Stetson Magazine

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The CAMPAIGN: A Stairway to Significance

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P RI O RI T I E S

FACILITIES Welcome Center Student Center Student Success Center (renovations to the library) Faculty Offices College of Law (Student Center & Advocacy Building)

STUDENT SUPPORT Endowed Scholarships and Fellowships International Study Student Success Program Student Life Athletics

$50,000,000 $7,000,000 $26,000,000 $2,800,000 $4,700,000 $9,500,000

FACULTY SUPPORT ENDOWMENT Chairs (10) Visiting Chairs Faculty Research and Development Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence Center for Family Business Center for Law Advocacy

$40,000,000 $15,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000

CURRENT USE RESOURCES Stetson Fund (5-percent growth) Current Use Support of Students and Faculty

$20,000,000 $15,000,000 $5,000,000

TOTAL

$40,000,000 $20,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000

$150,000,000

BEQUEST INTENTIONS Throughout the course of the campaign, work in the area of planned giving will remain a priority, with a goal of raising $50 million in new expectancies. Planned gifts that mature during the course of the campaign will be counted toward the campaign goal.

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Aside from these priorities, derived from a trustee, faculty, staff and student Planning Committee, a state-of-the-art performing arts center continues as a priority at Stetson University, at a currently estimated cost of $25 million. The university welcomes substantial donations that will provide for this facility.

P h oto

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E l i z a b et h H a l l

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W i l l P h i l l i ps . C ove r

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Staff President

Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D.

Vice President of University Marketing

Greg Carroll

Editor and Art Director

Bill Noblitt

Editorial Assistants

Nicole Melchionda and Donna Nassick

Photographers Contributing Staff

Will Phillips and Brendan Rogers

Janie Graziani, Mary Anne Rogers, Frank Klim, Brandi Palmer and Amy Gipson

Writers

Fritz McDonald, Andy Butcher, Kevin Winchell, Kerstin Cook, Mary M. McCambridge, Woody O’Cain, Caroline Skinner, Michael Candelaria and Sarah Frohnapfel

Class Notes Editor

E l i z a b et h H a l l

st a i rwe l l b y

B i l l N o b l i tt .

Cathy Foster

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F e a tu r es 14 The Campaign Stetson’s $150 million campaign ensures the university’s future.

2 Letters Reactions to the Last Issue 4 Beginnings News about Stetson 13 First Person My Mentor

52 Games Stetson’s Front Porch

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16 Window Into Stetson’s Soul The Beyond Success — Significance Campaign is put into a national perspective.

20 Why I Give Four alumni explain why they give to Stetson.

Alumni It’s Really Not Greek to Me “I Am a Camera”

28 How Our Students Benefit From the Campaign A recent graduate investigates the topic.

The Classes

38 The Joy of Giving Yes, giving can make you happy, according to research.

64 Endings This Is the Time 65 Parting Shot On Lake Beresford

is published three times a year by Stetson University, DeLand, FL 32723 and is distributed to its alumni, families, friends, faculty and staff. The magazine is printed on FSC-certified paper. The College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business Administration and School of Music are located at the historic campus in DeLand. The College of Law is in Gulfport/St. Petersburg. The university also has two satellite centers: The Tampa Law Center and the Stetson University Center at Celebration near Orlando. stetson magazine

40 Two for Stetson How two philanthropists helped the early university.

42 Fish Gotta Swim, and We Need Fresh Water to Live Four from the Stetson community come together to breathe life into the university’s new Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience.

46 Justice at Work Funds for capital projects, scholarships and endowment will keep the College of Law at the top of the rankings.

48 Timeless Gifts Estate planning can help make the difference for Stetson.

50 The Gala A gala officially launches the Beyond Success — Significance Campaign.

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Big Questions This issue of stetson magazine is a serious WOW. Congratulations!

I loved your article (“Are the Big Questions Still Relevant?”) and so many others. I also loved that so many that are so credentialed and enlightened appear humble and unknowing yet remain completely engaged and convicted with ongoing inquiry into the subjects of MEANING and The BIG QUESTIONS. Without going into a full confessional here, I have been a moderately successful businessman who never had a business course at Stetson. My career opportunity in business was random. Over the years, inertia took hold and the “busyness” river just flowed faster and faster, overshadowing these “Big Questions.”

The questions became buried in all the distractions your authors outline. Business has been good for me but also a kind of functional mask. Without that veil, I am pretty much the same liberal arts (geography) guy that is probably more free spirit and thinker than buttoned-up businessman.

For students at Stetson who are at the beginning of their personal life bell curve, these questions, posed and considered, are critical and will form a major differentiator in their personal fabric (let’s call it a market value gap), not to be confused with values.

That gap between them and others will positively influence their success and significance in the diverse real world — be it business or a Peace Corps mission. My only research is my experience over 40 years, but I 2

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INSIGHTS into Meaning

work with many young adults who have been at other universities where this focus-process is either lacking, or they ignored it.

Those who have delved into these questions show notable positive differences. Stetson is not the only school that provokes

this kind of exploration, but we are in a rarefied group.

For those of us who may have climbed aboard that treadmill 40 years ago as I did, these questions are likely of equal importance as we grade our own personal papers of life

significance.

The questions are no less important now than they were and perhaps can be answered with an overlay of wisdom that is not available while at university.

Shouldn’t we include those questions in our lifelong learning

programs? We just need to be sure we hop off the treadmill in time to dive deeply into those questions, since we all have a “run time” that cannot be exceeded or accurately predicted!

There are too many accolades that I want to give to your authors to list here, but I just wanted you to know that this issue really hit home with me.

Maybe it is timing, but I don’t think so. Once again, nice work!

P. S. I brought my kaleidoscope to work with me today.

— Scott Bruin ’75 President of the Stetson University Alumni Association and member of the Stetson Board As an alumna, retired faculty member, and current trustee, I want to commend you for the “Big Questions” article I just read. It makes me very proud to be part of an institution, which values questioning as well as learning. You can’t truly have learning without an intellectual curiosity that keeps asking these questions.

Thank you for expressing this so well and for selecting sample faculty who really “buy into” this and express it every day through their teaching.

— Betty Drees Johnson ’59, MA ’62 Stetson Trustee and Former Director of the duPont-Ball Library

Different Times I am writing to express my appreciation for the summer edition of stetson magazine.

Much hard work went into such a thought-provoking series of articles.

Reading this edition reminded me of the value of my Stetson education. While there as a student, I was forced to learn to

question and even doubt those things that I had always taken for granted. Learning to think critically led me to develop a stronger faith.

Until I learned to doubt and question, I was only operating on the faith system of others — parents, pastors and friends. So, I am writing out of gratitude for Stetson.

My perspective or insight into meaning comes from the crucible of life outside the world of academia.

During 45 years of pastoral ministry, I have had the privilege of standing with individuals and families through the joys and the sorrows of life. It has been an honor to have been allowed to share in the lives of so many people.

My experiences with these wonderful folks have led me to see the value of simple faith in God and faith in Jesus. I am certain the parameters of your wonderful edition did not, and probably should not, have included anything so blatantly Christian as that about which I speak.

But the truth is this: Most people in the marketplace are looking for a life-support system that is rather simple and one that helps them live their lives and die their deaths. Some would say these people who call themselves Christians have created a belief system to meet their needs, a belief system that is false. My experience has led me to believe otherwise.

During my time at Stetson, there were many people returning from the military, often from combat. There was a larger number of ministerial students then. The Department of Religious Studies was vital and strong, under the capable leader-

ship of Professors Lafayette Walker, Ph.D., and Earl Joiner, Ph.D. Those were different times — not necessarily better, just different. Professors then were quite open about their faith in God. That was certainly not true in every classroom.

Our culture has changed. Our world is much different than the world of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

Could I live those 45 years over again, I would live them the same. The song lyrics say, “People need the Lord.” That was true then. It is true now, and it will be true in the future.

These words about life’s meaning come from only one individual. They are rooted in real-life experiences. I do appreciate all you are doing. Keep up the good work of stimulating people like me to think openly and critically.

— J. Dixon Free, ’65

Finding Meaning I thank you and Stetson University for the articles on “Insights Into Meaning.” It was quite courageous of you to undertake that subject. I enjoyed reading each of the articles.

What a terrific subject! The Meaning of Life. I personally find that all too few consider this subject. Or it’s simply possible that few, if any, people discuss it if they do.

But, of course, the search for meaning and truth is what makes us unique in the animal kingdom. I find myself agreeing with those who commented that it is “innate” in humans.

That search for truth almost defies naturalism completely, as there is no room within natural selection’s goal or purpose for a search for meaning or truth.

I was attracted to the variety of

quotations about the meaning of life from artists, authors, poets, scientists, professors in many collegiate fields, trumpet players, philosophers, even Zen teachers and columnists, and a Cherokee chief. Fascinating array of personalities commenting on the meaning of life.

I was, however, puzzled at the absence of biblical references or quotations from the Old Testament authors and no quotations at all from one reasonably famous teacher, Jesus Christ. I say puzzled because it seems to me that the Bible has a good deal to say about this specific subject.

— Larry Smith ’65, JD ’68

Look to the Bible I seldom read stetson magazine.

Now, after reading the recent summer issue concerning insights into meaning, I know why!

It seems that people of faith among present Stetson professors are few or else unable to express their faith in writing. Or maybe you asked only the skeptics.

People who want to know the meaning of life should not omit a thorough study of the Bible.

— Jerry Shaw ’59 magazine welcomes letters to the editor. However, we ask that you focus your letter on a topic or article in the magazine.

Send signed letters by email to wnoblitt@stetson.edu or snail mail to Bill Noblitt, Office of University Marketing, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., 8319, DeLand, FL 32723. Because of space limitations, we may edit some letters and may not be able to use some of them, so please try to keep your letters under 200 words. You can also call the editor at 386-822-8861.

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Be Big Construction on Campus

One year after arriving at Stetson University, President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., crafted her vision for the DeLand campus in a 2010 master plan.

Key considerations centered on the student experience, along with teaching spaces and residential life.

A half-decade later, as 1,073 new students are still finding their way from the Commons to Edmunds Center and points in between, that vision is very much in focus.

The total number of undergraduate students is higher than the incoming class of 2009, reaching Stetson’s goal a full year ahead of schedule. (See enrollment story on Page 10.)

In addition to growth, those students will see change that will help them learn, as well as heighten their level of comfort.

“Once we determined that the strategy was to grow in size and quality, and there was some success, we were able to ask: ‘How do we reinvest in an already really wonderful university?’ ” says Libby.

The answer is particularly evident in the new Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center that’s now under construction and the Carlton Union Building, which is slated for extensive renovation, among other projects.

In May, Stetson’s Board of Trustees approved more than $35.7 million in capital improvements with most of the funding 4

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earmarked for projects in DeLand. Work began during the summer and will continue over the next 30 months or so on $45 million worth of construction, said Bob Huth, Stetson’s executive vice president and chief financial officer.

That statement was made even before Huth was able to divulge the university’s most recent news related to construction: the planned construction of an aquatic center on a 10-acre tract owned by Stetson at nearby Lake Beresford. (See story on Page 6.)

By virtue of a $6 million gift from Sandra Stetson — a greatgranddaughter of Stetson’s namesake, John B. Stetson — a water research facility will be built, which also will be a home for the university’s women’s and men’s crew teams.

From a financial perspective, Huth calls the timing for all the construction activity both fortuitous and well-planned.

Huth cited private donations from a continuing comprehensive campaign and the “opportunistic” refinancing of bonds as chief reasons the university can comfortably pay for the projects.

Essentially, Stetson was able to leverage a sound financial position.

“Along with catching up on faculty and staff salaries and adding new faculty positions in concert with student growth,” says Huth, “we made it a strategic objective to make sure that Stetson is well built. We’ve recognized the need to reinvest in our plant facilities and have incorporated that into our budget.”

BUILDING PLANS This work represents the first major construction on campus since 2011, when Stetson began building a $6.7 million athletics complex. Notably, when it comes to campus construction nationwide, Stetson isn’t alone. A steady upswing in activity is apparent as the general economy continues to improve.

In 1995, American colleges and universities spent a total of $6.1 billion annually on construction projects, according to a study

by College Planning and Management. Construction activity peaked at $15 billion in 2006 before spending virtually ceased during the subsequent recession.

In 2014, spending had risen to about $14 billion, marking a fourth consecutive year of increases, College Planning and Management data reveals.

To a large extent, that growth mirrors student enrollment. In fall 2015, about 20.2 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, an increase of nearly 5 million since fall 2000.

Stetson seeks to remain competitive and stay ahead of the curve. “There needs to be a value to something beyond the dollars you spend on whatever facility,” says Huth. “Certainly, one of the things we’ve all tried to do is to share what Stetson has to offer and build demand. Stetson has a great reputation due to its outstanding faculty and their great work over the years.

“Potential future students who visit the campus with their families and see a deteriorating campus would create a discon-

Artist’s rendering of the new Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center

nect,” Huth adds. “If the facilities and the campus aren’t attractive, that won’t help us in recruiting.

We have great faculty and great facilities, so who wouldn’t want to come to Stetson?”

The intent, Libby affirms, is to maximize reinvestment in the university’s highest priorities — with an eye on everything from learning outcomes and faculty research to the recruitment of future students.

“This is about accommodating students, faculty and staff,” she says. “We wanted to bring everything up to date as much as possible. And we wanted to be low-maintenance and as technologically advanced as affordable — at least on the bleeding edge.”

CARLTON UNION BUILDING The Carlton Union Building, or CUB as it’s popularly known,

n i n g s opened in 1957 and serves as the primary student dining room — but it was no longer configured in a way that college students do their work and have fun, notes Libby, who made it a highlight of the 2010 master plan.

A 40-percent expansion will bring the space to about 80,000 square feet and feature new roofs, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, lighting and electrical systems.

There will be 40 percent more seating in the dining room, renovated restrooms and more elevators, among numerous other new components.

The CUB’s second floor will include a large student lounge and office space for the Student Government Association and student clubs and organizations.

Staff offices for those who partner or work with students

also will be located there. The north wing of the building will contain a new retail center, while the east wing will have a patio dining area overlooking green space.

The renovations began over the summer and are expected to be completed in early 2018.

MARSHALL AND VERA LEA RINKER WELCOME CENTER The new Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center is a three-story, 24,000-square-foot building located in Stetson’s historic district.

The first floor will consist of reception and waiting areas, presentation and interview rooms for prospective students and students meeting with corporate recruiters, and space for alumni to gather. The second floor will include a one-stop service area,

encompassing functions of the Registrar, Bursar, Student Financial Planning, and the Office of Career and Professional Development for current students and alumni. A recruiting operations center will be located on the third floor.

Site work and a parking area for the building are scheduled to be completed in early fall with construction continuing through the fall and spring semesters.

Libby calls the welcome center a “beautiful, modern space” and a “signal that you can be stable and strong in history and tradition but still have a modern and progressive flair.”

Al Allen, Stetson’s associate vice president for Facilities Management, labels the center “green.” Amid the construction, he asserts, the Stetson core value of responsible stewardship of the natural surroundings hasn’t been lost.

For example, by opting for a three-story structure instead of two stories, less land is consumed. The metal roof won’t require replacement for 50 years, and the materials can be recycled.

The brick-clad building “celebrates and complements” its historic setting, and brick by nature is low-maintenance.

An extensive use of glass reduces the need for artificial light, while the LED light fixtures used throughout the center conserve energy. Moreover, the flooring is being manufactured from recycled carpet. The parking lot will employ solar light and be made of concrete, not asphalt — concrete generates less heat.

Underwater storm chambers

will capture rainwater, which eventually will filter down into the aquifer.

“The whole thought is to construct a building that provides a great experience for prospective students, current students and alums — but with a building that is inherently efficient,” Allen says.

For good measure, other recent environmental initiatives throughout campus include comprehensive relamping: that is, the installation of efficient lighting and electronic ballasts that help limit energy consumption, solar for some outdoor lighting, and LED lighting in parking areas.

An increased use of gray water through water-wise landscaping and rainwater harvesting is another recent environmental initiative.

In addition, Stetson has begun working with an outside firm, Cenergistic, to become even more energy conscious.

Cenergistic works to optimize clients’ infrastructure, improve internal processes, and change behaviors to reduce energy consumption.

Indeed, a vision five years in the making is being realized. And while the work isn’t complete, Stetson’s president is already looking ahead.

“After people visit our campus,” Libby says, “I want them to think it was stunning. I want them to see a classical campus with a modern edge.”

Find more information on Stetson’s construction website: Stetson.edu/construction.

— Michael Candelaria STETSON

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Sandra Stetson

Gift Creates Aquatic Center Scullers call it flat water.

They prize it for its calm fluidity, and Lake Beresford in DeLand has it in miles. The flat water here rarely ripples unless a rock or oar glides across its surface.

Stetson University’s 10-acre tract of land at Lake Beresford is also the best place to research and develop innovative technical, social and political solutions to protect freshwater resources and related environmental concerns.

Its emphasis is on undergraduate education and community outreach.

Combine the two, and you have the potential for a cross-disciplinary facility that touches sciences, the arts, literature, philosophy, civic engagement, sports and recreation.

That’s exactly what the new Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center will do for the university and those living in and visiting Florida.

In short, Sandra Stetson’s $6 million gift will build a water research facility and provide a home for the university’s women’s and men’s crew teams.

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the new, cutting-edge facility.

But the new center will do more than this. It will become a destination for ecotourists, as well as a place for public recreation.

Stetson, a great-granddaughter of Stetson University’s namesake, John B. Stetson, has championed garden, wetland and environmental efforts, most recently through her support of the Naples Botanical Garden that contains plants and flowers from around the world. She has also underwritten a partnership between Stetson and the Naples gardens so that Stetson students can engage with professional botanists, researchers and educators there through summer internships.

Furthermore, some of her family have rowed crew, so she has a real connection to the sport of sculling. “Sandra is a donor who cares about both things,” says Stetson University President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D. “Her gift allows us to put recreation and research together under one roof.” Sandra Stetson has suggested that Preston T. Phillips of Bridgehampton, N.Y., the architect who designed both her homes in Naples, Fla., and in Southampton, N.Y., be considered as the project architect.

Plans for construction of the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center are in the earliest stages, and no date has been set for groundbreaking, but it is expected that the new facility will open by August 2018.

Sandra Stetson has supported other university efforts, including the provision of funds for the duPont-Ball Library on the DeLand campus.

The Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center will also contribute to Central Florida’s economic

development by attracting high school and college-age crews from Northern locations to train and compete during the winter months. “I’m excited about the project,” says Stetson Crew Coach Mark R. Wilson. “Our rowing teams will finally have a home.” He points out that even now Stetson hosts the largest head racing regatta in Florida, with more than 1,100 participants and 3,000 spectators.

“The Aquatic Center will enhance Stetson research at the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience,” says Provost Beth Paul, Ph.D. (See article on Page 42.)

Stetson’s water institute will remain housed on its DeLand campus, while the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center will serve as its research arm.

“Through the institute and the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center, Stetson University is poised to emerge as a leader in statewide and nationwide efforts to address the challenges of our strained water resources and associated environmental concerns,” says Paul.

Karen Ryan, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, notes that the new aquatic center is more than a place for science.

She envisions a facility where Stetson students can take advantage of the center’s recreational opportunities, including canoeing and kayaking.

Imagine Stetson rowers in their sleek shells skimming across Lake Beresford’s foggy waters in early morning. Picture other students taking water samples or researching Florida plants around the new facility. Both university programs will reach significance because of Sandra Stetson’s major gift.

— Bill Noblitt

Juneteenth’s Hometown Hero If you are at all skeptical whether “Juneteenth” is an actual word, you’re not alone.

In a recent survey of varied ethnicities and mostly college educated individuals, a whopping 60 percent declared that Juneteenth is not a word, believing it’s fabricated and that they’d never heard it in their entire lives.

But Professor of Political Science T. Wayne Bailey, Ph.D., would tell you that, indeed, Juneteenth is the name of a largely unknown celebration. In fact, he will add “Hometown Hero,” dubbed by the Juneteenth Committee, to his own résumé.

The honor was bestowed for his devotion to servant leadership.

Juneteenth.com cites that June 19 is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on Jan. 1, 1863, Texas remained willingly defiant of that law.

Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Texas on June 19, 1865, to enforce the Emancipation

Finance Students Win Again

Our hero T. Wayne Bailey Proclamation in Texas.

That date was commemorated every year among the emancipated with community-building activities, such as rodeos, fishing, barbecues, baseball, prayer and worship. The Great Depression caused employers to halt time-off privileges for blacks, and Juneteenth celebrations largely waned.

