Stockton News - May 17, 2024
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
Graduates Urged to Take Advantage of Stockton Community
Possibly more than any other graduating group of Stockton students, the Class of 2024 knows the importance of building a strong community.
The University held two ceremonies, one at 9:30 a.m. and one at 2:30 p.m. on May 10 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City for 2,000 graduates who received bachelor’s degrees.
Many of the students gathered for the ceremonies didn’t get a high school graduation.
The COVID-19 pandemic discouraged gatherings of large groups of people and further
isolated students by forcing classes online.
“When we first met, we only knew what each other’s eyes looked like above our masks,” said Maya Vaughn (at right), a Bachelor of Science graduate in Psychology with a minor in Behavioral Neuroscience, who spoke at the morning ceremony. “We’ve accomplished something so large and indescribable, something others can’t say they’ve done. No other generation of college students have experienced what we persevered through.”
📜 🎓 Faculty, Staff Receive Degrees at Commencement
Congratulations to all Stockton employees who received degrees at this year's Commencement Ceremony, including Farren Andrews, Student Records and Registration, B.A. in Business Administration; Peter Baratta, Institutional Research, Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership; Lauren Fonseca, School of General Studies, M.S. in Data Science and Strategic Analytics; Tiffiny Gipson, Library, M.A. in Instructional Technology; Paiton Koppenal, Campus Police and Safety, B.A. in Criminal Justice; WIlliam Marquez Wilson, Plant Management, B.S. in Environmental Science/Studies; Matthew Romen, School of Health Sciences, Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership; Valerie Troisi, Academic Advising, M.A. in Criminal Justice; Heather Watkins, President's Office, M.A. in American Studies; Adrian Wiggins, Campus Police and Safety, Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership; and Kahlyll Wilson, School of Health Sciences, M.S. in Data Science and Strategic Analytics.
📸 View photos from the morning ceremony.
📸 View photos from the afternoon ceremony.
📰 In the News: downbeach.com, The Press of Atlantic City
Graduating Students Honored in On-Campus Ceremonies
Celebrating the achievements of our departing Ospreys doesn’t start or end with our big Commencement ceremonies in May.
Throughout the months of April and May, graduating students were honored for their academic and professional achievements within their academic programs and student organizations, as well as inducted into honor societies.
Here is a collection of these ceremonies and recognitions.
Symposium Shines Light on Holocaust, Genocide Lessons
Teaching about the Holocaust and genocide requires empathy, building connections from previous atrocities to current events, and revealing humanity.
Learning to recognize the humanity in all of us was what Todd Oberholtzer took away from a seminar for South Jersey educators on teaching the Holocaust on May 13.
A World History teacher at Washington Township High School, Oberholtzer said he teaches his students about the Holocaust from a thematic perspective. “I tie it in with other examples and show the process of how these sorts of atrocities continue — man’s inhumanity to man.”
“Lessons for Today: A Symposium on Teaching the Holocaust, Confronting Hatred and Highlighting Diversity” was the first event jointly hosted by the Sara & Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) and the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. The full-day event at the John F. Scarpa Academic Center at Stockton Atlantic City welcomed nearly 80 educators from more than 30 K-12 schools in southern New Jersey.
STOCKTON UNIVERSITY ATLANTIC CITY
Foundation Gala Adds to Scholarship Fund
The Stockton University Foundation held its annual Scholarship Benefit Gala, bringing togethermore than 500 Stockton alumni, students, faculty and community members to raise funds to support student scholarships.
The April 20 event was held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, the event’s top sponsor for a third year. It raised nearly $400,000 to support the Stockton Foundation’s Scholarship Benefit endowment, which now totals more than $5 million.
Laura Leonel, a first-year student and scholarship recipient from Long Branch, expressed her gratitude, saying, “This was an amazing opportunity to interact with donors as a scholarship recipient. The gala is something not every student gets to attend, and I felt honored to be there. I am so grateful for the scholarship and all the opportunities it has provided.”
LIGHT Report: A.C. Casinos Generated $467M in Tax Revenue in 2023
The Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality & Tourism (LIGHT) at Stockton releaseda new report on May 15 in collaboration with the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ) called 2023 IMPACT: Atlantic City Casino Industry.
According to the report, despite market challenges, the Atlantic City casino industry was able to generate $467 million in gross gaming tax revenue in 2023, representing a nearly 12% increase over the industry’s last peak in gross gaming tax revenue in 2006. The industry continues to be one of the largest employers in southern New Jersey and a source of vital tax revenue benefitting New Jersey’s most vulnerable residents.
“Despite its triumphs and challenges, Atlantic City continues to persevere. The casino industry remains the economic engine of not only South Jersey, but the entire State of New Jersey,” said Jane Bokunewicz, PhD, Faculty Director, LIGHT at Stockton. “The industry has paid significant dividends to the city and state over the past five decades and will continue to play a vital role in the long-term success of the region.”
📰 In the News: YOGONET, Focus Gaming News, New Jersey Business Magazine, NJBIZ
SPOTLIGHT ON
Biology Majors Present at International Conference
This spring, three Biology majors presentedtheir research and met with fellow students and scientists from around the world at The Allied Genetics Conference in Washington, D.C. This unique opportunity allowed Yasmin Mourad, Jayne Seitz and Johanna Maioriello to share their research while also gaining knowledge and even friendships.
