INST News

"After spending 4 years studying International Studies, I am so grateful to be abroad, experiencing everything we learned about. Besides living in a different culture, my school is super unique because only about 15% of my students are from Spain!" --Hannah Reidel '22

"The professors in the INST program at Seattle University inspired us to engage in critical thinking while cultivating empathy, humility, and openness. Embracing this holistic approach to learning has proven to be immensely valuable as I embarked on my journey of teaching abroad in Spain this year." --Alina Taylor '22

Mikey Redding '23, INST/PUBA Majors

Don't Say Gay: An examination for Florida's Restrictive Education Polices and Potential Alternatives

Following the signing of Florida’s HB 1577, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, an influx of discriminatory and exclusionary bills were introduced across the country, reflecting a deeply concerning turn for education standards in the United States. 

Abigail Dean '23 INSTR, - From Integration to Radicalization: Uncovering the Lind between Salafist Jihadism and Moroccan Migrants in France

Ami Kakubari '23 INSTR, - Women in Japan's Male-Dominated National Parliament and Cabinet: An Analysis of Women's Leadership and Reproductive Rights

Dr. Murtinho is associate professor and director of the International Studies Program. He teaches World Geography and Research Methods in International Studies. He also teaches the Applied Data Analysis course for the Master in Public Administration program.

Dr.'s Murtinho and Hayes Publish Article

May 16, 2023

As part of their NSF research project on the use of economic incentives for conservation and sustainable development in Ecuador, Dr. Felipe Murtinho (International Studies) and Dr. Tanya Hayes (Environmental Studies) published the article “Diagnosing Participation and Inclusion in Collective Decision-Making in the Commons: Lessons from Ecuador”. The article aims to understand the governance mechanisms that facilitate more inclusive communal decision-making processes among indigenous communities in Ecuador. The findings reiterate the challenge of gaining full participation, particularly from women, and indicate how the gender makeup of the executive council and leadership training may influence greater inclusion and overall agreement with communal decisions.

Johno Jackson awarded a Critical Language Scholarship

April 20, 2023

Johno Jackson was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship to study Hindi at the advanced level this summer. He will travel to Jaipur, India to participate in eight weeks of intensive language study at the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS). The CLS program promotes language skills and cultural competence in languages and regions under-studied by U.S. college students. 

Danielle Garcia is named Editor-In-chief of the UCLA Law Review

March 27, 2023

Danielle Garcia '12, spent nine years after graduation working for local community based and government organizations attempting to address the housing and homelessness crisis in Seattle and King County. She came to realize that the largest social issues are the result of policies and systems built on oppression. In order to expand her skills by applying to graduate school, she deeply valued the countless letters of recommendation written by her former faculty advisor. Danielle is currently in her second year at UCLA, pursuing a joint degree in law and public policy, specializing in Critical Race Studies and Public Interest Law and Policy. She most recently became Editor-In-chief of the UCLA Law Review.

Dr. Hudgins Led Students on a Migration Justice Immersion Program

March 8, 2023

Audrey Hudgins, EdD, Clinical Associate Professor, Matteo Ricci Institute and affiliated International Studies faculty, and Amanda Heffernan, College of Nursing, led a group of 11 students on a migration justice immersion program with Kino Border Initiative, a bi-national non-governmental organization (NGO) located in Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. The December 17-22, 2022 experience immersed participants in the complexities of migration in the borderlands, with a focus on making humane, just, workable migration between the US and Mexico a reality. 

Dr. Hudgins’s teaching interests include migration, leadership, and national security. Classes she teaches include "Understanding Leadership," "Global Poverty and Migration," “US-Mexico Border: Contemporary Perspectives,” and “National Security Seminar.” Her current research focuses on migration, critical international service-learning, and community development.

Dr. Murtinho Receives Fellowship for Research in Costa Rica

February 27, 2023

Dr. Murtinho received a Summer Provost Faculty Fellowship to finance his research in Costa Rica. In collaboration with Dr. Hayes, the project aims to better understand water management and adaptation in rural Costa Rican communities facing extreme climatic events such as droughts, hurricanes and associated flooding and landslides.

Dr. Murtinho is associate professor and director of the International Studies Program. He teaches World Geography and Research Methods in International Studies. He also teaches the Applied Data Analysis course for the Master in Public Administration program. 

