Chapman Magazine Fall 2018 by Chapman University

CHAPMAN U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

V O L U M E

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I S S U E

THE SOUL OF A SCHOLAR 32

Vidal Arroyo ’19 follows his passions as Chapman’s first Rhodes recipient.

8 Student stem cell

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donors lead a drive to save lives.

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IN THIS ISSUE

UP FRONT

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE VOLUME 42, ISSUE 3 DANIELE STRUPPA, PH.D. President

Message from the President: Bringing research into the classroom helps it thrive at Chapman. 3 First Person: “No words can describe the joy I felt when we finally emerged from the closet.”

5 CHAPMAN NOW

SHERYL A. BOURGEOIS, PH.D.

Executive Vice President of University Advancement

JAMIE S. CEMAN

Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications

PAMELA EZELL, PH.D.

Assistant Vice President of Communications

EDITOR

SENIOR WRITER

Dennis Arp arp@chapman.edu

Dawn Bonker bonker@chapman.edu

STAFF WRITER

DESIGN

Robyn Norwood rnorwood@chapman.edu

Ivy Montoya Viado

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brittany Hanson, Bethanie Le, Aaron Singh

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Catie Kovelman ’19 Editorial Office: One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866-9911 Main: ( 714) 997- 6607 Delivery issues/change of address: (714) 744 - 2135

5 Dance and performance-tech students leap into the Cirque experience. 6 Chapman is elevated to “R2” status, reflecting the growth of the University as a research institution.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Periodicals postage paid at Orange, Calif., and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Chapman Magazine One University Drive • Orange, Calif. 92866-9911

The mission of Chapman University is to provide personalized education of distinction that leads to inquiring, ethical and productive lives as global citizens. Chapman.edu

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F E AT U R E S 20 Cooper Hefner ’15 embraces his leadership role at Playboy Enterprises. 24 Documentarian Sally Rubin trains her lens on Appalachian stereotypes. 36 Exploring the darkness of hate, Pete Simi finds a link to childhood trauma.

10 A spirit of support and gratitude weaves throughout Chapman Celebrates. 12 The formal opening of Keck Center marks a milestone in the University’s rise. 17 Feeling afraid? You’ve got company, the latest Fear Survey shows.

40 In Memoriam: Toshi Ito ’46, Dave Weatherill ’51 (M.A. ’66)

ALUMNI NEWS 53 Nicole Provansal ’07 (MBA ’09) finds her dream job at Angel Stadium. 54 Through cosmetic restoration, Kimberly Armstrong (M.A. ’98) changes lives. 58 Class Notes

48 Five Questions: Exploring the link between happiness and heart health. 56 How Did You Get That Job? A cinematographer becomes a prime-time player.

ON THE COVER: Vidal Arroyo ’19 finds inspiration and fulfillment in the cancer research lab, where he does work that helped earn him a Rhodes Scholarship. To learn more about Arroyo’s journey, please turn to page 32. (Photo by Challenge Roddie) AT RIGHT: Ramón Vargas, left, and Plácido Domingo join in a duet during the fall LA Opera concert performance of “Don Carlo” at Musco Center for the Arts. (Musco Center photo by Doug Gifford)

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rosty mountainsides aren’t usually an ideal place for research. But a few years ago, when I was tent-bound on Cho Oyu, recovering from altitude-induced edema 21,000 feet up in the Himalayas, it seemed the perfect opportunity to begin work on a paper. I didn’t even mind pushing snow off the tent. With math, you can do research in a very austere environment, so long as you set your mind to it. Still, I’m glad that Chapman University facilities are more amenable to a wide range of research. That’s especially true these days, thanks to, among other things, state-of-the-art core lab facilities at the Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine as well as the new Keck Center for Science and Engineering on our Main Campus in Orange. Our halls and classrooms are filled with brilliant minds – those of faculty and students alike. Our teachers are involved as researchers, and our researchers as teachers.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

RESEARCH ON THE RISE Bringing research into the classroom keeps learning lively and challenging, which is what classes should be. Students learn from mentors who are growing theory within their fields. The teaching process allows research projects to flourish as concepts are examined with fresh perspectives. For me, this two-way learning is essential, as my discussions with students make their way into my research and creative activity. One of my current projects is a book examining how the history of mathematics connects with culture and philosophy. My co-authors and I pick moments in a timeline during which historic changes occurred, and we explore how mathematics played a role. For instance, the development of perspective in painting is

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actually a mathematical construction – math and painting moving together. Through discussions and writings, my students address some of the foundational concepts in the book, such as the Age of Discovery and the mathematical advances that made it easier to navigate across oceans. Instead of just listening to someone talk, they participate in the process; their curiosity contributes to a living world of research. Chapman is a wonderful place for the curious. Bring your questions, your ideas, your wonder, we say. I often tell my own children that one of the things that sets humans apart is our inherent curiosity. When you stifle that sense of adventure, especially in young people, you limit potential. So the question is, really:

What can you do to maintain that curiosity? You give it a home. Our Keck Center for Science and Engineering is officially open and bustling with collaboration and scholarship. We are so proud of this accomplishment – one more catalyst helping to drive Chapman’s output of research, which has spiked dramatically over the past 10 years. For example, Chapman’s citation numbers have grown from 36 in 2007 to 4,320 in 2017. That means that every day, there are 12 people citing one of our papers. So not only are we publishing a higher volume of research, but the work we’re producing keeps increasing in quality. I’m excited to see this transformation continue at our University. When we say that Chapman people can do anything imaginable, nowhere is that spirit more vibrant than in our centers of research. With our dedication to knowledge and finding answers, there is no limit as to how we can grow and change the world around us.

Daniele Struppa President, Chapman University

FIRST PERSON

A CLOSET BECAME OUR SHELTER BY JASMINE JOHNSON ’15

LeLand wouldn’t stop crying. I could hear my mother doing everything she could to keep him quiet: feeding him, rocking him, singing to him, but none of it worked. He was restless. As soon as she thought she had finally gotten him to sleep, he would cry out to her, shaking us awake as his voice echoed throughout the basement. I was scared. If he didn’t stop crying, SHE would hear us. Eve would come after us and try to get my mom in trouble. If not her, someone else in the building would wonder what all the noise was, come down to investigate, and catch us. I turned around to shush him, but it was so dark. All I could see was a faint outline of my mother moving back and forth. I could barely hear the plastic trash bags, filled with clothes, books and forgotten items beneath her, give way as she rocked LeLand to calm him.

It was starting to get late and the sun was setting. With so short notice and nowhere to go, we snuck into the basement of Eve’s building. It was a large room with washers and dryers against the right wall and a large sink on the left wall. In the middle of the room was a set of storage closets. I don’t remember how we got inside Eve’s closet, but it ended up being our shelter for the night. My mom slept with LeLand in the back while I slept alone in the front.

Jasmine Johnson ’15 triple-majored at Chapman University, graduating with degrees in creative writing, communication studies, and television and broadcast journalism. When she started at Chapman, her room in North Morlan Hall became the first permanent

“Shhh,” she whispered to him in between sniffles. I laid back down and tried to get comfortable. But my own pile of trash bags wasn’t all filled with clothes, and something kept poking me in the side. Eventually, exhaustion prevailed and I dozed off. As I slept, I dreamt of the menacing look on Eve’s face as she looked out at me from below her kitchen window. She had locked us out of her apartment. My mom, thinking that Eve had just forgotten to leave the door open again, told me to climb through the kitchen window and open the door for her. That’s what we did the last time this happened. But as soon as I went to open the window, Eve was there. She was not happy. She exchanged words with my mother and that was it. She was done. We could not stay with her anymore. Eve threatened to call the police if I tried to climb through her window again.

housing of her life. While at the University, she took legal guardianship of her brother, LeLand, and the two now share an apartment in Fullerton. Jasmine’s mother continues to struggle with homelessness. This piece is an excerpt from Jasmine’s forthcoming book “When Life Serves You Lemons: My Life From Tragedy to Triumph and Your Guide to Making the Best Lemonade.”

It was a restless night due to LeLand’s crying. Who could blame him? He was only a little over a year old. No words can describe the joy I felt when we finally emerged from the closet in the morning. I sat on the floor and played with my hands as my mom changed LeLand’s diaper and got him prepared for the day. When it was

(Photo courtesy of The Orange County Register.) my turn to get ready, my mom brought me to the large sink, ripe with hard-water deposits and basement sweat, to help me wash up. A weight was lifted off my tiny shoulders when we finally crossed the threshold from the basement and into the glow of the new day. But I didn’t completely relax until we were on the RTA bus on our way to my school. Once we were there, the night became a distant memory. I had just transferred to this school and my mind was preoccupied with getting to know a third set of new faces and names that year. I took the RTA bus by myself after school to the familiar Hayden Daycare, where I could swing or play hide-and-seek with my friends. Yet, with each fluffy cloud that disappeared beyond the horizon, darkness stretched across the sky, bringing the night before back to the forefront of my mind. Will we have to sleep in Eve’s basement again? Will she catch us this time? Will someone else catch us? Why couldn’t we sleep in her warm apartment on the soft carpet of her living room anymore? Did Mommy do something wrong? Did I? It was then that I realized that this life, our life, was not normal. I had never heard my friends talking about sleeping in a closet and washing up in a big dirty sink. I didn’t quite understand it all, yet it was beginning to become clear. I was 7 years old then.

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UP FRONT

IN BOX

Arianna Ngomire ’19 and Angela Davis

MOVABLE SPEECH What a difference a few decades make! I read with interest the Voices & Verities item (in the most recent issue of Chapman Magazine) regarding Arianna Ngomire ’19 and her interaction with Angela Davis upon the occasion of Ms. Davis’ recent visit to speak on campus. It reminded me of when I was Chapman’s student body president and invited Ms. Davis to speak on campus. At the time (1974-75), we hosted an ambitious student speaker series, sponsored (and paid for) by the Associated Stu dent Body. Following Ms. Davis’ acceptance, I was informed by University administration that if Ms. Davis stepped foot on campus I would be summarily expelled. Needless to say, she did not speak on our campus. Instead, we “handed off” her appearance to Cal State Fullerton, where several thousand young people, many of them students from Chapman, heard Ms. Davis speak. We made more money on her appearance than on any other speaker that year! And I stayed in school. It was a long time ago and a different era, but the article brought a smile to my face. Rick White ’75 Cherry Hills Village, Colo.

Chapman Magazine Online Don’t forget to check out Chapman Magazine online, with Web-only stories, links to video, slideshows and more. Find it all at chapman.edu/magazine.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU We welcome comments on Chapman Magazine or any aspect of the University experience. Send submissions to magazine@chapman.edu.

IN-BOX

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N BIGG STA

“

It’s incredible to

Dance and performance tech students train at the highest level thanks to a Chapman partnership with Cirque du Soleil.

experience the collaboration that’s so vital to surviving in this industry.

“

NO GER AGE

BY BRITTANY HANSON

ow do undergraduate students get access to the Cirque du Soleil “Zumanity” stage in Las Vegas? By having Chapman University open the door.

Thanks to Chapman professors Alicia and Donald Guy, the University enjoys an enduring educational partnership with Cirque du Soleil. Talented dance and performance technology students are chosen for an advanced and highly competitive course called “Technology for Live Performance.” “It really is the only partnership of its kind in the nation,” said Alicia Guy, professor of dance in Chapman’s College of Performing Arts. The goal is to empower students with the skills to succeed as artists in live-performance entertainment. Beyond dance skill and technical knowledge of lighting and stagecraft, the class addresses professional-level communication, a key element that Donald Guy says is integral but can be overlooked in performing arts education. “What we have found is that there is not enough hands-on training happening at the collegiate level,” said Guy, associate professor of entertainment technology. “We need to get the students to work, to feel the stress of live performance – to be problem-solvers.” This hands-on training comes to life at Chapman and then at the Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil training facilities. Chapman students get a career-building experience, which can help tech and dance graduates succeed in productions by companies such as Cirque du Soleil, one of the most instantly recognizable names in entertainment.

Recently the “Technology for Live Performance” students were challenged to create and perform original pieces utilizing the “Zumanity” stage in Las Vegas. At the same time, stage tech students worked alongside Cirque du Soleil professionals. “Having someone there to tell me, ‘Hey, there’s a better way to do that,’ was really inspiring,” said Lyla Flashman ’19. “To see Robin (Renken, the “Zumanity” stage manager), who has the job I want to do in the future, and see how she manages the theatre, it was just really special.” For Chapman students – both performers and backstage technicians – intensive training included learning cues and timing out production numbers so they were ready for performance. “We did everything possible to prepare our students for this real-time experience,” Alicia Guy said. “To see them work with such grace in a professional venue and with a professional crew was the most rewarding experience I have had to date. I am so proud of all of our students. They not only had a performance of a lifetime, they did so with the utmost professionalism throughout our entire residency.” For the students on the stage and behind the scenes, it was the culmination of hard work, dedication and personal creativity. “It’s incredible to experience the collaboration that’s so vital to surviving in this industry,” said dance performance student Cassi Mihalovich ’18. “The creative platform that this class provides is one-of-akind, and I’m beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to participate.”

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CHAPMAN NOW

’R2‘ Achievement Highlights Research ‘Transformation’ Chapman University has achieved another milestone in its growth as a research institution with the announcement that it has been elevated to “R2” status in the update of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This higher ranking underscores the University’s growth in research, doctoral and professional practice degree programs, University officials said. “This is a significant recognition and an exciting accomplishment for Chapman. It speaks volumes to the accomplishments of our faculty and the growing size and reputation of our doctoral programs,” said Chapman Provost Glenn Pfeiffer, Ph.D. “Combined with other recent honors, including our first-ever Rhodes Scholar and the University’s newly established

Phi Beta Kappa chapter, this important step forward continues our transformation into a nationally and internationally recognized institution of distinction.” Moreover, the R2 research designation complements Chapman’s tradition of linking relevant research to the classroom experience. “This classification demonstrates our commitment to connecting our students to professors who are also cutting-edge researchers,” Pfeiffer said. “This link between faculty scholarship and the classroom experience is what a university should be about.” Achieving a Research 2 designation, or high research activity, places Chapman in the company of just 130 national universities, including Baylor University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the University of Denver, Southern Methodist University and Wake Forest University. The promotion opens doors to enhancements that will improve student experience and opportunities, said Thomas Piechota,

Slowing Economy Forecast for 2019

But that recovery will inch along at a snail’s pace. The upward trajectory that began in June 2009 is flattening, said President Emeritus Jim Doti, Ph.D., founder of the 41-year-old forecast.

Jim Doti, Ph.D. (Photo by John Saade)

“This expansion is kind of long in the tooth. It’s getting stodgy,” Doti told attendees at December’s forecast conference.

predict that higher interest rates will cool the housing market, job growth will slow, and the stock market will correct from its 2018 ascent.

Doti and the team of economists at the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research foresee growth of 2.6 percent in 2019. They

They credit the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for averting a worse scenario.

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president

“This will help Chapman recruit top faculty and students, broaden and enhance competitiveness in research efforts, and attract new partnerships with the community to support economic development of the region,” Piechota said. In 2017, research expenditures at Chapman exceeded $11 million, embedding cuttingedge studies and exploration into every school across campus. The student experience continues to benefit from that growth. More than half of all entering Chapman first-year students say they intend to participate in faculty research. Since 1970, the Carnegie Classification has been the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutions’ research activity and external funding, along with the number of doctorates conferred. Previously Chapman was in the Master’s Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs category.

Still, they predict that the housing downturn that began in 2016 will quicken in 2019, with residential building investments dropping by 6 to 8 percent. Partially offsetting that decline will be a 4 percent uptick in nonresidential construction such as commercial buildings, hospitals and schools. In California, infrastructure spending supported by the gas tax in Senate Bill 1 will further counterbalance the residential downturn.

The economic recovery will continue in 2019, becoming the longest expansion in U.S. history, according to the latest Chapman University Economic Forecast.

CHAPMAN NOW

vice

“We believe (the tax act) supported this higher investment spending that will keep the economy going longer than maybe otherwise. I personally believe if we didn’t have that tax cut we’d be talking about recession this year,” Doti said.

“This expansion is kind of long in the tooth. It’s getting stodgy,” President Emeritus Jim Doti said during his Economic Forecast presentation.

Ph.D., Chapman’s for research.

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Throughout its 41-year history, the Chapman University Economic Forecast has achieved an unusually high standard of accuracy. Founded in 1978, it was the first economic forecast in the U.S. to be based on an urban econometric model.

U.S. News Ranks Chapman in Top 5 C hapman University ranks among the top schools in the West, according to the U.S. News & World Report annual “Best Colleges” list.

The Western Region list includes 94 universities from California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Texas. Only two other California schools made the top five.

In particular, Chapman’s reputation score ticked upward, helping the University maintain for the second consecutive year the No. 5 spot in the competitive category of Regional Universities West. Chapman was also included on the publication’s list of Most Innovative Schools.

The overall rankings reflect institutional performance on academic excellence, with schools evaluated on hundreds of data points and up to 15 measures of academic quality, according to U.S. News & World Report. More than one-third of a school’s rank comes from its success at retaining and graduating students on time.

“Being ranked a top-five university in the West for the second year in a row and recognized as one of the most innovative universities reaffirms our commitment to academic excellence,” said Mike Pelly, vice president and dean of enrollment management. “One of the sub-categories I’m especially proud of is the improvement in our peer assessment score, which is a survey of university presidents and chief admission officers.”

The University’s record of accomplishment on graduation rates was also noted as a Chapman strength in the recently released Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings, which put Chapman in the top 20 percent of schools nationally. Student graduation rates are among the primary factors in the WSJ/Times rankings, now in their third year.

Hilbert Museum Named Best of O.C. I n an area with a host of venerable visual-art institutions, the 3-year-old Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University was named editors’ pick as Orange County’s best art museum in OC Weekly’s 2018 Best of Orange County awards.

Editors praised the Hilbert as “a colorful, lively, occasionally even experimental space for art.” Recent exhibitions were singled out for acclaim, including “dynamic landscapes from Eyvind Earle, ‘Star Wars’ art from Lucasfilm artist Robert Bailey and film cels and preparatory drawings from various Disney animators.”

The plaudits capped off a fall in which Hilbert Museum founding donors Mark and Janet Hilbert received the annual Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award in Arts Philanthropy from Arts Orange County. Previous recipients include Marybelle and S. Paul Musco, Wylie and Bette Aitken, Damien and Yvonne Jordan, and Charlie and Ling Zhang.

Phi Beta Kappa Admits CU Chapter P

hi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society, has admitted Chapman University as a member. “Less than 10 percent of U.S. colleges and universities have received the designation of Phi Beta Kappa,” said Chapman University President Daniele Struppa. “It is truly the highest distinction a university can earn.” The honor follows a rigorous three-year application and review process. In addition to having a top GPA, students must meet Phi Beta Kappa’s stringent national requirements in mathematics, foreign languages, conduct/ character and breadth and depth in the liberal arts and sciences. These students are then acknowledged as the top 10 percent of the University’s undergraduate liberal arts and science students and are granted lifetime membership. The University is supporting its Phi Beta Kappa chapter by establishing a $3 million endowment to further the work of Phi Beta Kappa at Chapman and to support related initiatives that develop the talents of Chapman students.

