Saint Martin’s University Hosts Social Justice Lecture Series

Focus on Ending Homelessness in Tacoma & Pierce County

November 8, 2006

Lacey, Washington—Saint Martin’s University will host the second “Robert A. Harvie Social Justice Lecture,” on Friday, November 17 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Spangler Hall Conference Room. The lecture will focus on efforts to end homelessness in Tacoma and features four regional experts discussing the city’s initiative to eradicate homeless camps. The lecture series is named in honor of Saint Martin University Criminal Justice Professor Emeritus, Robert A. Harvie, Ph.D. Dr. Robert C. Hauhart, Associate Professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice at Saint Martin’s, is the organizer and host for the series.

Deborah Bergthold, Human Services Division Manager for the City of Tacoma, will lead the panel discussion. Bergthold has been involved in human services planning for nearly 20 years and is currently coordinating Tacoma’s Housing First Encampment Initiative and a member of the Road Home Leadership Team. Other panel members include: Ellie Ottey, Chair of the Continuum of Care and Development Director of Helping Hand House, an agency providing housing and services to the homeless; Karen Wild, a registered occupational therapist with expertise in adults with chronic mental illness and the homeless and; Robert Luke, Community Liaison Officer with the City of Tacoma.

The lecture series is intended to increase awareness in the community regarding social justice issues and to honor Dr. Harvie’s work in the criminal justice/social justice field. The series is consistent with the University’s Benedictine value of service to others, fostering compassion, and inspiring passion and purpose among students, faculty, staff, and the public.

Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. A Catholic, Benedictine university, Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,200 students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey, Washington main campus, and 600 more to three extension campuses.

For additional information:
Anne Kirske
Interim communication director
360.486.8857
akirske@stmartin.edu