Chapman Magazine Spring 2020

CHAPMAN U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

J U L Y

THE FACES OF RESILIENCE The Chapman Family rises to challenging times.

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE JULY 2020

UP FRONT 2 Message From the President: Even while we’re apart, Chapman people find ways to strengthen our bond.

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6 First Person: Education student Adelin Tiburcio ’21 dreams of new ways to lift her community.

F E AT U R E S

DANIELE STRUPPA, PH.D. President

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

JEFF BROUWER

Assistant Vice President of Creative Services

SENIOR EDITOR

SENIOR WRITER

Dennis Arp arp@chapman.edu

Dawn Bonker bonker@chapman.edu

DESIGN Ivy Montoya Viado

JUSTIN SWINDLE

Director of Visual Content

SARAH LEE

Assistant Director of Content Strategy

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Michelle Anguka, Stace Dumoski, Brittany Hanson, Bethanie Le (M.S. ‘19)

PROJECT MANAGER Stacy Padilla

Editorial Office: One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866-9911 Main: ( 714) 997- 6607 Delivery issues/change of address: email magazine@chapman.edu

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by Chapman University. © 2020 Chapman University.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

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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

IN THIS ISSUE

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28 Sounds of campus life spark unique compositions that open ears and eyes to the power of imagination.

C O V I D - 19

32 Stephen Galloway brings industry connections and blockbuster buzz to his new role as Dodge College dean.

10 The Chapman spirit is evident in the frontline contributions of many in the campus community.

34 Microbiologist Michael Ibba will help drive Chapman’s rise in research as he leads Schmid College.

16 Pete Simi’s inquiry into extremist groups is just one way that CU researchers are examining the impact of the crisis.

38 Chapman's first quadruple major exemplifies the quality of students in the graduating Class of 2020.

18 Jerika Lam evaluates therapeutics so doctors can choose the best coronavirus treatments.

21 Where campus meets community, Chapman has a vision for transformational support and recovery.

22 The pandemic will shape how we live, work and learn long after the last lockdown ends, says futurist Joel Kotkin.

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D E PA R T M E N T S 19 Five Questions: Lessons evolve in real time for students in Nicolai Bonne’s virology class.

49 How’d You Get That Job? While still a student, Rachel Redleaf ’19 enjoys a “Once Upon a Time” moment.

51 In Memoriam: We remember Joyce Marion Chapman ’42, Shirley Lapier ’55 and David Werksman ’91.

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ALUMNI NEWS 52 A memoir by Tracy Walder (M.A. ’07) chronicles her journey from counter-terrorism officer to history teacher.

54 Class Notes

ON THE COVER: The coronavirus pandemic forced our university community into a period of remote learning, but it didn't stifle the Chapman spirit of shared purpose. Even while distancing, people found opportunities to come together and make a difference. In this issue, we explore the many ways the Chapman Family met the challenges of a semester unlike any other.

Photo illustration by Justin Swindle

‘MAGIC WITH THE MUSIC’ The impromptu performance in front of Oliphant Hall started with a text. “Happy Supposed to Be Recital Day!” Sean White ’20 messaged to Haley Boyer ’20.

It was April 4, the day trombonist White and trumpeter Boyer, pictured here, had expected to be performing with their Chapman classical musician colleagues as the triumphant culmination of their undergraduate experience.

“For music majors, the senior recital is the accumulation of all we’ve done in four years,” Boyer explains. “It’s an opportunity to gather our closest friends and family and share what we’ve learned.”

Months before, Boyer had bought the perfect dress for the occasion. So even though the recital had been canceled because of the coronavirus, she texted back to White that she was going to put on her dress, step into her “sparkly shoes” and head to campus. She invited White to join

her. That’s how the two ended up at the home of the HallMusco Conservatory of Music, in formal attire, practicing safe distancing, playing one at a time to an audience of happenstance onlookers, including Linda Ashton’s German shepherd.

“Chapman is a special place, with all the statues, fountains and flowers,” says Ashton, an Old Towne Orange resident who often walks her dog on campus and stopped to listen to Boyer and White play. “But yesterday was like magic with the music.”

Boyer and White appreciated the rave review, as they did the applause that closed their ad hoc recital.

“We weren’t expecting an audience, but by the end we’d actually gotten seven to 10 people to stop and listen,” White says. “It was wonderful to share that moment with them.”

STORY AND PHOTO BY DENNIS ARP.

PHOTO BY

JULY 2020

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

STAYING CONNECTED, CLOSING THE DISTANCE It’s clear that we are living through a historic moment in the life of our nation and our university. As we continue to cope with the effects of the global coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest the racial injustice that has claimed countless lives of Black Americans. The murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor put more faces to the senseless acts of violence that plague this country.

At Chapman, we are experiencing anguish and mourning over these horrific tragedies. It’s a time of deep reflection as we consider next steps to help change structural barriers and inequities in our society and at our university.

On June 9, we held a town hall titled “Turning Anguish Into Purpose,” with social justice leaders Jimmie C. Gardner and Prexy Nesbitt providing insights about possible paths forward. On page 4, you’ll find a story on that town hall as a source of renewal for the journey ahead.

The conversation followed a productive dialogue with the Chapman Black Student Union. Among other things, the students asked that we aggressively recruit Black faculty and staff – an area in which I acknowledge we need to do better. Toward that end, I have asked Vice Provost Lawrence “LB” Brown – a respected Chapman thought leader on the African American experience – to serve as Presidential Advisor on Faculty Diversification. Brown will work with Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Brian Powell, a respected voice for LGBTQ and diversity advocacy.

On June 16, we were excited to hire Angelica Allen as assistant professor of Africana Studies and co-director of our new Africana Studies minor along with Associate Dean Stephanie Takaragawa in Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

We are prioritizing progress on racial justice as we also collaborate on a comprehensive plan for a fall return to campus titled CU Safely Back. After a spring semester that forced a swift transition to remote learning, we hope to resume in-person classes on Aug. 31.

We will go forward when we have protocols in place to keep the Chapman Family healthy and we have the approval of state and local health agencies.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to challenge us in many ways. Given the financial fallout associated with the crisis, it’s gratifying to share that this year’s Chapman Giving Day was a tremendous success. We focused on the needs of students and

families hit hardest by the economic impact, and the Chapman Family came through with 1,330 gifts totaling more than $1.1 million. The funds will provide scholarship support and other financial aid for those most in need.

As we’ve all adapted to change, we’ve also sought to maintain continuity. Many in the Class of 2020, along with a large number of their loved ones, joined me on May 22 for a virtual celebration.

It was great to share this moment of recognition and accomplishment with those who worked so hard to achieve it.

Even as we plan for contingencies during a time when so much is in flux, it’s heartening to see that some things are unequivocal.

One is the sense of pride that comes from watching the Chapman community address the COVID-19 crisis with resilience, fortitude and ingenuity.

In this issue of Chapman Magazine, you’ll read about just some of the ways Chapman people have met this historic moment by reinventing classes, pivoting in research and in general going above and beyond to support each other – especially the most vulnerable among us.

For instance, faculty and students in Fowler School of Engineering quickly adapted a 3D-printing course to begin at-home production of face shields for front-line health care providers. More than 4,000 shields have gone to those delivering critical care.

Thanks to the generous support of the Kay Family Foundation, our Office of Research has provided seed funding to begin seven new research projects targeting multiple areas of impact related to the COVID-19 outbreak. In disciplines ranging from behavioral health to economics and data analytics, Chapman researchers are pursuing insights that will advance understanding of this global threat.

These stories and others demonstrate our collective commitment to the health and success of all our communities. No one can predict with certainty what lies ahead. But as we stay proactive and nimble in our response to changing realities, there is nothing false or naïve in our optimism about a future that begins this fall.

The challenges we face reveal the capacity of our community for positive impact. There is nothing remote about the bond we share.

With gratitude,

Daniele C. Struppa President, Chapman University

For the latest updates on Chapman coronavirus news and resources, please visit news.chapman.edu.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CONNECT WITH US ‘AN UNEXPECTED GIFT’ FACEBOOK @ ChapmanUniversity @ ChapmanUniversityAlumni

INSTAGRAM @ChapmanU @chapmanualumni

TWITTER @ChapmanU

LINKEDIN Chapman University Want to share your story directly with the Chapman Family on Instagram? Send us your info at chapma.nu/InstagramForm.

Chapman Magazine Online

I am a resident at Park Plaza Senior Community Living here in Orange. I am also a graduate of Chapman College, class of 1950. Today I was given some wonderful letters from Chapman students, and each mentioned some lessons they are taking in a physics class. I'm wondering if you can tell me which professors have encouraged their students to write the letters so I can thank them and the students. We have been confined to our apartments since April 1, and it is an unexpected gift to learn about Bev Weatherill ’50 reads a letter written by a Chapman physics student as part of an effort to the students’ lives at home and at Chapman. connect with senior community residents who Chapman was in Los Angeles when I are dealing with an extended period of isolation attended, and there were 365 students. My of isolation. major was physical education, and I taught health and family life to seventh-graders in Fullerton for 27 years. Over the years, I have stayed active with the Town & Gown organization. It is still amazing for older alums like me to watch our alma mater grow in size and stature. I thank you for the part you and the other professors have played in this accomplishment. The letters are very welcome and well-written.

Beverly Weatherill '50 Orange

Don’t forget to check out Chapman Magazine online, with Web-only stories, links to video, slideshows and more.

EDITOR’S NOTE

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.

Please include your full name, class year (if alumna or alumnus) and the city in which you live.

We reserve the right to edit submissions for style and length.

“This assignment helped me to remember the importance of service,” says physics student Izze Billet ’21.

After stay-at-home orders went into effect, Chapman physics professor Stephanie Bailey encouraged her students to write notes of support to residents of senior living facilities near Chapman’s campus in Orange. Twenty-four students took part in the project.

In addition to the note of thanks to the students, written by Bev Weatherill ’50, Park Plaza resident Mrs. Jerry Webb also wrote back, expressing her appreciation and describing family connections to two previous epidemics — the 1918 flu pandemic and a 1951 polio outbreak.

“I pray a vaccine will save the day, as the Salk vaccine did for polio,” Webb writes in her letter of thanks.

“I do not worry about this country’s future with dedicated young people like you at the helm,” she adds.

JULY 2020

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TURNING ANGUISH TO PURPOSE: THE PATH TOWARD RACIAL JUSTICE After a vigil and town hall, Chapman takes next steps to change structural barriers and inequities.

By Dawn Bonker

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f the protesters who filled the streets this summer calling for social change and an end to systemic racism start to wonder how they’ll carry their momentum into the future, they might consider the words of Jimmie C. Gardner.

The former minor league baseball player spent 27 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, wrongly convicted on false testimony from a state witness. Behind bars, he toiled to prove his innocence, read voraciously and even minded his diet and health, telling himself, “I’m playing for the endgame.”

So, yes, he knows something about keeping to the path that leads to change.

“You have to plan,” Gardner said during a livestreamed town hall hosted June 9 by Chapman University and watched live by more than 700 viewers. “You have to be determined, focused and stay on the straight path. And there are so many things that can throw you off. But you have to be determined and diligent in your process.”

Gardner shared his story during a panel discussion with Chapman Presidential Fellow in Peace Studies Rozell W. “Prexy” Nesbitt. The two spoke during a virtual town hall organized by Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and Fowler School of Law and supported by many student organizations. Titled “Turning Anguish to Purpose: The Path Forward,” the event served as one of the first actions the university took toward a more diverse campus as outlined by President Daniele C. Struppa.

"I don't think there is any normal anymore. We are at the edge of a massive change."

- Rozell W. "Prexy" Nesbitt Chapman presidential fellow in peace studies

As the nation struggled with the violent death of George Floyd and the long history of injustices against Black Americans, Struppa announced a plan for Chapman to support and advance societal change, beginning with positive transformations across campus.

“How do we turn our anguish to purpose? What next steps can we take now to help change structural barriers and inequities in our society, but also on our own campus? Clearly, we must work together to find answers and a path forward,” Struppa wrote in his message to the campus community.

Days earlier, a virtual campus vigil gave voice to similar calls to action.

Too often, sympathetic but passive support leads to little more than “an OMG moment,” said Shaykh Jibreel Speight, director of Muslim life at Fish Interfaith Center.

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LEADING THE CONVERSATION Throughout the 2020-21 academic year, Wilkinson College will examine systemic racism through a series of events in its initiative “Engaging the World: Leading the Conversation on the Significance of Race.” Virtual programming will include a film series, guest lectures and roundtables, podcasts, an art exhibit and a student research conference. Visit Chapman.edu/engaging-the-world for details.

As part of this effort, the president tasked Vice Provost Lawrence "LB" Brown – a respected Chapman thought leader on the African-American experience – to serve as Presidential Advisor on Faculty Diversification.

Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Brian Powell, a leading voice for LGBTQ and diversity advocacy, will serve as Presidential Advisor on Staff Diversification.

Provost Glenn Pfeiffer also announced that a recently vacated position of director of diversity and inclusion will be redefined and elevated on campus.

In addition, deans will work to advance their own efforts to increase curricular diversity in their schools and colleges. An early development already in place is the launch this fall of the Africana Studies minor in Wilkinson College. Angelica Allen of the University of Texas at Austin will start this fall at Chapman as assistant professor of Africana Studies and co-director of the Africana Studies minor along with Associate Dean Stephanie Takaragawa.

Struppa applauded leaders from Chapman’s Black Student Union for participating in productive conversations with senior staff and helping bring light to much needed campus change.

“We do indeed believe that Black Lives Matter, and that our Black students deserve the very best that Chapman can offer,” he said.

Such action plans, along with conversations like the one he had with Nesbitt, are hopeful beginnings, Gardner said. Amid the painful moments of the summer’s outcry, Gardner also saw evidence that more people were starting to listen to stories about the damage wreaked on Black Americans by institutional racism, police practices and qualified immunity laws, which protect law enforcement from prosecution.

“I actually view it as an awakening. Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I believe we’re moving in a positive direction.”

Nesbitt said he was also heartened by the energy of the protests, but he urged activists to proceed like long distance runners, not sprinters, if they want to stay the course. Chapman is uniquely poised to be a role model in that long march, he said.

"I actually view it as an awakening. Everything happens for a reason. I believe we're moving in a positive direction."

- Jimmie C. Gardner Justice advocate

Nesbitt noted that the university has work to do, but he added that it can build on its founding commitment to fairness, anti-racism and anti-sexism.

"Universities have to be like homes," he said. "Everyone in that home has to feel welcome and affirmed."

JULY 2020

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DRIVEN TO TEACH A prestigious fellowship advances the vision of first-gen student Adelin Tiburcio ’21, who dreams of new ways to lift her community.

BY ADELIN TIBURCIO ’21

As a daughter of low-income immigrant parents, I never imagined myself getting where I am today – on track to become the first in my family to graduate from a university. Next May, I will graduate with a B.A. in Spanish and education, which will move me closer to my dream of becoming a teacher. This fall, I will begin my Newman Civic Fellowship, a prestigious program that recognizes and supports community-committed students who are creating change. Through this fellowship, I will learn the tools and skills I need to continue advocating for the undocumented community and get the experience of being a leader.

My journey to a degree has not been easy. As I am writing this, I have come to appreciate all the little things in life. Given the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus, Chapman shifted all classes to remote learning. This has been a very difficult time for the Chapman community and myself. We’ve all been required to rapidly adapt. Personally, my family has been affected by the situation. Both of the restaurants my dad works in closed, so he is not working. My brother is not going to school and

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FIRST PERSON

As a first-generation college student who shares a one-bedroom apartment with her parents and brother, Adelin Tiburcio ’21 has faced many challenges chasing her dream of becoming a teacher. She says the abrupt changes of the spring semester taught her to “appreciate all the little things in life.” Chapman faculty and staff “have guided me through the most difficult times of my life,” she adds.

his school does not have ability to do online teaching, so it has been up to me to guide him and teach him what I can. Given that I live in a one-bedroom apartment with my parents, there is not a quiet place I can go to “attend” my classes. Nonetheless, I am doing the best I can, as are my peers.

I have a small window in my bedroom, and I’ve come to appreciate the view. I open the blinds to see the trees outside and the flowers that are blooming. The breeze drifts in, and I feel like I’m outside. Although this is a scary time for our society, I also feel that it is a time for us to take a step back and pause.

Challenges are nothing new to me. My family lives in an area surrounded by gangs and violence. I went to a public high school in Santa Ana where 98% of students are Hispanic. When I was applying to colleges, I had the support of my parents, but they had no experience with any part of the process. I sometimes stayed at my high school till 9 p.m. to finish my college essays and fill out my FAFSA form. When college decisions started rolling in, I would tell my parents when I got into a college and when I did not. They were proud of me either way.

To be honest, Chapman University was not my first choice. I felt intimidated by my peers and could not imagine myself going here.

Yet, Chapman is now the place I call home – I cannot imagine myself anywhere else than here. The faculty and staff have guided me through the most difficult times of my life. They have challenged me to think critically and have motivated me to go above and beyond.

Together, we have overcome many obstacles. During my freshman year, my dad got his hours cut from his second job, forcing my mom to get a job to pay for my tuition. I did not have access to a computer or Internet at home. I would do my work on my phone and when my data level was reached, I would go to the Santa Ana Public Library to print out my readings and finish my work. During my sophomore year, I received the Carrie Cooper Scholarship from Attallah College of Educational Studies. That tuition support allowed me to buy my first computer.

Later that year, I went through the most difficult time of my life. One night during a break in the academic calendar, I went to bed feeling fine and woke up in the morning with half of my face paralyzed. I had Bell’s palsy, a condition that causes a temporary weakness or paralysis of facial muscles. I emailed my math professor, Oliver Lopez, and he forwarded my email to Dean of Students Jerry Price, who guided me

right away. Chapman allowed me to take an extra week off from school and assisted with counseling because of the trauma I experienced.

Dean Price provided options such as taking an incomplete for a few of my courses, but in the end, I finished my classes with A’s and B’s. The experience taught me that I could do anything I set my mind to, and that is exactly what I have been doing ever since.

As I progressed in my academic experience, I gained confidence and allies. I wanted to make a change in my community by advocating for undocumented youth. During the summer, I wrote a book review alongside Anne Steketee (Ph.D ’20) that was published in the Journal of Latinos and Education. I wrote about the privilege and access to a quality education that students like me enjoy, but also the obstacles that prevent full inclusion. This was a time in which I had to provide for my family. While juggling classes and work, I researched jobs for my dad, took him to interviews, networked to help him look for employment, helped my brother with his homework and went to parent conferences.

I also filled out scholarship and fellowship applications. Due to my experience with Bell’s palsy, I knew my body could not handle so much stress, so I decided to leave the 4+1 master’s program that Attallah College offers. It was a difficult decision – for a time, it felt like my life was ending. But now I know that I will eventually complete my journey to becoming a teacher.

It was a confusing and overwhelming time, yet I continued to volunteer at my brother’s school, helping students with math, conducting readalouds and leading other activities to gain teaching experience. I was also helping to bring about the first Undocumented Student Conference at Chapman. The feedback I received made me realize that one person can make a big difference in a community that is fragile and scared to speak up about injustice. Thus, through the Newman Civic Fellowship, I hope to gain the leaderships skills I need to help create a Dream Center at Chapman that will benefit the undocumented student community.

As I consider my eventful and rewarding undergraduate journey at Chapman, I’m also looking ahead with optimism. I know that this fellowship is going to change the course of my career and make me a better advocate. It is going to give me the experience and skills I need to be an engaged community leader.

JULY 2020

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‘THE STRONGEST PEOPLE I KNOW’ As they await the chance for an in-person commencement, 2020 graduates hear words of praise and passage during a virtual celebration.

By Stace Dumoski

From as far away as Seattle, Cleveland and Honolulu, and from as close as Villa Park, Santa Ana and Orange, graduates in the Class of 2020 gathered virtually May 22 to celebrate their achievements.

Though Chapman University is still planning an in-person commencement when it is safe to gather, the virtual celebration provided an opportunity for the Chapman Family to honor the accomplishments of the new grads. The event was streamed on YouTube and Facebook, where, at peak, more than 2,600 viewers joined in the live event and 10,000 people have now shared in the experience.

In a series of pre-recorded videos, President Daniele Struppa, members of the administration, alumni and fellow classmates commended the graduates, offering praise for all they have achieved and encouragement for what comes next.

“Class of 2020, you are the strongest people I know, and we’re going to come out of this stronger than ever,” offered one new graduate during the opening montage.

Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, the graduates showed great enthusiasm for what the future holds. A total of 778 comments were posted during the celebration, as expressed their appreciation for parents, teachers and other friends and family members who have helped them reach this milestone.

A VIRTUAL CONFERRAL OF DEGREES “We all overcame some of the greatest struggles that we’ve ever faced to make it here today,” said Cheverton Award winner Alex Ballard ’20. “We all have faced our own struggles and obstacles, yet we emerge victorious. So what’s stopping us now? The Chapman Experience is a mindset of engagement, passion and connection, and that will carry us through all of our trials and tribulations in the future.”

After congratulatory messages from the deans of each of Chapman’s schools and colleges, Struppa appeared once again, this time robed in academic regalia.

“I wish we were doing this in person, but for now this will have to do,” he said.

“Class of 2020, please rise.”

As graduates around the country stood, surrounded by friends and loved ones at home, Struppa formally conferred their degrees, “with all the rights, privileges, honors and immunities thereunto pertaining.”

He added, “Class of 2020, go out in the world and make us proud. Make yourself proud. You’ll go down in history as the class who graduated despite all of the adversities. Class of 2020, congratulations and godspeed!”

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

“We all have faced our own struggles and obstacles, yet we emerge victorious.

So what’s stopping us now?”

Alex Ballard ’20, Cheverton Award winner

Joining in the virtual celebration were students and alumni, including filmmaker Justin Simien '05. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the world is a hot mess. So savor this moment, but we're going to need you guys to get on it," Simien told the 2020 graduates. "If you could get on fixing racism, gender inequality, climate change, partisan infighting, TikTok. There’s nothing wrong with TikTok, but I don’t know how to use it, so if someone could send me a quick tutorial, that would be great.”

JULY 2020

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LEADERSHIP HEALING AND

By Dennis Arp

and Dawn Bonker

As quickly as the coronavirus pandemic overturns lives, the Chapman community responds with expertise, resilience, creativity and support.

Ramsey Halim (PharmD ’20) was deeply focused on his work when the terrible news arrived.

In addition to his studies as a Chapman School of Pharmacy student, Halim was pouring himself into a clinical rotation at a pharmaceutical compounding lab in Irvine, doing exacting work for patients with serious conditions. Suddenly the term “serious” had new immediacy. His parents had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, and now came the news that both were getting worse. “Dad can’t get out of bed,” his younger brother reported. Within hours, his mother and father both were hospitalized.

Halim dove into the task of shutting down the family-run pharmacy his parents launched 30 years ago. Days later, he worked through the weekend to prepare for its reopening, with new safety precautions in place. He hired a supervising pharmacist — Halim’s licensure is not yet complete — and kept tabs on his parents’ treatment as well as the condition of a brother who had also tested positive for COVID-19.

“I never thought it would hit my family that hard,” Halim says.

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OUR WORLDS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

W

ho of us saw the ferocity of this moment coming?

On May 26, Chapman announced plans for a phased

It seemed that one day this novel coronavirus

re-opening of the Orange and Rinker Health Science

was a regional epidemic half-a-world away, and the next

campuses in fall 2020. The plan focuses on five major

it was a global pandemic bringing unseen dangers to our

prevention and mitigation strategies: physical distancing,

doorstep, turning our worlds upside down.

symptoms monitoring, public health interventions,

For the Chapman University academic community, it was more like “Three Weeks That Shook Our World.”

In mid-February, the virus was thought to be largely

personal protection equipment and sanitation protocols.

Eighteen task forces are developing a comprehensive reopening strategy, called CU Safely Back.

confined to Asia and parts of Europe. Still, a university

“What’s most important is keeping everyone healthy,”

response team was meeting regularly to develop

Struppa says.

contingency plans based on the counsel of health officials and research about the potential spread. By March 1, students studying abroad in China, South Korea and Italy had been contacted by Chapman’s Center for Global Education to advise them of risk levels and to offer assistance if they chose to return home. But both the Orange campus and Rinker Health Science campus in Irvine remained open, with the risk of infection in Orange County still listed as “low” by health officials.

Then on March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, highlighting the sustained risk of further spread. With rates of infection rising in California, it was determined that strong distancing steps were needed to “flatten the curve.” To protect the health of Chapman students, faculty and staff, the university transitioned all classes to remote learning, with non-essential staff members also shifting to work-from-home schedules.

“We will go back to the Chapman Experience we are all used to as soon as it is safe to do so,” President Daniele C. Struppa said in a message to the Chapman community.

During the time of remote learning and in this period of transition, it's clear that resilient fibers knit us together.

Throughout it all, we have seen the strength of the Chapman spirit revealed time and again. Chapman people find ways to unite, even while we’re far apart; ways to lift up, even when it takes virtual tools to bring possibility within reach.

Examples of adjustment and response abound – too many to bring all of the stories to these pages. So here we shed light on just some who give of themselves to help others, who adapt to new realities with poise and creativity, who pivot in their research to seek answers amid this fast-evolving crises, who teach and learn in this moment, spreading knowledge that will reshape lives even after the pandemic passes.

“Through this tumultuous time that has forced us to re-create almost every aspect of our daily lives, it has really crystalized for me the importance of the personalized experience we pride ourselves on at Chapman,” Struppa said on April 14. “It is because of the importance of that experience that we are doing everything we can to bring the community back together as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

Look for more stories at news.chapman.edu. For the latest university updates and resources regarding COVID-19, visit news.chapman.edu/coronavirus.

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School of Pharmacy on the Front Lines of Battle Ramsey Halim is one of nearly 200 student interns and dozens of faculty members from the Chapman School of Pharmacy who’ve quickly stepped to the front lines in the coronavirus battle. They’re playing key roles on medical teams across Southern California racing to find effective treatments against COVID-19. Across the country, some 200 Chapman pharmacy alumni are also working, from community health clinics to hospitals, dealing with the patient surge.

The pandemic has shown that pharmacists are more important than ever in health care delivery, whether serving in hospitals or running community pharmacies where they are now authorized to perform COVID-19 testing, says Ron Jordan, founding dean of the nationally ranked pharmacy school. Pharmacy students will be deployed in the serology testing soon to be widely in place. Moreover, once a vaccine is ready, pharmacists will be essential to the planning and delivery of the massive immunization effort to follow.

Stepping Out Against Fear and Racism It was a week not measured in time but in trash bags. So many bundled and carried to the garbage that Ginger Chen ’20 lost count.

When she learned that Chapman was moving to remote instruction and essentially closing the campus to protect the health of all involved, Chen quickly found someone to sublet her room, sold her furniture and packed up the most important pieces of the life she had built in Orange County over her four years at Chapman. The rest of her belongings she donated or bagged for disposal.

“I left so much behind,” said Chen, a senior screenwriting major.

As Chen moved back in with her mom in San Francisco, the anxiety she first experienced shifted, but didn't go away. She feels the sting of anti-

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

The pandemic and the unknown factors in treating COVID-19 offer unique teachable moments.

“The students are getting a crash course in dealing with a big unknown, when a disease is not well understood,” says Gary Fong, a Chapman assistant professor of pharmacy practice. As a clinical supervisor, he pushes students to take their foundational educations to the next level.

“When there’s a question about a medication, there may be four different answers and you have to make a decision on what’s best for your patient.”

Community-practice pharmacists collaborate similarly with specialists and family physicians, says Karl Hess, associate professor and director of Community Pharmacy Practice Innovations. But given store-like operations, the challenge in this moment has been to install distancing barriers for customer and employee safety.

“It is kind of scary. But it’s what we do. Medications have to be dispensed.

We’re part of the health care team that doesn’t get shut down or taken away,” he says. “It’s really our time to step up.”

Halim is stepping into that world. His parents were rebuilding their strength as he was wrapping up his degree, aiming to take over the family pharmacy in Lakewood, California. He also has a business degree, so he has entrepreneurial ideas, too. First things first, though.

As Halim says, “My dad’s counting the days for me to graduate and get to work.”

Asian hate, which is why she imposed her own stay-at-home order. “I’ve been feeling a lot of fear stepping outside,” she says.

Not far from her home, an Asian American man was harassed in a scary incident caught on video. She has seen her mom get shoved off a bus.

Chen herself has been called racial slurs.

Still, she has found ways to fight through the fear, building on the sense of safety she got from spending many rewarding hours in the CrossCultural Center at Chapman.

“People are trying to make things better,” Chen says.

Count Chen among them as she champions a nonprofit called Baycat, where she has worked as an intern and teaching assistant, fighting racism through storytelling. It’s a good fit for Chen, who is a storyteller at heart.

She adapted to remote learning by throwing herself into the second draft of her thesis screenplay, which she’s been workshopping thanks to remote-learning tools that unite her with classmates and Professor Paul Wolansky in Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

“I am part of a community,” she says. “I miss being in a physical space with people, but we will get that again.”

LEADERSHIP AND HEALING

Studying in Tokyo: ‘So Many Tough Decisions’ Since he was 8 years old, Morgan HennessyShea ’22 had dreamed of visiting Japan. So when coronavirus concerns started ramping up in March, he was reluctant to leave his dream studyabroad experience in Tokyo and return home to Laguna Beach.

“I’ve never made so many tough decisions in my life,” says Hennessy-Shea, a first-generation student majoring in strategic and corporate communication.

By mid-March, those decisions were only getting tougher. He went to bed one night thinking

he would stick it out in Japan, then he woke in the morning to emails from Chapman’s Center for Global Education that convinced him it was time to go home.

“I was constantly in contact with Chapman – they were super supportive,” Hennessy-Shea says. “Chapman talking with me was keeping me sane. My peers didn’t have a school like Chapman – I was the one giving them information.”

The Center for Global Education helped him secure a flight home, and on March 20 he was one of about 15 passengers on a plane headed for Orange County.

“When I look back, I’ll know I didn’t take anything for granted,” he says of his eventful semester. “I’m grateful for the experience and I’ll be better prepared for the next time.”

3D - Printed Face Shields: 4,000 and Counting

By Sarah Buckley ’14

Alexandros Drivas ’21 and his younger brother, Matt, knew they had to do something to help after hearing stories from their mother, an emergency medicine physician assistant who works long hours at a hospital in Los Angeles County.

“Every day we hear about the battles she and her co-workers face, given COVID-19,” Drivas said. “We hear about the scarce levels of equipment her hospital and all other hospitals around the country [are facing].”

To protect their mom and other healthcare workers, the Drivas brothers started 3D printing face shields and distributing them to local Southern California hospitals. Their efforts are part of a much larger mobilization

by Chapman students and faculty.

Using Chapman 3D printers set up in their homes, students and professors have been printing several hundred shields per week and have now donated more than 4,000 shields to hospitals in Southern California and around the country. The critical personal protective equipment is produced using open-source designs and following strict guidelines to ensure sterility. The models have been vetted by the National Institutes of Health.

Chapman is collaborating with Orange County-based MatterHackers – which builds

and supplies 3D printing equipment – to coordinate distribution to local hospitals.

The project ramped up quickly because students already had the printers and knew how to use them. In essence, the printers are the textbook for the 20 students in a Fowler School of Engineering course called 3D Printing and Modeling.

“Chapman is quite possibly the only university that’s been able to do this with a distributed model that engages students from off campus,” says Erik Linstead, associate professor and associate dean of academic programs and faculty development for Fowler Engineering.

For Alex Drivas, the work continues, aided by a Go Fund Me campaign that has raised more than $2,000.

of the Grand Challenges Initiative.

“He embodies the next generation of leaders in science and engineering.”

Alexandros Drivas '21, left, and his brother, Matt, deliver face shields to St. John's Hospital.

“Alex has found a passion for engineering and is not afraid to rally people around a cause,” says Gregory Goldsmith, director

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GIVING DAY AIDS STUDENTS, FAMILIES IN CRISIS Recognizing the needs of the moment, Chapman’s annual Giving Day on April 28 focused on students and families feeling the financial stress of the COVID-19 crisis. Thanks to the generosity of Chapman alumni, parents, faculty, staff, friends and board members, the university completed its most successful Giving Day ever, raising more than $1.1 million. The gifts to the Chapman Fund will provide: • Increased financial aid and scholarships.

• Housing, food and basic necessities.

• Emergency grants to support academic needs.

• Laptops and technological support required for distance learning.

• Emergency travel assistance.

• Funds to meet unforeseen needs stemming from the current crisis.

“When we focused our Giving Day on the most urgent needs – our students and families in crisis – we knew we could count on the generosity of the entire Chapman Family,” said Sheryl Bourgeois, Ph.D., executive vice president of university advancement. “This response was extraordinary, though. I am deeply grateful that so many stepped up to help our students facing very difficult challenges. These Giving Day gifts will make an immediate difference in their lives.”

HOUSING FOR QUARANTINED FIRST RESPONDERS Through an agreement with the City of Orange, Chapman is providing apartment-style student housing to first responders who need to self-isolate after confirmed or suspected exposure to COVID-19. The university has prepped 20 units in Panther Village apartments for the cause.

Art in the Time of Stay-at-Home Orders Like museums everywhere, the doors are closed these days at the legendary Getty Center in Los Angeles. But thanks to the work of a Chapman University alumna, its windows are wide open to the world. Virtually, that is.

As the social media lead for the Getty, Sarah Waldorf ’12 is helping to manage Sarah Waldorf '12 #BetweenArtandQuarantine, an online project inviting people to have a little diversionary fun by re-creating its artworks with household objects while hunkered down at home.

Apparently, it was just what art lovers, teachers, families and anyone with a pearl earring needed during these house-bound times. The first tweet inviting the public to browse the digital collection and join the project now has 3 million impressions and almost 3 million engagements. And recreated artwork keeps flooding in, from artful interpretations of Van Gogh’s “Irises” to parodies staged with kitchen appliances. And cats, of course.

“We have an amazing and engaged audience of online followers. I expected that people would take us up on this creative challenge. … I didn’t expect it to go worldwide,” says Waldorf, who double-majored at Chapman, earning a degree in art and another in public relations and advertising. “The scale is just unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.”

Waldorf credits Chapman for preparing her to thrive in the creative world.

She likens the collaborative work she does now to the brainstorming and critique sessions she enjoyed with fellow art students as they prepped exhibitions for the campus Guggenheim Gallery.

“That was a great primer for this work,” says Waldorf.

“First responders are putting themselves at risk every day to keep our community safe,” President Daniele Struppa said. “As a member of the Orange community, Chapman is honored to do what we can to support them and provide them with housing while they are away from their loved ones.”

FREE COUNSELING FOR THOSE COPING WITH ANXIETY For more than 50 years, the Frances Smith Center offered reduced-cost counseling to the communities Chapman calls home. During the spring semester, services were free, giving those feeling stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak a place to turn for individual or group support.

Telehealth sessions are offered over the phone or with videoconferencing, conducted by graduate students of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program in Chapman’s Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.

Licensed clinical therapists supervise the program.

To access counseling services, call (714) 997-6746 and press 1 for the intake line.

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Chapman University alumna Sarah Waldorf ’12 is helping to manage the Getty Foundation’s successful #BetweenArtandQuarantine campaign. Above left is one of the most popular inspirations, “Irises” by Vincent Van Gogh.

Above right is a re-creation via Twitter DM by Cara Jo O’Connell and family, using Play Doh, carrot slices and wooden beads.

At left, Male Harp Player of the Early Spedos Type, 2700–2300 B.C., is re-created via Facebook DM by Irena Ochódzka with a canister vacuum. (Images courtesy of Getty Foundation)

VOICES “ “I was trying to connect with my scene partner when it hit me that I needed to use Zoom as a manifestation my character has to overcome. I thought, ‘I need to reach through the computer screen.’ After that, I felt much more connected to my scene partner – connected to a person and not a screen.

When we go back into classrooms, I think I’ll see it as a luxury to have someone right there in front of me.”

BIANCA BEACH ’22 theatre performance major, on adapting to remote learning

“

“Normally the business of editing all the content takes place as Satvi and I sit next to each other in an editing bay [at Marion Knott Studios] from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. But now we can’t do that, so we’re sitting on FaceTime, me in the East Bay, in Livermore, and her at her home in India. Even though we’re far apart, we’re together at heart. It’s just that we can’t say, ‘Do you want to get lunch at Thai Towne or Pizza Press?’”

KYLIE MILLER ’20 ,

talking about her work on Chapman News with co-executive producer Satvi Sunkara ’21. During the time of remote learning, students continued to produce the weekly news report, but the class transitioned from a studio newscast to a remote podcast.

“Going remote has taught us much over the last few weeks. For sure, and against the predictions of many, it has reinforced the value of the presence of faculty in the classroom. If there is anything I have heard loud and clear from students and parents, it is that they want our faculty in the classroom. Those who had thought that online education was soon going to replace professors … well, they will have to wait.”

DANIELE STRUPPA

Chapman president, on April 24

“I went to study in Paris this semester, intending to find myself, and Paris did not disappoint. During my time abroad, I spoke barely any English and conversed daily with the locals. I spent my days studying photography, reading French novels in the Jardin du Luxembourg and marinating in the comfortable process of my own self-discovery. Then I woke up in my Colorado bedroom looking out over the snow-covered rooftops of not-Paris. Though it’s easy to complain about such an abrupt shift, I must admit that this is exactly the FOX HELMS ’22 film production major and experience I desired. A wise and Gilman Scholarship recipient mature version of myself would say that one can learn valuable life lessons from the comfort of their own home. It’s arrogant and futile to try to fight this, so we must find another way to cope. Really, the only things that I or any student in my situation can do is appreciate the experiences already had, embrace the incredible, surprisingly cool people in our families, and ultimately trust that we have exactly the tools we need to take our next step in our lives, whatever that may be.”

“Be skeptical, as I am, of all these articles you’re reading that claim nothing will ever be the same. The Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918 is pretty much forgotten. It was worse [than the current crisis], its impact was more dramatic, and yet within a few years, people had almost completely forgotten that it ever happened. People have a desire to get back to normal.”

JENNIFER KEENE

professor of history and dean of Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

LEADERSHIP AND HEALING

“

“We have a potential here for an incredible renaissance in knowledge in the coming years. No one wants that at the cost of even one life. These are terrible circumstances.

Nevertheless, I hope that what comes of this is some fantastic science and engineering and history and sociology and art that make the world a better place.”

GREGORY GOLDSMITH

assistant professor of biology and director of Chapman’s Grand Challenges Initiative

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COVID-19 RESEARCH ROUNDUP

FINDING CLUES AMID THE HATE

BY DENNIS ARP

Pete Simi’s inquiry into extremist groups is just one of the ways Chapman researchers are examining the impact of this crisis.

Long before there was a COVID-19, Pete Simi began tracking the spread of a different viral contagion – racist hate speech. Now, as the novel coronavirus pandemic has expanded globally, white supremacists and others are using this moment to promote their agenda of fear and violence, the Chapman University sociologist says.

Simi is just one of many Chapman faculty researchers who have pivoted in their inquiry to unearth insights about this virus and its voluminous ripple effects. Among the other researchers studying this historic moment are computational and data scientists who use satellite images to help determine whether stay-at-home orders are working, and two investigators who are mining big data sets to identify key risk factors as well as how the virus spreads.

For Simi, it’s nothing new to see hate groups try to foster unrest and recruit new members in a time of crisis. Over the years, he has learned just how ugly and resourceful extremists can be. Simi has learned a lot by conducting 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 Chapman research team have compiled provide a window to the origins of racist hate.

“In various ways, we see COVID-19 stoking this old flame of bigotry,” says Simi, an associate professor of sociology and co-author of the book “American Swastika: Inside the White Power Movement’s Hidden Spaces of Hate.”

“In various ways, we see COVID-19 stoking this old flame of bigotry,” says Pete Simi, an associate professor of sociology and co-author of the book “American Swastika: Inside the White Power Movement’s Hidden Spaces of Hate.”

SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS DRIVE AN ‘INFO-DEMIC’ One way hate groups seek to capitalize is by spreading “immense amounts of propaganda,” on websites like Gab and Telegram, which present themselves as champions of free speech but in practice are hotbeds of extremism, Simi says.

Much of the messaging these days centers on anti-Asian themes and imagery. No wonder, then, that as many as 100 physical attacks a day target Asian Americans, said Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. And yet, in the face of such hate, there are also examples of a positive response.

On Twitter, people are sharing their actions to aid Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as part of a #stopaapihate campaign. In addition, the group Asian Americans Advancing Justice is offering Bystander Intervention Training.

“So in terms of response, there are some positive things today,” Simi says.

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LEADERSHIP AND HEALING

FROM SPACE, A VIEW OF QUARANTINE COMPLIANCE Photos, video and other media tools have provided a picture of life on the ground during lockdowns necessitated by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Now Chapman scientists are giving us a view from space to help us understand whether stay-at-home orders are succeeding.

“It’s an extremely important finding, not only because it allows for better decisions in the triage phase but also because in the following phases up to the production and distribution of a vaccine, it is essential to make decisions aimed at protecting those who are the most at-risk,” the professors said in an article for the news site Start Insight.

Remote earth observations using European Space Agency satellite imagery allow the scientists to monitor how countries are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. By tracking big declines in nitrogen oxide emissions over regions where activity is restricted, the scientists can frame the scope of change in those nations.

LEVELS OF NITROGEN OXIDE TELL A STORY When governors and mayors started issuing stay-at-home orders, earth systems scientists at Chapman started studying atmospheric images to see if directives for people to stay home are affecting nitrogen oxide emissions. Early images indicated strong compliance in Los Angeles and New York. If satellite images displayed patches of dark blue, it meant that emissions were down as companies closed plants, people drove less and general activity was reduced to slow spread of the virus.

Among others, policymakers in Egypt received data from the Chapman lab as they decided what actions to take.

“If people are not responding to calls for them to stay at home, we will see it in our data,” said Hesham El-Askary, a professor at Chapman University whose Earth Systems Science Data Solutions lab is collecting and interpreting the satellite data.

KEY COVID-19 RISK FACTORS REVEALED As a specialist in experimental economics, Professor Steven Gjerstad typically uses big data sets to evaluate things like housing bubbles. Now he and Chapman colleague Andrea Molle are applying their numbercrunching skills to track the spread of the coronavirus, estimate the number of cases regions will get and pinpoint the most important risk factors.

The Dallas Morning News and Orange County Register are among the news outlets that have turned to them for insights.

Early in the outbreak, it was Gjerstad and Molle who used data from China and Italy to determine that age wasn’t nearly as important a risk factor as were comorbidity concerns such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.

A satellite image interpreted by Chapman earth systems scientists shows a steep drop in nitrogen oxide emissions in and around Los Angeles, indicating that residents were observing stay-at-home orders.

“If people are not responding to calls for them to stay at home, we will see it in our data,” – Hesham El-Askary, professor of earth system science

“Our evidence indicates that age is a minor risk compared to pre-existing conditions,” they said in a report on their findings.

In fact, those with comorbidity conditions are actually about 10.5 times as likely to die as those who are healthy, the professors said.

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COVID-19 RESEARCH ROUNDUP

TRACKING THE CLINICAL TRIALS

BY DAWN BONKER

Pharmacy professor Jerika Lam evaluates therapeutics so doctors can choose the best COVID-19 treatments.

As the world scrambled to battle the coronavirus pandemic this spring, we all watched the numbers. How many new cases? What were the stats on the curve? How many months to a vaccine against the virus that causes the disease COVID-19?

Meanwhile, Jerika Lam, associate professor at Chapman University’s School of Pharmacy, watched another mounting figure. The number of new clinical trials testing pharmaceutical therapies that might offer effective COVID-19 treatment. By April, that was about 60 a week.

Lam knows because she followed each one, reading the reports and early findings, distilling from them the news of hopeful progress, as well as the ineffective dead ends. Her goal is to put that information in the hands of doctors treating COVID-19 patients. As part of a task force assembled by the Patient Safety Foundation, Lam conducts this research review and compiles a weekly report for busy medical teams eager to learn the latest and best information and potentially apply it in practice.

REPORTS ARE FREE TO CLINICIANS The nonprofit foundation, launched by the medical technology company Masimo and its CEO, Joe Kiani, makes the reports available free to clinicians fighting the pandemic around the globe, along with a series of webinars it posts on its website.

“People are desperate for therapeutics. And I know everyone’s trying everything, including remedies in their mother’s kitchen cabinet,” says Lam, PharmD. Of course, Lam advises a more scientific and evidence-based approach. But until the virus is better understood, it’s fair to say that researchers are combing through pharmacopeia’s existing medicine chest, so to speak, hoping to find drugs with crossover benefits in the battle against COVID-19. From Lam’s perspective, a likely category is antivirals.

“What makes sense to me is since this is a virus, we should use therapies that have antiviral qualities. We know how they work,” says Lam, whose research is focused on the efficacies of drugs used to combat HIV and hepatitis C.

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“People are desperate for therapeutics. And I know everyone’s trying everything, including remedies in their mother’s kitchen cabinet,” says Jerika Lam, associate professor in Chapman's School of Pharmacy.

A DIFFICULT BALANCING ACT But she also warns that it’s not a simple hop, skip and jump. Every drug therapy has side effects, risks and various levels of effectiveness.

In many patient populations, those factors pose additional hazards, she says. What’s more, some COVID-19 patients also receive medications to lessen the body’s inflammation response, along with antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections. It creates a challenging balancing act.

Lam welcomes the job of sorting through that profusion of information.

“I have a sense of purpose being on this task force,” she says.

Lam’s role with the Patient Safety Foundation is an outgrowth of a larger initiative at Chapman University School of Pharmacy. She is one of several faculty members who worked with the foundation to create a free core curriculum to improve patient safety education for students in medical, pharmacy and nursing schools.

“I have a sense of purpose being on this task force.”

– Jerika Lam In addition, the school will launch two related graduate programs this fall – the Master of Science in Patient Safety and the Master of Science in Regulatory Affairs. The programs aim to equip graduates with hybrid skills that prepare them to work in the research industry as scientists as well as strategic leaders.

The healthcare system needs such professionals, Lam says.

“We need good strategy, good structures, good leadership and the capacity to combat pandemics when they strike,” she says. “We have to prepare. That’s the only way we can tackle future pandemics.”

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LEADERSHIP AND HEALING

QUESTIONS

1

Virology Lessons in Real Time

BY DENNIS ARP Nicolai Bonne teaches virology, and after the coronavirus crisis first hit the news early in the spring semester, he started each class with a group discussion on the state of the pandemic.

“My students have really impressed me with how much they have been reading about this and how much they have thought about this topic,” says Bonne, assistant professor of chemistry in Chapman’s Schmid College of Science and Technology.

How has the spread of the pandemic affected the conversation in your class?

At the start, before there were a lot of cases, the class had mixed opinions about whether we should be concerned about the virus. It has been interesting to hear how students’ opinions have changed as the pandemic continued to spread and the numbers changed. Students have also provided some comments on why this coronavirus is so virulent. If it was possible, I would have dedicated the entire semester to following COVID-19.

2

What are your reflections on how information is being communicated to the general public about the coronavirus?

The dissemination of updated information about total cases and death tolls has been very good. Institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been quick to provide regularly updated information. The communication of advice for protecting oneself from infection, and how to assess if one might be infected, has been clear and thorough. Overall, I do not think we

could do any better than we have done in these aspects. However, some educational aspects could possibly be improved – for example, how to properly use a mask.

3

What has surprised you about this coronavirus?

Not much, really. Viruses regularly cross from one species to another, as seems to be the case with SARS-CoV-2, and often become more virulent in the new species.

I guess, in a way it is mysterious that the virus mainly has severe consequences for older age groups and not young ones. Also, it does seem that it takes a very low dose of SARS-CoV-2 to get infected – a much lower dose than other viruses with which we are familiar.

4

Nicolai Bonne has been impressed with the response of students in his virology class and how public officials have disseminated information about the coronavirus outbreak.

Are we likely to see pandemics recur more often going forward?

I don’t think so. Pandemics are not predictable; they are random events that occur when a virus goes through a mutation that causes it to be more virulent than before, or allows the virus to cross a species barrier and be very virulent in the new species. There is no evidence to suggest that one pandemic causes new ones to occur more often.

5

What steps should we take as a society to better prepare for the next one?

We should maintain supplies of personal protective equipment to meet demand.

We should develop guiding principles – or even legislation – for how to respond to an emerging pandemic, and how quickly we should start implementing measures such as social distancing and travel restrictions. We probably should have been quicker to limit international and domestic travel. Initially SARS-CoV-2 was an epidemic, limited to China. When the SARS-CoV-2 traveled to other places, it became a pandemic. Having guidelines on when we need to impose travel restrictions is probably one of the most useful ways to prepare for future pandemics.

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COVID-19

RAPID RESPONSE GRANTS SEEK INSIGHTS FROM ALL ANGLES With the goal of finding solutions to the coronavirus pandemic and studying its impacts on society, Chapman University has awarded nearly $95,000 in research grants to faculty in fields ranging from bioscience to public health policy.

The awards enable researchers to examine varied topics, including the effect of health disparities on COVID-19 death rates in New York and Los Angeles.

Included in the Chapman-funded projects is one conducted by undergraduates, with supervision by assistant professor Gregory Goldsmith, right, director of Chapman’s Grand Challenges Initiative. (File photo)

an important community and scientific need. The generous support of the Kay Family Foundation allows us to make an immediate impact on the most important issue facing society at this time,” said Tom Piechota, vice president of Chapman's Office of Research and a professor of environmental science and policy.

Seven projects, including one to be conducted by undergraduate researchers, were funded for a total of $93,433.

“The COVID-19 Rapid Response Research Awards represent the diversity and excellence of Chapman faculty and students that address

• Real-time analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes associated with COVID-19 cases in the United States (Hagop Atamian and Dony Ang - Schmid College of Science and Technology) $15,000. Lessons learned from the 2002 SARS outbreak and current advances in technology will provide valuable tools as researchers present genomic approaches to this ongoing scientific effort.

• Viral Pandemic Health Disparities: An Examination of Social and Environmental Determinants of COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in New York and Los Angeles (Jason Douglas, Lawrence Brown, Angel Miles Nash, Emmanuel John, Georgiana Bostean – Crean College of Health and Behavioral Science, School of Pharmacy, Attallah College of Educational Studies, Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology) $15,000.

• Identifying Risk and Promoting Resilience in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic (David Frederick, Laura Glynn, David Pincus, Tara Gruenewald, Julia Boehm, Georgiana Bostean, Jo Smith, Brooke Jenkins, Vincent Berardi, Amy Moors, Jennifer Robinette, Jason Douglas – Crean College of Health and Behavioral Science, Wilkinson College, Schmid College) $15,000.

• The Response of Higher Education Institutions to the Outbreak of COVID-19 (Gregory Goldsmith, Chapman undergraduates – Schmid College) $5,899. Understanding

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how colleges and universities responded to the emergency may improve epidemiological models of disease transmission and inform policy decisions.

• Prosociality as a Resilience Factor for Mitigating the Detrimental Mental, Physical and Social Well-Being Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic (Tara Gruenewald, Anthony Ong, Danielle Zahn, Natalie Standridge, Erin Bonham, Clarissa Tadros, Brianna Dinn – Crean College, Cornell University) $12,534. Researchers investigate whether a response of helping others predicts better mental, social and physical well-being during and after the crisis.

• Understanding Relations between Emotional Biases, Decision-Making and Behavior, in the COVID-19 Pandemic (Uri Maoz, Ralph Adolphs, Gideon Yaffe) – Brain Institute and Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Yale Law School) $15,000. Researchers will analyze data to advise policy makers on how to improve health messaging, disease modeling and decision support related to prevention and control measures.

• Psychosocial Resources in Chapman Student Health and Learning during COVID-19 (Daniel Tomaszewski, Brooke Jenkins, Julia Boehm – School of Pharmacy, Crean College) $15,000. Researchers assess changes in stress during the pandemic and examine whether psychosocial resources reduce the impact.

LEADERSHIP AND HEALING

As Chapman adapts to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Collette Creppell’s experience in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina will be valuable, helping the university plan strategies to support the campus and the community in the months to come.

WHERE CAMPUS MEETS COMMUNITY

BY STACE DUMOSKI

Chapman reaches out with a vision for transformative support and recovery.

“Chapman has a depth of identity,” says Collette Creppell, the university’s new vice president of planning and design. In fact, it’s this “interesting circumstance” — the way the campus is woven into the urban fabric of the community — that intrigued her about Chapman from the start.

“From the northeast corner in the residential quad, to the southwest corner across from the train station, where the Hilbert Museum sits, Chapman is embedded in the neighborhood,” she observes. “Glassell and Palm are the co-axes that hold these different quadrants together and define the true footprint of Chapman in the community.”

Creppell, who earned her architecture degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, has a keen appreciation for the interconnected nature of campus and community, having worked both as a university architect (at Tulane University and Brown University) and as a city planner (in New York and New Orleans). That connection goes deeper than simply sharing a physical space, a truth brought home for Creppell in New Orleans, where she was instrumental in rebuilding Tulane in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Now, as Chapman adapts to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Creppell’s experience in New Orleans will be valuable, helping the university plan strategies to support the campus and the community in the months to come.

“I think of our current situation as a Katrina that has been unfolding in slow motion and at a global scale,” says Creppell.

While the devastation in New Orleans was physical, caused by storm surge slamming against the Gulf Coast, the effects of the coronavirus have hit as a series of waves, overtaking communities around the world on economic, social and psychological levels.

But, says Creppell, the university can play a transformative role in helping the community recover from the crisis.

“One of the things that we discovered at Tulane, and I think that we are starting to see and develop here at Chapman, is the way in which all of us are community members,” says Creppell.

Many faculty and staff members, administrators and students live in Orange, shop and dine here, and have a vested interest in the neighborhoods that intertwine with campus. With an intensified focus on external affairs, the community can begin to see the university even more, but as a set of engaged citizens who, through their personal as well as professional and academic commitments, are involved in the community.

At Tulane, says Creppell, every department and academic center discovered ways to engage with the community, whether through public health and medicine, or through social or environmental engagement.

“We ended up creating an entirely new curriculum community service as a pronounced cornerstone,” she adds. “There’s now a Center for Public Service that grew out of the post-Katrina response and helped to organize both faculty work and student interest in that area. Similarly, we're seeing Chapman’s longstanding commitment to the community grow in response to the pandemic.”

Creppell highlights the ways Chapman has already stepped up to help the community, from providing housing for first responders on the front lines, to sponsoring research on coronavirus-related topics, to hosting online community impact meetings. Though it’s still too early to predict everything that might happen, one thing is certain: In these challenging times, the partnership between campus and community will become more vital than ever.

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COVID-19

THE CORONAVIRUS IS CHANGING THE FUTURE OF HOME, WORK AND LIFE

BY JOEL KOTKIN

COVID-19 is hitting dense urban areas the hardest as it accelerates the dispersion of Americans.

The COVID-19 pandemic will shape how we live, work and learn long after the last lockdown ends and toilet paper hoarding is done. It will accelerate shifts that were already underway, including the dispersion of population out of the nation’s densest urban areas and the longstanding trend away from mass transit and office concentration toward flatter and often home-based employment.

Amid 20 years of fanfare about how big, dense cities are the future, the country had kept spreading out, with nearly all population growth since 2010 occurring in the urban periphery and smaller cities. As a new study from Heartland Forward, where I am a senior fellow, demonstrates, both immigrants and millennials – the key groups behind urban growth – are increasingly moving to interior cities and even small towns.

