Dear Arts and Sciences Alumni and Friends,
I hope things are going well for you as we begin 2023. This academic year continues to feel much more like the “back to new normal” year we expected last year before the Omicron variant.
Look for news from your major and there’s probably something there, including major new grant awards. Along with the ongoing accomplishments of our faculty and alumni, we have international visitors and a host of events and activities on campus. We would love for you to join us at one or more of these, whether it’s an interview with “the world’s most interesting new politician,” an amazing violin-piano concert in the chapel or a book launch for a book acclaimed by the New York Times and written by an SU faculty author, come back to campus and reconnect.
Also, please don’t forget SU Gives coming up on March 2. All this and more below.
David V. Powers, PhD
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
In our Fall 2022 issue, we introduced Professor Marissa Olivares, Seattle University’s first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence. This quarter, we joined her and Dr. Serena Cosgrove, Associate Professor, International Studies and Program Director, Latin American & Latinx Studies, in the classroom for UCOR 1600, Conflict and Revolution in Central America, part of Seattle University’s common undergraduate educational experience.
The course explores the roots and present-day ramifications of conflict, revolution, and social movements in Central America with a special focus on Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Central America—the isthmus that connects North America and South America and has coasts on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean—is presently home to diverse groups, including Mestizos or mixed-race Central Americans, multiple Indigenous groups, Afro-descendant peoples, and immigrants from around the world.
“The students in this class represent a range of majors, including International Studies, and majors from across the university from computer science to psychology.” said Dr. Cosgrove. “When we started the quarter they explored their personal connection to the themes and topics that we cover, and consider how their previous educational, professional, travel, family, or other life experiences prepared them for this class.”
When asked about her connection to the class, International Studies major Abigail Berhane said, "I was born and raised in Eritrea, East Africa, where I have experienced conflict at different levels. I wanted to learn about how Central America accomplished so many successful revolutions. Although many Central American countries are still somewhat struggling with weak governments, throughout the 20th century have experienced the successful removal of totalitarian regimes. The greatest achievement is perhaps that people in Central America have discovered the power of their collective voice to depose dictators and bring about concrete political change. As in Central America, I want to learn how Eritreans can realize the strength in our collective voice amid oppression." Berhane was inspired to register after taking Dr. Cosgrove's World Geography class in the fall and learned that she would be co-teaching with Professor Olivares. "I thought, this is going to be so interesting, hearing stories and experiences from an actual professor who has been in Central America for most of their life."
Abigail Aguilar, majoring in Marketing, also has a direct connection to the class. “My parents are from El Salvador,” she said. “I needed to find a 1600 level course and this class stood out right away. My dad was in the civil war in El Salvador, so it is super personal.”
Professor Olivares and Dr. Cosgrove help students bring the topics to life through an engaging mix of readings, films, discussions, and personal reflection. During the fourth week of winter quarter, the discussions included the film, La Llorona, and the book, I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala.
La Llorona is the 2019 film inspired by the real-life indictment of the former president and army general Efraín Ríos Montt for crimes against humanity, the orders for which he gave during the 36-year civil war. While fictional, the film communicated the pain experienced by Guatamala’s Indigenous Maya communities for students. Aguilar commented, “It can be hard to envision the time period we’re talking about, and watching a movie like this helps visualize what is conceptual. The whole class is very interactive.”
During the second half of the class, students made presentations about particular chapters of Rigoberta Menchu’s autobiography, whose life story reflects the tragic experiences of countless Indian communities in Latin America. In addition to simply talking about the themes and occurrences in assigned chapters, students used images, poetry, and music to convey their reactions to a very personal story. When one student was unable to make their presentation, Professor Olivares stepped in.
“For most of these students, Central America is a new topic, at least the real history is. They may know something from geography or tourism, but they are connecting in a deeper way with the history,” said Professor Olivares. “I am able to use my lived experience to help students connect with the countries and cultures. For many, I am the first person they have met from Central America.”
Dr. Cosgrove also shared her own personal story about meeting and working with Rigoberta Menchu in 1987. She said, “Part of my role as human rights monitor in Guatemala at the time was to provide accompaniment to civil society leaders who had received death threats. This gave me insight into the tension between safety and privacy, especially during a civil war.”
