Through a new agreement between Stockton and Rowan University, students will be able to earn dual Bachelor of Science degrees from Stockton's School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Rowan’s College of Engineering.

As part of the five-year program, qualified students would attend Stockton for the first three years and then spend two years at Rowan. The program gives students the opportunity to experience a liberal arts institution in their first three years and then move into a career-oriented engineering sequence.

Students would receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics from Stockton after the fourth year, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, or Mechanical Engineering from Rowan at the completion of the program.

“Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are increasingly the key to jobs in education and industry in our global economy,” said President Herman Saatkamp. “This agreement offers students the opportunity to increase the value of their education while reducing the cost by receiving degrees from two prestigious New Jersey institutions of higher learning.”

It is anticipated that student enrollment in this program will begin in September 2015.
 

L-R: Dr. Tom Papademetriou, associate professor of History and executive director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies; Dr. Harvey Kesselman, provost and executive vice president; Eugenia Kramvis, president of the Friends of Hellenic Studies; Zoe Pappas; Dean Pappas, chair of the Stockton Board of Trustees; His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, Rev. Dr. Demetrios J. Constantelos; and President Herman Saatkamp.

Faith and reason - two pillars in the life and work of Dr. Demetrios J. Constantelos - came together on Sept. 26 as Stockton, in partnership with the Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies, dedicated the Constantelos Hellenic Collection and Reading Room.

Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Church of America, who first met Dr. Constantelos in 1946 in Athens, said his life combines “science and piety; faith and knowledge.” The archbishop called the new facility “a landmark achievement” and praised the learning environment at Stockton.

Dr. Constantelos was born in Spilia, Messenia, Greece and ordained a priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America in 1955. He is an expert in the field of Byzantine (medieval Greek) history and a professor emeritus of History and Religious Studies.
 
The new facility houses 3,000 rare and important works from Dr. Constantelos’ personal collection and research materials, a donation of one of the finest private libraries in New Jersey. It also features a mural by George Kordis, professor of Art at the University of Athens, Greece, and well-known painter of religious imagery in the Orthodox tradition.

The room will be open to students, faculty and the community and act as the statewide repository for the New Jersey Greek-American Oral History Project.

Throughout the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Constantelos has written books, contributed to journals, participated in symposia, spoken at conferences, had articles published in multiple languages, actively represented his community in interfaith dialogues and, as one of Stockton College's first professors, helped put the institution on the map.

“You’ve taught people to live in a very practical and wise way,” said President Herman Saatkamp. “You’ve provided the foundation for our students to have a genuine sense of the Aristotelian heritage that continues to be so important…Greek civilization is at the heart of all we do in this country and the western world.”

Dr. Tom Papademetriou, associate professor of History and executive director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies, credited Dr. Constantelos with starting the college’s thriving Hellenic Studies, which is emblematic of Stockton’s commitment to global engagement.

“This has been a wonderful example of the cooperation between Stockton and the community,” said Dr. Lisa Honaker, dean of the School of Arts and Humanities. “Demetrios is a link - he’s a scholar, a gentleman and a priest.”

Dr. Constantelos, who was joined by his four children, John, Eleni, Maria Loukeris and Christine Constantelos-Simms, said he was “a very lucky person as a family man, as a priest, and as a scholar.”

A matching gift challenge of $150,000, made by the Friends of Hellenic Studies and Zoe and Dean Pappas, has helped fund the project. About $255,000 has been raised toward the $300,000 goal for an endowment to maintain and expand the collection. For more information on how to support the new space, click here.

Dr. Theresa Bartolotta, dean of the School of Health Sciences, Sorrel King, a nationally renowned patient safety advocate, and Peter Baratta, executive assistant to the Provost, after King spoke to an audience of about 600 Stockton students, faculty, and staff on Oct. 2.

The School of Health Sciences hosted the presentation, “Josie’s Story: Family-Centered Approaches to Patient Safety,” by Sorrel King, a nationally-renowned patient safety advocate, on Oct. 2 in the Performing Arts Center.

Six hundred faculty, staff and students from the School of Health Sciences and the community attended the event. The presentation was also live-streamed to Elizabeth B. Alton Auditorium where 100 more people gathered.

