Westmont News

Acclaimed children's book artists C.F. Payne, Lisbeth Zwerger, and Gregory
Manchess will exhibit work in Reynolds Gallery's "Storytellers: Children's
Book Illustrators," Nov. 3 through Dec. 13. The artists will be available to
sign books at the family-friendly opening reception Saturday, Nov. 3, from 2
to 5 p.m.

The difficult life of author Richard Wright is the subject of a one-man play, “Black Boy,” to be performed by Charles Holt at Westmont’s Porter Theatre one night only, Thurs. Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. A suggested donation of $5 will benefit the student-lead group Racial Equality and Justice (REJ). The actor will hold an open forum in Hieronymus Lounge Friday, November 2, at 3:15 p.m. to discuss the production.

Visiting scholar Araceli Ardón will lecture on “The Caves of Altamira, Spain: A guided Tour of the Oldest Museum in the World” Thursday, Nov. 1, at 3:30 p.m. in Westmont’s Hieronymus Lounge. Ardón is one of the few people in the past three decades who have entered Altamira Cave, famous for its Upper Paleolithic paintings.

Ardón served as director of the Museum of Art in Querétaro, Mexico for eight years before getting the chance of a lifetime.

This month’s public viewing with Westmont’s Keck Telescope will include a free lecture by a world-renowned astronomer from Australia. Martin George, curator at the Launceston Planetarium of the Queen Victoria Museum, will speak on “Astronomy Down Under: Studying the Sky from Australia,” Friday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. in the Carroll Observatory lecture hall.

Six high school choirs will join four college groups for Westmont’s third annual Fall Choral Festival at First Presbyterian Church, Constance and State Street, Friday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Westmont Theatre Department presents Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre in an acclaimed adaptation by Polly Teale Oct. 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. in Porter Theatre. They will also give matinees Oct. 18, 19, 25 and 26 for invited high school students in the first installment of the Found in Translation: Great Literature in the Theatre program.

President Gayle Beebe has welcomed long-time co-worker Doug Jones to Westmont as vice president for finance. Jones fills a position left vacant when Ron Cronk retired last year after working at the college for 22 years.

Jones was vice president of finance and administration at Spring Arbor University for the seven years Beebe served president there. Jones left his job as controller at Huntington College, his alma mater, in 2000 when Beebe recruited him to Spring Arbor University.

The Fletcher Jones Foundation has awarded Westmont $1 million toward the creation of the college’s first endowed chair in the social sciences. The grant is being matched with a $500,000 gift from an anonymous donor to fully endow the chair.

 Influential early 20th century English writer G.K. Chesterton will be the focus of a talk at Westmont Thursday, Oct. 18. Dale Ahlquist, president of the American Chesterton Society, will deliver a free lecture, “An Introduction to G.K. Chesterton,” in Hieronymus Lounge at 7 p.m.

A group of Westmont alumni and friends who began a chapter of The Chesterton Society in Santa Barbara in 2003 are sponsoring the event.

About 50 students are driving to Ensenada, Mexico, this weekend to volunteer at a Special Olympics there. The annual student-led trip started in 2003, a product of Potter’s Clay, the student-led service trip that celebrated its 30th anniversary last spring.

The Westmont students will help time events, hand out food, assist visually impaired athletes, and cheer for all the athletes at the Special Olympics in Ensenada.

Musicians from Santa Barbara and across the country will gather at Westmont for a Chamber Music Retreat and Master Class Friday, Oct. 19 through Monday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Cellist Nona Pyron, internationally known musician and adjunct professor at Westmont, has led the Master Class in Santa Barbara since 1999. Auditing positions are still available to the public for a small fee.

The violin-piano duo American Double will perform works by William Bolcom in conjunction with the national release of their CD, “The Bolcom Project,” Friday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m.

Timothy Kiho Park, associate professor of Asian mission and director of Korean studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, will speak on “The Korean Church and World Mission,” Thursday, Oct. 18, at 3:30 p.m. in Westmont’s Hieronymus Lounge. Refreshments will be available after the talk.

Xuefeng Zhang joined the Westmont faculty this fall as an assistant professor of sociology. The native of China earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Harbin Normal University and his master’s degree in sociology at Nankai University before coming to study at the University of Minnesota in 1997.

Chemist Explains the Importance of Science

Surveys of Americans have revealed an ignorance of science. Educators, like Westmont chemistry professor Niva Tro, frequently call for more science instruction in the schools. Tro will speak on “The Importance of Science Literacy: Why Everyone Needs a Basic Understanding of Science,” Thursday, Oct. 11, at 5:30 p.m. at the University Club on Santa Barbara Street.