When asked about the value of a class co-taught by two professors who are so deeply involved in the subject matter, Berhane said, “Professor Olivares and Dr. Cosgrove have lived the revolutions and conflicts we’re talking about in class. That human experience really does help us connect, going beyond reading the book or watching movies which can sometimes feel distant, because they are not in the same room as we are. As co-teachers, they offer insight that is different from another professor who may be just teaching from their own reading. We've read about the subject, but these two professors have really been through it. So, we have actually lived it with them.”
Aguilar also shared that she was hesitant at first, explaining, “I told my dad that the professor (Dr. Cosgrove) was white, and I wondered how she could teach me about my culture and history. But then I learned that she has lived and worked in Nicaragua and other Latin American countries and that the course would be co-taught by Professor Olivares, who would bring her personal experience to the class. It has been a privilege to have her perspective.”
Looking forward, Berhane said, “I want to work with NGOs, hopefully, have my own NGO at some point in my career, back home. Similar to central America, I hope we have a revolution of our own, with a president who has been in place for 32 years. We need a revolution. That is one of the things that called me to this class. But I have realized that most of the revolutions we are discussing are peaceful demonstrations and that the aggression comes from the government. I want to see how we can incorporate a peaceful revolution to achieve institutional change.”
Professor Olivares also reflected on what she is gaining through this experience. “Dr. Cosgrove and I have done research together and appeared on panels before, but this is the first time for us to teach together,” she said. “It is a very important experience for me, as I’m open to learning. I am learning how to teach in a Jesuit university in the United States, which is different from my own in Nicaragua. I will be taking home a lot of new ideas and resources.”
Photos, top to bottom: Abigail Berhane; Abigail Aguilar; students and faculty in Nicaragua in 2015, with Professor Olivares in yellow (second row on right) and Dr. Cosgrove in black (center, front row), photo by Claire Garoutte.
Travel is an integral component in teaching history for Dr. Tom Taylor, as evidenced by his book, Modern Travel in World History, published in June 2022. “It makes a difference to be able to share my own photos, to connect my experiences to the history we are talking about in class. For example, in our class, “Constructing Past and Present II,” I talk about how the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi shaped the decolonialization movements in India and around the world. When I do, I can show them pictures I recently took of Gandhi’s residence in Mumbai, his library, and his correspondence with everyone from the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Adolf Hitler. I use those photos to trace the evolution of his thoughts and their impact on people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other advocates of his non-violent protest. And I can talk about how my visit to his residence helps me understand how his ideas are being represented and understood in contemporary India.” Read more, including how the rescue of a small boat of migrants transformed his global studies course.
Audrey Hudgins, EdD, Clinical Associate Professor, Matteo Ricci Institute; Amanda Heffernan, MSN, CNM, Instructor, College of Nursing; and 11 current and former Seattle University students participated in a weeklong migrant justice immersion trip over Winter Break in 2022.
"I'm so grateful for the opportunity to go on this immersion trip,” said Cullin Egge, Social Work and Spanish, Class of 2023. “Traveling to the border and speaking with migrants in person allowed us the chance to humanize and accompany people whose voices are too often silenced. Border issues are complex and multi-faceted, so having conversations with folks directly affected by them was enlightening. I'm looking forward to sharing my experience with others on and off campus and continuing to engage with migrant justice issues in my community and beyond!"
Read more about their experience here.
Seattle University's Institute of Public Service hosts a fascinating installment of "Conversations" Friday, February 24, from 3 to 4 p.m., in Oberto Commons in the Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation, with a rare afternoon sit-down with the new congresswoman who staged the biggest upset of the 2022 fall congressional elections. Tickets are free, seating is limited; register here.
The event will also be livestreamed by Seattle Channel.
We are eager to learn more about her down-to-earth approach to politics. Gluesenkamp Perez, or MGP, as she is sometimes called, lives in rural Southwest Washington; she is the opposite of a Democratic coastal elite. She is - or should be -- the new face of the Democratic Party.
Seattle University Performing Arts and Arts Leadership presents Voices of Diversity: A Celebration of Classical Music's Underrepresented Composers, featuring Christian Howes, violin, and Joseph Williams, piano, in a free concert, Friday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m., in the Chapel of St. Ignatius on the SU campus. No advance reservations needed.
The concert will also be broadcast live on Classical KING.
The program includes compositions by Florence Price (1887 – 1953), Irene Britton Smith (1907 – 1999), Adrian Gordon (b. 1983), Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745 – 1799), Dr. Immanuel T. Abraham (b. 1990) and Tomoko Omura (b. 1980.)
The concert is the first in a series of three produced by Dr. Quinton Morris, DMA, Associate Professor, Violin, host of "Unmute the Voices," on Classical KING and founder and executive director of Key to Change. The second of the series will feature Rachel Barton Pine on Wednesday, April 26 at 8 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Ignatius.
This recital is generously sponsored by the Pigott Family Endowment for the Arts.
Read more about the artists here.
Photo: Christian Howes
“To say “The Laughter” is just a campus novel is to vastly undersell it; it’s also the story of America’s changing cultural landscape and the major political and philosophical shifts needed to uplift and protect the marginalized. This is a smart and hilarious book not just for anyone who wants to laugh at the absurdity of academia, but for anyone who wants to become a better person by doing it.” New York Times
Join Dr. Sonora Jha and her colleague, Dr. Nalini Iyer, on Tuesday, March 7 at 6 p.m. in Campion Hall on the Seattle University Campus. In her review for the International Examiner, Dr. Iyer called The Laughter, “…wickedly funny and politically astute…Darkly funny and occasionally grim, this novel asks academia to examine itself and to determine how it might serve a vastly diverse, politically engaged community.” Dr. Jha will sign books after the program. Books are available for purchase from partner, Elliott Bay Book Company.
Registration for the free event is requested.
Dr. Jha’s new work of literary fiction perfectly captures the privilege, radicalization, race, and class tensions that simmer in the world of modern academia and in present-day America. Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, says, “Jha impressively avoids the trap of preachiness and moralizing that stories of identity politics on campus tend to fall into; rather, hers is a subtle and nuanced look at the subject. The novel plants seeds that turn out to be red herrings, building layer upon layer of assumptions—about campus culture, identity politics, religion, East versus West, racism, and terrorism. . . A powerful and darkly funny campus novel with an unexpected narrative perspective.”
The event is sponsored by the Seattle University Department of Communication and Media; English Department and Creative Writing Program; and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies.
Only nine days away!
Join us Thursday, March 2 for our 24-hour celebration of the campus causes that make Seattle University so unique and special. Every gift – whether it’s $5, $25 or $100 – all add up to make a tremendous impact on our campus community and beyond.
There are several exciting Challenges throughout the College of Arts and Sciences that will help your gift stretch further than ever before, thanks to some of our most generous alumni and donors. Every gift to any of our programs also helps unlock $10,000 for the Arts and Sciences Annual Scholarship Fund.
Looking for other ways to get involved? There is still time to spread the word and sign up to be a SU-pporter. Our SU-pporters share their SU connection online to inspire others to support the area you love most.
The Mellon Foundation, the nation's largest funder of the arts, culture and humanities, announced that Seattle University has received grant funding for its social justice-related curriculum work. The $495,000 grant will aid in SU's path to achieving its strategic directions.
The central aim of the project, titled Race, Racialization, and Resistance in the United States, is to enable faculty in the humanities and humanistic social sciences to design courses that explore the complex processes of the construction of race in the U.S. in global contexts. It also strives to investigate the broad range of collective and individual forms of resistance to racism and address the tension between the social-structural constitution of race and subjective experiences of it. Read more here.
College of Arts and Sciences faculty selected for this year’s Fellowship program:
Shasti Conrad, Sociology and International Studies, '07, and recipient of the 2018 Outstanding Young Alumna award, the first woman of color and the youngest person ever to be chosen as a Chair of the Washington State Democratic Party.
Charlie Hitchcock, BA, Creative Writing and Finance, ’12, was promoted to senior housing developer at the Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing.
Psychology students Jordyn Correll and Shane Davis, with support from An Than and Joe Dakin worked with Kira Mauseth, PhD, Senior Instructor, Psychology on the publication, "Behavioral Health Considerations for Endemic COVID-19," a guidance document for the WA State Department of Health.
Christie Eppler, PhD, LMFT, Program Director and Professor; Kimberly Riley, DSW, Assistant Clinical Professor; and LaDonna Smith, MA, LMFT, Interim Clinical Coordinator, all Couples and Family Therapy presented, "Cultivating Systemic Resilience" at AAMFT's 2022 Systemic Family Therapy Conference.