When asked why he thought this celebration is widely unheard of by both black and white cultures, Bailey simply said, “Because we tend to not want to focus on the history of slavery.”

Bailey — who celebrated his semicentennial as a Stetson professor in 2013 — founded the political science department and is co-founder of Stetson’s Model U.S. Senate. He has held several leadership positions in the Florida Democratic Party and has served as a delegate to 10 Democratic National Conventions. He also has worked with local counties’ and cities’ charters on government reform, is an active 40-year member of the American Lung Association, and is actively supportive of the NAACP’s West Volusia Chapter.

— Caroline Skinner

With an initial $500,000 gift to Stetson with the explicit goal of teaching students how to invest money in the markets, Mrs. Roland George would be especially proud of the program students’ accomplishments.

These students and their professors keep a careful watch on what has grown into a $3.5 million portfolio. To showcase their success, each year Stetson’s finance students compete in several state and national competitions. Begun in 1981, the Roland George Investments Program is under the dedicated supervision of Director and Chair of Applied Investments K.C. Ma, Ph.D., C.F.A. While it is open to students of any major, to apply for a prestigious seat in the RGIP, one must be a senior, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and have already taken FINA-320.

In addition to their classroom studies, students usually spend 20 additional hours each week researching possible stocks and bonds to purchase for the portfolio. They must also convince their fellow students that their picks are sound before they are purchased.

Within the prerequisite investment class, Associate Professor of Finance and Chair of the Department of Finance Chris Tobler, Ph.D., leads his students in the Institutional Investor Magazine’s national student trading competition.

At least one Stetson student places in the top 10 every year.

In May, two students were highlighted in the magazine, and Stetson ranked 11th in the country out of 50 other

participating universities.

Both professors Ma and Tobler act as trustees for RGIP, voting on proposed trades and supporting students with guidance and advice when they are working on stock reports and pitching their individual stock picks.

Stetson also participates in the RISE, GAME and GIRC (Global Investments Research Challenge) national competitions to showcase their increase in the portfolio. Each December, the previous year’s bank statement is shared with the judges, and the university with the most impressive gains or return on investment (ROI) wins the competition.

Over 14 years, Stetson has brought in 11 championships, four second-place awards, and one third-place finish.

The GIRC competition, through the Chartered Financial Analyst Program, consists of writing an extensive report on one stock pick (AutoNation this year), usually analyzing a company located in each university’s state. In four out of the past five years, Stetson was among the finalists in Florida.

As a state finalist in 2012, students competed against MIT’s MBA program. “The best thing about the George Investments Program is the real-world application of the concepts and theories we teach in the classroom,” said Tobler. “It is real — real stocks, real bonds, real money — and the students take that responsibility seriously.”

Ma likes to compare the success of his students to that of professional sports teams.

“Consistently over 14 years, I have not yet found any professional sports teams to win and have as many championship seasons as we have.”

— Mary M. McCambridge

Law Awarded $400,000 Grant A new grant in the amount of $400,000 was awarded to Stetson University College of Law for the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law to develop a forensic evidence training program for lawyers who work on death penalty cases.

“This training program is crucial at a time when life or death often hinges on the presentation of forensic evidence in the courtroom,” said NCSTL founding Director and Professor of Law Carol Henderson.

Henderson presented on the topic of legal and judicial education in forensic science at the European Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting in Prague.

The grant, awarded by the U.S. attorney general as part of the Adjudication and Law Enforcement National Initiatives, will support the development of a “Crime Scene to Courtroom Forensics” program. The new training program will provide in-person and webinar training on forensic science evidence and the use of expert testimony.

“Training in forensic evidence is essential to improve the quality of legal representation and to ensure reliable jury verdicts,” said Henderson.

Stetson’s National Clearinghouse was developed to foster communication among the scientific, technological and legal communities, providing comprehensive scientific, technological and legal information to promote justice based on sound science and technology. The Clearinghouse has trained more than 13,500 legal and scientific professionals since its inception.

— Brandi Palmer STETSON

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Stetson student Jennifer Becker with her friend Huxley

Pets Take Bite Out of Leaving Home Stetson University allows students to bring something with them that can make the transition to college a little easier — their pets.

“Pets can help students socialize and provide much needed emotional support throughout the academic year,” said Lua Hancock, Ed.D., vice provost for Campus Life and Student Success. “They are a great stress reliever, especially during finals and other exams.”

Stetson has allowed pets in residence halls since 2010.

Stetson’s pet-friendly campus has been recognized by several college guides and ranking organizations. Most recently, CollegeRaptor.com put Stetson fourth on its list of pet-friendly colleges.

“We researched pet policies at colleges around the country and ranked schools roughly based on the number of types of pets allowed and the number of facilities on campus allowing them,” said Olivia Pittman, research and content specialist for CollegeRaptor.com.

A variety of pets — dogs, cats, rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, fish and others — are allowed on Stetson’s campus in two residence halls, Nemec and Stetson Cove. In 2014-15, 21 cats, 32 8

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dogs and five small, caged mammals lived on campus. A dog park is available at Stetson Cove that allows dogs and their owners to socialize and interact with one another.

Students who want to bring their pet to campus should become familiar with Stetson’s Animal Friendly Housing Manual.

The manual outlines procedures for approval, as well as rules for having a pet live on campus.

Rules cover everything from size and type of dog to number of pets per bedroom and what happens if an animal becomes pregnant.

Pet owners and their roommates must sign an animal friendly roommate agreement.

Stetson also hosts a service-dog program allowing students the opportunity to train and foster future service dogs.

However, service animals in training are not considered pets, and students apply with Housing and Residential Life, Center for Community Engagement and the partner organization to participate in that program.

In 2011, Stetson received the Wingate Award from the Halifax Humane Society, the area’s largest animal shelter, for furthering its mission of protecting animals from cruel and neglectful treatment and encouraging responsible pet ownership.

—Janie Graziani

A cool, clear morning to row at Lake Beresford.

Women Rowers Rewarded When visualizing a varsity, Division I collegiate athlete, a few things generally come to mind.

This image is typically of an individual who grew up playing the sport.

There is an assumption that besides academics, this person has no time or energy for much else. There is an understanding that this person has a deep knowledge of and experience in the sport. For the Stetson rowing team, this is not the case.

There are a number of student athletes who, before joining the team, had no experience whatsoever.

So, why do it?

What would motivate someone to want to be involved in a sport they know nothing about?

Enter Stetson senior rowers Abigail Thompson and Emmie Wenzell. The decision for these two to become members of the rowing team was made on a trip abroad in spring 2014.

While the women, both sophomores at the time, traveled through scenic Brussels, Emmie mentioned to her friend that she was considering joining the team.

Abigail said that at first she laughed when Emmie spontaneously said: “You know, I’m really thinking about taking up rowing.”

But by the time their train reached its destination, Abigail

found herself considering the option as well. They reached out to Head Coach Mark Wilson, who encouraged them to give it a try.

It is important to note that these two young women did not make this decision because they were trying to fill any empty time in their schedules.

Both young women are fantastic students, leaders on campus, and highly involved members of the Stetson community.

Abigail is involved in Student Affairs activities such as Greek Life, Student Ambassadors, and FOCUS. Emmie, a self-designed economics and Chinese major, is a member of LEAD team, and chair of the Student Media Photo

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Publications Board, and is involved in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

The best part about joining the rowing team was that none of this had to change. “I get to be involved in everything I love,” said Abigail.

“That’s really important to me,” she added.

Initially, the pressures of becoming a collegiate athlete were accompanied by the stress of learning the inner workings of the sport. While the concept of rowing may seem intuitive to outsiders, it involves an incredible amount of strategy and controlled physicality.

“When you’re in a boat, you only have one scenario: Your oar goes in and out of the water,”

said Abigail. “But all of the things that go into making you a great rower are very strategic, minute moves that you can change.”

She says that although she originally knew very little about the so-called “gentleman’s sport,” she is learning to become comfortable with the applied physics and consistency necessary to excel in a regatta.

Then, of course, there’s the simple fact that they are using muscles they may have never activated before.

“I’ve never done a full-body sport,” Emmie said. “There’s constant soreness!”

On May 17, the Stetson Rowing team finished its 2015 season in the MAAC champion-

ship, and for many of the competitors in a Stetson uniform, their first season as a Division I athlete. For Abigail and Emmie, this experience has been personally rewarding, but more than anything, it has been an opportunity to be a part of something special.

“We are a very young team in terms of experience,” said Abigail. “We’ve done a really great job at pushing ourselves to be a more competitive team.

“I think overall we have a lot of work to put in and a lot of places we could go, but for this season, I’m just really impressed with what we’ve accomplished and the athletes that I get to work with,” she said.

— Sarah Frohnapfel STETSON

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Sculpture Builds Community

Enrollment Jump When Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., became Stetson’s president in 2009, her administration believed the university could grow to 3,000 undergraduates by 2016. That goal has been met a year ahead of schedule with 3,084 undergraduates in fall 2015, a 4.7-percent increase over the previous year.

“We are thrilled to have attained this goal a year ahead of schedule,” said Libby. “It is a testament to the excellent faculty and great work we are doing to make Stetson better known throughout the country.”

Of the 3,084 undergraduates, 983 are first-time-in-college students, and 90 are transfer students, totaling an entering class of 1,073. This represents 77.9-percent growth in entering students since 2009.

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“This is the largest entering class in Stetson’s history and arrives with excellent credentials,” said Joel Bauman, vice president for Enrollment Management. New first-time-incollege students have an average high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.82, and 28 percent of them graduated in the top 10 percent at their high schools.

They hail from 41 states, three territories and 24 countries.

Stetson also has 330 graduate students at the DeLand campus and Center at Celebration and 919 students at the College of Law campus in Gulfport.

“With our national excellence in advocacy and legal writing, our College of Law has retained a robust enrollment profile despite a national downturn in law school enrollment,” said Provost Beth Paul, Ph.D. — Janie Graziani Photo

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They look like giant baskets dropped from the heavens. But they’re really part of a summer project called The Art of Space.

“Its purpose is to create a sculptural space as a manifestation of community,” says visiting artist Gerard Nadeau, an assistant professor of architecture at Drury University.

Nadeau’s goal is to engage local communities by using the sculptures they create to transform undervalued public spaces.

“So, they’re giant baskets?” I ask.

“Well, it’s more than that,” explains Nadeau. “It’s designed to allow people to contribute to the creation of something beautiful, but it also represents the actual process of people coming together to make it.”

And over the summer, they did. Different people throughout the days would come and weave small pieces of wood through the weblike structure.

“The size, the whole process, even the size of the materials were carefully conceived to create opportunities for people who may not have artistic skills to participate in an artistic process,” he adds.

How did Nadeau come up with the idea? “This is not really designed,” he says as I look at three giant baskets that look designed. “You know, I did a sketch of what this might look like, but there is no plan that we followed to build it, except for three circles that were staked into the ground.”

It looks like a trellis for plants.

“No, it’s not meant as a trellis for plants,” he says. Nadeau ties it to the Stetson campus area called

Far left, Gerard Nadeau works with Stetson community members on a sculpture. the Forest of Arden that the sculpture stands next to. It’s really not a forest today. It’s more like a few trees.

“We call this the Forest of Arden annex,” he quips.

Ah, yes, the Forest of Arden as in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. “It’s in the Forest of Arden that Orlando hangs love letters for Rosalind from the trees or carves his notes in the bark,” he says.

“But Rosalind as Ganymede chastises Orlando for disfiguring the trees, even though she is actually thrilled that he’s so in love with her (Rosalind, not Ganymede) to do this.”

Another way to participate in the project was for people to write or carve messages into the wood using wood-burning tools.

“We ask them ‘What is nature?’ ” “ ‘ Nature’ goes along with the

Novak Family Endows Edmunds Scholarship

environmental theme, which ties back to many of Shakespeare’s themes in his comedies,” according to Nadeau — human nature, the nature of nature, civilization versus nature. “Anyway, we have musings on nature that are woven into this very organic sculpture,” he says.

So will the giant baskets become a permanent sculpture on campus? “No, it’s intended to stay up for just a few months,” he says. “It’s ephemeral art.”

“After our initial meeting, Gerard sent me links to his Art of Space and Facebook web pages, and after viewing them, I knew that this could be a dynamic opportunity for our students and our community,” says Tonya Cribb Curran, director of Stetson’s Hand Art Center.

— Bill Noblitt Photos

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Edmunds scholars are not just great students. They exhibit leadership. They have integrity and character. They have a desire to be significant in their communities and to contribute to society.

Those traits and others symbolize the J. Ollie Edmunds Distinguished Scholarship Program. Now, through a generous endowment gift from the Novak family, that program will continue providing merit scholarships at Stetson University in perpetuity.

Jane Edmunds Novak, her husband, Wayne, and their family foundation, The Third Growth Foundation, have generously pledged to endow this scholarship named for Jane Novak’s father.

Novak is the daughter of the late Stetson President and Chancellor J. Ollie Edmunds, and she has served as a Stetson trustee for 20 years.

The J. Ollie Edmunds Scholarship has been the capstone of the university’s scholarship program for 18 years and has graduated 46 Edmunds Scholars.

The program has been funded by annual grants from Jane and Wayne Novak, as well as Jane’s brother, Dr. J. Ollie Edmunds Jr.

The endowment, funded by Jane and Wayne Novak and a bequest from Wayne Novak’s aunt, alumna Lydia Pfund ’40, MA ’42, means that the program now becomes a permanent part of the university scholarship programs.

“The scholarships given to students through this program have been transformative for so many,” said Jane Novak. “It is our sincere hope to inspire others in their desire to support students on a quest to be significant in their own lives and the lives of others.”

“It is through the generosity of the Novak family that Stetson will be able to attract the highest caliber students for generations to come,” said Jeff Ulmer, vice president for Development and Alumni Engagement. “This endowment also makes it possible for others to support the Edmunds scholarship program.”

The Edmunds scholarship program, Stetson’s premier scholarship award, is a nationally competitive, merit-based program that attracts top student scholars with leadership potential.

Edmunds Scholars are chosen based on a combination of their academic excellence, character and leadership.

“The Edmunds family’s historic legacy at Stetson continues through this wonderful gift by the Novak family,” said Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D. — Janie Graziani STETSON

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Stetson’s Quality Takes Off Stetson is tied for fifth on U.S. News & World Report’s 2016 list of Best Regional Universities (South), a one-place jump from last year’s ranking. Graduation and retention rates, along with superb faculty, were cited as key indicators of quality.

“At Stetson, we take pride in being recognized as an academically rigorous institution that places a high value on global citizenship, personal growth and social responsibility,” said Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D. “Stetson provides a personalized learning experience to each student, based on top quality faculty and focused on learning outcomes,” Libby added. “We challenge our students to go beyond success — to become significant in their communities, nation and the world.”

Stetson tied for sixth on U.S. News’ list for Best Undergraduate Teaching, which identifies 12

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schools where the faculty have an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.

Colleges and universities are compared only to their peers and must receive at least seven votes from college presidents, provosts and admissions deans to make the list.

Only seven regional universities in the South made that list.

In addition to those two lists, U.S. News has included Stetson for Best Value Schools (7), Best Colleges for Veterans (5), Best Law Schools (105), Part-time Law (29), Best Online MBA Programs (93) and Best Online Graduate Business Programs — Excluding MBA (42) for its nationally recognized online Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program.

U.S. News also ranks Stetson’s College of Law first for Trial Advocacy and second for Legal Writing. Enrollment at Stetson’s College of Law is 919, continuing a multiyear trend of hitting expected numbers despite a weak market for law students.

“While we are interested in national rankings, we always

encourage prospective students and their parents to visit Stetson for a broader, well-rounded perspective of all that the university has to offer,” asserted Libby.

Stetson emphasizes active learning with a low undergraduate student/teacher ratio of 12:1, and 61 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students.

Only 0.2 percent of classes have 50 or more students.

Other factors leading to a top ranking include a 61-percent acceptance rate of applicants, and 58 percent of students finished in the top quarter of their high school graduating classes.

Stetson also has been named one of the Best 380 Colleges and Schools by The Princeton Review for 2016, based on surveys of students attending the schools.

Stetson students rated everything from their financial aid to on-campus food. Specifically, students mentioned the “welcoming atmosphere” that permeates the “stunning” campus, the “tight-knit community,” “personal growth,” “intellectual development,” “small class sizes,”

“individualized attention,” and many “top-notch majors,” including the “great political science department” and “great education program.”

In addition, Stetson is ranked seventh in the Best Master’s Universities category of the recently released 2015 Washington Monthly College Rankings. This represents a jump of five places from 2014, when Stetson was ranked 12th. Stetson ranked first in the state of Florida.

Washington Monthly’s college rankings rate institutions based on three criteria: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and Ph.D.s), and Civic Engagement (encouraging students to give something back to their country).

“We are pleased to be ranked so highly among our peers,” said Libby, “and we are excited about the future. Stetson has made great strides over the past few years in attracting more excellent students who are a great fit for the institution. Then we fulfill our mission by doing a wonderful job in supporting those worthy students in their quest for higher education.”

“Millennials and their parents are furious over the ever-rising price of college,” said Paul Glastris, editor of Washington Monthly.

“So it is no surprise that higher education is becoming a hot-button issue of the 2016 campaign season, with presidential candidates offering plans for ‘debt free’ and ‘tuition free’ college,” he added.

But those plans won’t work, Glastris notes, without stronger and more competent regulation from Washington.

—Janie Graziani

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’m sitting in a place that, two or three years ago, I would not have expected to be. I’m in a classroom in Columbia, S.C., surrounded by other MFA students — most in their second or third years — as I prepare for my first MFA-level workshop.

I’ve met most of my classmates already, but the nerves are still there, creeping under whatever false bravado I’d erected.

Instead of making eye contact, I look around the room. It isn’t the usual workshop room, I’m told. It’s in the basement of the nursing building — but I can’t help but wonder if Stetson’s Associate Professor of English Mark Powell, Ph.D., my mentor at Stetson, ever had a workshop in here during his time in the University of South Carolina’s MFA program.

From the very first day of class at Stetson, I knew Mark would be my ally. I was older than the other students, and I already had my BA in English, having come to Stetson for my MA after a year serving with City Year, an organization that helps at-risk youth.

I knew little about Florida, even less about

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DeLand or Stetson, but I knew I was happy to be back in a creative-writing class, even if it was meant for undergrads.

Mark saw, quickly, that I’d need different guidance than my classmates, and he willingly gave that, looking at not only my story for class and offering critical insights that would lead it to later getting published, but also another story.

That second story, “Puppy Love,” was tweaked further and sent along to a literary magazine.

Because of Mark’s guidance and his willingness to connect me with his friends in the literary world so I could start establishing my own network, “Puppy Love” was picked up.

That publication begat a second, then a third, and so on.

By the end of my first year, I knew I wanted to start working on a longer piece, a novella. Ten thousand words in, Mark told me he thought I was ready to expand it into a novel.

I may have laughed right then and there. I

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did laugh and heartily, but I also took it as a challenge. I met with Mark consistently over the summer, talking through chapters and revisions. He edited my edits that were already edited four times.

Killing my darlings, as they say.

Even after I’d finished my MA, Mark continued to offer support, acting as much as a sounding board as a friend, allowing me to talk through any and everything.

Because of his help, my novel, Dogs, will be published next spring.

Now, as I sit in the same classrooms that he may have, I think back to his belief in my work when I was so unsure of it.

He saw what I didn’t and helped me get it to a place where I could earn a spot in one of the top MFA programs in the country.

Without that kind of motivation and belief, I’d find it hard to believe I’d be sitting in this workshop right now.

With the help of his mentor, Stetson Professor Mark Powell, Ph.D., Sam Slaughter, MA ’15, plans to publish his novel, Dogs, next spring.

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The Campaign

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hile developing this issue,

I thought about what the historian Richard Hofstadter once said: “A university’s essential character is that of being a center of free inquiry and criticism — a thing not to be sacrificed for anything else.”

Unfortunately, small liberal arts universities like Stetson are being sacrificed. “The number of private four-year colleges that have closed or were acquired doubled from about five a year before 2008 to about 10 in the four years through 2011,” reported Bloomberg Magazine.

Through strategic planning and innovative management, however, Stetson is on the upswing, a university on the move, with climbing enrollment and construction equipment everywhere on its campus. Of course, Stetson’s current $150 million comprehensive campaign, Beyond Success — Significance, is more than about bricks and mortar. It’s about graduating students of significance who go out and make the world a better place.

In this issue, we want to give you, our readers, an inside look at how comprehensive campaigns can transform a place like Stetson. We want to give you a warm, human perspective that shows how the Beyond Success — Significance Campaign for Stetson University touches the people in our community. We want to tell you stories about the people who give their time and treasure, who selflessly remember how others helped them at one time in their lives.

