PLU receives a $2 million gift for music studies from organ builder Paul Fritts
Pacific Lutheran University is proud to announce the establishment of the Paul Fritts Endowed Chair in Organ Studies and Performance, thanks to the generosity of longtime university supporter Paul Fritts, owner and founder of Paul Fritts & Co. Organ Builders. Fritts has pledged $2 million…
Matthew Conover ’19 explains how PLU helped prepare him for a career in software engineering
When Matthew Conover ’19 was a student at PLU, he recalls someone telling him there were two types of software engineers: the ones who chose to chase the money, and the ones who had no other choice. “I fall into the latter camp,” Conover said.…
PLU Wind Ensemble: Musica Ignota
The PLU Wind Ensemble performed the world premiere of Ingrid Stolzel’s “Musica Ignota” on October 9, 2021. Stolzel traveled to PLU to attended the premiere and work with the PLU wind ensemble and Professor of Music Edwin Powell in advance. A composition almost 1,000 years…
Simulating for Success
A pair of nursing students in grey scrubs knock on the door, wash their hands, and greet little Jillian, who rests in a bed connected to beeping monitors. The child opens her eyes and whimpers, then coughs. As the students listen to Jillian’s lung sounds,…
No Mud, No Lotus
Social work major April Reyes ’21 loves to talk about her tattoos. She has 13 total, nine of which she received while studying at PLU. She struggles to choose a favorite but says she loves to flaunt the lotus flower on the back of her…
(Re)Building Community
The PLU Residence Hall Association, or RHA, brings students together for social events, community forums, and to advocate for residence hall-related issues. RHA president Hezekiah Goodwin ’22 thinks of his role in building a vibrant student community as a campus vocation. We met with him…
Timely Research
Translating the Enlightenment The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently awarded Professor of French Rebecca Wilkin a $133,333 grant under the Scholarly Editions and Translations interest area. Wilkin and her collaborator Angela Hunter, an English professor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock,…
Housing Our Neighbors
Housing is something many of us take for granted. Much more than just a place to sleep and a structure to shelter us from the elements, our homes provide the space we need to maintain a functional life. It’s where we manage our mental health,…
Collective Impact: George Zeno talks Parkland, equity and community partnerships
Nearly a year into his new role as PLU Associate Vice President of Advancement, George Zeno and I took a walk through Parkland and discussed one of my favorite questions, #WhyPLU? Zeno is essentially a community matchmaker for social progress. Mentored at the University of…
People’s Gathering fosters timely conversations about race, perspective and inclusion
PLU Director of Multicultural Outreach and Engagement Melannie Denise Cunningham has an uncanny ability to get folks talking. In 2016, she noticed the community was yearning to discuss one pressing topic in particular. That summer, the news of Philando Castile, a Black man fatally shot…
Charged Up
PLU Chemistry professor Dean Waldow hopes to one day become useless. After all, as an educator, his job is to empower students to work confidently and independently in a field that is constantly innovating. He does this by bringing students into his lab to help…
Welcome Back Lutes
Most PLU alumni remember their first move-in weekend vividly. The nervous excitement you felt walking into your residence hall. Meeting your roommate for the first time. Just as you were starting to feel settled, it was time to head to your first New Student Orientation…