Full Accreditation for Pharmacy School R

eaching another landmark in its rapid rise, Chapman University’s School of Pharmacy (CUSP) has earned full accreditation from the national body that accredits schools offering pharmacy degrees. The announcement by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education coincides with the news that the 5-year-old School of Pharmacy already ranks among the nation’s top pharmacy schools in total research funding. The school’s rankings soared in a recent report from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, which ranked CUSP at No. 46 in all funding, a leap of 13 places from 2017.

A Hilbert Museum exhibition of works by Eyvind Earle was singled out for praise in the Best of Orange County awards.

In addition, CUSP’s funding from the National Institutes of Health earned it a ranking of No. 43 in that category, a jump from No. 64. The association report placed CUSP at No. 4 in total research among California pharmacy schools.

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CHAPMAN NOW

annah Magistrale ’19 was a first-year business major dashing through Global Citizens Plaza when a friend beckoned her to a table where the Chapman University football team was hosting a drive for a bone marrow registry. Would she consider joining?

A joyful exaggeration, of course. But at Chapman, bone marrow donation is almost getting to be a habit. Magistrale is the third student to be a matching donor of stem cells, thanks to the annual Be the Match drives the football team began on campus in 2014.

A quick cheek swab and a little information sheet were all they needed and she’d be on her way. She agreed, but confessed to one little problem. “I’m afraid of needles,” she told them. “And they were like, oh, there’s a very slim chance you’ll get called.”

To score three donors in that time is astonishing, says Julie Meigs Korinke ’08, a Be the Match spokesperson and former community engagement representative who helped with recent registry drives at Chapman.

A year later, she was called. Additional screening tests and procedures required facing a few hypodermic needles. Among her supporters in those jittery moments were cancer patients who happened to be in the same medical center to receive chemotherapy as she prepped for stem cell donation.

“I think it’s a true testament to these students and their altruism and willingness to give back. It definitely makes me proud to be a Panther,” Korinke says. Indeed, there’s quite a bit of Panther Pride at work. In addition to Korinke’s contributions,

is why it is so important to make sure everyone on the registry is committed to saying yes if they do get the call,” Korinke says. Opting out never occurred to the three Chapman students who got the call that they were a match. “I realized what was at stake and I tried to put myself in their shoes,” says Matt Guttridge ’17. “There was no ‘Let’s think this over and talk about it.’ This is what I signed up for, so let’s go ahead and make it happen.” That ardent spirit held strong even when Guttridge learned that his donation process would be more complicated. Typically, donors receive injections of a drug that helps their bodies produce more stem cells. Then their

MATCH OF A

LIFETIME BY DAWN BONKER

CHAPMAN STUDENTS VOLUNTEER AS STEM CELL DONORS AND FIND THAT IN THE GIVING, THEY ARE ALSO RECIPIENTS.

“They told me their stories and I was bawling,” Magistrale says, growing tearful at the memory. She went on to donate a batch of potentially lifesaving stem cells for a cancer patient who was out of other options. “My life was changed,” Magistrale says. “That day I thought, ‘I would do this 100 more times.’ ”

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Claire Bendig ’17 works as a community engagement representative with the nonprofit, and Paige Morrison ’08 helped establish the Chapman football drive. It’s important work. Every year, thousands of patients battling blood cancers and diseases like leukemia and sickle cell anemia need a transplant, and most of them don’t have a matching donor in their family. Even with more than 30 million donors on the registry worldwide, not all patients find their perfect match. Even when there is a match, some donors are ruled out because of health concerns or decline to donate. “Unfortunately, only about half of those contacted move forward with donation, which

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stem cells are harvested in an outpatient setting by a procedure similar to platelet donations conducted by the Red Cross. But anyone who has suffered a concussion is not a good candidate for those injections. Guttridge had played football at Chapman, and though the kinesiology major hadn’t sustained any known concussions, the injections were still a risk physicians advised against. Instead, he underwent general anesthesia for a bone marrow extraction directly from his hip, a procedure that doesn’t require injections. “I felt pretty good when I woke up. There was a little pain,” says Guttridge, who works as a physical therapy aide and plans to go to graduate school to become a physical therapist. But there

“MY LIFE WAS CHANGED. THAT D AY I T H O U G H T, ‘ I W O U L D D O THIS 100 MORE TIMES.’” STEM CELL DONOR HANNAH MAGISTRALE ’19

wasn’t so much pain that he couldn’t devour the post-surgery tacos his father brought to his hospital room.

blood that she sat back and binge-watched – seriously, no one would make this up – “The Vampire Diaries.”

Likewise, Gregory Bordelon ’16, who studied television writing and production at Chapman, didn’t hesitate to say yes when he received his call on a Tuesday while working as a production assistant on the Netflix series “F Is for Family.”

“I don’t remember anything more than that,” she says.

“I just started crying. It felt special. It was really, really cool that I could help someone,” Bordelon said. “You literally could have the key to saving someone’s life just by existing. Not creating life, not taking away life, but saving life just by being here. I think it’s really a miracle in our time.” He remembers donation day with a laugh. His grandfather lived near the San Diego hospital where he donated and came to sit with him.

Hannah Magistrale ’19, center, is the third Chapman student to be a matching donor of stem cells thanks to annual Be the Match drives by Panther football players, including, from left, Matt Layton ’19, Alec Kohn ’19, Ryan Moles ’20 and Curt Calomeni ’19.

More enduring are the hopeful thoughts she holds for her recipient, still unknown to her. Names and details about the patients are kept private by Be the Match. There may be opportunities to meet a year or so down the road, if everyone is amenable, but no promises are made. So, for now, Magistrale encourages friends and family to join the registry and shares her story with humor, all the while thinking of that certain someone out there and hoping for the best.

Gregory Bordelon ’16 cried when it first hit home that his stem cells might save a life. “I think it’s really a miracle in our time,” he says.

“The only uncomfortable part of the process is you have to keep your arms outstretched, and they can cramp up. But my grandfather kept joking around with me,” he says. Today Magistrale is also able to joke about her donation experience, although at the time she agonized over every needle poke and procedure. During her donation, she was even given a mild sedative to soothe her nerves during the hours-long process. She relaxed so much as stem cells were harvested from her

Magistrale’s fear of hypodermic needles was no match for her eagerness to help a cancer patient who was without other treatment options.

The donation by football player Matt Guttridge ’17 was more complicated than most. His response? “This is what I signed up for, so let’s go ahead and make it happen.”

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FEATURE

BY DAWN BONKER

GR AT E FUL

T H RE ADS A SPIRIT OF SUPPORT AND GRATITUDE WEAVES THROUGHOUT CHAPMAN’S SIGNATURE EVENT RAISING FUNDS FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS.

ne is a founding member of the Grateful Dead, another an Emmy-winning television producer. And two are among Southern California’s most dynamic philanthropists. But at Chapman University’s signature fundraiser, they were all proud Panthers in support of a singular mission – student scholarships that change lives. “I love this school, and I love that this is a scholarship event,” said rock legend and Chapman parent Bob Weir, who on Nov. 3 received the University’s Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award during the 37th Annual Chapman Celebrates Gala Night. “Music from the Silver Screen” was the motif of the festivities and Broadway-style revue performed by students at Musco Center for the Arts. But generosity was the overriding theme of the evening, which raised nearly $2 million in scholarship support. Chapman Trustee Zeinab H. Dabbah, M.D., (JD ’12), and Daniel Temianka, M.D., were named the University’s Citizens of the Year. The couple’s passionate involvement at Chapman touches every corner of campus, including at the Hall-Musco Conservatory, where they established the Henri Temianka Professorship in Music and Scholarship in String Studies. The professorship is named for Daniel’s father, founder of the famed Paganini Quartet.

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Casey Kasprzyk ’01 received the 2018 Alumni Achievement Award during Chapman Celebrates Opening Night. Kasprzyk, producer of the CBS daytime drama series “The Bold and the Beautiful,” said the significance of the fundraiser hits home for him. As a Chapman student, he received a Provost Scholarship. “That scholarship made it possible for me to attend Chapman, which resulted in me being able to achieve my dream of working in television,” he said. Jasmine Johnson ’15 also shared a message of gratitude. She found support at Chapman after a life of homelessness. (See page 3.) “The scholarships I received gave me a new life. It showed me that I wasn’t alone, and I will forever be grateful for that,” Johnson said. Major gifts are not the only source of scholarship support, noted Chapman President Daniele Struppa. “Last year alone, Chapman received more than 13,000 gifts, amounting to more than $100 million in support. That’s unbelievable, right? What’s even more remarkable is that the majority of those gifts were less than $1,000. It demonstrates the importance of each and every gift and how much impact each gift can make,” Struppa said.

In the spotlight at Chapman Celebrates 2018 were, clockwise from left, Chapman Trustee Zeinab H. Dabbah, M.D., (JD ’12) and Daniel Temianka, M.D., honored as Citizens of the Year by Chapman President Daniele Struppa; Chapman parent Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful Dead who received the University’s Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award; and Casey Kasprzyk ’01, producer of “The Bold and the Beautiful” who earned the Chapman Alumni Achievement Award. Among the show’s featured performers was dancer Hvrmony Adams ’19, top.

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ABOVE A CUT BY DAWN BONKER

The formal opening of Keck Center marks a milestone in Chapmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rise as a center of scientific research and learning.

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ven as the ceremonial ribbon was being cut outside, students and faculty were already toiling inside, some in the pursuit of cutting-edge advances. Students in General Chemistry I tested nascent skills. A software engineering class studied data management systems. Hagfish settled into a specially designed lab where researchers are already uncovering clues that may drive engineering breakthroughs. Such energy illustrates the future of the sciences at Chapman University, President Daniele Struppa told audience members who gathered Oct. 11 to mark the official opening of Keck Center for Science and Engineering. “These facilities transcend bricks and mortar and set us on a path to actually confirm our capability as an institution and set us on a path toward an incredible future – a future that is being realized every single day,” Struppa said. “Keck Center will help us create a new generation of problem-solvers, thinkers and inventors who will contribute to the economic growth of Southern California and make a critical difference to our society.” Keck Center for Science and Engineering, which opened to students and faculty in August, is made possible by a $20 million grant from W.M. Keck Foundation. The 140,000-square-foot building houses Schmid College of Science and Technology and in fall 2020 will welcome the Dale E. ’58 and Sarah Ann Fowler School of Engineering. The naming gift from Keck Foundation, along with gifts from more than 450 additional donors, supported the building project – Chapman’s largest to date. The Foundation has contributed significantly throughout Southern California to scientific and medical research and education with its grants, including those to Keck School of Medicine at USC, Keck Institute of Space Studies

(Photo by Bonnie Cash ‘19) at Caltech, Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences at the Claremont Colleges, and grants for outstanding projects at UCLA. Designed by AC Martin Architects, Keck Center represents a 182 percent increase in dedicated space for the sciences on Chapman’s main campus. The guiding design principle, though, was student experience, said Andrew Lyon, dean of the University’s new Fowler School of Engineering. “It has been designed as a place where our students and faculty can engage deeply in the sciences, a place that fosters natural convergence between all the disciplines,” he said. Lauren Friend ’19, a biochemistry major and philosophy minor who is a member of the hagfish research team, spoke of the role a physical space can have in making such connections a reality. “For me, different disciplines such as biomechanics, biochemistry, philosophy and mathematics do not ask inherently different questions, but instead explore the same ‘why’ questions about the world with different pathways of thought,” Friend said. “Keck allows students to maintain their curiosity and ask why in more expansive and profound ways than previously allowed. I am proud to say that I spent my senior year conducting research in such an amazing facility.”

Under the Donald and Felicity Sodaro Arch, the opening of Keck Center for Science and Engineering was made official with an overarching celebration that included a ribboncutting by President Emeritus Jim Doti, President Daniele Struppa, Julianne Argyros, W.M. Keck Foundation CEO Robert Day and Dean Andrew Lyon.

“It has been designed as a place where our students and faculty can engage deeply in the sciences, a place that fosters natural convergence between all the disciplines.” Dean Andrew Lyon Fowler School of Engineering

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A LOOK INSIDE

KECK CENTER FOR SCIENCE ARNOLD AND MABEL BECKMAN LOBBY This dramatic two-story entryway pays homage to scientist, innovator and humanitarian Dr. Arnold O. Beckman with display cases featuring prototypes of his inventions alongside their modern-day counterparts.

ULAM SPIRAL Step outside the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Lobby and look up. What might appear to be a constellation is actually a representation of the Ulam Spiral. This pattern, which depicts the distribution of prime numbers, is seen in natural structures ranging from galaxies to the whorl of flower petals.

McCARDLE STEPS Loaded with comfortable seating and charging stations, the McCardle Steps are the perfect place to hang out between classes and work on group projects.

PHILIP H. CASE DEAN’S SUITE The leadership hub in Keck Center doesn’t just have art on the walls; it has art as the walls. The suite is encased in panels depicting cellular shapes in eight layers of lighted glass, created by artist Peter Bynum.

be3717

ARNOLD AND MABEL BECKMAN COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE LABORATORY This active learning space flips the traditional classroom model on its head: students work in collaborative pods around the room, with the instructor at the center.

CHALKBOARDS

VS.

MODULAR LABS You won’t find any cookie-cutter science here; no two labs are the same in Keck Center. That’s because each one is modular and can be configured to best support the innovation and exploration taking place within its walls.

WHITEBOARDS

It’s no mistake that you’ll find both in Keck Center. “Almost everyone in math and physics prefers chalkboards to whiteboards,” said Dr. M. Andrew Moshier, professor and director of Chapman’s Center of Excellence in Computation, Algebra and Topology. “The joke is that if you don’t hear the chalk tapping, you can’t tell you’re actually working.”

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MODULAR FURNITURE Students wanted space to work sideby-side, so modular movable furniture was incorporated in the creation of Keck Center

AND ENGINEERING 706-Seat

HOLLY AND DAVID WILSON AMPHITHEATRE How many other science centers offer builtin outdoor stadium seating and prime views to catch a football or lacrosse game?

Welcome to a new era of innovation and exploration at Chapman University. Keck Center for Science and Engineering opened its doors to students and faculty in August, just in time for the new academic year. Supported by a $20 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, this game-changing facility spans nearly an entire city block and offers 140,000 square feet of space for learning, research and collaboration. Home to Schmid College of Science and Technology, the building will also house the Fowler School of Engineering, opening in fall 2020.

KECK TECH

WOMEN OF CHAPMAN GALLERY Stroll down this sprawling corridor and enjoy a panoramic view of Wilson Field on one side and a gallery of influential women in science on the other.

ENGINEERING WING Empty for now, this expansive space is the future home to the Fowler School of Engineering, which admits its first class of students in fall 2020.

TESLA COIL

DIODE-PUMPED SOLID STATE (DPSS) CLASS 3B LASER

ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE

DONALD AND FELICITY SODARO ARCH This architectural showpiece is the gateway to Keck Center from Center Street. It also provides pedestrian access into Ernie Chapman Stadium.

ECOLOGY TEACHING LAB With access to green spaces on the roof of the building, the third-floor Ecology Lab allows faculty and students to dig in, literally, to their ecology studies and research.

891 +

349 = 1,240

INCREASED PARKING The expansion of the subterranean Lastinger Parking Structure beneath Keck Center gives students, faculty and visitors direct access from the structure into the building via two elevators.

Leica Cryostat BRAIN TISSUE SLICER

Graphic Design by Ryan Tolentino ’02 | Reporting by Hallie Nicholson (M.A. ’14) | Architectural Design by AC Martin

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CU Partners with Nixon Foundation By Dawn Bonker

hapman University and the Richard Nixon Foundation have formed a new partnership that is bringing U.S. Foreign Service officers to Chapman for graduate study. These Nixon Foundation Fellows will conduct archival research at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda as they complete Chapman’s M.A. Program in War and Society. The Richard Nixon Foundation Fellows Program at Chapman University creates the first formal ties between the two Orange County institutions. It’s also the first official arrangement between the Nixon Foundation and an organization of higher learning.

The partnership launched in September with two days of programming at Chapman and at the Nixon Library. Included was a panel discussion featuring H.R. McMaster, retired Army lieutenant general and former national security advisor to President Trump. The inaugural Nixon Foundation Fellow is Jules Kim, who has served with the State Department since 2003. This fall, Matt Kawecki and Dominic So joined Kim in the program. Upon graduation, Nixon Foundation Fellows will return to the State Department with enhanced knowledge of a critical period in U.S. foreign policy.

Richard Nixon Foundation Fellow Jules Kim poses with Gregory Daddis, Ph.D., director of Chapman’s M.A. Program in War and Society.

‘Visions of Chapman’ By Dawn Bonker

rom her Chapman University office, Lindsay Shen used to watch as students and faculty strode wordlessly to and from Moulton Hall – lots of hurrie d people against a backdrop of beige walls. “It was a walk-through space,” she says. “No one had reason to pause.” And now? “People don’t just walk through anymore,” says Shen, Ph.D., Chapman’s director of art collections. “They stop and talk to each other. They look.”

Artist Higgy Vasquez shares a moment with attendees during the unveiling of the “Visions of Chapman” mural on the exterior of Waltmar Theatre. Center’s Pacific Standard regional exhibition.

Time

LA/LA

Transforming the space is a 27-foot mural painted on the exterior of Waltmar Theatre. It depicts community life through the years, with images ranging from University namesake C.C. Chapman to neighbors gathered at a Jamaica Festival in the historic Cypress Street Barrio.

The new mural, unveiled in September, took about a year to plan and another year to paint. Along the way, it received support from the Ellingson family, as well as research assistance from the Orange Barrio Historical Society and the Orange Public Library.

The idea for the “Visions of Chapman” artwork evolved after Higgy Vasquez was commissioned by Chapman to restore an iconic mural painted by his late father, the famed artist and muralist Emigdio Vasquez, often called “the godfather of Chicano art.” That mural, on the side of a Cypress Street apartment complex, was central to the University’s participation in The Getty

As the work progressed, passersby grew accustomed to seeing Vasquez perched on scaffolding with a paintbrush in hand, or dousing the surrounding concrete paths with water to add moisture to the air to keep the tempera paint from drying too quickly as the artist fine-tuned the work.

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Vasquez divided the mural into three sections.

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The first pays homage to the early Chapman history and the region’s citrus era, with the middle section showing students, alumni, campus buildings and visitors, including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. In the third section, the life of the Cypress Street Barrio is celebrated. This section includes a small image of the artist himself, grinning from the right-hand corner. That smile was evident at the unveiling, which was attended by several of the people portrayed. They snapped photos and took a moment to consider Chapman’s place in the history of the wider community. Those conversations continue.

