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We are delighted to introduce the Official Pacifica Alumni Connections (OPAC), an initiative reflecting Pacifica Graduate Institute’s commitment to honoring, supporting, and collaborating with our alumni. While this new chapter is exciting, it reflects Pacifica’s tradition of cultivating meaningful relationships with our graduates by recognizing their invaluable contributions to the world and creating spaces for continued connection and growth.

Pacifica alumni are visionaries, scholars, and changemakers. They continue to shape the fields of depth psychology, the humanities, and therapeutic practice. Through Pacifica Alumni Connections, we are reinvesting in a culture of reciprocity—one where Pacifica actively supports and amplifies the work of our alumni, and in turn, our alumni further the vision and mission of Pacifica Graduate Institute.

The Four Pillars of Pacifica Alumni Connections

connect

Connect

Connect with your fellow alums and Pacifica through networking events, mentorship, networking communities, and alumni-driven initiatives that strengthen our shared legacy.

cultivate

Cultivate

Cultivate personal and professional growth through ongoing learning opportunities, workshops, career development resources, and alumni-led programs that foster a thriving community of depth-oriented practitioners and scholars.

celebrate

Celebrate

Celebrate your achievements, milestones, and impact. Recognize your transformative work in the world and inspire the next generation through shared stories, honors, and alumni-driven philanthropy.

contribute

Contribute

Contribute to the future success of PGI students and the ongoing legacy of Pacifica as well as amplifying your work in the world by sharing your expertise, research, and professional insights through lectures, publications, student mentoring and philanthropic efforts that support Pacifica’s mission and future.

Visit the Virtual Bookstore established by OPAC, dedicated to scholarly and literary works penned by PGI graduates.

CONNECT

Get Connected!

Connect and reengage with the Pacifica community by joining our OPAC email updates. Share what you are doing in the world with us. Stay informed about upcoming events, read inspiring alumni stories, discover professional opportunities, and learn about new offerings from Pacifica Alumni Connections. Click here to subscribe today and get connected! Share this link with fellow alums and help us connect the incredible network of depth scholars, leaders, visionaries and creatives that are bringing the Pacifica legacy into the world.

Sign up for this months Networking Event!

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Introducing Pacifica Alumni Commons: A New Way to Connect

In the spirit of tradition and innovation that defines the Pacifica experience, we are delighted to announce the launch of Pacifica Alumni Commons—an initiative designed to foster connections among our diverse and accomplished alumni community.

The Commons Vision

Inspired by the historical tradition of shared community spaces, Pacifica Alumni Commons creates structured gathering places where alumni can exchange ideas, deepen professional practice, and cultivate relationships that enrich individual development and our collective wisdom. Like traditional commons throughout history, our Alumni Commons is collectively stewarded, serves diverse needs, and fosters structured and spontaneous interactions.

“The Commons represents our commitment to the ‘4Cs’ of our mission: Connection, Cultivation, Celebration, and Contribution,” notes Bradley McDevitt, (22’) OPAC Communications Coordinator. “We’re creating spaces for dialogue as well as for personal and professional growth that honors depth psychological principles and responds to the practical needs of our alumni in their many diverse contexts.”

The Wisdom Well

This circle is a gathering place centered around intergenerational exchange, where alumni across career stages connect for mutual learning and professional development. Like traditional wells that served as community gathering points, this circle creates space for vital exchanges across generations.

Focus: Career development and professional identity.

Format: Monthly 90-minute virtual gatherings

Ideal Participants: Alumni at all career stages interested in mentoring relationships and supporting or seeking professional evolution

Circles are designed as intimate, professional communities that meet monthly in facilitated virtual sessions. Alumni facilitators guide Circles, creating a container for meaningful exchange while ensuring conversation remains grounded in depth psychological principles.

In the Words of Our Community

“What excites me about the Commons concept is how it honors the relational foundation of depth psychology while leveraging online technology to make connecting and networking more accessible to our alums who are doing amazing work around the US and the world.” shares Loralee Scott, VP Institutional Advancement and Lifelong Learning. “These Circles create temenos—contained spaces where the psyche can be engaged collectively, and where professional isolation can give way to meaningful and creative collaboration.”