Katherine Raichle, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair of Psychology, David Green, PhD, Clinical Professor of International Studies and Director of the Center for Faculty Development, and Holly Ferraro, Associate Professor of Management at Villanova University, presented a paper, “The impact of identity on using active learning strategies,” at the annual national conference of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education in Seattle in November 2022. At the same conference, Green also presented a paper with Deandra Little, PhD, Professor of English and Associate Provost, Elon University, titled “Recentering our integrity in a time of instability.”
Ki Gottberg, Professor of Theatre Emerita, Performing Arts and Arts Leadership, Is busy after life at SU. Her Madcap Melodrama troupe recently performed her adaptation of The Vampire in Port Townsend. She performed her solo show, Frontier, for a salon audience at 4PT. Her 10-minute play, Safe, is being published by RainCity Press, in an anthology that includes work by her former student and SU Theatre alum Emily Haver. It will be distributed to 750 theatres and universities around the country.
Amelia Bonow, BA Anthropology, ’10, was one of 17 activists introduced by Lizzo during her acceptance speech for the “Peoples Champion Award” at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards broadcast on December 6. Watch the video of Lizzo’s acceptance speech; Amelia is introduced at 3:50.
Jodi O’Brien, PhD, Professor, Sociology, Special Assistant to the Provost for Faculty Development and Director, SU ADVANCE, was quited in The Salt Lake City Tribune story, "LGBTQ people of faith — from LDS to Catholics to Jews to Muslims — find ways to belong where doctrine rejects them."
Cameron Tyson, Sociology junior, is featured with his brother, coach D’Marques Tyson, BA Marketing, '18, in the KING 5 story, "Tyson brothers reunited at Seattle University."
Caitlin Carlson, PhD, Chair and Associate Professor, Communication and Media, spoke on a panel at the American Association of Law Schools conference, entitled "Does the Dearth of Media Diversity Contribute to Disinformation, Defamation, and Disserve Democracy?”
Victor D. Evans, PhD, Assistant Professor, Communication and Media, received the "Sunny Award" from his publisher, Sunbury Press, for his middle grade novel, The Case of the Mystery Lightning Bat. From Sunbury Press, "The Sunny Awards are given annually by Sunbury Press, Inc. for each imprint. These authors are dedicated to their craft; their books are high quality and are among the bestsellers in their category for the calendar year." His paper, "“What do teen supernatural dramas, fandom and sexual identity development have in common?” won first place in the Broadcast Educators Association gender and sexuality division’s 2023 paper competition.
Christie Eppler, PhD, LMFT, Program Director and Professor, completed the NY Marathon in record heat. She raised nearly $4,000 for Allied Services, a charity that promotes mental and physical wellbeing across the lifespan Their programs include supporting hospice patients to stay with their pets, hosting adaptive races for people of all ages and abilities, and supporting emotional wellness for children, adolescents, and their families.
Kimberly Riley, DSW, Assistant Clinical Professor, Couples and Family Therapy, presented “Wellness and Gratitude: Using self-awareness to find peace on stressful days” at the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Bremerton “Strengthen Families Locally” wellness meeting in November.
Kimberly Riley, DSW, Assistant Clinical Professor, Couples and Family Therapy, presented “Wellness and Gratitude: Using self-awareness to find peace on stressful days” at the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Bremerton “Strengthen Families Locally” wellness meeting in November.
Jacqueline Helfgott, PhD, Professor, Criminal Justice and Director, Crime and Justice Research Center, was named to the Mayor’s Advisory Panel on Sexual Assault and System Reform by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. More information is in this Seattle Times story.
She co-authored an Op-Ed for the South Seattle Emerald with MACJ students Brandon Bledsoe and Katie Kepler, “Diverse Voices Are Needed to Understand Public Safety and Security in Seattle.”
Jacqueline Helfgott, PhD, Professor, Criminal Justice and Director, Crime and Justice Research Center, was featured in KOMO Town Hall: The Future of SPD and Seattle Times: ” Seattle’s pandemic crime fever may finally be breaking”
Matthew Hickman, PhD, Professor and Chair, Criminal Justice, Criminology & Forensics, conducted a review of research cited in the ongoing legislative debate on police pursuit bills in Olympia. Among the media stories:
Carmen Rivera, MS, Assistant Teaching Professor, Criminal Justice, Criminology & Forensics, published “Without representation, entire communities feel unseen,” a guest editorial for the Renton Reporter.
