Heven Ambachew ’24 combines her passions and experiences to design major in innovation studies
Like many students, Heven Ambachew ’24 wasn’t yet sure of her major when embarking on her PLU journey. Four years later, thanks to PLU’s individualized major pathway, she is the university’s first graduate with a major in innovation studies . Innovation Studies at PLU Courses…
continue readingAsh Bechtel ’24 combines science and social work for holistic view of patient care; aims to serve Hispanic community
Ash Bechtel always wanted to be in healthcare, she just wasn’t sure which direction to take — nursing or medical school. So, Ash counseled with family and academic advisors before deciding to pursue a biology major that would put her en route to becoming a…
continue readingStuart Gavidia ’24 majored in computer science while interning at Amazon, Cannon, and Pierce County
Stuart Gavidia is a first generation Latino student and spent most of his life in Lakewood and then Spanaway, about 10 minutes from PLU, and he knew he wanted to come here for college, so he could remain close to his family. He also knew…
continue readingEmma Stafki ’24 explores the challenges facing Puget Sound orcas in capstone documentary
Emma Stafki grew up on Washington’s Key Peninsula, hearing stories about a tragedy in 1968. In nearby Vaughn Bay, her grandparents witnessed the heartwrenching capture of Hugo, a three-year-old orca whale. Southern Resident orcas typically stay with their mothers their whole lives; losses echo throughout…
continue readingCece Chan ’24 elevates the experience of Hmong Farmers and their rich history with Seattle’s Pike Place Market
For Cece Chan ’24, what began as a love of student advocacy and social justice in high school, has blossomed into activism through art at Pacific Lutheran University. From serving as ASPLU president her junior year, to spending a semester in Trinidad and Tobago, to…
continue readinglatest from Video
PLU 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 reading“We are uncatchable” | PLU Women’s Rowing
February 1, 2023
“There is this moment, where everything around you disappears. Where your vision goes dark, and all you feel is the handle of the oar…” Today is National Girls & Women in Sports Day, so we invite you to put on a life jacket, grab a…
continue readingCampus Tour: PLU’s newly renovated anatomy and physiology lab
January 30, 2023
PLU Resident Instructor of Biology Michelle Crites gives a tour of the newly renovated anatomy and physiology lab in the Rieke Science Center. Learn more about the PLU Department of Biology.
continue readingA conversation with novelist Mari Matthias ‘94, author of “The Runestone’s Promise”
November 9, 2022
Mari Matthias ‘94 loved diagramming sentences back in the ninth grade. Later, she served on the staff of Saxifrage, PLU’s student-run literary and art magazine, during all four of her years on campus. Matthias describes herself as a self-taught novelist. “Once I decided to write…
continue readingPLU students go on stunning rock climbing adventure in Vantage, Washington
October 24, 2022
Pacific Lutheran University student videographer Matt Shaps ’24 joined our Outdoor Recreation program on an epic rock climbing adventure in Vantage, Washington. Learn about Outdoor Rec’s upcoming day and weekend trips at plu.edu/recreations/outdoor-rec .
continue readinglatest from PLU Media Coverage
Mar. 21, 2024
President Belton joins discussion about college-employer partnerships at economic development event
South Sound Business
Feb. 7, 2024
PLU, MultiCare, and WSU Announce Historic Partnership to Improve Access to Health Care
South Sound Business
Feb. 7, 2024
New medical center at PLU might help Pierce County ‘health care desert’
Tacoma News Tribube
Feb. 6, 2024
New partnership will bring expanded health care access to Pierce County
KOMO News (Seattle)
latest from Alumni, Internships, Career
Heven Ambachew ’24 combines her passions and experiences to design major in innovation studies
June 4, 2024
Like many students, Heven Ambachew ’24 wasn’t yet sure of her major when embarking on her PLU journey. Four years later, thanks to PLU’s individualized major pathway, she is the university’s first graduate with a major in innovation studies . Innovation Studies at PLU Courses…
continue readingStuart Gavidia ’24 majored in computer science while interning at Amazon, Cannon, and Pierce County
May 22, 2024
Stuart Gavidia is a first generation Latino student and spent most of his life in Lakewood and then Spanaway, about 10 minutes from PLU, and he knew he wanted to come here for college, so he could remain close to his family. He also knew…
continue readingFrom the Court to the Classroom: Sianna Iverson’s continued resilience and drive is taking her from PLU to Duke University
May 20, 2024
Highly recruited as an outside hitter out of Chiawana High School, Sianna Iverson ‘24, a talented volleyball player, knew she found a home at PLU after a campus visit. “As soon as I visited, I knew it was going to be a great fit for…
continue readingFormer accountant Sarah Bell Rosenlund prepares for new career in nursing at PLU’s Lynnwood campus
May 15, 2024
Sarah Bell Rosenlund has always been a people person. She radiates positive energy, and smiles broadly when she talks about her PLU experience. “I realized that my gift is to be a helper to people,” she said. “I love to be in acts of service.…
continue readingCriminal justice major Raphi Crenshaw ’24 interned at Tacoma Pro Bono and plans to attend law school
April 30, 2024
After graduating from Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, Raphi Crenshaw ’24 enrolled at PLU with plans to major in biology. “I was going to become a dermatologist, but when I started taking the classes, well, I wasn’t a fan of it,” Crenshaw remembers. By…
continue readingIsaiah Banken ’21 earns Torrison Scholarship because of his dedication to medicine and faith
January 3, 2024
Isaiah Banken ’21 knew he wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Banken, with a B.S. in biology and a minor in mathematics from PLU, explored various medical opportunities near his hometown of Wenatchee, WA, including working at a ski resort, serving in hospice care,…
continue readingLifelong Parkland/Spanaway resident Kirsten Kreis leads Pierce County Navigator Program at PLU