The coronavirus, which has hit major American cities hardest so far, is likely to accelerate that trend.

New York has been the American epicenter; dense regions seem especially susceptible to pandemics. This has also been the case in Europe. As of early April, half of all COVID-19 cases in Spain, for example, have occurred in Madrid, while the Milan region accounts for half of all cases in Italy and almost three-fifths of the deaths.

Suburban, exurban and small-town residents are, of course, vulnerable too, and will soon share some of the cities’ pain but far less than subway riders who live in crowded apartments. The people outside big cities, for example, get around in private cars and don’t have to push elevator buttons to get to and from their residences.

Cities no doubt will recover, particularly if real

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estate prices continue to fall, but the pandemics limit their upward trajectory and will continue to drive people elsewhere.

Phoenix, as well as smaller cities like Madison, Wisconsin, and Boise, Idaho, grew their highend employment far more quickly.

Even before the coronavirus, large office buildings were losing their primacy. Due in large part to technology, we use far less space per new job. In the 1990s companies used 175 square feet of space per new employee, a number that dropped to 125 in the late 2000s and barely 50 square feet today. Between 2016

One key driver is the accelerating trend toward working at home, as evidenced by growing web use, up 20 to 40 percent, with much of the surge taking place during the day. In the United States, there had already been a declining share for transit, while telecommuting has grown rapidly, up 140 percent since 2005. Even before the current pandemic, the benefits of working remotely were apparent in terms of productivity, innovation and lower employee turnover.

“There is almost no part of our society that will emerge unchanged from this moment.”

– Joel Kotkin

Work at home, according to the census, now exceeds transit usage nationwide, accounting for well over 5 percent of the workforce; it could easily employ about one in four workers over time, in ways that will reshape cities. Millions of Americans who used to commute to work may find it difficult to get back in an office.

and 2018, a time of robust economic growth, net demand absorption plunged from 58 million square feet to 35 million square feet.

The future of the office may include adding office space to new homes and apartments as the late Al Toffler’s concept of the “electronic cottage” becomes ever more common. One has to believe that companies like IBM and Yahoo, which sought to ban at-home work, are busily wiping the egg from their faces.

At the same time, roughly 80 percent of new job growth has been taking place in the suburbs and exurbs. Rather than concentrate in big cities, notes economist Jed Kolko, the share of the economy controlled by the five largest metros has declined over the past quarter-century. In many key business sectors, such as professional and business services and technology, sprawling places like Austin, Salt Lake City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Raleigh and

The firms that can rely on dispersed work will benefit most, while some jobs – notably in hotels, airports and theme parks – may wither for violating the new norms of social distancing.

Yet this transition is a veritable gold mine for companies like Slack – now the fastest growing business application on record – Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams, all of which manage real-time collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, presentations and

LEADERSHIP AND HEALING

Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast / Photo Getty Images conversations. Other clear winners include Amazon, streaming entertainment services, telemedicine and online education providers.

volunteers, churches and clubs. The new models may not be driven by oligarch funders or even governments but by grassroots assistance.

There is almost no part of our society that will emerge unchanged from this moment.

The new home-based, localized culture could even address global issues like climate change.

Rather than see the solution as ever more density, a shift to people working from home, and dispersing, could prove effective as a way to reduce greenhouse gases without enforcing an agenda of greater privation.

One profound shift may be in how people get information. Rather than turning to the news, many people are going straight to the CDC or Johns Hopkins’ COVID-19 dashboard as a better way to access “just the facts.”

The shift to online services may be a boon to the already much-too-powerful tech oligarchs, as big companies, quasi-monopolies and chains hold sway while small businesses are wiped out by weeks and months without revenue.

Yet at the same time the pandemic could provide, as one British writer put it, “a social stimulus,” a reawakening of the vast apparatus of local, charitable and communal institutions.

The nature of the crisis – its shattering effects on jobs, where we work, and revenue – will force communities to rely on local resources,

Rather than a nasty era of reduced expectations, we could be on the cusp of creating a more humane and sustainable urban culture. Many primary functions – food service, media, business and professional services, finance – will operate mostly free of unwanted human contact. Rather than Le Corbusier’s super-high-density “Radiant City,” our metropolises may come to resemble Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonia, a sprawling, low-rise, family-friendly environment.

seen as reactionary or outdated by some progressive thinkers. Indeed, as researcher Sam Abrams notes, surveys show that it’s millennials and Gen Z who suffer most from isolation and alienation. Perhaps returning to the family home may allow them to see the advantage of this most ancient of affiliations.

Margaret Mead once remarked, “no matter how many communes anybody invents, the family always creeps back.” In social isolation, we are not only stuck with each other, but we also learn how we depend on each other.

If we learn something about what really matters, it may not make up for the current tragedies, but perhaps it will mean that our suffering will not all have been in vain.

Joel Kotkin is a Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University. This opinion piece is excerpted from the original, published by The Daily Beast.

In the end, the pandemic could lead us to rediscover family, something that is often

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COVID-19

TO ZOOM AND BEYOND

BY DENNIS ARP

Instructor and students reinvent their class to research, write and publish a book on remote collaboration.

It was an experimental class, intended to give students a high-level look at the burgeoning worlds of VR, AR and XR – virtual, augmented and extended realities. Class members would meet entrepreneurs, talk to artists and consider the economics of the industry.

Then everything changed.

As the realities of the global coronavirus pandemic forced all Chapman University classes to be taught remotely, emerging tools of online conferencing and immersive experience suddenly were indispensable to learning. Beyond that, those tools became a critical link between people and communities.

But which of the online tools is the best for remote work? How do VR, AR and XR fit into the virtual-conferencing picture? Have we just fast-forwarded into a whole new world of work and social connection?

Fink and his students reinvented their class to answer these questions and others.

A GROWING FOCUS ON IMMERSIVE TOOLS With the blessing of Chapman academic leaders, the class became an eight-week sprint to perform research and complete a book called “Remote Collaboration and Virtual Conferences: The End of Distance and the Future of Work.” The project is an analysis of as many as 100 online tools designed to bring people together virtually.

“This is a book that was asking to be written,” said Fink, a consultant, author and columnist for Forbes, writing about XR, artificial intelligence and other technologies. Fink is an adjunct faculty member in Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

The project is heavy on research – each of the eight students in the VR/ AR class researched and analyzed 10 remote-collaboration websites.

The class is also a lot harder than it used to be, but students like Brandon Cloobeck '21 (M.A. '22) are seeing the rewards.

"I see it as an internship of sorts," says Cloobeck, a film studies major and 4+1 master's student. "I'm adding all kinds of skills to my tool set.

I've never written a write-up for a company before. This class is called Landscape of Emerging Media, and it's great to get deep into that area – how startups are launched and developed. We'll have lessons to apply to our own careers as we develop our own ideas."

STUDENTS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE Second-year student Josie Dillard '22 agreed.

"Exploring virtual reality communication, in particular, has been eyeopening," Dillard said. "It truly is a way to communicate like no other."

Fink said he was able to make the change to researching the book because he had learned through their class work that the students are capable of meeting big challenges.

“My expectation of students originally was that they would learn about a business they might want to be in,” Fink said. “Then we had this opportunity, and I said, ‘Let’s do something useful,’ I’ve been overwhelmed by the quality of the work.”

“This is a book that was asking to be written.”

– Charlie Fink

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Fink has written two previous AR-enabled books: “Charlie Fink's Metaverse” (2017) and “Convergence, How The World Will Be Painted With Data” (2019).

Like the new book, which had a June publishing date, his previous works do more than highlight tools of fun and entertainment.

LEADERSHIP AND HEALING

'THE END OF THE PHONE CALL’ “Any book on technology is about our society today,” he says. “Media is a mirror of the society from which it grows.”

In that mirror, readers of “Remote Collaboration will find content organized in sections such as “The End of Distance,” “The History of Telecommuting,” “The End of the Phone Call” and “The Future of Work.” As they perform their research, the students are taking a much deeper dive into an increasingly important industry. They’re also learning how to organize a huge project.

Along the way, they’re seeing how VR can enhance remote-conferencing sites. Thanks to the VR headsets students were allowed to take and use remotely, class members have been exploring sites like Spatial, which enables teams to collaborate in AR and VR. Participants don’t just share a screen, they share a space.

“With VR, you are present,” Fink said. “And presence is extremely satisfying.”

Students in a Dodge College class step inside Spatial Remote XR Collaboration Platform 3, an online site designed to make conferencing more immersive.

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DEFINING A MISSION, UNLEASHING A SPIRIT

BY GAIL STEARNS

Dean of the Wallace All Faiths Chapel

As the Fish Interfaith Center marks its 15th anniversary, the sacred beauty within finds new ways to get out.

“The space always wins,” Nancy Brink, director of church relations at the Fish Interfaith Center, is fond of saying. Indeed, had Chapman University built the first cathedral-like design presented, with pews arranged in lines bolted to the floor and permanent religious symbols, or built a stark space without such architectural ingenuity, the Fish Interfaith Center, and one could even say Chapman University itself, would be a very different place.

Instead, artistry ushers all who enter. Strands of blue lines meet to form one stream-like pathway under your feet, as you pass through impressive bronze doors etched with circular nature images, reminiscent of the oneness of humanity on a spiritual quest. Once inside the Chapel, light, nature, water and cosmos fill marquetry showcases and artistic creation, surrounding you, eliciting an experience of awe in this sacred space.

In the spring of its 15th year, we learned that the mission of the Fish Interfaith Center is not confined to the building itself. Throughout the time of COVID-19 physical distancing, our staff and student leadership have created online services of prayer, meditation, wellness, Qu’ran and Torah studies, blogs, podcasts,

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The Fish Interfaith Center welcomes visitors with inviting architecture and artistry, but the center's mission is not confined to the building itself, as the spring semester showed.

chats and grief counseling. This content is available at chapman.edu/chapmanhope.

The award-winning Fish Interfaith Center was the dream of Chapman trustees and key Chapman supporters who were members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Chapman’s founding denomination. This was not a stretch at all, because Chapman, and the Disciples, have long been committed to inclusion. When Chapman University strategically committed to an innovative goal of diversity and inclusion in recent years, participation by the Chapel was a natural fit.

For us, student opportunities to practice their faith or to be free to be without a particular faith in their exploration is an issue of accommodation for our students. On a given day, the sounds of Christian praise music,

Muslim prayers, Jewish Shabbat, interfaith dialogue, feet softly treading a labyrinth, quiet breathing in meditation, an academic lecture or the laughter of students, faculty and staff can be heard.

As chaplains, we are privileged to walk with students, faculty, staff and our entire Chapman community through times of grief, loneliness and discovery of new purpose and meaning in any place and time. Yes, the building always wins. And we are blessed because this building has shaped us to be flexible and create ritual and meaning in innovative ways. Even as we minister outside the beauty of the Fish Interfaith Center, we carry its spirit with us.

LEADERSHIP AND HEALING

FINDING STRENGTH IN THE FOUR C’S

BY JAY KUMAR Director of contemplative practice and well-being, Fish Interfaith Center

COMFORT Boost your immunity through sleep, diet, exercise and meditation.

Joining in an anniversary celebration earlier this year are, clockwise from top left, Warren Fish, Adam Buckley, George Buckley, Gretchen Fish, Gail Stearns, Janet Buckley and Ashley Buckley.

Photo by Jeanine Hill

View your health holistically – brain, body and being. Sleep and eat healthfully. When feelings of anxiety or panic pop up, stop and take 10 slow, deep breaths. Science affirms that doing so will regulate your body’s stress-response system, strengthen your immune system and help you become less reactive. Start with one minute a day of meditation to help you center spiritually and increase resilience.

WHEN DEALING WITH CHANGE, BE ADAPTIVE, NOT REACTIVE

CONTRIBUTION Helping others brings meaning.

Navigating change is never easy. But the COVID-19 crisis is in a league of its own. The unexpected disruption to our accustomed routine can feel overwhelming and unrelenting.

Worst of all, the change is hitting every part of our life – all at once.

In fact, brain science and timeless spiritual wisdom both teach us a valuable lesson: When your outside world feels out of control, learn to control your inside world. Or, more accurately, learn to let go to be more present and centered.

People have experienced the effects of spiritual and religious practices such as prayer, meditation and yoga for many years.

They expand one’s sense of belonging and centeredness, promote compassion for others and increase personal resilience in the face of adversity.

The concept of “neuroplasticity” reveals how we have the ability to rewire and retrain the brain to be more adaptive to change. Contemplative practices, such as meditation, mindful breathing and spiritual practices, empower us to be less reactive to uncertainty.

We have all been required to shift our lives dramatically and make sacrifices in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. We know this crisis is not affecting us all equally – some are grieving the loss of a loved one, or of their family’s livelihood. If you are able, find ways to contribute through helping others needing food or supplies. If you or family members are required to self-isolate or have to cancel an event, vacation, wedding or graduation, remind them they are “heroes” and remember that it’s for the ultimate welfare of society.

CONNECTION We need each other.

Times of crisis expose how we are far more interconnected and interdependent than we realize. Implementing “physical distancing” doesn’t equate to “social distancing and disconnecting.” Show up for one another. Message the people you care about. Check in on a long-lost friend, family members and your elder neighbors. Have your children make and send a video to grandparents they can’t visit. Reach out for help yourself if needed.

COMPASSION Recognize and accept your emotions.

Many of us are grieving losses in this time, whether they are due to the death of a loved one or the loss of future opportunity. Recognizing and accepting your fears, anxieties and concerns is the first step toward healing. Engage positive emotions as well – start a gratitude journal or write notes to those for whom you are grateful. Practicing emotional and spiritual self-care can help you feel calm, centered and in control.

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found

sounds Listening to campus life

sparks unique compositions that open ears and eyes to

the power of imagination.

BY DAWN BONKER

How do you capture a sunset in sound? Would a cupcake parade be noisy or as soft as buttercream frosting? And how do you transform such thoughts into music?

Those were some of the challenges tackled by students in a Chapman University music technology course this spring semester. The young composers were challenged to write such music in an assignment you could liken to a mashup of old-fashioned games like charades, musical chairs and telephone. The result is a collection of contemporary minicompositions that represent the sounds of campus life as heard and interpreted by the students in Principles of Music Technology.

“There's just so much creativity because it's so open-ended and flexible,” says Adam Borecki ’12, who teaches the class offered by the College of Performing Arts’ Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music.

The project began with a deceptively simple assignment early in the semester. Students went to a place on campus where they’d never been.

There, they turned off all devices, including headsets and phones. They sat, observed and listened. The campus-listening part of the assignment was completed before Chapman shifted to remote instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Using only the inspiration of what they saw and heard, the students drew a picture.

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“Part of creativity is embracing uncertainty.”

ADAM BORECKI ’12, instructor of music technology in the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music

To hear students' mini musical creations inspired by graphic compositions like the one shown above, open the QR code reader or camera app on your smartphone and scan the code here. Or find the compositions online at news. chapman.edu/2020/06/09/found-sounds/.

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The drawings were set aside for about a month while Borecki helped the students master music composition software. Then the artwork – called graphic scores or graphic notation in experimental music – returned. Each student received a classmate’s graphic score and from that wrote a 30-second piece of music using a vast array of electronic sound files, ranging from high-pitched droning hums to snippets of more conventional music, like a few notes strummed on a guitar.

The result is a collection of compositions, each piece a bit of unique, collaborative art. The software used for this style of electronic composing was free, and Borecki’s Zoom classes kept students on pace with the work.

“The idea that students create their own work, and then they give it away and somebody else has to re-create it, is exciting because part of creativity is embracing uncertainty,” Borecki says.

For Jack Ruhl ’21, the process was eye-opening. He sat atop Keck Center for Science and Engineering from late afternoon until sunset. His graphic score reflects how he tried to “listen from left to right.” He drew a kind of highway down the center of his score – certainly not reflective of the view from Keck, which overlooks Wilson Field. Rather, it was symbolic of how he perceived the sounds there.

“I do see images when I listen to things,” says the television writing and production major who is minoring in music technology. “I thought, ‘What if I told everything from left to right?’ So that affected the types of buildings I put in there. And on the right, I put some birds in the distance, and on the left the birds are bigger because I heard them more.”

At the other end of the assignment was the task of composing music from another person’s drawing or sketch. Mady Dever ’21 couldn’t help but smile when she saw Kylee Kamikawa’s ‘21 graphic score, a clutch of pastel cupcakes inspired by a fundraising event.

“I thought, ‘How does this relate to sheet music in any way?”’ says Dever, a screenwriting major minoring in film music composition who partners with her actress sister Kaitlyn Dever (“Booksmart”) in the folk-pop duo Beulahbelle.

Dever embraced the challenge of the class project.

The campus-listening part of the assignment was completed before Chapman shifted to remote instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic. The software used for this style of electronic composing was free, and Adam Borecki's Zoom classes kept students on pace with the work.

“I was only getting happy from the image, so I knew I had to make some majorsounding melody. I think you have to take the initial emotion you get from the visual,” she says.

Hearing what a classmate did with his black and white graphic score was revelatory for Ruhl, too.

“I was expecting something completely different. Maybe something cyberpunkesque or like something from ‘Blade Runner,’” he says, laughing.

Instead, classmate Jacob Hepp ’22 composed a softly ominous piece with instrumental moments.

Of course, that’s all part of what Borecki intends for the class. While they learn new musical technology skills, students also hone the oldest tool of all – imagination.

“That's one of the things that I love about being at a university. You already know all the thoughts that are in your own head,” Borecki says. “But when you can listen to other people and bounce ideas off each other, that's where you really start to grow and start to learn.”

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Inspired by what they hear during a first-time visit to a campus location, students in Adam Borecki's music technology class draw a picture, known as a graphic score. Then another student interprets the score as a musical composition.

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” I have two great passions – education and film.“ – Stephen Galloway

PHOTOS BY JULIE PAHOLIO BAUTISTA

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STEPHEN GALLOWAY TO HELM NEXT BIG LEAP FOR DODGE COLLEGE

BY DENNIS ARP

New dean brings industry connections and blockbuster buzz to nationally ranked film school.

Stephen Galloway is on the move. It’s a sunlit afternoon in February, and Galloway has just met for lunch with members of the Women of Chapman support group before taking a spirited trip through Marion Knott Studios to meet with students and pose for photos. He ducks into his new office to keep a conference call appointment.

Oprah Winfrey is on the line.

The two are working together on The Young Executives Fellowship, a leadership initiative Galloway launched last year to provide learning opportunities for young people of color. The phone call is to work out some important details.

“She’s very committed to the program,” Galloway says of Winfrey.

