The College - Spring/Summer 2020 (English Version)

spring/summer 2020 CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY’S PUBLICATION FOR THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

FROM INTERNSHIPS TO FULL-TIME JOBS

...Our students craft resolutions aimed at rising problems, like the feminization of poverty and the need for sustainable energy.

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SUPPORT GIVE THE WORLD TO A STUDENT AND FOSTER WORLD PEACE A donation of just $750 will support the participation of one CLU student in the Model United Nations Program for four years.

Contact: Edgar Aguirre EdgarAguirre@CalLutheran.edu

4 Photos: 1. MUN Club Co-President Ellie Barker with MUN Club adviser, Richard Neve, PhD; 2. Cal Lutheran’s MUN originator Gregory Freeland, PhD; 3 & 4. Members of the MUN Club, which meets every Wednesday.

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MODEL UNITED NATIONS STUDENTS CULTIVATE GLOBAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT In Model United Nations (MUN), students take a deep dive into diverse histories, cultures and modern conflicts across the globe. They research and debate global issues facing the international community. At regional and international conferences, students explore creative solutions to global challenges in fields like international security, economic progress and human rights.

At the heart of Model UN is the challenge of placing oneself on the side of a differing worldview and addressing international issues from that position. From preparation to presentation, students continually encounter new perspectives, histories and theories—and must learn to represent countries with values and interests often vastly different from their own.

MUN Club Co-President Ellie Barker ’20 explains. “I once represented Turkey on the topic of the rights and safety of journalists.

This challenged me not only to put aside my own beliefs on freedom of speech as an American citizen, but also to look at this issue from a completely different set of traditions and circumstances.”

OVER TWO DECADES OF COMPETITION Cal Lutheran’s MUN originated with Political Science Professor Gregory Freeland in 1995. “I wanted to expose students to networking with their peers from around the world as one way to assist in their preparation for a global society,” says Freeland. “Working with student delegates from around the world, our students craft resolutions aimed at rising problems, like the feminization of poverty and the need for sustainable energy.”

At first, Cal Lutheran MUN participated in regional MUNs, moved on to UC Berkeley’s MUN Conference in 2001, and has been part of Harvard’s MUN Conference since 2009. Freeland served as faculty advisor for the MUN Club. He taught a Model UN class from 2005 until Fall 2013. Richard Neve, adjunct professor of political science, began advising the MUN Club this past fall semester, when he also rebooted the class.

“Model UN is a fantastic way to bring the abstract, complex world of international law and institutions to life,” Neve says. “It challenges students to collectively address critical issues using real world processes.”

The MUN Club, composed of 12 members, meets every Wednesday. Students who wish to participate in conferences must be registered for the MUN class and complete assignments during the year, which help them with conference preparation, as well as introduce them to concepts, theories and structures of international diplomacy, law and institutions.

BRINGING HOME AWARDS At the prestigious Harvard conference, participants number more than 3,000 from more than 250 colleges and universities, including 40 international universities. At recent Harvard conferences, Cal Lutheran’s team of 10 has brought home coveted “Outstanding Delegate” awards.

In the 2018 conference, Barker participated in a specialized historical crisis committee, “Advisors to Emir Habibullah Khan, 1914.” Her role was an “Ulama of West Afghanistan.” She and her peers advised their “King” on strategies to create a more independent and prosperous Afghanistan after the eruption of the First World War. She was awarded the “Diplomatic Commendation” for her commitment to peaceful and diplomatic strategies in achieving her desired objectives.

Model UN is a fantastic way to bring the abstract, complex world of international law and institutions to life.

MUN STATS 1 0 delegates will return to the Harvard MUN Conference this spring—6 in the General Assembly panels and 4 in Crisis groups.

I n the past 4 years, Cal Lutheran MUN has represented more than 10 countries, including Jamaica, Oman, Turkey, Barbados, Nepal, Peru, Romania, Zambia, Burkina Faso and Kyrgyzstan.