December 6, 2023
PLU and the Parkland community are familiar to Kirsten Kreis . Her roots run deep in Parkland, from learning to swim in the PLU pool, to completing her high school assignments in the Mortvedt Library, to walking across the stage in Olson Auditorium at her…
continue readingAn internship with the Portland Pickles solidifies Simon Luedtke’s plans for the future
November 29, 2023
Simon Luedtke ’24 is a strategic communication major from Newberg, Oregon. His communication studies, combined with his part-time job with PLU Athletics, helped him land a summer internship with the Portland Pickles, a baseball team with an unforgettable name and a legendary Portland brand. Simon…
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latest from Research and Academics
Kaden Bolton ’24 explored civics and public policy on campus and studying away in Oxford
June 12, 2024
For the graduating class of 2024, freshman year was online and confined. So by the time fall came around for sophomore year, they embraced in-person classes, study groups, lunches, dinners, and more. That’s true at least for political science major Kaden Bolton ’24, who graduated…
continue readingPLU French professor Rebecca Wilkin wins the 2024 Translation Prize
June 7, 2024
The French-American Foundation has announced that PLU Professor of French Rebecca Wilkin is one of the winners of the 2024 Translation Prize. Wilkin and her co-editor and translator Angela Hunter, an English professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, received the nonfiction prize…
continue readingHeven Ambachew ’24 combines her passions and experiences to design major in innovation studies
June 4, 2024
Like many students, Heven Ambachew ’24 wasn’t yet sure of her major when embarking on her PLU journey. Four years later, thanks to PLU’s individualized major pathway, she is the university’s first graduate with a major in innovation studies . Innovation Studies at PLU Courses…
continue readingStudent athlete Vinny D’Onofrio ’24 excelled in biology and chemistry at PLU
June 4, 2024
Vinny D’Onofrio ’24 majored in biology and chemistry at PLU, played at nationals with the men’s soccer team, and prepared for a career in the medical field. D’Onofrio recently sat down with PLU News to discuss his PLU experience. How did you learn about PLU?…
continue readingStudent-athletes Nasier Ford ’24, La’akea Ane ’24, and Jesse Canda ’24 utilize communication capstone to boost mental health awareness
June 3, 2024
The PLU capstone project is a meaningful culmination of a student’s academic journey at PLU. It offers students a chance to embrace complexity and ask tough questions. In a display of remembrance and advocacy, Nasier Ford ’24, La’akea Ane ’24, and Jesse Canda ’24 opened…
continue readingSociology major Allen Tugade ’24 has been a dynamic researcher and student leader at PLU
May 28, 2024
As a student, Allen Tugade ’24 engaged in academic and applied sociological research on the student population of Pacific Lutheran University. Tugade was a member of Choir of the West and a well-known student leader on campus, serving as a Wild Hope Fellow and with…
continue readingAsh Bechtel ’24 combines science and social work for holistic view of patient care; aims to serve Hispanic community
May 22, 2024
Ash Bechtel always wanted to be in healthcare, she just wasn’t sure which direction to take — nursing or medical school. So, Ash counseled with family and academic advisors before deciding to pursue a biology major that would put her en route to becoming a…
continue readinglatest from Student Life, Resources, Community
Three students share how scholarships support them in their pursuit to make the world better than how they found it
June 24, 2024
During the 2023-2024 academic year, 2,345 students received PLU-funded aid, with the average PLU student receiving $37,036 in scholarships. Through scholarship support, donors are part of a network of care that supports students in pursuing their educational goals, unlocking their full potential, and becoming leaders…
continue readingFrom the Court to the Classroom: Sianna Iverson’s continued resilience and drive is taking her from PLU to Duke University
May 20, 2024
Highly recruited as an outside hitter out of Chiawana High School, Sianna Iverson ‘24, a talented volleyball player, knew she found a home at PLU after a campus visit. “As soon as I visited, I knew it was going to be a great fit for…
continue readingThe 8th Annual Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Series: Dr. Richard Lapchick presents “Facing Uncomfortable Truths”
February 12, 2024
The 8th Annual Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Series presented by PLU’s Department of Kinesiology will feature Dr. Richard Lapchick and his keynote presentation, “Facing Uncomfortable Truths” on February 28th, 2024, from 7:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. in the AUC (Chris Knutson Hall). In his keynote presentation,…
continue readingLifelong Parkland/Spanaway resident Kirsten Kreis leads Pierce County Navigator Program at PLU
December 6, 2023
PLU and the Parkland community are familiar to Kirsten Kreis . Her roots run deep in Parkland, from learning to swim in the PLU pool, to completing her high school assignments in the Mortvedt Library, to walking across the stage in Olson Auditorium at her…
continue readingCommunity Meals brings people together and feeds souls
December 1, 2023
Looking at the packed tables, “the smiles on their faces, the sense of community, and the appreciation they express are incredibly gratifying,” says junior Rayen Slama, a Tunisian exchange student at PLU who volunteered for the October and November meals. Community Meals unite many people…
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 readingPLU’s Parkland Literacy Center supports local k-12 students, receives new grant
October 3, 2023
For the past four years Pacific Lutheran University student workers and volunteers have made the Parkland Literacy Center a beacon of community and learning support. Operated by PLU and located in the Anderson University Center, the center provides free one-on-one and small group tutoring for…
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