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A group of 30 young scholars got a head start on their college experience at Pacific Union College's PacificQuest 2009 on July 26 through 31. The annual program, aimed at exceptional 7th through 9th graders interested in planning for college early, exposes the students to a sampling of collegiate curricula. This year's program, "Dimensions of Enlightenment," was directed by PUC professors Lindsay Petersen and Aimee Wyrick and offered a core class in "Experiencing Psychology" taught by professors Aubyn Fulton and Charlene Bainum. Topics for this session included social psychology, developmental psychology, memory, and personality. The students were encouraged to get involved with field research, such as staging small accidents at the campus market to gauge different levels of bystander apathy and observing the play behavior of small children at the preschool. "The students were a great group, very motivated," says Bainum. "They asked lots of questions and took initiative on their projects." Students also had two electives to choose from. The first was an option in "Exploring Physics." In this elective, students took instruction from PUC physics professor Vola Andrianarijaona, especially focusing on the experiments and equations of Christian mathematician physicist James Clerk Maxwell and how the laws of nature...

This year's Digital Art Photography course brought photographers of all levels to Pacific Union College's Albion Field Station on the Mendocino Coast, as it has for several years now. The one-week session was offered twice in July. The course, says Albion director and photography instructor Gibby Muth, "is for people who want to learn the techniques of good 
photography, how to properly manipulate their photos on the computer, how to 
display their work and how to better understand how to use their camera." Photographers at any level can join the class - all they need is a digital camera and willingness to learn. "We
get individuals who are very knowledgeable in all these areas who come to be 
with others of like interests, as well as rank beginners," says Muth. "Our goal is to help 
them become more proficient." This year, teachers Marlowe Burgess, Farrel Brizendine, and Muth each took a different branch of instruction. Burgess worked with photographers who wanted to become more proficient working with images in Photoshop; Farrel taught photographic techniques; and Muth taught beginners the basics of working with images. The group would shoot early in the morning, have a lecture after breakfast, and then shoot again...

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...

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...

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...