Pepperdine University

10/30/2026

Ignacio has been serving the Pepperdine campus for almost 40 years—and his gratitude hasn't faded one bit.

From Mexico to Malibu, Ignacio came to Pepperdine in 1986 and fell in love with caring for the athletic fields and landscapes that our students and coaches rely on every single day.

Through heat, rain, and fires, Ignacio and the facilities team show up with one goal: working as a family to serve the students.

10/29/2026

On October 14, 2026, the Pepperdine community united for Pepperdine Gives, the University’s annual 24-hour fundraising campaign supporting students across all six schools through more than 280 opportunities and initiatives. With contributions from 1,552 donors, the campaign raised more than $3 million, exceeding its original $1.75 million goal by 179 percent. Among the gifts was a $1 million anonymous donation from a Pepperdine parent to establish a new student scholarship at Seaver College.

The generosity demonstrated throughout this day of giving helps make a Pepperdine education more accessible while enriching the student experience inside and outside the classroom. Contributions support scholarships and academic innovation, as well as student wellness initiatives, emergency assistance, international study opportunities, and athletics.

“Each year at Pepperdine Gives we see our whole community embody what it means to invest in lives of greater purpose,” said Jim Gash (JD ’93), the University’s president and CEO. “Every gift helps the next generation of Waves to be leaders of character and courage, empowered to realize their God-given talents. We are deeply grateful to all who make that future possible.”

Likewise, the Pepperdine Gives team expressed deep gratitude to all participants, noting that every gift—regardless of size—helps cultivate an environment where students can flourish and fulfill their potential.

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4klwt3x

On October 14, 2026, the Pepperdine community united for Pepperdine Gives, the University's annual 24-hour fundraising campaign supporting students across all six schools through more than 280 opportunities and initiatives.

10/26/2026

Katharine Birbalsingh, headmistress and cofounder of the London-based Michaela Community School, joined Pepperdine president Jim Gash (JD ’93) for the second installment of this academic year’s President's Speaker Series on October 23 to discuss the fundamental purpose of education. Deemed “Britain's strictest headmistress,” Birbalsingh relayed the backstory behind this moniker, as well as how high moral and academic standards help children to achieve their greatest potential.

“At Pepperdine we still believe that intellectual excellence and moral formation belong together—and are indeed inseparable,” said Gash. “Today, we turn to questions that matter to every educator and student in this room and, indeed, at this University: What is true education? What is its end goal? What do we owe the young people entrusted to our care?”

Read more about the event: https://bit.ly/4i7wOWa

10/26/2026

Pepperdine University has received welcome news of a $1 million gift from an anonymous Pepperdine parent to establish a new student scholarship at Seaver College. Made during Pepperdine Gives, the gift contributed to a record-breaking annual day of giving.

“As a parent of a Seaver student, it is very meaningful for me to be able to make a Pepperdine education possible for young people who are highly capable and motivated to succeed,” the donor said. “I look forward to meeting the scholarship recipients and hearing their stories. It is my privilege to make this gift.”

“We are grateful for this gift, which affirms Pepperdine’s enduring commitment to investing in our students,” says Lauren Cosentino ('97, MBA '12), vice president for advancement and chief development officer. “This new student scholarship will further ensure that our students continue to be prepared intellectually and spiritually to reach their greatest potential and to uncover their greater purpose.”

All gifts made during Pepperdine Gives contribute to the University’s For Greater Purpose campaign, an unprecedented $1 billion campaign centered on student success as whole persons, equipping them to uncover their God-given callings so they are fully prepared to make lasting impacts in their lives.

Read more: https://bit.ly/47ACDp6

Made during Pepperdine Gives, the gift contributed to a record-breaking annual day of giving.

10/23/2026

Waves spirit filled Pepperdine University this October 9 to 11 as hundreds of students, alumni, parents, and friends of the University sporting blue and orange gathered for this year’s Waves Weekend.

A celebration for the entire University community, the event featured a packed itinerary of activities such as the annual Blue and Orange Madness pep rally—the official start of the Waves basketball season—and the eagerly awaited Madness Village carnival illuminated by bright lights and amusement park rides. Weekenders also enjoyed the Family and Alumni Picnic overlooking the Pacific Ocean and program reunions, including the 40-year anniversary of the Great Books program. Additionally attendees were invited to worship at services held by the University Church of Christ and Waves Church.

