Stetson Magazine

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S U C C E S S OF THE SIGNIFICANCE CAMPAIGN

And the spirit of John B. Stetson

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BEGINNINGS

John B. Stetson Stetson University has a new fixture on campus. A larger-than-life bronze statue of John B. Stetson, renowned hatmaker and the university’s early benefactor and namesake, arrived in August. The donor-funded sculpture, weighing approximately 1,600 pounds including the bench, is in Palm Court.

The donors were former university trustee Troy Templeton ‘82, MBA ‘83 and his wife, Sissy. (See Page 51.) The sculptor, Erik Blome, is a nationally known creator of other legendary figures.

Photo: Stetson University/Faith Jones ’21

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STETSON | Fall 2019

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CONTENTS

STETSON

UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE FALL 2019 • VOLUME 35

• ISSUE 3

President Wendy B. Libby, PhD Vice President of University Marketing Bruce Chong Assistant Vice President, Marketing/Media Relations Janie Graziani Editor Michael Candelaria

20 Departments

Features

2 BEGINNINGS John B. Stetson

20 Huskey Impressions

6 WELCOME Making New Legacies 7 LETTERS Reader Responses 8 INTELLIGENTSIA News and Notes About Knowledge 18 FIRST PERSON Teeing Off on a Career Course 40 ATHLETICS ‘Game-Changer’ 42 ALUMNI Celebrating Hatters Everywhere 48 THE CLASSES Accolades and Achievements 51 PARTING SHOT The Templeton Fountain

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From the classroom at Stetson to scholarly quests across the globe, recently retired professor Eugene Huskey, PhD, left his mark — making the campus and, in fact, the world a little bit more insightful.

24 Goal Keeper

On campus, Andi Garavaglia ’11 was both a goalie in soccer and goal-oriented in the classroom.

Now, that passionate pursuit of “winning” means playing without a safety net.

34 Anatomy of a Renaissance An emerging initiative in health and science promises strategic rethinking and a new life.

Designer Kris Winters Art and Photography Dave Ballesteros, Bob Blanchard, Joel Jones, Ciara Ocasio, Faith Jones ’21 Writers Sandra Carr, Mikael Dahlgren ’20, Rick de Yampert, Marie Dinklage, Carley Fockler ’17, MFA ’19, Janie Graziani, Cory Lancaster, Wendy B. Libby, PhD, Jack Roth, Mary Shanklin, Trish Wieland Class Notes Editor Cathy Foster STETSON UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 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 at the historic main 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.

Want to add, remove or change your magazine subscription?

Email universitymagazine@stetson.edu. Also, we accept paid advertising. Email inquiries to universitymagazine@stetson.edu.

38 36 Uncommon Education

Training in restorative practices isn’t necessarily new on campuses across the nation. The difference at Stetson?

It’s happening earlier than at many places, with future teachers receiving important lessons as undergraduates.

38 Reconstructing Hope

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A project partnership located less than a mile from campus captures a portrait of experiential learning.

Actually, it’s quintessential Stetson. And of historic proportions.

SIGNIFICANCE CAMPAIGN 26 Beyond Success

The aptly named Beyond Success – Significance Campaign fundraising effort exceeded its goal — with philanthropy touching virtually every corner of Stetson.

Even some unexpectedly.

30 Changing Face

Thanks to donor generosity and the scholarships that result, the student body is taking on new shape. And turning heads, too.

32 Moving Forward

Even as the official Beyond Success – Significance Campaign comes to a close, “avenues for increased student success” are continuing to be created.

ON THE COVER: A bronze statue of university benefactor John B. Stetson — among the latest additions on campus — represents the charitable and community spirit that made the recently concluded Beyond Success – Significance Campaign a huge triumph. The photo was taken by Faith Jones — a junior majoring in psychology.

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WELCOME

MAKING NEW LEGACIES The cover of this issue simply makes me smile.

A larger-than-life John B. Stetson — with a tip of his Stetson! — welcoming passersby and inviting them to sit for a spell on the bench beside him.

Mr. Stetson could not have foreseen, back in the late 19th century, just how many selfies he would appear in within the photo recesses of countless cellphones and across the social-media landscape. And that going viral is a good thing!

In 2019, the legacy of the Philadelphia hatmaker shines as bright as a new penny.

Our benefactor, Mr. Stetson, undoubtedly would be proud and perhaps in awe of the thousands of Stetson University graduates scattered throughout the world, the many accolades earned by its faculty, staff and students, and the depth to which the university serves its communities.

I would hope he would also be inspired and deeply grateful, as I am, by its many supporters — including Troy ’82, MBA ’83 and Sissy Templeton, who donated the John B. Stetson sculpture. Together, through this Beyond Success – Significance Campaign, our supporters invested more than $218 million on a goal of $200 million for scholarships, academic programming, student life and more to take Stetson University to new heights.

You will read about these shiny points of progress in this issue of Stetson University Magazine. You will meet senior Phasin Gonzalez, who spent his summer working on cancer research in collaboration with The University of Kansas Medical Center. You will learn how Stetson is helping to revitalize DeLand’s Spring Hill community. Perhaps you will grow excited about our new Edinger Golf Complex and how far artificial turf has come today (hint, it’s far). And perhaps you will applaud how Stetson is training undergraduate education students in restorative practices that foster positive school climates.

And we accomplished this together as One Stetson.

I love that this university is deeply dedicated to learning in all possible ways, for our students and for everyone who works here, and for our communities and partners, our alumni and friends. Our future has never been brighter.

Now that’s something to hang your hat on.

Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D. President, Stetson University

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LETTERS

A Letter From the Editor We requested information, and you responded. Heartfelt thanks to all!

From May 8 to June 7, the Communications Department of the Marketing Office at Stetson conducted the Stetson University Magazine Readership Survey. Current readers of the magazine — alumni, donors, parents, faculty and staff, among others — had the opportunity to participate in the survey.

A total of 1,428 responses were received, providing a statistically significant sample with a margin of error of 3% and a confidence level of 95%.

According to the survey, here’s the reader profile — basically who reads this magazine: 52% are alumni; 63% are over age 50, while 58% are female and 92% possess a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Now comes real fun stuff or, at least, the most informative.

What do readers think? A few highlights: • 81% of respondents read “parts of the magazine” or “all of it.” Also, 72% of readers keep/collect all issues, keep it one month or more, or keep it for up to one month.

• 40% of the respondents replied that their copy is read by “2-3 people.”

• Regarding quality of the magazine (content, cover, ease of reading, layout and design, photography and writing), photography and cover are the two components most voted as “excellent.” Ease of reading, and layout and design also received a majority of “excellent” votes.

• Regarding specific sections of the magazine, almost none of the respondents indicated “I dislike it” or “I greatly dislike it” for any section of the magazine.

• The sections that most people “love” are Alumni and The Classes.

• 89% of readers indicated the magazine “strengthens their connection with the university,” while 57% of the respondents think Stetson University Magazine “makes me feel proud.”

• As a result of reading the magazine, the following actions were taken by respondents: 38% discussed or forwarded an article or issue; 36% recommended the university to a potential student or family member; 35% saved an article or issue; 34% visited the university’s website; and 29% attended an event.

Our brave conclusion: Readers like the magazine! Yet, there are still improvements to make.

And there are sweepstakes winners to announce from among the survey respondents: Patricia Cowart ’75 and Laura Maury ’10. Randomly selected, both won an Original Stetson Hat from the Stetson Hat Co.

Survey sweepstakes winners: Patricia Cowart ’75 (below, left) and Laura Maury ’10.

Correction: Former Hatters in Baseball In the Summer 2019 issue, the article “Next Up?” failed to mention a former Hatter standout in a listing of players to have reached professional baseball. Jeff Smith ’97 was drafted by the Minnesota Twins following his junior year at Stetson. He was a finalist for the Stetson head-coach position and spent the past two seasons as the first-base coach for the Minnesota Twins. Currently, Smith is a coach in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

— Michael Candelaria, Editor

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INTELLIGENTSIA

Sampson Hall in Palm Court

Stetson Named Among Best U.S. Colleges In many respects, The Princeton Review has validated what Hatter Nation already knew.

For the fifth consecutive year, The Princeton Review has recognized Stetson University as one of the leading undergraduate institutions in the nation. The honor, given to only about 15% of America’s four-year colleges, appears in the 2020 edition of “The Best 385 Colleges.”

Published annually since 1992, “The Best 385 Colleges” contains a detailed profile of each college, including excerpts from student surveys and rating scores in eight categories (academics, admissions selectivity and financial aid, among others).

“Challenging academics that help students grow intellectually while honing their problem-solving and critical thinking skills are trademarks of a Stetson education,” said Stetson University President Wendy B. Libby, PhD. “A Stetson degree is made more valuable by the experiential learning through internships and research, as well as the opportunities provided for international study. And for a private education, this is all amazingly affordable.”

In its profile on Stetson University, The Princeton Review editors praise Stetson for the value it places on the rigor of the secondary school record and academic GPA.

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“Stetson’s acceptance rate is deceptively high,” say the editors, explaining “this school attracts go-getters and each year’s freshman class profile is more impressive than the last.” Other important factors that Stetson looks at include class rank, the student’s application essay and interview, recommendations and volunteer work.

Students believe Stetson is in the “perfect location” between Daytona Beach and Orlando, with “tons of outdoor space and recreation” where students hang out with friends and relax in the sun.

Students also say “the abundance of clubs on campus and willingness to let them all speak their minds” is a very important aspect of life at Stetson that students hold close to their hearts.

According to The Princeton Review: Stetson students describe the school as diverse, with an “abundance of culture radiating through our campus.” Also, Stetson’s “huge international student population” adds “an amazing viewpoint” to the already incredibly tolerant university, the editors cited. — Janie Graziani

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More Media Praise DID YOU KNOW? A record-number 216 Stetson student-athletes received ASUN Honor Roll accolades for posting a 3.0 GPA or better during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Stetson ranked second among the nine league members and established another school record with 83.4% of its ASUN student-athletes earning a spot on the Honor Roll. Student-athletes from football and men’s and women’s rowing compete in other conferences and are not included in the ASUN totals. Lipscomb University claimed the ASUN Academic Champion Trophy, with 87.5% of its student-athletes landing on the Honor Roll.

U.S. News & World Report ranks Stetson No. 5 on its 2020 Best Colleges list of Best Regional Universities – South.

Additional welcome news from U.S. News & World Report: Stetson ranks No. 5 on its 2020 Best Colleges list of Best Regional Universities – South.

Also, Stetson appears on five other lists in the same category — Best Undergraduate Teaching, No. 11; Best Value Schools, No. 11; Most Innovative Universities, No. 14; Campus Ethnic Diversity, No. 34; and new this year, Top Performers on Social Mobility, No. 36.

Schools in the Regional Universities category are defined by U.S. News & World Report as offering a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs but few doctoral programs. Stetson offers master’s degrees in business, education and counseling.

Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, PhD, described the rankings as “another feather in our cap.”

“It is especially gratifying to see Stetson recognized for its excellent teaching, innovation and diversity,” Libby commented.

In February, U.S. News & World Report ranked Stetson University College of Law No. 1 for Trial Advocacy and No. 3 for Legal Writing in the United States. Stetson has been ranked the top law school for Trial Advocacy 21 times in 25 years, and has consistently ranked among the top six legal writing programs since the inception of the Legal Writing rankings in 2005.

Multiple national recognitions are “a testament to Stetson’s innovation and the dedicated work of our staff and faculty,” Libby concluded, referring to Stetson also being named a top university

by Princeton Review’s Top 385 Colleges, Money’s Best Colleges and Forbes’ America’s Top Colleges. — Janie Graziani

Photo: Stetson University/Stephen Allen

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INTELLIGENTSIA

Ms. JD Fellow

Robert Connell

Graduate Student Wins National Accounting Scholarship Robert Connell ’19, a graduate student in Stetson’s one-year Master of Accountancy program, received a $10,000 national scholarship awarded by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The scholarship program is intended to encourage accounting students to pursue careers in audit.

Connell, who graduated cum laude from Stetson’s School of Business Administration, was chosen by virtue of his interest and aptitude in accounting, as well as his demonstration of high ethical standards. He was selected from a pool of candidates who were nominated by other top universities and colleges with accredited business and accounting programs.

As an undergraduate student, Connell served as vice president of public relations for Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting honors society, and as a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.

“The information I learn from this program will help me achieve my goal of becoming a CPA and further advance in my career path of public accounting,” he said.

“To have been one of only 207 students to receive such a significant scholarship is an impressive accomplishment,” commented Maria Rickling, PhD, associate professor of accounting and chair of M.E. Rinker Sr. Institute of Tax and Accountancy. — Marie Dinklage

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Third-year Stetson Law student Emilia L. Soliman now is a Ms. JD Fellow.

The Ms. JD Fellowship is a project in partnership with the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession, which was established nine years ago to provide mentoring and professionaldevelopment opportunities for future women attorneys.

Soliman is the third Stetson Law student to receive the honor.

“The Ms. JD Fellowship is a wonderful mentorship program that will allow me to express myself and join a community of professionals who will guide me through the issues that women face in the law profession,” she said.

Soliman — a University of South Florida graduate with a master’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies at Florida International University — has aspired to become an attorney ever since she was a child. She observed her uncle at his law firm after school, which sparked her passion for making a global difference with a law career. She plans to pursue a career in international and immigration law after she graduates from Stetson Law next year.

International law and immigration are important to Soliman because she is an immigrant who left Honduras with her family at a young age. She wants to give back and help other immigrants in similar situations.

“I have a multifaceted perspective and deeper understanding on a variety of global issues. I want to effect social change through laws and advance human rights throughout the world,” she said.

— Sandra Carr

Emilia Soliman

Erin Okuno

Stetson Law Protects Clean Water Act The Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson’s College of Law continues to achieve what it was created to do — help protect and preserve.

