In January, Dr. Marius Bahnean (music) participated in a church music conference hosted by Grace Romanian Baptist Church of Hollywood, Florida. He was a keynote speaker discussing the musical aspects of biblical worship in the church. In March, Bahnean traveled to Romania as a visiting professor of music at Emanuel University of Oradea, conducting its chamber choir and offering lectures.
Dr. Tai-Danae Bradley (math) was recently invited to be a keynote speaker at two events: the 18th Annual Natural and Mathematical Sciences Research Symposium at California Baptist University in March, and the 25th Biennial Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in May.
This semester, Dan Dubei (engineering) updated his Design and Manufacturing class, replacing the classical way of evaluating student knowledge through assignments and quizzes with practical projects involving topical research. As part of the grade, students were required to attend a manufacturing trade show in Anaheim, California, helping them to establish contacts with real-world participants in the field of manufacturing.
Dr. Don Hedges (music) was invited to present at a conference organized by the Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory. The conference took place in March at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague in Holland as part of its 200th anniversary celebration. His presentation was entitled, “Still Taking Notes: The Improbable Trajectory of Musical Dictation in Aural Skills Pedagogy.” Hedges also currently serves as vice president of Region 1 of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the specialized accreditor of TMU’s music programs.
Dr. Grant Horner (classical liberal arts) went on sabbatical during the spring 2026 semester to focus on research and writing projects. He is currently working on four books: a historical-theological study on Calvin and Milton; a historical fiction novel set in 15th century Florence; a resource on teaching the humanities in Italy; and a history of climbing Yosemite’s biggest wall, El Capitan. In June and July, he will be at Oxford as a scholar in residence, doing archival research in the Bodleian and other Oxford collections as he looks at C.S. Lewis’s letters and manuscripts of “The Screwtape Letters.”
Dr. Gwang Kim (music) and his brass quintet, Brass Connection, were recognized as winners in the professionals category of the prestigious The American Prize in Chamber Music Performance. This prize is part of the nation’s most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts, recognizing and rewarding the best musicians at all levels, based on submitted recordings.
In February, Dr. Jordan Morton (education) presented a seminar on the assessment of teaching performance by video at the Meredith Fellows Implementation Conference, an annual statewide conference for university faculty and others involved in teacher preparation, sponsored by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This is the fourth year Morton has been invited to present at the conference.
Dr. Ernie Baker (biblical counseling) has produced a new series of booklets that connect counseling issues with the gospel, for evangelistic use. One is titled, “Jesus and the Struggles of Life,” and the other, “Jesus and Your Fear.” Baker is currently doing research for a book titled, “Biblical Counseling and the Body.” He also finished a counseling booklet titled, “Help! I’m Bitter.” These publications will be available from Shepherd Press.
