and Torres underscored the deep distrust and economic chaos these enforcement raids foster hurting entire communities and national supply chains and keeping consumers at home out of fear “We write with deep concern regarding recent immigration enforcement actions conducted in Pomona and harmed community trust in law enforcement,” wrote the lawmakers “Enforcement actions that indiscriminately disrupt immigrant communities – particularly without transparency or local coordination – threaten not only individual rights but also the economic stability and public safety of entire cities like Pomona,” continued the lawmakers “Pomona’s small businesses are already feeling the impact The lawmakers highlighted that California’s economy — now the fourth largest in the world — relies on the contributions of immigrant labor as immigrants and their children make up the majority (55 percent) of California’s workforce with immigrants alone comprising 34 percent of the state’s population undocumented immigrants contributed $87 billion in household income They emphasized that immigrant workers make up a significant portion of California’s leading agriculture Immigrant construction workers comprise over 40 percent of California’s construction workforce and are already doing essential work to help Los Angeles County rebuild from the devastating wildfires earlier this year which would create a pathway to citizenship for immigrant essential workers “While no one disagrees with targeting violent criminals for deportation the enforcement actions in Pomona demonstrate that the Department is indiscriminately targeting all noncitizens for removal — including those who have no criminal records and who have been living in and contributing to our communities for decades,” added the lawmakers.“These actions do not make us safer and are contrary to the ideals that we all stand for We urge you to instead focus enforcement against those who pose a legitimate risk to public safety and to work with Congress on a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who are essential to our economic success.” The lawmakers concluded their letter by demanding information on the raids including why local officials were not notified and what steps DHS is taking to rebuild trust with immigrant communities “We urge your Department to review these operations carefully and to recommit to an immigration enforcement strategy that prioritizes public safety and reflects the economic realities and moral values of our nation,” concluded the lawmakers Full text of the letter is available here and below: We write with deep concern regarding recent immigration enforcement actions conducted in Pomona and harmed community trust in law enforcement the City of Pomona in our home state of California has been at the epicenter of recent immigration enforcement activity much of which has been conducted without giving notice to local officials: Enforcement actions that indiscriminately disrupt immigrant communities – particularly without transparency or local coordination – threaten not only individual rights but also the economic stability and public safety of entire cities like Pomona Pomona’s small businesses are already feeling the impact While no one disagrees with targeting violent criminals for deportation the enforcement actions in Pomona demonstrate that the Department is indiscriminately targeting all noncitizens for removal — including those who have no criminal records and who have been living in and contributing to our communities for decades These actions do not make us safer and are contrary to the ideals that we all stand for We urge you to instead focus enforcement against those who pose a legitimate risk to public safety and to work with Congress on a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who are essential to our economic success California’s economy – now the fourth largest in the world – demonstrates the strength and contributions of immigrant labor Immigrants and their children comprise 55 percent of California’s workforce Immigrants alone account for 34 percent of the state’s population and paid $168 billion in taxes last year while generating over $400 billion in spending power Undocumented immigrants contributed $87 billion in household income and $66 billion in spending power alongside $50 billion to Social Security and $14 billion to Medicare in the wake of the destructive wildfires that devastated Los Angeles County earlier this year immigrant construction workers—who make up more than 40 percent of the workforce in California—are essential to the community’s ability to rebuild and recover immigrant workers are indispensable to our community we respectfully request answers to the following: Why weren’t local officials in Pomona notified about recent enforcement actions Which federal law enforcement entities were involved in or aware of these enforcement actions Has DHS responded to local law enforcement’s request for answers What protocols exist to coordinate with local law enforcement and elected officials before conducting large-scale enforcement actions How does DHS plan to comply with the April 29 2025 court order from the Eastern District of California barring Border Patrol agents from detaining or arresting individuals without reasonable suspicion of illegal presence Was California Department of Motor Vehicles data accessed in the case of Martin Majin-Leon What safeguards exist to prevent improper use of state data for immigration enforcement purposes What steps is DHS taking to rebuild trust with immigrant communities that have been traumatized by these events We urge your Department to review these operations carefully and to recommit to an immigration enforcement strategy that prioritizes public safety and reflects the economic realities and moral values of our nation Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter Print A U.S Customs and Border Protection raid at a Home Depot in Pomona has heightened concerns over the Trump administration’s targeting of immigrant workers and its potential to stymie rebuilding efforts after Los Angeles County’s devastating January firestorms Unmarked vehicles were the first to arrive outside the Home Depot on South Towne Avenue in Pomona around 8:30 a.m where dozens of workers had gathered outside 2025An earlier version of this report quoted people as saying the raid at a Home Depot was carried out by ICE The agency said it did not take part in the action and referred questions to the U.S An official with the Department of Homeland Security said 10 people were arrested in the enforcement action Immigration advocates had previously estimated that as many as 25 were arrested Community members previously said the raid was carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement but ICE officials said the agency did not participate in the activity and directed questions to U.S A senior Department of Homeland Security official said in a statement to The Times that agents conducted an operation Tuesday targeting an individual with an active arrest warrant nine additional illegal aliens were encountered and taken into custody Several of those apprehended had prior charges Trump proposed a sweeping crackdown on immigrants in the nation illegally when he took office Although various raids have occurred in cities across the country there have been relatively few large ones reported in Southern California The raid comes three months after historic firestorms swept through areas of Los Angeles County destroying more than 16,000 homes and setting up a historic rebuilding effort that will need extensive labor “Let’s say Trump can snap his fingers and wipe out every day laborer standing outside of Home Depot or Lowes, we’re not going to rebuild anytime soon,” said Tony Smith, a professor of political science and law at UC Irvine. “There are not enough skilled workers in the construction industry if you take out all the folks from across Latin America who are here doing it.” California U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents reportedly detained over a dozen day laborers outside a Home Depot in Pomona on Tuesday. The raid comes as Los Angeles is particularly reliant on the skills of day laborers in the wake of the Palisades and Eaton fires and targets a community of laborers who have felt safe congregating in Home Depot parking lots for decades. Immigration advocates immediately condemned the action, saying it targets law-abiding workers whose sole purpose is to earn wages to support themselves and their families. When government-marked vehicles rolled onto the lot, some laborers suspected what was about to happen and ran, said Ron Gochez, a member of the Unión del Barrio, a political organization that started the Community Self-Defense Coalition. The ICE spokesperson said in a statement that it “was not a part of the law enforcement activity in the city of Pomona, near a Home Depot. ICE does not conduct raids as part of its routine daily immigration law enforcement efforts. ICE’s enforcement resources are based on intelligence-driven leads and ICE officers do not target persons indiscriminately.” More than 24 hours later, many of the workers’ family members still have no idea where their loved ones are being held. “We have families who are now missing the main breadwinner for their home,” Gochez said. “These folks are not just working class, but really, really low income and so this puts their families in immediate danger of homelessness. It’s a clear example that demonstrates the Trump administration is lying when they talk about targeting criminals. They’re targeting people trying to look for work.” On Wednesday morning, a group of abandoned cars belonging to the workers who were detained a day earlier sat in the Home Depot parking lot. Some workers who were present during the raid but were not detained worked to contact their colleagues’ family members, but kept their eyes trained on cars entering the lot, concerned that immigration officials could return. The number of individuals who arrived outside the hardware store Wednesday in search of work was significantly fewer than usual, workers said. Juan, who did not want to give his last name because of his immigration status, has been living in the United States for 23 years and has family back in El Salvador to support. “We have to come out and work,” Juan said in Spanish. “If we are taken in, the family will be affected.” Enrique Rios, who is from Mexico, said Tuesday’s action felt more selective than raids he’s heard about in which immigration officers arrive at a location and round up everyone they can. “Immigration came and approached a specific group of people,” Rios said in Spanish. “They did not bother anyone else.” By midafternoon, it appeared that the operation — if indeed one had been launched — had not been anywhere near as widespread as many had predicted. L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis directed the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs to connect with the Pomona Day Labor Center after the raid to “ensure those impacted receive the support and resources they need,” she said in a statement. “While this remains a developing situation, I want to reaffirm my unwavering commitment to ensuring that all residents, regardless of their immigration status, are aware of and can exercise their constitutional rights,” she said. California Sen. Alex Padilla said his office is seeking answers from the Department of Homeland Security. “We know that the Trump Administration is not just targeting violent criminals, they’re going after immigrant communities indiscriminately — including targeting immigrants who contribute to our economy — and denying due process rights,” Padilla said in a statement. “Hardworking immigrant families deserve better than to live in fear.” The Pomona Police Department confirmed that an immigration action took place Tuesday, but said it had no prior knowledge of the raid and “did not collaborate with any federal agencies on their operation.” Immigrant rights groups swiftly condemned the action. Palmira Figueroa, a spokesperson for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said the actions of the federal government are not making the country any safer and aren’t aimed at removing criminals from the street. The raid shows they’re removing laborers who have families to feed, she said. The president has vowed to carry out the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, going so far as declaring a national emergency at the southern border and deploying troops. There are an estimated 11 million to 15 million immigrants without proper documentation in the U.S., including more than 2 million in California, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “We know that the Trump administration has promised to go after immigrants and they have always made this promise to their allies,” Figueroa said. “We are trying to make the call out to American citizens to protect us. To those who hire immigrants workers, if they accept our labor they must also accept our humanity.” Politics Homeland Security sent an email to a Los Angeles attorney warning: ‘Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you.’ Trump has issued executive orders limiting legal pathways for entering the U.S. bolstered efforts to seal off the U.S.-Mexico border and promoted sweeps to round up and deport people who are not authorized to be in the United States federal immigration officials have already conducted well-publicized operations in Chicago and New York Smith, the UCI professor, said he’s skeptical that the administration will be able to accomplish its deportation goals. “Primarily, the Trump administration seems to be doing things in sort of a performative way,” Smith said. “They want to make a big splash and say they did something, but they don’t really follow through frequently. There’s a big question whether they actually have the capacity or the competency, or both, to do what they want.” Angelica Salas, executive director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said immigrants without proper documentation are in the U.S. to seek a better life and do not pose any threat to their communities or the country. “It’s shameful that the Trump Administration chooses to focus its enforcement activities on men and women looking for an honest day’s work,” Salas said in a statement. “We denounce these actions as they sow fear and confusion in the community and offer no solutions to our complex immigration system, which is in need of updates.” Times staff writer Rachel Uranga contributed to this report. Clara Harter is a breaking news reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she covered politics and education for the L.A. Daily News. While at the Daily News, she published a series on fentanyl addiction that won a first-place investigative journalism award from the L.A. Press Club. Harter majored in political science and Middle Eastern studies at Columbia University. She loves surfing and, when not reporting, can most likely be found in the ocean. Nathan Solis reports on breaking news with the Fast Break team at the Los Angeles Times. Entertainment & Arts Sports Television 2025: An earlier version of this report quoted people as saying the raid at a Home Depot was carried out by ICE Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map A post shared by USA Water Polo (@usawp) Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Solo electronic performance with Salar Nader live on tabla at the James Turrell Skyspace (Map) tabla virtuoso Salar Nader is recognized as a global ambassador weaving South Asian arts into the musical traditions of his Afghanistan heritage Nader has studied under Ustad Zakir Hussain since the age of seven Miles From India; Central Asian master musicians Homayoun Sakhi and Abbos Kosimovj; and legendary Indian classical musicians including Ustad Zakir Hussain He has performed and recorded with contemporary and electronic artists including Cheb i Sabbah His discography includes “Live in San Francisco Volume I,” “The Forgotten Empress,” “In the Footsteps of Babur: Musical Encounters from the Lands of the Mughals,” and his collaborations with Grand Tapestry Salar continues his dedication to community engagement Past Related Event: Art of the Afghan Rubab and TablaWednesday © 2025 Benton Museum of Art Pomona College April 29, 2025 | dan lee Come celebrate Cal Poly Pomona Day on Saturday Students, faculty, staff and alumni can get discounted admission tickets for $14.50 for Cal Poly Pomona Day at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/32824927/cal-poly-pomona-may-11th-admission-pomona-la-county-fair-groupsspecial-promotions They are encouraged to wear their green and gold Cal Poly Pomona gear and paraphernalia The fair’s theme this year is “Art Unleashed” and will put a spotlight on all things creative, from performing arts and food to having fun. Once again, the Big Red Barn’s petting zoo will feature the Huntley College of Agriculture’s livestock It is open on Thursdays through Sundays during that period and on Memorial Day For more information on the fair, see https://www.lacountyfair.com/ CPP News is managed by the Department of Strategic Communications. A Rockland businessman who evaded nearly $274,000 in federal income taxes on personal income of $1 million that was concealed from the IRS has been sentenced to a year of supervised release and fined $10,000 pleaded guilty last October to aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns from 2017 through 2019 by diverting business income to himself Halpern specified on May 1 that eight months of the year of supervised released will be served in home confinement and permission to leave home for employment Maroff’s business income from General Home Systems Corp and Monroe Commercial Properties LLC was supposed to be reported on corporate tax returns and then transferred to his personal tax returns he directed customers and tenants to write checks to him and his wife and he underreported the business’ income Maroff has paid back the taxes and will pay a penalty and interest Sometimes he deposited checks in the wrong account On other occasions he cashed checks made out to him personally but used the money to pay vendors who preferred cash and they were not reflected in business bank records their in-person tax preparation meetings were discontinued and Maroff failed to discuss how he tracked business receipts Maroff also made a deal to sell General Home Systems Corp for $1.5 million but the buyer paid only $416,000 thus jeopardizing Maroff’s planned retirement income Merola emphasized Maroff’s strong work ethic was “incongruent with the balance of Mr Assistant prosecutors Kingdar Prussien and James McMahon recommended 12 to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $55,000 and “required countless lies and repeated acts.” Yet the sentencing memo from Maroff’s attorney “reads as though he accidentally directed customers and tenants to make checks out to him” and he “accidentally forgot to inform his tax preparer of this conduct.” He “perpetrated his crimes over and over again for more than four years in order to enrich himself.” This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access. and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday while receiving the John F CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday while receiving the John.. Trending Westchester When Livia Mayfield ’28 received an email gauging her interest in conversing with students from another college who may not share her views on topical issues I’ve been talking about these things with my friends since middle school,” she says “I thought it was a great opportunity to have these conversations in a controlled environment Mayfield wasn’t alone. Eleven of her peers also signed up for this year’s Bridging the Gap a program in its third year funded by the Senator Family Fund for Shaping Dialogue and open to all Pomona students interested in engaging in facilitated dialogue with students at Biola University with Pomona and Biola students who participated in Bridging the Gap The chances of Pomona students intersecting with Biola students is slim vice president for student affairs and dean of students “The hope is that two different populations can come together with a desire to develop and practice the skills for courageous conversations.” While she had her reservations heading into the weekend Mayfield says the Biola cohort couldn’t have been kinder the two dozen students earnestly engaged in myriad listening and storytelling activities the group watched a 2020 documentary featuring conversations about the Black Lives Matter movement All students also participated in an activity that compelled them to explain their stance on hot-button issues using personal anecdotes Mayfield says the theme of the weekend was “soft front strong back,” which encourages you “to listen and hear other people’s perspectives but also stay true to your beliefs.” “That’s how we can solve a lot of our problems—by sitting down and listening,” she says In Pomona’s ongoing quest to foster inclusive and constructive dialogue the Bridging the Gap program asks students to lower their barriers and embrace their commonalities you’re looking at two groups who agreed to participate but still have hesitancies and concerns,” she adds Part of  The Claremont Colleges Julie Nicoletta ’87 helped shape the teaching — and life — of Art History Professor George Gorse where she spent the remainder of her career — becoming a full professor in 2007 Nicoletta’s legacy will continue to inspire generations of Pomona students to pursue transformative experiential opportunities — just as she did After 45 years of teaching at Pomona College has seen hundreds of exceptional students come through his classroom But there is one student who left Gorse forever changed: Julie Nicoletta ’87 and with a shared interest in architecture and art Nicoletta assisted Gorse with many projects including organizing architectural site visits for incoming first-years This set the stage for a special bond that endured until Nicoletta passed away on Aug Now, Gorse and his wife, Naomi Sawelson, are honoring this connection by endowing a fund in Nicoletta’s name — a tribute in memory of a student whose impact shaped both his teaching and his life. The named fund will empower art history majors to pursue transformative experiential opportunities and conduct original research across the globe — experiences that were pivotal in Nicoletta’s own life “and my biggest hope is that students will draw inspiration from her remarkable life Faculty-student relationships like Gorse and Nicoletta’s are at the heart of a Pomona education and exemplify the College’s commitment to mentorship and lifelong learning Pomona provides a personalized approach to learning and research strengthening lasting relationships that inspire academic growth foster community and benefit future generations of Sagehens “George and Naomi’s special tribute to Julie reflects the enduring connections that are a hallmark of Pomona,” says Acting President Robert R “I am touched that they have honored Julie in this way and that her legacy will provide such meaningful opportunities for future students.” Nicoletta’s family adds: “We remain incredibly proud of her legacy and are deeply honored that she will continue to live on at the school she so dearly loved.” Nicoletta pursued advanced studies in art history at Yale University She briefly worked as an architectural historian at the State Historic Preservation Office in Nevada before moving to Washington The couple taught at the University of Washington and Nicoletta spent the remainder of her career at UW Tacoma Described by her family as a seeker of knowledge and a born teacher “The Architecture of the Shakers” and “The Buildings of Nevada,” as well as numerous articles Gorse and Nicoletta remained friends through it all and he never tired of watching his favorite student become a star in the field “Julie became a model for me and someone I looked up to It was humbling to know that I was a part of the very beginning of her amazing career,” Gorse says Nicoletta was diagnosed with lung cancer that metastasized to her spine While undergoing multiple cancer treatments but when those treatments stopped working in 2023 Nicoletta maintained the same determined spirit she had when he first met her as a student “Julie faced the end of her life as bravely as she lived it,” he says “We hope that the Nicoletta fund will ensure that her passion for art history and architectural studies continues to shape the lives of future scholars.” To support the Julie Nicoletta ’87 Endowed Memorial Fund for Art History & Architectural Studies and make a gift in her honor, please visit our website 2025 Alumni Distinguished Service Award recipient is being honored for inspiring his classmates to stay connected with Pomona and each other A former member of the Pomona College Orchestra Singing in the Pomona College Choir and Glee Club as a student holds fond memories for Rabold Watch our video featuring the 2025 Alumni Award honorees who were recognized for their exceptional achievements and outstanding service to Pomona College Some might call John Rabold ’75 a class whisperer That’s because he’s been mobilizing his fellow Class of 1975 members for alumni events reunions and virtually all things Pomona College From managing their alumni online community to encouraging classmates to participate in events Rabold regularly "chirps" to classmates about staying connected with Pomona and each other Rabold has served as a 1975 Class Reunion Committee member for many years He has also been instrumental in fundraising for class gifts The longtime volunteer and Sagehen messenger is now being honored for his devotion to Pomona with the Alumni Distinguished Service Award from the Alumni Association Board this year this award recognizes alumni for their selfless commitment and ongoing volunteer service to the College “No other member of the Class of 1975 has had as much online presence and outreach to ensure awareness and attendance at upcoming alumni events and general Pomona membership,” says Doug Wilcoxen ’75 “John deserves a lot of credit for the degree of participation of our class in alumni activities.” Former Alumni Association Board President Anne Thacher ’75 adds: “John honors his class with his determination to make our reunion years special.” Rabold never anticipated public recognition for his efforts to strengthen his classmates’ bonds to one another and the College “I am surprised and flattered that my contributions to Pomona College and to the alumni experience which have been small and largely behind the scenes have been noticed and appreciated,” Rabold says At Pomona, Rabold found himself in a much wider world than he had known growing up with parents who did not attend college. He says he was influenced by the wisdom and enthusiasm of faculty, including James Armantage, former professor of religion, and the late Martha Andresen with whom he fondly remembers discussing John Milton in class He also says he admired his fellow students’ ambition and valued learning from their intelligence Rabold played in the Pomona College Orchestra and sang in the Pomona College Choir and Glee Club He also gave campus tours to prospective students After graduating from Pomona with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts Rabold earned his MBA in finance and accounting from UCLA He worked in corporate finance in the Los Angeles area eventually focusing on evaluating and monitoring retirement fund investments and later provided business-to-business services in investment management Rabold left the finance industry and began volunteering with several nonprofit organizations He also served on an advisory board of the Thacher School’s Summer Science Program a small astrophysics program for high school students co-founded by Paul Routly who was then a physics and astronomy professor at Pomona Rabold later helped create Summer Science Program a nonprofit which extended the life of the program The science program now operates on multiple campuses and offers several different tracks Rabold continues to find it rewarding to volunteer for nonprofit organizations “I’m motivated to stay involved with Pomona College,” he says “because of its mission and the broad educational enrichment we received as students which we are obligated to use to make the world a better place.” Visit our website to read more about the 2025 Alumni Award honorees Priya Amritraj ’15 is the 2025 Inspirational Young Alumni Award recipient and will be honored during Alumni Weekend In addition to playing on the Pomona-Pitzer Women’s Tennis team Amritraj also joined the Claremont Entertainment Mafia where her passion for storytelling flourished Amritraj could not have imagined that an immersive independent study project would help serve as the genesis of her current work Amritraj​ is committed to bringing more global stories to cinematic life and exploring themes that have a bearing on the world Pomona College was more than a place of learning — it helped shape her voice as a storyteller and creator of global stories that matter she could not have imagined that an immersive independent study project would help serve as the genesis of her current work Amritraj brings to life female-centered stories and showcases diverse cultural experiences as the Head of Film and Television at Hyde Park Entertainment Group one of Hollywood’s premier independent entertainment companies Amritraj is being recognized as the 2025 Inspirational Young Alumni honoree an award given by the Alumni Association to Sagehens who have graduated in the last decade and who show dedication “My time at Pomona was really one of the most special experiences in my life and it shaped how I view the world around me,” she says Amritraj’s career journey has been marked by a passion for storytelling that centers culturally rich narratives — an ethos she aims to bring to every project After beginning her career at Participant Media she joined Hyde Park eight years ago and now oversees the creative development and production of a diverse portfolio of projects with a focus on global stories and cross-cultural collaborations Amritraj says she recalls how Pomona allowed her to explore different areas and perspectives “I have carried this outlook with me throughout my career striving to pursue each project with an investigatory spirit and open mind,” Amritraj says Amritraj says some of her academic experiences were particularly formative to her career which focused on analyzing Japanese cinema and photography as well as practical production gave her the opportunity to explore areas she was deeply curious about a visiting assistant professor of media studies at Pomona says he immediately noticed Amritraj’s highly developed critical and analytical approach to film and media in their first class together But he says he best remembers “her humility and genuine enthusiasm for film Though Amritraj graduated with a bachelor’s degree in media studies Pomona provided far more than academic enrichment Aside from playing on the Pomona-Pitzer Women’s Tennis team she also joined the Claremont Entertainment Mafia One of her most cherished memories was her Orientation Adventure trip to Yosemite National Park which she says helped forge lifelong friendships “It’s experiences like these that help Pomona students grow beyond the classroom,” she says that growth led her beyond the College Gates to soundstages and studios in Los Angeles where she is committed to bringing more global stories to cinematic life and exploring themes that have a bearing on the world She is also passionate about her current work at Hyde Park which includes “The Joy Luck Club 2,” a sequel to the 1993 movie that explored relationships between Chinese-American women and their mothers and “Hip Hop Cop,” an adaptation of the sequel memoir novel to BlacKkKlansman “Every project is a different puzzle that requires creative thinking problem-solving and empathetic collaboration — foundational skills that I got from Pomona,” she says Visit our website to read more about the 2025 Alumni Award honorees Pomona College is offering admission today to a new generation of eager The admitted Class of 2029 is expected to be one of the most academically accomplished to date and is poised to bring their unique talents and perspectives to Pomona next fall The Office of Admissions released decisions at 5 p.m The 861 admitted students were selected from the largest applicant pool in the College’s history one Downing Scholar was admitted to Pomona on a one-year program from Downing College in Cambridge “It is a privilege to be able to offer admission to such an exceptionally talented group of students,” says Jonathan B vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid “Reading the applications of these remarkable students has been a true honor We are excited to see the distinctive paths they will forge at Pomona and the lasting impact they will have on our community and beyond We can’t wait to welcome them to the flock.” One of the new Sagehens joining Pomona next fall is Yonten Gyatso from East Amherst, New York. Gyatso’s personality shone through his application as he shared the cultural importance of his name meaning “ocean of wisdom” in Tibetan. Gyatso plans to pursue a prehealth track and major in biology the College admitted 48 transfer students who selected 25 different first-choice majors Twenty-one of the admitted transfer students are first-generation-to-college 73% are transferring from a community college with 54% of those admitted transferring from a community college in California They were admitted from 11 states and one country outside the U.S The newly admitted transfer cohort has associations with a range of community-based organizations including the Kaplan Leadership Program and Transfer Scholars Network Nine military veterans were admitted through the transfer process Five of these admitted military veterans are affiliated with Service to School (S2S) and one with the Warrior Scholar Project and the admitted veterans represent four branches of the U.S While responses from the applicants admitted through the regular decision round are not due back to Pomona until May 1 the outline of the Class of 2029 can already be seen through the broad statistical profile of those offered admission First-generation college students—meaning neither parent has a four-year college degree—make up 27% of those admitted to the Class of 2029—a new record for Pomona College Class of 2029 admits identified a broad range of academic interests with 22% indicating their first choice major in the humanities 23% in the social sciences and 6% undecided about their field of study demonstrating exceptional academic achievement Students were admitted to the Class of 2029 from 711 high schools from across the U.S Fifty-eight percent of the admitted students attend a public school Admitted students represent 48 states (as well as the District of Columbia states where admitted students come from are California Continuing a trend of international growth Pomona admitted students from 45 foreign countries The top five countries represented by the admitted students are China International students make up 16% of the class Hailing from Tokyo, Ryosuke Oki plans to pursue an interdisciplinary approach to the arts this fall by majoring in media studies and economics Oki aims to hone his storytelling skills and ultimately serve as an ambassador for the arts and Japanese culture “My dream is to become a movie director in Japan,” Oki says “Pomona is the best place for me to obtain practical skills in filmmaking while also acquiring knowledge of business and management.” more than 100 students admitted to Pomona reported working with a community-based organization we welcome a new generation of Sagehens who embody these very qualities,” says Williams ‘They only are loyal to this college who departing bear their added riches in trust for mankind.’ We eagerly await your arrival to our vibrant community and look forward to seeing your contributions to our shared journey of learning and service.” Pomona College awaits the final decisions of its admitted students who must submit their enrollment and deposits through the secure online portals by May 1 This deadline will determine the final composition of the highly anticipated Class of 2029 a strategic communications leader with extensive experience in the arts and higher education will join Pomona College as chief communications officer starting May 12 A creative strategist and Emmy-winning producer Laidlaw has led transformative initiatives to expand the reach influence and impact of creative education and enterprise she served as chief marketing & communications officer for the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston where she drove efforts to produce one of the highest-grossing seasons in the organization’s history and served as a key architect of its current strategic plan Her work unified the festival’s visual identity elevated brand messaging and expanded visibility through strategic partnerships and a comprehensive communications overhaul an institution with a rich tradition of academic excellence and creative inquiry,” says Laidlaw “I look forward to partnering with colleagues across campus to amplify Pomona’s remarkable stories and advance the College’s mission we will demonstrate the power of the liberal arts to develop critical thinking unlock creative capacity and inspire meaningful change.” Reporting to Acting President Robert Gaines this spring Laidlaw will be a key member of the College’s executive staff leadership team contributing to strategic and collaborative decision making Among her priorities will be aligning the College’s institutional voice and messaging internal communications as well as crisis and issues management She will be the lead for the College’s award-winning Office of Communications team “We’re thrilled to welcome Katharine to our Pomona community,” says Gaines creativity and vision to champion Pomona’s institutional voice Laidlaw served as the vice president for strategic communications and engagement at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan one of the nation’s leading arts education and performing institutions dedicated to the development of young artists she led the development of a new brand strategy award-winning institutional website and digital advertising campaign that sparked a dramatic rise in inquiries and applications significantly boosted enrollment and expanded student diversity She also served on the executive team that helped steward the institution through the pandemic and launch its virtual education platform Interlochen Online in response she was the inaugural chief marketing officer at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) where she spearheaded a multi-award-winning rebranding and recruitment strategy that drove significant gains in applications as well as UNCSA’s precipitous rise in industry rankings and media coverage She also led creative development for UNCSA’s most successful comprehensive campaign and the re-envisioned alumni magazine Scene in English from Davidson College and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill Running a Pomona Event you want us to know about? Submit an Event Shark Mutulili ’25, a public policy analysis major with a politics focus The Rhodes Scholarship is awarded to about 100 students each year 32 from the United States and the rest from countries across the world was one of two students awarded the Rhodes Scholarship for Kenya She is the 13th Rhodes Scholar in Pomona College’s history and the second woman at Pomona to win the award The College’s last Rhodes Scholar was Peter Chiarelli ’03 “I am incredibly blessed to win the award,” says Mutulili covers all expenses to study at the University of Oxford for two or more years Mutulili plans to pursue a Master of Public Policy at Oxford “The UK’s public policy programs are quite global and international,” she says as she looks to utilize her graduate training back home in Kenya long term Her ultimate hope is to “shape better systems to see the dignity in every human being,” she says When Mutulili learned she was one of ten finalists for the Kenya award, she had to quickly make travel arrangements to fly to Kenya in under a week for the final interview. She is grateful to Pomona’s Office of the President for providing the funds for her travel “Shark stands out at Pomona for her joyous spirit and her thoughtful and caring engagement across differences “We at Pomona are so proud of her and thrilled for her to take advantage of these new opportunities at Oxford.” Mutulili has been “privileged to learn from classrooms experiences and discussions that have shaped the way that I see the world,” she says Her current senior thesis focuses on comprehensive sex education to prevent gender-based violence against adolescent girls and women in Kenya traditions and practices as well as colonial histories of education to understand how gender biases and power imbalances affect the policies that are created One of the criteria for the Rhodes Scholarship is “moral force of character and instincts to lead and to take an interest in your fellow human beings.” As a recently announced Napier Initiative Fellow Mutulili will continue her work to improve living conditions for children and mothers in two rural prisons in Kenya providing for immediate needs such as baby food diapers and cots as well as working towards long-term goals like improving sanitation providing water tanks and creating childcare spaces Mutulili has served as Pomona’s senior class president leading committees to improve student life and foster community on campus “I wanted to serve and to understand the way people think the things that bring them joy and the challenges they’ve gone through,” she says “I’ve tried my best for this to be a senior year worth remembering.” After learning she was a Rhodes Scholar finalist, Mutulili shared the news with her academic advisor David Menefee-Libey Johnson Professor of Government and professor of politics She was nervous about sharing the news with very many people as someone who has supported her significantly at Pomona I learn about yet another amazing thing she’s been in the middle of,” says Menefee-Libey “And through all that she remains a kind and joyful person April 24, 2025 | cynthia peters Cal Poly Pomona is named an Opportunity College and University – Higher Access, Higher Earnings in the new Student Access and Earnings Carnegie Classification published this month by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education.  highlights how well universities help students succeed and graduate to higher earnings than graduates at similar colleges The data also looks at whether students reflect the local community and compares graduate earnings to peers in their area the classification used undergraduate post-attendance earnings as reported by College Scorecard which partners with the IRS to provide earnings data colleges and universities that are in the Student Access and Earnings Classification were identified as Opportunity Colleges and Universities 15 universities were listed in the “higher access In other recent rankings Cal Poly Pomona has been recognized as one of the top public universities in the West (U.S among the best colleges in America (The Wall Street Journal) and a “best bang for the buck” (Washington Monthly) CPP is also the most diverse polytechnic university in the nation Oxtoby will address graduates at Pomona College’s 2025 Commencement ceremony to be held Sunday on Marston Quad on the Pomona College campus The four speakers come from distinguished careers in medicine The College will bestow an honorary degree on each of them during the event Graduation weekend events begin on Friday, May 16. Information is available at Pomona’s Commencement website Benton Boone earned a medical degree at Meharry Medical College and a master’s degree in immunology at the University of Minnesota where he also completed a residency program in ophthalmology he served in Germany as a battalion surgeon and dispensary commander Board certified in ophthalmology and licensed to practice medicine in multiple states Boone held faculty positions at UCLA and the University of California The UCLA Department of Ophthalmology presented him with its Senior Honor Teaching Award and his research has covered topics such as advancements in eye surgery and immunology in ophthalmology Certified in the supervision of hyperbaric oxygen therapy he helped to pioneer the use of hyperbaric oxygen in eye disease Boone served as interim president and as chair of the board He is a medical expert for the Social Security Administration Louise Bryson’s career has been focused on media and the arts She was a documentary film writer and producer for public television and moved into the growing business of cable television She was later senior vice president of FX networks and then president of distribution for Lifetime Networks In both roles she was involved in negotiating major agreements with all U.S Bryson became a member of the Board of Trustees of The J serving as chair of the board from 2006-10 She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010 and was a member of its board from 2015-23 Bryson was chair of the board of PBS SoCal from 2020-23 and was a trustee of the Public Policy Institute of California She serves on the board of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts the Board of Governors at the Huntington Library and the Trustees’ Council for the National Gallery of Art Justice Halim Dhanidina (ret.) is an arbitrator and mediator at Signature Resolution in Los Angeles Previously he was a litigator in criminal investigations and trials He holds a law degree from the UCLA School of Law which listed him among its 75 distinguished alumni for its 75th anniversary Dhanidina founded the Muslim Students Association and received the Senior Service Award Appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court he was the first Muslim judge in California history When he became an associate justice in the Second District of the California he became the first South Asian American appellate justice in California and the first Muslim appellate level judge in the U.S Dhanidina is a board member for the Public Law Center the Orange County School of the Arts and the Beverly Hills Bar Association He serves on advisory boards for the South Asian Bar Association Asian Americans Advancing Justice and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association He serves as an independent director on the board of Fidelity National Financial Oxtoby served as the ninth president of Pomona College from 2003-17 he became president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019 transitioning to emeritus president in 2024 After earning his doctorate in chemistry at the University of California Oxtoby began his career in higher education leadership at the University of Chicago He was dean of the Division of Physical Sciences there and the William Rainey Harper Distinguished Service Professor of Chemistry Oxtoby is a recognized leader in American higher education environmental sustainability and creativity in the liberal arts environment He served on and chaired the board of the American Association of Colleges and Universities He has received fellowships from the Sloan Oxtoby is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science Oxtoby is a trustee of Smith College and former trustee at Bryn Mawr College He was an overseer at his undergraduate alma mater He currently serves as a trustee of the Field Museum in Chicago Welcome to the Pomona College Class of ’29 We congratulate you on your accomplishments and stand amazed at how much talent and thoughtfulness is embodied in the class.  you'll find plenty of opportunities to connect and your incredible fellow admitted peers.  We warmly invite you to register to visit campus any day your schedule allows and/or register for Admitted Students Day to connect with the Pomona community. Curious to see what the day will look like? View the schedule for a sneak peek of the festivities Those who cannot come to campus are encouraged to meet us virtually where we will be hosting weekly webinars—both for parents/guardians/families and for students Register for Admitted Students Day  staff and faculty highlight different opportunities at Pomona Recordings of sessions will be posted on this page within 5-7 days after the event Admitted students and parents/guardians/families are invited to join for a few minutes or the entire session and current Pomona students who can share more about their experiences and answer your questions They'll be hosting conversations about academics first-generation/low income resources and support View webinar recording Current parents/families of Pomona students will be ready to share about the resources they tapped into at Pomona to identify career paths and find jobs or success in graduate or professional school Current Pomona students are excited to share with you what it's like to be on campus: from life in the residence and dining halls to finding the best study spots or bring ALL your questions about student life on campus Financial aid likely plays a significant role in your college choice and many questions may come up as you are making your final decision of where to enroll Whether you're a student navigating the process or a parent seeking clarity this financial aid session is designed to provide insights into the financial aid process View webinar recording What's the academic experience like at Pomona Join us for an overview of the liberal arts experience in addition to academic support and resources at the college you'll also learn about what student-faculty mentorship and advising looks like at Pomona View webinar recording  Most Pomona students do research with faculty and experience more than one internship during their college years (Short answer: yes!) Hear more about research internships opportunities with staff members from the Career Development Office (CDO) and learn more about how Pomona students leverage their resources after graduation to reach their goals View Webinar recording We’d love for you to join us for a special admitted students session where you can learn more about life at The Claremont Colleges This is a great chance to ask questions and get a feel for what it’s really like to be a student here The first year at Pomona is full of new experiences Learn more about some of the special experiences of our students as they reflect on their years at Pomona Pomona is a great place to make new lifelong friends Making the decision to commit to a new college can be challenging As you weigh your options for transfer enrollment we want to ensure you have the answers and tools you need to make your decision Transfer Coordinator Paola Franco will be leading this live Q&A specifically for admitted transfer students Feel free to join us to ask questions about transfer credits We love our SoCal location: the city of L.A. mountains and deserts are all within an hour of campus Whether you love live music or rock climbing anyone?) and what our Sagehens (current Pomona students) really do on the weekends Current Pomona students reflect on what they wish they had considered and the advice they wish they had received when making their college decision Learn more about some of the special experiences of our students as they reflect on their first year at Pomona Register for What I Wish I Knew When Making My College Decision Admissions Officers will be available to answer your last-minute questions Register for Last Minute Q&A with Admissions Join us for Admitted Students Day, on Monday, April 14, 2025 as we welcome newly admitted students and families to campus for a day of exploration and celebration. Check out the schedule You and your family/guests can tour our campus and learn more about the resources available to you at Pomona and in Claremont Register for Admitted Students Day While ASD doesn't officially kick off until 8:30 A.M. Just come directly to our Information Tent at Smith Campus Center a drawstring bag and food throughout the day so we recommend bringing a smartphone for check-in and a reusable water bottle to refill throughout the day On-campus accommodation is not available, so we encourage you to make alternate arrangements as soon as possible While extra guests are welcome to explore beautiful Claremont and the seven campuses we are not able to accommodate more than two guests for ASD-specific meals and programming Just a short walk away from campus is the Village which has a five-screen movie theater and more than 150 shops cafes and restaurants that offer everything from Italian and Thai food to hamburgers and vegan fare the California Botanic Garden is just north of Foothill Blvd and within 50 miles of the campus lies all that Southern California has to offer—from academic and cultural centers Please reach out directly to admissions@pomona.edu with any questions Text: +1-909-330-4747 (M-F, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. PDT)Admissions Officein@pomona.edu Call: +1-909-621-8205 (M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. PDT)Financial Aid Officefinancial.aid@pomona.edu Student AffairsCall: +1-909-621-8017 (M-F, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PDT)studentaffairs@pomona.edu or orientation@pomona.edu Housing Residence LifeCall: +1-909-607-2239housing@pomona.edu Adaly Reyes Martinez, Director of Accessibility ServicesAccessibilityCall: +1-909-621-8017disability@pomona.edu McAlister Center (serves The Claremont Colleges) Call: +1-909-621-8685chaplains@cuc.claremont.edu  Email Chaplains, Catholic ChaplaincyEmail Rev. Dr. Joel Daniels, Protestant ChaplainEmail Rabbi Danny Lutz, Jewish ChaplainEmail Imam Dr. Hadi Qazwini an entrepreneur and an engineering PhD student.  Los Angeles—​a location to love for (at least) four years (oldest hall on South Campus): a friendship suite (North Campus): 4-year residents reminisce (North Campus): turning your room into a shrine to your home state introduces you to some hoodie entrepreneurs goes to classes at several of the 5Cs (Claremont Colleges) Bring your lab coat and your dancing shoes Pakistan and Thailand share their experiences Where else can you ski in the morning and body surf in the afternoon?​ "It's nothing short of amazing" (and two hours from campus) study abroad—​figuring out what's important to you Join us on-campus for an information session and campus tour Register here Request Information Tom and Patty Pollard ’64 P’95 want to ensure Pomona students have worry-free access to summer research opportunities SURP students present posters of their summer research findings at Pomona's Intensive Summer Experience Symposium SURP students work as research assistants on Pomona faculty research programs or on independent projects under faculty mentorship For Tom and Patty Pollard ’64 P’95, conducting research as Pomona College students laid the foundation for their successful careers — Tom as a research scientist and Patty as a leader in non-partisan politics. Now, it’s the inspiration behind their $1 million legacy gift to support the College’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Tom spent three of his summers conducting scientific research off campus The research Tom conducted during the summer before his senior year made a profound impact on his life framing the questions he has investigated throughout his career Patty, who studied government at Pomona, says her experiences with two professors sparked her interest in non-partisan political advocacy work. She took a course taught by Lee McDonald ’48 former dean of the College and professor emeritus who was active in local government and encouraged his students to help register voters with guiding her senior thesis on international politics SURP research projects provide hands-on experience inside and outside of the lab “Undergraduate research is a testing ground,” says Tom Pollard cellular and developmental biology at Yale University and a research associate at UC Berkeley “You may think you want to be a social scientist or biologist or chemist The Pollards’ generosity will ultimately establish a fund to support SURP and other student research programs in perpetuity An additional $25,000 gift from the couple will provide immediate support for SURP students “Summer research programs are ideal for students to explore and learn without the classes and other activities that keep them busy during the academic year,” says Tom “These opportunities need to be available for all students without financial worry.” Support for SURP is essential to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in summer research underscoring the College’s steadfast commitment to equity and access About half of all Pomona students participate in faculty-mentored research and in 2024 a total of 195 students received more than $1 million in grant funding through SURP Faculty-mentored student research is a key experiential learning opportunity for students to explore career and graduate school interests or begin their senior thesis SURP offers students the chance to work closely with a professor as a research assistant or to develop their own project “My sincerest gratitude to Tom and Patty Pollard for their transformative gift and steadfast belief in the importance of student research opportunities at the College,” says Pomona College Acting President Robert Gaines “Their generosity upholds the Pomona standard of excellence and fosters invaluable experiential learning and self-discovery for Sagehens now and in the future.” Patty and Tom Pollard