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Dear Arts and Sciences Community Members,
We are deep into Spring events season, celebrating the extraordinary work of our students, faculty and staff. I look forward to attending as many events as possible.
Congratulations to all of our students who received Fulbright Awards (a record EIGHT this year) and other primary scholarships and fellowships. There is no clearer evidence that we are fulfilling our mission of academic excellence. Read about them here.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the recent Arts and Sciences Strategic Planning fora. The Arts and Sciences Strategic Planning Survey is open through May 21 at 9 p.m.; take the survey here. The latest information about College planning is available here. I also encourage you to participate in the University Strategic Plan when the opportunity arises; you can find that information here.
Are you planning on attending Commencement on June 16? Remember, we are in a new venue, the Washington State Convention Center. Faculty and staff are asked to RSVP online no later than June 1.
It is always inspiring to read about all of your accomplishments and those of our students over the past month. Take a look at what your colleagues have been up to and check out the events that are coming our way through Commencement.
David V. Powers, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Seattle University
There is still space available in these three sessions, where you can learn more about how our Arts and Sciences Marketing team can support you in marketing your program. Monday, May 20, 3-4:30 p.m.; Wednesday, May 22, 9:30-11 a.m.; and Thursday, May 30, noon-1:30 p.m (feel free to bring your lunch.) All sessions are in Casey 525 and you can RSVP here.
Are you a Facebook user and would like to support Arts and Sciences' marketing? Like our Facebook page and then comment and share content with your friends and family. That helps our messages reach more people.
The third issue of the Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal (SUURJ) launches on May 31, at 9 a.m. in STCN 160, as part of Seattle University Undergraduate Research Association, an annual conference of Undergraduate Research. Learn more about the launch and conference here.
This year’s participants:
Contributors: Leah Dooley, English and Women & Gender Studies ; Chhavi Mehra, Communication and Media; Serena Oduro, History ; Raechel N. Warren, Economics; Emily Boynton, English (2018 graduate); Amanda Fawcett, English ; Anne-Celine Jeffroy-Meynard, International Studies; Genevieve Jesse, International Studies ; Anna Kaplan, Communication and Media; Emma Pierce and Kallan Palmer, Psychology; Leah Siff, Anthropology; Haley R. Witt , Anthropology
Editors: Mikayla Medbery, Anthropology; Leah Dooley, English and Women & Gender Studies; Thea Mercer, Arts Leadership ; Rachel Van Liew, Pre-major; Falen Wilkes , History and Philosophy ; Oliver Tufte, Math ; Lauren Lee, Anthropology; Celeste Salopek, English; John Huang, Interdisciplinary Arts ; Amy Gulley, English
Congratulations to all of our student and faculty photographers whose work is recognized in this year's International Photo Competition. Drop by the Kinsey Gallery in ADAL; you can also see the work online here.
The Seattle University Chapter of the Jesuit Honor Society, inducts its newest members on April 11, President Stephen Sundborg, S.J., announced recently.
The College of Arts and Sciences is represented by:
Honorary Members
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
Congratulations to all our faculty and students, and all of the other Seattle University inductees.
The Office of Fellowships has announced this year’s Principal Fellowships and Scholarships, including a record eight Fulbright Scholars, all of whom are students in the College of Arts and Sciences. Congratulations to all of the SU students. Meet the College of Arts and Sciences’ scholars here.
This year set a record for the number of fellowships the College was able to fund, a total of 11.
Promotion Fellowship
Dean's Research Fellowships
Summer Research Fellowships
Summer Faculty Research Fellowships Award Committee (last year’s awardees)
President Sundborg has granted the honorary rank of Professor Emerita/Emeritus on the following College of Arts and Sciences faculty members upon their retirement from the university at the conclusion of this academic year:
The Leadership Committee on Intersectionality and Justice invites CAS faculty colleagues to an interactive presentation by the Social Work Department, No More Silos: Integrating Social Justice and Intersectionality in Every Course We Teach, Wednesday, May 22, 12:30 to 2 p.m. in STCN 201. RSVP by email to Kate Reynolds to attend the interactive presentation.