Over the summer, the biodiversity institute filed a brief on behalf of aquatic scientists and scientific societies in the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund et al. Stetson Law professor Royal Gardner, director of the institute, led a team of attorneys and scientists who prepared the brief, which included Erin Okuno, the institute’s Foreman Biodiversity Fellow; Steph Tai, Ph.D., professor of law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School; Kathleen Gardner of Pollack Solomon Duffy LLP; and Christopher Greer of White & Case LLP. The amicus (or friend of the court brief) focuses on whether the federal Clean Water Act requires a permit for the discharge of pollutants when the pollutants travel through groundwater from a point source to navigable waters.

In this instance, Stetson Law’s efforts involved the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility in Hawaii. The Lahaina facility is discharging treated wastewater into the ground with its injection wells, which utilize the Earth’s soil as a filter to further clean treated wastewater before it reaches a water source. Environmental organizations are concerned because the treated sewage has been flowing underground from the treatment plant to the Pacific Ocean and may be in violation of the Clean Water Act. — Sandra Carr

DID YOU KNOW? Ellen S. Podgor, JD, Stetson Law’s Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor, has been selected to serve on the Innocence Project of Florida’s board of directors.

Based in Tallahassee, the nonprofit organization helps obtain freedom for innocent prisoners through investigating cases, obtaining DNA testing and advocating for their release.

Since 2003, the Innocence Project of Florida has assisted with the release of 20 people who served a total of more than 440 years in prison for crimes they did not commit.

In addition, Podgor authored “The Florida Bar Criminal Justice Summit Report: A First Step in Improving Florida’s Criminal Justice System.”

The report stems from an invitationonly summit held in October 2018 that brought together judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, policymakers and state legislators.

As the summit’s official reporter, Podgor compiled, summarized and wrote the report, which covers topics such as pretrial release, specialty courts and conviction integrity.

Several Stetson Law students assisted with the project.

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INTELLIGENTSIA

‘Activism Through the Arts’

Debunking Video Game Violence Christopher Ferguson, PhD, was in grad school when a guest speaker happened to tell his class one day that “there’s no doubt whatsoever” that violent media caused violence in society.

“That was the moment,” recalled Ferguson, a Stetson psychology professor. “I think literally it was 30 seconds of her talk. But that was what sort of triggered my interest.”

In the years since that time, Ferguson has become a leading researcher in the field. His studies have consistently reported no connection between real-world violence and violent video games or media violence.

In early August, when President Trump linked violent video games to the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, Ferguson was interviewed by scores of media outlets, including The New York Times, The Atlantic and NBC News.

Ferguson left little doubt where he stood on the subject.

“The data on bananas causing suicide is about as conclusive,” he told The New York Times. “Literally. The numbers work out about the same.”

— Sandra Carr

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For Japanese American spoken-word poet Phil Kaye, activism begins when people are empowered to share their own personal stories.

“I think there are a lot of different ways that folks can be and are activists, in ways that feel good to them and are appropriate to them,” said Kaye, who lives in New York City and is one of the co-directors of Project VOICE, an organization that utilizes poetry to entertain, educate and inspire.

“I’m sure I’m not the first person to say this but, particularly now, we are a nation so deeply divided.

People patently refuse to see anything outside of their worldview. One of the keys to starting to break that down comes from empathy and comes from personal story.”

Kaye gave the keynote address on Sept. 24 during the opening session of Stetson’s annual Values Day, which included a host of activities that carried a theme of “Activism Through the Arts.”

“I think so much of what is going on in the country is a battle over narratives,” continued Kaye, who has led poetry workshops worldwide that aim to give individuals the skills and courage to tell their stories and let their voices be heard.

“You can take any political issue and ask, ‘What is the narrative we’re putting around this thing?’ I think oftentimes it gets pretty warped and we’re not seeing all the possibilities of narratives. I think the sharing of one’s truth, one’s story is inherently, or I should say can be, a political act, particularly from folks who have had their voice marginalized over generations.”

In addition, Kaye’s book “Date & Time” was the Stetson READ (Reflect, Engage and Affirm Diversity) for Values Day. Stetson READ was founded in 2013 to provide inclusive and invigorating spaces on campus, with activities facilitated by Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD, associate professor and Jessie Ball duPont Chair of Social Justice Education at Stetson and executive board member of the National Coalition for the Homeless, along with Lindsey Carelli, assistant director of Interfaith Initiatives. — Rick de Yampert

Phil Kaye

Lisha Day

Graduate Student Receives National Counseling Fellowship The NBCC Foundation, an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors, selected Stetson graduate student Lisha Day as part of its NBCC Minority Fellowship Program Mental Health Counseling-Master’s.

As a Fellow, Day receives $10,000 in funding and training to support her education and facilitate her service to underserved minority populations. She is a master’s student in Stetson’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, as well as the Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy program.

The fellowship is made possible by a grant awarded to the NBCC Foundation by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The goal of the Minority Fellowship Program is to reduce health disparities and improve behavioral health care outcomes for racially and ethnically diverse populations by increasing the number of available culturally competent behavioral health professionals.

Upon graduation, Day intends to work with transition-age minority youth, particularly those struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, issues of selfesteem, sexuality and identity. She also hopes to work with people who are often marginalized, such as immigrants, single parents, women of color and people living in urban areas, which are typically lacking in mental health resources and/or services. — Cory Lancaster

DID YOU KNOW? Stetson Law Professor Luz Estella Nagle has received a Fulbright U.S. Senior Scholar Program award to Spain in the field of international law, as announced by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Nagle will teach and lecture on international law topics and conduct research on tradebased money laundering while at the Faculty of Law of the Universidad de La Laguna in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

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INTELLIGENTSIA

Fulbright Award Sends Associate Professor to Ukraine Mayhill Fowler, PhD, associate professor of history and former director of Stetson’s Program in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (SPREES), often has talked to her students about the importance of networking — of using study abroad to make worldwide contacts and build professional relationships.

Now, largely by virtue of her own networking, Fowler is a Fulbright recipient.

In August, the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board presented Fowler with a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to research and teach at the Ivan Franko National University and the Center for Urban History in Lviv, Ukraine.

Fowler already is there, with her work part of a project titled “Theater on the Frontlines of Socialism: The MilitaryEntertainment Complex in Ukraine, 1940s-2000s.”

Fowler is focusing on military theater that was located in the city of Lviv: the “Russian Dramatic Theater of the Sub-Carpathian Military District.” She hopes to further trace the shifting role of the public, government and arts in postwar Soviet Union, as well as in current wartime Ukraine.

Through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, Fowler is one of more than 800 U.S. citizens who will teach, conduct research and/or provide expertise abroad for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected based on academic and professional achievement, along with a record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.

Fowler first went to Ukraine in 2006 and has been back every year since then, including long stays researching her doctoral dissertation and teaching on a postdoctoral fellowship. She describes Lviv as a “city that has always been on the borderlands of empires and nations, a multi-ethnic city.”

At the Center for Urban History, she is working with the oral histories, photographs and digital media on the center’s website, while also creating new materials about postwar theater for teaching and research.

In addition, Fowler is teaching in the Ivan Franko National University’s Department of Theater Studies.

Her second Mayhill Fowler, PhD book is in the works, too, titled, “Theater on the Frontlines of Socialism.” Her first book, “Beau Monde on Empire’s Edge: State and Stage in Soviet Ukraine,” published in 2017, demonstrated, through biographies of young artists and officials, how Soviet Ukraine became a cultural center. The second book will take a deeper dive into the topic.

Ultimately, Fowler plans a return to Stetson, where she intends to share a literal world of new insight.

“It’s helpful, I think, for us faculty to model going abroad,” she said. “I hope that my Fulbright encourages my students to apply to Fulbright and other grants.” — Carley Fockler

DID YOU KNOW? Stetson’s School of Business Administration received a $2.5 million gift from Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals ’73 to fully endow its Centurion Sales Program. The program was made possible two years ago by a donation from Fernandez, honoring his late father, Genaro Fernandez Centurion. Fernandez is a successful entrepreneur in Spain. Since the program launched in fall 2017, 362 students have taken the Professional Selling and Communication course, with 51 students graduating from the program and 98% securing job placement at companies such as AT&T, Fidelity, Oracle, Gartner, TEKSystems and Smart Technologies. The program bridges the gap between the classroom and real-world performance, offering video sales labs, professional-development opportunities and sales-community support.

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Glenn Wilkes Sr., in red tie, received another honor.

Another Big Win for Glenn Wilkes Sr. Glenn Wilkes Sr. led from the sidelines as the head coach of men’s basketball at Stetson for 36 years, propelling the Hatters to unparalleled team success.

Wilkes won 552 games and totaled 27 winning seasons. Late in his career, he often was referred to as “The Godfather of Florida Basketball.” In 2014, he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Now, Wilkes is one of the newest members of the Naismith Coaches Circle at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. In September, he received the honor, which included an engraved granite bench located at the entrance of the Hall of Fame building, which is named for James Naismith, inventor of the sport.

The Naismith Coaches Circle pays tribute to the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, physical fitness, leadership and integrity. All along his career, and afterward, Wilkes — officially Wilkes, PhD — instilled those values on the court, throughout campus and in the community.

The Wilkes era began in the 1957-1958 season and ran consecutively through the 1992-1993 campaign, as the Hatters ascended from the NAIA level to NCAA Division I (in 1972). In addition to his accomplishments on the court, Wilkes served the basketball community by sponsoring a variety of basketball clinics for coaches and players. Also, he’s the author of seven basketball-related books.

For good measure, he’s the father of another standout coach, Glenn Wilkes Jr., the current women’s basketball coach at Rollins College. He has outstanding grandson college and high school basketball players, too.

Wilkes will be 91 in November — and still making a difference. — Michael Candelaria

FUTURE BROADCASTERS IN ACTION. During June and July, Stetson Broadcast Productions hosted two weekly camp sessions, teaching all aspects of broadcasting and including a visit to ESPN Wide World of Sports, among other places. The Sports Broadcasting Camp was one of many youth camps held at Stetson this summer — and, apparently, a big hit. Attendance for broadcasting increased from a total of 12 in 2018 to 40 this year, according to Jeff Taylor, Stetson’s director of Broadcasting.

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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INTELLIGENTSIA

Principal investigators: Roslyn Crowder, PhD (standing, left); and Holley Lynch, PhD; Heather EvansAnderson, PhD (seated, left); and Lynn Kee, PhD

Stetson Receives NSF Grant Funding for Powerful Microscope By virtue of a Major Research Instrumentation Grant from the National Science Foundation, Stetson is receiving $266,000 in funding to purchase an inverted fluorescent microscope system — capable of imaging over a wide range of living biological samples from subcellular structures to small organisms.

NSF is the funding source for approximately 27% of the total federal budget for basic research conducted at U.S. colleges and universities.

According to NSF documentation, the microscope system will be used at Stetson to engage undergraduate students across biology, health sciences and physics in superior training through faculty-mentored research projects, and promote the implementation of inquiry-based lab experiences for students in upper-level biology and physics courses.

Also, the system will “propel cutting-edge research programs at Stetson and foster sophisticated capstone research for seniors under the mentorship of faculty members committed to student training and advancing the participation of underrepresented and minority undergraduates in the sciences.”

Further, the microscope system will provide a substantial foundation to support and enable fundamental pioneering research by junior faculty members.

Highlights of the anticipated research: 1) tracking migrating cells in living tissues to link cellular and subcellular mechanisms to tissue-scale movements; 2) examining improperly located cell death proteins in malignant cells; 3) dissecting communication pathways that regulate cardiac myocyte cell proliferation and regeneration in Ciona intestinalis; 4) examining spatial organization and dynamics of iridescent marine bacteria; and 5) promoting education through use of CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology by undergraduates in a genetics course to manipulate and label genes in order to visualize effects in living organisms.

Stetson’s principal investigator is Holley Lynch, PhD, assistant professor of physics.

Co-principal investigators are Lynn Kee, PhD, assistant professor of biology; Roslyn Crowder, PhD, associate professor of biology; and Heather Evans-Anderson, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences.

“This really opens up new avenues of research at the cell and, especially, the sub-cell level at Stetson,” Lynch said. “We have a growing number of researchers who work with that scale in three departments. And it will allow students to use a microscope to true research grade.”

Evans-Anderson agreed, commenting: “I see this as a really good steppingstone.

Having this equipment here enables us to apply for other kinds of grants that will fund research and take us to the next level.” — Michael Candelaria

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STETSON | Fall 2019

Beating the Odds, Twice The odds of being awarded a prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship are razor-thin.

Of the millions of students who attend community colleges, only 61 were named as Cooke Scholars this year.

Two of them arrived for the fall semester at Stetson: Joseph Morel, 30, from Jupiter, Florida, and Hayley Allison Furman, 26, from Sayreville, New Jersey.

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is a highly selective award for the nation’s top community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges or universities.

And, for both Furman and Morel, getting to Stetson wasn’t easy.

With both parents having passed away from apparent health issues, Furman, 19, who had dropped out of high school, worked a variety of jobs before obtaining her General Education Development degree and jump-starting her education at Seminole State College, not far from Stetson.

She will focus on food policy and nutrition.

Morel graduated from high school in 2007, took a year off and then joined the Marines for two years. He chose to retire and, tragically, the close friend who took his place there was killed.

After what he described as a frustrating five years to get his GI Bill in progress, he’s moving forward at Stetson — and with huge aspirations.

Law school and then the Oval Office.

He wants to become president in 2036.

— Trish Wieland Hayley Allison Furman and Joseph Morel

Phasin Gonzalez ’20 collaborated with University of Kansas professor Steven Soper, PhD.

Alumna Makes Official Return Only weeks into her new job as Florida’s Chief Resilience Officer, alumna Julia Nesheiwat, PhD, returned to Stetson in August to collaborate as she engages Florida’s universities across the state to help prepare Florida for sea-level rise.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Nesheiwat ’97 as the state’s first chief resilience officer and tasked her with developing a strategy to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Nesheiwat brings more than 20 years of experience to the job as a former diplomat, combat veteran and senior official with the U.S. Department of State focused on renewable energy and environmental issues. She holds a doctorate from the Tokyo Institute of Technology’s Department of Science and Engineering.

