Robert Wall, Paul T. Walls Professor of Scripture and Wesleyan Studies, and Cara Wall-Scheffler, associate professor of biology, are the speakers for this year’s Paul T. Walls Lecture in Wesleyan Theology on May 4 and 5. This lecture is “an experiment in looking at the biology of questions raised by the Bible, specifically what it means to be made ‘new’ and what the biology of New Creation might be.” 

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University Ministries is hosting a praise, worship, and prayer service in conjunction with the nationwide National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 5, 12–1 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church in Demaray Chapel. (Entrance is on 3rd Ave West. Signs will be posted.) An introductory time of music and worship will begin at 12 p.m., and the program starts at 12:30 p.m. Please come for all or a portion of the time, as your schedule permits. Here’s more information of the National Day of Prayer.

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A message from Human Resources: The Open Enrollment period to change or update your benefits runs May 2-20. The Human Resources staff looks forward to having you join us on Tuesday, May 3, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in Upper Gwinn for the annual Benefits Fair. Please take a few moments to come by and say hello, stroll around the fair, and enjoy some snacks. This will be an excellent opportunity to meet our dedicated Cigna team as well as discuss any questions or concerns you may have. Representatives from other featured vendors will also be present: BAC (administrator for our health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts), Delta Dental, VSP (our vision plan), and many more. These representatives provide information, answer questions, and bring giveaways and prizes. We look forward to seeing you there! Reminder: Pay careful attention to all communications from Human Resources particularly during this Open Enrollment season.

The Office of the Provost invites faculty and staff to a drop-in reception honoring Margaret Diddams on Tuesday, May 3, 2-4 p.m. in the Executive Suite, Demaray Hall 210. A short program will begin at 2:30 p.m. Margaret, assistant provost and the director of the Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development, has been at SPU for more than 20 years and served in a variety of positions. She will leave SPU this month to become the provost at Wheaton College.

“God’s Scandalous Love and What It Means for Us and Our World” is the title of Professor of Theology Kerry Dearborn’s “Last Lecture” on Tuesday, May 17, 6-7:30 p.m. in Otto Miller Hall, room 109. Light refreshments will be served. Students, faculty, staff, and the general public are welcome to attend. The concept of a “Last Lecture" is based on a 2007 lecture and 2008 book by Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor who died from pancreatic cancer in July 2008. In subsequent Last Lectures, professors reflect on what matters most and what wisdom they would hope to share with others. Ivy Honorary is SPU's chapter of the National Mortar Board Honor Society.

A message from the Department of Philosophy: On the occasion of his retirement, and in honor of his exemplary service to SPU, the Department of Philosophy invites you a book symposium with Professor of Philosophy Steve Layman on Thursday, May 5, 4-6 p.m. in Demaray Hall 150. Steve will read from his book, Philosophical Approaches to Atonement, Incarnation, and the Trinity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). Following the reading, Terence Cuneo from the University of Vermont and Daniel Howard-Snyder from Western Washington University will offer comments.

From the Wellness Initiative: One of the most common issues that faculty and staff may see on campus are problems with disordered eating and body image. There are many emotional, behavioral, and physical changes that may occur as a result of disordered eating behaviors or body image problems. To learn more about disordered eating and how to recognize the signs of disordered eating, visit the Wellness blog.

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A message from adjunct faculty member Vilma Illanes. “We are combining Spanish Conversation Table and Spanish Class 2103 to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Friday, May 6, 1:30-2:50 p.m. in Marston, room 252. This is considered part of class time for second-year Spanish students. Come and enjoy different activities in the Spanish language."

Dr. Bruce Horner from the University of Louisville will give a lecture titled “Writing, Reading, and Revising (in) the Disciplines,” and a workshop, “Addressing Language Difference and Error in Student Writing,” on Tuesday, May 10, in the Library Seminar Room. The lecture is at 2 p.m. and the workshop is at 3 p.m. Dr. Horner is a leading scholar in writing studies and the author of six books and more than 30 articles.

This week’s Creative Conversations event features Professor of Dogmatic and Constructive Theology Daniel Castelo, who will discuss Pentecostalism as a mystical tradition. His upcoming book is on the same topic. The event is 3-3:50 p.m. in the Library Reading Room. Light snacks will be provided. 

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The annual Night of Beats is Friday, May 6, at 7 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion. This student event showcases positive hip-hop featuring singers, rappers, dance, spoken word, and more. Come in for an evening of fun, entertainment, and learn about other cultures.

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.

The Spring census information is now available on the Office of Information and Data Management (IDM) website. Several pages on the IDM site are open to the public; others are available only to SPU staff and faculty. If you have comments or questions about the information appearing on the website, contact Tim Gatlin, senior systems and data manager, at tgatlin@spu.edu or 206-281-2545.

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A message from Housing Services: 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. Applications, including location and price, are now available in the Office of University Services and must be received before Friday, May 13, at 4:30 p.m. Please advise your student employees to complete an application if they are hoping to live on campus during the summer. If you have any questions, contact Housing Services at 206-281-2188 or housing@spu.edu.

The Jazz Ensemble will perform Tuesday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. Nickerson Studios. The event is free.

