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Driven by the belief that collective collaboration far outweighs individual effort, nearly 20 theater professionals from across the country gathered at �ǿմ�ý on August 13–14 to launch the (ACTS). Funded by a grant from the , the new initiative helps faith-based drama faculty grow spiritually, artistically and vocationally together.

Five tenure-track professors, including a returning alumnus and an international design expert, join the �ǿմ�ý faculty this fall, bringing a shared commitment to integrating faith with academic excellence. The new tenure-track appointments include Stephen Owusu (economics and business), Gregg Ten Elshof ’92 (philosophy), Demetrius Tucker (English), Jarrett Walbolt (kinesiology) and Kristen Wood (engineering). 

The �ǿմ�ý Ridley-Tree Museum of Art presents “Haptic Knowing,” a new exhibition showcasing five artists whose work explores touch as a way of thinking, learning, and understanding the world.

The �ǿմ�ý Observatory opens to the public for a near total lunar eclipse on Thursday, Aug. 27, beginning at 8:30 p.m. with the max eclipse set to happen at 9:12 p.m. Members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit will also attend with telescopes to share. 

�ǿմ�ý’s first nursing cohort to graduate during the summer term honored 19 new registered nurses at a traditional pinning ceremony Aug. 20 at Montecito Covenant Church. The �ǿմ�ý Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing Program has quickly expanded to include three cohorts studying each year.

About 400 new students arrive at �ǿմ�ý for Orientation and Warrior Welcome from Aug. 26-30. First-generation students and international students, including dual citizens, missionary and third-culture students, arrive early on Tuesday, Aug. 25, for First Connections. The pre-Orientation program emphasizes the cultural transition and interpersonal connections vital to thriving in college.

A multi-year initiative launched at �ǿմ�ý grew into a vibrant climate advocacy network across Christian higher education. Faith.Climate.Action., a program funded jointly by �ǿմ�ý and , concluded its three-year run following a national retreat this summer on the college’s leafy Santa Barbara campus.

High school students from across the country converged on �ǿմ�ý this summer to measure the speed of light, characterize electroplated copper through an electron microscope, and contemplate how faith, philosophy and history shape scientific discovery.

Building on a decade of successful summer youth programming, �ǿմ�ý launches a year-round community music school designed for every age and skill level. Joanne Kim, who teaches clarinet at �ǿմ�ý and Santa Barbara City College, directs the �ǿմ�ý Music Academy (WeMA), which begins its inaugural session Aug. 28 on the Montecito campus. 

A longtime �ǿմ�ý theater professor helped create a process encouraging college students to develop short plays. In the past 13 years, the Hive has yielded 120 plays by MFA playwrights from various universities, providing eclectic and diverse material for �ǿմ�ý’s annual Fringe Festival.

Making the transition from higher education to the professional workforce can be daunting for college graduates. �ǿմ�ý’s Center for Applied Technology Lab (CATLab) rewrites that narrative by creating a direct bridge to the tech sector.

�ǿմ�ý alumnus Michael Hemmett ’25 has received a prestigious to support his pioneering work in marine geology and geophysics.

When her growing art career collided with domestic life, ’00 decided to secure a dedicated gallery space. The surging demand for her abstract acrylic paintings led to canvases crowding her home.

The Martin Institute and the Dallas Willard Research Center at �ǿմ�ý have given ’s “Ask of Old Paths: Medieval Virtues and Vices for a Whole and Holy Life” (Zondervan, 2025) the .

The rapidly accelerating world of artificial intelligence often fuels a modern culture of anxiety, but Santa Barbara tech executive and author believes humanity stands on the precipice of its greatest era yet. The audience of about 300 people reacted to his lively talk with applause on several occasions and gave him a standing ovation at the end.

The energy was electric as the athletic department gathered for the second annual WESPYS on April 26 at �ǿմ�ý's Murchison Gym. Celebrating a historic year of transition and triumph, the evening honored the resilience, passion and camaraderie of the Warrior community. From dramatic, hard-fought victories to the

A grant of nearly $100,000 from the (NetVUE) will fund a strategic, institution-wide �ǿմ�ý program encouraging students to explore potential careers early in their college experience.

This summer, �ǿմ�ý’s picturesque campus with state-of-the-art facilities becomes a vibrant hub of activity, welcoming young participants to traditional sports camps while showcasing newly launched, cutting-edge academic camps for high schoolers.

The Santa Barbara Unified School District’s Program for Effective Access to College (PEAC) held its annual PEAC Foundation Awards Night celebration at UC Santa Barbara, marking an inspiring night for college bound students as their college and university destinations were announced. It’s an evening of grand celebration recognizing the PEAC scholarship recipients who are often the first in their families to go to college.

�ǿմ�ý invites the local community to explore the night sky during its monthly free public stargazing event on Friday, June 19, beginning at 8:45 p.m. and lasting several hours at the �ǿմ�ý Observatory. 

The held its annual scholarship award ceremonies awarding $8.4 million in scholarships to 2,300 students, including a record 75 �ǿմ�ý students, at the Sunken Gardens at Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

�ǿմ�ý honored a number of employees for their outstanding contributions at the May 14 Faculty and Staff Appreciation Brunch, an annual ceremony that recognizes individual work anniversaries and accomplishments. President Gayle D. Beebe and members of the college’s executive team selected the recipients from a peer-nominated pool. An endowment set up by the late Bruce and Adaline Bare fund the faculty awards; he was longtime college trustee. 

The Santa Barbara Independent recognized �ǿմ�ý's production of “Antigonick” by giving a coveted Indy Award for Set Design to recent graduate Ily Litonjua ’26. 

About 200 art enthusiasts flowed through the �ǿմ�ý Ridley-Tree Museum of Art and the surrounding umbrella-covered patio for the opening of the Tri-County juried exhibition, “Altered Realities,” on May 22. 

�ǿմ�ý host its 12th annual LEAD Where You Stand conference, “Leadership, Human Flourishing and Artificial Intelligence,” from June 4-5 at the.

�ǿմ�ý highlights the talent of regional artists in the 2026 Tri-County Juried Exhibition, “Altered Realities,” from May 21-June 20 in the �ǿմ�ý Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. 

�ǿմ�ý honored some of its graduating seniors in front of the community, parents and guests on April 17 at the annual Academic Awards Celebration in Murchison Gym.

Twenty-two members of the seventh cohort of the �ǿմ�ý Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program were pinned at a special ceremony to honor their accomplishments on May 7 at Montecito Covenant Church. The group included the college’s first nursing fast track graduate, who earned two bachelor’s degrees in just four and a half years.

The (SBUSD) and �ǿմ�ý excitedly announce a $2.4 million award to launch a new residency program providing tuition funds for students seeking a teaching credential and position in California public schools. Each student will receive a $33,000 stipend for tuition at �ǿմ�ý and other living expenses, providing a yearlong, classroom-based pathway to the teaching profession.

Led by bagpipes under a blanket of traditional May weather’s fog, 356 �ǿմ�ý graduates made their Last March from Kerrwood Hall to Thorrington Field, where they enthusiastically walked across the stage to get their diplomas at Commencement on May 9. 

The �ǿմ�ý Women’s Leadership Council, dedicated to educating, enriching and empowering women, held its annual luncheon with keynote speaker , co-founder and principal, Rice, Hadley, Gates and Manuel, LLC and an author, former diplomat, speaker and sought-after adviser to Fortune 50 and Silicon Valley CEOs. Several hundred supporters attended the event on April 24 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. 

, a recognized leader in business, corporate boards, the U.S. government, the United Nations and nonprofit organizations, speaks at �ǿմ�ý Commencement on Saturday, May 9, at 9:30 a.m. at �ǿմ�ý’s Thorrington Field. President Gayle D.

Eighteen �ǿմ�ý students traveled to New York earlier this month with Katherine Bryant, assistant professor of political science, to participate in the as part of their International Organizations and Law course. 

Family, friends and art lovers all packed into the �ǿմ�ý Ridley-Tree Museum of Art to celebrate the 14 graduating art majors who presented their capstone projects in �����Գ��dzܲԳٱ��” on April 9. The exhibition, featuring a class of artists ready to make their mark on the world, will remain open through May 9.

More than 40 students will present posters and explain their research at the 30th annual student research symposium Thursday, April 16, from 3-4:30 p.m. in Winter Hall. 

The �ǿմ�ý Observatory opens to the public Friday, April 17, at 8 p.m. for a night of stargazing that will feature views of Jupiter and the star pair Mizar and Alcor. The event is expected to last several hours.

A 60-year soccer tradition is getting a new look this spring while benefiting a globally recognized local charity.

Juniors Avala Elwood of Carpinteria and Isaiah Conway of Spring Valley won David K. Winter Servant Leadership Awards for their selflessness and humility as effective leaders. Angela D’Amour ’01, dean of students, presented the 26^th annual awards to the students in Murchison Gym.

As the academic year draws to a close, the �ǿմ�ý music department is set to showcase a global repertoire in a series of final concerts and recitals. The season’s highlights include two major choral performances that celebrate Latin American traditions and serve as a formal send-off for the college’s upcoming international tour.

Fourteen graduating art majors will present their capstone projects in an exhibition that reencounters their cultural identity, family history and patterns, and art historical traditions from April 9-May 9 in the �ǿմ�ý Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. There will be a free, public opening reception for “Reencounter” on Thursday, April 9, from 4-6 p.m. in the museum. 

Kim Denu, �ǿմ�ý provost and dean of faculty, serves as the keynote speaker for the annual Good Friday Breakfast, “Keeping Hope Alive,” on April 3 beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the . Tickets, which cost $70 each, may be purchased at .

It was a night full of laughs and surprises March 28 at the as �ǿմ�ý celebrated its 65^th year of Spring Sing, where students from each residence hall produce musical skits to compete for prizes and bragging rights. Spring Sing, the longest running �ǿմ�ý tradition, involves hundreds of students who use song, dance and faculty/staff appearances to tell a comedic story about this year’s theme, “That’s Classic!”

The �ǿմ�ý Women’s Leadership Luncheon, an inspiring community event dedicated to educating, enriching and empowering women, features keynote speaker, renowned author, former diplomat and trusted advisor to Fortune 50 companies, on Friday, April 24, from 12–1:30 p.m., with check-in beginning at 11:30 a.m., at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.

A �ǿմ�ý Downtown Lecture will explore AI's real-world implications on Thursday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m. at �ǿմ�ý Downtown | Keith Center,

Members and supporters of the �ǿմ�ý Ridley-Tree Museum of Art experienced California’s Owens Valley and the Sierra Nevada on a unique trip Feb. 27-28 with stops at , the and nearby ancient petroglyphs.

About 120 junior high and 40 high school students enjoyed a special matinee performance of “Little Women” by the �ǿմ�ý Theater Arts Department on March 5 in Porter Theatre. The event, made possible through a grant from the Towbes Fund for the Performing Arts, brought students from La Colina, Santa Barbara and La Cumbre Junior Highs as well as Santa Barbara High to a live performance, many for the first time. 

Violinist Nathan Schafer of Highland won the �ǿմ�ý Music Department’s 14^th annual Guild Scholarship Competition and was awarded the $15,000 annual Guild Scholarship on March 7 in Deane Chapel.

Student filmmakers from around the world are invited to submit their work for the fourth annual Montecito Student Film Festival, taking place Saturday, Nov. 14, at �ǿմ�ý in Montecito. The festival’s call for entries opened March 1, and submissions will be accepted through midnight on June 1.

The festival, set along California’s breathtaking Central Coast, where mountains meet the Pacific