July 23-26 Impact 2024
Discover CATLab
Meet your next hire
Make Space to Innovate
We help you create the space to learn from fellow technologists and system thinkers. Whether you hire a CATLab intern to work through your company's backlog, attend the Impact Conference to connect with industry thought-leaders, or give a Tech Talk to grow your company's influence, the Center for Applied Technology is ready to help you innovate. How can we work together?
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Mission Statement
We seek to enhance relationships in the Westmont community through the innovative use of technology.
Learn about the promising young professionals working for CATLab this year!
The Center for Applied Technology seeks to enhance relationships in the Westmont community through the innovative use of technology. One of the main ways we accomplish that goal is through CATLab: our summer program where we partner with students to build the college's critical technological infrastructure and prepare the students for success in industry.
Learn about innovations in technology and Salesforce while enjoying the sunny Santa Barbara weather!
Testimonials
“Going with interns that know the system was actually a more cost-effective route than hiring somebody that didn’t really know a system but had to be there full time. It was an easy pitch from a cost perspective. We needed something, and Westmont came with people that knew the system. All the pieces really worked together.”
—Avery Cloutier, Business System Manager at The Thornhill Companies
“I was pleasantly surprised with Kimberlee’s ability to work on her own. I felt like we were able to get her up to speed on the projects, and she could run with it...To be able to have an intern who can work in a different city and be productive and be a self-motivated worker was really impressive.”
—Andrew Clark, marketing manager at RDN
"CATLab prepares students to the point where “with [their] skill sets right out of college, [they] could come in for an internship for a few months and change how we do business in a very transformative way.”
—Ian Monsma, program manager at RDN
"CATLab is a very effective program to help the Westmont students deliver from day 1 when they join tech teams in the industry. I am grateful to partner with CATLab and Zak Landrum."
—Rohit Malik, Software Engineering Manager at AppFolio
Curious about CATLab? Check out our blog!
How the Liberal Arts Can Make Us Better Software Developers
Read MoreJuly 1, 2020
One of the defining characteristics of Westmont College—and, by extension, the CATLab—is a commitment to the liberal arts.
How to Create a Culture of Collaboration
Read MoreJune 25, 2020
Among the unique challenges that this year has presented, something we have all been navigating is how to stay connected even though we’re apart. A few weeks ago, we looked at how to get a team started in a remote environment. Once you’ve got a team up and running, how do you make sure people can collaborate effectively in spite of the distance?
How We're Reimagining Admissions
Read MoreJune 23, 2020
Since the CATLab is a dynamic program that brings together talent from across disciplines and departments, it’s not always clear to people outside the program what our developers are actually building. This summer, our goal is to make it possible for high school students to apply to Westmont through a custom application process. We’re improving both sides of the process—externally, improving the user experience for high schoolers; and internally, improving the way for admissions counselors and officers to process those applications.
Our Journeys Toward Justice, Part 2: Learning to Listen
Read MoreJune 17, 2020
Our work this summer is inseparable from the unique historical moment in which we find ourselves. At the CATLab, we’ve been exploring these issues both as a team and individually, and we think it’s important to share some of those stories.
Our Journeys Toward Justice, Part 1: Getting Our Bearings
Read MoreJune 16, 2020
Even as we code and write and do art, we have to acknowledge that we don’t do these things in isolation: the CATLab is a program embedded in a certain time and place. More than that, we are all humans whose embodiedness and particularity matter—no one gets to be a human being in the abstract. In the last few weeks, we’ve been sobered by the fact that this is a dark and difficult time. We’ve interrupted our normal projects and processes to take the time to reflect on how to move forward. As our director Zak said:
A Lament and Response
Read MoreJune 4, 2020
In the past few days, the CATLab has been taking time to listen, learn, grieve, and take action regarding the tragic realities of racial injustice thrown into sharp relief by the killing of George Floyd and too many others. This devastation has forced us to take a hard look at the brokenness in our world and in ourselves. We at the CATLab want to lament, and we want to stand with our Black brothers and sisters, who have experienced racial injustice and systemic oppression for generations.
