Presidential Milestones and Momentum

During President Eduardo Peñalver’s tenure at Seattle University, which began July 1, 2021, much has been accomplished. 

Seattle University's 22nd president—and it’s first lay president—who is a Rhodes Scholar and legal scholar with a distinguished career in property law and higher education leadership, was instrumental in many notable achievements. Here's a look at some of the highlights: 

Reigniting Our Strategic Directions (2022-2027)

A Jesuit University of Distinction for a Time of Change
Watch this video of President Peñalver introducing the strategic directions.

Hedreen Art Gift + Seattle University Museum of Art

In a truly transformative gift, philanthropist Richard Hedreen donated a $300M art collection to Seattle University, along with seed money to fund the Seattle University Museum of Art.

This remarkable collection is comprised of more than 200 works—with paintings, pottery, photography, etchings, sculptures and more—and is the largest gift of art ever made to a U.S. university. It’s also the largest ever single gift of any kind to a university in Washington state. 

This gift includes $25 million in seed funding to develop the art museum. Dick’s late wife Elizabeth “Betty” Ann Petri Hedreen is an alumna of Seattle University and, with her husband, was a longtime supporter of many of the university’s most vital artworks that are part of its existing permanent collection.

The Hedreen art collection features works by some of history’s greatest artists including Jacopo da Pontormo, Jan Lievens, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Luis Egidio Meléndez, Thomas Gainsborough, Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Indiana. Going deeper, there are etchings by Lucien Freud that represent three decades of his career and photography by artists including Berenice Abbott, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, Louis Stettner and Andy Warhol. Several paintings by Cecily Brown are in the collection alongside work by Rashid Johnson, Vic Muniz, Amy Sherald, Anna Weyant and many others. 

Read more about this transformative gift in The Newsroom. 

Seattle University Museum of Art slated for Fall 2028 Opening

When philanthropist Hedreen made the art gift to Seattle University, it included seed money to build a new art museum on campus. Months later, those plans are coming into view.

The university has selected award-winning architect Tom Kundig, principal/owner and founder of the highly regarded Seattle-based global design firm Olson Kundig, as the architect for the Seattle University Museum of Art (SUMA). Groundbreaking on 12th Avenue at the entrance of SU’s campus is anticipated for August 2026, with a museum opening prior to the start of classes in fall 2028.

Says President Eduardo Peñalver: “This museum will not only house an extraordinary collection of art but also serve as a welcoming gateway to our campus and a dynamic space for learning, reflection and community engagement. We are delighted to see this project come to life and look forward to the profound impact it will have on our students, faculty, staff and the broader Seattle community.”

Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University

Last June, a new era of arts education officially began with Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, marking an exciting new chapter combining Cornish’s century-long legacy of innovation as an independent arts college with SU’s commitment to academic rigor and educating the whole person.

“This is a historic day for two legendary Seattle institutions,” says President Peñalver. “The combination of Cornish with Seattle University preserves the Cornish legacy for future generations and will transform arts education in Seattle, opening up exciting interdisciplinary opportunities for students and faculty on both campuses.”

Read more about Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University in The Newsroom. 

Return to the West Coast Conference (WCC)

On an early Tuesday morning, July 1, 2025, a group of Seattle University representatives led by President Eduardo Peñalver raised the SU flag atop the Space Needle, marking Seattle University’s historic move to the West Coast Conference. Reflected in the 2025-26 season of play, this marks a return to our roots as a former member of the WCC and signifies a bold step forward in SU’s commitment to excellence in academics, athletics and community engagement.

With the WCC’s shared focus on faith-based education and a strong national profile, this transition elevates the university’s visibility and impact. As a member of the WCC, SU is poised to soar to new heights, bringing the Redhawk spirit to an elite level of intercollegiate competition.

President Peñalver says the move is exciting for student athletes, alumni and the university as a whole, spotlighting our stellar athletes, teams and academic programs. Being part of the WCC “places SU in excellent position for the future in the rapidly changing world of college sports. We are especially well-aligned with the conference and its member schools from an academic, athletics and geographic standpoint.”

Read more about SU’s move to the WCC in The Newsroom. 

Divestment from Fossil Fuels

Though this movement for Seattle University to fully divest from fossil fuel investments was underway when President Peñalver began his presidency, its completion happened during his tenure—in June 2023—with SU becoming the first university in the state to do so. 

Seattle University is a leader in the divestment and sustainability movements globally and nationally. In 2018, the university became the first Jesuit university in the country to pledge 100 percent withdrawal from publicly traded fossil fuel investments. According to the university’s Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability, SU is also the first Jesuit university in the world to pledge to fully remove its money from investments in fossil fuels. 

Though the university fully divested in June 2023—becoming the first university in the state to do so—it is just one part of Seattle University’s ongoing efforts toward building a sustainable community that supports human and ecological health, social justice and economic well-being.

Aside from being a substantive step toward confronting the climate crisis, fossil fuel divestment aligns with the university’s commitment to sustainability and environmental justice, tenets underscored by SU’s Reigniting Our Strategic Directions and acknowledging and confronting the disproportionate exposure of poor communities and people of color to environmental hazards and health burdens.

“As a Jesuit university, we are called to accompany our students toward a hope-filled future and to take actions to help bring that future into being,” says President Peñalver. “Even while we acknowledge the reality of the climate challenges we are confronting, I am very proud of Seattle University’s divestment effort, a concrete and thoughtful accomplishment that serves as an example for others.”

Read more about SU’s environmental stewardship in The Newsroom.