FEELING AFRAID? YOU’VE GOT COMPANY BY DAWN BONKER

Do you worry about corrupt government officials? Fret that the water you drink or the ocean, river or lake where you swim is polluted? If so, you have plenty of company. Americans are growing increasingly afraid of these and other threats, according to the fifth annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears. For the first time since the survey began in 2014, a majority of respondents are afraid of each of the top 10 items on the fear list. The findings reflect Americans’ rising anxiety and changing views about perceived dangers, say the three principal investigators for the survey. “It is worth noting that the fears regarding corruption and the environment have increased significantly following the election of President Trump in 2016, and all of the top 10 fears continue to reflect topics often discussed in the media,” said Christopher Bader, Ph.D., professor of sociology. Government corruption continues as Americans’ top concern. But for the first time, environmental worries rose enough that they now represent half of the top 10 fears in the survey. Researchers point to extreme weather events, the Trump’s administration’s pullback on environmental protections and the economy as reasons for the greener attitudes. “In good economic times you’ll see fears like the environment popping up, whereas if we were having a dire economic situation, we would

expect more economic fears to be on the list,” said Ann Gordon, Ph.D., associate professor of political science. Researchers also noted that most Americans don’t consider immigrants more likely than U.S. citizens to commit crimes. In addition, Americans are less fearful of Muslims in American society than was indicated in previous surveys. “Two years ago, one out of three Americans thought immigration from Muslim countries should be banned; now that’s one out of five. The majority of Americans are not afraid of illegal immigration. Two out of three Americans do not want a border wall,” said Ed Day, Ph.D.,

professor and chair of the Department of Sociology. The findings were drawn from the responses of 1,190 adults in summer 2018. While they offered a snapshot of the nation’s collective pre-election mindset, the findings also raise a set of unique and ongoing concerns for the researchers. “What frightens Republicans the most doesn’t even register for Democrats, and vice versa. We see that bifurcation increasing, and that frightens me,” Bader said during an Oct. 12 talk at Chapman’s Family Homecoming Celebration.

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SEEN & HEARD

“To end racism, we have to teach science. We only have one human race – Homo sapiens. … We are all Africans of different shades and colors.” DOLORES HUERTA, co-founded the United Farm Workers of America, during a town-hall-style conversation with Chapman President Daniele Struppa. Huerta was presented with the Chapman Presidential Medal for her commitment to social justice.

“There’s no way that Brexit is isolationist. It’s about a feeling that liberal democracy has handed decisions to a host of global organizations instead of would-be voters. I think so-called liberal democrats have forgotten that their duty is to the people in their country and not to the rest of the world.” NIGEL FARAGE, former leader of the UK Independence Party and longtime advocate for Britain to leave the European Union. He was invited to speak at Chapman by President’s Cabinet member George Argyros Jr. ’89 (JD ’01) and his wife, Shannon, as part of the Argyros School of Business and Economics’ 20th Anniversary Distinguished Speaker Series.

“The Gestapo officers stared at my sister and me. They were stunned we were Jews since we both had blonde hair and blue eyes. ‘Are you maybe 60 percent Jewish?’ one asked. ‘No,’ I said. ‘I am 100 percent Jewish!’ ”

ENGELINA BILLAUER, witness to Kristallnacht and speaker during the annual interfaith service of remembrance and hope presented by the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education.

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Natural light floods student workspaces thanks to the restoration of the DMAC’s clerestory windows.

Award-Winning Design Step into Chapman’s Digital Media Arts Center on Cypress Street in Old Towne Orange and it’s hard to believe that not so long ago it was an empty industrial space left to gather dust. Transformed by the University into a hightech learning center for the next generation of Hollywood storytellers, the DMAC has now received a prestigious Governor’s Historic Preservation Award. Home to the digital artists in Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, the building is among just six statewide to receive one of the 2018 awards honoring major achievements in preserving California heritage. “During my four decades in the practice of historic architecture, this is the project that best weaves together the interests of ‘town and gown’ in the same building,” wrote Peyton Hall, an evaluator for the Governor’s Award and managing principal of Pasadena-based Historic Resources Group.

Artful Explorers Wherever art and science share synchronous orbits, chances are Lia Halloran will be there, contributing momentum. Halloran, an associate professor in the Department of Art as well as a practicing artist, recently completed a stint as a visiting professor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. While collaborating with museum astronomers and astrophysicists, Halloran also worked in a Brooklyn studio space, creating huge cyanotype prints like the one that now hangs at the top of the McCardle Family Collaboration Stairs in Keck Center for Science and Engineering at Chapman. “It’s a dream to be immersed in the worlds of art and science where everyone is doing really creative things and no one is classifying it,” she says. Like her collaborations with Nobel-winning physicist Kip Thorne, an executive producer on the film “Interstellar,” Halloran worked with museum researchers to bridge the worlds of science and art. “What’s the best way to visualize complicated things we have a hard time describing? How do we get the largest number of people interested in these concepts? These are conversations that excite me,” Halloran says.

Lia Halloran bridges art and science with creative works such as this cyanotype print. The Chapman associate professor in the Department of Art recently completed a stint as a visiting professor working with astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. (Photo by Adam Ottke ‘13)

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Q &A BY MELISSA HOON

NEXT-GEN STORYTELLER

ooper Hefner ’15 was born into a world of storytelling. Growing up in a home next to the Playboy Mansion, he met a wide range of creative people, including those responsible for production at Playboy Enterprises, Inc. He says that his father’s creativity and his mother’s groundedness give him a balance that serves him well in his role as chief creative officer at Playboy. Hefner fondly recalls a childhood full of late nights with his father, the two of them watching old Hollywood horror films. “I think that’s where my passion for storytelling was born,” he said. As he grew, he realized how special it was to understand the origins of his father’s love for entertaining communication. “Playboy is not just a brand,” Hefner said, “it’s a communications platform with a story to tell.”

EMBRACING HIS LEADERSHIP ROLE

Over the six decades that followed Hugh Hefner’s founding of Playboy in 1953, the magazine morphed into an empire that reflected the evolving cultural climate, from sexual revolution in the ‘60s and ‘70s to the spectrums of sexuality and gender at the forefront of conversations today. However, the essence of Playboy’s story has remained the same, Cooper says: Freedom of choice and self-expression should be valued, fought for and utilized.

AT P L AY B O Y E N T E R P R I S E S , C O O P E R

With his dad’s passing in September 2017, Cooper Hefner, 27, has fully embraced the role of creative leadership at Playboy. During a recent interview, he spoke about his childhood, how he differs from his father and his plans to ensure that Playboy supports those who choose to exercise their freedom of expression.

INTO A NEW ERA.

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HEFNER ’15 SEEKS TO “COMMUNICATE WHAT MADE THE BRAND SO SPECIAL” WHILE PROPELLING IT

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“WE’VE GIVEN PEOPLE SPACE FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR DECADES, AND HAVE FOUGHT FOR INDIVIDUALS’ FREEDOMS SINCE THE COMPANY’S INCEPTION.”

Chapman Magazine: How would you describe yourself? Cooper Hefner: My environment growing up allowed me to craft my point of view around individuals’ freedom and expression, and about how to bring the most value to quality of life. Nothing is more important than choice, assuming that choices we make don’t hurt other people. I was exposed to so many individuals from different walks of life growing up. A lot of that came from my dad and also from his points of view. There were a tremendous number of decisions that my dad made that I didn’t agree with. But he always did things in a way that made sense to him, and that was something that I always admired. We don’t have to agree with everyone, but we should respect decisions that people make. Being honest is one of the roads to earn respect. CM: What is your creative vision for Playboy? CH: To communicate what made the brand so special in the ’60s and ’70s to my generation and young generations. We communicate daily through our platforms that the brand represents freedom and choice. It’s more important now than ever before to point to that. CM: In the past, Playboy models seemed to fit in a narrow mold— sanitized, without a single blemish. Today, with decisions such as featuring a transgender Playmate, it seems the idea of beauty at Playboy Enterprises has expanded. How does Playboy define beauty today? CH: The company used to be based on my dad’s interpretation of beauty. When I stepped into the role (of chief creative officer, beginning in 2016) and dug my hands into the brand, I had a conversation on how the brand should evolve. It was important to me and the company to take a breath when it came to defining what beauty is. That’s my interest (diversity in beauty), and I feel comfortable stating that it’s the interest of my generation. Part of selecting a transgender Playmate was to address the way that gender roles are expanding in real time. CM: How does your Chapman experience serve you today? CH: Today I get to work with unbelievably talented people who are Chapman alumni. It’s remarkable to see the Chapman seeds that are planted in this city (Los Angeles), as well as in entertainment, and how small of a world it is. It’s a really valuable tool to have a shared experience like this. CM: You’ve said that Playboy Enterprises “should not apologize for sex.” What does that mean in the era of #MeToo? CH: It’s important that while we have the conversation around consent and gender roles, which is so long overdue, we do not collectively make sex the enemy. #MeToo is about consent and abuse of power, where sex is used as an abuse of power. A lot of us are uncomfortable when we talk about what turns us on, and we shouldn’t make that the enemy.

Playboy has supported an initiative for over six decades that encourages people to live the life they want to live. We’ve contributed financially to changing policy, including as one of the initial funders in supporting Roe v. Wade. We’ve given people space for freedom of speech for decades, and have fought for individuals’ freedoms since the company’s inception. There’s an interesting conversation going on about feminism. If we define feminism as a way for a woman to live the way she wants to live, then Playboy is a feminist company. CM: Tell us about the women in your life and their impact on you. CH: The four most influential women in my life are my fiancé, my mother, my grandmother and my sister. My sister (Christie Hefner) was in a similar place to me growing up, and even now. We have differences as well, since she was (and still is) a very successful woman running a company at a time when there were so few female executives. She’s an amazing sounding board. I have the utmost respect for her. The older I get, the more respect I have for my parents. I respect my mother (Playboy cover model Kimberley Conrad) based on the fact that she was there for my brother and me so much growing up. She is compassionate, loyal and grounded, and made sure to surround me with people with similar qualities. My grandma was the same way. My fiancé (Scarlett Byrne) is an unbelievable woman. She is an actress and is part of the community of the #MeToo movement. I really value the conversations she and I have. I admire her tenacity, drive and determination. CM: What similarities do you share with your father, and what are your differences? CH: It’s important for me to constantly take a step back and consider his point of view. The brand is what it is because of him. He contributed to a number of different entities – publishing, media, branding – while normalizing sex. He understood how to communicate effectively through branding and messaging. But I constantly step back and consider how different the world is today. We are both very creative. My desire to want to tell stories – whether on paper or in film or through branding and marketing – came from his love for storytelling and old movies. It’s special to me to have seen the films and cinema that were important to him. It led me to Chapman and to develop a strong passion for film. His political values are completely aligned with mine – fundamentally rooted in that the individual should live the life he or she wants to live, whether or not others understand the choices that person wants to make. That’s why I love what I get to do every day – I get to work on a brand that is fundamentally rooted in celebrating freedom of expression and choice. I don’t take that for granted.

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“Appalachia is a wound and a joy and a poem. A knot of complication. But you cannot know a place without loving it and hating it and feeling everything in between.” Silas House

•

Writer, Appalachian studies scholar

APPALACHIAN

AWAKENING

Documentarian Sally Rubin trains her lens on the shallow stereotypes of a region and ends up diving deeply into a whole new conversation. BY DENNIS ARP

Sally Rubin was determined to get to know Appalachia – to untie the knot and disentangle the misconceptions that attach themselves to the region. But first she had to find her way there. “Appalachia is a construction, a social and cultural invention,” says Chad Berry, a professor of Appalachian studies at Berea College in Kentucky. “Iowa is a construction, too. The difference is that you know you’re in Iowa because there’s a sign there that says, ‘Welcome to Iowa.’ There’s no such sign with Appalachia.” Berry is among those interviewed in Rubin’s new feature-length documentary “hillbilly.” In researching and shooting the film, Rubin not only found that perceptions of Appalachia are a timely subject for exploration. She learned that Appalachia itself is amorphous, evolving and more diverse than she, and certainly America, might ever have imagined. “At first, we set out to do a historical survey of the development of the hillbilly stereotype in film and TV,” says Rubin, an assistant professor of documentary film at Chapman University. “Then, several months in, we came to realize that if this film is going to be about what Appalachia isn’t, we have to tell what Appalachia is. That’s when we started including the alternative Appalachian perspective.” A journey of more than four years is bound to provide twists and turns along the way. This project had plenty, including one the filmmakers didn’t see coming.

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“The results of the (2016 presidential) election changed the entire context of the film and how we told the story,” said Rubin, who co-directed “hillbilly” with Kentucky native Ashley York, who now lives in Los Angeles and teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. “We always thought the film would be relevant, but suddenly it went from niche-relevant to nationally relevant.” Toward the end of production, the filmmakers realized they needed a throughline to link all of the story’s themes. So York, who like Rubin is committed to social justice and a feminist approach in her filmmaking, stepped before the cameras to become a character in the film. Weaved throughout are scenes in which York reconnects with her Appalachian family members who attended rallies and voted for President Trump. These nuanced, sometimes tense but always loving conversations add intimacy and urgency to the film. In one scene, York visits her Granny Shelby in Jonesville, Ky. They trade hugs as they’re joined by several other family members who had voted for Barack Obama but now wear MAGA hats. York eases into the role of neutral interviewer as she probes their enthusiasm for Trump. “People from the mountains,” she hears, “really had no one to have our back before.” There’s a long pause while York nods awkwardly, and then the inevitable question: “Who’d you vote for?” She purses her lips and reveals that she voted for Hillary Clinton. “I must not have burped you girls just right,” her grandmother deadpans. “I should have held you upside down and patted you on your butt.”

Caption

PHOTO BY CHALLENGE RODDIE

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THE ROAD TO A GRIPPING STORY Rubin’s research goals were twofold: “Making sure we have a wide, diverse and thorough handle on the concepts of the film, and then deciding, ‘Is this going to make a compelling story?‘^} Validation came in the form of outside funding from state humanities councils in South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Later “hillbilly” earned two major grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and one from the National Endowment for the Humanities. That support allowed the filmmakers to gather stories during field research trips that crisscrossed six states. “We knew we needed media clips, and we knew we needed experts talking about what we were seeing in the media clips. But we also wanted stories, so we sought out characters who could bring the human element to the film,” Rubin says.

Sally Rubin and her Chapman documentary film students discuss a scene from "hillbilly."

FRUSTRATED BY HYPOCRISY For Rubin, the filmmaking journey connects to the roots of her mother, who grew up in Calderwood, Tenn., in the Great Smoky Mountains. The filmmaker also knows coal country from her 2010 film “Deep Down,” which chronicles friendships and divisions as a way of life erodes in eastern Kentucky.

In addition to Billy Redden, the actor who portrayed the banjo player in “Deliverance’’ (and now a Walmart worker in Georgia), “hillbilly” gives voice to artists and activists, queer musicians and "Affrilachian" poets – the flipside of the hackneyed regional stereotypes.

“I'm happy to see somebody trying to cover us as we really are and not what some people think we are. It's wonderful the attention you've paid to so many areas that are so important to all of us. I'm proud to have been mentioned in the film a time or two. " - Dolly Parton -

“From the time I was younger, I’ve been frustrated by the hypocrisy and stereotypes around rural white people,” says Rubin. “Growing up in liberal Boston, those in my circle wouldn’t be caught dead saying the N word or anything like that, but they would very happily throw around terms like redneck, hillbilly and poor white trash. I noticed that, and it pissed me off.”

“I’m very proud that we were careful to showcase the diversity of the region,” says Samantha Cole, a native of Lee County, Ky., who was interviewed for the film and eventually took on the role of associate producer. “I had known for some time that Appalachia was home to all these different folks, but all those narratives had been buried, shut down.”

Rubin’s pop-culture flashpoint for the project was the character Pennsatucky on the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black.”

Cole has helped the filmmakers develop a companion piece to “hillbilly” called “Her Appalachia,” which shares interviews with women of the region and takes a critical look at female Appalachian archetypes like the “mountain mawmaw,” “sex pot” and “freeloader.”

“It’s this innovative show, with risky storytelling and gender-nonconforming characters, and at the same time there’s this character who’s a tired old mashup of every stereotypical quality of an Appalachian person – holy roller, meth head, abuser of the welfare system,” Rubin says. “For me, it was ‘enough is enough.’ ” Once York came onboard as a partner in the project, the two launched into a review of scholarly research.

“The diverse nature of the region had been at the periphery of my thoughts,” Cole says. “Now I want to seek out those diverse voices that are of and for the region.”

“There’s a huge body of scholarship on the history of Appalachian identity and representation," Rubin says. Key texts include “Hillbilly” by Tony Harkins and “Hillbillyland” by Jerry Williamson. “Ashley and I practically memorized those texts,” says Rubin, who adds that “Belonging” by bell hooks also was enlightening. “It’s all about Southern and Appalachian identity, especially from the vantage point of a woman of color who left and then came back. It helped me look at the region in a new way.” In March 2014, the filmmakers attended the annual Appalachian Studies Association Conference, where they met and interviewed a host of key scholars. “Every single scholar we interviewed became an advisor on our film,” Rubin notes.

Rubin shares insights with students and with Andre Dhont in the Dhont Documentary Film Center of Chapman Studios West.

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“The film is surprising and refreshing, treating white rural voters generously and expanding cultural understanding of the region. … For outsiders, the film could potentially challenge viewers’ perceptions; for Appalachians, it’s a cinematic portrayal of which they can be proud.” - From a review by The Nashville Scene -

When Rubin first reached out to her about a possible on-camera interview more than four years ago, Cole didn’t imagine the journey that would result, including her writing proposals and securing grants. “Sally was fabulous to work with,” Cole says. “She provided this big overarching picture, but she was also attentive to details. She’s a great artist and creative thinker, but also a fantastic teacher.”

“HILLBILLY”

Cole was there when “hillbilly” premiered in May at the Nashville Film Festival, where attendees filled a 250-seat theater and a 115-seat spillover venue as well. Cole saw filmgoers “connect with the story and afterward say that they had never seen anyone express the same thoughts and feelings they had been holding in for years.” “It’s like we’re empowered to have pride in the place we call home,” Cole adds. “This film not only invites conversations but deep thinking about the media we consume – in terms of the hillbilly figure yes, but also any minority or oppressed group.” Rubin says she’s eager to see “hillbilly” prompt conversations in family rooms and over kitchen tables, but also in group forums and classrooms, perhaps even after a screening on Capitol Hill. “Hopefully the film will live in the world for decades and have a broad impact,” Rubin says. “My dream would be that we would see less vitriol between people from urban and rural backgrounds. The film has universal themes and offers a lot to unpack, so it lends itself to rich conversations. I’d like to see all of those continue.”

• Has secured national distribution through The Orchard, which also distributes the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Cartel Land.” • Was released on digital platforms Jan. 8, with worldwide broadcast distribution to follow. A free March 12 screening is planned at Musco Center on campus, with a panel discussion to follow. For tickets and more information, visit muscocenter.org/event/ hillbilly-movie/ • Launched a theatrical run in the fall to qualify for Academy Award consideration. •

Is an official selection at almost 20 film festivals, including Nashville, DOC NYC, Hot Springs, Traverse City and the Los Angeles Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize for Documentary.

• Is praised as “an ambitious and enlightening documentary, filled with wisdom and asking great questions” by RogerEbert.com, which gives it 3.5 out of 4 stars.

• Cinematographer Bryan Donnell and co-directors Rubin, seated, and Ashley York traversed six states shooting scenes for "hillbilly."

Was accepted into the Fledgling Fund’s Engagement Lab, where the filmmakers will spend a year working to disseminate the themes of “hillbilly” in dozens of communities and at universities nationwide.

More information is at hillbillymovie.com.

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F R OM T H E

WARMTH EARTH OF T H E

STORIES BY ROBYN NORWOOD 28

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SAMPLES COLLECTED IN A PEATLAND BOG BY JASON KELLER AND HIS STUDENTS MAY OFFER CLUES TO AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE.

