Summer Internship: Environmental Studies major works as a bio tech at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Fiona Ashton-Knochel ’24 is spending her summer on a bird refuge in Brigham City, Utah. The Environmental Studies major sat down with us to discuss her exciting internship and to offer suggestions for anyone looking to land their own internship working in conservation. Why did…
Nursing major sees value in studying and investing in health services
Parker Simpson ’24 is spending his summer working at an assisted living facility in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. He comes from a family of healthcare professionals and has always wanted to help people. We sat down with him to discuss his experience taking classes…
Lute Powered: City of Tacoma
The City of Tacoma provides high-quality, innovative and cost-effective municipal services that enhance the lives of its 215,000 residents and the quality of its neighborhoods and business districts. PLU alumni Tom Chontofalsky ’03, Clarissa Gines ’12 and Lisa Woods ’92 are three of the many…
PLU awarded $15,000 from NSF for COVID-19 DEI Challenge
Pacific Lutheran University was named a winner in the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Taking Action: COVID-19 Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Challenge. PLU received a $15,000 prize for its work in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.…
Lisa Woods ’92 helps move Tacoma forward as the city’s Chief Equity Officer
As far back as middle school, others noticed Lisa Woods’ quiet strength and power of observation. “My demeanor is to listen, hear people and see people,“ she says. “I’ve developed that over time, but I’ve always been the listener in the room and not necessarily…
Clarissa Gines ’12 combines her passions for art and community working for Tacoma Creates
Clarissa Gines was one of the first students to graduate with PLU’s art history undergraduate degree in 2012. It wasn’t easy—she had a child during her senior year, and juggled parenthood with schoolwork and an internship at a Seattle-based art gallery. She then worked as…
City of Tacoma environmental scientist Tom Chontofalsky ‘03 loves asking questions
From an early age, Tom Chontofalsky ‘03 always thought he’d be a wildlife biologist. He’d pore over issues of National Geographic and One World magazines his dad purchased, studying photos and text of exotic animals. Chontofalsky is now an environmental scientist with the City of…
PLU selected for American Passport Project
Pacific Lutheran University was recently selected to participate in the second cohort of the Institute of International Education (IIE) American Passport Project. Through this initiative, 25 eligible PLU students who have never had a U.S. passport, will get one free of charge. PLU was one…
Makaela Whalen ’23 adds a pre-law minor to full schedule as she prepares for law school
Makaela Whalen ’23 has a passion for the environment and animals. Her desire to find a meaningful vocation that feeds those passions resulted in her pursuing a degree in either environmental or animal law. “As long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to…
Faculty Innovators
Innovation in the classroom: “I do, and I understand” If you search for the CV of Assistant Professor of Computer Science Renzhi Cao, Ph.D. , you’ll find a list of published research papers longer than Foss Field. He says it’s a great feeling when a…