Linda Dotts Awarded Stacy Moore Hagan Memorial Scholarship
to Continue Carol Slocum’s Research
Carol Slocum and Stacy Moore Hagan, both of whom lost their lives to cancer in the past three years, are remembered for their leadership in the field of Marine Science and for paving the way for women interested in pursuing science careers.
Linda Dotts, a senior Biology major and Marine Science minor at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, is one woman who is ready to advance the path that both Slocum and Hagan pioneered. Dotts has been awarded a scholarship named in memory of Stacy Moore Hagan, which will enable Dotts to continue a research project started by Carol Slocum nearly two decades ago.
In 1994, Carol Slocum, then an associate professor of Marine Science at Stockton College, began a New Jersey seal study in cooperation with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC). Each year, from late fall through late spring, Slocum and her students, along with Steve Evert, Field Station Manager at Stockton’s Marine Science and Environmental Field Station, traveled by boat to observe a nearby seal colony on Great Bay.
Slocum’s study documented seal abundance, species composition, age/class distribution, basic behavior and timing of return to breeding colonies. The data collected by Slocum, her students and the MMSC resulted in the first major compilation of such data on seals in New Jersey.
Linda Dotts is the first student to receive the spring term Stacy Moore Hagan Memorial Scholarship, which over the past three years, has been awarded to Stockton students to complete summer internships that focus on marine science research projects. Previous projects have looked at fish larvae, eels and crab traps.
Roland Hagan established the memorial scholarship in memory of his wife, Stacy Moore Hagan, who graduated from Stockton College in 1992. Roland Hagan, who also studied at Stockton College, is currently a laboratory researcher at the Rutgers University Marine Field Station (RUMFS). Hagan works closely with Dr. Ken Able, RUMFS Field Station Director, who is also collaborating on the internship.
Steve Evert and Dr. Mark Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Marine Science, will oversee Linda’s internship. Sullivan explained that during the selection process “Linda was highly recommended by multiple marine science faculty members.”
Both Stockton College and Rutgers University have marine science field stations that share the same bay and estuary (the Mullica River and the Great Bay Estuary). Sullivan said, “This scholarship has resulted in a collaborative initiative between the Rutgers University Marine Field Station and Stockton’s Marine Science and Environmental Field Station. In addition to getting students involved in fieldwork, Roland’s support will help to keep Carol’s research alive.”
January, February and March will be busy months for Dotts. She will study fish ear bones, referred to as otoliths by scientists, to reveal seals’ diets. Otoliths are collected from seal scat and separated with a tool called an elutriator. Since each species of fish has a unique ear bone shape, scientists can identify which fish species seals prey upon.
Linda Dotts said, “I was fortunate enough to have gotten to know Carol as a result of taking Seal Biology and Behavior [a preparation course for the New Jersey Seal Study]. It was during this class that I became interested in her research on harbor seals, which winter off the coast of New Jersey, specifically diet and behavior.”
Dotts hopes to gain some insight on how the feeding habits of seals fit into the local food web using scat and otolith analysis. “Carol’s energy and enthusiasm particularly regarding conservation of harbor seals (her work at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center) were what inspired me most, and I am honored to have known her.”
Dotts will graduate this December, and she will continue her studies at Stockton in the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification program beginning in the spring.
Both Carol Slocum and Stacy Moore Hagan are recipients of posthumous Women and Wildlife Awards presented by the Conserve Wildlife Foundation in 2010 and 2007 respectively.
The Stacy Moore Hagan Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Linda Dotts by The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey’s Foundation. For more information on the College’s Foundation or to make a contribution, please visit www.stockton.edu and type the word “scholarship” into the search box.
Stockton College Formally Dedicates Lloyd D. Levenson
Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism
From left, Dr. Peter Caporilli, Founder & CEO of Tidewater Workshop; Liane P. Levenson, Esq., Lloyd Levenson’s wife and an adjunct professor at Stockton; and Charles Kramer, Chairman of Kramer Beverage Company.
An overflow audience of more than 300 people attended formal dedication ceremonies on Monday, Dec. 13 for Stockton College’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT). The event drew a large audience including business and civic leaders, elected officials, gaming industry executives, and Stockton faculty, staff and students.
The dedication officially launched an institute that provides a forum for public policy discussions and studies of the gaming, hospitality and tourism industries in the region, and featured a keynote address by Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., President and CEO of the American Gaming Association. Fahrenkopf gave an overview on the state of the gaming industry worldwide.
