Back in the lab: an unexpected path led Angela Rodriguez Hinojosa ’24 to organic chemistry
“It’s like clicking Legos together,” she says. Except that the Legos are chemical compounds contained in an 1 H NMR tube. Chemistry major Angela Rodriguez Hinojosa ’24 lights up when talking about her role in the Murdock Trust-funded research on RNA detection . A collaboration…
continue readingPLU professor curates an Oxford Univ. museum collection at the intersection of religion, medicine and disability
In April 2023, PLU religion professor Brenda Llewellyn Ihssen , Ph.D., attended the Natural History Museum Late Night with PLU students at the University of Oxford. At Late Night events, the Museum of Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museum host tours and various evening activities offered…
continue readingPhysics Chair Bret Underwood receives 2023 K.T. Tang Faculty Excellence Award in Research
The K.T. Tang Faculty Excellence Award in Research recognizes up to two faculty scholars who have made significant contributions to their disciplines through disseminating research findings related to the discovery, integration, or application of knowledge. Chair of the Physics Department Bret Underwood was one of…
continue readingPLU alumna Shelby Hatton ’17 discusses her PNWU medical school experience (thus far!)
Shelby Hatton (Murdock) ’17 always knew she wanted to become a doctor, but now that she’s in osteopathic medical school she’s still deciding on what kind of doctor. The challenge, she says, is that she’s enjoying every aspect of her studies. That’s no surprise, because…
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A day in the life as a cancer research center intern
October 9, 2023
PLU chemistry major Elijah Singleton ’25 takes us with him for a day in the life at his summer internship at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle.
continue readingPLU students and faculty collaborate on summer chemistry research
August 29, 2023
Dive deeper into PLU’s summer undergraduate research program! Students Rebecca Smith ’24 and Aidan Hopson ’24 spent ten weeks collaborating with chemistry professor Andrea Munro to study colloidal nanocrystals, particles so small they are nearly invisible. #LutesEmbraceComplexity To learn more about chemistry projects, classes and…
continue readingNewly minted PLU graduates reflect on what commencement — and earning their degree — means to them
May 30, 2023
“Commencement means the culmination of hard work and accomplishments with my teammates and my classmates — so it’s a great day.”
continue readingMoving Moments | PLU Commencement 2023
May 27, 2023
PLU students, parents, alumni and friends gathered at the Tacoma Dome this afternoon for our 2023 commencement. PLU alumnus and filmmaker Joshua Wiersma ’18 captured moving moments from the ceremony.
continue reading“We are uncatchable” | PLU Women’s Rowing
February 1, 2023
“There is this moment, where everything around you disappears. Where your vision goes dark, and all you feel is the handle of the oar…” Today is National Girls & Women in Sports Day, so we invite you to put on a life jacket, grab a…
continue readingCampus Tour: PLU’s newly renovated anatomy and physiology lab
January 30, 2023
PLU Resident Instructor of Biology Michelle Crites gives a tour of the newly renovated anatomy and physiology lab in the Rieke Science Center. Learn more about the PLU Department of Biology.
continue readingA conversation with novelist Mari Matthias ‘94, author of “The Runestone’s Promise”
November 9, 2022
Mari Matthias ‘94 loved diagramming sentences back in the ninth grade. Later, she served on the staff of Saxifrage, PLU’s student-run literary and art magazine, during all four of her years on campus. Matthias describes herself as a self-taught novelist. “Once I decided to write…
continue readingPLU students go on stunning rock climbing adventure in Vantage, Washington
October 24, 2022
Pacific Lutheran University student videographer Matt Shaps ’24 joined our Outdoor Recreation program on an epic rock climbing adventure in Vantage, Washington. Learn about Outdoor Rec’s upcoming day and weekend trips at plu.edu/recreations/outdoor-rec .
continue readingPLU Football: Behind the Scenes
September 20, 2022
The PLU football team has begun its 2022 season. Join us at Sparks Stadium for home games in September, October and November. Full schedule available at: golutes.com/sports/football
continue readingMy Story, My Words: Ricky Haneda ’22
June 5, 2022
Recent PLU graduate Ricky Haneda gives a first-person perspective on his experience as an international student making the transition to an American school.
