DIGITAL GCU Today AUG issue

1 What is the mission of the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission? We promote economic, cultural and educational exchanges with members of those cities. So we host events here to encourage trade, to encourage cultural exchanges and to bring in students and vice versa. We send delegations from Phoenix to the 10 sister cities — Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Catania, Italy; Chengdu, China; Ennis, Ireland; Grenoble, France; Hermosillo, Mexico; Himeji, Japan; Prague, Czech Republic; Ramat Gan, Israel and Taipei, Taiwan — for the same purpose. 2 Speaking of travel, where do you and your family (wife Lisa, daughter Jane and son Ethan) love to go? We love Britain, so we have been three years in a row. In our most recent trip, last year, we went to southern England for an archeological dig of a Roman villa. We like the rural areas; we like to go to places in Britain where there are very few Americans. My daughter likes to tell me that we go to places where normal people don’t go. She’s a GCU student, so I allow her to say that. 3 As a student at a Jesuit school, the University of San Francisco, and a teacher for seven years at a Jesuit school, Brophy College Preparatory, how is your Ignatian identity evident in your role as dean? It is evident every day. Ignatian spirituality is about asking one question: What more can one do for God? It is magis (Latin for “more”), and magis does not mean quantity “more,” it means quality “more.” Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, changed the world among Catholics back in the 16th century because he said we had to get out of monasteries and we had to embrace the world. People trained in Ignatian spirituality are trained to bring the values of the Gospel into daily life in their professions, whether they are professors, journalists, engineers, etc. Whatever they are doing, they bring the presence of the Gospels into daily life. So as the dean, obviously, I do that in the way we design our programs and work with our learners and the way I hire faculty and the way we train faculty. It is part of who I am. 4 You’re an avid reader. What are you diving into these days? I am just finishing “Hero Empire” (“Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill,” by Candice Millard). It is all about how Winston Churchill became a leader in England. Also, I am a news junkie. I read The New York Times, L.A. Times, etc. 5 What is a little-known aspect of your persona? I love Shakespeare. I have attended the Utah Shakespeare Festival every year for the past 22 years. The past few years, my wife and I have brought our children. — Theresa Smith 5 on5 5 Q U E S T I ON S W I T H Dr. Sherman Elliott Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences A ppropriately, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences is led by a Renaissance man: a traveler, historian, reader, musician and avid theatre-goer. Leading the college with the most students and professors is time-consuming, yet Elliott continues to branch out in ways that serve the community and ultimately students, some of whom may eventually attend GCU. Since 2016, he has served on the Arizona Humanities Council, a position appointed by Governor Doug Ducey. Moreover, he was an appointee of former Mayor Greg Stanton to the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission, both as a member and on the executive board. GCU MAGAZ I NE • 5