From academics to real-world impact, explore stories from our community that highlight the people and experiences making ÈÕ±¾ÎÞÂë a place of opportunity, discovery, and success.
Enrique López ’89 Alumni Psychology Spanish Studies From immigrant to psychology major, from circus performer to neuropsychologist, Enrique López researches the impact of HIV on the human brain. He also advocates worldwide against the stigma of HIV-AIDS in Spanish-speaking communities.
Radha Arora Student Economics When Radha Arora began her college search, she knew she wanted to stay in California and study economics at a liberal arts college. But what brought her to ÈÕ±¾ÎÞÂë was something less tangible.
Sam Sharp ’96 Alumni Politics Biology Sam Sharp was drawn to Occidental for its diversity and the political energy he experienced on campus. It was the origin of a passion for equity and justice work that continues today.
Kristin Oberiano ’16 Alumni History American Studies At Occidental, Kristin Oberiano found an invaluable group of faculty mentors that supported her as she delved into American history—as well as her own. As a professor, she aims to provide similar mentorship in her classrooms.
Shanna Devine ’08 Alumni Critical Theory & Social Justice Shanna’s academic experiences in the Critical Theory & Social Justice major and social justice work in post-Katrina New Orleans laid the foundation for a career dedicated to service.
Igor Logvinenko Faculty Diplomacy & World Affairs Meet Igor Logvinenko of Diplomacy & World Affairs, whose teaching and research examines global political economy and its relationship to politics and policymaking in low/middle-income countries.
Viviana MacManus Faculty Spanish & French Studies Meet Viviana MacManus of Spanish and French Studies, an ÈÕ±¾ÎÞÂë alumna who teaches courses on U.S. and transnational feminist movements, women of color, feminist research methods, race and gender in the media, as well as Latin American/Latinx film and literary studies and Latin American human rights.
Stephen Klemm Faculty Comparative Studies in Literature & Culture Meet Stephen Klemm of Comparative Studies in Literature & Culture, who teaches courses in German language, literature and culture, always with an eye toward their mutual interaction and co-constitution.
Leah Harman ’20 Alumni History Spanish Studies The liberal arts helped Leah discover an unexpected passion, inspiring her to pursue a career in academia. Her first job out of college offers her the perfect introduction to that world.
Michael Kwan ’20 Alumni Physics Music Occidental exposed Michael to the joy of research, helping him along the path to a doctoral program in physics. He hopes to apply his research and technical skills to solve a wide range of problems.
Erin Ay ’20 Alumni Politics Erin discovered a love for the music industry through ÈÕ±¾ÎÞÂë’s Core Program. She spent the next three years interning in almost every area of the industry, building expertise that helped her land her first job out of college.
Belle Bashaw ’20 Alumni Diplomacy & World Affairs Economics Encouraged by faculty mentorship and an internship with the U.S. Department of State, Belle decided to pursue a master’s degree in international relations in Germany. ÈÕ±¾ÎÞÂë’s career center helped her at each step of the way.
