I am pleased to announce the speakers for our year-end high ceremonies:

The Undergraduate Commencement speaker is Mr. Bob Goff, New York Times bestselling author and attorney who founded Love Does, a nonprofit human rights organization.

The Graduate Commencement speaker is the Honorable Tim Burgess, retired Seattle City Council member and Seattle mayor.

The Ivy Cutting faculty speaker is Karen Gutowsky-Zimmerman, professor of visual communications at Seattle Pacific University.

Bios for these speakers are listed below.

Bob Goff is the New York Times bestselling author of Love Does and his new book Everybody, Always, as well as an attorney who founded Love Does, a nonprofit human rights organization operating in Uganda, India, Nepal, Iraq and Somalia. Bob is a sought-after speaker for leadership, church, and university events, inspiring current and future influencers to get to the “do” part of life. Choosing to live audaciously, Bob connects to audiences in a powerfully inspirational, yet down-to-earth manner. Love Does has now been translated into ten languages. Bob has pioneered the vision of Love Does (formerly Restore International) to fight for freedom and human rights, work to improve educational opportunities, and help those in need of a voice and a friend. Love Does has worked with Uganda’s judiciary in bringing over 200 cases to trial, as well as pursuing justice, intervention, and education for at-risk women and children. Restore Leadership Academy in Northern Uganda educates over 300 students with a focus on character and leadership development. Because of Bob’s vision and the work of Love Does, he serves as the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Uganda to the United States. Bob continues to be inspired by friendships he’s developed with others around the world who live their lives pursuing strategic ways to help others. He is also a professor at Pepperdine Law School and Point Loma Nazarene University.

Tim Burgess served 10 years at Seattle City Hall as a member of the City Council, first elected citywide in 2007 and winning re-election in 2011 and 2015. Most recently, he served as the Seattle’s 55^th mayor, just prior to current Mayor Jenny Durkan.

A Seattle native, Mayor Burgess has been involved in local community and government matters for more than 40 years as a radio journalist, Seattle police officer and detective, and small business owner. He chaired his neighborhood community council and served 12 years on the City's Ethics and Elections Commission. He was named the Municipal League of King County’s Public Official of the Year for 2017.

As a council member, Mayor Burgess focused his work on issues related to improving the lives of Seattle’s children. Under his leadership, Seattle became the fourth major U.S. city to fully fund the Nurse Family Partnership, a home visitation program for low-income families that The New York Times calls America's best anti-poverty program. He was the lead architect of the Seattle Preschool Program that will eventually offer high-quality preschool to all of the city's three-and four-year olds. 

Mayor Burgess and his wife, Joleen, raised three daughters in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood, and he has been a longtime friend of Seattle Pacific.

Karen Gutowsky-Zimmerman is professor of visual communications and associate dean for alumni and community relations within the College of Arts and Sciences, Arts and Humanities Division, at Seattle Pacific University.

Originally from the Chicago suburbs, she graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design from University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and completed her graduate studies in 2000 with an MFA in Visual Communications at the University of Washington. Her thesis research focused on "experience design" and exhibited at Seattle’s Henry Art Gallery.

In 1988, Professor Gutowsky-Zimmerman and her husband, John Zimmerman, started a multidisciplinary design studio, where she continues design services for established clients. She has two adult children: her son is a Fellow at Wyss Institute-Harvard University, and her daughter is an adjunct professor at SPU in fashion merchandising, while also working in corporate e-commerce.

Professor Gutowsky-Zimmerman is co-author of the book Conversations: Connecting Generations of Women, and gives lectures, conducts workshops, and speaks internationally, nationally, and locally on the subject of visual literacy, visual communications, and design histories. She is currently on the Seattle Advisory Board of AIGA, American Institute of Professional Designers. She and her family are longtime members of University Presbyterian Church, where she has served as an elder.

The Walls Lecture will be Wednesday, May 2, at 7 p.m. in the First Free Methodist Church sanctuary. Building on last year’s Walls Lecture, which told the story of the Bible’s past at SPU, professors Daniel Castelo and Rob Wall propose a rethinking of the Bible’s nature and practice as the church’s book for the 21st century. Rather than comparing the Bible with the twofold nature of Christ — i.e., the Bible is a human production of God’s divine word — a different analogy is proposed. The Bible’s nature and its Spirit-inspired witness are like the four “marks” of the church: The Bible also is “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” Our pivotal affirmation: The Bible is the church’s book, formed by the church in order to reform and form the church after Christ’s likeness. Hear personal reflections on how this rubric may help shape SPU’s Wesleyan identity and the School of Theology’s brand of theological education. The Walls Lecture is free and open to the public. More information can be found online.

