Welcome to the Team – March 2015
February 24, 2015
This section features profiles from all the new UA team members who started in the previous month. For the first edition, we selected a handful of new (and newish) team members from across the department. If you would like to see a new or relatively new employee featured here in the April edition,
shoot Hallie an email
letting her know the name of the person.
Brittany Rodriguez
Associate Director of Academic Events
Institutional Event Management and Operations
Start date:
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Alma mater:
Cal State Long Beach
Hometown:
Garden Grove, Calif.
Current city:
Newport Beach, Calif.
What interested you about working at Chapman?
I’ve always heard great things. I like the small quaint feel as well.
What’s something people might be surprised/interested to learn about you?
I love to travel and try new food.
Patrick Garcia
Digital Arts and Animation Specialist
Panther Productions
Start date:
December 15, 2014
Alma mater:
I received my B.S. in mass communications and electronic media from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)… And I received my MFA in animation from Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)
Hometown:
Clarksville, Tenn.
Current city:
El Segundo, Calif.
What interested you about working at Chapman?
Working at Chapman affords me an opportunity to invest in my future both creatively and financially. It is also allowing me to be able to contribute to a team that I will be able to grow with over time, whereas I had previously been leading a more nomadic lifestyle in the film industry. I now have the opportunity to stretch my skills into other areas that interest me, such as motion graphics, web and broadcast media, as well as the potential to take classes in film making. Couple that with a sweet retirement plan that allows me to invest in my and my family’s future, and all the signs pointed to a great investment in joining the Chapman Family.
What’s something people might be surprised/interested to learn about you?
I had the opportunity to work on many a “Hollywood” production such as the upcoming
Fantastic Four
and
Maze Runner: Scorch Trials
movies, and previous films such as
Halo: Forward Unto Dawn
and
Now You See Me.
I also have visited 49 of the 50 US states, all of Canada, minus the Northwest Territories and Nanavut Territory, and I was born in Stuttgart, Germany.
Esther Choi
Account Manager
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Start date:
November 2014
Alma mater:
I went to Parsons School of Design for undergrad and London Metropolitan University for grad school.
Hometown:
Princeton, N.J.
Current city:
Garden Grove, Calif.
What interested you about working at Chapman?
At first it was being closer to home, but once I interviewed I was drawn to the morale and vibe of the people who worked here.
What’s something people might be surprised/interested to learn about you?
Before settling down and becoming a mommy, I lived the real “Devil Meets Prada” life in NYC and London.
Melissa Hoon
Development Writer
Development Communications
Start date:
January 27, 2015 (I’m a rehire; was previously Department Assistant for the Tutoring, Learning and Testing Center from 2012 to 2013)
Alma mater:
Cal State Fullerton, B.A. journalism and American studies ’10 (M.A. American studies ’12)
Hometown:
Fullerton, Calif.
Current city:
Anaheim, Calif.
What interested you about working at Chapman?
Community consciousness, spirituality as one of its founding pillars, and all the awesome, supportive and kind people who work here! (I knew Chapman Family members prior to working here, which sparked my interest!) I loved my experience as a Chapman employee so much that I wanted to go to school here…I’m excited to start Dodge’s MFA documentary filmmaking program this fall!
What’s something people might be surprised/interested to learn about you?
I was a human rights journalist before coming to Chapman, which inspired me to become a peer counselor for sex trafficking survivors. Also, I love adventure…I bungy-jumped off South Africa’s Bloukrans Bridge, the world’s highest bungy bridge – a terrifying but amazing experience! When I’m not at work, I’m probably hiking, at the beach, meditating, teaching therapeutic journaling classes or volunteering with the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force!
Michelle Leslie
Interactive Marketing Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Start date
: February 9, 2015
Alma mater
: California State University, Long Beach
Hometown
: La Mirada, CA
Current city
: Belmont Shore, Long Beach
What interested you about working at Chapman?
I love working at a university that is focused on the “Chapman Family” and making sure each student has an outstanding experience.
What’s something people might be surprised/interested to learn about you?
Hmmm…I know how to sew and most recently made a quilt.