Spring 2016
MAGAZINE
Executive Editor:
Sheryl Bourgeois, Ph.D. Executive Vice President for University Advancement Managing Editor:
Mary A. Platt, APR Director of Communications platt@chapman.edu Editor:
Dennis Arp arp@chapman.edu Staff Writer:
Dawn Bonker (MFA ’18) bonker@chapman.edu Design:
Hayden Design Editorial Office:
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ON THESE PAGES: What better way to close a party celebrating the opening of Chapman’s new Musco Center for the Arts than with a masterful performance by renowned concert pianist Grace Fong, D.M. – who is also director of keyboard studies in Chapman’s Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music. Fong performed Grieg’s Piano Concerto with Orange County’s Pacific Symphony and conductor Carl St.Clair in a grand concert that capped off Musco Center’s Community Open House & Arts Festival on April 2. The free daylong event drew more than 7,000 community members to Musco Center for dozens of outdoor and indoor performances, tours, stage demos, food and fun, reflecting the diversity of Chapman, the City of Orange and the surrounding region. See page 8 for more on Musco Center’s opening. Photo by Scott Stedman ’14 ON THE COVER: President Jim Doti’s beloved German Shepherd, Angel, is ready to lead him into the next chapter of his Chapman University adventure: a return to teaching as a faculty member in the Argyros School of Business and Economics. After guiding Chapman through the most dynamic quarter-century in its history, Doti reflects on leaving office and his plans to get back into the classroom in our wide-ranging interview that begins on page 28. In case it looks familiar, our photo is a salute to photojournalist Pete Souza’s famous shot of President Obama running through the East Wing of the White House with his Portuguese water dog, Bo (inset). Photo by Nathan Worden ’13 (MBA ’15)
UP FRONT
2 President’s Message 3 First Person: Liza Wong ’19 Was Abandoned Outside a Nanjing Police Station; Now She Wants to Learn More About Her Birth Story CHAPMAN NOW
5 Chapman Is Launching a New School of Communication, Positioning the University as a Leader in Training and Research 6 At a Time When Chapman Is Recognized as a Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars, Three Alumnae Find that the World Is Their Classroom 7 University Breaks Ground on the Center for Science and Technology – the Most Ambitious Building Project in its History 8 Praise Marks the Opening of Musco Center, Which Debuts with a Concert and Gala as Well as an Open House & Arts Festival 11 The Chapman Men’s Lacrosse Team Captures its First MCLA Division I National Championship, Defeating Cal Poly in the Title Game 12 The Dramatic Rise in Autism Diagnoses Is Linked to How Cases Are Categorized, Say Experts from Chapman’s Thompson Policy Institute DEPARTMENTS
10 Voices & Verities 13 Sports: Four Panther Freshmen Are Finding Plenty of Early Success. 14 In Memoriam: Esmael Adibi, Tibor Machan, Dee Henley, Jack Lindquist 34 Bookshelf FEATURES
16 A Culture of Inclusion: Chapman Undertakes a Widespread Effort Aimed at Advancing Diversity Across All Facets of the University 24 The Impulse to Binge is Tribal, Chapman Experts Say, and Now that Inclination Is Changing the Medium of Television 26 Environmental Science Alumni and Students Are Having a Sustainable Impact on the World, Turning Sound Inquiry into Prudent Policy 28 President Jim Doti Reflects on His 25 Years in Office and Considers What Comes Next in His Academic Adventure ALUMNI NEWS 36 Combining Life Skills with Soccer Drills,
Danny Aviles ’07 Gives Youngsters a Leg Up on Success 37 Marty Burbank (LL.M. ’08) and His Wife Veer Away from One Dream to Fulfill 27 Others 38 Class Notes
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Strong, from Keel to Top Recently I presented my 25th State of the University address to our Chapman community. It was my last. Perhaps because of that, I was more reflective, talking as much about the past as I did about future plans. That may not be all bad. Sometimes it’s helpful to consider how the past informs the future. It was 25 years ago, for example, that we came together as a community and defined a new vision for our University, one that would transform Chapman into a university that increasingly served better-prepared students. To attract such students, we set out to build a vibrant and involving learning community, electric with ideas and intellectual energy. I know that may sound vacuous, but creating a shared understanding of what we strived to become gave us a destination to which we could point our compass. I’m reminded here of a letter that the man for whom our University is named, Charles C. Chapman, wrote to his young grandson. It reads, in part: “I can liken a young boy with life before him like the ship with its prow pointed toward the great ocean as it leaves the harbor for the distant shore. Storms may come, and they will, for no ship ever sailed the seas but had to face the storm. If it is strong, from keel to top, from stem to stern, well-manned and intelligently directed, it rides the storm and goes on its way. So my dear boy, you will meet obstacles, storms. If strong in faith, clear head, honest and with a character built on the solid rock, you will meet all troubles in life victoriously.” I have seen so many institutions, not just universities, that are
Board of Trustees OFFICERS David A. Janes, Sr. Chair Wylie A. Aitken Vice Chair Joann Leatherby Vice Chair Scott Chapman Secretary Zelma M. Allred Assistant Secretary TRUSTEES Donna Ford Attallah ’61 Raj S. Bhathal James P. Burra Michael J. Carver Phillip H. Case Akin Ceylan ’90 Irving M. Chase Hazem H. Chehabi Stephen J. Cloobeck Jerome W. Cwiertnia Zeinab H. Dabbah (JD ’12) Kristina Dodge Dale E. Fowler ’58 Barry Goldfarb Stan Harrelson Gavin S. Herbert, Jr. Roger C. Hobbs William K. Hood
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rudderless, changing just for the sake of change. Despite those changes, they seem caught adrift, not making forward progress. That happens because those institutions don’t know what “forward” is. At Chapman, we do. Our shared vision informs the tactics and strategies we employ. That vision is the distant port toward which we tack. Changes based on a shared vision are obvious. Those that aren’t are baffling. A State of the University address shouldn’t be about where you are. Rather, it should be about where you’ve been, where you’re going and, most important, whether that journey is moving you in the right direction. That’s why I spent some time in this year’s address talking about Chapman’s navigational chart. As Charles C. Chapman told his grandson and now reminds us, knowing where we’re headed will help us ride the storms and keep us on our way. Regards,
Jim Doti
Mark Chapin Johnson ’05 Jennifer L. Keller Parker S. Kennedy Laura Khouri Thomas E. Malloy Charles D. Martin James V. Mazzo Ann D. Moskowitz Sebastian Paul Musco David E. I. Pyott Harry S. Rinker James B. Roszak The Honorable Loretta Sanchez ’82 Mohindar S. Sandhu Ronald M. Simon Ronald E. Soderling Emily Crean Vogler Karen R. Wilkinson ’69 David W. Wilson
David C. Henley Randall R. McCardle ’58 (M.A. ’66) Cecilia Presley Barry Rodgers Richard R. Schmid R. David Threshie
EMERITUS CHAIRS The Honorable George L. Argyros ’59 Doy B. Henley Donald E. Sodaro
Board of Governors
EMERITUS TRUSTEES Richard Bertea Lynn Hirsch Booth Arlene R. Craig J. Ben Crowell Robert A. Elliott
EX OFFICIO TRUSTEES James E. Blalock (JD ’09) Reverend LaTaunya Bynum ’76 Reverend Don Dewey James L. Doti Barbara Eidson Kelsey C. Flewellen ’05 Reverend Dayna Kinkade Melinda M. Masson Linda D. Ruth Reverend Felix Villanueva Reverend Denny Williams
OFFICERS Melinda M. Masson Chair Michael Penn (JD ’04) Executive Vice Chair Paul A. Cook Vice Chair Rebecca A. Hall ’96 Secretary
GOVERNORS George Adams, Jr. Marilyn Alexander Lula F. Halfacre Andre Lisa Argyros ’07 Margaret Baldwin Deborah Bridges Brenda Carver Eva Chen Ronn C. Cornelius Robin Follman-Otta (EMBA ’15) Kathleen M. Gardarian Judith A. Garfi-Partridge W. Gregory Geiger Steve Greinke Galen Grillo (EMBA ’13) Sinan Kanatsiz ’97 (M.A. ’00) Elim Kay ’09 Scott A. Kisting Dennis Kuhl Suki McCardle Lori Smith James F. Wilson EMERITUS GOVERNORS Marta S. Bhathal Kathleen A. Bronstein Gary E. Liebl Jean H. Macino Richard D. Marconi Jerrel T. Richards Douglas E. Willits ’72
EX OFFICIO GOVERNORS Sheryl A. Bourgeois James L. Doti
President’s Cabinet Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos George L. Argyros, Jr. ’89, (JD ’01) Julianne Argyros Joyce Brandman Heidi Cortese Sherman Lawrence K. Dodge Onnolee B. Elliott (M.A. ’64) Paul Folino Douglas K. Freeman Marie Gray Frank P. Greinke Gavin S. Herbert Shelley Hoss Steeve Kay Joe E. Kiani General William Lyon Frank O’Bryan The Honorable Milan Panic Lord Swarj Paul James H. Randall The Honorable Ed Royce Susan Samueli Ralph Stern David Stone Alan L. True
FIRST PERSON
Lucky Girl By Liza Wong ’19
he extent of my knowledge of my birth story is that I was born in Nanjing, China. When I was younger this one-sentence story was enough for me. It was a black-and-white fact. As I have grown older, and now am in my first year at Chapman University, I can’t help but question my past and want to know my whole story. It’s as though I am entering the middle of a book; the story is far from over, yet somehow the beginning has been ripped out. I’ve been told that during my first weeks of life I was found near a Nanjing police station, wrapped in layers of clothing with a slip of paper tucked inside stating only my birth date. I was taken to an orphanage in Gaoyou province and lived there for nine months before being adopted by an American family. At that time, China had a one-child policy that tragically forced mothers to abandon their infant girls in secrecy. We were ironically known as the “lucky girls.” A year or so ago, during my AP psychology class in high school, we questioned to what extent our personality is genetically inherited (nature) or is formed by our upbringing (nurture). I found this highly debated topic personally intriguing, because it reminded me of all the times I’ve filled out medical history forms in the doctor’s office not with checks but with a column of question marks, because I’m a “lucky girl.” Studies have shown that adopted children exhibit more traits of their biological
parents than their adopted ones. Of course, I have inherited the DNA of my birth parents, but how could I compare myself to them in any other aspect, when I have never met them? I was adopted without any family medical history or even a name. I tried to fill that void by expressing my feelings through visual art and poetry and immersing myself in Chinese culture. My surname is Wong, but we’re not the typical Chinese-American family. My father is Chinese and West Indian, while my mother is of Irish and English descent. Growing up I was frequently asked why I didn’t look like my younger brother – the biological child of my parents. But if you looked at our family pictures, you’d wonder if any of us were related. In fact, when I was younger some people thought my mother was my nanny. We are a halfheated melting pot. I’ve never felt like an outsider because despite our vast differences, my family is inextricably unified. My mother and father are enthusiastic, open-hearted, kind, hardworking and loyal, and I strive to adopt their traits. My parents, teachers and friends have always encouraged me to explore and develop all of my interests. Mandarin Chinese is my most challenging course, but I’m determined to eventually become fluent both to create stronger connections to my origins and greater opportunities to work internationally. After my first year of Mandarin, I toured China on a summer language program. We never visited Nanjing, so I discarded all
notions of running into imagined relatives, but I still gained profound insights and discovered things that I can only now describe as innate. My China trip cemented my desire to return someday to study or work and reinforced my awareness that I am genuinely American. I have come to believe that weighing nature versus nurture, in my case, is largely irrelevant. Whatever start I had, whatever advantages or gifts I have, whatever challenges I may face, ultimately I alone control my attitude toward my experiences, and I will determine what I make of my life. In retrospect, they were right all along: I am a lucky girl.
Liza Wong ’19 is a freshman business major who won the Discover Asia Correspondent Contest co-sponsored by Korea Airlines and the Los Angeles Times. She wrote this winning essay under the guidance of Tammy Lechner, her professor in “English 103: Writing About People.” Wong won an expense-paid trip to her destination of choice in Asia. She plans to explore her birthplace in China.
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IN-BOX
LETTERS, EMAILS, COMMENTS AND POSTS Re: “A New Era of Science Teaching,” Winter 2016 Chapman Magazine I am a high school biomedical science teacher and have been teaching for 20 years. Five years ago I started a summer enrichment program for fourth- through eighth-graders called Scrub Club, providing students with project-based learning, inquiry thinking as well as literacy. I am happy to see that Chapman is working with teachers to improve their craft and get them excited! Stephanie Gurule-Leyba Re: “Chapman Mourns the Death of Esmael Adibi,” Happenings news blog (See story on page 14) Dr. Adibi was one of my favorites. He really changed my understanding of economic theory. Basically, he changed it from a fog to clarity. He had a huge impact on my life. Amy Hoekstra ’09 I worked with Essie 1991– 93 while working on my MBA. He was a wonderful mentor, teacher and boss. He really cared about his students and
was able to explain complex things in a way that they could understand. I loved his honesty and his sense of humor. He will be sorely missed. Maureen Mesaros (MBA ’93) He was one of the most insightful economists I have dealt with in my years reporting for both the Orange County Business Journal and the Los Angeles Business Journal. I will miss his depth of perspective and his humor. It’s a loss for all of Southern California. Howard Fine Re: “Remembering Trustee Emeritus Jack Lindquist,” Happenings news blog (See story on page 15) Rest in peace, Jack. You and your amazing talents will be greatly missed. Fans of Jack’s work may want to know that there is a secret reference to him in Disneyland. Look for the “Jack” o’Lantern made in his image, wearing his iconic glasses, which can be found just outside Goofy’s Playhouse in Mickey’s Toontown. John Glass
Chapman Magazine Online
Upcoming in Chapman Magazine A renowned mathematician and chancellor at Chapman University, Daniele C. Struppa already has built a dynamic presence on campus. And this fall he will step into the presidency, replacing Jim Doti, who is returning to teaching after a transformational 25 years in office. As the University prepares to inaugurate its 13th president, we profile Struppa and explore where Chapman goes from here.
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EXCERPTS FROM THE CONVERSATION ON THE GLOBAL CITIZENS WALL IN THE STUDENT UNION:
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Is it an honor or an insult to Harriet Tubman’s legacy that her image will replace that of Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill? • I don’t understand why this wouldn’t be a good thing. A strong, powerful, important person is being added to the $20 bill, plus she’s the first woman and Afro-American on our currency. Regardless of the prior person’s legacy, reinvention in a positive way is a good thing!
• As a black woman, I have mixed emotions. It feels like a win to have a black woman there, to have one less white supremacist slave owner on our money. However, it kind of isn’t a win. It doesn’t really provide any change for the black community or black women, who make even less than white women (and white women make 70 cents to every man’s dollar). I’m not looking for acceptance in white spaces.
CHAPMAN NOW
Chapman to Launch School of Communication ommunication science touches nearly every moment of our lives, from the health information on our cereal box to the “Was this review helpful to you?” query that pops up when we indulge in a bit of latenight shopping on Amazon. Now the research, scholarship and practical applications of that science will be at the hub of a new School of Communication, which launches this fall at Chapman University. Professor Lisa Sparks, Ph.D., was appointed inaugural dean by President Jim Doti after a unanimous faculty vote. The school positions Chapman as a leader in communication research and a home for career-focused training for students entering a variety of fields where the management, sharing and understanding of information is key. “The discipline of communication science is strongly focused on students,” Sparks says. “We give them skills in oral and written communication, quantitative reasoning and cultural competence. These are the things the U.S. Department of Labor consistently says students need in the workplace.” The new school will initially offer three academic programs – Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Strategic and Corporate Communication, and Master of Science in Health and Strategic
Communication. All were previously in the Department of Communication Studies in Chapman’s Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Communication Studies is the second most popular major at Chapman, behind business administration. Graduates of the programs typically enter fields related to commerce, strategic communication, public opinion, health behavior, campaigns, marketing, public relations and advertising. As a separate school, the new School of Communication can put more energy into the applied research conducted by faculty, whose expertise range from health communication between patients and providers to issues of trust in online messaging. Such research is critical in a knowledge-based economy increasingly driven by Internet communications and interactions, says Sparks, whose published work spans more than 100 research articles and scholarly book chapters. She is the author or editor of more than 10 books on communication, health and aging. “We’re about evidence-based scholarship that solves a set of problems and provides solutions for companies and organizations,” she says. Toward that goal, several new faculty members will join the University this fall.
“We’re about evidence-based scholarship that solves a set of problems,” says Lisa Sparks, Ph.D., inaugural dean of the new School of Communication.
Eventually the school will build more graduate programs as well, she says. Sparks also looks forward to productive partnerships between the new school and other academic units at Chapman, including Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Wilkinson College, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, the School of Pharmacy, the College of Educational Studies and Argyros School of Business and Economics. “The study of communication is applicable to many, many fields, from public relations and advertising (housed in Dodge College) to health and medical professions (Crean College and School of Pharmacy) to education and business,” Sparks says.
