Pepperdine Magazine Vol. 11, Iss. 3 (Fall 2019)

Volume 11 Issue 3 Fall 2019

Moments

“Why would we strive to be unique—to provide an experience and training for students different than other institutions of higher education? Why would we invest in the level of energy, thoughtfulness, resources, work ethic, vision, teamwork, strength, endurance, and technical skills to reach the top of this enormous mountain? Why climb at all? The answer for us is simple, and yet profound: the world needs more Pepperdine in it. Our mandate? Our unique gift to the world? . . . is our students.”

—President Jim Gash Inauguration Address September 25, 2019

President Gash with daughters Jessica (L) and Jennifer (R)

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Contents F E AT U R E S

13 Pepperdine Outstanding Alumni | Women in Leadership

Selected from nearly 500 nominations, 32 alumnae are lifting their voices and sharing their stories to create the spaces required for their contemporaries and successors to thrive

22 Telling Her Story

Pepperdine scholars and alumnae reveal how stories told by women, about women, validate both women’s experiences and their authority in their respective fields

28 Player Assists Seaver College senior Olivia Robinson shares her story about the powerful impact of radical love in the face of conflict at the inaugural TEDxPepperdineUniversity event.

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In the competitive world of college sports, Pepperdine’s thoughtfully developed resources support the unique challenges faced by student-athletes

V O LU M E 1 1 | I S S U E 3 | FA L L 2 0 1 9 Pepperdine Magazine editor

Gareen Darakjian

senior designer

Courtney Gero

writers

Sara Bunch, Amanda Pisani, Abigail Ramsey, Jakie Rodriguez (MS ’13)

graphic designers

Mallory Bockwoldt (’16),

Danae Doub

photographers

Ron Hall (’79)

copy editor

Amanda Pisani

production manager

Jill McWilliams

Published by the Office of Public Affairs

SPOTLIGHT

Rick Gibson (MBA ’09, PKE 121)

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44

The Home Team

The Time of His Life

With the popularity of work-fromhome jobs continually on the rise, virtual leaders explore new ways to invest in remote employees

A Graziadio alumnus changes the world by launching time into space

Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President for Public Affairs and Church Relations Matt Midura (’97, MA ’05) Associate Vice President for Integrated Marketing Communications Nate Ethell (’08, MBA ’13) Director of Communications and Brand Development

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46

Setting the Scene

Heritage Hero

Four alumni share their experiences in Pepperdine’s theatre arts program and how they laid the foundation for thriving careers in the performing arts

In her new role as Montana’s poet laureate, a social justice advocate harnesses the power of the written word to expand Native American education in her home state

Keith Lungwitz Creative Director Allen Haren (’97, MA ’07) Director of Digital Media Ed Wheeler (’97, MA ’99) Senior Director of Operations Mauricio Acevedo Director of Digital Marketing Pepperdine Magazine is the feature magazine for Pepperdine University and its growing community of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends. It is published three times per year by the University’s

6 Inside Voices 7 Campus Notes

9 Headlines 34 Snapshot 48 The Cut

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

Public Affairs division and is produced with guidance from an advisory board representing a cross section of the University community.

Send address changes, letters to the editor, and other queries to: magazine@pepperdine.edu All material is copyrighted ©2019 by Pepperdine University, Malibu, California 90263.

Pepperdine is affiliated with Churches of Christ, of

MAGAZINE.PEPPERDINE.EDU

which the University’s founder, George Pepperdine,

PA1908086

1 Moments

was a lifelong member.

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W Editor’s Letter

What words come to

mind when pondering women in leadership?

Intrepid? Fearless? Empathetic? To reduce a woman’s contributions to the world to a handful of impact words would limit the tapestry of dynamic skills, talents, and abilities that women have been endowed with. But as representatives across the University gathered to discuss the Outstanding Alumni | Women in Leadership campaign, and the characteristics held by the individuals that would qualify them for this recognition, developing a list that captured all the ways women influence their communities was an exercise that would help the review board identify and eventually present the strongest individuals nominated by their peers and loved ones.

We didn’t take the responsibility lightly. We were intentional and thoughtful about the types of women we considered to be “outstanding.” Entrepreneurial. Influential.

Servant leaders. After all, those in the room—the majority of whom were women—were some of the boldest and brightest that Pepperdine has seen, and celebrating 30 women would be like recognizing all of our unique gifts.

As we discussed these qualities, one word in particular rose to the surface. Empowered. While “empowered” is an introspective adjective that describes a person who has been granted the authority and permission—and confidence—to be in control of her own circumstances, another, related characteristic emerged from the conversation. Empowering.

An empowering woman has not only been given the keys to propel herself down her own path. An empowering woman has also answered the call to serve her fellow females on their own journeys to personal and professional success. Empowering is not limited to having the confidence within oneself.

Empowering means equipping others with the confidence to discover their own strengths and inviting them to access the opportunities they have been granted.

In response to a question about what being an honoree of the Outstanding Alumni | Women in Leadership campaign means to her, Sara Train (MBA ’19), sustainability manager at Trader Joe’s, responded, “When women take the risk of sharing their stories and using their unique voices, it gives others the courage to do the same.” This initiative not only honors women who do or have done great things. It celebrates women who encourage and promote their fellow women to greatness, as well.

I am proud to say that this issue of Pepperdine Magazine is bursting at the seams with stories about both empowered and empowering, extraordinary, dynamic, fearless women who are innovating in their fields and demonstrating leadership in their work, home, and faith communities. I’m lucky, myself, to have found a place where my voice matters and I am grateful to this place for continuing to empower my colleagues and me to express ourselves more and more each day so that we may lift each other up and amplify each other’s voices—louder, stronger, and more clearly—in order to ensure, collectively, that our stories endure.

GAREEN DARAKJIAN editor

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Inside Voices

“One of the most powerful experiences of transformation is being seen and heard.”

Promoting diversity and inclusivity inspires confidence

The Power of Story

By Bernice Ledbetter (EdD ’05) Director, Center for Women in Leadership Dean of Students and Alumni Affairs, Graziadio Business School MS in Management and Leadership Program Chair Practitioner Lecturer of Organizational Theory and Management

The allure of a good personal story is that it reveals something profound. Stories inform us and help us make sense of our world. They inspire action and create accountability.

They help us learn and they teach us how to overcome barriers. Stories bind us.

Stories also pave the way for the next wave of storytellers. People desire to see “someone like me” in the constellation of extraordinary leaders. Thankfully, Pepperdine University has countless examples. This issue of Pepperdine Magazine is one way for us to paint brushstrokes on a very large canvas of who we are and the collective impact of our leadership in and for the world. The deep well of our shared wisdom becomes known primarily through the stories of our diverse alumni.

There are multifaceted benefits of sharing stories, especially for women and men who strive to be compassionate leaders conscious of the impact their business decisions have on their local and global communities—what we at the Graziadio Business School call Best for the World Leaders.

In a role model relationship, stories yield outsized benefits

A recent study followed 11,500 young women in 12 countries across Europe. More than half (52 percent) of the women aged 11 to 30 who looked up to either fictional or nonfictional people involved in STEM fields said they were interested in pursuing a job in that sector. Fewer than one-third (32 percent) of the women who couldn’t identify a role model said the same. Clearly, sharing success stories makes an impact on those who are listening.

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Women and men deepen their level of confidence when they discover someone in a leadership position with whom they can relate. Sharing stories of diversity and inclusion not only helps build a stronger management pipeline, but it also goes far in offering young men and women ways to visualize a rich variety of career paths.

Amplifying the voices and stories of women chips away at unconscious biases

Stereotypes are pervasive in the workplace and other life contexts. Unconscious bias is quick judgment that takes place without our noticing it. When the stories we tell and hear are inclusive and diverse, we come to realize a more expansive set of possibilities than we might not have otherwise considered.

I’m encouraged by the storytelling taking shape in the business world and at Pepperdine. However, I keep a watchful eye on students, especially when they are about to enter the work world or when they seek to pivot in their careers. I am particularly attentive to opportunities for our women students to see other women in positions of influence because I know that they are then far more likely to pursue that same leadership path.

One of the most powerful experiences of transformation is being seen and heard.

We choose to highlight the amazing accomplishments of our alumni because we want to showcase our collective leadership capabilities and provide a deeper understanding of what we are all capable of collectively.

Campus Notes PEPPERDINE PEOPLE

Pierre Long-Tao Tang The new conductor of the Pepperdine University Symphony and Wind Ensemble notes the most instrumental moments of his performing arts career

Fundamentally changed by his experience as a camp leader and the

realization of how privileged he was, Tang felt a desire to lead musical groups in faith and service. In leading his students, Tang strives to help them remember that the essence of art is to connect and communicate.

“Music, at its core, connects one to something that is timeless. It transcends

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Tang’s parents encouraged him to begin playing the piano at the age of five with the thought that

all barriers and language, and it arouses various feelings, memories, and sensations. The more you try to design an experience or become too concerned with the technical aspect of the performance, the less authentic it becomes.”

it would help him get accepted into a good school.

“My hometown has a very strong affinity for cultural knowledge and diversity. We don’t learn music just because it’s fun.”

In his rookie year at Pepperdine, Tang led the Wind Ensemble in the performance of a

Tang was one of an elite 27 accepted to Chung Chi College at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

variety of musical selections at President Jim Gash’s inauguration ceremony on September 25, 2019.

Their first performance featured “Esprit de Corps”

by Robert Jager.

While completing his studies, he served as a camp leader for a Christian wind band camp and used unconventional methods to instill the importance of music in his campers.

No matter the performance, Tang seeks to create memorable moments for all who attend. “I’d like the audience to

“On the second day of camp, we got up at 5 am and took a bus to the poorest neighborhood of Hong Kong. We went dumpster diving, tried to

leave thinking, ‘I’m never going to forget this moment.’ I want them to experience something beyond words.”

buy lunch with the money we earned from dumpster diving, and laid with the homeless to understand what it felt like to be looked down on.”

First Impressions Recognized in April 2019 as a First Forward institution by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators for its commitment to the success of first-generation students, Seaver College and its Student Success Center’s First Wave program offer resources and tools to help this unique population thrive throughout their academic journey.

17

percentage of

FIRST-GEN

freshman and transfer students

18.3

percentage of total

FIRST-GEN UNDERGRADS

Fall 2019

FIRST-GENS:

63% from CA

28%

from other states

9%

international

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FIRST WAVE AMBASSADORS

to support a variety of students’ needs

55 courses tutored

6 ANNUAL

learning skills workshops

75

30% increase in

2018–19

tutoring visits

WEEKLY tutoring sessions Source: Seaver Student Success Center

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

C H AT T E R The Pepperdine community shared their well wishes and warm thoughts as President Jim Gash began his new role on August 1, 2019.

MONICA BREWSTER ESKRIDGE No one is more deserving of this position than Jim Gash. Jim was meant for this, and Pepperdine is so lucky to have him.

Dan J. Sanders (MBA ’10), Chief Operations Officer, Sprouts Farmers Market EVENT: Graziadio Business School Spring 2019 Commencement

JESSICA GASH (’18) Hey, I know him! So proud of you, dad! @WINDHAM.JACOB

“Our individual calling is not designed to bring us fame and fortune. It is not about the Mercedes, the mansion, the millions, or the mink. It’s about service to others . . . your calling is about God. Keep first things first.”

Congrats President Gash!

Excited to start the new school year with you! @CKENNER Just when I think I can’t love this amazing place of learning any more than I already do . . .

Go do great things for Him!

DID

“It’s important for us to remember what the real good news is all about and reflect that enduring message of hope into [our work] each day through our words, thoughts, and actions.”

YOU KNOW

During fall 2018, 393 full-time teaching faculty and 1,132 fulltime staff served students throughout all five Pepperdine schools.

“I would not have the blessings of being an attorney today had I attended a university that was solely focused on research and publishing textbooks. At Pepperdine, the professors knew me, encouraged me, recognized my potential, came alongside me, and were the sole reason I succeeded.”

Mark Hiepler (JD ’88), Founding Partner, The Law Offices of Hiepler & Hiepler EVENT: Parris Institute for Professional Excellence Workshop

“Why do we look at mitigation dollars just to fix infrastructure? Why can’t a community go to Congress and apply for mitigation funds to offset the cost of insurance? Insurance will fix you far more effectively than FEMA will.”

Helen Easterling Williams, Dean, Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Brock Long, Executive Chair, Hagerty Consulting

EVENT: Finding Your Calling: A Reflection Retreat for Graduate Students 2019

EVENT: HSAC Distinguished Speaker Series: Emergency Management 2.0

FROM THE ARCHIVES The women of George Pepperdine College gather on campus during an event in the late 1940s.

Source: University Archives Photograph Collection

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Headlines

Pepperdine Celebrates the Inauguration of James A. Gash as the University’s Eighth President and Chief Executive Officer In the presence of thousands of members of the Pepperdine community, joined by more than 100 delegates representing institutions of higher learning, James A. Gash (JD ’93) was formally inaugurated as the eighth president and chief executive officer of Pepperdine University during a ceremony at Alumni Park on September 25, 2019.

The two-hour ceremony, which featured greetings from community leaders, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, included remarks from California state senator Henry Stern; the Honorable Bart Magunda Katureebe, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda; and Phil Schubert, president of Abilene Christian University.

Henry Tumwesige, the falsely accused and wrongfully imprisoned young man President Gash met during his first visit to Uganda in 2010, was also in attendance. Tumwesige’s story served as the inspiration behind Gash’s efforts to reform Uganda’s judicial system, eventually resulting in the development of the Sudreau Global Justice Program at the Pepperdine School of Law. Gash’s involvement in Tumwesige’s trial inspired the making of the award-winning 39-minute documentary, REMAND, viewed by the Pepperdine community during a special screening at Smothers Theatre in the evening following the inauguration ceremony.

In his address, Katureebe credited President Gash and President Emeritus Andrew K. Benton for the vast improvements Uganda’s justice system has undergone since the University and the nation launched their partnership many years ago. In appreciation of the historic positive social impact, Uganda’s minister of justice and constitutional affairs, the principal judge of the Courts of Judicature, three justices of the superior courts, the director of public prosecutions, the solicitor general, the chief registrar of the judiciary, and other senior government officials of Uganda also traveled nearly 10,000 miles to witness the inauguration ceremony.

The investiture commenced following remarks from Dee Anna Smith (’86), chair of the Pepperdine University Board of Regents; President Emeritus Benton; Sara Jackson (’74), Pepperdine University chancellor; and David Davenport, the sixth president of Pepperdine University.

In his inauguration address, which explored the future of the University through the metaphor of the Pepperdine community climbing a mountain together, President Gash noted, “The world needs more Pepperdine. Our mandate [and] our unique gift to the world is our students. Our mandate is to train up and send out these students as brilliant leaders of faith, character, courage, and creativity.”

Specifically, he conveyed that Pepperdine must strengthen its students “intellectually, spiritually, and relationally so that they have the courage to lead and serve with global influence and the courage to pursue leadership and service where it matters. And it matters in two places: it matters where there is power and it matters where there is poverty.”

The weeklong celebration included a praise and worship event on September 23 at Firestone Fieldhouse, with a special performance by internationally acclaimed Christian music praise and worship group Hillsong Worship. The evening also featured guest speakers Bob Goff, New York Times best-selling author and founder of nonprofit organization Love Does, and Dave Clayton, lead church planter and pastor at Ethos Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Jennifer J. Wiseman, renowned astronomer and astrophysicist, delivered the inauguration keynote lecture “A Universe of Wonder, Challenge, and Possibility,” which examined the cosmos through the dual lens of science and faith, on September 24 at Smothers Theatre.

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Headlines Pepperdine and Women In Film Announce Entrepreneurial Pathways Partnership In June 2019 Pepperdine University and Women In Film, Los Angeles (WIF LA), a nonprofit organization that advocates for and advances the careers of women working in the screen industries, launched a research partnership to identify the drivers and inhibitors of funding for women-owned businesses in the screen industries.

The Pepperdine Institute for Entertainment, Media, Sports, and Culture (IEMSC) and the Center for Women in Leadership at the Graziadio Business School are leading the project in collaboration with WIF LA, with support from an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students from Seaver College and the Graziadio Business School.

Part of Entrepreneurial Pathways, a new WIF initiative that will work to equalize opportunities for women-owned businesses, the project is led by WIF LA board president Amy Baer, board treasurer Stasia Washington (MBA ’13), and executive director Kirsten Schaffer. Alicia Jessop, academic director for sport administration for IEMSC, is conducting the research alongside Sharifa Batts (MBA ’18), a doctor of business administration student at the Graziadio School.

“Women In Film has partnered with Pepperdine University to create an action plan to connect women to the tools and resources needed to raise capital,” explained Schaffer, who publicly announced the partnership on June 12, 2019, at the WIF Annual Gala, the organization’s signature event. “Every week I read a story in the trades about a man receiving tens of millions in seed money for his business while equally qualified women struggle to raise $2 million. We are going to change this.”

Pepperdine Launches University-Wide Resilience Program for Students In response to data showing increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness among young people in the nation as well as at the University, Pepperdine launched the Resilience-Informed Skills Education (RISE) Program in September 2019 to build the physical, cognitive, social, practical, and spiritual resilience of students by providing them with frameworks for navigating life’s difficulties. The program was inspired by the combined efforts of multiple University departments that came to the aid of students in the wake of the Borderline Shooting and Woolsey Fire in November 2018.

Through a variety of workshops, classes, peer educators, resilience mentors and coaches, films, guest speakers, special service opportunities, and digital resources, RISE supports students as they learn how to develop resilience skills, prioritize self-care, and help their peers during challenging moments. The program also provides students with opportunities to mindfully care for their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health through activities offered by Campus Recreation, the Counseling Center, the Office of the Chaplain, and Seaver Spiritual Life Programs.

“Pepperdine students, like university students across the nation, are experiencing increasing levels of stress and anxiety,” shared Connie Horton, vice president for student affairs. “I’m grateful that [hundreds of] students take advantage of the Counseling Center. We want to add to their available resources the RISE Program, which will include numerous offerings that will help them build their resilience skills, increasing their ability to bounce back from life’s challenges.”

ཁཁLearn more about the RISE Program: magazine.pepperdine.edu/ rise-program

Kristen Dowling (MA ’07) and Sylvia Mosqueda Named New Head Coaches Kristen Dowling, former Waves women’s basketball assistant coach who has led the Athenas at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps since 2012, has returned to Malibu as the eighth head coach in program history. Sylvia Mosqueda, former NCAA champion and record holder, has been named head coach of the Waves men’s and women’s cross country and track programs after serving as an assistant coach during the 2018–19 season.

Dowling was a graduate assistant and an academic advisor at Pepperdine during the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons and returned as an assistant coach for the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons under former head coach Julie Rousseau (MA ’12). The Waves went 32–27 during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, placing third in the West Coast Conference in 2011 and Kristen Dowling (MA ’07) Sylvia Mosqueda advancing to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

Mosqueda has been coaching for more than two decades, having served as the head coach at Los Angeles City College and as an assistant coach at Los Angeles Community College and East Los Angeles College. In 2009 she founded the TEAMosqueda Running Club. Her runners won regional championships in 2015 and 2016 and took ninth place at nationals in 2016. She has coached multiple runners to the US Olympic marathon trials and competed at five different US Olympic Trials between 1988 and 2004.

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Fine Arts Division Futureproof Performance Examines Identity and Societal Expectations The Seaver College Fine Arts Division presented their production of Fringe First award winner Futureproof by playwright Lynda Radley at Lindhurst Theatre in September 2019.

In a desperate attempt to keep his traveling circus show afloat, Robert Riley, owner of Riley’s Odditorium, comes up with a plan for his curious cast of characters to conform to societal standards; in essence, become a little less “odd.” The band of traveling performers—which includes a bearded lady with no arms, a mute mermaid, and a pair of Siamese twins—must decide if they want to fit in or stand out in the insightful play about identity and the capacities of the human spirit.

The play, which explored topics such as body image and identity, featured undergraduate students Nate Bartoshuk, Lauren Burton, Sara Eakman, Alexander Kolm, Bri Lawrence, Clayton Mattingly, and Julia Pankow.

“Lynda writes with style, humor, and poetic passion. This poignant, funny and incredibly insightful play is about a family of misfits that the world has left behind,” explained Cathy Thomas-Grant, professor of theatre.

“For me the play is about the difference between self-directed change and something that’s imposed on you from the outside. What steps do you have to take to make yourself relevant to an audience? What happens when you become a stranger to yourself and give up your individuality?”

GRAMMY Museum® Exhibition Gives Behind-the-Scenes Look at Exclusive Backstage Moments

Pepperdine Recognized for First-generation Student Support Program

Through a partnership between Pepperdine University and the GRAMMY Museum University Affiliates program, the exhibition And The GRAMMY Goes To . . . will be on display in the Exhibit Gallery at Payson Library in Malibu through December 15, 2019.

Unveiled during an opening reception on September 5, the exhibition, curated by the GRAMMY Museum, features a selection of official posters alongside portraits taken backstage by internationally recognized photographer Danny Clinch, as well as a behind-the-scenes video of Clinch at work.

“We are thrilled to host this vibrant exhibit in Payson Library,” said Mark Roosa, dean of libraries. “With its celebration of both the visual and performing arts, And the GRAMMY Goes To . . . encapsulates the spirit of creativity and collaboration that this exciting new partnership represents.”

In April 2019 Pepperdine’s First Wave program, an initiative led by the Seaver College Student Success Center that offers resources and tools to help firstgeneration students thrive throughout their academic journey, earned Seaver recognition as a First Forward Institution from the Center for First-generation Student Success. Along with the acknowledgment of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the Suder Foundation, Pepperdine joined the inaugural cohort of First Forward Institutions to receive professional development, communitybuilding experiences, and an early look at critical research.

“Through the application process, it was evident that Pepperdine is not only taking steps to serve first-generation students but is prepared to make a long-term commitment for important advances in the future,” said Sarah E. Whitley, senior director of NASPA’s Center for First-generation Student Success.

According to Marissa Davis, director of the Student Success Center, “The recognition will give Pepperdine the opportunity to network with other schools passionate about supporting their first-generation student population.” With 16.5 percent of Pepperdine’s incoming class being first-generation students, Davis says “[the cohort] will provide a platform for sharing ideas, successes, and insights to provide a meaningful academic experience for our first-generation students.”

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Headlines School of Public Policy Celebrates New Initiative at HSAC 2019 Gala

Office of the Chaplain Launches Second Season of Spiritual Life Blogcast

The School of Public Policy hosted the HSAC 2019 Gala at the Montage Beverly Hills on September 17, 2019, to celebrate the formation of an innovative academic enterprise with the Los Angeles Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) known as the Homeland Security Advisory Council at the School of Public Policy (HSAC@SPP).

The event honored Andrew K. Benton, President Emeritus of Pepperdine University, and the Honorable Wendy Greuel, board member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and former Los Angeles city controller and Los Angeles city councilmember.

HSAC@SPP will expand HSAC’s work in disaster preparedness, crisis management, and resiliency by engaging the public, private, and civic sectors. Positioned to prepare the current and next generation of public leaders, HSAC@SPP will also harness the school’s unique curriculum dedicated to exploring the full range of crosssector and information technology solutions to public policy challenges.

In January 2019 under the direction of University chaplain Sara Barton, the Office of the Chaplain launched the Spiritual Life Blogcast, a podcast and blog series that offers Pepperdine students, alumni, faculty, and staff opportunities to grow deeper in faith and closer in community. Each podcast episode and blog post features Pepperdine students, alumni, faculty, and staff in conversation about their perspectives on a wide variety of topics, including faith, justice, ministry, religion, and worship.

“My vision for the Pepperdine Spiritual Life Blogcast is to amplify faith conversations University wide,” shares Barton. “Because the Pepperdine community extends throughout Los Angeles and around the world, the blogcast is a means of extending conversations about faith and spirituality to the entire community. The podcast and blog will feature many of our own faculty, staff, and students, as well as University guests, as we delve into conversations about how purpose, service, and leadership are being lived out through authentic lives of faith.”

The second season of the Spiritual Life Blogcast premiered September 4, 2019, with a podcast featuring an intimate conversation with president Jim Gash (JD ’93) and first lady Joline Gash (’92) as they reflected on their vocational journeys, early memories, and hopes for Pepperdine. Other recent content includes blogs written by Seaver College alumnus Avery Davis Lamb (’16), who examined the biblical invitation to care for and tend to the ecology of creation, each other, and God, and Steven Zhou (’15, MA ’17), who shared how a Christian higher education prepared him for life after college.

