“I knew the university and felt good about this place. It’s been an honor to be involved in a more intimate way.”

Edwards, a family practitioner with MultiCare, became a regent in 1987 and has seen the university make great strides since them. Now in her final year of service, she is serving her second year as chair of the board.

“It’s wonderful to be involved in a place that is an investment in our future and is committed to stewardship for our whole world,” she said.

Her fellow board members are highly committed and talented, she said.

“They give their time, their talents and their energy and they’re always asking what else they can do,” Edwards said.

She has been consistently impressed with President Loren Anderson’s leadership and vision.

“He carries out the mission in his personal life,” she said. “I think he is more excited with each passing year than the previous one, which is infectious.”

During her tenure on the board, Edwards has seen PLU take great strides in capital projects, development and global education. She has watched as Rieke Science Center, Mary Baker Russell Music Building and the Morken Center for Learning and Technology grew from total commitment and forward thinking.

PLU completed a record-breaking fund-raising campaign last year that significantly increased its endowment and paid for several capital projects.

Edwards, who earned her medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, is pleased with PLU’s increased focus on academic distinction, student-faculty research and international programs. The university has seen the creation of the Wang Center, and has reached out in its commitment to diversity.