Join us Wednesday, Nov. 13, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. in Marston Classroom 5 as Celeste Cranston, director of the Center for Biblical and Theological Education, and the SoulCare team of seminary interns lead the upcoming Human Resources Professional Development Series workshop on SoulCare: Wesleyan Small Groups. Come for discussion on the practice of Wesleyan Small Groups and how it is implemented in the context of our SPU community, and for an opportunity to experience a taste of it as we reflect and share together. Registration is available through Skillsoft. Bring your lunch; beverages and snacks are provided!

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion invites you to engage with them through this month’s ODEI Connections, where they share monthly highlights, stories, and resources in the work of diversity for SPU's faculty and staff community.

Join Computer and Information Services on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m. in Otto Miller 127 or Thursday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. in Otto Miller Hall 118, to learn about accessing all your notes from any device, and the many other conveniences of note-taking in OneNote. Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP here.

The Music Therapy program recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a two-day gathering of current students, alumni, and board certified music therapists from throughout Washington state. The events featured hours of music making, continuing education workshops, and presentations by guest speakers: Jennifer Geiger, MT-BC, immediate past president, American Music Therapy Association; and Dr. Deforia Lane, MT-BC, resident director of music therapy at the University Hospitals of Cleveland Ireland Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The celebration culminated in a reception sponsored by the Seattle Symphony at Octave 9, their newest performance venue. Seventy percent of the Music Therapy program alumni returned for this special occasion. Select the link to a photos of some of the alumni.

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A message from the Office of Global Engagement: For many of our international college students, this Thanksgiving on November 28 will be a new experience. We invite you to share it with them through the SPU Home for the Thanksgiving Holiday program. Host an international student as you share a festive meal with family and friends. All you need to do is set one more place at your table. We will match you up with a student — or two if you want! (Students may or may not need help with transportation.)

Joining you and your family to celebrate and experience this traditional holiday will be a great learning experience for our students and you and your family. If you can share this day with one (or more) of our students, contact Caroline Maurer, director of OGE, at cmaurer@spu.edu by Friday, Nov. 15.

The Theatre Department presents Men on Boats, Nov. 14–16 and 21–23, 7:30 p.m. in McKinley Hall. One matinee performance will be Saturday, Nov. 23, at 1 p.m.

This new production is loosely based on the true story of a group of early explorers charting the Colorado River. This delightful adventure follows the group of insane yet loyal volunteers down the river, spinning historical, theatrical, and gender conventions on their heads. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors (age 60 and over) and students (age 25 and under) with a valid ID. Tickets are available for purchase at the door, online at the Theatre Box Office, or by calling 206-281-2959.

Featuring the best of sacred Advent music and Christmas carols from around the world and performed by the Music Department’s nationally recognized student and faculty musicians, the 20th annual Sacred Sounds of Christmas will be held in downtown Seattle’s majestic Benaroya Hall on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. This concert always sells out, so purchase your tickets soon.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published every Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) 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, November 14. The next Bulletin will be published on Monday, November 18. 

In recognition of her service to the SPU community, Priscilla Onyedikachi Ozodo-Acevedo, minister of worship and production in University Ministries, was nominated by her peers and selected by Staff Council as the November Staff Member of the Month. Congratulations and thank you, Priscilla! Learn more about Priscilla and nominate a colleague for recognition on the Staff Council website,

Daniel Castelo, professor of dogmatic and constructive theology, has been appointed by the bishops of the Free Methodist Church to be a part of the Free Methodist Church Study Commission on Doctrine for the term 2020–24. This body discusses and advises on doctrinal challenges and issues facing the denomination as a whole, and meets yearly in Indianapolis at the denomination’s headquarters.

J.J. Johnson Leese, assistant professor of Christian scripture, spoke on a plenary panel at the Los Angeles Symposium on Ecologically Informed Theological Education. Her topic was “Faith and Ecological Justice.”

Alberto Ferreiro, professor of history, spoke at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bothell, Oct. 27, in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) classes on the topic of God. He highlighted how unique the Christian concept of God (Trinity) is in comparison to ancient religions and current major world religions. He also addressed how God is known through the Scriptures, the sacraments (especially the Holy Eucharist), prayer, and in service of others. Those who attended are preparing for entry into the Catholic Church at Easter. This is the first of five talks that he will deliver.

Brad Murg, assistant professor of political science and director of global development studies, was invited to present a paper at the conference “ASEAN-EU Relations: Navigating Divides, Deepening Cooperation” organized by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Phnom Penh on Nov. 1. The following day, Brad served as a panelist discussing U.S.-China competition and its implications for Southeast Asian security at the inaugural dialogue meeting between the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam — presided over by CICP’s chairman HRH Prince Norodom Sirividudh and the Ambassador of Vietnam Vu Quang Minh. While in Cambodia, he was also invited to brief the American, Australian, and Swiss embassies on various topics related to China’s aid policy in Southeast Asia.

Mark Oppenlander, director of the Center for Applied Learning in the School of Business, Government, and Economics, gave the presentation “Science or Art? How Looking at the Data Led Us to a More Creative Mentor Matching Process” at the University of New Mexico’s Mentoring Institute’s annual mentoring conference in Albuquerque.

In October, Christian Scholar’s Review featured an article co-written by Michael Paulus, university librarian and assistant provost for educational technology; Bruce Baker, associate professor of business ethics; and Michael Langford, associate professor of theology, discipleship, and ministry. The article, titled “A Framework for Digital Wisdom in Higher Education," builds on a previous CSR article by SPU faculty members Kenman Wong, Bruce Baker, and Randy Franz.

Pete Renn, assistant dean for certification programs and director of the Center for Professional Education, was recently named the new chair for the Committee for Academic Standards and Accreditation with the American Educational Studies Association. AESA is a society primarily comprised of college and university professors who teach and research in the field of education utilizing one or more of the liberal arts disciplines of philosophy, history, politics, sociology, anthropology, or economics as well as comparative/international studies.

An article by Munyi Shea, associate professor of counselor education, was recently published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, a top-tiered journal in the field of counseling psychology. The article is titled “College Students’ Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Counseling: Scale Development and Psychometric Evaluation.” The study reports a newly developed multidimensional measure assessing six specific types of perceived barriers to seeking mental health counseling among ethnically diverse college students. Munyi would like to acknowledge her co-authors, Joel Wong and Patricia Gonzalez at Indiana University Bloomington, as well as Kimmy Nguyen at California State University, Los Angeles.

Two book review by Deborah Bacharach, adjunct instructor for School of Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing program, were published recently, including one in The Adroit Journal of Mary Peelen’s Quantum Heresies. Several of her poems have been published, including “Lazarus” in Glintmoon.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming the following new staff members:

Sara Jones, assistant director, Center for Career and Calling
Dereck Kamwesa (two positions), admissions counselor, Church and Faith-Based Community Outreach, Undergraduate Admissions; and career coach, Center for Career and Calling
Ben Lockyear, student financial aid and loan coordinator, Student Financial Services
Marissa Spruiell, business systems analyst, Computer and Information Systems

The Office of Human Resources would like to congratulate the following staff members on their new appointments:

Luke Davis, assistant director, freshman recruitment, Undergraduate Admissions
Maliea Lowe-Hale, executive assistant to the provost, Provost Office
Michelle McFarland, associate director, Undergraduate Admissions

In an editorial on November 5, The Seattle Times editorial board recognized Falcon athletes for receiving the NCAA Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence for the ninth consecutive year. School athletic departments that achieve a four-year academic success rate of 90 percent or higher are presented with the distinguished award. The editorial also mentioned President Dan Martin and Athletic Director Jackson Stava for "ensuring that academics remain at the forefront of the student-athlete equation, as do the Falcons of all 13 teams."

University Communications specialist Clint Kelly, who retired in 2018 after 30 years at SPU, passed away suddenly on November 7 after a brief illness. As a senior writer for Response magazine, Clint profiled hundreds of people for the magazine as well as for newsletters, brochures, fundraising appeals, programs, and online stories. A gifted storyteller, Clint knew how to capture God's work in the lives of alumni, donors, students, faculty, and staff through their faith, service, and generosity. He juggled other projects in his role as communications specialist, and was known as the “workhorse” of University Communications, writing energetically and never missing a deadline. He was also an award-winning author of 17 books (including a Christian romance novel written under his nom de plume, Carolina Bravo) and dozens of magazine articles, as well as a frequent speaker at writing conferences. The 1999 Exempt Staff Member of the Year and the 2018 May Staff Member of the Month was a dear and treasured member of University Communications. 

Clint was a member of the President’s Circle. He was inspired to give a gift in memory of his wife, Cheryll, naming a training room in her honor in the new School of Health Sciences at 6 Nickerson.

The University Communications office has a special sympathy card that SPU community members can sign. The card will be available beginning at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13. 

A Celebration of Life for Clint will be held Saturday, December 7, at 11 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2531 Hoyt Avenue in Everett. The family is asking attendees to wear red, which was Clint's favorite color.