God is taking us on a completely different trajectory than we ever thought our lives could be, and yet it’s so much better.”

 

Family Updates

The School of Christian Ministries hosted Dr. Robert Yarbrough, professor of New Testament at Covenant Seminary, for its first annual School of Christian Ministries Lecture Series. Yarbrough is the past president of the Evangelical Theological Society and has authored many books, including 1-3 John in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Baker, 2008).

 

Dr. Anthony Chute, associate dean and professor of church history, contributed a chapter titled Life and Ministry of William Rogers for the book, A Noble Company, edited by Terry Wolever (Particular Baptist Press, 2014). Chute also served as moderator of the Baptist studies session for the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in San Diego Nov. 19-21. In addition, several faculty members presented papers, including Dr. Chris Morgan, dean and professor of theology: Baptists and the unity of the church; Dr. Adam Co, associate professor of theology: Understanding the doctrine of union with Christ within the kingship motif of scripture; Dr. Scott Key, professor of philosophy: Toward an epistemology of value: Wisdom and trust in Aristotle’s ethics and the Gospel of Mark; and Dr. Greg Cochran, director of applied theology: The priority of ministry to the persecuted church: A reorientation of the paradigm for biblical justice

 

Dr. Jeff Cate, professor of New Testament, published a book review on Stanley Porter’s How We Got the New Testament: Transmission, Translation in the September 2014 edition of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mitch Hovey, director of the M.S. in Education program and professor of education for Online and Professional Studies, and Cammy Purper, assistant professor of early childhood education for Online and Professional Studies, were keynote speakers at the Division of Children and Family Services 4^th annual Early Childhood Education Conference held Nov. 7^th at the Riverside Convention Center.

 

 

 

The School of Nursing’s Chi Mu honorary society chapter has officially been recognized by Sigma Theta Tau International. The endeavor was a three-year process that culminated in a vote at the STTI Biennial Conference in Indianapolis, Ind., representing more than 490 chapters in 85 countries. Eighty-three CBU students were inducted into the Chi Mu Chapter on Oct. 24. Honorees demonstrate both academic and professional success and must be among the top students in their class. Sarah Divine-Cooter (’14) was named the new charter president.

 

CBU faculty and staff won four awards at the Public Relations Society of America, Inland Empire Chapter’s Polaris Awards ceremony Nov. 19. Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies; Dr. Patricia Hernandez, assistant professor of communication studies for OPS, and CBU/Online alumnus Robbie Silver won a Capella Award in the community relations category for the internship program with the Riverside Downtown Partnership. CBU’s Division of Marketing and Communication received three Capella Awards: one in the multi-media communications category for the We Believe in Excellence promotional video (http://vimeo.com/86330682); in the feature story category, Our Biggest Fan (http://issuu.com/cbu_publications/docs/v58_i2_roundtable_magazine_winter14); and in the annual report category, the 2013 Scholarship & Service publication (http://www.calbaptist.edu/explore-cbu/news-events/scholarship-service/).

 

CBU student Jonathan Truitt, a senior accounting major, was honored Nov. 7 by the California Society of Certified Public Accountants for outstanding scholastic achievement during the Inland Empire Chapter’s student leadership and scholarship event at Chaffey College in Chino.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The College of Allied Health hosted Dr. Bernard Hennig Nov. 10 as part of the continuing Distinguished Lecture Series. Hennig is director of the University of Kentucky’s Superfund Research Center. He also served as a guest lecturer to two nutrition and food sciences courses and engaged in dialogue related to research with the faculty of the College of Allied Health.

 

 

 

 

 

Leontine Armstrong, an adjunct professor of English, presented a paper titled Diana’s Emotions: Transformations in Transition for the Goddess at the Pacific and Ancient Modern Language Association Conference, which met in Riverside Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Bonjun Koo, professor of environmental science, served as a judge for the student competition posters session for the wetland soils division at the International Annual Meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America in Long Beach Nov. 2-5.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Tim Luther, professor of political science, presented a paper titled Ghostly demarcations: Derridean specters of justice in Clint Eastwood’s westerns at the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association Annual Conference, which met in Riverside Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

 

 

 

 

Heather Hamilton-Stilwell, assistant professor of journalism, presented Don’t miss these stories! Covering those who live on the Margins and Athletes who pray: Sports reporting that goes beyond the court or field at the College Media Association/Associated Collegiate Press Conference in Philadelphia Oct. 29-Nov. 2.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Prather, professor of aviation science, provided airport operations training at the Redmond (Ore.) Municipal Airport Oct. 29-31. In addition, Prather facilitated the airport’s annual table top emergency exercise, which was based on an active shooter in the airport terminal scenario.

 

 

 

Dr. Jeffrey Barnes, dean of academic services and associate professor of humanities, made a presentation to the Corona Rotary Oct. 31 titled Fear not: Lessons from the Salem witch trials. He also presented a paper titled The enrollment and retention connection at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ Strategic Enrollment Management Conference in Los Angeles Oct. 28. CBU’s comprehensive retention plan, which Barnes co-wrote with Steven Neilsen, director of student retention, was the focus of the presentation.

 

 

 

Dr. Melissa Croteau, associate professor of film studies and literature, chaired a panel titled Lights and shadows: The challenges of teaching film in the Christian academy at the 2014 Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture in Waco, Texas Oct. 25. In addition, Michael Eaton, associate professor of film studies and film production, served on a panel titled Integrity: Integrating faith within Hollywood careers.

 

 

 

Male employees in financial aid are participating in “Movember.”  Each November they grow mustaches to raise funds and awareness for men’s health.  The ladies of the office contribute to men’s health by donating funds; in turn, the men shave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dirk Davis, academic dean for Online and Professional Studies; Dr. Riste Simnjanovski, assistant academic dean for OPS; Dr. Tom Schneider, assistant professor of English for OPS; and Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for OPS, represented CBU at the Palm Desert Century bicycle ride Nov. 14. Pearson set a personal best for distance at 32 miles, while Davis, Simnjanovski and Schneider completed the metric century route (100 km., 62 miles) in less than four hours.

 

 

 

 

Jennifer DeCuir, receptionist for University Advancement married Brandon Ellis on Oct. 25 in Laguna Beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Julie Goodman-Bowling, assistant professor of anthropology, and her husband David welcomed a daughter, Elizabeth Grace, on Oct. 6. The baby weighed 6 lbs. 10 ozs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Matthew Rickard, associate professor of bioengineering, and his wife Christina welcomed a son Oct. 21. Rocco Sebastian Michael Rickard weighed 6 lbs. 5 ozs. and measured 18 inches. Rocco’s siblings include Anthony, age 6, and Sienna, age 4.

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Leeds professor to speak on C.S. Lewis Nov. 6

California Baptist University’s College of Arts and Sciences is hosting Dr. Mark A. Pike for a lecture on Nov. 6. Pike was recently appointed as the head of the School of Education at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.

He will be speaking on the topic “C.S. Lewis on Post-Christian Culture and Faith,” at 3:30 p.m. in the Staples Room in the James Building. The event is open to all.

Pike, a dynamic British speaker, is also a professor in educational values and pedagogy. A high school teacher for more than a decade, Pike received his doctorate from Southampton University before rising rapidly through the ranks at Leeds. He writes and speaks widely on literary, moral and religious issues in education, and is the author of Mere Education: C S Lewis as Teacher for our Time; Citizenship and Moral Education: values in action; and Spirituality, Literature and Literacy, as well as more than 40 book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles.

 

CBU students view “balance and majesty” of partial solar eclipse

California Baptist University students, faculty and staff peered through special glasses or looked through telescopes equipped with solar filters to view the partial solar eclipse Oct. 30.

Dr. Kyle Stewart, assistant professor of physics, with assistance from CBU’s astronomy club, arranged the event outside Mission Hall. Participants were able to see the moon partially blocking the sun.

“Solar eclipses are rare events to be able to witness,” Stewart said. “I think eclipses hold fascination for people because they are an extremely hands-on, visual way to think about the solar system.”

Amanda Snodgrass, a sophomore aviation flight major, had not previously seen a solar eclipse.

“It’s super cool,” she said. “It’s something you don’t see every day.”

Stephanie Lee, a senior biology major and president of the astronomy club, said it was a great event because it gave students an opportunity to view something they would not have known was happening otherwise.

“It’s amazing to see how an eclipse works and to get a glimpse of how the universe was designed,” she said.

Valarie Ramirez, a junior biology major, was grateful to have the opportunity to see the eclipse and the sun spots.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to use a telescope like that,” she said.

Stewart commented that solar eclipses are rare events that enable viewers to learn about the motions of bodies in the solar system, like the earth, moon and the sun.

“It’s also a great way to think about the ‘big picture,’” he said, “and to give God the glory for the intricate balance and abundant majesty we see in the universe.”

 

CBU-Stanford wrestling event draws record crowd

Wrestling took center stage on California Baptist University’s front lawn Saturday afternoon, as the Lancers opened up their season against Stanford with the inaugural “Take It Outside” dual. While CBU fought hard before falling to the Cardinal, 27-9, the program put on a record-setting event as the standing-room-only crowd of 2,620—which included mixed martial arts legend and world champion Urijah Faber—helped set an attendance record for an outdoor collegiate wrestling dual.

To read the entire story, click here.

 

 

 

 CBU alum making an impact with Chick-fil-A

Adaobi Gwacham (’08) missed out on having a Chick-fil-A on campus while attending California Baptist University, but the business graduate is building a career with the popular restaurant chain.

Gwacham started working for Chick-fil-A when she was 18 and has worked her way up the ladder for the past 10 years. She started as a team member at Chick-fil-A in Chino Hills, in 2004 and worked the front counter, drive-thru and kitchen. She moved into leadership after a year and became the restaurant’s general manager after graduating from CBU. In 2010, Gwacham took a job in the corporate office as a grand opening supervisor for about year before taking her current position as a grand opening consultant and relocating to the Atlanta office.

Gwacham started as a nursing major at CBU and then switched her major to business. “CBU gave me the necessary tools to interact and be successful in a corporate environment,” she said.

As a grand opening consultant, she meets with owners and operators about their grand opening, provides them with marketing and operational tools and travels to support them as they get ready to open the restaurant.

Gwacham has higher aspirations. She says even in college her goal was to own her own business. And not just any business, but a Chick-fil-A franchise. One reason was because of the company’s purpose statement: “To Glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that has been entrusted in us and to have a positive impact in all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

“Chick-fil-A is more than the profits,” she said. “It is about caring for the people and having a positive impact. I wanted to be a part of that and wanted to influence whatever community I will call home.”

Gwacham started the application process in 2013 and was selected this year to be the owner/operator for the Pasadena restaurant, which is under construction and scheduled to open in December. The company opens fewer than 100 restaurants a year.

She is also looking forward to moving closer back to family in Chino Hills and Corona.

“I am very blessed for the opportunity to have been selected,” she said.

 

CBU hosts Sphere training for disaster relief

Thirty-four participants attended Sphere Project training, hosted by California Baptist University’s School of Nursing Oct. 20-24. It is the second year the training has been offered.

The Sphere Project was begun in 1997 by a group of humanitarian agencies to improve the quality of disaster response. The training program teaches the minimum standards that need to be met in order to deal with humanitarian issues after a disaster.

“What the Sphere standards were set up to do is provide a consistent minimum standard across the world in emergency response situations,” said Francis K. Horton III, a Sphere trainer and area director for Baptist Global Response (BGR). “There was a need among international organizations that normally, regularly respond to emergency situations to standardize things so that, No. 1, we’re all speaking the same language, No. 2, that we’re all providing the same kinds of relief and No. 3, so that the people who are in need are more likely to get what they need.”

Participants who completed the course included health workers and 29 CBU students. Horton and Ben Wolf, another area director for BGR, were the trainers.

Participants worked through the Sphere Project handbook, which covers the minimum standards for four areas: water, sanitation and hygiene; food security and nutrition; shelter and health. Exercises included setting up a refugee camp and creating a plan for how to respond to a certain situation.

Silvia Bolanos, a senior nursing major, took the training last year and again this year. Her dream is to work in the states for nine months a year and go on short-term missions for three.

“A lot of ideas have clicked, [but now] the ideas are more solidified,” she said. “I am able to create plans now so I have a better idea of how to respond to a disaster if it happened.”

The training also exposes students to the global aspect of the Great Commission, said Stacey Toro, assistant professor of nursing and coordinator for the project.

“There are many places that disasters occur and things happen in closed countries where people usually can’t get in, but health workers and emergency providers and disaster relief workers can,” she said. “We put on this training because we want to promote the Great Commission, a biblical world view, and give another aspect to our students who want to do that.”

Jamila Davison, an emergency room doctor from Tampa, Fla., also attended the training.

“I’ve learned how these disasters can open up doors for so much, (both) immediately and then long term,” she said. “It would be great to not only meet people’s physical needs but also their spiritual needs.”

Jessica Rosas and Monica Quintanilla, both third-year nursing majors, participated in the training to prepare for a possible mission trip.

