The Pepperdine University Flora L. Thornton Opera Program will present Mozart’s masterpiece Don Giovanni, sung in the original Italian with English supertitles, at Smothers Theatre on the Malibu campus on February 23 and 25, at 7:30 PM.

Seduction, murder, and retribution propel Don Giovanni. In this reimagined production, the events of the story begin as Grammy Award nominees are gathering at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills in 1999. Don Giovanni, a young, arrogant, and promiscuous rock star, outrages the other musicians, their assistants, and hotel staff—until he encounters something he cannot kill, beat up, dodge, or outwit: his own demons.

Seaver College students from the cast of Don Giovanni were awarded first place in the Opera Division I category of the National Opera Association’s Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition at the annual national convention held in Santa Barbara on January 5, where they presented a scene from the show. The cast at the convention included Fernando Grimaldo, Preston Hereford, Hailey Hoffman, Natalie Leonard, Alexander Papandrea, Michelle Pina, Angelo Silva, Matthew Soibelman, and Turner Staton.

Henry Price, professor of music at Pepperdine University, will direct the student cast, and visiting professor of music Tony Cason will conduct the Pepperdine University Orchestra.

Ticket prices range between $10 and $20, and are required for attendance. For additional information, and to purchase tickets, visit the Center for the Arts website.

The Pepperdine University Flora L. Thornton Opera Program will present Mozart’s masterpiece Don Giovanni, sung in the original Italian with English supertitles, at Smothers Theatre on the Malibu campus on February 23 and 25, at 7:30 PM.

Seduction, murder, and retribution propel Don Giovanni. In this reimagined production, the events of the story begin as Grammy Award nominees are gathering at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills in 1999. Don Giovanni, a young, arrogant, and promiscuous rock star, outrages the other musicians, their assistants, and hotel staff—until he encounters something he cannot kill, beat up, dodge, or outwit: his own demons.

Seaver College students from the cast of Don Giovanni were awarded first place in the Opera Division I category of the National Opera Association’s Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition at the annual national convention held in Santa Barbara on January 5, where they presented a scene from the show. The cast at the convention included Fernando Grimaldo, Preston Hereford, Hailey Hoffman, Natalie Leonard, Alexander Papandrea, Michelle Pina, Angelo Silva, Matthew Soibelman, and Turner Staton.

Henry Price, professor of music at Pepperdine University, will direct the student cast, and visiting professor of music Tony Cason will conduct the Pepperdine University Orchestra.

Ticket prices range between $10 and $20, and are required for attendance. For additional information, and to purchase tickets, visit the Center for the Arts website.

The Pepperdine University theatre department will present the US premiere of the internationally acclaimed play, The Interference, at Smothers Theatre in Malibu from Wednesday to Friday, April 5 to 7, at 7:30 PM, with a special matinee performance on Saturday, April 8, at 2 PM. The cast will host a talkback session after the Wednesday performance.

Through the use of a live-mixed soundscape, and set against the backdrop of the worldwide university campus sexual assault epidemic, The Interference follows one survivor's struggle to make her story heard above all the noise. It explores the seemingly infinite source of opinion, commentary, and distorted or suppressed information that have become routine players in the aftermath of these incidents. The play also takes a closer look at the unique circumstances involved when student-athletes are part of the story.

Written by Scotland-based playwright Lynda Radley and directed by Pepperdine professor of theatre Cathy Thomas-Grant, The Interference won the prestigious Scotsman Fringe First award at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. The cast, comprised of students part of the Pepperdine Scotland company, spent eight weeks in Edinburgh rehearsing and working alongside Radley and some of the leading members in Scottish theatre.

Within days of its world premiere last summer, the show earned acclaim from leading critics at prestigious publications, including The Scotsman, The Herald, British Theatre Guide, The List and Broadway Baby. It has also received a Bobby—an award given by Broadway Baby in recognition of the best of five star shows. It was shortlisted for Amnesty International's Freedom of Expression Award for outstanding work addressing human rights issues.   

Ticket prices range between $10 and $15, and are required for attendance. For seating information, and to purchase tickets, visit the Center for the Arts website.

Read more about the award-winning performance on the Pepperdine Magazine website.

International award-winning British cellist Jacob Shaw will perform a sold-out show at Raitt Recital Hall as part of the Pepperdine University Recital Series in Malibu on Sunday, April 2, at 2 PM.

Shaw’s dynamic and lyrical concert will highlight the incorporation of world and folk music onto traditional western classical music.

The program will feature:

• Ernst Bloch’s Nigun from Baal Shem - Three Pictures of Chassidic Life
• Edvard Grieg’s Sonata for Piano and Cello
• Robert Schumann’s Five Pieces In Folk Style (Op. 102)
• Franghiz Ali-Zade’s Habil-Sajahy for Cello and Prepared Piano 
• Manuel de Falla’s Seven Popular Spanish Songs
• Béla Bártok’s Romanian Folk Dances

With a vast repertoire and fresh approach to classical concerts, Shaw often tours his “Radical Classic” project as an alternative movement to build a diverse and new generation of classical music lovers. His passion for collaborating with different cultures and musical genres has led to projects with indie, jazz, folk, traditional, and electronic musicians, as well as acclaimed concerts across Asia, Europe, and the United States in renowned venues, such as Carnegie Hall, Salle Gaveau, Berlin Konzerthaus, Royal Albert Hall, Oslo Concert House, and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Later this year Shaw will embark on a new project with Ask La Cour Rasmussen (solo dancer from the New York City Ballet), choreographing together the third Solo Suite by Benjamin Britten for solo dancer and cello.

At 19 years old Shaw became the youngest ever cellist to graduate with highest honors from the École Normale de Musique in Paris. During his studies in London, Paris, Augsburg, and Copenhagen he won top prizes at national and international competitions (FLAME, David Popper, Stein, Haverhill Sinfonia, “Natexis” Banque Populaire, Danish String Competition) as well as honors from various foundations, including the Virtuoso of the Future Award from Swiss festival Les Sommets du Classique.

