APU Hosts “Human Flourishing in the Age of AI” Conference

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

While artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the hottest topics in 2023, with countless new developments, many people don’t fully understand what AI is and its possible benefits and potential dangers. Azusa Pacific University’s Center for Research in Science (CRIS) recently hosted a conference entitled “Human Flourishing in the Age of AI,” featuring experts across a variety of fields. “We hope participants walked away from the symposium with a deeper understanding and less fear of AI’s impact on society through actively engaged discussions on how to harness its potential for human flourishing,” said Louise Ko Huang, PhD, director of CRIS. “It was refreshing to hear differing views without arguments. Everyone listened and took the time to understand perspectives different from their own.”

The conference featured plenary speaker Sherol Chen, PhD, a computer science researcher who studied AI and has worked for a big tech company for more than a decade. Chen described the history of AI and how the field has evolved over the years. Among the many misconceptions about AI, Chen noted that most people don’t realize that AI has been around since the 1950s and how much research has gone into it. She said there are countless papers and reports that are easily accessible and many people who aim to teach and explain AI to make understanding it less daunting. “There’s a lot of noise out there,” she said. “I believe that growing our understanding grows our faith which enables us to receive even more wisdom to filter out the distractions, as we see in James 1:5.”

From a Christian perspective on building AI, Chen referenced Romans 8:19, describing how we are called to create. “With all things, we should create with hope and humility. What and how we create is our responsibility,” she said. “This also means understanding the tools we use and the impact our creations make on our neighbors.” While many people are worried about how AI might potentially be used for malice, Chen believes AI can and should be used for good.

“We have to have faith that God will give us the wisdom to use technology appropriately.”

Following Chen’s speech, attendees took part in a four corners activity, moving around to corners in the room labeled agree, disagree, strongly agree, and strongly disagree based on questions Huang asked. The questions included:

• Are there any ethical norms that should be applied to AI?

• Can humans claim credit for AI authorship?

• Can AI influence ministry and how people think about God?

• Can AI destroy humanity? While almost everyone strongly agreed that ethical norms should be applied to AI, the other three questions divided the audience fairly evenly. The thought provoking questions kept participants talking as they enjoyed lunch before hearing from a panel of APU faculty and staff.

The panel featured Mihretu Guta, PhD, professor of philosophy, Mike Truong, PhD, director of digital learning and faculty success, Alex Yu, PhD, director of data analytics, and Karen Lang, PhD, writing program lead instructor. Answering the same questions the participants had been asked earlier, the panel all agreed that ethical framework was crucial in the development of AI. However, claiming credit of AI authorship with tools like ChatGPT split the panel. Yu said using it is just another tool to get a project done, but Lang strongly dissented.

“We don’t want to create better papers. We want to create better writers. We still need to teach thinking, not shortcuts,” Lang said. “Have something to say for yourself; do not let a machine say it for you. I want to know what you think.”

Mihretu shared similar sentiments, describing ChatGPT as a mental crutch that is teaching people to be dependent and not think for themselves. “You can’t use a crutch forever,” he said. “What you get with AI is an artificially learned person. They don’t truly know a subject.” All agreed that AI could potentially benefit ministry in different ways and that AI cannot destroy humanity since only people can do that. As each panel member shared closing remarks, the consensus was clear as summarized by Yu. “AI is here to stay,” he said. “We should embrace it and figure out how we can use it beneficially.”

After the interdisciplinary panel, attendees further unpacked the subject of AI at discipline-based table discussions. The disciplines represented included humanities, healthcare, business, education, ministry, social work and social sciences, natural sciences, and philosophy. A student table was led by computer science and honors humanities alumnus Nicolas Chera ’18, while the other tables were led by APU faculty from several colleges and schools including Rebekah Harris, MS, Monica Ganas, PhD, Valerie Joy Smith, PhD, RN, MSN, CCRN, LaShan Epperson, DBA, Kaitlyn Fizgerald, PhD, Elijah Roth, PhD, and Enson Chang, PhD.

