Leadership Ushers in New Era at Seattle University

They are dynamic leaders and scholars, helping to shape minds while being instrumental in shaping the future of Seattle University.

New deans in the College of Education, the College of Science and Engineering and the School of Law—along with the selection of new vice presidents in University Advancement, Mission Integration and Human Resources—are reflective of the university community as a whole. Each illustrate the important institutional values of diversity and inclusivity that are intrinsic to our mission and the fabric of what makes SU distinctive—from our students, faculty and staff to our alumni and the administration, says President Eduardo Peñalver. 

“We have a remarkably diverse group of deans and vice presidents who are going to help us lead from the top as we move forward into the future of Seattle University and the implementation of LIFT SU and the Reignited Strategic Directions.”

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Meet The Deans

Cynthia Dillard, PhD
Dean, College of Education

“One of the most exciting parts of being a new dean here at Seattle University is the changing landscape and face of the institutional leadership.”

Cynthia B. Dillard, PhD, began her role as Dean of Seattle University’s College of Education (COE) in early 2022. 

A distinguished scholar, Dillard’s research includes intersections of race, culture, gender and spirituality, particularly in the context of teaching and education. She has authored or edited four books, with the most current being, The Spirit of Our Work: Black Women Teachers (Re)member. In addition, Dillard has written a multitude of articles, book chapters and other scholarly pieces, while frequently presenting as a keynote speaker or panelist at national conferences. 

What attracted you to Seattle University? 
“I grew up in Seattle, not far from SU. So, the Pacific NW is my home. My family is here, my roots are here. Never in a million years did I ever imagine being able to return to Seattle. When I learned of this position at SU as Dean of the College of Education, it was definitely a dream come true! Coupled with the rich traditions of the COE, an amazing faculty, staff and powerful work focused on equity and justice in education, I was excited to (re)turn and build toward the future of education here at SU, grounded in the spirit of our work of teaching, learning and leading.”

Describe your priorities in your first months in this role. 
“My first priority is to listen and learn the history of this institution, including that of the College of Education, and to better understand where we have been in order to understand where we need to go. In line with the vision outlined below, we will engage a strategic planning process to collectively create our path forward as a college. 

“Secondly, a major priority is to build bridges between our city, our nation, our world and SU’s College of Education to share the amazing work that COE has done and continues to do. 

“Third, we are engaging in a number of academic program revisions and curriculum development, including in our educational doctoral program. This thoughtful planning will result in one of the most innovative, culturally responsive, forward-looking educational leadership doctoral programs in the nation, one that centers educational justice and leadership in the finest traditions of Jesuit and Catholic education. 

“Finally, I have a personal priority which is to (re)learn Seattle, a city I grew up in but has undergone such tremendous growth in the 30 years since I lived here!”

What is your vision as a leader and how does this align with our Reignited Strategic Directions?
“My vision to (re)ignite our SU COE is a vision that fully rests in our larger Strategic Directions for SU, ushered in by our new president, our provost and so many across this campus. Like the SU Strategic Directions, (Re)igniting Education serves as the foundation for our upcoming strategic planning process in the COE, beginning in Fall 2022. Most importantly, it provides a road map to building our College of Education. My vision for this college has five goals:

• To engage even more deeply in the local and global work of increasing access and opportunity across the fields of education for those most marginalized by history and contemporary circumstances;
• To expose and engage our students, staff and faculty in the critical discernment and cultivation of creative genius that is necessary in a time of change in education and in line with our Jesuit Catholic mission of a progressive and innovative education;
• To build an increasingly diverse and talented faculty, staff and student body who are able and desire to support one another;
• To (re)ignite the spirit of our work by creating effective and clear organizational structures, procedures and communication that allow us to address our vision, and;
• To increase COE’s financial position to meet this vision through robust fund and friend-raising, increased grants and foundation support.”

What does it mean to be part of a wave of new hires at the administrative level that reflect the diversity and inclusivity integral to Goal 4 of the Strategic Directions and the diversity the university strives for across the board?
“One of the most exciting parts of being a new Dean here at SU is the changing landscape and face of the institutional leadership. I was thrilled to know that I would be working under the visionary leadership of President Peñalver and Provost Martin. And diversifying the upper levels of institutional leadership then becomes a model for the institutional change we desire at all levels of the organization. That absolutely thrills me. As a scholar of equity and diversity, what I am seeing—and what I am now a part of as Dean of the College of Education—is a rare but powerful example of what is to come, an important (re)visioning of the spirit of our work.”