ཁཁLearn more about HSAC@SPP: magazine.pepperdine.edu/

ཁཁLearn more about the Pepperdine Spiritual Life Blogcast:

hsac-spp

magazine.pepperdine.edu/spiritual-life-blogcast

Center for Faith and Learning and Yale Divinity School Present Pedagogy of the Good Life Conference In August 2019 the Center for Faith and Learning, in partnership with Yale Divinity School, hosted the first-ever Pedagogy of the Good Life conference, a four-day event featuring Christian philosophers, university and humanist chaplains, authors, and Pepperdine faculty and staff, who explored the question, “What could a teacher do to bring the meaning of life back into the classroom?”

John Barton, director of the Center for Faith and Learning and visiting associate professor of religion at Seaver College, co-led a session alongside Eboo Patel, author and founder of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), highlighting religious pluralism and discernment on college campuses.

Pepperdine faculty and staff engaged attendees in discussions that further explored the investigation of fundamental questions of human existence on college campuses.

Elizabeth Smith (MA ’03, EdD ’16), assistant professor of communication at Seaver College and director of Pepperdine Graphic Media, co-hosted a session in which she examined the University community’s experiences with last November’s mass shooting in Malibu-adjacent Thousand Oaks and the Woolsey Fire that abruptly spread throughout the area hours later.

Pepperdine chaplain Sara Barton interviewed author Bart Campolo on what it means to be a humanist chaplain and the lessons brought about by his spiritual journey.

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n the book The Confidence Code, coauthors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman examine the transformative impact of inviting confidence into women’s daily lives and the critical role that it plays in the ability of women to succeed. Beyond inspiring women to harness their inherent instincts to rise to action, take risks, and not fear failure, tapping into their confidence—what the authors call an “elemental resource”—rewires their brains to think and behave differently.

Selected from nearly 500 nominations of alumnae from across the Pepperdine community, these 32 outstanding women in leadership understand the power that confidence has on their journeys to success, both in their personal lives and in their careers. Discover how they are lifting their voices and sharing their stories to create the spaces required for their contemporaries and successors to thrive.

Excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.

SEE EACH HONOREE’S FULL RESPONSES: pepperdine.edu/outstanding-alumni-women-in-leadership

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Features

CORTNEY BAKER (EdD ’15)

KYM DILDINE (’03, MBA ’08)

Fairview, Texas CEO/Owner, KidsCare Home Health A single teenage mother on Medicaid and food stamps, Cortney Baker gave birth to her first child six months after graduating from high school. She put herself through college when her son was two and went on to earn a master’s degree in communication disorders and sciences. Feeling herself undervalued in the workplace, she decided at 28—with no prior experience—to start her own business.

Baker pressed on to open a pediatric home healthcare agency and began providing speech therapy for 10 children with disabilities. In 16 years, the company grew to more than 600 employees in 11 locations.

Curious as to why the gender gap continues to exist in the 21st-century workforce, Baker enrolled in Pepperdine’s organizational leadership doctoral program to explore the challenges women face when climbing the corporate ladder. She is now changing the future of leadership for women by helping them become CEOs through the power of entrepreneurship.

Clovis, California Chief Administrative Officer, Central California Food Bank

WHAT WAS PEPPERDINE’S ROLE IN YOUR SUCCESS? Early in my freshman year, I experienced servant leadership and a ministry of hospitality during weekly Bible studies hosted by President and First Lady Benton. At the time it felt so natural and commonplace that I didn’t fully appreciate the sacrifice and dedication it took for them to open their home, be fully present in our lives, and at the same time successfully lead the University.

WHAT’S NEXT? I currently lead our team in addressing poverty and hunger in our community. My goal is to make an even larger impact in Central California because no one should have to go to bed hungry.

KIM FOLSOM (MBA ’02) ALEXIS BONNELL (’99) Washington, DC Chief Innovation Officer, USAID At USAID Alexis Bonnell has delivered humanitarian and development programming in more than 25 countries and in almost every sector from education to stabilization, with partners including the United Nations, US government, academia, and the private sector. Her work focuses on how to leverage science, technology, innovation, and partnership for greater impact.

Her more than 20 years of experience in management, communications, and innovation have provided her opportunities to work with Wall Street, dot-coms, the Middle East peace plan, Afghan and Iraqi elections, and on global emergency response coordination and major logistics operations. Bonnell is also the founder of the Global Innovation Exchange and has witnessed the development and philanthropic communities’ investments in innovation, changing millions of lives globally.

San Diego, California Cofounder, CEO and Managing Partner, Founders First Capital Partners LLC Founder and Interim CEO, LIFT Development Enterprises, Inc. Prior to attending business school, Kim Folsom spent eight years trying to start her own venture-backed technology business as an underrepresented founder. At the Graziadio Business School, her cohort helped her develop the confidence and strategy to launch her first start-up tech company, SeminarSource.com.

Folsom later cofounded Founders First Capital Partners in San Diego and LIFT Development Enterprises, Inc. In both organizations, she leverages her years of entrepreneurial experience to address the gap in funding to companies led by underserved and diverse founders.

Before launching LIFT and Founders First, Folsom founded, led, and built startups for which she raised $30 million in institutional venture financing. She recently launched her seventh firm, a revenue-based venture fund with $100 million in committed capital.

“Pepperdine prepared me to be an advocate, and my

work now is all about the inclusion of indigenous voices, particularly those of local farmers and women.”

—BRYNN FOSTER

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BRYNN FOSTER (’95) Waialua, Hawaii Founder and Director, Voyaging Foods A few years out of college, Brynn Foster was living on Oahu, where she felt heavily influenced by the traditions of her Hawaiian ancestry and her tutu, or grandmother.

While in Oahu, she became interested in regenerative agriculture and traditional methods of farming in Hawai’i. Following the birth of her son, she searched for a healthy, allergen-free teething biscuit for babies and started making them herself from taro—the same root vegetable her ancestors had fed their babies in the form of poi. This marriage of family, tradition, and passion for agriculture led to the founding of her company, Voyaging Foods, which makes baked goods and flours from native plants.

WHAT WAS PEPPERDINE’S ROLE IN YOUR SUCCESS?

JULES (JULI) L. FROST (’90) Chexbres, Switzerland Head of Programmes and Partnerships, Core Humanitarian Standard Alliance

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? In a time of unprecedented scrutiny of humanitarian organizations, the CHS Alliance is more important than ever.

Today more than 200 million people require assistance due to natural hazards caused by climate change, displacement, and more protracted conflicts. The CHS Alliance, which promotes the Core Humanitarian Standard, is one of the most influential global networks promoting quality and accountability. I am proud to be part of a team committed to making aid work better for the people we serve.

WHAT WAS PEPPERDINE’S ROLE IN YOUR SUCCESS?

Pepperdine prepared me to be an advocate, and my work now is all about the inclusion of indigenous voices, particularly those of local farmers and women. I will continue to create healthy, holistic foods that incorporate the local plants, community, and culture.

Pepperdine opened the door to the world for me, first through my year abroad in Florence, Italy, and then during two summer mission trips to Africa. Through these priceless experiences, I formed lifetime friendships and discovered my calling to serve the most vulnerable in the hardest-to-reach places.

SYLVIA FRANSON (’87)

NURY GOMEZ (MBA ’12)

Laguna Niguel, California Vice President, West Coast Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal

WHAT DOES THIS RECOGNITION MEAN TO YOU? It brings me great pride to see Pepperdine celebrating women who are breaking down social barriers and paving the way for other women to succeed.

SUCCESS STORY My parents were immigrants from Mexico who worked tirelessly to provide for my four siblings and me. My parents’ struggle inspired me to work toward a better life for myself and future generations. Today I have careers in both corporate America with NBCU and as an entrepreneur as the owner of a winery business.

I believe in dreaming big, and then bigger.

WHAT WAS PEPPERDINE’S ROLE IN YOUR SUCCESS? Through career coaching, judging marketing pitches, or hiring Pepperdine alumni, Pepperdine has engaged me in ways that help guide students and young professionals in their careers.

El Segundo, California CEO, Accounting Breeze In 2013 Nury Gomez was laid off from her role as COO of a veterinary company.

Four months later, she lost her beloved brother who had asked her to help with his bookkeeping during his US Navy service.

Amid intense grieving, Gomez found what she calls “mortality motivation,” and within seven months, Accounting Breeze, her one-woman tax-accounting, bookkeeping, and financial services company, was born.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? I care deeply, both personally and professionally, about the people I work with. I enjoy communicating and resolving conflicts peacefully, and I believe in leveraging people’s strengths. I use my intuition and wisdom to help others because I love sharing ways for them to avoid obstacles.

WHAT IS YOUR MANTRA OR FAVORITE QUOTE? Condition yourself to not talk yourself out of it.

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JESSICA N. GROUNDS (’03) San Diego, California Cofounder, Mine The Gap At 22, Jessica Grounds volunteered with an organization called Women Under Forty Political Action Committee in Washington, DC, that supported young women running for Congress. Years later she became its president and cofounded Running Start, an organization that inspires high school- and college-age women to build the skills to run for elected office and lead in various capacities.

Running Start has trained more than 15,000 young women leaders, an experience that gave Grounds the opportunity to travel with the US Department of State to speak about the importance of women’s leadership in Tajikistan, Lesotho, Germany, Panama, and Rwanda.

Today at Mine The Gap, she advises Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and organizations on the financial imperative of attracting and promoting women in their organizations.

“I love stories of women who had a vision for what they wanted to see changed and made it happen,” she says. “I’ve been encouraging other women to step into political leadership my whole career.

It might be about time to take my own advice.”

DAWN SOLHEIM GROVE (JD ’91) Phoenix, Arizona Corporate Counsel, Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, PING, and Other Subsidiaries

SUCCESS STORY In addition to providing counsel, handling legal issues, and doing business work, I have the privilege of helping the broader manufacturing and business community in Arizona and across the US work together to maximize job opportunities, safeguard constitutional freedoms (including religious freedoms), and accomplish good in the world.

CHALLENGE TO LESSON When I felt overwhelmed attempting to maintain my legal career and be a mom to a toddler and a very sick premie baby, my grandmother encouraged me to ask for help, work part-time, and be there for my family. I watched her example as, while my grandpa worked nonstop, she found creative ways to work beside him. She truly was the business brilliance behind Karsten Manufacturing Corporation’s early success.

JANIE WENG GRUMLEY (’00) Manhattan Beach, California Director, Margie Petersen Breast Center, John Wayne Cancer Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center

SUCCESS STORY I moved to Seattle for my first job as a surgical breast oncologist at Virginia Mason Hospital and brought new approaches and technologies in breast cancer treatment. I trained my partner in oncoplastic surgery to improve patient outcomes and started the first intraoperative radiation program in the state of Washington.

At the Margie Petersen Breast Center, we strive to eliminate unnecessary wait times for women who have benign breast symptoms, facilitate coordinated care with newly diagnosed women, and offer women novel surgical techniques that reduce the need for a mastectomy and maintain the aesthetics of the breast. We use single-dose intraoperative radiation therapy for those who qualify to minimize the risks of radiation while maximizing disease control.

TRICIA HALSEY (’03) Denver, Colorado Founder and Executive Director, Big Idea Project

SUCCESS STORY Big Idea Project is a pioneer in shifting the education paradigm from test-centric to student-first by providing content, experience, and coaching that transforms the way students think, feel, and behave. In just six years, it has earned the trust of education leaders as the only turn-key, whole-student development curriculum in Colorado that is fully integrated into all types of high schools as a stand-alone class that meets graduation requirements. Students—including the more than 3,000 who have experienced the positive impact of the program since its inception—graduate with greater confidence, character, and skills, and teachers are choosing to stay in the profession when they are otherwise ready to leave.

“I love stories of women who had a vision for what they wanted to see changed and made it happen.”

—JESSICA N. GROUNDS

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CARRIE HASTINGS (MA ’06, PsyD ’11) Westlake Village, California Team Psychologist, Los Angeles Rams

SUCCESS STORY Throughout my athletic career, I went through various personal challenges that impacted my focus and overall functioning. I didn’t have access to a sport psychologist but could have used one. After pursuing psychology, I felt particularly compelled to help athletes address mental and emotional stressors that can interfere with performance because I could relate to that struggle.

CHALLENGE TO LESSON I endured a season-ending injury toward the end of my junior year of college, preventing me from attending the conference championship track meet. I was devastated. That experience exposed me to the “invisible injuries” that can accompany physical injuries. I had to distinguish between controllable and uncontrollable elements and be patient with the rehabilitation process. I realized that recovery is a combination of physical and psychological healing.