Argyros Top-Rated on West Coast When Bloomberg BusinessWeek released its latest rankings of the top undergraduate business programs in the nation, not only was Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business and Economics the top-rated school in California, but it also earned the highest rank on the West Coast. “We are exceptionally pleased,” Argyros School Dean Reggie Gilyard said of the No. 34 overall ranking. “Having our undergraduate program receive this level of recognition is a testament to the excellence
of our faculty, staff, students, graduates and University-level leaders.” There were 114 schools ranked in what Bloomberg BusinessWeek says is its final such survey. Schools are evaluated based on employer feedback, student ratings of their experience, starting salaries and internships, among other factors. The Argyros School has about 1,450 undergraduate students. It also has graduate business and accounting degree programs, including an executive MBA program.
Argyros School Dean Reggie Gilyard
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CHAPMAN NOW
The Fulbright Experience At a time when Chapman is recognized for being a top producer of such scholars, three alumnae find that the world is their classroom. By Michelle Yee (MFA ’17)
Nimah Gobir ’15
hen peace studies and art major Nimah Gobir ’15 applied to become a Fulbright scholar in Kolkata, India, she didn’t think she would be teaching classes by herself on her first day. “There were 50 kids in each section, and I didn’t major in education,” Gobir says in an interview via Skype from India. Though at first she felt a bit overwhelmed, Gobir now is comfortable enough to sometimes teach English by playing American games. The students are getting particularly good at Heads Up Seven Up. “They’re absolutely crazy about it,” Gobir says of her sixth- through twelfth- graders at the school for girls where she teaches. “My class 7 is really serious about it, and my class 8 consists of girls slapping their thumbs down.” Gobir is one of three recent Chapman graduates to earn a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for the academic year just ending. This year Chapman was recognized by the U.S. Department of State as a top source for Fulbright scholars, who study, perform research or teach where needed overseas. The University has produced at least three Fulbright winners in each of the past four years. Joining Gobir as Fulbright winners are Megan McKeown ’15, in Jordan, and Tiana Rees-Silva ’13, in Taiwan. In addition to teaching, Gobir runs an employability workshop and volunteers at a neighboring school in India. She conducts monthly programs like one commemorating Black History Month with the help of the American Consulate and other Fulbright scholars. For McKeown, like Gobir a peace studies
Finally, she went to the window and looked for herself. The attraction was a boys’ school next door. McKeown also invests her time co-hosting the Senior English Club at her school. In addition, she works for the nonprofit Collateral Repair Project writing grant proposals for food and emergency assistance, and she teaches English at a Za’atari refugee camp on the Syrian border. The work can be stressful, McKeown says. But it’s worth it when she sees her students’ own stress level drop. This is a time of transition in the program, as McKeown, Gobir and Rees-Silva are concluding their Fulbright experiences while three more Chapman scholars are preparing to begin their service. For 2016–2017, Damaris Bangean ’16 will teach in Romania, Ashley Barba ’16 in the Czech Republic and Esme Aston ’16 in Malaysia. Meanwhile, the end of the academic year brought the retirement of Eileen Jankowski, Ph.D., director of Chapman’s Fellowships and Scholar Program. Julye Bidmead, Ph.D., will take over the role, helping students navigate the demanding process of applying for prestigious fellowships and scholarships such as Fulbrights. “I’ve had so much help from everyone,” Jankowski says. For Barba, the new academic year and her Fulbright experience can’t come soon enough. “I can’t wait to immerse myself as well as share American culture,” says the double major in integrated educational studies and disability studies. “I’m overwhelmed and thrilled all at the same time.”
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Megan McKeown ’15
The work can be stressful, McKeown says. But it’s worth it when she sees her students’ own stress level drop. major, the destination was expected. She was already fluent in Arabic, having learned it at Chapman, but her transition to her teaching position in Jordan was still challenging. “At first it was really hard because my accent was so bad,” McKeown says. “The girls would just laugh.” Stationed in Amman, McKeown is a supplemental English activities teacher for third through 10th grade at a UN school for Palestinian refugee girls. Sometimes she found herself getting unexpected lessons. “One day there were three girls who kept standing on top of their desk to stare outside the window. I told them to get down, but five minutes afterward they were up there again,” McKeown says.
Digging Science Excitement takes flight as Chapman breaks ground on the most ambitious building project in its history.
Photo by John Saade
Mixing potassium iodide with water and a little food coloring creates a colorful catalytic event to mirror the enthusiasm that launched the Center for Science and Technology building project at Chapman University.
hat do confetti cannons, hydraulic excavators and foam-shooting Erlenmeyer flasks have in common? Each was a flourish in the groundbreaking ceremony for Chapman’s new Center for Science and Technology. On April 27, a massive excavator ceremoniously struck the earth, digging up a shower of confetti-laden dirt, symbolically breaking ground on the construction of the new Center. Scheduled to open in fall 2018, the Center for Science and Technology will be the largest and most expensive building in the University’s history. The $130 million, three-story building will cover 140,000 square feet and be the new home for Chapman’s Schmid College of Science and Technology. “I consider the groundbreaking for the Center for Science and Technology one of the most significant events in my 25 years as president and an exciting capstone to the leadership I have given Chapman,” said Chapman President Jim Doti. The Center is testament to the University’s commitment to research and the education of students who will be leaders in the fast-growing fields of science, said Andrew Lyon, dean of Schmid College. “‘If you build it, they will come.’ We’ve all heard it a million times. It couldn’t be more true for the sciences at Chapman over the past eight
years,” Lyon said. “We built the programs and they came. Now we need to build our science students and faculty a facility worthy of their passion and vision for the future of the sciences, not just at Chapman, but around the world.” The 2.25-acre complex will consist of two halls – the Hall of Science and the Hall of Technology and Engineering – and will feature a dramatic arch design in keeping with the prairiestyle architecture of Old Towne Orange. The site fronts Center Street, just east of Wilson Field. “This Center will allow Chapman University to become a nexus for exceptional students and outstanding scholars and thinkers, and will serve as the birthplace for generations of scientific innovation and advancements,” said Daniele Struppa, Ph.D., chancellor and incoming president of Chapman.
The Center for Science and Technology will feature: 18 teaching labs and 22 research labs. A computational sciences lab with a supercomputing room. Research prep spaces and storage areas for long-term studies. High-tech equipment to support molecular biology, microbiology, organic and physical chemistry and biogeochemistry. Study suites, seminar rooms, conference space and an outdoor amphitheater.
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CHAPMAN NOW
‘The Photo by Dale Dudeck
Perfect Venue’
PRAISE
AND
Photo by Doug Gifford
WIDESPREAD
Photo by Dennis Arp
Early performers at Musco Center include Professor Michael Nehring as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (top left), the alumni Gala Cast and Chorus (top right), the Pacific Symphony and Conductor Carl St.Clair (above) and opera legend Plácido Domingo (right), taking a bow in front of the curtain that bears his name.
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WOW
MOMENTS
MARK
When Chapman University student Aviv Redlich ’17 stepped onto the stage of the new Marybelle and Sebastian P. Musco Center for the Arts, in the same spot where opera legend Plácido Domingo performed at the Center’s Grand Opening Concert and Gala two weeks before, it instantly became a highlight of his undergraduate career. “It was just a wow moment,” says Redlich, a member of Men of Harmony, a premier a Capella club at Chapman that was among the student groups to perform during a recent Community Open House & Arts Festival at Musco Center. “The stage is phenomenal.”
Photo by Doug Gifford
THE
OPENING
OF
MUSCO
CENTER
FOR
THE
A R T S.
Indeed, Redlich’s reaction has been echoed by a steady stream of performers and audience members alike since the Musco Center doors first opened in March. From Domingo and the Gala Cast and Chorus who helped christen Julianne Argyros Orchestra Hall; to Pacific Symphony musicians and renowned pianist Grace Fong, D.M., director of piano studies at Chapman; to the student and faculty cast of The Merchant of Venice, superlatives have been resonating throughout the 1,044-seat venue. Add critics to those heaping on praise.
Broadway World used terms like “magnificent” and “stunning” in highlighting “the impeccable sophistication of the hall’s acoustics.” On Gala night, President Jim Doti stood on the exterior balcony of the $84 million Center and raised his glass to honor Marybelle and Paul Musco as well as others who made possible “the newest crown jewel on the Chapman campus.” The moment culminated a seven-year journey from dream to reality. And now that the abbreviated Opening and Preview Season has concluded, the University is finalizing plans for the Musco Center Inaugural Season, which will begin in the fall. For more information, visit muscocenter.org.
Photo by Troy Nikolic
Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times called Musco Center “an ideal opera house, potentially the best in the West and maybe even something more.” He added that it’s “the perfect venue for an American opera festival.”
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CHAPMAN NOW
“I’m a believer in the muddle-through theory of history. I don’t think there is a quick fix to this, but I believe the United States has to remain engaged (in the Middle East). The temptation is to say, ‘The hell with it! Let the Sunnis and Shiites kill each other.’ I don’t think we can do that. … The U.S. is the greatest, most benign power in the history of the world, by far. Our intentions are basically good. We make mistakes all the time – we screw up, we blunder, we overthrow governments, we do terrible
LEVERING
Radio is a medium that lets you be creative. I have to be everyone’s eyes, ears and noses at the ballpark. What’s so endearing about baseball is that the down time allows you to tell stories, to engage with fans more than with other sports. That’s what the greats have done – Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell, Bob Uecker – guys who revolutionized what it’s like to sit at home and lose yourself in a game for three hours.
Jeff Levering ’05, who played on Chapman University’s 2003 national championship baseball team and has joined the Milwaukee Brewers as an announcer alongside Uecker, the legendary voice of the team. Sometimes Levering’s son, Brock, is the third man in the booth.
“I think he was bemused by me, to be honest, because I refused not to be human in the piece. I came up with all kinds of B.S. just to be irresistible. It was so damn cheeky, but that’s how I felt about the character.”
McDOWELL
Malcolm McDowell, on working with Stanley Kubrick and developing the character Alex in A Clockwork Orange. McDowell will star in Malarkey, a film written by Chapman English Professor Mark Axelrod, Ph.D. The actor spoke in Waltmar Theatre as part of the John Fowles Literary Series.
“OK, let’s get the hair out of the way. Photo by Dale Dudeck
My hair used to be mousey brown, then in 1975 someone said, ‘You’d look good in a perm, and while we’re at it let’s give you some highlights.’ In one swell foop, I turned myself into me, so there you go.”
Peter Frampton, on the peak period of his pop stardom, highlighted by the 1976 release of Frampton Comes Alive!, which he said now has sold 17 million copies. Frampton spoke with Professor Jeff Cogan, director of guitar studies and music technology, in a presentation to Chapman music students. FRAMPTON
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THOMAS
things. But if you look at our long history, it’s really good. We are a force for democracy, freedom and openness, and if we go away, who’s going to be that force?” Evan Thomas, writer, correspondent and editor for 33 years at Time and Newsweek and the author of nine books, including Being Nixon (2015), speaking in the Fish Interfaith Center.
HAHN-HOLBROOK
“So, what do omega-3 fatty acid deficiency and Facebook humble-bragging moms have in common? They define today’s society as a uniquely difficult place for a new mother, and create the circumstances in which postpartum depression affects one in eight women.” Excerpt from a Psychology Today article titled “The Myth of the Glowing New Mother” by Gabrielle Lewine, Ph.D., based on research by evolutionary psychologists Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Ph.D., of Chapman University and Martie Haselton, Ph.D., of UCLA. Hahn-Holbrook is the director of the Biology of Parenting lab in Chapman’s Early Human and Lifespan Development Research Center.
Photo by Michael Farrel
Richard Bryant Selected for Musco Center Post
National Champs Richard T. Bryant
ichard T. Bryant, a nationally recognized arts leader, has been appointed executive director of Chapman University’s Marybelle and Sebastian P. Musco Center for the Arts. As Musco Center’s interim executive director since Nov. 1, Bryant worked with Paul and Marybelle Musco; William Hall, founding dean of Musco Center; University leadership, and Chancellor Daniele Struppa to achieve the Center’s highly successful Grand Opening on March 19, Community Open House & Arts Festival on April 2, and the Preview Season just concluded. Under Bryant’s guidance, more than 1,000 student, community and professional artists have already performed at Musco Center, and more than 15,000 people attended Preview Season events. Bryant’s Orange County roots run deep. He served for 10 years (1987–1996) as director of communications and marketing for the Orange County Performing Arts Center, now Segerstrom Center for the Arts. During the past 20 years, Bryant has served an array of clients nationwide, including New York’s American Ballet Theatre, through his company, Front of House Services.
Lindsay Shen to Direct Chapman Collections
L
indsay Shen, Ph.D., has been appointed to the new position of director of arts collections at Chapman University. She will oversee Chapman’s new Hilbert Museum of California Art, the Escalette Permanent Collection of Art and the University Art Collections. Shen, who holds her Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, is an art historian who previously was director of the Goldstein Museum of Design at the University of Minnesota, and most recently was associate professor and director of research at Sino-British College, Shanghai, China.
Enjoying the ideal ending to an undefeated season, the Chapman University men’s lacrosse team celebrates its first MCLA Division I national championship May 14 at Wilson Field. The Panthers captured the title with a 9-5 win over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the championship game. The victory capped a 22-0 campaign that included four playoff victories in six days. Junior Simon Jenkins was selected tournament most valuable player, while sophomore Dylan Garner led the tourney in scoring, tallying four goals and two assists in the title game. What’s more, head coach Dallas Hartley was named coach of the year.
Virginia Carson, Lynne Pierson Doti Retiring After 45 Years at Chapman
Virginia Carson, Ph.D.
Lynne Pierson Doti, Ph.D.
everal faculty members who taught generations of Chapman University students recently announced their retirements. Among those retiring are two of Chapman’s most enduring professors – Virginia Carson, Ph.D., and Lynne Pierson Doti, Ph.D., both of whom marked 45 years with the University this year. Carson taught biology, forensics, comparative physiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, and pharmacology and physiology of chemical dependency in the Schmid College of Science and Technology. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an honorary member of Graduate Women in Science. Carson is also the former director of the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Health Professions Certificate. Doti, the wife of President Jim Doti, is the David and Sandra Stone Professor of
Economics in the Argyros School of Business and Economics. She is the author of Banking in an Unregulated Environment and co-author with Larry Schweikart of California Bankers, Banking in the American West and American Entrepreneur. She has also written numerous articles on banking, and served as the editor of Essays in Economic and Business History. The Economic and Business History Society twice elected her president. Her community involvement has ranged from serving as a finance commissioner for the City of Anaheim to helping organize Plaza Bank, Irvine. Also retiring this year are: John Virchick, Argyros School of Business and Economics; Phillip Ferguson, Ph.D., College of Educational Studies; Mike Martin, Ph.D., Eileen Jankowski, Ph.D., and Nick Larsen, Ph.D., Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Anna Brownell, Ph.D., and Don Gabard, Ph.D., Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences; Nancy Dickson-Lewis, College of Performing Arts; Ellen Curtis-Pierce, Ph.D., Office of the Chancellor; and Robin Wellford Slocum, Fowler School of Law. Carson, Dickson-Lewis and Phillip Ferguson were recognized as emeriti faculty who will have their names added to the Faculty Wall of Honor in Leatherby Libraries.
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Autism Insights The dramatic rise in diagnoses is linked to how cases are categorized, say experts from Chapman’s Thompson Policy Institute.
Don Cardinal, Ph.D.
uring their recent DisAbility Summit at Chapman University, researchers from Chapman’s Thompson Policy Institute (TPI) for Disability and Autism put forth some new numbers that are getting people talking. The autism community is famously polarized due to ongoing claims and theories about what exactly causes autism and what’s behind the current dramatic increase in autism diagnoses (environmental or humancaused factors, better or worse methods of diagnosing, etc.) Now families, educators, health workers and others have a new set of data to ponder. In California, autism diagnoses have jumped from 2 percent to 12.5 percent of children in special education since 2000. And in Orange County, the rise is even more steep – from 2.5 percent to almost 19 percent. The Chapman experts attribute the sharp increase to what they call “diagnostic migration.” They say it can be statistically explained by the fact that children who receive an autism diagnosis today would still have been eligible for special education in earlier years but within a different category, 12 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
Photo by Jeanine Hill
By Mary Platt
Amy-Jane Griffiths, Ph.D.
called Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). This is a category assigned to children who don’t have an intellectual impairment but who perform below expectations academically. Autism diagnoses have clearly increased while SLD eligibility has decreased correspondingly, the experts say. They also argue that almost all new cases of “Other Health Impaired” – a category that includes ADHD and whose numbers have grown almost as fast as autism – can be attributed to the same factor. “All children and youth in California special education are assigned to a primary category – a label, if you will,” said Don Cardinal, Ph.D., lead investigator for the Thompson Policy Institute. “While the total special education enrollment across all
categories has remained constant when considering general population growth, the number of children in some categories has decreased, and others, such as autism, have increased. Only one category – Specific Learning Disabilities – has substantially decreased, by 64,842 kids since 2000. But two categories have substantially increased during that time: autism has increased by 76,755 – over six times the number in 2000; and Other Health Impaired has increased by 55,603 kids, more than four times the number of 15 years ago. We believe it’s accurate to say that the increase in Other Health Impaired is actually an increase in ADHD. “When we tested these data in a mathematical model, we found that the diagnostic migration (movement within disability categories) strongly explains the alarming increase in the autism rate among children in California, and likely the nation,” Cardinal told the hundreds of educators, health professionals, parents and policy-makers at the DisAbility Summit. “Due to California’s demographics, large size and the extremely large size of the TPI sample – some 700,000 children per year – we believe these results are compelling enough to be tested on data from other states, toward being able to generalize the findings nationally.” The policy implications from this study, say Cardinal and TPI co-investigator Amy-Jane Griffiths, Ph.D., are wide-ranging. “In schools, if we properly align our policies and procedures to this new information, children will reap the rewards of a more specific and personalized education plan,” Griffiths said. “In the adult life of those identified with autism, understanding what policies need to be developed or changed to create better supports for young and mature adults is an immediate need – and TPI’s initial work on Autism in the Workplace is a starting place.”
