He is no doubt an excellent, well-rounded teacher who is well liked by his students. But there is much more to Dr. Bryan Ness, PUC’s 2004 Educator of the Year. A biology professor at PUC since 1989, Ness has been called a modern-day "Renaissance man.”

An accomplished guitarist and songwriter, Ness has a fan club: the youth Sabbath school group. His other fan club includes his wife, Judy, and their two children, Tara and Reuben. Besides music, Ness also enjoys writing poetry and participating in drama groups.

As a former theology major turned biology major, Ness also presents lively worship services at Sabbath school or for faculty committees, much to the discomfort of those who are not fond of the fuzzy tarantula or ugly lizard he uses to make the lesson come alive. His students, though, comment favorably on his regular worships in the classroom setting.

In addition to writing poetry and songs, Ness is a respected scholar, having earned a biology degree from Walla Walla College and a Ph.D. in botany from Washington State University. Ness has written a number of scientific articles for professional journals and recently edited the McGill’s Encyclopedia of Science: Plant Life and the Encyclopedia of Genetics.

Greg King, chair of the religion department, summed it up aptly in his presentation of the award: “It is a privilege to honor you, Bryan, for your excellence in teaching, for your commitment to scholarship, for your deep and abiding interest in your students, and for your contagious spiritual commitment.”