Chapman Magazine Winter 2020

CHAPMAN U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

6 Physician assistants respond to a primary care need.

24

Musco Center artists

enrich scholarly explorations.

F E B R U A R Y

2 0 2 0

THINK AGAIN

Two CU students reimagine medical imaging, turning MRIs into 3D-printed models.

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020 DANIELE STRUPPA, PH.D.

IN THIS ISSUE

UP FRONT 2 Message from the President: Chapman thinks globally, acts locally to support our communities.

4 First Person: Jessica Paek ’18 grinds through levels of uncertainty to achieve esports success.

President

SHERYL A. BOURGEOIS, PH.D.

Executive Vice President of University Advancement

JAMIE S. CEMAN

Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications

PAMELA EZELL, PH.D.

Assistant Vice President of Communications

JEFF BROUWER

Assistant Vice President of Creative Services

EDITOR

SENIOR WRITER

Dennis Arp arp@chapman.edu

Dawn Bonker bonker@chapman.edu

DESIGN Ivy Montoya Viado

36 CHAPMAN NOW 36 Wilkinson College students will benefit from a new partnership with The Catalina Island Museum.

40 A $10 million gift from the Argyros Family puts the focus on the future at an anniversary celebration.

JUSTIN SWINDLE

Director of Visual Content

SARAH LEE

Assistant Director of Content Strategy

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Michelle Anguka, Stace Dumoski, Brittany Hanson, Stephanie House, Bethanie Le (M.S. ‘19) Editorial Office: One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866-9911 Main: ( 714) 997- 6607 Delivery issues/change of address: email magazine@chapman.edu

Chapman Magazine (USPS #007643) is published quarterly

by Chapman University. © 2020 Chapman University.

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

Periodicals postage paid at Orange, Calif., and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Chapman Magazine One University Drive • Orange, Calif. 92866-9911

The mission of Chapman University is to provide personalized education of distinction that leads to inquiring, ethical and productive lives as global citizens.

Chapman.edu

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

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D E PA R T M E N T S 43 How’d You Get That Job? Brett Danaher introduces the entertainment industry to data analytics.

46 Five Questions: During this presidential election year, could women candidates be the ticket?

50 In Memoriam: We remember Betty Bartley, Dorothy Herbert, Lawrence Paull, Mary Lou Savage and Dominique Schafer.

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F E AT U R E S 6 As the U.S. faces a shortage of physicians, CU responds by thinking outside the docs.

10 The School of Pharmacy launches an industrywide campaign to upgrade patient safety.

14 Using 3D printers, two engineering students turn MRIs into next-level medical imaging.

18 Physicist Yakir Aharonov is on a perpetual quest for the next quantum breakthrough.

24 On stage and in the classroom, Musco Center performers enrich scholarly explorations.

30 Hilbert Museum paintings provide the inspiration for our first Flash Fiction Competition.

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ALUMNI NEWS 54 A nonprofit founded by Sarah Nininger ’13 delivers vital services to a Ugandan community.

56 We recognize with admiration the 11 honorees receiving Distinguished Alumni Awards.

62 Class Notes

52 Bookshelf

Cover Photo: Getty Images

AT RIGHT: FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND JULIA ARGYROS SHARE THE WALK FROM THE FISH INTERFAITH CENTER TO AN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FOR THE ARGYROS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS. FOR MORE ON AN EVENING FULL OF MEMORIES THAT CULMINATED WITH A FORWARD-LOOKING GIFT TO THE SCHOOL, TURN TO PAGE 40.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN SWINDLE

FEBRUARY 2020

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

CONNECTED TO OUR COMMUNITIES Can a university raise its profile on a national and even international scale while also deepening its connection to the communities it calls home? That’s a challenge we at Chapman are eager to meet.

In fact, we believe our growing status as a nationally recognized university increases the creative avenues for us to enhance our hometowns.

There are a couple of ways we see that Chapman’s influence is expanding.

For starters, Chapman recently was ranked among the top universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. For the first time, we are ranked among top-tier institutions, entering at No. 125 in the National Universities group, a category that includes 399 of the leading universities across the U.S. We have always done well regionally, but a national ranking recognizes the depth and breadth of the educational opportunities offered by Chapman.

This achievement follows our elevation in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. We’re now listed as an R2 institution, or “high research activity,” in acknowledgement of the University’s growth in research and doctoral degree programs.

But these measures of success only tell part of the story. Their most profound meaning springs from the opportunities they make possible in the communities we serve. Chapman is fortunate to have campuses in two unique Southern California cities, Orange and Irvine, where deep connections lead to creative, collaborative experiences for all in the Chapman Family.

Chapman’s generous donors share our commitment to serve our communities.

On page 6, you can read about our new Physician Assistant Program, which is preparing a new generation of healthcare providers to meet growing local and national needs. A communityfocused gift of $9 million from the Simon Foundations will provide scholarships to highly qualified but underserved students seeking their Master of Medical Science degree.

In addition, on page 42, you’ll read about a $10 million gift from the Argyros Family on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the naming of the Argyros School of Business and Economics. The transformational gift will help us expand efforts to educate future leaders and find new ways to give back to the community that has given us so much.

From students pushing the boundaries of 3D printing (page 14) to the groundbreaking ideas of physicist Yakir Aharonov, Ph.D. (page 18), from the innovation of Musco Center’s Leap of Art initiative (page 24) to the inspiration provided by the Hilbert Museum of California Art (page 30), this issue of Chapman Magazine illuminates many of the people and programs that set us apart.

Still, our national stature isn’t an end but a means. By expanding our creative and collaborative horizons, we build on a communitywide foundation that is only growing stronger in the heart of Southern California.

In these and surrounding communities, Chapman: • Partners with local schools and community colleges to provide support for education and create pathways to college.

• Provides medical and mental health services for local residents at no or low cost.

• Serves as a center of arts and entertainment, bringing renowned performers to our Musco Center for the Arts.

• Funds and staffs legal clinics that provide free services to the community.

• Welcomes and supports numerous first-generation college students from our surrounding communities.

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Daniele Struppa President, Chapman University

#ICYMI CONNECT WITH US

FACEBOOK @ ChapmanUniversity @ ChapmanUniversityAlumni

INSTAGRAM @ChapmanU @chapmanualumni

TWITTER @ChapmanU

LINKEDIN

CHAPMAN FORECAST SEES DOWNTURN BUT NO RECESSION Thanks to continued job growth and an uptick in construction and homebuilding, there will be no recession in 2020, although the overall pace of U.S. economic expansion will slow to just 1.9%, according to Chapman University economic forecasters.

Economic Forecast Report prepared by the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research.

“There are some headwinds, and we’re beginning to butt up against some constraints, like the (shrinking) labor pool for jobs, and we also have the trade war issues and lower economic growth internationally.

But given the strength of housing, we’re saying no recession in 2020,” said Chapman economist Jim Doti, Ph.D., during his December presentation of the

The U.S. economy will see a 1.4% rate of job growth, Doti told the audience at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. The forecast also predicts that the median price of single-family homes will rise 3.9%, while mortgage rates will remain steady at 3.8 percent.

GATES FOUNDATION GRANT SUPPORTS INCLUSIVE SCHOOLING

The California Special Education Residency Projects grant of $417,000 supports an initiative on which Chapman will collaborate with the universities of Kansas and Florida.

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

Chapman University has received support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for research and training to remove barriers faced by students with disabilities.

Chapman Magazine Online Don’t forget to check out Chapman Magazine online, with Web-only stories, links to video, slideshows and more. Find it all at chapman.edu/magazine.

“This is a unique opportunity to partner with the state of California and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in supporting this transformational initiative to professionalize teacher education,” said project principal investigator Audri Gomez, Ph.D., associate director of the Thompson Policy Institute (TPI) at Chapman.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PURSUING JUSTICE

‘A RARE EXPERIENCE’

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The article in your September 2019 issue, "Stolen Justice," is fascinating! My Father, Ben Kelley, (Chaplain Ret. USAF) died last year.

He was stationed in France from 1962 to 1965, and we visited the Dachau concentration camp as they were tearing down the last of the barracks. The museum showed the brutal history of Dachau from the beginning to the rescue of survivors by our American soldiers.

My two brothers and I thanked our parents often for taking us there as they knew what we would see. My daddy said it well – “Man's inhumanity to man.” Thanks to Dennis Arp and Justin Swindle for their great work on the article and Professor Michael Bazyler for his pursuit of justice! God bless him!

I believe I can speak for all of my 1959 classmates regarding a highlight of 2019. Our reunion meeting in October was memorable and felt much like a family reunion. Being a part of each other's lives for 64 years is a special and rare experience. We thank Chapman for giving us the opportunity to experience this wonderful event.

We welcome comments on Chapman Magazine or any aspect of the University experience. Send submissions to magazine@chapman.edu. Please include your full name, class year (if alumna or alumnus) and the city in which you live. We reserve the right to edit submissions for style and length.

Cecile Ouellet ’59

Bruce Kelley (M.S. ’76) FEBRUARY 2020

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Grinding through levels of fear and uncertainty, Jessica Paek '18 arrives in a land of esports success.

PHOTO BY TYLER VAN LOON

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

FIRST PERSON

‘I THOUGHT THE FUN PART OF MY LIFE WAS OVER’

BY JESSICA PAEK ’18

By the time I hit my early 20s, I had quit within a year every job I’d ever had. I craved a workplace that rewarded self-starters who wanted to shape their workplace environment in exchange for flexibility. I was still trying to finish my undergrad but had no prospects for a stable career. With graduation fast approaching, I thought the fun part of my life was over.

As a history major at Chapman, I loved my studies as well as my work in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) while writing my senior thesis. Although I enjoyed collaborating with like-minded peers, working on projects and testing new technologies for research, I didn’t want to go to grad school or go for a Ph.D. I had wanted to be a writer since I was 8, but I wasn’t really sure what kind I wanted to be, or how I would make a living. I had published an essay through the Iluminación program where I also mentored Orange High School student writers, but the idea of writing on a professional level was terrifying: Putting myself out there to be rejected, promoting myself and not having a stable income were big fears for me.

I spent a lot of hours scrolling through websites on LinkedIn and the Chapman Handshake website, a tool connecting Chapman students with employers. I kept seeing writing jobs in esports, a field with which I wasn’t really familiar. Still, I had always loved video games, and I was intrigued. Over the next few months, the number of posts by employers looking for esports writers seemed to grow steadily.

roles building and shaping company culture while working remotely.

On the platform, I helped with user acquisition and retention as well as onboarded clients, helping them get the most out of the services. I learned content strategy, business development and B2B marketing.

Now I consult for early-stage startups in the esports space, helping teams find their identity and develop marketing strategy and brand identities.

In the past six months, I’ve helped launch three startups: a gaming and esports festival, a prize-payment app and a fund that invests in Latin American esports. I provide resources and support for each startup, ranging from copywriting to project management.

Looking back, I never would have thought I would end up where I am.

Arguably the biggest hurdle I had to overcome was my fear of failure. I have definitely made a lot of mistakes throughout my career, and I will undoubtedly make more. I’m so grateful to everyone on my journey who has given me the opportunities to try new things and make mistakes – especially the team at ESL that first hired me, and my parents, who have always supported my unorthodox path in an emerging industry.

I thought that when I graduated and entered the workforce, I would have to give up a lot of my dreams. But working with esports startups has provided me with everything I could have wanted in a career.

After some investigating, I managed to finagle the email address of the content and communications manager for ESL, the world’s largest esports league, and I managed to secure a contract position writing marketing content for ESL’s website, mainly covering Halo Pro League tournaments. At the same time, I was writing for a few other sites to gain exposure. One site offered me a press pass for PAX West, a huge gaming convention in Seattle.

PAX West was the first time I had ever met with other industry folks in real life, and it ended up being a pivotal point in my career. I met two indie game developers who were launching a game marketing platform and they needed help getting started. I joined their team, and after seven months of preparation, I helped launch my first startup.

Launching the platform was the hardest thing I had ever done, but I thrived on the challenge. I fell in love with startups. I realized that tech startups would allow me to do so many of the things I loved while I was at Chapman: write, collaborate with a team and create efficient systems for sharing information. Startups would let me take on different

During an esports festival she helped launch, Jessica Paek '18 finds joy in the journey, even as she scrambles to keep up with a flurry of tasks. "Looking back, I never would have thought I would end up where I am," she says.

FEBRUARY 2020

5

PA THE

SOLUTION

Throughout the nation, a need for primary care is growing. Chapman's Physician Assistant Program is a powerful response to the problem.

By Stephanie House

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

A

ll across the United States, there is a shortage of primary care providers. To meet a growing demand for health care, the nation will need to add nearly 122,000 physicians by 2032, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports.

California is no different. In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law an expansion of Medi-Cal that will necessitate more care providers.

Although the governor plans to fund the expansion of University of California medical school programs, it will take nearly a decade before this step results in new physicians providing care.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF ANOTHER VITAL RESPONSE.

"It's been my dream to be part of medicine and give back to the community around me," says Katie Cornella (MMS '18), a graduate of Chapman's Physician Assistant Program now working in cardiology.

“Investing in the training of physician assistants and other midlevel healthcare professionals is the best way to meet an increasing need for primary care,” says Janeen Hill, Ph.D., dean of Chapman University’s Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences. “It’s faster and more effective to prepare a new generation of physician assistants.”

Crean College is home to an expanding Physician Assistant Program, which in December 2018 graduated its first class of 25 practicing PAs. The program projects steady expansion, preparing growing classes of practice-ready healthcare professionals who can enter the medical field after two years of training. PAs often serve in primary care but also work in specialties such as cardiology and dermatology.

“Physician assistants are the future of health care in the United States,” says Michael Burney, director of Chapman’s PA Program, which is housed in Crean College. “PAs provide skilled, cost-effective care that helps take the pressure off a strained system.”

Growing Impact Orange County is a bellwether for the nation’s shortage of healthcare providers, because projections are that by 2035, 25% of the county’s population will be older than 65. “As the population grows and ages, there’s a dire need for health care,” Hill says. “Preparing physician assistants not only addresses the care shortage but also targets growing healthcare costs, as it costs less to educate PAs than medical doctors.”

Almost immediately after graduating a year ago, Chapman’s first class of physician assistants was already making a difference in care settings.

“We receive great feedback about the preparedness of our students and graduates,” says Stephanie Saldivar, assistant professor and director of clinical education at Crean College. “Medical groups are approaching us to have students placed in their clinics.”

With the southernmost PA Program in California, Chapman is poised to have an outsized impact on primary care in the region. Upon graduation, 33% of Chapman PAs choose to work in primary care, compared with the national average of less than 25%.

“This is exceptional for Orange County, which is very specialtyfocused,” says Anne Walsh, associate professor at Crean College.

FEBRUARY 2020

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Making Specialists Accessible While the need for primary care is great, specialty fields also are experiencing a shortage of physicians. In many specialties, PAs are able to assist with surgeries, which can reduce costs and streamline the delivery of care.

“If you call to get care from a specialist who doesn’t have a PA on staff, you could be on a waitlist for a few months,” Walsh says. “But if a specialist has a PA, you may get in within a week or two.”

Katie Cornella (MMS ‘18) discovered her passion for a specialty – cardiology – during a rotation in Chapman’s Physician Assistant Program. Now she works as a PA at the Orange County Heart Institute and Research Center.

It’s important work. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.

Cornella experiences many rewards in providing care, including the chance to spend more time with her patients than is typically possible for physicians. Patients share their gratitude when she details their diagnosis and takes their questions about all the steps in the process.

“That ultimately increases their confidence in the treatment plan,” Cornella says.

Popularity of the Program Increasingly students are drawn to the PA route for a host of reasons. PAs typically need just three additional years of school and training to earn a Master of Medical Science in physician assistant studies and graduate workforce ready. Medical school takes four years to complete, in addition to at least three years of residency.

“I chose PA as my career because the schooling is expedited and I wouldn’t be so deep into student loans,” Cornella says.

Physician assistant Kayla Ferrari (MMS '12), left, works in a family practice setting and says that providers refer their complex patients to her so she can better manage them.

“

”

Physician assistants are the future of health care in the United States.

PAs provide skilled, cost-effective care that helps take the pressure off a strained system.

MICHAEL BURNEY, DIRECTOR OF CHAPMAN’S PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM

SIMON FOUNDATIONS’ $9 MILLION GIFT: Driving Change, Transforming Lives Future students in Chapman’s Physician Assistant Program will have the opportunity to complete their educations tuition-free thanks to a $9 million gift from the Simon Foundations.

Building on a longtime dedication to helping underserved students pursue college, the new Simon Scholars PA Program extends that commitment to include graduate students.

Ron and Sandi Simon

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

“Ron and Sandi Simon personify what it means to influence change and transform lives,” Chapman University President Daniele Struppa said in announcing the $9 million gift during the recent

Chapman Celebrates gala. “We are honored to partner with them.”

Beginning in 2021, the Simon Scholars PA Program will provide 10 full-tuition scholarships each year for five years, aiding underserved students who want to earn their Master’s in Medical Science (MMS) at Crean College.

What’s more, Simon PA Scholars will commit to working at least three years in Orange County to meet the growing demand for primary care in the community Chapman calls home.

PAs graduate into a job market that values their work. On average, they earn about $117,000 a year, but they can earn as much as $150,000. The bonus is that they typically work regular hours, which is a draw for many young adults.

Chapman PA graduate Casey Kupcha (MMS ’18) was attracted to the work-life balance. “If you enjoy treating people and being involved in clinical decision-making, the PA route is a great option. It gives you more time to spend with patients and your family.”

Teaming Up for Better Care Unlike the competition model at some medical schools, Chapman’s PA program encourages students to work together. After graduation, this collaborative approach can lead to better patient care.

