Greetings from the Dean's Office!
Last month, we were thrilled to receive a $1.5 million gift to create the Ferrucci Institute for Italian Experience and Research, which will offer students and faculty unparalleled opportunities to collaborate, investigate, and travel (read more below). We were also honored by a week-long visit with Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Presidential Fellow in Peace Studies. April is a busy month as the countdown to graduation begins. Erin Berthon, our Career Manager, is hosting Wilkinson’s Senior Week from April 24 to 27, which kicks off with a new annual tradition—a toast from the Dean to the class of 2023! In recognition of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Month, read about and mark your calendars
for several events celebrating APIDA
history and heritage.
If you would like to share a story for an upcoming newsletter,
please contact wilkinsoncollege@chapman.edu.
Pictured above: The Wilkinson Student Advisory and Leadership Council is raising awareness for Earth Day on Monday, April 24, with a canvas bag give-away featuring a design from our fall contest winner, Suzi Cullen ('25, Graphic Design).
Bringing ISIS to Justice: A Conversation with Nobel Laureate Nadia Murad
Chapman University and Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences recently welcomed Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Nadia Murad, a Presidential Fellow in Peace Studies, to campus for a week of classroom visits, receptions, and a public event held in the Musco Center of the Arts. Murad sat down with Chapman’s President Danielle P. Struppa for a conversation about her life and activism before 200 guests in attendance.
Ferrucci Family’s $1.5 Million Gift Fuels Chapman Students’ Continued Studies in Italy
Chapman University announced Saturday, March 11 that a $1.5 million gift from the Ferrucci family will create the Ferrucci Institute for Italian Experience and Research within Wilkinson College. The cross-disciplinary program will support Italy-based research and coursework for faculty and students. Dr. Federico Pacchioni, the Sebastian P. (Paul) and Marybelle Musco Chair in Italian Studies, helped announce the gift as a surprise at the 7th annual Italian Perspectives event.
Dr. Bidmead Awarded Grant to Support Motherhood to motherhoods Conference
The Korea Foundation recently awarded Dr. Julye Bidmead (Religious Studies) a $10,000 grant to support a screening and panel discussion of the Korean documentary Coming to You
(2021) on Sunday, April 30 as the highlight and culminating event of the three-day Motherhood to motherhoods: Ideologies of ‘The Feminine’ conference. Register today!
pictured: River Garza, The Angelino, Acrylic, marker, spray paint, color pencil, and chalk pastel, 2021. Purchased with funds from the Ellingson Family. Featured in the current Escalette Permanent Art Collection exhibition, WE WERE THEN, WE ARE NOW.
The Escalette Permanent Art Collection Selected to Participate in National Museum Program
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, recently selected Wilkinson College's Escalette Permanent Art Collection among a new cohort of 79 museums to participate in its 2023
Museum Assessment Program, which helps museums strengthen operations and plan for the future.
Career Corner: A Letter to Seniors
In just eight short weeks, graduation will be here! College graduation is a double-edged sword. It represents immense accomplishments, as you have been working toward this goal for the past four years. On the flip side, you may feel stressed as you prepare to leap into adult life. Wilkinson's Career Manager Erin Berthon shares some words of advice and wisdom for our graduating seniors.
Faculty Books: Black Music in Britain in the 21st Century
As a child, Dr. Monique Charles
(Sociology) loved to sing, write songs, and perform with her cousins. Her latest book, Black Music in Britain in the 21st Century is a combination of her lived experiences and her passion for studying intellectual pursuits... and of course, her love of Black music forms. The Voice of Wilkinson spoke with Dr. Charles about the book and what led her to conceptualize, create and curate Black Music in Britain in the 21st Century.
Upcoming Events
Click to enlarge.
Thursday, April 6 at 2:30 p.m.
In Recognition of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Month, join Wilkinson College in the Fish Interfaith Center on Thursday (April 6) at 2:30 p.m. for a conversation with WWII Historian Stephanie Hinnershitz, who will discuss her book, Japanese American Incarceration: The Camps and Coerced Labor During World War II.