SPORTS
Story by Robyn Norwood Photos by Larry Newman With two seconds left in the SCIAC championship game, the 6-foot-2 guard from Seattle sank a pair of free throws to give the Panthers a 71-69 win over Redlands and send Chapman to the NCAA Division III tournament. • Even though Haslam had a 40-point game earlier in the season, he said winning the conference tournament was the best part of his freshman year. • “Just celebrating with my teammates on the court and then going down to the locker room and just looking at each other and knowing we just did that, that was definitely the best,” he said. • An integrated educational studies major, Haslam averaged 19.5 points a game, shooting an impressive 44 percent from three-point range. He was named National Rookie of the Year by D3hoops.com, becoming the first Panther to earn the honor. • His other interests include leading a team for Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society fundraiser, and starting a men’s Christian ministry group on campus.
Konnor Zickefoose
Like most freshmen, they hardly knew their way around when they arrived at Chapman University this year. But these four athletes quickly found success, making a name for themselves on campus and beyond.
Cam Haslam
A 6-2, 205-pound infielder, Zickefoose announced his presence on campus quickly. • “My second game here, I hit a home run, so that was pretty cool,” he said. “And then getting an A on Professor [Paul] Lu’s econ test, that was awesome.” • Zickefoose has handled economics and his bat with equal success, hitting .423 with seven home runs, 12 doubles and three triples. He struck out only seven times in 130 at-bats on the way to earning SCIAC Newcomer of the Year honors. • A business administration major from Chino, Calif., he already has a career in mind. • “Real estate’s kind of been a passion of mine since my dad’s into that, so that’s something I want to follow,” he said. • Coping with the ups and downs of college could prepare him for the variabilities of the market. • “When I start going bad, I tend to be a little hard on myself,” he said. “But I’m definitely learning how to control and turn it into a good thing to improve.”
The starting point guard is the leader on the court. For Chapman, that was freshman Katelyn Serizawa. • The 5-7 guard from Torrance claimed the role at the outset and earned the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year award. Serizawa averaged 6.9 points, 4.5 assists and only 1.9 turnovers. • For her, the highlight of Chapman’s 19-7 season was the 84-82 double-overtime win over Cal Lutheran. • “It was so intense,” she said. “The energy was so different from high school or anything I’ve ever experienced.” • A health sciences major, Serizawa said adapting to college wasn’t a cinch. She put in extra practice time and worked in the weight room to compensate for playing against older, stronger players. • “The biggest struggle is adjusting to time management with classes and basketball,” she said.
Kellyn Toole
Katelyn Serizawa Diving can be a lonely sport. But it isn’t for Toole, not with the Chapman swim team on her side. • “Sometimes I have to dive at the end of meets and they’re all done, and they’ll … watch me dive and cheer me on,” Toole said. • She gave them plenty to cheer about, sweeping the 1-meter and 3-meter titles at the SCIAC Championships. Toole became the first Chapman diver to win an individual title, setting school scoring records in the process. • The communication studies major from Colorado who also competes in track said she has found a balance that works as a Division III athlete. • “You can focus on school, sports, you can do extracurricular activities without feeling stressed out or that it’s just too much,” she said. “Sports aren’t all-consuming.” S P R I N G 2 016 | 13
IN MEMORIAM
Esmael Adibi much-loved figure and one of the most recognized faces of the University as presenter of the annual Chapman Economic Forecast, Esmael “Essie” Adibi, Ph.D., passed away April 8. He was 63. President Jim Doti, who taught Adibi at Chapman and then became his colleague at the Anderson Center for Economic Research, called him “one of our brightest stars” and “my closest friend.” “The power of his personality, wisdom and intellect was so much a part of our community,” Doti said. Nobel laureate Vernon L. Smith, Ph.D., a Chapman professor of economics and law, called Adibi “a unique and irreplaceable resource.” Yet Adibi’s reach went beyond the offices of the influential. “Part of why I attended Chapman was because of the spontaneous meeting my parents and I had with Essie when I was still in high school,” said Mike Brown ’06, co-founder
A Remembrance
•
Year after year, the Center forecasts have been much anticipated because of their accuracy, but also because of Adibi’s entertaining manner. “Essie Adibi had an amazing intellect and an unparalleled ability to describe the most complex economic concepts in a way that everyone could understand,” said Reggie Gilyard, dean of Chapman’s Argyros School of Business and Economics.
By Jim Doti
Since Essie Adibi’s passing, there have been things that happened where my first reaction was, “I can’t wait to tell Essie.” Then there’s that sudden, piercing realization that he’s not there. And without that special soulmate around to hear my story, give me advice or just share a laugh, life seems diminished. I’m not alone. Essie’s passing triggered an outpouring of remembrances that reflect the depth and breadth of his impact on our lives, especially in our University community. What really stood out is that most of the remembrances didn’t relate directly to his brilliance as a teacher and scholar. Rather, the things people seemed to remember most were his qualities that brightened our lives and made us feel fuller and richer. Following are just a few of them:
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and CEO of ModBargains, a company that specializes in car modification products and services. “We were wandering around Beckman Hall, and he invited us into his office.” Born in Iran, Adibi received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tehran before moving to the U.S., where he earned an MBA at Chapman, an M.S. in economics from Cal State Fullerton and a Ph.D. in economics from Claremont Graduate University. He joined the Chapman faculty in 1978 and was appointed director of the Anderson Center in 1985.
• Professor
Cristina Giannantonio, Ph.D., president of the Faculty Senate: “After my mom told him that he reminded her of her late husband (and my dad), Essie called me his daughter and my mom his other wife. That was it. A mutual admiration society was formed.” • Edwards Lifesciences CEO Mike Mussallem: “I am so sad on many dimensions. I don’t know a man with more friends. We all not only respected him and his mind, we loved him.” • Chapman staff member Michael Harada: “He was so caring and spent precious moments with me when my mother passed away. I once told him that if he ran for president of the United States, he would have my vote.”
Sometimes Essie and I would talk about the meaning of life. In my version, I’d use a metaphor of a carpet weaver to explore life’s meanings. This explanation resonated with Essie, I think, because it was a Persian carpet weaver. I’d tell Essie that just as that Persian carpet weaver creates unique designs with threads and knots, we create our own designs by how we live our lives. It’s as if we are weaving designs onto our carpet. In the weeks since his passing, I’ve thought long and hard about my 40-year friendship with Essie, and I’ve reflected on the many remembrances I received about why he will be missed. It strikes me that of Essie’s designs on that Persian carpet, the one that had the greatest impact on us was his character. It’s that vital aspect of his life that appeared to imbue his designs with the greatest meaning and beauty.
Tibor Machan
Dee Henley
Jack Lindquist
A professor emeritus of Chapman University who wrote widely and published more than 40 books, Tibor Machan, Ph.D., passed away March 24. He was 77.
A devoted supporter of Chapman and the wife of University Chairman Emeritus Doy Henley, Dee Henley passed away Feb. 20 after a long illness.
A trustee emeritus of Chapman University and the first president of Disneyland, Jack Lindquist passed away Feb. 28. He was 88.
Trained as a philosopher, Machan joined the Chapman faculty in 2001 and held the R.C. Hoiles Chair in Business Ethics and Free Enterprise in the Argyros School of Business and Economics. In addition to teaching business ethics, Machan occasionally led freshman foundations courses covering topics such as philosophy of commerce and foundations of Western thought. Among the books he wrote were Human Rights and Human Liberties, Libertarianism Defended and The Promise of Liberty: a non-Utopian Vision. Machan also was a syndicated columnist for The Orange County Register. “Dr. Machan never shied away from an intense discussion on freedom, libertarianism, right to private property and capitalism,” Chancellor Daniele C. Struppa said. “He thrived on heated exchanges of opinion. We will miss his passion for what he believed in and for the exceptional way he structured his arguments.” In addition to Chapman, Machan taught at the State University of New York at Fredonia, UC Santa Barbara and Auburn University. He also served as a Hoover Institution research fellow at Stanford University, senior fellow at the Reason Foundation and a visiting professor at Franklin College in Switzerland and the U.S. Military Academy.
Her name and a sense of her spirit can be found in numerous places around campus, including the Doy and Dee Henley Residence Hall and the Fish Interfaith Center, where “Dee’s Garden of the Senses” is a tranquil spot to refresh the spirit. And a luminous memorial shines each December for Chapman’s Winterfest Celebration, when “Dee the Panther” climbs the wall of Beckman Hall’s Alumni Tower. President Jim Doti remembers watching Dee’s face the first time he turned on the feline light sculpture in 2013, when Dee’s health already was in decline. “Yet the expression on her face as she gazed at her twinkling namesake revealed all the youthful spirit and gusto of a young girl,” Doti said. “It was that spirit and gusto that I will always remember as defining this very special lady.” Dee and Doy Henley moved to California from Illinois in the 1950s and raised a family while Doy thrived as an entrepreneur, owning and operating several manufacturing companies. The couple became supporters of Chapman in the 1980s through a friendship with George Argyros, chairman of the Board of Trustees. Doy Henley later chaired the board and received the C.C. Chapman Distinguished Service Award, the University’s highest honor, for his leadership and the couple’s philanthropy.
Lindquist’s legacy was cemented on his retirement from Disneyland in 1993 when a second-story window was dedicated at the park’s City Hall. It reads: “J.B. Lindquist, honorary mayor of Disneyland, Jack of all trades, master of fun.” On the Chapman campus, Lindquist’s generosity and dedication to the University are evident in the Leatherby Libraries’ Jack and Belle Lindquist Dream Room, which includes two study rooms and houses Lindquist’s large collection of Disney memorabilia. He also is remembered for his numerous visits to Professor Brian Alters’ large and popular class “The Pursuit of Happiness and Knowledge: Walt Disney and Charles Darwin.” Lindquist last met with the class during the final month of his life. President Jim Doti often had breakfast with Lindquist, calling him “my marketing guru.” “Jack was also my friend, my mentor and my hero,” Doti said. Hired as Disneyland’s first advertising manager in 1955, Lindquist worked for the park for 38 years and served as a link to Walt Disney’s original vision. He titled his memoirs In Service to the Mouse. Lindquist retired from Disney on Nov. 18, 1993, Mickey’s 65th birthday, saying that a 65-year-old mouse didn’t need a chaperone anymore.
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TO WELCOME MORE OF THE UNDERREPRESENTED, CHAPMAN MUST CHANGE THE REALITIES THAT DRIVE PERCEPTIONS. THE DIVERSITY PROJECT TAKES UP THAT CHALLENGE.
A Culture of Inclusion
By Dennis Arp hen Leti Romo hears stories of students suffering racial or cultural slights, she knows just how stinging those experiences can be. The Chapman staff member has been wounded herself, even in seemingly innocuous moments. Like one time in her own college days when she simply ordered a pizza. Out with Latina friends near her Midwestern school, Romo wanted nothing more than a large with pepperoni. The counter guy responded with “So, did your family run or jump across the border?” She took a deep breath and answered calmly, “My parents crossed legally.” But that doesn’t mean the comment didn’t hurt. More than once during her college career Romo remembers thinking, “I can’t do this.” 16 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
“If I didn’t have people there helping me feel like I belonged, I wouldn’t have made it through, I wouldn’t have succeeded,” she says. Now Romo is one of those supportive people, helping students – and everyone else at Chapman University – feel welcome and valued. As assistant director of Student Engagement, focusing on Cross-Cultural Engagement, she’s building bridges across any and all cultural divides. And she’s far from alone in her work to transform the institution. She’s part of a University-wide Diversity Project that in a little more than a year has gained considerable momentum. From a launch with about 100 participants, the project now features more than 250 volunteers, representing students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and administration.
All are pursuing a goal to change the overall culture at Chapman “to advance diversity and inclusion across all facets of the University,” as it says on the project’s Chapman webpage. A key factor that has gained the project credibility is the University’s embrace of a Cross-Cultural Center, now being developed by a team of students, staff and faculty led by Dean of Students Jerry Price and Romo. The Center, on the third floor of Argyros Forum, is expected to open in 2017. A multicultural space has been on students’ wish list for some time, but Chapman administrators were concerned that creating a space for students of a particular race or other identifying factor would foster division instead of inclusion. The idea of a CrossCultural Center seems to be generating excitement that crosses multiple divides.
Of course, mounting a multi-pronged effort like the Diversity Project starts with a realization that the culture needs changing. The motivation wasn’t a flashpoint or crisis, as some universities and other institutions have experienced, said Joe Slowensky, vice chancellor for institutional effectiveness and faculty affairs and the chief administrator of the project along with Erin Pullin, director of diversity and inclusion in the Office of the Chancellor. Instead, it was a combination of factors. For one thing, surveys of faculty and staff showed a drop in positive responses to the statement “Chapman is a place that values diversity.” “They weren’t bad scores, but the trend wasn’t in the direction we wanted,” Slowensky said. Plus, in fall 2014 there was an uptick in bias incidents experienced by students, mirroring national trends. And there was some concern voiced by women about “the positions and salaries that women hold at the institution, indicating that we needed to look carefully at this issue. And we did,” Slowensky added.
So in February 2015, with support from Chapman’s leadership, Slowensky and colleagues set about creating a framework for changing both realities and perceptions about Chapman. They pulled together campus stakeholders and other experts to figure out how “to impact a wide variety of areas throughout the institution in a relatively short timeframe,” Slowensky said.
Casting a wide net here were a few givens about the Diversity Project. They wanted a process that promotes curiosity, inquiry and reflection, with honesty and transparency at its core. Plus, the project had to convert talk to action and ultimately solutions. And they didn’t want a top-down structure. “We wanted to hear all voices, so we cast the widest-possible net,” said Pullin, whose position and office were established in 2015
to assist with oversight and development of the institutional change project. “We decided that we needed to look at diversity from all angles.” Five task forces were set up to focus the project’s advocacy through institutional lenses, plus eight advisory groups were dedicated to advocating for the status of various communities. The groups cover everything from women to people of color, international communities to issues of disability and accessibility, LGBTQ+ to military affiliates, socio-economic stratification to faith, spirituality and secularism. “It’s not about political correctness,” said Romo, a member of the steering committee as well as two advisory groups in the project. “It’s about giving people the power to say, ‘This is who I am.’” Religious studies professor Julye Bidmead sees the effort as a natural step in Chapman’s evolution. Continued on next page
“IT’S NOT ABOUT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. IT’S ABOUT GIVING PEOPLE THE POWER TO SAY, ‘THIS IS WHO I AM.’” Leti Romo, assistant director of Student Engagement
Above: Students Megan Holtan ’17, left, and Jayetha Panakkadan ’17 join in the conversation during the Next Step Social Justice Retreat. Left: Diversity Project volunteers, from left, Rebecca Rost, Kris De Pedro, Ph.D, and Chris Roach compare notes during a spring get-together.
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A Culture of Inclusion “As we move to become an internationally recognized research university, we will continue to change and grow, and that’s important,” says Bidmead, Ph.D., who leads workshops with faculty to help incorporate diversity into their teaching. “The fact that we’re talking about this on so many levels is a good thing for the University.” As young as it is, the project already has gained national notice. Slowensky and Pullin presented on it at a recent conference of the Association of American Colleges & Universities. They were joined by two other project participants, film student Leon Lukic ’17 and sociology and anthropology professor Stephanie Takaragawa, Ph.D.
“Our focus is not, ‘We need this because of the cultural environment.’ It’s, ‘We need this because students benefit from exposure to and education about multiple perspectives and identities,’” Price said. “This is part of our global mission.” Support for Student Affairs in developing the Cross-Cultural Center is one measure of Diversity Project impact. Where else is the effort creating change consistent with its goals? Pullin enjoys counting the ways. “I got to present 65 updates to the spring full-faculty meeting on Friday, and that’s not even a comprehensive list,” she told project participants at a recent get-together. “I never
“WE NEED THIS BECAUSE STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM EXPOSURE TO AND EDUCATION ABOUT MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES AND IDENTITIES. THIS IS PART OF OUR GLOBAL MISSION.” Jerry Price, dean of students
One of the project’s innovations is that co-chair positions are filled not just by staff and faculty but also by students. “It reminds everyone that we’re supposed to be contributing equally, and no one’s input is more weighted,” Takaragawa said. “Students have been actively asking for this opportunity,” said Jillian Strong ’16, a psychology major who co-chairs the Advisory Group on the Status of Disabilities and Accessibility. “To now have it is really exciting.”
