Report of Impact 2026
2026 Report of Impact
Your support of Stockton University is making a meaningful difference in the lives of our students. Because of you, they are growing academically, exploring new perspectives, and preparing to become the next generation of leaders.
As we look back on the impact you helped make during Giving Year 2026 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026), we hope you are inspired by what your generosity makes possible. Together, our community is dedicated to making the aspirations of our students accessible and achievable.
Lori S. Herndon '92
Scholarship Support
Gormley, Levine Families Donate $100,000 to MSW Program & Create $2M STEM Scholars Program
Students in the university’s Master of Social Work graduate degree program will benefit from a $100,000 fund established by Senator Bill and Ginny Gormley, of Margate, and Lee and Sandra Levine, of Longport.
The gift, established in 2025, will provide annual scholarships to students, and $25,000 will support the annual MSW Engaged Learning Trip to Washington, D.C., where students meet with members of Congress to advocate for legislation impacting the social work profession.
Following the establishment of the MSW fund, the Levine and Gormley Family Foundations launched the Levine-Gormley STEM Scholars Pathway Program, which will provide scholarships and other support for Atlantic County students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics degree programs at Stockton.
Four Atlantic County Institute of Technology seniors were selected for the program's
first cohort in June 2026. They, along with 22 ACIT juniors who will recieve scholarships
for dual credit classes at Stockton's Atlantic City campus, were recognized by the Levine and Gormley families at a ceremony on June 15.
Johnson & Johnson Donates $100K to Fund Nursing Scholarship
Johnson & Johnson donated $100,000 to the Stockton University Foundation to fund nursing scholarships and expanded food and housing security initiatives.
The gift from the New Brunswick-based pharmaceutical and medical technology company will establish the new Johnson & Johnson Nursing Scholarship, while also strengthening the university’s food assistance and housing essentials program.
During a campus visit, Johnson & Johnson leaders met with students and toured Stockton’s
food pantry and nursing simulation suites, reinforcing the company’s commitment to
investing in the next generation of nurses and supporting students both inside and outside the classroom.
Elizabeth O. Shear Foundation Creates Memorial Scholarship
The Elizabeth O. Shear Foundation established a memorial scholarship that will benefit Stockton students within the School of Health Sciences.
Shear, a longtime resident of Tuckerton, was dedicated to helping her community and supporting its well-being before her passing in 2004. According to the foundation, she strongly believed in the power of education to expand opportunity and create lasting impact.
Her foundation has since grown from supporting high school students in southern Ocean
County in their pursuit of higher education to financially assisting Stockton students
and ensuring they have access to the opportunities Shear deeply valued.
Next Cohort of Engelberg Scholars Ready to Give Back to Atlantic City
Angelica Medrano, Aaron Simpson, Timaya McGowan and Rubi Reyes Hernandez were selected for the program’s seventh cohort in August 2025, which will cover their full tuition, room, board, fees and other expenses.
Currently there are 11 Engelberg Leadership Scholars at Stockton representing every school at the university. The current cohort agreed the Engelberg program has given them an opportunity to do something they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to do.
“The idea of having a group that supports me, not only financially, but emotionally, it’s something I’ve really desired,” Medrano said. “I’m excited to be a part of this community, and I’m very excited to start this journey.”
New Endowment Honors Life of Former Volleyball Coach
Illjes served as both assistant and head coach for the Stockton women’s volleyball team, a program he is credited with helping build. Illjes led the team to its first NCAA tournament in 1999 and was eventually victorious in the tournament in 2000.
Illjes was a U.S. Army veteran, accomplished scientist, coach and mentor. He died from cancer in May 2024. The scholarship will benefit students pursuing degrees in Marine Science at Stockton.
“He loved life, loved the ocean, his friends and his students,” Jennifer Illjes said. “He did not have children, so we wanted one small thing that would continue his memory. He was passionate about the environment and the ocean, his friends and his students.”
The $30,000 endowment was supported by Illjes’ niece Jennifer and her husband, Jerry Hall, his brother and sister-in-law Theodore and Carolyn Illjes, and longtime assistant coach and friend Greg Langan.
Roth Family Honors Parents with Holocaust Studies Scholarship
Ed Roth joined his brothers, Carl and Henry, and their wives in committing $25,000 to the Stockton University Foundation in honor of their parents who survived the Holocaust.
Both Samuel and Elizabeth were forced into the Munkács ghetto in Czechoslovakia (now Ukraine) and deported to Auschwitz with their families. Most of their families were lost to the Holocaust barring a sibling each.
Samuel and Elizabeth met and married after liberation and immigrated to the United States in 1949.
The new endowment will provide an annual scholarship to an undergraduate student with a demonstrated interest in Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
Learn More | Sara & Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center of Stockton
Garden State OG Cannabis Studies Endowed Scholarship
The initiative honors New Jersey’s cannabis pioneers while helping prepare the next generation of leaders in science, policy, business and community engagement within the evolving cannabis industry. Garden State OG serves as a resource for cannabis education, particularly on NJ-grown seeds and strains.
"Stockton students who are minoring or majoring in Cannabis Studies (I call them Cannabis Ospreys) are making a name for themselves, especially in the New Jersey market," Mejia shared.
"From budtenders to brand ambassadors, sales representatives, and general managers, they are well-represented and respected. When they interview and show they have earned a degree, it draws the right kind of attention."
Learn More | Cannabis & Hemp Research Initiative at Stockton (CHRIS)
Community Support
Foundation Surpasses Goal During Eighth Annual Ospreys Give
Embracing the theme “One Day, One Stockton,” the campaign united alumni, students,
faculty, staff, families and friends in support of the programs and priorities that
shape Stockton’s future and impact student success.
In all, 1,446 donors contributed $608,852, benefiting 140 initiatives across the university — including scholarships, academic
programs, athletics, student support programs and more. Both the number of donors
and the amount raised broke records set in previous giving day campaigns at Stockton.
Golf Classic Raises More Than $115,000 for Scholarships
The sold-out tournament featured two flights, bringing together more than 220 alumni, community partners,
businesses and friends for a day of golf, camaraderie and giving back. These proceeds
benefit the Stockton Fund, scholarships and other emerging student needs.
For the past two years, Caryn Quieti and Sheryl Sobiesiak have sponsored the lunch
at the golf classic in honor of their mother, Barbara Chamberlain, who recieved her
BSN from Stockton in 1990.
“It’s an honor for us to continue the tradition our mother began so many years ago,”
Quieti and Sobiesiak said. “As a proud Stockton alumna, she was deeply committed to
its students, and we're grateful to carry on her legacy supporting a cause that meant
so much to her, and now to us."
Spencer’s and Spirit Donations to Stockton Foundation Reach $1 Million
For the fourth straight year, Spencer’s and Spirit have donated $250,000 to the Stockton University Foundation, bringing the company’s total giving to $1 million.
This year’s donation will go toward the Spencer’s and Spirit Endowed Scholarship at
Stockton, the Summer Entrepreneurship and Business Academy, Stockton’s School of Business
and a new digital innovation hub that’s being created as part of the renovation of
Stockton’s Richard E. Bjork Library and Learning Commons.
“It’s always exciting to host the Stockton team. Our connection to Stockton runs deep,”
said Spencer’s and Spirit CEO Steven Silverstein, adding that 18% of the company’s
home office employees are proud Stockton alumni. “We’re incredibly proud to invest
in the next generation of leaders right here in South Jersey, our home.”
Scholarship Benefit Gala Showcases Student-Faculty Experiences
Stockton University welcomed alumni, donors and community partners to campus April 18 for the annual Foundation Scholarship Benefit Gala, raising nearly $340,000 for Foundation scholarships.
Throughout the evening in the Campus Center, guests explored student- and faculty-led interactive demonstrations, including piloting remotely operated vehicles with the Marine Field Station, enjoying
dessert and wine pairings curated by the Hospitality & Tourism program, sampling campus-grown
produce from Stockton’s Sustainability Farm and exploring the stars through the Harold
E. Taylor Observatory’s telescopes.
Guests were also given the opportunity to engage in student-built projects, such as
games designed by Digital Studies students and origami folded by students in the School
of Education.
Student Gratitude
Destinee Mikouiza-Mbassi, Class of 2028
Yaroslav Soria, Class of 2028
Steven McCarty, Class of 2026
Tammy Stettler, Class of 2027
"Your generosity has shown me you believe in my potential and value for my future success. Your support has not only lightened my financial burden but has also given me the opportunity to pursue my academic dreams without a worry. I'm an older student, with a family, just trying to show my girls it doesn't matter how old you are, if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen."
Katie-Rae Heyer, Class of 2028
Rashaun Mason, Class of 2027
Donor Spotlight
Rita & Anthony Mack
Longtime supporter Rita Mack passed away shortly after establishing the A&R Mack Foundation Endowed Scholarship alongside her husband, Anthony, and Stockton is honored to have to opportunity to continue to support students in a way that was most meaningful to her.
Renganathan Iyer
Stockton Associate Professor Renganathan Iyer and his wife, Anu Vedantham, recently dedicated a bench along Lake Fred in memory of Iyer’s late parents. Since Mrs. Sita and Mr. PV Ganesan had never had the opportunity to visit the campus, Iyer wanted, in a way, to give them the best view of a place he frequently visits between classes.
Janice Cambron ‘79
Janice Cambron, a proud School of Health Sciences alumna, has spent nearly 30 years supporting student scholarships, earning her a spot in Stockton’s Evergreen Society. Through her continued generosity, Cambron is helping ensure today’s students have access to the same opportunities that shaped her journey, creating an impact for generations to come.