Highly in demand as a teacher, Shaw has given master classes in music universities and conservatories worldwide and in 2016 launched the Scandinavian Cello School—his own foundation to support, educate, and promote young cellists. All projects are free for participants, and to date the foundation has facilitated numerous projects, including coaching sessions for a young cello soloist at the Berlin Philharmonic (with Berlin Chamber Orchestra), cello camps on the Costa del Sol in Spain, and shorter master classes in China, Denmark, Poland, and Romania.

Together with his family, Shaw is the founder and artistic director of the Festival International de Musique de Chambre en Charente, which is now in the ninth year, as well the International Music Ambassador for Dulwich College International in Asia. 

The Recital Series at Pepperdine University has delighted audiences with new and emerging classical musicians since 1993. With intimate Sunday afternoon performances in Raitt Recital Hall, the series is nationally known for its high quality performances, stunning location, beautiful and acoustically superior venues, and the engagement and loyalty of its audience.

Tickets for this recital are currently sold out. To be added to a waiting list, call the box office at 310-506-4522. For additional information about the performance, visit the Center for the Arts website.

The Pepperdine University Student Activities Office at Seaver College will host The Mountain 2017, a live worship celebration led this year by contemporary Christian music band I Am They at Alumni Park in Malibu on Sunday, April 9, at 5 PM.

Formed in 2011 in Carson City, Nevada, I Am They began performing in 2008 as a worship ministry called Solomon's Porch for what was intended to be a one-night gathering at Calvary Chapel Carson City. After a positive reception from the church congregation, the six-member group began holding regular worship gatherings in the local community.

In early 2009, after receiving an invitation to open for Christian singer-songwriter Matthew West, the band began producing original music and changed its name to I Am They in an effort to distinguish its national presence from its local church performances.

I Am They released its self-titled debut album in January 2015. The band spent that winter and spring on the national Rock & Worship Roadshow tour alongside MercyMe, Crowder, and Group 1 Crew, followed by a tour with Matt Maher on the Saints and Sinners tour. In August 2015 I Am They earned a Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year.

The Mountain is a student-led ministry that provides a time of worship, prayer, and community, as students, faculty, staff, alumni, local churches, and Los Angeles residents are united under the common banner of worshipping Jesus Christ. Each year, a well-known worship artist is invited to lead over 1,500 attendees in a night of worship, strategically hosted in mid-April to celebrate the ending of the academic year.

Tickets are free for Pepperdine students, faculty, and staff, $8 for alumni, and $15 for the general public. For additional information about this event, and to register for tickets, visit The Mountain’s page on the Eventbrite website.

Pepperdine University and the Malibu Public Library Speaker Series will cohost the fourth annual three-day Climate Calling conference at the Pepperdine campus in Malibu, from Wednesday, April 12, to Friday, April 14.

Climate Calling: Student and Community Responses to Climate Change aims to encourage participants to work toward stopping climate change and to foster a more sustainable future.

National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence Sylvia A. Earle will deliver the keynote address at Elkins Auditorium on Wednesday, April 12, at 7 PM. Earle is an oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer who has been called “Her Deepness” by The New Yorker and the New York Times, “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress, and first “Hero for the Planet” by Time magazine.

Former chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Earle is the founder of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, Inc., founder of Mission Blue and SEAlliance, chair of the Advisory Council of the Harte Research Institute, and leader of the National Geographic Society Sustainable Seas Expeditions. Her special focus is on developing a global network of areas on land and in the ocean to safeguard the living systems that provide the underpinnings of global processes, from maintaining biodiversity and yielding basic life support services to providing stability and resiliency in response to accelerating climate change.

The second day of the conference will feature the Climate Calling Media Festival, at Elkins Auditorium at 7 PM. This multimedia festival challenges students to share experiences in which they witnessed climate change in their everyday lives, events that encouraged them to care about climate change, and how their faith has inspired them to help the planet.

The final day of the conference is dedicated to student research presentations given at Juarez Courtyard and Weisman Museum at 2 PM. Student researchers will discuss their research topics during an academic poster session. Their presentations are part of a spring semester course that includes a climate change component.

The conference will also include the seventh Earth Day Fair on Wednesday, April 12, from 11 AM to 2 PM at Mullin Town Square. Guests can enjoy free food from local vendors, compete for prizes, and see farm animals. They can also learn about what Pepperdine and organizations within the local community are doing to further environmental and social causes. While Earth Day worldwide is April 22, Pepperdine celebrates early to ensure that students are not impacted as they prepare for finals.

All events are free to attend. For additional information about this year’s conference, visit the Climate Calling website.

Graduating seniors enrolled in the Seaver College studio art program will showcase their unique artwork at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art in Malibu from Thursday, April 13, through Saturday, April 29, with a public opening reception on April 13, from 5 to 8 PM.

The 2017 theme, “Absolute Mad Freedom,” will consider an overarching desire to examine the norm. As each artist investigates ideas of limitation and liberation, creative responses are all at once meditative yet exuberant, reductive yet abrasive.

Student artist Yena Kim, whose artwork portrays gender, race, and other humanitarian issues, shares that the displayed pieces will encapsulate honesty and sincerity while challenging viewers to think critically about the subject matter.

“Each student has a distinct voice that has been shaped by [his or her] experiences and backgrounds. And no two people can have the perfectly same experiences, thus creating diverse perspectives unique to the individual,” she explains.

“In life and art, always take a closer look because you will always see more,” advises fellow student artist Mary Lum, whose work utilizes mixed-media and sculptural approaches to create portraits focusing on women. 

“My thesis addresses the idea that tragedy and oppression occur within the bounds of normality,” she says. “Through my art I seek to explore the identities and portraits of people—specifically those struck by pain or cultural hardships that choose to fight on and to keep living.”

