Out of Air, by Rachel Reiss ’99 (Macmillan). Recent high school graduate Phoebe “Phibs” Ray is never more at home than when she’s underwater. And while she and her four closest friends are taking one last summer trip to a distant Australian island to do what they love most—scuba dive—Phibs discovers a spectacular underwater sea cave, rumored to be a lost cave with a buried treasure. But after she and her buddy Gabe surface from the cave, they’re undergoing strange changes: oozing gashes that don’t heal; haunting whispers in their heads.

My favorite part of summer at Occidental is the opportunity to hear from students who’ve chosen to spend it here on campus, pursuing their academic and career passions. The Summer Research Program, InternLA, and Justice Summer Internship program are all in full swing through June and July, and the work accomplished is always impressive.

The Occidental College Board of Trustees welcomed seven new members to its ranks on July 1. In addition, the Board reappointed two long-serving trustees to new four-year terms. Collectively, they bring skills and expertise as well as passion for Occidental’s mission.

Biology major Mariah Rutiaga Amaya ’22 discovered a passion for healthcare at Occidental during the COVID-19 pandemic through an internship focused on urban agriculture and food studies. For the first-generation college student, the experience highlighted the interconnectedness of environmental justice, food sovereignty, and health outcomes, which ultimately inspired her to help others by pursuing a career as a physician’s assistant after graduating.

Across the country, and particularly in the West, charred landscapes tell the stories of wildfires that are burning hotter, faster, and more often due to climate change. From 1992 to 2023, the United States saw an increase in annual wildfire acreage from 2.5 million to 7.5 million acres.

Forty-eight years and seven presidents ago, economics major Art Peck ’77 walked across the stage of Remsen Bird Hillside Theater, where he received his diploma from President Richard C. Gilman. When he returned to the stage on April 25 at the inauguration of Occidental’s 17th president, Tom Stritikus, it was as chair-elect of the College’s Board of Trustees—a role he never expected to fill.

Animator, designer, and director Amanda Tasse has been using generative AI in her work for the last couple of years. When she heard about a summer-long faculty learning initiative devoted to incorporating AI into the Oxy curriculum, she wanted to do a deeper dive.

“Coming at it as an artist and filmmaker, it’s very much about identifying in a practical way how to collaborate with AI at different stages of my process and the ethical implications of it,” says Tasse, who teaches hands-on classes in emerging media as an assistant professor of media arts and culture (MAC).

Four days a week, Claire Wilson-Black ’26 takes the Gold Line to Los Angeles City Hall. Although July 14, 2028—the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad—is nearly three years away, she is one of seven Occidental students working this summer to ensure the LA28 Summer Olympics will be equitable and sustainable.

Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Perry, emerita adjunct professor of history at Occidental, died June 30, 2025, in Altadena. She was 87.

A native of Turlock, Calif., Betsy graduated from Washington State University as class valedictorian in 1959, with what was at the time the highest GPA in the university’s history—a feat aided by several A-pluses. (A general studies major, she used shorthand to take notes during classes, and then typed her notes afterward.)

Ann La Rue Matlow ’68 made her debut as class secretary in the Spring 1987 edition of Occidental magazine. (“The response to the questionnaire I sent you in February was gratifying,” she wrote. “Thank you for responding and especially for your thoughts on turning 40.”) Over the next 37 years, she became the “glue" for the Class of 1968, meticulously tracking classmates’ lives and fostering friendships.