Since starting her new job, Nesheiwat has traveled throughout the state to meet with experts in government, academia and the private sector to learn about research and other projects related to the environmental, physical and economic impacts of rising sea levels.

That brought her back to her alma mater to meet with Jason Evans, PhD, associate professor of environmental science and studies, and a researcher on sea-level rise.

Nesheiwat met with Evans and two other experts at Stetson’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience in the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center on the shores of Lake Beresford.

Nesheiwat, who received Stetson’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017, described the meetings as a “great starting point for academia and other outside experts to come together on such an important issue for the state of Florida and beyond.” — Cory Lancaster

Julia Nesheiwat ’97, Florida’s Chief Resilience Officer, talks with Stetson Professor Jason Evans, PhD, at the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center.

Summertime Research: Tumor Cells in Blood Stetson’s Phasin Gonzalez ’20 joined other students from across the world this summer, conducting medical research with the faculty at The University of Kansas.

A biochemistry major at Stetson, Gonzalez worked on several clinical trials for cancer research in collaboration with The University of Kansas Medical Center. He was one of 95 undergraduate students to present their research during a poster symposium at The University of Kansas in July. His research project was “The Microfluidic Affinity Selection and Electrical Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Blood Samples from Metastatic Cancer Patients Enrolled in Clinical Trials.”

Gonzalez’s 10-week summer internship came with a stipend, living accommodations and travel allowances.

Gonzalez explained that primary cancer tumors shed cells into the bloodstream of a patient and those circulating tumor cells can seed metastases that can eventually lead to a patient’s death. The prevalence of these cells in the blood is associated with the severity of the cancer disease, so the ability to detect them can aid in the diagnosis and in monitoring the effectiveness of various treatments.

Also, unlike a biopsy that requires removal of body tissue to make a diagnosis, detecting circulating tumor cells in the blood is minimally invasive and suitable for frequent analysis, he said.

Working with professors at The University of Kansas, Gonzalez used “sinusoidal microfluidic devices coated with monoclonal antibodies” to capture and isolate these circulating tumor cells from blood samples from cancer patients. Then, he counted the cells using “an electrical-impedance sensor.”

Gonzalez, a Peer Instructor for Chemistry and treasurer of Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-health honor society, plans to apply to medical school during this academic year. He would like to become a doctor while also remaining in the field of research. — Cory Lancaster

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

17

FIRST PERSON

TEEING OFF on a Career Course

How my summer internship at PGA Tour headquarters went from “a step in the right direction” to a “hole-in-one” — and what it could mean for others.

BY MIKAEL DAHLGREN ’20

T

h e mission of the PGA Tour is much more than I anticipated.

I learned that the PGA Tour is dedicated to showcasing golf’s greatest players while also engaging, inspiring and positively impacting the sport’s fans, corporate partners and communities worldwide.

Mikael Dahlgren ’20

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In fact, many people don’t realize the PGA Tour has donated more than $2.5 billion to charities. I had no idea — until I was there.

When I was selected into this year’s PGA Tour Summer Internship Program, I knew I would learn a lot, and wow, did I ever. I actually learned plenty about myself, too.

I’ve had a golf club in my hand nearly since birth; that’s 21 of my 22 years. But these players aren’t just good; they’re spectacular.

Anyway, I wasn’t there to play. Majoring in professional sales and entering my senior year at Stetson, I saw this as an opportunity to spend 10 weeks in the PGA Tour’s media and business-development department at its headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach near Jacksonville, Florida. The organization, totaling approximately 900 people, was established in 1968 as the Professional Golfers’ Association of America before it became a separate entity for tour players.

This internship turned out to be, as the saying goes, the “chance of a lifetime,” not just because of the exposure, but because I received so much personal attention and experience during my time with the organization.

I knew that simply getting a shot at this award-winning internship was going to be a challenge. So, I decided to put all of my energy into being chosen. Only 14 students are selected each year from more than 1,100 applicants, and from some of the best universities nationwide. The selection process included a written application and essay, followed by extensive personal calls and even a video conference interview.

I must give special mention to Stetson Athletics Director Jeff Altier and others for writing reference letters as part of my application. For sure, Stetson helped me greatly.

Now, in some small way, I’d like to return that favor and share my story to help future students on their own internship career course.

For starters, although I was proud to represent my university, I also was a little uneasy. I realized there were high expectations of me, and I did not want to disappoint!

In addition, I had never been in such a large corporate setting, at least not without my father by my side. My dad was an IT executive who regularly would meet with clients on the golf course, sometimes taking me along. Before we moved to Singapore, where I attended high school, my dad was the sponsor for the HP Byron Nelson PGA tournament, and he included me. I shared the excitement and helped him on work with CBS Sports and the trophy ceremony. Together, we entertained customers, recognized volunteers and spent time with the players.

Deep down inside, I knew I could be good at this.

Yet, thinking about my future, I was merely trying to take a “step in the right direction.”

Heeding advice from others, I tried to be a sponge.

For example, during one golf tournament, I sat in on meetings about posts that a sponsor, a leading national mortgage company, wanted on the PGA Tour Instagram. I had never considered selling ads for Instagram, selling something that wasn’t tangible. That was eye-opening.

And it was cool to be part of an organization that knew what was going to be posted on Instagram four weeks out — four tournaments away. The same thing for commercials. I already knew what was going to be on TV, and I was in on the planning.

I didn’t make the ads or the sales, but I absorbed how things came together.

Another example: When a leading car-rental company put out a video on social media about a golfer hitting a ball over Niagara Falls, I listened and witnessed everything from the initial phone calls to the video production to the final meetings. Plus, I worked on a statistical recap of the results, putting together a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for the car-rental company.

If I could offer my own advice, watch and listen — make the most of every opportunity. And network.

In general, I asked a ton of questions and tried to meet new people, attaching faces to names and putting my own name out there. I was basically told to do so. I was at my desk for five or six hours a day. The rest of

the time was spent in other offices. The organization encouraged me: Don’t just sit behind a desk.

Experiential learning? Absolutely.

I also got to learn about company culture. In my humble opinion, that should be part of every internship.

What I’ll remember is I could literally email a senior VP and get a positive reply right back to visit with the VP. I wanted to hear about that person’s career path — how did the VP get here?

I’ll also remember an organization-wide volunteer day at a Jacksonville school called Sanctuary on 8th Street. I played kickball with the kids the entire day, and I learned that volunteerism — giving back — is pervasive at the PGA Tour.

Mostly, I won’t forget the night before my final day of the internship. Earlier, at one of our sit-down lunches with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, we asked about his favorite local place to dine. His immediate response: “Why don’t you just come over to my house?”

So, that’s what we did along with other Tour executives, sitting and talking that evening, getting to know one another on a personal level.

Everyone at the Tour sees Jay as the big boss. I kept thinking, “I’m with him at his house while he’s wearing shorts and a golf shirt!” It was a great experience.

The entire summer was that way. It was a career step in the right direction.

That’s for sure. And dare I say this? It turned out to be a “hole-in-one” for me.

Again, I feel so fortunate to be included in this life-changing internship opportunity.

What’s next? First off, I am hopeful that my new relationships and experiences will afford me the chance to be a full-time employee of the PGA Tour after graduation. Secondly, my wish is for other Stetson students to be included in the internship program going forward.

I would strongly recommend giving it a shot, putting all of your energy into the application and interview process. I am confident if chosen, you will receive just as many benefits as I did.

I would say that’s true for all internships, in general.

So, with my senior year now having begun, as I reflect back on my PGA Tour internship experience, I look in the mirror with an increased confidence level — knowing that a “hole-in-one” is not only possible on the golf course for me, but in the corporate environment, too.

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

19

HUSKEY

Impressions From the classroom at Stetson to scholarly quests across the globe, recently retired professor Eugene Huskey, PhD, left his mark — making the campus and, in fact, the world a little bit more insightful.

BY RICK DE YAMPERT

G

rowing up in the 1960s in Eustis, 30 miles from the Stetson campus, young Eugene Huskey didn’t know about the intricacies of the geopolitical tensions — the Cold War — between the United States and the Soviet Union.

On an adolescent level, though, he did know this: If the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 had turned the Cold War into a “hot” war, with the world’s two superpowers lobbing nuclear-warhead missiles at each other, some folks in his neck of the woods would be prepared. Huskey’s father, after all, was a general contractor who had built fallout shelters to protect people from the radiation of an atomic bomb attack.

Later, as a junior at Winter Park High School near Orlando, Huskey signed up to study the Russian language when the school began to offer that course in 1968.

“Like so much in life, it happened by chance,” Huskey said in May of his pivotal foray into Russian studies, which included 30 years as a Stetson professor until his retirement that month.

“I kind of wanted to know what the enemy was like,” he added.

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Retired professor Eugene Huskey, PhD (below, left) became an expert on the politics and culture of the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan. Then he helped to reshape how students learn at Stetson.

So began a journey that would lead Huskey on a lifelong quest to know what the “Red Menace” was like, and to share his knowledge with others. And, in doing so, Huskey’s impact on Stetson became undeniable.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in history and political science at Vanderbilt University and a master’s in politics at the University of Essex in England, that quest led Huskey to pursue a doctorate in politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

He studied in Russia in 1977 as a first-year doctoral student, and was awarded a prestigious International Research and Exchanges Board scholarship to study at Moscow State University for a full year, 1979-1980.

Huskey would return to the region more than 20 times over the next three decades to study under various fellowships and research contracts.

In 1989, as the Berlin Wall was crumbling, Huskey’s quest landed him at Stetson, where his dad had graduated in 1960 after 14 years of combining bill-paying work and matriculation under the GI Bill.

As a political science professor and as the William R.

Kenan Jr. Chair of Political Science from 1999 until his retirement in May, Huskey helped transform SPREES (Stetson’s Program in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies) into global significance, even as he came to be widely recognized as an expert on the politics and culture of the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan.

By the time Huskey arrived at Stetson, his relationships with the “enemy” had reached a state not just of détente but of friendship, thanks to his years spent with Moscow-based Russian professors. Right after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Huskey began visiting Kyrgyzstan and got to know many of its political movers and shakers personally, including Roza Otunbayeva, who would one day become president of that country.

The international media got to know him, as well. In June 2010, among several other times, he was interviewed regarding events in Kyrgyzstan. In this instance, CBC News, a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., referred to him as a U.S. political scientist and frequent visitor to Kyrgyzstan.

Huskey’s face-to-face relationships would directly and indirectly impact students who took his classes in Russian politics, Russian foreign policy, ethnicity and politics, and Central Asian politics and society.

Notably, those relationships with students, along with friendships far-flung across the globe, became widely evident at a gathering on campus last spring to celebrate his retirement. The event, attended by students, fellow faculty and administrators, and featuring video clips of warm praise from abroad, was standing room only.

When Huskey set foot on the Stetson campus in 1989, no one was teaching the Russian language at the university, even though its Russian Studies program (the forerunner of SPREES) had been founded in 1958.

Huskey promptly established an exchange program with Moscow State University: Stetson students would attend the Moscow school to learn Russian, and that school would send professors to Stetson to teach for a year. Thus, Stetson was one of the first U.S. universities to create such a program, which proved to be a critical moment in elevating the course study of SPREES. In 1991, renowned Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov visited Stetson, which Huskey recounts in his 2018 book “Encounters at the Edge of the Muslim World: A Political Memoir of Kyrgyzstan.”

The early 1990s also saw Stetson expand its Russian Studies program (then soon to be rechristened SPREES after the breakup of the Soviet Union). Grants provided funds for visiting artists and lecturers, such as poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko and writer Tatyana Tolstaya, the establishment of the program’s own house, and a full-tenured track line for Russian language and satellite television.

Throughout his tenure at Stetson, Huskey said wryly, he noticed that when it came to attracting students to the field, the “worse, the better.” That is, the worse relations were between the United States and Russia, the more students were curious and eager to pursue studies of Russia and its region — not unlike that son of a fallout-shelter builder during the Cold War of the 1960s.

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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Huskey’s friendships with influencers at home and abroad remain commonplace.

Right: shown with Alesia Sedziaka, a visiting Stetson assistant professor of political science.

Below and right: Huskey shares a moment with Almaz Atambayev, a former president of picturesque Kyrgyzstan.

“Gene is one of these rare academics who is pretty much good at every aspect, every dimension of the job,” described Bill Nylen, PhD, director of Stetson’s International Studies Program and a colleague of Huskey’s since 1992. “He’s an amazing scholar — one of the two or three most productive and most impressive scholars on campus. Oftentimes, that doesn’t necessarily translate into being a good teacher, but in his case he was an amazing teacher as well.

“For research in the work that he and I do [Nylen’s focus is Latin American politics], you go out into the field and you actually have to meet people; you have to cultivate relationships, so that people trust you, they like you and they actually look forward to talking to you about the things that matter. Your data sources are humans as opposed to tables and charts and numbers.

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“But it’s intense, and it takes a lot of cultivation, a lot of time and energy, and it doesn’t necessarily translate easily back into the classroom, where you are teaching basic concepts to undergrads. Yet, Gene did it beautifully. He just had a gift in the classroom, which I don’t have — I wish I did,” Nylen added with a chuckle.

Mayhill Fowler, PhD, an assistant professor of history who teaches and researches the cultural history of Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe, agreed with Nylen’s assessments.

“For me, Gene was a model because he had a name in the field, but he also was an amazing professor who inspired students,” Fowler said.

“That combination of being a top-notch scholar, someone who’s really contributing to your field, and also mentoring students and really shaping their lives — that’s what we all want to be when we grow up. One of the concerns when you come to a school and there’s a teaching focus is that you will lose your scholarship. I really look to Gene as a model of someone who didn’t. He was always publishing and presenting and was a very, very active scholar.”

Huskey racked up impressive totals during his career. He authored

Huskey poses with former colleagues: Professor Emeritus T. Wayne Bailey, PhD (front); (top, from left) professors Gary Maris, PhD; Anne Hallum, PhD; and Bill Nylen, PhD.

Thanks in part to Huskey, Stetson students now are visiting Kyrgyzstan’s countryside.

60 academic articles and wrote or edited five books. And counting — Huskey hasn’t stopped despite his Stetson retirement.