Rachel Adamek '21 Is Teaching in South Korea

February 14, 2023

Rachel Adamek is currently teaching middle school English in rural South Korea as her Fulbright Fellowship.  Rachel also studied in South Korea as a recipient of the 2019 U.S. State Department Critical Language Scholarship. She reports that she is enjoying her time in the classroom. This award  is affording her the opportunity to pursue her passions for international policy and education and continue her journey to becoming a global citizen. 

Dr. Serena Cosgrove is Associate Professor of International Studies. She teaches several classes in the INST program, including "Understanding Global Poverty," "Conflict & Revolution in Central America," "Global Cultural Citizenship," and "Research Methods for International Studies."

Dr. Serena Cosgrove Receives Endowed Mission Fund Award

February 7, 2023

Dr. Cosgrove received a 2022-2023 Endowed Mission Fund Award which allows her to travel to the country of East Timor, a postwar country with some of the highest levels of gender violence in SE Asia.  She will conduct research with survivors of gender violence and the women's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) serving them to expand her ethnographic study on postwar vulnerability and agency.

Abigail Berhane Selected as Student Research Assistant

January 09, 2023

Abigail will be assisting Dr. Serena Cosgrove in her research work on Heal Her, Heal the Country: Survivor Agency in Postconflict Settings. She is excited to develop professional skills that will include data analysis, communications, and problem solving.  Abigail is hoping to build knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa, women's leadership and NGO's that may inform her future career in international relations.

Meaghan Bogart - Global Engagement Program Coordinator at the University of Oregon Global Studies Institute

December 12, 2022

Meaghan Bogart, 2017, currently works as a Global Engagement Program Coordinator with the Global Studies Institute at the University of Oregon.  She says that, "My job is interesting because I get to support faculty and students advance their research and career development all around the world." As a nice shout out to the INST program, she reports, "One big way my INST studies helped me build my career was through their diverse study abroad opportunities. My experiences abroad not only taught me a lot educationally, but also cemented a belief in the importance of international immersion, which I get to support now for students at the University of Oregon."

Dr. Serena Cosgrove is Associate Professor of International Studies. She teaches several classes in the INST program, including "Understanding Global Poverty," "Conflict & Revolution in Central America," "Global Cultural Citizenship," and "Research Methods for International Studies."

Dr. Serena Cosgrove had published Higher Education, State Repression, and Neoliberal Reform in Nicaragua:  Reflections From a University Under Fire

November 21, 2022

Serena Cosgrove, PhD, and her co-editors, Wendi Bellanger, PhD, and Irina Carlota Silber, PhD, are happy to share the news that their book, Higher Education, State Repression, and Neoliberal Reform in Nicaragua: Reflections from a University under Fire, has just been published by Routledge. This innovative volume makes a key contribution to debates around the role of the university as a space of resistance by highlighting the liberatory practices undertaken to oppose dual pressures of state repression and neoliberal reform at the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in Nicaragua. With a range of contributors from Nicaragua and Central Americanist scholars in the U.S., including the editors, one of the chapters was authored by Andrew Gorvetzian, who graduated in 2015 from Seattle University with a double major in International Studies and Spanish. 

Hallie Evans, ’22, International Studies and Spanish double major, receives Fulbright for Study/Research in Chile. 

November 16, 2022

Hallie Evans will be traveling to Temuco, Chile for one year to conduct a self-directed research project on Indigenous journalism in the region. Hallie notes that the INST department and its programming prepared her for such an experience through its emphasis on multi-perspectival learning and alternate epistemologies. In addition, she would like to thank the INST faculty for being incredibly hands-on and supportive throughout her academic journey at Seattle University and her Fulbright application process.

Dr. Murtinho has Published 

November 09, 2022

As part of their NSF research project on the use of economic incentives for conservation and sustainable development in Ecuador, Professors Tanya Hayes, PhD and Felipe Murtinho, PhD, published the policy report “Incentivos para la conservación: ¿una herramienta que apoya el manejo comunitario sostenido de recursos naturales?” Socio Bosque report 2022 to share with community partners. This summer, they met with officials from the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment to discuss the policy lessons from their study.

Dr. Murtinho is associate professor and director of the International Studies Program. He teaches World Geography and Research Methods in International Studies. He also teaches the Applied Data Analysis course for the Master in Public Administration program. 

