News and Features
News and Features
Cal Lutheran News
News and Features

Recent News

TOLD Foundation President Rod Gilbert

TOLD Foundation donates $2.5M

California Lutheran University has received $2.5 million to provide scholarships to accomplished students from low- and middle-income families.

September 8, 2022
From left, Regent Ann Boynton '83, President Lori E. Varlotta, PhD, Bishop Deborah Hutterer, MDiv, and the Rev. Jim Bessey '66, MDiv, participate in the Feb. 27 installation ceremony.

Coming together

The academic, spiritual and ceremonial events celebrating the inauguration of President Lori E. Varlotta, PhD — delayed by the pandemic — were opportunities to restate her vision for the campus. Cal Lutheran is...

May 25, 2022
Point Mugu, California

Microfiber pollution

Bits of your pants, shirts, socks and fleece jackets are polluting local waters. Cal Lutheran biology students have discovered this disturbing fashion dilemma as part of a scientific research project. For the past four...

May 24, 2022
Festivalgoers can wander through an authentic Viking village and a Sami siidastallan, or community gathering. Photo: Tracie Karasik

Scandinavian Festival back after 3 years

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — May 23, 2022) The largest Nordic festival in Southern California will return to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks on June 4 and 5 after a two-year absence caused by the...

May 23, 2022
Photo: Courtesy of Cal Lutheran Sports Information

Alumna named Cal Lutheran athletic director

Photo: Courtesy of Cal Lutheran Sports Information Alumna Holly Roepke ’14 has been named director of athletics at Cal Lutheran. A former soccer standout and member of the Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame, the...

May 23, 2022
IWL scholarship recipients Naomi Mbise and Julia Raszka have had a profound impact on the Cal Lutheran community. Photo: Obinna Anyanwu

Women of the world unite

Under normal circumstances, recipients of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America college scholarships for international women meet once a year in Chicago to network and share ideas. Everyone has a plan to help their...

May 23, 2022
President Lori E. Varlotta Photo: Tracie Karasik

Moving forward with promising plans

Seems fitting for me to write this column on the first day of spring. Just as the season is marked by the promise of renewal and hope, so are many of the projects and events we have undertaken this year.

May 23, 2022
Double alumnus Ken Magdaleno '89, MS '96, EdD, reentered college as an older adult and credits the support he got at Cal Lutheran for his academic success. Photo: Courtesy of Ken Magdaleno '89, MS '96, EdD

The journey continues

Being at Oxford University in England, speaking at Oxford Union Hall, was a once-in-a-lifetime, out-of-body experience. Yet there I was, a member of the “Oxford Round Table,” in 2005. Very little in my life could have...

May 23, 2022
Kathie (Schaap '89) Hale started her Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim run at the Grand Canyon's South Rim at 2:30 a.m. Photo: Courtesy of Kathie (Schaap '89) Hale

Realizing a personal victory

Kathie (Schaap ’89) Hale started her Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim run at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim at 2:30 a.m. Photo: Courtesy of Kathie (Schaap ’89) Hale When Kathie (Schaap ’89) Hale met her...

May 23, 2022
Amanda ElBassiouny thrives alongside her students as they explore the things that first drew her to study psychology. Photo: Erik Hagen

Love of learning

Nearly four years after joining the Cal Lutheran faculty as an assistant professor of psychology, Amanda ElBassiouny, PhD, likes to joke that she’s a senior.

May 23, 2022
Indigenous educators Steven Garcia and Kathy Willcuts lead a land-intention ceremony that involved a walk from south to north campus. Photo: Safi Aryan

Respecting history

In the wind air water soil sky sun moonStars planets animals birds memoriesLaughter tearsThis Indian past this Indian futureWaits  — John Trudell, Lakota activist and poet As the wind exhaled, it shook the grounds...

May 23, 2022
Cal Lutheran alumna, Angelica K. Chavez, EdD ’14, joined the Simi Valley Unified School District in July as its inaugural coordinator of diversity, equity, inclusion and humanities. Courtesy of Angelica K. Chavez, EdD ’14

Cultivating inclusivity

Courtesy of Angelica K. Chavez, EdD ’14 A new position is rapidly becoming an important part of the organizational landscape: chief diversity officer. Companies, nonprofits and educational institutions have become...

May 23, 2022
Teketa Bellamy hosted an online spoken word event in March 2022. Photo: Obinna Anyanwu

With community backing, students take on racism

As one of four CSBL recipients in 2021-22, Jaden Lyons launched the “Making Cents” financial literacy program. Photo: Obinna Anyanwu Growing up in Los Angeles, Jaden Lyons came to the conclusion that his Black community...

