POINT LOMA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
SPRING 2010
The Quest for a Cure for Cancer
iMedicine
Haiti Relief
TA B L E
OF CONTENTS
VOLUME 22 NUMBER 1
The Quest for a Cure........ 4
Where in the grief of a cancer
diagnosis can hope be found?
Learn how PLNU professors
and alumni are working to bring
hope to those with cancer.
iMedicine............................. 12
Dr. Francis Collins, Christian
geneticist and director of the
National Institutes of Health,
says that personalized medicine
will transform health care. What
hope and challenges does
personalized medicine hold?
Professor Project........... 19
Dr. Carol Blessing has been
doing groundbreaking research
on women in early Methodism.
Recently, her work took her all
the way to the UK.
Movers & Shapers........ 11
Dr. Rita Callahan draws on her
own experiences as an oncology
nurse to prepare PLNU students
to make a difference.
Coral tree outside Brown Chapel.
Already as an undergraduate,
Rachael Tennant has been
involved in cancer research,
and the experience has
deeply shaped her.
Relive the memories or get
inspired for next year!
AlumNews........................... 30
Notables................................ 20 Find
out the latest news in
Catch up on all the latest news.
Tomorrow’s Grads......... 18
Homecoming...................... 28
Athletics................................ 26
Catch up on the latest news
and accomplishments of
PLNU athletes!
your former classmates’ lives!
Last Point.............................. 37
Nursing professor Chris Sloan
shares about the tragic yet
uplifting job of caring for pediatric
oncology patients.
FROM THE
PRESIDENT
research. I hope you are encouraged by their dedication and
determination. You will also read more about how our nursing
professors prepare students to work with cancer patients and
to become compassionate caregivers in addition to effective
practitioners.
Cancer is clearly not a light-hearted subject, but it is one of vital
importance. I am pleased that the excellent science and nursing
programs at PLNU help prepare leaders in this field that touches
so many lives. PLNU is known for an extraordinary medical school
acceptance rate (more than twice the national average), but we
are about more than impressive statistics. Point Loma Nazarene
University is about empowering students to use their gifts and their
intellect to better the lives of others. That is what PLNU’s forwardthinking education is all about.
I pray that this issue fills you with excitement, pride in your alma
mater, and – most of all – hope.
hat the second issue in the Viewpoint’s “Year of Hope” has to
do with cancer might be surprising. Too often, cancer brings
fear rather than hope. However, thanks to the work of doctors,
researchers, fundraisers, pharmaceutical companies, and others,
there have been advances in our understanding of cancer and its
causes and in new ways of treating some forms of cancer. Through
such work, combined with our faith in God and our love for those
we know with cancer, hope can be found.
Positively,
E D I T O R ’S
NOTE
ometimes things that don’t
really need directions come fully
equipped with them. For example, I
used to have a cardboard sunshade
for my car that came helpfully
printed with the warning “do not
drive with auto shade in place.”
Perhaps you have received a credit
card statement with the useful reminder “payment is due by due date.”
And did you know you should avoid dropping air conditioners out of
windows? One manufacturer wanted to make sure.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the things that were really difficult to understand
and handle – like a cancer diagnosis – came with such straightforward
directions? If only someone could tell each cancer patient, do this and
you will be well.
So far, there is nothing quite so simple available. However, the
emerging field of personalized medicine does offer the hope of
better information for individual patients. By taking into account
genomic and environmental differences, doctors may be able to help
patients make better decisions about treatments – which will be most
effective, which will have the least troubling side effects, and which
Bob Brower, Ph.D.
President
combinations will be safest. And personalized medicine isn’t just
about cancer. It promises to help doctors better treat and prevent a
host of medical conditions and illnesses.
Personalized medicine isn’t just some far off hope – it is already
offering better results for breast cancer patients, for example.
Meanwhile, a host of researchers, including several PLNU alumni, are
helping to advance the field. There is a great deal of excitement and
hope surrounding the future of medicine.
Please enjoy this issue, and I pray that you will be encouraged by all
those working to help cancer patients – patients like my husband’s
aunt, my dear friend’s mother-in-law, and all the people you know and
love who have cancer.
If you have thoughts or comments on our issue, please send me an
e-mail at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Christine Spicer
In this issue, you will have the chance to learn about the work
some of our alumni and professors are doing in the field of cancer
CONTRIBUTORS
Viewpoint Staff
Guest Contributors
Postmaster
The Viewpoint
Michele Corbett....................Creative Director
Edie Chapman........................... Guest Writer
Send address changes to
Viewpoint, PLNU
3900 Lomaland Drive
San Diego, CA 92106-2810
If you missed an issue or need to
Christine Spicer.....................Editor/Sr. Writer
Bethany Leach........................... Guest Writer
Marcus Emerson..........................Art Director
Crystal Pridmore.......AlumNews Coordinator
Dave Bruno................................... Staff Writer
Josh Seligman..............Student Writer/Editor
Tim Caton.........................................Designer
Katrina Sinift.................................Copy Editor
Jill Chou............................................Designer
Chris Sloan.............................. Faculty Writer
Gayle Yelvington...............Distribution Coord.
Sheryl Smee.........................Editorial Advisor
submit an address change, please visit
www.pointloma.edu/Viewpoint
or call (619) 849-2302.
Ph: (619) 849-2302 • Fax: (619) 849-2579
[email protected]
www.pointloma.edu
Erin Wong.......................... Student Designer
Andrew Yates............................. Guest Writer
2
3
e all know
someone who has
P
been diagnosed
rogress has been made in the fight against cancer. The ACS reports that the five-year relative survival rate
for all cancers diagnosed was up to 66 percent between 1996 and 2004 from only 50 percent between 1975 and
1977. According to WebMD, new cases of cancer declined by almost 1 percent per year between 1999 and 2006.
This is significant because cases had increased from the mid-70s to about 1990 when rates stabilized. Even more
encouraging, the death rate for cancer declined approximately 1 percent each year between 1993 and 2001 and
about 1.6 percent from 2002 to 2006.
with cancer and the
fear and heartache
such a diagnosis
brings. According
What accounts for the improved rates, and how can they be further increased? Where in the grief of a cancer
diagnosis is hope to be found? The answer is complicated, in part because there are so many types of cancer, each
with its own prognosis and researchers. It’s also complicated because numbers are only a tiny fraction of a story
that is human, personal, familial. As we discuss breakthroughs, promises, and hope, we are really discussing people.
Nothing could be more complex, or more important, than that.
to the American
Cancer Society
(ACS), this year,
The basics
about 1.5 million
new cases of cancer
are expected, and,
tragically, more
than half a million
people are expected
to die from the
disease – that’s
more than 1,500
people a day. In
fact, cancer is
the second most
common cause
of death in the
United States.
4
The quest for a
by Christine Spicer
The term cancer refers to a group of diseases characterized by the outof-control growth and spread of abnormal cells. Some cancers have
been linked to lifestyle-related causes, such as smoking, alcohol abuse,
obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, and sun exposure. Other
cancers are caused by infectious agents such as HBV, HPV, HIV, and
H. pylori. The ACS views cancers caused by exposure and behavioral
factors as potentially preventable. Other times, cancer is linked to
genetics or appears to be random. It is possible that not all causes of
cancer are understood.
The most prevalent form of cancer in the United States is non-melanoma skin cancer. According to the National
Cancer Institute, about half of all cancers diagnosed in the U.S. each year are non-melanoma skin cancer. Some of
the other most common types of cancer in the U.S. are lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.
Cancer can strike at any age, but it is more common among older people. The ACS reports that 77 percent of
cancers occur in people age 55 and older.
Key historical breakthroughs
Breakthroughs in cancer research come in different forms. Some breakthroughs are about prevention. In 1954, for
example, the link between smoking and lung cancer was uncovered. In 2006, Gardasil was approved by the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) as a vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancers.
Other breakthroughs have to do with better means of early detection. In 1960, the ACS began advocating Pap
smears for women, which led to a 70 percent decrease in deaths from cervical and uterine cancers.
Still others have to do with improved treatments. In 1958, a scientist developed an early chemotherapy drug,
5-fluorouracil (5-FU). In 1972, bone marrow transplantation was pioneered. Judah Folkman and Timothy Browder
cured cancer in mice in 1997 using a process called anti-angiogenesis. The first anti-angiogenesis treatment for
humans, Avastin, was approved by the FDA in 2004.
5
Target
Practice
The story of one major
breakthrough: Gleevec
The story of Gleevec and the difference it has made for patients
with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is one of the most dramatic
breakthrough stories in cancer research.
CML is a type of cancer that occurs when two crucial pieces of DNA are
switched on two chromosomes. This DNA mismatch creates a protein
that tells white blood cells to continually divide. CML used to be fatal
within four to six months once a patient reached the more advanced
or “blast crisis” stage of the disease. But that was before Brian J. Druker,
M.D., an oncologist at Oregon Health & Sciences University, came along.
Druker thought that by shutting down the message sent by the protein,
CML could be treated and white blood cell counts could return to
normal. In the first phase of Druker’s clinical trial, patients with advanced,
terminal CML were given Gleevec. The trial began in June 1998. By December,
all the patients’ leukemia had gone into remission.
Druker believed Gleevec might be even more effective if given earlier in the
disease process. Partnering with scientists from 16 countries, Druker led a
clinical trial using Gleevec for patients just diagnosed with CML. The trial
compared treatment with Gleevec to the standard treatment of chemotherapy
and interferon. The results were astounding. Sixty-eight percent of the patients
taking Gleevec had no leukemia after 14 months of treatment. Only 7 percent
of patients on the standard therapy were cancer free. And while 7 percent of
interferon patients moved into blast crisis, only 1.5 percent of Gleevec patients
did. What’s more, Gleevec was better tolerated. Today, the five-year survival
rate for CML patients is almost 90 percent.
6
In 2009, Druker and
his colleagues Nicholas
B. Lydon, Ph.D., a
researcher with Novartis
at the time Gleevec was
being developed, and
Charles L. Sawyers,
M.D., of Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center won the LaskerDeBakey Clinical
Medical Research
Award (sometimes
called “America’s
Nobel” prize because 79
Lasker laureates have
subsequently won the
Nobel Prize). Druker
and Lydon’s research led
to the development of
Gleevec. Sawyers’ research spearheaded efforts toward combating the resistance
to Gleevec that arises in some patients. The team’s discoveries converted CML
from a fatal cancer to a manageable condition.
Today, Gleevec is FDA approved to treat 10 different types of cancer.
Looking ahead
What will be the next Gleevec? Who will uncover better methods of
prevention, detection, and treatment? Perhaps the next breakthrough will
come from one of the PLNU professors or alumni engaged in the fight against
cancer. Read on to see what some of these cancer warriors are investigating.
Gleevec is considered a “targeted”
therapy, meaning that it affects certain
targets present only in cancer cells
or found in much greater quantities
in cancer cells compared to other
cells. Targeted therapies are not as
harmful to surrounding, healthy cells
as chemotherapy. In Gleevec’s case,
the drug affects specific enzymes
in the cancer cells that tell the cells
to multiply and grow. Researchers around the world continue to search for
effective means of treating other cancers with targeted therapies.
Mike Dorrell, Ph.D.
PLNU’s own Dr. Mike Dorrell, a biology professor, is one of the researchers
investigating targeted therapies. Specifically, since graduate school, Dorrell
has been studying angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels. He has
studied how angiogenesis occurs in normal development, in eye diseases such
as macular degeneration, and in tumors.
Understanding angiogenesis is important in fighting cancer because as cells
in a tumor rapidly divide, the tumor becomes too large for the existing blood
supply. Thus, angiogenesis occurs and allows the tumor to grow. If angiogenesis
doesn’t happen, the inside of the tumor dies as quickly as it grows.
“If you can block angiogenesis,” Dorrell explained, “you can starve the tumor
and limit it to the size of a pea.”
An exciting part of the research is that since all tumors require a blood supply,
stopping angiogenesis would be a means of attacking many kinds of cancer.
“Another benefit,” Dorrell said, “is that in adults, normal angiogenesis only
happens during menstruation, pregnancy, and wound healing, so targeting it
would have lower side effects than other treatments.”
During Dorrell’s graduate and post-doctoral work, he studied normal
vascular development in eyes and compared it to disease models. He looked
for minute differences that might allow a drug to attack only new blood
vessels, leaving existing vessels unharmed. Since then, he and his team have
begun to test various drugs and drug combinations to see their effects –
whether they can block new vessel formation and regress existing new
vessels without affecting normal blood vessels.
The task is far from easy. Dorrell pointed out that many drugs that work in the
lab aren’t effective in the clinic. Why? Since the body has many natural backup methods, it often adapts and finds ways around a drug’s effects.
“We’re starting to understand more about the back-ups,” he said. “We’re trying
to find out how many you have to block. We’re working on drug combinations
that work synergistically not just additively.”
Dorrell’s research suggests that if at least three processes are blocked – blood
vessel initiation, proliferation/migration, and maturation – then angiogenesis
can be stopped. His team tested their research on rats with glioblastomas (a
type of brain tumor) and was able to extend the animals’ lives between 30
and 40 percent.
Unfortunately, since the drugs Dorrell’s team used in this test were all made
by different pharmaceutical companies, no one company has jumped to start a
clinical trial. But Dorrell is continuing his work. At PLNU, he is working with
undergraduate student Steve Bravo to see what combinations of already FDAapproved drugs might work in the same way.
7
Brad Carter, M.D., FACS (82)
Mark Jameson, M.D., Ph.D., FACS (92)
Dr. Brad Carter, who is the leader of the endocrine tumor program at the
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, is doing related work. The blood
vessels Dorrell is studying are spurred into angiogenesis by vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF), a polypeptide (essentially, a building block of a
protein). Carter is looking at the endothelial cells that line blood vessels and
working to uncover the factors that
make them susceptible to VEGF.
Dr. Mark Jameson is an assistant professor in the Department of
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Virginia
Health System. Although his primary job is as a cancer surgeon, he is
also a researcher. Since removing tumors from the head and neck can be
disfiguring and sometimes disabling,
Jameson is hopeful that targeted,
nonsurgical options will become
available for his patients.
Endothelial cells are held together
with adherens junctions, a strong
type of structural attachment.
“Breast cancer, for example,
causes the adherens junctions
to dissociate, and this leads to
mitogenic stimulation,” said Carter.
Translation: cancer makes
endothelial cells less “sticky,”
thereby allowing the tumor to grow.
VEGF and other factors also make
the tumor’s blood vessels leaky.
“The goal is to stop the breakdown
of vessels and create a firewall –
essentially to stop angiogenesis before it starts,” Carter explained.
The target Carter is after is angiopoietin-2 (ANG2), which tells cells to ignore
an important molecule called vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin).
VE-cadherin tells the cells to adhere to one another. Carter has found that
a certain receptor, called Tie-2, may be key to blocking this cancer-causing
process. He is working to find a way to either stop the release of ANG2 or
to develop a competitor molecule that can bind to Tie-2 so that ANG2 can’t
initiate the process of breaking apart the endothelial cells. This is what he
means by creating a firewall.
“If we are successful, we can make
cancer somewhat dormant,” he said.
In essence, cancer would no longer
be a killer.
Jameson’s research doesn’t have to do
with angiogenesis because the tumors
he is studying often have a poor blood
supply but grow anyway. However, his
work does have to do with blocking a
factor that allows these types of tumors
to grow: epidermal growth factor, or
EGF. EGF has similarities to VEGF,
the factor Dorrell and Carter are
studying, but instead of having to do
with blood vessels, EGF regulates skin
cells and the lining of body cavities.
Dr. Vic Heasley
Dr. Mark Jameson, known as Mark Horney
while at PLNU
Unfortunately, drugs targeted to block EGF don’t work well for head and neck
cancers because, similar to blocking VEGF, the tumors eventually become
resistant or find workarounds. One of these workarounds has to do with
insulin-like growth factor (IGF). IGF is important for growth during puberty
and for regulating normal metabolic functions.
“IGF puts cancer cells into a position where they don’t die,” Jameson explained.
“So if we stop EGF, which regulates the birth rate of new cells, then IGF starts
working to reduce the death rate. IGF effectively prevents the population of
cancer cells from falling. Thus, combining therapies that block both EGF and
IGF might be more effective than targeting either growth factor alone.”
Jameson is aiming to identify what other pathways are in play in order to
predict if tumors will respond before starting treatment and to develop new
therapies or combination therapies that might be more effective in blocking
EGF and preventing IGF from stopping cell death.
Improving our Aim
Human cells
Dorrell, Carter, and Jameson are all pursuing targeted therapies. With drugs
like Gleevec providing hope, they are each determined to find ways to treat
tumors that will give those with cancer the chance to recover.
Understanding Cancer Causes
Vic Heasley, Ph.D.
In the fight against cancer, nutritionists stress healthful eating, and exercise
specialists urge people to stay active. But in order to provide people with
more and more specific advice about preventing cancer, researchers need to
understand what other causes are in play.
Dr. Vic Heasley, professor of chemistry at PLNU, is an organic and
environmental chemist and one of the world’s leaders in organochlorine
chemistry, especially chlorine in drinking water. In addition to doing research
at PLNU, Heasley has served as a consultant for the U.S. Geological Survey
in Denver. What does chlorine in drinking water have to do with cancer?
Unfortunately, fears Heasley, perhaps quite a lot.
Tap water is chlorinated to kill pathogens that can otherwise cause typhoid,
dysentery, cholera, and other illnesses. It’s necessary, but it may also be a
necessary evil. When Heasley analyzed water from the Denver mountains
before chlorination, it had no chemical impurities. After chlorination, however,
more than 80 organic compounds were formed in the water, and many were
known carcinogens.
“There is no substitute for chlorine even though all chemists know it’s a bad
actor,” Heasley said.
Chlorine is necessary, he explained, because even if another substance, such as
ozone, could be used to kill the initial pathogens in the water, more exposure
8
happens when the water travels through water main lines to people’s homes.
It’s necessary for the chlorine to remain in the water until it’s consumed in
order to protect against water-borne illnesses.
Unfortunately, chlorine, and the form most often used in drinking water,
chloramine, can be toxic, as anyone who has owned a goldfish knows. If a
special de-chlorinate is not put into the fishbowl, the fish will be poisoned
and die. Chlorine doesn’t have the same effects on humans in the short-term
because of our larger size.
“It doesn’t cause instant death,” said Heasley, “but it might cause cancer.”
Unfortunately, if chlorinated water is a potential cause of cancer, the solution
is not simple. For one, scientists have not had success in finding an effective
substitute. And even if people attempt to reduce their exposure by using
filtered or purified water for drinking, they are still exposed to chlorinated
water while showering and washing their clothes. In the shower, for example,
the small carcinogenic compounds produced in chlorinated water may be
vaporized and inhaled or may enter the bloodstream through the skin.
Heasley and dozens of PLNU students have been striving to lay the groundwork for
a breakthrough for more than 20 years. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and
National Institutes of Health (NIH) have both supplied funding for their research.
In short, they are investigating what chemical reactions in the chlorination process
cause the carcinogenic organic compounds to form in the first place.
9
MOVERS
while a few types of cancer, such
as retinoblastoma, have almost
purely genetic causes, most
forms involve both genetic and
environmental factors.
“We’re looking for risk factors
and genetic variations,” Leach
explained.
According to Heasley, chlorine reacts with humic material (the part of soil
made from partially decomposed plant and animal matter). Since humic
molecules are too large to be studied in the lab, Heasley and his students have
been working with smaller models. The reactions of these smaller models may
then help them predict how chlorine will react with humic molecules. Their
practical results may help lead to a new theory. Together, Heasley hopes, all
this knowledge could perhaps be put to use by a chemical engineer to prevent
the carcinogenic compounds from forming in the first place.
Perhaps the only thing better than finding a cure for cancer would be finding
a way to prevent it in the first place. That’s why researchers like Heasley are so
vital in the quest to defeat cancer.
Stacie (Seelig) (03) Shook and
Robin (Reber) (78) Leach, Ph.D.
PLNU alumna Stacie Shook spent her time in graduate school studying the
genetics of prostate cancer under the direction of fellow alum Dr. Robin Leach.
“Certain genes increase a man’s susceptibility to prostate cancer,” Shook explained.
Shook’s team looked at how certain genetic changes known to increase
prostate cancer correlated to race. What they found was that there were
significant differences in terms of which genetic changes most greatly
increased risk for Hispanic, Caucasian, and African American men. The hope
is that this information can lead to new or more customized treatments.
Shook’s work was part of a larger investigation Leach is conducting into the
genetics of complex diseases, including prostate cancer. Leach explained that
10
According to research, a
person’s prostate cancer risk
is about 40 percent hereditary.
However, while there has been
success at determining the
hereditary genes that cause
familial breast and colon cancer,
it has been more difficult to
uncover which genes cause
familial prostate cancer. For
this reason, Leach and her team are looking at combinations of genes to
better understand the disease.
The goal is for better understanding of the genetics to provide better
treatments and guidance for patients in the future.
The art of prevention
Heasley, Shook, and Leach are out to stop cancer before it starts – or to
understand causes well enough to proffer better strategies for treatment. Their
task is complex, but their goal is worthy.
Conclusion
Because cancer is not a single disease but many, it is extremely complex.
While research has made many contributions to our understanding of cancer
and provided significant advances in treatment, there is still much to learn.
Thankfully, experts like Dorrell, Carter, Jameson, Heasley, Shook, and Leach
are helping to drive new discoveries, new questions, and new hope. Though
the process is long and sometimes arduous, the success of Gleevec and the
difference an understanding of causes like smoking have made demonstrate
how worthwhile their efforts truly are.
AND SHAPERS
RITA
CALLAHAN
Sacred Work
by Christine Spicer
ne of her colleagues designed a button that resonates with PLNU
associate nursing professor Dr. Rita Callahan. It reads, “No,
oncology is not depressing.” If the button kept going, maybe it would
say that oncology is rewarding, meaningful, important, or even sacred.
While some people might shy away from working with those who are
seriously ill or dying, for Callahan, nothing could be more fulfilling. As
early as high school, she volunteered with oncology patients. Later,
she served as a certified nurse assistant (CNA) at the well-known M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and fell even more in love with the
field of oncology nursing. Wanting to know and do more, Callahan then
moved to San Diego to earn her doctorate.
Callahan’s dissertation research was inspired by the fact that African
American women have higher breast cancer mortality rates than
women of other races. She studied whether African American mothers
communicated with their daughters about their illness. What she found
was that many women did not share the details about their cancer with
their daughters because they wanted to avoid burdening them (among
other reasons). Her findings indicated a need for greater patient
education about the genetic aspect of breast cancer and about the
importance of open communication with family members. This research
helped make communication and education especially important to
Callahan as she continued her career.
“When you’re caring for someone who has cancer, it requires holistic
caring,” she said. “And it’s not just the patient, but it’s also the family that
needs care. You need open communication when you’re trying to meet all
the needs. That’s why we work to orient students to this side of nursing.”
Currently, Callahan is coordinating the placement of sophomore
nursing students in rotations with Sharp Hospice. Last fall, the students
worked as home health aids in the community, assisting patients and
journaling about their experiences. This semester, they will rotate with
registered nurses (RNs) doing hospice work. Through their experiences
and courses, the students are learning about symptom management,
therapeutic communication, side effects of cancer treatment, and
the reality of what it is like to care for terminally ill patients. Callahan
said she also stresses the importance of evidence-based practice,
professional development, and patient education.
For those who show particular interest in oncology nursing, Callahan
provides the opportunity to attend meetings of the San Diego and
National Oncology Society. She also shares with them about her
experience in the field. For example, when she worked in home health,
she helped her patients feel comfortable and comforted as they passed
away in their environment: their own homes.
After earning her Ph.D., Callahan went on to work at Scripps Mercy
Hospital on the medical/surgical oncology unit. She then spent eight
years serving as a home health care nurse, working with oncology
patients to provide symptom management as well as spiritual and
psychosocial care.
“I would never say that it’s too hard,” she said. “It’s not exhausting – in
fact, it’s quite the opposite. I oftentimes tell students that I thank God
every day for Him choosing me to be one of His helpers; I could very
easily be the patient. It is humbling to put oneself in the role of the
patient, in appreciating how the person might feel. I tell them it could be
any of us. We need to put ourselves in the place of the patient and care
for them the best we can.”
The holistic approach to nursing is something in which Callahan
has always believed, so when she decided to further pursue her
second passion of educating others, PLNU was a logical choice.
Callahan appreciates that PLNU stresses caring for patients’ spiritual,
psychological, and emotional needs alongside their physical ones.
When Callahan’s own father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her
experience helped her make decisions that made the end of his life more
comfortable. And perhaps the loss of someone so dear to her has made
her even more compassionate and more motivated to help patients and
inspire students. One thing is certain: she’s “always loved oncology.”
11
my
cure
iMedicine: Drugs,
Money, and Ethics
by Christine Spicer
You
can customize your music playlist. You can customize your ringtone,
your restaurant order, your credit card image, your Facebook page,
and even your Sharpie (it’s true – if you want a lime green Sharpie
with paw prints and your dog’s birthday on it, you can get it). But what if your medical
care could be customized, your treatments tailored just to you – and not in some sort of
touchy-feely, I’d-like-a-room-with-a-window-and-pink-sheets sort of way, but genetically?
The idea is called personalized medicine, and it’s a potentially transformational concept
that may improve outcomes for patients with cancer and other diseases.
When the Human Genome Project began, researchers hoped to find out which genes
were responsible for causing various diseases. What they found was more complicated.
While some diseases, such as sickle cell anemia and Huntington’s, are caused by a single
gene mutation, many others, including cancer, seem to be the result of factors that
cross multiple genes. By looking at a person’s entire genome, researchers hope to better
understand these diseases and their potential treatments.
12
13
The premise behind personalized medicine is fairly simple:
people are different from one another in terms of lifestyle,
environment, and genetics, and some of these differences
affect health. One person’s DNA, for example, might increase
their likelihood of developing breast cancer or heart disease.
A person’s stress level, diet, or exposure to toxins might reduce
or increase this likelihood. Genes can also play a role in whether
or not a certain treatment is effective for a specific person.
Personalized medicine takes these factors into account when
seeking to prevent and treat diseases. There is also the hope
that personalized medicine might teach doctors more about
who is likely to experience side effects from specific drugs.
How Futuristic Is It?
According to Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes
of Health, personalization is the future of medicine, but that doesn’t
mean it is years away. In fact, the Personalized Medicine Coalition
(PMC) points out that some personalized treatments are already
available, and researchers are currently working on many more.
For example, Dr. Brad Carter (82) of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
in Florida noted that in about 20 to 30 percent of breast cancer cases,
a specific protein, called HER-2, is over-produced. A drug called
Herceptin targets HER-2 positive breast cancer cells and has proven
to be very effective. Herceptin doesn’t work as well for patients whose
breast cancer is HER-2 negative, so its best use is as a personalized
treatment for those with HER-2 positive breast cancer.
Carter calls treatments like Herceptin “smart bombs” as opposed to
“nuclear bombs” like chemotherapy, meaning that they more directly
attack cancer cells and have fewer side effects on normal cells.
“ Treatments like Herceptin are ‘smart
bombs’ as opposed to ‘nuclear bombs’
such as chemotherapy.
“
The Promise of Personalized Medicine
Better Treatments
Despite the personalized option Herceptin offers to some
breast cancer patients, Carter notes that chemotherapy is
still the recommended treatment for most stage two breast
cancer patients.
“Without treatment, patients with stage two breast cancer have
a 30 percent risk of the cancer spreading to solid organs,” he said.
“Chemotherapy only reduces the risk to 15 percent. Right now,
we don’t know who the 15 of each 100 patients are.”
The goal is to figure that out so that treatment options can be
improved and given to those who need them. Those whose cancer
wouldn’t progress anyway might be spared the side effects of
unnecessary chemotherapy and be treated only with surgery,
for example.
The possibility of preventing unnecessary treatments is one that
appeals to Dr. Robin (Reber) Leach (78) of the University of Texas
Health Science Center as well. Leach, who studies the genetics of
complex diseases, has done considerable work on prostate cancer.
She notes that about 20 percent of prostate cancer patients will
have their disease progress without treatment, but that means
80 percent won’t.
“We may be over-treating,” she said. “For those with low risk, it may
make more sense to do active surveillance of the disease than to
treat with surgery or radiation that may not be necessary.”
Better Prevention
If a healthy person’s genomic scan indicated a higher than average
risk for a particular disease or condition, the person might be able to
benefit from strategies aimed at preventing the disease or controlling
it. This might mean undergoing more frequent screenings or even
taking preventive medication. For example, in the case of breast
cancer, the drug tamoxifen has been shown to lower risk among
women with a genetic predisposition for the disease. Different diet,
exercise, or other lifestyle choices might also help the person.
(Of course, compliance will still depend on the patient. A recent
study indicated that many people do not want to take preventative
medications like tamoxifen because of a fear of side effects.)
14
In addition to providing better advice to patients as to which
treatments to choose, genomics may also help with finding better
treatments in the first place.
According to the PMC, “The expanded use of biomarkers –
biological molecules that indicate a particular disease state – could
result in more focused and targeted drug development.”
Moffitt, for example, is partnering with pharmaceutical company
Merck to obtain the genomic profiles of various cancers. According
to Carter, so far, they have profiled more than 10,000 tumors and
are now comparing treatments and outcomes.
15
Ethical and Policy Questions
Although the promise of personalized medicine is great,
there are many questions that remain to be answered.
Questions about Cost
If a drug will help only a few thousand people and millions
of dollars will be spent to discover and produce it, should a
pharmaceutical company still make it? If a drug worked better,
would you pay more for it? Would you pay more if it meant
someone else’s drug would work better?
In 1983, the Orphan Drug Act was passed in order to provide
incentives for pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs that
treated diseases from which 200,000 or fewer Americans suffer.
According to Dr. Mark Jameson (92) of the University of Virginia
Health System, personalized medicine is unlikely to suddenly
render each type of cancer an orphan disease. It’s also unlikely to
split cancer patients into so many subgroups that treatments will
not help large numbers of people. While Jameson recognizes that
cancer is not “a” disease, and that within specific types of cancer
there are often many variations, he notes that there are common
biological mechanisms that drive the growth of cancer cells.
The head and neck squamous cell carcinomas that Jameson
treats can be caused by smoking, alcohol use, and human
papillomavirus (HPV) and can exhibit substantial variability.
“In the past, squamous cell carcinoma patients were typically
male smokers. Now, there are more HPV-related cases, and both
genders are affected. It’s not one cancer. It can be triggered by
different genetic mishaps. There is a lot of heterogeneity,” he said.
But he went on to stress that many of these triggers are common
to other cancer types. For example, the same HPV strains that
can cause head and neck cancer are responsible for most cervical
cancer, and the HER-2 protein that is involved in some breast
cancers also plays a role in some head and neck cancers.
Jameson believes that personalized drug combinations for head
and neck squamous cell carcinoma will involve a handful of
medications selected from perhaps 12 – 20 options, but “probably
not 100.” Thus, while there will likely be some fragmentation in
the market for squamous cell carcinoma drugs, “you probably
won’t have to build a drug for three people,” he joked.
More seriously, Jameson emphasized that it is likely that drugs
targeted to a certain genetic variation of one type of cancer will
also work to treat other cancers, particularly when applied in
combination. This is the case with the landmark drug, Gleevec,
which has revolutionized treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia.
Gleevec can also be used to treat nine or so other kinds of cancer.
None of this means that questions about cost don’t matter. It
does mean that researchers and pharmaceutical companies
are aware of the issues and are working to make personalized
medicine feasible.
Questions about Patient Rights and Privacy
On Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, the Horizon Circle
members enjoyed an intimate Homecoming reception
in the home of President Bob and Linda Brower.
Consider Joining
the Horizon Circle
Photos by Marcus Emerson
The Horizon Circle is a distinguished group of supporters
who have demonstrated a significant level of annual support
of $1,000 or more to benefit PLNU students. Horizon
Circle members not only receive a special invitation
to a Homecoming reception, they also receive regular
correspondence from the Office of the President.
If you could find out whether you had a genetically higher risk of
developing cancer, should you be required to tell your insurance
company? Should they be required to cover you anyway? What if
genomic testing suggests a drug isn’t likely to work for you, but
you still want to try it? Should your insurance company cover it?
If certain health risks become associated with certain sub-groups
of the population, will these groups be stigmatized?
Since its inception nine years ago, the President’s Horizon
Circle has welcomed nearly 1,300 donors into membership
and those donors have given millions of dollars in financial
gifts. Knowing that our more recent alumni have the spirit of
giving but may be just beginning their careers, the university
invites alumni who graduated in the last 10 years to join the
Young Horizon Circle at smaller gift levels.
These are serious questions that the PMC is attempting to bring
to policymakers’ attention. In order for consumers to buy into
the concept of personalized medicine and genomic testing,
they need to feel that their rights and privacy will be protected.
This, too, is an area of which personalized medicine advocates
are keenly aware. National organizations and universities are
collaborating at a number of colloquia and conferences to discuss
these questions and how to handle them.
In 2009, the university introduced the President’s Horizon
Circle Gold. In this inaugural year, members are invited to
give an annual gift of $2,500 or more. Being a member at
this level includes all the benefits of the President’s Horizon
Circle, as well as a special dinner in the month of April with
other Horizon Circle Gold members hosted by President Bob
and Linda Brower.
Looking Forward
While the issues surrounding personalized medicine are thorny, they are worth
tackling. The hope genomics offers to those with cancer and other genetic
diseases – as well as to those who may be susceptible to them – is too promising
to be ignored. In Francis Collins’ book The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution
in Personalized Medicine, there is a character for whom two possible futures are
envisioned, one where she receives the benefits of personalized medicine and one
where she doesn’t. The difference is stark – her life span more than doubles when
her genomic profile is taken into account. The character’s name? Hope.
16
TH E P R E S I D E NT’S HO R I ZO N CI R CL E
If you are interested in learning more about being a part
of the President’s Horizon Circle, the Young Horizon
Circle, or the Horizon Circle Gold, please contact
University Advancement at (619) 849-2302.
TOMORROW’S
GRADS
RACHAEL TENNANT:
Well-rounded and focused
Major
Dream Job
Studying
Women’s Roles in
the Beginnings
of Wesleyanism
Can’t Live Without
Favorite Online
Activities
Biology, pre-med
Caring for people through practicing medicine
as a clinician
Listening to and playing music
Browsing Wikipedia to learn new things
and watching music videos on YouTube
by Dave Bruno
A
One such woman was Mary Tooth,
Ministry of Mary Tooth,” last June
Blessing also stepped out of
who is more well-known as Mary
when she traveled to a conference
her normal realm of research
or the last few years, literature
Fletcher’s assistant. In early
in the U.K. as the Wesleyan
to write about Patricia Jabbeh
professor Carol Blessing,
Wesley, a Liberian poet who fled
by Bethany Leach (09)
F
Methodism, John Wesley wanted
visiting scholar. The paper is also
Ph.D., has spent her summers
Mary’s husband, John, to take over
being published in a volume of
to the United States and is now a
in Manchester, U.K., researching
the ministry after him, but John
essays on early Methodism.
professor at Penn State.
the role women played in early
Fletcher died before Wesley, so
“It was very different for me to get
Mary Fletcher took over. Because
made possible by several different
women couldn’t be ordained, it
because it was a narrative of
out of white Renaissance literature
grants received from PLNU’s
was more of a supplemental type
this woman’s life,” Blessing said.
and write about a Liberian woman,”
Wesleyan Center.
of movement, centered around
more informal types of preaching.
“That’s one way of approaching
Blessing said.
history, with specific inlets
into her life… She went to
Though she received her doctorate
Blessing presented her paper,
“Exile and Maternal Loss in
in 16th and 17th-century English
Though there have been several
conferences and talks about
literature from the University of
studies about Mary Fletcher,
women preachers. You get to see
the Poems of Patricia Jabbeh
California, Riverside, Blessing
Blessing has been traveling to the
the Methodist movement from a
Wesley,” at the African Literature
woman’s point of view.”
Association’s annual conference,
is interested in other periods of
World Methodist Archives at the
women’s studies as well. Since
John Rylands Library in Manchester
2004, her fascination with the
to pioneer a study of Mary Tooth,
women who surrounded John
who took over the ministry after
includes publication of studies on
Wesley has fueled her research.
Fletcher. Blessing enjoys using
Elizabeth I; Aemilia Lanyer, an
Between teaching classes
primary material, all taken from the
early 17th-century poet who wrote
and serving as the chair of
library’s “Fletcher-Tooth Collection,”
a Bible commentary; Margaret
the Department of Literature,
for her research.
Fell Fox, a founder of the Quaker
Journalism and Modern
movement; and Mary Astell, a
Languages, Blessing is working on
late 17th-century feminist writer.
publishing Tooth’s biography and
“I’ve always been interested in the
history of women in the church,
especially within Wesleyanism,
which had its beginning in the
Blessing has spent summers in the
and it’s now being published in the
Other recent research for Blessing
book Poets and Writers in Exile.
library transcribing Tooth’s journals,
She has also published an essay
sermons, as well as a reference
“We more generally talk about
manuscripts, and sermons. She
on feminist interpretations of the
book on John Milton.
John Wesley, but he used women
presented a paper, “Oh, That the
works of John Milton.
in his ministry.”
Mantle Might Rest on Me: The
Methodist church,” Blessing said.
18
“I think it was well-received
Wesleyanism. Her research was
person might be
characterized as “wellrounded” if they have many
interests and are pretty good at
several different things. Another
person might be called “focused”
for steadfastly pursuing a single
cause extremely well. Not too
many people are described as
well-rounded and focused. But
that’s what everyone says about
Rachael Tennant.
Her roommate and best friend,
Sarah Beth Gunther Maher,
knows a thing or two about the
well-rounded side of Rachael.
For fun and to de-stress from the
rigors of academic life, the two of
them play piano together.
“Rachael is the singer/songwriter.
She’s really good at writing songs
on the piano and the guitar.”
“She’s also a creative cook,”
acknowledged Sarah Beth, who
admits that Rachael does most
of the cooking between the two
of them.
To fill out the well-rounded
picture of Rachael, Sarah
Beth added, “She likes to read
literature and philosophy.”
With these talents and interests,
it comes as a surprise that
everyone talks about how singleminded Rachael is.
One of her biology professors,
Dr. Dawn Allen, helped arrange
an internship for Rachael with
an oncology research group at
Pfizer in San Diego. Rachael
was selected for this demanding
internship because she had
previously demonstrated the
concentrated resolve necessary
to be successful in this intense
research environment.
“She is a very solid student,” said
Allen.
Dr. Leslie Sharp, senior principle
scientist at Pfizer, supervised
Rachael’s internship. She
remarked how Rachael quickly
picked up on the real-world details
of immunology and molecular
biology in the Pfizer lab, which was
developing cancer-fighting drugs.
“Rachael had one of the most
demanding jobs. She was
responsible for preparing cells
for scientific research,” explained
Sharp. “The scientists whose
research Rachael supported had
to have confidence she was doing
her job absolutely right. If she got
anything wrong, the experiments
would fail. Rachael didn’t let
anyone down.”
Attention to detail like she
showed at Pfizer earned Rachael
the opportunity to intern at the
prestigious Moffitt Cancer Center
in Florida over the summer.
Dr. Darrel Falk, who advises premed students at PLNU, identified
what keeps her so focused:
“Rachael’s heart is in helping people.”
Falk said that Rachael is a
talented scientist. She is also a
mature student. She listens and
receives feedback respectfully. He
attributes all of these qualities to
the same root motivation: “She
wants to be ready to help people
with the greatest needs.”
That’s what brought Rachael to
PLNU: her dream of helping others
through a lifetime of service in the
medical field. She concedes it will
not always be easy.
Rachael described a short-term
medical missions trip to Mexico. A
woman came into the makeshift
clinic the team had set up. There
was evidence that the woman
might have cancer, but there was
no way for them to conduct tests.
Even though there was nothing
Rachael could do to reassure the
woman, she reflected, “I knew I
was in the right place. When she
needed to be comforted, I was
able to be there for her.”
“If I go into oncology,” admits
Rachael, “I am not going to be
able to save every one of my
patients. But there’s always
something you can do to comfort
another person.”
Rachael’s enthusiasm for her
dreams is visible to others. Sharp
said of Rachael, “She was a
bright spot for everyone who
came in contact with her.”
And Falk observed, “Rachael always
has a quick smile on her face.”
That joyfulness will come in
handy as Rachael goes through
the difficult years of medical
school. But her joyful demeanor
will also be appreciated, some
time in the future, when Rachael
is treating cancer patients. For
them, compassion is just as
important as excellent science.
Her patients will be pleased to
have a well-rounded doctor who
is focused on helping them with a
smile on her face.
19
photo: c/o j. evoy
photo: m. emerson
photo: c/o j. evoy
photo: c/o j. evoy
photo: c/o j. evoy
photo: c/o j. evoy
photo: c/o j. evoy
N O TA B L E S
PLNU Responds to Earthquake in Haiti
As governments and nonprofit organizations
around the world offer assistance to those
affected by the devastating earthquake in
Haiti, PLNU students, faculty, staff, and
alumni are jumping in to help.
PLNU’s director of international ministries,
Brian Becker (01), and his wife, Kelly Tirrill,
left for Haiti on Jan. 28 to work with Church
of the Nazarene leaders and Nazarene
Compassionate Ministries (NCM) in their
ongoing relief efforts. The couple has been
helping with food aid distribution, providing
post-trauma counseling training for local
churches, and working on long-term
development project planning. Becker is
fluent in French and previously worked
and served abroad in Congo.
Meanwhile, students have offered prayers,
given generously, and written cards to
encourage local Haitian Nazarene church
members, many of whom have family and
friends still in Haiti. Students have also
20
been industrious in finding ways to raise
funds for those in need.
specializes in providing medical supplies
to remote areas.
PLNU junior Max Trzcinski, a business
major emphasizing finance and
entrepreneurship, organized a car wash
the weekend after the earthquake and
invited the attendees of a local youth pastor
leadership conference to help. By the end
of the first day, the 40-person crew had
raised $1,700. Another $1,000 was raised
the second day. The students’ and youth
pastors’ efforts caught the attention of local
media with several television stations and
a newspaper stopping by for interviews.
Other students participated in an event
called “I Heart Haiti,” providing artwork to
be sold at the event’s silent auction as well
live music. In addition, the 13 students in
Dr. Tom Phillips’ second semester Greek
class sold Valentine cards stuffed with
coupons donated by local eateries Chipotle,
Chick-fil-A, and Jamba Juice. All proceeds
went to LifeStraw to help distribute portable
water filtration units in Haiti. The class
raised $754.52 in three days of sales –
enough for 251 LifeStraws.
Still, Max wasn’t satisfied. He successfully
found donors to match the funds raised.
Before the newest donations from a
student-led Haiti relief concert at a local
coffee shop were accounted for, Max
estimated students had raised about
$16,000, which they plan to donate to
Direct Relief, a nonprofit organization that
Alumni have been quick to help as well.
Jason Evoy (01), a youth pastor at Olive
Knolls Church of the Nazarene, is the
founder and director of The Haiti Project,
an organization with a mission to take high
school students on annual mission trips
to Haiti. The goal is for students to return
each year to make a long-term investment
in the people and places they are serving.
Jason’s connection to Haiti began when he
was a PLNU student and attended MidCity Church of the Nazarene, which has a
Haitian congregation. Jason visited Haiti
in February 2009 to prepare for the first
group of youth and parents who ministered
to Haiti in November 2009 by building a
church, setting up a sustainable goat farm,
and providing a health clinic. Three 2010
trips had been planned through Nazarene
Youth International.
Now, in the aftermath of the earthquake,
The Haiti Project is stepping into new roles.
Jason and a team accompanied NCM
to Haiti approximately two weeks after
the quake. They assessed 48 churches,
documenting their physical state as well
as the number of member deaths. Jason
was also able to help rebuild the walls at
the Nazarene seminary campus, making
the seminary a safe haven for people in
need. Although the high school student
trips are now on hold, The Haiti Project
already has two adult trips planned for the
next few months. The first will bring doctors
and nurses to provide medical care while
partnering other volunteers with Heart to
Heart International’s church repair efforts.
The second trip will bring people from
throughout the Nazarene church district to
rebuild more severely damaged churches
from the ground up.
Also helping with the rebuilding process
is Lazarian World Homes, a nonprofit
organization with which PLNU has close
ties. Lazarian builds low-cost, sustainable,
earthquake resistant houses out of
concrete-filled polystyrene blocks. The
organization will be working with Fuller
Center for Housing, which was created by
the founder of Habitat for Humanity.
So far, plans are firmly in place for the
building of two houses, but Lazarian’s Chad
Coil (95), who is also an adjunct professor
in PLNU’s Fermanian School of Business,
hopes to help build many more. In fact,
Lazarian has developed plans for a “Haiti
House” – a single, simple design that will
be easily replicable by many people and
organizations. His target cost per Haiti
House is under $3,000.
Lazarian is also planning to build a
new bank for Fonkoze, a microfinance
organization that offers financial services
to those in need in rural Haiti.
Want to help Haiti?
Two great ways are by donating
to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
directly or by purchasing items NCM
needs through The Haiti Project’s
Amazon.com store and having them
shipped directly to Haiti. Please visit
www.ncm.org or www.thehaitiproject.com
for more details.
21
photo: m. emerson
photo: m. emerson
N O TA B L E S
New Fermanian Business &
Economic Institute
PLNU’s fall 2008 production of
The Magic Flute was recently
awarded third place in the
National Opera Association’s
opera production competition.
NURTURING THE PROPHETIC IMAGINATION
I
n late March, the Wesleyan Center, in
partnership with the Center for Justice
and Reconciliation and the Writer’s
Symposium by the Sea, will be hosting a
landmark conference, entitled Nurturing
the Prophetic Imagination, that will bring
together academics and pastors, poets and
sociologists, environmentalists and priests
to explore the Christian’s place of influence
in a world that is rife with oppression,
disease, and mistrust.
The four-day conversation includes special
guests Dr. Ron Benefiel (71), president
of Nazarene Theological Seminary, and
Dr. William T. Cavanaugh, professor of
theology at the University of St. Thomas.
Panels and paper presentations featuring
academic leaders and theologians from
across the nation will explore the concept
of the prophetic imagination, embodied
in Luke 4:18-19, and how a dedication to
living the principles found therein can bring
about a radical shift in our me-centered,
materialistic culture that will indeed
“proclaim freedom for the prisoners…
release the oppressed and proclaim the
22
year of the Lord’s favor.” The conversation
will challenge Christians to question the
assumptions, beliefs, and practices that the
church often takes for granted.
Under the leadership of PLNU’s Dr.
Mark Mann, director of the Wesleyan
Center, and Dr. Jamie Gates, professor
of sociology and director of the Center for
Justice and Reconciliation, the guiding
structure of the conference is informed by
the various dimensions of the prophetic
imagination. Of special importance are
the three key movements or stages of
encounter with the prophetic imagination:
1) dissatisfaction with and critique of
dominant culture; 2) taking responsibility
for and learning to lament the extent
to which we have been complicit with
the sinful and destructive forces of the
dominant culture; and 3) creatively and
hopefully envisioning new modes of being
the church in the world and new ways of
embodying God’s will for the world.
Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, in its 15th
year, runs concurrently with the conference
and will include evening conversations with
guest speakers chosen for their dedication
to being a prophetic voice for change in
our culture. These informal interviews
with Dr. Dean Nelson, founder of both
the symposium and the PLNU journalism
department, include conversations with
Michael Eric Dyson, a sociologist and
theologian from Georgetown University
known for his examination of AfricanAmerican and hip-hop culture; Bill McKibben,
a Methodist and environmental activist
passionate about “living more lightly on
the earth”; and Kathleen Norris, a poet and
essayist who examines ancient spiritual
practices and how they can inform our
contemporary life of faith. Emmanuel
Katongole, a Roman Catholic priest from
Uganda who works to develop international
partnerships for reconciliation and justice,
will speak at a Saturday morning panel
as a culmination of the conference and
symposium activities.
Additional information may be found by
going to www.pointloma.edu/writers or to
www.pointloma.edu/prophetic_imagination.
Dr. Juliette Singler served as
the producer and director with
Dr. Philip Tyler as orchestra
conductor and Dr. Craig Johnson
as musical director. Tyler is a
professor of music at PLNU,
and Singler and Johnson are
associate music professors.
photo: m. emerson
Artwork by John August Swanson (www.johnaugustswanson.com)
Randy M. Ataide Named
a San Diego Top Influential
The San Diego Daily Transcript
named PLNU’s Randy M.
Ataide, J.D., one of San Diego’s
Top Influentials for 2010. Ataide
is the executive director of
PLNU’s Fermanian Business
& Economic Institute and a
professor of entrepreneurship in
the MBA program.
Said one adjudicator, “This
production was predicated on a
very thoughtful, highly developed
concept. From beginning to end,
the cast seemed effervescent with
commitment and enthusiasm…
I was captivated by this most
enjoyable production. For me,
this production had the feeling
of having been spearheaded by
someone who passionately loves
music, the theatre, and young
students. They were obviously
inspired, and we were too!”
According to the Transcript,
“San Diego’s Top Influentials
highlights the Who’s Who in San
Diego business, profiling the
top newsmakers of 2009. This
year we focus on the leaders in
Finance; Business Services &
Law; Biotech, Tech & Defense;
Construction and Real Estate; and
Health, Education & Hospitality.”
Ataide noted that this is the first
year education has been included
in one of the categories.
In addition to being recognized in
print and online, Ataide and the
other winners will be recognized
at a special reception and will
be turned to as experts by the
Transcript’s editorial staff in the
coming year.
photo: m. emerson
PLNU Opera Wins Award
San Diego has a new source for economic solutions: PLNU’s
Fermanian Business & Economic Institute (FBEI).
The FBEI was known previously as the Fermanian Business
Center. In addition to its prior services, the new FBEI provides
economic analysis, studies, and services to businesses and
nonprofit organizations through contracts, fee-for-service
consulting, publications, and events.
Currently, the FBEI is providing contracted analysis and services
for the San Diego Zoological Society on their new biomimicry
initiative and for the San Diego Military Advisory Council regarding
military construction projects in the San Diego region. Additional
work or strategic relationships have been developed with the
San Diego World Trade Center, SD Economic Development
Corporation, Beacon Economics, and the International Facility
Management Association, among other organizations.
Key FBEI staff include Randy M. Ataide, J.D., executive
director; Lynn Reaser, Ph.D., chief economist; Cathy L. Gallagher,
director; Courtney Hamad, manager; and Dieter Mauerman,
research assistant.
Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) Recognizes PLNU
On Nov. 30, the California Integrated Waste Management Board
recognized PLNU with a Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP)
award for 2009. WRAP awards recognize sustainability practices such
as resource management, waste reduction, and recycling, as well as
employee education. The program applauds creative solutions that help
the environment and companies’ bottom lines at the same time. This
year’s WRAP award is PLNU’s fourth.
23
N O TA B L E S
Pines in La Jolla, Calif.
Specifically, PLNU was
honored for its innovative
online solutions, including
its robust applicant
tracking system,
comprehensive intranet
portal, and online benefit
management options.
PLNU Alumni Win San Diego
Press Club Awards
Students who worked on the award-winning films pose for the camera, and musicians practice the score.
PLNU Students Win at BestFest America 2009
Two PLNU student films were honored with awards at BestFest America 2009, one of the largest student film
festivals in the United States. “She Sang, She Directed” by Bryan Bangerter won first place in the college comedy
category, a major accomplishment considering the competition included students from top film schools around the
country. “Kisses and Pudding” by Blake Nelson (09) took home an honorable mention in the same category.
“She Sang, She Directed” was produced by Bangerter and a team of PLNU students. PLNU students also
starred in the film, and an alumnus wrote the score. In addition to winning the comedy division, “She Sang,
She Directed” was nominated for Best Acting and Best Music awards. According to Dr. Alan Hueth, professor
of communication at PLNU, the film was made as part of a short film production class last spring.
“It’s 20 minutes long and is one of the largest and most creative and complex student films ever made at
PLNU – with dozens of actors and crew members,” Hueth said.
“It was enjoyable to be at BestFest America with my co-writers and co-producers, Daniel Page and
Andrew Gumm (09), as well as the film’s composer, Chris Tweedy (06),” said Bangerter. “Plans for the
film are to enter it in more film festivals, as well as release the DVD this month. We’re looking forward
to the film’s future.”
“Kisses and Pudding” was also created last spring. Nelson completed the film as part of his senior honors
project, along with a short story and comic book.
“All three were designed to tell different parts of the same overall narrative, even though each story
(theoretically) could work on its own,” said Nelson.
“Pretty much the same people were involved in making both short films,” Nelson added. “Bryan was the
director of photography for ‘Kisses and Pudding,’ and I was his first assistant director for ‘She Sang.’
Laura Puhl (09) did costumes and makeup for both, Matt Mahoney was the production designer for both,
and Michael Spear, Daniel Page, Andrew Gumm, and others had significant roles in each film. Because
of this, both awards go to a large group of people – all [of whom are] Point Loma students.”
Of all the films submitted to the festival, the top 40 were selected to be shown at the festival. The
competition took place Nov. 7, 2009, in San Diego.
24
Eric Yates (02) won first place
in the Daily Newspapers and
Web sites – Sports category
for “Sorting out the Chargers
Stadium Search,” SDNN.com.
Jen Lebron-Kuhney (08) won first
place in the Daily Newspapers
and Web sites – Feature category
for “Poway Machine Shop Thrives
on Fostering Creativity.” She
also earned third place awards in
Daily Newspapers and Web sites
– Profile for “IMS Celebrates 60
Years of Customer Service” and
Daily Newspapers and Web sites
– Science/Technology for “Vista
Motor Company Rolling Out Car
of the Future.” All were published
in The San Diego Daily Transcript.
PLNU alumni took both first and
second in Daily Newspapers
and Web sites – Investigative
Reporting. Danielle Cervantes
(00) teamed with Brooke Williams
for “Tons of Questions,” The San
Diego Union-Tribune. They also
won Best in Show – Best Daily
Newspapers and Web Entry for
this article. Kelly Bennett (06)
partnered with Will Carless to
take second for “A Staggering
Swindle,” voiceofsandiego.org.
Rebecca (Go) (08) Paynter took
third in the Wild Card Category:
Regional Economic Budget Crisis
with “Plan to Halt Foreclosures to
Only Skim San Diego,” The San
Diego Daily Transcript.
PLNU Wins Workplace
Excellence Award
On Nov. 11, PLNU was honored
with a Workplace Excellence
Award from San Diego
Society for Human Resource
Management (SDSHRM). PLNU
was recognized for its excellence
in HR practices with a Crystal
Award in the large companies
category. The award was
presented at SDSHRM’s 10th
Annual Workplace Excellence
Awards held at the Hilton Torrey
The award was accepted by
Joyce Falk, associate vice
president for human resources,
and Dr. Joe Watkins, vice
president for external relations.
In accepting the award, Watkins
noted that HR is especially
important to the university
because PLNU believes the
quality of its staff and faculty
directly affects the kinds of
students the university produces.
He also thanked SDSHRM and
the entire HR staff at PLNU.
Debate Team Fall Semester Highlights
photo: c/o s. rutledge
photos: c/o a. hueth
At the San Diego Press Club’s
36th Annual Excellence in
Journalism Awards on Oct. 20,
PLNU alumni were recognized for
their achievements.
Faculty Accomplishments
• Dr. G.L. Forward co-authored a paper with communication
students Lisa Garber, Brian Holland, and Amber Briggs entitled
“Communication orientation, religiosity, and attitudes toward
authority in a church-related university.” The paper was presented
at the Religious Communication Association pre-conference Nov. 18
in Chicago. Garber and Briggs made the trip to Chicago to present
the paper, which was well received.
• Dr. Tom Phillips, professor of New Testament and early Christian
studies, recently published three new books. Paul, His Letters, and
Acts (Hendrickson Press, 2009) uses both Acts and Paul’s letters
to craft a fuller picture of who Paul was. Contemporary Studies in
Acts (Mercer University Press, 2009) is a collection of essays edited
by Phillips that tackle the most important questions in contemporary
Acts scholarship. Acts Within Diverse Frames of Reference (Mercer
University Press, 2009) provides an overview and analysis of current
scholarship on the genre of Acts and the issues of wealth and poverty
it addresses and suggests new areas of inquiry.
• Dr. Michael Lodahl, professor of theology, explores the theological
differences between the Bible and the Qur’an in his book Claiming
Abraham: Reading the Bible and the Qur’an Side by Side. The book
is scheduled to be published by Brazos Press on April 1. Lodahl
points out how the Qur’an adapts stories and characters – such
as Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus – from the Bible and then
explains how the adaptations teach us about Jewish, Christian, and
Islamic theology.
• David Adey and Jim Skalman, co-chairs of the Department of Art
and Design, have each had shows recently. Adey’s show titled
“John Henry” opens at The Athenaeum on Feb. 26 and will run
through April 3. It will re-open at Luis De Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles
on April 9. Skalman’s work was shown at MCASD in the fall.
At press time, Point Loma’s Speech and Debate team was ranked
in the top spot in the country in the National Parliamentary Debate
Association’s national sweepstakes race.
In October, PLNU made its mark at a tournament at Concordia
University, competing against 37 colleges from around the country.
All eight PLNU teams advanced to elimination rounds, a rare
accomplishment for any school, especially one of PLNU’s size.
Three of the four final teams were from Point Loma, including
eventual winners Caitlyn Burford and Mac Andrews.
Later, at Grossmont College, PLNU won first place in overall
sweepstakes. In the last tournament of the semester, the fall
championship tournament of PLNU’s district, Point Loma again
took first place in sweepstakes in a competition between 40
colleges and universities.
PLNU’s Dietetics Program
Receives Full ADA Accreditation
The American Dietetics
Association’s Commission
on Accreditation for Dietetics
Education (CADE) has granted
PLNU’s dietetics program full
initial accreditation, which is valid
for 10 years. Locally, the only
other school with an accredited
dietetics program is San Diego
State University. Among Christian
schools in the west, PLNU joins
Seattle Pacific University in
having an accredited program.
Students on PLNU’s Euroterm
pose in front of the Globe Theatre
in London.
25
AT H L E T I C S
“We were down. We were bummed. In fact, one of the girls already
bought a plane ticket home for Thanksgiving,” said head coach
Tim Hall. “I knew that the three losses were not because we were
beaten. I felt like we beat ourselves, and our girls felt like they beat
themselves. After that, we committed to fitness and to realizing that
we’re still in this thing.”
The commitment to fitness paid off as PLNU was able to win six of
their last seven GSAC games to finish fourth in league play. They
advanced to the GSAC tournament, first beating The Master’s
College 1-0. That victory was followed by a win over Azusa Pacific
3-1 on penalty kicks, putting them into the championship game
against Vanguard. The championship also came down to penalty
kicks, and PLNU fell 3-1.
Their strong showing in the GSAC tournament earned the team a
birth to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
tournament. They were the only unseeded team to advance to the
national championship.
PLNU celebrates their 2-0 win over No. 1 ranked Lindsey Wilson.
Women’s Soccer Finishes
2nd at NAIA Tournament
by Andrew Yates (05)
Typically, when a team begins league play with three straight losses,
a long season lies ahead. Despite going 5-0-1 (the 1 being a tie
game against Cal State San Marcos) in the pre-season, the lady
Sea Lions began Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) play
with losses to The Master’s College, Concordia University, and
Azusa Pacific University.
“Because of this, other teams had pressure to play up to the standards
of their then current ranking,” said PLNU assistant coach Alisa
Boon. “Our team was unranked, so each game was a gift because we
weren’t supposed to have made it even to the final tournament.”
“There wasn’t this intensity; they were relaxed,” said Hall. “We had fun.
They were coachable. They listened to what we tried to do each game,
and we didn’t put pressure on ourselves. But when they took to the field,
they fought. And after the game, they were a ‘happy team.’”
This combination of an air of easiness and scrappiness produced
results. They began by defeating ninth-ranked Simon Fraser 1-0 in
double overtime in the opening round. The victory advanced them to
the final site of the tournament as the lone unseeded team still alive.
photo: m. emerson
W.S. BROWN MEMORIAL GOLF CLASSIC
The annual W.S. Brown
Memorial Golf Classic returns on
March 26 at the Sycuan Resort
in El Cajon, Calif.
The tournament is named after
Dr. W. Shelburne Brown (40),
president of Pasadena College
from 1964 to 1978. Brown
was a committed supporter of
Pasadena/Point Loma athletics.
26
The classic was established in
1983 under the leadership of
golf coaches Ben Foster and
Sam Mallicoat. Revenue from
the tournament contributes to
the W. Shelburne Brown Athletic
Endowment, which is used for
scholarships and other athletic
department needs. According
to PLNU Athletics, more than
100 players compete in the
tournament annually.
The classic is sponsored by the
Point Loma Sports Associates, an
athletics booster club consisting of
alumni and friends.
For more information about the
classic, or if you’d like to sign up,
please contact Dianne Rabello at
(619) 849-2265 or Dr. Carroll Land
at (619) 849-2266. You can also
visit www.pointloma.edu/Athletics.
Meet Russ Blunck
PLNU’s first game at the final
site was against a familiar foe,
Vanguard. The eighth-ranked
team was no match for the
offensive onslaught by PLNU,
as the Sea Lions won 6-1. With
the win, PLNU was awarded the
opportunity to play top-seeded
Lindsey Wilson. Once again,
Point Loma competed to the end,
earning a 2-0 victory and a spot in
the semifinals.
PLNU next faced another GSAC
opponent, fourth-ranked Azusa.
In an incredibly evenly matched
game, the victor was decided by
penalty kicks. PLNU’s freshman
goalkeeper, Tiffany Kracy, was
an impenetrable wall, as the Sea
Lions won 3-0 on the penalty
kicks and advanced to the
national championship game
against second-ranked Lee
University. The Lady Flames
defense ultimately proved too
much for PLNU to handle, as
Lee recorded its fifth consecutive
shutout at the tournament. Two
goals in the first half gave Lee the
championship.
PLNU’s success at the
tournament was even more
exceptional considering the
weather conditions.
“We didn’t play any game above
35 degrees during the whole
tournament and the final kick-off
match was 25 degrees,” said Hall.
Several PLNU players were
recognized following the
tournament for their outstanding
performance. Kracy was named
to the NAIA Women’s Soccer
National Championship All-
as the associate athletic
director for a year and half
before coming to PLNU in midSeptember.
Nestled in the northeast corner
of the PLNU athletics office,
associate athletic director Russ
Blunck has a full plate in his
new position.
In addition to handling
fundraising, special events,
the development of a more
robust athletics Web site, the
hall of fame banquet, facility
enhancements, and corporate
sponsorship development,
Blunck takes a personal interest
in overseeing the broadcasting
of PLNU games over the B2
Networks online.
Blunck previously served as
the sports information director
at Western Oregon University
(WOU) for 11 years and then
Tournament Team as well as
being named the Defensive Most
Valuable Player. Sophomore
forward Katie Pedlowe was also
named to the All-Tournament
Team. Amanda Rowand, a senior
forward, was awarded the Brine
Champion of Character Award,
“When I went up to Western
Oregon, my job kind of took me
into more of the radio and TV in
addition to the print,” said Blunck.
“I started broadcasting football,
basketball, and baseball games
for them on the radio.”
Growing up in Stevenson,
Wash., a small town on the
border of Washington and
Oregon of less than 1,500
people, Blunck was constantly
around sports. His father was
the football and baseball coach
at the local high school. Later,
Blunck had the opportunity
to broadcast football games
alongside his dad for 13 years
at WOU. He went on to play
both football and baseball at
Pacific University. As a student,
he also had the opportunity
to be the sports information
director. He graduated in 1982
with a journalism degree and
despite being sidelined during the
tournament with an injury.
Not forgotten was Coach Hall, as
he was named the San Diego
Union-Tribune’s Coach of the
Year for soccer.
went on to work for Athletes in
Action, a ministry of Campus
Crusade for Christ.
Blunck is no stranger to PLNU.
From 1991 to 1997, he served
as the sports information
director here. His wife Maddie
(Liseblad) (94), ran track in
college and then helped coach
for a year after she graduated.
“I loved being here. I loved
everything about it,” he said. “I
loved the mission of the school;
I loved the campus; and I loved
the people I worked with. When
I left PLNU, the timing allowed
my young sons, Brodie and
Brendan, to get to know their
grandparents. I am grateful for
that time, but am now thrilled to
be back.”
In his free time, Blunck tries to
take full advantage of the San
Diego weather by playing as
much tennis as possible.
– AY
“I’m honored,” said Hall. “I know a
coach has to do his or her job, but
at the end of the day [the team]
did the work. So the first thing
that came to my mind was ‘these
girls get the credit for that.’ Coach
Boon was [also] a part of it for me
– she was huge.”
27
1
2
3
4
6
10
1. Dr. Heasley speaks as the guest of honor at the
Research Associates Breakfast.
2. Preparing for the big game
3. Dr. Mary Paul makes sure students look good for
the basketball games.
4. Students Aimelle Heinberger and Megan DeBoard
perform in the Department of Communication and
Theatre’s presentation of “Waiting for Godot.”
5. Students present research posters as part of the
Math and Science Celebration.
6. Kids love the Homecoming Extravaganza!
7. Karroo the cheetah delivers Dr. Bob Wiese’s (82)
APL speech notes during Homecoming Chapel!
8. Dr. Dan Nelson and his wife, Jann, enjoy connecting
with friends, students, and colleagues at the concert
in his honor.
9. Dr. Gene Rice (57) is honored with a Distinguished
Achievement Award.
10. Students Cameron Beyenberg and Kelsey Ehrsam’s
comedy sketch provides side-splitting laughter during
the Variety Show.
11. This year’s court dazzled in their vintage Hollywood
attire.
12. Longtime friends Nancy (Starr) Parker (79), Leslie
(Matthews) Casserly (79), and Kim Kundrak (79)
reconnect.
13. Future PLNU grads play during their parents’ reunions.
14. Barry Meguiar (64) is the featured speaker for the
Alumni in Business Breakfast.
15. The men’s basketball team battles Olivet Nazarene
University.
16. Col. Jeff Ashley, Ph.D. (85) speaks during the
Nursing Alumni Breakfast.
17. Rev. Larry Pitcher (65) gives his testimony as he
accepts a Distinguished Achievement Award.
18. ASB President Taylor Johnson connects with alums
during Homecoming Chapel.
5
7
8
9
11
13
12
17
15
16
14
18
photos by Marcus Emerson and Darrell Larson
29
ALUMNEWS
BABY SEA LIONS
BIRTHS
MAR R IAGES
I N M E M OJonathan
RIAM
Asche (03)
and Jamie
Southard (03)
married June
23, 2007, in the Ellipse Chapel
of San Diego First Church of
the Nazarene. Jamie works at
PLNU in Mission Valley and
Jonathan works at a research
company in San Diego.
Cheer team members Terry Albert,
Janine Schoelz, Dan Royer,
Radwyn Ponsford, and Nairobi
Kenya kick up school spirit in 1973.
Ruth (Mieras) Ernst (36) turned
as a full-time minister in various
the San Diego County Office of
Frank (98) and Rebecca
95 last summer. She attends
capacities in both Kentucky and
Education, has been selected
(Hubbard) (97) Tisdel and
Pasadena First Church of the
Tennessee.
by the California Educational
their daughter, Rachel, are now
Nazarene and lives independently
Theatre Association (CETA) as
stationed at RAF Mildenhall in the
at Royal Oak Manor in Bradbury,
the Administrator of the Year. The
UK. They are enjoying living in East
Calif. She has recently enjoyed
award was presented at the CETA
Anglia and traveling throughout
state conference in Anaheim on
the region.
writing the life story of the Mieras/
30
Sept. 12, 2009.
Ernst family for her children and
Dr. Rick Bravo (79) was
grandchildren. She wants to say
elected president of the U.S.
hello to all her friends.
Pharmacopeia Convention, the
Chris (89) and Michelle (Michaud)
national standards setting body
(88) Gennaro will be moving to
John (55) and Lorretta Andrus
in D.C. for drugs, food, and
Molumong, Lesotho, with their
Kyle and Christina (Sargent)
are enjoying their retirement in
medications. These standards are
children: Julia, 16, Olivia, 13,
(04) Osbahr just moved to Utah.
Chattanooga, Tenn., where they
recognized and used worldwide.
and Jedidiah, 10. They accepted
Christina started her sixth year
lead a Sunday evening chapel
a teaching assignment at the
teaching.
service at a high-rise apartment
Molumong Skills Training Center
complex, take various trips
where Chris will be teaching the
throughout the U.S., and have
practicalities of business, sewing,
taken up several hobbies. John
Ron Jessee (87), visual and
retired in 1993 after a long career
performing arts coordinator at
and building.
Joshua Lee
and M. Victoria
de Armas (07)
married July 19,
2008, at PLNU’s
McCullough
Park. They relocated to Seattle
where they live happily amidst
the rain and coffee shops.
Zach Burton
(07) and LeAnn
Wiley (05)
married Feb. 29,
2008, on San
Diego’s Harbor Island.
Joshua
Burch (05)
and Jennifer
Bushnell
married Aug.
16, 2009, near Seattle,
Wash. Joshua is an engineer
at Boeing, and Jennifer
is studying at Northwest
University to be an elementary
school teacher.
Dan Coronado
and Sara Ours
(02) married
May 24, 2008, in
San Diego. Sara
teaches 2nd grade, and Dan is
a photographer.
Rick Gajus and Carol Carver
(77) married in October
2008. Carol was promoted to
senior instructional designer,
producing training programs
in leadership and the
banking industry.
Josh Sanderson
(08) and Kati
Hilbelink (08)
married June 27,
2008, in Minn.
The former PLNU point guards
live in Germany. Josh plays
professional basketball and
Kati is a technical writer for a
Southern California company.
Brian O’Neill
and Julie Griffis
(05) married
July 12, 2008,
in San Diego.
After a honeymoon in Jamaica,
the couple returned to South
Korea where they both
teach at the Tajeon Christian
International School.
Luke Jernejcic
(06) and
Kendra Dix
married Dec.
28, 2008.
Josh Bartels and Dani Corti
(03) married April 4, 2009, in
McCullough Park on PLNU’s
campus. They are enjoying
married life in San Diego
where Dani is teaching and
Josh has started a new job as
an account executive.
