Meet the Occidental College senior staff team.

General Counsel

Nora joined Occidental College as its general counsel in 2021. Originally from Memphis, Nora has lived and worked in Los Angeles since 2014 and began her career as a litigator at O'Melveny & Myers LLP, where she was a member of the firm’s colleges and universities practice and its labor and...

Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College

Kathryn Leonard serves as Occidental's vice president for academic affairs and interim dean of the college. Most recently, she served as Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs at Occidental from 2022-24, and she was the founding chair of the Department of Computer Science. She joined Oxy faculty...

Vice President of Enrollment

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Maricela originally joined Oxy Admission in 2001, having begun her career in admissions while completing her undergraduate degree in Art History and Latin American Studies at Wellesley College. Maricela has also worked for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's...

Chief of Staff

Lindsay supports President Stritikus by providing strategic guidance, leadership, and engagement with the Occidental community. She collaborates with senior leadership to coordinate strategic projects that advance the Occidental Promise. Additionally, she manages communication with the Board of...

Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Vivian has worked in higher education for over 20 years in various roles including student advising and support, residence education, behavioral intervention, and case management. Originally from Los Angeles, she received her doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy from the University of...

Vice President for ITS, Chief Information Officer

James joined the Oxy community in September 2010 as Associate Vice President for ITS. He earned the title of Chief Technology Officer in 2012 and that of Chief Information Officer three years later. He has been a member of the senior leadership team since 2013. James has a BA in political science...