Julio Morgan Gillis '04
2004 alum Julio Morgan Gillis recently endowed a scholarship supporting full-time, first-generation undergraduate students in Stockton’s School of Business. For his consistent and active contributions to Stockton and the local community, Morgan Gillis was recognized with a Presidential Service Award during 2026’s Alumni Achievement Awards.
Experiential Learning
Giving Back to the Next Generation
In order to preserve his passion for history and honor his family, Distinguished Professor of Literature Tom Kinsella donated $50,000 to establish the Historic South Jersey Fund to support the Bjork Library Special Collections at Stockton.
The fund will preserve and share important regional materials through digitization, exhibitions and programming while engaging students, faculty, alumni and the South Jersey community.
Kinsella came to Stockton in 1989 and for more than three decades has been involved
with the Bjork Library and was instrumental in the creation of the Special Collections
department. He is also the director of the South Jersey Culture and History Center at Stockton, which produces historical publications and promotes the preservation
of local history like the Alliance Heritage Center.
Investing in Student Opportunities
The Stockton Applied Investment Management club encourages their peers to engage in and learn more about investment management, utilizing funds provided by the Stockton Foundation.
Throughout the academic year, the club hosts weekly meetings where members are introduced to and present on stocks such as American Express and J.P. Morgan or learn about the day-to-day of financial advising by guest speakers.
"Through our club’s use of the foundation funds it gave us the opportunity to go beyond
what we learned in the classroom and apply it to a real world experience of managing
a live portfolio. It allowed us to research companies, develop and present investment
ideas, and make decisions with actual capital at stake. That experience strengthened
our understanding of investing while developing skills that left the students better
prepared to enter the workplace," said Jack Cordiaro, pictured at the right with his
brother, Michael.
Sharing the Love of Adventure Through Enabling Opportunities Abroad
Select students were enabled to study abroad in Greece, Cyprus and Turkey through the newly endowed Dr. Alex & Doris Malaspina Travel Fund.
The fund's establishment was inspired by the eponymous Malaspinas, whose shared love for traveling the world and Greek history and culture will now empower Stockton students to pursue education abroad.
Dr. Malaspina is an award-winning scientist, global industry leader, and founder of
the International Life Sciences Institute whose career spanned more than six decades. Doris
Malaspina was a devoted educator whose love of language, culture, and people shaped
every chapter of her life.
Class of 2026 Leaves Their Legacy
Ospreys Take First Steps Into Philanthropy
More than 200 Ospreys from the graduating class of 2026 donated and supported their senior class gift, a campaign exceeding $6,000 for 20+ programs and causes through the Foundation.
To proudly show their support of scholarships, campus initiatives and student organizations, their regalia featured a green honor cord.
Student Support Initiatives
Raising Awareness for Student Mental Health
Proceeds from the event, held on World Suicide Prevention Day, benefit the Alton Mental Health Initiatives Fund, which strengthens counseling, peer support and mental health services at the university.
One Day, One Team, One Goal: Athletics Day of Giving
Gifts were made to various teams on Stockton's campus, including match challenges from Men & Women's Cross Country/Track & Field, Women's Rowing and Men's Soccer. Every team at Stockton will benefit through more travel opportunities, higher-quality equipment and uniforms and much more.
Mentoring the Next Generation
2026 marked the third year of the initiative’s annual Excellence in Mentoring Awards, where Alexis Reyes ’15, Rita and Anthony Mack, Terri Schieder ’82, Eleonora Byrne ’26 and Gayle Gross were recognized for their impact on the communities they serve.
“Bridging together successful, compassionate and entrepreneurial women from across various industries and giving them the chance to network and learn from each other is more important than ever before. The awards ceremony is our way of honoring the connections these wonderful leaders built amongst themselves,” said Jennifer Aarons, Stockton assistant professor of Hospitality, Tourism, Event Management and Esports and the chair of the SWLC.
Empowering Students Through Their Recovery
Supported by the Meg Linzner ’93 Memorial Alcohol and Drug Addiction Fund, the week-long exhibition featured several students across campus, including those who live on campus in Substance-Free and Recovery Housing.
Drawing on her own lived experiences, Meg Linzner worked as a social worker, therapist and drug and alcohol counselor with the State of New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services for 15 years, where she was admired for her empathy, steadiness and deep commitment to those she supported before her passing in 2009.
Your donation has given me the ability to keep my student loan debt as low as possible while still being able to enjoy all of the extracurricular activities I do; I’m a member of the Track team, two executive boards for clubs on campus and the Residential Life team, and your donation helps me tremendously in paying for school.
Because of you, I am able to focus fully on my education and future career goals without the crushing weight of financial stress. Your generosity has not only allowed me to become a better student but has also inspired me to work hard and give back to others, which I’m determined to do as I enter the social work field.
Giving by the Numbers
