Stockton News - May 28, 2026 - University Relations & Marketing

Stockton News - May 28, 2026

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

Four Students Earn Spring 2026 Board of Trustees Fellowships

Four Stockton students were announced this month as the latest recipients of the Board of Trustees Fellowship for Distinguished Students.

“This year’s Board of Trustees Fellowship recipients represent the very best of what our students can achieve, combining academic excellence with meaningful impact. From advancing environmental sustainability and public art to exploring brain health and promoting inclusive play, each project reflects a deep commitment to innovation, community and real-world application,” said Ian Bouie, director of Academic Achievement Programs. “We are proud to support their work and look forward to the impact it will have on both campus and beyond.”

The fellowship program was established by the board in 1986 and supports student-initiated projects of undergraduate research and/or creative work in keeping with the educational philosophy and mission of Stockton. Each student will receive $1,000.

The spring cohort and their projects are Dale Patterson, Stockton Butterfly Conservation Microhabitat Project; Krista Rasiul, Wish You Were Here: A Mural for Stockton University; William Klein, Brain Age Prediction from EEG via 1/f Spectral Dynamics; and Megan Dumas, Recess for Every Body.

Stockton Named Scholarship Sponsor for Miss New Jersey 2026

The Miss New Jersey Organization is proud to announce that Stockton has joined as an official scholarship sponsor for the 2026 competitions, supporting both Miss New Jersey 2026 and Miss New Jersey’s Teen 2026.

This partnership underscores a shared commitment to empowering young women through education, leadership development, and community service. Through Stockton’s generous support, additional scholarship opportunities will be awarded to participants, helping them pursue higher education and achieve their academic and professional goals.

“We are thrilled to welcome Stockton University as a valued partner,” said Susan Nicolle, executive director of the Miss New Jersey Organization. “Their dedication to academic excellence and student success aligns perfectly with our mission to provide meaningful scholarship opportunities and foster the next generation of leaders.”

STOCKTON UNIVERSITY ATLANTIC CITY

Tourism Leaders See Strong Summer Potential

Local tourism experts highlighted an industry that is optimistic but cautious for the Jersey Shore just days after Memorial Day, the official start of the summer season for the region.

Resilience and evolution of South Jersey’s tourism economy amid economic uncertainty and changing traveler behavior dominated the discussion at the 18th annual Jersey Shorecast on May 27, sponsored by the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT) at the Stockton University School of Business. The discussion was held at the Stockton University Atlantic City John F. Scarpa Academic Center and streamed online.

Panelists emphasized increases in overnight stays and strong event attendance in the past year, while acknowledging that inflation, reduced consumer confidence and inconsistent tax data blur the actual picture of what’s ahead for the season.

LIGHT Faculty Director Jane Bokunewicz opened the discussion, which was moderated by Scott Cronick, host of “Off The Press” on WOND Radio.

SPOTLIGHT ON: HELEN WEI

Helen Wei, professor of Computer Science, recently returned from the 2026 Amplify Informatics Conference in Denver, where she was officially inducted into the newest class of Fellows of AMIA, the Applied Informatics Recognition Program.

Fellows of AMIA (FAMIA) was established in 2018 as an inclusive recognition program balancing the needs of physicians, nurses, pharmacists and others working within clinical informatics settings, with the needs of professionals working in public health, clinical research, and other areas where informatics is applied to practice.

So, what is informatics? In healthcare, it is where data and technology meet to help improve patient care, research and decision-making.

Wei, who has worked in the field for more than 17 years, shared the significance of the national honor and how her research has evolved alongside technology.

PHOTO: Wei with Philip Payne, chief health AI officer for BJC HealthCare and Washington University Medicine, at the 2026 Amplify Informatics Conference in Denver.

WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU

Instagram (OspreyPrez): Progress begins with people. Progress begins with trust, with compassion, with courage, and with care. Class of 2026, you will be changemakers. We are sad to see you leave but are so happy to watch you soar 🦅🩵!

Facebook: Can you picture yourself here? It's not too late to apply and enroll for fall for first-year and transfer students.

Instagram: Our Atlantic City campus gives you access to a bustling hospitality industry, beachfront views and tons of sunshine ☀️.

FROM THE SIDELINES

Five Ospreys Become All-Americans at NCAA Championships

Three Stockton competitors became All-Americans on the final day of the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Senior Emma Petrolia led the group with a First Team All-America honor in the 400-meter hurdles.

Freshmen Joie Buxtonand Bryant Nelsonearned Second Team All-America honors in the women’s javelin and men’s triple jump, respectively.

Petrolia finished eighth in the 400-meter hurdles final with a time of 1:03.01 in her final college race. She competed in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the third straight year and produced her best finish. Petrolia placed 18th in 2024 and 16th last year, earning Second Team All-America honors, before moving up to eighth and First Team All-America this year.

