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The Pacific Union College biology department is proud to announce that its student education and monitoring program for grebes, also known as aquatic diving birds, has been fully funded by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) in November 2025.Scientist in Residence Dr. Scott Butterfield leads this program alongside Biology Professor Dr. Floyd Hayes and Chair of the School of Sciences, Aimee Wyrick. Together, they will collaborate and engage with PUC and Lake County high school students to participate in this novel scientific monitoring project, where they will use drones and AI to study the recovery of Clear Lake’s ecosystems.“Our hope is that by building a monitoring program collaboratively with local high school students that is grounded in new and emerging technologies, we can create something that is sustainable for many years to come,” said Dr. Butterfield.After being approved by the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake, the department received the full funding of $288,988 and officially launched the project with CNRA in November 2025. The project is valid until June 2028.While the department waited for the funding’s approval, they have been diligently working to establish partnerships with the Redbud Audubon Society, Upper Lake High School, Lower Lake...

My shoe strikes something hard and flat in the ashen dirt. I kick aside the crushed leaves and dust, then bend down to brush them clean with my hands. It reads, “Henry Louis Guerne”. That’s not him. A family of deer watches us through the mid-morning chill as we disrupt their tranquil cemetery, unearthing fallen headstones and inspecting those that still stand. “W. S. Kellogg.” Much closer. Maybe he is buried in a family plot. “Francis Elizabeth Kellogg.” Further down the hill, I saw a “Chester Kellogg”. But, no “Merritt Gardner Kellogg”. I rounded the following plot.I have been asking after this grave for three years now. No one seems to know where it is. Some historians say it is lost to history. Some say it could be in Australia. A year ago, I found an obituary that listed his burial at Oak Mound Cemetery in Healdsburg, California. I thought that was a big find, but an optimistic family outing ended with “no card on file for a Merritt Kellogg.”Why does Merritt G. Kellogg matter to me? It is not his link to the Corn Flakes King, though W. K. Kellogg was his kid brother. It is not about his...

Throughout his 31 years at AdventHealth, becoming CEO of a major health system was not necessarily a role David Banks aspired to hold — but his leadership roles in hospital administration, divisional oversight, and as chief strategy officer prepared him well when the CEO opportunity emerged. For Banks, the timing aligned with where he was in life and career — and where the organization was heading.“I'm really grateful to work with a mission-driven Board of Directors and AdventHealth team, and to have the partnership of our sponsor organization, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, within our mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ through whole-person care," said Banks. "For me and many others at the organization, I see the ways Adventist education prepared us for today's work, which requires a strong foundation."Banks regularly meets with leaders, caregivers, the Board, and team members in the service of AdventHealth's mission. He invests time connecting with church sponsors, who are an essential part of AdventHealth, and talks with team members to ensure the company is advancing its mission, meeting industry needs, and advocating for those they serve who need access to care, ranging from rural to more populated communities.Originally from Sonora, CA, Banks immersed...

Holding these titles is very special and significant for PUC, especially for the women’s team, which placed in the conference despite having a hard time having a whole team last year. While the team’s season came to a close, three students moved on to the National Association of Intercollegiate (NAIA) at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, FL, on Friday, November 21, breaking personal records.Senior Andrea Maidan and freshman Manami Uyeyama advanced for the women’s team, leading the 6K race, with Maidan speeding to first, finishing in 25:02.78, over three and a half minutes ahead of the other 28 racers, and Uyeyama soaring in right after Maidan in second place with a winning time of 28:37.91. Both new to the team this year, they earned spots in the national qualifying round.Representing the men’s team was senior Andrew Baluyot, who came in sixth place in 31:32.07, and was the only non-Simpson University student to qualify for Nationals. Baluyot earned a spot on the CalPac All-Conference Team and was awarded the league's Champion of Character Award alongside Maiden, who was the CAL-PAX Cross Country Solo Champion. He was also celebrated by representing PUC on the CalPac All-Academic Team as a chemistry major with...

During a discussion of ways to better support Pacific Union College's mission and culture, a group of faculty, staff, and church pastors expressed interest in further developing the campus community. “We knew we wanted to be able to share campus stories with our colleagues specifically, and we started brainstorming ways we could potentially do that,” said Becky St. Clair, director of Paulin Center for the Arts and office manager for the department of music.When Tara Hargrove, chair of the departments of communication and world languages, mentioned the newly created podcast studio in Irwin Hall—built thanks to the support of a passionate donor—the group knew they’d found their outlet.The studio was fully functional and already supported a student-led podcast, so the group now had a storytelling format and a space to use it. Thus, the Unchart(Ed) podcast was born. A team of podcast hosts was created, comprising Hargrove and St. Clair, alongside Department of Theology Chair Jim Wibberding and Associate Pastor for Worship and Administration Lem Garcia.Coming from different areas of campus, the hosts bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas, while sharing a common goal: cultivating a campus culture of growth and inspiring innovation, collaboration, and creativity. To support each other’s...