S tudents have role-played characters from Ghana, Afghanistan, France, South Korea, and even the galactic universe of Star Wars.

M odel UN student graduates pursue graduate school in law, public policy, international relations, environmental science and medical science, and jobs as attorneys, and in the diplomatic service, Peace Corps, federal government and Foreign Service.

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DID YOU KNOW?

SIXTY PERCENT OF INTERNSHIPS AT FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES LEAD TO FULL-TIME JOBS* Internships across the disciplines are an important part of the educational experience at Cal Lutheran. Oftentimes, they lead to significant job and graduate education opportunities. A few current students and recents graduates share their internship stories.

GEORGE KHOURY ’21

ANDRE PETRUS ’20

Major: Political Science and Philosophy / Minor: Legal Studies

Major: Communication

Internship: Education Policy Intern, United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, Washington, D.C.

Internship: Investigative Reporting Intern for KCBS/KCAL, Los Angeles

“I worked with experts in health, education and labor policy, which

“I love that my internship was unpredictable. One day we could

was a phenomenal chance to network and develop my goals.

I’m super grateful to have had this internship because it was a great way for me to prepare myself for law school and future jobs.”

be filming an interview and the next day working undercover on a story. It has also shown me all the time and effort it takes to put together a news story.”

The Internship Experience: Khoury got firsthand experience in the formulation of policy, a better understanding of the American legislative process, and sharper critical and legal analysis skills. He attended briefings and hearings on Capitol Hill, wrote memos and did legislative research.

The Internship Experience: Petrus answered tip-line calls from the public and gathered information on potential stories. Part of the job also included stakeouts, where he used hidden cameras to collect footage when his team was working undercover.

Cal Lutheran Internship Prep: Philosophy developed Khoury’s critical analysis and writing skills, both vital to the internship.

Political Science laid the foundation for understanding the political processes of the Senate. His legal studies minor set him apart from other interns and allowed him to craft verbiage for legislation and critically analyze proposals.

Career Aspirations: The internship validated Khoury’s passion to attend law school, and he now has a new interest in legislative counsel and legal analysis.

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Cal Lutheran Internship Prep: The Communication program helped Petrus learn how to set up for an interview and get the best camera angles and shots for different stories. The curriculum prepared him to tackle the real world and allowed him to feel confident going into any situation.

Career Aspirations: The internship affirmed Petrus’s desire to work in the news industry and reach his goal of covering the Los Angeles Lakers as a sports reporter. Even in his entry-level role, he felt that he was making a difference in the community. *Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers

JALEENA EVANS ’18

LUCAS FRANKEL ’19

JENNA MILES ’18

Major: Criminology & Criminal Justice

Major: Music Production

Major: Biological Sciences

Internship: Ventura County Public Defender’s Office

Internship: Assistant Content Creator for Drum Channel—a drum education website

Internship: COPE Health Scholar and Leader

Currently: Student at Santa Clara School of Law

Currently: Assistant Content Creator, Drum Channel, Oxnard, CA, and Freelance Drummer

Currently: Health Informatics Manager at COPE Health Solutions, Scottsdale, AZ and Los Angeles, CA

“Everyone has a different story, different upbringing and different luck. People are worth fighting for, and making sure those punished through our criminal justice system receive a fair sentence is very important to me. This internship solidified my purpose: to make change through my role as a public defender.”

“What I loved about my internship was being around the studio, meeting the artists who came in, and making connections.

I learn so much by just being there in the room. All these musicians teaching new concepts, and I get to be the one of the three people in the audience!”

“My internship absolutely helped me get

The Internship Experience: Evans assisted with civil compromise and homicide cases, shadowed investigator jail interviews, and conducted conservatorship investigations.

She watched court hearings and saw firsthand how the system works.

The Internship Experience: Frankel assisted in the video shoots— setting up the set, being a camera operator, assisting the audio engineer, and even running audio for a few shoots. He also assisted with editing video and audio.

