17³Ô¹Ï

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Bryan Scott ’17 at Jack Kemp Stadium in February 2026.
Out of the Foxhole
After smashing multiple records at Oxy and gutting out an eight-year career in professional football, what’s next for Bryan Scott ’17?
Members of the 1971 Oxy 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 Oxy
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 Oxy
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 Oxy (hint: Location!)
17³Ô¹Ï alumni Eric Chen, Tammy Bird, Mike Schmidt, and Jenny Dean Schmidt
Catalysts for the Public Good
From uplifting inner-city scholars in South Central L.A. to prison moms in Colorado to a Monterey Park community in need, Oxy alumni embrace the College's mission
17³Ô¹Ï biology major Hannah Tawadrous '26
Lessons in Biology
Oxy’s biology program blends exploration and experimentation, empowering students to uncover and explain life’s diverse ecosystems
Two-time Emmy winner Emma Choate ’20 with her 2-year-old Irish wolfhound, George.
When Emmy Met Oxy
From casting to costumes to music direction and composition, three 17³Ô¹Ï alumni live out their Hollywood dreams while being honored by their peers
Gibby Professor of Science Margi Rusmore
Margi Rusmore Reaches the Apex
Oxy's inaugural Gibby Professor of Science may be exiting the classroom, but there are still mountains to climb—as well as prepping her data (and her extensive rock collection) for future...
Warren Montag, the Louis M. Brown Family Professor of English
Warren Montag: Activist and Ally
Whether it was 18th-century British literature or 20th-century European critical theory, Montag approached the syllabus with rigor, grace, warmth, and plenty of deadpan humor—and he...
President Tom Stritikus and Professor of Kinesiology Stuart Rugg at Commencement in May 2025.
Stuart Rugg Stays Fired Up
With seemingly boundless energy, a passion for teaching, and his signature catchphrase, Rugg helped build kinesiology into a signature program at Oxy
Professor Peter Dreier at Anderson Field
Peter Dreier Comes Full Circle
After 32 years as a professor at Oxy, Dreier will return in 2026 as an adjunct—to teach his first-ever class on poverty and inequality and take one more swing at Campaign Semester