PJ Alaimo, assistant professor of chemistry in the College of Science and Engineering.
Supporting Academic Excellence: The Campaign for Seattle University
The Campaign for Seattle University: For the Difference We Make is propelling its ascension and reputation for academic excellence among independent universities.
“There is a sense of confidence, a sense of success,” said Provost John Eshelman. “It affects the culture of the campus, how people—students, faculty and staff—feel about themselves and the university. Everyone likes to be part of something special.”
Success is measured at Seattle University not only with traditional benchmarks, but also through intangible qualities unique to Jesuit education.
“At Seattle University, academic excellence has a particular flavor,” said Eshelman.
It's a flavor spiced with intellectual curiosity, diversity, dignity and faith that does justice.
This maturation of the university's mission and progress over the past couple of decades, said Eshelman, has reached a critical juncture, one for which private support can make a tremendous difference.
“The challenges we face now are much different than those we faced 20 years ago. They are the challenges born of progress.”
Dr. Khalil Dibee Endowed Chair In Finance
Endowments—permanent funds from which the interest is used to fuel academic excellence—are a crucial tool. Endowed chairs and professorships enable Seattle University to retain, support and develop talented educators.
“To hang onto your best people, you've got to be competitive,” said Eshelman. Endowments, he added, “give faculty the breathing space to engage in their disciplines at a more intense level and that feeds back into the classroom.”
The Dr. Khalil Dibee Endowed Chair in Finance, established with a $3.5 million gift from Gary Brinson, '66, and his wife, Suzann, illustrates the point.
Professor Peter Brous, the inaugural Dibee Chair holder, “is an outstanding example of the dedicated teacher and scholar that we all aspire to be in the Albers School,” said Dean Joe Phillips. “He is a student-focused instructor who brings great enthusiasm and passion to the classroom.”
The chair's namesake, Dr. Dibee, is a former faculty member who taught investments and was instrumental in establishing the Albers MBA program for working professionals. Brinson, who founded a leading investment banking firm and is recognized as an investment strategy innovator, said the endowment honors an instructor whose teaching and encouragement played a significant role in his later success.
By honoring Dibee with an endowed chair, said Dean Phillips, Brinson's gift “will significantly enhance the quality of our finance program.”
Brous said the endowment will help him advance his research, particularly his knowledge of international capital budgeting which, he anticipates, will reinforce his course offerings.
College of Science and Engineering
Endowments are nothing short of “the lifeblood of research at an institution like this,” said Dr. Rob Rutherford, an assistant professor of biology in the College of Science and Engineering.
Not only do they often provide seed money for vital projects that help attract grant funds, said Rutherford, but they enable undergraduates to get practical experience that enriches their education.
“We're giving undergrads more opportunities to participate in research projects than we have in the past,” said Michael Quinn, dean of the College of Science and Engineering. “It's a really exciting development, and evidence we are improving the academic experience for our students.”
Rutherford is researching the genetic map of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. Largely eliminated as a public health threat in the U.S., TB remains a significant threat around the globe, particularly among the poor and in developing countries. Rutherford's research is boosted by an endowment established by William Doyle, a 1955 SU chemistry graduate.
Doyle pointed to the “intellectual, philosophical and ethical standards which the Jesuits of Seattle University helped instill in me” as highly influential to his life. Those standards, coupled with the “hands on” environment at SU, inspired him to help students learn through practical experience.
School of Theology and Ministry
Two professorships funded with the generous gifts of private donors will be created in the School of Theology and Ministry.
“We are excited about launching these two professorships,” said Dr. Mark Markuly, the school's dean. “They will enhance our commitment to academic excellence in both Catholic and ecumenical thought—a wonderful, ongoing laboratory on ecumenical understanding, cooperation and collaboration.”
STM graduate Marcia Halligan is funding a $1 million endowment to create the Spehar-Halligan Professorship of Ecumenical Collaboration.
Approximately 12 donors who greatly admire Father Pat Howell established the Patrick J. Howell, S.J. Professorship of Theology and Ministry. Among those donors was 1967 STM graduate Terri Gaffney, who said Father Howell embodies the values of the school.
“He's always reaching out to the community,” she said. “His humility and dedication, coupled with his kindness, always makes people feel so appreciated.”
From the Winter 2008 issue of the Campaign Newsletter