From University Ministries: The SPU community is invited to a short Good Friday worship service at First Free Methodist Church on April 19 at 12:30 p.m. Please join as we reflect on the meaning of the crucifixion for our daily lives through song, prayer, and the eyewitness accounts of those at the cross.

Don’t miss the annual Social Venture Plan Competition final showcase on Tuesday, April 16 from 2 to 6 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. Come hear student teams pitch their innovative ideas for social change, vote for the $1,000 People’s Choice award, and win door prizes. Learn more at spu.edu/socialventure.

From the Annual Giving Team: On April 11, we hosted SPU’s inaugural Day of Giving. So many of you came together across campus to make this possible, and you did so sacrificially. We are still tabulating the final numbers, but early results show that more than 385 individuals participated, giving more than $100,000 in 24 hours. This is the most donors who have ever given to SPU in a 24-hour period in our history! We are truly grateful for all you did. Thank you! Watch the video.

A current estate plan is vital to ensuring you leave a legacy that counts. A complimentary estate planning seminar with attorney Ryan Rehberg of Rehberg Law Group, PLLC will be held Wednesday, April 24. A light meal will be provided at each seminar and complimentary follow-up consultations with the attorneys will also be offered to attendees.

Date: Wednesday, April 24.
Time: 12–1:30 p.m. or 6–7:30 p.m. *
Location: Hendricks Falcon Club in Royal Brougham Pavilion
RSVP: Courtney Hollander in Alumni, Parent, and Family Relations at 206-281-2451 or hollanderc@spu.edu

*The same seminar will be offered at both times.

The annual C. Stephen Layman Lecture in Philosophy on April 16 with Professor of Philosophy Jill Graper Hernandez has been cancelled and will hopefully be rescheduled in May. 

The new Staff Council term begins on July 1 and five open positions are available for representatives from Student Life, Athletics, Campus Ministries, Enrollment Management and Marketing, Finance and Business Affairs, and the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs. If you’re interested in serving for the coming two-year term (or for a term in the future), or would like more information about what it means to serve on Staff Council, email staffcouncil@spu.edu or connect with your current Staff Council representative. Thanks for your consideration. 

As you begin to hire students for summer employment, remember that on-campus summer housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please advise your student employees to complete an application in the Housing Portal by Tuesday, May 7, if they hope to live on campus during the summer. If you have any questions, contact Housing and Meal Plan Services at 206-281-2188 or housing@spu.edu.

A reminder from University Communications: With the rebrand, SPU faculty and staff are asked to adopt the same email signature convention. This will provide more consistency across campus. UC has provided instructions on how to update your email signature to the newly branded signature. Because graphics cannot be consistently delivered through email on mobile devices or when an email is forwarded, UC is not recommending use of the new SPU flame for email signatures. UC is also recommending “Arial” as the default font for email correspondence. If you have any questions, contact UC at 206-281-2051 or ucofficemgr@spu.edu.

More than 6,100 SPU parents and family members received the April 2019 In the Loop parents e-newsletter, including a video Easter message from President Dan Martin, and news about design students at MOHAI, the SPU Voices podcast, National Student Employee Appreciation Week, and more.

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 18. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, April 22.

From the Office of the Provost: This week, we are featuring three more excellent faculty colleagues who will retire at the end of this academic year. Please join us in celebrating:

Rick Ridgway, association professor of biology, for 30 years of service.

• Ridgway video tribute; Emeritus Resolution

Tina Schermer-Sellers, associate professor of marriage and family therapy, for 21 years of service.

• Emerita Resolution

Bill Prenevost, associate professor of educational administration and supervision, for 13 years of service.

• Prenevost video tribute; Emeritus Resolution

Jeffrey Overstreet, assistant professor of English and writing, spoke on April 5 at the Sacrament and Story Conference, hosted by Fuller Seminary’s Brehm Cascadia program. His lecture, “Turn and Face the Strange: Ergonomics for Artists,” offered an examination of the role of mystery and contemplation in the turning points of film narratives and in the development of artists. Last month, his essay “Frames of Mind: Nine Reflections on the Passing of Filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami,” focusing on an Iranian director’s preoccupation with contemplation, was published at Good Letters, the Image blog. Also in March, he appeared on the Libromania podcast discussing the best and worst adaptations of literature to the big screen.

Professor of Apparel Design and Merchandising Jaeil Lee translated and published her second edition of Technical Sourcebook for Apparel Designers, which she authored into Korean with Sigma Press. It's a comprehensive 500-page technical design and product development college text book. This a Korean translation of her book, and the first edition was published in 2012. The book has been widely adopted in fashion schools in Korea. The third edition of the English version of her book, Technical Sourcebook for Apparel Designers, was recently published with Fairchild (Bloomsbury) Publications. Since the English version's first edition’s release in 2010, the book has been used globally in leading fashion schools around the world.

Seven sociology students recently presented original research projects at the Pacific Sociological Association's annual meeting in Oakland, California. Accompanying the students were sociology professors Karen Snedker, Raphael Mondesir, Joshua Tom, and David Diekema. Select the link to see a photo of the group.

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Brad Murg, assistant professor of political science and director of Global Development Studies, was invited by the United Nations Development Program to join the “Policy Dialogue on the Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Diversification and Debt Management." The event was held in Phnom Penh on April 3 and made possible by a grant awarded to him by U.S. Department of State. While in Cambodia, Brad was also invited to hold discussions on the future of Cambodian development with officials from the Royal Academy of Cambodia and the Asian Vision Institute. He also participated in the panel discussion “U.S-China Trade Dynamics: Implications for Cambodia” on April 4. Additionally, Brad gave a series of lectures on Cambodia-China relations at the American University of Phnom Penh, Pannasastra University, and Paragon International University. The U.S. Embassy also organized a two-hour media availability on April 4, where Brad discussed Chinese foreign aid policy with local journalists representing 10 Cambodian newspapers and various other media outlets. Select the link to see photos of Brad in Phnom Penh.

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Alberto Ferreiro, professor of history, presented the last of five talks on the topic of the Ten Commandments for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bothell, Sunday, April 7. The talk emphasized their continuity with the New Covenant in light of the Sermon of the Mount, and their place in daily discipleship.

The Office of Human Resources would like to welcome back to campus Julie Jones, technical services specialist, University Library.

Bradley Murg, assistant professor of political science, was quoted in a news story in Asia Times on April 5. The story, titled "Hun Sen has a "one China" dilemma," dealt with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen reaffirmation that his government fully supports Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy, a diplomatic nod to the notion that Taiwan is a breakaway Chinese province rather than an independent state.