WHAT’S NEXT? I would say, “I’m going to Disneyland!” but the Rams have to win the Super Bowl first.

YASMEEN HIBRAWI (MBA ’08) Dubai, United Arab Emirates US Diplomat, US Department of State

SUCCESS STORY I help bring the diversity of America to our diplomatic corps and am convinced that my engagement internally and representation externally are essential to the success of our foreign policy.

CHALLENGE TO LESSON In 2016 I was part of a small team that led negotiations with international leaders for President Obama’s Leaders’ Summit on Refugees. I briefed US ambassadors, senior White House directors, and State Department leadership on a strategy that would have a tangible impact on the world’s most vulnerable people. I helped persuade governments to give more money than ever before, admit refugees into their countries, and offer them access to public services. In the end, the summit increased humanitarian assistance by $4.5 billion, doubled the number of resettled refugees worldwide, and allowed millions access to education and employment.

WHAT’S NEXT? I’m committed to increasing diversity in international affairs, especially in top leadership positions at the State Department. True diversity represented in our diplomatic corps sends a strong message to the world about the importance of inclusivity in America, which leads to more effective diplomacy around the world. I will continue to mentor and encourage minorities to take an active role in international affairs and civic participation so that Americans and our allies can see the diversity of our country in the individuals that represent it.

DANIELLE L. HICKMAN (JD ’97) Washington, DC Trial Attorney, US Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section

SUCCESS STORY After completing my LLM in London, I worked with UNHCR to assist refugees from the Middle East and North Africa, including Kurds fleeing genocide in Iraq in the late 1990s. In 1999 I documented war crimes in Kosovo with International Crisis Group. While dangerous, it was the first time these victims of ethnic cleansing had the chance to tell their stories. In the years that followed, I was a prosecutor focused on crimes against women, children, and other vulnerable individuals who are too often victimized by those closest to them. I have been afforded opportunities to make a difference in the lives of survivors and sometimes on behalf of those who didn’t survive.

CHALLENGE TO LESSON In 1999, as the civil war in Kosovo ended, I interviewed survivors and documented ethnic cleansing and other war crimes.

On one occasion, masked men with AK-47s came to our home in the middle of the night demanding we turn over our Albanian coworkers. Although there were moments of terror, I learned that I’m tougher than I thought and that great things are only accomplished with persistence, courage, and the help of others.

KIELLE HORTON (’02, MA ’05) Santa Barbara, California Vice President, Lindsey Communications and The Lindsey Foundation

WHAT DOES THIS RECOGNITION MEAN TO YOU? Women have the ability to be tremendously impactful in bringing other women forward as mentors to offer guidance to continue the chain of progressing influence and as the most effective support system to encourage professional and personal growth.

CHALLENGE TO LESSON Opening the county’s first shelter for survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in 2018 as president of the Junior League of Santa Barbara was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever attempted. Accomplishing shelter in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets, working with the State of California under brand-new legislation, and fundraising for a project that may or may not have come to fruition was nothing short of a miracle. During that exact time, the Santa Barbara community was in crisis during the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslide disasters. We accomplished that project because so many stepped up in a thousand different ways. I now understand that even a small gesture of support can make a profound impact on a seemingly impossible project.

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SARA YOUNG JACKSON (’74) Westlake Village, California Chancellor, Pepperdine University Sara Young Jackson has been part of the Pepperdine community since childhood and has served the University in key leadership roles since 1979. As Pepperdine’s chancellor and member of the senior leadership team, Jackson cultivates meaningful relationships to extend the University’s local and global reach.

As the daughter of the third president of Pepperdine, M. Norvel Young, and his wife, Helen, Jackson began her decades-long career at Pepperdine as the assistant director of student life and later collaborated with students to design and launch the Pepperdine Volunteer Center. Harnessing her background in marriage and family therapy and passion for strengthening families, Jackson helped establish the Boone Center for the Family and served as its executive director.

Fueled by her enthusiasm for developing women leaders, Jackson, in partnership with Pepperdine’s human resources department and Center for Women in Leadership, launched the Women in Leadership Institute at Pepperdine, a program that nurtures the career and spiritual development of young women leaders at the University through mentorship and fellowship.

LANIECE JONES (MA ’12) Oakland, California Executive Director, Peralta Colleges Foundation and Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA)

SUCCESS STORY In 1995 I worked on my first electoral campaign for one of Oakland’s most beloved political and civic leaders, the Honorable Dezie Woods-Jones, who was running for a seat in the California State Legislature.

I met a number of powerful women in politics and civic leadership who were part of Black Women Organized for Political Action. It has been extremely valuable to meet and work with impassioned women in the social justice movement whose objectives have been to increase the number of women’s voices and perspectives in public policy.

WHAT’S NEXT? For Peralta Community College, my goal is to continue to secure enough funding for our students so that anyone who needs financial assistance while in school can receive it no matter how great the need.

SILVIA ARMITANO MAH (’95) San Diego, California President and COO, Connect w/ San Diego Venture Group

SUCCESS STORY My mission is to promote, nurture, and invest in transformational startups that allow women and diverse founders to excel around the world.

I have identified challenges unique to female entrepreneurs and underserved founders and have created a combination of supportive endeavors to build strong innovation ecosystems, from university programs to inclusive opportunities for women.

I am the new president and COO of Connect w/ San Diego Venture Group and a founding partner of Ad Astra Ventures, an organization that funds high-growth female-led startups and accelerates their momentum. My portfolio of more than 30 angel investments all have female founders or people of color on their leadership teams. I also advocate and accelerate university undergraduate startups as a former student programs diversity director at the University of California, San Diego.

JACKIE BEAUBIAN MAJORS (MA ’96) Los Angeles, California CEO, Crystal Stairs, Inc.

SUCCESS STORY My career in early care and education began when I was 19 as a childcare provider at a childcare center. I worked with families that often didn’t know where their next meal would come from and remember waiting with a worried 4-year-old after closing time because her mom’s car broke down and she had to ride the bus to pick her up. I understood the importance of my presence for this family. That became the foundation for my future to educate young children, support families, and support communities.

My passion is working with children from birth to five years old and reaching them before society has told them that they’re not good enough. I now work daily with more than 600 extremely talented and passionate employees to provide programs that empower families to reach self-sufficiency and enable them to provide enriched lives for their children.

“It has been extremely valuable to meet and work with impassioned women in the social justice movement whose objectives have been to increase the number of women’s voices and perspectives in public policy.”

—LANIECE JONES

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HATTIE MITCHELL (MPP ’12) Inglewood, California Founder, Crete Academy While volunteering at a mission in Downtown Los Angeles as an undergraduate student, Mitchell witnessed a staggering scene that changed the course of her life.

“After completing my volunteer hours one day, I walked outside and saw a baby girl crawling on the sidewalk,” she recalls. “The baby had crawled away from her mother and was among filth, drugs, and violence. I thought to myself: ‘What would have to change in this girl’s life for her to be a success story?’”

That day, Mitchell became committed to finding a way to provide children like that baby girl a quality education that would help end the cycle of poverty. After graduation, Mitchell set out to understand the nation’s education system and considered school models that would address the issue of homelessness among children. Since then she has served as a teacher and an administrator, worked at the state and federal levels on education policy, and earned a master’s and doctoral degree to assist with the process. In 2017 she opened Crete Academy, a charter school that serves children—30 percent of whom are homeless—experiencing dire poverty in South Los Angeles. Beyond providing preparatory academics, the school’s research-based Wellness Program ensures all students receive the proper nutritional, physical, mental, and emotional care they need to succeed.

DANIELLE M. OUTLAW (MBA ’12)

CANDI CASTLEBERRY SINGLETON (MBA ’06) Oakland, California Vice President, Diversity Partnership Strategy and Engagement, Twitter

WHAT DOES THIS RECOGNITION MEAN TO YOU? I hope to live a life that positively impacts others. This recognition inspires me to continue on the days when the challenges of changing the world get heavy.

SUCCESS STORY I am grateful that my life and career have taken me on a path to serve others, create pathways for people of different backgrounds to succeed, and open doors for diverse people to enter.

WHAT WAS PEPPERDINE’S ROLE IN YOUR SUCCESS? Pepperdine exposed me to a global business world and prepared me for my first global role. We had an amazing cultural immersion experience and met leadership across industries in the Asia-Pacific region. We learned from cross-functional business leaders as they introduced us to their business, demonstrated how it differed from doing business in the US, explained the role of government, and provided on-site tours. This remains one of my cherished Pepperdine experiences.

HANNA SKANDERA (MPP ’00) Denver, Colorado CEO, Mile High Strategies, LLC

Portland, Oregon Chief of Police, Portland Police Bureau

WHAT DOES THIS RECOGNITION MEAN TO YOU?

WHAT DOES THIS RECOGNITION MEAN TO YOU? Those of us who choose law enforcement as a profession are responding to a call to serve.

We witness and endure some of the most difficult moments in the lives of others, yet we have the opportunity to positively influence those same individuals. As women, we tend to work behind the curtain and are responsible for many successes within our organizations without receiving any credit for our work.

This recognition is not only a pleasant and refreshing accolade, it also serves as a reminder that there are many women trailblazing the path forward to ensure we are seen and are given seats at the table based upon our own merits and accomplishments. If we don’t show the world how to publicly acknowledge and appreciate us, why would we expect anyone to do it? Or even know how?

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? Authentic, flexible, direct, collaborative, fair, strategic, bold, intentional, and unapologetic.

It’s important for women to encourage and support one another on their professional journeys. There are countless glass ceilings left to break, and more women leaders are needed, especially in business and government.

SUCCESS STORY While at the School of Public Policy, I was nominated for a fellowship at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. At age 29, I became Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s assistant secretary and, later, undersecretary for education. I also served in Florida as Governor Jeb Bush’s deputy commissioner of education, followed by two years as senior policy advisor and deputy chief of staff to US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.

When I sat down with the newly elected governor of New Mexico, Susana Martinez, in 2010, I planned to simply advise her on education policy. I left the room with a job offer to lead the state’s struggling school system as the secretary of education. In New Mexico, we realized record-breaking outcomes, including graduation rates reaching an all-time high—up 10 percentage points—AP course enrollment more than doubling, a one-third increase in the number of high-achieving schools, and the dramatic reduction of high school graduates’ college remediation rates.

It is my hope that my service has helped deliver the life-changing promise of education to some child, somewhere—or perhaps to many children, in many places.

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DEE ANNA SMITH (’86)

SARA TRAIN (MBA ’19)

Nashville, Tennessee Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Cannon Dee Anna Smith is the CEO of Sarah Cannon, the Cancer Institute of HCA Healthcare. Since 2006 she has been unifying a workforce of specialists across the US and UK who are actively changing the way cancer care is delivered to hundreds of thousands of patients annually. By focusing on advancing cancer treatments, Smith’s organization has contributed to the research efforts of more than 80 percent of the approved cancer therapies over the past 10 years.

Guided by her faith, Smith has always had a passion for helping those in need. In 2017 she was recognized by Nashvillebased Operation Andrew as a Rodgers Award recipient for her commitment to creating connections and removing barriers within faith communities. In 2013 she was named a Health Care Hero by the Nashville Business Journal and received the Heroes of Business Award from Lipscomb University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and American Society of Clinical Oncology, serves the Nashville Health Care Council, and is board chair of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. In August 2019 Smith became the first Pepperdine graduate and woman to be named chair of the Pepperdine Board of Regents.

MOLLY THOMPSON (’09) Thousand Oaks, California Cofounder, Kind Campaign Kind Campaign cofounders Molly Thompson and Lauren Paul (’09) are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the nonprofit organization that brings awareness and healing to the negative and lasting effects of girl-against-girl bullying. Since 2009 they have facilitated more than 575 assemblies in schools across North America and have completed 16 international tours. Their annual initiatives include a camp and volunteer program, and they have also partnered with Kleenex, Bloomingdale’s, and Kohl’s, as well as the television show Breaking Bad to further spread the organization’s message.

While Thompson and Paul faced challenges in the early stages of starting a nonprofit, they also witnessed the inspiring resilience of young girls around the world and their eagerness for change.

Thompson is inspired by every woman who has used her voice to show the world who she is and every woman who has charted new territory and demonstrated how multifaceted all females are.