Professor Jorge L. A. Garcia will deliver the lecture “Racism as Vice: The Current Philosophical Debate,” Thursday, Oct. 4, at 3:30 p.m., in Westmont’s Hieronymus Lounge.

Chemistry professor Dr. Stephen Contakes, who joined the Westmont faculty this fall, hopes to influence student’s lives inside and outside the classroom. The Lehigh University alumnus is a bioinorganic chemist who focuses on metals in biology.

“The chemistry involved in activities such as thinking and moving contain metals which play a key role in the ways our bodies function,” he says. Contakes does research that replicates in non-natural systems the way these metals act.

Religious studies professor Caryn Reeder, who joined the Westmont faculty this fall, is anxious to begin conducting research on a new topic. She has spent much of the past year writing “The Enemy Within: Biblical and Intertestamental Traditions of Family Violence,” a dissertation she hopes to publish focusing on domestic violence in the Bible and other ancient texts.

“I’m ready to move beyond family violence and get into something more cheerful,” she says.

Mitch Vance, a general partner of a private equity investment firm, has agreed to chair Westmont’s Board of Advisors, President Gayle Beebe announced today. Vance joined the board in 2000 and previously served on the Westmont Foundation.

The National Science Foundation awarded Westmont professors Kim P. Kihlstrom and Wayne Iba a $287,500 grant for their project Connection-Oriented Computer Science Education. The grant will provide scholarships of up to $10,000 each year to students majoring in computer science who demonstrate financial need and academic promise.

The project aims to increase the number of talented and well-prepared computer science graduates, particularly women and culturally diverse students.

Westmont alumnus David Batstone, a modern day abolitionist, will stop in the Tri Counties this week as part of a 60-city tour to end slavery and human trafficking. He will speak in chapel at Westmont Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 10:30 a.m. He will speak that evening at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 8180 Telephone Road in Ventura at 7 p.m.

The social issues and implications surrounding the skin tone of Asians will be the focus of a talk by author and scholar Paul Spickard, Friday, Sept. 28, at 3:30 p.m. in Westmont’s Hieronymus Lounge. The free, public lecture, “Is Lighter Better? Skin-Tone Discrimination Among Asian Americans,” will explain and interpret the issue and its implications for Asian American women.

Lesa Stern, communication studies professor, joined the Westmont faculty this fall and looks forward to mentoring and conducting research with her students. She completed a study on students’ use of the popular social networking Web site Facebook while teaching at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

“It was the good, the bad and the ugly,” Stern says. “Students will tell you a lot on their profiles. That was a fun one.”

Kathryn Stelmach always knew she wanted to be a teacher. The new Westmont English professor and Carlsbad native says she was deeply influenced by her maternal grandparents, who both taught high school English.

“Growing up, I would sit in my grandfather’s chair and read his dog-eared poetry. I really fell in love with it,” she says.

William Dyrness, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, will present a lecture on “Georges Rouault, Jacques Maritain and Cultural Renewal in France,” Thursday, September 27, at 7 p.m. in Westmont’s Reynolds Gallery. This free event is in conjunction with the gallery’s current exhibit, “Georges Rouault: Miserere et Guerre.”

English faculty and students will read aloud the entire text of Charlotte Brontë’s novel “Jane Eyre” between 9 a.m. and midnight Saturday, Sept. 29, in Reynolds Hall at Westmont. Community members are invited to come by, listen and enjoy light refreshments provided throughout the day.

Montecito native and former professional tennis player Alex Nizet will oversee efforts to raise funds, resources and community support for Westmont athletics. Nizet, who recently earned his master’s degree at Yale University Divinity School, joins the college as director of athletic development.

Westmont students gathered on Kerrwood Lawn to honor the victims killed in the 9/11 attacks six years ago.

Dr. William Nelson, religious studies professor, led a prayer service and moment of silence. Taps was also played at sundown.

Michael Shasberger, Adams professor of music and worship, and Neil Dimaggio will present “Songs for the Amusement of All” at Christ Lutheran Church, 6595 Covington Way in Goleta, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. There will be a goodwill offering to benefit Domestic Violence Solutions. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has agreed to match the donation.The duo will perform the same program Friday, Oct.

For Westmont's second annual outdoor sculpture exhibit, Reynolds Gallery features Ed Inks Sculpture Garden Aug. 27 to Dec. 13. A reception with the artist takes place Thursday, Sept. 27, 4-6 p.m.

President Gayle Beebe dedicates the new Keck Telescope Thursday, Sept. 6, at 3 p.m. in Westmont’s Carroll Observatory. Students and faculty will present their summer research projects in Founders Dining Room following the public dedication.

