Author spotlight: Scott Craig

Scott Craig is manager of media relations at Westmont College.

‘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 […]

Zig’s Musical Chair
By Scott Craig   |   October 10, 2023

Siegwart ‘Zig’ Reichwald was officially installed as Adams chair of music and worship at Westmont in a day that featured chamber musicians, the college choir, orchestra and chapel band performing music from the Psalms, Felix Mendelssohn, and rock band U2.  As part of the formal installation ceremony, President Gayle D. Beebe urged Reichwald to bring […]

Universally Speaking
By Scott Craig   |   October 10, 2023

Jennifer Ito, Westmont assistant professor of physics, explores exciting new developments in astrophysics in a Westmont Downtown Lecture, “Asteroids and Exoplanets: How Scientists Are Exploring Our Universe,” on Thursday, October 12, 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; […]

‘Moses’ Comes to Montecito
By Scott Craig   |   October 10, 2023

Westmont alumnus Dave LeMieux (’93), new director of worship for Montecito Covenant Church, performs a two-part multimedia event, “Moses – Truth to Power,” on Wednesday, October 18, and Friday, October 20, at 10:30 am at Westmont chapel in Murchison Gym.  He will perform both parts as a special event on Thursday, October 19, at 7 […]

Music, Theater Combine in ‘Godspell’
By Scott Craig   |   October 3, 2023

Westmont presents Godspell, one of the most popular musicals of all time, on October 12-15 at 7:30 pm and October 14 at 2 pm in Westmont’s Porter Theatre. Music and theater students join together to stage a production for the first time since 2019. Tickets, which cost $20 for general admission and $12 for students […]

Parents of Alum, Student Join Trustees
By Scott Craig   |   October 3, 2023

The parents of a Westmont alumna and a current student joined the Westmont Board of Trustees in May. Mary Barbour, whose daughter, Anna, graduated from Westmont in 2022, and Marcus ‘Goodie’ Goodloe, whose daughter Hannah is currently a senior and will graduate in spring 2024, look forward to supporting the college’s mission on the board, […]

Zola Legs Out More Honors
By Scott Craig   |   October 3, 2023

Westmont’s Zola Sokhela picked up the pace at the end and ran to victory in The Master’s Invitational September 23, finishing the 8K cross country race in a season-best: 24:08.2. As a result, Sokhela earned PacWest Runner of the Week honors for the second time this season.  The junior from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, will next […]

A Day of Musical Events to Celebrate ‘Zig’
By Scott Craig   |   September 26, 2023

In a public ceremony replete with orchestral and choral music, Siegwart ‘Zig’ Reichwald will be installed as the Adams professor of music and worship on Friday, September 29, at 10:30 am in Murchison Gym. The formal ceremony serves as a prelude to a day of public events that include a keynote address and chamber concert.  […]

Westmont Soars in Latest Rankings
By Scott Craig   |   September 26, 2023

Westmont jumped 16 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges national liberal arts rankings – the college’s largest rise since 2010. For the 19th straight year, Westmont, ranked at No. 107 (tied), is one of only two national liberal arts colleges in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and remains […]

Female Mystics of the Medieval
By Scott Craig   |   September 26, 2023

Rebecca McNamara, Westmont professor of English and medieval literature scholar, speaks about “Mystics, Healers, Writers and Saints: Medieval Women You Should Know” on Wednesday, September 27, at 7 pm in Adams Center, room 219. The talk is part of Linda Ekstrom’s current art exhibition at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, Straddling Circumference, on display […]

Physics Students Work at Chilean Telescopes
By Scott Craig   |   September 19, 2023

For the first time in more than a decade, undergraduate students assisted with research at the Simons Array, a set of three telescopes in the Atacama Desert in Chile at an elevation of about 17,000 feet. Westmont students Michael Lew and Jacob Nelson joined Jen Ito, assistant professor of physics, at the site, an expansion […]

Music Faculty Perform Fall Recital
By Scott Craig   |   September 19, 2023

Westmont music faculty take the stage for the Fall Faculty Recital on Friday, September 15, at 7 pm in Deane Chapel. The performance is free and open to the public. The recital features Music Director Ruth Lin (piano), Adelle Rodkey (oboe), Christina Ramsey (mezzo-soprano), Erin Bonski-Evans (piano), Egle Januleviciute (piano), and Cam Audras (viola). They […]

Sokhela Races to College’s First PacWest Honor
By Scott Craig   |   September 19, 2023

Zola Sokhela, Westmont’s 14-time NAIA All-American, ran to a second-place finish in the men’s cross country 8K at the Biola Invitational September 8. The performance earned him the title of PacWest Runner of the Week, the first NCAA Division II honor given to a Westmont athlete. Sokhela and the Warriors return to action September 23 […]

Young Alumna to be Honored at Homecoming
By Scott Craig   |   September 12, 2023

Westmont will give Gabriella (Pinheiro Chavez) Avila (2014) the Young Alumni Award at a special Homecoming brunch Saturday, Oct. 14, for her faithful life of leadership and service.  Avila serves as a counselor in California’s largest school district: Los Angeles Unified. She meets regularly with many of the 1,200 students at her middle school, helping […]

Talk Examines Christian Nationalism, the Gospel
By Scott Craig   |   September 12, 2023

Andrew Whitehead, one of the foremost scholars of Christian nationalism in the United States, speaks about his new book, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church, on Thursday, Sept. 14, from 3:30 to 5 pm in the Global Leadership Center at Westmont. The lecture is free and open to the […]

Head of the Class: Meet the New Faculty
By Scott Craig   |   September 5, 2023

Westmont welcomes four excellent new tenure-track professors to campus this fall. Sam Cole (economics and business), Linghui Han (economics and business), Paul Mena (communication studies), and Anna Jordan (‘07; English) each bring a deep Christian faith and a desire to challenge students to think deeply while learning broadly.  “Westmont is distinct because our faculty are […]

Soccer Kicks Off NCAA DII Schedule
By Scott Craig   |   September 5, 2023

The Warriors kick off a new era of Westmont athletics when men’s soccer battles Saint Martin’s (Wash.) on Thursday, August 31, at 3 pm on Thorrington Field as part of the Heritage Club Classic men’s soccer tournament. This will be the first official game by Westmont as a member of NCAA DII. The Warriors game […]

The Warriors Are Coming
By Scott Craig   |   August 29, 2023

About 400 first-year and transfer students arrive on campus for the newly named Warrior Welcome August 24-27. Classes for the fall semester begin Monday, August 28. On Wednesday, August 23, about 150 first-generation and international students and their families participate in First Connections, a pre-orientation welcome program designed for those who are the first in […]

Warriors Host Home Soccer Action
By Scott Craig   |   August 29, 2023

Men’s and women’s soccer play their first exhibition games on Thorrington Field. Fresh off an exhibition against UC Santa Barbara at Harder Stadium, the men will battle CSU San Bernardino on Thursday, August 24, at noon. The Warriors’ junior goalie Brady Highfill of Bakersfield tallied 10 saves in the game against the Gauchos, impressing the […]