California Baptist University President Dr. Ronald Ellis joins the PacWest Magazine Radio show

SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. – California Baptist University President Dr. Ronald Ellis joins the PacWest Magazine Radio Show this Thursday, Sept. 29, live on KQCKLive in San Tan Valley, Ariz.

Tom Di Camillo, assistant commissioner for media relations, will host the 30-minute program that airs each Thursday. Both the audio and the high definition streaming video will air live from the KQCK studios over the Internet beginning at 1 p.m. MDT, 12 p.m. PDT/MST, and 9 a.m. HT.

Ellis will talk about California Baptist University - its history, location, programs, mission, and how the institution was founded. He also will discuss the Lancers’ athletic program, its history, and what prompted the move to NCAA Division II from the NAIA.

Family, friends, fans, members of the media and institutional personnel are invited to tune into the broadcast by simply clicking on to the PacWest website at www.thepacwest.com or by going to http://kqcklive.com/. Listeners are encouraged to join the live chat that takes place during the broadcast by simply visiting the station’s website.

Dr. Ronald L. Ellis became the fifth President of California Baptist University on November 1, 1994. In 17 remarkable years since then, the institution has experienced sweeping changes in almost every facet of university life: in the physical landscape and infrastructure on the main campus in Riverside and at satellite locations; in development of academic programs and enrollment growth; as well as in athletics, student activities and opportunities to learn and serve.          

Enrollment at CBU has increased nearly fivefold during the Ellis presidency, from 808 in the fall of 1994 to 4,700 in the fall of 2010. In addition to university’s operating budget also has grown from $11.3 million in 1994 to more than $100 million in 2011.

The growth has also transformed the physical appearance and facilities on CBU’s beautiful Southern California campus. The Eugene and Billie Yeager Center – a 94,800 square foot structure that nearly doubled classroom seating capacity – was completed in the fall of 2003.

The JoAnn Hawkins Music building, completed in 2005, is one of the nation’s most advanced music production and recording facilities. The 32,000 square foot, state-of-the-art building also features classrooms, rehearsal space and faculty offices.

On September 25, 1998, just four years into his presidency, Ellis led California Baptist College to attain university status. California Baptist University continued to grow and develop as a significant member of the local community and region, and in 2005 the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce named CBU “Business of the Year.”

In August 2011, for the sixth straight year, U.S. News & World Report named California Baptist University one of “America’s Best Colleges” for 2010 among master’s degree granting universities in the West.

Under his leadership, CBU has grown into a premier comprehensive Christian university comprising nine colleges and professional schools offering more than 90 undergraduate majors and concentrations as well as some 25 master’s degree programs.

While leading the institution from one success to the next, Ellis has remained constant in his dedication to the mission of California Baptist University and his vision to create “a University committed to the Great Commission” on the West Coast that provides students many opportunities for global engagement.

Ellis has established cooperative relationships with nearly a dozen universities throughout the world as well as a Presidential Education Agreement with the government of Rwanda. These programs not only have helped to increase CBU’s international student enrollment, but also provide global opportunities for learning and serving for CBU students, faculty, and staff members.

During 2011, more than 400 members of the CBU community participated in the university’s signature International Service Project (ISP) program that Ellis founded in 1997.

Ellis received his bachelor’s degree from Houston Baptist University in 1977 and then received his master’s degree in educational administration from Baylor University in 1981. In 1987, he completed a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Texas A&M University.

Ellis and his wife, Jane Dowden Ellis, are active members of Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church in Riverside, where he has served as chair of the board of trustees.