In the fascinating quantum world explored byChapman physicist Yakir Aharonov, Ph.D., time can flow backwards. But for just a moment, it mayhave stood still as Dr. Aharonov received the nation’shighest honor in the sciences from President Obama, in a ceremony at the White House in November.Perhaps more importantly for Chapman, the awarding

of the National Medal of Science to Dr. Aharonov hasthe potential to accelerate the cause of scientific studyat a university surging beyond its past as a regional liberal arts institution. Chapman President Jim Doti called the milestone

“transformational,” adding, “It’s very important for theuniversity to have individuals of this prominence becauseit will help attract other gifted faculty and students.”

Dr. Aharonov was honored “for his contributions to thefoundations of quantumphysics and for drawing outunexpected implicationsof that field.”During the ceremony,

President Obama noted,“The scientists in this roomhave plumbed the furthest

reaches of the universe and thedeepest recesses of the human mind. …

“So this nation owes all of you an enormous debt of gratitude far greater than any medal can bestow.”One of the world’s most prominent physicists, Dr.

Aharonov has become something of a media darlingsince receiving his medal. A recent USA Today storyoffered an expert look at Dr. Aharonov’s research and its implications for “the next revolution in electronics.”

And the Jan. 1 column of Orange County Registerscience writer Pat Brennan notes Dr. Aharonov came to Chapman two years ago “in part to take advantage of an atmosphere of free inquiry, a place where he couldexplore the wild landscape of his world-shaking ideas.”Dr. Aharonov says that the ultimate importance of his

award may rest with its ability to inspire young people. “The medal is the beginning of recognition in this

field,” he told Brennan.And of his moment with President Obama?“He said some complimentary things to me,”

Dr. Aharonov says. “We did not have a chance to talkmore than that. But I got a very warm feeling from him.“It was a very rewarding experience.”

A ‘TRANSFORMATIONAL’ MOMENT IN TIMEPresident Obama Honors Dr. Aharonov, Spotlighting Scientific Study at Chapman

Talk about your close encounters. This fall, students of Chapman’s Dodge Collegeof Film and Media Arts got to probe the science fiction expertise of legendary

producer Michael Phillips as well as others at the genre’s cutting edge.Every Monday, the producer of such cinematic triumphs as The Sting —for which Phillips took home the best picture Oscar — Taxi Driver and CloseEncounters of the Third Kind welcomed students to his master class, “ScienceFiction in Cinema,” in the Folino Theater of Chapman’s Marion Knott Studios.

Each class featured a screening of a distinctive sci-fi film as well as a discussion that included a special guest from the cast or crew. Among themany sharing their knowledge were actors Richard Dreyfuss and Edward

James Olmos as well as directors Robert Zemeckis and Nicholas Meyer.For students, the takeaways were insights and inspiration.“It’s been amazing,” said junior film production major Eirin Strickland ‘12.

For more on Professor Phillips and the class, turn to the back cover.

ARTS CENTER ON THE HORIZON

Chapman University is taking the first stepsin the review process, advancing efforts to build an 86,000-square-foot Center for theArts that would feature the largest concerthall at any university in Orange County andwould be comparable to the county’s finestprofessional performing-arts facilities.

Plans call for an 1,100-seat, state-of-the-

art theatre, providing a new home for

high-profile Chapman events such as

American Celebration, the annual Broadway-

style revue that features student performers

from Chapman’s College of Performing Arts.

(Coverage of the 2010 American Celebration

begins on page 4.)

The Center would also allow the university

to welcome community productions as well as

acclaimed professional performers and national

touring companies for concerts, operas,

musical theatre and dance performances.

The first step in the review process is

expected to begin in late winter or early

spring, when the Orange Planning

Commission will study the university’s

request to amend its specific plan to include

a handful of properties along North Glassell

between Walnut Avenue and University Drive.

The properties were recently purchased so

were not included in the original specific plan.

If approved, the amendment would

allow Chapman to bring forward plans

for the proposed center.

