With a student-teacher ratio of 12:1, your professors will know you. They’re invested in helping you succeed. As you work towards your career goals, you will find your professors become more—they become your mentors who can help you along your journey, and ones you can still get advice from years after graduation.
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Tel: 1-707-965-7632
Email: vasaunders@puc.edu
Vicki Saunders, M.S., R.D.
Assistant Professor of Nutrition
Vicki Saunders, M.S. R.D. Instructor of Nutrition at Pacific Union College since 2009 and Nutrition Educator and Registered Dietitian for St. Helena Hospital's Recovery Center, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in nutrition education. Professor Saunders has performed nutrition intervention and education to a broad spectrum of individuals and groups in the lifestyle change programs at St. Helena Hospital Center for Health since 1979. These include teaching nutrition classes, conducting healthy cooking classes, overseeing menu and recipe development, clinical assessment and counseling for cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, weight loss/risk factor reduction, smoking cessation, chronic pain management, alcohol and drug rehab, patients with eating disorders, and collaborating with a team of experts in the fields of medicine, psychology, exercise physiology, recreation and stress management to address patients' unique needs and goals. She is a presenter at the annual Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference presented by Harvard University and the Culinary Institute of America. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association, and past--president of the Seventh-day Adventist Dietetic Association. A member of Cambridge Who's Who, Ms. Saunders was honored with inclusion in its "Top 101 Industry Experts" book in 2010 and selection as a VIP member in 2009.
Degrees
B.S., Loma Linda University
1975
M.S., Ohio State University
1979


Tel: 1-707-965-6518
Email: jsheldon@puc.edu
Jean Sheldon, Ph.D.
Professor of Old Testament
L. Jean Sheldon, professor, specializes in Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East. She has worked as an instructor of religion at Hong Kong Adventist College, a graduation analyst for PUC, and a religion professor. Recently she has been working on "Mother Versus Child: A Feminist and Comparative Look at Exodus 21:22-25," in preparation for publication in a book to be published by Phoenix Sheffield. She enjoys writing, gardening, music, and cat psychology.
Degrees
B.A., Andrews University
1982
M.A., Loma Linda University
1984
Ph.D., Graduate Theological Union and University of California, Berkeley
2002


Tel: 1-707-965-6314
Email: rsigamoney@puc.edu
Rajeev Sigamoney, M.F.A. - Chair
Professor of Film
Over the past 15 years has worked as a Writer, Producer, Engineer & Pastor. Driven by a passion to tell meaningful stories, Rajeev moved to Hollywood in 2002 and began his screenwriting career. While repped by the Endeavor talent agency, sold projects to networks including Disney, Endemol and Fuse, while writing for Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and Emmy winners Melissa McCarthy & Tony Hale. He is also the writer/creator of the internationally acclaimed webseries, The Record Keeper. He lives in Napa with his amazing wife, Brittnie, and his son Blaise and is excited about developing the next generation of filmmakers.
Degrees
B.S., Johns Hopkins University
1997
M.S., Johns Hopkins University
2002
M.F.A., Academy of Art University
2016


Tel: 1-707-965-
Email: ssremac@puc.edu
Stefan Sremac, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Degrees
2020
Ph.D., University of Waterloo
2015
M.Sc. University of British Columbia
2008
B.Ed. Canadian University College


Tel: 1-707-965-6640
Email: jstclair@puc.edu
Jason St. Clair, M.S.
Assistant Librarian
Degrees
B.A., Walla Walla University
2005
M.S., Drexel University
2008


Tel: 1-707-965-6633
Email: bsung@puc.edu
Backil Sung, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
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.
Degrees
M.M.S., Korea University
1997
Ph.D., Korea University
1999


Tel: 1-707-965-
Email: ctetz@puc.edu
Catherine Tetz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
Catherine Tetz specializes in transatlantic literature with an emphasis on women and gender studies. Her work focuses primarily on women writers in the early twentieth century, and she is particularly interested in how künstlerroman and roman á clef genres were reappropriated by women writers at the height of literary modernism. She has presented work at the Modernist Studies Association’s annual conference, as well as the International Virginia Woolf conference. She teaches classes in poetry, fiction, and both American and English modernism.
Degrees
Washington State University
2014
Miami University
2020


