PLU announces UMBC president Freeman Hrabowski III as Commencement 2018 keynote speaker
TACOMA, WASH. (April 3, 2018) — Freeman Hrabowski III — longtime president of University of Maryland, Baltimore County — sat in a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama, following a protest with The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., dreaming of a better future. “I wanted a…
‘Strong link of three’: PLU graduate’s life — suddenly cut short — is remembered through legacy scholarship
TACOMA, WASH. (Feb. 26, 2018) — Panayotis (Panago) Horton ’12 tattooed a three-link chain on his forearm: one link each for himself, his mother and his brother. The family emigrated from Greece when he was just 2 years old. They were his rock. And although…
PLU alumnus, longtime educational partner of the university named superintendent of the year
TACOMA, WASH. (Dec. 11, 2017)- A Pacific Lutheran University alumnus and a strong partner in the extended Lute family recently earned an exceptional honor from the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA). Frank Hewins ’86, superintendent of Franklin Pierce Schools located in PLU’s backyard, is…
Lute receives endowed scholarship honoring her Native American heritage
TACOMA, WASH. (Dec. 11, 2017)- Katie Dean ’21 acknowledges that she takes after her Norwegian mother, at first glance. Still, Dean says her father’s Native American heritage is an important part of who she is, something she is most proud of. “That’s part of my…
For PLU grad, American citizenship is personal
TACOMA, WASH. (Nov. 2, 2017)- “What makes an American an American?” This is a question Thomas Kim ‘15 thinks about often. As a newly married third-year law student with employment lined up after graduation, an activist philanthropist and an upstanding community member, Kim checks all…
Local and international film critics lose their marbles — in a good way — over Lute’s live-action short film
TACOMA, WASH. (Oct. 11, 2017)- In a lively yet ominous steampunk world, a boy and a bully clash in the classic struggle of good and evil. The stakes: bravery and freedom. The battle: a simple game of marbles. Such is the world depicted in a…
Endowment helps Lutes pursue science internships
TACOMA, WASH. (Oct. 6, 2017)- When George and Helen Long reached out to Pacific Lutheran University 10 years ago, all they knew was that they wanted to support the sciences. “George sort of felt like he owed his success and his career to PLU,” said…
Faculty members approach difficult budget cuts in a ‘very PLU way,’ with care and inquiry
TACOMA, WASH. (Sept. 11, 2017)- Kevin O’Brien, dean of the Division of Humanities, acknowledges that programs in his department could be hit hard when Pacific Lutheran University approves final cutbacks in the coming months. Still, he’s as committed as ever to the institution’s mission. On…
Lute reflects on his Japanese-American identity through pilgrimage, community event
TACOMA, WASH. (Aug. 29, 2017)- The names of 7,500 Japanese Americans will soon be displayed at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, just 9 miles from Pacific Lutheran University. The banners bearing the names of those interned at the Puyallup Assembly Center during World War…
Lutes gather at CenturyLink Field to soak up sun and Sounders
TACOMA, WASH. (Aug. 14, 2017)- Even though Leah Foster-Koth is not an alumna yet, she found herself in good company Saturday, sitting with a crowd of former Lutes at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. In fact, she hasn’t even started at Pacific Lutheran University. But the…
Lute lands at Johns Hopkins University for NASA internship
TACOMA, WASH. (Aug. 10, 2016)- When Justin DeMattos ’19 enters his junior year at Pacific Lutheran University in a few weeks, he will be coming off an internship experience that’s out of this world (quite literally). DeMattos, a physics major and computer science minor, traveled…
PLU alumna spreads joy as Spokanasaurus Rex
TACOMA, WASH. (July 20, 2017)- Sarah (Allen) Caprye ’01 is a busy mother of five, with a part-time job as a dinosaur. You might know her by her alter-ego, Spokanasaurus Rex. Yes, you read that right. In addition to parenting her daughters, all younger than…