Also, he is a member of the editorial board of the Washington, D.C.-based Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization.

Scott Horton, a contributing editor for Harper’s Magazine, wrote about one of Huskey’s books, “Encounters at the Edge of the Muslim World”: “No American scholar has quite the depth of understanding of Kyrgyzstan that Eugene Huskey commands, and in this work he puts both his impressive analytical skills and his vast knowledge and experience to excellent use in a work that teaches a great deal and remains remarkably engaging and warm. This book, which has no equal in the current literature, is a first-person account of the protracted birth, at times painful and at times joyous, of Central Asia’s first modern democracy. It is an important accomplishment and the most significant contribution to date to the English-language literature concerning Kyrgyzstan.”

Huskey is hoping “Encounters” will be translated into Russian.

“I still want to share the knowledge I have,” he asserted. “That’s what scholars do.

They don’t just do it for themselves.”

Huskey received the McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2007, the John

Hague Award for Distinguished Teaching in the Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2012, and the Hand Prize for Faculty Research in 1992 and 2004.

Yet, despite those achievements — scholarly accolades, pages of published research, international acclaim — it is the people, especially faculty and students, who resonate most in Huskey’s mind.

He mentions his departmental colleagues in Stetson’s first political science department, including Professor Emeritus T. Wayne Bailey, PhD, and Gary Maris, PhD, and later Nylen.

Today, SPREES is in transition. But a good transition, Huskey noted. “One of the most exciting things for me is to see the hiring of several new colleagues, young colleagues over the last seven or eight years,” he said.

Among those hires: Daniil Zavlunov, PhD (music); Katya Kudryavtseva, PhD (art history); Snezhana Zheltoukhova, PhD (Russian language); and Fowler (history).

“I think that’s one of the things I’ll remember — the respect I have for my colleagues, the work they do with students,” Huskey said.

Huskey remembers students, too. And “not just the good students.”

“You certainly remember the really exceptional students. But a lot of the times the students you feel closest to are not the students who are getting the A’s in your classes. They’re just good human beings,” Huskey commented in characteristically personable style.

One story of student impact: In spring 2018, Rebecca Shaffer ’18 studied at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, by virtue of a student-exchange program, one that few other universities offer. Shaffer learned of the program in a course Huskey taught on Central Asian politics. She was Stetson’s first program participant to study in Bishkek.

Nylen becomes wistful as he reminisces about his now-retired colleague: “In a best of all possible worlds, Gene and I, instead of teaching separate classes on democracy or comparative politics, we would’ve been co-teaching. That would’ve been great.”

Then there’s that one place where Huskey and Nylen have not achieved any sort of state of détente.

“Gene and I play tennis together — we’re tennis partners,” Nylen said. “He kicks my [butt] every single time. But it’s not as lopsided as it might appear by the score. We play well, and we’re both pretty competitive.

But he’s just a better player than me.

“His retirement is a huge loss. What a brain that guy has.”

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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G al

Keeper

On campus, Andi Garavaglia ’11 was both a goalie in soccer and goal-oriented in the classroom. Now, that passionate pursuit of “winning” means playing without a safety net.

BY RICK DE YAMPERT

W

hen Andi Garavaglia ’11, was growing up in St. Louis, she was part of a sports-oriented family — a hockey-mad family, really.

Her two older brothers, including a twin who, she jokes, is three minutes her senior, played the sport.

Dinnertime conversations were consumed by talk of the National Hockey League and the hometown St. Louis Blues.

So, it became an ironic joke within her family when Garavaglia, after four years as the starting goalie on Stetson’s women’s soccer team, became “the first one to actually get a paycheck from the NHL,” she said, teasingly.

From 2014 to 2017, Garavaglia was based in New York City as manager of retail sales and marketing for the NHL. She was one of the first female executives in the league.

To say that Garavaglia has been — ahem — “goal-oriented” throughout her life isn’t just a pun.

“I suppose you can say that I am,” she said. “I don’t necessarily think of myself that way. But I’ve always thought there are teams that I want to be on. … I’ve always wanted to align myself with teams that I see as winning.”

Goal-oriented? As an undergraduate, Garavaglia even studied abroad at the University of Oxford in England during her final Stetson semester. She had spotted the opportunity as a first-year student.

Then, following her stint at NHL headquarters, she returned to Oxford to earn an MBA. Now, she is putting that MBA to use as an entrepreneur — essentially, playing without a safety net.

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STETSON | Fall 2019

Andi Garavaglia ’11 with the NHL’s championship trophy

Garavaglia is chief operating officer of West Tenth, a tech startup whose app is designed to create a digital marketplace, a “modern main street,” for female business proprietors and their customers.

When she was on the field at Stetson, Garavaglia went through a personal ritual before each game: “I would tap my goal posts and say aloud, ‘For those who came before me. For those who come after me. And just a bit for me.’”

Thoughtful. Introspective. Not coincidentally, Garavaglia majored in psychology.

Her senior thesis explored the psychology of Facebook use among her fellow students. That meant convincing more than 100 of her peers to give up Facebook for one month in order to compare users against abstainers. While her study didn’t yield any significant results, she said, the “Facebook challenge” created a buzz and spurred discussions across campus about the roles of social media.

“One word best sums her up: prepared,” described Camille Tessitore King, PhD, professor and chair of Stetson’s Department of Psychology. “In the classroom, in advising sessions, on the soccer field and elsewhere, Andi comes prepared. But perhaps more significant is the fact that preparation in her case more often than not translates into success.”

In particular, King remembers Garavaglia as a student in her biological psychology class.

“It’s not an easy class,” King said. “If my key on a test was different from what she had answered, I went back to make sure that I didn’t mark the key wrong.

That’s how good she was.”

Garavaglia, King added, “obviously is incredibly motivated. She thrived on it. And she is very friendly.

She isn’t egotistical in any way, shape or form. Just down-to-earth.”

For her study-abroad term at Oxford, Garavaglia created her own curriculum in the “Psychology of Social Media” and explored her interest in the “disruption potential of technology.”

Garavaglia’s passion for sports, plus her Stetson career and her studies of psychology and social media, all converged to land that job with the NHL. While a student at Stetson, she had met Jim Haskins ’88, a former university trustee and now group vice president of the NHL’s Consumer Products Licensing division. As a senior, Garavaglia took a sports marketing class under Scott Jones, PhD, who remains at Stetson as assistant professor of marketing, program director of sport business, and Department of Marketing chair. Garavaglia’s class project on the NHL ended up in the hands of Haskins, who became her mentor and ultimately opened the door to her job in hockey.

“I wasn’t hawking T-shirts; I was not hawking sweatshirts,” Garavaglia said of her role. Instead, the job encompassed partnership management with any and all retailers that carried NHL goods in North America — that is, cultivating close relationships with Amazon, Walmart, Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and regional retailers.

Her role was to be more of a brand steward and a consultant on retailers’ business, informing them about trends and hot markets, and communicating the “ambiance of cool that surrounds the brand.” She also worked on the NHL’s high-profile, high-stakes events, and with U.S. sports arenas on NHL licensing for retailing in those venues.

Afterward, having never taken a finance class, Garavaglia realized there was more to learn about contracts and business numbers, and she made the decision to return to Oxford for her MBA. There, she served as co-chair of the Oxford Sport Business Network. Also, she met fellow Oxford MBA student Lyn Johnson. The encounter led Garavaglia in pursuit of her next big goal.

When Johnson founded West Tenth, Garavaglia made the jump into the world of tech startups and entrepreneurship.

According to a West Tenth press release, its mobile app, available on the Apple Store, offers free “digital storefronts” to women who own and operate a business out of their homes.

The goal is to “elevate overlooked talents, connecting these businesses with community members in need of uniquely crafted services that save them time.”

Garavaglia’s LinkedIn profile carries the tag line “Building a modern main street at West Tenth.”

Still, despite her pursuits on the playing field, despite her transcontinental studies and despite moving from the front office of a storied sports league to an entrepreneurial tech company with literally no track record, Garavaglia doesn’t necessarily embrace the term “overachiever.”

“I suppose overachiever is a flattering way to put it,” she said with a laugh. “But the other way you can put it is that I like to overwork. I like to always be working and always feel productive.”

Especially when there’s another goal to reach.

Garavaglia played the role of brand steward for the National Hockey League.

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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SIGNIFICANCE CAMPAIGN

BEYOND SUCCESS The aptly named Beyond Success – Significance Campaign fundraising effort exceeded its goal — with philanthropy touching virtually every corner of Stetson.

Even some unexpectedly.

BY M A RY S H A N K L I N

B

ooming thunderheads chased lightning flashes early one spring evening last year as the Stetson Hatters — for the first time in the school’s history — hosted the NCAA Regionals.

The coveted baseball playoffs usually went to large, public institutions, but Stetson won the opportunity after supporters upgraded facilities and the team ascended to national prominence.

Then, as those storied Hatters hit their stride during that crucial game, nimbus clouds hovered and umpires called a rain delay.

What happened next, few could have foreseen.

More than 50 baseball alumni retreated to the newly renovated Carlton Family Team Room, a lounge at Melching Field that was refashioned by generous donors. More significant than the trophies were hundreds of baseballs displayed and signed by academically distinguished ballplayers.

Talk in the room started about taking Stetson to the next level — athletically and for the school as a whole. Quickly, a sense of excitement charged the air.

“We were beating Oklahoma State at that point,” said Stetson Athletics Director Jeff Altier.

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STETSON | Fall 2019

Jeff Altier

“We were surrounded by what we had just built. Everyone caught that energy. They were saying, ‘Hey, we did this.’”

Momentum mounted for about 90 minutes. By the time the umpires restarted the game, the happenstance gathering generated more than $250,000 for Stetson’s Beyond Success – Significance Campaign. Those donations were on top of the funds raised for the team-lounge remake in 2018.

As much as contributing to the $200 million campaign, the spontaneous rally encapsulated the very idea behind the ambitious fundraising initiative.

In 2013, Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, PhD, launched the campaign with the vision of moving beyond incremental improvements and taking transformative leaps instead. By the time the campaign ended earlier this year, the endeavor far exceeded expectations and touched virtually every corner of Stetson.

The scoreboard: The campaign raised more than $218 million on a total goal of $200 million.

Timing was key. Deficits, dropouts and declining enrollment plagued private institutions of higher education across the country. At Stetson, though, record enrollment and rising endowments gave the ambitious campaign strong underpinnings.

“If you have a leader who understands [that] we are a mission-focused, non-profit business, you can succeed,” explained Jeff Ulmer, vice

president for Development and Alumni Engagement. “You have to make enrollment.

You have to be relevant in the eyes of the customer base.”

The Significance Campaign began with a study to determine game-changers for all aspects of the university. Over seven years, it evolved to meet emerging needs in ways that spoke to both new and longtime supporters.

Interest rose quickly in creating an Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience. The idea was to apply research to policy discussions in Volusia County and beyond. The concept began to attract grants and ultimately led to a $6 million gift from Sandra Stetson, a greatgranddaughter of university benefactor John B. Stetson. The result was the construction of the two-story Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center along Lake Beresford, not far from the DeLand campus. The center is home to the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, as well as to Stetson Rowing.

Separately, funding life was given to Stetson’s health and science initiative when Hyatt and Cici Brown, Stetson trustees, financial supporters and longtime advocates of

science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), got behind the effort. (See Page 34.)

“The campaign gave us a platform to talk about substantive things we could do to save our waterways and springs,” Ulmer said.

The Carlton Union Building renovation and expansion further underscored the campaign’s ability to connect Stetson supporters in meaningful ways, said Lua Hancock, EdD, vice president for Campus Life and Student Success.

“We talked with alums from 20 and 30 years ago. We asked them what impacted them as students,” Hancock said. “If you walk around the CUB, you see what impacted them while they were here.”

Former student government leaders helped sponsor the CUB’s new student-government suite. A total of 10 rooms in the CUB are named for donors. Students created an environmental fund, which financed 231 rooftop solar panels.

Re-creating a first impression for the university became a study in partnering with go-to supporters to build an iconic, namesake welcome center (Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker

A new place for students inside the Carlton Union Building

Jeff Ulmer

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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SIGNIFICANCE CAMPAIGN

Welcome Center). Financed completely with donations, the environmentally certified landmark nods to the past with a partial red-brick facade while embracing the future with dramatic glass-banked walls that extend three stories.

The center is more than window dressing for the campus, according to Bob Huth, Stetson executive vice president and chief financial officer. While Stetson competes with

larger, public universities academically, it must “show well” to entice new students, he noted.

Huth cited the campaign’s focus on both academics and athletics. That focus was the impetus for the Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence, which benefited from an endowment from the Browns. Also, that focus helped to bring back football and launch a highly competitive women’s beach volleyball team. And, of course, there was the

HIGHLIGHTS OF CAMPAIGN SUPPORT Philanthropy tied to the Stetson University Strategic Map, 2014-2019 DEMONSTRATE STETSON’S DISTINCTIVENESS AND VALUE PROPOSITION • Endowed scholarships and fellowships support: more than $30 million raised (includes endowment for Stetson’s only full scholarship — Edmunds Scholars) • Creation of the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience • Funding for Stetson’s Environmental Fellowships • The Stetson Law Annual Fund has grown by more than 50%, leading to expansion of the Merit Retention Scholarship Program.

Environmental Fellows

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Bob Huth

Carlton Family Team Room for baseball.

“This campaign was above and beyond the norm,” Huth said. “It ended up adding in a significant way to the number of friends and alumni who consider Stetson in their philanthropy.”

ENHANCE EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION IN LEARNING • Health and Science Initiative • Academic chairs and visiting chair positions • Faculty research and development • Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence (professors/programming) • WORLD: Rinker Center for International Learning • International travel endowment • Centurion Sales Excellence Program and labs in the School of Business Administration • Endowed Templeton Business Ethics Case Competition • Endowed Betty Drees Johnson Dean of the Library and Learning Technologies position • Funded joint DeLand/College of Law Constitutional Law and Civil Rights Movement travel course (social justice experiential-learning endowment) • Cancer research lab for Roslyn Crowder, PhD • Faculty and student research support • Internship support • Bonner Scholar endowment • Stetson Law Foreman Biodiversity Fellow • Veterans Institute Program

Amy Gipson, associate vice president of Development Strategy and Communications, said alumni responded strongly in another area: scholarships.

