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For the third year straight, Payscale ranked Pacific Union College as the third top college with the highest-paying associate's degree.Payscale is the leading provider of compensation data, software, and services. Their College Salary Report came from the alumni salary data of 3.1 million respondents, representing over 2,400 colleges and universities in the country. The median salary for a PUC student graduating with an associate degree is $100,900. In the top three, PUC followed behind Laboure College in Massachusetts and the Helene Fuld College of Nursing in New York. Every student at PUC receives financial aid, and with a two-year degree being more affordable, students can earn an associate's degree in healthcare, aviation, emergency services, and more. Students who take out loans could cut their loan payback time in half. PUC President Ralph Trecartin said this ranking is a testament to the quality of students PUC admits and the quality teaching and student support mechanisms built into the programs. “It is no wonder that our students come out exceptionally well prepared and in demand for some of the highest paying opportunities in their field,” said Trecartin. “We prepare our students to be career-ready but also to live well-rounded lives of service...

Just in time for the school year to begin, Paulin Recital Hall and Hanson Pool at Pacific Union College receive the finishing touches of their renovations. The Hanson PoolHanson Pool is filled with students and visitors throughout the school year and summer. After much use, the pool plaster—not having been replaced since 2004—was peeling off the walls and floors.Dale Withers, director of facilities management at PUC, and his team began renovations in February, with the PUC Workers Comp Fund and the St. Helena Hospital Foundation supporting this project. "The PUC Workers Comp Fund reimbursed us for prior years premiums due to good performance of the fund and safety record at PUC," shared PUC Executive Director of Financial Administration Sam Heier. "Since the majority of the work was driven by required pool safety standards, the project was deemed a worthy recipient of those funds." In exchange for limited access to the pool for their employees and patients, the St. Helena Hospital Foundation funded the balance of the pool project.  In addition to the plaster, the pool needed to be up to current safety standards with the Virginia Graeme Baker Act, meaning closing off ports on skimmers, installing new main drains, and...

Pacific Union College has risen on the U.S. News & World Report’s recently released Best Colleges list. U.S. News & World Report ranks schools according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. PUC ranked #5 as the Best Colleges for Veterans among the regional colleges in the West — a new category this year. The college also tied for #3 for overall ranks in California and are #13 in the category.“At PUC, we are always striving for excellence in two ways: thrive in concrete and measurable ways that any external observer can see,” said PUC President Ralph Trecartin. “When we are considered outstanding in a particular category or in comparison with our peers, we can applaud and be gratified for a job well done. In addition to external measurement and adulation, we also seek to perform well in ways that are indirect and harder to measure, and yet no less important.”He continued, “Even indirect, subtle, and occasional indications of our heart for service will end up making the world a better place and have an impact on our reputation student by student, and also in broad rankings such as the U.S. News and World Report...

The Birding Bonanza and Alumni Retreat welcomed bird enthusiasts and Pacific Union College alumni to the Albion Field Station from August 22-25 for a weekend of worship and activities focused on coastal birds, biology, and the beauty of God's natural world. Attendees were given a flexible schedule of activities for the weekend, including a pelagic bird tour, multiple worships and meals together, a birding presentation, an excursion along the coast to spot bird species, a natural history hike, area outings, and much more.PUC President Ralph Trecartin said the weekend was filled with fun, camaraderie and adventure. “I loved adding some new species to my life list and catching up with old friends, both human and avian,” he said. “All this in a beautiful setting with people that love the Lord and the opportunity to worship Him together.”DeAnna Cordis, director of alumni relations and stewardship, explained the weekend was a combined effort between the School of Sciences, Alumni Department, Dr. Trecartin, Marketing and Communication, and Albion. She said the weekend was a success and credited Trecartin for the idea of having birding as the retreat's emphasis."It went well!" Cordis said. "Dr. Trecartin gave our opening night worship, Biology Professor Floyd Hayes...

In early August, Pacific Union College created connections by making its mark at the International Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, providing engaging activities, essential training, and showcasing Adventist higher education to the 60,000 plus young people from across the globe. Despite intense storms and weather-related setbacks, PUC staff and students had the incredible opportunity to witness God’s presence and power amidst the storms.Showcasing Adventist EducationMembers of PUC’s enrollment team collaborated with representatives from four other Adventist colleges to run the Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities (AACU) booth, highlighting the unique offerings of PUC and other institutions. The booth, located in the heart of the event’s main exhibit area—Energy Hall—ensured high visibility and engagement with the steady flow of Pathfinders and their families.Providing Excitement, Engagement, and TrainingAlongside its educational outreach, PUC’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program director, 11 EMS students, and enrollment team members offered an exciting activity and Pathfinder honor training.Erected on the front lawn of Energy Hall stood PUC’s 20-foot-tall climbing wall, draped with PUC promotional banners. While four participants scaled the climbing wall at a time, those in line could interact with PUC staff. Upon successfully scaling the wall, participants received a custom-made metal collector’s pin—continuing the...

In only a week, faculty and students from Pacific Union College and health professionals served over 3,000 patients in India. Professor of Biology Dr. Backil Sung planned this mission trip to Falakata, India. From July 10-21, the goals were to treat patients with health issues, introduce Jesus’ love, and for students and volunteers to learn how to practice God’s command to love others. All to Heaven is Dr. Sung's charity organization that helps with these yearly mission trips, and his organization raised around $80,000 . Out of the donated funds, $35,000 supplied medications and materials and assisted with local transportation and meals for the mission trip.  $37,000 was donated to construct the theology school's boys' dormitory, scholarships, the great controversy book to students, and donation of a dental chair at the clinic. The remaining $7,000 was reserved for next year's mission trip.“I was very impressed with Dr. Sung’s ability to organize and lead this international mission trip,” said Professor of Biology Floyd Hayes. “His mission trips provide a tremendous opportunity for our students to participate in health care, and I hope that many will join him each summer.”Joining Dr. Sung and Hayes were seven biology students from PUC, eight medical...

Pacific Union College Professors Drs. Scott Butterfield and Floyd Hayes from the biology department were awarded two grants totaling over $300k from the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake and the National Audubon Society's Audubon in Action program to develop a monitoring program for grebes, a bioindicator of ecosystem health, at Clear Lake. With this project, they will collaborate with partners from the Redbud Audubon Society, Upper Lake High School, Lower Lake High School, Robinson Rancheria Environmental Center, Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, and Lake County. Grebes are aquatic diving birds that serve as bioindicators of the lakes' overall ecosystem health, allowing biologists to monitor complex systems more cost-effectively and sustainably. If the lake is healthy, the number of grebes increases while decreasing if it is unhealthy. In 2022, Hayes published a review of grebe monitoring in Clear Lake that showed the rise and fall of grebe numbers over the past 70 years.Hayes's review inspired him and Butterfield to consider how grebe monitoring could be improved with new technologies, such as those being developed and tested in PUC's conservation technology and data science programs, including drones, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. In the new...

On June 2, Pacific Union College and the Angwin Airport chapter of the Disaster Airlift Response Team (DART) hosted the Air Expo at the Angwin Airport. The Air Expo promoted PUC’s aviation program, called attention to the DART services and emergency fire and rescue services available, and brought people together to share the fun of aviation.Admission was free, allowing attendees to view planes, helicopters, and fire trucks and climb on a rock wall made by PUC. Breakfast and lunch were available for $5 each (with other treats available for purchase), and plane rides with instructors from PUC’s aviation program were $10. PUC aviation students helped marshall planes, cook breakfast, and drive visitors from the parking lot to the airport. Personnel from Mike’s Aero maintenance department were also involved with cooking, flying, and keeping the event safe.It is believed that the first major fly-in was on June 16, 1963, with over 30 aircraft joined by hundreds of people from the community and valley. This event honored Mrs. Anna Stahl and her late husband by dedicating the first missionary aircraft, a brand new Helo Courier, to be flown worldwide by the Adventist church. This event was the first Air Expo at the...

Pacific Union College held its annual PacificQuest summer programs for students in grades 6-12 interested in STEM—and for the first time—aviation. This week-long camp is a great opportunity for students to receive college credit through practical learning experiences and share their interests with other academy kids through educational and outdoor activities.Since 1995, PQRise and PQSeek have been ongoing and were only canceled once in the summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal has remained the same each year—that students learn about their interests in engineering, zoology, marine science, and art from expert professors who are dedicated teachers and Seventh-day Adventists.“We hope that students connect with their peers, making memories and friends to last a lifetime,” shared Dean of the School of Sciences Aimee Wyrick. “We also want them to get to know PUC and our amazing faculty and staff. The PacificQuest programs can demystify college, and this helps students realize that college is for them and isn’t (or doesn’t have to be) scary. I overheard a student say it was the best summer experience of their life.”This year’s PacificQuest was exceptional as it was the first introduction to PQSoar for students interested in aviation. From June 23-28,...

Dennis L. Plubell is a lifelong Adventist born and raised in California and Hawaii. Like other family members, Plubell attended Pacific Union College—his “home” school for higher education. He graduated from Pacific Union College in 1976 with a B.A. in Biology and received his M.A. in Biology in 1982. While his family was living in San Jose, CA, Plubell worked most summers during his college years for his grandfather and uncles in the apple and pear orchards around Camino, CA. In 1973, he spent time on the Miller Place, a ranch acquired by the family, where Plubell discovered the Grainger Hall plaque in the grime and dust of the barn equipment. The Grainger Hall plaque is an old bronze college artifact. According to Plubell, it identified the men’s residence hall and was mounted on the building or stone pillars. Plubell was only met with conjecture when trying to find how the plaque ended at the barn. He and others had their theories but didn’t trouble themselves with exploring how the plaque made its way from campus to Camino, CA. Instead, he returned it to its home on campus—50 years later. The plaque was displayed on Plubell’s desk in the dorm....