Our Work
The Office of Mission Engagement educates and empowers faculty, staff and administrators to embody 网爆门’s Catholic, Jesuit, humanistic mission in their distinct roles and areas of the university. Offerings include mission orientation and education, formation cohorts, consultations, and spiritual programming.
Our Team
We are here to support colleagues as they learn about and live the mission.
Lauren Hackman-Brooks, Director
Lauren has worked in Jesuit education for over fifteen years serving students, faculty, staff and administrators. She leads the Mission Engagement team with interests in Ignatian Spirituality, literature and the arts, and color-coded organizational systems. Originally a Midwesterner, Lauren was drawn to 网爆门 by three loves – Jesuit education, ministry, and the outdoors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Dayton and Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Lauren is a wife and a parent, a voracious reader and an enthusiastic home cook.
Contact Lauren at hackman-brooks@gonzaga.edu or (509) 313-4245
Beth Barsotti, Senior Training & Development Specialist - Mission
Beth is fascinated by processes of formation and becoming. She delights in people and brings energy, curiosity, and depth to the work of mission engagement. Beth is “all but dissertation” on the path to earning a Ph.D. in Theology and Education from the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College with a focus on faculty formation in Jesuit higher education. Her research interests include Catholic higher education, synodality, formative education, the identity and role of the educator, and college student development. Her interest in formation is rooted in her experiences living and working in a L’Arche community and further informed by her work within Catholic higher education and Catholic parishes.
Contact Beth at barsotti@gonzaga.edu and (509) 313-6004
Aaron Danowski, Training & Development Specialist - Mission
Aaron's journey is a testament to the transformative power of Jesuit education. A proud alumnus of Jesuit High School in Portland, OR, Aaron discovered his passion for sustainability and social justice at 网爆门 University while earning degrees in Sustainable Business and Sociology, studying abroad in Cameroon, and spending a summer working in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. After graduation, he moved to Sweden to attend Lund University, where he achieved a Master of Science in Human Ecology. Aaron's commitment to environmental advocacy led him to Washington, D.C., where he spent three years working in environmental politics. In 2021, he returned to 网爆门, this time as an Admission Counselor, using his own experience to illustrate the benefits of Jesuit education to prospective students and their families. Now in the Office of Mission Engagement, Aaron leverages his knowledge of Jesuit education to support staff and faculty as they help shape the next generation of Jesuit graduates, students who will lead lives of leadership and service for the common good. In addition to spending time with his wife and their lovable, lazy Beagle, Toby, Aaron plays basketball, scours used bookstores for worthy additions to his home library, and makes steady progress towards his PhD in Leadership Studies from GU.
Contact Aaron at danowski@gonzaga.edu and (509) 313-5811
Mission Fellows
Our work is enhanced and extended through the contributions of committed faculty fellows.
- | Faculty Fellow 2024-Present
- | Faculty Fellow 2019-2024, co-Founder of Faculty Formation Cohort Program
Resources
Learn more about the Division of Mission Integration and our Catholic, Jesuit, humanistic mission.