latest from Video

A day in the life as a cancer research center intern

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 reading

PLU students and faculty collaborate on summer chemistry research

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 reading

Newly minted PLU graduates reflect on what commencement — and earning their degree — means to them

“Commencement means the culmination of hard work and accomplishments with my teammates and my classmates — so it’s a great day.”

continue reading

Moving Moments | PLU Commencement 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

“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 reading

Campus Tour: PLU’s newly renovated anatomy and physiology lab

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 reading

A conversation with novelist Mari Matthias ‘94, author of “The Runestone’s Promise”

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 reading

PLU students go on stunning rock climbing adventure in Vantage, Washington

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 reading

PLU Football: Behind the Scenes

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 reading

My Story, My Words: Ricky Haneda ’22

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 reading
view all Video

latest from Alumni, Internships, Career

Isaiah Banken ’21 earns Torrison Scholarship because of his dedication to medicine and faith

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 reading

Lifelong Parkland/Spanaway resident Kirsten Kreis leads Pierce County Navigator Program at PLU

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 reading

An internship with the Portland Pickles solidifies Simon Luedtke’s plans for the future

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 reading

PLU 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…

continue reading

Margaret Murdoch ’24: Contributing to a cure at Fred Hutch Cancer Center

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 reading

Breana Downs ’24: A summer soaring with native birds at the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance

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 reading

Beyond pedagogy: from Tacoma to Namibia, a partnership reframing teacher development practices

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 reading

From Eastvold to Broadway: Justin Huertas ’09 and Kiki deLohr ’10 debut on musical theater’s biggest stage

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…

continue reading
view all Alumni, Internships, Career

latest from Research and Academics

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 reading

PLU professor and conductor Tiffany Walker discusses her passion for choral music

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 reading

PLU students apply their communication knowledge to a campaign to help relieve medical debt

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 reading

PLU researchers shine light on RNA activities

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 reading

Lydia Flaspohler ’25 and Ryan Fisher ’24 dive into the secrets of marine microorganisms

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 reading

PLU Department of Anthropology completes repatriation of materials to the Nisqually Tribe

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 reading

Therapeutic Leadership: David Ward discusses his approach to leading PLU’s College of Health Professions

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 reading
view all Research and Academics

latest from Student Life, Resources, Community

The 8th Annual Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Series: Dr. Richard Lapchick presents “Facing Uncomfortable Truths”

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 reading

Lifelong Parkland/Spanaway resident Kirsten Kreis leads Pierce County Navigator Program at PLU

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 reading

Community Meals brings people together and feeds souls

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 reading

PLU’s Parkland Literacy Center supports local k-12 students, receives new grant

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 reading

How Erik Bainter ’23 and Jai Alapai ’24 answered a call that could save two lives.

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 reading

Communications and psychology double major Alex Reed ’23 explored film and storytelling at PLU

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 reading

Family ties and academic pursuits: Parker Brocker-Knapp’s journey at PLU

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…

continue reading
view all Student Life, Resources, Community