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Year in Review: Top News Highlights and Feature Stories of 2023

The Communications Office

At year’s end, we’re celebrating the top five highlights of 2023 at ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ as well as the most-viewed feature stories from Occidental Magazine.

Top Five News Highlights
Occidental Magazine Features

Top Five News Highlights

A shot of the Johnson Student Center south entrance with a fountain and the 3-D letters For Good assembled

¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ Celebrates Success of The Oxy Campaign For Good

October: ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ completed its largest-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, raising more than $252 million for student scholarships, academic programs, campus beautification, and other high-priority needs.


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Thorne Hall at ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ

¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ Rises in US News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings

September: ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ rose two places in US News & World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges rankings, landing at No. 35 nationally, a 14-year high.


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A view of the AGC administration building

Occidental Formally Ends Legacy Admission

July: In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action in college admission, President Elam updated the community on the initial steps the College is taking to fulfill Occidental’s mission and continuing commitment to diversity and inclusion.


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Isabel Wilkerson speaks at ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ's 2023 Commencement.

Isabel Wilkerson Addresses Class of 2023 at Commencement

May: Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, addressed the Class of 2023 at ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ's 141st Commencement ceremony on May 21.


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A $5 million gift from the W.M. Keck Foundation will make possible the launch of a multi-phase renovation of ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ's 63-year-old chemistry building.

Keck Foundation Gift to Kick Off Chemistry Building Renovation

February: A $5 million gift from the W.M. Keck Foundation will make possible the launch of a multi-phase renovation of ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ's 63-year-old chemistry building on a campus where 40 percent of students are pursuing degrees in the sciences.



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Occidental Magazine Features

These are the five most-viewed feature stories published by Occidental magazine in 2023.

18 Young Scientists to Watch

18 Young Scientists to Watch (Spring 2023)

Occidental’s labs are the launching pads for countless careers in the sciences—and here are 18 graduates of the last 20 years, nominated by their former faculty mentors, doing exemplary work in their field.


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Zak Stoltz '10 with his dog, Boba, at his home in Mount Washington.

Theory of Everything (Winter 2023)

Everything Everywhere All at OnceÌýbecame the indie film sensation of 2022—and Zak Stoltz '10 assembled the smallÌývisual effects team to make bagel magic.


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Occidental's eight new tenure-track faculty joined the College in fall 2022.

Getting to Know Occidental's New Tenure-Track Faculty (Winter 2023)

From art and art history and Black studies toÌýmusic,Ìýpolitics, and psychology, Oxy welcomes eight new voices to the classroom.


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Gay and Lesbian Association members in 1984.

Rainbow Connections (Summer 2023)

Nearly 40 years after its formation, Out@Oxy has a new name and a renewed mission—to support Occidental’s LGBTQIA+ student community and curate a queer history of the College.


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Adam Schoenberg

Fanfare for a Mountain Lion (Summer 2023)

Associate Professor of Music Adam Schoenberg found inspiration from ‘L.A.’s coolest cat’—and his latest composition may have helped save his own life.