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���ϰٿ�’s Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts hosts its 14th annual conference focusing on how a liberal arts education contributes to contemporary society Feb. 26­-28. The public is welcome to plenary sessions of “Liberal Arts and the Social Good.” A complete schedule is available online at .

The Provost’s Office and the Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts co-­host two free, public lectures Feb. 9 and 11 at ���ϰٿ�, featuring Elaine Ecklund, Herbert S. Autry professor of sociology at Rice University, and David McNaughton, professor of philosophy at Florida State University.

Two new college rankings list ���ϰٿ� among the top schools in the nation. Business Insider names it one of the 50 Most Underrated Colleges in America, and Princeton Review recognizes ���ϰٿ� among Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Best-­Value Colleges, “the best overall bargains based on cost and financial aid among the most academically outstanding colleges in the nation.”

���ϰٿ� graduating seniors Brynn Mitchell, Elaine Pazaski and James Wong present a fresh, fierce homage to the central characters of Anton Chekhov’s classic, “The Seagull,” in “The Nina Variations” by Stephen Dietz on Friday, Feb. 6, and Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m. in Porter Theatre. The play, directed by Mitchell with scenography by Wong and starring Pazaski as Nina, is free and open to the public.

Bob Woodward, the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, examined “Presidential Leadership and the Price of Politics” for 300 people on Jan. 16 in the Coral Casino at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara Biltmore. The legendary journalist, who has worked for the Washington Post since 1971, said it is not enough for a president to simply provide moral and ethical leadership.

The Fletcher Jones Foundation has awarded a $750,000 grant to ���ϰٿ� toward the renovation of the college’s biology and chemistry labs. The grant will improve classroom and lab spaces inside Whittier Science Building, which opened in 1985.

The ���ϰٿ� Observatory is closed this evening due to poor visibility. Please check back next month for another free, public viewing on Friday, Jan. 16.

Thomas Whittemore, ���ϰٿ� physics instructor, will operate the powerful Keck Telescope, a 24-inch reflector, while several members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit offer celestial views with additional smaller telescopes.

Four academic departments welcomed new tenure-track professors this fall. The five professors are Timothy VanHaitsma (kinesiology), Sarah Jirek (sociology), Enrico Manlapig (economics and business), Meagan Stirling (art) and Meredith Whitnah (sociology).

VanHaitsma, a graduate of Calvin College, earned a Master of Science at Indiana University and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Utah.

The ���ϰٿ� Office of Alumni and Parent Relations hosts a unique venture to the Bajío region of Mexico for alumni and parents June 27-July 6. The trip, led by Mary Docter, ���ϰٿ� professor of modern languages, includes stops at several UNESCO World Heritage Sites where ���ϰٿ� in Mexico students live and learn.

The ���ϰٿ� Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, hosts the West Coast premiere exhibition of internationally famous sculptor Chakaia Booker Dec. 11-Jan. 31. A free, public opening reception with Booker is Thursday, Dec. 11, from 4-6 p.m.

The ���ϰٿ� women’s cross country team finished eighth out of 38 teams at the NAIA National Championship Nov. 22  in Lawrence, Kansas, its seventh best finish in program history and best placing since 1998.

���ϰٿ� kicks off the Christmas season with the 13th annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Kerrwood Lawn on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 5 p.m. Following caroling and the annual Pickle Address, a mystery tree lighter will throw down the massive switch that lights a 150-foot redwood tree, affectionately known as the Pickle Tree. The event is free and open to the public.

This month’s public viewing of the stars will feature astronomical glimpses of a heart, owl and a Christmas tree on Friday, Nov. 21, beginning after 6:30 p.m. and lasting for several hours at the ���ϰٿ� Observatory.   The free event is held every third Friday of the month in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit.

The ���ϰٿ� Christmas Festival, one of the most popular holiday events in Santa Barbara, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with performances Dec. 5-6 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 6-7 at 3 p.m. all at First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance Ave.

���ϰٿ� student musicians and composers show off their talents at five free concerts this month, all in Deane Chapel on ���ϰٿ�’s lower campus. For more information, please contact the music department at (805) 565-6040.

���ϰٿ�’s Music Drama Workshop offers a variety of songs from Broadway to opera Sunday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in Deane Chapel. The Musical Revue, which will last about an hour, is free and open to the public.

The contemporary play "Almost, Maine" takes a joyful and poignant look at love on the stage of ���ϰٿ�’s Porter Theatre Nov. 14-­15, 20­-22 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. General admission is $15; $10 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased online at or by calling (805) 565-­7140.

The ���ϰٿ� Fall Choral Festival, combining the voices of more than 330 students from 10 area high schools, is Friday, Nov. 7, at 4:45 p.m. in First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St., and 7 p.m. in First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance Ave. Half of the choirs will perform at 4:45 p.m. and the remaining half will perform prior to the ���ϰٿ� ensembles at 7 p.m.

The ���ϰٿ� Fall Orchestra Concert will present a diverse musical sampling by such composers as John Williams, Scott Joplin and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Page Multipurpose Room at ���ϰٿ� and Sunday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. in First Presbyterian Church. General admission to each performance is $10; students are free. To purchase tickets or obtain more information, please call (805) 565-6040.

���ϰٿ� officially installs Edee Schulze as vice president for student life at a special convocation ceremony Friday, Oct. 24, at 10:30 a.m. in Murchison Gym. Speakers will include President Gayle D.

The ���ϰٿ� Observatory opens for a partial solar eclipse on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 2:15-5 p.m. At its peak, the moon will cover more than 30 percent of the sun at 3:30 p.m. The viewing is free and open to the public.

Steven Lee ’13, who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with honors, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant to conduct biology research in Korea.

Taylor Jashinsky ’14 will serve as a communications liaison for the next two years in Southern Asia with World Concern, a Christian non-profit committed to developing sustainable communities in poverty stricken areas around the world.

Jessie van Eerden, a distinguished fiction writer and essayist, will read from her recently published novel “” and other new works on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Hieronymus Lounge at ���ϰٿ�’s Kerrwood Hall.

Edee Schulze, at ���ϰٿ�, examines how small inequities can create a negative learning experience for female college students on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 3:30-5 p.m. in Winter Hall’s Darling Foundation Lecture Hall (Room 210) at ���ϰٿ�.

The ���ϰٿ� Observatory, which opens its doors to the public every third Friday of the month, will be available Friday, Oct. 17, beginning at 7:30 p.m. and lasting several hours. The viewing occurs in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, whose members bring their own telescopes to ���ϰٿ� for public use.