CULTIVATE

Announcing the launch of a new alumni publication
LUMINA: Illuminating the Pacifica Alumni Experience

“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” 

— Maya Angelou

Dear Pacifica Community,

The Official Pacifica Alumni Connections (OPAC) announce the forthcoming launch of LUMINA, a publication dedicated to showcasing the diverse voices, creative expressions, scholarly work, and community updates of our extraordinary Pacifica Graduate alumni network.

A Mosaic of Light and Soul

LUMINA embodies our mission to illuminate the myriad ways Pacifica graduates carry the torch of depth psychology into the world. More than simply an academic journal, LUMINA serves as a living mosaic of our community’s ongoing dialogue with soul, psyche, and society in service to the institution’s mission.

A Publication for All Alumni Voices

LUMINA embraces the full spectrum of alumni expression, featuring:

  • Creative Arts: Poetry, short fiction, visual art, photography, and multimedia works
  • Scholarly Contributions: Research articles, case studies, and theoretical explorations
  • Professional Journeys: Career pathways, innovative applications, and practice insights
  • Community News: Updates on alumni achievements, events, and initiatives
  • Alumni Profiles: In-depth conversations with graduates making an impact
  • Book Reviews & Publication Announcements: Celebrating alumni authors and creators

LUMINA: Honoring crossing a threshold

A special section titled LUMINA  is dedicated to recent and upcoming graduates. This section creates space for those at the crossroads of their post-Pacifica journey, featuring their emerging voices, creative works, and fresh perspectives. LUMINA honors the transformative passage these individuals are undertaking while connecting them to the broader alumni community, offering resources, and serving to highlight bright stars among the ever-growing constellation of our alumni.

Call for Contributions

LUMINA invites submissions for our inaugural issue, scheduled for publication in Spring 2026. We welcome creative works, articles, essays, news items, profiles, reviews, and other expressions that reflect the depth and diversity of the Pacifica experience.


Join Us in Creating a Living Archive of Alumni Wisdom

LUMINA represents more than a publication—it’s a gathering place for our community’s collective wisdom, creativity, and ongoing evolution. As we emerge from this pivotal moment in Pacifica’s history, LUMINA offers a platform for diverse voices united by their connection to our unique institution and its archetypal foundations.

Watch for updates on submission deadlines, editorial opportunities, and our digital launch event in the coming months.

With great admiration and anticipation,

Bradley McDevitt, MA, ACC
Editor-in-Chief, LUMINA
Leadership Taskforce, OPAC

LUMINA is an initiative of Pacifica Graduate Alumni Connections, dedicated to furthering the impact of Pacifica Graduate Institute through vibrant alumni communities that nurture relationships, foster collaboration, and expand opportunities for personal and professional development.

CELEBRATE

Mix, Mingle and Celebrate

Congratulations 2025 PGI Graduates

Welcome to the 2025 graduates, our newest alumni! This year’s commencement ceremonies are on May 24 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Pacifica Alumni Connections will have a special welcome pavilion in the courtyard immediately following the ceremony for graduates to pick up a celebratory gift, sign up for alumni emails, meet the OPAC leadership team, and learn about the opportunities available as a member of the alumni community. If you are planning to attend graduation, please swing by and say hello!

For more detailed information about the graduation ceremony, visit our commencement page.

CONTRIBUTE

goddess-makers: in the age of autocrats

Are you a published author?

Visit the Virtual Bookstore established by OPAC, dedicated to scholarly and literary works penned by PGI graduates.

Gathering a list of alumni publications in one place:

  • Enables us to track decades of Pacifica alumni contributions to culture, consciousness, and the collective psyche.
  • Provides a virtual research center for students and scholars worldwide who want to engage with the work of contemporaries in their field.
  • Help alumni authors reach a wider audience
  • Assist OPAC in planning future Author Spotlights at local bookstores.

To include your book in Lumina Press…

Please fill out the Submission Form.

Have questions, ideas, or the desire to work with OPAC on this initiative, please email us at alumniconnections@pacifica.edu, and include PUBLICATIONS in the subject field.

