Pepperdine Magazine Vol. 12, Iss. 1 (Spring 2020)

Volume 12 Issue 1 Spring 2020

Caruso’s Law

Moments

“It was the music of something beginning, An era exploding, a century spinning In riches and rags, and in rhythm and rhyme.

The people called it . . . Ragtime!�

Ragtime Smothers Theatre November 15, 2019

magazine.pepperdine.edu

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Contents

F E AT U R E S

14 The Ascending Story From Malibu to Masindi, Jim Gash (JD ’93) shares an extraordinary path to the presidency as he becomes the faithful narrator of Pepperdine’s next chapter

20 Character Training Pepperdine’s commitment to esports prepares students for success in the growing billion-dollar gaming industry

26 Caruso’s Law After building a real estate empire, law alumnus Rick Caruso establishes a new legacy with the largest alumni gift in Pepperdine history

Name that prayer! Freshman Majok Deng soars over President Jim Gash at the slam dunk contest during Blue and Orange Madness on October 11, 2019, kicking off the 2019–2020 Waves basketball season.

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VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 1 | SPRING 2020 Pepperdine Magazine editor

Gareen Darakjian

senior designer

Courtney Gero

writers

Sara Bunch, Nate Ethell (’08, MBA ’13), Amanda Pisani, Abigail Ramsey, Jakie Rodriguez (MS ’13)

SPOTLIGHT

graphic designers

Mallory Bockwoldt (’16),

Danae Doub

photographer

Ron Hall (’79)

copy editor

Amanda Pisani

production manager

Jill McWilliams

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Published by the Office of Public Affairs

No Stranger

For All You Know

Rick Gibson (MBA ’09, PKE 121)

Amid the uncertainty, anxiety, and fear surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the Pepperdine community finds purpose in serving those with the greatest needs

Are you comfortable with the idea that you may not have all the answers? A psychology professor tells you why you should be.

Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President for Public Affairs and Church Relations Matt Midura (’97, MA ’05) Associate Vice President for Integrated Marketing Communications

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A Golden Partnership

Full Circle

For nearly 50 years, GSEP’s Foster Grandparent Program has nurtured hearts and minds across generations

A Seaver College senior embarks on a train journey around India in the name of social entrepreneurship

Nate Ethell (’08, MBA ’13) Director of Communications and Brand Development Keith Lungwitz Creative Director Allen Haren (’97, MA ’07) Director of Digital Media

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Ace of Waves

Our Daily Bread

A Seaver College student-athlete converts time off the court to success on the court

Partners across the University unite to address food insecurity on campus

Ed Wheeler (’97, MA ’99) Senior Director of Operations Mauricio Acevedo Director of Digital Marketing Pepperdine Magazine is the feature magazine for Pepperdine University and its growing community of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends. It is published three times per year by the University’s

1 Moments

9 Headlines

6 Inside Voices

32 Snapshot 48 The Cut

Public Affairs division and is produced with

Each issue of Pepperdine Magazine contains a limited number of half- or full-page advertising opportunities for University departments and initiatives. To learn more about advertising, contact magazine@pepperdine.edu.

cross section of the University community.

guidance from an advisory board representing a Send address changes, letters to the editor, and other queries to: magazine@pepperdine.edu All material is copyrighted ©2020 by Pepperdine University, Malibu, California 90263.

Pepperdine is affiliated with Churches of Christ, of

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PA2001395

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ADVERTISING

which the University’s founder, George Pepperdine, was a lifelong member.

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Editor’s Letter

This letter started a bit differently just a few weeks ago when I first sat down to write it. What began as a commentary on why we tell our stories and how they shape our communities quickly transitioned to telling the dramatic shift in my—indeed, our—personal story.

With massive institutional closures unlike anything we’ve ever seen, widespread public lockdowns, and the potential for catastrophic public health outcomes, life looks a little different than it did back then. So, what do we do when our stories change? How do we cope with having to let go of a seemingly certain future?

These circumstances feel somewhat familiar to me.

Every journalist has to frequently face and respond to rapidly changing events. One day your headline is front-page fodder and by the next news cycle it has been unceremoniously buried under the topic of the day.

New sources must be gathered at a moment’s notice, and much of your most important work must be done in haste with very few resources. In some cases, the stories end as quickly as they began and priorities shift without a moment’s hesitation. Sound familiar?

The COVID-19 pandemic will shape our stories differently, as it already has done for many of us.

The adult child who tried desperately to protect her aging parents from the worst of the disease. The young student whose daily routine was upended in ways he didn’t quite understand. The social butterfly frustrated about missing that memory-making event. The college senior disappointed by the premature culmination of the four best years of her life. And, of course, those around the world whose lives were impacted deeply by the devastating effects of the coronavirus.

I’ve begun to come to terms with it myself. No matter how much my career has prepared me for such an upheaval, I, too, have been struggling with the reality of this sudden change in the story. Will this be something that we will remember a few years from now when the rigamarole of daily life begins to creep back to normalcy?

How will we tell this story? Will this experience—fraught with great unknowns and anxieties and images of overflowing shopping carts—be part of our stories forever?

Or will we quickly forget the pains of preventing a global pandemic and quietly resume life as we knew it?

After the headlines slowly fade to the typical fare, we may be unable to recall how we felt at this exact moment.

The stories we tell about it today matter. Whether those stories suddenly change, slowly evolve, or eventually die, let’s make sure we use them to understand how they shaped us and how they brought us closer together.

GAREEN DARAKJIAN editor

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Inside Voices “The church is not supposed to be known as certain and immovable, but called and sent.”

The Vital Role of the Church: Announcing Good News

By Sara Barton University Chaplain

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You don’t have to squint to see that the church in North America is encountering changes and challenges. Just to name a few— though you probably don’t need my help with this brainstorm—faith communities wrestle with decreasing attendance, declining interest in denominational heritage, and intensifying questions about issues like inclusion and the church’s relationship to political power—often all at the same time!

Even before having to confront the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the church grappled with questions about when, where, how, and with whom to meet. After we leave the fearful season we are in now, I cannot help but wonder what new lessons will inform ongoing conversations.

I find it comforting and exhilarating to remember that changes, challenges, and recalibrations in the church are actually nothing new. The role of each generation of faithful Jesus followers has always been and will always be this: to discern in community and through the power of the Holy Spirit how to hold continuity and newness together in the proclamation of good news. This side of heaven, the church is never really finished with that job.

Each generation must determine what it means to announce the good news of God’s reconciling work in its unique time and place.

A student recently asked me, “Christians talk about good news a lot. How is it good news that an angry God was satisfied only with his son’s violent death and wants to send me to hell forever?” I have similar straightforward conversations with many people who convey that they are sure about Christ but not so sure about the church and doctrines that sound like bad news. My students are certainly not the only ones who are wondering whether Christians know what good news is. They are not the only ones who are unsure about whether the message of the church today is good news.

In light of such challenges, a discussion about the vital role of the church is timely. I think Harbor director Mike Cope was on to something when he picked what was supposed to be this year’s theme, Called and Sent: The Vital Role of the Church. The fact that we had to postpone this year’s Harbor to 2021 means the theme is as relevant as ever. The church is not supposed to be known as certain and immovable, but called and sent. Especially during crises, our imagination should fuel us like never before.

And, like many of you, I see that happening as congregations find new ways to connect with each other and new ways to love neighbors.

The boundaries of physical distance have not prohibited spiritual and communal connection, as prayers have made their way through phone lines and Zoom rooms. I can sense the celebration that’s coming when we are able to gather again. I suspect it will be so life-giving that God’s people won’t be able to stop talking about it.

From the moment they realized Jesus was raised from the dead, Jesus’ earliest followers were directed, in both Matthew 28 and Mark 16, “Go. Tell.” They were “sent” people (Luke 24). Being sent to cross boundaries appears continually in the book of Acts, when the earliest Christians traveled “from Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth,” crossing not only borders of cities, countries, and continents, but also boundaries that divide people: language, ethnicity, social class, citizenship, gender, food customs, and more.

This much is clear: crossing new boundaries for the sake of God’s good news is not for the weak of heart, soul, mind, or body. Despite what persecution they faced, like being thrown to the lions or disowned by their own families, God sustained early followers of Jesus in their calling, as communities discerned how to accomplish their task through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus and his early followers modeled that the good news really is so good that it must be announced, not only with words to share but also with bodies to do that good news: serving, loving, witnessing, and caring for the sick, poor, and socially marginalized.

If we are able to take the lessons learned from COVID-19, the church has the opportunity to posture herself not as the owner of good news, but as the “called and sent” proclaimers of God’s good news. And then, maybe instead of being turned off, our neighbors will tune in—or, better yet, we will all join in the work together.

Campus Notes PEPPERDINE PEOPLE

Ari Schwarzberg As Pepperdine’s rabbi-in-residence, Ari Schwarzberg serves students of all faiths Pepperdine created the position about two and a half years ago in response to student requests for a Jewish mentor. “I’m grateful that this strong Christian university wants to cultivate the religious growth of non-Christian students,” says Schwarzberg.

Schwarzberg, who is the dean of students at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles, works with Pepperdine’s Jewish Culture Club to run the convocation where students study classical Jewish texts and ideas, often in comparison with Christian literature. He loves the chance to work with an interfaith group.

He wishes for college students to devote more attention to how their education shapes their spiritual journey and less on their professional and financial ambitions. For many students, Schwarzberg says that finding professional success overshadows the issue of “Who do I want to become?”

Schwarzberg finds that as a rabbi, being part of the community can sometimes be isolating.

He says that for that reason, he thinks of himself more as an educator than a rabbi.

Schwarzberg believes that “any religion is going to be its best when its adherents are seriously committed to its values.

Jews who are fully committed to Judaism will naturally be impacting the world positively, and the same applies to those of any faith.”

Pearl Jam’s “Immortality” is one of the rabbi’s favorite songs. “It’s a good one for the business of thinking about purpose and meaning.”

Schwarzberg finds that he can relate to young people on many levels. He’s an avid consumer of culture and music, and he says that his eating habits are still waiting to mature. “I tend to eat more like a teenager than an adult,” he admits.

His sweet tooth is wide ranging, but in keeping with his love of rock, he can’t resist a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia.

Stage Secrets The Pepperdine Music and Theatre Departments brought turn-of-the-century New York to the Smothers Theatre stage in multiple sold-out performances of Ragtime, where trap doors revealing hidden secrets and dynamic elements like a multipurpose piano surprised and delighted the audience each night.

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STUDENT CAST MEMBERS,

the largest ever in a musical at Pepperdine More than

60

STUDENTS

involved in constructing and painting the scenery

More than

1,700

individual

COSTUME PIECES

from the 2008 Broadway revival More than

130

period props, movie cameras, protest signs, and musical instruments

3,000

SQUARE FEET

208

HOURS

of rehearsal

of painted scenery

40

LBS.

of polyester fiberfill used to make cloud backdrop

CUSTOM-BUILT

piano prop doubled as

back of a train, podium, casket, silhouette artist’s cart, and Model T Ford

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Campus Notes SOUND BITES Explore a collection of some of the most notable moments from recent events held across the University.

C H AT T E R The Pepperdine community paid tribute to beloved Weisman Museum director Michael Zakian.

JESSICA CORNWELL One of my all-time favorite professors. Thank you for expanding my appreciation for art and for your kindness and support.

“To get the real perspective of this beautiful world, you have to leave it. As you look down on this earth, it is painfully obvious that we are all interconnected. We are all in this together.”

Richard R. Arnold II, Astronaut EVENT: An Evening with Astronaut Richard Arnold

“You should own that a big part of your path is failure, not success. We’ve got a ‘failure wall’ in our office, and my quote is: ‘Failure, failure, failure, success.’

That’s the rhythm you’re looking for.”

Jeff Stibel, Chair, Bryant Stibel Fund EVENT: Graziadio Business School Executive Speaker Series

CRAIG DETWEILER Stellar human, tireless arts advocate, gifted teacher.

Such a great loss.

TONY PRO A warm, intelligent soul that was a pillar of the California art scene.

RIP dear friend.

KERRY BROUGHER A wonderful director and curator.

His rediscovery of Agnes Pelton looms large!

DID

YOU KNOW

As the University responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2,674 classes across all five schools were moved to a virtual online format.

“God gives you open doors, but he also gives you open windows. Doors are the easy-to-see moments of your journey.

Windows are the special moments of opportunity that God puts in your path, but you have to be curious; you have to be present enough to see them.”

“I’ve always been impressed with leaders who are honest about what they know and what they don’t know. You need to ask questions and be curious and lean on the people around you who have that knowledge. They need to teach you.”

Alexis Bonnell (’99), Chief Innovation Officer, USAID

Steve Cahillane, Chair and CEO, Kellogg Company

EVENT: Innovation to Impact: Leading Change in a Challenging Time

EVENT: Dean’s Executive Leadership Series

FROM THE ARCHIVES During the presidential campaign of 1964, the George Pepperdine College Young Democrats held an evening rally for the JohnsonHumphrey ticket on the patio next to Lawhorn Hall (left). On the right, members of the College’s Young Republicans march down 79th Street on the edge of campus in support of the Goldwater-Miller presidential campaign two weeks prior to the election.

Courtesy of Pepperdine Libraries Special Collections and Archives

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Headlines

Pepperdine Mourns the Loss of Weisman Museum Director Michael Zakian Michael R. Zakian, longtime director of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University and adjunct professor of art history at Seaver College, passed away on January 14, 2020. He was 62.

“For more than 25 years, Pepperdine was fortunate to have Michael Zakian lead the Weisman Museum of Art,” says Rebecca Carson, managing director of the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine. “His writing and storytelling helped make the work of Rodin, Chihuly, Andy Warhol, Agnes Pelton, and countless other artists come alive for patrons of all ages and backgrounds. Michael’s work brought the thousands of people who visit the Weisman each year inspiration, joy, and wonder. He will be sorely missed.”

Zakian took the helm as the director of the Weisman Museum in 1995, just three years after it was founded, and for the past 25 years his name has been intertwined with that of the institution. Notable exhibitions over the years included Rodin’s Obsession: The Gates of Hell (2001), featuring dozens of bronze sculptures derived from Rodin’s famous, never-to-be-realized Parisian entryway; Roy Lichtenstein: In Process (2011), a show that chronicled the creation of the pop artist’s works from simple sketches to final products; and Chihuly Los Angeles (2005), featuring site-specific glassworks by artist Dale Chihuly. To this day, Chihuly remains the most popular show in the Weisman’s history with more than 31,000 visitors over four months.

Born on April 7, 1957, in New York, Zakian developed a keen eye for art during his childhood and, with encouragement from his parents, spent his free time drawing. Throughout his teenage years, Zakian became heavily influenced by pieces displayed at the Metropolitan

Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art. After graduating from high school, Zakian attended Columbia University, where the pre-med biology major decided instead to follow his passion for art, earning a bachelor’s degree in art history in pursuit of one day managing a museum and teaching art history courses at a university.

Zakian continued his art education at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where his interest in art history led him to work as a teaching assistant while completing a master’s degree with a focus on American abstract expressionism and, later, a doctorate in the same subject. Equipped with three art degrees on his resume, he moved to Southern California in 1984 and began working at the Palm Springs Art Museum, first as an assistant curator and soon after as an associate curator.

Zakian moved from Palm Springs to Malibu in 1995 to begin his position as the director of the Weisman Museum at Pepperdine—an opportunity he cherished—allowing him to once again return to an institute of higher education where he could connect with college students about art on a daily basis. His service to Pepperdine included teaching as well as curating, and his courses ranged from baroque and rococo art and architecture to contemporary art.

Members of the Pepperdine community are encouraged to contribute to the Michael Zakian Exhibition Fund to ensure that the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art continues to add beautiful, thought-provoking, and inspiring works of art to the cultural life of the Pepperdine community: magazine.pepperdine.edu/zakian-fund

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Headlines GRAMMY® Award Winner Jennifer Hudson Performs at 44th Annual Pepperdine Associates Dinner The 44th annual Pepperdine Associates dinner, held Saturday, February 22, 2020, at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, brought together the Pepperdine community near and far. Ascend Together, the guiding inspiration for President Jim Gash’s (JD ’93) vision for the future of the University, served as the evening’s guiding theme.

Keith Hinkle (JD ’97), senior vice president for advancement and chief development officer, celebrated the dedicated friends of the University who continue to support the efforts to create unforgettable Pepperdine experiences.

An invocation by Eric Wilson, associate dean of student affairs and executive director of spiritual life programs, was followed by remarks from Chancellor Sara Young Jackson (’74). Jackson spoke of a vision for Christian higher education that was imagined by George Pepperdine and realized by influential leaders in the Pepperdine community, including her parents, former Pepperdine president and first lady Norvel and Helen Young.

Introduced by Dee Anna Smith (’86), chair of the Pepperdine Board of Regents, President Gash began his keynote address by reflecting on Pepperdine’s distinctive contribution to the world. “To have a deep purpose, we must meet a deep need,” Gash said. “What does Pepperdine uniquely add to higher education?”

Gash continued to inspire the crowd with his vision focused on a commitment to developing leaders of faith, courage, character, and creativity who impact and influence the world. “What the world needs most is what we do best,” he said. “That is our why and that is our mountain.”

Looking beyond Pepperdine’s Malibu campus, Gash invited the audience to envision the transformational influence of Pepperdine’s mission of purpose, service, and leadership on the city of Los Angeles and around the world.

The evening culminated with a rousing performance by GRAMMY®- and Academy Award-winning performing artist Jennifer Hudson, who entertained the audience with her hit songs “Spotlight” and “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” as well as a captivating performance of “Hallelujah” originally composed by Jeff Buckley.

President Jim Gash (JD ’93)

Chancellor Sara Young Jackson (’74)

GRAMMY®- and Academy Award-winning performing artist Jennifer Hudson

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Pepperdine Professors Recognized with Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence The Office of the Provost awarded eight faculty members with the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence at the annual Pepperdine University Faculty Conference in Malibu on October 4, 2019. The award honors the legacy of Pepperdine’s fifth president, Howard A. White, a gifted teacher, recognized historian, and faithful steward of the University for nearly 30 years. Following an open call for nominations, honorees were chosen for their rigorous, thought-provoking teaching, investment in student development through mentoring or advising, and mastery of their subject matter.

Honorees included Ebony Cain, assistant professor of education and program director at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP); Stella Erbes (’91), divisional dean of the Seaver College Humanities and Teacher Education Division; David Han, professor of law at the Caruso School of Law; Carolyn Keatinge, senior lecturer of psychology at GSEP; Abraham Park, associate professor of finance at the Graziadio Business School; Jane Kelley Rodeheffer, Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Seaver College; Cooker Perkins Storm, associate professor of sports medicine at Seaver College; and Felicity Vabulas, assistant professor in the International Studies and Languages Division at Seaver College.

Pepperdine Launches Braille-Embossed Business Cards for Faculty and Staff

Institute for Entertainment, Media, Sports, and Culture Presents Music Modernization Act Roundtable Panel at GRAMMY® Museum On October 17, 2019, the Institute for Entertainment, Media, Sports, and Culture hosted a roundtable panel discussion, “Records, Labels, and A&R in the Streaming Age,” at the GRAMMY® Museum at L.A. LIVE to explore the impact of these industry components under the Music Modernization Act. Panelists included Jacqueline C. Charlesworth, partner at Alter, Kendrick & Baron, LLP; Bill Colitre, vice president and general counsel at Music Reports, Inc.; Brigid McNally, senior manager of licensing at Rhino Records; Panos A. Panay, senior vice president of global strategy and innovation at Berklee College of Music; and Sarah Rosenbaum, music counsel at YouTube.

Faculty and staff across Pepperdine partnered in fall 2019 to develop the University’s first-ever brailleembossed business cards to address a growing need and desire to provide accessible services to all members of the Pepperdine community. The cards, which mark an important step toward increased accessibility at Pepperdine, were delivered to the Office of Student Accessibility (OSA) staff in midOctober, signifying the culmination of a nearly three-month-long project.

The initiative was spearheaded by Anna Penner, assistant professor of sociology, whose scholarship focuses on the sociology of disability, family, inequality, and particularly on the behavioral and educational outcomes

throughout the life of children with disabled siblings. Aware of accessibility efforts at other institutions, Penner inquired with the Seaver College Social Science Division about introducing braille-embossed business cards at Pepperdine.

The project was fueled by collaborations among multiple campus departments, including the Seaver College Social Science Division, OSA, and Printing Services. Jennifer Baker, assistant director of OSA, shared, “We are thankful for every person who creates access in every way.

With this new avenue of accessibility, we hope the feeling of belonging at Pepperdine will continue to extend to more people.”

ཁ Learn more about the cross-campus collaboration: magazine.pepperdine.edu/braille

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Headlines School of Public Policy Receives Grant to Support Professional Certificate on Leading Smart Communities The School of Public Policy (SPP) received a grant from the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) to support a new professional certificate on leading smart communities to be facilitated through the school’s Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership.

SPP received one of 27 grants awarded as part of PIT-UN’s inaugural “Network Challenge,” which aims to support the development of new public interest technology initiatives and institutions in academia and foster collaboration among the network’s partner institutions, which includes SPP. “Increasingly, public engagement with government is happening through technology—whether it be a GIS map of a wildfire or a public

engagement survey platform around a community’s land use plan,” said SPP dean Pete Peterson (MPP ’07). “I’m excited that this grant will help us build out our professional education in making our cities more transparent and responsive through technology.”

PIT-UN is a partnership of 36 colleges and universities dedicated to building the nascent field of public interest technology, as well as growing a new generation of civic-minded technologists and digitally fluent policy leaders.

The “Network Challenge” is funded through the generous support of the Ford Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Mastercard Impact Fund, Siegel Family Endowment, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, Schmidt Futures, and Raikes Foundation.

Christopher Parkening Performs at the Kennedy Center Christopher Parkening, Distinguished Professor of Music and chair of the classical guitar department at Seaver College, performed with Keith and Kristyn Getty at “Sing! An Irish Christmas” presented by Getty Music at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on Saturday, December 14, 2019. As part of the program, Vice President Mike Pence presented a lifetime achievement award to Joni Eareckson Tada, a dear friend of the Parkenings for more than 30 years.

The two-hour concert, in its eighth annual tour, featured musical artists that blended Celtic, bluegrass, classical music, and more with the choral sounds of the holiday. Parkening, hailed by the Washington Post as “the leading guitar virtuoso of our day,” performed “The Shepherd” by Carlo Domeniconi and Patrick Russ’ arrangement of “I Wonder as I Wander” with baritone Jubilant Sykes.

“It was an honor to perform at such a joyous event, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ,” Parkening said.

Pepperdine University Hosts Second Annual TEDxPepperdineU On January 30, 2020, the second annual TEDxPepperdineUniversity took the Smothers Theatre stage, featuring 11 speakers from diverse professional and personal backgrounds who shared their powerful stories focused on the theme “Surf-to-Summit.”

The student-run event feted Pepperdine’s collaborative culture and featured speakers including Adam Housley (’94), Emmy Awardwinning former journalist; Marissa Muller, Tesla’s global product marketing lead; Eric Wilson, Pepperdine’s associate dean of student affairs and executive director of spiritual

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programs; Jeff Walling (MS ’16), director of the Pepperdine Youth Leadership Initiative; and Seaver students Kaci Courtright and Payton Silket.

“TEDxPepperdineU celebrates those who strive for the pinnacles of achievement and ride the waves of change,” said Ryan Groves (MA ’15), director of strategic employer partnerships at the Seaver College Career Center. “The Pepperdine community curated a roster of phenomenal speakers, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from each of their triumphs, hardships, and lived experiences.”

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Features

The

ASCENDING

Story From Malibu to Masindi, Jim Gash (JD ’93) shares an extraordinary path to the presidency as he becomes the faithful narrator of Pepperdine’s next chapter

By Gareen Darakjian

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Features

ith an uncanny ability to recall the most important details about nearly everyone he encounters, a desire to connect deeply with others, and a genuine enthusiasm for inspiring those around him to take action, President Jim Gash can navigate the peaks and valleys of a narrative in ways you can never see coming.

When speaking publicly, Gash often abandons the podium to engage more fully with the audience, not just with his voice but with his entire body, to make it clear to everyone in the room that telling a story is the most important thing he could be doing at that moment. But Gash’s approach isn’t self-serving. His purpose in his life and leadership is to develop meaningful relationships with those around him and to encourage them to live up to their full potential with the power of a personal tale.

In 2017 Deloitte’s Center for Higher Education Excellence and Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities examined the ways in which changing dynamics in higher education are driving the demand for a new set of skills and capabilities in university leadership.

The study asked, “As institutions look to hire the next generation of leaders, what skill sets should they be looking for?” A corresponding survey of 165 presidents of four-year colleges and universities rated the top three traits needed most when presidents assume office. Numbers one and three—strategist and fundraiser, respectively—were fairly obvious.

The second-most important attribute noted by the respondents was, perhaps, a little less so: communicator and storyteller.

Prior to stepping into his role as the eighth president and CEO of Pepperdine this past August, Gash embarked on a multi-city listening tour to get to know Pepperdine community members around the country. He also met privately with the University’s senior leadership, academic deans, and various faculty members to find out who they were on a profoundly personal level.

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“I want to know where people derive meaning, what they value, where they spend their time, and what gets them up in the morning,” he says. “That time oneon-one, in a place of comfort for those individuals, was indispensable.”

Gash’s other goal was to introduce people to what matters most to him: his relationship with Jesus, his devotion to his family, and his deeply rooted and enduring love for Pepperdine.

“All three of those are combined into one job,” he muses, on what he refers to as “the best job in the world.” “I get to do the things that matter to me all day, every day, with people that I love and trust.”

Gash has woven the thread of storytelling and relationship building into the fabric of his leadership philosophy, one that, he explains, is relational, collaborative, deliberative, and decisive.

“Everything starts with relationships,” he says, and in his world, it has been those relationships that have enabled him to have a far- and wide-reaching impact on

the students in his torts classes at the Caruso School of Law, on the faculty, staff, and students that he led for years as dean of students and associate dean for strategic planning and external relations at the law school, and on the imprisoned juveniles of Uganda for whom he advocated tirelessly throughout his global justice work.

While Gash inherited a leadership team that had been assembled very carefully and strategically under President Emeritus Andrew K. Benton, he was eager to build upon the relationships with those who were ready to continue to work together in the next era of leadership at Pepperdine.

And so, in the first days of his presidency, Gash made his way down the hallway of the fourth floor of the Thornton Administrative Center, asking his colleagues—fellow University Church of Christ congregants, former committee members, and parents of his children’s friends, among other associates he’d connected with in his 20 years at Pepperdine: “I know you.

I trust you. Will you run with us?”

I want to know where people derive meaning, what they value, where they spend their time, and what gets them up in the morning.

∏ Gash’s Pepperdine story began in the early 1960s, when his parents, John and Rosella, were students at the University’s original Los Angeles campus. His father met his mother during his first week at Pepperdine, and immediately fell in love. She then brought him to church where he discovered and deepened his relationship with the Lord that first semester. One of Gash’s earliest memories is attending a Waves basketball game in San Francisco to watch Pepperdine take on the University of San Francisco. They went every year when the team was in town.

An alumnus of Abilene Christian University (ACU), Gash says, “It was always a goal to go to Pepperdine someday, but I was a football player and there was no football at Pepperdine at that time.”

Gash was a quarterback for the ACU Wildcats and graduated summa cum laude. In his senior year Gash’s business law professor announced that the dean of the Pepperdine law school—at the time Ron Phillips—was coming to campus. Inspired by his parents’ Pepperdine story, the finance major thought that perhaps law school could be the right path for him. Pepperdine was the only law school Gash applied to. In 1990, along with his new wife, Joline (’92), who he had met at church in their hometown of Santa Rosa, California, when they were both in their teens, he moved to Malibu to start the next chapter of his Pepperdine story.

Gash graduated Pepperdine Law in 1993 with a juris doctor, summa cum laude, and finished first in his class while also serving as the editor in chief of the Pepperdine Law Review. Over the course of his three years at the law school, Gash aspired to return to Pepperdine after graduating to join the law school faculty. In 1999, after six years of practicing law, the opportunity to return as an associate professor presented itself.

—J i m Ga s h “It was the only law school I applied to for my JD and the only law school I applied to to teach,” says Gash. “This is where we knew we were supposed to be.”

In 2005 he became the school’s associate dean for student life, and in 2017 the associate dean for strategic planning and external relations. His first trip to Africa was in 2010, three years after a campus visit by Bob Goff, the founder of Love Does, a nonprofit human rights organization operating in Uganda, India, Iraq, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Somalia. Goff’s talk inspired a group of students eager to pursue a calling to support a country in need to travel to Masindi, Uganda. After the students’ third trip, they returned with ideas about developing a more robust justice system for Ugandan citizens—and to convince their dean of students to join them on their next journey.

“That turned into a relationship with a couple of members of the Ugandan judiciary, which turned into a relationship with the country, which turned into us moving there, which turned into a lifelong investment in a country that we love and has loved my family,” says Gash.

Gash’s practice area of torts began to expand into international human rights law as he explored more deeply the developing world and the challenges certain countries faced in their public justice systems. With zero experience in criminal law in the United States—Gash had never been inside of a

criminal court until he went to Africa—he got to know Ugandan law and the Ugandan judicial system and started working with them on the reformation of their criminal justice system.

Gash’s story—told in both his book, Divine Collision, and the film REMAND—of his impact on the Ugandan judiciary is well documented. Most notably, his dedication to the case of a teenage boy named Henry wrongfully convicted of murdering a local herdsman inspired justice reform for an entire country. Gash became the first American lawyer ever to plead a case in a Ugandan court, and two years after the appeal, Henry was exonerated when the court found that Henry had not had a fair hearing.

Closer to home, Gash applies that same warmth and care and concern for Pepperdine and the varied student body that makes up the tapestry of the campus community.

“My hope is not that our diverse student population will congregate in packs of people who look like them and whose experiences are like theirs, but instead that there can be this belonging, this unity in diversity,” says Gash. “Student Affairs, the president’s office, and the student leaders on campus have frank discussions about how to create opportunities for students to interact with each other in groups that are unfamiliar to them. Part of creating opportunities for students to interact with each other in groups that are unfamiliar to them is storytelling.”

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∏ The university of the future—and the requirements of a university president that influences the leaders of the future—is markedly different from the kind Gash came up in. It has changed significantly as recently as the last few months, as college and university leaders have grappled with the unprecedented and vast impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the health of the school, both at the institutional level as well as in the bonds of community.

In the last decade, the president as fiscal agent has slowly expanded to the need for multidimensional leaders who can navigate a rapidly changing social environment and the increasing demands of a diverse constituency. A public health crisis is the perfect storm in which a leader’s resolve and ability to pivot, sometimes moment to moment, is tested beyond expectation.

The results of a recent survey of higher education leaders’ priorities amid pandemic planning revealed new insights. In an article in Diverse Education, the principal researcher of the survey explained that college and university presidents must focus on collaboration, equity, inclusion, and a renewed effort at transparency. He says this “time of shaking out” is likely to “induce innovation” in the face of declining revenue, situational personnel decision-making, and changes in tuition and room and board fees.

According to Gash, innovation is already showing up at Pepperdine, both in process and substance as the entire University works together to discover new and creative ways to deliver a superior academic experience to students. Seaver College leadership has already developed a new online summer session that uses Pepperdine’s newly expanded online instruction capability, and admission teams around the University have also imagined new ways to connect with prospective students through virtual tours and

enhanced and personalized communications.

As far as strategic leadership, other institutions of higher education are seeking the guidance of the University’s crisis response procedures as the Pepperdine Emergency Operations Committee demonstrates daily its effectiveness and agility in gathering facts and data and centralizing decision-making.

“Our communication philosophy is to enhance trust by informing our community at every turn—transparently and vulnerably— what we have decided, why we made our decision, and how we reached our decision,” Gash explains.

While Gash’s priorities—“providing students with a world-class academic, faithinfused transformational education within a supportive and encouraging community”— have not shifted as a result of dynamic university response requirements, his focus has adjusted during what will likely become the season that defines his presidency.

“Right now the health and safety of our Pepperdine community and their families is our highest priority and the factor most heavily weighted in our decision-making,” he explains. “My second focal point is to communicate in ways that hold our community together and keep our people encouraged and resourced to respond to the needs of our students.”

We have a great opportunity to rethink how we’ve always done things and to develop new and innovative ways to stay connected, to build community, and to engage in learning.

—T i m Pe r r i n

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Among Gash’s primary concerns is bringing students back to campus. As the University investigates and determines the pandemic’s long-term impacts on the student, faculty, and staff experience, Pepperdine, and institutions of higher education worldwide, will remain focused on the massive role distance learning and telecommuting will play in its future.

To Tim Perrin, senior vice president for strategic implementation and a key member of the University’s leadership team, strategic planning is a dynamic process that is in constant response to changing circumstances and to new opportunities and challenges. While he admits this particular moment and the developments connected to COVID-19 have introduced uncertainty and complexity as the University makes plans for the fall semester and as University leadership evaluates potential financial impacts on the University, the strategic planning process continues forward unabated.

“We are looking to a longer term horizon—2030 and beyond—and we are focused on enduring aspects of Pepperdine, including our mission to strengthen students for lives of purpose, service, and leadership,” Perrin says.

“We have a great opportunity to rethink how we’ve always done things and to develop new and innovative ways to stay connected, to build community, and to engage in learning.”

In April, Perrin, who worked for two decades at Pepperdine, serving as associate provost of the University from 2003 to 2007 and the law school’s inaugural vice dean from 2007 to 2012, met with more than 100 Seaver College faculty for a two-hour strategic planning session via Zoom, one of many such sessions with members of the Pepperdine community, to consider together their shared hopes and dreams for the future. “As we think strategically about the University’s future, we are carefully listening and watching,” he continues, “while at the same time moving forward with confidence and courage.”

∏ In Gash’s inauguration speech at Alumni Park on September 25, 2019, the newly minted president and CEO explained that the collective dreams for the next chapter of Pepperdine are so grand and unbounded, they are like a mighty mountain beckoning us to climb. “The higher we climb, the farther we can see,” he said. Indeed, Gash’s inauguration theme, Ascend Together, is apparent now, more than ever, as the Pepperdine community begins to adjust to a new reality, the future of which is still unknown.

“Everything about what we are going through right now is about ‘together,’” he says. “From my vantage point, it is clear to me that ‘together’ is the dominant theme in this chapter, as Pepperdine’s DNA is on full display. Our people are rising to the occasion at every turn and in every way. This ‘ascent’ is a shining light illuminating the path forward toward Pepperdine’s brightest days. That is who we are and that is who we aspire to be as we ascend together.”

And in the midst of both triumph and tragedy, Gash remains committed to the power of storytelling and the connections it enables.

“Pepperdine is a compelling overarching story composed of innumerable individual stories of challenges and trials where the character traits of faith and resilience and trust and honor that emerge to overcome those trials are often the most inspiring parts of the story,” he says. “I’m convinced that we will look back on this current episode and see and recognize these same animating character traits, as well.

My job, as I see it, is to remind us of the best of who we are, and to live that out each day with courage and conviction. If we are able to do that, I believe we will have a powerful story to tell the world.”

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Pepperdine’s commitment to esports prepares students for success in the growing billion-dollar gaming industry

By Sara Bunch

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Grace Ramsey’s postmillennial generation upbringing in Arlington, Texas, didn’t include much digital entertainment.

Ramsey and her siblings were encouraged to focus on their academic pursuits and, like many school-age children, were discouraged from spending too much time playing video games.

But when Ramsey was given her own laptop to research topics for her high school’s speech and debate team, she discovered the thrill of playing online games and settled upon a career goal years before it seemed possible.

Danecia “Dani” Kearney playing Overwatch at the Genesis Lab in Payson Library

“The moment I started playing my first game, I knew I had to incorporate online gaming into my future career,” Ramsey recalls, explaining that at age 15, she was considered a latecomer to the field. “Many people imagine gaming as a bunch of sweaty guys sitting on a couch wasting time, but it can lead to a respectable living,” she says.

Now a Seaver College junior studying communication, philosophy, and religion, Ramsey manages Pepperdine’s esports team, part of the University’s innovative esports program launched in fall 2019.

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Pepperdine isn’t the only academic institution taking notice of the billiondollar industry’s potential. Last year the National Association of Collegiate Esports reported the existence of more than 130 active collegiate varsity esports teams in the United States, which has launched a new generation of students with professional pursuits related to the emerging field. By 2022 the projected global esports market revenue will reach $1.79 billion, just in time for a new generation of scholar-gamers to enter the workforce.

At Pepperdine Robb Bolton, the program’s staff advisor and newly appointed director of campus recreation and esports, treats esports like a traditional athletics team, incorporating a lifestyle component into the program that requires team members to engage in physical exercise together, maintain their grades, explore spiritual life opportunities, and nurture healthy face-to-face social relationships.

“We teach them important life skills so they don’t just play video games for 10 hours straight, chug energy drinks, eat junk food, and avoid sleep, because that’s not a sustainable path once they leave college and get full-time jobs,” explains Bolton, adding that referring to these students as “scholar-gamers” rather than merely “gamers” enhances the public perception of video game participants and boosts students’ confidence. “While they Intentionally designed to foster students’ are deeply interested in video games, they are communication, marketing, business, and criticalalso invested scholars,” he explains. thinking skills, the esports program launched last In fact, Bolton has discussed with University spring when a group of students posted flyers around leadership the idea of incorporating esports the Malibu campus to gauge student interest in joining into an academic track, starting with a a potential gaming club or esports team. The campaign first-year seminar course on gaming and generated more than 100 responses. technology, followed by the eventual launch of In June Pepperdine Career Services provided Bolton certificate, minor, undergraduate, and graduate and a handful of Seaver College students with tickets to degree programs. attend the E3 Expo gaming convention in Los Angeles.

According to Landon Phillips (’08, MA ’15), Without an official team to represent the University, codirector and lead instructional designer of the participants strategically networked with faculty, staff, Genesis Lab at Payson Library, when it comes to and students from other universities, gathering esports as a legitimate career path, marketers, ideas about how to start their own sponsored esports announcers, merchandisers, arena construction program. Pepperdine made such a positive impression consultants, coaches, and public relations agents that students were invited to participate in the are continually joining the industry.

Los Angeles Valiant Road to Kit Kat Rivalry Weekend As he puts it, “For us to ignore an entire industry collegiate tournament in August. because it’s based around what many mistakenly Just a few weeks later, Pepperdine hired two relegate to fond memories of their childhood coaches who held tryouts in the Genesis Lab to would be a disservice to our students.” choose the top 12 students to join the esports team, Phillips, who has expressed a desire to teach with six members playing League of Legends and the inaugural first-year seminar, explains six playing Overwatch, two of whom are women, that, “The classroom experience would including the team captain—a fact that Bolton says prepare students interested in all aspects will encourage future female Waves to try out for of the industry—not just on the player side. and join the esports team.

Reviewing case studies, studying marketing Last December, in its first-ever appearance, and corporate trends, and hearing from guest the Pepperdine esports team won the West Coast speakers will educate them on the unique Conference Preseason Invitational Championship needs of the industry.” after competing undefeated in the playoffs.

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Features

“Leading an esports group has been a longtime dream of mine, and to be honest, I thought it would always remain just a dream,” says Yelim Lee, captain of Pepperdine’s Overwatch team who fell in love with gaming 14 years ago when she picked up her older brother’s controller one day. “Even outsiders know esports is a male-dominated field, and I receive a lot of positive feedback for earning a seat where you would normally expect to see a man.”

Lee’s favorite game has also brought about a professional esports team known as the Overwatch League, comprising nearly 200 players and 40 million viewers worldwide. Lee recalls the fateful day when she met a prominent female player in the league—Kim Se-yeon, known professionally as Geguri— who she admires as a role model. “I hope my position on the team will inspire my fellow female gamers to follow in my path and realize they are also more than capable of succeeding like Geguri,” she says.

Danecia “Dani” Kearney, a sports medicine major who plays on the Overwatch team, hopes that her position on the team encourages other women to be more open about their gaming hobbies. “It’s another world to get lost in, and I love it,” says the Seaver College senior, who watched her brothers and father play video games so frequently that she eventually felt the call to join the fun. For female students interested in club or team membership, she notes that “Pepperdine esports would love to see more representation of women moving forward.”

Despite their impressive skill levels, women who engage in online games are often viciously harassed over voice communications by male players—a practice referred to as “toxicity.” To combat this verbal abuse, many female players mute their voice communications during games.

“There isn’t a lot of representation of girls and women in competitive play, so they feel like they don’t belong in this space,” says Ramsey, who further explains that most women who choose to make their online presence known often take on support characters who assist the heroes, rather than playing the heroes. “While it’s okay that women tend to take on supporting roles,” she says, “the problem is that when compared with lead roles, supportive roles are markedly undervalued in our society.”

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As is typical in the digital space, the repercussions of bullying fellow gamers can last a lifetime, especially because online players are required to log in under a unique username, referred to as a gamer tag.

Perpetrators may be banned from playing certain games, a punishment that will become permanently attached to their gamer tag. Years later, if they apply for jobs at technology or gaming corporations, employers who request their gamer tags for background checks will notice the bans, which in most cases leads to automatic disqualification of employment.

“Our program has recognized these negative aspects of gaming and is very intentionally addressing them to minimize and help solve harmful attitudes and behaviors in the gaming world,” says Bolton. “We hope to become leaders in inclusion and promote a gaming environment free of toxicity.”

In order to promote a sense of community for gamers on campus, and to include the hundreds of students who want to participate in esports but are not on the University’s official team, Bolton spearheaded the launch of the Pepperdine Gaming Club, which consists of noncompetitive players as well as spectators.

Junior Roy Ng, vice president of the Pepperdine Gaming Club and assistant maker at the Genesis Lab, strives to make weekly club meetings a safe and comfortable environment for all members. While incorporating themes into each of the sessions, like Jeopardy! and Mario Kart, the business administration major’s top priority is for members to gain the confidence to speak more freely and publicly with others about their passion for gaming. He also encourages anyone interested in trying out the gaming computers, consoles, and 3D printers to visit the Genesis Lab without hesitation.

“I want the club to become a community where no one will judge you if you want to geek out,” says Ng, who has noticed that some members are intimidated by the notion that perhaps their skills aren’t advanced enough to play, leaving them worried that their participation will ruin the games for others. “I bring games that are fun and noncompetitive so that people will feel comfortable playing together, discussing game logistics, and seeking gaming-related careers through networking.”

For both current members and those interested in joining, Ng shares an encouraging message: “Our goal is not to turn you into the best player in the world. It is to show you that Pepperdine offers new, cuttingedge, and stress-free opportunities to take advantage of in the gaming space. Everyone is welcome here!”

Members of the esports team (L-R): Jonathan Friedrich, Eleven Yu, Yelim Lee, Danecia Kearney, Scott Hong, Paul Kidder, Grace Ramsey, and Max Wood

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Features

Caruso’s Law

By Nate Ethell (’08, MBA ’13)

AFTER BUILDING A REAL ESTATE EMPIRE, LAW ALUMNUS RICK CARUSO ESTABLISHES A NEW LEGACY WITH THE LARGEST ALUMNI GIFT IN PEPPERDINE HISTORY

W

alking into the office of real estate developer Rick Caruso (JD ’83) at the new Palisades Village in Pacific Palisades, California, you could be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled into the wrong place. Known as The Coach House, Caruso’s personal office at the mixed-use retail and residential village spans more than an eye-popping 8,000 square feet, coming to life as a gallery where an unmistakable love of architecture and design meets a spectacular display of nearly a dozen classic cars. For Caruso, however, these colorful automotive masterpieces are more than just machines; they’re works of art, each with a story that drives his sense of purpose.

