Pepperdine University

06/03/2026

Proud to see alumna Mahvish Zaman and the RISE Institute working together to advance well-being and resilience in the workplace.

06/03/2026

Day one adventures for Global Sport summer program 🇨🇭

06/02/2026

We’re proud to recognize more than 300 Seaver College students achieved Dean’s List honors for the Spring 2026 semester.

This distinction recognizes students whose academic achievement places them among the top 10 percent of their class while maintaining exceptional standards of excellence in the classroom.

We are proud to celebrate their hard work, dedication, and commitment to scholarship as they continue to pursue their purpose and make a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.

View the full list of Spring 2026 Dean’s List honorees:

More than 300 students have been named to the Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences Dean's List for the Spring 2026 semester.

06/02/2026

A journey of resilience, recovery, and purpose. Ryan Dusick (MA ’21), founding drummer of Maroon 5 and two-time Grammy winner, found a new calling through mental health advocacy and service to others.

05/30/2026

Pepperdine University's College of Health Science unveiled the newly dedicated Joyce Plueger Health Assessment Laboratory, made possible by a generous gift from Pepperdine regent John and Celeste Plueger. To honor the Plueger family’s contribution, the Pepperdine University College of Health Science hosted a dedication ceremony held on the college’s Calabasas campus on May 29, 2026.

This milestone gift comes at a propitious time as the College of Health Science celebrates its first year in operation and will be welcoming its second class—in its School of Nursing and School of Speech-Language Pathology—in the fall of 2026.

John dedicated the assessment laboratory in honor of his mother, Joyce. Born on September 27, 1933, in Oelwein, Iowa, Joyce was the only daughter of Luther and Adelia Johnson, her beloved parents. As a devout Christian, the Johnson family attended church regularly, and eventually Joyce met and fell in love with Aaron Luther Pleuger (’50), a graduate of what was then George Pepperdine College in Los Angeles and a Christian minister. They married and raised three children, Tim, Priscilla, and John.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3RDtMhF

05/29/2026

In a vibrant community like Pepperdine, inspiring stories unfold every day across our campuses. From groundbreaking faculty research and transformative student leadership to the global impact of our alumni, the University's presence is far reaching. To ensure you never miss a moment of these exciting happenings, the University Newsroom is launching a premium new vehicle for connection: The Wavelength.

Debuting this June, The Wavelength is a curated monthly newsletter designed to capture the sheer breadth of the Pepperdine experience reported on the University Newsroom and deliver it straight to your inbox. Arriving on the third Wednesday of every month, it serves as a digital bridge uniting students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and friends around a single, compelling narrative frequency.

The newsletter offers a comprehensive window into the intellectual and spiritual life of the University, inviting readers to explore top headlines, research and thought leadership, campus news and student profiles, and alumni achievement.

Don’t let the next great Pepperdine story pass you by. Subscribe to The Wavelength today and find your frequency with the Waves community: https://bit.ly/4dKQVWy

Wavelength - Newsroom Newsletter | Pepperdine University

05/29/2026

Stagelights illuminating the delicate tulle of a dance tutu remain one of the formative images from Alysha Burles’ childhood. She would run her fingers through the fabric of her own costume, knowing that her mother’s artistry was behind every stitch.

Now a Seaver College senior graduating with a degree in integrated marketing and communication (IMC), Burles explains that her mother’s designs for her dance recitals, combined with a heart for family, were the inspiration for her to live out those blend of qualities. Creativity. Intentionality. Service.

Channeling her creativity toward the world of marketing, Burles considers Pepperdine University to be where she was prepared to become a successful professional, quite quickly finding a community of “service-focused professors and friends” who took the time to recognize and shepherd her strengths.

Throughout her time at Pepperdine Burles did it all from curating a high-level brand campaign for the sports merchandiser, Fanatics—a client of her IMC capstone project—to closing out her senior year by interacting with the president of the iconic restaurant-chain that she grew up working for, Lynsi Synder-Ellingson of In-N-Out Burger.

Here's how it all began: https://bit.ly/4nQGXrk

05/27/2026

It's ! Today's Wave is Joy Kim ('26).

Joy recently graduated summa cm laude with a double teaching credential. She completed over 410 hours of full-time student teaching 6th grade.

During her time at Pepperdine, she completed the Pepperdine Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) and presented at the “10th International Conference on Research in Education, Teaching, and Learning" last November in Copenhagen, Denmark with divisional dean Stella Erbes. Their research focused on how studying abroad transforms students.

Joy served as the co-president of the climbing club and historian for the future teachers club.

In the fall, she will be attending the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

We asked Joy to share something that every Pepperdine student should experience:

"I think that every Pepperdine student should study abroad at some point-- even if only for a summer or semester! I believe the most transformative growth occurs when you are pushed out of your comfort zone. I grew emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually during my year in Florence. The community and friendships formed abroad is a unique feature of Pepperdine's IP programs that everyone should take advantage of. Florence brought me my best friends, roommates, and mentors, and taught me to embrace uncertainty and discomfort. I will forever treasure the memories I made there!"

05/26/2026

Pepperdine University is saddened to announce the passing of Lou Drobnick (MBA '91), former senior vice chancellor, who died on May 17, 2026. A fundraising professional and passionate philanthropist, Drobnick spent much of his life volunteering in the community, serving as divisional president for the United States Professional Tennis Association; president of the Optimist Club of Malibu; board chair for the Malibu Chamber of Commerce; and a board member for the Salvation Army.

"Lou was an invaluable leader in both the Pepperdine and Malibu communities, unwavering in his dedication to strengthening the institution and city he loved and called home for so many years," said Sara Young Jackson ('74), chancellor of Pepperdine University. "Through his generous spirit, bold leadership, and steadfast commitment to service, he helped guide countless important initiatives at Pepperdine. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him."

Drobnick was a dedicated leader and beloved community member, who provided four decades—from 1982 to 2022—of service to Pepperdine University. He began his tenure as director of the Crest Associates and retired as the senior vice chancellor of University Advancement. Over the course of his career, he was instrumental in numerous fundraising efforts, securing major gifts such as the Daniel and Luciana Forge gift and the Gulls Way gift that funded the creation of the Drescher campus.

“Lou embodied Pepperdine’s mission of ‘For Greater Purpose’ through a life defined by service,” shared Heidi Bernard (’85), director of community engagement, who worked alongside Drobnick for much of her Pepperdine career. “He made a profound impact on the University as both a skilled development professional and a deeply caring person who took the time to mentor colleagues, build lifelong friendships, and serve his beloved Malibu community. I join the many people whose lives he touched in saying how grateful I am to have known him and for all that he did for us.”

Sentiments may be sent to the family care of: The Drobnick Family/Care of Pepperdine Alumni Affairs, 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, CA, 90263-4348.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4wMK87z

05/26/2026

Rudabeh Shahbazi's ('04) path to finding her purpose led her from the Pepperdine Graphic to the anchor desk at CBS News.

Rudabeh's journey in journalism began with a last-minute favor for a friend who needed help writing an editorial for the Graphic. This piece sparked a passion for journalism that would go on to shape her life's calling. Through late nights in the newsroom, mentorship from Pepperdine's professors, and a deep commitment to empathy and service, she discovered that storytelling is about far more than headlines; it's about the people behind them.

Rudabeh shares, "You can be the richest, smartest, most educated, privileged person in the world, but without a sense of service and a greater purpose, what’s the point? Are you really fulfilled?"

From our classrooms to reporting stories that impact lives around the world, Shahbazi’s story is a powerful reminder that purpose can take root in the most unexpected ways. 🧡💙

Read more of Rudabeh's incredible story here: http://bit.ly/4dGorxt

05/22/2026

The Mountain at Mullin Park—Pepperdine University’s ongoing capital project, which will add both a 3,600-seat sports arena and student center to the institution’s Malibu campus—is entering its final phases of construction this summer.

“Each week, we get closer to welcoming our students to these new state-of-the-art facilities,” said Ben Veenendaal (’02), vice president for Pepperdine’s department of Planning, Operations, and Construction. “The Mountain at Mullin Park is intentionally designed to support the vibrant community of belonging that is integral to Pepperdine, which has been successfully upheld throughout the institution's history. This summer, we’re positioned to bring the next phase of this remarkable project toward opening for all to enjoy.”

“Originally, the Pepperdine campus had just 2,000 square feet of fitness space in Firestone Fieldhouse,” said Veenendaal. “Now, with the Mountain, we’ll have 10,000 square feet. I’m confident the RISE building, with all of its amenities, will immediately serve as a space of development and growth for our students and broader University community.”

Meanwhile, the Mountain’s arena will soon have its competitive surface installed, as construction on the hardwood basketball and volleyball court is set to begin in the summer months. Likewise, stadium seating is scheduled to be implemented throughout May and June. These developments build upon an academic year in which great forward progress was made. Already the new indoor home of Waves athletics is outfitted with lighting, speakers, air conditioning, and kitchen equipment for its various concession and café options.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4wLH4J6

05/15/2026

A few highlights from an unforgettable spring semester 💙

05/15/2026

As Armed Forces Day approaches, Pepperdine’s deep connection to the military community is reflected in the individuals who have helped shape the University and who continue to do so today. From former Marine Corps officers and Navy radar technicians to student-veterans bringing their unique experiences and leadership skills into the classroom as they pursue their next chapter. Pepperdine is honored to be a part of their stories.

Read more about their stories: https://bit.ly/49RmBsd

05/14/2026

Award-winning journalist and CBS News anchor Rudabeh Shahbazi reminds us that journalism is not about glamour. It is about purpose, empathy, curiosity, and service.

A Pepperdine alumna, Shahbazi credits her time at the University with shaping not only her career in storytelling, but also her commitment to understanding others with compassion and fairness. From writing her first story for the Graphic to reporting stories that inform, uplift, and impact lives, she continues to embody Pepperdine’s mission of service and leadership.

“Using your voice to tell people’s stories—there’s nothing like it.”

Read more about how Shahbazi’s Pepperdine experience helped shape her calling and career:

Pepperdine alumna and CBS News anchor Rudabeh Shahbazi is an inspiring journalism professional whose journey as a storyteller truly began when she became a Wave.

05/13/2026

Newly published research by Javier Monzon, associate professor of biology at Seaver College, and ecologist Lucian Himes (’23) has confirmed that coyotes in urban areas have become less cautious as compared with their skittish rural counterparts. Effects of this behavior vary from increased daytime sightings to a heightened propensity for urban coyotes to consume new foods not found in the wild.

Part of a nationwide experiment conducted by 33 scientists across the United States, Monzón and Himes represented the region of Los Angeles. As a whole, the study aimed to determine whether coyotes in urban environments exhibit behavioral changes, while also comparing coyote populations on the West Coast with those on the East Coast.

“Coyotes are a polarizing animal,” says Monzón. “But we chose this species to investigate how cities impact the evolution and ecology of wildlife because the coyote is a great example of being a ‘habitat generalist.’ This means that they are not picky about where they live, so we could study them in almost any city in the continental United States and adjacent rural areas.”

The first step of Monzón and Himes’s research was to lace up their hiking shoes and traverse into Pepperdine University’s backyard: the Santa Monica Mountains. The team planted wooden posts into the dirt and tied them together with rope to create novel objects unfamiliar to a coyote’s natural habitat, placed a spoonful of meat as bait in the middle of the posts, and filmed the animal’s various reactions with “camera traps”—remotely triggered digital cameras used to monitor wildlife.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4u8wAl2

05/13/2026

Some call it the most beautiful campus in the world. We call it home 🧡

Here, the view reminds us how big the world is. And our calling reminds us why that matters — to lead with integrity, to serve with intention, and to become the difference makers our families, neighborhoods, and cities need.

That's not an aspiration. It's who we are.

05/12/2026

Pepperdine is inviting incoming first-year students to apply for a chance to be one of six students featured in The Greatest Year, an original 12-episode docu-series. From their first arrival on the Malibu campus as students in August to the bittersweet finale in May, the series aims to capture the unfiltered reality of students’ most transformative year. bit.ly/4wraT16

Pepperdine University is inviting incoming first-year students to apply for a chance to be one of six students in The Greatest Year, an original 12-episode documentary series spanning the academic year.

05/08/2026

Today we celebrate the Pepperdine students answering a calling to care for others with compassion, resilience, and heart. Through their dedication, hard work, and commitment to serving others, our student nurses continue to make us proud every day.