Dr. Hudgins Presented at the Latin American Studies Association  2022 Hybrid Congress

November 01, 2022

Audrey Hudgins, EdD, Clinical Associate Professor, Matteo Ricci Institute and affiliated International Studies faculty, presented “Making Mexico Great Again: A Case Study of Migrant Detention and Family Separation in Puebla during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” with Guillermo Yrizar and Elena Ayala, Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, as part of the panel “Restrictions to Mobilities in a COVID-19 Era: Persistence, Resistance, and Human Rights in Central-North America” at the Latin American Studies Association 2022 Hybrid Congress in May.

Dr. Hudgins’s teaching interests include migration, leadership, and national security. Classes she teaches include "Understanding Leadership," "Global Poverty and Migration," “US-Mexico Border: Contemporary Perspectives,” and “National Security Seminar.” Her current research focuses on migration, critical international service-learning, and community development.

Anne-Celine Jeffroy-Menard Completes Masters in Public Health

October 26, 2022

Anne-Celine Jeffroy-Menard, 2018, has received her Masters in Public Health from George Washington University.  Anne-Celine Reports that "During my time earning my MPH, I've been working as a public health consultant on a variety of projects on chronic disease reduction and health equity in CA and globally. I'm living in CA now and moving to Europe soon - hoping to work for a global agency as a consultant in the future. I always knew I wanted to do public health or global health work but writing my thesis based on my experience with IDIP confirmed it for me! Thank you again for your support in that process.

Dr. Zhang has Published in Chinese Political Science Review

October 18, 2022

Associate Professor, Enyu Zhang PhD, International Studies, has published "All Roads Lead to Beijing: Systemism, Power Transition Theory and the Belt and Road Initiative" (co-authored with Patrick James) in Chinese Political Science Review.

Dr. Enyu Zhang is Associate Professor of International Studies.  She offers courses in Asian Studies, International Studies, Political Science, and University Core, including Chinese Politics, Comparative Foreign Policy, East Asian Security, How the UN Works, Intro to International Politics, Intro to Comparative Politics, (Honors) Senior Capstone, and US-China Relations. 

Ryan Giannini - Associate Staff Counsel - Washington State Senate

October 10, 2022

Ryan Giannini, 2018, is a recent graduate of the University of Washington Law School.  He reports that, "My job is interesting because I get to research and keep up to date with various issue areas that affect people across the state. My favorite aspect of this job is eventually using my research to advise our state senators on proposed legislation as well as drafting such legislation on their behalf.  The INST program helped prepare me to perform objective analyses on a variety of topics by expanding my ability to consider and understand different perspectives in both the local and global contexts."

Dr. Robinson to give talk on the St. Joan's Alliance on October 13, 2022 12:30-1:30pm

October 1, 2022

This talk will explore the impact Catholic feminist thought had on the development of the international women’s rights system between 1920 and 1960. St. Joan’s, a feminist Catholic organization, was founded in London in 1911 to encourage Catholic women to support the fight for suffrage in the United Kingdom. The organization later spread throughout the British Empire and took up the larger cause of women’s equality. Given its global reach, it was well positioned to participate in conversations about international women’s rights at the League of Nations and later the United Nations. Unlike some of the major secular women’s organizations, such as the International Council on Women or the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, St. Joan’s advocated for representation from the colonized world.

Dr. Nova Robinson is Associate Professor of International Studies and History. She teaches several classes in the INST program, including Workshop in World History; Women & Gender in the Middle East, Women’s Rights as Human Rights; The Arab-Israeli Conflict.

Michael Ninen -Fulbright Scholarship to Study in Mexico

October 28, 2022

Michael Ninen, 2020, is recently returned from a Fulbright in Mexico and says that the best part of his experience in Mexico was the chance to continue his language learning. "There were many opportunities for me to learn local sayings, different perspectives on grammar, and real life uses for the language I had been studying for years."  "INST prepared me for a world that is constantly changing and a world that has more perspectives than solely an American one."  He says he is able to bring this outlook with him in all his professional work.

During their research trip to Costa Rica, Dr. Felipe Murtinho and Dr. Tanya Hayes visited the Water Community Organization (WCO) located in the El Mora neighborhood. There they had the opportunity to learn about research priorities from the local perspective.  Murtinho and Hayes have studied the factors that motivate individuals to come together to collectively manage their natural resources systems.  Most recently they have been looking at how payment for environmental service programs motivates communities to conserve their watersheds and high altitude grasslands.

