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). 

Shanda Ness, Oxy Athletics
As her one-year anniversary approaches this month, Ness reflects on the state of Oxy athletics
Kenturah Davis
Kenturah Davis '02 explores the relationship between words and humanity through her intricate portraiture—and L.A. Metro riders will be seeing a lot more of her work
Alice Walker Duff, Joe Duff
With Alice Walker Duff ’69 and husband Joe Duff ’68 leading the charge, a generation of Black student activists rallies together to support academic and life success for the underrepresented...
Addie Alexander, Occidental Class of 2023
The Class of 2023 has a little bit of everything going for it—and brightness is definitely in its DNA
Bryan McQueeney, Ride On
Bryan McQueeney ’80 harnesses the healing power of therapeutic horseback riding to enhance the quality of life for the disabled
Michael Angelo Covino, The Climb
How did actor-producer-director Michael Angelo Covino ’08 become the sweetheart of the festival circuit with his feature film directorial debut, The Climb ? It’s not as easy as riding a...
Christy Leavitt, Oceana
Christy Leavitt ’95 is working to secure meaningful corporate commitments to curb plastic pollution—and single-use items are at the top of her to-go list
Jackie Provost
From Summer 2001: With physical prowess, fierce defense, and a killer glare, Oxy water polo sensation Jackie Provost ’02 turns goaltending into an art form
Olin Browne
From Spring 2005: Golfer Olin Browne ’81 didn’t take his game seriously until his sophomore year at Oxy. Now the onetime anthropology major has won more than $5 million on the PGA tour
Professor Michael Hill
Professor Michael Hill has guided scores of grateful chemistry students from his lab into impactful careers. But it’s the thing he hasn’t done that touched off an international media frenzy
Of Wakanda and Water
Environmental educator Chandrika Francis ’10 makes the swimming pool a safer place for marginalized groups and remakes a 30-foot bus into her dream home on wheels
Steve Rountree
Stephen Rountree ’71 steps up as chair of Oxy’s Board of Trustees in the midst of a capital campaign and the search for the College’s 16th president—with his own milestone reunion just...
Lande Ajose
Armed with a briefcase full of challenges facing the nation’s largest higher education system, Lande Ajose ’87 brings new energy to Sacramento
Jonathan Veitch
With Jonathan Veitch announcing his plans to step down next year, trustees, alumni, and colleagues discuss his impact on the College over the last decade.
Bob Winter
Professor emeritus Bob Winter (1924-2019) left no tile unturned in his appreciation of the architecture of Los Angeles

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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