The skies may have been gray, but that did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the hundreds of Chapman staff members – along with some administrators and faculty – who gathered on the Attallah Piazza last Thursday to celebrate Staff Appreciation Day. A delicious breakfast buffet was served outside, and then the crowd moved into Memorial Hall for the presentation of the Service Awards, the President’s Award, and the door prizes. (And, not to forget, another comic Doti/Diaz film that continued the beloved tradition of tech glitches – maybe next year, show it on a VCR!)

See all the 5-year, 10-year and 15-year Service Award recipients here. At the 20-year mark: Dean Don Cardinal, Veston Rowe, Toni Schrotberger, Cheryl Stack, Gail Tryon-Polwektow, Bonnie Walker and Ignacio Zamudio. At the 25-year mark: Ronald Coffman, Iris Gerbasi and Claudia Horn. Congratulations all!

Hitting 35 years with Chapman: President Jim Doti, who graciously accepted a standing ovation from the Memorial crowd. Dr. Don Booth took over the podium to recall how he flew to New York 35 years ago to interview a potential Chapman faculty member, “this young Italian guy from Chicago, wearing a pinstripe suit,” Dr. Booth said. “I was afraid NOT to hire him!”

But the president still has a ways to go to catch up with a couple of even-longer-timers. Dr. Barbara Mulch achieved the 40-year mark with Chapman this year, and Dr. Don Booth hit 50! These distinguished educators are truly the living legacy and institutional memory of this university, and they are still more than actively involved in its day-to-day work and ongoing history. In honor of Dr. Booth’s half-century, a $10,000 check was presented by the university to the Don Booth Fund.

The president closed the festivities by telling the crowd how privileged he feels to be part of the Chapman community. “You are all part of an incredible venture – we’ve come so far, and we’ve done it together,” he said. “And what really makes Chapman so special is the fun we’ve had along the way.”

Demisia Razo Wins President's Award

Demisia Razo, associate director of residence life and housing, was the recipient of the 2009 President's Award, presented during festivities for Staff Appreciation Day. The award is presented annually to a Chapman staff member who demonstrates exceptional service to Chapman, goes beyond job description to advance Chapman’s mission, and embodies Chapman’s values-centered spirit. Demisia was praised in nomination documents as “driven by her commitment to quality service and her unparalleled care for students,” “always searching for new ways to enhance the University, to educate our students better and knows how to turn her ideas into strong initiatives,” and “an outstanding role model for the values of Chapman University.” Congratulations, Demisia, and also kudos to all the award finalists: Steve Atcheson and David Atcheson, voice and data technicians, Telecommunications; Lacey Briley, administrative assistant, Department of English; Jennifer Ellis, payroll specialist, Financial Services; Elizabeth French, administrative assistant, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts; David Lowe, specialist, Media Services; and Char Williams, administrative assistant, Publications and Creative Services. You all exemplify what makes Chapman so special.

Human Resources would like to thank the award committee (Erika Curiel, Deanna Pittman, Rita Wilds and Kathy Wright), Conference Services, Theatre Operations, Media Services, Sodexo and Facilities Management for their efforts in making the Staff Appreciation event a success. We would also like to thank Athletics; Harold Hewitt, executive VP and COO; Public Safety; Purchasing; University Advancement and Schools First Credit Union for their generous raffle door prizes.

Green Solutions Conference Draws Crowd  

More than 200 people crowded into the National Institute of Science’s Beckman Center at UCI to hear Schmid School of Science Dean Menas Kafatos, Ph.D. speak on “Hazards and Global Climate Change: Business and Economic Opportunities.” Dean Kafatos, who is also Chapman’s vice chancellor for special projects, was participating in the Green Solutions Conference, jointly sponsored by Chapman University, the University of California-Irvine, and California State University-Fullerton. The conference was the brainchild of Chapman’s James Coyle, Ph.D., Chapman’s director of global education, and was in response to Chapman’s Global Theme for 2008-2009: the environment and sustainable development. Chapman also sponsored the conference’s luncheon speaker, Linda Adams, Secretary of California’s Environmental Protection Agency.