       Photo credit: Anthony Gamboa

INST alumni, Andrew Orita, published the article “Vote by Blood: The Perpetuating Function of Proxies in Japanese Nationality Law” in the University of Pennsylvania Asian Law Review journal. Andrew states “I took a lot of inspiration from the work I did on my senior capstone for this paper, so I'm extremely thankful for SU faculty for their support”. Andrew Orita is currently studying towards a law degree at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Professor Moujtahid has been teaching Arabic and French for over twenty years in language institute, community college, and university settings. She joined Seattle University in 2011, teaching first and second year French and Arabic. Her teaching combines language acquisition with increased student awareness of cultural issues in France as well as in the broader world of the Francophone countries.

Dr. Robinson selected as Provost Fellow

June 27, 2022

Nova Robinson will begin a one-year term as a Provost Fellow in support of the goals of Reigniting Our Strategic Directions.  As faculty leaders and teacher-scholars, the Provost Fellows will bring their experience and expertise to the strategic effort to strengthen the education SU offers in the Jesuit, liberal arts tradition.

Tristin Schultz (International Studies major & Economics minor) was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English for one year in South Korea after graduation. He hopes to use this experience  to pursue a career in public service with a goal of becoming a Foreign Service Officer.

Johno Jackson (International Studies & Public Affairs double major) will be studying Hindi as part of the South Asian Flagship Language Initiative, a program created to increase study of Hindi and Urdu.  The program includes a summer session at the University of Wisconsin-Madison followed by a semester of study in Jaipur, India.

Apply to Fulbright!

May 3, 2022

Fulbright can help you pursue a master’s or PhD, conduct research abroad, or teach English in a foreign country. Multiple International Studies students have earned Fulbright’s over the last few years. Dr. Susan Meyers, Faculty Advisor for the Fulbright Program, helps students learning more about the program and supporting them in their application process. Interested in learning more? Contact Dr. Meyers.

Dr. Susan Meyers is Associate Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program. She teaches grant and professional writing, travel writing, women’s voices, oral history, and writing for social change.

Majd Baniodeh has accepted a position as a Senior Associate Director at APCO Worldwide based in Seattle, Washington. She specializes in the intersection of social impact and social justice and is a member of the firm’s Sustainability & Social Impact team. Ms. Baniodeh credits the INST program with shaping her understanding of the world and developing her ability to evaluate complex international issues.   

Ms. Baniodeh holds a master’s degree in Applied International Studies from the University of Washington, and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Seattle University. She was born and raised in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and speaks Arabic, English and French.

This is Annie's second year working in the TAPIF program.  Last year she was located in Toulouse and now she is working in Aix-en-Provence. She reports that she really enjoys working with French high schooler students because every day involves a mutual exchange of cultures. Annie is also working as a freelance translator on an interdisciplinary book about contemporary Marseille where she currently lives.  After her study abroad experience, which included travel  in Morocco, Annie translated a Moroccan poetry collection which was published last fall (September 2021 with LIthic Press).

Dr. David Green, Center for Faculty Development - Ignatian Pedagogy Series

The Endowed Mission Fund, established in 2001, provides grants to faculty and staff who develop creative ideas to integrate the Jesuit Catholic Mission of Seattle University into their scholarship, teaching and professional endeavors through mission-related programs, projects, research, and trainings.

Dr. Hayes and Dr. Murtinho have published an article in the journal Nature Sustainability. The article looks at the effectiveness of payments made to indigenous communities in Ecuador on the conditions that they conserve their ecosystems so as to provide carbon offsets, watershed protection, and biodiversity conservation. The study examines what happens when payments start, and also, when they unexpectedly stop.

This article in the prestigious Nature Journal is the culmination of 10 years of research on the part of Drs. Hayes and Murtinho.  It is based on research they conducted under two National Science Foundation grants. Read more how they involve SU students in their research projects.

Dr. Murtinho is an Associate Professor and Director of the International Studies program. He teaches Research Methods and World Geography in the INST program. Dr. Hayes is a Professor and the director of the Environmental Studies program.

Dr. Serena Cosgrove is the 2020-2021 Recipient of the Provost's Award for Outstanding Service for Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty

November 5, 2021

Professor Serena Cosgrove has served as Faculty Coordinator of the Central America Initiative since 2014, the Faculty Fulbright Program Advisor from 2011-2019 and was selected as the Director of the Latin American Studies Program beginning in 2018. Dr. Cosgrove also serves Seattle University as a member of the editorial committee of the Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal (SUURJ), the College of Global Affairs Committee, the Common Text Selection Committee, the College Curriculum Committee and as faculty editor for the SUURJ. In addition, Dr. Cosgrove is a valued member of the International Studies Program and is also the program’s leader in recruitment and retention efforts, organizing events for current and prospective students.