“I consult with my Chapman classmates all the time,” Kupcha says. “If I have a strange EKG, I’ll take a picture and send it to them.”

The teamwork mindset “comes with the nature of being a PA,” Saldivar says.

Saldivar, who also works as a PA in the emergency room of Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, speaks to the culture of Chapman’s program: “We’re not just training people to get a degree; they’re going to be our colleagues,” she says.

PAs also enjoy a new measure of autonomy. With passage of the California Optimal Team Practice Law, PAs in the state are no longer legally required to be supervised by physicians. Now the collaboration between PAs and physicians is determined at the practice level.

“Loosening supervision will help grow the number of primary care PA practices in rural and underserved areas, where they are needed most,” Dean Hill says.

Additionally, PAs will be able to bill for their services, as physicians do, which will allow their work and impact to be tracked.

“More access to PAs means more access to care in general,” Saldivar says.

“This is a really an interesting time for PAs in California.”

CARING FOR THE CORPS Casey Kupcha (MMS ’18), above right, provides care to more than 700 patients as a Navy PA assigned to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms, California. A commissioned officer, she treats training-related injuries in addition to providing primary care.

“It’s a lot of responsibility – I really love it, though,” she says. “I get to work in clinic, and we take tanks to the middle of the desert and sleep out there. If anything goes wrong, I’m there to take care of them.”

She smiles.

“I even get to ride Ospreys.”

Cornella agrees.

“It's been my dream to be a part of medicine and give back to the community around me,” she says. “It's an incredible experience seeing my patients and, according to them, saving their lives.”

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS MEET THE CHALLENGE

PA training mimics the medical school model and includes at least a year of hands-on clinical training in hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms and urgent-care facilities. Surveys repeatedly show that patients are as satisfied or more satisfied with the care given by a physician assistant compared with that of a doctor.

FEBRUARY 2020

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IS IT SAFE?

BY DAWN BONKER

Too often in health care, the answer is no. So the School of Pharmacy has launched a campaign to strengthen protections and reduce medical errors.

It was the best possible news for a parent.

No more signs of cancer in their 2-year-old daughter, a curly-haired toddler named Emily.

So Christopher Jerry breathed a sigh of relief, even as the oncology team prescribed one more short course of chemotherapy, a dose of extra protection for Emily. The future looked sunny. They started planning a going-home party.

But in the hospital pharmacy that day, a technician slipped up while preparing the IV bag containing Emily’s last treatment, accidentally adding an excessive amount of sodium chloride to the solution. The error transformed the treatment into a toxic concoction that proved suddenly fatal for the little girl.

That day Emily fell through the thin net of patient-safety procedures and practices that health professionals say puts all Americans at risk for preventable patient death and injury, a cause of more than 200,0000 fatalities in the U.S. each year.

His daughter’s death transformed Jerry into an activist.

“Emily’s legacy has been very much a catalyst for positive change in health care, in how we look at preventable medical error, how we learn from preventing medical error and, more important, how we respond to it,” Jerry says.

Chapman University’s School of Pharmacy (CUSP) has taken up the challenge of patient safety in force, leading an initiative aimed at strengthening that safety net. Chapman School of Pharmacy hosts a patient safety conference every spring, will launch a master's degree in patient safety this fall, and collaborates with the medical technology company Masimo on its Patient Safety Movement Foundation.

Included is a core curriculum that Chapman faculty helped write to improve patient safety education for students in medical, pharmacy and nursing schools and made available free

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

to those institutions. It outlines numerous best practices that should be standard, such as the use of pre-mixed sterile solutions, which might have helped avert Emily Jerry’s tragic death.

It’s all part of a renewed response to the problem of medical error, says Ron Jordan, dean of Chapman Pharmacy. The problem isn’t new, but the fix has proved elusive. Twenty years ago, the Institute of Medicine published its revolutionary report “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System,” and many of the difficulties it outlined still exist today.

“It’s not only pharmacists, it’s physicians, hospitals, the system itself and its complexities. Every sector of health care needs to be involved.”

– Pharmacy Dean Ron Jordan

“That report said 20 years ago that we have to fix the healthcare system. Today, adverse drug events are still one of the top five causes of death in the country. Errors are happening in all kinds of places in healthcare delivery, however. There are wrong-side surgeries, hospital-acquired infections and several risks specific to long-term care facilities that need better attention. That tells me that we haven’t really done the job that we need to do in health care,” Jordan says.

Pharmacists take a natural lead in this effort, Jordan says. They can be on the front lines guarding against tragic drug errors like Emily’s, along with more common mistakes that occur with widely used medications.

For example, medication management between hospital release and home care is a challenging period for many patients, and pharmacists can bring particular expertise to that window of time, he says.

But that’s not the only reason patient safety is a major initiative at Chapman. Errors that cause avoidable complications, injury and exacerbated recoveries of all varieties add up to a hefty medical bill – some $19.5 billion a year in the United States alone. For change to take effect, every branch of health care must contribute to the effort, Jordan says.

Christopher Jerry says efforts like those at Chapman will make a difference.

“Chapman is taking a leadership position from the educational standpoint and showing other institutions the direction that needs to be taken with our future leaders in health care,” Jerry says.

Sharing in that view is Joe Kiani, CEO of Masimo and founder of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation.

“This is something that involves everyone, from the CEO to the surgeon to the pharmacist and the person making sure the operating room is clean,” Kiani says.

He sees a long road ahead, although he’s encouraged by the UK’s stepped-up attention to the problem and hopes it will be replicated in the U.S. Christopher Jerry can’t help but look for hopeful signs of change, steadfast in his determination that no one ever suffer the fate of his beloved Emily. Lifesaving treatments are a modern wonder, but medical practice doesn’t end there, he says.

“We’ve come up with viable treatments extending the lives of people with all different types of diseases and conditions,” he says.

“What good are they if we’re losing patients due to preventable medical error?”

CHAPMAN NOW

MEDICAL ERROR IS THE

THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE U.S.

200,000

TOP 3 COSTLY ERRORS

Adverse Drug Events $136 billion and 100,000 lives

Healthcare Associated Infections $30 billion and 75,000 lives

DEATHS ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO MEDICAL ERROR EVERY YEAR IN THE

U.S.

Blood Clots $10 billion and 100,000 lives

Source: patientsafetymovement.org FEBRUARY 2020

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PHOTOS BY LARRY NEWMAN

THE HEART OF A PANTHER

"I fought pretty hard because I wanted to see my teammates again," says Hunter Spriggs '19, who overcame chronic myeloid leukemia to return to the playing field this season.

BY STEPHANIE HOUSE

After battling leukemia, Hunter Spriggs ’19 enjoys “every single second” as he contributes to a historically great Chapman football season.

A year after Hunter Spriggs’ bone marrow transplant, his smile showed just how happy he was to be back playing football at Chapman University. After a gritty two-year struggle with cancer, the senior business administration major made a remarkable recovery thanks to a lot of hard work and support, including from his teammates.

“It’s really a do or die kind of thing,” Spriggs says, reflecting on his journey. “I fought pretty hard because I wanted to see my teammates again.”

The offensive tackle contributed greatly as the Panthers won the Southern California

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, set a program record for victories in a season (10) and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. For his inspiring efforts, Spriggs was nominated for a national honor – the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award.

He was one of 30 nominees from all levels of college football recognized for overcoming injury, illness or other challenges.

During the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, Spriggs was one of six nominees who received Honorable Mention. As a result, the Mayo Clinic will donate $2,500 to Chapman's general scholarship fund in Spriggs' name.

Spriggs was first diagnosed with leukemia at the end of his sophomore year at Chapman.

“It was the kind you’d want to get diagnosed with,” Spriggs recalls. “They knock it down with a chemo pill and IVs. Not a huge deal, but you feel like crap.”

However, a year later, he began experiencing familiar symptoms. The cancer had come back even stronger, mutating into acute lymphoblastic leukemia and spawning a more aggressive form of the disease called chronic myeloid leukemia.

“There’s a deafening silence in your head,” Spriggs says of the day he got the diagnosis.

CHAPMAN NOW

“He’s excited about what each day brings, which includes being an inspiration to our football program.”

– Bob Owens, head coach

Spriggs contributed to the team even when playing wasn’t an option.

“People are talking to you but you’re not hearing anything. At that point, you have a decision to make. I didn’t want to die from this, so I threw everything into fighting it.”

NO COMPLAINTS A bone-marrow transplant provided his best chance for a complete recovery, but it delivered a brutal blow to his body. He dropped 50 pounds from his 6-foot-3, 265-pound frame.

“You’re just kind of a skeleton,” he says.

“Sitting up is tiring.”

Spriggs had to stay isolated in a “positive pressure room” for two months to avoid bacteria.

“I lived by a motto of no complaints,” he says.

“You take everything on the chin, and you demand 1% better of yourself every day.”

Through it all, his Chapman teammates were there to pick him up.

“They sent me all these cards. They gave me the extra energy I needed, especially when we got to end of the fight,” he says. “Little things like that go a very long way.”

Team members know a thing or two about bone-marrow transplants. Since 2014, the team has hosted annual drives for Be the Match, a national marrow donor registry. The team’s efforts have yielded at least three donor matches.

For the Panthers, a program-wide commitment to community starts in their team room.

“When he was in the hospital, he received something every day from this football team,” head coach Bob Owens says. “Even in his worst state, he could be laughing because these guys sent him something funny.”

MEETING THE CHALLENGE By the end of Sept. 2018, Spriggs was out of the hospital and thinking about training for the next football season.

“Honestly I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to accomplish it, but I just started working to get healthy, started walking a lot, and started to work out,” he says.

During the 2018 season, Spriggs’ team never forgot him. Before each game, a player would be given the special honor of wearing Spriggs’ number, 77.

“We would always talk about how this battle on the field is nothing compared to Hunter’s battle with cancer. He’s our motivation,” says teammate Ryan Moles ‘19.

physical assault on his body and still get where he is now,” Owens says. “He’s excited about what each day brings, which includes being an inspiration to our football program.”

The SCIAC title and a triple-overtime firstround NCAA playoff victory over Linfield College highlight Spriggs’ comeback year. But even if the Panthers hadn’t finished with a 10-1 record, the season would have met every important measure of success.

“I am enjoying every single second of this – happiest I’ve been ever,” Spriggs says. “The ability to play college football with people you absolutely love – every second, every down is just a dream come true.”

In January 2019, Spriggs was cleared to go back to school, until a devastating infection sent him back to square one. Healing was slow, but Spriggs persisted. By April, he was working out again and rebuilding his strength.

ALL IN THE ATTITUDE As fall 2019 approached, Spriggs tackled the anxiety and mental strain of competing again after a long layoff.

“It’s easy to get so fed up with the symptoms, with getting knocked down, it kind of eats at you,” says Spriggs. He laughs. “It’s like driving a Honda Civic up a hill: the driver is capable of more; the car is not.”

But he passed all the tests – including his own.

On Oct. 19, he returned to the field, playing right tackle in a 56-23 victory over Occidental College.

Hunter Spriggs ’19, center, says the support of teammates such as Alex Waddell ’21, left, and Jacob Wilbanks ’19 boosted him as he battled leukemia.

During the season Spriggs was away from the team, different players were given the honor of wearing his number, 77.

“You just smile, shake your head and think, what a remarkable person to be able to manage that kind of personal, mental and

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THE

FUTURE AT T H E I R

F INGERTI PS

BY BETHANIE LE (M.S. ’19)

In a Chapman engineering lab, two students are turning MRIs into a next-level healthcare tool – a 3D-printed model of the human brain.

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN SWINDLE 14

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RI scans and other forms of imaging have revolutionized medicine.

A neurosurgeon can use such scans to view a patient’s brain, form a diagnosis and plan a course of treatment. Still, magnetic resonance imaging is hamstrung by the limitations of flat-screen technology. What if that scan could jump off the monitor and into the surgeon’s hands?

Two undergraduate students in Chapman University’s Fowler School of Engineering are trying to make that “what if” a reality. In their 3D Printing and Design course, they’re working to transform an MRI into a physical 3D model of a patient’s brain. From such ideas may come the next era in medical imaging.

Here’s a closer look at the class project of Oliver Mathias ’21 and Greg Tyler ’21 (M.S. ’22).

AN IDEA TAKES SHAPE Entering the 3D Printing Lab in Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Mathias empties his backpack. A notebook, pencil and 3D-printed section of a brain spill out onto his desk. He slides to the edge of his seat and his eyes widen as he enthusiastically shows the print to Tyler, his classmate.

Mathias had printed out a slice of the brain’s soft tissue the night before to share with his brother, a neurobiologist.

Seeing and holding that print sparks an idea for Tyler.

Eleven years ago, he was involved in a life-altering motorcycle collision that broke 15 of his bones and punctured both of his lungs. His left arm had to be amputated and left leg was paralyzed. Through that traumatic experience, Tyler became very familiar with the use of imaging in health care.

He started thinking about how medical imaging machines are already creating digital, three-dimensional models of organs. And after studying Mathias’ 3D print, Tyler began to brainstorm possibilities for adapting these images into 3D-printed models of the human brain.

“I had to rebuild my own body, and because of that I learned a lot about how bodies work,” said Tyler. “I knew I wanted to use that knowledge to help other people.”

TRIAL, ERROR AND SUCCESS Their final class assignment, an independent project chosen by each student, provided an opportunity to further investigate these ideas. With six weeks left in the semester, Tyler and Mathias went to work. Since there were no textbooks or step-by-step instructions to guide them, the majority of their time involved research and learning through trial and error.

Throughout the process, the students had to make dozens of choices and adjustments. Where would they find MRI scans? Were the scans accessible for their use? What kind of printed filament would work best?

After many failed attempts, Oliver Mathias ’21, above, and Greg Tyler ’21 (M.S. ’22), at left, achieved their goal – a method for 3D-printing prototypes to advance brain imaging.

“It is amazing to look back and see how we went from this broad idea to actually having a lot of the pieces in place to make it work,” Mathias said.

COLOR-CODED TISSUE The class is over, but the project continues. Tyler and Mathias plan to expand on their current model, improving the internal structure of the 3D-printed brain to include color-coded tissue types that will help doctors and their patients better visualize anomalies and tumors.

The students hope to one day get their 3D models into the hands of every surgeon, so treatment options and surgical pathways can become even more precise.

“What our students have demonstrated here is precisely the sort of thing we hope to see from all the immersive experiences we offer in Fowler Engineering,” says Andrew Lyon, Ph.D., dean of the engineering school.

“They have combined a deep understanding of engineering principles with technical abilities, creativity and passion to address an unmet need in health care.”

Then there’s the printing itself, which happened layer by layer, hour after hour, with Tyler and Mathias manually leveling the printer platforms all along the way. If their adjustments were off by even a 16th of an inch, the prints wouldn’t come together correctly. It was a test of patience and resilience, as the biggest model required 72 hours of continuous printing.

“I had to rebuild my own body, and because of that I learned a lot about how bodies work. I knew I wanted to use that knowledge to help other people.”

After many failed attempts and a backpack full of odd-looking brains, Tyler and Mathias ultimately achieved success. They completed their course with tangible prototypes of 3D-printed brain models.

Greg Tyler ’21 (M.S. ’22)

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THE 3D-PRINTED BRAIN

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Percentage of infill used on the students’ 3D-printed brain model. With most 3D-printed models, the internal structure is made up of infill with a standardized honeycomb pattern.

With Mathias and Tyler’s model, the goal is to limit the infill and print an accurate depiction of the brain’s interior.

889 Layers in their printed model. Each layer takes about five minutes to print.

80 Percentage scale of the 3D-printed model, compared with an actual human brain.

72 Hours needed to print the model.

Amount, in dollars, that Tyler received for winning second place at the IEEE Brain Data Bank Challenge. Competing against doctoral students and university professors, he presented this 3D model and his team’s approach to MRI visualization.

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PUTTING NEW TECH TO THE TEST Three-dimensional printing is rapidly opening novel avenues of design and production, which impacts a wide range of industries. This tech revolution is also taking place in a new Chapman University class, Topics in Computer Science: 3D Printing and Design.

Fowler School of Engineering 3D printing classes are so popular that the school is more than tripling the class capacity, and starting in the fall, all students in the class will have access to their own industry-quality 3D printer.

FIELD RESEARCH Undergraduate students Oliver Mathias ’21 and Greg Tyler ’21 (M.S. ’22) met with a surgeon to learn how he uses a slideshow of 2D MRI images to prepare for surgery.

The students recognized a need for 3D-printed models that would help physicians plan surgical pathways and improve practice procedures.

HIGH RESOLUTION One of the many challenges faced by Mathias and Tyler was getting access to MRI images of the highest resolution possible. Such advanced imagery isn’t needed when its viewed on a digital screen, but it’s vital for the transition to 3D-printed models that reveal more advanced tissue typing such as blood vessels, muscles, calcified tissue and tissue anomalies. Much of the data for current MRI images is unusable for 3D printing due to low resolution and image gaps.

CREATING PARTNERSHIPS • MatterHackers, one of the country’s leading suppliers of 3D-printing products, donated the approximately 80 spools of filament used by students during the course.

• Adafruit, a nationally known creator of micro-controllers, donated electronics for students to incorporate circuit design into their 3D prints. This allowed their creations to have sophisticated features such as sound effects and lighting.

Above: Brandon Fabre '21 and Kaitlyn Abdo '21 show Higher Ground student Cesar Alvarez his 3D-printed Infinity Gauntlet.

Right: Alex Jones '21 talks with Heidi Villegas, who is dressed as Audrey from Disney's "Descendants" films, about how she 3D-printed her costume's crown.

• Higher Ground, a nonprofit organization that serves at-risk youth in Orange County, collaborated with the Chapman students on their first project of the semester: the manufacture of 3D-printed costumes for Higher Ground youngsters to wear on Halloween.