“We learned a lot about how to work with people of different cultures and how to involve them in their own care,” Quintanilla said. “Our goal would be to help them keep their dignity as opposed to just providing for them and them becoming dependent.”

 

Family Updates

Waylon Baumgardner, website manager, presented research titled Moving to Git-based Version Control with Small Teams at the Higher Ed Web Association Annual Conference, which met in Portland, Ore. Oct. 19-22.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ana Gamez, associate professor of psychology, presented research Oct. 25 at the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Psychological Services Section in Orlando, Fla. Her topic was Ethical Standards Associated with the New Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations and Proposed Pre-Employment Psychological Evaluation Guidelines.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jennifer Newton, associate professor of English, presented a paper titled Cleaning the House of the Soul: George Herbert’s Latin Poem ‘Martha: Mary’ in Theological and Literary Context at the Texas Medieval Association conference, held at the University of North Texas Oct. 3-4.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology and clinical microbiologist, was elected to serve another 5-year term as a member of the Ascoviridae study group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). The ICTV subcommittee is tasked with clarifying the nomenclature and phylogenetic relationships among ascoviruses, which are large double stranded DNA viruses with unique structural and biological features.

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper titled Online Mentoring at the 7th Annual Mentoring Conference, which met at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque on Oct. 22.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Trevor Gillum, associate professor of kinesiology, co-authored an article with Jared Coburn, adjunct professor of kinesiology, and kinesiology graduate student Nicole Williams titled Static stretching vs. dynamic warm-ups: a comparison of their effects on torque and electromyography output of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles. The article was published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness in October.

 

 

 

Dr. Charles Sands, dean of the College of Allied Health, conducted staff training in leadership development Oct. 7 for Sandals Church in Riverside. The session was the last of a four-part series conducted during 2014.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Veola Vazquez, associate professor of psychology, was awarded first place in the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild Unpublished Manuscript Contest for her middle-grade novel The Nickel Nuisance. The expected release date for the book is February 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jong-Wha Bai, associate professor of civil engineering, attended the American Concrete Institute Fall 2014 Convention, which met in Washington D.C. Oct. 26-30. He participated in committee meetings and made a presentation titled A Probabilistic Model for Predicting Early-Age Deformation of Self-Consolidating Concrete. In addition, he conducted a seminar on seismic vulnerability and loss estimation of concrete structures for civil engineering students at Johns Hopkins University on Oct. 28.

 

 

 

Dr. Jolene Baker, associate professor of kinesiology, and Dr. Nicole MacDonald, professor of kinesiology, presented a posted titled Knowledge and Readiness of Inter-professional Education in Athletic Training and Advanced Practice Nursing Students at the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions Conference, which met in Las Vegas Oct. 22-24.

 

 

 

Dr. David Bishop, assistant professor of software engineering, successfully defended his dissertation for the doctor of science degree in information systems at Dakota State University.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences, contributed a chapter to a book recently published by Cascade Books. The chapter, titled The Whole Story: Revisiting the Unspoken Complexities of Adoption, appeared in the book The Spirit of Adoption.

 

 

 

 

 

CBU’s department of languages and literature co-sponsored the 2014 Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association annual conference, which met Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Riverside. As part of CBU’s participation, the department presented two sessions on Christianity and literature at this secular conference. In addition, presentations from CBU included: Manya Wren, adjunct professor of English: When There Is No Room in Hell: A Re-examination of Socio-Political Themes in Two of George A. Romero’s “Dead” Films; Arlene Drachslin, adjunct professor of English: A Dracula Translation of Female Characterization: One Voice, Two Heroines in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the First Silent Film Adaptation, Drakula halála; Tracee Auville-Parks, adjunct professor in English: Poetry, Jazz, and Forgiveness; Dr. James Lu, professor and chair of modern languages and literature: Two Tales of a City: Riverside’s Magnificent Mission Inn and Desolate Chinatown; Dr. Gretchen Bartels, assistant professor of English for Online and Professional Studies: A great sufferer—my doll”: The Tension of Medical Maternity in Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands; Robert Sapunarich, graduate student: Grace in the Maelstrom: Calvinism in Moby-Dick; Dr. Laura J. Veltman, associate professor of American literature: The Christ-Haunted Classroom: Flannery O’Connor, Faith, and Pedagogy; Tara Anderson, graduate student: From in between the Mountaintops: A Look at Langston Hughes’ “Christ In Alabama”; L. Maggie Fanning, lecturer in English: Shifting Boundaries: Two Literary Explorations of the Edges of 1960s America; Erika Travis, assistant professor of English and behavioral sciences: Saints’ Names & Sacred Moments: The Persistence of Religion in Ender’s Game; David Isaacs, assistant professor of English: “Be Some Other Name”:  Naming and Supernatural Intervention in Gene Lien Yang’s American Born Chinese and Boxers & Saints; Dr. Owen Staley, lecturer in modern languages and literature: Lucianic Satire and the Invention of America; Dr. Thomas Schneider, assistant professor of English for Online and Professional Studies: Chaucer, Mimesis, and the Fantastic in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Dr. Tim Luther, professor of political science: Ghostly Demarcations: Derridean Specters in Clint Eastwood’s Westerns; Irina Renfro, assistant professor of modern languages and literature: Sumarokov’s Hamlet: The Religious Redemption of the Female Characters in the Context of Russian Cultural Code of the 18th Century; and Leontine Armstrong, adjunct professor of English: Diana’s Emotions: Transformations in Transition for the Goddess.

 

Dr. Jacob Lanphere, assistant professor of environmental science, presented research titled Stability and Transport of Novel Engineered Nanomaterials in Aqueous and Subsurface Environments at the monthly Natural and Mathematical Sciences Colloquium Oct. 22.

 

 

 

 

 

Kimberly Tallo, accounts payable, and Justin Holcomb were married Oct. 24 at the Grove Community Church. Holcomb is recovering from myocarditis, a viral infection that attacks the heart. The couple had originally planned a wedding at the Mission Inn before Holcomb’s hospitalization but have now rescheduled for March 20. They extend their thanks to the CBU family for the prayer support they received during his illness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Morris, adjunct professor of education, recently accompanied his 92-year-old father on the Eastern Oregon/Portland honor flight. Honor Flights is an organization whose mission is to fly all WWII veterans to Washington, D.C. to see the WWII Memorial. More than 50 veterans, averaging 91 years in age, participated in the flight. Upon their return, their service was recognized by military members and passengers at the Portland International Airport (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvMRsLjl-2c).

 

 

 

 

Jersie, aged 5, and Jaysie, aged 3, attended the CBU-Stanford wrestling match last Saturday with mom Courtney Collette, financial aid administrative assistant. Both girls both now say they want to be wrestlers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Personnel Updates this issue

 

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

Family Updates

CBU students Hosiana Abewe, Grace De Dieu Irumva, and Christian Shema Mugisha, who are all biochemistry and molecular biology majors, attended the annual National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) conference in New Orleans Sept. 23-26. Irumva and Abewe presented posters on their summer research at the Center for Aerosol Impacts on Climate and the Environment at UC San Diego.

 

Assembly member Jose Medina (center in photo at left) spoke with CBU students enrolled in the Graduate Nursing Health Policy & Bioethics course Oct. 6.  The students shared current advanced practice nursing policy agendas that could improve patient care by removing practice barriers.

 

 

 

 

 

Students in Arlene Drachslin’s ENG 113 class recently conducted a Composition Concert on the front lawn to fulfill requirements for an observation essay. Musically inclined members of the class performed, while other students observed. Both wrote essays according to their experience in the concert, either as performer or observer. One participant observed: “Socially, this whole event had such a grand significance in showing how worship music not only unites believers, but uplifts spirits and encourages people in their everyday lives.” Drachslin is an adjunct professor of English.

 

Students from the department of natural and mathematical sciences and from the student-governed American Medical Student Association CBU Chapter attended the 12th Annual University of California Davis Pre-Medical & Pre-Health Professions National Conference on Oct. 11-12. The two-day event included a selection of keynote speakers, deans’ panels and 250 workshops covering a variety of health professional topics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crossway Books recently published the latest book by Dr. Chris Morgan, dean of the School of Christian Ministries. The book, Heaven, is the sixth volume in the Theology in Community series (which he co-edits with Dr. Robert Peterson), and his 15th book overall.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Andrew Herrity, professor of business and entrepreneurship, and Michael Bishop, senior director of career services, won the Best Theme-Related Paper Award at the Christian Business Faculty Association Meeting Oct. 11 in Nashville, Tenn. Herrity presented the paper, which was titled Making a Difference at the Intersection of Faith and Business: Teaching Undergraduates to Align Values and Strengths with Career Opportunities.

 

 

 

Jessica Alzen, adjunct professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, won the American Educational Research Association’s dissertation fellowship for her proposed dissertation titled Investigating the Sensitivity of Teacher Classifications Based on Multiple Measures to Value-Added Model Specification. Alzen plans to use data from the Measures of Effective Teaching project that was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, presented a session for the County of Riverside’s fiscal and administrative managers meeting Oct. 14 in Riverside. Her topic was social media and personal branding.

 

 

 

 

David Williams, adjunct professor of visual arts, held a closing reception Oct. 18 for his art show Works by Williams: A 30 Year Retrospective. Williams, who has taught ceramics at CBU about 30 years, held a monthlong show at the CBU Gallery in downtown Riverside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Prather, chair of the department of aviation science, presented Aviation Workforce – Current and Future Availability of Airline Pilots: An Overview of the GAO Report and How Collegiate Aviation Should Respond at the Fall Education Conference of the University Aviation Association, held Oct. 8-11 in Daytona Beach, Fla.  Prather completed his three-year term of the strategic planning committee and was elected to serve a three-year term as chair of the graduate education committee.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Candace Vickers, associate professor of communication disorders, was recently appointed to a national committee for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Vickers will serve on the committee on the international classification of functioning, disability and health. The committee is charged with applying the international classification of functioning, disability and health framework to goal setting and outcomes measurement. It also helps members focus on function by advising, providing input, reviewing, and promoting appropriate products and activities.

 

 

 

Faculty and students from the department of natural and mathematical sciences and the department of health sciences attended the 29th Annual California Indian Conference at California State University, San Bernardino on Oct. 10. Michael Luong, biochemistry and molecular biology major; Benjamin Knisley, applied statistical analysis major; and Grace Crosby, healthcare administration major, presented a session on Cooking with Native Foods, based on research conducted with Dr. Margaret Barth, director of the nutrition and food sciences program; Dr. Shasha Zheng, assistant professor of health sciences; and Dr. Hannah Hu, assistant professor of chemistry.

 

 

 

 

 

Denise Payne, senior credential analyst, has been re-elected as president of Credential Counselors and Analysts of California for the 2014-2015 year. As president in 2013-2014, she had oversight of the 36th Annual CCAC Conference in Sacramento Oct. 15-17, with 800 attendees. She also hosted the president’s lunch and presented a workshop with Commission on Teacher Credentialing staff titled Preparing for an Accreditation Visit.

 

 

 

 

The Leadership Allied Health program, which includes 20 students within the College of Allied Health, staffed a recruitment table at the annual Riverside College and Career Fair hosted at the Galleria at Tyler. The Leadership Allied Health students spoke to more than 200 prospective students and parents, introducing College of Allied Health programs and answering general questions about CBU.

 

 

 

 

 

Brandon VanBuskirk married Stephanie Lee (’13) on Sept. 28. He is the son of Patty VanBuskirk, department secretary in communication arts, and plans to graduate from CBU in December with a degree in nursing. Stephanie is a nursing alumna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica Alzen, adjunct professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, and her husband, Michael, welcomed a daughter on Sept. 15. Annabelle Rose was born at 8:29 a.m., weighing 6 pounds 3 ounces and measuring 19 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

Nikki Fuller, adjunct professor of English, and her husband, Matt, welcomed a daughter on Sept. 28. Charlotte Rose was born at 1:04 a.m., weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU dedicates School of Nursing Annex and Prayer Garden

Nearly 200 nursing students were among those who gathered Sept. 25 for the dedication of the Nursing Annex and the Robert and Phoebe Lambeth Prayer Garden at California Baptist University.

The annex nearly triples the space available for classrooms and laboratories for the nursing school that was established in 2005 and now numbers 597 students.

In remarks at the dedication, CBU President Ronald L. Ellis spoke about the growth of the School of Nursing and acknowledged the generosity of Robert and Phoebe Lambeth for their decades of financial support of CBU. The Lambeth’s attended the ceremony along with their son, Pike, and his family.

The Robert and Phoebe Lambeth Prayer Garden provides students a place for quiet reflection. Inscribed on a fountain in the garden are the words of Matthew 25:35-40, in which Jesus speaks about feeding the hungry and visiting the sick. Ellis noted the scripture fits well with the school because nurses serve those in need.

Dr. Geneva Oaks, dean of the School of Nursing, offered the prayer of dedication at the ceremony.

Phoebe Lambeth, who is also a CBU trustee, reflected on the dedication of the garden.