Cal Lutheran Internship Prep: Evans had exposure to many aspects of the criminal justice system, being taught by a probation officer, defense attorney, retired police chief and retired homicide detective. The Inside Out Prison Exchange Program taught her how those incarcerated feel about the world.

Cal Lutheran Internship Prep: Frankel’s major taught him the physical aspects of audio engineering and proper studio behavior.

The Internship Experience: Miles was enrolled in the COPE Health Scholars Program where she rounded in different hospital units, such as surgery, labor and delivery and the ICU, providing support to the nursing staff. After several months, she applied to COPE’s leadership program, where she interviewed new interns, trained them, graded applications and more.

Post-Internship: The internship helped lead Evans to Santa Clara Law with a focus on criminal law and programs such as the Northern California Innocence Project.

Post-Internship: The internship turned into a job for Frankel.

All his contact with musicians has made him a better musician and has inspired the work he does in his own band as they write and record new songs, hoping for their first big break.

SUPPORT MOVE A STUDENT TO AN INTERNSHIP A gift of $500 helps offset coordination and oversight expenses, and transportation costs for students in need.

Contact: Edgar Aguirre

my new job. My full-time position is heavy computer work. But my employer was impressed to see exposure to patient care on my resume, as there is a lot of crossover with patient care work.”

Cal Lutheran Internship Prep: Having a heavy biology background was helpful in terms of patient care. Miles was able to better understand treatment protocols, diagnoses and pathological features.

Post-Internship: Her internship led to a job in another area of COPE Health Solutions.

Miles’ career goal is to be an Infection Preventionist, a job which monitors a hospital’s infection prevention standards, ensuring that staff is trained, educated and kept up to date with epidemiological trends.

EdgarAguirre@CalLutheran.edu

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MEET THE PROFESSORS DR. ROBERT DULL P h.D, Geography, University of California, Berkeley T aught at University of Texas, Austin. Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer in the Environmental Science Institute.

C urrently lead scientist for an international team of scholars working on the 6th-century A.D. eruption of Ilopango Volcano in El Salvador.

THE NEW EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PROGRAM

FROM DEEP HISTORY TO FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY Interdisciplinary courses and research define Cal Lutheran’s new Earth & Environmental Science (EES) program and the two new faculty who are carrying it forward. In the years ahead, department chair paleoecologist Robert Dull wants EES students to attain a broad education in earth system science—climate, ecology/biogeography and geomorphology. From there, they can specialize in everything from earth’s deep history to today’s environmental policy.

INTERDISCIPLINARY BY NATURE

DR. MEGAN FUNG P h.D, Geology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute P ostdoctoral Research Associate at Rensselaer. She examined evidence and distribution of wildfires following an extraterrestrial impact event at the PaleoceneEocene Boundary.

“We live in a rapidly changing global environment with many human-caused environmental issues that need to be addressed through science and policy,” says Associate Professor Dull, Ph.D. “My hope is to help equip our students to be transformative leaders in the global effort to create a more just and sustainable environmental future.”

The new department seeks to understand Earth’s history—past, present and future.

The program draws from biology, chemistry, geology, economics, political science, law, and ethics. It investigates how the Earth behaves; records its origin, rocks and landscapes; and learns about geological processes affecting modern environmental and ecological systems.

Beyond required foundational courses, students can tailor the program to their interests by taking Environmental Chemistry, Marine Biology, Environmental Ethics, Economics of the Environment, Geophysics, Geology, Invertebrate Paleontology and more.

Dull is also a science commentator on climate-related disasters for TV (Science Channel, Smithsonian Channel) and documentary films. “My research and training span several overlapping fields: plant ecology, geography, geology and cultural anthropology/archaeology,” says Dull. “My courses seek to elucidate both

06 ENGAGEMENT. EXPLORATION. INNOVATION. RELEVANCE.

human impacts on environmental systems and the impacts of environmental change on society.”

