Jesuit Mission Award

Dr. Sonya Quitslund, ’58 

College of Arts and Sciences 

For her exemplary leadership and decades of service, mentorship and philanthropy, Dr. Sonya Quitslund is honored with the Jesuit Mission Award.  

After graduating from SU, Quitslund pursued graduate studies at the Catholic University of America, becoming one of the first lay women to receive a PhD in religious studies. Quitslund challenged institutional norms and created space for women’s voices in theology throughout her 28-year tenure as a professor of Bible and religious thought at George Washington University.   

Her scholarly work includes the award-winning book, Beauduin: A Prophet Vindicated, which shaped theological thought and reflected her dedication to justice and gender equality in the church. She co-founded the Christian Feminists and served on the inaugural commission of the Women’s Ordination Conference. 

Quitslund has also fostered 48 children and established the Leona and Phelps Quitslund Scholarship for Fostering Scholars at Seattle University, named in honor of her parents, to support foster youth with education, housing and holistic care.   

One of Quitslund’s nominators said, “Sonya’s life of service is expansive. Her many roles—Fulbright Scholar, professor, flotilla commander and sacristan, to name just a few—may seem varied, but a consistent thread of faith and purpose unites them.”