Search - Lainey S. Cronk

For the 15th year in a row, U.S. News & World Report named Pacific Union College among the best educational institutions in the country. PUC ranked in the top tier, at number 17, for the baccalaureate colleges (West) region in the 2009 "America's Best Colleges" issue. It also ranks first in its region for ethnic diversity (not including international students), first for international students, and sixth for both freshmen retention rates and least debt among graduates.One of the most well-known and widely referenced sources of college rankings, U.S. News & World Report released its 2009 "Best Colleges" material in August, 2008. They collected data from more than 1,400 colleges for this year's rankings."As a learning community, we are pleased to be recognized not only for outstanding academics, but for the success of students from diverse backgrounds," said Nancy Lecourt, vice president for academic administration and academic dean. "We are proud to see our graduates changing the world."PUC is ranked in a category for institutions that focus on undergraduate education and grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. High scores are based on such elements as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources,...

For several summers now, digital cameras (and their owners) have been collecting at Pacific Union College's station at Albion. A one-week digital art photography course brings photographers of all levels — and their families — to the cabins in the estuary valley. This year, a group of 23 gathered, with 13 participating in the class. Under the tutelage of Marlowe Burgess, the group visited photographing points of interest such as the Mendocino Botanical Gardens, areas in and around the station and the village of Albion, the Point Arena Light House, and Bowling Ball Beach. In addition to the photo trips, the group enjoyed lectures and lab time, where they used Photoshop to work with their photographs. The class focuses on the use of art principles and elements in digital photography, with the goal of helping students unleash their creative potential. Wil Cook, the station manager, observed that the students were enjoying themselves thoroughly, even making plans to come the next year. "The group is made up of a number of church school teachers and many individuals that are retired and just wanting to learn more about their cameras and the many things they can do with the computer. We have...

This year, a SIFE team formed at PUC, bringing three significant projects to the campus and community — and winning recognition at the regional competition.SIFE, or "Students In Free Enterprise," is an organization for university students around the world to help their communities and to develop business leadership skills. Each year, SIFE teams take their written reports and live presentations to a series of competitions judged by panels of business leaders.The PUC business department decided to start a SIFE team at PUC this year. Wally Lighthouse, JD, CPA, associate professor of business administration, and the SIFE PUC sponsor, explains that SIFE participation can benefit students because it's a big draw for employers. "SIFE participation is looked upon favorably by a number of major employers for recruiting and hiring purposes," says Lighthouse, who has already been contacted by Unilever, a major consumer products company that recruits from the SIFE alumni pool.Lighthouse recruited students and built a SIFE team with elected student officers. The team then embarked on three community projects, all managed and staffed by student team members: a Dollars and $ense program, a business lecture series, and a public service announcement (PSA) on anti-piracy.The Dollars & $ense program reached out...

Every summer for 41 years, artists have been convening at the Albion Field Station on the Mendocino coast. There, the Summer School of Art brings people of all ages, all levels of expertise, and from a variety of places together in a green valley beside the Albion River estuary. The station, run by Pacific Union College, was established in 1947 in "Happy Valley", former home of a lumber mill and a sheep-grazing area. Over the years, the station has been used for biology studies, group retreats and family getaways, workshops and classes, and outdoor schools for elementary students. In 1967, the Summer School of Art was started by renowned watercolorist Vernon Nye, then chair of PUC's art department. John Hewitt and Dennis Simpson, now teachers at the school of art, were both students of Nye's. This year, Nye returned to join the group for a few days. The two weeks of the course are characterized by family-style art and exploration typical of the field station. Painters range in age from early 20s to 80s, and many of them are returning participants who have fallen in love with the experience. Many bring along family members who take advantage of the tidepools,...

On Father's Day, June 15, 2008, the 317 graduates of the Pacific Union College Class of 2008 marched through the PUC Grove to receive 338 associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees.A beautiful morning greeted visiting family and friends for the ceremonies and for PUC traditions such as the students throwing corn tortillas in celebration and grads mingling with well-wishers under the towering pines.During the program, class president Tadele Worku presented the valedictory, sharing things the class won't forget about PUC, things they gained, and the challenge to make this moment the start of a good story. "Today is not the fairytale ending of our college careers," he said. "It is a fairytale beginning." Worku expressed gratitude for what PUC has meant to the class: "Thank you for giving us the opportunity and environment to continue to dream."College president Richard Osborn also expressed appreciation for several groups, including the students who brought a humanitarian movement called REVO to the PUC campus and raised nearly $10,000 to end human slavery, nursing students who were deployed in the military, student missionaries and task force workers, and student leaders.The commencement address was provided by Eric Anderson, former chair of the PUC history department and current...