The campaign raised more than $30 million for the student financial aid packages that boost the school’s financial lifeblood — enrollment. (See Page 30.)

“That helps make Stetson affordable for students, some of whom may be the first in their families to attend college,” Gipson said.

“Scholarships really struck a chord with alumni.”

Meanwhile, adding students meant adding relevant programs, and workforce demands had changed since the university last fully assessed its offerings. So, new donor-funded academic programs were added.

Overall, the broad menu of donor opportunities, together with an invigorated

development staff, generated $19 million “from people who had never given a dime,” Ulmer said, placing that count at 5,600 new donors.

Stetson University College of Law also benefited, largely with new scholarship endowments to enhance recruiting efforts in attracting students with higher LSAT and undergraduate GPA credentials. The Stetson Law Annual Fund has grown by more than 50%, leading to expansion of the Merit Retention Scholarship Program.

“In the toughest market ever for law applicants, with LSAT takers dropping by about 50%, our College of Law steadied its enrollment with an uptick in the quality of its students,” said Libby at a meeting with faculty and staff back in August. “Law colleges around the country were dropping their standards to ‘make their class’ while at Stetson, we just kept pushing forward with our commitment to quality and rigor.”

Libby continued: “We endowed scholarships, started new programs in areas of excellence and started new areas of excellence.

We have funded programs that undergird our students’ success in academic learning and in athletics. We have renovated and built new buildings and put aside money for their maintenance over time. And, we have planned for our future by raising over $60 million in future gifts from donors’ estates and trusts.”

During that wet evening of Stetson’s NCAA Regionals, alumni reclaimed their seats to watch the Hatters clinch victory and, later, advance to within one step of baseball’s College World Series.

Next time they head to a Hatters home game, they can stop by a campus that has been marked by transformation in recent years. And if it happens to be a stormy day, school officials just may have a special place for them to wait out a rain delay.

EMPOWER LIFELONG SUCCESS AND SIGNIFICANCE

SECURE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO ENSURE SUCCESS

• Creation of the Hollis Student Success Center in the duPont-Ball Library (with endowment) • Hollis Family Student Success Program • Veterans Law Institute (expanded space) • Athletics Expansion Initiative • Opening of the Athletic Training Facility • Cooper Beach Volleyball Pavilion • Watson (football practice) Field • Lacrosse and football endowments • Renovation of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house, with new Endowed Scholarship Fund • Renovation to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house • Renovation of the Jeffrey and Diane Ginsburg Hillel House, with funds for all programs • New Edinger Golf Complex

• Opening of the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center to house Admissions, Career and Professional Development, One Stop offices, and meeting spaces (with endowment) • Funding toward renovation and expansion of the Carlton Union Building student center • Stetson Fund • Current-use support for Sandra Stetson students and faculty Aquatic Center • Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center (with endowment) • Health and Science building (planned) • Florida Historical Society grant for law fountain restoration • General Endowed Fund gifts • Planned-gift inventory

Jeffrey and Diane Ginsburg Hillel House

INCREASE ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE AND ADAPTABILITY • Purchase of Raiser’s Edge software for Office of Development and Alumni Engagement

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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SIGNIFICANCE CAMPAIGN

CHANGING

FACE

Thanks to donor generosity and the scholarships that result, the student body is taking on new shape. And turning heads, too.

BY M A RY S H A N K L I N

M

irroring transformations throughout Stetson, the student body has evolved with growth in scholarships and related programs.

Its face is changing.

Stories of a single mother pursuing physics, the birth of a medical device, music for an unlikely college student — and more — bring to life some of the gains made in recent years by virtue of scholarship dollars.

ANNA DAVID: ‘THAT SENSE OF COMFORT’ The words describing Stetson senior Anna David are seldom uttered together — single mother, transfer student, physicist.

Years after completing an associate degree at Valencia College in Orlando, David is now on track to graduate from Stetson this fall with a degree in physics.

The 29-year-old said the power of group dynamics in small classes helped her work through the concepts of nuclear theory.

“I’ve seen the [Department of Physics] grow, but we still have only a handful of students in some classes,” said David. “Having that sense of comfort you get in a small group makes it easier to vocalize challenges and resolve complex problems.”

Her professors’ global views have shaped her plans. Visiting physics faculty member Jared Vanasse, PhD, made her aware of postgraduate studies at the University of Florida, which works with CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

In addition, David, a resident of an apartment complex near campus, said Stetson has done more than broaden her perspective. The mother of a 3-year-old said staff members also helped her settle into family housing during a tumultuous time in her life.

David said she often battles feelings of inadequacy that accompany single parenting. But she sees her diligence paying off for both herself and her son.

“I’m starting to see the same qualities in [son] Rycen, which inspires me in more ways than one,” David said.

JACQUELYN TUTTLE: ‘TRULY FELT HOME’ College wasn’t predestined for Jacquelyn Tuttle.

She and her brother had both served in the military. Only about half of her immediate family had any college experience. One lacked a high school diploma. Adding to the challenges, her mother has long battled cancer.

College was a remote horizon.

Yet, with a background as a flutist, Tuttle had heard about Stetson’s School of Music and the work of Director of Bands Douglas Phillips, DMA. She decided to visit.

“When I walked into the band room for my first rehearsal with Dr. Phillips, being able to sit down in his ensemble and learn from him and

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witness his conducting — as well as his love for the school — was an amazing experience,” said Tuttle. “It was in my first rehearsal that I truly felt home.”

Now, she’s a senior majoring in music education.

Classes, Tuttle cited, have been challenging and rigorous. At the same time, they’ve helped build the confidence needed to complete a degree and prepare for a job. The School of Music also has broadened her knowledge by exposing her to concerts she may have never seen.

Heading into her final semester at Stetson, the 32-year-old will intern by helping to direct a nearby middle school band.

“I want to be able to share my love for music with others and teach them this unique art form,” Tuttle said.

BRYSON PRITCHARD: ‘ONE HOT MOMENT’ Bryson Pritchard, 20, had a million-dollar idea tucked away when he enrolled at Stetson as a first-year student two years ago.

Working in nearby Halifax Health’s intensive care unit, he saw the need for a new type of syringe that could deploy multiple solutions.

Aside from cutting medical costs, it might save lives by reducing risks of infection, he thought.

Like most brilliant ideas, though, the dream faded. Lacking the ability to bring it to life, Pritchard focused on classes for a Stetson degree in molecular biology.

“I sat on the idea. I heard about Stetson’s entrepreneurship program, but I didn’t really think twice about it,” said Pritchard.

Through a friend, he met Stetson faculty members Bill Jackson,

DBA, and Lou Paris, MBA, of the Joseph C. Prince Entrepreneurship Program in the School of Business Administration. The time-honored program had just been invigorated with new resources.

After meeting the educators, Pritchard said it took “one hot moment” to recognize his idea could become reality.

Jackson, Prince Entrepreneurship Program director, and Paris, the program’s assistant director, helped Pritchard refine his idea, as well as apply for a provisional patent on his Dyad Syringe.

Since then, Pritchard has garnered about $30,000 from startup competitions. Classes, he said, are more meaningful through the filter of a business plan.

“Without this program, this idea would probably be on a napkin in my car,” said Pritchard, who now also spends much of his time studying business.

GAVEN DEFILIPPO: ‘FINGERPRINT ON A NEW INITIATIVE’ Something was missing when Tucson, Arizona, high school quarterback Gaven DeFilippo first arrived at Stetson to play football.

There was no stadium at the time. And, six years ago, practice fields were just emerging.

Soon, though, he witnessed the revival of a Hatters sport that had died half a century earlier.

“I think it’s always fun to put your fingerprint on a new initiative,” said the student-athlete, who is scheduled to complete a master’s degree in business administration next spring.

Support for the team grew after its relaunch. DeFilippo hoisted weights on new training equipment and geared up in renovated quarters.

The City of DeLand remade Spec Martin Memorial Stadium, down the street from campus. The university’s commitment also showed with added staff. And DeFilippo appreciated touches like a shoe dryer and a hydration station dispensing Gatorade.

Early seasons “weren’t pretty,” he said. But the team began to gel under multitasking coaches and eventually delivered winning seasons.

The rare chance to revive a sports program had lured him thousands of transcontinental miles. Yet, DeFilippo said it was the School of Business Administration that anchored him.

Although this fall marks his final season as a Hatter — with injuries extending his time as a player — he became one of Stetson’s first graduates to specialize in sport business (while also majoring in sales).

Now a graduate assistant, he works at the School of Business Administration’s new Centurion Sales Program and plans a career in medical-related sales.

NATE SMITH: ‘FIRE THAT WAS DRIVING ME’ Nate Smith’s rearview mirror always had a gleam in it.

When he started Stetson as a freshman four years ago, the Atlanta-area resident had left behind an acceptance letter and scholarships to the University of Georgia, where his dad once served as a baseball coach.

Stetson’s atmosphere and support, such as faculty members immediately knowing him by name, convinced him to enroll.

“Everywhere I went back home, people asked: ‘Where is Stetson?

Where is Stetson?’” said Smith, who graduated last May with degrees in finance and economics. “That was the unofficial chip on my shoulder. It was discouraging at first, but then it became a fire that was driving me.”

Soon, his favorite mantra became: You get out of Stetson what you put into it.

Some of his many campus involvements: mock trial competitions, student ambassadorship, a teaching assistant post and the George Roland Investments Program.

The pinnacle, Smith said, was his oversight of the school’s business ethics team, which took part in seven competitions. The team traveled to Georgetown University, the University of Arizona, the University of Washington and the International Business Ethics competition in California, among other places.

After an internship with Wells Fargo in Atlanta, Smith now works as a middle-market analyst for Wells Fargo finance specialty group. And on the side, he takes more business classes at Georgia Tech.

The glimmer in his rearview mirror is still there, but now it’s also marked by big success at Stetson.

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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SIGNIFICANCE CAMPAIGN

MOVINGFORWARD Even as the official Beyond Success – Significance Campaign comes to a close, “avenues for increased student success” are continuing to be created.

BY M A RY S H A N K L I N

A

s a Hatter, Logan Gilbert’s pitches pierced the air so forcefully that sheer momentum delivered them expertly 60 feet 6 inches away. Now a pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization, Gilbert knows well the physics of setting a force into motion and watching it continue.

Like the Beyond Success – Significance Campaign.

Seven years ago, Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, PhD, set into motion a campaign to transform the university. Momentum from the record-setting effort is expected to continue even as she retires next spring.

That momentum, said Stetson Provost Noel Painter, PhD, is moving the university forward on many fronts: student scholarships … technology innovation … learning facilities … academic programs … faculty development. And more.

Looking ahead, Painter also pointed to creating “avenues for increased student success.”

One initiative gaining ground, for example, is the Internship Impact Fund, which helps immerse students in new environments they may not otherwise be able to afford.

The impact? Recipients have worked at a Manhattan advertising agency, studied Bali’s

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underwater environment, and participated in an archeological excavation in Great Britain.

They’ve presented research findings at conferences. In Central Florida, they have interned at Lockheed Martin and Charles Schwab.

In a show of commitment, Stetson’s Student Government Association recently pledged to contribute annually to the 12-year-old program.

Scholarships speak to the momentum of longer-term commitments.

During the three years that he honed his pitching skills at Stetson, Gilbert received the Thomas S. Lobrano IV Scholarship. It supports academically qualified business students primarily from the Jacksonville area. Like other financial packages, it frees students to focus rather than worry about resources.

Rina Tovar Arroyo, assistant vice president for Development and Alumni Engagement, touched on two other scholarships that help move Stetson and its students forward.

The Fronk Peer Influencers, named for a retired Stetson chaplain and former student Adam Smith, raises awareness about the opioid crisis through peer education on campus.

The Logan Kushner Memorial Scholarship, honoring a student who died during a holiday break in 2012, has evolved in its own way.

Similarly, donor funding that honors Austin Wuennenberg, who was a Stetson student at the time of his death, has continued through the years.

So, while one campaign comes to an end, fundraising at Stetson isn’t stopping.

CAMPAIGN CELEBRATION LEADERSHIP DONORS Stetson’s Beyond Success – Significance Campaign Celebration will be held on Nov. 8.

PRESENTING SPONSOR Christine E. Lynn, E. M. Lynn Foundation CABANA SPONSORS Ginsburg Family Foundation Ed Patricoff ’82, ’85 of Shutts & Bowen LLP United Parachute Technologies LLC Steven ’85 and Lee A. Alexander Rich ’76 and Lilis George Dean Hollis ’82 Ashley Lauren Kerr ’07 of ASHLEYlauren SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORS Fireworks Sponsor Charles A. Wolfe ’85 Welcome Lobby Sponsor Peter C. Brockway ’78 and Susan Perry Brockway ’79

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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ANATOMY

OF A RENAISSANCE An emerging initiative in health and science promises strategic rethinking and a new life.

T

BY CORY LANCAS TER

he much-anticipated advancement of health and science at Stetson is becoming real.

The university has hired an architectural firm and appointed a committee of faculty and administrators to lead the design of a new health and science building.

Sights now are set on a groundbreaking for the 30,000-square-foot building in May, just before President Wendy B. Libby, PhD, retires.

Located behind duPont-Ball Library and next to Sage Hall Science Center, the new building will relieve the existing demand for space in Sage Hall, according to Provost and Executive Vice President Noel Painter, PhD. Mostly, he added, the project provides an opportunity for re-envisioning.

“What this project has become,” Painter said, “is one that doesn’t just focus on satisfying our existing

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needs, but rethinks how we actually do education in sciences and health.”

Once the new building is complete, the university will shift its focus to a “substantial renovation” of Sage Hall, which was constructed in 1967 and expanded in 2009, Painter noted. Fundraising has started for the project, which will upgrade laboratories, among other improvements. The scope of that project has not yet been defined and is expected to cost many millions of dollars.