He is joined by paleoclimatologist Megan Fung, Ph.D., assistant professor, who was awarded a National Science Foundation fellowship and developed a climate change board game activity published in Nature Geoscience. “I use the fossil record to understand the response of marine biota to changes in their environment, such as sedimentary processes, sea level, temperature, ice volume and ocean chemistry.”

MAJORS & CROSS-OVER COURSES The EES program offers two majors.

E nvironmental Science. Prepares future environmental scientists to conduct research to identify, control, or eliminate sources of pollutants or hazards affecting the environment or public health.

G eology. Trains future geologists, who work to better understand Earth’s history, in order to foresee how past events and processes might influence the future.

Fung covers most of the Geology courses, and Dull takes Environmental Science and the ecological side, with a bit of archaeology thrown in. They’re both excited to be teaching two cross-over courses next year.

C limate Change. Fung’s course investigates how contemporary climate change compares to climate variations over Earth’s long history, including our scientific understanding of its causes and its local and global impacts. One assignment Fung loves: students design and implement a climate change board game.

N atural Hazards. Students love learning about hurricanes, tsunamis, floods and earthquakes. Dull likes to have them take a deep dive into a local topic like the Thomas & Woolsey fires or the Northridge Earthquake. This personal proximity drives student curiosity and engagement.

Dull and Fung look forward to team-teaching a research class in historical ecology and paleoclimatology. “We’re already planning a field program where we’ll extract sediment cores from lakes, salt marshes and wetlands throughout California and perhaps down into Baja California,” Dull explains. “Those cores will be analyzed in our Cal Lutheran labs to reconstruct the environmental history of the region, like climate, vegetation change, wildfire regimes.”

SUPPORT BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION A donation of $300 helps support a student’s field and lab work to address environmental issues through science and policy for one year.

Contact: Edgar Aguirre

EdgarAguirre@CalLutheran.edu

RESEARCH FOR TODAY’S WORLD Dull has spent two or three months a year in Nicaragua and El Salvador since 1996. Most of his research aims to elucidate the ongoing and ever-changing relationships between human beings and their physical environments. “Widespread historical and instrumental records of environmental change usually go back less than a century,” he says.

“I use ‘proxy’ methods from paleoecology and paleoclimatology to understand how human-ecological systems and landscapes changed over hundreds to thousands of years before the historical period.”

My courses seek to elucidate both human impacts on environmental systems and the impacts of environmental change on society.

Fung is examining an important geologic warming event, which occurred 56 million years ago, yet can be related to our current state of climate change and is often cited as the best analog for present-day CO2 rise. “One of my goals is to help students understand how the geologic record, such as the fossil shells of microscopic organisms, acts as an archive for past climate states and how we can use this knowledge to better understand current and future climate change,” she says.

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Photos: 1. Professor of Sociology Adina Nack, the new director of the Honors Program; 2. Rites of Passage Seminar; 3. Professor Jose Marichal teaching the Social Media and Politics Seminar; 4. Dia de los Muertos “altar” from the Social Science Seminar.

THE REIMAGINED UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM The University Honors Program (UHP) has been expanded and enriched. Its new director, Professor of Sociology Adina Nack, has introduced a new first-year course series, “Arts and Civilization,” which combines history with the visual and performing arts; more than a dozen new electives; the first “study-away” section of Religion 100; a new scholarship; and an alumni network.

Entering students with superior academic credentials are invited to join the Honors Program. Currently, there are 160 honors students taking small, interdisciplinary courses that explore timely topics in specialized seminars.

Nack, who has taught in the program since 2014, explains how UHP is both practical and intellectually stimulating. “The Honors Program provides a pathway through University’s general education requirements and can be completed in the first two years. Honors courses spark new interests and students learn to think critically about current issues. Honors is committed to stimulating dialog from diverse perspectives.”

Aaron Rohrer ’22, majoring in Film and TV Production and Spanish, says that as an Honors student, he has “become a more informed citizen capable of making educated decisions regarding issues such as voting in local and national elections as well as analyzing

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the role that different countries play in international economics and well-being.”

