This Just In...

Dog Found Near Campus Finds New Home

CharlieThe saga of “Charlie” began January 23, when the cute young terrier mix was spotted wandering a street near campus by a student. She brought him to Devon MacIver, assistant director of Student Life, to babysit while she went to class. She retrieved the tag-less pup to take him to a shelter to see if he had been microchipped—he wasn’t. She left him at the shelter, where he was held for four days to see if he would be claimed by his owner.

On Day 5, the day he became available for adoption, Gwynneth Hughes was at the shelter at 8 a.m. Hughes, department coordinator for corporate and foundation relations in Institutional Advancement, christened her new pet Sir Charles Hughes.

Charlie has already started six weeks of puppy obedience classes, and his new mom has dubbed him “really smart,” although he growls at large dogs. He is sharing a yard with Hughes’ landlords’ 8-year-old shepherd Lucy. “I love him to pieces!” Hughes says.

Oxy Getting Ready for 125th Anniversary

Preparations for the yearlong celebration of Oxy’s 125th anniversary are well underway. The festivities kick off on April 20, Founders Day. Go to http://oxy125.org for complete details and a tribute to Oxy alumni who have made a difference.

While You Were Away

Mosher 1
Mosher 1
Facilities was kept very busy over winter break with several campus projects.

Braun, Stewie and Pauley residence halls: All now have seamless PVC pipe connecting to the city sanitary sewer system. The new sewer line replaces the many-seamed, root-infested clay pipe installed 50 years ago. The final portion of this new line runs 16 feet below Weller Road in order to go under the campus tunnel system that runs from JSC to Wiley. Additional sewer projects were done at Berkus House and Newcomb. Erdman’s line will be replaced during spring break.

Mosher and Fowler: Sets of movable chalkboards in Mosher 2 and 3 and in several Fowler rooms were replaced in-kind.

Samuelson Pavilion: A broken steam line led to a reevaluation of the SamPav dishwashing system. Steam was used for dishwashing and drinking water. A sustainable dishwasher that uses low-temperature water and green chemicals was installed, which means the facility can use a low-temp boiler (less energy consumed) to supply all building needs. The College saved about $100,000 in capital costs and expects to reduce energy consumption for Samuelson Pavilion by 30%.

Norris Chemistry, Mosher Classrooms: The main lecture hall, Mosher 1, got a makeover. Seats were removed to paint the metal frames, refinish the wood armrests and trays, and repair upholstery. The floor was refinished to polished concrete; the walls were painted and the fabric backing on the back wall was replaced. The lighting level was increased and the HVAC system was upgraded with new mechanical components and digital control through the campus energy management system. Finally, new tile flooring was installed in the entryways and hall front after asbestos was abated in the original floor tiles and glue. Mosher 2 and 3 received similar upgrades in paint, flooring, and HVAC. The old tablet-style chairs are still in the rooms, but within a few weeks they will be replaced with new, mobile node chairs like those that were in the Academic Commons during the fall.

Emmons and AG Coons Administrative Center: A new boiler was installed for the third floor of AGC and three new units were installed on the roof of Emmons to provide reliable HVAC service.

Clapp Library: To prevent bees from building hives inside the rafters of the library, bee screens were installed. The screens are too small for bees to get through. Hives damage the building and provide food for rodents. Carpenters Stef Gullickson and Joe Jordan manufactured and installed almost 600 screens over a four-day period.

Johnson Student Center, Haines Hall and Fowler Hall: Roof tiles ripped from their moorings by the fierce winds of November 30 were replaced.

President’s House: Asbestos was found in the Annenberg House ducting and had to be removed. At the same time the ancient, piecemeal HVAC system was engineered to meet modern standards. The project is about half complete; the remainder will be done this summer.

Johnson Student Center: The kitchen steam kettles were re-piped and additional pressure gauges added; the kitchen staff expects to use the kettles in a more energy-friendly fashion with these improvements.

Weingart: An emergency lighting system was installed in Weingart, the main component of which is a bank of special batteries called inverters. By code, emergency lighting must operate for 90 minutes on these batteries.

Rangeview Hall: All off-line card key access was upgraded to match the rest of campus. Additional off-line locks were added to other halls already equipped with card access.

Tiger Cooler: Replacement of walk-in refrigerator/freezer; hot water system upgrade including replacement of ware-washing machine; replacement of charbroiler.

Gresham Dining Room: Partial refurbishment of antique chairs.

Intercultural Community Center: The house is currently undergoing major construction and will reopen late in the spring semester. The group is temporarily working out of the Bengal Room in lower JSC. All employee telephone extensions remain the same.

