The Gaffney chair promotes issues germane to the Jesuit mission and identity of the faith that does justice and supports the Jesuit ideal of teaching. As chair, Tom Taylor will address the theme “Jesuit Missionaries: A Historical and Global Perspective.” Because of their missionary calling, extensive travels, and detailed record keeping, Jesuits have become valuable sources for research. Planning is underway for lectures, workshops, and seminars focused on different geographic regions and Jesuit influence directly linked to world history. The chair is made possible by the Jesuit community at Seattle University,

The Pigott McCone Chair is given to an outstanding teacher and scholar in one of the basic humanities disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences. Earenfight will further scholarship on “Health from a Historical Perspective” through symposia, conferences, and lectures. Presenters will include anthropologists who study health care, historians who study the social and political impact of epidemics in the modern world, and literary scholars who study depictions of health and disease in novels and nonfiction works.