Rebekah Mergenthal named Benson Family Chair in History
Associate Professor of History Rebekah Mergenthal has been appointed as the next Benson Family Chair in History, effective Fall 2026. Since its creation in 2004, the Benson Chair position has supported faculty leadership in business and economic history through endowed funding that advances student research,…
Laser Robots at PLU!
Robots with lasers? This is exactly what students in Professor Bacula’s “Programming for Robots” lab used to create maps of the classroom using LiDAR technology.
Meet Yuta Shimazu, PLU’s first data science graduate
This winter marks the culmination of a journey for Pacific Lutheran University’s first data science graduate — a path that stretched from classroom to coffee shop to the soccer field. Before he heads back to Japan to begin his career, Yuta Shimazu ‘25 sat down…
Reconstructing a Gray Whale Skeleton
Biology students at PLU recently undertook a literal “whale” of a project! As part of Professor Egge’s “Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy” class, students reconstructed the skeleton of a gray whale recovered from the Puget Sound.
$3 million in grant funding will help protect 10 acres of prairie habitat at PLU
Pacific Lutheran University was awarded $3 million in grant funding to protect ten acres of prairie land on the southern end of PLU’s campus in Parkland. P LU is on the traditional lands of the Nisqually, Puyallup, and Squaxin Island peoples; as such, we acknowledge…
PLU Marriage and Family Therapy grads open inclusive practice in Tacoma
On a Friday morning, at a coffee shop where they meet for their weekly “admin day,” Megan Irving ’24 and Kiara Holden ’24 talk all things Bloom Again Therapy , their new private therapy practice rooted in accessibility, identity, care, and community. “It sounds big,…
What is an MSW (in one minute)?
We challenged Master of Social Work professor Dr. Anissa Rogers to tell us all about PLU’s MSW program in one minute or less. Can she beat the clock?
“Teaching Was Always My Path”: Alum Yisel Morales ’23, MAE ’24 reflects on growth and mentorship
When alum Yisel Morales ’23, MAE ’24 took the stage at Pacific Lutheran University’s 2025 Convocation, she spoke to hundreds of new students about beginnings, growth, and finding purpose. “The English Department saw me grow up,” she says. “Going from 18 years old all the…
Student-Athlete and Entrepreneur: Connor O’Brien builds his future on and off the field
PLU junior Connor O’Brien ’27 has a lot on his plate. He’s a student-athlete, business owner, and business major (finance concentration) with a data science minor. But for him, each role fuels the others. When he’s not in class or on the field as a…
PLU Awarded $2.4 Million to Expand Behavioral Health Workforce
Pacific Lutheran University has been awarded a four-year, $2.4 million federal grant to expand the region’s behavioral health workforce and better serve children and youth in Pierce County and South Puget Sound. Anissa Rogers, Chair of PLU’s Master of Social Work program, at the MSW…
From Air Force to PLU: Greg Perkinson’s lifetime of service
The PLU community is shaped by people whose paths here have been anything but ordinary. I had the privilege of meeting with an important voice and perspective in our community, Greg Perkinson . Greg is a veteran, PLU’s associate vice president of facilities, and an…