Arts, Lectures, Events

WA Governor Jay Inslee visited Seattle University on April 14, 2023 in our latest installment of the "Conversation Series." He talked with hosts Larry Hubbell and Joni Balter and Public Affairs students Anna Smalley and Gabby Batinich about climate change in front of a packed house of SU students, faculty, and staff.

Seattle University's Institute of Public Service hosted a fascinating installment of "Conversations" on February 24, 2023 with a rare afternoon sit-down with Washington's own U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, the new congresswoman who staged the biggest upset of the 2022 fall congressional elections.

The first of the Institute of Public Service's 2022-23 events was held on October 20, featuring Dr. Vin Gupta, public health physician, professor, health policy expert; incoming Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz; and Seattle City Councilmember Sara Nelson, who has taught women's studies classes at the University of Washington. They talked about managing anxiety and other difficulties in stressful times with Dr. Larry Hubbell.

Seattle University’s “Conversations” series continued May 16, 2022, with General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.), a national security and terrorism analyst for NBC News, and Gary Locke, former US Ambassador to China and former Washington State governor. They were interviewed by professor Larry Hubbell and journalist Joni Balter. Watch the program on the Seattle Channel.

Seattle University’s Creative Writing Program’s Spring 2022 author event, the pre-publicity soft book launch of Dr. Bryn Gribben’s beautiful new volume of essays, Amplified Heart: An Emotional Discography.

Valerie Biden Owens, President Joe Biden’s younger sister, trusted confidante and lifelong campaign manager, talked about her new memoir, “Growing Up Biden,” with SU's Dr. Jeanette Rodriguez.

Bruce Harrell, after his first months in office, described plans for turning the city around, talking about all of about all of it -- public safety, downtown revitalization, housing and overall well-being of the city. Harrell was interviewed on stage Larry Hubbell, professor, and Joni Balter, journalist, and graduate students Mandela Gardner and Camille Rochester. The inaugural episode of our new partnership with Seattle Channel.

The Modern Languages and Cultures Department presented “My Professional Life in Another Language” on February 24. Alumni shared with current students and the community at large how learning a second language contributed to their personal growth, helped build their intercultural proficiency, and opened unexpected doors that propelled and enriched their careers.

Dr. Earenfight, Professor and Director of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Seattle University, talked about her new book, "Catherine of Aragon: Infanta of Spain, Queen of England," and shared her compelling picture of a multifaceted, intelligent woman and a queen of England in a lively conversation with Dr. Hazel Hahn, Professor, History on February 3, 2022.

Seattle University Choirs present their seasonal celebration in song and word. Dr. Leann Conley-Holcom, Director; Dr. Lee Peterson, Assistant Director and Pianist. Featuring University Chorale, Chamber Singers & University Singers.

In “Her Honor”, Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell provides a rare and thought-provoking insider account of our legal system, sharing vivid stories of the cases that came through her courtroom and revealing the strengths, flaws, and much-needed changes within our courts. Joining her in this conversation was Judge Anita Crawford-Willis, a graduate of Seattle University and its Law School.

Dr. Nalini Iyer, Pigott-McCone Endowed Chair in the Humanities. and the English Department welcomed Dr. Tamiko Nimura, who spoke about her recent book, “We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration.” This graphic novel about Japanese Americans is co-authored with Frank Abe and artists Ross Ishikawa and Matt Sasaki.

The Indigenous People's Institute at Seattle University presentedthe Second Annual Honoring Indigenous Voices: Interweaving the work of Storytelling and its Relationship to Inner Growth. Presented live at Pigott Auditorium on October 25, 2021.

“Virtual Transversal: Poetry & Performance by Urayoán Noel.” A bilingual poetry event featuring English/Spanish translations of the author's new book, "Transversal," just released by the University of Arizona Press. With Susan Meyers, PhD, Associate Professor, English and Director, Creative Writing Program and Juan Reyes, MFA, Assistant Professor, English.

Panelists include: Marc Dones (they/them), CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority; Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (she/her); Tiffani McCoy (she/her), advocacy director for Real Change News; and Jon Scholes (he/him), president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association. The event was moderated by Larry Hubbell, professor at Seattle University, and Joni Balter, contributing columnist and lecturer at SU.

A resilient workforce during these challenging times is more meaningful than ever. Leaders and team members alike have unique opportunities to help others navigate their experiences while also taking care of themselves. Learn about behavioral health considerations and navigating the unknowns during recovery. The presentation includes information about the physical and neuro-chemical processes at work that influence our behavior in disaster recovery, strategies for improving healthy boundaries, self-efficacy, and active coping, and the PEACE model for active, practical resilience building.

Few figures in American arts have stories richer in irony than does architect Minoru Yamasaki. While his twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center are internationally iconic, few who know the icon recognize its architect’s name or know much about his work. One is tempted to call him America’s most famous forgotten architect. He was classed in the top tier of his profession in the 1950s and 60s, as he carried modernism in novel directions, yet today he is best known not for buildings that stand, but for two projects that were destroyed under tragic circumstances: the twin towers and the Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis.

Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs, PhD, Professor, Modern Languages and Women Gender, and Sexuality Studies, participated in ”GRITO de POESÍA! A Chicanx Celebration of Culture and Life," celebrating the publication of Chicanx & Latinx poets spanning 100 years (1920-2020) with a live reading on Mexican Independence Day.

Dr. Sonora Jha (Professor, Communications and Associate Dean)  in conversation with Dr. Nalini Iyer (Professor, English and Pigott-McCone Endowed Chair) and Dr. Theresa Earenfight (Professor, Department of History and Chair, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies) about her important new book “How to Raise a Feminist Son: Motherhood, Masculinity, and the Making of my Family.”

The final in a three-part panel series organized by the Seattle University History Department. Presenters: Dr. Saheed Adejumobi, “Race, Empire and the Legacies of Aborted Revolutions,” Dr. Tom Taylor, “The Fate of any Revolution Hangs Upon the Disposition of the Army,” The Revolutionary Lessons of Leon Trotsky, and Dr. Aldis Purs, “Teaching Coups amidst Coups.” Moderated by Dr. Nova Robinson

Dr. Danielson hoped to sustain people’s commitment to racial equity during these exhausting days and to go deeper into the nature of systemic racism and strategies to help address the difficult work of promoting equity. Presented by Seattle University Master of Social Work and Seattle University Nonprofit Leadership,

In the wake of the George Floyd murder, the COVID virus and electoral politics, protests have become an ever-present experience across the US and the world. This panel explored historical examples of protests and assessed their effectiveness as agents of change. Presenters: Dr. Michael Dean: Comparing Antifascisms: Successes and Failures, Dr. Hazel Hahn: From Tiananmen Square to the Capitol: Urban Planning, Architecture and Protests, and Dr. Dan Dombrowski: What is Civil Disobedience? Some Lessons from Gandi and MLK.

Dr. John Hainze appears in conversation with Dr. Heidi Liere, Ecologist and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Seattle University where she studies, among other things, insects in urban gardens and in urban agriculture.  They considered human relationships with insects and other tiny creatures, especially in built environments. Co-presented by Seattle University Department of Environmental Studies and College of Arts and Sciences and Elliott Bay Book