Chapman Magazine Now News Winter 2011 by Chapman University

WINTER 2011

SPECIAL

PUBLICATION

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CHAPMAN

MAGAZINE

A ‘TRANSFORMATIONAL’ MOMENT IN TIME President Obama Honors Dr. Aharonov, Spotlighting Scientific Study at Chapman

ARTS CENTER ON THE HORIZON Chapman University is taking the first steps in the review process, advancing efforts to build an 86,000-square-foot Center for the Arts that would feature the largest concert hall at any university in Orange County and would be comparable to the county’s finest professional performing-arts facilities.

lans call for an 1,100-seat, state-of-theart theatre, providing a new home for high-profile Chapman events such as American Celebration, the annual Broadwaystyle revue that features student performers from Chapman’s College of Performing Arts. (Coverage of the 2010 American Celebration begins on page 4.) The Center would also allow the university to welcome community productions as well as acclaimed professional performers and national touring companies for concerts, operas, musical theatre and dance performances. The first step in the review process is expected to begin in late winter or early spring, when the Orange Planning Commission will study the university’s request to amend its specific plan to include a handful of properties along North Glassell between Walnut Avenue and University Drive. The properties were recently purchased so were not included in the original specific plan. If approved, the amendment would allow Chapman to bring forward plans for the proposed center. The Center would be built just west of the Fish Interfaith Center and Wallace All Faiths Chapel and adjacent to the George L. Argyros ’59 Global Citizens Plaza. As a gateway to the center, a mall and sculpture gardens are planned, providing an outdoor meeting space for receptions and other special events. Groundbreaking for the Center for the Arts is targeted for late 2012.

n the fascinating quantum world explored by Chapman physicist Yakir Aharonov, Ph.D., time can flow backwards. But for just a moment, it may have stood still as Dr. Aharonov received the nation’s highest honor in the sciences from President Obama, in a ceremony at the White House in November. Perhaps more importantly for Chapman, the awarding of the National Medal of Science to Dr. Aharonov has the potential to accelerate the cause of scientific study at a university surging beyond its past as a regional liberal arts institution. Chapman President Jim Doti called the milestone “transformational,” adding, “It’s very important for the university to have individuals of this prominence because it will help attract other gifted faculty and students.” Dr. Aharonov was honored “for his contributions to the foundations of quantum physics and for drawing out unexpected implications of that field.” During the ceremony, President Obama noted, “The scientists in this room have plumbed the furthest reaches of the universe and the deepest recesses of the human mind. … “So this nation owes all of you an enormous debt of gratitude far greater than any medal can bestow.” One of the world’s most prominent physicists, Dr. Aharonov has become something of a media darling since receiving his medal. A recent USA Today story offered an expert look at Dr. Aharonov’s research and its implications for “the next revolution in electronics.”

“I got a very warm feeling from him,” Chapman physicist Dr. Yakir Aharonov says of President Obama, from whom he received the National Medal of Science.

And the Jan. 1 column of Orange County Register science writer Pat Brennan notes Dr. Aharonov came to Chapman two years ago “in part to take advantage of an atmosphere of free inquiry, a place where he could explore the wild landscape of his world-shaking ideas.” Dr. Aharonov says that the ultimate importance of his award may rest with its ability to inspire young people. “The medal is the beginning of recognition in this field,” he told Brennan. And of his moment with President Obama? “He said some complimentary things to me,” Dr. Aharonov says. “We did not have a chance to talk more than that. But I got a very warm feeling from him. “It was a very rewarding experience.”

SCI-FI IN CINEMA Michael Phillips’ Master Class Provides an Insider’s Look at a Dynamic Genre alk about your close encounters. This fall, students of Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts got to probe the science fiction expertise of legendary producer Michael Phillips as well as others at the genre’s cutting edge. Every Monday, the producer of such cinematic triumphs as The Sting — for which Phillips took home the best picture Oscar — Taxi Driver and Close Encounters of the Third Kind welcomed students to his master class, “Science Fiction in Cinema,” in the Folino Theater of Chapman’s Marion Knott Studios. Each class featured a screening of a distinctive sci-fi film as well as a discussion that included a special guest from the cast or crew. Among the many sharing their knowledge were actors Richard Dreyfuss and Edward James Olmos as well as directors Robert Zemeckis and Nicholas Meyer. For students, the takeaways were insights and inspiration. “It’s been amazing,” said junior film production major Eirin Strickland ‘12.