Through stories, such as the creation of Stetson’s new Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience and the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center, we want to show you how the campaign will impact our region, nation and world.

We begin with noted writer and national university communications expert Fritz McDonald’s article on how comprehensive campaigns help universities overcome adversity.

George Salis, a recent Stetson graduate who is working on his first novel, tells us what Stetson’s campaign will do for our students. Then through personal, reflective stories, alumni and others tell us why they give to Stetson.

And President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., discusses why this campaign is especially important at this time.

This issue will explore why the campaign is important for our faculty, students, alumni and to the future of Stetson University and the place it calls home.

As Hofstadter also said: “The delicate thing about the university is that it has a mixed character, that it is suspended between its position in the eternal world, with all its corruption and evils and cruelties, and the splendid world of our imagination.”

Stetson University, then, is a place “not to be sacrificed for anything else.”

— Bill Noblitt Editor of stetson magazine 14

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The Beyond Success — Significance Campaign Is a …

Window Into Stetson’s Soul B

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‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves …’

— William Shakespeare

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hy should I Care?

It’s hard to get excited about another fundraising campaign. Unlike admissions recruiting where results are immediate — a new class each fall — comprehensive campaigns seem abstract, distant.

You’re asking people to bet on a future they may not see. Most ordinary citizens never earn enough to get their names on buildings, and noble causes compete for their attention every day: Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, their local food pantry.

Some wonder whether colleges and universities really need the money. In the past few years, Stanford and Harvard broke national fundraising records pushing their respective endowments ever further up into the billions.

Even Malcolm Gladwell, a best-selling author, took to his Twitter feed to express indigna-

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tion at the stupendous amount of money his alma mater Yale raised.

The national fundraising picture is healthy: the 2014 Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey conducted by the Council for Aid to Education indicates that higher education contributions rose 10.8 percent between 2013 and 2014. In a recent Chronicle of Philanthropy survey of 335 chief advancement officers, many institutions are striving to raise 2015 donations an average 16 percent above last year.

So why bother? Perhaps because fundraising isn’t really about money and buildings.

With Stetson’s new $150 million Beyond Success — Significance Campaign, there may be no more important time to care.

The Real Picture: The recent rise in contributions to colleges and universities comes with a catch: 30 percent of these gifts went to 20 institutions or what Bloomberg News calls

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“higher education’s less than one percent.”

Clearly, the richest institutions are pulling far ahead of the rest of the pack. The other private colleges and universities are in a “must raise money” situation to cover operating costs and building projects while providing for student and faculty support. In a sense, these private colleges are the worker bees of the fundraising landscape.

About 70-80 percent of their revenue comes from tuition. Add to that a growing number of young alumni who are burdened with so much debt they have stopped giving — national undergraduate alumni participation has dropped to less than 10 percent — and you get serious cause for concern.

Academe Under Fire: Faculty and staff cuts, dormitories “shuttered,” programs closed — you can’t escape the bad news. Higher education is in crisis, and the signs are everywhere. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s STETSON

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current survey on enrollment trends revealed that half of the 436 institutions that responded didn’t make enrollment and net-tuition revenue goals. The Department of Education just put some 560 public and private colleges and universities on “heightened cash monitoring,” raising alarms about their financial stability. And in a new report, Moody’s Investors Service predicts that the closure rate of small colleges will likely triple by 2017.

The sacred grove of academe is now a turbulent landscape. Many institutions have suffered years of academic stagnation, poor fiscal management, shrinking endowments.

It’s not easy to thrive in a college market with demands to hire the best faculty, build state-of-the-campus facilities, and offer recruitment perks like rock-climbing walls and cafeterias where vegan and gluten-free options are standard.

Thanks to brutal competition from forprofits, online programs, community colleges and public universities, hybrid institutions and the countless private institutions in your recruiting region all competing for the same shrinking pool of traditional high school students, it’s that much harder to succeed.

To keep up, colleges have been raising tuition at roughly 6 percent above the rate of inflation for more than 20 years. The resulting student debt crisis has increased pressure on private colleges and universities to prove their value in practical terms to parents and students. In other words, just what kind of job will my child get with a Stetson degree.

For many institutions, freezing tuition or even permanently lowering it is not the answer. Even after Ashland University in Ohio trimmed tuition by some $11,000, its enrollment fell for three years, and Moody’s dropped its rating eight levels due to a significant risk for default.

Factor in a still-recovering — some would say faltering — economy and a common theme emerges: countless private colleges showing flat or declining revenue that isn’t even close to the rate of inflation.

Where Stetson Fits: In the midst of this storm, Stetson is not just surviving — it’s sailing the waves. Enrollment is up 4.7 percent from last year, institutional rankings in U.S. News & World Report (see article on Page 12) and other leading indicators of success have risen, and improvements to facilities can be seen across campus.

There’s a spirit of change in the air, something that even visitors to campus with 18

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no Stetson connections feel. Although Stetson is in much better shape than many institutions, recruiting will remain an ongoing challenge, the competition will grow, and the unexpected will continue to disrupt an institution’s best-laid plans.

And while all of these challenges will make life difficult, a much more dangerous threat quietly lies in wait.

What’s Really at Stake: In this climate of failure and doubt, private colleges are at risk of losing their identities, and by extension, their missions.

The increased public pressure to guarantee that they offer degree programs that lead directly to employment threatens not only the humanities and liberal arts, but the elements of a college education that are the least measurable — and the most important.

According to Beth Paul, Ph.D., Stetson’s executive vice president for Academic Affairs and provost, the kind of unique education Stetson offers provides each student “the opportunity to learn deeply in a number of different ways and to then take the time to reflect on how those different sources of learning integrate to form a whole person.

Through this education, our students become the kind of people who are passionate about making a difference in the world.”

The sum total of this education cannot be separated from its working parts: the exposure to other minds, ideas, and ways of knowing; the relationships that challenge and mentor; the opportunities to put theory into action and to live fully within a diverse and inspiring campus community.

The earning a “bang for your buck” mentality takes none of this into account.

Ultimately, it’s eroding confidence in the essence of what Stetson and all private institutions deliver.

“We are consistently picking away at this kind of education nationally,” says Paul.

“Over time, it will become more and more rare. There is a transformational learning experience at Stetson that is crucial for developing responsible, informed and thoughtful people and leaders. If we lose this, we lose something fundamental to our culture, our society.

“We cannot eliminate this side of the equation without losing what is unique about a college education,” Paul declares.

Fundraising Changes Fate: The comprehensive campaign may be the best tool for preserving what Stetson does best. If successful,

‘Donors give to what they love, what warms their heart.’ it will build multiple streams of revenue to support the university, open up budgets and possibilities, and ease pressure on enrollment.

It will literally reshape the landscape through new facilities. Above all, it will fund initiatives that feed Stetson’s transformational education, such as The Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence and the Hollis Family Student Success Center. Both will help faculty and students continue to thrive in a learning environment that is drawing national attention.

“Education is something we do for the greater good,” says Paul. “It is essential to the quality of our collective future as a country.”

Campaigns of this scale have a long-term impact: Money raised now will pay dividends long after this one has concluded.

Think of the way estate gifts mold the future. At Muhlenberg College, for instance, some young alumni are already putting the college in their wills, according to that

fewer local friends and rely much more on our alumni.”

For Feist, the process paid off. Syracuse completed its first billion-dollar campaign in 2012, the largest in its history.

What does Stetson’s campaign need? The Beyond Success — Significance Campaign needs to create a more robust network of givers so that the next generation of Stetson students can make their college dreams come true — and the generation after that.

In so doing, it will open up the opportunity for all Hatters to locate the exact position of their souls in relationship to the place that first empowered them.

college’s Leadership Gift Officer Jim Hess.

For him, fundraising is a vital component of institutional success. “Fundraising is a means of giving your college or university the wherewithal to face the toughest challenges,” he says. “A huge part of a campaign is communicating your goals and aspirations and those success stories that your community and alumni can mobilize around.”

Private colleges and universities are experimenting with new tactics to accomplish this unity, such as longer campaigns that work in multiple phases, crowdfunding and social media blitzes like the University of Vermont’s recent Move-In Day Challenge or creating new positions to connect with millennial alumni, such as Stanford’s director of Next Generation Giving.

What We Really Need: Getting people to care, however, is still the biggest challenge.

“Donors don’t give what you ask them to give

to,” says Stetson University President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D. “They give to what they love, what warms their heart.”

“Engagement” may be the most overused word on a college campus. And yet, just as some clichés derive from true sentiments, the word has connotations that apply.

Elizabeth Feist, director of Development in the Regional Advancement Office of Syracuse University, believes that while campaigns are great tools for energizing people, many schools have to start with mindset first.

“Some private colleges have wealthy students who come from a background in which giving is a common, expected activity,” she points out.

“As a result, they achieve 50-percent participation,” Feist adds. “But many enroll students with limited to no experience in giving, and they need to be educated in what it means. This is an ongoing process at Syracuse, where due to our location we have

How Can You Care? By acknowledging that philanthropy is about what it means to be human. In fact, the word originated in Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound first staged in about 430 BCE. In the play, Prometheus defies Zeus, steals fire, and gives it to the human race.

Fire represents light, culture and civilization: Prometheus brags to the chorus that he taught humanity the civilizing arts, such as writing, mathematics, medicine, astronomy, etc.

Though he is punished, Prometheus sees himself as a benefactor, and the word he used, philanthropos from the Greek, came to mean “man” or “humanity loving.” What Prometheus gave humanity were the tools to realize its potential.

You can do the same. Libby believes that giving is something that over time can become a major source of satisfaction in our lives.

“This campaign is about building a longterm healthy relationship with our alumni,” she says. “Today, they may only be able to give a little. One day they will make gifts that don’t just support the university, but transform it. Part of our job is to find them and help them understand that part of their soul.”

More than anything else, Stetson’s Beyond Success — Significance Campaign will ensure that a deeply crucial education will be passed on so that someone else can explore what it means to be fully human.

Fritz McDonald is a writer and higher education marketing consultant whose clients range from UCLA to Cornell College. He has presented at national conferences, such as the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education, written the PBS documentary North Carolina, and has a novel forthcoming from Prairie Lights Books.

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Why I Give Illustrations by junior art major Erin McCollum

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Paying It Forward B y B e tt y J o h n s o n ’ 5 9 , MA ’ 6 2 Why do I give to Stetson? How could I not? I came to Stetson in 1955 on a fulltuition scholarship, married Evans Johnson, my bachelor history professor my senior year, and spent my career as a librarian at Stetson, retiring four years ago.

After I graduated, Evans and I gave to Stetson the $1,600 value of the tuition scholarship I had received — a moral obligation. Why did we and, after his death, I, continue to give to Stetson, and why is Stetson going to receive the major part of my estate?

My dad was a baker who worked 50-60 hours a week, but he loved baking and had a strong work ethic. After my mother died about 30 years ago, I used to go to Daytona Beach and take Dad to lunch most Saturdays. I’d pay for lunch, and he’d leave the tip. I soon noticed that he was leaving about 20 percent at the buffet restaurant he liked. He was living on Social Security, and I told him this was too much. This man, who had little money but a generosity of spirit and love, nodded toward the waitress working so hard handing out drinks and cleaning tables.

He said, “Bets, that could have been you.”

In that instant, I realized just how much Stetson had changed the course of my life and how Dad had known it all along.

About three years ago, Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., and Linda Davis ’73, special adviser to the president for philanthropy, visited me with an offer I couldn’t refuse. They asked me to give part of my intended bequest for the library now to name the deanship of the library with an endowment under the control of the library dean to be used solely for innovation.

As a librarian, I know the importance of innovation in preparing students to live in a rapidly changing world. In my years as director, we had managed a few innovations, thanks to donor funding, duct tape, rubber bands and sheer hardheadedness. But we never felt free to really experiment with our limited funds.

I told Dean Susan Ryan that I expect this innovation fund to “unleash” her. I challenged Sue to experiment and innovate.

Some experiments may fail, but progress comes from failure too. Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed watching results from this fund.

Stetson changed the course of my life

‘As a librarian, I know the importance of innovation in preparing students to live in a rapidly changing world.’

forever. The innovation endowment is just my latest effort to say thanks and to pay it forward. I am also increasing, through my estate, the endowed scholarship started by Evans shortly before his death.

Over my years as student, faculty member, and now trustee, I saw how Stetson and its dedicated faculty were changing many lives.

When our current motto “Dare to Be Significant” was selected a few years ago, I liked it immediately, because to me this defined what Stetson has done for more than a century. I remain committed to this vision for Stetson and committed to supporting it.

There is a popular saying, “Payback is a bitch” — but I guarantee you that Paying It Forward is a joy. I give to Stetson because it will make a difference in someone’s life.

Betty Johnson ’59, MA ’62, was director of the duPont-Ball Library for many years and is a member of Stetson’s Board of Trustees.

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Remembering to Say Thank You B y M i c h a e l F r o n k ’ 74

‘My father knew it was the generosity of strangers that made a college education possible for his children.’

Stetson University has always been a place that has felt like home. It was the university that embraced, challenged and remembered my three siblings and me.

My uncle attended Stetson, as did my brothers and sisters, and my two sons.

One of my sons answered the question, “Why did I choose to attend Stetson University?”

He said: “I was raised to go to Stetson.”

But the habit of financial giving to Stetson began with our inability to have the dream my parents had for their children. That dream was to receive a quality education from a place like Stetson University.

It was 1971, and I wanted to go away to college, but financially it was a challenging time for our family.

My mother and father looked for every opportunity for me to go to college, even considering universities that did not meet their standards.

My minister had attended Stetson University and was aware of some scholarships for my major. In a conversation I had with my father a few months before he died, he spoke of his love for my mother. He remembered her staying up into the early hours of the morning, filling out forms, researching grants and looking up creative ways they could send me to school.

Once I was able to afford to go to Stetson, my responsibility was to help find ways for my siblings also to attend.

And so the four Fronks all graduated from Stetson University. But the most important lesson I learned was at a restaurant with my father. There, he was remembering my mother and sharing the many stories with me about the sacrifices she made for all of us.

He said he had always wanted to do something to remember her. Mom and Dad’s business had become successful before they were able to retire, but my father never forgot the days when money was scarce. My father knew it was the generosity of strangers that made a college education possible for his children.

My father also knew that the university community never seemed to forget us and welcomed us and my parents whenever we returned to visit. Those from that community knew us by name.

I’ll never forget my father saying: “The best way to remember your mother would be to establish a scholarship for other students so they would be able to go to Stetson like you guys.”

He wanted to name the scholarship after Mother, The Marion Fronk Music Education Endowment. But Mother and Father were a pair. We wouldn’t let Mother’s name be on the scholarship alone.

So we compromised by putting Mother’s name first and naming it the Marion and George Fronk Endowed Music Scholarship.

Another lesson my father taught us was, “Never forget to say thank you. If someone else hadn’t been generous, you would never have been able to enjoy and receive the education you did,” he said. “This is the best way to remember your mother.”

That’s why we established this endowment that honors our mother and remembers our father.

From time to time, we are reminded that we were taught to thank those who were generous. Therefore, we honor the memory of those gifts by creating our own. We remember that those gifts to us changed our family’s lives.

We will never forget to say thank you.

Thanks, Mom and Dad. Michael Fronk ’74 is Stetson University’s chaplain.

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I Owe Much to Stetson

By Geoff Jollay ’75 As an alumnus, I owe much to Stetson. You have heard this before: My Stetson experience gave me the foundation for a successful career. The university has great professors (underpaid against our peers), a beautiful campus (after five years of hard work), and a small school social experience (using a student center virtually unchanged since it was built in 1957).

And further, my time at Stetson planted all the good seeds for me to lead a significant life. Meeting the mother of my children, finding my Savior and Lord albeit later in life, the ability to critically think out issues in all parts of life, and to be a lifelong learner.

For me, my time at Stetson helped form my character.

After graduation, I left Florida and returned to Ohio, where I eventually worked and grew the family business. We sold that business in 2003 and returned to Florida to reconnect with Stetson. I first served on the Family Enterprise Center’s Board of Advisors.

I wish we had that program in the ’70s!

That led to the honor of being asked to serve on Stetson’s Board of Trustees. This service is not for the weak of heart. Stetson has its challenges, as does any school.

But the greatest challenge is this: Stetson has the smallest endowment of any school its size, age and stature.

Recently, I accepted the appointment of chair of Stetson’s comprehensive campaign: Beyond Success — Significance.

My wife Kay and I decided to make Stetson one of our top three lifetime charities. We give scholarships for Family Enterprise Center students. We give hard-to-come-by money for necessary planning and consultants. We gave a lead gift to rebuild and expand the Carlton Union Building (CUB).

We give because it is our responsibility.

As of this writing, Stetson is halfway to its campaign goal about halfway into the campaign.

Good news for sure.

If you are reading this, you care about Stetson. We could sure use your financial help.

Geoff Jollay ’75 is a member of Stetson’s Board of Trustees and is chair of the university’s Comprehensive Campaign Committee.

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‘The greatest challenge is this: Stetson has the smallest endowment of any school its size, age and stature.’

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I Benefited From the Generosity of Others B y L u i s M a l d o n a d o ’ 01

‘I give because my professors’ passions fueled fires that intentionally, yet effortlessly, inspired.’

Why do I give to Stetson?

I give because, as a first-generation college student from a low-income household, I benefited from others’ generosity and want to help students who stress about financial shortcomings.

I give because the late Latin American Studies Professor Iliana Mankin, Ph.D. — the namesake of the book fund I endowed — reintroduced me to my Hispanic identity by assigning “When I Was Puerto Rican.” She also encouraged me to correct the mispronunciation and anglicizing of my name.

I give because former Associate Provost Karen Kaivola, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of History Emily Mieras, Ph.D., challenged me to reach intellectual heights and inspired me to question everything critically, yet compassionately.

I give because my professors’ passions fueled fires that intentionally, yet effortlessly, inspired.

I give because Stetson gave me latitude to lead and the tools to achieve. Stetson offered me opportunities to become engaged, and let me pave my own way.

I give because Stetson was a safe place to come to terms with my sexual orientation and provided friends and role models that facilitated self-acceptance.

I give because English Professors Terri Witek, Ph.D., and Lori Snook, Ph.D., nurtured the creative spirits of budding poets and playwrights and helped them develop their craft in class, at “Poetry at an Uncouth Hour,” in Touchstone and other platforms.

I give because the cultural credit program required me to attend events that I enjoyed but would have otherwise foregone.

I give because Political Science Professor T. Wayne Bailey, Ph.D., connected me to a scholarship that allowed me to return to Stetson after a semester hiatus. It helped me later acquire an almost debt-free law degree.

I give because Ann Morris, the Lynn Family, Max Cleland, Algernon Sydney Sullivan and others gave so that unknown others may have invaluable experiences.

Why do I give to Stetson? Given that I owe who I have become to my Stetson experience, how could I not?

Luis A. Maldonado ’01 graduated from Stetson University magna cum laude from the College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in English. At Stetson, he was a Faculty Merit Scholar, a Quenzer Scholar, a Florida Education Fund Pre-Law Scholar. He also was awarded the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, the June Brooks Award, and was honored as one of the top 20 student leaders in the state by Florida Student Leader Magazine. Luis graduated cum laude in 2004 from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, where he was a Florida Education Fund Scholar, a two-time Florida Bar Foundation Fellow, and a Public Service Fellow. Luis served as an assistant chief counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Chief Counsel in Orlando, before working at the agency’s headquarters as an associate legal adviser for the National Security Law Section and serving as special counsel for the deputy principal legal adviser. He currently serves as deputy chief counsel at the Orlando Office of Chief Counsel.

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How Our Students Benefit From the Campaign B

y

G

e o r g e

Y

S

a l i s

’ 1 5

ou know the stereotype.

A prim and proper librarian with her hair in a tight bun wearing sensible shoes roams the stacks shushing patrons for talking too loud. Or she scolds someone for turning down the flap of a book, saying, “I hear a book crying.”

To put it bluntly, libraries are not thought of as innovative places.

But Sue Ryan is not your typical library dean.

Today’s duPont-Ball Library is alive with activity. In fact, it’s more a learning center now, where students can take advantage of new learning technologies. Thanks to a multi-million-dollar gift from Trustee and former Director of the duPont-Ball Library Betty Drees Johnson, BA ’59, MA ’62, innovation is happening everywhere.

“I told Sue to spread her wings and use this gift to be innovative,” Johnson recalls.

Other donors have joined in to make the library an innovative learning venture.

At left and throughout this story, photos show students enjoying FOCUS, a program that welcomes new students to campus and is designed to help them transition to college life.

