Stetson Magazine 2020-36-2

Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 1 U N I V E R S I T Y M A G A Z I N E STETSON S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 Christopher F. Roellke, PhD Achievement during unprecedented times Meet the New President Celebrating the Historic Class of 2020 2 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 3 B E G I N N I N G S Taking the Stage It didn’t take long for new President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, to command attention on campus. Roellke was introduced to the university community on Nov. 21, 2019, at Lee Chapel in Elizabeth Hall. With ease and confidence, he drew rousing applause, including from members of the Stetson Concert Choir. Moments earlier, the choir had delivered an uplifting a cappella performance of “Walk a Mile in My Shoes.” As you’ll read on Page 6, Roellke, indeed, plans to walk a mile in his neighbors’ shoes — to help understand them better and to get his footing at Stetson. Roellke officially began as president on July 1. Photo: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio “Kindness not only matters … it enables us to listen, to engage with others unlike ourselves, and to consider paths we can forge together to make our community, in fact the world, a better place.” — New Stetson President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, Nov. 21, 2019 4 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 5 CLASS OF 2020 Departments 2 BEGINNINGS Taking the Stage 6 WELCOME Meet the New President 8 INTELLIGENTSIA News and Notes About Knowledge 18 FIRST PERSON On the Front Lines of COVID-19 52 ATHLETICS Super Seniors 56 ALUMNI Virtual Connections 62 THE CLASSES Accolades and Achievements 67 PARTING SHOT Leaving the Stage C O N T E N T S 30 Autumn Hope Rising For a Class of 2020 whose members conquered rare challenges to reach their goals, the resilience of Autumn Hope Johnson offers an emblem of their optimism and promise. 36 Tip of the Cap Graduates left their academic impacts on the university, and much more, in what turned out to be historic achievement. Features 22 Freedom Riders With present-day events being reminiscent of the past, Stetson’s travel experience and exploration of a civil rights movement from nearly 60 years ago — canceled this summer — comes back into timely and historic focus. 26 The Spread of Goodwill In time of pandemic need, Hatters helped Hatters, as the Stetson community rallied in relief of their own and their neighbors. 48 Staying for More Personifying the virtues of experiential learning, Ashley Martinez ’20 has made her immediate plans following graduation: remain on campus to leave a greater impact. 50 Showcase, Indeed Despite cancellation of the actual event, Stetson Showcase again proved to be a worthy display, with research impressing “all who have seen it.” 30 48 22 ON THE COVER: Christopher F. Roellke, PhD Last fall, the Stetson University Board of Trustees selected Roellke to replace Wendy B. Libby, PhD, who has retired. So, what can Stetson now expect? Hint: confidence, strength, experience, expertise, acumen. (And he’s athletic.) Photo: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio STETSON U N I V E R S I T Y M AG A Z I N E SUMMER 2020 • VOLUME 36 • ISSUE 2 President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD Vice President of University Marketing Bruce Chong Assistant Vice President, Marketing/Media Relations Janie Graziani Editor Michael Candelaria Designer Kris Winters Art and Photography Faith Jones ’21, Joel Jones, Ciara Ocasio Writers Sandra Carr, Bruce Chong, Rick de Yampert, Janie Graziani, Cory Lancaster, Ashley McKnight-Taylor, Kimberly D.S. Reiter, PhD, Jack Roth, Emily Spriggs ’20 Class Notes Editor Cathy Foster STETSON UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE is published three times a year by Stetson University, DeLand, FL 32723, and is distributed to its alumni, families, friends, faculty and staff. The magazine is printed on FSC-certified paper. The College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business Administration and School of Music are at the historic main campus in DeLand. The College of Law is in Gulfport/St. Petersburg. The university also has two satellite centers: the Tampa Law Center and the Stetson University Center at Celebration near Orlando. Want to add, remove or change your magazine subscription? Email [email protected]. Also, we accept paid advertising. Email inquiries to [email protected]. 6 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 7 WELCOME Meet the NEW PRESIDENT Ten questions for Christopher F. Roellke, PhD — revealing insight into what makes him tick. Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, spent 21 years as a profes­sor and administrator at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. From 2008 to 2018, he served as Dean of the College, and in 2018 became Dean of the College Emeritus. Last fall, the Stetson University Board of Trustees selected Roellke to replace Wendy B. Libby, PhD, who has retired. Roellke earned an undergraduate degree in American government from Wesleyan University (where he played on the baseball and basketball teams), and a master’s degree and doctorate from Cornell University in social and philosophi­cal foundations of education. Prior to entering the doctoral program at Cornell, he was an award-winning secondary-school history and social studies teacher in rural, suburban and urban settings. Coincidentally (or not), Roellke was born in the same city as university namesake John B. Stetson: Orange, New Jersey. Stetson University Magazine: If someone had told you last fall that this pandemic scenario would occur — and the most recent social-justice movement (Black Lives Matter) would unfold — creating an incredibly challenging situation not just for Stetson, but for all colleges and uni­versities, how would you have responded? I do believe that Stetson and institutions like us are being confronted with a “once in a cen­tury” set of challenges. However, this context also brings considerable opportunity to learn, to grow and to work diligently to remedy historical injustices and inequities. As we move forward in addressing our contemporary challenges, we must do so with open minds and with our core values driving the difficult decisions that lie ahead. Stetson, over time, will emerge stronger if we come together as a community and continue to be a place where “learning and values meet.” As I indicated in my welcoming remarks to the Stetson commu­nity last fall, “We will be proactive, not reactive, in the rapidly changing higher education landscape and will not shy away from chal­lenges — challenges that inevitably will come.” Just a few short months after I was appointed Dean of the College at Vassar, we experienced a significant downturn in the economy (the Great Recession). We had also just announced an ambitious plan to diversify our student body, faculty and staff. Our response to the crisis required creativity, patience, collaboration and a laserlike focus on what was most important to the institution. The same holds true for our current context. Has there been an easy part to this transition, or has everything been impacted by COVID-19? Or, perhaps, has COVID-19 forced an acclimation to Stetson more quickly? Over the past several months, I have been immersed in countless virtual conversations with faculty, staff, students and members of the Board of Trustees. This has afforded me a window into the Stetson community that goes well beyond what a typical presidential transi­tion would entail. In times of crisis, you often see some of the very best in people, and that has certainly been my experience thus far at Stetson. What will your priorities be in the first 100 days? And, related, what pace do you want to set at Stetson? First and foremost, I am prioritizing listening. While my planned “listening tour” will be accelerated given our current context, I believe it is critical for any new leader to take the time to understand multiple perspectives and the lived experiences of a community. There is no doubt that we will need to continue to make pragmatic and judicious decisions in a context of COVID-19 and social unrest. As I think about the first 100 days and beyond, I believe a president’s disposition and demeanor are a vital component of effective leadership. What I can pledge is that I will always be committed to working with our constituents collaboratively, with openness, with honesty and with steadfast integrity. The Roellke family (left to right): Julia Roellke, science education fellow, sustainability coordinator and basketball coach, Greens Farms Academy, Westport, Connecticut; Kim Roellke, DVM, veterinarian; Chris Roellke, president, Stetson; Olivia Roellke, rising junior in high school; Emma Roellke, medical student, NYU Long Island School of Medicine During that time, those 100 days, what do you expect to be “telling yourself”? Most importantly, I will be reminding myself that we are not alone in this. All institutions of higher education are being challenged, and all members of our community are