Faculty Friday: Phil Cox Encourages Students to Pursue their Dreams

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

Phil Cox, PhD, will never forget his first biochemistry class at Azusa Pacific University. Having just finished his doctorate in pharmacology at Johns Hopkins University, Cox made the decision to go into teaching, unlike many of his peers at Hopkins who chose a career in research. His first class, Principles of Biochemistry, in spring 2017 taught him a lot. “I remember inviting students over to my house for dinner, helping students out during office hours, and the real privilege of students talking with me about the uncertainties in their classes and in their life,” he said.

“That was my first experience mentoring students and I’m grateful to that class for giving me that gift.”

Although originally from a small town in Illinois, Cox spent most of his childhood in Oklahoma City. He developed a love for math early on which morphed into a passion for science in high school when he saw how math was a foundational tool for chemistry. Cox attended Southern Nazarene University, where his father taught as a chemistry professor, for his undergraduate studies. “I feel like I ended up in the family business,” he joked. Cox loved his education at SNU where the faculty weren’t afraid to talk about the ways that science and the Christian faith can engage thoughtfully with one another. “I still keep in touch with them. Those have developed into really significant relationships for me, especially now that I’m a professor too.”

During his undergraduate studies, Cox completed three summer research programs at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, the University of Oklahoma, and at Harvard University. “Harvard was an amazing experience. I got to work on a really neat project, the replication of a human herpes virus, stuff I couldn’t work on at a smaller school, using equipment my school didn’t have,” he said. Cox’s favorite experiences at Harvard were gleaning insight from other incredibly talented students and engaging in professional development opportunities. After Harvard, Cox returned to SNU, finished his bachelor’s degree, and got a job at a research lab studying anthrax and how to improve the anthrax vaccine. After two years in the lab, Cox got married and he and his wife moved to Baltimore for graduate school. While his wife pursued a Masters in Public Policy at George Washington University, he began his PhD at Hopkins.

As he got deeper into his program, Cox told his faculty advisor that he was interested in teaching. She made time to help him along his route and when he saw a job pop up on the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities website, she advised him to go for it. After a few interviews, he landed the job at APU and began packing to move across the country with his wife. “The position fit very well for me in terms of subject matter and being at a faith-based institution,” Cox said. “My path to APU wasn’t a traditional one, but I’m very grateful to be here.”

Cox’s favorite part of working at APU is the students he gets to instruct. “Our students have such amazing stories. They’re so talented and have big dreams for themselves,” he said. “It’s a privilege to help them realize those dreams.” Many of his students have gone on to grad school, some with full rides based on their accomplishments at APU. Cox enjoys pouring into students and encouraging their dreams. “I recognize special students and tell them, ‘You’ve got what it takes.’ They tell me, ‘Nobody’s ever told me that before,’” he said. “I have the perspective of knowing how everyone in the class is doing and I can tell them that they are exceptional.”

For the upcoming school year, Cox is excited to conduct research with student assistants. APU recently made a $2 million investment to support research across the university, including in the Department of Biology and Chemistry. “I’m ecstatic that we’re getting a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, the same industry standard one I used at Hopkins,” Cox said.

“With it, we’ll be able to measure any small molecule we want. This advances the capabilities of research in our department to levels that I never knew we could achieve.”

Cox loves combining research and mentoring with his students. While many universities require students to wait until graduate school to conduct research, APU offers numerous opportunities for students to research in undergrad. “Having students engage in long-term research projects helps train our students to think like scientists,” he said. Cox said this experience is more valuable than his summer research programs, where it was an 8-10 week blitz and just beginning to get his feet wet. “Here, we’re able to bring students on for a couple of years and by the time they reach the end of that experience, they have a really good understanding of the project and the research process,” he said. “It’s a great way to build relationships with students while they’re at APU and support them as they continue onto life after graduation.”

Faculty Friday: Michelle Cox Sees Impact Through Ripple Effect

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

Michelle Cox,PhD, loves helping people determine their purpose in life. As the director of Azusa Pacific University’s school counseling program, Cox has equipped thousands of students during her time at APU to become difference makers. “I feel that my calling is to really help others identify their calling,” she said. “I love empowering my students to meet their God given potential.”

Although Cox has taught counseling for 19 years at APU, she didn’t always plan on a career in counseling. Growing up, Cox aimed to become a broadcast journalist. After watching the news and seeing the way the media covered discrimination, racial profiling, and police violence, she decided to do something about it. “I studied communications so I could tell the news in a way where it shared both sides,” she said. In college, Cox wrote for the student newspaper, served as a DJ for the radio station, and was the first news director for her university’s news broadcast alongside future ABC7 sports anchor Rob Fukuzaki.

