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In July of 2017, Dr. Robert A. Cushman Jr. became the new president of Pacific Union College. On April 20, 2018, the college officially installed Cushman as the 23rd president in a special inaugural ceremony, succeeding Dr. Eric Anderson.The inauguration began with a procession of distinguished guests, including trustees, faculty and staff, representatives from other Adventist schools, and student representatives, among others, with many of them bedecked in colorful academic regalia. The PUC Church was filled with faculty, staff, students, community members, and family and friends, welcoming Cushman and celebrating the college’s history and future.The ceremony included music from Vox Pro Musica, the PUC Chorale, the Brass Quintet, and a special presentation from The Beatitudes, a 40-minute cantata based on Matthew 5 and composed and conducted by Asher Raboy, PUC resident artist.Several responsive readings involved notable dignitaries in attendance, including Dr. Gordon Bietz, associate director of higher education of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists; Dr. Ronald Carter, provost of Loma Linda University; Diane Dillon, Napa County supervisor; Ricardo Graham, president of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and member of the PUC Board of Trustees; Bradford Newton, executive secretary of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists...

Prolific author of academic articles. Honors program faculty member. Amnesty International faculty sponsor. Campus philosopher. Ninja warrior. Community cat whisperer. These are just a few of the descriptions of Dr. Peter Katz that were shared when he was named the 2018 Educator of the Year. During the annual colloquy program at Pacific Union College on Thursday, April 5th, students, faculty, staff, and administration celebrated with Katz as he was recognized with the award for the first time. An 2010 alumnus of the college with degrees in English literature, European history, and music, Katz has taught at PUC since 2015 and currently serves as assistant professor of English.Each year, the Educator of the Year award is selected by student vote. The recipient’s identity is a closely-guarded secret only known by a small, select group of people before joining an impressive list of past winners whom have all left an incredible mark on PUC and the lives of countless students.“I love seeing the students choose a new, young faculty member like Peter as their Educator of the Year,” says PUC academic dean and vice president for academic administration Dr. Nancy Lecourt. “He is challenging them to work hard and think in new...

“Picture the scene,” says Asher Raboy, resident artist in the department of music at Pacific Union College. “Jesus stands on a mountainside, facing an audience used to an Old Testament God of vengeance. It’s the middle of the Roman occupation. It’s a world of vengeance. And the first word Jesus speaks as he begins that sermon on the mount is not ‘smite,’ it’s ‘blessed.’ The world is changed overnight.”Raboy is explaining the reason behind his choice of setting for his latest composition, The Beatitudes. The 40-minute cantata based on Matthew 5 was written for choir, orchestra, and three soloists, and will have its debut during PUC’s Homecoming Weekend in honor of Paulin Hall’s 50th anniversary.“Most people, when they set the beatitudes, use peaceful, quiet music,” Raboy continues. “That’s not the message I wanted to give. The first time the word ‘blessed’ comes into the piece, it is a very harsh chord. Loud, and clanging. It’s a representation of how discordant it was to hear that word.”Primarily a pianist, Raboy began his love affair with music at the age of five, when his sister began taking lessons. His father was the son of immigrants who believed to be American, you had...

On Thursday, March 15, the PUC Church sanctuary was filled with the sounds of energy and excitement as the Class of 2018 was celebrated during Senior Recognition Colloquy.After the processional, Dr. Bob Cushman, the college’s president, offered his congratulations to the senior class, acknowledging their accomplishments during their time at PUC, and also extended a warm welcome to the rest of the congregation.Dr. Kent Davis, chair of the department of chemistry, gave the morning’s Scripture reading of 1st Corinthians 12:31, followed by a formal introduction of the Class of 2018 by Dr. Nancy Lecourt, academic dean and vice president for academic administration. As she shared statistics regarding the class, audience members cheered for their respective departments that were represented. Of the 265 soon-to-be graduates, 95 will earn associate degrees while 184 will receive bachelor’s degrees. The top five programs are comprised of biology (17), communication (19), health sciences (21), business (29), and nursing (108). Approximately one-third of the class is receiving a degree cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude. The class hails from 17 different states and six countries from around the world, with the youngest being just 19-years-old while the oldest is 53-years-old. Dr. Lecourt praised...

Last school year, Pacific Union College English and pre-med major Laurel Kwon and fellow honors student Jeff Richards worked together on a project. They visited Foothills Elementary School just a few minutes from campus and demonstrated some chemistry experiments.“The kids loved it!” Laurel recalls with a grin. “So, I got to thinking, why not make this a regular thing to get kids excited about seeing what we were going to do next?”That summer, Laurel shared her idea with her friend, John Jung, a biology major. He liked the idea, and at that moment, SPARK was born.SPARK, or Science Presentations And Research for Kids, is a program that connects PUC students with local elementary, middle, and high school students under the umbrella of science. The idea is to send small groups of PUC students into schools to give age-appropriate demonstrations and explanations of various aspects of science. SPARK is supported and sponsored by professor Aimee Wyrick, chair of the department of biology, and Dr. Kent Davis, chair of the department of chemistry, who help the students coordinate with local schools and oversee the demonstrations provided.“We want to create opportunities for children to not only learn about science, but also learn to...