Seaver College HIGHLIGHTS 2014–2015
DEAN’S WELCOME It is my great privilege to serve as the dean of Seaver College. After 27 years as a faculty member, division chairperson, and administrator, I was humbled when President Benton and Provost Marrs asked me to serve as the next dean of the college. In my new role, I am committed to developing a relationship with each member of the Pepperdine community. This digital highlights report represents my initial effort to connect with students, alumni, parents, friends, and supporters to inform you of recent happenings at Seaver College. It is my hope that the report awakens memories of your Seaver College experiences and provides an opportunity for me to connect with you. Rather than a typical annual report, we are taking a different approach in this document; one that highlights the unique stories and accomplishments of the academic divisions and entities of the college. Within the pages of this inaugural Annual Highlights report, you will learn about the achievements of our students, faculty, and staff during the 2014-2015 academic year. It was a great year! I hope that you enjoy the report and I welcome your feedback.
MICHAEL FELTNER Dean, Seaver College
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Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS Seaver Dean’s Office............................4
Religion..............................................18
2015–2016 Events............................... 5
Social Science...................................20
Business Administration......................6
International Programs.......................22
Communication.................................... 8
Student Life........................................24
Fine Arts............................................10
Alumni Relations................................26
Humanities and Teacher Education....12
Athletics.............................................28
International Studies and Languages....14
Faculty...............................................30
Natural Science..................................16
Seaver Board of Visitors.....................32
SEAVER DEAN’S OFFICE
MICHAEL FELTNER NAMED DEAN OF SEAVER COLLEGE After a national search, Michael Feltner was named the new dean of Seaver College in March 2015. Feltner had been serving as interim dean at Seaver since August 2014 and has been with Pepperdine since 1988. Over the past three decades, Feltner has greatly impacted the lives of Pepperdine students in the classroom and devoted much of his academic life to teaching and scholarship, including undergraduate research, in biomechanics and sports medicine.
SEAVER GAINS WEB DEVELOPER ELLEN CALDWELL
CENTER DEDICATED TO STUDENT SUCCESS COMING TO SEAVER
In August 2014, Ellen Caldwell joined the Seaver Dean’s Office as web producer for Seaver College. She is leading the efforts to manage the college’s website and creating new, innovative content. Her first task included partnering with the web team in Integrated Marketing Communication in the University-wide 2014 web redesign. Caldwell has also served as an adjunct professor of art history for Seaver since 2008. She has a background as a writer, researcher, and content developer, contributing regularly to JSTOR Daily and New American Paintings.
Vannessa Nicholas (‘93, MA ‘95) will begin her work this fall centralizing the academic support services already offered on campus. This new center will include study-skills groups, peer academic coaching, academic success workshops, and much more. The center will also partner with the Pepperdine Counseling Center, the Disability Services Office, and the Office of International Student Services, among others, to best assess and respond to our diverse student population and their academic needs. Nicholas is the ideal person to develop the center. With both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Pepperdine, she has worked for 20 years in the area of academic support and advising.
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Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
ASSESSMENT UPDATES Business Administration, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, International Studies, and Religion all conducted five-year assessments. This year reports prepared by the other academic majors had a special emphasis on written competency for seniors in the major.
INTERNATIONAL FACULTY TEACHING IN MALIBU Each summer the Summer School Office partners with International Programs to bring faculty who regularly teach abroad to teach in Malibu. In Summer 2015, 12 faculty members from five programs taught courses on the Malibu campus.
2015–2016 EVENTS FIRST DAY OF FALL CLASSES
W. DAVID BAIRD DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES
August 31, 2015
STEP FORWARD DAY September 12, 2015
FOUNDER’S DAY September 23, 2015
CAREER FAIR October 8, 2015
WAVES WEEKEND October 16–18, 2015
WINTER BREAK
DR. GEORGIA NUGENT October 15, 2015 “Paradoxes of the Liberal Arts” DR. JIM STUMP November 11, 2015 “Science, Religion, and the Christian College: Where the Conflict Really Lies” DR. CAROLYN BECKER February 11, 2016 “The Body Project: Transforming Atypical Partnerships into Global Impact”
December 18, 2015–January 10, 2016
FIRST DAY OF SPRING CLASSES January 11, 2016
BRYAN STEVENSON March 16, 2016 “American Justice: Mercy Humanity and Making a Difference”
VERITAS FORUM February 16, 2016
SPRING BREAK February 29–March 4, 2016
SONGFEST March 15–19, 2016
STUDENT ART EXHIBITION April 14–30, 2016
GRADUATION April 30, 2016
For a full schedule of events click here
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BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION EDUCATING THE WHOLE STUDENT: SURF CHAPEL Rob Shearer, assistant professor of decision science, expemplifies Seaver’s commitment to holistic education. In 2012 he began leading a small group of students in surf chapel. The idea caught on and this past academic year over 100 students participated each week including students from other Pepperdine schools as well as alumni. Dolphins, seals, and whales also attended on occasion.
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Students meet every Wednesday morning at 7 AM by Tower 12 at Zuma Beach. They begin with student-led worship and small-group discussions. Then they hit the waves. Campus Recreation now provides wetsuits, surfboards, stand-up paddleboards, and kayaks. In 2014, the Los Angeles Times ran a front-page story, which was subsequently picked up by other media across the country.
Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
MICROFINANCE CLUB The Seaver College Microfinance Club, housed in the Business Administration Division, provides micro loans to less fortunate individuals with a sustainable plan to improve their state in life. The club operates on both a domestic and an international level. Domestically, the Microfinance Club works alongside Pepperdine’s Microenterprise Program, operated by the Grazadio School of Business and Management. The Microenterprise Program is a 24-week program designed to prepare entrepreneurs in underprivileged communities in Los Angeles to start their own business. These aspiring businesspersons receive additional aid from Seaver students, who bring to life what they learned in the classroom by serving as “champions� (consultants) to these budding businesses. Internationally, the Microfinance Club operates through Kiva and Opportunity International. Several of the efforts of the Microfinance Club in Argentina were presented in Banking on Trust, a documentary that was produced and directed by Microfinance Club members. The film premiered in the New York City Independent Film Festival in October 2012.
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COMMUNICATION DEBATE PROGRAM STUDENTS INVITED TO FRENCH EMBASSY AND ENGAGE IN SERVICE Students Luke Collins and Melissa Hurtado and debate adviser Abi Williams were invited to the French embassy in Washington, D.C., where they met with French officials, including Laurent Fabius, former French prime minister and lead organizer of the 2015 U.N. Climate Change Summit. The invitation grew out of the students’ participation in the 2015 Lafayette Debates held at George Washington University. They have competed for Pepperdine in more than a dozen national debate tournaments. The debate program also hosted a contingent of high school and college debaters from Rwanda. These children of genocide shared experiences that affirmed the importance of hope even amidst horrific circumstances.
STUDENTS INTERN AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL Film and media production students, led by senior Matthew Allen (‘15), served as interns for the Cannes Film Festival this summer, joining hundreds of other communication majors who learn about business and industry firsthand through their internship requirements. Kyra Pellant (‘15) and Tara Kelly (‘14) won First Place at the Broadcast Educators Association for their short film submission, entitled Heartbreak Happy.
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Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
INTEGRATED MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS STUDENTS Each semester, more than 40 alumni return to campus to serve as guest judges for pitches made by teams of students in professor Ginger Rosenkrans’ advertising course. Meanwhile, seven different nonprofit agencies in Los Angeles received public relations advice and support from communication professor Denise Ferguson’s capstone students in public relations. Advertising and public relations majors also have the opportunity to strengthen their in-class study by serving as a member of The Waves Effect, a new student-run bureau providing marketing, PR, and advertising expertise for student and professional communication needs.
STUDENT PROJECTS FOCUS ON SERVICE Graduate student Katie Waters (‘09, MA ‘14) completed her degree by launching The Cave Place, a website devoted to helping teenage Christians dealing with depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. The site seeks to help teens navigate the confusing and often conflicting advice given by scientists and spiritual advisors. Senior Sarah Bender (‘15) was chosen to present her research, chaired by professor Dorothy Andreas, at the National Undergraduate Honors conference in Madison, Wisconsin. Bender was also part of a team that produced the annual Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research that received more than 1,000 hits from scholars interested in the findings of past research by the division’s undergraduates.
MATTHEW ZUPAN WINNER OF MORRIS WOMACK MEMORIAL SPEECH COMPETITION Students enrolled in the general education course entitled Public Speaking and Rhetorical Analysis have the opportunity to compete in the Morris Womack Memorial Speech Competition held each December and April. As many as 400 Seaver students compete for four spots at the final round of speeches, an event attended by hundreds of their friends and classmates. The April winner was Matthew Zupan, a student of professor Barry Fike (MA ‘06). seaver.pepperdine.edu
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FINE ARTS
GUITAR PROGRAM RANKED NUMBER ONE Pepperdine’s classical guitar program was ranked number one by Music School Central for 2014-2015. The program continues to keep pace with its national reputation with another year of great success. During the fall and spring semesters, Distinguished Professor of Music Christopher Parkening taught a master class in Raitt Recital Hall. His students collaborated with Payson Library presenting monthly concerts to the Pepperdine community in the Surfboard Room. The guitar department also began a new outreach concert series at the Malibu Public Library.
Every semester each Pepperdine guitar major participates in a midterm recording session as part of the student’s Performance Skills for Classical Guitar class with the goal of providing each student a full-length digital recording of his or her performance skills.
STUDIO ARTS The 2015 Studio Art Senior Thesis Exhibition, FRAGMENTS, featured graduating artists Nic Alvarado-Rico (‘15), Katie Chambers (‘15), Louis DeLaura III (‘15), Clay Gustafson (‘15), and Laura Worden (‘15). These five artists now head off to top MFA programs, international internships, and professional artistic pursuits. During the summer of 2015, sixteen art majors and studio art professor Gretchen Batcheller studied at the Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy. The students took classes ranging from Carrara Marble Carving to Renaissance Art Conservation.
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Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
THE MERRY WIDOW The highly successful production of The Merry Widow was directed by Fine Arts Division chairperson Melanie Emelio. She was joined by choreographer Kelly Todd and conductor Tony Cason to make this production especially vibrant. In Franz Léhar’s most popular and enchanting work, wealthy widow Hanna Glawari causes a political crisis when her fellow countrymen realize they must find a Romeo to woo her and keep the nation solvent.
THE CHAMBER CHOIR VISITS PRAGUE In the summer of 2014, the Chamber Choir traveled to the Czech Republic and Switzerland where they gave several prominent performances in major venues including a performance with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in Smetana Hall in Prague and St. Peter’s Cathedral in Geneva. Ryan Board, Pepperdine’s director of choral activities, made his international orchestral conducting debut as the principal conductor of the Prague Choral Festival conducting the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and Festival Chorus before a sold-out crowd.
COMPOSER AND PAINTER BEN MOORE VISITS PEPPERDINE This spring the Fine Arts Division was honored to have composer and painter Ben Moore spend three days with the division as a visiting scholar. Moore is a song and opera composer, as well as a painter from New York. During the visit, he gave private composition lessons and coached student vocalists and art students. He also gave an enlightening seminar about his music and approach to text setting. In addition to these scholarly presentations and workshops, the Fine Arts department hosted a poetry reading for students and faculty at M Cafe where all attendees shared their favorite poems and discussed the lives of poets.
AUMNI CONTINUE TO REACH NEW HEIGHT • Anna Tullis ‘14 became our first theatre graduate to be admitted to the MFA acting program at the Juilliard School. • Allegra Edwards ‘10 made her Off-Broadway debut in Rattlestick Playwrights Theater’s production of Everything You Touch by Sheila Callaghan.
• Madison Leonard ‘14 was a leading artist at the San Francisco Opera’s prestigious 2015 Merola Program. • Daniel Peretto ‘02 is Pepperdine’s first full-time member of the Metropolitan Opera. He is a member of the chorus and has also made his solo debut with the company. seaver.pepperdine.edu
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HUMANITIES AND TEACHER EDUCATION ATHENA’S GATE AND MUSING DANTE In the fall of 2014, the Great Books Colloquium introduced the inaugural edition of an undergraduate journal entitled Athena’s Gate. This publication was made possible by a generous grant from the Curtis W. McGraw Foundation of Princeton, New Jersey. The essays cover the breadth and depth of the Great Books curriculum, taking up issues in the works of Homer, Euripides, Plato, Milton, Pascal, Jane Austen, and the Buddhist scriptures. The Great Books faculty also launched Musing Dante, a project that involves students of Great Books studying Dante’s Divina Commedia and art students who were learning the basic visual vocabulary of oil painting. The goal of the collaboration is to involve students experientially in exploring Dante’s visual imagination. Great Books students offered their insights into the themes, language, and events presented in various cantos in the Inferno to the art students, who then used their expertise in the aesthetic components of the painting medium to translate the information into a visual context. Through this exercise, humanities and art students entered into a centuries-old tradition of interpreting and illustrating the Inferno. The collaboration culminated in an exhibition in the Payson Gallery. Six of the paintings were featured in Athena’s Gate. (Image: Mary Lum, Canto #9, 2014, oil on canvas)
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Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
HISTORY ALUMNA WINS GRADUATE STUDENT PAPER COMPETITION Sarah Dannemiller (‘14), who received her BA in history in 2014, won the Graduate Student Paper Competition at the Stone-Campbell Journal conference. She submitted a revised version of her senior thesis, Associated Women for Pepperdine: Enriching a Legacy, in which she examined the role of AWP, and other women’s organizations like it, in mobilizing opinion against Communism and the perceived secularization of American society in the period from 1958 to 1968. She tied a local institution to the broader history of the New Right during the Cold War. She is currently enrolled at the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University.
STUDENT GOES TO GEORGETOWN LAW SCHOOL Madelyn La France (‘15) is the most recent in a long line of successful writing and rhetoric graduates. The program was designed to prepare pre-law students for the next steps in their academic and professional journey. La France began this new chapter of her life in August when she moved
to Washington, D.C. and began her studies on an academic scholarship. She had her pick of law schools; she was also accepted with scholarships to University of California, Los Angeles and University of Southern California, Fordham, and others. La France worked as a tutor in the Writing Center for two years and was one
of the first online tutors in the Writing Center's online tutoring pilot program, which began in the fall of 2014. She is interested in pursuing a career in corporate law, and says she is excited to see where her studies take her. Over the past 10 years, every writing and rhetoric student who has applied to law school has been accepted.
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INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND LANGUAGES
SPANISH CLASS SERVES THE COMMUNITY Professor Lila Carlsen’s second year Spanish course taught six sessions of basic Spanish to 6th-8th graders at Our Lady of Malibu School. The Pepperdine Volunteer Center and the Office of the Assistant Provost for Research supported the project. Senior international studies and languages and political science major Alyssa Galik (‘15) was the service-learning advocate for this project. Galik and senior Hispanic studies major Erin Runingen (‘15) coordinated a pen pal project between the SPAN 252 classes and young women and girls in rural Guatemala through a grant from the Center for Faith and Learning. Students will have the opportunity to meet their pen pals in 2016 on the Project Serve trip to Guatemala. Both projects are designed to extend students’ practice in Spanish and to foster awareness of how their use of Spanish can benefit others.
FRENCH PROGRAM: MACARON MADNESS AND MORE Pi Delta Phi, the Seaver chapter of the French Honor Society, along with assistant professor Kelle Marshall, hosted the first-ever annual Macaron Madness event for upper-division French students and friends of French. We’re proud to report that their macarons won the award for Best Looking Baked Good at Delta Sigma Pi’s first annual Bake Wars and narrowly missed also winning Best Tasting Baked Good. To celebrate April, the month of la Francophonie, Thomas Vidal, the French cultural attaché for educational services visited Pepperdine. The evening included a screening of Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck’s film L’homme sur les quais.” Vidal shared information about French government programs
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allowing Americans to study or teach English in France. He also filmed interviews with four students asking about their experiences at Seaver College and how the French language will play a role in their future careers. These videos will be posted on the French cultural consulate’s social media sites.
Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
DAVID DOWDEY PUBLISHES IN DER SPIEGEL David Dowdey, professor of German, published an article in the November/ December edition of Germany’s Der Spiegel titled, “Die ganze Fülle der Gottheit” (“The Fullness of the Godhead”). Der Spiegel is Germany’s foremost publication (akin to Time magazine) and typically publishes articles about theology during Christian holidays. Dowdey’s article addresses how Christians understand the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ.
CIAO: ITALIAN STUDIES CIAO, Pepperdine’s Italian club, in conjunction with Gamma Kappa Alpha, the Italian Honor Society, attended a production of The Barber of Seville. Student officers in CIAO organized several film showings, as well as an event where upper-division students shared language learning and Italian travel trips with first-year students. Students have been active in research too, with Catie Golitzin (‘15) successfully completing a major research project entitled “Creation, the Word, and Relationships: Implicit Christian Theology in Calvino’s Later Fiction.” The work was presented at the Gamma Kappa Alpha meeting in the spring semester.
FULBRIGHT AWARDS: ONE FACULTY RECIPIENT AND TWO STUDENT RECIPIENTS Two international studies and languages students received Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship awards. Catie Golitzin (‘15), Italian major, will be serving in Russia, and Raymon Griggs (‘15), Hispanic studies major, will be serving in Brazil. Professor Robert Lloyd was named a 2014 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Scholar in India. His research focused on Islamist militancy within India, specifically on negotiations within India seeking to respond to this militancy and maintain the country’s democratic practices. In March 2015, Lloyd was a member of a high-level delegation with the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute sent to Nigeria to assess that country’s preparations for upcoming presidential elections. The delegations’ final report received widespread news coverage. seaver.pepperdine.edu
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NATURAL SCIENCE STUDENT RESEARCH: FROM THE AURORA BOREALIS TO BOBA TEA The Natural Science Division is dedicated to providing the training necessary for success in all STEM-related disciplines. It is our philosophy that proper pedagogy in science and related fields requires more than standard lectures and exams. The scientific method used in our disciplines requires experimentation both in the laboratory and the field, and the best way to gain such experience is through hands-on research in which the student has ownership. From the aurora borealis to boba tea, students in several natural science programs have been active participants in the scientific enterprise. • Aurora Borealis: Six physics majors, Julia Flicker, Megan Rawie (‘15), Mashaer Alyami, Sarah Bender (‘15), and Alex Angelo, accompanied physics professor Gerard Fasel on a research expedition where they studied the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magentosphere. This research is in collaboration with colleagues at NASA, and the data provide valuable information on weather in space. As a result of this collaboration, several students have received summer internships at NASA. They presented their results at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco, California. • Boba Tea: Jae Eun (Jenny) Min (‘15) presented her research on sugars and caloric content of boba beverage at the American Chemical Society held in San Diego, California. Her research involved a collaboration between chemistry professor David Green and nutrition professor Loan Kim. • Nutrition: Taylor Whited (‘15) presented a poster with professor Loan Kim at the annual meeting of Experimental Biology in Boston, Massachusetts. Whited and Kim are in the process of writing a paper on this research, and Whited has received a five-year graduate fellowship from the University of California, Davis, where she will be enrolled in the PhD program in Food Science. Students also presented their research at the American Chemical Society, Joint Mathematics Meetings, American Society for Cell Biology, Ecological Society of America, and the Southwest American College of Sports Medicine.
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Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN BIOLOGY Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Biology (SURB) has received funding from the National Science Foundation for over 20 years, and many former students have entered prestigious PhD programs partially as a result of the training they received in this summer program. This past summer was a great success, and our students worked and played hard as part of the 11-week research program. This program asks students to challenge themselves to use their imagination and curiosity in the development of an original research project. Many of these projects are presented at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, SURB students share their knowledge with high school students, encouraging them to learn by teaching others.
NEW INTERNSHIPS WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT This year the computer science/mathematics program initiated an internship program with the information technology department at Pepperdine. This program is designed to provide students with experience solving real problems in computer science. The collaboration between Natural Science and IT has been a great success. seaver.pepperdine.edu
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RELIGION
SEAVER COLLEGE ADDS SUSTAINABILITY MINOR Religion professor Chris Doran in collaboration with other faculty across the college has developed a minor in sustainability. This new minor takes an interdisciplinary approach to environmental issues, allowing students a critical understanding of theological, philosophical, scientific, political, communicative, literary, business, and economic dimensions of contemporary global sustainability challenges. This minor is the boldest attempt at interdisciplinary learning in Seaver College’s history with five of the college’s eight divisions currently represented in the program (Religion, Humanities and Teacher Education, Natural Science, Social Science, and Communication). This sort of interdisciplinary thinking represents the next wave of career paths and scholarship for current and future Seaver students. The “purpose, service, and leadership” commitments of the Pepperdine mission can be uniquely instantiated through this minor as we seek to develop the next generation of sustainability leaders who can examine problems from a service-minded, ethical perspective informed by the rich reservoir of knowledge within the Christian faith. For instance, the Christian affirmation of God as both creator and redeemer compels us to seek ecological health and integrity for nonhuman creatures, as well as environmental justice for those Jesus calls “the least of these” (Matt 25:40).
knowledge ethically to real-world situations and can impact the culture around them are just the sort of students George Pepperdine envisioned decades ago.
The minor’s interdisciplinary nature also affirms the importance of a liberal arts education as a foundation and a creative avenue in solving the world’s sustainability-related problems. This commitment will further Seaver’s goal of developing the whole student. The students who can apply
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Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
RELIGION STUDENTS VISIT DEAD SEA SCROLLS EXHIBIT The Religion Division partnered with the Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish studies at Pepperdine University in hosting an educational excursion for REL 101 and 201students to the California Science Center to see one of the world’s largest Dead Sea Scrolls exhibits. Students engaged firsthand with actual scroll fragments and other archaeological discoveries, illustrating the social world of Jewish life around the time of Jesus. In addition, students watched a IMAX 3D film about Jerusalem and its unique history as a shared sacred site for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Randy Chesnutt and Ron Cox presented their continuing research on the Wyman Fragment (Romans 4-5). • Dyron Daughrity is currently serving as editor of a series of books entitled, Understanding World Christianity, Fortress Books. • Chris Heard organized a session at the National Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature on the scholarly responses to Darren Aronofsky’s film, Noah. • Ron Highfield published a book entitled, The Thoughtful Christian Life. • John Barton, visiting professor of religion, was featured in a program for Turkish television on Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish Islamic scholar. He also directed a new program called COMMUNITAS through the Center for Faith and Learning, which seeks to encourage young ministers/pastors.
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SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENT RESEARCH Students in the Social Science Division continue to distinguish themselves through their research, both in independent projects and in those coauthored by faculty. Some of this year’s projects include: Presidential Greatness: “Is a past president’s rating of greatness affected more by characteristics about himself, or by the time period of his administration”? Political science major Adrian Davis (‘15) and faculty mentor Brian Newman examined the question in an article published in Presidential Studies Quarterly.
Psychological Testing: Psychology major Win Matsuda
(‘13), along with faculty members Cindy Miller-Perrin (‘83), and Steve Rouse published an article examining the validity of a psychological test that measures prejudice against bisexual individuals. The team found people with high scores had generalized negative beliefs about bisexual people, even regarding characteristics that are unrelated to their sexual behavior, such as their intelligence and sense of humor.
Conference Presentations: Psychology alumnae Jaime Kissee (‘09) and Lahela Isaacson (‘05), under the supervision of faculty member Cindy Miller-Perrin, conducted an analysis of introductory psychology textbooks particularly the attention to child maltreatment. Their article in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma demonstrated that these textbooks tend to have insufficient coverage of the topic, for example emphasizing infrequent forms of maltreatment more than frequent forms.
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Other students had the opportunity to publicly present their research in professional settings during the past year. Alessandra McDowell (‘14), Chris Hunt (‘14), and Rose Travis (‘13) presented their Psychology Honors projects at the annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science. Shelby Stone (‘15), Namele Gutierrez (‘15), Genevieve David (‘15), and Johante Webb (‘14) presented at the Western Psychological Association’s convention along with their mentors Don Thompson and Cindy Miller-Perrin. These students recognize the impact such opportunities have on their academic and professional careers. McDowell, who has begun her PhD in cognitive neuroscience at UC Riverside, said that “being able to say I conceptualized, designed, ran, analyzed, and wrote up my own original study not only helped me prepare for my current PhD program, but also strengthened my application.” Hunt, a current PhD in clinical psychology student at the University of Minnesota also credits this experience with helping him achieve his graduate school goals, saying “I strongly believe that I would not have gotten into as prestigious a doctoral program ... had it not been for this research project.”
Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY COMING TO SEAVER Psychology majors and faculty have long expressed the desire for the curriculum to include health psychology. This specialization explores the connections between body and mind in order to prevent, detect, and treat medical conditions. For example, the field looks at links between stress and a person’s susceptibility to disease or ways to increase compliance with doctors’ orders when recovering from a major medical condition. Health psychologists believe health is a multifaceted biological process influenced by psychological, behavioral, and social processes. Our students will be equipped to further their education in this field and eventually treat individual patients or work on large-scale public health initiatives. With the addition of assistant professor Nataria Joseph, the Social Science Division will now be able to offer courses in this important discipline. Joseph joined the division in Spring 2015 as an adjunct professor, and began a tenure-track position in the Fall 2015. She specializes in health psychology and clinical psychology. She earned her PhD from UCLA and then received two postdoctoral fellowships, including an advanced fellowship for VA Health Services. She has quickly become known among her students for her clear, enthusiastic teaching style and for her personable approachability.
DAN CALDWELL COLLABORATES WITH THE CDC AND GENERAL DEMPSEY Dan Caldwell, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Seaver College, illustrates that teaching, public education, and civic involvement are synergistic. In November 2014 Caldwell visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, with a delegation from the Council on Foreign Relations to meet Thomas R. Frieden, the CDC director. The fruits of this discussion will become a part of Caldwell’s chapter on infectious diseases in the third edition of Seeking Security in an Insecure World coauthored with Seaver College professor Robert E. Williams. General Martin Dempsey, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, commissioned the National Defense University to produce a book on the lessons of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq: Lessons Encountered: Learning from the Long War, edited by Richard D. Hooker and Joseph J. Collins (forthcoming). Because of Caldwell’s book Vortex of Conflict: U.S. Policy Toward Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq, the editors asked Caldwell to participate in a conference at Fort Lesley J. McNair to discuss the conclusions of the study. The book is designed to present lessons for high-level policymakers in the U.S. government.
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INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
NEW MIDDLE EAST STUDIES PROGRAM IN JORDAN Pepperdine partnered with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) to launch a Middle Eastern studies summer program in Jordan. Robert Lloyd, professor of international relations, led 15 students in conjunction with CCCU professor Doug Magnuson. Highlights included excursions to Petra, the Dead Sea, and Jesus’ baptism site. Magnuson and guest lecturers enabled students to develop greater understanding of religious, political, and cultural aspects of the Middle East region.
NEW DIRECTORS Ezra Plank (‘99, MA ‘06) joined International Programs (IP) as the new director of the Lausanne program. He has worked in higher education since 1999 at Pepperdine University, the University of Iowa, and Semester at Sea. He holds a PhD in religious studies. He is passionate about the transformation that occurs during the study-abroad experience and is honored to serve as director in the Lausanne program.
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IP also welcomed Greg Muger in September 2015 to lead the office in Malibu. Muger has worked in higher education for 10 years, launching student development programs and campus internationalization efforts at Azusa Pacific University, while teaching in the field of organizational leadership. His major goals are to improve service quality and invest in student preparation and reentry programs.
Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR SEVEN CAMPUSES • Shanghai, China: Shanghai director Charlie Engelmann (‘01) launched the Cultural Mentoring Program to link students with local expatriates, empowering students to navigate cultural differences in the workplace. • Lausanne, Switzerland: Students can now take advantage of Switzerland’s Internet, the fastest in the world. The IT department and IP collaborated to build an new wi-fi system in the Lausanne house.
29 Programs in 27 Countries
• Washington, D.C.: Students participated in briefings with leaders at the White House, Congress, think tanks, nonprofit organizations, and embassies. The breadth of internships continues to expand as D.C. lives out the tag line: “Internships and Global Education.” • Florence, Italy: Students participated in the annual Listening Summit, making friends with Italian college students while growing in academic and cultural understanding. Several pre-med students volunteered for a ride-along in ambulances to better understand health issues and services. • Buenos Aires, Argentina: For the first time, this program partnered with the Glazer Institute to offer a Jewish studies program in the summer. The program featured an internship at a nonprofit organization and discussions about involuntarily dispersed communities. • London, England: The spring educational field trip to Jordan was a highlight for students. The Modern History of the Middle East course included excursions to Aqaba, Petra, Wadi Rum, and Mount Nebo. In the summer students participated in internships, theatre courses, and a speech and rhetoric course where students made their speeches at the famed Hyde Park corner. • Heidelberg, Germany: The Moore Haus was renovated in the summer to redefine and remodel residential, study, and recreational spaces with improved traffic patterns and increased student capacity. To give to this project, click here.
STAY CONNECTED Check out our Vimeo page and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
68%
of Seaver Students Participate in an International Program seaver.pepperdine.edu
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STUDENT LIFE Seaver College has many campus traditions that create a sense of generational belonging. In these activities alumni and current students share common experiences.
STEP FORWARD DAY Step Forward Day, now in its 26th year, engaged 1,375 students, faculty, and staff in expressing the Pepperdine core commitment of service. On this single day, Pepperdine served more than 5,000 hours in the communities of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Collectively Seaver students invested 69,700 hours of service in the community, with well over one-third of these service hours in educational settings ranging from tutoring incarcerated youth seeking a GED to serving in early-childhood learning centers teaching children language and reading skills.
DANCE IN FLIGHT Dance in Fight (DIF) celebrated its 22nd Pepperdine year with a diverse group of dancers from every class level and from nine majors. The DIF leadership committee is composed of eight students who guide the show production and focus on the dance company’s social, spiritual, and professional needs. The dancers attend three to four rehearsals each week, and have the opportunity to participate in a Club Convo, devotionals before rehearsal, and a Saturday morning Bible study. Members of the dance company reported finding a sense of community
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Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
belonging and a connection to God: “Not only did DIF push me to strengthen my technique as a dancer, but it helped me to grow my relationships with others and with God!” Another student stated, “I learned how much DIF can be a family. This year we all got so much closer, because it was a smaller company and people were in more dances together. By the end of show week, I truly felt like I had so many more friends and a true sense of a community.”