UHP students identify as a cohort as they connect with other honors students and faculty during special field trips, enjoy classroom visits from renowned guest speakers, and take part in exclusive on-campus events. Students benefit from focused faculty attention—including mentorship, academic advising and research opportunities—and new “study-away” opportunities.

Honors students travel for one week prior to the required introductory course “Religion, Identity and Vocation.” They stay at Luther Glen Farm and Retreat Center, and from there they visit the U.S. side of the border. In San Diego’s Chicano Park, home to the country’s largest collection of outdoor murals, and sites in San Bernardino county, they explore places where religious diversity, immigration and environmental justice intersect.

PROFESSORS CREATE NEW HONORS SEMINARS Three professors who teach in the Honors Program developed new experiential and interdisciplinary courses for the past fall semester.

S ocial Media and Politics. Team taught

by Jose Marichal, professor of political science, and Aaron Heresco, assistant professor of communication, the course explores the relationship between new media platforms and shifts in the principles and practices of citizenship. “Aaron brings in concepts from communication and I do the same as a political scientist.

We show short clips, do group work, ask lots of questions, and try to come up with answers. The jury is still out on how social media impacts democracy. There aren’t easy ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers, so we engage students in a collective ‘thinking through’ what these tools are doing to us and our social institutions,” explains Marichal.

S ocial Science Seminar. Taught by Nack, it focuses on how power and privilege create intersecting social, political and economic inequalities which impact our experiences. A highlight of the seminar included a Dia de Los Muertos fieldtrip designed and led by Cynthia

Duarte, visiting assistant professor of sociology. Students from Duarte’s Latinos and Public Health course joined Nack’s students to create altar projects commemorating a social justice issue.

“One initial course goal is to increase students’ understanding of forces that shape the meanings of different sources of power, such as socioeconomic status, sex/gender, sexuality, age, health, race/ethnicity and immigration status,” according to Nack. “As the course progresses, we focus in-depth on contemporary issues.”

TWO HONORS STUDENTS ON THEIR FAVORITE SEMINARS

Rites of Passage. Taught by Lisa Dahill, professor of religion, the class examines the importance of rites of passage in human development, the impact of their widespread loss today, and the creation of new or renewed rites for resilient global-ecological citizenship.

Dahill explains, “Students did collage art projects showing images for transitions they’re in right now: who were they, what are the liminal spaces they’re living in now, what is their sense of what they’re hoping for—or dreading—in the future?

We’re also seeing films and video clips of coming-of-age transitions from various cultures—’The Lion King,’ to contemporary Native American girls’ and boys’ rites, to wilderness quests for adolescents.”

UHP Student Program Coordinator Majors: Biological Science and Music

DEVIN ROMINES ’21

P ower and Privilege. Taught me who has power and privilege in the US, how they got it, how they keep it, and what can be done to empower the powerless. Fantastic course with guest professors.

N atural Science Seminar. We spent a lot of time in Wildwood Park, learning about plants, how they have been used throughout history, and how to identify them. We also learned about California’s ecosystem and what makes it so special.

Honors courses spark new interests and students learn to think critically about current issues.

SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS HELP HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS WITH HIGH FINANCIAL NEED A gift of $62,000 provides tuition (including room and board) for one high financial need honors student for one year.

Contact: Edgar Aguirre EdgarAguirre@CalLutheran.edu

MEAGAN TOUMAYAN ’20

HONORS REQUIREMENTS

Majors: Political Science and English (Emphasis: Creative Writing)

F irst Year Honors Seminar (fall and spring semester)—choose Humanities Tutorial, Social/ Natural Sciences Seminar or Arts & Civilization Seminar

R eligion, Food and the Environment.

Taught me to think about our connection and spiritualism in relation to the world through our eating and agricultural habits.

