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GAYLE D. BEEBE, PH.D.

President

Commencement brought an amazing close to an academic and fiscal year filled with joy and challenge. I’m encouraged by the work and momentum of �Ļ�ӰԺ’s innovative and resourceful community. With God’s grace, we finished in the black for the 41st year in a row due in large part to our fundraising efforts that have led to generous gifts exceeding $30 million. We continue to make significant headway on important strategic fronts: strengthening on-campus enrollment, supporting new efforts at �Ļ�ӰԺ Downtown and raising resources through the �Ļ�ӰԺ Fund, which benefits students. Our athletics department’s transition to full NCAA Division II participation has progressed well with teams competing in postseason action. I am thankful for all you do and for the privilege we have to carry out our mission of rigorous academics and deep love of God.

How wonderful to celebrate the 340 graduates who participated in Commencement on May 3, 162 earning honors. More than 70 Golden Warriors from the class of 1975, including Steve Stong, former chair of the board of trustees, marched in the procession to celebrate their 50th reunion.

Beloved professor and alumnus Jim Taylor ’78, who retired this year after more than three decades of teaching philosophy at �Ļ�ӰԺ, delivered a heartfelt address.

I presented the �Ļ�ӰԺ Medal to John Davies, an incredible supporter of the college and longtime board chair of the �Ļ�ӰԺ President’s Breakfast Committee.

Two days prior to Commencement, I attended the pinning ceremony to celebrate 15 nursing graduates, representing the fifth cohort of the �Ļ�ӰԺ Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program, in Montecito Covenant Church.

In response to increasing demand and need for nurses, the �Ļ�ӰԺ Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program has expanded to include a summer semester. In May, 24 more students began their studies in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The California Board of Registered Nursing approved the plan, which allows students to start the accelerated 16-month program in May, August or January.

The annual Academic Awards Celebration honored some of the college’s graduating seniors on April 9 in Murchison Gym. Each department chair announced an Outstanding Graduate, and the service recognized nine First Seniors, who graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA, and nine other students who completed Major Honors projects.

Earlier this year, the eighth annual �Ļ�ӰԺ Women’s Leadership Council Luncheon encouraged and empowered female students with scholarships and networking connections to help them thrive in their future careers. Featuring Henrietta Holsman Fore, a Santa Barbara native who served as executive director of UNICEF and USAID administrator, the luncheon has become one of the college’s premiere events.

We invited Condoleezza Rice back to Santa Barbara for the 20th annual President’s Breakfast at the end of February. She offered her global vision of democracy and shared insights about the importance of education and her life growing up in Alabama. At convocation, Rice answered enlightening questions from students David Shiang, Leila Shawrieh, Micah Fields and Kate Robinson.

A hugely successful Spring Sing showcased the amazing talents and humor of our students in the Santa Barbara Bowl. Most of the laughs went to Off Campus, which earned bragging rights as the sweepstakes winner for their skit, “Champagne Problems,” a Montecito whodunit mystery based on the classic board game Clue.

Nearly 50 students participated in the 29th annual Student Research Symposium presenting their scholarly research in April. The 34 projects spanned the humanities, social sciences and natural and behavioral sciences. Topics included sports anxiety and athlete burnout, stress in spiny lizards, analysis of a reusable launch vehicle, and the ortho-arylation of aryl carbonates.

Twelve graduating art majors displayed their capstone art projects at the �Ļ�ӰԺ Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. “Twelvefold,” which offered diverse themes focused on identity, relationships and place, featured artists Amélie Barrero, Creed Bauman, Mia Brooke, Jaycee Felkins, Erika Harrison, Tucker Howard, Julia Jachetta, Gray Mohon, Juliana Moore, Ryan Speight, Rebekah Steele and Laurea Wanner.

I recently sat for an interview with Cynder Sinclair of Nonprofit Kinect for her and her . We discussed a number of topics, including the role of the college president, advice to students, the latest construction at �Ļ�ӰԺ Downtown and my book, “The Crucibles that Shape Us.”

The Warriors achieved successful 2025 spring seasons, showcasing championship moments, record-breaking performances and standout student athletes who left their marks in competition. From the baseball diamond to the track and beyond, the Warriors proved once again why their legacy continues to grow stronger with each season. Baseball turned in one of the most dominant campaigns of the year, capturing both the PacWest Regular Season Title and the PacWest Tournament Championship.

It’s always a joy to recognize our employees at the annual Staff and Faculty Appreciation Brunch and this year was no different. After we honored those celebrating service anniversaries, we announced the Employees of the Year: Charles Ryu, Christen Foell '01 and Aaron Sizer '01. Charles, the overachieving mobile, web application and content management system developer, recently appeared on to talk about escaping from North Korea – twice. Christen and Aaron, co-direct the Gaede Institute for Liberal Arts, which oversees four programs: Thriving Communities, New Frontiers, Young Adult Leadership Lab and the Incarnational Preaching Project.

Earlier this month, we concluded the 11th annual LEAD Where You Stand conference, a sold-out, two-day event that featured an impressive lineup of world-class keynote speakers, including David Brooks, New York Times columnist and bestselling author, and Charles Duhigg, author of “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection.”

This summer, we hope to begin construction on a new $7 million building north of the Global Leadership Center to house the Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture. The 3,700-square-foot complex at 909 La Paz Road will provide classrooms, seminar rooms and a covered, outdoor area for receptions and social gatherings. We are also finishing renovations at the �Ļ�ӰԺ Downtown | Keith Center at 29 W. Anapamu Street that will house an expanded Grotenhuis Nursing program and other post-secondary programs to meet the community’s growing needs. 

We hope you’ll join us in ‘Cultivating Community in the Age of AI” at the annual Impact Conference on July 24-25 in the Global Leadership Center. Senior technology leaders in higher education discuss leveraging AI to strengthen, rather than replace, the human connections at the heart of our institutions.

Blessings,

Gayle D. Beebe, Ph.D.
President