The Center would be built just west

of the Fish Interfaith Center and Wallace

All Faiths Chapel and adjacent to the

George L. Argyros ’59 Global Citizens

Plaza. As a gateway to the center, a mall

and sculpture gardens are planned,

providing an outdoor meeting space

for receptions and other special events.

Groundbreaking for the Center

for the Arts is targeted for late 2012.

SCI-FI IN CINEMAMichael Phillips’ Master Class Provides an Insider’s Look at a Dynamic Genre

A S P E C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N F R O M C H A P M A N M A G A Z I N E

WINTER 2011

“I got a very warm feeling from him,” Chapman physicistDr. Yakir Aharonov says of President Obama, from whomhe received the National Medal of Science.

Michael Phillips is presented a poster of his favorite sci-fi film by Dean Bob Bassettafter the announcement that Phillips had been named a trustee professor at Chapman.The poster is signed by Phillips’ students with comments such as “Best class ever!”

That collaboration now has

a chance for a regional and

perhaps even a national influence.

Chapman’s Department of Theatre

was invited to perform If All the

Sky Were Paper on Feb. 10 at

the Los Angeles Theatre Center

during the Kennedy Center

American College Theatre Region

XIII Festival. There, a national selection team will consider the

production for performance at the Kennedy Center in New York in April.

At the heart of the production are the powerful words of those who serve.

“There’s something of the essence of the letters that are believed and lived

with an actor on this stage with you,” Professor Benitz said in a panel discussion

that followed one performance at Chapman, attended by a number of veterans

and active-duty military personnel offered free tickets in honor of Veterans Day.

After the panel, Carroll said the resulting project was not just a fine theatre

production but also a tribute.

“I just think they’ve done a brilliant job with it. These letters are very

important to me, and I feel that the actors and John Benitz honored them

in a way that is rather extraordinary,” Carroll said. “I think they pay tribute

to the men and women who served.”

On the Chapman University theatre stage, the character rustled about in a

hoop skirt, speaking words written 150 years ago to a husband torn away

by the Civil War.

In the theatre audience, the 21st century Navy wife sat and listened, struck

by how easily she related to a woman who lived so long ago but who also had

children to calm, worries to shush.

“I’ve had to console a crying child. You see yourself in these letters,” said

Miriam Allred ’13, an economics major at Chapman University who attended

a performance of If All the Sky Were Paper, the Andrew Carroll play that had its

world premiere in November in Waltmar Theatre. Those letters could have been

written today, Allred said.

“I could see myself in all the characters — especially the Civil War ladies,”

said Allred, herself a Navy veteran.

Such are the universal threads that run through war letters, what author and

playwright Carroll has called “the world’s greatest undiscovered literature.” If All

the Sky Were Paper was written by Carroll based on his New York Times bestselling

books War Letters and Behind the Lines.

But how did the play come to have its world premiere at Chapman? John

Benitz, assistant professor of theatre at Chapman and director of the play, read

about Carroll in National Geographic several years ago, was captivated by the

letters. He wrote to Carroll with the idea of creating a stage play, and a friendship

and collaboration was sparked.

For the economy to build momentum toward a more robust recovery, the constructionindustry will need an unexpected opportunity to break out its bricks and mortar.“Most of the weakness in the economy relates

to the weakness in the construction industry,”Chapman President Jim Doti said during the university’s 33rd Annual Economic Forecast, presented Dec. 6 at the Orange CountyPerforming Arts Center in Costa Mesa.More than 1,500 alumni, business

and community leaders gathered to hearthe latest news on the recovery from oneof the nation’s most respected sources— Chapman’s A. Gary Anderson Centerfor Economic Research. The bottomline: expect tepid growth during 2011.Some highlights of the national

forecast, as presented by Dr. Doti, the Donald BrenDistinguished Chair of Business and Economics, andEsmael Adibi, Ph.D., director of the Anderson Center:Real GDP is projected to increase by a modest

3.3 percent. While this would be the strongestgrowth since 2004, it pales compared with reboundsthat historically follow deep recessions.The continuing mild recovery will be enough to

generate 1.7 million net new jobs in 2011, whichwill cause the unemployment rate to drop about 1 percent, to 8.6 percent, by year-end 2011.The construction industry is still mired in

recession, with construction employment droppingalmost 10 percent during the first six quarters of the recovery. Housing starts remain virtually flat,reducing real GDP by 2.6 percent.