While students and faculty agree that social justice and intersectionality are important values students often raise that they are not sure how these values translate in their coursework unless the course is specifically about the topic (e.g., race and ethnicity courses). In the last few years the Social Work Department faculty has been working on making their commitment to social justice explicit and translatable in their curriculum and classroom teaching. In this interactive presentation, the Social Work Dept colleagues will share the processes, exemplars, challenges, and lessons from their shared commitment to integrate social justice and intersectionality in every course ---no matter what the topic. The presentation will include opportunities for participants to share their challenges and ideas for integrating social justice and intersectionality in their own courses and teaching.
Thank you to everyone who has participated in our information gathering so far.
The A&S Strategic Planning Survey is now open. This anonymous survey is only one page and should take no more than 10-20 minutes. Please note that this survey is focused on the College and is different from the University Strategic Planning process. Even if you have already provided input to the college planning process in other ways, such as through open fora and self-facilitated group discussions, we ask that you also respond to this survey.
The survey will close at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21.
There are a number of opportunities for Arts & Sciences students to continue to explore professional pathways this spring. Check out the Pathways to Professional Formation Events page to learn more and then encourage students to attend.
Interested in expanding internship opportunities for students in your programs? If so, please contact Tonja Brown, Internship and Mentorship Coordinator, to discuss possibilities.
Serena Cosgrove, PhD, and Christina Roberts, PhD, had a panel proposal accepted to the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association annual conference. The panel -- "Can Universities Be Decolonial Partners? Lessons Learned from Intercultural, Intergenerational, Transdisciplinary Scholarship" -- features the both of them, as well as Father Chepe from the UCA, alum Andy Gorvetzian, and two current seniors, Sena Crow and Tara De Bortnowsky. The conference will take place in Aotearoa/New Zealand from June 26 through 29.
Amelia Derr, PhD, Social Work, is a co-founder of the Immigrant Family Institute, a partnership with the City of Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. The most recent 8-week program focused on immigrant youth, ages 10 to 14, is the subject of a new Crosscut article. Learn more about the Institute here.
Kabrianna Tamura, MACJ student, and Elaine Gunnison, PhD, published an article entitled, "Hearing on the Deaf Penalty: The Intersection of Deafness and Criminal Justice" forthcoming (Spring 2019 edition) in the Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice and Criminology. Read it here.
SU Film Studies sponsors several films and one workshop at the Seattle International Film Festival, which will be introduced by SU film students.
Film Studies and Pathways to Professional Formation held their successful first “Pizza and Conversation with Movie Producer Dave Merlino,” an SU alum and member of our Leadership Council. This is a terrific example of the opportunities to connect students and alumni in new ways. They will host another on May 23, Movie Bites # 2: Conversations with Film Industry Professionals. Guest TBA.
Jacqueline Helfgott, PhD, (with co-authors including MACJ alums Beck Strah and Andrea Giuffre, who are now in criminology/criminal justice doctoral programs at Northeastern University and University of Missouri St. Louis) completed the Final Report - Attitudes and Experiences of Registered Sex and Kidnapping Offenders in Washington State. This report presents findings from a survey of 402 registered sex and kidnapping offenders in Washington State regarding their perceptions of registration and notification as implemented by Washington State’s Community Protection Act and the federal system’s Sex Offender Notification Act. The findings offer information to better understand the impact of sex and kidnapping registration from the perspective of registrants and the ways in which registration may impact community reintegration and reentry.
Sponsorships for Go Deep with IPI, our upcoming fundraiser on Tuesday, June 4, have surpassed $100,000. This event benefits the Indigenous Peoples Institute Fr. Pat Twohy, SJ Endowment to sustain IPI at SU. We are grateful to the many tribes and organizations who have signed up so far:
Join us; register online here.
Annual Appeals are out to College of Arts and Sciences alumni, donors and friends. Recently, our email and hard-copy appeal letter went out to alumni, donors and friends. Our graduate program alumni received a letter from Dean Powers that references their specific connection to their graduate program. Thank you to undergraduate student Sarah Haghi, Class of 2019, Journalism Major, who penned our appeal sent to alumni and donors of our undergraduate programs.
June 30 Fiscal Year End and Gifts – Please be sure to turn in any donations, or document any in-kind donations of goods received for your departments this year as soon as possible as we near the end of the academic year and Seattle U’s fiscal year. A reminder, donations submitted to Katie Chapman (Rianna 104A) or directly to Advancement Services in Administration Building Suite 305B.
