Join Drs. Priscilla Pope-Levison and Jack Levison in this public lecture on Oct. 3 as they discuss Christian Scripture interpretation by early American women.

Sep 29, 2023

Join church historian Dr. Priscilla Pope-Levison and biblical scholar Dr. Jack Levison for this annual lecture as they unearth early American women’s fascinating interpretations of Paul’s mandate for women to keep silent in churches (1 Corinthians 14:34-35). Levison and Pope-Levison will explore some of the earliest treatises on this topic written within a generation of the Revolutionary War.

The lecture is Tuesday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church.

SPU received an anonymous gift of $125,000 from two alumni to expand the student and residence hall ministry coordinator programs and campus Chapel offerings.

Sep 25, 2023

Seattle Pacific University received an anonymous gift of $125,000 from two alumni to expand the University’s student ministry outreach program. The gift will be directed to the student ministry coordinator and residence hall ministry coordinator programs, as well as provide additional resources for campus Chapel offerings.

For the eighth year in a row, Seattle Pacific has been named a “Best National University” in U.S. News & World Report’s best college annual rankings for 2024.

Sep 19, 2023

For the eighth year in a row, Seattle Pacific has been named a “Best National University” in U.S. News & World Report’s best college annual rankings for 2024. U.S. News defines national universities as those institutions offering a full range of undergraduate majors plus master's and doctoral programs and committed to producing groundbreaking research.

For Constitution Day on Sept. 17, Prof. Emeritus of History Bill Woodward looks at the militia clause of the Second Amendment.

Sep 15, 2023

September 17 is Constitution Day, the anniversary of the date when the Constitutional Convention of 1787 adjourned with a new charter for the new American Republic.  

In 2004, the U.S. Congress passed legislation requiring educational institutions who receive federal funding to provide their communities with information concerning the U.S. Constitution. For nearly two decades, as part of Seattle Pacific University’s commemoration, we have been fortunate to have Professor (now Emeritus Professor) of History Bill Woodward offer his expert analysis of one of our country’s most important documents.

This year's essay is titled “The Second Amendment, the NRA, and a One-Armed General.” In it, Professor Woodward builds on his 2019 essay, which showed how the “well-regulated militia” of the Second Amendment developed over the century following the writing of the Constitution. Now Professor Woodward focuses on Washington state’s own early-20th-century Adjutant General James Drain, an Olympian marksman and National Rifle Association officer. Drain was one of several individuals key to the development and passage of a Militia Act in 1903 that transformed the National Guard and, effectively, the application of the Second Amendment’s militia clause.

SPU Voices talks to alumnus and Professor Brent Ruby about his research on the physical and mental toll fighting wildland fires has on firefighters.

Sep 12, 2023

Professor Brent Ruby graduated from SPU in ’89 with a degree in exercise science. He now serves as a professor at the University of Montana, where his research includes the physical and mental toll fighting wildfires has on the people who battle these blazes. Being away from loved ones can also weigh on firefighters, which led Ruby to write a children’s book called Wrango and Banjo on the Fireline that tells the story of a canine fire crew battling wildfires with the goal of helping the children of these heroes better understand the demands of their parents’ job.

Brent talks about his journey since leaving SPU in this episode of SPU Voices podcast. Listen or read the podcast transcript.

Soar over campus, go inside a residence hall, or get a birds-eye view of Seattle and surrounding neighborhoods in our 360 virtual tour!

Sep 12, 2023

Virtually walk through the Seattle Pacific campus on a sunny Seattle day. Enter a classroom to see what your day-to-day life will be like. Soar over the Seattle waterfront, Golden Gardens Beach, or downtown. Welcome to Seattle Pacific University’s state-of-the-art 360 virtual tour.

The best way to discover our amazing community is come and visit! Sign up for Falcon Friday and be an SPU student for a day.

Sep 12, 2023

Live like an SPU student for a day during Falcon Fridays! This one-day visit includes information sessions about specific academic programs, financial aid, and admissions. Plus, you'll take a tour of our beautiful campus and enjoy lunch in our award-winning dining hall. Falcon Fridays are scheduled from September through April, so sign up today!

SPU's new president, Dr. Deana L. Porterfield, shares her journey in Christian higher education and how God called her to Seattle Pacific.

Sep 5, 2023

On July 1, Deana L. Porterfield became SPU’s 12th president and the first female president in the University’s 132-year history. 

President Porterfield has more than 35 years of experience working in higher education, including nine years as president of Roberts Wesleyan University and Northeastern Seminary.

She was raised in Northern California and spent 30 years in Southern California before moving to Western New York. President Porterfield and her husband, Doug, who is a native of Washington state, have two married daughters and five grandchildren. 

Read her interview with SPU Stories.

Teaching people to coexist with wildlife is the main job of SPU alumnus and ecology graduate Todd Jacobsen with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Aug 25, 2023

When animals and people cross paths, Todd Jacobsen '10, of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, maintains the peace.

Deep in the woods of rural Washington, a hunter and his son return to a 12-foot-deep sinkhole they discovered the previous year. To their surprise, an elk calf is trapped at the bottom of the pit. Springing into action, the hunter contacts the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which deploys Todd Jacobsen ’12. With the help of a tractor and dart gun, he lifts the elk out to safety.

It’s just another day’s work for Jacobsen, a wildlife conflict specialist for Klickitat, Skamania, and Clark Counties with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Read the story.

Learn stories of Christian businesspeople around the world who are demonstrating how their faith impacts their work. Watch short films along with study guides in your small group.

Aug 25, 2023

Faith & Co. is a partnership between academic departments, entrepreneurial companies, and mission-driven institutions. Supported by generous donor funding and facilitated by Seattle Pacific University, this bold experiment in exploring the potential of educational film and Christian vocation has united a team of experts to deliver rigorous, high-quality resources in the spirit of teaching and learning. Faith & Co. is an educational and formational experience that will deepen connections between your faith and work.

Learn more.