A conversation with novelist Mari Matthias ‘94, author of “The Runestone’s Promise”
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…
![A banner with three headshots of John Wolfe Eric Johnson and Mark Miller. Each are dressed business casual and standing in front of different backdrops around the Port of Tacoma.](https://www.plu.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/573/2022/11/port-lute-powered-banner-725x408.jpg)
Lute Powered: Port of Tacoma and Northwest Seaport Alliance
Together, the ports of Tacoma and Seattle are the fourth-largest container gateway for containerized cargo shipping between Asia and major distribution points in the Midwest, Ohio Valley and the East Coast. For this installment of Lute Powered, we interviewed three PLU alumni who are serving…
![Eric Johnson ’83 standing in a Port of Tacoma meeting room. His hands rest on the backs of two chairs and we can see the port behind him through giant windows. Eric is wearing a grey blazer, blue shirt and is smiling confidently.](https://www.plu.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/573/2022/11/eric-johnson-featured-725x408.jpg)
Connecting for Commerce: Port of Tacoma Executive Director Eric Johnson ’83
When Pacific Lutheran University alumnus Eric Johnson ’83 majored in political science and minored in biology, he wasn’t sure how the two would fit together in a career. After he graduated from PLU, he earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington…
![John Wolfe wearing a dress shirt and blazer. He is smiling with his hand on a metal rail and the Port of Tacoma behind him.](https://www.plu.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/573/2022/11/john-wolfe-1-725x408.jpg)
NW Seaport Alliance CEO John Wolfe ’87 discusses his career in maritime leadership
Shortly after John Wolfe ’87 graduated from PLU he went to work for a Seattle-based company called SeaLand Shipping Line. In the years that followed he worked in sales, marketing, and operations for a variety of marine cargo companies and agencies. Eventually, he was appointed…
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Opening Doors to Opportunity: Andrew Whitney ’12, Director of Seed Internships
I had two internships during my time at PLU. One led to a full-time offer and I stayed there for almost seven years. Getting that second internship was about my talent and also about the right place, right time, right skill set, right newsletter subscription.…
![Lisa Woods '92 stands in front of a window in an office in Tacoma, Wa](https://www.plu.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/573/2022/07/lisa-woods-web-725x408.png)
Centering the City: Lisa Woods ’92 discusses her work as Tacoma’s chief equity officer
Lisa Woods ’92 leads initiatives to help improve systems and services as the City of Tacoma’s chief equity officer. She says her approach to this work starts with listening and continuously thinking about how best to center community voices, experiences and needs. How can centering…
![Beth Griech-Polelle wearing a pink dress giving a lecture in front of a classroom](https://www.plu.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/573/2022/10/beth-resolute-featured-725x408.jpg)
Asking Historic Questions: Beth Griech-Polelle, PLU Kurt Mayer Chair of Holocaust Studies
I think we have all heard the infamous phrase, “Those who do not know the past are condemned to repeat it.” For most historians, asking questions about our shared past forces all of us to confront uncomfortable truths about the past with the hope that…
![Mycal Ford ’12 smiles into the camera. He's standing outside the Tacoma convention center and wearing a white turtle-neck sweater.](https://www.plu.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/573/2022/11/ford-resolute-banner-725x408.jpg)
International Complexities: Mycal Ford ’12 discusses how he thinks about global policy
Mycal Ford ’12 deep dives into global challenges for a living. A double major in political science and Chinese studies at PLU, Ford is now an international affairs and economics analyst who has worked for both private firms and government agencies, including the U.S. Department…
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Rooted and Open: Rev. Jen Rude talks about centering community, spiritual diversity, and Campus Ministry
In the summer of 2016, Rev. Jen Rude and her spouse Deb packed their things and drove two thousand miles West on Interstate 90 to a new home and a new call. Six-and-half years later, Rude is no longer PLU’s “new pastor from Chicago.” Now…