“It was lovely and touching,” she said. “I was so glad our family was there to see it and to see what it means to us.”

Following the dedication and ribbon cutting, attendees toured the prayer garden and the Nursing Annex classrooms, offices and state-of-the-art labs, as well as a simulation room designed to give nursing students realistic clinical scenarios.

 

CBU announces record fall enrollment of 7,957 students

Enrollment at California Baptist University for the fall 2014 semester is a record-high 7,957 students—an 11 percent increase above the fall 2013 enrollment figure, President Ronald L. Ellis announced Oct. 3.

“This is a day of celebration,” Ellis told the university’s Board of Trustees at their fall meeting. “That is a huge increase and we are very grateful for the way God has been blessing CBU.”

This year’s enrollment number represents an increase of 813 students over the fall 2013 total of 7,144. All enrollment segments, including undergraduate, graduate and Online and Professional Studies, are included in this year’s figures.

“This size of increase is extremely rare in institutions the size of CBU,” Ellis said. He noted that 2014 marks the fourth consecutive year of 600-plus enrollment growth compared to the previous year and a 94 percent increase in five years. Fall 2009 enrollment was 4,105.

“We’ve had an amazing five-year run,” Ellis declared.

The current student body is 8.8 times larger than the 808 students enrolled when Ellis began his tenure as president in 1994. During the 64-year history of the institution, enrollment has jumped by triple digits 14 times – all of those since fall 1995.

California Baptist University offers 158 undergraduate majors and concentrations and 41 master’s degree programs. 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, the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities and the Consortium for Global Education.

 

CBU professor speaks on legal issues of drones

Most people may think of the military or the government when they hear the word drone. Or they may think of the small models that individuals own. They might not think of the legal issues that come with an Unmanned Aircraft System, otherwise known as a drone.

But Dr. Daniel Skubik, a professor of law, ethics and humanities at California Baptist University, does. He spoke Oct. 7 at the Riverside County Law Library in downtown Riverside as part of the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education programs for lawyers. He spoke on “Drones: Legalities, Practicalities, Myths and Facts.” Skubik is an attorney specializing in international law. He also conducted research on drones in the fall of 2012 while he was on sabbatical at Zirve University in Turkey.

Skubik discussed the technical complexities of the devices, since what counts as a drone ranges in size from ounces to tons. Costs range from $100 to tens of millions, and they are being used by governments, as well as corporations and hobbyists.

“Anyone can build a drone. It’s like building a model airplane,” he said. It’s the attachments, such as cameras or weapons that make them different.

Because of the variety of drones, there is a wide range of legal issues involved, from international and foreign affairs legalities to federal, state and local laws and regulations concerning their use, Skubik said. Possible legal issues domestically include trespass, nuisance and invasion of privacy. No commercial use of drones, such as by photographers, is allowed, though many do not know that, he said.

“The law is very rarely able to handle current technological issues. It’s usually behind,” Skubik said after the presentation. “I would like to see the law address these issues.”

 

Nutrition guide aims to give Lancers the fuel they need

It started with a question, which led to a product aimed at helping Lancer athletes be all that they can.

Four years ago Chris Bates was interviewing with California Baptist University for the position of head strength and conditioning coach. He remembers being asked what the Chris Bates era would be like.

“I thought that was a really cool question,” Bates said. “It did two things. It empowered me to really do my job, but then it also freed me up to really dream and think big.”

CBU did not have a strength and conditioning program when he was hired, so Bates built the program from the ground up. He did an assessment of what the program had and what was needed, everything from equipment to non-tangibles such as the mission of athletics. He changed the name of the program to Athletic Performance Development to be more encompassing and to include strength conditioning, speed agility and leadership development. Over time, the program received a new facility and equipment. The program also helps student athletes who get injured.

“I’m here primarily for the student athletes, to train our student athletes, to help them to get stronger, to help them perform better,” he said.

The latest component in helping athletes perform better is nutrition. This summer the Lancers Fuel, a nutrition guide, was put together and will be given to all student athletes.

“The most immediate need for Lancers Fuel was education,” Bates said. “Student athletes would constantly ask, ‘Hey, Coach Bates, what should I be eating?’”

That made him think the students needed more information. He researched and looked at what other schools were doing. Then he shared his vision and brainstormed with Dr. Micah Parker, director of athletics. Dr. Margaret Barth, program director of nutrition and food sciences in the CBU College of Allied Health, was brought on board. Kimberly Walters, a nutrition and food sciences senior, began doing research in June, looking at nutrition textbooks and other programs with university athletic nutrition manuals and assembling the information. It was customized for CBU student athletes.

“We wanted it to be very practical and hands-on,” Barth said. The guide includes information on portion sizes, when to eat, energy drinks, supplements, sleep and more. It also gives recommendations for students in specific sports.

“The sky’s the limit right now on how they use it,” Bates said. The athletic performance development staff will reference it. They will also encourage the coaches to use it with the teams.

Both Bates and Barth see the guide as just the beginning to teaching CBU athletes about nutrition.

“That’s just the first phase in the education,” Bates said. “I definitely think it’s a great platform just to continue to build our Lancers Fuel program and ultimately build our athletic performance development program,” Bates said.

 

Family Updates

A performance group from the Shelby Ferne Collinsworth School of Music took their music to China for about 12 days last summer. Eight students and Dr. Judd Bonner, dean of the Collinsworth School of Music, performed concerts at universities and high schools and led worship at a church service. Bonner also demonstrated conducting. The group was well received, often receiving standing ovations from audiences that averaged about 1,000 in number, Bonner said.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, presented a session Sept. 17 on researching, planning, implementing and evaluating a public relations campaign at the 17th Nonprofit Conference at the Grove Church in Riverside. More than 100 attended the meeting, which is presented annually by Community Connect to expand the impact of the nonprofit sector through peer-to-peer learning, networking and collaboration.

 

 

 

Dr. Derek Updegraff, assistant professor of English, published two poems in the Saint Katherine Review, volume 4, number 3. The poems are titled My unbelief is a weeping in a field and A bird of one kind or another.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Julianna Browning, associate professor of accounting for Online & Professional Studies, recently edited an article titled Education for Sustainability in the Accounting Curriculum at a New Zealand University for the Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ana Gamez, associate professor of forensic psychology, was awarded a Quality Service Award on Sept. 11 from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in recognition of her dedication to assisting police officers during emergency situations.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Dennis K. Bideshi, professor of biology and clinical microbiologist, co-authored six published peer-reviewed scientific articles over the past several months. He also was a co-author of work presented at the annual Society for Invertebrate Pathology meeting in Mainz, Germany. In addition, he has accepted current positions on the editorial boards of two recently established journals: Dataset Papers in Science and Advances in Biology.

 

 

 

Dr. Dawn Gilmore, assistant professor of music, welcomed guest musicians to her Music in Global Cultures class recently. Student Daniel Herrera and his family are active in the mariachi group Estrellas de Oro y Plata. They discussed mariachi music, its history in Central America, and they performed for the class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Joshua Knabb, assistant professor of psychology for Online and Professional Studies, wrote an article titled A Preliminary Investigation of the Relationship Between Religion and Marital Adjustment Among Christian Adults From a Conservative Denomination, which was published in a recent issue of Journal of Psychology and Christianity. He also co-authored an article with Dr. Joseph Pelletier, assistant professor of psychology, and Anna Grigorian-Routon, lecturer in psychology for Online and Professional Studies, titled Towards a Psychological Understanding of Servanthood: An Empirical Investigation of the Relationship Between Orthodox Beliefs, Experiential Avoidance, and Self-Sacrificial Behaviors Among Christians at a Religiously-Affiliated University, published in the Journal of Psychology & Theology.

 

Dr. Thomas Ferko, professor of chemistry, and Dr. Bruce Prins, professor of biology, spoke Sept. 24 at the monthly natural and mathematical sciences department colloquium on their experiences leading ISP teams last summer. Prins led the South Asia: Healthcare team and Ferko led the East Asia: Applied Science team.

 

 

 

 

Robert Shields, online learning systems administrator for Online and Professional Studies, was honored Sept. 29 as Employee of the Month for October. His nomination form included the following statements: “Robert’s commitment and dedication to providing the highest level of service is exemplified through his actions. Robert has worked weekends and evenings and has traveled to remote sites in order to assist faculty. His soft-spoken and gentle disposition combined with a keen technical ability are key ingredients that help calm customers and build trust as he works with them to solve problems.”

 

 

 

Dr. Art Cleveland, vice president for university advancement, chaired a session on water pollution management and presented a paper at the International Congress on the Environment Sept. 21-23 in Qingdao, China. Cleveland is also professor of environmental science at CBU. His presentation was titled: Utilization of a Patented Microbial Continuous-Flow Augmentation System to Reduce Biological Oxygen Demand and Pollutants for Small Business and Municipalities.

 

 

 

Dr. Candace Vickers, associate professor of speech and language pathology, served as guest editor for the June edition of Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders, published online Oct. 3. She also wrote an article in the journal titled Communication Recovery Groups for Persons with Aphasia: A Replicable Program for Medical and University Settings.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jacob Lanphere, assistant professor of environmental science, and his wife Jill welcomed a daughter on Sept. 23. Kate Madeleine was born at 7:57 p.m., weighing 8 lbs. 12 ozs., and measuring 20.5 inches long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isabella Garcia, daughter of Katrina Garcia, assistant director of academic advising in Online and Professional Studies, recently traveled with her softball team, the OC Batbusters, to play in the 10U class Amateur Softball Association National Tournament. The team placed 2^nd out of 44 teams.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

9-11 terrorist attack remembrance nets unique photo

A California Baptist University event honoring victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack resulted in a stunning image that inspired Spencer Findley, a CBU film major.

During the day, students, faculty and staff took one of 2,977 flags, one for each victim of the terrorist attack, and placed the flag in the lawn of the Stamps Courtyard. Names of the victims were listed on nearby posters, and each name was on a piece of paper for participants to take with them. The event was sponsored by the Associated Students of California Baptist University.

At the end of the day, all the flags formed a large cross, which was lit at its edges to stand out as the sun set. Findlay used a drone to photograph the scene.

“After hearing about the 9/11 remembrance event and hearing there would be a large cross made up of flags, I immediately thought of capturing the cross from the sky,” he said. “I own a drone and this was a perfect opportunity to use it and capture a very unique image.”

Trent Ward, ASCBU executive president and a marketing senior, came up with the idea of the event, which is in its inaugural year. He hopes that it becomes a tradition.

“I want us to be a socially responsible student body, a pro-active student body,” he said. “This is another opportunity for students to express themselves.”

Jason Navarro, a kinesiology senior, placed a flag because he felt it was important to remember everyone who was lost. He was in sixth grade, and although he remembers the events, he did not understand everything that was happening.

“It’s important to let us know what we’ve risen from, how even in the darkest times, there is hope for the future,” he said.

 

CBU Marine candidate captures top fitness award

California Baptist University students do a variety of things on their summer break: get a job, travel, hang out.

But Daniel Urban spent six weeks at the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Va., and received an award for the top physical fitness candidate in his company.

Urban, an officer candidate and a CBU junior, is studying flight aviation and is a member of the varsity wrestling team. He hopes to be a pilot in the Marines.

“I wanted to be part of something that was bigger than me,” he said. “I think the military is great, that whole mentality, the lifestyle, that’s something I’ve always been attracted to.

At the candidates school, studentswere evaluated on their academics, physical fitness and leadership potential. The normal day began at 5 a.m. and ended at 9 p.m., and included physical fitness and classes on Marine Corps history, military skills, ethics and leadership.

For Urban, the toughest part was lack of sleep. Although they had eight hours of free time each night, the students also had to study and do other tasks during those hours.

“That was one of the tougher parts for me, being able to set aside time to study, when I would love to be sleeping,” he said

In order to be a top physical candidate, candidates had to perform well on the physical fitness test (which includes 20 pull-ups and a 3-mile timed run in 18 minutes or less), the combat fitness test (which includes a sprint and carrying and lifting 30-pound ammo cans), the obstacle course, and 4-6 mile conditioning hikes with 45-60 pound hiking packs. Urban had a perfect score on the physical and combat fitness test, and the top score on the obstacle course.

“I just like to work out in general, so I’m always trying to challenge myself, doing new things, trying to lift more, trying to run further, trying to run faster, always trying to keep that mentality,” Urban said.

Capt. Joshua P. Roberts is the USMC Officer Selection Officer Riverside.

“Urban is our all-around most physically fit candidate, but beyond that, he is extremely intelligent,” Roberts said. “He is always professional, enjoys a challenge, and has exceptional time management skills. Urban is a great representative of the quality of student that CBU produces. I only wish I had more candidates like him, as my job would be much easier.”

 

Coach Rick Rowland wins 500th game with the Lancers

Rick Rowland has spent the past 16 years of his life coaching water polo at California Baptist University. The Lancers leader is known as much by his success as his longevity, perhaps that was never clearer than Sept. 13 when Rowland won his 500^th game with CBU.