AMID THE SCENT of spruce trees in northern Minnesota, an odd sight rises from the peatland bog. Ten silolike enclosures nearly 30 feet tall and 40 feet across dot a small area of the 2,800-acre Marcell Experimental Forest, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Experimental Forest network. The tops of the octagonal chambers are open to the rain and snow, but inside the temperatures and carbon dioxide levels are carefully controlled. Each chamber is designed to simulate a different climate change scenario. “Welcome to a warmer future,” declares a sign at the entrance to an enclosure that is heated to 9 degrees Celsius warmer than the outside temperature, representing a dramatic change in climate. Inside, spring comes early and autumn arrives late. Chapman University Associate Professor Jason Keller, Ph.D., and his student researchers journey to this outpost in the southernmost part of North America’s great boreal forest about four times each summer. Together, they gather data and collect samples they ship back to their campus laboratory in the sort of coolers you would expect to hold cold drinks. Instead, the coolers could hold clues to the future of the planet. The Chapman researchers are part of a project known as SPRUCE – an acronym for Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments – that is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and operated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In 2015, Keller was awarded a three-year, $1.5 million DOE grant as principal investigator on a SPRUCE project in collaboration with the University of Oregon and Purdue University. Chapman also was part of a $1 million DOE grant for peatland research in 2012, securing about $400,000 of that amount. The interest in a remote peatland forest 200 miles north of Minneapolis might seem puzzling at first. Yet peat – the slowly decomposing organic matter that for centuries has been dug up, dried and burned as fuel in parts of northern Europe – is key for understanding climate change. Since the retreat of the glaciers, northern peatlands have acted as carbon sinks – pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it belowground in their soils. Though peatlands cover only about 3 percent of below ground Earth's surface, they store about a third of the planet’s soil carbon. “What motivates our work at SPRUCE is the possibility that soil carbon that has been stored in peatlands may suddenly return to the atmosphere as the greenhouse gas methane. That process would have global implications for Earth’s climate,” Keller said.

“We don’t know if that’s going to happen or not. That’s the point of doing the experiments. We need to figure this out. Maybe the soil carbon stays belowground and is not responsive to warming at all – which would be less dramatic, and have a smaller impact on the global climate.”

VARIABLES AND CONTROLS Two of the 10 enclosures at the SPRUCE site remain unheated, as controls. Two others are heated to 2.25 degrees Celsius above the temperature outside, two are plus-4.5 degrees, two are plus-6.75 degrees and two are 9 degrees above the outdoor temperature that fluctuates with the seasons. In addition to warming the air in eight of the 10 enclosures, researchers also designed a way to warm the soil in those chambers to about 10 feet below the ground via vertical heating rods. Five of the enclosures – one at each temperature, including one unheated chamber – also receive an elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide treatment, adding another variable. The combination of temperature and elevated carbon dioxide treatments allows Keller and other researchers to explore 10 possible climate scenarios and see how the bog will respond. “By considering this wide range of possible futures, we are able to inform mathematical models that could better describe the connections between peatlands and the global climate,” Keller said. When Keller and his students – mostly undergraduates or recent graduates continuing their research – visit SPRUCE, they collect water and soil samples, some of them removed from up to 10 feet below the surface with a device known as a Russian corer. “We shove it down, twist it, pull it back up, open it up and we are holding soil that is thousands of years old. It is pretty cool,” Keller said. Those soil samples are mostly what was once sphagnum moss – similar to the peat moss you might buy for your home gardening projects – but in progressive states of decay. Cold temperatures and wet conditions that limit the availability of oxygen slow the decomposition of the moss and other plants, allowing the carbon-rich soil to persist for centuries beneath the surface. “Sixty times more carbon than we emit every year from fossil fuel burning worldwide is stored in peat, and it’s been sort of slowly accumulating there over thousands of years,” Keller said.

Opposite page: Chapman student researchers, from left, Haley Miller '18, Jessica Rush '18 and Emily Hanna '18 work alongside Professor Jason Keller as "Swamp Monsters" -- the team's affectionate term (complete with vest logo) for those studying wetland ecology.

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Cassandra Zalman, Ph.D., instructional assistant professor in biological sciences, gathers field data in northern Minnesota.

“It’s all about the feedbacks,” Keller said. “Peatlands are a perfectly normal part of the climate system and have been since they existed. But if our initial change of the climate system causes these peatlands or other wetlands to act differently, that has the potential to create globallysignificant feedbacks. If wetlands start releasing more methane, that could accelerate climate change.” Among other work Chapman students pursue at the Minnesota site is studying humic substance reduction, or the way microbes breathe organic compounds instead of oxygen. Jessica Rush ’18, a recent Chapman graduate who is working as Keller’s laboratory manager this year, said she entered college as a pre-med student but changed her mind. “I joined Dr. Keller’s lab my sophomore year and took physiology my junior year. I found myself loving research more and more,” she said. Emily Hanna ’18, now pursuing a graduate degree at UC Irvine in public health with an environmental health emphasis, studied a novel process called methylotrophic methanogenesis in the Minnesota peatlands.

LESSONS OF SPRUCE Back on the Chapman campus in the Keller laboratory, which moved in September from Hashinger Science Center to an expansive, state-of-theart facility on the second floor of the $130 million Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Keller and his students study the soil and water samples. They use equipment such as a gas chromatograph to measure carbon dioxide and methane concentrations, and often work with samples in an anaerobic glove box, a space without oxygen. The results of the SPRUCE research so far have been interesting. Keller was among the co-authors of 2016 article in the journal "Nature Communications" describing the initial finding that while surface soils produced more methane in response to deep soil warming at SPRUCE, the vast carbon stores in deeper soils were less responsive to the warming treatments. The second lead author on the paper, Anya Hopple, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Oregon, joined Keller’s laboratory this fall. The findings would suggest that a slow incremental rise in temperature might not have devastating effects on the release of the carbon stored in peatlands, as some fear. At least not initially. Much of Keller’s ongoing work explores whether the deep soil carbon remains stable as the heating treatments continue.

Studying connections between peatlands and the global environment allows researchers to consider a "wide range of possible futures," Professor Jason Keller says.

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“I think a lot of students gravitate toward global change questions or sustainability questions,” Keller said. “The world is changing, and for our students the world is going to look different when they’re my age than it does now.” “This is going to be a big issue for them. For many of them, it already is a big issue. They’re already working on it.”

AWASH IN OPPORTUNITIES “At Chapman you get to develop your own questions and test them.” Jennifer Bowen ’15

At UC Berkeley, Chapman University graduate Tyler Anthony ’14 is a Ph.D. candidate studying greenhouse gas emissions in corn and alfalfa fields in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. He focuses on the impacts of soil type as a driver of climate change response in agriculture. At the University of Michigan, Chapman graduate Jennifer Bowen ’15 is a Ph.D. candidate studying how the chemistry of natural organic molecules in streams and other freshwaters controls the release of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. “I’m really interested in how the global carbon cycle is changing with climate change,” said Bowen, who earned dual degrees in chemistry and environmental science and policy at Chapman. Anthony and Bowen have more in common than literally getting their hands dirty pursuing important questions in environmental science. They both are building on extensive opportunities to conduct research as undergraduates at Chapman. Bowen began working in the salt marshes of coastal Orange County after her first year at Chapman, initially following instructions and learning how to operate instruments. She later carried out her own study at the salt marsh and also conducted laboratory research on samples from the Minnesota peatland studies led by Jason Keller, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Schmid College of Science and Technology. In addition, Bowen co-authored multiple papers with Warren de Bruyn, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at Chapman. “By my third and fourth year, I was carrying out independent research,” she said. “I think some of the major differences between the undergraduate research experience at Chapman and larger universities is the fact that at Chapman you get to develop your own questions and test them. At Chapman, you have the opportunity to do research that teaches you how to be a real scientist.”

early-career scientists for his work related to greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient cycling and ecosystem health in the San Francisco Bay-Delta region. “This area is a water source for 20 million people, but it’s also very highly productive agriculturally,” Anthony said. “It was wetlands 150 years ago, 200 years ago, but they drained it because it’s really good soil for crops.” His work could help farmers make decisions about which crops to grow or whether to restore their land to wetlands and sell the carbon offset credits in the cap-and-trade market. Before evolving into a wetland biogeochemist, Anthony conducted research as a Chapman undergraduate in the Kim Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory under Professor Christopher Kim, Ph.D., and worked as lab manager for a year after graduating before beginning his postgraduate work at Berkeley. He also studied wetland soil carbon storage with Keller. The research opportunities and close engagement with professors at Chapman were deciding factors in his final choice among three colleges, Anthony said, particularly after his cellphone rang just as he was driving to visit another school as a high school senior. The call was from Kim. “He said, ‘You can have all these opportunities to know your professors one-on-one in small classes and help shape your curriculum,’ ” Anthony said. “That’s what sold me. And that’s actually the experience I got.” Professors like Keller continue to deliver such experiences. “What makes Chapman unique is not that we’re doing really good wetland biogeochemistry,” said Keller, who led students on multiple trips to Minnesota last summer. “I think what makes Chapman unique is that we’re doing really good wetland biogeochemistry with undergraduates.”

Anthony, who earned a degree in environmental science and policy at Chapman, recently was awarded a $150,000 Delta Science Fellowship for

“(Professor Kim) said, ‘You can have all these opportunities to know your professors one-on-one in small classes and help shape your curriculum.’ That’s what sold me. And that’s actually the experience I got.” Tyler Anthony ’14, on undergrad research at Chapman CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

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SCHOLAR Vidal Arroyo’s path to becoming Chapman University’s first Rhodes Scholar has enough of those what-if moments that listeners to his story can’t help but wonder at the turning points. As late as his junior year of high school, Arroyo ’19 wasn’t considering higher education, but high school friends were busy taking SATs, so he did, too. He aced them. His first year at Chapman he enrolled in a molecular biology class, where he caught the attention of Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith, an associate professor of biology, who suggested that with his brand of focus and determination, he should consider research. So he started down that path.

BY DAWN BONKER

PHOTOS BY CHALLENGE RODDIE

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In the classroom and the cancer lab, Vidal Arroyo ’19 is blazing new trails, including to Oxford as Chapman’s first Rhodes recipient.

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Bidmead, Ph.D., director of Chapman’s Center for Undergraduate Excellence. Then he read about the prestigious scholarship whose winners have included President Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Justice David Souter and Susan Rice, National Security Advisor to President Obama. His first thought was, “What chance do I have?” With a smile, the former high school wrestler adds, “I decided go big or go home. Wrestling taught me that mentality. It’s the same mentality that got me through school.”

The death at age 37 of Chapman Professor Jake Liang inspired Vidal Arroyo ’19 to pursue cancer research. “It felt almost like a social responsibility,” Arroyo says. “I decided I’d use whatever talents I have to change this for others.”

He continued to study with Rowland-Goldsmith, Ph.D., who focuses on pancreatic cancer research. But Arroyo was intrigued by the work of Jake Liang, Ph.D., a School of Communication professor who researched human-robot interactions, so he joined that lab team. Then heartbreak struck. Liang was diagnosed with cancer and died at age 37. In the days that followed, Arroyo felt called to focus on the only path that now made sense – cancer research. “My parents have always raised me with the idea of duende, which in Spanish means passion or soul. It’s the idea of pursuing something because you’re passionate about it,” he says. “Before Professor Liang’s diagnosis, I didn’t really have that connection with cancer. Seeing him die of that disease so young was just really shocking to me. It felt almost like a social responsibility. I decided I’d use whatever talents I have to change this for others. I decided I’m going full force. I’m going to be a cancer researcher.”

In addition to his studies and research, Arroyo is founding president of Chapman STEMtors, a 100-strong campus club that conducts science programs for middle school and high school students in at-risk neighborhoods. He also works as a peer advisor and maintains a 4.0 GPA. Rowland-Goldsmith recalls that Arroyo visited during her office hours after she returned the semester’s first batch of graded quizzes. Arroyo had an A-minus but wanted tips for developing study skills so he could do even better. “Vidal is truly one of the most tenacious students I have ever worked with,” she says. Arroyo credits his faith and the encouragement of all his Chapman mentors along the way. “The professors believed in me more than I did, and that’s been incredible,” he says. “It’s really a testament to the amazing environment here and the ability for someone to see potential in someone else.”

In October, that journey will continue at Oxford University, where the first-generation college student who commutes by train because he can’t afford a car will complete graduate work and study the applications of data science to improve colorectal cancer treatments. While at Oxford, he'll also complete a master's program in theology, with a concentration in science and religion. As a 2019 Rhodes Scholar, Arroyo is a member of the most diverse American cohort ever chosen by the selection committees. Almost half of the winners are immigrants or firstgeneration Americans. For Arroyo, who grew up in south Orange County, it’s all new territory. The biochemistry and molecular biology major hadn’t heard of the Rhodes before he was encouraged to apply by Julye

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“Vidal is truly one of the most tenacious students I have ever worked with,” says Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology who mentors Arroyo as a member of her lab team studying pancreatic cancer.

B Y VI D A L A R R O Y O ’ 1 9

‘CANCER DOES NOT

‘

DISCRIMINATE

Shadowing physicians (at CHOC Children’s hospital), my images of sunny, safe California were marred. Chemotherapy cured many children of cancer, but it also caused a wide range of longterm complications. Some survivors lived on synthetic hormones to compensate for damaged organs. Others developed obscure arrhythmias that were not present before. Many, like my former self, were obese. Cancer changed their lives forever, haunting them in ways unimaginable. At CHOC, my interest in medicine expanded. This led to a research project with Dr. Jake Liang, a Chapman professor, to investigate how communication strategies could reduce physician burnout. My passion for research grew, but our time together was cut short: Dr. Liang was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. When he broke the news to me, I cried. Dr. Liang had two sons, and he always had an apple on his desk. He biked to work and maintained a healthy weight. Nonetheless, cancer took his life 10 months later at 37 years old. Through him, I learned that cancer does not discriminate. Cancer does not care if you’re healthy, ill, young, old, wealthy, or poor. I was infuriated by this reality, but my inability to treat Dr. Liang or prevent his death is what drove me to dedicate my life toward cancer research and clinical service as a physician-scientist. When I decided to attend Chapman, I made the decision to commute two hours a day by train due to finances. However, I have not let this barrier nor others stand in the way of my calling as a cancer researcher. Just as I have dreamt bigger and fought harder for my education and the education of others, I will continue to dream bigger and fight harder for a better future for cancer patients. As Chapman University’s first Rhodes Scholar, I will continue my pursuit toward a day where no child will have to suffer from the late effects of cancer. Excerpted, with permission, from Arroyo’s Rhodes Scholarship personal statement.

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THE

RA Sociologist Pete Simi tracks the many ways hate groups communicate and recruit, including via graffiti. 36

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RO OTS OF

ACIST HATE

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DENNIS ARP Chapman University Professor Pete Simi has been to birthday parties where the cake was shaped like a swastika. He has seen a 5-year-old casually snap into a Nazi salute and heard other children recite horribly racist nursery rhymes from memory. He has listened to a white nationalist describe fits of rage so intense that after the man rained ax-handle blows on a victim, he vomited from physical and emotional exhaustion. Such are the experiences of a researcher who for more than two decades has immersed himself in the study of racist communities to unearth the roots of their extremist behavior. So in the run-up to the anniversary of last August’s deadly Charlottesville, Va., rally by white supremacists, Simi was renewing calls for vigilance and saying that we shouldn’t be

Exploring the darkness of white supremacy, Pete Simi finds an unmistakable link to childhood trauma.

surprised when racist beliefs ignite into violence. “Charlottesville has sparked renewed attention, and people say, ‘Where did this come from?’” says Simi, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology at Chapman and co-author of the book “American Swastika: Inside the White Power Movement’s Hidden Spaces of Hate.” “That surprise I find interesting. I can’t tell you how many times people have told me, ‘I didn’t even know these groups still existed.’ It’s clear that our awareness has been deficient, because they’ve been around all along. We just weren’t paying attention.”

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SEEDS OF HATE Unresolved trauma can become particularly volatile when it mixes with desensitization, adds Simi, who has a background in mental health assessment. “When they hear the N word at home, when they hear their parents say that blacks are more prone to criminality, when they hear these racial epithets, it provides them with familiarity,” he says. “So when they come in contact with these white supremacist groups, they’re primed for it.” Over time, those who were drawn to hate groups sometimes sour on the life and see their views shift toward tolerance. Even after they leave and try to start anew, however, it can be hard to change their thinking, Simi says. Some experience symptoms of relapse that mirror those of drug addicts. “They keep thinking the way they did, even though they don’t want to anymore,” he says.

Student research assistant Amy Aghajanian '20 studies how hate groups promote themselves and their cause online.

Simi’s research includes observation at events like the Unite the Right rally on Aug. 12, 2017, that resulted in the death of a counter-protester when a car plowed into a crowd of activists. Video of the incident in Charlottesville shocked the nation. Simi was at a conference of “They keep thinking the way the American Sociological Association in Montreal they did, even though they when his phone started buzzing with notices of the don’t want to anymore.” Charlottesville violence. In the days that followed, he was sought out by numerous reporters and others trying to sort through the motives of those emboldened to publicly express racist hate. He was among the experts featured in the PBS documentary series “Documenting Hate: Charlottesville” produced by Frontline and ProPublica. Simi’s research also has explored the roots of terrorism, with a primary focus on Islamic extremist groups. He has received grant support from the National Science Foundation, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, the National Institute of Justice and the Department of Defense. Over the years, Simi has conducted more than 100 interviews with a wide range of adults who are former members of white supremacist groups. The 20,000 pages of life histories he and his team have compiled reveal unmistakable trends. “They tend to have common vulnerabilities from childhood,” Simi says of those he studies.“We see high levels of physical abuse, sexual abuse, parental neglect, family substance abuse problems – all the things we’ve known for decades have detrimental consequences.” In fact, about 80 percent of the former white supremacists he has interviewed say they experienced childhood traumas. Twothirds share that they have a history of substance-abuse and/ or attempting suicide, and half report witnessing serious acts of violence, experiencing physical abuse, being expelled or dropping out of school.

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One former group member recounted such an experience when a fast-food restaurant messed up her drive-through order. She went inside to get it straightened out, and a Latina employee tried to show her that the order was actually correct. “The former white supremacist just goes off,” Simi says. “She starts shouting racial epithets, and the next thing she knows she’s heading out the door giving a Nazi salute and yelling ‘White power!’ By the time she gets to her car, it’s like she has come to, and she starts crying – she’s feeling so ashamed.” Another interview subject was a decade removed from his white supremacist past when he learned that his daughter had started dating a Latino. The moment triggered a similarly visceral reaction – until the man caught himself. “I had to say to myself, ‘Mr. Racist, you’re not cured,’ ” he recounted to Simi. Some of those Simi has interviewed fear they might have brain damage. “When you’re exposed to this kind of powerful environment, it stands to reason that it’s going to have neurophysiological consequences,” Simi says. “But in terms of research, we don’t really know.”

WHAT RESEARCH MIGHT TELL US Simi hopes to get the funding to build on a pilot study in which MRI and EEG results were recorded while subjects viewed visual triggers. “If it’s true that experiences continue to impact responses, it could have real implications for how to do interventions,” says Simi, whose research is helping to inform the support strategies of Life After Hate, an organization founded by former violent extremists “dedicated to inspiring all people to a place of compassion and forgiveness – for themselves and each other.”

