PLU student research recognized with multiple awards at 2025 Murdock Conference
PLU students earned awards for their undergraduate research at the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Conference on Science and Engineering , an annual regional conference that brings together student researchers and faculty mentors from across the Pacific Northwest. Several of the projects were supported through PLU’s…
continue readingRebekah Mergenthal named Benson Family Chair in History
Associate Professor of History Rebekah Mergenthal has been appointed as the next Benson Family Chair in History, effective Fall 2026. Since its creation in 2004, the Benson Chair position has supported faculty leadership in business and economic history through endowed funding that advances student research,…
continue readingMeet Yuta Shimazu, PLU’s first data science graduate
This winter marks the culmination of a journey for Pacific Lutheran University’s first data science graduate — a path that stretched from classroom to coffee shop to the soccer field. Before he heads back to Japan to begin his career, Yuta Shimazu ‘25 sat down…
continue reading$3 million in grant funding will help protect 10 acres of prairie habitat at PLU
Pacific Lutheran University was awarded $3 million in grant funding to protect ten acres of prairie land on the southern end of PLU’s campus in Parkland. P LU is on the traditional lands of the Nisqually, Puyallup, and Squaxin Island peoples; as such, we acknowledge…
continue readingPLU Marriage and Family Therapy grads open inclusive practice in Tacoma
On a Friday morning, at a coffee shop where they meet for their weekly “admin day,” Megan Irving ’24 and Kiara Holden ’24 talk all things Bloom Again Therapy , their new private therapy practice rooted in accessibility, identity, care, and community. “It sounds big,…
continue reading“Teaching Was Always My Path”: Alum Yisel Morales ’23, MAE ’24 reflects on growth and mentorship
When alum Yisel Morales ’23, MAE ’24 took the stage at Pacific Lutheran University’s 2025 Convocation, she spoke to hundreds of new students about beginnings, growth, and finding purpose. “The English Department saw me grow up,” she says. “Going from 18 years old all the…
continue readingStudent-Athlete and Entrepreneur: Connor O’Brien builds his future on and off the field
PLU junior Connor O’Brien ’27 has a lot on his plate. He’s a student-athlete, business owner, and business major (finance concentration) with a data science minor. But for him, each role fuels the others. When he’s not in class or on the field as a…
continue readingPLU Awarded $2.4 Million to Expand Behavioral Health Workforce
Pacific Lutheran University has been awarded a four-year, $2.4 million federal grant to expand the region’s behavioral health workforce and better serve children and youth in Pierce County and South Puget Sound. Anissa Rogers, Chair of PLU’s Master of Social Work program, at the MSW…
continue readingFrom Air Force to PLU: Greg Perkinson’s lifetime of service
The PLU community is shaped by people whose paths here have been anything but ordinary. I had the privilege of meeting with an important voice and perspective in our community, Greg Perkinson . Greg is a veteran, PLU’s associate vice president of facilities, and an…
continue reading10 Years, 1000+ Students: a legacy of life-changing access
This year, Pacific Lutheran University marks 10 years of the 253 PLU Bound Scholarship. This full-tuition scholarship program has transformed the lives of more than 1,000 Washingtonian students (and counting!) since its launch in 2015. As a regional-serving university where most first-year students come from…
continue readingCo-founded by PLU alumni couple, Pretty Gritty Tours is a love letter to Tacoma
A coffee tour with controversy, intrigue, and historic drama? That’s exactly what Pretty Gritty Tours delivers on their bespoke caffeine-fueled walk through downtown Tacoma. Led by charismatic co-founder and PLU alum Chris Staudinger ’08, the tour explores the city’s bold brews and even bolder backstories.…
continue reading“We carry the strength of our ancestors” — Lute Areli Arauja Ruiz Interns at Latine Civil Rights Org in D.C.
Areli Arauja Ruiz was just starting her first year at PLU when her friend encouraged her to check out the Study Away Fair. That’s when she met Professor Michael Artime , who was promoting the Lutheran College Washington Semester , a study away experience in…
continue readinglatest from Video
Laser Robots at PLU!
December 2, 2025
Robots with lasers? This is exactly what students in Professor Bacula’s “Programming for Robots” lab used to create maps of the classroom using LiDAR technology.
continue readingReconstructing a Gray Whale Skeleton
November 2, 2025
Biology students at PLU recently undertook a literal “whale” of a project! As part of Professor Egge’s “Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy” class, students reconstructed the skeleton of a gray whale recovered from the Puget Sound.
continue readingWhat is an MSW (in one minute)?
