President's Updates

As Seattle University closes tomorrow in observance of Veterans Day, we are reminded of the great sacrifices made by those who have served and currently serve in the armed forces, as well as the loved ones who support them.

As many of you have heard, D’Vonne Pickett, Jr., an alumnus of Seattle University, was tragically shot and killed Wednesday night outside of the business he owned. So many throughout our neighborhood and city are mourning D’Vonne as a beloved community member and leader.

Today we pause to give thanks for many ways in which our university is enriched and sustained by the contributions, cultures and living traditions of Indigenous peoples. And yet we also acknowledge that our university is located on the ancestral land of the Coast Salish people.

Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, in which the Court overruled decades of precedent affirming a woman’s constitutional right to seek an abortion.

Earlier today, after recently returning from travel on the East Coast, Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver tested positive for COVID-19. He is following public health and university protocols, which include isolating at home. 

Today, I am pleased to share with you the honorary doctorate recipients and speakers at our undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies.