Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season — the 40 days leading up to Easter. SPU University Ministries, in partnership with First Free Methodist Church, invites you to join in worship on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church. Whether or not you've ever thought about Lent, we hope you’ll consider attending, and consider how God might be calling us into deeper and renewed expressions of faith as we journey toward the cross.

A message from University Ministries: During Winter Quarter, we will alter Chapel locations between Upper Gwinn (first and third Tuesdays) and residence halls (second and fourth Tuesdays). Chapels are held on Tuesdays at 11:10 a.m. Please refer to the online Chapel schedule for location information. Chapels held in residence halls will be hosted by the respective hall.

The next Chapel speaker on Tuesday, February 25, in Hill Hall will be Caenisha Warren, executive director of John Perkins Center and minister of reconciliation ministries.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is hosting prospective students and their families for Falcon Friday on February 28. Guests will dine in Gwinn Commons, attend informational sessions, visit classes, take tours, and more. Look for these students and families and make them feel welcome. Find out more.

Award-winning author Mitchell Jackson will speak on campus Thursday, February 27, 4 p.m. in Demaray Hall 150. His acclaimed new memoir, Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family, was named a best book of the year by numerous publications, including NPR, Time magazine, The Paris Review, Kirkus Reviews, Esquire magazine, and Buzzfeed. Jackson teaches creative writing at the University of Chicago. He comes to campus as the next speaker in the Seeking Justice Colloquium, co-sponsored by the Social Justice and Cultural Studies Major; English and Cultural Studies Department; Bioethics and Humanities Minor; Faculty Life Office; SPU School Counseling Honor Society, Chi Sigma Iota; Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and the SPU MFA program.

Body Appreciation Week is March 2–5, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. in Martin Square. Co-sponsored by SPU Wellness and Food & Body Freedom, the event is a week-long celebration and appreciation of body diversity. Please encourage students to participate in Body Appreciation Week activities through in-class announcements and/or offering extra credit to students who demonstrate engagement with the event. Thank you for your support. For more information, follow the event on Instagram @foodandbodyfreedom_spu.

The SPU Library is hosting the panel, “We Count: How Census 2020 Will Impact Your Life,” on Thursday, March 5, 7 p.m., in Upper Gwinn Commons. Moderated by Kathleen Braden, professor emerita of geography, the panel will include a U.S. Census Bureau specialist, as well as the director of civic engagement and advocacy for the Latino Community Fund of Washington, and SPU professors Jennifer McKinney and Dennis Vickers. This event is free, open to the public, and wheelchair accessible.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will honor and celebrate incoming Autumn 2020 freshman who are the first in their family to attend college and/or come from underrepresented backgrounds at the Cultural Connections Brunch on Saturday, Feb. 29. These students and their families will hear about SPU’s commitment to diversity from current SPU faculty and staff, including Sandra Mayo, vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as sample some “Day in the Life” tours with current SPU students. If you are on campus that day, please say "hello" and make them feel welcome.

SPU’s Department of Engineering and Computer Science will offer on-campus summer day camps for 9th–12th graders (as of autumn 2020). Students can jump-start a tech career at hands-on programs focused on video game creation, mechatronics and 3D printing, and programming fundamentals. No coding experience necessary. They’ll earn college credit and a $1,000 SPU scholarship. The early bird deadline ends Sunday, March 1. Learn more and register at spu.edu/techcamps.

The SBGE Dean’s Speaker Series welcomes Twyla Carter, ACLU senior staff attorney for the Criminal Law Reform Project, Thursday, March 5,  9 a.m. in Otto Miller Hall, Room 109. RSVPs requested to cal@spu.edu; all are welcome but space is limited.

Hear Alexandra Kerts-Welzel, professor and chair of music education at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Germany, in a special guest lecture, Thursday, Feb. 27, 12 p.m., Nickerson Studios. Kerts-Welzel has an interdisciplinary approach to the topic of music education, which includes work from linguistics, business, economics, sociology, philosophy, and education. She will also be available at an informal “meet and greet” on Feb. 27, 3 p.m., in the Crawford Music Building, where students and faculty can ask questions about her research and work in Germany.

