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�鶹��Ƶ Stories

From academics to real-world impact, explore stories that highlight the people and experiences making �鶹��Ƶ a place of opportunity, discovery, and success.

Our community of students, faculty and alumni is smart and engaged, and they care deeply about their work and the world around them. Get to know more about our faculty and their impactful research, find out what drives our students, and see how our graduates are making a difference.

Lauren Berger ’19

Geology PhD student Lauren Berger recently received a prestigious grant from NASA to help her unravel the mysteries of Martian sand dunes and contribute to a deeper understanding of planetary evolution.

Laura Boykin Okalebo ’96

For biologist Laura Boykin Okalebo, �鶹��Ƶ was a life-changing experience, setting her on a career path that combines science and social justice. Her groundbreaking work in East Africa has empowered thousands of farmers to achieve sustainable livelihoods.

Alyanna McGrath

Student Computer Science

Alyanna McGrath ’25 embodies both academic and community leadership at �鶹��Ƶ, majoring in computer science while championing inclusivity through her involvement in the Black Student Alliance, Women in STEM Club, and basketball.

Alumni Politics

When disaster struck his native Santa Cruz in 2023, reporter Max Chun and a small team of journalists sprang into action for their community—and pocketed a Pulitzer Prize for their work.

Liliana Madrid Larrañaga

Student Biochemistry Public Health

Liliana Madrid Larrañaga ’26 navigated her transition into college by finding opportunities to connect with her academic and personal interests, serving as a valuable resource to her peers, and taking steps toward her dream career working in women’s healthcare.

Peter Vartanian

Student Diplomacy & World Affairs Comparative Studies in Literature & Culture

Supported by Occidental through grants and faculty mentorship, Peter Vartanian ’25 is traveling the globe conducting research on the geopolitics of the global transition to green energy, among other topics.

Alana Pizarro ’22

Alana Pizarro joined a fieldwork expedition to Isla Guadalupe, a wind-swept island off the coast of Baja California. The researchers were studying the Guadalupe Island Junco, a small sparrow with unique evolutionary characteristics and a delicate existence.

Keala Ede ’00

Alumni Politics Psychology

As the first Native Hawaiian judge in Minnesota history, Keala Ede brings a commitment to justice to his courtroom—and a taste of surf culture to the shores of Lake Superior.

Student Diplomacy & World Affairs

During his gap year, Diplomacy & World Affairs major Will McMillan ’27 traveled to Ukraine for a month to volunteer on behalf of the war effort. He has been gathering stories to help generate more support back at home for Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since early 2022.

Nikki Seymour

Faculty Geology

Meet Nikki Seymour of geology, whose research explores how deformation related to plate tectonic motion is accommodated in the middle to upper crust, the interactions between magmatism and deformation, and effects of sediment subduction at convergent plate boundaries.

Syeda ShahBano Ijaz

Syeda ShahBano Ijaz

Faculty Diplomacy & World Affairs

Meet Syeda ShahBano Ijaz of Diplomacy & World Affairs, a scholar of the political economy of development, with a regional focus on South Asia. Her research, teaching, and public scholarship is situated at the cusp of international and comparative politics.

Alexandria Pivovaroff

Alexandria Pivovaroff

Faculty Biology

Meet Alexandria Pivovaroff of biology, a global change biologist who specializes in plant water relations, hydraulics, and functional traits to understand how forests are responding to changes in the environment.