Ironically enough, after all the games Rowland has coached at the Lancer Aquatics Center, his 500^th win came not only on the road but on an entirely different coast, as CBU was competing in Brown University’s Bruno Fall Classic. The Lancers defeated St. Francis 10-6 in their second contest Saturday to usher in the milestone, which also includes Rowland’s wins with the women’s water polo team.

 

 

 Astronaut inspires CBU students to shoot for the stars

“If you love something, you’re going to do better at it,” Dr. David C. Hilmers told students at California Baptist University. “Find something you are passionate about and work at it as if you’re working for the Lord, not yourself.”

California Baptist University’s College of Allied Health hosted Hilmers on Sept. 15 to kick off its Distinguished Lecture Series. Hilmers is an associate professor at the Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Center for Space Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. His topic was “To Outer Space and Back: A Doctor’s View of Global Health.”

Hilmers, also a former NASA astronaut on four space shuttle missions, talked about the importance of healthcare globally, not just domestically.

“I think you become more complete as a doctor by going and serving in places you don’t feel comfortable,” he said. “In a place where you don’t have many fancy tests, you really have to rely on your skills.”

Hilmers has volunteered medical aid in more than 40 countries to combat malaria, hepatitis and malnutrition.

“Every medical provider should do a mission trip,” he said. “It will make them a better doctor.”

Prior to his work as a medical provider, Hilmers was a Marine Corps colonel, aviator and electrical engineer and a NASA astronaut.

Although he had a fulfilling career as a marine and astronaut, Hilmers wanted to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a medical practitioner. So, at the age of 42, Hilmers enrolled in medical school at Baylor College of Medicine, working as an astronaut during the day and taking classes during the night. Hilmers was training for his final trip into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1992.

“I finished my classes about two weeks before the start of the mission,” he said.

Following his final mission to space and after fulfilling his goal of becoming a doctor, Hilmers stayed on staff as a faculty member of Baylor College of Medicine.

“The next part of my life began as God told me it was time for me to live out my childhood dream,” he said.

 

New dining options provide students more choices, flexibility

The addition of new dining facilities at California Baptist University this fall means not only increased food options but also greater flexibility for students.

El Monte Grill and Chick-fil-A, both opened since last month, provide two more options for campus dining. The new Campus Xpress (CX) convenience story is also open for those who want to grab a quick bite to eat. The facilities, along with Wanda’s Place, Brisco’s Café and the Alumni Dining Commons (ADC), are operated by Provider Food Services.

“It gives students more flexibility,” said Kipp Dougherty, director of food services. “As the campus expands and grows, depending upon where they live, where their classes are, what their other activities are, they now have many options all over campus where they can get food.”

Senior Kayla North said she likes the variety the two new restaurants offer without having to go off campus. Junior Yaritza Salas said she frequents El Monte because of its convenience because she spends a lot time in that area of the campus. Junior Rachelle Hardin said having more options mean students won’t tire of the same food. Sophomore Bryce Hargis also liked having the nutritional information that Chick-fil-A offers, since it is a national chain.

Because there are more dining options available for students, the ADC is closed Friday nights and all day Saturday. For the first time, however, Brisco’s Café is open for breakfast seven days a week.

“Because we have a large residential population on that side of the campus, we felt that those students were being underserved having to come all the way to the ADC,” Dougherty said. “It’s a convenience for students. We now have both locations where they can eat.”

This year, the students also have Dining Dollars in addition to their meal swipes. If they just want a smoothie, a coffee or snack, they can use their Dining Dollars, Dougherty said.

“They have more options than they ever had, which is a great thing,” she said.

Meal Service Hours

Chick-fil-A and El Monte Grill

10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday

10 a.m-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Closed Sunday

Brisco’s:

7:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Friday

7:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Wanda’s:

7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday

7 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday

8 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday

Closed Sunday

CX:

7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday

7 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday

8 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday

Closed Sunday

ADC:

7-10 a.m. breakfast; 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. lunch; 4:30-7 p.m. dinner Monday-Friday

Closed Saturday

9:15 a.m.-2 p.m. brunch; 5-6:30 p.m. dinner Sunday

 

CBU advances in 2015 “Best Regional Universities” rankings

U.S. News & World Report has included California Baptist University on its list of the nation’s “Best Colleges” for the ninth straight year. CBU is ranked No. 38 in the West in the publication’s “Best Regional Universities” category for 2015, up from No. 42 in the previous year’s rankings and No.58 in 2013.

The ranking places CBU in the top tier of educational institutions across the nation.

“This year’s ranking once again reflects the improvement in quality that California Baptist University continually strives to provide in order to enhance students’ overall experience,” said Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president. “Being named a ‘Best Regional University’ in this influential ranking affirms California Baptist University for the value of the educational and related opportunities it offers and also serves to validate the choice that students make to attend CBU.”

‘Best Colleges’ rankings are featured in U.S. News & World Report each year to aid prospective students and their parents looking for the best academic values for their money. Now in its 30th year, the annual comparative listing uses a quantitative system of 16 weighted indicators of academic excellence to rank universities. Those indicators include: student selectivity, retention and graduation rates; assessment by peer institutions; faculty resources; financial resources and alumni giving.

For 2015, the category of Best Regional Universities includes 620 institutions that offer a broad scope of undergraduate degrees and master’s degrees but few, if any, doctoral programs. A full list of the rankings can be viewed at www.usnews.com/colleges.

 

Open house showcases new features in Lancer Plaza North

California Baptist University’s Lancer Plaza North opened this fall with a brand new look and welcomed students and other visitors during an open house on Sept. 5.

Before CBU acquired the 11-acre property in 2006, restaurants and retail stores occupied the shopping center that was known as Adams Plaza. Today, as an integral new part of the CBU campus, the facility offers space for university offices, student areas and a popular new dining facility.

The new occupants are Office of Spiritual Life, Community Life Office, Campus Store, Office of Leadership and Transitions and the Associated Students of California Baptist University (ASCBU). El Monte Grill, a Mexican-themed restaurant, is also located there. The offices recently celebrated the move with a grand opening.

What do the occupants enjoy most about their new location? Space.

“We love everything, the space, the storage room,” said Heather Hubbert, assistant dean of students in the Office of Leadership and Transitions.

“It’s so big, there’s room for meetings and for students to come in,” said Taylor Rilling, graduate assistant for ASCBU.

Most offices housed in the new Lancer Plaza locations moved from the Yeager Center, some from more than one location. The new offices have room for storage, room to grow and for some, the staff is now in one location.

“It’s the first time I’ve been with my staff,” said Chris Hofschroer, assistant dean of students in Community Life. Hofschroer enjoys having staff, storage and recreation rental items all in one location that includes a lounge furnished with Ping-Pong tables and sofas where students can hang out.

“It’s warm and inviting,” he said. “Our students are realizing that.”

Components of the Office of Spiritual Life (OSL) used to be located in four different offices. John Montgomery appreciates having all the staff in one location.

“Having a ‘one-stop’ location for all ministry areas of OSL should make it easier for students to find us,” he said.

Office of Leadership and Transitions was formerly the Campus Life Office. It split into the Office of Leadership and Transitions and University Card Services, which remains in the Yeager Center. The function of the Office of Leadership includes new student orientation, student leadership and the FOCUS (First-year Orientation & Christian University Success) program.

“We love the community,” Hubbert said, referring to the other offices in the complex. “We love having the space for students to visit.”

 

CBU alumni teaching around the world

Last year, California Baptist University sent five alumni to teach English at a university in China. This year, 16 are going to China and Japan.

The Teach Abroad Program (TAP) is operated through the Global Initiatives office. Bryan Davis, director of the International Center, said the program has two missions: first, it is designed to help CBU build stronger partnerships with overseas institutions; and second, it helps CBU alumni who want to teach overseas.

“We’ve learned that many CBU students that are looking to teach overseas after graduation to get some experience or because they want to go overseas long term,” Davis said. “We thought, why allow them to continue to go through other placement agencies when we can build a process here for them to teach through the university?”

Every applicant needs to be a CBU graduate, hold a bachelor’s degree and commit to at least one teaching overseas. All the participants earn a certificate for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Predictably, the group includes a fair share of English teachers, Davis said, but it also has attracted students with majors such as journalism, criminal justice and mathematics.

“CBU is such a globally minded place,” he said. “Students here have such a passion for intercultural relationships and global work that we see [students from all majors].”

Cassandra Jo Kitchen (’14) graduated with a major in foundational mathematics and will be teaching at a high school in China. While she will be teaching English through TAP, her ultimate goal is teach math.

“I have worries or fears of not reaching my students, getting homesick, eating different foods and not knowing the language, but that is what drives me to go.” she said. “I am so comfortable in my American world that I believe a little discomfort will be good for me.”

CBU provided the group with six weeks of training over the summer including lesson planning, teaching methods and cross-cultural understanding. They also received practical experience while teaching more than 400 international students who came to CBU for language camps.

 

Family Updates

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, recently hosted Mark Takano, U.S. Representative for California’s 41^st congressional district. It was Takano’s first visit to California Baptist University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Grace Ni, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, presented a paper titled Analyzing the Nonlinearity of Binary Phase Detector in Phase-Locked Loops at the 2014 IEEE International Symposium on  Radio-Frequency Integration Technology in Hefei, China, Aug. 27-30. The paper was co-authored with Xuelin Xu, principle engineer at Luxtera Inc., who also serves as an industrial curriculum partner to Dr. Ni’s courses in electronics.

 

 

 

 

CBU students were featured in the Southern Baptist International Mission Board’s Commission Stories. The students were part of the IMB’s Face2Face summer program, which sends students overseas for two months of discipleship and ministry. To read the article, click here.

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations in Online and Professional Studies, presented a webinar for Give Big Riverside County on Pinterest and Instagram Sept. 5. More than 25 attendees from area nonprofits learned how to use these image based social media sites to deliver messages, gain support and raise funds. Also, Dr. Patricia Hernandez, assistant professor of communication in Online and Professional Studies, and Pearson presented a workshop on internships and social media to business owners and nonprofits in downtown Riverside Sept. 9. The meeting promoted the second year of the CBU OPS and Riverside Downtown Partnership internship program. Pearson also wrote an article titled Mentoring Online to Facilitate Internships, which was published in the Sept. 15 issue of Connect, a publication of the International Mentoring Association.

 

Dr. Hyun-Woo Park, professor of biology, co-authored a paper titled Protein crystal structure obtained at 2.9 Å resolution from injecting bacterial cells into an X-ray free-electron laser beam, which was published Sept. 2 in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Chris Morgan and Dr. Anthony Chute, dean and associate dean of the School of Christian Ministries respectively, recently had three of their books highlighted in Preaching Magazine’s The Preacher’s Guide to Best in Bibles and Bible Reference of 2014. The books included The Community of Jesus: A Theology of the Church (B&H); Fallen: A Theology of Sin (Crossway); and Why We Belong: Evangelical Unity and Denominational Diversity (Crossway).

 

 

 

The University Assessment Committee presented its Best Awards for 2013-2014 Sept. 9. Certificates were awarded included Dirk Dallas, College of Architecture, Visual Arts, and Design, Best Rookie Coordinator; Dr. Lisa Bursch, School of Nursing, Best Program Review; Dr. Steve Betts, School of Music, Best College/School Assessment Coordinator; Dr. Betsy Morris, Online and Professional Studies,  Best Overall Assessment Coordinator; Dr. Rebecca Meyer, School of Nursing, Best Program Review,  Dr. Carol Minton, School of Behavioral Sciences, Best Improved Assessment; and Dr. Susan Drummond, School of Nursing, Best Program Review.

Best Awards recognize the excellent work and achievements accomplished by the identified assessment coordinators. Annual assessment and periodic program review are vital processes designed to better serve CBU students by seeking continual improvement in all academic programs.

 

 

Dr. Daniel Prather, chair of the department of aviation science, taught a four-day airport operations course in Nashville, Tenn. to 50 airport professionals on behalf of the American Association of Airport Executives, Aug. 25-28.

 

 

 

 

The department of aviation science welcomed 55 students to campus Sept. 5 during the 2^nd Annual Aviation Science Welcome Dinner. Students, faculty and staff were treated to a Q&A session with a panel of aviation industry experts, including pilots from Skywest Airlines and Delta Airlines, the Southwest Airlines manager of dispatch standards, an aviation planner with RBF Consulting and a senior aviation maintenance technician with FedEx. Students Lacey Schimming and Jennifer Endeman were awarded the Aviation Science Chair’s Scholarship.

Students in the department of aviation science produced a video highlighting the very first year of CBU’s aviation science program. To view the video, click here.