Careers in Depth Webinar Series

Pacifica Graduate Institute alumni navigate diverse career paths, applying depth psychology in meaningful and impactful ways. In the Careers in Depth webinar series offered through Pacifica Extension, alumni share their professional journeys, highlighting their unique areas of focus, the role depth psychology has played in shaping their work, and the pivotal moments that led them to the contributions they make today.

Bridging scholarship with real-world application, this series offers attendees valuable insights into how a Pacifica education can support the development of practical tools for both personal and professional transformation. Alumni have built careers rooted in passion, purpose, and anima mundi. Join us to discover inspiring ideas and actionable guidance on how you, too, can integrate depth psychological principles to craft a meaningful career.

In the new version of the series, selected alumni will be featured in two virtual sessions. The first session will showcase a presentation of their work, followed by a Q&A segment. In the second session, they will host a mentoring circle, where participants can ask in-depth questions, share experiences, and connect with others on the topic.

If you’d like your work to be featured in this series, please email: extension@pacifica.edu with a brief bio and description of your presentation.  Please be sure to identify the career competencies and learning objectives that will be offered in your 60 minute online presentation.

SCHOLARSHIPS

ABAKANOWICZ COMMUNITY PRAXIS FELLOWSHIP

The Abakanowicz Arts and Culture Charitable Foundation, in collaboration with the Official Pacifica Alumni Connections, is pleased to offer the annual Abakanowicz Community Praxis Fellowship. Eligible applicants are first- or second-year students in the Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco-Psychologies (CLIE) specialization who are in good academic standing. Typical fellowship awards range from $1,000 to $3,000 to support the completion of CLIE’s community praxis requirement. This year’s application deadline is June 9th, 2025. Accepted fellows will be notified, and their award checks mailed, by June 23rd, 2025.

Requirements and Resources

Applicants must complete this online form and upload a proposal including:

  1. An executive summary.
  2. A detailed project narrative.
  3. A logistical and feasibility assessment.

In the proposal, applicants are challenged to undertake preliminary research about the artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, then thoughtfully draw potential connections to her life, art, or legacy. The full application instructions, including examples of thematic connections between Abakanowicz and the CLIE curriculum, are available here.

Select texts on Abakanowicz are available in the Ladera Library, and a collection of digital literature, including her autobiography Fate and Art, can be requested by contacting info@abakanowicz.foundation. Applicants must receive informal approval from their Praxis Advisor regarding the project’s purpose and feasibility prior to submission. All accepted fellows will publish a short essay on their community praxis in relation to Abakanowicz’s life and art in Visions, CLIE’s annual publication, as part of their final reporting process.

About the Foundation

The Abakanowicz Arts and Culture Charitable Foundation began in 2019 to carry on the creative legacy of the artist Magdalena Abakanowicz and her husband, Jan Kosmowski. Its mission is to support programs that investigate concepts of human creativity, the role of art as a visual language within cultures and as a dynamic force within contemporary society, and the intersection of art and other modes of inquiry for the purposes of extending the meaning and relevance of Magdalena Abakanowicz’s life, art, and vision for humanity.

MEET THE TEAM

Alumni Leadership Taskforce 2025

McDevitt

Bradley McDevitt, MA, ACC, (2022) is a professional leadership development coach with the Center for Creative Leadership and a humanities professor at Pacifica Graduate Institute. He founded Carolina Commons Creative, which provides creative consulting services integrating theatrical and somatic methodologies with Presence-Based® coaching techniques. Bradley holds ICF certification and brings over 30 years of professional theater experience to his work with leaders and organizations. He resides in Chapel Hill, NC.

Sayyad

Maryam Sayyad, Ph.D., (2023) is an independent scholar and noetic artist driven by a life-long quest for truth. With a PhD in mythological studies, a philosophical mindset, a visual and theater arts background, and an evergreen urge to distill meaning from myths in community with others, she founded The Garden of Noetic Arts where scholarship and art unite for the common goal of cultivating knowledge.

Warren

Lorraine Warren, Ph.D., (2017) Lorraine Warren, PhD has dedicated over 20 years to peace-building, dialogue, and conflict transformation across 100 countries. Her heart found its true calling in Rwanda, Central Africa, where she documented the powerful stories of genocide survivors. This experience inspired “Creating a World that Listens,” a project placing red chairs in public spaces where citizens share their deepest concerns. Her work has directly impacted thousands of leaders worldwide, earning her the Legacy International Humanitarian Award and the Josephine “Scout” Wollman Fuller Award from Psychologists for Social Responsibility for advancing peace and social justice.

In addition to her degree at Pacifica in Depth Psychology with emphasis in Community Psychology, Liberation Psychology, and Ecopsychology, she holds Master’s degrees in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University of PA and Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. Currently, she studies at Harvard University as a participant in Power Innovation and Leadership, a cohort of global leaders who are considered innovators, institution builders, and change makers.

Zajchowski

Stephanie Zajchowski, Ph.D., (2019) is a mythologist who serves as the Director of Operations for the Joseph Campbell Foundation. She is a contributing author of Goddesses: A Skeleton Key Study Guide, a regular contributor to the popular MythBlast essay series, and a teacher in the foundation’s online courses. Stephanie is a co-founder of The Fates and Graces, which hosts webinars and workshops for mythic readers and writers. With a background in corporate marketing, communications, and instructional design, as well as a doctorate in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Depth Psychology, Stephanie brings a unique perspective to her work. She integrates strategic insight with the transformative power of myth, helping individuals and communities uncover the deeper narratives shaping their lives. For more information, visit stephaniezajchowski.com.

Scott

Loralee M. Scott, MFA, as Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Lifelong Learning, Loralee will lead and guide the development and growth of OPAC. An entrepreneurial leader, she brings a proven track record of successful organizational leadership as well as post-graduate, depth psychologically informed curriculum design, development and delivery.

Loralee holds an MFA degree in inter-disciplinary studies focused on somatic depth psychology and cultural transformation. Her work as an award-winning choreographer is featured in Grief and the Expressive Arts published by Routledge and was responsible for the creation and passage of anti-trafficking legislation. A respected thought leader, she has contributed to Jungian academic journals and lectured internationally in several countries.

Loralee’s blend of strategic vision and hands-on experience equip her to effectively guide initiatives that bridge academic excellence with real-world impact. Her leadership exemplifies a commitment to lifelong learning and the transformative potential of depth psychology in today’s complex global landscape.

UPCOMING EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Goddess-makers
in an Age of Autocrats
The Power of the Creative Feminine to Re-Shape the World

goddess-makers: in the age of autocrats

An Arts-based Research Conference Hosted
by Pacifica Graduate Institute
August 29th-31st, 2025

In a time of rising authoritarianism and cultural polarization, the creative feminine emerges as a force of transformation, resistance, and renewal. This conference invites scholars, artists, film-makers, activists, depth psychologists, and cultural creatives to explore the power of the archetypal feminine to reimagine, reconcile, and reshape the world.

For more information click here.

The Experience of Healing:
Breath and Creativity

Breath-and-Creativity

with Marco Sante Beghin, MA
on July 22nd & 29th, 2025

For more information click here.

Seeing Ourselves in Others:
Freud, Jung, and the Nature of Projection

nature-of-projection

with Debra Merskin, Ph.D.
on August 19th & 26th, 2025

For more information click here.

SIGN UP

Get Connected!

Connect and reengage with the Pacifica community by joining our OPAC email updates. Share what you are doing in the world with us. Stay informed about upcoming events, read inspiring alumni stories, discover professional opportunities, and learn about new offerings from Pacifica Alumni Connections. Subscribe today and get connected! Share this link with fellow alums and help us connect the incredible network of depth scholars, leaders, visionaries and creatives that are bringing the Pacifica legacy into the world.

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ALUMS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

lumina bookstore
Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Publications

Visit the Virtual Bookstore established by OPAC, dedicated to scholarly and literary works penned by PGI graduates.


The Experience of Healing:
Breath and Creativity

with Marco Sante Beghin, MA
on July 22nd & 29th, 2025


Seeing Ourselves in Others:
Freud, Jung, and the Nature of Projection

with Debra Merskin, Ph.D.
on August 19th & 26th, 2025