Blog Posts by Westmont

Three hundred and fifty fledgling writers will gather at Westmont College for the 30th Santa Barbara Writers' Conference from June 21-28.

Famed poet, playwright and mystery writer Ray Bradbury, who has been involved in every Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference, will again be the opening speaker for the weeklong event. Local authors Sue Grafton, Julia Child and Gayle Lynds, along with journalist Sander Vanocur and actress and writer Fannie Flagg, are among the more than 20 authors scheduled to speak at the conference.

Five Westmont students received awards during the Student Research Symposium held April 16 on campus.

The students presented results of research conducted during the 2002-03 academic year in the humanities, social sciences, and natural and behavioral sciences. The winners were chosen based on the excellence of their research.

The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, based in New York City, has awarded Westmont a $30,000 matching grant to enhance the capabilities of its nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, which will improve students’ ability to do first-rate research.

"The NMR spectrometer enables us to teach students how to apply high-field (300 MHz) NMR to a wide array of experimental situations using inquiry-based teaching throughout the curriculum,” Chemistry Professor Stanley Anderson said.

“About Face,” a juried theme show, will be on exhibit May 22 through June 27 in Reynolds Gallery. The opening reception and awards presentation will be 5-7 p.m. May 23 in the Westmont Art Center and is free and open to the public.

Lisa Beamer, wife of 9-11 victim Todd Beamer and author of “Let’s Roll,” the heroic story of United Flight 93, will address Westmont’s class of 2003 at commencement ceremonies 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. May 3 in Murchison Gymnasium.
Expected rain forced the services inside, and because of very limited seating, commencement is not open to the public this year.

Dr. Shirley Mullen, professor of history and Westmont’s interim academic dean, has been appointed provost effective Aug. 1. She will be the first woman to serve in that capacity in the college’s 65-year history.

"Mullen will fill the position left vacant last June when Dr. Stan Gaede became president, replacing Dr. David Winter, who had served as president for 25 years.