Faculty Officers and Representation

Name:   Amy Young (youngam@plu.edu) – Chair of Faculty
Department:  Communication, Media and Design Arts
Seat:  Expires 2026
Contact:  253-536-5165

Name:   Oksana Ezhokina (ejokinoa@plu.edu) – Vice Chair of Faculty
Department:  Music, Theatre & Dance
Seat:  Expires 2026
Contact:  253-535-7604

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 2024-25:

Name:  Paul Sutton (suttonps@plu.edu)
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

Name:  Alexus Hamilton (alexus.hamilton@plu.edu)
Department: Marriage and Family Therapy
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-535-8167

Membership for 2024-25:

Name: Rebecca Wilkin (wilkinrm@plu.edu)
Department: Global and Cultural Studies
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7313

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

Name: Neva Laurie-Berry (larien@plu.edu)
Department: Biology
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-536-5025

Membership for 2024-25:

Name: Tom Smith (smithtt@plu.edu) – Pro-tem Chair
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

Name: Erik Hammerstrom (hammerej@plu.edu)
Department: Religion
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-535-7225

Name: Hannah Pye (pyehc@plu.edu)
Department: Nursing
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-535-7634

Membership for 2024-25:

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

Name: Michelle Ceynar (ceynarml@plu.edu)
Department: Psychology
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7297

Name: Kayla Harvey (kayla.harvey@plu.edu)
Department: Nursing
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-535-7672

Name: Justin Eckstein (justin.eckstein@plu.edu)
Department: Communication, Media & Design Arts
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-535-8175

Membership for 2024-25:

Name:  Jennifer Rhyne (rhynejl@plu.edu)
Department: Music, Theatre & Dance
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7058

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

Name:  Lathiena Nervo (lnervo@plu.edu)
Department: Biology
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-535-7376

Membership for 2024-25:

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

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

Name: Nicole Martin (martin@plu.edu)
Department: Kinesiology
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-535-7372

Membership for 2024-25:

Name:  Zachary Lyman (lymanzt@plu.edu)
Department: Music, Theatre & Dance
Committee Seat: Expires 2025
Contact: 253-535-7612

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

Name:  Terri Farrar (farrartd@plu.edu)
Department: Kinesiology
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-535-7360

Name:  Peter Davis (davispb@plu.edu)
Department: Earth Sciences
Committee Seat: Expires 2027
Contact: 253-535-5770

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.

For the period beginning October 15, 2023 and ending October 14, 2024, the members of the Formal Dismissal Hearing Committee as elected by the Faculty Executive Committee are as follows (in alphabetical order by surname):

Michael Behrens  – Biology
Peter Davis – Earth Science
Antonios Finitsis – Religion
Andrea Munro – Chemistry
Marit Trelstad – Religion

The alternates for the period beginning October 15, 2023 and ending October 14, 2024 are, in order:

Alternate #1: Lindsey Nice – Marriage & Family Therapy
Alternate #2: Ami Shah – Global Studies
Alternate #3: Mike Schleeter – Philosophy
Alternate #4: Jennifer James – Gender, Sexuality and Race Studies
Alternate #5: Rebekah Mergenthal – History

TITLE IX COMMITTEE
Katrina Hay, Physics (seat expires 2025)

UNIVERSITY DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
TBD

UNIVERSITY SAFETY COMMITTEE
TBD