Campus Ministries will host an SPU Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 3, 12 p.m. in Emerson Hall Lounge. Join SPU students, staff, and faculty in a time of worship and prayer for our community, the nation, and the world. The program will last about 50 minutes, but all are welcome to stop in when they can. Beyond this service, we invite you to take time for prayer throughout this day.  

Dr. John Perkins, the co-founder of Seattle Pacific’s John Perkins Center, will speak in chapel on Tuesday, April 24, 11:10 a.m. in First Free Methodist Church as part of the annual John M. Perkins Lecture Series. He will be joined by Dr. Michael Emerson, scholar and author on race and religion and provost of North Park University in Chicago. At 1 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. Dr. Emerson will moderate a panel discussion on “Faith, Race, and Evangelicalism” with Bo Lim, university chaplain, and Sandra Mayo, vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Please mark your calendars for the 2018 Celebration of Service on Thursday, April 26, to honor Seattle Pacific University faculty and staff members with milestone years of dedicated employment (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45). The event will be held in Brougham Pavilion at 11:10 a.m. Come support your colleagues and express your appreciation for their committed service. The professor and staff members of the year will also be announced. There will be a community reception immediately following the event, and all offices are closed during the celebration so faculty and staff members can attend.

What is the mission of God in our multiethnic world? How do Christian communities understand and participate in that mission? These are the questions that will be explored at “Multiethnic and Missional? Leading Diverse and Vibrant Churches,” a half-day event sponsored by Seattle Pacific Seminary (SPS). The event will be led by SPS faculty members Brenda Salter McNeil and David Leong, along with special guest Darrell Guder. Their collective work in Christian reconciliation, community development, and missional theology will set the stage for a vibrant conversation about holding these commitments together in the identity and ministry of the church. The event is Tuesday, May 15, 12–2 p.m., with optional breakout groups from 2–3 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. Lunch will be provided. Ticket prices vary. Register to attend today.

To mark the 100th anniversary of independence for Finland and three Baltic states, music faculty members Dainius Vaičekonis, Brad Hawkins, and Ilkka Talvi will present a concert of piano trio works of Baltic and Scandinavian composers on Friday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. in Nickerson Studios. The event will be livestreamed, and is free and wheelchair accessible. 

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 about 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.

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.

The Center for Career and Calling is hosting a silent retreat for faculty and staff, May 4–6 at Camp Casey Conference Center. The retreat will be in the Ignatian Tradition, and led by Carla Orlando, vocational discernment counselor in CCC, and a small team of off-campus spiritual directors. This time of renewal and reflection is funded by a SERVE grant from Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development. The retreat begins with dinner on Friday and ends with lunch on Sunday. A few remaining spots are available, so register now by emailing Carla at orlandoc@spu.edu.

Research in psychology is changing. Historically, scientists did their work privately, in their own labs. Now, a generation of young researchers are experimenting with a new model. These researchers are implementing open science — a model of transparency and materials sharing (e.g., data, code, survey materials) that take full advantage of the internet as a means of sharing science. At the Library’s next Creative Conversations series on Friday, April 27, come hear how Assistant Professor Tom Carpenter and his team of SPU students are experimenting with these new models and moving away from the traditional "paper" model of study and more toward peer-reviewed "study websites." The event begins at 12 p.m. in the Library Reading Room.

A message from Campus Ministries: Did you engage with the curated SPU devotional during the Lenten season? Campus Ministries would love to hear about your experience. We’re looking for feedback on how we can make this resource better in the future. Please fill out the online survey.

The School of Business, Government, and Economics is now offering Seattle Pacific’s first Massive Open Online Learning Course (MOOC) titled “Business on Purpose.” The course will run for eight weeks on the Canvas platform and will be taught by Professor of Business Ethics Kenman Wong. Based on the SBGE-produced film series Faith & Co, the course will develop a theological framework for business and its implications for purpose, profit, ethics, stakeholder relationships, economic inclusion, creation care, and sustainability. The course makes extensive use of evocative short-story films: interviews with executives such as Don Flow, Ron Johnson, and Christy Trang Le; and business experts, including faculty members Bruce Baker, Denise Daniels, Mike Langford, JJ Johnson Leese, and Jeff Van Duzer. Register online. The entire Faith & Co film series can be viewed online at no cost.

