2026

After graduating from Pacific Union College with a B.S. in psychology and an A.S. in Photography in 1987, Jon Wood began his career as a 3D Motion Graphic Artist before eventually returning to PUC as a professor of film and television. In 2005, the Lord impressed him to start Jesus for Asia, a missionary organization that sends missionaries to unreached areas of the Asian continent. And now, 21 years later, the ministry has worked in over 10 countries, with nearly 1,000 workers worldwide, touching the lives of many with the good news of Jesus.It was not easy to start a ministry, especially one of this caliber, but Wood and his wife, Natalie, also a PUC alumna, were determined, so the first thing they did was pray about how God would work and lead them as they felt called to lead others. “We spent months, actually years, praying about what that would look like, how it would be set up, what principles we would use to run it, what project we would start with to make the biggest impact,” he said.In the winter of 2004, Wood, along with a small team of students, traveled to Thailand around the time the Indian...

With roots in Angwin, Pacific Union College was no stranger to ‘97 alumna and passionate children’s author and illustrator, Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson, who grew up witnessing the early-morning fog over the valley, the sound of the Paulin Hall fountain, and the winding roads adorning the hill. Having been inspired by these experiences, Fujimoto-Johnson said it was during her time at PUC that she tapped into some of her most significant and creative projects, which, to her, marked the roots she is pursuing all these years later.In her early years, she recalls writing poetry at the tender age of six, which grounded her in a love and fond appreciation for expression. She said, “The truth is that I feel most alive when I am creating, and I have circled back to that truth many times in my life so far. But really, I create in the hopes that my work will outlive me and continue to make an impact for many years. I am committed to making space for diversity, beauty, and kindness in my work.”Her family moved to Japan when she was nine, which exposed her to her cultural and familial roots, and her passion for writing grew while being homeschooled...

Quietly nestled in the valley of an old lumber camp near the Pacific Ocean and amid forested hills, Albion Field Station lies in the heart of the Mendocino coast. Since Pacific Union College acquired the station in 1947, it has offered extraordinary opportunities for students, families, and groups to explore the beauty of the natural world and to learn more about its history, wildlife, and biology. Many proud PUC faculty, staff, and alumni have worked hard to maintain the station over the years so that people of all ages and career backgrounds can visit and enjoy what Albion has to offer, all while experiencing God's creation firsthand. Bill Hammerland, former professor of chemistry at PUC from 1979 to 2010, expressed, “Going to Albion was always a great experience, for me and my family, and everyone. People always had a great time, and we knew it was a special place.”Harold Clark, the PUC biology department chair at the time, had been running a summer field school studying the fauna and flora of California and their ecological relationships. The tour would last several weeks, from leaving campus, traveling to the coast, exploring the Sierras, and then returning. In the spring of 1946,...

From July 19-26, over 1,000 people gathered at Pacific Union College for the West Coast Korean Camp Meeting, an event that has been held on campus for decades. An annual event hosted among the Korean-American Seventh-day Adventist Churches across the western states, with the support of the Southern California Conference, their theme this year was “Build Church - Building Faith, Family, and Church.” As they focused on the church they wanted to create for the future, the camp meeting was a great time for family, friends, and churches to come to one place and worship together.As people arrived on Sunday, an opening ceremony kicked off the camp meeting that evening to welcome attendees who traveled near and far, with even some who traveled from Korea. After a performance from the adult choir to start the program, PUC President Ralph Trecartin also took the time to welcome visitors on campus before lectures and activities began.“Korean Camp Meeting represents the pinnacle of energy on campus during the summer. It is so wonderful to see over 1,000 happy people creating memories and learning opportunities for this close-knit community of believers,” said Trecartin. “I love talking to the pastors and other leaders who plan...

From June 28 to July 3, Pacific Union College hosted 42 students from sixth to 12th grade for PacificQuest. Through an annual college early program, students from academies throughout California had the opportunity to participate in programs focused on STEM, aviation, and film.Led by PacificQuest Academic Director and PUC Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Health Sciences Wayne Borin and PacificQuest Program Director and PUC Executive Assistant and Enrollment Counselor Andrianna Massena, they welcomed students and their families during their arrivals, with PUC President Ralph Trecartin also present to introduce them to the PacificQuest instructors and staff and share the event’s theme of “Intelligence,” highlighting PUC’s biology, psychology, and math departments.“PacificQuest is a direct reflection of our Pacific Union College experience: Learn with Purpose, Rise in Faith, Serve with Love,” said Borin. “This short week provides middle and high school students to experience the academic rigor of higher education, daily worship, as well as develop social and emotional awareness, building connections with their fellow student-campers.”Fitting the theme, the STEM program, known as PQSeek, focused on several lessons surrounding intelligence. In biology, PUC Biology Chair and Professor John Duncan taught students about human intelligence through anatomy and physiology, while PUC Psychology Professor...

On June 12, Elizabeth (Libett) Muñoz Beard stepped into the role as Pacific Union College’s new Registrar in the Records Office, following Craig Philpott’s retirement after 40 faithful years at PUC. Coming to campus from Riverside, CA, Muñoz is a distinguished and experienced educator with a deep passion for the Seventh-day Adventist mission and education– a valuable contribution that PUC is delighted and proud to have.She faithfully served in the education sector for 33 years, including 28 in Adventist education, where she served as principal at La Sierra Academy for the last six years, after beginning her career at La Sierra University, followed by Loma Linda University and Cal State San Bernardino. With roots grounded in LSU, Muñoz earned a BBA in accounting and both an MA and an Ed.S. in educational leadership and administration. She has also been working on her Ed.D. this past year and is actively completing her dissertation.Muñoz brings a wealth of experience in leadership, higher education, program, staff, and curriculum development, and community outreach. She is passionate about the Seventh-day Adventist mission within academia, where God wholly impacts each student because her greatest reward is “seeing students grow, flourish, and later return to share how...

Led by Pacific Union College Scientist in Residence, Dr. Scott Butterfield, a new grebe monitoring project has literally taken "flight" over Clear Lake. Funded by a multi-year grant from the California Natural Resources Agency, and in collaboration with the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake, Redbud Audubon Society, Robinson Rancheria, Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Lake County Land Trust, Anderson March Interpretive Association, California State Parks, and Upper Lake, Lower Lake, and Clear Lake High Schools, the project is focused on developing new drone-based methods that will allow Dr. Butterfield and high school students from across Lake County conduct annual monitoring of grebes, their nests, eggs, and hatchlings at Clear Lake and to help tell the story about how restoration efforts currently happening at Clear Lake are impacting these iconic bird species.This year, like many in the past, the grebes of Clear Lake are tucked into channels and within and behind wetland vegetation that is hard to access, even with kayaks and boats. Over the Memorial Day weekend, American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Board members Gae Henry and Henry Bornstein used their pontoon boat to carefully guide Dr. Butterfield and his collaborator Donna Mackiewicz from Redbud...

Since 2022, 49 Pacific Union College alumni, and counting, have been involved with Pathways in Science, an alumni seminar series created by PUC Dean of the School of Sciences Aimee Wyrick. When the program was first formed, it only involved the biology department, but over the last two years, it has grown to support all the departments under the School of Sciences: chemistry, global public health, kinesiology and health science, mathematics, and psychology and social work. With four seminars each quarter, Wyrick has connected PUC students with alumni to learn about their careers and broaden their understanding of what the future may hold beyond college.With psychology and social work newly added to the seminar series, alumni Ben Silber, a licensed clinical psychologist, was the first to speak on behalf of his former department in April. As one of 12 alumni speakers this school year for Pathways in Science, Silber was also one of 11 alumni who spoke in person, despite living out of state. For the last four years, Wyrick has welcomed alumni from across the country to speak on campus or remotely, covering careers ranging from biology and biochemistry to biomathematics and environmental sciences.During this school year, several alumni...

From June 15-28, seven students from Pacific Union College joined Loma Linda University’s Students for International Mission Service (SIMS) program for a medical mission trip in Manaus, Brazil. In collaboration with the North American Division (NAD) of Seventh-day Adventists and other Adventist universities, such as La Sierra University, Southern Adventist University, and Washington Adventist University, the Manaus Adventist Conference partnered with these institutions to provide medical and dental patient care, health fairs, and Vacation Bible School to the communities living along the Amazon River.“The locals, especially the children, were so happy to see us,” said PUC Marketing and Communication Videographer Josue Hilario. “Many of the locals took advantage of the medical clinic, and we were able to help out so many people. There would be a long line of people waiting for us in the morning every day, before the medical team even arrived.”Hilario had the great opportunity to join the mission trip as the students’ chaperone and helped out in the clinics, while also working behind the lens to capture the 13-day trip. “I was blessed to have a group of great students who were passionate about serving, learning about the culture, and being there for each other,” he...

From June 9-19, Pacific Union College Signal Security Site Supervisor Jennifer Schooley and the campus safety department organized a Green Move-Out for students to donate any items they no longer needed or couldn’t bring back home. From donation stations outside both the women's and men’s dormitories to Dauphinee Chapel and Brookside Park, donations piled up, including kitchenware, household appliances and furniture, blankets, school and cleaning supplies, sports equipment, and clothes, some with tags still attached.For years, Schooley saw many items students no longer needed at the end of the school year go to landfills, when they would have been better off sent to a thrift store. As she thought about why there was no donation program yet organized on campus, Schooley remembered her mother telling her not to complain if there was a problem, but instead to be the solution. That is when she decided to take matters into her own hands.While collecting donations outside Winning Hall, Schooley shared that a student’s father thanked her for organizing the Green Move-Out and expressed his frustration at seeing dorm appliances and clothes, all in great condition, being thrown out at the end of each school year.“It was a wonderful experience to see...