October 20, 2021

Professor Audrey Hudgins, with students Hallie Evans and Craig Verniest, collaborated with Fundación Esperanza de Mexico (FEM) on a Community-based Participatory Action Research (CBPR) project in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Find out more here.

The project was funded by a College of Arts & Sciences Student Assistantship. 

Plan your Study Abroad! Come to an info session prepared for INST students. Learn about the types of study abroad, financing, and the application process.

When:  Monday, October 18th from 3:40-4:10pm

Where:  See INST Weekly Memo for Zoom link

 Colleen Cronnelly '20, INSTR Major and BUAD & Arabic Minors

My research offers an analysis of educational accessibility in King County for refugees from the African nation of Somalia, which is the provenance of the largest refugee population in the area.

 At Home in King County: Educational Access in King County for Adult Somali Refugees

Monica McKeown '20, SPAN/INSTR Majors and EVST & LAST Minors.

My article outlines an entry point for assessing the sustainability of ecotourism by reviewing case studies in Costa Rica and proposing a new set of criteria for assessment.

Entry Point for Assessing Sustainability in Ecotourism: Insights From Costa Rica

Isabelle Halaka - Naef Scholarship Recipient 2021-2022

June 21, 2021

Isabelle had this to say, "I am very grateful to be a recipient of the Naef Scholarship! I am looking forward to collaborating with other students in the cohort to find ways that our various passions for social justice intersect."  

The Naef Scholarship recognizes outstanding junior and senior students from diverse backgrounds in the undergraduate schools and programs of the University. The scholars hold endorsements from faculty and staff across the university and have been recognized for their work on and off campus and their leadership.

Audrey Akots Receives Noel J. Brown award

June 7, 2021

Audrey graduates with an International Studies major and Economics and Women and Gender Studies minors. She is both a University Honors graduate and a Clapp Humanitarian Scholarship awardee, as well as an International Studies Student Council member.  Audrey will be spending next year doing service with AmeriCorps' FEMA Corps (June 2021-July 2022).

The International Studies Department’s Noel Brown Award is named in honor of Noel J. Brown, graduate of Seattle University and Yale University and retired director of the United Nations Environment Program. This award is presented to the graduating student with the highest GPA in the major. 

Interested in a career in human rights policy or law?

Join us on Wednesday, May 26 at 9:00 a.m. PT for a conversation with Nicolette Waldman, a human rights investigator with Amnesty International.

Please contact novarobinson@seattleu.edu with any questions. 

Book Launch for Surviving the Americas: Garifuna Persistence from Nicaragua to New York City

Join authors Serena Cosgrove, Jose Idiaquez, Leonard Joseph Bent, and Andrew Gorvetzian as they shed light on what it means to be Garifuna today, particularly in Nicaragua.  They will read from the book and talk about the process of researching and writing a book as an international research team based in different countries.

Thursday, May 20 from 12:30 to 1:45pm Webinar

Rachel Adamek -Fulbright Scholarship to Study in South Korea

May 10, 2021

The INST program has been such a strong inspiration for me and has encouraged me to foster global understanding and connection mindfully and holistically. My professors and peers have really helped me identify my passion for international policy and education. They have been such a priceless source of support for me during every stage of the Fulbright process: the brainstorming, drafting, and the long wait for results. I can't wait to represent SU abroad and to continue my journey to becoming a global citizen!

Miriam Miranda, Garifuna leader from Honduras, will discuss the ongoing struggle of Garifuna communities

Miriam Miranda, a human rights advocate and leader of the Honduran Black Fraternal Organization (OFRANEH), speaks about the challenges facing the Garifuna communities.  In mid-2020, five Garifuna land defenders from the community of Triunfo de la Cruz were disappeared and haven’t been heard from since.

May 13 from 1:30-2:45pm Webinar

Kyle Thompson - Boren Scholarship Recipient

April 26, 2021

With the Boren Award, Kyle plans to pursue an intensive Chinese language program in Taipei, Taiwan from August 2021 to June 2022. During his time abroad he hopes to immerse himself in the Taiwanese culture to gain a deeper understanding of the countries political and economic systems. 

