2016

Assistant professor of communication and department chair Michelle Rai, M.S., was named Educator of the Year 2016 during the colloquy program on April 28. Faculty, staff, students, and administration all celebrated with Rai as she was recognized for this prestigious award for the first time. Rai has been a professor in the department of communication for the past ten years and chair for the past eight. “Faculty and students alike are pleased with the choice of Michelle, whose hard work and collegiality have allowed the Communication department to grow into one of the largest on campus in recent years,” says Dr. Nancy Lecourt, academic dean and vice president for academic administration. This distinction, determined solely upon student vote, recognizes an outstanding educator each year. Rai was praised by students for her ability to connect on personal levels and willingness to make time for students. Talissa Romero, junior health communication major, described Rai’s dedication to her students as, “a phone call or text away, responding to text messages faster than you can blink your eyes.” An alumnus of PUC, Rai graduated in 1997 with a degree in both communication and journalism. A home-grown member of the college’s faculty, Rai started her...

Pacific Union College Fine Art Series features renown solo pianistRoy Bogas on Sunday, May 1 at 4 p.m. in Paulin Hall Auditorium.An accomplishedmusician, Bogas was trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and received hischamber music training from the Alma Trio and the Griller Quartet. Bogas wasonly 14-years-old when he debuted with the San Francisco Symphony. By 19, hewas the accompanist for violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and proceeded to play over100 concerts alongside him around the globe. In 1962, he was a prize winner atthe Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russia, and made his debut in New Yorkand London the following year. He was also awarded a special prize at the Queen Elizabeth Competition inBrussels, Belgium.Bogas has played with several otherinfluential artists, including Jaime Laredo, Zara Nelsova, Michael Rabin,Ruggiero Ricci, and Joseph Szigeti, with whom he made a number of recordingsfor Mercury Records. In addition to his recitals, he has performed as a soloistwith close to every orchestra within the state, and countless other orchestrasthroughout the country and around the world.Bogas is the founder and director of theMasterGuild Series of chamber music concerts at Holy Names College in Oakland,Calif., where he also serves as artistic director. He is the director of...

The Rasmussen Art Gallery hostedthe annual Student Art Exhibition on Thursday evening, April 14. The exhibitionis a showcase for the department of visual arts, receiving 127 entries from in-classwork and independent art pieces that included painting, photography, sculpture,and ceramics.A packed crowd spilled out of theeast wing of the gallery and into the foyer as Cheryl Daley, instructor of fineart, presented awards to 39 students across 12 different categories. Small cashprizes were given to students finishing in the top three or receiving honorablemention in each category.Visitors spent the two-houropening circulating the room, admiring the student works placed throughout thegallery. “This was my first time entering the art gallery and it wasphenomenal,” said Krista Bathan, a junior communication major. “The studentshere on campus are very creative and did an incredible job.”Michael McGinnis, the inventor ofthe 2013 Toy of the Year, the Superplexus, and a former Rasmussen Art Galleryfeatured artist, judged the exhibition and offered advice to the aspiringartists from afar: “Regardless of your ultimate career goals, make art a partof your lives, both as an expressive outlet of great value and as an aestheticelement in your daily living. Art is a fundamental element of the humancondition. Never be afraid to break boundaries,...

This Sunday, April 24, the Trinity Alps Chamber Players will be performing at Pacific Union College. The concert begins at 4 p.m. in the college’s Paulin Hall Auditorium. The Trinity Alps Chamber Players is a collective of classically trained musicians dedicated to providing access to exceptional chamber music to younger generations through education and outreach performances. Affiliated with the Trinity Alps Chamber Music Festival, an organization founded in 2011 by pianist Ian Scarfe, the TACP tours across Northern California and has presented over 100 free public concerts and visited dozens of schools for educational outreach performances. The troupe includes violinist Luke Fatora, cellist James Jaffe, and pianist and group founder, Ian Scarfe. Fatora is a violinist who received his B.M. in violin performance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and served as the conductor of the Summit Community Orchestra before beginning his master’s degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Jaffe has performed as a cello chamber musician and soloist in venues across the world: music festivals in Italy and Switzerland, appearances in Beijing, and a Canadian quartet tour. Averaging over 100 performances each year, pianist Scarfe has performed as a soloist, collaborator, and chamber musician throughout the U.S....

Pacific Union College alumni were welcomed back to campus for the college’s annual Homecoming Weekend during the beautiful weekend of April 15-17. “Welcoming our alumni family back to the PUC campus is the highlight of our year. It’s such a blessing to see old friends and make new ones,” shares Mark Ishikawa, associate vice president for advancement and strategic partnerships. The festivities began with the second annual PUC Talks on Friday afternoon. This series of mini lectures is modeled after the popular TED Talks. This year’s featured speakers were Katy Van Arsdale, archivist and special collections librarian for the Nelson Memorial Library and the Walter C. Utt Center for Adventist History at PUC; Dr. Stanley Sturges, a 2016 Honored Alumni and a graduate of the class of 1950; and Dr. Floyd Hayes, a professor in PUC’s department of biology since 2003. Friday evening, a banquet was held in the Dining Commons in recognition of the 2016 Honored Alumni. The program began with special music by the PUC Octet, under the direction of Dr. William Chunestudy, associate academic dean. President Heather J. Knight recognized each honoree’s extraordinary service to “leave these sacred grounds and go forth to make a difference and...

