Dr. Eric Anderson has a rich history with PUC. He is the fourth generation of his family to teach at PUC, and has devoted 30 years of his life to teaching at the college on subjects such as Christian history and political studies. In 1912, Anderson’s grandmother, Agnes Caviness, was PUC’s first baccalaureate graduate. He has served as the Walter C. Utt professor of history, the chair of the department of history, and as the college’s president for six months. Previously, Anderson was president of Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas, from 2005 to 2014, where he served one of the longer presidential tenures in the university’s history.

Anderson holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago. In addition to 30 years of teaching at PUC and nine years of administration at Southwestern Adventist University, he has been a Fulbright lecturer in Greece and a program officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has written on a variety of historical topics, including Reconstruction in North Carolina, philanthropic support of black education, and Progressive Era vice reform. His most recent publication is a chapter in the Oxford University Press study of “Ellen Harmon White: American Prophet.”

Vola Andrianarijaona, Ph.D., specializes in lasers, solid state physics, and AMO physics. He has been an "Assistant d'encadrement" (assistant teacher) at the Universite catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, a " Wissenschaftlicher" (scientist) at the Max-Planck-Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany, and a research associate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Outside of work, he also enjoys playing with his children.

After graduating from PUC, Desirae Bach landed in Springfield Missouri where she worked at the Marlin Network for eight and a half years. There she art directed and designed advertisements, branding projects, logos, packages, web pages, printed materials, and illustrations. I worked with Nestlé, Otis Spunkmeyer, Heinz (Escalon), Torani, Everpure, Rosati’s Pizza, Checkers/Rally’s, and others. Then she went to Paper Muse Press, an ecommerce stationery store, where she redesigned the website, blog, and other promotional materials. She then moved to Utah where she worked for American Crafts illustrating and designing products for scrapbooking stores and craft stores such as Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and JoAnn.

Lance Bain, M.S.N-BC., P.H.N, Assistant Professor, specializes in all phases of mental health nursing with specialized training in the areas of child, adolescent, and military related post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic event management. Additionally Bain is a retired United States Army Major with leadership and command experiences. Pastime activities include spending time with family and operating a commercial salmon boat on the Pacific Ocean.

I come to PUC with 13 years of experience in medical/surgical nursing and two years experience teaching nursing part time. I am happy to return to PUC in this new role, having attended PUC as a student and lived in Angwin as a staff spouse. In my leisure time, I enjoy gardening, cooking, hiking, backpacking, reading, and needle arts. My favorite place to be is outside.

Rachelle Berthelsen-Davis, D.M.A., specializes in violin performance and violin pedagogy. She has taught at Columbia Union College; been the assistant director and concertmaster of the New England Symphonic Ensemble and assistant director of the New England Youth Ensemble; directed a middle school orchestra program; toured Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, China, Southeast Asia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean as a soloist and orchestral and chamber musician; and continues to participate in local chamber music and solo recitals. She is currently fascinated with alternative musical styles (non-classical music) and how to translate them to violin. She enjoys jamming with any group of instruments, reading, having interesting, meaningful conversations, and raising two young boys.

Lloyd Best, M.A., specializes in math education. He taught math and science in several academies for 14 years and served as a principal for three. He also worked as the director of the Educational Computer Facility at PUC from 1978-79 and has been a member of PUC's math department since 1988, serving as math chair from 1988 - 1996, and as chair of the departments of computer science, mathematics, and physics from 2004-2012. He loves to hike, and for the past several summers has traveled to Europe to hike in the Alps of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Italy. He also enjoys kayaking.

Chantel C. Blackburn, Ph.D., specializes in mathematical knowledge for teaching at the elementary level. She completed her Master's in Mathematics in the field of computational group theory and her Ph.D. in Mathematics with a Minor in Teaching and Teacher Education at The University of Arizona. From 2009-2011 she worked with teachers in high school and middle school as an NSF Graduate STEM Fellow in K-12 Education (GK-12). In addition to teaching mathematics at the undergraduate level, her professional activities and interests include teacher preparation and professional development for K-12 teachers in mathematics. On campus she enjoys musical activities and participates in the Safe Place program. Her off campus interests include learning to play different musical instruments and spending time with her two cats.