The conference concluded with an address from alumnus Finney Premkumar ’97, the founder and director of Truth Matters International, a Christian apologetics ministry. Premkumar emphasized three points: that we should appreciate AI and the many ways it already benefits us, that we should be apprehensive about AI in terms of respecting its potential if misused, and that we should explore applications of AI in different disciplines, using AI as a means to an end. Premkumar also spoke about the different levels of AI from basic (machine learning) to advanced (machine intelligence) and AI superintelligence (machine consciousness). Premkumar posited that AI as we know it could never get to the point of consciousness. “God created humans. Humans created AI,” he said. “And the image of God in humans is non-transferable.”

This conference was made possible because of the generous funding from the John Templeton Foundation through the Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford Supporting Structures grant. Huang shared her excitement that CRIS is able to put on these kinds of symposiums at least once a year for the community. “For centuries, the academy has been known as the ivory tower. In these rapidly changing times, can the academy be reimagined to be a community of learners who are willing and able to share their resources with the community at large?” she asked. “My aspiration is that APU can be that place to offer intellectual and civic progress rooted in the Christian faith and God’s sovereignty.”

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.”

$200,000 NSF Grant Supports Students STEM Identity through Learning Assistant Program

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

Azusa Pacific University is dedicated to cultivating student success in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs. The university recently received a $199,996 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the effectiveness of learning assistants in the classroom and the experiences of historically underrepresented students in STEM, while providing funding for an additional 10 learning assistants per semester over the next two years. The grant was secured by a team of APU faculty including Bradley “Peanut” McCoy, PhD, Elijah Roth, PhD, Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, PhD, Marian Saleh, MA, MS, and Sharon McCathern, PhD.

The main objective of the NSF grant is to measure the effectiveness of learning assistants on the STEM identity of students. “STEM identity is a sense of belonging in a STEM field, not just being a student in a chemistry or biology class, but feeling like you are a chemist or a biologist,” Roth said. “Our learning assistants help foster a welcoming environment where we’re all scientists in the classroom.”

Research points to three ways that students develop STEM identity: recognition, interest, and performance. “Many talented students will begin in a STEM field, but if they don’t get recognition and develop a STEM identity, they are disproportionately pushed out of the field,” McCoy said. “Recognition can come from teachers, peers, family, friends, and of course learning assistants telling students they are STEM people which can lead to higher performance in the classroom.” Although the learning assistant program is only two years old, preliminary data suggests that it’s leading to decreasing rates of D’s, F’s, and withdrawals (students who don’t pass the course), and is increasing performance across the board so more students are earning A or B grades.

The grant also focuses on how STEM identity is strengthened in the learning assistants themselves. Although they are distinctly different from teaching assistants, learning assistants assist faculty in many ways, allowing for more innovative instruction. “I’ve asked my assistants how they would go about teaching certain topics, how they suggest engaging students, and how I can make the material more accessible,” Roth said. “I’m inviting them in as a co-laborer for helping the students learn, someone who has input, ownership, and responsibility of the course, so that they feel the students’ successes are also their successes.” This helps to cement the assistant’s identity as a STEM person and a leader.

Experience of Historically Underrepresented Students in STEM

A major component to the NSF grant is evaluating the experience of historically underrepresented students in STEM fields. “APU is fortunate to have an incredibly diverse student body, which adds to the richness of our campus and our classrooms. Yet we recognize that diversity does not always equal equity or belonging,” Fitzgerald said. “Insight gleaned from this research as well as the faculty and LA professional development on culturally responsive STEM pedagogy are important steps in our ongoing efforts to ensure APU is an environment where all students can thrive.”

Many of the learning assistants come from historically underrepresented backgrounds, which has a major impact on the success of students in their classes. “It’s critical that students see themselves as leaders in the discipline,” Roth said. “Providing these opportunities for underrepresented students to see learning assistants succeeding in their field encourages them to persist and persevere in the course and beyond.”

Cultivating STEM Leaders Through Research as an R2 Institution

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

Azusa Pacific University recently announced a $2 million investment to purchase equipment which will enable faculty and students to conduct cutting edge research. This commitment to research further bolsters APU’s status as the only institution from the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) to earn a prestigious R2 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the most influential rating organization among colleges and universities.

