Chapman Now Summer 2016

NOW A S P E C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F C H A P M A N M AG A Z I N E â– S U M M E R 2 0 1 6

The Podcast Issue

The Podcast Issue

Welcome to our podcast issue, where we give voice to the inventiveness of Chapman’s people.

end us your ear. We have some good stories to tell.

Last summer, we at Chapman Magazine broke our traditional mold to present SPARK, a graphic novel featuring characters who reflect the adventuresome spirit of Chapman University students. You took that leap with us, and we thank you. But now that we’re out here in the deep end, we’re too committed to turn back. We’re primed to chase new adventures – to take our storytelling in another new direction.

So grab your smartphone, computer tablet, laptop – or even one of those old Apple iPods if yours is still kicking around.

Because we’re using the pages of this 2 | CHAPMAN NOW

summer issue to peek inside the creative worlds of some interesting members of the Chapman Family. But to get the full story on these ground-breakers, you’ll need to tune into our podcasts – available at chapman.edu/podcasts for immediate listening or downloadable for you to catch up with later.

If the medium is new to you, think of podcasts as ever-ready radio, no dial or appointment needed. That kind of convenience, along with compelling programs ranging from serialized dramas to in-depth conversations, is fueling the momentum behind Americans’ growing taste for podcasts, according to Pew Research’s 2016 State of the News Media

report released in June. In 2015 alone, 28,000 podcasts were posted to Libsyn, a leading podcast hosting service that is home to Chapman podcasts.

Plus, firing up the podcast you want when you want fits our lifestyles now, says KC Wayland ’08, whose Zombie-themed podcast series We’re Alive has garnered more than 45 million downloads and was named Best of iTunes in 2012.

“You can do more than just one thing when you’re listening to a podcast. I know people who drive several hours a day, and you have to have something more than music at that point. You have to have something to get you by,” says Wayland, founder of Wayland Productions Inc.

ON THE COVER This interstellar artwork evokes a far-off galaxy, illustrating the science-art connection at the heart of Lia Halloran’s painting and photography. To learn more about the Chapman professor and her creative process, turn to page 12.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Chapman Magazine welcomes comments. Write us at magazine@chapman.edu.

Chapman Magazine Online Web-only stories and more are at chapman.edu/magazine.

Look for these icons indicating additional features online: video slide show Web content

More than a conversation, podcasts can take you inside an experience, says Kevin Staniec ’01, whose publishing house 1888 Center produces The How The Why, a podcast series that features authors discussing their creative process.

“Listening to a song is just background sometimes. Whereas when you’re listening to somebody speaking, you’re engaging,” Staniec says.

About 1 in 5 Americans 12 or older has listened to a podcast, according to Pew. That’s certainly not everyone with a smartphone and ear buds, but it’s enough to catch industry attention. This summer, Wayland’s company signed a deal to produce a 10-part audio drama with

Laurence Fishburne’s Gypsy Productions and Larenz Tate’s TateMen Entertainment, companies that previously have focused on film and television.

Traditional radio isn’t going away; Pew reports that 91 percent of Americans tune in there in a typical month. But the industry has its eyes – and ears – on the podcasting trend and the fresh audiences it presents, says Mary Plummer ’07, a senior politics reporter for KPCC, Southern California Public Radio.

“It’s really exciting to have a whole new world of listeners enjoying the content in different ways,” Plummer says.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Chapman Now – our special summer issue

of Chapman Magazine. Turn the page to begin the journey, and look for the icon on this page, as it appears with each story in this issue, to identify podcasts available at chapman.edu/podcasts. That icon, by the way, will appear with selected stories in future issues of Chapman Magazine, because we’re just getting started with our podcasts. Also, be sure to check out pages 14 and 15 of this issue, where we present a sampling of podcasts being produced by Chapman staff, alumni and students.

Thanks for listening. Let the adventure continue.

