Faculty Officers and Representation

Name:   Neal Yakelis (yakelina@plu.edu) – Chair of Faculty
Department:  Chemistry
Seat:  Expires 2024
Contact:  253-535-7554

Name:   Amy Young (youngam@plu.edu) – Vice Chair of Faculty
Department:  Communication, Media and Design Arts
Seat:  Expires 2024
Contact:  253-536-5165

Name:   Rick Barot (barotrp@plu.edu) – Secretary of Faculty
Department:  English
Seat:  Expires 2025
Contact:  253-535-7225

Name:   James Brown (brownja@plu.edu) – Faculty Representative to the Board of Regents
Department:  Music
Seat:  Expires 2026
Contact:  253-535-7614

Membership for 2023-24:

Name:  Soon Cho (chosy@plu.edu)
Department: Music
Committee Seat: Expires 2024
Contact: 253-535-7855

Name:  Paul Sutton (suttonps@plu.edu) – Chair
Department: Education
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7285

Name:  Julie Smith (smithjw@plu.edu)
Department: Biology
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7307

Membership for 2023-24:

Name: Jacob Egge (eggejj@plu.edu) – Chair
Department: Biology
Committee Seat: Expires 2024
Contact: 253-535-7569

Name: Adela Ramos (ramosam@plu.edu)
Department: English
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7776

Name: Wendy Gardiner (gardinwl@plu.edu) – Secretary
Department: Education
Committee Seat: Expires 2026
Contact: 253-535-8342

Membership for 2023-24:

Name: Emily Davidson (davidsef@plu.edu)
Department: Global and Cultural Studies
Committee Seat: Expires 2024
Contact: 253-535-7311

Name: Jessica Schwinck (schwinjl@plu.edu) – Chair
Department: Nursing
Committee Seat: Expires 2024
Contact: 253-535-7682

Name: Tom Smith (smithtt@plu.edu) – Secretary
Department: Music, Theatre and Dance
Committee Seat: Expires 2026
Contact: 253-535-7323

Name: David Wolff (wolffda@plu.edu)
Department: Computer Science
Committee Seat: Expires 2026
Contact: 253-535-8735

Membership for 2023-24:

Name: Mallory Mann (mannmf@plu.edu) – Secretary
Department: Kinesiology
Committee Seat: Expires 2024
Contact: 253-535-7743

Name: Xiaohong Fan (fanxa@plu.edu)
Department: Business
Committee Seat: Expires 2024
Contact: 253-535-8130

Name: Beth Griech-Polelle (griechba@plu.edu) – Co-Chair
Department: Interdisciplinary
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7642

Name: N. Justice (justicng@plu.edu) – Co-Chair
Department: Mathematics
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7446

Membership for 2023-24:

Name:  Heather Mathews (hmathews@plu.edu) – Chair
Department: Communication, Media and Design Arts
Committee Seat: Expires 2024
Contact: 253-535-7574

Name:  Jennifer Rhyne (rhynejl@plu.edu) – Secretary
Department: Music
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7058

Name:  Roberto Arteaga (rarteaga@plu.edu) – Secretary
Department: Library
Committee Seat: Expires 2026
Contact: 253-535-7505

Membership for 2023-24:

Name: Oksana Ezhokina (ejokinoa@plu.edu) – Chair
Department: Music
Committee Seat: Expires 2024
Contact: 253-535-7604

Name: Alex Lechler (lechlear@plu.edu)
Department:  Earth Science
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact:  253-535-7744

Name: Kevin O’Brien (obrienkj@plu.edu) – Secretary
Department: Religion
Committee Seat: Expires 2026
Contact: 253-535-7239

Membership for 2023-24:

Name: Renzhi Cao (caora@plu.edu)
Department: Computer Science
Committee Seat: Expires 2024
Contact: 253-535-7409

Name:Charles Katica (katicacp@plu.edu) – Chair
Department:  Kinesiology
Committee Seat:Expires 2024
Contact:  253-535-7636

Name:  Vanessa Tucker (tuckerve@plu.edu) – Secretary
Department: Education
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7112

Name:  Paul Manfredi (manfrepr@plu.edu)
Department: Global and Cultural Studies
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7216

Name: Shannon Seidel (seidelsb@plu.edu)
Department: Biology
Committee Seat: Expires 2026
Contact: 253-535-7791

Cases involving the dismissal of a faculty member may be brought before the Formal Dismissal Hearing Committee.

The procedure for the election of faculty to the Formal Dismissal Hearing Committee is found in the Faculty Bylaws, Article VI, Section 2.E.1:

1. The Formal Dismissal Hearing Committee shall consist of five members of the permanent faculty who have had at least four years of service at Pacific Lutheran University. They shall be elected as follows: Each September, the Governance Committee shall nominate a panel of fifteen. From these nominees the elected faculty members of Faculty Executive Committee shall elect a panel of ten and the results of this election shall be reported to the faculty. The five with the highest number of votes shall constitute the Formal Dismissal Hearing Committee. The remaining five shall serve as alternates in case of vacancies or if in the opinion of the committee any of its members should be disqualified in a particular case. Such alternates shall be chosen in order of highest votes received in the election. These ten are elected to a term of one calendar year beginning on October 15 and ending on October 14 of the following year. Cases still in process at the end of the stipulated calendar year will be completed by the committee assigned to that case.

Members of FDHC: (List updated 8/14/23)
Michelle Ceynar, Psychology
Ron Gerhardstein, Music
Rona Kaufman, English
Rebekah Mergenthal, History
Svend Rønning, Music

Alternates:
Alternate #1: Troy Storfjell, Native American & Indigenous Studies
Alternate #2: Priscilla St. Clair, Economics
Alternate #3: Wendy Shore, Psychology
Alternate #4: Jeff Clapp, Theatre
Alternate #5:  Rebecca Wilkin, Languages & Literatures

STUDENT LIFE AWARDS COMMITTEE
TBD

TITLE IX COMMITTEE
TBD (seat expires 2025)

UNIVERSITY DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
TBD
Marnie Ritchie, Communication, Media and Design Arts (seat expires 2024)

UNIVERSITY SAFETY COMMITTEE
Spencer Ebbinga, Communication, Media and Design arts (seat expires 2024)