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Pacific Union College Flight Center Director Nathan Tasker had the idea to build a type-specific aircraft simulator for his students. Since flight training devices in general aviation tend to be generic, limiting their usefulness, Tasker questioned how he and the program could obtain a simulator to teach basic skills, such as visual ground reference maneuvers and landing techniques. This would allow students to progress efficiently, as these skills cannot be effectively taught in traditional simulators. He shared his dream with Russell Laird, the former chair of PUC’s technology department, who would help bring this idea to life. Building the simulator started last summer, with dimensions mirroring PUC’s Piper Cherokee cockpit. Aviation major Micah Dymer drew an instrument panel that Laird would build and design. Taylor Webster consistently assisted Laird, with several other aviation students who volunteered to assemble parts and help calibrate the controls. From Hong Kong to Indonesia to Germany and Sacramento, different parts arrived in Angwin to build the simulator. According to Tasker, building a type-specific flight simulator for a small aircraft had not been done before. This process took countless hours of experimenting, ongoing improvements, and adjustments. With no manual and starting from scratch, it is rewarding...

In celebrating over 140 years, Pacific Union College is looking forward to welcoming alumni back on campus for Homecoming from April 18-19. This memorable weekend will be filled for friends to reconnect and reminisce about their times together.Homecoming registration can be found on puc.edu/homecoming, with the options of general attendance, lunch, and class parties. The classes being honored this year are 1955, 1965, 1975, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2015. Also, classes before and after the honored classes will be recognized.For those who want to stay on-campus, limited guest housing is available for $110 per night and can be reserved through Suzie Ermshar by calling 707-965-1116.Special events for the weekend include a concert from Grammy winner and alum Justin Wilson, alongside his family, Pioneer games for alumni to play volleyball and basketball with student-athletes, and a club food fest where students will serve various food and drinks.The weekend will be filled with events and celebrations. PUC hopes to see you at Homecoming!...

From January 21-25, Pacific Union College was blessed with five students who spoke for Student Week of Worship, themed  “Passion: As Told By You.” Students Abiel Irving, Josue Hilario, Elena Blum, Julian Clarke, and Leila Beltran shared how passion is the force that drives intentional action toward God, everyone, and everything. It was a powerful week seeing students from different backgrounds, some of whom haven’t spoken upfront before, sharing personal stories on their relationship with Christ and encouraging others to seek Him. “Students could be in the audience and think, ‘That could be me!’” said Beltran. “It was so inspiring to see people share how their mind works when it comes to PASSION, our theme. You connect so much better with speakers who are like you and that’s what this quarter’s Student Week of Worship was all about.” Irving enthusiastically kicked the week off by speaking about how faith plays a part in our lives, with the Holy Spirit working in the people and situations around us. Reading from Hebrews 13:5, she reminded the audience that God will never forsake His people. Irving shared another uplifting text from Philippians 4:13 and encouraged students to find strength in Christ and be...

Pacific Union College is thrilled to announce Aimee Leukert as the new Vice President of Student and Spiritual Life. Leukert’s passion and dedication to Adventist education will provide leadership and vision while creating a campus culture that promotes student success and cultivates a spiritual community. Leukert has been an educator for over 20 years. She began her teaching career at Crescenta Valley Adventist School, where she also served as principal before moving to Newbury Park Academy and Monterey Bay Academy.In addition to her bachelor’s in music and liberal studies and master’s in education administration and leadership from La Sierra University, Leukert also earned her Ph.D. in education from Claremont Graduate University, where she wrote a dissertation titled “Choosing God, Choosing Schools: A Study of the Relationship between Parental Religiosity and School Choice.” She has written books focusing on Adventist education and culture in addition to her peer-reviewed publications. Her latest book from 2023 was Thriving: 31 Stories on the Impact of Adventist Education, a collection of stories from people who built on the foundation of their Adventist education and have thrived in their fields. Leukert has presented at academic and professional meetings and conferences around the country, including at PUC...

Pacific Union College is pleased to announce the appointment of Carlos Garcia as the new Vice President of Alumni and Advancement. In this role, he will provide leadership, vision, and direction for alumni relations while creating and leading development activities for sustained institutional growth.“We are extremely pleased to welcome Carlos to our campus and into his new role,” said PUC President Ralph Trecartin. “Since his first interview, we've been very impressed with his skill set, leadership background, and compatibility with the values of PUC. I believe that in addition to providing great leadership in his division, he will make significant and positive contributions to the administrative team.”Garcia returns to his alma mater with more than two decades of strong leadership experience, having directed team decision-making, leadership organization and planning, motivation and in-person training, and conflict resolution. He previously served as the lead pastor in Santa Maria, Modesto, and Los Banos, California, and Provo, Utah. He led his congregations through pastoral care, provided department management and oversight, conducted lay and leadership training, and supported church growth in all phases. Before joining the ministry, Garcia was a pharmaceutical sales leader in Chicago, Illinois. In this role, he facilitated sales to regional medical...