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). 

SpringMag16_Letters
Roger Boesche's extraordinary lectures, the uninitended consequences of the Oxy United movement, and the timeless reading pleasure of Remsen Bird's presidential journals
'Tech's Hottest Ticket'? Your Degree
David Kim '85
As the Federal Highway Administration’s new deputy administrator, David Kim ’85 wants to fix America’s freeways while reducing congestion. That's going to keep him busy.
SpringMag16_Baseball
Behind the bat of Devon DeRaad '17 and the arm of Scott Ericksen '16, Coach Luke Wetmore's Tigers end a 34-year SCIAC title drought
SpringMag16_Drone
From trade shows and grade schools to African villages and archeological digs, Randy Jay Braun '84 preaches the virtues of drone photography as he works to rehabilitate its bad-bot image
SpringMag16_Shtulman
Associate professor of psychology Andrew Shtulman studies people's intuitive ideas about how the world works—and finds that people are usually wrong
SpringMag16_Asians
Oxy's international enrollment is booming, with Chinese students leading the charge. How are they adapting to Oxy—and how is Oxy adapting to their needs?
From Winter 2003: Dubbed the "Smiling Assassin" as a prosecutor, Jacqueline Nguyen '87 now wields a gavel as the first Vietnamese-American woman appointee to the California state judiciary
Undeterred by life's obstacles—including the 15 surgeries he's endured related to his rheumatoid arthritis—Professor Roger Boesche and wife Mandy share a love for the world, adventure, and...
A long-simmering debate over diversity and equity at Oxy came to a boil in November, with hundreds of students demanding institutional reform. As a new semester dawns with the promise of...
Oxy's 10th president—who died January 15—advanced the College to greater heights with a clear vision and a personal touch
Working with community partners and documenting the history of Northeast Los Angeles, Oxy's Special Collections fosters direct links to the classroom and the academic life of the College...
Before Kwame Do '16 became SCIAC's all-time rushing leader in football, he had to rekindle his love for the game. It's a good thing for Oxy that he did
Winter16_ThirdLA
With architecture critic and adjunct professor Christopher Hawthorne setting the agenda, Oxy's 3rd L.A. series brings the city into the conversation
Winter16_Kondracke
Biographer Mort Kondracke makes the case for Jack Kemp '57's legacy as a conservative for the ages

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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