After seven and a half years serving as President of Pacific Union College, President Heather J. Knight, Ph.D., has shared her plans to complete her presidency at PUC effective January 8, 2017. “It is always difficult to decide the right time to complete one’s presidency, but after considerable thought and prayer, I have notified PUC Board Chairperson Dr. Bradford Newton that I will complete my presidency within the next month in order to allow PUC adequate time to prepare for new presidential leadership for the next academic year. It has been a special privilege and pleasure to serve Pacific Union College, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have worked with PUC’s wonderful learning community of faculty, staff, and students and to positively impact this venerable institution over the past several years. My family and I wish PUC only the very best going forward.” Knight became the College’s 21st president in September of 2009 when she was tasked with turning the institution around after several years of enrollment decreases and financial challenges. Under her leadership, Pacific Union College experienced significant growth and had its highest enrollment in 24 years of 1678 students in Fall 2013 and also its...

Pacific Union College welcomed renowned pastor John Bradshaw to speak for the Colloquy Speaker Series on Thursday, November 17. Bradshaw is the current speaker and director for “It Is Written,” an international Seventh-day Adventist television program viewed by millions of people around the world. He has held over 100 evangelistic series spanning across six continents. Bradshaw’s message to PUC students, faculty, and staff centered on the importance of God being the focus in their lives. “Jesus, recognizing our best is not good enough, didn’t leave us to wallow in our inadequacy,” he said, a line encapsulating his entire sermon. Bradshaw pointed out that while we are far from being perfect, God is continuously working in and through each us. “Those were comforting words,” said Jonathan Oliveros, an aviation major. “The only power ever devised that has the capacity to take an unholy thing and make it a holy thing… is the Holy Spirit,” Bradshaw asserted. His affirmation of hope echoed throughout the PUC Church sanctuary. He explained it is by the Holy Spirit’s power and influence in our lives we can live a Christ-like life. “We as Christians must accept the Holy Spirit to influence and move in our lives...

On Sunday, October 30, 320 runners of all ages and abilities ran through the beautiful, lush backwoods property of Pacific Union College for the annual Angwin to Angwish trail run. The event featured a half marathon and 10k race, as well as a 4k family run, taking place on smooth to medium-rough trails and service roads with double and single track. The half marathon and 10k race included an intense climb over the infamous “Angwish Hill,” from which the race obtains its name. Over 100 volunteers helped make the race possible, most of which were PUC students. The funds raised from Angwin to Angwish support PUC’s community outreach and mission work that helps make a difference to countless others within Napa County and around the world. “Angwin to Angwish always shows the best of PUC—the great land there, the bright and engaged students, the committed staff. But this year we showed even more, presenting a great race in the middle of campus on an unusually rainy day. Runners came from all over the West to run and weren’t disappointed. Along the way, we raised money to support the education, missions, and public service that set the college apart and had...

Pacific Union College has been named to the annual President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This is the second year the Corporation for National and Community Service has recognized the college’s commitment to helping improve local communities through service-learning and community service. Started in 2006, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is managed by the Corporation for National & Community Service and given in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education, Campus Compact, and the Interfaith Youth Core. The awards highlight the impact colleges and universities can have within their local community and student involvement in civic engagement. The President’s Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions in four categories, and PUC placed in the general category. “Service-learning is one of the high-impact practices that help our students engage in meaningful, active learning; it has the added bonus of both helping our community members and encouraging our graduates to live lives of useful service,” said Nancy Lecourt, vice president for academic administration and academic dean. In 2015, approximately 522 PUC students participated in service-learning and community service activities, including mentoring students at...

The latest addition to the Nelson Memorial Library is a Latin Bible from sixteenth century Venice, Italy. The Bible has ties to PUC, having passed through the hands of two different alumni couples before being donated to the college. Printed in 1519, the Bible contains a plethora of surprises. Considering its age, it is in excellent condition. Slightly larger than pocket-sized, it has woodcuts throughout, depicting various biblical stories, as well as a few words and paragraphs in red. It contains the Apocryphal books, and the binding features functioning metal clasps. Marbled end pages and some noticeable cropping indicate the Bible was likely rebound sometime in the seventeenth or eighteenth century. Written in the margins of several pages are notes in Latin and Italian, though they are faded and difficult to read. The printer’s colophon on the last leaf was translated by Reverend Augustine De Noble, OSB, from the Mount Angel Abbey in St. Benedict, Ore. He has also translated many of the marginal notes made by previous owners. The colophon indicates the Bible was printed on October 15, 1519, in Venice at the commission and expense of Luce Antonius de Giunta, a Florentine gentleman. While plans are still being...