Media Coverage

Media Contacts:
Melanie Apostol
(206) 296-6114
apostolm@seattleu.edu

Carolyn Parsons, the Opus Prize Foundation
(952) 346-6318
cparsons@webershandwick.com

State Leaders Named to 2008 Opus Prize Jury
Opus Prize recipient will receive $1 million award

SEATTLE (Jan. 29, 2008) – Seattle University, chosen as the first Pacific Northwest university to administer the Opus Prize, announced a distinguished panel who will serve as jurors in identifying the recipient of the annual $1 million Opus Prize.

In partnership with the Opus Prize Foundation, the jurors will identify three finalists for the fifth annual, $1 million and two $100,000 awards given to honor individuals or organizations anywhere in the world whose faith-based, social entrepreneurial leadership addresses root causes of social problems. The prize is one of the world’s largest and most generous humanitarian service awards. The selection process is like the MacArthur Fellowships, where names are put forward by designated “spotters” whose identities remain confidential.

“The Opus Prize Foundation is proud to partner with Seattle University, a university that embodies the mission and values of the Opus Prize, to identify and honor faith-based social entrepreneurs who have dedicated their lives to solving some of the world’s most persistent challenges,” said Amy Sunderland, principal advisor to the Opus Prize Foundation.

Along with SU President Stephen Sundborg, S.J., the 13-member panel includes leaders from government, healthcare, journalism, academia, private industry, sports, the arts, and non-profit and philanthropic organizations.

“It’s an honor to work with an enthusiastic group of state leaders to collectively select nominees from around the globe for this meaningful prize" said President Sundborg. “The transformation of lives is something we all care about deeply and will honor in our deliberations.”

The jurors for the 2008 Opus Prize are:

Stephen Sundborg, S.J., president, Seattle University, jury chair
William Gates, Sr., chair,the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Maria Cantwell,U.S. Senator,Washington State
Bill Clapp, chairman,Global Partnerships
Daniel J. Evans, former U.S. Senator and governor of Washington State
Dr. Leland Hartwell, president and director,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Sally Jewell,CEO,REI
Margaret Larson, former Dateline correspondent and KING 5 anchor
Kathleen Ross, SNJM, president, Heritage College
Maestro Gerard Schwarz, musical director,Seattle Symphony
Carlos Sevilla, S.J., bishop, Diocese of Yakima
James Sinegal, CEO,Costco
Lenny Wilkens, chairman, Lenny Wilkens Foundation and former head coach, Seattle Supersonics

Under the theme, “Whole Persons for the Whole World,” the jurists will review a list of nominees from around the globe and choose three finalists for the Opus Prize on Friday, Feb. 8, at Seattle University. Selected Seattle University students will participate in evaluation of the nominations. The nominees’ names are forwarded to the Opus Prize Foundation for the final selection of the Opus Prize winners. The entire process from nominating candidates to the announcement of the winners is anonymous and confidential.

Recipients will be recognized during an Opus Prize Awards Banquet hosted by Seattle University on Nov. 18, 2008. The Opus Prize will also serve as an opportunity for the SU community to further explore the work of recipients on Nov. 19 at the university’s Mission Day, a campus-wide gathering and discussion about Seattle University’s Jesuit Catholic mission.

Established in 2004, the Opus Prize is given annually to recognize unsung heroes — either individuals or organizations — working to solve poverty, illiteracy, hunger, disease, injustice and other social issues. Opus Prize winners combine a driving entrepreneurial spirit with an abiding faith to combat societal problems. The Opus Prize Foundation, a private, independent philanthropy affiliated with the Opus Group, awards the prize in partnership with a university or college. Winners are selected anonymously and the Opus Prize Foundation does not accept unsolicited nominations. For more information, visit www.opusprize.org.

Seattle University, founded in 1891, is an independent university located on 48 acres on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. More than 7,500 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools. U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges 2008” ranks Seattle University among the top 10 schools in the West that offer a full range of masters and undergraduate programs. Seattle University is one of 28 Jesuit Catholic universities in the United States.

Members of the media are invited to interview and tape footage of select portions of the jury deliberations on February 8. Please contact SU Media Relations Manager Melanie Apostol at apostolm@seattleu.edu or (206) 296-6114 to make arrangements.