Sharon Cumberland, PhD, Professor Emerita, English, published reviews of Saint-Saëns' Samson and Delilah (Seattle Opera), New Creations 23 (Whim W’Him Seattle Contemporary Dance) and Giselle (Pacific Northwest Ballet) in Seattle Gay News/SGN. As facilitator at the Woman's University Club of Seattle book group, she presented C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce and gave a reading of her newest collection, Found in a Letter 1959, to the WUC poetry group.
Carlyn E. Ferrari, PhD, Assistant Professor, English, published a new book, “Do Not Separate Her from Her Garden: Anne Spencer’s Ecopoetics” with the University of Virginia Press. The first book published about poet Anne Spencer since 1975, she discusses it in this interview. On December 5 she delivered a Mellon Midday Lecture at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., entitled “If People Were Like Flowers: Anne Spencer’s Environmental Imagination.” She also participated in a book launch and discussion in November at the University of Pittsburgh for the book, "It's Our Movement Now: Black Women's Politics and the 1977 National Women's Conference.” She wrote the chapter in the book entitled “Maxine Waters: ‘I stood with Coretta Scott King.’”
Susan Meyers, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of English and Director, Creative Writing Program, published a new literary essary in the 2023 print issue of the literary journal, "So to Speak: Language + Intersectionality + Art."
Heidi Liere, PhD, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies, is the co-author of "Multiple ecosystem service synergies and landscape mediation of biodiversity within urban agroecosystems," Ecology Letters (2023), which is covered in "How urban gardens are good for ecosystems and humans."
Seattle University’s Ethics Bowl team was runner-up at the Northwest Regional Ethics Bowl on November 19, earning a bid to the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl National competition for the sixth year in a row. The Ethics Bowl team includes Andru Zodrow, Riley-Azul Davila, Jacob Caddali, Mariam Gohar, Alonso Lee, and Lindee Cutler. Benjamin Howe, PhD, Director and Associate Teaching Professor, Matteo Ricci Institute, serves as the faculty coach for the team.
Marissa Olivares, Professor and Seattle University’s first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, and Serena Cosgrove, PhD, Associate Professor, International Studies and Program Director, Central America Initiative discuss the totalitarian regime in Nicaragua frankly in America Magazine, "With a ‘sham trial’ of a Nicaraguan bishop about to begin, a clampdown on the nation’s Catholic Church continues.”
Derrick Belgarde, BA, Public Affairs ’03, MPA, talks about ʔálʔal Cafém a new restaurant located in Chief Seattle Club, where he serves as Executive Director, as a place where Native people can find connection and “be enough just as a Native person.” The cafe’s name (pronounced “all-all”) means “home” in Lushootseed. Read the Seattle Times story.
Rashmi Chordiya, PhD, Assistant Professor, and Institute of Public Service, and Tanya Hayes, PhD, Professor and Director, Institute of Public Service and Program Director, Environmental Studies, hosted Bobby Humes for the inaugural episode of “Theory to Practice” with the title “How Can Managers Advocate for and Foster Pay Equity?” Watch the program here.
Zachary D. Wood, PhD, Assistant Professor, Institute of Public Service, is interviewed in the KNKX story, "Housing advocates divided over push for ‘social housing’ in Seattle."
Audrey Hudgins, EdD, Clinical Associate Professor, Matteo Ricci Institute, Becky McNamara, and Ernesto Aguilar, Executive Director of Fundación Esperanza de Mexico, will collaborate on the chapter, "Global experiential learning: (De)Constructing Housing Justice in Tijuana, Mexico" for the book, Critical Innovations in Global Development Studies Pedagogy.
A panel , “Mexican H-2A Labor Migration, Transnational Families, and Communities: Plataforma Huaya-Puebla-Seattle Research Collaboration,” proposed by Dr. Hudgins and Cullin Egge, Seattle University Social Work senior, and Guillermo Yrizar, Elena Ayala, Angelica Villagrana, and Alejandra García, Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, was accepted to the Latin American Studies Association 2023 Congress, América Latina y el Caribe: Pensar, Representar y Luchar por los Derechos, to be held Vancouver, Canada in May 2023.
Mara Silvers, Humanities for Leadership, ‘17, Matteo Ricci Institute, published “Bill to bring oversight to addiction recovery homes sees first hearing.”
Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, PhD, Professor, Modern Languages and Women Gender, and Sexuality Studies, will be present at the 50th Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture on February 23, 2023, on a panel consisting of poets and academics, discussing the evolution of poetry in Spanish/bilingual poetry and poetry at large in the United States. She will also be giving poetry readings both in Spanish on February 24 and in English on February 25 at the People’s Poetry Festival held at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, Texas. In March she will be hosting a poetry event on our campus, including 18 Chicanx/Latinx renowned poets as an off-site event for the national AWP conference held in Seattle this year. On that same evening she will also be reading at the AWP off-site reading at the No Irritable Reaching, Gallery, Friday March 10, at 7 p.m. at Gallery 110. She will also be part of the Cascadia Poetry Festival, October 6-8, 2023, at the Spring Street Center and Richard Hugo House. She will be part of a panel called: "The Poetics of De-Colonial Cascadia,” moderated by Seattle University Professor Jason Wirth. She will be reading on the main stage at Hugo House and will also give a poetry workshop on Saturday.
Taylor Coats, MNPL ’21, joined the board of the Social Justice Fund Northwest.
Elizabeth Dale, PhD, Associate Professor, Nonprofit Leadership, was quoted in “How America’s Richest Woman Isn’t Spending Her Money,” which originally appeared in the Daily Beast (that article is behind their firewall.) On February 1, she gave a workshop on women's giving and planned giving to the Planned Giving Council of Middle Tennessee.
Silvia Regalado-Zachold, MNPL, '05, is the new executive director of the Napa Valley Youth Symphony, which, in addition to its youth orchestra program, trains entry-level student musicians through string and wind ensembles. Read more.
Cory Walters, MNPL, 08, was recently named the first Executive Director for the Kirkland Parks and Community Foundation and profiled in Kirkland Lifestyle Magazine (page 14.)
Katie Wojke, MNPL, '06, was named Vice President of Advancement at Western Washington University.
Leann Conley-Holcom, DMA, Interim Director of Music, Director of Choral and Vocal Activities, and Assistant Teaching Professor, Performing Arts and Arts Leadership, performed with Symphony Tacoma in one of the world’s most well-known and beloved choral works in the holiday tradition. She has also been engaged by MidAmerica Productions to appear as guest conductor in the historic Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in May 2024. She will lead the New England Symphonic Ensemble and singers from across the country. Passionate choral singers are invited and information about how to register to sing is forthcoming.
Katrina Fasulo, MFA, Arts Leadership, '20, is one of three women administrators who have been selected as protégés in Opera America’s 2022‒2023 Mentorship Program for Women Administrators.
Amanda Morgan, Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist and Arts Leadership student through “Second Stage,” our partnership with PNB, was featured in The Seattle Times story “5 of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Black dancers on changes in the ballet world.” Her current class is taught by Jackson Cooper, MFA ’22 and major gifts officer at the ballet.
Quinton Morris, DMA, Associate Professor, Violin, was featured in the Seattle Times, “Interest in Joseph Bologne is reawakening after racism nearly erased him from music history.” His project and short film, “The Breakthrough,” (2015) based on based on 18th century violinist/composer Joseph Bologne inspired a full-length movie, “Chevalier.”
Quinton Morris, DMA, Associate Professor, Violin, will receive the the Outstanding Studio Teacher from the Washington Chapter of American String Teachers Association. From the announcement: “Your dedication to teaching, learning, and students is evident by your many accomplishments, notably your studio teaching at Seattle University, founding of The Key to Change and your appointment as the Artist-Scholar in Residence for Classical KING FM 98.1. We also thank you in advance for your upcoming masterclass appearance at the ASTA National Conference. We commend you for all you do as a professional educator, scholar, performer, and ambassador for the arts.” He will receive the award on February 18.
Sharon Nyree Williams, MFA in Arts Leadership, Adjunct Professor, Arts Leadership puts her voiceover, story-telling skills to work on behalf of the Seattle Kraken. Read about her and her work here.
Andrew G. Bjelland, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Philosophy, published the op-ed, “How should we cope with friends and relatives of an authoritarian disposition?” He also published "Trump’s paranoid style continues to bedevil American politics."
Daniel A. Dombrowski, Professor Emeritus, Philosophy, published a new book, "Process Mysticism," with State University of New York Press. He also published two articles in books published by Oxford University Press: one is titled "Charles Hartshorne: Animals in Process Thought" and the other is titled "Omnipresence in Process Thought."
