A message from Louise Furrow, vice president for University Advancement: I’m delighted to announce that Amanda Stubbert, a 1995 alumna who has held many different roles here at Seattle Pacific, has been named the new director of Alumni and Parent Relations. Amanda came to University Advancement in September of 2015 from SPU’s Undergraduate Admissions. In September 2017, she became the interim director of Alumni and Parent Relations. She quickly rose to the top of the applicant pool during the interview process. I’m confident in her leadership and vision for Alumni and Parent Relations, and offer my congratulations. Here is some more information on Amanda.

Amanda Heath Stubbert graduated with a double major in theatre and psychology. Already liking what she saw here, Amanda began working for Seattle Pacific right after graduation, directing the University Players touring group as well as booking gigs for them and other performing groups. In 2013, the native of Aloha, Oregon, became assistant director of campus experience and events for Undergraduate Admissions, where she expanded the visit program for prospective students and their families.

Amanda says that "sharing the inspiring stories of how our alumni are changing the world is my favorite part of the job. Our team is committed to creating new and innovative ways for our community to connect with one another and the university."

Amanda and her husband, Corbett Stubbert ’97, spend their free time as volunteers and board members with WorldCOMP Kenya, whose mission is "to bring hope and healing to the poor and suffering people of Kenya." Corbin is executive pastor and operations manager at Seattle’s Westside Church. They have two daughters, Hannah, SPU Class of 2022, and Eden.

A message from Ross Stewart, dean of the School of Business, Government, and Economics. We have the exciting opportunity to host the United Nations Chief Information and Technology Officer, Assistant Secretary-General Atefeh Riazi, on Wednesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. Ms. Atefeh Riazi, a U.S. national born in Iran, will be in Seattle to talk about the Sustainable Development Goals and how data and technology can help advance shared objectives. This event also includes an interview with the assistant secretary-general by Technology Access Foundation Executive Director Trish Millines Dziko to talk about efforts to bring more women and girls into the technology field.

Please consider coming yourself and inviting your students to this special event, which provides us with the opportunity to engage with partners such as Tableau and Global Washington. Please register online.

Faculty and staff are invited to attend the annual Social Venture Plan Competition (SVPC) Showcase on Thursday, April 12, 2–6 p.m. in Upper Gwinn Commons. Hear students pitch their ideas for innovative social businesses that will be financially sustainable and make a difference. There will be 18 projects this year, including:

Helping survivors of sex trafficking find employment Turning rice stubble into fuel Improving access to STEM education in school Opening a therapeutic rabbit café

Everyone will get a chance to vote for the $1,000 People’s Choice Award, and anyone who votes will be entered into a raffle for door prizes, including MiiR water bottles, Amazon gift cards, and more. Over $15,000 will be awarded to aspiring student entrepreneurs. Winners of the SVPC will be announced at 6:15 p.m.

Seattle Pacific’s Theatre Department will present Love’s Labour’s Lost April 19-21 and April 26-28 in the McKinley Hall Theatre. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m., and a matinee performance will be held Saturday, April 28, at 2 p.m. Under the direction of local guest director Carol Roscoe, Love’s Labour’s Lost is one of William Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, following the story of four best friends who swear off love, and vow to abstain from earthy pleasures for three years. They plan to devote all their time to academics, until a princess arrives to negotiate an old treaty. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors (age 60 and over) and students (age 25 and under) with a valid I.D. Tickets are available for purchase at the door, online at the theatre box office or by calling 206-281-2959.

Porch, POSSIBLE, Sabey Corporation, King County, CBRE, Metro – these are just a few of the companies coming to the Center for Career and Calling’s next Business & Government Mega Meet-Up on Wednesday, April 18, 2:30–5 p.m. in Weter Lounge. Encourage your students to come meet alumni and company representatives and learn what a career looks like at one of the 30 companies coming to campus. See the full list of companies here.

A message from Athletics: Come support the women’s rowing team on Saturday, April 14, at 8 a.m. at the Falcon Regatta. This is first home rowing event in years and Falcon Athletics’ last official home event of academic year. Watch the race along the canal near Royal Brougham Pavilion. Food and coffee will be provided. Visit spufalcons.com for more information.

Don’t miss your chance to volunteer with the Special Olympics this summer at Seattle Pacific. Royal Brougham Pavilion will serve as the gymnastics venue for the 2018 games, and we need help in welcoming these remarkable athletes to our community. Volunteer online and choose “select” under “Access Coded Companies and Groups.” From there, enter the access code SPU2018 and select a volunteer training time in addition to your desired volunteer shift. Then follow the prompts to complete your volunteer registration. If you have any questions about volunteering or the Special Olympics, contact Kristin McGunnigle, fan engagement and corporate sponsorship coordinator, at kristinm@spu.edu or 206-281-2855.

On Thursday, April 12, join the Library’s next Creative Conversations titled "How to Blog like an Academic," part of a series of panels on "How to Do Scholarship" hosted by the Writing Center, Library, and Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development. Speakers from across campus will address the difficulties and delights of writing and publishing. Staff and faculty members Leah Airt, Douglas Downing, and Rolin Moe will lead the discussion, and light refreshments will be provided. The event will be held 12–12:50 p.m. in the Reading Room on the main floor of the library.

The SPU Jazz Ensemble will perform live (and online) on local public radio station KNKX (88.5 FM) in Nickerson Studios on Thursday, April 19, at 12:15 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Music Department will host the next Futures in Music series with KNKX General Manager Joey Cohn and Jazz Host Abe Beeson talking about their careers in radio.

A message from the Office of Safety and Security: Each year Seattle Pacific participates in Sexual Assault Awareness Month to raise awareness about gender-based violence on campus. The theme of this year’s campaign is "Your Voice Has Power." The events this month are intended to create opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to use their voices toward the work of awareness and prevention. These events are hosted by the Office of Safety and Security. If your department would like free awareness pins to show support, OSS will provide them. For questions, information, or to request campaign pins, contact Jenna Fejervary, Title IX/special investigations officer, at fejerj@spu.edu.

The Department of Philosophy, Division of Arts and Humanities, Office of the Provost, and Eli Lilly Foundation present the annual C. Stephen Layman Lecture in Philosophy on Thursday, April 26, at 4 p.m., Demaray Hall 150. This year’s lecture will be given by Meghan Sullivan, professor of philosophy and the Rev. John A. O'Brien Collegiate Chair at the University of Notre Dame. The title of her talk is "Time Biases and Valuing Afterlives.” The Layman Lecture is in honor of Professor Emeritus Steve Layman, who was a member and chief architect of the Philosophy Department from 1986 to 1996, and served as chair from 1996 to 2016. 

Seattle Pacific has 30 students who are veterans and who are graduating with their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees. Special stoles have been designed for veterans to wear with their regalia at the graduation events. Stoles cost $25 and are provided through donations to the Veterans Graduating Fund. The goal is raise $800 by May 25. Donations can be made online. (Select “other” in the designation category and type in “Veterans Graduating Fund.”) Donations are tax deductible.

From the Wellness Initiative: We’re all familiar with stress — but how is stress uniquely affecting college students? Learn more about stress and its impact on college students in the Wellness blog. 

Learn about the latest research in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and find out about local resources available to individuals and families at “Voices of Autism: Individuals, Families, and Professionals” on Saturday, April 21, 1–4:30 p.m. in Nickerson Studios. The event will feature a community resource fair, a keynote lecture on advocacy from an adult on the spectrum, and a staged reading of Neurotistic — a brand new musical about a young adult with autism as he tries to adapt to a new home, a new school, old problems, and a fleeting sense of normalcy. The play is by Nichols Eveland, with music and lyrics by Kris Bjarke and Nichols Eveland. The event is hosted by the School of Psychology, Family, and Community.

Sonya Bilocerkowycz, the 2017-18 Milton Fellow in Creative Writing at Image journal, will read from her book in progress called On Our Way Home from the Revolution, a collection of linked essays about politics, identity, and responsibility in the post-Soviet space. The reading will be Thursday April 12, 7 p.m. in the SPU Art Center Gallery.

Bilocerkowycz's writing has appeared in Guernica, Colorado Review, The Southampton Review, Ninth Letter, Crab Orchard Review and other journals. She holds an MFA from Ohio State and is the recipient of a Lilly Graduate Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship, and was named a finalist for the Association of Writer & Writing Programs Kurt Brown Prize in Creative Nonfiction. Currently, she teaches creative writing at Seattle Pacific.

Beginning Autumn Quarter 2018, the library will offer a new minor in information studies. Learn more about this program — which explores the dynamic relationships between information, technology, and people — on Friday, April 13, 12–1:30 p.m., in the Library Seminar Room. A light lunch will be provided.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every week during the academic year. 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. The next deadline is Thursday, April 12. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, April 16.

Carlene Brown, associate professor of music and director of the Music Therapy Program, recently received the 2018 Professional Practice Award from the regional chapter of the American Music Therapy Association. The award is offered to a board certified music therapist "in recognition to members who have made a significant contribution to the professional development of members of the association. The nominee shall be recognized by his or her peers or colleagues as having contributed to the development and growth of the profession by utilizing special skills and/or knowledge in therapeutic practice, clinical supervision, education, and/or administration. Both scholarly contributions and organizational leadership are considered." Congratulations, Carlene!

Matthew Benton, assistant professor of philosophy, was the speaker at the recent Society of Christian Philosophers group session at the Pacific Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association in San Diego. His paper was titled "God and Interpersonal Knowledge."

Bruce Baker, associate professor of business ethics, presented his paper titled “Entrepreneurship and the Garden: Theological Implications of the Creation Mandate” at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar’s Education City on March 29. The paper was presented at the Green Economy, Business and Entrepreneurship conference.

The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to congratulate these staff members on their new appointments:

Kyle Brown, assistant director of Alumni and Parent Relations for engagement and events
Megan Burroughs, program coordinator in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Brian Ficken, director of the Seattle Pacific Foundation
Cherilyn Shdo, benefits specialist in Human Resources
Amanda Stubbert, director of Alumni and Parent Relations

The Office of Human Resources would like the SPU community to welcome the following new employees:   

Annie Gray, operations and testing manager, Center for Learning
Chloe Hays, program coordinator, Marriage and Family Therapy
Erica Vaughn, enrollment operations business analyst, Enrollment Operations

The first of a two-part interview with Associate Professor of Music Stephen Michael Newby about the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," considered by many to be the black national anthem, was published on April 3 on Medium, an online publishing platform.

Adjunct Music Faculty Steve Treseler's and his quartet “In Motion” played an in-studio performance at public radio station KNKX-FM on March 22. He was also interviewed about upcoming projects, music education, and his musical background and training. Read or listen to the story online.