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Stetson University Expects to Hold Record Graduation This Year

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Number of graduates is six percent higher than previous year

Stetson University expects to graduate 879 students at its 131st Commencement this weekend. On Friday night, May 12, Stetson will confer master’s degrees on 192 graduate students at a ceremony in Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall. The following morning, 687 undergraduate students will be honored at the Commencement ceremony at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium. The total number of graduates will set a new record for Stetson.
On the DeLand campus, students and faculty nominate and vote on their keynote speakers. This year, the graduate ceremony keynoters are Benjamin Wyatt Carter, education, and David Mueller, business. The undergraduate speakers are Chelsea Mariah Probus, religious studies, and Alexandra Panchita Sullivan, social science and religious studies.
In addition to the two Commencement ceremonies, Stetson celebrates student achievement with these events:
ROTC Commissioning Ceremony
Friday, May 12, 10-11 a.m.
Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall
Undergraduate Awards & Recognition
Friday, May 12, 3-5 p.m.
Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall
Live streaming of the Commencement ceremonies can be seen on Stetson Broadcast Productions. For more information and details on Commencement 2017 events, please visit the Commencement website.
About Stetson University
Founded in 1883, Stetson University is the oldest private university in Central Florida, providing a transforming education in the liberal arts tradition. Stetson stresses academic excellence and community-engaged learning, and consistently earns high marks in national rankings. Stetson encourages its students to go beyond success to significance in their lives, the lives of others and their communities. Stay connected with Stetson on social media.

Ibram X. Kendi Presents Social Justice Lecture at Stetson University

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DELAND, Fla., April 20, 2017 – As part of its continuing Social Justice Lecture Series, Stetson University will host a lecture by Ibram X. Kendi, Ph. D., titled “Black Students and the Redefinition of Racist Ideas.” The New York Times best-selling author and award-winning historian will discuss the history of racist and antiracist ideas and movements in America. The lecture will be held Thursday, April 27 at 8 p.m. in Stetson’s Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center, 529 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32723. The event is free and open to the public.   
 Earlier in the day Kendi will join Rajni Shanker-Brown, Ph. D, associate professor of education at Stetson, for a discussion on racism and activism in the Rinker Auditorium in the Lynn Business Center, 345 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32723 from noon to 1 p.m.
Kendi’s book Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America won the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction and was named a finalist for the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award. Described as “engrossing and relentless” by The Washington Post, Stamped was named to Best Books of 2016 lists in the Boston Globe, Kirkus, The Root, Chicago Review of Books, and Buzzfeed. Stamped has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Nonfiction.
Kendi is also the author of the award-winning book The Black Campus Movement: Black Students and the Racial Reconstitution of Higher Education, 1965-1972. He has published 14 essays in journals and books, as well as many op-eds in publications including The New York Times, Salon, New York Daily News, The Huffington Post, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. In addition, he is the associate editor of the leading online platform for public scholarship on Black life, Black Perspectives. A graduate of Florida A&M University and Temple University, Kendi is an assistant professor of African American history at the University of Florida.
Stetson University launched the Social Justice Lecture series in fall 2013 to explore issues central to the university’s mission and values — those that speak to human freedom, personal and social responsibility, the connections we have with each other, and the obligations that flow from our shared humanity. The series engages communities in intensive exploration of social justice issues by inviting accomplished leaders to Stetson University to enrich community understanding of those issues and, in doing so, motivate participants to effect social change through community engagement and civic responsibility.

Annual Stetson Showcase allows undergraduate students to present research findings

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What do Mozart, US Presidents and Snails Have in Common?

4.12.2017 Sustaining Green Living garden
Stetson University students Alissa Pagano, left, and Lex Rasdal check on
the carrots in the hydroponic garden tended by members of the Sustaining
Green Living house. The house is one of the Community Catalyst Houses
at Stetson that will be featured by students in the annual Stetson Showcase.

What do public health, apple snails, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and several United States presidents all have in common? They all are subjects of research by Stetson University students who will present their findings next week during Showcase, an annual tradition since 1999 that focuses on the research of undergraduate students.

