Stockton News - Oct. 10, 2025 - University Relations & Marketing

Stockton News - Oct. 10, 2025

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

President Bertolino Announces University’s New Strategic Plan

President Joe Bertolino announced Stockton's new Strategic Plan focusing on strengthening community and advancing excellence during his third annual State of the University address on Oct. 6.

“This is not just a plan, it’s a moral imperative,” Bertolino said. “A responsibility for our community that is grounded in our values, aligned with our mission and focused on what matters most. It sets a clear direction for Stockton’s next chapter.”

The plan centers on five strategic priorities, including Cultivate a Community of Care, Inspire Minds, Empower Student Success, Anchor in Purpose and Sustain Tomorrow.

A community of care is built on connection, shared purpose and inclusive engagement, Bertolino said. The university will improve campus climate by implementing the recommendations of the Campus Morale Working Group.

📰 In the News: NJBIZ, New Jersey Business Magazine, The Press of Atlantic City, Downbeach.com

Newark Mayor: Hamer’s Advocacy Should be Inspiration to Students

Fannie Lou Hamer, an activist for voting and civil rights during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, is known famously for saying the words, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

However, during Oct. 7’s Human and Civil Rights Symposium bearing her name, this year’s keynote speaker Newark Mayor Ras Baraka shed light on a lesser-known quote of hers when sharing her story.

“Fannie Lou Hamer said that the flag is soaked with our blood,” Baraka said. “She was a sharecropper from Ruleville, Mississippi, who was evicted because the plantation owner told her she had to withdraw her voter registration. She refused and was later arrested and beaten in jail under the orders of the State Highway Patrol.

“This is what it looked like for us,” Baraka continued. “This is what we had to go through in order to be part of this democracy, to actually build one here in this country.”

📸View more photos on flickr.

Career & Internship Fair Fosters Collaboration, Creates Opportunities

Making a biannual event feel fresh and new is a challenge. Thankfully, Sofia Abreu is not only up for it but eager to knock it out of the park.

Abreu, a 2011 graduate of Stockton, serves as director of Stockton’s Career Education & Development (CED).

Since joining the CED office, she has made it her mission to support students in their career journeys through increasing the office’s visibility on campus, providing networking opportunities throughout the academic year and making improvements to the biannual Career & Internship Fair through partnerships both within and outside of the university.

According to Abreu, this spirit of collaboration is what made this year’s fair, hosted in the Sports Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, a success with over 100 employers and more than 1,200 students in attendance.

Donation Funds Special Collections, Preserves Local History

Tom Kinsella grew up in a family of avid readers, with a particular passion for local history.

It was a natural progression for Kinsella, Distinguished Professor of Literature at Stockton University, to pursue a career that landed him in libraries and classrooms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Now, in order to preserve his passion for history and honor his family, Kinsella donated $50,000 to establish the Historic South Jersey Fund to support the Bjork Library Special Collections at Stockton. Although he initially planned to keep his gift private, Kinsella was encouraged to share it to inspire others, making it a highlight of this year’s Stockton University Foundation Ospreys Give campaign Oct. 8-9.

The fund will preserve and share important regional materials through digitization, exhibitions and programming while engaging students, faculty, alumni and the South Jersey community.

Kinsella came to Stockton in 1989 and for more than three decades has been involved with the Bjork Library and was instrumental in the creation of the Special Collections department. He is also the director of the South Jersey Culture and History Center at Stockton, which produces historical publications and promotes the preservation of local history like the Alliance Heritage Center.

💸 🦅 Ospreys Give Continues: There's still time to make an impact. Learn more here.

STOCKTON UNIVERSITY ATLANTIC CITY

Overall, Summer of 2025 Successful, But Future is Uncertain

Overall, the summer of 2025 was positive for South Jersey businesses, especially the Atlantic City casinos, but some economic uncertainty clouds the future, according to a group of panelists at the sixth annual Jersey Shoreview at Stockton.

Jersey Shoreview panelists

The Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT) at Stockton’s School of Business hosted the panel Oct. 9 at the John F. Scarpa Academic Center and it was streamed online.

LIGHT Faculty Director Jane Bokunewicz opened the discussion, which was moderated by Press of Atlantic City Digital Editor Nicholas Huba.

This year’s panelists included Oliver Cooke, associate professor of Economics at Stockton University and editor of the South Jersey Economic Review; Mary Moliver, executive director of Destination Services at Visit Atlantic City; Ben Rose, director of Market and Media Relations for the Greater Wildwood Tourism Authority; and Feras Shawi, the owner of Brewberry Café in Atlantic City.

