Stockton News - April 28, 2023
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
'Dr. Harvey Kesselman Way' Dedicated in Atlantic City
A section of Albany Avenue adjacent to the Stockton Atlantic City Residential Complex was designated as Dr. Harvey Kesselman Way on April 27.
“I am deeply humbled by this extraordinary gesture. Atlantic City holds a very special place in my heart,” Kesselman said, recalling his parents saving for summer trips to Atlantic City as a child. “Sixty years later, they would be so proud.”
“This street dedication is not only a personal honor but also a reflection of the strong partnership between Stockton and this great city. Together, Atlantic City and Stockton will continue to build a brighter future for this community,” said Kesselman, who is retiring as Stockton’s president on June 30.
📸 View more photos on Flickr.
📰 In the News: The Press of Atlantic City
Marine Field Station Recommended for $1.4M Grant
The $1 trillion federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has funded more than 20,000 projects throughout the country. Now, a piece of the bill is coming to Stockton to clean local waterways.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Friday that Stockton is recommended for an award of $1.4 million for marine debris removal. With an additional $300,000 matching grant from Stockton, the grant’s total exceeds $1.7 million.
The award — one of the largest awarded to Stockton’s Marine Field Station — has two major components:
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Expanding a program with local fishing industries to identify and remove lost fishing and aquaculture gear in South Jersey waterways
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Cataloging abandoned watercraft in New Jersey and removing 15-25 target vessels
📰 In the News: New Jersey Stage, The Press of Atlantic City, NJ.com, The SandPaper
Stockton Celebrates 10 Years in Hammonton
It was clear Kramer Hall was more than just a building to everyone attending the 10th anniversary of Stockton’s Hammonton instructional site April 20.
From the town members who welcomed the revitalization of the former garment building to the students who thrived in the on-site educational programs, about 100 people gathered to celebrate the impact Stockton has had on Hammonton in the last decade.
“Just over 10 years ago, we cut the ribbon on Stockton’s newest location here in Hammonton. The day was cold, but the welcome was warm. Since then, Stockton’s Kramer Hall and the Noyes Museum of Art have been embraced by this town and beyond,” said Christina Birchler, director of the instructional site.
Moody’s Upgrades Stockton’s Bond Rating
Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Stockton’s bond rating to A3 from Baa1 with a stable outlook, the credit rating agency announced on April 20.
According to the report, the upgrade was driven by material strengthening in wealth and liquidity, successful execution of the Stockton Atlantic City Phase II expansion, and consistently sound earnings margins. Moody’s cited “management’s credibility and very good financial strategies” as contributing to the completion of the Atlantic City campus projects and securing support from the State of New Jersey.
📊🌿🧐 Holy smokes! Legal weed dispensaries gain high marks in a Stockton Poll released on April 25.
STOCKTON UNIVERSITY ATLANTIC CITY
Foundation Benefit Gala Honors Kesselman
The 2023 Stockton University Foundation Scholarship Benefit Gala was a night to remember as nearly 700 members of the Stockton community came together to celebrate the leadership and career of retiring president Harvey Kesselman. The event, held April 22 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, raised more than $460,000 for scholarships.
The most unique feature of the event called on guests to participate in a variety of Stockton “experiences” led by faculty and staff, including harvesting greens and enjoying a salad composed of vegetables from Stockton’s Sustainability Farm, taking a tour of the night sky with Physics students inside an inflatable geodome, learning about shell restoration efforts while students shucked and prepared locally farmed oysters, sampling local wines with students from the Fundamentals of Wine class, and making ice cream using liquid nitrogen.
"Providing the opportunity for our guests to interact with students and faculty in unique and meaningful ways is a signature part of this evening,” said Dan Nugent, executive director of the Stockton University Foundation. “This year, as we honor Dr. Kesselman, we wanted students to be the focus, incorporating his Students First motto.”
📸 View more photos on Flickr.
SPOTLIGHT ON: HALEY BAUM
Haley Baum, assistant vice president for Student Advocacy, Belonging & Campus Standards and dean of Students at Stockton, wrote her dissertation research about the Clery Act several years ago with a photo of Jeanne Clery prominently on her desk.
Clery was a freshman at Lehigh University in 1986 when she was raped and killed in her campus dormitory. The Clery Act requires colleges and universities to report campus crime data, support victims of violence, and publicly outline the policies and procedures they have put into place to improve campus safety.