After premieres in Austin and Seattle, the School of Business, Government, and Economics has officially released Faith & Co: Business on Purpose, a series of 13 short and evocative films about faith, business, and the common good. The films were produced by SBGE and made by UNTAMED, a Seattle-based film studio. They were shot across the U.S., Ethiopia, Mexico, and Vietnam, and feature business leaders across a wide spectrum of industries. A trailer and the entire series can be viewed online.

Sonya Bilocerkowycz, the 2017–18 Milton Fellow in Creative Writing at Image journal, will give a craft talk titled "I Celebrate Spring With Apricot Jam: Translating Poetry from the Russia-Ukraine War" on Wednesday, May 2, at 3 p.m. in the Library Seminar Room. Sonya’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 and a Fulbright Fellowship, and was named a finalist for the AWP's Kurt Brown Prize in Creative Nonfiction. Currently, she teaches creative writing at Seattle Pacific.

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. 

Find out more about the new Social Justice and Cultural Studies major on Friday, May 4, 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Weter 202. Join us in celebrating the new major.

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. Denim Day is Wednesday, April 25, and we hope to have campuswide participation by students, staff, and faculty to "wear jeans with a purpose" to dispel myths about sexual violence. This event was started in the 1990s following an Italian Supreme Court ruling that overturned a rape conviction after the judge ruled that the victim must have consented because she was wearing tight-fitting jeans. If you’re department would like to participate, OSS is distributing pins that say, "Ask me why I’m wearing jeans." If you would like more information and awareness pins for your department, contact Jenna Fejervary, Title IX/special investigations officer, at fejerj@spu.edu.

Also, the annual “Elephant in the Room” campaign features a life-size elephant in the middle of Martin Square to raise awareness of the problem of sexual assault on campus. Our community is welcome to write words of support and encouragement on the elephant throughout the scheduled times. Ribbons and pamphlets will also be available for students who want to know more about consent, bystander intervention, and support resources.

Finally, the Clothesline Project will be displayed in Martin Square through April 30. This awareness campaign displays T-shirts created by the SPU community that show support for sexual survivors.

You have until 9:59 a.m. on Tuesday, May 1, to have stationery orders delivered on May 11. Stationery orders are delivered once a month. Orders made after 10 a.m. on May 1 will be delivered June 15. To see deadlines and delivery dates for the remainder of the fiscal year, visit the “Create an Order” stationery page in Banner. For more information, contact Hope McPherson in University Communications at hmcpherson@spu.edu.

The 10th of each month is the last day to make changes to your upcoming payroll check. Do you need to add or remove your spouse and/or children from your health care plans? If so, contact Human Resources (HR) to complete the appropriate form. Changes might include events that are expected to impact your benefits and deductions, such as your spouse or children gaining or losing coverage due to employment, birth, marriage, etc. Additionally, any changes you wish to make to your 403(b) account contributions must be made by the 10th of the month. For changes to your 403(b) account, contact Transamerica Retirement Solutions at 1-888-676-5512 (5 a.m.–6 p.m. PST), or 1-800-755-5801. If you have any other benefits-related changes, call Mardeth Hughes in HR at 206-281-2816.

A message from the advisors for Falconettes and Centurions: As advisors to the SPU Centurions and Falconettes Clubs, we would greatly appreciate your nomination for juniors and seniors for induction in our clubs. SPU’s Centurions and Falconettes are the two oldest student clubs on campus. Falconettes started in 1936 as the Women’s Service Club, but were quickly dubbed Falconettes because of the falcon patches displayed on their club blazers. Centurions, founded in 1959 by the late History Professor Roy Swanstrom, is the second longest standing student lead organization on campus. 

Undergraduate students (current sophomores and juniors) who take service, scholarship, and Christian character development seriously should be nominated for membership in the Falconettes and Centurions clubs.

Email your recommendations by Friday, April 27, to Julie Antilla (antillaj@spu.edu) for Falconettes recommendations, or to Ryan LaBrie (ryanl@spu.edu) and Bryan Jones (bryan@spu.edu) for Centurions recommendations. Each student you nominate will receive an invitation from us to apply to the clubs.

As you begin to hire students for summer employment, please 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 Friday, May 11, if they are hoping 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.

Most school and department websites have links to Undergraduate Catalog pages. Now that the 2018-19 catalog has been updated online, those links should be updated to ensure students and prospective students get the latest information. If you aren’t sure how to update the link(s), contact your communication specialist in University Communications.