Katrina Blue specializes in teaching theology and Christian spirituality. Her Ph.D. dissertation is on “Union with Christ in the Writings of Ellen G. White.” She has presented papers at the Ellen G. White Symposium on the Holy Flesh Movement, and has published articles in the Ellen White Symposium Journal, a series on Paul in Galatians for the Compass Magazine, as well as Spectrum magazine. She is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Adventist Society for Religious Studies, and the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality. She has worked as a teaching assistant at Fuller Theological Seminary, a hospital chaplain, associate pastor (intern), and as an adjunct professor at Andrews University in the undergrad Religion Department as well as in the Theological Seminary. She is married to David, an anesthesiologist.

Born and raised in the Napa Valley, primarily in Saint Helena, Julianna Boydston grew up loving and riding all types of horses, and continues to ride to this day—it’s still her favorite hobby. Along with her husband and daughter, she lives on a ranch with chickens, horses, and dogs. Julianna received her BSN and MSN degrees from the University of San Francisco, and comes to PUC with several years of experience working as a critical care nurse, most recently at at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital for the past 5 years. She specializes in the care of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. Julianna is very excited to begin her career in academia here at PUC teaching Pediatrics and Management & Professional Practice.

As a professor of art history, Jon Carstens brings a breadth of knowledge of the humanities and a passion for art history, with a concentration in American art of the nineteenth century and the work of Winslow Homer in particular. He believes that “looking is not as easy as it looks," and in his courses he employs the visual image as a document to reveal how art and architecture reveal the cultural and historical milieu in which it was created.

Carstens rejoins the college faculty after previously teaching at PUC for 25 years. He lives in Angwin with his wife Claudia. In his free time, he enjoys auto racing, interior and landscape design, and travel.

Diana Cefalo earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music at Walla Walla University studying piano and composition, and her Master of Music from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in composition. Currently she is teaching keyboard studies at Pacific Union College as well as being an adjunct faculty member at Las Positas College where she is the Music Director for musical theater productions and conducts the Las Positas College orchestra as well as teaching piano. She also stays active composing and arranging works for various types of ensembles including wind ensemble, choral and orchestra as well as works for solo instrument and piano. Being an avid horn player, her composition “Twilight” for horn and piano won an award and was performed at the MTAC State Convention. Her collection “Solos for the Beginning to Intermediate Horn Player”, is published on the International Horn Society web site.

Prior to teaching at PUC, Dr. James Cephas worked within the California state prison system as a clinical psychologist, working directly with the inmate population at a maximum-security prison. He also worked for the Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center as a therapist in the outpatient program, as well as an adjunct professor of psychology at Argosy University for their graduate program. Dr. Cephas has over 20 years of diverse experience in the field. His counseling and advocacy experience includes children, adolescents, and adults, working in special education, probation, detention, psychiatric hospitals, community clinics, and homeless populations. He is also very interested in the multicultural aspects of social and psychological development, and in issues of social justice.

Dr. Cephas received his bachelor’s in human services from California State University, Fullerton, in 2003; his master’s in clinical psychology from Alliant International University in 2010; and his clinical psychology doctorate degree with an emphasis in multicultural communities at Alliant University in 2012.

Keunsang "Chris" Cho began teaching at PUC in 2019. He had previously worked as a flight instructor at Napa Jet Center. He really enjoys teaching students to fly not only in the air but also throughout the whole process towards each student's goal.

Amy Cronk, MAAT, spent the last two years in the heart of downtown Chicago studying to receive her master's in Art Therapy from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. While interning, she had the privilege of working with a variety of populations including children with autism, older adults with Alzheimer's Disease and dementia, ex-prison offenders and women receiving treatment for cancer. Before moving to Chicago, she received her BFA from La Sierra University where she emphasized her art practice in oil painting on wood, incorporating three dimensional elements, as well as welding metal sculptures. When she's not in the studio, she enjoys yoga, reading, and playing with her pets.

