Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Readings

The Biology Department faculty and staff have read several articles and books to educate themselves on the historical and current practices of racism in science. We want to share some of these materials and continue these discussions to move toward a more inclusive, anti-racist community. We invite your additional thoughts and ideas, your voices and concerns, and we pledge to listen and engage with you every step of the way. 

 

Books

Kicking and Dreaming

By any measure, 2023 was a milestone season for Occidental men’s soccer—the Tigers’ first regular-season SCIAC title after 56 years of conference play; its first SCIAC Tournament championship; two historic wins in the Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament; All-SCIAC laurels for eight Tigers (First Team honorees Evan Karp ’24, Andrew Notter ’25, and Joey Schwartz ’23, and Second Team selections Oury Diane ’25, Lukas Howlett ’24, Vicente Navarro ’26, Riley Nyhan ’25, and Max Stanley ’25). Lafaurie and his assistant coaches (Brian Wright, Fabien Segalini, Ernesto Ramirez, Cameron Meeker,

The Journey of John Brooks Slaughter

During his 11 years as president of Occidental College, John Brooks Slaughter habitually took his phone and correspondence to the benches outside of his office in the Arthur G. Coons Administrative Center—so often that trustees installed a plaque that read “John Slaughter Cigar and Conversation Bench” to commemorate his retirement in 1999. As students headed back to their residence halls after their morning classes, he later recalled, “Many of them would come sit down on the benches and we'd talk.

Flowers for Brig Knauer

Even before he arrived at Occidental, Ben Bauermeister ’82 knew the name Brigida Knauer—“Brig” for short. “My mother had met Brig at a seminar at Bryn Mawr the summer before my freshman year,” he recalls. At the time, Knauer was associate dean of students at Oxy, and “my mom had basically warned Brig to keep an eye on me, which she did.”

One for the History Books

As a senior history major at Occidental, Gary Kaplan ’71 served on the search committee to fill a full-time faculty position, with an emphasis on Asian studies, in the History Department. “I was specializing in American and Far Eastern history,” he recalls, “so that’s probably how I got the gig.”

Building Bridges Across Differences

Before I began my term as president of Occidental College back in 2020, I approached two students who had served on the presidential search committee and asked them what they most cherished about Oxy. Both cited the College’s history of activism, a desire to participate in change, and the opportunity to be of service to their community—values which I believe are a source of our strength.

Surveying the Enrollment Landscape

Greetings, fellow Oxy alumni! We want to introduce ourselves as co-chairs of the Alumni Association Board of Governors Enrollment Committee. As students at Occidental, our experiences in and out of the classroom were transformational. Now as alumni working in education, we have an even greater appreciation for our time spent as students at the College. This gratitude for our experience has motivated us to help support the recruitment of the next generation of Tigers through our work with the Board of Governors.

Think Locally, Travel Globally

In spring 2021, Colleen Robertson ’05 had recently left her travel marketing job in Seattle when she received a casual job offer from Angelo Carotenuto ’06: How would she like to move to Europe to join his Italy-based tourism company, LivTours? At first, Robertson declined. Between navigating the pandemic and expecting her second child, she already had enough on her plate without an international relocation. But when she was laid off last year, the timing felt right.

A Pinch of Provence

For Lori Howard ’81, a typical summer week may outwardly resemble a dream vacation: ambling through lavender fields, picnicking near an ancient Roman bridge, or shopping at a quaint village market. In her line of work, however, knowledge of these places is important. As founder and sole proprietor of the tour company Pinch Me Provence, her goal is to provide clients with their ideal holiday in the French countryside, from plein air painting classes to touring vineyards and tasting Provençal wines.