December 2025 | Volume 27 No. 4
Spirit is Íø±¬ÃÅ's monthly newsletter designed to inform faculty, staff, trustees and regents about what’s new and important at the University.
In This Issue
Lighting the Season in Song
Íø±¬ÃÅ’s choral director Meg Stohlmann lights up campus with the beloved Candlelight Christmas Concert and a whirlwind of holiday performances. Read about her winding path, deep passion for music, and dedication to student joy.
It's the Holiday Spirit!
Thanks to all who submitted favorite movies, memories and traditions
I spent four months in Germany after graduating college. It was in the Christkindlmarkt where I learned of a German tradition involving a pickle shaped ornament. We hid the pickle ornament in the tree before the children woke up for Christmas presents. The first thing they did was search the tree for the cherished green ornament. The first one who found it got to open an extra present from Santa at the end. It was usually a game that the entire family could enjoy. My children now follow this tradition with their children – the start of a multi-generational tradition.
– Ann Price, budget and personnel officer, Center for Global Engagement
In addition to watching the movie Elf, my family has started incorporating Spirited into our must-see-annual-movie tradition. I also told my partner the other day that I would like to start a new family tradition by making (rolling and cooking) mass quantities of lumpia (Filipino eggrolls) and giving them away to friends and family. We’ll see if that happens this year.
– Joan Iva Fawcett, dean for social justice leadership and community empowerment, Student Affairs
My favorite holiday movie has to be Love Actually. I love that it shows a collection of imperfect people doing their best and creating some magic. I also love The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant as an angel. Hard to beat that!
– Rebecca Chesterman, IT technician III, Service Experience
My mother had two brothers. The three families would go to Grandma Ann’s house for Christmas Eve. At some point in the evening, my father, Uncle Tom or Uncle Frank would “accuse” Grandma Ann of forgetting a certain bottle of alcohol. Those men would leave together and drive off in one vehicle. Actually, they drove to each of their houses and placed all the presents under the Christmas trees. They played Santa for all the cousins going from house to house. They would eat Santa’s cookies and drink the milk, and then they’d walk back into Grandma Ann’s with at least one bottle of booze in a brown paper bag.
– Mary Beth Charleboix, grad program and collections specialist, Student Financial Services
Our annual must-watch is A Charlie Brown Christmas. When our young adult comes home, it’s Love Actually. And she makes sure to watch Home Alone and Home Alone 2 for her childhood nostalgia. We wind up watching at least parts of it too. In between, I am amazed at how much my husband enjoys the various Hallmark-style romcoms. On a side note – a Christmas movie I've never actually seen but WILL finally see this year: Meet Me in St. Louis. I've only ever seen it as a live stage musical.
– Janean Schmidt, web and marketing specialist, School of Engineering and Applied Science
You and your family are invited to join Dr. Katia Passerini for the Íø±¬ÃÅ University President's Christmas Party
December 12, 4-7 P.M.
John J. Hemmingson Center
Please join us for light refreshments and Christmas activities!
Please by December 10!
Christina Isabelli Named Presidential Fellow
Christina Isabelli’s selection as a 2025–26 AIEA Presidential Fellow marks a pivotal step in strengthening Íø±¬ÃÅ’s global engagement and Jesuit-rooted mission.
'We Were Born Ready'
As Women Lead marks a decade of empowering women and embracing authentic leadership, President Passerini’s inspiring keynote signals a new era of confidence and community.
Crafting the Future of Foley
Foley Library’s new Digital Scholarship Lab is transforming a quiet basement into a hands-on creative hub of tech, craft and experimentation.
ZagAI
Bringing responsible AI to the classroom
By Amy Hyde, marketing administrative specialist, Institute for Informatics & Applied Technologies
As generative AI tools make their way onto campuses, faculty and students are grappling with how AI supports educational goals, rather than hindering them. Commercial AI platforms, designed for efficiency, often provide quick answers instead of fostering inquiry. They lack guardrails that help students learn responsibly, offer limited visibility for faculty into how students are using them, and can short-circuit the very critical-thinking processes universities strive to develop. In short, AI products built for mass consumption are undercutting the goals of educators and learners alike.
ZagAI was created to address these problems.