For more on Professor Phillips and the class, turn to the back cover. Michael Phillips is presented a poster of his favorite sci-fi film by Dean Bob Bassett after the announcement that Phillips had been named a trustee professor at Chapman. The poster is signed by Phillips’ students with comments such as “Best class ever!”

CHAPM AN ECONOMIC FORECA ST:

THE TEPID RECOVERY CONTINUES

Economists Esmael Adibi, left, and Jim Doti at the Chapman Economic Forecast on Dec. 6.

generate 1.7 million net new jobs in 2011, which or the economy to build momentum toward will cause the unemployment rate to drop about a more robust recovery, the construction 1 percent, to 8.6 percent, by year-end 2011. industry will need an unexpected opportunity The construction industry is still mired in to break out its bricks and mortar. recession, with construction employment dropping “Most of the weakness in the economy relates almost 10 percent during the first six quarters of to the weakness in the construction industry,” the recovery. Housing starts remain virtually flat, Chapman President Jim Doti said during the reducing real GDP by 2.6 percent. university’s 33rd Annual Economic Forecast, Despite high housing affordability and presented Dec. 6 at the Orange County low mortgage rates, there will be no sharp Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. “Most of the rebound in housing in 2011. The forecast More than 1,500 alumni, business weakness in the calls for housing starts to increase 7.2 and community leaders gathered to hear economy relates to percent. Homebuyers’ concerns about the latest news on the recovery from one the weakness in unemployment and the ongoing problems of the nation’s most respected sources the construction in the mortgage industry, coupled with a — Chapman’s A. Gary Anderson Center industry,” large supply of vacant units, will constrain for Economic Research. The bottom JAMES L. DOTI production of new homes. line: expect tepid growth during 2011. The forecast calls for the median Some highlights of the national resale single-family home price to increase 3 to 4 forecast, as presented by Dr. Doti, the Donald Bren percent in California and Orange County, mainly Distinguished Chair of Business and Economics, and due to changes in the mix of homes sold. Esmael Adibi, Ph.D., director of the Anderson Center: The big winners from the forecast continue to Real GDP is projected to increase by a modest be students in need at Chapman. In the more than 3.3 percent. While this would be the strongest three decades since the Anderson Center forecast growth since 2004, it pales compared with rebounds went public, those attending have helped generate that historically follow deep recessions. more than $2.3 million for scholarships. The continuing mild recovery will be enough to

‘Sky’ Illuminates the Front Lines of Literature O

n the Chapman University theatre stage, the character rustled about in a hoop skirt, speaking words written 150 years ago to a husband torn away by the Civil War. In the theatre audience, the 21st century Navy wife sat and listened, struck by how easily she related to a woman who lived so long ago but who also had children to calm, worries to shush. “I’ve had to console a crying child. You see yourself in these letters,” said Miriam Allred ’13, an economics major at Chapman University who attended a performance of If All the Sky Were Paper, the Andrew Carroll play that had its world premiere in November in Waltmar Theatre. Those letters could have been written today, Allred said. “I could see myself in all the characters — especially the Civil War ladies,” said Allred, herself a Navy veteran. Such are the universal threads that run through war letters, what author and playwright Carroll has called “the world’s greatest undiscovered literature.” If All the Sky Were Paper was written by Carroll based on his New York Times bestselling books War Letters and Behind the Lines. But how did the play come to have its world premiere at Chapman? John Benitz, assistant professor of theatre at Chapman and director of the play, read about Carroll in National Geographic several years ago, was captivated by the letters. He wrote to Carroll with the idea of creating a stage play, and a friendship and collaboration was sparked.

Student performers in Chapman’s production of If All the Sky Were Paper include Lawrence Thunell ’11, above right, as well as, from left, Elyse Marie Russell ’11, Matt Gallenstein ’13, Conor Brown ’12, Katie Gunderson ’11 and Garret Schweighauser ’12.