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Jack Horner’s oversized insights turn the lonely hills of eastern Montana into a treasure trove of dinosaur discovery.

Story, photos and podcast

by Dennis Arp ELL CREEK, Mont. — It takes hustle to keep up with the whirlwind that is Jack Horner. Follow the cloud of Montana dust trailing behind his red Toyota Tundra, and when the truck stops try to match strides with the bearded man who emerges, broad-brimmed hat atop his head and weathered pick-ax over his shoulder.

The Hell Creek Formation has yielded more dinosaur fossils than just about any other site in the world, but the most prominent figure ever to roam this landscape just might be Horner himself.

His unique talents and insights make him a legendary figure in paleontology. When Michael Crichton and Steven Spielberg needed inspiration or expert advice for their versions of Jurassic Park, each turned to Horner. After decades of discovery, Horner continues to wear new ruts in these dirt roads and traipse these barren hills searching out another T-Rex or triceratops in hopes that their bones will teach us anew.

“I’m not winding down,” he says. “There’s a lot more we can learn.”

However, this is a time of transition for Horner.

He recently retired as the Regents Professor of Paleontology at Montana State University and as a curator at the Museum of the Rockies.

In his new role as a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, he plans to mix different 4 | CHAPMAN NOW

schools of thought, helping students learn from each other to become more creative thinkers.

Horner knows a thing or two about creativity and unconventional thinking.

“Reading,” Horner allows, “is overrated.”

Dyslexia has made book-learning a constant struggle for Horner, who says it took sympathetic teachers for him to even graduate from high school.

“A person with dyslexia is good at spatial thinking and big ideas but not at passing tests,” he notes.

Though Horner flunked out of college seven times, he has championed groundbreaking ideas, including that dinosaurs nested and lived in colonies. Now he’s ready to teach others about how he has succeeded because of, not despite, his nonlinear thinking.

At Chapman, he may even involve those creative-thinking students in his new science project: retro-engineering a bird to make it more like a dinosaur. The so-called dino-chicken is totally doable, Horner says. “And we will get it done.”

The project will yield new insights about ancestral evolution, he says. And the world will have one more creature struggling to keep up with his pace.

“I’m so excited about coming to Chapman,” Horner says. “There’s so much more for us to do.”

Professor Jack Horner works with students at the site of the team’s latest dinosaur fossil find in the Hell Creek Formation of eastern Montana. His well-worn license plate reflects both his previous role as curator at the Museum of the Rockies and the many dirt roads he travels.

Join Jack Horner at the dig site of a dinosaur discovery in his native Montana.

Go inside his breakthrough thinking, which has shaken up scientific theory and soon will stir up classes at Chapman. Visit chapman.edu/podcasts.

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A D.C. internship expands the horizons of Environmental Science and Policy student Leah Thomas ’17 as she does the same for young visitors.

Story, photos and podcast

by Dennis Arp ASHINGTON, D.C. — Working steps from the White House never fails to inspire Leah Thomas ’17. As an African American student intern, she takes special pride in seeing the first U.S. president of color exit Marine One when the helicopter lands on the South Lawn. So it surprises a visitor when Thomas shares that her great grandmother, a champion of the ’60s civil rights movement, didn’t want to see Barack Obama elected president.

“She never thought this would ever happen, and then when she actually had the chance to vote for him she couldn’t help thinking about Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, also Bobby Kennedy. She was worried that something bad would happen to him (Obama),” Thomas says.

Fortified with personalized historic context, Thomas often talks to young people visiting Washington, D.C. Recently she spoke with middle-school students who didn’t understand the significance of a black president. Then it hit Thomas: The only president they had really known in their lifetimes was African American.

What was the big deal?

To say that Thomas’ White House experience has been enlightening and rewarding is an understatement.

“I feel like this summer is going by really fast,” she says a month into her experience.

Watch Thomas expertly manage the line of White House visitors or share insights as she leads a walk around President’s Park and it’s clear that she has fast become a key member of the D.C. visitor information team. Park Service rangers offer her enthusiastic high-fives, and Kevlar-vested Secret Service agents flash broad smiles and extend warm greetings.

“The agents are cool,” Thomas says.

“I try to emulate the way they mediate conflict.”

With her fall return to Chapman University, the Environmental Science and Policy major will begin work for the California Coastal Commission assessing water quality. During her Chapman experience, she has taken on a host of roles, including investigating oxygen depletion plaguing waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

Last summer, a Student Conservation Association internship took her to Kansas, where she educated visitors about the only remaining town in the West established by former slaves after the Civil War. She still misses all the friends she made at the Nicodemus National Historic Site.

“Part of me really misses seeing wheat waving in the wind,” she says.

Likewise, it will be hard to say goodbye to her new colleagues and the many visitors she has invited into the White House experience.

“The other day I got to see the prime minister of India,” Thomas says. “That kind of thing definitely doesn’t get old.”

Meet Leah Thomas ’17 and step into her D.C. summer. Take a tour of President’s Park and the White House Visitor Center. Learn about the intersection of science, conservation and social justice. Go to chapman.edu/podcasts.

6 | CHAPMAN NOW

GROWTH

As an intern with the Student Conservation Association, Leah Thomas ’17 has a wide range of duties, including answering the questions of White House visitors and developing curriculum that introduces youngsters to conservation practices. Park ranger high-fives are also part of the fun.

Story and podcast by Mary Platt It isn’t every Chapman University professor who has the privilege of working in a room full of noise-making toys, from ceramic bowls and water glasses to triangles and chimes, gongs and bongos, xylophones and snare drums, and various African and South American rattlers and janglers. But that’s just what Nicholas Terry, Grammy Award-winning percussionist and Chapman associate professor of music, gets to do every day.

Terry, DMA, specializes in contemporary classical chamber music. In 2005, he co-founded Ensemble XII, an international percussion orchestra that legendary 8 | CHAPMAN NOW

conductor Pierre Boulez endorsed as “representing the next generation in the evolution of modern percussion.” In 2008, he founded the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, hailed by The New York Times for its “mesmerizing, atmospheric and supremely melodic music.”

He’s also a founding member of the L.A.-based ensemble PARTCH, whose 2014 release “Plectra and Percussion Dances” (Bridge Records) won Best Classical Compendium at the 57th Grammy Awards.

His latest local ensemble, Brightwork Newmusic – “a very condensed version of an orchestra,” as Terry describes it – is commissioning new works and performing throughout the region. Terry is also a busy freelance musician in Southern California – “I get to perform a variety of cool and

Photo by Nathan Worden ’13 (MBA ’15)

Often playing one-of-a-kind instruments, Grammy-winning percussionist Nicholas Terry crafts a special connection with chamber audiences.

Photo by Nathan Worden ’13 (MBA ’15)

interesting jobs,” he enthuses – gigging with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale, for movie scoring sessions and more.

Speaking of his work with PARTCH and the L.A. Percussion Ensemble, Terry agrees that some audience members think all they’re going to hear is loud drumming. But, he says, more people are now embracing the groups’ often-melodic, complex and fascinating sound.

“Contemporary percussion is really on an upward trend – each year there are more groups, higher-profile concerts by great artists, and we’re just seeing a greater frequency of percussion at the

forefront of the classical music world,” Terry says.

In the PARTCH ensemble, the instruments are one-of-a-kind. American composer Harry Partch (1901–1974) was interested in microtonal music – “the notes between the notes,” as Terry describes it. Conventional Western instruments don’t cover that range – 43 notes to the octave – so Partch built his own instruments, redesigning a pump organ and marimba, among others.

“As soon as you hear his music, you’re completely spun around,” Terry says. “It doesn’t sound like anything else; it’s like music from Mars.”

