Former SPU track star and NCAA champion Vanessa Aniteye is a finalist for the women's Seattle Sports Star of the Year award. Cast your ballot for Vanessa!

Jan 15, 2024

Vanessa Aniteye, former Seattle Pacific track star, winner of last year's NCAA Division II women's indoor 800 meters, and a nine-time All-American, is one of the five women's nominees for the 89th annual Seattle Sports Star of the Year award.

Aniteye's status as a finalist for the women's award was announced on Jan. 15 by the Seattle Sports Commission.

The awards show is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15 at the Westin Seattle Hotel. Former Seattle Seahawks star K.J. Wright will be the master of ceremonies.

Nominees for the women's and men's awards are athletes from across Washington who excelled during the 2023 season, and include professional and collegiate athletes with history-making achievements. They were selected by the Sports Star Nominations Committee.

In addition to the two athlete awards, the other major award to be presented is the Sports Story of the Year.

The winners will be determined by a public online vote. Fans can click on this link to access the Sports Commission's voting page. Votes are limited to one per person, and it is open from now through 11:59 p.m. next Monday, Jan. 22. At the bottom of the voting page is a chance to enter a drawing for two tickets to the awards show.

"A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart" is the theme for the annual chapel service on Jan. 16 featuring faculty, staff, and students in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jan 12, 2024

SPU's annual chapel in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be Tuesday, Jan. 16, 11:10 a.m. in First Free Methodist Church, adjacent to campus. The theme is "Tough Mind, Tender Heart," and will feature faculty, staff, and students. 

The Seattle Times published an opinion piece by Sociology Professor Karen Snedker on the need for better local governance around homelessness.

Jan 9, 2024

"The U.S. is experiencing rising levels of homelessness, especially in West Coast cities. The most recent data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development on homelessness reported a 12% increase since last year. If we want to curb the trend toward rising homelessness, especially in West Coast cities, we must change our framing of the issue and demand accountability from our leaders to advance sound social policy."

Read more of an opinion piece by SPU Professor of Sociology Karen Snedker published in The Seattle Times on Jan. 7, 2024.

"Digital Discernment: Navigating Life, Faith, and Technology" is the theme of SPU's annual Day of Common Learning on Jan. 24 for students, faculty, and staff.

Jan 9, 2024

Now in its 22nd year, the Day of Common Learning at Seattle Pacific University is a campuswide event in which students, faculty, and staff have the opportunity to engage in deep thought and conversation around a topic of interest and concern. 

This year's theme is "Digital Discernment: Navigating Life, Faith, and Technology." The keynote speaker is Dr. Kate Ott, a highly respected scholar and nationally recognized expert in a number of ethical discourses. As a feminist and Christian ethicist, Dr. Ott specializes in technology, children and youth, sexuality, pedagogy, and professional ethics. She has authored several books, including Christian Ethics for a Digital Society and, most recently, Sex, Tech & Faith: Ethics for a Digital Age.

Several afternoon sessions will be held related to day's theme led by faculty from various disciplines, including "AI Tools in the Classroom – a Live Experiment," "Digital and Information Equity in Seattle," "Discerning Climate Change Information," and :AI, Faith, and the Future."

Learn more about the day's events here.

Pulitzer-prize winning author Dr. Ronald C. White talks about his new book on a famous Civil War general who was a committed Christian and abolitionist.

Jan 2, 2024

Pulitzer-prize winning author, historian, and theologian Dr. Ronald C. White, will share about his new book on Joshua L. Chamberlain, the famous Civil War general who was also a committed Christian and abolitionist. This latest release is an important companion for his previous books on Lincoln, Grant, and the social gospel. Enjoy significant conversations around issues of racial justice and Christian participation in war. This event is free; no registration required.

"On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain”
Thursday, January 25, 2024, 7–9 p.m.
First Free Methodist Church (Fine Center), adjacent to campus

Learn more.

If you’ve ever wondered whether seminary was for you, Seattle Pacific Seminary invites you to explore your calling and vocation, Jan. 29–30.

Jan 2, 2024

If you’ve ever wondered whether seminary was for you, Seattle Pacific Seminary invites you to explore your calling and vocation at Discernment Days. This year, we're hosting a two-day event on January 29-30th. Prospective students will have the opportunity to visit classes, meet with current students, faculty, and administrators, and tour the campus. The event is free, and food is included! You can come for one or both days.

Learn more.

For the 13th year in a row, SPU is a winner of the NCAA Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence.

Dec 19, 2023

For the 13th year in a row, SPU has been announced as a winner of the NCAA Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence. SPU is just one of eight schools in Division II to win the award all 13 years that it has been presented. This year, a total of 44 schools were on the prestigious list. The award recognizes a four-year academic success rate (ASR) of 90 percent or higher. Congratulations to our Falcon athletes!

SPU Theology Professor Katherine Douglass receives $1 million grant to study faith in families. She will work with fellow professors, students, staff and local congregations.

Dec 18, 2023

How do churches support families in the faith formation of children? How do church leaders navigate topics of disability, mental health, and sexuality through a Christian lens, and move toward racially conscious ministries? How do parents understand the scriptures on these topics and how do they read them with their children?

These questions and more will be the focus of a research project led by Katherine Douglass, Seattle Pacific University associate professor of educational ministry and practical theology. She received a $1 million grant from Lily Endowment Inc. as part of the Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative to study faith socialization in families. The grant will also bring together ministry leaders and parents for a trip to Hawaii to learn about the impact of disease, family, religion, and government within the former leper colony on Moloka’i.

Douglass will be working with undergraduate and graduate students along with four SPU professors and staff in theology, psychology, and multi-ethnic programs

Read the full press release. 

Learn stories of Christian businesspeople around the world who are demonstrating how their faith impacts their work. Watch short films along with study guides in your small group.

Dec 18, 2023

Faith & Co. is a partnership between academic departments, entrepreneurial companies, and mission-driven institutions. Supported by generous donor funding and facilitated by Seattle Pacific University, this bold experiment in exploring the potential of educational film and Christian vocation has united a team of experts to deliver rigorous, high-quality resources in the spirit of teaching and learning. Faith & Co. is an educational and formational experience that will deepen connections between your faith and work.

Learn more.

Longtime theatre Professor George Scranton passed away on Nov. 28. He leaves a lasting impact with hundreds of students and Seattle Pacific.

Dec 12, 2023

George Scranton, professor emeritus of theatre, passed away on Nov. 28. George was an SPU alumnus and served on the faculty for more than 40 years.