News & Awards

Seattle University has been awarded a three-year, $499,758 grant from The Educating Character Initiative at Wake Forest University. The initiative, titled Character at the Core: Building Capacity and Community at Seattle University, will support faculty development to create and revise courses that enhance the Core Curriculum. Led by Dr. Eric Severson, Dr. Lydia Cooper, and Dr. Hilary Hawley, the project aims to strengthen SU’s commitment to holistic student formation and character development, preparing students to lead with humility, courage, responsibility, and justice.

Seattle University’s student-run radio station, KXSU, brought home two honors at the 2025 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) awards in New York City: Best Show Intro for the “Local Hour” and Best Social Media Account.

Led by Station Manager Natalie Melendez, KXSU continues to gain national recognition for its authentic programming and strong online presence. Broadcasting on 102.1 FM and streaming at KXSU.org, the station showcases diverse voices and local music.

Congratulations to the KXSU team!

Seattle University has received a $10,000 grant from the Saint Mary’s College Sport for Humanity Higher Education Initiative to support belonging, personal formation, and well-being programs for student-athletes. Rooted in the values of Sport at the Service of Humanity (SSH), the initiative aligns closely with SU Athletics’ Jesuit mission and The Redhawk Experience (TREx), which emphasizes whole person development.

The grant will also connect SU to a national network of peer institutions committed to using sport as a force for positive change. 

Assistant Professor of English Carlyn Ferrari, PhD, has received the prestigious Graves Award in the Humanities for her project In Search of Their Gardens, which explores Black women’s gardening as acts of self-expression, community, and resistance.

This national recognition—Seattle U’s first since becoming eligible—supports Dr. Ferrari’s research, teaching, and engagement around Black environmental thought. Congratulations to Dr. Ferrari!

Seattle University’s Sundborg Center for Community Engagement has received a $20,000 grant from the Shinnyo-en Foundation to fund the 2025–2026 Engagement and Opportunity Project. Led by Executive Director Kent Koth, the grant will support student-led community engagement efforts and provide scholarships for local Change Makers to attend SU’s pre-collegiate summer programs.

The award underscores CCE’s commitment to student leadership, access, and community-based learning.

Seattle University’s Sundborg Center for Community Engagement has received a $297,877 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations for its project A Curriculum of Place: A Model for Experiential Learning Across the Student Experience.

Led by Dr. Cecilia Morales, Dr. Hilary Hawley, and Dr. Becky McNamara, the three-year project will strengthen community-engaged learning through Signature Seminars, CEL courses, departmental initiatives, research, and faculty development. Congratulations to the entire team!

Seattle University faculty Dr. Lydia Cooper, Dr. Eric Severson, and Dr. Beatrice Lawrence have received a $10,000 Civic Pluralism in the Core Curriculum Grant from Interfaith America for their project The Core of Our Core.

The grant will fund the integration of civic pluralism modules into four foundational Core courses, encouraging dialogue, reflection, and inquiry around identity, difference, and the common good—advancing SU’s Jesuit mission of inclusive, justice-centered education.

Seattle University’s Sundborg Center for Community Engagement has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Play Without Limits Project to support summer youth sports programming. The funding will provide 16 children with access to Nike Sports Camps.

Led by LaKesha Kimbrough and supported by Nabeeha Misbah, this initiative strengthens SU’s commitment to inclusive community engagement and expanded opportunities for local families.