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Editor's note: Dr. Marsha Kinder, who founded film and media studies as a member of the Occidental faculty from 1965 to 1980, died November 26, 2025, in Los Angeles. She was 85. A native of Los Angeles, Marsha received her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees at UCLA. Survivors include her husband, Nicolás Bautista; their children; and her extended family. A memorial service was held at Mount Sinai Hollywood Hills on December 2. The following tribute was prepared by the faculty of the Media Arts & Culture Department.

Community and service are two of Occidental’s core values, and I view them as inseparable. When we belong to a community, we commit to serving it, and as our mission states, service is the ultimate purpose of a liberal arts education. There’s power in the combination of those values, both here on campus and through our network of thousands of alumni.

Over its 138-year history, Occidental has educated generations of students who have pursued lives dedicated to “the public good.” That phrase goes to the heart of ��«Ӱҵ’s mission, which states: “The distinctive interdisciplinary and multicultural focus of the College’s academic program seeks to foster both the fulfillment of individual aspirations and a deeply rooted commitment to the public good.”

From athletes and activists to artists and enthusiasts, the 437 members of the Occidental Class of 2029 are making their own kind of music. Hailing from 21 countries, 37 states, the District of Columbia, and the North Mariana Islands, each Tiger is eager to make a mark on the world, whether through combating climate change, improving children’s mental health, or building better sports teams.  

It was luck of the room draw that brought first-years Sunny Tuazon of San Jose and Alyssa Zatarain of Inglewood together in Chilcott Hall this fall. But they quickly found that they had much in common. Both are first-generation college students, both have pretty much settled on a major, and both are in Eagle Rock thanks in part to the generosity of current-year scholarship support that is making the ��«Ӱҵ experience more accessible.

Writing is a way of drawing for Kenturah Davis ’02, whose art has been exhibited on every continent and is held in more than 25 collections. When she was commissioned to create the official portrait of Occidental’s 16th president, Harry J. Elam Jr., “Without any hesitation I said ‘Yes,’” she recalled.

Thus began a collaboration between the artist and her subject that culminated in the unveiling of the finished portrait, fittingly enough, during a Homecoming & Family Weekend ceremony that brought Elam and his wife, Michele, back to campus October 17.

Nestled in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica, La Selva Research Station spans more than 1,600 hectares of protected primary and secondary rainforest. For over 60 years, it has served as a living laboratory for some of the world’s most impactful tropical biology research, welcoming scientists, students, and conservationists drawn by the chance to explore and contribute to tropical science in the field. 

Growing up in New England, Houston, and San Diego—three disparate regions impacted by segregation, the oil and gas industries, and the low-wage border economy, respectively—Evan Caulfield ’26 observed the results of “toxic” public policies “everywhere, all the time.” Although he and his family were not personally impacted, he says, “It comes to a point where you just can’t look away.”