Recent grads of Pacific Union College headed into a wide world of options and are making their place in communities around the world. Here's a sampling of destinations and niches.Karen Ong, '06, studied biochemistry at PUC and is now finishing her second year as a fellow with the National Institute of Health. She works in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Laboratory of Biological Modeling (LBM). Instead of working with chemicals and fluids, the LBM is all about computers, computations, and using mathematical models to allow mathematicians and biologists to collaborate. Ong is also finishing up a research project on a mathematical model of gene regulation by steroid hormones.Jesse Duarte, '05, is a news reporter for the weekly newspaper of St. Helena, California, just a few minutes down the hill from PUC. When he was younger, Jesse wanted to be a sports writer. But after graduating from PUC with a degree in public relations and journalism and taking a news-reporting job for the St. Helena Star, he discovered a passion for reporting.Nicole Pepper, '06, went on to get her master's in social work. Now she's directing three studies on behavior interventions related to HIV and...

She works with middle school students on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden. She travels the United States, Europe and Asia presenting to professionals in her field. She runs her own business on the prevention of depression among teenage girls. Eva-Mari Thomas, ’88, a social worker, keeps a full callendar. Thomas came to the United States from Sweden when she was 19. She finished her bachelor’s degree at PUC and her master’s at Walla Walla, choosing to study social work because, as she says, “I am genuinely interested in people. I like to learn what I can about why people do what they do and how much our environment affects how we act and react to the world around us.” After working in social work in California and Colorado, Thomas and her husband, Dane, att. ’86-‘87, and children Erik and Johanna moved back to Sweden, where she now she fills several roles. She works part-time as a social worker for a middle school, where she meets with individual students and groups and sometimes parents, consults with teachers on ways to handle different situations, and helps school personnel with difficult student situations and in creating action plans to support students academically and...

There was celebratory atmosphere in and around the Pacific Union College dining commons on May 29. That’s not always what you expect at a health fair, but the “Look Good, Feel Great” fair organized by PUC Health Services found fun, hands-on ways to present very serious, life-changing information. “The focus,” explained Sandra Sargent, director of Health Services, “is to give the college and community exposure to different approaches to health care. It’s not always one-size-fits-all.” The fun side of the event was purposeful, as well. “I like to find a party,” Sargent said. “We need something fun to draw people in.” At the fair, students wandered among 40 indoor and outdoor booths with representatives of local and nationwide organizations, featuring everything from self-defense demonstrations to aromatherapy to a mangled car from a drunk driving wreck. Some students earned attendance credit, participated in prize drawings, or just explored the information and displays. Barbara Pope, director of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Napa Valley, enthusiastically involved students in her interactive display, which included real-size, real-weight dolls of unborn babies. She appreciated the opportunity to be represented among the young community, and added, “It’s been a really good group of people.” Student Garrett...

At a May 5 meeting at the Angwin Fire Department, Napa County Sheriff deputy Jon Thompson awarded PUC student Scott Roberts and Angwin resident Mike Real with a Sheriff’s medallion in honor of emergency service they provided. Late on April 19, Roberts and Real, who had met just the day before, were headed back from Safeway when they saw an orange glow in the road near Beringer Vineyards. They were the first car to happen on a collision involving two patrol cars, one of which was burning. Roberts, a firefighter with the Angwin Fire Department and an EMT, had his EMT pack. Real, who had emergency training from the Navy, joined Roberts in doing an initial assessment of the situation and of injured Napa County Sheriff deputy Steve Paris. When ammunition rounds started going off from the burning patrol car, Roberts and Real moved Paris away from the car and continued medical attention. With a nurse who also stopped, and blankets from people at the nearby apartments, the two kept charge of the medical situation for around 20 minutes until emergency personnel showed up in force. As they talked with Paris to make sure he was conscious, he amazed them...

During the 2008 Homecoming Weekend, PUC celebrated the opening of a room in the library that’s rich with history, heritage, and childhood memories. The Maxwell Reading Room is the result of a gift from the Maxwell family, including material given by the late Malcolm Maxwell, a beloved former president of PUC. The collection of material celebrates the legacy of Malcolm’s father, Arthur S. Maxwell, and especially his contribution to Adventist children’s literature. Arthur Maxwell — or “Uncle Arthur” — served as editor of the Signs of the Times for 34 years and wrote over 100 volumes. His work is well known in the worldwide Adventist community, especially his books for children. Generations of Adventists have childhood memories of Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories and The Bible Story. These books, and others from Arthur Maxwell’s collection, became popular across countries and denominations and continue to sell today. The collection in the Maxwell Reading Room gives people an opportunity for nostalgia with first editions of Uncle Arthur’s volumes, as well as the original hand-written and typed manuscripts. The collection is not yet complete, and more material will still be added to the room over time. At Homecoming, the Reading Room was packed full...