Albers Brief Summer 2025

At first glance, sports and gratitude seem like they live in different worlds. The first is all action, competition and physical intensity. The second implies calm and reflection.

They do share one thing in common, though, and that’s living in the present. You’ve heard how athletes perform best when they’re “in the zone”. Gratitude also demands presence, appreciating what is happening right now and being mindful of all the things one has to be grateful for.

This issue of the Albers Brief is my last one as Dean of the Albers School of Business and Economics. I am filled with a sense of gratitude for all the great people I’ve gotten to know during these past 24 years. It has been a privilege to journey alongside such tremendous colleagues, students and, of course, alumni.

This edition of the Brief, with its focus on sports, has me reflecting on my early days at Albers when Seattle University was competing at the Division II level.  

While our students have always represented the university exceedingly well at all levels of intercollegiate athletics, it was clear to me back then that our university belonged in Division I—and particularly the West Coast Conference (WCC). Well, it took a little while, but we made it, and I’m looking forward to rooting on our student athletes as they compete in the WCC as the university officially joins the conference in July.

As this issue reminds us, Albers holds a special place in Seattle University’s distinguished athletic tradition. So many of our school’s students have excelled in intercollegiate competition during their time with us and some have even gone on to illustrious professional careers, one of the latest examples being our 2018 finance graduate and Major League Baseball’s 2024 American League Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal.

But there’s so much more to Albers’ impact on the sports world. In recent years we launched an MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management (SEM) as well as a new online version of the program. Whether in-person or virtually, the students in this program have unparalleled opportunities to connect with and learn from top professionals in Seattle’s sports and entertainment industries. As these students develop professionally and emerge as leaders in their fields, the reach of an Albers education is expanding and its influence growing.

Thank you for a wonderful 24 years and for your continuing support of our distinctive Jesuit educational mission.

P.S. Have you always wondered how you can give back and support the future of Albers? Gifts to the Dean’s Fund provide flexible funding to allocate to the most pressing needs throughout the year. The Albers Alumni Scholarship provides financial support to selected Albers students with need. Or you can support any of our academic departments to support enriching out-of-classroom student experiences. Visit our Giving page to see the options, and thank you for supporting Albers!