25th Anniversary Program Announcements
From our event planning to major announcements during our anniversary year, each will be aligned with our major theme derived from Pepperdine University's Affirmation Statement: "That freedom, whether spiritual, intellectual, or economic, is indivisible."
We are excited and grateful to make a number of significant program announcements—from faculty hires to philanthropic gifts—during this historic year.
Pepperdine School of Public Policy Receives $1 Million Endowment Gift to Establish the Joseph and Farima Czyzyk DC Scholars Program
SPP receives $1 million endowment gift from SPP board of advisors chairman Joseph Czyzyk and his wife, Farima. This endowment will support the school's highly regarded summer program in Washington, DC, which will be renamed the Joseph and Farima Czyzyk DC Scholars Program.
Robert C. O’Brien, Former US Ambassador and National Security Advisor, Named Distinguished Senior Fellow at Pepperdine School of Public Policy
Robert C. O’Brien, former US ambassador and the 27th national security advisor, joins SPP as a distinguished senior fellow.
Kiron Skinner Named Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics at Pepperdine School of Public Policy
International relations, US foreign policy, and political strategy expert Kiron Skinner will join the Pepperdine School of Public Policy faculty as the Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics.
Pepperdine School of Public Policy Receives $10 Million Endowment to Launch New Edwin Meese III Institute for Liberty and the American Project
Endowed with a $10 million gift from Pepperdine alumni Chandra (’99, JD ’02) and Adam (’99) Melton, the Meese Institute will be led by a leading scholar in American history and politics who will assume the Melton Chair at the helm. A member of the School of Public Policy Board of Advisors, Chandra is dedicated to preparing students for leadership opportunities in government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.
Byron Johnson Named Distinguished Visiting Professor of Religious Studies and the Common Good
Byron Johnson, Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University, joins the Pepperdine School of Public Policy faculty as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Religious Studies and the Common Good as of April 1, 2022.