Occidental Magazine

April 19, 2026

After smashing multiple records at �� and gutting out an eight-year career in professional football, what’s next for Bryan Scott ’17?

Occidental Magazine

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).

Features

Derek Shearer photographed in March 2026

Faculty

The Ambassadude Abides

As a diplomat, dealmaker, and master connector, Derek Shearer brought global leaders, policymakers, and a U.S. president to the classroom over his 45 years at ��

Bryan Scott ’17 at Jack Kemp Stadium in February 2026.

Profiles

Out of the Foxhole

After smashing multiple records at �� and gutting out an eight-year career in professional football, what’s next for Bryan Scott ’17?

Athletics

Pitch Perfect

Larry Layne ’71 came to love rugby as a student-athlete—and an estate gift will provide a swift kick to its future at ��

L-R: Associate professors Alaa Abdelfattah (economics), Tiffany Wheatland-Disu (Black studies), Madeline Wander ’08 (urban and environmental policy), Joel Walsh (computer science), Margaret Gaida (history), and Kai Yui Samuel Chan (politics).

Faculty

16 Faculty, 16 Stories

Fifteen new tenure-track faculty and a veteran kinesiology professor discuss their favorite classes, their passion for teaching, and what brought them to �� (hint: Location!)

Dean Simons ’59 and John Ingle ’50 in Moliere’s The Would-Be Gentleman (1962)

Arts

Theatre Brats

Two children of �� professors grew up immersed in the magic of Shakespeare, Shaw, and Gilbert & Sullivan—in an era when a plucky little drama festival became their whole world

Occidental biology major Hannah Tawadrous '26

Academics

Lessons in Biology

��’s biology program blends exploration and experimentation, empowering students to uncover and explain life’s diverse ecosystems

Alumni Engagement

From the Readers

Reflections on unlikely �� connections, the legacy of Delta sorority, and an overlooked magazine milestone

Obituaries

Remembering Steve Hinchliffe ’55, Devoted Steward of Occidental

Throughout his 47 years as an �� trustee, Hinchliffe held an unwavering belief in the power of a liberal arts education

Obituaries

The Soft-spoken Wisdom of Wellington Chan

Wellington K.K. Chan, National Endowment for the Humanities Distinguished Professor of the Humanities and Professor of History Emeritus at Occidental, died November 5 at Huntington Memorial...

First Word

Occidental students relax near Lucille Gilman Fountain on an idyllic fall afternoon.

President Stritikus

Why ��'s Work Matters

President Stritikus on the power of community partners and shared purpose in preparing �� students to lead impactful lives beyond campus

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.

Student Life

A Ticket to Slamdance

�� students and alumni find pathways into the Slamdance Film Festival, gaining industry exposure and experience following its move to Los Angeles

Chief Judge Murguia, Justice Sotomayor, and Chief Justice Guerrero

Los Angeles

Three Judicial Trailblazers

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and California legal powerhouses Patricia Guerrero and Mary Murguia reflect on their heritage and resilience

Steve Carell in Rooster on HBO, filmed in Choi Auditorium

Los Angeles

Hey, Isn't That Steve Carell?

Hollywood and advertisers flock to campus as production booms at ��

Impact

Overcoming Every Hurdle

First-generation college student and Obama Scholar Derek Jimenez ’27 is reshaping the intersection of community, culture, and affordable housing

LA County High School for the Arts performs at Day 1 of the Blue Note Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl on June 14, 2025.

Los Angeles

Summer With the LA Phil

A donor-funded 10-week internship program will take 10 �� students inside the operations of the LA Phil

Illustration for Occidental's Center for Community-Based Learning

Los Angeles

Weaving Community Into Curriculum

Working with faculty across the academic spectrum, Occidental’s Center for Community-Based Learning has become part of the institutional fabric

Mixed Media

More Mixed Media

Laura Paxson, Ken Bryant and Steve Wayland in Androcles and the Lion (1977)

Arts

Hey Kids, Let’s Put on a Book!

Behind the curtain with Theatre Brats authors Laura Paxson and Escott Norton

Arts

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

�� Talk

More �� Talk

From left, fall 2025 U.N. interns Erica Greenberg, Ruby Gower, Tejas Varma, Arden Courtney Collins, and Chloe Peyton.

Student Life

�� at the UN: 40 Years at the Table

A signature Occidental program places students inside the United Nations—and gives them a real role in its work

2025-26 Kemp Lecturer Tim Miller with Occidental Professor Caroline Heldman.

Alumni Engagement

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