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Faculty Accomplishments

Celebrating APU Faculty Impact in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievements

Join us in honoring APU faculty whose work enriches the academic and professional landscape, embodying God First and the mission of APU. With monthly updates, this page highlights faculty research, scholarship, and creative achievements shared with the Office of Research and Grants and the Office of the Provost.

We encourage you to showcase your recent academic achievements by submitting them to be recognized on our Faculty Accomplishments page.

Publications

Grief and Trauma Counseling Education: Preparing Future Counselors

  • Editor: Michelle Cox, PhD, School Counseling and Psychology
  • Published by IGI Global Publishing, July 2024

Confronting White Supremacy in the U.S.: Twenty-first Century Theological Perspectives

  • Editors: Don Thorsen, PhD, Azusa Pacific Seminary; Michael R. Fisher, Jr., Whitney Wilkinson Arreche
  • Published by Friendship Press, October 2024

Global Business and Marketing Strategy: Integrative Workbook of Exercises and Case Studies

  • Authors: Mark Cawman, DBA, Patricia Fine Skalnik, DBA, School of Business and Management
  • Published by Cognella Publishing, 2025

The Gospel According to Paul: Over a Hundred Years of Interpretation

  • Author: BJ Oropeza, PhD, Department of Biblical and Religious Studies
  • Published in Religion, December 2024

Shifting Perspectives on Disability: Family Reflections on a Life Fully Lived with Down Syndrome

  • Authors: Tamara Bachrach, PhD, School of Education and Mina Chun
  • Published in Journal of the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities: Council for Exceptional Children, November 2024

A Unique Iron I Installation with a Double Basin and Drain from Tel Abel Beth Maacah

  • Authors: Robert Mullins, PhD, School of Theology; Naama Yahalom-Mack, Matthew Susnow, Carroll Kobs, Rachel Silverman, Nava Panitz-Cohen
  • Published in Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University, November 2024

Ritual, Tradition, and Culture: Reading Hume in Light of Classical Confucianism

  • Author: Rico Vitz, PhD, Honors College
  • Published in Hume Studies, November 2024 

Using Statistics in Church-based Research

  • Author: David Dunaetz, PhD, School of Business and Management
  • Published in Great Commission Research Journal, October 2024

Does Denomination Influence Pastors’ Readiness for Retirement? Evidence from Southern California Pastors

  • Author: Daniel G. Park, PhD, School of Business and Management
  • Published in Journal of Accounting and Finance, September 2024

A Faience Head of a Bearded Male from Tel Abel Beth Maacah: Iconography, Technology and Context

  • Author: Robert Mullins, PhD, School of Theology
  • Published in Oxford Journal of Archaology, September 2024

8 Ways to Talk to People with Whom You Disagree

  • Author: Todd Pheifer, EdD, School of Business and Management
  • Published in The Banner, September 2024

Inside the Crucible: Resistance and Resilience in a Decade of Crisis and Change for English Teachers in Myanmar

  • Author: Mary Wong, PhD, Department of Sociology, TESOL, and Modern Languages
  • Published in TESOL Journal, 2024

Lego Serious Play in a Career Exploration Class: A Case Study of a Failure in Faith Integration

  • Authors: Wendi Dykes McGehee, PhD, CF-LSP, Todd Pheifer, EdD, LaShan Epperson, DBA, David Dunaetz, PhD, School of Business and Management
  • Published in Journal of Faith in the Academic Profession, 2024 

Book Review

  • Author: BJ Oropeza, PhD, Department of Biblical and Religious Studies
  • Book: Romans: A Handbook on the Greek Text Baylor Handbook on the Greek New Testament
  • Published by Review of Biblical Literature, October 2024

 

2 Corinthians

  • Author: BJ Oropeza, PhD, Department of Biblical and Religious Studies
  • Book: The State of Pauline Studies: A Survey of Recent Research (pages 184-202)
  • Published by Baker Academic, October 2024 

The Importance of Humanizing in Christianity and the Dangers of Christian Nationalism

  • Author: Don Thorsen, PhD, Azusa Pacific Seminary
  • Book: Confronting White Supremacy in the U.S.: Twenty-first Theological Perspectives (pages 217-226)
  • Published by Friendship Press, October 2024

Presentations

Return here soon for impactful accomplishments that embody APU’s mission.

