News and Events
University News
Pepperdine Responds to the Earthquake in Haiti
The 7.0-magnitude tremor that struck Haiti, the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, on Tuesday, Jan 12, is estimated to have affected one third of the nation's 9-million people. more
School of Law Students to Build Homes in Mexico
To commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a day of service, 40 Pepperdine law students will spend the upcoming holiday weekend building homes for needy families in Tecate, Mexico. This year marks the third annual trip that Pepperdine law students have taken to do this service project. more
Waves Men's Volleyball Wins McDonald's International Tournament
The Waves, ranked No. 4 in the AVCA preseason poll, won their second title in their third straight appearance at the McDonald's International Tournament in Kamloops, British Columbia. Senior outside hitter Brent Schirripa had 16 kills in a three-game sweep of Dalhousie University in the championship match. more
Pepperdine Community Reaches Across the Border with Annual Santa Run
For many children in Mexico, amenities like toothpaste and socks are a luxury. This holiday season, a group of disadvantaged Mexican children received a special treat for Christmas from the Pepperdine community. more
Finance Professor Maretno Agus Harjoto Discusses His Moskowitz Prize-winning Research
Harjoto authored the study, "The Economics and Politics of Corporate Social Performance," with David P. Baron, from the Graduate School of Business at Standford University, and Hoje Jo, from the Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University. The study earned them the prestigious 2009 Moskowitz Prize for Socially Responsible Investing, from the Center for Responsible Business at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, which is the only global award recognizing outstanding quantitative research in the field of socially responsible investing. more
Law Students Serve Lunches to the Los Angeles Community
Third-year law student Frank Gatto and second-year Al Sturgeon make time on the first two Saturdays of each month to organize and assemble sack lunches for workers at the Malibu Community Labor Exchange (MCLE). more
Faculty Garner Funding for Mental Health Programs in Los Angeles and Orange Counties
Several faculty members at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology have been able to secure grants in support of free and low-cost counseling services provided to those in need by GSEP's marriage and family therapy and doctor of psychology students and alumni. more
Pepperdine Hosts Conference Exploring Interfaith Issues
Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca addressed a weekend conference audience on "The Relation of Interfaith and Crime Reduction" in a special program held Saturday, Dec. 5 at Pepperdine University. more
Pepperdine School of Law Celebrates Fall Advocacy Successes
Pepperdine University School of Law celebrated the recent successes student advocates have had in regional and national competitions with a reception on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Students were honored who were champions or semifinalists in the following competitions: Foreign Direct Investment International Moot Competition, Chicago Bar Association Moot Court Competition, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice Trial Competition, ABA Labor & Employment Law Trial Advocacy Regional Competition, and ABA Regional Negotiation Competition. more
Pepperdine MBA's Restaurant Recession-Proofing Paper Wins Competition
Kasra Ferasat, a fully employed MBA program student at Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management, has been named the $1,000 winner in the 2009 student paper competition held by the 'Graziadio Business Report,' the school's online quarterly journal. more
"Elements of Nature" Exhibition to Close at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum
The ancients believed that the world consisted of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Although they have been replaced by modern scientific elements, these four essential states have continued to inspire artists. Since Aug. 22 an exhibition has been on display at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum with works of art reflecting how the four elements continue to have meaning in our lives. Titled "Elements of Nature," the exhibition will come to an end on Sunday, Dec. 6. more
Pepperdine Community Reaches Out with Holiday Service Projects
With a mission statement like "freely ye received, freely give," students at Pepperdine University find ways to serve those less fortunate all year round, but the holiday season offers an added incentive to give back. From cheering on children during a Christmas shopping spree to foregoing the luxuries of food and shelter to empathize with the homeless, Pepperdine students have stepped up their service this holiday season. more
Pepperdine Student Among Rhodes Scholar Candidates
Andrew Forcehimes, a senior philosophy major at Seaver College, was one of 10 candidates interviewed for prestigious Rhodes Scholarships from District 16 representing Southern California. more
Pepperdine MBAs Victorious in Top Ethics Case Competition at Baylor
Four MBA candidates at the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management took first place in the MBA National Case Competition in Ethical Leadership at Baylor University. The competition included students from business schools around the country, including the University of Notre Dame, the University of Florida, Wake Forest University, and the University of Washington. Over $8,000 in prizes was awarded to the participants. more
New 'Graziadio Business Report' is Available Online
The fourth issue of the 2009 'Graziadio Business Report,' which publishes four times annually, has hit the Web and can be read, shared and commented on at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu. more
Spiritual Discernment Retreat Investigates "Why Work?"
Over Halloween weekend, the Pepperdine University Chaplain's Office and the Center for Faith and Learning sponsored 35 Seaver College juniors and seniors to attend a spiritual discernment retreat in Santa Barbara, California. The theme of the fall retreat was "Why Work? Discerning Your Place in God's Plan to Mend the Universe." more
Einhorn Discusses Immigration, Theology in "Would Jesus Deport the Illegals?"
As part of the Department of Intercultural Affairs' convocations series, Seaver College students attended an exploration of immigration with retired Federal Immigration Judge Bruce Einhorn in late October. The event, titled "Would Jesus Deport the Illegals?" offered a theological perspective on the complicated immigration questions facing the United States. more
Celebration of Excellence Event Honors Education and Psychology Student Scholarships and Donors
The Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) held its annual Celebration of Excellence event on Thursday, Oct. 22, in recognition of the 2009-10 student scholarship recipients and in appreciation of donors and friends of GSEP. The event, hosted at the Ayres Hotel in Manhattan Beach, included an evening reception, program, and dinner. more
Law Students Take Gold at the Foreign Direct Investment Moot Competition
Third-year law students Jonathan Matthews and Aaron Echols were named international champions at the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Moot Competition in Frankfurt, Germany, on Saturday, Oct. 24. Pepperdine took top honors and the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Trophy. more
Pepperdine Volleyball Battles Breast Cancer with "Dig Pink" Charity Game
For the past several years, NCAA women's volleyball programs across the country have done their part in the battle against breast cancer. Pepperdine raised more than $800 with its "Dig Pink" match on Thursday, Oct. 22 against San Francisco in Firestone Fieldhouse. more
Keion Bell's Dunk Explodes on Internet, ESPN
Keion Bell's amazing dunk over five of his teammates on the Pepperdine Men's Basketball team has gone viral, with several major internet blogs and publications picking it up as well as ESPN's popular television show, 'SportsCenter,' which featured it as a "Top Play." The dunk capped off Pepperdine's annual Blue & Orange Madness event to open the college basketball season on Oct. 16. more
Wendel Publishes "Deconstructing Legal Analysis"
Peter T. Wendel, professor of law, recently published "Deconstructing Legal Analysis: A 1L Primer" (Aspen, October 2009). The book presents first-year law students with time-tested techniques for learning how to think like a lawyer. more
Recipients Selected for 2009 Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence
The 2009 recipients of the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence were announced Friday, Oct. 2, during the University Faculty Conference. The award, named in honor of Pepperdine's fifth president who served the University as teacher and administrator for almost 30 years, is given to full-time faculty members each year in recognition of their distinguished record of teaching excellence. more
Professor Jon Johnston's Latest Book Makes the Case for Anonymous Giving
Jon Johnston, professor of sociology, pronounces the spiritual and philanthropic benefits of helping those in need in his latest book Signed, Anonymous: Shedding the Need for Acknowledgment (Beacon Hill Press 2009). The work explores the purpose and impact of anonymous giving and service as a guide to shining "from the shadows." more
Annual Founder's Day Celebration Brings University Community Together to Remember Founder's Vision
The Pepperdine community filled Firestone Fieldhouse on September 23, 2009 for the University's annual Founder's Day celebration. Each year, this special event honors the vision of the University's founder, George Pepperdine; affirms Pepperdine's mission; and declares the opening of the new academic year. more
Waves to Host 2013 NCAA West Regional
The NCAA has announced that Pepperdine University will serve as the host school for the West Regional of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, set to be held at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. more
Graziadio School Welcomes Technologist John Shearer as First Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Award-winning inventor John G. Shearer, founder of Powercast Inc., a pioneer in wireless power transfer, has been appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence, joining the faculty at Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management. In the new academic position, Shearer will lead the school's goal to develop MBA student-founded, innovation-based businesses by identifying and locating cutting-edge technologies from other universities, national research laboratories, and within the private sector. more
Professor Gordon Lloyd Launches New Web Site Tool: "Constitutional Convention Attendance Record"
In celebration of Constitution Day 2009, Gordon Lloyd, professor of public policy, announced the launch of an interactive tool on his Web site Teachingamericanhistory.org., which visually demonstrates which delegates were present at each meeting of the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The "Constitutional Convention Attendance Record" will allow students to determine, by looking at who was in attendance, how certain issues of the day were resolved or not resolved, due to the influence of who was and wasn't there. more
Gary Selby and His Study Abroad Students Learn While Serving in East Africa
Each year, Seaver College students travel to the far-flung reaches of our globe on study abroad programs, and this summer Gary Selby, the director of the Center for Faith and Learning, took 16 Pepperdine students to Uganda and Rwanda to learn just how different a culture can be, and how they could serve there. And despite prior experience of traveling to East Africa, Selby discovered he too still has much to learn more
Matthies Earns 500th Win with Waves Women's Volleyball
Pepperdine women's volleyball coach Nina Matthies earned career win number 500 on Friday as her 19th-ranked Waves defeated Seattle, 25-15, 25-20, 25-16, on the first night of the Pepperdine Asics Classic in Firestone Fieldhouse. more