Tel: 1-707-965-6696
Email: lthew@puc.edu
Lynne Thew, B.A.
Instructor of Communication
Professor Lynne Thew came to Pacific Union College in 2005 as an adjunct professor and joined the faculty in 2007. She teaches the journalism courses within the Pacific Union College Department of Communication.
Professor Thew has ghostwritten eight business and medical books, including the bestselling Six Sigma: The Breakthrough Management Strategy Revolutionizing the World's Top Corporations (Doubleday).
During the course of a twenty-year career in Washington, D.C., and New York, she interviewed a range of notable figures including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, General Electric CEO Jack Welch, former senator and U.S. ambassador to China James Sasser, futurist Alvin Toffler, and Nobel Prize-nominee Ranjit K. Chandra. In addition to the business of writing and editing books, she has written copious amounts of catalogue copy and more book proposals than she cares to remember.
Her greatest regret in life is that she ever threw away a book. She is passionate about journalism and a well-turned sentence.
Degrees
B.A., Pacific Union College
1978


Tel: 1-707-965-7625
Email: ttirado@puc.edu
Tamara Tirado, D.N.P., R.N., F.N.P., C.N.E
Professor of Nursing
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.
Degrees
A.S. Pacific Union College
2000
B.S.N., Pacific Union College
2001
M.S., Sonoma State University
2004


Tel: 1-707-965-6244
Email: kvanarsdale@puc.edu
Katharine Van Arsdale, M.L.I.S., M.A.
Associate Librarian
Katy Van Arsdale is the Special Collections Librarian and Archivist at the Nelson Memorial Library. Katy collects, organizes, and preserves PUC’s rare books, historical documents, photographs, museum objects, and more. She also answers reference questions and enjoys teaching research skills. Before coming to PUC, Katy worked in archives at historical societies, museums, and research libraries. She even taught high school English and History for a while, which was a lot of fun. Now that she’s in California, she enjoys spending her free time to travel, hike, camp, and explore. Someday she’ll visit every national park.
Degrees
B.A., Andrews University
2009
M.A., M.L.I.S., Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
2013


Tel: 1-707-965-6227
Email: rvance@puc.edu
Robin Vance, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
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.
Degrees
B.S., Loma Linda University
1981
M.S., Loma Linda University
1984
Ph.D., Loma Linda University
1988

Debra Wallace, M.S.N., R.N, C.N.E. - Chair
Associate Professor of Nursing, LVN to RN Program Director
Profile
Tel: 1-707-965-7627
Email: dwallace@puc.edu
Debra Wallace, M.S.N., R.N, C.N.E. - Chair
Associate Professor of Nursing, LVN to RN Program Director
Degrees
A.S., Walla Walla Community College
1978
B.S., Walla Walla College
1981
MSN, University of Phoenix
2003


Tel: 1-707-965-6513
Email: jwibberding@puc.edu
James Wibberding, D.Min.
Professor of Applied Theology and Biblical Studies
Jim Wibberding specializes in Applied Theology and Biblical Studies. He is passionate about building up the God-created potential in others. Jim served as a pastor for seventeen years in Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Washington before joining the faculty of the Theology Department in 2017. While pastoring, he enjoyed training lay pastors, serving a term as Chaplain of the Idaho Senate, acting in Bible and Reformation stage plays, and finding innovative ways to translate the Adventist Message to our changing world. Jim also serves as Adjunct Professor to the Doctor of Ministry Program at Andrews University. In his recreational time, you might find him playing outdoors with his three children, chatting with his wife Laura about a new intellectual curiosity, working on his ’55 Chevy Station Wagon, or building a stringed instrument from reclaimed wood.
Degrees
B.A., Southern Adventist University
2000
M.Div., Andrews University
2004
D.Min., Andrews University
2010


Tel: 1-707-965-7603
Email: rlwilson@puc.edu
Robert Wilson, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry
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.
Degrees
B.S., Andrews University
2007
Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
2012


Tel: 1-707-965-6516
Email: rwinkle@puc.edu
Ross Winkle, Ph.D. - Chair
Professor of New Testament
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.
Degrees
B.A., Walla Walla College
1983
M.Div., Andrews University Theological Seminary
1987
Ph.D., Andrews University
2012


Tel: 1-707-965-6636
Email: awyrick@puc.edu
Aimee Wyrick-Brownworth, M.Sc. - Chair
Associate Professor of Biology
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.