October 25, 2025
We challenged Master of Social Work professor Dr. Anissa Rogers to tell us all about PLU’s MSW program in one minute or less. Can she beat the clock?
continue readingPLU move-in day 2024
September 4, 2024
Our newest Lutes have arrived! With help from family, friends and the PLU community, first-year Lutes moved into PLU’s residence halls on Friday, August 30, kicking off New Student Orientation. The day was full of joy, love and the beginning of lifelong friendships.
continue readingPLU and MultiCare leaders discuss new partnership on ARC Seattle (KOMO News)
March 26, 2024
PLU President Allan Belton and MultiCare CEO Bill Robertson discuss the recently announced Partnership for Health Innovation with KOMO News anchors Steve McCarron and Tyra Majors on ARC Seattle (KOMO News). Announced in February 2024, the Partnership for Health Innovation unites PLU, MultiCare, and Washington…
continue readingPLU nursing students help provide meals for Thanksgiving
November 22, 2023
PLU service-nursing club Delta Iota Chi assembled nearly 350 meal boxes which will feed over 2,000 community members this holiday week. Boxes stuffed with turkey, green beans, corn, stuffing mix and other food were distributed to local community organizations and individuals throughout the week.
continue readingA day in the life as a cancer research center intern
October 9, 2023
PLU chemistry major Elijah Singleton ’25 takes us with him for a day in the life at his summer internship at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle.
continue readingPLU students and faculty collaborate on summer chemistry research
August 29, 2023
Dive deeper into PLU’s summer undergraduate research program! Students Rebecca Smith ’24 and Aidan Hopson ’24 spent ten weeks collaborating with chemistry professor Andrea Munro to study colloidal nanocrystals, particles so small they are nearly invisible. #LutesEmbraceComplexity To learn more about chemistry projects, classes and…
continue readingNewly minted PLU graduates reflect on what commencement — and earning their degree — means to them
May 30, 2023
“Commencement means the culmination of hard work and accomplishments with my teammates and my classmates — so it’s a great day.”
continue readingMoving Moments | PLU Commencement 2023
May 27, 2023
PLU students, parents, alumni and friends gathered at the Tacoma Dome this afternoon for our 2023 commencement. PLU alumnus and filmmaker Joshua Wiersma ’18 captured moving moments from the ceremony.
continue readinglatest from PLU Media Coverage
Sep. 18, 2025
PLU alumni named American Chemical Society Fellow
Viewpoint (Point Loma Nazarene University)
latest from Alumni, Internships, Career
PLU Marriage and Family Therapy grads open inclusive practice in Tacoma
October 29, 2025
On a Friday morning, at a coffee shop where they meet for their weekly “admin day,” Megan Irving ’24 and Kiara Holden ’24 talk all things Bloom Again Therapy , their new private therapy practice rooted in accessibility, identity, care, and community. “It sounds big,…
continue reading“Teaching Was Always My Path”: Alum Yisel Morales ’23, MAE ’24 reflects on growth and mentorship
October 24, 2025
When alum Yisel Morales ’23, MAE ’24 took the stage at Pacific Lutheran University’s 2025 Convocation, she spoke to hundreds of new students about beginnings, growth, and finding purpose. “The English Department saw me grow up,” she says. “Going from 18 years old all the…
continue readingStudent-Athlete and Entrepreneur: Connor O’Brien builds his future on and off the field
October 22, 2025
PLU junior Connor O’Brien ’27 has a lot on his plate. He’s a student-athlete, business owner, and business major (finance concentration) with a data science minor. But for him, each role fuels the others. When he’s not in class or on the field as a…
continue readingCo-founded by PLU alumni couple, Pretty Gritty Tours is a love letter to Tacoma
October 1, 2025
A coffee tour with controversy, intrigue, and historic drama? That’s exactly what Pretty Gritty Tours delivers on their bespoke caffeine-fueled walk through downtown Tacoma. Led by charismatic co-founder and PLU alum Chris Staudinger ’08, the tour explores the city’s bold brews and even bolder backstories.…
continue reading“We carry the strength of our ancestors” — Lute Areli Arauja Ruiz Interns at Latine Civil Rights Org in D.C.
October 1, 2025
Areli Arauja Ruiz was just starting her first year at PLU when her friend encouraged her to check out the Study Away Fair. That’s when she met Professor Michael Artime , who was promoting the Lutheran College Washington Semester , a study away experience in…
continue readingHenrichsen ’07 named Andrew Carnegie Fellow for research shaping the future of journalism
August 8, 2025
“To strengthen democracy and journalism, more people need to step up, have courage, and fight for the values underpinning both.” That’s the vision driving Dr. Jennifer R. Henrichsen ’07 — and it’s one she’ll pursue as a newly named 2025 Andrew Carnegie Fellow . A…
continue readingMason Taylor-Wells ’27 supports patient recovery through internship at MultiCare’s Tacoma General Hospital
August 1, 2025
Biology major and pre-med student Mason Taylor-Wells ’27 spent his summer helping patients take their first steps after major medical events. “ I’ve had patients cry tears of joy because they’re able to stand (with some help) again. I can’t think of a better way…
continue readingAfter experiencing PLU’s “Community of Care” first-hand, PJ Morales ’25 strives to reciprocate that care to local high school students.