Happy National Student Nurses Day to our incredible nurses in the making. 🩺💙

05/08/2026

05/08/2026

A plot twist enthralls us when projected on a wide movie screen. But in real life, it seems as if human nature favors the expected, hoping to always be masters of our own fate. For instance, many even draft the ubiquitous five-year plan, striving to hit every life milestone in ideal time. So when the unexpected arrives, how should we respond?

“With prudence,” answers Seaver College graduate Corwin Hemmingsen, a valedictorian of the class of 2026.

Following a spinal injury that put an end to his D1 baseball career, Hemmingsen was left with decisions to make. A finance major who also led the accounting and financial departments of a family office, and soon to be wed to his now wife, Hemmingsen was already keeping many plates spinning—but one had just shattered. Having played baseball since he was 8 years old, he wasn’t just walking away from a metal bat and dirt-caked cleats, but a part of who he considered himself to be.

Both a contemplative and problem solver by nature, Hemmingsen turned to the great thinkers before him, echoing the Italian priest Thomas Aquinas, who considered prudence in his Summa Theologiae as “right reason applied to action”—or, in Hemmingsen's own words, “wisdom with action.” The Seaver valedictorian credits this ancient, yet practical reasoning with how he redrew the trajectory of his life.

In the fallback of his injury, Hemmingsen dove into his studies, curious in ways to apply the virtues of thinkers who inspired him to business ethics. Soon these interests led him to Jooho Lee, associate professor of business ethics and law, and Hemmingsen found himself at the center of the Faith and Business Initiative, closing out his senior year by winning a prestigious fellowship.

In the fallback of his injury from D1 baseball, Hemmingsen dove into his studies, curious in ways to apply the virtues of thinkers who inspired him such as Aquinas to business ethics. Soon these interests led him to professor Jooho Lee, and Hemmingsen f...

05/06/2026

Morning runs framed by the Swiss Alps. Crisp air off Lake Geneva. Château grounds as your track.

Run Club, Pepperdine style—at Château d’Hauteville🇨🇭

05/06/2026

With a little help from my friends (professors who always supported me)

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!

05/05/2026

There is no secret recipe for friendship.

The ingredients that unite people together have baffled sociologists, psychologists, and philosophers for all of time. Take Aristotle for example. The famed Greek polymath and thinker claimed in his Nicomachean Ethics that perfect (or virtuous) friends were “infrequent,” developing only when two people have endured a time of “eating salt together.”

Whatever it takes, Sophia Burger and Audrey Riesbeck —two Seaver College seniors—have found it. Fast friends since their first year on campus, the two soon-to-be graduates formed an indelible bond with one another throughout three years of Great Books classes at Pepperdine University. And in the process, they discovered a shared purpose . . . a prestigious one.

This coming fall, both women will move on from Malibu and attend law school. Burger, who majored in English at Seaver College, will head to the Midwest and attend the University of Chicago Law School. Riesbeck, who studied political science, will make for Massachusetts and attend Harvard Law School. These two institutions are respectively ranked the number two and number six law programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

What started as a chance dormitory encounter, blossomed into an edifying friendship—one that shaped the futures of two aspiring lawyers. Here’s how it happened: https://bit.ly/4uppDf4

05/05/2026

Today’s alumni spotlight celebrates Carlie Stanfill (JD ’25), a Pepperdine Caruso School of Law graduate whose journey from foster youth to future advocate reflects a commitment to supporting children in the foster care system.

After her mother lost custody due to alcoholism, Stanfill and her sisters spent several years in foster care. “I was scared of everything—the judge, the courtroom, the bailiff. I really just had no understanding of the situation and felt like I didn't have a voice,” she recalls. With support from a dedicated attorney, her family was reunited—an experience that shaped her path toward law.

At Pepperdine, she strengthened her commitment to servant leadership through her work with the Children’s Law Center of California. In her next chapter, she continues her work advocating for foster youth through direct legal support.

Waves, how are you using your story to uplift others?

Read Carlie's story: https://bit.ly/4na8ROF

05/02/2026

Congrats, Class of 2026! So much to celebrate, and even more to be proud of. 🎓✨