Stockton News - April 10, 2026 - University Relations & Marketing

Stockton News - April 10, 2026

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

Baby Day Helps Students Prepare for Future Health Care Careers

The hallways of West Quad filled with sounds of children on April 6 as Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Communication Disorders students gathered for Stockton University's annual Baby Day — a hands-on interprofessional training event that has become a key component of the Health Sciences curriculum.

The event brought roughly 20 infants and toddlers, ages newborn to 3 years old, to campus alongside their parents and caregivers for a morning of structured interaction with student teams. Around 120 students from four programs participated this year, each assigned to a mixed-discipline group tasked with engaging the child while interviewing their caregiver.

"The health professions are interprofessional," said Lauren DelRossi, an associate professor of Physical Therapy who has helped organize the event for more than a decade. "So, it's preparing them for future practice. It teaches development and also how to work as a team."

Student teams of two to four are drawn from different disciplines so that no group is made up of students from the same program. Before the babies arrive, teams meet for 30 minutes to develop a shared plan for how they will interact with the child and what questions they want to ask caregivers.

Mary Kientz, associate professor and Occupational Therapy program director, said the pre-event meeting is essential to ensuring every student has a voice.

“This helps to ensure all students will engage with the baby and caregiver,” she said.

📸See photos from Baby Day on Flickr.

Student JackEdward Schmick Featured on 'GMA'

An Osprey moment on the national stage.

JackEdward Schmick recently appeared on an episode of “Good Morning America” on April 9 to talk about his charity "Bags for Buddies.”

Special Faculty, Staff Rate for Scholarship Benefit Gala

The Scholarship Benefit Gala will be held at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, April 18, in the Campus Center. Join colleagues and community members for an unforgettable evening of gourmet food, live music, dancing and entertainment.

To show our appreciation for the difference you make at Stockton every day, a special faculty and staff ticket price is available. Purchase tickets for $200 by selecting “Faculty/Staff” or “Faculty/Staff Friend.”

STOCKTON UNIVERSITY ATLANTIC CITY

10 Years Later, Doctoral Program Builds Leaders Across Professions

Stockton's doctorate in Organization Leadership may reside in the School of Education, but 10 years after its launch, the program attracts candidates from a variety of professional fields.

“In every organization — in schools, churches, the military, law enforcement, social work, health care and, of course, K-12 and higher education — effective leaders are required to make change and to make those organizations successful,” said Sequetta Sweet, program chair of the Ed.D. program. “And that’s the beauty of this degree.”

Brian McBride While many New Jersey colleges and universities offer advanced degrees in educational leadership, Stockton’s degree program is attractive to leaders across industries, Sweet said.

Tamica Williams

That’s one of the reasons Brian McBride, the superintendent of Monroe Township schools, decided to enroll. He earned his doctorate in 2019, and he sought out Stockton’s program because he wanted an experience that would include professionals beyond other school administrators.

“As a school superintendent, while you’re the chief educational officer, you are actually running a large organization where you have personnel that work in operations, governance and law. I have 1,000 employees who work for me,” said the Williamstown native.

Child Welfare Leadership Professional Tamica Williams, a self-proclaimed “lifelong learner,” enrolled in Stockton’s program a year ago. She enjoys learning what leaders in other fields think and how leadership, culture and organizational dynamics influence outcomes

SPOTLIGHT ON: ANTHONY DISSEN

Anthony Dissen, assistant professor of Health Science at Stockton, was speaking to a group of nutrition and dietetics graduate students in Michigan about LGBTQIA+ health disparities when something clicked.

“One of the students asked where they could learn more about the subject,” Dissen said. “At the time, there wasn’t a single resource that brought all of this information together—only a growing body of research and journal articles.”

That moment sparked the idea for what would become Nutritional Needs and Well-Being for the LGBTQIA+ Community, a newly published, first-of-its-kind textbook.

“I realized that there was a great need to put all this information together in a sensible, practical way that could be used to help educate and support nutrition and dietetics students and professionals,” he added.

In an interview, Dissen discusses why this publication is unique, what he hopes students and health care practitioners take from it and some surprising insights discovered during research.

FRAME-WORTHY

A Day of Leadership, Growth and Connection

Student leaders brought energy and purpose to the Fourth Annual Empowered Leadership Conference on April 3, a full day of connection, growth and inspiration.

Hosted by the Cultural Engagement Ospreys, the student-led event featured a keynote by graduate Aleyshka Barbosa Navarro, MSW, whose talk, “The Sustainable Leader: Moving from Individual Burnout to Collective Resilience,” focused on self-care, alongside an interactive lunch, panel discussions and breakout sessions centered on authenticity and leadership.

📸 View more photos on Flickr.

WHAT'S TRENDING @ #STOCKTONU

Instagram: This is what campus looks like when the first warm days of spring arrive. 📚🦅☀️

Facebook: As NASA’s Artemis II mission flies around the Moon, Stockton alumnus Bob Koch '06 is watching from Earth — cheering on his wife, Christina Koch, as she takes part in this historic journey. Proud to see a Stockton connection to humanity’s return to deep space.

Instagram (OspreyPrez): Last week I represented Stockton at the ReNew Jersey Business Summit & Expo, joining fellow state university leaders to discuss the future of higher education.

FROM THE SIDELINES

Women's Golf Team Wins Ursinus Quad #3

The women's golf team finished first out of three scoring teams in the Ursinus Quad #3 on April 9 at Turtle Creek Golf Club. The Ospreys produced a team score of 368 strokes that was the best in program history. Golfers from Stockton, Albright, Eastern and Ursinus competed at the tournament.

Elenora Byrne finished first out of 18 with an 86 to win by two strokes. Byrne parred three holes en route to a 44 on the front nine and then carded three more pars on the way to a 42 on the back nine.

Ava Kinkler finished third with a 90 that was her career best by nine strokes. Kinkler shot a 45 on each nine, with three pars on the front and two on the back.

Zoe Grom placed seventh with a 95 that was one off her career best. Grom parred three holes and shot a 46 on the front nine followed by one par and a 49 on the back.

Kylie Hague followed in eighth place as she topped her previous career best by four strokes and broke 100 for the first time at the college level with a 97. Hague's round was highlighted by a birdie two on the second hole. The sophomore also made two pars while shooting 50 on the front nine and a 47 on the back.

Next Up: Stockton will compete in the Kean Invitational at noon on April 17 at Galloping Hills.

Ospreys Shut Out TCNJ

The baseball team played one their most solid games of the season on April 9, shutting out The College of New Jersey by a score of 14-0. It was the Ospreys' first whitewash of the year.

Every Stockton player that saw action had at least one hit in the contest as the Ospreys pounded out 15 hits and scored 14 runs.

Yenuelle Rodriguez had three hits, with Nick Avagnano, Russell Halvorsen and Evan Palmer getting a pair of hits each. Palmer also had three RBI.

Liam Schwinn scored three runs, with Matthew McCloskey, Joe Gmitter, Halvorsen and Michael Antonucci each scoring twice.

Freshman Nick Kowalewski was outstanding on the hill, tossing a career-high eight shutout innings and allowed just three hits for his first career win.

Next Up: The team will travel to Ewing on April 11 for the back half of the home-and-home series against the Lions. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

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

STOCKTON SITES & CENTERS

🍼 Support Black Maternal Health Week Donation Drive

The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy is collecting essential items in support of Black Maternal Health Week, April 11–16. Donations such as diapers, wipes, bottles, baby care items, nursing supplies, and formula can be dropped off at the Hughes Center, L-212, throughout the week.

Community members are also invited to a baby shower and live screening of a panel discussion on Black maternal health from 4–6 p.m. Thursday, April 16, in CCMR 5, where donations can also be brought. Register here.

This initiative is held in partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, and Stockton’s Africana Studies, Political Science, and Health Sciences programs.

For more information, contact Alyssa Maurice at Alyssa.Maurice@stockton.edu.

OSPREY NOTES

🩺 Public Health Students Connect at Annual Symposium

In celebration of National Public Health Week, students and faculty from Stockton University attended the 31st Annual Public Health Symposium hosted by Rutgers School of Public Health on April 6 at the Cook Student Center.

Led by Professor Tara Crowell, Stockton students Amy Holmes, Elizabeth Hunt and David Docherty, all pursuing their Master of Public Health, joined undergraduate students Miguelina Labathe, Jordan Everson and Lakisha Sweet for a full day of sessions focused on workforce resilience and well-being.

“This event is an excellent opportunity for students, both graduate and undergraduate, to see firsthand the impact of public health initiatives at the state and national levels,” Crowell said. “It also provides a great venue for networking and exploring internship and career opportunities.”

That impact was immediate. During the symposium, one Stockton MPH student who had recently applied for a county Community Health Educator position found herself seated next to representatives from that very department—leading to meaningful conversations, insight into the role and a chance to make a lasting impression.

🚨Campus Evacuation Drills Scheduled for Week of April 13

Campus Police and Facilities & Operations will conduct evacuation drills across select academic and administrative buildings on the Galloway and Atlantic City campuses during the week of April 13.

Drills will last approximately 15–20 minutes and will take place at the beginning or end of scheduled classes. When alarms sound, occupants should exit immediately using the nearest safe exit and follow standard evacuation procedures.

The drills are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen campus safety and emergency preparedness. More information and resources are available on the Emergency Management website.

If you have any questions or require additional information, contact Al Handy at 609-652-4480 or albert.handy@stockton.edu.

April 15 Financial Aid Deadline Approaching

Students who received the State Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) and/or Stockton Promise funding during the 2025–26 academic year must complete the 2026–27 FAFSA or NJ Alternative Application (NJ Dreamers only) by April 15, 2026. Anyone who misses this deadline won’t be considered for these funds in 2026-27 even if they’re financially eligible!

To support students through the process, the Office of Financial Aid is offering FAFSA Completion Appointments throughout the spring semester. Appointments are available at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon on April 14.

Appointments can be scheduled through Ospreys Navigate via the goStockton portal at stockton.edu/contactfinaid.

Students not impacted by this deadline are still encouraged to apply for 2026–27 financial aid as soon as possible to avoid missing deadlines, receive aid offers earlier and allow time to complete any required steps before the fall billing deadline.

Students can also learn more and begin their application at stockton.edu/fafsa.

🐔 Fun Fact Friday, Farm Edition

April 10 is National Farm Animals Day, a chance to appreciate the animals that keep farms running every day.

Not all conversations happen in a classroom or even in words. Chickens use more than two dozen distinct vocalizations to communicate with each other. So clucking cool!