“I want to encourage everybody to be an observer, to watch the world and see it around them, and then disrupt it,” explains the Pepperdine Law alumnus, who made Pepperdine history last fall with the largest-ever alumni gift to the University.

“These cars are part of that inspiration.”

Caruso, in fact, has a long history with automobiles. His late father, Hank, a wellknown Los Angeles businessman and the son of Italian immigrants, founded the successful rental car company Dollar Rent A Car in 1965. It was at Hank’s behest that Caruso made the decision to go to law school instead of business school following his graduation from the University of Southern California in 1980.

“I did not want to go and did not intend to go,” shares Caruso, laughing as he recalls the decisive conversation with his father that landed him at Pepperdine. “But I was a very compliant son for the most part,

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and I’m clearly glad I went. It was the best decision that was ever forced upon me.”

Following Caruso’s graduation from Pepperdine Law in 1983, he began his career as a real estate lawyer working in corporate finance. By 1987 he had made the transition to pursue his lifelong passion for development and at just 28 years old founded Caruso Affiliated Holdings, now known simply as Caruso.

The company’s building boom in the 1990s changed the retail game in Southern California, defined by an innovative approach toward guests with signature properties including Village at Moorpark, The Promenade at Westlake, and The Commons at Calabasas. Today the company boasts 16 properties in its portfolio, with its new development 333 La Cienega—located where Caruso opened his first retail project in 1992—currently underway.

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Features COMMUNITY BY CARUSO If you take a stroll through The Grove, Caruso’s flagship property in the bustling Fairfax neighborhood of Los Angeles, Caruso’s intention for his properties is clear: build for the people. Previously cited by the Wall Street Journal as a retail mastermind, among countless other accolades, Caruso’s award-winning development approach is and has always been deeply respectful of the ethos imbued within the sacred idea of community.

“Part of it is just the way I’m made,” says Caruso. “It’s in my DNA that I love people. I love a sense of community.”

That authentic emotional connection to community is the cornerstone of the Caruso company’s experiential ideology, informing the design language and sensory experience for each of its properties. From dancing fountains and cobblestone streets to the allure of green lawns that invite guests to stay for a while—or all day— these are spaces meant to delight the senses, inspire wonder, and, most importantly, bring people together.

“I’m a big believer in spaces where communities can come together and do the most fundamental thing that we do as human beings, which is to really share each other. That’s one of the most beautiful things about being alive.”

That need for a sense of place, Caruso says, is especially important in higher education. “You create spaces for people to come together, to share, to contemplate, to think, to laugh, to mourn. Universities in general probably don’t have enough of that space.”

Caruso was an early champion and donor for Pepperdine’s plans to renovate the law school’s most central meeting and academic spaces, plans offered, in part, to create more welcoming areas that would counter a decidedly lackluster sense of community inside the building. The 16-month renovation, formally unveiled in September 2018, provided a wholesale revitalization to the school’s largest lecture hall, the Henry J. and Gloria Caruso Auditorium (named for his parents), as well as the highly trafficked Lon V. Smith Atrium, which has become a fully envisioned hub of interaction, activity, and student use.

“Today’s society is much lonelier, but the fundamental need or desire for community hasn’t changed,” Caruso says. “It’s innately connected to being human, so there’s a greater need to come together in these great spaces and just congregate.”

Top: The Grove in Los Angeles; bottom: the Caruso School of Law in Malibu

L-R: Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, Rick Caruso, and Los Angeles city councilmember Mike Bonin at the Palisades Village groundbreaking ceremony

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I’m a big believer in spaces where communities can come together and do the most fundamental thing that we do as human beings, which is to really share each other.

N AT I V E S O N Beyond his real estate ventures, Caruso has devoted his life to building community in Los Angeles. Growing up in the Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills, he is driven not only by his deep ties to the city and its inhabitants, but also by his convictions to serve.

“Everybody has an obligation to give back and serve their community, period,” Caruso insists with an air of determination.

At age 25 Caruso became the youngest commissioner in the city’s history when Mayor Tom Bradley appointed him commissioner for the L.A. Department of Water and Power. He was selected as president of the L.A. Police Commission following his appointment in 2001 where he led the effort to overhaul the police department and recruited William Bratton as police chief. Their work together helped reduce the city’s crime rate to its lowest level in more than a half century.

“Everybody needs to have a higher purpose in their lives and in business,” Caruso declares. “For me, it’s been community engagement and donating my time in areas in which I really believed I could make a fundamental difference in people’s lives.”

And if his civic contributions to the city demonstrate his resolve, Caruso’s philanthropy to its people reveals his heart. Through the Caruso Family Foundation, which he and his wife, Tina, founded in 1991, they’ve shown a deep commitment to numerous causes in the Southland, but especially access to educational opportunities for at-risk children living at or below poverty levels.

Included among the nonprofits that Caruso supports are Operation Progress LA, which guides at-risk students in Watts to and through college, and Para Los Niños, which provides healthcare, education, and social services to Angeleno youth living in poverty.

He is also actively involved with other academic institutions, including St. Lawrence of Brindisi School, St. Mary’s Academy, and Verbum Dei High School— schools focused on the historically underserved areas of Los Angeles.

These children, Caruso says, inspire his entire philanthropic philosophy. “Help those who are most in need, who for some reason society has forgotten about,” he implores. “I see how these young kids have immense barriers in their lives, surrounded by some of the most tragic, heartbreaking conditions in the world, and somehow so many get past them. I look up to them with so much admiration and respect.”

When it comes to “showing up in the streets,” the oft-quoted mantra to which Pepperdine tethers its service mission, Caruso wants to help the University play a larger role in Los Angeles too. “Like any great institution of higher learning, Pepperdine needs to be an active participant in solving the problems of the community,” he remarks.

“Pepperdine is not a Malibu university. It’s a Los Angeles-based university. There is opportunity for Pepperdine to fully ingrain itself, open up its doors, invite city leaders to let it help solve problems, and donate its intellect back to the city. It only makes the University stronger.”

Caruso with LAPD officers at The Grove

Children of the community of Montecito, California, touring the site of Rosewood Miramar Beach

Caruso with students from St. Lawrence of Brindisi Catholic School

Paul Caron, Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean at the Caruso School of Law, and Caruso announcing the renaming of the School of Law

Features

G I V E U N T I L I T H U R TS A longtime member of the law school’s Board of Advisors, Caruso and his family have supported the school through numerous programs in the last three decades, including the Rick J. Caruso Research Fellows Program, the Caruso Family Chair in Law, and the Caruso Family Loan Forgiveness Fund.

Caruso’s son, Alex (JD ’17), now an active alumnus, also co-created the Student Emergency Fund, an initiative that provides financial support to law students in need of critical aid during difficult times in their lives.

Further embracing social causes about which Caruso is most passionate, the school’s namesake gift, a transformative $50 million commitment, will drive a series of academic excellence initiatives homing in on two big ideas: expanding access to exceptional, historically underserved student populations—a hallmark of the Caruso family’s philanthropy—and reducing barriers of entry into public service, including those around student debt.

Everybody has to go to where their heart goes. The old saying to give until it hurts is an important thing.

“Everybody has to go to where their heart goes,” says Caruso. “The old saying to give until it hurts is an important thing. Make it meaningful.”

This gift will support each of those goals with a new Caruso scholars program and the expansion of the school’s loan forgiveness program. The gift will also provide funding to key initiatives around bar passage and job placement programs for students, as well as faculty research, collaboration, and hiring.

“In order for philanthropy to be successful, it needs to be targeted,” Caruso continues. “The more dollars you can target and direct, the more effective they will be. The opportunity at Pepperdine has allowed Tina and me to give a significant amount to one focused cause to make real change.”

Early data already suggests this to be true.

Shannon Phillips, dean of admissions and student services for the law school, reports that application volume for next fall’s class surged up 33 percent, compared to a national increase of just 1.8 percent and a decline of 0.3 percent in the Far West region.

Just 13 law schools in the nation, Pepperdine

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Students ascending the staircase at the newly renovated Lon V. Smith Atrium at the Caruso School of Law

among them, experienced an increase of 30 percent or more in applications this cycle.

“The data speaks loudly and clearly that interest in Pepperdine Caruso Law is continuously increasing,” says Phillips. “The gift has directed a well-deserved spotlight on the mission of the University.”

Now Caruso is just getting started as he embarks upon a new quest to help the law school raise an additional $50 million in endowment funds over the next decade. The key to raising that money: share Pepperdine’s story.

“We not only shape students in a way that no other law school does,” he says, “but we also bring in those that would not otherwise have the opportunity to come to law school. That’s a cool thing.”

The milestone gift comes on an auspicious occasion for the law school, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. As for Caruso, he’s already looking to the decades ahead, deeply committed to the Caruso School of Law’s rise as one of the best law schools in the US as it maintains its unbending sense of integrity and humanity that he prizes.

“Pepperdine has an incredible spirit,” he says, “but it also has an alignment with my values.

Faith is important. Hard work is important.

Doing the right thing is important. Every bit of it is basic, but it’s also shining light in a very complicated world.”

Caruso shaking hands with a student in the Caruso Scholars program

Students walking past the exterior of the newly renovated Henry J. and Gloria Caruso Auditorium

Students attending class in the newly refurbished Caruso Auditorium

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Sntohspa

46 YEARS

of

Field Notes Biology professor Stephen D. Davis will retire this spring after 46 years of service to the Seaver College Natural Science Division, leaving a legacy of mentorship and ministry

By Abigail Ramsey

PLANT BIOLOGIST STEVE DAVIS joined the Pepperdine University faculty in 1974 at its newly opened Malibu campus, eager to begin research on the lush vegetation of the Santa Monica Mountains.

As Pepperdine’s foremost

EXPERT ON THE VEGETATION OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS, especially how plants recover after fires, Davis’ work has been critical to understanding the resilience of the local landscape.

He has studied 10 Malibu wildfires throughout his Pepperdine career.

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In 1988 Seaver College sent its

SECOND COHORT to Pepperdine’s London house at 56 Princes Gate. Here, Davis and his family pose with fellow faculty to kick off the opening of the academic year, marking the first of Davis’ many appointments abroad.

FROM MENTOR TO FRIEND: Davis and alumni Anna Jacobsen (’03) and her husband, Brandon Pratt (’98), reunite for a hike through Pepperdine’s research sites in 2016. The trio have collaborated on research publications since their first undergraduate labs led by Davis.

BEYOND THE BIOME: plant science has expanded from Davis’ career into his personal lifestyle through cycling excursions with his wife, Janet, and even in his Halloween costumes.

