The new issue of Response magazine invites you to spend time with Advent 2021: Weekly Advent Meditations from Scott Cairns, professor of English and director of the MFA program; Rick Steele, professor of moral and historical theology; Dominique Gilliard, guest speaker on campus this fall; and past reflections from the late alumnus Eugene Peterson ’54.

The latest SPU Voices Podcast features alumna Allie Roth '03. Allie had an established career in teaching but in 2013, when she discovered that one of her elementary students had lived in three different foster homes in as many months, her life changed. Allie tried to find resources for her student, but she grew discouraged after realizing that resources for kids were hard to find. That is when she decided to start With Love, an organization in Portland, Oregon that supports foster families with vital resources. Listen to the podcast or read the transcript.

The Jan. 1, 2022, deadline for completing Cybersecurity Awareness training is quickly approaching. All faculty and staff are required to complete this training. Instructions for accessing and completing the training are available in the SPU wiki Cybersecurity Awareness Training section. Reminder: Any employee unable to complete the training by this date will lose access to systems and information until the training is completed. This is the first time this training is required at SPU, and will be required annually in the future.

Go Birds! chronicles Seattle Pacific University sports and how they evolved over time — from the origins of men's competition in 1930s-40s to the expansion of women's sports in the 1970s. The history is told through stories, beginning in 1950 and extending through SPU's 125th anniversary year in 2016–17. From golden goals to buzzer beaters, the pages are filled with engaging anecdotes and statistics about Falcon players, coaches, and teams. It's a book for Falcon fans, former players, and anyone who appreciates the impact SPU sports have made on the Seattle community and beyond. 

The book was compiled by John Glancy, retired staff member and former director of SPU's 125 anniversary celebration; Wes Lingren, professor emeritus of chemistry and former tennis coach; Frank MacDonald, former SPU sports information director; and Adrienne Meier, University Archivist.

Go Birds! is available on Amazon.com.

You can now buy Fort Casey Inn gift certificates online. Share a unique and adventurous present with your loved ones this holiday season! For more information, visit the Fort Casey Inn gift certificate page.

The Faculty/Staff Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year. The next deadline is Thursday, Dec. 16, and the last issue for 2021 will be published Monday, Dec. 20. The Bulletin will resume publication on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. If you have announcements or news for the first two weeks of Winter Quarter, send it now with an image or graphic to Bulletin editor Tracy Norlen at fsb-editor@spu.edu. Submissions may be edited for clarity.

Gwia Kim, assistant professor of apparel design and merchandising, recently had her article, “Assessing Malaysia and Indonesia as emerging retail markets: An institution-based view,” published in the International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management.

Mohammad Qadam Shah, assistant professor of global development, had his paper, “Why transition to modern democracy is challenging in developing nations? Exploring the role of foreign powers in Afghanistan,” published in the American Political Science Association Newsletter.

Please join the Office of Human Resources in welcoming Lucy Israel, office coordinator and budget manager, Faculty Life Office.

Nate Hoover, associate director in the Center for Biblical and Theological Education, explains his monthly cartoon. I wonder if Mary kept a record of how many puns Joseph told on the journey to Bethlehem. To see more of my cartoons, find me on Instagram @hoovernathaniel.

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