Westmont News

Tatiana Nazarenko, former dean of instruction and assessment liaison at Centralia College (Wash.), is Westmont’s new dean of curriculum and educational effectiveness. Nazarenko’s predecessor, Professor Ray Rosentrater, will return to full-time teaching.

Santa Barbara County residents Kathy Clenet, Jacques Habra and Herb Tews have joined the Westmont Foundation Board of Directors, which cultivates ties between Westmont and the community.

Reynolds Gallery’s current art exhibit, “Views and Visions: Travelers,” will be on display for only a few more days. The exhibit, which features artist Joshua Cave, a Westmont alumnus, will be on display through June 24. The show is Montecito’s only annual juried art exhibit and includes works from artists throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

On Wednesday, June 2, Santa Barbara Sheriff's deputies and members of the Special Enforcement Team (SET) will join Westmont staff for an emergency response drill.

The Santa Barbara Independent honored Westmont Theater Arts Professors Mitchell Thomas, John Blondell and Miller James with Indy Awards at the Lobero Theatre May 24. The annual theater awards recognize excellent work done in the local region.

At the May 20 opening reception of “Views and Visions: Travelers” at Westmont’s Reynolds Gallery, Santa Barbara photographer Barbara Parmet won Best of Show, sponsored by Northern Trust, and $1,000 for her photograph, “Trinidad, Cuba.”

Five Westmont professors have contributed to “Transformations at the Edge of the World: Forming Global Christians through the Study Abroad Experience,” a book released this month by Abilene Christian Press that explores what colleges and universities are doing to form globally engaged Christians through cultural immersion experiences.

More than 100 people gathered around the outside of the beautifully landscaped observatory to celebrate and dedicate the new building as well as the surrounding athletic facilities.

The Campus Pastor’s Office has released its sixth chapel CD entitled “City of God,” a double-disc compilation of vibrant music. The album’s title, taken from St. Augustine’s classic literary work, is based off this year’s chapel theme.

The Westmont Choir, New Sounds, Chamber Singers and a few members of the Westmont Orchestra travel to the Pacific Northwest May 9-19, making stops in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The choir’s final performance on the annual trip will sing the national anthem at Safeco Field prior to the Seattle Mariners baseball game.

“Calvin Marshall,” a movie written and directed by Westmont alumnus Gary Lundgren ’93, premieres in Santa Barbara Sunday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m. at the Riviera Theater, 2044 Alameda Padre Serra. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.westmont.edu/calvin. Proceeds from the screening will support Westmont baseball.

Michael Towbes, one of Santa Barbara’s leading philanthropists will receive the Westmont Medal at Commencement, which returns to the college’s newly renovated Russell Carr Field Saturday, May 8, at 10 a.m.

Paul Chappell, a West Point graduate and former army captain, speaks about “Will War Ever End?” Thursday, April 29, at 7 p.m. in Westmont’s Founders Dining Room. The free, public lecture, which is sponsored by Westmont Intercultural Programs, explores the possibility of achieving peace.

The 2010 Westmont Fringe Festival, modeled on fringe festivals throughout the world, features a dynamic interplay of new works for theater, dance and performance art April 22-24 from 7-10 p.m., beginning at Porter Theatre. Nightly admission is $10.

Westmont has released a free application for the iPhone and iPod touch that provides easily accessible information about the college and campus events. By clicking on the app, users can read the latest news stories and find calendars for chapel, athletics, academics, and arts and lectures. There is also a campus map, a faculty/staff directory, menus for the dining commons and Study, and emergency information.

Four Westmont alumni will share stories of their business lives in a free, public panel discussion, “Tips for Surviving in a Challenging Job Market after Graduation: Mistakes I’ve Made and Ideas for Making the Most of It,” Tuesday, March 23, at 3:15 p.m. in Hieronymus Lounge.

About 340 Westmont students will spend spring break, March 15-19, volunteering for various service projects in Mississippi and Alabama, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Ensenada, Mexico.

Christena Cleveland, assistant professor of psychology, presents a Phi Kappa Phi Paul C. Wilt Address, “Amazing Grace: Cultural Differences in Protestant Theology and Self-Awareness,” Tuesday, March 9, at 7p.m. in Hieronymus Lounge. The lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

The U.S. Department of State has awarded Susan Penksa, Westmont professor of political science, a follow-on Fulbright grant, allowing her to return to Bosnia and Herzegovina to build on the work of her 2007 fellowship and further the Fulbright mission of worldwide mutual understanding.