“It’s humbling to see this kind of a turnout and to see the Institute is already having a positive impact,” said Levenson, a prominent area attorney and Chair of the Casino Law Department and Chief Executive Officer of Cooper Levenson Attorneys at Law.
According to Stockton President Herman J. Saatkamp, Jr., “The Institute engages our faculty, students and others in research, conferences and studies to support sound decision making among policy makers and leaders in the region’s three largest industries.”
From left, Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Lloyd D. Levenson, and Dr. Herman J. Saatkamp, Jr., unveil a plaque during the Levenson Institute dedication.
The dedication also marked one of the first public events at the Seaview Resort, which Stockton recently purchased as part of a planned expansion of its Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies (HTMS) program.
During his remarks, Fahrenkopf praised the formation of the Institute as “an incubator of business and ideas” for gaming, hospitality and tourism. “The gaming and hospitality industries and New Jersey owe a debt of gratitude to Lloyd and Stockton for their commitment and vision in establishing this Institute,” he said.
The event also included the unveiling of a plaque that will grace the Institute’s presence at the College’s satellite center at the Carnegie Library Center in Atlantic City, followed by a reception.
To see an album of event photos, visit the LIGHT Facebook Page.
Mayflower Faculty Member, College Dean Documenting Stockton’s History
Former NJ State Senator Frank "Hap" Farley talks during the December 9, 1970 Groundbreaking Ceremony at Stockton. In September 2011, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey will celebrate its 40th anniversary of teaching. While College community members look forward to the fast approaching milestone, two members in particular are looking at the College’s past.
Dr. Kenneth Tompkins, Professor Emeritus of Literature, and Dr. Robert Gregg, Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, are collaborating to co-edit Reaching 40, a book that will document the history of the College.
“The first step was to select the ‘kinds’ of history the book would include. We knew it should include a pedagogical history (teaching), a physical history (buildings), a conceptual history (disciplinary programs) and a cultural history (anecdotes, etc.). Once these were agreed upon, we asked various faculty and staff to write for us,” explained Kenneth Tompkins.
The book will be a coffee table-style publication featuring more than 50 essays, photography, architectural drawings and anecdotes written for a diverse audience.
“Often when the public thinks of history, they think of dry accounts of what happened or anecdotal stories placed within a timeline. We wanted much more than that,” said Tompkins. “The 50 plus essays are generally serious reviews of teaching, curricula and what made Stockton distinctive. The photos are visual histories of the early days of the College,” he explained.
Reaching 40 has a history of its own. Robert Gregg explained, “A couple of years ago, I had been talking with [Professor] Paul Lyons and during our conversation he mentioned…that he was planning to write a history of Stockton.”
Sadly, Professor Lyons passed away in 2009. At the time of their conversation, Gregg didn’t believe it likely that he would be involved in the project, as he is a member of a younger cohort. Later, Gregg discovered that prior to Professor Lyons’ attempt to drafting a history, “two earlier attempts had been made by Ingie LaFleur, a former dean, and Bill Gilmore-Lehne, a history professor, and both had died suddenly before the project had really taken off.”
The urgency of the project became very apparent, and the task became a reality when Gregg was asked to put together the book by President Herman J. Saatkamp, Jr. Gregg didn’t have to search hard for a co-editor because “Ken was the obvious choice.”
Gregg explained, “[Ken has] a commitment to the topic unmatched by any person on campus.”
Stockton’s history is buried within the past issues of the student newspaper, the Argo, College Bulletins, where courses and programs are outlined, and in archived Board of Trustees meeting minutes. Both Tompkins and Gregg are keeping a blog as a means of documenting their editing process, and they are using a website to compile and archive their research findings.
In a recent blog post, Tompkins and Gregg list a series of names suggested by the public to name the College. Among the list are Berry Bottom Bog State College, Jersey Tomato College, Boardwalk College, Blueberry State College and Einstein State College.
Video and audio files, resting in the College’s archives for the past 40 years, have been unearthed. Many of the original documents that the editors are delving through have never been published or even written about. Among the editor’s rare finds was a video of Senator Frank “Hap” Farley discussing his efforts to establish Stockton College.
“We have for example, essays on the complete history of the literature program, of faculty governance efforts, of the faculty union; more recently, we have a long essay on our advising efforts,” said Tompkins.
Reaching 40 is scheduled to be completed in fall 2011. In addition to commemorating the College and tracing its history, the book will provide an insightful study based on the themes that highlight the College’s innovations and achievements.
For more information on the project, click here.
