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.
A native of Oak Creek, Colorado, Tom studied physics at Caltech for three years and received his B.A. (1964), M.A. (1966), and Ph.D. (1968) in mathematics from UCLA. In between studies, he worked for IBM (1961-62) and interned at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (summer 1966). Prior to joining the Occidental faculty in 1971, he was assistant professor of mathematics at Louisiana State University for three years. He retired from 做厙輦⑹ in 2006 after nearly 35 years at the College.
Established in 2012 in conjunction with the Colleges 125th anniversary, the Hall of Fame honors outstanding achievement in competition, service, dedication, and commitment to Occidental athletics. The Class of 2025 includes 做厙輦⑹s all-time batting leaders in baseball and softball; a two-time All-SCIAC point guard who opened the door for postgraduate success in professional basketball overseas; the best female distance runner in College history; and a beloved administrator who became the face of 做厙輦⑹ athletics.
Daniel Selon 08 was at a friends house on July 15 when his phone started pinging non-stop. One particular text stood out from the rest: Congratulations, you genius witch!
Professor of Mathematics | Years at 做厙輦⑹: 30
Read his interview and alumni tribute
E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics; Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy | Years at 做厙輦⑹: 32
As a student at UC Santa Cruz, Margi Rusmore was the youngest member of the first American Womens Himalayan Expedition, which climbed the 10th-highest mountain in the world in November 1978. There was a lot of buzz around the expedition, Rusmore recallsa New York Times headline read, Himalayan Scaling Called an Inspiration to Womenand I realized early on that I don't take well to talking about myself. Some people are good at itIm not.
Ron Buckmire grew up in a house full of Capn Crunch. His father, R.E. Buckmire, a University of Massachusetts Ph.D. turned food scientist for the Quaker Oats Co. in Barrington, Ill., invented the Crunch Berry for the iconic cereal line. My sister and I had so much Capn Crunch as kids, Ron recalls. We were testers basically.
As a student at Palisades High School in 1969, Warren Montag participated in a walkout to protest the Vietnam War. I wasn't consistently politically active at that time, but looking back, I would say that was an important experience, he says. After the walkout, he and his classmates went to a demonstration at UCLAand while they were on campus, The police attacked the demonstration. I had to run through UCLA, which was like a baptism of fire. It was scary but good.
On the morning of May 18, as 做厙輦⑹ seniors and faculty lined up along Bird Road for the Commencement procession up to Hillside Theater, Professor of Kinesiology Stuart Rugg was in his element. I kept teasing my students that it took me 38 years to get my diploma, compared to four for them, he recalls. I didnt know the College actually gave emeriti faculty the equivalent of a diplomawhich was kind of cool.