On April 14, Pacific Union College held the 2016 Inaugural Lecture of the Percy and John Christian Civil Rights Conference Center. The lecture entitled “Percy W. Christian and Adventism’s Academic Jackie Robinson” was given by professor Terrie Dopp Aamodt, Ph.D., followed by a question and answer session with honored guest Donald F. Blake, Ph.D. The Percy and John Christian Civil Rights Conference Center was founded to honor two influential Adventist educators who were fiercely committed to the goal of racial equality. As trained historians, Percy and John devoted their lives to strengthening Adventist education. During his esteemed career, Percy served as president of Pacific Union College (1945-1950), Emmanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University), and Walla Walla College (now Walla Walla University). While president of WWC, Percy initiated the acceptance of black students. He also hired Dr. Donald Blake, the first black professor to teach at an Adventist institution outside of Oakwood University in Alabama. He is credited with integrating Adventist higher education. John, Percy’s son, was academic dean and professor of history at PUC (1972-1977, 1994-2000). Like his father, he was also deeply committed to racial equality. He also served as an influential professor at Walla Walla University, Atlantic Union...

Following a week of mourning, Pacific Union College students, faculty, and staff gathered together daily for student week of prayer, held April 4-9. Typically, the annual event launches spring quarter, a time of renewal and celebration. However, this time, the campus assembled together for support and healing. And for six days, student speakers spoke from their hearts to share personal testimony on the theme “Home.” Every quarter, the college hosts a week of prayer event, but the spring week of prayer is particularly meaningful as it features students rather than a guest speaker. Students are given the opportunity to courageously share intimate testimonies of their walk with God in hopes of rejuvenating the spiritual life on campus. This year’s speakers were Eunice Lee, Tim Patten, Alma Musvosvi, Paul Chung, Chris Dorsey, Sacha Samuels, George Tuyu, Madison Brown, Paula Martella, Kevin Galeano, and Robell Nyirendah. Special staging was designed for the event. Armchairs, a couch, a bed, and even a working refrigerator created a “home” on the church platform. “Home,” by the Planetshakers, was chosen as the week’s theme song which the PUC praise team led the congregation in singing at each meeting. A highlight of the event was the mid-week...

As part of PUC’s burgeoning Service Learning program, Alisa Jacobo, an instructor in the department of psychology and social work, created a different sort of social work course, one that combines her passion for combatting human trafficking with a four-week service trip to Kolkata, India. “It’s a three-part course,” explains Jacobo. “First the students are prepared, they then go into the field to experience the life first hand, then they come back and spend a quarter debriefing and identify a social action project.” This past summer, Jacobo traveled abroad with several PUC students to see the issue of human trafficking firsthand to gain a better understanding of the crisis. They visited in Kolkata’s Sonagacchi district, the largest red light district in India, where it’s estimated 11,000 women and girls are prostituted every night. While there, students worked with Freeset, a fair trade business offering employment to women trapped in Kolkata's sex trade. “They provide alternative employment for women in the sex trade, many of whom are trafficked,” says Jacobo. “Lack of alternatives is what keeps most women trapped in the sex trade.” A holistic model, Freeset also provides for retirement, healthcare, daycare, and even offers group therapy sessions. PUC students...

On March 30, Pacific Union College welcomed student association officers from 10 other Adventist colleges across North America. Collectively referred to as the Adventist Intercollegiate Association (AIA), the organization gathers each year on the campus of a different Adventist college or university for several days of reflection, worship and community, and professional development planned by the host school. Both current as well as incoming student association officers were present. This year, close to 150 students and sponsors attended the convention, representing Andrews University, Burman University, La Sierra University, Loma Linda University, Oakwood University, Southern Adventist University, Southwestern Adventist University, Union College, Walla Walla University, Washington Adventist University, and host school Pacific Union College. The theme of this year’s convention was “Rethink, Rebuild, Repackage,” with an intentional focus to help students become better leaders, and in turn help them become leaders within the Adventist church. A convention highlight included a panel where students could ask questions of Adventist leaders, including special guests Elder Daniel R. Jackson, the president of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists; Daniel Weber, director of Communication for the NAD; Tracy Wood, Youth & Young Adult Ministries Director for the NAD; and Jared Thurmon, Strategic Partnerships Liaison...

On Thursday morning, March 31, the Pacific Union College campus family gathered in the PUC Church sanctuary for a memorial service celebrating the life of Fen Pan, a student who passed away following a tragic vehicle accident on Monday afternoon. College president Heather J. Knight thanked the many students, faculty and staff, and community members in attendance, and noted messages of condolences have been pouring in from other sister college campuses and other Adventist dignitaries around the world. The service was also broadcast online for those unable to attend, including Fen’s mother and 14-year-old brother in Beijing, China. Fen was remembered through shared memories, a homily by campus chaplain Jonathan Henderson, and music, which was particularly meaningful as she was a music major preparing for a career in dentistry. Junior business and pre-dentistry student Ivan Lee, who was Fen’s teaching assistant for her organic chemistry lab, performed “Méditation” from the opera Thaïs by composer Jules Massenet, accompanied by department of music professor Dr. Rachelle Davis. Lee shared he felt moved to perform the piece following news of the accident, and stated, “I remember her being the most positive, diligent, and hardworking person, who always had a smile on her face.”...