大象传媒

What a remarkable season this has been! As I walk across campus these autumn days, I鈥檓 struck by the energy, innovation and deep sense of mission that fills every corner of our community. From mission aircraft taking flight to first-year seminarians finding mentors, from research breakthroughs to students discovering their calling鈥擥od is moving powerfully at 大象传媒.

Let me share some of the stories that have filled my heart with gratitude.

Picture this: a specially modified aircraft sitting in our 大象传媒 University Airpark, soon to soar over the remote Amazon basin carrying hope, healing and the gospel.

This summer, we had the privilege of hosting Peru Projects, a ministry that serves communities accessible primarily by air. Medical evacuations. Critical cargo. Volunteers bringing light to isolated villages. On Aug. 29, our community gathered for a deeply moving dedication service, commissioning both the team and their aircraft for the work ahead. Watching that crew prepare to serve 鈥渢he least of these鈥� reminded me why we exist鈥攖o be world changers who take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

 Learn more about Peru Projects and their incredible work .

Something beautiful happened on Sept. 9.

After chapel and a special lunch, our Center for Community Change (CCC) launched a peer-to-peer mentoring initiative for seminary students. First-year students, many far from home and navigating new challenges, were matched with seasoned mentors ready to offer support, encouragement and hard-won wisdom.

But here鈥檚 what makes this truly special: The CCC isn鈥檛 just creating a program. They鈥檙e cultivating a mentoring lifestyle that these future pastors will carry into their congregations and communities for decades to come. Imagine the ripple effect! One mentoring relationship today becomes dozens tomorrow, then hundreds, then thousands. This is discipleship in action鈥攕hared journeys fostering meaningful connections with widespread, eternal impact.

Our Office of Research & Creative Scholarship has been whirring this semester!

The Horn Lectureship Series brought distinguished scholars Gary Rendsburg and Joshua Berman (Sept. 14), Randall Younker (Oct. 20) and Eva Katarina Glazer (Nov. 10) to challenge and inspire us. Lily-Arison Ren茅 de Roland shared his conservation journey on Sept. 28, a powerful reminder that caring for creation is sacred work.

Then came Research Week (Oct. 21鈥�24)! Claudia Allen. Karen Lozano. Ranko Stefanovic. Vanessa Corredera. And many others. Four days of intellectual feast.

And the 大象传媒 Autumn Conference on Religion & Science? Simply outstanding. Rahel Wells, John Reeve, Gary Burdick, Jeffrey Koperski, Ralph Stearley and Martin Hanna explored the beautiful intersection of faith and discovery.

Research and scholarship aren鈥檛 just alive at 大象传媒. They鈥檙e vibrant, pushing boundaries while remaining anchored in our Adventist worldview.

Pastor Anil Kanda, vice president for Ministry for the Pacific Union Conference, brought exactly what our community needed during fall Week of Prayer.

Each morning, he opened Scripture with passion and authenticity. Each evening, he fielded our students鈥� honest, sometimes difficult questions with grace and wisdom. His theme 鈥渞eal life. real God.鈥� captured the heart of what we鈥檙e about: a faith that engages the messiness of real life with the reality of a God who shows up.

Friday evening鈥檚 Ministry Fair showcased the beautiful variety of ways our students are living this out鈥攖hrough service, worship and witness right here in our local community.

Faith isn鈥檛 just studied at 大象传媒. It鈥檚 lived.

Want to experience these messages? Find recordings of the morning sessions on our .

Forty-one eager high school students from eight different Adventist academies visited our campus from Sept. 18鈥�21 for SciFEST!

This year鈥檚 theme? Space. And did we deliver!

Outdoor vespers at the Robert and Lillis Kingman Observatory under starlit skies. A riveting faith and science panel on 鈥淭he Universe & Creation.鈥� Labs, workshops, hands-on activities. And the QuizBowl game show, where these brilliant young minds competed with enthusiasm.

Partnering with our academies to host these amazing young people is such a joy. We look forward to welcoming some of them back soon to join our 大象传媒 family!

I鈥檓 thrilled to introduce Jeana Wallin as our new director of Alumni Services!

Jeana brings a BA in public relations from 大象传媒 (yes, she鈥檚 one of our own!), along with impressive experience in client relations, event planning and marketing. When asked about returning to 大象传媒, she said it was 鈥淕od鈥檚 direction and leading.鈥� We couldn鈥檛 agree more!

Jeana joins several other talented team members who鈥檝e recently come aboard in University Advancement. Together, they鈥檙e strengthening our connections with alumni and donors around the globe. Meet them here.

Sept. 26 marked a milestone: our inaugural Industry Lab Summit!

The theme, 鈥淚nnovation through Industry-Academia Collaboration,鈥� came alive as students, faculty and industry leaders networked and learned together. Speakers included Ackley Will (chair of our Department of Computing), Gunnar Lovhoiden (chair of our Department of Engineering) and Ryan K. Roeder from the University of Notre Dame. The energy was electric, the conversations rich and the partnerships promising.

This summit emerged from our Industry Lab, which was launched in 2023 to bridge the gap between academic excellence and real-world application. It鈥檚 been a valuable investment!

Some exciting news: 大象传媒 climbed 31 places in the 2026 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, placing among the top 250 national universities in America!

We also advanced 29 spots as a Top Performer on Social Mobility and rose in the ranking for Best Undergraduate Engineering Program.

And Niche鈥檚 Best Colleges in America? They recognized 大象传媒 as the #1 Most Diverse College in America and the #1 Best Small College in Michigan!

Yes, we faced some headwinds with international student enrollment, in part due to visa challenges. But we celebrated a 13% increase in our freshman class and modest growth in enrolled credit hours. God continues to bless!

Oct. 16鈥�18 brought faculty, students, pastors and church leaders together for something unprecedented: the inaugural D3: Re-Imagining Disciple Making Conference.

Born from our new Discipleship Center, this gathering explored people-centered discipleship with fresh eyes and open hearts. 大象传媒 faculty and global church representatives presented on developmental awareness, trauma-informed ministry, and cultural and generational sensitivity. 

The theme woven throughout? Togetherness. Collaboration.

These aren鈥檛 just buzzwords. They鈥檙e the essence of how Jesus made disciples. I鈥檓 excited to see our community leading these vital conversations and even more excited to witness the impact that will follow.

Let me share something personal. Some of the hardest conversations I have are with talented, worthy students who face unexpected financial gaps that threaten their ability to continue their education.

These aren鈥檛 students who made poor choices. They work hard and study hard. They鈥檙e world changers hit by circumstances beyond their control: family emergencies, medical crises, unexpected losses.

That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 inviting you to support the President鈥檚 Worthy Student Scholarship Fund. Your gift helps students overcome tuition gaps that would otherwise derail their dreams. It allows them to begin or continue their studies at 大象传媒.

You can also designate gifts to memorialize colleagues, friends or family members. It can be a beautiful way to honor their legacy while investing in the future.

Our goal: $200,000 for student scholarships by year鈥檚 end.

Every gift matters. Every student matters.

Make your donation here.

These stories represent just a glimpse of what God is doing at 大象传媒 University. Mission aviation. Mentoring relationships. Groundbreaking research. Spiritual growth. Innovation. Generosity. Rising recognition. Students discovering their calling.

It鈥檚 all happening right here, right now.

I invite you to stay connected, to visit when you can and, most importantly, to join us in prayer for God鈥檚 continued guidance and blessing.

Thank you for being part of the 大象传媒 family. Together, we鈥檙e preparing world changers who will impact eternity.

With gratitude,

John Wesley Taylor V
President, 大象传媒 University

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