T hree Upper Division Honors Seminars

C ityscapes. Constantly had me thinking about the politics of cultural and artistic expression in different civilizations and time periods.

Students who complete all five honors courses and maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher will receive University Honors with Distinction upon graduation.

S ocial Media and Politics. Helped me better understand the way we communicate and the politics of our interactions in today’s climate and 150 years down the line.

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FROM THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES PROFESSORS PUBLISHED DR. SARA SADHWANI Political Science Co-authored a research report commissioned by the Schwarzenegger Institute, where she served as a fellow during the summer. The report identified the “top ten” of the worst gerrymandered state legislatures and was headed by Christian Grose at USC and co-authored by Sadhwani along with Jordan Carr Peterson (Texas Christian University) and Matt Nelson (USC PhD student).

DR. JEAN SANDLIN and DR. MONICA GRACYALNY Communication Published their research, “Fandom, Forgiveness & Future support: YouTube Apologies as Crisis Communication” in the Journal of Communication Management. The project was part of the Culver Fellowship program that enables students to engage with faculty research.

AWARDED DR. ROSE ASLAN, Religion DR. SCHANNAE LUCAS Criminology & Criminal Justice Received the 2019 Washington State University Outstanding Alumni Award Celebrating Black Excellence in recognition of outstanding professional achievements and service to the community.

Faith E. Lutze, Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at WSU, commented on Lucas’ award, noting her “professional activism to promote social justice and human rights.” Lucas was the first faculty member to implement the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program at Cal Lutheran and in Ventura County. This innovative prison education program is a college course taught with both Cal Lutheran students and incarcerated students the local jail.

Selected to receive a $10,000 grant from American Religious Sounds Project at Ohio State University to produce a digital exhibit of the sounds of Islamic ritual practices in public settings in the United States.

DR. JESSICA LAVARIEGA MONFORTI Political Science Selected by the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Latina/o Caucus to receive the 2020 MPSA Latina/o Caucus Distinguished Career Award. Nominated by colleagues for her scholarship, advocacy and mentorship, Lavariega Monforti will accept the award at the April MPSA meeting in Chicago.

NOTED & QUOTED DR. MICHAELA REAVES History Appeared on KDOC’s “Carlos and Lisa” show to discuss the history of impeachment.

TIM HENGST, Multimedia Used skills from his work at Johns Hopkins to create a prop—the decapitated head of the town’s tyrannical ruler—for the Theatre and Dance Department’s Fall production, “Fuenteovejuna.” During Hengst’s nine years at Johns Hopkins Department of Art as Applied to Medicine, he led a division that produced prosthetics for patients with severe facial defects, creating artificial orbital, ear, nose and cheek prosthetics.

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MICHAEL ARNDT, Theatre The Theatre and Dance Department’s fall production, “Fuenteovejuna” directed by Arndt, was noted as a “fine production...that does a wonderful job of capturing the passion and the spirit of the play” by Emily Dodi of the Ventura County Reporter, adding “Arndt brings out the best in the young actors.”

DR. JACQUELINE LYONS, English Presented “Seismic Studies,” selected poems from her book manuscript Earthquake Kit, at the 117th Pacific Ancient & Modern Languages Association conference held in San Diego in November.

STUDENTS ALEJANDRO GUZMAN ’20 Multimedia Created the poster for the Theatre Department’s Fall production of “Fuenteovejuna” as a multimedia capstone project.

DID YOU 81%

OF BACHELOR’S DEGREES AT CAL LUTHERAN ARE CONFERRED

BY THE COLLEGE

3RD

CAL LUTHERAN’S RANKING FOR BEST UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING AMONG REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES IN THE WEST

1IN5

2018 GRADUATES OF THE COLLEGE STUDIED ABROAD

9TH

CAL LUTHERAN’S RANKING AMONG REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES IN THE WEST

1IN3

TRANSFERRED TO CAL LUTHERAN ARE FIRST-GENERATION SCHOLARS ARE LATINA/O/X

FROM THE DEAN DR. JESSICA L. LAVARIEGA MONFORTI

STUDENTS EXPLORE RADIO INDUSTRY Last semester, students from the radio industry class and the student-run radio station benefitted from the close L.A. media market (2nd largest) and the award-winning NPR station on campus. LA’s KEYT morning news anchor, Alys Martinez, visited their classroom and students were treated to a tour of Cal Lutheran’s NPR station, KCLU.