View PDFs of the conference presentations, including Dean Kafatos’, here: http://www.newkirkcenter.uci.edu/green_development.html

Dean Bob Bassett Addresses OC Diversity

Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Dean Bob Bassett was an invited speaker on diversity at the 5th Annual Diversity Conference, hosted by the Orange County Public Relations Society of America, May 21. Recognized for his work in advancing diversity in academe, Dean Bassett joined media professionals and other academics from CBS Entertainment, KABC-TV, KOCE-TV, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach to share both successful strategies and challenges still facing efforts to bring diversity into the ranks of media professionals. Dean Bassett addressed specifically the ways in which Dodge College has worked to increase diversity in terms of gender, geography, and age. “Diversity in education shapes the future as in no other arena of life, simply because it’s in school that young people meet the world outside of their family for the first time,” he said. “Who they meet and what they encounter can profoundly affect their future success. By doing all we can to increase diversity among our students and faculty, we encourage the kind of aesthetic diversity that can provide new directions for our multi-cultural society.”

Another Great Season of Outdoor Shakespeare

Shakespeare Orange County’s season opener, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged, starts its three-week run on Thursday, June 11, and will run through June 27. This comedic romp presents 37 of Shakespeare’s most famous plays in less than 2 hours! Featured in the three-man cast are Craig Brown, who works in Theatre Operations at Chapman Auditorium, and Josh Snyder, a graduate of Chapman’s Theatre Art Department. The co-founders of Shakespeare Orange County are Professor Tom Bradac and Professor Michael Nehring of the Chapman Theatre Department (along with Carl Reggiardo, who has directed at Chapman). If you’ve never seen a show by this amazing and very Chapman-connected company – a true Orange County treasure – you have to go this summer! The plays are performed outdoors in the beautiful Festival Amphitheatre in Garden Grove. The show runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:15 p.m. through June 27. The company goes on to perform two more productions this summer season – As You Like It (July 9-25) and The Merchant of Venice (August 6-22). For more information and tickets, call 714-590-1575 or visit http://www.shakespeareoc.org/.

Oh, Snap! Chapman Student Wins Photo Contest

Chapman student Nicole Tellier won the national Athena Study Abroad photo contest with this happy gpicture of a group of frolicking students in Florence’s Piazza Santa Croce: http://www.athenaabroad.com/promotions/photo_contest
_2009winners.php. She won an iPod Nano.

They journeyed to Washington, D.C….and conquered practically all. The Chapman University Ad Club placed 4th out of 140 colleges and universities that competed in the nation’s premier student ad contest, the American Advertising Federation (AAF) National Student Advertising Competition. The top three finishers put Chapman in very good company: Syracuse University won, with University of Alabama second and UC Berkeley third.

Additionally, the Chapman team won the Getty Images Best Imagery Award for their very creative visuals.

Competing student groups created a case study and presented their campaigns to the competition’s sponsor, The Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by distillers dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking and the sponsor of this year’s competition. This year’s competition was unique in that it is the first time contestants were asked to address a social issue to promote a positive behavioral change: the prevention of dangerous overconsumption of alcohol among college students – also known as “binge drinking.” “Students have worked on this project for the past eight months, and over the last two days we have seen them present dynamic, innovative ideas,” said James Edmund Datri, President and CEO of the of the AAF. “I look forward to working with The Century Council to help implement these ideas on college campuses across the country.”

Happenings congratulates the student members of the Chapman team - - Chris Helvajian, Amy Owenby, Kat Rogers, Jon Blomgren, Chapman Ad Club president Andreas Robichaux, and their faculty advisor, Cory O’Connor, assistant professor of advertising!

Join the 2009 Community of Readers

Be part of the “in” crowd this summer by becoming a member of the Leatherby Libraries Community of Readers. Check out and read books from our library, submit reviews, and win fabulous prizes. For details, including reading suggestions and prize lists, go to www.chapman.edu/library/community/.

Health Matters Wins Prestigious Award

We got an enthusiastic message from Dr. Larry Santora about the TV show he hosts, produced by Chapman University: “I wanted to let you know that the Health Matters with Dr. Larry Santora television series has been honored with a 2009 Communicator Award of Distinction! And, I also wanted to thank all of you who have helped us by promoting the show, providing constructive feedback and being guests and appearing on various episodes. It is a group effort and I thank you.” Information about the award: http://www.communicatorawards.com/. All of the segments from the show are available for viewing online at www.chapman.edu/healthmatters. Click on "Watch Videos Now." The shows also air on KOCE-TV every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m, and the OC Channel every Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

Presented by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring the creative excellence for communications professionals. The Award of Distinction is presented for projects that exceed industry standards in quality and achievement.

This Week on TV

DIALOGUE WITH DOTI AND DODGE

Tuesday, June 9 at 11:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m. on KOCE-TV: "Speaking the Language of Toddlers" with Harvey Karp, M.D.

Tuesday, June 16 at 11:30 p.m. on KOCE-TV: "Fetishism in the 15th Century" with Liliana Leopardi, assistant professor of art and art history at Chapman University

Dialogue with Doti and Dodge also airs on the OC Channel:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 7:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

HEALTH MATTERS WITH DR. LARRY SANTORA

Wednesday, June 10, 8:30 a.m., on KOCE-TV
Edward Lee, M.D., describes treatment for snoring and sleep apnea. Herbert Rettinger, M.D., discusses advances in the treatment of diabetes. Show host Larry Santora, M.D., explains which foods are worth buying organic.

Sunday, June 14, 8:30 a.m., on The OC Channel
Frank Frisch, Ph.D., and Fred Caporaso, Ph.D., both Chapman University professors, explain the importance of good bone health. Chiropractor Mike Milinkovic discusses chiropractic treatment and how it’s best applied. Show host Larry Santora, M.D., explains the difference between bottled water and tap water.

The OC Channel, which is a partnership between KOCE and Chapman University, may be viewed on channel 50.2 on digital television, channel 235 on Time Warner, channel 810 on Cox Communications Cable and channel 470 on Verizon Fios.

Staff & Faculty Notes

Stacy Russo,coordinator of information and reference services for the Leatherby Libraries, is the recipient of a Research Support Grant from the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The grant will fund her travel and living expenses while she conducts research with the personal papers of June Jordan that are housed at the library. Jordan (1936-2002) was a poet, essayist, and influential teacher who most recently taught at UC Berkeley. Russo has also been elected Secretary of the Association of College and Research Libraries Women’s Studies Section for the 2009-2010 term.

Wenshan Jia, Ph. D., associate professor, Department of Communication Studies, has had two new publications: “The status of mediation in contemporary rural Chinese society,” China Media Research, 5 (2), pp. 97-103. 2), and “An intercultural communication model of international relations: The case of China,” in Y. Hao & G. Wei (Eds.) Challenges to Chinese Foreign Policy: Diplomacy, Globalization and the Next World Power (pp. 319-333). (Louisville: University Press of Kentucky) Jia also has two other papers in press.

Upon invitation by the president of the International Communication Association (ICA), Professor Jia presented "The Status of Communication Research in Contemporary China" on the panel "Distinctive Qualities of Communication Research Around the Globe," sponsored and chaired by the ICA president at the Annual ICA Convention in Chicago, May 2009.

As part of his planned sabbatical activities in the coming fall, Professor Jia has also been formally invited as a visiting scholar by globally prestigious research institutions such as the Center for Global Communication, the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and the Center for Intercultural Management and Communication, School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, China, among others.

Drs. Peter DeScioli of the Economic Science Institute at Chapman University and Robert Kurzban of University of Pennsylvania explore cognitive systems underlying human friendship in an article published June 3, 2009 in PLoSONE: “The Alliance Hypothesis for Human Friendship.” The article can be found online at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005802. Also, Science Daily published the article titled “Be Your Best Friend If You'll Be Mine: Alliance Hypothesis For Human Friendship” based on the peer-reviewed article (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602204301.htm).

Dr. Eyal Amitai,associate professor in the Department of Physics, Computational Science and Engineering, has been invited to participate at a special workshop at the University of Iowa in early June to discuss concepts for hydrological validation of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. GPM is a future international satellite-based mission to understand global precipitation and its impact on humankind. The core satellite is expected to be launch in 2013. Amitai is a principal investigator on a NASA award for evaluating satellite-based precipitation products.

Menas Kafatos,Dean, Schmid College of Science, visited the Honorable Dimitris Caramitsos-Tziras, Consul General of Greece in Los Angeles, on June 26. They discussed ideas of collaboration between Chapman University, California agencies, the federal government and Greek institutions on hazards and climate change. The Consul General will provide assistance in linking Chapman researchers to the U.S. Forest Service, which has an ongoing collaboration with the Greek Fire Fighting Agency to combat wildfires. They also discussed possible collaborations on earthquakes and other disasters with Greek institutions. Mr. Caramitsos-Tziras is joining the Greek U.N. delegation in New York City, and they also discussed ideas about mutual interests on climate change.

Dean Kafatos has also had a paper accepted for publication in the refereed science journal Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing. The paper, titled "Evaluation for Damaged Degree of Vegetation by Forest Fire using LiDAR and Digital Aerial Photograph," examines using Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data combined with photography to evaluate the degree of damage to trees caused by forest fires and the vitality of trees that survive the fire. This new methodology and results combining active and passive remote sensing was applied to the major fires in the Yangyang-Gun region of South Korea, which occurred on April 5, 2005. The paper is co-authored with D-A. Kwak, and W-K. Lee of the Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea; J. Chung, Dept. of Natural Resources Management and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Ct; S-Y. Lee, Professional Graduate School of Disaster Prevention Technology, Kangwon National University, Samcheok, Korea; and H-K. Cho and S-H. Lee, Department of Forest Resource Information, Korea Forest Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.

Anna V. Wilson, Ph.D., associate professor of cultural and curricular studies in the College of Educational Studies, presented her paper "Subjectivity Formation and Research Journals: Untangling the Complexities of Whiteness, Privilege and Pedagogy" at the 21st annual conference of the Ethnographic and Qualitative Research Association, held June 5 - 6, 2009, in Cedarville, Ohio. Her study examines ways of meaning making shared by doctoral students as they interrogate, resist or accept privileges of the dominant discourse through their subjectivity/worldview statements.

CLASSIFIED ADS  

FOR SALE: 2004 GMC Envoy SLT; White with grey leather interior; super clean; 65,000 miles; tow package; OnStar; $12,500. Contact Lynda Hall 714-325-2429 or lhall@chapman.edu

FOR SALE: Bedroom furniture less than 2 years old, includes queen-size bed with dresser, nightstand, TV cabinet, six-drawer cabinet and many more. Please call 714-443-1352.

FOR LEASE IN OLD TOWNE: 2 br/2 ba custom home 1 block from Chapman University. Central air, retiled baths, newer kitchen, dining room, new paint, good carpet, large back yard with sprinklers and lawn service. Below market at $1,825. 714-538-7750.

PRE-SCHOOL: Chapman University Children’s Center has immediate openings for children ages 2 to Pre-K. Children NEED NOT be potty-trained. We follow a developmental philosophy. Full- and part-time positions available. Center hours are M-F 7 a.m.-6 p.m. and follow the university staff schedule for holidays. Chapman faculty, staff and students receive an affiliate tuition rate which is lower than most other local pre-schools. Please check out our website at www.chapman.edu/ccc. Contact Director Alyssa O’Hara for information or to schedule a tour. 714-997-6648 aohara@chapman.edu

ORANGE TOWNHOUSE/CONDO: 1,400 monthly. AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY. Newly remodeled 2 bedroom, 1.5 baths, gated community near St. Joseph’s Hospital and Main Place. Dishwasher, fireplace, washer/dryer hookup, garage and carport. Townhouse amenities: Recreation room and swimming pool. Quiet neighborhood, great area. No pets accepted. Cross streets Main and Culver. Near 22 and 5 freeways. Call 714-724-7779 any time or 714-724-7778 after 5 p.m. Hurry! Won't last long.

SINGLE-FAMILY HOME: In friendly neighborhood. 1,850 square feet, 3-bedroom (incl. master suite), 2 ½-bath, living room, family room and 2-car garage. Within walking distance of Chapman, just out of Old Towne. Available July 1. $2,200/month. Call 714-532-9515.

COTTAGE: behind main house; quiet setting. 900 square feet. 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, single-car garage, parking for second car. About 1 mile from campus. Available July 1. $1,400/month. Call 714-532-9515.

HOUSE FOR RENT: Parents of a 2009 Chapman grad would like to see a member of the Chapman community enjoy this rental house: 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house with family room, big driveway and two-car garage. $2,400 per month. Walking distance from Chapman main campus; quiet neighborhood, backyard. Contact Brian Thomas: thoma131@chapman.edu

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