Enhancing Economics
Economics has been Occidental’s most popular major for the last 20 years, anchored by recently-retired professors Woody Studenmund, left, and Robby Moore. “Economics helps students prepare for business careers, but economics at a liberal arts college helps students prepare for careers in law, management, premed, nonprofits and more,” says Studenmund, who came to Oxy in 1970. As the department pivots toward a new generation of faculty, all indicators point to its continued academic prosperity. Endowing additional economics professorships will enable Oxy to recruit and retain the next wave of dynamic tenured and tenure-track professors and reaffirm the department’s reputation for distinguished teaching, research and mentorship.
Media Arts & Culture and Music
Occidental sits at the epicenter of the creative community of Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world. Building on the College’s prime location, Oxy plans to expand two of our fastest-growing disciplines, Music and Media Arts & Culture. We intend to hire new faculty, create state-of-the-art learning facilities and collaborative spaces, and introduce innovative new courses and programs. Furthermore, we will expand our industry partnerships and develop stronger links between current students and our rich network of successful alumni working in the performing arts and related creative fields.
Undergraduate Research
A hallmark of an Occidental education is the opportunity for students to engage in research with faculty mentors—often at a level typically reserved for graduate students. Best known for its nationally recognized Summer Research Program, our Undergraduate Research Center funds original projects across all disciplines, both on- and off-campus. Fully endowing the URC would make these high-impact, hands-on opportunities available to more students throughout the academic year as well as during the summer.
Enriching the Student Experience
Occidental offers students boundless opportunities to enhance their education outside the classroom, from collaborative partnerships in the surrounding community to a competitive Division III athletic program. Throughout their Oxy journey, the Hameetman Career Center helps students connect classroom learning with career-building opportunities. We also want to build a permanent equity and inclusion fund to support programming for underserved students. Endowing our enrichment programs would have a major impact on Oxy’s commitment to developing citizens fully prepared to pursue the public good.