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One student built a drone completely from parts he created using 3-D printing in the library. ‘That’s the basis for his senior research in computer science.’

LIBRARY INNOVATION LAB The duPont-Ball Library is quickly becoming the site for all kinds of innovations in learning. “The Innovation Lab was started two years ago when both the library and the Chemistry Department became interested in 3-D printing,” says Dean of the duPont-Ball Library and Learning Technologies Sue Ryan.

“Many libraries across the country had begun to introduce 3-D printing, but most were part of public or specialty libraries.”

The library’s Betty Drees Johnson Innovation Endowment made the development of the lab possible. Johnson, a current trustee, “had an amazing 50-year career at Stetson that ended with her serving as the library director for many years. She encouraged and inspired us to ‘think innovation,’ ” Ryan adds.

“Before introducing 3-D printing, we wanted to ensure that we could apply the technology to our teaching/learning mission,” she explains. Ryan started with two hobbyist-level MakerBot printers, and now the library has a total of six printers of various capabilities.

“One student did his senior research project on chemistry applications using 3-D printing, another presented at the national American Chemical Society on 3-D research in chemistry, and a laboratory exercise was developed for the advanced physical chemistry class in which every student used 3-D printing relating to molecules,” says Ryan.

The collaboration turned out to be wildly successful too. All five tenured/tenure-track chemists have been involved in some way or another, and student interest spread quickly to many other majors. One student, Christian Michlisch ’15, built a drone completely from parts he created using 3-D printing in the library. “That’s the basis for his senior research in computer science,” notes Ryan.

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Drones can fly and photograph and do many other things that humans alone would have trouble doing.

“A drone is a mechanical object that you can use as an addition to your utility belt,” explains Michlisch, “so work that needs to be done at a safe distance, for example, a drone can be designed to do it. That’s one reason why they fascinate me. The lab allowed me to be creative without any cost in purchasing or renting the equipment there. In absence of the lab, my project would have taken a lot longer to complete and would have burdened me financially. Whatever idea a student has, whether it be a figurine they want to create or a shirt with a tactile response that blinks, they can do that in the Makerspace. The possibilities for creativity and ingenuity are endless.”

“The popularity of the lab has been growing exponentially,” says Ryan. “Last summer, thanks to our innovation endowment, we added a very high-end commercialgrade printer that could do far more sophisticated print jobs. That printer worked so well, we often had a three-week waiting list to use it, so an alumnus donor bought us a second one.

“Our 3-D printing has led to much attention in the professional arena,” she continues.

Within the past year-and-a-half, for example, the library has won two competitive innovation awards for its 3-D printing collaborations with the Chemistry Department.

This summer, Ryan expanded the space from about 250 square feet to about 1,000 square feet and will add new equipment, such as Virtual Reality, Google Glass and more.

“Our longer-term goal is to develop a true ‘Innovation Center’ on the ground floor that will be even bigger. It will focus on student and faculty research projects.

“It’s an exciting time for the library and Stetson students,” she declares.

HOLLIS FAMILY STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER “The center is a vibrant place of learning in the heart of campus,” explains Lua Hancock, Ed.D., vice provost for Campus Life and Student Success.

“It includes places for individual and group study, tutoring and supplemental instruction, academic support and success coaching,” Hancock adds. The latter is a significant service offered students where they can work with a peer or staff coach in areas such as time management or develop test-taking strategies. The new center, made possible by the Hollis family, many of whom gradu-

Mission accomplished at move-in day!

ated from Stetson, takes up half of the second floor of the library. Academics at the university can sometimes be punishing for students, especially those who need to learn new study skills. “Stetson promotes a rigorous academic experience, inside and outside the classroom,” says Miguel Ortiz, a senior political science major who recently participated in the NASCAR Diversity Internship program.

“Outside the classroom, Stetson has provided every student with all of the resources they need to excel academically,” Ortiz adds. “The new success center will be one of those resources that will help us improve our academic performance.”

Ortiz notes that the new study spaces will make it easier for students to collaborate with one another, plus its new location will make

the Academic Success Center services more accessible to every student. “Overall, I expect it to be easier for all students to benefit from these academic resources,” he explains.

“Since day one we’ve had genuine and exciting collaboration for this project,” says Ryan. “Success centers are beginning to become a positive trend in higher education.

Everyone can see the exciting possibilities of this space and how it can benefit students.”

“Sue’s visionary leadership on the role of libraries in the 21st century was integral to the creation of this service for our students,” adds Hancock.

WORLD: THE RINKER CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL LEARNING How can students expand their horizons

while broadening their understanding of other cultures? With his international learning scholarship, recent graduate Joseph A. Davis ’15 was able to live and learn in several countries, including Spain, Cuba, South Africa, Guatemala and Morocco.

“During my six months in Madrid, I gained a new understanding of European politics when we visited the Senate and heard the Spanish president make a speech,” he recalls.

“Whether speaking with my host family over dinner, taking classes conducted entirely in Spanish, or talking with Spanish friends, I was immersed in Spanish language and culture,” he says. What Davis experienced through Stetson’s study abroad program represented the university’s value of becom-

ing a global citizen, someone who understands and appreciates other cultures.

Generous Stetson donors helped Davis experience the world.

Speaking of experiencing the world, WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning is a comprehensive center for everything international at Stetson. The Rinker Center brings diverse global perspectives to Stetson and DeLand through its work with international students, study abroad, on-campus international events, and by supporting Stetson faculty and students in their global research and international activities.

“WORLD is especially excited to be able to provide additional support to faculty and students with the scholarships from the STETSON

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A student on move-in day shows off her new room. Over the spring and summer, Stetson students were hired to paint every residence hall room.

comprehensive campaign,” says Paula Hentz, assistant director of study abroad at WORLD. The funds will support faculty-led study abroad programs, global internships and semester, and yearlong international study opportunities.

With the generous Rinker endowment, Political Science Professor William Nylen, Ph.D., was able to take four of his students to Brazil on a Latin American Studies mentored field experience.

“Brazil was a gift,” declares Elizabeth Cirri, a junior majoring in political science. “Brazil was a step outside my comfort zone. Brazil 32

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was the place I never thought I would go, and Brazil is the place where I went, traveled to for free, was taught Portuguese, and the place where I learned many new things. I saw the world in a different light. I was given a new set of glasses, through which I would take everything from a different perspective.”

The program originated in 1995 when Trustee Emeritus Mark Hollis ’56 set up what he called a “Renaissance Fund” so that undergraduates could have innovative learning experiences.

Hollis designed the program to be a true international research experience: a one-

semester pre-travel preparation course. This includes student research proposals, a two-tofour-week field research experience in a Latin American country that would benefit from the participating professor’s expertise in the region, and a one-semester post-travel course to allow students and the professor to compile their research findings and then present them to the Stetson community.

KAREN SCHMITT ROBERTS INTERNSHIP TRAVEL FUND Another travel fund has helped students on their way around the world. “The Karen

last summer with Cambio Creativo, a nonprofit, grass-roots educational program that works with youths and community members in Colón, Panama.

“My internship, made possible by the generous Karen Schmitt Roberts Internship Travel Fund, provided me with much insight into cross-cultural exchange programs for at-risk youth,” says Thuruthiyil.

What did she learn? “Over the course of two fulfilling months, I conducted several workshops in Spanish, sharing my Indian culture and learning more about the local children’s Afro-Antillian roots through a heritage field trip that we organized. In a word, my experience was sublime. I cannot be more thankful,” she says.

Thuruthiyil was also interviewed about her internship and how she discovered the opportunity. Watch the video at http://bit. ly/1gm4qwX. Over the years, Karen Schmitt Roberts has contributed to the fund, as well as Helena Dabrowski ’85, a member of the School of Business Administration Board of Advisors, and Juan Morey ’92 of Consolidated Electric Distributors, along with Cindy Politis of Bank of America.

“We are currently trying to broaden its scope because the need for the travel fund has become so great,” says Stiles. “If students are coming to us with needs, we want to be able to fully or partially fund them.”

In creating the fund, Roberts’ vision was to level the playing field so that challenging and prestigious internships would be available to all students regardless of their financial background or means.

Schmitt Roberts Internship Travel Fund, sponsored by Stetson’s Alumni Association Board of Directors, was set up for student interns with financial need,” says Timothy Stiles, executive director of Career and Professional Development.

“Overall, it allows for students to offset travel or living expenses such as air travel, gas mileage, parking and housing expenses, and much more. Internships may be at nonprofits, for-profits — domestic or international,” Stiles adds.

Catherine Thuruthiyil ’15, a development studies major, participated in an internship

STUDENT RESEARCH “Our office provides funding to students to assist with their research projects,” says Sandee Farrington, executive assistant to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“Generally, several students each year receive funding from our office.”

Research funding for students is provided through generous donations from alumni and friends, according to Farrington. The funding helps students in different ways: Some have used the funds to purchase materials for research (such as lab materials) while other students use the funding to help pay for travel to go to conferences to present their research.

“We had some fantastic student research last year that benefited from the college’s Dean’s Fund,” adds Trena Wetherington, administrative specialist in the College of Arts and Sciences.

‘My internship, made possible by the generous Karen Schmitt Roberts Internship Travel Fund, provided me with much insight into cross-cultural exchange programs for at-risk youth.’

For example, Tabea Wanninger ’15, who graduated with double majors in political science and history with a minor in international studies, presented two different papers at two different conferences. The first was at the Fifth Conference for Undergraduate Research in German Studies in Bethlehem, Penn., and the other was presented at The Southeast German Studies Workshop at Davidson College.

Wanninger is now pursuing her master’s degree in modern European history at Leiden University in the Netherlands. She plans to join the German Diplomatic Services.

Another student, Andrew Aldrich, a senior with majors in communication and media studies, was accepted into The Creative Minds in Cannes Filmmaker’s Institute Program. He attended the Cannes Film Festival in France for the screening of his award-winning short film The Grind.

“Cannes is the most prestigious film festival in the world,” says Aldrich. “I was honored to be able to stroll down its red carpet. Attending the festival was a priceless experience, allowing me to make life-changing connections with professionals in the film industry.

“I was fortunate in developing and pursuing my goals as a screenwriter thanks to funds donated to Stetson University,” he says.

CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN LAW ADVOCACY One of the campaign’s goals is to further enhance an already nationally ranked law advocacy program. “The center is one of the most beneficial places for the students of Stetson Law because it opens up opportunities in the field of advocacy to the students,” explains Erika Wilson, assistant director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy at the College of Law. “We run and provide support to numerous STETSON

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‘I chose to go to Stetson College of Law for one reason and one reason only: I wanted to be a part of the #1 ranked trial team in the country.’ intramural competitions,” she adds. “The past two years have been groundbreaking in the sense that the center has expanded even more internationally, specifically to Ireland and now Oxford.”

In Ireland, she and other members of the law faculty went and taught Irish barristers the “Stetson way” to advocate. The two-week summer abroad in Oxford, England, was a huge success. “Once again, our faculty went over and taught more than 40 students in an intensive course involving many different components of trial advocacy,” she says.

The Stetson College of Law also holds the largest advocacy teaching conference every year in May, called the Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills conference. Trial advocacy professors, instructors, LL.M. students and practicing lawyers come from around the world to be taught how to practice advocacy the Stetson way.

That’s why U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Stetson’s College of Law first in trial advocacy in the nation for the 17th time.

Stetson also ranked second in the nation for legal writing.

“I chose Stetson for one reason and one reason only: I wanted to be a part of the #1 ranked trial team in the country,” says Kyle Ross, a recent graduate of the College of Law. “To prepare, I spent a lot of time at a state attorney’s office in my hometown watching many trials. I loved the tension, the complexity and the art of it.

“With hard work, I eventually made the team and competed in a variety of rewarding challenges,” he adds. “Clearly none of my success would have been possible without my team members and the faculty supporting me.

“From my character growth to the championships to my job, I am so grateful to everyone involved in the program,” he says.

Stetson’s advocacy program is renowned 34

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for several reasons, but one in particular stands out. “The reason why our students are far better prepared for a career in the practice of law is because of places like the Center for Excellence in Advocacy,” Wilson explains.

“Our students need to be prepared to walk into a job and hit the ground running.”

The center gives them many opportunities to practice like a lawyer rather than just think like one.

“In the future, I see the center not only being a central focus of Stetson Law, but also continuing to be a focus that many law schools wish they had the opportunity to give their students,” Wilson asserts.

A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Why does Stetson need a new Performing Arts Center? “Lee Chapel is great for acoustical concerts, but the size doesn’t suit a full orchestra,” declares Dean of the School of Music Thomas G. Masse, D.M.A. “Presser Hall is perfect for instruction in classrooms.

But we need something more.”

And there’s a vision behind this need. “My vision is to hold concerts where all are invited, and none are turned down because of a lack of space,” adds Masse. “I envision a performing arts center where students can receive further personalized instruction.

“Stetson alumni and other donors have always supported the School of Music,” says Masse.

“For example, alumna Tricia Glasnovich’s, BM ’15, recent donation went toward a piano in the faculty studio,” he explains. “With our supporters, we can make this happen.”

The Performing Arts Center that Masse envisions would be a 1,200-seat structure that includes a shoebox-style stadium, a design that originates from 18th- and 19th-century court ballrooms where the classical orchestral concert was born. The center would be supplemented with connecting rooms for musical instruction.

“I am so grateful to the School of Music,” says Alexandria Bocco, a sophomore music major and political science minor. “Our professors treat us as professionals, and it’s rewarding. Because everyone here at Stetson’s School of Music is so in love with their craft, our performances are held to the highest standards.”

And a piece of music is worth a thousand words. “I am not talented at putting my feelings into words, so I rely on music to communicate my emotions,” she says. “It’s a craft that can transcend any language barrier, and that’s why it’s so universally loved.”

Stetson’s mascot John B. with a new friend

Bocco calls music special, “an inexplicable way to bond with others. So many people are in love with it and wish to share it with the world.”

The School of Music’s standards are high.

“I believe the performances by the major ensembles here at Stetson are incredible and need to be heard by more than just the Stetson community,” she points out. “With a larger performance venue, our ensembles have the opportunity to be heard by the Central Florida community and beyond.

“The most meaningful memory in music, for me, was last year when I had the opportunity to play the entire Symphony No. 2 by Brahms,” Bocco recalls. “I was principal oboe alongside my best friend, Nathalie, who was principal flute. Toward the end, we were both

crying because we had just shared a beautiful experience with one another that will never be recreated in the history of the universe.

“That speaks volumes.”

“Stetson is home to one of the greatest colleges of music in the country, and I want the future to reflect that,” adds Masse. What better reflection than a new Performing Arts Center.

THE EDMUNDS CENTER Recruiting star athletes takes a first-rate athletic center that shows respect for sports and the athletes who play them. It’s a long time coming. “The Edmunds Center, which houses Stetson’s arena and athletic facilities, was built in 1974,” explains Jeffrey Altier, athletics director. “Except for adding new

bleachers about 10 or 12 years ago, along with new flooring, there have been few renovations. We are beginning to change that.”

Because of the campaign, Edmunds Center renovations have already begun. “We’ve completely renovated the women’s basketball locker room,” Altier says. “This is important because it raises the standards in which the students see themselves, and it does the same thing for any of the recruits who are coming in. It highlights the successes and achievements of a particular sports program.”

This year, Stetson also plans to renovate the men’s basketball locker room. The other renovations that will occur include those in the upstairs Hall of Fame room. That renovation adds more windows, increases the amount of memorabilia to recognize the

athletics program’s success over the years, and adds a quality sound system.

“We also want to modernize the gym by adding scoreboards with video displays,” says Altier. “We want to bring the air conditioning system up to date so that the entire building can be cooled efficiently. That affects everybody. And finally the lobby and the restrooms will see renovation as well.”

All of this will happen over the next three years.“I love the new renovations done to our locker room,” says Brianti Saunders, a junior and a member of Stetson’s women’s basketball team. “It feels more like home in there.

In addition, it is more motivational for us.”

Saunders notes how the environment is brighter and adds more of a Hatter atmosphere.

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“Stetson athletics has benefited me in many ways, but most important, it has given me the opportunity to receive a phenomenal education,” asserts Saunders. “Stetson is a great school academically. It’s a place I love because of the person it is helping me to become.”

“We want to renovate the building in such a way so that as soon as you walk in, it hits you. We want you to know you’re walking into a facility that is modern, attractive, and conveys the excitement that occurs during every game,” says Altier of the Edmunds Center.

THE HEART OF CAMPUS: THE CUB “The Carlton Union Building provides space for dining, kitchens, a bookstore, a mailroom, conference spaces, a faculty lounge, student organizations and retail food service,” says Albert Allen, associate vice president of Facilities Management.

That’s a lot to ask of an old building.

The CUB was built in 1957. Stetson plans to expand and completely renovate the facility by early 2018. The current 57,000-square-foot building will be expanded by about 40 percent to 80,000 square feet. The additional space will provide areas for student dining, a new kitchen, offices for the Student Government Association, the Cross Cultural Center, the Center for Community Engagement, student lounge space, and offices for the Division of Student Affairs.

The plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems of the building will be completely replaced with new energy- and water-efficient systems and equipment. “The appearance of the CUB when approached from the backside will change dramatically,” says Allen.

Many other changes are planned. The current parking area will be landscaped green space, and the east exterior wall will have two stories constructed primarily of glass. When the building was first designed, the campus’ eastern border was Bert Fish Avenue, according to Allen.

“The campus has since expanded to the east, and the CUB is in the center, so having an inviting and welcoming appearance is important,” he explains.

Donors such as Drew Glasnovich ’09 are making this renovation possible. “I’ve always thought it was important to give back to something that has given so much to me,” he says. “The union is where I grew as a person.”

Glasnovich remembers his time in the SGA office and the dining area, sharing coffee and views on world politics with fellow 36

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Taking a break in the Stetson Coffee Shop P h oto

by

J a son J ones

‘The CUB has always been the heart of Stetson’s campus, so it only makes sense to have more offices there.’

students. He wants his gift to create functional spaces for students in ways that emphasize Stetson’s commitment to community and advocacy.

“The new renovations are much needed, especially the dining areas,” says junior English major Jake Lee Smith. “My fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, often has anywhere from 10 to 20 brothers sitting together for lunch or dinner. It’ll be nice to have even more room and more seats available for all of us.”

But the renovation will do even more for students. “The CUB has always been the heart of Stetson’s campus, so it only makes sense to have more offices there,” Smith adds.

I have my own story to tell about how a Hatter scholarship helped me realize my dream of a Stetson education. Because of that scholarship and others provided by generous donors, I was able to stretch my experience at Stetson.

I met writers and poets, such as Mark Doty, who was invited by the Tim Sullivan Endowment for Writing. I won a 2015 Davidson Award for Integrity in Journalism for my writing.

Quite simply, gifts to Stetson from alumni and many others offer students, like me, experiences they wouldn’t receive anywhere else.

And I’m far from alone in this. It’s amazing to see the diversity of accomplishments and fulfilled dreams among Stetson’s students.

Of course, dreams need financial fuel. This is the reality of things, and that’s where the many donors and supporters of Stetson come into play.

Your gifts to Stetson impact students’ lives every day and in a multitude of ways.

Thank you.

George Salis ’15, a former student in the University Marketing Office, is a frequent contributor to this magazine.

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The Joy of Giving B

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someone said that money can’t buy you happiness, you would probably be rich enough to put that piece of accepted wisdom to the test.

“But if you think this, you are just not spending it right,” says Michael Norton, Ph.D., Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and a member of Harvard’s Behavioral Insights Group.

In a 2011 TED Talk viewed more than 300,000 times on YouTube, he describes a research project where people were given $5 or $20 either to spend on themselves or to use it for others. Oddly enough, those who used the money for someone else felt happier at the end of the day, while the me-spenders felt less happy.

This was not a one-off. Reviewing data from 136 countries, Norton and his team discovered that in all but one case, people who gave money to charity were happier than those who did not.

“You don’t have to do amazing things with your money to make yourself happy either,” he adds in his message, appropriately titled “How to Buy Happiness.” “You can do small, trivial things and still get these benefits.”

The payback is not just in warm fuzzies, or what economists have termed “the warm glow.” A growing body of research has found significant health benefits in giving to others as well. Blood pressure goes down, stress is reduced, and production of oxytocin, the “love hormone” released by breast-feeding and lovemaking that helps people bond, is increased.

One study even found that people who helped others with health needs had their own odds of an early death cut by more than

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half compared to those who did not lend a hand. When you are thinking of being kind, your parasympathetic nervous system is activated “and you get these very nice effects,” summarizes James Doty, M.D., clinical professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University and director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

“That’s our default mode as human beings,” he tells Dave Erasmus, founder of the social-giving platform Givey.com in a YouTube interview. “It is to be socially connected, it is to care, and that is why when you act in that manner it has such a wonderful effect, because that is how we are supposed to be.”