Read about Waves Weekend 2026: https://bit.ly/4BmAjzu

10/22/2026

Tomorrow at noon in the Seaver Board Room of the Thornton Administrative Center, Pepperdine University will welcome entrepreneur and thought leader Katharine Birbalsingh as part of its distinguished President Speaker Series. In conversation with Pepperdine president Jim Gash (JD ’93), Birbalsingh will share her insights on education and leadership.

Katharine Birbalsingh CBE, is headmistress and cofounder of Michaela Community School based in London, United Kingdom. She is known as “Britain’s Strictest Headmistress.” Michaela’s Progress 8 score places the London school at the top in the country. The National Inspectorate, OFSTED, grades the school as “Outstanding” in every category. Birbalsingh studied philosophy and modern languages at the University of Oxford and has always taught in inner London.

Register for the event: https://bit.ly/4hBYSRh

In conversation with Pepperdine president Jim Gash (JD '93), Birbalsingh will share her insights on education and leadership.

10/14/2026

Today's the day! celebrates everything that makes our community special: our faculty, staff, alumni, programs, campuses—and, most importantly, our students 🧡

Join us: givingday.pepperdine.edu

10/13/2026

Rising to her 4:50 AM alarm was how Katie Gavin Goldberg (’21, MS ’22), alumna of Pepperdine’s beach volleyball program, would often begin her mornings. Stepping outside her residence hall, Gavin would follow a pathway blanketed by coastal mist to Pepperdine University’s weight room.

Rigorous weight training and cardio at a time before most of Malibu was awake was how Gavin prepared for collegiate beach volleyball. Such drive remains reflective of Gavin’s character today.

Since earning two college diplomas—the former from Seaver College and the latter from the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School—Gavin has moved from the gritty sands of volleyball games to closing multimillion dollar deals in commercial investment sales. She is confident that her career as a student-athlete prepared her for a successfully launched professional life.

“Working for something greater than myself is the number one thing that woke me up in the morning,” says Gavin. “The whole reason I am the person I am today is because of playing beach volleyball at Pepperdine. It taught me how to be a part of a team. I learned to work toward something beyond myself.”

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4B5X5eW

10/08/2026

10/02/2026

Karin Shaw—Pepperdine’s Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement and Development—believes a fundamental truth: “God has gifted each one of us with unique strengths, and the world needs what only you have.”

Growing up on a farm in the German countryside, Karin didn’t travel until her twenties. Stepping out of her comfort zone into a new culture didn't just expand her worldview; it unlocked her faith, her confidence, and her purpose.

Today, she’s dedicated to giving Pepperdine students that exact same gift: seeing the world through the lens of others, building cultural humility, and stepping into the doors of opportunity God opens along the way.

10/01/2026

For Pepperdine alumna and professional painter Alison Rash (’01, MA ’05), art has become a practice of resilience.

After being diagnosed with stage IIb breast cancer at age 34 and later receiving a stage IV diagnosis, Rash’s understanding of the future changed. Through 12 years of living with cancer, she has continued to paint, finding in the creative process a way to embrace uncertainty, pursue beauty, and transform hardship into something meaningful.

Her abstract paintings reflect that journey. Rather than following a predetermined plan, each brushstroke responds to the one before it, much like life itself.

This October, Pepperdine will honor Rash with the Wave of Resilience Award during Waves Weekend, recognizing the courage, faith, creativity, and community that have shaped her journey. Her artwork will also be featured in the Alumni Art Showcase alongside works by fellow Pepperdine alumni artists.

“I never want to become embittered, and my artistic practice allows me to stay vibrant,” Rash says.

Read Alison’s story and learn more about her work and the role art has played in her journey: https://bit.ly/4iYDFCf

In recognition of Rash's profound example of resilience while facing breast cancer, Pepperdine University will present her with the Wave of Resilience Award during Waves Weekend, an annual celebration for the entire University community, from October 9 ...

09/29/2026

When Kenyan marathoner Sebastian Sawe became the first person to break the two-hour barrier in a competitive marathon at the 2026 London Marathon, Pepperdine alumna Melanie Menter (’17) knew what was possible.

As an athlete science and performance specialist for Adidas, Menter has spent years working with Sawe and other elite athletes to help optimize their performance through data, experimentation, engineering, and collaboration.

Her journey to the Adidas Running Innovation team began at Pepperdine, where she discovered that her interests in athletics and science could become a career. Through three international programs, a sports medicine degree, a computer science minor, and hands-on research with faculty, Menter developed the skills and global perspective to pursue her dream.

Today, she works around the world helping athletes push the limits of human performance—and was there to witness one of those limits fall in London.

Read Melanie’s story and discover how her Pepperdine experience helped turn a passion for sports into a global career: https://bit.ly/3V9YBfz