A draw for students any students are also excited about the Cross-Cultural Center, which they anticipate will become a hub of cultural life on campus. “I’ve had instances when I didn’t feel welcome based on who I am – my identity,” said Lukic, Diversity Project assistant as well as a co-chair of the Perceptions Task Force. “Having a space where students feel a lot more connected is important. I think it will be a draw for current and prospective students.” The goals for the Center are to “advance our efforts supporting students from underrepresented groups while also exposing the rest of the campus to other points of view,” said Price. 18 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
thought we would achieve this much change in a year.” Acting on recommendations by the project team, the University and members of the project have worked together to: • Update and significantly expand the Chapman website to include resources such as all-gender restrooms and accessible entrances on the interactive map. • Establish pathways to support access and emphasize recruitment of first-generation students. • Develop a new orientation to smooth the transition of international students, helping them gain knowledge of the campus and the local culture as well as navigate issues of transportation and communication. • Hire a consultant to help diversify faculty hiring searches and create four $1,500 annual faculty awards to incentivize innovation in adding diversity to their curricula. • Add a lactation and feeding room to the main campus that will be fully accessible and include a changing station. • Begin drafting a five-year strategic plan for diversity and inclusion at Chapman. Dozens of other steps are in place or in the works. Some might seem relatively small Continued on next page
LARA McKINLEY • Senior, sociology with social work emphasis, applied psychology minor • In 2010 I took my first class at Chapman – Medical Sociology with Dr. Roberta G. Lessor. I had 20 plus years as a civilian in the medical field and had served in the military for 15 years, including 9 months in Iraq as a combat medic with the Marines. Our class was in a Chapman building undergoing major remodeling. In class I heard banging above me that shook the whole room. It sounded like bombs going off and machine gun fire. I quietly pulled Dr. Lessor aside and told her that I had been diagnosed with PTSD and how the loud noises affected me. I really enjoyed her class, but I told her I would have to drop it because of the location and the stress. She suggested I wait and not drop. She said she understood my dilemma and was going to make some calls. The very next day our class received an email telling us our classroom had been changed. I was blown away; I felt like I was heard. And I didn’t drop the class.
LEON LUKIC • Junior, news and documentary, University Honors Program • I spent most of my life learning to leave places. I was born in Germany, grew up In Connecticut, and studied in Croatia. I spent enough time in each of these places to get comfortable, but I never revealed too much about myself. In coming to Chapman, that conflict continued. During Orientation, I found a table with a button that said Queer Bomb on it. This button was the start to a journey that led me to work in Cross-Cultural Engagement and also to serve as Campus Inclusion Chair for the Student Government Association. This is what I needed to understand that I could be fully myself, that I could show all of me, and still be accepted and loved by those around me.
CRISTINA AGUILAR • Senior, kinesiology Being the first in my family to attend college, I didn’t know what to expect when I started at Chapman. The entire process of college was foreign and actually quite scary to me. Chapman’s Promising Futures program was and continues to be a group that has helped me develop in so many ways. This program has provided me with resources and, more important, I have met people who can serve as a support group. Diversity is present not only within the Promising Futures group, but all around campus. You meet people with different backgrounds and beliefs that oppose and sometimes make you question your own. Being around people with unique experiences encourages you to think about your own in a way you have not before. •
‘I AM CHAPMAN’
To understand how diversity and inclusion initiatives at Chapman are working to transform the campus experience, meet some of the students sharing their stories and helping to drive change. Photos by Nathan Worden ’13 (MBA ’15)
SETH YUND • Senior, biological sciences One of the most impactful classes I’ve taken has been Death, Self and Society, taught by Bernard McGrane. It looked at the phenomenon of death from many if not all angles and encouraged students to think about death in general, their own death, death of loved ones, and grief. This process required quite an extreme amount of objective observation of one’s self and empathetic consideration of others, including classmates’ sensitivities and the grief of your family in traumatic moments of your life. It was here that I realized how little I knew, and how little I could know, of people’s subjective experiences associated with identity and perception of the world. This sparked a curiosity that caused me to join Active Minds and enter into dialogue with many people involved in diversity and inclusion initiatives. •
SOHINI MUKHERJEE • Senior, English literature, psychology, University Honors Program • As an international student in the United States, I encounter many individuals who have certain expectations of me and my behavior; they expect me to be socially inept, a poor English speaker, or simply seek the company of other international students. However, at Chapman I have found a community that resists these biases and stereotypes, and allows me to be who I am. Chapman has also motivated me to be more active in promoting social equity, and I hope to do so by continuing social research. I also hope to design a class to explore theories of social justice.
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A Culture of Inclusion – like making more microwave ovens, refrigerators and lockers available to students. But such changes can make a big difference to students struggling to stay afloat financially. Many of them travel to campus by public transportation, and now they’ll have a place to store books and a bagged lunch. Floating ideas and then turning them into proposals is part of the hard work being done in task forces and advisory groups, Pullin said. Working through differences to create consensus and ultimately change is critical, she added.
“ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IS MUSLIM; ANOTHER OF MY FRIENDS IS TRANSGENDER. I HAVE MORE FRIENDS THAN EVER BEFORE — I’M ACTUALLY SAD THAT I’M GRADUATING. I WISH THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME EARLIER.” Lara McKinley ’16
Latino outreach wo of the biggest goals for the project and the University – diversifying the student body and the faculty – will not be quick fixes, Slowensky said. But work is under way now in both areas. One of the most immediate goals is that the student population look more like that of the increasingly diverse county Chapman calls home. That means building up the Latino population at Chapman, where about
Essraa Nawar, left, and Anat Herzog team up on the Curriculum Task Force of the Diversity Project.
On April 5, Chapman University law professor and former dean Tom Campbell received the Marcus Kaufman Jurisprudence Award from the Anti-Defamation League. This is an excerpt from his speech.
‘Inhumanity Starts with Insensitivity’ To be recognized by the Anti-Defamation League is tremendously meaningful to me. The record of the AntiDefamation League, since 1913, has been to protect victims of prejudice, to oppose acts and words of hate, and to make our country and our world more tolerant of differences between sons and daughters of the same God. The need for the ADL continues to this very day; because prejudice has returned to our country and our politics. In a New York Times column recently, ABC News assignment editor Mustafa Hameed wrote 20 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
powerfully of what it is to be a Muslim in America today. The national headquarters of the Islamic Society of North America, in Plainfield, Indiana, was the target of offensive graffiti sprayed on the walls of its mosque. Mr. Hameed grew up in Indiana. He had prayed at that mosque as a child and young man. Mr. Hameed reported that after the attack, “The Islamic Society and the Indianapolis Muslim community found immediate support from the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council and several local churches.” This is the spirit that we celebrate tonight; that we all identify with the victims of a modern day reminder of Kristallnacht, whose perpetrators probably have no idea what that reference means.
I have served in public office, so I take a special interest in the advice those running for office are offering our country. One of the candidates for president said that Muslims should not be allowed to be president, and another that they should not be allowed to enter our country. This is not the same as Kristallnacht, but it is wrong, and many have said so. But not every officeholder has spoken out, and silence in the face of such statements is dangerously close to complicity. I am also an academic. Just over a month ago, I concluded my five-year term as dean of the Fowler School of Law at Chapman University. From those years, the most powerful memory I take is the commemoration, last summer, in Nuremberg, Germany, of the 70th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials. That event was organized by my faculty colleague, Professor Michael Bazyler. It took place in the actual courtroom where the Nazis were tried and convicted. That courtroom had been used by the German State of Bavaria before the war. It was converted to the venue of the Nazi trials in 1945, and has since returned to service as a regular court of Bavaria, operating to
15 percent of students identify as Latino, vs. about 35 percent in Orange County. “We’re starting in our own back yard – with the Orange and Santa Ana unified school districts,” Slowensky said. “We’re working in these communities to create more awareness about what we have here as an institution that’s close to home.” Among Chapman’s growing number of outreach efforts, Slowensky highlighted a
Hugo Flores ’16, left, and Aaron Ngor ’16 enjoy a celebration honoring first-generation graduates.
new partnership with the Santa Ana district and its elementary-school cinema project founded by actor Edward James Olmos. Seventy of those students toured Chapman in May. The students are showing remarkable media literacy skills that can translate to success across academic disciplines, Slowensky said. The University and its partners are exploring ways to keep the students on a college track that leads to Chapman. The many tracks of Chapman’s Diversity Project are still being fully developed. It’s an ongoing process with multi-year timelines, so taking stock of success is probably premature. But don’t tell that to Lara McKinley ’16, co-chair of the Advisory Group on the Status of Veterans. “This semester has transformed my life,” said McKinley, a sociology major who is also a breast cancer survivor and who served 15 years in the military, including 9 months as a Marine Corps medic in Iraq. “This is
“Nuremberg teaches us about the place for law in a world of growing inhumanity,” Professor Tom Campbell writes of the famous courtroom.
this day. The keynote address last summer was given there by Justice Richard Fybel. Nuremberg teaches us about the place for law in a world of growing inhumanity. In 1936, a law was passed requiring German judges to take an oath of allegiance not only to their country, but to the person of Adolph Hitler. Among all of Germany’s judges, all but one agreed. The judiciary, and the legal profession of Germany, thus became complicitous in the greatest crime the world has ever seen. There are two lessons here. First, a shocking and sobering lesson for all of us who take pride in the independence
and integrity of our own judiciary. Germany was the most educated country in the world in 1936. Its judges and law professors had for more than a century been internationally respected scholars. Yet when the demand was made to surrender judicial independence, all but one judge did so. Judges serving in the Bavarian court, in Nuremberg, in the very courthouse where we met, tailored justice in opinion after opinion to uphold the deprivation of liberty and life itself as their political overlords demanded. The second lesson from Nuremberg came nine years later, where, in 1945, modern
probably the happiest I’ve been since my marriage and the birth of my son. Being cancer free is part of it, of course, but I do think this has a lot to do with the Diversity Project.” She said that being a voice for change has inherent rewards – for the University and for participants. “I care deeply about the growth of Chapman,” she said. “Maybe it’s because I’m looking for it, but I’m seeing different people and hearing different languages. One of my best friends is Muslim; another of my friends is transgender. I have more friends than ever before – I’m actually sad that I’m graduating. I wish this would have happened to me earlier.” Sentiments such as these just might be the greatest success of the Diversity Project so far, participants say. Romo, for one, can’t wait to see what happens next. “Seeing some of the changes really keeps me going,” she said. “Five years ago when I started at Chapman, we were doing some pretty cool stuff, and now we have programs that are bringing more people together. We still have a ways to go, but we’re moving in the right direction. It’s great to see.”
international law had its birth. Prior to Nuremberg, the accepted doctrine was that since nations were sovereign within their own borders, only national laws could govern conduct there. The Nuremberg trials created the doctrine that no country could absolve itself, and no government official could ever assert immunity, from the duties of shared humanity. We are citizens of the country that has achieved the greatest degree of individual liberty the world has ever seen, but we cannot be complacent. Inhumanity starts with insensitivity. It is fed by political conformity, dangerously growing on our college campuses, and reinforced by the shorthand of candidates’ speeches – the applause lines that engage the politics of envy and dehumanization to divide us by income level, by race, and by religion. We push back because we remember history. We push back because we refuse to accept the diminution of our own humanity that comes from denying it in others. My deepest thanks for this tremendous honor. S P R I N G 2 016 | 21
Honors students embark on a unique exploration of “all things unbounded by Earth.”
By Anna Rose Warren ’16
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Photo by Dennis Arp
h
elena McGill ’17 studies film production; Haley Hopkins ’18 fine arts and art history, but on a recent Tuesday they were partners in cardboard architecture as they raced the clock to build a tower from cereal boxes. Their design was necessarily simple, but the conceptual class that brought them together demands an unusual level of collaboration. The class is called simply “Up,” and the three professors of art, poetry and graphic design who teach it describe the course as “an exploration of the concept of up and the fascination and exhilaration of all things unbounded by Earth.” The class examines the topic conceptually, physically and spiritually, and includes specific lessons on the history, physics and future of humanpowered flight on Earth and into space. “I don’t know what else humanity has accomplished that’s on the same scale,” explained Anna Leahy, Ph.D., director of Tabula Poetica in the Department of English and also director of undergraduate research at Chapman University. Leahy, art professor Lia Halloran and Department of Art Chair Claudine Jaenichen co-teach the class. The 14 Chapman University Honors students in “Up” represent a wide range of academic disciplines. By the end of the spring semester they had: • Confronted fears as many of them climbed the 51-foot rock wall in Sandhu Residence Hall and Conference Center. • Collaborated on several in-class activities, including cereal-box architecture, as well as final projects. • Researched scientific possibilities for life on new planets.
Tellis Aucoin ’18 takes on the challenge of the Doti-Struppa Rock Wall during the class called Up.
• Meditated with the Rev. Gail Stearns, Ph.D., dean of the All Faiths Chapel at the Fish Interfaith Center. • Responded to lectures by Chancellor Daniele Struppa, Ph.D. (mountain climbing), science and digital humanities librarian Douglas Dechow (NASA artifacts), and theoretical cosmologist Janna Levin, Ph.D. (black holes), among others. Working collaboratively was a key aspect of the course for both professors and students. McGill agreed with her colleagues that teamwork was crucial, not just in building cereal-box towers but in belaying teammates on the rock wall or exchanging
ideas during other class projects. “It definitely forces you to look at an issue from someone else’s perspective,” she says. The lectures, research and activities prompted students to think anew about the world around them. They reflected on history, current events and what lies ahead. Following are excerpts from the class blog: For an assignment to physically experience “up”: “While my version of achieving ‘upness’ didn’t come from climbing the rock wall, I did work on a film set for the last two weekends during which I was the sound
mixer and primary boom operator – basically the person who manages audio recording and quality on set. This is my emphasis at Dodge College, one of the smallest emphases and also one of the more underappreciated aspects of the filmmaking process. This set was a difficult one in particular because we shot on a sound stage for both weekends. This makes my job particularly difficult when I operate the boom, because I always have to stay above the actors’ heads, tracking them around the scene, in order to catch their dialogue and movements with the mic. When we were shooting at Panther Productions, some of the shots were so wide that I had to sit at the top of a 25-foot ladder and maneuver from there. Associating audio mixing and sound design with the concept of up has been an interesting journey for me. Good audio has good levels, ‘high’ levels, while audio that is recorded too ‘low’ can be
Helena McGill ’17, left, and Haley Hopkins ’18 collaborate on a cardboard high-rise during a class project.
muddled or impossible to work with. Especially when booming, the best-quality audio comes from booming from above the actors, dangling the mic downward toward their chests. The struggle comes from resisting gravity and keeping your arms up and steady enough to stay in a good position for the duration of the shot. Endurance is key, and the balance and focus that the job requires remind me of the tactical skill necessary also for scaling a rock wall.” — Helena McGill ’17
Responding to a guest lecture by David Werntz, solo flight instructor: “At one point in my life, I thought that I was going to be an aerospace engineer. I wanted to work for Boeing and build the airplanes of the future. In high school, I enrolled in an aerospace engineering class where we learned the fundamentals of flight, designed our own gliders and practiced flying and navigating on simulators. I enjoyed the class, but as time progressed I found myself losing interest in working in a field that is so heavy on math. I abandoned my dreams of being an engineer, but I held onto my fascination with flight. To this day, I still hold on to the wonderment that I had when I was a young kid, flying for those first times. When I fly, I always choose a window seat, and if I don’t have one I feel that I have been cheated out of the aviation experience. I enjoy watching the ground go by, observing remote landmarks, and speculating what life must be like for the people who live below me.” — Nolan Kresnak ’18 On planning for human exploration of other planets: “From our position on the brink of World War III, and given the slow annihilation of the earth’s resources and ozone, the inhabitants of this planet could be in for a very frightening future. Given our hopeful technological advancements, if we blow ourselves up or dismantle the ozone layer it is fair to say that we could potentially, simply, move. Look no farther than Kepler 442b! This is a “confirmed near-Earth-sized exoplanet, likely rocky, orbiting within the habitable zone of a K-type star,” according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA website. Interestingly enough, because of its size, distance from its host star and lack of a strong atmosphere, the surface temperature of our hopeful new home is minus-40 degrees F. That’s quite cold, but nothing some strong and innovative terraforming couldn’t deal with in time. As of now, we don’t have to worry too much about the logistical side of this potential mass exodus. We can leave that to the scientists. But it’s never too early to think about the future, especially when we know how far planning can get us.” — Alexey Bonca ’19
For an “Up” class assignment, Shane Romick ’18 used photography to consider staircases at Chapman from the vantage point of his wheelchair. “For most people climbing the stairs is simple; for me it is impossible. For most people they are a gateway, but to me they are a barrier,” Romick wrote in the class blog. “I’ll never stand at the top of Mount Everest; I will never stand at the top of Mount Anything. The disadvantage nature has put upon me, and millions of others, is unfair. Taking down the limits put upon us by nature is an important step toward equality, and an important step toward bringing humanity up together.” SPRING 2016 | 23
By Dawn Bonker (MFA ’18)
The impulse to binge is tribal, Chapman experts say. And now it’s changing the medium of television.
