Dear Alumni and Friends,
Greetings from Stockton University! This spring semester, the University hosted its first-ever StockHack, a 24-hour hackathon event, for regional college and high school students. The institution also received several awards. The Atlantic City campus was named one of New Jersey’s leading infrastructure projects, and Stockton’s Presidential Vision Tour and Executive Director of Development & Alumni Affairs Jessica Kowal received CASE District II awards. Additionally, Stockton students witnessed history when they attended the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Here are just a few highlights of what has been happening at Stockton:
Stockton University Hosts First-Ever StockHack Event for Regional Students
More than 50 high school and college students from the regional community competed in StockHack, Stockton University’s first 24-hour hackathon. Winners included students from Stockton, Drexel University and Egg Harbor Township High School.
More than 50 high school and college students from the regional community competed in StockHack, Stockton University’s first 24-hour hackathon, held on campus Feb. 18-19. Winners of the competition included students from Stockton University, Drexel University and Egg Harbor Township High School.
StockHack offered students challenges within three categories: innovation, design and software, allowing participants to apply their computer science skills by experimenting with interface design and software engineering.
“The University is proud of the success of our first ever StockHack event, which offered local students the opportunity to integrate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) into one original project,” said Lynne Kesselman, Stockton’s first lady and a former computer technology teacher at Egg Harbor Township High School. “Interdisciplinary studies, creativity and collaboration are the future of computer technology education. StockHack incorporated these themes and provided a unique experience for students to carry throughout their future academic careers.”
Lynne founded and serves as president of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Southern New Jersey chapter, which co-sponsored StockHack, along with the Stockton Computer Society and Information Technology Services.
“StockHack had 52 competing students, with 12 teams working on original projects for the innovation challenge,” said Robert Heinrich, Chief Information Officer and Information Systems adjunct faculty. “Judges were comprised of high school teachers, Stockton faculty, staff and students, and other community members. Everyone seemed to be excited during the 24-hour event.”
Kevin Garrone, James Girard and Shawn McCall won the grand prize, 3-D printers, for their team’s innovative original project, an app called, “Safe Now.” The app allows users, if feeling unsafe in their environment, to push a button marked, “unsafe.” The app then generates and sends an emergency text message to a predetermined list of contacts, as well as the date, time and user’s location.
Garrone, a senior, first came up with the idea at Drexel University, where he studies Software Engineering.
“The greatest satisfaction of this competition was the ability to make an idea tangible, especially in the time we did it. Winning the competition has increased my energy to complete my senior design project,” said Garrone, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J. “I’m also really happy to see a hackathon come to this area; it’s cool to see Stockton stepping up to improve the technology branch in South Jersey.”
Girard and McCall, both seniors studying Computer Science at Stockton, agreed that StockHack forced them to push their boundaries and put their skills to the test.
“You can never underestimate the competition, and there was some tough competition here,” said Girard, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J. “StockHack allowed us to apply our skills in the real world. The best part was being able to make something that can affect other peoples’ lives, all within a 24-hour window.”
“My goal was to push myself, and I definitely did,” said McCall, of Lincroft, N.J. “There were so many positive vibes around this event, and I got a lot of good input. I hope next year’s StockHack will be even bigger.”
The winning app maps each time a user selects the “unsafe” button and stores that data on a server. The group hopes to use the information in the future to create heat maps, which could be used to improve tourism and law enforcement.
Other participant projects included, “DJLite,” a beginner-friendly audio app, and a swim-time converting program which converts swim times from short-course yards into long-course meters.
“This event is a very valuable experience for everyone, but especially the younger students, because it provides you with real-world applications,” said Adam Swift, an educator at Egg Harbor Township High School and vice president of the CSTA Southern New Jersey chapter. “You leave here with something tangible to show a possible employer at a job interview.”
“We were all so impressed with the students’ projects,” said Demetrios Roubos, Stockton’s assistant director of Information & Security, Computer Science Information Systems (CSIS) adjunct faculty, and one of the event’s organizers.
“There are careers in technology within every field,” Roubos added. “We wanted to encourage students to explore the intersection of art and science, and the competitors ran with their own, original ideas. We at StockHack are incredibly pleased and proud to be able to provide the next generation with this hands-on experience.”
The event began Saturday afternoon with guest speakers, a scavenger hunt and significant time for collaborative and creative work. The competition ended at noon Sunday, following the presentation of team projects and awarding of prizes.
On the national level, hackathons have proliferated in the past 10 years, and some have become a vehicle for companies and financiers to rapidly develop new software, and find new talent.
To see images and video from the StockHack event, search #StockHack on social media platforms, or visit Flickr.com/stockton_edu.
The University will host another StockHack event Nov. 18-19.
Stockton’s Atlantic City Campus Wins Award as N.J. Leading Infrastructure Project
Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus was recognized as one of New Jersey’s Leading Infrastructure Projects with an award from the New Jersey Alliance for Action, a non-profit, non-partisan coalition of over 2,500 business, labor, professional, academic and government leaders.
Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus was recently recognized as one of New Jersey’s Leading Infrastructure Projects with an award from the New Jersey Alliance for Action, a non-profit, non-partisan coalition of over 2,500 business, labor, professional, academic and government leaders.
The campus is part of the $220 million Atlantic City Gateway Project, which includes an academic building which will eventually accommodate 1,800 students, residences for 530 students, a parking garage with over 800 spaces and a new office tower for South Jersey Gas. The campus, currently under construction, is expected to open in Fall 2018.
The Gateway Project is a public-private partnership with Atlantic City Development Corp. or AC Devco, at the intersection of Atlantic, Albany and Pacific avenues in Atlantic City.
Stockton is pleased to be recognized for the impact its Atlantic City campus will have on the city, the region and the state. Our mission is to provide a high-quality, affordable, accessible education to a diverse population, enabling more college students to stay in New Jersey and more graduates to succeed in their chosen fields. In addition to the proven benefits of having a highly educated workforce available, the construction and then continuous operation of this facility will provide an ongoing economic stimulus as businesses expand to serve our students, faculty and staff, many of whom will live in the city.
The University is grateful for this award, which includes many of our partners, such as AC Devco, county and state government, South Jersey Industries, unions and professional contractors, all of us working cooperatively to bring this project to fruition.
The Alliance awards program was created to highlight innovative, pioneering and landmark construction initiatives that greatly impact the state’s economy and to honor the businesses and organizations that work together as partners to ensure the project’s success, said Alliance President Philip K. Beachem.
“The Stockton University – Atlantic City Gateway Project is a great example of what can be done when organizations work as a team to develop a fantastic project,” Beachem said.
The 6th annual awards ceremony was held Feb. 10 at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, N.J., and highlighted several billion dollars in infrastructure projects and their impact on New Jersey.
The Alliance also recognized these organizations for their work on the project:
- Atlantic City Development Corp.;
- Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders;
- Atlantic County Improvement Authority;
- Elkus Manfredi Architects;
- HLW International, Inc.;
- Joseph Jingoli & Son, Inc.;
- NJ Economic Development Authority;
- Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters;
- SOSH Architects;
- South Jersey Building & Construction Trades Council;
- South Jersey Gas.
Stockton’s Presidential Vision Tour and Jessica Kowal of Development & Alumni Affairs Receive CASE District II Awards
The Presidential Vision Tour: A Distinctive Vision: Embracing Stockton’s Future, and Jessica Kowal, executive director of Development & Alumni Affairs, were recognized with 2017 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II awards.
Stockton’s Presidential Vision Tour: A Distinctive Vision: Embracing Stockton’s Future, and Jessica Kowal, executive director of Development & Alumni Affairs, were recognized with 2017 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II awards at the organization’s annual conference, held Feb. 26-28 in Baltimore, Md.
“I am sincerely honored to receive such a special award,” said Kowal. “This award really belongs to Stockton! It is a well-deserved recognition of the fantastic team who surrounds me, the terrific leadership I have and the amazing institution I am privileged to work for every day. The Presidential Vision Tour was truly a collective effort with so many campus partners. I am so proud to have Stockton’s dedication and work acknowledged and celebrated on a national level.”
The Vision Tour received a Silver Award in Best Practices in Alumni Relations and a Bronze Award in the Special Events category. Kowal was honored as the CASE District II Professional of the Year.
I’m very pleased that the Presidential Vision Tour was recognized by our peer institutions. More than 50 individuals and nine departments worked on this collaborative initiative and I enjoyed reconnecting with so many alumni and friends during the tour.
January 2016 marked the launch of the University’s first Vision Tour, which made 10 tour stops in six states.
CASE is the professional association serving educational institutions and the advancement professionals who work on their behalf in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas.
Stockton is a member institution of CASE District II, the largest of the eight CASE
districts, spanning from Canada to West Virginia. In 2016, it received more than
3,350 entries for consideration in nearly 100 categories by more than 713 member
higher education institutions, independent schools and nonprofits.
