PLU Welcomes the Class of 2028: Trailblazers
As Pacific Lutheran University welcomes the Class of 2028, the university celebrates not just a new academic year but a new generation of students defined by the spirit of innovation, resilience, and transformation. The Admission staff has dubbed this cohort “Trailblazers” due to their distinctive…
A family with a “Bjug” legacy of giving and service
“Our place in this world is to be of service to other people,” notes Eric Watness, a descendant of PLU’s founder and first President, Rev. Bjug Harstad. Bjug is also the namesake of Bjug Day , PLU’s day of giving, which started in 2013 and…
PLU hosts the 14th Annual Lutheran Studies Conference: Celebrating Cecelia Svinth Carpenter, Indigenous education and tribal sovereignty
The 14th Annual Lutheran Studies Conference is titled “Where the Waters Begin: Indigenous Education, Tribal Sovereignty, and the Legacy of Cecelia Svinth Carpenter.” This year’s conference will honor the life, work, and commitments of PLU alumna Cecelia Svinth Carpenter, connecting PLU’s past, present, and future…
Ethos in Action
Five 2024 graduates who exemplify PLU’s commitment to asking tough questions, centering community, embracing complexity, making it happen and opening doors. #LutesAskToughQuestions Emma Stafki ‘24 Advocating for Orcas Emma Stafki ‘24 grew up on Washington’s Key Peninsula, hearing stories about the heart-wrenching capture of Hugo,…
Present & Future Providers
After graduating from PLU, Melissa Wollan Francis ’02 spent two years in a University of Washington genetics lab before joining the Air Force and attending Yale School of Medicine, where she became a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN). “I’ve always been drawn towards challenges…
Humanization is Vocation: Angie Hambrick discusses student well-being, interdependence and retention
Angie Hambrick still identifies as a Midwest girl, but after working at PLU for 18 years, she’s also a Lute through and through. As the associate vice president for diversity, justice and sustainability, Hambrick provides strategic vision on matters related to equity and inclusion and…
Big Questions, Complex Answers: Lorelei Juntunen ’97 drives public policy across the West Coast
Growing up in a small town in Idaho, Lorelei Juntunen ’97 had not spent much time in cities. But when she moved to Parkland to attend PLU, she suddenly had access not only to local cities like Tacoma and Seattle, but also to cities across…
Spiritual Care: Professor Erik Hammerstrom listens and learns during a sabbatical year spent as a hospital chaplain
Global studies and religion professor Erik Hammerstrom has spent his career researching and teaching about the history of Chinese Buddhism. He’s a quintessential teacher, beloved by students for leading engaging discussions, his imaginative project assignments, and planning field trips to nearby temples. It’s hard to…
All flourishing is mutual
Merriam-Webster defines “flourishing” as marked by vigorous and healthy growth. Sounds lovely! Who doesn’t like vigorous and healthy growth? There is a lot to like in this definition, but I think the way we often think about flourishing misses something essential. Flourishing is a significant…
A Blue Zones Boosts
Sponsored by MultiCare Health System, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and Pierce County, the Blue Zones Project Parkland-Spanaway is an initiative working to address local healthcare costs, improve economic and social vitality, and increase public awareness about health and well-being in Parkland. Blue Zones’ goal is…
Modernizing Mental Health
PLU professor and psychology department chair Tiffany Artime and her collaborator from Wellesley College Centers for Women are leading a team of researchers and stakeholders who envision a future where evidence-based trauma treatments are integrated into university counseling services, empowering students to thrive. Artime and…
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Brice Johnson ’99 finds vocation in Red Cross leadership. Two neighborhoods in St. Paul, Minnesota share streets and a zip code. Interstate 94 runs down the middle, and since the freeway’s construction in the 1950s, the life expectancy between Summit Hill and the historically Black…