A message from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Jemar Tisby, author of The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism (2019), was on campus January 22 for the inaugural ODEI Diversity Lecture titled “Understanding Our Past to Change the Future." We are grateful for Jemar’s time with us, and for the opportunities he had to engage with students, staff, faculty, and community members throughout the day. A recording of his evening lecture is now available online.

From University Ministries to all ordained and licensed faculty and staff members: UMin would love to know who you are and connect with you. We would really appreciate if you would fill out this short form so we can invite you to our quarterly gatherings. We thank you for your presence on campus!

More than 6,700 SPU parents and families members received the February In the Loop e-newsletter last week, which included news about the new programs beginning Autumn Quarter, information about changes to the Honors Program, a financial aid webinar from SFS, and more.

Staff Council invites you to our winter staff forum on Monday, March 9, 12:30–1:30 p.m. in Otto Miller 109. Matt Alvis, human resources benefits manager, and Gary Womelsduff, director of human resources, will share about the newly updated employee tuition discount benefit. Light snacks will be provided. Let us know if you will be there, and submit your questions ahead of time online.

Calling all faculty and staff! University Advancement, Faculty Council, and Staff Council invite you to join us Wednesday, March 4, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., in Eaton Lobby for a time of celebration in conjunction with SPU’s second annual Giving Day. Stop by between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for refreshments, fellowship, and drop-in festivities as we celebrate our faculty and staff community. We hope to see you there!

Pre-med student Suzie Ruskin is featured in a video produced by University Communications to showcase one of the many advantages of studying in a world-class city. Suzie shares how her childhood dream of becoming a doctor is taking shape as a student, person of faith, and employee at one of the world’s leading cancer research centers.

SPU is partnering with Sodexo to help students experiencing food insecurity. The Swipe Out Hunger program allows students to give and receive meals through campus dining, and a number of students have signed up for the program. Faculty and staff can also submit the name of a student who needs support getting access to food. All requests are confidential. To learn more about the program, visit the website or email swipeout@spu.edu.

The Office of Human Resources will host SPU’s annual Retirement Ready Seminar on Tuesday, March 10, 4–7:30 p.m., Upper Gwinn Commons, Queen Anne Room. It is an opportunity for faculty and staff who are making plans or preparing to retire in the near future to ask their questions to professionals in the retirement industry. A light dinner will be served. We hope that you will be able to join us, and watch for registration details coming soon!

Questions about attending the seminar:

• Who should attend this seminar?  Those who are planning to retire within the next ten or more years.
• What should you bring? 
  • There will be some printed materials from our speakers, but the majority of the information will be presented over PowerPoint presentations.  Please come prepared to take notes. 
  •  It is encouraged that you open your My Social Security account before the seminar and bring your Benefit Statement Printout as these will be referenced in the Social Security session.
• May I bring a guest?  Yes, you are welcome to bring a guest.
• I am unable to attend the seminar, will the presentations be recorded?  We will not be recording the presentations, but any printed material and PowerPoint slides will be available on the HR Wiki Retirement page after the seminar.

Human Resources, Cigna, and Interactive Health have partnered together to offer free, confidential health and wellness screenings available to SPU employees and spouses currently enrolled in SPU’s Health Plan. On campus sessions will be held Wednesday, March 4, 7:30–11:30 a.m. and Thursday, March 5, 7:30–11:30 a.m. in Upper Gwinn, Cascade Room. You can earn points toward your wellness incentive of $75 through the myCigna Motivate ME program. Enrolled spouses can earn $25.

Your preventive health screening will take less than 20 minutes and consists of a health assessment, blood pressure screening, and a comprehensive blood test. Your results are 100% confidential and will not be shared with your employer. Both fasting and non-fasting options will be available. Please bring your Cigna medical ID card to your biometric screening. Contact Cherylin Shdo in Human Resources at shdoc@spu.edu with any questions.

To schedule your appointment:

1. Register online at www.hsscreeningreg.com. Please enter the login and password exactly how it appears below, and hit “Login.”
   • Login: seattle.pacific
   • Password: healthy
   
   If this is your first time logging in, scroll to the bottom and click on the “Create a New Account” button at the lower left of the screen. Simply provide the following information in the appropriate fields. Enter your birth date in (mmddyyyy) format. Click “Save My Account Profile.”
   