SONGFEST Almost 400 students took the stage for six performances in the 42-year-old Songfest tradition, while others served as the technical crew, production assistants, choreographers, costume designers, film producers, ushers, and orchestra members. For those that fill the theatre, the joy of the performance is the outcome of Songfest. A guest judge commented, “each year, I get so excited about judging Songfest. It’s such a thrill, and indeed honor, to see the youth, the energy, the enthusiasm from each and every person on stage. And the hosts who perform and intro each of the performances are simply wonderful ... What an enjoyable,
exciting evening.” Students remarked on various reasons for loving Songfest, but building community is a common theme. One student commented, “it is amazing how we became a family in such a short period of time. I made so many amazing friends who all genuinely want to be together, support each other, and hang out.” Another student reflected, “[my favorite part was] getting to meet and connect with so many people I wouldn’t have otherwise had any relationship with. It helped build friendships and it brought people together who might under other circumstances never meet.”
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ALUMNI RELATIONS PEPPERDINE ALUMNI ART SHOWCASE Waves Weekend welcomed a new tradition this year—the Pepperdine Alumni Art Showcase. The show ran from October 18 through November 30, 2014, in Payson Library and exhibited 36 works by 15 alumni artists from around the country. It was hosted by Seaver alumna artist Shannon Celia (‘98), Seaver College Alumni Relations, and the Crest Associates Many of the artists attended the launch reception during Waves Weekend and discussed their art with appreciative visitors. Alumni artists and visitors had much to say about the exhibit. Sarah Attar (‘14) said “it was great to be a part of, and to really build the community of alumni artists. It’s also great to see what others who have graduated in the same or similar major are up to.” Shannon Celia thought “the whole event from start to finish was professional, fun, and most importantly, meaningful. It felt like a great time to share something special with other alumni and their families too.” The Alumni Office is looking forward to showcasing more alumni artists at this annual exhibit in the years to come.
Waves Weekend is the largest annual gathering of the Pepperdine community, combining Family Weekend, Spirit Cup competitions, Blue & Orange Madness, and alumni reunions into a single weekend. Over 2,000 people attended. The schedule features reunions, tours, recreational activities, a family carnival, and a concert in Alumni Park.
9,852 Waves Attended 72 Events and Programs 26
Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
MCFARLAND USA ALUMNI SCREENING AND RECEPTION McFarland USA is a film based on a true story about Jim White (‘64), a George Pepperdine College alumnus. This Disney film, starring Kevin Costner, tells the story of how Coach White became the winningest cross country coach in California history. He joined the primarily Latino high school in McFarland, California, and led them to nine state championships in 14 years. His legacy endures to this day.
discovers the powerful impact White made for 40 years as an educator and coach for youth who didn’t initially view themselves as worthy of a bright future. He treated his athletes like family and emphasized the importance of values. Coach White, affectionately nicknamed “Blanco” by the young athletes, has been on a surreal journey this year seeing his life portrayed on the big screen.
The release of the movie has brought enthusiastic attention to the entire McFarland community as the world
The alumni relations office hosted a screening and reception in White’s honor. Seaver communication and film
professor Craig Detweiler interviewed White before an audience of 300 alumni, faculty, staff, and students. The evening ended with a heartfelt standing ovation. White’s servant leadership provides the classic example of a life lived in purpose, service, and leadership.
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ATHLETICS
SPRING SEASON IS CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON Baseball, Women’s Tennis, and Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams All Won Conference Titles The baseball team won its second straight WCC Tournament title, the third in four years. The Waves beat rival Loyola Marymount 4-2 in the championship game. Brad Anderson was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and he was joined on the All-Tournament team by Matt Gelalich, Chandler Blanchard, and Ryan Wilson, allowing Pepperdine to continue its season at the NCAA Regionals. The Waves were sent to Cal State Fullerton as the number four seed. After suffering a loss to the top-seeded Titans, the Waves eliminated Clemson and Arizona State in the next two contests, putting the team into the regional finals. The women’s tennis team won both WCC regular-season and tournament titles. The Waves won their first-round NCAA Tournament match against Auburn before being knocked out in the second round by Stanford. Lorraine Guillermo earned All-American honors and was named the WCC Player of the Year. She was also named the national winner of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. She played in the NCAA Singles Tournament, while Christine Maddox and Matea Cutura took part in the NCAA Doubles Tournament. The men’s golf team rallied from a big deficit to claim its 18th WCC title, more than any other school. The Waves were
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in seventh place after the first round but climbed to second after the second round and edged Pacific by three strokes on the final day. Cody McManus earned his first college victory with a one-shot win at the tournament. McManus and Frederick Wedel were named to the All-WCC first team. The women’s golf team earned its 14th consecutive WCC title and its 17th in 18 years. The Waves had to come from behind to win this one. Trailing Gonzaga by two shots entering the third round, a strong final day allowed Pepperdine to win by 16 strokes. Marissa Chow earned All-American honors and was the WCC Player of the Year.
Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
She was the medalist at both the WCC Championships and the Golfweek Conference Challenge. Other highlights included a final number three national ranking for women’s sand volleyball, a final number five national ranking for men’s volleyball and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament for men’s tennis.
