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.”

Libna Arroyo grew up as the daughter of a missionary pastor and a teacher. She lived in several countries in Central America, Canada, and several states of the United States of America. Libna graduated from Southern Adventist University with a BA in Psychology, a Minor in Spanish, and a Masters in School counseling. For the last 14 years, Libna has worked in all areas of education and counseling, across 7 states, as counselor in elementary, middle/high school, alternative and adult education, mental health centers and taught college in Denver, Colorado.

She is interested in pursuing a PH. D in either counselor education, developmental or cognitive psychology.

Libna has a passion for research in psychology and some of her research interests include: the correlation between child

development and technology, academic achievement among minority students in the USA, the correlation between childhood trauma, fear development and resiliency.

She is married to Jonathan, a hospital and Air Force chaplain and they have two children, Nolan, and Katherine, and live in Angwin.

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.

Susan Bussell, professor of nursing, started teaching full-time at PUC in 2005 after teaching clinicals as an adjunct professor at Kaiser Vallejo in 2003. With a CNE, she taught pharmacology, pathophysiology, and multiple medical/surgical classes. Between 2014 and 2020, she was the AS program director. Susan was honored to be awarded Educator of the Year in the 2022-23 school year.

She graduated from LLUSN in 1993 with a BSN and received her MSN and acute care nurse practitioner from USCF in 1999. In 2013, she graduated from LLUSN with her DNP. Susan met her husband Ty at PUC, and they have been married for almost 30 years. Napa Valley has been home for 31 years with their four children, including her daughter-in-law. She loves baking, providing food for groups, traveling, and being with her family and dogs. Susan enjoys crafts, sewing, and everything Christmas.

Luke Butler is a native of Angwin. He has a deep connection to the town by attending PUC Elementary, PUC Prep., and graduating from PUC with a B.S. in Aviation. Inspired by his love for aviation, Luke chose to stay with PUC after completing his degree in 2019. With a focus on safety and mentorship, he guides aspiring pilots toward achieving their goals with care and expertise. He has been with PUC since 2021 and has FAA accomplishments, commercial pilot privileges (MEL, SEL, and SES), and is an SEL flight instructor.

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.

Merilyn Chaffee received a bachelor's of technology, aviation flight and maintenance from Andrews University in 1997 and a master's degree from Pacific Union College in 1999. She has been the vice president of operations at Dream Flights since 2015, and a real estate broker since 2010. Her FAA ratings include commercial pilot, instrument flight instructor, and airframe and powerplant mechanic. She has been a flight instructor for many years in places such as PUC Flight Center, MI Air in Redlands, CA, and Kaiser Air in Santa Rosa, CA. Merilyn has also taught classes to students in sixth grade up to the collegiate level in subjects such as music, education, and aviation. Flying has always been a big part of her life, and she is excited to share her love of aviation with PUC students and be a part of a program that trains Christ-centered pilots for lives of service. Merilyn is married to Garrison Chaffee, PUC Youth and Associate Pastor and they have 3 teenagers.

Tony Chung, adjunct nursing professor and clinical instructor at Piner’s Nursing Home in Napa, California, joined PUC in 2021. He has a background in geriatric care, and his transition from bedside nurse to educator allows his nursing students to apply their learned concepts to a clinical setting under experienced guidance. He wants to ensure each student nurse has an equal opportunity to deliver care, safety, and comfort to their patients with confidence.

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.

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.

Tim de la Torre, Assistant Professor of 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.

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.

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.

Dr. Lindsay (Morton) Hayasaka is an experienced educator and administrator. Beginning her career as a high school English teacher in 2004, Dr. Hayasaka obtained a master's degree in professional writing and literature from Deakin University (Melbourne, Australia) and a doctorate in journalism from Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand). She taught at Avondale University and worked as assistant dean in the faculty of Arts, Nursing and Theology in New South Wales, Australia, before moving to the United States to teach at Pacific Union College. She became associate academic dean of the college in 2021 and transitioned into the role of dean in 2023. Dr. Hayasaka is an active member of her scholarly community and currently serves as the second vice president of the International Association for Literary Journalism Studies. She enjoys researching in the field of literary journalism, writing and producing musicals, creating community, and travelling with her husband.

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 was editor in chief of Journal of Caribbean Ornithology during 2005-2013 and was a Fulbright Scholar to Paraguay in 2012. He enjoys birding, rock climbing and snorkeling.

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 20 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. He continues to maintain a clinical practice in Emergency Nursing and is a volunteer Firefighter/EMT. Jeff has been married to his wife Judy for over 40 years. They have two grown daughters and four grandsons. Jeff enjoys camping, reading, scuba diving and international travel.

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.

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.

Emily Logan specializes in creative writing with an emphasis on prose. She is particularly interested in short story, flash fiction, and personal essay forms. Her stories and essays appear in The Roadrunner Review, Reflex Fiction, Watershed Review, and elsewhere, and her work has received support from AWP's Writer to Writer Mentorship Program and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. She teaches courses in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

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.

Daniel Navarro is a flight instructor who teaches 1-on-1 flight and ground lessons and program course lectures. He first worked at PUC as a flight instructor in 2016 and 2017, then came back in December 2023.
Before working at PUC, Daniel was an Air Ambulance pilot in Juneau, Alaska. Since becoming a pilot in 2013, he gained experience as a seaplane charter pilot and flight instructor in south-central Alaska, a banner pilot in Maryland, an amphibious aircraft instructor in Vacaville, and an airline pilot based in New York City, Chicago, and Salt Lake City.
Daniel grew up in Los Angeles and now resides in Angwin. He enjoys playing guitar, hiking the PUC forests, skiing, snowboarding, biking, and cooking.

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.

Marie Pak, Ph.D., professor, began teaching at PUC in 1999. She specializes in biochemistry and spent six years as a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland. Dr. Pak enjoys reading, going to state fairs, and watching movies.

Laurie Parson, DNP, RN-BC, Associate Professor, has worked in healthcare for over 25 years starting as a certified nursing assistant. She has experience in medical/surgical acute care, long-term care, and nursing education. She holds ANCC Board Certification as a medical/surgical nurse and as a gerontological nurse and NLN Certification as a Certified Nurse Educator. Some of her favorite pastimes include, hiking, camping, reading, and traveling with family.

Jennifer Oliverio Peñaflorida is an assistant professor in the Department of Education and the Department of English. She is a teacher educator with a focus on literacy learning.

Dr. Peñaflorida is also a teacher consultant for the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project and a researcher for the National Writing Project. Peñaflorida’s research interests include writing process pedagogy, writing instruction and new teacher coaching. She has been published in the English Journal, Oklahoma English Journal and the International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies. She has presented in numerous national and state conferences.

Assistant Professor of Nursing Nicolette Piaubert loves God and lives to serve. Her commitment to service includes a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner, but Nicolette’s impact on her community is widespread. She has been active in serving underprivileged children as the founder and CEO of The Talented Tenth Highlanders Summer Camp, as well as helping others obtain their nursing degrees through her Gab-Nic Excelsior Nursing Tutoring Center, both in Brooklyn, New York.

Nicolette is a published author who is also dedicated to supporting marginalized people to find their voices and make them heard through self-publishing. Her first book, Becoming, was published in 2013 and How to Beat a Rigged School System: 13 Steps to 100% followed in 2020. She is currently working on her third book and maintains an active vlogging presence on Facebook and TikTok.

Nicolette received her BSN from Atlantic Union College and her MSN from Pace University, and her favorite text is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Sylvia Rasi Gregorutti specializes in applied and sociolinguistics, as well as world language instruction. She has worked as Foreign Language Testing Specialist at the Center for Applied Linguistics, and was recipient of the Title VII Fellowship from the U.S. Dept. of Education. During her tenure at PUC, Rasi Gregorutti has taught linguistics, ESL, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish (literature and film, Spanish for business and health care) as well as ESL teacher training. She has co-led Honors Program study tours to Italy, presented at international conferences on faith and learning, and serves on the Adventist Colleges Abroad (ACA) Board and ACA Curriculum Committee, consulting for the organization internationally. She currently chairs the Latino Campus Council at PUC. Creating bridges across languages and cultures, and equipping others to do so, brings her joy. Gardening keeps her grounded, and travel abroad with family keeps her happy.