Whywe watch... n 1841, the ships that brought the last installment of Charles Dickens’ wildly popular serialized novel The Old Curiosity Shop were met on the docks in New York by clamoring, obsessed fans, eager to know the ending of this sentimental tale of family woe. “Some shouted, ‘Is Little Nell dead?’ to the sailors as the ship arrived,” says Richard Ruppel, Ph.D, professor in the Department of English and chair of Peace Studies at Chapman University. Sound like anyone you know, ye old fans of binge-watchable TV fare? Now devotees of the episodic story clutch laptops in bed or plop down in front of family room big screens, firing up just one more chapter of House of Cards, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones or any number of other binge-worthy shows, hungry for the latest installment. They dive into online gab fests about a favorite program, and in the next minute turn from spoiler-alert conversations about another. And the snacking? Definitely trouble. Yes, binge-watching is making us a little goofy. But we’re not alone. “It is a tribal behavior,” says Stephanie Takaragawa, Ph.D., a cultural anthropologist who teaches in Chapman’s Department of Sociology and researches visual communication. From television writing veterans who consider it a boon, to anthropologists like Takaragawa who see a new behavior to put under the microscope, Chapman scholars are interested in binge-watching on many counts. But they agree that the phenomenon is changing how people consume television, and 24 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
sometimes it’s shaping the storytelling itself. The volume of television shows available from a variety of platforms is feeding the binge-watching habit, professors say. “Richer opportunities have opened up for longer-form storytelling and made it less formulaic,” says Ross Brown, associate professor at Chapman’s Dodge College of
Film and Media Arts who teaches television writing as well as a course titled “The New Era of Television.” This modern habit of settling in for a bender of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, documentaries like How to Make a Murderer and even new-old favorites like Friends is not a passing fancy. Consider:
Break it Up You work out, and so you think this story about how binge-watching is bad for your health doesn’t apply to you. Think again. Studies show that the metabolism of even a physically fit person slows during extended bouts of sedentary activity, like marathon TV watching, says Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Health Science and Kinesiology at Chapman’s Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences. “You can’t make up for it,” Sternlicht says. “The human body was meant to move.” Sternlicht sees nothing but trouble ahead
for Americans who add binge-watching to an already mostly sedentary lifestyle. But you can battle back. Studies of sedentary people find that those who break every 15 minutes to walk around the room or even march in place had significantly reduced waistlines – an indicator of reduced risk for heart disease and other problems, Sternlicht says. Consider binge-watching while riding a stationary bike, he adds. “It will allow you to have a longer life,” he says.
. and watch • Seventy percent of U.S. consumers now binge-watch an average of five episodes at a time, and almost one-third (31 percent) binge each week, according to Deloitte’s 10th Digital Democracy Survey. • Harris pollsters say that 43 percent of U.S. adults regularly watch television via home-streaming, which is largely wiping out the old model of week-by-week viewing of episodic shows. And if you’re just counting millennials, make that 67 percent. • A TiVo survey of 30,000 subscribers revealed that 92 percent binge-watch. How did we go from shunning television as a “vast wasteland” to embracing it as a source of quality entertainment? Thank the movies and technology, Brown says. “Television is the place to go for story these days, rather than feature films, because feature films are so economically beholden to deliver spectacle rather than human drama,” he says. New delivery platforms for television foster more creative and in-depth stories, Brown adds. Today’s writers are freed from the formulas of weaving around commercial breaks and can develop complicated characters and stories, he says. Plots flow across multiple seasons because there is less concern about writing episodes that will have to stand alone in rerun syndication. And subscription and paid-streaming services don’t shy from adult themes. Brown sees all of this contributing to the urge to binge.
“Richer opportunities have opened up for longer-form storytelling and made it less formulaic,” says Ross Brown, associate professor.
“Back in the day, even loyal viewers of a show only saw one out of three episodes. Now you can’t do that. You have to see them all. There’s an itch for the viewer,” he says. Anthropologists like Takaragawa focus more on the how rather than the why of binging. Academic studies are still needed, but she sees an interesting contradiction between people who join in the group behavior of robust online conversations about favorite shows and those who sit and binge alone. “There are a lot of other things that have happened with this technology,” Takaragawa says. “There’s this ongoing discussion online of the stories.” Like their colleagues in drama and comedy, documentary filmmakers are also encouraged by the boom in content providers, from Hulu to HBO Go and streaming delivery systems. Sally Rubin, an assistant professor who teaches documentary filmmaking at Dodge College, says new audiences have sparked a burst in creative nonfiction stories that go well beyond the science, nature and history documentaries of the past.
“As viewers, we need to think of how we are responding to those shows,” says Sally Rubin, assistant professor.
“You see more portrait stories – stories that are about people,” Rubin says. She also sees troubling developments. Americans’ fascination with the true crime series How to Make a Murderer and the investigative podcast Serial evolved into a kind of sport, rife with gossipy and sometimes vitriolic social media banter that lost sight of the real people still suffering with these recent tragedies. “As viewers, we need to think of how we are responding to those shows,” she says. Insensitivity and bad taste aside, it’s worth remembering those clamoring fans along the New York docks more than a century ago. It’s human nature to be drawn into a story, to want to know how it all ends. History doesn’t tell us if the sailors divulged what happened next for Little Nell. But one hopes not. Because some things, like the hunger for a great tale and disdain for plot spoilers, are true to every age and any media platform.
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SUSTAINABLE IMPACT CHAPMAN SCHOLARS TAKE ON THE BIG ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, TURNING SOUND SCIENCE INTO PRUDENT POLICY. By Dennis Arp
rom Paris to Sacramento, the Gulf of Mexico to the wilds of Montana, the Chapman University campus to the White House lawn, Chapman University students are putting environmental science into practice and turning that practice into impact. Leah Thomas ’17 is one of those students. Even as a child, she loved the outdoors and wanted to see natural environments protected. The Missouri native was a sophomore studying biology when she discovered the Environmental Science and Policy program at Chapman. Since then, she has used remote-sensing data to study the cause of oxygen depletion plaguing waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Last summer, she worked with the Student Conservation Association in Kansas, educating visitors about the first settlement of former slaves west of the Mississippi. This spring, she attended the National Park Service Academy in the Grand Tetons, helping to develop ways to increase diversity of thought, religion, ethnicity and race in the National Parks. And this summer, she’ll work at the White House, using the grounds as a tool to educate youngsters about conservation practices, sound fertilizer use and the effects of climate change. “I can definitely say that this major has changed my life,” Thomas says of the Environmental 26 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
Trina Clausen ’11 attends law school in Montana, where she seeks to protect wild and scenic rivers.
Cristina Martinez ’13 works with Santa Ana Active Streets to educate residents about cycling safety and transportation issues.
Fernando Silva ’18 works on research in the lab of science professor Christopher Kim, Ph.D., an originator of the Environmental Science and Policy program.
Science and Policy program. “For the rest of my life I know I’ll be dedicated to issues of the environment and social justice, working where those two things connect.” The program was launched at Chapman seven years ago to train students to think scientifically, socially and politically about solving the big environmental challenges, says Professor Jason Keller, Ph.D., head of the life and environmental sciences faculty at Chapman. “We’re trying to prepare our students to be scientists who can communicate with policymakers,” Keller adds. These are some of the alumni and students already making a difference where science meets policy: • Trina Clausen ’11 was the first graduate of the Environmental Science and Policy program and is completing her final semester
of law school at the University of Montana. A stint with the World Wildlife Federation helped her fall in love with Big Sky country, and now she’s helping with policy work and advocating for legislation to keep rivers clean, wild and scenic. An avid fisher and hunter, Clausen is learning to speak the language of her Montana neighbors. “I would never say I’m an environmentalist, because that has a negative connotation,” she notes. “Here, I’m a conservationist.” • As a Chapman student, Cristina Martinez ’13 first explored the connection between environmental policy and urban planning. Now she’s working on transportation issues, including the development of more bike lanes in Southern California, as an intern at the IBI Group, a Los Angeles-based architecture and planning firm. She’s also
pursuing a master’s in urban planning at UC Irvine. At Chapman, she gained experience working with geographic information system (GIS) software, which allows her to build a case for policy action on a foundation of hard data. “It’s a reminder that you can gather all the data you want, but ultimately it has to go to an effort that will lead to real change, she says.” • Fernando Silva ’18 is a double major in art as well as environmental science and policy. “Visual imagery can help to effectively present what we learn from our data,” he says. This summer, Silva will begin work as a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar, helping researchers study and manage the health of animal populations, among other projects. He’s also filling an industrial-size garbage bag with plastic, which he turns into
Clayton Heard ’16 meets with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, advocating for bipartisan congressional action on global warming as an advocate for Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
A Truman Scholar who earned a master’s in agribusiness from Texas A&M, Chelsea Takahashi ’12 helps alleviate food insecurity in her native Hawaii.
Research by Madison Hoffacker ’13 innovates ways to maximize efficient and effective use of solar energy.
sculpture. “I like to use street art to show that this is our only planet and we need to protect it,” he says. • Clayton Heard ’16 has his hand in just about all things environment at Chapman and beyond. As a volunteer for Citizens’ Climate Lobby, he advocates for congressional action to address the risks of global warming. He even attended the UN climate talks in Paris late last year. At Chapman, he helped spearhead the University’s efforts in the solar decathlon, and as a leader of the student group Mission Environment he’s engaging with Chapman leaders on the idea of divesting from fossil-fuel-related investments. “When we come to the table for discussions, I want to be able to meet people where they are,” Heard says. • Chelsea Takahashi ’12 is using her science training to advocate on policy issues
surrounding food insecurity, including in her work for The Food Basket: Hawaii Island’s Food Bank. Takahashi came to environmental science through her appreciation for sustainable farming. A fellowship with the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., led her to “the business side of agriculture,” she says. Her work now in her native Hawaii reduces food waste and supports both the food-insecure and small farmers. “We want to make sure we have a sustainable food system,” she says. • Madison Hoffacker ’13 “is something of a research rock star,” Professor Keller says. She’s looking at land-use issues involving solar energy. First at Stanford and now at UC Davis, she works with Professor Rebecca Hernandez, Ph.D., on innovative solutions such as positioning solar panels above reservoirs as an alternative
to taking farm land out of production or endangering threatened species. Hoffacker’s commitment to an environmental ethos includes never having owned a car. “It’s easy to bike everywhere in Davis,” she says. The small-town atmosphere in Davis evokes Hoffacker’s experience in the Environmental Science and Policy program, she says. “One thing that stands out is the mentorship the professors provide,” she says. “They are still very much a part of my life and my research career.” Professor Keller adds that the concept of sustainability can influence all the ways people interact. “It’s not just about environmental consciousness; there’s also economic and social sustainability,” he says. “Our students are smart enough to see the connections and get excited about them.”
Leah Thomas ’17
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A Real Page-Turner
Closing the final chapter
of his 25-year presidential adventure, Jim Doti reflects on overcoming fears, reaching beyond ambitions and the ways in which he has surprised himself. Interview by Dennis Arp and Mary Platt Photos by Nathan Worden ’13 (MBA ’15)
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respected economist, AS aJimwidely Doti knows a thing or two about crunching numbers. So let’s sift through a few to help get a handle on the progress achieved during his transformational presidency at Chapman University. When Doti took office as Chapman’s 12th president 25 years ago, the University was still a college, and enrollment was 2,200. Now the student body numbers about 8,000, many of them in the six colleges that have been added during his tenure. The number of buildings on campus has gone from 13 to nearly 70. Net assets have
climbed from $226 million in 2003 to $1 billion today. There was one endowed chair in 1991; now there are 39, as well as 25 endowed professorships. Then there are these remarkable figures: Since 1991, freshman applications have risen 1,867 percent, the average incoming SAT score has climbed more than 200 points, and Chapman’s U.S. News & World Report student selectivity ranking has jumped from No. 92 to a position that toggles between No. 1 and No. 2, depending on the report. “It’s no secret that Jim Doti’s tenure at Chapman has been the most dynamic era in
To be at 25 years and consider all that we’ve accomplished, it amazes me. Not that I accomplished it, but that we as a community accomplished it. Working together for 25 years, we made miracles happen.
the 155-year history of the University,” said David Janes, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Jim is a visionary who has the gift of making impossible-seeming ideas come true, and although it seems effortless, it takes planning and extraordinary people skills to make it all happen.” Indeed, as the academic year wound down and Doti prepared to step out of office and back into the classroom, it wasn’t numbers that occupied his thoughts. It was the people and partnerships, the moments and memories amassed during a quartercentury the likes of which higher education scarcely has seen. We sat down with the president, not for an exit interview but for something of a transition conversation. Because Doti is far from done taking on challenges and seeking out adventures.
As your presidency draws to a close, Q do you find yourself taking more time for reflection? A I do. As I walk the campus, I have a
tendency to think about the history – the story behind this building or that setting on campus. I’m also reflecting on people who are no longer here but who have left a legacy. I was walking across Attallah Piazza yesterday, and there was a mother taking photos of her little daughter playing in the water. As the little girl was playing, she stopped and started reading one of the poems by Fahmy (Attallah) on the pillar. I thought about Fahmy and his poetry, and I might not have been inclined to stop and think about that a year ago. I probably would have been rushing to get someplace.
Do you think your younger self Q would be surprised to see what you’ve accomplished? A Certainly surprised that I’ve been
president for 25 years. I know when I took on the job I was thinking that if I could survive 10 years, I’d be happy. Now to be at 25 years and consider all that we’ve accomplished, it amazes me. Not that I accomplished it, but that we as a community accomplished it. Working together for 25 years, we made miracles happen.
What about when you were a child? Q What would that little boy growing up in Chicago think of all this? A He wouldn’t have been thinking about
Chapman or being a president of a university. I’m not the kind of person who thinks, “Here’s my game plan for life. Here’s my bucket list: I have to get a Ph.D., I have to become a dean, I have to become president.” I mean those things happened, but it was more serendipity. I was very happy being a professor of economics when (thenpresident) Buck Smith called me and invited me to be dean of the business school. He’d been after me for a while, and I’d said no, but he finally wore me down. I tend to take on new challenges because they sound interesting, always with the fallback that I can go back to what I was doing. It’s the same with becoming president. I always had an out, but I also enjoyed the challenge. And even now, after 25 years as president, going back to being a faculty member will be a challenge. I haven’t taught a full-semester course in 25 years. And I know there have
Renaissance President Jim Doti has continuously revealed new facets of himself throughout his Chapman presidency. You may know him as: A nationally noted economist who has edited and published scholarly books and many articles. • Founder of Chapman’s A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research. • Long-distance runner who has run 50 marathons, including 10 Boston Marathons. • Mountain climber who has conquered many of the world’s most challenging peaks, among them Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Kosciuszko, Rainier, Whitney and Vinson. •
But he also: Has medaled in seven downhill ski slalom competitions. • Learned wood turning from one of the top artists in the nation. • Had his own local TV cooking show. • Dances show and ballroom style. • Raises chickens in his back yard. • Has hosted Dialogue With Doti on public television stations KOCE and KCET since 1997. • Made several cameos on the CBS daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful, playing Mr. Chapman. • Published two children’s books and is working on a third. • Is certified as an open-water diver. •
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Page-Turner been a lot of changes. It’s a different generation of students, with a different level of preparedness. So I think that little kid in Chicago would still be interested in doing new things, learning new things. That’s been the journey, and it continues.
What trait or talent has served you well Q as president that before you took office you didn’t know you would need, or maybe didn’t even know you had? I was surprised at the need for decisiveness, and then at the comfort I would find in my ability to make those decisions. I tend to procrastinate. My natural tendency is to hear people out and be very careful. But I found that in this job, a decision needs to be made. When I was dean of the business school, I had the luxury of letting things move more slowly, and I could be more careful about making changes. But then as president there were deadlines, and decisions needed to be made. I was surprised at my ability to change my M.O. so I could be more decisive. I think that’s one of the expectations of leadership.
A
Voices “Jim will long be remembered for his ability to inspire others to dream big, to unify the board and to advance our University in ways we would have never imagined without him.” George Argyros ’59, chairman emeritus of the Board of Trustees “Next to my husband, George, Jim is the best – not to mention cutest – dance partner I have
What was your lowest moment as Q president, and what was your most enjoyable? A I can think of an instance when the
two went hand in hand – when our law school didn’t get its accreditation. I knew that eventually we would get it, but I was devastated because the students began to
ever had. And he hardly ever stepped on my toes! How many presidents can dance as well as they can communicate an economic report – and with equal audience appeal. Jim Doti is one of a kind!” Julianne Argyros, President’s Cabinet member “When you are speaking with Jim he makes you feel like you are the only person in the room.” Jim Mazzo, trustee
question whether we would get it. They needed it to take the bar exam. I sensed their frustration and felt personally responsible. So that was a low moment – how to deal with those students and try to give them a sense of confidence that we would get through this. Then one of the most joyous experiences was when we got the accreditation. I remember
“He is the leading exhibit that one can be a forceful leader, driving hard toward institutional improvement, without being disagreeable.” Tom Campbell, JD, Ph.D., law professor and former dean of the Fowler School of Law “During my time as a student, President Doti opened my eyes to the power of believing in a vision. In my communication studies and psychology classes, we looked right in our own school for proof of concepts about establishing a vision and then realizing it.” Rebecca Hall ’96, Chapman governor and founder of Idea Hall, a branding and PR agency “He personally talked me into going back to school, which wasn’t on my bucket list. I did it with his support, and now I’m a professor with a Ph.D. He’s a special guy.” Mark Chapin Johnson ’05, trustee “I have no doubt he could have run any Fortune 500 Company; but he chose instead to transform a small college into a world-class university.” David Wilson, trustee Many more President Doti tributes and stories are at chapman.edu/magazine.
