Faculty Council and the Office of the Provost are pleased to announce a final installment of our 2021-22 campuswide conversation series, "SPU in One Room." This year’s series has been designed to help our community explore questions and perspectives about human sexuality and gender identity, particularly within the context of SPU’s Christian faith-based mission. While our three previous opportunities examined these issues through disciplinary lenses, the upcoming events are focused on helping our community grow in our capacity to grapple with disagreement and conflict about issues of great importance.

We are pleased that Kristyn Komarnicki, director of dialogue and convening for Christians for Social Action, will be on campus Monday, May 2, and Tuesday, May 3, to facilitate several opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and trustees to learn together about conflict transformation through dialogue. The May 3 event is 3–5 p.m. in Upper Gwinn. 

This workshop addresses the fact that conflict can be a source of great discomfort and dismay, but it can also be a catalyst for deeper learning and interpersonal growth. The workshop utilizes small group discussions of conflict scenarios to help participants explore and practice:

• the heart habits that help us reframe conflict,
• the interpersonal dynamics at play in the presence of relational friction, and
• the curiosity-fueled practices that increase our odds of having a fruitful conversation in the midst of conflict.

The 2022 Erickson Undergraduate Research Conference will be Friday, May 6, 4–7 p.m. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the conference, showcasing student research and design projects from all STEM departments and Health and Human Performance. The conference will begin with a keynote address from Grace Wolf-Chase, an astronomer and senior scientist and senior education and communication specialist at the Planetary Science Institute. Dr. Wolf-Chase has extensive experience in bridging faith and science through citizen science initiatives. Student presentations will follow, utilizing a variety of formats. The keynote address will be on Zoom, and all other presentations will be held in Otto Miller Hall. Please visit the Erickson Conference website for the full schedule of events. All are welcome!

The SPU Art Department is pleased to present the 2022 Senior Studio + Visual Arts Exhibition, RESISTANCE. This culmination of study features individual projects by students Hans Amor, Alaysja Clark, Rachael Fasano, and Lily Morgan. These thoughtful and compelling works present a range of material approaches, including painting, sculpture, video, audio, and animation. The exhibition can be seen in the SPAC Gallery in the Seattle Pacific Art Center until Friday, May 6.

Virtually connect on Wednesday, May 18, at 7 p.m. with colleagues, donors, alumni, and parents to experience how Seattle Pacific’s mission is carried out through the Center for Faithful Business and its documentary film series, Faith & Co. This captivating series inspires our students and people around the globe to approach work differently as faithful followers of Christ. Interim President Pete Menjares will present the 2022 President's Award for Philanthropy to Seattle Pacific donors Eric and Keri Stumberg for their extraordinary generosity which made Faith & Co. possible. Register today.

Sara Shaban, assistant professor of communication, is hosting an online book talk about her new book, Iranian Feminism and Transnational Ethics in Media Discourse, on Tuesday, May 3, at 3 p.m. PT.  Also joining Sara will be three other women for this discussion on the consequences of social media on feminist politics. If you or any of your students are interested, email sshaban@spu.edu, for the Zoom link and password.

You are invited to the School of Business, Government, and Economics Dean's Speaker Series event on Wednesday, May 4, with Jamila Conley, F5 vice president for business transformation. Conley is a proven and accomplished executive holding a CPA license, a MBA in Management Information Systems, and is a Certified Information Security Auditor. In her current role, she is a merger and acquisition integration leader focused on value realization and change management throughout the integration process. She has successfully created and led the integration function and the overall program management activities for over $2 billion worth of acquisitions at F5.

The event will be held Wednesday, May 4, 10:30 a.m. in the Ames Library, 2nd floor seminar Room. RSVP at cal@spu.edu.

The Office of Inclusive Excellence, in partnership with the Biology Department, invites you to the Faith, Diversity, and Science Lecture on Monday, May 9, 4–5 p.m., in Otto Miller 109. The keynote speaker, Jovonia Taylor-Thibert, MBA, will examine the question, How do humans create? with a lecture titled “How a Human Engineer Creates.” Learn more here. This lecture will be recorded.

The School of Psychology, Family, and Community presents Voices of Autism 2022 on Sunday, May 15, 2–4 p.m., online. The keynote lecture, “Overview of Incredible Years Programs and Adaptations for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),” will be delivered by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, PhD, MSN, MPH, who founded the Parenting Clinic at the University of Washington School of Nursing. This event is free and open to the public, although donations of $5 per person are suggested. This annual event features a resource fair and keynote lecture to share the experiences and perspectives of members within the autism community. Learn more.

 A message from Computer and Information Systems: As part of ongoing efforts to better protect campus and reduce administrative costs, CIS has licensed Microsoft Azure multi-factor authentication (MFA) for current Duo 2FA users in addition to extending that protection to all students, all at a lower cost than our current employee-only coverage through Duo 2FA.