“The renovation of Sage Hall is the step of the project that will occur after the new building is

Provost Noel Painter, PhD

On left: Stetson professor Mike King, PhD, works with a student in a lab at Sage Hall Science Center.

Sage Hall Science Center

built. It’s not concurrent,” Painter explained. “We’ll build the building first and then we’ll move into that building. That will open some room in Sage to do the renovations.”

EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS Already, Stetson has created and expanded partnerships to provide students with “pathways” to graduate study at AdventHealth University and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, the nation’s largest medical college with a main campus in Erie, Pennsylvania, and a branch campus in Bradenton, Florida.

Stetson and AdventHealth have partnered to offer a dual-degree online program, starting this semester, leading to both a Master of Healthcare Administration in Strategy & Innovation and a Master of Business Administration.

“The MBA/MHA started this fall with 15 students in that program in its first opening. That’s a really successful start for us,” Painter said.

The two institutions also are providing pathways for Stetson health and science students into AdventHealth’s Doctor of Physical Therapy and Master of Occupational Therapy programs, beginning this fall semester.

Stetson biology professor Mike King, PhD, the primary pre-health adviser for students, will be working this year to add pathways into AdventHealth’s programs for nursing and nuclear medicine technology.

Additionally, Stetson has expanded its opportunities with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has Early Acceptance Programs with select colleges, including Stetson. The program grants qualified students a provisional early acceptance into Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, along with its School of Dental Medicine and School of Pharmacy.

Stetson joined the early-acceptance program about a decade ago for students interested in a career as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. The dental program came later, and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine’s new pharmacy program was added this year, King said.

Stetson has seen a growing number of students interested in careers in health care, given the field’s high-paying jobs and demand for graduates. As the fall semester began, 491 undergraduates were interested or had expressed an interest in the pre-health program at Stetson, including 155 first-year students.

“That’s one-sixth of our undergraduates,” King pointed out.

Meanwhile, the potential for academic advancement is evident in research being performed by students such as Phasin Gonzalez ’20, whose summertime research

project was titled “The Microfluidic Affinity Selection and Electrical Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Blood Samples from Metastatic Cancer Patients Enrolled in Clinical Trials.” (See Page 17.)

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK Faculty, administrators and staff met throughout the 2018-2019 academic year to plan for the new health and science building.

Tim Elgren, PhD, was named a special adviser on strategic initiatives and met regularly with faculty to develop a framework for new academic programs. He submitted a final report to Painter at the end of his one-year appointment.

The planning at Stetson also focused on which academic programs would be housed in the new building. The preliminary list now calls for Environmental Sciences and Studies, Counselor Education, Public Health, Health Sciences and the Center for Community Engagement to move into the facility.

Those programs highlight the interdisciplinary approach that Stetson brings to health and science education, Painter explained.

“It’s not just about putting up a building, but cataloging the health and sciences for the whole community. How can you have music participate in the work of health and sciences, or Spanish, or communications, or entrepreneurship?” he said.

The Center for Community Engagement and the Public Health Program will provide “a community-facing element to the building,” providing interaction and outreach with the DeLand community in the health fields, Painter added.

UP NEXT: THE DESIGN PROCESS In recent months, Stetson selected Harvard Jolly Architecture to design the building, following an open search and requests for proposal. Harvard Jolly met in late August with the members of Stetson’s new Health and Science Building Committee, led by Tandy Grubbs, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry, to kick off the design process.

No decisions have been made yet on what the building will look like. But one suggestion involves connecting it to Sage Hall via an elevated walkway.

“While it’s not set in stone and there are considerable strong opinions on both sides,” Painter said, “I know they have talked an awful lot about having parking underneath a structure that’s connected to Sage and then is a second- and thirdstory building.”

While the university anticipates breaking ground in May, the actual construction is expected to start in August, said Bonita Dukes, Stetson’s associate vice president of Facilities Management and a member of the building committee. The committee members will define the functional needs of the building over the next few months.

Then, the design team and the contractor can determine a timeline for construction.

Advancement and a new building, indeed, are happening.

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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Uncommon Education

Training in restorative practices isn’t necessarily new on campuses across the nation. The difference at Stetson?

It’s happening earlier than at many places, with future teachers receiving important lessons as undergraduates.

BY JACK ROTH

“

With the social, emotional state that we have right now, with the things that are occurring nationwide, it’s clear that we need to work on the social/emotional affect of children and adults, too.”

Those are the words of Robin Diedrichs ’92, MEd ’00, the 2017 Volusia County Teacher of the Year.

Social and emotional? Children and adults? Nationwide? Absolutely. You can even add the word global, too.

Diedrichs, an elementary school teacher not far from her alma mater’s campus in DeLand, is talking about restorative practices — an area of learning that Stetson, quite uncommonly, has added to its training of future teachers.

While teachers and administrators usually receive such training once they are teaching or hired in a K-12 school system, Stetson’s Department of Education has begun offering undergraduates that specialized focus well before they reach classrooms as teachers.

Essentially, restorative practices is a social science that studies how to improve and repair relationships between people and communities. In education, it provides opportunities 36

STETSON | Fall 2019

Now, as the next generation of teachers is for students to share their feelings, build being prepared, Stetson is offering more and relationships and solve problems. earlier. To undergraduates.

When there is wrongdoing, students play “When Stetson students graduate with a an active role in addressing the wrong and degree in education, they’ll graduate certified making things right. Educators nationwide to implement restorative practices in the have recognized the importance of fostering classroom, beginning on their first day of positive, healthy school climates and helping teaching,” said Chris Colwell, EdD, associate students learn from their mistakes.

Increasingly, they are partnering with parents, professor and chair of the Department of students, district officials, community organizations and policymakers to move away from harmful and counterproductive zero-tolerance discipline policies — and, instead, toward proven restorative approaches to addressing conflict in schools.

For several years now, Stetson’s Nina B. Hollis Center for School Leadership, part of the university’s Nina B. Hollis Institute for Educational Reform, has employed internationally certified trainers in the area of restorative practices and has been working with local school districts, teaching various classroom strategies to teachers and administrators as a way to improve social and emotional relationships between students and educators Chris and build positive school climates Colwell, EdD and cultures.

Education. “It’s a credential we’re adding to our program and a value-added proposition for our graduates.”

The program started in late August, with juniors and seniors participating in two full days of training on campus and a couple of days a week training in the field before beginning their internships. Funded through the Leadership Center, the program is free to students.

Part of the impetus for establishing the program was members of local school boards.

They were aware of Stetson’s prior work with restorative practices and inquired about undergraduates possibly receiving the training.

“As we started looking at this program as a real possibility, we realized we had the absolute capacity to do it and that it would be a wonderful addition to our students’ set of skills and credentials,” asserted Colwell. “Our students already have a great reputation out there, and this just adds to it.”

The focus of the specialized training encompasses communication skills, questioning skills and problem-solving strategies that work around alternate ways to resolve conflict between student and student and between student and teacher.

Other areas include questioning strategies, group dynamics strategies and alternate strategies to the traditional routes for discipline — how to work with students so when they do something that causes nonphysical harm (disrespectful behavior) it can be repaired.

“The research is pretty clear that when the quality of relationships goes up, the amount of disruption, drama and disrespect goes down,” noted Colwell. “Restorative practices is having a positive impact on school discipline because people are learning how to communicate better, solve problems and express their feelings.”

Michael Gaudreau, PhD, agrees.

Gaudreau is executive director of high schools at Seminole County Public Schools.

When his deputy superintendent, AnnaMarie Cote, EdD, heard about Stetson’s program, an initial meeting with Stetson was scheduled to discuss its merits, which didn’t take long to become apparent.

“We’re training large faculty teams on restorative practices, and as we progress, being exposed to this kind of training will be a big advantage for new hires,” Gaudreau said.

“The social and emotional relationships between students and educators is the most important part of the educational process, and being able to hire teachers right out of school who understand how these relationships work helps us create a positive culture on campus.”

As an employer, Gaudreau is excited that Stetson is taking the initiative to enhance professional development and help its students become more prepared for real-world education scenarios. “It gives their students an advantage,” he commented. “They’ll come into an interview with much more knowledge of what works in the classroom.”

Given the challenges of effectively educating K-12 students, Gaudreau believes it has become increasingly important for education majors to learn as much as they can about the latest research, strategies and programs. And, he added, learning to build positive relationships with students is the most important thing a new teacher can do.

“Stetson’s proactive approach to preparing its students will ultimately benefit the surrounding community and make our education workforce stronger. We’re looking for teachers who want to make a difference with kids,” Gaudreau said.

For Diedrichs and her fourth-graders, that meant virtually starting from scratch on the first day of school in August by asking the fundamental question, “Why are we here?”

Subsequent questions and answers revealed the need for appropriate behavior to achieve

RESTORATIVE PRACTICES IN ACTION • Building relationships that are central to community • Addressing misbehavior and harm in ways that strengthen relationships • Focusing on the harm done rather than the rule that is broken • Giving voice to the person harmed • Engaging in collaborative problem-solving • Having a dramatic personal effect on practitioners and others involved in the process

Source: The Conflict Center, a nonprofit organization based in Denver, Colorado

goals, along with discussions about the consequences for inappropriate behavior.

Diedrichs’ approach touched the very core of restorative practices.

“Really what we were saying is that we need to care for ourselves, care for others and care for the environment,” said Diedrichs, who also has been recognized as one of Florida’s High Impact teachers for the past three years.

“And if we do those three things, then we would achieve our goals of why we were here.

So, if they throw garbage all over the floor in a tantrum, then we go back to why are we here and are we caring for the environment?

Instead of ‘You’re terrible, and you need to go to the office.’ It’s restorative. The child isn’t stigmatized as bad. It’s ‘OK, this is what you did. And what is the natural consequence of that action?’

“Restorative practice really is important.”

“When Stetson students graduate with a degree in education, they’ll graduate certified to implement restorative practices in the classroom, beginning on their first day of teaching.”

— Chris Colwell, EdD, chair of Stetson’s Department of Education

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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RECONSTRUCTING

HOPE A project partnership located less than a mile from campus captures a portrait of experiential learning.

Actually, it’s quintessential Stetson.

And of historic proportions.

BY MICHAEL CANDELARIA

I

n 1920, the two-story J.W. Wright Building was constructed in DeLand, eventually becoming a pillar of the adjacent African American neighborhood and, in fact, an economic driver for an entire segment of the city before falling into irrelevance.

That same year, just down the road, Stetson, founded in 1883, still was in the formative stages of developing community strength that, quite the opposite, would bring lasting, sustained growth.

For a century, the Wright Building and Stetson have, for certain, been in close proximity, less than a mile apart — yet only to move in very separate and divergent directions.

Until now.

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Stetson’s Kevin Winchell with Mario Davis of the Greater Union Life Center.

Photos: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio

In early July, the Greater Union Life Center Inc., owner of the J.W. Wright Building, received a $100,000 grant for the Wright Building restoration — with Stetson playing a key role in obtaining the dollars, which will be used to revitalize what once was the cornerstone of a bustling business and entertainment district.

Established in 2003, the nonprofit Greater Union Life Center works to promote healthier living, economic stability and community engagement in that historically African American community, Spring Hill. The grant came from the National Trust for Historic Preservation through its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. A total of $1.6 million in grants was awarded in July to 22 sites and organizations.

Now, in a big way, Spring Hill is partnering with Stetson. And vice versa.

In reality, the relationship isn’t new. Over the past decade or so, in measures large and small, Stetson students and professors have visited those several largely segregated blocks. They have studied social and

“Our mission at Stetson is focused on preparing our students to solve the most pressing challenges facing our communities. When completed, the Wright Building will support this mission by creating opportunities for student learning that have community impact — particularly through internships, research and capstone experiences.”

— Kevin Winchell, Stetson’s Center for Community Engagement

living conditions. They have recommended remedies. And they have created solutions.

One example: the thriving Spring Hill Community Garden, which produces fresh fruit and vegetables for residents.

This latest effort, however, essentially takes the liaison to an entirely greater level. At least, that’s true according to Kevin Winchell, associate director of Community Engagement at Stetson’s Center for Community Engagement.

Winchell believes the partnership represents “quintessential Stetson” — leveraging knowledge and assets while also expanding and deepening community-engaged learning for health, history, art and business students.

“Our mission at Stetson is focused on preparing our students to solve the most pressing challenges facing our communities,” Winchell said. “When completed, the Wright Building will support this mission by creating opportunities for student learning that have community impact — particularly through internships, research and capstone experiences.”

In turn, student growth could mean new growth to an area that flourished with uncommon vigor for its time.

In 1915, when educator/reformer Booker T. Washington invited J.W. Wright to speak at his national conference in Boston, Wright, an African American, owned 250 acres of prime citrus property in DeLand. Reportedly, he achieved the feat by incrementally buying groves that had frozen out over the years. In 1920, Wright financed his namesake building and attracted retail businesses, essentially empowering local black entrepreneurs by leasing retail spaces.

Today, Mario Davis, executive director of the Greater Union Life Center, seeks a return to such glory for the building, along with the surrounding area, and is looking to Stetson to help make it happen.

The area in redevelopment includes Greater Union First Baptist Church, across the street from the Wright Building.

“We hope the restored Wright Building will extend the arts, entertainment, tourism and shopping boom experienced by downtown DeLand to our community,” Davis said.

“I am confident we are headed in the right direction. … And I have to commend Stetson.

From day one, they’ve been on board.”

Davis hopes to have plans for a business incubator, to be located on the building’s second floor, in place before the end of 2019.

A business incubator works to jump-start entrepreneurship, in this case principally to serve nonprofit groups and maximize resources.

That effort will enable Stetson students to participate in everything from managing some of the operations and consulting with entrepreneurs to growing and harvesting produce from gardens, and handling sales, marketing and administrative duties.

“Through [the project’s] business and nonprofit incubator, our students will gain experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, business law and small-business development,” Winchell explained. “Through its local food market, our students will gain experience with food systems, public health, community gardening and environmental sustainability research. Through its cultural center, our students will gain experience in exhibit curation, historical research, educational programming and facilities management.”

