School of Sciences Newsletter

Fall 2024

Front row (L to R): Matt Evens, Damaris Perez, Aimee Wyrick, Wayne Borin, Marie Pak, James Robertson, Libna Arroyo, John Duncan, Bryan Ness
Back row (L to R): Backil Sung, Kent Davis, Michael Jefferson, Timothy Robertson, Robert Wilson, Floyd Hayes, Christian Von Pohle, Robin Vance, Tuwan Ussery

School of Sciences

In the summer of 2023, all PUC academic departments merged into one of three schools. The School of Sciences includes the basic sciences, behavioral sciences, and kinesiology.

Biology

PUC's Biology Department will be experiencing some changes while maintaining our consistent dedication to the excellent academic preparation of our students. While it is rare that we have to find a person to fill a position in the department (about a 20-year cycle), we have a longtime colleague retiring at the end of this year.

Chemistry

It’s always exciting to acquire new instrumentation for use in labs and research projects. In the past several years, we purchased a new microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometer and a high-performance liquid chromatography instrument.

Kinesiology

The biggest news from the Kinesiology Department is that Dr. Robert Paulson retired in July 2023. Bob taught at PUC for 30 years, and during his tenure, he developed and maintained an excellent intramural program and created RecRadio.

Math & Physics

PUC's Mathematics and Physics Department has seen many changes in the past five years. Some of our longest-serving faculty retired, with a few others accepting calls to other institutions. Fortunately, we have two emeritus professors, Lloyd Best and Richard Rockwell, teaching in the area.

Psychology & Social Work

We are incredibly proud of the paths our students take after graduation. Many pursue advanced degrees, while others step directly into meaningful roles within our communities—as therapists, case managers, social workers, professors, researchers, or psychologists.

STEM scholars

Our school year kicked off with an incredible pre-vespers–a warm and engaging event that brought together students, faculty, and staff. The energy was infectious, with amazing attendance exceeded our expectations.

PacificQuest

For the past two summers, I have had the opportunity to assist with teaching classes for the PacificQuest programs. Watching young, eager minds interact with new problems and understand collegiate concepts is a treat.