Professor Jennifer D. Chandler does it all.
Courtesy of Jennifer D. Chandler
Her big appetite for living, along with an adventurous attitude, has made for an interesting life full of lessons she has incorporated in her first semester at CSUF as an assistant professor of management.
“I relate my life experiences to my lectures because I believe it makes students understand the material more through my experiences. They might forget things they learned in class but the critical thinking skills and how to dissect a situation are skills that will stay with them,” said Chandler.
Chandler has an ability to understand all new and current trends within the marketing industry. Just as the definition of marketing seems to always grow and change, Chandler strives to stay current as an expert, according to Bryan Butteling, her former student at University of Hawaii.
“One thing that makes Professor Chandler truly special is her ability to communicate and connect with students unlike any other professor. I think it’s a bit hard sometimes for students when you have a professor who just sticks to the books. Professor Chandler is different. Not only does she have experience and success in the marketing field, but when she teaches she explains and discusses current events happening within the industry. Cal State Fullerton is very lucky to have gained not only a great professor but a valuable mentor for all present and future students,” said Butteling.
A Southern California native, Chandler and her family moved several times due to her father’s job in the Navy. At most schools she went to, she was teased for being either a tomboy or a nerd. Chandler never felt like she fit in until she started getting into performing arts and got her first rush of adrenaline onstage. As a child she also played piano.
Later on, Chandler got her first glimpse of CSUF when she competed in Friendship Games for the Filipino Student Association in California.
Chandler’s education after high school started out a bit shaky. Similar to the difficulties students are facing today with tuition costs, she found it difficult to pay the funds during her undergraduate and master’s studies. She withdrew from all her classes. It took the help of faculty members to get Chandler to continue with her education.
“When I left college during my undergrad and master’s, it was only because of my counselors that I got back to school and back on track. That’s the reason I value the work of counselors and advisers so much. When I was a full-time student, I was interning on the side and had two part-time jobs. If I were a student today, I’m not sure I could have gone further with schooling due to all the unfortunate tuition rises,” Chandler said.
In her last semester as an undergrad, Chandler studied in Europe where she did a lot of backpacking and found it so liberating that after she came back to the United States, she decided to move to Hawaii on a whim. She moved into a house with surfers, one of which she later married. Chandler started teaching high school but did not like it because unlike college life, she felt it was more about the families instead of the students making their own decisions.
After a few years of working, she decided to go to grad school. After she obtained her master’s, Chandler and her husband sold their house and moved back to Southern California where she entered a Ph.D. program at UC Irvine.
“I always tell my husband, if you want the wife with the house and the white picket fence, that is not me. I never had a plan in life, everything just happened and I think that is the advice I could give to students is to not pressure yourself,” Chandler said.
Chandler and her family moved back to Hawaii after she finished her education and she served on faculty there for four years before her husband’s job got transferred back to La Mirada, Calif. Chandler then joined the CSUF faculty while balancing being a mom to two young boys. Judy Rosener, her professor at UCI, believes her former student is now a role model and great teacher.
“She is so positive, she is the kind of person who doesn’t work just to work. She genuinely loves what she does and wants to make the world a better place. Her primary goal has never been to make money. She is a great example of a mom and teacher because she balances things out so well. She works hard and never complains doing it,” said Rosener.
Whenever Chandler has any free time she is out doing something active. Whether it’s surfing in Hawaii or hiking in Fullerton, her days are always packed with activities for her to do with her children. Finding adventures in everyday life is key to Chandler, who moved back to the Fullerton area in May and has already hiked all trails within five miles from her. Her teacher’s assistant at the University of Hawaii, Melissa Akaka, remembers her one year working with Chandler.
“She helped me see the big picture of how to build a career, not just in one year at a time but in the long term. She is so enthusiastic about life, she taught me to enjoy everything and take time for myself and my family. She has a great perception and is open to studying new things and taking new views on traditional models. This makes her innovative and creative,” said Akaka.
Entering her first semester as a CSUF faculty member, Chandler knew what to expect because she had grown up in the area. She was pleasantly surprised by how nice and helpful the community and administration have been to her.
“My future goals are to do well in my research, see my kids grow up, stay in shape and be healthy all around. I want to continue to enjoy what I’m doing in life because when you enjoy what you do, you never get tired,” Chandler said.