On Campus - August 24, 2022

CAMPUS NOTES

🏛 One of the College's oldest traditions, Convocation, will once again take place on Monday, August 29 at 10 a.m. in Thorne Hall. Staff and faculty are all invited to celebrate and welcome the newest members to our academic community. The Convocation Committee gathered input from across campus to envision an event that includes some cherished elements (taiko drummers back by popular demand) but you will also see some changes to the program to begin the academic year with enthusiasm, celebration and joy! 
Following the event in Thorne Hall, everyone is invited to gather on the Quad for lunch. We hope to see you there!

🧪 COVID testing is available on the second floor of the AGC on Mondays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Opt-in testing is available for those employees interested. Please keep in mind that employees who are experiencing COVID symptoms should stay home and get tested by their primary care provider, off-campus testing site or pharmacy. If an employee begins to display COVID symptoms while at work, they should test on campus immediately and then go home until a negative test is confirmed. See the full update on COVID-related safety protocols here. 

 

HR CORNER

If enrolled in Oxy's Kaiser or Blue Shield of CA medical plans, members can be reimbursed for at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests (some limitations apply). Learn more about COVID-19 at-home test reimbursement at: Kaiser and Blue Shield of CA.

New hires:
Rhemi Abrams-Fuller, Associate Dean of Admission/Coordinator of Athletic Recruitment
Tyler Auston, Athletic Trainer
Michael Baez, Technical Support Specialist, ITS
Silvia Batres, Academic Advisor, Neighborhood Partnership Program
Jose Cisneros, Justice, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Education Specialist
Matthew Contreras, Campus Safety Officer
Brock Forrette, Equipment Center Specialist, Media Arts and Culture
Joleen Galeazzi-Pimentel, Athletic Trainer
Francisco Gonzalez Zamora, Grounds Maintenance, Facilities Management
Jessica Johnston, Associate Dean of International Admission
Mara Kristiansson, Technical Support Specialist, ITS
Kathleen Makarewicz, Science Librarian, Library Materials
Jasmine McKay, Executive Assistant for the Office of Equity & Justice
Elizabeth Mendez, Staff Therapist, Emmons Wellness Center
Christopher Moore, Media Services Specialist, ITS
Claudia Ortega, Staff Therapist, Emmons Wellness Center
Phoebe Patinkin, Admission Counselor
Cesar Rodriguez, Electrician, Facilities Management
Sarah Rodriguez, Academic Advisor, Neighborhood Partnership Program, Stephanie Solis, Teacher, Child Development Center
Erin Sulla, Arts and Humanities Librarian
Amber Thai, Associate Director of Gift Planning Administration and Stewardship, Institutional Advancement
Katherine Torrey, Admission Counselor
Sabrina Willison, Associate Director of Student Life-Leadership

Departures:
Britney Bagley, Financial Aid Counselor
Stephany Barrera, Neighborhood Partnership Program, NPP Program Coordinator
Jose Gaspar, Neighborhood Partnership Programs, Academic Advisor
Khanh Linh Lai, Annual Fund, Assistant Director Of Oxy Annual Fund
Rocio Marquetti, Financial Aid Office, Administrative Assistant
Chamnan Lim, Global Affairs, Assistant Director for Administration and Programs
Claudia Ramos, Emmons Wellness Center, Licensed Vocational Nurse
Marty Sharkey, Marketing and Communications, VP of Communications and Strategic Initiatives
Naomi Sweo, Marketing and Communications, Enrollment Marketing Manager
Luz Vega, Neighborhood Partnership Program, Academic Advisor

 

IN THE NEWS

Move-in Day 2022
Occidental extended a warm welcome to members of the Class of 2026 as they arrived on campus Monday, an important milestone for students and their families.

Eight Join the Board of Trustees
The Occidental College Board of Trustees has elected seven new members and recognized the valued service of two members who have stepped down from the board. An eighth member automatically joined the board upon being elected president of Occidental's Alumni Board of Governors.

Occidental Children's Theater Summer Production
The critically acclaimed Occidental Children’s Theater celebrated more than​ 25 years with an original story, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Duckling, plus three adventurous adaptations of traditional folktales for a seven-week outdoor run in the Remsen Bird Hillside Theater.

 

STAFF SHOUT-OUTS

From Maureen E. Royer, Associate Vice President, Individual Giving: Thank you, Dana [Kotcherlakota-Benton], for stepping up to assist the Individual Giving team while the IG Development and Events Coordinator position is vacant!  We really appreciate you.

From Caryn Rothschild C'71, Senior Director of Major Gifts, Institutional Advancement: I'd like to give a shout to Mario Hess-Winburn, senior associate director of major gifts and gift planning. Mario only joined the IA team in February and has been a wonderful addition to our team! He has truly hit the ground running in terms of meeting with alumni and parents. Mario is a consummate professional and partner with other colleagues, offering his tips and strategies for staying organized, pulling lists from Targeter in Blackbaud, and doing it all with a smile and a great attitude. Thanks, Mario!

