UMin invites you to drop-in to Upper SUB and practice the discipline and spiritual rhythm of gratitude we kicked off in our All-University Chapel on Nov. 1. Come grab a cup of tea and check out our gratitude journal station, add to our gratitude garland, and take a moment to remember the saints, the mentors, the friends and family who are in our lives today by writing them a gratitude or encouragement card. Let's grow in gratitude together. God working in it may have the capacity to change something in us even when it feels impossible….come drop-in!

This workshop from Educational Technology & Media will explore the basics of badges and their use in education. This will be not only a review of how faculty and staff currently can use them at SPU, but also a chance to discuss what they might be good or less good for in courses, clubs, and beyond. This workshop will be offered Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2–3 p.m., in the ETM offices, Library lower level. It will also be Friday, Nov. 18, 10–11 a.m. online at spu.zoom.us/j/99111866517?pwd=WUM2OXNsVjNyTE1NTVdiR0d2UWkwdz09.

Did you know that you could use the GET App to dine on campus? Use the GET App to access your dining account and enter Gwinn Commons. You can also use the app to order from our newest concept, Serrano Grille’s burritos, bowls, and quesadillas. Or order your favorite Starbucks beverages from Academic Perks and Common Grounds or a sandwich at Einstein Bagel Bros. Use your credit card or Falcon Funds to make purchases through the GET App. Learn more here.

SPU is honored to be the host of the 2022 NCAA DII Fall Festival — one of the flagship events on the NCAA DII calendar — Tuesday, Nov. 29–Dec. 3. About 1,500 student-athletes and coaches will come to Seattle to compete in six separate national championship events, and hundreds of volunteers will be needed for the festival.

In coordination with SPU’s Senior Leadership Team, faculty and staff can volunteer for this event during their normal work schedules without needing to take vacation or leave time, although volunteering during work hours must first be approved by your supervisor prior to registering as a volunteer. Family members, friends, youth sports clubs, etc., can also volunteer, so feel free to pass along the links. Volunteers do not need to be associated with SPU. Visit the Fall Festival Fan Information website to see events and campus and Seattle locations. Volunteers will receive NCAA Championships apparel and credentials along with snacks and meals if the volunteer shift is during a meal window. Email Hannah Murphy in Athletics at murphyh3@spu.edu with questions, and sign up to volunteer here.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly on Mondays during the academic year (or Tuesday, if Monday is a holiday). The next deadline is Thursday, Nov. 17, and the next issue will be published Monday, Nov. 21.

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.

In recognition of her research and mentorship of undergraduate students, Professor of Biology Cara Wall-Scheffler received the 2022 Lynwood W. Swanson Scientific Research Award from M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust at a special ceremony on November 11. She received the award for “her internationally recognized work uncoupling and re-coupling human locomotor evolution with reproductive fitness, and her unparalleled mentorship of undergraduate student researchers from diverse backgrounds.” Read more about Cara's research and the award. 

She will give a public lecture about her recent work on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, at 6 p.m. in Upper Gwinn Commons. Congratulations, Cara!

Owen Ewald, C. May Marston Associate Professor of Classics, recently published an open-source elementary New Testament Greek textbook with the Seattle Pacific Library’s new press and with the University of Minnesota’s Open Textbook Library. The textbook is available for viewing or downloading at Elementary New Testament Greek — Open Textbook Library (umn.edu). Dominic Williamson, senior instructional designer in graphics and illustrations in SPU's Educational Technology and Media, created the cover image. Instructors can adapt individual sections or chapters for their own purposes. "I hope my textbook will be useful to a wide variety of beginning students, from L.A. to Lagos," said Owen.

Gwia Kim, assistant professor of apparel design and merchandising, was co-presenter of a recent poster presentation, “The Importance of Fashion Pop-up Store Format and Brand Type on Enhancing Consumers’ Brand Interest: The Moderating Role of Fashion Leadership." She gave the presentation at the International Textile and Apparel Association annual conference in Denver, Colorado.

A paper by Karen Snedker, professor of sociology, and SPU undergraduate students Andria Fredriks and Emily Nye titled, “Counting Tents: Pedagogical Reflections on Faculty-Student Collaboration in a Real-World Project on Homelessness,” was published in Teaching Sociology.

Gerhard Steinke, professor of management and information systems, and the School of Business, Government, and Economics hosted the 33rd annual conference of the International Information Management Association (IIMA) in Seattle, Oct. 23–26, 2022. Conference participants were treated to a wide variety of thought-provoking keynote, paper, and workshop presentations. The conference took place at the Museum of Flight, as well as in Falcon Lounge on the SPU campus. Jim Jenkins, adjunct faculty, and several IS Data Analytics graduate students helped host guests from as far away as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Conference events included a trip up to the top of the Space Needle, the conference dinner at the Crab Pot restaurant, and a trip to Microsoft. One of the grad students created this short video recap of the conference.

Rachell Sumpter, assistant professor of illustration, recently gave a presentation of her work at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and discussed the creative process behind the book, Birthday of the World. She hosted a discussion with concept artist and Nickelodeon animator Jason Duncan and painter Abigail Platter to discuss the crossover of illustration and concept art.

A new poem by Mischa Willett, assistant professor of English and writing, titled “The Garden of Eros is a Watching Place” was published in North American Anglican.

Kenman Wong, professor of business ethics, and Annie Kato, assistant professor of management, had their article, “Are Your Students Quiet Quitting or Imbibing Hustle Culture? Consider a Third Way,” recently published in the Christian Scholar’s Review.

An article by Alberto Ferreiro, professor emeritus of European history, titled “The Apocryphal Simon Peter and Simon Magus in the Chapel of San Blas, Primate Cathedral of Toledo, Spain," was published in Iconographica: Studies in the History of Images, SISMEL 21 (2022) 30–38. The Chapel of San Blas was in ruins and in an advanced state of deterioration for over 200 years, especially its frescos. From 2014–16 an impressive restoration was carried out. The frescos were restored to their original glory. In 2016, Alberto visited the chapel with his Salamanca group and saw the frescos, including the apocryphal duel of Simon Magus and Simon Peter in the presence of the Emperor Nero. In 2017, he did research in the cathedral archives, the first ever on the apocryphal scene and its context. The final result is this article.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming new staff member, Sharon Hagerty, programs manager, School of Health Sciences.