continue readinglatest from PLU Media Coverage
Feb. 7, 2024
PLU, MultiCare, and WSU Announce Historic Partnership to Improve Access to Health Care
South Sound Business
Feb. 7, 2024
New medical center at PLU might help Pierce County ‘health care desert’
Tacoma News Tribube
Feb. 6, 2024
New partnership will bring expanded health care access to Pierce County
KOMO News (Seattle)
Sep. 5, 2023
New collaborative program aims to help district grads address Tacoma’s teacher shortage
KING 5 News (Seattle)
latest from Alumni, Internships, Career
Isaiah Banken ’21 earns Torrison Scholarship because of his dedication to medicine and faith
January 3, 2024
Isaiah Banken ’21 knew he wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Banken, with a B.S. in biology and a minor in mathematics from PLU, explored various medical opportunities near his hometown of Wenatchee, WA, including working at a ski resort, serving in hospice care,…
continue readingLifelong Parkland/Spanaway resident Kirsten Kreis leads Pierce County Navigator Program at PLU
December 6, 2023
PLU and the Parkland community are familiar to Kirsten Kreis . Her roots run deep in Parkland, from learning to swim in the PLU pool, to completing her high school assignments in the Mortvedt Library, to walking across the stage in Olson Auditorium at her…
continue readingAn internship with the Portland Pickles solidifies Simon Luedtke’s plans for the future
November 29, 2023
Simon Luedtke ’24 is a strategic communication major from Newberg, Oregon. His communication studies, combined with his part-time job with PLU Athletics, helped him land a summer internship with the Portland Pickles, a baseball team with an unforgettable name and a legendary Portland brand. Simon…
continue readingPLU alumna Shelby Hatton ’17 discusses her PNWU medical school experience (thus far!)
November 28, 2023
Shelby Hatton (Murdock) ’17 always knew she wanted to become a doctor, but now that she’s in osteopathic medical school she’s still deciding on what kind of doctor. The challenge, she says, is that she’s enjoying every aspect of her studies. That’s no surprise, because…
continue readingMargaret Murdoch ’24: Contributing to a cure at Fred Hutch Cancer Center
October 18, 2023
Margaret Murdoch ’24, a biology and religious studies major with a minor in gender and sexuality studies, spent their summer in Seattle alongside some of the nation’s best scientists. Experimenting, analyzing, and observing at Fred Hutch Cancer Center , they were able to assist in…
continue readingBreana Downs ’24: A summer soaring with native birds at the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance
October 4, 2023
Just south of Denver, Colorado, tucked beneath the vast mountain range, lies Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance . Their vision soars high above the Rocky Mountains as they unite communities and ignite a passion for wildlife like never before, relentlessly working to deepen public understanding, resolve…
continue readingBeyond pedagogy: from Tacoma to Namibia, a partnership reframing teacher development practices
September 28, 2023
In Kwangali and Oshindonga, widely spoken languages in Namibia, “Uukumwe” means “togetherness.” For six teachers in Washington and seven teachers from Namibia, the word personifies the relationship-building that lies at the heart of education. “It was a vision that was bubbling in my mind because…
continue readingFrom Eastvold to Broadway: Justin Huertas ’09 and Kiki deLohr ’10 debut on musical theater’s biggest stage
September 13, 2023
It’s 11 a.m. in Harlem. Justin Huertas ’09 and Kiki deLohr ’10 are feeling loose, relaxed — even a bit silly — as they sip coffee outside Sugar Hill Café. In a few short hours they will make their off-Broadway debuts in a musical written…
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view all archiveslatest from Research and Academics
Back in the lab: an unexpected path led Angela Rodriguez Hinojosa ’24 to organic chemistry
March 7, 2024
“It’s like clicking Legos together,” she says. Except that the Legos are chemical compounds contained in an 1 H NMR tube. Chemistry major Angela Rodriguez Hinojosa ’24 lights up when talking about her role in the Murdock Trust-funded research on RNA detection . A collaboration…
continue readingPLU professor and conductor Tiffany Walker discusses her passion for choral music
November 29, 2023
Tiffany Walker fell in love with choral music in sixth grade and never looked back. An accomplished conductor and vocalist, Walker earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting at the University of Washington in spring 2022 and is in the second year…
continue readingPLU students apply their communication knowledge to a campaign to help relieve medical debt
November 14, 2023
