Author spotlight: Scott Craig

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College.

Mosher Talk Examines MLK’s Shared Legacy
By Scott Craig   |   November 15, 2022

A large, enthusiastic crowd in Westmont’s Global Leadership Center welcomed Clayborne Carson, the world-renowned and acclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. scholar and director of the King Papers Project. He spoke about “The Lives and Shared Legacy of Coretta Scott and Martin Luther King Jr.,” as part of a Mosher Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership […]

Top Seeded Warriors Host Soccer Tourney
By Scott Craig   |   November 15, 2022

Westmont women’s soccer (12-0-3 overall, 7-0-1 GSAC), ranked No. 16 in the NAIA, host the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament Nov. 10-12 at Thorrington Field. The top-seeded Warriors, GSAC Regular Season Champions and undefeated in the regular season, will battle No. 5 seed The Master’s on Nov. 10 at 2 pm. The championship game is […]

Christmas Festival Returns to Granada
By Scott Craig   |   November 8, 2022

The 18th annual Westmont Christmas Festival, The Prince of Peace, returns to Santa Barbara’s famed Granada Theatre Saturday, December 3, at 7 pm and Sunday, December 4, at 3 pm. Tickets, which cost $22 each, go on sale Thursday, November 3, at 5 pm at westmont.edu/festival. For ticket information or to purchase tickets by phone, […]

Talk Offers Biblical Environmental View 
By Scott Craig   |   November 8, 2022

Sandra Richter, Westmont’s Robert H. Gundry professor of biblical studies, speaks about “Down to Earth: A Biblical Perspective on Environmentalism,” on Thursday, November 3, at 5:30 pm at the Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop (CAW), 631 Garden Street. The Westmont Downtown Lecture is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required. […]

Forward in Faithfulness
By Scott Craig   |   October 25, 2022

On the heels of two consecutive record-breaking fundraising years, Westmont has launched its largest fundraising campaign ever, Forward in Faithfulness. Through generous gifts from alumni, parents, foundations, and friends of the college, including the two largest gifts in the history of the college, the campaign has raised more than $197.1 million of the $250 million […]

Dedicated to Educating Nurses
By Scott Craig   |   October 25, 2022

Westmont dedicated its new accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, naming it Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing. David Grotenhuis, an alumnus of the college, and his wife, Anna, were inspired to give generously to the program by Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, who died earlier this month. In its second semester, the 16-month nursing program […]

Talk Examines Mental Side of Sports
By Scott Craig   |   October 18, 2022

Tim Van Haitsma, Westmont associate professor and chair of the kinesiology department, is a lifelong runner who will speak about mental strength training on Thursday, October 13, at 5:30 pm in the Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop (CAW), 631 Garden Street, in downtown Santa Barbara. The Westmont Downtown Lecture, “Mental Training: Magic or Physiologic Reality,” […]

Scholar Gives Insight into MLK’s Legacy
By Scott Craig   |   October 18, 2022

Clayborne Carson, the world-renowned and acclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. scholar and director of the King Papers Project, speaks at Westmont’s Mosher Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership luncheon on Friday, November 4, from 12-1:30 pm in the Simmons Center of Westmont’s Global Leadership Center. Carson will present “The Lives and Shared Legacy of Coretta […]

Honoring Ridley-Tree, Her Generosity
By Scott Craig   |   October 11, 2022

The Westmont community mourns the passing of Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, whose generosity made a profound impact on the college and touched the lives of many people and organizations in the Santa Barbara community. She personified what it means to be a true philanthropist. “She’s one of the most remarkable human beings to walk the face […]

Sharing a Wealth of Writing, Film Knowledge
By Scott Craig   |   September 27, 2022

Wendy Eley Jackson brings more than a quarter century of experience in film and television to Westmont as the theater department’s new artist/scholar-in-residence for justice, reconciliation, and diversity. Jackson, a native of Atlanta, is teaching Documentary Filmmaking, Screenwriting, and Creative Writing this semester for the theater and English departments. “My hope is to find a […]

Porter to Direct the Martin Institute
By Scott Craig   |   September 27, 2022

Steve L. Porter, a longtime professor of spiritual formation, theology, and philosophy, is the new senior research fellow and executive director of Westmont’s Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture.  The institute seeks to support a new generation of leaders in the area of Christian spiritual formation and to establish this discipline as a domain of […]

Teeing Off for the Warrior Golf 
By Scott Craig   |   September 27, 2022

Westmont men’s golfer Peyton Hendricks’ collegiate career is off to a stellar start. The freshman from Livermore notched the individual championship with a three-under score of 69 on September 8 to guide Westmont to a tri-match tournament against Hope International and Vanguard at El Dorado Park Golf Course in Long Beach. The following day at […]

Westmont Ranks Among Premier Colleges
By Scott Craig   |   September 20, 2022

New national rankings and economic indicators establish Westmont as one of the top Christian liberal arts colleges in the U.S. once again. Westmont, in its 85th anniversary year, improved its overall score and rose in five other ranking categories to remain in the top tier of the 2023 U.S. News & World Report’s National Liberal […]

Talented, New Professors Join Faculty
By Scott Craig   |   September 20, 2022

Five new accomplished, tenure-track professors have joined the Westmont faculty this fall. Isaac Gomez (kinesiology), Jennifer Ito (physics), Ruth Lin (music), Siegwart “Zig” Reichwald (music), and Guang Song (computer science) each bring a deep Christian faith and a love for teaching to Westmont.  Gomez, a local resident who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, […]

Art, Science, Spirituality Collide in Exhibit
By Scott Craig   |   September 13, 2022

Adam Belt explores the point where art, science, and spirituality converge in an exhibition, “Adam Belt: Wish You Were Here,” September 1 through November 5 at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. Belt, who was born in Seattle and grew up in Albuquerque, began his career as a landscape painter before shifting his interests to […]

Dallas Willard Book Award Announced
By Scott Craig   |   September 13, 2022

The Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture and the Dallas Willard Research Center (MIDWC) at Westmont have chosen Relational Spirituality: A Psychological-Theological Paradigm for Transformation by Todd W. Hall as the winner of their annual book award. Hall will accept the award in person before speaking in chapel on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at 10:30 […]

Ron See Earns Top Fellowship in Israel
By Scott Craig   |   September 13, 2022

A Westmont professor has received a prestigious fellowship to serve at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI). The Lady Davis Fellowship Trust selected Ronald See, professor of psychology and neuroscience, as the Marie and Matthew Heller visiting professor in medicine at the Institute of Medical Research. HUJI is the premier academic institution in Israel and […]

Inspirational New Students Arrive on Campus
By Scott Craig   |   August 30, 2022

About 320 first-year students and a record-setting 70 transfers begin arriving at Westmont for Orientation (August 25-28) and the start of the fall semester (August 29). “We’re thrilled to welcome the class of 2026 and the largest group of transfer students in Westmont’s 85-year history,” says Irene Neller, Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing and Communications. […]

Professor, Alum Win Top Mathematics Award
By Scott Craig   |   August 30, 2022

A Westmont professor and recent graduate won the Carl B. Allendoerfer Award from the Mathematical Association of America, the world’s largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts. David J. Hunter, professor of mathematics, and Chisondi Warioba (’21), born in Tanzania and a triple major in chemistry, physics, and biology, were honored for their paper, “Segregation […]

Summer Triangle Shines from Milky Way
By Scott Craig   |   August 23, 2022

This month’s public viewing of the stars will focus on several exotic Messier objects as the summer Milky Way stretches across the sky from the northeast to the southwest. The free viewing on Friday, August 19, begins at sunset and lasts several hours at the Westmont Observatory. Face coverings are required at the event, which […]

New Year With a New Provost
By Scott Craig   |   August 23, 2022

Westmont’s new provost Kim Battle-Walters Denu and her family have arrived in Santa Barbara. She began August 1 and has been getting to know faculty who are preparing for the first day of classes August 29.  “I’m thrilled to welcome her to Westmont,” says Westmont President Gayle D. Beebe. “With her 25 years of experience […]

Higher Ed Collaboration at Impact Conference
By Scott Craig   |   August 16, 2022

Westmont’s Center for Applied Technology (CATLab) joins forces with Salesforce to host the Impact Conference on Thursday, August 11, in the Global Leadership Center on campus. Keynote speakers include Peter Coffee, Vice President for Strategic Research at Salesforce, and Lupita Knittel, President of 7 Mindsets, an education technology company. To register for the free conference, […]

Grant Expands Search for Dark Matter
By Scott Craig   |   August 16, 2022

A Westmont researcher has won a grant to further his search for evidence of the presence of mysterious dark matter. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $200,000 grant to Ben Carlson, Westmont assistant professor of physics, to continue his work on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, a […]

Warrior Drafted by Dodgers
By Scott Craig   |   July 26, 2022

Westmont’s Simon Reid was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round of the MLB Draft on July 18. The junior catcher hit .378 last season and led the team in on-base plus slugging (1.088), hits (82), and slugging percentage (.654). He was named to his second All-Golden State Athletic Conference Baseball Team […]

Hosting the German National Team
By Scott Craig   |   July 26, 2022

The German Track and Field National Team found a home at Westmont July 3-18 while preparing for the 2022 World Athletics Championships, which are being held for the first time ever in the United States.  A total of 135 athletes, coaches, trainers, doctors, and managers moved into Westmont’s Global Leadership Center and worked out at […]

Remembering Paul Wilt
By Scott Craig   |   July 19, 2022

Paul Wilt, Westmont professor emeritus of history, died June 23 at the age of 93. A memorial service will be held at Shoreline Community Church on Saturday, July 16, at 10 am. He is survived by his wife, Doris, and their four children: Tom, Marilyn (’74), Janet (’76), and Daniel (’84).  Paul taught mostly U.S. […]

Observatory Hosts Friday Star Party
By Scott Craig   |   July 19, 2022

It’s globular cluster season at the Westmont observatory with this month’s viewing focusing on two conglomerations containing hundreds of thousands of stars. The free, public viewing of the stars is Friday, July 15, beginning at 7 pm and lasting several hours. Face coverings will be required at the event. Westmont hosts viewings on the third […]