The Best Practices award recognizes exemplary programs, projects and initiatives in alumni relations that serve as models for other institutions, provide a successful solution to overcoming challenges, reflect strategic use of resources, achieve significant results and/or utilize innovative practices.
The Professional of the Year Award is given annually to one professional and recognizes an advancement professional who has demonstrated exceptional achievement in the development of an institutional advancement program or innovative execution of programs within an area of advancement; contributed to the profession through work with CASE; and volunteered in service to the community or charitable organizations.
“I am very proud of Jess and not surprised by her selection,” said Philip Ellmore, chief development officer and executive director of the University Foundation. “Jess’ work is more than deserving, and she is a true representative of the work we strive to achieve in the advancement of Stockton’s mission.”
Stockton Students Watching President’s First 100 Days with Interest After Attending Inauguration, Policy Seminars
After attending President Donald Trump’s inauguration, seeing protests in the nation’s capital and spending two weeks at the Washington Center Presidential Inauguration 2017 Academic Seminar, Stockton students are watching the president’s first 100 days very closely.
After attending President Donald Trump’s inauguration, seeing some protests in the nation’s capital and spending two weeks at the Washington Center Presidential Inauguration 2017 Academic Seminar, Stockton students are watching the president’s first 100 days very closely.
Students are part of an independent study this spring with Claire Abernathy, assistant professor of Political Science, who accompanied the 10 students to D.C. The independent study is building on the seminar experience, with students tracking the progress of President Trump’s policy initiatives in the first 100 days and assessing the new administration’s effectiveness in this important period.
“Our students attended morning panels and presentations from noted scholars, journalists, and political observers, gaining insight into the election results and into the possible policy actions that will be taken by the new administration,” said Abernathy. “Each afternoon, we visited with representatives from prominent Washington organizations to hear about a wide variety of policy areas, including immigration policy, environmental policy, and budget policy.
“In sessions throughout the seminar, we focused on what we can do to raise the level of political discourse and to better engage with people across the political spectrum,” she added. “Those skills in listening to new and different perspectives were often put to the test by our speakers and by our visits with organizations around the city.”
Students experienced the inauguration in a variety of ways, including reflecting on the state of the nation and international relations.
“I think the part that surprised me the most about the inauguration itself was President Trump’s inaugural address,” said Carly Bulgia, a senior from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. majoring in Political Science and the head of the Republican Club on campus.
“I expected to hear a speech about uniting the nation, and something positive. Instead, I felt that his speech was very dark, and that it was a major insult to President Obama,” she said. “For the first time in a long time, President Trump is coming into office when the economy is good, and is steadily increasing, and the unemployment rate is decreasing. I expected President Trump to address the success that our country is having, and how he expects the country to grow.”
Reflecting on the seminar sessions, Bulgia said she was was impressed by the foreign policy discussion led by experts who talked about the relationship Trump now has with Russia and Vladimir Putin, and also the threat of North Korean missiles.
“This experience will shape the independent study because I think that it made us aware of a number of issues that we need to look for during the 100 days of the Trump administration,” said Bulgia. “Some of these issues include women’s rights, foreign affairs, the national debt, and religious liberties. Our speakers and site visits really drew attention to these issues, and taught us about how Trump will change the existing policies, and so it will be interesting to watch him, and see if he actually does what everyone thinks he will do.”
A few students skipped the inauguration and went to the protest instead.
Yomaris Acosta, a sophomore Criminal Justice major from Mays Landing, N.J., was staying near where a protest occurred.
“This was the same protest that turned violent and was being shown on the news all day that day. ….While being there, I learned that the media can be very deceptive at times,” Acosta said. “They only showed a small section of the protest but not anything else that was occurring. At that same protest I saw a live local band putting on a show, various individuals elevating their political discourse and a lot more peace than the violence being shown on television.”
Arianna Santiago, a freshman Biology major from Millville, N.J. said the inauguration “ceremony was emotional for me. I cried because of the comments made at the inauguration. It really shed light on some Americans’ mindset. I can say that the overall experience was life changing.”
She was also stunned by its aftermath.
“I was surprised by the events that followed the inauguration,” said Santiago. “The protests covered a spectrum of issues. Some got very violent and I was shocked at the actions of some. I think everyone needs to come together and ask the tough questions. This country will remain divided otherwise.”
See photos on the Political Science Facebook page.
I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter!
Harvey Kesselman
President, Stockton University
