2016

During a special session on December 13, 2016, the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees elected a new president, Eric Anderson, a senior faculty member, to serve until June 30, 2017. Anderson’s six-month appointment begins January 9, 2017. “I am grateful to Dr. Anderson for agreeing to take on this important leadership role,” says Board Chairman Bradford Newton. “He has the experience, vision, and commitment to lead PUC during the upcoming search committee process.” According to Newton, Anderson will be asked to help in the process of finding a long-term president for the 134-year old liberal arts college. With the administrative team, he will also be expected to reshape the college budget. Currently the Walter C. Utt Professor of History at PUC, previously Anderson was president of Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas, from 2005 to 2014, where he served one of the longer presidential tenures in the university’s history. Dr. Amy Rosenthal, academic dean at Southwestern, says, “It was a privilege to begin my administrative career under Dr. Anderson's leadership at Southwestern Adventist University, where he combined an expectation of academic excellence with a clear vision for the future of Adventist education.” Rosenthal also taught at PUC in the...

On Friday, December 2, the office of service,justice, and missions at Pacific Union College held the college’s first everFacebook live event, featuring staff and students who have served or arecurrently serving as missionaries around the world. The broadcast has beenviewed several thousand times and generated many thoughtful responses,spreading awareness of the incredible service PUC students are engaged in.Hosted by Doug Wilson, director of studentactivities at PUC, the broadcast began with an interview with Fabio Maia, PUC’sservice and missions coordinator. Maia shared an update about service projectsplanned for 2016-2017 school year, including PUC’s Homeless Ministries andRebuilding Calistoga initiatives. PUC’s annual mission trips to Brazil and Fijiwere also highlighted. “We try to make sure all students have a chance toparticipate in missions,” he says. He also intentionally plans for missiontrips in places where PUC students are serving as long-term missionaries, tofurther assist the communities in those areas.The broadcast also featured PUC students KellySiegal, Brett Dickinson, Ryan Goldring, Alex Chang, George Tuyu, Leya Helmer,Ren Hellan, Andrew Mahinay, Christian and Shelina Villegas, Melissa Otto, and aspecial video conference call with Rei Antonio, who is currently serving inBangladesh.“I’m so proud of our student missionaries,task force workers, and all those who are choosing to participate in...

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...

Pacific Union College held its annual Fall Revival week from Monday, Oct. 10, through Friday, Oct. 14. Students participated in six services throughout the week, with a powerful Colloquy program on Thursday morning. PUC’s student praise band lead out the week’s colloquial service with, “What a Beautiful Name,” the theme song for the week. As the song came to an end, Campus Chaplain Jonathan Henderson introduced speaker Jason Francis, who serves as the associate pastor at the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church in Columbus, Ohio. Francis stepped on stage with an energetic vibe and a smile on his face. He began his sermon with the words, “God wants to turn something that is ordinary into something extraordinary,” a statement that echoes the theme of Fall Revival. “I’m glad he reminded us that God has the power to do that,” said Angel Hernandez, head resident assistant for Newton Hall. Francis asked students to open their Bibles to Matthew 5:13, the memory verse his sermon was based upon. It reads, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out...

On Thursday, October 13, Pacific Union College faculty and staff along with friends, and family, gathered to celebrate the 28 year career of John Collins, vice president for asset management, who retired in September. Collins’ tremendous career at PUC began in 1988 where he served as vice president for student services and enrollment and later as vice president for financial administration. During the retirement celebration, colleagues spoke about John’s influence on their careers and on them personally. “John was the person who offered me my first job out of college,” said Michelle Rai, chair of the department of communication. “When I was a senior at PUC, John asked if I wanted a full-time job with the enrollment office. When I told him my dad probably wanted me to get a job back home in Hawaii, he personally spoke to my dad assuring him I would be well taken care of here,” continued Rai. “After talking to John, my dad gave me his blessing to live in California and work for PUC. I told John I would commit to working for PUC for a year. ‘How about two?’ was his reply. That was 18 years ago.” Collins’ life has been dedicated...

Close to 150 academy juniors, seniors, and their sponsors from Seventh-day Adventist academies throughout Northern and Central California visited the campus of Pacific Union College for College Days, October 16-17. It was the first of six visitation events the college will hold this academic year. The two-day event showcased PUC’s beautiful location and unique learning environment, providing visiting students with the opportunity to sit in on college classes, worship with other students, attend a financial aid workshop, tour department facilities, stay with current PUC students in one of the residence halls, and fully immerse themselves into life at the college. A special student panel was held, where visiting students were able to ask questions of current PUC students about their experiences at the college. A particular highlight this College Days were the activities held on Sunday evening, where prospective students participated in a friendly trivia game and Jedi dodgeball in the Pacific Auditorium. The evening closed with a late night ice cream feed in the campus center courtyard. “College Days is a great event to help connect prospective students with PUC,” said J.R. Rogers, director of recruitment. “It helps give them an idea of what it would be like to...