However, generosity does not always necessarily have a noble prompt, cautions Minah Jung, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Stern School of Business at New York University and part of the faculty at the Judgment and Decision Making Research Lab at the Haas School of Business, University of California-Berkeley.

In addition, people may give because it makes them look good or because they worry what others might think of them if they don’t give, she says. (A case in point might be the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral in 2014, doubling Lou Gehrig’s disease charity donations.)

“It’s complicated,” says Jung of the motives for giving, “because humans are reciprocal.

They feel the pressure to be nice back to someone.” While it may be unclear whether the drive is Darwinian impulse or divine imprint, Americans sure do a lot of it.

The United States topped the 140 countries listed in the 2014 World Giving Index, along with Myanmar. The U.S. earned its

spot for its combined levels of donations, volunteering, and “helping a stranger,” while Myanmar’s high ranking was due to its high rate of making cash donations, arising from its strong Buddhist tradition of charity.

Meanwhile, Americans gave away a record $358 billion to charitable and religious organizations last year, up 7 percent over 2013, donating an average 3 percent of their income. Though it may be the easiest form to measure, generosity isn’t just about money, of course. People also give of their time, their talents, their connections — even their blood and organs.

When it came to volunteering, one in four Americans served up some of their time to help others in 2014, amassing a total of 62 billion hours. With a median one hour a week calculated at minimum wage, that was a total of almost $23 billion in donated time.

If American generosity is part of a train, it’s been the caboose, pulled along by the I l lu s t r at i o n

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Yes, research proves that giving can make you and those you help happy.

engine of individuality, says Paul Croce, Ph.D., Stetson professor of history and director of American studies. For example, some of the giving by the first great U.S. philanthropists in the 19th century was motivated in part by “enlightened self-interest,” he notes. Croce also referenced William James, the founder of American psychology and pragmatism, about whom he is a recognized authority. “James was keen on observing that we do a lot of things based on our interests, and that is not necessarily a bad thing,” Croce explains. “He called it being in tune with our spiritual selves.”

Indeed, generosity is a central tenet of the oldest religious codes that insist we care for the poor, asserts Kandy Queen-Sutherland, Ph.D., Stetson’s Sam R. Marks Professor of Religion. But even here, she believes there was an element of self-interest.

To prove her point, Queen-Sutherland cites the ancient code of hospitality: “When

the sojourner was in your midst, you shared your food, you brought him or her under your protection, and the reason was because you never knew when you might be a sojourner in a foreign land yourself.

“Yet, it would be terribly sad if the only reason you gave was to get something in return,” she adds. In that regard, anonymous giving may be even more meaningful and powerful. “Then it has nothing to do with recognition,” she explains.

Not that feeling good about doing some good is necessarily bad. Stetson Chaplain Michael Fronk ’74 hears more than most about the many behind-the-scenes acts of kindness that happen at the university. He maintains, “There is nothing wrong with getting a sense of satisfaction from giving.”

Personally, when he gives, Fronk says, he experiences “a feeling that I am making God smile.” While concern for others is a prime motivator to give, gratitude is another. That’s

why Fronk and his siblings, who benefited from financial assistance while Stetson students, established the Marion and George Fronk Memorial Endowment Music Scholarship in honor of their parents.

A similar sense of appreciation spurs Danielle Lindner, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Stetson, to give to her alma mater. “Aligning generosity with one’s own values, rather than just giving out of a sense of obligation, can make it more meaningful,” she says. “We like to think of giving as always being this altruistic thing, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be either-or. You can have altruistic motives and also still derive some satisfaction or purpose because you are doing something that is consistent with your values.

“Ultimately, I don’t think that giving for one reason over another is any less valuable or meaningful,” she declares.

In more than 30 years as a member of Stetson’s Board of Trustees, including a term as chair, senior attorney and former Florida Rep. and Speaker of the House J. Hyatt Brown has seen in others and experienced for himself the ways in which giving also has a return. For instance, he gets pleasure spending time with Stetson students who have received financial help.

Additionally, Brown observes that, like the ripples from a stone thrown into a pond, generosity often has a benefit beyond the original or intended recipient.

And the payback continues after Stetson students graduate. “Education is so important for the continued growth and development of the United States,” Brown says. “Stetson is doing a damn good job in helping to mold and graduate a complete person, and we need a lot more complete people.”

With that in mind, it appears that not only can money buy happiness for the giver, it can buy happiness for others too.

Andy Butcher is a freelance writer living in Central Florida.

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Without the Help of Two Early Philanthropists, Stetson University Might Not Exist Today

Two for Stetson

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he temperature fell, and it kept falling until

After the freeze, hatmaker John B. Stetson and shoemaker it reached 21 degrees, an unusual frost for Calvin T. Sampson arrived in DeLand, not by riverboat, Central Florida. That was just before but by train. When Henry DeLand told them about dawn on Jan. 10, 1886, when his financial troubles, they gave generously to the everything changed for Henry A. DeLand, institution he founded. Sampson and Stetson the founder of the city and Stetson came in the 1880s as tourists and investors, in University. The freeze ruined his part, because of Henry DeLand’s handbills Central Florida citrus crop, his fortune and newspaper advertisements. and his plans. It also nearly destroyed There’s a lot of legend behind the the collegiate institution he success-to-significance stories of Stetson financed and built. and Sampson. One favorite is how Ten years earlier, Henry Stetson went prospecting for gold in DeLand arrived in west Volusia Colorado, fashioned a hat from a County by energy-sapping beaver’s pelt, and sold it to a prosriverboat and became caught up pector who supposedly gave him a in “Florida’s orange fever.” $5 gold piece for it.

After purchasing property, he Stetson returned to the East, set laid out the town, sold real up a hat-making shop in estate, and planted citrus Philadelphia, and eventually built groves. He encouraged others one of America’s largest hat to plant citrus too. factories. Stetson’s signature hat — Generous and cheery, the Boss of the Plains — became DeLand had a genial smile that the stuff of legend too. Lots of “immediately captivated those people wore Stetson hats, including whom he met,” according to one Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley and description. He was a natural later movie stars like John Wayne promoter who knew he had to do and Tom Mix. something extraordinary to entice Shoemaker Calvin T. Sampson others to help him develop the area. established a shoe factory in DeLand met with C.O. Massachusetts before the Civil War. Codrington of the Florida Agriculturist, In 1880, Florida was a wilderness with who encouraged him to develop the a population of 269,493. Seven of the town into an “outstanding education nation’s largest cities — including Boston, center.” In 1883, he established DeLand Chicago and Philadelphia — then each had a Academy. Then, he advertised the town and larger population than Florida.

John B. Stetson academy as effectively as he had marketed his Henry DeLand’s efforts captivated Stetson and Fairport, N.Y., baking soda business. He built Sampson, and they responded generously to his DeLand Hall on the campus in 1884. The next year, he requests to support the new college. Their first investment expanded the academy into a college and reached an agreement was in Stetson Hall. John B. Stetson provided the lead gift, followed with the Florida State Baptist Convention to support the institution. by gifts from Sampson and others, which in all amounted to $12,000.

But the 1886 freeze — a four-day event in which the temperature At its completion, a Chicago reporter breathlessly declared the buildrarely rose above 40 degrees — cost DeLand thousands of dollars, and ing expressed “beauty, symmetry, and proportion everywhere.” he could no longer finance the institution he loved so dearly. Because DeLand, Sampson and Stetson continued their philanthropic tuition wasn’t enough to fund the institution, he began looking for partnership. In 1887, DeLand provided $10,000 for an endowment, a partners to help finance the college. huge sacrifice considering he had just lost his fortune. It was one of B

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his final gifts before returning to New York to rebuild his wealth. and he had built his oceanfront Whitehall estate. After viewing the Sampson eventually gave the university nearly $70,000 and Stetson building he supported at Stetson, Flagler reportedly expressed “great about $350,000. Henry DeLand’s actions established the institution, surprise that such a building could be erected for the money spent and he sustained Florida’s oldest privately supported college by upon it.” finding committed partners.

Nearby, framing the south end of Palm Court, Sampson Hall was One of Henry DeLand’s final acts of charity, an action symbolized completed in 1908 because of Andrew Carnegie’s gift of $40,000. By by “wisdom, generosity and elevation of mind” emblazoned on his then, Henry DeLand, John Stetson, and Calvin Sampson were dead, family’s coat-of-arms, occurred in 1889 when he took no exception to and Carnegie had authored the Gospel of Wealth, a treatise on the the Board of Trustees renaming DeLand College and University as responsibility to philanthropy of America’s new self-made rich upper John B. Stetson University. class. Carnegie’s gospel included funding libraries with formulas for The university’s namesake gave in many ways. Stetson’s gifts annual or endowed support to be met by the recipients. included buildings, cash, company stock, pianos, real Then known as Elizabeth, Countess of Santa Eulalia, estate, scholarships, and cords of wood for heating.

Mrs. John B. Stetson had remarried, and she created a In all, Stetson contributed to the development of $40,000 endowed trust for Stetson’s new Carnegie five buildings. library. The university’s second president, Several were magnificent, including Dr. Lincoln Hulley, successfully cultivated Elizabeth Hall, named for his wife those gifts.

Elizabeth Schindler Stetson. On In designing the building, Hulley and Presentation Day in February 1898, architect Henry John Klutho emphasized when John B. Stetson presented the the linkages among libraries and learning university with the keys to Elizabeth and power and politics by placing the Hall, the audience broke into “wild adage “Education is Power” on the bursts of applause and waving of portico and the names of 21 political handkerchiefs.” leaders and literati from world John B. Stetson’s giving history on the frieze. The university transcended the Panic of 1893 named the building not after — a bank and railroad crisis that Carnegie, but for Sampson, who crippled the national economy provided the first endowed gift for — and devastating freezes that the university’s library in the destroyed Florida’s citrus trees 1890s. in 1894-95. In that freeze, the Carnegie, Flagler, Sampson and temperature dipped to 16 Stetson gave generously to the degrees. university because of its excellence, Lottie Conrad, the sister-inthe philanthropic example set by law of future University Trustee Henry A. DeLand and the fund-raisand State Sen. J.B. Conrad, ing prowess of our earliest presireported: “All night long one dents. Others also gave to Stetson. could hear the cracking open of Banker A.D. McBride provided one the bark of the trees, as if one were of the university’s first scholarships; cracking walnuts.” lumberman Jacob B. Conrad funded Stetson lost hundreds of citrus Conrad Hall; and fertilizer manufacturer trees that night, but his generosity E.O. Painter supplied a row of palm trees persisted through bad times and good, for Palm Court. inspiring others to give to the university.

Their charitable giving converged at In fact, others did join in helping the Stetson through a shared vision of collegiate fledgling university. Henry M. Flagler gave excellence inspired by earlier donors.

Henry DeLand Stetson University $60,000 to build Flagler Their charitable gifts earned from baking soda, Hall, which was completed in 1902. banking, cattle, fertilizer, hats, oil, politics, steel, shoes, A Gilded-Age captain of industry, Flagler was the and timber helped to advance Florida’s first private univerpartner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil Corp. sity more than a century ago.

Recognized as Standard Oil’s chief architect and enforcer of rebates As Stetson University opens the public phase of its $150 million and drawbacks, Flagler was brilliant as a business visionary. He later campaign, the next steps are already in motion. gained fame as the founder of Florida tourism.

This vital step includes linking present donors and future philan Flagler gave generously to Stetson University as a marvelous thropists to past donors who essentially saved the young university. response to one of the most persuasive letters ever composed by Dr. That presence is a tangible heritage of development resulting from John F. Forbes, the university’s first president. relationships and charitable giving, the roots of which Henry A. By 1902, when Flagler visited the Stetson campus to inspect the DeLand and John B. Stetson planted and cultivated. hall that his gift built, he had transformed St. Augustine into a tourist destination, Palm Beach had become “the Queen of Winter Resorts,” Sidney Johnston is manager of grants and contracts for Stetson University.

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Fish Gotta Swim And we need fresh water to live

A donor, a dean, a scientist and an environmentalist breathe life into Stetson’s new Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience.

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ooking out over the Atlantic Ocean from New Smyrna Beach, you can almost feel exotic Africa, the birthplace of hurricanes, just over the horizon. The sea’s vast scale dwarfs you. It’s like looking into the clear night sky filled with the bewildering Milky Way. One truth, however, is not bewildering.

More than one kind of water connects Africa on one side and North America on the other. Dwindling freshwater resources also bind them together as it does many of the continents on this Earth.

According to an article in The Nation titled “The Water Crisis Comes Home,” for example, a U.N. report warns that by 2030 “demand for water will outstrip supply by 40 percent.”

As the saying goes, however, all problems are local. Use Google Earth to zoom into North America and then drill down into green Florida. With its rainy summers and land dotted with rivers, lakes and springs, it’s hard to imagine the state facing a water problem like the rest of the continent.

But it does.

The Floridan Aquifer, which blooms beneath Stetson’s I-4 corridor campuses, anchors this reflection on water. Tremendous population growth threatens the aquifer. The delicate groundwater also faces a saltwater backwash.

Responsible for much of Florida’s fresh water, the aquifer bends until it almost breaks to serve our area. In the future, it may not be able to.

Stetson recently created the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience to study the issue. The university hired noted environmen-

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tal policy expert Clay Henderson as the water institute’s first executive director. The Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center at Lake Beresford will be the institute’s living laboratory.

This is a story about the water institute and its broad mission. However, it’s also a story about how four people from different backgrounds — a donor, a dean, a scientist and an environmentalist — came together to give the institute life.

WHAT THE INSTITUTE WILL DO The institute, a first of its kind at Stetson, will focus on water and environmental research in order to offer policy options to protect our water supply and our other natural resources here in Central Florida and beyond.

“The institute will help bring together faculty and student research in collaboration with community partners to look at big picture issues affecting our environment,” says Henderson, a 1977 Stetson graduate. “It will include all Stetson colleges and campuses and be truly interdisciplinary.”

Henderson understands the importance of the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience. If it is to unravel this complex problem, he says, “The region needs a water institute to focus the research that will lead us to policy options.”

Specifically, the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience will focus on student and faculty research, community engagement and experiential learning, along with strong public policy, community education and recreation components. It will also involve the community in symposia and educational workshops.

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Where did Henderson get his passion to preserve the environment? It happened after law school when he returned home to New Smyrna Beach. He saw how quickly overdevelopment had transformed his home and Central Florida. He wanted to do something.

“Some outstanding environmental leaders, such as Reid Hughes, Doris Leeper and Walter Boardman, took me under their wings,” Henderson remembers. “We focused on strategies to save our special areas in Volusia County.”

The result was protection of more than 300,000 acres of conservation lands that preserve beaches, estuaries, rivers, lakes and springs. “Now these areas can become living laboratories for restoring habitat and protecting watersheds,” Henderson explains.

For the past 15 years, he has been senior counsel at the national law firm of Holland & Knight, focusing on environmental and water law. Before that, he served as president of the Florida Audubon Society, one of the nation’s oldest conservation organizations.

He has also worked for The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land.

Henderson’s Stetson roots are deep.

He remembers his father, Odis Henderson ’52, as someone who was a part of the “greatest generation” who fought in World War II and attended college on the GI Bill.

After his father died, Henderson’s grandmother showed him a box of what she called “saved keepsakes.” In it was an essay his father had written for his English composition class titled “Why I Came to Stetson.”

“I came to Stetson to get the best education possible so that I could return to the place of my kin and improve the lives of those who live there,” his father wrote.

Henderson carried that essay with him as a Stetson freshman and under his robes on graduation day. He read it as part of his student commencement address.

“We have the capability to focus a tremendous amount of brainpower to enrich the lives of those around us,” he says now, “and restore the environment that we share with all other living things.”

THE SANDRA STETSON AQUATIC CENTER A key part of the water institute will be the new Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center at Lake Beresford. Sandra Stetson’s $6 million Aquatic Center gift will build a water research facility and provide a home for the university’s crew teams. (See article on Page 6.)

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great-granddaughter of Stetson University’s namesake, John B. Stetson, has long supported garden, wetland and environmental efforts. The new Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center further fulfills that passion.

Additionally, some in her family have rowed crew, so she has a real connection to the sport of sculling. As Stetson University President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., points out: “Her gift allows us to put recreation and research together under one roof.”

Libby says the gift to create the Aquatic Center also “strengthens our connection with the family that assured our continuation in the late 1800s.” After all, it was John B. Stetson who contributed his financial support to the institution after founder Henry A. DeLand suffered economic setbacks during a severe freeze in his orange groves. (See article on Page 40.)

“The Aquatic Center is going to make a major difference in what we do,” declares Karen Ryan, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Ryan notes that the new Aquatic Center is more than a place for science. She envisions a facility where Stetson students can take advantage of the center’s recreational opportunities, including canoeing and kayaking.

Another component, according to Ryan, is a community outreach and education function. “The center will host workshops and seminars where noted environmental and policy speakers will give us their viewpoints,” she says. “And this new facility will help us marry science with policy creation. Our students need to be grounded in both.”

In addition, the new Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center at Lake Beresford will serve as the water institute’s research arm. Particularly, public policy and environmental science students will take advantage of on-campus labs and classes while pursuing field study at the Aquatic Center.

“The Aquatic Center will fundamentally change the Stetson student experience with opportunities to get outside and on the water,” Henderson says.

A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM The water crisis, The Nation article warns, is now at the country’s front doorstep. “The price of water in 30 major U.S. cities is rising faster than most other household staples — 40 percent since 2010, with no end in sight,” according to Circle of Blue, a water-focused group of leading journalists and scientists.

The Nation article’s author, Maude Barlow, writes that water cutoffs are growing across

the country. So, Florida’s not alone. It’s part of a worldwide problem.

Can it be solved?

“Florida’s water problem exists because there are too many people consuming too much water,” asserts Wendy Anderson, Ph.D., professor and chair of Environmental Science and Studies at Stetson. “Salt water

Although many environmental studies professors and other faculty are affiliated with the institute, Stetson hired Anderson specifically to lead the charge to bring the universitywide, interdisciplinary institute to fruition.

“Wendy Anderson co-chaired with me the search committee for an institute executive director and was also instrumental in developing the proposal for it,” says Ryan.

Anderson will chair the Faculty Steering Committee for the water institute, working closely with Henderson to define research and outreach priorities.

Anderson first got involved with this kind of research as a graduate student when she studied plant uptake of nitrogen in upland forests in Tennessee.

But one day she found herself studying plants in a land habitat that is surrounded by and impacted by a marine environment. It was her Vanderbilt professor who pulled her in that direction by requesting her help in unraveling an important question about marine nutrients in Baja California, Mexico.

“It’s all about the connections between the two ecosystems — ocean and land,” she says now. From the hills of Tennessee, she found herself the only plant biologist among a group of animal ecologists in Baja. “It was so much fun to explore the detailed chemistry and physiology of plants in this environment,” she recalls. Anderson has continued to follow this line of questioning throughout her career.

Today, although trained as a plant biologist, her research has evolved to focus on questions about the movement of nutrients and organisms from land to water and from water to land. She works on small islands in the Gulf of California and the San Juan Islands of Washington state, where marinederived nutrients impact soil chemistry and the physiology and diversity of plants and animals.

“To put it simply,” she says, “it’s about how the digested fish in the form of seabird guano fertilizes the plants.”

She now plans to explore similar questions along the St. Johns River system, the Indian River Lagoon and coastal dune systems. intrusion into the Floridan Aquifer is irreversible, so every drop of fresh water that is pumped out of the aquifer only draws more salt water into it.

“Florida’s only hope is to figure out how to capture and store more fresh water above ground — something that is quite hard to do with its sandy surface,” she adds.

A BREAKTHROUGH IDEA Although the water institute touches all Stetson campuses and their faculty and students, the “breakthrough” idea for its creation began in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Henderson remembers a Stetson water institute being “kicked around” more than 20 years ago. “The idea came back to the

‘Saltwater intrusion into the Floridan Aquifer is irreversible, so every drop of fresh water that is pumped out of the aquifer only draws more salt water into it.’ surface when we did our visioning led by Dean Ryan for the Environmental Science and Studies Department,” Henderson recalls.

“We developed the idea for an institute, first of all, for all faculty and student research,” says Ryan. “It is meant to be a hub for water and environmental research, internships, community engagement and education and for experiential learning. It is not an academic unit, although it certainly has an educational mission.

“Faculty and students will look at these water problems in an interdisciplinary way, because we are not going to solve them just on the science side or just on the policy side,” she explains. “Those things have to work together.”

Ryan admits that she’s picked up just enough environmental science at Stetson to be dangerous. “Remember, you’re talking to a Russian literature specialist,” she jokes.

She grew up in rural upstate New York and learned to love the environment in her bucolic hometown of Poolville, a hamlet of about 125 people. Water became an early part of her environmental experience. “I was free to run around the hills and swim the lakes.”

Ryan remembers visiting her grandparents in their winter Florida home in New Smyrna Beach near the Stetson campus.

“I absolutely fell in love with it,” she recalls. “I had never really been to the ocean.

I had never been on a beach like that.

“It was a transformative experience.”

Together, the underwriters and dreamers for the new institute — Sandra Stetson, Karen Ryan, Wendy Anderson and Clay Henderson — helped create Stetson’s new water institute and research center. With that type of teamwork, who knows the magic that can come from it?

Bill Noblitt is editor of stetson magazine.

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Justice at Work

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n a legal education landscape marked by a decline in

law school applications and enrollment, Stetson University College of Law has defied the odds by continually recruiting outstanding students.

Stetson Law’s successful recruitment strategy is the result of aggressive admissions marketing, an articulation of Stetson’s consistently high rankings in trial advocacy and legal writing, and a carefully balanced curriculum that includes Stetson’s legendary practical skills training.

Since its founding as Florida’s first law school in 1900, the College of Law has risen to the top of two key rankings by U.S. News & World Report: #1 in trial advocacy and #2 in legal writing education.

Competition among law schools is unprecedented in the history of legal education.

“Most private law schools have four times the endowment of Stetson Law,” says Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz, who chairs the Data Policy & Collection Committee of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. This national appointment provides the dean with a unique perspective into this highly competitive education market.

The greatest need at the College of Law is to increase scholarship dollars and to build its endowment. Pietruszkiewicz regularly meets

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with potential students, and a common concern among them is the cost of a legal education. “We have conducted extensive reviews of tuition and fees at national and geographic peer institutions,” says Pietruszkiewicz. “In most cases, our costs of tuition and fees are lower than our law school peers.

“Scholarship dollars help us advance our mission — to attract a widely diverse group of students who have the quality and accomplishments to succeed at Stetson and to flourish in the legal profession,” he adds.

“One way you can attract outstanding students,” the dean explains, “is to create a distinct educational experience; another is to show the financial benefits of attending.”

With support from the comprehensive campaign, the College of Law will be in a

Law Professor Charles Rose III shows how justice works.

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position to be able to meet those challenges and remain a top law school.

Pietruszkiewicz believes that it is imperative to modernize campus facilities and resources as a part of the comprehensive campaign.

“Stetson’s courtrooms no longer accommodate student needs. This capital strategy would help ‘right-size’ courtrooms and classrooms,” he explains. “It would increase our efficiencies and help achieve our educational objectives while providing world-class space to match our educational programs.”

The comprehensive campaign also would fund a “true” Advocacy Center with rightsized courtrooms while consolidating all of the College of Law Centers of Excellence into one location.

“We created this campaign strategy to focus on our area of greatest need for scholarships to help us attract outstanding students and our area of greatest strength in building on a world-class advocacy program,” says Pietruszkiewicz.

He adds that alumni from all campuses will be extremely proud of the end project.

Charles H. Rose III, Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy and director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy, is passionate about preparing Stetson students for the world of law. He wants them to have the ability and confidence to walk into any courtroom in America (after passing the bar exam) and demonstrate the unique abilities that Stetson graduates historically possess.

“At Stetson, we are committed to the concept of the complete advocate — one who commands a superior understanding of the law, the ability to persuasively present evidence, and the humanity to know when and how to do the right thing,” he asserts.

Rose says that keeping the Stetson “advantage” is critical. “Our ranking has been built on the sweat and tears of two generations of Stetson professors and students. We’re in a competition every day with schools that would love to take our place,” says Rose.

“Palatial advocacy centers have been built around the country, borrowed from where our commitment began,” he says. “We set a standard. They copied us and, in some cases, surpassed us. We’re at a position now, from a brick-and-mortar perspective, where we’re at a disadvantage.”

Rose is optimistic that Stetson alumni and other donors will rise to the challenge. “You’ll be able to come in and feel the history of the law school’s advocacy program,” Rose says enthusiastically. “It will be a physical manifestation of the sacrifices and hard work that

Funds for Scholarships, Endowment and Advocacy Will Keep Stetson Law at the Top. have gone on previously, a continuing statement of what we’ve done, and the excellence we’re committed to in the future. Students will look at our achievements and want to be at our level of excellence.”

Another goal of the campaign is to enhance the campus with a student union, which will feature expanded dining spaces and lounging areas to help make the campus a more collaborative learning environment.

“The goal is to create a gathering place not just for lunch, but to advance the educational experience — to expand our campus culture of collaboration,” says Pietruszkiewicz.

The campaign plan includes new seating areas where students can interact, form impromptu study groups, and have casual interactions with faculty.

“The College of Law has done a wonderful job in maintaining its facilities, but we also recognize that we must expand to meet the expectations of the next generation of law students in creating a collaborative gathering space that does not currently exist,” continues Pietruszkiewicz.

“Expectations of students are changing, and we must ensure we continue to meet — and exceed — those expectations,” he adds.

With the launch of the public phase of the campaign, the College of Law looks to create new spaces and enhance resources to not only maintain its well-respected legacy of excellence, but to lead the pack — the Stetson way.

For information on how to contribute to the College of Law’s campaign, please contact Kevin Hughes at khughes@law. stetson.edu or call 727-562-7318.

Frank Klim is executive director of communications for the Stetson University College of Law. STETSON

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Timeless Gifts B

y

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’ 7 3

hen I answered the phone at my desk, I had no idea of the journey that was about to unfold.

It was a local attorney calling. His client, Betty, a retiree who lived in DeLand, had lost her husband, Gerald, the previous year.

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Betty was revising her estate plan and wanted to talk with someone at Stetson. I met with Betty and learned why education was so important to her. Gerald was one of seven children, and even though he was the salutatorian of his high school, he had to

stay home and work on the farm rather than attend college.

Betty tearfully told me she also was not able to attend college. Her mother, originally from Europe, spoke four languages but attended school only through fourth grade.

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by

N u vo l a n e v i c ata

The next time you walk across one of Stetson’s campuses, take a moment to ponder the legacy of those who have built and sustained Stetson University throughout its history, for this is a storied place.

Her father attended through the 10th grade.

Knowing personally how financial barriers prevent so many from pursuing a college education, Betty started a scholarship to help Stetson students with significant financial need achieve their educational dreams.

As one of her scholarship recipients wrote, “Stetson was my dream school . . . I am the sixth of 10 children. I was afraid that is all it would be — a dream.”

Each year, Betty relished meeting the recipients of her scholarship. She had lunches with the students, enjoyed photos of them, and wept tears of joy in seeing how she was changing their lives.

Betty was so happy with it that when she died, she left a significant bequest to further endow her scholarship. Last year, her scholarship helped 11 students. Her first recipient, a graduate of Stetson’s College of Law, is now an estate-planning attorney helping clients just like Betty.

Behind every legacy gift is a story.

Stetson is a treasure trove of stories of people who believed in the mission and values of this university, and whose estate gifts sustain that work. In my 37-year career at Stetson, it has been my privilege to work with many alumni and friends as they explore charitable estate planning.

As donors consider the impact they want their estate plan to have, these deeply personal conversations and decisions are some of life’s sacred moments.

Estate gifts are often referred to as “planned gifts” and can be customized for a donor’s particular circumstances. The Homer and Dolly Hand Library on the College of Law’s Gulfport campus, for instance, was made possible through a life insurance policy. Dolly Hand, a 1949 law graduate, and her husband, Homer, generously support both the undergraduate and the law campuses. An insurance gift was just the right plan for them to celebrate in such a personally meaningful way the excellent legal education Dolly received.

Edward never attended Stetson, but his wife, Margaret, was a student when it was the DeLand Academy. After her passing, he established a perpetual scholarship in his estate plan in gratitude for his wife’s education. In his trust agreement, he very tenderly wrote, “…. as a memorial to Margaret for the magnificent partner she so quietly represented in every phase of our lives and as a recognition to Stetson University for the superb education Margaret received from kindergarten to bachelor’s degree and then to business college: a model for life.”

Some gift arrangements can provide income to a donor or loved one. One alumna and longtime faculty member has made multiple planned gifts, which provide

income and achieve philanthropic goals. Her two charitable gift annuities provide guaranteed income for her lifetime, and her charitable remainder trust provides lifelong financial assistance for a family member.

Through these planned gifts and a future bequest, she is helping family and students while also supporting favorite programs at Stetson. Her legacy is manifest in her life of service to Stetson and her planned gifts.

I often saw Marge and Ruth at Stetson concerts. As regular patrons of Stetson’s School of Music, they always delayed their annual summer trip to their mountain cottage until after the spring Children’s Choir concert. They inquired about the variety of ways they might be able to support the music program.

How excited they were when they learned they could donate their North Carolina cottage but retain its use for the rest of their lives. In doing so, they received an immediate charitable tax deduction. But more important, they joyfully nurtured the love of music in children. Whenever the children sing, I remember Marge and Ruth.

Legacy is sometimes multigenerational. In 1908, Elizabeth Stetson, the widow of John B. Stetson, established a trust fund to provide perpetual support for the university library. This year, two of Elizabeth and John B. Stetson’s great-grandchildren extended that legacy even further when each made an estate gift to the university, one in support of environmental studies and one in support of the library. How proud John B. Stetson would be to know that three generations later his family still believes in the transformative mission of this university.

In working with so many individuals through the years, I have learned that the greater story is not the monetary value of their gifts; rather, it is their desire to be faithful stewards and the joy each felt in knowing their life’s story would continue in the lives and achievements of others.

So the next time you walk across one of Stetson’s campuses, take a moment to ponder the legacy of those who have built and sustained Stetson University throughout its history, for this is a storied place.

If you would like to request planned giving information, you may email giftplanning@ stetson.edu or call 386-822-7461.

Linda Parson Davis ’73 is a special adviser to the Stetson president for philanthropy.

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A Gala Formally Launches the Campaign

R

ecently,

Stetson launched a $150 million comprehensive campaign, with more than $80 million raised to date. The Beyond Success – Significance Campaign is a major milestone in Stetson’s 132-year history and supports its aspirations of meeting the teaching and learning needs of the 21st century. This campaign enriches the student experience, funds innovation among faculty and in our academic programs, and invests in facilities and other initiatives university-wide that will transform Stetson and secure its future.

TITLE SPONSOR E. M. Lynn Foundation MUSIC SPONSOR The Marty and Mary Dzuro Sr. Family PLATINUM SPONSORS J. Hyatt, Hon ’92 and Cynthia R., Hon ’07 Brown Scott ’75 and Ann Bruin CapTrust Advisors Geoffrey A. ’75 and Kay Jollay Harlan L. ’76 and Mary Ann Paul Robert S. ’75 and Annette Pocica David B. ’62 and Leighan R. ’65 Rinker GOLD SPONSOR Betty Drees Johnson ’59, MA ’62 SILVER SPONSORS J. Frank Bell III ’88 Anthony A. ’90 and Georgeanne A. ’89, MS ’94 Biancarosa II Yvonne Chang, MBA ’09 and Bill Wahl Helena A. Dabrowski ’85 Nestor M. ’73 and Donna H. ’68 de Armas Digital Shuffle LLC Benjamin T. ’07 and Evin Dyon John R. Ellerman ’68, MBA ’69 Nancy Farmer Bonnie B. Foreman ’68 L. Kirk ’71 and Susan P. ’71 Glenn Daniel P. Harrington ’78 C. Brian ’85 and Jayne E. ’87 Hill and Brian’s Bar-B-Q Candace C. ’99 and Robert E. ’65 Lankford Brenda H. ’75 and Jose B. Lopez Elizabeth B. McGraw Foundation M. Lee McGraw ’79 Wayne A. and Jane Edmunds Novak Luis ’78, JD ’81 and Catherine C., JD ’83 Prats

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John M. ’75 and Bailey Scheurer Freda L. ’80 and Forest L. Smith Troy D. ’82, MBA ’83 and Sissy ’87 Templeton PRESIDENT’S RECEPTION SPONSOR Barclays Capital BRONZE SPONSORS Steven ’85 and Lee A. Alexander Florida Blue Bobby Colon Joe R. ’79, MBA ’82 and Cynthia T. ’82 Cooper Edward Diaz Fairwinds Credit Union Richard C. ’76 and Lilis J. George Andria L. ’83 and Mark E. ’82 Herr and Hylant Laurel L. ’68 and Robin S. Kent Charles H. ’68 and Liz Kleinschmidt Gerald D. ’57, MED ’71, SPCEN ’81 and Betty F. ’59, MED ’86 Kruhm Mainstreet Community Bank of Florida Barbara E. Mays ’77 Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation Jeffrey A. and Lisa A. Ulmer Wharton-Smith, Inc. Charles A. Wolfe ’85 CENTERPIECE SPONSORS Baron Capital Management Merritt Island Air & Heat GIFT SPONSORS Irene Alexander Wendy B. and Richard M. Libby Christine E. Lynn More Gala photos can be found at https://flic.kr/s/aHskn9e7mu

A toast to Stetson! Pictured (L-to-R): Geoff Jollay ’75, trustee and chair of the Campaign Committee; Lu Prats ’78, JD ’81, chair of the Board of Trustees; Steve Alexander ’85, trustee and chair of the Development Committee of the Board of Trustees; and President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D.

Showcasing the talent of the School of Music, the Stetson Cabaret Singers performed selections from West Side Story.

Pictured (L-to-R): Leia Schwartz, a junior Edmunds Scholar, and sophomore Veronica Faison. Veronica and Emmie Wenzell ’16 spoke at the Gala.

Donovan Singletary ’06 (pictured center), who performs internationally and at home at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, was the featured vocalist.

Music sponsors Marty and Mary Dzuro, parents of Marty Dzuro Jr. ’16, share a laugh with Rina Arroyo, assistant vice president for university relations (pictured center).

Roy Gardner, professor of law, (pictured right) and Clay Henderson, director of the new Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, spoke about Stetson’s long commitment to the environment.

The President’s Gala was held Oct. 16, 2015, at the Westin Lake Mary to kick off the Beyond Success – Significance Campaign for Stetson University.

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Plans for a Refurbished Edmunds Center Are Part of Stetson’s Comprehensive Campaign

Stetson’s

Front Porch

By Erick Reasoner

I

ntercollegiate athletics is

often called a university’s front porch. Why are they important? It’s because they are the most visible aspects of a university and can have a huge impact on alumni engagement, incoming student applications, and the vibrancy and excitement around campus.

Outside of these benefits to the university and community are the invaluable resources provided to our student-athletes. Sports help our student-athletes be successful during and after graduation by giving them skills in leadership, experience in working effectively in teams, time management and how to communicate effectively.

The Edmunds Center is the centerpiece to this front porch of Stetson University. It serves around 60,000 guests annually and is used for much more than our sporting events.

When high school students visit campus on Hatter Saturdays, they are introduced to the campus through the Edmunds Center. We host events for students like Convocation, the Homecoming Pep Rally and others, all leading up to when our students become Stetson graduates at Commencement.

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In addition to these many benefits, the Edmunds Center is also the home court for men’s and women’s basketball and indoor volleyball.

Furthermore, it houses offices for many of our coaches and athletic administration, study halls for student-athletes, hospitality for donors and as a meeting place for faculty and staff.

Stetson’s Athletic Director Jeff Altier knows well the impact the Edmunds Center has on campus and on our student-athletes.

As a former Stetson baseball player as well as holding multiple positions within the athletic department, Altier has seen what the Edmunds Center can be and has a strong vision for the facility.

“Stetson athletics is ready to take that next step and really make a difference, not just in the lives of our student-athletes, but in the lives of our alumni, our students, our community, our fans, our faculty and our staff,” Altier says.

“We started with a first-class Athletic Training Center serving as home to football, women’s and men’s soccer, and lacrosse,” he adds. “We’ve also worked on our beautiful baseball stadium, Melching Field at Conrad Park, the Cooper Beach Volleyball

Pavilion, Patricia Wilson Field for softball, and the announcement of the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center to give our rowing team one of the best facilities around.

“The missing piece to really bring our vision together and help take us where we need to be is the Edmunds Center,” Altier asserts.

Altier knows the Edmunds Center can and will be so much

more with plans for a $5 million renovation with upgrades ranging from the Hall of Fame room to the lobby to the seating.

The Hall of Fame room he mentions is currently on the second level and is used for study halls and to entertain donors. He envisions a room where windows would overlook the court.

He also wants the place to be a true Hall of Fame room that would commemorate those

student-athletes who have given so much to Stetson.

In addition to the Hall of Fame room, Altier also has his eyes set on the installation of a video board to add to the in-game experience for fans and supporters.

“The addition of ESPN3 has made a huge difference for our fans,” he says. “Now they can stream so many of our games, and the equipment we have to

produce these games would allow us to use a video board and increase game excitement.”

Plans also include upgrading the reserved seats for a better fan experience at all events and adding a practice court that will increase the amount of space available for university and community events.

Other improvements include lobby renovation, locker room upgrades, wall coverings, lighting,

flooring and the addition of an elevator.

“We know where we want to go and how we need to get there,” says Altier. “The Edmunds Center is so important to this university and our community. This is something that needs to be done.”

Making the Edmunds Center a top-notch facility will impact many aspects of the university and will make a huge difference

in the world of Stetson athletics, according to Altier.

“These upgrades will help us in recruiting, alumni engagement, community engagement, and team and staff morale,” he points out. “It will be a facility our alumni, supporters, students and staff will be proud of, a place where people will want to be.”

Erick Reasoner is assistant athletic director for external operations.

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It’s Really Not Greek to Me

By Woody O’Cain Executive Director Office of Alumni Engagement The perception in today’s society about college fraternities and sororities covers a wide spectrum of opinion, from the positive to more often the extremely negative. Stories that seem to show up in the news are centered on such topics as out-of-control hazing practices, sexual-assault accusations, insensitive racist behavior, verbal assaults and other troublesome and alarming activities.

However, according to a recent national Gallup-Purdue Index study of 30,000 college graduates who are involved in a fraternity or sorority, the facts point to a much different story. These students have a stronger likelihood of greater workplace engagement and long-term well-being in life. They also are more likely to donate to their alma mater.

I was curious about the impact fraternity and sorority life has had on our own Stetson alumni, particularly since 30 percent of our students are in fraternities and sororities. So I decided to ask a few …

Q: Thinking back to your freshman year, why did you decide to join a fraternity or sorority?

In 1988, I carefully looked at all of the fraternities and decided quickly that ATO was “home.”

The fraternity comprised a well-rounded group of young men who cared about each other’s well-being and the group as a whole. The brothers and 54

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pledges encouraged and supported one another in a positive way. We were a team due to (and despite) our diverse backgrounds, interests and talents. Last but not least, the fraternity knew how to have fun through parties and other social events but still be responsible.

— Ray Holley ’91, ’97 It blows my mind that there are so many people in this world but very few who we truly connect with. I remember meeting my now best friend Tyler Browning ’15. I looked for someone in the crowd to connect with ... There was Tyler — wearing her new Stetson sunglasses on the top of her head, smiling and laughing as she tripped over other freshmen stumbling around. She looked so goofy in all of her FOCUS gear — ready to take on the world of Stetson — and I had to meet her.

I’m not sure who introduced who, how the conversation started or what we even talked about, but I do remember laughing ... and most important — CONNECTING. — Alayna Burton ’14 When I came to Stetson, it was just a few weeks after Hurricane Andrew hit Homestead, my hometown. No one was sure how things would end up at home, but my parents said go anyway. I didn’t come to campus intending to rush. I didn’t really know much about Greek life or what sororities did. No one in my family is Greek, and only one person actually went to college before me. My uncle was Greek, and he went on and on about what a great experience it was. He said he had met the best friends of his life in his fraternity — the friends you could call at 3 a.m., and they would be there for you

no matter what. One of the first people I met at summer orientation, Dawn Mays ’95, ended up being my ZTA big sister and my matron of honor at my wedding.

I didn’t think I was going to be able to pledge because of finances. During rush, however, I got a letter from my aunt with a check and a note saying that if it was something I wanted to do, here was the money to get me started. Little did I know how much that one kind gesture would change my life.

— Rhonda Battaglia ’94, ’98 I knew I wanted to join, but I wasn’t yet confident in my decision on which sorority. In my sophomore year, I participated in recruitment once again, but with a very clear understanding of Greek life at Stetson. It was clear that Greek men and women were leaders on campus, involved in service, active contributors in the classroom, and all-around go-getters. They were taking full advantage of all Stetson had to offer, and I wanted to do the same.

