What's New at Westmont

Viewing Features Saturn, Five of Its Moons

The ringed planet Saturn is expected to dazzle stargazers at a free, public viewing with the powerful Keck Telescope Friday, May 18. The event, which begins about 8 p.m., lasts several hours. The observatory opens its doors to the public every third Friday of the month in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, whose members bring their own telescopes to Westmont for the public [more]

Juried Art Show to Lift Off at Museum

Montecito’s only juried art exhibition moves to the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art after a one-year hiatus, featuring the works of 58 different artists May 17-June 30. “LIFT 2012” celebrates the lift off of the college’s new museum space with a varied collection of paintings, sculptures, textiles, ceramics and printmaking. [more]

College Mourns the Death of Professor

Alex Moore, who joined the Westmont faculty in 2011 as assistant professor of kinesiology, died May 9 from complications following surgery. Moore was 31. His wife, Kirsten, survives him; the couple met at Westmont in 2005 when she became the college’s head women’s basketball coach. They got married in 2008, and their first child is due in July. [more]

Students Lauded for Servant Leadership

The Westmont Student Life Office awarded 10 outstanding students for their leadership during the past year. The 12th annual David K. Winter Servant Leadership Awards are given each spring to students who show exemplary leadership through service at Westmont and in the community. Each recipient receives $1,000 toward next year’s school expenses. [more]

Commencement Honors Students, Community Servants

About 4,000 people cheered on 314 graduates of the Class of 2012 under blue, sunny skies at Carr Field during Commencement May 5. A grove of still-charred eucalyptus trees behind the main stage served as a reminder that many of these graduating students evacuated to the gym during the devastating Tea Fire in November 2008 during their first year at Westmont. [more]

Orchestra to Tour and Perform in China

The Westmont College Orchestra, consisting of 63 student-musicians, travels to China May 9-18, performing in Beijing, Suzhou and Shanghai. The orchestra, under the direction of conductor Michael Shasberger, will perform concerts at Beijing University of Technology, Sun Village, Suzhou Art and Design Technology Institute, Suzhou Organization on Disability, Fudan University and Shanghai University. There are 68 people in the tour group, plus a professional guide. [more]

‘Blue Like Jazz’ Author Speaks at Westmont

New York Times best-selling author Donald Miller hosts a two-day workshop at Westmont June 8-9 to help people understand and plan their lives. Tickets to the Storyline Conference, which is sponsored by Westmont Impact, are $199 to $299 per person and available through www.westmontimpact.org. [more]

Westmont Degree Ranks High on Pay Scale

Westmont is ranked in the top 20 percent and is the highest Christian liberal arts school in a survey by PayScale, which looked at the return of investment at more than 850 U.S. colleges and universities. The ROI Rankings, which considered in-state and out-of-state tuition compared to average lifetime earnings, list Westmont as No. 172. [more]

Westmont Named eCampus of the Month

The popular magazine eCampus News has chosen Westmont from nearly 4500 colleges and universities as the eCampus of the month for January. The publication, which boasts a circulation to more than 51,000 higher-education leaders, says Westmont has “implemented predictive modeling and cloud-computing programs to save money and spend budgets efficiently, becoming a model for small schools looking for ways to survive the slumping economy.” [more]

Beebe Joins NAICU Board of Directors

The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) has elected Westmont President Gayle D. Beebe to a three-year term on its board of directors. Beebe, who will be formally appointed Feb. 1 in Washington, D.C., will represent a region that includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. [more]

Dance Instructors Offer New ‘Directions’

Westmont’s dancers offered an eclectic yet balanced performance before large crowds Dec. 9-10. “Directions,” featuring choreography by both faculty and students, celebrated a new era of dance at Westmont under the direction of first-year Westmont instructors Susan Alexander and Christina Sanchez. Sanchez performed a solo choreographed by Alexander. The fall dance recital included nine pieces, showcasing a variety of choreography, style and music. [more]

Competition Awards Top Entrepreneurs

A multi-person discount service for small businesses and an online, used sporting goods exchange were the big winners at the 22nd annual Westmont Collegiate Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition Dec. 8. About 60 people packed into Kerrwood Hall to hear students make formal presentations about their business plans as part of Entrepreneurship and New Venture Development, a class taught by David Newton, Westmont professor of entrepreneurial finance. [more]

Sargent to Serve as New Westmont Provost

Mark L. Sargent, who has worked in higher education for 30 years, will become Westmont’s provost and dean of faculty in spring 2012. For the past 15 years, Sargent has served as provost of Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., supervising its educational and co-curricular programs. [more]

Alumna to Co-Lead Westmont in Istanbul

Alumna Heather Keaney ’93 is back in Santa Barbara as assistant professor of history at Westmont, but in January she and husband, Jim Wright, venture back to the Middle East to co-lead Westmont in Istanbul. Keaney has spent the past 11 years living and teaching in Cairo at the American University in Cairo and at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities’ (CCCU’s) Middle East Studies Program (MESP). [more]