Despite high housing affordability andlow mortgage rates, there will be no sharprebound in housing in 2011. The forecastcalls for housing starts to increase 7.2percent. Homebuyers’ concerns aboutunemployment and the ongoing problemsin the mortgage industry, coupled with alarge supply of vacant units, will constrainproduction of new homes.The forecast calls for the median

resale single-family home price to increase 3 to 4percent in California and Orange County, mainly due to changes in the mix of homes sold. The big winners from the forecast continue to

be students in need at Chapman. In the more thanthree decades since the Anderson Center forecastwent public, those attending have helped generatemore than $2.3 million for scholarships.

Student performers in Chapman’s production of If All the Sky Were Paper include Lawrence Thunell’11, above right, as well as, from left, Elyse MarieRussell ’11, Matt Gallenstein ’13, Conor Brown ’12,Katie Gunderson ’11 and Garret Schweighauser ’12.

Economists Esmael Adibi, left, and Jim Dotiat the Chapman Economic Forecast on Dec. 6.

‘Sky’ Illuminates the Front Lines of Literature

“Most of the weakness in theeconomy relates tothe weakness inthe construction

industry,” JAMES L. DOTI

CHAPMAN ECONOMIC FORECAST:

THE TEPID RECOVERY CONTINUES

For the Chapman men’s and women’s basketballteams, the current season has been a case of dueling winning streaks.

The men’s team broke into the rankings at No. 22in December after winning 10 games in a row and

starting 12-1 overall. Former high school teammatesGriffin Ramme ’11 and Justin Riley ’11 have pacedthe Panthers offensively, averaging 17 and 16 pointsrespectively. Riley is also the team’s top rebounder. An impressive start by the women included

winning 12 in a row before the Panthers fell toOccidental on Jan. 6. The return of senior centerBrandi Hood ’11 after a year away from basketballhas played a large role in the Panthers’ success.Hood was averaging a team-high 11.8 points and6.5 rebounds as the Panthers started 13–4.In November, the women’s soccer team capped off

a strong season by hosting an NCAA playoff game,marking the Panthers’ first postseason appearancesince 2004. The Panthers fell to Redlands, 2–1, butfinished with a 12–7 record. Aimee Evans ’13 wasnamed Association of Division III Independents co-player of the year, while Carly Sanchez ’13 wasselected defensive player of the year and head coachCourtney Calderon was chosen coach of the year.Other fall highlights include a school-record

three cross country runners – Elisabeth Mitchell ’14,

D.J. Smithers ’14 and Zac Campbell ’13 – beingnamed to the All-Independents team. In addition, six Chapman athletes were named to their respectiveAll-Region teams: Cody Mansfield ’12, Nick Echeverry’14 and Mauricio Alfonso ’13 in soccer; Kate Ferrin ’13and Alyssa Swatek ’12 in volleyball; and JordanPavlisin ’11 in football.Ferrin was also named to the AVCA All-America

team.

The return of Brandi Hood ’11 after a year awayfrom basketball has lifted the Chapman women to early-season success.

High-flying Justin Riley ’11 helped the Chapman menwin 10 games in a row en route to a 12–1 start.

CHAPMAN Sports Update

For Ronald Farmer, Ph.D., the achievements at Chapman are many. But perhaps most profound is the legacy that goes beyond the tangibles of buildings and programs accomplished during his nearly 14 years as dean of the Wallace All Faiths Chapel.

DR. FARMER HONORED FOR SPIRITUAL LEGACYDuring a celebration in December, President Jim Doti hailed Dr. Farmer

for bringing “new heart” to the university’s spiritual life.“Through his ministry, Ron gave new birth to our spiritual pillar,”

President Doti said. “He did that by humbly and gently persuading us that Chapman’s spirituality is rooted in our passion for the search for truth. It is also a spirituality that is not symbolized by dogma, creed or ritual, but rather is made real by treating all people with dignity and respect.”Among the most concrete signs of Dr. Farmer’s

time at Chapman is the Fish Interfaith Center andWallace All Faiths Chapel, said Marv Meyer,Ph.D., chair and Griset Professor of Bible andChristian Studies. Dr. Meyer joked that he was reminded of the old Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi with its lyrical lamentthat “they paved paradise and put upa parking lot.”“What Ron did was just the

opposite. He took the parkinglot and made it into paradise,”Dr. Meyer said.Dr. Farmer leaves Chapman

for Brandman University, part of theChapman University System, wherehe will develop an online religiousstudies certificate program. The movecoincides with his and his wifePatricia’s plans to be part of a new sustainable development project inBahia de Caraquez, Ecuador.

Hoping to find a part-time job, computer science major Bryson Thill ’12 never imagined he’d end up in the middle of sophisticated NASA research

on rainfall measurement.Thill is the first student research assistant with Chapman University’s new

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences to be paid from a NASA grant.Under the guidance of Associate Professor Eyal Amitai, Ph.D., Chapman is

the lead investigator on a grant seeking to discover why surface-based and satelliteestimates of rainfall produce different results. The research has implications forpredicting climate, flood hazards and weather.Dr. Amitai hired Thill after being impressed by the student’s work in his physics

class and says he is delighted to have a computer scientist analyzing data.“He does things on the computer I can’t,” Dr. Amitai said.Thill, 20, is excited to already be in the research loop.“It’s really cool that I can jump right in and get involved in research,” he said.

HOOP TEAMS STREAK TO PARALLEL SUCCESSBy Chris Watts, Sports Information Assistant

For more Chapman sports news, visit www.chapman.edu/athletics, or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChapmanAthletics.

“He does things on the computer I can’t,” Professor Eyal Amitai says of studentBryson Thill ’12, shown with a slide he created from earth-observing data. Ronald Farmer,

Ph.D., speaks inthe Wallace AllFaiths Chapel.RESEARCH WORK RAINS DOWN

FOR CHAPMAN UNDERGRAD

President’s Cabinet member Julianne Argyros and a Travolta-esque

President Jim Doti perform an homage to disco nightclubs.

Chapman Nobel Laureate Vernon L. Smith, left, President Doti and the Honorable George L. Argyros ’59, former chairman of the Chapman Board of Trustees.

Board of Trustees Chairman Don Sodaro and his wife, Deedee, are past honorees and were award presenters at American Celebration.

Trustee S. Paul Musco and his wife, Marybelle, were co-chairs of the 2010 American Celebration.

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A Trustee Emeritus Dick Schmid and his wife, Patty.

Board of Trustees Executive Vice Chairman Doy Henley and his wife, Dee, were honored with the Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award.

Trustee Harry Rinker and his wife, Diane.

Trustee Jim Mazzo and his wife, Kelly.

Trustee Wylie Aitken and his wife, Bette.

Legendary performer and philanthropist Jerry Lewis receivedChapman’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award.

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A M E R I C A N C E L E B R A T I O N

The spirit of classic American nightclubs sprang to life on stage

in Chapman University’s Memorial Hall and afterward at an elegant

black-tie gala Nov. 6 as American Celebration paid tribute to a

legendary showman and to an unforgettable era of showmanship.

From the Copacabana to the Cocoanut Grove, the Tropicana to Studio 54,

no venue has surpassed the vibrancy and enthusiasm generated by student

performers in the 29th annual stage revue. And no honoree has been more

deserving than show business icon and philanthropist extraordinaire Jerry

Lewis, who received Chapman’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award.

The comedy legend and movie star, whose singular career includes nightclub

work with Dean Martin when together they were the hottest act in America,

was the one handing out laurels to the 100-plus student performers in this

year’s American Celebration show.

“They showed excellence,” he said. “I enjoyed tonight watching these vibrant,

energetic, beautifully spirited kids along with Professor (William) Hall. You’ve

got perfection. I thank you for including me tonight,” Lewis told the Memorial

Hall audience, a full-house crowd whose generous support of the event raised

$2.1 million for student scholarships.

Lewis was honored at the gala along with Doy and Dee Henley, who received

the Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award. A video tribute recognized the

Henleys for their tireless and charitable support of Chapman University. In

addition, Broadway star Dennis Kelly ’67 was presented the 2010 Alumni

Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award.

Soon after arriving on stage, Lewis had the crowd crowing in laughter as

he ribbed Chapman President Jim Doti for his appearance in a Travolta-esque

white suit and black hairpiece in the show’s homage to disco nightclubs.

“It’s all part of the territory,” President Doti joked in reply.

“Now you know what I’ve been going through!” Lewis said with mock drama.

Presenting the award to Lewis were Marybelle and S. Paul Musco, 2010

American Celebration co-chairs and good friends of Lewis.

As last year’s winners of the Outstanding Corporate

Citizen Award, Don and Deedee Sodaro were on

hand to present the honor to the Henleys. Doy

Henley, executive vice chairman of the Chapman

Board of Trustees, reflected on the university’s

growth in excellence and prestige in recent years.

He earned a huge round of applause when he

concluded: “You haven’t seen nothin’ yet.”

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CHAPMAN faculty news

Original copies of the iconic 1977

film Saturday Night Fever, directed

by John Badham, professor,Dodge College of Film and Media

Arts at Chapman University, will

be preserved by the Library of

Congress as part of its National

Film Registry. Each year the Library

of Congress chooses 25 films historians deem

“culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant

and worthy of preservation for future generations.

The original films are preserved in cold-storage

vaults and kept safe for future viewing.

Grace Fong, Ph.D., director of keyboard studies in the

Conservatory of Music at Chapman,

performed on tour with acclaimed

Sony-Classical artist Gilles Apap

of France over the holiday break.

Dr. Fong was also a guest artist on

the new internationally released

CD by the band Pink Martini, Joy to the World.

The release was the “pick of the week” by The

New York Times, Starbucks, iTunes and Amazon.

Baron Kelly, Ph.D., assistantprofessor, Department of Theatre,

College of Performing Arts, recently

returned from a performance/lecture

tour of the cities of Taichung, Taipe,

Tainan and Chiayi in Taiwan, and

Beijing. In 2012, he will return to

Beijing to direct Eugene O’Neill’s

Ah, Wilderness! or Mourning Becomes Electra. Dr.

Kelly was also a keynote speaker at the English

and American Literature Association conference

at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung.

Ronald L. Scott, Ph.D., hasbeen awarded Professor Emeritus

status. For his retirement reception

in May, some of Dr. Scott’s

colleagues, students and alumni

collaborated on a video retrospective

of accomplishments in his 37 years

in higher education. Dr. Scott, a

leading researcher and expert in psychological

assessment, retired after 31 years at Chapman.

Lori Cox Han, Ph.D., professorof political science at Chapman,

recently published an edited

volume titled New Directions in

the American Presidency (Routledge,

2011), which takes a current look

at the various issues facing the

presidency and provides a “state

of the art” overview of current trends in the field

of presidency research.David Shafie, assistantprofessor of political science, contributed one

of the original essays to the volume titled The

Presidency and Domestic Policy.

Publisher: President James L. Doti

Executive Editor: Sheryl Bourgeois, Executive Vice President for University Advancement

Managing Editor: Mary A. Platt (platt@chapman.edu)

Editor: Dennis Arp (arp@chapman.edu)

Art Direction: Noelle Marketing Group

SPRING 2011 EventsHere’s a look at selected upcoming events at Chapman. For a more complete list, visit www.chapman.edu/events.

MacbethShakespeare’s darkest tragedy of betrayal and supernaturalpower. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17–26 (also 2 p.m. Feb. 26). Waltmar Theatre. $15–$20. 714-744-7087.

A Night With … Jane AustenExactly 200 years after the publication of Sense and Sensibility,Jane Austen will pay a visit to Chapman University and confrontthe legacy of her writing. Lynda Hall, Ph.D., assistant professorof English, will play Austen in the second of this season’s “A Night With …” performances. 7 p.m. Feb. 22. Wallace All Faiths Chapel. Admission is free.

John Fowles Literary SeriesThe annual festival is devoted this year to Italian authors, andalso includes a special appearance by Israeli-born author AssafGavron, the 2011 Shusterman Foundation Writer-in-Residence inthe Department of English. All talks are in the Henley ReadingRoom, Leatherby Libraries. Admission is free. The schedule:

March 7 Dacia Maraini (The Age of Discontent, Isolina, The Silent Duchess).

March 21 Assaf Gavron (Ice, Moving, Almost Dead,Hydromania).

April 4 Erri De Luca (Not Now, Not Here; God’s Mountain).

April 11 Paolo Giordano (The Solitude of Prime Numbers).

April 25 Giuseppe Conte (The Last White April, The ThirdOfficer in Command).

May 2 Giorgio Pressburger (The Law of White Spaces,Teeth and Spies).

Picasso at the Lapin AgileSteve Martin’s comedy imagines a duel of wits between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein in a Paris café. 7:30 p.m. March 17–26 (also 2 p.m. March 26). Waltmar Theatre. $15–$20. 714-744-7087.

12th Annual Women in Focus ConferencePanelists talk about their lives as writers, directors and producers of films. April 1. Folino Theater at Knott Studios.714-997-6795.

Opera ChapmanSolo operatic performances by Chapman students. 7:30 p.m. April 1–3 (also 3 p.m. April 3). Memorial Hall. $15–$20. 714-997-6871.

A Night With … Abraham LincolnCommunication studies Professor Richard Doetkott portrays the 16th president, focusing on the historic Gettysburg Address. 7 p.m. April 7. Wallace All Faiths Chapel. Admission is free.

Spring Dance ConcertStudent choreographers present works that reflect their educational experience. 7:30 p.m. May 11–14 (also 2 p.m. May 14). Waltmar Theatre. $15–$20. 714-744-7040.

Chapman Now (USPS #007643)

is published three times a year

by Chapman University. © 2011

Chapman University. Reproduction

in whole or in part without

written permission is prohibited.

Periodicals postage paid at Orange, Calif., and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Chapman Magazine, One University Drive, Orange, Calif. 92866-9911

Chapman Now is printed on recycled-content paper.

Lynda Hall

Assaf Gavron

Dacia Maraini

Paolo Giordano

Richard Doetkott

CHAPMAN faculty news

Ghassem Asrar, Ph.D. has beenappointed McGaw Professor in Earth

System Science in Chapman’s Schmid

College of Science, where he will

perform research in earth observing

and assist with the education of

Chapman students in Schmid

programs. Currently, Dr. Asrar is

director of the World Climate Research Program in

Geneva, Switzerland, and his previous experience

includes 20 years of service with NASA, where

he was associate administrator for earth science.

Dr. Asrar was previously appointed a distinguished

visiting professor at Chapman.

Ramesh P. Singh, Ph.D., professor, School of Earth and

Environmental Sciences, Schmid

College, organized a session on

“Ocean-Related Natural Hazards”

at the Pan Ocean Remote Sensing

Conference in October, in Keelung,

Taiwan. He also gave a talk, “Changes

in Ocean Color Associated with Dust Storms.”

Hesham El-Askary, Ph.D.,assistant professor, School of Earth

and Environmental Sciences, Schmid

College, recently returned from

a trip to Korea after giving two

invited talks at the International

Workshop on Environmental

Geospatial Information hosted by the

Korea Environment Institute. After the conference,

Dr. El-Askary went to Korea University, Seoul,

to give a talk about air pollution in Seoul.