 

Dr. Gayne Anacker, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, served as program director for the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s recent C.S. Lewis Summer Institute, which carried the theme Oxbridge 2014–Reclaiming the Virtues: Human Flourishing in the 21st Century. The conference was held July 21-31 in Oxford and Cambridge, England at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. Anacker also served as co-leader for the Great Books Seminar and presented the paper Natural Law and the Recent Turn toward Virtue Ethics in the special session of the Academic Roundtable. Dr. Scott Key, professor of philosophy, served as director of the Academic Roundtable and presented a paper titled Toward an Epistemology of Value: Wisdom and Trust in Aristotle’s Ethics and the Gospel of Mark. Dr. Toni Dingman, associate professor of English, and Dr. Angela Brand, associate professor of music, also presented papers. Dingman’s paper was titled Lewis, the Law of Human Nature and the Crisis of Modern Civility, while Brand presented Research and Presence:  Finding Virtue in Musical Manuscripts.

 

The College of Allied Health hosted its first Welcome Back Rally on Sept. 4 with more than 650 students, faculty, and staff in attendance. The event was held at the Recreation Center and included faculty introductions, academic information, social media announcements and multiple contests to win a CBU Beach Cruiser, $25 to the Apple Store, and gift cards for on-campus dining. This was a great opportunity for students within the College to connect with their faculty and department chairs, and to meet Clinical Coordinator Lori Torres. The Office of Career Services was also present, providing helpful information to juniors and seniors looking for internship and employment opportunities. Tiffany Hendricks, a freshman, won the CBU Beach Cruiser after competing in a trivia competition and mirror-dance competition.

 

Dr. Monica O’Rourke, associate professor of kinesiology for Online and Professional Studies, had her theory and research in kinesiology highlighted in a textbook titled Applied Health Fitness Psychology, published by Human Kinetics Publications.  The book includes O’Rourke’s theory of psychological motivation for lifelong fitness and her research of situational factors for exercise.

 

 

 

Dr. Linn Carothers, professor of mathematics, and Dr. Ricardo Cordero-Soto, assistant professor of mathematics, have partnered with CBU alumnus Nicholas Janzen ‘12, mathematics teacher at Notre Dame High School, to bring Notre Dame High School students to campus for a Bridge to Supercomputing program. Students will receive instruction in construction and programming of supercomputers, dynamical systems, stochastic processes, computational methods and modeling. Thirteen students attended the first session on Aug. 23.

 

 

 

 

 

Stewart Undem, adjunct professor of music, recently returned from a summer tour of Australia as lead trombonist in the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The band, one of two licensed in the U.S. by Glenn Miller Products Inc., exclusively travels overseas. The Australian tour included 57 concerts.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Kenneth Minesinger, associate professor of law for Online & Professional Studies, recently edited an article for the State Bar of California’s Business Law News titled Protecting the Tax Refunds of Consolidated Tax Filers in Bankruptcy.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. A. Abdelmessih, professor of mechanical engineering, was a delegate to the 15^th International Heat Transfer Conference Aug. 12. Abdelmessih presented an article titled Blinking and Temperature Gradients in Normal Functioning Human Eye. The International Heat Transfer Conference is the world’s premier conference for scientists and engineers in the heat and mass transfer research community, who convene every four years to exchange the latest information.  The acceptance rate for this refereed international conference was 53 percent. Abdelmessih also served as an associate editor for the International Heat Transfer Conference Proceedings.

 

 

Forty-eight faculty members from the College of Allied Health, School of Behavioral Health Sciences and the School of Nursing attended a two-day workshop on CBU’s campus titled Called2Collaborate an Interprofessional Education: A Faculty Workshop.The workshop was presented by the Called2Collaborate faculty committee consisting of Dayna Herrera (chair), Dr. Nicole MacDonald (co-chair), Dr. Jolene Baker, Dr. Kenneth Pearce, Dr. Meg Barth, Dr. Susan Drummond, and Dr. Carol Minton. This workshop provided an opportunity for university faculty to understand the national initiative on interprofessional education (IPE) and to work with multiple health related disciplines in planning IPE activities for use with students. Dr. Hewitt Matthews, vice president of health sciences at Mercer University, was keynote speaker.

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

“SERVE program” connects new CBU students to community

New students at California Baptist University upheld a tradition of service by donating thousands of hours to community projects just days before the Sept. 2 start of the fall semester.

Nearly 1,700 students each completed two hours of community service Aug. 30, working on projects in elderly residents’ homes, at Operation Safe House, Sherman Indian High School and other facilities. They also worked at 10 locations coordinated through Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful.

Kelli Welzel, director of new student programs, began the SERVE program last year to connect new students with the university’s neighbors.

Some student groups took the streets of Riverside, filling up bags with trash and cleaning playgrounds. One group painted a backdrop for a Child Abuse Prevention picnic. Some international students from China, France and Brazil served at Magnolia Church in a variety of ways.

“It’s a great way to interact with the community,” said Ashley Vidaurri, an incoming freshman. “It’s a lot of hard work but I’m willing to do it for the community.”

Vidaurri’s group, one of five working at Sherman Indian High School, raked gravel in a school parking lot. On another part of the campus, Federick Martinez, a member of Sherman’s maintenance staff, shoveled dirt from the back of a truck while other CBU students spread the soil over dead spots on school grounds.

“They have done an outstanding job,” Martinez said of the student volunteers. “From the coach to the principal, we appreciate their efforts.”

Martinez noted that this is not the only time the two schools interact. Throughout the year, CBU students tutor Sherman students.

“They are like older brothers and sisters,” he said. “There is so much help that comes from CBU for our students. They are a big part of our community.”

 

California Baptist University welcomes new students

Classes began Sept. 2 at California Baptist University after a busy weekend of moving into campus housing and New Student Orientation activities.

“Everyone here is so nice and respectful of those around them,” said Hannah Herrman, freshman Christian studies major.

Herrmann, a triplet, drove to CBU with her father and two sisters from Everett, Wash., which took about 25 hours. When they arrived, she said the energy was “very upbeat and exciting. Everyone was eager to help out.”

Herrmann explained that her two sisters are entering the nursing program, while her Christian studies major will prepare her for youth ministry.

“We wanted the support of a Christian university,” Herrmann said. “We knew that God wanted us here.”

The Laker family from Anchorage, Alaska, moved their son, Josh, into Smith Hall dormitory.

Josh made the decision to apply after looking for a Christian university with an engineering program. He felt CBU had the strongest one.

“We really feel blessed that the Lord is providing,” said Steffanie Laker, Josh’s mother.

Once boxes were moved in, students and parents moved on to the rest of the orientation activities, which included a goodbye to the parents.

“Up until that point it felt surreal to be going to college but when I said goodbye (to my dad) it hit me that I was in college and going to be living on my own,” Herrmann said. “I felt excited and also a little sad for my dad knowing that his kids are all grown up and in college.”

Other New Student Orientation events included the Clash Bash, in which students played mini golf wearing mismatched clothes, community service projects and a Phil Wickham concert. They will also be involved in the FOCUS (First-Year Orientation & Christian University Success) program, which familiarizes them with campus life and introduces them to other new students.

Fall enrollment numbers will be announced at a later date.

 

CBU architecture program moving toward accreditation

California Baptist University’s architecture program moved one step closer to accreditation recently when The College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design (CAVAD) was notified that the program had officially been named a candidate for accreditation.

The five-year master of architecture degree program began last year with about 30 students. It can seek full accreditation after four years of candidacy and after the first class graduates.

A team from the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) visited the program in April, said Mark Roberson, dean of CAVAD. The team reviewed the curriculum, instructional plans and student work.

Graduates of the program take the Architect Registration Examination to become a registered architect. About 45 states now require architects to have an accredited degree before they can take the test.

“The goal at CBU is to provide an accredited degree, because you can’t be a registered architect unless you have an accredited degree,” Roberson said. “It’s really a huge goal of ours to provide our students with something valuable for the amount of investment that they’re putting into the program.”

CAVAD is expanding the program to include overseas partnerships. About 15 students from Jilin Jianzhu Architectural University in China are enrolling in CBU’s program this fall. The plan is develop a two plus three program, where Chinese students would attend JJAU for two years, then come to CBU for three years to complete a degree.

 

English program builds bridge to international students

Imagine pursuing a college degree in a language other than your mother tongue. A growing number of international students are doing just that at California Baptist University and fortunately for them, Shelley Clow is on the job. As director of CBU’s intensive English program, Clow works to help international students sharpen their English skills.

“I have always had a passion for international students,” Clow said. “The language-learning area is a field that I find fascinating and a bridge to connect me with international students and people of other cultures. So I get really inspired by relationships with these people, the courage that it must take to go pursue a degree in a language that is not their mother tongue.”

Clow has worked for six years as an adjunct professor in the program but also served as an academic advisor for Online and Professional Studies. In her current role, she will assess student needs and develop study plans in response.

The intensive English program prepares international students for the level of English proficiency they need to succeed in their academic program at CBU, she said. Some students don’t need the program at all. Those that do need help receive 20 hours of intense instruction per week, covering skills such as oral communication, listening, pronunciation, vocabulary, reading comprehension and writing.

About 80 new international students are expected to start in the fall, Clow said. Nearly one  third of that number will need the language program. CBU’s international students come from countries such as China, Brazil, India, Rwanda and South Korea.

The CBU community is in a unique position where the university is not going to international students around the world; they are coming to CBU, presenting an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to influence those who have never been reached by the gospel, Clow said.

“We have an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus as well as to meet a need by teaching them English and language learning,” she said. “When people around campus have an opportunity to meet with or work with any of our international students, I hope they can see the opportunity to make a connection with someone who is from another part of this large world that God made and to appreciate what a special opportunity it is.”

Rickard named chair of CBU Bioengineering Department

When the bioengineering department in the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering was launched last fall, Dr. Matthew Rickard, associate professor, was named interim chair. In July, he was officially named chair.

The department currently offers a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering. In this field, students study the human body from an engineering perspective and learn about medical devices and technologies, and therefore the curriculum is grounded in mechanical and electrical engineering. This provides opportunities for students to create high-tech solutions for improving human health.

It is logical to house biomedical engineering in its own department, Rickard said.

“It made sense not to have that degree in an existing department,” he said.  “In the future we could add new degrees underneath bioengineering.”

Rickard’s goal is to offer other majors and possibly a master’s program. About six bioengineering students comprising the first class are expected to  graduate in 2016.

Dr. Mark Gordon, assistant professor, and Dr. Seung-Jae Kim, associate professor, are also part of the department.

The curriculum was created to comply with ABET requirements, Rickard said.

ABET is the recognized accrediting body of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering and technology. Other requirements consider faculty, student experience, facilities and continual improvement policy. According to ABET policy, CBU cannot apply for accreditation until after the first students graduate, Rickard said. It takes about a year of review, but the accreditation is retroactive to include all the first graduates.

 

CBU team wins NATA Quiz Bowl

What is the only muscle in the body that originates on the distal portion of a long bone and inserts on the distal portion of a long bone?

Most people may not know the answer, but a student in the College of Allied Heath athletic training program should. That was the final question a team of California Baptist University students had to answer for the National Athletic Trainers Association quiz bowl. (The answer: Brachioradialis)

For three consecutive years, CBU teams have won the regional Far West Athletic Trainers Association Quiz Bowl and went on to nationals. In June, the third time, a team from CBU won the national quiz bowl.

Two teams, each made up of three students in the athletic training program, competed at the regional quiz bowl in April and finished first and second. Three students also won cash awards for research posters at the regional conference.

The winning bowl team — Corrie Bober, Kelsie Gartner, Naclaysia McGee — went to nationals in Indianapolis to compete against teams from nine other regions.

The quiz bowl runs like Jeopardy, said Dr. Nicole MacDonald, associate professor of kinesiology and program director for the athletic training education program. There are categories to choose from and every team has a clicker. The competition is scored on how fast teams answer and if they respond correctly. The quiz covers material from the Board of Certification (BOC) exam, which all the students take.

“They don’t practice. We feel like the last two years of their education has been practice to be an athletic trainer and those are the skills that you need,” McDonald said. “It just shows how well our students do.”

The winning team received a check for $1,000 for the program.

“We don’t do anything special. It’s just for fun,” McDonald said. “But if you think about it, all these students are studying for the BOC exam, they’re all taking it right at the same time. It should be fresh in their minds.”

The students take at least three practice tests before the real thing, McDonald said. To be a certified athletic trainer, one must pass the BOC. The students knew answers for the quiz bowl and all the students knew them for the BOC exam. The 20 graduates from the program this year took the test in April or June. All passed, giving the program a 100 percent first-time pass rate.

 

 

Family Updates

Dr. Seunghyun Chun, assistant professor of engineering, received a $25,000 grant from Riverside Public Utility (RPU) to conduct research in Peak Energy Demand Shaving system, a joint research project with Pacific Energy Co. The funds will assist in building a working prototype system using photovoltaic panels, battery banks and power electronics to help stabilize the power grid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Vis, director of development, was selected Employee of the Month for September. His nomination form included the following statements: “Robert is well-respected by those he works with and for. His skill set also includes design, and he has gone above and beyond his job description and used those talents to improve the materials associated with University Advancement. He is an excellent director of development and, most importantly, a good and Godly man.”

 

 

 

 

 

About 1,700 new students converged on the CBU campus Aug. 28-31 for New Student Orientation. The theme was Connecting New Students to Campus, Classmates, College Life & Christ.
Activities included class registration, games and plenty of fun.