Tim Kennedy and Sarah
Grimm (08) married May 30,
2009, surrounded by friends
and family in an intimate
wedding at Neff Park in La
Mirada, Calif.
Joel Day (07)
and Lauren
Ries (08)
married June
12, 2009, at the Darlington
House in La Jolla with friends,
family, fun, and cupcakes!
Joel is pursuing his master’s
degree at USD while Lauren
enjoys her new position at SD
Workforce Partnership.
Paul Young Jr.
and Kelsey Bray
(09) married June
20, 2009, at St.
Paul’s Episcopal
Church in San
Diego. Paul is finishing his
final year of school through
PLNU’s study abroad program
in Vienna. The couple hopes to
make Vienna their home after
Paul’s graduation in May.
Cory McCoy
(05) and
Kristen Radke
(08) married
June 28,
2009, in Flagstaff, Ariz. The
couple is currently living in
Greeley, Colo., where Kristen
is continuing her graduate
work in school psychology and
Corey is a pilot and teacher.
Brent Butts
(96) and Wida
Wahyuni
married July 4,
2009, in Tulsa,
Okla. They honeymooned in her
homeland of Indonesia last fall
and are living in New Jersey
where Brent continues to work
at Merck, and Wida is working
at Lifecell Corporation.
Robert De
Lisle and
Ashley Ball
(07) married
Aug. 2, 2009,
at the Thursday Club in San
Diego. The couple resides in
Point Loma.
Tim Fahlen
and Kimberly
Hanks (06)
married Aug.
8, 2009, on a
beautiful fall day in McCall,
Idaho, in Kimberly’s parents’
backyard. They honeymooned
in Kauai. The couple resides in
Boise, Idaho.
Carl Withrow and Sheliah
Pickens (79) married Sept.
13, 2009. Carl is retired and
has one daughter and two
grandsons. Sheliah, in addition
to being retired, continues
to work for Warren County
Engineers and will until full
retirement. Sheliah enjoys
being a new stepmom and
“mamaw” to Carl’s grandsons
and especially enjoys being
a wife to a wonderful man.
Miguel
Miranda and
Elizabeth
Herzog (08)
married Nov.
27, 2009.
31
ALUMNEWS
BIRTHS
MAR R IAGES
IN MEMORIAM
1
2
8
9
3
12
19
16
BABY SEA LIONS
1
BGarret
IRTH
S born to Carl (00)
Allen:
and Evelin (Sarti) (99) Butler Dec.
11,
Sibling:
M2008.
ARR
I A GSamantha
ES
Judit, 3.
IN MEMORIAM
2 Caleb James: born to Josh (01)
and Leandra (Edwards) (01) Wills
Dec. 15, 2008.
3 Kayleigh Ann: born to Bryan
(01) and Christina (Cartwright) (01)
Renschler Feb. 6, 2009. Kayleigh
was born prematurely and had to
spend some time in the NICU, but
she is now enjoying good health
and is home with her family. Sibling:
Lukas James, 4.
4 Rylee Grace: born to Greg (00)
and Cory (Morris) (01) Marcoux
Feb. 12, 2009. Siblings: Brayden, 3,
and Cody, 2.
Siena Nicole: born to Jarrod
(03) and Nicole (Royer) (03) Smith
March 12, 2009.
5
32
17
6
13
7
14
11
10
15
5
4
20
21
18
Reed Walter: born to Steven and
Natalie (Buday) (98) Quartly March
29, 2009. Siblings: Ashton, 6, Molly
Joy, 4, and Maxwell, 2.
Julia Ashley: born to Greg and
Mandy (Cogswell) (98) Barron
July 1, 2009. Sibling: Hannah
Isabelle, 18 mo.
Brennan Miller: born to Trenton
(92) and Shelley Theel Aug. 10,
2009. Siblings: Taylor, 15, Tanner,
12, Griffin, 1, and Paige, 1.
Ezra Stephen: born to Steve and
Jennifer (Leidy) (96 B.A., 06 M.A.)
Sanchez April 25, 2009.
Karsie Gene: born to Kevin (03)
and Michelle (Royal) (03) Turner
July 17, 2009. Karsie was born with
a medical condition and has been
in the hospital since then. Kevin
and Michelle are anticipating her
homecoming in the next few weeks.
Jack Harrison: born to Jason
and Cherie (Norman) (98) Hiland
Aug. 12, 2009.
13
Audrey Addison: born to
Bronson (05) and Megan (Powell)
(05) Pate July 24, 2009.
Iris Avenly: born to Nathan (05)
and Laura (Stoltz) (05) Eaton Oct.
21, 2009. Sibling: Adeline Rose, 2.
Jolene Emma: born to Joe and
Joan (Oliveros) (05) Gaerlan July
25, 2009.
Isabella Katherine: born to Steven
(94) and Kim Riddle Dec. 18,
2009. Siblings: Malik, 13, and
Jacqueline, 4.
6
7
Josiah Douglas: born to Bradley
(03) and Kristen Heinrichs
April 30, 2009.
8
Sebastian Richard: born to David
(96) and Hannah (Granger) (95)
Lawton April 30, 2009. Siblings:
Isabelle, 6, and Matthew, 4.
11
12
14
Summer Joy: adopted by Mike
(98) and Mandy Hoggatt June 1,
2009. Summer is 4 years old.
9
Aubrial Noel: born to Andrew
and Alisha Bassett (07) MacKay
Aug. 6, 2009.
17
18
Jackson Clay: born to Clay and
Lisa (McBeth) (07) Chaffee Sept.
15, 2009.
19
20
15
Ryan Mantle: born to David (99)
and Lori (Bowers) (98) Georgia
June 11, 2009. Siblings: Jacob
Rawlings, 5, and Kaden Brett, 3.
10
Harry James: born to Phil and
Nicole (Stephens) (01) White Aug.
6, 2009. Sibling: Johnny, 2.
16
Lorraine (Hunt) Coble (48)
passed away Sept. 18, 2008,
in Rialto, Calif., at the age of
83. Lorraine graduated from
Pasadena College and earned
her master’s degree in education
at Long Beach State. While she
was a faculty member at The
Lancaster School, Lorraine met
her husband, John. Lorraine was
very involved in her community as
a member of Beta Sigma Phi and
as a participant in the Women’s
Club of Rialto. She had a passion
for singing and was a member
of the Rialto Nostalgia Singers.
Lorraine loved to write and kept
up with current events. She
had arrangements made for her
body to be donated for research
to Bodies of Science at Loma
Linda Univ. Lorraine is survived
by brothers Harold and Kenneth
Hunt; sister Ruth Livingston; and
many nieces and nephews.
Emilia: born to William (05) and
Zoia Hildreth. Sibling: Sophia, 4.
21
Alice Crill passed away Sept. 5,
2009, in her Point Loma home
at 95. She is survived by her
sister Dorothy Millard; three
children Carole Cochran (69),
Gini Embree, and Chester; five
grandchildren; and three great
grandchildren. A musician,
teacher, businesswoman, and
arranger, Alice left a legacy within
the music community of Point
Loma. Her involvement with
PLNU dates to 1947 at Pasadena
College. Along with her husband,
Chester, who was the chair of the
music department at the time,
she contributed to the music
community as a church organist,
arranger, and piano teacher. Alice
and her husband have ensured
that the gift of music will live on
in students’ lives at PLNU. The
Crills donated the organs in the
music department and the Ellipse
Chapel. Their support played an
integral part in the building of
Crill Auditorium, and scholarships
have been established in their
names for students seeking
music degrees.
Richard Allen Gilster Sr. (39)
passed away Sept. 7, 2009, at
the age of 93. While attending
Pasadena College, Richard met
Dorothy (Whiteley) (pref. 39). The
two were married in 1937. Richard
served as a pastor for 47 years in
the states of Kan., Neb., Mont.,
Wyo., Nev., and Ariz. He loved
people and made many friends.
He enjoyed hunting, deep-sea
fishing, singing, and playing the
harmonica. Richard was preceded
in death by Dorothy and their
oldest daughter Joan (Gilster)
Tedder (60). He is survived by
son Richard Allen, Jr. (pref. 63);
daughter Mary (Gilster) Cowdrey
(67) and her husband, Steve (67);
son Ronald (70) and his wife,
Delores; son Reginald; and sonin-law Verne Tedder (65).
Paul E. Jackson (72) passed
away Sept. 16, 2009, after a
20-month battle with cancer.
He was a commissioned song
evangelist for 32 years in the
Church of the Nazarene. PLNU
played a big part in Paul’s life,
and he often spoke of dorm life,
his friends, and singing in Male
Chorale. He also loved riding his
1800 Goldwing and speaking to
people about Jesus everywhere
he traveled. His parting message
was, “Eternity is forever… be sure
you don’t spend it wishing you
were someplace else!” Preceding
him in death was his brother,
John R. Jackson (76). Paul
leaves behind his wife, Trish,
and parents, Rev. Sidney and
Betty Jackson.
Donald Victor Nicholson (57)
passed away Oct. 12, 2009, in
Newport Beach, Calif. The son
of missionaries, Donald was
born Sept. 4, 1927, in Japan. He
graduated magna cum laude from
Pasadena College in 1957 with
a bachelor’s degree in chemistry
and later obtained a master’s
in library science from USC. He
married his Pasadena College
sweetheart, Mildred (Purdy) (56)
in 1960. The couple would have
celebrated their 50th anniversary
this year. Despite inheriting manic
depression, Donald was able to
live a very full life. He worked
as a professional librarian for 25
years, organized a community
orchestra with his wife, played
the violin, and enjoyed attending
music concerts. Mildred, a
lifelong ice skater, was surprised
when Donald took up figure
skating in his 40s. The couple
trained and competed for 10
years and were members of
the U.S Figure Skating Assoc.
and the Ice Skating Institute of
America. Donald dedicated his
life to raising awareness about
depression, particularly within the
Christian community. A nursing
scholarship has been endowed
in his honor. He is survived by
Mildred and his brother, Samuel.
Myrtle (Meyer) Jenkins (46)
passed away Nov. 4, 2009. Myrtle
attended Pasadena College,
where she met her husband,
Kenneth (45), when they served
together in a mission service in
downtown Los Angeles. They
were married June 20, 1941,
and shared 68 years together.
As a ministry couple, Kenneth
and Myrtle began four Nazarene
churches and led several other
congregations. Myrtle dedicated
her life to ministry and served
as a church pianist for many
years. In addition, she worked
as a social worker and taught in
public schools. Myrtle’s body was
donated to Research for Life in
Chandler, Ariz. She is survived
by her sons and their wives, Lee
(64) and Sandy (Baxter) (65)
Jenkins and Richard and Joyce
Jenkins; her daughter and her
husband, Jayne (Jenkins) (75)
and Scott McConnaughey; and
her grandsons, Todd (89) and
Jim (82) Jenkins.
Glen K. Clifton (49) passed away
suddenly on Nov. 6, 2009, at 82
years of age. He graduated from
Pasadena College with a double
major in physics and chemistry.
Glen farmed, taught school for
32 years, built houses, repaired
everything, traveled, and played
trombone. This generous man
left a legacy of love and faith
for his family and friends. He is
survived by his wife of 62 years,
Gladys (Isgrigg) (48); daughter
Joyce (72) and husband Marty
Pinckard; daughter-in-law
Carolyn (Egy) (77); daughter Jan
(78) and husband Brian Buckner;
son Bruce (83) and wife Becky
(Williams) (pref. 84); and six
grandchildren, including Crystal
(Clifton) Andrews (04). He was
preceded in death by son
Dale (75).
33
ALUMNEWS
leaders and contributors to the
San Gabriel Valley Christian
community and significant
mentors to many of our students
and alums passing through
the halls of Fuller Seminary,”
said Christa Reiff, director of
development for the seminary’s
School of Psychology. “Warren
has made admirable, marked,
and noteworthy contributions in
the area of neuroscience and its
intersection with spirituality.”