Westmont music professors present the Fall Faculty Recital in Porter Theatre Friday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. The program features vocal and instrumental pieces ranging from opera to jazz, offering community members and students a taste of the breadth and depth of the department. The event is free and open to the public.

A reception and membership party at Casa de la Guerra, 9 East De la Guerra Street, Thursday, Sept. 13, 4-6 p.m. celebrates the continued development of Westmont’s art program. The event, sponsored by the Westmont Art Council in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, is free and open to the public.

Ena Heller, executive director of New York’s Museum of Biblical Art (MOBIA), will present a free lecture, “Redefining Biblical Art in New York City,” in Westmont’s Hieronymus Lounge Wednesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. Art Council members Walter and Darlene Hansen present the talk in conjunction with the exhibit, Georges Rouault: Miserere et Guerre, curated by MOBIA, which runs through Oct. 18 in Reynolds Gallery.

ORIENTATION BEGINS THURSDAY FOR TALENTED CLASS OF STUDENTS

The 388 members of the incoming class of 2011 will begin arriving at Westmont this week. They belong to one of the strongest academic classes in the college’s 70-year history.

Political scientist Jesse Covington joins Westmont’s faculty this fall as an assistant professor after completing his doctorate at the University of Notre Dame.

Covington, a Southern California native, holds master’s degrees from Notre Dame and Westminster Theological Seminary. He has taught at Wheaton College in Illinois for the past two years. At Westmont, he will focus on political theory and constitutional law.

Westmont remains in the top tier among the nation's top liberal arts
colleges in the 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best
Colleges" released today. Westmont tied with 10 other colleges with a
ranking of 106. This is the third straight year the college has been in the
top tier.

Reynolds Gallery will host Georges Rouault’s Miserere et Guerre: This Anguished
World of Shadows, a cycle of prints that explores the connections between war,
suffering and mercy, Aug. 23 through Oct. 18. There will be an opening reception
Thursday, Aug. 23, 4-6 p.m.

Westmont alumnus Rick Ifland has joined the board of trustees, which oversees the operations of the college. He has worked as a successful private equity investor and entrepreneur for the past two decades.

“I am thrilled to work closely with a campus that’s filled with tomorrow’s leaders and to help create an optimal environment where they can learn deeply,” Ifland says.

Gayle Beebe assumed leadership of Westmont as the college’s eighth president July 1. He, his wife, Pam, and their three children (Anna, 14, Elizabeth, 12, and Ricky, 8)moved into the president’s house above the college in June. The family came from Spring Arbor, Mich., where Beebe served as president of Spring Arbor University for seven years.

One of the area's leading violinists will perform a free midday concert this month in Ventura. Philip Ficsor, Westmont professor of violin, will play classical music Thursday, July 26, at 12:15 p.m. at the Ventura Avenue Adult Center, 550 N. Ventura Ave.

Does the natural world provide rational evidence for an intelligent designer? Is the question itself a scientific one or is it religion masquerading as science? Are there ways to affirm solid science and genuine religious faith or do they necessarily conflict when it comes to evolution?

President George W. Bush announced that Jedd Medefind, a 1997 Westmont graduate, will become special assistant to the president and deputy director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Prior to this, Medefind served as director of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at the Department of Labor.

Westmont’s student life office has given 12 outstanding Westmont students awards for their involvement in student leadership during the last school year. The David K. Winter Servant Leadership Award is given each spring to honor students who show exemplary service as leaders at Westmont and in the community.

Each student receives $2,000 toward tuition during the next school year.

College's Closest Neighbor Focuses Gift on Scholarships, Arts
Montecito neighbors Harold and Annette Simmons have surprised Westmont College with a $1 million gift. Half the gift has been designated for student scholarships. The remainder will go toward funding an endowed chair in art that will bolster the program of the soon to be constructed visual arts center and gallery.

The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board has selected Dr. Susan Penksa, Westmont associate professor of political science, as a Fulbright Scholar grantee to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the last 10 years Penksa, an international security and development consultant, has built an extensive consulting practice with national governments, the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations.

Five Westmont students will fly out of Los Angeles today to spend a month serving people in Indonesia in one of four student-led Emmaus Road trips. Twenty-five students will participate this summer.

A service project to Nigeria had to be cancelled this week due to a surge in criminal activity in the country and extensive travel warnings. College officials hope to redirect the group to another African country.

Westmont has created a scholarship honoring husband and wife Drs. Gayle and Ruth Tucker who have taught in the college’s education department for 31 years. Jenny Deetz, the first recipient of the Tucker Scholarship, graduated this month with her teaching credential.

More than two dozen local teachers attended a recent reception at Westmont recognizing Westmont’s student teachers, master teachers and the Tuckers.