PLU receives multiple accolades for its commitment to military students and families
Pacific Lutheran University has recently been recognized by several college guides for its dedication to military students and families. This recognition includes PLU being named one of the top colleges in Washington for veterans by Intellegent.com and one of College Census’s best universities for veterans…
PLU signs partnership MoU with Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center
Leaders from Pacific Lutheran University and Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement. Among the first of its kind between Yad Vashem and an American university, the agreement pledges that the two organizations will work collaboratively towards…
Teaching in the Pandemic: How Three Teachers Made the Best of an Unprecedented Time
High school choir and guitar teacher Alonso Brizuela ’14 was in Spokane at a national choral directors conference in mid-March of 2020. Just a day and half days into events, the conference shut down early—due to a mysterious new illness that had arrived in the…
Q&A with Biology Major Brandon Nguyen ’21
Brandon Nguyen ’21 was born in Hawaii and moved to Washington with his family when he was a child and has lived in the Pacific Northwest ever since. Nguyen shares how he became interested in biology and why he chose PLU for his studies. 1.…
How the PLU School of Business is adapting with the times to stay true to its mission
The world of business is always changing. Markets trend up and down, technologies evolve, and ethical standards constantly progress. To many private-sector veterans, this rate of change can be daunting, but to students and faculty members at Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Business, they are…
John Evanishyn ‘21 studied environmental science on campus—and in France and Costa Rica—during his four years at PLU
John Evanishyn ‘21 grew up in Tacoma, exploring Point Defiance Park, Ruston Way waterfront and other urban green spaces. By high school, he had learned enough from his dad to become a skilled forager, someone who knew his capstones from his shaggy ink caps. (Those…
Broadway performer Jay Paranada ‘06 to speak at spring commencement ceremonies
Pacific Lutheran University alumnus and stage actor Jay Paranada ‘06 will deliver the commencement addresses at the virtual ceremonies for PLU’s classes of 2020 and 2021 on May 29. Paranada majored in sociology at PLU, and also studied at the University of York in England…
PLU Senior Elana Tracy on her (three!) study away experiences, learning during COVID, and plans for graduate school
Senior Elana Tracy ‘21 has mixed feelings now that her studies at Pacific Lutheran University are coming to an end. On the one hand, PLU allowed her to discover a passion for global studies while studying abroad in Great Britain; but on the other, she…
A Rocky Start Leads to a Steady Foundation
Samantha Saucedo’s path was shaped from a young age as she witnessed how varying health conditions affected those closest to her. One set of grandparents was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and suffered from deteriorating health. Another set thrived, living long healthy lives. Those divergent health paths…
PLU professors and students dive deep into the psychology of the pandemic
As the world was beginning to realize the enormity of COVID-19, two Pacific Lutheran University professors seized the 2020 moment to do significant research into the psychology of the pandemic. PLU Department of Psychology Chair Jon Grahe and his Statistics 232 students conducted a U.S.…
Andrew Schwartz’s journey from PLU sociology major to environmental justice advocate and eco-ministry leader
When we first catch up with environmental advocate Andrew Schwartz ‘07, he’s preparing for a massive road trip with his wife, Emily, and 8-month-old daughter, Maja. They’re headed east to visit Emily’s family in Illinois. But the 36-year-old Schwartz’s life has also been a journey,…
Virtual convening of The People’s Gathering to facilitate timely conversations about race
Pacific Lutheran University’s Campus Ministry and Center for Graduate and Continuing Education will co-host the spring virtual convening of The People’s Gathering: A Revolution of Consciousness (TPG) conference on April 22, 2021 centered on the topic Anti-Racism, Advancement Advocacy: What is it AND how do…