Pepperdine People Magazine

Pepperdine People Magazine Fall 2005

HomePage: Pepperdine People News and Events

THEODORE J. FORSTMANN SCHOLARSHIPS ESTABLISHED
Twenty-four School of Public Policy students will receive significant scholarship assistance over the 2005-06 and 2006-07 academic years, thanks to a generous gift of $1 million. The graduate school's longtime friend, philanthropist Theodore J. ("Ted") Forstmann, has provided the gift which will also fund applied-research projects for an additional 10 to 15 students. The scholarships embrace Forstmann's long-standing commitment to education and his personal interests in the social and spiritual benefits of free markets and traditional values. Forstmann, senior partner at Forstmann Little & Co., and cofounder of Children's Scholarship Fund, delivered the dedication address in October 2003 when the Braun Center for Public Policy was unveiled in a ceremony.

Ileana Abreu

SEAVER STUDENTS TESTIFY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING
An unprecedented event took place in April when two undergraduates from the same college testified before two U.S. Senate and House committees on the same topic and within hours of each other. Each young woman, from Seaver College of Pepperdine University, shared how she has benefited from federal funding for higher education. Ileana Abreu, who would step across the Malibu stage two days later to receive her diploma, explained to members of a House Appropriations Subcommittee, "I am living proof that Congress can't go wrong in supporting federal student-aid funding." In another meeting room, Seaver junior Trinity Thorpe encouraged members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) to reauthorize the Higher Education Act.

CHIHULY EXHIBIT SHATTERS RECORDS
By attracting almost 32,000 people to Pepperdine between November 2004 and March 2005, the Chihuly exhibit became the most well-attended exhibition in the University's history. Michael Zakian, director of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, explained, "Dale Chihuly is one of the few artists who really captures the popular imagination." And Zakian had a hit on his hands that curators often only dream about. A diverse audience of all ages was enthralled by the glass sculptures and how they were made in this first glass art installation at Pepperdine. One of the installation challenges was met with the help of Clark Cowan, Seaver alumnus and Pepperdine supporter who runs a major local landscaping company. Cowan's flatbed trucks delivered several 12-foot-long tree trunks needed to complete the artist's vision for this particular exhibit.

NEW VICE CHANCELLOR APPOINTED
A new, key administrator has been welcomed, Vice Chancellor Michael Warder. Half of Warder's efforts focus on extending the University's mission statement through fund-raising and promotion University-wide, and half with the School of Public Policy where he is also a senior fellow at the Davenport Institute. The Stanford University graduate is an experienced public affairs analyst and has held many executive positions in public policy-research organizations, most recently as the Southern California Children's Scholarship Fund's executive director. Warder is working closely with President Andrew K. Benton and Chancellor Charles B. Runnels to influence the future of the University and advance its mission.

TIM RUSSERT DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Moderator of NBC's Meet the Press and one of the most trusted and admired journalists in American television, Tim Russert, was the keynote speaker at the 29th annual Pepperdine Associates Dinner. Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the black-tie event honors Pepperdine's extended family of friends, alumni, and benefactors. This year's theme, "Celebrating the Human Spirit," focused on many triumphs rooted and nurtured in scholarship and culture, including some by Pepperdine's own—Board of Regents member John Katch and wife, Linda, School of Law 2003 graduate Will Grignon and wife, Meghan, and Seaver 2005 graduate Ileana Abreu. Their unique stories and contributions were highlighted during President Andrew K. Benton's remarks. Also tying in the evening's theme were the event's visuals, and music selections performed by Pepperdine's concert choir under the direction of Milton Pullen.

A NAME ENSCONCED IN MALIBU HISTORY
Only 27 miles long and one mile wide, the city of Malibu provides rich and textured sources for storytelling by longtime resident and Pepperdine supporter Dorothy D. Stotsenberg in her new book, My Fifty Years In Malibu. She has penned a treasure trove of historical stories about the pioneers of Malibu and the land they shaped. Quoted on the bookcover, Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton notes, "People know the community for its celebrities; now they will know the rich heritage of the region that began with the Chumash Indians and continues with the fascinating tapestry of Dorothy's own gracious life." The University's students have benefited from numerous gifts that Dorothy and her late husband, Ed, have given, such as scholarships, the Stotsenberg Track, and the Center for the Arts offerings. The book is available through Pepperdine's campus bookstore, or by calling Marisa Sellers in University Advancement at (310) 506-4439.

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR REVEALS LEADERSHIP TIPS
The Pepperdine community was invited to hear Joy At Work author Dennis Bakke outline how to create a company where every decision made at the top is a chance to delegate responsibility, and where all employees are encouraged to take the "game-winning shot," slam dunk or not. The cofounder and former chief executive officer of AES, a worldwide energy company with revenues of $8.6 billion, was the featured speaker for the Dean's Executive Leadership Series at the Graziadio School of Business and Management. Bakke's model for the 21st-century company treats its people with respect, gives them unprecedented responsibility, and holds them strictly accountable, not just because it makes good business sense, according to Bakke, but because it's the right thing to do.

MARKING 70 YEARS AS MR. & MRS.
This fall, Pepperdine's Center for the Family will bestow its Friends of the Family award to Art and Lois Linkletter. The couple was selected in honor of their 70th wedding anniversary, and in recognition of their courage to defend traditional family values in a society that constantly threatens to devalue them. They are members of the Center's advisory board and the Linkletters shared the podium and their memories at the Center's biannual board meeting May 3. Art, who is also a Pepperdine Board of Regents member, began, "I speak about 70 times a year all around the country…so I'm introduced a lot. But no matter who the audience is, when I tell them I've been married 70 years they all applaud and stand up! People want to hear that marriages can last." To read more about them, see http://gsep.pepperdine.edu/family/resources/articles/linkletters.htm.

NUMBERS TO CELEBRATE
The 2005 U.S. News and World Report annual ranking of graduate schools lists two particularly high placements for the Pepperdine School of Law. First, the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution is number one in the nation in this year's specialty program rankings, dominating for the fourth time in seven years. Secondly, the law school's overall ranking has made a dramatic move up in the national rankings, from number 99 to 77, mostly due to the strong improvement in its nine-month employment statistics for graduates. The Graziadio School of Business and Management's full-time MBA program debuted in the prestigious Financial Times 2005 as 92nd in international rankings (or 55th among all U.S. programs), and 2nd in organizational behavior based on Graziadio alumni.

GETTING A WORLD OF EDUCATION
The Graziadio School of Business and Management invites its students and alumni to join upcoming Global Business Short Courses to England, France, Argentina, and the newest location—the Czech Republic—in April 2006. Spaces fill quickly for the week-long courses abroad due to demand. Pepperdine's global programs have been so successful because business people increasingly need an international perspective in today's global marketplace. The courses offer professionals key knowledge and information about international business. They are taught by faculty and experts onsite at prestigious universities around the world, enabling participants to explore actual business operations in another region of the world while earning academic credit. For specifics on locations, itineraries, and registration, visit http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/globalprograms.

FULL HOUSE FOR BIBLE LECTURES
The largest-attended event on the University calendar, the annual Pepperdine University Bible Lectures, brought to the campus almost 5,000 attendees from at least 18 foreign countries and 42 states. The May event broke three other records. Thursday night's contribution, at $167,000, totaled the most ever collected, in great part due to the generous matching gift from Board of Regents Chairman Ed Biggers and his wife, Joan. The collection was taken in honor of their late son, Philip, a 1981 Pepperdine graduate. In its 62nd year, the Bible Lectures were held during a four-day period, with more people being housed on the Malibu campus than ever before: 2,400 including those staying in their parked, recreational vehicles. After serving evening pie and coffee and selling mostly second-hand donations at their boutique, the Associated Women for Pepperdine volunteers deposited a record $17,121 into their scholarship account for students. Church Relations Department staff began work on next year's event three days after this one concluded.

BENEFITTING THE CHILDREN
Over 300 guests attended "Country Chic," the Center for the Arts Guild fund-raiser. The May event netted over $90,000, including a $25,000 check from the Weisman Philanthropic Foundation in honor of arts guild supporter Billie Milam Weisman. A special tribute to Mrs. Weisman was part of the gala, as she continues to promote the arts at Pepperdine. Weisman and her late husband, Fred, made an initial gift in 1992 to establish the University's Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art. Art Guild President Linda Beisswanger and husband, Mark, hosted the event at their home. The event included dinner, silent and live auctions plus a raffle, and a concert by Grammy-winning entertainer Glen Campbell. The event's proceeds guarantee another year of ARTSReach, a program providing free admission to full-staged productions and Weisman Museum exhibitions for over 10,000 Los Angeles and Ventura County schoolchildren annually.

HONORING HELEN M. YOUNG
Oklahoma Christian University has bestowed its highest honor, the doctor of divinity, honoris causa (DD), upon Helen M. Young at its April commencement exercise. Mrs. Young, attending the event with daughter Emily Y. Lemley, took her minutes at the microphone to not only praise the university for its good work, growth, and strength, but to remind the audience that "we are all in the same business…and there's no competition between lighthouses." While in Oklahoma City, Mrs. Young also visited her childhood home, and attended her high school reunion. The wife of Pepperdine University's third president, Mrs. Young was nominated for the honorary degree by Mike E. O'Neal, the university's president. He cited her extraordinary service and accomplishments as a church servant and leader, demonstrating "standards of excellence, love, and service." The two are old friends since O'Neal worked in several roles at Pepperdine over a 26-year period, including vice chancellor when he left to accept Oklahoma Christian's presidency in 2002.