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…
The Kon-Tiki Museum at 75: Curator Reidar Solsvik to present lecture at PLU
Set your coordinates for a journey through history and across the Pacific this October. Pacific Lutheran University’s Scandinavian Cultural Center (SCC) is hosting the annual Thor Heyerdahl Lecture on October 8, 2025, from 7 to 9 p.m. , featuring Norwegian archaeologist and Kon-Tiki Museum curator,…
10 Years, 1000+ Students: a legacy of life-changing access
This year, Pacific Lutheran University marks 10 years of the 253 PLU Bound Scholarship. This full-tuition scholarship program has transformed the lives of more than 1,000 Washingtonian students (and counting!) since its launch in 2015. As a regional-serving university where most first-year students come from…
Co-founded by PLU alumni couple, Pretty Gritty Tours is a love letter to Tacoma
A coffee tour with controversy, intrigue, and historic drama? That’s exactly what Pretty Gritty Tours delivers on their bespoke caffeine-fueled walk through downtown Tacoma. Led by charismatic co-founder and PLU alum Chris Staudinger ’08, the tour explores the city’s bold brews and even bolder backstories.…
“We carry the strength of our ancestors” — Lute Areli Arauja Ruiz Interns at Latine Civil Rights Org in D.C.
Areli Arauja Ruiz was just starting her first year at PLU when her friend encouraged her to check out the Study Away Fair. That’s when she met Professor Michael Artime , who was promoting the Lutheran College Washington Semester , a study away experience in…