These days, Galloway is working on his own exciting new opportunity. On March 30, he stepped out of his previous position as executive editor at The Hollywood Reporter and into the role of dean at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. It’s clear that he is bringing an abundance of energy, a unique set of talents and an impressive array of industry connections.

“I have two great passions – education and film,” says Galloway, who in addition to his nearly three decades of leadership at The Hollywood Reporter is an Emmy Award-winning producer and was the Cosgrove Visiting Artist at Loyola Marymount University. “I want to create a real osmosis between Dodge College and the industry to bring working professionals in close connection with our students.”

A DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF THE INDUSTRY Galloway isn’t the only one who’s excited about this new chance to change lives.

“There are many reasons why I think he’ll be a great dean,” says Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Pictures. Galloway wrote the definitive biography of Lansing, the first woman to lead a Hollywood studio.

“Stephen is smart and has a great love for learning. This is his dream job,” Lansing adds. “I respect and admire him so much – I’ve seen him build programs and take them to a new level.

Then, to have someone who has been in the business, who knows all the players? I just think it’s the perfect time for him because he’s steeped in academia, but in a different way – this is the film school, after all. We need someone who knows the business and the ways it is changing.”

Those in leadership at Chapman agree that Galloway is the ideal choice to replace Bob Bassett, the founding dean who built Dodge College into one of the most highly respected film schools in the nation. Since Bassett’s retirement last summer, Dodge has been led by interim dean Michael Kowalski, who will continue at Chapman as a professor of film.

“Stephen is a gifted intellectual who will help bring our nationally-ranked film school into an entirely new era,” says Chapman President Daniele C. Struppa.

RAISING CHAPMAN'S PROFILE IN HOLLYWOOD Galloway’s vision for Dodge includes listening to faculty, students and staff to find out how he can best support them.

“I think we need to better define what makes Chapman unique,” he adds.

One way for Dodge College to grow is to bring industry leaders to campus. With his interview series “The Hollywood Masters” and The Hollywood Reporter’s “Roundtables,” Galloway has shown that inviting highly creative people into profound conversations can deepen understanding.

“He’ll develop new programs that are not only innovative but collaborative,” Lansing says.

The creative community Galloway envisions for Dodge will champion opportunity for students

Building on programs he began as executive editor of The Hollywood Reporter, Stephen Galloway plans to champion opportunity for students of diverse backgrounds at Chapman. and faculty from diverse backgrounds. He says his work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater L.A. to create the Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program is “the most meaningful thing in my life.”

The program pairs high school juniors from schools in South Los Angeles with women leaders in entertainment. More than 250 teenagers have gone on to college, helped by more than $10 million in scholarship money raised by Galloway and program partners.

LEADERSHIP FOSTERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS Empowerment is ingrained in Galloway’s leadership style, says Louisa Marshall ’20, who as a second-year student at Chapman worked for Galloway as an intern at The Hollywood Reporter.

“Stephen is always someone I’ve relied on for guidance. If he can do half of what he did for me, all the students in Dodge will be better off,” says Marshall, editor-in-chief of The Panther newspaper.

As Galloway gears up to the challenge of leading Dodge into a new era, he admits to feeling a mix of emotions.

“I’m absolutely excited because I truly believe that where I’m strong can help move the school forward. And I’m also petrified because there are areas where I need support. Tell me again how tenure works,” he says with a laugh. “Together we’re taking this bold leap, and I think that says a lot about the University and its leadership.”

Galloway is confident that a collaborative approach will ensure there are more bold leaps ahead for Dodge and for Chapman.

“One great thing you discover when you’re trying to launch a program is how many people want to help,” he says. “It’s really astonishing. It changes your view of people, not just your view of Hollywood.”

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MICHAEL IBBA TO LEAD SCHMID, HELP DRIVE CU’S RISE IN RESEARCH

BY DENNIS ARP

The renowned microbiologist is a standout in the lab and classroom as he also empowers others to succeed.

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“I want to help develop new student training grants, build scientific writing classes and engage in faculty and student research mentor training.

I’ll also look for opportunities to build cross-campus collaborations – for example with the labs on the Rinker Health Science campus.”

–Michael Ibba Michael Ibba calls it a problem. Chapman University calls it a key reason the professor of microbiology is such a great fit as the new dean of Chapman’s Schmid College of Science and Technology.

“I like everything I do – that’s my problem,” says Ibba, announced May 4 as the new dean of Schmid. He will begin July 31, taking over for Interim Dean Jason Keller. “Teaching, research, leadership – I’ve gotten greedy, I like them all,” he adds.

That’s just fine with Chapman, which champions the teacher-scholar-researcher model from the highest levels of leadership.

In fact, Ibba finds inspiration in the ways that Chapman President Daniele C. Struppa balances all three roles along with his chief administrator duties.

“To see the president of an elite school like Chapman win the Cozzarelli Prize [from the National Academy of Sciences for a 2017 research paper he co-authored], that really stuck out to me,” Ibba says. “Seeing senior leadership, including deans, publish their own research, teach and also be part of building for the future – that’s exactly what I was looking for.”

Ibba, a native of London who was the first in his family to attend college, comes to Chapman from Ohio State University, where he was professor and chair in the Department of Microbiology and the associate director of the Infectious Diseases Institute. Ibba is also the co-director of the National Institutes of Health’s Cellular, Molecular, and Biochemical Sciences Training Program.

At Chapman, Ibba will continue his research exploring how bacteria resist antibiotics and how scientists can use such knowledge to develop new therapies to overcome antibiotic resistance.

“Dr. Ibba is an impressive scholar with a long track record of research in the important area of antibiotic resistance,” Struppa says. "He will certainly help drive us forward as the dean of our science and technology school as we continue to be recognized nationally as a top research university.”

Indeed, among Ibba’s top priorities is helping Chapman continue its rise as a research institution. In fall 2019, the university earned an R2 designation in the update of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. R2 status puts Chapman in the company of just 130 national universities.

“I’m hoping to advance different aspects of the research agenda by using my own experience,” Ibba says. “I want to help develop new student training grants, build scientific writing classes and engage in faculty and student research mentor training. I’ll also look for opportunities to build cross-campus collaborations – for example with the labs on the Rinker Health Science campus.”

Ibba wants to help students and faculty best convey the essence of their work and how it can solve real-world problems. These days, science is as much about communication as it is experimentation, he says.

“You have to show why research is worth investment – why it’s important to society,” Ibba adds. “I think people will come out of this (coronavirus) pandemic valuing scientific communication much more highly.”

“I believe that a dean answers to everyone who works for him or her,” Ibba says. “I don’t see it the other way around.”

About himself, he says he values transparency and revels in the success of others.

“I like to empower people – train them and help them take control of things,” he says.

Kyle Mohler worked for six years in Ibba’s lab at Ohio State and is now a postdoctoral research fellow at Yale University. He says Ibba’s leadership style is collaborative and adaptive.

“One of Mike’s best attributes is he sees each person as an individual,” Mohler says. “He provided opportunities for me to grow and push myself, along with the tools for me to accelerate my career. Almost every day I use things I learned from his mentorship.”

During this time of transition, Ibba says he’s committed to maintaining what he calls “Schmid’s incredible momentum,” built by Interim Dean Keller, a professor of biological sciences, and Keller’s predecessor as dean, Andrew Lyon, now founding dean of Fowler School of Engineering at Chapman.

“When I interviewed at Chapman, I felt how fortunate I would be if I got a chance to become part of this incredible community,” Ibba says. “This is about me finding ways to contribute to something that is already phenomenal.”

Ibba says he can’t wait to get to work in Keck Center for Science and Engineering – a facility he calls “stunning.” But for now, the new dean is using remote collaboration tools to get to know students, staff and faculty so he “can help everyone fulfill their potential.”

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MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS

BY DAWN BONKER

The entire campus opens its doors to welcome visitors into the artistic embrace of the Escalette Collection.

The word “museum” is not in its name.

Nonetheless, the Phyllis and Ross Escalette Permanent Collection of Art at Chapman University is a museum. Exhibitions go up and tours go on. Visiting artists give lectures and conduct workshops. Curatorial staff plan and rotate exhibitions throughout the seasons.

But there’s one thing you won’t find at this museum. A main entrance. In essence, the doors are everywhere. That’s because since its naming 10 years ago, the Escalette Collection has intentionally displayed its art widely across the public spaces of campus.

“Our art has much greater exposure with our audiences than it would if it was in a single, dedicated place,” says Lindsay Shen, Ph.D., director of the collection. “We call ourselves a museum without walls. We hold ourselves to the standards of traditional museums.”

fits with their vision for a museum that brings meaning to the human experience, says their daughter, Suzanne Ellingson.

“I know my parents would be so proud of the exposure the collection gets and that it has continued to grow and be in places around campus that so many can enjoy its diversity,” Ellingson says.

So she’ll always remember the thrill she felt sitting at her computer when she discovered the works of Evette M. Pino, founder of the Veteran Prints Project.

“I was thrilled because this was the new and fresh art we were looking for,” Teves says.

Shen says student participation in the selection of new acquisitions is critical to the Escalette, which functions as an academic unit of Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

“This collection is for the campus, the community and the students,” Shen says.

REPRESENTING THE UNDERREPRESENTED Over the past decade, only 2.3 percent of acquisitions

by U.S. museums came from African American artists, according to research by the art industry publications “In Other Words” and “artnet News.”

Similar studies reveal that art by women represented a slim 11 percent of acquisitions.

And yet, the collection is key Escalette Collection registrar Jessica Bocinski '18, left, and director Lindsay Shen help to Chapman’s sense of place. In ensure that the artworks are accessible. "The collection is for the campus, the community Beckman Hall, students pass Edward and the students," Shen says.

Ruscha’s iconic “Pico and Sepulveda” In its corner of the world, the on their way to class. First-time So what’s ahead for the collection? More art, Escalette Collection aims to close those gaps. visitors stop in surprise when their tour leads programs and robust dialogues, thanks to As Shen explains, the effort is one of equity not them by a sliver of the Berlin Wall rising from a friends and supporters, including Ellingson, just for the artists, but also for the wider campus small reflecting pool and sculptural installation who made a five-year pledge to give $40,000 a community. designed by Emeritus Professor of Art Richard year for new acquisitions. Perhaps the best clues, Turner. A restored historic mural stretching “If you’re walking around campus and you’re not though, are in the guiding principles that shaped across an apartment house in a historic seeing yourself represented by the art, that’s not the collection’s first 10 years and promise to keep neighborhood near campus is available for all fair,” she says. it relevant for future generations. passersby to view.

Among the highlights collected in that effort are The collection even forged a new online outlet X-ray and lightbox prints created by California STUDENTS PLAY A BIG ROLE that has proved unexpectedly timely. When artist and Macarthur Fellow Elizabeth Turk, Haley Teves ’20 took her responsibility seriously. coronavirus advisories closed the campus early fittingly displayed at the Rinker Health Science in spring semester, team members used a new Campus in Irvine.

A student member of the Escalette’s acquisition digital gallery to invite viewers to virtual tours, committee, Teves took on a big task. The Under the guidance of the collection’s first scavenger hunts through “the gallery” and a Escalette planned a special exhibit honoring curator, Maggie Owens, Chapman acquired #museumfromhome project on Instagram and U.S. service veterans in the existing collection, several early pieces by Los Angeles artist Mark Facebook. from Frank Gehry to Roy Lichtenstein. But new Bradford, a collage and print artist whose work artists were sought for the exhibition, too. Her The late Phyllis and Ross Escalette couldn’t have is now displayed in museums around the world, task was to help research such artists. predicted such access when they established the including New York’s Museum of Modern Art. endowment supporting the collection, but it 36

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

CHAPMAN NOW “We owe so much to Maggie’s hard work establishing the collection and her wonderful instincts that led her to collect work by artists such as Mark Bradford,” Shen says.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC It’s not unusual to see neighbors from Old Towne Orange strolling through campus with dogs in tow. So collection registrar Jessica Bocinski ’18 thought, why not create a dog walk art tour that would acquaint neighborhood friends and others with the outdoor sculpture displayed through campus?

“I thought it would just be a fun way to get people engaged with art,” says Bocinski, who was a double major in art history and anthropology.

It worked. The popular tours are recurring events when the campus is open, and just one of the many ways the Escalette Collection welcomes the public to see and engage with the art.

Works in the Escalette Collection include, clockwise from top right: Untitled, lithograph, Mark Bradford; "Samatha 3," acrylic on board, Kelsey Brookes; "Mirror #5," lithograph, Roy Lichtenstein; "In Gods We Trust," gelatin silver print, Rotimi Fani-Kayode; "Después del Trabajo (after work)," mixed media on cardboard, Ramiro Gomez; and "Begin/ Again," spinning tissue ink monoprint, Maya Freelon.

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CLASS OF 2020 It’s no surprise that students in the Class of 2020 faced the unexpected challenges of their final semester so successfully. Even before this time of remote learning, seniors proved themselves as strong, resourceful and capable leaders.

Here are just some of the standouts in the Class of 2020.

LOUISA MARSHALL HISTORY Louisa Marshall started her college career as a dance major at NYU, but being in New York during the 2016 election led to a change in direction.

“Being engaged with the world around me inspired me to change up my career,” she says. “I became interested in understanding why things were the way they were.”

In her sophomore year, she transferred to Chapman and became a history major, with a minor in political science.

She also started writing for Chapman’s student newspaper, The Panther.

Marshall was soon adding professional experience to her resume, including an internship at The Hollywood Reporter and a position with NBC LA. Marshall was named editor-in-chief of The Panther for her senior year.

“I was excited to usher the newspaper into a new era of journalism that was bold and made people think,” she says.

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BRIAN KATZ STRATEGIC AND CORPORATE COMMUNICATION If four years as an Army Ranger taught Brian Katz anything, it’s that nothing ever goes exactly as planned.

Katz, who started his college education online while still in the military, came to Chapman as a strategic and corporate communication major, but it was a social robotics class with Austin Lee, Ph.D., that sparked a true passion.

Last year, Katz was awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship to work on a robotic bartender. This year, he helped establish the Social Robot Lab at Chapman.

He plans to continue his work with the lab as a graduate student in the Fowler School of Law. Katz’s goal is to focus his career on areas of law dealing with robotics.

“AI is, in a sense, its own species, and we need some sort of law to govern it,” he says.

LEADING THE WAY GEMALENE ACUPAN

CONNER CARNAHAN

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE (TRUMPET) AND CONDUCTING Gemalene Acupan is one of the lucky ones. Her senior recital took place in the fall, long before quarantine restrictions canceled spring performances.

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MATH, PHILOSOPHY AND PHYSICS

The recital was the first time she had conducted more than short pieces, and she was nervous. But Acupan knew she could trust the Chapman Orchestra during the performance at University Synagogue in Irvine.

“I could feel them respond to what I was doing, the information and gestures I was giving them,” she says.

Though she started playing the trumpet at age 9, Acupan didn’t really think about music as a career until she was ready to start college. Her parents, immigrants from the Philippines, wanted her to pursue STEM studies. But when she discovered that Chapman offered a conducting major, her heart was set.

Acupan added a leadership studies minor, and it’s the commitment to serving others that led her to another performance venue: playing “Taps” as the Orange Plaza Patriots lower the flag every Wednesday in Old Towne Orange.

Sometimes it pays not to make up your mind. Conner Carnahan was undeclared when he began at Chapman, but then an economics course sparked an interest in business administration. The same thing happened when he took a philosophy course.

“I enjoy rigorous thinking and logically examining arguments,” he says.

Carnahan still wasn’t satisfied. Studying economics led him to appreciate math, while studying the theory of relativity in his philosophy courses ignited a passion for physics. When he decided to add these two majors, he became Chapman’s first quadruple major. His professors provided the assistance and support needed to set up sustainable schedules.

“My courses didn’t feel so much like work because I was always passionate to learn the material,” he says.

Carnahan plans to continue several research projects, publish results and pursue a Ph.D. in physics.

“Playing the trumpet feels like a little task compared to the sacrifice they’ve made to serve me,” she says.

In the fall, Acupan will begin graduate studies in conducting at UCLA, but her connections to Chapman will remain strong.

Her younger sister, also a music performance major, will graduate in 2021, and her brother has joined the class of 2024. Family is more important than ever for the Acupan siblings, who lost their mother to cancer in 2018.

“I’m very blessed to be surrounded by my loved ones,” Acupan says. “The Chapman Family really exists. The care that I’ve felt as a student, I don’t think that exists anywhere else.”

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BIG DATA , HUGE IMPACT

The diagnosis of his daughter Hannah with autism spectrum disorder inspired Erik Linstead '01 to leave his industry job at Boeing and found the Machine Learning and Assistive Technology Lab at Chapman.

BY DENNIS ARP

Research at a CU machine learning lab aids thousands with autism spectrum disorder, including the daughter of project lead Erik Linstead '01.

Never did Erik Linstead’s Ph.D. in computer science seem so inadequate as when his 3-year-old daughter, Hannah, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

“If I had a Ph.D. in psychology or something like that, maybe I could do something useful for her,” Linstead ’01 thought to himself at the time. “But then when I realized there was some interesting stuff to be done in machine learning, I decided the only rational decision was to quit my industry job and come to Chapman, where I could focus on building a research lab around machine learning and autism.”

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So in 2015, Linstead left his position at Boeing and started down an academic path that led to his current role as principal investigator of the Machine Learning and Assistive Technology Lab at Chapman. And that “interesting stuff ” on autism he saw coming via machine learning? Now it’s being done by Linstead, his faculty colleagues and their students at Chapman.

data analysis sheds new light on the link between intensity of clinical intervention and developmental progress by young people who are on the autism spectrum. Basically, the more directed time a caregiver invests with a youngster, the better the outcomes.

RESEARCH IS HIGHLIGHTED IN A REPORT

BY AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS

“The clinical report is sort of a best practices guide for providing treatment to kids on the spectrum,” Linstead said. “My colleagues and I are filling a noticeable gap on applying machine learning to behavioral data to improve treatment.”

Earlier this year, the lab team’s research was featured in a clinical report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The lab’s

By focusing on the relationship between treatment intensity and learning outcomes, the report is doing more than influencing

CHAPMAN NOW “For me, it’s exciting that we get to help people in need, even though we’re not right there with the child, delivering therapy.”

Elizabeth Stevens ‘10 (Ph.D. ’18)

developmental interactions. It’s convincing insurers to pay for the extra caregiving time, Linstead said. That’s huge for the families of the roughly 1 in 59 U.S. children diagnosed with the neurodevelopment disorder.

“Treatment hours alone can account for 35% of the learning outcomes being mastered,” he said. “That means as you consider which treatment knob to turn, the intensity knob is one of the biggest on the dial. When you turn it up, you get lots of response.”

COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS MOVES THE PROJECT FORWARD Machine learning uses algorithms to build a mathematical model for data analysis. As Linstead’s team uses machine learning and clinical data to evaluate treatment strategies, the lab benefits from a number of important partnerships, including with the consumer credit company Experian, which has funded its research. In addition, the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) provides

the lab with large data sets and expertise for projects.

The association with CARD has boosted research on multiple fronts. The partnership springs from a connection between Linstead and Dennis Dixon, chief clinical officer at the Center for Autism.

“CARD had been collecting this data, and they were at a point where they really wanted to start doing some interesting analysis,” Linstead said. “They ran into obstacles finding the right people for collaboration. Through a mutual acquaintance, Dennis and I were introduced, and it’s one of those things where you meet someone and you just know right off that you’re going to be great friends and colleagues.”

A FORMER STUDENT OF LINSTEAD PLAYS A KEY FACULTY ROLE ON THE TEAM Over the years, the lab’s collaborative connections have grown. Elizabeth Stevens ‘10 (Ph.D. ’18), a former data science student of Linstead at Chapman, left a job with

Elizabeth Stevens ‘10 (Ph.D. ’18) Standard and Poor’s in Denver to join the research team. Last year, Stevens also took on the role of program director for the Fowler School of Engineering.

“I’m looking at the data and outcomes and trying to figure out, what is the data telling us? How can we tailor it so everyone can be successful?” Stevens said. “For me, it’s exciting that we get to help people in need, even though we’re not right there with the child, delivering therapy.”

For Linstead, the work has always been about the thousands of young lives impacted by the lab’s data analysis. And one life that’s as close to him as his own heart.

Hannah is now old enough that he can joke with her as he also advocates for the resources she needs to thrive. She still struggles with some social and behavioral issues, “but I mean her dad’s a computer scientist, so she probably comes by some of that honestly,” Linstead said with a chuckle.

Sometimes when he is working on a manuscript about the lab’s analysis, Hannah will look over his shoulder to read the abstract, then want to talk about the research and how it pertains to her.

“That’s fun,” Linstead said.

From the day Hannah was diagnosed, “my life and my family’s life has never been the same,” he added. “But all things considered, we’re in a good place.”

The MLAT Lab's data analysis sheds new light on the link between intensity of clinical intervention and developmental progress by young people who are on the autism spectrum, Linstead says.

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CHAPMAN NOW

TEST-OPTIONAL POLICY ADOPTED FOR ADMISSION

BY DAWN BONKER

Research shows that SAT and ACT scores are poor predictors of student success.

Struppa didn’t discount the tests entirely, though, saying that in the past they offered some insight into students’ college readiness. But he cited test preparation as one reason for their diminished value.

Many colleges and universities waived the SAT and ACT for future prospective students, as the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on test-taking schedules and study routines this spring. But Chapman University was already well down that road, having announced its testoptional policy this winter.

Moreover, Chapman evaluates applicants in a holistic fashion that considers every facet of student readiness, from coursework to community service. Struppa credits that process for doing what standardized tests can’t – identifying students who will thrive at Chapman.

Chapman’s decision to adopt the new option for applicants applying for fall 2021 entry was based on results from a two-year study of its own student population.

“Our staff has already been able to tease out the ability of students in ways that are not captured by the SAT. So I suspect that part of the reason why, for us, GPA is already more predictive, is because of the entire process we put in place. So I would not be surprised if a different university were to run the same test and discover that, for them, the SAT is a good predictor,” he said.

The research revealed that for Chapman students, high school grade point averages are a better predictor of college achievement than are the standardized tests. Indeed, the scores proved to be such weak predictors that giving them equal weight to GPA created an inaccurate devaluation of high school grades, which Chapman researchers believe reveal much more about students’ commitment to genuine learning.

The findings confirmed what Chapman President Daniele C. Struppa had long suspected – a test taken on one day of a teen-ager’s life is a poor measure of college readiness.

The two-year study was conducted by Chapman presidential fellow and economic scientist Steven Gjerstad, Ph.D. Among the study’s key discoveries was a declining correlation between students’ success at Chapman and their standardized test score.

“Over the years, we have seen a decline in the value of SAT and ACT in predicting student success as measured by first-year GPA. This held true for every academic discipline we measured,” said Mike Pelly, Chapman’s vice president of enrollment. “While students can still submit their scores if they feel it may help their application, withholding their score won’t work against an applicant.”

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The change in the Chapman admission requirement is part of a nationwide trend of recent years, fueled in part by criticism that standardized tests perpetuate inequities.

Struppa said he expects the new policy will contribute to the university’s commitment to expanded inclusivity. Most of all, though, he said the decision connects to the goal of enrolling the most promising students, many of whom have unique skills and talents that can’t be measured by any standardized exam.

“Chapman is committed to ensuring we are an accessible campus,” Struppa said. “Standardized test scores have created a barrier to entry for many students who belong at a university, and we are now removing that barrier.”

The university’s thorough admission review will continue to consider academic achievement in combination with a student’s grade point average, curriculum, leadership and service activities, essay, recommendations and school profile.

A

C

T

The research revealed that for Chapman students,

S

A

T

?

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BETTER PREDICTOR OF COLLEGE ACHIEVEMENT

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

HIGH SCHOOL GRADE POINT AVERAGES ARE A

THAN ARE THE STANDARDIZED TESTS.

CHAPMAN NOW

CU GRAD PROGRAMS JUMP IN U.S. NEWS RANKINGS

BY DAWN BONKER

Several of Chapman University’s graduate degree programs made significant gains in the U.S. News & World Report rankings released in March. Rising in the latest rankings were programs from Argyros School of Business and Economics and Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.

Additionally, Chapman University School of Pharmacy broke into the top 100 pharmacy schools in its first year of being ranked by U.S. News, landing at No. 99. Dale E. Fowler School of Law jumped 21 spots to No. 111 in the best law schools category. Collectively, the graduate programs of Attallah College of Educational Studies rose 10 points to No. 133.

The latest rankings recognize that Chapman’s graduate programs now stand among the best in the nation, said Chapman President Daniele C. Struppa.

EXPANDING GRADUATE STUDIES “We’ve earned these extraordinary rankings thanks to the commitment of our entire Chapman community and all the supporters who have helped us execute on our strategic initiatives to build and enhance our graduate programs. It mirrors the robust culture of excellence we are proud to see throughout the university,” Struppa said.

The rankings factor in Chapman’s reputation among its peers in higher education, so are particularly gratifying, said Provost Glenn Pfeiffer.

“As our national reputation grows, it’s validating to earn this respect from our peers who recognize our excellence in preparing students for positions of leadership across society. These rankings represent the commitment of our faculty, talented students and dedicated alumni, many of whom hire our graduates because they personally know that a Chapman graduate is ready for any challenge,” Pfeiffer said.

HEALTH SCIENCES AMONG THE BEST

RECOGNITION FOR MBA PROGRAMS

Crean’s Doctorate in Physical Therapy program cracked the top 100 list, coming in at No. 97.

Again, Hill cited clinical experiences available to students as among the many signs of the program’s growing excellence.

The Full-Time MBA program in Argyros School ranks No. 74 in the nation, up from No. 85 in 2020, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Business Schools rankings. Poets & Quants – one of the country’s most recognized business school publications – highlighted Argyros School for making one of the largest jumps in the nation. The Argyros School now ranks third overall among private schools on the West Coast, behind only Stanford and USC. Corporate recruiters ranked Argyros School graduates 37th nationally.

“We ultimately measure our success by the value our graduates bring to organizations. Our strong connections in the business community and increasingly influential faculty are the keys for us. This rating by the employers who hire our graduates is why prospective students are increasingly looking to the Argyros School for an MBA,” said Thomas Turk, Ph.D., dean of Argyros School.

At Crean College, the MS in Communication Sciences Disorders rocketed 28 spots from No. 120 to No. 92. The change in rankings reflects the program’s excellence, from the clinical opportunities it offers students to the educational experiences in the neuro-deficit learning lab, said Janeen Hill, Ph.D., dean of Crean College.

Fowler Law’s 21-place ranking uptick comes on the heels of recently released national law school admissions data revealing that Fowler School of Law saw the largest gains in incoming class credentials of any U.S. law school from 2016 to 2019. The median LSAT score increased three full points, from 155 to 158.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings consider several factors, including placement success, as measured by salaries and employment rates; student selectivity, including average graduate admissions tests, GPAs and acceptance rates; and ratings by deans and recruiters.

# 99

# 92

# 74

# 111

School of Pharmacy broke the top 100 pharmacy schools in its first year in the rankings, landing at No. 99.

In Crean College, the MS in Communication Sciences Disorders jumped 28 spots to No. 92.

The Full-Time MBA program in Argyros School ranks at No. 74 in the nation, up from No. 85.

Fowler Law rose 21 spots to No. 111 in the best law schools category.

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CHAPMAN NOW

CHAPMAN REDOUBLES ITS COMMITMENT TO CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

BY STACE DUMOSKI

As an undergrad, Austin Gray ’19 was recruited for an internship at Target. Now, a year after graduation, he works as a human resource manager for the same company. He, along with recruiters, alumni leaders and executives representing businesses from across the state, were welcomed to Chapman University with vigorous applause during the 2020 State of the University address in February.

Now, given the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, the employment landscape is in flux. But that only enhances the critical link between Chapman and the employers who repeatedly find value in hiring the university’s alumni.

“The hiring process and how we connect are rapidly evolving,” says Jo Etta Bandy, vice president of career and professional development at Chapman. “For each of us, and for each organization, those changes look different. We continue to seek opportunities to connect Chapman talent to companies and professionals who are ready to step up and Think Chapman First in this time of need.”

Top employers, including Apple, CHOC Children’s, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Ingram Micro, KPMG, Microsoft and Nordstrom, continue to lead the way and have already welcomed to their teams members of the Class of 2020. Others actively recruiting Chapman talent are ListReports, Northrop Grumman, Kaiser Permanente, the County of Orange, City of Hope, Bank of America, Los Angeles and Santa Ana Unified School Districts, Target and Amazon.

Not every employer is in a position to hire, but companies with hiring freezes and furloughed professionals have continued to Think Chapman First by conducting mock and informational interviews, participating in alumni career panels and serving as subject matter experts during virtual career workshops. Recently a team of Chapman alumni led a Disney Alumni Career Panel. It was a timely learning, networking and professional development opportunity for the 100+ students and alumni who tuned in to learn about the company’s culture and the professional journeys of Disney-Chapman alumni.

“For Chapman students aiming to gain experiential knowledge via internships, alumni facing layoffs or furlough, and especially for the Class of 2020 entering the workforce, the stakes have never been higher,” Bandy said. “In March, our team pivoted to focus on connecting Chapman students and alumni with remote and COVID19-friendly jobs and internships. We also rapidly transformed events into virtual experiences, provided alternative internship learning activities and sought to enhance resources to meet new needs.

This summer, we’re on track to provide more career programming

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Austin Gray '19 turned an internship with Target into a position in human resources after his graduation. The retailer is among the top employers of Chapman alumni, as President Daniele Struppa noted in February during his State of the University address. than any summer before. We make a promise to be every Panther’s ‘Career Connection for Life’ – and that includes times of job market uncertainty and global crisis.”

To ensure that graduates get all the assistance they need to find a job, the Office of Career and Professional Development is planning to call each Class of 2020 graduate. The goal is to connect these new alumni with their school-specific career advisor and get them the resources they need.

In addition, Chapman is committed to building industry partnerships that are mutually beneficial, by engaging in programs that encourage job training and targeted education, so that students are better prepared to take on the kinds of jobs partners need filled, Bandy said.

Jessica Bergin, a corporate recruiter for Monster Beverage Company in Corona, has appreciated the opportunity to develop great talent among Chapman students and alumni.

“They speak for themselves,” Bergin says. “They present themselves well. They ask great questions. Overall, Chapman students are prepared for the workforce, they’re driven and innovative, and they're collaborative. That's what we're looking for at Monster.”

If you'd like to Think Chapman First by hiring a Chapman graduate, visit chapman. edu/campus-services/career-professional-development/.

CHAPMAN NOW

Representatives from Chapman's Top Employers gather with President Struppa on stage at the Musco Center. “We want to hear from you,” Struppa said, “about how we can train our students to be better and better, so that they will be even more successful with your company.”

“In March, our team pivoted to focus on connecting Chapman students and alumni with remote and COVID-19friendly jobs and internships.”

– Jo Etta Bandy, vice president of career and professional development

Joining President Struppa are senior leaders at Monster Energy -- from left, Steve Wallace, senior vice president and global chief information officer; Patrick Boulard '90 (MBA '92), vice president IT for the Project Management Office; Jessica Burgin, corporate recruiter; and Sharlene Porche, HR director.

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CHAPMAN NOW

HALL OF FAME

INDUCTEES

BY STEPHANIE HOUSE

The Chapman University Donald P. Kennedy Athletics Program will induct four standout student-athlete alumni into Chapman's Hall of Fame this year. The inductees are the 39th Hall of Fame class to be honored as important contributors to the university's athletic history.

Men's tennis champion and six-time All-American Troy Turnbull '86, former basketball standout Toby Curto ’97, two-time softball All-American Maggie Wilder Werner ’07 (MA '12) and three-time All-American and school-record-holder Jillian Felger-Mabee '09 comprise Chapman's Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Originally, plans called for the honorees to be enshrined beside fellow Chapman legends during the 2020 Night of Champions on October 23, 2020 and at the plaque unveiling during halftime of the football game on the following day. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, those plans are being reevaluated.

A RETURN TO AN ANNUAL CELEBRATION From 1980 until 2013, the Hall of Fame inductions were held annually. Over the past six years, the Athletic Department refocused the event by creating sponsorship opportunities and bringing in dynamic keynote speakers.

"The feedback we received last fall is it is such a powerful and pride-filled event. We didn’t want to wait two years to do it again," says Doug Aiken, associate director of athletics. "With the success of our Panther teams over the past 25 years we now have a backlog of highly successful candidates we’ll need to induct in future years. It was time to get moving!"

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TROY TURNBULL ’86

THE 2020 CHAMPIONS

helped pioneer Chapman's NCAA Division II men's tennis dynasty of the late 1980s. He was a four-time All-American in singles and a two-time All-American in doubles. Thanks to Turnbull, the Panthers finished in the top 10 in the nation in all four of Turnbull's seasons and won their first of three NCAA Division II national titles in 1985. Turnbull led the Panthers back to the championship in 1986 for a national runner-up finish.

The 2020 Hall of Fame Class celebrates a variety of sports and honors athletes from 1986 to 2009.

“Of all the men’s tennis players that are in our Hall of Fame, Troy might have been the best and most tenacious,” says Aiken.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

CHAPMAN NOW

TOBY CURTO ’97 was a four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer for

Chapman's men's basketball team during its transition from Division II to Division III. More than 20 years later, he still ranks in the top 10 for career scoring average during Chapman's Division III era. As a two-time All-Region selection, Curto helped the Panthers achieve 65 wins in his four years, as well as a winning record in every season of his undergraduate career.

“Toby will be the first Division III men’s basketball player we induct and it’s fitting because he was here through the transition from Division II to III and was the prototypical DIII student-athlete — strong academically, a good leader, high character and he was an AllRegion talent,” says Aiken.

MAGGIE WILDER WERNER ’07

is a two-time All-American and three-time All-Region selection as a pitcher. Her 47 career wins and 361 career strikeouts rank third all-time at Chapman, while she ranks fourth in complete games (46) and shutouts (18). With Wilder in the circle, the Panthers advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times and won their regional twice, placing third in the nation in 2005.

“Maggie was the pitching staff ace for all four years on a team that made the playoffs each year and won two regional titles,” says Aiken. “Besides her statistical accomplishments and All-American honors, she was a fierce competitor you could always rely on in the big games, against the best teams, and she was a leader her teammates respected the heck out of.”

JILLIAN FELGER - MABEE ’09 is one of the most accomplished

volleyball student-athletes in Chapman's Division III history. She was a three-time AllRegion and three-time All-American selection as a middle blocker. She also earned Academic All-American honors as a senior, making her the only volleyball player in Chapman's history to be named an All-American and an Academic All-American. She still tops the Chapman record books with a .344 career hitting percentage and a .381 hitting percentage in her junior year while ranking second all-time with 3.72 kills per set and third with 1,148 total kills.

“Jill was this unassuming superstar, a model of consistency and excellence,” says Aiken.

“She was better than anyone — before or since — at finishing the play, with the highest hitting percentage in school history, in spite of the fact that she was undersized at 5-foot10 for the position she played: middle blocker."

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CHAPMAN NOW

HER BOOK CASTS SPOTLIGHT ON ‘PARASITE’ DIRECTOR

BY DENNIS ARP

Chapman University Professor Nam Lee is a scholar of Korean cinema and has written a book on the films of her friend, “Parasite” writerdirector Bong Joon-ho. But even she didn’t see this breakthrough moment coming.

Media Arts. Bong attended as special guest for a mini retrospective of his films.

The Academy Award victories for Bong as Best Director and “Parasite” as the first non-Englishlanguage film to win Best Picture caught Lee by surprise. On Oscar night, she and some KoreanAmerican friends gathered to watch the telecast, and before the ceremony they tried to predict the number of awards “Parasite” would win. Only one of the eight saw the film snagging four Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay as well as Best Director for Bong.

BONG JOON-HO’S CHAPMAN VISIT

The prescient forecaster wasn’t Lee. As a film historian, she knew that Oscar hasn’t been kind to films facing barriers of language and culture.

“I was more conservative,” Lee says. “Others were more hopeful.”

But now that “Parasite” has reset the Oscar paradigm, Lee is eager to consider what comes next, including the release in September of her book, “The Films of Bong Joon-ho,” from Rutgers University Press.

For South Koreans and the Korean filmmaking community, the Best Picture Oscar is like “Parasite” won the World Series, she says.

A PIVOTAL MOMENT FOR KOREAN CINEMA “Korean cinema has been strong for the last two decades, but the U.S. has been slower (to embrace Korean films) compared with Europe,” says Lee, Ph.D. “Now I expect that U.S. audiences will be more open to other films from South Korea, and there will be more opportunities for South Korean filmmakers.”

Lee couldn’t be happier for Bong, whom she first met in 2011 when she helped organize the Busan West Film Festival at Chapman’s Marion Knott Studios, home to Dodge College of Film and

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During Bong’s visit, he stayed on campus and particularly enjoyed having breakfast with students.

“He really gave us a lot of time with students,” Lee recalls. “The students just loved him.”

In the nine years since the festival, Lee’s admiration for Bong’s filmmaking has only grown as she and the director have continued to correspond.