It’s not easy to take such an empathetic approach with those who had dedicated themselves to a life of hate, Simi admits. But it does work. “A fair number of formers talk about what a difference it made to receive compassion from a Jewish person, from an AfricanAmerican who offers a helping hand without judgment. It helps break down that shield of extremism,” Simi says. “That’s what extremism is – a defense mechanism against the difficulties of being vulnerable.” It’s also important to recognize that as our society becomes more polarized and lines of communication become less open, “We’re really fueling extremism,” Simi adds. “That’s what extremists are hoping for.”

Simi also has words of caution for those who counter-protest. He suggests following the lead of the Anti-Defamation League and holding a rally with a positive message “That’s what extremism is – at the same time in a a defense mechanism against different location.

the

“For the folks difficulties of being vulnerable.” holding these (white supremacist) rallies, confrontation is like oxygen, especially when it turns violent,” he says. “It’s exactly what they’re looking for if they can spin it so they are the victims.”

In the face of such zealotry, Simi’s research continues to evolve. Since Charlottesville he and his team have started doing more interviews with subjects in their late teens and early 20s, because there’s a sense that people in these age groups are becoming more vulnerable to recruitment. “With the proliferation of social media platforms and some of the changes politically, do we have a different background profile for those getting involved? That’s one of the questions that has yet to be answered,” Simi says. One thing Simi is sure of: White supremacists see a green light for sharing their message in this time of political fanaticism. And those seeking converts are getting more sophisticated in their approach. “Just look at the term ‘alt-right’ and how it’s been promoted by Richard Spencer, a white supremacist by any definition of the term,” Simi says. “The term has been promoted so heavily so it could have a more insidious, veiled influence on people.” Simi was on hand to observe Unite the Right 2 on Aug. 12 outside the White House, where counter-protesters far outnumbered white supremacists. Spencer, who led torch carriers through the University of Virginia campus in 2017, didn’t attend this year’s “white civil rights” rally. “A number of leading figures such as Spencer and Andrew Anglin advised folks to stay away, arguing that once was enough and the time is not right for rallies,” Simi says. “Their message is: Go back to infiltrating the system and working to move the mainstream further to the extremes by using social media, etc. Also, why attend one of these events when so much of what is coming out of the White House is consistent with your worldview? Dehumanizing language like ‘animals,’ ‘infestation’ and most recently referring to an African-American woman as a ‘dog.’ No need for rallies when you have the most powerful voice in the world speaking your language.”

Simi says that extremist groups see a green light for sharing their message in this time of political fanaticism.

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IN MEMORIAM

‘YOU MUST GO TO PILGRIMAGE’ BY STEPHANIE TAKARAGAWA

A professor finds the courage to go beyond her own expectations thanks to an alumna’s inspiration. I knew who Toshi Ito ’46 was because I had read her memoirs, but we didn’t meet until the 2011 event at which Chapman University launched its Asian Studies minor. When we first spoke, Toshi asked me whether my family had been interned. I told her that both my maternal and paternal grandparents were incarcerated at Heart Mountain in Wyoming, where I knew her family had also been sent. She asked if I had ever been there, and I remember hesitating with mild trepidation before I said no. No one from my family had wanted to return to Heart Mountain, one of 10 camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were incarcerated during World War II. I wasn’t sure I had the nerve to go to the camp on my own. Toshi looked at me with kindness, but she said firmly, “You must go to pilgrimage.” For the first time in my life, I realized that I really did. I had been many times to Manzanar, the California internment camp. Toshi helped me realize I was using that site as an excuse for avoidance. Manzanar was more convenient than Heart Mountain, but it lacked family history. For me, there was something very problematic about that history. I was a bit afraid of it. When I was little, my grandparents cleaned out their garage, and they showed me baby pictures of my dad when they were at Heart Mountain. But they didn’t talk about it – no one in my family talked about it. One of the few things I knew is that my paternal and maternal grandparents were neighbors in the camp. In fact, after my dad was born, the first people to

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Associate Professor Stephanie Takaragawa – front row, third from left – joins other faculty members and friends celebrating the 90th birthday of Toshi Ito ’46 in 2015.

bring a gift were my mom’s parents. I think they gave them something like three bananas. Such a small gift, but one that meant a lot. Thanks to Toshi, in 2013 I did attend the annual Heart Mountain pilgrimage. I remember seeing Toshi there and speaking with her. She looked at me and said, “It’s important that you came here.” And she was right. The experience of touring the camp site was fragmented. Most of it is a working farm, so the site is nothing like the camp where my family members were held. However, a few places are preserved; there’s a museum and exhibition space, with a collection of photographs. When I saw one of the photos, I said, “That’s my mom’s aunt!” It was very powerful, and in some ways unnerving. Throughout my visit to Heart Mountain, Toshi was there to help. She introduced me to people, and every one of them became a friend. I felt safe and supported. A few years later, I received an email from a woman named Patti Hirahara, whose father and grandfather took more than 2,000 photos at Heart Mountain during the internment. Patti had three photos of a young boy with the name Takaragawa. She contacted me because an Internet search had turned up my name. The photos were of my father. Patti brought me the photographs, and during our meeting I also learned that a recent documentary, “The Legacy of Heart Mountain,” chronicled Patti’s story as well as those of others, including Toshi.

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We thought it would be great to do a screening at Chapman and invite Toshi to speak to the campus community about her camp experience and about her time at Chapman, where she finished her B.A. in sociology after being released from the camp. Toshi joined filmmakers Jeff McIntyre and David Ono in speaking at the event, which was held soon after Toshi’s 90th birthday. We had a cake, and we presented her with a presidential proclamation. Toshi was vibrant and funny as she contributed heartfelt remembrances to the discussion. After the event, Toshi continued to stay in touch and even accompanied winners of the annual Rodgers Center Holocaust Art and Writing Contest to the Japanese American National Museum, where she shared her experiences with students from around the world. Last year, when plans were made for a campus mural celebrating “Visions of Chapman” (story on page 16), it was an easy decision to include Toshi in the mural. She will always be part of our community, and it is so fitting that she is now memorialized on campus. Toshi helped me embrace parts of my own family history – parts with which I otherwise had not been able to come to terms. She made me braver than I thought I could be. She will be greatly missed. Stephanie Takaragawa, Ph.D., is an associate professor of sociology and associate dean of Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Chapman University.

’46

TOSHI ITO

Takaragawa’s grandparents, above, and other relatives are shown in World War IIera photos taken during their internment at Heart Mountain, one of 10 camps where Japanese American citizens and resident aliens were incarcerated.

Toshiko Nagamori “Toshi” Ito ‘46, who worked to preserve the experiences of Japanese Americans sent by the U.S. government to a Wyoming internment camp known as Heart Mountain during World War II, passed away July 14. She was 93. Born in Los Angeles, Ito did not allow her internment to derail her education. Though her family was forced to leave their home in the months after Pearl Harbor, Ito graduated from John Marshall High School in Los Angeles on time in 1942. Her high school principal personally delivered the diploma she earned to the camp at Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia where the family was initially sent. Once at Heart Mountain, Ito applied to National College in Kansas City, Mo., after seeing a notice that students would be allowed to leave the camp if accepted by a college in the Midwest or East that had housing available. Ito met her future husband, Jim Ito, when he processed the paperwork allowing her to leave the camp. When the war ended, she completed the final courses she needed at the former Chapman campus in Los Angeles, earning her degree in 1946. After raising a family and teaching kindergarten for nearly three decades, Ito published a book about her life in 2009. “Memoirs of Toshi Ito: USA Concentration Camp Inmate, War Bride, Mother of Chrisie and Judge Lance Ito,” is available in the Leatherby Libraries. In 2015, she spoke on a panel at Chapman after a screening of the Emmy Award-winning documentary “The Legacy of Heart Mountain,” and later she became involved with the University’s Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education. Ito spoke to winners of the Holocaust Art and Writing Contest and their teachers on study trips to the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, including a final trip last summer. “It was unforgettable – as was Toshi herself,” said Marilyn Harran, Ph.D., director of the Rodgers Center. “Toshi Ito was physically diminutive but a giant in spirit.” Ito is survived by her daughter, Chrislyn Kodama, and son, retired Judge Lance Ito, in addition to grandchildren Kevin Kodama and Sherri Densmore and great-grandchildren Amaiya Kodama and Cora Densmore. Donations may be made to the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, 1539 Road 19, Powell, Wyo. 82435.

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IN MEMORIAM physical education before becoming the Panthers’ basketball coach for seven years, beginning in 1967. Weatherill remained on the faculty as an assistant and associate professor until 1993, holding leadership roles in the Department of Health and Physical Education as well as the Department of Cooperative Education. He also served for a time as interim director of athletics, and was awarded the title of associate professor emeritus on his retirement. Weatherill’s involvement with the University was far from over, however. He took on a host of projects, including collecting various teams’ pictures dating to the 1920s and framing them for display in Hutton Sports Center, as well as compiling a book of athletes’ names and game results that Chapman still uses as a reference.

’51 DAVE WEATHERILL (M.A. ’66)

member of the Chapman University Athletics Hall of Fame in recognition of his many contributions as an athlete, coach, faculty member and administrator, Dave Weatherill ’51 (M.A. ’66) passed away June 7. He was 90.

Pressley. The couple’s blended family includes 17 grandchildren – Chapman alumni Lauren Kamp ’08 and Kevin Kamp ’14 among them – and 14 great-grandchildren. Among the many family and friends who attended Weatherill’s memorial service in June were men who had played for him at Bonita High more than a half-century ago, some of whom also had joined him for his 90th birthday celebration. The program for the service included excerpts from an interview conducted by his grandson Ryan, drawing on Weatherill’s life wisdom: “It is important to work hard, have a ready smile and a good sense of humor – those help in dealing with people,” Weatherill said. Memorial donations may be made to Chapman’s Disciples on Campus scholarships through the University’s Office of Church Relations.

In 2011, Weatherill was featured along with his wife, Beverly, a 1950 graduate, among the 150 Faces of Chapman University selected in commemoration of the school’s 150th anniversary. In addition to Bev, Weatherill is survived by three children from his marriage to his first wife, Greta, who died in 1989: Linda Lee Low ’74, Teri Lynn Califf ’81 and Ronald “Scott” Weatherill ’81. He also is survived by Bev’s four children: Christopher Wayne Kamp, Mark W. Kamp, Lisa N. Newmeyer and Andrea R.

“David Weatherill was ‘Mr. Chapman,’ ” said Doug Aiken, associate director of athletics. “He was regarded as the patriarch of Chapman athletics and our Hall of Fame. He was actively involved and one of our most dedicated supporters. He will be greatly missed.” A three-sport star in basketball, baseball and track and field for Chapman in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when the campus was in Los Angeles, Weatherill earned most valuable player awards in all three sports his senior year. He also set what was then a school record in the 440-yard dash, or quarter-mile. After coaching basketball at Bonita High School 1956-66, Weatherill followed Chapman to Orange. He earned a master’s degree in

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Athletics Hall of Famer Dave Weatherill ’51 (M.A. ’66), left, played three sports at Chapman, where he also coached basketball for seven years, beginning in 1967. In addition, Weatherill was a faculty member, administrator and booster during a lifetime of support that earned him the nickname “Mr. Chapman.” (Photo courtesy of the Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives)

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PACKED WITH CARE BY CATIE KOVELMAN ’19

After struggling through her own postpartum experience, Kate Westervelt ’09 launches MOMBOX to provide comfort during recovery. In March 2016, new mom Kate Westervelt ’09 found herself trudging through Target with ice packs in her underwear, less than 72 hours after giving birth to her son. At home she had assembled the perfect nursery, and before delivery she had packed all she would need for her hospital stay. But she hadn’t thought to prepare for her postpartum self-care. “When I was pregnant, no one really talked about the nitty-gritty of postpartum recovery,” Westervelt said. “It wasn’t until after I gave birth to my son and the nurses were coming in with recovery instructions that I realized I wasn’t prepared for my own recovery. No one had told me about postpartum needs.” After her painful store run for recoverycare items, and her disappointment with the products she took home, Westervelt knew there had to be a better way. It didn’t take long for her market research to confirm a need for someone to curate, package and deliver postpartum care products. She accepted the challenge. After working her day job and spending the evening with her son and husband, Westervelt often worked until 2 a.m. searching online for the best products, focusing on safe, organic ingredients and products made by women for women. She spent the next year and a half developing a new startup company to fill the gap in the marketplace. The result is MOMBOX (mom-box.com), an e-commerce firm that markets kits of care products – from organic cotton overnight pads to herbal soaks and reusable cold compresses – designed to give new moms some comfort.

“In my research, I found that a lot of equipment for postpartum is designed and produced by men, and they missed the mark,” Westervelt said. “My focus was on moms working for moms.” Westervelt even tested the products herself. “For a whole year, I just wore maternity-sized pads, testing for size, fit and absorbency,” she said. Westervelt’s intensive research paid off. The company is thriving, allowing her to quit her job as director of content at Purple Carrot, a meal-delivery service, to run MOMBOX full time. Using skills Westervelt first honed as a student of public relations and advertising at Chapman, MOMBOX gained national coverage in outlets like Real Simple, Glam, What to Expect and Yahoo. Sales spiked. “We almost ran out of inventory,” Westervelt said. “We had to pivot our marketing strategy quickly. It was a good problem to have.”

“No one had told me about postpartum needs,” says Kate Westervelt ’09, whose own experiences inspired her to create MOMBOX, an e-commerce company that markets kits of care products for new moms.

“My focus was on moms working for moms.”

Westervelt’s plans for the future include adding more care-product options, such as a kit for moms who are breastfeeding. She hopes that MOMBOX can help start a dialogue about the postpartum healing process and how best to meet mothers’ needs. “We want to send new moms into motherhood healthier, stronger and with a better sense of community to support them,” she said.

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UP FRONT In Laura Glynn’s lab, the effects of pregnancy and parenthood get special scrutiny, driving hopes for advances in preventive care.

Scientist Laura Glynn has long been interested in the perinatal period and its implications for both mothers and children. Her work could someday help physicians flag conditions that contribute to preterm birth and postpartum depression in women and cognitive delays and mental health problems in children. Glynn’s research contributes to a growing body of literature showing that what happens during pregnancy is increasingly understood to have lifelong impact on the baby’s brain structure, as well as the mother’s. But the Chapman University professor of psychology can’t help but smile when she gets the “mommy brain” question. The routine realities of pregnancy and maternal brain development capture her attention, too. So, naturally, people ask about so-called mommy brain, that bit of mental fuzziness surrounding childbirth that leads to lost car keys or forgotten appointments. “It’s hard to acknowledge that not every aspect of motherhood is positive,” Glynn says. Don’t fret, though. “Mommy brain” typically is mild and does not impair significant decision-making. And Glynn, Ph.D., understands the interest. She, too, is curious to understand how this phase of female life noodles with a woman’s brain, cognition and behavior. “This is part of what spurred my work – women saying, ‘I’m different after pregnancy,’ ” Glynn says. “For me as a researcher, that is near and dear to my heart. It is an underappreciated fact that pregnancy represents a period of neurological growth for a mom and that this is a sensitive period of development in a woman’s lifespan. To understand things like postpartum depression, or how a woman becomes a sensitive, caring mother, we really need to understand this reproduction transition that’s largely been ignored by scientists.” Glynn is helping to close up that knowledge gap. She leads Chapman’s Early Human and Lifespan Development Research Program, which makes its home in a historic schoolhouse refurbished by Chapman to house Glynn’s lab.

THE MIND OF A MOM STORY BY DAWN BONKER PHOTOS BY CHALLENGE RODDIE

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For nearly 20 years, Glynn has been involved in a longitudinal study funded by a number of different agencies, including the National Institute of Child and Human Development and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The project is currently supported by the National Institute of Mental Health’s Silvio O. Conte Centers through a $10 million award. The Conte Centers are hubs of neuroscience research established at several universities. The goal of this long-term study is to understand how prenatal and early life experience influences lifespan mental health trajectories. Along with making home visits to mothers and children, research staff and undergraduate research assistants interview, videotape and observe the same participants for years, gathering information on physical and emotional development as well as family life and economic circumstances. The oldest in this cohort of children are turning 18, so researchers have shifted their informationgathering to include behaviors and pathologies of young adulthood. Such information may help Glynn discover links between early-childhood exposures and adult health conditions, ranging from obesity to depression. In collaboration with grant partners at University of California campuses in Irvine and Los Angeles, Glynn has reported on a variety of study findings through the years. In one study, she and other researchers identified patterns affecting

African-American women who suffered multiple racist experiences in childhood. Rates of premature birth and maternal high blood pressure increased, as did those of lowbirth-weight infants. Glynn hopes more research like this can help clinicians create better intervention strategies and treatment plans that would improve health outcomes for mothers and their children. “It’s hard to lift kids out of poverty. But maybe you can buffer the impacts,” she says. Another study revealed that high levels of a hormone released by the placenta could predict a woman’s risk for postpartum depression. Glynn found that elevations in placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH) are associated with the development of postpartum depression. More work is needed to understand what’s happening with pCRH, which may initiate a mother’s alertness to her infant’s needs, she says. “Mom has her baby, and she’s anxious about it. That’s normal. I think what may be going on is that for some women that change in anxiety is very extreme. It may move out of that functional range and into a pathological range,” she says. Postpartum depression has long been categorized as a major depressive disorder. But these findings that connect it to the placental hormone suggest it may be time for clinicians and scientists to rethink that diagnostic categorization and devise treatments unique to postpartum conditions, says Glynn, who reported the findings in the journal “Depression and Anxiety.” Glynn’s research also extends to the typical influences of pregnancy on maternal brain development. Pregnancy exposes women to more hormones than at any other time in their lives. On a graph that Glynn shares when she talks about lifelong estrogen exposures, the exposures during adolescence and menstrual cycles barely register on the scale, compared with those of pregnancy. “Underappreciated is the sheer magnitude of these changes,” she says. This type of exposure certainly fosters a unique brand of neuroplasticity, the process by which the brain changes and adapts throughout life, she says. In rodent studies, evidence suggests that childbirth and mothering make for better foraging skills and offer protection against cognitive aging. In short, Glynn says, “Mom rats age more successfully than their (non-mom) counterparts.” Back in the human world, one of Glynn’s studies found that mothers were better at accurately recognizing anger, fear and disgust. It’s fun to relate such findings to those clichés that liken new moms to mother bears, or to recall mothers who really did seem to have eyes in the backs of their heads. But for Glynn the real joy is looking for the clues that will lead to a new understanding of how biology, psychology and environment influence the maternal brain. Science still has a ways to go on that front. “There is still so much we don’t know,” she says. But on one count, she is confident. “Mothers,” she says, “are made, not born.”

“To understand things like postpartum depression, or how a woman becomes a sensitive, caring mother, we really need to understand this reproduction transition that’s largely been ignored by scientists.” - Laura Glynn

Research assistant Gage Peterson ‘17, left, and research scientist Mariann Howland review data in one of the labs led by Professor Laura Glynn.

