Ben Cater (02) has made tremendous strides in his career since graduation. He earned a degree in history from PLNU, an M.A. in history from the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. in history, with distinction, from the University of Utah.
Cater's mentor and PLNU professor of history, Dr. Rick Kennedy, said of him, “He was always inquisitive and fun; students followed Ben’s lead, and classes became full of lively conversation. Always one to have his reading assignments done, Ben raised the scholarly bar among his fellow history majors.”
Kennedy also commented, “While writing his Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Utah, Ben forged his way to the forefront of a new field that studies the health industry in America. He won the Dale L. Morgan Award in the Utah Historical Quarterly for Best Scholarly Article for “Segregating Sanitation in Salt Lake City,” and the Nick Yengich Memorial Editor’s Choice Award for “Grassroots Healing: The Park City Miners’ Hospital.” While the history of medicine has been well-trod by scholars, study of the social effects of the health industry opens up a new way to look at American history. He has a bright future as a publishing scholar.”
Recently, Cater has been cited three times in the new Encyclopedia of Christianity in the U.S., which was edited by George T. Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, and Martin E. Marty. The encyclopedia, a five-volume set, was released on Nov. 18, 2016. With outstanding reviews from professors at Princeton University, University of Notre Dame, and more, the profound multi-volume set is an impressive accomplishment in which to be named.
The Viewpoint
PLNU's university publication, the Viewpoint, seeks to contribute relevant and vital stories that grapple with life's profound questions from a uniquely Christian perspective. Through features, profiles, and news updates, the Viewpoint highlights stories of university alumni, staff, faculty, and students who are pursuing who they are called to be.