Author spotlight: Scott Craig

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College.

Put a Ring on It
By Scott Craig   |   September 24, 2024

The planet Saturn will be the star of the show on Friday, Sept. 20, from 7:30-10 pm at the Westmont Observatory. “If you haven’t seen this unique planet and its rings through a telescope before, I highly encourage you to come out and join us,” says Jen Ito, assistant professor of physics and director of […]

Stargazers to Be Moonstruck Saturday
By Scott Craig   |   September 17, 2024

The public is invited to join Westmont’s astrophysics students to learn more about the moon on NASA’s International Observe the Moon Night on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 7:30-9:30 pm at the Westmont Observatory.  “The moon is something we’re so used to seeing, and it’s an important part of our life here on Earth,” says Jen […]

Guerrero Scores Weekly Honors 
By Scott Craig   |   September 17, 2024

Westmont junior Erik Guerrero has been named the PacWest Men’s Soccer Player of the Week in the first such award of the year. Guerrero scored goals in both of the Warriors’ games last week. In the season opener against Simon Fraser (B.C.) on Sept. 5, Guerrero’s penalty kick in the 67th minute drew the Warriors […]

Study Finds Immediate Benefit to Churchgoers
By Scott Craig   |   September 17, 2024

The research of a Westmont sociologist who examined the effects of church attendance has garnered national attention. According to the study of U.S. adults, regular weekend attendance of a religious service creates an immediate increase in positive emotions as well as a decrease in negative ones. Researchers found there was no change in the emotional […]

Alum Shares Wildlife Art in ‘Fins, Feathers’
By Scott Craig   |   September 10, 2024

Alumnus Casey Underwood ’14 has returned to his alma mater to exhibit his diverse talents as an outdoor wildlife artist in “Fins and Feathers: The Art of Casey Underwood” from Aug. 29-Dec. 21 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art’s downstairs gallery. Underwood, an illustrator and outdoorsman living in southern Montana, has become one of […]

Warm Reception for Refreshed DC
By Scott Craig   |   September 10, 2024

Returning students created a buzz of excitement when they ventured into the newly renovated Westmont Dining Commons (DC). They were most excited about the adjoining outdoor patio, where workers installed an automatic sliding door from the dining room. “We have also added two fire pits, multiple heaters, a shade structure and all-new furniture to make […]

Honoring Willard Book Awardees
By Scott Craig   |   September 10, 2024

Michael Stewart Robb, who won the Martin Institute and Dallas Willard Research Center’s Book Award in 2023, will receive the honor and speak in the chapel at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 6, in Murchison Gym. He will discuss key themes from his award-winning book in a Provost’s Lecture, “Dallas Willard and Rational Spirituality: Claiming the […]

400 Warriors Arrive at Westmont
By Scott Craig   |   August 27, 2024

About 400 new incoming students, including the Grotenhuis Nursing cohort of ‘24, arrived at Westmont to begin their first week of Orientation, Aug. 21-25, and the start of the fall semester, Aug. 26.  Nineteen percent (70) of new students are first-generation and joined their parents beginning Aug. 20 for a First Connections Pre-Orientation program, which […]

Beebe to Sign New ‘Crucibles’ Book 
By Scott Craig   |   August 27, 2024

Gayle D. Beebe, entering his 18th year as president of Westmont College, will sell and sign copies of his new book, The Crucibles That Shape Us: Navigating the Defining Challenges of Leadership, on Thursday, Aug. 29, from 4-6 pm in front of the turtle fountain at La Arcada Plaza, 1114 State Street in downtown Santa […]

Exhibition Offers Glowing ‘Night Visions’
By Scott Craig   |   August 27, 2024

Duncan Simcoe, a Southern California artist and former chair of the College of Architecture, Visual Arts and Design at California Baptist University in Riverside, offers his signature limited-palette paintings on dark construction-grade tar paper in Night Visions: The Black Drawings of Duncan Simcoe, 2014-2024 from Aug. 29 to Nov. 9 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum […]

