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Occidental alumni Eric Chen, Tammy Bird, Mike Schmidt, and Jenny Dean Schmidt
Catalysts for the Public Good
From uplifting inner-city scholars in South Central L.A. to prison moms in Colorado to a Monterey Park community in need, Oxy alumni embrace the College's mission

Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2025-26 academic year, the magazine will publish one digital-only issue (Summer 2025) and two print and digital issues (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026).

He was a rising star in Oxy's philosophy department when he took his own life in 1966. Today, his name is synonymous with teaching excellence. Who was Donald Loftsgordon?
Its Presbyterian roots. Its early financial struggles. The fire that destroyed its Boyle Heights campus. The perseverance of a school to realize its destiny. Occidental's early history has...
Occidental's liberal arts mission has been shaped by presidents, professors, protests, and progress. We look back at a dozen milestone movements
As Occidental prepares to induct its inaugural class into the Athletics Hall of Fame during Homecoming & Family Weekend, the playing field has never been more level for men and women. And...
From planning the freeway system and aiding the conservation movement to bringing the Dodgers and the Olympics to town, Oxy alumni have been integral to the development of the City of Angels...
Robert T. Moore, Moore Laboratory, Occidental College
After more than 60 years of sitting in oak case drawers, the 60,000-plus specimens in Oxy's Moore Lab of Zoology are more vital than ever, as advances in DNA sequencing technology offer new...
Fascinated by sharks from an early age, marine biologist Lisa Natanson '81 takes to the ocean, her $17 knife close at hand, to explore the mysteries of nature's most toothsome predators
Oxy's marine biology program studies California's near-shore environment
If these mementoes from the Roy Dennis Trophy Room could talk, they would share many stories of Oxy's rich sports heritage
In a banner year for TV and film production at Oxy—including "NCIS," "Private Practice," and "CSI"—"Arrested Development" sneaks onto campus as the Bluth family saga springs back to life
FallWeb_Numerology
A retired jersey, Labs for the Liberal Arts, new professors, and Facebook friends
FallWeb_SuzanneSelfors
New books from professors Arthé Anthony, Robert Richmond Ellis, and Anthony Chase, as well as novelists Suzanne Selfors '86 and Bill Thomas '53
FallWeb_Tingley
Oxy's Architect of Admission, Verbatim
Jorge Gonzalez hotfoots it to London, Emmons expands its psychiatric and counseling services, and more
FallWeb_HarryGray
As a new school year dawns, Swan Hall reopens its doors, Oxy's website gets a makeover, and Peter Dreier goes five minutes with Bill O'Reilly. Here's what you might have missed

Features

Occidental biology major Hannah Tawadrous '26
Lessons in Biology
Oxy’s biology program blends exploration and experimentation, empowering students to uncover and explain life’s diverse ecosystems
Occidental alumni Eric Chen, Tammy Bird, Mike Schmidt, and Jenny Dean Schmidt
Catalysts for the Public Good
From uplifting inner-city scholars in South Central L.A. to prison moms in Colorado to a Monterey Park community in need, Oxy alumni embrace the College's mission
Two-time Emmy winner Emma Choate ’20 with her 2-year-old Irish wolfhound, George.
When Emmy Met Oxy
From casting to costumes to music direction and composition, three Occidental alumni live out their Hollywood dreams while being honored by their peers

First Word

From the Quad

Occidental's men's soccer team celebrated on Patterson Field on November 8 after their 1-0 victory over the University of Redlands.
Oxy’s Fall Three-Feat
Men’s soccer nets its second SCIAC title in three years, while women’s soccer and men’s water polo return to postseason play after sensational seasons
Current year scholarship recipients Alyssa Zatarain '29 and Sunny Tuazon '29
Unlocking the Future
For first-generation college students Alyssa Zatarain ’29 and Sunny Tuazon ’29, current-year scholarship support opened the doors to an Oxy education

Mixed Media

Filmmaker Thom Harp '92
Fertile Imagination
Thom Harp ’92 waited for years to direct his first movie—and after a long birthing process, he’s the proud father of two features
Detail from The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter
Mixed Media
This roundup has everything: a pair of memoirs, a literary farce, a coming-of-age story, a writer’s guide to romantasy, and the legendary Miss Britney Spears

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
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...

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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