Pacific Union College’s aviation program proudly awaits the arrival of Charlie, the longest-serving aircraft for the Seventh-day Adventist church in the South Pacific and possibly globally.This Cessna 206 has served in some of the most remote and challenging corners of the world since it was brand new in 1976. Now, PUC anticipates that a fully-refurbished aircraft will continue to serve locally and further afield.The first Adventist plane to serve in Papua New Guinea was referred to as P2-SDA, with P2 being the country code for PNG. Because the aviation world uses the ICAO phonetic alphabet, pilots refer to Alpha for A, Bravo for B, and Charlie for C. When it came time for P2-SDC to be registered, it was affectionately nicknamed “Charlie” for short.Charlie’s story is one that is very special to the people of Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Vanuatu, considering its 50 years of faithful service to the church and community there. Accumulating nearly 4 million kilometers (2.4 million miles) and witnessing the establishment of over 1,000 churches, Charlie has transported thousands of pastors, missionaries, laymen, and building materials to remote areas to construct churches, schools, and clinics. It also carried hundreds of doctors, nurses, and teachers to...

On December 2, the Department of Business Administration and Economics at Pacific Union College earned reaccreditation from the Board of Commissioners of the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). Granting reaccreditation validates the program's continued ability to meet rigorous standards of academic quality and integrity through its curriculum, faculty, and student outcomes. Additionally, PUC’s business program receiving this recognition demonstrates a commitment to continuing to improve, excel in education, and advance academic quality across its business programs, including undergraduate degrees, various emphases, and other majors such as Management Information Systems.The IACBE is the leader in mission-driven, outcomes-based programmatic accreditation in business education for colleges and universities. PUC receiving this recognition showcases its dedication to continuing its long-standing commitment to providing students with the best and highest education and career preparation. The business program was granted accreditation from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2032.The most significant portion of the work required to receive accreditation was the business department's self-study. Business Professor Keith Neergaard, who has been teaching at PUC for over 30 years, prepared the study write-up and played a significant role in helping the department secure reaccreditation. As a small department, this reaccreditation means a lot to PUC...

After five years, the Young Observatory at Pacific Union College reopened and added new facilities, including a newly installed telescope. Through the generosity of a donor, those funds were used to purchase a new telescope, a handheld computer to use the older telescope, and parts to restore the original observatory telescope, which were needed to reopen the observatory. The new telescope is a 12-inch Celestron reflector mounted on a tripod, currently set up in the observatory parking lot, but since it runs on a battery, it can be set up anywhere, whether at PUC or elsewhere.The new telescope will be used for ASTR 115, an introductory astronomy course taught every year. Since it's set up in the parking lot, it can serve many more people during group visits, unlike the older telescope inside the observatory, which has an occupancy limit. This past fall quarter, hundreds of visitors have already enjoyed the newly opened observatory, which will also welcome back public Friday night observations this spring and summer.PUC Chair of Math and Physics James Robertson feels “thrilled and relieved” to finally have the observatory open again. “Thrilled to be able to have a working facility for both my classes and the...

Freshman pre-nursing major and student-athlete Liah Ronneburg is a bright blue-eyed Maxwell Scholar who walks around campus with a vision to make a difference with every stride. Passionate about people, she foresees involvement in the school, church, and community as she prepares to become a nurse who embodies the love of Christ.Sonora-based Ronneburg stated that she was instantly drawn to Pacific Union College because of her strong Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and her love for soccer and Northern California, so choosing PUC was a natural choice for her.“I want to be able to look back and be proud of my time here at PUC. I want to say that I made a difference in not just my life, but other people’s lives as well,” said Ronneburg as she was asked about her goal as she foresees the next four years. “I also want to try my best to always be a type of support for my community. I want to help make it better and be there at its lowest.”Prior to joining PUC from Sonora High School, she was not only an achiever of determination and excellence, but a four-year, three-sport athlete with a 4.0 GPA.Behind her accolades, Ronneburg held herself...

In June, Pacific Union College proudly celebrated all 20 students in the first set of North Coast graduates, of whom 17 began the associate degree in nursing (ADN) and three enrolled in the licensed vocational nurse (LVN) to registered nurse (RN) track. Among the graduates, five students were from Clearlake, two from Fort Bragg, and the remaining from Ukiah and Willits.For the past two years, PUC has partnered with Adventist Health North Coast to create this unique nursing program for students to learn in facilities in Clearlake, Fort Bragg, and Willits, allowing them to complete the majority of their clinical hours at their local hospital, which reduces long commutes, minimizes the challenge of adapting to multiple clinical environments and electronic health record systems, and awards needed time to focus on developing critical thinking and clinical judgement skills. Since most of the students work full-time, planning the classroom portion on weekends gives them greater access to balance their professional and personal responsibilities. With resources from Adventist Health, nursing students received the support they needed to access facilities, technology, and mentorship to succeed.In addition, this partnership moves to a seamless transition from education to employment, with opportunities for immediate placement after graduation....