Parting Shots 
What is the last book you read and enjoyed? 
“Last November, I published my fourth book, The Spirit of Our Work: Black Women Teachers (Re)member. And I recently “read” (with) my book on Audible and enjoyed it tremendously. It’s a real gift to “hear” the words that you have written come to life in the voice of the beautiful woman who was the reader of my book. 

What is the last TV show you binged? 
“I recently got Apple TV+ and have been binging Truth Be Told, starring Octavia Spencer as an investigative journalist. Sharing her narratives through a podcast, she asks us to reconsider the “facts” of major cases, including our interpretations of the stories we have been told. Such a great metaphor for what we do in education!”

What is your favorite part of living in the Seattle area/Pacific Northwest?
“(Re)membering the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and all the places I love: The Cascades. Vancouver (both Canada and Washington, where I student-taught all those years ago). Being close to my alma mater, Washington State University and having Cougar Gold cheese on the regular! Lake Washington (where I learned to swim) and Lake Union (which I look at every day). And of course, being able to take in all the beauty of Seattle University is a gift, especially the labyrinth outside Loyola Hall. It is not only breathtaking: It is life-giving.”

What's your favorite spot in Seattle?
“My mother’s kitchen table.”

Anything else you’d like to add? 
“Let’s get to work!”

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Amit Shukla, PhD
Dean, College of Science and Engineering

As a former Miami University, Ohio, academic and administrative leader, Amit Shukla, PhD, brings a commitment to innovation, transparency, collaboration and inclusion in his role as Dean of the College of Science and Engineering.

Dr. Shukla’s career as an academic and administrator has been marked by a commitment to innovation, transparency, collaboration and inclusion. For two decades, he has served in various leadership roles at Miami University, Ohio, with progressively increasing responsibility. He has extensive experience in supporting student success and faculty development, fostering multidisciplinary teaching and research, fundraising, engaging with alumni and forging mutually enriching partnerships with industry. 

Before being named chair in 2018, Dr. Shukla was the founding director of the Miami University Center for Assistive Technology, which identifies socially relevant problems and develops engineering solutions by engaging students in interdisciplinary research. He has served and chaired several university committees, providing leadership in such areas as budget planning, college affordability and faculty development.

“STEM education needs to transform itself from discipline-based to a problem-based enterprise, which is interdisciplinary and creative while responding to the future of work," says Dr. Shukla. "Reignited Strategic Directions includes a framework for advancing our mission including that of inclusive excellence, reimagining curricular and extracurricular approaches for student success and positions the university for growth. CSE will have an active role to play in all of those areas.”

What attracted you to Seattle University? 
“First and foremost, SU’s mission to educate the whole person and empowering leaders, coupled with the vision to be a progressive, innovative and Jesuit and Catholic institution where student success is the primary focus was very attractive to me. Additionally, the Seattle region is a large science and technology hub with many opportunities in health care, sciences, technology and engineering. In partnership with industry and local community, CSE can be a national role model for educating a diverse student body to become ethical leaders.”

Describe your priorities in your first months in this role. 
“The CSE community has exceptional faculty and staff who are truly focused on student success. My priorities would include empowering the work of all our CSE faculty and staff in support of our students. This requires me to listen, appreciate, learn and celebrate the tremendous work being done in the CSE community. Additionally, we will begin the work of building a collaborative environment to solve interdisciplinary problems in STEM with focus on inclusive excellence.”

What is your vision as a leader and how does this vision align with our Reignited Strategic Directions? 
“I am looking forward to collaborating with the SU and CSE communities to develop a model for transformative and multidisciplinary STEM education. SU is an ideal place … to create an innovative and creative STEM education and research paradigm supported by local industry partners.

“STEM education needs to transform itself from discipline-based to a problem-based enterprise, which is interdisciplinary and creative while responding to the future of work. Reignited Strategic Directions includes a framework for advancing our mission including that of inclusive excellence, reimagining curricular and extracurricular approaches for student success and positions the university for growth. CSE will have an active role to play in all those areas.”

