Occidental College's 17th president, Tom Stritikus, in April 2024.
Introducing Tom Stritikus
Occidental’s president-elect is a first-generation college graduate and a firm believer in the transformative power of a liberal arts education

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). 

Occidental Alumnus, June 1922
A warm welcome for President Elam, and what to expect from Occidental magazine in our centennial year
Miss America, Margot Mifflin
From swimsuit competition to social platform, Margot Mifflin ’82 goes Looking for Miss America
1971 Sylmar Earthquake
A Class Notes extra: As the 50th anniversary of the Sylmar earthquake rumbles near, members of the Class of ’74 remember the moment that shook Oxy
Karen and Steve Casner
Steve Casner ’73 and wife Karen ’74 share a love for Occidental—and have endowed a computer science professorship to build on that protocol
Harry J. Elam Jr., Occidental College President
Harry J. Elam, Jr. prepares to take center stage as Oxy’s 16th president as the College faces a new set of challenges—and he’s ready
Thorne Hall, Oxy Campus
As the novel coronavirus brings campus life to a standstill, Occidental soldiers on
COVID-19
In a race against two calendars—academic and pandemic—how did Oxy transform in less than two weeks from a high-touch curriculum to a remote learning model?
Emily Jo Wharry '20
Many special senior moments have been upended by COVID-19—and a traditional Commencement will have to wait. But the Class of 2020 has made memories that no virus can destroy
Jack Kemp Stadium, Oxy Athletics
The SCIAC spring sports season ended abruptly—and these senior student-athletes will miss their Oxy families almost as much as the thrill of victory
President Jonathan Veitch and his senior leadership team
When the pandemic turned the College’s operations upside down in March, President Veitch had to throw out the script for his final days in office—but he and his team responded with...
Oxy Squirrels
From the biology department shipping PPE to hospitals to Oxy Arts making art kits to students in Highland Park, here are nine snapshots of the Oxy family coming together in a time of need
President Jonathan Veitch
Stay Close—Your Alma Mater Needs You
De Mandel Aquatics Center
Alumni feedback on the Winter magazine, the new pool, and Oxy's next president. Also: How did we put this issue together?
Dan Fineman, Adelaida Lopez, Linda Lasater
Professors Dan Fineman, Adelaida Lopez, and Linda Lasater had a lasting impact outside the classroom—just ask their students
Joshua Medina, Moore Lab
Joshua Medina ’19 has developed a new technique for documenting the colors of bird plumage in 3-D

Features

Occidental College's 17th president, Tom Stritikus, in April 2024.
Introducing Tom Stritikus
Occidental’s president-elect is a first-generation college graduate and a firm believer in the transformative power of a liberal arts education
Vidiots reopened for business in June 2023 at the former home of the Eagle Theatre,
Neighborhood Watch
Eagle Rock and Highland Park have become magnets for new businesses, including the resurrected Eagle Theatre (now home to Vidiots). What’s changed—and what’s still in fashion?
Occidental Children's Theater performer Amanda Wagner ’16.
Theater of the Absurd
Occidental Children’s Theater has delighted audiences of all ages for 29 seasons—but what’s next after Cinderalice in Wonderland ? We went to Jamie Angell for answers
Hats Off to Patt!
Patt Morrison ’74 shares a curated collection of books with Special Collections—and 50 years of words and wisdom in conversation with Larry Mantle

First Word

From the Quad

Occidental’s women's basketball team after winning the 2024 SCIAC Post­season Tournament championship.
Bringing the Heat
Playing through injuries, fatigue, and in front of opposing crowds, Oxy’s ‘relentless’ women’s hoops team wins its way into the NCAA tourney
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

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

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