Funding from this investment enables schools across APU to purchase replacements for aging materials and new state-of-the-art equipment. “This allows us to enhance our research and innovation in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, and the School of Nursing, further positioning APU as a leader in academic research,” said Louise Ko Huang, PhD, acting dean of CLAS. “With the integration of Christian faith and ethics in these endeavors, APU is poised to raise skilled leaders who can impact society for God’s kingdom.”

STEM Research Highlights

A major portion of the research funding is dedicated to strengthening APU’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. As fast growing fields with high earning job opportunities after graduation, APU has seen an increase in STEM enrollment. The university gives students rare opportunities to conduct research with faculty mentors while in undergraduate studies. Recent faculty STEM research projects include:

• Computer simulation to understand biomolecular motor chemo-mechanics for pharmaceutical usages (Sándor Volkán-Kacsó, PhD, physics)

• Designing better data visualizations to help educators make data-informed decisions (Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, PhD, statistics)

• Exploring the interaction of music and movement in the brain (Aisha Chen, PhD, engineering)

• Developing cybersecurity and satellite communications capabilities for undergraduate research (James H. Yeh, PhD, computer science)

• Exploring the molecular intricacies of human drug-metabolizing enzymes and their substrates (Phil Cox, PhD, chemistry)

• Using an automated high-throughput tracking system in cockroaches to understand brain injury trauma effects on learning and memory (Kenneth Sossa, PhD, biology)

• Enhanced teaching and learning anatomy by using the 3D touch screen technology Anatomage Table (Sossa and Ryan Somers, PT, DPT, biology)

• Exploring novel therapeutics development and biopharmaceutics that minimize the extensive use of animal testing (David Dyer, PhD, MS, biotechnology)

New Bioengineering Facility

In September, APU will introduce a bioengineering facility, the only of its kind among CCCU schools. A new live-cell imaging system and Franz-diffusion chamber system will enable researchers to conduct structure/function analyses. The new equipment also includes a Cell-Ink BIO-X 3-D tissue printer, which can construct three-dimensional tissue models of major organs including skin, liver, intestine, heart, pancreas, and brain. “Using organ-specific models allows us to generate data about the usefulness of such models as an alternative to animal testing,” Dyer said. “This results in two benefits: allowing us to speed up the process of candidate drugs screening at a lower cost and using human-derived cells and tissues, instead of non-human derived cells and tissues, which will provide more pertinent data on the action of drug candidates in human systems.”

The opening of this bioengineering lab is timely. President Joe Biden recently announced an executive order advancing biotechnology and biomanufacturing innovation. “Our new tissue engineering facility will address core components of the President’s policies by improving efficiencies in high-throughput drug candidate screening systems,” Dyer said. “As a Christian university, APU is uniquely situated to provide ethically-sound solutions in keeping with national policy in the area of therapeutics development.” The 2023 BIO Impact Report indicates that biotechnology and biopharmaceutics lead the economic sector divisions for California, meaning there will be continual and rising need for skilled workers in these areas. “With the newly acquired equipment in the bioengineering facility, our MS in Biotechnology (MSBT) program is set to contribute in significant ways towards these needs,” Huang said.

Karen Longman Receives Prestigious Fulbright Award

This news release was originally published on APU’s website.

Karen Longman, PhD, professor emerita in Azusa Pacific University’s Department of Higher Education, was recently recognized with a prestigious Fulbright award for the 2023-24 academic year.

In August, Longman will travel to Lithuania to teach at LCC International University (the only English-speaking Christian university in Eastern Europe) for the fall semester. The university enrolls more than 800 students who come from 65 countries, including about 200 students from Ukraine at the present time. Longman will join the faculty to instruct a course entitled “Principles for Leading in Turbulent Times.” She will also offer a leadership seminar series for university staff, a critical need according to Margarita Pavlovič, MEd, LCC vice president for student life. Longman will be available to host a multi-week book discussion group that will focus on the leader identity development process, in contrast to “leadership development” skills per se. The group will collaborate in reading the book Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra. Additionally, Longman plans to conduct a qualitative research project, drawing from the rich cultural diversity of the LCC community to gain deeper insights into the leader identity development process of women leaders on LCC’s campus, including how factors in their formative years and in response to the region's current crisis situation have impacted their leadership aspirations and experiences.