Tibor R. Machan, Ph.D., professor and holder of the

R. C. Hoiles Chair in Business

Ethics and Free Enterprise at the

Argyros School of Business and

Economics, gave a talk at SUNY

Buffalo on “Equality, Oh So Badly

Misunderstood” on Nov. 5. It was

based on his forthcoming book with that title,

from Addleton Academic Press. Dr. Machan also

delivered a talk on “The Tragedy of the Commons

and the Calculation Problem: Two Sides, Same

Coin?” at the Association for Global Business’s

annual meeting in New Orleans on Nov. 12. The

second edition of Dr. Machan’s 1975 book, Human

Rights and Human Liberties, A Radical Reconsideration

of the American Political Tradition, was just published

by the University Press of America.

Eyal Amitai, Ph.D., associateprofessor in the School of Earth

and Environmental Sciences,

Schmid College, participated at the

NASA Precipitation Measurement

Missions (PMM) Science Team

Meeting in Seattle in November.

The preparations are well under way, and the party is about to begin. It’s a celebration 150 years in the making as Chapman University marks the sesquicentennial of its founding as Hesperian College in 1861.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING:CELEBRATING 150 YEARS

Anumber of commemorations are planned during 2011, including special coverage in Chapman Magazine. But the big occasion is a weekend celebration May 6–8 on campus in Orange.All alumni and friends of the university are invited to attend the free event, featuring an array

of activities and attractions, including:� An al fresco concert in Attallah Piazza� Master classes taught by Chapman faculty� Tours of campus facilities� Celebratory birthday cake� Sholund Concert in Memorial Hall� A closing fireworks spectacularThere will be many more events, as well as the release of two hardcover books commemorating

this milestone moment in Chapman’s history.

For more information, visit the official 150th Anniversary website — www.chapman.edu/150— and get a tweet a day on Chapman history at Twitter.com (Chapman150).

IN MEMORIAM: WALTER CLARK, PH.D.

Achampion of Chapman’s Food Science Program and one of its beloved founders, Walter Clark,Ph.D., died Nov. 13, just days shy of his 90th birthday. A memorial service was held at Wallace

All Faiths Chapel on Dec. 18.Dr. Clark was honored at an

Oct. 30 anniversary celebration of the Food Science Program, where he was celebrated for his work.Fred Caporaso, Ph.D., professor

of food science, gave a tribute speech to Dr. Clark, recalling his many contributions to the program and his tireless enthusiasm.Dr. Clark was with Hunt-Wesson,

now ConAgra, when he encouragedChapman to launch a food science program to meet the employment needsof Southern California’s food industry. He was influential in attracting fundingand faculty, helped design the curriculumand taught classes on government regulations, Dr. Caporaso said. He and his late first wife, Dottie, donated $50,000 to the program to help students attend meetings and conventions, where they could present their papers and research.Dr. Clark is survived by his wife, Veba; son, Leighton Clark; and stepsons, Christopher and Philip

Gerkins. The family requests that donations in his honor be made to the program fund he established.Checks may be made payable to Chapman University, with “Food Science/Walter Clark” on the memo line and mailed to Jamie Stewart-Marsh, director of development, Schmid College of Science, 1 University Drive, Orange, Calif. 92866.

Attending a November Food Science event that honored Dr. Walter Clark, left, are Chapman staff member ChristinaAlexopoulos and Professor Fred Caporaso, Ph.D.

DOCUMENTARY FILM STUDENTSFACE TESTS OF MT. KILIMANJARO

Eight Chapman students enrolled in an interterm Expedition Documentary Filmmaking course traveledto Tanzania to film their journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.The course, offered through Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, requires students

to be ready not just for the tests of filmmaking but also for the physical demands they face on suchextreme locations.