married in 1964 during the middle of their senior year which Tom says is the most important thing they did together at Pomona The Pollards’ gift continues the family’s history of supporting Pomona students established an endowed scholarship fund at Pomona in 1981 to honor his wife two more generations of their family attended Pomona like her grandmother more than five decades earlier James and Katherine all became professional scientists Patty describes her experience at Pomona as a “confidence booster.” Following graduation Patty taught high school and later preschool She served as president of Maryland’s League of Women Voters and founded a statewide advocacy group to support Maryland public schools Patty also assisted classmate and former Pomona College Trustee Robert Price ’64 with his philanthropic work to improve education in San Diego public schools serving students from low-income families She organized courses in English as a Second Language for parents and trained them to volunteer in the classroom Tom continued summer research at Harvard Medical School where he started using biochemical biophysical and computational analysis to learn how cells move and divide in two He has been honored for his discoveries with the E.B the American Society for Cell Biology’s highest honor the Canada Gairdner Award and an honorary doctorate from Pomona in 2005 Tom chaired academic departments at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Yale and also served as president of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies “Pomona College got me out to the frontier of research and I kept on doing that for the rest of my life,” says Tom “We’re very happy to help strengthen the Summer Undergraduate Research Program and create research opportunities for Pomona students for generations to come.” Learn how you can leave a legacy gift to Pomona or make a taxwise gift using your retirement account by visiting our website or emailing our legacy gift team Two decades ago, ASPC Senate President Sarah Kuriakose ’07 approached the Pomona College Volunteer Center—now known as the Draper Center for Community Partnerships—with an idea: A weeklong trip during Spring Break where students could effect change in other communities Draper Center staffers and student coordinators planned trips to Oakland San Diego and San Francisco to serve and explore about two dozen students volunteered with myriad organizations addressing issues of great importance The three lead coordinators share their AlternaBreak experiences While in Oakland on the AlternaBreak trip coordinated in collaboration with the Office of Black Student Affairs Se’maj Griffin ’26 and her cohort made a point of only patronizing locally owned businesses As the Black population in Oakland decreases the group sought places keeping the city’s cultural identity alive “By being so particular about where we spent our time and also our dollar we were able to engage more authentically with the community,” Griffin adds “And people were a lot more open to having conversations with us In scheduling stops at civic institutions and nonprofit headquarters, Griffin, an environmental analysis and sociology double major from West Palm Beach curated a trip to engage with changemakers in City Hall offices and on the ground The group toured an affordable housing complex for seniors and gardened with People’s Program a Black-led organization dedicated to empowering Oakland communities through grassroots work The cohort also helped the nonprofits CityTeam and Community Kitchens prep more than 550 meals for low-income residents Pomona students helped nonprofits prep more than 550 meals for low-income residents in Oakland The Oakland AlternaBreak cohort stopped at In the Groove Studios to check out a local institution Griffin crafted a flexible itinerary and encouraged others to lead the cultural activities they felt passionate about Giving everyone a say in where the group went “made the trip more personal and engaging,” Griffin says “and everybody was smiling throughout the experience We had a lot of great service opportunities in different areas … and seeing people enjoy themselves and build community cohesion was the most rewarding thing.” Griffin and her peers discussed the ideas they saw in action and drew parallels to their personal missions and goals The cohort bonded during these in-between moments “It was nice to have the opportunity to make friends again It was nice to be in a summer camp situation where you’re finding out what people like to do and what experiences they’ve had.” “Now I have a lot of newer friends that I didn’t think I would have this late in my college career.” At the end of her AlternaBreak cohort’s first day in San Diego Stephanie Granobles ’27 began uploading photos of the day’s activities to Instagram “Our brown skin looks so fire!” Granobles recalls a peer saying in response to a picture taken while the group canvassed Barrio Logan As coordinator of the AlternaBreak planned in collaboration with Chicano Latino Student Affairs Granobles found beauty not only in the remark “Having pride in your identity in a society that oftentimes tries to homogenize us or tell us that we’re all the same is a very strong form of resistance—at an individual level and to the people around you,” she says Granobles, a politics and sociology double major by way of Chicago wanted the CLSA AlternaBreak to emphasize the intersectionality of community empowerment and community engagement Pomona students attended a workshop on dignity and human rights while on AlternaBreak in San Diego The San Diego AlternaBreak cohort canvassed Barrio Logan Her CLSA cohort attended the Latinx Film Festival; a workshop on dignity and human rights led by Alliance San Diego; and a talk at Centro Cultural de la Raza about the banning of el cortito—a tool once used by farmworkers that caused debilitating pain—led by the lawyer who won the case a nonprofit that delivers literacy materials to underserved communities “There are so many highs and lows to working for your community and for marginalized people,” Granobles says “You go to events and learn from people who have had so much success and it’s invigorating But you also find spaces to do tasks that may feel distant from a goal but ultimately are fractional changes that will build on top of each other.” Granobles was intentional about reserving time between outings for her peers to be vulnerable in spaces of comfort and safety “is so powerful for forming ideas and understanding our shared experiences We were so fortunate to have such incredible passionate and engaged students on our trip.” Before Joanna Lam ’27 and her AlternaBreak cohort started volunteering with San Francisco-based Compass Family Services the nonprofit’s corporate relations manager explained the barriers they face in assisting families experiencing generational homelessness While always in pursuit of city funding to fulfill their mission the government data doesn’t reflect the populations they serve so the city doesn’t acknowledge that whole families live without shelter “made me even more passionate about working at the intersection of data science and public policy I want to produce data that accurately captures people’s lived realities I hope to bring attention to issues that are often overlooked by the government.” As coordinator of the AlternaBreak trip to San Francisco Lam centered her cohort’s service projects around housing and food insecurity—issues better understood practically than abstractly The San Francisco AlternaBreak cohort helped pack boxes of groceries for families in need Pomona students helped Compass Family Services pack bags of toiletries for families in need The group examined the specificities of issues facing the area by collaborating with nonprofits Larkin Street Youth Services Project Open Hand and Compass Family Services Lam and her peers learned the history of San Francisco’s Chinatown during a walking tour and they sat in on the Housing Authority of the City and County of San Francisco’s monthly Development “As a public policy analysis major,” she says “witnessing how nonprofits work in tandem to serve the community and operate within the constraints of city laws was valuable.” the Golden Gate Bridge and the California Academy of Sciences Lam and her peers bonded over their passion for community service “This experience only made me more dedicated to a career in public service,” Lam says “I want to make sure what I learn [at Pomona] is not only theoretical but can also be applied to real world situations.” Pomona-Pitzer baseball players jump for joy as they opened this season with a doubleheader win against East Texas Baptist Hear from our Sagehen athletes about the power of Pomona philanthropy Pomona-Pitzer women's basketball team erupts in cheers as they advance to the 2025 SCIAC tournament semifinals Pomona-Pitzer women's soccer team celebrates their victory in the NCAA match-up against UC Santa Cruz Pomona-Pitzer football team is all smiles after capturing the 2024 SCIAC Championship As Pomona College gets ready to celebrate Sagehen Athletics Giving Day on Thursday we asked some of our student-athletes to share how our athletics program bolstered by the Pomona community’s generosity helps provide them with an unmatched college experience in competition Cookson '25 takes a shot against a CMS rival on home court Joe Cookson is no stranger to shining on the court and in the classroom. Cookson, a mathematics major competed in NCAA tournaments his freshman and sophomore year but regardless of that achievement he remains grounded: “I have learned to value the process over the results and Pomona has provided the space for all student-athletes to grow and develop in pursuit of athletic excellence.”  Cookson says the impact of giving to the Sagehen Athletics program goes beyond facility upgrades adding that “(philanthropic support) elevates the athletics community by creating environments where all students can not only train but also come together to support and watch their peers compete.” Drais '26 and her teammates find joy in showing up for one another.  Whether it’s Rivalry Day or just a normal practice “I have never been a part of a group of such driven and positive individuals,” she says “It inspires me to show up as my best every day.” This seems to be a common value her team shares and presents in many ways including singing and dancing parties in the locker room after a game — win or lose Drais shares that opportunities to travel to play opponents have completely changed her NCAA Division III experience which wouldn’t be possible without additional donor support.  Drais and her team spend hours training in the CARW and while the weight room is one of her favorite places in the facility “The greatest part of the CARW is the mural of former Pomona-Pitzer athletes — it’s a reminder of the history here Gough '25 keeps her game face on as the lacrosse team remains unstoppable this season.  is set to graduate this year and is grateful that the athletics program has become her home away from home She says it’s rare to be part of an athletic community that cares about students’ personal development “The program really focuses on the holistic experience of the student-athlete I don’t believe I would be the leader and teammate I am today without having learned compassion empathy and community from my teammates and coaches alike,” Gough says.  Gough credits the experiences of training and travel for their first top 10 national ranking in the program’s history competition and recovery that the College provides make us feel like we are taken seriously and appreciated.” Ng '25 and his teammate celebrate their doubleheader victory against East Texas Baptist.  After almost four years as a Sagehen athlete JC Ng says that nothing compares to the student-athlete experience that Sagehens get at Pomona College “I think Pomona-Pitzer’s commitment to holistic athletic development is why our teams are seeing so much success.” A recent milestone for the baseball team was last year’s opening series against East Texas Baptist University in Marshall Ng says beating a nationally ranked team on their home field has been his “favorite memory by far.” He says his teammates have experienced the benefits from the performance center training rooms and the use of technology on the field firsthand “I could not have asked for more from a collegiate athletics program,” Ng says Join us on Sagehen Athletics Giving Day by making a gift to one of our 21 varsity teams you are investing in the success and well-being of our student-athletes providing them with the tools they need to compete and succeed at the highest levels Transfer students often face the complexities of adjusting to different academic structures navigating unfamiliar social networks and finding their place in a new community Pomona College helps these nontraditional students navigate these complexities and pursue their academic and career goals “Transfer students are a vital part of the Pomona College community, bringing diverse experiences and perspectives that enrich campus life,” says Assistant Dean of Students Francine Bonneville who works with transfer students and serves as the junior class dean Huh says Bonneville, the cohort of transfer students, and student organizations such as the Asian American Mentor Program have helped him find community and overcome challenges you’re going to have less time than most of the student body here but Pomona does a good job of giving transfers a shared experience,” says Huh “Despite the challenges of adapting to a new environment transfer students consistently demonstrate exceptional resilience motivation and engagement,” says Bonneville “Their readiness to immerse themselves and find their place within Pomona’s vibrant community is a testament to their determination and impact.” Pomona College provides support to help transfer students get the most out of their academic and social experience on campus Transfer students participate in a weeklong orientation with workshops tailored to their needs they receive ongoing outreach and opportunities to build community including events such as “Coffee and Donuts with the Dean” and National Transfer Week celebrations my goal is to ensure transfer students feel supported connected and equipped to thrive at Pomona College,” says Bonneville She says she enjoys the breadth of academic experiences available to her especially those that take her beyond the classroom walls including the wide range of classes that are available and the amazing professors and relationships that have come with that,” Fisher says “You learn throughout the semesters in traditional classrooms and then you can go abroad and be in the field and experience how these things work.” Huh also appreciates the residential aspect of Pomona, noting how different it is from a commuter campus. “The thing I enjoy the most at Pomona is getting to talk with people in class, walk back to the dorm and get lunch, and go to a club together,” he says. He says his residence hall, Smiley Hall, is close to everything, and he especially likes that it’s next door to the campus gym “I really like Pomona because I don’t think there was any other school out there where I would have been able to acclimate so well being a nontraditional student and having gaps in my education,” says Huh “There are so many resources here that it’s been an easy transition.” An avalanche of congratulatory text messages and phone calls kept Alexandra Turvey ’24 busy for the better part of two days after she was named NCAA Woman of the Year last month “It was really special seeing how many people from Pomona that I’d barely crossed paths with reached out,” Turvey recalls “People who were senior TAs when I was a freshman and people who served as role models for me Having them reach out meant the world to me.” While the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes individual brilliance, Turvey—the first Sagehen to receive the honor—sees herself as a product of her college environment Pomona College promised her a setting where she could excel both academically and athletically an advantage she says Division III schools such as Pomona offer all prospective and current students Alexandra Turvey '24 was one of four seniors featured in "Senior Year at Pomona College." coaches and everyone she shared campus with “The number of positive and meaningful interactions that I had with people who are so generous and supporting—and create a safe and uplifting space in which you can pursue anything you want—was unmatched.” As an international student by way of Vancouver Turvey began her four years at Pomona remotely in 2020 confined to Zoom at the outset of the pandemic But even from her bedroom in the Great White North she could tell how special Pomona was by the eagerness of her classmates to create a community despite being scattered around the world Once on campus as a sophomore, Turvey blazed a trail as a Sagehen student-athlete, receiving 21 All-American honors as a swimmer and amassing 2,500 hours of science and clinical research as a biology major “Her commitment is incredible,” says André Cavalcanti professor of biology and Turvey’s academic and research advisor She’s incredibly curious and outstanding in her drive and it was clear to me then that she was going to achieve great things.” At Pomona, Turvey was named a Goldwater and a Beckman scholar and she published three scientific papers—two with Cavalcanti and one from previous research she did in Canada While it’s common to see Pomona students be one of several authors on a published paper Cavalcanti says the two they collaborated on were the direct result of Turvey taking the initiative and doing all the research Alexandra Turvey '24 earned 21 All-American honors as a Sagehen swimmer and was a member of the 2024 Division III national champion 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays teams Turvey was equally ambitious and insatiable in the pool she earned three Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Swimmer of the Year awards and set several conference and Sagehen records As a senior, Turvey became only the second SCIAC athlete to win the prestigious NCAA Elite 90 award and led Pomona-Pitzer to Division III national championships in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays “She did a really good job of being both athletically focused and academically focused and just being a good citizen on campus,” Athletic Director Miriam Merrill says “It’s not easy to compete at a high-level and still keep up with the academic rigor of our campus so her ability to go above and beyond encompasses our core values.” After graduating summa cum laude from Pomona in 2024 Turvey was the female recipient of the NCAA Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship which recognizes national distinction athletically and undeniable promise as a future leader She now is pursuing graduate studies in the Harvard/MIT MD-PhD program a challenging education track for which she’s prepped years and Jean-Paul Gowdy at the 2024 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials Katrina Keil, director of prehealth advising and visiting assistant professor of psychological science helped her former student navigate the