March 17, 2026 | Inside Chapman – Chapman University

Feature

Stephanie Takaragawa has spent her career turning the ordinary — a taco truck, a theme park, a comic strip — into a window on race, identity, and belonging. Behind her courses is a deeply personal story about family, history, and how environment shapes us.

Big Ideas Take Center Stage at Panther Cage Pitch Competition

Student founders and community entrepreneurs pitch startup ideas in a "Shark Tank"–style competition at Chapman’s Leatherby Center.

Nominate a Student for the Campus Leadership Awards

Recognize an exceptional undergraduate making a meaningful impact by submitting a Campus Leadership Awards nomination by March 23 at 11:59 p.m.

Grow Your Teaching Skills This Term

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is offering workshops to strengthen your teaching. Browse upcoming sessions and register today.

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An Evening with the Filmmakers Behind "The Incredibles" and "Moana"
Today, 7 p.m., Folino Theater

Dodge College of Film and Media Arts will host a conversation with two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Brad Bird (“Ratatouille,” “The Incredibles,” “The Iron Giant”) and two-time Oscar-nominated animator John Musker (“Moana,” “The Princess and the Frog”), followed by a screening of “The Iron Giant.”

Spring Break Begins Next Week (March 23–28)

A reminder that spring break will take place Monday through Saturday, March 23–28, for students on a semester schedule. Classes will not be in session, and most students will be away from campus during this time.

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Rethinking Literacy Education for Deaf Learners

Zed Sehyr, assistant professor at Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, co-authored research challenging phonics-only literacy policies and calling for more accessible language strategies for deaf children.

Doctoral Student Earns Spot in Human Rights Institute

Sevana Karagoulian, a Leadership Studies student at Attallah College of Educational Studies, was selected for the competitive Scheidt Family Seminar on Genocide Studies and Prevention at the University of Connecticut.

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Schmid Biologist’s Research Upends Assumptions About Rainforest Resilience

Christine O’Connell, assistant professor of biology at Schmid College of Science and Technology, co-authored a Nature Communications study finding that warming caused rainforest soils in Puerto Rico to release carbon at rates far exceeding anything previously recorded — a result that challenges long-held assumptions about tropical forests and climate change.

"It’s critical that we address the climate crisis now before it becomes more severe, while continuing to study how we can navigate a changing world."

– Christine O’Connell, ecosystem ecologist and global change scientist

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