Skip to main content
Occidental alumni Eric Chen, Tammy Bird, Mike Schmidt, and Jenny Dean Schmidt
Catalysts for the Public Good
From uplifting inner-city scholars in South Central L.A. to prison moms in Colorado to a Monterey Park community in need, 鶹Ƶalumni embrace the College's mission

Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2025-26 academic year, the magazine will publish one digital-only issue (Summer 2025) and two print and digital issues (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026).

Vidiots reopened for business in June 2023 at the former home of the Eagle Theatre,
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?
Professor of History Maryanne Horowitz in a 1978 photo.
A professor of the history of ideas, Horowitz has encouraged generations of students to pursue fulfilling careers. She may be saying goodbye to Oxy, but she’s not the retiring type
Professor of Biology Roberta Pollock, photographed in her lab in April 2024.
“Mentoring students and making a difference in their lives has been the highlight of my career,” says Pollock, who played a central role in the College's response to the pandemic
Professor of Biology Beth Braker at Eaton Canyon in Altadena.
Over the years, Braker has taken about 200 students to Costa Rica to do research at La Selva—and her work there isn't done yet
Theater and Performance Studies faculty and staff in April 2024.
As its second century dawns, Oxy’s Theater and Performance Studies Department remixes the curriculum with a blend of theory and practice
Occidental Children's Theater performer Amanda Wagner ’16.
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
President Elam at the podium on May 19, 2024.
As he prepares to depart from Occidental, President Harry J. Elam, Jr. shares three insights into leadership that he will carry away with him
Author Susan Coll '81, photographed at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C.
Susan Coll ’81’s latest comic novel, Professor Amy Lyford’s examination of the art and life of Dorothea Tanning, and more
Rebecca Solnit and Paul Holdengraber onstage at an 鶹ƵLive! event at 鶹Ƶ
鶹ƵLive!—the College’s new conversation series featuring a world-class lineup of artists—engages audiences in dialogues about culture and society
Occidental’s women's basketball team after winning the 2024 SCIAC Post­season Tournament championship.
Playing through injuries, fatigue, and in front of opposing crowds, Oxy’s ‘relentless’ women’s hoops team wins its way into the NCAA tourney
Spectators view the OCLAA oral history gallery in the Academic Commons in February 2024.
Realizing a long-standing goal of Occidental’s Latino Alumni Association, two dozen alumni share their stories with students for an oral history project
Max Podemski '06
In his first book, city planner and architecture buff Max Podemski ’06 traces the DNA of urban housing
Sebastian Lechner '24, Patt Morrison, Larry Mantle, Occidental
Patt Morrison ’74 shares a curated collection of books with Special Collections—and 50 years of words and wisdom in conversation with Larry Mantle
Professor of Mathematics Tamás Lengyel
A internationally renowned scholar in the math community, a mathematical constant and a sequence of numbers were named in his honor
鶹ƵGOLD reception
A new mentorship initiative looks to bridge the gap for young alumni between academic life and the professional world

Features

Occidental biology major Hannah Tawadrous '26
Lessons in Biology
Oxy’s biology program blends exploration and experimentation, empowering students to uncover and explain life’s diverse ecosystems
Occidental alumni Eric Chen, Tammy Bird, Mike Schmidt, and Jenny Dean Schmidt
Catalysts for the Public Good
From uplifting inner-city scholars in South Central L.A. to prison moms in Colorado to a Monterey Park community in need, 鶹Ƶalumni embrace the College's mission
Two-time Emmy winner Emma Choate ’20 with her 2-year-old Irish wolfhound, George.
When Emmy Met Oxy
From casting to costumes to music direction and composition, three Occidental alumni live out their Hollywood dreams while being honored by their peers
Overcoming Every Hurdle
First-generation college student and Obama Scholar Derek Jimenez ’27 is reshaping the intersection of community, culture, and affordable housing

First Word

From the Quad

From left, Lizzie Friedrich ’25, Lily Calvert ’25, and Hayden Jennings ’25 share a red-carpet moment during the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival.
A Ticket to Slamdance
鶹Ƶstudents and alumni find pathways into the Slamdance Film Festival, gaining industry exposure and experience following its move to Los Angeles
Occidental's men's soccer team celebrated on Patterson Field on November 8 after their 1-0 victory over the University of Redlands.
Oxy’s Fall Three-Feat
Men’s soccer nets its second SCIAC title in three years, while women’s soccer and men’s water polo return to postseason play after sensational seasons

Mixed Media

Filmmaker Thom Harp '92
Fertile Imagination
Thom Harp ’92 waited for years to direct his first movie—and after a long birthing process, he’s the proud father of two features
Detail from The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter
Mixed Media
This roundup has everything: a pair of memoirs, a literary farce, a coming-of-age story, a writer’s guide to romantasy, and the legendary Miss Britney Spears

鶹ƵTalk

2025-26 Kemp Lecturer Tim Miller with Occidental Professor Caroline Heldman.
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
Occidental Board of Trustees Chair Art Peck '77
The Occidental Imperative
Business veteran Art Peck ’77 brings his leadership acumen to the Board of Trustees at a critical juncture in higher education when the College’s mission—and messaging—are more important...

Last Page

Dale and Shirley Morter photographed on January 1, 2000.
A Couple’s Legacy
A scholarship gift honoring Shirley and Dale Morter ’56 will bring students from southwestern Pennsylvania to Occidental
Contact Occidental Magazine
Arthur G. Coons Administrative Center


Office of Communications F-36
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles CA 90041-3314