A Week of Opening Doors, Empowering Potential and Leading with Hope
These are some of the highlights of President Passerini’s inauguration week.
Loving Our Community
“I am in awe of all the volunteers who stepped up to make this day possible,” said Ellen Maccarone, vice president of mission integration, to the volunteers gathered before they fanned out across the city. “This is a week full of celebrations and gatherings, but you being here today, dedicating your time and talents to serve others, that is emblematic of the entire Gonzaga community.”
The service event, organized by the Center for Community Engagement, spanned more than six sites across the city with more than 70 student, faculty and staff volunteers. This included a visit to the O’Malley Apartments, a supportive housing complex for seniors, where volunteers served root beer floats (enthusiastically requested by residents).
Mariana Acfalle (’26), a student leader in the Zags Volunteer Corp, comes to O’Malley every Monday night.
“It’s literally the highlight of my week,” she said. “Everyone is so welcoming. They love to call us their kids, which we are kind of like their kids. I love hearing their stories and even their problems. I just fell in love with the whole experience.”
A fitting start to a transformative week in the University’s history, helping set the tone for the next presidency.
“For 138 years, Gonzaga has shown the world what it means to serve with Mission in mind,” Maccarone said. “We're a community of leaders called to go out into the world and serve the common good, to do better in the world, to be agents of change, to disrupt the norm and not settle for injustice and inequity.”
The History of Gonzaga
Capturing 138 years of Gonzaga history (and then some) in one hour is a nearly impossible feat. But if anyone is built for such a daunting task, it’s Stephanie Plowman, special collections librarian in the University Archives and Special Collections Department of Foley Library.During Inauguration Week, Plowman grabbed a microphone and delivered an engaging presentation on the University’s establishment in 1887 and the intervening years, right up to the inauguration of President Passerini. Along the journey, Plowman showed myriad photographic treasures from the archives, including notes warning students to avoid trips to downtown Spokane because it would inconvenience the University, Bing Crosby as a Gonzaga pre-law student and the slow physical evolution of this slice of land next to the Spokane River into the shining gem we know today.
Human-AI Collaboratory
On Sept. 24, members of Gonzaga’s Board of Trustees and President Passerini cut the ribbon signifying the opening of the Human-AI Collaboratory within the Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology. Jay Yang, the inaugural David and Cathleen Reisenauer Director of the Institute, has been developing the Institute’s team over the past year to help the University address needs for responsible use of artificial intelligence and data management.
“When we were children, we were taught to be curious, to discover things,” said Passerini at the dedication. “That's the spirit that we have here – discovery, curiosity and trying to see the connection between that human spirit and technology.”
David Reisenauer shared about the immeasurable amounts of data produced today as compared to the rest of human history. “Think about not only the amount of data that we have to deal with, but also how do we connect with that data, how do we analyze it, and most importantly, how do we interpret it and use it responsibly?”
“That's really what this Institute's about, thinking through the data that we're going to collect, the technology that we're going to leverage and how to teach its ethical use,” Reisenauer added. “We’re so excited about this Institute as a part of Gonzaga and its Mission and its commitment to preparing students to help shape the world that we so need.”
Mission in Motion: A Showcase of Strategic Impact
Hemmingson Ballroom transformed into an exhibition of the scholarly work and creative inquiry Gonzaga faculty, staff and students have been doing the past couple of years.
Nichole Barta, acting associate provost for faculty affairs, said the event celebrated work that directly connects to Gonzaga’s strategic priorities and Mission. All told, there were 55 projects representing Gonzaga work in the humanities, STEM fields, business, health, leadership and more.
You can read about some of the work here.
Global Connections
Soon after accepting the offer to become Gonzaga’s next president, Passerini expressed her hopes to see the University’s brand widely recognized around the world. Her passion for global impact bolsters the good work taking place in GU’s Center for Global Engagement, which provides support to international student scholars who come to Gonzaga, and coordinates study-abroad programming for Zags who wish to enrich their education through learning opportunities in other countries.Director Tina Isabelli hosted a Global Engagement Faculty Development Showcase Sept. 24 to highlight the creativity, scholarship and impact of faculty and to “foster further exploration of how global perspectives can continue to shape our community.”
President Passerini helped kick off the event, touching on the personal and profound effect global engagement has had on her life and career.
“I spent a lot of time in the Center for Global Engagement at the George Washington University – that was my home,” she joked about her undergraduate years after traveling from her native Italy to study in the states. “But really, I am so thankful for the level of sophistication and understanding on how important a global mind and global perspective is, especially at a time when it can be very difficult to talk to each other."
Twelve faculty members spoke on their related work in short, meaningful presentations. The topics ranged from the Japan Nuclear Disarmament Pilgrimage to how Rome is featured in contemporary Italian cinema – all with a similar function of helping students, faculty and staff connect with other cultures, tackle global issues and see the world from a new perspective.
Passerini homed in on this point with her concluding remarks: “What you bring here is this perspective, this understanding that the world is much bigger than the space we spend our days in.”
Voices of Faith: A Conversation with America Media
Gonzaga’s Mission Integration office hosted a spirited panel discussion Sept. 24 centered around “Voices of Faith,” a conversation that was at times emotional, at others hilarious, and illuminating throughout.
Fr. Sam Sawyer, S.J., editor-in-chief of long-running Catholic publication America Media, was joined by Peggy Haun-McEwen, director of community engagement for Gonzaga Family Haven for Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, and Nate Tinner-Williams, co-founder and editor of digital publication Black Catholic Messenger. They answered questions about their work, the election of Pope Leo XIV, and the complexities of holding onto their faith during divisive times.
Fr. Sawyer noted that American Catholicism is often identified with the culture wars and arguments so prevalent in American politics, but there’s more to American Catholicism than the noisy disagreements, the panelists agreed. Each noted that continuing dialogue, even on difficult issues, is vital to the future.
“The words of Jesus link us together and really give us confidence that when we function as a Catholic community, when we meet each other in faith and have conversations that are rooted in faith, we’re also encountering the Lord,” Fr. Sawyer said.
In thanking the audience and panelists, President Passerini recalled Pope Francis’s declaration of this year as the Jubilee of Hope as inspiration for one of this year’s Gonzaga presidential inauguration themes, sharing his words:
“He said hope is a gift from God and a task that must be cultivated by all of us. What we heard tonight, and what we do day in and out, is cultivate that gift. We give it to our students in the classroom. That keeps us moving forward. I have hope for the future.”