rigorous competitive application process and wrote Turvey a letter of recommendation “She had a clear idea why it was important for her to get her MD and Ph.D and how that would enable her to make a difference in the lives of her patients,” Keil says “With a student like Alex who has so much to give it was a pleasure for me to recommend her and support her through her decision.” Turvey competed in Canada’s Olympic Swimming Trials she says simply competing for the privilege to represent her home country at the Olympics was an incredible experience With one year of college eligibility remaining chatting up first-year swimmers well aware of all she’s accomplished “I hope I can give them a bit of confidence and perspective,” Turvey says “Balancing college and athletics can be really challenging and difficult at times but I hope they can keep their passion for the sport going and realize how special every day is.” The outpouring of love she’s received since winning the NCAA Woman of the Year award was especially heartwarming and a reminder of why she chose to be a part of the Sagehen community “This award truly means the world to me,” she says “but what is even more special to me is that it gives recognition to Pomona and what a world-class place it is to be a student-athlete.” While many college students flock to Hawaii over spring break for rest and relaxation 10 Pomona students spent their week on the island of Oahu dissecting albatross searching for invasive snails and restoring a traditional Hawaiian fishpond The students are enrolled this semester in the course Conservation of Biodiversity in a Changing World, co-taught by Willard George Zoology Professor of Biology Nina Karnovsky and Associate Professor of Biology Wallace Meyer Together they traveled to Oahu for nine days last month to carry out conservation work on the island In addition to being more accessible as a domestic location “Let’s go to where there are these amazing people and organizations working on really innovative students read scientific papers each week written or selected by a collaborator in Hawaii the students Zoomed with the collaborator to discuss and ask questions about their research Students learned about such topics as marine animals caught unintentionally during fishing conservation work to save seabirds from sea level rise and introduced predators and the cultural and ecological role of fishponds from securing accommodations (a surf hostel on the North Shore) to renting—and driving—vans on the trip to procuring water shoes for each student the program was not only highly subsidized but also offered need-based and merit-based scholarships to make it as accessible and equitable as possible Once they landed on the island, the itinerary was filled with experiences that, according to biology major Eli Taub ’25 Day one was spent at Kaena Point State Park observing the techniques used to keep non-native predators out of a reserve and assisting with monitoring Laysan albatross The second day included dissection with collaborators at Hawaii Pacific University of black-footed albatross killed in longline fisheries The third and fourth days took them to the Bishop Museum learning from curators about the role that the collections play in conserving Hawaii’s biodiversity “It was amazing to see both the public facing exhibits and conservation work being done in the collections,” says Karnovsky they also learned to identify native and invasive snails preparing the group for the next day at a snail enclosure in the mountains With the help of a trained snail-sniffing dog the students spent the day searching for invasive snails that eat native snails they visited the James Campbell Reserve to assist with restoring populations of seabirds checking nests and adult seabirds and cutting invasive plants and on Friday they participated in restoration work in a traditional Hawaiian fishpond but it was so cool because we got to work with people from the community and to hear how important the fishponds are to Hawaiian culture and history,” says Anji Sipkins-Chenn ’27 They rounded out the trip snorkeling and observing tropical fish and turtles on their last day Sipkins-Chenn says that each day was better than the last helpful work for the people we were collaborating with which meant that we weren’t just taking from the community Meyer says that one of the most important aspects of the trips was students being able to engage with young graduate students and technicians and hear how they got to where they are “The trip showed me that there are a lot of different paths that I haven’t considered yet and more opportunities than I thought within the conservation realm,” says Sipkins-Chenn students will tell the story of a species of snails via a blog or pamphlet record a podcast with one of the collaborators she wants you to not just be good at writing papers but good at all the different sides of being a scientist.” Faculty interested in developing a Faculty-Led Program should meet with Annie Lam assistant director of Pomona programs and domestic programs to discuss their idea along with the program development process and timeline Hundreds turn out for Pomona's annual ISE Symposium on Stover Walk Featuring roughly 320 poster presentations the symposium highlights the work of PCIP and SURP students Students excited to present their posters at the symposium Stover Walk lined with posters and student presenters Research and internships took place on campus as well as nationally and across the globe Federica Domecq Lacroze ’26 speaks to a fellow student about her SURP project "Evaluating the Reliability of Sicegar for Timing Analysis of RpOS-Dependent Gene Expression." Strolling along the poster-lined Stover Walk is like walking through a kaleidoscope; Pomona students represent a full spectrum of majors with presentations that address the world’s grand challenges through each unique perspective and lens “This is always my favorite day of the year; with more than half the students gathering on Stover Walk to share their added riches,” said President G “The ideas from these experiential learning opportunities are both consequential and revolutionary The sheer brain power on Stover Walk – you really can catch anything on fire.” students and community friends gather to celebrate the College's summer experiential learning programs Pomona students embarked on quests to solve the world’s greatest challenges by exploring new ways of understanding through their summer work and research Federica Domecq Lacroze ’26 turned to interdisciplinary learning my research was a biology project to begin with it really shifted my perspective on how to approach my research.” Lacroze adds “This SURP experience will guide me as I prepare for what I will be doing in graduate school speaks about her PCIP internship at Penn Medicine Princeton Health Students approached their projects and internships by adding to their base of knowledge applying creative problem-solving and gaining an understanding of the global challenges and crises that impact the world’s most vulnerable populations “This experience made me feel like what I was doing in the lab for eight hours has real life and real potential to make a difference,” Ahmed Shamsi ’27 said about his research on the makeup of bacteria that cause cholera disease He hopes to one day find treatments back home in Syria The symposium was capped by a celebratory dinner for PCIP and SURP donors to honor the summer experiences and the philanthropic vision that made it possible Students speakers included Levko Stepchuk ’27 SURP student and recipient of the Phelps Twins Solar Eclipse Fund PCIP student and recipient of the Long Family Internship Fund Steven Marks and Dean Avis Hinkson also spoke during the program SURP student Levko Stepchuk ’27 presents her poster "Quantum Metrics and Vector-Valued Functions," to attendees at the ISE Donor Dinner life choices were dictated by income,” Stepchuk said “This opportunity gave me independence and agency Access and opportunity are the cornerstones of the College’s mission The SURP and PCIP programs open up the world to Pomona students and place every corner of it within reach “The fact that this internship was fully funded really helped me put my entire being into my internship,” said PCIP student Camille Huxol ’26 I would have had to split my time with jobs to cover expenses I was able to put everything I had into this internship and get the most out of this experience.” To find out more about how to support PCIP and SURP participants, please reach out to Kyle Davis Pomona College has been named one of the top producers of U.S. Fulbright students for 2024-25 among baccalaureate institutions, as reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education With 16 Fulbright U.S. students, Pomona tied at No. 2 with Amherst College and Barnard College among baccalaureate institutions nationwide Pomona has been recognized as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S At Pomona College, the Career Development Office administers fellowships such as the Fulbright Program The Fulbright Program was founded in 1946 with an ambitious goal—to increase mutual understanding and to support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries government’s flagship international academic exchange program the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 talented and accomplished students artists and professionals of all backgrounds the opportunity to study Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors and the world and have included 44 heads of state or government, 62 Nobel Laureates, 90 Pulitzer Prize winners, 82 MacArthur Fellows and myriad leaders and changemakers. You can find more information about the Fulbright Program on their website emeritus professor and composer-in-residence whose teaching and performances left an indelible mark on generations of students at Pomona College Kohn was born in Vienna in 1926 and began studying piano at the age of six he left Austria for a new life in New York His undergraduate pre-med studies at Harvard University were interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S He served in the Mariana Islands and was assigned to an Army band Returning to Harvard after his military service earning a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude and later a master of arts degree Kohn joined the Pomona College music department faculty in 1950 and taught theory and composition during his 44-year career He was the Thatcher Professor of Music and later the William Keck Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus an alumna recalled in a Pomona College Today (now Pomona College Magazine) article that his teaching style was “fresh “a nationally renowned composer of finely imagined impeccably crafted music who is a crack pianist and conductor to boot; a man with uncompromisingly high standards.” Thomas Flaherty emeritus professor of music and a friend of Kohn’s for more than 40 years describes him as a key part of the new music scene in Los Angeles “He had dinner with the likes of Stravinsky and Boulez and gave stunning performances of their music,” Flaherty says including “his regular performances of Boulez’s ‘Structures’ and Stravinsky’s ‘Les Noces’ with his wife of 74 years pianist extraordinaire Margaret Kohn,” who also taught at Pomona His compositions—the listing of which fills many pages—were performed by major orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony he was named a Fulbright Research Scholar and a Guggenheim Fellow He also received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Howard He was a member of the board of directors of the Monday Evening Concerts in Los Angeles a founding member of the American Society of University Composers and the recipient of numerous ASCAP awards which recognized annually the “prestige value” of music composed Kohn credited teaching in a liberal arts college with helping to shape his work as a composer, noting, “My music, I think, turned out more accessible because of balancing what I was interested in as a musician and what I was dealing with as a teacher.” He succeeded in both worlds, with Pomona students voting him a Wig Distinguished Professorship Award the highest teaching award bestowed on Pomona faculty Alumni and colleagues remember Kohn’s profound impact and generosity “Walking past my bookshelf just now I realized he once gave me an autobiography of the composer Ernst Krenek signed to Karl,” recalls Oliver Dubon ’20 “Running into him in the halls of Thatcher or meeting in his office always left me with a massive smile on my face and eager to write music.” Rachel Rudich reflects on 30 years of friendship and musical partnership with Kohn which included recording together a double CD of all his music for flute For Associate Professor and Music Department Chair Joti Rockwell Kohn’s passing was a loss felt immediately he had a piece of his performed by the Pomona College Band and he and Margie were in attendance,” says Rockwell “he was scheduled to do a class visit with our seminar for senior music majors.” Rockwell says three decades after retiring Kohn “was eager to help them with their music.” Flaherty sums up his friend and colleague as a “brilliant composer and all around mensch who delighted the musical and Pomona College communities with his compositions daughters Susanna Kohn and Emily Kohn Berthel and grandchildren Julia Berthel and Henry Berthel Six outstanding Sagehens are being recognized for their professional achievements and longtime service to Pomona College by the Alumni Association Board This year the Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award for high achievement in professional activities or community service will be awarded to Susan M Former Director of Alumni Relations Nancy Treser-Osgood ’80 and John Rabold ’75 will receive the Alumni Distinguished Service Award in recognition of their selfless commitment and ongoing volunteer service to the College perseverance and consistency of a recent graduate “These extraordinary alumni embody what it means to be a Sagehen through their exceptional accomplishments leadership and generosity,” says Pomona College Acting President Robert Gaines I am proud to recognize and celebrate these stellar members of our community.” Blaisdell and Distinguished Service Award recipients are selected by a council of past presidents of the Alumni Association Board. Inspirational Young Alumni Award recipients are selected by a committee of current Alumni Association Board members. This year’s honorees will be presented with their awards during Alumni Weekend Alumni Weekend attendees will hear a special presentation featuring this year's Blaisdell and Inspirational Young Alumni Award honorees on campus May 3 The Distinguished Service Awards will be presented during the Through the Gates program later that same day executive director and current board chair of WomenStrong International a non-profit that focuses on the work of local feminist leaders around the world and amplifies their capacity and solutions for driving meaningful change in their communities Blaustein was formerly a senior consultant and analyst with the International Crisis Group and the Coalition for International Justice economics and social injustice for numerous publications including The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal Read How Blaustein Went from Composer to Global Advocate Haynes ’85 is the interim vice provost for faculty affairs and programs in the University of California Office of the President As the inaugural vice chancellor for equity diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at UC Irvine Haynes helped create the Office of Inclusive Excellence and led pioneering initiatives including expanded opportunities and program development for underrepresented groups He was also the founding director of UCI’s Center for Medical Humanities where he led innovative collaborations among arts humanities and medicine faculty to advance the understanding of health Read How Civil Rights Leader Coretta Scott King Inspired Haynes a university professor and provost emeritus at the University of Rochester is among the most highly honored individuals in health economics internationally A member of the selective National Academy of Medicine Phelps is the only person awarded the Victor R Fuchs Award for Lifetime Contributions to Health Economics and the Avedis Donabedian Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research In addition to being a former researcher and director at the RAND Corporation Phelps taught in the economics and political science departments at the University of Rochester directed its Public Policy Analysis Program chaired what is now the Department of Public Health Sciences and went on to become the university’s provost His twin brother Lew Phelps is also a member of the Class of 1965 Read Why Phelps Stacks His Blaisdell Award Above the Rest John Rabold ’75 is longtime alumni volunteer who has encouraged his classmates to stay connected with Pomona and each other for decades who regularly shares College updates and news about alumni events with fellow Sagehens has served as a 1975 class reunion committee member for many years and helped plan its celebrations Read Why Some Sagehens Might Call Rabold a Class Whisperer Nancy Treser-Osgood ’80 was Pomona’s director of alumni relations for 17 years expanded Alumni Weekend programming and participation and created new events to boost alumni engagement She has been faithfully serving on her Class of 1980 reunion committee since their fifth reunion A former varsity volleyball player for Sagehen Athletics student athletic trainer and basketball statistician Treser-Osgood was also the Pomona-Pitzer Athletics Hall of Fame Committee’s secretary for nearly 30 years She was inducted into the Hall of Fame for her service in 2023 Read Why Treser-Osgood's Sagehen Heart Beats for Pomona head of film and television for the Hyde Park Entertainment Group with an emphasis on high-profile intellectual property acquisition She is developing projects highlighting her passion for telling culturally diverse and female-driven stories a sequel to the original film based on Amy Tan’s novel; Audition an adaptation of the 1993 pioneering Japanese genre film; and in partnership with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson a TV series on the memoir follow-up to BlacKkKlansman Amritraj Brings Global Stories to Life — Read How It All Began Learn more about the 2025 Alumni Award recipients on the Alumni Awards webpage Serena Lin ’25 is passionate about bridging the gap between people So much so that she created a toolbox called “Uplift Notes” to bring people together in conversation But what sets her product apart from the many other conversation starter games on the market “It’s evidence based,” says Lin. “It’s developed by a neuroscience major and is built to have some cognitive benefits And it has been tested by several hundred people to make sure they actually want to answer the questions.” Lin tested her questions with people of all ages and especially wanted her prompts to appeal to older people The generation gap is one she is most eager to bridge A human-centered design course at The Hive provided the support to create Uplift Notes “Many