Collaboration on the Wright Building began even before the funding-grant application was completed. The application was written by Maxwell Droznin, who at the time was a community-engagement coordinator for the Center for Community Engagement and an adjunct professor of public health. He also helped flesh out future plans for the center, including budgets and identifying potential revenue streams. (Droznin left Stetson to begin attending the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in August.)

According to grant documents, the Greater Union Life Center will completely restore the Wright Building in accordance with national historic-preservation guidelines, “preserving its heritage while also promoting local economic development and cultural vitalization.”

Chelsea Seaver, a senior public health major who this fall is a Newman Civic Fellow (one of 262 students from 39 states), contributed related research about the Wright Building. As a first-year student, Seaver began volunteering at the Spring Hill Community Garden.

In addition, a host of others have been involved — faculty such as Asal Johnson, PhD, assistant professor of public health; and staff members like Sidney Johnston, assistant director of Grants, Sponsored Research and Strategic Initiatives for Stetson’s Office of Academic Affairs — along with the City of DeLand; DeLand’s African American Museum of the Arts; the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences/Volusia County Extension; and the Hannibal Square Heritage Center and Crealdé School of Art, both of Winter Park near Orlando. Other entities, such as UCF and Bethune-Cookman University, also could become participants in the near future.

Notably, Stetson has worked closely with Mark Shuttleworth, the former mayor of nearby Lake Helen, who serves as project manager. Throughout the development process, Stetson students have had a seat at the table with Shuttleworth, who also is president of Florida Victorian Inc., a rebuilder of architecturally significant properties.

Students are helping and partnering in a classroom of rare experiential learning. In truth, it’s of historic proportions.

Winchell repeats himself: quintessential Stetson.

His parting words: “We’re all in this together.”

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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AT H L E T I C S

S

tetson Athletics Director Jeff Altier became befuddled when the coaches for men’s and women’s golf, Larry Watson and Danielle Shelburne, respectively, approached him during the early stages of planning for their teams’ new practice facility.

The new 10-acre Edinger Golf Complex Photo: Stetson University/Dave Ballesteros

‘GameChanger’ A rising new practice facility for Hatter golfers brings artificial grass and very real potential.

BY R I C K D E YA M P E RT

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STETSON | Fall 2019

“Typically, it’s not the coaches who come to you and say they want artificial stuff,” Altier said. “It’s usually that coaches come to you and say they want natural grass. But, in this case, that was reversed. I kept saying to them, ‘Guys, when I played golf on artificial grass, essentially it was a piece of carpet on pavement.

It was nothing like playing on grass.’”

Although the clubhouse at the new players-only practice facility on Marsh Road in DeLand won’t be completed until early 2020, Stetson golfers began practicing for the fall semester on the 10-acre Edinger Golf Complex site in August — chipping, putting and driving on artificial turf. (The facility, to be developed in phases, largely has been funded by Sandy Edinger ’63 and Martha Edinger.)

The turf, however, is a far cry from the surfaces of those goofy mini-golf places with giant rabbits and pirates as hazards. In fact, the “grass” is a world apart from the once-historic AstroTurf first laid down at the Houston Astrodome in 1966.

Watson, a former touring pro who competed on the PGA Tour and in Europe, and was an associate member of the Champions Tour, understood Altier’s skepticism. Yet, there was no fear that practicing on synthetic grass would put the Hatters at a competitive disadvantage.

“When artificial turf first came into the athletic industry from baseball and football, it was not a very good surface,” Watson said. “Now, so many things have developed in the plastics area that artificial turf is actually better than real turf.”

On Stetson’s two pitching greens, for example, there actually are five different heights of grass.

“So, a kid can practice from all different heights and all different lies around the surface of the pitching green to the putting area,” Watson pointed out. “He could never do that on real grass, because you wouldn’t be able to cut that limited space in that many different heights.”

Along with those two pitching greens, the facility features a large putting green to accommodate both

MORE NEW AMENITIES teams, plus five target greens (at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 yards) that are designed to improve the players’ “wedge” games. The setup also can enhance the players’ ability to hit long shots at target greens up to 310 yards away.

“Both coaches told me they visited several sites that had this artificial surface and walked away convinced it would provide them with a golfing experience equivalent to natural grass,” Altier said. “While I’m talking from a perspective as a novice golfer, I couldn’t believe it. That actually blew me away.”

The turf is environmentally friendly, too.

“We will still have to maintain the artificial surface, but it will be at a different [maintenance] level and in a different way that will reduce our water consumption and reduce our fertilization,” Altier noted.

“It will require about one-tenth of the maintenance of regular grass,” Watson said.

“You don’t have to cut it every day. You don’t have to fertilize it. You don’t have to aerify it.

“The biggest thing in the golf industry in Florida is chinch bugs. You can have a 5,000-square-foot putting green, and the chinch bugs can eat it in two days. We don’t have to worry about that with this synthetic turf. It’s come a long way.”

This fall, construction begins on the 2,600-square-foot clubhouse, which will house three indoor hitting bays with advanced video technology to help golfers and coaches analyze swings.

“These hitting bays will be covered, but will allow the students to hit outside onto the golf range. They will be able to hit out of that garage regardless of rain or shine, and see the distance that their ball carries,” Altier described.

Men’s team captain Chris Williard: “Practice has always been a challenge while using private or public facilities. There were times we just had nowhere to go because the courses we were using had tournaments.

Now, we can practice uninterrupted at any time.”

The clubhouse also will have locker rooms for both teams, a common area for players to study and hold meetings, coaches’ offices, a kitchen, and an oversized garage to house team vans.

Previously, Stetson’s golf teams practiced at various area courses, including at LPGA International in Daytona Beach.

Now, the teams will be able to develop their own practice routines and operate on their own time frames.

“The kids will be able to practice on their own and work on the areas of their games they feel need the most attention,” Watson said.

Most importantly, he added, the investment gives the players a sense of belonging.

“I think this will promote a new culture for the squads,” Watson commented.

“Having their own home facility will improve their confidence levels. They will revel in pride for their university and its championship culture.”

Men’s team captain Chris Williard, a senior, agreed.

Smile, you’re on the Edmunds Center’s video boards.

With apologies to 1960s pop-art guru Andy Warhol and his “15 minutes of fame,” this year Stetson’s basketball teams, their fans and even the referees may get their own 15 seconds of fame.

This summer, the Edmunds Center, including the gymnasium, underwent improvements totaling $550,000. Among the highlights: two new Daktronics video boards (one at each end of the court), two scoreboards and eight video tables. Four of the 8-foot video tables — connected to one another — will be on each side of the court, displaying digital graphics.

“These improvements will enhance the in-game experience for fans, allowing live interactive fan video, as well as video replays of great plays and close calls,” Athletics Director Jeff Altier said, noting that the improvements were funded by donors.

Additionally, the playing court was refinished, while the roof was resurfaced and two existing locker rooms were reconditioned (and repurpose for crosscountry teams.) Those locker rooms, previously used by visiting teams, gained new carpeting, televisions and Stetson graphics. They will continue to be used by visiting teams, along with other team locker rooms, when the space is needed.

One more note: In mid-September, new stadium bleachers were added to the soccer/ lacrosse game field to “bring new comfort to fans,” according to Altier.

“Practice has always been a challenge while using private or public facilities,” he said. “There were times we just had nowhere to go because the courses we were using had tournaments. Now, we can practice uninterrupted at any time.”

Further, not only will the new facility help the golfers hone their skills, but it also promises to be a boon to Stetson recruiting.

“The beauty of having our own facility is that it makes a huge statement to recruits about the depth of dedication the university has to its athletic programs,” Watson said. “Once the clubhouse is finished, people are going to go there and say, ‘Holy cow!’ It’s going to be groundbreaking for us. It’s going to be a game-changer.”

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

41

ALUMNI

Stetson Alumni Awards

To be presented during Homecoming at the President’s Awards Breakfast, Nov. 9.

Distinguished Alumni Award

Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient 2019 Orestes “Gino” Santos ’82, Miami, Florida

Orestes “Gino” Santos grew up the son of Cuban bandleader Orestes Santo, who wrote and arranged many classic big-band pieces in the 1950s. Like many others, the Santos family left Cuba when the Castro regime came into power.

Santos identifies himself as having been raised in a “lower middle-class household.” He attended Stetson from 1978 to 1982, graduating with a BA in psychology, and was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He went on to the

University of Miami Business School and earned an MBA with a concentration in marketing in 1985. In addition, he participated in the Entrepreneurial Master’s Program at MIT from 2010 through 2012.

Santos is president of AMN Distributors/Premium Blend, co-founded in 1990 by him and his brother. The company was built with a focus on wine-based liquors, which can be used by nightclubs and restaurants that have limited licenses (beer and wine only). The products allow

restaurants to serve cocktails, just as if they had a full liquor license without the expense of securing one. Premium Blend wine-based liquors now are sold in 39 states.

The newest endeavor is a retail wine store that is run by his wife of 24 years, Yaniros. They have three children: ValenMarie (21), Gia (17) and Gino (13). After attending Leadership Stetson in 2018, he established the Orestes Santos Music Scholarship at Stetson in honor of his father.

Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient (2018) Andrew P. Daire ’91, MS ’93, Moseley, Virginia

Andrew P. Daire graduated from Stetson in 1991 with a BS degree in biology and clinical mental health counseling. He received a Master of Science degree in mental health counseling in 1993 from Stetson and a doctoral degree (combined program) in counseling psychology and school psychology in 2001 from Florida State University.

In 2016, Daire was named dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education.

Prior to that role, he served as the associate dean for research in the College of Education at the University of Houston.

Daire has served more than 14 years in teaching, research and administrative leadership positions in the College of Education and Human Performance at the University of Central Florida, where he also earned the rank of professor of counselor education and school psychology, and

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STETSON | Fall 2019

co-founded the university’s Marriage and Family Research Institute.

In addition to more than $16 million in sponsored research funding, Daire has authored more than 50 publications and presented at 80 professional conferences. He has conducted counselor training and evaluation workshops in Germany, Kenya and Jamaica.

Daire has received numerous awards, including the American Counseling Association’s Association for Adult Development and Aging Outstanding Journal Article Award, 2014; and the European Branch of the American Counseling Association’s Organizational Service Award, 2013.

This October, Daire was named by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to the Commission on African American History Education.

Distinguished Service Award Distinguished Service Award Recipient 2019 William “Ray” Holley ’91, JD ’97, Jacksonville, Florida Ray Holley, JD, has served as an assistant state attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida, a corporate in-house attorney and an attorney in a private firm, where he focused on workers’ compensation and automobile and premises liability.

In 2010, Holley was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist as a judge of compensation claims for the Jacksonville District. He was recently reappointed by Gov. Rick Scott for a third term.

Holley has served in numerous leadership roles for the following organizations: E. Robert Williams American Inn of Court; American Inns of Court; Conference of Judges of Compensation Claims; National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary; Rotary Club of Southpoint; Friends of 440 Scholarship Fund; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; Temporary Loan Closet – Independent Living Center;

Jacksonville Bar Association; Florida Bar Voluntary Bar Liaison Committee; Florida Bar Workers’ Compensation Executive Committee; Florida Bar Workers’ Compensation Rules Advisory Committee; Christ Renews His Parish; and Alpha Tau Omega.

As an alumnus, Holley has attended Leadership Stetson and served on the Alumni Board of Directors from 2011 to 2019; he was board president from 2016 to 2019. He has been recognized for his work in drafting a District Handbook for the Alumni Board, and he recruited and developed future leaders. In addition, he re-established a volunteer regional management system, creating a pool of trained/developed candidates for future board service.

Holley and his wife of 18 years, Jacqueline, have two daughters: Charlotte (15) and Jennifer (14).

Distinguished Service Award Recipient 2019 Rebecca K. “Becky” O’Mara ’03, Atlanta, Georgia Becky O’Mara is the co-founded and director of Operations and Advancement at Bearings Bike Shop, a youth-development organization where children in Atlanta can earn and maintain a bicycle while developing the skills and character to succeed in adulthood. She and her husband founded the nonprofit organization in 2008 and credit their Christian faith for believing in the value of each and every person.

O’Mara provides opportunities for children to learn hard and soft skills, such as bike assembly/repair and critical thinking/communication, as well as character strengths such as perseverance and responsibility.

O’Mara has successfully completed a $2.25 million campaign to extend the reach of Bearings Bike Shop.

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

43

ALUMNI

Doyle E. Carlton Award

Doyle E. Carlton Award Recipient 2019 Rev. Priscilla J. “Prissy” Tunnell ’66, Rome, Georgia Tunnell’s ministry service began with the Southern Baptist Convention, where she worked in Vietnam as a missionary, Dean of Women and teacher at the Baptist Seminary of Vietnam, and Minister of Music for a church. Upon returning to the States, she continued working with the Southern Baptist Convention’s Home Mission Board as assistant director of the Refugee Resettlement Office.

Throughout her career, Tunnell has held a wide variety of church positions, including weekday education director, assistant minister of music, minister of music, minister to children and families and minister of faith development. In addition to her Bachelor of Music degree from Stetson, Tunnell holds a Master of Arts in religious education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Tunnell has served on the board of directors of Ruble International Education Initiative, as well as coached graduates of McAfee Seminary, and she received the Jack Naish Distinguished Christian Educators Leadership Award (in 2002).

George and Mary Hood Award George and Mary Hood Award Recipient 2019 Nancy W. Bayless ’62, Hendersonville, North Carolina Nancy Bayless taught high school math and later became a programmer and systems analyst, working with researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

After “retiring,” Bayless, along with her husband, established a consulting firm, Bayless Associates, which has worked with school systems to analyze assessment and survey data to be used in developing strategic plans. She serves on the College of Arts and Sciences Board of Advisors.

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STETSON | Fall 2019

Outstanding Young Alumni Award Outstanding Young Alumni Award Recipient 2019 Pedro “Peter” Urscheler ’06, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Peter Urscheler received his Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in marketing and a minor in management information systems in 2006. During his time as a student, Urscheler was involved in several organizations and served as one of Stetson’s youngest-ever Student Government Association vice presidents. During his two-term tenure as SGA president, he grew the organization to incorporate more than 100 student representatives, 25 cabinet members and seven work-student employees.

