News

On Thursday, May 29, the Visual Arts Department at Pacific Union College hosted its 21st annual Diogenes Film Festival at the Cameo Cinema in St. Helena. With 130 attendees, the festival showcased 20 films from the school year and featured some movies from the previous year.PUC’s Diogenes Film Festival greatly benefits students, providing them with an outlet to share their creativity with a broader audience. Although their films are not made specifically for the festival, seeing them on a big theatre screen gives them a sense of pride in all their work and motivates them to continue doing their best.“Another great aspect is the sense of community that it builds, not only within our department but with our entire school and the outer community,” said Nephtali Marin, PUC lecturer of visual arts, referring to the film festival. “Our films span outside of our spaces, whether it be filming in other departments, the outer community, or using friends as actors. Diogenes allows us to come together and see everyone’s contributions and hard work.”This year, Marin and Professor Melissa Henry Pratt co-hosted, sitting alongside Professor Tim de la Torre as the judges. With three award categories, freshman Jacob Capiña received the Filmmaker...

On Sunday, May 11, Pacific Union College students from all majors and departments performed PUC on Broadway for the third year in a row. Alongside students from PUC Prep, they performed songs from various musicals and movies for the community to enjoy in the newly remodeled Paulin Hall Auditorium.The students chose songs from musicals they liked and wanted to see performed live. This year's songs were from the musicals The Great Gatsby, Hercules, Pippin, The Wizard of Oz, Anastasia, The Lightning Thief, and the stage production of Beauty and the Beast. They also performed selected songs from the movies Frozen and Tick, Tick... Boom! Based on the audience response, the majority enjoyed PUC’s adaptation of “Therapy” from Tick, Tick... Boom!Milton Perez, a senior voice performance major, was one of the directors of PUC on Broadway this year. After being a part of the last two shows, the past directors asked him to run the production. With a desire to learn more about the behind-the-scenes work, Perez was inspired to direct and accepted the role.He and his co-director, Jalexis Herman, a freshman liberal studies major, began production at the start of this school year to research songs. They brought along freshman...

The global health department at Pacific Union College is proud to share that senior Areli Castro will be their program's first graduate. From Napa, CA, Castro decided to attend PUC after seeing the value of its close-knit, supportive community. With a love for traveling and helping others, she enrolled in global health as the perfect opportunity to combine both passions in a meaningful way.In March, three professors and 13 students from PUC partnered with Maranatha to serve in Pucallpa, Peru. Castro was one of those students, as she always wanted to go on a mission trip but never had the opportunity. With the help of Global Health Director Nancy Jacobo in planning the trip, Castro and Jacobo discussed incorporating a medical component into the trip as part of Castro’s capstone project. With Jacobo’s approval, Castro was able to complete her project in another country–something she never expected.For her capstone course and senior project, Castro led the development and coordination of the medical aspects of the mission trip. She successfully organized and led her team, collaborating with AMOR Project, led by Dr. Guillermo Gow-Lee, to fundraise and implement medical outreach programs. Castro also coordinated and planned logistics, securing sponsorships from two...

On Sunday, May 4, the Pacific Union College Flight Center and Angwin Disaster Airlift Response Team (DART) welcomed 600 visitors to their Air Expo at the Angwin Virgil O. Parrett Field. In collaboration, they showcased the world of aviation with the help of local vendors, pilots, and humanitarian aviation organizations.PUC aviation students played a significant role at the Air Expo, selling tickets and pancakes and assisting people to and from the event in golf carts. They also helped operate two flight simulators and organized plane rides as two event activities. The plane rides were so popular that they were already booked for the whole day during the first hour of the event. To increase availability next year, the Flight Center aims to have more airplanes available for rides.Along with DART, the Angwin Fire Department and Angel One Mission Aviation had booths to inform and connect with the community, with some campus clubs from PUC also participating in the Air Expo.In the middle of the event, the string ensemble from PUC Elementary School performed several airplane-themed musical items. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also sent a representative to present two prestigious awards to Mike Terhune of Mike’s Aero, a maintenance shop...

Pacific Union College awarded Assistant Professor of Nursing and Student Success Coordinator Nicolette Piaubert the 2024-2025 Educator of the Year Award during Community on Thursday, May 22.Surrounded by proud faculty members and inspired students, Piaubert wore a cape commemorating her years of service and her famous million-dollar smile.Piaubert joined PUC as a family nurse practitioner in 2021, bringing a wealth of experience in the nursing field. Piaubert has always been deeply passionate about nursing, using the opportunity to serve others as a reflection of her love for God.Dean of Nursing and Emergency Management Kimberly Dunker introduced Piaubert as a dedicated nurse, professor, Director of Pathfinders Club, and published author who is passionate about equipping future nurses with the knowledge and skills to thrive academically and professionally.As Dunker spoke about the impressive educational background Piaubert holds, she also highlighted Piaubert’s dedication to being a partner in her students’ and community’s success.“The PUC nursing faculty and staff are incredibly proud of Nicolette. She exemplifies the spirit of excellence that drives our program, inspiring both students and colleagues to strive for greatness in healthcare," Dunker said.Piaubert teaches the Introduction to Nursing classes at PUC, exposing students to the nursing profession before beginning the...

Last year, Pacific Union College launched a $5,000 STEM Scholarship to support students in the School of Sciences. This renewable scholarship is available and awarded to select incoming students who commit to science majors and maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher. This year, seven outstanding students received the scholarship, demonstrating collaboration, teamwork, and a close-knit support system.“The current STEM scholars have impressed me not only with their academic excellence and diversity of interests but also with their intellectual curiosity,” said Christian Von Pohle, assistant professor of behavioral science. “They are always asking insightful questions in and outside of class. They also demonstrate a strong desire to deepen their understanding beyond the curriculum.”For academic support, each scholar pairs with an upperclassman mentor who guides them through their classes. Alongside faculty advisors, scholars receive advice about their research and insight into different internship opportunities that lead to their career goals.To facilitate the exploration of various career paths, the School of Sciences started on-campus workshops led by PUC alumni and guest speakers who work in STEM-related fields. These workshops have greatly benefited the students as they hear inspiring stories from real-world careers.“Our STEM scholars have provided positive feedback as to the value of...

On the brisk morning of Thursday, May 15, Pacific Union College staff and community members collaborated with Napa FireWise, CAL FIRE, and the Prescribed Burn Associations of Napa, Yolo, and Solano counties in conducting a prescribed burn in the beloved PUC forest.A year in the making and waiting, the weather was conducive to conducting this planned forest fire in contribution to a CAL FIRE Forest Health Project, promoting fire resilience and a more balanced forest ecosystem.Napa FireWise and CAL FIRE personnel were present at the site for weeks as they set up burn lines and hoses and conducted other site prep. Weather, fuel, and topography had to be monitored and measured as unmodifiable environmental factors before performing such a significant project.To preserve the forest as a hotspot of diversity located on the Howell Mountain ridgeline, PUC began fire resiliency work in 2019 when it established a ridgeline fuel break that protects against wildfires coming in from the east through Pope Valley, a vulnerable path due to the tendency of fires to climb up slopes.Peter Lecourt, owner and forester of North Bay Forestry and former PUC forest manager, maintains important relationships with organizations like the Napa Communities FireWise Foundation, whose primary...

On Sunday, February 2, Pacific Union College held a grand reopening of the Paulin Recital Hall to celebrate the completion of the renovation. The event was open to the public and featured performances from students, instructors, faculty, and community members.PUC President Ralph Trecartin welcomed everyone and praised the recital hall's new appearance, including the new colored walls and carpeting, updated chairs, and advanced sound system. He also took the time to introduce PUC alum and new Vice President of Alumni and Advancement Carlos Garcia, who shared a few words about happily being back at PUC and making it the best college it can be.Going into the program, Manny Scrofani, a fundraising committee member, invited Angwin Ambulance Directors Brad Setterlund and Quentin White on stage to thank them for their organization's generous donations to the Paulin Recital Hall. He also told the audience to check their seats for engraved names to see who else donated chairs and announced that others could have their names included if interested. Scrofani appreciatively thanked donors for all the wonderful donations the committee and advancement office received.The celebration was enhanced by special performances by PUC’s string sextet Mosaic, Vox Pro Musica, the Eloquence Ensemble, and solo...

In the spring of 2006, Ted and Nikki Mamoulelis met at Pacific Union College. Nikki was surrounded by friends in the cafeteria when Ted approached her, stuck out his hand, and introduced himself. Nikki was so shocked by his introduction that she didn’t catch his name at first. Ted sat down and only talked to Nikki as if no one else was sitting at the table. When he left, there was no exchange of phone numbers, emails, or other means of contact. Nikki and her friends were left wondering, “Who was that guy?” since none of them had seen him around campus. With the table filled with sophomores, juniors, and seniors, they found out he was a freshman.Nikki never had or wanted to date someone younger than her, but after meeting Ted, she wanted to find the man God wanted for her. After graduating in 2009, Nikki married Ted, the “yin to her yang.” Later, they had two daughters, Sophia, 12, and Anastasia, 5. Living in Meridian, CA, Nikki believed their family's mission field was at home, wherever they were. That changed in May 2023 when Nikki and Ted felt God’s call to be missionaries.With the desire to obey, they...

After four years of vigorous leadership, Dr. Kimberly Dunker is stepping down from her role as Dean of Nursing, Health Science, EMS & Global Health, effective July 1, 2025. She will continue her passion for empowering the next generation of nurses as the MSN/DSN program director for Loma Linda University’s School of Nursing.During her tenure at Pacific Union College, Dr. Dunker led the department’s growth of more than 44%, the fundraising of over $2 million for upgrades and initiatives, the strengthening of accreditation efforts and recognition from the California Board of Registered Nursing, the introduction of multiple programs, and the development of two additional off-site nursing education centers.Academic Dean Lindsay Hayasaka expressed that Dr. Dunker’s leadership on campus will be greatly missed. “Her active leadership has taken a historically strong program to even greater heights and at a quality level that places our program in the top nursing programs in California,” Hayasaka said.PUC President Dr. Ralph Trecartin conveyed similar sentiments. “Kimberly has been a force on campus,” he said. “‘No’ is just not in her vocabulary. She is the definition of a strong leader who gets things done.”VP of Enrollment, Marketing & Communication Gene Edelbach echoed praise for Dr. Dunker’s...