Stockton News - July 12, 2024 - University Relations & Marketing

Stockton News - July 12, 2024

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Stockton First in N.J. to Offer Cannabis Undergraduate Degree

Beginning this fall, Stockton will become the first college or university in New Jersey to offer an undergraduate degree in cannabis studies.

The Bachelor of Science in Hemp and Cannabis Business Management through Stockton’s School of Business will prepare students to join a booming industry that has seen a 66% increase in the number of jobs in New Jersey, according to Stockton Adjunct Professor Rob Mejia.

“This year, New Jersey is on track to sell over $1 billion of cannabis products,” said Mejia, who teaches Cannabis Studies classes. “You have to pay attention to a $1 billion business. Cannabis and hemp being so unique and regulated, you have to have special skills in order to get involved and be successful in the industry.”

In March 2023, the number of cannabis- and hemp-related jobs in New Jersey was about 7,400, according to Vangst, the cannabis industry’s No. 1 job platform. That number jumped to about 12,200 in March 2024 and continues to grow as the state opens new licensing classes in distribution, wholesaling and delivery.

Vice Provost Keenan Sworn In to N.J. State Board of Education

Stockton Interim Vice Provost Claudine Keenan wassworn in July 10 as the newest member of the New Jersey State Board of Education.

Keenan served as dean of Stockton’s School of Education from 2012 until transitioning to the interim vice provost position earlier this year. Gov. Phil Murphy nominated Keenan to the 13-member board, and she was approved by the state Senate on June 28. Her term will expire on June 30, 2027.

“I’ve spent my entire career dedicated to improving education, and I’m looking forward to collaborating with all of the stakeholders statewide to continue that work,” Keenan said.

The State Board adopts the education administrative code, establishing regulations to implement state education law. These regulations cover the supervision and governance of the state’s 2,500 public schools, which serve nearly 1.4 million students. In addition, the State Board advises on educational policies proposed by the Commissioner and confirms Department of Education staff appointments made by the Commissioner.

Leadership Program Empowers Stockton Students

Did you know that New Jersey has never sent a woman to the U.S. Senate? Or that New Jersey ranks 23rd among the 50 states in the proportion of women serving in its legislature?

To address women’s underrepresentation in politics, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), housed at Rutgers University’s New Brunswick campus, hosts the Susan N. Wilson NEW Leadership residential program, which introduces college women to the world of politics and successful women leaders in the field to encourage them to consider how the political process plays a role in their daily lives.

Two Stockton University students, Rachel Dunlap, from Newark, and Detty-Maidanove Exantus, from Pleasantville, were sponsored by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy to attend the program this June.

“The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton is pleased to support students who want to attend this unique leadership program designed to increase the representation of women in politics,” said Tina Zappile, director of the center. “In this powerful training, our students learn how to be more involved in the political process, whether through a career in public service, work in the private sector, or community involvement. The voices of Detty and Rachel, along with other Stockton NEWL alumni, are critical for a thriving democracy.”

Conservation Efforts Help Our Osprey Mascot

When Stockton University chose the osprey as its official mascot in the early 1970s, the fish hawk was an endangered species with only 50 or so nesting pairs left in New Jersey. Bald eagles were down to one nesting pair that repeatedly failed to hatch eggs.

Now, five decades later, the effects of statewide conservation efforts have prompted the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to consider delisting the osprey and the bald eagle from the state's list of endangered species.

DDT, a pesticide used in agriculture, caused reproductive failure for both ospreys and bald eagles as well as other birds of prey.

"Being at the top of the food chain, DDT concentrated in their prey items and unfortunately one of the end results was thinning of the eggshells. The eggs would be laid, and if they did not break at the onset, usually a couple days into incubation, they would crack under the parents' weight," explained John Rokita '78, assistant supervisor of academic lab services and a Stockton Biology graduate.

FRAME-WORTHY

Picture Stockton... welcoming new Ospreys in 2024

This month, new Ospreys are arriving with pillows and overnight bags and leaving with their first Stockton memories and new friends.

The Nest Fest orientation is an experience that introduces students and their families to campus over two days and ends with students building their class schedule for the first semester.

See you at Welcome Week, Ospreys!

📸View more photos on Flickr