Gayle D. Beebe, Ph.D.
Gayle D. Beebe became Westmont’s eighth president in 2007 after serving as president of Spring Arbor University in Michigan for seven years. His inauguration in 2008 featured speeches by Steve Forbes, chief executive officer of Forbes, and Steve Sample, former president of the University of Southern California. Read more about the President.
We greeted about 400 first-year and transfer students to campus for the newly named Warrior Welcome Aug. 24-27. WCSA President Nash Garvey and I introduced ourselves to families at the entrance and welcomed them to the Warrior family. While we can say lots of positive things about these new students, we're particularly pleased we bucked the national trends with a 9 percent jump in the number of male students from last year. Men make up 45 percent of the incoming class — the largest percentage at the college since the early 1980s. We credit our innovative new programs, including engineering, data analytics and computer science, as well as the move to NCAA DII, for this growth.
SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS
Westmont Baseball Wins the World Series
We celebrate the best ending possible for Westmont Athletics’ final season in the NAIA: the baseball team diving into a celebratory dogpile. The Warriors secured a 7-6 World Series victory over the hosts, Lewis-Clark State, claiming the college’s 10th national championship, the first for Westmont baseball and the first by a Warrior men’s team in 51 years.
Faith. Climate. Action. Conference
A special thanks to Professors Amanda Sparkman and Marianne Robins, who co-chaired and hosted on campus the successful Christian climate change conference June 25-July 2. About 40 students and faculty from Christian colleges and universities learned about climate change and its widespread effects at “Faith. Climate. Action: A Workshop on Christian Climate Advocacy. ” We welcomed about two dozen top scholars to campus to speak at the event, which included outdoor worship services, hikes and hands-on planting in the college’s garden. To learn more, click here.
Westmont enters its NCAA Division II Era
Our Warriors now compete in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and play against new and renewed rivals in the PacWest Conference. We believe
this move to NCAA DII will provide better opportunities and experiences for our collegiate athletes. Congratulations to Coach Ruth McGolpin and the volleyball team, which became the first squad in college history to win a match as a member of NCAA DII. Zola Sokhela, Westmont’s 14-time NAIA All-American, earned PacWest Runner of the Week, the first NCAA DII honor given to a Westmont athlete. Two weeks later, Zola won the conference honor again. The men's and women's soccer teams defeated the Biola Eagles in their latest games as well.
Summer Research
We hope you’ll join us at the Celebration of Summer Research Friday, Oct. 13, in Winter Hall, where about 45 students will present their work, including some who traveled to Ecuador, Chile and Switzerland. Seven engineering students joined Professor Dan Jensen on a trip to Quito, Ecuador, where they shared their love of science, technology, engineering and math with children in an afterschool program. Ben Carlson sent three students to conduct research at CERN in Geneva, while another student won an award from US ATLAS Summer Undergraduate Program for Exceptional Researchers (SUPER) to continue research at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Jen Ito and two of her physics students conducted research at an elevation of 17,000 feet in Chile. research by Westmont professors and students here.
Head of the Class
Westmont welcomes four excellent new tenure-track professors to campus this fall. Sam Cole (economics and business), Linghui Han (economics and business), Paul Mena (communication studies), and Anna Jordan '07 (English) each bring a committed Christian faith and a desire to challenge students to think deeply while learning broadly. Learn more about them here and why they will make a significant impact in our community.
New Board of Trustee Members
In May, we welcomed Mary Barbour and Marcus ‘Goodie’ Goodloe to the Board of Trustees. Mary’s daughter Anna graduated from Westmont in 2022, and Goodie’s daughter Hannah will graduate in spring 2024. Mary and Goodie served on the Parent's Council before being selected as trustees. Mary is from Pennsylvania, where she has been an active community volunteer. Goodie, who earned a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University and authored three books, travels the country mentoring others about leadership, character formation and faith. To learn more, click here.
Westmont Soars in Latest Rankings
Westmont jumped 16 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges national liberal arts rankings — the college’s largest rise since 2010. For the 19th straight year, Westmont is one of the top two national Christian liberal arts colleges and the No. 1 Christian liberal arts college in California and the western United States. Westmont is a top performer in the U.S. News Social Mobility ranking, which measures how well schools enrolled and graduated students who received federal Pell Grants. The college rose 14 spots and is ranked at No. 137 (tied) in social mobility and is among the top 10 liberal arts colleges in California. For additional rankings, go here.
Thriving Students
As part of the Warrior Welcome, about 150 first-generation and international students and their family members took part in First Connections, a pre-orientation session designed for students who are the first in their family to attend college. This program emphasizes the various elements involved in a new cultural experience and the interpersonal connections vital to thriving in the college environment.The 73 first-generation students represent a more than 4 percent increase from last year. We believe Westmont is the right size and fit for first-generation students, and we're committed to supporting them and helping them connect with each other and their new college community.
100 Percent Success Rate with the Grotenhuis Nursing Program
This fall, Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing welcomed its next cohort of 22 students — 18 women and four men — at the Westmont Downtown campus. Meanwhile, all eight graduates of our inaugural Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing cohort have successfully passed the National Council for Licensure Exam-RN and begun careers as nurses. Half of these nurses serve in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. To learn more, click here.
Installation of the Adams Chair
We celebrated the gifts of Siegwart ‘Zig’ Reichwald and officially installed him as Adams professor of music and worship — all part of a wonderful day of music on Sept. 29. One of the many highlights of the installation service was hearing the premiere setting of Psalm 121 composed by our own Steve Butler. The service can be viewed online.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Homecoming: Return of the Warriors
We welcome alums back to campus for Homecoming 2023 Oct. 13-15 and to honor four stellar individuals at the annual Alumni Awards Celebration Brunch. This year's honorees are Jay (Ofori) Diallo ’08 (Alumnus of the Year); Jenise Steverding '97 (Alumna of the Year); Carl LaBarbera ’76 (Global Service); and Gabriella (Pinheiro Chavez) Avila ’14 (Young Alum) for their remarkable achievements in their personal careers.
Engineering's New Facility is Open
The dedication of The Fletcher Jones Foundation Engineering Building at Westmont College will occur on October 20, with an open house at 4:30 pm and program at at 5:15 pm. Westmont is helping to meet a critical need in the field of engineering: engineers with a solid foundation in the liberal arts, advanced technical competence, and thorough training in Design Innovation. Westmont launched a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a concentration in Mechanical Engineering in fall 2019 following record levels of interest in the new program with growing enrollment year over year. The dedication program and ribbon cutting will officially mark the opening of the much-anticipated facility.
Our many fall events include celebration of summer research, art exhibits, lectures, concerts, theatrical productions and competition by our volleyball, soccer and cross country teams.
As I begin my 17th year as president of Westmont, I can think of so many reasons to be thankful. I'm pleased to share with you the significant updates and activities of this unique and extraordinary college community. I would love to see you at an upcoming event and hope you'll participate in our vibrant campus life!
God's blessings,
Gayle D. Beebe, Ph.D.
President