Tim de la Torre, Resident Artist for Film & Television, has partnered with his wife, Jaymie, to run a boutique media production company since 2009. With a particular passion for non-fiction storytelling, Tim has produced TV shows for Hope Channel, documentaries, and various projects for many corporate clients. His favorite parts of his work are to have his subjects trust him to tell their stories, and opportunities to travel the world. He is excited to mentor his students and challenge them to take their projects to the next level.

Jaymie de la Torre is a fine artist with a passion for texture and found objects. Focusing her artistic practice on sculpture and ceramics, her work reflects both the natural world and landscapes we find within our own mind and heart. She encourages students to explore the ways art-making teaches us about the deeper themes of life. Jaymie brings to her artwork and teaching a broad range of experiences including working with diverse groups in the inner-city, disaster relief and documentary film production. She loves experiencing different cultures and natural wonder across the globe.

Hobbies: enjoy listening to classical music, reading, travel and swimming.

John C. Duncan, Ph.D., professor, specializes in anatomy, human development and anatomy, and cell biology. He has been a PUC faculty member since 2000, and before that taught biology at the University of Delaware. He is interested in gene regulation during development, reef aquariums, and science fiction.

In Oct 2005, Professor Gaines retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after over 22 years for service. 12 years as a helicopter crewchief with the remaining 10 years as an auditor with the Marines Corps Nonappropriate Fund Auditing Service. Professor Gaines then worked as the Senior Auditor at the Ruddick Corporation in Matthews, NC from to 2005 thru 2007. In 2007 Professor Gaines became the Technical Director of Standards and Guidance at The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) in Altamonte Springs, FL. In 2009, Professor Gaines received a call to become the Business Manager of Forest Lake Education Center in Longwood Florida where he served for 2 years. In 2011, Professor Gaines was asked to be the Business Manager of Central Valley Christian Academy in Ceres, CA until receiving the call to join PUC’s business department in 2015. Professor Gaines holds following credentials: Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Government Auditing Professional. His hobbies include camping, hiking and ham radio. Professor Gaines is married and has two children.

Linda Gill specializes in Victorian England, development of the novel, literary theory and dramatic performance. Gill has written articles for Dickens World, The Journal of Popular culture and Victorian Institute. She has also presented papers on Victorian authors such as Bronte, Dickens and Kipling, in addition to papers on the Harry Potter novels at Popular Culture conferences. She is particularly interested in investigating identity construction, meaning making and power in narratives. In addition to teaching courses in Romantic and Victorian literature, Gill teaches courses in Acting and performs regularly in DAS productions.

Floyd E. Hayes, Ph.D., professor, is a zoologist specializing in the ecology, behavior and biogeography of birds. While an undergraduate student, Dr. Hayes took off a year to teach in an elementary school on the island of Kosrae in Micronesia. He worked for three years as a vertebrate biologist for the US Peace Corps, based in the National Museum of Natural History of Paraguay. He also taught biology for nine years at Caribbean Union College (now University of the Southern Caribbean) and the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, and spent a year working as a wildlife biologist for the Division of Fish and Wildlife in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Dr. Hayes has been editor in chief of Journal of Caribbean Ornithology since 2005. He enjoys birding, rock climbing and snorkeling.

Pablo C. Hilario, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, began teaching at PUC in 2011 after spending three years as a lecturer at the University of Connecticut. He is a biochemist by training and spent about two years as a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School - Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research. He currently teaches organic and general chemistry. He enjoys playing racquetball, listening to good music, photography, travelling and gardening.

Kathy graduated from Columbia Union College, now Washington Adventist University in 1991 with a bachelor’s in elementary education and a minor in English. She completed a master’s in special education at Johns Hopkins University in 2002. For the past 23 years Kathy has taught in a variety of settings ranging from regular education 6th and 1st grade to special education remedial instruction K–8, as well as adjunct professor teaching education courses for Washington Adventist University and Pacific Union College. She served as Special Education Co-Director for Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for four years. She received the Zapara Exellence in Teaching Award in 1997. Kathy lives in Angwin with her husband and two boys.