The displayed artwork will range from installation to drawing, to textiles and sculpture, as artists explore issues that address identity, story, and the passing of time.

This year’s student artists include:

• KayKay Blaisdell
• Sharon Carl
• Susie Scribner Cervantes
• Ashley Ekstrum
• Sarah Gilchrist
• Yena Kim
• Mary Kensey Lum
• Leanna Schroeder
• Alexandra Springer
• Sarah Jane Souther
• Jacob Yeroshek
• Beatrice Young

The Weisman Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 AM to 5 PM. For additional information about this free art exhibition, visit the Center for the Arts website.

DeLisha Milton-Jones, who has achieved success on the court both in the US and overseas, has been promoted to head coach of the Pepperdine University women’s basketball team.

The basketball legend, who now serves as the seventh head coach in the program’s history, joined Pepperdine as an assistant coach for the 2016-2017 season following her retirement from professional basketball in the summer of 2016.

“DeLisha had an amazing collegiate, professional, and Olympic basketball career,” said Steve Potts, Pepperdine University director of athletics. “She is a natural-born leader and has an unparalleled passion for the game. DeLisha's commitment to Pepperdine's Christian mission, the academic well-being of student-athletes, and building a championship caliber women's basketball program make her a perfect fit for us.”

“Having the opportunity to be a head coach for Pepperdine women's basketball team is an honor and a privilege that deserves special care and attention,” Milton-Jones expressed. “I know that I have the direct responsibility of leading the charge in producing change in a positive way that's infectious to all who witness or participate directly.”

The 6-foot-1 forward was named to three WNBA All-Star teams and helped the Los Angeles Sparks win back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002. After 17 seasons of playing in the WNBA and establishing the league’s career record for games played with 499, Milton-Jones ended her career with the ninth-most points in WNBA history (5,571), fifth-most steals (619), sixth-most rebounds (2,574), and 15th-most blocks (339).

As a longtime member of the USA Women’s National Team, Milton-Jones won gold medals at the 2000 Olympics in Australia and the 2008 Olympics in China. In 1998 and 2002, she won two FIBA World Championships with Team USA as well as a 2007 Tournament of the Americas title.

Milton-Jones has also spent 16 seasons playing basketball internationally, competing in Prague and Brno, Czech Republic; Parma, Italy; Ekateringurg, Russia; Barcelona and Valencia, Spain; Seoul, South Korea; and Tarsus, Turkey. She was a two-time Euro League champion and ranked third for most points scored in Euro League history. During her time abroad, she was named the best foreign player twice and league MVP in several countries.

She played four collegiate seasons at University of Florida, earning Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year as a senior in 1997. That same year she won the Wade Trophy and the Honda Sports Award as the top female basketball player in the United States. She was a first-team All-American and a two-time All-SEC honoree, leading her college team to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Read more about Milton-Jones’ career highlights on the Pepperdine Athletics website.

International singer-songwriter and social justice advocate Amel Larrieux will visit Pepperdine University to share insights about her life and career in the arts, and discuss how her spirituality informs her journey—which spans over two decades as a solo artist.

The conversation will take place at Elkins Auditorium at the Malibu campus on Sunday, April 16, at 6 PM, and will include an open question and answer session.

The Grammy Award nominee has contributed to film soundtracks, writing, and singing in such films as Barbershop, Love Jones, Down To Earth, Sunset Park, Takers, and Why Did I Get Married. More recently her vocal talent and beauty have been central to Coca-Cola’s “Keep It Real” campaign in television, radio, and print advertisements.

In 1995 Larrieux debuted as the lead vocalist and cowriter for the duo-group, Groove Theory. Their release broke the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top five on the R&B charts.

Her musical style fuses a range of genres, particularly R&B, soul, hip-hop, jazz, and folk, with flashes of Middle Eastern, West African, and Indian aesthetics. She is also often spotlighted as a style maven in popular magazines, such as Essence, Honey, Harper’s Bazaar, and Marie Claire, amongst others.

For additional information about this event, visit the Events page on the Pepperdine University website.

Pepperdine University Waves presented the annual student-athlete awards ceremony at Elkins Auditorium in Malibu on April 2, hosted by Reegan Dennis of the women’s volleyball team and Tom Hill of the men’s tennis team.

The following students won the five traditional awards:

Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year

• Izzy Connell (women’s track)

Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year

• Aaron Barnett (baseball)

Female Wave of the Year 

• Hannah Seabert (women’s soccer)

Male Wave of the Year

• James Gehrels (men’s volleyball)

Maurice Hilliard Award

• Rachael Collins (women’s soccer)

Presented by Pepperdine’s Waves Leadership Council, the Wave of the Year award honors student-athletes for outstanding contributions in spirit and service to the athletics program and the University community. The Maurice Hilliard Award, named in honor and memory of Pepperdine’s late athletic chaplain, is presented to a student-athlete that exemplifies the attributes of Christian faith, character, and leadership.

All other awards are based on athletic performance over the last 12 months, and are determined by collective votes from student-athletes, coaches, and staff members.

Below is the list of this year’s winners:

Female Athlete in a Starring Role 

• Luisa Stefani (women’s tennis)

Male Athlete in a Starring Role 

• A.J. Puckett (baseball) 

Female Athlete in a Supporting Role 

• Christine Maddox (women’s tennis)

Male Athlete in a Supporting Role 

• Jeremy Major (men’s basketball)

Female Breakout Athlete of the Year 

• Madalyn Roh (women’s beach volleyball) 

Male Breakout Athlete of the Year 

• Zack Rhodes (men’s water polo) 

Female Newcomer of the Year 

• Ashley Lahey (women’s tennis) 

Male Newcomer of the Year 

• Sahith Theegala (men’s golf) 

Best Moment of the Year 

• Men’s water polo team winning the 2016 Gold Coast Conference Tournament

Best Upset of the Year 

• Women’s basketball team beating Gonzaga University for the first time since 2009

For additional information about the event, visit the Pepperdine Department of Athletics website.