Click to learn more.
Tuesday, April 18 at 7 p.m.
Join the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education for An Evening of Holocaust Remembrance, themed: "Shout the Truth to the World, The Secret Archives of the Warsaw Ghetto," commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, with a special recorded message from Roberta Grossman,
award-winning producer, director, and writer of the documentary Who Will Write Our History. Admission is free. An informal reception will follow the event.
Click to learn more.
pictured: Gyuri Byun's documentary, Coming to You (2021)
Friday, April 28 - Sunday, April 30
Join Wilkinson College for the free, three-day conference: "Motherhood to motherhoods: Ideologies of 'The Feminine" exploring the notion of motherhood. The conference will feature a screening and panel discussion of the Korean documentary Coming to You (2021), academic lectures, discussions, and student poster presentations, as well as workshops aimed at a general audience to create a community-based discussion about the role of women's labor and health, gender identity issues, and the ideological construction of motherhood.
Click to learn more.
Wednesday, April 19 at 1 p.m.
In celebration of APIDA Month, join us for "Boba, Books, & Buns" with Elaine Hsieh Chou in the Perseverance Room of the Cross-Cultural Center (Argyros Forum 304). Read Chou's book, Disorientation: A Novel and discuss over boba and pastries. RSVP to audfong@chapman.edu to get a free boba drink!
2023 Commencement: May 19 - 21
- The University Commencement Ceremony for all graduating students will take place on Friday, May 19, followed by the President's Toast.
- Wilkinson's Degree Ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 21 at 11:30 a.m.
- See the full schedule of activities here and be sure to share the information with family members and guests.
- All communication will be sent to students' Chapman e-mail accounts, so be sure to pay attention to all emails pertaining to Commencement.
Next Steps
- RSVP online: You should have received an email with a link to set up your account and RSVP through our Commencement software: MarchingOrder. Deadline to RSVP: April 15.
- Reserve your guest tickets for the University Commencement Ceremony:
- Students must reserve their guest tickets through Chapman Ticketing.
- Tickets are not required for individual School/College Degree Ceremonies, but guest tickets ARE required for Friday evening's University Commencement Ceremony. You can reserve up to (6) guest tickets. Deadline to reserve guest tickets: May 5.
Submit a Shout-Out Video: Now is the time to thank your family, friends, or your favorite professor! Submit a shout-out video recognizing anyone who contributed to your Chapman experience. Deadline to submit a video: April 15.
- Order your cap and gown: All graduates must wear a cap and gown to participate in Commencement ceremonies. Order online before April 3 for pickup at Commencement Fair (April 6 & 7).
Upcoming Events
- Commencement Fair: Join us for Commencement Fair Thursday (April 6) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.and Friday (April 7) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Argyros Forum, Room 209. Pick up your pre-ordered caps and gowns, or purchase in person.
- Graduation Portrait Sessions: Our Commencement photographers will be back on campus on April 6 for graduation portrait sessions. Reserve your spot today!
Gift of the Month
March was an exciting month for the Italian Studies Program with the announcement of the Ferrucci Institute for Italian Experience and Research. We thank the Ferrucci family and the Institute's Leadership Board, John Razzano, Vicky Carabini, Joseph Ferrucci, Jill Gillett, Mario Leone, and Michael Silvio for their support of the program. Their desire to lead the way in educating our students and the community on Italian culture is to be commended. The institute's creation is an exciting beginning of what is to come.
Wilkinson Alumni News
Check out what some of our awesome alumni are doing:
Devin Lopez ('21, Political Science) is a Quantitative Research Assistant and Master's student for Political Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Keenan Pasztor (’20, Dance, Sociology) is a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s Student at Lipscomb University.
Michelle Ritchie (15, Religious Studies and Philosophy; '20, Fowler School of Law) is an Associate Attorney at Manning Kass.
We want to know what you've been doing with your degree!
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