Michael Jefferson grew up the son of a minister and nurse in the town of Ojai, California. Upon graduating from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, he received his master's degree in counseling psychology from Bowie State University in Maryland. After working two years for Social Services in Loudoun County, Virginia, Michael started working on a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at The Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed his internship in Washington, D.C., with Shambu N. Banik and Associates, former chair of the Presidents Counsel on Mental Retardation. Michael is currently completing his dissertation on the experience of interpersonal intimacy by the adult children of ministers. He teaches for both the psychology and social work department and ECE program at PUC. His mental health interest and training are in ADHD, depression, and men's issues. Michael and his wife, Kathy, have two boys, Christopher and Nicholas, and live in Angwin.

Jeff Joiner has worked in healthcare as an RN since 1980. He has served as staff nurse, department manager, nursing supervisor, and hospital vice-president. He obtained his MSN as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Critical Care/Trauma. Jeff holds national certifications in Emergency Nursing and as a Wilderness EMT. He has been active in Emergency Management and Disaster Response at the local, state, national and international levels since 2001. He has over 10 years of experience in higher education teaching Nursing and Emergency Management. He has served as a content expert and lecturer in Disaster Response and Emergency Management. Jeff has been married to his wife Judy for over 30 years. They have two grown daughters and two grandsons. Jeff enjoys reading, scuba diving and international travel.

Peter Katz specializes in the history and philosophy of science (particularly theories of embodiment, emotion, and cognition) and the History of the Book (particularly popular readers, the history of literary studies, and reception theory). His research has been published in Victorian Literature and Culture and the Journal of Victorian Culture, as well as edited collections. Katz teaches courses in science and literature, literary theory, and online creative writing and publication, and was 2018 Educator of the Year.

Young-Chun Kim specializes in soteriology (the study of religious doctrines of salvation), Karl Barth and Martin Luther. He has worked as a teaching assistant, lecturer, consultant, and instructor-in-training at Fuller Theological Seminary and has taught English at the SDA Language Institute in Seoul, Korea. Kim has played the violin for over 30 years and enjoys drawing, traveling and learning new languages. The example of his family serves as a constant inspiration in his life.

Tom Lee, associate professor and department chair specializes in secondary science, mathematics, and technology. An award-winning teacher, Tom spent 18 of his 29 years of teaching at Columbia Adventist Academy in Battle Ground, Washington. There he received numerous grants to improve science education. He is a member of the National Science Teachers Association and the International Society for Technology in Education. Professor Lee is an avid (dare we say rabid?) fan of the Seattle Mariners (baseball) and Seattle Seahawks (football) teams. He enjoys his family, guitar, scuba diving, poetry, corvids, footbag, and marine subjects.

My graduate research included thermodynamic studies of protein-nanoparticle interactions. I enjoy helping our students reach their academic potential. I encourage them to also strive for physical and spiritual health, as they study. I love to hike, travel and watch nature documentaries, especially in 3D. I currently teach general and biophysical chemistry.

Helene Linzau teaches fundamentals of nursing. She continues to work occasionally at the St. Helena Hospital. She enjoys shopping for her nieces, quilting, taking pictures, and, if she has time, scrap-booking and traveling.

Charaine Lucas, Ed.D, is the Professor for Early Childhood and has been at PUC since 2011. She is the program coordinator for those wanting to specialize in the field of Early Childhood. She has taught in the Education Department for the last 21 years and her past work experience is within the community college sector. She enjoys listening to music and reading.

Christy Mantz completed the BSW program at Pacific Union College in 2007, and gained employment with Napa County, working as a Probation Officer for 9 years. A resident of Napa County for nearly 14 years, she has worked with a wide variety of non-profit and community based organizations, and continues to collaborate with local programs to manage PUC’s Service-Learning program. Always interested in work with youth and families, she has worked collaboratively with school officials, drug court programs, Child Welfare, foster families, substance abuse treatment centers, and a variety of residential treatment facilities across Northern and Central California.