Stargazers to Enjoy Summer Viewing
By Scott Craig   |   August 20, 2024

Westmont’s monthly stargazing event features a triangle asterism, a globular cluster and a waxing moon on Friday, August 16, beginning about 8 pm and lasting several hours at the Westmont Observatory. Along with the college’s powerful Keck Telescope, members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit bring their telescopes to share with the public. The 12-day […]

Jarrett to Lead ICP
By Scott Craig   |   August 20, 2024

Iyree Jarrett (‘22) is the only student to have appeared on the cover of the Westmont magazine twice. She was featured as a student-athlete who best exemplified leadership, and as the star guard for the National Championship winning women’s basketball team.  The lifelong Southern California resident has accepted a new leadership position at Westmont, this […]

New Golf Coach Joins Warriors
By Scott Craig   |   August 20, 2024

Leo Maes, former head golf coach at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona, will serve as the next head coach for Westmont’s men’s and women’s golf teams. Maes previously was the head coach for four years at Glendale Community College and three years as an assistant at Mesa Community College.  “He brings a well-rounded track record […]

Local Company Stops Hacking, Tracking
By Scott Craig   |   July 30, 2024

The growing concern about personal information and privacy in the digital age has led a company based in Santa Barbara to develop products protecting consumers. MOS Equipment, founded by Westmont alumnus Ryan Judy (’08), manufactures Mission Darkness™ faraday bags, tents, and lockers that block radio waves, including cell phone signals.  “A lot of people don’t […]

Swing for a Cause
By Scott Craig   |   July 30, 2024

The Westmont Golf Classic, a charity golf tournament started in 2008 to raise funds for student scholarships, returns Friday, Oct. 4, at the Glen Annie Golf Club, 405 Glen Annie Road in Goleta. Registration is $200 per golfer and includes: 18 holes of golf with cart; tri-tip BBQ dinner, on-course games, raffles and awards. Additional […]

Summer Exhibit Unveils New Acquisitions
By Scott Craig   |   July 23, 2024

Experience 45 of the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art’s recent acquisitions at a stunning summer show. The exhibition features works by three dozen artists, including Americans Richard Artschwager, Laddie John Dill, and Louisiana Bendolph of the Gee’s Bend quilters, contemporary Chinese artist Yue Minjun, and numerous local artists.  New Acquisitions: Selections from the Modern and […]

Impact Conference Explores AI, Education
By Scott Craig   |   July 23, 2024

Westmont’s annual Impact Conference, co-sponsored by Salesforce, explores opportunities and dangers using artificial intelligence tools in education Thursday, July 25, and Friday, July 26, in the Global Leadership Center. Tickets to the two-day event cost $100 with breakfast and lunch provided both days. To register or get more information, please visit westmont.edu/impact. “The conference, geared […]

Warriors Gain Full NCAA DII Membership
By Scott Craig   |   July 23, 2024

Westmont Athletics has been granted full membership into NCAA Division II… a year early. The NCAA Division II Membership Committee told President Gayle D. Beebe and Robert Ruiz, director of athletics, that the Warriors had successfully completed year two of the NCAA probationary period and had been granted a waiver for year three of the […]

College Hosts Christian Climate Conference
By Scott Craig   |   July 16, 2024

Westmont hosted more than 70 evangelical students, professors, and nationally recognized experts from across the country for the second consecutive summer to address the global challenge of climate change on June 16-21. “Faith. Climate. Action. A Workshop on Christian Climate Advocacy” equips students who care deeply about the environment to become leaders in their communities […]

Top Baseball Players Tryout at Carr Field
By Scott Craig   |   July 16, 2024

About 200 of the best high school baseball players from Southern California came to Westmont’s Carr Field to show off their talents in front of Major League Baseball scouts and coaches from Division I colleges June 24-26. Since 2010, Westmont has hosted the Area Code Tryouts, which are organized by the Milwaukee Brewers in this […]

