LMU Magazine: Winter 2026— A Lot of Hope and a Little Flex

As we were celebrating President Thomas Poon’s inauguration and the theme “Hope, Made Here,” I kept thinking about where that hope actually shows up in our daily lives as a university. Not just on banners or stages, but in the questions we ask, the stories we tell, and the way we challenge one another to think more deeply about the world.

That’s where LMU Magazine lives.

Lions — quick confession: I’m about to brag about LMU Magazine. Here’s the thing: it’s earned, and it’s the kind of pride we should all indulge in a little more.

Also: when I graduated, our magazine was called Vistas. Respectable publication! Solid name.
(It also sounds like something you’d receive from a concierge in a leather binder at a hotel. Timeshare?)

Today, alumni tell us something very specific. When we survey graduates, they consistently say LMU Magazine is the favorite thing they receive from the university. And I get it. It’s not just well-produced — it’s worth your time. It challenges our hearts and minds to frame the issues of the day through the lens of our values, our mission, and the intellectual rigor that LMU helped us develop as students.

The same way our favorite professors didn’t let us slide in class…LMU Magazine doesn’t let us slide as alumni or community members. Extending that challenge is part of the deal—and a lifelong commitment.

Now for the flex since I promised one.

With more than 110 national and international awards, LMU Magazine is the most honored publication in higher education, regularly recognized alongside publications like GQ and The Atlantic…and yes, the kind of design circles where The New Yorker is also in the room (in our room). That reputation is built on exceptional editorial vision, bold storytelling, and a level of design and craft that rivals the very best.

And the momentum is real. Just weeks ago, in December, LMU Magazine’s “L.A.’s Mexican Melody” was honored by the Los Angeles Press Club’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, a competition that routinely includes outlets like The New York Times and Rolling Stone. That’s not “good for higher ed.” That’s just…good.

What’s inside the Winter 2026 digital issue?

This new digital issue brings together big ideas, human stories, L.A. magic, and deeply relevant questions, including:

• The Hard Work of Hope, a wide-ranging conversation with President Poon on leadership, mission, and the road ahead
• Surfridge, a feature on the former neighborhood near LAX that now exists as a compelling ghost town
• When Power Attacks Art, examining Germany’s art world under the Nazi regime
• Deconstructing Cruelty, exploring where cruelty comes from and whether it can be unlearned
• Math Values, highlighting an LMU professor who integrates our justice mission directly into the classroom
• The Questions for AI, offering a human-centered perspective on AI’s future
• A thoughtful Letter from L.A., underscoring the importance of place and context

Take a few minutes to dive in. Scroll, read, share — and do what I inevitably do: read one story… or three… or click around thinking you’ll skim for five minutes and suddenly it’s an hour later.

I’m proud of LMU. I’m proud of our team and their work. Huge thanks to editor Joseph Wakelee-Lynch and the entire LMU Magazine team. Their creativity and care are the secret sauce and a powerful reflection of who we are.

Hope, Made Here: a lot of it is made in these pages. Read the Winter 2026 Digital Issue.

— John

P.S. If you feel like a stroll down memory lane, I put together this gallery of magazine covers for your enjoyment.