“Contemporary percussion is really on an upward trend,” says Chapman Professor Nicholas Terry, who performs with a wide variety of instruments, including xylophones, African drums and ceramic bowls.

It all manifests in an amazingly energizing vibe that often draws audience members right onto the stage “to see these instruments up close, maybe play them themselves,” Terry says. “It’s not like we’re some stuffy string quartet that retires to our dressing rooms right after the concert and gets whisked off to a party. We tend to keep really engaged with the audience, in a good way.”

Hear a sampling of percussion instruments and the extraordinary music of Harry Partch as performed by the Grammy-winning ensemble PARTCH. Catch the full interview with Professor Nick Terry at chapman.edu/podcasts.

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S 10 | CHAPMAN NOW

ast odc er p nk and oto wn Bo h p a , tory by D

In the post-Quesalupa world that is the Taco Bell test kitchen, Brad Natsume (M.S. ’13) adds his expertise to the mix, chasing the next great menu item.

ow could you not love being a food scientist at Taco Bell?

Deep in the headquarters of the Irvine-based fast food chain, these skilled professionals conjure up menu items like the Doritos Locos Tacos and the more recent Quesalupa. They work in secret behind locked doors and crank up the music while they cook up fascinating ingredient combinations.

“It’s pretty cool,” says Brad Natsume (M.S. ’13), a quality assurance and commercialization product manager for Taco Bell.

During a recent visit with Natsume, we tiptoed into one of the test kitchens for a rare look at the process. Sorry, no trade secrets revealed here. We promised – crossed our hearts and everything.

But these nuggets we can dish up: Creating flavorsome products and ensuring their safety is not just one of the tastiest jobs around – yes, taste testing is part of the gig. Food scientists play a key role in the multibillion-dollar fast food industry.

“Really you think of Taco Bell as a crunchy taco or a soft taco. However, it’s much more complex than that,” he says. “From the field to the manufacturer, all the way to the supply chain reaching the customer, a lot of people don’t realize the amount of work put in by both the food industry and Taco Bell.”

With an undergraduate degree in biology, Natsume turned to Chapman University for its master’s program in food science. With Chapman’s help he landed an internship at Taco Bell shortly after starting his coursework. That evolved into a job and the position he holds today.

“My experiences with the program and the faculty both were invaluable. The in-depth knowledge of the industry and being able to get a holistic view of what the industry entails were vital to my success. But I think more important were the alumni and faculty connections to the industry that really opened doors,” Natsume says.

Now he’s a vital player on all the new menu developments. But there’s no way Natsume is spilling the beans.

“You should be very pleased and surprised at what we release in the coming months,” he says.

After witnessing the whirl of creativity in those test kitchens, our taste buds are on standby.

Enjoy a flavorsome visit to the birthplace of Taco Bell products. Sample the company’s commitment to quality and the role Brad Natsume (M.S. ’13) plays in spicing up the menu.

Go to chapman.edu/podcasts.

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Lia Halloran’s art explores universal themes, attracting viewers, students and astrophysicists eager to make the interstellar journey.

Photos by Adam Ottke ’13

Story and podcast

by Dennis Arp

12 | CHAPMAN NOW

Photos by Adam Ottke ’13

Working with Chapman University students and alumni such as Jenny Seo ’14, above, art professor Lia Halloran creates works that bridge art and astrophysics. Her work M87, seen below, is among the galaxies and nebulae exhibited predominantly as telescopic disks in Deep Sky Companion at Caltech’s Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pasadena.

nspired by the cosmos, Lia Halloran’s art works are deep and engaging – for some viewers, profoundly affecting.

No wonder, then, that just describing her process can take Halloran on an expansive journey.

“Making something easy,” she says, “never seems to be where my art lands.”

For her latest works, she combines painting techniques with table-sized photographic plates that yield six-foot cyanotype prints, some of which seem to possess their own gravitational pull.

In a converted garage, creation starts under bright lights, then moves into partial darkness and culminates in the brilliant illumination of “our nearest star, outside the studio in sunny Los Angeles,” as Halloran describes in a video documenting her creative process.

