The Biology Department faculty and staff have read several articles and books to educate themselves on the historical and current practices of racism in science. We want to share some of these materials and continue these discussions to move toward a more inclusive, anti-racist community. We invite your additional thoughts and ideas, your voices and concerns, and we pledge to listen and engage with you every step of the way.
Books
This concert is free and open to the public. Stay afterward for an informal reception with Glee Club members and director Desiree La Vertu.
Presented by the Occidental College Music Department.
Out of Air, by Rachel Reiss ’99 (Macmillan). Recent high school graduate Phoebe “Phibs” Ray is never more at home than when she’s underwater. And while she and her four closest friends are taking one last summer trip to a distant Australian island to do what they love most—scuba dive—Phibs discovers a spectacular underwater sea cave, rumored to be a lost cave with a buried treasure. But after she and her buddy Gabe surface from the cave, they’re undergoing strange changes: oozing gashes that don’t heal; haunting whispers in their heads.
My favorite part of summer at Occidental is the opportunity to hear from students who’ve chosen to spend it here on campus, pursuing their academic and career passions. The Summer Research Program, InternLA, and Justice Summer Internship program are all in full swing through June and July, and the work accomplished is always impressive.
The Occidental College Board of Trustees welcomed six new members to its ranks on July 1. In addition, the Board reappointed two emeriti trustees to new four-year terms. Collectively, they bring skills and expertise as well as passion for Occidental’s mission.
Biology major Mariah Rutiaga Amaya ’22 discovered a passion for healthcare at Occidental during the COVID-19 pandemic through an internship focused on urban agriculture and food studies. For the first-generation college student, the experience highlighted the interconnectedness of environmental justice, food sovereignty, and health outcomes, which ultimately inspired her to help others by pursuing a career as a physician’s assistant after graduating.
Across the country, and particularly in the West, charred landscapes tell the stories of wildfires that are burning hotter, faster, and more often due to climate change. From 1992 to 2023, the United States saw an increase in annual wildfire acreage from 2.5 million to 7.5 million acres.
Forty-eight years and seven presidents ago, economics major Art Peck ’77 walked across the stage of Remsen Bird Hillside Theater, where he received his diploma from President Richard C. Gilman. When he returned to the stage on April 25 at the inauguration of Occidental’s 17th president, Tom Stritikus, it was as chair-elect of the College’s Board of Trustees—a role he never expected to fill.
Animator, designer, and director Amanda Tasse has been using generative AI in her work for the last couple of years. When she heard about a summer-long faculty learning initiative devoted to incorporating AI into the Oxy curriculum, she wanted to do a deeper dive.
“Coming at it as an artist and filmmaker, it’s very much about identifying in a practical way how to collaborate with AI at different stages of my process and the ethical implications of it,” says Tasse, who teaches hands-on classes in emerging media as an assistant professor of media arts and culture (MAC).
Four days a week, Claire Wilson-Black ’26 takes the Gold Line to Los Angeles City Hall. Although July 14, 2028—the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad—is nearly three years away, she is one of seven Occidental students working this summer to ensure the LA28 Summer Olympics will be equitable and sustainable.