Sandra Ringer, MSN, RN, known as Sandy to most, began her career as a Medical-Surgical nurse in Chattanooga, TN. Her clinical experience includes adult medical-surgical nursing, specializing in oncology, gastroenterology and community health. Sandy worked in home health as an IV nurse for 9 years before switching focus to community health. She worked as an RN and lead RN for a preventative medicine clinic in Pennsylvania. She then transitioned into the coordinator for employee wellness programs, working with a team of health professionals to develop employee wellness programs and health screenings for businesses in the greater Reading, Pennsylvania area. She also worked with a clinic that provided healthcare for patients without insurance at no cost. Her most recent clinical experience was with gastrointestinal patients on a medical-surgical unit.
When not working, Sandy loves to cook, travel, camp, watch HGTV and spend time with her husband, David, and their adult sons, Mark and Jonathan and daughter-in-law, Janelle.
Sandy's desire is to share her passion for the nursing profession and Jesus with her students.

Timothy Robertson specializes in data science and partial differential equations. His interests include applying machine learning algorithms to interesting datasets and mathematical models. In his spare time he enjoys sports, games, rock climbing and hiking.

Cliff Rusch, M.F.A., professor emeritus of graphic design, worked as a staff designer at Pacific Press Publishing Association, and as senior designer at Lauren Smith Design before coming to PUC in 1987. He was PUC’s art director from 1987 to 2018, and taught graphic design in the Visual Arts department from 1987 to 2022. He enjoys photography, mountain biking, and camping.

Anthony Sharobeem has been inspired by aviation for as long as he remembers. Anthony learned how to fly at the Nut Tree Airport in early 2015 where he earned his pilot certificates and ratings, later acquiring his Flight Instructor Certificate in 2018 and has been actively teaching since. Over the years, Anthony served as an airline pilot, charter pilot, and worked other jobs flying complex, high-performance turbine powered aircraft. As of January 2024, Anthony has been awarded a Distinguished Flight Instructor Award by AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association). Anthony grew up in Dubai, later moved to the United States in 2015 and began his flying career. In addition to speaking English, he also speaks Arabic and French. Anthony enjoys mountain biking, swimming, and driving around exploring new scenic places. He also enjoys flying with friends for fun in his free time. He taught many individuals who went on to fly for the airlines, air force, or are now flight instructors teaching at different flight schools.

Dr. Backil Sung has been at PUC since 2012. He has degrees in medicine (M.D.), physiology (M.S.), and medical biotechnology (Ph.D). He has authored or co-authored 39 scientific papers in neuroscience, mainly in the area of pain mechanisms. He has also authored two book chapters, and frequently goes on medical mission trips. He teaches Neurobiology, Microbiology, Medical Microbiology and Biological Foundations.

Nathan grew up in the South Pacific Islands, surrounded by missionary aviation and World War II history. He began flight training in New Zealand as a missionary kid and completed his training at Andrews University, Michigan. He paid for his flight training by working as an aircraft mechanic for United Express.
PUC invited Nathan to lead the aviation program from June 2001 to June 2006. He and his wife Janel stepped forward from PUC to open up an internship pathway for PUC students, which was not successful due to the civil war. He flew an Air ambulance for 12 years based in Australia, including nearly 10 years at the iconic Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, before returning to the USA as an airline pilot and new-hire simulator instructor for the Airbus 320 series.
Nathan is very blessed by his awesome wife Janel, incredible son, Stephen, and talented daughter, Hannah, who loves Jesus Christ with all their hearts.

Tamara Tirado has worked in healthcare since 1998, as a Certified Nurses Aid and Registered Nurse in rehab and acute care. She has also been a medical clinic manager, diabetes coordinator, public health nurse at a tribal health clinic, and a family nurse practitioner. She loves music, hiking, biking, scuba diving, traveling, and spending time with family.