To help contribute towards the project, e-mail story ideas to 40years@stockton.edu.
Holocaust Resource Center Open House Draws Visitors From Across the State
The Holocaust Resource Center works closely with local Holocaust survivors to publish survivors’ memoirs. Dr. Maryann McLoughlin listens to each survivor’s story and translates the interviews into written text. The covers of the memoirs are designed by Sarah Messina, a Stockton graduate who currently works as a graphic designer in the College’s Graphics Department. On December 9, members of the community and educators from across the state entered the doorway to the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center, located on the second floor of the College’s Library.
Teachers, elementary through high school, came from a number of different schools, including St. Joseph Regional Elementary School, Collingswood Middle School and Pleasantville High School, to participate in the Center’s third annual Open House.
Local Holocaust survivors and family members of survivors came to the Open House to share their stories, as well as photographs and artifacts from their past and their ancestor’s past.
Krissy Holak, a teacher at Hammonton Middle School, explained that she brings back a variety of materials to her students such as videos, memoirs and short stories. Holak said, “I know that every time I come, I am going to learn something new.”
Holak’s goal is simple. She explained, “I’m hoping, as an educator, that they [her students] are learning tolerance, and that they are able to connect history with current issues.”
The first lesson that is taught to visitors of the Center is the significance of the authentic railroad tracks that were shipped to the College from Poland and incorporated into the architectural design of the Center’s entrance. Photographs and artifacts donated by survivors are displayed in a number of cases throughout the Center.
Gail Rosenthal, Director of the Holocaust Resource Center, and Dr. Maryanne McLaughlin, Assistant Supervisor of the Center, hosted the Open House. Rosenthal and McLaughlin advised educators on age-appropriate classroom resources and shared Stockton projects, which can be replicated in other school districts.
The Holocaust Resource Center is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
To watch a video of Open House, click here.
Philip T. Ellmore Named Chief Development Officer
and Executive Director of College Foundation
 Dr. Philip T. Ellmore
Philip T. Ellmore, Ph.D., has been named Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of the College Foundation at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Ellmore comes to Stockton from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, where he served as Assistant Vice President of Development since 2004.
Ellmore was selected for the position following a nationwide search and began his duties at Stockton on Dec. 6.
“In Philip Ellmore, we have selected a Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of the College Foundation with exceptional depth and breadth of experience,” President Herman J. Saatkamp, Jr., said. “Dr. Ellmore has a proven record of fundraising success, which fits nicely with our plans to implement a comprehensive campaign.”
While at Muhlenberg, Ellmore was responsible for developing and executing a systematic program for major and planned gifts that resulted in doubling leadership-level giving. Muhlenberg’s comprehensive campaign raised $110.4 million against a $105 million goal.
At Stockton, Ellmore will report directly to President Saatkamp and will be responsible for all fundraising activities and alumni relations programs. He will oversee the institution’s first comprehensive campaign, and will serve as Executive Director of the College Foundation.
Prior to his time at Muhlenberg, Ellmore was Vice President for Advancement at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, NC, and President of Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary Foundation (now Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University) where he was responsible for development, alumni relations, communications and public relations. Additionally, Ellmore was a member of the adjunct faculty at Eastern University’s School of Professional Studies as well as at Eastern Seminary where he taught such courses as organizational management, stewardship, grant writing and strategic planning.
“Stockton is a wonderful institution with a very promising future,” Ellmore said. “I care deeply about the importance of higher education and believe our role in the Development Office and Foundation is two-fold: help as many students as possible to come to Stockton regardless of their financial need and help provide financial resources that will make Stockton an even better place. I look forward to working with Dr. Saatkamp, the Board of Trustees, Foundation Board, Development staff and the entire college community in helping Stockton continue on its current trajectory.”
Ellmore holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies and Organizational Behavior from the Union Institute and University, a Master’s of Divinity from Palmer Seminary and a B.A. from Alderson-Broaddus College.
Active in organizations that serve the development field, Ellmore co-chaired several conferences and was recently selected to co-chair the 2012 conference for college and university advancement professionals from New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions. He was recognized as 2010 Fundraising Executive of the Year by the Eastern PA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Ellmore and his wife Trudy are relocating to Atlantic County and have two adult children living in the Philadelphia area.
Stockton Statistic:
Since the year 2004, New Jersey’s public fulltime higher education enrollment has risen from approximately 160,000 to over 250,000. At the same time, public educational appropriations per student have dropped from $9,279 to $7,546 in 2009, the most recently available numbers.
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