Boren Scholarships provide unique funding opportunities for US students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to US interests, and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Dr. Serena Cosgrove, International Studies, “Centering Marginalized Women’s Voices in the Democratic Republic of Congo”

Dr. Nova Robinson, History/International Studies/Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, “Indexing the Routledge Global History of Feminism”

Hallie Evans - Naef Scholarship Recipient 2020-2021

October 27, 2020

Hallie had this to say about receiving this award:

Being a Naef Scholar is an incredible honor! The program is a valuable experience in community building as it connects me with a wonderful and sincere group of students. I am privileged to be able to come to know such passionate people and merge our skills and initiatives to help one another in our various endeavors for social justice.

Naef Scholars are among the university’s very finest students. Made possible by an endowment from the estate of Sue M. Naef, the Naef Scholars Program recognizes outstanding junior and senior students from diverse backgrounds in the undergraduate schools and programs of the University. 

Ariana Siddiqui Dennis -  Boren Scholarship Recipient

October 7, 2020

Ariana had this to say about her experience:  

As an Afghan American Muslim, studying abroad in Jordan was one of the closest opportunities I could have to visiting and living in a country with a culture similar to my own. The conflict Afghanistan has faced has produced innumerable problems for Afghans around the world, only one of which includes a sense of distance and disconnect for the diaspora communities. Being able to live in a Muslim majority country immersed in Arab culture that so closely parallels Afghan culture, allowed me to reconnect and learn more about my own identities. I formed a close community of people that I look forward to visiting again and again. 

Boren Scholarships fund study abroad for undergraduate students in world regions critical to US interests. 

Hope Tucker - Returned Peace Corps Volunteer - Indonesia

September 23, 2020

Hope Tucker is now a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) after serving in the West Java Province of Indonesia from September 2018-February 2020.  Hope had this to say about her experience: My favorite thing about my Peace Corps experience were my students. I taught English at an Islamic high school (grade 10-12) and the excitement to learn during each class is what motivated me to keep thinking of hands on and engaging activities to practice English. My main goal was to portray a more accurate vision of America to my students who mostly understood the United States through the lens of movies and social media platforms.

Rachel Adamek - Critical Language Scholarship Awardee

August 24, 2020

Rachel Adamek spent the summer studying Korean in Busan, South Korea as an awardee of the 2019 U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program. In 2019, Rachel was one of only 550 competitively selected American students representing 233 colleges and universities across the United States to receive a CLS award. The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. CLS scholars gain critical language and cultural skills in languages that are less commonly taught in U.S. schools, but are essential for America’s engagement with the world, contributing to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.

Dr. Marc McLeod receives 2020 Outstanding Teacher Award

June 5, 2020

Congratulations to Dr. Marc McLeod, the 2020 recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Award in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. McLeod personifies Seattle University’s commitment to educating students. He willingly takes on numerous independent studies and supports University initiatives such as the Tijuana project because he believes in the mission of Seattle University and cares about students. As one of his former students says, "Prof. McLeod was incredible. One of the best professors I have ever had. I will be highly recommending his courses even with the 8 am meeting time."

Dr. Serena Cosgrove receives Fulbright award to Guatemala  

May 6, 2020

Dr. Serena Cosgrove has been awarded a Fulbright award to teach and conduct research in Guatemala in 2021.

Pictured here with her co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Marina Tzul Tzul, in Santa María Chiquimula, Guatemala, Cosgrove plans to teach at the Rafael Landívar University in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, and finish a research project with Dr. Tzul about Guatemalan women's leadership to end gender-based violence. The research project has involved multiple professors and students from Seattle University and the Rafael Landívar University over the past couple of years.

Students receive 2020 Noel J. Brown award

April 30, 2020

The International Studies Department’s Noel Brown Award is named in honor of Noel J. Brown, graduate of Seattle University and Yale University and retired director of the United Nations Environment Program. This award is presented to the graduating student with the highest GPA in the major. This year it is shared by Monica McKeown, Andrew Orita, and Natalie Ramos.

INST student, Michael Ninen, receives Fulbright assistantship award

May 15, 2019

Michael Ninen was awarded the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Mexico. He will be graduating with Majors in International Studies and Spanish, as well as a minor in Latin American Studies. Michael hopes to incorporate a culturally responsive pedagogy in the classroom to establish a common-ground learning environment that serves all types of learners. Upon returning to the United States, he would like to aim for a career with the foreign service as a public diplomacy officer.