Pepperdine People Magazine
Pepperdine People Magazine Spring 2008
Pepperdine Today
Pepperdine Students Spend Spring Break in Service to Communities
While college students around the country spent spring break traveling, visiting home, and enjoying relaxation time, numerous Pepperdine students took a different sort of journey. They spent the week serving and ministering in a variety of domestic and international locations through Pepperdine's annual Project Serve program.
Now in its seventh year, the Project Serve spring break tradition is designed to provide students with a more accurate understanding of the needs of the world as well as a meaningful experience of service and teamwork.
This year 294 students—80 more than last year—served on 19 teams traveling to 16 destinations. Their service work included helping in small, Guatemalan health clinics alongside doctors from Health Talents International; building homes for families in San Felipe, Mexico; and aiding in hurricane relief efforts coordinated by The Gathering Community Center and Church.
In addition to foregoing other spring break opportunities, the students raised more than $150,000 to make the trips possible. Ashley Nolan, associate director of the Pepperdine Volunteer Center, explains that the rewards of Project Serve make the sacrifices worthwhile.
"Whether it be the generosity they experienced from their host community, the joy they received from serving, or the new relationships they formed with their peers, Project Serve trips often afford students the opportunity to have a very rewarding and meaningful spring break experience."
www.pepperdine.edu/volunteercenter
Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton Named Board Chair at the American Council on Education
Pepperdine president Andy Benton has been named chair of the Board of Directors at the American Council on Education (ACE), the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions.
Founded in 1918, ACE represents more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.
Before becoming ACE board chair, Benton served as the board's vice chair from 2007 to 2008. Most recently, he chaired the search committee that selected Molly Corbett Broad as ACE's next president. Benton has served in higher education for nearly 30 years, and was named president of Pepperdine in June 2000. He will serve a one-year term as ACE board chair.
"It is an honor to serve as chair of the American Council on Education Board of Directors," Benton says. "Maintaining an informed and educated citizenry is one of the foundational characteristics of a free and democratic society. Now in its 90th year, the council has made significant contributions to higher education positively impacting students for nearly a century. I look forward to working with Molly Broad, the new president of ACE, and the organization's leadership team to advance the council's important agenda."
Graziadio School Offers New Degree Programs
The Graziadio School of Business and Management now offers new full-time master's degree programs in applied finance and global business designed for non-business undergraduate majors wishing to pursue careers in business. A new part-time M.S. degree in management and leadership has been designed for experienced business professionals who wish to enhance their management and leadership abilities. Applications are now being accepted for classes starting in Fall 2008.
In addition, starting Fall 2008 Pepperdine will begin admitting a select group of business-track undergraduate students into a new program in which they earn both a bachelor's and MBA degree in only five years. Students will receive their B.S. in business administration, international business, or accounting from Seaver College and either their MBA or International MBA (IMBA) from the Graziadio School.
Boone Center for the Family Welcomes New Executive Director
Ken R. Canfield has been named executive director of the Pat and Shirley Boone Center for the Family at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology. Canfield replaces founding director Dennis Lowe, who will continue as psychology professor and the M. Norvel and Helen Young Chair in Family Life at Pepperdine University.
After conducting a national search, the Boone Center selected Canfield to lead programming, community networking, fundraising, and research development in a new era of outreach and growth. Canfield brings more than 30 years of experience to this assignment. He has founded or been a founding member of several organizations dedicated to strengthening families and fathers, most notably the National Center for Fathering, where he served as president for 16 years.
Canfield was the director and cofounder of the International Family Center, where he developed family life education modules for churches and community groups. He has testified to the National Commission of Children, served as a founding member of former vice president Al Gore's "Father to Father" initiative, and was honored with the Father of the Year award by the National Congress for Men and Children. He has authored several award-winning texts, including 7 Secrets of Effective Fathers and The Heart of a Father. His work has appeared in numerous articles in both popular and educational journals and magazines.
http://gsep.pepperdine.edu/family
Tom Asbury Named Pepperdine Men's Basketball Head Coach
Former Pepperdine men's basketball head coach Tom Asbury will return to Malibu next season taking over as the Waves' head coach. Considered by many as the architect of one of the best periods in Pepperdine men's basketball history, Asbury was previously at Pepperdine for 15 seasons, the first nine as an assistant coach (1980-88) followed by six as head coach (1989-94). He was head coach at Kansas State from 1995-2000 and was most recently an assistant coach at Alabama from 2004-07. Overall Asbury has a 210-147 (.588) record in 12 seasons as a college head coach.
"There are very few people who have been as much a part of Pepperdine's success in basketball over the years as Tom Asbury," said John Watson, director of athletics. "For 15 years he was a major reason why Pepperdine was the class act of the West Coast Conference. I'm elated that he has decided to return home and take over the head coaching reins for next year."
Historic School of Law Dinner Celebrates Chief Justice John Roberts
More than 1,700 guests gathered to celebrate the School of Law's 31st annual dinner and distinguished speaker, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr., chief justice of the United States.
Roberts received one of Pepperdine's highest honors—the Robert H. Jackson Award, which honors individuals who personify outstanding public service in the law. Roberts called the award especially meaningful to him because of his personal connection to the Supreme Court justice.
For the dinner address, Roberts spoke on Jackson's life and principles, the nature of oral advocacy, and the higher purpose of law. In addition to the chief justice's remarks, the evening's program included a report by School of Law dean Ken Starr of recent law school activities and accomplishments. Earlier in the day, Roberts served as a judge for the final round of Pepperdine's 34th annual Vincent S. Dalsimer Moot Court Competition.
Roberts' visit continues Pepperdine's distinctive tradition of hosting Supreme Court justices. Byron White, Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Clarence Thomas have been previous speakers at the law school dinner. Both Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito have taught at the school in the past year, and Alito will return to teach this year. Alito also delivered the inaugural William French Smith Memorial Lectures on Law and the Judiciary last summer.
Alumnus Keith McFarland Authors Best-selling
Business Book Pepperdine alumnus and author Keith McFarland recently published the best-selling book The Breakthrough Company: How Everyday Companies Become Extraordinary Performers. Based on the author's five-year study of more than 7,000 companies, The Breakthrough Company details what separates small businesses from the "one-tenth of one percent that break through to annual sales of $250 million."
McFarland, who earned his bachelor's degree from Seaver College in 1977 and his MBA from the Graziadio School in 1981, appeared at three Pepperdine alumni events this spring to meet fellow Pepperdine graduates and share insights from his book.
The Breakthrough Company was the result of encouragement McFarland received from leading business figures including Peter Drucker and Good to Great author Jim Collins to "identify the drivers that enable a company to push past the entrepreneurial phase."
According to McFarland, breakthrough success is attributed to, among other things, "a clearly identifiable set of strategies and skills." The results of his research provide tools and insights for achieving business breakthrough. Takeaways include advice on going up against bigger competitors and surrounding your company with networks of outside resources.
In his successful business career McFarland served as CEO at two top technology firms and as associate dean of the Graziadio School at age 26. He later established McFarland Strategy Partners, based in Sandy, Utah, where he has advised hundreds of growth companies, as well as industry leaders such as Microsoft, Motorola, and Morgan Stanley.
Christian Scholar Lecture Program Presents Author Lauren Winner
The fourth annual Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture program hosted acclaimed Christian author Lauren Winner for a provocative lecture titled "Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity," based on her book of the same name. The lecture is available for viewing online.
During the presentation Winner recalled her conversion to Christianity from Orthodox Judaism and how she came to live chastely before marriage. In her academic pursuits, Winner considers how sex is discussed in the Christian community and how some attempts to communicate God's message about sex are actually harmful, especially to young people.
She describes in the lecture three lies about sex perpetuated in Christian communities. These include the myths that sexual sin leaves the participant feeling guilty or bereft; that men are obsessed with sex while women lack sex drives at all; and that the sin of premarital sex can never be forgiven. She encourages Christian young people to avoid these myths in considering their bodies and sexuality.
Winner is the author of three books: Girl Meets God, Mudhouse Sabbath, and Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity. She has appeared on PBS's Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly and has written for The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post Book World, Publishers Weekly, Books and Culture, and Christianity Today. Her essays have been included in The Best Christian Writing for the years 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006. At age 31, she holds degrees from Duke, Columbia, and Cambridge Universities, and has earned a Ph.D. in history. The former book editor for Beliefnet, Winner teaches at Duke Divinity School, and lives with her husband in Durham, North Carolina.
www.pepperdine.edu/pr/releases/2008/january/winner.htm
Public Policy Professor Bruce Herschensohn Leads Weekly U.S. Foreign Policy Roundtables
Pepperdine students participated in a unique learning opportunity last fall when Bruce Herschensohn, Senior Fellow at the School of Public Policy, conducted a series of weekly U.S. foreign policy discussions. During the roundtables, current international events dominated conversation and topics included the ongoing situations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, China and Taiwan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and Russia, as well as the United Nations and United States defenses.
"I feel students should have a weekly opportunity to have background, to discuss, to ask questions, and to give their opinions regarding current international issues," Herschensohn said. "I want the students who attend to be offered a framework of foreign policy and the workings of Washington, D.C., that can be used in real life. It is difficult to participate in an argument with print, or state an opinion to print. Although for sure books and newspapers are important, the roundtable is not meant for reading but for involvement."
http://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu
Pepperdine Mourns the Passing of Chris Sangster
The campus community is deeply saddened by the passing of Chris Sangster, a much-loved Pepperdine alumnus, longtime administrator, and member of the University Church. Chris' outgoing personality and unbridled enthusiasm for all things Pepperdine touched the lives of literally thousands of members of the Pepperdine community. He passed away February 12 after battling an extended illness at his home on the Malibu campus where he and his wife Claudia lived for over a decade.
Chris served as assistant dean of advancement and alumni relations for Seaver College and George Pepperdine College (GPC). He and Claudia, a Pepperdine alumna and former senior counsel for the Center for Estate and Gift Planning, were frequently seen attending athletic events, meeting with alumni, reconnecting with classmates and faculty at Homecoming, and keeping close ties with GPC graduates and their families. "No one loved Pepperdine University more; no one knew Pepperdine alumni better than Chris," recalled Seaver College dean David Baird. "For him, the Pepperdine community was family."
President Andy Benton expressed the feelings of countless others when he noted, "I am touched by the sterling qualities of Chris' life, and touched by the dignity and serenity of his death. Such, I suppose, is the nature of one with a deep and abiding faith. His smile and upbeat approach to life will never leave my memory of him. Pepperdine has lost a great example and friend."
The Pepperdine community sadly lost other treasured friends in recent months. To learn more about these individuals, please visit In Memoriam online.
Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar Endow Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics
Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar of Laguna Beach, California, have endowed the Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics with a generous seven-figure gift.
The Nootbaar Institute reflects the School of Law's mission to train students to be service minded and purpose driven in their chosen vocations. Bob Cochran, director of the institute and the Louis D. Brandeis Professor of Law, says the endowment will enable the institute to further investigate the nexus between law, religion, and ethics, in addition to providing students and faculty the opportunity to explore these areas through interdisciplinary seminars, conferences, and symposia.
"Herb and Elinor Nootbaar's generous gift will enable the institute to send students around the world to work with human rights and religious freedom organizations. It will also enable us, through conferences, courses, and scholarly projects, to explore the insights that religious faith and ethical values can bring to law and the lawyer's work," Cochran adds.
The institute is organized to sponsor conferences addressing a broad range of issues including morality and the practice of law, bioethical legal issues, Constitutional religious issues, religious lobbying, law and poverty, and international human rights. The institute's most recent conference brought together a group of law professors, judges, theologians, economists, historians, and philosophers to address whether there is a higher law, whether it matters, and the numerous questions that flow from these questions.
http://law.pepperdine.edu/nootbaar
Distinguished Scholar Molefi Kete Asante Addresses African Consciousness
The Diversity Council of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology recently presented Molefi Kete Asante for a lecture titled "An Overview of African Consciousness: Classical Egypt to Yoruba Orishas." The lecture is available for viewing online.
Asante is a professor in the Department of African American Studies at Temple University. He has published 61 books including his most recent, The History of Africa: The Quest for Eternal Harmony. He has published more scholarly books than any contemporary African author and was recently recognized as one of the 10 most widely cited African Americans. Black Issues in Higher Education recognized him as one of the most influential leaders in the last 15 years.
After completing his M.A. at George Pepperdine College, Asante received his Ph.D. from UCLA at the age of 26. He was appointed a full professor at age 30 at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He went on to create the first Ph.D. program in African American Studies in 1987 at Temple University.
The Diversity Council was formed to promote discourse through the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, which embraces human diversity and fosters, sustains, and advocates for multicultural proficiency. The council comprises faculty, staff, and students, and meets monthly at the West Los Angeles Graduate Campus. All are welcome to join this group.
The council's speaker series, titled "Multicultural Issues Impacting Community," is held twice annually in West Los Angeles. These lectures are open to the public and free of charge.
http://gsep.pepperdine.edu/newsevents/events/divcouncil
Pepperdine University Surpasses 100th 'Live Case' MBA Consulting
Project
A special program at the Graziadio School brings executives and students together in the classroom to solve real business issues in real time. The Education to Business (E2B) Applied Learning Program integrates "live case" consulting into a rigorous MBA curriculum, and has achieved a major milestone. Pepperdine students have successfully completed 100 projects since the program's inception in 2002.
"To get to the 100th project demonstrates the huge need for fresh thinking that equates to better organizational performance," says Doreen Shanahan, faculty member and E2B program director. "Now that the E2B program is part of the ongoing MBA curriculum it enables us to offer extraordinary MBA-level consulting to executives that face a wide range of business challenges."
The E2B program delivers practical, results-oriented strategic-level work experience by addressing and offering solutions to real company problems. Students work in teams, get faculty input, and invest hundreds of hours researching, analyzing, and developing recommendations for their assigned company. Executives from the participating companies—both Fortune 500 and small, privately owned companies—spend multiple hours in case development, class participation, student interaction, feedback, and evaluation. At the end of the trimester, each MBA student team delivers a comprehensive oral and written recommendation addressing the partner company's specific business issue.
Projects this spring include developing a U.S. market entry strategy for a non-U.S. bottled water company, producing a marketing plan for a rapidly growing dermatological company, and consulting on retail brand awareness in Southern California for a major global bank.
http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/programs/e2b
Pulitzer Prize Winner Ed Larson Releases New Book
In his newest book, A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign, Pepperdine professor and Pulitzer Prize winner Ed Larson tells the story of the closest-ever presidential election, which pushed democracy in the United States to its limit and transformed American politics forever.
The book recounts how the rivalry and vitriol between the Federalists and the Republicans in the emergence of the 19th century surpassed the competitive nature of even today's political climate. The election of 1800 ushered in the party system, drawing the lines of partisan battle that would reshape politics, while also preserving the institution of democracy. In his account, Larson tells the story of this epic election battle that was so influential to the future of American democracy that Thomas Jefferson deemed it "the second American revolution."
Larson is a University professor of history and holds the Hugh and Hazel Darling Chair at the School of Law. Prior to joining the Pepperdine faculty in 2006, Larson was the Russell Professor of History and Talmadge Professor of Law at the University of Georgia. The author or coauthor of 11 books, he is the recipient of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in History for his book Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion.