That collaboration now has a chance for a regional and perhaps even a national influence. Chapman’s Department of Theatre was invited to perform If All the Sky Were Paper on Feb. 10 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center during the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Region XIII Festival. There, a national selection team will consider the production for performance at the Kennedy Center in New York in April. At the heart of the production are the powerful words of those who serve. “There’s something of the essence of the letters that are believed and lived with an actor on this stage with you,” Professor Benitz said in a panel discussion that followed one performance at Chapman, attended by a number of veterans and active-duty military personnel offered free tickets in honor of Veterans Day. After the panel, Carroll said the resulting project was not just a fine theatre production but also a tribute. “I just think they’ve done a brilliant job with it. These letters are very important to me, and I feel that the actors and John Benitz honored them in a way that is rather extraordinary,” Carroll said. “I think they pay tribute to the men and women who served.”

CHAPMAN

S p o rt s U p d at e

HOOP TEAMS STREAK TO PARALLEL SUCCESS By Chris Watts, Sports Information Assistant For the Chapman men’s and women’s basketball teams, the current season has been a case of dueling winning streaks.

The return of Brandi Hood ’11 after a year away from basketball has lifted the Chapman women to early-season success.

he men’s team broke into the rankings at No. 22 in December after winning 10 games in a row and starting 12-1 overall. Former high school teammates Griffin Ramme ’11 and Justin Riley ’11 have paced the Panthers offensively, averaging 17 and 16 points respectively. Riley is also the team’s top rebounder. An impressive start by the women included winning 12 in a row before the Panthers fell to Occidental on Jan. 6. The return of senior center Brandi Hood ’11 after a year away from basketball has played a large role in the Panthers’ success. Hood was averaging a team-high 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds as the Panthers started 13– 4. In November, the women’s soccer team capped off a strong season by hosting an NCAA playoff game, marking the Panthers’ first postseason appearance since 2004. The Panthers fell to Redlands, 2– 1, but finished with a 12– 7 record. Aimee Evans ’13 was named Association of Division III Independents co-player of the year, while Carly Sanchez ’13 was selected defensive player of the year and head coach Courtney Calderon was chosen coach of the year. Other fall highlights include a school-record three cross country runners – Elisabeth Mitchell ’14,

High-flying Justin Riley ’11 helped the Chapman men win 10 games in a row en route to a 12– 1 start.

D.J. Smithers ’14 and Zac Campbell ’13 – being named to the All-Independents team. In addition, six Chapman athletes were named to their respective All-Region teams: Cody Mansfield ’12, Nick Echeverry ’14 and Mauricio Alfonso ’13 in soccer; Kate Ferrin ’13 and Alyssa Swatek ’12 in volleyball; and Jordan Pavlisin ’11 in football. Ferrin was also named to the AVCA All-America team.

For more Chapman sports news, visit www.chapman.edu/athletics, or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChapmanAthletics.

For Ronald Farmer, Ph.D., the achievements at Chapman are many. But perhaps most profound is the legacy that goes beyond the tangibles of buildings and programs accomplished during his nearly 14 years as dean of the Wallace All Faiths Chapel.

DR. FARMER HONORED FOR SPIRITUAL LEGACY

D “He does things on the computer I can’t,” Professor Eyal Amitai says of student Bryson Thill ’12, shown with a slide he created from earth-observing data.

RESEARCH WORK RAINS DOWN FOR CHAPMAN UNDERGRAD

oping to find a part-time job, computer science major Bryson Thill ’12 never imagined he’d end up in the middle of sophisticated NASA research on rainfall measurement. Thill is the first student research assistant with Chapman University’s new School of Earth and Environmental Sciences to be paid from a NASA grant. Under the guidance of Associate Professor Eyal Amitai, Ph.D., Chapman is the lead investigator on a grant seeking to discover why surface-based and satellite estimates of rainfall produce different results. The research has implications for predicting climate, flood hazards and weather. Dr. Amitai hired Thill after being impressed by the student’s work in his physics class and says he is delighted to have a computer scientist analyzing data. “He does things on the computer I can’t,” Dr. Amitai said. Thill, 20, is excited to already be in the research loop. “It’s really cool that I can jump right in and get involved in research,” he said.

