National Public Radio correspondent Kat Lonsdorf ’09 at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Kat Meets World
From Tel Aviv and Beirut to Minneapolis and Washington, NPR reporter Kat Lonsdorf ’09 follows the news wherever it leads, covering some of the defining stories of our time
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Occidental Magazine

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Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2026-27 academic year, the magazine will publish one digital-only issue (Summer 2026) and two print and digital issues (Fall 2026 and Spring 2027).

Eddie Gorton ’01, Paul “PK” Kim ’98, and David Murphy ’02
Profiles
Paul “PK” Kim ’98, Eddie Gorton ’01, and David Murphy ’02 trace their comic odysseys from talent shows and laundromats to Thorne Hall and the Laugh Factory
Assistant Professor Janna Ireland
Faculty
With two exhibits opening simultaneously and a new teaching space at Oxy, Assistant Professor Janna Ireland navigates her burgeoning career as she parents two growing boys
Assistant Professor Natasha Sekhon studies broken stalagmites to decide whether they should be brought back to the U.S. for further research.
Undergraduate Research
Assistant Professor Natasha Sekhon and junior geology major Mira Hart take their research abroad, looking for clues inside Philippine caves
New tenure-track faculty at Occidental College, 2024-25.
Faculty
Hailing from China, India, Mexico, and all over the United States, Occidental’s newest cohort of tenure-track faculty embraces the liberal arts in Los Angeles
Anne Marie (Kurtz) '57 and George Novinger '54
Profiles
Anne Marie (Kurtz) Novinger ’57 checks in at 89—and shares her secret to 67 years of wedded bliss
A second opinion on the last 25 years, and an alternate solution to Oxy's late-'80s crosses conundrum
A second opinion on the last 25 years, and an alternate solution to Oxy's late-'80s crosses conundrum
Professor William D. Ward at his desk in the Hall of Letters on Occidental’s Highland Park campus.
Oxy History
From 1898 to 1914, Occidental College called Highland Park home—and a treasure trove of photos from the 1910s offers a glimpse of campus life before the move to Eagle Rock
NFL referee Jim Tunney '51
Obituaries
With three Super Bowls on his resume, Jim Tunney '51 (1929-2024) became the face of football officiating
Members of the Pacific Crossings “Dream Team”: From left, Nakatsuka, Gilder Lehrman program coordinator Leah Baer, administrative assistant Thea Wilson ’24, and Hong.
Academics
Associate Professor Jane Hong and a “dream team” of educators bring 150 years of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history into focus
Chris Kim, the Choi Family Director of Instrumental Music, conducts the Occidental Symphony in a performance of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature.”
Academics
A concert for the ages celebrates the generations-spanning clientele of music attorney John Branca ’72 and the launch of the John Branca Institute for Music
Members of the 2024 Occidental Athetics Hall of Fame.
Athletics
The Occidental Athletics Hall of Fame adds to its ranks with a 10th outstanding class
Ruben Gallego and Rosa Hichschild '27
Academics
Election Day produced surprises, concessions, and a ballot box full of lessons to unpack
Ben Dalgetty ’10 in the Office of the Mayor in Seattle.
Profiles
Campaign Semester can be a gateway to a career in politics, advocacy work, or even elected office, as seven seasoned campaigners will attest
As program director of Research Corporation for Science Advance- ment’s RCSA Fellows Initiative, Spain will support postdocs in physics, astronomy, and chemistry as they transition into their faculty careers.
Faculty
After 28 years in the classroom and mentoring 74 students in her lab at Oxy, Professor Eileen Spain pivots to prepare future generations of faculty in the physical sciences

Features

Professor of Art and Art History Amy Lyford in October 2021.
Faculty
Postcards From Amy Lyford
After the Eaton Fire upended her life, the longtime Occidental professor reflects on finding a new home, returning to her research, and reconnecting with her community through art
National Public Radio correspondent Kat Lonsdorf ’09 at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Profiles
Kat Meets World
From Tel Aviv and Beirut to Minneapolis and Washington, NPR reporter Kat Lonsdorf ’09 follows the news wherever it leads, covering some of the defining stories of our time
Professor of Sociology Emeritus Jan Lin, photographed in June 2026.
Faculty
Jan Lin’s Street Stories
For 28 years, Occidental’s renowned urban and community sociologist has connected the College with its surrounding neighborhoods through research, teaching, and thoughtful partnerships
Joy Shigaki ’94, president and CEO of Friends of Waterfront Park in Seattle.
Profiles
Bringing Joy to Her Community
Joy Shigaki ’94 turned her lifelong commitment to social justice and community building into a career dedicated to creating inclusive public spaces—and Seattle’s Waterfront Park is her most...

First Word

From the Quad

Shane Kawakami-Williams ’27
Athletics
Brewing Up a Comeback
A $1 million gift from Doug Odell ’75 is giving Occidental track and field a boost as it improves its facilities, strengthens its roster, and aims to compete at a higher level
Curb Visiting Fellow Michael Lloyd, far right, and Resident Assistant Professor Max Foreman with Oxy students in the Choi Family Music Production Center.
Academics
Accelerating the Tempo
New industry partnerships, expanded course offerings, and a reimagined Booth Hall are positioning the Music Department for its second century
From left, Lizzie Friedrich ’25, Lily Calvert ’25, and Hayden Jennings ’25 share a red-carpet moment during the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival.
Student Life
A Ticket to Slamdance
Oxy students and alumni find pathways into the Slamdance Film Festival, gaining industry exposure and experience following its move to Los Angeles

Mixed Media

More Mixed Media
Blue Film director Elliot Tuttle '22, second from left, with the film's stars.
Arts
Rhapsody in Blue
Elliot Tuttle ’22’s microbudget debut feature is one of the year’s breakout indie films—but getting there was its own odyssey

Oxy Talk

More Oxy Talk
2025-26 Kemp Lecturer Tim Miller with Occidental Professor Caroline Heldman.
Alumni Engagement
Miller’s Crossing
Former GOP operative Tim Miller recounts his own political reckoning—and offers pearls of hope in the face of despair—as the 2025-26 Jack Kemp '57 Distinguished Lecturer

Last Page

Dale and Shirley Morter photographed on January 1, 2000.
Impact
A Couple’s Legacy
A scholarship gift honoring Shirley and Dale Morter ’56 will bring students from southwestern Pennsylvania to Occidental

Issue Archive

Cover of the Summer 2026 Occidental Magazine
Summer 2026
a man with a black suit jacket and black baseball hat on a sports field
Spring 2026
View Print Version
Fall 2025 Occidental Magazine cover with different face portraits
Fall 2025
View Print Version
Occidental Magazine 2025 cover
Summer 2025
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