Dallas Willard Offers Commencement Talk
Dallas Willard, professor of philosophy at USC, delivers the address at Westmont’s Commencement, which features 341 graduates, 110 with honors, on Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Russell Carr Field. Walter and Darlene Hansen will receive the Westmont Medal, which honors those whose lives embody the very principles associated with the Christian character of the college. Commencement is free and open to the public, however, there is no parking available on campus. Guests will need to park their cars at Santa Barbara City College and use Westmont’s free shuttle service to campus for the ceremony.
Willard has taught at USC since 1965, where he was director of the School of Philosophy from 1982-1985. He also taught at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, 1960-1965), and has held visiting appointments at UCLA (1969) and the University of Colorado (1984). He has written many spiritual formation books including “Renovation of the Heart,” “The Spirit of the Disciplines” and “The Divine Conspiracy.”
Walter Hansen has served as a Westmont trustee since 2002 and is a member of the Westmont Art Council and the advisory board of the Westmont Museum of Art. He teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., as professor of global theological education and previously directed the Global Research Institute.
Darlene also belongs to the Art Council, chaired the group for two years and now serves as senior adviser to its executive committee. An artist and patron of the arts, Darlene serves as a trustee for the Museum of Biblical Art in New York City and for Rivendell Steward’s Trust.
“Walter and Darlene Hansen have touched many lives with their gentle graciousness, warm hospitality and giving spirit,” says President Gayle D. Beebe. “Their service and generosity to Westmont, numerous local organizations and the Kingdom of God throughout the world make them worthy recipients of the Westmont Medal.”
The Hansens have supported and volunteered for many other Santa Barbara institutions, including A Rocha Santa Barbara, All Saints by the Sea Episcopal Church, Alpha Resource Center, Habitat for Humanity, Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, Villa Majella, and Visiting Nurses and Hospice. In 2007 they received the Philanthropy Award in recognition of their significant philanthropic contributions to Christian higher education.
Three Monroe Scholars will graduate: Felix Huang, a communication studies major from Arcadia, Calif., Hannah Cochran, a political science major from West Linn, Ore., and Bradley Pearson, a mathematics and philosophy double major from Temecula, Calif. The Monroe Scholarship is a four-year, full-tuition scholarship offered to a few exceptionally high-achieving first-year students each year. It is the highest academic honor an incoming student may receive.