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CHAPMAN NOW

Drama from the Front Lines By Dawn Bonker Unchanged, though, is the power of the “If All the Sky Were Paper” stories by those who have served at the front lines of American history.

Veterans Day performance taps the power of “If All the Sky Were Paper.”

he mark of a compelling story is that it’s told over and over, sometimes even to the same listeners, who often hear something new in each retelling. So it is with “If All the Sky Were Paper,” the play by Chapman University Presidential Scholar Andrew Carroll that features readings of letters written by service members in American conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the U.S. war in Afghanistan. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts and Cal Humanities, the play toured the nation for two years. On Nov. 10, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Veterans Day, the play returned to campus for a special performance co-presented by the College of Performing Arts and Musco Center for the Arts. The Musco Center performance, featuring Ed Asner and Annette Bening, attracted the play’s largest audience to date.

“It’s not political in any way. It’s not overly patriotic or anti-war. It’s very simply people’s stories. They’re very moving. It highlights how human beings can really shine and, conversely, how war can really bring out the worst in people,” says John Benitz, associate professor and chair of the Department of Theatre at Chapman, who has directed the play several times. “They never fail to move me.” The play is based on Carroll’s bestselling books “War Letters” and “Behind the Lines.” The letters range from those written by wistful farm-boysturned-soldiers to those of Civil War wives longing for loved ones to return. Like the play, the collection of letters continues to evolve. More than 90,000 letters are now part of Chapman’s Center for American War Letters, directed by Carroll and studied by Chapman students as well as scholars from around the world.

Attendees truly heard something new, too. In addition to redesigned multimedia elements, the production featured original music by composer Peter Boyer, whose “Ellis Island: The Dream of America” enhances PBS’ “Great Performances” series.

Cast members, including Annette Bening, Ed Asner and six Chapman students, perform “If All the Sky Were Paper” in Musco Center for the Arts. (Musco Center photo by Doug Gifford)

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Actor Ed Asner reads a letter during the Veterans Day performance.

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Student actors, from left, Zoe Wilber ‘21, Regina Bryant ‘20, Martha Shaw ‘21 and Jack Lewis get a look at original war letters shared by Andrew Carroll, founding director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman. (Musco Center photo by Doug Gifford)

The Satellite Experience By Dennis Arp Mounting an exhibition of their works during the high-profile Miami Art Week gives Chapman students a taste of professional success.

eople mean well. But for student artists, it can grow wearisome when yet another person asks how they plan to practically apply their fine-arts education. “Not only are you fighting against the competitiveness of the experience, but you’re fighting against the feeling of, ‘Oh, you’re an art major? How are you going to provide for yourself?’ ” says Dane Nakama ’21, a studio art major at Chapman University. So Nakama and his student colleagues are thrilled that they can respond with confidence. Thanks to an immersive experience that culminated in December, they’ve now seen

how their art weaves into wider worlds of expression and commerce. They mounted their own exhibition in the prestigious Satellite show during Miami Art Week, the largest contemporary art event in North America. “This is THE event to be at for anyone who is anyone in the art world – curators, artists, dealers, arts writers, collectors,” said Micol Hebron, a Chapman associate professor of art who mentors the students and accompanied them to Miami. “The exhibitions during Art Week are typically for established professionals, and it is virtually unheard of for undergraduates to exhibit in these fairs.” The value of the opportunity wasn’t lost on the Chapman students. “Imagine that you’re a college student and you get to show your designs during Fashion Week in New York,” Nakama said. “It’s amazing to not only show our work and get a crazy amount of exposure, but to also represent a youngperson’s perspective of art. It’s something I didn’t foresee happening until I was in my mid-career.” “Being artists who are at the preliminary stages of our careers, we consider ourselves to be mere ‘drafts’ of what we are going to become,” the students said in the statement for their show, titled “Clickbait: A Draft of the Post Contemporary.” “The works address topics prevalent in youth culture such as social media, memes and political issues through a vocabulary steeped in art history.” The idea began last December, when Chapman student Alyssa Forsyth ’20, a double major in studio art and business administration, attended Art Week as part of an independent study program. She and Hebron passed a booth displaying the work of a student, and Hebron said, “We could do that.”

Alyssa Forsyth ’19 and Dane Nakama ’21 led the effort that earned Chapman art students a prized exhibition in the Satellite show during Miami Art Week. “I said, ‘Yeah, we could,’ ” Forsyth recalled. “At the time, Dane wanted to restart the Chapman Art Club, so it seemed like a natural.” Forsyth and Nakama quickly began collaborating, writing proposals and applications, raising funds and recruiting allies. “What galleries and their staff do throughout the year, we’ve all been doing between classes,” Forsyth said. “It’s been amazing to work with other students in a professional setting.” For Nakama, childhood dreams now seem more real than ever. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be an artist,” he said. “To be able to say that I’m showing at an international art event and that I helped curate a show is something I didn’t always think would be possible. It’s a good thing to go to sleep at night with that in the back of my mind.”

Miami Art Week Chapman students exhibiting work and/or attending Miami Art Week: Anya Cappon ’20, Sophie Chace ’20, Alondra Costilla ’20, Tram Dang ’20, Alyssa Forsyth ’19, Jesse Hallen ’20, Ronnie Millison ’21, Dane Nakama ’21, Kayla Quinlan ’19, Sheridan Scifres ’20, Cameron Shaffer ’19, Sophie Ungless ’20.

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5 QUESTIONS

THE HEART OF HAPPINESS BY DAWN BONKER

Julia Boehm explores the link between optimism and cardiovascular health. How did you get interested in studying happiness? It goes back to when I was working on my senior thesis in college, which was about rumination – when people think repetitively about negative events in their lives and they can’t get out of it. In my thesis research, I came across the field of positive psychology. Its focus is on people’s strengths or the things that people are doing right in their lives. After graduate school, I was able to expand my interests to the relationship between happiness and health as a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard School of Public Health. My research suggests that happy, optimistic people tend to have reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. What do we know about that? A growing body of evidence suggests that happier people are healthier, but we don’t have a firm understanding of why. Two of the most widely proposed explanations are that happiness impacts health through health behaviors or some direct effect on physiology. However, the research to support such explanations is still in the beginning stages. For example, we don’t know whether happiness and related constructs such as optimism promote healthy behaviors, or whether engaging in healthy behaviors fosters happiness. It is the old chicken-and-egg question. Some of my most recent work is trying to disentangle these questions. What are you learning? We are discovering that happiness often precedes healthier behaviors and healthier physiological profiles. For example, my research has found that as people age, those who are happy tend to eat healthier diets and engage in more physical activity than their less happy peers. Happier people also tend to have healthier levels of highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides.

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What data sets do you use? We try to get data from large, epidemiological cohorts that are longitudinal in nature. In other words, we want to be able to follow many people across years or even decades. With baseline measures of happiness or other psychological strengths, we can predict who develops poor health behaviors or a poor biological profile. Not many datasets fit these criteria, but I’ve done a lot of work with the Whitehall II Cohort and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing from the U.K. From the U.S., I’ve used the Midlife in the United States Study. Most recently, I received a grant to work with the 1958 National Child Development Study from the U.K. It follows more than 10,000 children born in 1958 through midlife. That data measures psychological characteristics in early childhood. Our patterns of thinking and behavior are pretty well ingrained by the time we are adults. Yet children who are still developing have the potential to improve their psychological health. If we know that 10-year-old David tends to get a little sad or think pessimistically, interventions could be developed to foster his happiness and optimism, with the potential to improve cardiovascular health down the road. How much of our happiness is within our control? There’s debate about this in the literature. Some people estimate as much as 50 percent is genetically determined, with life circumstances making up another 10 percent. This leaves a substantial part of happiness that is under a person’s control. So there is room for targeted interventions. They’re not easy, though. It’s something that people have to exert effort to do. It’s kind of like losing weight. Nonetheless, evidence suggests that strategies such as expressing gratitude or doing kind acts for others can boost a person’s sense of happiness.

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Julia Boehm, Ph.D. (Photo by Dawn Bonker)

Happiness might sound like just a feelgood topic for research. But it’s a serious subject with multiple implications for health and longevity. Julia Boehm, Ph.D., assistant professor in Chapman University’s Department of Psychology, is funded by the National Institutes of Health to examine how happiness and optimism may impact cardiovascular well-being. We asked Boehm about her research.

CENTERPIECE OF SUPPORT BY DAWN BONKER

Town & Gown’s 50-year commitment has never been stronger, driven by members who contribute in a profusion of ways. Some organizations turn 50, rest on their golden laurels and just celebrate with applause and nostalgia. Not so Town & Gown at Chapman University. To mark its 50th anniversary, the support group challenged its members to raise $100,000 for the Town & Gown endowment, which supports Chapman through student scholarships, community engagement and campus enhancements. Then, in true T&G fashion, members outdid themselves, ultimately raising $590,000. “It speaks to the fact that our members are extremely committed to providing support to the Chapman students, and they were very generous,” says Nancy Fleeman ’86, the group’s president. That vital brand of generosity has been the organization’s driving force since its founding. Over the years, T&G has typically awarded three to four scholarships each year, a number that will now increase, thanks to the newly enhanced endowment, Fleeman says.

“We’re just happy to help,” Elliott says. That’s the quintessential T&G spirit. In addition, the group’s gifts support a variety of other projects and programs on campus, including the Fish Interfaith Center, the Town & Gown Reading Alcove in Leatherby Libraries, the “Milestones on the Road to Freedom” wall at Fowler School of Law, the gardens at Elliott Alumni House and the Gentle Spring Fountain in Escalette Plaza. Connecting the community to University life is also part of the group’s mission. Five times a year, members host a Lunch at the Forum

luncheon and lecture, which features Chapman faculty discussing timely and important topics and research. For many community members, the luncheons serve as an introduction to the University in general, along with its numerous other cultural and scholarly events that are open to the public.

Like so many Town & Gown members, Pat Elliott ‘60 (M.A. ‘74), left, and Marcia Cooley contribute to the success of the support group in many ways, including by creating floral centerpieces for the Lunch at the Forum events.

Brief remarks by scholarship recipients are also a luncheon highlight. “Often they’re the first member of their families to go to college; they come from single-parent families or have multiple siblings,” Fleeman says. “They’re grateful for all the help they can get. They often say, ‘This means I don’t have to take in another roommate, or take a second job or worry about how I’m going to get my books.’ ” Even the floral centerpieces at the luncheons contribute to the group’s mission. For many years, T&G members have personally created the centerpieces, and a lucky raffle winner at each table gets to take one home.

Joining in a celebratory moment for Town & Gown’s 50th anniversary are officers and directors, from left, Eric Scandrett, Marcia Cooley, Nancy Fleeman ’86 and Paula McCance.

Today, members Marcia Cooley and Pat Elliott ‘60 (M.A. ‘74) manage the flower tradition. The day before each Lunch at the Forum, they and Tom Elliott ’60 drive in the pre-dawn darkness to the Los Angeles Flower Market to purchase fresh flowers. Then they spend the afternoon creating the centerpieces before delivering them the next morning. “We’re just happy to help,” Elliott says. That’s the quintessential T&G spirit. “I am very proud of this group,” Fleeman says. “Our members are a lot of selfless people.”

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LET’S TALK ABOUT CANCER BY DAWN BONKER

A rich mix of data, personal insights and poetry helps caregivers navigate critical conversations. Cancer begins heaven knows when. But for most people it announces itself with a jolt of a diagnosis, followed by various treatments, sidelined plans, lousy side effects, medical bills, leaves of absence, recovery and hope for remission. It’s a lot for patients, family members and health practitioners to discuss, whichever direction the wild ride takes. And there’s no single good way to start that conversation, say two Chapman University professors. So they’ve written a guide, weaving evidence-based research on health communication with stories and poetry from writers who’ve sat through their own uncomfortable moments in doctors’ offices. The result is “Conversing with Cancer: How to Ask Questions, Find and Share Information, and Make the Best Decisions” by Lisa Sparks, Ph.D., professor and dean of the Chapman School of Communication, and Anna Leahy, Ph.D., professor and director of the MFA in Creative Writing program. Their 12 themed chapters address a range of communication issues, from Internet overload to the demands of ongoing caregiving. A poem opens each chapter. “I really hope it gets in the hands of patients and families who need it and that it gets beyond the classroom,” Sparks says.

culture and cancer care, she describes study findings indicating that less-educated patients were not accessing online cancer information. Her work in this area reaches back to 2002, when she was awarded a fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, making her the first Cancer Communication Fellow within the National Institutes of Health. Just a few years prior, her father had died of lung cancer. “So I knew that at some point I was going to move to the cancer context when I was emotionally ready,” she says. Likewise, Leahy brought personal experiences to the book, published as part of the Language as Social Action series from Peter Lang. Both her parents died of cancer, and her father’s initial diagnosis hit when she was a teenager. And the use of verse? “Poetry is an area of language that we turn to when we struggle to communicate what we’re thinking or feeling,” Leahy says. “And a cancer diagnosis, or going through treatment, that’s an experience for which we don’t have adequate language. So I think poetry is a natural place for us to turn when we’re figuring out how to communicate about cancer.”

Sparks’ considerable research and published writing on cancer communication inform several chapters. For example, in a section on

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Conversing with Cancer: How to Ask Questions, Find and Share Information, and Make the Best Decisions (Peter Lang)

Lisa Sparks, Ph.D., professor and dean of the School of Communication, Chapman University Anna Leahy, Ph.D., professor and director of the MFA in Creative Writing program, Chapman University

Rulers, Religion, and Riches: Why the West Got Rich and the Middle East Did Not (Cambridge Studies in Economics, Choice, and Society) (Cambridge University Press)

Jared Rubin, Ph.D., associate professor, co-director, Institute for the Study of Religion, Economics and Society For centuries following the spread of Islam, the Middle East was far ahead of Europe. Yet, the modern economy was born in Europe. Why was it not born in the Middle East? Rubin examines the role Islam played in this reversal of fortunes.

Women, Power, and Politics (Oxford University Press)

Lori Cox Han, Ph.D., professor of political science, with Caroline Heldman, Ph.D. In this updated edition, Han explores women’s continuing efforts to gain prominence in American politics and the gender-related issues that shape political power within society.

Civil Protections and Remedies for Service Members (Thomson Reuters)

Kyndra K. Rotunda, JD, professor, executive director, Military and Veterans Law Institute Rotunda discusses a range of topics, including the Federal Torts Claims Act, The Feres Bar, the Service Member Civil Relief Act, Military Disability Boards and Discharge Review Boards. Included is a "Military 101" chapter for civilian lawyers and law students.

BOOKSTORE Withdrawal: Reassessing America's Final Years in Vietnam (Oxford University Press)

Gregory A. Daddis, Ph.D., associate professor of history, director of M.A. in War and Society This book reinterprets American strategy in the final years of the Vietnam War, with particular attention on the “better war” narrative and the command of Creighton Abrams, who was later compared to David Petraeus during the surge in Iraq.

Assessing the War on Terror: Western and Middle Eastern Perspectives

Becoming a Great Inclusive Educator

(Routledge)

Edited by Scot Danforth, Ph.D., professor of education, assistant dean of research

(Peter Lang)

Charles Webel, Ph.D., professor of peace studies, with Mark Tomass, Ph.D. The authors argue that the War on Terror is both ineffective and inhumane, and that there are better, more ethical ways to deal with political violence.

This second edition provides guidance and resources to educators seeking new ways to improve inclusive teaching practices in their classrooms and schools.

The Science of Screenwriting – The Neuroscience Behind Storytelling Strategies

Beauty in the City: The Ashcan School

(Bloomsbury)

Robert A. Slayton, Ph.D., professor of history

(Excelsior Editions)

Paul Joseph Gulino, associate professor of film; Connie Shears, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology

This work presents a new interpretation of the Ashcan School of Art, arguing that these artists made the workingclass city at the turn of the century a subject for beautiful art.

Gulino, author of the bestselling “Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach,” and Shears, a noted cognitive psychologist, build an understanding of the human perceptual and cognitive processes.

From Kleptocracy to Democracy: How Citizens Can Take Back Local Governments

Wilfred Bion, Thinking and Emotional Experience with Moving Images

Reimagining the Mathematics Classroom

(Cognella Academic Publishing)

(Routledge)

of Mathematics)

Fred Smoller, Ph.D., associate professor of political science

Kelli Fuery, Ph.D., professor of film studies

Cathery Yeh, Ph.D., professor of education

Smoller provides a critical examination of the political corruption that looted the city of Bell, Calif., between 1993 and 2010. Residents of the poor, immigrant community are still struggling to repay the city’s exorbitant debt.

Fuery offers an engaging overview of Bion’s most significant contribution to psychoanalysis – his theory of thinking – and demonstrates its relevance for understanding why we watch moving images.

(National Council of Teachers

Yeh discusses current research on the essential elements of mathematics teaching and learning, while delivering proven techniques and real classroom examples.

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SECTION

CHAPMAN NOW

LYON TO LEAD FOWLER SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING BY DAWN BONKER

The dean who guided Chapman University’s science programs into a period of record growth has been selected to head up the University’s new Fowler School of Engineering, slated to open in fall 2020. Andrew Lyon, Ph.D., previously dean of the Schmid College of Science and Technology, officially transitioned into the new role in January. As Schmid’s dean since 2014, Lyon was instrumental in elevating the college’s stature, said Chapman Provost Glenn Pfeiffer, Ph.D. “Andrew has led the Schmid faculty during an unprecedented period of growth and significantly raised the profile of the college,” Pfeiffer says. “Along with VP of Research Tom Piechota, he has been an important contributor to the planning process for future engineering programs.” Lyon, a physical chemist by training and independent researcher in the field of bioengineering, says he expects engineering to play a multifaceted role in solving the world’s

biggest problems. Whether it’s designing food supply chains or harnessing data, engineers will be at the forefront of it all, Lyon says. “We have massive global challenges to address,” he says. “For example, how do you engineer methods to distribute assistance to areas stricken by natural disaster? There are engineering components to that, but there are socioeconomic and political aspects, too. Nobody’s working in a vacuum.”

Andrew Lyon, Ph.D. The Fowler School’s first two undergraduate programs will be computer engineering and electrical engineering. A master’s degree program in computer science will open in 2022. All will be housed in the newly opened Keck Center for Science and Engineering.

Throughout his career, which included several years at Georgia Institute of Technology, Lyon says he has gravitated toward “the interface of physics and chemistry.” As an independent researcher, he has been involved in developing bioengineering tools and helped bring products to market.

The school’s computer science focus is both practical and logical, Lyon says. It’s already a strong program within Schmid College, and a robust job market awaits graduates in Orange County and elsewhere. But the new dean adds that computer engineering and data analytics are fundamental to problem-solving.

“I’ve always worked on research projects that had really pragmatic, practical applications. … It’s important to me to see our work go on to real practical or clinical impact,” he says.

“Understanding how to move data, use it and process it is going to drive much of the economy of the future. Data has become a commodity. You need to figure out what the most nuanced and sophisticated ways there are to use that data in order to make intelligent decisions,” he says. Lyon is planning recruiting visits near and far in an effort to build as diverse and inclusive a school as possible. “Science and engineering disciplines need to do a much better job of recognizing that all of these challenges we have to solve can only benefit from as diverse a collection of backgrounds and viewpoints as we can bring together,” he says.