— Justine L. (Talmadge) Sanford ’04 When I visited Stetson during my senior year in high school, I went to the Alpha Chi Omega house and met the women ... and my host was also an Alpha Chi

Omega. I liked these involved, compassionate, fun women as soon as I met them and joined Alpha Chi Omega. My sophomore year was one of finding a sisterhood that supported me, challenged me, and encouraged me to get involved and become the best version of myself.

— Allison Foster ’04 I joined Pi Kappa Alpha my sophomore year since the fraternity was new on campus, and I was recruited to join as a founding father. I was enticed by the opportunity to help build the foundation of a new organization whose core values aligned with mine and to share a strong brotherhood with other members.

— Derek D. Jansante ’11 Q: From your involvement as a Greek, what was the value added to your Stetson experience?

First and foremost, ATO provided me a family away from home and a group of guys that I could always count on. It provided opportunities for me to develop my skills as a leader. The fraternity was also a wonderful social outlet. There were many competitions between the fraternities either through sports, Greenfeather (the giving and

Woody O’Cain meets with a group of current students to talk about Greek life.

person that I am today. Besides providing lifelong friendships, the fraternity taught me how to accomplish goals, complete projects, organize events, and lead organizations. It taught me the importance of responsibility and accountability from an individual and organizational standpoint. It also promoted and enhanced my passion for community and social service.

— Ray Holley ’91, ’97 volunteer effort at Stetson), etc., that brought us together. These friendly rivalries motivated me to be more fully engaged in Stetson activities, community service and campus life as they reflected positively on my fraternity.

— Ray Holley ’91, ’97

most powerful experience students can have. In a more traditional sense, this organization has provided me with relationships, sisters, and friends throughout all of my moves through my career to new cities.

— Allison Foster ’04

Being a Zeta forced me to participate in campus activities and to get to know the community. I was very shy when I first came to Stetson, and I feel like having organized activities and expectations for participating helped me socially and academically (required GPA and study hours!). I took on leadership roles in the chapter and on campus. I learned the value of serving. I met alumni who I still keep in contact with today.

— Rhonda Battaglia ’94, ’98

To me, describing Tri Delta as a “value added” component could not possibly describe the impact this organization has had on my life. Tri Delta is far more than just an extra “line item” to add to my Stetson experience. It’s where I found my Stetson family, it’s where I pushed myself into my first leadership positions and learned the merit gained through hard work and dedication. It’s where I spent sleepless nights laughing, mattress-surfing down the staircase and stargazing from the roof. (Sorry, p-safe.)

— Alayna Burton ’14

My Stetson experience would have been completely different had I not joined Pi Beta Phi. Pi Phi provided a sense of belonging and a support group to encourage my involvement and to try new things.

— Justine L. (Talmadge) Sanford ’04 As a student affairs professional, I work every day with students and am an advocate for the Greek experience. I believe — when done correctly — it is the

My Greek experience allowed me to deepen friendships I already had and helped me to build new friendships with people I would not have met.

— Derek D. Jansante ’11 Q: What value has this experience brought to your life, both professionally and personally?

ATO helped me develop into the

When I am looking at résumés in my business (mental health), and I see that someone has a Greek affiliation from college, I am more likely to interview that person. I feel like being Greek teaches many valuable life skills, such as working in groups/ working together, following through on projects, taking leadership roles, working with people you might not like, and making small talk!

— Rhonda Battaglia ’94, ’98 When I joined Pi Beta Phi, I didn’t realize it would be a lifetime commitment, but four years as a member simply wasn’t enough time to reap the benefits of this 148-year-old organization.

As an alumna, I am, not “was,” a Pi Beta Phi, and I continue to be involved in my local alumnae club, where I have met likeminded women in my community who share my values and inspire my goals.

— Justine L. (Talmadge) Sanford ’04 During my job-search process, a fraternity brother told me about a Stetson PIKE alumnus he met who worked in an industry I was interested in. Thanks to this connection, I reached out to the alumnus, met him for an information interview and walked away with a paid internship. A

few months later, the organization hired me as a full-time staff member. Without that connection, I’m not sure my professional career would have started so quickly and so strongly.

— Derek D. Jansante ’11 These few comments represent a small, yet powerful and special group of Hatters, whose love for Stetson was strongly guided by a connection to their respective fraternity or sorority. While similar reflections could be attributed to other affinity groups on campus, there is no denying the facts about the percentages of those Greek alumni who support Stetson financially. Of the 29,376 living alumni, 8,327 (28.3 percent) have a Greek affiliation, while 21,049 (71.7 percent) do not. Of those with that Greek affiliation, 57.3 percent have made a gift to Stetson in their lifetimes. Of the 21,049 nonGreek alumni, 8,351 (39.7 percent) have made a gift to Stetson in their lifetimes.

Seems like a group that fully personifies my favorite alumni engagement hashtag … #foreverconnected.

How about you? The Office of Alumni Engagement is interested in hearing about the many varied backgrounds and experiences of our alumni, and welcome yours.

I would welcome an email at wocain@stetson.edu from you sharing your own Stetson story about the group that you most closely relate to. And if you’ve not done so already, please be sure to “like” the Stetson University Alumni Association Facebook page (https://www. facebook.com/StetsonAlumni), and “follow” us on Instagram (https://instagram.com/stetsonu) and Twitter (https:// twitter.com/stetsonalumni).

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‘I Am a Camera’ B

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am a camera,” said

photographer Raymond Smith ’64, borrowing from Christopher Isherwood’s novel Goodbye to Berlin. Smith’s intention was to show reality purely and simply. In order to do that, he acted as an unbiased observer, absorbing his surroundings. Although his object was invisibility, Smith said, “I am in every one of the photographs.”

Ten years after earning his bachelor’s in American studies, Smith set out on a road trip in the summer of 1974 to photograph normally overlooked places in America. He had come to realize that photography could be as powerful a medium for exploring America as the written word.

Four decades later, the photographs he took on that threemonth road trip have become a book, In Time We Shall Know Ourselves, and an exhibition traveling to five museums throughout the South.

The exhibition, organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, opened at the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens where it was on display through Jan. 3,

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2016. Smith delivered a talk on his experience followed by a book signing and reception with Stetson alumni invited as guests.

Smith’s photographs demand a special kind of attention from the audience. His subjects appear to leap from the print into reality or even welcome the audience into their world inside the photograph.

“I wanted my subjects to be as natural as if you’d just met them on the street,” Smith said. “I was looking for subjects that were almost ordinary so that they became extraordinary once you looked at them.” Smith’s photograph “Barber Shop, DeLand, Florida” is an example of this kind of transformation.

Smith’s strategy of documenting people in their natural environment obviously shows that every person has a story.

The woman in “College Student, Baltimore, Maryland” exemplifies how many questions might arise from looking at one of Smith’s portraits. Her pose suggests strength. Her direct look at the camera challenges the audience, yet her hands are vulnerably behind her back and

Stunning black-and-white photos capture photographer Raymond Smith’s journey across America.

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Photos

by

Raymond Smith

from

I n T i m e W e S h a l l K n ow O u r s e lv e s

A unique and beautiful student was stopped for conversation and later posed naturally for a photo.

A look inside a DeLand barbershop becomes surreal once the outside reflection is blended into the foreground.

sunglasses hide a portion of her expression. Is she scared, tired or surprised? She will forever be shrouded in mystery, and her story can never be known, only guessed.

While a picture may be worth a thousand words, if Smith had to summarize his collection using only two, he would call his work a visual poem. “The way it’s organized and sequenced moves like a poem,” he said. “There’s movement, rhyme and metaphor.

There’s an awful lot of power in the way I’ve put these pictures together.”

Smith’s photos represent a time when photographers had a limited amount of film and invested a lot of time and money in their craft. That extra care adds significance to the final product.

“Using a camera with film and spending time in the darkroom are what make my pictures special because people are seeing the real craft. It’s not easy,” he said.

“Having film disciplined me. I didn’t want to take three pictures of the same subject. I wanted each picture to count.”

Although Smith struggled to find a publisher for his book, he refused to give up. “If my photographs could still move people decades later, then I knew there would be a book even if it took 40 years to publish,” Smith said.

“The book is my legacy, and it will live long after me.”

Smith’s book, In Time We Shall Know Ourselves, consists of 52 photographs from his 1974 road trip, with essays on the photographs by Richard H. King and Alexander Nemerov.

The book can be purchased directly from the photographer at rwsmithbooks@att.net or, for credit card orders, from the book’s distributor, World Wide Books at info@worldwide-artbooks.com.

Nicole Melchionda is a junior at Stetson.

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Send Us Your Class Note Stetson University is proud of its alumni and their accomplishments.

Therefore, we want to hear about your achievements. If you are a graduate of Stetson University in DeLand or Celebration, send your class note to the Office of Alumni Engagement at Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8257, DeLand, FL 32723, or email your news to alumni@stetson.edu.

If you are a graduate of the Stetson University College of Law, send your class note to the College of Law’s Office of Development and Alumni Engagement, 1401 61st St. South, Gulfport, FL 33707, or email your class note to alumni@law.stetson.edu.

For College of Law graduates, you can fill out the online form at stetson.edu/ lawalumninews.

We will only use photos that are high-resolution, and because of space limitations, we cannot guarantee use of all photographs.

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1940s

1970s

Thelma Hagberg James ’49, Port Charlotte, and her husband John participate in “Fun With Music” every Monday at the Cultural Center in Port Charlotte. Their most recent duet was “The Hawaiian Wedding Song” to commemorate their 64th wedding anniversary on July 8. Now, how about it, alums from the ’40s and ’50s! Let us hear from you.

Carolyn Dial ’71, Houston, Texas, recently retired with 10 years of service to the Harris County Public Libraries, managing both the North Channel and Galena Park Branch libraries.

1950s Glee Griffith and husband Randall Langston ’57, Shalimar, were recently certified to teach Tai Chi for arthritis and fall prevention

by The Tai Chi for Health Institute.

She is currently teaching in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., with her husband.

▲ Robert E. Beach, JD ’58, Saint Petersburg, is featured in an article published by the ABA Journal and Tampa Bay Times titled “Retired judge who helped set swim record at 85 makes ‘best law decisions’ in the pool.”

1960s Ben W. Thompson ’67, Boulder, Colo., recently published his second book, Butch Cassidy’s Last Campfire.

The murder mystery fiction book will be available in stores before Christmas. He currently teaches critical thinking at Regis University in Denver and practices law in Boulder. He and his wife Bobby Cline Thompson ’67 will celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary this year.

▲ E. Bruce Strayhorn ’74, JD ’77, Fort Myers, is celebrating his family’s 100th year of practicing law in Fort Myers. Guy M. Strayhorn and his brother-in-law, Leonidas Y. Redwine, opened the firm of Redwine & Strayhorn in 1915. “It was my predecessors who instilled in me respect for the law and public service, and I am honored to be carrying on their legacy today, 100 years after they began practicing law in Fort Myers,” said Strayhorn.

He currently practices law at Strayhorn & Persons, P.L. Robert E. Doyle, JD ’75, Naples, has been approved as a dispute resolution arbitrator through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which operates the largest securities dispute resolution forum in the United States.

Leonard S. Englander, JD ’75, Saint Petersburg, a senior partner of Englander Fischer LLP, was named to Florida Trend’s Legal Elite of 2015.

Lynn Thomson ’75, Sarasota, was awarded the Investigator of the Year Award from the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators. The NADDI is a nonprofit membership organization that works to develop and implement solutions to the

problem of prescription drug diversion. Thomson has also received the Law Enforcement Dedication and Professionalism Award by U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and Officer of the Year, Region V of the Florida Narcotics Officers Association.

Sidney Werner, JD ’75, Saint Petersburg, a partner at Englander Fischer LLP, has been named to Florida Trend’s Legal Elite of 2015.

Steven H. Mezer, JD ’77, Oldsmar, has joined Becker & Poliakoff Law Firm as a Shareholder in the Community Association Law Practice Group at its Tampa office.

Russel Schropp ’78, Ft. Myers, was named in Florida Trend magazine’s 12th Annual Legal Elite. The list represents less than 2 percent of all active Florida lawyers and is compiled by asking actively participating professionals whom they hold in the highest professional regard.

Throughout his legal career, he has been honored by Florida Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and is actively achieving the highest AV rating by Martindale-Hubble.

▲ J. Allison DeFoor, JD ’79, Jacksonville, will serve as Canon to the Ordinary Bishop for the Diocese of Florida. The Canon to the Ordinary serves as counsel to the Bishop, assists in coordination of the ordination process and deployment of clergy, works with clergy and laity regarding continuing education, assists in the leadership of diocesan events, and works closely with congregations in the areas of renewal and growth.

1980s Mark A. Hanley, JD ’80, Tampa, a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, was ranked as a leading lawyer for labor and employment in Florida in the 2015 edition of Chambers USA, the prestigious, independent referral directory of the legal industry.

Murray B. Silverstein ’80, JD ’82, Saint Petersburg, has been appointed by the Florida Bar to the board of the Florida Bar Foundation, a statewide charitable organization whose mission is to provide greater access to justice. He is currently an attorney at Greenberg Traurig, P.A., where he focuses his practice on commercial litigation and class actions. He served on the Florida Bar Board of Governors for eight years, where he chaired several board committees, most recently the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Committee.

As a Florida Supreme Court appointee, he also serves on the Florida Courts Technology Commission, which advises the court on technology issues within Florida’s courts.

Richard E. Doran, JD ’81, Tallahassee, received the Francis X. Bellotti Award at the annual meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General in June. The award recognizes former state attorneys general for service to their peers. He is currently a shareholder in the Tallahassee firm Ausley McMullen.

▲ Catherine Peek McEwen, JD ’82, Tampa, a U.S. bankruptcy judge in the Middle District of Florida’s

Tampa Division, won the George Edgecomb Bar Association’s 2015 Delano S. Stewart Diversity Award.

The honor is given for an individual’s achievements related to improving the administration of justice, enhancing the lives of AfricanAmericans and promoting diversity in the legal profession. The George Edgecomb Bar Association is Tampa’s largest predominantly African-American voluntary bar association. It was founded in 1982 in memory of the late Hon. George E. Edgecomb, Tampa’s first AfricanAmerican state court judge.

Lynn Welter Sherman, JD ’83, Saint Petersburg, a partner at Adams and Reese in the firm’s Tampa office, has been appointed chair of the business law section of the Florida Bar’s Bankruptcy/UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) Committee. She will serve a one-year term as chair.

She has also served on the Business Law Section’s Executive Council for eight years and is a former vice chair of the Section’s Bankruptcy/UCC Committee and chair and vice chair of the Communications Committee.

Lynn Wilson ’83, Winter Park, was selected for the 2016 Best Lawyers in America, along with her partner Scott A. Cookson. The list is published in many regional and local publications, including U.S. News & World Report. Both she and her partner were named in the real estate law section as best lawyers.

Peter P. Charnetsky, JD ’84, Vestal, N.Y., the former Broome County Family Court judge and acting New York State Supreme Court justice, has joined Tully Rinckey PLLC, the upstate-wide, full-service law firm. He is now a managing partner, providing family and matrimonial law, criminal defense, estate planning, and real estate law services to clients throughout the Binghamton area.

C. Neil Gregory, JD ’84, Naples, of Bond, Schoenick & King PLLC, was selected by his peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2016. He has practiced law in the Naples area for more than 25 years and has been a Florida Bar Board

certified real estate attorney since 1995. Furthermore, Gregory provides representation to developers, lenders, contractors, owners and associations on a wide variety of real estate and business issues. Additionally, he is a title insurance agent and issues title insurance policies for real estate and mortgage closings.

Keith M. Carter, JD ’85, Tampa, of Morgan & Morgan P.A., has been named a top-rated medical malpractice lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell.

His current role with the Tampa office is to serve as trial counsel on cases involving civil rights, general negligence, and medical malpractice.

Ronald F. Piccolo ’89, Orlando, was presented with the Cornell Distinguished Teaching Award at Rollins College on May 2, 2015, during the commencement ceremony for the Crummer Graduate School of Business. The award recognizes Rollins faculty who have distinguished themselves and the college through outstanding teaching, research and service. Furthermore, he serves as the academic director for the Center for Leadership Development. His research on leadership, job design, social information processing, and subconscious motivation has been published in Forbes magazine and in the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Human Resource Management.

1990s Lawrence P. Ingram, JD ’90, Tampa, managing partner of the Phelps Dunbar LLP, was named regional practice coordinator for the firm’s litigation practice, which is the firm’s largest practice with more than 100 attorneys among the firm’s 11 offices. He has also been named to the 2015 Florida Super Lawyers list.

Thomas J. Gray, MBA ’91, Charlotte, N.C., was promoted to vice president of professional development for the 2,000-member PMI-Metrolina Chapter based in Charlotte. He also chaired the 10th Annual PMI-Metrolina Professional

Development Day event at UNC Charlotte. Under his leadership, the event grew from 12 to 25 speakers and has increased sponsor partnerships by more than 700 percent.

John R. Herin, JD ’91, Plantation, a shareholder in GrayRobinson’s Fort Lauderdale office, obtained board certification in city, county and local government law by the Florida Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization & Education (BLSE). This certification identifies him as a lawyer with special knowledge, skills and proficiency, as well as a reputation for professionalism and ethics. He is one of only 262 attorneys in the state recognized as such. He has more than 20 years of experience, and his practice focuses on representing private and public clients in the areas of land use, zoning, local government, administrative and environmental law.

Amy Fanzlaw ’92, JD ’95, Delray Beach, was appointed by the Florida Bar to the Elder Law Certification Committee for a three-year term beginning in 2016.

LaTour R. Lafferty, JD ’92, Valrico, a partner at Holland & Knight LLP, was recognized in the 2015 Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business directory.

Joseph D. Hunt, JD ’93, Lutz, a partner at Harris and Hunt, P.A., has been selected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). The AAML is a prestigious organization that was originally founded “to provide leadership that promotes the highest degree of professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law.” Additionally, Hunt dedicates his practice exclusively to this area of law focusing on complex domestic relation matters and complicated financial issues, including the valuation of closely held businesses.

Jill Creager, JD ’94, Saint Petersburg, founder and CEO of Providence Family Offices, has been named among PAM’s (Private Asset Management) 50 Most Influential Women in Private Wealth. Private Asset Management magazine polled industry experts, its subscriber base

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and editorial board to establish this inaugural honor chronicling the 50 most inspirational and influential women in North America’s private wealth space. She has more than 20 years of experience in fiduciary oversight and management of private wealth.

▲ Harold Hans Lehman ’94, Lakeland, was promoted to captain at the Lakeland Police Department.

He has been with the force for 19 years and has more than 22 years of public safety experience. He currently oversees more than 120 police officers in the Uniform Patrol Division.

Cindy Lovell ’94, MA ’96, Canton, Conn., wrote the 19 narrative tracks recorded by WSM legend Eddie Stubbs for Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited, a double-CD released by Sony Legends in May 2015. The project benefits the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Tenn.

Kelly Miller ’94, Miami, is now the associate dean for Learning and Research Services at the University of Miami Libraries in Coral Gables, Fla. Prior to this move, she was the director of Teaching and Learning Services at the UCLA Library in Los Angeles.

Michael Pleus ’94, MBA ’99, DeLand, is the new president of the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA). The FCCMA is the statewide professional

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association for city and county managers.

Juan Carlos Arias, JD ’95, Plantation, is a founding partner of Velasquez Dolan Arias, P.A., practicing in the areas of attorney discipline, personal injury, commercial litigation and workers’ compensation. He serves on the board of directors of Legal Aid Service of Broward County and Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. Arias was recently elected chair of the Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County. He frequently lectures on the topic of professional responsibility and ethics.

Anthony M. Amelio, JD ’96, Vero Beach, a partner with Hurley, Rogner, Miller, Cox & Waranch, P.A., was recently recognized in the 2015 edition of Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite. The list of 1,131 honorees, published in the July issue of Florida Trend magazine, includes attorneys in private practice, as well as top government and nonprofit attorneys.

William A. Kerns ’96, Saint Louis, Mo., earned his Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction in May 2014 at Clemson University. He is currently an assistant professor of English education at Harris-Stowe State University.

W. Rogers Turner, LLB ’96, Winter Park, has been appointed vice chair of the Florida Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Board Certification Review Committee. This committee drafts and scores the examination for attorneys pursuing board certification as specialists in workers’ compensation.

Douglas S. Williams, MBA/JD ’97, New Smyrna Beach, joined the law firm of Chiumento Selis Dwyer.