Supervisor-Elect Tours Westmont
By Scott Craig   |   July 2, 2024

Roy Lee, Santa Barbara County 1st District supervisor-elect and Carpinteria councilman, will spend the six months before he’s sworn into office listening to his constituents. He and his chief of staff, Wade Cowper, met for breakfast with Westmont’s executive team, including President Gayle D. Beebe, before touring the 111-acre campus by golf cart on June […]

Cellist Returns to Perform at MAW
By Scott Craig   |   July 2, 2024

Westmont alumnus and local resident Tim Beccue (’18) is back on campus, this time as a fellow of the Music Academy of the West. Since 2016, Westmont houses 140 exceptional young classical musicians each summer for the academy, which provides live events through Aug. 3. Visit musicacademy.org for a full calendar of concerts.  “I have […]

Storytellers Shine at LEAD Conference
By Scott Craig   |   June 25, 2024

Westmont’s Lead Where You Stand Conference delivered inspirational stories, helpful advice, and insightful conversation for the 173 attendees with the goal of “Pursuing the Greater Good in Challenging Times” from June 5-6 at the Montecito college. It featured keynote speakers Marcus ‘Goodie’ Goodloe, Dr. Charity Dean, Matthew Luhn, Gayle D. Beebe, David Brooks, Jeff Schloss, […]

Senior Engineers Drop Final Project
By Scott Craig   |   June 18, 2024

“Dropping in three, two, one.” Then a drone, flying 150 feet high, released a plastic, hexagonal safety pod housing a blinking computer chip, amusing dozens of people gathered to watch one of two final presentations by the engineering design team on Lovik Field at Westmont.  The craft, trailed by a parachute, hit the grass, and […]

College Hosts Admissions Conference
By Scott Craig   |   June 18, 2024

Westmont hosted 450 attendees for the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACAAP) Conference June 3-5. With the theme “Mi Casa, Su Casa,” the Montecito college led by Ceili Norling, admissions and marketing coordinator, rolled out the welcome mat, offering keynote talks and worship sessions with alumnus Dean Wilson (’97), Turner Foundation president and […]

Exhibition Offers Room for Reflection
By Scott Craig   |   June 18, 2024

Westmont alumna Ella Jennings (’23), education and outreach coordinator at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, shares her paintings of luminous interiors in an exhibition, Abide with Me, at the Fireside Gallery at Trinity Lutheran Evangelical Church, 909 N. La Cumbre, open from 10 am – 2 pm on weekdays.  “The everyday buildings we frequent […]

College Honors Its Employees of the Year
By Scott Craig   |   June 11, 2024

Westmont honored a number of employees for their outstanding contributions at the May 9 Faculty and Staff Appreciation Brunch, an annual ceremony that recognizes individual work anniversaries and accomplishments. President Gayle D. Beebe and members of the college’s executive team selected the recipients from a peer-nominated pool. An endowment set up by the late Bruce […]

Student Teachers Shape Young Minds
By Scott Craig   |   June 11, 2024

Westmont’s Education Department honored its eight elementary and three secondary student teachers, who all earned California Preliminary Credentials, at the Celebration of Teaching event April 26 on campus. Interestingly, the three secondary teachers previously earned bachelor’s degrees in music at Westmont. The annual gathering also thanks cooperating teachers from Adams, Canalino, Carpinteria Family, Cleveland and […]

Recent Grads to Serve in Army
By Scott Craig   |   June 4, 2024

Two recent Westmont graduates, who served with UC Santa Barbara’s ROTC Program while students, have been commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Jacob Bailey (‘24) of Whitefish, Montana, and Jared Noh (‘24) of Glendale will continue their service in the Army afterthe summer. Bailey, who earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering, will join […]

A Celebration of Student Scholarships
By Scott Craig   |   June 4, 2024

Westmont was well represented at an annual scholarship awards celebration on May 20 at the UC Santa Barbara Multicultural Center. Seven future Westmont students were honored with $5,000 scholarships through the Program for Effective Access to College (PEAC). Six of the students plan on taking advantage of Westmont’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) […]