Several life changes caused Cox to change her career trajectory and return to college to get a master’s degree in educational counseling. This led to her coming to APU after serving in counseling positions at Chaffey College and Victor Valley College. Cox has enjoyed her nearly two decades teaching at APU. During that time, three of her four children attended APU, with one receiving close mentorship from former President Jon Wallace.

Cox teaches a number of courses including Community, Family, and School Collaboration; Professionalism, Ethics, and Law; Crisis/Trauma Response and Intervention; and Foundations and Ethics in Research. Her favorite class to teach is Sociocultural Competence. “I get to talk about my own life and the racial challenges I experienced firsthand growing up. We also talk about faith and how it intersects with race and the discipline. I love hearing the different perspectives from students in our program,” she said.

Cox has conducted extensive research related to schooling and systemic oppression experienced nationally by Black American students. A large part of this research was conducted with a graduate from the School of Education, Bryan Bowens ’14 EdD. “Bryan is like my adopted son, as he is to many of the faculty here at APU,” Cox said. “Doing research with him has been great. He handles all of the data analysis because that’s his speciality as a math teacher.” The relationship Cox and other faculty built with Bowens led him to bring more than 180 students from Kern County to visit APU’s campus in the fall.

It’s this kind of student-teacher relationship that truly fulfills Cox. She enjoys hearing success stories of her students and makes sure they stay in contact with her after graduation, to hear when they land counseling jobs and how they start supporting the K-12 students they serve. “I feel like what I’m doing is magnified and has a ripple effect. It brings me joy and satisfaction,” she said. “I feel like I can impact far more people through teaching and seeing the effects, how they pour into others down the road.”

Cox also loves teaching at APU because she feels free to share her faith, unlike her experience at secular institutions. “At APU, I can talk freely about my personal relationship with God with my students and share my favorite scripture,” she said. “It feels good to bring my entire self to work. I’m a child of God and I want everyone to know that.”

Faculty Friday: Jenica Morin-Pascual Awarded 48th District Woman of the Year

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

Earlier this year, adjunct professor Jenica Morin-Pascual opened an unexpected email that brought her tears of joy. She had just been named the 2023 California Assembly District 48 Distinguished Woman of the Year. “I was in shock. I had no idea I had been nominated. I felt so honored,” she said. Morin-Pascual flew up to Sacramento with her sister and received the award from Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio ’99, ’03. “It was surreal. It was the experience of a lifetime to be amongst these amazing women. I feel blessed that I’ve had opportunities that I never imagined would come to me, just by doing something I truly love.” Morin-Pascual also received the Public Safety Woman of the Year award for the 22nd District from Senator Susan Rubio ’01.

Morin-Pascual’s Journey

Growing up, Morin-Pascual described her parents as great role models who treated each other and their children with kindness and respect. Yet, her world was shaken when her best friend lost both parents due to a domestic violence incident.

Morin-Pascual grappled with how to process such a painful and senseless tragedy. “I really wanted to understand more about what my friend had gone through and how to help her,” she said. This led Morin-Pascual to pursue a degree in social work. During college, she interned at the San Gabriel Valley YWCA and learned how to recognize domestic violence signs while supporting victims and providing them with resources.

Now married with three children, Morin-Pascual works part time with the YWCA as the manager of training and outreach. In her role, Morin-Pascual trains and educates many groups including high school and college students, law enforcement agencies, small businesses, community service clubs, and healthcare organizations. “With some, my goal is to talk about what healthy and unhealthy relationships look like and how to recognize red flags,” she said. “For others, like doctors and dentists, I teach them the right questions to ask to make sure their patients are safe.”

After speaking to a number of groups, Morin-Pascual made connections that allowed her to share her expertise more broadly. This included working with an NFL team to provide education and training. She was also invited to speak at Red Table Talk, an Emmy winning talk show hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith. “It was incredible to have a platform on that level, reaching millions of people, to talk about things I’m passionate about and provide resources,” she said.

Wearing Many Hats

In addition to her role with the YWCA, Morin-Pascual works for the Covina Police Department as the youth accountability coordinator for first time offending youth. “Instead of having this offense on their record, we have a diversion program that allows them to work with me, attending counseling, just trying to get them back on the right track after making a bad decision,” she said. So far, eight youth have passed through her program, and one of them just graduated from college. In her role with Covina PD, Morin-Pascual also works alongside the detective unit, assisting with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, providing resources and support.