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 26. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, April 30.

An essay by Assistant Professor of Theological Studies Shannon Smythe titled "The Way of Divine and Human Handing-over: Pauline Apocalyptic, Centering Prayer, and Vulnerable Solidarity" was published in Theology Today, Volume 75 Issue 1, April 2018, and can be viewed online.

Emeritus Professor of History Bill Woodward gave an invited scene-setting introduction to a presentation on a sensational bootlegging trial in 1916 Seattle. The unlikely story of murder, mayhem, and Manhattans, unearthed by the son of the crook, was given at a Georgetown University Alumni Gala in Seattle. (Bill suspects he is now under federal surveillance.) Bill’s additional contribution was to compare Seattle then and now. In doing so, he drew material from another recent gig — a two-part lecture series to the Garden Court Retirement Community in south Everett on March 8 and April 12. Under the overall rubric of  "A Historic Tour of the Pacific Northwest," Part I on March 8 ("From Global Interest to Global Influence") surveyed four distinct epochs up through World War I:  Precontact, Penetration, Pioneering, and Permanency.  Part II on April 12 ("From Armistice to Amazon") covered the last 100 years, the epochs of Parity and Pacesetting. To both Seattle and Everett audiences, Bill highlighted how Seattle’s early 20^th century emergence from roguish frontier town to wanna-be respectable world city shows remarkable parallels with the city’s transformation in the most recent 21^st century decade.

Assistant Professor of Philosophy Matthew Benton co-edited a book titled Knowledge, Belief, and God: New Insights in Religious Epistemology, published by Oxford University Press.

Professor of European History Alberto Ferreiro presented the paper "Ex Orientis partibus nauigans Galliciam uenit: Was There Collusion Between Martin of Braga (c. 519/20-579) and the Byzantine Expansion in Hispania?" at the International Scientific Conference Migrations from Late Antiquity to the Present Days, April 14-15, in Novis Sad, Serbia. The conference was about migrations — political, economic, forced or volunteer — in all centuries and continents. The papers will be peer-reviewed and published. Over 15 countries were represented. The next meeting on the same theme was announced for 2021. Alberto was interviewed by Serbian National TV.

The Spring issue of God and Nature magazine contains "Waves," a poem by Eugene Lemcio (Лемцьо), emeritus professor of New Testament at SPU. The last stanza alludes to an aspect of chaos theory.

SPU Master Gardener Jeff Daley will give a lecture titled "Right Plant, Right Place: Guide to Gardening" at Molbak's Nursery in Woodinville on Saturday April 28, at 10 a.m.

From SPU Master Gardener Jeff Daley: Now is the best time to start planting in your garden. Spring is underway and nurseries are starting to fill up with new and exciting plants, shrubs, and trees. Here are three important ideas to keep in mind this time of year. Hopefully they will encourage those of you who may be feeling just a little overwhelmed.

1) Clean Up. As they say, "out with the old and in with the new." Take some time to cut back old foliage on perennials, ornamental grasses, and shrubs. Your plants will never look good mixed in with a mess of old and unwanted foliage from last year. By cleaning out the old growth before the new, you will do yourself a big favor and help the plant look its best. Once you've done that, clean debris and unwanted weeds from flower beds to freshen things up. Consider an application of your choice of organic soil amendment — bark or arborist chips — will help soil nutrient levels and create a nice clean area for planting. It will also give you some protection from encroaching weed growth as well.

2) Plant Early. A big benefit of planting early in the spring is that it will allow plants to grow a solid root system before the summer. This is important for plants that will struggle to function at an optimal level in the dry months of July and August, not to mention that shopping this time of year is easier due to the fact that there is a better selection of plants at local nurseries.

3) Choose Wisely. As I like to put it: "Right plant, right place." Take some time to do a little research on the plants you want to grow. If you see something you like at the nursery, check the planting tags for quick information before considering the location in your yard. The place in which you put it will certainly be the most important decision in the ongoing health of your plant. Some questions to ask; Does the plant prefer sun or shade? Morning sun or afternoon sun? What are the plant's moisture requirements and soil type requirements? Ask yourself how large will the plant grow in the next five years, and how much space should you allow between other nearby plants in your garden? Over planting does have some benefit, but in two years, you may find the need to re-position overcrowded plants.

If you put in the work now, by summer you will have many opportunities to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.