Stockton News - May 9, 2025 - University Relations & Marketing

Stockton News - May 9, 2025

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

OSPREY Awards Honor Faculty and Staff

Faculty and staff were recognized for their tireless efforts in creating a culture of dignity, kindness, respect, compassion and civility during this year’s OSPREY Awards on Thursday, May 8.

The awards ceremony directly followed Stockton's yearly Employee Recognition Day in the Sports Center, which included a special video presentation created by Production Services and celebrating employee milestones, ranging from five years at Stockton to 50 years.

According to President Joe Bertolino, this year’s recognition day honored over 200 faculty and staff members and 30 retirees who collectively represent more than 3,000 years of service to the university.

“I want to thank all of you for what you do every day,” Bertolino said. “You make an impact, whether it is in the classroom or behind the scenes, or on the front lines supporting our students. If not for the people in this room, the institution would not be able to serve students day in and day out.”

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Tree Planted in Memory of Longtime Stockton Supporter

Following her many contributions to Stockton, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and the Stockton Foundation posthumously honoredJuanita High in a tree planting ceremony at the Galloway campus on Wednesday, April 30.

A lifelong resident of Atlantic City and longtime English teacher at Atlantic City High School, High also served as Stockton’s first Director of Affirmative Action, and as special assistant and executive assistant to former President Vera King Farris.

In addition, High was a consultant for Stockton’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations, an active member of the university’s Foundation Board of Directors and the Council of Black Faculty & Staff and coordinator for a program designed to eliminate prejudice, racism and violence on campus. The 93-year-old died in January 2024.

Simulated Emergency On-Campus Prepares Nursing Students

Shrill screams from the Unified Science Center (USC) pierced the quiet calm of a recent Saturday afternoon on Stockton’s Galloway campus.

Students and community members covered in dark red and brown face paint soon poured out of the building, some shouting “Help!” while others held their faces and bodies in feigned agony.

Soon, students of Stockton’s Nursing program were on the scene, brandishing first-aid kits and triage tags as the campus’ second-annual Mass Casualty Drill got underway on May 3.

The students’ calm replaced the noise of chaos as they soothed and treated their patients. “Can you see me? Can you hear me? Let’s move to a quieter spot.”

On-Campus Involvement Celebrated During Ceremony

Getting involved and creating an on-campus community deserves to be celebrated, as demonstrated by the 14 awards given to students, faculty and staff during Stockton's annual Student Involvement Awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 29.

The complete list of awards and honorees can be found here.

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STOCKTON UNIVERSITY ATLANTIC CITY

LIGHT Report: A.C. Casinos Provided Record $572M to Casino Revenue Fund

The Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality & Tourism (LIGHT) at Stockton University released its second annual report in collaboration with the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ) called 2024 Impact: Atlantic City Casino Industry.

According to the report, the Atlantic City casino industry continues to drive South Jersey’s economy, serving as one of the largest employers in the region and a source of vital tax revenue that benefits New Jersey’s most vulnerable residents. The industry is essential to the state’s social safety net, providing a record over a half billion dollars or $572 million to the Casino Revenue Fund in Fiscal Year 2024.

SPOTLIGHT ON: GET FIT @STOCKTON

Innovative wellness program recognized

Get FIT @Stockton, a wellness initiative, was recently honored with a prestigious New Jersey Social Innovation Award, placing second in the Community Health and Well-Being category out of 200 nominations across nine categories.

“This recognition is for our efforts in addressing social determinants of health and improving the lives of New Jersey residents,” said Mary Kientz, associate professor of Occupational Therapy, and M. Alysia Mastrangelo, professor of Physical Therapy, who accepted the award on behalf of the program during a ceremony in April.

The program began in 2013 in collaboration with the Family Resource Network of New Jersey, its original creators. It was launched as a community-based health promotion and wellness initiative using an interprofessional education (IPE) approach, bringing together students and faculty from physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing and health sciences to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In its early stages, Get FIT @Stockton teams visited clients in group homes and assisted apartments. Twice a semester, participants visited campus for data collection.

PHOTO: Mastrangelo, left, and Kientz, at the 2025 New Jersey Social Innovations Awards Ceremony.

FRAME-WORTHY

Picture Stockton... catching macroinvertebrates to assess water quality

A lesson on water quality introduced students to the diversity of macroinvertabrates below the surface.