May 5, 2022
Helen Ahn Lim of Simi Valley received the 2022 President’s Award for Teaching Excellence during Honors Convocation. Photo: Brian Stethem

Top Cal Lutheran teaching honor awarded

Helen Ahn Lim of Simi Valley received the 2022 President’s Award for Teaching Excellence during Honors Convocation. Photo: Brian Stethem (THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — May 3, 2022) A criminology and criminal justice professor...

May 3, 2022
Erica Rivera of Santa Barbara will speak on behalf of those earning graduate degrees.

Graduate, Professionals ceremony slated

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — April 28, 2022) California Lutheran University will hold its 2022 Graduate and Professionals Commencement at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 14. It will take place in William Rolland Stadium on the...

April 28, 2022

Class of 2022 commencement is May 14

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — April 28, 2022) California Lutheran University will hold its 2022 Traditional Undergraduate Commencement at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14. It will take place in William Rolland Stadium on the...

April 28, 2022
Puck, played by Katie Dingle, shares the potion "Love-entitledness" with Helen, played by Abby Cardenas. Photo: Taryn Gaulke

Musical pairs Shakespeare and ’90s rock

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — April 8, 2022) Shakespeare meets Green Day in an original musical parody of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that will be performed April 28 through May 1 at California Lutheran University. “A...

April 8, 2022
The highlight of the recital will be the premiere of a piece commissioned by cellist Yoshika Masuda and written especially for him and pianist HyeJin Kim by Indian American composer Reena Esmail.

Female composers focus of concert, debut CD

The highlight of the recital will be the premiere of a piece commissioned by cellist Yoshika Masuda and written especially for him and pianist HyeJin Kim by Indian American composer Reena Esmail. (THOUSAND OAKS, Calif...

March 18, 2022
Cal Lutheran alumna and ACFC’s Director of Corporate Partnerships Alex Mallen, second from the left, played a key role in bringing the university and the club together. With her on North Field are Holly Roepke with Cal Lutheran; Austin Hilpert, Marisa Leconte and Angela Hucles Mangano with ACFC; and Matthew Ward with Cal Lutheran. Photo: Tracie Karasik

Angel City FC will train at Cal Lutheran

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — March 8, 2022) Today, Angel City Football Club (ACFC) announced that California Lutheran University will serve as the inaugural training site for the...

March 8, 2022
The exhibit includes bright screen-printed posters created for acts including '90s alt-rockers Ween.

Cal Lutheran exhibits popular rock posters

The exhibit includes bright screen-printed posters created for acts including ’90s alt-rockers Ween. (THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — March 7, 2022) California Lutheran University is hosting an exhibit of eye-catching...

March 7, 2022
The exhibit includes "A Tumorous Hunger" by Walpa D'Mark.

Born in isolation, exhibit explores community

The exhibit includes “A Tumorous Hunger” by Walpa D’Mark. (THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — March 4, 2022) An online art exhibit and virtual conversation series organized when the COVID-19 pandemic kept people...

March 4, 2022
In fall 2020, PLTS became a certified Green Justice Seminary and began offering students earning master’s degrees the option to pursue a climate justice concentration. Photo: Brittany App

Seminary starts programs for change agents

(BERKELEY, Calif. — March 2, 2022) California Lutheran University’s Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) is offering new programs to prepare religious leaders and laypeople to work for social and environmental...

March 2, 2022
Anthony Lugo is just the fifth head coach in the program's storied history

Cal Lutheran hires new head football coach

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Feb. 7, 2022) Anthony Lugo has been named head coach of the California Lutheran University football team after being in the interim role this past season. He is just the fifth head coach in the...

February 7, 2022
Lori E. Varlotta became the eighth president of Cal Lutheran in September 2020 after serving as president of Hiram College in Ohio.

Inauguration of Cal Lutheran president slated

Lori E. Varlotta became the eighth president of Cal Lutheran in September 2020 after serving as president of Hiram College in Ohio. (THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Feb. 3, 2022) Two weeks of events celebrating academics...

February 3, 2022
Kathy Ann Willcuts is one of the Indigenous traditional cultural educators who will lead Community Land-Intention Ceremonies at Cal Lutheran. Photo: University of San Diego

Land-intention events slated at Cal Lutheran

Kathy Ann Willcuts is one of the Indigenous traditional cultural educators who will lead Community Land-Intention Ceremonies at Cal Lutheran. Photo: University of San Diego (THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Jan. 24, 2022)...

January 24, 2022