“I didn’t want to just paint the galaxies,” she says. “I wanted there to be some translation and evolution.”

Creating art that illuminates science has long been at the heart of Halloran’s studio work, as well as her teaching as an assistant professor of art at Chapman University.

“I want the viewer to have that experience of curiosity when they’re looking at my work. I want it to be like a visual punch in the stomach. To do that I think it has to be experimental,” she says.

The process is also collaborative, involving Chapman students and graduates, including Jenny Seo ’14, Halloran’s studio assistant. Seo and others “help me think in different and exciting ways about my studio practice,” the artist says.

These days, Halloran’s art is landing in some exciting places. She’s working on a book with legendary theoretical astrophysicist Kip Thorne – the man behind Interstellar. And it’s through their artistic exploration of “the warped side of the universe” that 110 of her works are on display in the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Caltech, where Thorne is an emeritus professor.

Deep Sky Companion features paintings and photographs of night-sky objects from the catalog of 18th-century French astronomer Charles Messier.

Halloran’s works climb the walls as they integrate with the building’s unique architecture, which evokes a telescopic view into the heavens. From galaxies to nebulae, the works draw visitors into an otherworldly experience.

“To me, personally, Lia’s painting of M1 (The Crab Nebula) is the centerpiece of her exhibit,” Thorne says in the catalog notes.

“I encourage you to gaze on its beauty.”

Indeed, it’s a heavenly sight.

Tour Lia Halloran’s Deep Sky exhibit with the artist and her colleagues.

Go inside her studio and learn more about her collaboration with astrophysicist Kip Thorne. Visit chapman.edu/podcasts.

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Photo courtesy of Modern Luxury magazine

Check out these podcast series

by Chapman University alumni, students and staff.

How Did You Get That Job? From fast-food tastemakers to innovative church pastors, superhero comic book writers to film industry animators, some jobs are so cool that we just have to ask Chapman alumni “How did you get that job?”

At chapman.edu/podcasts.

Science on Tap Grab a cold one and hear Chapman University faculty explore the intersection of science and culture.

And yes, this series is recorded in a brew pub. At chapman.edu/ podcasts.

14 | CHAPMAN NOW

Above: Kevin Staniec ’01 Left: Jon-Barrett Ingels (Class of ’00)

The How The Why Produced by Kevin Staniec ’01 and 1888 Center, the publishing house he created, The How The Why is a half-hour podcast exploring the creative process of noted authors.

This weekly series is hosted by Jon-Barrett Ingels (Class of ’00), who leads an ongoing look at the evolution of the literary arts.

At 1888.center/thtw.

IMA Leader Podcast

Photo courtesy of Modern Luxury magazine

Nutflex Is your Netflix cue clogged?

Winnow it down to the best selections with help from graduate student, stand-up comedian and veteran podcaster Mike Gravagno (MFA ’17) as he and fellow popculture pals review and rate the options. You’ll find it on iTunes.

Sinan Kanatsiz ’97 (M.A. ’00) is a regular host on this series from the International Marketing Association. Featured are thought leaders sharing insights into the art and science of modern marketing. On iTunes and Stitcher.

We’re Alive: Lockdown Season two of the post-apocalyptic zombie drama created by KC Wayland ’08 shows that the concept has legs – some of which may or may not detach.

Those zombies are nasty devils, but don’t miss how Wayland’s characters battle back. At werealive.com/listen.

KC Wayland ’08

My First Feature Ethan Cushing (MFA/Film Production ’08) interviews new directors about their experiences making their first feature film.

On iTunes.

InvestTalk Explore a common-sense approach to investing with Justin Klein ’05, executive vice president at KPP Financial, who co-hosts this podcast.

On iTunes and podbay.fm.

Go to chapman.edu/magazine to find links to popular podcasts produced by members of the Chapman community.

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