News Archive
Congratulations to MPA student Isela Barales!
February 01, 2023
The Sword Project: Blessing Athletes with Personalized Bibles
February 01, 2023
, Azusa Pacific University’s head softball coach, was on a mission. She walked onto the field with a stack of thick leatherbound books in her arms, knowing that this moment meant more than any win ever would. These were no ordinary books; in fact, they were copies of the bestselling, most read book of all time. Titled the Sword Project, APU’s Athletics Department gives personalized study Bibles to all incoming athletes.
Your First College Finals: 6 Tips for Success
January 27, 2023
In your first semester of college, you quickly learn there are a lot of differences between high school and college. Just when you feel like you’ve figured out what college life is like, another big difference comes along—college finals.
6 Ways Graduate Programs Can Help Your Career
January 25, 2023
Earning a graduate degree can require a significant amount of time, energy, and possibly money. So it’s understandable to question whether the return makes the investment worthwhile. To answer this, it’s important to look at the total value and number of benefits—more than you might think—that can come with a graduate degree.
Misha Edwards ‘24, Cinematic Arts
January 17, 2023
The Freshmen Honors Experience: Transforming Together
January 17, 2023
On a sweltering Tuesday in August, 12 strangers walked into a small classroom and sat across from each other in a circle. The room was quiet with uncertainty as the students nervously pulled out their copy of The Prince by Niccoló Machiavelli. The group of freshmen in Azusa Pacific University’s Honors College were about to participate in their first colloquy, a student driven discussion of great texts throughout history. As David Weeks, PhD, dean of the Honors College, led the conversation, the freshmen began sharing their thoughts on Machiavelli’s views of leadership. Although they didn’t know it at the time, they were cultivating the seeds that would later sprout into what one student called her “new family for this season of life.”
Mental Health in College Students: Finding Support for Common Challenges
January 09, 2023
Mental health in college students is a growing area of attention for schools everywhere, especially during the past several years. In fact, one study in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that more than 60 percent of college students met the criteria for one or more mental health problems between 2020 and 2021.
5 Reasons to Consider Graduate School While Still an Undergrad
January 09, 2023
When you’re an undergraduate student, graduate school can seem far away. You’re likely focused on what’s close at hand: completing homework assignments, studying for your next exam, participating in school clubs and teams, and generally finding that ideal balance of study, work, and play.
January's Featured Alumnus: Nicolas Guido (Physics '19)
January 05, 2023
Alumni Feature: Taylor Mabuni ’21 is More than a Carpenter
January 04, 2023
On a chilly December morning, Taylor Mabuni ’21 pulled up to a house surrounded by construction equipment and film crews. Mabuni leads a team of seasoned construction workers as they take on custom home builds. Many of these renovation projects are featured on HGTV shows like Celebrity IOU with the Property Brothers, Revealed, Help! I Wrecked My House, and First Home Fix. “Most of what we do is the actual building that happens behind the scenes. It’s fun to watch as the film industry collaborates with our construction,” he said. “I tell my friends and family that you might see me in the background on the shows, but the truly exciting part for me is not being on TV, it’s getting to see the end result of projects. It’s so rewarding to see how my skills are a part of giving someone a beautiful home.”
Strategies for When You Apply for Financial Aid the Next Time
January 03, 2023
When you first applied for financial aid at Azusa Pacific University or another college, the process might have felt complex. After all, you needed to gather financial information for yourself and your parents, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the first time, and review grants and scholarships you might qualify for—all on a tight timeline.
Finding a Job after College: 6 Resources for APU Graduates
December 29, 2022
Financial Aid for Grad School: How to Get Funding
December 27, 2022
If you’re returning to school at the graduate level, the journey back may also mean engaging once again with financial aid. If it’s been a few years, the process may seem complex and challenging, but know that ample resources are available at Azusa Pacific University to help —some specific to graduate students.
Career Paths for Psychology Majors to Consider
December 22, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for mental health support, translating into a high demand for counselors, psychologists, and other behavioral health professionals across a range of industries. Psychology majors, therefore, graduate with ample opportunities to pursue and career paths to follow.
4 Essential Skills Earned with a Master's Degree
December 20, 2022
Stepping across the stage to receive your bachelor’s degree is an accomplishment to be incredibly proud of, but it also doesn’t need to be the end of your educational journey. In fact, it may be the next step in your education—getting a master’s degree—that gets you to the position you want.
Graduate School: Why a Master's Degree is Worth the Investment
December 17, 2022
Pursuing a master’s degree is a significant investment of time, energy, and money. However, the return can far exceed the investment, especially when you add in the perks that often come with jobs further up the career ladder. Here’s how.
Maximizing the Student Experience: On-Campus Employment
December 16, 2022
Azusa Pacific University provides students with the opportunity to learn academic skills in the classroom while gaining knowledge in work contexts. On-campus employment employment offers an encouraging, supportive environment for students to learn how to manage priorities, advocate for themselves, and expand their skill sets.
Learning from LEGO®: LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® North American Community Meeting
December 15, 2022
This November, LEGO® Serious Play® facilitators gathered from all over the world at Azusa Pacific University for the annual LEGO® Serious Play® North American Community Meeting. The meeting was led by Wendi Dykes McGehee, PhD, CF-LSP, chair of the Department of Leadership and Organizational Psychology, and Jillian Gilbert, DSL, CF-LSP, associate professor in the School of Business Management, as the participants learned from each other about how to better steward LEGO®.
Luke Irving: Skilled Photographer and Communicator
December 13, 2022
When you scroll through Luke Irving’s ’17 Instagram page (Luke_Over_Here), you will be astonished by sweeping landscapes, cozy cabins, and stunning images of flora and fauna in the greater Seattle area. As you immerse yourself in seeing the world through Irving’s eyes, you may wonder how this photographer became so skilled in capturing the natural world. After graduating from Azusa Pacific University as a Communication Studies major in 2017, Irving dove into the creative world of photography.
Flexible Learning Solutions for Graduate and Older Students
December 07, 2022
If you’re a graduate or older student returning to school, you probably need more flexible learning options. After all, you may be juggling a day job, family responsibilities, and dozens of other obligations along with your academic course load.
Bailey Wilson '18: If the Lord Leaves a Door Open, Run Through It
December 06, 2022
When Bailey Wilson ’18 opened her food truck, Bondi Bowls, she had no idea that it would become so popular and grow so rapidly. The idea for the business had come from her mother after noticing how bored Wilson was laying around her house in Oklahoma in the early days of the COVID pandemic. “She said, ‘Bailey, you need to get out of the house. You’ve been making these delicious acai bowls for Dad. He loves them. Your friends love them. You should share them with the community.’” Wilson found a used food truck on Facebook Marketplace, fixed it up and repainted it with her father, and launched Bondi Bowls on June 1, 2020. “I didn’t think many people would show up,” Wilson said. “But when my sister and I opened the window, there was a line of people so long it went through the entire parking lot. We literally hit the ground running.”
APU Libraries Display Special Collection Exhibit: Advent Voices
December 05, 2022
Azusa Pacific University’s Libraries will display a special collections exhibit entitled Advent Voices: Waiting Between Time for the Star of the East from Dec. 1-16, 2022 in the Darling Library Rotunda. Curated by librarian Luba V. Zakharov, MA, MTS, MLS, MFA, this exhibit includes a variety of illuminated manuscripts, books, leaves, and images dated from as far back as 1380 A.D.
Azusa Pacific University Hosts Fall 2022 Commencement Ceremonies
December 05, 2022
December's Featured Alumna: Song Hong '12
December 02, 2022
9 Tools for Your Financial Aid Toolkit: A Guide for Parents
December 01, 2022
You’re about to enter a whole new world with your high school student looking at colleges, and most likely, that will mean securing financial aid. Rest assured, the process isn’t as complicated as it seems, but your child will need your assistance.
Why You Should Transfer to a Private University
November 29, 2022
5 Scholarships for College That Can Cut Your Education Expenses
November 21, 2022
When you’re evaluating how much your college education will cost, you’re probably looking at the sticker price. But that number can be misleading—at Azusa Pacific University, most students pay less than that amount. In fact, 100 percent of APU students receive some form of financial aid.
Paying for College: Deciphering Your Bill
November 18, 2022
Paying for college doesn’t need to be cumbersome. In some ways, your college bill is like any other bill: It states the amount you owe, how it’s totaled, the due date, and information about where and how to pay.
Student Spotlight: Zuleika Franco Learns to Know God Better through Biology
November 17, 2022
Azusa Pacific University senior biology major Zuleika Franco ’23 dreams of becoming a physician one day. She took a big step toward achieving this goal last summer when she interned at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the top hospital in California and second ranked hospital in the nation. More than 600 students from across the country applied to the summer program and Franco was 1 of just 20 selected to participate. “It was pretty intense. I honestly didn’t expect to get it, but I’m so grateful that I did,” she said. “It was an amazing opportunity to learn from renowned physicians and other healthcare professionals.”
Alumni Spotlight: Maryam Pirband (MA ‘22), Screenwriting
November 14, 2022
Karen Hall: Reimagining Classical Music Through Clowning
November 14, 2022
The lights dim, and the stage is empty, except for a woman wearing a long, black evening gown. The oddity of the scene is instead of holding a cello as the audience anticipated, she is holding a sandwich. She slowly devours her meal and then demonstrates her cello mastery by playing “Suite Number One in G Major” by Johann Sebastian Bach. Her demeanor is conversational, and her striking but relational presence carries through the performance. She shares deeply personal anecdotes from her past that instantly connect her to the audience. Through her honest, emotional exploration of failure and play, Karen Hall ’09 combines two unlikely disciplines– classical music and clowning.
Prospective Students Find Belonging at APU
November 09, 2022
On a rainy Saturday in October, more than 180 students from Kern High School District (KHSD) filed onto six school buses and headed down the I-5. After a two-hour journey, they arrived on Azusa Pacific University’s campus and were welcomed into the Upper Turner Campus Center (UTCC) by a team of students, faculty, and staff. Led by Bryan Bowens, EdD ’14, the students made the trip as part of Project BEST (Black Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching). “I am a product of Project BEST and the Black Student Union from KHSD,” Bowens said. “I wanted these students to experience APU in the same way I experienced APU, to consider it as a viable option for college because it could change their lives in the same way it changed mine.”
November Featured Alumna: Irene Prabhu Das '86
November 04, 2022
Theology of Making and Culture Care
November 03, 2022
Eileen O’Neall: Restoring Hope Overseas Through the Arts
November 02, 2022
One trip changed the trajectory of Eilen O’Neall’s (’12) life. During her junior year at Azusa Pacific University, O’Neall went on a Center for Student Action (CSA) trip to the Himalayas. O’Neall, who majored in music education and performance, was on the way to teach music classes at a Mother Theresa home in Kolkata when she saw a blind boy begging for change. “He was singing and he had such a beautiful voice,” O’Neall recalled. “That was my first time seeing the effects of human trafficking. It was an eye-opening experience.”
Financial Tips for College Students: 3 Healthy Habits to Start as a Freshman
October 28, 2022
If you’re like a lot of students, your freshman year of college brings a lot of firsts. It might be the first time you’ve lived apart from your family, controlled your own schedule, and perhaps even done your own laundry.
Dan Kipley, DBA selected as 2022 Faculty Member of the Year
October 27, 2022
STEM Research Symposium Offers Undergrad Students Unique Opportunity
October 27, 2022
Azusa Pacific University’s Center for Research in Science (CRIS) recently hosted the fourth annual STEM Research Symposium. The symposium, held in the Segerstrom Science Center, provided an opportunity for more than 30 undergraduate students from the departments of Biology and Chemistry; Engineering and Computer Science (ECS); and Math, Physics, and Statistics (MPS) to share the research they conducted under guidance of faculty advisors. “The symposium provides an excellent opportunity for our undergraduate researchers to disseminate their findings,” said Louise Huang, director of CRIS and acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Faculty Award: Jihye Oh, PhD
October 27, 2022
Faculty Publication: Roxanne Helm-Stevens, DBA and Todd Pheifer, EdD
October 27, 2022
Tevin Krall: Helping Single Parents Through
October 26, 2022
Just four years after graduating from Azusa Pacific University, Tevin Krall ’18 is thriving in ways he never expected. Raised by a single mom, Krall moved more than 10 times as a child. Anytime the rent would increase, they would pack up and find a new place in his hometown of Ventura. Although he didn’t know it at the time, these experiences equipped him to one day start his own moving company, Mama Boy Movers, along with the education he received at APU.
APU Theater Presents
October 24, 2022
College Interview Questions: What Prospective Students Should Ask But Don't
October 24, 2022
As you plan for college, you’ll likely have many questions, and that’s a good thing. Your first year of college represents one of the most significant transitions you’ll make in life. The more you can enter it empowered with the knowledge you need, the greater the chance of success.
Questions about College: What to Ask When You Visit a Campus
October 17, 2022
College Application Process: Understanding the Timeline
October 14, 2022