Developed by the Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology (IIAT) in partnership with Professor Chase Bollig (English) and Professor Shan Xiao (MIS), ZagAI is Íø±¬ÃÅ’s custom-built AI learning assistant designed specifically for education. Unlike commercial tools, ZagAI uses the Socratic method – prompting students with questions, nudges and reflective tasks that help them deepen their thinking rather than receive ready-made answers. Faculty craft the assignment and define the learning goals, then ZagAI guides students through an exploratory process that supports intellectual curiosity and academic integrity.
This fall, ZagAI has been piloted in a small set of English courses, allowing the team to refine features, strengthen guardrails and study how students engage with AI-supported learning. Now, IIAT is preparing to expand the pilot to faculty across disciplines to broaden both the learning use cases and the platform’s capabilities.
We’re seeking AI-curious faculty interested in developing or adapting assignments to use with ZagAI during the spring semester. No technical expertise is required – just an openness to co-learn with students about the opportunities and limitations of AI in education.
Opportunities to Get Involved
- Faculty in the School of Business Administration: Join us for an Informational Social on December 8 at 11:15 a.m. in the Jepson faculty lounge. Lunch provided.
- All other faculty: Sign up for a hands-on demo and training in the IIAT HACLab (Herak 100) on January 8, 12:15–1:15 p.m.
Mobile ZagCards
Íø±¬ÃÅ is transitioning to a mobile ZagCard in the new year, giving students, faculty and staff the ability to use their smartphones or smartwatches as their official campus ID. This upgrade delivers a faster, safer and more seamless experience while supporting Íø±¬ÃÅ’s commitment to security and sustainability.
The mobile ZagCard offers instant access with a simple tap, eliminating the wait time and replacement costs of physical cards. Mobile credentials are also encrypted and protected by your phone’s biometric and passcode security, so they significantly reduce the risk of fraud, ID sharing and misplaced cards. With more reliable door access and improved safety, daily campus life becomes easier for everyone.
According to Matt Eastman, project manager and Staff Assembly president, the move to mobile has been years in the making. Since 2022, Auxiliary Enterprises, Plant Services, Information Technology Services and Sodexo have collaborated on a multi-phase project that included extensive hardware upgrades, system integrations, business-case analysis, campus surveys, device testing and beta trials with students, faculty and staff. As older card readers naturally reached the end of their lifecycle, they were replaced with mobile-ready hardware – creating the perfect moment to adopt this forward-thinking solution.
Faculty and staff can expect fewer forgotten cards, ease of access, and a system that aligns with Íø±¬ÃÅ’s Mission for responsible stewardship.
Look for an informational website with set-up instructions, FAQs and launch details.
Dessert of the Month: Pear Upside Down Cake
Adapted from Love the Secret Ingredient website
This is a really special recipe to me. My mom taught my sister and I how to make this when we were just little kids, and now we take turns making it every year for either Christmas or Thanksgiving (or both! It’s that good). I even pulled it out for the first holiday I spent with my boyfriend’s family and almost four years later they still ask me to make it whenever they visit. So, I’m sharing my secret with the Íø±¬ÃÅ community. Take care of it and test it out on your own family! – Thea Skokan
For the Pears
4 Tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
2 ripe but firm pears, such as Bosc or Bartlett, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges (about â…“ inch thick)
For the Cake
2 large eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
â…“ cup whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
For the Glaze
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp whole milk
¼ tsp almond extract
Instructions
Step 1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Step 2 For the pears: In a bowl, mash the 4 Tbsp butter with ½ cup brown sugar and a pinch of salt until combined. Spread evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the pear wedges in a circle over the mixture, filling any gaps with smaller wedges.
Step 3 For the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, milk, vanilla and almond extract. Whisk in the melted butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk just until combined.
Step 4 Pour the batter gently over the pears in the pan and spread evenly. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50–55 minutes.
Step 5 Cool the cake in the pan for about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen, then turn the cake upside down onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper.
Step 6 For the glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, milk and almond extract until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake before serving.
If you try the Pear Upside Down Cake or another Dessert of the Month, send a picture!
