Pepperdine University Dedicates Joyce Plueger Health Assessment Laboratory in College of Health Science
CALABASAS, California – Pepperdine University’s College of Health Science dedicated the Joyce Plueger Health Assessment Laboratory on May 29, 2026, honoring a generous gift from John and Celeste Plueger that will support hands-on clinical training for future healthcare professionals.
The dedication ceremony recognized the Plueger family’s longstanding commitment to Pepperdine and celebrated the impact the laboratory will have on students in the School of Nursing and School of Speech-Language Pathology.
“It gives me great pleasure to thank the Plueger family for all that they have done through the years to support and lead Pepperdine,” said Chancellor Sara Young Jackson (’74). “It’s wonderful to have underwritten this beautiful, advanced laboratory that will provide a state-of-the-art hands-on learning experience for nursing students.”
The laboratory was named in honor of Joyce Plueger, whose life of Christian faith, compassion, and service inspired the gift. Though not a medical professional, Joyce was remembered by family members as someone who cared deeply for others and embodied a spirit of generosity and encouragement.
“We’re gathered to celebrate more than just the naming of the teaching and learning laboratory,” said Michael Feltner, founding dean of Pepperdine’s College of Health Science. “With this dedication, we are sending a clear message to every student who walks through these doors: your clinical skills are your tools, but your character is the treatment and your North Star is Jesus Christ.”
Designed to resemble outpatient examination rooms, the Joyce Plueger Health Assessment Laboratory provides students with opportunities to develop foundational clinical skills in a realistic healthcare environment. The facility includes hospital beds, privacy curtains, otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, and other equipment used in patient assessment and care.
Students use the laboratory to conduct head-to-toe physical examinations, assess heart and lung sounds, take vital signs, and strengthen communication skills essential to effective patient care.
“As a lab scientist, I can say that the laboratory is a sacred space in the training of healthcare professionals,” said Jay Brewster, provost of Pepperdine University. “From the very first stages of planning this college, we recognized the deep connection between health sciences and Pepperdine’s Christian mission.”
The dedication comes as the College of Health Science marks its first year of operation and prepares to welcome its second cohort of students in fall 2026. The college currently offers programs through the School of Nursing and the School of Speech-Language Pathology and is focused on preparing healthcare professionals who combine clinical excellence with compassionate service.
About Pepperdine University
Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University is an independent, Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in scenic Malibu, California. The University enrolls approximately 10,300 students across its flagship liberal arts school, Seaver College; the College of Health Science, and four graduate schools—the Caruso School of Law; the Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy. Pepperdine is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Follow Pepperdine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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