More on the costume project is at chapman.edu/magazine.

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“YAKIR’S MIND IS LIKE A DIAMOND – SHARP, BEAUTIFUL, MULTIFACETED AND INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.” – DANIELE STRUPPA

Photo by Dave Lauridsen

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THE AHARONOV EFFECT

By Sari Harrar

WHETHER COLLABORATING WITH RENOWNED COLLEAGUES OR BRAINSTORMING ON THE FLY, THE AWARD-WINNING PHYSICIST TURNS BIG IDEAS INTO QUANTUM BREAKTHROUGHS.

Y

akir Aharonov never stops thinking – deeply, imaginatively, fearlessly – about the strange, rich and often shocking foundations of the universe. “I think in my sleep. I wake up with new answers every morning,” says the distinguished professor of theoretical physics and co-director of the Institute for Quantum Studies (IQS) at Chapman University. “Even while I’m talking to you right now, my mind continues to work on new ideas.”

It’s a sunny summer morning. Aharonov has made time for a phone interview as he and a group of internationally prominent colleagues finish breakfast and drive to Chapman’s campus in Orange for a day of lively quantum conversation. A National Medal of Science winner, Aharonov has discovered dozens of fundamental physics effects, changing the quantum landscape, igniting controversies and winning converts along the way.

Nobel Laureate and IQS member Sir Anthony Leggett, Ph.D., characterizes the work of Aharonov and the Institute as among the “major revolutions in the history of physics – and I mean really major revolutions like Copernicus, Galileo, Einstein.”

Among Aharonov’s most significant discoveries: Time can flow backward. Subatomic particles are altered by distant forces. Blips of matter can be separated from their properties, much like Alice in Wonderland’s Cheshire Cat and its spooky grin. And two particles can – somehow – be linked across wide expanses of space.

Mind-bending concepts, all. But Aharonov’s amazing discoveries are routinely proved correct by experimental physicists. (“This isn’t airy-fairy philosophy – these are real experiments,” Arizona State University cosmologist Paul Davies, Ph.D, told Discover magazine, admiringly, of Aharonov’s work.) And Aharonov’s ideas – particularly an important experimental technique called weak

 Yakir Aharonov's quantum contributions have earned him a host of awards, including the National Medal of Science in 2010 from President Barack Obama, who called him “one of the most influential figures in modern physics.”

measurement -- are now deployed by other scientists every day to explore new corners of the quantum realm.

“Yakir is arguably one of the very best theoretical quantum physicists alive,” says Chapman President Daniele Struppa, Ph.D, a professor of mathematics. “His impact in physics has been tremendous. What is extraordinary about Yakir is the fact that he has built on his most famous work – the Aharonov-Bohm Effect of 1959 – to make more and more exciting discoveries. He has reformulated quantum mechanics in a totally novel way, thus offering a new way to predict the singular behavior of quantum systems.”

In general, physics research has yielded an array of societal benefits, from electricity to satellites and smartphones. Quantum theory provides a model of nature that explains how matter and energy behave at the atomic and subatomic levels. It has led to breakthroughs in electronics, lasers and computers.

“We’re finding that this is a good time and we are in a good positon to make rapid progress in a number of important areas, including quantum sensing, which has applications for radar and detecting small gravitational fields,” says Matthew Leifer, Ph.D., co-director of the Institute for Quantum Studies.

Thanks to his quantum contributions, the 87-year-old Aharonov, with a mop of silver-white hair and a penchant for cigars and punchline stories, has been short-listed for the Nobel Prize. That’s in addition to receiving the National Medal of Science in 2010 from President Barack Obama, who called him “one of the most influential figures in modern physics.” What’s more, Aharonov was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences and was awarded the Wolf Prize in Physics, one of the most prestigious honors in the field.

Aharonov’s full list of awards includes the Weizmann Prize, the Rothschild Award, the Israel Prize in Physics and the Hewlett-Packard Europhysics Prize.

(Continued next page)

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"WE ARE MAKING EXCITING NEW DISCOVERIES ALL THE TIME. THIS DRIVES ME TO KEEP GOING.” YAKIR AHARONOV, PH.D. Aharonov is so well known in his native Israel that the influential national newspaper Haaretz wishes him well on his birthday, Aug. 28. And some of his more than 200 published papers have been covered by popular-science magazines and daily newspapers, including Discover Magazine, New Scientist, Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

“Yakir has been making important discoveries for the last 65 years,” says Jeff Tollaksen, Ph.D, founder and co-director of the IQS. “People keep saying, ‘Oh come on, that one can’t be true,’ but his many discoveries have been verified in experiments over and over again.

I don’t know of any other scientist with that kind of track record, especially one who’s asking the really big questions the way Yakir is.

His team just keeps hitting home runs.”

LABORATORY OF THE MIND At Chapman, Aharonov’s influence is stretching further and further into the quantum world – and far into the future. He’s teaching a new generation of physicists at the Institute for Quantum Studies, and he collaborates with leading scientists from Chapman and around the globe.

“Thirteen years ago, Chapman had no physics department. Today we have a department, the institute and we have attracted incredible faculty, visiting professors from around the world and students – undergraduates, graduate students and post-docs – because of Yakir,” Struppa says.“ Aharonov's influence on students can be profound, as it was for Taylor Lee Patti '17, now a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard. As a Chapman undergrad, Patti gave a talk on her research to the American Physical Society and guest-lectured at the Perimeter Institute. In addition, she and Aharonov co-authored a peer-reviewed paper on quantum foundations.

Beyond Chapman, Aharonov’s big ideas have the potential for applications such as powerful quantum computers, super-sensitive sensors, stronger lasers and microscopes capable of discerning some of the universe’s tiniest objects. “Laboratories are using his ideas and developing new technologies with them,” Struppa says.

Formerly a professor of physics at Tel Aviv University, the University of South Carolina and George Mason University, Aharonov joined the Chapman faculty in 2008. “I’ve found complete freedom to do whatever I like in physics and have people around me to discuss it with – including Jeff Tollaksen and Daniele Struppa,” he says. “I have a lot of encouragement to think about my foundational work. And through the Institute, I can share my ideas with scientists from all over the world. We are making exciting new discoveries all the time. This drives me to keep going.”

July’s informal gathering of major physicists included Sandu Popescu, Ph.D., a pioneer of quantum information. “We brainstorm 20 hours a day for two weeks,” Tollaksen says. “It’s a very creative time.”

In the room there’s always the theorist’s must-have equipment – a chalk board, which is preferable to a white board because it’s easier to erase, Tollaksen notes. “But we are not immersed in equations and numbers alone,” he says. “Yakir’s method is conducting thought experiments – the Gedankenexperiments famously used by Albert Einstein.”

Aharonov used the technique extensively as a graduate student at the University of Bristol, England, where his advisor was the renowned theoretical physicist David Bohm, who had worked closely with Einstein. “Gedankenexperiments are the gold standard for making new discoveries,” Tollaksen explains. “We focus on a paradox, a point where two existing theories intersect but don’t seem to fit together. We use our intuition to come up with new ideas that are provable. The technique has fallen out of practice in science. One of our missions is to re-introduce it at Chapman and more widely. We believe this method can serve as a paradigm for teaching in general.”

“YAKIR HAS BEEN MAKING IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES FOR THE LAST 65 YEARS,” says Jeff Tollaksen, Ph.D., right, founder and co-director of the Institute for Quantum Studies at Chapman.

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Photo by Dave Lauridsen

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Over more than 65 years of research, Gedankenexperiments have yielded many important new discoveries for Aharonov. One of the most significant is the Aharonov-Bohm Effect, which found that particles can be affected by forces located far away. It’s hailed as one of the major quantum theory discoveries of the second half of the 20th century. Other complex discoveries named for Yakir and his collaborators include The Aharonov-Casher Effect (1984), the Aharonov-Anandan Geometric Phase (1987) and the Quantum Random Walk (1993).

THESE THEORIES AND IDEAS HAVE CAPTURED THE PUBLIC IMAGINATION AND CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE PHYSICS:

TWO -WAY TIME In a 1964 paper, Aharonov and colleagues showed that the future reaches back in time and meddles with the past. “We looked at two atoms, identical at the beginning but different at the end of the experiment,” Aharonov notes. “We theorized that the future tells us something new about the system earlier in time even if you can only find out that difference later in time.”

QUANTUM PIGEONS In 2014, Aharonov, Struppa, Tollaksen and others proved that if pigeons were the size of atoms, three could fit in two pigeonholes and never share the same space. Showing that the result of an experiment is not determined from the beginning raises the possibility that the future will influence the past. A 2016 paper from the team won the Cozzarelli Prize from the National Academy of Sciences for best paper of the year.

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WEAK MEASUREMENT Quantum physicists have long lamented that the act of observing subatomic particles changes their behavior. In 1988, Aharonov and his team proposed essentially spying on them, with tiny “weak” measurements. The little glimpses made in the dark must be made thousands of times but add up to solid evidence that’s allowed physicists to study new aspects of the subatomic world. Weak measurements allowed researchers from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and at the University of Rochester to prove Aharonov’s discoveries concerning time.

THE CHESHIRE CAT In 2013, Aharonov, Popescu and others published a paper in the New Journal of Physics finding that a photon and one of its properties – polarization – can exist independently.

They open the paper with a quote from Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland”: “All right,” said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone. “Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin,” thought Alice, “but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!”

THE QUANTUM REVOLUTION: A NEW ‘SPACE RACE’ IN DATA PROCESSING

BY DENNIS ARP Justin Dressel doesn’t exactly fit Justin Dressel, Ph.D. the profile of a revolutionary. But make no mistake, he wants Chapman University at the front lines of an emerging battleground in quantum technology. That’s because research in this realm could transform information processing, affecting critical areas of the economy and national security.

SUPEROSCILLATION In collaboration with Struppa and others, Aharonov found in 1989 that low-energy light emits strong, high-energy waves of light if glimpsed through a tiny opening. “This has amazing potential for use in microscopy, where you would need very high-frequency light to distinguish between two atoms very close together,” Struppa says.

“It’s very exciting. I still remember when Yakir first proposed it in my back yard after dinner with a group of mathematicians and physicists. We opened a bottle of good Scotch, Yakir puffed on his cigar and we brought out easels and white boards. Yakir has the unique ability to explain profound new concepts in simple, low-tech ways that allow others to contribute. And he has a way of reexplaining something, as you work on it for months or years, that looks at an idea from a slightly different angle every time so you start to see the shape of it. His mind is like a diamond – he cuts to the core of things without the dust of technical details you don’t need at first.”

BACK TO THE FUTURE? Meanwhile, in the car headed for Chapman on that summer morning, Aharonov is talking about the past, the present and the future.

“I’ve been thinking big questions about time and the universe since I was a child, as all children do. I just never stopped, and my parents encouraged my work,” he says. Now, he finds himself turning more often to a question on the human scale. “If effects from the future determine what I do in the present, such as in the movie ‘Back to the Future,’ do I have free will?” he asks. “I believe we do. Nature protects freedom of choice. Einstein was troubled by the uncertainty he saw in physics and said God doesn’t play dice with the universe.

I’ve asked instead why God would play dice – what is gained? We’re finding this uncertainty is what protects free will. Freedom of choice is at the core of things.”

Recent reports detail China’s ambitions for global leadership in quantum technology. A new “space race” is developing, and the United States is at risk of falling behind.

“If the potential of this technology is realized and we aren’t leading the charge as a nation, it could have disastrous consequences for data security and the tech sector,” says Dressel, Ph.D., associate professor and program director for the physics faculty at Chapman.

Congress is concerned enough that in December 2018 it funded the National Quantum Initiative (NQI), seeking to empower academic and industry research partnerships – “to bring us out of our caves to more explicitly work together,” Dressel says.

Chapman is partnering with other Southern California institutions in hopes of answering this call to collaborate.

WHERE THEORY MEETS APPLICATION Dressel’s contribution is particularly important because his research straddles the worlds of quantum theory and experimentation and has received support from the Department of Defense.

“Each group speaks a different language, so a certain amount of translation is required,” Dressel says. “I speak both languages, which greases the wheels for productive collaboration.”

The working group, known for now as Quantum LA, includes schools such as USC, UCLA and Caltech. If the collaborative lands National Science Foundation funding, it will become one of just five or six such NSF-funded NQI centers nationally, Dressel says.

Many hurdles remain, but the initiative’s goal is clear: to fully explore the potential of quantum technology to revolutionize communication, sensing and computing. This is a critical time, Dressel notes, because the speed of conventional computation has started to plateau.

“We’ve miniaturized to the point where we can’t go much smaller – computer processors and transistors are bumping up against atomic scale,” he says. “We have to use the entire theory of quantum mechanics, not the simplified version we’ve used up to this point.”

Quantum computing offers the potential for previously unattainable speed and for solving vexing problems, like simulating the structure of complex molecules. At the same time, quantum communication could reshape the world of data security.

“What happens if a country can hack into any other government on the planet?” Dressel asks. “We had better be the first to develop counter technologies.”

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L EAP OF ART

By Dawn Bonker

ON STAGE AND IN THE CLASSROOM, MUSCO CENTER PERFORMERS ENRICH SCHOLARLY EXPLORATIONS.

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WHEN A PERFORMANCE BEGINS WITH INTRODUCTIONS, EXPECT THAT A CONVERSATION WILL FOLLOW.

As the curtain rose for “The Veteran’s Project” at Chapman University’s Musco Center for the Arts, a crisp line of dancers appeared on a shadowy stage, barely illuminated by spotlights pointed at each dancer. A mist of fog hung heavy in the air, imparting an otherworldly mood.

One by one, the dancers – many of them military veterans, Chapman students and alumni – bolted forward to shout their names. Each shout was prefaced with a confident “I am …” The contemporary dance that followed was a spectacular performance built around large set pieces – not for nothing is the Los Angelesbased dance company’s name Diavolo/Architecture in Motion.

But those named performers were not strangers anymore, so when the house lights returned and the dancers and choreographer assembled on stage for a Q&A, the experience grew into something unlike typical arts performances. And everyone came away a little bit changed, perhaps most of all the students – many of whom are in the College of Performing Arts.

Therein lies the soul of Musco Center’s new Leap of Art Initiative, which along with Musco’s companion master classes is creating an integrated, rewarding experience for students, as well as moving performances for audiences. Together, the artist residencies and special programs planned into Musco’s regular season are part of its expanding role as an academic player within the University and the community beyond.

“Works of art can say things that can't be said in words,” said Richard T. Bryant, Musco Center executive director.

The Diavolo performance of a specially commissioned piece featured a company of dancers that included eight service veterans drawn from the local community. The piece was designed to connect to the University’s growing number of veterans in its student body.

Last year, Chapman established its new Veterans Resource Center, and the University now has more than 100 veterans and military dependents enrolled as students.

The Musco experience was profound for Chapman student Justin Stirewalt ’22, an Air Force veteran enrolled in Chapman’s screen acting program and one of the professional dancers selected for The Veterans Project. The demands of Diavolo pushed him to grow in unexpected ways beyond the learning of new dance moves modified to safeguard a damaged knee but still keep him in the work.

“It changed my perception of myself and things I thought I couldn’t do, mentally or physically,” he says. “There were a lot of times that I had to determine the difference between things I didn’t want to do and things I physically can’t do. And that distinction has been very helpful for me. That’s a dialogue that every single past and current military member has to have at some point.”

Musco’s Leap of Art programming expands on multiple areas of scholarly focus at Chapman, including behavioral therapy and the history of the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II. In spring 2020, students will work with Kevin Spencer, a worldrenowned illusionist and teaching artist who has developed strategies for including magic and art-based therapy in the treatment of traumatic brain injury, autism and Alzheimer’s. A performance of the Mac King Comedy Magic Show at Musco will cap off his weeklong residency.

Similarly, art and history will intersect for faculty, students and participants in Chapman’s planned WWII Japanese-American Incarceration Memory Project. They’ll study with composer and

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Above: Chapman student and alumni dancers join with their Diavolo company colleagues for a discussion after the performace of "The Veteran's Project" at Musco Center. Top right: Chapman dancers, from left, Mo Goodfellow ’20, Maddie Miller ’21 and Amanda Ellis ’21 leap into rehearsal.

Bottom right: Casey Whitaker of The Second City Touring Company conducts an improv exercise with CU theatre students. filmmaker Kishi Bashi — the stage name of the classically trained violinist Kaoru Ishibashi — when he returns to campus for a weeklong residency that concludes with an April 1 concert of music from his new film “Onoiyari.” The documentary and album feature music the artist created in locations relevant to the Japanese American Incarceration during WWII. Such connections also spring from the center’s robust Musco master class schedule, another arm of Musco programming that bridges classroom learning with real-world experience. The master class offerings put students and guests in intimate workshops, Q&A discussions and rehearsals with the renowned performers, scholars and artists performing at Musco. (Circle of Friends members are invited to observe.)

Among this fall’s master class highlights were a Q&A with presidential historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin, side-by-side rehearsals with the musicians from the world-renowned Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, and madcap workshops with the groundbreaking improvisational comedy company Second City.

When Second City performed at Musco, a handful of students joined the troupe on stage for a portion of the show, including screen acting major Stephanie Reedy ’21.

“It was an incredible opportunity. Certainly, Second City doesn’t come to every university.

It’s such a name and everyone knows about it in the improv world,” Reedy said. “It felt very big to have these pros come in and work with us right on campus.”

It’s all part of the magic Musco’s programming adds to the learning experience, says Chapman Provost Glenn Pfeiffer, Ph.D. “They contribute to Chapman’s promise to deliver personalized learning and meaningful community engagement. The Leap of Art Initiative extends that spirit of learning to the community by designing performance events that include unique artist and audience interactions in a university setting,” Pfeiffer says. “We all benefit from these creative and intellectual collaborations.”

