SU in the News

From news of President Eduardo Peñalver moving on to Georgetown, to faculty weighing in on emerging issues and SU’s most famous baseball alum taking on the Mariners, it’s been a busy few weeks of news for Seattle University.

The biggest news both locally and nationally was the announcement from President Peñalver that he would be stepping down at the end of March to become President of Georgetown University. The news received extensive coverage, including a feature in the Washington Post and stories from such outlets at the Seattle Times, Telemundo and the Puget Sound Business Journal, along with many others.

Seattle University faculty experts are always in high demand. Political Science Associate Teaching Professor Patrick Schoettmer, PhD, was quoted in the New York Times on a story about Seattle’s mayoral race and on KOMO TV about President Trump’s authority to deploy the National Guard.

Seattle University Law Assistant Professor Erin Carr is a weekly regular guest on Seattle’s KING 5 News, where she recently discussed whether the U.S. Supreme Court could upend laws on conversion therapy in the United States.

Law Assistant Professor Erin Carr on KING 5 News.

Mechanical Engineering Associate Teaching Professor Eric Gilbertson, PhD, made waves over the past couple weeks when he discovered on a recent mountaineering trip in Colorado that that state may have a new 14er—that is, a mountain that measures at least 14,000 feet. A noted mountain climber, Gilbertson was featured in several publications including Outside Magazine, the Colorado Springs Gazette and KING 5. In 2024, Gilbertson made news when he discovered that Mount Rainier wasn’t actually as tall as we thought.

Eric Gilbertson, PhD

Midwifery Assistant Professor Amanda Heffernan, PhD, CNM, ARNP, was interviewed by Phoenix’s KJZZ about the rise in pregnant women being detained in federal immigration facilities. Kinesiology Associate Teaching Professor June Kloubec, PhD, was quoted in a Popular Science story about Pilates starting in a WWI internment camp.

Two big pieces of institutional news received positive coverage. Seattle University Law’s partnership with AccessLex to expand access to legal education in Central Washington was covered by several law outlets including Law.com. And the yearly Seattle Public Safety Survey administered by SU’s Crime and Justice Research Center received solid local coverage including from KOMO News.

Legendary Redhawks baseball star Tarik Skubal, ’18, saw his season come to an end when his Detroit Tigers lost in the playoffs to the Seattle Mariners but his ties to Seattle University received a huge amount of national attention, including Fox.

Vice President for Athletics Shaney Fink appeared on KOMO’s Inside the Arena to talk about SU’s move to the West Coast Conference and her leadership was also cited in a Washington Post story about America’s best sports city.

Shaney Fink on KOMO 4 News.

Finally, congratulations to Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University student Ali Whitmore, whose art piece “Entrée—Whole Stuffed Trout” won the Jurors’ and People’s Choice awards at Northwest Art’s “Potluck” banquet exhibition and was covered by the Peninsula Daily News.