Vashti Mahadeo, an Environmental Science teaching specialist, took her students in Ecological Principles to Morses Mill Stream, a tributary of Lake Fred, to look for aquatic bugs that serve as biological indicators of stream health.

Lynn Maun '04, Fred Akers and Brooke Fisher '21 from the Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association joined the class to give an overview of macroinvertebrates and demonstrated how to survey the stream during a field experience.

Aquatic macroinvertebrates (creatures without a backbone that can be seen without magnification) can tolerate varying levels of pollution.

Students wore waders and used dip nets to catch macroinvertebrates hiding in vegetation along the banks and burrowed in decaying leaves at the bottom.

WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU

: Cheers to our graduates🥂 ! We can't wait to watch you #soarhigher!

: Why did you choose Stockton?

: What better way to enjoy some sun than with a Holi celebration? 🎨

Your favorite lake's online... have you given a follow yet? 👀

FROM THE SIDELINES

Stockton Finishes Third at NJAC Championships

At the 2025 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships held on May 4 at The College of New Jersey, both men's and women's teams secured third-place finishes.

The men's team 87 points, trailing behind Rowan (313) and TCNJ (228). Senior Ahmad Foggled the Ospreys by winning the long jump with a distance of 7.34 meters, tying for eighth nationally in NCAA Division III. He also placed third in the triple jump at 14.54 meters, ranking 20th nationally. Chris Griffin achieved a personal best in the javelin with a throw of 61.28 meters, placing second and ranking 22nd nationally.Dan Squicciarini was runner-up in the 3000m steeplechase (9:57.16) and sixth in the 5000m (15:28.14). The 4x100 relay team —Carson Latham, Cruz Lewis, Anthony McCullough and Devante Greene — finished third with a season-best time of 42.13 seconds.

The women's team 152.5 points, finishing behind TCNJ (223.5) and Rowan (220). Kayla Kass broke her own meet record in the 800m with a time of 2:09.87 and placed fourth in the 1500m (4:45.24). Field event victories includedEva Morrisonin the pole vault (3.50m), Emma Petrolia in the triple jump (11.60m) and Michaela Pomatto in the discus (42.92m). Petrolia also secured second in the 400m hurdles (1:02.56). Maddy Valasek was runner-up in both the 5000m (18:22.20) and 10,000m (39:30.67). The 4x400 relay team — Kass, Petrolia, Emma Conroy and Kayla Sullivan — finished third at 3:56.78.

Select Osprey athletes will compete next at the Ramapo Last Chance Twilight on May 9.

Stockton Places Fourth in MARC Championships

The women’s rowing team fourth out of seven teams in the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference Championships on May 4, which were held on Mercer Lake. The Ospreys rowed in the varsity eight and second varsity eight categories.

In conjunction with the MARC Championships, the all-conference honors were announced. Breanna Blisardwas named All-MARC First Team, Sydney Rowand was chosen All-MARC Second Team and Maggie Dunnwas selected All-MARC Novice. All three Ospreys received all-conference recognition for the first time.

Natalie Warrick, Lex Zang, Reilly Deschenes, Hannah Sherwood, Giavonna Terruso-Emmons, Kimberly Canelas, Keira KenneyandBryanna Ortiz plus coxswain Thalia Gonzalez finished third out of five in the second varsity eight with a time of 8:06.343.

CoxswainLeilani Moreno led the varsity eight of Blisard, Dunn, Rowand, Ashley Timm, Olivia Wagner, Reese Weirick, Lexi Kripetz and Megan Baldwin.

The Ospreys finished third in their heat with a time of 8:28.163 and then placed fifth out of seven squads in the final with a time of 7:40.823. Stockton topped Franklin & Marshall by 11 seconds and Milwaukee School of Engineering by 14 seconds while trailing fourth-place Washington College by just three seconds.

Stockton will row in the famous Dad Vail Regatta on the Cooper River in Pennsauken on May 9-10.

🦅 For more athletics news and upcoming game information, visit .🦅

STOCKTON SITES & CENTERS

Climate Change for K-12 Educators

The School of Education, in collaboration with its Southern Regional Institute and Educational Technology Training Center (SRI & ETTC), recently hosted a closing event to mark the culmination of its year-long Climate Change Grant. This initiative was funded by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and aimed to enhance climate change education across K-12 schools. The event was attended by representatives from the NJDOE and educators from 16 school districts spanning the eight counties served by ��ɫ��TV's Regional Hub for Climate Change.

