Assessing How We Define Diversity - Seattle University

In Memoriam
Our colleague and friend,
Nick Gallo, a frequent
contributor to Seattle
University Magazine, died
suddenly on October 11,
2007, while on a personal
travel writing assignment
in Athens, Greece. He
was 57.
An award-winning travel, news and features writer,
Gallo left a lasting impression on both his readers and peers
through his passion for his craft and as a gifted storyteller.
For more than 20 years he worked as a Seattle-based
freelance writer and editor whose byline appeared in some
of the most prominent local and national newspapers and
magazines. In March 2004, he was hired as a contract writer
for Seattle University, and instantly made a mark on the pages
of this magazine with stories about the 10th anniversary of
the Chapel of St. Ignatius; 30 years of presidential leadership
at SU with Fathers Sundborg and Sullivan; and former U.S.
Attorney John McKay, among many others. His versatility
and ability to write about disparate topics, from sports to
religion, education to excursions, allowed him to connect with
audiences near and far.
When not covering the news and events of SU and our
alumni, he was often jet setting across the globe as a writer
who penned more than 350 travel articles for publications
including Alaska Airlines Magazine, Travel+Leisure and
Carnival Cruise’s Currents Magazine.
A fondness for Mexico took Nick to the country many
times and his articles on the people, food and culture twice
earned him the prestigious Pluma de Plata, a national award
for best travel writing, presented by Mexico President
Vicente Fox.
Additionally, his work was among selections chosen for
inclusion in four anthologies, including the Travelers’ Tales
series. He was also a contributor to Seattle Metropolitan
magazine, the Seattle Times, People magazine, Men’s Health
and the New York Times.
While many came to know Nick through his stories
of world travel, he was also an accomplished journalist
in consumer news, and earned a national award for a
consumer-health article for Better Homes and Gardens.
Earlier this year he received an award from the Washington
chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) for
the feature, “Opening Doors,” which appeared in the fall
2006 issue of Seattle University Magazine.
Nick is survived by his wife, Laurie Brown; sons, Alex
and Noah; mother Rose Gallo; sisters, Lory Gallo and
Mandy Krantz; brothers, Alex Gallo and Matt Gallo, and
many loving friends and colleagues. In lieu of flowers,
donations may be sent to the Nick Gallo Memorial Fund,
6312 23rd Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA 98115.
Several stories by Nick appear in this issue of Seattle
University 2 | Letters Magazine. He will be greatly missed.
—Tina Potterf, editor
letters
Don’t Overlook Achievements of Science
and Engineering Grads
I was pleased to see the recognition you gave to our recent
fellowship and scholarship winners (“Scholarly Pursuits,”
Summer 2007). The accomplishments of these students
show that Seattle University is on the right track in its
pursuit of leadership and academic excellence. However,
I was disappointed that you neglected to mention our
recent National Science Foundation Graduate Research
Fellowship winners. Extremely competitive and highly
prestigious, these fellowships are awarded to seniors or
first-year graduate students and cover full tuition and
books, and a support stipend for up to four years of
graduate study in science or engineering at the school
of the winner’s choice. About 50 or so are awarded each
year in each discipline, and students who win them can
generally expect to be accepted into any graduate program
they wish. Furthermore, they are almost always awarded
to students from Research I universities and virtually
never to those from primarily undergraduate institutions,
with the exception of a few science and technology
powerhouses such Harvey Mudd and Cooper Union. So
it was noteworthy when Dan Strickland, ’05 (mechanical
engineering, now at Stanford), became the first SU graduate
to win one in 2006. It was nothing short of stupendous
this year when not one but two alumni, John Ulmen, ’06
(mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, also at
Stanford), and Jock Bovington, ’06 (physics and electrical
engineering), both won—John competing in mechanical
engineering and Jock in environmental engineering. Martin
Kearney-Fischer, ’07 (physics and electrical engineering,
attending Ohio State University), won honorable mention
in mechanical engineering. These students deserve all the
recognition they can get, and their accomplishments place
our mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and
physics departments right up there with the very best in
the nation.
Paul Fontana, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Physics
Seattle University
Correction
Peter Goldman is married to Martha Kongsgaard, president of the
Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation. Both are 1984 graduates of the
School of Law. An article in the summer 2007 issue (“Environmental
Cause”), about an award given to them by the School of Law and
the Women’s Law Caucus, mistakenly said Goldman was married to
co-recipient Patti Goldman.