“WORKS OF ART CAN SAY THINGS THAT CAN'T

Students like Reedy couldn’t agree more. Improv may be fleeting, but the memories are lasting.

BE SAID IN WORDS.” Richard T. Bryant, Musco Center executive director

“Everybody in the audience was laughing and having a good time,” she says. “It was a crazy cool experience.”

UPCOMING AT MUSCO CENTER APRIL 1 2020

Kishi Bashi With Chamber Orchestra The concert culminates a Leap of Art residency during which the performer works with faculty, students and participants in Chapman’s WWII Japanese-American Incarceration Memory Project.

More info: muscocenter.org

APRIL 17 2020

Henry Louis Gates Jr. The host of “Finding Your Roots” on PBS discusses his research on how genealogy and genetics provide greater understanding of history and appreciation for cultural diversity. Gates’ visit includes a master class with Chapman students.

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WHY IS PARANORMAL

BELIEF

ON THE RISE?

BY BRITTANY HANSON PHOTOS BY DENNIS ARP

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RESEARCH REVEALS A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT AWAY FROM STRUCTURED SYSTEMS TOWARD FAITH IN THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

B

igfoot, aliens, ghosts and psychic abilities used to be the stuff of checkout-line tabloids and daytime TV. But now these, and many more beliefs like them, are securing a spot in the mainstream.

A majority of Americans – 52% and rising – profess to having a paranormal belief or experience. Are belief systems becoming more “out there,” or does this rise in acceptance of the paranormal tell us something larger about a shift in how people come to develop their beliefs?

This is the compound question Chapman University research professor Christopher Bader, Ph.D., sought to investigate in his book “Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture.”

“Belief in the paranormal is no longer a fringe subject,” says Bader, who co-leads Chapman’s Institute for Religion, Economics and Society with professors Ann Gordon, Ph.D., and Edward Day, Ph.D. The three are principal investigators on the annual Chapman University Survey of American Fears.

Bader has published widely on paranormal experiences, fear, sociology, deviance, criminology, the sociology of religion and education. He has embedded with Bigfoot hunts, talked with UFO encounter support groups and gone on and organized ghost hunts.

The research for “Paranormal America” pulls information from five survey projects that involve Bader, drawing from a combined survey set of more than 4,000 respondents.

The research shows that the trend toward paranormal beliefs and experiences embraces a broad pantheon of ideas. Some believers in the paranormal search the skies for unexplained lights, go on late-night hunts for ghosts or hike through North American woods in search of Bigfoot.

”Belief in the paranormal is no longer a fringe subject,“ says Christopher Bader, Ph.D., Chapman research professor and author of ”Paranormal America.“

Some believe in the lost city of Atlantis, demon possession, prophetic dreams, reiki, healing sounds, power crystals and tarot cards. The intensity of belief also varies widely.

THE PARANORMAL IS PERSONAL One commonality is that people don’t like it when others tell them what to believe, Bader says. “They’re hearing, ‘Here’s what God is, here’s what God wants, here’s what God says is right and wrong.’ If you walk into your church and you say, ‘I’m seeing a ghost,’ they can say, ‘No you didn’t,’ and that’s it,” Bader says.

These days, Bader’s research reveals that people are less likely to let outside forces dictate their beliefs. The shift from institutional to personal belief structures could be one reason for the rise in the reports of paranormal experiences, he says.

With the paranormal, Bader notes, things are extremely democratic, except as they affect atheists and the intensely religious. These groups are the least likely to report paranormal beliefs or experiences.

“It’s because they’re convinced it’s something else,” Bader says. Each of these groups has a strictly bound belief system already in place, he adds.

Research indicates that people tend to focus on a particular area of paranormal interest based less on what they know and more on what they feel or see.

“The paranormal is about people who have experienced something,” says Bader. “The people who are the most into it are the people who have experienced it for themselves.”

SURVEY FINDINGS Professor Bader’s research shows that…

25% of Americans have read or researched the world of ghosts, hauntings and apparitions.

67.9%

of women respondents

63.3%

of male respondents

Report a belief in Atlantis.

MEN are more likely to connect with the paranormal via cryptozoology, or animals of folklore (Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Chupacabra).

59.1%

of women respondents

52.1%

of male respondents

Report a belief in haunted places.

WOMEN

are more drawn to New Age connections (psychics, mediums, astrology, ghost contact).

MARRIED = UNMARRIED Married and unmarried people are equally likely to chase Bigfoot.

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Flash Fiction We had a flash of inspiration.

What if we devised a contest to showcase the creative talents of Chapman people alongside the power to inspire of works in the University’s Hilbert Museum of California Art? All aboard for a literary journey into our inaugural Flash Fiction Competition.

From dozens of entries – all 500 words or fewer – our judges selected three winning stories, which we present on these pages. Each story kindles a compelling narrative from the spark of an idea found in some facet of a Hilbert painting.

Our first-place honoree, Heather Bourbeau, crafted a story of post-war loneliness after finding her muse in this painting – “Love With a Perfect Stranger” by Robert Maquire.

“The title of the piece really inspired me. When somebody’s a perfect stranger, it’s all about your projection. And how the recipient of that projection can use that,” said Bourbeau, a two-time nominee for a Pushcart Prize for short fiction who toured the Hilbert virtually, via the museum website.

“There is something about just appreciating the artworks on their own and seeing what other stories they can offer,” she says.

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

“Vichy, 1949”

By Heather Bourbeau Inspired by “Love With a Perfect Stranger”

First Place

story

Heather Bourbeau is a writer and journalist whose work has been published in numerous magazines and journals, including The Stockholm Review of Literature and The Economist. She has worked with various UN agencies, including the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia.

Robert Maguire, “Love With a Perfect Stranger (The Train Station),” 1982, romance novel cover, acrylic on board. The Hilbert Collection.

They must always believe, if only for a moment, that they alone can satisfy my desires, that they can open a part of my soul no one has ever seen before, that I am rich and young and vaguely Catholic. If there is one thing that I have learned in these few years since the war, it’s that no one likes a reminder of their ill deeds and no man is above flattery.

I find my mark, usually at a café near a train station. Commuters and dreamers are the easiest. One seeks a way out of their daily tedium, the other a playmate in their quest for more, simply more. I order a single espresso, play with a wedding ring I took from the woman, our neighbor, who hid with us for two years before she killed herself. I pretend to rummage for a cigarette in the silver case I inherited by default when no one else was left, then I look around the café, straddling the line between desperate and aloof, between taken and available.

Without fail, a man will come to my rescue, sometimes with the offer of a cigarette, often with the hint at much, much more. I will withhold laughing at how they want to appear so brave, so in control when they were all such cowards, such whimpering little cowards who now

embrace nihilism and existentialism as if these will somehow ease the pain, somehow change their histories.

I protest, reject, then lean closer, touch his arm, mourn my husband, and finally say softly, looking into his eyes, “I have missed this – the banter, the companionship.” And in nearly a whisper, “Thank you.” Strength and vulnerability – a most seductive combination in peacetime.

It may last an hour, a night, a month, a year, and in the end, I will have gotten a room, an apartment, a wardrobe, a commitment, a lament, or at least a meal. Before we part, I may look angry, wistful, heartbroken, or confused. I will walk with him to the train station. I will be sure to wear the scarf he gave me, the hat he loved. I will wait until his train arrives. I will cry real tears for all that he, his brother, or his father took from me with firearms or with silence. I will wipe his wet cheek or clutch the letter he spent all night crafting, and I will promise to always remember him.

And once the train’s steam is all that is left, I will sleep and shower and eat on his money for days before I realize, perhaps only for a moment, that I might actually miss the companionship, and start again.

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Flash Fiction Paint Me a Story

By Dawn Bonker What a crazy idea. Write a very short story for a contest with a deadline looming just one day away. Oh, and the submission must be inspired by artwork exhibited at a special museum.

Nevertheless, Chapman University screenwriting student Rachel Ledesma ’21 thought she’d give it a try. She learned of our contest in a class – “Writing the Short Story” with Professor Lisa Cupolo – and dashed to the Hilbert Museum of California Art on the west side of campus. A photo-realistic oil painting of a downtown Los Angeles street scene captured her imagination. She was hooked.

“People really appreciate paintings that tell stories.”

Mark Hilbert (above), co-founder of the Hilbert Museum of California Art

That’s how the story “Nada, Nada, Brown” landed Ledesma second place in the Chapman Magazine Flash Fiction Competition.

“That is arguably my favorite street in LA,” Ledesma said of “Broadway, Los Angeles,” the inspiration for her story.

Sometimes quirky, often leaning toward high-impact snapshots or scenes, flash fiction challenges writers to do a lot with little. Yes, Twitter comes to mind. But so, too, does this sad little tale that legend attributes to Ernest Hemingway – “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.”

Short fiction comes in many sizes and goes by many names, from sudden and micro to dribble and drabble. Among creative writing students, flash fiction is a popular but not easy form for experimentation, says Anna Leahy, Ph.D., director of Chapman’s MFA in Creative Writing program.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

“As a collector I like to look for paintings that tell a story. Because people really appreciate paintings that tell stories of economic history, social history and in some cases, geographic history – paintings of places that don’t exist anymore,” he says.

“People tell stories, and if you have people in your paintings, then you have a story.”

Such serendipity helped shape each of the top stories in this inaugural contest, which challenged writers to craft flash fiction inspired by Hilbert Museum artworks.

What is Flash Fiction?

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The idea of fiction inspired by paintings or illustrations resonates with Mark Hilbert, founder of the University museum that celebrates California Scene painting and other works by artists of the Golden State. Unlike California Plein-Air, which emphasizes impressionistic styles and landscapes, California Scene painting nearly always includes people or signs of their humanity, from Depression-era factory workers to a graceful freeway overpass. Plein-Air is lovely, but Hilbert’s heart is with people.

“Flash fiction requires focus sentence by sentence and forces decisions about what's necessary and what can be left out. It often challenges assumptions about plot as well, which can be used to surprise the reader or create surprising depth in brevity,” Leahy says.

“Nada, Nada, Brown”

By Rachel Ledesma ’21 Inspired by "Broadway, Los Angeles”

Second Place

story

Rachel Ledesma ’21 is a screenwriting major and English minor at Chapman.

Her stories have been published in the literary magazine Calliope.

Patricia Chidlaw, “Broadway, Los Angeles,” 2017, oil on canvas. Gift of the Hilbert Collection to the Hilbert Museum of California Art.

Saw a Guatemalan man get shot off Fourth and Broadway. One bullet between his shoulder blades and he was down on his knees. When he fell onto his face everyone turned and walked away. I stood there watching as the cement turned purple. My skin was darker than his. I ran east on Fourth all the way to Abuela’s house. As she went to kiss me, I told her I saw a man die. No sympathy, just a slap across my left cheek. “No viste nada, mijo. No sabe nada sobre esto.” The way she repeated it like a Hail Mary, I thought she was going to bring out her rosary. Instead, she handed me a tin foil lunch and said: “Vete.” I filled up my Z-car’s tank with her Sunday morning offering money and got onto the 10.

Drove nowhere but straight until traffic became a parking lot and then a wall. I pulled over at a liquor store in Koreatown and called my sister, told her, “Va voy.” Asked the liquor store clerk for the bathroom key and he asked me what type of brown I was, like there was a bad kind.

Held my piss in as I got back into my car. I unwrapped the tin foil lunch Abuela had made me and shoved the tortilla sandwich in my mouth as I got onto the 101. Pushed 90 miles per hour all the way, rehearsing what I’d tell the cop who pulled me over, but he never did. I made the sign of the cross over my chest and got off the freeway.

It started raining as I pulled up to my sister’s house on Olympic. I knocked on the front door and she greeted me like a stranger. It had only been a month, but I didn’t recognize her. Her face was powdered pale and her hair was straight. She smelled clean, like expensive shampoo and store-bought soap. “Por qué parece a esto? I asked her.

“Like what?” she said in English. She took me inside and I met her blue-eyed roommate.

My sister cooked me chicken with no spice. I swallowed it without chewing. “Quién eres?” I asked her. “What are you saying, I don’t understand you?” she said, laughing like I made a joke. Then she sat down next to me and whispered in my ear: “Stop speaking Spanish.

We’re not Mexican, we’re Greek, or Italian. Whatever they believe more.” One look in her eyes and I knew it was time for me to go. I got back in my Z-car and drove until I reached Broadway. By then it had stopped raining, but the gutters were still flooded with thick, muddy water. Staring out the window at the corner where I saw the man die, I saw the freshly cleaned cement and felt the memory erase. “No vi nada, no sé nada,” I said to myself, knowing I could never pass for Greek, or Italian, or anything but brown.

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Flash Fiction Hilbert Museum: A State of Change

By Mary Platt In the four years since the Hilbert Museum of California Art opened on the Chapman University campus – thanks to the generosity of founders Mark and Janet Hilbert – we’ve grown by leaps and bounds. Starting with an attendance of fewer than 5,000 that first year, we hit a milestone 30,000 visitors in 2019, with museumgoers coming from 36 states and 20 countries. In 2018, the Hilbert Museum was named Best Museum in the county by OC Weekly, and it is now a top-rated Southern California attraction on Yelp and TripAdvisor.

At the root of this success is the Hilbert Museum’s emphasis on art that tells a story.

It’s the story of us – Californians – in all our diversity and complexity. The art in our museum recounts the Golden State’s cultural and historical shifts over more than a century, from the rancho period to the Great Depression, from industrial development in the years leading up to World War II to the growth of Hollywood.

The Hilbert Museum also has an important academic mission at Chapman, providing study opportunities for students that are interwoven into the academic priorities of the University. Film, art, literature, even science classes visit to absorb the works of these outstanding artists. A vibrant schedule of programming, from live performances to fascinating lectures, continually brings in new audiences.

The Hilbert Museum will soon undertake a transformative expansion. Construction— set to begin in 2021—will quadruple our exhibition space to more than 30,000 square feet. There will be permanent galleries exploring the history of California art as well as a gallery of Native American art, American Design gallery, lecture hall, screening room, book shop, coffee bar and more.

The Hilbert Museum is open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

More information is at hilbertmuseum.org.

Mary Platt is director of the Hilbert Museum of California Art.

Our Judges Professor James Blaylock teaches in Chapman’s MFA in Creative Writing program. He is one of the literary pioneers of the Steampunk movement, and his short stories, novels and collections have been published around the world. His latest book, “The Gobblin' Society,” is due out in February. He is currently writing a mystery novel set in an imaginary community akin to the place both he and Chapman call home – Old Towne Orange.

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Sarah Nicole Smetana ’09 grew up in Orange, where she wrote songs, played in a few bands and successfully pilfered all of her parents’ best vinyl records.

She received her BFA in creative writing from Chapman and her MFA in fiction from The New School. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their three-legged cat. Her first novel, “The Midnights,” was published by HarperTeen/HarperCollins.

Join Us! Meet some of the authors and see the artworks that inspired their stories.

Flash Fiction Reception Friday, April 3 4 to 6 p.m.

Hilbert Museum of California Art 167 N. Atchison St. Orange

“The Freeway”

By Ross Loehner ’04 (MLD ’16) Inspired by “Under the Freeway” and “Cloverleaf Confusion”

Third Place

story

Ross Loehner ’04 (MLD ’16) brings an array of creative talents to his work in Chapman’s marketing and communications office. His graphic novel illustrations appeared in the 2015 “SPARK” issue of Chapman Magazine.

Top: Edward Biberman, “Under the Freeway,” c. 1950, oil on board. The Hilbert Collection.

Bottom: Emil Kosa Jr., “Cloverleaf Confusion,” 1950s, watercolor on paper. The Hilbert Collection.

My dad likes to reminisce about racing his old Ford Mustang through the California freeways when he was younger, weaving over and under those giant concrete snakes. It reminds him of 1980s movies set in dark, dystopian worlds, where oddly the technological advancements were from utopian dreams. I was too young to remember racing around with him or watching his ridiculous movies, but trust me when I say I could parrot his stories word-for-word.

I know the chaotic yet ordered circuit of roads that connect city-to-city and culture-to-culture inspires him in his work as a computer scientist.

Calling him a nerd for complex networks is a bit of an understatement.

I should probably have said inspired, though, as today is his last day at work, and most likely of his career.

To everyone else, he’s retiring, but to me and the ungrateful company he works for, we know he was forced to leave. I don’t ever want to use the term obsolete for a person, but that is essentially how the company views my dad.

To complicate the situation, I actually work alongside my father, but I was not terminated. In the past year, our paths diverged and I just happened to go down the more desirable road. Being young, cheap and hungry for deep learning doesn’t hurt either in this cutthroat world. But the company will never admit to that.

My dad taught me everything I know, and to his credit, when I started I could barely add ones and zeros. I know he’s proud of me and doesn't blame me for the situation he’s in, but it still has to hurt. I actually think he blames himself, but I also sense a bit of prideful joy.

In the early years of the digital age, Dad was referred to as a coding cowboy, sloppy but effective. He blazed a path for many of us youngsters.

I was lucky to not only watch him grow but learned directly from his almost godlike ways. He was amazing, connecting dots that had no business being connected. I remember one time as we worked on a project together, he just sat there staring at me with a smile on his face, pride in his work and as a father.

As I now watch the team pass around pieces of motherboard-shaped cake at his “retirement” party, I can only think of how much I respect this man. I think deep down he knew this day would come from the moment he started; yet he pushed without reservation. I’m not sure if it’s some weird legacy thing or he just knows it’s time to put down the keyboard, but he looks happy … or free.

I know tomorrow Dad will go racing through the California freeways once again and feel the thrill of the over and under. I will hold on to this thought as I sit on this cold table 24/7 processing his code that created me.

