» Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Chapman

Chapman University Honors Dedicated Changemakers at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Award Reception

Chapman University hosted its second annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Award Reception. The event, held at Fish Interfaith Center on Jan. 16, served as a platform to honor the outstanding contributions of a faculty member, staff member and student organization that are making great strides in celebrating diversity, social justice and community empowerment.

Striking a chord: Insights into the Mariachi Club

All was quiet in Argyros Forum. Students plugged into their laptops pounded away at sticky keys as Qdoba and SubConnection employees catered to their hungry patrons. It’s the typical white noise for a student at Chapman University. Suddenly, the faint sound of Chapman Radio was drowned out by a guitarron, violin and various other instruments played by members of the Mariachi Club. Their unanticipated flash mob brought a spark of excitement to the study grounds, turning a sea of tiresome students and employees into a full blown concert.  

Club Highlight | Chapman Latinx

Chapman Latinx is all about creating family. Whether members are bringing in pictures of loved ones in honor of Dia de los Muertos or simply immersing in each other’s company, president Silvia Miranda hopes to create a close atmosphere for all attending members. 

Pua'ikeana provides Hawaiian Chapman students a safe space to be themselves

Hawaiian Chapman students deal with unique changes when they start at the university, most notably the culture shock of the mainland United States compared to Hawaiian culture.

That is one reason why Pua’ikeana, Chapman’s Hawaiian student organization, is so important to Hawaiian Panthers. Pua’ikeana gives these students an environment that feels like home.

Black students thrive in Sisters Circle and Brothers Real Talk

Among the student populations at Chapman University, Black students make up one of the smallest racial or ethnic groups. In Fall 2022, Black or African American students made up 2.2% of the undergraduate student population. With this small of a population, it can often be difficult for Black students to be among peers who look like them.

The Black Book Nook: Fostering Community Engagement with Black History

The Leatherby Libraries and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Chapman University celebrated the launch of the first ever Black Book Nook on the first floor of the library in November 2022. The Black Book Nook Collection fosters education and community engagement with Black history, thought, literature, and culture. It currently has over 250 rotating books, and the collection is still growing.  

What is Pride?

Throughout the month of June, LGBTQ+ Pride is commemorated in a myriad of ways. Most notable are the well-attended festivals and marches that draw together members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies in celebration. People come to these celebrations “loud and proud,” often wearing colorful, self-expressive clothing and waving flags while reveling in the power and freedom of authenticity.

Colors of Home: Integrating Interdisciplinary Thinking and Creative Practices

In January 2023, a mural was installed outside of the Cross Cultural Center in Argyros Forum created by Los Angeles based artist, Damin (Zaoone) Lujan, in collaboration with students from Professors Rachelle Chuang and Bernie Dickson’s experimental Graphic Design course. The mural, Colors of Home, spans across an entire wall, incorporating cultures and symbols representing global diversity.

Chapman’s Faculty Diversification Initiative Focused on Recruiting Outstanding Diverse Faculty Members

Chapman University created the Faculty Diversification Initiative (FDI) in 2020 as part of its commitment to diversifying the Chapman faculty. The initiative creates a focused funding and recruitment process to identify and employ outstanding minority faculty members, with the goal of hiring two to three new diverse faculty members per year.

“The Chapman student population continues to get more diverse, and to meet the needs of those students it is important to have a more diverse faculty,” said Lawrence “LB” Brown, Pharm.D, Ph.D, professor of pharmaceutical economics and policy and presidential advisor on faculty diversification at Chapman University. “Outstanding, diverse faculty also bring unique additions to research, course offerings, pedagogy and the creative arts. Since Chapman has fewer Black faculty than we do Hispanic or Latinx faculty, the initial focus has been on hiring Black faculty.”

Chapman Holds Inaugural MLK Community Award Reception

When Shaykh Jibreel Speight gave the invocation at Chapman University’s inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Award Reception on Jan. 17, he noted it was also the birthday of another Black “fighter,” Muhammad Ali.

The event, which will be held annually the day after the federal holiday, recognizes a faculty member, a staff member and a student organization who are “keeping Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream alive.”

The Black Book Nook Fostering education and community engagement with Black history, thought, literature, and culture

On Friday, November 4, 2022, the Leatherby Libraries and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion celebrated the launch of the Black Book Nook on the first floor of the library.

The Black Book Nook Collection fosters education and community engagement with Black history, thought, literature, and culture. The Black Book Nook currently has over 250 rotating books, and the collection is still growing. A complete list of titles is in our library catalog.

