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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...

On Sunday, April 19, Pacific Union College’s aviation program hosted its annual Air Expo at the end of Homecoming Weekend alongside the Angwin Disaster Airlift Response Team (DART), creating a well-rounded and enjoyable experience that brought students, faculty, staff, and community members together.This event featured a pancake breakfast and PUC club activities from the Black Student Union, Psychology and Social Work, SOL, business, and other campus clubs, which provided treats, snacks, and fresh meals. A local food vendor also sold homemade and authentic Indian food by popular demand within the community. The climbing wall was well-received as a popular activity by the younger audience as well. The aviation program takes pride in involving its students and other students across campus in its events to not only share the joy of aviation but also highlight the mission of service.This expo showcased a large selection of aircraft, some of which are owned by community members who keep their aircraft in hangars at the Virgil O. Parrett Field, bringing an exciting variety to the event each year. A highlight for many visitors was the discovery flights, offered in some of the department’s fleet. Other attendees enjoyed flying PUC’s new full-motion, virtual reality flight...

The English Department at Pacific Union College received 230 entries for its fourth annual high school essay contest. With this many students submitting their stories, the Emerging Voices of the Pacific Union has grown tremendously in the last few years, surpassing last year’s total of about 103 submissions. “We host the contest with the aim of encouraging young writers to continue pursuing their craft,” said PUC English Department Chair Emily Logan. “We read every single essay with care.”With more essays to read, the department added two more judges to dissect each essay that focused on a meaningful memory associated with one of the five senses. Alongside Logan, the selection committee included Education Chair and English Professor Jennifer Peñaflorida, Assistant Professor of English Leah Dopp, English Professor Linda Gill, Vice President for Academic Administration Lindsay Hayasaka, and Adjunct English Professor of Art History Karl Wilcox. As they dissected each original story, only three students could be awarded.Boi Dinh (Daisy) Quan from San Gabriel Academy won first place after greatly impressing the judges with her essay titled “Journey in a Bowl,” which she wrote with a focus on all the sensations simply by enjoying a bowl of pho. “I got chills when...

Athletics in North American Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities date back only 40 years. Because there was not a long history, Pacific Union College’s Men’s Pioneers Volleyball Team was established only during the 1989-1990 school year, when the college began its athletic program.During this time, Chuck Evans was PUC’s athletic director and oversaw the development of the athletics program. In this role, he was appointed the first head coach of PUC’s men’s volleyball team, a position he held for three years. While their team was not accepted into a national organization or conference, they competed in a club setting and set their record during their first year as a team: 14-1. “The first year the men’s team was absolutely dominant,” shared Evans.The team later competed in the California Coastal Conference, and it was not until 2017 that the team was adopted as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) sport. PUC was the second school to join the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the national organization that many other Adventist colleges later joined to start competing in interscholastic athletics. As PUC was in the California Coastal Conference, they moved on and joined the California Pacific Conference (CAL PAC).In the 1994-1995 school...

Through the collaborative efforts of those within the School of Arts, Humanities, and Professional Studies, Pacific Union College is thrilled to announce that its new Associate of Arts degree in Humanities has been approved and will officially be open for enrollment in fall 2026.A highlight of this newly created degree is that it gives students the flexibility to tailor it to their academic schedules. This degree has been carefully designed, from foundational education to specialized humanities, to offer students a two-year structured program that challenges them in cultural literacy and in critical and ethical thinking. Students may also pursue this major as a double major or minor if they are interested in adding a deeper understanding of the humanities as it relates to their career.“The program affirms Pacific Union College’s identity as a liberal arts institution, while also serving an important completion and retention function for students whose academic trajectories shift during their time at PUC,” said Milbert Mariano, dean of the school of arts, humanities, and professions. “We are responding to the needs of our students who can design and construct their own individualized emphasis (with guidance). This is not a major you would normally see at other Adventist...