Join us for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Chapel on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 11:10 a.m., in Upper Gwinn, along with an extended performance and conversation of “The Art of Tough Talks” from 11:50 a.m.–12:50 p.m. Lunch will be provided for the first 100 people. This year's speaker is alumna Michelle Lang-Raymond ’04, executive director and CEO of Acts on Stage.

Professor of Biology Cara Wall-Scheffler will present her latest research examining how women’s “endurance mobility has shaped the evolution of our entire human species" at a public lecture Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at 6 p.m. in Upper Gwinn Commons, Queen Anne Room. The lecture is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/dOZ0nK3bOgs.

In November, Cara received the 2022 Lynwood W. Swanson Scientific Research Award from M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, which recognizes a senior faculty member with an established, productive, and nationally recognized research program.

Join us for the Day of Common Learning on Wednesday, Jan. 25, beginning with the keynote address at 10 a.m. in Royal Brougham Pavilion. Our keynote speaker, spoken-word artist Lo Alaman, will begin the day sharing how “Art and Atonement” can help heal brokenness in this world. The day also features breakout sessions at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. around this topic and ends with an open mic night for students at 7 p.m. Classes before 3 p.m. are canceled so the community can come together around this important topic. Classes from 3 p.m. onward will take place as usual. For the complete schedule, including the Faculty Luncheon with Lo, visit the Day of Common Learning website.

Seattle Pacific University’s Department of Philosophy welcomes Alicia Finch, associate professor of philosophy at Northern Illinois University, for the C. Stephen Layman Lecture in Philosophy on Thursday, Jan. 12, 4 p.m., in Eaton Hall 112. This year’s lecture is titled “The Terms of the Free Will Debate: Defining ‘Free Will’.”

A message from Bryan Jones, interim vice president of Enrollment Management and Marketing. A new year means new offices for several departments in EMM. University Communications has moved from 4 Nic to Demaray Hall, with the staff located in DH 253, DH 258, and DH 153. Graduate Admissions has also moved from 4 Nic, and is now housed in DH 120 along with Undergraduate Admissions.

I also want to let you know that the Office of Enrollment Management and Marketing has moved down the hall to Demaray Hall 220, where my office is, along with Kevin McKinney, EMM budget manager, and the executive assistant to the vice president of enrollment management and marketing. Please don’t be shy about stopping in and saying “hi”!

A message from SPU Dining Services: SPU Dining is grateful for the support our Catering Team has received from our campus partners. Going forward, please contact our Catering Manager Kaila Schardt through !Catering (catering@spu.edu) or by phone at 206-281-2056. We will be happy to assist you with events of any type!

From Queen Anne Boy Scout Troop 72: “Thank you for allowing us to use the Emerson Hall parking lot and all the help you provided. We had a successful year for the tree lot from both a monetary perspective and, more importantly, a formative impact on the scouts. We also raised more than $11,000 for the Queen Anne food bank.” The troop also thanked campus security for the regular patrols of the tree lot, adding, “Their efforts were appreciated and effective.” For years, the troop has held their Christmas tree sale in the Safeway parking lot on top of Queen Anne Hill, but due to construction in that area in 2022, they reached out to SPU.

Nominate someone for Staff of the Month! Do you know an SPU staff member who impacts our community through their service and leadership? Nominate that individual today!

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 contact 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 on Mondays during the academic year (or Tuesday, if Monday is a holiday). The next deadline is Thursday, Jan. 12, and the next issue will be published Tuesday, Jan. 17, due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

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.

Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance Katie Butte, Professor of Health and Human Performance Dale Canavan, and Associate Professor of Mathematics John Hossler recently had a paper published in the Journal of Sports Sciences for Health titled, “The relationship between objectively measured sitting time, posture, and low back pain in sedentary employees during COVID-19.” Students and 2022 graduates Caleb Travis and Jon Geiger were contributing authors. The equipment for this project was funded with a Faculty Research Grant.

Sara Shaban, assistant professor of journalism, was the virtual guest speaker at Salzburg University's Department of Communications Studies lecture on Jan. 9. Her lecture was titled "Feminism, Activism and Islam in the Media," and she also discussed her book, Iranian Feminism and Transnational Ethics in Media Discourse.

Alice Bravo, assistant professor of teacher education, has co-authored an article in Frontiers in Psychiatry titled, “Supporting the inclusion and retention of autistic students: Exploring teachers’ and paraeducators’ use of evidence-based practices in public elementary schools.”

Lynn Ernsting, executive director in University Services, is now a certified auxiliary services professional (CASP) through the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS). This designation is the only benchmark certification that validates and measures competencies that a person operating at the level of a director or above must demonstrate to successfully oversee the delivery of multiple auxiliary services found on a college or university campus. Congratulations, Lynn!

Assistant Professor of Global Development Mohammad Qadam Shah has had his interview and work cited in the November 2022 publication, Why the Afghan Government Collapsed (PDF), from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). SIGAR was created by the U.S. Congress to provide independent and objective oversight of Afghanistan reconstruction projects and activities.

Bruce Baker, professor emeritus of business ethics, recently had his chapter, “A New Catechism for the Digital Age: Answering the Questions Posed by AI,” published in the book, Technē: Christian Visions of Technology.

Jason Thornberry, receptionist in the School of Education and SPU adjunct writing instructor, had his poem, “Abraded Wings,” published recently in Apricity magazine.

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

Bryce Mulder, program manager, Psychology and Research Psychology, School of Psychology, Family, and Community
Andrea Gonzalez Serrano, administrative assistant, Otto Miller Hall
Frank Vargas, transfer admissions counselor, University Recruitment and Admissions

Sarah Shaban, assistant professor of communication, was quoted in the Nov. 17, 2022, World article, “Is Iran headed for another revolution."