
Professor Rick Barot discusses being longlisted for the National Book Award and teaching creative writing during a pandemic
Rick Barot is a highly acclaimed national figure in poetry whose 2020 collection “The Galleons” was recently longlisted for the National Book Award. He’s also a dedicated creative writing teacher, serving as an English professor at Pacific Lutheran University and the director of the Rainier…

PLU ranked the number one college in Washington for financial aid
Pacific Lutheran University has been recognized as the No. 1 school in Washington state for financial aid by LendEDU, an online marketplace for personal finance products. The report, released October 28, 2020, also ranks PLU ninth in the country. “This ranking reflects PLU’s institutional commitment…

Pandemic Performance: PLU Music Chair Brian Galante on education during the coronavirus
As the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to impact the world, educators are being forced to get creative as classrooms move online. Remote learning combined with the cancellation of large, in-person events, and concerns over the germ-spreading potential of singing and playing wind instruments…

PLU course examining the COVID-19 pandemic open to students, alumni and the community
Earlier this month Pacific Lutheran University announced a timely new course titled “COVID 19: A Global Crisis Examined.” Open to PLU students, alumni, faculty, staff and the public, the one-credit/no-credit online course will lead students through a reflection of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Over the…

New book by Prof. Maria Chávez honored by American Political Science Association Latino Caucus
The most recent book by Maria Chávez, professor of political science, has been honored with the Latino Politics Best Book Prize by the American Political Science Association Latino Caucus. The book, Latino Professionals in America: Testimonios of Policy, Perseverance, and Success , combines rich qualitative…

New NSF grant will support PLU students studying to become STEM educators
Twenty-one new scholarships will be created for PLU students from underrepresented backgrounds preparing to become STEM educators, thanks to a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant, which provides funding over the next three years, will help extend existing collaborations between the…

PLU, Dean Waldow receive NSF grant to continue lithium-ion battery research
TACOMA, WASH. (April 30, 2020) — The National Science Foundation has awarded PLU and Professor of Chemistry Dean Waldow a $230,000 grant over three years to continue his research with students into polymers and ion conductors that could revolutionize the lithium-ion batteries used in cars…

Largest-ever PLU student cohort participated in rigorous mathematical modeling competition
TACOMA, WASH. (April 13, 2020) — Six teams of PLU students, the university’s largest-ever cohort, participated in the 34th annual Mathematical Contest in Modeling on Feb. 13-17 — an international competition that challenges students to solve real-world math problems over the course of a grueling…
PLU announces new major in criminal justice
TACOMA, WASH. (April 11, 2020) — Pacific Lutheran University is announcing a new major in criminal justice. Officially launching in fall 2020, the new program is designed for students interested in a wide variety of career fields, including law, policing, corrections, and victim services and…

Prof. Bridget Yaden on using technology to make remote learning inviting and accessible
TACOMA, WASH. (March. 25, 2020) — Distance learning and teaching can feel isolating at times. PLU Professor of Hispanic Studies Bridget Yaden has been combating these potential limitations by using different technological tools to make her virtual classroom as accessible and accommodating as possible. The…

Prof. Gregory Youtz talks transitioning classrooms and teaching styles to distance learning
TACOMA, WASH. (March. 19, 2020) — Switching a campus-based curriculum to a distance-learning model mid-semester in the face of a pandemic is no easy feat. Luckily, PLU professor of music Gregory Youtz and his faculty peers have proved to be up for the challenge. Under…