Morin-Pascual also shares her expertise with Azusa Pacific University’s Department of Social Work, teaching Intimate Relationship Violence: Assessment and Intervention. “Students that take my course are able to get a certificate as domestic violence advocates that enables them to work at any domestic violence program in the State of California,” she said. Though Morin-Pascual has educated thousands of people through her training sessions, she especially enjoys teaching a semester-long course. “I supervised interns from APU’s social work department, so I already knew how amazing the program was,” she said. “But becoming a professor and teaching them was one of the highest achievements of my life.”

Balancing three jobs while being a mother of three is no easy task, but Morin-Pascual manages it because she loves all her jobs. “I also have an amazing family that deals with my crazy schedule. We make time to be together on the weekends and enjoy exploring new places,” she said. Morin-Pascual keeps herself available to law enforcement whenever they need her assistance. “It’s challenging, but I’m lucky because I have a very understanding and supportive family.” Morin-Pascual hopes to set a great example for her daughters, just as her parents did for her. “My upbringing is very important to my work in this field. I know what a healthy relationship looks like because I saw my parents treat each other and us with love, respect, honesty, and faithfulness.”

Faculty Friday: Mike Wong- Transforming Students into Great PT Clinicians

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

During 23 years of teaching in Azusa Pacific University's Department of Physical Therapy, Michael Wong, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, has poured into the lives of thousands of students, training them to become great clinicians. Wong recently received the James A. Gould Excellence in Teaching Award from the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy as one of the top PT professors in the country. “I was excited, humbled, and honored to receive this recognition,” he said. “But the truly special part was seeing my family, students, alumni, and colleagues who have shared in this journey with me and came to the conference in San Diego to support me. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

When Wong started at APU, his first class had 12 students. Today, the DPT program has cohorts of 74. “It’s been wonderful to see our program grow. Our students and the program are very well respected in Southern California,” he said. The DPT faculty interview each student and make sure they’re a good fit for the program. “What that creates for the classroom is a really motivated, bright, people-centric group of students who are eager to learn. You can’t beat that in teaching,” Wong said. “Uniquely at APU, you have a real focus on great people at the root. It’s the soil that you’re working with in order to grow this young clinician and craft their mind into becoming a great physical therapist.”

In addition to teaching, Wong is a residency and fellowship trained orthopedic clinical specialist. He is also the author of Pocket Orthopaedics: Evidence Based Survival Guide. “I’ve always thought of how to aggregate information to make it easier for clinicians to access the information to make better decisions. I had been making these laminated reference sheets and selling them to schools because there was a need,” he said. Wong was approached by a publisher and put together his first book. “But even with my own textbook and 10 years of teaching under my belt, I realized there were major holes that needed filling. That’s what led us to build PhysioU.”

PhysioU is a software platform with many web apps that assist Wong and other physical therapy professors in their instruction. Because the subject matter is very intricate, it’s taught in a sequential system, but that can present challenges for students. “The students were only able to see a narrow amount of material at a time. We began using a web-based platform to develop complex connections between content they’re learning currently, what they’ve learned previously, and content they have yet to learn,” he said. “We want to build a much more complex clinician who has access to all the material they need to succeed, not just what is being taught in that moment.” Wong and his colleagues created a suite of content which is useful across the entire physical therapy curriculum—everything from orthopedics to cardiopulmonary rehab and neurologic rehabilitation. In 2020, the pandemic led physical therapy programs across the country to begin using the app to support virtual student learning.

Wong also speaks frequently at large physical therapy conferences across the country alongside several notable professionals including Drew Morcos, the PT for the Lakers, and perhaps the most well known PT in the world, Stefania Bell, the injury analyst for ESPN. “Part of my joy in presenting is that I love pulling together great works from researchers and turning it into something that’s easy for people to learn and transform how they practice. We take those opportunities on the platform to teach our own peers very seriously. All of it helps to put APU’s DPT program on the map.”

Reflecting on the award and his time at APU, Wong said he feels extremely grateful to work with a number of talented and respected professors. “As much as this award is in my name, really it is just a representation of a special place where I’ve been able to grow and learn and work together with amazing people,” he said. “APU is one of the great programs. It’s a special place where we can do this good work. We produce some of the best physical therapists in the country.” Wong is excited to see this year’s cohort walk across the commencement stage and graduate from the program equipped to become difference makers in the world. He’s even more excited to see the next cohort enter APU and spend the next three years with them. “It’s truly a joy to be able to help transform students' lives,” he said. “It’s never been a day of work for me in these last 23 years.”