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Pasadena, California Sustainability Manager, Trader Joe’s

WHAT DOES THIS RECOGNITION MEAN TO YOU? I am inspired by the examples of women in leadership who live fearlessly, take risks, and do unprecedented things. They are a reminder of the possibilities that lie ahead and of my responsibility to forge paths for others. When women share their stories and use their unique voices, it gives others the courage to do the same.

WHAT WAS PEPPERDINE’S ROLE IN YOUR SUCCESS? Pepperdine provided an opportunity to study how economics shapes our world and to learn how to ask the questions that bring about meaningful change. Pepperdine challenged my way of thinking, expanded my knowledge, and, above all, connected me to a community of change makers.

WHAT’S NEXT? There are endless opportunities to use technology and implement data-driven decisions to run businesses more sustainably. I am excited to work in an industry that is leading the way in how we think about food sources and delivery methods.

BETTY URIBE (MBA ’00, EdD ‘12) Long Beach, California Executive Vice President, California Bank & Trust Betty Uribe became an entrepreneur at the age of 19 and has owned several businesses since. She and her siblings inherited their father’s Colombia-based transportation business, which Uribe, a senior leader at Wells Fargo at the time, began to manage from the US. One year later, Uribe took on the responsibility of paying back six months of wages to his company’s employees and vowed to pay their debt in order to maintain her father’s reputation. After the debt was paid off from her earnings at the bank, Uribe sold the company.

Today Uribe is a C-suite executive and entrepreneur. Her book, #Values: The Secret to Top Level Performance in Business and Life, which was based on her doctoral dissertation, raised $1 million, which will go toward covering the full cost of tuition for 53 underserved students in Southern California. Her goal is to raise enough money to fund 100 scholarships in each continent by the time she is 80 years old.

Uribe, who serves on the Board of Visitors of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, was recently part of a focus group at the White House to explore the sustainability of women in business through the W-GDP, a collaborative strategy for women succeeding in business and in the workplace.

ELIZABETH MARY VILARDO-MORGAN (MBA ’99) Sunnyvale, California President and CEO, Sutter Health Bay Area Medical Foundations

SUCCESS STORY I have been blessed to be in a meaningful career and have worked hard to improve the health of the community I serve. Hard work and a talented team have made our organizational successful.

WHAT WAS PEPPERDINE’S ROLE IN YOUR SUCCESS? In addition to the nuts and bolts knowledge I obtained at the Graziadio Business School, I appreciate the Pepperdine philosophy of the corporation or business being an instrument of good for the employees and the community.

BRITTA M. WILSON (MBA ’92, EdD ’16) Oakland, California, and Yorba Linda, California Vice President, Inclusion Strategies, Pixar Animation Studios

WHAT WAS PEPPERDINE’S ROLE IN YOUR SUCCESS? My parents came of age during the post-civil rights era, when access and opportunity had just recently been secured. Thus, they wanted me and my contemporaries to exceed what they had accomplished.

With that as a requisite, I wanted to gain some professional experience before pursuing an MBA. Pepperdine was, frankly, perfect.

The Executive MBA program was cohort based, had a strong national reputation, and considered the challenges of being a working student. The power of being seen and understood during my MBA studies was impactful.

WHO DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?

ROBIN WASHINGTON (MBA ’95) Oakland, California Executive Vice President and CFO, Gilead Sciences Robin L. Washington is the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Gilead Sciences, Inc., a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes innovative medicines to improve the care of patients with life-threatening illnesses.

She is a member of the board of directors of Alphabet, Inc., Honeywell International, Inc., and Salesforce.com, where she serves as chair of the audit committee. She is a member of the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School Board, the President’s Council and the Ross Business School’s advisory board at the University of Michigan, and the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland board of directors.

Washington is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Executive Leadership Council.

Washington was awarded the 2019 Inspire Award by the San Francisco Business Times, Bay Area CFO of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award, and Financial Woman of the Year by Financial Women of San Francisco in 2017. In 2016 she was named the #1 CFO in biotechnology by Institutional Investor magazine and was recognized in 2014 by the Wall Street Journal as one of the Top 10 Performing CFOs in the S&P 500. In 2011 Washington received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Graziadio Business School and has also been honored as one of San Francisco Business Times’ Women of Influence and Black Enterprise’s 75 Most Powerful Women.

Ida B. Wells, who fought against Jim Crow laws and for the inclusion of black women in the suffragist movement. I also admire Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and activist whose “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech about the impact that women can have on the world still resonates today.

KIMBERLY YEE (’96) Phoenix, Arizona State Treasurer of Arizona

SUCCESS STORY I was the first Asian American woman elected to the Arizona State Legislature in 2010 when I served in the Arizona House of Representatives. Later, as an Arizona state senator, I became the second woman elected to serve as the Arizona senate majority leader and was a featured speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

As the state treasurer of Arizona in 2018, I became the first Asian American official elected to statewide office in Arizona and the first Chinese American Republican woman elected to a major statewide office in America.

My grandparents and great-grandparents came to the US to make a living, raise a family, and prosper where freedoms and opportunities abound. My parents instilled in me that I could be anything I wanted in this great country. They taught me that I could achieve the American Dream with hard work and a great education.

“I am grateful that my life and career have taken me

on a path to serve others, create pathways for people of different backgrounds to succeed, and open doors for diverse people to enter.”

—CANDI CASTLEBERRY SINGLETON magazine.pepperdine.edu

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Telling

Story 22 Pepperdine Magazine

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œ Pepperdine scholars and alumnae reveal how stories told by women, about women, validate both women’s experiences and their authority in their respective fields

BY GAREEN DARAKJIAN

eF atures

In the story of the Samaritan woman told in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus encounters a woman tending to a well as he travels through the town of Samaria. When he asks the woman for a drink of water, she refuses, in a typical display of the long-standing tension between Samaritans and Jews. After offering her a drink of water that promises eternal life in response, Jesus compels the woman by revealing his knowledge about her life and proving that he is the son of God. Inspired by her encounter with Jesus, she returns to her village to declare that she has met the messiah. Her story and confidence in her newfound savior are so powerful that many in her village come to faith in Jesus.

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“This was a social world that did not accept the testimony of women,” says D’Esta Love (MDiv ’03), Chaplain Emerita of Pepperdine University, who explains that women’s lives were limited to the domestic roles they played in the private sphere. “The Samaritan woman’s faith and courage were so strong and convincing, and the power of the good news emboldened her in such a way, that her village went with her to seek Jesus.”

Love further observes that the story of the Samaritan woman provides a sense of authority and acceptance that women’s stories in scripture are as important to the unfolding story of faith and of the early church as the stories of the men of scripture.

“God has always worked through both men and women to achieve his purposes in the world,” she says.

“These stories continue to influence the church today to embrace the contributions of women in the life of faith.”

Love, who experienced criticism and setbacks as she pursued her scholarship, shares that speaking her words into “silent traditions” early in her ministry career required courage to tell her story in settings that traditionally limited the roles of women.

“To find room in our particular religious tradition for our stories to be told has been challenging,” she says. “For women of faith, telling our story is a part of who we are as people of faith. It’s telling something about the work of God in our lives.

In the telling of our stories, we pass on a legacy to others that they can step into this arena and express themselves.”

¶ Throughout time, stories have illuminated patterns of thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs that, through their repetition, have reinforced truths about previously unknown realities. The power of story to shift perceptions and make meaning of diverse experiences has, throughout history and across industries, influenced culture and society in both effective and destructive ways.

Over the last decade, only 4 percent of the 1,200 top-grossing films were directed by women, according to data gathered by the TIME’S UP and Annenberg Inclusion Initiative #4PercentChallenge. Research shows that films and other media produced and directed by women are more inclusive and prioritize more representation of girls and women of diverse backgrounds. This type of widespread, pervasive storytelling on screen—that shapes cultural notions and promotes various narratives of the female experience—is critical to both the storyteller and those consuming the content.

Alumna Andrea Baltazar (MFA ’17), assistant professor in the communication department at Weber State University in Utah, teaches audio production, editing, and documentary filmmaking. Her film, Urban Uber, that she began developing as a student in Pepperdine’s master of fine arts in writing for screen and television program, is currently making its way through the film festival circuit, an arena that has historically been dominated by male filmmakers.

As a young woman of color, Baltazar was exposed to limited narratives in the media that captured her personal experiences. She understands firsthand how the limited scope of diverse storytelling can impact a viewer’s identity and attitudes about the world.

In her work as an educator and mentor for emerging filmmakers as well as an advocate for women filmmakers, screenwriters, and cinematographers, she strives to create content that demonstrates a variety of perspectives on race, gender, and age.

“When you can see and identify with the different types of narratives and the diverse people in those stories, you are better able to broaden your worldview and the opportunities that exist for you,” she says.

Leslie Kreiner Wilson, director of the MFA program in writing for screen and television, explains that as technological advances and the emergence of dialogue in film brought an end to the silent era of filmmaking in the 1920s, and as the widespread sentiment about women focused more on their contributions to their domestic lives and less on their professional capabilities, film and media

industries favored employing the men who were trained in the technical and creative skills necessary to produce motion pictures.

Wilson explains that the false belief that men were more qualified as filmmakers in the sound era contributed to the loss of women’s voices in storytelling and the sexism that exists in the industry today.

“Women’s storytelling is not only about women having a point of view,” Wilson says. “Employing women, putting women in decision-making roles, and enabling productive spaces where women can thrive in their careers is just as relevant.”

Karen Castañeda (’94) is a film editor whose credits include Killer Women, Scandal, and Desperate Housewives—shows that portray the complex lives of bold and powerful women in both their professions and at home among their communities of family and friends. Over the course of her 20-year career, Castañeda has experienced a shift in the hiring of more women and people of color in the technical field of film editing as well as in the world of post-production.

“The environment is markedly different than what it was even 10 years ago,” explains Castañeda, who shares that progress is still being made in employing women in more technical roles. “There weren’t many female editors, writers, or directors when I first entered the field, but the climate has shifted in recent years, and the industry is making efforts to help elevate females, especially in editorial roles. I’m happy to represent women and women of color in the technical side of a creative industry.”

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Features

¶ To Olivia Robinson, a senior at Seaver College, telling stories is a way for her to affirm who she is. “Storytelling is a way of keeping narrative alive beyond just the eyes, ears, and minds that witness or imagine something firsthand,” she says. “I have family members who have been dead for more than 100 years, but I have a glimpse into who they were, who their people were, and who their land belonged to all because their stories were kept alive. With stories, a graveyard is merely a library. We achieve a type of immortality when our stories are told.”

This feeling about narrative inspired Robinson to speak at the first-ever TEDxPepperdineUniversity in March 2019.

The event featured speakers on the theme “Take the Leap.” Robinson chose to relate her story about employing radical love as a strategy to manage conflicts. She explains radical love as “being able to love when you’re being confronted.”

“Radical love is a message I wholeheartedly believe in,” Robinson says. “And while this topic has been discussed for a very long time, I felt there was an opportunity to adapt it to fit the minds and context of this age and time.” Sharing her personal understanding of the unconventional radical love approach to difficult conversations was a way for her to take a leap into a future where such discussions may be less challenging.

In literature as in real life, stories that demonstrate the complexities of the woman’s experience—such as the inner lives of strong, intelligent women who are trapped in the confines of their restrictive society—serve as a vehicle to free themselves from the burdens of their circumstances. Throughout her scholarship, assistant professor of English Katie Frye discovered that the disruptive narratives demonstrated in the work of American author Kate Chopin and Southern Renaissance writers did not align with the dominant model that had been messaged to her as a young woman growing up in the South.

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“[Their work] problematized the narrative of what womanhood means and diversified it in a way I found refreshing,” Frye recalls.

The dominant narrative that emerged from pre-20th-century literature presented the woman’s experience in a way that disrupted common perceptions of womanhood and domesticity.

“This was storytelling dominated by male voices,” Frye explains. “When women began to tell their own stories—and Kate Chopin is a great example—they told stories of motherhood and of marriage and of partnership that were far more complicated and nuanced and less sentimental than the dominant idea about what their lives were like.

Their stories demythologized the myth of the southern lady.”

The publication of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening in 1899 is an example. Chopin’s acclaimed book examines the life of a young mother wrestling with her domestic identity and her desire to pursue her greatest potential, and although Chopin had an established audience at this point in her career, the novel was not well received; some reviews called the book “sordid” and “unhealthy.” Frye notes that the type of negative criticism experienced by Chopin was a typical reaction to a woman telling her own story in that time period and place, and talking through both the female perspective and the varying reactions it elicits can be a powerful tool in the classroom.

“Teaching the literature of this time and region allows students to have conversations about current societal and political issues through the lens of narrative,” Frye says.

“These stories and conversations about these stories promote empathy in students in accessible ways and allow for a certain amount of self-reflection.”

We need to talk about women’s experiences and write about them, but we also need to get out there and support other

WOMEN.

—CONSTANCE FULMER

¶ Constance Fulmer, the Blanche E. Seaver Chair in English Literature at Seaver College, has dedicated her life and scholarship to examining the contradictions found in the works of Victorian author George Eliot, a female writer who famously assumed a male pseudonym and identity in order to publish more freely in anonymity. Fulmer, who actively supports the scholarship and advancement of women and men in the literary world, recognizes the continued struggle of female voices to be heard.

“There’s still a prejudice toward the voice of a woman as being not quite as authoritative or as intellectual as a man’s,” Fulmer says. “We need to talk about women’s experiences and write about them, but we also need to get out there and support other women. That’s what I love about teaching and going to conferences and supporting these young women and men who will become teachers. They have a changed attitude about women and their roles. As educators, we have a lot to offer in terms of encouraging people of all genders to achieve all they can.”

Features

Player ASSISTS In the competitive world of college sports, Pepperdine’s thoughtfully developed resources support the unique challenges faced by student-athletes

By Sara Bunch

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“Everyone sees the glory on game day, the media photos and pump-up videos, and the trophies on the shelves, but what they don’t see is that we wake up at 5am to hit the gym and then sweat through hours of practice,” reveals Courtney Merrill, captain of the women’s soccer team and a three-time Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete and West Coast Conference (WCC) Commissioner’s Gold Honors student. “Most of the time, people only see the results without seeing how hard we push ourselves every single day in order to achieve those outcomes.”

With 20 hours of weekly practice sessions— in addition to strength and conditioning training, team meetings, traveling to away games on the weekends, and watching game footage of the team they are scheduled to play next—student-athletes like Merrill often miss out on opportunities to study abroad for a semester or academic year at Pepperdine’s global campuses in cities like Heidelberg, Florence, and Shanghai. Fortunately, Pepperdine’s international programs offer shorter trips during the summer months that are much more conducive to the undergraduate students who are unable to leave the Malibu campus for extended periods of time.

Merrill, a Seaver College senior whose nutritional science major has allowed her to develop close friendships with other young scientists, spent two weeks in June on a University-sponsored mission trip to Kenya.

There, she and other students participated in a study abroad experience focused on global public health and service at a learning center in the village of Kamulu. The biennial trip, originally coordinated in 2013 by

Hung Le (’87, MA ’03), associate vice president and university registrar, and led by associate professor of nutritional science Loan Kim and associate professor of biology Donna Nofziger Plank, allowed Merrill to experience Pepperdine outside of athletics.

Along with sacrificing enriching study abroad programs in order to satisfy team requirements, student-athletes frequently encounter other challenges typically not experienced by fellow classmates.

In response, the Pepperdine Department of Athletics has devised strategic resources to help the members of this group continue to reach their maximum potential during their transformative college years, first as students and then as athletes.

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Features Jordan Holm (’09), director of student-athlete development and academic support for Pepperdine Athletics, contends that the

primary academic concern of first-year students is time management—a useful skill that his office specializes in teaching. Per NCAA regulations, student-athletes may miss class only to attend games but not practices, which sometimes makes it difficult to enroll in classes that are offered only once a semester during the same time frame as a practice session.

As a former sports broadcasting major with extensive knowledge of the Waves lifestyle, Holm helps studentathletes create class schedules that permit both academic excellence and sufficient training time. He further impresses upon his staff to consistently make themselves available to students, so the students can receive guidance and mentorship when needed. During 15-minute check-in sessions with first-year student-athletes, Holm encourages them to share the highs and lows of their college experience, listens intently to ensure that they are adjusting as expected, and refers them to the Pepperdine Counseling Center when necessary.

“These are very bright students who are used to being at the top of their class in high school. But when they come to Pepperdine, they realize that many others are also smart and talented star athletes,” shares Holm.

“They are naturally driven to continually improve themselves, so we always remind them to explore all the different on-campus opportunities outside of their sport because we view these students as whole individuals and not just as athletes.”

“

We often have a hard time separating who we are as people from who we are as athletes, and our identities are deeply rooted in our most recent numbers and performances.

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“

—Hannah Frohling

Hannah Frohling, a sports medicine

major and outside hitter on the women’s volleyball team who describes the academic support center as “the most-used resource among student-athletes,” reveals that athletes have historically viewed the admission of mental health struggles as a sign of weakness. As the 2019–20 season’s vice president of the Waves Leadership Council, Pepperdine’s branded version of the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Frohling represented the University at the WCC Leadership Summit in San Diego in June, networking with student-athletes from other colleges and discussing some of the most important topics in the world of team sports, such as leadership, community service, and, most prominently, mental health.

“While athletes are assumed to be resilient and capable, it takes a tremendous amount of strength for them to seek mental health treatment,” notes the Seaver College senior.

“We often have a hard time separating who we are as people from who we are as athletes, and our identities are deeply rooted in our most recent numbers and performances.”

These identity issues are particularly magnified when athletes sustain injuries, a common occupational hazard when they spend more than half of their time either on the field or at the gym. In fact, Frohling spent a couple of weeks in August recovering from an injury that forced her to watch from the sidelines as her teammates practiced. In terms of mental health and identity, Frohling admits that her injury provided her with the opportunity to slow down and take more intentional care of her mind and body. As she puts it, “I was able to focus on my life outside of volleyball, to see the bigger picture of my life goals, and to reflect on my college experience.”

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Features Krista Lopata (’11, MA ’14),

Pepperdine’s athletics chaplain and former Waves indoor volleyball player, recalls the challenges she endured as a first-year studentathlete. Feeling like her sense of purpose was tied to her volleyball stats, she developed such severe performance anxiety that she completely stopped enjoying the game.

It wasn’t until she began meeting regularly with Maurice Hillard, Pepperdine’s late athletic chaplain, that she realized her purpose was in Christ rather than in sports, and that any mistakes she might make would never change that.

“Maurice was a trusted and familiar face that was always available, always around, always at the gym, always at our practices,” Lopata reminisces.

“It makes an enormous difference to share your concerns with someone who understands the athletics world, who knows all the coaches and administrators here, and who has experience with what student-athletes go through in their daily lives.”

In her role as athletic chaplain, Lopata reveals that her psychology degree from the Graduate School of Education and Psychology has particularly equipped her to assist student-athletes navigate through their overwhelming trials by focusing on their sense of identity and purpose, which she attests are the primary issues they discuss in private sessions. She also promptly refers them to the Counseling Center if she determines that their fears extend beyond typical performance anxiety or frustration from having a rough week.

“They all share different stories from a variety of perspectives, but most of the time I can see that it all relates back to identity and purpose,” Lopata says, adding that a major source of comfort for student-athletes is knowing that someone cares about their problems, is willing to listen, and can genuinely assist them. “It sounds so simple, but it’s groundbreaking for an athlete who feels like his or her whole purpose is in performing. Studentathletes are seeking a positive influence in their lives and want to know that someone is in their corner when they feel unsure of themselves.”

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Jalen Frantal,

a senior on the men’s cross country and track team and president of the Waves Leadership Council, explains that conversations around injury and identity are so popular among athletes that these concepts are often the focus of Athlete Chapel, an alternative convocation series that highlights topics most relevant to this cross section of the Pepperdine community. Featuring messages from fellow student-athletes, coaches, and staff, Athlete Chapel allows participants to engage in fellowship with one another on Wednesday nights in the Jones Trophy Room in Helen Field Heritage Hall, immediately followed by Sideline, Bible study sessions led by student-athletes.

“An injury can occur in a split second, and you go from your entire life revolving around your sport to having to sit out the rest of the season,” says Frantal, adding that Athlete Chapel messages related to identity help studentathletes reevaluate their self-worth, performance, and teamwork under a positive lens, while exploring how to incorporate spirituality into their lives to reduce stress.

“Pepperdine faculty and staff do a phenomenal job in terms of athletics, academics, and spiritual growth,” shares the sports medicine major and philosophy minor, who is also earning an undergraduate certificate in conflict management through a joint program between Seaver College and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the School of Law. “They offer athletes everything that we need to succeed and give us the opportunity to take full advantage of all their resources.”

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE DEDICATION OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE MISSION Entrepnu Georg Peperdin founde Peperdin Universty in 1937 with a vison of gnimrofsa t young pseol’ lives throug a To,day we efulytagr eognizcr our onetmils * serupot who beliv in this endurig vison and

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*Milestone donors represent those individuals and their spouses and families celebrating a milestone year of 30, 35, 40, or 45 years of cumulative giving.

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Snapshot

The SIX People You Meet at NSO Illustration: Rick Gibson (MBA ’09, PKE 121)

1.

New Student Orientation.

The University tradition that marks a milestone in the lives of hundreds of students who will be transformed by the many opportunities and experiences that can only be found at Pepperdine.

Meet the six familiar figures that make NSO a memorable experience for the more than 800 incoming students and their family members at the beginning of each academic year.

The Dedicated Dad

Clad in blue and orange from head to toe, this proud Pepperdine parent gives Willie the Wave a run for his money with his undeniable school spirit and enthusiasm for sharing it with everyone around him. He can be found perusing the bookstore aisles, arms stacked high with the latest Pepperdine merch emblazoned with emblems of Waves pride.

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2.

The Welcome Crew

As the cars packed with prized possessions and anxious family members approach lower dorm road on move-in day, their occupants are greeted by a gaggle of orientation leaders with no shortage of pep. Beyond their excitement about the new students’ arrival, these NSO guides are cheering them on every step of the way with high-fives, happy faces, and a helping hand as students settle into their new lives on campus.

3.

Doug Hurley AKA “Orange Hat Guy”

As the associate dean of students, student activities, and campus recreation, no one can compete with Doug Hurley for the title of NSO king. Hurley lives for the annual new student welcome and is a familiar face throughout the weeklong activities that he carefully plans and prepares for all year.

4.

The Overwhelmed (But Excited) New Student

Buried under tote bags, paperwork, and blue and orange lanyards, brand-new Waves are eager to join a club, score an on-campus job, play intramural sports, get elected for student government, go overseas, or sign up for a service project.

5.

The “Can’t Let Go” Parents

Still milling about during the first week of classes, these emptynesters have already signed up for Waves Weekend, established a regular texting ritual with their college-bound kids, and regularly peruse real estate in close proximity to campus.

6.

NSO Campus Partners

From the helpful dean easing new students into academic life to the friendly public safety officers who maintain operations all week to President Gash cartwheeling and crowd-surfing his way into the hearts of fresh Waves faces, the whole campus comes together to celebrate the start of a new journey for the newest crop of first-year and transfer students.

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Spotlight

The

Home

By Sara Bunch

TEAM

With the popularity of work-from-home jobs continually on the rise, virtual leaders explore new ways to invest in REMOTE EMPLOYEES

Designed by vectorpouch / Freepik

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Lyle had been working as an information technology manager for the federal government for 10 years when his supervisor asked if he would like to start working from home.

Excited about the prospects of avoiding crosstown traffic and tackling assignments in an uninterrupted environment, he gladly accepted the offer and left the office with a renewed sense of excitement for his job. Within a week, however, Lyle’s supervisor began to notice an unexpected shift in his schedule: he began showing up at the office at various times throughout the day, sometimes just before noon so he could meet his colleagues for lunch. Concerned about his well-being, Lyle’s supervisor asked how he was doing, especially since he had initially expressed enthusiasm about working from home. “I feel so lonely and isolated,” he confessed. “I want to come into the office for at least half the day.”

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Spotlight

“When you think about the prison system, the worst penalty that an inmate can receive is solitary confinement,” says Ann Gladys (EdD ’14), a pioneer in the virtual workspace landscape and Lyle’s former supervisor. With more than 30 years of experience in developing successful digitally managed offices, and the first federal government employee to lead the first virtual office in Southern California in the 1990s, Gladys warns that company leadership must be mindful about creating a sense of involvement for remote employees, a group that is frequently neglected and, consequently, seldom considered for professional advancement opportunities such as pay raises and promotions.