‘Godspell’ Director Earns Praise
By Scott Craig   |   June 4, 2024

Mitchell Thomas, professor of theater arts, won a coveted Indy Award for Directing for his role in staging Godspell. The May 20 event was the first time the Santa Barbra Independent has hosted the awards since the pandemic.  Thomas was most recently awarded an Indy for directing Pride and Prejudice in 2019. The jazz band […]

All-City Hymn Sing
By Scott Craig   |   June 4, 2024

Westmont alumnus Dave Talbott (piano) leads the annual All-City Hymn Sing on Sunday, June 2, at 3 pm at Shoreline Community Church, 935 San Andres St. Talbott, the resident musician at the Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center for four decades, will lead attendees in an hour of singing everyone’s favorite hymns. Talbott, who lives at […]

Local Artists Awarded at ‘TBH’
By Scott Craig   |   May 28, 2024

A large crowd gathered inside and out for the opening of the annual juried exhibition of local artists, “[TBH]…To Be Honest,” at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. Los Angeles gallery owner Walter Maciel juried the exhibition of 45 works, selecting the winners for top cash prizes on May 16. The Tri-County Juried Exhibition is […]

Three Alumni Earn Fulbright Awards
By Scott Craig   |   May 28, 2024

Three Westmont alumni, Kenna Brase (‘22), Simeon Michelson (‘24), and Elizabeth Potter (‘22) have won prestigious Fulbright Scholarships to teach English outside the United States. Brase will serve in Turkey, Michelson in Azerbaijan, and Potter in Thailand. For Brase, the trip to Turkey is coming to fruition after a more than four-year delay due to […]

Student Launches Real Estate Marketing Career
By Scott Craig   |   May 28, 2024

Jacob Guthrie, an incoming junior communication studies student, is not waiting for his Westmont degree to launch his own business. The young, tech-savvy entrepreneur, who turns 20 later this summer, founded 805MediaWorks, a marketing agency focused on Southern California’s thriving real estate market. The agency offers realtors, as well as other businesses, a wide range […]

Reflecting on Crucible Moments
By Scott Craig   |   May 21, 2024

It seems there’s no more difficult job these days than the college president. Not only have college campuses become battlegrounds for protestors of the Israel-Hamas War, but the value of higher education has come under fire. To be successful, they must inspire faculty, staff, students, and other constituencies, while upholding the ideals of the academy. […]

Conference Offers Inspiring Leadership Lessons
By Scott Craig   |   May 21, 2024

Westmont has assembled an inspirational group of renowned speakers for its 10th annual LEAD Where You Stand Conference June 5-6 at the college’s Global Leadership Center. David Brooks, New York Times columnist and bestselling author, headlines an exceptional and diverse group of speakers that includes: Gayle D. Beebe, Westmont president and author of The Crucibles […]

Commencement Offers Promise of Joy Everywhere
By Scott Craig   |   May 14, 2024

The gray skies and light drizzle were no match for the warm hearts and sunny disposition of the 320 members of Westmont’s class of 2024 and their loved ones. The ceremony, replete with prayer and songs of thanksgiving, offered a stark contrast to other college graduations across the country that have been canceled or marred […]

‘TBH’: Exhibit Shines Light on Local Talent
By Scott Craig   |   May 14, 2024

The exceptional talent of local artists will be on full display at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art for its annual Tri-County Juried Exhibition from May 16 to June 15. An opening reception for “[TBH]…To Be Honest,” featuring this year’s juror Walter Maciel, a Los Angeles gallerist, is May 16 from 4-6 pm. Maciel will […]

On the Road with the Choir and Orchestra
By Scott Craig   |   May 7, 2024

The Westmont Orchestra and the Westmont College Choir join forces in May for the college’s first combined tour. Traveling from Los Angeles to Northern California, about 120 students will perform scenes from “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn as well as other pieces.  “It’s a big undertaking and will show the breadth of music at Westmont,” says […]