From the Desk of the Dean

 

Welcome to the inaugural edition of “The Essential Elements” which we hope will give you a window into the exciting programs and people that make up the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics (NAMS) at Stockton University. The academic year 2017/2018 was very busy for NAMS as we prepared for the opening of the new Academic Quad project and the moves of faculty and laboratories out of C-wing and F-wing.  NAMS welcomed five new faculty members, Dr. Jessica Favorito, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Dr. Aaron Stoler, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Dr. Michael Law, Assistant Professor of Biology, and Dr. Barry Pemberton, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Dr. Louise Sowers, Associate Professor of Chemistry, was named Professor Emerita on her retirement.  The inaugural class of the new Masters of Science in Data Science and Strategic Analytics was successfully launched under the guidance of Dr. Russ Manson.  This new masters is focused on the “Big Data” revolution occurring today in science, health and business and prepares students to use computational and statistical methods to mine this wealth of data to drive decision making.

We were thrilled by the opening of the Academic Quad project on the Galloway campus with the ribbon cutting ceremony on May 2.  The Quad consists of the 58,210 square foot Unified Science Center 2 (USC2) building and the 37,720 square foot Health Sciences Center (HSC) flanking a landscaped central quadrangle.  Included in the HSC is a workshop/laboratory and a demonstration classroom for the Sustainability program.  The USC2 complements the USC1 project opened in 2014 with the addition of a state of the art vivarium for animal care, which also houses the XROM animal motion study laboratory, a multi-purpose classroom and a large, third-floor, multi-zoned greenhouse with a dedicated head house work area.  

 

The USC2 also houses the Physics program in four new teaching labs and a suite of offices and research laboratories and a new Organic Chemistry teaching laboratory on the second floor.  Four teaching labs for Biology and Anatomy and offices and research laboratories for Biology, Chemistry and Marine Science faculty round out the building.  New facilities allow for expansion of teaching and learning in the laboratory sciences and give NAMS faculty and students increased opportunities for collaborative research and learning.

We look forward to the 2018/2019 academic year and hope that our new facilities will continue to enhance the reputation of Stockton University and the School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics.  Thank you to all our supporters and donors as we continue our mission to promote educational access and excellence in STEM education.

 

Dr. Peter Straub
Dean, The School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics