JoAnn Atwell-Scrivner
Emerita Faculty
Education: BA, Willamette University, 1976; MS, Whitworth University, 1991; MA, Seattle Pacific University, 2007; PhD, Gonzaga University, 2010. At SPU since 1986.
In 1986, JoAnn Atwell-Scrivner came to Seattle Pacific University as the first coach of the University’s new volleyball team. By the time she stepped down as coach 13 years later in order to teach full time, Dr. Atwell-Scrivner had guided the volleyball team to become a force in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
As a teen, Dr. Atwell-Scrivner competed as a member of the U.S. Junior Olympic fencing prgram. Rather than train for the Olympic team, however, she entered Willamette University to study Spanish and biology. While there, she also competed extensively ― lettering four times in volleyball, three times in softball, three times in field hockey, and once in basketball. Those skills earned her a place in WU’s Hall of Fame in 1998.
To combine her sports expertise with her interest in science, Dr. Atwell-Scrivner obtained a master’s degree in Health Sciences from Whitworth University. Applying a global outlook to her work, she also earned a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, a teaching certificate, and a doctorate from Gonzaga University. Fluent in Spanish, she has research interests in health literacy, specifically with non-English-speaking immigrant populations.
Dr. Atwell-Scrivner’s organization affilations include the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, and Dance (AAHPERD); American College of Sports Medicine Northwest Chapter (NWACSM); and the American Kinesiology Association (AKA).
Please see Dr. Atwell-Scrivner’s CV (PDF) for additional information.