Senior Earns Praise from French University
By Scott Craig   |   July 19, 2022

Westmont senior Chloe White earned the Etienne Gros Prize for Academic Excellence in Literature this summer after graduating from the French Honors program at the Institute for American Universities (IAU) in Southern France. “Since your arrival, we have all been very moved, very touched by your work — always thoughtful, always documented — and by […]

Student Teachers Make the Grade
By Scott Craig   |   July 12, 2022

A tight-knit cohort of five Westmont student teachers shared inspirational stories about their experiences in the classroom at an emotional Celebration of Teaching April 28 on campus. Linda Ngo, Sam Cordes, Hannah Boelter, Simon Janzen, and Shae Caragher,who all earned California Preliminary Credentials, spoke at the event, held for the first time since 2019.  “Teaching is […]

Summer Sports Camp Fun 
By Scott Craig   |   July 12, 2022

The popularity of Westmont Summer Youth Sports Camps has soared to new heights following a reduced schedule in 2020. The camps returned to full capacity the last two years with about 1,400 campers enjoying Westmont’s athletic facilities at 20 different camps during nine weeks this summer.  With summer camp coordinators Jeff Azain and Johnny Whallon […]

Pursuing a Love, Talent for Opera
By Scott Craig   |   June 28, 2022

Westmont senior Sibongakonkhe (“Sibo”) Msibi joins an elite group of 20 Fellows this summer at the Vocal Institute at the Music Academy in Santa Barbara. The first Westmont student to achieve this honor, he aspires to become “one of the best opera singers out there.” Chosen from an international pool of talented applicants who seek […]

Exhibitions Laud Influential SoCal Artists
By Scott Craig   |   June 28, 2022

Work by four enormously influential Southern California artists and art professors, Ken Jewesson, Ciel Bergman, Irma Cavat, and Florence “FiFi” Russell, will appear in three exhibitions July 7 to August 6 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art with a free, public opening reception at the museum on Thursday, July 7, from 4 to 6 […]

Attorney Serves Alma Mater as Trustee
By Scott Craig   |   June 21, 2022

Westmont alumnus Ramon Gupta (’94), a corporate attorney with an active practice in Santa Barbara, has joined the Westmont Board of Trustees. A partner with Mullen & Henzell LLP, Business & Real Estate Group, since 1999, Gupta has taught business law at his alma mater since 2014. He will begin a three-year term at his […]

Strong Family Ties for Fulbright Scholars
By Scott Craig   |   June 21, 2022

Two Westmont graduates and Augustinian Scholars, John Corbett (’22) and Kyle Mayl (’21), have won Fulbright Scholarships to teach English outside the United States. Corbett will serve in the Czech Republic while Kyle Mayl will be in Spain.  The award is particularly meaningful for Corbett, whose grandfather was born in the Czech Republic. “I grew […]

Stellar Night for Stargazers
By Scott Craig   |   June 21, 2022

Though the May gray wiped out last month’s public viewing, officials are counting their lucky stars and hoping for a break from June gloom for the event on Friday, June 17, at the Westmont Observatory. The free gathering, held in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, begins after sunset and lasts several hours. In […]

Conference Offers Leadership Lessons
By Scott Craig   |   June 14, 2022

Westmont’s eighth annual Lead Where You Stand conference featured a trove of inspirational speakers who challenged the crowd and offered practical experience and guidance for their own lives June 1-3 at the college’s Global Leadership Center.  Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett detailed how America has reached historic levels of political polarization, economic inequality, social […]

Ruiz Named New Athletic Director
By Scott Craig   |   June 14, 2022

After 13 years as head coach of Westmont baseball, Robert Ruiz will serve as director of athletics. Dave Odell, who has served in that capacity in a part-time role since January 2009, will become the executive director of athletics. In his new position, Odell will focus on athletics strategic planning, fundraising, and coach development. He […]

Weird Science: Teens Explore Physics
By Scott Craig   |   May 31, 2022

Nearly 40 local high school students enrolled in an AP physics course visited Westmont on May 16 for a hands-on exploration into how the universe behaves. The event, Understanding Physics from Galaxies to Particles, was led by Ben Carlson, Westmont assistant professor of physics. “We are asking the fundamental questions: What is the universe made […]

Artists Awarded  at Exhibition Opening
By Scott Craig   |   May 31, 2022

Santa Barbara resident Nadya Brown won Best of Show at the opening reception of the annual Tri-County juried exhibition, Uncanny, at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum. Brown, who was born and raised in England, won the $1,000 prize for her vibrant, dream-like painting Kafka and the Snowglobe. Westmont alumnus and hyperrealist painter Robin Eley (’01) handpicked […]

Baseball is Bound for the World Series
By Scott Craig   |   May 31, 2022

For the first time, Westmont baseball is headed to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Though the Warriors have made seven trips to the NAIA National Tournament in the last eight years in which the tournament was held, they have never won the opening round tournament.  Westmont is the No. 6 seed in the […]