uring a celebration in December, President Jim Doti hailed Dr. Farmer for bringing “new heart” to the university’s spiritual life. “Through his ministry, Ron gave new birth to our spiritual pillar,” President Doti said. “He did that by humbly and gently persuading us that Chapman’s spirituality is rooted in our passion for the search for truth. It is also a spirituality that is not symbolized by dogma, creed or ritual, but rather is made real by treating all people with dignity and respect.” Among the most concrete signs of Dr. Farmer’s time at Chapman is the Fish Interfaith Center and Ronald Farmer, Wallace All Faiths Chapel, said Marv Meyer, Ph.D., speaks in Ph.D., chair and Griset Professor of Bible and the Wallace All Christian Studies. Dr. Meyer joked that he Faiths Chapel. was reminded of the old Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi with its lyrical lament that “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” “What Ron did was just the opposite. He took the parking lot and made it into paradise,” Dr. Meyer said. Dr. Farmer leaves Chapman for Brandman University, part of the Chapman University System, where he will develop an online religious studies certificate program. The move coincides with his and his wife Patricia’s plans to be part of a new sustainable development project in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador.

A M E R I C A N C E L E B R AT I O N

President’s Cabinet member Julianne Argyros and a Travolta-esque President Jim Doti perform an homage to disco nightclubs.

Trustee Emeritus Dick Schmid and his wife, Patty.

Board of Trustees Executive Vice Chairman Doy Henley and his wife, Dee, were honored with the Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award.

Chapman Nobel Laureate Vernon L. Smith, left, President Doti and the Honorable George L. Argyros ’59, former chairman of the Chapman Board of Trustees.

Trustee Harry Rinker and his wife, Diane.

Board of Trustees Chairman Don Sodaro and his wife, Deedee, are past honorees and were award presenters at American Celebration.

Trustee Jim Mazzo and his wife, Kelly.

Trustee Wylie Aitken and his wife, Bette.

Trustee S. Paul Musco and his wife, Marybelle, were co-chairs of the 2010 American Celebration.

Legendary performer and philanthropist Jerry Lewis received Chapman’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award.

The spirit of classic American nightclubs sprang to life on stage in Chapman University’s Memorial Hall and afterward at an elegant black-tie gala Nov. 6 as American Celebration paid tribute to a legendary showman and to an unforgettable era of showmanship. rom the Copacabana to the Cocoanut Grove, the Tropicana to Studio 54, no venue has surpassed the vibrancy and enthusiasm generated by student performers in the 29th annual stage revue. And no honoree has been more deserving than show business icon and philanthropist extraordinaire Jerry Lewis, who received Chapman’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award. The comedy legend and movie star, whose singular career includes nightclub work with Dean Martin when together they were the hottest act in America, was the one handing out laurels to the 100-plus student performers in this year’s American Celebration show. “They showed excellence,” he said. “I enjoyed tonight watching these vibrant, energetic, beautifully spirited kids along with Professor (William) Hall. You’ve got perfection. I thank you for including me tonight,” Lewis told the Memorial Hall audience, a full-house crowd whose generous support of the event raised $2.1 million for student scholarships. Lewis was honored at the gala along with Doy and Dee Henley, who received the Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award. A video tribute recognized the Henleys for their tireless and charitable support of Chapman University. In addition, Broadway star Dennis Kelly ’67 was presented the 2010 Alumni Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award. Soon after arriving on stage, Lewis had the crowd crowing in laughter as he ribbed Chapman President Jim Doti for his appearance in a Travolta-esque white suit and black hairpiece in the show’s homage to disco nightclubs. “It’s all part of the territory,” President Doti joked in reply. “Now you know what I’ve been going through!” Lewis said with mock drama. Presenting the award to Lewis were Marybelle and S. Paul Musco, 2010 American Celebration co-chairs and good friends of Lewis. As last year’s winners of the Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award, Don and Deedee Sodaro were on hand to present the honor to the Henleys. Doy Henley, executive vice chairman of the Chapman Board of Trustees, reflected on the university’s growth in excellence and prestige in recent years. He earned a huge round of applause when he concluded: “You haven’t seen nothin’ yet.”

C H A P M A N faculty news Original copies of the iconic 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, directed by John

Badham, professor,

SPRING 2011 Events

Here’s a look at selected upcoming events at Chapman. For a more complete list, visit www.chapman.edu/events.

Dodge College of Film and Media

Macbeth

Arts at Chapman University, will

Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy of betrayal and supernatural power. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17–26 (also 2 p.m. Feb. 26). Waltmar Theatre. $15 – $20. 714-744-7087.

be preserved by the Library of Congress as part of its National Film Registry. Each year the Library of Congress chooses 25 films historians deem “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant and worthy of preservation for future generations. The original films are preserved in cold-storage vaults and kept safe for future viewing.

