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Out of PUC: Where (More) PUC Grads Are Now

Posted by Lainey S. Cronk on July 29, 2009

Pacific Union College's graduates from the last few years are making their place in communities around the world. Here's a sampling of destinations and niches. To read about others, go to our earlier Out of PUC feature. Elisabeth Reeves, '08, is working on her master's in forensic science through the University of California, Davis extension program. She rides her bicycle to such classes as "Analysis of Toxicants" and "Scientific Evidence and Courtroom Testimony." She's also doing a research internship on Organic Gun Shot Residue for the Sacramento County District Attorney's Crime Lab. And in her spare time, she's breaking in her sewing machine. Morgan (Vogel) Chinnock, '07,is a consultant in grant writing for Morrison & Company, where she works on grant proposals and has spent the last nine months building an online green grant subscription database and notification service. She also recently finished ghostwriting the autobiography of a gentleman who grew up in Germany during WWII, had his village invaded by the Russian army, and spent his life searching for fulfillment, only to find God's love in Adventism in the early '90s. Morgan also finds time for such adventures as a recent trip to Ethiopia with her husband to work...

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Pacific Union College Announces New President

Posted by Julie Z Lee on July 20, 2009

On July 17, 2009, the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees announced that Dr. Heather J. Knight, currently the provost of Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, has been named the new president of Pacific Union College. She will begin her role as president in mid-September, in time for the new academic year. Dr. Knight received her Ph.D. in English from Stanford University, her master's degree in English from Loma Linda University, and her bachelor's degree in English from Oakwood University. She also completed postdoctoral studies at Harvard University in management and leadership in education. An accomplished academic administrator, Dr. Knight served with distinction for 18 years at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where she was a professor of English, assistant provost, and then associate provost. As provost at Andrews University, Dr. Knight served as second officer, providing administrative and academic leadership and managing the day-to-day operations of the university. During her three years at Andrews University, Dr. Knight successfully developed and implemented a new strategic plan, integrated budget and planning priorities, increased enrollment and student selectivity, and strengthened leadership in all areas of campus life. She oversaw the development of new programs, processes, and campus facilities...

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Alum Lisa Breckenridge Enjoys Entertainment Journalism with Fox 11

Posted by Larry Pena on July 10, 2009

Lisa Breckenridge interviews celebrities for a living, on television, in the largest media market in the United States. She is entertainment and lifestyle anchor for Fox Los Angeles's 11 Morning News, the Fox 11 News at 10 a.m., and the Fox 11 News at Noon and occasional stand-in for the anchors of these shows as well as the hugely popular Los Angeles morning show Good Day LA. It's a pretty heady job for someone who claims she was the boring kid at Pacific Union College. "I was the kid who never wanted to get into trouble!" she says, laughing. "I was the one who was always in bed by 8 o'clock." Her only shenanigan, she says, was during her 1986 campaign for Student Association Social Vice President, when she dropped her skirt onstage as part of a skit about not resorting to sensational gimmicks to win the election. She's come a long way since then. There have been no recorded "wardrobe malfunctions" at any of her jobs on live television. She has also stepped into a life that could be described as a little less boring. "Whether I am on the red carpet getting a kiss from George Clooney or...

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Painters Convene for 2009 Summer Art

Posted by David Ranzolin on July 8, 2009

Summertime at the Albion Field Station is a refuge for aspiring artists of all ages, occupations and abilities. Started by former Pacific Union College professor of art Vernon Nye some 42 years ago, the Summer School of Art at convenes at Albion each summer, teaching courses in oil painting, watercolor painting, and acrylic painting, with an additional class in digital photography added more recently. The painting program runs for two weeks each June - this year, it ran June 14-26 - with the digital photography course offered in July. "The art camp is designed for individuals who want to study with professional 
artists as well as a tradition of artists coming together for two weeks of 
doing what they like and learning from one another," says Gilbert Muth, field station director and a long-time supporter of Albion's programs. It's also a chance for artists of all levels to come together for relaxation and spiritual nourishment. The participants of the painting courses are instructed how to portray a variety of natural landscapes through their brush strokes. A typical day begins with the group traveling together to one of the many breathtaking vistas surrounding Albion and the Mendocino Coast. The instructors (John...

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Teaching Robots in Fisher Hall

Posted by Larry Pena on July 7, 2009

It's obvious that something very important is going on in Fisher Hall, home of Pacific Union College's art department. Here and there throughout the large open classroom, little groups of people are huddled around laptops and elaborate mechanical setups, gesturing and poking, arguing and collaborating in hushed but hurried voices. Each little cluster is a buzzing frenzy of tension and activity. And then moments later, they step back and unleash their creations: robots designed to rescue the planet. Robots built out of Lego blocks. It's a summer workshop called Lego Robotics, and this is the first time the four-day course has been offered at PUC. The class teaches current and future middle school educators how to participate-and get their students involved in-a national organization called FIRST Lego League. The league holds regional and national competitions where student teams design, build, and program innovative robots based on Lego Mindstorms NXT Intelligent Brick robotics platform. The robots are then tested on a standard course to complete a timed set of functions. Rick Nelson, a teacher at Chico Oaks Adventist School in Chico, California, is presenting the workshop. He and students from his school have been involved in FIRST Lego League (FIRST stands...

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