After a pandemic hiatus, study away trips returned during J-Term
After a hiatus last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 65 undergraduate and 22 graduate students from Pacific Lutheran University were able to participate in January term study away trips this year. The program took PLU students all over the world, with courses designed and…
PLU School of Business renews a mark of distinction with AACSB accreditation
Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Business continues a half-century of excellence by extending its accreditation from AACSB International for its undergraduate and graduate programs. “This is a major accomplishment and signifies academic excellence at PLU,” said Mark Mulder, Ph.D., dean of the School of Business.…
Microsoft Philanthropies VP Justin Spelhaug to speak at PLU on March 10
Big Tech sometimes gets a bad rap, with critics pointing to its potential for spying on us, tricking us or leading us to rack and ruin. But technology can be a greater force for good. Justin Spelhaug, vice president of the Tech for Social Impact…
Wang Symposium reaches across disciplines to find the power of healing
Two years ago, the Wang Symposium explored the phenomenon of political and societal polarization, and its effect on our world. This year, the 10th Biennial Wang Symposium comes full circle, with a focus on “Healing: Pathways for Restoration and Renewal.” “Even as I was planning…
The Head in the Game: Q&A with PLU Coach Goes Inside the Mind of an Athlete
Zach Willis ’19 earned a BA in kinesiology with a concentration in health and fitness promotion and minored in sport and exercise psychology while playing on the football team at Pacific Lutheran University Last year he returned to the university to serve as the football…
Biomimicry 3.8 founder to speak at PLU’s annual Rachel Carson Lecture
Pacific Lutheran University is excited to welcome Dayna Baumeister, a professor at Arizona State University who holds a doctorate in organismic biology and ecology, to deliver the 2022 Rachel Carson Science, Technology and Society Lecture. Baumeister will present “(Re)Buiding a Thriving World–Mentored By Nature’s Genius”…
Longtime faculty member Karen McConnell named AVP and Chief Institutional Effectiveness Officer
Karen McConnell, Ph.D., has been named Associate Vice President and Chief Institutional Effectiveness Officer at Pacific Lutheran University. McConnell joined PLU in 1998 as a faculty member in Kinesiology and was appointed Dean of the School of Education & Kinesiology in the fall of 2018.…
Ian Lindhartsen ’20 uses his individualized major to pursue his passion for music
Ian Lindhartsen entered PLU with a plan. The 253 PLU Bound scholarship recipient from the Key Peninsula began his first year with plans to major in music education. But best-laid plans often go awry. Lindhartsen soon realized that wasn’t the path for him. He knew…
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.…
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…