WOMEN’S SOCCER RANKED 10TH IN NATION The women’s soccer team had one of its most successful seasons in school history, reaching the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 16 and finishing with a number 10 national ranking after posting a 16-3-4 record. Head coach Tim Ward was named the NSCAA West Region Coach of the Year after leading his Waves to the postseason for the eighth time, and to the Sweet 16 for the third time. The regular season included victories over teams like NCAA perennial power North Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky, and USC, plus WCC foes Santa Clara, Portland and BYU. In the NCAA Tournament, the Waves collected their first-ever postseason win at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Lynn Williams (‘15) was named the Waves’ first-ever firstteam All-American. Williams had 14 goals and 10 assists and was a semifinalist for the prestigious MAC Hermann Award, given to the nation’s top player. For her career, she scored 39 goals, second all-time in Pepperdine history, and she set a record with 15 game-winning goals. Williams was the sixth overall pick in the 2015 NWSL draft and she now plays professionally for the Western New York Flash. Hailey Harbison was named the WCC’s Freshman of the Year, and she earned a call-up with the United States Under-20 National Team in January.
MEN’S BASKETBALL The men’s basketball team had its best season in more than a decade. The Waves went 18-14 overall, finished fourth in the WCC with a 10-8 record, and played in the postseason College Basketball Invitational. The Waves have shown remarkable progress under fifthyear coach Marty Wilson, as their win totals have improved from 10-to-12 to 15-to-18. Stacy Davis earned his second straight All-WCC first team honor and made the NABC All-District 9 second team for the first time. He heads into his senior season on pace to become the school’s all-time leading scorer. He led the Waves with 15.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last season. In April, Davis attended an NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, and then joined Athletes in Action for a tour of East Asia in May. Jett Raines was named one of the conference’s most improved players. He picked up All-WCC honorable mention after averaging 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds. Shawn Olden finished third on the team and second among all WCC freshmen at 9.2 points per game, and he made the WCC All-Freshman team.
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FACULTY NEW EMERITUS FACULTY
NEW VISITING FACULTY MERIM BAITIMBETOVA
Visiting Assistant Professor, Economics
JACQUELINE DILLION
Visiting Assistant Professor, Literature
MARY HOLDEN
Visiting Instructor, Physics
DIANA DODSON LEE W. DAVID BAIRD
Dean Emeritus of Seaver College and Howard A. White Professor Emeritus of History
VENKATACHALAM “V” SESHAN Professor Emeritus of Management
SONIA SORRELL
Professor Emeritus of Art History 21 years of service
29 years of service
27 years of service
Visiting Assistant Professor, Hispanic Studies
JOEL LEMUEL
Visiting Assistant Professor, Communication
DONGKUK LIM
Visiting Assistant Professor, Accounting
ALAN NELSON
Visiting Assistant Professor, Business
JENNIFER AKAMINE PHILLIPS (‘06) Visiting Professor, Communication
JOHN SITTER
Visiting Assistant Professor, Communication
MILTON J. SHATZER
PHILLIP THOMASON
25 years of service
29 years of service
Professor Emeritus of Communication
Professor Emeritus of Hispanic Studies
JERE E. YATES
Professor Emeritus of Organizational Behavior and Management 46 years of service
NEW TENURE-TRACK FACULTY JOSHUA BOWMAN ROSHAWNDA DERRICK TUAN HOANG LAUREN KILROY NATARIA JOSEPH JAVIER MONZON FANG TIAN
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Assistant Professor, Mathematics Assistant Professor, Hispanic Studies Assistant Professor, Great Books Assistant Professor, Art History Assistant Professor, Psychology Assistant Professor, Biology Assistant Professor, Decision Science
Pepperdine University | Seaver College Highlights 2014-2015
LISA SMITH
Visiting Assistant Professor, English
ELIZABETH THOREN
Visiting Assistant Professor, Mathematics
ELIZABETH WEBER
Visiting Assistant Professor, Chinese Literature and Language
BENJAMIN WILSON
Visiting Assistant Professor, Chemistry
AARON ZAMORA
Visiting Instructor, Communication
SEAVER BOARD OF VISITORS The members of the Seaver Board of Visitors (SBOV) are ambassadors for Seaver College. The board comprises alumni, parents of students, and leaders in the business community. Members serve as advisors to the dean and faculty, provide connections in the business community, and represent Seaver College on a national and global level. Members of the board annually contribute to the Dean’s Excellence Fund to support special projects which benefit the students. The SBOV, convened in 1997 by former Pepperdine president David Davenport, meets biannually and enlists members committed to advancing the academic excellence, the Christian mission, and the stellar reputation of the college.
CAREER COACHING AND THE BOARD OF VISITORS The Career Coaching Program has been a partnership between the Career Center and the SBOV since its inception in 2001. The program provides intensive mentoring for students. Coaches are largely drawn from the SBOV. Students engage topics such as resume building, interviewing, networking, and overall professional development. The coaches include a special emphasis on moral ethics and integrity in the workplace. Bimonthly large-group sessions are balanced with small-group team time and one-on-one mentoring provided by each of the coaches. This past year the curriculum focused on the development of one’s professional story. Students used an updated workbook, which included interactive worksheets, activities, videos, online resources, and information on how to use infographics and other storytelling devices to convey a compelling professional story.
One student reflected: “I have learned that it is valuable to listen to the stories of experienced professionals through executive interviews. I value my networking experiences the most because it has challenged me to meet new people in my field of interest, learn from their experiences, and build my own network.”
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READY. SET. GIVE. seaver.pepperdine.edu/giving