Lyon led the Schmid College of Science and Technology during a time of record growth. Here, he speaks to Schmid students alongside Jason Keller, Ph.D., recently named interim dean of the college.

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

ALUMNI IN THE OUTFIELD BY DENNIS ARP

Nicole Provansal ’07 (MBA ’09) finds her dream job at Angel Stadium, where “Think Chapman First” is second nature to team leaders. She has plenty of company. There are now eight Chapman alumni working in the Angels organization, with three Angel Scholars studying at Chapman thanks to scholarship support from the team and its owner, Arte Moreno.

As a child, Nicole Provansal ’07 (MBA ’09) loved it when her dad would take her out to the ballgame. She grew up in San Diego, so she and her dad were Padres fans, and she would pepper him with questions about baseball terms or game strategy during the ride to the ballpark. “I was the kid always tapping him on the shoulder, ‘Dad, what does ERA mean?’ ” Provansal says. “The stadium became our home away from home. Still one of the best things about working in sports is seeing how excited my dad gets when I talk to him about what I do.” These days, Provansal’s major league connection is to the Angels, and her ride to the stadium is a daily commute. As the director of community partnerships for the Anaheim-based team, she finds ways for the Angels to collaborate with area corporations and nonprofits, raising the profile of all involved.

Angels Chairman Dennis Kuhl is a key driver of the relationship. Kuhl also serves on the Chapman Board of Governors, and for years he has recognized the benefits to both organizations of making the distance from Chapman to the Big A seem even closer than two miles. “I want to let you know that it has been an extreme pleasure working with the University,” Kuhl recently wrote in a letter to Jo Bandy, executive director of career and professional development at Chapman. “The type of alumni coming out of Chapman are the most professional individuals we could ask for.” Provansal was a Chapman undergrad when she first heard Kuhl give a talk during the Argyros School of Business and Economics Distinguished Speaker Series. “I remember thinking, ‘That’s where I want to be, but I don’t know how to make it possible,’ ” she says.

Provansal has a talent for strengthening communities. During her nine years with the Angels, she has helped clear a professional path from Chapman University to Angel Stadium.

After completing her degree in economics, Provansal worked for Chapman in several University Advancement roles as she also earned her MBA. Among other things, she supported a mentorship program between the Argyros School’s MBA program and the local business community.

“I like to think I represent both brands – the Angels and Chapman,” she says.

“I found that I got mentored as much as the mentees,” she says.

PANTHERS WHO WEAR THE HALO • Kelsey Hayes ’15 – manager, stadium operations • Tricia Kami ’03 – graphic designer • Matt Morrell ’10 – athletic trainer • Mandi Ortiz ’16 – entertainment coordinator • Nicole Provansal ’07 (MBA ’09) – director, community partnerships • Brian Sanders ’03 – senior director, ballpark operations • Alex Soto-Espinoza, ’17 – sponsorship intern • Jen Tedmori (JD ’15) – associate legal counsel

ANGEL SCHOLARS • Laura Chavez ’20 • Celine Oezkan ’22 • Samantha Olmos ’22

One day she was talking baseball with one of the mentors, who finally said, “If you love baseball so much, why aren’t you working there?” So she applied to the Angels, and eventually she landed a job in sponsorship sales. As she has advanced in the organization, numerous community-building successes have followed. Among them is Chapman Family Night at Angel Stadium, an event that features group seating for a game, a co-branded hat, tailgating and more. “From the start, we wanted to make it an annual tradition for our Chapman Family,” she says. For Provansal, the familial connections just keep getting stronger. “Every time I’ve sought growth or a new challenge, the Angels have helped me move forward, and Chapman has been the same way,” she says. “I feel like I grew up at Chapman. They gave me an environment in which I could thrive, and now the Angels family does that, too.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

TATTOOED RENEWAL BY DAWN BONKER

Mastering the art of cosmetic restoration, Kimberly Armstrong (M.A. ’98) transforms lives – including her own. The electric tattoo needle humming along the edge of Linda Lee Franklin’s eyes sounds like a bumblebee flying a little too close for comfort. But Franklin isn’t worried. The retired schoolteacher is happy to lie still as Kimberly Armstrong (M.A. ’98) gently inks in feathery arcs of pale brown color along the rims of her eyelids. This is not Franklin’s first visit but a touchup treatment, so she is calm and confident. In the end, those lashes and eyebrows will look natural and frame the smiling eyes of a woman who has spent a lifetime coping with hair loss caused by alopecia. So a little patience with this delicate procedure is just fine. “I was humiliated, upset and saddened when I lost my hair,” Franklin says. “Now to get up in the morning and look in the mirror and see eyebrows and lashes, it’s like a brand new world for me again, and something I haven’t had in years.” Moments and stories like these are not new for Armstrong. Over the past 10 years, the permanent-makeup tattoo artist has expanded her business to serve an increasing number of clients who come to her for artful restorations that also restore confidence and change lives. But whether the task is re-creating areolas and nipples for a breast cancer survivor or camouflaging a dog bite scar for a young woman, Armstrong says she is transformed, too.

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“It’s unbelievable. Every day is filled with new possibilities and opportunities to help people feel normal again. It’s an unbelievable experience,” she says, sitting in her quiet spalike studio in Laguna Hills.

“Every day is filled with new possibilities and opportunities to help people feel normal again.”

She tears up as she tells these stories, then laughs as she brushes away tears. “We’re always laughing and crying in here,” she says. Of course, she never saw such experiences coming when she started her permanentcosmetic business, and certainly not when she graduated from Chapman University with a master’s degree in rhetoric and composition. Yes. Rhetoric and composition. But she’s never shied away from shifting gears when life takes unexpected turns.

Experience as a makeup artist helped lead Kimberly Armstrong (M.A. ’98) to restorative tattooing income. Soon after her son was born, though, she decided to give up the demanding pace of travel and work. A friend suggested she capitalize on her earlier experience as a makeup artist for Lancôme and Clinique and learn permanent-makeup tattooing. “I didn’t even know the field existed,” she recalls. “But I took the hugest leap of faith and jumped in.” She brought gusto to the new career. She studied at International Institute for Permanent Cosmetics, became certified in micropigmentation and worked in local spas before striking out on her own. Modern Luxury magazine named her Orange County’s best permanent makeup artist. All along, those communication skills learned at Chapman helped her promote and market her business.

“Life is full of surprises and you never, never know where your path will take you. You just have to trust the journey,” she says.

For years, she specialized in permanent eyeliner, lip color, eyebrows and the occasional beauty mark and sprinkling of freckles. Then one day, a client shyly asked for something entirely different.

After earning her master’s degree, Armstrong launched into a successful public relations career that eventually earned her a six-figure

“She said, ‘I had a mastectomy and I have no areolas. Could you create some?’ ” Armstrong recalls.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

That new challenge was a success and opened a door to a new specialty for Armstrong. Now she summons her understanding of color, symmetry and skin tones to create simulated areolas and sometimes even the suggestion of a full nipple when a surgeon is unable to craft that during surgery. For each woman, she takes all sorts of measurements, but perhaps most original is a “fitting” technique she devised to help her create the right-sized areolas for the unique shape of each woman’s breasts. “I have several sizes of these,” she says with a smile, holding up an ordinary round washer from the hardware store. Plastic surgeons and breast surgeons from across the county refer patients to her, which is how Janice, who asked that only her first name be used, found Armstrong. Janice is a speech pathologist who was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly before her 42nd birthday. Natural-looking breasts were important to her. “It just helps you not think about it every time you look in the mirror. It’s back to the normal, the everyday. It helped hide some of the scars. It makes you feel whole again,” she says. “I think it’s a huge part of healing, emotionally and physically.” Soon, other plastic surgeons and physicians began referring patients with various conditions that could be helped with cosmetic tattooing.

Julia Boehm, Ph.D. – Photo by Dawn Bonker

“Every day is filled with new possibilities and opportunities to help people feel normal again,” says Armstrong, with client Linda Lee Franklin. “The stories they tell me. … It’s very emotional,” Armstrong says. Along the way, there have been a few surprising marketing lessons, too. Like the time she was thrown into “Facebook jail” and banned from

“I didn’t even know the field existed,” she recalls. “But I took the hugest leap of faith and jumped in.”

“And I think it’s a law-of-attraction type of thing. People find me,” Armstrong says. With her deft hand and $4,000 tattoo machine, Armstrong has dotted-in permanent eyebrows for people afflicted with obsessive hair-pulling behaviors. She has created feminine brows for transgender people transitioning to a womanly look. She has camouflaged burn scars, dog bites and incisions made during thyroid surgeries. She has even worked on a woman who had such a strong stress reaction to abuse that her hands grew mottled as her pigmentation faded. Sessions often end with tears of relief.

the social media platform for three days because she displayed photos of simulated nipples. Yelp and Instagram are more accommodating. And that degree in rhetoric and composition? It’s still working for her. “I’m a strong believer in college. It’s important to go and finish that degree because clearly it’s going to help you whatever you do,” she says. “It helps you become a better writer, no matter what discipline you’ve chosen.” As Armstrong’s own journey shows, the twists and turns no one can predict end up leading to some of the best destinations of all.

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ALUMNI NEWS

How Did You Get that Job?

THE ‘US’ FACTOR BY AARON SINGH

Earning the trust of collaborative artists, cinematographer Yasu Tanida ’01 becomes a prime-time player. According to Yasu Tanida ’01, the realities of working in the film industry are a lot like those in other lines of work. He has to show up on time, be ready to work long hours and have the skills to troubleshoot a range of problems. But then there’s that moment when a scene plays exactly like he envisioned — sometimes, even better — and he thinks to himself, “That’s the ‘magic of film’ people talk about.” Long before Tanida landed his job as director of photography for the award-winning NBC series “This Is Us,” he was a shy kid who’d never really thought of making films. That is, until he needed to find a major for college. “What got me out of my shell was wanting to learn about filmmaking,” he says. “I was very comfortable being in a class or crew where the objective was making a film — a place where your hard work and creativity are the main ingredients you need. It was exciting to me.” During his senior year of high school, he took a class in which he shot and edited a video diary of all the year’s dances, sports and other events. “I guess that was a small spark in starting my interest in cinematography,” he says. Also during high school, Tanida visited a “Location Filmmaking” class at Chapman University. He was impressed with the handson style of the program in the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where students actually made films themselves. That hooked him. He decided to attend Chapman.

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In Tanida’s first week at Chapman, his cinematography professor screened the documentary film “Visions of Light.” “I remember walking out of class and feeling like grabbing a camera to start shooting a film right there,” he says. Reminiscing on his time at Chapman, Tanida thinks of particular moments – racing to load a 16mm film magazine as others timed his speed, workshopping student films and checking out equipment from the Gold Room to shoot a spontaneous music video. Then came the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Cinematography. That and other awards bolstered his confidence. “I have very fond memories of my life at Chapman. The friends I made there are still some of my closest to this day,” he says. “All my film professors were very kind and patient with me.” A junior-year internship proved to be a turning point. Thanks to a recommendation from his cinematography instructor, he worked on a feature film called “The Green Dragon.” On that project he met crew members who brought him onto subsequent shoots. Eventually Tanida earned cinematography credits on more than 20 films, and he connected with writer-producer Dan Fogelman, whose screen credits include “Tangled,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and “Cars.” Fogelman brought Tanida onto a pilot for a show called “Pitch,” a fictional story about the first female Major League Baseball player. They bonded over their mutual

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

“It’s very humbling and cool to know that 10 to 15 million households are tuning into ‘This Is Us’ every week and watching my work,” says Yasu Tanida ’01, the show’s director of photography. (Photo credits are: top, Milo Ventimiglia and bottom, Ron Batzdorff.) love of baseball. Then Fogelman asked Tanida to look at a second pilot, for “This Is Us.” The cinematographer was blown away. “It’s very humbling and cool to know that 10 to 15 million households are tuning into ‘This Is Us’ every week and watching my work,” he says. “It’s taken me a long time to get to this point, so I think slow and steady can get you pretty far if you stick with it.”

CHANGE AGENT BY ROBYN NORWOOD

Diana Day (JD ’07) leads a fast break with history to earn a position of power in the male-dominated world of pro sports. Photographed on the sidelines with NBA star James Harden, Diana Day (JD ’07) occasionally has been confused by gossip-hungry fans for a girlfriend. That is part of the background of sexist assumptions Day has overcome in a hightrajectory career negotiating contracts for professional athletes: Last year, she became the first woman cited by Forbes as one of the World’s Most Powerful Sports Agents. The savvy Day leveraged her background as a UCLA athlete – she was a member of three NCAA championship water polo teams – along with key connections she made at Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law to launch a career with sports agencies while still a ‘3L.’ A decade later, Forbes estimated she played a role in landing $22.5 million in 2017 commissions. Day originally wanted to become a sports broadcaster, interning at Los Angeles television stations KCBS and KCAL during college. She loved it, but she didn’t relish the idea of starting in a smaller media market. She also was concerned about gender issues. “I didn’t like the stigma that was attached to women,” Day said. “So I decided to go to law school to gain credibility as a female in the sports world.” At the Fowler School of Law, a new avenue emerged. Day did some work for Athletes First, a prominent Orange County sports agency,

and discovered her legal skills and easy affinity with athletes helped her in recruiting clients. Her big break came after Fowler classmate Kenny Schwarz (JD ’05) insisted that Day needed to meet his new brother-in-law: Kenny’s sister Kristin had married Rob Pelinka, now general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers but then a player agent whose clients included Kobe Bryant. Before Day earned her JD, she was working closely with Pelinka, eventually co-founding Landmark Sports Agency with Pelinka and Brandon Rosenthal. “We had a philosophy to really try to find people who were dedicated to excellence and had what I call ‘Swiss Army knife’ skills,” Pelinka said. “Diana, I knew, was a person of integrity who was very intelligent and had a legal mind. She had a good grasp of branding and marketing. So she had skills that I knew would be great in the sports industry.” When Pelinka left for the Lakers, Day and her colleagues became the lead agents for his clients. This spring, she also left Landmark, negotiating an exit to focus on her vision for players’ brands.

Diana Day (JD ‘07) “had skills that I knew would be great in the sports industry,” says former player agent Rob Pelinka, now general manager of the Lakers. Farm, video-game maker Electronic Arts and even a candy, Trolli gummies. By Forbes’ estimate, Harden’s annual marketing income is $20 million. Day sees a shift in the industry, saying that negotiating an athlete’s contract with a team, rich as it might be, is no longer necessarily the most valuable role of an agent. “Today’s professional athlete is so much more than just an athlete — they’re actually a brand,” she said. “And if that brand is massaged and molded and shepherded the right way over the course of a player’s playing career, it’s going to be enough for the rest of their lives. And basketball or football will have just been a period of time in their life, but the rest of their legacy will continue on.”

Maximizing athletes’ endorsement potential is Day’s specialty, and there’s no better example than her work with the Houston Rockets’ Harden, winner of the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player Award. The bearded Harden is the star of ads for companies such as Foot Locker, Adidas, State

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ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES

1970

Dr. Richard Pitts ’70 was named the 2018 Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine Alumnus of the Year. Dr. Pitts is vice president for clinically integrated networks and senior medical director in the St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare system.

1971

“The Dance of Teaching Childbirth Education: Essentials and Insights” by Julie Jensen ’71, Ph.D., was published in March 2018. The book helps childbirth educators and other perinatal practitioners create classes that empower participants. 1

1977

Richard Vevia Jr. ’77 earned a doctor of ministry in biblical preaching from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He currently serves Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in San Diego, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in El Cajon, and the Welcome Church in Wells Park, El Cajon.

1984

Adrienne Brandes ’84 is a real estate agent at Surterre Properties in Newport Beach. For 25 years, she has assisted clients in Orange County, where she has closed some of the region’s most significant deals, including nearly $200 million in sales in the past four years. 4

1986

Leone Patterson ’86 is the interim president and CEO of Adverum Biotechnologies, Inc. Prior, she served as as senior vice president and chief financial officer of the company.

1989

Connor Gallegos ’22, son of Sonya ’89 and Conrad Gallegos ’92, is playing football at Chapman University. Sonya and Conrad’s daughter, Morgan Gallegos ’20, plays right field on Chapman’s softball team and has been selected to the SCIAC All-Academic Team for the past two years. 5

1983

Ann Sweeney (M.S. ’83) was honored by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee with the 2018 Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management. Sweeney is a special assistant to the Director’s Office at the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services. 2

’97 S I N A N K A N A T S I Z

1984

Sinan Kanatsiz ‘97 (M.A. ’00), center, has received a knighthood, conferred by Prince Victor Emmanuel of the Royal House of Savoy. Kanatsiz was honored Sept. 30 in Rome for his philanthropic and humanitarian efforts, which include support for various children’s charities and causes. The American Delegation of Savoy Orders contributes to humanitarian and charitable projects across North America and beyond. Prince Victor Emmanuel of Savoy is the son of the late King Umberto II of Italy. The Savoy Orders are ancient orders of knighthood that date back hundreds of years. Kanatsiz is founder and CEO of the marketing communications firm KCOMM.

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Mark Beran ’84 was named chief marketing officer for Encompass Group, LLC, a leading manufacturer of reusable textiles, professional apparel and disposable medical products. Previously, Beran was the senior vice president for TIDI Products, LLC, in Neehah, Wis. 3

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

1990

David Kaplan ’90, a professor in the physics and astronomy department at Johns Hopkins University, won the 2018 Gemant Award, an annual prize recognizing contributions to the cultural, artistic and humanistic dimension of physics, from the American Institute of Physics. The award recognizes Kaplan’s achievements as the producer of “Particle Fever,” a documentary about the Large Hadron Collider’s first discoveries.

1996

1991

1998

Donald McCaughey ’91 was announced as a partner and business development officer at Gaston Capital, LLC, a private equity firm. McCaughey is responsible for overall business development and will consult with the firm regarding investment approach and strategy. 6

1994 7

Carlos Escoto ’94 is a psychology professor, chair of the Department of Psychological Science, and coordinator for undergraduate research and creative activities at Eastern Connecticut State University. In addition, he was elected to the Council of Undergraduate Research’s Executive Board. 8

Rebecca Hall ’96 is the president and chief executive officer at Costa Mesa-based Idea Hall, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2018. The integrated agency provides public relations, advertising, in-house design, branding and production capabilities and was ranked by the Orange County Business Journal as one of the 10 Best PR Firms in Orange County for the seventh year and one of 2018’s Best Places to Work in in the county. 7 Ted Meyer ’98 is the school site administrator for the Twin Rivers Unified School District in Sacramento.