Upon graduating from Stetson, Urscheler was recruited by the CEO of SEI, a financial services company based in metropolitan Philadelphia, and worked in a variety of capacities, such as technology implementations, due diligence, relationship management and leadership development, before eventually becoming director of communications for the

Private Banking business unit. In addition, Urscheler worked with SEI leadership to establish a Stetson recruiting team, which has since placed more than 15 Stetson students in SEI’s top leadership development program.

In 2014, Urscheler decided to further pursue his passion for marketing and small businesses.

He opened 235 Bridge, a boutique consulting firm serving the needs of small businesses and municipalities. Through 235 Bridge, he works with numerous organizations on strategy, communications, marketing and growth initiatives. In November 2017, he was elected mayor of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, becoming the youngest mayor in the borough’s history.

Most recently, Urscheler was named one of the Nation’s Ten Outstanding Young Americans for 2019, presented by JCI USA.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award Recipient 2019 Kristina D. Tsipouras ’07, Milton, Massachusetts Moroccan Magic is a lip-balm company that Kristina Tsipouras started developing a few years ago. A friend brought her a bottle of the pure, cold-pressed organic argan oil from Morocco. She told Tsipouras that, in Morocco, argan oil is more commonly used on lips and skin than on hair, such as it is in the United States.

Tsipouras researched and found that while there were a few companies making high-end argan oil lip balm with a premium price tag, no one had created this high-quality product for the mainstream market at a reasonable price.

Today, Moroccan Magic lip balm is sold in CVS and Target stores nationwide. Also, another major retailer, Bed Bath & Beyond, recently picked up the product for distribution.

With all her accomplishments after years of hard work, Tsipouras credits her family and her experience at Stetson with shaping her into the person she has become. Her grandparents

immigrated to Boston from Greece and started a family business. Tsipouras said their work ethic and their love for life inspired her — making “me want to jump out of bed in the morning,” she said. Yet, it wasn’t until she transferred to Stetson during her sophomore year that she was ready to take school seriously.

A communication studies major with a women and gender studies minor, Tsipouras also was an active member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She credits the experience of planning socials for her sorority with helping to launch her initial career as an event planner.

Then, after several years as a high-level event planner in New York, she launched her first business, ZOOS Greek Tea. She authored a book, too, titled “Busy Girl’s Guide to Happiness,” and is in the process of creating several other products to introduce to the Moroccan Magic line.

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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ALUMNI

Alumni and Parent Engagement

At Topgolf in Dallas, Texas Attendees (names in alphabetical order): Tim Ballesteros ’88, Rick Covert ’90, Jason Diltz ’91, Michele Diltz, David Disbrow ’13, Kevin Matthew Disbrow ’13, Kirsteen Edereka, Lola Edwards Gomez ’02, Arturo Gomez, M. Jean Greenlaw ’62, MA ’65, Meagan Carlucci Griffin ’08, Revere Griffin ’08, Robin Kazmarek, Wendy B. Libby, PhD, Josef McNeal ’04, Michelle McNeal, Ariel Moir ’10, Braden Moir, Victor Olivera ’09, Ann Plotz, Craig Plotz, Emily Plotz ’19, Jordan Sheinfeld, Krista Sheinfeld, Brian Smith ’02, Jennifer Smith ’92, Matt Smith ’89, Jeff Thomas ‘76

Marist College Tailgate Party, Poughkeepsie, New York Stetson University Alumni Board 2019

College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board 2019 Stetson University School of Music Board of Advisors

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STETSON | Fall 2019

“See you back in DeLand for Homecoming!�

Nov. 8-10

To register and see a full schedule, visit stetson.edu/homecoming.

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

47

THE CLASSES

Send Us Your Class Note STETSON UNIVERSITY is proud of its alumni and their accomplishments. We would love to hear about your achievements. If you are a graduate from the DeLand or Celebration campus, please send your class note to Stetson University, Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8257, DeLand, FL 32723, or email your news to alumni@ stetson.edu.

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

1950s James A. Dator ’54, Honolulu, Hawaii, professor and director of the Hawaii Research Center for Future Studies, Department of Political Science, University of Hawaii at Manoa, was interviewed by PBS Hawaii on “Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox.” Dator is a futurist and has spent the past 50 years researching what the future holds.

Dodi Costine Lovett ’55, Centerville, Tennessee, was named as July’s Artist of the Month at The Gallery on the Square in Centerville.

Preferring to work in pen and ink with watercolor, Lovett has completed many commissioned drawings of historic buildings; her work hangs in private and corporate collections throughout the United States, Europe and Japan.

1970s Ralph A. DeMeo ’77, MA ’80, Tallahassee, Florida, is a shareholder in the Tallahassee office of national law firm Baker Donelson, where he leads the firm’s national environmental law practice.

to alumni@law.stetson. edu. College of Law

is the managing stockholder at Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A.

1980s

Manuel Farach ’81, Hobe Sound, Florida, was honored by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education with the 2019 Judge Anstead Award for Board Certified Lawyer of the Year. The award honors a single attorney who is recognized by colleagues for “exemplary professionalism, excellence, character and commitment to the Florida Bar’s certification program and to the practice of law.” He is one of only 15 members of the Florida Bar who are simultaneously board certified in three practice areas (Real Estate Law, Business Litigation and Appellate Law).

graduates also can fill out the online form at Stetson.edu/ lawalumninews.

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

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STETSON | Fall 2019

Russell Schropp ’78, Fort Myers, Florida, has been named in the 2019 Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite. He also was named to the 2019 Florida Super Lawyers list. Schropp

Lynne Wilson ’83, Winter Park, Florida, a partner with the law firm

ShuffieldLowman, was selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (2020).

Wilson practices in the areas of commercial real estate transactions, commercial lending, banking and financial services.

Luis G. Pedraja ’84, Worcester, Massachusetts, was named one of the 50 most influential individuals in Central Massachusetts by the Worcester Business Journal. Pedraja is the president of Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. He also serves on the Massachusetts Economic Development Planning Council, as well as numerous community boards.

Joshua E. Colwell ’85, Orlando, Florida, was named a Pegasus Professor at the University of Central Florida, the university’s highest faculty honor.

Colwell is associate chair of Physics, assistant director of the Florida Space Institute and director of the Center for Microgravity Research and Education at UCF. His book, “The Ringed Planet,” about the Cassini mission to Saturn, will have a second edition published later this year.

Peter J. Krotec, JD ’87, Sarasota, Florida, was recognized for 30 years of service with the Sarasota law firm of Syprett Meshad.

Krotec, who joined the firm in 1989, was named a partner in 1994 and served several years as managing partner. His practice is focused on helping men, women and families navigate the challenges of divorce.

Thomas B. Fleishel, MBA ’88, DeLand, Florida, received Honorable Mention in the 13th annual Invest in Others Awards for his philanthropic contributions to the Athens Theatre.

As a result, the Athens Theatre will receive a $1,000 donation from Invest in Others in his honor.

Those earning Honorable Mention were selected based on their leadership, dedication, contribution, inspiration, and impact on a nonprofit and the community it serves.

1990s George J. Galante ’96, Apopka, Florida, has been promoted to senior director of communications for the Orlando Magic. Beginning his 25th season with the Magic organization, he supports all areas of the Communications Department, including serving as managing editor of all media guides, compiling game notes, coordinating interview requests with players and front-office personnel, writing press releases, maintaining statistical information and traveling on the road with the team.

2000s

Tyra Read, JD ’00, Cape Coral, Florida, has been hired by Creighton Construction & Development as its in-house real estate attorney. Read brings 19 years of experience to her role with Creighton, where she is responsible for advising on real estate projects and transactions, including title, survey, development, easement and lending matters, as well as preparation of documents.

Jamie Blucher ’01, Orlando, Florida, an attorney with Winderweedle, Haines, Ward and Woodman, P.A., was selected as a 2019 Florida Super Lawyer as a Rising Star. Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys who have distinguished themselves in their legal practice.

Kevin C. Snipes ’02, Woodside, New York, created the podcast "The Two Princes." The LGBTfriendly podcast from Gimlet Media was launched in collaboration with the Trevor Project. The Two Princes is a seven-episode scripted podcast, free to listen on Spotify, that Snipes describes as a classic fairy tale with a modern twist.

Nefertiti Walker ’05, MBA ’06, Framingham, Massachusetts, a faculty member in the Isenberg School of Management who also serves as its associate dean for an inclusive organization, has

been named interim associate chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Walker also serves as an associate professor in the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management and as a faculty member in the MBA program.

Davis Mallory ’06, Nashville, Tennessee, has released a new single called “Grown Up.” The new single was first performed live at Nashville Pride in 2018. It’s available on Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube and other streaming platforms.

Casey B. Weade ’08, Fort Wayne, Indiana, president of Howard Bailey, a family company built on developing secure, independent retirements, released his latest book, "Job Optional*,” which reached the best-seller lists on both Amazon and The Wall Street Journal.

2010s Laura Loveday Maury ’10, Land O'Lakes, Florida, a supervisory librarian at the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, received an American Dream Literary Initiative Grant and will start a free citizenship class this fall.

playing throughout Florida.

Foley's debut album, "Give to Get a Day," is available on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services.

Caitlin Peterson ’11, Denver, Colorado, graduated from the University of California – Davis, with a doctorate in ecology, focusing on agricultural ecology. As a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at UC-Davis, Peterson studied ecological complexity and resilience in integrated crop-livestock systems.

Jordan Foley ’11, Sanford, Florida, started a band this year called Jordan Foley & The Wheelhouse.

The band made the top three for Best Folk Act in Orlando Weekly’s Best of Orlando 2019 and has been

Whitney Bradley ’15, Newport, Rhode Island, graduated from the U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School as Ensign Bradley, Supply & Logistics Officer.

Bradley received her Master’s in Homeland Security Counter Terrorism from Northeastern University in May 2017.

Aaron J. Dove ’17, DeLand, Florida, began his “dream job” as a federal police officer with the Department of Defense at Cape Canaveral, 45th Space Wing, supporting and protecting Air Force, SpaceX and Blue Origin operations.

Joseph M. Carrubba ’19, Port Charlotte, Florida, is an ESE teacher at his alma mater, Port Charlotte High School.

Marriages 1 Aaron Dove ’17 to Alicia Duquette, Oct. 7, 2017 1

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

49

THE CLASSES

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In Memoriam 1940s

1960s

Martha Bowen Hutchinson ’47 George W. Prom ’48 Roberta Moore Hardin ’49 Thomas H. Perrin ’49

W. L. Holland, LLB ’60 Philip J. Rogers, LLB ’61 Theodore R. Sucher ’61 Robert Miller ’62 George B. Prevatt ’62 John W. Donahoo ’63 Doris Carlson Paskewitz ’63 John E. Watson, LLB ’64 Mary DeLeGal Dailey ’64 Suzanne Mullins Jacob ’64 Edward J. Tribble ’66 G. R. Swartz ’68

1950s Betty Jo Beville Andrews ’50 Merrilee R. Middleton ’53 Barbara Dykes Page ’53 JoAnn Dillard Cochran ’54 Patricia T. Herig ’54 Marilyn Barber Raynor ’54 Albert R. Amort ’56 Robert E. Hanson ’56 Dennis C. Marquis ’56 Randall A. Langston ’57 James C. Shepard ’57 Roselyn Tobias Taylor ’57 William A. Viehman ’59

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STETSON | Fall 2019

1970s William J. Hill ’71 Darrel L. Harman ’72 Robert G. Cole ’73 Larry W. Ingram ’73 William C. LaTulip ’73

Kenneth R. Phillips ’73 Eugene J. Cella, JD ’74 Steven R. Harless ’74 Robert P. Cole, JD ’75 James P. Hewitt, JD ’75 Cyrus Schoonmaker ‘75 Dudley J. Clapp, JD ’76 Thomas B. McCoun, JD ’77 John W. Orndorff ’79

1990s

1980s

2010s

Diann Fikany Harle ’82 C. J. Nelson Reichenbach ’82 E. A. Moore ’83 Thomas H. Ostrander, JD ’84 Valerie Kushner Crotty ’86 J. B. Monroe ’86 Charles M. Ashton ’88 Elizabeth B. Osmond, JD ’89

Emily Koulouvaris ’90 Sheila F. McNeill, JD ’90 Dorsey B. Greene ’91 Timothy J. Tully ’98

2000s Sheila Nicholson, MBA/JD ’02 Robbyn W. Howie, JD ’02

Mathew Kellin Scott Greenberg ’12

PARTING SHOT

The Templeton Fountain In August, the new Templeton Fountain, adjacent to the Carlton Union Building on the DeLand campus, came to life — with 41 jets of recycled water that reach heights of 15 feet, colored lights and speakers for sound, all set in a 22-foot-wide surface bearing the seal of Stetson University. The fountain officially was dedicated in mid-October.

Troy Templeton ’82, MBA ’83, a former university trustee, and his wife, Sissy, donated the fountain, which is visible through the two-story wall of glass in the CUB’s Commons Dining Hall.

The Templetons envisioned a green gathering spot for students, faculty and staffers alike. That vision now is a reality, complete with sabal palms, Shumard oaks and other plants.

Photo: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON

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Office of University Marketing 421 N. Woodland Blvd., 8319 DeLand, FL 32723

STETSON is printed on FSCcertified paper.

STETSON AT A GLANCE 2019

4,429 Total Enrollment, Fall 2019

Students from 46 States, 3 Territories & 48 Countries

Enrollment by School/College & Class Business Administration

Arts and Sciences

1,985 undergraduate

Music

258

undergraduate

936

158

undergraduate

graduate

Law

927 graduate

Student Retention Rate

77.4%

161

of Fall 2018 first-time-incollege students returned

graduate

19% 18% 16% first year

sophomore

junior

18% 7% 21% senior

graduate

law

934 college students transfer students 125 New First-time-in-

Source: Stetson University Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness