On Friday, May 17, view the future of Seattle fashion at this interactive presentation at the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), featuring SPU’s MODE Fashion Group. Students in the apparel design and merchandising major will develop themes of MOHAI’s special exhibit, Seattle Style: Fashion/Function. Their fashion collections will be shaped by Seattle history and developed in conversation with local fashion businesses. Meet the designers, view their collections, and learn about their design process in this special evening.

The School of Theology and Seattle Pacific Seminary invite you to celebrate Professor of Old Testament Frank Spina’s 46 years at Seattle Pacific:

Tuesday, May 14, in Upper Gwinn Commons

• A retirement reception, 3–5 p.m.
• The 2019 Walls Lecture, “Discovering Jesus’ Personal Bible: The Greatest Archaeological Find Ever.” For more information, visit the website.

The Music Department hosts two outstanding concerts this week. 

Chamber Music Concert

The SPU Chamber concert features musical performances of brass, flute, saxophone, and string compositions. This concert will be held on Tuesday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Nickerson Studios.

Symphonic Wind Ensemble Concert

The SPU Symphonic Wind Ensemble concert features music from composers of color and other non-western cultures. Join Assistant Professor of Music Danny Helseth as leads the ensemble in their final concert of the season. This concert will be held on Friday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m. in First Free Methodist Church.

The History Department's next brownbag event in their News & Nachos series is Thursday, May 16, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., in the Library Seminar Room. The topic for this month is "China and the Trade War," facilitated by Zhiguo Ye, associate professor of history. Chips and salsa will be served. All are welcome.

Professors Scott Kolbo (art) and Brian Chin (music) are proud to present Passages: A Fable in Six Cycles on Wednesday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m. at the Triple Door (across from Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle). Passages is a multi-media event featuring an animated film projected on stage by Scott, and a live performance of composed music by Brian and the chamber quartet TORCH. The work comments on contemporary anxieties about security and immigration through six circular loops of imagery and sound, with a heavy emphasis on slapstick humor and absurdity. The piece also tells an inspiring story about resilience and hope in the face of historical tragedy and ecological crisis. 

Brian explains how the project was developed. "The cycle idea was inspired by a testimonial and story I heard in church about two years ago: A woman in El Salvador was working as a police officer when targeted by the organized crime gangs. She immediately fled the country with her child and traveled north to seek asylum. Upon arrival at the U.S. border, they were detained and eventually deported back to El Salvador. Her life still threatened, she simply took her kid by the hand and traveled north again, starting the cycle all over again. Imagine what it would be like to be in this situation — returned to the same physical place, but as a changed person surrounded by different circumstances. How different would you be? How do the systems and people around you change? How many cycles of this could you withstand before you either give up or finally break through?"

Join Seattle Pacific's Center for Biblical and Theological Education, School of Theology, and Seattle Pacific Seminary for a special event highlighting our faculty authors on Tuesday, May 21, 3–4:30 p.m. in the Fine Center in First Free Methodist Church. 

The event will feature these authors and their publications:

Mediating the Wesleyan Liturgical Heritage by Dr. Matthew Sigler
Cultivating Teen Faith: Insights from the Confirmation Project by Dr. Katherine Douglas
Refugee Diaspora: Missions amid the Greatest Humanitarian Crisis of the World by Dr. Miriam Adeney
The Marks of Scripture: Rethinking the Nature of the Bible by Dr. Rob Wall & Dr. Daniel Castelo
Live The Questions: How Searching Shapes Our Convictions and Commitments by Dr. Jeff Keuss

Visit the website for more information and to register.

University Communications needs help identifying outstanding students from this year’s graduating class. This request is for undergraduate and graduate students. These students and their achievements will be pitched to media outlets prior to Commencement, as well as for promotional purposes. Please send the name(s) of the students and a short description about why you are recommending them.

Examples would be students who overcame obstacles to graduate, were involved in community service projects, participated in innovative research, started a new venture, took a class that changed their career direction, or did something really interesting. Basically, anything that would make a good story! We will follow up with the students and get permission to use their profiles. Send information by email to Director of Public Information Tracy Norlen at tcnorlen@spu.edu.

Thinking about the future, an interview with Richard Dadzie, a visit with two student interns, and a report from the recent Distinguished Speaker Luncheon … all in the May issue of the Shareholders e-newsletter from SPU’s School of Business, Government, and Economics.

As we wrap up the 2018–19 academic year, review the literature on current mental health trends for college students in the United States by checking out the Wellness blog.

Switchboard is where you can connect with the SPU community to offer what you have and ask for what you need. What kinds of things will you find on Switchboard? A student seeking a human resources internship. A staff member looking for Magic cards. Camp Casey hiring for a new position. Students seeking roommates. Staff looking for carpool buddies. Alumni in aerospace, insurance, engineering looking to hire SPU students. Keep the spirit of the SPU community alive online, and join us on Switchboard. Come see what’s new this week. Maybe there’s someone you can help out!

A message from Campus Dining: Take this quick campus dining survey by Tuesday, May 14, and enter to win $25, $50, or $100 in Falcon Funds!

