SPRING 2013 NEWS
Religious Studies names Outstanding Student in Religious Studies and Departmental Honors
On Thursday, May 2nd, during the Kugelman Awards Ceremony held in Beckman 404, the Religious Studies department awarded Cambria Findley-Grubb with the award for Outstanding Student in Religous Studies for the 2012-2013 school year. Cambria was also awarded Departmental Honors along with Anne Mellott and Jessica Anderson. To learn more about these amazing women, please visit our Honors and Clubs page that features full bios of the students.
Chapman's Theta Alpha Kappa induction cermony held
On Friday, April 19th, the Alpha Lambda Lambda Chapter at Chapman University's Theta Alpha Kappa held an induction ceremony for sixteen religious studies students. To be eligable for the Theta Alpha Kappa honor society, students must have taken 12 credits in religious studies or theology with a 3.5 GPA and an overall GPA of 3.0. Theta Alpha Kappa has over 300 local active chapters across the United States. The ceremony featured statements by Dr. Julye Bidmead, chapter President Cristina Smith, and Rev. Dr. Gail Stearns.
Free Will Conference at Chapman
The Wallace All Faiths Chapel at Chapman University, in conjunction with the Departments of Religious Studies,
Philosophy, and Physics, presented The Experimental Metaphysics of Free Will: A New Interdisciplinary Dialogue, on Thursday, February 28th, 2013 at the Fish Interfaith Center.
During this exciting collaborative event, we launched a new interdisciplinary dialogue focusing on issues of "free will" and "determinism." Throughout the day, top scholars addressed the challenges that the newest findings of quantum physics present for our understanding of free will, from the perspective of their particular disciplines and the world's religious traditions. Participants contributed to a roundtable discussion and a panel presentation on concepts of free will.
The afternoon session featuring Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi and Gurucharan Singh Khalsa was sponsored by the Religious Studies Department's Huntington Lectureship.
Professor Nancy Martin gives lecture to Town & Gown
On February 7th, Dr. Nancy Martin, associate professor and chair of the Department of Religious
Studies, presented a guest lecture, An Uneasy Truce: Religion, Violence and the Pursuit of Peace, to Chapman University's Town and Gown luncheon. The lecture posed the questions, how then does religion seem so often to be implicated in
violence and war, and what role has and can religion play not only in
averting war
but also in creating positive peace? The luncheon and guest lecture was attended by over 100 Town & Gown members. For information on future Town & Gown events, please visit the Town & Gown website.
Student Multi-faith Leadership Conference
The Chapman Interfaith Council and Office of the Chapel invited students, campus staff and faculty to attend the Student Multi-faith Leadership Conference (SMLC). The daylong conference featured a variety of workshops and keynote speaker Najeeba Syeed-Miller, from the Claremont School of Theology. The conference took place Saturday, February 16.
Students travel to India
Dr. Phyllis Herman and Rev. Nancy Brink led a group of students to India this past interterm for course entitled REL 335a - Hinduism and Religions of India. The 17-day trip took place on January 7-24, 2013 with three days of on-campus lectures before they went off to India. The course focused on the study of the historical development of Hinduism and other religions in India through texts, practices, and worldviews. The students travelled throughout India including New Delhi and Jaipur.
You will be missed
Chancellor announces passing of Marv Meyer, Griset Chair in Bible and Christian Studies. Read more in the Wilkinson College Blog.
Student programs highlighted at President’s Interfaith and Community Service conference
Professor Nancy Martin, Rachel Bennett, Chris Hutchison and Justin
Koppelman traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the
President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge this summer. Chapman University is a founding partner of the presidential program,
created in 2011 to encourage colleges and universities to develop and
commit to a year of interfaith and community service. Some of the
sustainable water projects Chapman students served through regular work
days and special travel courses are Orange County Coastkeeper, Catalina Island Conservancy, and the Roots Native Habitat Restoration project at Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve. The water theme was also used at other events throughout the 2011-12 school year, including at the Sept. 11 anniversary memorial and reflection. Read more in Chapman Happenings!
SPRING 2012 NEWS
Humanities Awards Ceremony
Chapman's humanities majors gathered in May to celebrate the outstanding students of 2011-2012. Dean Patrick Quinn gave remarks at the event, while Dr. Marvin Meyer emceed. The event was thanks in part to Dulcie and Larry Kugelman's generous donation. Religious Studies honored Katrina Cavarno with the Outstanding Student in Religious Studies award. Learn more about Cavarno here under Outstanding Religious Studies Student 2012.
Conversations with Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Distinguished Presidential Fellow returned to campus in April and presented four lectures and Q&A with students. The topics included Why Study?, Why Be Just?, Why Write?, Why Believe?. Read more a in Chapman Happenings!
The Installation of the Dean of the Wallace All Faiths Chapel
With readings, music and reflections from multiple faith traditions,
Chapman University formally installed the Rev. Gail Stearns, Ph.D., as
dean of the Fish Interfaith Center, Wallace All Faiths Chapel, in March in a ceremony shaped by interfaith celebration. Read more in Chapman Happenings!