Around Campus
Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m. Spokane Jazz Orchestra brings A Motown Christmas featuring vocalist Kate Skinner | Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m. Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in Mexico! with Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar & Ballet Folklórico del Río Grande | Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. The Julia Keefe Indigenous Jazz Ensemble brings a powerful evening of jazz rooted in Native and Indigenous traditions | Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
Jan. 23, 10 a.m. & 7 p.m.; Jan. 24, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.; Jan. 25, 2 p.m. Thumbelina is a fun and inspiring retelling of the classic tale created and choreographed by Íø±¬ÃÅ Dance, featuring Íø±¬ÃÅ’s dance students alongside local youth dancers | Magnuson Theatre
Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m. Yagódy is a spell-binding journey through reimagined Ukrainian and Balkan folk music | Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
Jan. 31, TEDxSpokane offers a full-day lineup of local voices and thought-leaders sharing bold perspectives, stories, and ideas | Myrtle Woldson Center Performing Arts Center
Noteworthy
New Hires
Alec Hopkins, custodian, Plant; Anne Mari Petrino, asst general counsel, General Counsel; Bailey Sauls, asst director for residence life, Housing and Residence Life; Brice Yates, director of harassment and discrimination prevent & Title IX coordinator, Inclusive Excellence; Brooke Thompson, asst women’s rowing coach, Athletics; Carly Ellis, art technician, College of Arts and Sciences; Christopher Adams, custodian, Plant; Janna O’Brien, FXD budget asst, Center for Community Engagement; Kristina King, admissions application specialist, Graduate Enrollment Management; Marli Krantz, social media specialist, Marketing & Communications; Meredith Hallinan, annual giving program specialist, University Advancement; Nathan Robbins, security officer, CSPS
Position Changes/Promotions
Daniel Salazar, HVAC control technician, Plant; Margaret Martens, admissions specialist, School of Law; Todd Ullrich, manager of grounds and solid waste, Plant; Joanne Barber, FXD director of development, University Advancement; Nicole Clute, FXD leadership annual giving officer, University Advancement; Ryan Malarkey, FXD enrollment operations specialist I, Admissions; Claudia Rios-Jordan, MBA-AIE program coordinator, School of Business; David Bowers, custodian specialist floor tech, Plant; Deborah Harmon, FXD interim director of enrollment management operations, Admissions; Enes Dautovic, special services and warehouse operations manager, Plant; Jolanta Weber, acting dean, Íø±¬ÃÅ in Florence; Mysti Reneau, director and research compliance officer, Sponsored Research & Programs; Scott Economu, instrumentation specialist and CMR lab manager, College of Arts and Sciences; Shaylynn Sapp, technical analyst/project manager, Student Financial Services; Traci Logan, partner manager, Human Resources; Emily Hunter, FXD residence director, Housing and Residence Life; Kayla Cartelli Rideout, asst men’s rowing coach, Athletics; Raul Alvarez, enterprise application developer II, ITS
Goodbyes
Christopher Adams, custodian, Plant; Justin Jacobs, asst baseball coach and director of operations, Athletics; Olivia Bridston, application administrator, ITS; Rebecca Stockton, asst director, Admissions; Richard Van Hook, warehouse supervisor, Plant; Ann Marie Anderson, communications officer, CSPS; August Murphy-Beach, systems data analyst, Institutional Research; Dustin Gomez, program asst, Foley Library; Ellen Teerink, program coordinator, Center for Student Involvement; Eva Guzman, FDX lab and field technician, College of Arts and Sciences; Jacqueline Linder, program asst II, Center for Cura Personalis; Karen Kaiser, curator of education, Jundt Art Museum; Macie Castrodale, program coordinator, School of Law Admissions; Andrew Johnson, FXD assignments coordinator, Housing and Residence Life; Cherie Christ, assoc CIO of strategy and engagement, ITS; David Sprague, custodian, Plant; Jacob O’Brien, custodian, Plant; Jacqueline Swanson, FDX graphic designer, Marketing & Communications; Jacqueline Van Allen, director, Sponsored Research & Programs; Jerad Serdar, custodian, Plant; Julia Bjordahl, FXD director of operations, Office of the President; KaLee Quanz, FXD benefits and leaves specialist II, Human Resources; Kara Moraski, program coordinator, Center for Civil and Human Rights, School of Law; Sarah Lawrence, custodian, Plant; Trevor Komar, mail services clerk, Auxiliary Enterprises
Anniversaries
05 Tammie Maple, business and administrator services manager, Health and Counseling Services; Laura Williams, custodian, Plant
15 Brian Michaelson, asst men’s basketball coach, Athletics