PARTICIPATED ADRIENNE ARGUIJO-MORGAN and DR. PALOMA VARGAS Arguijo-Morgan, project director for Cal Lutheran’s Collaborative for Hispanics in Higher Education & Student Success (CHESS), was recently elected to the Council for The Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE). She joins Cal Lutheran faculty member Vargas (Biology), who also serves on the council. AHSIE supports the work of the nation’s Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) as they seek to provide quality, relevant educational opportunities to growing numbers of underserved populations, particularly Hispanic students. The US Department of Education designated Cal Lutheran a Hispanic Serving Institution in 2016.

Recently, the Cal Lutheran community received some good news—the University achieved its highest spot ever in the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings—ninth among regional universities in the West. However, I’d like to focus on a lesser-known achievement—we were ranked third in the West for Best Undergraduate Teaching. This achievement speaks directly to the student experience, the dedication and hard work of our faculty, and it’s a testament to what we value in The College. The numbers above offer a glimpse into our classrooms—our students are becoming more diverse and their interest in the wider world is expanding. One third are first generation college students, many of whom face financial challenges while adjusting to the newness of an academic environment for which they have no experience or context. For Cal Lutheran faculty members, it’s not enough to stay current and relevant in their fields, they must also remain sensitive and responsive to the needs of today’s students. Besides providing engaging classroom learning, our faculty take on advising roles to help students navigate college life. They mentor student research and independent study projects, and develop and accompany students on service learning experiences. Excellent undergraduate teaching does not happen by accident—but through an intentional commitment to our students’ experiences shaped by the daily practices of an engaged faculty.

Photo by Inga Parke, published with permission from The Echo.

CONTACT INFORMATION College of Arts & Sciences 805.493.3015 TheCollege@CalLutheran.edu Soiland Humanities Building

THE COLLEGE SPRING/SUMMER 2020 11

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA PERMIT NO. 68

Soiland Humanities Building 60 West Olsen Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 CalLutheran.edu/college-arts-science

DOING GOOD IN AND FOR THE COMMUNITY VANESSA AVALOS

GARRETT MUELLER

Major: Biological Sciences McNair Scholar Studying the Effects of Pesticides

Major: Political Science Honors Program Student Studying Food Insecurity

Coming from a large agricultural community and having family members who worked in the fields, I was curious about the chemicals being sprayed on fields and their effect on the workers. Because of this, I have been studying the effects of pesticides on genetic expression in a type of worm called C. elegans that shares key characteristics with humans. This work will contribute to gaining insights on how pesticides affect public health.

After researching food insecurity for my honors social science seminar, I found it affected college students at an alarming rate, and I wanted to help. I drafted a resolution to allow students to donate meals from their own meal plans to students in need. I met with key decision-makers and we worked out the details. Recently Cal Lutheran launched a program enabling students to donate one meal per week.

DR. VIC THASIAH

DR. ANDREA SELL

Associate Professor of Religion Founder and Executive Director of Runners for Public Lands

Associate Professor of Psychology Coordinator of Student Volunteers at the Annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s disease

My hope is that we start here a grassroots movement that would take off across our region and across our country to mobilize runners to do their part in protecting public lands. Runners for Public Lands is a space where I can express my love for running and the natural world as a form of community service.

The walk serves to raise funds for research, advocacy, and support related to Alzheimer’s disease.

As part of a service-learning project, students worked to set up signs, greet walkers, staff booths, staff water stations, guide walkers, and cheer on walkers as they crossed the finish line.