On Tuesday, April 18, 9 a.m-4 p.m., Stetson students will share their research through presentations, posters, music and theater performances, and more. The 2017 Showcase program is available online at Stetson.edu/showcase and provides presentation locations, times and abstracts. The projects presented will be a diverse range of topics across many academic disciplines. Throughout the day guests can explore art and digital art presentations and exhibitions at the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center, and attend music recitals and theater performances. All presentations are open to the public, free of charge.
Following the presentations keynote speaker, Michael Jackson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Science and Technology at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, will discuss lessons of and reflections on his research experience.
Presentations have been tailored to a public audience allowing guests an opportunity to gain insights into new areas of exploration. Many student presenters were grant recipients allowing them to conduct extensive research. A sample of the research to be presented includes:
Nicholas Fuller will present “The Effect of Florida Apple Snail Density on Vallisneria americana Weight and Reproduction,” which investigated how apple snail grazing affects eelgrass reproduction. The research funded by a 2016 SURE (Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience) Grant used fertilizer in one trial. to replicate the conditions of Blue Springs. This research provides a foundation for further research to understand how apple snail grazing affects the reproduction of this aquatic vegetation.
Natalie Frandsen traveled to Washington, D.C., to collect primary documents in the National Archives and Library of Congress on the evolution of executive power. She will present her findings during the presentation of “National Crisis and the Expansion of U.S. Executive Power: The Presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.” This research was funded by a 2016 Evans Johnson Grant.
Naser Mubarak will present “Effects of Powerful Female Role-Models in Media on Attitudes Towards Women, and Female Viewer Anxiety.” Through this research, Mubarak investigated whether sexualized images or the presence of assertive versus passive female characters influenced negative attitudes towards women.  This research was funded by a 2016 SURE Grant.
Also on display is “Track It, Zip It,” a Digital Musical Instrument (DMI) designed by Victoria Grupp with the support of a 2016 SURE grant and IDMIL, McGill University, in Montreal, QC.  In designing this musical instrument of the future, Grupp researched and prototyped innovative ways to design fabric sensors and integrate them onto a shirt incorporating the preferred gestural movements demonstrated by professional improvisational percussionist Jim Black.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the most famous opera composers of all time, and his operas are widely performed and studied to this day. Stetson student Melaina Cartwright-Mills conducted a study to examine Mozart’s characterization of women in his comic operas. The exploration of these characters’ relationships and identities is useful for singers who wish to give authentic performances of these opera roles. This research was funded by a 2016 SURE Grant.
Emma Schaefer will present “Public Health and Community Needs Assessment Report of Spring Hill Community 2015-2016.” Now considered the poorest community in Florida, Spring Hill was once the site of housing for workers in the booming citrus and fern industries in the late 1800s. To examine the community needs, twelve Stetson students and the Florida Department of Health generated and administered a survey in the community assessing their health, environmental, and public safety concerns of residents. The results of this analysis funded by a 2016 SURE Grant were presented to the Spring Hill Community Redevelopment Agency and the City of Deland.
While many Stetson University students can present their scholarly work at professional meetings across the country, Showcase provides an additional opportunity to display their work to faculty, fellow students and interested members of the community.
Every presentation will be judged by a panel comprising a diverse group of individuals who are experts in their field. Winners at each location will receive a Maris Prize of $200 and a certificate of excellence. An honorable mention is also chosen for each venue.

 

Stetson University to Host The Architecture of the Holocaust

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WHAT: Stetson University will host the 10th anniversary Bernard Weiner Holocaust Memorial Lecture, The Architecture of the Holocaust. 

Paul Jaskot, Ph.D.
Paul Jaskot, Ph.D.

WHO:  This year’s speaker will be Paul Jaskot, Ph.D., professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture, at DePaul University in Chicago. His lecture is entitled, “The Architecture of the Holocaust” and draws on his research into how the Nazis built their concentration camps using forced inmate labor, as well as the testimonies of surviving laborers.
Jaskot earned a Ph.D. in art history from Northwestern University and has written several books, including “The Architecture of Oppression: The SS, Forced Labor and the Nazi Monumental Building Economy “(London: Routledge, 2000). His research has mostly examined the cultural history of National Socialist Germany and its impact on art and architecture.
WHEN: Thursday, April 6, 7 p.m., in Rinker Auditorium inside the Lynn Business Center, 345 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, Florida, 32723. This event is free and open to the public.
The Bernard Weiner Lecture Series at Stetson University was established by Dr. Sy Weiner of DeLand to honor the life and work of his brother, the late Bernard Weiner. Bernard Weiner was a leader in the development of Holocaust curricula for New York state schools and was one of the founders of the Rockland Center for Holocaust Studies, now the Holocaust Museum and Study Center, in Spring Valley, N.Y. The Bernard Weiner Lectures are presented annually to explore a variety of issues related to the Holocaust.
Auschwitz-Birkenau entrance

Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest Nazi death camp and refers to the network of Nazi concentration and labor camps near Oswiecim, Poland. Historians estimate 2.1 million to 4 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered there. The majority of prisoners were killed in gas chambers, although many died from starvation, forced labor, disease, shooting squads and heinous medical experiments, according to the Jewish Virtual Library.