Julianne Argyros and President Doti dance onstage at American Celebration.
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What advice will you give the new Q students of economics you’ll be teaching? I hope that the experience of being A president will make me a better, more
the event with (then-dean) Parham Williams and everyone celebrating. I guess there are booms and busts, just like with the economy. Of course, when you’re talking about emotional lows, there’s losing Essie Adibi. The lowest moments in my presidency in terms of emotion have to be losing people like Essie – people like Paul Frizler, Marv Meyer, Barbara Mulch – people I love. Chapman feels emptier not having them around. But then on the joyful side, there’s the fun of bringing in new recruits. That’s part of the life cycle of a university.
What will you miss most about Q being president? been thinking a lot about that. A I’ve Lynne and I were on a biking trip in Holland recently, and when we would travel in the past I was always looking for ideas for our campus. I would take a photograph of a bench or something else I saw, and I would bring that back, knowing that I could have a significant impact and that I had the possibility of implementing that kind of change. Now
I’m not going to have that to the same extent. I’m going to miss some of the creative aspects of being president. Making my annual summer reading list – I’ll miss that.
What excites you the most about Q going back into the classroom? of the best parts of being president A One is meeting the students and getting to know them, but there’s nothing like seeing the evolution of students over the course of a semester – the kind of growth you can only get by challenging people and being there to help them confront that challenge. It’s not so much teaching statistics; it’s dealing with students and helping them get over that wall and seeing their self-esteem and confidence grow. What I’m more fearful about is the new technology that’s now so much a part of the way education is delivered. That and dealing with students who are better prepared than when I was a professor before, and having to rise to that higher level. I think that’s going to be my challenge. I’m scared by it, but that’s what a challenge is, and that’s why I’m looking forward to it.
well-rounded teacher. I hope that I can show how the methodology that’s used in explaining econometrics can be applied in other aspects of life. I’ve given a talk on how the science of economics has made me a better president, in my decision-making. I didn’t have that when I was teaching, and now I have it. Comparative advantage or exchange-rate changes – these can be pretty dry subjects. I think I now have better examples to explain to students that if you can master these subjects, it’s not just a game. You can use this information to explore other aspects of life. I’m also looking forward to teaching in the Ph.D. program in education. I’ll be teaching how to use economic theory and statistics – quantitative analysis – to be a better administrator or educator. I’m looking forward to devising that as a new course.
In your work as president you’ve Q exemplified an attitude of gratitude. You’re the king of the handwritten note. How did you come to place such importance on gratitude? Mainly I’ve come to realize it’s the generosity of people that has made what we’ve done here possible. It also goes back to little Jimmy from Chicago, and
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Page-Turner learning from my mom and dad how important it is to thank others, and how important friends and family are in my life. People need to know that their generosity is having an impact. I want to help people understand that what they did is important – it’s a legacy that has made Chapman a better place. It goes back to what I learned from (professor) Paul Delp. I’ve told this story many times, about when George Argyros called me and invited me to be president. I accepted but was scared about it, and I saw Paul Delp, and he said, “Don’t worry, Jim, you’ll do just fine, just treat people with respect and dignity.” And part of treating people with respect is thanking them and taking the time to explain to them how their generosity is making Chapman better.
You’ve talked a couple of times today Q about being scared – at the prospect of first becoming president, and now as you return to classroom teaching. And yet you clearly love to try new things, and you clearly have a vigorous sense of adventure. What drives you to overcome your trepidation to pursue these adventures? Again it goes back to when I was a little boy. I write about it in my second book. I was shy, withdrawn, didn’t really want to interact with the world outside of my family because of my speech impediment, which was quite severe. And then a teacher cast me in a play, and I was scared as hell. I had a speaking role; I was a little kid then,
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as I’m a little guy now, and I was cast as an elf. There was great joy in being on that stage and delivering those lines, defect and all. It was such a joyful experience that it stuck. It became clear that if you try new things, take on new challenges and succeed, there’s a great reward and satisfaction. It’s like running a marathon. It’s a lonely sport, but when you’re in that race and you’re with your fellow marathoners and you’re either hugging each other or talking to each other. Then you cross that finish line, and it’s like being onstage at Reinberg Grammar School delivering those lines, impediment and all, and having that audience respond. When you try new things – running a marathon, climbing a mountain, dancing onstage at American Celebration when you’re not a dancer, being president of a university, teaching a class – if you can get over the fear, you’re more inclined to push yourself the next time.
You have so many virtues. Do you have Q any vices in your life? food; I like to eat too much. A There’s That’s probably one reason I run, so I can eat more. So one vice is gluttony. What else? I guess I’m impatient with complainers – people who always seem to be on the negative side – the half-empty instead of half-full people. That bugs me. Lately, I don’t seem to have patience with that, especially when it comes to Chapman. I should be more patient with those people and try to draw them out. And by the way, when I look to hire someone, one of the major attributes
I look for is whether or not they see the glass as half-full. What did they like about their last job? What do they find fulfilling? Talking with them about such things, you kind of get a sense of whether they look at the positive things in life rather than the negative.
The tradition with U.S. presidents is Q that the one whose term is ending leaves a note for the successor to find. If you were to leave a note for Chancellor Struppa, your successor, what would you write? It might be a lengthy list (laughs). No, the first thing I’d write is to give him the same advice Paul Delp gave me – to treat everyone with respect and dignity. I’d say that there are going to be some tough days on the job, and there will be people who frustrate the heck out of you. Remember that those people are doing what they’re doing for a reason. It may not agree with your reason, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve respect. That’s what Chapman is all about. That’s our ethos. And if you can do that, people are happy to be around here and they’ll do a great job and the University will flourish. It’s important for the president of the university to reflect the attributes of the place, to reinforce that ethos and to build on it. If you can do those things, the more technical parts of the job will come easily. Because everyone else will be doing all the work.
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An extended interview and President Doti’s summer reading list are at chapman.edu/magazine.
Stories Chapman Trustee Dale Fowler ’58 says of Jim Doti, “He’s as good at inspiring people as anyone I’ve ever met.” Fowler shares this Doti story: “Ann and I were flying back from L.A. to Boston, and we chatted with one of the flight attendants, who, it turned out, lived in Marblehead, near our home. Her daughter had applied to Chapman but had been put on the wait list. I told her I was an alumnus, and we arranged to have her and her daughter visit our home at the same time that Jim and Lynne were visiting us. Our grandson Jeremy was also there – he’d just graduated from Gordon
College and was thinking he probably wanted to go to medical school. Jim gathered them all together on one side of the living room, and I could see them all talking. Then suddenly Jim stepped out of the group and said, “I’m pleased to announce that we have two new Chapman students!” It was the most extraordinary thing – this woman and her daughter started jumping up and down on our sofa. They were so happy.”
President Doti shares a moment with Ann and Dale Fowler ’58.
Olivia Marcus ’18, a news/broadcast journalism and documentary major: “I’m a tour guide at Chapman, and one day President Doti jumped in on one of my tours. The tour guests were extremely excited that the President Doti was personally telling them about how amazing Chapman is. He was so personable with the guests, and even complimented my tour guide skills. I remember feeling really grateful that I go to a university where the president takes time out of his day to interact with students and potential students.” Sheryl Bourgeois, Ph.D., executive vice president for University Advancement:
From left, Scott Chapman, Adam Doti and Todd Passey join Jim Doti atop Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak in Southeast Asia.
Scott Chapman, great-grandson of University namesake C.C. Chapman and a University trustee, joined Doti in Indonesia last year for a climb of the highest peak in Southeast Asia. Here’s his story: “Nice of Jim to invite me to join his climb of Carstensz Pyramid. Too bad the weather has delayed our helicopter flight to base camp. And too bad local unrest has had us stuck in this malaria-infested compound for days. At least one channel works – Fight TV. Hey, wait! There’s Jim out in the courtyard walking. Does he know about the malaria mosquitos? The man has no fear. No way I’m going outside. I’m gonna just keep watching sumo wrestling on TV. Because I really like sumo wrestling. Really. Is that Jim walking around again? He must be doing laps around the courtyard to work out. I can’t believe
how diligent he is about keeping in shape. When he sets his mind to something, he just gets it done. Wow! Nice take-down. There goes Jim again. It’s almost like he’s trying to persuade me to join him. I can think of three good reasons not to: mosquitos, mosquitos, mosquitos. On the other hand, we could strategize about the climb. Plus I could talk with him about the things that impress me the most about his leadership of Chapman – his vision and his ability to inspire people. Hey, I thought if your foot touched the circle, you were out! Here comes Jim again. OK, that’s it. I’m joining him.”
“Jim is appreciated for many skills: leadership, fundraising, forecasting and mountain climbing. He even excels at woodworking and chicken wrangling. But what I appreciate most is the warmth and humor he brings to his role. With Jim, there is always going to be laughter involved. And while he takes the presidency seriously, he doesn’t take himself too seriously. So even when we are working hard to achieve our goals, he keeps it fun. Chapman Magazine asked me to share one of these special, lighthearted moments with you — however, Jim has sworn me to secrecy right now. (You can ask me in September, when he steps down!)” Irving Chase, trustee, shares a story of when he and his wife, Nancy, were invited to Chapman for the first time, to a dinner for the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education at which Eli Wiesel spoke: “Jim went up to the dais and said that he had baked the challah – a bread used at Jewish events in connection with offering a blessing thanking God for the meal – and then proceeded in a perfect Hebrew to say the blessing over the meal. I was stunned by his personal welcome to an audience largely unfamiliar with Chapman. I recall telling Nancy that Chapman must be a very special place to have a president who cares enough about his guests to make them feel truly welcome.” S P R I N G 2 016 | 33
BOOKSHELF
In Honor of a Friend A tribute work salutes the biblical scholarship of the late Marvin Meyer. By Mary Platt hapman University Professor Marvin Meyer, Ph.D., was known to many as the preeminent scholar who brought to life the ancient Gnostic Gospels through his brilliant, luminous translations and his many television appearances. Now a new festschrift – a book compiled in honor of the late biblical scholar – has been published by two of his Chapman colleagues. Invest Your Humanity: Celebrating Marvin Meyer is edited by Julye Bidmead, Ph.D., associate professor of religious studies, and the Rev. Gail J. Stearns, Ph.D., dean of the Wallace All Faiths Chapel and associate professor of religious studies. Meyer was a beloved teacher, opening the eyes of hundreds of students over the years to the mystery and meaning of ancient Classical and Early Christian texts. For many years, Meyer also directed Chapman’s Albert Schweitzer Institute, devoted to the study of the works of the great physician, theologian, musician and philosopher and to supporting the work of those who heed Schweitzer’s call to “search and see if there is not some place where you may invest your humanity.” Bidmead and Stearns contributed articles and also assembled a distinguished roster of friends, colleagues, students and fellow scholars to write essays for the book. Among them are Charles T. Hughes, Ph.D., associate professor of religious studies and philosophy at Chapman; Ronald Farmer, Ph.D., former dean of the Wallace All Faiths Chapel and currently adjunct professor of religious studies at Brandman University; Willis Barnstone, Ph.D., American poet, memoirist and Pulitzer Prize finalist; and Elaine Pagels, Ph.D., professor of religion at Princeton University. Cristina Smith ’14, a former student of Dr. Meyer who graduated summa cum laude from Chapman with a joint degree in English 34 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
Celebrating the teaching and scholarship of their Chapman colleague, Julye Bidmead, Ph.D., left, and the Rev. Gail Stearns, Ph.D., right, edited a compilation of works honoring the late Marvin Meyer, Ph.D. Joining them is Marv’s widow, Bonnie Meyer, at Chapman’s Marvin W. Meyer Faculty Athenaeum.
books literature and religious studies, contributed an article from the student’s perspective. The essays range from thoughts on Jesus (Hughes) and the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas (Corley) to comparative perspectives on magic (Bidmead). Daniele Struppa, Chapman chancellor and incoming president, wrote a moving foreword to the volume, which ends: “Shortly before his passing, Marv gave me a beautiful autographed copy of his recent translation of the Gospel of Thomas. This text is absolutely magnificent, and it opens with a prologue that has become a part of my own teaching philosophy, and that remains, in my mind, the last teaching that Marv imparted to me: Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be troubled. When they are troubled, they will marvel, and will rule over all. “Thank you, my friend – we will not stop seeking until we find.”
The Further Adventures of Langdon St. Ives (Subterranean Press) James Blaylock, professor of English
An addition to Blaylock’s popular Langdon St. Ives series, this work follows the Victorian scientist, explorer, naturalist and family man through three classic stories, a novella and novelette detailing his new adventures.
Notions of the Feminine (Palgrave/Macmillan) Mark Axelrod, Ph.D., professor of English
From Dostoevsky to Tolstoy, how do male novelists perceive their female characters? Axelrod answers this question by organizing a collection of literary essays on male authors who write about female characters.
The Basics of Social Research, 7th Edition (Cengage) Earl Babbie, Ph.D., professor emeritus of sociology
This shorter version of Babbie’s textbook aims to provide college students with an introduction to the logic and methods of social research.
Foundations of Inclusive Education Research (Emerald Group Publishing) Edited by Scot Danforth, Ph.D., professor of educational studies, and Phyllis Jones, Ph.D.
A collaboration of key international researchers in the field of inclusive education, this volume focuses on scholarly influences in the field of practice and research.
Modern Constitutional Law (West Academic) Ronald D. Rotunda, JD, distinguished professor of jurisprudence
This is an update of Rotunda’s textbook on American constitutional law, which is a true staple of the law profession.
Leaders in Critical Pedagogy: Narratives for Understanding and Solidarity (Sense Publishers) Brad J. Porfilio and Derek R. Ford, with contributions from Suzanne SooHoo, Ph.D., professor of educational studies, and Peter McLaren, Ph.D., distinguished professor in critical studies
Since its inception, the field of critical pedagogy has variously inspired, mobilized, troubled and frustrated teachers, activists and educational scholars. Chapman professors Soohoo and McLaren contribute to the conversation.
This Fist Called My Heart: The Peter McLaren Reader, Volume I (Marxist, Socialist, and Communist Studies in Education) (Information Age Publishing) Marc Pruyn, Ph.D., and Luis Huerta-Charles, Ph.D.
This collection of essays represents some of the most important work of the Chapman professor, famous for his books about education theory.
Relational and Responsive Inclusion (Peter Lang Publishers) SooHoo, Mere Berryman, Ph.D., Ann Nevin, Ph.D., and Therese Ford
To address educational disparities, this book proposes a relational and culturally responsive framework designed to foster becoming and belonging and thus inclusion in schools of all children and families that stand beside them.
The Human City: Urbanism for the Rest of Us (Agate Publishing) Joel Kotkin, presidential fellow in urban futures
As a leading authority on urban social trends, Kotkin re-examines the “retro-urbanist” ideology and calls for diverse options to meet the changing needs of people in the different stages of their lives.
Intercultural Communication: Adapting to Emerging Global Realities (Cognella) Edited by Wenshan Jia, Ph.D., professor of intercultural and global communication
Teaching readers how to adapt to new and emerging global realities, these selected readings focus on cultivating global citizenship and improving professional communication skills.
S P R I N G 2 016 | 35
GOALS FOR
GROWTH Combining life skills with soccer drills, Danny Aviles ’07 gives youngsters a leg up on success. By Melissa Grace Hoon
s Danny Aviles ’07 walked through an orphanage in Tecate, Mexico, he felt the eyes of hundreds of children staring at him. They silently followed his every move as Brett Unruh ’03 led Aviles through the grounds where he would stay for the next four days, facilitating a program with Football for the World USA, the nonprofit organization Aviles founded in 2015 to bring soccer and life skills to children around the globe. The youngsters were used to Westerners arriving to do mission work without forming meaningful relationships. Suddenly, Kique Lopez, a 10-year-old with a sturdy build and buzzed haircut, stood up and asked Aviles his name. The visitor answered and returned the question in Spanish. “Hablas español?” Lopez responded, 36 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
Danny Aviles ’07, right, co-founded Football for the World to help youngsters like Kique Lopez overcome “insecurity obstacles.”
shocked that his new American acquaintance spoke his language. And just like that, a friendship was born. Such connections are an integral part of Football for the World’s commitment to teach life skills through soccer. Building relationships and having fun on the field – “combining life skills with soccer drills” is how
Aviles puts it – helps children develop a confidence they can carry with them, Aviles says. Aviles, who has taught elementary and middle school, was inspired to establish the program while volunteering for a health- and technology-focused nonprofit in Botswana in 2011–2013. He saw how deeply that effort impacted the lives of children with HIV/AIDS. He thought he could also change lives by sharing his love for soccer and teaching.Two years later, he and fellow volunteer Monica Bosiljevac founded Football for the World. Still in its first year, the program already has donated soccer gear to communities in need in California, Nebraska, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Mexico and Jamaica. Together, Football for the World’s Canadian and U.S. chapters have donated more than 7,500 pieces of gear and provided matching soccer uniforms to 41 youth teams across the globe. The program’s curriculum is designed to improve quality of life by teaching participants to overcome adversity, set and achieve goals, lead others, collaborate and manage time. And along the way, young people get to run and jump and play. When Aviles first met Lopez at the Tecate orphanage, the child wasn’t one to stay quiet, but he lacked self-awareness and was shy with the ball, Aviles recalled. Within a couple of days, however, Lopez became a respected leader on the field. “It was amazing to see how much a child could appreciate a gift (of soccer gear) and make the most of it,” Aviles said. Many of the children face what Aviles calls “insecurity obstacles.” For the first time, they have leaders and general support to lean on. In the final match during Aviles’ stay at the Mexican orphanage, he saw Lopez unleash a last-second shot into which he put every ounce of his strength. “Golazo!” Lopez shouted repeatedly as he ran around the field in triumph. Then he jumped into Aviles’ arms and looked up at his new role model. “Goooooooooal!”
arty Burbank (LL.M. ’08) had narrowed his choice to two sailboats, including a particularly dreamy Catalina cruiser. It was to be the fulfillment of a love that began in the Sea Scouts, billowed during his 12 years in the Navy and crested when he met, proposed to and married his wife, Seon Chun-Burbank, Ph.D., aboard sailing vessels. “Sailing,” Burbank says, “is very important to me.” But a funny thing happened on the way to his dream of boat ownership. Burbank tacked leeward toward a new and more rewarding aspiration. Things changed after he heard his pastor deliver a sermon on meaningful gifts, charity and sacrifice. “He said, ‘If it doesn’t really hurt, it’s not really a sacrifice,’” recalls Burbank, a lawyer with an elder-law practice in Fullerton. “I realized I could make an investment that would be more impactful.” Indeed, the Burbanks’ impact is life-changing. They have pledged to pay the college tuition for an entire kindergarten class.