A Night With … Jane Austen

Lynda Hall

Exactly 200 years after the publication of Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen will pay a visit to Chapman University and confront the legacy of her writing. Lynda Hall, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, will play Austen in the second of this season’s “A Night With …” performances. 7 p.m. Feb. 22. Wallace All Faiths Chapel. Admission is free.

Grace Fong, Ph.D., director

John Fowles Literary Series

of keyboard studies in the

The annual festival is devoted this year to Italian authors, and also includes a special appearance by Israeli-born author Assaf Gavron, the 2011 Shusterman Foundation Writer-in-Residence in the Department of English. All talks are in the Henley Reading Room, Leatherby Libraries. Admission is free. The schedule:

Conservatory of Music at Chapman, performed on tour with acclaimed Sony-Classical artist Gilles Apap of France over the holiday break. Dr. Fong was also a guest artist on the new internationally released CD by the band Pink Martini, Joy to the World. The release was the “pick of the week” by The New York Times, Starbucks, iTunes and Amazon.

March 7

College of Performing Arts, recently returned from a performance/lecture tour of the cities of Taichung, Taipe, Tainan and Chiayi in Taiwan, and Beijing. In 2012, he will return to Beijing to direct Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness! or Mourning Becomes Electra. Dr. Kelly was also a keynote speaker at the English and American Literature Association conference at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung.

Ronald L. Scott, Ph.D., has been awarded Professor Emeritus status. For his retirement reception

Dacia Maraini (The Age of Discontent, Isolina, The Silent Duchess).

March 21 Assaf Gavron (Ice, Moving, Almost Dead, Hydromania). April 4

Erri De Luca (Not Now, Not Here; God’s Mountain).

April 11

Paolo Giordano (The Solitude of Prime Numbers).

April 25

Giuseppe Conte (The Last White April, The Third Officer in Command).

Baron Kelly, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Theatre,

Dacia Maraini

May 2

Assaf Gavron

Giorgio Pressburger (The Law of White Spaces, Teeth and Spies).

Picasso at the Lapin Agile Steve Martin’s comedy imagines a duel of wits between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein in a Paris café. 7:30 p.m. March 17– 26 (also 2 p.m. March 26). Waltmar Theatre. $15– $20. 714-744-7087.

Paolo Giordano

12th Annual Women in Focus Conference Panelists talk about their lives as writers, directors and producers of films. April 1. Folino Theater at Knott Studios. 714-997-6795.

Opera Chapman Solo operatic performances by Chapman students. 7:30 p.m. April 1–3 (also 3 p.m. April 3). Memorial Hall. $15–$20. 714-997-6871.

in May, some of Dr. Scott’s colleagues, students and alumni collaborated on a video retrospective of accomplishments in his 37 years in higher education. Dr. Scott, a

A Night With … Abraham Lincoln Communication studies Professor Richard Doetkott portrays the 16th president, focusing on the historic Gettysburg Address. 7 p.m. April 7. Wallace All Faiths Chapel. Admission is free.

leading researcher and expert in psychological

Spring Dance Concert

assessment, retired after 31 years at Chapman.

Student choreographers present works that reflect their educational experience. 7:30 p.m. May 11–14 (also 2 p.m. May 14). Waltmar Theatre. $15–$20. 714-744-7040.

Lori Cox Han, Ph.D., professor

Richard Doetkott

of political science at Chapman, recently published an edited volume titled New Directions in

Chapman Now (USPS #007643)

the American Presidency (Routledge,

is published three times a year

2011), which takes a current look

at the various issues facing the

Chapman University. Reproduction

presidency and provides a “state

in whole or in part without

of the art” overview of current trends in the field of presidency research.David

Executive Vice President for University Advancement

Managing Editor: Mary A. Platt (platt@chapman.edu) Editor: Dennis Arp (arp@chapman.edu) Art Direction: Noelle Marketing Group

Shafie, assistant

professor of political science, contributed one of the original essays to the volume titled The Presidency and Domestic Policy.

written permission is prohibited.

Publisher: President James L. Doti Executive Editor: Sheryl Bourgeois,

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 Chapman Now is printed on recycled-content paper.

