APU Articles
Academic Faith Integration: An APU Distinctive
September 18, 2017
Faith integration sounds like fitting rhetoric for a Christian university, and a worthy pursuit, but what does it mean? Is it prayer in class? Is it a chapel requirement? How do faculty members in disciplines with less-obvious ties to theology, such as modern language, finance, and athletic training, appropriately incorporate the viewpoints of the Christian faith into their curricula? And why does it matter?
Healing Mind, Body, and Soul
September 05, 2017
With professors and students recognized for their advanced research and commitment to selfless service, Azusa Pacific University’s School of Nursing creates the finest nurses in the nation.In its 42nd year, the program provides a transformative education for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students, called to enter this helping profession.
Finding Success in the Mad World of Music
August 25, 2017
“We began working on our musical, Mad World, back in 2010,” said Steven Schmidt, ’17, commercial music major. Schmidt and close friend, Christian Guerrero, collaborated to develop a musical during their senior year of high school. The idea for Mad World came to them on a whim, sparked by Guerrero’s discovery of a few interesting articles about Charles Dodgson, known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. He proposed the idea to Schmidt. “After discovering the mystery, intrigue, and genius of Dodgson’s life, Christian called me and we agreed there was a story waiting to be told.” This phone call proved catalytic for both as they embarked on a journey to create a unique theatrical production that is now gaining acclaim.
Working the Soil: How Bruce Baloian Answered God’s Call
July 31, 2017
Bruce Baloian, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies, delivered his final chapel address to the Azusa Pacific community at the end of the 2016-17 school year. His lecture, signaling the culmination of more than three decades of service at APU, provided insight into Jesus’ call for ministry to the poor and disenfranchised.
The Case for College: Rediscovering the Purpose of Higher Education
July 31, 2017
College—and the reasons to attend—have changed. Decades ago, students pursued higher education to explore new schools of thought and discover their vocation—not their job, their vocation. These young scholars understood the intrinsic difference between the two and sought their calling, as they peeked behind the curtain of the arts, sampled the sciences, dabbled in business. But those days are gone. The function and main goal of higher education shifted drastically in the 1960s, and today many colleges exist solely to churn out job-ready graduates programmed to perform and earn.
God’s Design in Bacteria
July 03, 2017
Unfortunately, bacteria have gained a negative reputation since Louis Pasteur proposed the Germ Theory of Disease. Most now think of bacteria as disease-causing superbugs that must be avoided at all costs. But that is true in only a small number of cases. Sometimes, normal beneficial bacteria, like the E. coli we have in our intestines that make vitamins, can change when they encounter DNA from other bacteria. For example, the E. coli O157:H7 strain of bacteria that makes the evening news from time to time acquired a toxin gene from another bacterium, making it a potential threat. When normal, beneficial bacteria find themselves in the wrong context, they can make us sick. Regular, nonharmful E. coli, if introduced to the urogenital system, can cause bladder infections, even though it does not cause infections in the intestines.
Professor Black Goes to Hollywood
June 28, 2017
“Lights, camera, action!” An unexpected phone call from a major motion picture studio led an APU theology professor to accept an invitation that took him out of the classroom and onto a Hollywood set. Entertainment company Lionsgate interviewed Gary Black Jr., Ph.D. associate professor in the Honors College, about the Christian themes in The Shack, their film adaptation of the bestselling novel, for a special feature that appears on the recently released DVD.
Justice For All
June 26, 2017
Scrutiny of the U.S. criminal justice system has never been more intense. Every news outlet, television network, internet feed, and social media site reveals not only information and commentary, but also audio and visual accounts of traffic stops, arrests, and court proceedings. With cameras on every cell phone and millennials’ natural inclination to share their experiences publicly, we are now privy to more incidents of police contact with the community than ever before. This changes everything about criminal justice, professionals in the field, crime victims, and outcomes of the justice system.
APU Hosts Summer Institute on Theology and Disability
June 15, 2017
“A vision of a place where everyone is welcome, everyone believes, and everyone belongs.” These words capture the vision of Erik Carter, Ph.D., vice chair of the Collaborative on Faith and Disabilities and professor of special education at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, for the 2017 Summer Institute on Theology and Disability. The weeklong multi-faith conference hosted by Azusa Pacific Seminary, June 5-8, included scholars, clergy, seminarians, and laity. The Institute included presentations, panels, discussion groups, morning and evening meditations, and workshops.
New Master’s Program Prepares Leaders in Biotechnology
June 12, 2017
Preparing competent, competitive, and ethical leaders, Azusa Pacific’s new Master of Science in Biotechnology equips graduates to make significant contributions to and profoundly influence this emerging science field. Set to launch in fall 2017 with a cohort of 24, the advanced degree distinguishes itself from counterparts at other institutions by approaching the discipline from a distinctly Christian worldview and instilling in students the ability to synthesize human need, potential, and responsibility.
APU Hosts Faith-based SBIRT Training
May 22, 2017
APU hosted the first Faith and Spirituality Integrated SBIRT Network Training Summit at the beginning of the academic year. Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, APU led the efforts in establishing this network—a partnership with five faith-based universities and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health—which provides information and support to allied health professionals as they care for their clients and patients through SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment), a public health approach to treating those at risk for substance use disorders.
APU’s Armenian Student Association Unveils Memorial
May 16, 2017
Azusa Pacific University's Armenian Student Association (ASA) unveiled a khachkar, or cross stone memorial, during a dedication ceremony on April 22, attended by students, their families, and community members to commemorate the lives lost in the Armenian Genocide. During and following World War I, 1.5 million Armenians living within the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey lost their lives. Paying tribute and honoring their memory, the khachkar stands on East Campus in front of Multimedia Buildings 1 and 2. April 24 marked the 102 anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Disability Awareness Week Sparks Interest and Action
May 15, 2017
The university hosted its second annual Disability Awareness Week, founded on the principles of Imago Dei (the image of God) and Azusa Pacific’s biblical perspective on diversity, February 27- March 4, 2017. Various campus events helped the APU community explore how and why society tends to marginalize those with disabilities, how to recognize it, and how to prevent it. Cosponsored by several departments, the weeklong event educated nondisabled people and gave a voice to those with disabilities (more than 5 percent of APU’s student population), including a platform from which to share their concerns.
APU Graduate Student Awarded $114,000 Science Grant
May 15, 2017
Azusa Pacific University graduate student Leo Jimenez Chavez was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRF). The grant will fully fund his studies for the next three years. Students selected for the NSF GRF benefit from an annual stipend of $34,000 for three years, a $12,000 allowance for tuition and fees, opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution. Previous recipients of the fellowship include former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Google founder Sergey Brin, Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt, and numerous Nobel Prize winners.
Leadership by Association
May 01, 2017
When Max Walden ’16 stepped across the stage to receive his diploma last May, he joined a legacy of leaders serving throughout the nation in multiple fields with one unique common trait—they all developed their leadership skills and discovered their potential to disciple as presidents of Azusa Pacific’s Student Government Association (SGA), formerly the Associated Student Body (ASB).
