In Seattle, officials are considering the indefinite closure of trouble streets to combat violence. For the first time, a woman has been appointed to lead Seattle University—a mathematician, Maura Mast.
Seattle considers closing problem streets because of crime and gun violence
The Seattle City Council is considering an emergency ordinance that would allow authorities to indefinitely close traffic on certain streets to combat crime and shootings. As reported by CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News, the measure will be discussed on Tuesday at a meeting of the Public Safety Committee. The proposal comes from Seattle City Councilmember from North Seattle, Deborah Juarez, and is part of a broader plan by Mayor Kathy Wilson to reduce violence on Aurora Avenue, where armed incidents are particularly acute.
The gist of the proposal is to expand the existing municipal code—which already allows “problem” alleys to be closed—to full streets. The plan is to pass the rule as an emergency ordinance. That would require at least three-quarters of councilmembers’ votes, as well as a mutually agreed effective date. If the document is approved, the director of the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) would be authorized to close roadways “to maintain or improve public safety.” Before doing so, however, SDOT would be required to consult with the police chief. Notably, the ordinance does not spell out a process for reopening traffic—only an expansion of the powers to initiate closures.
Such steps could become a new tool for dealing with crime “hot spots,” like those that have emerged at the intersection of 12th Avenue and Jackson Street or on Pike Street and Broadway. Earlier in the same area, Broadway had already seen proposals to close some alleys. At the same time, urban planning activists continue to advocate for closing streets to cars—for example, Barbara Bailey Way—to create more comfortable conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. The committee meeting is also expected to discuss further development of the CARE Department, which handles crisis response, and to refine the language in the municipal code that defines its mission.
The idea of closing streets in response to violence has drawn mixed reactions: on the one hand, it could reduce the number of shootings in the short term; on the other hand, it is unclear how and when the streets would reopen, and whether it could create additional traffic problems. The city is clearly looking for new levers to affect the situation, and this ordinance is just another step in a series of experiments limiting movement for the sake of safety.
First woman and mathematician to lead Seattle University
Maura Mast, the former dean of Fordham University and a mathematics professor, became the 23rd president of Seattle University. She is not only the first woman to hold the post, but, as she notes with a smile, the first mathematician as well. Her appointment marks an important milestone in the development of the Jesuit Catholic university, which is in a period of transformation: a merger with Cornish College of the Arts, a shift from a trimester system to a semester system, and the construction of a new academic museum tied to a landmark arts donation. As reported in The Seattle Times, Mast’s selection reflects a broader trend in Catholic higher education, where Jesuit universities are increasingly entrusting leadership to laypeople rather than priests. Mast herself sees it as a positive shift.
Maura Mast, 61, comes to Seattle after ten years serving as dean of Fordham College in Rose Hill, located in the Bronx neighborhood of New York, where she was also the first woman in that role. She expanded academic advising programs and strengthened fundraising by launching paid internships for students. Before Fordham, she worked as a mathematics professor and administrator at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She earned her PhD in mathematics from the University of North Carolina, and her specialty is differential geometry, a branch of mathematics that studies smooth manifolds and the curvature of spaces. Mast is the author of the award-winning textbook “Common Sense in Mathematics” and co-editor of a collection on women’s contributions to mathematics.
As a leader and educator, she calls herself a problem-solver obsessed with bringing students to the finish line. It began in the classroom, where students who feared math were taking her classes. At Fordham, she redesigned the advising system, finding that the need for student support exceeded what faculty could provide. The new system created full-time advisors who help students with academic performance and choosing a major. “We don’t serve our students if they have to crack the code,” Mast said. That approach aligns well with the pressing challenges of higher education: Washington State authorities and other regions are raising alarms about a shortage of postsecondary professionals. About one-third of Seattle University students are first-year students from families in which no one has previously attended college, and another similar share receives Pell Grants—federal financial aid for low-income students.
