6 Ensembles, 3 Clubs, 2 Directorships, 1 Stellar Scholar
When Kaila Harris ’24 received her PLU acceptance letter, it was a special moment for her and her family. Upon its arrival, Kaila read the letter, which included the contents of her financial aid package, aloud to her parents. “When I finished, my dad stood…
Newberry Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly to speak at Jolita Hylland Benson Education Lecture
Pacific Lutheran University’s 12th Annual Jolita Hylland Benson Education Lecture will take place April 20 at 7 p.m. Erin Entrada Kelly, a Newberry Medalist and New York Times best-selling author, will deliver this year’s Benson lecture titled, Three Compliments: Ways to Feel Seen as an…
After a pandemic hiatus, study away trips returned during J-Term
After a hiatus last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 65 undergraduate and 22 graduate students from Pacific Lutheran University were able to participate in January term study away trips this year. The program took PLU students all over the world, with courses designed and…
Microsoft Philanthropies VP Justin Spelhaug to speak at PLU on March 10
Big Tech sometimes gets a bad rap, with critics pointing to its potential for spying on us, tricking us or leading us to rack and ruin. But technology can be a greater force for good. Justin Spelhaug, vice president of the Tech for Social Impact…
Wang Symposium reaches across disciplines to find the power of healing
Two years ago, the Wang Symposium explored the phenomenon of political and societal polarization, and its effect on our world. This year, the 10th Biennial Wang Symposium comes full circle, with a focus on “Healing: Pathways for Restoration and Renewal.” “Even as I was planning…
The Head in the Game: Q&A with PLU Coach Goes Inside the Mind of an Athlete
Zach Willis ’19 earned a BA in kinesiology with a concentration in health and fitness promotion and minored in sport and exercise psychology while playing on the football team at Pacific Lutheran University Last year he returned to the university to serve as the football…
Biomimicry 3.8 founder to speak at PLU’s annual Rachel Carson Lecture
Pacific Lutheran University is excited to welcome Dayna Baumeister, a professor at Arizona State University who holds a doctorate in organismic biology and ecology, to deliver the 2022 Rachel Carson Science, Technology and Society Lecture. Baumeister will present “(Re)Buiding a Thriving World–Mentored By Nature’s Genius”…
Confronting Mental Health: How the PLU community is demonstrating transformative care
Walk across campus and you can see the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic everywhere. Masks on faces, signs reminding you to wash your hands, restrictions on classrooms and more. But the pandemic hasn’t just caused physical changes, but also unexpected mental challenges. And that is…
Longtime faculty member Karen McConnell named AVP and Chief Institutional Effectiveness Officer
Karen McConnell, Ph.D., has been named Associate Vice President and Chief Institutional Effectiveness Officer at Pacific Lutheran University. McConnell joined PLU in 1998 as a faculty member in Kinesiology and was appointed Dean of the School of Education & Kinesiology in the fall of 2018.…
Ian Lindhartsen ’20 uses his individualized major to pursue his passion for music
Ian Lindhartsen entered PLU with a plan. The 253 PLU Bound scholarship recipient from the Key Peninsula began his first year with plans to major in music education. But best-laid plans often go awry. Lindhartsen soon realized that wasn’t the path for him. He knew…
PLU receives a $2 million gift for music studies from organ builder Paul Fritts
Pacific Lutheran University is proud to announce the establishment of the Paul Fritts Endowed Chair in Organ Studies and Performance, thanks to the generosity of longtime university supporter Paul Fritts, owner and founder of Paul Fritts & Co. Organ Builders. Fritts has pledged $2 million…
PLU Wind Ensemble: Musica Ignota
The PLU Wind Ensemble performed the world premiere of Ingrid Stolzel’s “Musica Ignota” on October 9, 2021. Stolzel traveled to PLU to attended the premiere and work with the PLU wind ensemble and Professor of Music Edwin Powell in advance. A composition almost 1,000 years…