Occidental College

03/03/2025

Occidental’s century of silver-screen cameos gets the spotlight in this article by Mollie Barnes '26 from The Occidental, Oxy's student-run newspaper.

Since the first filming on campus in 1920 for the silent drama film “Cup of Fury,” Occidental’s beloved tree-lined quad and columned buildings continue to appear on big and small screens alike. Over the years, film icons have walked the same path as students walk on their way to economics clas...

03/01/2025

Our Occidental student-athletes are balancing academics and sports like pros. Io triumphe! 🐅🧡

02/28/2025

Show your love and pride for your Class of 2025 graduate by placing a personalized message in this year’s La Encina Yearbook!

Welcome to La Encina, Oxy's official yearbook since 1906. Whether you are alumni reminiscing or first years looking forward, the yearbook is a chronicle that presents the Oxy community in 116 volumes and counting.

02/26/2025

We're proud to remain one of the top producers of student and alumni Fulbright Awards. 🙌

For the 20th consecutive year, Occidental College is one of the top producers of student and alumni Fulbright Awards, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual Fulbright rankings.

02/25/2025

Professor Erica Ball is the newest member of the American Antiquarian Society where she joins a distinguished roster of scholars, including 14 United States presidents and more than 75 Pulitzer Prize winners.

The Occidental College professor of Black Studies joins a 212-year-old national research library and community of learners dedicated to discovering and sharing a deeper understanding of the American past.

02/24/2025

Retired Environmental Health and Safety Manager and legendary beekeeper Bruce Steele '71 and Nancy Steele '80 lost their home—and 30,000 pounds of honey—to the Eaton Fire. The Guardian profiles his family's experience and their resolve to rebuild.

Bruce and Nancy Steele had a business that produced honey for the past 30 years before the Eaton fire destroyed it

02/22/2025

Opportunities were in the air at yesterday's Career Fair, hosted by the Hameetman Career Center! Our students made valuable connections while exploring exciting career paths.

02/21/2025

Are you an Occidental alum with career guidance to share? Become a mentor to recent Oxy graduates through the Alumni Board of Governors' GOLD Mentorship Project!

Facilitated by the Board of Governors Career and Mentorship Committee, the GOLD Mentorship Program connects GOLD alumni (graduates 2016-2025) with an alumni mentor. Mentors help mentees navigate career and professional development experiences post Oxy and provide insight into real world advice on ho...

02/20/2025

Our campus garden, the student-run FEAST, is in the finals to win Zipcar's Students with Drive competition! The student organization with the most votes receives a $5,000 grant—show that Tiger spirit and support FEAST today.

2025 Students with Drive Voting.

02/19/2025

Occidental is proud to receive a 2025 Carnegie Classification of Research College, which recognizes the strength of our faculty's scholarship and creative work.

Occidental College’s research activity has officially been recognized in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, a categorization system that groups higher education institutions with similar degree types and research program characteristics.

02/14/2025

Students in Assistant Professor of Physics Sabrina Stierwalt's classes will receive more community-based, experiential learning opportunities thanks to a 2025 Cottrell Scholar Award for her ongoing study of small galaxies.

Extragalactic astrophysicist Sabrina Stierwalt, assistant professor of physics at Occidental College, has been awarded a 2025 Cottrell Scholar Award for her ongoing study of small galaxies.

02/11/2025

Historian, professor, and reproductive justice advocate Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens is Occidental College’s 2025 Stafford Ellison Wright Black Alumni Scholar-in-Residence. She will deliver a lecture titled “Slavery, Gynecology and Black Placental Resistance: Why Black Mothers Matter.” on Tuesday, Feb. 18, as part of her residency.

Cooper Owens, a historian, teacher, and reproductive justice advocate, is an associate professor of history and Africana studies at the University of Connecticut.

02/08/2025

Oxy Live! presents an evening with Hollywood’s favorite theoretical physicist, Kip Thorne. The Nobel Prize-winning theorist will explore his work merging science and art, including his research on black holes, his theories on wormholes and time travel, and his role as a scientific consultant and advisor on Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and the Academy Award-winning film Oppenheimer.

Join us on Tuesday, February 18. Reserve your free ticket today!

Join us for an evening with visionary physicist and creative trailblazer Kip Thorne and acclaimed interviewer Paul Holdengräber

02/06/2025

Art, culture, and a full house! Last night, Oxy Live! welcomed LA-based artist Ed Ruscha—whose work has captured America’s evolving landscape for over 60 years—for a captivating conversation with Paul Holdengräber in Occidental College's Thorne Hall. From signage to cityscapes, Ruscha’s art has shaped the way we see the world. In recognition of his cultural impact, Ruscha received an honorary degree from Occidental in 2024. A phenomenal start to the spring lineup!

02/01/2025

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.

Growing up in Sonoma County, Eileen Spain demonstrated a natural proclivity for math and science—aided, she says, by an “awesome” high school chemistry teacher. A first-generation college student, she majored in chemistry as an undergrad at Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State Univers...

01/30/2025

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.

Professor of Classics William D. Ward is a seminal figure in the early development of Occidental College. He arrived at Occidental in 1906 as dean of faculty, having previously served as president of the College of Emporia in Kansas (which closed its doors in 1972). Ward pivoted to the classroom in....

01/28/2025

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.

More than half a century of popular music came alive on October 18 as Occidental celebrated the establishment of the John Branca Institute for Music with an hourlong concert in Thorne Hall. In June, Occidental announced a $5 million gift from legendary attorney John G. Branca ’72—partner and ...

01/25/2025

Finding a friend that helps your light shine brighter can be one of the best parts of college. Seniors Ella and Dylan share the story of their Occidental friendship in this video created by Julia Carrigan '25 for the Office of Admission.