Mast admits she stepped away from teaching and research so her problem-solving skills could benefit more people. “Mathematics gave me deep satisfaction and changed my life. But as an administrator, I solve problems that affect the lives of others,” she explains. She also has experience in fundraising: she helped bring in funding for paid internships for arts and humanities students and provided philanthropic support for faculty research, including projects on the ethical use of artificial intelligence.
Mast’s connection to Catholic education runs deep. Raised in a Catholic family, she earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Notre Dame, and later became an active member of the Clavius Mathematics Group—an international network of Jesuits and lay mathematicians named after the 16th-century astronomer and mathematician Christoph Clavius. She believes in numbers in a literal sense: for her, seeking truth through constructing mathematical proofs is akin to divine work. Mathematics also holds that there are different kinds of infinity, including infinitesimally small numbers between zero and one. In her view, ideas like these help one understand the divine. “God is infinite,” Mast says. “God is in the molecules of this table, in the trees outside the window, and in the flying birds. I can’t understand that.”
She recalls that her move into the presidency of Seattle University happened “by divine timing.” A search consultant called while she was on sabbatical after ten years at Fordham, traveling across Jesuit and Catholic universities around the world. If the offer had come in a few months earlier, she likely would have been too focused on thinking about the future to say yes. Seattle University appealed to her because, in her view, it reflects core Jesuit principles—especially in a region marked by deep socioeconomic inequality. Jesuit universities, Mast believes, have a responsibility to bring together people with different perspectives and to help students make sense of complex social problems, especially poverty. Rather than avoiding these tensions, universities should prepare students for thoughtful, respectful dialogue. As an example, she cited the Sandbough Center for Community Engagement, which connects students and faculty with nearby neighborhoods through community-based learning, research, and volunteering. In 2025, the center launched an annual $500,000 program to support youth development and education in Yesler Terrace, a social housing neighborhood located near campus.
When announcing the appointment, the university’s board of trustees highlighted these priorities above all: her experience strengthening student support, her commitment to social justice, and her deep academic expertise. “The Board is confident that she will lead the University forward with clarity, purpose, and care for the educational mission,” said Patrick Callans, chair of the board. Mast plans to devote her first months to meeting with students, faculty, and staff, walking through campus, and getting to know both the university and the city. “I want every student to know what I look like,” she said. “And that I’m with them.” And, of course, she intends to find out where in Seattle you can get the best cup of coffee.
Seattle University led by a woman for the first time
Seattle University, one of the leading Jesuit institutions in the United States, announced the appointment of Dr. Maura Mast as the 23rd president. This is a historic moment: for the first time in the university’s 134-year history, a woman will lead it. The decision was made unanimously by the board of trustees, and Dr. Mast will begin her duties on September 1.
Maura Mast previously served as dean of Fordham College in Rose Hill at Fordham University, where she was also the first woman in that position. Prior to that, she was a professor of mathematics at the University of Massachusetts Boston and held several leadership academic roles. “I’m both excited and moved to have been selected as the 23rd president of Seattle University,” Mast said, pointing to the university’s commitment to Jesuit values, science, and social justice. Her appointment is an important step for gender equity in higher education—especially in Catholic institutions where women have long been excluded from top leadership roles.
Board of trustees chair Pat Callans emphasized that Mast brings “an unwavering commitment to Jesuit, Catholic values,” as well as experience in higher education and a focus on student success. At Fordham, she expanded the college’s donor base, secured philanthropic support, launched new advising and internship programs, and supported faculty research and innovation in academic curricula. Mast herself is a distinguished professor of mathematics and an expert in differential geometry, and a member of the Association for Women in Mathematics. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and anthropology from the University of Notre Dame and a doctoral degree in mathematics from the University of North Carolina.
The previous president of Seattle University, Eduardo M. Peñalver, left the post in March to lead Georgetown University. He was the first Latino president and the first layperson to serve in the role since the university’s founding in 1891. Maura Mast’s appointment continues the trend toward greater inclusiveness in the leadership of Catholic universities, where women are increasingly present. Her experience in mathematics and administration, along with her commitment to social justice, suggests that Seattle University will continue to build its academic reputation and deepen ties with the community. More about the decision can be found in KOMO’s report.
