Author spotlight: Scott Craig

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College.

Filmmaker Shares Power of Storytelling
By Scott Craig   |   January 30, 2024

Wendy Eley Jackson draws on three decades of experience in film and television in her talk, “The Transformative Power of Storytelling,” for a Westmont Downtown Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 5:30 pm at the Community Arts Workshop (631 Garden Street), in downtown Santa Barbara. The event is free and open to the public; no […]

Students Participate at World’s Largest Math Meeting
By Scott Craig   |   January 30, 2024

“I was surprised at the sheer size of the math world,” said first-year student Isaiah Conway, reflecting on his trip with fellow students and faculty to the world’s largest mathematics conference Jan. 3-6 in San Francisco. Ten students and three faculty members were among nearly 6,000 other mathematicians at annual Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM), hosted […]

Trustee, Parent Pens MLK Book
By Scott Craig   |   January 30, 2024

Trustee Marcus ‘Goodie’ Goodloe, whose daughter Hannah is currently a senior and will graduate in spring 2024, has written three books, including King Maker: Applying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Leadership Lessons in Working with Athletes and Entertainers. Goodloe travels the country and uses the book to mentor students, educators, business professionals and athletes about […]

Corot Exhibit Honors Ridley-Tree
By Scott Craig   |   January 16, 2024

Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree’s entire collection of Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot artworks – which includes 11 paintings, 12 lithographs, and a drawing – goes on display Jan. 11 – March 23 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. A free public opening reception for the exhibition, Camille Corot to Orthodox Icons: Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree’s Gifts to the Collection, […]

Sisters Find Therapeutic Value in Telehealth
By Scott Craig   |   January 16, 2024

Sisters Leah Otterlei Pillsbury (‘00) and Alexis Otterlei Bennett (‘05) left their native Minnesota to attend Westmont — and then went their separate ways after graduating, pursuing different careers. Eventually, their paths and occupations converged, and they launched a telehealth business in 2021. Leah majored in psychology and loved every part of her college experience. […]

Nursing Graduates Earn Pins
By Scott Craig   |   January 2, 2024

Westmont celebrated the accomplishments of 18 new graduates of the Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program at a pinning ceremony December 14 at Montecito Covenant Church. This is the second cohort to graduate from the 16-month accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program, housed at 26 West Anapamu. President Gayle D. Beebe, program director Dianthe […]

‘5×5’ Art Auction a Big Draw
By Scott Craig   |   January 2, 2024

The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art’s exhibition and auction of 683 small pieces was a huge success. By the time the gavel came down December 15, the “5×5” fundraiser sold 617 unique art pieces, raising more than $41,000 for the Montecito museum. Ninety-two percent of people who created an account bid on works in the […]

Students Reveal Physics Findings 
By Scott Craig   |   January 2, 2024

Two Westmont students presented their research at a joint meeting of the Nuclear Physics Divisions of the American and Japanese Physics Societies November 26-December 1 on the Big Island of Hawaii. Natalie Fogg ‘24 and Reese Toepfer ‘26 joined Robert Haring-Kaye, Westmont professor of physics and department chair of physics and engineering, at the event […]

Returning with Climate Conference Lessons
By Scott Craig   |   December 26, 2023

Westmont junior Analee Josselyn (’25), a history and economics and business double major, and Conrad Morgan (’23), who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, are attending the U.N. Climate Conference (COP28) in Dubai.  Josselyn and Morgan are there with Christian Climate Observers, a non-denominational Christian presence advocating for God’s creation while training the […]

Dining Commons Gets a Remodel
By Scott Craig   |   December 26, 2023

Crews have begun a $2 million renovation project to Westmont’s Dining Commons with the majority of the work being funded by Bon Appetit, the college’s food service provider since August 2022.  While there is no additional interior square footage, workers are enlarging the outdoor dining patio by incorporating a small section of unused concrete between […]

Examining Mendelssohn, Protestant Music
By Scott Craig   |   December 26, 2023

For two decades, Siegwart ‘Zig’ Reichwald, Westmont’s Adams professor of music and worship, engrossed himself in the sacred music of German composer and performer Felix Mendelssohn. But when he came to his works written for the Berlin Cathedral in 1843-44, he was struck by how unusual they were compared to the rest of Mendelssohn’s musical […]

Winter Stargazing at the ‘Mont
By Scott Craig   |   December 19, 2023

Bundle up and head to the Westmont Observatory, which opens to the public for its free, monthly Stargazing event Friday, December 15, beginning at sunset and lasting several hours. Saturn and many other celestial delights will be targeted by Westmont’s powerful Keck Telescope and the other scopes owned by members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical […]

Four Decades for Brad
By Scott Craig   |   December 19, 2023

This year’s final Christmas chapel of the semester, complete with a paper snowball fight, feted Brad Elliott, who has worked at the college for 40 years. Elliott, the longtime campus photographer, also oversees the audiovisual, sound, and lighting to the college’s numerous events, including Commencement, Midnight Madness, Spring Sing – held annually in the Santa […]

Engineering Students Go for Speed
By Scott Craig   |   December 19, 2023

Overcoming obstacles was the challenge of the day as the Westmont Engineering Department hosted its third annual remote control car competition December 7 in front of Kerrwood Hall.  New this year, students competed in a bowling pin knockout following the traditional figure eight race. The competition was tight and a final race with all three […]

Book Radiates Advent
By Scott Craig   |   December 19, 2023

With the arrival of Advent, Paul Willis, professor emeritus of English and former Santa Barbara poet laureate, has co-edited an anthology of readings A Radiant Birth: Advent Readings for a Bright Season. Madeleine L’Engle, Marilyn McEntyre, Eugene Peterson, Tania Runyan, Luci Shaw, Jeanne Murray Walker, Walter Wangerin, Lauren Winner, and Philip Yancey contribute to the […]

Men’s Soccer Wins National Championship
By Scott Craig   |   December 12, 2023

Westmont men’s soccer beat Campbellsville (Kentucky) 3-1 on December 2 in Kissimmee, Florida, to claim the 2023 National Championship of the National Christian College Athletic Association. This is the second time Westmont Men’s Soccer has claimed a national title. The first was by the 1972 team that won the NAIA National Championship.  “There is nothing […]

Bidding Underway for Five-Inch Artworks
By Scott Craig   |   December 12, 2023

A lively and enthusiastic crowd packed into the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art for the opening reception of “5×5: Westmont College Celebrating 85 Years” on November 30. There is certainly a lot to see with more than 675 small pieces of art hung in the gallery – all of which are being auctioned off to […]

Mr. Monopoly Goes Straight to Westmont
By Scott Craig   |   December 12, 2023

Westmont is on the board! Monopoly: The Santa Barbara Edition includes a space featuring the Montecito campus in the light purple section where Virginia Avenue sits in the classic game. The only college featured on the board, Westmont appears between two iconic locations: the Santa Barbara Harbor and the Santa Barbara Airport. The square features […]

‘Poor Clare’ Offers Theater for the Soul
By Scott Craig   |   December 5, 2023

Westmont Festival Theatre reimagines the life of Saint Clare of Assisi as if she spoke like a Beverly Hills teenager in Chiara Atik’s Poor Clare on December 7-9 at 7:30 pm and December 9 at 2 pm in Porter Theatre. Tickets, which cost $20 for general admission and $12 for students and seniors, may be […]

Nursing Program Earns Final Accreditation
By Scott Craig   |   December 5, 2023

The Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) voted to approve accreditation for Westmont’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. Westmont had to clearly demonstrate that its nursing program, which launched in January 2022, met all four of the CCNE standards: mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources, curriculum and teaching-learning practices, and assessment […]

Project Promotes Fire Resilience, Biodiversity
By Scott Craig   |   November 28, 2023

An ecological restoration project near the Westmont campus has begun with students, faculty, and staff planting about 45 native coast live oaks. This first phase focuses on an area where Montecito Fire removed many dead and dying eucalyptus trees last summer along the Westmont Creek between the Las Barrancas faculty homes and Carr Field. The […]

Celebrating the Start of Advent
By Scott Craig   |   November 28, 2023

Westmont celebrates Advent, the season leading up to Christmas, with “Let There be Light!” a festive gathering, tree lighting, hot cocoa, and opportunity to take photos with Santa on Wednesday, November 29, from 5-7 pm on Kerrwood Lawn. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public.  Children’s photos with Santa begin at 4:30 […]

Luncheon Empowers Future Women Leaders
By Scott Craig   |   November 28, 2023

The Westmont Women’s Leadership Council Luncheon features Natalie Taylor, certified financial planner and behavioral financial advisor, on Friday, January 19, 2024, 12-2 pm in the Global Leadership Center. A limited number of tickets, which cost $100 per person, may be purchased online at westmont.tfaforms.net/4651902. For more information or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact […]

Art Museum Goes Big with 675 Small Works
By Scott Craig   |   November 14, 2023

The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art’s most popular exhibition and fundraiser returns to Montecito on Nov. 30 to Dec. 15, offering viewers an opportunity to see and bid on more than 675, small five-inch-square works by regional, national, and international artists. The museum hosts a free, public opening reception on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 4 […]

Exploring Creation Care and the Cappadocian Fathers
By Scott Craig   |   November 14, 2023

Westmont senior Katie Knapp presented a paper about the thoughts and practices of the Cappadocian Fathers at the Great Lakes Theology Conference on Nov. 2-3 in Holland, Mich. The religious studies and environmental studies double major from Soquel, Calif., has been working on the major honors project about patristic creation care ethics with professors Helen […]

Warriors Host Hoops Tourney
By Scott Craig   |   November 14, 2023

The Westmont men’s basketball team hosts the Conference Challenge Event, a tournament that includes Saint Martin’s (Wash.), Hawaii Hilo, and Montana Billings, on Nov. 10-11. The Warriors play Montana Billings on Friday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 pm and Saint Martin’s on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 3 pm. Last year, Westmont competed in the 64-team NAIA […]

Christmas Festival Offers ‘Fullness of Joy’
By Scott Craig   |   November 7, 2023

Tickets are on sale now for the 19th annual Westmont Christmas Festival, which marks the beginning of the holiday season for many in Santa Barbara. The concert combines orchestra and choirs at the Granada Theatre, the central coast’s premier performing arts venue in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, on Saturday, December 2, at 7 […]

Talk Examines Recent Conflicts, Foreign Aid
By Scott Craig   |   November 7, 2023

Katherine Bryant, assistant professor of political science, will speak about “The Changing Geopolitical Landscape and the Role of Foreign Aid” at a Westmont Downtown Lecture on Thursday, November 9, at 5:30 pm at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW), 631 Garden Street, in downtown Santa Barbara. The event is free and open to the public; no […]

American Double Returns
By Scott Craig   |   November 7, 2023

Violinist Philip Ficsor, who served on Westmont’s music faculty from 2006-13, returns to college for a recital with American Double, a violin-piano duo consisting of Ficsor and pianist Constantine Finehouse, on Sunday, November 5, at 3 pm in Deane Chapel. The concert, featuring American masterworks for violin and piano by John Corigliano and Daniel Gee […]

Grand Opening for a New Engineering Addition
By Scott Craig   |   October 31, 2023

A large crowd that included students, faculty, trustees, and industry professionals on the college’s engineering board gathered to dedicate Westmont’s new Fletcher Jones Foundation Engineering Building at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 20. Engineering students hosted an open house in their new digs, highlighting their research and explaining the uses of the machinery in the Mericos […]

Event Examines Solutions to State Street
By Scott Craig   |   October 31, 2023

“What Should We Do About State Street?” The Westmont Center for Dialogue and Deliberation (WCDD) hosts a conversation on this pressing issue and invites Santa Barbara residents to share their ideas for shaping and co-creating this special public space. When you RSVP to the free, public event held Thursday, October 26, from 6:45-8:45 pm, you’ll […]

Microscope Offers  Inspiration at the Atomic Scale
By Scott Craig   |   October 31, 2023

Westmont’s science professors have obtained a new tool for their teaching and research. The biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics departments will all use the Hitachi scanning electron microscope (SEM), housed in Winter Hall. Its focused beam of electrons interacts with atoms in the sample to produce an image. Ben Carlson, assistant professor of physics, employs […]

Gas Giants Headline Star Party
By Scott Craig   |   October 24, 2023

On the heels of Saturday’s annual solar eclipse, the Westmont Observatory opens to the public with the two gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, making an appearance in the night sky Friday, October 20, beginning at sunset and lasting several hours. This month’s free stargazing event features the college’s powerful Keck Telescope, a computer-controlled 24-inch reflector, […]

Orchestra Performs Tchaikovsky’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’
By Scott Craig   |   October 24, 2023

The Westmont Orchestra will perform one of Tchaikovsky’s most well-known compositions at the Fall Orchestra Concert on Friday, October 20, at 7 pm in Westmont’s Page Hall; and Sunday, October 22, at 3 pm in Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West. The concerts are free and open to the public. For more […]

Kudos to ‘Godspell’
By Scott Craig   |   October 24, 2023

Congratulations to director Mitchell Thomas, the cast, musicians and creative team for putting together such wonderful performances during Godspell, October 12-15. Unfortunately, the student actors and musicians have other artistic and scholarly commitments and the production has run its course. The enthusiasm and energy that emanated from this tightknit group of actors delighted audience members […]

Distelberg named PacWest Defender of the Week
By Scott Craig   |   October 24, 2023

Junior middle hitter Taylor Distelberg of Yucaipa was named PacWest Defender of the Week, the first player to receive a PacWest weekly honor in Westmont volleyball history. The Warriors, who travel to Hawaii for their next three games, won a pair of conference matches last weekend.  “Her transition attacking, blocking, and presence at the net […]

College Becomes an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution
By Scott Craig   |   October 17, 2023

Westmont has become an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution with more than 23 percent of students identifying as Latino or Hispanic. The designation is a result of local partnerships, improved outreach efforts, and the addition of several key college employees.  “Westmont is nearing the 25 percent undergraduate enrollment threshold it needs to be recognized as a Hispanic-Serving […]

Return of the Warriors
By Scott Craig   |   October 17, 2023

Westmont’s alumni will be coming back to campus for Homecoming 2023 October 13-15 and to honor four stellar individuals at the annual Alumni Awards Celebration Brunch. This year’s honorees are Jay (Ofori) Diallo (’08, Alumnus of the Year); Jenise Steverding (’97, Alumna of the Year); Carl LaBarbera (’76, Global Service); and Gabriella (Pinheiro Chavez) Avila […]

Engineering’s New Facility is Open 
By Scott Craig   |   October 17, 2023

The college’s board of trustees dedicates the Fletcher Jones Foundation Engineering Building near the tennis courts and physical plant on Friday, October 20, at 5:15 pm. The engineering department hosts an open house beginning at 4:30 pm.  “Westmont is helping to meet a critical need in the field of engineering: engineers with a solid foundation […]

Third Time’s a Charm for Sokhela
By Scott Craig   |   October 17, 2023

For the third time in as many opportunities, Westmont’s Zola Sokhela has been deemed the PacWest Runner of the Week after winning the men’s cross country race at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational. He beat the second-place finisher by half a second (24:58.6), giving him his second consecutive individual win.  Sokhela now prepares for the PacWest Championships […]