FEBRUARY 2020

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CHAPMAN NOW

CU LAUNCHES PARTNERSHIP WITH CATALINA ISLAND MUSEUM The Wrigley family's involvement in the development of Avalon as a tourist destination is one aspect of Catalina Island history to be explored and chronicled by Wilkinson College students.

A new partnership between Chapman University and The Catalina Island Museum will provide new opportunities for research and scholarship to students in Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Starting in interterm 2021, Chapman students will begin taking classes on the island 22 miles off the California coast, thanks to the experiential learning program being crafted jointly by Wilkinson and The Catalina Island Museum in Avalon. Students will get hands-on experience creating museum exhibits. Multiple teams will research the area’s history, design exhibitions and visitor materials, and craft a marketing and publicity plan for the museum.

“This innovative collaboration has great potential to enhance the impact of both Chapman University and The Catalina Island Museum on Southern California communities,” said Chapman University President Daniele C. Struppa. “I see countless possibilities for this relationship now and into the future.”

In 2016, the Catalina museum relocated to a new $9.2 million facility, allowing it to expand its exhibits and programs.

“Because of the museum’s size in the past, we weren’t able to play a role in education, which is a major focus and function of most institutions,” museum executive director Julie Perlin Lee told The Orange County Register. “Our museum is making a shift for the first time to an institution that embraces scholarship.”

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As the museum plans new offerings, Chapman students will make substantive contributions, said Jennifer D. Keene, Ph.D., dean of Wilkinson College.

“Many people mistakenly believe that it’s impractical to major in arts, humanities and social sciences,” Keene said.“Our students learn valuable skills that are completely transferable to multiple careers. This innovative program demonstrates the opportunities open to Wilkinson majors who can research, innovate and create.”

Logistics are still being worked out, Keene said. Students may stay on the island or take periodic ferry trips.

“The interdisciplinary aspects of the program are especially exciting by bringing together students studying art, history, creative industries and languages,” she said. “It’s not just a class project. Students will have the satisfaction of seeing their work integrated into exhibits that will be displayed over several months. I cannot wait for the opening night event!”

In addition to the Catalina interdisciplinary program, Wilkinson is home to multiple, innovative minors, Keene noted.

Santa Catalina Island has a rich history, including settlement some 7,000 years ago by the Tongva Native Americans, arrival by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542, and development of Avalon as a tourist destination by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. in the 1920s.

A new $9.2 million facility allows The Catalina Island Museum to showcase works by sculpture artist Elizabeth Turk as well as increase the museum's connection to scholarship.

CHAPMAN NOW

Jennifer D. Keene, Ph.D.

At the Heart of the Chapman Experience

BY STACE DUMOSKI

New Wilkinson College Dean Jennifer Keene wants to bridge disciplines as she fuels a growing intellectual energy.

"These students we're educating, the people who are going to shape this world – what kind of education do we want them to have?” That’s the big question Jennifer D. Keene has on her mind as the new dean of Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

what a liberal arts education is,” she says. “You can't have a university without us. We really have a unique responsibility at Chapman because we play an essential part in the education of every single student here. This is where Chapman comes together as a community.”

Though an administrative career was not something Keene had ever planned, answering the big-picture questions was important enough that she set aside her own teaching and research goals as a historian to focus on the whole of Wilkinson College.

Keene has been a part of the Chapman community for many years, serving previously as chair of the History Department.

An internationally recognized scholar who has written three books on World War I history, Keene has also served as president of the Society of Military History.

“The arts, humanities and social sciences have a really important role to play for every student here, no matter their passion,” says Keene, Ph.D. “And I want not just to say it, but to demonstrate it. I want people to really believe it.”

Keene acknowledges the work of her predecessor as dean, Patrick Feury, Ph.D., in reorienting the Wilkinson faculty toward research. “There's just a

One of Keene’s priorities as dean is to establish more intentional relationships between Wilkinson and the other colleges.

The goal is to develop concentrations that satisfy general education requirements but are also more obviously relevant to students in other majors.

The point is not to transform a history major into a biology major, but if you’re

“The arts, humanities and social sciences have a really important role to play for every student here, no matter their passion.” tremendous sort of intellectual energy from all of this professional engagement and scholarship and creative activity,” Keene says.

She’s determined to bring more attention to that work, while also pushing back against the common impression that studying the arts and humanities is impractical.

“I've seen this university change, and a lot of great things have happened here,” says Keene. “But I feel we're at a moment that if we don't reassert the importance of our disciplines, it's just going to be harder and harder to ensure that this humanistic education remains a core value at Chapman University.”

a student who wants to become a doctor, “maybe you should know something about the history of medicine,” she says.

“Maybe you should know something about ethics.”

She points to interdisciplinary programs like Global Communications and World Languages, Environmental Science and Policy, and Engineering and Graphic Design as the types of collaborative programs she hopes to encourage.

She’s also spearheading a Wilkinson talent award fund, to provide supplemental scholarships to students.

“I just hate to think that it's the money component that sways a student from studying their passion,” she says.

Wilkinson is the oldest part of the University and remains at “the heart of FEBRUARY 2020

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CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

CHAPMAN NOW

THE DANGERS OF VAPING

BY BRITTANY HANSON

Chapman Professor Georgiana Bostean is helping to turn research findings into policy recommendations.

Where there is smoke, there’s fire, but in the case of vaping, there has also been a mist of uncertainty. Chapman University Professor Georgiana Bostean is working on writing policy for a national public health organization to bring clarity to a practice that has seen a spike in illnesses, injuries and even deaths.

The popular tobacco practice of vaping has been in the news recently because of more than 2,400 U.S. cases of illness and injury as well as 52 deaths (as of Dec. 18, 2019). Most striking is that about 79% of victims are younger than 35, according to reports from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Vaping products are advertised as an alternative to smoking for existing tobacco users, but the CDC notes that marketing campaigns tend to be aimed at younger consumers.

Bostean, Ph.D., a demographer and professor double-appointed in the Department of Sociology and Schmid College of Science and Technology, has been researching e-cigarette trends and data since 2014. She is a contributing writer for a project updating the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) policy statement concerning vaping, assessing for the recent deaths and illnesses. Her current research focuses on teen access to vape products and the location of vape retailers in relation to schools.

Bostean noted CDC statistics confirming that teen use of e-cigarettes in 2017-2018 jumped from about 12% to 21%. That’s 1 in 5 students reporting that in 2018 they used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days. In 2011, the figure was only 1.5%.

Portability, options for Professor Georgiana Bostean, Ph.D., is a contributing writer for a project discreet use, and candyupdating the American Public Health Association's policy statement inspired flavors give concerning vaping. vaping products added appeal to teen audiences, Bostean says. With that appeal comes Bostean says that while the FDA has since increased access to products linked with begun conducting retailer inspections, vape doctored devices and chemical mixes. shops mixing their own juices are now considered “manufacturers” as well as retailers, An early study of 17 cases of injury and and must apply for approval for both. illness was published in a paper from the New England Journal of Medicine in early “There are many products that continue to be October. The paper reported not pneumoniasold that have not been approved or tested,” like conditions, as first suspected, but overall Bostean says. inflammation and lung damage. Many of those cases, in-line with reports from the CDC, involved the combination of vaping with illicit Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products.

“The most recent recommendation from FDA and CDC is to stop vaping all THCcontaining products, and not to use ‘off the street’ products,” said Bostean. “The outbreak was not confined to users of a particular brand or type of vaping device and there were, in fact, cases – over 10% – in which patients reported vaping only nicotine-containing products.

Some vaping devices allow users to modify the juice contents, so the recommendation is that users not modify or add anything to juices.”

While a manufacturer like Juul may operate with regulation in product creation or production, even with FDA rulings, there is not a precise standard for how to mix or combine the liquids used in vaping or vaperelated products.

FEBRUARY 2020

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20

TH Anniversary Celebration

VIBRANT VISION A surprise $10 million gift from the Argyros Family puts the focus on the future as the Argyros School celebrates a milestone anniversary.

By Dawn Bonker

COMMEMORATE TWO DECADES OF GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT. THEN CAME THE CAPPER – A CELEBRATORY SURPRISE. To mark the occasion of 20 years since the naming of the George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics at Chapman University, the Argyros Family announced an unexpected gift of $10 million to the Argyros School’s endowment.

Julia Argyros and Lisa Argyros ’07 unveiled the news during a special fundraiser featuring former President George W. Bush on Oct. 9.

President Bush’s visit was part of the University’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of the transformational naming gift made by Julia and George Argyros, who served President Bush as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra.

“

Dare to dream. Take advantage of the ability to think big and reach high.

Be willing to take risks.

Fight courageously for the principles

Lisa Argyros, daughter of The Honorable George L. Argyros ’59 and chair of the event, announced, “We as a family are so inspired by all of you, by the money that we’ve raised here tonight and so moved by being with all of the people that we love, and we love this school so much that we want to donate $10 million toward the future of the Argyros School.”

“George and I see three Argyros children involved in Chapman today,” said Julia Argyros. “and it now looks like you’re stuck with us for a long time.”

The gift was met with applause by the crowd of 350 business leaders and CEOs.

- The Honorable George L. Argyros ‘59

“I don’t know how to express the gratitude,” said Chapman President Daniele Struppa. “You have been a tremendous support to this school, and once again you have demonstrated your love. I want you to know we are grateful for the University, but we are grateful for our students.”

”

The gift, coupled with the $5 million raised by the evening event, pushes the school’s endowment to $64 million. Chapman recently launched a “50 for 50” campaign to help support the next generation of scholars at the Argyros School. The goal is to enhance the student

you believe in.

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IT WAS A NIGHT TO

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Former President George W. Bush was presented with the Chapman University Global Citizen Medal as part of the Argyros School anniversary celebration. experience by propelling the Argyros School into the top 50 in the U.S. News & World Report business school rankings by raising $50 million, thus increasing the Argyros School’s total endowment to $100 million.

Today the Argyros School is among the top business schools in U.S. News & World Report rankings and offers five graduate programs. The school graduates some 600 students every year, compared with about 180 two decades ago.

Top photo: President Bush shares a light moment with Julia Argyros, Lisa Argyros '07 and Chapman President Daniele Struppa. Bottom photo: President Bush offers insights to Chapman students, including Jose Guadarrama '22 and Nicole Shay '14 (MBA '20).

Such a culture of achievement was precisely what Argyros envisioned for the school named in his honor 20 years ago. In his remarks during that naming dedication, he called for greatness.

“Dare to dream. Take advantage of the ability to think big and reach high. Be willing to take risks. Fight courageously for the principles you believe in,” Argyros said.

Argyros had already long embodied that spirit in his dedication to Chapman, providing leadership and generosity that has played an unparalleled role in Chapman’s rise to national prominence. Argyros was first elected to the Chapman Board of Trustees in 1976 and went on to serve as chairman for 26 years – the longest tenure of anyone in the role.

The Argyros’ generosity at Chapman is visible in other programs across campus, including the Argyros Forum Student Union, the Julianne Argyros Fitness Center, the Ambassador George L. Argyros ’59 Global Citizens Plaza and Julianne Argyros Fountain and the Julianne Argyros Orchestra Hall in Musco Center for the Arts.

FEBRUARY 2020

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CHAPMAN NOW

FROM THE FIBERS OF HISTORY

BY DENNIS ARP

Amir Esfahanian ’17 weaves Old World connections into startup success, leading Rugtomize to victory in the first Panther Cage Match competition.

Extending hundreds of years into history, the family tree of Amir Esfahanian ’17 is rooted in the art of Persian rug-making. To this Old World craftsmanship Esfahanian has added a new-technology twist.

Introducing Rugtomize, the business Esfahanian co-founded and is taking from pre-launch to full-fledged venture in 2020.

On the company’s website, rugtomize.com, Esfahanian and business partner Roy Hasna describe their venture as the first service in the world to create fully customized rugs, “giving clients the freedom to choose the size, color, pattern and material of their product, even allowing them to add personal pictures to the rug if they choose to.”

When Esfahanian talks about his business, he begins with respect for his ancestors in Iran and the craft of rug-making. The Chapman grad seeks to marry that history with computer technology and mechanization, which allow Rugtomize to produce customized rugs quickly and efficiently.

The venture has already reached some key milestones, but the biggest moment so far came during Chapman Family Homecoming in October 2019. That’s when Esfahanian and the Rugtomize team met the test of the University’s first Panther Cage Match, a realityTV-style pitch competition designed to give Chapman student and alumni entrepreneurs real-world experience and a shot at funding from angel investors.

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Rugtomize co-founder Amir Esfahanian '17, center, celebrates the Panther Cage Match victory with company interns Matthew Craig '21, left, and Saman Kash '21.

Besting dozens of competitors, Rugtomize walked away with a Panther Cage Match championship. In addition to praise from the venture capitalists and other business leaders judging the competition, Rugtomize earned the chance to further benefit from the resources available at Chapman’s Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics.

Panther Cage Match was crafted as a forum for entrepreneurs to “grow their ideas and business concepts and help them mature, as well as provide them with some business contacts,” said Mario Leone, director of the Leatherby Center. “Ideally, the competition will help entrepreneurs commercialize their ideas and build their confidence. But ultimately the experience will serve them well whether they become entrepreneurs or marketing executives at Procter & Gamble.”

Esfahanian, who majored in business and minored in psychology of leadership at Chapman, says he continues to benefit from support provided by Launch Labs, the Leatherby Center’s incubator program for student and alumni entrepreneurs.

“Meeting with different entrepreneurs who have hands-on experience, including Mario, has helped us maintain momentum,” Esfahanian says. “It has opened our eyes to how to tackle the marketplace.”

Esfahanian linked up with Launch Labs with the help of Jo Bandy, executive director of Chapman’s Office of Career and Professional Development. The connections just keep growing for Rugtomize, where a Think Chapman First perspective has led to at least five Chapman students bringing their special

expertise to roles ranging from human resources to marketing to videography.

“Two years ago, we had no machinery, no materials, but we had an idea on how to revolutionize the marketplace,” Esfahanian says.

Now that revolution is being supported by outside validation – Rugtomtize won all three rounds of the Panther Cage Match competition.

“It’s an innovative idea, with an understandable product that has potential for broad appeal,” Leone says. “I think the judges also appreciated the scalability.”

For Esfahanian, it all adds up to a dream being knotted and woven into a customized reality.

"Two years ago, we had no machinery, no materials, but we had an idea on how to revolutionize the marketplace."

– Amir Esfahanian '17 co-founder of Rugtomize

CHAPMAN NOW “Using the results of our work, essentially we pushed a button and changed a bunch of prices based on things like genre and popularity,” Danaher says. “Within a week, you could see (EMI’s) revenue line rise. It was clearly a success, and that led to more work.”

Over time, Danaher and others helped the industry embrace analytics, and he added clients like Spotify, NBC Universal and BBC Studios.

Along the way, he has learned what research findings he can publish to advance academic understanding and what he has to protect as proprietary information.

Brett Danaher, Ph.D.

BLOCKBUSTER NUMBERS Using data analytics, Professor Brett Danaher provides insights that drive success for entertainment industry clients.

BY DENNIS ARP

Brett Danaher’s passion for data analytics starts with academic curiosity. That’s important because when he started his research more than a decade ago, he was pioneering systems and collecting data sets without knowing exactly how they might be applied.

These days, he’s building bridges from research to industry application. In a world full of burgeoning digital content, film studios and other entertainment companies now have epic plans for the kind of insights Danaher can provide.

“Even 10 years ago, decisions in entertainment were guided by intuition and gut feel,” says Danaher, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics and management science at Chapman University.

“Now analytics and data are driving decisions of distribution, marketing, promotion and pricing.”

One of Danaher’s first consulting clients and research partners was EMI Music, and the experience taught him a lot about the kind of information entertainment companies crave – principally how to price and distribute digital content.

To continue strengthening the connection between academics and industry, twice each year Danaher organizes conferences in Los Angeles and the U.K., bringing together a range of thought leaders. For the past four years, Chapman has sponsored the Entertainment Analytics Conference.

“It’s a small community, but these firms have a lot of the same problems, and they’re tackling them in their own silos,” Danaher says. “The idea of this conference is to get a small, able group into a room with a good set of rules, and maybe some of the barriers will come down. That’s what we’ve seen happen.”

As Danaher continues to push forward with tools and learning in a fast-evolving field, he is also helping to launch careers. Some of the Chapman interns and research assistants who work with him on projects go on to get jobs with analytics teams at companies such as Disney and Paramount.

Those Chapman students get rigorous training in business analytics courses in Argyros School of Business and Economics as well the data science program in Schmid College of Science and Technology. As they prepare for careers, the students can expect the field of entertainment analytics to require new and demanding skills in econometrics, machine learning, deep learning and predictive analytics.

HOW’D YOU GET

THAT JOB? “I BELIEVE THE TYPE OF WORK MY COLLEAGUES AND I DO SHOULDN’T PUT CONSTRAINTS ON THE CREATIVE PLAYGROUND.”

While industry expectations are growing, so are opportunities, including in realms of creative decision-making, Danaher says. In the future, will we see robots writing scripts and hit songs?

“I believe the type of work my colleagues and I do shouldn’t put constraints on the creative playground,” he says. “But I do want to put data in front of you and let you decide what to do with it.

Tell me the questions you have about audiences, and I can use large data sets and algorithms to parse information so we can find the answers. I get students from Dodge College in my classes, and they seem open to that.”

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CHAPMAN NOW

ALL THE COLORS OF INSPIRATION Showcasing talented performers and generous spirits, Chapman Celebrates raises $1.5 million for student scholarships.

“Thank you for every parent in here who believes in the importance of the arts, because these children, these young adults, are amazing!”

With her words from the stage during Chapman Celebrates, Vanessa Williams seemed to be speaking not just to but for everyone in Musco Center for the Arts.

“You can really see how a dream can come true if you support these students,” added Williams, who in addition to being an international recording artist, Broadway star and best-selling author is also a proud Chapman parent.