“In his films, the settings and sensibilities are very Korean, but the films are also very transnational,” she says. “His films are entertaining and funny, but in other ways sad and serious. They can be enjoyed without knowing all the various layers of subtext.”

With “Parasite,” Bong digs deeper into themes of class conflict and economic disparity that are familiar to his fans, Lee notes.

“One of the reasons ‘Parasite’ is appealing to a lot of audiences is because we share the same social issues,” she says.

A year ago, as “Parasite” started gaining industry buzz at festivals like Cannes, where it won the top prize, Bong also got new chances to share his artistic vision as well as his engaging personality.

“He’s never about himself – always humble and inclusive,” Lee says. “You could see that in his Oscar acceptance speeches. He wanted to share the moment with others.”

‘PARASITE’ BREAKS BARRIERS When “Parasite” won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, Bong nowfamously referenced “the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles” that typically keeps non-Englishlanguage films from enjoying U.S. boxoffice success. Lee’s conversations with her

Chapman film professor Nam Lee first met Oscarwinning director Bong Joon-ho in 2011 when she helped organize the Busan West Film Festival at Chapman's Marion Knott Studios. students tell her that such impediments are disappearing.

“I think the barrier is getting lower with a new generation,” she says. “I had this discussion with a class, and one student said it’s because they grew up playing Japanese video games that have subtitles.”

Whatever the reason, Bong’s films resonate deeply with many of Lee’s students. That point hit home Sunday night, when her email inbox filled with notes from students and alumni who had taken her classes. They felt as if they had shared in Bong’s Oscar success.

“One thanked me for teaching how important Korean cinema is,” Lee says. “That was a really rewarding email.”

CHAPMAN NOW

Rachel Redleaf ’19 grabbed for her buzzing phone. Her manager was calling, and she knew it was good news when his first words were, “Are you sitting down? You’d better sit down.”

Redleaf was sitting down. But in an instant she was up and jumping around, because the Chapman University student learned she had landed the part of Mama Cass in the Quentin Tarantino film “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.”

Rachel Readleaf ‘19

HOW’D YOU GET

THAT JOB? It’s Once Upon a Breakthrough for Chapman Acting Student

BY DENNIS ARP

It was 8 o’clock on a Friday night, she was in her PJs, and Redleaf’s life had just changed. She had to get from Orange to LA in an hour to get her hair dyed. By Monday, she was shooting party scenes, gliding around the pool at the Playboy Mansion in the manner of ‘60s pop star Cass Elliott, surrounded by a cast of A-list actors.

THE ROLE OF AN ICONIC FIGURE FOLLOWS “ATYPICAL” AND “KAJILLIONAIRE” It’s also important to Redleaf that she got to play, as she says, “an icon of the big girl world.”

“I don’t know that there could be people like Adele or Aidy Bryant (without Mama Cass). Of course, there would be these girls, but it’s great that people love them, and I think that Mama Cass really paved the path for these girls.”

As a sophomore at Chapman, Redleaf began three seasons in the role of Beth Chapin in the Netflix series “Atypical,” and as a junior she landed the feature film “Kajillionaire,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Mixing professional acting and academics was often a struggle, she says.

“It was the ultimate experience, and I was getting everything from day one,” Redleaf recalls.

Now, while she waits for the entertainment industry to restart after the COVID-19 pandemic has pretty much derailed all production, Redleaf still has a lot to be proud of, with “Once Upon a Time” earning nominations for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

She graduated last May from the College of Performing Arts and Dodge College of Film and Media Arts with a BFA in screen acting. The major is offered in partnership by the two schools.

“ONCE UPON A TIME” WAS A FAIRYTALE EXPERIENCE Redleaf looks forward to building on her breakthrough opportunity once Hollywood resumes its production schedule. From the moment she learned she would play Mama Cass in “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” she knew she wanted to make the role her own.

“I watched every video of her I could find,” Redleaf says. “She has this very specific dance thing she does with her feet, clicking her heals together. I wanted to master that, so when I’m dancing through the crowd, I could make sure to get her.”

And being directed by Tarantino?

“I definitely wanted to work from the beginning.

Then I booked my first job, and I thought about dropping out, but I decided to keep going,” she says. “Even though it got really hard to do two things at once, I decided, I can’t leave at this point. I have to prove that I can do this.”

Redleaf says she learned a lot at Chapman. And while she waits out the pandemic, she continues to revel in a film experience that provides priceless memories.

“People want to hear about this film.” She notes.

“I’m honored to be part of something legendary.”

“He’s the most passionate and loving man on set I could ever have dreamed of working with,” Redleaf says.“He would tell me,‘Whenever you’re on screen, you’re just lighting it up.’ You can tell how much love he has for making movies. It makes even people who might be jaded in this industry happy to be there every single day.”

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“Especially right now because of coronavirus, we think about how our health is in the hands of other people in a very real way,” says Crigger. “I hope that as we move out of this phase, people continue to be mindful about the impact of their own actions, and how small changes can really add up and help make things better for everybody.”

THE UNIVERSITY’S GOALS Improving sustainability and energy efficiency at a university, especially one with many historic buildings, is no small feat.

In the Chapman Grand student housing complex, replacing all inefficient CFL lightbulbs will have a great impact. Nearly 75% of the energy used to run a CFL bulb produces heat, not light. With this update, students will run their air conditioning less, saving energy.

Crigger’s other major initiative is to install energy-efficient window films in Beckman Hall. Sunlight heats the south side of the building, causing the AC system to go into overdrive and freeze the shady north side of the building.

“It was miserable. I was in there with a sweater and a Snuggie, and it's summer,” said Crigger.

Sustainability efforts at Chapman are not only about changing physical spaces. They’re also about educating and motivating.

Sustainability manager Mackenzie Crigger checks an electrical submeter to capture data on energy use. The information is available for each building on campus.

EARTH DAY EVERY DAY Sustainability manager Mackenzie Crigger keeps Chapman on course, even as a pandemic turns the campus quiet.

The Chapman University campus is eerie from lack of activity – no lights, no phones, no motor cars. In some ways, it’s a sustainability manager’s dream.

In early March, before stay-at-home orders tightened further, Mackenzie Crigger roamed the all-but-empty halls, tackling tasks of energy efficiency and sustainability, even in difficult times.

“Now that students are gone, we’re able to do a lot of stuff that ordinarily would have to wait till summer,” Crigger said. “Our LED project is going much faster now that no one's around, which is a double-edged sword.”

Events marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day were canceled. So the chance to sub in more efficient lightbulbs came at the cost of an opportunity to raise environmental and sustainability awareness among Chapman’s 8,000 students.

Crigger sees a parallel. Just as Earth’s future depends on our ability to advance sustainability, health and safety in the time of COVID-19 depend on the actions of everyone.

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Jamie Larkin, chair of the university’s Sustainability Committee and an assistant professor of creative and cultural industries at Wilkinson College, looks forward to revamping general education courses to highlight sustainability and environmental awareness.

MAKING SUSTAINABILITY MORE VISIBLE “How, as a faculty, can we make sustainability more visible, and signal to students where to go if they’re interested in looking at this idea?” Larkin said.

Plans are under way to assess syllabi and help interested professors find ways to incorporate sustainability into their courses.

Students are also engaged in sustainability issues, and they aren’t afraid to talk about them, Larkin said. Before arriving at Chapman, Larkin had no idea about the significant ecological impact of “fast fashion” – inexpensive clothes typically made overseas.

“It’s only through conversations with students that I’ve been informed,” he said. “Now we’re offering a course on creative and cultural industries and sustainability that will help students think about how fashion, music, theme parks – all of these creative industries – think about sustainability.”

As a professor of biological sciences who teaches in the Environmental Science and Policy program at Chapman, Jason Keller says he wants students to bring a range of perspectives to the search for environmental solutions.

“We’re trying to educate students so they identify as scientists but can understand policy implications, and simultaneously to create policymakers who ground their work in science,” he said.

The COVID-19 outbreak has, in some ways, made it easier to step back and take a closer look at the cost of carbon emissions in our modern lives.

“A silver lining is that it’s kind of a massive social experiment in which we will see what the effects of human activity have on the environment,” says Larkin. “It is a dry run to how people might change their lives in regard to climate change.”

J

oyce Marion Chapman ’42, a beloved alumna and supporter of Chapman University, passed away March 28, just a few months shy of her 100th birthday.

IN MEMORIAM

JOYCE MARION CHAPMAN ’42

She was a committed philanthropist and a torchbearer of the Chapman legacy, dedicated to aiding and inspiring. Her name is etched into the fabric of the Chapman campus via the Joyce Marion Chapman Rotunda in Leatherby Libraries.

Chapman was the niece of Charles C. Chapman, the university’s namesake, and was a cherished member of the campus community. With her radiant smile and positive attitude, she embodied the Chapman spirit as she progressed from student to alumna and member of the Chapman support group Town & Gown.

Chapman’s generosity infuses the Leatherby Libraries, especially in The Frank Mt. Pleasant

SHIRLEY LAPIER ’55

S

hirley Lapier ’55, a devoted teacher and counselor who was a member of the Chapman Family for 68 years, passed away January 22.

Lapier, a double major in biology and physical education, was a student during a transformative moment in Chapman’s history – when the campus moved from Los Angeles to Orange. Her class was the first to graduate from the Orange campus.

Her connection to Chapman was enduring. Lapier’s generosity funded numerous scholarships and influenced Town & Gown, Disciples on Campus and the Alumni Association. Her name graces one of the offices at Elliott Alumni House.

She regularly volunteered at the Candle Lighting Ceremony, passing the symbolic flame of knowledge to the incoming class at the beginning of each academic year. As those students graduated four years later, Lapier would welcome them into the Alumni Association.

Lapier taught and was a counselor for nearly 40 years in the Anaheim Union High School District. Among her students were Chapman Trustee and former Congress member Loretta Sanchez ’85 and Chapman Professor Emeritus Lynne Doti. Lapier’s legacy will impact students for generations through the Lapier Family Endowed Scholarship in Attallah College of Educational Studies.

Library of Special Collections and Archives.

Chapman gave the university the unique gift of history, by ensuring that the collection would include Chapman family photographs and papers. In addition, she funded accessible technology for the library so that all who wished to connect with knowledge would have that opportunity.

DAVID WERKSMAN ’91

D

avid Werksman ’91, a 22-year veteran of the Riverside County Sheriff ’s Department, died April 2 from complications related to COVID-19. He was 51.

Most recently,Werksman served in the department’s administrative office, but he had also been a member of the hazardous-device team as an FBI-certified bomb technician and a confined-space rescuer.

“There are certain people in public safety that when they show up at a scene, you have a sense of calm come over you,” Riverside County Fire Captain Don Camp told the Riverside Press Enterprise. “Dave was just one of those guys who was always leaning forward to make the situation more cohesive.”

“You have to be calm, methodical, a thinker,” Werksman told Chapman Magazine in the fall 2010 issue, in which he was shown on the cover in his bomb-disposal suit. “You have to have an aptitude for math, science, electronics and chemistry to do this job. You’re MacGyver and you’re also a scientist.”

Werksman is survived by his wife and three adult children.

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PHOTOS BY YESIRETH C. SOLIS

THE UNEXPECTED SPY

Tracy S. Walder (MA '07) shares insights with music performance student Gemi Acupan '20, left, and Laura Burns, a Ph.D. candidate in education, during the Attallah College Women's Leadership Forum.

BY CHERYL BALTES

A new memoir by Tracy S. Walder (MA ’07) chronicles her road from CIA officer uncovering terrorist plots to high school teacher inspiring young women to pursue careers that defy gender stereotypes.

Imagine being responsible for protecting the lives of 300 million people. Imagine trying to hunt down terrorists and thwart plots involving supposed weapons of mass destruction. Imagine feeling the weight of every act of terror in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

As a college student, Tracy S. Walder (MA ’07) seized an unexpected opportunity when she was recruited by the CIA. The 9/11 attacks then thrust her into the fight against terrorism, as she staffed war rooms at the CIA’s Langley, Virginia, headquarters and hid in the trunks of cars on her way to debrief terrorists at black sites. After the CIA, Walder became a special agent at the FBI's Los Angeles field office, specializing in Chinese counterintelligence operations.

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Walder shared her story as a featured speaker during the Women's Leadership Forum at Attallah College of Educational Studies. She chronicles her extraordinary experiences as a counterterrorism officer in the CIA and a special agent in the FBI in her new memoir “The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists” (St. Martin’s Press, 2020).

Walder’s firsthand account gives readers a glimpse into counterterrorism efforts during the years immediately following the Sept.

11 attacks. In addition to documenting her personal journey — from a child bullied by her classmates to a CIA interrogator to an educator empowering her young women students — Walder’s unclassified memoir also highlights the work of well-placed and

high-ranking women in the CIA, as well as the gender discrimination she said she faced serving her country.

DEFYING EXPECTATIONS With her slight frame, long blond hair and infectious smile, Walder didn’t fit the stereotype of a CIA operative or FBI agent.

She often struggled to be taken seriously in these male-dominated worlds. Although she was respected by her CIA colleagues, she faced immense discrimination from spies in agencies based in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

“I was underestimated by most people I encountered,” she explained.

As an intelligence officer, Walder learned to use slights to her advantage.

ALUMNI NEWS ROAD TO TEACHING As much as “The Unexpected Spy” chronicles Walder’s work serving her country in the war on terror, it also lays the foundation for her shift into teaching.

“I came to the realization that the only way to change the gender dynamic in these fields is really simple – have more women in them.”

– Tracy S. Walder (MA '07)

“When I interrogated high-ranking al-Qaida terrorists, I provided a baffling mixture of youth, Americanism, femininity and Judaism.

They didn't understand the threat that I posed,” she said with a mischievous grin. “Few, if any, ever knew that behind my white-tooth smile, I was wormholing my way into and unraveling their WMD plots.”

Seeking stability and a less-demanding travel schedule after four years with the CIA, Walder took a position with the FBI. However, said she was confronted by intense gender discrimination both during her training and while on assignment as a counterintelligence officer in Southern California. After only 16 months, she left the FBI. “This experience is what helped me find my true passion: education,” Walder said. “I came to the realization that the only way to change the gender dynamic in these fields is really simple – have more women in them.”

The rampant sexism she faced during her short time with the FBI strengthened her conviction to be a teacher. Walder found the graduate teacher education program at Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies the perfect fit for her.

At Chapman, she was able to figure out who she was as a teacher. In particular, Attallah College’s efforts to incorporate diversity into its curriculum aligned with her background.

At Hockaday, Walder created the first highschool-level class in national security, espionage and terrorism. To bring the content alive, she Skyped in former colleagues like a CIA makeup artist who works with undercover agents and the director of rapid response for the Republican National Committee. She also packaged her curriculum and shared it with other high school teachers at the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools.

As a result, former students have interned at the State Department, and several currently work at the CIA and FBI.

“At Chapman and Attallah College of Educational Studies, I found my voice and my purpose,” she said.

Attallah College Professor James Brown recalls Walder as bright and insightful.

“She was just the sort of critically conscious and action-oriented teacher we tried to prepare. I am sure her background in the CIA helped her understand and appreciate the way the world is and the way the world could be,” says Brown, who has a joint appointment in Chapman’s Department of Peace Studies.

Roxanne Greitz Miller, the Donna Ford Attallah Endowed Professor in Teacher Education and Chapman’s vice provost for graduate education, has stayed in contact with Walder over the years.

"At Chapman and Attallah College of Educational Studies, I found my voice and my purpose," says Walder, author of "The Unexpected Spy," which she signed for Kate Gutierrez , Fowler School of Engineering program administrative assistant.

“It is terrific that Tracy continues to inspire female students to pursue any paths that interest them, especially in fields where there is a history of obstacles,” Miller said.

CHANGING THE WORLD

GLOBAL CURRICULUM After finishing her graduate studies at Chapman, Walder spent 14 years teaching history and government in private and public high schools. She served the past 10 years in Dallas, teaching at the Hockaday School, the largest all-girl school in the United States. She says her experiences in the CIA and FBI made her a better teacher.

“It was an immersive course that gave me a postgraduate-level education in politics, foreign policy, world history and cultural history,” she said.

Her goal was to help students fully grasp both domestic and international politics. She wanted them to understand the interconnectedness of the world.

Today, Walder is taking her message to a larger audience. In addition to public speaking through the World Affairs Council, she serves on the Board of Directors at Girl Security, an American nonpartisan nonprofit that encourages young women to pursue nationalsecurity careers through learning, training and mentoring support.

“I do feel that the female voice is missing in the national security field. We need men and women. We need both to create a balance,” said Walder.

Her goal is to inspire young women to take on positions of power so they can help influence policy and action.

“During my time at the FBI, I was too timid to speak out about the gender discrimination I experienced,” Walder said. “But today, no one can shut me up.”

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CLASS NOTES

1960s

1990s

Clifford “Cliff” Ishigaki ’69 (MA ’74) was

Orlando Figueredo ’91 has been named

named president of Wellness Works, a personalized intake program for veterans that focuses on lasting recovery and suicide prevention. His personal experiences before he joined Wellness Works in 1986 led him to a career investment in the care of veterans and veteran families. After graduating from Chapman in 1969 with a degree in history, Ishigaki joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was assigned as a platoon leader to the 9th Marine Regiment in Vietnam. He credits his experiences with teaching him to care for the needs of others. Ishigaki used his GI BIll educational assistance to fund his master’s degree in school counseling. He eventually joined Wellness Works, which was then an alternative healing center. Now with a focus on veteran personalized care, Wellness Works assesses a holistic stabilization of body, emotions and mind. Ishigaki is committed to care for all veterans, regardless of their military discharge status.

vice president for business development in Perspecta Inc.’s intelligence group. Figueredo will be responsible for all business development activities. Perspecta, based in Chantilly, Virginia, provides mission services, digital transformation and enterprise operations to U.S. government customers in defense, intelligence, civilian, health care and state and local markets.

Robert Marston ’69 (MA ’73) recently

retired after 48 years as a licensed marriage and family therapist.

1970s Nella Webster-O’Grady ’71 is an Orange

County Business Journal 2020 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award nominee. She has 30 years of experience providing investment management and financial planning services to clients throughout Southern California. She specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning and sophisticated investment advice to high-net-worth families.

1980s Tamim Baiou ’84 was appointed the new

permanent representative of Libya to the United Nations Office in Geneva. Baiou’s public diplomacy work has led him to represent Libya at various international meetings and forums. Previously he was a counsellor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He joined the Foreign Affairs Service after working as a senior political advisor.

Marcia Moran (MBA ’93) has written a book

that landed on eight Amazon best-seller lists.

Moran’s book, “Stroke Forward: How to Become Your Own Healthcare Advocate … One Step at a Time,” climbed Amazon book lists in categories such as Brain Diseases, Injuries and Rehabilitation, Nervous System, and Physical Impairments.

Moran experienced a stroke at age 53, and the near-death experience showed both Moran and her husband the need to navigate the health care system. They became health care advocates.

The research in her book examines how stroke survivors can thrive. It includes insights from the medical professionals essential to her healing journey.

Rebecca McCormick-Boyle (MS ’94) was

named chief integration officer of Catholic Health.

The senior leadership role provides executive oversight for the implementation of the system’s 2025 Strategic Plan. This involves utilizing the nation’s most advanced electronic health record system, applied to the Western New York region.

A highly decorated member of the U.S. Navy, McCormick-Boyle retired as a rear admiral after more than 38 years of military service. She began her military career as a surgical and critical care nurse before rising through the ranks as a Navy nurse executive. Most recently, she served as deputy chief of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and commander, Navy Medicine Education and Training.

Joseph Modica (BM ’95) was appointed

University of Redlands School of Music director.

The position starts July 1, 2020. Modica has been teaching at the University of Redlands since 2011 and was honored with the university’s Outstanding Service Award in 2017. He is also artistic director of the Inland Master Chorale, director of music for the First Presbyterian Church of Redlands, and a frequent participant in guest conducting, presentation and workshop events.

Brett Hunt ’96 was promoted to senior

vice president of sales and marketing for the Westinghouse brand.

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

1 Rebecca Hall ’96 is an Orange County Business

Journal 2020 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award nominee for her company Idea Hall. The company brings marketing, branding, public relations and advertising services under one roof, using an integrated marketing model. Hall and her team work with some of the most established commercial real estate businesses in Orange County, as well as nonprofits taking on some of the county’s biggest issues, including homelessness and mental health.

Marshall T. Fulbright III '98 has been named

vice president of academic affairs at Grossmont College in San Diego County. Previously, he served as dean of instruction at Norco College in Riverside County, as an academic dean at College of the Sequoias in Central Valley, California, and as a full-time tenured music faculty member at Long Beach City College. 1 Carol Furman ’98 (MA ’02) has been named

principal of Disney Elementary School in the Springfield Public School District in Missouri.

Jeff Garvin ’98 has published his second novel,

“The Lightness of Hands.” While his in-person book tour is on hold, Instagram Live and bookseller ingenuity have been getting the word out with virtual book signings and Q&A sessions. “The Lightness of Hands” follows the story of a 16-year-old girl battling bipolar II disorder as she tries to resurrect her sick father’s stage magic career. 2

CLASS NOTES

’15 M I R A N D A W A L L What do Greek Life, working in Henley Hall and the Associated Press Stylebook have in common?

Each provides a tool that Miranda Wall ’15 uses in her work as part of a five-person disaster service team in San Luis Obispo’s Emergency Operations Center.

Wall and her team have trained more than 600 volunteers to staff a 165-bed emergency facility at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It’s preparation in case there’s a COVID-19 patient surge in the city.

“My experiences at Chapman prepared me for this kind of work,” Wall said. “My courses, my

Carlos Rojas (MA ’02) has been selected

as the new head of Laguna Woods Village security. Rojas has 30 years of experience, and his resume spans law enforcement, security and police administration. Rojas worked for the Santa Ana Police Department for 27 years, including three years as police chief. He then transferred to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit System Police Department, from which he retired. Rojas was awarded Medals of Valor from the Santa Ana Police Department, U.S. Customs Service and Federal Bar Association.

Crissy Hodgson (JD ’04) has been named

2

2000s Bryan Glass ’02 has been named Costa

Mesa police chief after serving 24 years in the Costa Mesa Police Department. Glass graduated from Orange County Sheriff 's Academy in 1996 and then began his career as a Costa Mesa police officer.

city attorney of Nevada City. Hodgson has been a Nevada City resident since 2009 and began working on Nevada City issues when she joined the law firm Jones and Mayer in 2015, working on the city’s marijuana business ordinance.

Rituparna Raichoudhuri (MA ’06) has

been named superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools in Michigan. She brings with her nearly two decades of experience in education and is executive director of early college and career education at Chicago Public Schools. Raichoudhuri emphasizes the need for equitable education, data-driven decisionmaking and the use of best practices to create innovative approaches to educating children.

professors, my on-campus jobs – all of it has played an integral role, giving me the skills to be trusted with taking on this big project.”

The communications and public relations graduate works in San Luis Obispo County’s Human Resources Department. Newsletters have helped her recruit volunteers and schedule them for in-person training.

“Overall, it has been an extremely chaotic but rewarding experience,” Wall said. “We don't know if the facility will ever be used, but if it is, we want the volunteers to be ready.”

With more than 25 years of experience, Vanessa Knapton (MBA ’07) is now the director of repair sales in operations, sales and logistics at The Andersons Rail Group.

Formerly, Knapton was a conductor, brakeman and trainmaster at BNSF and a sales leader at a railcar repair company.

Jonathan Kaplan (JD ’08) is a partner

at Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP, after working at the Newport Beach law firm for nearly eight years. He focuses on general liability defense and construction litigation matters, in addition to handling high-profile plaintiff defect cases.

Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcaster Jeff Levering ’05 and Ashley Levering ’08, founder of ABL Life Coaching, have a daily Twitter diary about family life while confined at home. They share the ups and downs of life with 5-year-old son Brock and 2-year-old daughter Logan. Diary topics have included potty-training and “Can we still fit into our prom clothes?” Their hope is to share family fun and lift people's spirits.

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CLASS NOTES

7

4

5 Michelle (Medeiros) Chang’09 and Devin Chang ‘05 welcomed twin boys, Carter and

Dylan, on Nov. 21, 2019.

Anne McClintic ’09 received her Ph.D. in

musicology from Claremont Graduate University in Spring 2019. 4

2010s Adriana Montes de Oca '10 (MA '18) and

3 Mary (Cordeiro) Albin ’09 has been named to

the Texas Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force by the governor of Texas. The task force coordinates implementation of the state’s plan for prevention, early screening, diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease. Mansfield is the executive director of the End Stage Renal Disease Network of Texas, a subsidiary of Alliant Health Solutions.

She is a member of the Executive Directors Advisory Council for the Forum of End Stage Renal Disease Networks and the National Quality Forum.

Jessie (Hooper) Anthony ’09 married Mike

Anthony in the Russian River area in Mendocino County, California. She was joined in the wedding by her Phi Sigma Sigma sorority sister, Michelle (Medeiros) Chang ’09. Many other Chapman alumni attended. 3

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Jaime Cruz were married Aug. 24, 2019, in Tustin.

The wedding party included Hugo Sierra '10 (MA '15), Carina Campus '11, Cristina Venegas '11 (MA '15), Michelle Herrera '10 and Luciano Rodriguez '11 (Ph.D. '17). The couple lives in Delano, California.

Moudy Elbayadi (MA ’10) was named SVP

& Chief Technology Officer at Shutterfly, Inc., the leading retailer and manufacturing platform in photography and personalized making, dedicated to helping “capture, preserve, and share life’s important moments.” Moudy has more than 20 years of experience in user experience product development.

Hugo Sierra ‘10 (MA ‘15) graduated in May

2020 with a Doctoral of Education in Leadership Organization in the College of Education from Concordia University Irvine. Due to the pandemic, his graduation was postponed for a later date. 5 Tyler Hadzinsky ’11 was promoted to assistant

director of scouting for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Hadzinsky helped draft fellow Panther Tyler Peck to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 28th Round of the 2019 MLB draft. 6

6 David Kerr ’11 was named general manager of

The Setting Inn Napa Valley. Kerr is responsible for all aspects of hotel operations, from overseeing day-to-day staff and quality standard of service to maintaining community relations, and revenue management. He oversees all hospitality aspects of the property's current and future needs in a wine country home-away-from-home vacation setting.

Mikandrew Perdaris ’11 filmed a role on the

FOX drama “Deputy.” 7

Dhruv Sharma (JD ’11) was promoted to

partner at McGlinchey Stafford PLLC. Sharma primarily represents banks and financial institutions in consumer financial services litigation, in addition to handling general commercial litigation, defending creditors' rights in bankruptcy proceedings, and providing advice and representation on immigration matters.

He was recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyers "Rising Star" in 2019 and holds leadership positions in the Orange County Bar Association's Banking and Lending Section and the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California. He has previously served as an adjunct professor at Chapman University's Fowler School of Law and volunteered with Kids in Need of Defense, providing pro bono representation for unaccompanied minors.

CLASS NOTES Sarah Van Zanten ‘11 works with Amend at

UC San Francisco as program manager, Tideswell Emerging Leaders in Aging. Most recently, she has been working on correctional facility educational videos addressing COVID-19.

Daniel Langhorne ’12 was named managing

editor of The Laguna Beach Independent.

Langhorne started covering Laguna Beach City Hall for the Independent in July 2018. He also is the part-time engagement editor for The War Horse, a nonprofit newsroom covering the U.S. military and Department of Veterans Affairs. He has previously written for The Orange County Register, Law360, BehindtheBadge.com, military. com, Los Angeles Times Community News, The Los Feliz Ledger and The Newport Beach Independent.

8

10

Jack Lundin ’12 was named CEO and added to

the Board of Directors for Bluestone Resources, a natural resource company focused on advancing the permitted, high-grade Cerro Blanco gold project in southeastern Guatemala; and the Mita geothermal project, an advanced-stage renewable energy project.

Melanie Duke ’17 is working at Sony Pictures

Animation as a script and story coordinator.

Joanna Nelius MFA ’17 started a new job as a

staff reporter with Gizmodo. Previously, she was a hardware writer with PC Gamer.

Paolo Leon ’13 is the new principal and director

of the global design studio at the architectural firm AO. The firm specializes in planning and designing international and domestic retail outlets. Leon is a licensed architect with experience that spans retail, mixed-use, residential, education and civic projects. He has worked on the renovation of the Woodbridge Village Center in Irvine, and he sits on the board of directors of the Orange County chapter of The American Institute of Architects, for which he serves as director of emerging professionals. 8 Jessica Belz ’14 was part of the NFL marketing

team that created the NFL Super Bowl tribute commercial "Take It to the House." From the project greenlight moment to game day, she had a hand in nearly every step of the process, including budget meetings, pre-production and production meetings, casting and edits. Belz says the experience was historic and rewarding, that it was akin to creating a love story for the 100-year history of the league and the joy of the game. 9 Ladan Davia ’14 is an Orange County Business

Journal 2020 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award nominee for her company Beeya, a meta-search engine for jobs that uses artificial intelligence to match job seekers with more than 11 million job listings daily. The website brings the online job hunt, social network and professional network ideas onto one platform. Beeya is now serving 98 companies and almost 7,000 employees in Orange County. Davia also serves

Talia Fishbine ’18 graduated from the

University of Maryland, College Park, in December 2019 with a master’s degree in English language and literature.

9 veterans and is working with the U.S. government to help veterans in Orange County find jobs.

Jessica Lomakin (LLM ’14) competed against

three other candidates and won a seat on the New Bremen Village Council in Ohio.

Raag Sethi ’15 was nominated for best pop

production track for an album produced in London.

Samantha Summers ’15 started a new

position at Whirlpool Corporation on its Government Relations team, analyzing state and federal policy and its impact on the company.

Stephen Gallas (MFA ’18) released a book

of short stories, “A Bridge Abridged.” The book considers: When we travel abroad, what do the people we encounter think of us? If we were to put their impressions of us together, what might that story look like? “A Bridge Abridged” is a linked collection of 11 stories.

Jose Magcalas (Ph.D. ’18) has been named

president of the Anaheim Elementary School District Board for 2020. Magcalas has been a teacher of ethnic studies and U.S. history at Loara High School. He previously served as the board’s clerk. His term will last until November, and he has stated that his top priority is to bring ethnic studies to all classes throughout the district.

Austin Gingold ’16 visited Peru, ascending

Rainbow Mountain, at an elevation of 17,060 feet. 10 Holeka Inaba ’16 (MS ’17) is running for the

County Council District 8 seat in Hawaii. Hawaii is already on a mail-in ballot system, and Inaba says that a lot of virtual work has been done for the campaign prior to social distancing.

JULY 2020

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CHAPMAN IN

HOLLYWOOD

In the grand tradition of dishing about the entertainment industry, we present our new Chapman in Hollywood column. Instead of gossip, we’ll be sharing stories of success highlighting the work of alumni and students from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, College of Performing Arts and other schools and colleges at Chapman.

‘BAD HAIR’ AND BOLD ADVENTURES While most of Hollywood waits out the coronavirus quarantine to resume production, Chapman University alumni have new projects in the pipeline, ready for sharing with American audiences.

Leading the way is writer-director Justin Simien ’05. His latest feature film, “Bad Hair,” premiered in January, opening the Sundance Film Festival, where rights to the production were won by the streaming service Hulu for $8 million, multiple media outlets re-

Simien, a graduate of Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, is no stranger to success at Sundance.

His debut feature “Dear White People” won a Special Jury Award in 2014, and Simien went on to adapt the film as a series for Netflix.

As he writes, directs and executive produces the critically acclaimed series, which is preparing for its fourth and final season, Simien is showing that he’s not done adding breakaway talents to his toolbox.

For “Bad Hair,” he wrote original songs for Rowland to sing as the character Sandra, a successful pop star.

Amid its humor, horror and music, the film provides a powerful platform for the voices of African American

ported. The horror-satire film was also scheduled to

women.

have a theatrical release, but that may be in doubt,

“Black women are the source for so much culture,

given the precarious state of theatre-going these days.

“Bad Hair” is in the vein of Jordan Peele’s wildly successful “Get Out” – both are psychological thrillers with African American leads. “Bad Hair” features an ensemble cast that includes Vanessa Williams, Kelly Rowland, Jay Pharoah, Lena Waithe and Blair Under-

from language to fashion to music, but are never allowed along for the ride,” Simien told the Los Angeles Times. “They are physically discarded by this society – by Black men, by all men, by women of other races.

I was mad about that and I wanted to say something about that.”

wood. Mixing horror with social satire and humor, the film is built on the premise that hair can have a mind all its own.

Director Justin Simien '05 and Elle Lorraine attend the "Bad Hair" premiere during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Getty Images

FROM THE BACKWOODS TO THE BIG SCREEN For Ariel Tweto ’12, also a Dodge graduate, multiple projects are in the works, springing from the wilds of her native Alaska. “Into America’s Wild” was scheduled to premiere in IMAX theatres in February, while a Fox animated series “The Great North” is also on tap.

For “Into America’s Wild,” Tweto navigates canyons via kayak, hot air balloon and mountain bike. In the Fox show, she stars alongside Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and Jenny Slate, playing a 16-year-old who’s obsessed with cable TV. “I’m a big old brat,” she told Orange Coast magazine of her role in the series from the creators of “Bob’s Burgers.”

In real life, Tweto is a diminutive figure with big, engaging personality who has achieved success to rival the size of her home state. While still a student at Chapman a decade ago, she won over audiences on “Flying Wild Alaska,” a Discovery Channel series that chronicled her family’s business carrying passengers and cargo to remote destinations.

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© 2019 MacGillivray Freeman Films.

She’s thankful for the chance to continue discovering the wonders of wild places.

“It makes you so grateful for how lucky we are to live in this country because it’s so diverse and beautiful,” Tweto says.

CHAPMAN NOW

THE NOT-SOFRILLY ORIGIN OF IVY Meanwhile, triple-threat artist Leah McKendrick ’08 is moving forward with multiple projects. In May, the writer-directorstar released her short Photo Credit: Dustin Walker Photography film “Pamela & Ivy,” which delves into the shadowy backstory of DC villain Poison Ivy. The trailer and 16-minute film are available on YouTube.

McKendrick, a theatre performance graduate of Chapman’s College of Performing Arts, teamed with producer-star Mariah Owen on the project. McKendrick tells the film news site Collider, “We wanted to put our spin on being in a man’s world, which we both know from our own personal trials and tribulations within the entertainment industry.”

“While this interpretation of Ivy may not be frilly and pink, it’s female to the core,” McKendrick adds in her director’s statement on the film’s website.

SURVIVOR BECOMES A HUNTER

WIREIMAGE

Zack Schor ’09 lost 35 pounds and learned to speak Polish for his role in “Hunters,” now airing on Amazon Prime. He plays a young Meyer Offerman as a counterpart to Al Pacino as the mature Offerman, a Nazi hunter.

Schor describes his character as a “serious but incredibly genuine and caring” man. He shot most of his scenes on a set resembling a concentration camp, because young Meyer Offerman is a Holocaust survivor, just like two of Schor’s grandparents.

Besides transforming his appearance, Schor prepared for the role by reading accounts by concentration camp survivors. Then he took a “leap of faith” into the hands of series creator David Weil and others.

“It’s impossible to do this kind of work without a great director,” he says.

McKendrick, writer-director of the 2017 feature film “M.F.A.,” which was shot on Chapman’s campus, is also writing the screenplay for Paramount’s “Grease” prequel “Summer Loving.”

MAKING THE MOST OF DOWNTIME For actor Graham Sibley ’00, the coronavirus downtime has allowed him to work on a stage play about painter Mark Rothko (Sibley is a painter himself) and flesh out a screenplay he’s developing with his wife.

Since his graduation from Chapman with a BFA in acting and screenwriting, Sibley has appeared in more than 50 independent films. Currently he stars in “Blush,” directed by Debra Eisenstadt and available on video on demand, as well as the feature film “Poor Greg Drowning” and the online series “Dark/Web,” available on Amazon Prime.

“I think in terms of how Chapman helped me, it was from day one, they put a camera in our hands, and they let us go and shoot and try and fail and succeed and fail and try and try and try,” Sibley told FilmThreat.com. “And so the numbers of opportunities I had were countless.”

Photo Credit: Hilary Murphy

JULY 2020

59

One University Drive Orange, California 92866 Chapman.edu

1,330

04

TOTAL GIFTS

28 20

539,423

EXTRAORDINARY.

$

DONATED BY PARENTS

How else to describe the response to Giving Day 2020? Amid a global health emergency that decimated the economy, the Chapman Family stepped up to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of students and families hit hardest by the crisis.

55,244

$

DONATED BY STAFF/FACULTY

The $1.1 million in gifts to the Chapman Fund is five times what was raised during the first Giving Day a year ago. That generosity translates to additional financial aid and scholarships, as well as housing, food and basic necessities, plus funds to meet unforeseen needs stemming from the crisis.

As we prepare to CU Safely Back to campus in the fall, your support inspires us.

Thank you for helping students and families in need!

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

115,935

$

DONATED BY ALUMNI

1,105,338

$

TOTAL RAISED