“APU has a strong history and an ongoing relationship with LCC International University. My hope is to add to that history by taking my knowledge base, teaching experience, and background in higher education to support the students and institutional leadership who are living in a challenging region of the world,” Longman said. “I feel very thankful for the support I have received from APU as I went through the competitive Fulbright application process, and I anticipate many win-win benefits from teaching and researching at LCC.”

Longman earned a PhD in Higher Education and an MA in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Michigan. She served for six years as the vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Greenville College (now University) and for 19 years as vice president for professional development and research at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). Over the course of her career, Longman has authored numerous successful grant proposals totaling over $2.5 million, has co-edited a seven-volume book series in collaboration with the International Leadership Association, and has spent more than two decades overseeing the annual CCCU Leadership Development Institutes, which have served and equipped more than 600 emerging leaders across Christian higher education.

The Fulbright Program awards only 800 scholar grants per year to university faculty and administrators out of thousands of applicants in the U.S. APU boasts 72 Fulbright Awards offered to faculty, students, and alumni since 2002. Fulbright scholars play a critical role in U.S. public diplomacy with alumni including 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and thousands of leaders and world-renowned experts in academia and many other fields across private, public, and non-profit sectors.

Since its inception in 1946, under legislation by the late Senator J. William Fulbright, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 people with the opportunity to observe others’ political, economic, educational, and cultural institutions, to exchange ideas, and to embark on international ventures of importance. The program operates in more than 150 countries worldwide.

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.”

APU Names Dr. Anita Fitzgerald Henck Provost

This news release was originally published on APU’s website.

Azusa Pacific University President Adam J. Morris, PhD, named Glendora, Calif., resident Anita Fitzgerald Henck, PhD, provost and chief academic officer at APU, effective July 1, 2023. Henck’s expertise lies in aligning programs/institutions with best academic practices; developing innovative curriculum and student service programs; building strong, healthy teams; and leading turnaround assignments in administrative areas. Her experiences and responsibilities at Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA), Eastern Nazarene College (Quincy, MA), and American University (Washington, DC) have included assignments as dean, department chair, program director, faculty member, vice president, board/press liaison, policy and speech writer, ombudsperson, and assistant to the president and provost. She becomes the university’s fifth provost following a 10-month nationwide search guided by a 12-member Provost Search Advisory Committee.

“God’s timing is perfect and I’m praising Him for the appointment of Dr. Anita Henck as our new provost,” said Morris. “Dr. Henck has a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ and an unmistakable call on her life to serve in Christian higher education. Her genuine love for our students and our community, heart for faculty, collaborative spirit, ability to innovate, aptitude for organizational change, and skill in shaping institutional culture, coupled with her outstanding research, writing, and teaching, and strong commitment to the mission of APU are among the many reasons why I invited Dr. Henck into this important role. The coming years will be critical as we work together to position APU for a healthy and thriving future and I am incredibly grateful and excited to have Dr. Henck join the senior leadership team.”

As the Chief Academic Officer of APU, Henck will lead and advocate for APU’s academic mission, overseeing all schools, colleges, and libraries. Reporting to the president and serving as a member of the President’s Cabinet, Henck will provide strategic leadership and oversight of academics and broad university initiatives.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected to serve as APU’s fifth provost and to partner with faculty and academic leadership to enrich APU’s academic identity. The transformative power of education–for individuals, families, and communities–is a compelling call in which I have invested my professional life,” said Henck. “Across Azusa Pacific University’s 124-year history, our reputation has been well established through our academic programs and external partnerships across Southern California and beyond. With a renewed focus on innovation and agility, APU’s academic future could not be brighter and our mission could not be more clear. I am convinced that our best days are ahead and am honored to partner with President Morris and members of his cabinet as we position APU to flourish in a time of change across all of American higher education.”