Her performance of the Oscar-winning “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s “Pocahontas” was one of many remarkable moments highlighting the annual Broadway-style revue featuring student performers from Chapman’s College of Performing Arts.

After receiving the University’s 2019 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award, Williams turned the limelight back to the Gala Night audience members, whose support for student scholarships painted the evening with all the colors of generosity.

Chapman Celebrates is the University’s single largest fundraiser supporting the Chapman Fund, which has helped generations of students attain their dreams. In fall 2019, this latest

Chapman Celebrates event raised $1.5 million for student scholarships.

Highlights abounded during both nights of the annual celebration. On Opening Night, Emmy-winning television producer Brenda Brkusic Milinkovic ’04 was honored with the Alumni Achievement Award. Then on Gala Night, perhaps the most transformational moment arrived as President Daniele Struppa announced that a $9 million gift from the Simon Foundations would provide scholarships to students in Chapman’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program.

“Ron and Sandi Simon personify what it means to influence change and transform lives,” Struppa said of the Simons, who were honored with the University’s Citizens of the Year Award.

“They focus on helping young students who don’t typically think about college and their results speak for themselves; 98% of Simon Scholars are first-generation students, and 96% are accepted to a four-year college.”

Many future Chapman PA students will have the opportunity to complete their education tuition-free thanks to the new Simon Scholars PA Program.

To learn more about the critical needs being met by the PA Program and the Simon Foundations' gift, please turn to page 6.

Top photo: Ron and Sandi Simon were honored as Citizens of the Year during Chapman Celebrates.

Middle photo: Actress and singer Vanessa Williams, right, enjoys the evening with her mother, Helen Williams, left, and her daughter, Chapman student Sasha Fox '22.

Bottom photo: Emmy-winning TV producer Brenda Brkusic Milinkovic '04 received Chapman's Alumni Achievement Award.

SAVE THE DATE Plan to join us for the

40TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHAPMAN CELEBRATES Nov. 6 and 7, 2020.

More info: chapman.edu/events/ chapman-celebrates 44

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

“Thank you for every parent in here who believes in the importance of the arts, because these children, these young adults, are amazing!�

Vanessa Williams

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5 CHAPMAN NOW

QUESTIONS

1

In Presidential Election Year, Could Women Be the Ticket?

By Dawn Bonker Everyone is talking presidential politics these days. For insight, we tap the expertise of Chapman University presidential scholar Lori Cox Han, Ph.D. Han is a political science professor and author of several books on the presidency, including “In It to Win: Electing Madam President” and most recently “Advising Nixon: The White House Memos of Patrick J. Buchanan.”

Is 2020 the year we see a winning ticket that includes a woman?

At the start of 2019, we had six women running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

That’s phenomenal. It is groundbreaking to see that number increase so dramatically. This campaign cycle has the potential to break some significant barriers. I’ve said this before – if the Democrats don’t have at least one woman on the ticket, they deserve to lose. Because in this political environment, to ignore that opportunity when you have qualified women seeking the nomination would be a level of tone-deafness that could come back to hurt them. It doesn’t guarantee that Democrats will win, but I think it can have more negative results for them moving forward. I’ve gotten a lot of stunned reactions from this idea: If the Democrats really want to roll the dice, they should put two women on the ticket. I think Amy Klobuchar-Kamala Harris could actually be competitive.

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2

Speaking of women on the ticket, is Trump likely to choose a different running mate?

Trump doesn’t really need Mike Pence anymore. Pence helped carry the support of social conservatives, but that voting block is probably going to stick with Trump whether or not Pence is on the ticket, due in part to the fact that Trump delivered on his promise of strict constructionist judges on the federal bench. The scenario that would be fascinating is if, without controversy, he could get Pence off the ticket and replace him with Nikki Haley.

She is one of the rising stars of the party.

3

Some say it’s time to rethink the Electoral College. Thoughts?

The process under which it would have to be removed is a constitutional amendment, unless you want to call a constitutional convention. As fascinating as that would be, I’m afraid of where we’d be as a country if there were a constitutional convention, and I’ll pass on the opportunity to see that. At any rate, a constitutional amendment needs a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate.

Then you need three-fourths of the states to approve it. There just is not a lot of incentive for any state to approve such an amendment.

Lori Cox Han, Ph.D.

4

Is there an issue you’d like to see the candidates pay more attention to?

Debt and the deficit. It keeps going up, and some voters are very concerned about it, but neither party wants to take ownership. Fiscal conservatives are rare in Washington these days.

5

Why are there so many candidates?

We’ve had a switch from partycentered politics to candidatecentered politics for the past few decades.

Parties are weak, and the plurality of voters are independents as opposed to claiming either major party. Also, in this mediadominated environment, there are a lot of incentives for candidates who may not be viable to run anyway as a means to increase their name recognition and/or relevance on the national level for future political or business opportunities.

CHAPMAN NOW

FREE SPEECH AT A CROSSROADS

BY DAWN BONKER

Amid shifting media norms, CU launches a center aimed at advancing a marketplace of ideas.

Things have grown a bit raucous out in the public square lately. Fiery rhetoric shuts down controversial speakers on university campuses, bipartisanship discussions seem like a quaint notion from days of yore, and every morning dawns with a commotion of social media that passes for vetted news.

Chapman University’s new Center for Freedom of Expression and Media Integrity steps into this noisy national conversation with a mission to advance civil discourse. The center is essential and timely, said the center’s dean, speaking at its November launch event.

“Free speech in America is at a crossroads, and the battleground for its future exists on college campuses and in the (media) outlets,” said Lisa Sparks, Ph.D., dean of the School of Communication, where the center is housed. “Our goal is to advance a free media while at the same time monitor and challenge the media bias and assaults on free speech. That is the core of the center.”

Former White House press secretaries Robert Gibbs, left, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders join in a panel discussion with Brian Calle, executive director of Chapman’s new Center for Freedom of Expression and Media Integrity. The event, held at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda, helped launch the center.

“I actually don’t view the press as the enemy of the people and haven’t stated that. What I have said is that I think there is a big problem with fake news on both sides,” Sanders said.

DEFINING FAKE NEWS Asked to define “fake news,” each press secretary offered a different view.

The center formally launched with a debate on the role of media in American politics, partnering two former press secretaries from the Trump and Obama administrations.

“Fake news is information that is not correct, that is not accurate or is purposelessly misleading or laced with so much opinion that it is not news,” Sanders said.

The event at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda featured Robert Gibbs, who served as Obama’s press secretary, and former Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whose invitation sparked criticism and support from throughout the Chapman community. Critics complained that Sanders was not truthful with the press and undercut the role of journalists to inform the public. Supporters countered that her sparring with the media was necessary to defend the president and his administration.

Gibbs defined it as a product of shadowy websites that circulate wholly invented stories, such as false reports claiming Obama was born in Kenya or that there were thousands of uncounted ballots hidden in an Ohio warehouse. The term is widely misused, he said.

Center organizers took the reaction in stride, though, and counted it as an especially appropriate beginning.

‘BRING NEW IDEAS’ “We want to bring that controversy. We want to bring new ideas, different ideas, controversial ideas to the table,” Sparks said.

Indeed, controversy came to the table early in the discussion, moderated

by Brian Calle, the center’s executive director, a Chapman Presidential Fellow and the former opinion editor of the Southern California News Group. Reading a question submitted from the audience, Calle asked Sanders, “Why should we have you come and speak if you view the press as the enemy of the people?” referencing her 2018 clash with CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, who challenged Sanders over the president’s criticism of the media.

“The definition of fake news has been matriculated and widened in a potentially very dangerous way. I get worried that we expand this definition into news where there’s a mistake or news we don’t like,” he said.

“We want to bring that controversy.

We want to bring new ideas.”

– Lisa Sparks Dean of the School of Communication, which houses Chapman’s new Center for Freedom of Expression and Media Integrity

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T

riple-negative breast cancer is a perfect storm of challenges for both patient and physician.

It generally strikes women under 40, spreads beyond the breast and reoccurs after treatment. Unlike other varieties of cancer, it isn’t driven by hormones, so the one-two punch of chemotherapy partnered with newer therapies that target hormone-sensitive tumors isn’t an option. Hence, chemotherapy is the linchpin of treatment against this particularly aggressive disease, which strikes African American women and Latinas and carriers of BRCA gene mutations in disproportionate numbers.

Kamaljit Kaur, Ph.D.

Concentrating the Power of Cancer-Killing Drugs

BY DAWN BONKER

Pharmacy researcher Kamaljit Kaur engineers a targeted therapy that spares healthy cells.

A scientist at Chapman University School of Pharmacy is working to improve how those powerful cancer-killing drugs reach their targets, potentially increasing survival rates for millions of women while easing the abysmal side effects of treatment. Her work is so promising that it earned a three-year, $400,000 grant from the NIH-National Cancer Institute for the project on which Kamaljit Kaur is the principal investigator.

“It’s a very simple idea, really. I’m not doing any fancy laser treatment or radiation. This is just using existing chemotherapy, but making it many times better,” says Kaur, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Center for Targeted Drug Delivery at Chapman.

In essence, Kaur has engineered a kind of molecular radar system and attached it to the therapeutic drugs. Working in her lab with sophisticated robotics and software, she reassembles selected peptides drawn from amino acids contained in larger proteins. The result is a cancer-cell-targeting (binding) peptide.

When connected to medication molecules, this structure helps the chemotherapy agent travel intact until it meets cancer cells and unleashes the tumor-killing payload where it’s needed, rather than throughout the body.

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Sparing healthy cells the ravages of chemotherapy is just one reason targeted drug delivery systems like Kaur’s are a rising area of interest in cancer research.

“These chemotherapy drugs are beautiful,” Kaur says. “They are very powerful, and their mechanisms of action are highly effective in combating cancer. If these drugs can be targeted, they could be significantly more potent in fighting carcinogenic cells.”

In the case of triple-negative breast cancer, targeted therapy could also allow for more intense treatment, often the key to battling this cancer. Many patients can’t tolerate elevated amounts of the potent drugs, though, so doctors are forced to reduce the level of treatment, which can lower cure rates or lead to the development of drug resistance, Kaur says.

She and her colleagues at the City of Hope are still testing the engineered peptide-drug conjugates, also known as PDCs, in mice and say it’s too soon to report even early findings. But results Kaur published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry showed that PDCs prepared in her laboratory were four times more effective against drugresistant cancer cells than the drug itself.

That promising direction excites Kaur, who is hopeful such work will contribute to other areas of cancer research.

“Cancer is a very difficult problem to address, and I thought I should probably understand one form better, and then we can go to others,” she says. “So, I’m focusing on breast cancer to basically learn as much as I can.”

CHAPMAN NOW

THE CASE FOR CIVILITY

BY HANNAH MONTANTE ’20

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch wants advocates to remember kindness, but he’s OK with being forgotten.

When asked by Matt Parlow, dean of Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law, how he wants to be remembered, Neil Gorsuch might have answered by listing his many accomplishments. Instead, the Supreme Court justice offered a singular response.

“I want to be forgotten,” Gorsuch told an audience of about 600 at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California. “We remember presidents and we remember our elected leaders for good reasons. They make the laws, they do war, they do peace. What’s a judge supposed to do? A good judge is supposed to take this wonderful inheritance of our Constitution and our rule of law, which is so strong, and make sure that it’s handed down to the next generation. That’s it. Not to exercise personal will, but legal judgment, so a good judge should probably be forgotten.”

On Sept. 11, 2019, Parlow moderated a wideranging discussion with Gorsuch, covering topics that included the cultural dynamic of the court, the importance of civility in discourse and Gorsuch’s new book, “A Republic, If You Can Keep It.” Addressing the often-contentious nature of public debate these days, Gorsuch said he is grounded by the perspective of his wife’s grandmother.

“For a republic to work, we have to learn how to live with one another again,” he said.

“If I could pass along one rule – Louise’s grandmother taught it to me – it’s simple, that you’re going to have many regrets in life, it’s going to happen. But the one thing in life you will never regret is being kind. I think that’s all we need to remember.”

“It’s a human place, where people listen, are kind to one another, tolerate one another,” he said.“Do we have disagreements? Of course we have disagreements, but that’s what makes a republic strong, what makes a court strong – it’s a marketplace of ideas. An elbow can be thrown here or there, fine.

At the end of the day, we’re friends. At the end of the day, we enjoy each other.”

Gorsuch was appointed to the High Court in 2017 by President Trump, filling the associate justice position previously held by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

Gorsuch’s book is a collection of the U.S. Constitution.

“It’s a human place, where people listen, are kind to one another, tolerate one another,” Justice Neil Gorsuch, right, says of the Supreme Court during a discussion with Fowler Law Dean Matt Parlow at the Nixon Library. essays about

The September event reflects a growing connection between Chapman and the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. In 2018, the University formed a partnership with the library, establishing the Richard Nixon Foundation Fellows Program, which offers educational and research opportunities to mid-career Foreign Service officers from the U.S. State Department. As part of their studies in Chapman’s M.A. Program in War and Society, Nixon Foundation Fellows conduct archival research at the Nixon Library.

“For a republic to work, we have to learn how to live with one another.”

– Neil Gorsuch Supreme Court Justice

In addition, Chapman President Daniele Struppa serves on the Richard Nixon Foundation Board of Directors.

Despite outside pressures, a collegial dynamic still prevails in the Supreme Court, Gorsuch noted.

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MARY LOU SAVAGE ’48

M

IN

ary Lou (Khantamour) Savage ’48, who as student body president famously persuaded Chapman leadership to allow social dancing on campus, passed away Dec. 28. She was 93.

MEMORIAM

Savage was among a small clutch of students who attended then-Chapman College when it temporarily relocated to Whittier College during World War II, allowing the U.S. Navy to repurpose Chapman’s Vermont Avenue campus as a wartime engineering school.

In 1945, Chapman returned to its regular location. There, Savage visited the office of George N. Reeves, Chapman president from 1942 to 1956, and told Reeves that if the ban against social dancing wasn’t lifted, she and her fellow student government leaders would stage a dance in the adjacent street. The ban was lifted.

Such verve and energy was a lifelong trait for the alumna. Savage and her late husband, Dennis, a Chapman Trustee from 1980 to 1983 and a Disciples of Christ minister, were devoted supporters of the University, Disciples on Campus and the Office of Church Relations.

In 2014, Mary Lou Savage ’48 was delighted to meet the great-granddaughter of the late Chapman President George N. Reeves, the man she pressed to allow social dancing at Chapman. Brooklynn Reeves ’14 earned a degree in dance and now works professionally as a dancer, actress and producer.

She served as president of the Alumni Association from 1969 to 1970. During her tenure as Town & Gown president from 1994 to 1996, Savage was instrumental in launching Lunch at the Forum, the group’s signature lecture series showcasing University faculty and researchers for the wider community.

“Lunch at the Forum remains the hallmark program for Town & Gown. Mary Lou had a great deal to do with that idea,” says longtime friend Donna Gladson. “Her enthusiasm was contagious, and she made everything exciting."

LAWRENCE PAULL

A

ward-winning art director and former Chapman University faculty member Lawrence G. Paull, best known for his groundbreaking work on the science fiction classic “Blade Runner,” passed away in November 2019 – the month in which the film was set. He was 81.

As a professor in Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Paull launched the MFA production design curriculum. His work as a designer and art director on “Blade Runner” earned him an Oscar nomination and won him a BAFTA award.

Employing his skills first in drafting and then in art design, Paull had a highly successful career in Hollywood. His most successful features include “Back to the Future,” “Romancing the Stone” and “City Slickers.”

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However, his work for “Blade Runner,” directed

by Ridley Scott, was his defining professional moment.

“Ridley really knew how to appeal to the art department,” Paull said in an interview. “What he would say ... ‘If you build it, I’ll shoot it.’

And who could resist the temptation of that?

Because we’ve all suffered making films with gigantic sets, and beautiful sets, and all that is shown are talking heads.”

In addition to teaching at Chapman, Paull shared his insights as an instructor at the Los Angeles Film School and as senior filmmakerin-residence at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

Paull is survived by his wife, Marcy; son, Michael; sister, Lesley; and brother-in-law, Craig.

DOMINIQUE SCHAFER

D

ominique Schafer, an assistant professor of composition and theory in the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music, passed away from pancreatic cancer in August. He was 52.

A renowned composer with an international reputation, Schafer was a fixture on campus with his warm smile and positive attitude. An exceptional and rigorous teacher, Schafer crafted the electroacoustic music emphasis in Chapman University’s music composition program and made significant contributions to the University’s music technology area during his six years at Chapman.

A native of Fribourg, Switzerland, Schafer brought a breadth of musical expression to his acoustic instrumentations and the electroacoustic media.

“Dominique’s tireless work ethic, brilliance, humility and sunny disposition are missed throughout the conservatory and the College of Performing Arts,” said Chapman Provost Glenn Pfeiffer, Ph.D.

He earned a Ph.D. in Composition from Harvard University as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UCLA. In addition to Chapman, he taught at a number of other institutions in Europe and the United States. A powerful advocate for music education, Schafer was awarded the Certificate of Distinction in Teaching at Harvard two years in a row.

Schafer is survived by his wife, composer Mu-Xuan Lin, also a teacher of music theory in the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music. A memorial service for Schafer was held September 30 in the Fish Interfaith Center.

BETTY BARTLEY

T

own & Gown leader and steadfast friend of Chapman University Betty Bartley passed away August 15, 2019.

She was 99.

Bartley’s relationship with Chapman spanned nearly 60 years, from her days as editor of Chapman Journal, precursor to Chapman Magazine, to her generous support for student scholarships.

“Betty was a fierce advocate of scholarships, and her legacy is forever tied to the innumerable ways in which they impact our University and students,” said President Daniele Struppa.

