Skip to main content
National Public Radio correspondent Kat Lonsdorf ’09 at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Kat Meets World
From Tel Aviv and Beirut to Minneapolis and Washington, NPR reporter Kat Lonsdorf ’09 follows the news wherever it leads, covering some of the defining stories of our time

Occidental Magazine

Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2026-27 academic year, the magazine will publish one digital-only issue (Summer 2026) and two print and digital issues (Fall 2026 and Spring 2027).

EdibleComplex
Foodies, wonks, and utensil-minded gourmands chew over a buffet of topics as Oxy hosts an international gathering of food studies scholars
From Spring 2007: Junior diving phenoms Jon and Robert Dohring were "untouchable" all season, finishing 1-2 in the 1-and 3-meter events at the Division III nationals—and the sky's the limit...
Eleanor Helin
More than 75 years ago, Barbara (Wylie) Canright ’40 helped lift the Jet Propulsion Laboratory off the ground. Half a century later, Eleanor Helin ’54 discovered a staggering number of...
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Occidental was a small college struggling to survive in its new home. With a new president and a renewed sense of urgency, how did...
Chris Varelas '85 has a passion for sports, a knack for structuring complex technology deals, a loyalty to his Oxy family—and the uncanny ability of being at the nexus of history
Decades before they joined the diplomacy and world affairs faculty at Oxy, Sophal Ear, Lan Chu, and Sanjeev Khagram immigrated to the United States as refugees. How have their journeys...
Addie McMenamin '40: Alumni's First Lady
mag-sp17-JV
Faith in Our Mission in Uncertain Times
mag-sp17-readers
The untold story behind a candid cocktail photo and the guy who is missing from this pic
mag-sp17-organ
What's that sweet sound coming out of Herrick? After 15 years of relative quiet, the Mildred Miles Crew '45 Memorial Organ is making music again
mag-sp17-new-kid
Charlie Cardillo's road to college began behind the wheel of a 1969 Olds 98. Now he's steering Oxy's fundraising efforts as a campaign revs up
Taking a flyer on a trip to Cuba with his wife and a cargo full of Tigers, Andrew Louie '95 reflects on the country's treasures and unexpected pleasures
After years (and years and years) of promises, a new aquatic center finally breaks ground this summer—and two additional tennis courts will bring athletes home to Occidental as well
Fifty years after Martin Luther King spoke at Oxy, activist Rev. Dr. William Barber preaches a message of resistance and resolution in the face of racism
mag-sp17-admit
Two high-profile college surveys suggest that the Oxy experience is both enriching and rewarding

Features

Professor of Art and Art History Amy Lyford in October 2021.
Postcards From Amy Lyford
After the Eaton Fire upended her life, the longtime Occidental professor reflects on finding a new home, returning to her research, and reconnecting with her community through art
National Public Radio correspondent Kat Lonsdorf ’09 at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Kat Meets World
From Tel Aviv and Beirut to Minneapolis and Washington, NPR reporter Kat Lonsdorf ’09 follows the news wherever it leads, covering some of the defining stories of our time
Professor of Sociology Emeritus Jan Lin, photographed in June 2026.
Jan Lin’s Street Stories
For 28 years, Occidental’s renowned urban and community sociologist has connected the College with its surrounding neighborhoods through research, teaching, and thoughtful partnerships
Joy Shigaki ’94, president and CEO of Friends of Waterfront Park in Seattle.
Bringing Joy to Her Community
Joy Shigaki ’94 turned her lifelong commitment to social justice and community building into a career dedicated to creating inclusive public spaces—and Seattle’s Waterfront Park is her most...

First Word

From the Quad

Shane Kawakami-Williams ’27
Brewing Up a Comeback
A $1 million gift from Doug Odell ’75 is giving Occidental track and field a boost as it improves its facilities, strengthens its roster, and aims to compete at a higher level
Curb Visiting Fellow Michael Lloyd, far right, and Resident Assistant Professor Max Foreman with Oxy students in the Choi Family Music Production Center.
Accelerating the Tempo
New industry partnerships, expanded course offerings, and a reimagined Booth Hall are positioning the Music Department for its second century
From left, Lizzie Friedrich ’25, Lily Calvert ’25, and Hayden Jennings ’25 share a red-carpet moment during the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival.
A Ticket to Slamdance
Oxy students and alumni find pathways into the Slamdance Film Festival, gaining industry exposure and experience following its move to Los Angeles

Mixed Media

Blue Film director Elliot Tuttle '22, second from left, with the film's stars.
Rhapsody in Blue
Elliot Tuttle ’22’s microbudget debut feature is one of the year’s breakout indie films—but getting there was its own odyssey

Oxy Talk

2025-26 Kemp Lecturer Tim Miller with Occidental Professor Caroline Heldman.
Miller’s Crossing
Former GOP operative Tim Miller recounts his own political reckoning—and offers pearls of hope in the face of despair—as the 2025-26 Jack Kemp '57 Distinguished Lecturer

Last Page

Dale and Shirley Morter photographed on January 1, 2000.
A Couple’s Legacy
A scholarship gift honoring Shirley and Dale Morter ’56 will bring students from southwestern Pennsylvania to Occidental
Contact Occidental Magazine
Arthur G. Coons Administrative Center


Office of Communications F-36
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles CA 90041-3314