President John Brooks Slaughter in 1988
The Journey of John Brooks Slaughter
Occidental's 11th president arrived on campus in 1988 amid national fanfare and great expectations—and in the 11 years to follow, John Brooks Slaughter brought out the best in Oxy

Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2023-24 academic year, the magazine will publish two print and digital issues (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024) and two digital-only issues (Summer 2023 and Winter 2024). 

Spring15Mag_Dominguez
New books (and a documentary) from Oxy alumni and faculty, and honors for Professor Amy Lyford
Spring15Mag_Deardorff
"We three are living proof that, when you look at what you put into teaching and what you get out of it, we have gotten so much more than we have put in."
Spring15Mag_Carawan
When Guy Carawan '49 returned to campus in 2003 after more than half a century away, he had changed the world through the power of song. Professor Peter Dreier remembers the folk musician...
SpringMag15_Todd
Oxy's purchase of a retail space in Highland Park creates an opportunity to raise its local visibility
SpringMag15_Beneath
Whether it's replacing pipes, roofs, boilers, or cooling systems, there's nothing sexy about deferred maintenance. But proactive measures now can save a mountain of heartache later
Spring15Mag_Bob&Omar
Bob and Omar: Masters of Lifelong Learning
Overlooked athletes from a century of SCIAC, and other reactions to Oxy's plans to revive athletics
Spring15Mag_Veitch
Lessons of the Third L.A.
Spring15Mag_Washington
With Gerald Washington '04 in the role of corporate matchmaker, Steve Harvey's global visibility is spreading faster than kudzu. And Washington's personal journey from financial ruin to the...
Spring15Mag_Phoebe
One of Oxy's most decorated and beloved faculty is calling it a career after 22 years in the chemistry department. But Phoebe Dea isn't packing up her things just yet
Professor Bob Gottlieb was a champion of environmental and social justice causes long before they became fashionable. Students and colleagues celebrate his influence and impact
Spring15Mag_Kantor
Psychotherapist Julia Postolov Kantor '96 began a love affair with French music through Oxy's study abroad program. Now she's the toast of Francophiles on L.A.'s cabaret scene
Spring15Mag_Ebola
Associate professor Mary Beth Heffernan saw a problem with Ebola care in Africa—personal protection equipment suits that made the medical workers wearing them appear frightening and...
Winter15_Somabar
Dylan Purcell-Lowe '12 taps into the Oxy network to kickstart the ultimate home bartending device
Winter15_Greenlight
Independent filmmaker Julien Lasseur '11 had never heard of Project Greenlight  before his girlfriend told him about the contest. But a smart superhero parody took him into the top 10

Features

Lori Howard ’81 of Pinch Me Provence
A Pinch of Provence
Lori Howard ’81 kept a place in her heart for France following her study abroad experience at Oxy. Now she’s curating custom holiday experiences for a growing clientele in the French...
Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Keala Ede
Longboard of the Law
As the first Native Hawaiian judge in Minnesota history, Keala Ede ’00 brings a commitment to justice to his courtroom—and a taste of surf culture to the shores of Lake Superior
Members of the Occidental Class of 2027
New Faces of 2027
Occidental’s 140th-anniversary class is among its most diverse—and they have a lot to say about everything from activism and athletics to culture and chocolates
Roland Griffiths '68
The Other Side of Roland Griffiths
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor, who died in October, was lauded for his ‘mind-blowing’ studies of psychedelics. But Barry Sears ’68 remembers his ‘wicked sense of humor’

First Word

From the Quad

Coach Rod Lafaurie and members of the 2023 men's soccer team
Kicking and Dreaming
From its first SCIAC championship to a berth in the Sweet 16, Oxy men’s soccer soared to new heights this season. But Coach Rod Lafaurie and his players are hungry for more
Adam Kinzinger, 2023 Jack Kemp ’57 Distinguished Lecturer at Occidental College
Making the Case for Democracy
Jack Kemp ’57 Distinguished Lecturer and former Congressman Adam Kinzinger has a message for students: “You will be the generation that changes everything”

Mixed Media

A performance of Fetch Clay, Make Man featuring four Black actors onstage
Power Dynamics
Exploring the unlikely friendship between two Black cultural icons—Muhammad Ali and Stepin Fetchit—professor and playwright Will Power’s Fetch Clay, Make Man packs a punch with L.A...

Oxy Talk

Professor of History Emeritus Wellington Chan
One for the History Books
An estate commitment from Gary Kaplan ’71 honors Professor Emeritus Wellington Chan—whom he helped bring to Occidental more than 50 years ago
Assistant professors Sohaib Khan (religious studies), Season Blake (philosophy), Jamie Amemiya (psychology), and Zachary Silver (psychology).
Thinking Globally
Occidental’s largest-ever cohort of new tenure-track faculty brings a world of ideas to the classroom

Last Page

Dean of Students Emerita Brig Knauer
Flowers for Brig Knauer
Over 25 years of leadership in Occidental’s Office of Student Affairs, Brigida Knauer (1935-2023) shepherded residential life into the modern era
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