The author of The Invisible Leader: The Model for Leading in the Virtual Workspace published in January 2019, Gladys contends that the most critical piece of a successful virtual workspace is a compassionate and transformative leader who inspires remote employees through continual intellectual stimulation. In order to combat a potential diminishing sense of purpose and decline in work quality, Gladys recommends being proactive in keeping employees involved and committed. She suggests reinforcing to remote employees the availability of professional development resources such as online training sessions so they can remain up to date on the latest technology related to their careers, sending them to conferences so they can network with other professionals in their field, and assigning them important projects so they continue to feel valued.

“Too often, when employees start working from home, leaders begin to view them as out of sight, out of mind,” explains Gladys, whose latest book, Mesmerize: How to Give Your Best Presentation Ever, was released in September 2019. “Leaders who never advocate for any kind of interface with employees also experience higher rates of absenteeism and attrition.”

Along with authoring books on this topic, Gladys has developed two assessments that help companies determine whether their employees and leadership teams possess the necessary qualities to gain fulfillment from remote positions. Based on the assessment forms on which staff indicate their perceived performance through professional and personal lenses, Gladys has found that the happiest and most productive virtual employees are

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Ann Gladys (EdD ’14)

Cristina Gibson

those who are skilled at balancing their time, set boundaries between personal and professional work, prioritize their assignments appropriately, and enjoy working in a quiet place.

She also notes that working from home reduces daily stress—a result of avoiding congested commutes—saves money on gasoline and dry cleaning, and offers some flexibility in terms of work hours.

Yet despite these benefits, many remote employees have reported missing the human connection that they once enjoyed in a traditional office setting. According to Cristina Gibson, the Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Management at the Graziadio Business School, recent psychological studies indicate that virtual workers miss physical proximity with colleagues, such as a pat on the back for recognition or a hand on the shoulder for support, as well as not being able to see nonverbal communication, like body language and facial expressions. The lack of friendly office small talk also contributes to feelings of isolation.

visit clients more “If you only speak with your team during a teleconference, you tend to avoid personal often, and walk to a local coffee shop for stories and discussions of well-being, his daily dose of caffeine both of which are important for workplace rather than brewing a cup in thriving,” says Gibson, who has authored his own kitchen. more than 100 scholarly articles on virtual Currently writing her third book, and global work and has been voted in the The Invisible Worker, Gladys attributes top 1 percent of scholars worldwide based her extensive knowledge of virtual on the impact of her research. “But the professionals to the Graduate School of savvy boss will ensure that there is time set Education and Psychology, where she aside for that because it’s crucial for remote enrolled in the organizational leadership employees to have relationship-building doctoral program at the age of 61. opportunities with their team members.

“If it weren’t for Pepperdine, none of There is value attached to bonding with this would have happened for me,” she colleagues.” expresses. “Pepperdine was the turning In order to promote company success, point in my life for going in this direction however that concept may be measured and leading teams in the virtual world. or defined, Gladys mentions that virtual Even after decades of working for the leaders must also demonstrate trust and federal government and corporate America, communication among their teams. my present work has given me the highest “I once interviewed a woman whose level of fulfillment.” former employer had granted her permission to work from home under one condition: she had to keep her laptop’s camera on for the entire duration of her shift so her boss could constantly look to make sure she was working,” recalls Gladys. “You have to be mindful about how you interact with remote employees because they don’t get a lot of attention.”

Gladys’ expertise with virtual teams also points to some health —Cristina Gibson concerns that arise when solely working from home. Many remote employees, for example, spend their breaks indoors, still sitting at a desk and looking at a screen.

In a traditional office setting, however, employees are more likely to stand up and walk around from time to time, whether to another department to speak with a colleague, to the water cooler to rehydrate, or around the building for some fresh air.

Gladys recalls an interaction with a remote employee who confessed to her that he had gained 30 pounds in three months as a result of his work-from-home habits, inspiring Gladys to initiate a new policy where, moving forward, this employee would walk around during conference calls,

“[I]t’s crucial for remote employees to have RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES

with their team members. There is value attached to bonding with colleagues.”

Spotlight

Setting THE

FOUR ALUMNI SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES IN P E P P E R D I N E ’ S T H E AT R E A R T S P R O G R A M A N D H O W T H E Y LA I D T H E F O U N D AT I O N F O R T H R I V I N G C A R E E R S I N T H E P E R F O R M I N G A RT S

By Abigail Ramsey

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on

AUGUST 27, 2019, SEAVER COLLEGE THEATRE ARTS STUDENTS made their way into Lindhurst Theatre as Bradley Griffin, divisional dean of the Seaver College Fine Arts Division, welcomed four alumni to speak about how their experiences as students guided their distinct career paths. Whether in production or performance, the stories shared by Paul Dufresne (’16), Allegra Edwards (’10), Sarah Lindsley (’16), and Katharine McDonough (’12) demonstrate how Pepperdine’s intimate and influential theatre community allowed them to diversify their skills and step into their industries with resilience and passion.

Paul Dufresne

Scene Designer, Theatre and Opera In a rickety chair surrounded by fellow elementary school students jittery from the excitement of a new place, Paul Dufresne sat in awe of the spectacle of live performance.

Characters traversed the stage performing short scenes from The TellTale Heart, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and more. The son of two musicians, Dufresne’s exposure to the diverse world of fine arts was just beginning that day at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Community theatre productions were a regular family outing, and the Dufresnes often found themselves wandering through the Getty and LACMA for a dose of culture and creative inspiration. Today, Dufresne recalls how impactful those

short performances and trips to museums were for his passion and career. “The play of my childhood,” he reflects, “has transferred to my play on stage.”

When Dufresne was preparing to graduate high school and choose a college, a friend who attended Pepperdine invited him to see the University’s production of Xanadu.

Marking the first time he had visited the Malibu campus, he took in as many details as he could—from the quality of the acting to the set design. After the production, while congratulating his friend backstage, Dufresne met Bradley Griffin, who later encouraged him to attend Pepperdine. “It was the exact place I needed to be for what I wanted to do,”

Dufresne shares. His academic journey was furthered by the support he received from faculty in the Fine Arts Division as mentors like Griffin and Stewart O’Rourke (’94), scene shop foreman, and Rick Aglietti, scene designer and technical director, “were incredibly gracious in allowing some of my wants and desires to be realized,” Dufresne recalls.

Dufresne has designed immersive scenes for a range of productions, such as Dolores Claiborne, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and Les Misérables. After completing his MFA in scene design from Boston University, he moved back to the Los Angeles area in spring 2019 where he designs large productions and teaches theatre and opera.

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Spotlight Katharine McDonough Actress and Director, Musical Theatre

When Katharine McDonough stands center stage, confidence shines out of her, not just in her posture but in her voice, a quality that recalls the moment she felt destined for performance. After watching Julie Andrews frolic through cobblestone streets belting “I Have Confidence” in The Sound of Music, McDonough told her parents, “God put me on this earth to sing and dance.”

McDonough grew up performing in what she describes as the quirky beach town of Dana Point, California, and eventually stumbled upon the idea that she could do what she loved—and what she excelled at—for the rest of her life. McDonough set her sights on Pepperdine, drawn to the liberal arts education and the Great Books Colloquium. The Regents’ Scholar majored in both theatre and music and, every week, worked with voice coach Melanie Emelio, who McDonough still praises as a mentor. “She always brings me back to my center,” McDonough shares.

One of McDonough’s lasting impacts on Pepperdine was the creation of the revue show Contempo with fellow theatre alumnus Andres Ramirez (’12). In 2016 they created Contempo Productions, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit theatre company that develops and produces new works and contemporary classics with a spirit of adventure and ingenuity. Their first production, Bubble Boy at the Colony Theatre in Burbank, was so wellreceived that one of the original composers of the show attended the performance.

McDonough herself has performed as the unrequited lover Eponine in Les Misérables, the delightfully irreverent Eliza Doolittle of My Fair Lady, the elegant Mary Poppins, and as Disney princesses Elsa from Frozen and The Little Mermaid’s Ariel.

In 2017 McDonough took on a leadership role as the director of The Scarlet Pimpernel, marking her first time directing a professional production. “Andy [Ramirez] was the inspiration behind my becoming a producer and director,” she explains.

“He empowered me to step forward.”

“I caught the acting bug early, and it didn’t go away.”

AllegraEdwards

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Photo: Caught in the Moment Photography

Allegra Edwards Actress, Film and Television

Six-year-old Allegra Edwards was practicing her dance routine when her teacher, Ms. Dawn, asked if she would like to act in a skit strategically placed during the dance recital to give the performers more time to change outfits between numbers.

“I was very young,” Edwards said. “But I caught the acting bug early, and it didn’t go away.” In high school, she started viewing movies with an eye toward a possible career—she couldn’t stop thinking of how much fun Kiera Knightley must have had on set while filming Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Originally from Colorado, Edwards learned about the unique offerings of Pepperdine’s theatre and television major during her first campus tour. The quality of the program, as well as a fondness for the well-appointed Smothers Theatre, drove her decision to apply and later attend. The intimate community of Pepperdine and the Fine Arts Division gave her exposure to various corners of the industry, from writing scenes for Pepperdine’s annual Songfest to understanding the nuances of global performance in Edinburgh, Scotland. Edwards was also an active performer with Pepperdine’s Improv Troupe led by Tracy Burns and Allen Simpson, an experience that built the foundation of her career as a performer.

After graduating from Pepperdine in 2010, Edwards went to the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. She completed her MFA in 2013, and, after battling the complex and often disappointing world of auditions in Los Angeles, Edwards moved to New York City to perform in a small, off-Broadway production.

Since then, Edwards has appeared in such television shows as The Mindy Project, New Girl, and Friends from College. Her film credits include The Social Ones and Social Mediation. She will appear as a series regular on Amazon’s show Upload and in USA Network’s show Briarpatch, both of which will debut in 2020.

“[Pepperdine] was the exact place I needed to be for what I wanted to do.”

PaulDufresne

Sarah Lindsley

Costume Designer, Costume Co-Op; Floral Designer, Simply Whimsy Design Hailing from generations of artists and creatives, Sarah Lindsley’s path to performance was laid out for her long before she decided to pursue it as a career. She spent her high school years engaged in theatre as a passionate actor and dancer. But when a skiing accident injured the ligaments in her right knee, her future as a performer was suddenly in jeopardy.

Though Lindsley was unable to perform in her high school’s production of West Side Story, her mother had volunteered to design the costumes for the performance and, despite not knowing how to sew, Lindsley picked up the techniques quickly to work with her mother on the designs.

Their work caught the attention of the National Youth Theatre in 2011 and was nominated for Best Costume in San Diego.

Lindsley’s professional pursuits initially pointed toward event design, and she joined Pepperdine’s diverse fine arts program for its unique approach to that

field. The program, however, compelled her to move beyond event design and explore the fields of costume design and hair and makeup artistry. She received mentorship from Melanie Watnick, adjunct professor of theatre and costumer, who trained her in materials, styling, and sewing, and O’Rourke, whose insights on set construction have affected her process of costume design more than she expected.

As someone newly entering the field of costume design with limited experience at a sewing machine, Lindsley explains, “I tried to not be afraid to learn new things while also bringing my creative side to each project.”

She expanded her training when she began an internship with Costume Co-Op in North

Hollywood. “When it suddenly becomes your job,” Lindsley shares, “you learn it quickly.”

After graduating from Pepperdine in 2016, Lindsley has continued to develop artful pieces as a costume designer. She has designed pieces for Kanye West, American Horror Story, Disney, and Universal Studios.

She also returned to her passion for event design and runs Simply Whimsy Design with her mother. This fall, she will join the national tour of Finding Neverland as one of two designers tasked with maintaining the look of the show. Lindsley will be responsible for mending garments, styling wigs, and training each theatre’s technical crew on assisting actors with their complex wardrobe changes.

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Spotlight

The Time of His Life A GRAZIADIO ALUMNUS CHANGES THE WORLD BY LAUNCHING TIME INTO SPACE

By Amanda Pisani

AS A CHILD packed among

other terrified German citizens in World War II’s Frankfurt bomb shelters, Hugo Fruehauf (MBA ’07, PKE 117) discovered that keeping occupied was a way to cope with a confusing, frightening world.

“They called me Beaver,” he says, “because I was always busy, building something with blocks or an erector set and taking things apart to see how they worked.”

This penchant for creating new things, and the horror of carpetbombing—the wartime practice of bombarding an enemy’s civilian structures along with military

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targets—have stayed with Fruehauf throughout his life. He has used both passions to dramatically change the world.

Fruehauf is one of four recipients of the 2019 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering for the creation of the Global Positioning System (GPS).

Often referred to as the missing Nobel Prize for engineering, the prize is awarded to an individual or team whose groundbreaking innovation in engineering has had a global impact on humanity. Fruehauf’s contribution to the system was critical to its success.

For satellites to convey accurate positioning data, they must keep precision time, and the most precise

Along with three colleagues, alumnus Hugo Fruehauf received the 2019 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering for his work on the American Global Positioning System.

timekeeping device known to man is the atomic clock. Fruehauf describes an atomic clock as one that “basically uses atoms as a pendulum.” By exciting the electrons circling the atoms’ centers, they are compelled to switch their magnetic dipoles, acting like a pendulum. The first atomic clock, “as big as a refrigerator,” was built in the 1930s, before Fruehauf moved to the US at age 13. By the 1960s, the devices were about the size of a microwave oven, but they were still far too large and heavy to send into orbit.

Fruehauf was then employed as an engineer with North American Rockwell.

His knack for being in the right place at the right time, along with having exceptional circuit design skills, had given him the opportunity to become chief test conductor for the second stage of the Apollo, Saturn-V launch vehicle while only in his 20s. The following decade, the US military contracted with the renamed Rockwell International to create a satellite-based positioning system for all its secure needs. One of Fruehauf’s tasks in this effort—to miniaturize the clock such a system required—seemed impossible. When he learned of a German scientist, Ernst Jechart, living nearby in Southern California who had done exactly that, he didn’t believe it.

“It was almost as if God had designed it and had put me on its trail,” he says.

As a native German speaker with a knowledge of large atomic clocks, Fruehauf had the language skills to understand the inventor’s creation.

With this four-by-four-by-four-inch clock

as their prototype, Jechart and he set to work. They redesigned it for survival in orbit environments and thus created the first fully radiation-hardened, military atomic clock in space—a central feature of GPS technology.

For the first 20 years of their existence, GPS signals were fully operational for use by the military. During the first Gulf War, the military relied heavily on GPS receivers for navigation and for precision targeting of Iraqi forces. The open, unencrypted civil signal, however, was deliberately degraded to render it sufficiently inaccurate for terrorists to use in precision counterattacks. By 2000, President Clinton felt that the global benefit of the unencrypted signal outweighed fears of its abuse, and that year he gave the world access to a precise, open, commercial signal. As Fruehauf points out, this new navigation signal, coupled with advances in the cell phone industry, put GPS on the map.

“GPS receivers are now the size of the fingernail on your pinky, and they only cost two dollars,” he says. “This is what helped blow GPS into the world.” Today’s finely tuned GPS that instructs us what alternative route to use during a traffic jam relies on an open signal that is about as good as it can be. Jokingly, Fruehauf says, “We’re pretty much at the place where God keeps time.”

Fruehauf sees “endless uses” for the technology and it now touches us in myriad ways. We use it to locate lost hikers and to more quickly land planes at airports, and as Fruehauf hoped, it has eliminated the practice of carpet-bombing in military conflicts. It’s also been a boon to farmers. Fruehauf explains that “by using GPS as a tractor navigator, along with a small tower’s correction signals, a tractor can harvest or seed a field in tracts accurate to an inch. The result is a 10 to 20 percent higher land use and yield.”

Receiving the Queen Elizabeth Prize is a testament to the remarkable nature of the GPS inventors’ achievement, and there is no doubt that Fruehauf’s tenacious character played a role in it.

“My claim to fame is that when I think something is possible, even if I don’t know how to do it, I go for it,” he says.

Nonetheless, he is keenly aware of the almost divine serendipity at play in his life. “I was very much at the right place at the right time. There is some miraculous element about this that I enjoy more than the accolades I get.”

It was almost as if God had designed it and had put me on its trail.

GPS in Service ww Predicts earthquakes by tracking tectonic plate movement

ww Guides humanitarian

supplies into disaster relief zones

ww Helps the environment by locating plastic in the ocean

ww Finds and rescues ships in distress

ww Enables precision

farming with satelliteguided tractors

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Spotlight

Heritage Hero In her new role as Montana’s poet laureate, a social justice advocate harnesses the power of the written word to expand Native American education in her home state

By Sara Bunch

Mandy Smoker Broaddus (’97) discovered Native American literature during her undergraduate years at Pepperdine . . . and the rest is literally history. Having moved as a grade schooler from Montana’s Fort Peck Reservation to eventually attend college in Los Angeles—the city with the highest population of Native Americans in the United States—she remembered the life-changing instruction from her grandmother and father, both longtime Church of Christ members with hearts for service: to embrace all opportunities with purpose and integrity. Little did the family know at the time how much this outlook would influence Smoker Broaddus and the world around her.

While at Seaver College, Smoker Broaddus, who belongs to both the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes of Montana, was continually involved in service projects coordinated by the Pepperdine Volunteer Center and simultaneously found herself deeply inspired by the Native American stories she had finally come across in an academic environment. Over the years, she invested her time perfecting her poetry, initially as a method of healing and inspiration in dealing with the loss of her mother at age 23. This led her to eventually use writing as a means to create a textual snapshot of the emotions she experienced from personal relationships, scenic landscapes, and current events.

Smoker Broaddus has spent the last 15 years working with Montana’s school administrators and educators at various institutions to design a system that ensures Native American youth explore an accurate narrative of their heritage and that their needs are met in all aspects of their education. Her work

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in the realm of Native American education and her support of diversity in the creative arts led to her recognition in 2015 as Indian Educator of the Year by the National Indian Education Association. In 2016 President Barack Obama appointed her to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, an advisory board that she continues to guide as part of the Montana Department of Public Instruction where she previously worked as the director of Indian education, developing both school curricula under the Indian Education for All initiative and supporting efforts to close the achievement gap for Native American students.

A passionate education and social justice advocate, Smoker Broaddus says that the dominant narrative about Native Americans in the United States is flawed, commonly depicting them as a single-language tribe belonging to one large cultural group and repeatedly portraying stereotypes and mischaracterizations. This is particularly noticeable in American popular culture, which Smoker Broaddus says typically either associates Native Americans with poverty or casinos, the dichotomy between the noble warrior stereotype or the belief that Native Americans are exempt from paying taxes.

“American Indian children grow up with conflicting stories that don’t describe them authentically, which is psychologically damaging during a time when they are shaping their identities and finding out who they are in the world,” Smoker Broaddus explains. At the same time, however, “What they learn about their identity from their families, elders, and communities is

“

Grandfather Poem

My goal is to inspire

people to consume

My grandfather and I sweep down

information more

through the yielding riverbed,

critically, to dig deeper

walk the quiet rushes of the Mni

into understanding how

Shoshe, then move north, to higher ground. He motions

other cultures live, and to

toward the ponies as they rise up

research the issues they

”

and release their tears, large

find questionable.

drops the size of ripe apples.

They dance then, as my mother and father shift in sleep, dreaming to the rhythm

that their people—wherever they come from—are strong and resilient, despite what we see in the movies or learn about in the classroom,” she says. “An inclusive education that honors their heritage gives them the best chance of correcting the damaging narratives. It is also gives them a path forward as future tribal leaders, educators, and other professionals who can continue to advocate for tribal sovereignty.”

This August Smoker Broaddus became the first Native American woman to be selected as Montana’s poet laureate, a two-year designation created by the state legislature that honors markedly talented poets and continues to cultivate Montana’s already-rich literary culture.

Selected from a group of 13 candidates by a panel of judges belonging to Montana’s literary community and approved by Governor Steve Bullock, Smoker Broaddus shares the position with longtime colleague Melissa Kwasny.

During her tenure, Smoker Broaddus will travel throughout the state for poetry readings and speaking engagements at book festivals, public libraries, and community and tribal colleges to share her Native American-focused poetry with the greater Montana community.

In the process, she plans to expose her audiences to a different voice and perspective about issues of inclusivity and social justice.

Along with her social responsibilities as poet laureate, Smoker Broaddus is a practice expert in Indian education at Education Northwest, a Portland, Oregonbased nonprofit organization that allows her to travel throughout Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and the Dakotas to spread her knowledge of Native American education.

Beyond the traditional school and office settings, Smoker Broaddus has also effectively spread accurate contemporary Native American narratives with the production of Indian Relay, an action/ adventure PBS documentary that earned her a regional Emmy Award in 2014.

“My goal is to inspire people to consume information more critically, to dig deeper into understanding how other cultures live, and to research the issues they find questionable. American Indian nations and their citizens should be better understood in this country, from a place of authenticity and integrity,” she shares.

“My heritage practices the philosophy of being a good relative, which extends to being a helpful community member, contributor, neighbor, and educator, not for personal gain, but for the sake of improving the lives of those around you, which in my case is young students and Native American communities.”

of horses’ hooves.

Oyade wihamna. Hageji.

Iyuha ezhedu wihamnabi.

Oyade wihamna.

Excerpt from Smoker Broaddus’ poetry collection, Another Attempt at Rescue

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The Cut

WOMEN of Their WORD Among the thousands of faculty, staff, and students across Pepperdine’s five schools, women leaders—including several of the University’s key decision-makers, renowned scholars in a vast array of disciplines, and aspiring trailblazers—serve as mentors who demonstrate the University’s mission in their daily lives.

Here, seven innovative and influential members of the Pepperdine community share their valuable insights about the wisdom they’ve gained throughout their leadership journeys.

“My professional and spiritual mentors have had the biggest impact on my leadership over the years. They have inspired me to grow and to lead, and they have sustained me through prayer and encouraging words. Because of their examples, I press on so that I can be a similar role model for the next generation of women leaders.”

STELL A ERBES (’91)

Divisional Dean, Humanities and Teacher Education Division, Associate Professor of Teacher Education, Seaver College

“Because we live in a male-dominated society, and because men are more likely to be given leadership roles, there is so

much untapped potential being passed over. As more women and people from

all sorts of diverse backgrounds—like firstgeneration college students and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, different religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and rural areas of the nation—start to become leaders, we will see more economic and thought growth within our organizations and businesses.”

ASHLEY JONES

“As I work with the rest of the SGA executive board, the secrets to my leadership success are time management, cooperation, communication, patience, and understanding. Working as a team is always the best way to achieve things, especially with multiple people working toward a common goal. My leadership success is attributed to remembering that I have a team behind me that supports me and shares a common goal with me.”

MEREDITH McCUNE

President, Student Government Association, Seaver College

President, Black Law Students Association, School of Law

“We can be our own worst critics: stepping back and letting others take the lead, unnecessarily apologizing to move an agenda along, and not speaking up when we see injustice for fear of being labeled difficult or bossy. We must remind ourselves that we not only have a right to sit at the table, but we also have a right to sit at the head of the table.”

SHERYL COVEY

Assistant Dean for Administration, School of Public Policy

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“The secret to my leadership success is being able to inspire others. At the end of the day, it’s not about me.”

JANET KERR (’75, JD ’78)

Vice Chancellor and Professor Emerita

“Beyond the critical importance of diverse perspectives in the holistic decision-making process, the most important reason to place women—or any underrepresented population— in leadership positions is to model the way for those who come after us. Seeing is believing, and representation matters.”

K ARINA HEROLD

Deputy Director of Athletics, Pepperdine Athletics

“I walked into my first board meeting with a company president at 19 years old. I was the youngest in the room by probably 20 years and perhaps the only woman in the building, let alone the room. The board members looked at me dismissively. I probably didn’t know much in those first days, but I knew I hated that feeling.

I remember thinking, ‘No matter how hard I have to work, I am going to make sure you just wildly underestimated the contribution I can make to this organization.’ To this day, I would rather do almost anything than walk into a presentation unprepared.

My path forward has been laid by the generous hands of many, supported by even more, and shaped with a good bit of luck. But at every turn, hard work and preparation have carried the day.”

NICOLLE TAYLOR (’98, JD ’02)

Vice President and Chief Business Officer

There’s Always Something to Be THANKFUL For Seaver College senior Kayley B. is thankful to have spent the summer before her senior year engaged in undergraduate research studying solar-terrestrial interactions with Gerard Fasel, Seaver College assistant professor of physics. Together they explored the northern lights and shifts in the auroral oval—the region that displays the astronomical phenomenon—looking for triggers in solar wind variations. This important development allows astronomers to track changes in the northern lights and helps scientists around the world understand the sun’s interactions with the earth.

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