Bloodworks Northwest (formerly the Puget Sound Blood Center) will host a blood drive on campus Thursday, May 5, and Friday, May 6, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed 1:30-2:30 p.m.) near the entrance of Tiffany Loop. Schedule an appointment online.

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The Alaska Way Viaduct will close for two weeks beginning Friday, April 29. Congestion is expected to impact travel all over the area. Now’s your chance to try out a vanpool to see what it’s like. An Eastside vanpool leaves the South Kirkland Park & Ride at 7:05 a.m., and then leaves campus at 4:30 p.m. to return to the park & ride. If interested, contact Lynn Anselmi in University Communications at lynnanselmi@spu.edu to learn more.

Here are the Campus Retail Dining Services promotions for May 1-8.

Common Grounds/Academic Perks: Grande Chocolate Hazelnut Mocha $3.99. Every day beginning at 3 p.m. until close, all pastries are 79 cents, while supplies last.

Medley: 5-Topping Salad $5, or a 3-Topping Salad $3.

Subway: 6-inch pastrami for $3.99, while supplies last. 6-inch Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich for $3.99.

Sandella’s: Limited Time Offer-Beef Fajita Quesadilla for $5.59. Cheese Quesadilla for $4.99.

Jamba Juice: 20 percent off Jamba Juice orders every Tuesday and Thursday for the month of May.

Einstein’s Bagels: Cheese Pizza Bagel for $2.49. Get a medium Buttery Caramel Coffee for .99 cents every Wednesday for the month of May.

Grill: Bistro Burger for $5.99.

C-store: Luna and Larry’s 4-pack of vegan ice cream bars for $7.99. Ten percent off 1893 Pepsi Cola products every Saturday for the month of May. Two for $4 Special: Choose between King Cone Ice Cream Bars, Magnum Ice Cream Bars, or Mrs. Fields Ice Cream Sandwiches.

$5 Friday Retail Dining Promotion:

Medley: 5-Topping Salad, including beef topping

Grill: Hot dog, fries and a 21-ounce fountain drink

Einstein’s Bagels: Santa Fe Wrap and medium coffee

Sandellas: Chicken Delicato Panini

Subway: Footlong ham sandwich

C-Store: Any Naked Juice and a Nature Valley Granola Bar

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly 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, May 5. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, May 9, 2016.

At the annual Celebration of Service ceremony on April 28, faculty and staff were honored for their many years of service to SPU. The Associated Students of Seattle Pacific named Professor of Theology Kerry Dearborn as Faculty Member of the Year. The SPU Staff Council awarded the Oral V. Hemry Non-Exempt Staff Person of the Year Award to Curt Jacobson, service desk manager in Building Maintenance. The Exempt Staff Person of the Year Award went to Ineliz Soto-Fuller, director of Undergraduate Admissions. Faculty and staff who have served SPU for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years were also honored. Receiving an award for 40 years of service was Associate Professor of World Christian Studies Miriam Adeney. Congratulations!

Professor of Education Greg Fritzberg chaired a session and delivered a soon-to-be published paper titled "Different Histories, Different Trajectories: Religious Education in the Republic of Ireland and Religion in Education in the United States" at the Ireland International Conference on Education in Dublin. Greg says, “Ireland is unique among nations in that primary education is largely the province of the church, and offers lessons from experience in terms of reconciling religious sponsorship of popular education and increasingly diverse student populations with legitimate and competing worldviews deserving public recognition.”

Kathleen Braden, professor of geography, and Bradley Murg, assistant professor of political science, attended the annual Northwest Conference for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies sponsored by the University of Washington’s Ellison Center. Kathleen presented a paper titled “Illegal Game Hunting by Russian Elite,” and Brad presented a paper titled “Reconceptualizing the Putin Regime: A Comparative Perspective.” Brad also chaired a panel on “Slavic Identity Through Works of Literature and Film.”

Christine Hoyle, associate professor of nursing, presented a poster at the annual conference of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties in Seattle. The poster was titled “Innovations in Teaching: Using a Multigenerational Family Case in a Doctor of Nursing Practice Health Promotion Course.”

An article by Pam Davies, adjunct faculty member in the School of Health Sciences Graduate Nursing Program, was published in the journal, The Nurse Practitioner. The article was titled “Pharmacologic Pain Management at the End of Life.”

School of Business, Government, and Economics professors Regina Schlee and Gary Karns, together with industrial organizational psychology graduate student and SBGE Professional Development Specialist Daniel Hallak, received the “Best Conference Paper” award at the Marketing Educators Association meeting in April. The paper, titled “Knowledge and Skill Requirements for Marketing Graduates: Are There Differences in the Skills Needed for Well-Paying Entry Level and Mid-Level Jobs in Marketing?”, analyzes job postings for marketing jobs on Indeed.com and LinkedIn. In addition to skills in written and oral communications, quantitative analysis, problem solving, and working in teams, their paper noted that an increasing number of employers are asking for college graduates who can work independently without supervision, as well as graduates who can learn new skills independently.

An article by Eric Severson, adjunct professor of philosophy and theology, was recently published in the ninth issue of the series Levinas Studies: An Annual Review. His article, which explores Emmanuel Levinas's unique philosophy of time, is titled The Missing Sequel: Levinas and Heidegger's Unfinished Project."

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