of them really miss being with their grandchildren or other family members and having to be very isolated,” said Lin in a Los Angeles Times story featuring her work with elders “and they’re having to cope with that loneliness and with the days blurring into each other.” Lin has homed in her neuroscience studies on Alzheimer’s disease Watching her great-grandfather struggle with and ultimately succumb to the illness as well as her great-aunt currently experiencing it have been hard But the knowledge she has gained through her classes has empowered her “is not just about what you eat or what kind of medications you have; your social engagement is also really important.” During her sophomore year, Lin enrolled in a human-centered design course at The Hive provided the support to create Uplift Notes to help facilitate this kind of critical social interaction To develop the product, Lin consulted with several faculty and alumni experts, including Professor of Neuroscience Karen Parfitt author of A Tattoo on my Brain: A Neurologists’ Personal Battle against Alzheimer’s Disease The toolkit went through multiple iterations before it was released earlier this year Since then, Uplift Notes has been used at a campus faculty-staff mixer, Pomona College’s Alumni Weekend and Bridging the Gap a program Lin participated in that addresses religious and political polarization Lin is working on a version of the toolbox specifically for individuals with neurological challenges such as with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease The 2.0 edition will be the outcropping of her senior thesis “Social Engagement for Alzheimer’s Patients and Their Caregivers.” Her thesis research will test how the toolbox improves participants’ mood “I’m hoping that it can be used as a supplement for someone if they’re caregiving in conjunction with other Alzheimer’s treatments,” says Lin Lin’s ultimate desire is to get the toolbox into the hands of as many Alzheimer’s support groups But she also hopes that people of all ages backgrounds and levels of extroversion will make use of Uplift Notes As she touts on the product’s website and passionately believes “Increased social engagement is good for your wellbeing titled “Prisms of the Heart,” was published in the Winter 2003 issue of Pomona College Magazine the recently published memoir of Richard Chamberlain ’56 challenges the stereotype of the celebrity autobiography In contrast to the usual self-congratulation insider gossip and unflattering portrayals of lesser characters that mark this genre Chamberlain writes respectfully of many prominent people who have figured in his life while being painstakingly honest—even brutal—in chronicling his personal and professional struggles The result is disarming—a book cast against type in a way that is both engaging and Chamberlain grew up in Beverly Hills in a middle-class family that was His parents were attractive and accomplished—his father Charles a respected salesman; his mother Elsa a talented musician and actress who stayed home to raise her two boys (Richard’s brother Bill is six years older.) an illusion of normalcy the author refers to as the “Chamberlain Magic Show.” Although outwardly successful Chamberlain’s father was a self-absorbed and unpredictable “periodic” alcoholic at home and suffered episodes of delirium tremens that terrified his family Richard’s mother pursued her own salvation through Al-Anon Although Chamberlain’s childhood also included a doting grandmother friends and modest success as a student and athlete the instability of his family life had a lasting effect setting him on a course fueled by a nearly desperate need for acceptance and acknowledgement “If I were to look for a central dynamic in my life it would be the long peregrination from fear to love,” he says to “bury as deeply as possible my offending self and create an image that would be lovable … Thus my life as an actor began very early I learned to write my role and act my life.” and public recognition became an addictive Chamberlain confesses his readiness to sacrifice virtually everything the sense of unworthiness that so plagued his life was assuaged not by celebrity but by making peace with himself an accomplishment that took nearly 60 years Chamberlain entered Pomona College in 1952 finding “high scholastic standards and the leisurely romantic aura that graced such institutions … This was the perfect place for a dreamy romantic to discover the riches of human thought and creativity insecurities and competitive scrambles that all students face after graduation.” sensitive and a “terrific artist.” Although powerfully attracted to the notion of acting what he calls his “near-catatonic inhibition,” led him to art and art history which he considered a safer alternative for self-expression while watching tryouts for a play in Holmes Hall Theatre he was noticed by Professor Virginia Princehouse Allen ’26 who persuaded him to read for a role in George Washington Slept Here When his subsequent performance was well received Chamberlain acted throughout his years at Pomona concluding with a “breakthrough role” as Bluntschli in George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man he was approached by Paramount Studios and Although a draft notice and 16 months in Korea intervened Chamberlain determined then not only to pursue acting professionally but also to make the “big splash” that would justify his existence leaving Pomona proved to be an emotional transition During the Christmas holidays following his commencement and just prior to leaving for his tour of duty Chamberlain heard a radio performance of Handel’s Messiah which he had sung as a member of the college choir under the direction of Professor William Russell The music elicited such nostalgia that he made a pilgrimage to campus “packing away the treasured past for good.” Pomona would continue to influence his life Chamberlain cited Professor Allen’s role in his decision to move to England in 1968 for what turned out to be a transforming four-year residence “People have said they thought I had tremendous courage to go to England after the (Kildare) series drop all the commercial stuff and take those chances Chamberlain’s rise to the celebrity he sought was swift At the encouragement of classmate Robert Towne ’56—a talented screenwriter and Hollywood player who would go on to write the screenplays of such groundbreaking films as The Last Detail Chinatown and Shampoo—Chamberlain entered an acting workshop taught by Jeff Corey he had signed with one of the most powerful talent agents in Los Angeles landed the lead role in the enormously popular TV series Dr Kildare that would occupy him from 1961 to 1965 he undertook dauntingly ambitious stage roles including Hamlet at the Birming­ham Repertory Theatre acting in the heady company of such luminaries as John Gielgud and Michael Redgrave he stared with Julie Christie in the film Petulia and was tapped for the role of Ralph Touchett in the six-part BBC production of Henry James’s Portrait of a Lady Chamberlain’s interest in working in all three major media may have been determined in part by a fear of turning down any offer that might further his career That he has been able to do so successfully and often simultaneously for over 40 years however—not to mention the loyal support of thousands of fans—Chamberlain ultimately came to realize that outward success would never satisfy his craving for validation the focus of his life shifted gradually to self-examination and spiritual development It is this history that is the true subject of the memoir A key part of Chamberlain’s secret self with which he had to make peace was his sexual orientation Aware from adolescence that he was attracted to boys he kept buried his “loathsome secret,” dating girls and struggling to fulfill what was expected of a middle-class boy in the early 1950s according to one fellow student an “innocent time” when dormitories were segregated Although there were surely more than a few homosexual students on campus at the time not the subject of concern or even awareness Although Chamberlain permitted himself homosexual relationships later in life he continued to sidestep questions about his sexuality The fact that he was competing for parts with actors like Sean Connery and Robert Redford only reinforced his misgivings and he remains convinced that roles such as John Blackthorne (Shogun) and Father Ralph de Bricassart (The Thorn Birds) would not have been given to an openly gay actor he says he would advise gay students hoping to work in Hollywood to keep their sexual orientation private—not because it is “wrong,” but because it would The central question in my book is whether it is possible to live openheartedly all the time I answer ‘yes,’ because I think love—not romantic love In the 1990s Chamberlain was “outed” by a gay activist and obliged to deal with tabloid exposés Far more frightening to him than the revelations in part because of a temporary lack of work he confronted the deep-seated fears that had held him in thrall throughout his life ultimately recognizing them to be largely of his own making it was only during the writing of this book that he felt sufficiently comfortable with himself to tackle the subject publicly He does so forthrightly but also with tact the ingrained discretion of a lifetime spent protecting his private life still apparent One of the laudable qualities of Chamberlain’s memoir is its courage in applying the hard-won realizations of his later life to early personal and career decisions He is painfully aware that his devotion to the public persona he created to please others not only failed to reflect his true nature but also made self-knowledge all the more elusive With the perspective of many years of therapy and determined self-examination Chamberlain’s retrospective analysis is poignant He recalls a party given by Prince Rainier and Princess Grace in Monte Carlo during the filming of The Madwoman of Chaillot in 1969 Entering in the company of Katharine Hepburn he was devastated when the paparazzi failed to recognize him art history professor Alois Schardt once paused in a lecture to caution students about the desire for greatness inevitably involved a degree of emotional anguish that only the most extraordinary creativity could survive Chamberlain continues to wonder if it is possible to experience the satisfaction of creative fulfillment without losing one’s true self but rather to the spiritual concept that humanity was created as a manifestation of divinity immaterial power of creative love.” “Each of us,” Chamberlain writes our individual self-discovery is essential to the revelation of divine nature Chamberlain credits many teachers—among them J David Spangler and Brugh Joy—on his path to such revelations and Zen Buddhism’s emphasis on living fully in the moment is particularly apparent finding in the process a creative experience whole unto itself and he enjoys a loving and supportive relationship of many years’ duration In the course of a recent conversation with the author Chamberlain expressed interest in visiting Pomona both to talk about his book and its themes—love detachment— and to find out how students are grappling with the big questions “The central question in my book,” he says “is whether it is possible to live openheartedly all the time divine love—is the essence of wisdom.” Asked what advice he would give he replies: “I would say to a young person Keep part of your mind open to finding your truth Lawmakers urge DHS to “focus enforcement against those who pose a legitimate risk to public safety and to work with Congress on a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who are essential to our economic success.” The lawmakers underscored the deep distrust and economic chaos these enforcement raids foster hurting entire communities and national supply chains and keeping consumers at home out of fear.  and harmed community trust in law enforcement,” wrote the lawmakers.   “Enforcement actions that indiscriminately disrupt immigrant communities – particularly without transparency or local coordination – threaten not only individual rights but also the economic stability and public safety of entire cities like Pomona,” continued the lawmakers. “Pomona’s small businesses are already feeling the impact Workers are afraid to show up for work.”  Immigrant construction workers comprise over 40 percent of California’s construction workforce and are already doing essential work to help Los Angeles County rebuild from the devastating wildfires earlier this year.  The lawmakers stressed that rather than indiscriminately targeting long-term residents with no criminal records DHS should work with Congress to help provide these immigrants with a pathway to citizenship the enforcement actions in Pomona demonstrate that the Department is indiscriminately targeting all noncitizens for removal — including those who have no criminal records and who have been living in and contributing to our communities for decades,” added the lawmakers. “These actions do not make us safer and are contrary to the ideals that we all stand for We urge you to instead focus enforcement against those who pose a legitimate risk to public safety and to work with Congress on a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who are essential to our economic success.”  including why local officials were not notified and what steps DHS is taking to rebuild trust with immigrant communities.  and reflects the economic realities and moral values of our nation,” concluded the lawmakers.  Full text of the letter is available here and below.  and harmed community trust in law enforcement.  much of which has been conducted without giving notice to local officials:  They are not coming to get repairs done.”  We urge you to instead focus enforcement against those who pose a legitimate risk to public safety and to work with Congress on a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who are essential to our economic success.  alongside $50 billion to Social Security and $14 billion to Medicare.   immigrant workers are indispensable to our community.  we respectfully request answers to the following:  and reflects the economic realities and moral values of our nation.  Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter. Source: Senator Adam Schiff Pomona’s City Council this week approved a 6% cap on annual rent increases replacing the city’s more restrictive temporary rent control ordinance Pomona’s temporary rent control ordinance capped rent increases at 4% or the change in the consumer price index (CPI) the mayor pushed to retain the 4% rent cap in the permanent ordinance but the City Council rejected the proposal in a 4-3 vote CAA members have access to compliance forms and extended news resources related to this topic Topics Rent Control Cities All Topics All News California landlords must navigate a complex web of state laws and fair housing rules when screening prospective tenants This webinar will cover key requirements and frequently asked questions… California law requires many landlords to give tenants the option to have their on-time rent payments reported to at least one credit bureau This webinar provides a paragraph-by-paragraph explanation of the entire CAA Rental/Lease Agreement including the provisions required to comply with AB 1482 (the Tenant Protection Act of 2019) California Certified Residential Manager Training The demand for qualified rental housing professionals in California is at an all-time high Get certified with our CCRM Property Management series February 14, 2025 | cynthia peters Cal Poly Pomona has been officially recognized as a research university by achieving R2 status in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The announcement was made Thursday by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.  “The designation reflects the achievements of our faculty our students and our staff in important research creative activities and programs that address critical issues in our community state and nation,” said President Soraya M “I am immensely proud of their work and its impact.”  The criteria for an R-2 institution are that an institution must spend on average at least $5 million on research and development and award a minimum of 20 research doctorates each year.  annual research funding at Cal Poly Pomona climbed to more than $23 million for 92 projects This fiscal year funding is already above $25 million While the investment comes from federal and state agencies as well as other sources “Our growing research funding has really been pivotal to giving our faculty a greater ability to work on important issues and advance knowledge,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Terri Gomez “It has also expanded the hands-on learning opportunities for both our undergraduate and graduate students who have incredible opportunities to work alongside professors and apply what they’re learning in their classes.”  The recognition as an R2 institution strengthens the university’s reputation as a center for innovation and will expand opportunities for faculty and student research even further.  Cal Poly Pomona is one of eight CSU campuses in the R2 category with Cal State LA San Jose State and Sacramento State also newly designated Cal State Long Beach and San Francisco State San Diego State is the only CSU ranked an R1 Twelve CSU campuses are in the newly added category Research Colleges & Universities (RCU) which spend at least $2.5 million on research on average and typically do not offer many or any doctoral degrees.  “Congratulations to all of the CSU institutions recognized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García “These classifications underscore the CSU’s commitment to engaging our undergraduate students in applied research that lifts communities and addresses our state's most pressing challenges across fields of study – and they wonderfully reflect the CSU’s mission and core values.”   