 

Stetson University Hosts 2nd Annual sudo HackStetson

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More than 200 college students to gather for
weekend of collaborative computer programming.

This weekend, April 1 and 2, Stetson University will host the second annual sudo (a utility that gives users permission to use specific system commands) HackStetson hackathon. The hackathon will bring together more than 200 university students from across Florida and the nation for a weekend-long sprint of innovation. Hackers will build apps, services, hardware integrations, and virtual and augmented reality experiences. This environment will allow participants to learn new technologies, enhance their understanding of other technologies, work with like-minded individuals and meet with recruiters from top tech companies.
Participants will work for 24 consecutive hours with minor breaks for food, rest, and team-building events, including a visit from therapy dogs. Following 24 hours of programming, teams will present their work at an expo at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, and prizes will be awarded to the best overall products. The event is free to all participants, who must be university students. The event is also open to the public, free of charge, to view or meet with sponsors.
WHEN: Saturday, April 1, 11 a.m. through Sunday, April 2, 3 p.m. Key events include:
Saturday, April 1
11 a.m. Opening ceremonies
Noon Hacking begins
2 p.m. Tech Talk – “Moves Like Swagger, the OpenAPI Specification” by Ross Williams
Sunday, April 2
1 a.m. Tech Talk – “Defusing with Biductive Prolog” by Dr. Josh Eckroth
10 a.m. Therapy dogs arrive
12:30 p.m. Expo begins (during expo participants showcase their work)
2 p.m. Closing ceremonies/awards presentation
WHERE: Stetson University, Lynn Business Center, 345 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32724
WHO: Stetson student event organizers: Erica Kok (class of 2019); Malak Patel (class of 2018); and Austin Coates (class of 2018) and 200 university students from schools across Florida and the country.

Stetson University Hosts Immigration Forum

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The recent presidential campaign and election shined a spotlight on immigration concerns in the United States, and has heightened awareness and stirred emotions surrounding legal and illegal immigration issues. Stetson University will hold an open forum discussion with attorney Arturo R. Rios on recent changes in immigration actions and law including the expansion of enforcement capabilities. This forum is free and open to the public.
WHEN: Saturday, April 1, 1-2 p.m.
WHERE: Marshall & Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center, 529 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, Florida, 32723.
WHO: Arturo R. Rios, Esq., holds a Master of Laws in trial advocacy from Temple University, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Stetson University College of Law, where he was a member of both the Trial Team and Moot Court. Rios is an adjunct professor at Stetson, where he teaches immigration litigation and advocacy, and is a member of Stetson University College of Law Board of Overseers.
Rios has served on the Board of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (CFC) for the past several years, is the Chapter’s Ambassador to the American Immigration Council, and is the Regional Vice-Chair for the AILA-CFC Tampa Region.
Rios’ private legal practice, based in St. Petersburg, Florida, is solely focused on Deportation Defense and Immigration Litigation including Immigration Court cases throughout the U.S., appeals to Board of Immigration Appeals, representing employers under ICE investigation for I-9 compliance and related issues, immigration cases in Federal district & appellate courts, motions to reopen and/or waivers, and post-conviction relief in criminal courts for immigration-related cases.

New Program at Stetson University Helps Adults Finish Degree

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Research shows adults with 4-year degree highly competitive in market

More than seven million jobs are unfilled in the United States even with nine million unemployed workers nationwide, and the number of unfilled jobs is projected to increase to 21 million by 2020, according to the Council of Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). Closer to home, more than 60 percent of positions in Florida will require a post-secondary education but less than 32 percent of Florida workers have an associate’s degree or higher, as evidenced by U.S. Census Public Use Microdata Sample information.
From these statistics, it is apparent that workers with a bachelor’s degree are highly competitive in this job market. To help fill the need for qualified workers, in May 2017, Stetson University will offer a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership, a new adult degree completion program in the Office of Academic Affairs. Designed especially for adults with an associate’s degree or 60 transferable college credits, this program helps those who — for whatever reason — never finished a four-year degree.
“The organizational leadership major is a high-touch, liberal arts leadership major with some business content,” said Shawnrece D. Campbell, Ph.D., program director and chair, “that emphasizes the use of ethics, creativity, critical thinking, communication literacy and cultural competence to support the data-driven decision-making 21st century leaders use for solving complex problems.”
To accommodate the busy lives and professional commitments of most adult students, all courses are offered with a blend of online and in-person work. Cohorts of 15-25 students will enter the program and take courses together through the completion of the program, meeting nights and weekends. The cohort format allows students to forge a supportive educational foundation while accomplishing their goals.
In addition to a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership, Stetson will offer five industry-specific focus areas:

  • Healthcare/public health
  • Financial services
  • Hospitality and entertainment
  • Information technology
  • Nonprofit and government

“The program also allows students to earn up to 16 credits for the years of learning they obtained outside of the college classroom,” said Campbell. “We’re serious about helping adult learners reach their goals and providing adult students with a way of turning experiential learning into valuable college credits puts them one step closer to finishing what they started.”
For more information, call 386-822-7100, email [email protected] or visit Stetson.edu/adc. Upcoming information sessions include Wednesday, March 15, 6 p.m., Rinker Welcome Center, 529 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, Fla., 32723; and Thursday, March 30, 6-7:30 p.m., register for the live webinar online.
About Stetson University
Founded in 1883, Stetson University is the oldest private university in Florida, providing a transforming education in the liberal arts tradition. Stetson stresses academic excellence and community-engaged learning, and consistently earns high marks in national rankings. Stetson encourages its students to go beyond success to significance in their lives, the lives of others and their communities. Stay connected with Stetson on social media.

Stetson University Concert Choir Spring Tour Kicks Off in Sarasota

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Choir selected to perform at ACDA conference in Minneapolis

Concert Choir 2016-17_72DPI
Like many students who travel on spring break, Stetson University Concert Choir members will be traveling next week to deliver beautiful music to eager listeners in six cities.
The 50-voice choir will start their tour in Sarasota, Florida, on Saturday, March 4, before heading to Minnesota for performances in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The choir winds up their tour at home in DeLand with a concert at Lee Chapel on the Stetson University campus, Tuesday, March 14.
While in Minnesota, the choir will perform for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) at that group’s national conference in Minneapolis.

Peter Timothy
Peter Timothy

“It’s an honor for the choir to be invited to the ACDA national conference as a College and University ‘Choir in Residence,’” said Timothy Peter, D.M.A., professor, director of Choral Activities and conductor. In that capacity, the choir will lead “a repertoire reading session and participate in the Composers Masterclass working with American composers Steven Samitz and Libby Larsen. The choir will perform new works by young, talented choral composers.”
Stetson’s Concert Choir is part of a rich heritage of singing that spans more than 100 years. Its repertoire is selected from sacred and secular choral genres, numerous languages and many cultural domains. In addition to the Concert Choir, the Stetson University School of Music includes solo recitals and chamber ensembles to fully staged operas and orchestras.
During the tour, the Concert Choir will perform Exsultate Deo by Alessandro Scarlatti, Our Father Opus 29, No. 11 by Alexander Gretchanioff, Rut wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine, Chorus No. 39 from Johannespassion BWV 245 by Johann Sebastian Bach and Messe by Frank Martin among other music. They will sing in English, German, Greek and Latin.
Stetson University Concert Choir Tour Schedule
Saturday, March 4, 4 p.m.
First Church-Sarasota, 104 S. Pineapple Ave.
Sarasota, Fla. 34236
$10 donation
Sunday, March 5, 3 p.m.
Hope Lutheran Church, 250 Avenida Los Angelos
The Villages, Fla. 32162
Free with offering
Tuesday, March 7, 7 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church, 175 Lake Hollingsworth Dr.
Lakeland, Fla. 33801
$6 adults, $4 students
Wednesday-Thursday, March 8-9
American Choral Directors Association National Conference
Minneapolis, Minn.
Friday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.
Pilgrim Lutheran Church, 1935 St. Clair Ave.
St. Paul, Minn. 55105
Free with offering
Tuesday, March 14, 7:30 p.m.
Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd.
Stetson University
DeLand, Fla. 32723
Free

Stetson University Board of Trustees Addresses Changing Higher Education Landscape

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DOE, Higher Ed Act and governing boards discussed

In its February board retreat, the Stetson University Board of Trustees led by Chair Luis Prats, elected board treasurer Joe Cooper as the incoming chair. Cooper will transition to chair at the completion of Prats’ three-year term in June 2017. The board also heard from two leading experts about the changing national landscape and transformations occurring in governing boards nationwide, and in a separate meeting, discussed the state of fundraising nationwide and the status of the Stetson University “Beyond Success – Significance” comprehensive campaign.

Joe Cooper
Joe Cooper

Chair Election
The Stetson University Board of Trustees Committee on Trusteeship voted to confirm the election of Cooper as the incoming board chair beginning in July 2017. Cooper received both his undergraduate and graduate degree at Stetson University and is the retired President of Big Lots Canada and Executive Vice President of Big Lots, Inc. He previously served on the Stetson School of Business Administration Board of Advisors and was originally elected to the Board of Trustees in May 2011. In addition to his position as board treasurer, Cooper chairs the Athletics committee and sits on the university Audit Committee (Group).
National Landscape
John Walda, president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), discussed current issues in Washington D.C., including Department of Education priorities with the new administration, the reported Falwell Commission on higher education, tax reform and its potential impact on fundraising, and timing of the Higher Education Act reauthorization in the coming legislative sessions. Walda discussed the emphasis from some members of congress on university endowments, student loans, accountability and risk sharing.
Walda said there are four issues driving higher education: public policy, graduation rates, tuition costs, student debt, and jobs and outcomes.
University Governing Boards
The university’s board also heard from Rick Legon, president of the Association of Governing Boards (AGB). Legon and AGB have been leading nationwide efforts to help university and college boards understand and realize the shift of national attitudes toward higher education, and the potential for legislative action at the state and national level.
“Boards should lead in adding value to the institution and as advocates for higher education,” said Legon. He added that traditional board structure is changing and boards are moving away from focusing on what has happened to what needs to happen in the next three-to-five years.
Fundraising
Michael Sinkus, senior consultant & principal director of consultant and client engagement at Marts and Lundy, a national philanthropy consulting agency, said Stetson University is on track to achieve its goals with the $150-million “Beyond Success – Significance” comprehensive campaign. Stetson University Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement Jeff Ulmer indicated the campaign was about two-thirds toward its goal, but Sinkus said the board and university development officers would need to work hard to being the campaign to conclusion.
Board Action
At its meeting the Board of Trustees approved funding for capital projects for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The board approved $13 million for the ongoing renovations and construction at the Carlton Union Building in DeLand and the launch of construction for the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center. The board also approved $3 million for ongoing infrastructure projects at the College of Law in Gulfport.

Stetson University Magazine Spotlights Diversity, Inclusion

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Focuses on challenges, solutions for students, faculty

Alex Greene found a doorway out of his crime-ridden neighborhood in Atlanta and has an inspiring story to tell about overcoming adversity and poverty. He graduated No. 2 in his high school class, earned a Bill Gates Millennium Scholarship and graduated from Stetson in December 2016 — the first in his family — with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He hopes to attend graduate school and work for the FBI.
Greene is an anomaly. According to one study by the U.S. Department of Education, just 12.6 percent of African-Americans of low socioeconomic status earn a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Such a disparity has fueled a movement for social justice in education that Greene’s mentor, Stetson Associate Professor of Education Rajni Shankar-Brown, Ph.D., has made her life’s work. Shankar-Brown teaches Stetson students about the need for social justice in education and the vast inequities borne by students of color and in poverty. Also, she brings children from a high-poverty elementary school in DeLand to Stetson each year, encouraging them to excel in school, be positive change agents and build a better world.
Greene and Shankar-Brown are among the many Hatters with real struggles, with potential solutions and with incredible energy. During a time when diversity and inclusion are concerns at the forefront of the finest universities nationwide, each is proving to have a voice and a vision.
They and others are among the highlights of the Winter 2017 edition of Stetson University Magazine, which is dedicated to diversity, inclusion, respect and equity.
Patrick Coggins, Ph.D., chair of the university’s Faculty Senate and a professor in the Department of Education, grew up in a society where all people were valued and encouraged to be inclusive. Born in Guyana, he uses his life experiences, along with his extensive academic background, to make students more aware of their worldviews and how those views impact others around them.
Huyen Le was about to become a statistic. In Stetson’s voluminous Campus Climate Study unveiled in fall 2016, among the revelations were disproportionate struggles by students during their first year on campus. In fall 2014, Le was one of them and, in the midst of only her first semester, was almost ready to transfer.
Today, largely thanks to SU First Peer Mentor Program for first-generation college students at the Cross Cultural Center on Stetson’s DeLand campus, Le has emerged as a leader and is now president of Stetson’s Asian Pacific American Coalition.
“There must be continual advancement,” wrote Stetson University President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., in her welcome message. Paraphrasing Martin Luther King Jr., she added that the “arc bending toward justice cannot be too long, or progress will not be felt.”
Another featured article reveals that three Stetson alumni debuted in fall 2016 at top opera houses worldwide in what School of Music Dean Tom Masse, D.M.A., described as a “remarkable” first.
View the digital version of the four-color, 68-page magazine here.