 

Dr. Riste Simnjanovski, assistant academic dean for Online & Professional Studies, recently edited an article for the Journal of the American Dental Association titled Clinical and radiographic success of mineral trioxide aggregate compared with formocresol as a pulpotomy treatment in primary molars: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

 

 

 

Women of Vision hosted an event Aug. 14 titled Hinds’ Feet in High Heels featuring Pam Tebow, mother of former NFL player Tim Tebow. More than 130 participated in the event. Proceeds will fund scholarships in the School of Nursing.

 

 

 

 

 

Robyn Glessner, adjunct professor of history, recently evaluated more than 600 student essays on historical topics of the reconstruction era and World War II as a reader for the College Board’s Annual AP Reading in U.S. history. She also attended a lecture by Eric Foner on his upcoming book about the underground railroad in New York City.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Charles Sands, dean of the College of Allied Health; Dr. Wayne Fletcher, chair of the department of health sciences; and Dr. Sean Sullivan, chair of the department of kinesiology represented CBU Aug. 23 at the Riverside Medical Clinical Foundation 5^th Annual Dinner. In addition. Sands and Fletcher attended the MedAdvance Conference July 17-19, which was hosted by the Southern Baptist International Mission Board near Richmond, Va.

 

 

Krista Wagner, adjunct professor of English, recently published her debut novel, Intent, on Amazon Kindle.

 

Dr. Kyle Stewart, assistant professor of physics, presented research titled Angular Momentum Acquisition in Milky Way Sized Galaxy Halos at the University of California, Santa Cruz Galaxy Workshop on Aug. 15.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history and associate dean of the School of Christian Ministries, contributed a chapter on William Rogers for the book, A Noble Company: Biographical Essays on Notable Particular-Regular Baptists in America, Volume 5, recently published by Particular Baptist Press. Chute’s chapter is a biographical exploration of Rogers’ pastorate at the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, chaplaincy during the Revolutionary War, professorship at the University of Pennsylvania and writings that shaped the missional outlook of early Baptists.

 

 

 

Dr. Tom Marshall, professor of engineering, presented a paper Aug. 28 at the One Water technical conference sponsored by American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Association in Ohio.  The paper, titled JOINING FORCES – A Look at Restructuring of a Water and Sewer Utility,was based on Marshall’s engineering optimization study.

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU announces new campus dining options

A Chick-fil-A restaurant and a new convenience store for quick meals on the go join the list of food service options at California Baptist University as the fall 2014 semester begins in early September.

“We are excited to welcome Chick-fil-A to California Baptist University and to add their healthy menu and signature customer service to our campus dining options,” said Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president. “In addition, the Campus Xpress location will allow students to choose quick meals when their time is limited.”

The two facilities will join the El Monte Grill, which opened earlier in the summer, as well as campus favorites Wanda’s, Brisco’s Café and the Alumni Dining Commons. All six locations are operated by Provider Food Services.

“As a nationally recognized brand, Chick-fil-A supports Provider’s on-going commitment to deliver superior quality food to the students, staff and faculty of CBU,” said Rodney Couch, founder and president of Preferred Hospitality Inc., Provider’s parent company. “My team and I are committed to providing fresh and delicious food, warm customer service and a comfortable dining experience with every visit.”

 

 

 

CBU alumnus extends passion for art to drawing class

CBU alumnus Geoff Gouveia (‘13) connects with others through writing and visual art. This summer he is passing that passion along to younger students.

Gouveia is teaching a beginning drawing class this month for students aged 12-18 at the CBU Gallery. While teaching drawing technique, he also hopes to teach the students confidence.

“One of the big things that I try to focus on is the idea of confidence within their own drawings,” Gouveia said. “I don’t like to use the eraser and most of the time I don’t supply them with one, because I want them to be confident in the mistakes in the learning process. And then through that, maybe it will bleed over into other areas of their school work or in their lives. Within the drawing, I know that confidence is a huge boost in gaining ability.”

Gouveia started pursuing art his junior year in high school, but did not take it seriously until his sophomore year after he went on a trip with CBU to Africa.

“On that trip I experienced a lot of emotions and things I couldn’t really express in the written word,” he said. “I’ve always kept a journal, and at that time things started to transition from the written word to more visual.”

Gouveia expresses himself on canvas and on the sides of buildings. He has painted murals in Riverside, Los Angeles, Tijuana, Brazil and Chile. He enjoys creating murals because of the challenge; canvas pieces may take a month to complete but he only has a few days for a mural.

“The personal challenge of this scale is always really fun with the time crunch,” he said. “You have a limited amount of time so your decision making will be really quick, your creativity’s peaked. So for me, the murals are a lot of fun and it’s a big challenge.”

In the drawing class, Gouveia is starting with smaller challenges. For instance, if students can only draw stick figures, he will help them learn form. If they can draw the form well, they move on to light. If they know about light, then Gouveia will talk about proportions.

“There’s always something you can work on,” he said. “That was one of the most frustrating things that I learned in school, that no matter how good I got, I was never that good. Even if I was taking this class as a student, I could definitely still be learning something. You’re never done.”

 

Family Updates

Dr. Rod Foist, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, presented three papers at the First Year Engineering Experience 2014 Conference at Texas A&M University, College Station, in August.  The papers were written in collaboration with CBU faculty colleagues and were titled Use of Robotics in First-Year Engineering Math Laboratory by Foist and Dr. Grace Ni, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; An Intuitive Calculus Project, Using Electronic Filters, for a First-Year Engineering Math Laboratory by Foist and Dr. Anthony Donaldson, dean of the Gordon & Jill Bourns College of Engineering; and Providing More Lab Options for First-Year Female Engineering Students in Math and Engineering Courses with Lab Components by Foist, Dr. Ziliang Zhou, professor of mechanical engineering; and Dr. Helen Jung, assistant professor of civil engineering.

 

Leontine Armstrong, adjunct professor of English, published an essay titled Shading in a Violent Shadow: A Hero’s Confrontation with the American Shadow in Tim’s Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in the July issue of Mythological Studies Journal.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Skubik, professor of law, ethics and humanities, and his wife Bernadette just returned from an interfaith/intercultural dialogue trip to Southeast Asia Aug 4-14. They visited several private primary and secondary schools and universities, as well as various cultural sites with Muslim, Christian and Buddhist group participants. They also spoke with many students, faculty, administrative staff and local government officials about issues concerning education and development in both countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Kenneth Minesinger, associate professor of law for Online and Professional Studies, gave a presentation to the American College of Family Physicians of California at the 38th Annual Scientific Seminar in Anaheim, Calif., Aug. 7-10.  The topic was medical-legal issues facing physicians after the adoption of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jennifer Newton, associate professor of English, recently published an article titled Finding Wisdom: George Herbert’s Response to Proverbs 9 in ‘Church-musick,’ ‘Christmas,’ and ‘Love (3)’ in the George Herbert Journal, vol. 35. Her essay demonstrates how, through parallels in wording and structure, these three works by the seventeenth-century poet George Herbert navigate readers beyond each individual poem to a collective imagined response to the call of Wisdom in Proverbs.

 

 

 

Dr. Ana Gamez, associate professor of forensic psychology, and Dr. Douglas Wallace, assistant professor of sociology, participated in a panel discussion at the Box Theater in Riverside on two short films: one depicting the 14,000 Pedro Pan children sent to the U.S. in the 1960s to escape Castro’s regime and another that follows a 9-year-old child laborer in India who has the opportunity for an education . The discussion centered on child labor exploitation. Gamez also gave a lecture Aug. 8 for the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration at the Center for American and International Law in Plano, Texas on the topic of Selection and Hiring of Ethical Police Officers. In addition, she co-authored an article titled Vicarious Traumatization: A Guide for Managing the Silent Stressor. The article was published in the August 2014 issue of Police Chief, the journal of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

 

Forty high school students from the Upward Bound math and science program of Moreno Valley College visited California Baptist University July 25. Dr. Bruce Prins, professor of biology; Dr. Hannah Hu, assistant professor of chemistry; and Dr. Ricardo Cordero, assistant professor of mathematics, presented information about careers and research, provided hands-on activities such as blood typing and respiratory function/values and demonstrated light emitting chemicals and polymers.

 

 

 

 

Julie Goodman, assistant professor of anthropology, presented a paper titled Anthropology in the Real World Aug. 4 at the National Social Science Association Conference in San Diego. The presentation explored ways in which students can directly use anthropological skills for specific jobs in our current economy.

 

 

 

Joshua van Baarsel, lab coordinator for the department of natural and mathematical sciences, and his wife Sarah welcomed a baby boy to the family Aug. 1. Hunter Jacob was born at 3:19 a.m., weighing 7 lbs. 14 ozs. and measuring 20.5 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Morgan Cox, financial coordinator in the Campus Store, and her husband Joel welcomed their first child July 31, a daughter named Kennedi Blayke Cox. The baby was born at 12:45 p.m., weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz. and measured 19 inches long.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU cheer team still on top, pushes toward third championship

The California Baptist University cheerleading team continues to fly high.

At a National Cheerleaders Association/USA camp in July, the team once again earned a gold bid in its pursuit of a third straight NCA Championship in 2015. It also earned a gold bid to the 2015 USA College Championships. The team again took first place as camp champions – Best All Around, with a score of 203; second-place Weber State University had 183 points. The team also took first place in the Game Day Run Off, which included Division I coed teams, won the Top Gun Stunt Winner for the second year in a row and eight cheerleaders were named All-American.

“This is a great start to the 2014-2015 season,” head coach Tami Fleming said. “Our seasoned veterans paired with our talented rookie class have proven, once again, that CBU cheer plans to stay on top. The hard work, dedication and skill of this new team is unmatched and I look forward to a great year with these athletes.”

The results mean the cheer team can pursue another NCA title, after winning their second in April and being undefeated for the past two seasons.

“When they won, it was very cool. It was very validating,” Fleming said of the NCA win in April. “It made it feel like the first win wasn’t just a fluke. We weren’t just lucky to be the best team in the nation. We very clearly are the best team in the nation.”

Becoming a national team takes a lot of work. Practice is usually 2-2.5 hours daily Monday through Thursday, September through April. When it’s competition time, that can increase. The practices sometimes begin with a mile run with weights. And that’s just the warm-up.

Sophomore Mara Gates said all the hard work was worth it.

“The team work and the team ethics that we had was really cool to watch,” she said. “As we developed from summertime to being this well-oiled machine by the end of the year, it was really cool to watch and be a part of.”

The first year Fleming and assistant cheer coach Jason Larkins took over as coaches, the team came up with the motto “Passion, God, Success.”

“We really try to ingrain in them, be passionate about what you do, let God be the center of all of it and success will come,” Fleming said. “And it may not always be a first-place finish, it may come in another form. But they push to be successful, and so I think that team motto has just carried them through a lot of stuff.”

The team will again push to be successful this season.

“Nobody in the history of the division has ever won it three years in a row,” Fleming said. “So obviously our goal is to win it a third year and make history.”

 

CBU introductory engineering course offers fun, challenges

How does one make a bridge out of spaghetti and make it strong enough to hold weight? That was just one of the many things 10 high school students learned during an introductory engineering course at California Baptist University. Engineering Innovation, a four-week summer course developed by Johns Hopkins University, was offered at 14 sites nationwide. This was the first year CBU’s Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineeringoffered the program.

The course covered several fields of engineering, including chemical, electrical, computer, civil and mechanical. Nine students from the Inland Empire and one from Northern California also learned about finance and ethics and practiced oral presentation and written communications.

The purpose of the course was to get the students interested in engineering, said Grace Ni, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. She and Dr. Mark Gordon, assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, co-taught the course.

“The goal of the program is mainly to inspire the young generation in engineering,” Ni said. “We let them know what engineering is about, how much fun engineering is and the different disciplines under engineering.”

The course included lectures and hands-on projects, such as designing and constructing a circuit to control a robotics car, and building a mousetrap and then writing down instructions for others to follow. Throughout, the students learned communication, how to give accurate instructions and teamwork.

The course culminated with the pasta bridges. The students learned about the strength of materials, designed a bridge on a computer and then built it. On the final day of the course, the students suspended increasing amounts of weight from the bridges until they broke. The spaghetti structures supported weights ranging from 36 to 62 pounds before collapsing.

“We want to show them engineering is really cool and you can have a lot fun, and what the essential skills are you need to grasp to be successful in the field of engineering,” Ni said.

 

Class brings Disney magic to CBU

A little bit of Disneyland’s magic came to California Baptist University during the summer semester.

Dr. Jeffrey Barnes, associate professor and dean of academic services, taught more than 20 students in History 401 – Special Topics: The History of Disneyland.

The course provided an historical review of Southern California’s prominent cultural icon. The class focused on topics such as how the park mimics and mirrors the American Dream; the park’s place in American history and culture; its influence around the globe; and Disney’s impact on the entertainment industry.

During the eight-week session, Barnes incorporated entertainment and magic through two field trips and guest speakers. Students were given the VIP treatment at Disneyland for a hands-on experience and received a private tour at Garner Holt Productions in San Bernardino, which creates animatronic figures and more. The class also had the opportunity to hear from an array of guest speakers, who covered aspects of history, biography, culture and construction.

The first guest speaker, Disney historian Sam Gennawey, author of the class’ textbook The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream, shared the beginning stages of Walt Disney’s career, Disneyland’s construction and opening day. Next, Bill Butler, creative director of Garner Holt Productions, discussed his history with both Disneyland and Garner Holt, as well as a technical history of the mechanics of auto-animatronics. Lastly, Mel McGowan, a former Disney Imagineer and president/founder of Visioneering Studios, presented Disneyland’s architecture, storytelling and theming. McGowan brought a fresh and unique faith-based perspective to Disneyland’s organization and building style. Being a strong believer in Christ-centered communities, McGowan said he viewed his role at Disney as a chance to highlight God’s glory through a form of re-creation.

Barnes summed up the class experience using a quote from Walt Disney himself: “It really is kind of fun to do the impossible.”

Family Updates

The pottery of ceramics instructor David Williams, adjunct faculty in the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design, is being featured at Hands Gallery in San Louis Obispo during the month of August.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Thomas Schneider, assistant professor of English for Online and Professional Studies, presented research July 17 titled Chaucer’s Physics: Motion in The House of Fame at the New Chaucer Society Conference at the University of Iceland in Reykyavik.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jong-Wha Bai, associate professor and department chair of civil engineering, presented two papers titled Comparison between Seismic Demand Models and Incremental Dynamic Analysis for Low-Rise and Mid-Rise Reinforced Concrete Buildings and Seismic Fragility Estimates of Controlled High-Rise Buildings with Magnetorheological Dampers at the 10th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (10NCEE) in Anchorage, Alaska July 21-25. He also co-authored an article titled Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Tilt-Up Concrete Structures in the journal, Structure and Infrastructure Engineering: Maintenance, Management, Life-Cycle Design and Performance.

 

 

Dr. Timothy Mosteller, associate professor of philosophy, presented a paper titled Towards a Phenomenological Correspondence Theory of Emotions at the European Philosophical Society for the Study of Emotions in Lisbon, Portugal from July 18-20.

 

 

 

 

The School of Nursing hosted student nurses from Taiwan for two weeks this summer. The students were studying the American healthcare system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Elaine Ahumada, chair of the department of history and government for Online and Professional Studies, was featured as the key presenter on the topic of Partnering: The 21st Century Employee Empowerment for the County of Riverside’s Fiscal and Administrative Manager’s quarterly meeting held at the Carriage House in Riverside on July 14, 2014.

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU team uses training in East Africa

A volunteer team from California Baptist University’s College of Allied Health has returned from East Africa after working for three weeks providing healthcare. Three faculty and 10 students used their skills and training to help a fieldworker who is a physical therapist.

The team had a four-tiered strategy, said Dr. Sean Sullivan, chair of the department of kinesiology, who was a member of the team.  In addition to working with the fieldworker, giving rehabilitative care in a hospital, they also provided health education at the hospital, a physical education class at a school and worked in a fitness facility.

Although the patients were diverse, the primary group for rehabilitative care were women who were house workers with low-back injuries, Sullivan said. And because the local infrastructure isn’t the same as in the U.S., the group worked with a minimal amount of equipment.

“Students had to be creative in how they treated patients,” Sullivan said. “Many of them realized how advanced the training is (at CBU and in the U.S.) and how privileged they are to have access to the types of tools that they have. I think many of them realized that they took for granted what most people didn’t even have access to. That was part of the learning experience, as well as to see patients who were really grateful for any type of service that could be offered.”

It was the second consecutive year that Sullivan helped lead a team to East Africa as CBU builds a relationship with the fieldworker.

“This was a great second step in an ongoing relationship for the college and for the university in Africa and God seems to be blessing it,” he said. “It was confirmation from God that He can use me and other faculty in real ways as we lead students to integrate their faith in service to others in specific ways according to their training. And it was also a reminder that we can serve others using our professional training anywhere.”

 

CBU hosts international music festival

About 50 students from China competed July 18-19 at California Baptist University in the inaugural Hope-CBU International Music Festival.

The students, ranging in age from 7 to 30, sang and played instruments, such as piano, double bass, cello and oboe. Judges consisted of a Chinese piano teacher and several faculty members from CBU’s School of Music.

Dr. Steve Betts, professor of music, was one of the judges for the piano category.

“Every person brings his or her own experience to the performance of music,” he said. “The events of each individual’s life and the depth of his or her insight concerning the piece he or she is performing bring a unique perspective to each performance.”

Winners received 1^st and 2^nd place awards. The other participants received honorable mention certificates.

The festival was a great way to showcase CBU and the quality of its music program, said Dr. Larry Linamen, vice president of global initiatives.

“We want our music program to be known across China.”

This summer more than 400 international students walked across CBU’s campus for language camps. All the camps included an English language and American cultural component. Groups included Colegio Batista Mineiro from Brazil, Ningbo City College of Vocational Technology from China and Affiliated Middle School to Jilin University from China.

 

Athletic training program achieves 10-year accreditation

California Baptist University’s athletic training program has received continuing accreditation for 10 years from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

The entry-level master’s program in the College of Allied Health, the first of its kind in California, had previously been accredited for five years in 2009 when the first students were preparing to graduate. Ten-year accreditation is the most a program can receive.

The program had to complete a self-study and submit to an accreditation visit to ensure it met the nationally recognized standards, said Dr. Nicole MacDonald, associate professor of kinesiology and program director for the athletic training education program. Those standards include having the right number of faculty and the proper equipment, as well as implementing health and safety procedures. It also must maintain a 70 percent first-time pass rate of the Board of Certification exam for a three-year aggregate. The percentage of CBU graduates passing the exam the past three years ranges from 88.24 percent to 100 percent.

Up to 20 students are accepted each year into the program. They complete a minimum of eight clinical rotations, giving the students experience in high school, collegiate, clinic and general medical environments.

MacDonald said the program is not about personal training or coaching but is more like medical care for the physically active. The 10-year accreditation is the culmination of hard work by both faculty and students.

“I was pretty excited, she said. “We expected it, but we’re still working hard. It shows our program is solid. It’s a big indicator we are doing the right things.”

Graduates of the CBU athletic training program have gone into careers with professional sports teams, olympic sport, universities, high schools and clinics.

 

CBU School of Behavioral Sciences announces new dean

Dr. Jacqueline Gustafson, a native of Washington, is the new dean of California Baptist University’s School of Behavioral Sciences.

Gustafson, who began her new role July 1, comes from Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash., a private Christian school of 1,740 students. At that institution, she was the associate dean for academic programs in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Gustafson worked at Northwest University in various positions for 14 years. She was ready for a new opportunity, she said.

“It was excellent timing. I think God’s provision was definitely in that.”

Gustafson moved to Riverside with her husband, David, and 6-year-old son, Abraham.

For now, she is busy settling in at CBU and the School of Behavioral Sciences, which has more than 400 undergraduate students and more than 300 in the graduate programs.

“My goal is really just to come and learn the culture of CBU and of the School of Behavioral Sciences and then create a plan for how we can take that existing culture and grow from that,” Gustafson said. “I’m very much of the philosophy of wanting to grow programs out of the existing dreams and skill sets in the School of Behavioral Sciences. I hope that I can bring my skills to the table to help make that happen.”

Gustafson, who also will be teaching Theories of Personality in the fall and advising graduate students on their theses, says education is her passion.

“Regardless of the specific class I’m teaching, my primary lens is that of an educator,” she said. “We have the content, but I’ll be thinking just as much about the types of students, how they learn, different models we can approach in the classroom, different ways we can innovate our programming.”

Gustafson also brings to CBU an interest in global studies, which was her focus in her doctoral program.

“As we’re studying psychology and how the human mind works and behavior is shaped, we need to do so within the context of understanding that we live in a globalized world,” she said. “We have a tremendous opportunity to respond to that challenge and to help serve in the midst of that culture.”

 

CBU announces “Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering”

Officials at California Baptist University have announced the naming of the “Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering” in honor of the Riverside couple’s longstanding support for the CBU engineering program.

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, said the naming recognizes the Bourns’ recent $5.5 million lead gift in the college’s “Equipping for Impact” campaign. Ellis said it was the largest single gift from individuals ever received by CBU and provided an auspicious launch for the fundraising campaign.

“I am very grateful to Gordon and Jill for their continuing support of California Baptist University and for this latest example of their wonderful generosity,” Ellis said. “This gift demonstrates their strong commitment to help prepare the engineers of the future and, more than that, it models an amazing spirit of philanthropy that I believe can inspire others to join us in funding this exciting project.”

Gordon Bourns is chairman and CEO of Bourns Inc., a leading manufacturer and supplier of electronic components. He also is chairing the campaign to fund construction of a new building to house the CBU engineering college that now bears his name along with that of his wife.

“We thought this would be a tremendous opportunity to share the blessings God has given us and to inspire others to give also,” Bourns said. “We are thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord by serving CBU.”

The Bourns’ lead gift in the campaign is the latest demonstration of the couple’s support for the private university’s engineering program. A previous contribution in 2008 was recognized with the naming of the Bourns Engineering Laboratory at CBU.

Campaign proceeds will help fund construction of a planned three-story building encompassing 100,000 square feet of classrooms and state of the art equipment for the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering. Preliminary plans for the innovative building design will utilize green technology and sustainable construction, and feature two blocks of classroom, faculty and administrative space bracketing a massive engineering hall, providing multipurpose space for labs, projects, exhibits, presentations and student collaboration, as well as an interactive studio for K-12 STEM education.

 

CBU and Zhejiang Medical College enter partnership

California Baptist University and Zhejiang Medical College in China are collaborating on a program that can help Chinese students obtain a degree in health care.

Dr. Larry Linamen, vice president of global initiatives, recently signed the document in a formal ceremony in China.

“This is the first program we’ve had that the government of China has approved,” Linamen said. “It is a big step for us because there is a tremendous amount of paperwork in getting these projects formally approved.”

Students will attend Zhejiang Medical College for three years and will continue their studies at CBU for two years. Upon completion, students will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare administration from California Baptist University.

CBU is recruiting students entering Zhejiang this fall, so those students would start attending CBU in 2017, said Dr. Charles Sands, dean of CBU’s College of Allied Health.

The program provides opportunities for international students who graduate to return to China with newly obtained skills. It also gives CAH faculty an opportunity to teach in China. Beginning next year, one or two CBU faculty members will teach in China for about a month.

 

Family Updates

Dr. C. Fyne Nsofor, associate professor of intercultural studies, was appointed associated editor of Missiology, the journal of the American Society of Missiology, beginning July 2014. Nsofor’s primary function will be to read and review journal articles submitted for publication. The journal is a forum for the exchange of ideas and research between missiologists and others interested in related subjects.

 

 

 

 

The Inland Empire Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration awarded three CBU graduate students in public administration scholarships at the organization’s annual awards banquet June 26. Michele Nissen was awarded a $1,000 scholarship, while Rachel McClure and Renee Poselski each received a $500 scholarship. Dr. Elaine Ahumada, chair of the department of history and government and program director for the master of public administration degree program, served as president of the chapter for a two-year term and will serve as chapter secretary beginning in September.

 

 

Pam Pryfogle, adjunct faculty for Online and Professional Studies, recently traveled to Northern Uganda with her son and grandson, Michael and Noah Pryfogle, to complete her doctoral research and to host a Bible conference for women. Pryfogle’s son and grandson assisted with research and taught baseball to area children. Baseball equipment was donated by Dr. Sean Sullivan, chair of the department of kinesiology; Dr. David Pearson professor of kinesiology; and Gary Adcock, head coach of Lancers men’s baseball. For more about the Pryfogles’ travels in Northern Uganda, visit http://travelinggrace.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Prather, professor and chair of the department of aviation science, taught four-day airport operations courses on behalf of the American Association of Airport Executives at the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, as well as Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Sean Sullivan, chair of the department of kinesiology; Dr. Wayne Fletcher, chair of the department of health sciences; Dr. David Pearson, professor of kinesiology; and Dr. Charles Sands, dean of the School of Allied Health, all recently served at the Sandals Church Sports Camp.

 

 

Dr. Anne-Marie Larsen, associate professor of psychology and director of the graduate program in forensic psychology, presented research titled Heuristics of Women in Murder at the Western Psychological Association annual meeting in Portland, Ore. The presentation was a joint collaboration with CBU students Johanna Covarrubias and Taylor Baines. Several recent graduates of the forensic psychology graduate program presented posters at the meeting: Tiawna Jones, who presented research on the negative effects of pretrial publicity; Alison Peacock, who presented her work on the Women Wonder Writers program’s impact on self-esteem and self-efficacy; and Collette Strosnider, who presented research on infanticide.

 

 

Dr. David Isaacs, assistant professor of English, presented a paper at the Film and Media 2014 Conference at the University of London in June. His paper, Will Smith and the White Imaginary in Independence Day, explored portrayals of race in the popular sci-fi film.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Melissa Antonio, assistant professor of biology, attended the National Academies Summer Institute on Scientific Teaching June 22-27 at the University of California, Riverside. The institute, sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, provided intensive training for faculty to sharpen teaching skills through evidence-based teaching methods designed to transform the undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classroom.

 

 

 

 

 

ATHENA of Riverside awarded CBU alumna Channing Perea a $1,000 scholarship May 28 as part of its ongoing mission to open doors of leadership opportunity for women through inspiration, education, cultivation and mentoring. Darla Donaldson, assistant professor of finance and social entrepreneurship, introduced Perea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff Cate, professor of New Testament, presented a paper titled Who Was Crucified and Where? The Case for Kaikos in Revelation 11:8 at the International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in Vienna, Austria on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.

 

 

 

 

Nineteen CBU staff and Provider Food Service staff attended Chick-fil-A licensee training in Atlanta, Ga., June 18-19 in anticipation of opening the on-campus Chick-fil-A in the Fall 2014 semester.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. William Flores, associate professor of Spanish and director of the Spanish program, is author of a book review published in the June 2014 edition of Hispania. The review is titled Scolieri, Paul A. Dancing the New World: Aztecs, Spaniards, and the Choreography of Conquest. Flores also participated at the McGraw-Hill Education’s Spring 2014 Spanish Symposium held in Los Angeles April 24-25. To view the review published in Hispania, click here.

 

 

 

The multiple and single subject credential programs have unofficially partnered with WanBang school in Harbin China. The program includes (1) CBU students using Skype to tutor the WanBang students and (2) using Skype to create modern pen pal relationships between middle and high school students in the U.S. and China. If you know individuals who would like to become part of either program, contact Dr. Keith Walters, associate professor of education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Matthew Rickard, associate professor of engineering and chair of bioengineering, presented a paper on June 22 titled Experimental Investigation of Radio Frequency Identification Range for Intraocular Implants at BioMed 2014, the 11^th International Conference on Biomedical Engineering meeting in Zurich, Switzerland. Co-authors of the peer-reviewed paper are Dr. Creed Jones, professor of software engineering, and three recent engineering graduates: Max M. Migdal, Nathaniel A. Reyes and Alexander D. Murguia. Rickard also was awarded to new patents, both of which control eye pressure for mitigating glaucomatous damage.

 

Dayna Herrera, assistant professor of nursing, and Sarah Pearce, School of Nursing lab assistant, gave a presentation titled The Art of Simulation: Developing, Creating, and Utilizing/Integrating Video Simulation In the Classroom and the Community at the International Nursing Simulation/Learning Resource Centers Conference, which met June 20^th in Orlando, Fla. Pearce also made a presentation titled The Art of Instructional Acting: A guide for Training Undergraduate Theatre Students to Become Standardized Patients at the same meeting.

 

 

Dr. Charles Sands, dean of the College of Allied Health, has been appointed to the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) “The Commission for Advancing Medical Missions (CAMM). A CMDA commission is a group of volunteers that performs a ministry that CMDA may not have the administrative resources to accomplish. Commissions have access to CMDA’s 16,000 members, services, databases and infrastructure.

 

 

 

Andy Musser (’12), financial aid counselor, married Kaleen Musich (’12) on June 15^th.

 

 

 

 

 

Denise (Roscoe) Payne, credential analyst, and Andrew Payne were married on June 28, 2014 in Riverside. Andrew is employed with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. They live in Riverside with their three children, Michaela, Haley and Kevin.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Natalie C. Winter, associate professor of business, her husband Aldee and daughter Aleida welcomed a baby boy to the family on June 3. The baby’s name is Sivan Bradley Clark Winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Megan Ernst, student accounts counselor, and her husband Chris welcomed a son, Judah Killian Ernst, on July 10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brittany Neece, lecturer in the School of Behavioral Sciences, and Taylor Neece, director of graduate admissions, welcomed twin boys on July 8. Cohen Michael Neece weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and Jones Andrew Neece weighed 6 pounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates

In this issue…

• Current News
• Family Updates
• Personnel Updates

Current News

CBU marks milestone with 400^th ISP/USP team in 17 years

California Baptist University sent out its 400^th volunteer service team June 24 with a celebration that included prayer, cake and commemorative T-shirts.

The team, which will work in New York for three weeks, was also the 45^th group of students, faculty and staff of the year and part of the fourth and final wave of International Service Projects (ISP), U.S. Projects (USP) and Summer of Service (SOS)teams for 2014. The last 11 groups for 2014 went to France, Spain, United Kingdom, Japan, Thailand, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia and Baltimore. This year, more than 400 participants have served in 16 countries.

CBU launched its flagship global mobilization program in 1997. Jared Dobbins, assistant director of mobilization, noted that the university sent out the 100^th team in 2007 and took just seven years to send out another 300 teams.

“California Baptist University trains and sends out more short-term volunteers in the summer than any other university in the country,” said Kristen White, director of global mobilization. The reason CBU has such a strong number of volunteers is because the university is tapping into what God has already put in people, she said.

“They’ve come to CBU to get a professional skill set and we’re saying ‘look, you can use this to be a kingdom professional,’” White explained. “That’s the new phrase we’re really trying to stress. We tell them: ‘Live your purpose by being a kingdom professional. And we don’t just want you to prepare for the world when you graduate, we want you to engage the world while you’re here. We’re not going to just tell you to do it, we’re going to go with you and do it.’”

New students take a Step Ahead

The 2014-15 school year hasn’t started yet, but new students are already finding their way around California Baptist University with Step Ahead.

The Step Ahead events help prepare freshmen and transfer students for the new college experience. At the event, the students register for classes, learn about financial aid, get their student ID picture taken and learn about the resources available to them, such as free tutoring, the Wellness Center and the Recreation Center.

Step Ahead gets the students ready for the fall and also helps them and their parents be comfortable with their college choice, said Rhonda Shackelford, undergraduate admissions visit and events coordinator.

“It’s a great day to get them on our campus, get them registered for classes,” she said. “We try to do our best to make it very welcoming and very inviting, and for them to feel settled that this is the right choice. We want parents and students to be assured that ‘yes, CBU is the right choice for me and my student.’”

They also get to experience college dining by having lunch at the Alumni Dining Commons. At the end of the day, the participants have the option of touring the living areas.

Parents join their student on some of the informational sessions, and they also have their own sessions, such as on school policies and a Q&A with a panel from various areas of student services.

“I think it’s a good transitional point for parents to feel comfortable,” Shackelford said. “Once they leave there, we want parents to feel comfortable about dropping off their students for orientation.”

Although Step Ahead is about a beginning, students and parent will get a glimpse of what the end will look like, Shackelford said. This year, the participants watch a video of students who attended Step Ahead, have graduated and are working.

“We’re really excited that we can showcase people that came to Step Ahead and that now have a job,” she said. “We wanted to be able to show parents at the end of this journey, it works. Our goal is to have that child graduate and get a job and be successful, not only in their career, but growing in their faith and being able to contribute to the body of Christ.”

 

Family Updates

Dr. Mark A. Wyatt, vice president for marketing and communication, was elected recording secretary for the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities at the organization’s annual meeting June 1-3 in Charleston, S.C.

 

 

 

 

The College of Allied Health sponsored the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce Good Morning Riverside at The Mission Inn on June 12. CBU faculty and staff joined the morning event and listened to an update from Dr. Chuck Sands, dean of the College of Allied Health. Sands talked about the growing programs and the numerous service opportunities in the CAH, and featured a video recently produced by Eric Mendoza, CBU marketing specialist.

 

The College of Allied Health (CAH) sent off the first global health engagement team June 14. The team, comprised of CAH students and faculty, will be assisting field workers in East Africa and is led by Dr. Sean Sullivan, professor of kinesiology, Dr. Jodi Baker, associate professor of athletic training, and Amy Miller, assistant professor of kinesiology for Online and Professional Studies. Updates from the team can be found at http://calbaptist.blogs.edu/alliedhealth.

 

 

 

 

Nutrition and food sciences students have been presenting the Rethink Your Drink seminar, which encourages people to select healthier beverages, at eight sites this summer. The department of health sciences and College of Allied Health have established an affiliation agreement with the Family Services Association to serve the senior community in Riverside County through course-related activities and service learning in the area of health education and nutrition assessments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gary Steward, adjunct professor of history and government for Online and Professional Studies, presented a paper May 31 titled Justifying the American Revolution: The American Clergy and Reformed Political Resistance at the Christians in Political Science Conference at Azusa Pacific University.

 

Dr. Tim Mosteller, associate professor of philosophy, participated in the Baptist Association of Philosophy Professors Summer Seminar May 19-23 at the University of Notre Dame. The seminar was led by Dr. John Haldane, professor of philosophy at St. Andrews University, one of the world’s leading Christian philosophers. The topic of the seminar was Analytic Thomism and included formal and informal discussions led by Haldane.

 

 

 

Dr. Daniel Skubik, professor of law, ethics and humanities, was one of 19 faculty competitively selected nationwide to participate June 2–13 in the 2014 Silberman Faculty Seminar in Washington, D.C. Titled Teaching about the Holocaust in the Soviet Union: Perpetrators, Collaborators, Bystanders, and Victims, the meeting was sponsored by the Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

 

 

Dr. Dawn Gilmore, assistant professor of music, recently received a doctorate of worship studies degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Orange Park, Fla. Her thesis was titled Developing a Biblical Foundation for Christian Worship Course for the Master of Music Program at California Baptist University.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Anthony Chute, professor of church history, and Dr. Matthew Emerson, assistant professor of Christian ministries for Online and Professional Studies, have published the latest edition of the Journal of Baptist Studies. In addition to articles on significant Baptist people and movements, the journal contains several book reviews solicited through John Gill, assistant professor of Christian ministries for OPS The journal can be accessed at http://baptiststudiesonline.com/the-journal-of-baptist-studies-6-2014/

 

 

Dr. Michael Chute, professor of journalism and program director for journalism and public relations, participated June 18 in a panel discussion on public relations education for about 40 members and guests of the Public Relations Society of America-Inland Empire at the Victoria Club in Riverside. The panel also included faculty from La Sierra University and California State University, San Bernardino. Dr. Mary Ann Pearson, associate professor of public relations for Online and Professional Studies, moderated the panel.

 

 

Dr. Erin Smith, assistant professor of psychology, presented a poster titled Psychological Essentialism Influences Personal Identity Concepts in Chinese and American Children at the Association for Psychological Science’s 26^th Annual Convention held in San Francisco May 22-25.

 

 

 

 

Robert Vis, director of development, received the master of business administration degree from La Sierra University in commencement ceremonies June 15.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Derek Updegraff, assistant professor of English, attended the 49th International Congress on Medieval Studies May 8-11 at Western Michigan University. Updegraff delivered a paper titled Manuscript Layout, Old English Poems, and Visual Lineation: Reassessing the Uses of Aural Verses and Visual Lines in Modern Translation.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Tim Luther, professor of political science, is author of a book titled Jürgen Habermas’s Reconstruction of Modernity: Reconciling Individual Autonomy and Community Solidarity, published recently by Linus Books in New York. He also presented a paper, Shifting from Philosophy to Culture: Rorty’s Deconstruction of Certainty at the Oceanic Popular Culture Association Annual Conference meeting in Riverside May 23 and another paper titled Reconstructing Deconstruction: Derrida’s Messianic Twist at the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association Annual Conference, which met in San Diego on Nov. 2.

 

 

Dr. David Pearson, professor of kinesiology and faculty athletics representative, recently attended the NCAA Regional Rules Seminar and had lunch with recent graduates of CBU’s sport management graduate program who are working at NCAA member institutions in athletics compliance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kendra Johnson, academic evaluations coordinator, presented a paper titled Online Course Evaluations: How to Achieve an 82 Percent Response Rate at the 2014 Association for Institutional Research FORUM, which met May 28-June 1 in Orlando, Fla.

 

 

 

Dr. Nona Cabral and Dr. Jane McGuire, both associate professors of education, attended a conference May 30 at Azusa Pacific University on Assessment of Children’s Behavioral, Social and Clinical Functioning. The meeting featured Dr. Jerome Sattler, emeritus professor at San Diego State University. Sattler is a diplomate in clinical psychology of the American Board of professional psychology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christy Walker, daughter of Dr. Deron Walker, professor of English, bowled May 3-4 in the 2014 California Pepsi United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Youth Championship State Finals at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif. Christy qualified for the state finals with high scores at the USBC regional event in Victorville, where she placed second among 14 qualifying female bowlers in her division, bowing a 423 scratch series and a 738 series with handicap.

 

Karen Heinze, administrative assistant in the College of Architecture, Visual Art and Design, announces the marriage of her son, Clint Heinze (’12) to Phylicia Paulson (’11) in Menifee on March 29.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personnel Updates