The preparations are well under way, and the party is about to begin. It’s a celebration 150 years in the making as Chapman University marks the sesquicentennial of its founding as Hesperian College in 1861.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: CELEBRATING 150 YEARS

number of commemorations are planned during 2011, including special coverage in Chapman Magazine. But the big occasion is a weekend celebration May 6 – 8 on campus in Orange. All alumni and friends of the university are invited to attend the free event, featuring an array of activities and attractions, including: ■ An al fresco concert in Attallah Piazza ■ Master classes taught by Chapman faculty ■ Tours of campus facilities ■ Celebratory birthday cake ■ Sholund Concert in Memorial Hall ■ A closing fireworks spectacular There will be many more events, as well as the release of two hardcover books commemorating this milestone moment in Chapman’s history. For more information, visit the official 150th Anniversary website — www.chapman.edu/150 — and get a tweet a day on Chapman history at Twitter.com (Chapman150).

C H A P M A N faculty news Ghassem Asrar, Ph.D. has been appointed McGaw Professor in Earth System Science in Chapman’s Schmid College of Science, where he will perform research in earth observing and assist with the education of Chapman students in Schmid programs. Currently, Dr. Asrar is director of the World Climate Research Program in Geneva, Switzerland, and his previous experience includes 20 years of service with NASA, where he was associate administrator for earth science. Dr. Asrar was previously appointed a distinguished visiting professor at Chapman.

Ramesh P. Singh, Ph.D., professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Schmid

Photo: Jeff Dolen ’04

College, organized a session on

DOCUMENTARY FILM STUDENTS FACE TESTS OF MT. KILIMANJARO

“Ocean-Related Natural Hazards”

in Ocean Color Associated with Dust Storms.”

ight Chapman students enrolled in an interterm Expedition Documentary Filmmaking course traveled to Tanzania to film their journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. The course, offered through Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, requires students to be ready not just for the tests of filmmaking but also for the physical demands they face on such extreme locations. The course led by Associate Professor Jeff Swimmer and instructor Jurg Walther challenges students to chronicle their experience as well as the people and landscapes encountered on their journeys. Each student shot footage for the documentary, using state-of-the-art equipment lent to the program by Panasonic. In exchange, the students will provide Panasonic with “beauty shots” of the famous African peak. Last year’s group traveled to Machu Picchu, and Mount Kilimanjaro presents challenges for all next year’s team plans to journey to Antarctica. who attempt the climb.

at the Pan Ocean Remote Sensing Conference in October, in Keelung, Taiwan. He also gave a talk, “Changes

Hesham El-Askary, Ph.D., assistant professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Schmid College, recently returned from a trip to Korea after giving two invited talks at the International Workshop on Environmental Geospatial Information hosted by the Korea Environment Institute. After the conference, Dr. El-Askary went to Korea University, Seoul, to give a talk about air pollution in Seoul.

Tibor R. Machan, Ph.D.,

IN MEMORIAM: WALTER CLARK, PH.D.

champion of Chapman’s Food Science Program and one of its beloved founders, Walter Clark, Ph.D., died Nov. 13, just days shy of his 90th birthday. A memorial service was held at Wallace All Faiths Chapel on Dec. 18. Dr. Clark was honored at an Oct. 30 anniversary celebration of the Food Science Program, where he was celebrated for his work. Fred Caporaso, Ph.D., professor of food science, gave a tribute speech to Dr. Clark, recalling his many contributions to the program and his tireless enthusiasm. Dr. Clark was with Hunt-Wesson, now ConAgra, when he encouraged Chapman to launch a food science program to meet the employment needs of Southern California’s food industry. Attending a November Food Science event that honored He was influential in attracting funding Dr. Walter Clark, left, are Chapman staff member Christina and faculty, helped design the curriculum Alexopoulos and Professor Fred Caporaso, Ph.D. and taught classes on government regulations, Dr. Caporaso said. He and his late first wife, Dottie, donated $50,000 to the program to help students attend meetings and conventions, where they could present their papers and research. Dr. Clark is survived by his wife, Veba; son, Leighton Clark; and stepsons, Christopher and Philip Gerkins. The family requests that donations in his honor be made to the program fund he established. Checks may be made payable to Chapman University, with “Food Science / Walter Clark” on the memo line and mailed to Jamie Stewart-Marsh, director of development, Schmid College of Science, 1 University Drive, Orange, Calif. 92866.