Connie G. Anthony, PhD, Associate Professor, Political Science, presented a conference paper, “The Global Politics of Sexuality: the States that ‘Resist’ New International Norms,” at the Pacific Northwest Political Science Association conference, November 10-12.
Angelique M. Davis, JD, Professor, Political Science, and Appointments in African and African American Studies, Pre-Law Program, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, facilitated a workshop at Swarthmore College on December 8 for the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity titled, "Post-Tenure Pathfinders: How and Why to Chart Your Own Path after Winning Tenure." This workshop is designed for Associate Professors to identify the challenges associated with post-tenure life and to better understand the diverse pathways that faculty members can take after winning tenure. She served on a panel for Mothers Against Police Brutality, Inc. with their fellow, Janet Baker. Janet's son, Jordan Baker, was murdered by police on January 16, 2014. Angelique spoke on the panel regarding her "N.H.I. - No Human Involved" and "racial gaslighting" research and how it provided insight into the experience of Janet and others who have lost family members due to police brutality.
Patrick Schoettmer, PhD, Associate Teaching Professor, Political Science, was interviewed by KING 5 News for “Seattle City Councilmember Alex Pedersen not seeking re-election.”
Kathleen Cook, PhD, Professor, Psychology presented an online workshop in November for all recipients of the National Science Foundation’s RED (Revolutionizing Engineering and Computer Science Departments) grants. The goal was to help researchers assess and address the sustainability of their change efforts.
Fade Eadeh, PhD, Assistant Professor, Psychology, recently delivered a talk about his work at University of Washington Psychology Department. He has been invited invited to attend a symposium at the International Society for Justice Research in July.
Kira Mauseth, PhD, Senior Instructor, Psychology, is quoted in Psychology Today, “If You’re Feeling World-Wearied, You May Have 'Weltschmerz'.” She was also quoted in a number of articles:
Rachel Turow, PhD, Adjunct Faculty, Seattle University Psychology, published an article in The Greater Good Science Center Magazine entitled "Five Ways to Feel Like You’re Doing Enough." As we approach the holidays and winter months, "it's easy to criticize yourself for not getting enough done, but that can just make things worse." Rachel suggests five techniques to instigate new mental perspectives and reminds us: "it's ok not to be busy all the time—to be an alive, human person in the moment rather than a task-performance robot." She was interviewed in relation to her book, The Self-Talk Workout, by a variety out outlets, including:
An excerpt of the book was published on Oprah Daily, "The One Sentence That Turns Self-Hate into Self-Love."
McKenzi Williams, BA, Psychology '21, scored the first win of her career as the head coach for the Auburn Riverside High School girls basketball team. Kenzi played for the Redhawks while at SU and received the Seattle Sports Commission's Female Sports Star of the Year Award in 2021.
Mary Kay Brennan, DSW, LICSW, Clinical Professor, Social Work, was interviewed for “An anti-racism examen for Jesuit universities” in America Magazine.
Amelia Seraphia Derr, MSW, PhD, Associate Professor, Social Work and Director, Bachelor of Social Work Program, will present the paper, “Educating for Radical Resilience: Sustaining Social Workers for Career Longevity,” paper at the International Federation of Social Work 2023 European Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, May 21-24, 2023.
Jeannette Rodriguez, PhD, Professor: Theology and Religious Studies and Couple and Family Therapy, and Director, Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture, presented “Cultural Memory, Resistance, and a Return to ‘Original Instruction’” at the Canadian Theological Society, organized by their Dignity, Equity, and Justice Committee.
Sharon Suh, PhD, Professor, Theology and Religious Studies, delivered "The Social Determinants of Race-based Trauma and Collective Healing: Where Buddhism, Neuroscience, and Mindfulness Intersect: for the winter quarter "Red Talks." Watch for the recording on the Red Talks website. She also received the Korean American Day Award from WA Korean-American Day Celebration Foundation on Jan 13. For outstanding contributions and exemplary leadership in education to uplift our Korean American community. She also presented her Red Talk, “The Social Determinants of Race-based Trauma and Collective Healing: Where Buddhism, Neuroscience, and Mindfulness Intersect” on February 2.
