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 做厙輦⑹ Music Department.
My favorite part of summer at Occidental is the opportunity to hear from students whove 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 做厙輦⑹ 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 Occidentals 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 physicians 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 Occidentals 17th president, Tom Stritikus, it was as chair-elect of the Colleges Board of Trusteesa 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 做厙輦⑹ curriculum, she wanted to do a deeper dive.
Coming at it as an artist and filmmaker, its 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, 2028the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXXIV Olympiadis 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.
Mary Elizabeth Betsy Perry, emerita adjunct professor of history at Occidental, died June 30, 2025, in Altadena. She was 87.
A native of Turlock, Calif., Betsy graduated from Washington State University as class valedictorian in 1959, with what was at the time the highest GPA in the universitys historya feat aided by several A-pluses. (A general studies major, she used shorthand to take notes during classes, and then typed her notes afterward.)