Henck assumes this role after serving as dean of APU’s School of Education since 2011, where she provided turnaround leadership during major transition, improved enrollment, enhanced fiscal health, led a team that reshaped the curricular portfolio, redesigned the EdD in Educational Leadership program with a 96 percent completion rate, and launched the Next Generation Superintendent’s professional development group. Today, APU is a leader in preparing candidates for educator credentials in the state of California. Henck came to APU in 2006 as an associate professor in the Department of Doctoral Higher Education. She later served as the interim program director for the MS in College Counseling and Student Development from 2008-09, and the program director for the MA in Leadership and the chair of the Department of Leadership and College Student Development from 2009-11. Previously, Henck served as the vice president for student development and retention at Eastern Nazarene College.

“After a rigorous search process, I am excited that Dr. Henck has accepted Dr. Morris’ offer to be APU’s next provost,” said Samuel M. Girguis, PsyD, committee chair. “Guiding our Christ-centered academy requires clear leadership acumen, passion for the power of education to transform lives, and wisdom to traverse a complex and nuanced role. Dr. Henck possesses keen insight, extensive experience, and solid team-building skills to move Azusa Pacific's academy into this exciting new chapter of innovation and influence. I am grateful to Dr. Morris, the Provost Advisory Search Committee, and the APU community for their prayerful discernment leading to this significant announcement.”

Henck has served APU and faith-based higher education on the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Executive Committee of Schools of Education deans; and the Doctoral Education Council for the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, focused on elevating support for and academic quality of doctoral programs. To foster collaboration, connection, and innovation among California’s K-12 leaders, she developed the APU School of Education Superintendents’ Collaborative, bringing district school superintendents to campus as thought partners to consider pressing issues, promote professional growth and development, and fuel persistence among new leaders.

Henck earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Indiana University, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from American University. She completed Harvard School of Law’s senior executive training on negotiation.

Henck is a lifelong member of the Church of the Nazarene, serving on church boards and denominational commissions. Henck and her husband, Bill, have two adult children, both of whom hold doctorates and work in education, a son-in-law, and two grandsons.

Helena Mayer ’20: Reaching the Lost Through Music

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

When Helena Mayer ’20 began her career, she had a pivotal choice to make. Although she had studied worship music at Azusa Pacific University, she felt unsettled about going into a career in Christian music. “I prayed and asked God what He wanted from me. I heard Him say ‘I want you to reach the lost,’” she said. “I feel called to be at the beginning stage of people’s faith journeys. For people who have turned around because they’ve been so hurt by the church, I want my songs to start the process of showing them there’s something more, something worth living for even if that’s not under the description of Christian music.”

Mayer draws inspiration from the story of Esther. “The word God is not used once in the book of Esther and yet everything about that story is about God and this complete surrender to God’s will in your life,” she said. “I’m not shy about my faith. It’s there and it’s present but I’m more passionate about showing people the good and beautiful life.”

Mayer debuted her first song, When It’s Over, in 2018. It got placed on Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist which led it to grow in popularity. Today, When It’s Over has more than 1.7 million streams. Although she was thrilled to see the song doing so well, Mayer had a sense of impostor syndrome at first. “I was insecure about being honest about where I’m at in life and translating that into music,” she said. It wasn’t until Mayer released her first EP, Growing Up, in 2020 that she felt a sense of confidence in her lyrics, especially with the song Childish.

“Knowing that it was about something that came from my own experience was something where it was really hard to sit and realize people could think of me differently because I’m not this cookie cutter, perfect, have done no wrong kind of human being,” she said. “I can’t be vulnerable if I’m not willing to be honest about my own experiences.”

Mayer’s vulnerability has led her to write songs on a variety of topics including anxiety, being an introvert, feeling misunderstood, breakups, and going through mental health struggles. Fans have resonated strongly with this and her 21 songs have more than 10 million cumulative streams on Spotify. However, Mayer doesn’t pay attention to the numbers—anymore. “So many of our formative years were shaped by social media where value is determined by likes. I’m trying to focus less on the likes and streams,” she said. “It’s hard for me to do and I’m still learning how to do it.” So what does she place her value in? “Response.”

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, like musicians across the world, Mayer had to halt her live performances. She moved back to her family’s home in Thousand Oaks, retreated to her room, and disappeared to the outside world for months. “That was really necessary,” she said, “I needed that time because there was just so much I hadn’t processed. I wasn’t really able to. It had just compounded over the years. I needed to recharge.”

