News

On Sunday, July 31, family and friends gathered at Las Posadas Ranch for the Jimmy J. Ha Endowed Scholarship dinner. The event, coordinated by the advancement and alumni relations office, celebrated the life of Dr. Jimmy J. Ha, beloved PUC professor, on what would have been his 48th birthday. Professor Ha passed away in 2010 following a heroic battle with cancer. Over 100 people attended the celebration, which featured a catered dinner, lawn games, and several musical selections, including a piece performed by Sophie Ha, the 9-year-old daughter of Jimmy and his wife Sonia. Many people gave generously to continue to fund the scholarship, with over $60,000 received in donations, a large part of which was matched by an anonymous donor. “Jimmy Ha left a lasting imprint on PUC. His love for the underdog, and his deep love for his students will always be remembered. His legacy continues to live on in the lives of the many students he touched, and those who benefit from his scholarship fund. We’re honored to further his impact on PUC through the loving care of his wife and PUC Board Member, Dr. Sonia Ha. Her leadership will ensure that Jimmy’s legacy is felt for...

High achieving middle school students were offered a glimpse of college life while attending Pacific Union College’s annual PacificQuest program, July 17-22. PacificQuest allows academically outstanding 7th through 9th graders the opportunity to collaboratively explore various curriculum, in depth, while earning college credit during the week long summer program. This year PacificQuest hosted 14 students representing 13 different schools from across the country, some as far away as Texas. This year’s PacificQuest theme focused on STEM, which is based on educating students in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students were able to attend classes, taught by PUC professors, on chemistry, mathematics, and computer science. Professor Kent Davis shared his love for chemistry, teaching students about molecules and performing his legendary demonstrations. The students enjoyed making good smelling aromas (esters) from a starting material with a terrible stench (butyric acid). Professor Chantel Blackburn designed a course where students learned about math using colors, shapes, and codes, saying “I introduced the students to mathematical topics of symmetry groups and coding theory which are typically encountered at the undergraduate level in a course like abstract algebra. I was impressed not only by how quickly the students grasped the concepts they...

Runners of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in the annual Pacific Union College Angwin to Angwish trail run on October 30, 2016. This year, the event features a half marathon and 10k race, as well as the ever popular 4k fun run. Early bird registration is open until August 1, and special discounts are available for PUC alumni, faculty and staff, and students. The Angwin to Angwish trail run was started in the 1970s and revived in 2013. Several hundred runners participated in the past few runs, and the race is expected to continue to grow. The course will take place on smooth to medium-rough trails and service roads with double and single track. A challenging run over hills, the run includes intense climbs (1,000 feet vertical) at the longer distances, on a rugged terrain that eventually leads to the infamous Angwish Hill. Awards will be given to the top male and female winners for both the half marathon and 10k races. Additionally, awards will be given to the top three finishers for both races in various age groups, by gender. For the 4k run, awards will be given to the top three finishers for both male...

Pacific Union College continues its strong international presence as one of the leading Adventist institutions participating in Adventist Colleges Abroad (ACA). For the 2015-2016 academic year, PUC ranked second among the 13 Adventist colleges and universities in North America for the number of students per capita who studied abroad during the year, with 33 students studying at schools around the world. Through ACA, PUC students have the opportunity to study abroad at 12 international Adventist schools for a summer or full academic year. In total, 419 PUC students have studied abroad over the last 10 years; with the most popular destinations being Spain (143), Argentina (97), Italy (64), and France (53). Of the 419 students, 344 studied abroad for the full academic year, which places PUC as the third highest Adventist college or university in North America sending students abroad for a full academic year during the last decade. Graduating PUC students who have participated in the ACA program are given a distinctive stole to wear marking the time they spent invested in their host country (or countries). This year, 32 graduates from the Class of 2016 were recognized with these stoles, with two of the graduates having the special...

As of July 1, 2016, Pacific Union College’s department of religion has been renamed the department of theology. The change was made to more accurately represent the department’s mission and scholarship focus. Dr. Ross Winkle, chair of the department, says, “We’re excited about the change in our name since it more accurately conveys the type of majors we have and the confessional stance of our department.” Winkle explains that an academic department named “religion” typically offers a neutral approach to the teaching of religion and of global faiths and religious traditions, not prioritizing any particular religion above others. By contrast, a department named “theology” conspicuously focuses on Christianity, and seeks to educate future ministers and students majoring in various disciplines to be intelligent, informed, and faithful disciples of Jesus. “We’re also excited to have an excellent departmental faculty, including a new faculty member that will bring our full-time teachers up to seven in number—more than we’ve had in over a decade,” shares Winkle. “Students who come to PUC to take either theology or religion will continue to graduate with a strong background in biblical studies, along with a strong exposure to theology, ethics, and Christian history, as well as biblical...

