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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).

A snapshot of the Class of 2019
Fall15_Letters
The life-changing properties of Upward Bound and avocados
Of Milestones and Momentum
What's the story behind Oxy's new department of comparative studies in literature and culture?
Orphaned before World War I and befriended by an American regiment, Dostert engineered the simultaneous translation system used at Nuremberg and the United Nations—and even sparked the...
Roger Guenveur Smith '77 reflects on the characters that have stayed with him the most
Whether it's Christopher Columbus, Frederick Douglass, Huey Newton, or Rodney King, writer-performer Roger Guenveur Smith '77 brings his subjects to life with reams of research and a touch...
Fall15_Veitch
After more than 2,300 days into the job, President Jonathan Veitch shares some of the lessons he's learned
Fall15_Presidency
There's no one path to becoming a college or university president, but a handful of Oxy alumni have found the way. It's a job with infinite challenges—and innumerable rewards
Data from Oxy's first-ever Sexual Assault Campus Climate Survey, conducted last spring in conjunction with the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, show that:
Fall15_ProjectSAFE
By getting out the message early and often, turning bystanders into Upstanders, and facilitating conversations across various constituencies, Oxy takes a proactive approach to preventing...
Fall15_GreenerOxy2
From beehives and hybrids to shower heads and deep-fryers, sustainability is a buzzword on campus
Fall15_Seeds
From gardens and galleries to glaciers and green funds, "sustainability" means change across the Oxy landscape
Summer15_Morrisons
Brothers Willie and Truman Morrison '07 started making music at Oxy and took their act to the Roxy. Now they're knocking on Nashville's door
Summer15_OxyTalk
Ming Cho Lee '53 didn't turn into the "dean of American set designers" overnight. But as biographer Arnold Aronson explains, it was Omar Paxson '48 who turned Lee into a designer

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
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