As a current Duo 2FA user, you are eligible to migrate immediately, following these instructions: Enrolling in Azure MFA. CIS recommends migrating as soon as you are able to and at a time convenient to you, rather than waiting until the last minute. Your account may be required to move as early as May 6, so enroll now! See our blog post for more information.

Enjoy these dining specials in May:

Gwinn Commons:

• May 5: Taco Fiesta — Tacos at lunch for Cinco de Mayo
• May 8: Mother’s Day High Tea — Tea sandwiches, macaroons, and scones during brunch
• May 10: Shrimp Day —  Serving Shrimp Po Boys at lunch
• May 11: Ice Cream Sundae Bar — Ice cream sundae bar with lots of toppings at lunch
• May 13: Pasta Bar — Pasta Bar at dinner
• May 18: Pancake Bar — Pancake Bar at lunch
• May 24: Mac and Cheese Bar — Macaroni and Cheese bar at lunch
• May 26: Clam Bake (Swipe Plus) — For an extra swipe at dinner students and guests can get food from the clam bake section
• May 30: Memorial Day — Hours of operation will be breakfast/lunch: 9 a.m.–2 p.m., and dinner: 5–7 p.m.

SPU’s retail locations:

• May 5: Einstein’s Special — Big breakfast burrito and medium hot chocolate for $11.48
• May 6: Beverage Promo — TBD
• May 10: Academic Perks and Common Grounds Special — 10% off grande toasted vanilla latte
• May 18: Footlong Special at Subway — $6 Cold Cut Combo Footlong
• May 26: Einstein’s Special — Small smoothie and cookie for $6.39

Curative, the company providing COVID-19 testing in the Student Union Building, has changed its hours of operation: COVID-19 testing on SPU’s campus will be available Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Testing on Saturdays will be available 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m. To make an appointment, please visit the Curative site or navigate directly to the appointment page.

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 to your 403b account may take up to seven days to be provided to SPU for processing, so please contract Transamerica by the first of the month prior to your requested change. 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 Cherylin Shdo in HR at 206-281-2816.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year. The next deadline is Thursday, May 5, and the next issue will be published Monday, May 9.

If you have information or event news, send it as soon as possible with an image or graphic to Bulletin editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity.

Sharleen Kato, professor of family and consumer sciences, received the 2022 AAFCS Leader Award. The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences established this award to identify and honor those who have made significant national and international contributions to the field. She also received the 2022 Leader of the Year Award from the Washington Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Congratulations!

June Hyun, associate professor of counselor education, along with three SPU faculty — Paul Youngbin Kim, professor of Psychology; Hee-Sun Cheon, associate professor of marriage and family therapy; and David Leong, associate professor of missiology — had an article, “Asian American faculty’s racialized experiences in Christian higher education,” published recently in the peer-reviewed journal, Mental Health, Religion, & Culture.

Sara Shaban, assistant professor of communication, and Peg Achterman, associate professor of communication, were invited to lead NABiq groups at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas. The SPU journalism professors led industry leaders through ideation workshops on topics such as “Designing the next Streaming Solution” and “The Future Engineer’s Toolkit.” Broadcast Education Association runs concurrently with NAB, so Peg and Sara also caught up with academic colleagues and media advisers.

A paper by Lin Liu, assistant professor of electrical engineering, titled “Plug-and-play modular biobatteries with microbial consortia,” was published in the Journal of Power Sources.

Pete Renn, assistant dean and associate professor of curriculum and instruction, co-presented a paper, “Kraken in Our Midst: Examining Factors Fueling the Exponential Growth of Doctoral Programs,”  at the 2022 annual meeting of the American Education Research Association.

Peter Moe, associate professor of English, had his essay, “Proper Poetical Education,” published in the online literary magazine, The Millions.

Rebecca Rice, associate professor of philosophy, had her chapter, “Divine Simplicity,” published recently in The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Philosophy and Religion. 

Alberto Ferreiro, professor of European history, has had his article “The Apocryphal Simon Peter and Simon Magus in the Chapel of San Blas, Primate Cathedral of Toledo, Spain” accepted for publication in Iconographica. Studies in the History of Images, SISMEL 21 (2022). The chapel in question was in severe disrepair for about 200 years and the frescos were unrecognizable. In 2014–15, a major restoration was successfully carried out. In 2016, while visiting the cathedral with his University of Salamanca group, Alberto was amazed at the apocryphal images therein, and one of his students from WWU took many photos for him. In 2017, he did all of the archival research on the chapel and images at the cathedral. This will be the first-ever study on the images of this famous apocryphal scene involving Simon Peter and the magician Simon Magus as interpreted in the Chapel of San Blas.