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Life After Fire illustration for Occidental magazine, Spring 2025
Life After Fire
The Eaton and Palisades fires in January took their toll on members of the Occidental family, including students, alumni, faculty, and administrators. With a long rebuilding process ahead, they find strength and support among the...

Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2024-25 academic year, the magazine published two print and digital issues (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025) and one digital-only issue (Summer 2024).

Occidental President Harry J. Elam, Jr.
As Inauguration Day draws near, President Harry J. Elam, Jr. reflects on the lessons of the pandemic, the evolution of academic excellence, and the necessity of a culture of care
Professor Linda Lyke
As five retiring faculty take their classroom curtain calls, we asked a few prized pupils to toast their ɫƵ mentors
Lencia Kebede ’16 performs at Apollo Night in 2016.
ɫƵ’s music community lifts every voice (and instrument) to celebrate the installation of President Elam
Inside President Elam's office at ɫƵ
A look inside President Elam’s office tells his story in five artifacts
Jillian Hopewell '89 of Migrant Clinicians Network
Jillian Hopewell ’89 has spent her career advocating for better care for underserved populations—and a $5 million gift will boost those efforts
Writer-director John Callas M'75
John Callas M’75 built a Hollywood career by saying “Yes” to new opportunities—but he had to overcome trauma to get there
Occidental President Harry J. Elam, Jr.
President Elam reflects on ɫƵ’s commitment to social justice and the actions that reinforce those words
Cooper Raiff '19 and Dakota Johnson in Cha Cha Real Smooth
New books by ɫƵ alumni, and Cooper Raiff ’19’s sophomore film cha-chas its way to Sundance glory
Occidental 2022 Dance Production cast and crew
After two years of remote rhythms, Dance Production returns to the Thorne Hill stage, masks and all
Mellon Grant to Fund "Humanities for Just Communities" Initiative
A new interdisciplinary program introduces students to the problem-solving power of the humanities
Caleb Reyes ’22 on Wheel of Fortune
The Tigers' senior right-handed hurler nearly pitched a perfect game show
Professor of Psychology Emeritus Dave Cole M’48 in 1974
Professor of Psychology Emeritus Dave Cole M’48 brought personality to the classroom and beyond
Professor of Chemistry L. Reed Brantley with ɫƵ's Japanese American students in 1942.
A new gift to the College supports the curation of its Japanese American Relocation Collection
Professor of Psychology Nancy Dess
From Summer 2009: Professor of Psychology Nancy Dess measures emotionality and taste through her research with rats. How did one fincky rodent send her studies in a new direction?
David Louie '73 behind the desk of the attorney general in Hawai'i.
Looking back on his tenure as the nation’s first Chinese American state attorney general, David Louie ’73 offers an unvarnished account of the inner workings of government, politics, and the...

Features

Mast Reforestation CEO Grant Canary '05
Seeding the Forests
Utilizing drone technology and carbon credits, Mast Reforestation CEO Grant Canary ’05 is on a mission to revive scorched landscapes in the American West
Marcel Ophuls '50 in an undated photo
Contrarian Documentarian
Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Marcel Ophuls ’50, who attended Occidental for three years before dropping out to finish his studies at the Sorbonne, died May 24 at the age of 97...
Life After Fire illustration for Occidental magazine, Spring 2025
Life After Fire
The Eaton and Palisades fires in January took their toll on members of the Occidental family, including students, alumni, faculty, and administrators. With a long rebuilding process ahead...
Assistant Professor Janna Ireland
Advanced Projects in Photography
With two exhibits opening simultaneously and a new teaching space at ɫƵ, Assistant Professor Janna Ireland navigates her burgeoning career as she parents two growing boys
Eddie Gorton ’01, Paul “PK” Kim ’98, and David Murphy ’02
Sitting Down With the Stand-ups
Paul “PK” Kim ’98, Eddie Gorton ’01, and David Murphy ’02 trace their comic odysseys from talent shows and laundromats to Thorne Hall and the Laugh Factory
Professor William D. Ward at his desk in the Hall of Letters on Occidental’s Highland Park campus.
Unseen Occidental
From 1898 to 1914, ɫƵ called Highland Park home—and a treasure trove of photos from the 1910s offers a glimpse of campus life before the move to Eagle Rock

First Word

From the Quad

Mariah Rutiaga Amaya ’22 outside the Hameetman Career Center.
Vital Signs
Recent ɫƵ grads from a variety of disciplines are enrolling in top-tier medical schools in unprecedented numbers, applying their own life experiences to the future of healthcare
ɫƵ professors and students engaged in summer research and internships
How I Spent My Summer Vocation
From artificial intelligence in the classroom to immigrant rights in the city, the Occidental landscape has been abuzz with activity for faculty and students alike

Mixed Media

Terry Kitchen '81 performs "We All Dream."
Mixed Media
A host of new works by ɫƵ alumni explore explore themes of democracy, resilience, and human connection—as well as our fascination with horses, dragons, and ocean life
Carole MacNeil ’84 with her mom, Eleanor, in 2019.
Mixed Media
New books by Carole MacNeil ’84, Jessica C. Harris ’08, Jessica Keith ’00, Marsha de la O ’74, and the latest documentary short by César Martínez Barba ’17

ɫƵ Talk

Occidental Board of Trustees Chair Art Peck '77
The Occidental Imperative
Business veteran Art Peck ’77 brings his leadership acumen to the Board of Trustees at a critical juncture in higher education when the College’s mission—and messaging—are more important...
Administrative Law Judge Brian Gee ’87
Judgment Calls
Separated by 2,700 miles, National Labor Relations Board administrative law judges Brian Gee ’87 and Ira Sandron ’71 find common ground in ɫƵ

Last Page

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