Theresa Earenfight, PhD, Professor, History and Director, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, was a panelist for “Stories Worth Telling: A Roundtable on Biographical Writing” presented via Zoom by el Taller @KJCC, moderated by Esther Liberman Cuenca (University of Houston-Victoria/Princeton IAS) and also featuring María Americo (St. Peter’s University, Jersey City), and Pura Fernández (CSIC/NYU). She was the keynote speaker for the annual Katharine of Aragon Festival, and was interviewed by The Moment in advance of the event, “In Queen Katharine’s Shoes…”
Rohena Alam Khan: Daughter of a Revolution
Now through April 13, Hedreen Gallery
Shaped by Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971, Rohena Alam Khan creates as her father once raised his rifle, each layer a battle cry for freedom. Her homage to Phoolan Devi, the Bandit Queen, looms larger than life, honoring bravery against violent and oppressive patriarchy.In Age 7 Portal, she visits her own history, depicting a time after combatting sexual assault as a child, now fiercely equipped with protective companions - weapons, tigers, and water lilies. Artist Talk, March 9, 4 p.m. Closing celebration: April 13, 5-8 p.m. (both during the Capitol Hill Art Walk). Learn more.
Winter Production: Student Directing Scenes
Preview: February 22; Performances: February 23-26. March 2-5
John and Susan Eshelman Stage, Lee Center for the Arts
Work by student directors under the mentorship of new Directing Faculty, Associate Teaching Professor Brennan Murphy.
Meet the Most Interesting New Politician in America: Washington's Own U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
February 24, 3-4 p.m., Oberto Commons, Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation
Seattle University's Institute of Public Service is excited to invite you to the Winter Quarter "Conversations," a rare afternoon sit-down with the new congresswoman who staged the biggest upset of the 2022 fall congressional elections. Seating is limited; register early here.
Voices of Diversity: A Celebration of Classical Music's Underrepresented Composers
February 24, 7:30 p.m., Chapel of St. Ignatius
Seattle University Performing Arts and Arts Leadership Department presents Christian Howes, violin, and Joseph Williams, piano, in a free concert. The concert will also be broadcast live on Classical KING. The concert is the first in a series directed by Dr. Quinton Morris, Associate Professor, Violin; host of "Unmute the Voices," on Classical KING; and founder and executive director of Key to Change. Sponsored by the Pigott Family Endowment for the Arts. No advance registration required. Learn more here.
Excavating War: Violence, Power and Urbanism in Prehistoric Anatolia
March 4, 2 p.m., Stuart T. Rolfe Community Room (ADAL)
Stephanie Selover, Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Washington, will present the Annual Faculty Lecture of the Puget Sound Society of the Archaeological Institute of America. Dr. Selover will share insights from her forthcoming book on the archaeology of prehistoric violence, followed by Q&A and a light reception. Free and open to the public.
Winter Quarter Works in Progress
March 7, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Zoom
This virtual event will feature fascinating scholarly and creative work by Dr. Serena Cosgrove (International Studies) and Professor Trung Pham, SJ (Fine Arts).
The Laughter by Sonora Jha, at Seattle University
March 7, 6 p.m., Campion Ballroom
Author Sonora Jha and her colleague, Nalini Iyer, discuss her new work of literary fiction, which has been described as tense, explosive, and illuminating. It perfectly captures the privilege, radicalization, race, and class tensions that simmer in the world of modern academia and in present-day America. Booklist calls it "a complete triumph." Sponsored by Seattle University's Department of Communication and Media; English Department and Creative Writing Program; and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Elliott Bay Books will be onsite for purchasing the book. Seattle University students, staff, and faculty receive a 20% discount. Register for the free event here.
Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference and Bookfair
March 8-11, Seattle Convention Center
CAS faculty, including Claudia Castro Luna, Serena Chopra, Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, Sonora Jha, Susan Meyers and Juan Carlos Reyes are participating in conference events and offsite events.
Dreaming Ourselves Awake: A Lenten Prayer: SU Choirs Winter Concert
March 10, 8 p.m.
Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Avenue
With Composer-in-Residence Melissa Dunphy. Seattle University Choirs will be joined by the University of Washington Graduate Choral Cohort in performance of Dunphy’s cantata American DREAMers. In-person tickets and registration for the livestream available here.
Your gift of time, know-how, or financial support helps provide an increased level of excellence that supports students, faculty, research, core programs, and new College initiatives. Your investment inspires others to give, helping raise our profile and reputation in the community.'
Thursday, April 25 at 12:00 PM
Monday, May 6 at 9:00 AM
Wednesday, May 8 at 12:30 PM
Monday, May 13 at 5:00 PM
Tuesday, May 14 at 12:00 PM