Mac R. McCoy ’98, JD ’01, Fort Myers, has been appointed a U.S. magistrate judge for the Fort Myers Division of the Middle District of Florida. He was a shareholder of Carlton Fields Jorden Burt in the firm’s Tampa office. As an attorney, he focused his practice on class action defense, business litigation, consumer financial services litigation, and real property litigation in

federal and state courts. In his new role, he will exercise the jurisdiction delegated by law and assigned by district judges.

▲ Nicolette Corse Vilmos ’98, JD ’00, Orlando, has been invited to join the Fellowship of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA). The LCA is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of 1 percent of American lawyers.

Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only.

Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation.

J. Rhett Bullard, JD ’99, Live Oak, is the new mayor of White Springs, Fla. Matthew D. Westerman, JD ’99, Tampa, has joined the Tampa office of Fisher & Phillips LLP, as an of-counsel attorney. He is board certified in labor and employment law by the Florida Bar and has extensive experience in defending corporations in employment litigation claims.

2000s Susan Hartman, JD ’00, Jacksonville, was featured in the article “Local attorney and financial professional offers tips during high divorce periods” in the Florida

Times-Union web page at www. jacksonville.com.

Jason W. Searl, MBA/JD ’00, Orlando, a shareholder at GrayRobinson, was elected chair of the City of Orlando Municipal Planning Board by his fellow board members. He has served on the board since 2011. The Municipal Planning Board is an advisory board to Orlando’s City Council and is composed of nine volunteer members.

Christopher Donovan ’01, JD ’04, Bonita Springs, was elected to serve as president of the Young Lawyers Section of the Collier County Bar Association. The Young Lawyers Section engages in many charitable activities and meets regularly for the purpose of education, networking, and fostering an environment of public responsibility among legal professionals.

Todd W. DuBosq ’01, Alexandria, Va., will do research in Germany for one year as part of the Army’s Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program. The U.S. Army scientists and engineers combine forces each year with America’s allies to advance the state of military technology.

▲ Scott R. Muri, MEd ’01, Houston, Texas, has been promoted to superintendent of schools for the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas.

Katherine Schnauss Naugle, MBA/JD ’01, Jacksonville, was named to the 2015 Florida Rising Stars list.

Diana Barrie Shattuck ’01, Elk Rapids, Mich., became co-owner,

along with her husband, of Riverside Title, LLC. Riverside has been serving Northern Michigan for more than 22 years. She was also elected as a board member of the Elk Rapids area Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves on the advisory board for Northern Strategies 360, co-chair of marketing for “We are ER,” an annual school district fundraiser, and is expecting her second child this fall.

▲ Jason A. Davis, MBA ’02, Leesburg, was recently named president of the Habitat for Humanity Lake-Sumter Foundation.

The newly created foundation is charged with growing an endowment fund to ensure the long-term viability for Humanity of Lake-Sumter and to sustain the needed funding for ongoing and future Habitat projects.

He currently serves as the head of ShuffieldLowman’s Lake County office, where he practices in the areas of estate planning, corporate formations, mergers and acquisitions, securities and business succession planning.

Jason S. Lambert ’02, JD ’12, Clearwater, is a member of the Board of Governors for the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division and was appointed to co-chair the Moot Court/Law Related Education Committee.

Victoria Cruz-Garcia, JD ’03, Riverview, was appointed to Class III of the Leadership Academy and Judicial Nominating Procedures Committee of the Florida Bar, as well as recently joining Givens Givens Sparks.

Catherine Guthrie Bailey, JD ’03, Stuart, published her first children’s picture book, Mind Your Monsters, released in August 2015 from Sterling Publishing. Mind Your Monsters tells the story of Wally and the monsters who invade his oncequiet little town. They scare the kids, knock over the lampposts, and make a mess of everything. And no one can stop them until, fed up, Wally says … the magic word!

William J. Podolsky, JD ’03, Tampa, a partner at Phelps Dunbar LLP, has been named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyer – Rising Star. He practices in the areas of real estate, banking, and business/corporate law.

▲ Steven J. Sabonjohn ’03, Burbank, Cal., is now a two-time Sports Emmy-award recipient. He was part of the group at NBC Universal that pioneered TVEverywhere for the 2012 Olympics. This allowed broadcast television to be seen using mobile devices and computers in real time.

He was awarded a Sports Emmy from the Academy of National Arts and Sciences I Technical Achievement for that work. He continued to forge ahead in the digital media field, leading him to win a second Emmy for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games for Best New Approaches in Sports Programming. After being with NBC for eight years, he left to join a media and entertainment consulting company, working with major television and movie studios in Los Angeles.

David L. Evans, JD ’04, Orlando, a partner at BakerHostetler, was named to the Best Lawyers in

America 2016 list for real estate law.

James “Chris” Lumia ’04, Clearwater, founded the Sawgrass Real Estate Academy. Sawgrass Real Estate Academy is an online school, offering Florida real estate prelicense, post-license, and continuing education courses.

Jonathan A. Martin ’04, Fort Myers, served seven years as an assistant state attorney in Southwest Florida. He currently is with the firm of Parvey & Frankel, where he practices personal injury law. He also serves as the chair of the Lee County Republican Party.

Megan Wolfe Thimmer ’04, Sebastian, currently teaches third grade at Sebastian Elementary School and was chosen to represent her school as the Teacher of the Year.

Antonio G. Jimenez, JD ’05, Miami, earned an LLM degree in trial advocacy from Temple University Beasley School of Law. Sarah Lahlou-Amine, JD ’05, Lutz, has been awarded board certification in appellate law by the Florida Bar. Certification is the highest level of evaluation by the Florida Bar and demonstrates competency and experience within appellate law.

Jo Ann Palchak, JD ’05, Tampa, was re-elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at the association’s annual meeting in Denver. She was also selected to serve on the NACDL’s Executive Committee. She practices law at Jo Ann Palchak, P.A., a white collar, criminal defense, litigation boutique firm.

Terri Parker, JD ’05, Tampa, has been nominated as a Tampa Bay Businesswoman of the Year finalist

by Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Benjamin R. Stechschulte, JD ’05, Wellington, was named a Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2015. In May 2015, he was asked to speak at the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Conference in Tampa on the topic of using technology in a small law firm.

Alyson George Bulnes, JD ’06, Tampa, was named a Super Lawyer

Rising Star for 2015. Bulnes was also nominated for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Man/Woman of the Year. She helped raise nearly $10,000 for cancer research. She is a partner with Stechschulte Bulnes, PL. Woodrow H. Pollack, JD ’06, Clearwater, a shareholder at GrayRobinson, P.A., was named to the 2015 Florida Super Lawyers list in the intellectual property practice area.

Ruel W. Smith, JD ’06, Tampa, was elected partner in the Tampa office of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. Lavern Wilson, JD ’06, Tampa, of Ford Harrison LLP, has passed the Florida Bar Board certification for labor and employment law. She concentrates her practice on defending employers in discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, whistleblower, retaliation, employment/ business torts and wrongful termination litigation in both state and federal courts. She also represents employers in defending charges of discrimination before the EEOC, state and local human rights commissions.

Amu Nell, JD ’07, Gulfport, has joined the firm Stechschulte Bulnes.

Brandon D. Howell, MBA ’08, Bloomington, Ind., completed his Ed.D. in organizational leadership in 2013 from Nova Southeastern University. He was recently appointed to the position of lecturer at Indiana University in the Department of Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management.

▲ Mark J. Rose, MBA/JD ’08, Boca Raton, has been elected to a

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two-year term on the Florida Defense Lawyers Association’s (FDLA) Board of Directors and selected as board liaison for the FDLA Auto/Transportation Committee. Rose’s duties as a director are to work with the FDLA officers to set goals for the operation of the organization and to organize and run three annual meetings. He was also selected a 2015 Florida Rising Star.

▲ Miguel R. Roura, JD ’08, and Peter S. Nayrouz, JD ’10, both of Saint Petersburg, represented the Adjuster 5-Hour Law and Ethics Update course to a national insurance carrier in Tampa.

Jason P. Stearns, JD ’08, Riverview, is a member of the Class III of the Florida Bar Leadership Academy for the 2015-16 year. He practices in the area of complex commercial litigation at Phelps Dunbar’s Tampa office. His litigation experience includes federal intellectual property claims, as well as contract, antitrust, fraud, trade secret, and other business disputes.

Nicole Nate, JD ’09, Saint Petersburg, has been named the recipient of the prestigious ARCS Light Award from the ARCS Foundation – Tampa Bay in recognition of her work in serving as the organization’s general counsel since 2010. Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) is a women’s group that’s one of the largest membership organizations in the country to contribute to science education. Nate is an attorney with Bryant Miller Olive law firm.

Robert A. Stines, JD ’09, Tampa, an associate at Phelps Dunbar LLP,

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was selected as a 2015 Florida Rising Star. He practices in the areas of civil litigation and professional liability.

2010s Patrick M. Chidnese, JD ’10, Tampa, an associate at Holland & Knight LLP, was selected as a 2015 Florida Rising Star.

Joseph W. Etter, JD ’10, Tampa, has joined Englander Fischer in its litigation practice. His focus will be in the areas of complex commercial litigation, construction litigation, contract disputes, partnership, and corporate disputes for Englander Fischer.

▲ Madison Orr Hauenstein ’10, Belleair, has been promoted to executive director of The Arc Tampa Bay Foundation. She will lead the foundation on its mission to secure a bright financial future for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities served by The Arc Tampa Bay. Matthew Parrott ’10, JD ’14, and Robert R. Seay, JD ’14, Princeton, W.V., have partnered in their new firm, Parrott & Seay, PLLC, serving the Princeton area.

Kristin Shusko, JD ’10, Tampa, a senior associate at GrayRobinson, has been selected to participate in Leadership Tampa Bay 2016. She is an intellectual property lawyer and litigates patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and other intellectual property disputes in federal and Florida state courts. Her involvement in patent litigation spans a number of industries, including software, medical device, and mechanical inventions. She has also litigated

copyright, trademark, and trade secret issues concerning medical devices, photography, and other industries.

David M. Brickhouse, JD ’11, Tampa, an associate at Broad and Cassel in Tampa, was named a 2015 Florida Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine.

Kayla R. Hathaway, JD ’11, Daytona Beach, has joined the Rice & Rose law firm as an associate attorney, assisting with DUI and criminal defense.

William M. Woods, JD ’11, Tampa, an attorney with Trent Cotney, P.A., recently wrote an article for the March/April 2015 edition of Marine Construction Magazine. Through the presentation of a case study, his article analyzes the impact of federal endangered-species regulations on the ability of marine contractors in Tampa Bay to obtain permits for multi-slip docks.

Virgil T. Batcher, JD ’13, Gulfport, of Trent Cotney, P.A., has successfully completed the OSHA 10-hour construction certification course.

Chelsea Lincoln ’13, Tallahassee, graduated from Florida State University with an MS in geography.

Michael R. Millett, JD ’13, Tampa, joined Holland & Knight as an associate attorney. His focus will be public finance and corporate transactions.

certifications and training from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He completed OSHA’s hazardous waste operations and emergency response certification course. The course included training on operations and abatement procedures required for work in hazardous waste areas. His training also addressed cleanup operations and emergency response procedures in the event of industrial hazardous waste discharges. He also has successfully earned his Certified Building Contractor License from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Marriages and Unions Noreen Seacrist ’94, to Edward Evans Jr. on July 12, 2015.

▲ Karl Fehr ’05, to Victoria Carmona on July 7, 2015.

▲ Jeanette Rodriguez ’13, Lake Mary, graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in 2015.

Anthony D. Tilton, JD ’13, Tampa, an associate at Trent Cotney, P.A., has successfully earned safety

▲ Jessica Walton ’08, to Tayven Hike on June 27, 2015.

In Memoriam ’30s Elizabeth Ransom Day ’36

▲ Samantha Castellano Dzembo ’02, and husband Nicholas ’02, a daughter, Milania Rose, in January 2015.

Jason S. Lambert ’02, JD ’12, and wife Courtney, a daughter, Mae Evelyn, in April 2015. ▲ Jessica Swirski ’08, MAcc ’09, to James Leeman on March 6, 2015.

Wesley J. Flagler, JD ’09, to Kelly Hesbeens on June 6, 2015.

Kaylee Ream ’12, to James Weston ’11, MAcc ’14, on May 23, 2015.

Births John H. Hewett ’74, a granddaughter, Sadie Colette, in October 2012.

▲ Kristi Soutar ’03, and husband Ral Turbeville, a daughter, Sarah Hodge, in March 2015.

▲ Susan Doraz Huniu ’01, and husband, Aaron, a son, Ashton James, in June 2015.

▲ Megan Wolfe Thimmer ’04, and husband, James, a son, Langdon Quinn, in April 2015.

’40s Paul H. Fisher ’42 Carolyn Golsner Meliska ’42 Harry J. Minarik ’42 Ruth Odum Pelter ’43 Margaret Reaves Baker ’44 Helen Bennett ’44 Marilee Harper Trask ’45 Marcy Hudel Buckalew ’48 Everett S. Dix ’48 Nancy New Garthwaite ’48 Marilyn Frances Horton ’48 Arnold Pancratz ’48, MA ’65 Harold K. Parson ’48 Edgar E. Brown ’49 Barbara Gano Pancratz ’49 Charles D. Towers, LLB ’49 Dalton M. Tyner ’49 ’50s Charles J. Finley ’50 Frank M. George ’50 Jonathan H. Hill ’50 Jordan L. Maynard ’50 Carl Simmons ’50 John J. Sulik, LLB ’50 Henry J. Dominey ’51, MA ’57 Ulilla Treon Witherspoon ’51 Barbara Carter Samson ’52 Anthony J. Grezik, LLB ’53 Ann Roberson Morris ’53 Dorothy M. Wamble ’53 Kenneth N. Montgomery, LLB ’54 Nancy Farlow Falls ’55 J. Edward Houston ’56, LLB ’59 Ray D. Helpling ’57 Boyd L. Hildebrand ’57 William B. Abel ’58 Raymond G. Andrews ’59 Annette Cheshire Hudgins ’59 Jose R. Martinez, JD ’59 Clynch Newsome, LLB ’59

James H. Sapp ’66 George R. Miller, JD ’67 Charles R. Scully, JD ’67 William Ingram H. Millward ’68 Barbara Owens Smith ’69 Anita Jones Strawn, MA ’69 ’70s Barbara Ansley ’71 Kathryn Brooke ’71 James W. Carter ’71 Sara Pinson Lonbom ’71 Jill M. Brown, JD ’72 Edward E. Rinderle, MBA ’72 William K. Thompson ’73, MA ’75 Cynthia Gales Burritt, MEd ’76 Joan Barber Spinney, MEd ’76, SPCen ’87 Cornelius W. Arensberg, JD ’77 Janice Sheffield Byrd, MBA ’77 Patricia Gray Diehl, MA ’77 Betty Underbrink Gerdts, MEd ’77 Craig P. Moore, JD ’77 Kenneth A. Beytin, JD ’78 John C. Cavanaugh ’79 ’80s Charlet Genton Alford ’80 Stanton L. Cobb, JD ’80 Linda May Cogan, MEd ’80 Martin M. Davidson ’82 Sidnet Gonzales Delguercio, MBA ’82 Cynthia Lee Bouie, MEd ’85, SPCEN ’02 Steven M. Bloom, JD ’88 ’90s Richard A. Lynn, MA ’90 Matthew S. Santilli ’94 Anne C. Jones, JD ’95 Michael A. Loomis ’97 ’00s Shawna Mucario, JD ’02 Alex E. Simmons, MBA ’05 Katherine Stafford, JD ’08

’60s Ann Severance Booth ’60 John H. Rhodes, LLB ’60 Gail Mosely Upchurch ’61 J. Mason Wines, LLB ’61 David B. Briggs, LLB ’62 Richard B. Shore ’63 Daniel N. Burton, LLB ’64 Eldon E. Strawn ’64

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This IS the Time B

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ears ago, universities

held discrete “capital campaigns” with long periods of minimal fundraising in between. Today, it seems that every nonprofit organization, Stetson University included, is always in a campaign of one sort or the other.

Fundraising is, in fact, an ongoing mission, and so if it seems to you that every charitable organization is in a constant campaign, you are probably right.

So, the question becomes why is the current Beyond Success — Significance Campaign at Stetson so important to her future right now? And why is the participation of those who are closest to this university so critical?

It has been my pleasure to be part of a quiet revolution and steadfast evolution of this wonderful place over the last six years. In that time, we reinvigorated our strong university values; developed exciting interdisciplinary academic programs that speak to tackling solutions to the complex challenges around us; weathered the declining interest in law school attendance to emerge with a more robust College of Law; dramatically increased our undergraduate student body (by a whopping 64

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40 percent to date) and improved the quality and diversity of first-time-in-college and transfer students; hired more than 75 new faculty to ensure that the rigorous, demanding Stetson experience is never watered down; made an enormous dent in deferred maintenance on all campuses; added athletic teams; and most important, are approaching critical milestones in salary equity and compensation for faculty and staff.

By becoming One Stetson, we have found operational efficiencies and strategic alliances across our campuses that have made the whole stronger. If this is what we can do without a concerted campaign, just think what your university can do with a concentrated infusion of resources and the support of a broad community of alumni and friends who believe in the even greater force Stetson and its students can be across the globe.

So, indeed, now is the time for those who love Stetson to commit to making this university the strongest she can be. Standing on the sidelines means missing the action. We can continue to invest in ourselves through growth in net revenue from tuition after financial aid and make incremen-

‘Give to something that reminds you every day why a flourishing Stetson University matters to you and to all of us.’

tal improvements, or we can take great leaps that transform a Stetson education in meaningful ways, as you have read about in this magazine.

And this comes from large philanthropic gifts and the multiplying effect of a multitude of small gifts — all aligned in important ways.

Yes, campaigns are always happening. But now more than ever it is your turn to claim a piece of your legacy in your alma mater. Your Stetson experiences gave you a new lens through which to look at the world and yourself, and Stetson was the place where you learned how to live a significant life and to pass on your unique perspective to I l lu s t r at i o n

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others who will be part of molding a better future.

This is the time for you to join me in supporting something special at this remarkable place.

Give to something that made you a better person. Give to something that makes your heart beat just a little faster. Give to something that rings your own Victory Bell. Give to something that reminds you every day why a flourishing Stetson University matters to you and to all of us — especially our students who are tomorrow’s leaders.

After all, a bit of Hatter pride is a gift worth passing on.

Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., is president of Stetson University.

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Stetson’s crew team practices at Lake Beresford.

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Office of University Marketing 421 N. Woodland Blvd., 8319 DeLand, FL 32723

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a t

a r t s December

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- 5 — Christmas Candlelight Concerts (SOLD OUT), Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall

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— F aculty Recital, Lynn Musco, clarinet, Michael Rickman, piano, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 7:30 p.m.

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February

— Community School Young Singers Concert, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall 7:30 p.m.

— Community School Youth String Concert, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall 3 p.m.

January

— Great Organists at Stetson, Martin Jean, organ, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 3 p.m.

5

— 20th Annual Piano Scholars Festival, Brian Hsu, piano, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 7:30 p.m.

15

6

22

7

— Artists & Lecturers Series Presents Kevin Short, bass-baritone, and Kristie Born, piano, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 7:30 p.m. through Feb. 26 — Dan Gunderson: Celebrating 40 Years at Stetson University, Hand Art Center, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

22

through April 27 — Oscar Bluemner’s Germany, Hand Art Center, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

22

— Piano Percussion Recital, Ensemble P4, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 7:30 p.m.

s t e t s o n

— 20th Annual Piano Scholars Festival, Piano Scholars in Recital, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 7:30 p.m.

— 20th Annual Piano Scholars Festival, Alumni Recital, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 3 p.m.

9

— Artists & Lecturers Series, Jorge Caballero, guitarist, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 7:30 p.m.

12

— Sounds New X, featuring Joan Tower, composer and pianist, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 7:30 p.m.

13

— University Symphonic Band, Douglas Phillips, conductor, Lee Chapel, Elizabeth Hall, 7:30 p.m.

18

through 21 Learned Ladies

by Moliere, Second Stage Theatre, Thursday - Saturday 8 - 10 p.m., Sunday 3 - 5 p.m., Sunday

19

and 21 — Stetson University Opera Theatre and Orchestra, Ein Walzertraum by Oscar Straus, DeLand High Photo

by

Jason Jones

School Theater Center, 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 3 p.m. on Sunday

24

— Stetson Jazz Ensemble, Patrick Hennessey, director, Stetson Room, Carlton Union Building, 7:30 p.m.

See more Stetson events at www.stetson.edu/cultural-calendar.

Learn more about Stetson arts events at www2.stetson.edu/ creative-arts.

For more on the School of Music, visit www.stetson.edu/music.