FRAME-WORTHY

Beautiful Day to Discover Stockton

More than 550 prospective students and their guests came out on a gorgeous, unseasonably warm Discover Stockton Day on Oct. 4 at the Galloway campus to see everything the University has to offer.

Students had the option to participate in admissions and financial aid presentations, explore academic offerings during individual school sessions, listen to current students' stories, and take a guided tour of both the Galloway and Atlantic City campuses and the Marine Field Station.

📸See more photos on flickr.

SPOTLIGHT ON: NAZ ONEL

Co-authors textbook on sustainability marketing

Naz Onel, professor of Business Administration at Stockton, has been a passionate educator in sustainability marketing and its continuous evolution as times and consumer needs change across the globe.

Onel has long relied on the foundational publications of professors Frank-Martin Belz from the Technical University of Munich in Germany and Ken Peattie from Cardiff Business School in the United Kingdom throughout her teaching career. She recently had the opportunity to co-author the third edition of “Sustainability Marketing: A Global Perspective” with them and discusses the inspiration behind it, the discoveries and trends they found, and what she hopes educators can learn from it. 💭 Read the full Q&A here.

WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU

Instagram: Andrea Jones, a Sustainability major and manager of Stockton's campus farm, has had a growing interest in the outdoors, bugs, plants and food since she was little.

Facebook: In just a few hours, more than 600 donors have given more than $175,000 dollars to support Stockton students.

TikTok: How could you not love fall here?

Your favorite lake's online... have you given @lakefred1969 a follow yet? 👀

FROM THE SIDELINES

Stockton Sweeps Drew for Third Straight Win

The volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 sweep of Drew University for its third consecutive win on Oct. 9. Except for one rough patch in the first set, the Ospreys were in control throughout the match, winning 25-22, 25-12, 25-18.

Kate Louer led Stockton with a match-high 13 kills, followed by Nicole Palmer with 11 kills. Laila Newborn continued her strong defensive play at the net with a career-high eight blocks.

Regan Mendick totaled 18 assists, five digs, three kills and two aces. Overall, the Ospreys served 12 aces, led by Helen Murray with four and Palmer with three.

Drew scored nine points in a row for an 18-13 lead in the first set. Stockton responded with a 10-1 run and went on to a 25-22 victory behind six kills by Louer.

The Ospreys posted a lofty .542 hitting percentage and dominated the second set 25-12. Palmer led the way with five kills.

Stockton seized control of the third set with a 9-2 spurt and closed out the match 25-18 as Louer and Palmer tallied four kills apiece.

Stockton will have the weekend off before hosting defending NJAC champion William Paterson on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Stockton Announces Partnership with Influxer for NIL

Stockton Athletics has partnered with the NIL company Influxer to provide name, image and likeness opportunities for Stockton student-athletes. The collaboration will allow Stockton student-athletes to profit from sales of personalized merchandise with the University's official branding.

Influxer, which was founded in 2022, is currently licensed with over 500 universities. The company's mission is to help student-athletes navigate NIL by presenting income opportunities, providing professional education, and supporting a future beyond collegiate athletics.

🦅 For more athletics news and upcoming game information, visit here.🦅

STOCKTON SITES & CENTERS

Moreno-Rodriguez Co-Facilitates TOLI Seminar in Mexico

This summer, Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez, director of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center, co-facilitated the first-ever Latin American seminar for the Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights (TOLI) in Mexico City. Hosted by the Museo Memoria y Tolerancia and delivered entirely in Spanish, the five-day program trained 40 educators and museum docents from across Mexico in Holocaust and human rights education.

Moreno-Rodriguez lectured on the Holocaust’s etymology and contemporary lessons, guided participants through the museum’s exhibits, and helped connect the Holocaust Resource Center to new international partnerships, expanding its reach and impact in global Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

“This success in Mexico strengthens Stockton’s standing as a global leader in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. It provided our Holocaust Resource Center with new opportunities for intercultural exchange and the sharing of scholarly and educational resources we have been developing in Spanish,” Moreno-Rodriguez noted.

“During the seminar, I was also able to remember former Ida E King Scholar, Dr. Yehuda Bauer: ‘Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.’ This principle provided the educators with a vital framework to link the history of the Holocaust to contemporary human rights issues in their own communities.”

When asked how he personally felt about the experience, he shared, "It was deeply moving, marked by the profound dedication and emotional intelligence of the participants. Many of the educators came from areas with no formal Holocaust instruction, yet they showed an intense willingness to grapple with this complex and difficult history.”

He also said the site visits were the most impactful part of the training. “The Museum of Memory and Tolerance offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust alongside other genocides, giving the lessons on hate a universal urgency. This was powerfully contrasted with our guided tour of the Bet El synagogue. For many attendees, this was their first time setting foot in a synagogue, meeting a Jewish person, or engaging in conversation with a Rabbi. This connection to the living history and traditions of the Mexican Jewish community was a crucial moment that transformed the historical lesson into a call for a more empathetic and understanding world. The entire program concluded with the realization that the teachers were leaving not just with knowledge, but with the moral drive to keep teaching the lessons and legacies of the Holocaust.”

Fall Programs at Stockton at Manahawkin

Stockton at Manahawkin, home to the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, hosted more than 70 prospective students and their guests at its instructional site on Oct. 1. Jill Tourtual, associate chair of the program, led an informative presentation supported by several nursing faculty members who also guided site tours.

The ABSN is a rigorous 15-month post-baccalaureate program that combines classroom instruction, foundational lab work and off-site clinical experiences to prepare students for the NCLEX exam and successful nursing careers.

In addition, Stockton at Manahawkin is offering a dynamic lineup of fall programs designed to engage a wide range of participants — including current students from both the Manahawkin and Galloway campuses, prospective and incoming students, community members and guests from partner organizations. Visit here for the full list of events and programs.

OSPREY NOTES

Getting to Know New Faculty: Part 3

Each week, we’ll highlight new faculty members who have joined the campus community, sharing details about their on-campus work and off-campus life. Today, we spotlight the School of Health Sciences Kate Worley (at right), assistant professor of Counseling; and Stephen "Grayson" Chao(at lower left), assistant professor of Physical Therapy.

What courses or subjects will you be teaching at Stockton?

Worley: I am teaching internship courses, theories of counseling and techniques, career counseling, statistics and research, and play therapy.

Chao: I teach in the physical therapy program so I mainly teach courses related to physical rehabilitation, specifically in the musculoskeletal area. I will also co-teach courses related to biomechanics and movement.

What is your area of research or professional specialty?

Worley: I specialize in play therapy and primarily work with minors and their families as a counselor. My research interests include first-generation graduate students and mental health within the LGBTQ+ population.

Chao: Cancer rehabilitation and clinical decision making.

What drew you to Stockton?

Worley: I was looking for a university that prioritized teaching while also supporting faculty in their research endeavors.

Chao: Stockton presented itself as an institution that was committed to higher education; not only from the perspective of research and scholarship but an equally strong commitment to teaching its students. I am proud to be part of an institution that not only grows knowledge, but passes it down to future generations.

What’s on your Kindle or nightstand right now?

Worley: I recently finished reading The Poisonwood Bible.

Chao: I am in the middle of Hidden Potential by Adam Grant and I’m also re-reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

What’s one fun fact about you that students or colleagues might be surprised to learn?

Worley: Growing up as a Navy brat, I lived in two other countries and several U.S. states. That early exposure sparked a lifelong love of travel — I’ve since visited over ten more countries and 31 states.

Chao: I love coffee and have taught myself how to pour latte art (badly).

Organizational Charts Moved to SharePoint Site

As of Oct. 7, institutional organizational charts are no longer available on the public website.

Instead, they are housed on a dedicated SharePoint site, accessible to all faculty and staff with a stockton.edu account.

This change is being made for three key reasons:

To help ensure the university is in compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Because it is not common practice for organizations to post detailed organizational charts publicly.
To make it easier for divisions and departments to update and maintain accurate information.

You can always access the Organizational Chart SharePoint site through the link located on the Employee tab of the portal.

If you have any questions about accessing the organizational charts, please contact Christy Cunningham at Christy.Cunningham@stockton.edu.

It’s FAFSA time!

The 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available now at fafsa.gov.

The FAFSA is a student’s application for all federal, state and institutional need-based financial aid programs. All students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA each year.

Please encourage your students to file their 2026-2027 FAFSA early to avoid missing any deadlines! Learn more atstockton.edu/fafsa.

Students who identify as anNJ Dreamer will not complete the FAFSA. They will complete the NJ Alternative Application for Financial Aid athesaa.org.

Financial Aid is here to help. Anyone who needs assistance with their application for financial aid can schedule a FAFSA Completion appointment with our office. Appointments are offered on Fridays and select Wednesdays throughout the fall and spring semesters. Students can make an appointment for the fall atstockton.edu/contactfinaid.

💡 Fun Fact Friday: The First College Degrees for Women

In 1837, Oberlin College in Ohio became the first U.S. college to admit women and award them degrees, decades before most universities followed suit.