Comedy Show at the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona CollegeThursday and Beck KreftingSponsored by the Intercollegiate Department of Africana Studies Critical humor studies is a framework for critically analyzing how humor shapes and structures society; it roots humor in a broader social context and examines the impact of humor beyond the field of entertainment and western cultures As an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary field of inquiry critical humor studies aims to examine the various ways humor functions within and against overlapping and intersecting structures of power and inequality It is a framework for interrogating how jokes and everyday forms of humor can reinforce existing hierarchies As we take a more critical approach to the study of humor our belief is that critical humor studies is an intervention that fosters social justice and cultural transformation and feminist theory and praxis to challenge institutional and structural inequalities where it is possible all the while amplifying the voices of those most marginalized We know that our commitment to critical studies of humor and structures of power requires that we remain engaged and one way of remaining engaged is attending to the seemingly mundane; those practices which are typically seen as innocuous like laughter and pleasure to understand the deep connections between humor and power and how that connection resonates all over the world This two-day conference will serve as the inaugural meeting of the Critical Humor Studies Association. “Critical Humor Studies in Times of Crisis: Aesthetics and Applications” will be held at Pomona College and as a hybrid in-person and live streamed event We will be joined for keynote discussions by four renowned critical humor scholars: Bambi Haggins (Department of Film and Media Studies UC Irvine)Cynthia Willett (Department of Philosophy Emory University)Danielle Fuentes Morgan (Department of English Santa Clara)Luvell Anderson (Department of Philosophy Full conference schedule coming soon on https://criticalhumorstudies.org/conferences/ Pomona College alumni, families and friends gave a record $57 million in gifts and pledges this past fiscal year, marking a historic year of fundraising for the College. On the whole, funds raised will support financial aid, academic resources and programs, research and internship opportunities, athletics and extracurricular activities A notable handful of gifts will create funds which bolster key initiatives for Pomona including new scholarships for low- and middle-income students interdisciplinary global learning programs and other essential aspects of the Sagehen experience Sam ’04 and Emily ’04 Glick have pledged $2.47 million to support financial aid and other crucial resources for future students from middle-income families. Sam and Emily are longtime supporters of the College; Sam is the outgoing chair of the Board of Trustees and together they have taken on leadership roles to help advance Pomona’s strategic vision The Glicks’ gift will support amplified outreach to middle-income students—many of whom never consider applying to Pomona due to cost It also will help provide more robust financial support for middle-income students who are admitted the fund will support targeted programs and resources for career development and academic enrichment “Doing something to help make Pomona available to more people Read more on the Glicks’ gift Berryman ’59 has pledged $10 million to establish six endowed funds for the areas of humanities Berryman’s gift pays tribute to her late mother the Frances Bowers Berryman ’30 Fund for Humanities Study will support programming in “common reads” books visits to arts and cultural institutions and alternative spring break experiences the John Jordan Berryman ’28 Funds for the Glee Club and Musical Instruments will support club performances and travel and instrument acquisition/maintenance Two funds honor Berryman’s aunt: the Ellen Evelyn Bowers ’31 Scholarship Fund and Global Student Haven Outreach Fund which will support scholarships for students with financial need and international students displaced by global crises and natural disasters the Sue Ellen Berryman ’59 Presidential Innovation Fund will support broader initiatives across Pomona’s educational mission “A liberal arts education provides multiple windows to relate to the world It inspires curiosity and helps students develop the confidence and capacity to learn new fields,” says Berryman “Our family has always had a profound love for Pomona.” Read more on Berryman’s gift Pomona College received a $2.5 million gift to support interdisciplinary global education programs and engaged learning opportunities for students from The H Pomona alumnus Stewart Smith is chair emeritus of Pomona’s Board of Trustees Russell Smith Foundation and a $500,000 legacy gift commitment from Stewart will form the new Stewart Smith Interdisciplinary Global Engagement Fund to advance the Global Pomona Project and build momentum for the planned Center for Global Engagement (CGE) The fund will support the development of interdisciplinary programs and activities housed at CGE as well as global learning opportunities through the new study away Faculty-Led Program “If knowledgeable and well-intentioned experts from other nations and cultures get together with an aim to understand where others are coming from good things happen for our students and our wider world.” Read more on the gift from the Smith family and its foundation Pomona alumnus David Sklar ’83 and his wife endowed a scholarship fund in honor of their parents Sklar and Acevedo share an intense belief in the power of educational access Rita and Herbert Sklar and Margarita and Jesus Acevedo with instilling in them the importance of higher education This memorial gift will expand college access for low-income California students who plan to pursue studies in STEM (science “A Pomona liberal arts education holds tremendous value The whole point of education is to be a complete noting this can be especially challenging for STEM students and we are honored to be able to help the next generation access these opportunities.” Read more on Sklar and Acevedo’s gift A $1 million challenge gift from Trustee Emeritus Ranney E. Draper ’60 has helped fund a new state-of-the-art turf for Merritt Field. The $2.2 million transformation from grass to turf comes at a moment when the Sagehen football program is reaching new heights competing in back-to-back-to-back Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship games and winning the title in 2022 and 2024 Draper, a longtime benefactor of Pomona College and Pomona-Pitzer Athletics, was captain of the football team and ran track. Miriam Merrill Pomona-Pitzer athletics director and chair of physical education at Pomona described Draper as a catalyst whose dedication and love for the College knows no bounds “Ranney has leaned in by asking how Sagehen Athletics can be successful and what are the things we need to be successful,” Merrill says “The connection he has with our coaches and staff is remarkable.” “This unbelievable field—the best field in the SCIAC—is going to make an impact on a lot of people in football and outside of football, as well,” says head football coach John Walsh “It truly matches our philosophy of health Read more on Draper’s gift for Merritt Field’s turf transformation Lexi Duffy ’26 grew up as the daughter of two public school teachers in a rural town with about 3,000 residents She loves the community in which she was raised but says she was “always that spitfire growing up that wanted to get out of small-town Iowa.” she is enrolled in the University College Dublin School of Social Policy “I’m drawn to Ireland because of its unique approach to social change particularly through its constitutional amendment process,” Duffy explains “I will use my time abroad to research and learn from a country with a robust welfare state—one that consistently and constitutionally provides for marginalized women and families.” Duffy has delved into the world of public policy through research Congress members’ own socioeconomic backgrounds correlated with their advocacy for poverty issues “I’m not just seeking knowledge from my study abroad,” she says “I’m seeking tools to become a more thoughtful advocate for families like mine.” Gilman International Scholarship Program is administered by the U.S It provides grants of up to $5,000 for overseas study or internships in any part of the globe to students with limited financial means who are receiving Pell Grants Additional funding is available for students pursuing STEM research or studying critical-need languages The program’s website notes that almost 60% of those who receive the scholarship come from rural communities or small towns In the past 10 years, 36 Pomona students have been awarded Gilman Scholarships. Applicants from the College have a success rate for attaining the scholarship that is double the national average, says Nicole Desjardins Gowdy senior director of International and Domestic Programs “These scholarships help fill in for work-study and the family [financial] contribution during their semester or summer abroad,” she adds another Gilman Scholarship recipient for 2025 is spending the spring semester studying Culture is traveling abroad for the first time and is exploring her cultural heritage She appreciates how the scholarship makes her immersion into the Vietnam experience possible without financial stress “I am passionate about advancing community and microenterprise development in ethnic enclaves,” she says A major in public policy analysis with a concentration in economics Nguyen aims for a public service career advocating for the Asian American The scholarship “supports my overarching goal of fostering economic development and social equity,” she says she looks forward to building connections with her host family through shared meals and storytelling In addition to completing a semester of study or internship Gilman Scholars also design a Follow-On Service Project to implement after returning to their home campus Duffy plans to build on her experience as a mentor for fellow students at Pomona She will offer presentations on how study abroad can be accessible to students with a wide range of backgrounds and identities Nguyen will reach out to first-generation and other Pomona students who might not have considered study abroad because of financial concerns or family obligations She will assist in areas such as program selection and preparing scholarship applications Born in Saigon and raised on Boston’s northshore Quan Barry is the Lorraine Hansberry Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Barry is the author of eight books of fiction and poetry wickedly fun” and which was awarded the 2021 American Library Association’s Alex Award Black Ecologies in Contemporary American Art will be on view for this event until 7 pm.  This event is co-sponsored by the English Department at Pomona College Well known for novels such as Motherless Brooklyn (1999) and most recently Brooklyn Crime Novel (2023) Jonathan Lethem is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and a professor of creative writing and English at Pomona College He has also been a part of the contemporary art world for decades Jonathan Lethem’s Parallel Play is a chronicle of an author who roams among visual artists The recent publication of Cellophane Bricks Lethem’s first volume of collected art writings The Benton will be featuring work from or related to his personal collection often acquired in a fluid system of exchange with artists and galleries Lethem has long made trades with visual artists—painters conceptual artists—in which their works are exchanged for his writing about them Since his first words on Perry Hoberman’s sculptures Lethem has worked in this way with artists such as Gregory Crewdson and Will Rogan have also sought out Lethem to contribute directly to their projects; such works are also included in the exhibition What is ultimately on display in Parallel Play is a call-and-response—between artists Lethem’s generous practice offers a model for thinking broadly about contemporary art and also about how the act of writing is intimately intertwined with the process of making physical objects (55.88 x 38.1 cm).  Promised gift of Jonathan Lethem Flashe vinyl paint on canvas over wood panel With Matt Singer and Selima Salaun of Selima Optique  Martin and Muñoz (Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz) Promised gift of Jonathan Lethem   Practicing Golf Swing from Pictures from Home series Photo courtesy of the artist’s estate  as individuals dressed to conceal their identity—the majority of whom were not Pomona College students—pushed their way into an academic building and proceeded to occupy it for more than four hours and high-school students visiting campus and participating in Perspectives on Pomona (POP) had to be relocated Protesters shoved student affairs and campus safety staff zip-tied external doors and harassed faculty and staff working in Carnegie Hall were displaced for the remainder of the week Academic and business operations of the College in this building were disrupted for days Campus safety and other designated College representatives were in touch with Claremont Police throughout the day as the College closely monitored the situation in Carnegie When the occupation of Carnegie concluded and the College discovered the extent of vandalism to the building it initiated disciplinary action consistent with College policies the College is sharing more context on the disciplinary actions related to these incidents Within the long-standing scope of the student code and commensurate with individual circumstances including campus bans and suspensions and possibly expulsion and the majority of these were upheld by the Preliminary Sanction Review Board (PSRB) The PSRB is comprised of two students and two staff who determine whether the interim suspension is warranted based on safety concerns presented as well as precedent and individual context In conformity with the authority delegated to the president by the Board of Trustees those students whose interim suspensions were upheld have now been issued suspensions for the remainder of the academic year 2024-25 and are not subject to discipline by iJ-Board For those Pomona students whose interim suspensions were overturned by the PSRB their cases will be heard by J-Board as appropriate For non-Pomona College students who have been identified as part of the Carnegie Hall incidents—most of the participants of the takeover—the College has issued bans for the remainder of the academic year 2024-25 from our campus If these students were enrolled in Pomona classes during fall 2024 they will have an administrative withdrawal and will not be allowed to enroll in Pomona classes in the spring 2025 semester All interim suspension cases received a review through the Preliminary Sanction Review Board (PSRB) According to the Pomona College Student Code the President shall have the authority to act in extraordinary circumstances to ensure the safety of individuals and the continuity of the educational process notwithstanding any other provision in the Student Code or any other College policy to the contrary There are disciplinary cases that are being heard by J-Board these cases are following a procedure reserved for events that meet three conditions: These actions and events violated the rights of hundreds of students as well as the faculty and staff forced to leave Carnegie was egregious and is being separately adjudicated; however the most far-reaching violation of the individuals thus sanctioned by the College was their involvement in the takeover of a building the forced end of classes and the disruption of our academic mission This takeover created an environment that was fundamentally dangerous restricting entrance and exit for Carnegie and even leading to students leaving the building by the windows neither the exercise of extraordinary authority nor the sanction means that a particular student’s actions met all three criteria but rather that the event itself met the threshold for enacting a different judicial process Students were sanctioned for their joining in the takeover of the building zip-tied doors and carried out other violent actions will face more severe sanctions up to and including expulsion We have a variety of procedures on our campus to address alleged student misconduct all with opportunities for appeal or reconsideration The first wave of students issued interim suspensions were sanctioned due to evidence that they participated in the takeover of an academic building and were present within the building during/after the takeover for an extended period All Pomona students who received suspension notices have been offered funding for transportation to their home paid for by the College. Students should contact dos@pomona.edu to make arrangements Students needing physical or mental health support may access providers through SHIP (if enrolled) or TimelyCare The cases subject to the extraordinary authority of the president were charged with violations of the Claremont Colleges demonstration policy Extraordinary authority was evoked by the president because the takeover of Carnegie met three criteria: this does not mean that a particular student’s actions met all three criteria but that the event itself met the threshold for enacting a different judicial process This is a decision that the College does not take lightly but determined it appropriate given that these actions violated the rights of more than 600 students A range of evidence has been used such as photos as well as Wi-Fi connectivity from the Carnegie building over extended periods Although the College has not yet identified everyone who took part in the takeover the College continues to follow the existing evidence to identify individual participants Depending on evidence and individual circumstances some of those participants will also be subject to sanctions similar to those already imposed We may not be able to identify every individual involved in the takeover of Carnegie It is Pomona College policy and that of The Claremont Colleges that all individuals on campus should identify themselves upon request by officers of the College or The Claremont Colleges Failure to do so may result in being instructed to leave campus or even arrest for trespassing if an individual does not comply Faculty are not notified of students’ conduct matters Russell's gift will provide immediate support for students to help sustain academic excellence and access at Pomona Sharon Russell ’52 personified the Pomona College spirit by devoting her time and talent to teaching children and uplifting women in the community surrounding campus Sharon Russell ’52 served 31 years as a volunteer guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium made sure that her passion for education and advocacy will live on by leaving a generous bequest of more than $1.75 million to the College Her gift will provide immediate support for the most pressing areas of the College’s mission “We are honored to receive Sharon’s generous bequest gift and grateful to be a part of the Russell family’s legacy at the College,” says Pomona College Acting President Robert Gaines “The flexibility of Sharon’s gift ensures that the College will continue to enrich the exceptional educational experience we provide our students.” Russell’s gift helps ensure that Pomona priorities like need-blind admissions student research and internship programs will continue to provide vital opportunities for tomorrow’s Sagehen leaders “Sharon was very much an advocate for students and helping them to succeed,” Russell’s cousin Linda Oliver says “She wanted to extend this gift to Pomona and allow the College to use the funds where they would be most helpful.” Earlier generations of the Russell family relocated from the San Diego area to Claremont drawn by the establishment and development of the College at the time They lived on Sixth Street in homes bordering campus and wanted excellent educational opportunities for their children Eager to follow in the footsteps of her Sagehen parents She was an active Soroptimist and member of Delta Kappa Gamma while she earned her degree in education She later earned a master’s degree from Teachers College at Columbia University and a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate University Russell dedicated herself to a lifetime of education and community