News

Saybrook alumna Dr. Tamami Shirai received the Research Abstract of Excellence Resident/Trainee/Fellow award at the Lifestyle Medicine 2016 conference for her recent study on U.S. and Japanese cardiac patients. (more…) ...

Tamami Shirai, PhD, is a recent graduate of Saybrook University’s College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Shirai was awarded third prize for her e-poster presentation within the residency/student category at the Natural Supplements 2016 conference, held by Scripps in San Diego in January 2016. Since the completion of her doctoral degree, Tamami Shirai has focused her research on Lifestyle Medicine, while also serving as a post-doctoral trainee at the University of California San Diego’s School of Medicine.  Dr. Shirai’s systematic review of literature on Hijiki (i.e., brown algae) is one of her most recent research projects.  In certain Asian countries, such as Japan, the consumption of seaweed is a relatively important dietary component and may add substantially to people’s daily exposure levels of inorganic arsenic (iAs). iAs is considered a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and some countries such as Canada prohibit the import of Hijiki.  The Canadian Food Standards Agency also advises consumers not to eat Hijiki seaweed. Dr. Shirai commented, “In spite of this fact, Hijiki has enjoyed a healthy image as a food product throughout my life in my home country, where they even say that it is ...

Dear Saybrook Community: I want to directly address the Executive Order President Trump signed on Friday restricting people from seven countries from entering the U.S.  As we wait with the rest of the world to understand the impact of this order, my first concern is our international students that may be affected. We are vigilantly following updates as they evolve to ensure that we are offering the best support for our international students and scholars.  The Offices of Student Affairs and Global Engagement will continue to offer support and are working closely with me as we partner with the broader academic community to monitor and respond to the situation.  If you have specific questions, please contact Jennifer Fullick, Director of Global Engagement. As has always been a part of our mission, at Saybrook University we believe that every living being has the right to thrive in a just, inclusive, and sustainable world; that will not change.  I will be in touch directly as news unfolds. Nathan —————– Dr. Nathan Long, President Saybrook University Pasadena, CA T. 510-593-2910 E. [email protected] W. test.saybrook.edu B. www.nathanlong.org/blog/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/saybrookpresident ...

Mr. Ahmad Mansur, Saybrook’s Fifth Presidential Fellow Saybrook University is pleased to announce the appointment of our fifth Presidential Fellow, Mr. Ahmad Mansur of Oakland, California. Ahmad is a strategist, educator, entrepreneur and a thought leader on the talent economy. He helps leaders learn deeply about complex global challenges and big shifts impacting their organization, region and community, and offer leadership solutions to adapt for change. Ahmad splits his time between two enterprises. He is the co-founding partner of the Urban Economy Group, a global consulting and venture firm that focuses on innovation and growth sector opportunities in cities and communities. Recently, he formed Consilient Education, a development company that builds innovative brands for adult lifelong learners to access training through online courses, catalyst events, media channels, and high-impact learning experiences. A sought-after speaker, Ahmad shares his insights on a broad range of topics with audiences worldwide through keynotes, panel discussions, and executive sessions at premiere events like the Swissnex “Future of Leadership” conference, the U.S. Congressional Panel on Biotechnology and Jobs, and the ILA London Conference. Ahmad also pens for various media platforms, exploring transformational perspectives about leadership challenges at the intersection of innovation, society, and globalism. Ahmad draws ...

Kelly D. Carlisle, Founder and Executive Director of Acta Non Verba, and Saybrook Presidential Fellow Saybrook University is pleased to announce the appointment of our fourth Presidential Fellow, Ms. Kelly Carlisle, Executive Director of Acta Non Verba and resident of Oakland, California. We welcome her to the Saybrook family and look forward to partnering with her to advance positive social change in Oakland! Carlisle writes in her bio at Newman’s Own Foundation that she enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2001, where she served as Operations Specialist. Upon returning to civilian life, she says she was distressed by the severe conditions in her childhood home of East Oakland where poverty, childhood obesity, and school dropout rates are high. As a mother and a veteran, she decided she wanted to be part of the solution. “I didn’t immediately consider urban farming,” Carlisle explains. “But one day, I was cruising a nursery and came across a lemon tree that had two ripe lemons on it. My daughter, who was three at the time, was shocked! So I purchased the lemon tree and dared it to produce again. It did. I decided right there that I wanted to learn how to grow everything. I was meant ...