Baum, who has worked at Stockton for 12 years, spoke of the honor of meeting Jeanne's mother, Connie Clery, after her dissertation work.
Recently, she was appointed to the inaugural Clery Center's National Advisory Council because of that work she did - a full circle moment, if you will.
FRAME-WORTHY:
A.C. Community Day and Party in the Park Grows in 2nd Year
What better day to have a community clean up than Earth Day? And what better place to do it than on the beach?
That’s what Stockton alumna Cindy Verderber figured when she signed up to volunteer for the second annual Community Day Clean Up on April 22.
“As an alum, I wanted to take advantage of helping out, and, of course, I chose the beach,” said the 1997 graduate who lives in Little Egg Harbor Township and is an art teacher at Atlantic Community Charter School in Galloway Township. “I am a beach person. The beach is my favorite place in the world, and we are all here just picking up anything we can find that doesn’t belong.”
📸 View more photos on Flickr.
WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU
Facebook: #OspreyShoutout: Calli Votta, an MSW student and president of the graduate student club MSW Alliance, donated
positive affirmation buttons and was a guest speaker for National Eating Disorders
Association (NEDA)'s Spring Walk on April 16.
Twitter: The @stkartgallery is currently exhibiting work by students graduating from the Visual Arts program and will until the end of the week!
Instagram: College Decision Day is this Monday. @stocktonadmissions shows us a few reasons why you should #ChooseStockton.
Incoming President Bertolino's Social Accounts Take Flight
Dr. Joe Bertolino, Stockton’s next president, launched his Osprey social media accounts this week, in tandem with visiting campus and meeting with different departments. You can follow Dr. Joe on Instagram @ospreyprez, and on Twitter @OspreyPrez.
FROM THE SIDELINES
Muir & Devi Selected NJAC All-Conference
Women’s tennis teammates Lily Muir and Sarb Devi were chosenNJAC All-Conference in singles and doubles for the 2023 women's tennis season.
Devi became a three-time NJAC All-Conference player in singles (2021-23) and two-time NJAC All-Conference doubles player (2021, 2023). Muir collected her second straight all-conference singles nod and first career doubles honor.
Stockton Splits with Montclair State
The softball team finished conference play by splitting a doubleheader with Montclair State on April 27. The Ospreys, who already were locked into the No 4. seed for the NJAC Tournament, won the first game 4-2 but dropped the second 2-1 in nine innings.
Charli Czaczkowski had two of Stockton's five hits, both doubles, plus two runs and an RBI in the opener. Jenna Patterson went 1-3 with an RBI.
OSPREY NOTES
Students Teach Tech to Smithville Seniors
Associate Professor of Computer Science Helen Wei's Medical Informatics students created two technology training workshops for older adults on April 14 and 21.
The class visited the Four Seasons Clubhouse in Smithville to bridge the digital divide between the generations and promote greater understanding of each other through communication. The workshops, sponsored by the Four Seasons at Smithville Website Committee and Stockton Center on Successful Aging (SCOSA), focused on topics from basic email and text messaging to internet browsing and social media, all while keeping internet safety and security in mind.
Robert Simms, website committee member, and Pearl Margolis, Education and socialization/recreation program assistant at SCOSA, organized the workshops to help the Four Seasons community members become more proficient in using cellphones and laptops.
"The Stockton students were very helpful and very much needed. Helen should be proud of her students. They are knowledgeable, respectful and patient with the seniors. This intergenerational project did benefit both the residents and the students," Margolis noted.
The success of the workshops highlights the critical importance of intergenerational technology training in promoting greater understanding and communication between generations and inspires others to take similar initiatives and make a positive impact in their communities.
Read the SCOSA May Newsletter
Read the Stockton Center on Successful Aging (SCOSA)'s May newsletter for interesting upcoming events and newly added programming.
UPCOMING EVENTS
🗓️ Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPIH) Celebration during April, May
Now-May 25: 💰 ‘Essential and Intermediate Financial Literacy’ courses
Now-May 31: “The Armenian Genocide, One Family’s Story” exhibit
April 28: NEWSical: the Musical, 🥇 Student Involvement Awards Ceremony
May 3: Board of Trustees Meeting – Atlantic City
May 3: Unveiling of Kesselman Hall / AC Phase II Housing Ribbon Cutting
May 4: ✨🌠 Employee Recognition Day
May 6: Print Day in May
May 10: 15th Annual Jersey Shorecast
May 12: 🎓 Commencement
May 13: 🌱 Second Saturdays – Build-a-Terrarium
