Stockton News - July 17, 2025
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
Former A.C. Business Owners Establish Student Scholarship
Anthony Mack knows how important scholarships are to college students.
“I went through four years, and I got to the last semester, and I ran out of money,” said the former Stockton University Foundation board member. “I went in and talked to the dean, and they got me a scholarship. That’s the only thing that got me through.”
Mack and his wife, Rita, who’s currently on the Foundation board, have created a new $150,000 endowed scholarship benefiting undergraduate Stockton students through the A&R Mack Foundation. In a ceremony held July 15 on Stockton’s Galloway campus, the two shared their commitment to education and their motivations for creating the new scholarship.
“I’m very sympathetic when kids want to go to school, but they don’t have the resources,” Anthony Mack said. “And Stockton is an outstanding university, right here in our backyard.”
The Macks have lived in the Atlantic City area for 39 years and previously owned McDonald’s restaurants in the city — one on Arkansas Avenue in The Walk Tanger Outlets and the other on Albany Avenue just down the road from Stockton’s Atlantic City campus.
Students Gain Insight on International Tourism at Japanese Conference
Six Stockton students gained insight on tourism and explored Kyoto and Osaka during the annual Japan University English Model United Nations (JUEMUN) conference from June 27-29.
The group, sponsored by Stockton Model UN, the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, the Office of Student Development, and the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT), enjoyed an action-packed weekend of networking, experiential learning, and more.
During the conference, the students represented three different countries (the Republic of Fiji, Chile and Uganda) and explored topics centered on tourism and its impact on local and national economies and societies. These topics were informed by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which seeks to identify challenges facing tourism and drive positive change throughout the sector by promoting responsibility and sustainability.
FRAME-WORTHY
Stockton Volunteers with N.J. Osprey Project to Monitor Nests
When Stockton’s R/V Skimmer drifted to an osprey nesting platform on the edge of the marsh, an adult took flight from the wooden box that had lost most of its nesting material in a storm the previous night.
The anxious parent sounded alarm calls as it flew overhead, eyes locked on Melanie Schroer, an instructor of Biology, and Ben Wurst, a senior wildlife biologist for the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.
Schroer, cautiously stepped through the vibrant green cordgrass, looked down and found a displaced chick covered in tiny pin feathers that were still growing in. Wurst found a second chick nearby.
“They have full crops,” he said, pointing to a bulging pouch holding the chick’s last meal before it enters the stomach.
WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU
Instagram: What's your favorite spot on campus? 🌿
Facebook: Logan Ryan, a Criminal Justice major, chose Stockton University to follow in the footsteps of his father, Lieutenant Jeffrey Ryan '97, a proud Stockton alum.
Instagram: SOAR HIGHER!! GO OSPREYS!! 🦅
FROM THE SIDELINES
School-Record 143 Ospreys Qualify for NJAC All-Academic Team
A school-record total of 143 Stockton student-athletes qualified for the 2024-25 New Jersey Athletic Conference All-Academic Team for their work in the classroom. Women's basketball and lacrosse playerBrianna Robinson and men's cross country runner Erik Ackermancollected NJAC All-Academic First Team recognition.
Women's volleyball and softball player Megan Sears and baseball playerRobbie Ford were selected to the NJAC All-Academic Second Team. In addition to Robinson, Ackerman, Sears and Ford, 139 Ospreys met the requirements for NJAC All-Academic Honorable Mention spots.
To be eligible, student-athletes must be sophomores, juniors or seniors in a conference-sponsored sport and have a minimum 3.20 grade point average. True freshmen and first-year transfers are not eligible. Stockton is an NJAC member in 16 of its 19 sports, all except men's lacrosse, women's golf and women's rowing.
Pomatto Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Last week, Stockton senior Michaela Pomatto was announced as one of 42 spring-sport student-athletes who received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. The awardees came from all three NCAA divisions, with the list consisting of 21 men and 21 women.
Pomatto will receive a one-time award of $10,000, which will go toward her graduate study in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee. The senior was selected from the pool of applicants based on a combination of her academic and athletic success at Stockton.
Established in 1964, the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program promotes and encourages graduate education by recognizing the Association's most accomplished student-athletes. Each year, the NCAA awards 126 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who have completed their final year of competition. The scholarships are distributed three times annually — in the fall, winter and spring.
STOCKTON SITES & CENTERS
Nursing Students Network at Career Fair
Stockton University at Manahawkin hosted a Nursing Career Fair on Tuesday, July 8. The mixer-style event gave students in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program a convenient opportunity to network with regional health care providers.
Representatives from AtlantiCare, RWJBarnabas Health, Jefferson Health, Hackensack Meridian Health, Cooper University Health Care and Shore Medical Center were on site to meet with students and discuss potential job opportunities and career paths.
Students were able to ask questions, share resumés and explore benefits with each prospective employer at a time that worked well for their demanding schedules.
OSPREY NOTES
Vendors Sought for 2025 University Weekend Street Fair
Stockton is seeking arts, crafts and merchandise vendors to take part in the upcoming University Weekend Street Fair from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11.
The University Weekend Street Fair is one of the signature events during University Weekend, welcoming the entire Stockton community, including students, families, alumni and friends. It provides an excellent opportunity for vendors to showcase their unique products to a diverse and engaged audience.
“We are excited to invite vendors to be a part of the University Weekend Street Fair and highlight local artisan vendors at this fun and dynamic event,” said Lauren Wilson, associate director of Student Development.
Bookstore Move Scheduled for Next Week
The lower F Wing bookstore will permanently close next week, July 21–25, and merge with the Campus Center Bookstore. To accommodate the move, the Campus Center location will also be closed that week.
All sales will be available online at StocktonUShop.com.
Visit in-person starting Monday, July 28, to explore the new one-stop shop for Stockton University apparel, course materials and campus essentials.
Employees Invited to Join Dialogue on Dignity in the Workplace
Employees are invited to attend a video preview and dialogue session for “Cultivating Dignity: Episode 3 – Listening to Honor Dignity,” facilitated by the Ombuds Officer. The sessions will be held from 1-2 p.m.,Tuesday, July 22, in CCRM 3; from 1 to 2 p.m. Monday, July 28, via Zoom; and from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, in ACA1 211 at Stockton Atlantic City.
The event offers a chance to reflect on Stockton’s ongoing culture shift, provide feedback and engage with fellow coworkers. To register, email ombuds@stockton.edu.
🔙 Throwback Thursday: On this day in 1955, Disneyland officially opened its gates in Anaheim, California—after just one year of construction and a $17 million investment.
🎢 Despite a chaotic launch—crowds wildly exceeding expectations, counterfeit tickets flooding in, food and drinks running out, and hot asphalt on Main Street trapping high heels—families still flocked to the park for its magic. Within 10 weeks, the park welcomed over a million visitors during that first summer.
UPCOMING EVENTS
👩💻Professional Development Opportunities
🖼️Art Exhibits hosted by the Noyes Museum of Art
📚 Now - July 22: Summer Book Swap
Now - July 30: Children’s Summer Playhouse
Now - Aug. 1: Art Exhibit: The Dean’s Showcase
🍺July 17: Young Alumni Pour & Explore: Dr. Brewlittle's Beer Co.
July 18:Pinelands Summer Short Course
July 21: Alumni Author Summer Social
Aug. 1-3: Black Alumni Reunion Weekend
🎡 Aug. 3:Stockton Day at Morey's Piers