Return here soon for impactful accomplishments that embody APU’s mission.

The Impact of Radical Redistribution on Economic Growth: After World War II

  • Daniel G. Park, PhD, School of Business and Management, and Seongcheol Paeng 
  • Paper presentation at the American Economic Association Annual Meeting, January 2025

Impact of Ableism in Schools: Perspective of New Special Educators

  • Tamara Bachrach, PhD, School of Education
  • Paper presentation at the TASH Conference, December 2024

Fostering a Sense of Belonging and Promoting Academic Success Among STEM Scholars

  • Louise Huang, PhD, Provost’s Office
  • Poster presentation at National Science Foundation S-STEM PI & Scholars Symposium, November 2024

The intersection of Faith, Diversity, and Honors Part 3

  • Alan Oda, PhD, Department of Psychology 
  • Roundtable discussion at National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Conference, November 2024

Best Practices for Teaching About Trauma: A Qualitative Study of Students’ Experiences

  • Alina Bond Chan, MSW, LCSW, Department of Social Work
  • Workshop at North American Association of Christians in Social Work 74th Annual Convention, October 2024

Writing for Missiological Journals: A Roundtable Discussion

  • David Dunaetz, PhD, School of Business and Management
  • Roundtable discussion at Evangelical Missiological Society 2024 National Conference, October 2024

Creating a Web Presence for Missiology/Missiologists

  • David Dunaetz, PhD, School of Business and Management
  • Paper presentation at Evangelical Missiological Society 2024 National Conference, October 2024

A Randomized-controlled Study on the Effectiveness of Christian Mindfulness for Pastors on Mindfulness State and Burnout

  • Regina Trammel, PhD, LCSW, Department of Social Work
  • Paper presentation at North American Association of Christians in Social Work 74th Annual Convention, October 2024

Whom Do Students Meet? Student Retention and Advising

  • Daniel G. Park, PhD, School of Business and Management, Chang Kim, PhD, School of Business and Management, and Seongcheol Paeng
  • Online presentation at the Academy of Business Research Conference 

A Study of the Prevalence of STDs in Santa Cruz County during the Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2018-2022)

  • Sanggon Nam, PHD, School of Nursing
  • Poster presentation at the 2024 Annual Fall Meeting Korean Academy of Health Policy and Management, November 2024

Are They Happy? How Do We Help Our Pastors’ Workloads?

  • Daniel G. Park, PhD, School of Business and Management, Chang Kim, PhD, School of Business and Management, and Seongcheol Paeng
  • Presentation at the Christian Business Faculty Association Annual Conference, November 2024

The Dangers of Religious Nationalism

  • Don Thorsen, PhD, Azusa Pacific Seminary
  • Paper presentation at the 15th Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies Conference, August 2024

Creative Achievements and Other Professional Activity

Mentor of the Year Award

  • Recipient: Joseph Bentz, PhD, Department of English
  • West Coast Christian Writers Conference, November 2024

Pack 354 Parrot Logo Development

  • Terry Dobson, MFA, Department of Design
  • Design work included in an international invitational exhibition and catalog in Korea, November 2023

Flourishing in the Age of AI

  • Terry Dobson, MFA, Department of Design,
  • Design work included in an international invitational exhibition and catalog in China, September 2023

Pinewood Derby Best Design Award

  • Terry Dobson, MFA, Department of Design
  • Design work included in an international invitational exhibition and catalog in Korea, May 2021
 

Danny Elfman Live at the Hollywood Bowl

  • Michael Lee, MM, MA, School of Music
  • Lead orchestrator for the Danny Elfman live concert, coordinated a team including APU music alumni, November 2024

April Love

  • Michael Lee, MM, MA, School of Music
  • Wrote original arrangement of a song commissioned by the New York Philharmonic Foundation for the string quartet, August 2024