DAVIS’ SCHOLARSHIP has aided Pepperdine in acquiring funding from nearly 20 grants that have supported transformative programs such as the Summer Undergraduate Research in Biology and First-year Students as Scholars programs.

Davis’ teaching philosophy

ALWAYS PUTS STUDENTS FIRST. In 2008 Baylor University honored Davis with the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, the only national teaching award presented by a college or university to an individual for exceptional teaching.

DAVIS HAS AUTHORED AND COAUTHORED more than 70 publications, nearly 30 of them listing undergraduates as the first author, demonstrating Davis’ commitment to championing students’ research pursuits.

Davis celebrated

20 YEARS OF SERVICE to Pepperdine at the 1994 Faculty and Staff Appreciation dinner, posing here with then president David Davenport. Just three years later, Davis is named Distinguished Professor of Biology at Seaver College.

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NO

ST R A N G E R

A id the uncertainty, anxiety, and fear surroundin m coronavirus pandemic, the Pepperdine communit PURPOSE IN SERVING those with the greatest needs

By Gareen Darakjian, Amanda Pisani, and Abigail Ramsey

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As headlines announcing catastrophic shortages of personal protective equipment painted horrific scenes of frontline responders reusing their last remaining face mask or wearing their protective clothing inside out to preserve their hospitals’ dwindling supplies, alumnus Jay Milbrandt (MBA ’07, JD ’08) was compelled to action.

Milbrandt is the president of Bedford Industries, a manufacturer based in Worthington, Minnesota, that produces packaging components such as twist ties and promotional tags—and the nose wire used in face masks and other medical products that have been in limited supply as healthcare workers continue the fight against COVID-19. One news story about doctors and nurses fashioning masks out of office supplies to treat infected patients caught Milbrandt’s attention. “We have the manufacturing technology, the capacity, the scale, and the ability to make a product that could really be helpful,” thought Milbrandt, who has been a part of the company since 2008.

Without the proper safety equipment, including protective clothing, helmets, gloves, goggles, face masks, and respirators, healthcare workers treating patients infected with the deadly coronavirus face the dire threat of exposure to the contaminants from which they are trying desperately to protect their patients.

Through input from local hospitals, Milbrandt learned that face shields were the most-desired item among medical workers. On March 19 developers at Bedford Industries began designing the prototype. By 3 PM they had created a sample, and eight days later they were producing 70,000 shields a day. “They allow workers to keep using their N-95 masks and provide them with a much-needed physical barrier of protection,“ Milbrandt says.

The product development process typically takes six months or longer, but “now every second counts,” says Milbrandt. Bedford Industries aims to produce about 150,000 shields a day and to deliver them wherever they are needed as quickly as possible. As someone with a history of social justice work—Milbrandt directed the global justice program at the Caruso School of Law after graduating—the choice to retool his plant came easily. “How could we not go after this opportunity?” he asks. “We had this unique ability to make a difference.”

Distributing shields to facilities in the Midwest has been a powerful experience for Milbrandt. “When they’ve received them, they’ve called us a game changer,” he says. “It’s very meaningful to us, that we can bring people some peace and comfort, and to be a part of the solution.”

As schools and services closed across the nation, Melissa Mayes (’06) leaned into the needs of her Richmond, Virginia, community. Drawing inspiration from historian Rodney Stark’s book, The Rise of Christianity, that details Christianity’s role in responding to two widespread epidemics in Roman history, she sought a way to let Christ—not fear— lead her response to the novel coronavirus. Mayes quickly assembled the Agape Village Emergency Response Team (AVERT) to provide emergency childcare for those whose work can’t be performed at home, emergency housing for those in unsafe or unsuitable conditions, food assistance, and other support for the difficulties that have emerged in the wake of the pandemic. After sharing with fellow church members, support grew in all corners of the city.

As an advocate for education access, she was acutely aware of the socioeconomic struggles of her community. Nearly a quarter of Richmond’s population lives below the poverty line and even more, like many Americans, were faced with severe economic hardship and lack of access to resources due to COVID-19. Some examples she shares are people like Kenyada, a single mother of five without a car of her own to get to the grocery store, and Lindsey, a single mom and survivor of domestic violence struggling with finances and to keep her son enrolled in the same school.

Mayes strived to make the resources as easily accessible as possible.

With a few simple Google documents, she created a grassroots volunteer effort and needs assessment survey that could be completed in 10 minutes or less and shared effortlessly via email, text, and social media.

“We’ve grown apart, not just from each other but the earth and everything that makes us whole,” Mayes told the Richmond Times. Her hope is that even in these difficult times, connection and community can be rebuilt as care is extended to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable. “Yes, these are all sacrifices,” Mayes shares, “but who better than us, for whom the ultimate sacrifice has —JAY MILBRANDT (MBA ’07, JD ’08) been made?”

“It’s very meaningful to us, that we can bring people some peace and comfort, and to be a part of the solution.”

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Spotlight

A Divine Network An emergency shift to online instruction is not unfamiliar territory to Pepperdine faculty. In November 2018, as the Woolsey Fire inched closer to the Malibu campus, Christopher Heard, director of the Seaver College Center for Teaching Excellence and professor of religion, developed critical resources for faculty to “Keep on Teaching,” a concept inspired by Indiana University’s Keep Teaching website.

On March 11, 2020, when Pepperdine announced a transition to online instruction in response to the social distancing protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19, Heard, in partnership with the University’s TechLearn department, immediately expanded the Keep on Teaching and academic continuity resources to include discipline-specific resources, best practices for instructors and students, and recommendations for online learning tools.

In an Education Dive article, Heard shared that while shifting to online instruction poses a “a big learning curve” —MELISSA MAYES (’06) for some, maintaining flexibility and creativity to reach learning outcomes is a main focus.

As universities across the nation were also making the difficult decision to move to online instruction, Heard’s resources were referenced by about a dozen similar centers, including Yale University’s Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, as a supplemental resource, or used as inspiration for the development of their own resources such as Bowdoin’s Baldwin Center for Teaching and Learning.

Heard continues to support Pepperdine faculty through an online forum, Zoom coffee chats, and individual consultations to help faculty celebrate their achievements and work through the challenges in this new format. Beyond Pepperdine he hopes to continue to develop and share resources for all teachers who are going through this unprecedented shift.

Vulnerable and forsaken, people experiencing homelessness have exceptional needs during the most typical circumstances. Meeting some of those needs is the daily task of associate clinical professor Brittany Stringfellow Otey (JD ’01) and her students at the Caruso School of Law’s Legal Aid Clinic. And they’re determined not to let an epidemic stop them.

Stringfellow Otey has worked with the Union Rescue Mission in Downtown Los Angeles for more than 20 years. She and her students provide legal services to the mission’s 800 residents along with other indigent clients, many of whom are among the 2,000 individuals who live on the streets near the mission.

Law students generally meet with clients on a set schedule, face-to-face, and having to work remotely is challenging. “Now we’re relying on phones a lot, which only some clients have. And those clients may not be able to keep their phones in service; others may use a friend’s. It’s a lot of leaving messages and hoping to hear back,” says Stringfellow Otey. In one recent case, a client needed to file a response in family court that would determine custody and visitation arrangements for his child.

The student and the client met via Zoom to finalize the motion. “Our student typed the motion in her apartment in Santa Monica, and our clinic coordinator went there to print and sign the forms so he could file them before the court closed,” says Stringfellow Otey.

“This is an unusual way for us to do things.”

In spite of the many work-arounds they must devise, the clinic law clerks’ commitment has been unwavering, and as this event unfolds, they have a two-pronged goal: to support the team of case managers and chaplains at the mission and to ensure continuity for their clients. “When you’re living in a state of homelessness, you don’t have a strong sense that people care about you,” says Stringfellow Otey. “It’s important they know that Pepperdine cares about them.”

“Yes, these are all sacrifices, but who better than us, for whom the ultimate sacrifice has been made?”

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On Sunday, April 5, Sara Barton, University chaplain, and John Barton, director of the Pepperdine Center for Faith and Learning, invited faith communities from across Los Angeles and beyond to join together in interfaith solidarity for the world in crisis. The virtual event was hosted on Zoom and drew nearly 200 participants in discussion, testimonials, and messages of love and support for everyone affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“This is an unprecedented global event, especially for our generation, and we’re experiencing something that is affecting our daily lives intensely,” says Sara. “People are looking for rays of hope. Though we are apart, we were able to come together as a community in solidarity, in prayer, and in giving each other hope.”

Featured guests included representatives of major world religions in the Los Angeles area, including actor Rainn Wilson, a member of the Bahá’í faith; Edina Lekovic (MA ’09), a Muslim and host of Meeting the Moment podcast; Varun Soni, dean of religious life at the University of Southern California; Thema Bryant-Davis, associate professor of psychology at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and Sukhsimranjit Singh, a Sikh and managing director of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Caruso School of Law “At a time like this, when the whole globe is experiencing a challenge and a threat of this kind, any connections we can make across bridges and boundaries to share in our humanity and our shared sense of crisis to take care of each other is a good thing,” says John. “While we have different understandings of God—and those differences are important—it is also important to reach across our differences in love and care and collaboration.”

WAVES RISE TOGETHER The Pepperdine community has come together in remarkable ways over the years through triumph and tragedy.

Now, more than ever, our students need your critical support for emergency shelter, food, and supplies during this unexpected crisis.

Your friendship and continued support during the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic uplift and encourage us as we wrap our arms around our students and Waves around the world.

Give to the Student Emergency Fund: impact.pepperdine.edu/covid19

#WAVESRISETOGETHER

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Spotlight A Seaver College senior embarks on a train journey around India in the name of social entrepreneurship

By Abigail Ramsey

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The room erupts into singing and dancing as the first geet, a traditional Indian song reserved for heralding memorable occasions, ceremoniously launches the 12th annual Jagriti Yatra, an 8,000-kilometer train journey around India. The trip is held each year to inspire and empower young people in the region to build the country through enterprise. On the first of 15 days together, Heet Ghodasara, a Seaver College senior, and Amy Johnson (’90, MA ’13), Seaver College executive in residence, stand elbow to elbow with 500 other Jagriti Yatra participants and sing along to the welcome tune that translates, appropriately, as “Let’s go, friends!”

In his welcome message to the group, Shashank Mani, chair of Jagriti Yatra, announces, “We are seeking leaders who have the audacity to return to communities in need,” and Ghodasara realizes that she is exactly where she is meant to be.

Jagriti Yatra is one of the largest train journeys in the world, both in distance and number of participants.

Each year, program participants—known as yatris—travel to 12 destinations across the country to meet social and corporate entrepreneurs, gain unique perspectives into their operations and outcomes, and attain the knowledge and inspiration to build their own initiatives or join established social enterprises. More than 50 percent of yatris remain involved in service and nation development after their experience comes to an end.

Today the impact of Jagriti Yatra has spread beyond the borders of India, as its model has been replicated in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Beyond the quantifiable impacts, yatris leave with powerful relationships and resources—in essence increased social capital—that were so difficult to find before.

