Editor's Letter

If we have learned anything from the last two years of great personal, societal, and global change, it’s that we don’t know and will never know what’s coming next. That despite careful planning and projections, beyond the future we have envisioned for ourselves and the strategic thinking applied to every decision we have made, we can never predict how our lives will unfold. 

Perhaps the daily reminders of the instability around us provide a source of comfort as they reinforce the universality of our experiences and their corresponding feelings. This issue of Pepperdine Magazine addresses some of those uncertainties while affirming the roles the members of our community play in promoting progress toward a more definite future. 

In our cover story, Pepperdine’s most sought-after experts weigh in on the evolving landscape of the space economy as scientists, engineers, and policy makers direct their gaze to the skies beyond our atmosphere toward space exploration, innovation, defense, and, very possibly, inhabitance. This issue also explores another great unknown: the future of the labor economy as workers consider how their jobs fit into their lives and employers explore ways to maintain productivity in a volatile and completely unpredictable job climate. 

In this issue’s Snapshot, we are invited to a digital world created by members of Pepperdine’s esports team to help fellow students navigate college as an unexpectedly remote experience and provide a sense of home to those feeling far away from campus. And Graduate School of Education and Psychology alumnus Edrick Dorian, who has built a career around addressing the mental health needs of the members of the Los Angeles Police Department, illuminates how first responders have coped with the very public trials and identity issues that have impacted their daily lives for the last few years. 

This summer, the next issue of Pepperdine Magazine will also bear (planned and exciting) change. In lieu of a typical print edition, the magazine staff will design a completely digital experience that will feature curated content and a brand-new look. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the new direction of the Pepperdine Magazine website and the content exclusive to the web in the coming months. 

Though we are never able to predict what’s to come, we can marvel at the mysteries of the great unknown while remaining flexible to the exciting developments that may catch us by surprise. The wonders of life—however pleasant, painful, or unpredictable—are limitless. Regardless of what lies ahead, the pursuit will surely be riveting.