Zehavi Husser entered the position of art department chair and art professor in fall 2015. The position for chair of the art department has been empty for two years since Loren Baker’s death in Dec. 2013.

STRUCK BY THE CAMARADERIE

Prior to Biola, Husser worked at the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University as a project manager. She applied for the position at Biola in Dec. 2014 in an advertisement due to the good things said about the university — which were affirmed during the interview process.

“The most important thing is that during the interview process, I was struck by the camaraderie as well as the sense of family and belonging in the department. I really feel that the faculty, staff and students create real community here and that’s something that I want to preserve and develop,” Husser said.

CONTINUE AND DEVELOP

In spring 2015, Husser was accepted for the position of chair of the art department and her family moved from the East Coast to California. She says the change has proved different, but she and her family have enjoyed each experience, ranging from the atmosphere of Biola to the California weather.

Husser has several goals she wishes to achieve as the chair of the art department, including fostering community and growing alumni relationships with current students and different departments on campus.

“One thing is to continue and develop the community and the sense of belonging in our department and one way I’d like to do that is to continue to support the efforts of our art league which promotes community in the department through the various events that they sponsor,” Husser said. “I’d also like to foster an even closer connection with our alumni who often return to Biola as guest speakers to share their knowledge and experience with our students.”

GROWING THE CONCENTRATIONS

She would also like to extend the reach and influence of the faculty’s specializations, especially as the department considers the growth of concentrations.

“I think most importantly as far as growing the concentrations in our department I’d like to see us continue to support the artwork and research and initiatives of our talented faculty who serve as important models and mentors in the fine arts for our students,” Husser said. “We have such talented faculty and the opportunity to see them shine provides a great benefit to our students.”

For fall 2016, Husser aims to provide a course on ancient Greek art and possibly teach more courses in the future, including art history classes.