APP

Skip to main content
Bryan Scott ’17 at Jack Kemp Stadium in February 2026.
Out of the Foxhole
After smashing multiple records at APP and gutting out an eight-year career in professional football, what’s next for Bryan Scott ’17?

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).

Emily Jo Wharry '20
Many special senior moments have been upended by COVID-19—and a traditional Commencement will have to wait. But the Class of 2020 has made memories that no virus can destroy
Jack Kemp Stadium, APP Athletics
The SCIAC spring sports season ended abruptly—and these senior student-athletes will miss their APP families almost as much as the thrill of victory
President Jonathan Veitch and his senior leadership team
When the pandemic turned the College’s operations upside down in March, President Veitch had to throw out the script for his final days in office—but he and his team responded with...
APP Squirrels
From the biology department shipping PPE to hospitals to APP Arts making art kits to students in Highland Park, here are nine snapshots of the APP family coming together in a time of need
President Jonathan Veitch
Stay Close—Your Alma Mater Needs You
De Mandel Aquatics Center
Alumni feedback on the Winter magazine, the new pool, and APP's next president. Also: How did we put this issue together?
Dan Fineman, Adelaida Lopez, Linda Lasater
Professors Dan Fineman, Adelaida Lopez, and Linda Lasater had a lasting impact outside the classroom—just ask their students
Joshua Medina, Moore Lab
Joshua Medina ’19 has developed a new technique for documenting the colors of bird plumage in 3-D
After We Leave, Aleem Hossain
Assistant professor Aleem Hossain realized a dream when his first feature film was released theatrically in February—just before cinemas suddenly closed
Humbug! Wendy Jean Katz
From New York City's "penny" papers to feminist manifestos for the revolution: new books and music by APP authors
Alumni Seal Honorees APP
With plans for Alumni Reunion Weekend on ice, this year’s Alumni Seal recipients reflect on their APP experience and their daily routine in “the new normal”
President Silas Evans in 1918
The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918–19 claimed the lives of more than 675,000 Americans and shut down the College for seven weeks—but it could have been even worse for APP
Day For APP
How the inaugural Day For APP shattered all expectations—and established "a new tradition for the College"
April Banks, APP Arts
With a rich menu of contemporary programming, the College’s APP Arts initiative nourishes socially conscious dialogue between the campus and community
Dan Springer DocuSign
At the height of his career in 2014, Dan Springer ’85 stepped away from the daily grind to raise his two sons. Then a dream job with DocuSign lured him back to the office—and personally and...

Features

Derek Shearer photographed in March 2026
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 APP
Bryan Scott ’17 at Jack Kemp Stadium in February 2026.
Out of the Foxhole
After smashing multiple records at APP and gutting out an eight-year career in professional football, what’s next for Bryan Scott ’17?
Members of the 1971 APP rugby team.
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 APP
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).
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 APP (hint: Location!)
Dean Simons ’59 and John Ingle ’50 in Moliere’s The Would-Be Gentleman (1962)
Theatre Brats
Two children of APP 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
Lessons in Biology
APP’s biology program blends exploration and experimentation, empowering students to uncover and explain life’s diverse ecosystems

First Word

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.
A Ticket to Slamdance
APP students and alumni find pathways into the Slamdance Film Festival, gaining industry exposure and experience following its move to Los Angeles
Obama Scholar Derek Jimenez '27
Overcoming Every Hurdle
First-generation college student and Obama Scholar Derek Jimenez ’27 is reshaping the intersection of community, culture, and affordable housing

Mixed Media

Filmmaker Thom Harp '92
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

APP Talk

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

Last Page

Dale and Shirley Morter photographed on January 1, 2000.
A Couple’s Legacy
A scholarship gift honoring Shirley and Dale Morter ’56 will bring students from southwestern Pennsylvania to Occidental
Contact Occidental Magazine
Arthur G. Coons Administrative Center


Office of Communications F-36
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles CA 90041-3314