involvement After completing her master’s degree in 1953 she returned to teach elementary school in the Pomona Unified School District and remained with the district for 34 years in various roles including area superintendent and assistant superintendent of personnel services Russell as a docent at Point Lobos State Reserve Russell retired from her public education career but maintained a deep devotion to teaching and public service A longtime advocate for women’s empowerment and education interests she developed during her time at Pomona a philanthropic organization supporting women’s education goals Russell also served as a volunteer guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for 31 years and was a docent at Point Lobos State Reserve Living in a retirement home during her final years didn’t slow Russell’s drive to support the community She continued to lead volunteer committees and strived to make life better for others “Sharon was all about advancing people,” Oliver says Learn how you can leave a legacy gift that gives back to Pomona by visiting our website or emailing our legacy gift team Four Pomona College students attended and participated in the 29th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP29) The 197 Parties to the Convention now include every United Nations member country “COP29 felt like an extraordinary opportunity—something I never imagined I’d experience as an undergraduate,” says Laura Jaramillo ’25, an international relations and environmental analysis major whose focus is on the intersection of environmental security and political stability activists and researchers helped me make connections I never thought I could make,” she says and it “showed me the human side of climate action.” During the conference Jaramillo met government ministers from Azerbaijan Laura Jaramillo '25 (left) and Gina Yum '25 Public policy analysis/economics major Gina Yum ’25 says she has “always been passionate about food and environmental policy” and wanted to learn more about how agrifood systems are negotiated internationally While studying abroad in South Africa in the spring of 2024 Yum researched the relationship between food insecurity and the use of the social safety nets she restarted the Food Recovery Network and works as the head EcoRep in the College’s Sustainability Office Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack and the United Arab Emirates minister of climate change and environment She came back from the conference with new professional connections and several job offers As a high school student, science, technology and society major Sascha Weiss ’26 cofounded the High School Sustainability Guide That later led to a partnership with the Joedy Foundation based in Nairobi which helps a network of schools and students in Kenya on a range of educational initiatives and community projects “I plan to leverage both the insights and partnerships from the conference to continue collaborating with local students and communities to pilot programs for clean cooking technologies in the schools we’ve been working with in western Kenya,” says Weiss She notes that replacing woodburning stoves can help prevent forest destruction and improve both the environment and public health Selene Li ’25, a geology and environmental analysis major is keenly interested in the decarbonization and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) industries A major focus of COP29 was on how to set standards for an international carbon market “I attended several events related to industrial decarbonization and CDR,” she says “Competition and policy coherence were highlighted as both barriers to and drivers of decarbonization which underscores the importance of diplomacy and international collaboration.” Professor of Politics Heather Williams and Thomas McHenry visiting professor of environmental analysis accompanied the four Pomona students and one from Harvey Mudd College to COP29 “The COP is the most important and optimistic climate gathering as it’s global and comprehensive,” says McHenry “But it also suffers from all the challenges and obstacles to achieving solutions to global warming that have faced the UN since World War II.” Attending such a major international event allowed students to see climate issues up close and through many lenses as well as meet climate activists from around the world Williams says that Pomona has been an official observer organization at the UNFCCC since 2008 thanks to the leadership of Richard Worthington most notably to Copenhagen in 2009 and Paris in 2015 A generous gift by Pomona alumni Michael Rucker ’89 and Karen Lyon Gibbs ’91 made the 2024 COP attendance and participation possible a major takeaway from the experience was a greater understanding of the complexity of climate change action Li noticed that “there’s a lot of nuance that needs to be taken into account Each stakeholder has their own interest to prioritize often conflicting with the goals of others.” Weiss observed that she now has “a clearer understanding of the complexities and nuances of international climate negotiations as well as the interconnected ecosystem of climate action.” Students also saw the value of local efforts “A key insight for me was the significant gap between global solidarity and local implementation,” says Jaramillo “Local governments emerge as the most reliable agents of tangible change and collaboration.” Weiss says she has increased appreciation for “the pivotal role of subnational diplomacy in implementing initiatives that resonate far beyond local boundaries.” Pomona’s COP29 participants came back to Pomona with reason for optimism “I felt both frustrated by the slow speed at which climate policy is created as well as inspired by the amazing activists and policymakers who are dedicated to pursuing innovative climate action,” says Yum The experience at COP29 left Weiss with hope and Jaramillo cautiously optimistic “While the slow progress of negotiations highlighted the significant financial and political challenges ahead,” Jaramillo says “the collaborative spirit of youth delegates Their passion and creativity demonstrated that meaningful change is achievable.” “Building a sustainable and equitable future,” Jaramillo concludes “is not only possible but within our grasp.” the Black mathematician community is well connected Rooted in the 1950s and ’60s, the family tree of Black mentors and advisors is bountiful, a remarkable genealogy connecting pioneers such as William Claytor and Evelyn Boyd Granville to Claremont Colleges academics Edray Goins, professor of mathematics and statistics at Pomona College filmmaker George Csicsery recruited Goins to advise his newest project As then-president of the National Association of Mathematicians Goins connected Csicsery with luminaries in his small Csicsery’s resulting two-part documentary, “Journeys of Black Mathematicians,” takes a comprehensive look at the past present and future of the field its myriad subjects have devoted their lives to “Part I: Forging Resilience” debuted in January 2024 “Part II: Creating Pathways” debuted last month “It brought me a lot of pride seeing George go from the abstract to the actual,” says Goins who appears in both parts of the documentary “There were stories that I had never heard before; stories that kept me riveted I’ve told George several times how invaluable this documentary will be for the Black math community.” While the Black mathematician community continues to grow it isn’t doing so as fast or as robustly as Goins and others would like Roughly 1,000 doctorate degrees are awarded in mathematics every year And those numbers have been relatively flat for more than a decade the mathematics community is an unwelcoming one a deterrent to all prospective math majors and graduate students “A lot of Black students are really not aware of the doors that are opened if you major in mathematics,” Goins says Sonoma State University Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Omayra Ortega ’01 in "Journeys of Black Mathematicians." (Photo by George Csicsery for the film "Journeys of Black Mathematicians." All Rights Reserved © 2024) Sonoma State University Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Omayra Ortega ’01 set her heart on studying math and music at Pomona College and while she faced challenges in the former Ortega recalls feeling lonely at times being a Black woman pursuing a math degree but never did she feel excluded from faculty or her cohort “It was very interesting to question the validity of my own existence in the field,” she says “Why aren’t there more people of color in math Those small numbers don’t change really as you get out in the field the more you realize there are others like you.” Career paths for mathematicians include work opportunities in government with tech giants or professional sports franchises Goins says his biggest challenge is convincing students that mathematicians aren’t the eccentric recluses they’re often portrayed to be “There are plenty of mathematicians that don’t fit that mold,” he says Mathematics tends to be a very insular field so while all mathematicians bring a level of skill to the table common problem-solving techniques are passed down from Ph.D advisors to faculty members to graduate and undergraduate students “If you look at a mathematician’s genealogy you realize they’ve been trained in a very specific way of thinking,” Goins says chances are the people who came before them couldn’t solve that problem either Breakthroughs happen when someone is trying to solve a problem using completely different techniques or a different way of thinking.” Omayra Ortega '01 and Tesfa Asmara '24 at the 2025 Joint Mathematics Meetings in Seattle Goins says he regularly studied independently at Caltech and Stanford learning new ways to approach math by interacting with peers doing the same “There’s a long list of Black scholars who—out of necessity or out of culture—approach math completely different than their white counterparts,” he adds “If math is going to excel as a field,” he continues “if we really are going to solve some of these interesting math problems we’re going to have to get individuals who are approaching them in ways they’ve never been approached before.” At Pomona, Goins runs the summer program PRiME (Pomona Research in Mathematics Experience) to diversify the field of Algebraic Geometry. He also teaches the Critical Inquiry seminar where students read biographies of Black mathematicians to grasp their influence on the field “Journeys of Black Mathematicians” brings those biographies to life “Every institution that offers a math degree should show this film,” Ortega says to understand the experience of their Black students Pursuing a degree in mathematics can be challenging—especially if you happen to be a person of color—but it’s possible to complete this degree and be happy and be successful.” The Claremont Center for the Mathematical Sciences Colloquium will screen Part II of the “Journeys of Black Mathematicians” documentary at Pomona College’s Rose Hills Theater on February 19 A panel discussion will take place at 5:30 p.m February 14 to May 2 with the exception of two Fridays on March 21 and 28 Series of weekly 20-minute informal yet focused gallery talks followed by Q&A on current exhibitions by artists and staff who bridge their unique viewpoints with works on display at the Benton This series is produced by Benton interns Dahlia Edidin Locke ’25 and Clark Louis PZ ’26 Eleven students worked this past fall in organizations ranging from the U.S. Department of Justice to Defenders of Wildlife, gaining experience not available in a classroom setting through the Pomona College Internship Program (PCIP) “Internships empower our students to translate their liberal arts education into real-world experiences and further develop their interpersonal and technical skills,” says Elizabeth Contreras, assistant director for experiential learning and career advising in the Career Development Office The internship program is a valuable resource for students pursuing opportunities that historically have been unpaid The students also receive support in finding internships and navigating the experience “These immersive opportunities are critical in their career development,” she notes “helping each individual gain insight into their industries of interest develop meaningful connections with industry professionals and inform them of their next steps.” Gage Wrye is a U.S. Navy veteran majoring in computer science During his fall internship he served as a machine learning research lead at the University of California San Diego in the mangrove monitoring team within the Engineers for Exploration lab During the summer Wrye had worked in the lab developing a visual classification model for mangroves so they gave me the opportunity to continue as a team lead,” he says Wrye led a group of undergraduate and graduate students developing AI models They are “investigating methods for satellite super-resolution so that we can generate high-resolution images from satellite imagery,” he says This work aims to enable accurate monitoring of vegetation from space Wrye notes that he had never led a team before this internship The experience helped him learn how to guide research through a team he builds and organizes He plans to pursue a doctorate and to continue doing research May Ling Roberts used her internship to help protect imperiled species across the continental U.S through the conservation of habitats and by researching and developing policies that state and local organizations can implement “I resonate with opportunities that are highly impactful and use applied sciences to achieve a goal,” says Roberts, who is majoring in biology and environmental analysis “I enjoy applying ecological research towards changing land management strategies to be more aware of wildlife needs,” she adds noting that “collaborating with stakeholders has been rewarding.” Maya Zhan, a philosophy, politics and economics major Public Interest Research Group Don’t Sell My Data campaign following a discussion in which she shared her understanding of data mining and its implications for a society that values political freedom “I wrote articles for PIRG’s data privacy initiatives developed advocacy strategies and wrote think pieces about our decentralized digital landscape,” Zhan says “I have written about how pharmaceutical and telehealth companies pay influencers to advertise on social media without proper disclosure.” She also authored “a think piece about how the TikTok algorithm impacts the way we consume information.” Zhan aims to work in public policy research political advocacy and magazine journalism Her internship gave her the opportunity to “combine political strategy and research with the freedom to explore my own ideas.” It has “taught me the necessity of accounting for different ideological perspectives when framing salient issues.” Pomona College Trustee Emeritus Terrance G Hodel ’64 P’99 left a $1 million gift to bolster a scholarship fund for students facing financial barriers Hodel reconnected with Tamara Achauer ’64 during their 45th class reunion in 2009 Hodel's daughter Casey followed in her father's footsteps Hodel ’64 P’99 was a model team player throughout his life dedicated to creating opportunities where everyone could succeed and thrive Hodel’s legacy endures through his generous $1 million estate gift to bolster a scholarship fund in his name for Pomona College students facing financial barriers valued Pomona’s commitment to providing an outstanding education to students with exceptional promise regardless of their financial circumstances It's a challenge Hodel knew all too well because financial aid made it possible for him to attend college all four years granting low-income students the opportunity to receive a Pomona education “Terry’s partnership with the College will remain ever-present in our community as his generosity will provide support for generations of Sagehens to come,” says Pomona College Acting President Robert R “We are deeply honored to receive Terry’s gift and grateful to be a part of his story.” captured here jumping for the ball in a rugby match against UC Riverside in 1964 Pomona is among 1% of colleges nationwide that practice need-blind admissions and meet the full demonstrated financial need $34 million of financial aid for Pomona students is provided from support through the power of philanthropy with 56% of the student body receiving need-based aid families and friends are crucial to uphold the College’s commitment to admit the most talented students and ensure a rich educational experience for every Sagehen student A mathematics major at Pomona Hodel was a proud member of the Kappa Delta fraternity and played football and rugby for the Sagehens and he carried that mentality throughout his life,” says Hodel’s daughter Casey Hodel attended Stanford Graduate School of Business where he earned his MBA he later enlisted as an officer in the U.S Army and served in the Adjutant General’s Corps during the Vietnam War Hodel landed a position at Sutro Investments working in the mailroom He was then hired as president and chief operating officer of Wells Fargo Mortgage Company which later became North American Mortgage Company Hodel made his way up the ladder from working in the mailroom to becoming vice president at Sutro Investments While Hodel enjoyed enormous success in his professional career “his kindness and integrity were what he was truly known for,” says his wife “his employees spoke to the example Terry set and how they wanted to follow in his footsteps — that was the true exemplar of the man he was.” Hodel’s commitment to leading by example extended beyond his professional life and into his volunteer work with Pomona College Hodel joined the Pomona College Board of Trustees in 2000 serving on almost every committee and task force a fundraising campaign and presidential searches He also held several committee chair roles during his 16 years on the board Hodel’s focus was improving educational access and expanding the socioeconomic diversity of Pomona’s student enrollment “My dad truly loved collaborating with the College and helping ensure it remained a place of equity and access,” says Casey Hodel His engagement as a trustee of the College and other volunteer work brought Hodel back to his beloved campus often allowing him to stay connected to the place that helped shaped much of his life he had the chance to reconnect with former classmate Tamara Achauer ’64 leading to their marriage and a partnership that would endure 15 years Hodel’s service to the College reached many corners of the campus community. He was a steadfast donor to the Annual Fund and was a key supporter in the groundbreaking of several signature buildings on campus, including the Sontag Greek Theatre, Smith Campus Center, and, most recently, the Center for Athletics, Recreation and Wellness “Terry genuinely believed in Pomona College and its mission and he was committed to ensuring young people have access to the opportunities from which he benefited,” Achauer says “This gift truly was the legacy he wanted to leave behind.” What will your Pomona legacy be? Visit our website or email our dedicated legacy gift team to learn more