Highlights from Dr. Brower’s Presidency

Bob Brower was elected the 14th president of Point Loma Nazarene University in October 1997 and was inaugurated April 17, 1998. He will retire late summer 2024 once the new university president has come on board.

Here are just a few of the ways PLNU has grown under his leadership.

New buildings have opened (most others have been renovated):

• 1997 – Nicholson Commons
• 1998 – Colt Hall (Department of History and Political Science)
• 2003 – Nease Residence Hall 17,000-foot expansion
• 2003 – New administration building and business administration construction began
• 2004 – Draper Hall
• 2005 – Fermanian School of Business dedicated
• 2008 – Smee Hall, which houses the School of Theology and Christian Ministry, Center for Pastoral Leadership, and Wesleyan Center for 21st Century Studies
• 2015 – Sator Hall and Latter Hall science complex dedicated
• 2018 – New Lyle and Grace Prescott Prayer Chapel
• 2024 – PLNU and San Diego Padres Biomechanics Lab at the Balboa Regional Center

New locations, centers, and institutes have been launched:

• 1998 – Bakersfield Regional Center opened
• 1998 – Center for International Development (originally named the Armenian Center for International Development)
• 1999 – Mission Valley Regional Center opened
• 1999 – Education graduate programs launched in Bakersfield and Mission Valley
• 2000 – Health Promotion Clinic
• 2001 – Center for Justice and Reconciliation (CJR)
• 2004 – Center for Pastoral Leadership
• 2010 – Fermanian Business & Economic Institute (FBEI)
• 2012 – PLNU expanded operations to the Liberty Station Conference Center, which currently houses the School of Nursing and classrooms
• 2021 – Balboa Regional Center campus

The university has reached significant milestones and started lasting traditions of impact.

• 2000 – The Point Loma campus reached its enrollment cap, as dictated by the city’s conditional use permit.
• 2001 – Point Loma Nazarene University celebrated its centennial.
• 2004 – On July 10, PLNU held its first Community Day, a campus-wide open house.

• 2005 – Major sustainability upgrades took place on campus, reducing energy consumption by about a quarter. In April 2007, PLNU announced plans to build a solar energy system on campus, which contributed to the university being named Recycler of the Year by the City of San Diego in 2008.
• 2007 – PLNU became involved with the Kyoto Prize Laureate Symposium and has been a co-host of the event along with other local universities since 2008.
• 2008 – PLNU held its first Fall Festival for the community.
• 2011 – PLNU athletics was approved for conditional membership in the NCAA. PLNU became a full active member in Division II in 2014-15.
• 2011 – Spring Break Build began as a service opportunity for students, faculty, and staff in partnership with Lazarian World Homes.
• 2014 – The CJR launched the Beauty for Ashes scholarship to support survivors of human trafficking in pursuing an education at PLNU. This scholarship is believed to have been the first of its kind.

• 2014-2024 – PLNU has won the NCAA’s Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence every year since joining the NCAA Division II.
• 2020 – President Brower worked with campus leaders to guide the university through a global pandemic. While many universities struggled during these days, PLNU not only remained strong but was even able to serve the local community.
• 2023 – PLNU’s long-standing New Student Orientation was expanded into Welcome Week, an even more holistic experience for incoming undergraduate students and their families.
• 2023 – On Dec. 9, PLNU women’s soccer brought home the university’s first NCAA national title in any sport.
• 2024 – The Browers will retire, and PLNU will welcome our new president.

Graduate and adult undergraduate education programs have positively impacted individuals and our communities. Just a few of the program highlights include:

• 2001 – MBA program began
• 2002 – Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program started
• 2006 – Master’s in Biology program begins
• 2015 – Community college partnerships launched
• 2016 – Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling began
• 2017 – Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program launched
• 2020 – Adult undergraduate (AUG) programs moved to online modality
• 2021 – Balboa Regional Center and College of Health Sciences opened; physician assistant program launched
• 2023 – Nurse practitioner graduate program launched

President Brower and his wife, Linda, have also served at countless PLNU events, hosted students in their homes, been active in the Church of the Nazarene, and served with community and national organizations. From everyone at PLNU, we thank them!