From Courtney Stricklin Burgan '03, Sr. Associate Dean of Admission and Director of Volunteer Relations and Campus Visit Experiences: George Newton deserves a huge shout-out for his excellent work managing all communication for the incoming students and their families this summer. He has partnered with offices across campus to ensure that all of our new students have the details they need for housing, advising, orientation, move-in and more. We're so lucky to have him on the team and, as an Oxy alum himself, he is an amazing example of the thoughtfulness and excellence that we hope all our graduates will possess!

From Justin Grajeda, General Merchandise Buyer/Shipping & Receiving Coordinator, Oxy Bookstore: A BIG thanks to Hameetman Science Center's Department Services Coordinator, Sarah Hall for quickly and accurately redirecting a wayward notebook delivery to the bookstore.  I really appreciate it!

From Vivian Garay Santiago, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs & Associate Dean of Students: Kudos to the Neighborhood Partnership Program for establishing the first Occidental College Academy this summer serving Los Angeles Unified School Students! NPP staff William Ruiz and Juan Pedroza successfully worked to get this program off the ground along with the teaching support of Professor Q Ostendorf and Professor Patricia Yossen! Kudos on a job well done!

From Jasmine Teran, Senior Manager of Digital Communications: Big thank you to Chelsea Santiago (Assistant Dean of Admission, Coordinator of Access & Equity) who stepped in to help provide social media coverage of move-in day. You can see the results on Instagram and Tiktok!
 

KUDOS

Examining the Holy See's participation at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) alongside Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si’, Professor of Diplomacy & World Affairs Lan T. Chu identifies the Catholic Church as norm entrepreneur. In the article, Chu assesses its efforts to change the narrative on the environment toward a shared, global responsibility.

Assistant Professor of Politics Isaac Hale was interviewed on KCRA and KCBS Radio about California Propositions 26 & 27, each of which would take a different approach to legalizing sports betting.

Assistant Professor of Economics Jorgen Harris published an article in The Conversation describing his research on the impact of working with female peers on the hiring decisions of male appellate court justices. Read the article here.

Every year, national and local governments participate in a High Level Policy Forum (HLPF) at the United Nations, where they report on their progress towards implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Associate Professor of Politics Jennifer Piscopo wrote the HLPF report on SDG 5, Gender Equality, for the convening organization United Cities and Local Government. Her report, “From Making Commitments to Realizing Change: Local and Regional Governments’ Progress on Gender Equality,” was presented at the HLPF in July 2022. 

Piscopo also contributed a recent op-ed criticizing Canada’s claims to lead the globe on gender equality, given that Canada ranks 59 in the world for the number of women in politics. Her op-ed appeared in the Ottawa Citizen, the leading newspaper in the federal capital, and was translated into French by Policy Options/Options Politques. It inspired the new campaign to elect more women to office in Canada: “59?WTF!”

Humans form multiple representations of the same phenomena, such as multiple theories of illness or multiple explanations for the origins of life. How we navigate and coordinate these representations is the topic of a new volume edited by Psychology Professor Andrew Shtulman and colleagues, which analyzes representational pluralism from psychological, philosophical, and educational perspectives.

In a new article in Social Currents, Assistant Professor of Sociology Ben Weiss and sociology major Mahala Shulman '23 show that much research on gender-based violence draws data from formal organizations -- nonprofits, schools, hospitals, the police -- though relatively few victims report to them. The implications of this methodological bias for effective victim response are discussed.

Professor of East Asian Studies Xiao-huang Yin has translated an anthology of essays by renowned Chinese political scientist Mingsheng Wang, entitled The History and Logic of Modern Chinese Politics. The anthology explains the social and political forces behind China’s emergence as a new global power and describes the distinctive “China path” that has brought economic growth and modernization to China. 

For more information on faculty scholarship and accomplishments, visit the Center for Research & Scholarship.

 

CAMPUS CALENDAR

Monday, August 29: Save the date for Convocation on Monday, August 29 at 10 a.m. The tradition returns with taiko drummers and a performance by the Glee Club. The program will be followed by a community-wide celebration on the Quad (including lunch) for all.

Thursday, September 8: Join Oxy Arts for the opening reception of Voice a Wild Dream: Moments in Asian American Art and Activism, 1968-2022. 

Tuesday, September 13: Staff and faculty are invited to honor this year's winners at the Faculty Awards Bestowal Reception. Join Dean Sternberg between 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Mosher Patio to celebrate this year's winners: Linda and Todd White Teaching Prize - Erica Ball, Lan Chu, Alex Puerto; Janosik-Sterling Faculty Service Award - Carmel Levitan; and Graham L. Sterling Memorial Award - Anthony Chase.

Thursday, September 18: This year's Sterling Lecture will be given by Professor Mary Beth Heffernan who will trace the arc of her research-based art practice, illuminating the questions and material explorations that inform her work.