Scholarship Launched
in Honor of Warren (66)
and Janet (Lawson)
(67) Brown
by Josh Seligman
Last fall, the scholarship committee
of Fuller Theological Seminary
honored Dr. Warren Brown and his
wife, Janet, by launching the Warren
and Janet Brown Scholarship.
“Both Warren and his wife,
Janet, have been outstanding
Warren is a professor of
psychology at the seminary. He
is also the founder/executive
director of the Lee Edward Travis
Research Institute, the location of
research at the seminary’s School
of Psychology. The scholarship
is for students studying
neuropsychology in the institute,
said Warren.
“Janet and I are very excited
about the scholarship, particularly
knowing both the contribution
a student can make to research
when supported by a scholarship
and how much every bit of
Tawnya Rush (95)
Wins an Emmy Award
On July 18, 2009, Tawyna Rush
won an Emmy Award at the 2009
Heartland TV Emmy Awards
Ceremony in Denver, Colo.
Tawyna received one of four
“Interview/Discussion Program”
awards for her broadcast
“Tawnya Inside Africa – Interview
with Colorado’s Governor Bill
Ritter.” The broadcast, which
aired on the KUSA-TV show
“Colorado & Company,” is about
Governor Ritter and First Lady
Jeannie Ritter’s mission work
in Africa.
34
financial support helps students,”
he said.
Warren, whose father, W.
Shelburne Brown (40), was a
former PLNU president, majored
in psychology and minored
in theology while a Pasadena
College student.
“I was very influenced by
Professor Paul Culbertson,
who was an interesting lecturer
and winsome person who
made psychology both alive
and relevant to Christian faith
(which was unusual in those
days),” Warren said. “I also got
good theological preparation for
teaching at Fuller from [PLNU
theology professors] Reuben
Welch, Frank Carver, and Paul
Gray.”
After he graduated, Warren
earned a Ph.D. in experimental
neuropsychology at USC and
then did postdoctoral research
at the UCLA Brain Research
Institute, where he worked for
nearly 12 years. In 1982, Warren
“This is a dream come true!”
Tawyna said on her Web site,
www.mealsinarush.com. “I
couldn’t believe it. Tears came to
my eyes as pure joy shot through
my body!”
Tawyna credits much of
her success to her PLNU
professors, who “helped to
open the doors to opportunities,
internships, and gave me the
encouragement that paved the
way.” She majored in mass
communications while at PLNU.
Tawyna said she “had to be a
go-getter to make things happen
began teaching at Fuller, where
he has written much on the
topic of “the interface between
neuroscience and Christian faith.”
Janet was a nursing student
at Pasadena College before
the school offered a nursing
program, so she took most of
her nursing classes at Pasadena
City College and graduated
with a B.A. in nursing. Once
Pasadena College started a
nursing program, Janet returned
to complete a B.S. in nursing,
graduating summa cum laude.
Fuller Theological Seminary
establishes scholarships to
honor “beloved teachers/
mentors, productive and highly
respected scholars, and faculty
who exemplify the mission and
value of the school,” Reiff said.
Funds for the Warren and Janet
Brown Scholarship will come
from friends, donors, alumni, and
a concert on March 26 featuring
jazz cellist Eugene Friesen.
for myself!” After graduating
from PLNU, she moved to Los
Angeles, where she was the
talent executive assistant for
the national show “Home and
Family.” She was also a producer
for Lifetime TV, MTV, and USA
Network. Next, Tawyna pursued
a news career, which led her to
Wyoming, where she created the
morning show “Rush Hour.” In
the summer of 2007, she moved
to Colorado, where she now
hosts a cooking segment called
“Meals in a Rush” on “Colorado
& Company.”
Power in Numbers
There’s power when people
join together with a common
goal. We see it time and again.
It multiplies energy, resources,
money, and talent.
That’s the goal of the PLNU
Alumni Association. When many
alumni get involved—whether
through giving their time, providing
financial support, offering
internships to students, sending
prospective students our way, or
investing of themselves and their
career expertise in the university—
it makes a big difference.
One of the statistics most often
used across universities nationally
to represent alumni support and
satisfaction is the alumni giving rate.
This is the percentage of alumni
who give a gift, of any size and for
any purpose, to the university
each year.
Foundations and corporations
ask for this percentage when a
university asks them for a gift
or grant. They consider this
percentage to be a gauge of alumni
pride and satisfaction. Corporations
and foundations tend to think, “If
your alumni believe in you enough
to give back, then we may consider
your proposal.”
The alumni giving rate is the only
measure of alumni satisfaction used
by US News and World Report
when they rate colleges and
universities each year.
Your gift is a vote of confidence
and a show of support. So, along
with volunteering your time and
participating in PLNU alumni
programs, please give each year
and help us increase our alumni
giving rate. Every person and every
gift counts. This will lead to powerful
new opportunities for the university
and our students.
Nominate an Alum
Do you know a PLNU graduate who is making a significant difference
in many lives? Someone who has an active Christian testimony and
has excelled professionally, in academia, or through involvement with a
nonprofit? Have you ever thought about nominating this person for
a PLNU alumni award?
Now is the time.
Anyone may nominate a PLNU graduate for an alumni award. In the
past, nominations have been received from college classmates,
business associates, family members, PLNU faculty and staff,
students interning with the alum, and community members.
Two alumni awards are presented each year during Homecoming: the
Alumnus of Point Loma Award and the Distinguished Achievement
Award. Criteria for the two awards are the same, but the latter is
considered a lifetime achievement award.
To read the criteria and nominate a PLNU graduate, visit www.
pointloma.edu/AlumniNomination. The deadline for nominations
is May 1, 2010.
New Alumni Association Board Members
Alumni stepping onto the Alumni Association Board of Directors
for the 2010-11 academic year will be announced online on
April 16. Visit www.pointloma.edu/NewAlumniBoardMembers
to view this information.
–JS
35
L A S T POINT
Today, you have the opportunity do something significant,
something specific — something personal — when it comes to
making tomorrow better.
The University Fund
Welcoming Tomorrow
“When I was a student, my summers were
spent working and saving money for school,
but I wouldn’t have been able to attend
PLNU without some type of scholarship
support. Giving to the University Fund is
a way of giving back, a way to say thanks.
And giving to help others is one of the things
that being a Christian is all about…”
Tom Brunson (87)
Does your company
match your giving?
Visit www.pointloma.edu/
MatchingGifts to see a list of
companies that match gifts.
To make your gift, call
(619) 849-2302 or visit
www.pointloma.edu/giving.
Why settle for less?
If you’re looking to increase your investment income,
but you’re tired of the low rates from CDs or money market
accounts, then a PLNU charitable gift annuity may be right
for you!
For example, at current rates, Mary Smith, age 75, can transfer $100,000 to PLNU for a
charitable gift annuity. In turn, she will receive annual payments of $6,300 (6.3 percent)
for life. Not only will she increase her income considerably over current CD rates but
she will also receive an immediate charitable income tax deduction – over half of her
annual payment will be tax-free. Further, if she uses appreciated stock, she can bypass
a portion of the capital gains tax as well.
Since your gift annuity benefits may differ based upon your unique circumstances, your
results may be different from this example.
Please contact a gift planning specialist at (619) 849-2302 or [email protected]
to determine what a PLNU charitable gift annuity may do for you!
HOPE Amidst Grief
by Chris Sloan
“G
et out of my room!” I had to duck to avoid being hit by the empty
soda can that flew past my head like a missile. This was my first
encounter with Matthew. Fifteen-year-old Matt was tired, angry, and in
horrific pain. He was suffering from an incurable form of bone cancer
for which he had been given every high-powered chemotherapy
treatment imaginable. He’d undergone a harrowing experimental
bone marrow transplant procedure in hopes of curing his disease, but
even this had failed. As the disease exacted its toll on Matt’s young,
previously athletic build, it slowly but surely ate away at his spirit and
his soul.
As a pediatric oncology nurse with more than 20 years of experience,
I had encountered many angry cancer patients in my career. It was
understandable. These were young people struck down before their
prime. They were deprived of achieving the milestones most of us
take for granted, such as taking a date to the prom, driving a car,
graduating from high school. But nothing in my experience could have
prepared me for Matthew.
Matthew’s story was particularly tragic. Not only had he been afflicted
with a terrible, incurable disease, but he also had virtually no parental
or family support. His mom, a drug addict, had relinquished all of
her parental rights in favor of staying with an abusive boyfriend who
supplied her habit. Matt and his sister were sent to live with a family
member who cared about him but resented his intrusion into her life
and barely visited or spent time with Matt when he was ill. Even when
she became aware of Matt’s condition, his “mother” didn’t call, didn’t
visit, and didn’t write. As a mother, my own heart was broken for this
child and the physical and emotional pain he was suffering.
On the days I worked, I often took care of Matthew. I didn’t always
look forward to spending the day with him. He could be demanding,
picky, and mean. About the time that I had had my fill of caring for
Matt, he’d flip 180 degrees. He’d begin to cry and feel sorry for his
behavior. He would ask me to sit with him so that I could hold his
hand or rub his forehead. He would thank me for all that I had done
for him that day and ask me if I could take care of him tomorrow when
I returned. If it was an emotional rollercoaster for me (and it was), I
could only imagine what it was for Matthew who didn’t have the option
of going home in the evening to a loving family who cared about him
and missed him. This situation seemed so hopeless, so unfair, and so
futile. I wept buckets of tears over this child.
A week or so before Matt died, he and I spent a quiet day together.
His cancer had begun to rob him of his eyesight, he could no longer
walk, and he was finding it difficult to stay alert and awake. The sicker
he got, the kinder he was, and the easier he was to care for. I knew
he was losing his fight. My prayer was that in these last days and
hours he would feel loved and would be as comfortable and pain-free
as possible. As the shift came to a close, I held his thin, bony hand
and sat quietly next to him as he rested. Out of the blue, he spoke.
“Chris, I’m going to be OK. I’m going to heaven,” he said. I felt the
Lord’s peace come over my heart, and wept tears of deep and
abiding joy.
Matt died during my shift. He was surrounded by the nurses, doctors,
and staff who had all come to know and love him. I’ll never forget
Matthew. His spirit and his struggle stay with me and give me the
courage to continue to walk alongside those whose struggles are
mighty and whose battles are not won on this earth. I will be forever
grateful for his life and his death.
Chris Sloan, RN, MSN, CNS, CPON is an associate professor in the School of
Nursing at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a pediatric oncology nurse
and works as a staff nurse at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.
Alumni Association
3900 Lomaland Dr.
San Diego, CA 92106
www.pointloma.edu/Alumni
Change
Service Requested
Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXX
2010 ALUMNI AREA EVENTS
April 10 - Southern California Alumni Area Event
Evening Reception at the La Quinta Resort
May 22 - New Mexico Alumni Area Event
Albuquerque Isotopes Minor League Baseball
Game & BBQ
July 10 - Los Angeles Alumni Area Event
in Altadena at Kathy & Bob Proulx's home
Other 2010 Alumni Area Events (Dates
TBD): Phoenix, San Jose/San Francisco,
and Anaheim areas
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 9
Pastors Reflective Retreat
with Larry Warner
Perspectives on Science
with Dr. Doug Bartlett
March 10
Center for Pastoral Leadership
Banyan Tree Conference
March 19
“Get to the Point” Preview Day
Open to all juniors, seniors,
transfer students, and their families.
March 19-20
Grandparents Weekend
March 24-26
Writer’s Symposium by the Sea
and Nurturing the Prophetic
Imagination Conference
March 26
W.S. Brown Memorial Golf Classic
April 6
Perspectives on Science
with Dr. William McGinnis
April 9-10
PLNU Point Loma Singers
Madrigal Dinner
Nicholson Commons, 7 p.m.
April 16
Choral Spectrum
Crill Performance Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5
April 20-24
The Runner Stumbles
by Milan Stitt
Salomon Theatre
May 14
Spring Music Festival
Crill Performance Hall, 7:30 p.m.
May 15
Commencement
For more events, visit
www.pointloma.edu/events.