Tuwan Ussery earned his master's in social work and pastoral ministry from Andrews University. Prior to coming to PUC, Tuwan instructed behavioral sciences courses at SAU & Belhaven University and pastored in Atlanta. Those interests have continued at PUC as Tuwan currently serves in the psychology and social work department, and he continues to preach itinerantly for church groups on topics of social justice and community empowerment.

In addition to teaching, Tuwan serves as diversity, equity and inclusion officer & director of service learning. Professional affiliations include the National Association of Black Social Workers & National Youth and Leadership Conference for Service Learning.

Tuwan enjoys spending family time with his wife and their four kids, and his favorite Bible verse is John 10:10: I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Robin E. Vance, Ph.D., professor, has taught at PUC since 2001. He specializes in physiology and neurobiology. Dr. Vance's research interests include Antimutagenesis & Anticarcinogenesis, and he advises in the areas of biology and medicine. He taught at Union College for twelve years and chaired their Division of Science & Mathematics from 1996 to 2000. He enjoys tennis, walking and snorkeling.

Christian von Pohle grew up in Angwin and graduated with a degree in psychology from PUC in 2007. He subsequently graduated with a M.A. in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton where he focused on behavioral genetics and twin studies. Before joining the faculty at Pacific Union College, Christian worked as an adjunct-faculty member at PUC, a research coordinator at Case Western Reserve University, and a psychology instructor at Bowling Green State University. Most recently, Christian taught psychology in China for two years.
With over twenty years of classroom experience, Christian is dedicated to making psychology accessible and engaging for his students. He is particularly passionate about instilling a passion for research in his students, as well as encouraging them to present their research findings at regional and national conventions. His teaching style emphasizes critical thinking, hands-on learning, and fostering a collaborative environment where students feel encouraged to explore complex psychological concepts. Christian is also committed to mentoring students in their academic and professional journeys, helping them navigate both the theoretical and practical aspects of the field.

Debra Wallace has worked in management her entire career as a nurse, her first job as a women’s health clinic coordinator. She has led out in discharge planning, wellness health screenings, and directed a home health care agency. Working in academics was never something that entered her mind early in her career but has become her true passion since being at PUC 25+ years. Debra is the Director of PUC’s Med Tech/LVN to RN programs and loves working with our off-campus, non-traditional students. It is extremely rewarding to help Med Techs/LVNs reach their RN goal while balancing work, family, military, and other life obligations. She loves hunkering down with a good book, watching movies, gardening, interior design, and spending time with family and friends. Her favorite get-away is to Little River Inn in Mendocino.

Robert L. Wilson, Ph.D. specializes in analytical and inorganic chemistry. His graduate research focused on the lipid and protein organization within the cell membrane. He currently teaches general, analytical, and inorganic chemsitry and laboratory glassblowing. He enjoys playing boardgames, making glass beads, and camping.

Professor Ross E. Winkle teaches biblical studies. He has a professional focus in the New Testament and wrote his doctoral dissertation was on clothing imagery in the book of Revelation. He is a member of the Andrews Society for Religious Studies, Society of Biblical Literature, and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He has received several PUC Faculty Development Research and Honors awards as well as two Herber Faculty Development Awards. He has been a student missionary in Tokyo, Japan, a chaplain in Portland, Ore., and a pastor for thirteen years in three successive church districts in Oregon. He is an ordained minister and occasionally leads adult Sabbath School discussions on campus and preaches in surrounding churches. He is married to Darla, a health professional, and they have three children: Tristan, Elise, and Alexis.

Aimee Wyrick, associate professor, specializes in ecology, herpetology and paleontology. She advises in biology, pre-dentistry and pre-dental hygiene. Her research interests include physical and biological influences on the Columbia spotted frog and plant taphonomy. Aimee has also worked as a research coordinator, instructor, and course coordinator for the University of Montana. Her other interests include gourmet cooking (with produce from her own garden), national parks, camping and hiking, road trips, and world music – all enjoyed with her husband, Greg.