Bartley endowed two scholarships, including one for music students in memory of her brother, Bayard Bartley. Another scholarship helps support undergraduates who need financial aid to participate in Semester at Sea, which began as World Campus Afloat. Bartley was among the staff and faculty who helped establish the shipboard study-abroad program.

As a devoted member of Town & Gown, she served in many capacities and chaired the organization’s marketing committee as recently as four years ago. In 2009, the Town & Gown board named her an Honorary Life Member in recognition of her outstanding contributions. The board has given this distinction to just 15 people since its founding in 1968.

DOROTHY HERBERT

F

ormer Chapman University dean and administrator Dorothy Wood Herbert, 84, of Asheville, North Carolina, passed away in November 2019. She was 84.

Dorothy had a long career in higher education as a professor of graduate and undergraduate social work in North Carolina, and prior to that, she was a fixture in Chapman’s campus leadership.

She came to Chapman in 1973 as the director of graduate and undergraduate internships, became the dean of academic support, and finished her Chapman tenure as the director of human resources.

She went beyond the role of administrator, teaching more than 20 courses on social work from 1973 to 1988. She was passionate about her leadership on campus and beyond as she remained connected to many students long after they graduated.

She is survived by her husband, David Furman Herbert, and their three children, Tricia, Charles and Doug, and their respective spouses, John, Cathie and Heidi. Tricia (Herbert) Umhau ’83 and Doug Herbert ’87 both are Chapman alumni. Herbert is also survived by six grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

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BOOKSHELF ADVOCATING FOR HAPPINESS THROUGH SOCIAL CONNECTION

SCIENCE OF A HAPPY BRAIN: THRIVING IN OUR AGE OF ANGER, ANXIETY, AND ADDICTION (Page Publishing)

Jay Kumar, Ph.D., lecturer in religious studies

ADVISING NIXON: THE WHITE HOUSE MEMOS OF PATRICK J. BUCHANAN (University of Kansas Press)

Lori Cox Han, Ph.D., professor of political science The copious memos produced by Buchanan, counseling President Richard Nixon on press relations, policy positions and political strategy, provide a remarkable look inside the workings of the Nixon White House – and a perspective on practices that forever changed presidential conduct and U.S. politics.

MICROCREDIT MELTDOWN: THE RISE AND FALL OF SOUTH SUDAN'S POSTCONFLICT MICROCREDIT SECTOR (Lexington Books)

Crystal Murphy, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science and director of M.A. in International Studies Program This account of the ambitious launch and premature downfall of the Southern Sudanese microcredit industry shows how the ideological and material constraints of the commercial microcredit paradigm were woefully misaligned with local socio-cultural realities.

SENECA LAKE (The Wild Rose Press)

Emily Heebner, lecturer on acting in the College of Performing Arts This young adult WWII novel tells the story of an unexpected romance as a teenager pursues a dream of attending college despite her grandparents' wishes that she stay home and get married.

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Jay Kumar looks at Western society and sees an epidemic of despair. Calling on his expertise in brain science and behavioral health, he offers a prescription for happiness.

In his new book, “Science of a Happy Brain,” Kumar adapts lessons from his Chapman course to offer strategies for combating social isolation and creating important connections.

“You are a social being with a social brain that is nourished and strengthened by community and connection,” says Kumar, Ph.D., who teaches a popular course on happiness at Chapman University. “But the marvels of our age of digitization unwittingly bring us into the malaise of our age of disconnection, which sabotages your health, weakens our society and hijacks your happy brain.”

“To socialize is to thrive,” he says. “Does a happy brain lead to a life of balance, longevity and resilience? Do happier people live healthier lives?

Can happier people transform the world into a better place?”

Spoiler alert: “The answer to all of these questions is a resounding yes!” Kumar says.

HUMANOMICS: MORAL SENTIMENTS AND THE WEALTH OF NATIONS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

THE MARKETING EDGE FOR FILMMAKERS: DEVELOPING A MARKETING MINDSET FROM CONCEPT THROUGH RELEASE

(Cambridge University Press)

(Routledge/Focal Press)

Vernon Smith, Ph.D., George L. Argyros Endowed Chair in Finance and Economics, and professor of economics and law; Bart J. Wilson, Ph.D., professor, Donald P. Kennedy Chair in Economics and Law, and director of the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy

Russell Schwartz, associate professor of film; Katherine MacDonald

Smith and Wilson show how Adam Smith's model of sociality can re-humanize 21st century economics by supporting it with sentiments, feeling and a sense of propriety – the stuff of which human relationships are built.

Written for working and aspiring filmmakers, the book walks through every stage of the marketing process and illustrates how creative decisions at each stage impact the marketability of a film.

A REVOLUTIONARY SUBJECT: PEDAGOGY OF WOMEN OF COLOR AND INDIGENEITY

THE PECULIAR INSTITUTION AND THE MAKING OF MODERN PSYCHIATRY, 1840–1880

(Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers)

(The University of North Carolina Press)

This book serves as a call to radical educators and grassroots organizers to recognize the enormous historical legacy of women of color and indigeneity. It highlights a class struggle that is anti-racist, anti-sexist and against all forms of oppression.

Wendy Gonaver, Special Collections & Archives assistant in Leatherby Libraries Gonaver reveals how slavery influenced ideas about patient liberty as well as the proper relationship between caregiver and patient. The book fills an important gap in the historiography of mental health and race in the 19th century.

CORPORATE PERSONHOOD (Cambridge University Press)

Susanna Kim Ripken, professor, Fowler School of Law The author highlights the complexity of the corporate personhood concept, which has captured the attention of many who are concerned about the increasing presence, power and influence of corporations in modern society.

Lilia Monzó, Ph.D., associate professor of education

MACHINE LEARNING AND DATA MINING IN AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY (Springer)

Editors: Hesham El-Askary, Professor of Remote Sensing and Earth System Science, Center of Excellence in Earth Systems Modeling and Observations; Aboul Ella Hassanien; Ashraf Darwish This work considers central problems in the health monitoring of artificial satellites. It also addresses telemetry data analytics and mining problems and focuses on security issues in telemetry data.

CHAPMAN NOW

PRODUCTION DESIGN: VISUAL DESIGN FOR FILM AND TELEVISION (Routledge/ Taylor & Francis Group/Focal Press)

Peg McClellan, instructor of film The book covers three major areas, starting with an overview and the basics of job responsibilities, the artistic approach and the background every production designer needs to be familiar with, and progressing to the mechanics of the role with a dayto-day breakdown of the job itself. McClellan takes readers through script analysis, team collaborations, the hierarchy of a production, hiring a team, the business elements, locations, studio facilities, handling change and everything in between.

BREAKING FREE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PETER MCLAREN, A RADICAL EDUCATOR (Myers Education Press)

Peter McLaren, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in Critical Studies and co-director of the Paulo Freire Democratic Project Illustrated by Miles Wilson (MFA ’19) This book chronicles McLaren’s cross-country climb up the educational ladder as a teacher steeped in the school system. Included are his encounters with various key players in history, from the Black Panthers to Timothy Leary.

PRE-EARTHQUAKE PROCESSES: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION STUDIES (John Wiley & Sons)

Dimitar Ouzounov, Ph.D., associate professor of physics; Sergey Pulinets; Katsumi Hattori; Patrick Taylor Published by the American Geophysical Union, this work explores different signals that have been recorded prior to some earthquakes and the extent to which they might be used for forecasting or prediction.

ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS WITH E-VIEWS, 3RD EDITION James L. Doti, Ph.D., professor of economics and president emeritus, and Esmael Adibi, Ph.D. This text for an introductory course in econometrics uses a building-block approach that emphasizes computer applications.

CALM YOUR INFLAMMATION: THE ANTIINFLAMMATION EATING PLAN THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE Denise Canellos, professor of food science This book provides clear, evidence-based guidelines for an anti-inflammatory diet combined with a simple step-by-step nutrition plan to bring patients relief.

BECKETT’S BAR, PUSHKIN’S VODKA: MORE SECRET HISTORIES (Verbivoracious Press)

Mark Axelrod, Ph.D., professor of English This work is a collection of short stories by the director of Chapman’s John Fowles Center for Creative Writing.

A HISTORY OF ZERO & ALTER FICTIONS

THE POSSIBILITY OF EARTHQUAKE FORECASTING: LEARNING FROM NATURE

(Spuyten Duyvil Press: NYC)

(Institute of Physics Books, IOP Publishing UK)

These 18 interconnected short fictions form the multicultural fabric of a Bildungsroman: “dealing with a person’s spiritual education.” The main character of each story, Thomas, is of a different ethnic group. He begins as a Mexican child, and the collection ends with the story of a Greek-American family.

Dimitar Ouzounov, Ph.D., associate professor of physics; Sergey Pulinets Using a holistic approach, the book addresses the problems of earthquake forecasting, demonstrating the earthquake preparation process as a complex system because of the interaction of different geospheres.

Martin Nakell, Ph.D., professor of English

UNDERSTANDING DESIGN IN FILM PRODUCTION: USING ART, LIGHT, AND LOCATIONS TO TELL YOUR STORY (Routledge/Focal Press)

Barbara Doyle, professor of film Featuring indepth interviews with prominent film and television industry professionals, this book explores the visual design process, providing a practical guide for aspiring filmmakers working on a tight budget.

BOMBS ALWAYS BEEP: CREATING MODERN AUDIO THEATER (Wayland Productions/ Apple Books/ Amazon)

KC Wayland, professor of film The author provides a comprehensive look at the production process, showing how to create compelling modern audio theater and distribute it online.

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Sarah Nininger’s organization helped turn an empty building into a hub of meals, medical care and afterschool programming, among other services.

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LESSONS AT CHAPMAN LEAD TO ACTION IN AFRICA

BY CHERYL BALTES

A nonprofit founded by Sarah Nininger ’13 provides vital services to a Ugandan community.

When Action in Africa opened a new community center in Nakuwadde, Uganda, in January 2015, it was an important milestone for the nonprofit and its young executive director, Sarah Nininger ’13. Still, the center’s success was not at all certain. The floors were still caked with mud from construction, and there were no doors or windows.

Fast forward less than five years, and Action in Africa’s Nakuwadde Center now serves up to 500 meals a day and offers arts and education after-school programming, medical care, a savings program and other services.

Nininger’s organization helped turn an empty building into a hub of vital services, but she says the local community deserves credit for the center’s success, because it’s locals who run day-to-day operations, improving the lives of their neighbors.

Nininger founded Africa in Action as a high school student and then continued to build it while studying at Chapman. She says her degree program was a perfect fit for her personal and professional interests. And as an alumna, she has found a network of likeminded supporters.

“Chapman's a part of my DNA,” Nininger says. “One of the really special things about Chapman is that it bridges all of us together to support each other in our industries.”

ESTABLISHING ROOTS Nininger was among the first Chapman students to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Educational Studies in 2013. In addition to preparing classroom teachers, the Attallah College of Educational Studies program offers an emphasis designed for students looking to serve in a community setting. Graduates often go on to run

nonprofits, after-school tutoring businesses or arts studios.

“It seemed like it was designed specifically for somebody like me who wanted to be in the education sphere but not be a teacher,” Nininger says.

She also developed her leadership skills by serving in her Delta Gamma sorority, as a Chapman Ambassador and as an officer in C.A.R.E.S. (Creating a Rape Free Environment for Students) and Invisible Children.

“It is beyond impressive how Sarah devoted so much to Action in Africa while maintaining so many leadership roles as well as maintaining an excellent GPA,” says Jerry Price, Ph.D., Chapman dean of students.

EXPONENTIAL GROWTH Over its 15 years, Action in Africa has grown from one employee to its current staff of 20 full-timers, along with about 25 contract or part-time workers. The organization recently opened a new headquarters in Washington, D.C. “The goal has always been to listen to the needs of the community,” Nininger says.

BUILDING A FUTURE Over the past four years, Action in Africa’s operating budget has increased from $30,000 to $500,000 per year. Nininger says that rapid growth has been “humbling and exciting and scary, all at the same time.”

She is uncertain what the future holds for Action in Africa, “whether it’s scaling up what we’re currently doing or opening other community centers.”

But one thing is for sure. The organization will stay true to its mission of meeting critical local needs, one child and one family at a time.

To learn more, visit the actioninafrica.com or see the video by Chapman alumna Taylor O’Sullivan ’12.

Action in Africa’s Nakuwadde Center now serves up to 500 meals a day and offers a host of other programs.

The Importance of Donor Support In the 10 years since Sarah Nininger ’13 first stepped onto the Chapman campus, the Attallah College Integrated Educational Studies (IES) program has graduated more than 300 students who have gone on to serve as teachers and nonprofit leaders in their home communities and beyond. Thanks to the generous support of Chapman University donors and partners, more than two-thirds of IES first-year students in 2018–2019 were supported by merit- or need-based scholarships.

ALUMNI NEWS

MEET THE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD HONOREES For their exceptional career accomplishments and community contributions, 11 alumni were honored as the 2019 recipients of Chapman University’s Distinguished Alumni Awards.

These alumni exemplify the Chapman tradition of excellence, President Daniele Struppa said during the awards program, held during Chapman Family Homecoming Weekend in October.

“They are professionals who make a difference in their chosen fields, in their communities and across the nation. They are Chapman’s best and brightest, and we are proud and grateful to call them alumni,” Struppa said.

Drawn from each of the University’s schools and colleges, the honorees represent a vast breadth of disciplines and industries, ranging from health care and law to fine arts and public service.

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NADER BAROUKH ’94, associate general counsel for Immigration, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the General Counsel – Baroukh is a policy analyst in the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Office of Policy and Legislation, and formerly served as the mayor and a council member for the city of Falls Church, Virginia.

KAREN J. BOLTON, PH.D. (M.A. ’02), professor of organizational leadership at Olympic College – Bolton holds a Ph.D. in education from Brandman University and an M.A. in organizational Leadership from Chapman University. She is a tenured professor who teaches organizational leadership at Olympic College.

RICHARD COURY ’94, PT, MPT ’96, co-founder of Coury and Buehler Physical Therapy – Coury’s physical therapy practice has been recognized as a Top Practice in the Nation by Advance magazine and named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies for six consecutive years.

HUNG DO (M.S. ’16), director of marketing with the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, Southern California Region – Do represents the biopharmaceutical industry to third parties, provides industry value and improves public-private partnerships of biopharmaceutical research.

SCOTT LEVITT (JD ’03, LL.M ’10), Young Alumnus Award winner – Levitt served as general counsel for a real estate development company right out of law school and from there launched his own firm. In addition, he was a Republican primary candidate for California lieutenant governor in 2010. He was voted best attorney in Seal Beach in 2017 and 2019, and the Seal Beach Business Person of the Year in 2015.

MAILEEN WILLIAMS MATHENY ’04 –Acceptance into the highly competitive Directors Guild of America training program catapulted Matheny to roles as an assistant director at HBO and Showtime, as well as work on David Fincher films like “The Social Network” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” She has also served as assistant director on Joss Whedon projects such as “Much Ado About Nothing” and “The Avengers.”

SAMUEL MIREJOVSKY ’11 (JD ’14), award-winning podcaster and co-owner, Sam & Ash, LLP - Mirejovsky received his undergraduate degree in sociology from Chapman in 2011 and a law degree in 2014. He and Ashley Watkins (JD ’14) founded Sam & Ash, LLP, a personal injury firm based in Las Vegas and Newport Beach.

Mirejovsky maintains a close relationship with the Fowler School of Law, having established a number of student scholarships. He also serves on the Chapman University Board of Governors.

NELLA WEBSTER O’GRADY ’71, managing director, Miracle Mile Advisors – Webster was named one of the Top 100 financial advisors in the U.S., is on the Board of Counselors for the Argyros School of Business and is a co-sponsor of the Chapman Entrepreneur of the Year program.

She was named Philanthropist of the Year by the Orange County United Way.

EFRAIN SOLIS ’11, opera performer – Solis has performed in venues across the U.S., including recently with the Utah Opera, Opera Southwest, El Paso Opera and the New York Festival of Song. Notable roles include Mercutio in “Roméo et Juliette” and Figaro in “Le nozze di Figaro.” Last season he joined both Houston Grand Opera’s HGOCo and New York City Opera as Mark in Martinez’s “Cruzar la cara de la Luna.” He holds a Master of Music from San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

RYAN D. VAN RAMSHORST ’06, MD, chief medical director for Medicaid/CHIP Services at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission – Dr. Van Ramshorst is the lead physician for the Texas Medicaid program, which provides needed health services to more than 4 million Texans. As chair of the Texas Medical Association, he has testified nearly 20 times in front of the Texas legislature on Medicaid, CHIP and other children’s health issues. He also continues to see patients as an adjunct faculty member at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

KATIE VLIETSTRA WONNENBERG ’03, vice president of government relations and public affairs for the National Association for the Self-Employed – Wonnenberg is a co-founder and principal of a D.C.-based consulting firm, Public Private Strategies. Her work has included passage of federal legislation, securing federal appropriations and petitioning for executive action on policy issues. She is the current international president of Phi Sigma Sigma, the past president of Women in Government Relations and past president of the Women Under Forty Political Action Committee.

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PHOTOS BY

COME TOGETHER Stories of historic and burgeoning communities merge during Chapman Family Homecoming.

Among the charms of Chapman Family Homecoming is how it blends enduring memories with experiences of the moment. Here, we focus on two Homecoming 2019 events that bridged eras of history – the 50 Year Club reunion and the grand opening of The K Residence Hall.

Above: Frank Franklin '69, left, and Cliff Ishigaki '69 share stories during the 50 Year Club reunion.

Top photo: Pete the Panther welcomes visitors to the grand opening of The K Residence Hall, seen from Palm Avenue in the photo on the opposite page.