When ready to perform again, a newer medium presented itself. While Twitch had mostly been used to stream gaming and esports prior to 2020, the pandemic led the platform to become a hub for virtual concerts, something musicians sorely needed for their livelihood. Mayer started streaming on Twitch in August 2021 and hit partner status after six months. She now performs four times a week for her more than 9,000 followers. While the platform is free for users, fans can support their favorite artists by subscribing for $5-25 a month. Half of these proceeds go to the artist.

Twitch revitalized Mayer’s life and career more than she could have imagined. She has dedicated fans across the world. Not only do they listen to her music, they want to hear the backstories behind every song and request their favorites on repeat. Fans’ response and engagement has driven Mayer to new creative heights. She hopes her music will have the kind of reach that changes lives.

“I’ve had multiple people reach out to me and share personal details about their life and how my song helped them get through tough times,” she said. “Even if that’s the only impact I’ve had through my music, to me, that’s enough.”

Reflecting on her time at APU, Mayer credits both her areas of study for equipping her to become the musician she is today. In her music and worship major, she was heavily influenced by Stephen Martin, DCM, director of the Worship Studies program. After taking a songwriting class with Martin, Mayer served as his teaching assistant for three years. “Working with Stephen was really formative. He was integral to my musical journey,” Mayer said. Some of Martin’s biggest impact came when Mayer would share her songs with him and ask for feedback on the lyrics. “He wouldn’t tell me to change this or change that. Instead, he would pose these really great questions that helped me reach the conclusion on my own.”

Mayer also drew upon many experiences in the music program that prepared her for her career. These included leading a chapel band which expanded her musical repertoire and gave her experience singing in front of a large crowd, learning how to use a soundboard which she uses every time she streams on Twitch, and being told to always hire a lawyer when working with other artists on songs so she receives fair pay for her work. This is also where she learned the true meaning of worship.

“When most people think of worship, they think of Sunday mornings before the sermon where you repeat the chorus over and over. There’s so much more to it,” she said. “Worship is something everyone can do using the gifts they have.”

Mayer also majored in honors humanities. Being a part of the Honors College was one of her favorite parts of APU. “I loved the intentionality of honors. It taught me how to think critically,” she said. “Writing and discussing deep topics is my bread and butter.” Mayer specifically credits colloquy with David Weeks, PhD, Diana Pavlac Glyer, PhD, and Gary Black, PhD, where she learned ideas that have inspired many of her lyrics. “They taught me how to look at the big picture and see how we can take these intricate concepts and make them into something that’s relatable, showing people a better piece of humanity.”

Mayer trusts that God is guiding her in the right direction. “I’d love to have a big impact, but I don’t want it to be about me,” she said. “If there’s a way I could take people on little blind dates with Jesus and have them leave the show talking more about the music than the artist, talking about the meaning behind the songs, that to me is impact.”

College of the Arts Hosts Industry Spotlight at Warner Bros. Studios

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

Many actors and filmmakers dream of premiering their films on the big screen, but may have to wait a lifetime to get the opportunity. For Azusa Pacific University students, they only waited until the end of their senior year. APU’s College of the Arts (COTA) hosted the 2023 Industry Spotlight on May 4 at the legendary Warner Bros. studios, giving students in cinematic arts, animation, theater, games and interactive media, art, design, music, and journalism a chance to showcase their work in front of industry talent representatives and casting directors.

Cinematic Arts

A highlight of the night involved cinematic arts students premiering films they’ve worked on all year. These included Betting on Innocence, a family comedy directed by Ethan Samartin ’23; Trip, a psychological thriller directed by Trey Dickerson ’23; The Mediocrity of Sabine and the End of Fiction, a Wes Anderson style drama directed by Hope Daniel ’23, and City Streets, a civic engagement documentary directed by Jack Barrie ’23.

For Barrie, this project entailed far more than a chance to display his cinematography and directing skills. He was recruited by APU alumnus Ricky Staub ’06 (director of Netflix’s Concrete Cowboy) to help promote a nonprofit called The City Center, which offers transitional living for homeless families to get back on their feet. “We were able to make something important and special for The City Center. It was truly unlike anything I’ve experienced before,” Barrie said. In the short film, he worked alongside classmates Sarah Cloake ’23 and Grace Berry ’23 to interview two formerly homeless parents, sharing their stories of low points and what brought them to The City Center, along with the impact the center has had on their lives. The film brought many in the audience to tears, including Barrie’s mother. “This documentary was something I couldn’t have written a script for. God was working through us,” he said.