Paul McGraw, chair, associate professor, specializes in American religious history with a specific focus on Adventist history and the development of the designation "cult." His Ph.D. dissertation was titled "Born in Zion?: The Margins of Fundamentalism and the Definition of Seventh-day Adventism." He is currently working on a biography of LeRoy Froom for "Adventist Pioneer" biography series. He also is interested in pretty much anything involving hockey, and loves to travel.

Tammy McGuire, Ph.D., professor, specializes in organizational communication. She taught English for many years at Sunnydale Academy (Missouri) and Upper Columbia Academy (Washington) and has written and presented extensively on communication topics, with several presentations at the National Communication Association Conventions. However, she is particularly proud of her communication research students winning numerous top paper awards themselves at these conventions. She loves mountain climbing, rock climbing, backpacking, mountain biking, bikepacking, and tennis.

Originally from Ontario, Canada, Michael Milmine earned his master’s in educational psychology with an emphasis in research from Andrews University. He is currently writing his doctoral dissertation on student engagement and academic success. As a graduate student, Michael co-taught courses in psychology of learning and applied statistics. When not attending or teaching courses, he worked as a research and statistical analysis consultant, designing research studies as well as collecting and analyzing data. At PUC, Michael enjoys teaching courses in the areas of research, social psychology, physiological psychology, learning, and death & dying. His research interests include the impact of media use on everyday life, academic engagement, academic achievement, and false memories.

In his free time, Michael enjoys reading, hockey, racket sports, hiking, rollerblading, and traveling.

Lindsay’s primary research area lies at the intersection of ethics and epistemology in literary journalism, with secondary interests in the areas of Children’s and Young Adult Literature. She has authored or co-authored over 16 publications ranging from truth claims in narrative journalism to the representation of agency in YA dystopian worlds. Her additional teaching fields include Renaissance Literature and Postcolonial fiction. Lindsay is on the Board of Advisors for the International Association for Literary Journalism Studies and is currently the Research Chair for the Association.

Angeline started her teaching career at Shoreline Community College, followed by Tacoma Community College and the Northwest University in Washington State.  She has served as a clinical instructor, simulation and skills lab instructor and also taught pharmacology courses.

Prior to joining the teaching profession, Angeline served as a staff nurse at Fremont-Rideout Hospital in California and Swedish Medical Center in Washington State.  She has particular interest in cost-containment in healthcare systems and has offered numerous recommendations in effort to improve efficiency in acute-care settings.

Angeline’s passion is to provide her students with educational experiences beyond the classroom walls.  She travels regularly (during summer breaks) for health promotion and disease prevention campaigns back in Africa, then during subsequent quarters she shares the new insights gained or lessons learned with her students.   

Angeline is also passionate about evangelism and her heartfelt desire is to continue supporting the less advantaged growing churches in various parts of the globe.  She also enjoys art, gardening, fitness and vegan cooking.  Last but very importantly, she enjoys visiting her dear parents Mr. & Mrs. Ddumba, who always bring joy and enrichment to her life. 

Keith Neergaard, professor, has taught at PUC since 1988. His teaching specialization is in marketing, economics, and management; and his research specialty is consumer behavior and services marketing publications. Dr. Neergaard has worked as a consultant, worked in the health care field and the defense industry, and taught at the college/university level. He enjoys tennis, golf, scuba diving, and traveling, and is a ski patroller at Heavenly, spending about 30 days a year there.

Bryan D. Ness, Ph.D., professor, has been at PUC since 1989. His research interests include plant systematics and genetics. He advises in the areas of biology, natural science, veterinary medicine, medical radiography and occupational therapy.

Elaine P. Neudeck, M.A., assistant professor, became PUC faculty in 1991. She specializes in exercise science. Her hobbies and interests include snow skiing, giving private and group tennis lessons, flower gardening, and above 5,000 ft. hiking.