CLASS OF ‘69: SANCTUARY AND ACTIVISM For those who graduated near the end of a turbulent decade, 1969 marked a historic rise in tensions across America, especially surrounding issues of social and racial justice. Five decades later, a 50 Year Club panel of alumni from the Class of ’69 offered perspectives on their time as students.

Frank Franklin ’69 served as vice president of the Black Student Union. He and other black students faced challenges finding off-campus housing, and they were often harassed in the wider community, Franklin said. For him, Chapman was a haven.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Members of the Class of ’69 pose with President Daniele Struppa during Chapman Family Homecoming.

“When I came here in ’64, the community was a different one, with the Ku Klux Klan, the Weathermen and the John Birch Society. It made life very difficult off campus,” Franklin said. “Fortunately for me, the life on campus was really good ... but you know, you can’t stay at Chapman the whole time.”

For Cliff Ishigaki ’69, college was the first time he was exposed to people outside his home community in East Los Angeles.

“I became mindful I needed to raise up my level of awareness,” he said. “I was living a life where my own agenda was more important than anything else. But during that senior year, I realized I needed to step up.”

Ishigaki ran for and won the office of student government vice president.

“We needed to make internal change, but we wanted to do it in a legitimate way, and student government seemed to be one of those ways in which we could be heard and not be a threat. At that time, the ASB was not particularly known for social justice activities.

But it was a time where we linked together.

There was a lot of collaborative work.”

THE K: HISTORY AND COMMUNITY The K Residence Hall combines a student housing solution with a historic preservation project. During a grand-opening celebration, members of the Chapman Family got a look inside this modern space that gives Chapman students a new source of community while also strengthening the connection between the University and the city it calls home.

“The K demonstrates Chapman’s commitment to creating the best experience for our students, while also being a good neighbor to the citizens of Orange,” said University President Daniele Struppa.

The 56,000-square-foot, 400-bed student housing complex enhances the site of a former packing house at the corner of West Palm Avenue and North Cypress Street in Old Towne Orange. It helps Chapman fulfill plans to provide on-campus housing to 50% or more of the total student population.

The project incorporates the architectural heritage of the historic site it shares with the 100-year-old Villa Park Orchards citrus packing house. The materials, design features and scale of the building blend with the historic character of the neighborhood and complement the design of Chapman’s nearby Crean Hall, the restored 1923 Western Cordage Building.

While the packing house is a landmark of the area’s history, the residence hall gives that heritage a state-of-the-art spin, while also building a sense of community among the students.

“We know that students, especially in their first and second year of school, perform better when they live on campus,” Struppa said. “They become part of a community. They develop a network of students who experience many of the same challenges and stresses of this new environment — and we can provide additional support when they need it.”

Ishigaki added with pride that he and his colleagues “caught the campus off guard a little.”

“We were pushing against the fact that invisibility was the status quo,” he said. “If it weren't for my black friends, I wouldn't have understood that, I really wouldn't. So I owe it all to my peers.”

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HERE FOR

ACHIEVEMENT. 10

TOP

%

Universities in the nation for research activity.

7

Ranking in The Hollywood Reporter “Top Film Schools”

Rhodes Scholar Vidal Arroyo ’19 Biochemistry, Molecular Biology CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

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Ranking in Bloomberg Businessweek Best Undergraduate Business Schools

National Medal of Science Winner, Yakir Aharonov

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Nobel Laureate in Economics, Vernon L. Smith

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Phi Beta Kappa members inducted in the inaugural class of Chapman’s new chapter.

ALUMNI NEWS

CHAPMAN IN

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

ONCE UPON A TIME… IN TARANTINO-VILLE For three Chapman people, “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” became a fairytale experience.

Breanna Wing ’11 started her film industry career behind the camera, working as an art department assistant on Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained.” However, for the filmmaker’s latest, Wing leapt barefoot into the role of a hippy hitchhiker who gets a lift from Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie.

The journey culminated with Wing walking the red carpet in ’70s-inspired attire for the premiere, which she called “the best night of my life shared with a cast, crew and director that I love more than words can describe.” Joining in the on-screen fun was Rachel Redleaf ’19, a Dodge screen acting alumna who plays Mama Cass in a scene full of ‘70s Hollywood icons partying poolside at the Playboy Mansion.

Then there’s Hannah Haas ’20, who took a semester off from her College of Performing Arts studies to work as a first-team set production assistant throughout the 112-day shoot. Among other duties, Haas served as Robbie’s on-set assistant. “The crew was so welcoming – there was really a family vibe on the set,” Haas says. “I grew up in LA, and this is such a historic film that turns back time. It was special not just for the cast and crew but also for my city. I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.”

Breanna Wing '11, Photo by Paul Smith

AWARD SEASON STREAMING WITH TALENT AT HBO “Game of Thrones” has wrapped its final season, but before it did, Gursimran Sandhu (M.A. ’11) helped give it some extra buzz.

She was the only woman on the writing staff for season eight, which means she helped decide how it all ended for Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. It seems a little late for spoilers, but just in case you haven’t gotten around to it, we’ll be kind.

There was a mini Dodge reunion on the set of the mind-bending, sci-fi hit “Westworld.”

Three Production Design alumni, Rachel Aguirre (MFA ’13), Rebekah Scheys (MFA ’15) and Tarn Lerdjarudech (MFA ’16), combined their powers on the art directing team.

Mor Albalak ’15 was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Short Documentary category for “Guns Found Here,” which explores how a government center traces weapons used in crimes.

“The Moon and the Night,” a film from Chapman University’s Erin Lau ’18, won the Jack Larson Southern California Student Filmmaker Award at KCET’s 20th annual Fine Cut Festival of Films.

Jonathon Goetzman ’19 won the Best Picture Award for his senior thesis “Lightning Man” at the Melech Ha Melachim Jewish Film Festival in Tel Aviv.

Luke Snedecor ’19 and Sarah Heinz ’19 made the 2019 ShortList Film Festival Finalist category with “Preheated,” their film about a boy’s plan to bake a birthday cake that goes wrong when an experiment by his scientist father gets added to the mix.

DIRECTING DEBUT Brenna Malloy (MFA ’16), whose thesis film “Rocket” earned her a Student Academy Award, has been preparing for her TV directing debut, which will come this year with an episode of NBC’s “Chicago Fire.”

Malloy earned a spot in the network’s Female Forward program, which provides mentorship and directing opportunities in scripted television. At Chapman, Malloy was mentored by award-winning directors David Ward and Martha Coolidge, whom she shadowed on an episode of the TBS comedy “Angie Tribeca.”

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CLASS NOTES

1950s

1980s

Mary Blair Immel ’52 was honored by

Daniel Singer ’86 was appointed city

the Indiana State Historical Society for her distinguished service and career in research and writing. One of her many projects was identifying and writing biographical sketches of 40 Confederate and 30 Union soldiers, buried in Indiana beneath stones inscribed "Unknown." For her contributions to Indiana history, she was presented with the Willard Heiss Award at the annual Founder's Day Dinner.

manager of Santa Paula, California.

2000s

1990s

LE Hoyt ’01 (MA ’04) has launched Sussman-

Susan Ibrahim ’90 became licensed

Karen De Mars ’02 has been named assistant vice president of underwriting to the GEICO Board of Directors.

1960s Chapman Sweethearts Judy (McConnell) Bristow ’64 and Tom Bristow ’65

celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary. 1 Joe Harper ’67 received the 2019 Nice Guy of

the Year award Oct. 26 in San Diego at an annual fundraising event hosted by The Nice Guys, a philanthropic organization. Harper is president & CEO of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and was honored for his business leadership and work in the community, which includes serving as a trustee for the Cecil B. DeMille Foundation.

Harper is a grandson of the legendary filmmaker for whom the foundation is named.

Rick Eisleben ’69 recently directed a live

concert show by the Grammy-nominated artist Major at the YouTube Space studios.

as a marriage family therapist and is opening a private practice.

Benita McLarin (MHA ’90) has been

hired to lead Marin County's Department of Health and Human Services. McLarin has more than a decade of experience as a public agency administrator.

James Cleary (MBA ‘92) joins Kilpatrick

Townsend & Stockton as a partner in the Intellectual Property Group's Electronic Engineering & Software Team in San Diego.

Bonni Stachowiak ’93 (MA ’04) hosts the podcast “Teaching in Higher Ed,” discussing the science and art of facilitating learning.

Carol Furman ’98 is the new principal of Harbor View Elementary School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Bryan Gadol (JD ’98) joined Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP, working in mergers and acquisitions as a private equity partner.

Heather Robertson ’98 married Justin Barfield on Oahu this past summer. 2 Michele Williams Harrington ’99 was named

chief operations officer for First Team Real Estate.

Tad Meyer ’99 retired from a career in

teaching and works as a customer relationship manager for Burlington English, Inc. 3

Hoyt Productions and Wildomar Movie Ranch.

Kenneth King ’02 (JD ’06) has been honored by the International Association of Who's Who as one of California's top attorneys.

Beau Menchaca (MA ’02) received the

Apple of Gold Award for Excellence in Education during the 26th annual celebration of the Orange County Hispanic Education Endowment Fund. Menchaca, a school counselor at Century High School in Santa Ana, was honored along with Al Mijares, Ph.D., Orange County superintendent of schools.

Ashley Carlson ’03 is an associate professor of English at the University of Montana.

Western, and will be a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar.

Joel Feeser ’03 won the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Member of the Year award.

Nader Ghosheh (JD ’03) has been promoted to vice chair of the real estate group at the law firm Much Shelist.

Chris Becerra ’05 (MA ’08) is the new vice

president of Child and Youth Development at the YMCA of Orange County.

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CLASS NOTES Andrew Ryan (MA ’05) has accepted a position as human resources director for the Sonoma School District.

Mike Pearl ’06, a journalist and Vice magazine columnist, has released his first book, “The Day It Finally Happens,” published by Simon & Schuster.

Stephen Dao ’07 has started a new job at

Ryan Lecznar ’08 and Natalie Reid ’08 married in September.

2010s Signe Engle ’10 was recently promoted to vice

the cloud-based software solution company Yext as a senior client success manager. 4

president, client services at Aquarius Sports and Entertainment in the Washington, D.C., market.

Stephanie Domurat ’08 has joined FOX 12

Moudy Elbayadi, Ph.D. (MA ’10) was

Oregon as a host of “More Good Day Oregon.”

4

named senior vice president of product and technology at Brain Corp., a San Diegobased artificial intelligence company.

Adriana Montes de Oca '10 (M.A. '18) and Jaime Cruz were married Aug. 24 in Tustin. The wedding party included Hugo Sierra ’10 (MA ’15), Carina Campos ’11, Cristina Venegas ’11 (MA ’15), Michelle Herrera ’11 and Luciano Rodriguez ’11 (Ph.D. ’18). 5 Carolyn Smith-Driscoll (LLM ’11)

joined BDO USA, LLP. Gabrielle Benavidez '11 and Matthew Luzar '10 were married June 30, 2018, in Coto

5 6

As co-director of the film “In the Life of Music,” Caylee So ’12 chronicles the lives of multiple generations of Cambodians during the period of the Khmer Rouge regime. The work was Cambodia’s official Academy Award submission for best international feature film.

’12 C A Y L E E S O

Directed by So and Sok Visal, “In the Life of Music” examines music and romance before, during and after the era of the Khmer Rouge’s horrifying “killing fields” in the late 1970s. So is also a writer and producer on the film.

Pop music in Cambodia during the 1970s was an integral part of So’s childhood, but she says she enjoyed it while being unaware of the pain and politics that bracket the era, which

de Caza, Calif. Other alumni in the wedding party included Ryan Prechtl ’10, Patrick Ohail ’10, John Semel ’11, Amanda Benavidez ’17, Jacquelyn Kuehler ’12 and Jamie Krispel ’12. 6

resulted in the deaths of more than a million people in Cambodia.

So learned much later of the murders of many singers, and of her own family members during the period of genocide by the Pol Pot regime.

“In the Life of Music” depicts different stages of a love affair, starting in 1968. The stories are connected by Cambodia’s most famous pop song, "Champa Battambang," by the prolific Sinn Sisamouth.

Other Chapman alumni who worked on the film are cinematographer David Rivera (MFA ’12), editor Frank Martinez ’12, sound designer YuTing Su (MFA ’11) and foley artist Reece Miller ’11.

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CLASS NOTES Dustin Cabrera ’11 has been named to the Forty Under 40 list by Oil and Gas Investor magazine.

Megan G. Demshki ’12 (JD ’15) and Chapman Trustee Wylie Aitken were finalists for Consumer Attorney of the Year.

Tyler Hadzinsky ’11 graduated with his MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and has been promoted to assistant director of scouting for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Joe Fann ’12 has joined NBC Sports Northwest as an NFL and Seattle Seahawks Insider. A Seattle native, Fann will cover the Seahawks and create multiplatform content throughout the year.

Brittney (Stephens) Hendricks ’11

Jacquelyn (Kuehler) Parr ’12 married James

was promoted to director of marketing and communications at the Oxnard Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Mike Woodward (MFA ’11) was promoted

to vice president of production and creative development at The ATS Team, a television production company that specializes in game, challenge and obstacle-related content. 7 Ryan Bengford ’12 won a Bronze Telly Award in the Online: Craft-Videography/ Cinematography Category for his ABC Affiliate 13 News Now Digital Series "The Muse Project" in Norfolk, Virginia. 8

Parr ’12 at the Thursday Club in San Diego. 9

Cameron Chittock ’13 signed a three-

book publishing deal with Random House Graphic for a middle-grade graphic novel series titled “Mapmakers.”

Chapman sweethearts Christine (Rios) Gutierrez ’13 and Andrew Gutierrez ’13 were married over the summer. 10

Matthew T. Stoner '13 is the founder of Foxstone Entertainment, with a goal to raise awareness of racial and gender equality opportunities in film.

Suzanna Harman (JD ’14) joined the law firm Murchison & Cumming as associate attorney.

Christian Ferm ’15 is the Founder & CEO of Bevara Skin, a luxury CBD skincare line.

Emmy Gyori ’15 is working with several

Condé Nast media brands, including Vanity Fair, Wired, GQ and Glamour, as a producer and director for digital content.

Jasmine Morgan ’15 graduated in

May 2019 with a Master of Science degree in College Student Personnel Services from Arkansas State University.

Anthony Jacobsmeyer ’13 and Wendy Acquazzino ’15 were married in fall 2019.

In the wedding party were fellow Panthers Hannah Roberts ’15, Doug McDaniel ’13, Sam Knee ’11 and Travis Culver ’11. 11

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CLASS NOTES Chapman sweethearts Garrett Aanestad ’16 and Haley (Fedden) Aanestad ’16

were married this past summer in Encinitas, Calif. In the wedding party were Willis Allen ’16, Brian Bressinger ’15, Dylan Trumbull ’14, Jeff O'Brien ’18; Emmy Hoskins ’17, Natasia Lutes ’16, Jamie Rosenberg ’16, Kira Doting ’17. 12 Evan Inglis '16 deployed as a Peace Corps

volunteer serving in Ukrainian-speaking and Russian-speaking areas of Ukraine. 13 Ronald Kogens (LLM ’16) was named

partner at the business law firm FRORIEP, which specializes in disruptive and new technologies. He advises Swiss and international clients on corporate and technology transactions, financing and the legal structuring of projects.

Kelley Moody ’16 is the new morning meteorologist for KCCI Channel 8 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Lauren Nowicki ’17 launched a reusable products company, Raine Reusables, selling glass and bamboo straws.

Abigail Mudd ’16 joined the board of the Mudd Nick Foundation.

Chelsea Brandom ’18 has joined Verdical Group as manager of partnerships and events, coordinating event logistics.

Vu Hai Phan (JD ’16) was hired as deputy

city attorney for Vallejo, California.

Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks (MBA ’16)

is the CEO of ECOS, which was named the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2019 Safer Choice Partner of the Year.

Catherine Walsh ’18 and Maddy Willson ’19 crossed paths with President Emeritus

Jim Doti in the Chicago airport, so they took a moment to chat and take a photo together. Walsh and Willson work in Japan with the Cru campus ministry program. 14

Angela McCurdie ’17 completed an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at Concordia University in Irvine.

13

12

14

’16 M A T T

MCCARRICK

Building on their experience as caregivers for their mothers, Matt McCarrick ’16 and his wife, Sarah Ardalani, have launched a clothing line of apparel specifically for cancer patients. The designs provide easy chest access, particularly for patients who have a chest port, central line or other treatment needs.

From left, Barbara McCarrick, Matt McCarrick ’16, Sarah Ardalani and Margaret Ardalani.

Established in 2018, MCCARD clothing emphasizes soft fabrics and fashionable designs as well as accessibility.

McCarrick and Ardalani both were caregivers for their mothers during cancer treatments and gained an understanding of patients’ needs for port-accessible clothing. As a team, they collaborated to create patient apparel that is practical, comfortable and attractive.

A partnership with City of Hope in Los Angeles has served both the cancer hospital and the clothing line. MCCARD product research includes donating dozens of T-shirts and tanks to patients via City of Hope’s Positive Image Center.

Feedback has helped McCarrick and Ardalani refine their designs, which include two T-shirt styles and a sweatshirt.

FEBRUARY 2020

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One University Drive Orange, California 92866 Chapman.edu

HERE TO STAY CONNECTED. Rediscover everything you love about Chapman at an upcoming alumni event!

March 7

Women’s Leadership Conference

March 12 Bay Area Pop-Up April 2

Chapman Grand S.L.A.M. (Senior Legacy Alumni Mixer)

April 16

NYC Pop-Up

April 18

Alumni Bottomless Mimosa Brunch

April 28

2nd Annual Giving Day

April 30

Alumni Entertainment Industry Mixer at Lionsgate

Visit chapman.edu/springalumnievents for event details.