The course led by Associate Professor JeffSwimmer and instructor Jurg Walther challengesstudents to chronicle their experience as well as the people and landscapes encountered ontheir journeys.Each student shot footage for the documentary,

using state-of-the-art equipment lent to the program by Panasonic. In exchange, the studentswill provide Panasonic with “beauty shots” of thefamous African peak.Last year’s group traveled to Machu Picchu, and

next year’s team plans to journey to Antarctica. Mount Kilimanjaro presents challenges for all who attempt the climb.

Photo: Jeff Dolen ’04

ONE UNIVERSITY DRIVE

ORANGE, CA 92866

WWW.CHAPMAN.EDU

Unearthing the Ideas Behind the Effects

Professor Phillips says teaching is similar to film producing. “For me the work is in conceiving the class and organizing it. And then during the semester it’s kind of easy. It just takes care

of itself. You’ve chosen the films, the guests and you’ve organized the material in a way that you want. I feel like I’m being a producer more than a teacher,” he says.

And just as with film, Professor Phillips hopes his classalso conveyed something important to his audience, in thiscase young students who may not know the history of sciencefiction film and the genre’s roots in big ideas that go wellbeyond impressive special effects.

“Really good science fiction is such food for thought,” he says. “A lot of the movies today are special effects movies,but they aren’t really science fiction. It could be about anasteroid crashing to the Earth or seeing Paris destroyed, but that isn’t really dealing with questions about the humancondition, who we are and what’s our nature.”

Phillips’ in-class screenings opened with Stanley Kubrick’s2001: A Space Odyssey, which Phillips considers the turning point for a genre that had been largelytreated as B movie material. He followed with The Fantastic Planet, Close Encounters, Star Wars,Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Time After Time, Starman, Sleeper, Blade Runner, Robocop, TotalRecall, Contact, The Last Mimzy and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Students were also expected to view several films outside of class, ranging from The Day the Earth Stood Still to Inception.

Special effects or not, students seem to eat it up.“I think they’re all great films. And the guests are fantastic,” said junior film production major

Nathan Mills ‘12, who dashed for a front row seat on the night Contact screened and its director Robert Zemeckis answered students’ questions afterward. “It can’t get any better than this.”

Or maybe it does. Phillips is scheduled to return next fall with another course, its theme still to be decided. Stay tuned.

Hollywood Could Use a NewBusiness Model, Phillips Says

The art and business of filmmaking are at a curious crossroads these days, saysAcademy Award-winning producer Michael Phillips.

On the one hand, there have never been so many talented young filmmakers, he says.“They have had the luxury of using their cameras and phones to make videos all their lives,”adds Phillips, trustee professor at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. But all that indie enthusiasm doesn’t quite fit the Hollywood business model that reliesincreasingly on blockbuster movies. “The Hollywood system wants to make six giant temple movies a year,” he says.

However, the up-and-coming will forge new paths, he adds, perhaps in online formats,two-tiered distribution or through cable programming.“There’s a huge pool of talent. Fresh imaginative ideas,” says Professor Phillips, whosefilms have garnered 23 Academy Award nominations. “Something’s got to give. I don’t knowthe answer, but there’s lots of good material and not enough ways to see it. I think the

current generation will figure out a way.”Meanwhile, he hopes the traditional Hollywood system will eventually loosen its

formulaic reins a little, particularly in the sci-fi genre. “I would like to see science fiction get back on track,” he says, noting that special

effects mega-movies are entertaining money-makers but redundant.“I think the studios are believing too firmly that audiences want to see New York

get blown up again.”

Richard Dreyfuss Edward James Olmos Michael Phillips Robert Zemeckis Nicholas Meyer

So how did Academy Award-winning producer Michael Phillips come to find himself in the teaching seat

at Dodge College?

He wanted to share his enthusiasm for films that were influential in

cinema history but that younger filmstudents might not know. So he

contacted his friend David Ward, who leads the screenwriting

program at Dodge College, and found his ideas quickly embraced by Dean Bob Bassett. The initial

course Professor Phillips taught wasCinema of the 1970s, in fall 2009.

SCI-FI IN CINEMA