PUC Names Ross Winkle as Educator of the Year

On May 21, Pacific Union College Professor of New Testament Ross Winkle was honored as the 2025-2026 Educator of the Year during a special Community program at the PUC Church. He was selected by the student body for his spirited teaching, dedicated mentorship, and commitment to faith.

“Ross Winkle has great knowledge and wisdom and a wry sense of humor.  After watching him and listening to him over the years, it is no wonder that students love him and his courses,” said PUC President Ralph Trecartin. “His character and vast knowledge content begins to change your worldview, and helps us reorder our perspectives on life and scripture in a persistent and powerful way.”

Reigning him with this new title was last year’s Educator of the Year, PUC Assistant Professor of Nursing & Student Success Coordinator Nicolette Piabert, who also gave Winkle the Educator of the Year cape, with Lindsay Hayasaka, PUC academic dean and vice president for academic administration, handing him the award. As an introvert, Winkle attempts to avoid the spotlight whenever possible, so hearing his name called as the new Educator of the Year came as a shock.

“To me, being named as Educator of the Year means that I am appreciated as a faculty member and educator by members in the PUC community,” said Winkle. “It is affirmation, and that community recognition provides motivation to do even better as I continue to teach.”

During the ceremony, PUC Professor of Systematic Theology Young-Chun Kim shared a testimony to honor his colleague and friend. “He has supported every member of the department with the utmost care,” Kim said. “His detail-oriented help and guidance has been so invaluable in many different ways.” During a tribute, Kim shared how great a friend Winkle is, especially when Kim’s daughter was born, and Winkle made sure his daughter was showered with many gifts. As an educator, Kim has seen firsthand how Winkle teaches by sitting in on his classes and hearing students' experiences. To the students, Kim expressed how very fortunate and blessed they are to have Winkle as a teacher. For students who have not had the pleasure of enrolling in any of his classes, Kim encouraged them to take the opportunity to do so before graduating.

“If anyone is deserving of this award, it would have to be Professor Winkle. His knowledge and wisdom are beyond words,” said theology student Alexis Villarreal. “From my personal experience, one thing I have loved about his class is his organization. If you’ve taken a Winkle class, you can see the years of hard work to get the organization and attention to detail he has.” Also calling Winkle “an amazing professor of Greek,” Villarreal shared how “intense” the Greek sequence class was, but that he and his classmates learned something new in each lesson. “That class made me feel the entire emotional spectrum from one side, all the way to the other. I still count it as one of my favorites.”

“His dedication to his classes and overall desire to see students succeed is evident that he is a worthy candidate for this award,” Villarreal said. “I can say that I am proud to be a theology major and a student under Professor Winkle. God has worked through him in many ways, and this award might just be God thanking him for his service.”

When asked what he enjoys most about teaching his students, Winkle shared that he enjoys seeing them explore scriptural ideas and concepts they have not encountered before. “I enjoy seeing students realize that there is more to life than what they experience on earth, that the future is filled with hope in the return of Jesus, and that that hope provides meaning and purpose for them today,” he said. “I enjoy discussing biblical and theological topics with students and seeing them grow spiritually from one course to another and from one year to another.”

Winkle received his B.A. from Walla Walla University, then later earned his M.Div and Ph.D from Andrews University. As a student, he was a missionary in Tokyo, Japan, and later in his career served as a chaplain and pastor in Oregon. Winkle is a member of the Andrews Society for Religious Studies, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the Institute for Biblical Research, and has presented academic papers at major biblical conferences in Europe and the United States. He has also received several PUC faculty development and research awards and honors. Currently, Winkle is co-authoring a commentary on 1 Peter.

Teaching at PUC has given Winkle the privilege of continuing to participate in research communities, combining his passion for education and research on campus and across different countries. One of his favorite things about being part of the Pioneers community is the small class sizes, which allow him and his students to have great discussions and build relationships.

Since 2005, Winkle has served as a faculty member in the theology department and has been known for his in-depth teaching and accessibility to students. “I did not think that I would ever get this recognition,” said Winkle. “There are many faculty members that deserve that award, and I thought that I would certainly be at the end of the line.” It is clear that, after 21 years at PUC, he continues to leave a tremendous impact on his students' lives.