PLU students in Professor Amy Young’s strategic communication class have spent the fall semester working with RIP Medical Debt , a nonprofit organization that competes with collections agencies to purchase unpaid medical debt for a fraction of the cost and helps folks run crowdfunding campaigns…
continue readingPLU researchers shine light on RNA activities
November 8, 2023
Audrey Borloz ’24, Fani del Toro ’24, Aidan Donnelly ’25, Grady Lemma ’25, and Angela Rodriguez Hinojosa ’24 spent the summer focused on synthesizing organic compounds called antenna ligands for lanthanide ions. When these molecules interact with specific ions like europium(III) or terbium(III), they exhibit…
continue readingLydia Flaspohler ’25 and Ryan Fisher ’24 dive into the secrets of marine microorganisms
September 28, 2023
Have you ever wondered how the ocean’s tiniest inhabitants play a significant role in shaping our world? Marine microorganisms, minuscule life forms, wield a vital influence over our planet’s climate. They manage crucial components like carbon and oxygen within the vast oceans and the atmosphere.…
continue readingPLU Department of Anthropology completes repatriation of materials to the Nisqually Tribe
September 25, 2023
Leaders from the Nisqually Indian Tribe visited Pacific Lutheran University earlier this month to take possession of materials from a PLU anthropology excavation done around Woodard Bay, Washington in the 1990s. This repatriation process was led by Associate Professor of Anthropology Bradford Andrews and Faculty…
continue readingTherapeutic Leadership: David Ward discusses his approach to leading PLU’s College of Health Professions
September 7, 2023
David Ward is a practicing therapist who says the origins of his vocation go all the way back to his childhood home. “I grew up in a family where I benefited from strong family ties, and I saw the impact of imperfect but strong relationships,”…
continue readinglatest from Student Life, Resources, Community
The 8th Annual Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Series: Dr. Richard Lapchick presents “Facing Uncomfortable Truths”
February 12, 2024
The 8th Annual Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Series presented by PLU’s Department of Kinesiology will feature Dr. Richard Lapchick and his keynote presentation, “Facing Uncomfortable Truths” on February 28th, 2024, from 7:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. in the AUC (Chris Knutson Hall). In his keynote presentation,…
continue readingLifelong Parkland/Spanaway resident Kirsten Kreis leads Pierce County Navigator Program at PLU
December 6, 2023
PLU and the Parkland community are familiar to Kirsten Kreis . Her roots run deep in Parkland, from learning to swim in the PLU pool, to completing her high school assignments in the Mortvedt Library, to walking across the stage in Olson Auditorium at her…
continue readingCommunity Meals brings people together and feeds souls
December 1, 2023
Looking at the packed tables, “the smiles on their faces, the sense of community, and the appreciation they express are incredibly gratifying,” says junior Rayen Slama, a Tunisian exchange student at PLU who volunteered for the October and November meals. Community Meals unite many people…
continue readingPLU’s Parkland Literacy Center supports local k-12 students, receives new grant
October 3, 2023
For the past four years Pacific Lutheran University student workers and volunteers have made the Parkland Literacy Center a beacon of community and learning support. Operated by PLU and located in the Anderson University Center, the center provides free one-on-one and small group tutoring for…
continue readingHow Erik Bainter ’23 and Jai Alapai ’24 answered a call that could save two lives.
September 8, 2023
THE PLU ATHLETICS MISSION STATEMENT spells it out. The “S” in Lutes stands for service — giving back and making an impact in the lives of others. It’s a value that two Lute football teammates put into action this past year. Just a few months…
continue readingCommunications and psychology double major Alex Reed ’23 explored film and storytelling at PLU
May 19, 2023
Sometimes the most random moments leave lasting impressions. Alex Reed’s first experience at PLU happened when she was a high school sophomore, when her school band came to the university to attend a music clinic. “This trip definitely put PLU on my radar as I…
continue readingFamily ties and academic pursuits: Parker Brocker-Knapp’s journey at PLU
May 19, 2023
Parker Brocker-Knapp ’23 grew up in Portland, but Puget Sound never seemed far—thanks to close family ties to PLU. We sat down with Brocker-Knapp to learn more about how this senior made the most of his time at PLU. How did you choose PLU? I…
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