July 21, 2025
PJ Morales ‘25 comes from a small town on Maui named Lahaina. Although she loves her island, PJ realized that the “small island life” wasn’t for her and began to look for colleges in the continental United States. When her admissions counselor, fellow Filipino Brandon…
continue readinglatest from New Stories
Rebekah Mergenthal named Benson Family Chair in History
December 10, 2025
Laser Robots at PLU!
December 2, 2025
Meet Yuta Shimazu, PLU’s first data science graduate
December 1, 2025
Reconstructing a Gray Whale Skeleton
November 2, 2025
latest from Research and Academics
PLU student research recognized with multiple awards at 2025 Murdock Conference
January 22, 2026
PLU students earned awards for their undergraduate research at the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Conference on Science and Engineering , an annual regional conference that brings together student researchers and faculty mentors from across the Pacific Northwest. Several of the projects were supported through PLU’s…
continue readingLaser Robots at PLU!
December 2, 2025
Robots with lasers? This is exactly what students in Professor Bacula’s “Programming for Robots” lab used to create maps of the classroom using LiDAR technology.
continue readingReconstructing a Gray Whale Skeleton
November 2, 2025
Biology students at PLU recently undertook a literal “whale” of a project! As part of Professor Egge’s “Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy” class, students reconstructed the skeleton of a gray whale recovered from the Puget Sound.
continue readingWhat is an MSW (in one minute)?
October 25, 2025
We challenged Master of Social Work professor Dr. Anissa Rogers to tell us all about PLU’s MSW program in one minute or less. Can she beat the clock?
continue readingThe Kon-Tiki Museum at 75: Curator Reidar Solsvik to present lecture at PLU
October 2, 2025
Set your coordinates for a journey through history and across the Pacific this October. Pacific Lutheran University’s Scandinavian Cultural Center (SCC) is hosting the annual Thor Heyerdahl Lecture on October 8, 2025, from 7 to 9 p.m. , featuring Norwegian archaeologist and Kon-Tiki Museum curator,…
continue readingPLU launches Music Therapy program as field gains tempo in Washington
September 29, 2025
Pacific Lutheran University is launching a new bachelor’s degree in music therapy, which will make PLU the only university in the state to offer an accredited academic pathway to licensure. As of January 2025, music therapists in Washington are required to obtain a professional license…
continue readingPLU Receives Full Reaffirmation of Accreditation from NWCCU
September 5, 2025
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) has officially reaffirmed Pacific Lutheran University’s accreditation, recognizing PLU’s strength in mission, innovation, and student support. The reaffirmation marks the culmination of a seven-year review cycle, which included four annual reports, two campus visits, and a commission…
continue readinglatest from Student Life, Resources, Community
Meet Yuta Shimazu, PLU’s first data science graduate
December 1, 2025
This winter marks the culmination of a journey for Pacific Lutheran University’s first data science graduate — a path that stretched from classroom to coffee shop to the soccer field. Before he heads back to Japan to begin his career, Yuta Shimazu ‘25 sat down…
continue readingScandinavian Cultural Center at PLU: Preserving Heritage and Building Connections Across Communities
September 17, 2025
“Bottom Line: We are all similar. We are all connected,” says longtime volunteer Linda Caspersen. This sentiment captures the spirit of the Scandinavian Cultural Center (SCC) at Pacific Lutheran University. Part museum, part gathering place, part living classroom, the SCC preserves and shares stories of…
continue readingMeet the Class of 2029: Reformers
August 25, 2025
Pacific Lutheran University is set to welcome the Class of 2029, a dynamic group of students ready to make an impact. This is a cohort of Reformers: students who are ready to turn passion into purpose, and purpose into action. One of them, incoming freshman…
continue readingOlivia Tate: Interdisciplinary scholar, advocate, and future nurse scientist
July 2, 2025
When Olivia Tate ’25 tells people she’s triple majoring in nursing , religion , and Native American and Indigenous studies — with a Peace Corps prep minor — the usual response is one of confusion and curiosity. But for Olivia, those reactions confirm that she’s…
continue readingStories Matter: Lydia Downs ’25 helps students connect, reflect, and grow
June 26, 2025
At the heart of Lydia Downs’ ’25 PLU journey is a simple but potent belief: stories matter. Lydia knows that stories shape who we are and who we might become. “Literature lets us step into lives different from our own,” Lydia says. “It helps build…
continue readingStudent-athlete Ashley Akamine ’25 makes data part of the game
May 20, 2025
For Ashley Akamine ‘25, college was never going to be about choosing one path. “Seeing how two different aspects of my life — athletics and computer science — come together in meaningful ways has been both exciting and rewarding,” says Ashley, who’s finishing up her…
continue reading“My Indigeneity shapes the way I walk in the world”: Paradise Gladstone’s story
May 20, 2025
Paradise Gladstone ’25 nearly dropped out to become a mortician. That wasn’t the plan when she started at PLU, but between helping raise her younger siblings, working over 30 hours a week, and juggling 16-credit semesters, the idea of switching paths crossed her mind more…
continue reading