Animation

Animation students also premiered their films, ranging from minute long 2D shorts to longer, more complex 3D stories. These included Coffee Chaos by Anne Farris, Lifeline by Rebecca Hartman ’24, Silhouette by Shelby Uchida ’23, A Lesson in Time by Jasmine Rogers ’23 and Lindsay Weyman ’23, Night Owl by Chloe Weberg ’23, Peter and Wendy by Matthew D’Amico ’23, Sonríe Mi Chiquito by Melinda Almanza ’23, Drome 19 by Madeleine Chaffin ’23, Valerie and Eddie by Seojin Jeong ’23, Skate Bait by Kayla Dennis ’23 and Whitney Hii ’23, and Hooked by Victoria Ortiz ’23 and Kaitlyn Ford ’23. Each film shared a captivating story displaying different animation techniques.

Ortiz was thrilled to share her film, a completely computer generated (CG) animation about a woman who gets catfished on a date with an actual catfish. The film took an entire year to make and Ortiz estimates that her team spent well over 1,000 hours cumulatively in creating it. “Seeing it in the theater at Warner Bros. was indescribable. There was this magical sense of completion and achievement, that all those hours meant something,” she said.

“Then at the very end, when they brought us all up on stage, I could finally see all the hard work and connections I’ve made pay off. I don’t think I realized I was actually graduating until that moment. It felt like the start of something new and exciting.”

Watch cinematic arts and animation student films here.

Theater

In a separate theater, APU theater students screened a showcase of the webseries So That Happened and performed in front of 20 talent representatives and alumni including Staub and Mackenzie Phillips. Each senior delivered a monologue that they had practiced and refined for months under the direction of Jill Brennan-Lincoln, MA, chair of the Department of Theater Arts. “Many talent reps shared with me that the APU’s Spotlight is their favorite university acting showcase to attend,” Lincoln said. “This is high praise because they compared our BFA students to MFA programs from USC, Julliard, and NYU, endorsing the training and talent our students have.”

For senior Abigail Holland, the showcase was the once in a lifetime opportunity that she had been waiting for since she started at APU. Holland performed a minute long monologue from Pretty Theft. “It was so great to present something true to myself. Every time you perform, you’re playing a character, but this time I was playing myself and I was able to show the agents and the world for the first time who I am,” she said. After the showcase, Holland met with an agent who complimented her on her performance and offered to connect her with casting directors from Netflix and Amazon Prime.

“It was a huge win and reminded me that I can do this, that the talent God gave me is coming through.”

Artist Alley & Oceanview Mall

The Industry Spotlight also featured an “Artist Alley” where a group of students from games and interactive media, art, design, and journalism shared their creations. Students in APU’s first ever comic book class shared original comics they designed, showcasing their creative talent and storytelling abilities while journalism students presented documentaries they created.

In the Artist Alley, the first graduating class of APU’s games and interactive media program presented a demonstration of their video game Oceanview Mall. The game centers around a character named Wilson Wyatt who gets lost in an abandoned mall and is forced to face his consumeristic habits while finding a way out. Oceanview Mall was created by six students who spent a full year coming up with the story, designing the graphics, adding sound effects, and playtesting. “It felt surreal to share Oceanview Mall at the Spotlight. This project was our baby,” said Chrisitan Duran ’23. “We saw it through the whole process from when it was just a couple of gray blocks on a computer screen to it being a fully fledged world with music, sound, a beautifully designed environment, and a story playing out in the game.” After a lot of hard work and late nights, Duran felt incredibly relieved to see how much people enjoyed the game.

“I felt like I was putting part of myself out there. I know this is something that’s really good and I can present it to future employers showing what we created.”

APU’s Industry Spotlight has become a signature annual event for COTA, connecting students with industry professionals and paving a way for their God given talent to take them to the next level after graduation.

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.”