CAMPUS NOTES
Thank you to everyone who attended last week’s Staff Recognition Luncheon and Family Field Day, hosted by the Human Resources Department. It was a wonderful time to connect with colleagues and celebrate this year’s Distinguished Service Award winners:
Sarah A. Gilman Award: Beatrice Gonzales (Theater) and Michael Reyes (Facilities)
Carolyn Deanne Adams Award: Albina Ferreyra (Facilities/Planning, Design and Construction) and Ronald Siliezar (Office of Budget and Planning)
L. Robert Torres Award: Anaid Garcia Figueroa (Office of the VP of Finance and Planning)
IN THE NEWS
Occidental College | Look At This!
It's graduation season! All throughout last week, CBS LA reporter Desmond Shaw offered a sky high view of some colleges and universities in the greater Los Angeles area. On May 22, he spotlighted Occidental.
Dean's Award Winners 2023
Each year, the Dean of Students recognizes seniors who, through their involvement on and off campus, embody Oxy’s four pillars of Equity, Excellence, Community and Service.
Tiger Club Athletics Awards Announced for 2023
Since 1987, the Tiger Club has presented annual awards to Occidental’s most outstanding scholar-athletes. Criteria for nominations include a minimum GPA of 3.0 and high achievement in intercollegiate athletics at the varsity level.
HR CORNER
New! Learn more about Wishbone Pet Health Insurance as an additional option under the pet benefit plans beginning June 1.
Here is the latest list of arrivals and departures from April 25-May 24.
Arrivals:
Robert Barlow, SLICE, assistant director of student involvement and concert production
Jenna Chernova, Physics, laboratory supervisor & electronics technician
Christopher Gonzalez, Institutional Advancement, prospect research analyst
Vanessa Marquez, Institutional Advancement, development coordinator for individual giving
Noelle Pangilinan, Music, department services coordinator
Alexis Sanderson, Institutional Research & Planning, director of accreditation and institutional assessment
Jonathan Steiner, Hospitality Services, director of catering and conference services
Departures:
Jose Escario, Campus Safety officer
Joseph McKee, Campus Dining, production/service assistant lead
Charles Oravec, Physics, laboratory supervisor & electronics technician
Jose Cisneros Perez, Equity & Justice, JEID education specialist
STAFF SHOUT-OUTS
From Celia Ruiz, assistant director of operations, facilities management: I must express my utmost appreciation for the facilities team . This year has been incredibly hectic due to the storms in our area. Nevertheless, the team went above and beyond to prepare for Commencement Weekend and offered their assistance on Sunday, May 21. I want to extend a sincere thank you to every team member, as last Sunday's event's success would not have been possible without their unwavering dedication and hard work.
From Maryanne Cline Horowitz, professor of history: A bravo for the outstanding work of Alannah Isherwood (department services coordinator)!!
From Aly Escobar, administrative assistant, ICC: Shoutout to the wonderful staff at IPO for donating all the flowers for all the Cultural grad decorations and for their continued support throughout the year.
KUDOS
The latest podcast episode of What's Your Why: Advice From Higher Ed Leadership features an interview with President Harry J. Elam, Jr. In the episode, President Elam shares how a passion for social justice, leadership and theater led to a career as a higher ed president. Listen here.
In a new article in Journal of Cognition and Development, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Susan Geffen and co-authors extend prior research showing that Canadian English-learning infants will not link function-like words (e.g., koo, ook) with novel objects and suggests that infants’ prior experience with their native language may constrain their learning of novel labels.
Assistant Professor Jorgen Harris , along with coauthor Rhiannon Jerch, released a working paper with the Center for Growth and Opportunity. They examine the effect of receiving Temporary Protected Status on formerly undocumented immigrants, finding that legal immigration status led to sustained improvements in income, job quality, and homeownership.
Associate Professor of History Jane Hong was interviewed by Melissa Harris-Perry on NPR's The Takeaway about her work on Asian American conservatism, with a focus on the role of religion and its intersection with politics. Hong also co-edited a new special issue of Amerasia Journal, with Adrian De Leon (USC) that calls on scholars to reckon with right-wing movements and histories in order to confront broader threats to the radical and emancipatory project of Asian American Studies. More than carbon copies of white conservative politics, they are indigenous to Asian American communities.
The findings of Assistant Professor of Economics Jesse Mora and Mary Hancock '23's recent study on the impact of COVID-19 on Chinese trade indicate that the pandemic had a greater impact on products located in the middle of the global supply chain. This knowledge can be used to inform policy decisions aimed at minimizing disruptions in global supply chains.
Why haven't all the jacarandas bloomed yet? John W. McMenamin Endowed Chair in Biology Gretchen North helped answer that question in a recent Los Angeles Times article.
Assistant Professor of Economics Kevin Williams and co-authors published an article in the Journal of Labor Economics that studies the rise in foreign student higher-ed enrollment in the 2000s. They find the increased enrollments changed the composition of domestic student's major and early-career choices away from STEM and towards business and social sciences.
For more information on faculty scholarship and accomplishments, visit the Center for Research & Scholarship.
CAMPUS CALENDAR
Saturday, June 3: Oxy Arts Opening Reception - for the sake of dancing in the street
Friday, June 9-Sunday, June 11: Alumni Reunion Weekend 2023
Saturday, July 6-August 19: Occidental Children's Theater presents Snow White and the 007 Dwarfs