Theatre Professor Amanda Sweger Finds Family in the Theatre
Like it did for so many, the theatre called to Associate Professor Amanda Sweger when she was in those awkward teen years. “For the first time, I felt accepted,” she said. Yet she quickly realized she didn’t like acting or auditioning. So, she spent a…
Beautiful mutants: a PLU biology class harvests for the future
About two years ago, PLU professor Neva Laurie-Berry partnered with a world-class plant research center. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Mo., sends Laurie-Berry’s BIOL 358 Plant Physiology class millet seeds with random mutations. Student teams study plants in PLU’s warm, sunny…
PLU’s new anatomy and physiology lab is the first in a series of science upgrades
When PLU science students returned to campus in fall 2022 they were in for a surprise. The previously outdated anatomy and physiology lab in the Rieke Science Center had been transformed into a cutting-edge learning facility, complete with best-of-its-kind educational technology, thanks to contributions from…
Campus Tour: PLU’s newly renovated anatomy and physiology lab
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.
Uncomfortable Truths: Introduction to Holocaust and Genocide Studies class examines the past to change the future
“There is nothing comfortable about studying genocide,” Beth Griech-Polelle, a Pacific Lutheran University history professor and the Kurt Mayer Chair in Holocaust Studies, says. “It’s filthy, violent, degrading, and the worst of humanity.” Yet Griech-Polelle says the study and discussion of these atrocities are crucial…
Saving the World with a Starship
On day one of PLU Professor of Mathematics Daniel Heath’s Designing a Starship class, students have no idea what they have signed up for — and that’s exactly how Heath wants it. The course is part of PLU’s International Honors Program (IHON), which means it…
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…
WATCH THIS: Professor Marnie Ritchie discusses surveillance, rhetoric and media
Do you ever worry about history-tracking web browsers, “smart” kitchen appliances, and the even smarter phones we sleep next to? PLU Assistant Professor of Communication Marnie Ritchie thinks about these things. She thinks about them A LOT. Ritchie is an award-winning researcher and writer in…
Powell-Heller Conference explores before, during and after the Holocaust
The 14th Annual Powell-Heller Conference for Holocaust Education will occur on October 26-28, 2022 at Pacific Lutheran University. This year the conference theme is “Jewish Life in Poland: Before, During and After the Holocaust.” The keynote speaker is professor of history Jan Grabowski from the…
PLU biology professor Amy Siegesmund receives national teaching award
Pacific Lutheran University Professor of Biology Amy Siegesmund is the recipient of the American Society for Microbiology’s 2023 Carski Award for Undergraduate Teaching. The award recognizes a university educator for outstanding teaching of microbiology to undergraduate students. What I love about teaching microbiology is that…
PLU School of Nursing professor to be inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing
Tacoma, Wash. — Pacific Lutheran University is pleased to announce that Kathleen Richardson, assistant professor of nursing, has been selected to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (Academy). Richardson also serves as associate dean of academic affairs at PLU. “Dr. Richardson has…
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…