Stockton News - Sept. 19, 2025 - University Relations & Marketing

Stockton News - Sept. 19, 2025

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Flag Raising Ceremony Celebrates Latino Heritage and Culture

For seven years, Stockton has launched a month-long celebration and acknowledgement of the many accomplishments and contributions of Hispanic communities, both on campus and around the world, through a flag-raising ceremony.

This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month Flag Raising on Sept. 12 not only continued the tradition but also debuted a new flag designed to be all-encompassing of every Latin American country by St. Louis artist Jose Garza.

📸View more photos on flickr.

Nearly $300K Grant to Preserve American Author’s Letters

Catharine Maria Sedgwick may be “the most famous and innovative American writer you’ve never heard of.”

That’s what Stockton Professor of Literature Deborah Gussman calls the prolific writer who was considered a celebrity in the early 19th century. She published 20 books and more than 150 shorter works in multiple genres, including novels, short stories, sketches, biographies and travel.

Now, thanks to a nearly $300,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Gussman, her co-editors and a group of Stockton graduate and undergraduate students will continue to add to an online archive of Sedgwick’s letters.

“Her letters provide a window, from the perspective of a cultivated, well-connected single woman, into a wide range of important 19th-century issues, including authorship, gender roles, education, national and local politics, religious diversity, marriage, social reform and work,” Gussman said. “The letters are also a look into her fascinating and deeply reflective private life.”

Benefit on the Bay Raises Awareness and Support for Student Mental Health

Neighbors, friends, alumni and advocates gathered at the home of Stockton University Foundation Board member Karen Alton on Sept. 10 for the Benefit on the Bay fundraiser, an evening dedicated to advancing mental health awareness and support for Stockton students.

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.

Alton, the granddaughter of Elizabeth Alton, who led the campaign that resulted in the State of New Jersey founding then Richard Stockton State College, reflected on her vision for the fund.

“I started this because I believe every student deserves the support and resources to thrive, not just academically, but emotionally and mentally. My goal was to create something that would continue to grow and positively impact lives for years to come. Already, we’re seeing meaningful change through new programs, students supported, and lives touched — but this is only the beginning.”

STOCKTON UNIVERSITY ATLANTIC CITY

Volunteers Needed for Community Day Clean Up, Party in the Park

Volunteers are still needed for the 2025 4th annual Stockton Community Day Clean Up and Party in the Park event being held from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, in Atlantic City.

Learn more about the event here, and to volunteer, fill out this form.

SPOTLIGHT ON: MICHELLE WENDT

Named I CAN STEM New Jersey Role Model

Michelle Wendt, a technology integration specialist at Stockton’s Southern Regional Institute & Educational Technology Training Center (SRI&ETTC), not only has a passion for STEM but also a gift for sharing that passion with others, whether it’s working with students or assisting teachers in new technologies.

Wendt, who has been at the SRI&ETTC for 14 years, was recently named an I CAN STEM New Jersey Role Model by the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network.

She shared how meaningful that recognition was, a window into her work here at Stockton and some things that inspired her to pursue her career in STEM. 💭 Read the full Q&A here

FRAME-WORTHY

Fall Fling Brings the Fun

A little rain didn’t stop President Joe’s Fall Fling. The event went off without a hitch, offering carnival treats, games, prizes, a petting zoo and DJ music for staff, faculty and students on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

From cotton candy to cuddly bunnies, fun was had by all who stopped by—or dropped by if they braved the dunk tank.

📸View more photos on flickr.

WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU

InstaFred: Getting topped off and feeling refreshed.

Facebook: I'm honored to be included in the NJBIZ 2025 Education Power list alongside so many other higher ed leaders in the state, including Stockton’s own Monica Amadio, Jane Bokunewicz and Alyssa Maurice.

Instagram: The Ospreys soared through rainbow-colored clouds at the annual Residential Life color run.

Your favorite lake's online... have you given @lakefred1969 a follow yet? 👀

FROM THE SIDELINES

Stockton Sweeps Cedar Crest in Home Opener

The women’s volleyball team played its home opener after beginning the season with seven road matches and swept Cedar Crest with set scores of 25-6, 25-12, 25-14. All 19 Ospreys on the roster saw action in the team’s third straight win Sept. 18.

Freshman Olivia Magro led Stockton with a career-high 13 kills and a .524 hitting percentage on 21 attacks.Camille De La Torre and Kate Louer tallied five kills apiece.

Regan Mendick led the quartet of Stockton setters with 12 assists followed by Kristen Burton with eight assists.

Freshman Helen Murray paced the back row with seven digs and handed out four assists. De La Torre and Lauren Sommer added six digs apiece.

Louer spiked all five of her kills in the first set as the Ospreys breezed to a 25-6 rout. Magro led the way with four kills in the middle frame, which Stockton won 25-12. Magro then pounded six more kills in the third set as the Ospreys clinched the victory 25-14.

Stockton will open NJAC play with a home match against Rowan University at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Shane Monroe Named Head Women’s Tennis Coach

Stockton has namedShane Monroe head women’s tennis coach beginning with the 2025-26 season. Monroe, a native of Ventnor, becomes the third head coach in the 25-year history of Stockton women’s tennis, following Phil Birnbaum (2001-14) and Harry Silverstein (2014-25).

Monroe is a Professional Tennis Registry Level II certified coach with experience as a tennis instructor since 2019. His coaching background includes stints at the Palm Beach Bath and Tennis Club, North Palm Beach Country Club, Ibis Country Club, Phipps Ocean Park, Jupiter Island Club, Brunswick Hills Tennis Club, Ocean City Recreation Department and Louisiana State University club tennis team.

Monroe played four years of NCAA Division I tennis, two apiece at Brigham Young University (2014-16) and Louisiana State University (2017-19). In two seasons at BYU, he recorded a 37-17 record at No. 1 singles along with 17 doubles victories. He earned All-WCC second-team singles honors in 2016.

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