It’s an amazing commitment to lift up 27 youngsters from predominantly immigrant families for whom a college dream might otherwise be out of reach. But the act is consistent with Burbank’s character, says Tessa Ashton, teacher of the kindergarten class at Rio Vista Elementary School in Anaheim. The Burbanks met Ashton at Eastside Christian Church and learned of the many needs at her school, where the majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The Burbanks became regular volunteers and contributors of food, notebooks and other necessities. During a school delivery of supplies, Burbank noticed that each class at Rio Vista had adopted a different university – Chapman among them – to help the students develop a goal of attending college. Ashton’s students got T-shirts and hoodies that said “Class of 2032.” The idea of college excites the students, Ashton told him, “but when they get home it stops,” he says, “because there’s no money for college.”
Now there is, thanks to the Burbanks’ commitment of more than $1 million, a figure that’s attainable thanks to Burbank’s estate-planning skills, honed in part during his LL.M. studies at Chapman’s Fowler School of Law. “We’re comfortable, but we’re not multimillionaires,” he says. “We’ll have to save for this.” The gift is particularly meaningful for the students’ families. During a school event, more than a few parents cried as they expressed their gratitude. One grandfather surprised Burbank with a big bear hug. “That was very special,” he says. The couple never intended to publicize their gift, but once the word got out there was no containing it. NBC News, People magazine and The Meredith Vieira Show all did features. Burbank shared his story at tax law conferences and other venues. He’s now embracing the publicity because people are responding to the inspiration. Another lawyer and an NBA player have committed to sponsoring
classes at the school, he says. People elsewhere in the nation are asking him how to set up similar plans. “It’s amazing what happens – generosity follows generosity,” says Gene Appel, the Burbanks’ pastor at Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim. “Marty and Seon are helping to create a culture of generosity.” That culture is particularly rewarding because both Burbank and his wife, a professor at Vanguard University, are first-generation college graduates. “I only had the resources because of my military service,” Burbank says. Now they have in their lives 27 children whose futures they hold as close as if they were family. “From here on, I want to know what they’re all doing,” Burbank says. Maybe someday the couple will have a boat big enough to bring the whole class on board. Until then, a different dream is filling their sails. “It almost seems selfish,” Burbank says, “because there’s so much joy.”
CLASS ACT
Story and photo by Dennis Arp
Marty Burbank (LL.M. ’08) and his wife helm an incredibly generous gesture that defers one dream as it fulfills others.
For the students in Tessa Ashton’s kindergarten class at Rio Vista Elementary School in Anaheim, Marty Burbank (LL.M. ’08) sits at the center of a dream. Burbank and his wife, Seon Chun-Burbank, have set up a fund to pay for all the youngsters to attend college. S P R I N G 2 016 | 37
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At age 82, Mary Lou Savage ’48 zip-lined through the rainforest in Costa Rica.
A Worldly Journey
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By Melissa Grace Hoon
CLASS NOTES
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ary Lou Savage ’48 married her Chapman sweetheart, Dennis Savage ’66, under two conditions. “When he proposed, he said, ‘We’re going to have four children, and we’ll take them on a one-year trip around the world,’” Mary Lou explains. They had three children, and in 1966 they took them on a four-month trip around the world. Close enough. The couple funded their family adventure by squirreling away savings in a blue piggy bank inscribed “Our trip around the world.” “We were all in the local paper together, holding our plane tickets,” Mary Lou recalls. They visited Lebanon, Afghanistan, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Nepal, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Syria and Iran. At the time, their children, Gary Savage ’74, Vandy Savage ’74 and Terry Savage-Maxwell ’78, were 15, 13 and 11, respectively. The Savages felt most at home with Chapman alumni as their hosts. Bruce Borden ’62 opened his home in Afghanistan, where he was serving in the Peace Corps. Their stay along the Kwai River in Thailand with Doug Corpron ’50 and Helen Ball Corpron ’51 included rides on a pet elephant, thanks to a friend of the Corprons. After the trip, Dennis Savage led friends and family on annual international excursions for years. Mary Lou Savage, 89, has long cultivated a spirit of adventure and service to Chapman, which includes her membership in Town and Gown. But the around-the-world trip with her now-late husband and her children remains a particularly treasured experience. 38 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
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Email your news and photos to alumni@chapman.edu or mail to: Alumni Engagement, One University Drive, Orange, Calif. 92866. Any photos received by mail will be scanned and returned. Class notes are subject to editing due to space. To post class notes and photos online, visit chapman.edu/alumni.
1950s Mary Blair Immel, B.A. education ’52, co-authored the new Literary Map of Indiana and is widely recognized for her contributions to children’s literature. The map, published by the Indiana State Library, is distributed to libraries, schools and historical organizations. Mary’s ninth book, Promises to Keep, will be published this year by the Indiana State Historical Society Press.
1960s Robert Marvin, B.A. psychology ’65, has retired after 20 years with ADP, LLC. He attended his 50-Year Reunion at the 2015 Chapman Family Homecoming Celebration with Harriet, his wife of 44 years. He looks forward to enjoying more time with his family as a retiree.
1970s 1 Dr. Richard Pitts, B.A. chemistry ’70, is an associate clinical professor of medicine and emergency medicine in the Division of Occupational Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. He serves as an advisor to the dean of the School of Medicine, assisting with faculty development. Dr. Pitts earned his D.O. from University of Des Moines, and holds an accredited Ph.D. in applied management and decision sciences from Walden University. He and his wife, Colleen, vacationed in Australia in April. Dr. Stewart Michael Sharp, B.A. philosophy and speech ’70, was named editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical and Clinical Case Reports.
1980s 2 Mark Avery, B.S. business administration ’82, founded MarketPay in 2000. In April, MarketPay merged with PayScale, Inc., the leader in modern compensation software. 3 Gincy (Hansen) Heins (MBA ’87) co-authored 365 Caregiving Tips: Practical Tips from Everyday Caregivers.
4 Olga (Niebla) Hernandez, BSBA management ’88, co-founded the mobile paint company Paint Party 101, along with her father, Fernando Niebla, former Chapman University trustee, and her sons, Maxwell and Mason Hernandez, B.S. business administration ’15. The family business brings paint supplies to people who host art-making parties. 5 John Lohr, B.S. business administration ’81, and Doug Beebe, B.S. business administration ’81, were college roommates and teammates on the Chapman men’s soccer team. They have remained friends since college, often reminiscing, along with their wives, at the Beebes’ home in Dallas and at the Lohrs’ home in Austin. 6 A team of alumni are employed at Edwards Lifesciences, a leading global medical technology company in Irvine, Calif. Alumni include Kim Salata, B.A. organizational leadership ’98, executive assistant, public affairs; Karlie Harstad, B.A. art history ’09, clinical operations analyst, THV clinical affairs; Leslie Townsend, B.S. accounting ’84, vice president, global internal audit; Sally Tran, B.S. business adminis-
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Bill Theriault ’69 (M.A. ’74)
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tration ’10, project management analyst, corporate services; Meghan Domer, BSBA business administration ’93, associate manager, corporate services; and Christian Brown, B.S. accounting ’14, associate analyst, finance development program.
1990s Teri Conrad, B.S. accounting ’99, motorcycle journalist for Riders of Kawasaki (ROK), has retired from her position as editor of ROK’s Accelerate magazine after nine years. Andrew Cliff, BFA film and television ’98, and Angel City Productions were awarded Top Boutique Marketing Firm—South County for the third consecutive year. Andrew is father to two girls, ages 4 and 6, and supports Chapman University events as often as his travel schedule allows. Trevor Durham, BFA communications ’95, was promoted to a role on the organizational development team at Talent Development House. Prior to joining the team, he was a branch manager on Kauai at the company’s Kapa’a branch and was named Manager of the Year in 2012. Before moving to Hawaii, Trevor was a branch manager for Wells Fargo Bank in California. He managed three bank locations in Orange County, where he won the Gold Club Award and the President’s Cup as the top business driver.
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Alex Hillkurtz, B.A. communications ’90, recently storyboarded his 50th feature film. His storyboarding highlights include the films Almost Famous, Argo and Unbroken. Additionally, he directed second unit on the films It’s Complicated and The Intern. 7 Sarah Adams Marr, BFA film and television ’99, producer at Meritandrew.com, a boutique production company, produced the video How Do You Win an ADDY? The project won a gold ADDY (American Advertising Award) at the Orange County American Ad Federation awards event on March 23. Byron Werner, BFA film and television ’98, was the video’s director of photography, and Cassendre de le Fortrie-Lynch (MFA film and television ’00) was the wardrobe stylist. 8 Anthony Powell, BFA theater and dance ’99, and his wife, Bonnie Brocatto-Powell, BFA film and television ’99, stepped down as associate pastors in Los Angeles and launched Redeemed Life Church in Azusa, Calif. After receiving master’s degrees in seminary, they relocated to Azusa with their 9-yearold triplets.
2000s Heather (Capizzi) Bailey, BFA film and television ’05, and her husband opened Purify Sauna Lounge, an infrared sauna lounge in Anaheim Hills.
9 Leika (Arrieta) Bishop, B.S. business administration ’05, married Christopher “C.J.” Bishop, B.S. business administration ’05 (MBA ’08, Ph.D. education ’18), on June 27, 2015, in Laguna Beach. They met at the first-ever Chapman “Chappy Hour” four years before. Alumni in their wedding included Kelsey (Smith) Flewellen, B.S. business administration ’05; Jessica (Cho) Johnston, B.A. political science ’05; Melissa (Mendez) Ceurvorst, B.A. psychology ’05; and Chris Becerra, B.A. sociology ’05 (M.A. education ’08). More than 25 Chapman students and alumni attended the wedding. Emily Brandenburg, B.S. business administration ’09, is an associate attorney at the insurance defense law firm Demler, Armstrong and Rowland in Long Beach, Calif. 10 Kristen Briet, B.A. psychology ’10, graduated from Purdue University with a Ph.D. in psychology, with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience, in May 2015. Two articles about her research at Purdue will be published this year in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Kristen is a postdoctoral researcher in the Center for Behavioral Teratology and a psychology lecturer at San Diego State University.
His Road to Rio By Brittany Hanson
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t age 72, Bill Theriault is ready for his moment to shine at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He’s being evaluated against the competition, and now it’s up to the judges to decide. What’s his event? Massage therapy. Like any potential pick to Team USA, Theriault, B.A. history ’69 (M.A. education ’74), is a little nervous during the run-up to the Games, which will begin Aug. 5. But he’s also excited at the prospect of being selected to showcase his skills on an international stage doing what he does best: helping to provide athletes with a competitive edge to perform at their best. Since 1984, Theriault has been a fixture with the U.S. team, working with athletes in track and field and volleyball. At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, when he wasn’t working as a massage therapist he was also working up the crowd in the “Sam the Eagle” Olympic mascot costume. Theriault will laugh and tell you that because he gets to work with the world’s greatest athletes he must be the world’s greatest massage therapist. Laughs aside, Theriault sees massage as a pathway to helping the world become a little kinder. “You look at the newspaper, you look at the news – it’s all violence, it’s all over,” Theriault says. “Making people feel good – that’s the complete opposite of what’s going on.”
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Rachel Karten ’03, left, with client Michelle Williams
Winning Moments By Melissa Grace Hoon
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uring her junior and senior years, Rachel Karten, BFA film and television ’03, worked in the office of what is now Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. She gave tours to prospective students and accommodated special guests – until the day before graduation when one of those guests changed her life. Actress Mary Steenburgen suggested Karten reach out to her manager, Eric Kranzler. After taking Mary’s advice, Karten was hired as Kranzler’s assistant and spent four years at Management 360 before joining ID, a top public relations firm in the entertainment industry. While Steenburgen helped get Karten’s foot in the door, it was Karten’s own creativity and dedication that drove her to the top as senior account executive in ID’s talent department. “My days are spent doing everything from pitching press and mapping out campaigns to overseeing a photo shoot or press junket for a client, or traveling around the world for press tours,” Karten says. She manages clients’ media strategy by securing press to elevate their careers. “I’ve had extraordinary moments where the work I’ve done on an awards campaign for a client has had an impact on their win,” she said. For example, her team put together the strategic plan for Orange Is the New Black star Uzo Aduba, who is now a two-time winner of both Emmy and Screen Actors Guild awards. “I am honored to be part of it all,” Karten says.
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Garrett Calcaterra (MFA creative writing ’02), an emerging fantasy novelist, and Chapman professor and author James P. Blaylock, held a joint book signing April 24 at Book Carnival in Orange for their latest novels, Souldrifter and Beneath London, respectively. Garrett taught writing for more than a dozen years at Chapman and the Orange County School of Arts before moving to the Bay Area last summer to write full-time. 11 Dr. Nové Deypalan, B.M. performance ’08, conducted the musical Into the Woods at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., in April. He received a special commendation conducting award with the London Classical Soloists in January. Kerry Franich, B.A. legal studies ’03 (JD ’06), was promoted to partner at the law firm Severson & Werson. He represents financial institutions and various real estaterelated businesses in state and federal appellate courts. 12 Kyle Higgins, BFA film production ’08, wrote BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic book series, which debuted Jan. 13 with the release of issue 0. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was the No. 2 selling comic in January at 120,000 copies sold, making it the biggest launch for BOOM! Kyle is a New York Times best-selling
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author whose publications include Nightwing, Batman Eternal, Gates of Gotham, Batman Beyond 2.0 and C.O.W.L. His next creator-owned book, Hadrian’s Wall, will debut in September from Image Comics. 13 Beau Menchaca (M.A. counseling ’02) is higher-education coordinator at Century High School in Santa Ana and won the “LifeChanger of the Year” award out of 620 nominees from 50 states and Washington, D.C. 14 Navid Moshtael (JD ’05) made partner at Stabile & Moshtael, an Orange-based law firm specializing in family law. Eric Parker, B.M. vocal performance ’13, won third prize in the Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Competition. The competition recognizes talented young singers and actors who are convincing in repertoire ranging from opera to contemporary Broadway scores, with a focus on the works of Kurt Weill. John Petrone (M.A. education ’09) graduated from Drexel University with a doctorate in education in June 2015, after successfully defending his thesis, The Feelings and Emotions of Change: a Study of the Affective Dimensions of Change in a Public Middle School.
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15 Stacia (Stolzenberg) Roosevelt, B.A. psychology and art ’08, is a new faculty member in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. After receiving her Ph.D. in 2012 in applied developmental psychology from Claremont Graduate University, she worked for three years in the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California as a postdoctoral research associate. Stacia married Nicholas Roosevelt in 2015. 16 Rob Selway, B.S. business administration ’07 (MBA ’10), was elected to The Center Club’s board of governors in Costa Mesa, Calif., and will head The Center 39 Young Executives as chair. Stacy Waymack Thornton (MFA screenwriting ’05) wrote the screenplay Erkermer, which was an official selection for the Northern Virginia International Film and Music Festival 2016. Her screenplay was nominated at the festival in three screenwriting categories: Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Action Adventure. It was the runner-up in Best Comedy and Best Adventure.
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2010s 17 Abigail (Wallen) Balsz, B.A. political science ’14, married Dylan Balsz, B.A. economics ’13, in August 2015. They met as students in Leatherby Libraries and began dating after spending time together at the Holi Festival on campus. Gregory Bordelon, BFA television writing and producing ’16, is a production assistant on the new Netflix animated series F is for Family. Maisie Chan, B.S. business administration and B.A. theatre ’12, is the entertainment manager on the opening team for Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment for two entertainment venues in Shanghai Disneyland. The park opens June 16. Chelsea Chaves, B.M. vocal performance ’13, received her master’s degree in vocal arts, with an opera emphasis, from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. She sang the national anthem at a Lakers game at Staples Center in 2011 and on March 22. 18 Max Dieter, B.S. business administration ’16, Paul Lee, BFA creative producing ’16, and Kayla Hall are traveling across the country making a documentary about fighting depression and finding
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happiness. Their mission is to help restructure the idea of what it means to find happiness in America. More information on the film can be found at unitedstatesofmindfilm.com 19 Rebecca Haber, B.A. public relations and advertising ’15, accepted an account coordinator position with CBS Local Digital Media in New York City. 20 Chelsea Henriques, BFA dance ’14, became engaged to James Tyson on March 12 and will be married Oct. 20. The couple met during Chelsea’s senior year of college when James was visiting from England. The couple plan to live in England. Tasha (Wiggins) Hunter (MFA film and television producing ’10) is the new business district manager at the Uptown Property and Community Association in North Long Beach’s business district. She oversees operations related to rehabilitation properties, clean and safe programs, business support and community outreach. She has worked with Long Beach City College, the Long Beach Unified School District and the Long Beach Community Action Partnership.
21 Danielle Lazerson, B.S. business administration and accounting ’13 (MBA ’14), worked for a Big Four accounting firm and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in accounting at Louisiana State University. Clare Mackie ’14, B.A. psychology and integrated educational studies, landed a position as assistant director for school-aged programs at the YMCA – Boulder Valley in Colorado in February. She is also the outreach manager at Inner Awakening Writing Center, a national journaling program founded by Melissa Hoon, a former MFA documentary filmmaking student. 22 David Markun, BFA creative producing ’13, and Alex Odesmith, BFA film producing ’13, were featured on Fox 11 News in Los Angeles in a segment on their company, Rafiki Creative. They founded the video production company with Colin Lupe, BFA film production ’16, and Brian Bell, BFA film production ’13. 23 Natalie McCarty, B.A. public relations and advertising ’10, and Courtney Geiser, B.A. art ’11, married in Santa Barbara on Jan. 12.
Campaign Stories By Robyn Norwood The click of the candidate’s heels on pavement. The clatter of pots in the kitchen of a Mexican restaurant. The voices of voters meeting the congresswoman as she campaigns for the U.S. Senate. These are the sounds of a report by Mary Plummer ’07, a former editor-in-chief of the The Panther who is now a senior politics reporter for KPCC Southern California Public Radio. Plummer’s assignment that day was following Rep. Loretta Sanchez ’82 around Old Town Placentia as Sanchez seeks to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer. “It’s a really exciting time to be a political reporter,” Plummer says. Though the journalist got her start in print and still writes for the station’s website, radio became Plummer’s primary medium when she joined KPCC in 2011 after earning a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. An English and journalism major at Chapman University, Plummer prepared for her career in the offices of The Panther. She cites Susan Paterno, director of the journalism program in the Department of English, as “a great mentor.” Plummer’s journalism resumé includes a fellowship with ABC News in London, where the big stories during her tenure included the WikiLeaks scandal and the royal engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. “I love reporting,” she says. “So I think I’ll continue down the reporting path in whatever form that might take. I really love interviewing people and reporting and learning about my own community.”
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Ben Mullinkosson ’14
Rolling Along By Melissa Grace Hoon
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hapman University professors and students knew Ben Mullinkosson as the film student who constantly cruised campus on his skateboard. So the subject was a good fit when Mullinkosson, BFA film production ’14, co-directed Gnarly in Pink, a 2014 documentary short about a skateboarding trio of 6-year-old girls who challenge gender stereotypes. The film, co-directed by Kristelle Laroche, BFA television and broadcast journalism ’14, was an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released online by The New York Times Op-Docs video channel. As seniors, Mullinkosson and Bobby Moser, BFA television and broadcast journalism ’14, moved to China, where they filmed What I Hate About Myself, a documentary short about a Chinese teenage girl who competed for free cosmetic surgery to look Western. The film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival. Mullinkosson now works at Everdream, a production company owned by R.J. Collins, BFA film production ’12. “Become best friends with everyone around you,” Mullinkosson advises. “You’ll be working together forever if you give each project and each friendship enough love.” At Everdream, Mullinkosson creates “documentary-style branded content” for brands such as Home Depot, Yelp and Samsung, and artists including Ellie Goulding, John Legend and Nico & Vinz. These days, Mullinkosson is filming his first feature-length documentary with his brother, Jack Mullinkosson ’20, in Washington, D.C.
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Tammi Moses, B.A. psychology ’13, is founder and CEO of Homes Are for Living, LLC, which offers education, training and other services to individuals who struggle with hoarding. 24 Bear with Us won the Gasparilla International Film Festival audience award for best narrative feature. The crew consisted of Russ Nickel (MFA screenwriting ’14), co-writer and producer; William J. Stribling (MFA screenwriting ’14), director, co-writer and co-producer; Nick Lopez (MFA screenwriting ’14), second assistant director; and Melanie Kocher, B.A. screenwriting ’15, script supervisor. Sean Brown (MFA film production ’14) cut the trailer. The film’s lead actress, Christy Carlson Romano, won the festival’s grand jury award for best female performance. Russ and Nick were featured in The Black List’s 2016 TV Staffing Book. Joshua Nothom, B.A. social science (M.A. teaching ’10), landed a job teaching U.S. history to juniors at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Mo., to which he and his family recently relocated from Orange. His wife, Oona FontanellaNothom, B.A. early childhood development ’11, is pursuing her Ph.D. in learning, teaching and curriculum, with an emphasis in early childhood education, at the University of Missouri.
Nicolette Orgel, BFA television writing and producing ’15, wrote and published three children’s books that are available for Kindle: Emerson the Elephant’s First Case, The Sleeping Dragon and To Touch the Stars. 25 Kat Parks, B.A. psychology ’10, married Dr. Ryan Iskenderian, on Oct. 25, 2015, in Westminster, Calif. Renzo Reyes, B.A. chemistry ’10, and Madeline Raynolds, B.A. French ’13, were in their wedding party. Patrick Gutman, B.M. performance ’11, played piano during the ceremony. Courtney Hamlin, B.S. business administration ’11, baked cupcakes for the reception, and Erica Bannon, B.A. theatre ’11, was their wedding coordinator. The couple own and operate Via Vita Chiropractic and Wellness, a wellness center in Sequim, Wash. Matthew Rogers, B.A. political science and BFA film production ’14, was invited to serve as a youth development volunteer in the Peace Corps. He departs for Morocco in September and will teach music, photography, leadership and world geography for two years. He also plans to learn Arabic.
26 Sophia Silva, B.A. psychology ’11, is a positive psychology coach and speaker. She shares happiness tips as a correspondent for Univision. Her latest project, What the Flow!, interviews experts on how to overcome life’s challenges, and is available on sophiasilva.org, YouTube and iTunes. Sophia has been featured on Univision, Huffington Post, The Orange County Register and the Dr. Drew Podcast. She’s also an international correspondent for Unoticias, Monte Carlo TV and Vision Canaria TV Digital. 27 Dominique Stewart, B.A. communication studies ’16 (M.S. health and strategic communication studies ’16), has appeared on multiple television programs, including Glee, The Goldbergs and as a contestant on season 14 of American Idol. She has also performed and provided vocal talent for CoverGirl Cosmetics, including a promotional spot the company created for the film Pitch Perfect 2. Dominique’s new EP, It’s Love, was recently released on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. 28 Timothy Weiner (LL.M. ’10) was sworn in as a Los Angeles County Superior Court commissioner on March 4.
FRIENDS WE WILL MISS database. Dick was named Alumnus of the Year in 1973. He enjoyed a career as executive director for Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles for 26 years. Gaylord “Duke” Ervan Albright, B.A. education ’61 (M.A. education ’62), passed away March 21. Duke was a high school teacher and counselor for the San Diego City School District for 40 years. He also had a general contracting business, Albright Enterprises, and he remodeled and built many San Diego homes during summers. Duke and his wife of 55 years, Nancy, retired in 2003 to Hawaii, where he continued his love of carpentry and became a master koa wood craftsman. He will be fondly remembered for his sense of humor, generosity and larger-thanlife presence.
Richard “Dick” Arbenz, B.A. education and economics ’56, passed away March 14. Dick was a highly involved member of the Chapman Family. As a student, he was editor of The Panther student newspaper, editor of the Ceer yearbook in 1955, and competed on Chapman’s basketball, baseball, tennis and track teams. Later as a Chapman employee, he was at the helm of University Services and is considered Chapman’s first alumni director. He is credited with modernizing the University’s recordkeeping processes to create Chapman’s first digital alumni
Elizabeth “Betty” Lee (Kellison) Huizing, B.A. education ’46, passed away March 14. In 1946, Betty married Howie Huizing. They made their home in the South Bay area of Southern California and raised four children. Betty, a teacher, and Howie, a school principal, were active members of their church community and
traveled the world after retirement. Betty comes from a proud Chapman family with multiple generations of alumni. Her father, M. Owen Kellison, was provost of Chapman in the 1940s. Gifts in honor of Betty can be directed to the Kellison Memorial Scholarship at Chapman. Patricia “Pepper” (Martin) Blais, B.A. communications ’92, passed away Sept. 26, 2015. After graduating from Chapman, Pepper taught first grade at Ocean View Elementary School in Whittier. After her teaching career, she became a homemaker and was active as a volunteer with her daughters’ soccer program, the Fullerton Rangers. She is survived by her husband, Morgan, and daughters, Lauren and Emma.
More than cherished mementos, some photographs open a window to history. Such is the case with this photo of Betty Huizing ’46. That’s Betty Lee on the left, circa 1934, with her twin sister Katy Lou and, of course, Amelia Earhart in the center. The girls are about 10 in the photo, which was taken when they and their family lived near the childhood home of Amelia, who returned to the Atchison, Kansas, homestead for periodic visits. On this occasion, the girls were dressed to the nines for a photo op with the legendary aviator, who posed – a bit scandalously, it seems – in her robe “and at her leisure.” That’s how Betty remembered the moment to her daughter, Kathy Filatreau, who interviewed her mother about the picture six years ago. And Betty’s impressions of Amelia? “Really pretty – tall, thin and very friendly.”
Anita Rader, B.A. physical education ’64, passed away Feb. 12. Anita was a second-generation graduate of Chapman (her mother Myrtle graduated in 1935). She taught for 26 years in the Paramount Unified School District, taking early retirement in 1993. In her retirement, Anita enjoyed traveling and exploring new places. She also spent countless hours on craft projects. Anita will be remembered for her outgoing personality and love of people and animals.
Daniel Steele, BFA television and broadcast journalism ’15, passed away Nov. 12, 2015. Dan played tight end as a four-year member of the Chapman football team and was a leader on the Panthers’ 2014 SCIAC championship team. He was a reporter and anchor for Chapman News, a weekly newscast produced by students, and also served as a member of the show’s technical crew. Dan combined his love of sports and broadcasting in his job as a production assistant for the NFL Network in Los Angeles. Gifts in memory of Dan can be made to the Dan Steele ’15 Endowed Memorial Scholarship at Chapman.
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Brian Collier, B.A. economics and business administration ’71, shows off his Panther Pride after reeling in a big catch on a fishing trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Each spring, he sails with friends from Newport Beach to Cabo. On this trip they stopped in Santa Maria, Mexico, to deliver clothes and supplies for those in need in the small fishing village.
Sylvia Echeverri (M.A. education ‘93), right, and her husband, Kim O’Hagan (M.A. education ’94), visit with Marcela MejiaMartinez, director of admissions at Chapman University, in Colombia. Sylvia is the head of school and Kim is the principal at the Bureche School in Barranquilla, Colombia. The Bureche School is a bilingual, international K-12 school. Marcela was there on a recruiting tour with the Council of International Schools.
Victoria Koerner, who served as director of international student services and study abroad at Chapman University from 1981 to 2001, caught up with several Chapman alumni on a trip to Japan in April. She enjoyed dinner in Kyoto with SangBum Kim, Class of 1985, and his wife, Yorie, who traveled from Osaka for the reunion. Kim worked as an associate producer for DIC Enterprises and Walt
Disney Animation, Japan, and is currently self-employed. In Tokyo, Koerner met with Margaret (Maggie) Yamanishi, B.S./B.A. management science ’89; Goro Miyano, B.S. computer science ’96, who flew in from Malaysia for the gathering; and Yuka Sato, BFA studio art ’97. Koerner has also organized Chapman international student reunions in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and Paris.
Save the Dates for the Chapman Family Homecoming Celebration Sept. 30 – Oct. 2, 2016 chapman.edu/homecoming We can’t wait to welcome you home this fall for a weekend packed with events for alumni! The 7th Annual Chili Cook-Off and Tailgate Reunions for the classes of 1966, 1991, 2006 and 2011 • Master classes with your favorite professors • •
We’re also celebrating the formal inauguration of Daniele C. Struppa as Chapman University’s 13th president. Join us on Friday, Oct. 2, to watch a live stream of the ceremony. 44 | CHAPMAN MAGAZINE
Ceylan Selected New Alumni Association President
Akin Ceylan ’90
Embracing the role of Alumni Association president, Akin Ceylan ’90 plans to expand support for career and industry at Chapman while finding additional benefits for alumni. Ceylan, an Argyros School of Business and Economics graduate, also plans to continue the emphasis on alumni engagement that was championed by his predecessor, Jimmy Blalock (JD ’09). “Jimmy has cultivated a foundation of alumni engagement through his tireless effort and selfless passion in the last several years,” said Ceylan, COO of home entertainment at Lionsgate Entertainment. “Alumni participation is a difference-maker in how our University is ranked and measured. I believe our Chapman Family community can make that difference, and I am excited about what we can do together in continuing to raise the profile of Chapman in the next several years.”
ALUMNI NEWS AND CAMPUS EVENTS
More than 300 alumni and friends attended the Fourth Annual Entertainment Industry Mixer, including (photo below from left) Adrianna May ’07, Alyssa Lahham ’13, Pat Boulard ’90 (MBA ’92) and Robert Kelle. Pictured at left, event host Akin Ceylan ’90 addresses the group.
Entertainment Industry Mixer Is a Huge Hit There are many ways to measure the success of the Fourth Annual Alumni Entertainment Industry Mixer, which featured alumni from every facet of the industry. Let’s start with its 250 percent increase in attendance from last year. On April 20, more than 300 alumni provided a magnetic atmosphere for developing exponential numbers of professional connections. The connections themselves speak volumes about the event, held at Tiato Kitchen Market Garden Restaurant at Lionsgate Entertainment headquarters in Santa Monica. The event was hosted by Akin Ceylan ’90, Chapman trustee, member of the Argyros School Board of Counselors and Alumni Association president-elect as well as COO for Lionsgate. “I made great connections and leads that I may end up working with on a new project,” said Tiffany Lewis, B.A. communications ’04. “Leads, connections, introductions and tips from others in the industry – I can’t wait to follow up on them. The
event was well worth the drive from Newport Beach.” The event inspired not only industry-related connections but also a camaraderie based in Panther Pride. “Nothing beats face time with people to have real, lasting connections,” said Cory Parker, BFA film and television ’05, originals distribution specialist at Netflix. “Even in this age of telepresence and social networking, humans meeting other humans (in person) is still the best way to connect.” Many alumni left with new job opportunities, as well as new and rekindled friendships. “I loved how everyone was enthusiastically sharing their story, advice and resources with one another. Not once did I feel any level of competitiveness or notice any egos,” Lewis said. “Instead, I saw ‘We are in this together, let’s help each other out’ – a genuine feeling that makes me proud to say I’m a Panther.”
Find Us Online Web: chapman.edu/alumni Blog: blogs.chapman.edu/alumni Facebook: facebook.com/chapmanuniversityalumni Instagram: @chapmanualumni Twitter: @ChapmanAlum LinkedIn: Search for Chapman University Alumni Association
trawberries, bananas, string cheese and muffins. After serving that morning snack to homeless preschoolers, Chapman University student-tutors dish up more sustenance – language, math and listening lessons. “Do you see how we have two halves now?” Chapman student Leticia Huerta (M.S. ’18) asks as she cuts a tiny blueberry muffin for two preschoolers. They do, but not for long. With glee, the girls devour the snacks, just like the colorful character in author Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the book they enjoyed just minutes before. Homeless children are at risk for numerous academic gaps, including speech delays, says Rose Wolfrum of the nonprofit Illumination Foundation, which operates the Orange County Service Center where the Chapman students volunteer. Under the guidance of Chapman Communication Sciences and
Disorders faculty member Alene L. Litton, the graduate students provide a full program aimed at enhancing the preschoolers’ verbal skills. The children make phenomenal strides, Wolfrum says. Shy kids develop the confidence to speak up and craft complex sentences. One little girl diagnosed with selective mutism began talking. The Chapman students make leaps of their own, fitting language practice into every activity. In one exercise, the preschoolers practice telling a favorite memory from the morning so they can share it again later with a family member.
Tutor Ani Marganian (M.S. ’18) welcomes Illumination preschool students into story time.
Speech specialists call the practice “sandwiching,” and it’s used in numerous settings, from schools to stroke-recovery programs. The Chapman students “are learning therapy techniques to use with any population in their careers,” Litton says. Trisha Thapar (M.S. ’18) says she wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. “I’m making such a difference in the lives of kids who need the help,” she says.
Story and photo by Dawn Bonker (MFA ’18)