La Sierra University to graduate record class, award honorary doctorates

Of the total degrees expected to be awarded, 263 will be issued from the College of Arts and Sciences, 28 from the H.M.S. Richards Divinity School, 53 from the School of Education, and 150 from the Zapara School of Business. The program with the most grads is Criminal Justice, with 59 graduates.

La Sierra University’s Conferring of Degrees ceremony will begin at 8 a.m. on the university’s Founders’ Green. The event caps a weekend of activities that features a Friday night consecration service, a Saturday baccalaureate service at the La Sierra University Church, dedication services for Divinity School and School of Education graduates, and a Saturday evening commencement concert.

Sunday’s graduation features a keynote address titled “Be Present” by Kristen Soares, president of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities. The association represents the chief executives of California’s private nonprofit colleges and universities on issues of public policy. Soares will also receive the university’s Presidential Medallion in recognition of her advocacy work on behalf of La Sierra University and other institutions of the AICCU.

The graduation ceremony will showcase the awarding of two honorary doctoral degrees to Arthur L. Littleworth, a preeminent water law attorney and senior partner with Best Best & Krieger in Riverside, and to La Sierra alum and attorney Kent Hansen, general counsel for Loma Linda University Health and central architect of its system of governance.

Littleworth, a graduate of Yale and Stanford universities, is known nationally for his expertise in the arena of water law. In more than 40 years of legal practice, he has participated in all aspects of water law, including transactional and litigation matters. As a result of his authority on the subject, was named a special master by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987 in a decades-old states water rights case involving the Arkansas River. He is co-author of the book “California Water” which is widely regarded as the definitive text on historical, legal and policy issues regarding use of water in California. His numerous awards include being named among the Top 100 Lawyers in California by the Los Angeles Daily Journal in 2003.

He is also noted for his groundbreaking civic leadership in spearheading the Riverside Unified School District’s voluntary desegregation in 1965. Under his direction as school board president, the Riverside district became one of the first in the United States to integrate classrooms without the pressure of a court order. He achieved this goal by working closely with educators, school board members, Mexican-American and African-American parents and community leaders. In 2014, he published a memoir detailing his experiences titled “No Easy Way: Integrating Riverside Schools – A Victory for Community.”

Littleworth, age 94, was unable to attend his own graduations from Yale and Stanford universities due to military duty, family obligations and bar exam preparations. His participation in La Sierra's graduation marks his first commencement ceremony since high school.

As general counsel of Loma Linda University Health, Hansen oversees the 30 corporations that comprise LLUH which functions as one of only 125 academic health centers in the United States. Loma Linda University Health employs some 16,000 people and annually educates some 4,500 students in the health sciences. Hansen is the principal architect of the institution’s system of governance and organization.

Hansen graduated from La Sierra in 1975 when the campus was part of Loma Linda University. During his tenure at La Sierra, he was deeply involved in student government and served as editor of the Criterion student newspaper. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science followed by a Juris Doctor from Willamette University in 1979. He served as associate dean of students and university counsel for Loma Linda University from 1979 to 1982 when he joined a Corona law firm. In 1988, he became a named partner of that firm, Clayson, Mann, Yaeger & Hansen, where as a managing attorney, he focused on educational law, healthcare law, nonprofit corporate law, and employment defense. He has taught at both La Sierra and Loma Linda universities and has been actively involved in community service projects. In addition to his role as general counsel, he is currently an assistant professor at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry where he teaches a course in dentistry and the law.

Hansen has maintained his connection with La Sierra over the years in various ways including serving as university legal counsel through his law firm. “The realities of racial and gender diversity learned on the La Sierra campus influenced my drafts of the first affirmative action plans for Loma Linda University and Andrews University, and inspired my personal and professional commitments to fight racial and gender discrimination whenever I’ve encountered it,” he stated.

“My years of attendance [at La Sierra] are central to my life’s experience. My life was intellectually, culturally, and spiritually transformed. Through great and good times, the university and I have been together for 46 years,” he said.

The following awards will also be given during graduation:

• President’s Award for Outstanding University Undergraduate Student will be presented to Nicquelle Godfrey, graduating with Bachelor of Arts degrees in history, Global Studies, and sociology, and accepted into the Georgetown University of Law. While maintaining a 3.98 grade point average, she has served as student association president, co-founded the archaeology club, served as vice president of the pre-law club, served as a congressional intern on Capitol Hill, volunteered on an archaeological dig in Jordan, among many other activities.

• President’s Award for Outstanding University Graduate Student will go to Bianca Tolan who will receive a Master of Business Administration in marketing. Tolan has maintained a 3.90 GPA and has served as the president of the Marketing Society, participated as a student in the American Marketing Association and the Society for Human Resource Management, and worked as a marketing analyst for B&K Precision where she is now on the board of directors. After graduation, she will pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Loma Linda University.

• Distinguished Teaching Award will go to Krista Motschiedler, assistant professor of chemistry. She pursued doctoral research at the University of California, Los Angeles where she discovered a love of teaching. She joined La Sierra in 2002 and began teaching courses in organic chemistry, University Studies and courses for the Honors program. Motschiedler has served as chair of the Pre-Health Recommendation Committee since 2013. Motschiedler is also being presented with the 2017 GT Anderson Teacher of the Year Award from the College of Arts and Sciences.

• The Verla Rae Kwiram Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award will go to Lora Geriguis, associate professor of English. The Kwiram Award is presented annually to a faculty member who has led undergraduate students to success through challenging teaching, encouraging their students to an open range of ethical and intellectual inquiry. Since arriving at La Sierra in 2007, Geriguis has taught classes on literary studies, environmental humanities, the social and religious aspects of British literature between 1600-1800, and more. Her research focuses on the influence of Restoration period libraries on scientific methods in England, as well as environmental studies of the long 18th century.

• The Jay J. Nethery Award is presented to those who have contributed to the ideals of La Sierra University, and who have provided selfless and extraordinary service to its students. The award this year will be presented to Ken Khan, La Sierra’s director of dining services. Khan, a La Sierra alum, arrived at La Sierra in 2002 from a career as a food and beverages director for Marriott Hotels. With the support of La Sierra administration, the Dining Commons and the Eagle’s Nest cafe were remodeled during Khan's first year as director. From locally sourced food products to reduced food waste and work-study opportunities for student employees, the Dining Commons is a vastly different world from the one Khan first encountered as a student.

A full schedule of La Sierra University graduation weekend events is at https://lasierra.edu/graduation/. La Sierra University is located at 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside, Calif., 92505.