Chapman Alumni are making an impact — in boardrooms, courtrooms, laboratories, studios, stages and even on the beach. Here are 11 inspiring young alumni who are leading the way in their fields with innovative ideas, insatiable curiosity and a commitment to excellence in everything they do.
Rex Wilde ’11
Founder and CEO, Rex Wilde Consulting
Sociology, Wilkinson College Of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Rex Wilde is a non-binary LGBTQ+ speaker, educator and business consultant who guides organizations toward creating more inclusive workplaces. They have provided training for over 200 companies including Dropbox, Spectrum/Charter Networks, Sundance Institute, City of LA, the Western Business Alliance Summit and the California Workforce Development Board.
“Being able to provide education is a way to help shift things for future generations,” said Wilde, stressing the importance of having positive LGBTQ+ representation.
“I really envision a world where everyone is able to be free and authentic in their identity and that we can truly embrace and welcome each other with our various elements of diversity of identity.”
In March 2019, Wilde produced the Transcend Career Fair, the largest transgender career fair in the world. This event, featuring over 75 businesses and 500 transgender and gender diverse participants, received national media coverage from CBS, NBC and Telemundo. According to Wilde, more than 100 individuals were able to secure employment as a direct result of the event.
“Being able to be involved with that level of economic empowerment directly in my local community here in Los Angeles has been something that I feel incredibly proud of,” they said.
Wilde currently sits on the Transgender Inclusion Task Force for the LA LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce.
Michael Rafferty (MBA ’10)
Chief Operating Officer, Canela Media
Master of Business Administration, Argyros College Of Business And Economics
Michael Rafferty (MBA ’10) is chief operating officer at Canela Media, a Hispanic-focused digital media company.
Rafferty started his career in media 20 years ago at Freedom Communication.
He worked in corporate leadership development in the newspaper division while getting his MBA at Chapman. He then went to the Los Angeles Times, where he led projects that integrated print and digital.
In 2019, he and his wife, Isabel Rafferty Zavala, launched Canela Media. Canela started the first on-demand platform focused on U.S. Latinos, which expanded to all of Latin America. Canela.TV came to the market in the middle of the pandemic and quickly found an audience. Despite initial audience success, advertising at that time was in a volatile state, Rafferty says.
“I told Michael, ‘Are you up for this? If we fail, we’ll be sleeping on our parents’ couch with our four kids,’” Rafferty Zavala told management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.
Canela Media now offers Canela.TV, Canela Music, Canela Desportes and Canela Kids, which focuses on helping parents teach their kids language and culture through content. Rafferty oversees content, product, technology and distribution.
In 2022, Canela Media began streaming original content along with titles from 200 producers and distributors, including Warner Brothers, Paramount, Hallmark and Lionsgate.
Outside the office, Rafferty works with organizations that tackle poverty, serve the unhoused and fight human trafficking.
Lindsay Johnson (JD ’13)
Partner, Ray & Bishop, PLC
Juris Doctor, Fowler School of Law
Lindsay Johnson (JD ’13), a partner at Ray & Bishop, PLC in Newport Beach, has distinguished herself in her practice and in the legal community.
She created published law in California at the state Court of Appeals, has served
as president of the California Academy of Attorneys for Health Care Professionals and regularly teaches Continuing Legal Education in health care and trial advocacy.
At Fowler School of Law, she won top individual and team awards in brief writing and oral advocacy as a member of the moot court team. She is the only student in the history of the law school to receive the top awards in all three categories for moot court competitions.
“The moot court program at Fowler School of Law allowed me to study and explain the law to judges, just like I now do in my practice,” Johnson says. “As a partner at my firm, I now use those skills to make sure the law allows patients to see the best possible providers. I was able to succeed at the highest levels of practice immediately because of this experience.”
Johnson is a director of the JSerra Catholic High School mock trial program. Many of her students have gone to law school, including Fowler School of Law. She also volunteers for the law school’s moot court team as a coach and judge, helping select each year’s Golden Gavel and Golden Quill award winners.
Pollyanna Wong (MMS ’19)
Physician Assistant, Hoag Digestive Health Institute
Master of Medical Science Crean College Of Health And Behavioral Sciences
Pollyanna Wong (MMS ’19) was in her patients’ shoes a few years ago.
Wong, a physician assistant at Hoag Hospital, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer shortly after graduating from Chapman’s physician assistant studies program. She took a nine-month leave for chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, and decided to switch from working in pain management to surgery when she returned to work. She started working in colorectal surgery.
“It’s been incredible because I can pay forward what’s been given to me,” she says. “It’s a self-actualizing experience caring for patients going through colorectal conditions. I’m very fortunate and grateful to be where I’m at.”
In addition to caring for her patients, Wong provides ostomy education for patients and health care providers and is working with her surgeon to develop an integrative surgery program that “looks at surgery through a holistic lens.”
“We’re healing the mind, body and spirit,” she says. “It’s important for us to not just focus on fixing the physical and structural aspects, but rather heal the individual as a whole.”
Wong, who is also working in the inflammatory bowel disease program, plans to continue in her specialty. She credits Chapman’s PA faculty for preparing her as a practitioner.
“I felt comfortable going into the field even though I didn’t have direct experience,” she says.“All the professors were wonderful and helped me progress to the next step in my career.”
Shannon Ball ’21
Ocean Uprise Lead, Parley for the Oceans
Strategic and Corporate Communication, School Of Communication; Creative Writing, Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
“I spend all of my free time at the ocean,” says Shannon Ball ’21. “It’s my safe haven, happy place, and is where I go for peace of mind, clarity and play. My work revolves around protecting that space that I love so much, so it makes what I do pretty easy.”
From the beaches of Oahu, Hawaii, Ball leads groups of interns and ambassadors as they begin their journeys as environmental activists. She wears a variety of hats as Ocean Uprise Lead at Parley for the Oceans, including mentoring young people from more than 35 countries on how to protect their local bodies of water.
She also organizes events featuring young activists, curates media, hosts educational talks and does grant writing and fundraising. She recently spoke on a panel at the Ohana Festival in Dana Point about community activism.“Some days I’m out in the field removing invasives and replanting native species; other days I’m giving talks about the importance of the oceans. I really just do anything I can to push the movement forward. Every day is different!” she says.
Ball graduated from Chapman with a double major in strategic and corporate communication and creative writing, knowing that she wanted to pursue a career in ocean conservation.
“I’ve discovered in the last few years that you are the only one in control of your future. Take risks, pursue your passions and follow your intuition,” she says, “The life you want is up to you to create.”
Hansjeet Duggal (MFA ’18)
Head of Visual Effects, Artists Equity Film Production
Dodge College Of Film And Media Arts
As the head of visual effects at Artists Equity, the film production company owned by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Hansjeet Duggal (MFA ’18) is poised to make an impact in Hollywood. Most recently, he served as visual effects supervisor on the Oscar-contender film “Air,” which tells the story of Nike’s quest to recruit Michael Jordan to their brand.
Hansjeet has created visual effects for over 100 projects and also founded his own VFX company, Kiddan LA, which is currently creating visual effects for upcoming projects and employs 1,500 artists in Los Angeles, Mumbai and Europe.
What excites Hansjeet most about his line of work is the fluidity of it.“You work on something, you think, OK, you have figured it out. Then you move on to the next project, and something new comes up, and you realize whatever you did in the past doesn’t apply to this one … Every problem has a different solution.”
As a youth, Hansjeet trained as a traditional artist, painting in oils and watercolors, and in Disney-style animation. Over time, he realized that art and technology are two sides of the same creative process.
“Art is challenging the technology and technology inspiring the art,” he says. “And I’m right in the middle, marrying these two forms together all the time.”
In addition to his professional credits, Hansjeet has taught classes in editing, virtual reality and augmented reality at Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and has served as a mentor to many students.
Emmett Griffith ’16
LGBTQ+ Educator and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager, Stanford University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
Integrated Educational Studies, Attallah College of Educational Studies; English Literature, Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Emmett Griffith ’16 has brought his years of experience working on LGBTQ+ issues in education to social media.
Griffith, who double majored in integrated educational studies and English literature, began posting LGBTQ+ resources for educators in 2022 at @emmett.the.educator on Instagram and booking workshops and educational programs on a variety of topics through his website. He also leads a virtual group for young adults called Cultivating Trans Joy through the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County.
Griffith’s day job is manager of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the pediatrics department at Stanford University School
of Medicine. In that role, he manages the HEAL (Health Equity Advanced through Learning) Initiative, which trains faculty and staff on diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Before that, he was associate director of Pace University’s LGBTQA+ Center in New York City, where he oversaw student programs, training and initiatives.
Griffith says his experience in those areas started at Chapman, where he was involved in LGBTQ+ and DEI work.
“As a former integrated educational studies major, I am extremely grateful to my professors and mentors who made a significant impact on my life and career, and I am honored to give back to the Attallah College of Educational Studies as an advisory board member to help support the next generation of educators,” he says.
Eric Rafla-Yuan ’12
Psychiatrist and Mental Health Policy Expert
Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Schmid College of Science and Technology
In addition to seeing patients, psychiatrist Eric Rafla-Yuan ’12 is a mental health educator, researcher and health policy expert.
He is a 988 advisor for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and was senior policy advisor for health and human services for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. He chairs the American Psychiatric Assn. Caucus on the Social Determinants of Mental Health.
“I am driven by the idea that people who are experiencing mental health emergencies deserve effective care and to be treated with dignity — no less than we would expect for any other kind of medical emergency,” Rafla-Yuan says.
This has led to his work and leadership on the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and the development of accessible and equitable crisis services for those experiencing psychiatric emergencies.
He serves on the board of the Miles Hall Foundation, which advocates for those impacted by mental illness. He is a contributing editor for Psychiatric Services journal and was the first person to write about 988 in a major medical journal. He has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine and Health Affairs and in popular media.
Rafla-Yuan was health counsel for Rep. Tony Cárdenas and staff director of the U.S. House of Representatives’ 988 and Crisis Services Congressional Task Force. He is a former psychiatric and congressional fellow and has held several leadership roles with local and state organizations.
After graduating from Schmid College of Science and Technology and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, he was chief resident of UC San Diego’s Community Psychiatry Program. He founded the psychiatry residency diversity committee at UC San Diego, starting support groups for residents, holistic review processes for residency application review, and a lecture series on health equity, communications and advocacy.
Kyla Stone ’20
Actress and Singer, “Anastasia,” “Harmony”
Theatre Performance, College of Performing Arts
Kyla Stone ’20 knew she was breaking ground for young Black women everywhere when she was cast as the first Black actress to play the lead role in the national touring production of “Anastasia” — a musical based on the animated film that tells the story of a young woman who just might be a Russian princess.
“It’s a show that I hold near and dear to my heart,” said Stone of her history-making role. “I always say that I got to live out my earliest manifesto — wanting to inspire young people the same way I was inspired at such a young age. To have the opportunity to break the mold and prove that all of us strong, often overlooked women, are so much more than a stereotype was truly an honor.”
“It is one thing to dream about being ‘the first’ of anything, but then to actually do the work and be part of something greater than yourself is so rewarding and humbling,” she said.
In October 2023, Stone made her Broadway debut in the Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman musical, “Harmony,” as swing performer and understudy to two lead roles. “I think projects like this one that have a strong message, rich history and an amazing group of people is what I want to continue to be part of in the future,” she said.
Nick Lahaye ’13 (Ph.D ’21)
Data Scientist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Computational and Data Sciences (Ph.D.) & Computer Science And Mathematics (BS), Fowler School Of Engineering
As wildfires and widespread smoke have become part of life in the West, ways to track them still have shortcomings.
Enter the work of Nick LaHaye ’13 (Ph.D. ’21), a data scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
LaHaye and some colleagues at JPL and Chapman developed Segmentation, Instance Tracking, and data Fusion Using multi-SEnsor imagery (SIT-FUSE), which uses machine learning to detect and track wildfires and smoke plumes. SIT-FUSE encapsulates LaHaye’s Ph.D. research at Chapman.
It uses unsupervised and self-supervised machine learning, in which the model learns to distinguish between like and different things and creates segmentation maps. Humans are still “in the loop” to add context to these maps, and SIT-FUSE can use data
from instruments on the ground, in the air and in space to give a “tiered multi-sensor view” of wildfires and smoke plumes, LaHaye says.
SIT-FUSE allows for human oversight while eliminating the labor-intensive part of segmenting images, he says.
He and his colleagues are exploring using SIT-FUSE for other ecological issues and natural hazards like algal bloom mapping and oil palm farm identification in the Amazon. LaHaye’s long-term vision is to use his framework to support NASA missions and airborne projects.
LaHaye lectures in Fowler School of Engineering and volunteers as a peer reviewer for American Geophysical Union, Empirical Software Engineering and open- access scientific journals.
Aafiya Moulvi (Pharm.D. ’22)
Pharmacist, MedWatchers
Doctor of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy
Aafiya Moulvi (Pharm.D. ’22) is using her Chapman education to help people living with diabetes.
Moulvi, who chairs the School of Pharmacy’s alumni advisory board, helped launch a diabetes program designed for vulnerable populations. It’s designed to increase life expectancy and reduce complications, she says.
Moulvi is on a team of 10 pharmacists at MedWatchers piloting the program with doctors.
“I always wanted to be an ambulatory care pharmacist to help people control chronic diseases,” Moulvi says. “So this is my forte, this is what I want to do.”
The program she helped launch aims to educate people on the disease and the importance of taking the right medication. “We’re optimizing therapy so patients have better quality of life at the end of the day,” she says.
She said response to the program has been great so far. Her and her colleagues’ goal is risk of heart attack or stroke dropping as patients stay on the right medication.
Moulvi says she feels a deep connection to Chapman because of relationships she made there and gaining “knowledge I can use every day to impact patients’ lives and help my family along the way.
“Knowledge is power and I feel a very strong sense to give back to this institution that gave me this power,” she says.