Saybrook University is pleased to announce the appointment of our third Presidential Fellow, Mr. ShakaJamal Redmond of Oakland, California. OLU8 founder, ShakaJamal is a culturally innovative artist and filmmaker from Oakland, California. His many experiences as film producer, director, cinematographer, editor, writer, performing artist, and music producer bring a distinctive and invaluable perspective to any venture. ShakaJamal is a graduate of Tuskegee University where he earned a BA in History. He received a Master’s of Fine Arts in Cinema at San Francisco State University. ShakaJamal is the first filmmaker from Oakland, CA to receive the Game Changers Fellowship which lead him to premiere a series of micro-documentaries in New York at Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. His work has premiered both nationally and internationally, on television, and in numerous film festivals. After meeting ShakaJamal and his wonderful family, it is clear his skills, dedication, and passion for making change in our community will add significantly to the Fellows Program. We welcome ShakaJamal to Saybrook University. To see a sampling of ShakaJamal’s work, see below as well as visit his website for more information. View ShakaJamal’s work on Vimeo ...

Saybrook University is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Kelly Amis, our second appointee to the Saybrook University Presidential Fellows Program. In selecting Ms. Amis, it was clear her efforts in education and documentary film, specifically focused in the Oakland and Bay Area communities, uniquely qualify her for the appointment. After graduating from Georgetown University, Kelly taught in South Central Los Angeles as a charter corps member of Teach for America. She has an M.A. in Education Policy from Stanford University and researched the Australian education system as a Fulbright Scholar. In Washington, DC, Kelly worked for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Fight for Children, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, Cesar Chavez Charter Schools and Building Hope, which she helped design and launch. Since founding Loudspeaker Films in 2009, Kelly has won the Teach for America Social Innovation Award, the Rising Star Director’s Award from the Canada International Film Festival and documentary awards from festivals including Harlem, Napa, Amsterdam, Houston, Humboldt and (In)Justice for All. You can learn more about her work at LoudspeakerFilms.com, watch more videos below, as well as here and read some of Kelly’s writing here. We are thrilled to have Kelly join us as a Presidential Fellow and ...

Saybrook University is pleased to announce our first appointee to the Saybrook University Presidential Fellows Program, Dr. Ginger Charles, Ph.D., Executive Director, Research Psychologist, Consultant, and Police Sergeant (ret.). Dr. Charles is a retired police sergeant, having served 27 years as a police officer in Colorado. Her experience in the police culture gives her a unique, boots on the ground, approach in the law enforcement world. Ginger has served in patrol, administration, and investigations. In 2005, Dr. Charles received her doctorate from Saybrook University in Health Psychology, focusing on Health Risk Factors in the police community, specifically in the area of health and spirituality. Ginger recently retired in 2013 after living in the “petri dish” and relocated to Northern California to continue research, writing, and consultancy in the law enforcement culture. She recently authored the book, Police Pursuit of the Common Good (2016, Balboa Press), in which she “…examines the current issues facing law enforcement and marginalized communities. She presents reasons why our police communities appear to be in constant conflict with marginalized communities for the last several years. In the book, she explores the behaviors in the police culture from a social psychological perspective, illustrating the importance of understanding police behaviors ...

Saybrook University Launches Presidential Fellows Program Saybrook University has launched a new Presidential Fellows Program, designed to offer practitioners and scholar‐practitioners the opportunity to connect with a reputable university that is dedicated in mission and purpose to advancing positive social change. The program will provide a beneficial experience to both Saybrook University and the individual’s work in the community. “Because Saybrook University’s mission is one dedicated to social change and transformation, we are taking this step forward to find and support agents of progress in our communities—people who are making a true difference in the lives of individuals, organizations, and communities,” says President Nathan Long, Ed.D. “With this program, we aim to set the example of how academic institutions can lead positive change both academically and practically.” Ways Fellows Will Collaborate With Saybrook University They will participate in relevant Saybrook symposia, panel presentations, and residential conference sessions that are relevant to her or his particular focus area 3‐4 times per semester. They will actively participate and contribute to the Saybrook University President’s Advisory Council twice a year. They will develop and share a culminating presentation to the University and broader community on her or his particular focus area during the Spring ...

Transformative Social Change faculty and students celebrate graduate Donna Nassor’s dissertation with distinction. Saybrook University has announced a new degree program in Transformative Social Change (TSC), set to begin instruction in August 2016. The program is envisioned as an extension of Saybrook’s mission of “providing rigorous graduate education that inspires transformational change in individuals, organizations, and communities, toward a just, humane, and sustainable world,” and builds from a Transformative Social Change Specialization area in Saybrook’s legacy Humanistic and Clinical Psychology program.  A Unique Vision “The purpose of this program is to contribute to the kinds of transformative social change occurring all around the world,” says Joel Federman, Ph.D., the new program’s director. “Our graduates will be prepared to provide theoretical insight and policy expertise to social movements and nongovernmental organizations focused on peace, democracy, human rights, the environment, and social justice, to create strategies for greater impact, and to help them to evaluate their effectiveness.” The program is also planning two specializations, in Social Impact Media and Peace and Justice Studies, which will begin instruction in January 2017. In addition, the program will offer Certificates in Peace and Conflict Studies, Community Health and Development, Socially Engaged Spirituality, and Building a ...