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, May 16. The next Bulletin will be published Monday, May 20.

In recognition of her service to the SPU community, Dorothy Doyle, stewardship and donor relations manager in University Advancement was nominated by her peers and selected by Staff Council as the May Staff Member of the Month. For her thoughtful and tireless work to ensure SPU donors are thanked, recognized, and engaged, and for the kindness and selfless attention she shows everyone around her, please thank and congratulate “Doro”! Learn more about Dorothy and nominate a colleague for recognition on the Staff Council website.

Peg Achterman, assistant professor of communication, will receive two honors at the World Journalism Educators Congress to be held in Paris this summer: An Award of Excellence for her photo essay, “When the Biology Lab is the Whole Island,” and a paper presentation, “Snap Judgement: How Legacy Media’s Use of Snapchat Discover Informs Journalism Education.” The paper involved two seniors, Sara Schoch and Kristina Smith, as research assistants.

At the annual Celebration of Service ceremony on May 9, faculty and staff were honored for their many years of service to SPU. 

The Associated Students of Seattle Pacific named Professor of English and Co-Director of Social Justice Studies Kimberly Segall as Undergraduate Faculty Member of the Year. 

Graduate students named Associate Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology Paul Yost as Graduate Faculty Member of the Year. 

The SPU Staff Council awarded the Oral V. Hemry Non-Exempt Staff Person of the Year Award to Katie Bennett, graduate programs administrative assistant in the School of Health Sciences. The Exempt Staff Person of the Year Award went to Donna McLynne, assistant director of Student Financial Services services programs. 

Faculty and staff who have served SPU for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 45 years were also honored. Receiving an award for 45 years of service was marketing associate for Fine Arts and undergraduate admissions counselor, Kim Gilnett. Congratulations!

Katya Drozdova, associate professor of political science, presented her research on cybersecurity at Le Forum St-Laurent sur la Sécurité Internationale (St. Laurent Forum on International Security) — the key annual conference devoted to the dissemination of Francophone expertise on major issues of global security. The 2019 forum was held on May 2–3 in Québec City, Canada, with all proceedings and presentations delivered in French. Katya discussed “Cyberpower and International Relations” and participated in the panel discussion of “Cybersecurity, manipulation of international perceptions and tensions”  alongside the director for strategic research of the ministry of defense of France and director of Canada’s Center for Cybersecurity, among others.

J.J. Leese, assistant professor of Christian Scripture, presented at the Pacific Northwest Region American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature on May 4. Her presentation was titled, “To Cover or Not to Cover? – Reframing the Question of Authority in the Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians 11:2-16).”

Don’t miss the retirement celebration for Steve Maybell, director of the Student Counseling Center, Wednesday, May 22, 3–5 p.m., Eaton Hall Lobby. There will be a brief program at 4 p.m. Come wish Steve well!

Munyi Shea, associate professor of counselor education, participated in a panel discussion about race and culture at the Kings’ Schools in Shoreline. The panel discussed issues surrounding the importance, relevance, and imminence of the work on race, culture, equity, and reconciliation in their professional and personal lives. Other panelist George Hinman, senior pastor at University Presbyterian Church; Liz Mosbo VerHage, associate pastor at Quest Church, and Jonathan Nolasco, mission and outreach associate at Bethany Community Church.

Stephen Newby, professor of music and director of the Center for Worship, is serving as the music director and composer for Nina Simone: Four Women at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. The show runs until June 2 at the Bagley Wright Theatre.

Alyssa Walter, assistant professor of history, testified as an expert witness in an asylum case involving an individual from Iraq at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.

SPU was well-represented at the Western Psychological Association in Pasadena, California, April 25–28. Seven faculty and 22 students from the School of Psychology, Family, and Community; School of Education; and School of Business, Government, and Economics participated in poster, paper, and symposia presentations.

Highlights included:

• A paper reading by Paul Kim, associate professor of psychology, and Don Lee, associate professor of management
• An internationally focused symposia chaired by Lynette Bikos, professor of clinical psychology
• Multi-institutional collaborations presented as posters presented by Munyi Shea, associate professor of education, and Paul Kim 
• Baine Craft, professor of psychology and biology, Thane Erickson, associate professor of clinical psychology, and John Thoburn, professor of clinical psychology, were faculty sponsors/co-authors on posters presented by their students.

Additionally, SPU had significant leadership at WPA. The Department of Clinical Psychology co-sponsored the continuing education program for psychologists, the Bikos Research Team coordinated the international program, and Graduate Admissions sponsored an SPU exhibit.

Special thanks to Megan Burroughs, program coordinator for Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and Katy Tangenberg, dean, School of Psychology, Family, and Community, for supporting our faculty and students and assisting with the exhibit. View the complete SPU@WPA program.

Brad Murg, assistant professor of political science and director of global development studies, was quoted in The Seattle Times and The Daily Chronicle in an article titled, “State Senator’s $500,000 Contract With Autocratic Cambodian Regime Draws Scrutiny, Condemnation.”