New Delhi Deoria

Tilonia

Nalanda Ahmedabad Mumbai

Starts: 24th December Ends: 8th January

Ganjam Vishakhapatnam

Bengaluru

Sri City

Madurai Kanyakumari

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Spotlight

Growing up in Rajkot, an urban city in the western Indian state of Gujarat, Ghodasara cannot remember a time when she was not involved in service to others. Encouraged by India’s collectivist culture to put community needs before individual needs, she participated for six years in Interact, a Rotary International service club focused on educating young people in world cultures and international understanding, and was also involved in the development of social responsibility efforts at her father’s business rooted in the development of his rural village of Khorasa.

“Despite the patriarchal culture [we grew up in], through his words and actions, my father empowered my sister and me from a young age to pursue every passion—from being involved in the family businesses to going to university abroad,” Ghodasara reflects.

When she began her first-year seminar course at Pepperdine led by Juanie Walker (’84, MA ’87), Seaver College associate professor of communication, she did not expect it would become the guiding influence of her academic focus on social entrepreneurship. The course was Ghodasara’s first exposure to the interplay between service and business, and it led to her three-year interdisciplinary research on identifying social, cultural, and environmental solutions for Indian entrepreneurs. It was also the first time she would explore the global experience offered by Jagriti Yatra.

The summer after her first year at Pepperdine, Ghodasara visited Jaipur Rugs, an Indian enterprise that helps women achieve economic mobility, to add primary research to a case study that she and Walker were collaborating on back in Malibu. Throughout her sophomore year, Ghodasara also interviewed 20 local social entrepreneurs while interning in Washington, DC, yet she longed to hear from more Indian business owners.

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India faces a host of societal issues including widespread poverty and institutionalized inequality, affecting those from particular castes and most pointedly, women. Women living in India face significant barriers to proper education, adequate healthcare, and decision-making power. Middle India, home to more than 58 percent of the country’s population and 11 percent of the global population, holds incredible potential to address these development needs through innovative enterprises. According to a 2012 Gallup poll, more than 60 percent of India’s population possesses strong entrepreneurial skills such as optimism through difficulties and creative problem solving.

“There is so much talent and passion [in India], but it is met with societal and cultural pressures that keep those individuals from achieving their hopes,” shares Johnson, whose research has focused on the philosophy of servant leadership and empowering women in rural villages. With little access to resources and social capital, talented individuals are unable to set up enterprises that could solve development problems in their communities.

With different priorities set for women in rural India, they face even greater challenges in gaining access to resources and capital.

Jagriti Yatra addresses this lack of resources by elevating enterprises rooted in Indian values and helping young people connect with their leaders. During the 15day journey, the yatris visit 12 organizations in different sectors of development—water and sanitation, education, arts and culture, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and more. In December 2019 Ghodasara fulfilled her mission of visiting with these organizations throughout India, an experience she considers an “abode of inspiration.”

“There is so much talent and passion [in India], but it is met with societal and cultural pressures that keep those individuals from achieving their hopes.”

—AMY JOHNSON (’90, MA ’13)

Despite the discomforts of the train— cockroaches, rats, and cold showers—yatris found their spirits revived every time they sang “Yaaron Chalo,” which became the anthem of the journey. The train traversed different states each day, and, at each stop, a new language would blare through the train’s speakers and a different regional cuisine would be served. Days blended together with booked itineraries. Johnson, leading a cohort of six young women including Ghodasara, reserved time for reflection each night with “wow moments,” a practice she brought from her Pepperdine courses.

One of Ghodasara’s fondest memories is of meeting Joe Madiath, founder of Gram Vikas, a Ganjam district-based enterprise.

Gram Vikas addresses institutionalized inequality including practices such as barring certain groups from accessing clean water and sanitation centers. It was one of the organizations Ghodasara analyzed, along with Jaipur Rugs, in her recently published case study.

“The highlight of my trip was handing him my published article and seeing the impact of his organization in the village,” Ghodasara says.

Intrigued by the duo’s research in servant leadership and women’s empowerment, Jagriti Yatra chair Mani invited them to contribute to the development of a center focused on supporting women entrepreneurs with relevant resources and incubation programs. With just a few minutes before the yatris gathered to hear from Madiath, Mani asked Ghodasara and Johnson to speak on servant leadership. “[The journey] is, in essence, a 15-day master’s program in servant leadership,” shares Johnson.

After an emotional closing ceremony, the yatris, dressed in traditional garb, said their goodbyes and began reflecting on the overwhelming inspiration they received in the last two weeks, each bringing back what they gained to the communities they call home. Johnson hopes to explore how some of the successful models they encountered in India could be applied in lower-income communities in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

Ghodasara, armed with this powerful network and a deeper understanding of social enterprise in India, says, “I can’t wait to go back and create something myself.” From Rajkot to Pepperdine to social entrepreneurship research to the Jagriti Yatra, Ghodasara shares, “I feel I’ve come full circle.”

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Spotlight

Our Daily Bread Partners across the University unite to address food insecurity on campus

By Amanda Pisani

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Do you know where your next meal is coming from?

Can you think of a time when you didn’t?

Food insecurity, defined by the US government as lacking access to adequate food due to insufficient money or other resources, is a largely unexplored problem on college campuses. Traditionally, explains Kym Dildine (’03, MBA ’08), chief administrative officer of the Central California Food Bank, data regarding food insecurity is collected on adults and children. “College students are a relatively ignored population. We’re just starting to catch on that they need to be treated like a different category,” she says.

At Pepperdine, Stacy Montgomery (EdD ’14), the University’s associate dean of student affairs for transfer and commuter students, learned that some students were struggling with food insecurity while she was serving on the Student Care Team. She discovered that some students were eating only two meals a day, and one student was having just one. ”They might choose to forgo a meal because they needed money for books, gas, or for other life expenses,” she explains.

Montgomery worked with the Student Care Team to find ways to best help each student, providing them with grocery store gift cards, loading dining hall guest meal cards, and adding meal points to their Pepperdine ID card. To focus on the problem, she and her colleagues started the food insecurity committee and enlisted the researchers at Pepperdine’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) to better understand its extent.

In OIE they found the perfect partner. Jazmin Zane, the department’s director of institutional research, had a passion for public health and responded enthusiastically to the request.

Zane quickly got to work with the committee to create a survey that was easy for students to understand and complete and for her colleagues to get the data that they needed.

The preliminary data from the survey,

sent to all the students at the School of Public Policy and to a random sample of students at the other four schools, revealed that out of the 470 students who completed the survey, 11 percent report currently struggling with not having enough resources to buy food.

Pepperdine’s food insecurity committee members will use the data to guide them in their next steps, but they haven’t been idle while collecting it. Chaired by Montgomery, the committee includes representatives from Student Affairs, Business Services, Dining Services, and Seaver’s Student Government Association; students representing the Food Recovery Network and Swipe Out Hunger (both student-led nonprofits devoted to addressing

students—on-campus residents, for example, have asked for more foods that require only the addition of water, rather than canned goods or packaged items that need butter or milk added. All students are welcome to help themselves to the cabinets’ contents; there is no need to sign in or even have a conversation with a staff member.

As Dildine points out, “People don’t typically mention that they’re struggling with hunger,” so easy, and relatively anonymous access to food is part of the food insecurity committee’s plan. Montgomery says, “We want to be respectful toward students who have food needs and empower them to get the support they need. I always try to normalize it by inviting them to take a look at the

“We want to be respectful toward

students who are part of the process and to empower them to get the support they need.

”

Stacy Montgomery (EdD ’14)

food insecurity); and faculty members Steve Bauer and Loan Kim. Together committee members have already found ways to ease the difficulties of food-insecure students.

One concrete step was to open four food cabinets during the Fall 2019 semester located in different areas of campus where students could help themselves to packaged products such as pasta and sauce, rice, and fruit snacks, as well as gluten-free and vegan items. A fifth location was added in the beginning of the spring 2020 semester. Committee members seek feedback from

food cabinet informally and without expectation.” And students have responded with gratitude.

Says one junior at Seaver, the cabinets “act not only as a great resource for students; they serve as a great reminder of God’s call for us to serve one another with compassion and mercy. I would like to thank all the wonderful people at Pepperdine who were instrumental in making the food cabinets available to students.

This grassroots mission has aided tremendously in the effort to combat food insecurity on campus.”

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Spotlight

FOR ALL

You KNOW

Are you comfortable with the idea that you may not have all the answers?

A psychology professor tells you why you should be.

By Gareen Darakjian

How does that statement make you feel?

You’re wrong.

Let that sink in for a moment.

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For many, it can trigger the deepest-seated insecurities and inadequacies that plague their psyche. Many even refuse to accept their own fallibility, a silent internal struggle so pervasive that it can create conflicts that can have devastating impacts on communities and, even more broadly, society.

“Admitting you are wrong is taboo.

But there should be no shame in saying, ‘I was wrong’ or ‘I don’t know.’”

“Admitting you are wrong is taboo,” says Elizabeth Krumrei Mancuso ('03, MA '04), associate professor of psychology at Seaver College. “But there should be no shame in saying, ‘I was wrong’ or ‘I don’t know.’”

Krumrei Mancuso is an expert in the study of intellectual humility, or, the awareness of one’s own intellectual imperfection. She explains that Western culture promotes the difficulty that most people face with the discomfort of not knowing and that the first step is, simply, admitting it.

“Part of the solution is a cultural shift to acknowledging that you don’t know or that you’ve changed your mind,” Krumrei Mancuso says. “Intellectual humility is being comfortable with the fact that your ideas and memory and cognition and mental capacities are fallible. Shifting your perspective to believe that all of those things are acceptable can actually be signs of strength rather than weakness.”

According to a 2019 article in the New York Times entitled “Be Humble, and Proudly, Psychologists Say” in which Krumrei Mancuso's work was featured, writer Benedict Carey reports that the study of humility is still finding its legs in the field of social psychology.

The Seaver professor is one of few researchers who is delving into the idiosyncrasies of humility and the implications it can have on society.

While literature on the study of related psychological and social-scientific constructs, such as wisdom and open-mindedness, has existed for a long time, it wasn’t until the early 2010s that psychologists and philosophers became interested in defining and studying the effects of intellectual humility. Krumrei Mancuso posits that the political and social atmosphere of our times likely contributed to an increasing interest in the ways people express their views as well as a desire to encourage more constructive discourse.

“If you look at discussions related to politics on social media, there is such negativity and people shutting each other down,” she shares. “But there’s not a lot of listening. The inability to listen to one another with intention may be a sign of a lack of intellectual humility.”

Earlier this year Krumrei Mancuso collaborated with Brian Newman, professor

of political science at Seaver College, on a study that examined the role of intellectual humility in the sociopolitical domain.

Looking at a sample of 587 adults in the US, Krumrei Mancuso and Newman investigated the awareness of the fallibility of one’s views about sociopolitical topics in relation to attitudes toward specific political groups and issues, namely immigration. As previous research has demonstrated, intellectual humility plays a role in people’s general orientations toward the sociopolitical domain, and one of the findings of this particular study suggests that sociopolitical intellectual humility may be most impactful when individuals are provided an opportunity to reflect on the fallibility of their thinking on a particular topic.