It is with much sadness we announce the upcoming services for Kevin Canavan, a senior business major who died on Wednesday, July 6, while working as a summer camp employee at Camp Wawona, in Wawona, Calif. He just celebrated his 21st birthday at the end of June. A memorial service for Kevin is currently planned for this Sabbath, July 16, at 7 p.m. at the Monterey Bay Academy Seventh-day Adventist Church. The church is located at 783 San Andreas Road, La Selva Beach, Calif., 95076. “We are still in disbelief over the sad and sudden news about losing our dear friend and student, Kevin Canavan. Kevin’s ready smile, friendly attitude, and leadership abilities made him an exceptional young man. He was such a positive influence on our campus and will forever be remembered and cherished. Kevin’s RA status at Grainger Hall placed him in the forefront of leadership, care, and concern for others at PUC and truly he lived up to these ideals. We long for the day when we will see Kevin’s great smile and wonderful personality again,” says Lisa Bissell Paulson, vice president for student services. Kevin worked this past year as a resident assistant in Grainger Hall,...

On Sunday, June 12, for the 114th time on its campus, Pacific Union College celebrated its commencement exercises, with 393 students graduating. The college proudly awarded 413 associate, bachelor, and master’s degrees to the 393 graduates, 53 of whom are from Napa County. The largest departmental groups represented were nursing and health sciences (178), communication (29), business administration (28), biology (22), and exercise science (20). One hundred and twenty-seven students received academic distinctions and honors, with 15 summa cum laude graduates, 40 magna cum laude graduates, and 60 cum laude graduates. Eight students from PUC’s Honors Program and four Maxwell Scholars were also represented, as were two Student Association officers. Also of note, 16 members of the class served in countries around the world as student missionaries and task force workers. Commencement weekend began Friday afternoon with a dedication service for social work graduates. They shared stories of their internship experiences and how their faith was a fundamental part of their work as well as read the social work oath alongside other social workers present. Each student was also awarded a social work pin, and several had the honor of being pinned by their internship supervisor. Social Work Program Assistant...

On May 26, Pacific Union College hosted the 14thDiogenes Film Festival at the Cameo Cinema in St. Helena. The annual event showcases the talents of both PUC’s visual art majors. This year, 25 short films were shown and five awards were available—Filmmaker of the Future, Orson’s Disciple, Audience Choice Award, Audience Choice Award (for Thesis Films), and Best Thesis Film—with underclassmen being eligible for the first three. The Audience Choice Award was awarded to the producer receiving the most votes from a text poll. However, Best Thesis Film and Filmmaker of the Future were determined by festival judges. The underclassmen projects ranged from a TV web series, “At Grainger” by Hayden Cox, to short films such as “The Wiggles” by Kaitlin Darnell and Alexyss Johnson. A short question and answer session and awards presentation followed. This year the Filmmaker of the Future and the Audience Choice Award were both awarded to Taylor Bivens and Nick DeChicchis for “White Collar.” Also nominated were Jonathan Salvador for “Investigative Journalism,” Julian Ybarra for “Genesis,” and Rachel Ermshar for “Teardrop.” Johnathan Thall, sophomore software development and film and television major, received The Orson’s Disciple award, a new honor given to the film student who...

As students gear up for the fast approaching week of finals, most are excited to wave goodbye to school and head off to warmer weather, catching up on sleep, and days at the beach. But there are some who have different plans, plans which include spending a portion of their break taking classes. Over the past few years, summer classes have become more and more popular, allowing students to remain academically productive during the summer months. PUC offers a limited number of classes which cover the same coursework as a typical class, only in a much shorter amount of time, and sessions range variously from June 13 - August 12. Once you get past the idea of sitting in a classroom while your friends are off enjoying months of freedom, and once you realize the accelerated course work of one or two classes is completely manageable, we hope you recognize the benefits of taking a summer class at PUC. While an accelerated class will likely mean a little extra work and studying, the lack of other classes and fewer distractions will allow you to devote much more time to your class, which will show in your final grade! Summer classes...

For the past three years, the women’s volleyball team at Pacific Union College and The City of St. Helena’s Recreation Department have teamed up to provide a volleyball league for youth in the area. The eight-week program is offered for ages 9-14, and student athletes from PUC’s women’s volleyball team serve as coaches and mentors for the league teams. Aside from running practices and games, the PUC women’s volleyball team educate young athletes on what it means to be “Champions of Character,” a program in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which PUC is a part of. The goal of the program is to instill character building values so students can do the right thing on and off the court, and understand how those values play out in practice and competition. The five core values are integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership. Brittany Brown, PUC’s athletic director, prioritizes the league’s goals as “character training, then practice training, then games.” Throughout the eight weeks, games and practices were held at Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School in St. Helena. The final city league event took place on PUC’s campus at the Pacific Auditorium, with parents and the local community joining...