1997

John Stratman ’97 joined the Orange County United Way Board. He is also the senior director of public affairs and brand communication for Kaiser Permanente. 9

’18 E L I S S A T I T L E Elissa Title, who has taken wildlife photos on all seven continents, recently won a photography competition that attracted more than 10,000 entries from 44 nations. Her photo of a spyhopping minke whale in Antarctic waters earned first place in the wildlife category of the Beautiful Moments Photography and Essay Contest. Title won a $5,000 prize, $1,000 of which she donated to a nonprofit conservation group called Rhinos Without Borders. On the day that yielded the award-winning minke whale shot, she and seven other zodiac passengers were in a bay for less than 10 minutes when the whale popped up, “staring us directly in the eyes,” Title says in her essay. “The water was so clear you could see all the way down to its flukes.” Title was struck by how easily the whale could have capsized the boat. “Instead, this gentle giant was just as curious as we were.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES

2000

Pierre Habis ’00 is founder and president of PurePoint Financial, a hybrid digital bank that opened a new location in Boca Raton, Fla. 10

2002

Beau (Ruiz) Menchaca (M.A. ’02) received the Arthur S. Marmaduke Award from the California Student Aid Commission. He is Century High School’s higher education coordinator and received the award for helping high school students pursue college enrollment. 11

2003

Antoinette Balta ’03 (JD ’06, LL.M. ’11) was selected as a 2018 Presidential Leadership Scholar. She co-founded and is the president of Veterans Legal Institute, a nonprofit that provides free legal aid to current and former service members. She received an inaugural Women of Coast award from Coast Magazine.

2005

Tiffany Christian (MFA ’05) graduated in May 2017 from Washington State University with a Ph.D. in American Studies. She began a full-time, tenuretrack teaching position in the English Department at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Wash.

2005

Faith McQuinn ’05 premiered her short film “Ashes” at the Nashville Film Festival as part of the festival’s inaugural Actor’s Challenge. 12

2005

Dave Vangrov ’05 plays the character Stock Tip Dave on the podcast “The Mike Young Show,” which has featured actors Bobby Costanzo, Kevin Connolly and Bob Saget.

2006

Samantha Meyers ’06 opened Sugared and Iced, a cookies and desserts bakery, in 2017. It serves Orange County charity organizations and local businesses, including Festival of Children, the Adoption Guild, Women of Chapman, Hyundai and Neiman Marcus. Meyers was featured on the nationally televised talk show “Picker and Benn,” on which she won a holiday bake-off judged by Food Network stars. In 2018, she was nominated by the Orange County Business Journal for Women of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year awards. 13

2006

John Naudi (MBA/ JD ’06) hosted the “Naudi Law Show,” a mobile podcast dedicated to social justice. 14

2007

Carlos Ramirez ’07 was selected as the new superintendent of Eagle County Schools in Colorado in March 2018.

2008

Amir Motlagh ’08 premiered his feature films “Man” and “Three Worlds” at a Chicago screening in April 2018. 16

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2008

Snyder & Wenner, P.C. partners Brian Snyder (JD ’08) and David Wenner won a $15 million verdict against Banner University Medical Center in a medical malpractice case. It is the largest medical malpractice verdict in Arizona in more than 25 years and was the largest verdict of any kind in Arizona in 2017. 15

2009

Sebastian Pardo ’09 screened “Rat Film” at the Los Angeles Film Forum in April 2018. His feature-length documentary explores the history of Baltimore through rats and the humans who love them, live with them and kill them.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

2009

Daniel Emmet ’15 competed on “America’s Got Talent,” receiving a standing ovation from the judges and wowing the show’s nationwide audience with his pop-opera crossover stylings.

2009 17

Sarah Faulkner ’12 won the University of Washington’s Excellence in Teaching Award, the school’s highest honor for graduate student teaching. She was also awarded a New York Public Library Short-Term Fellowship, a McGill-ASECS Fellowship and a Chester Fritz International Research Fellowship to conduct research for her dissertation on 19th-century British women’s writing in New York, Montreal and Edinburgh.

2010

Elizabeth Klehfoth ’10 was a finalist in the Emerging Authors category of the Indiana Authors Awards. 17

2010

David Nungaray ’10 is principal at Bonham Academy in San Antonio, Texas.

20 21

2010

Sarelyn Radecke ’13 founded BrunchCon, a food festival where attendees can try brunch food from different restaurants as well as enjoy games, photo opportunities and a VIP lounge.

2010

Ellory Read ’17 joined Benchmark Commercial as an associate broker in Denver.

2010

Marie Sutton ’17 is part of the 2018 fellowship class of the Immigrant Justice Corps, the country’s first fellowship program dedicated to meeting immigrants’ need for high-quality legal assistance.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

2010

Chelsea (Chaves) Tan ’13 and Ryan Tan ’14 married on May 12, 2018, in Santa Barbara. Ryan, who proposed in front of Attallah Piazza, is choir director at Sowers Middle School in Huntington Beach. Chelsea performs professionally in Los Angeles and Orange counties. 18

2010

Tim Weiner (LL.M. ’10) has been appointed to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court by Gov. Jerry Brown. Weiner has served as a commissioner at the court since 2016. 19

2011

Kristin Hinkley ’11 is pursuing her MFA in graphic and interactive design at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, where she is also completing a teaching assistantship.

2012

Millie Zandi ’12 married Yo Chen in 2017. The two participated in the CrossCultural Exchange travel and immersion program in Orange and in Taipei, Taiwan. Chen was on the Taiwan team from Taipei National University of the Arts, and Zandi was on the Chapman team. They kept in touch and reunited when Zandi moved to Taipei in 2014. 20

2012

Zeinab Dabbah, M.D., (JD ’12) and her husband, Daniel Temianka, M.D., were honored as Citizens of the Year during Chapman Celebrates on Nov. 3 (see story on page 10). Among those offering congratulations was their grandson, Charlie. 21

2014

Joseph Carnegie, Class of 2014, was nominated for an Emmy for his work as a producer for “An Emmy for Megan.”

2015

Samantha “Sami” Harrelson ’15, a graduate of Dodge College and daughter of Chapman University Trustee Stan Harrelson, married Brandon Sullivan on Sept. 15. 22

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CLASS NOTES

2016

2017

Kristin Gabriel ’16 was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. She is in the molecular biology and biochemistry Ph.D. program at UC Irvine. 24 Kim Lambert (DPT ’17) and her two sisters launched an e-commerce business called SHE that offers a monthly subscription for organic cotton tampons. 23

Kevin Kwan Loucks (MBA ’17) was appointed director of innovation and program development at Music Academy of the West Administration in August 2018. 25 Drew Uphoff ’17 was promoted to account manager at the cybersecurity company McAfee in Dallas. He will serve clients based in Los Angeles and Orange County. 26

FRIENDS WE WILL MISS ALICE HUDSON ’60 passed away Feb. 21, 2018, at age 80. Born in Berkeley, she and Walter, her husband of 55 years, owned Reagan’s Hallmark Shop, where Alice’s welcoming smile and cheerfulness earned the business many customers who became close friends. Her devotion, kind heart and generous spirit inspired her friends and family. A beloved friend, wife, mother and grandmother, Hudson is survived by her daughter, Nora; son-in-law, Mark Endres; and two grandsons, Ryan and Nicholas. THOMAS IRWIN (M.A. ’70)

passed away April 10, 2018. Born June 9, 1937, Irwin enjoyed a career in education that spanned 40 years. He taught biology, botany, zoology, anatomy, physiology, genetics, microbiology, marine biology and oceanography at Victor Valley College. An avid nature enthusiast, Irwin performed more than 200 desert tortoise surveys covering 6,000 surveyed acres and was involved with a multitude of organizations and causes.

BRIAN JOHANNES ’71 passed away Feb. 7, 2018. An avid recreational athlete, Johannes said that his truest passion was surfing. He dedicated his 35-year career to the Capistrano Unified School District in maintenance and operations. He is survived by his wife, Jenny, as well as sons Jake and Sean, brother Scott, sister-in-law Tracy and nephew Ethan.

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’05 J E F F L E V E R I N G ’05 M A T T R I C A T T O ’11 T Y L E R H A D Z I N S K Y During the 2018 Major League Baseball season, three high-profile alumni from the Chapman University baseball program enjoyed a pregame reunion. Meeting on the field at Busch Stadium in St. Louis were, from left, Jeff Levering ’05, broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers; Matt Ricatto ’05, (MBA ’07), who represents MLB players for the Creative Artists Agency; and Tyler Hadzinsky ’11, a baseball operations analyst for the St. Louis Cardinals. All three played for the Panthers – Levering and Ricatto on Chapman’s 2003 national championship team. For Levering, the 2018 season included a deep playoff run with the Brewers, allowing him even more opportunities to call games alongside broadcasting legend Bob Uecker.

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DR. MARY JOSEPHINE CARPI ’74 passed away March 30, 2018, at age 66. Carpi was a doctor of audiology and worked for Special Children’s Clinic, Nevada Early Intervention Services and the Clark County School District. As a Chapman student, she participated in Semester at Sea, which sparked a lifelong love for travel. RUTH “LYNN” (HALLFORD) BANKS (M.A. ’76) passed away March 3, 2018. Born June 28, 1935, in Savannah, Ga., she taught in the Rockdale County School System for 35 years. She was a dedicated volunteer in her church and community and was preceded in death by her husband of 29 years, Dallas. RAMONA BLAKE ’77 passed away in March 2018 at age 85. Blake was a professor and teacher for more than 30 years. She left a lasting impact on her students, maintaining contact with many long after their time in her classroom. A loving mother and grandmother, Blake treasured time with her family and enjoyed painting, ceramics, crocheting and quilting. RAYMOND KISICKI ’78 passed away May 14, 2018. Born in 1926, Kisicki worked for the Wyoming Highway Department for 43 years and helped found the WyHy Federal Credit Union. He was one of five signers of the charter application in December 1953 and was named treasurer of WyHy in 1954, serving until 1981. A loving caregiver to his wife, Tootie, Kisicki will be remembered for giving selflessly of his time to her, his family and his community.

CHARLES “CHARLIE” DOE (M.A. ’81) passed away March 8, 2018, after a brief illness, with his college sweetheart and wife, Lisa, at his side. He was a great believer in “making a difference,” and was deeply involved in strengthening his community. In his work with the San Joaquin County Private Industry Council, Doe assisted youth, adults, dislocated workers and the economically disadvantaged in reaching their educational goals and obtaining training and employment. Doe is survived by Lisa, daughter Caroline Maeder (Anthony), three grandchildren and his mother, Lorea T. Cairns. STEVEN HARRISON ’85 passed away March 29, 2018. Born in Albany, Ore., in 1963, he was affectionately known as “Hungry Harrison.” He was loved dearly and had a wonderful sense of humor. He is survived by his wife, Hope (Duryea) Harrison, son James (Octavia) Harrison, daughter Tatianna Harrison, granddaughter Azalea Harrison, father James Harrison and brother Michael (Elizabeth) as well as many nieces and nephews. ELIZABETH “BETTY” ANNA CRIDDLE (M.A. ’86) passed away April 21, 2018, after a long illness, attended by two of her grandchildren, Adrianna and Cheyenne Castro. Born in 1936, Criddle was a lifelong educator and also launched a private literacy tutoring business. At age 48, she earned her master’s degree in special education from Chapman. Criddle was dedicated to her close-knit, extensive family.

ROBERT FRIDLEY ’98 passed away March 12, 2018, at age 63. A 23-year Navy veteran, Fridley retired as a chief petty officer. He completed his college degree at Chapman while in the military. After retiring from the Navy, Fridley completed his law degree and served as an attorney for the Florida Department of Children and Families and would later become supervising attorney for the Third Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program.

MARGARET ANN HESKETH ’99

passed away March 27, 2018. She is remembered as an amazing friend, confidant, wife and mother. She was also a skilled cook who loved jukebox music and dancing. There wasn’t a crossword puzzle she wouldn’t try to solve. She is survived by her husband, John, as well as daughter Christen, son-in-law Rickey, son Sean and grandchildren Caleb and Emery.

BENNY REYES ’00 (M.S. ’04) passed away May 1, 2018, at age 41. Reyes was dedicated to his family, including his six nieces and his sister, Ruby, with whom he was especially close. In his last days, he was treated to surprise parties, which delighted him. Reyes will be remembered as a loyal friend, brother and son. RINA SANTORA ’00

passed away April 10, 2018. A devoted mother and wife, Santora touched the lives of thousands in Orange County during her career as a nurse. Deeply involved with philanthropy and fundraising, she supported causes aiding military veterans, including the Dick Butkus Foundation, which raises funds for veterans to get free heart scans. With her husband, she developed cardiovascular and wellness concepts, participated in research, wrote books and co-hosted their TV show, “Health Matters with Dr. Larry Santora.”

KRISTOPHER KLEM ’05 passed away March 26, 2017. A Navy veteran, Klem earned his B.A. in psychology from Chapman after his military service. He then attended UC Davis Medical School and was in his third year of residency at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

BOB EINSTEIN ’65, who won two Emmy Awards as a comedy writer and created the memorable stuntman character Super Dave Osborne, passed away Jan. 2 at age 76. Einstein is best known to recent TV viewers for his acting role alongside Larry David in the HBO comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” He is also the only guest to make two appearances on Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.”

Emmy-winning comedy writer and actor Bob Einstein ’65 shares a moment with Professor Don Booth on the steps of Memorial Hall in 1969.

The son of actors Thelma Leeds and Harry Einstein – creator of the comic character Parkyakarkus – Bob Einstein studied business and played on the basketball team at Chapman before starting a career in advertising. His life changed when a local cable TV performance caught the attention of Tom Smothers, and Einstein became a writer for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” where the writing staff included Steve Martin. His work on the show earned Einstein his first Emmy. He is survived by his wife of more than 40 years, Roberta Einstein; daughter Erin Einstein Dale; son-in-law Andrew Dale; and grandchildren Ethan and Zoe. He is also survived by his older brother, retired advertising executive Cliff Einstein, and his younger brother, the actor and director Albert Brooks, who tweeted on the day of his death, “R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever.”

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INTERTERM ADVENTURES ‘SUSTAINABLE DESIGN’ Try to imagine a lovable city. What would it offer? What would make people want to move there, and what would make living there sustainable? Those were the challenges tackled in the “Sustainable Design” travel course of Professor Eric Chimenti as class members embarked on a five-week journey, starting in California and including on-site course work in London during summer 2018.

Since it launched in 2009, the course has offered students opportunities to collaborate with the engineering firm BuroHappold, founded in England but now with offices around the world. The goal is for the students to develop unique infrastructure design concepts that connect to real-world projects. In previous years, the projects have been linked to the London Olympics and a planned moon mission. The most recent objective was to “future-proof ” the planned city of Neom, Saudi Arabia, an ambitious project along the Red Sea. “The overall project was to come up with principles that leverage the past to inspire the future,” Chimenti explained. When they weren’t working on infrastructure concepts, “Sustainable Design” students got a chance to explore London.

‘JOURNEY TO SICILY’

Among other activities during Professor Federico Pacchioni’s class “Journey to Sicily,” Chapman students visited museums, hiked the Alcantara Gorge and tried their hand at puppet theatre.

‘THE “REAL” WESTEROS’ Northern Ireland’s tumultuous history is probably not central to the popularity of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” But for Honors students in the travel course “The ‘Real’ Westeros: ‘Game of Thrones’ and Northern Ireland,” George R.R. Martin’s series is the basis for a study of how Irish history is used and distorted by tourism involving the show. Last summer, students visited sites in Northern Ireland where “Game of Thrones” was filmed and that now are marketed to tourists who are

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What’s the translation for “All Italian, all the time?”

got to be part of the Sicilian culture and, most importantly, learn from it and create valuable relationships with locals and other international students.”

Federico Pacchioni, Ph.D., and his students could certainly answer that question. Pacchioni, the Musco Endowed Chair in Italian Studies, teaches a three-week Interterm course called “Journey to Sicily: Immersion in Taormina,” during which students live with Italian families while doing intensive study in language and culture.

Students studied the natural and cultural history of the Ionian coast on trips to Catania, Aci Trezza, the Alcantara Valley and Mount Etna, an active stratovolcano. Deeper understanding of the region came via lectures and discussions with local experts about tourism’s challenges and opportunities, using Taormina as a case study.

“My time in Taormina was unique and unforgettable,” said student Amy Giraldo ’19. “I

fans of the series, which uses the sites to portray the fictional continent of Westeros. Through readings, site visits and conversations with local residents – including those who worked on the show – students learned “how (Northern) Irish identity has been imaginatively rendered or obscured for specific political, historical and cultural purposes,” Professor Justine K. Van Meter explains in her course syllabus.

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Amy Sara Lim ’20 waves the flag of the Greyjoys at the Iron Islands in Northern Ireland during “The ‘Real’ Westeros” travel course.

PANTHERS ON THE PROWL

Tom Elliott ’60 and Pat Elliott ’60 (M.A. ’74),

Jasira Woods ’16 visited Barcelona, Paris and Montpellier, France, during summer 2018. “I particularly enjoyed the cultural excursions such as seeing a flamenco performance at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona,” said Woods, who was looking forward to beginning a master’s program in cultural management at Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3.

left, traveled recently on a Silversea cruise to the Caribbean Islands. The Elliotts were joined by fellow alumni Paul Prichard ‘60 and Marcia Prichard ‘68 (M.A. ’74), center, as well as Larry and Jean Shaffer, longtime friends of Chapman University. Pat Elliott was heartened to see tourism flourishing in Puerto Rico and elsewhere, providing income to islanders hard hit by Hurricane Maria.

Chapman alumni, from left, Vivian Jiang ’17, Randen Morisako ’14 and Karlie Harstad ’09 were in Beijing for different reasons but took advantage of the opportunity to meet for dinner. Jiang was visiting family, Morisako lives in Beijing, and Harstad was traveling for work.

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C H A P M A N FA M I LY

HOMECOMING CELEBRATION

n orthopedic surgeon, a Cy Young Awardwinning pitcher and the leader of a statewide collaborative for better schools are among the latest winners of Chapman University Distinguished Alumni Awards. Dr. Michael Pahl ’99, Randy Jones ’72 and Carl Cohn (M.A. ’72) were recognized along with nine other renowned alumni Oct. 12 during the 2018 Chapman Family Homecoming Celebration. The awards honor career achievement and community impact, with the ceremony on Bert C. Williams Mall highlighting the annual Homecoming Celebration. Among the other immersive Homecoming events are the alwayspopular chili cook-off and a host of faculty master classes. For 2018, the celebration also inducted the Class of 1968 into the 50-Year Club, and it culminated with the Chapman football team sprinting to a 62-0 victory over Occidental College. Another special event enhanced Homecoming this time. A Pop-Up Chapman Magazine brunch brought together members of the Chapman Family for news, features and fun in the spirit of the magazine’s format. Among the page-turning moments: President Daniele Struppa delivered an in-person version of his “Message from the President,” and Professor Christopher Bader offered insights from the latest Chapman University Survey of American Fears (turn to page 17 for more on the research). Attendees could even pose for a Chapman Magazine cover shoot.

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Congratulations to the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award winners. Pictured, from left, are Alex Hayden ‘95, Rebecca Hall ‘96, Kristyn von Rotz ‘01, Amir Shirazi (Pharm.D. ‘18), Michael Pahl ‘99, Akin Ceylan ‘90, Kathleen Remington ‘05, Becky Wanta ‘91 and Steven Ruden (JD ‘05). Not pictured are Carl Cohn (M.A. ‘72), Randy Jones ‘72 and Cara Lawler ‘11.

Pop-Up Chapman Magazine is going on the road. Look for more information soon about spring events in San Francisco and New York City.

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WHERE RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERSECT. CHAPMAN BECOMES AN ‘R2’ INSTITUTION. Our increase in research activity and expanding doctoral programs have led to a promotion in the new Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Chapman University is now considered a ‘high research activity’ institution, becoming one of only 130 institutions with that designation.