professor and holder of the R. C. Hoiles Chair in Business Ethics and Free Enterprise at the Argyros School of Business and Economics, gave a talk at SUNY Buffalo on “Equality, Oh So Badly Misunderstood” on Nov. 5. It was based on his forthcoming book with that title, from Addleton Academic Press. Dr. Machan also delivered a talk on “The Tragedy of the Commons and the Calculation Problem: Two Sides, Same Coin?” at the Association for Global Business’s annual meeting in New Orleans on Nov. 12. The second edition of Dr. Machan’s 1975 book, Human Rights and Human Liberties, A Radical Reconsideration of the American Political Tradition, was just published by the University Press of America.

Eyal Amitai, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Schmid College, participated at the NASA Precipitation Measurement Missions (PMM) Science Team Meeting in Seattle in November.

Richard Dreyfuss

Edward James Olmos

Michael Phillips

Robert Zemeckis

Nicholas Meyer

SCI-FI IN CINEMA Unearthing the Ideas Behind the Effects So how did Academy Award-winning producer Michael Phillips come to find himself in the teaching seat at Dodge College? He wanted to share his enthusiasm for films that were influential in cinema history but that younger film students might not know. So he contacted his friend David Ward, who leads the screenwriting program at Dodge College, and found his ideas quickly embraced by Dean Bob Bassett. The initial course Professor Phillips taught was Cinema of the 1970s, in fall 2009.

rofessor Phillips says teaching is similar to film producing. “For me the work is in conceiving the class and organizing it. And then during the semester it’s kind of easy. It just takes care of itself. You’ve chosen the films, the guests and you’ve organized the material in a way that you want. I feel like I’m being a producer more than a teacher,” he says. And just as with film, Professor Phillips hopes his class also conveyed something important to his audience, in this case young students who may not know the history of science fiction film and the genre’s roots in big ideas that go well beyond impressive special effects. “Really good science fiction is such food for thought,” he says. “A lot of the movies today are special effects movies, but they aren’t really science fiction. It could be about an asteroid crashing to the Earth or seeing Paris destroyed, but that isn’t really dealing with questions about the human condition, who we are and what’s our nature.” Phillips’ in-class screenings opened with Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Phillips considers the turning point for a genre that had been largely treated as B movie material. He followed with The Fantastic Planet, Close Encounters, Star Wars, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Time After Time, Starman, Sleeper, Blade Runner, Robocop, Total Recall, Contact, The Last Mimzy and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Students were also expected to view several films outside of class, ranging from The Day the Earth Stood Still to Inception. Special effects or not, students seem to eat it up. “I think they’re all great films. And the guests are fantastic,” said junior film production major Nathan Mills ‘12, who dashed for a front row seat on the night Contact screened and its director Robert Zemeckis answered students’ questions afterward. “It can’t get any better than this.” Or maybe it does. Phillips is scheduled to return next fall with another course, its theme still to be decided. Stay tuned.

Hollywood Could Use a New Business Model, Phillips Says

ONE UNIVERSITY DRIVE ORANGE, CA 92866 WWW.CHAPMAN.EDU

The art and business of filmmaking are at a curio us crossroads these days, says Academy Award-winning producer Michael Philli ps. On the one hand, there have never been so many talented young filmmakers, he says. “They have had the luxury of using their cameras and phones to make videos all their lives,” adds Phillips, trustee professor at Chapman Unive rsity’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. But all that indie enthusiasm doesn’t quite fit the Hollywood business model that relies increasingly on blockbuster movies. “The Hollywood system wants to make six giant temple movies a year,” he says. However, the up-and-coming will forge new paths , he adds, perhaps in online formats, two-tiered distribution or through cable programm ing. “There’s a huge pool of talent. Fresh imaginative ideas,” says Professor Phillips, whose films have garnered 23 Academy Award nominatio ns. “Something’s got to give. I don’t know the answer, but there’s lots of good material and not enough ways to see it. I think the current generation will figure out a way.” Meanwhile, he hopes the traditional Hollywood system will eventually loosen its formulaic reins a little, particularly in the sci-fi genre . “I would like to see science fiction get back on track,” he says, noting that special effects mega-movies are entertaining money-ma kers but redundant. “I think the studios are believing too firmly that audie nces want to see New York get blown up again.”

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