What does it mean to be part of a wave of new hires at the administrative level that reflect the diversity and inclusivity integral to Goal 4 of the Strategic Directions and that the university strives for across the board?
“I am honored to be joining SU at this time of change and renewal under the leadership of President Peñalver and Provost Martin. Inclusive excellence is a strategic advantage in STEM. All the new hires at the administrative level bring their unique perspective and experience to build on the rich history of SU.”

Parting Shots
What is the last book you read and enjoyed? 
“Human Work by Jamie Merisotis, for its unique perspective on how we can prosper by serving others with empathy in the age of smart machines.”

What is the last TV show you binged? 
“I am a Star Wars fan. Most recently, I binged The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+.”

What is your favorite part of living in the Seattle area/Pacific Northwest?
“I am looking to explore the coffee culture in Seattle and we, as a family, are looking forward to exploring the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest while making new friends in the community.”

What's your favorite spot in Seattle?
“My favorite spot is actually on campus at SU—the Chapel of St. Ignatius and its reflecting pool.”

Anything else you’d like to add? 
“My family and I are truly grateful for the support and warm welcome we have received from the entire SU community. I am looking forward to collaborating and engaging with the community to educate leaders capable of solving complex challenges with innovation.”

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Anthony Eudelio Varona, JD, LLM 
Dean, School of Law

Born in Cuba and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Anthony Eudelio Varona, JD, LLM, is the first in his family to graduate from college, having earned undergraduate and law degrees from Boston College and an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center.

Seattle University’s leadership and Jesuit identity and tradition drew Varona to the School of Law. 

“I am Jesuit educated and experienced firsthand how Ignatian pedagogy and especially cura personalis—our commitment to educating the whole student in service to the world—not only formed me as a person, but informed my work as a lawyer, civil rights activist, and ultimately a legal scholar.”

What attracted you to Seattle University?
“Our extraordinary faculty, students and alumni; our visionary new leaders, President Eduardo Peñalver and Provost Shane Martin; and SU's Jesuit identity and tradition. I am Jesuit educated and experienced firsthand how Ignatian pedagogy and especially cura personalis—our commitment to educating the whole student in service to the world—not only formed me as a person, but informed my work as a lawyer, civil rights activist, and ultimately a legal scholar.”

Describe your priorities in your first months in this role. 
“I am immersing myself in our law school and university community, meeting with as many students, faculty and staff colleagues and alumni as I can to gather advice and ideas and discuss everyone’s hopes and aspirations for our law school. At the same time, I will be starting to implement our collective vision for SU Law, hitting the ground running to ensure that we achieve key benchmarks by the end of my first year and that, together, we begin to take the law school to unprecedented heights of achievement.” 

What is your vision as a leader and how does this vision align with our Reignited Strategic Directions? 
“My vision for the law school resonates perfectly with the university’s exciting new strategic vision. We must strengthen our curriculum to ensure that it serves our students best, leverages our location in and connections throughout the global tech and innovation hub that is Seattle and prepares them to pass the bar on the first try. We must ensure that we graduate ‘practice ready’ attorneys who enter attractive positions in law practices or closely allied fields that will enable them to have a positive impact on the world. We will promote and add to our extraordinary faculty and showcase their achievements and expertise.

"SU Law will become more of a nationally prominent convening institution, hosting leaders from practice and the academy, the bench and government, for cutting-edge conferences and symposia, distinguished lectures and other prominent events. We will deepen our commitment to social justice, excellence and innovation and will reinforce the commitment to diversity and access that are part of our DNA. We also will better engage and spotlight our extraordinary alumni in the life and future of our law school.”

What does it mean to be part of a wave of new hires at the administrative level that reflect the diversity and inclusivity integral to Goal 4 of the Strategic Directions and that the university strives for across the board? 
“I am honored to serve as SU Law’s first dean who is Latinx, an immigrant and an openly gay man. Those and other experiences help me to identify with so many of our students who themselves overcame obstacles to join our community. I see every day how the rich diversity of our community elevates and enriches our teaching and intellectual life. Our diversity really is our strength and we must nurture and grow it.” 

Parting Thoughts 
What is the last book you read and enjoyed? 
“I tend to read several new books at once, fiction and nonfiction, but sometimes I like to go back and reread books. Recently, I did this with one of the masterworks of two SU School of Law faculty luminaries: Professors Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic and their book, Critical Race Theory: An Introduction—a book that helped to frame and define the Critical Race Theory (CRT) movement and that has become one of its foundational texts.” 