"Opportunities such as this one allow students to communicate with professional scientists from all around the world. More importantly, the students see where they fit into the bigger picture of the scientific community,” said Michael Law, associate professor of Biology, who also attended the conference.
FRAME-WORTHY
Picture Stockton... in black and white
Makenzie Larkin, a senior Visual Arts major, spent a semester shooting portraits and then intentionally eliminated color to focus our attention on what matters most—the people who turn the Stockton campus into a community.
She set out to capture a photo series and find out why students and faculty choose to study and teach at Stockton. The process opened her eyes to the diversity of talents, interests and stories of overcoming challenges, and left her feeling impressed and proud of her fellow Ospreys.
Meeting junior Abriana Velez showed her the power in perception versus reality and how dedication makes dreams come true.
“Abriana came from a place where education wasn't taken seriously, and to see that she is going above and beyond and beating all expectations is really inspiring. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter where you come from, but as long as you try, you can get what you want,” she said.
Larkin first picked up a camera to capture meaningful moments in her own life, but the process of making those images left her with much more than prints.
WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU
Instagram: Let’s welcome Dr. Michael Palladino to the role of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs!
Facebook: Open House for Transfer Students is next Wednesday, May 22, 2024 from noon - 3 p.m. on our Atlantic City Campus!
FROM THE SIDELINES
Two School Records Set at Widener Final Qualifier
Five Stockton student-athletes competed in six events at the Widener Final Qualifier on May 13. Two Ospreys broke their own school records, and one of them moved into position for a spot in the NCAA Championships.
Emma Petrolia broke her own school mark in the 400m hurdles by 1.39 seconds and moved up from 29th to 10th in NCAA Division III in the 400m hurdles (1:02.07).
Petrolia finished second out of 10 and joined Kayla Kass in the 800m and Michaela Pomatto in discus as likely NCAA Championships qualifiers.
Ashanae Morrison shaved 11 hundredths of a second off her own school record in the 100m from last year and placed second out of 29 sprinters (12.15 seconds). Morrison also was fifth out of 11 in the triple jump (11.07m).
Pasquale & Fenimore Earn Academic All-District Honors
Two women's tennis teammates Sophia Pasquale and Kierstyn FenimoreearnedCollege Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors. Pasquale and Fenimore each secured the accolades for the first time in their careers.
The requirements for College Sports Communicators Academic All-District are a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade point average and sophomore or higher standing. In addition, players must have played in at least 70 percent of their team's matches that included team scores.
Pasquale and Fenimore filled the first two spots of the singles rotation and paired as the top doubles tandem for Stockton this season. They collected NJAC All-Conference honors in singles and doubles after leading the Ospreys to a 7-4 overall record and a runner-up finish in the NJAC Tournament.
OSPREY NOTES
Financial Aid Office Helps Facilitate FAFSA Applications
Thanks to the support of the Compass Fund, as well as the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), the Office of Financial Aid successfully hostedthree FAFSA Completion Events during the Spring 2024 semester.
The two in-person sessions – held on Saturday, Feb. 3, and Thursday, March 21 – began with a presentation on the updates to the 2024-2025 FAFSA and what to expect from the new application. Following the presentation, students and families were guided to computer labs, where staff members with the Office of Financial Aid assisted them in completing the application.
In addition to the in-person sessions, the Office of Financial Aid hosted a virtual event on Wednesday, May 1, to assist students one-on-one via Zoom. Marielena Dottoli and Angelica Velez, assistant directors of Financial Aid, led all three events.
Time to Confirm Your Ospreys
Happy Summer, faculty! As the summer semester has begun, it's time to Confirm your Ospreys!
New name, same process! Faculty are reminded to complete the Academic Engagement (formerly Roster Verification) process by confirming student attendance/academic activity. The Academic Engagement process for Summer Sessions I, II and IV is to be completed by Monday, May 20. The process for Summer Session III is to be completed by Monday, July 1. The Office of Financial Aid will use this information to make adjustments to student financial aid disbursements based on each student's confirmed number of credits.
Each instructor will be responsible for confirming student attendance or participation in an academic activity. For online courses, faculty are reminded to include an assignment or discussion activity during the add/drop period so that the student's attendance can be confirmed.
The link to complete the Academic Engagement process can be found under the faculty tab within the goStockton portal.
For more information and a list of frequently asked questions, visit stockton.edu/academicengagement.
Fun Fact Friday: 🥜 Today is National Walnut Day! In June 1949, the Walnut Marketing Board created
the first National Walnut Day to promote the consumption of walnuts. Then, on March
3, 1958, a Senate Resolution introduced by William F. Knowland brought an official
declaration from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, creating National Walnut Day on May
17, 1958.
UPCOMING EVENTS
👩💻 Professional Development Opportunities
May 21: 🎬 "The Mask You Live In" Documentary Film Screening
May 22: 🌞Transfer Jam
June 1: 🚲 16th Annual G. Larry James Legacy Ride
June 15:EQUILIBRIO
June 28: 🌲 8th Annual Pinelands Summer Short Course
