Stockton’s Annual Giving Day Sets Records

The Stockton University Foundation’s fifth annual giving day drew record participation and raised more than $150,000 for students and University programs.

Ospreys Give kicked off Oct. 12, 2022, and generated gifts from 915 donors, surpassing the goal of 750.

“The ever-increasing level of support for Stockton and the Foundation continues to be inspiring,” Dan Nugent, vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Stockton Foundation, said. “We are absolutely thrilled and grateful for the incredible outpouring of support from alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends from southern New Jersey and across the country.”

The theme for the day was Give for Good, and funds were raised for initiatives focusing on student success, equity, wellness, emerging needs and the environment. Donors selected from more than 100 individual causes to provide support, ranging from scholarships to emergency relief funds, athletic programs, student organizations and academic programs.

All 50 years of Stockton’s history were represented, as donations came from at least one member of each of Stockton’s graduating classes from 1973 through 2022. Current students also joined in the effort, with gifts from each of the University’s current classes.

A record 40 match and challenge gifts helped to inspire participation and maximize contributions. 

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Donation Supports Mental Health Initiatives

A new initiative will allow Stockton University to enhance and expand its student mental health programs.

Recognizing the increasing need for mental health resources for college-aged students, Karen Alton worked with the Stockton University Foundation to launch the Alton Mental Health Initiatives Fund with a $35,000 donation from the John and Elizabeth Endicott Foundation.

“Student mental health is the No. 1 challenge facing student success,” said Chris Catching, vice president for Student Affairs. “This will help us to think big picture and bolster the resources we have.”

The fund recognizes the ongoing efforts of Stockton staff to identify and support students facing an array of mental health and wellness challenges, while encouraging the University to establish and grow new programs to aid in this effort.

Stockton offers counseling and psychiatric services, education and outreach services, and events centered on mental health and wellbeing through the Wellness Center.

“Mental health is a public issue, and the fund will provide support for our students. There are growing and emerging needs and our students are greatly impacted,” said Zupenda Davis-Shine, assistant vice president for Student Health and Wellness.

Donation Renames Financial Literacy Center for Late Economics Professor

A $2 million commitment named the Center for Economic Development and Financial Literacy after Elizabeth “Betty” Elmore, who spent five decades teaching economics at Stockton University. 

Elmore passed away in December 2022 after a lengthy illness. Her husband, Richard, of Egg Harbor Township, wanted to honor the memory of his beloved wife by supporting the University's work related to her passion for finance and economics.  

“Betty was proud to be the first female professor in the Economics department, and she was incredibly dedicated to Stockton and her students,” Richard Elmore said. 

The Dr. Elizabeth Elmore Center for Economic Development and Financial Literacy’s mission is to develop engaged and informed students, citizens, voters, workers, consumers, savers and investors who understand the interdependence of national economies in the global community and the role of financial institutions in the sustainability of these relationships. In recent years, Elmore served as director of the center.

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Center to Preserve Jewish Farming History Receives Grant

The Alliance Heritage Center will use a new grant to create a public digital database of its collection documenting the history of Jewish farming in southern New Jersey.

The New Jersey Historical Commission recently awarded more than $300,000 to 14 organizations to explore under-represented history in the state, including $24,500 to the Alliance Heritage Center at Stockton University.

The goal of the Alliance Heritage Center is to preserve the history of the first successful Jewish farming village in the United States, the Alliance Colony in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County.

The center will use the grant to support a one-year project to create a public digital database to house its collections, said Patricia Chappine, adjunct professor of History.

“We’re very excited to start this project,” said Chappine, who works with the center and its director, Thomas Kinsella. “Adding our collections to Stockton’s online archives will make our holdings more accessible, expand our community connections and help us preserve the stories of Alliance and Jewish agriculture in the area.”

New Stockton Classroom Honors Local Holocaust Survivor

Students taking courses in a new classroom at the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University will learn the story of an inspirational Holocaust survivor from South Jersey. The room, dedicated by Norman and Micki (Kosden) Massry, honors the legacy of Micki’s mother, Claire.

“Claire came to this country in 1950 after living in London, having fled from occupation in Czechoslovakia in 1938,” said recently passed Gail Rosenthal, then director of the Center. “She came to the United States as a teenager and had to adapt to a new way of life. Our students will hear Claire’s story and be inspired to overcome the obstacles in their own lives.” 

The new classroom will be used by faculty teaching courses in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The room will also serve as a multipurpose space, allowing the Center to expand its capacity for school groups, meetings and community events. The Center’s programs reach more than 15,000 students, teachers and community members each year. 

Foundation Benefit Gala Honors Kesselman

The 2023 Stockton University Foundation Scholarship Benefit Gala was a night to remember as nearly 700 members of the Stockton community came together to celebrate the leadership and career of retiring president Harvey Kesselman. The event, held last April at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, raised more than $460,000 for scholarships.

The most unique feature of the event called on guests to participate in a variety of Stockton “experiences” led by faculty and staff, including harvesting greens and enjoying a salad composed of vegetables from Stockton’s Sustainability Farm, taking a tour of the night sky with Physics students inside an inflatable geodome, learning about shell restoration efforts while students shucked and prepared locally farmed oysters, sampling local wines with students from the Fundamentals of Wine class, and making ice cream using liquid nitrogen. 

“Providing the opportunity for our guests to interact with students and faculty in unique and meaningful ways is a signature part of this evening,” said Dan Nugent, executive director of the Stockton University Foundation. “This year, as we honor Dr. Kesselman, we wanted students to be the focus, incorporating his Students First motto.”