The event featured a presentation by Kim McKenna, interim executive director of the Coastal Research Center, who shared her expertise on the local impacts of climate change on coastal regions and emphasized the role of education in raising awareness.

Additionally, K-12 teachers who participated in the climate change projects in their schools shared their experiences and outcomes. By using innovative approaches to integrate climate change education into various subjects, such as conducting experiments or developing community-based solutions, students engaged in real-world environmental issues.

The event underscored the critical role of educators in shaping the next generation's understanding of climate change. By equipping teachers with resources and knowledge, the initiative aimed to create a ripple effect, inspiring students to become informed and proactive citizens. The collaboration between the School of Education, SRI&ETTC, and the NJDOE exemplifies a commitment to advancing climate literacy and preparing students to tackle the environmental challenges of the future.

The project has been renewed for another year, effective April 1, 2025.

Wellness Center Helps Nursing Students Take Paws

The Wellness Center visited ��ɫ��TV at Manahawkin in April, bringing therapy dogs and Stockton swag to share with students! The visit gave the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing students a chance to balance study, family and life concerns with emotional support from sweet pups, Gus and Stanley. They also provided health education and stress relief items to the hard-working students as they studied for exams and wrapped up the spring semester.

Data: More Than a Third of N.J. Entrepreneurs are Foreign Born

Foreign-born workers make up 35% of New Jersey’s entrepreneurs and in some counties more than 50% of self-employed workers are immigrants, according to a report released May 5 by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at ��ɫ��TV.

Stockton Professor of Economics Ramya Vijaya and Stockton Economics undergraduate student Tatiana Shukovsky analyzed the latest available county-level U.S. Census data to assess immigrants’ contributions to the New Jersey workforce. They evaluated labor force participation, entrepreneurship rates, the top occupations among immigrants, and more.

OSPREY NOTES

Safe-Driving Campaign Selects 15th HERO of the Year

One of the first thingsNastasya “Annie” Boyko saw when she made her way down Vera King Farris Drive as a first-year Stockton student was the LED screen displaying the smiling face of Ensign John R. Elliott, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate whose tragic death has inspired the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers.

For 15 years, the campaign has partnered with ��ɫ��TV to select a student who embodies the same responsibility and compassion that John exemplified during his life. Elliott was hit and killed by a drunken driver on his way home for his mother's birthday in 2000. That same year, his family founded the John R. Elliott Foundation and the HERO Campaign. The student selected is featured on signage around campus and on a billboard on the Atlantic City Expressway promoting the HERO Campaign’s message of safe driving.

Now a sophomore majoring in Health Science and sister of Sigma Delta Tau, Boyko has spent her first two years at Stockton making designated driving a cultural norm within her sorority, earning her the title of HERO of the Year for 2025.

🎥Strategic Goals Session Recording Available; Still Time to Share Your Thoughts!

If you were unable to attend one of the recent Strategic Goals Community Feedback discussions, you may review the April 30 recording here.

📣There is still time to share your thoughts! Your feedback is critical to ensuring the Strategic Plan reflects the needs and aspirations of our entire Stockton community. Please submit your input by May 15 in one of the following ways:

Review the proposed goals and share your feedback -
Email the committee directly at StrategicPlan@stockton.edu

It’s Almost Time to Confirm Your Ospreys

Happy Summer, faculty! As the summer semester is about to begin, it's almost time to Confirm your Ospreys!

Once the semester begins, faculty are reminded to complete the Academic Engagement (formerly Roster Verification) process by confirming student attendance/academic activity. 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.

Bookstore Move Scheduled for Week of July 21

The lower F Wing bookstore will permanently close the week of 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 .

Visit in-person starting Monday, July 28, to explore the new one-stop shop for Stockton University apparel, course materials and campus essentials.

Fun Fact Friday: National Lost Sock Memorial Day is observed every May 9 to honor the countless socks that mysteriously vanish, never to be seen again. It's a lighthearted reminder of life's little mysteries and the unmatched socks left behind. While we may never solve the case of the disappearing laundry, the day invites us to let go, repurpose lonely socks, or finally toss them out. Some people even celebrate by cleaning out their sock drawers or crafting with single socks. However you observe it, National Lost Sock Memorial Day is about embracing imperfection — and maybe buying a few new pairs. It's also an exciting reminder that we are fast approaching flip flop season! Rest in peace, socks!