Diversity and Inclusion Grant Funds Inaugural Chapman Strings Festival 150 students from Santa Ana High School and Garey High School attended a two-day music festival at Chapman University, where they learned how to navigate the college audition process

Music students from Santa Ana and Garey high schools recently visited Chapman University, where they were able to work with clinicians and prepare for the college application process.

The two-day Chapman Strings Festival was organized by Tammy Yi, professor of music education in Chapman’s Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music and the founding director of the university’s Mariachi Panteras ensemble, with the goal of addressing structural inequities in local low-socio-economic communities. The festival was funded by a $15,000 Diversity and Inclusion grant from the university. 

Chapman Alumnus Shares Millennial Loteria With Students Mike Alfaro ’10, known for giving modern twist to classic game, plays with Latinx Club

Since Mike Alfaro graduated from Chapman University in 2010, his lighthearted and updated take on the iconic bingo-like game Loteria has given him a large digital following and drawn the notice of Kelly Clarkson and the Los Angeles TimesOn Nov. 14 Alfaro returned to Chapman to play his game that started it all, Millennial Loteria, with Chapman’s Latinx Club and talk about his creative and personal journey. “I loved seeing the passion and community that this club has built around our shared culture,” he said. “I’m very happy to see how the community has become a family.”

‘I Will Never Be Able to Forget’: George Takei Shares Internment Experience with Chapman ‘Star Trek’ actor, activist tells his family’s story as part of Wilkinson College series

Actor, author, activist and social media favorite George Takei brought his powerful story of childhood imprisonment during World War II to Chapman University.

Takei – perhaps best known as helmsman Hikaru Sulu of “Star Trek” – recounted “the terror of that morning” his family was forced from their home and taken to prison camps, along with his father’s enduring faith in democracy and Takei’s subsequent work.

 

What is Day of the Dead and How Does Chapman Celebrate?

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Gabriela Castaneda, Ph.D., director of Latinx achievement at Chapman University, shines light on the holiday’s traditions and Chapman events and shares her own memories of celebrating in Mexico.

What’s the Difference Between LGBT History Month and Pride Month?

Pride Month has evolved into a national fixture each June, but October marks a perhaps lesser-known celebration – LGBT History Month.

Pride Month has been acknowledged on Chapman University’s campus, so some may wonder if LGBT History Month is also recognized.

Ask the Experts: Roe v. Wade, Now What?

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 landmark decision, Roe v. Wade, that protected a person’s right to choose to have an abortion, upheld for nearly 50 years. 

Testimony of Chapman Sociologist Pete Simi Leads to Judgment Against Organizers of Charlottesville Rally

"When you go behind the scenes and look at where Unite the Right was planned on Discord, and you see the volume of references to using violence during the rally, it’s overwhelmingly clear that this event was organized for the purpose of committing violence,” Simi said.

Chapman Professor Stephany Cuevas' New Book Shares Stories of Parental Sacrifice Behind Latinx Student Success

“I wanted to design a study that looked for stories of success,” Cuevas said. “At the core was a commitment to developing relational trust. I did the interviews in Spanish, and I didn’t push a protocol but let the stories come up naturally.”

NEH Grant Awarded to Launch Asian American Studies Minor at Chapman University

The grant will offer critical support by helping Chapman develop curriculum to advance the conversation on diversity, equity and justice in the community.

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Reg Chhen Stewart, Ph.D.
Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
View Leadership Bio
regstewart@chapman.edu

Gabriela Castaneda, Ed.D.
Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Director for Hispanic/Latinx Achievement 
(714) 744-7812
gcastane@chapman.edu
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Christine Victorin
Executive Assistant to the Vice President 
(714) 516-4731
victorin@chapman.edu

Araceli Martinez, M.A.
Executive Director, Cross Cultural Center and First Generation Programs
(714) 516-4778
aracmartinez@chapman.edu
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Misty Levingston, M.A., PPS
Director for Black Excellence and Achievement
(714) 997-6671
levingston@chapman.edu 
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Athina Cuevas, M.S.
Assistant Director

Promising Futures, First Generations Program
(714) 628-2786
acuevas@chapman.edu
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Kevin J. Nguyen-Stockbridge, PhD
Director for LGBTQ Pride and Achievement
(714) 516-4749
kstock@chapman.edu
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Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Argyros Forum (AF 302)
Orange, CA 92866
DEI@chapman.edu

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity