Skip to content
The Flame Site Icon
Claremont Graduate University Magazine

2022 Spring

THE FAMILY BUSINESS: Ellen and Ben Harper during a sound check at the Santa Barbara Bowl in 2000. (Photos courtesy of Ellen Harper and Chronicle Prism Books)

Grace Notes

In her memoir, Ellen Harper discusses family, songwriting, social injustice, and the folk music icons who have been her heroes and friends.

In This Issue

When Faculty and Philanthropy Intersect, Exciting Results Can Happen

The key to fundraising success, says CGU President Len Jessup, involves having faculty connect with donors. That strategy has been highly effective at CGU, as several new gifts can attest.

Blazing Trails in Robotics, AI, and Leadership

Drucker alumna Ayanna Howard has always blazed trails in the robotics field and now she’s blazing another as the dean of the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University.

How POLARIS Creates a Silver Lining for Museum Professionals in the Pandemic

The pandemic signaled the start of isolation and exile for so many people; but for the Museum Leadership Institute, the perfect remedy was its brand-new networking platform.

Ballot Problems, Viruses, and the Challenge of Being First

A new fellowship supporting CGU’s math students honors a trailblazing mathematician whose research on some of today’s biggest challenges shows that she was far ahead of her time.

Dear Pandemic

Which groups of people were more resilient in coping with the isolation of COVID-19? Kathy Pezdek asked participants in a very small study to let her peek at their diaries.

Does Laura Zucker Owe Meryl Streep a Thank You? Or Do We?

An important figure in L.A.’s cultural landscape reflects on her professional journey and her goals for CGU’s Center for Business & Management of the Arts.

Why Does Alcohol Turn People Into Jerks?

Drinking might make some people more friendly and generous, but Paul Zak’s new research shows that’s not always the case when a group activity is involved.

‘A Unique and Fulfilling Privilege’

A longtime colleague and friend of the individual known as “the father of flow” felt grief at the news of his passing and gratitude for the many years they spent collaborating.

Do Companies Need Vision Statements?

A company’s mission statement is never enough, say the authors of a new book on management styles. That book is the result of a close student-professor collaboration typical at CGU.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The CGU community said goodbye last fall to positive psychology pioneer Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who devoted his career to answering a simple question: What constitutes a good life?

Ellis Cumberbatch

Ellis Cumberbatch was instrumental in building mathematics at CGU and fostering collegiality and cooperation among the math programs of The Claremont Colleges.

In Memoriam

The CGU community mourns the recent passing of several alumni whose achievements in education, psychology, information systems, and the arts brought acclaim to their alma mater.

Bookshelf

A roundup of recent publications from our CGU community

After nearly a year of waiting for full editing and reviews from scholars and professors who endorsed her work, Senior Fellow of Middle East & International Studies Sallama Shaker celebrates the publication of a new textbook this year.… Continue reading The Middle East in the Global Era

Jordan T. Watkins (MA, History, 2009) draws compelling parallels between biblical and constitutional debates over slavery throughout U.S. history in Slavery and Sacred Texts, a thoughtful, deeply considered, new book.

Americans in the decades before the Civil War used both the Bible and the U.S.Continue reading Slavery and Sacred Texts

In true and definitive CGU collaborative fashion, Professor of American Literature and American Studies Wendy Martin and Danielle Hinrichs (PhD, English, 2005) worked together to update the newest edition of The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature.… Continue reading The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature

Becca Spence Dobias (MA, Applied Women’s Studies, 2011) has published her first novel, exploring the overlaps and delicate linkages between several character’s lives.

The book centers on the character of Cassidy, a Southern California cam girl who must return to her hometown in West Virginia following a tragic event.… Continue reading On Home: A Novel

GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK

CLASS NOTES

1973

Victor Ashear 

Victor Ashear (PhD, Psychology) and co-author Matt Gray had their article “An Open Trial of a Novel Acceptance-Based Group Designed to Increase Self-Esteem in Patients with Serious Mental Illness” accepted by the American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation.… Continue reading Victor Ashear 

1977

Bruce Bond

Bruce Bond (MA, English) was bestowed the Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature. Independent publisher Schaffner Press has announced that Bond is the winner for his poetry collection Liberation of Dissonance. As a result, the collection will be published by Schaffner Press in 2022.… Continue reading Bruce Bond

1978

Megan Edwards

A Coin for the Ferryman (Imbrifex Books) is Megan Edwards’s (MA, Education) extraordinary saga in which Julius Caesar is kidnapped right before his assassination in 44 B.C. and transported to Los Angeles at the turn of the 20th century. … Continue reading Megan Edwards

SEND US YOUR UPDATES! Help us keep your class informed.