Buxton placed 13th in the javelin with a best throw of 41.39 meters on the second of her three attempts. Nelson finished 13th in the triple jump with a distance of 14.62 meters on his third attempt following two fouls. The mark was Nelson’s second best of his rookie year and just seven centimeters shy of his personal best from earlier this month.

Overall, Stockton’s six NCAA championship entrants compiled five All-America accolades. Petrolia and Elaina Styer were First Team All-Americans in the 400-meter hurdles and heptathlon, respectively.

Nelson in the triple jump, Buxton in the javelin and Ahmad Fogg in the long jump collected Second Team All-America honors.

Avagnano Voted to ABCA Region IV Third Team

Senior Nick Avagnano was selected to the ABCA Region IV Third Team by the American Baseball Coaches Association for the second straight year. Avagnano added the all-region honor to NJAC Honorable Mention recognition for the 2026 season.

Avagnano became just the third player in Stockton baseball history to earn two all-region honors, joining Chris Crescenzi in 2004 and 2006 and Scott Fisher in 2008 and 2009. The first baseman started all 37 games this spring and batted .333 with 44 hits, 33 RBIs, 26 runs, eight doubles and three home runs.

Avagnano tied for the team lead in doubles and finished second on the Ospreys in batting average, hits, RBIs, home runs, hit by pitch with 15, slugging percentage at .477, on-base percentage at .483 and OPS at .960. He hit safely in 30 of 37 games, including an 11-game hitting streak that tied for the team’s longest this season.

During the campaign, Avagnano became Stockton’s career leader in runs with 137, doubles with 44 and RBIs with 125. He also finished his career tied for second in program history in home runs with 16, third in hits with 181, tied for third in triples with seven and sixth in walks with 66.

Ospreys are collecting honors, awards and postseason milestones across Stockton Athletics.Check out the latest accomplishments and cheer them on. Go Ospreys!

STOCKTON SITES & CENTERS

Noyes Arts Garage Helps Bring Chalk Art Festival to Atlantic City

The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University helped bring local and regional artists to Atlantic City for the first Ducktown Madonnari Chalk Art Festival over a rainy Memorial Day weekend.

Held in partnership with North to Shore, the Ducktown Community Development Corporation, Tanger Outlets Atlantic City and Stockton Atlantic City, the festival featured chalk drawings by artists from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Additional activities included donuts and lemonade from DonutNV, a Youth & Community Art Zone sponsored by the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, and live music from Brad Wilson and the Eddie Morgan Trio.

Stockton Atlantic City sponsored three students to participate in the event: Sandy Hanna, Reilly Mott Schwarz and Sumayah Khatun. They showcased their artistic skills alongside featured artists, including Stockton Associate Professor of Art Chung-Fan Chang.

The Ducktown CDC is managed by recently graduated Stockton studentsKaysey Nguyen, Cheressa Cargill, Lalli Roman and Mariely Vargas.

Festival co-chairs and Ducktown board members include Stephanie Clineman, coordinator of programming and assistant to the vice president for Community Engagement, and Michael Cagno, executive director of the Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton University.

Read the SCOSA June Newsletter

Read the Stockton Center on Successful Aging (SCOSA)'s June newsletter for interesting upcoming events and newly added programming.

OSPREY NOTES

ICYMI: Latest Eye on Stockton is Here

The latest episode of Eye on Stockton highlights the second half of the spring semester, including welcoming future Ospreys to campus, a look at our annual Scholarship Benefit Gala, and celebrating the Class of 2026 at Commencement.

Campus Center Bookstore Announces Summer Hours

The Campus Center Bookstore has announced its summer 2026 hours. The bookstore will generally be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and closed Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with extended hours on select New Student Orientation dates.

For more information, visit StocktonUShop.com.

Time to Confirm Your Ospreys

Happy Summer, faculty! As the summer semester has begun, it's time to Confirm your Ospreys!

Faculty are reminded to complete the Academic Engagement (formerly Roster Verification) process by confirming student attendance/academic activity. If you are teaching a course(s) in Summer Sessions I, II, IV, and the EDUC session , please complete the Academic Engagement process ASAP. The process for Summer Session III is to be completed by Monday, July 6. The Office of Financial Aid is in the process of using this information to make adjustments to student financial aid disbursements based on each student's confirmed number of credits.

Each instructor is responsible for confirming student attendance or participation in an academic activity. For online courses, faculty are reminded to include an assignment or discussion activity during the add/drop period so that the student's attendance can be confirmed.

The link to complete the Academic Engagement process can be found under the faculty tab within the goStockton portal.

For more information and a list of frequently asked questions, visit stockton.edu/academicengagement.

One-Click Break: Puppy Cam

Need a softer reset? Check in on Explore.org’s live puppy cam and let a pile of tiny chaos make you feel a little more organized inside.

Watch the Puppy Cam here 🐾