From science to art, ‘We are the engine,’ president says at State of the University

As a sign of its continuing growth in the health sciences, Chapman University President Jim Doti in his
State of the University
Address on Friday announced that Chapman has received funding from an anonymous donor for a feasibility study looking at the possible development of a doctor of osteopathic medicine program.

If the program is developed, there is the potential for multimillion-dollar support from that donor, Doti said. An osteopathic program would be part of the University’s current five-year initiative to expand health science graduate programs at the
Harry and Diane Rinker
Campus in Irvine.

In his remarks, Doti singled out the new Rinker Campus as the keystone for those plans, which include expansion of the physical therapy program, opening of the School of Pharmacy and the 2016 launch of a physician assistant program.

“If you haven’t been there, go see it. It will knock your socks off,” Doti said. “It’s roughly 300,000 square feet of space, which is about the size of Chapman back in 1991.”

Doti also announced the recent pre-candidate accreditation received by the School of Pharmacy and a new partnership with Orange High School to bring gifted science students to the University with full scholarship support. The Simon STEM Scholarship Program partnership was made possible by the Simon Foundations.

The collaboration represents “the first time we’ve ever had a meaningful partnership with our neighboring high school,” Doti said.

Among the newest developments the president also described was the establishment of the the Hilbert Museum of California Art. Established with the support of Mark and Janet Hilbert, the collection includes oil paintings, watercolors, sketches and lithographs of urban and industrial scenes, coastal views, farms, ranches and landscapes of everyday life, and is a significant repository of art of the 20th century by California artists.

“When you have a great art collection, it leads to a university that can inspire greatness,” Doti said.

Concluding his talk on a personal note, Doti recalled losing a child 35 years ago to a blood disorder involving faulty platelet formation. Doti said he was recently surprised to learn that the research of Schmid College Dean Andrew Lyon, Ph.D., is focused specifically on the creation of synthetic platelets that could help such infants. That kind of vital work is something the entire campus community can take pride in, he said.

“This is happening at Chapman,” Doti said. “We’re the train, the engine. We are creating the environment that helps make this kind of work possible.”