In 2001, King’s 18 month-old daughter, Josie, died as a result of medical errors. Consumed by grief, Sorrel was determined to honor Josie’s memory. Sorrel and her husband learned that an estimated 98,000 people die annually from medical errors. In an effort to prevent patients from being harmed or killed by medical errors, the Kings established the Josie King Foundation. The Foundation strives to create a culture of patient safety through education and awareness.

Dr. Theresa Bartolotta, dean of the School of Health Sciences, said King’s presentation conveyed a strong message regarding the value of teamwork, communication, and placing patient safety above all else.

“This message is key for students in the School of Health Sciences, who are preparing for challenging and dynamic careers in health care,” Dr. Bartolotta said. “As part of a very moving story about loss, students learned about why we should always speak out when something does not seem right. This simple lesson is one all of us can benefit from hearing again and again.”
 

President Herman Saatkamp with Sen. Jim Whelan, who served as Stockton’s Legislator-in-Residence on Sept. 30 and Oct. 29.

Ambassador William J. Hughes meets with retired congressmen Louis Frey and Robert Clement as part of Congress to Campus.

The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy recently welcomed a state senator and two retired congressmen to campus through the Legislator-in-Residence and Congress to Campus programs.

New Jersey State Sen. Jim Whelan (D-2) served as Stockton’s Legislator-in-Residence on Sept. 30 and Oct. 29. The Legislator-in-Residence program is designed to bring New Jersey lawmakers from both political parties to Stockton programs to engage with the students and faculty and to share their experiences as legislators.

“Sen. Whelan has been a longtime supporter and friend of Stockton. We wanted to be able to share his views on Trenton and local political issues,” said Daniel J. Douglas, director of the Hughes Center.

During his campus visits, Sen. Whelan took a tour of the Stockton Polling Institute and met with researchers from the Coastal Research Center, student veterans and the Student Senate.

He also visited classes taught by Dr. Donna Albano, associate professor of Hospitality and Tourism and Management Studies; Dr. Bill Quain, associate professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies; Dr. Michael Rodriguez, associate professor of Political Science; and Dr. David Carr, professor of Political Science.

As part of the Congress to Campus program, retired congressmen Robert Clement and Louis Frey met with students, faculty and staff on Oct. 13 and 14. Clement, a Democrat, represented Tennessee’s 5th district from 1988-2003, and Frey, a Republican, served Florida’s 9th district from 1973-1979, and Florida’s 5th district from 1969-1973.

Congress to Campus, a program of the United States Association of Former Members of Congress of Washington, D.C., connects former representatives and senators with college students. The program is designed to increase civic engagement and encourage students to pursue careers in public service.

“The Hughes Center applied to host the program so that we could provide another opportunity to enhance their academic studies with practitioners of public policy and politics. We hope that students become more engaged in civic life,” Douglas said.

The former congressmen spoke on a range of topics: grid-lock in Washington, D.C., their interactions with presidents, and the need for young people to vote, said John Froonjian, senior research associate for the Hughes Center.

Frey and Clement held a discussion on civic education with Dr. Claudine Keenan, dean of Education, Patricia Weeks, director of the Southern Regional Institute & Educational Technology Training Center, and local educators.

The former congressmen also met with student veterans, the Student Senate, the Political Engagement Project, and classes taught by Dr. Michael Rodriguez, associate professor of Political Science, and Linda Wharton, associate professor of Political Science.

“This was a rare and valuable opportunity for my students to gain insights into the reality of life as a candidate and a member of Congress,” Wharton said. “Former Members Frey and Clement shared their real life experiences with students and offered constructive ideas about how to move beyond the current partisan gridlock in Washington.”
 

More than 80 volunteers worked on 10 projects in Atlantic and Ocean counties for the Office of Service-Learning’s second annual Make A Difference Day on Oct. 25. Volunteers worked on projects which included post-Superstorm Sandy recovery and historic landmark restoration, digital archiving, and food organization and distribution.

Make A Difference Day is an effort to make an impact in the community based on the needs requested by Stockton’s community partners. Volunteers had the opportunity to choose from a select group of activities with organizations such as the Tuckerton Seaport, Community FoodBank of New Jersey and The Arc of Atlantic County.