   Click the “Create New Appointment” button. This will bring up a screen that lists the available events box at the top of the page. Select your appointment location, date, and time. Confirm that the screening date and personal information on the screen are correct and select the time you wish to attend the screening from the drop down menu that appears to the right of “Appointment Times.” Now click “Save New Appointment.”

Your passwords are the first line of defense against identity theft, bank account hacking, and saving yourself and SPU from a lawsuit. Join Computer and Information Systems on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 8:45 a.m. or Thursday, Feb. 27, at 2:15 p.m. in the CIS large conference room for a 45-minute training session on best password practices and using a password manager tool. RSVP online and contact Allison Pincus in CIS at pincusa@spu.edu with any questions. Light refreshments will be provided. Find more information on past, present, and future CIS training sessions online.

A message from Kim Cavanaugh, director of annual giving: For the upcoming SPU Giving Day, eleven new causes from around the University will join this year and seek to raise funding for special projects and programs. From scholarships and aid to academics, athletics, Christian faith formation, and much more, SPU Giving Day on Wednesday, March 4, shows the impact our global community can have. To save the date and for more information, visit givingday.spu.edu.

Want to get involved for free, plus win SPU swag and prizes? Become a social media ambassador! (e.g. share about Giving Day with your social media networks). You won’t want to miss the chance to win some great prizes this year! Sign up online, and direct questions to Devon Crouch, advancement coordinator, at devonc@spu.edu.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions continues to be grateful for the support of our wonderful faculty, throughout the month of February, in handwriting several thousand notecards to our admitted students. Every single personal contact with this group of students counts! The following academic areas have made huge in-roads in writing notecards: SHS, Sociology, FCS, Philosophy, ECS, Biology, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Math, Physics, Art, English, HHP, Music, and Theology. If you do not have scheduled times to gather, please be sure all of your cards are written, addressed, and returned to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by Friday, February 28. If you have questions, contact Michelle McFarland.

Once again SPU Athletics, in partnership with Shepherd Family Chiropractic, is offering all students, faculty, staff a FREE stress scan on Friday, February 28, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., in Royal Brougham’s Falcon Club. No appointment is needed, just drop in! Coffee and cookies will be provided. A 10-minute scan will measure muscle tension and identify where you are holding your stress. Scans are non-invasive and painless and quite informative. Dr. Shepherd will pinpoint areas of imbalance and provide the proper course of action. Learn more on the clinic's website. Questions about the event can be directed to Stefanie Kosco in Athletics at stefanie@spu.edu. We hope to see you there!

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) during the academic year. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, March 2. The deadline is Thursday, February 27. If you have information or event news, send it as soon as possible to Bulletin editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity.

A book by Professor of History Alberto Ferreiro titled Epistolae Plenae, The Correspondence of the Bishops of Hispania With the Bishops of Rome Third Through Seventh Centuries was published by Brill. Volume 74 in a series about the medieval and early modern Iberian world, this monograph offers a full inventory and analysis of all of the extant correspondence between the bishops of Hispania and Rome from the third to the seventh century. No such study has been executed in any language.

In November 2019, Jenny Tenlen, assistant professor of biology, was invited by the Science Squad, a national organization aimed at promoting science and STEM careers among high school students, to discuss her tardigrade research. They then animated her presentation, which is now available on YouTube. (For comparison, you can view her original, un-animated presentation, as well.)

As part of the NEA Big Read: King County focus on the Japanese-American incarceration during World War II, Bill Woodward, professor emeritus of history, was part of a panel at Highline College discussing the background, experience, and generational memories of the episode. Bill says that U.S. citizens included in the relocation were especially of concern to those living in the shadow of current scrutiny and possible deportation of immigrants — and their America-born children. Bill was pleased to mention the role of SPU 1980 alumnus Dan Ichinaga in the first efforts to seek redress back in the 1980s.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming Sandra Naranjo Garcia, custodian-day porter, Facilities and Project Management.

Brad Murg, assistant professor of political science and director of Global Development Studies, was quoted in the article, “Outline on table for normalisation of Japan-North Korea ties,” in the Feb. 12, issue of The Phnom Penh Post.