In-Kind Donations: Did you know that we count donations of equipment, books, and other items of use to your programs? Every donation should be documented with a Gift-In-Kind Form – Contact Katie Chapman to get started.
We are closing in our $1 million goal and every gift counts! Thank you for your partnership in fundraising on behalf of our college.
Sean McDowell, PhD, was interviewed about Seattle U's Honors Program for an op-ed, Great Books programs do what education is supposed to do, in the Everett Herald.
Shawn Ketchum Johnson, MFA, Performing Arts and Arts Leadership, premieres a new original hybrid performance piece, Time to Tell, at ACT Theatre, May 10-26. If climate change is so important, why do so many of us refuse to engage with it? A thoughtful exploration of social conscience, personal ambition, and deep time, Time to Tell provides an opportunity to bring our confusions into the light. Are our beliefs helping us, or hindering us from a greater and more fruitful understanding?
Alfred G. Pérez, PhD, Assistant Professor, Social Work, will give the keynote address at the Passport to Careers State Conference on May 16.
Claudia Castro Luna, MA, MFA, Matteo Ricci Institute and Poet Laureate of Washington State received an Academy of American Poets fellowship and will host a project along the length of the Columbia River. Read more.
Naomi Hume, PhD, Associate Professor of Art History, is curating the exhibition, “Unsettling Femininity: Selections from the Frye Art Museum Collection” on view September 21, 2019 through August 23, 2020. Public Opening Reception: Friday, September 20, 7:30–9:30 p.m. Curatorial Lecture with Naomi Hume: Saturday, September 21, 1 p.m. Gallery Talk with Naomi Hume: Saturday, October 26 and Saturday, December 14.
Kimberly Harden, Phd, Department of Communication, appeared on the Colorblind Podcast: Race Across Generations, in a deep dive into the issue of discrimination based on both race and gender, especially how it plays out in higher education, and how it affects black male students particularly.
Erica Rauff, PhD, Kinesiology, had a paper accepted for publication. The title of the paper is "Compendium of Health and Wellness Coaching: 2019 Addendum" and it is being published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. The co-authors that worked on this paper with Dr. Rauff are as follows: Gary Sforzo, Miranda Kaye, Sebastian Harenberg, Kyle Costello, Joel Edman, Laura Kuo, Beth Frates, & Margaret Moore.
Aakanksha Sinha, PhD, Social Work, recently opened Spice Waala, a new restaurant with her husband. Read this story.
Alex Adame, PhD, Associate Professor in the Psychology Department will be featured in the Spring 2019 Plymouth Housing newsletter. The article, “Community, Empowerment, and Stability,” will discuss the outstanding work that Dr. Adame has been doing to support residents and staff in community building efforts.
Kathleen Pape, PsyD, adjunct faculty member in the Psychology Department recently presented at the Teaching Introductory Psychology Northwest Conference, held April 12 at Highline College.
Le Xuan Hy, PhD, Associate Professor in the Psychology Department edited and wrote the preface for the book Retreat with the Gospel of John. The book was recently published in Vietnam, and is planned for publication in the US this June 2019.
An article in the New Haven Register quoted “From Warriors to Guardians: Recommitting American Police Culture to Democratic Ideals,” the 2015 book by Stephen K. Rice, PhD, Criminal Justice, and former King County, Washington Sheriff Sue Rahr.
Ali Altaf Mian, PhD, Theology and Religious Studies, presented two papers. The first was “Taqlīd as Trust: A Philosophical Inquiry” at a two-day conference at Syracuse University, From Historiography to Philosophical Engagement: The Future of Islamic Philosophy.” The second, "Intentionality in Hadith: The Ethical Subject between Autonomy and Heteronomy” was a three-day seminar hosted by CILE, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Qatar, Ḥadīth and Ethics: Concepts, Approaches and Theoretical Foundations.
Rosa Joshi, MFA, Performing Arts and Arts Leadership,, returns to Oregon Shakespeare Festival to direct Bring Down the House, an epic two-part adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry VI trilogy by Rosa and Kate Wisniewski. Produced in association with upstart crow collective, Rosa earlier directed this for Seattle Shakespeare Company and received many accolades. Bring Down the House will open in March 2020. Her current production of As You Like It is currently running at OSF.
In 2019, Dr. Quinton Morris, Associate Professor of Music, Violin and Chamber Music, performed recitals with Danielle Kaulmann (French Hornist of the Seattle Symphony), Joseph Williams (pianist) and Keith Thomas (cellist) at both Seattle University and IKEA Performing Arts Center. He also performed a recital and lectured on music business at Jackson State University in Mississippi. Following an impromptu lecture due to a presenter’s cancelation at the American String Teachers Association National Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico , he was invited to present a lecture on “18th Century String Techniques and Performance Styles” at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, he most recently presented a lecture recital (performing and speaking) on “Music, Education and Social Responsibility” at Starbucks Headquarters. Through his nonprofit organization, Key to Change, he hosted its augural Solo String Festival, where 25+ middle and high school violinists and violists from across South King County competed for prizes and performed for adjudicators.
Dr. Morris’s students have also had ground-breaking successes. His violin student, Raymond Seng’enge, was one of twelve finalists who advanced to the finals round of the Don Bushell Concerto Competition, sponsored by the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra. His other violin student, Anna Iwasaki, was accepted in the Curatorial Fellowship Program through the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Two of his high school violin students and one of middle school violinists will make their radio debut performing live on Classical King FM on May 3.
Serena Cosgrove, PhD, Director of the SU Central America Initiative, was interviewed by NPR for a story about UCA President P. José Alberto Idiáquez, SJ, (“Father Chepe,” who will receive an honorary doctorate from Seattle University at the undergraduate commencement.) The interview, available here, also includes his niece, Seattle U alumna Raquel Idiáquez.
Christopher A. Paul, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair, Communication Department, was interviewed for WYPIPO: White Gamers are Mad Mortal Kombat 11 Freed the Slaves on Nu Origin.
Rachel E. Luft, PhD, was invited to serve as a discussant at Vivian Shaw's book manuscript workshop at Harvard University. She presented her remarks on the work, "Post-disaster Citizenship: The Politics of Race, Belonging, and Activism after Fukushima,” on May 10, 2019.
Onur Bakiner, PhD, Assistant Professor, Political Science, participated in a discussion with former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and leading human rights scholars on Colombia’s post-conflict truth, justice and reconciliation model. A short summary of his views is available here.
Sean H. McDowell, PhD, Associate Professor of English and Director of the University Honors Program, just published a chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Andrew Marvell (ed. Martin Dzelzainis and Edward Holberton, Oxford University Press). McDowell’s essay “Urban Marvell” details the London environment in which the English poet and member of parliament wrote his poems and controversialist prose, with special attention to the advent of coffee houses and coffee house culture, the Restoration theater, the circulation of news, and the creation of public monuments.
Jacqueline Helfgott, PhD, Criminal Justice, attended the annual meeting of the Research Network on Misdemeanor Justice that is part of the Data Collaborative for Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, April 16 and 17. This was a meeting of sites nationwide conducting research on misdemeanor justice as part of a three-year grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.
Kirsten Moana Thompson, PhD, was the Chair of "Animation that Works: Sponsored animation in Taiwan, Japan and the United States" panel and gave a paper "Disney for Hire?: Sponsored Disney Animation, from Bucky Beaver to Ludwig von Drake" at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference (SCMS), Seattle, March 13 through 17. She also published “Tattooed Light and Embodied Design: Intersectional Surfaces in Moana” eds. Paula Massood, Angel Daniel Matos, and Pamela Robertson Wojcik, Yours, Mine and Ours: Intersectional Spaces on Screen. Durham: Duke University Press, 2019.
Paulette Kidder, PhD, Associate Professor of Philosophy, published her article, “Imprisonment and Freedom: Resisting and Embracing the Tension of Existence in Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time," in The Timelessness of Proust: Reflections on In Search of Lost Time, edited by Charles R. Embry and Glenn Hughes, South Bend, IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2019.
Dan Dombrowski, PhD, Philosophy, delivered the 70th Annual Presidential Address to the Metaphysical Society of America Conference. The title of the address was "Metaphysics, Political Philosophy, and the Process of Liberal Political Justification." The past two years the conference was at Harvard University and the United States Naval Academy; this year's conference was at Seattle University. In June his new book will appear through Edinburgh University Press. The title is Political Liberalism and Process Philosophy: Rawls, Whitehead, and Hartshorne. The goal of the book is to defend both the processual character of political liberalism and the politically liberal character of process thinking. Further, he defends political liberalism against illiberal tendencies on both the political right and left.
Jeanette Rodriguez, PhD, Theology and Religious Studies attended a consultation in Rome on the theme, "Path of Nonviolence: Towards a Culture of Peace,” cosponsored by the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and Pax Christi International's Catholic Nonviolence Initiative. She joined participants from nations around the world, including Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Colombia, Honduras, Brazil, Canada, the United States, Uganda, Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Fiji, South Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Palestine, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Peacemakers, theologians, archbishops, bishops, educators and those in pastoral ministry attended this historic assembly. In addition, the Dicastery's Prefect Cardinal Peter Turkson (Ghana) was present, as was Cardinal Joseph Tobin (Newark, New Jersey, USA).
Charles M. Tung, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair of English, presented a paper, “Historical Time and Virality after Flusser,” at the Thinking Media After Flusser Symposium, April 5-6, hosted by Rice University’s Humanities Research Center, the Center for Critical and Cultural Theory, the Humboldt Institute, and the Goethe Institute.
Kelly Thompson, MSW, Social Work, delivered a training to the workforce at the College Success Foundation called "Supporting the Mental Health of Students” as part of the UW School Mental Health Assessment, Research and Training (SMART) Center. The College Success Foundation works with middle school, high school and college student across the state. In general, their goals are to: 1) Increase the number of college graduates among economically disadvantaged & underrepresented students and 2) Inspire students to finish high school by providing integrated systems of supports and scholarships need to prepare for graduation from college and success in life. The training, provided to approximately 80 College Success staff members from all arms of the program focused on: 1) Understanding student mental health needs; 2) Introducing ideas and practices to support students with mental health challenges and 3) Practicing a variety of counseling tools for addressing student mental health concerns that can interfere with moving forward with CSF goals.
Marco Lowe, MPA, was on KING 5’s New Day Northwest, talking about the 2020 elections. Watch the interview.
The Nonprofit Leadership program is launching a new Alumni Council, which will provide a venue for alumni to build community, engage with the program, and inspire alumni involvement. All Nonprofit Leadership alums are invited to apply online. Applications are due Friday, May 17, 2019.
David Moser. MPA ’16, moderated a panel discussion on Friday at El Centro de la Raza, “Creative Ways to Teach about Homelessness” on May 10 at the conference "Higher Ed on Homelessness: Collaborating for Change.” The conference, a new collaborative effort between SU, UW, and SPU, brings together faculty, staff, and graduate students from all three universities in an effort to explore academic and institutional responses to our region's homelessness crisis.
Journalism alum, ’18, and former Spectator editor-in-chief, Tess Riski, is writing for The New York Times and just broke an important investigative story. Read it here. Tess is doing her Masters in Journalism at Columbia Journalism School in NYC.
Geoff Corbin, MNPL ’96, was named CEO for the San Bernardino County Museum.
Abby E. Murray, Creative Writing, ‘05, is the 2019-21 Poet Laureate for the City of Tacoma.
Susan Paine, MPA, 2001 is running for Edmonds City Council.
Heather Mumby, Political Science, '95, is running for School Board trustee in Big Fork, Montana.
Nicole St. Mary-Franson, Creative Writing, '07 is now the Executive Director of Yakima Schools Foundation.
Congratulations to Emiko Blalock, MNPL, who successfully defended her dissertation in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education at Michigan State University.
Chhavi Mehra, Communication and Media, has received the NJC-PNW Guild Conference Scholarship from the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
Alexis Taylor, Communication and Media, is featured in the South Seattle Emerald, with a story about her multi-media art installation, Black Among Other Things. Read the article.
Kabrianna Tamura is this year's recipient of The Norm Maleng Academic Excellence & Citizenship Award, which is awarded to an outstanding graduating student in the Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice program. The award is named in honor of Norm Maleng, former King County Prosecutor, who was a vocal advocate for reform in criminal justice and introduced many programs in Seattle related to victims’ rights and drugs.
Congratulations to Anne Gaskins, second year student in the MA in Psychology program, who has recently accepted a position as program therapist for the Emily Program.
The Dean’s Monthly Memo is published the second full week of the month, September through December and February through June. Remember to send your updates to Karen Bystrom.
The deadline for June, the final issue for this academic year, is May 30.