Construction Begins on Campus Solar Array

Occidental has also begun work on a $6.8-million, 1-megawatt ground-mounted solar array, a project whose innovative design takes a distinctively liberal arts approach to green power with its blending of technology and art.
http://www.oxy.edu/x12018.xml

Hundreds Participate in MLK Day of Service

More than 300 Occidental students, faculty, alumni, and staff fanned out to more than 20 locations across Los Angeles on Saturday, January 28 to weed and plant gardens, work phone banks and canvass neighborhoods, and clean, repair and paint, as part of the College's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
http://www.oxy.edu/x12151.xml

Occidental Writers Network Meeting Feb. 1

The writers group will meet Wednesday,  February 1 at 7 p.m. in Johnson Hall 317.   Bring copies of two pages to share. The meeting will go until 9 p.m.

Kudos

Library of Congress Chooses Professor's Film

The Library of Congress has chosen a documentary by former Occidental film professor Chick Strand as one of 25 American films to permanently preserve in its National Film Registry as cultural, artistic and historical treasures. Fake Fruit Factory is a 1986 documentary by the late professor of film emerita about the lives of young female Mexican factory workers.
http://www.oxy.edu/x12116.xml

Professor to Screen His Film Debut

On Wednesday, February 22, assistant professor of art history and the visual arts Brody Fox will premiere his documentary, The Skin I’m In, at Occidental.

Six years in the making, the film uses Fox’s own story to get at some important contemporary questions about identity, diversity, social justice and global citizenship.

The screening is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. in Thorne Hall (94-min. screening followed by a Q&A). The screening is free and open to the community. (Note: the film contains mature content equivalent to an MPAA-R rating.) “I would love to make this an event that brings together all members of the Occidental community along with alums and community partners I've worked with over my time at Oxy,” Fox said.

Hires & Departures

Internal Transfers

Norma Navarro
Transfer Date: Jan. 3, 2012
Temporary administrative assistant, biology department

Liselda Fabian
Internship coordinator, Career Development Center
Previously: Administrative assistant, CDC

Internal Transfer from Regular to Casual

Chelsea Munoz
Transfer Date: Jan. 17, 2012
Biology

Internal Transfer from Regular to Casual

Dora Santos
Start date: Jan. 23, 2012
Casual kitchen staff, Campus Dining

Mary Elizabeth Dolan
Start date: Jan. 31, 2012
End date:   May 31, 2012
Annual giving coordinator

Shirley Gottschalk
Start date: Jan. 20, 2012
End date:  May 15, 2012
Research consultant (temporary)

Nicholas Santos
Start date: Jan. 23, 2012
End date: Jan. 27, 2012
Temporary bookstore assistant

New Hires

Vanessa Cardoza
Program assistant, GEAR UP Neighborhood Partnership Program
Hire date: Jan. 31, 2012

Alexandria Hicks
Start date: Jan. 30, 2012
Assistant/Receptionist, Admission

Alicia Tadeo Rodriguez
Start date: Jan. 19, 2012
Casual dish room assistant, Campus Dining

Brittini Imaa
Start date: Jan. 18, 2012
Casual caterer, Campus Dining

Trinh Ha
Start date: Jan. 17, 2012
Reporting programmer/analyst, ITS

Hanna Spinosa
Start date: Jan. 17, 2012
Director of Institutional Research, Assessment & Planning

Steffany Perez
Start date: Jan. 6, 2012
End date: March 17, 2012
Seasonal reader, Admission

Conor O'Sullivan
Start date: Jan. 6, 2012
End date: March 17, 2012
Seasonal reader, Admission

Dani Anderson
Start date: Jan. 3, 2012
End date: June 3, 2012
Staff casual, Admission

Rayana Poole
Start date: Jan. 3, 2012
End date: May 12, 2012
Graduate Hall Coordinator, REHS

Kathleen Hughes
Start date: Jan. 3, 2012
End date: May 12, 2012
Graduate Hall Coordinator, REHS

Departures

Gayaneh Avanes
Jan. 5, 2012
Gift Planning

Dennis Collins
Jan. 13, 2012
Institutional Advancement

Getting to Know You

Michael Wells, Sports Information Director

Michael Wells I hail from: Claremont, Calif.

I graduated from: Dominican University of California

I've been involved with Oxy for: Six months

A typical day on the job looks like: Several projects at once, going from one sporting event to another. Writing stories, distributing press releases, editing video, hitting deadlines, managing oxyathletics.com, more writing and other tasks that are involved in your typical day at the beach.

The favorite part of my job is: Fast-paced, high-stress environment.

My favorite thing to do in Los Angeles is: Sitting in the nosebleed section at Laker games.

A recent accomplishment I'm proud of is: Getting 6-year-olds to jump stop and reverse pivot at basketball camp this past summer. Basketball people will appreciate this.

Cooler or  Marketplace?: Marketplace

Black or orange?: Black

My nickname is: Wellsy

Something people don't know about me is: I'm a news junkie. Sports and politics.

A good book I've read lately is: Blink is the latest of his work that I’ve read, but I'm a big fan of anything Malcolm Gladwell.

Back in the Day

On Jan. 20, 1971, the new addition to the Mary Norton Clapp Library was dedicated.