In a study conducted with Steven Rouse, a fellow Seaver College psychology professor, the two scientists developed the 22-item Comprehensive Intellectual Humility Scale published in the Journal of Personality Assessment that evaluates subjects’ responses to statements such as, “When someone disagrees with ideas that are important to me, it feels as though I’m being attacked,” “I am willing to change my opinions on the basis of compelling reason,” and “I respect that there are ways of making important decisions that are different from the way I make decisions.” The scale measures four distinct but intercorrelated aspects of intellectual humility, including independence of intellect and ego, openness to revising one’s viewpoint, respect for others’ viewpoints, and lack of intellectual overconfidence—all hallmarks of intellectual humility.

Krumrei Mancuso explains that researchers in the field of social psychology are focused on the trait of intellectual humility as an individual differences factor— variations among individuals that constitute unique personal characteristics. As a clinical psychologist, Krumrei Mancuso is interested in some of the potential underpinnings of intellectual humility, such as a separation between intellect and ego—“people whose sense of self and self-worth is not dependent on always being correct in their thinking will likely be less defensive in their interactions with others, will be more open to learning new things, will collaborate well with

others, and will be better able to discover false beliefs that they’ve had and overcome prejudices.”

In another study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, Krumrei Mancuso and professors from various universities examined how intellectual humility relates to acquiring knowledge. People who are more intellectually humble, the study claimed, are actually better at finding answers to their questions.

“We found that, for the most part, intellectual humility was not related to raw intelligence—how smart people were or their cognitive ability—but it was associated with how much general knowledge someone possessed,” she says.

The study also found that intellectual humility, at least correlationally, was associated with individuals being more likely to engage in reflective thinking, having higher levels of need for cognition, being more intellectually engaged, being more curious, being more intellectually open, being more open minded, and having a larger intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation to learn.

For example, students higher in intellectual humility wanted to learn for the sake of gaining knowledge rather than to earn a good grade.

While research is just beginning to explore interventions in the development of intellectual humility, Krumrei Mancuso thinks and hopes that individuals can learn how to become more intellectually humble.

She positions intellectual humility as a social attitude that she believes will change slowly as people with influence—politicians, celebrities, and even college professors—demonstrate and model intellectually humble behaviors.

In the classroom and in various other learning environments across Pepperdine, Krumrei Mancuso herself demonstrates the importance of intellectual humility for individuals and for society, a concept that seems to resonate well with students.

“I love Pepperdine’s affirmation statement, that ‘truth, having nothing to fear from investigation should be pursued relentlessly in every discipline,’” she says. “I really think that’s true. When people aren’t afraid of what they’re going to discover, they’re more open to exploring. That’s what intellectual humility is all about.”

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Spotlight

A GOLDEN

Partnership For nearly 50 years, GSEP’s Foster Grandparent Program has nurtured hearts and minds across generations

By Amanda Pisani

Raised by her grandmother in Watts, California, Shanetta Weatherspoon (EdD ’13) did not have a childhood lacking in love. But as one of nine children in the home, she didn’t always get all the individual attention she might have liked. Weatherspoon was blessed, however, with the presence of Ms. Wilson, a senior volunteer at her grade school, who acted as the school’s security guard and one-man pep rally.

What she best remembers about Wilson is her unceasing encouragement.

“Her words, ‘You can do it’ and ‘You are better than your circumstances,’ were vital for me,” she says. “I never would have had the confidence to become Dr. Weatherspoon if I didn’t have someone like Ms. Wilson in my life.”

Weatherspoon is now the director of the Foster Grandparent Program sponsored by the Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and she clearly knows firsthand how important a loving, supportive senior can be to a young person.

The program was created by the federal government in 1965 and now has more than 400 sponsors like Pepperdine nationwide. Through it, senior volunteers provide extra support for children with special physical or developmental needs or those facing challenging circumstances such as homelessness and poverty. Pepperdine’s “branch” of the program started 48 years ago, and it partners with local schools and organizations that could use mentors and classroom assistants. The University also recruits and trains seniors to serve in these highly impactful positions.

Pepperdine's program was recognized in 2019 by the National Association of Counties with its Achievement Award for volunteerism. The award will provide GSEP with greater resources for volunteer training, enhancing its volunteers’ responsiveness to kids with difficult home lives.

Today each one of Pepperdine’s 164 federal grant-funded volunteer positions is filled, and while the volunteers receive a small stipend for their time, Weatherspoon is clear that the money “isn’t enough to keep anyone here.”

What keeps the foster grandparents involved are the depth of the connections they make and the sense of purpose they derive from their work. That sense of purpose is at the core of every volunteer’s experience. Frank, a former foster grandfather said as he battled cancer, “I have to be with the kids. They are helping me continue to fight, to overcome chemo.” And Lillie, a foster grandmother who has lost three of her children to gang violence and accidents, finds comfort in nurturing the kids she spends time with every day.

“One study said that loneliness was the leading cause of death for people 65 and over,” notes Weatherspoon. And while the program is designed to help children, “it’s about supporting and engaging our seniors as well because they’re just as important.”

In 2022 the Foster Grandparent Program at Pepperdine will celebrate its golden anniversary, marking 50 years of transformational partnership. Witherspoon believes Pepperdine is the perfect place for a project that forges relationships between children and seniors. “The mission of the University is to build lives for purpose, service, and leadership,” she says. “And that’s exactly what our volunteers are doing every single day.”

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I never would have had the confidence to become Dr. Weatherspoon if I didn’t have someone like Ms. Wilson in my life.

ACEffO FffWAVES A Seaver College student-athlete converts time off the court to success on the court

By Jakie Rodriguez (MS ’13)

how to transition from playing as an individual to playing as part of a team.

Per Nilsson, coach of the women’s tennis team, recalls Lahey being “a wild horse when she came in. She goes 120 miles per hour in everything she does, so we had to find time for her to breathe and relax.”

Though Lahey has been playing tennis since before she was born—her mom often played while pregnant with the Seaver star—she has had to remain disciplined and determined in order to be successful both on and off the court.

Her desire to succeed in all that she does has helped her maintain a 3.95 GPA, and she feels blessed to be able to both study a subject and play a sport that she loves.

She attributes her love of learning and of the game to her success in both areas.

“I really enjoy science and the challenges it brings,” Lahey says. “I love thinking about the world in a molecular, scientific way, and it’s fun to get good at something that’s so difficult.”

Coaching Lahey, the first-ever Pepperdine women’s tennis player to reach the NCAA Singles Championship, has been fun for Nilsson and his team.

“She’s awesome to have on court because she can do so many things,” he shares. “She’s strong and wants to do really well.”

While Lahey’s senior year was interrupted, she will return to Pepperdine next year as a result of the NCAA’s extension of eligibility for spring sport student-athletes. With an ultimate goal of competing in the pro tour, she is excited to be able to continue training alongside her beloved teammates and coaching staff.

Looking forward to both a professional tennis career and one in the medical field, Lahey plans to “take breaks and reset as needed and focus on the people around me—letting them inspire me and taking the time to inspire them.”

I was so HAPPY to get BACK ON THE COURT and prepare to COMPETE -Ashley Lahey

Photo Credit: Ricky Davis

The summer leading up to her senior year, Ashley Lahey, captain of the Pepperdine women’s tennis team, took a break from the baseline. Instead of practicing, she traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to study the biological and physiological effects of malnutrition on the human body with Pepperdine’s Kenya Summer Program. The sports medicine major, along with 18 other students, worked with Made in the Streets, an organization that offers education and housing for children living in the slums of Nairobi.

When she returned to Malibu in the fall, energized and with a renewed outlook on her priorities, Lahey made Pepperdine history as the first Wave to win the Oracle/ITA Masters tournament when she beat a University of California, Los Angeles rival in straight sets.

She ended her shortened season—an unexpected result of the coronavirus pandemic—with a 26-1 singles record and as the top-ranked Division I women’s singles player in the nation.

A summer away from the sport she had spent a lifetime mastering proved to be the winning move for her throughout the fall season.

“For the first time in a really long time, I didn’t feel any pressure,” she shares.

“But after taking some time off, I was excited to come back and play. I was so happy to get back on the court and prepare to compete.”

While Lahey’s hard work has paid off in her final year as a Pepperdine athlete, the road to success has not been free of challenges. Having started college at just 16, she had to learn how to balance an intense academic workload and busy training schedule, all while learning

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Butterfly Effect

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rom their elegant dance from petal to petal to the striking color displays of their delicately dappled wings, butterflies are some of nature’s most stunning spectacles, inspiring a sense of wonder in all who encounter them. Beyond their looks, however, butterflies are important members of the ecosystem and are critical to its survival. Susan Finkbeiner, visiting professor of biology in the Seaver College Natural Science Division, shares why we should all care about the butterflies.

“Butterflies represent model systems for scientific studies on genetics, vision, animal coloration, climate change ecology, chemical ecology, animal behavior, pollination, and migratory phenomena, just to name a few,” says Finkbeiner. “The opportunities for scientific research studies on butterflies are endless.”

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While the California Sister and Lorquin’s Admiral (pictured above)—two butterfly species studied closely by Finkbeiner—are indistinguishable to humans, they can look drastically different to the butterflies themselves. Butterflies’ specialized visual systems give them the ability to detect ultraviolet wavelengths and colors not visible to the human eye.

Butterflies are considered bioindicators.

This means their highly sensitive responses to subtle changes in climate or habitat and their general health can give clues about the health of the entire ecosystem. Healthy butterfly populations indicate healthy ecosystems.

Last year’s picturesque super bloom following California’s wet winter provided ideal conditions for a Painted Lady butterfly migration. The super bloom not only acted as a giant feast for the butterflies, but it also provided plants for the butterflies to lay their eggs on.

The number of western Monarch butterflies has been historically low over the past few years, especially in coastal California where they have been observed and followed closely for decades.

This is believed to be due to the loss or damage of Monarch resting sites, typically eucalyptus trees, which are trimmed or cut down, leaving the butterflies with nowhere to go.

This spring Finkbeiner and a student researcher will work together to examine pre- and post-fire butterfly ecology in the local landscape. Their study will focus on the cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, that lays its eggs on invasive plants that grow after wildfires.

H E L P ST U D E N TS S U CC E E D

Through Any Season Century Club memberships are now able to provide immediate relief to students with critical needs due to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic.

Your gift can be directed to the Student Emergency Fund that supports students in crisis by lessening the impact of their circumstances due to unforeseen emergencies or sudden losses.

By joining a Century Club, YOU can help students: Access emergency shelter and cover housing expenses

Make emergency travel arrangements

Buy food and replace essential belongings after a loss

Feel supported by their Pepperdine family

By giving every year, YOU will make a difference every day.

Join the Club today!

Sustaining: $100 | Silver: $250 | Gold: $500 | Platinum: $750 Give online: give.pepperdine.edu

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