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A gift of 277 books from the personal collection of Calvin B. Rock, former president of Oakwood University, has been added to Pacific Union College’s Library. “Dr. Rock was an avid student of history and politics, with a particular interest in the impact of protest and reform,” says Eric Anderson, Director of the Walter C. Center for Adventist History. “His gift strengthens what was already a good collection on civil rights and African American History.” Rock, who continues to be active in retirement, served the church in variety of roles, ranging from a pastor and evangelist to vice president of the General Conference. An experienced educator, he was president of Oakwood for 14 years and chairman of the board of trustees at Loma Linda University. “These books will make a difference in students’ lives,” says Anderson. “They won’t just sit on the shelves.” Pacific Union College has a strong emphasis on undergraduate research, he adds. Rock has been a speaker in PUC’s lecture series on civil rights—an event created in honor of former president Percy Christian and former academic dean John Christian, educators with a life-long commitment to equal opportunity. “We are always grateful for meaningful donations to the PUC...

On January 12, 2022, the St. Helena Star released an article that addressed the possibility of utilizing water from a water source owned and operated by Pacific Union College (PUC) to assist with the City of St. Helena’s water shortage.While an inquiry has been received regarding the potential use of PUC water for the City of St. Helena, no decisions or plans have been made by PUC regarding this idea. Any decision by PUC regarding exporting water would only be made after careful consideration is given to all relevant issues, including what impact this action could have on its Angwin neighbors.To submit your feedback with PUC, please email pr@puc.edu. PUC will consider every submission, but will not be able to respond to every message....

Students in the Department of Biology at Pacific Union College recently partnered with Elmshaven to create an educational arboretum experience through identifying, measuring, and mapping the large collection of trees on the five-acre property.Elmshaven, the historical home of Ellen G. White, is located near the Napa Valley city of St. Helena and hosts many tours and visitors annually. White named the property for the number of Elm trees that once graced its landscape. Currently, an estimated 200 trees of around 50 varieties reside in Elmshaven. According to Elmshaven manager, Abner Castanon, at least two trees still on the grounds were alive when White lived there. Although he is familiar with the trees on the property, he hasn’t been able to give the exact number, variety, or name to the many interested visitors.“This is a wonderful project,” Castanon says. “Having this information, I can be of better service to visitors that come and ask these questions; knowing the trees will make me a better caretaker and tour guide.” In early December 2021, initial field work had been completed, including mapping out the property via a GPS program and naming the trees and their locations. One of the project goals is to...

For most of Scott Perryman’s career, one could find him in various healthcare administration roles, focusing on business functions such as finance, quality, and growth. As the new chair of the Pacific Union College’s department of business administration and economics, Perryman is excited to use his decades of leadership and industry experience to help students bridge the gap between their application of academic learning and their future careers in business.“At this point in my life, I think that’s what attracts me to this work,” Perryman says. “I believe business students should be prepared to go into practice in whatever area they aspire to be a part of, with practical skills versus just finishing their studies with a didactic knowledge about concepts. I have the opportunity to help with that at PUC.”Perryman recently served as a senior vice president and chief administrator of Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital in Southern California for nearly six years. He plans to combine what he has learned in the industry with the best of what he knows of academics.Perryman is from Texas where he earned a bachelor’s in business administration in management from The University of Texas at Arlington and a master’s in business administration...

New freshmen at Pacific Union College began their school year by packing 20,088 meals for people facing food insecurity around the world. The food packing event was in partnership with Rise Against Hunger (RAH), an international hunger relief organization with whom PUC has partnered since 2013. This year’s event brought PUC’s total to more than 80,000 meals packed, and is especially critical as global hunger is again on the rise, threatening millions of lives.“PUC appreciates the mission and vision of RAH and what they do,” said PUC Interim Vice President for Student Life J.R. Rogers. “They make it very easy to get a large number of students involved on our campus and make a huge impact. One box feeds one person for a year, and the least we can do is assist in purchasing food and packing it to help with food insecurity.”Meals from past PUC events have been distributed to communities in Vietnam and the Philippines, and the same is likely for these meals. The opportunity to pack food for RAH was exclusively for freshmen as part of PUC’s orientation, which they call Fusion. Fusion helps those new to campus get to know each other and get to know...

On Friday morning, July 16, at approximately 8:40 a.m., an airplane crashed into Abreu Vineyard near Parrett Field Airport in Angwin. Henry Wofford, Napa County Sheriff PIO, confirmed three individuals were onboard the plane, though no information about the individuals or their condition has been disclosed at this time.Parrett Field Airport is on the property of Pacific Union College (PUC) where it was established in March 1961. Jiwoo Yoon, assistant director of the airport flight center, reported that all PUC personnel and aircraft are accounted for.The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the plane crash.“The safety of the pilots and aviation students who use this airport is always a top priority and something we take very seriously here and in our program,” says Gabriel Navarro, flight instructor at PUC.This story will be updated with any additional details relevant to PUC as they become available.About PUCFor more than 130 years, PUC has prepared students to lead lives of significance and service to humanity. As an accredited Seventh-day Adventist Christian liberal arts college, PUC will provide you with all the advantages of a larger university—a strong academic reputation; over 70 degrees and programs; cutting edge research; classes...

Pacific Union College (PUC) has released a new Vision for the Future that details the college’s extensive plans for the years to come. This vision will expand the college’s reach, make higher education accessible to a wider range of students, and ensure PUC’s future as a leader in the Christian college marketplace.“It is critical that we look to the future with both optimism and realism,” said Gene Edelbach, PUC’s Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing, and Communication. “Higher education is in a state of dramatic decline, and unfortunately that includes Seventh-day Adventist Christian education. Instead of following an old model of operation that will continue to show us diminishing results, we are choosing reinvention. We will expand, adapt, and innovate to reach more students, including those who require a less traditional path, while remaining true to our commitment to Christianity, Adventism, and the quality of our PUC education.”The focus of PUC’s Vision for the Future includes four main areas: academic offerings, the Angwin campus, education centers, and online offerings.Academic OfferingsTo meet the needs of today’s college students, PUC is building on the strengths of its rich academic history to innovate Liberal Arts and shape a more career-focused education. A shift is...

Dr. Ralph Trecartin has been selected by the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees to be the next president of Pacific Union College. He will begin his role as president on July 1, 2021, and will be the college’s twenty-fourth president in its 138-year history.“Dr. Trecartin is joining the PUC family at a very important time,” said Bradford Newton, board chair and executive secretary of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. “The college has launched a new Vision for the future, and we believe Dr. Trecartin is the leader this school needs to move this plan forward.”Trecartin currently serves as the associate provost and dean of the College of Professionals for Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan and has served in higher education for over 30 years. Trecartin received his PhD in finance from Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business, his MBA from Andrews University, and his bachelor’s degree in Theology at Atlantic Union College. Prior to joining the administrative team at Andrews University, he spent 18 years in various academic and administrative roles at The College of Brockport, State University of New York. As Executive Director and then Assistant Provost of International Education at Brockport, he...

Pacific Union College (PUC) was recently awarded a Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant from the USDA worth $210,392. Only four of these grants were awarded within the entire state of California with the intention of connecting rural communities with services and opportunities through telecommunications.PUC will use these funds to purchase equipment and provide more opportunities for distance learning courses and career counseling in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in particular. “We are very grateful for the award and its timing,” said David Rai, PUC’s Director of Technology and Innovation. “As we move forward with a new vision for PUC, a substantial investment like this shows that we are moving in the right direction to meet needs that are relevant to students now. This grant is helping us put our technology plans into action so that remote instruction and career counseling is accessible to more students.”The college’s plans for the funds currently include installing cutting-edge video and broadcast technology across PUC’s Angwin campus and providing equipment for a new, state-of-the-art broadcast studio in Fisher Hall, home to the college’s department of visual arts. The studio will be used to record and deliver innovative content for remote classes, workshops, and...

Students from Pacific Union College recently visited Howell Mountain Elementary School (HME), a local public school, to teach second and third grade students all about monarch butterflies and to get them hands-on in the learning process!The students discussed the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, including the importance of milkweed as nutrition and as a habitat crucial for monarch reproduction.“The HME project was a great opportunity for these college students to connect with the elementary kids,” said Professor Aimee Wyrick, chair of PUC’s department of biology. “It reminds them of the amazing curiosity that kids have about the world around them – gives college students an additional excitement or “spark” when they see the schoolkids enjoying the experience. The PUC students were also impressed with the HME elementary students – they were very engaged in asking/answering questions. College students also get a chance to practice their interpersonal and leadership skills – directing the session and interacting with each other and a wide range of students.”The kids were enthusiastic learners and the PUC students on hand were happy to answer question after question. One item that got a lot of attention was the fact that milkweed is poisonous to animals like...