The Pacific Union College iPhone and iPad app won the Best in Class award from the Society of Adventist Communicators at the Society’s convention in Salt Lake City, October 24-27. The app was recognized for usability, design, working links, and for being up to date.

Nicholas Hubbard, PUC’s webmaster, developed the app as part of his work for the college’s office of public relations. “Mobile continues to be the main form of communication with prospective and current students. We see the trend and want to stay on top of it,” Hubbard explains. “Developing PUC Mobile in-house gives us a great deal of flexibility. From developing new features such as our upcoming Student Jobs feature, to updating our app for the newest OS update, or quickly fixing bugs that our users might have, we have the ability to quickly add or adjust our app for the best user experience.”

Beyond showcasing college news, photos, and events, the app has numerous other features. These include maps of on-campus and off-campus locations, class lists, the Library catalog, a campus contact directory, and a real-time listing of what is being served at the Dining Commons.

The app has been remarkably popular, with over 6,000 downloads. Tara Hattendorf, a sophomore history, ethics, and political studies major, opens the app on a nearly daily basis. “I really like using the PUC app so I can see what the menu at the cafeteria is,” she remarks.

Hubbard is hard at work completing an upcoming Android version of the app.

Find more information about the app’s features and download the latest version to your iPhone or iPad at http://www.puc.edu/media/mobile.