What is the last TV show you binged? 
“What I have been binging lately, as a new Seattleite, are many YouTube documentaries on Seattle's origins and history, its rich Native American roots, its many waves of immigration from all corners of the planet, its unique topographical attributes and all the other qualities that make it the best place to study law and to live in the United States.”

What is your favorite part of living in the Seattle area/Pacific Northwest?
“My husband and I love Seattle and the Pacific Northwest so much that we used to vacation here annually from the East Coast. What’s not to love? There’s the confluence of so many cultures and cuisines, the beautiful architecture and streetscapes, the perfect summers, the buzz of innovation and creativity, so many opportunities to enjoy nature, the crisp and clean air and lush vegetation and treescapes—brought to us by the famous (and refreshing) Seattle drizzle and Elliott Bay Books here in Seattle and Powell’s in Portland, where I have spent more than I should admit for almost three decades.

"As a native-born Cuban, who was fed strong espresso while still a toddler, Seattle coffee culture is home (and fuel) for me. It's no accident that my open meetings with students are called “Cafecitos with Dean Varona.”

What's your favorite spot in Seattle?
“In our new house, we are fortunate to have a roof deck that overlooks the Seattle University campus, First Hill and Capitol Hill, and the glorious downtown skyline, including the iconic Space Needle. It’s a beautiful view, especially at sunset, that reminds me daily of how fortunate we are as a university and law school to be in the heart of such an exciting world capital of innovation, culture, law and opportunities for public service and social change.”

Anything else you’d like to add?
“Just that I am thrilled to be the new dean at Seattle U Law and excited by what lies ahead for us as a law school community and university. Our future is bright and we all have a part to play!” 

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Meet the Vice Presidents

Edgar Gonzalez
University Advancement

“The ultimate team sport” is how Edgar Gonzalez, new VP of University Advancement, describes working in higher education. Central to the “team” are the people and relationships that are forged and valued, working together toward a shared goal of advancing the SUexperience today and into the future. 

Gonzalez comes to the university from the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Foundation in Portland where he was Assistant Vice President for Development.

What attracted you to Seattle University? 
“Working at SU is a special opportunity for me, personally—it is the first time in my career where I can apply my skills and experience at an institution where my faith and my values truly align. SU is an inflection point with a new president, several new deans and cabinet members. I was excited to join the team now and help support the future of SU along with all the new and existing leaders.”

Describe your priorities in your first months in this role. 
“My priority in the first six months is to learn. I need to learn the place, the people, and the University Advancement team. I intend to do a ton of listening to learn where UA can have the most impact across campus. I intend to put on my hard hat and build as many bridges and tunnels as possible to connect UA to all areas of campus and the community.”

What is your vision as a leader and how does this vision align with our Reignited Strategic Directions? 
“Our vision is to build a strong team and sustainable systems to meaningfully engage and inspire our students, alumni, donors, friends, parents and the Seattle community in service of SU’s priorities.”

What does it mean to be part of a wave of new hires at the administrative level that reflect the diversity and inclusivity integral to Goal 4 of the Strategic Directions and that the university strives for across the board? 
“I’m humbled and honored to join this group of new hires and all the wonderful leaders that have been working for years across campus. As I said above, this is a special moment at SU and the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of the leaders are vital to ensuring we are looking at the future through the right lens. We will learn from one another and lead from a place of inclusivity and belonging. That’s truly exciting.”

Parting Shots
What is the last book you read and enjoyed?
“I just finished reading The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen. It speaks simply, yet directly and profoundly, about ministry and serving our community.” 

What is the last TV show you binged?
“I last binged Ted Lasso.”

What is your favorite part of living in the Seattle area/Pacific Northwest?
“My favorite part is getting to move back to the Seattle area, but coming from Buenos Aires, Argentina, I always loved the green space, the proximity to nature and Dick’s Drive-In.”

What’s your favorite spot in Seattle?
“One of my favorite spots in Seattle is Matthews Beach Park. We raised our three girls near there and made many fond family memories. I also love driving south across the Ship Canal Bridge on a clear, sunny day. That view never gets old.”

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Catherine Punsalan-Manlimos, PhD
Vice President, Mission Integration

Catherine Punsalan-Manlimos returns to Seattle University after serving as Assistant to the President for Mission Integration at University of Detroit Mercy. In SU’s newly created position of Vice President for Mission Integration, she will facilitate and coordinate the many mission-related activities across the university, including a re-constituted Mission Council.  

“It is exciting to be part of a team that promises to bring diverse expertise and lived experience to the table. I am eager to be in spaces of dialogue and communal discernment with this group. I am especially excited because the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity is understood as an important expression of mission.” 

What attracted you to Seattle University?
“I first joined SU in 2004 as a tenure-track faculty in Theology and Religious Studies. I distinctly remember the feeling I had after two intense days of interviews. I felt like I was coming home. As someone who is Jesuit-educated, I recognized SU as a Jesuit institution offering the kind of education that opened so much for me.”

Describe your priorities in your months in your role.
“I think what is most important is to reacquaint myself with the university community and understand the landscape from the lens of my area of responsibility as Chief Mission Officer. Relationships helped me to be successful in my previous roles at SU. I have been away for almost four years. Reestablishing those relationships and building new ones with new community members are top priority as they will inform much of my work.”

What is your vision as a leader for your college (or division) and how does this vision align with our Reignited Strategic Directions?
“My vision for the Division of Mission Integration is that it’s the recognized resource for deepening understanding, commitment and integration of SU’s Jesuit and Catholic educational mission into all facets … of the university. SU’s Reignited Strategic Directions are intended to be built upon the foundation of mission. Mission is expressed throughout the various goals. The Office of Mission Integration has a critical role to play in the creation of a culture that prepares students, faculty and staff to understand and discern what this means for them and their roles at the institution.”

What does it mean to be part of a wave of new hires at the administrative level that reflect the diversity and inclusivity integral to Goal 4 of the Strategic Directions and that the university strives for across the board?
“It is exciting to be part of a team that promises to bring diverse expertise and lived experience to the table. I am eager to be in spaces of dialogue and communal discernment with this group. I am especially excited because the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity is understood as an important expression of mission.”

Parting Shots
What is the last book you read and enjoyed?
“I listen to more books than I read. But, last month, I revisited Dean Brackley’s Discernment in Trouble Times and really appreciated being reminded of his approach to the [Ignatian] Spiritual Exercises, informed by his experience in El Salvador. It speaks to me and reminds me of why I fell in love with all things Jesuit and Ignatian when I was a young adult studying and working at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines."

What is the last TV show you binged?
"The last show I technically binge-watched was season two of Bridgerton. One I followed closely to completion was Moon Knight. My son and I bond over watching things from Marvel Universe, even if we’ve had to do it over a distance the last three years."

What is your favorite part of living in the Seattle area/Pacific Northwest?
“Besides being close to family and the wonderful variety of great Asian restaurants? The beauty of the Pacific Northwest is a constant invitation to attend to the sacred. I remember driving into the region and into the city in 2004 and just being amazed and in awe.”

What’s your favorite spot in Seattle?
“That is a difficult question both because there are so many places and many of them I know from memories from years ago. At the same time, I live outside of the city and so some of my favorite spots are in Renton, like Coulon Beach Park. Having been away for a while, I find myself imagining the upper mall on the SU campus, especially during spring and fall when things are either in bloom or changing colors.”

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Jerron Lowe, JD
Vice President, Human Resources
Chief Human Resources Officer 

Jerron Lowe, JD, brings a wealth of experience in both higher education and the private sector to his role leading Human Resources at Seattle University. Lowe comes to SU from the University of Denver, where he was instrumental in strengthening HR programs and aligning them with that institution’s mission, goals and strategic priorities. Among other contributions, he led an initiative to expand access to a higher quality of health care for employees, while implementing a diversity, equity and inclusion training program.

Lowe says he is honored to join the SU community. “This is an exciting time to serve Seattle University students, staff, faculty and administrators … as we aim to be one of the most innovative and progressive Jesuit and Catholic universities in the world. I look forward to contributing toward the strategy and achieving the overall vision, while making SU a best place to work.”

What attracted you to Seattle University?
“The Reignited Strategic Directions and the vision statement had me at, “Hello.” Over the last decade, I have led human resources transformation initiatives that focused on talent management strategy. The human resources models that I have had the pleasure of implementing have been innovative and progressive in terms of service delivery, especially in higher education.

"When I read the Reigniting Strategic Directions, particularly Goal Two: Strengthen Professional Formation for All, I knew immediately that SU was on the right path to meet the needs of our current and future workforce. Being intentional about professional development, investing in our current workforce, growing our talent and implementing strategies to retain talent is the type of culture work that excites human resources professionals.”

Describe your priorities in your first months in this role.
“Listen, assess and review. With the assistance of my amazing Human Resources team and the search committee that brought me to Seattle University, we structured an onboarding plan that has provided me the opportunity to listen and learn about opportunities and challenges, partnerships and gaps, in addition to past practices and future aspirations.

"My first 90 days are dedicated to meeting with all deans, vice presidents and select administrative units to gather feedback about Human Resources’ performance, specifically around service delivery and strategic alignment. Based on the information gathered, I will begin to develop a customer service index and provide intel on challenges and the extent of the challenge as it relates to people, processes, structure and/or systems and technology.

"In addition to connecting with leadership during these initial three months, engagement with Staff Council and Faculty Assembly is a top priority to also assess Human Resources’ performance, understanding expectations, pain points and opportunities to enhance collaboration. While listening to the voices of the community, I also must look internally within my unit and design a strategy that will, in the immediate, build capacity and create efficiencies. Lastly, my top priority is to have fun. Have fun learning, have fun listening and have fun leading. It's a beautiful time to be an HR professional.”

What is your vision as a leader and how does this vision align with our Reignited Strategic Directions?
“I mentioned Goal Two of the RSD and how this strategy impacts the SU culture. Culture is what builds commitment to institutions and to achieve affective culture, the acceptance of the institution’s values and identification with those values, we must create work environments that are meaningful and rewarding to our faculty and staff. My vision is to build plans, programs and processes for the workforce that is hardwired into daily life.

"Professional development and training are key to hardwiring the competencies into daily life. From a 30,000ft view, my vision will focus on four strategic areas that will align with the initiatives of Goal Two of the RSD. Work design to promote meaningful work, line of sight, efficiencies and work processes that enhance workforce engagement. HR processes to support talent acquisition, talent reviews, talent retention and workforce planning.

"Growing the next generation of talent through succession planning and lastly, leadership development to empower leaders to navigate through each strategy. Each focus area will demand a lens toward inclusive excellence, aligning with Goal Four. This type of culture work, with a commitment to justice, diversity, equity and inclusion, will support our efforts towards recruitment, engagement and retaining a diverse talented community of staff and faculty.

"My vision is for Seattle University to be recognized as a Best College to Work For and an overall Best Place to Work.”

What does it mean to be part of a wave of new hires at the administrative level that reflect the diversity and inclusivity integral to Goal 4 of the Strategic Directions and that the university strives for across the board?
“First and foremost, I am honored to be selected by our highest levels of leadership that recognizes the talents that I bring along with my fellow new hires.

"Creating the processes that provided the open access to display our talents means that SU is moving forward in a way that shows our actions align with our stated commitments. That we are intentional about representation and inclusivity, not because we are seeking to check a box but because we are committed to diversity of thought in order to achieve excellence.

"To me personally, it means that I have a responsibility and charge to call on my lived experiences and use my station and platform, to move the needle on inclusive excellence for SU. I truly see these efforts as the beginning of a journey that will lead SU to greatness and the results will outshine the actions, making these efforts the norm.”

Parting Thoughts
What is the last book you read and enjoyed?
“The last book I read was What Universities Owe to Democracy by Ronald J. Daniels. The last book I enjoyed was The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer.”

What is the last TV show you binged?
“The last show I binged was The Umbrella Academy.”

What is your favorite part of living in the Seattle area/Pacific Northwest?
“I get mountains AND water. Coming from Colorado, I can still enjoy the recreational outdoors and snowboarding while also getting the water.”

What's your favorite spot in Seattle?
“I am still new to Seattle, being four weeks in, therefore it’s hard to say. I will say, the seafood restaurant scene is my favorite place to explore as of now.”

Anything else you’d like to add?
“I am originally from Boulder, Colorado. I have a beautiful family that has fallen in love with Seattle. Arlett, my wife, Maëlle, my daughter (8) and Brooks, my son (3). We’re avid snowboarders, train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a family and we love food, cooking, music, laughing and enjoying life.”

Read more stories like this in the latest issue of Seattle University Magazine.