For Immediate Release; with speaker photos on flickr

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

 

Contact:         Maryjane Briant              
                        News and Media Relations Director
                        Galloway Township, NJ 08205
                        Maryjane.Briant@Stockton.edu 
                        (609) 652-4593

Galloway, N.J. - Kelly Dougherty, assistant professor of Health Science, will discuss Stockton University’s new Exercise Science program on Friday, July 22 as Temple Emeth Shalom kicks off its 19^th annual “Salute to Stockton” lecture series this summer, in conjunction with Congregation Beth Judah in Ventnor, N.J.

The public is invited to this free series of events, to be held at Beth Judah, 700 N. Swarthmore Ave. in Ventnor. The programs will begin at 7:30 p.m. during Friday evening Sabbath services, in late July and August, and feature a question-answer session following the presentations.

Dougherty will outline the university’s newest degree program, which gets underway this fall. Exercise Science appeals to people interested in sports training and conditioning, sports psychology, sports journalism or marketing, coaching, physical education, becoming a cardiac rehab, respiration or massage therapist, a fitness director in corporate and community settings, and many other possibilities.

Stockton developed the program in part because of the need for health care services in southern New Jersey, which studies have ranked the state’s least healthy region. In addition, federal and state labor statistics show the health and fitness field is growing fast, with national, state and local career opportunities.

Dougherty received her M.S. in Translational Research from the University of Pennsylvania and her Ph.D. and M.S. in Kinesiology, emphasis in Exercise Physiology, from the Pennsylvania State University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and previously was a research assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a resident of Northfield.

Other faculty from Stockton will give presentations about gender equity in sports, the impact of community involvement, and African American gospel music and freedom songs.

Rabbi Gordon Geller of Temple Emeth Shalom in Margate, a longtime Stockton faculty member in the School of General Studies, said the talks are always a summer cultural highlight for the congregation and community. The two soon-to-be merging synagogues are holding a number of joint services this summer in Beth Judah’s larger sanctuary, including the “Salute to Stockton” series. The merged congregations will be called Shirat Hayam.

The series continues in August, with programs including:      

Friday, Aug. 5:“Women in Sports” - Eileen Conran-Folks, director of Stockton’s Hammonton & Manahawkin Instructional Sites, will speak about Title IX in education and sports and gender equity in sports.

Conran-Folks is director of Stockton’s Hammonton & Manahawkin Instructional Sites and has worked as a higher education administrator for 34 years, including 25 years at Stockton. She holds a doctorate in Education and has served in several key positions at the university, including: dean of Students and assistant vice president for Student Affairs. She is a member of Stockton’s Title IX practitioners group and a member of the Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies faculty. She lives in Ventnor with her husband, Lonnie Folks, director of Athletics and Recreation at Stockton.

Friday, Aug. 12: “The Powerful ‘Town-Gown’ Engine” - Laurie Greene, associate professor of Anthropology, will speak on “Community Engagement: Connecting College & Community to Effect Change.”

This presentation will discuss the challenges and prospects for joint projects which connect universities to their local communities. Greene will look at the role that Stockton plays in the redevelopment of the Atlantic City region, the impact on quality of life, and how community organizations might help cultivate this mutually beneficial relationship.

Greene holds a Ph.D. from Tulane University. A Ventnor resident, she also owns the local business, Yoga Nine. Though specializing in Linguistic Anthropology, she has been active in area nonprofits and, through partnerships with local organizations and community members, has helped to created ongoing programs which connect Stockton students and faculty to community partners.

Friday, Aug. 19: “Summer Songfest” - Beverly Vaughn, professor of Music, will host the festive finale to the series with a program of African American spirituals and songs focusing on freedom, deliverance, brotherhood and joy.

Vaughn, a mezzo-soprano known for her velvety tone and vibrant personality, is Music program coordinator as well as Vocal/Choral program coordinator at Stockton. She has won numerous awards and citations for her teaching and has also received several awards from the regional organizations for outstanding community outreach and service.

She holds a master’s degree in voice performance and a doctoral degree in musical arts, both from Ohio State University.

Vaughn conducts the College Chorus and the Stockton Chorale along with both The Stockton Oratorio Society and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, which she founded. These choral organizations have traveled to Europe and have enjoyed overwhelming regional acclaim under her direction.