Tony Award-winning singer and actress Lea Salonga will bring her powerful voice to Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Tuesday, April 18, at 8 PM.

As part of her residency at Pepperdine University, Salonga will also teach a master class with Pepperdine musical theatre students.

Praised around the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch, Salonga is best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon. Also an Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Award winner, she was the first actress of Asian decent to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival.

Most Recently, Salonga starred in the Broadway musical Allegiance, alongside legendary actor George Takei and Telly Leung. Allegiance tells the story of a Japanese-American family forced into an internment camp during World War II. The production was brought to Broadway following a successful run at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, and Salonga garnered a Craig Noel nomination for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical for her work.

Salonga is also well-known as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin and Fa Mulan from Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend” in August of 2011 along such luminaries as Regis Philbin, Jim Henson (posthumously), and Anika Noni Rose.

In 2010 she participated in the 25^th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables to sold-out crowds at the UK’s O2 arena. She also dazzled as the hauntingly tragic Grizabella in a limited run of CATS in her hometown of Manila, Philippines, where she has also appeared in God of Carnage.

Salonga has toured the world performing in sold out concerts in such locations as the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Singapore’s Esplanade, Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Bangkok Convention Center, Carnegie Hall in New York City, numerous venues in Manila, and in cities such as Edmonton, Indianapolis, Ottawa, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. She was also the first artist to sell out two shows at de Jong Concert Hall at Brigham Young University since The Kings Singers in 2009.

When not on tour, Salonga is a coach on the Philippine version of the hit television show, The Voice.

Salonga began her career as a child star in the Philippines, making her professional debut in 1978 at the age of seven in the musical The King and I. She went on to star in productions of Annie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fiddler on the Roof, The Rose Tattoo, The Sound of Music, The Goodbye Girl, Paper Moon, and The Fantasticks.

Tickets for this recital are currently sold out. To be added to a waiting list, call the box office at 310-506-4522. For additional information about the performance, visit the Center for the Arts website.

For the 74th year thousands of visitors will congregate at the Pepperdine University Malibu campus for the Pepperdine Bible Lectures to explore books in the Old Testament known in the Jewish tradition as the Scrolls of the Megilloth. From Tuesday, May 2, to Friday, May 5, nearly 250 guest speakers from around the world will lead over 360 inspiring sessions and unmatched moments of fellowship as they explore the deeper truths found in scripture.

Among the special guest speakers will be Bob Goff, New York Times best-selling author of Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World. Goff is an attorney who founded Love Does, a nonprofit human rights organization operating in India, Iraq, Nepal, Somalia, and Uganda. He will deliver the keynote address on Wednesday from 10:30 to 11:30 AM.

On Wednesday and Thursday, from 1:30 to 2:45 PM, Peter Enns, author of The Bible Tells Me So and The Sin of Certainty and the Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, will present “The Sin of Certainty (The Role of Doubt in the Life of Faith).”

Phil Claycomb, executive director of Nexus, a church planting leadership ministry that has started more than 40 churches in the past 10 years in collaborative partnerships between Churches of Christ and independent Christian churches, will discuss “Reconnected: What We've Learned” on Wednesday from 8:30 to 9:15 AM.

Alongside author Joshua Graves, internationally recognized Enneagram master and highly sought-after speaker and teacher Suzanne Stabile will present “The Stories We Tell Ourselves (Exposing, Naming, and Redeeming the Stories that Hijack Our Courage)” Wednesday through Friday from 3:30 to 4:15 PM.

Dudley Rutherford, author of Walls Fall Down and senior pastor of the 10,000-member congregation Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, will present “Let the Walls Fall Down (Insights from Joshua for Trying Times)” jointly with Jeff Walling, Pepperdine’s director of the Youth Leadership Initiative. Their presentation will take place Wednesday through Friday, from 9:30 to 10:15 AM.

On Thursday evening, from 9 to 10 PM, Goff’s singing group Acappella will perform music from their 35-year anniversary tour.

Led by Walling, University staff and administrators will also present a rousing performance of “Love Lifted Me: Songs and Stories of Love and Lament” on Thursday from 9 to 10 PM. On stage will be the musical talents of Pepperdine president Andrew K. Benton, Ida Nicolosi, Christy Panchal, Chris Stivers, and Carly, Kelly, and Jeff Pippin.

For additional information, including registration, details about the Boone Center for the Family series, Spanish language sessions, special programs for children and teens, and excursions, visit the Pepperdine Bible Lectures website.

Juggler and comedian Mark Nizer will bring his family-friendly unique comedy, world-class juggling, movement, music, and technology to Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Sunday, April 23, at 2 PM.

The phrase “nothing less than brilliant” (Performance Magazine) has been used to describe Nizer’s outrageous comedy antics and expertly crafted juggling feats. His wild exploits have landed him on MTV, HBO’s Just for Laughs, Arsenio Hall, Bob Hope and Other Young Comedians, Comic Strip Live, and LA Law. He has opened for Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Hope, George Burns, John Byner, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles, and Barry Manilow.

Making the impossible possible and the improbable probable, Nizer has taken his one-man show to a variety of venues around the world, including The Improv, The Comedy Store, Walt Disney World, numerous college campuses, and all major cruise lines. He has also performed in thousands of opera houses, civic centers, festivals, and performing arts centers including the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Nizer, who sometimes plans his next tricks during hang gliding excursions, will awe his audience with show-stopping tricks and technology. Whether juggling four brilliant lasers at 1,000 RPM, or five ping pong balls thrown 20 feet in the air using only his mouth, or the unlikely combination of a 16-pound bowling ball, a lit propane torch, and a buzzing chain saw, Nizer is “simply incredible” (Entertainment Weekly).

Ticket prices range between $10 and $17, and are required for attendance. For additional information about the performance, and to purchase tickets, visit the Center for the Arts page on the Pepperdine University website.

The Pepperdine University Libraries hosted the 2017 Library Research Award at Thornton Administrative Center at the Malibu campus on April 18.

Below are this year’s winners:

Lionel Ong

Best Undergraduate Student Project

Project: “Measuring Support for Multiethnic Parties in Zambia”

Ong is a political science and economics major at Seaver College. His research interests include ethnic politics, governance in developing countries, foreign aid, agricultural economics, and behavioral science in public policy. His future plans involve development research and consulting, political consulting, and government advising in developing countries.

Colleen Brazill-Murray 

Honorable Mention

Project: “Professional Development: Steering, Badges, and a Hub”

Brazill-Murray is pursuing an education doctorate in learning technologies at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology. Her research interests include adolescent development and learning technologies. She plans to move from teaching into administration, and to write a book that synthesizes learning science and mental health research. Her intention is to shift thinking about teaching, learning, and our approach to adolescent mental health.

Now in its fourth year, the Library Research Award demonstrates the deep and varied ways Pepperdine University students make use of library resources. This award is given for the best scholarly or creative projects submitted by students of any of the five Pepperdine schools that utilize library resources, collections, and services in order to recognize the importance of effective library research in academics.

The Pepperdine University Frank R. Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences spring 2017 commencement ceremony will take place at Alumni Park in Malibu on Saturday, April 29, at 10:30 AM. The event will bestow an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree upon Dan Beckerman, and honor Jared N. Hankins (’01) and Natalie C. Hankins (’01) as this year’s Distinguished Alumnus.

Beckerman is president and chief executive officer of AEG, one of the world's leading presenters of sports and entertainment programming. Beckerman oversees AEG's many divisions as well as long-range planning, acquisitions, financial oversight, and corporate governance.

Previously he was AEG's chief operating officer and chief financial officer, leading its operations and fiscal planning for its subsidiaries, including Staples Center, the Los Angeles Kings, the company's Major League Soccer franchises, two minor league hockey franchises, international holdings, and AEG Live, the live entertainment division.

Beckerman joined the organization in 1997 as chief financial officer of the Los Angeles Kings. He played a key role in investment of over 5 billion dollars to develop facilities, such as Staples Center, LA Live, O2 in London, and O2 World in Berlin; operations of sports franchises worldwide; and the creation of AEG Live.

Earlier he was vice president, finance, for the Los Angeles Clippers. Before his stint with the Clippers, Beckerman was a senior accountant at Arthur Anderson in Los Angeles where he specialized in corporate taxation.

He holds an undergraduate degree in economics and a master of business administration degree from University of California, Los Angeles.

Jared is a producer and director with Kombine Media, a multimedia production company with locations in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Burbank, California. With a rich background in directing various platforms of production, his primary responsibility at Kombine is to produce original content. Jared also fills the role of director for a variety of shoots for both promotional use and entertainment purposes and has worked on numerous award-winning ad campaigns. He has worked in the media production industry for the last 13 years, working on projects of all sizes for a wide variety of clients.

Jared’s signature media accomplishment to date is creating an animated series that was the first of its kind, Iesodo, which focuses on the Gospel and on the life and person of Jesus. The series has been distributed and shown in several major retail outlets and by many entertainment production companies.

In addition to his work at Kombine, Jared is also the founder of Rizon Media and the cofounder of Zaya Toonz, the production company behind Iesodo. He proudly notes that a majority of his companies’ employees are Pepperdine alumni like himself.

Jared received his bachelor of arts in communication from Seaver College in 2001.

Natalie is a full-time mother of three, community volunteer, life-advice mentor, and college preparatory school board member from Little Rock, Arkansas. She spent her early professional career at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in the clinical skills department and as an investigator of nonprofit organizations on behalf of a corporation. She also trained as a doula (a certified labor and birth coach) under the care of midwives.

Natalie discovered early in her adult life that her greatest passion and calling was to work at home and to be present for her children while they were very young, striving to maintain a balanced home during the very formative season of life when children grow and develop quickly.

Although her family is always the first priority in her day, Natalie also volunteers at her children’s school, as well as local outreach programs. She serves with the Lessons for Life mentoring program at an urban middle school in Little Rock, meeting one-on-one with sixth-grade to eight-grade girls, encouraging them to make positive life choices and to create a vision for their future. She serves as a member on the Board of Trust of Little Rock Christian Academy.

Natalie received her bachelor of arts in religion from Seaver College in 2001.

For additional information, visit the Seaver College Graduation website. 

Masters of the acoustic, Julian Lage, Chris Eldridge, and Aoife O'Donovan will join forces for a virtuosic performance at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Wednesday, April 26, at 8 PM.

A night of intrepid songwriting and acoustic innovation, the show will begin with O'Donovan, whose performance will draw from her catalogue of songs, played as she wrote them—with just her acoustic guitar and voice. Lage and Eldridge will follow with their virtuosic duo performance, known for pushing the envelope of folk, bluegrass, and jazz. The evening will conclude with all three on stage together in an aural-hootenanny. 

Lage has, since childhood, been highly regarded in jazz and new music circles for his own work as well as for his collaborations with such artists as Gary Burton, Nels Cline, Fred Hersch, and Jim Hall, among many others. Eldridge is equally noted in the progressive bluegrass world for his stints with The Seldom Scene and The Infamous Stringdusters, which led to his joining Chris Thile's adventurous, Grammy-nominated quintet, Punch Brothers.

Their duo collaboration took off in 2013 when they self-released a four-song EP, Close To Picture. They were venturing into uncharted territory, beyond genre, reaching for a language of their own through the on-the-spot interplay of their guitars.

“The whole point was to explore sounds and textures that are uniquely possible on a flat-top steel-string guitar,” says Eldridge. “There hasn't been a lot of exploration of what they're uniquely capable of, their particular rich tonal palate, what they have to offer to the world that other instruments don't.”

Avalon, the first full-length album from Lage and Eldridge, is a vivid snapshot of this duo's repertoire, circa 2014—a portrait of a burgeoning friendship between two virtuosic players.

O’Donovan’s sophomore album, In the Magic Hour—produced by Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Neko Case)—is a 10-song album full of the singer’s honeyed vocals, mixed with gauzy, frictionless sounds: splashing cymbals, airy harmonies, and the leisurely baritone musings of an electric guitar. 

Previously, she's wielded her instrument with tensile strength as the captivating lead singer through a myriad of collaborations: on the Grammy-winning album by Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile The Goat Rodeo Sessions; for a decade in the progressive string band Crooked Still; and most recently as one-third of I’m With Her, a trio with singers Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz.

O’Donovan has also made regular appearances as a featured vocalist on A Prairie Home Companion and collaborated with some of the most eminent names in music, across a wide variety of genres from Alison Krauss to Dave Douglas.

Ticket prices range between $10 and $35, and are required for attendance. For additional information, and to purchase tickets, visit the Center for the Arts website.

The Intercultural Affairs office at Seaver College will host Loqui: A Celebration of Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Friday, April 28, at 1 PM.

The annual event, held one day before the Seaver College commencement ceremony, honors the soon-to-be graduates as well as distinct cultures that shape the Pepperdine experience and deepen the community's collective sense of belonging.

“Loqui brings us together in a spirit of unity through diversity. Therefore, it is our prayer that through this sacred time of reflection, celebration, and acknowledgement, faculty, staff, students, and their families experience not [only] fellowship but kinship. In doing so, Pepperdine embodies diversity and inclusion in its most authentic form,” said Kari E. Bolen, director of Intercultural Affairs.

This year’s celebration will feature the first-ever non-Seaver College faculty speaker, Thema Bryant-Davis (MDiv ’16), associate professor of psychology at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology. Pepperdine University President Andrew K. Benton will deliver the welcoming remarks, and the closing tribute will include a performance by student-led dance and choreography company, Dance in Flight.

Additionally, the Bowers, Davis, and Todd Award for Leadership in Diversity and Inclusive Excellence will be presented to two graduating seniors who have demonstrated an active commitment to advancing institutional diversity and inclusive excellence as part of their spiritual journey.

For more information about Loqui, visit the Seaver College website.

Six recent Seaver College graduates have joined the elite rank of Fulbright Scholars, one of the most prestigious scholarly awards worldwide.

Stefanie Bartlett (’17), Amelia Dal Pra (’17), Micah Lambert (’17), Kristopher Mazich (’17), and Julia Naman (’17) will live out the Fulbright Program’s mission of promoting international goodwill through the exchange of students as they prepare to travel abroad to embark on a diverse array of experiences as English Teaching Assistants (ETA) and researchers. Biology major Natalie Aguirre (’17) will expand her scientific research experience working in a lab in Spain.

Meet the six Seaver alumni and hear how they will learn from their experiences, contribute to cultural research and relations, and fulfill J. William Fulbright’s plan for his scholars to “bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby to increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship.”

Stefanie Bartlett (’17, History)

Malaysia

Stefanie Bartlett had been patiently waiting to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship since first hearing about the program in middle school. Upon discerning what career path to pursue after graduation, and with a lifelong passion to become an educator, she was immediately drawn to the idea of moving to Malaysia to work as an ETA.

“It seemed almost meant to be,” Bartlett reveals. “I am a credentialed teacher in California and eventually want to teach social studies in a rural area. The Malaysia program specifically stated that they were looking for people who had experience teaching and wanted to be in rural areas.” 

Bartlett, who will spend most of the 2018 calendar year abroad, intentionally chose Malaysia in hopes of strengthening her core values and expanding her world views.

“I wanted to go to a country that I had never been to before and knew that the experience would push me to grow profoundly in multiple areas of my life,” she says. “I had traveled to Uganda and Rwanda through Pepperdine's East Africa Summer Program, and that experience has shaped who I am today. I know that going to Malaysia—a completely different country with a different culture, customs, and values—will do the same to a greater extent.”  

During her time in Malaysia, Bartlett will also have the opportunity to express and demonstrate her other skills and interests through various afterschool activities and English clubs. 

“I hope to gain a deep understanding and appreciation of Malaysian culture and education system. I am excited to teach in a different country and collaborate with the Malaysian teachers to share what we know about content and methodology,” Bartlett says. “I also hope to gain knowledge and skills through teaching English in Malaysia that will enhance my teaching in the future and help my future students develop an understanding, curious, and global outlook on life.”

Amelia Dal Pra (’17, International Studies)

Malaysia

Amelia Dal Pra has so much experience working with people of other cultures that the prospect of living abroad and continuing to nurture her passion for cultural explorations seemed undeniably fitting. 

The international studies major, who earned a specialization certificate in political science and a conflict management certification, studied abroad in Italy and Jordan, and traveled to Spain, India, and Israel—all during her time as a Pepperdine student.

As a college senior, Dal Pra worked as a teaching assistant for three international relations courses, and founded a chapter of No Lost Generation—a campus organization that works to support and advocate for the education of displaced youth. She is also an English tutor with the nonprofit organization Paper Airplanes, where she tutors a Syrian refugee weekly online.

Dal Pra explains that, “After studying in Amman, Jordan and living in a predominately Muslim region in India, I knew I wanted to work in a region of the world that was predominately Muslim, like Malaysia.” 

“Asia has become a region of interest for me. Having never been to Southeast Asia, I was drawn to the region due to its incredible aesthetic beauty, rich culture, remarkable architecture, and unique history. After completing a research project on the history and government of Malaysia, I was even more intrigued to explore more.”

Throughout her year living in Malaysia, Dal Pra is looking forward to sharing her love for storytelling with her Malaysian students, delving into the Malaysian culture through learning Malay, enjoying Malaysian foods, and exploring the country’s incredible natural wonders.

“It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live and work abroad, learn about a diverse culture, and ultimately strengthen US diplomatic ties with other countries—all of which are extremely important to me,” she reveals.

“The diversity of Malaysia, with its indigenous Malay population and many Chinese and Indian residents, will be incredible to observe. The country also has a large number of Rohingya refugees, and I am interested to see how the country is dealing with the increasing influx of this particular people group.”

Dal Pra is also passionate about working in a region that hosts a high population of refugees, which will hopefully inspire ideas for continued academic research projects she may pursue in her future career in refugee policy, international peace, and justice. 

“I hope to learn more about the experiences of everyday Malaysians as they struggle to relate to each other in such a religiously, culturally, and ethnically diverse society,” she says.

Micah Lambert (’17, Creative Writing)

Germany

For Micah Lambert, traveling to Germany was a common voyage, as she frequently visited her grandfather there and spent her sophomore year in college studying in Heidelberg through Pepperdine's International Programs.

“I fell head over heels in love with the people, language, and culture, so I decided to intern in Germany for two summers with different churches,” she says. “These experiences convinced me I had to find a way back after graduation. The Fulbright program struck me as the perfect opportunity to live in and contribute meaningfully to German society while positively representing my own.”

Lambert, who also completed minor studies in German, reveals that her in-depth studies of this culture and language have completely transformed her life, a passion she hopes to impart on others during her new journey. In that pursuit, Lambert hopes to “learn more about the German education system in general, and specifically about ways to get children interested in language learning.”

This opportunity will also allow her to explore German public policy firsthand.

“I hope to learn more about the refugee crisis and how to best help and implement effective efforts when I come home to America,” she shares.

“There is so much going on in German society right now with the influx of immigrants and refugees, and I want to be right in the middle of it all.”

Kristopher Mazich (’17, German/History)

Germany

“Becoming a Fulbright Scholar was always a distant dream of mine,” says Kristopher Mazich, who first heard about the program at New Student Orientation during his freshman year at Pepperdine.

It was throughout this segment of the orientation process that Mazich felt both inspired and excited by the prospects of visiting a different and unfamiliar country, providing for him an opportunity to expand his knowledge of the world and serve others.

With the Fulbright path consistently at the forefront of my mind, Mazich made the decision to apply after spending his sophomore year studying in Germany.

“Throughout my life, I have always been fascinated by German history and culture. Whether it was the Holy Roman Empire or the Berlin Wall, there was always something interesting about Germany that piqued my curiosity,” he shares.

“When I was given the opportunity to live in Germany during the 2014-2015 school year, I fell in love with both Germany’s language and people. I loved exploring Germany's beautiful cities and countryside, and meeting new people with fantastically different perspectives from my own.”

Upon returning to Malibu, the history major declared the German minor, in hopes of someday returning to the country that so deeply inspired him.

During the Fulbright Scholarship application process, Mazich reveals that he was motivated by his desire to represent the United States and Pepperdine University in Germany. He also expresses appreciation and gratitude for the support he has received from his friends and professors in his journey to pursue, and ultimately achieve, his goal of returning to Germany as a Fulbright Scholar.

“From this experience, I hope to build new friendships and help contribute to the goal of cultural exchange that the Fulbright program was created for,” he says. 

“I hope to not only somehow positively impact the community I am assigned to, but also to be impacted in turn by the people I am surrounded by. Above all, I hope my time as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany next year will be an experience of growth and learning.”

Julia Naman (’17, Creative Writing)

India

Julia Naman still recalls the powerful sense of inspiration she felt when she heard a Pepperdine alumnus and Fulbright Scholar speak during her freshman seminar about his experiences in Indonesia.

Initially unsure about whether her newfound desire of joining the program would be realized, Naman faithfully pursued the process.

“Last summer I was praying about my future and decided I should at least apply, even if it didn't pan out. And I am so thankful that I did,” she says. “It is incredible how God has been orchestrating my future and preparing me for this adventure since my first class at Pepperdine.”

When it came time to select her country of choice, Naman was already set on India but decided to conduct extensive research on all the other available options in case she discovered a different calling. She carefully sifted through each program, noted its departure date, language requirement, number of grants issued, and length of stay. From there, she narrowed her list down to 10 programs.

She also explains that India’s social settings made the country an especially appealing choice for travel.

“Ultimately, I was really inspired by India's initiative to educate both male and female children with The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act in 2009, and I wanted to see how that law is being implemented in the urban and rural communities. I also thought it would be such a great opportunity to compare the gender roles of Indian culture to those of Southern California, and I intend to interview various Indian women while I'm there,” she says.

“I felt such peace when I decided on India that I didn't have with any other country. I am looking forward to discovering why God has intended for me to be in Santiniketan, West Bengal.”

In addition to teaching, Naman also hopes to exemplify Pepperdine’s mission of demonstrating a life of purpose, service, and leadership during her time abroad.

“I am going to fulfill a role in a classroom and serve where needed, and I expect things to be very different—and even difficult,” she admits.

“This is the first year that they are placing Fulbright ETAs in Santiniketan, so I am praying to make a positive inaugural connection with those around me and to be a loving presence in the classroom in a way that demonstrates God’s love.” 

Natalie Aguirre (’17, Biology)

Spain

Aguirre was standing in the airport waiting area on her way to a national biology conference last August in Savannah, Georgia, when she was approached by Stephen D. Davis, Seaver College distinguished professor of biology, about applying for a Fulbright Scholarship.

While still at the airport, Aguirre and Davis began discussing all the possible countries she could visit in an effort to increase her knowledge of biology through lab research, ultimately selecting Spain.

“My family helped through the application process by reading my personal statements and helping translate them into Spanish,” expresses Aguirre, who speaks Spanish fluently.

The young biologist has also been in regular communication with staff members at the lab she will be working in, and shares that they have made some great scientific strides and accomplishments thus far.

“Besides growing as a scientist, I think this experience will allow me to grow as a person by living completely immersed in a foreign country. I hope to gain lifelong friends, mentors, and memories,” she says. 

The Fulbright program, America's flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The program operates in over 150 countries worldwide. Recipients selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

For additional information about scholarship opportunities at Pepperdine University, visit the Seaver College Fellowships website.

Nearly 300 students have been named to the Seaver College Dean’s List for the Spring 2017 semester. In order to earn Dean’s List honors, students must be in the upper 10 percent of their class and maintain a 3.5 or higher grade point average.

The purpose of the Dean’s List is to provide recognition for the positive academic achievements of students at the Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences and to serve as an additional incentive for academic excellence to all students.

Congratulations to the following students:

Volleyball coaching legend Marv Dunphy (’74) announced his retirement today, bringing to an end an incredible career that included four NCAA championships and more than 600 wins at Pepperdine, as well as seven Olympic appearances as a coach, highlighted by a gold medal in 1988 as head coach of the US men’s team.

“I’ve decided that it’s time,” Dunphy said. “It’s just time, and there’s not a lot more to it than that. I’m very grateful to Pepperdine for all that it’s given me. I can’t imagine any other institution being as supportive of a coach as Pepperdine has been to me. I’m really grateful to the leadership of this University: Andy Benton, Bob Thomas, Wayne Wright, John Watson and Steve Potts. They let me go away to get a doctorate and come back and to coach a couple of Olympic teams and come back.

“The hardest thing is leaving the players. I want to thank our current and former players for giving me the privilege of being their coach, and for all that they brought to this program.”

Over 34 seasons as the leader of Pepperdine’s men’s volleyball team, Dunphy posted a 612-277 (.688) record. The Waves also won the 1978, 1985, 1992, and 2005 NCAA titles under his watch. He was named the 2005 American Volleyball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year and was a three-time Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year.

Since the AVCA began awarding a National Player of the Year award in 1991, Dunphy’s players have achieved the honor six times, more than any other school. Twenty-two different Waves have earned All-American first team honors a total of 38 times as a result of his tutelage, and 45 players have earned All-American status of any kind a total of 75 times.

“Marv Dunphy is the greatest teacher and coach with whom I have ever been associated,” said Steve Potts, Pepperdine’s director of athletics. “Through teaching and coaching volleyball, Marv has impacted the lives of countless student-athletes during their time at Pepperdine and even well beyond. He has been an incredible ambassador for Pepperdine University all around the world. He leaves a standard of excellence for which we should all strive as his legacy.”

Dunphy has been inducted into multiple Halls of Fame, including the International Volleyball Hall of Fame (1994), the AVCA Hall of Fame (2009), the Pepperdine University Athletics Hall of Fame (2010), and the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame (2017). The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) named him its Coach of the Year in 1987 and gave him an All-Time Great Coaches Award (contemporary division) in 1999. He was also a finalist for the FIVB’s Greatest Coach of the Century Award in 1999.

“Coach Dunphy embodies all that is good in athletic competition,” said Pepperdine University president Andrew K. Benton. “He strove for the best in every contest but never lost sight of the fact that he was, in fact, shaping future parents, leaders, and citizens while coaching volleyball. He made all who came in contact with him better. His career record says it all from one perspective, but his impact will long be remembered as an even deeper investment in the quality of our lives, including mine.”

After winning the 1985 NCAA title, Dunphy stepped down for three seasons in order to become head coach of the US Men’s National Team, which he led to a tremendously successful run between 1985 and 1988. The American squad maintained a number one world ranking and compiled a record of 197-31 (.864) and won every major international tournament: the 1985 World Cup, the 1986 World Championships, the 1987 Pan American Games, and the 1988 Olympic Games (in Seoul, South Korea).

That began a stretch that saw Dunphy work at seven different Olympiads in various capacities. He was either an assistant or consultant coach with the US men in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 (winning gold in 2008), and a consulting or scouting coach with the US women in 2012 and 2016 (winning silver in 2012 and bronze in 2016).

Dunphy has also put together an impressive track record in sending his former Pepperdine players to the Olympics. A total of 11 alumni who played for Dunphy have competed in either indoor or beach volleyball at the Olympics and have brought back a total of seven gold and two bronze medals. Pepperdine alumni have played volleyball in each of the last nine Olympics.

Due to occasions where he stepped away for educational reasons or to coach with the National Team, Dunphy had four different stretches as the Waves’ head coach: 1977-1978, 1982-1985, 1989-1999 and 2001-2017. He has been head coach for 34 of the 47 seasons that men’s volleyball has existed at Pepperdine.

During this most recent 17-year run, Dunphy led the Waves to a top-10 finish in the national rankings 16 times and into the top five 11 times. In addition to the four titles, Pepperdine finished second at the NCAA Championships five times under Dunphy (1983, 1984, 1998, 2002, 2008) and won or shared 12 conference regular-season or tournament titles.

Dunphy was a standout volleyball player himself and played at Pepperdine during the program’s early years. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University in 1974. He went on to earn a master’s degree in physical education from USC in 1978 and doctorate in physical education from BYU in 1981.

Dunphy will remain at Pepperdine during the 2017-2018 school year in order to continue teaching his popular coaching class and to assist with special projects for the department and men’s volleyball program.

_{Due to NCAA sanctions against the University that affected several of its teams, the NCAA considers Dunphy’s coaching record to be 546-276, and his revised totals would be four NCAA runner-up finishes and 11 conference titles, due to the vacation of wins and NCAA Tournament appearances from 2008-2011.}