trying to navigate uncharted waters. Given this uncer­tainty and the inevitable anxiety that accompa­nies it, I can think of no better place to be than in an institution of higher education. On our campuses, one is always surrounded by really smart, really thoughtful and really insightful people — all of whom are seeking to improve the human condition. As you moved through the interview and discovery process for the presidency, was there any one thing about the university you kept thinking about — that kept coming back to you, telling you this was the place you wanted to be? As the presidential search process was unfold­ing, I found myself getting more and more enamored with the prospect of being afforded the opportunity to lead Stetson. Stetson has had just nine presidents in more than 136 years of existence, and it is the deepest honor and privilege of my professional life to be selected as number 10. There is so much about Stetson that resonates with me. What stands out most to me is that the people who study and work here are kind, engaging, thoughtful and hungry to make a difference. The commitment to experiential learning, to modernizing concepts of a broad and pragmatic liberal arts education, to promoting diversity and inclusion — all of these commitments have been central to my own thinking about education. What is most compelling to you about the profession of being an educator and leader? Related, what made you want to teach? Though I have been a senior executive in higher education for some time, I still very much view my primary role as that of educator. Teaching and learning are profoundly exciting, challenging and important. The opportunity to equip young people with the tools necessary to lead society judiciously to good ends is a true privilege, and it is what has driven me profes­sionally for all of my adult life. Great educators share a number of both measurable and immeasurable characteristics: an ethic of caring for each individual mind and each individual person, a deep commitment to the craft of teaching, an insatiable curiosity for understand­ing, and an unquenchable thirst for personal and intellectual growth. To me, there is noth­ing more exciting than pursuing this kind of excellence in our field. What is the role of a university today in terms of the liberal arts, career develop­ment for students and its place in communities? Students and their families are rightfully expecting a “return on investment” in educa­tion. Given the escalating costs of higher education, it is vital that we prepare students for an increasingly competitive global market­place. In my view, the best way to do that is to make sure that our graduates possess the ability to collaborate across differences and to think critically and creatively to help solve pressing global problems. It is also essential that our students continuously apply what it is they are learning both inside and outside the classroom to improve the human condition. Stetson has long been committed to bridging any perceived or real gaps between theory and practice, and I am eager to ensure that our curriculum continues to be responsive to contemporary challenges. A little self-analysis, what motivates you? Related, where do you go to find your drive, direction, positivity? My father’s favorite salutation when saying goodbye to friends or family was “keep smil­ing.” I always interpreted that salutation as highlighting the importance of staying positive, regardless of context. Both my mother and father “practiced what they preached” in terms of plowing through adversity — viewing all challenges as learning opportunities. As the last of seven children, I also benefited immensely from having older brothers and sisters who are among my most potent teachers. Family continues to be central to everything I do both professionally and personally. What will you miss most about the Poughkeepsie area, where Vassar is, or about the Northeast, where you grew up? The Hudson Valley has been our home for more than two decades, and we will miss the deep friendships and collaborations we have established over the years. We lived directly on the Vassar campus for well over half of our time in Poughkeepsie, and the college was an extraordinary place to raise a family. I will also miss the strong partnership we established with local area school systems — the Vassar College Urban Education Initiative, which I founded 15 years ago — as I do believe we have made tremendous progress in strengthening the relationship between the college and young people and their families in the surrounding community. I will also miss playing baseball (center field) with the Pirates — four-time champions of the Dutchess County Men’s Senior Baseball League! Beyond that answer, what does Chris Roellke enjoy? Here are my “likes and dislikes”: Likes: daughters, pets, family get-togethers, teaching, blues music, “Seinfeld,” Frank Costanza, watching my kids eat, baseball/basketball, New York Yankees, Italian food, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” mowing the lawn, Nilla Wafers, peanut butter cups. Dislikes: heights, deep water, traffic, waiting on line, cotton candy, folding laundry, making the bed, the meeting before and after the meeting. Sign: Pisces. Chris Roellke, No. 21, played guard/forward for the Wesleyan University Cardinals and was a team captain. He also played first base on the baseball team and was named an Academic All-American.8 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 9 CUB Receives Facility Design Award The Carlton Union Building on Stetson’s campus in DeLand has been a focal point of student activity since its opening in the fall semester of 1957. Now, more than six decades later, the CUB — as it’s affectionately dubbed — is an award winner both for aesthetics and functionality. This spring, the CUB received a Facility Design Award from the Association of College Unions – International for renovation and expansion excellence. ACUI, headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, is a nonprofit educational organization that brings together professional campus-community builders world­wide. The ACUI Facility Design Awards were created to encourage and recognize excellence in the design of student-centered facilities that support campus commu­nities and student learning. The CUB, according to ACUI’s description, retains the “historic appearance of the front of the union building and its red brick exterior and stately white col­umns” while still allowing “for a modern flair to arise from the eastern façade.” The CUB is named after Doyle E. Carlton, a 1909 Stetson graduate and gover­nor of Florida from 1929 to 1933. On campus, he was known to be an especially active and engaged student. Each year, the Doyle E. Carlton Award is presented to a Stetson graduate, partly in recognition of extraordinary contributions to the life and development of the university. Suitably, the CUB brings similar benefits. The CUB’s renovation/expansion was completed in December 2018, following two years of work. The project was highlighted by a nearly 50% increase in the building’s footprint, providing larger dining hall and kitchen space, along with new offices for the Student Government Association and more areas for student activities, among other features. In addition, the CUB showcases the university’s commitment to environmen­tal sustainability, including the installation of 231 solar panels atop the building, the result of efforts by students to establish a Revolving Green Fund in spring 2017. The Templeton Fountain was added east of the CUB last August. The fountain, donated by Troy Templeton, a double-Hatter and former university trustee, and his wife, Sissy, incorporates 41 jets of water, colored LED lights and speakers for sound. Pumps and filters recycle the water. — Michael Candelaria INTELLIGENTSIA NEWS AND NOTES ABOUT KNOWLEDGE DID YOU KNOW? At the 2020 Atlantic Sun Conference Spring Meetings, held virtually, special honors went to Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, PhD, in recognition of contributions to the ASUN and in light of her retirement. In addition, Stetson Athletics Director Jeff Altier was honored with the Stellar Service Award, with Altier completing his 35th year at Stetson and 23rd overall as Stetson’s AD. Trustees Approve $12 Million in Capital Projects In late April, at its first-ever videoconference meeting, the Stetson University Board of Trustees approved a resolution by the university’s Facilities Committee and Finance Committee for $12 million for capital projects in the 2020-2021 academic year. The majority of the funding for the projects comes from donor contribu­tions and includes initial planning and construction for the Cici & Hyatt Brown Hall for Health and Innovation in DeLand. Additionally, the board honored Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, PhD, by conferring President Emerita and Professor Emerita status. Other activities included the board’s approval of committee additional four-year terms for Maureen Breakiron-Evans, Dean Hollis, Tom Horton and Josh Magidson; and the board approved the conferral of degrees for Stetson students who have met their graduation requirements. Typically, the university would hold its commencement ceremony in early May, but the event and celebration, along with the Academic Awards and Recognition ceremony, have been postponed until December. The meeting’s highlight was the honoring of Libby, who in February 2019 announced her plans to retire as of June 30, 2020. Aside from the Emerita status, the board offi­cially named the open green area between the CUB Commons dining room and the Templeton Fountain the Libby Lawn. “Stetson is a different university than it was 11 years ago, when Wendy arrived,” said Joe Cooper ’79, MBA ’82, who until June 30 had been chair of the Stetson University Board of Trustees. “She helped Stetson live up to its potential. We have more students; a successful $218 million campaign behind us; a much stronger endowment; a ‘One Stetson’ university; new faculty and academic programs; a more vibrant, beautiful campus; renovated and new facilities; the benefits of football and other athletic programs; and a solid foundation for an even stronger future.” — Bruce Chong The CUB’s blend of historic appearance and modern flair drew global recognition for design excellence. The open green area between the CUB Commons dining room and the colorful Templeton Fountain is now called the Libby Lawn. Joe Cooper ’79, MBA ’82 Thank You, Joe! A huge Hatter thank-you to Joe Cooper ’79, MBA ’82. On June 30, Cooper com­pleted his tenure as chair of Stetson’s Board of Trustees, a position he held since 2017. A former chief executive of multiple large companies, Cooper retired in 2014 and moved his wife, Cindi Tidwell Cooper ’82, to Naples, Florida. In April 2016, Cooper was inducted, as a member of the inaugural class, into the Stetson University Accounting Hall of Fame. He served on Stetson’s School of Business Administration Board of Advisors and was elected to the Board of Trustees in May 2011. Effective July 1, Maureen Breakiron-Evans ’76 became the new chair. In addition to an accounting degree from Stetson, Breakiron-Evans has master’s degrees from Harvard Business School and Stanford University. — Michael Candelaria10 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 11 Master Producer of Fulbright Scholars Stetson has been named one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright Scholars, according to rankings published this spring in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Stetson is among the top five master’s-level institutions for the number of faculty and staff who earned prestigious Fulbright scholar­ships in 2019-2020. The rankings were compiled by the Institute of International Education, which administers the Fulbright Scholar Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international education exchange program. Fulbright Scholars receive funding to take their research and teaching overseas for up to a year. Current Stetson Fulbright Scholars: Jennifer Foo, PhD, professor of finance, traveling to Uzbekistan during her sabbat­ical; Luz Estella Nagle, JD, professor of law, teaching interna­tional law topics in Tenerife, Canary Islands; and Mayhill Fowler, PhD, associate professor of history and director of the Stetson Program in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, researching and teaching in Lviv, Ukraine. — Sandra Carr Stetson College of Law Remains on Top It happened again. For the 22nd time in 26 years, Stetson University College of Law is ranked the No. 1 school for Trial Advocacy in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. Also, Stetson is ranked No. 3 for Legal Writing. The rankings were announced in late March. Since its inception 120 years ago, Stetson Law has required students to enroll in a practice-court advocacy course — believed to be the first academic course of its kind at a law school. Such courses now are part of the college’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy. Similarly, legal writing is a bedrock skill for any practic­ing lawyer that now endures through Stetson’s Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication. “We are incredibly proud of these accolades, as they reinforce that our mission — to transform students into advocates who are compassionate, ethical, powerful, persuasive and overall committed to excellence, not only in the legal profession, but in service to their communities — continues to thrive,” said College of Law Dean Michèle Alexandre. — Ashley McKnight-Taylor INTELLIGENTSIA Tide Rises for Water Institute Many coastal cities are sinking, as sea levels rise, becoming more susceptible to climate change. Stetson’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience is working to change that reality. Thanks to a new grant, IWER, as it’s becoming known, is collab­orating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coastal Management and Sea Grant College Programs in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to evaluate green-infrastructure interventions for reducing flood risks. The research is being made possible by two-year, $404,000 funding from a Karl Havens Memorial South Atlantic Regional Research on Coastal Community Resilience Grant. Stetson’s environmental science and studies students will have an opportunity to intern with the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, assist with implementing key project objectives, and work directly with the country’s leading resilience experts. In the past, IWER has conducted sea-level-rise vulnerability assessments and developed adaptation planning strategies for numerous local governments, and often in collaboration with research and outreach partners from Florida Sea Grant, the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council and other universities throughout the Southeast region. Those efforts now are being fortified. “IWER’s mission includes conducting advanced research meth­ods and outreach that promotes creative solutions to complex environmental challenges,” said Jason Evans, PhD, interim executive director of IWER and the grant project’s team leader. “Being selected to lead this grant-funded project in partnership with univer­sity collaborators, a diverse set of coastal communi­ties and planning professionals, and the Sea Grant College Program’s network of out­reach specialists, is a clear indication that IWER’s high-impact experi­ences and capabili­ties have been well-recognized.” — Sandra Carr DID YOU KNOW? Thanks to a $23,651 check from the Fairwinds Foundation, Stetson students will benefit from extra career training and mentoring needed to secure an internship or job. The funding grant matches a $23,651 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund for Stetson’s EDGE 2020 program, which “focuses on accelerating social capital and success for 30 students with limited incomes,” according to Tim Stiles, executive director of Stetson’s Career and Professional Development office. The program, open to first-year students through seniors, involves meeting with various employers, attending networking events, and receiving online and in-person financial literacy training and development, with ongoing support and mentoring for eight to 12 months — “until every participant uses their training and contacts to successfully secure an internship or job,” Stiles said. Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport Jason Evans, PhD New Pathways to Health Care Careers Students interested in health care careers now have pathways to earn degrees in nursing and nuclear medicine technology, under a partnership between Stetson and AdventHealth University. As a result, Stetson students can move into AHU’s program to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Nuclear Medicine Technology. Stetson and AdventHealth already had partnered to provide pathways for Stetson health and science students to enter the AHU Doctor of Physical Therapy and Master of Occupational Therapy programs. Stetson also partners with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine through its Early Acceptance Program with select colleges. The growing list of programs comes as more Stetson students consider careers in health care, due to the high-paying jobs and strong demand for graduates. This fall, Stetson will schedule recruitment events to provide additional informa­tion to students about the available programs. — Cory Lancaster Mayhill Fowler, PhD AdventHealth University12 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 13 INTELLIGENTSIA Business Ethics on Display In March, students from Georgetown University placed first in Stetson’s fifth annual Templeton Business Ethics Case Competition. As a reflection of its commitment to social responsi­bility and business values, Stetson’s School of Business Administration hosted the event, and Stetson students did not participate. The competition was made possible through the donor support of Troy Templeton ’82, MBA ’83, a former university trustee, and his wife, Sissy. Each year, undergraduate students from invited institutions receive the opportunity to analyze and present arguments on a contemporary business matter tied to financial, legal and ethical issues. The case presented to students this year was “Nestlé and Ginnie Springs: Socially Responsible Business Practice or Harmful Extraction of a Scarce Natural Resource?” After receiving the case, teams were given two weeks to prepare and submit an executive summary and visual presentation. Teams represented consultants who advised the Suwannee River Water Management District about an application to extract up to 1.1 million gallons of water from the Floridan Aquifer at Ginnie Springs. They then made their oral presentations to a panel of judges, who were representatives from top companies across Central Florida. The Georgetown team received $1,500 for winning. Iowa State University placed second, while St. Petersburg College was third, and the U.S. Naval Academy was fourth. Jim Beasley, PhD, professor of management and co-director of the event, called the competition a “wonderful example of the transfer of learned course material to a real-world setting.” “The use of concrete, actual business dilemmas in the cases analyzed by student participants prompts a level of learning that significantly supplements students’ curricular programs in business education,” Beasley added. — Sandra Carr Global Top-10 Percentile Business owners, of course, face many challenges. For starters, they must create products and services for consumers, plus manage the details of the business. During an international online competition, called Capsim Management Simulations’ Capstone 2.0, four student teams — a total of 16 students — from Stetson’s School of Business Administration not only proved to accomplish those tasks well, but they also scored in the 90th percentile. In other words, the students made the global top-10 percentile list. The Stetson students competed against nearly 3,000 collegiate teams that were managing sensor companies, designing sensors to match customer requirements, automating operations and improv­ing internal processes, plus overseeing the marketing, financial and human resources aspects of their businesses. Using corporate strategies, concepts, theories and model analyses, the Stetson teams managed a fictional business-to-business company that manufac­tured and sold sensors for cellphones, streetlights and other devices. Rankings were based on their balanced scorecard, which is a strategic management performance metric used to identify and improve internal business functions and external outcomes. Stetson shared the global top-10 percentile with Brigham Young University, Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Temple University and the University of Nottingham, among others. “Having four of the university teams be listed in the 90th percen­tile is a great example of how Stetson pushes its students to be the best,” commented Wyatt Peck ’20, team captain who majored in entrepreneurship. — Sandra Carr DID YOU KNOW? Creating a simulated 3D-printed carbon fiber bicycle company from scratch? That’s what three of Stetson’s business students did and earned second place during the inaugural Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization Online Student Marketplace Simulations competition. The team — consisting of Wyatt Peck ’20 plus first-year students Kendall Buck and Chris Chappell — “founded and owned” Carbon Gears, a company that sold recreation and speed bikes with 3D-printed carbon fiber frames during the competition. Part of Stetson’s Prince Entrepreneurship Leaders Program, the team matched abilities against students from 11 other universities. Each team designed and developed bicycle businesses, conducted research, evaluated market areas and customer feedback, and created sales strategies, among other duties. Stetson’s School of Business Administration hosted the annual Templeton Business Ethics Case Competition. Wyatt Peck ’20 First Time’s a Charm for CPA Test By any calculation, “top 5%” is a good number. That’s where Stetson’s M.E. Rinker, Sr. Institute of Tax and Accountancy found itself in the most recent National Association of State Boards of Accountancy report. Stetson placed 13 out of 278 institutions — the top 5% — among medium-sized programs worldwide in relation to average student pass rates for first-time Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination test-takers. Stetson tied with Cornell University and outranked John Carroll University, Babson College and Bradley University in the medium-sized program ranking category. Medium-sized programs have between 21 and 60 test-takers who sit for the CPA exam during the NASBA annual reporting period. Stetson’s students also ranked in the top 7% (49 out of 769 schools) of all CPA exam-reporting institutions glob­ally that had at least 10 candidates taking the test. And, compared to other universities regardless of size, Stetson excelled on the first-time CPA exam pass rates. It outper­formed, among others, the University of Southern California, Penn State University, New York University, Baylor University, Villanova University and the University of Central Florida. “The CPA exam results highlight the significant value and career success Stetson’s School of Business Administration graduates have come to expect,” com­mented Neal Mero, PhD, dean of the School of Business Administration. “These current rankings, along with a history of excel­lent candidate performance on the CPA exam, help dem­onstrate to our accreditation body, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and prospective students that Stetson has a high-quality program,” said Maria Rickling, PhD, M.E. Rinker, Sr. Institute of Tax and Accountancy department chair and director of the Master of Accountancy program. — Sandra Carr Neal Mero, PhD14 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 15 The Passing of Excellence In the Spring 2020 issue of Stetson University Magazine, Dave Rigsby was saluted for his widely impactful work across more than 176 scenic acres on the campus in DeLand. The article, “Keeper of the Grounds,” detailed his 42 years as manager for Stetson Grounds and senior assistant for Special Projects, including his retirement in January after 42 years on the job. In early May, Rigsby died at age 69. As testimony to his character, in a 2017 interview Rigsby credited Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, PhD, for beautifying Stetson after her arrival in 2009. As it turned out, however, Rigby had much to do with that success. He and his grounds crew planted hun­dreds of trees and thousands of plants, effectively transforming the look of the campus. Yet, Rigsby always deflected praise. “David Rigsby took landscape architecture to the highest level possible,” said Bob Huth, Stetson’s execu­tive vice president and CFO. “The campus became his foundation upon which he created beautiful views, colorful details and very pleasant shade. He had a very creative eye, and Stetson has been the beneficiary of his growing legacy.” Said Libby: “I was so thankful that he and his team had an opportunity to put into action Dave’s vision for the transformation of the Stetson University cam­pus. No doubt, he deserves the lion’s share of any praise for the stunning beauty of our campus.” — Cory Lancaster New Post-Pandemic HR Program According to a 2018 Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the employment of human-resource managers is projected to increase 7% in the United States through 2028, faster than the average for all occupations across the workforce. Also, Burning Glass Technologies, an analytics software company that provides Stetson and other higher-education institutions and businesses with career data, projects Greater Orlando as a high-growth area in HR — to the tune of nearly 18% growth. Juanne Greene, DBA, assistant professor of human resource management, knows those numbers, as do Kelly Hall, DBA, and Neal Mero, PhD, dean of the School of Business Administration. The result: This fall, the Human Resource Management Program is being launched, with a focus on developing the skills and competencies required to effectively recruit, hire, motivate and retain employees. Students will have an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration or minor degree in human resource management. Mero credits an “exceptional team of faculty members” for bringing the new program to life, a program that will meet “significant demand for professionals.” Hall points to the especially opportune timing. “Responding to this need in the market is more important now than ever, as organizations will grapple with a myriad of HR-related issues as part of their post-COVID 19 recoveries,” Hall said. “For many organizations, this will include new approaches to job design, workforce planning and recruitment, as well as learning and development efforts.” — Sandra Carr INTELLIGENTSIA Counseling Kudos for Graduate Students Four graduate students from Stetson’s Counselor Education program spent Christmas break 2019 working via videoconference calls from California, New York and DeLand to write an entry for the American Counseling Association’s Graduate Student Ethics competition. It took a few months, but their holiday efforts paid off. The students won second place nationally in the ACA Graduate Student Ethics Awards for Master’s Degree Students. They were scheduled to be recognized at the ACA annual conference in San Diego in mid-April until the event was canceled due to COVID-19. Aside from the national award, the four students — Zonovia Proctor, Jill Arlaud, Crystal-Dior Glover and Zhaoxuan (Daisy) Zhou — won the Stetson Counselor Education Ethics Award in December. And, notably, they are particularly diverse, with Proctor from the Bahamas, Arlaud from Suriname, Glover being African American and Zhou from China. “It was really great to do something that gave Stetson national recogni­tion,” Proctor said, adding that “it was pretty nice to be a bunch of women of color doing something like this for our university.” This marked the first time Stetson presented its Counselor Education Ethics Award, which occurred by virtue of an additional endowment from the late George and Mary Hood. George Hood, PhD, was former dean of students, professor and director of Student Counseling Services at Stetson. His wife, Mary Turner Hood, was a longtime assistant to President and Chancellor J. Ollie Edmunds, PhD. In the future, student teams will compete each December for the award, with the winning team automatically submitting an entry to the ACA’s national competition on behalf of Stetson. — Cory Lancaster DID YOU KNOW? Two Hatters were named to college basketball’s Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Team: Mahamadou Diawara and Rob Perry. The Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Team consists of the top 30 first-year players at all levels of Division I basketball. Diawara and Perry are the only representatives from the ASUN Conference. Diawara, a 6-foot-10-inch center/forward, started 30 of 31 games for the Hatters during the season, averaging 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Perry led the Hatters in scoring at 15.1 points per game and set a Stetson record by making 69 3-pointers. Kyle Macy was a legendary player at the University of Kentucky in the mid-1970s. This fall, the Human Resource Management Program is being launched in the School of Business Administration. Left to right: Jill Arlaud, Crystal-Dior Glover, Zhaoxuan (Daisy) Zhou and Zonovia Proctor won second place nationally in the 2020 American Counseling Association’s Graduate Student Ethics Awards for Master’s Degree Students. The late Dave Rigsby, Keeper of the Grounds16 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 17 Dr. Wendy B. Libby Week The setting seemed especially appropriate. Since the announcement of her retirement in February 2019, it has been widely viewed that Wendy B. Libby, PhD, hit a home run as the ninth president of Stetson University. So, there she was on May 18, standing near home plate at Melching Field in front of a few university officials and DeLand city administrators — as physical distancing suggested — to be recognized for exceptional achievement. In honor of her university presidency and in gratitude for her 11 years of cooperation and commitment to the local community, Robert Apgar, mayor of DeLand, proclaimed June 1-8, 2020, as Dr. Wendy B. Libby Week. Libby also received a Key to the City. The event was a surprise to Libby, who had arrived expecting to be at the stadium for a different reason. The Official Proclamation detailed Stetson’s impressive growth and development since July 2009, when Libby took office, replacing the retired H. Douglas Lee, PhD. Effective June 30, Libby did the same, departing with another ambitious leader waiting in the wings, Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, who arrived from Vassar College in New York. Further, Libby was active and influential in the community. At the podium, after Apgar read the proclamation, he recalled his first meeting with Libby and the impression she left: “She had it … and she had a vision for the university,” he stated. Apgar revealed that initially he hoped Libby would build on the foundation that existed between the city and Stetson. “Little did I know,” he said. “I just envisioned maybe a ‘three-story building.’ It turned out to be a ‘skyscraper.’” Also, Apgar thanked Richard Libby, PhD, Libby’s husband seated nearby, for his service and urged him, with a smile, to try to “slow her down and get her to change from 90 miles an hour to maybe 25 miles an hour.” It was a touching moment for a power couple who on more than a few occasions hit it out of the park. — Michael Candelaria I N T E L L I G E N T S I A Honoring Nature American naturalist William Bartram came upon scenic Lake Beresford in DeLand during his trip to Florida in 1774. Today, the community can experience the natural nirvana that Bartram encountered when they visit the new Bartram Gardens & Trail at Stetson’s Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center. The gardens, named after the renowned environmen-tal explorer, includes a lush, tree-lined path with six large, interpretive kiosks that feature literary descriptions and pen-and-ink drawings and paintings of the fauna and plants Bartram found while exploring the area. The Bartram destination also includes 10 small sign panels that provide visitors with information about various planted trees and plants in the naturalist’s own words adjacent to the signage. Scans of Bartram’s drawings and paintings were procured from the Natural History Museum in London. The Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center, on the shores of Lake Beresford, was opened in February 2019. “William Bartram is America’s first naturalist and a triple threat who is famous for his visual art, romantic literature and scientific descriptions,” said Tony Abbott, PhD, professor of environmental science and studies at Stetson, who contributed his significant Bartram expertise to the project and created a Bartram paddle map for one of the large kiosks. Bartram Gardens & Trail, free and open to the public, is part of the River of Lakes Heritage Corridor, which includes Lake, Seminole and Volusia counties and part of Brevard County. — Sandra Carr The new Bartram Gardens & Trail opened at Stetson’s Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center. DeLand Mayor Robert Apgar proclaimed June 1-8, 2020, as Dr. Wendy B. Libby Week. Libby also received a Key to the City. 18 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 19 Scribes offer a more efficient workflow in the ER, as the provider’s productivity improves by allowing for direct focus on medical decision-making and the patient, resulting in better patient outcomes. What an opportunity for me! My goal upon earning my Bachelor of Science degree in health sciences is to attend graduate school for a master’s in physician assistant studies. Unlike medical schools, physician assistant programs require the applicant to have hours of direct patient care before entering the program. My work/hours as a scribe are accepted by most programs as a way to meet this requirement. Then in March, my job description changed. By February 2020, the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, was making its way to the United States and into Florida. I recall sitting in the providers’ room, which is in the center of the ER, with the doctor, physician assistant and another scribe. Conversations during this time were filled with unknowns, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, a great deal more uncertainty was yet to come. The ER protocols began to change, seemingly almost every time I went to work. Toward the beginning of March, the direction was that surgical masks were to be worn at all times while in the ER. At one point, the corporate office shared concern with the doctors that personal protective equipment — now recognized universally as PPE — could become limited, and items such as the N95 masks, gowns and face shields needed to be conserved. I felt like providers were showing more concern about what the future might bring and for the safety of their loved ones. On March 12, I received an email announcement that, effective immediately, scribes were not to enter patient rooms if the patient came in the emergency department with flu-like symptoms. There was confusion. That change had not been clearly relayed to the providers, as I can recall some doctors insisting the scribe go with them or stand by the patient’s door. A fellow scribe began working scheduled shifts the day after returning from a weeklong Spring Break trip to New York City. The scribe had already worked several shifts when Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on March 23 requiring a 14-day quarantine for those returning to Florida from New York City. Things were moving very quickly as new information about the virus became available. On March 9, Stetson resumed classes following Spring Break. As a graduating senior, I was unaware this would be my final week ever attending classes as an undergraduate. The sad truth is, I remember hoping for just a few days of class cancellations, so I could have a couple of extra days to study for my upcoming exercise physiology exam. On March 12, Stetson announced that classes would be “virtual” for the remain-der of the semester. I was in disbelief; this was a sudden and drastic change. On March 13, I celebrated my three-year anniversary of being cancer-free (see sidebar), and I attended class on Stetson’s campus for the last time. My exposure to the rapidly changing environment at work as a scribe, outside of the seemingly safe college environment, made me realize that the measures being taken, indeed, were necessary. During the first week of virtual classes, I began working full time in the ER. F I R S T P E R S O N “The ER protocols began to change, seemingly almost every time I went to work.” In summer 2019, I began working as a medical scribe in the emergency room at AdventHealth hospital in Lake Mary, not far from Stetson’s DeLand campus. I was eager to begin working as I headed into my senior year. The benefits of being a medical scribe include enhancing knowledge of pathology and medical terminology, gaining experience in the health care setting, and shadowing medical providers while working closely alongside them. During each shift, I am assigned to work with one provider — the umbrella term for a doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner. I am responsible for filling out the electronic medical chart in real time by documenting the patient interview and physical examination, such as noting all diagnostic testing, medications, vitals and calls of consults the provider made. I wanted to be there as much as I could to help in any way I could, as much as my position would allow. Each person in the health care industry is important to overall patient care. We function as a team with the same goal in mind. From the doctors and lab techni-cians, to the nurses and housekeeping, everyone has a key role. When front-line health care workers began to receive widespread recognition, I didn’t think I deserved a thank-you. I’m just a scribe who doesn’t touch patients or really talk to them during their time in the ER, I thought at the time. However, I began to really understand the full picture. The motto for the scribe company I work for, ScribeAmerica, is “Doctors save lives. Scribes save doctors.” There’s truth in that statement. As a scribe, I matter. Health care is what I want to be in long-term. I took the opportunity to go full force and do whatever I could to assist. After seeing what was happening in other parts of the country, I realized being proactive was key in this fight. In order to prepare for a possible surge of COVID-19 patients, we were again directed to con-serve PPE and use only one surgical mask per week. By mid-March, there was a large tent set up outside the ER. We were in complete ready mode. As of this writing, the tent has not been used except for a one-time trial run. The ER was reorganized to have COVID-19 patients on one side of the building and all other emergencies on the other side. Emily Spriggs ‘20 On the FRONT LINES of COVID-19 My summer job as an emergency-room medical scribe brought many of the expected great lessons plus one surprise: a global pandemic. BY E M I LY S P R I G G S ’ 2 0 20 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 21 Processes rapidly and continually changed. Providers began to call the phones in the exam rooms to interview possible COVID patients before they examined them in full PPE, as it’s sometimes hard to communicate with a respirator mask on. My scribe company provided training to us at the end of March to prepare for the possibility of working remotely. The plan was to have providers wear headphones and have scribes perform documentation virtually from our homes if it was deemed unsafe for us to be in the ER. Some providers were accepting of this direction and appreciative that they would still have a scribe available; others didn’t agree with scribes working remotely. In an effort to protect loved ones, health care workers typical have fixed routines when returning home from work. To help improve my own, I asked various providers about their routines, and I received various responses. Some would completely change into their work clothes when they arrived for their shift and then change out of them before going home. One provider takes a dip in the backyard pool before shower­ing. I didn’t enter my home until taking off all clothes in my garage and putting them in my washing machine. Then I immediately showered. I have worked alongside pretty much the same group of providers for almost a year now, and I have become close with them. The doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners I work with truly care about their scribe’s safety in the ER. For that, I am grateful. Simply, we could never be too safe. In late March, a patient came into the ER, thinking seasonal allergies were acting up. At first, the patient was put on the non-COVID side of the ER. The nurse practitioner I was working with that day was taking extra precautions by first interviewing all patients over the phone before going into that room. The patient didn’t feel short of breath. However, her oxygen saturation indicated otherwise. The patient also said she had a mild cough. Immediately, the patient was moved to the other side of the ER. The patient was middle-aged and a former smoker. The chest X-ray revealed a bad case of bilateral pneumonia. Ultimately, the patient was admitted to the hospital COVID unit for further treatment. I remember this particular case well because the patient worked in a nursing home. It made me think about the COVID-infection cycle: How many people had she been in contact with and might have unknowingly infected? Would any contract the virus? Would any die from it? Would this patient survive? In April, patient numbers plummeted, as people were scared to come to the emergency department in fear of contracting the virus. As a result, provider hours were reduced. Never did I think during a pandemic that ER staff would be struggling to receive work hours. While early in the COVID-19 stay-at-home period scribes had facilitated diagnoses and treatment for many COVID-19 patients, now our work had shifted to more traditional ER evaluations, as testing sites continued to open. We were allowed to have one surgical mask per shift. In May, patient numbers slowly increased as people again began coming to the ER who had been putting off other medical problems, or they were unable to see their primary-care doctor. Emergencies such as falls, strokes, car accidents and overdoses became more frequent. Again. Then came another big surprise: a thank-you. On May 5, Michele Skelton, PhD, associate professor of health sciences and one of my professors, arrived at the ER as part of a delivery of meals funded by The Pargh Foundation, along with ear guards for masks made by 3D printers in Stetson’s duPont-Ball Library. (See Page 26.) I’ve had the privilege of taking four health science courses with Associate Professor Skelton, who sincerely cares about her students, both past and present. Heather Evans-Anderson, PhD, another of my awesome health science profes­sors, also was part of the food delivery. It was such a special day for me. The other scribe on staff that day attends the University of Central Florida and was amazed by the relationships I have with my professors. Those bonds, those friendships, are the product of Stetson’s close-knit community. It’s a community that has remained true, even in these trying times. Professors Michele Skelton, PhD, and Heather Evans-Anderson, PhD (middle), share a moment at AdventHealth hospital with Spriggs, their former student. Emily Spriggs graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science in health sciences from Stetson’s School of Arts & Sciences. Spriggs is working this summer, continuing to gain patient care hours, and plans to apply to physician assistant programs next year. FROM CANCER TO AN ER SCRIBE Emily Spriggs, Class of 2020, wasn’t only an ambitious medical scribe in an ER depart­ment of a hospital located not far from her Stetson campus. She also once suffered from acute lymphocytic leukemia — a blood cancer that left her literally without an immune system. While on campus in the spring semester of her sophomore year, Spriggs noticed a lump in her neck, which continued to grow. In February 2017, she was diagnosed with leukemia and was medically forced to with­draw from school. She spent nearly 200 days in hospitals during 2017. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments, aimed to kill all her white blood cells, ravaged her body. Her mind, however, remained strong, buoyed by a positive attitude throughout treatments and the strong support of her family. A declaration of remission came following her first round of treatments, a total of 28 days, but further efforts were required — more chemotherapy, spinal injections, pills, radiation, steroids and blood transfusion — for another 30 months. In spring 2018, Spriggs returned to campus, without hair and wearing a mask to protect her low immune system. It was two years before the pandemic. Through it all, Spriggs endured and gained focus. During her treatments, she watched, learned and decided to pursue health science as a career, which ultimately led her back to a familiar place, the ER, but in a different capacity and with an entirely uncommon perspective. Editor’s note: Special thanks to The Daytona Beach News-Journal for providing information. “As a scribe, I matter. Health care is what I want to be in long-term. I took the opportunity to go full force and do whatever I could to assist.”22 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 23 Since 2006, more than 300 Stetson students have participated in a life-changing historical exploration, retracing the steps of the Freedom Riders and meeting many of those courageous individuals in person. The six-city travel experi­ence, part of the curriculum for courses at both Stetson Law in Gulfport, where it was established, and the undergraduate program in DeLand, exemplifies what a Stetson education is all about: providing students with the opportunity to engage in experience-based, transformative learning. Not only for educational purposes, but for life. So, in a sense, the students, too, are freedom riders. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute — part of the Stetson travel experience Freedom Riders — civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the southern United States in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals — played a significant role in the civil rights movement by placing a great deal of pressure on the federal government to safeguard civil rights. In turn, they inspired African Americans in the South to act against their infringements and provided a real-life example of what we’re now seeing again nearly 60 years later — blacks as well as whites taking immediate action for more civil rights. Robert “Bob” Bickel, former Stetson professor of law, created the tour as part of his Constitutional Law and the Civil Rights Movement class, and partnered with Tammy Briant, JD ‘06, to grow the experience. He has since retired, and Briant is no longer teaching, but the program continues to grow and now includes undergraduates who take a Religion and the Civil Rights Movement class taught by Greg Sapp, PhD, professor of religious studies and the Hal S. Marchman Chair of Civic and Social Responsibility. (Briant is now executive director of Community Tampa Bay, whose mission is to cultivate inclusive leaders to change communities through dialogue and cross-cultural interaction.) The travel experience, of course, was canceled this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, history is repeating itself. And the lessons still resonate. “I think the description students use year after year is ‘life-changing,’” said Sapp, a graduate of Stetson, Class of 1988. “The impact isn’t only historical; there’s a strong contemporary component to it, as well. Students learn that the motivations that fueled the segregationist practices through the 1960s remain and must be fought continually.” During previous trips, students and faculty visited the Nashville Public Library Civil Rights Collection, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Southern Poverty Law Center and National Civil Rights Memorial, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the Rosa Parks Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Change. They also visited sites of the major events in the civil rights struggle in Memphis, Nashville, Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma and Atlanta. “The most meaningful component of the experience is getting to meet the people who were there, who marched with Dr. King, participated in the Montgomery bus boycott, and were beaten and imprisoned for participating in the Freedom Rides,” asserted Sapp. “You can read about it in textbooks all you want, but when you’re sitting in a room with someone who lived it, you can’t replace that kind of experience.” Rip Patton was one such Freedom Rider. Since 2007, he’s been a major part of the experi­ence, each year traveling on the bus with the students and introducing them to other Freedom Riders who meet with them. Patton was involved in the Jim Lawson workshops in late 1959 and early 1960, preparing for the Nashville sit-in movement, before he became one of the original Freedom Riders. Also, he was one of the original members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and was part of a group of about 10 of those committee members who in 1961 met with Martin Luther King Jr. in Montgomery, in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade King to join them on the Freedom Rides. Patton worked closely with other Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee leaders, such as John Lewis, Diane Nash, Bernard Lafayette and Julian Bond. “I have photographs of Rip walking through museums, and our students are crowded around him as he points at pictures on the wall, recalling who these people were and what they did,” Sapp said. Stetson students stood in Kelly Ingram Park, where schoolchildren were attacked by dogs, knocked down by water cannons and arrested (and jailed) for marching for equal treatment. Students shed tears standing beside the 16th Street Baptist Church at the spot where a bomb was placed by Ku Klux Klan members that killed four young girls who were preparing to participate in Youth Sunday. “We got to visit with Denise McNair’s father,” said Sapp. “Denise was one of the four little girls who was killed in the church bombing. He passed away recently, but for the students who met him, it was an experience they will never forget.” FREEDOM RIDERS With present-day events being reminiscent of the past, Stetson’s travel experience and exploration of a civil rights movement from nearly 60 years ago — canceled this summer — comes back into timely and historic focus. BY JACK ROTH Left: Rip Patton, an original Freedom Rider, has been a major part of the Stetson travel experience since 2007, each year traveling on the bus with the students. Below: Patton is seated first; Professor Greg Sapp, PhD, is seated third, accompanied by students on the trip. 24 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 25 Arroyo remembers one particular moment in Montgomery at the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration. “This was such an eye-opening experience in which I was filled with rage, shame and pure horror at the brutal history I was not taught in school,” she recalled. “There were many moments that I broke down and was feeling ashamed on so many levels as a white American woman. That was when I walked around the corner, and there was Rip Patton, sitting down with a white family — a mom, dad and two little children. They were looking at him with admiration and amazement in their eyes! They had just seen his photo on one of the walls, honoring the Freedom Riders, and then they realized this real-life hero was standing in front of them. “He sat down and told them stories of the Freedom Rides, and he made sure to tell them that they could not have done what they did without their white brothers and sisters. He thanked their parents for bringing them to the museum and gave them hugs.” GENEROUS BENEFACTORS As a member of the Bonner Program during her first year on campus in 2016, Ali Van Gundy ’19 was already interested in community transformation and social justice. Van Gundy took Sapp’s Religion and the Civil Rights Movement class in the spring and participated in the travel experience that summer. “Each person has a different experience based on his or her background, but it’s extremely meaningful for everyone,” she noted. “I never had coursework that was as deeply emotional and felt so personal. The trip connects you to history in a unique way.” The travel experience was so amazing, Van Gundy went a second time two years later. Not coincidentally, her parents gave a major gift to endow the program. Courtesy of Kim and Stan Van Gundy, the gift covers scholarships for each of the under­graduate students who take the summer class and their trip expenses. In addition, the gift subsidizes some of the law students’ expenses. At the time, Kim was a member of the Stetson University Board of Trustees. Stan is a former Whether standing beneath the balcony where Dr. King was assassinated, or marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where voting rights marchers saw police officers lined up at the base of the bridge with clubs and gas masks, being in such places leaves indelible impressions. “I tell my students that these marchers were undergraduate students just like them,” Sapp noted. “They were standing up to white supremacy and white control, and they were demanding equal treatment.” For Micheal Jenkins, who was born in Mississippi and grew up in south Georgia, the experience truly was compelling and captivat­ing — a chance for him to see up-close and personally while some of the participants are head coach in the National Basketball Association. “As a trustee, I knew it was important to support the mission of the university in every way possible,” said Kim. “Knowing our passion for social justice, when Dr. Libby [Wendy B. Libby, PhD, past-president] and Rina Arroyo offered us the opportunity to endow this program, we immediately knew it was some­thing we wanted to do. We saw the signifi­cance and importance of the trip through Ali and knew it was something every student should have the opportunity to experience.” Stan confirmed that in terms of any kind of academic experience, it was the most impactful thing Ali did during her time at Stetson. “You’d hate to see an experience like that only be possible to students who had the money to do it,” he said. “It should be open to anyone, and that was our motivation for getting involved.” Ali specifically remembers going back to the hotels at night, where the students would stay up and continue the conversations they were having on the bus. The time spent talking and reflecting about the things they experienced earlier in the day allowed them to process all of it. “It’s the kind of thing that motivates you,” she explained. “It’s one thing to read about history, but it’s another thing to experience it like that. From a historical perspective, it adds so much to your understanding when you hear it from the people who actually lived it. That’s invaluable.” The Van Gundys also are involved in Stetson’s Community Education Project at the Tomoka Correctional Institution, as well as a community coalition led by Stetson Professor Emeritus Grady Ballenger, PhD, and community leader Sharon Stafford, to claim Volusia County’s monument from the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The Van Gundys recalled a recent conversation with Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. “[Stevenson] talked about the importance of education and confronting our true history,” Kim said. “This course provides an opportunity for students to do that. It’s important all schools revisit our history and still alive to share stories. Jenkins took the course trip in summer 2018 following his first year at Stetson Law. “It’s something that, one, I never can forget. And, two, it just opened my eyes up to so much more than I think just the normal population has,” said Jenkins, who graduated from Stetson Law in May. “I understood how important the move­ment was going into [the course]. But what I didn’t fully understand was how many everyday people played a role in this move­ment, how important they were. … There was so much more to this movement.” The lessons reached Stetson students and staffers alike. “You get to the point where you feel it’s safe to cry, because you do cry,” commented Rina Tovar Arroyo, assistant vice president for Development, Parent and Alumni Engagement. “When we walked up to the very spot where Martin Luther King was killed, an audible sob came out of me. I mean, it was so powerful. We just stood there together in silence.” Arroyo watched, listened and learned. During that experience, she was a student, too.confront it in a way we haven’t yet. There’s a lot of unlearning and relearning to be done.” Stan found it interesting how Stevenson contrasted the way in which the issue of race has never truly been confronted in the United States; meanwhile, Germany has dealt with its history, coming to grips with the past and dealing with it as a society. Stevenson noted that, as a result, the entire country of Germany has been committed to wiping racism out, according to Stan. “If you don’t understand the history of slavery, then you don’t understand Jim Crow [racial segregation], what the people in the civil rights movement were fighting for and what they had to sacrifice just to get the right to vote,” Stan commented. “We have to understand the history of this, and when these students get a chance to have a personal connection with people like Rip Patton and understand what really went into this and what this struggle has been like, it’s transformative.” “Maybe the biggest thing I learned, when I went on the trip, is that we’ve overcome so much; we’ve come so far. But we still have so far to go,” said Jenkins. “There are just so many similarities to what happened in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s to what’s happening today. … The parallels are just so astounding.” Sapp stressed the importance of learning experiences that compel students to use critical thinking skills in order to try and better understand the world around them. He encourages students who want to enhance their Stetson education to get involved and take advantage of whatever opportunities may interest them. “When you get students out into the community, they realize how messy life can be, and that’s the great thing about experiential learning,” Sapp said. “This particular travel experience represents an outstanding oppor­tunity for our students. When you see how their lives are transformed as a result, it makes you feel good as an educator.” From the perspective of starting out in his legal career, learning about the Freedom Riders and their civil rights movement certainly will help, said Jenkins. Yet, even more, the lessons will last a lifetime. “You can’t take this course without becoming a better citizen,” he concluded. “But this was a life lesson, in general.” Above: For Stetson students, young faces displayed on exhibit walls were a poignant reminder of the civil rights struggle. Right: Students experienced the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge. Micheal Jenkins, JD ’20 The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery Kim, Ali and Stan Van GundyStetson.edu/today | STETSON 27 HEARTY THANKS One simple idea. Multiple examples of synergy. Ample appreciation. All in the wake of a nightmarish pandemic. That pretty much sums up events that began with a mid-April phone call and culmi­nated with overwhelming mutual appreciation in a partnership between Stetson University and The Pargh Foundation to benefit area health care workers. In late April, approximately 150 emergency room workers at AdventHealth DeLand received complimentary meals (sandwiches, sides, desserts and drinks) during three work shifts, delivered by independently owned Toasted restaurant. A day later, approximately 100 workers at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach were fed during two shifts by independently owned Zarrella’s Italian & Wood Fired Pizza restaurant. Funding for the meals came from a gener­ous donation by The Pargh Foundation, charitable trust. The donation was intended to thank hospital personnel for the work they’re doing during the COVID-19 pandemic while also providing support to local restaurants. In addition, Stetson handed out ear guards, which were manufactured using 3D printers from the university’s Innovation Lab in the duPont-Ball Library on campus. The ear guards were designed to enhance comfort for the health care workers, who must wear protective face shields, as COVID-19 continued its onslaught. That was just the beginning. Over the next two months across Central Florida, more than 1,300 health care workers and first responders on the front line of the COVID-19 crisis received what amounted to heartfelt thanks that began with these words: “I’ll send you a check, but can you make sure it gets implemented properly? The words came from Andy Pargh, founder of The Pargh Foundation, to Rina Tovar Arroyo, Stetson’s assistant vice president for Development, Parent and Alumni Engagement. Pargh, a resident of Central Florida, had become a donor of Shabbat dinners as part of Stetson’s Hillel House, which opened on campus in December 2019. There, he met Arroyo. Pargh — known as The Gadget Guru who became a media darling and introduced America to email on NBC’s Today show more than 20 years ago, famously helping host Matt Lauer send his first email — wanted to thank health care workers and first responders for their efforts in trying times. He also wanted to help support small independent businesses, who, likewise, are facing extreme economic challenges. And it happened. Arroyo reached out to Michele Skelton, PhD, associate professor of health sciences, who had been teaching at Stetson since 1993. And a plan was set into motion. Skelton had served as chair of the Integrative Health Science Department from 1999 to 2012, and was the Lynn and Mark Hollis Chair of Health and Wellness from 2009 to 2015. Also, she taught numerous students who had advanced to a broad range of careers in medicine and health care. Further, Skelton always has kept in regular touch with them. Mark Hollis, a 1956 Stetson graduate who also was awarded an honorary doctorate by Stetson, became a mentor of Skelton’s. And she remembers his words: “Volunteerism and gratefulness contribute positively to overall health and well-being.” So, she contacted some of those former students at area hospitals, in DeLand and Daytona Beach. Their message was a familiar one: “Food is always a good idea,” Skelton described. Toasted and Zarrella’s were chosen as the restaurants largely by virtue of past experiences with Pargh. Later, other restaurants, such as Brian’s Bar-B-Q and Sweet Spot in DeLand, got involved. Coincidentally, even before Pargh’s dona­tion, Skelton had been thinking about a way to help health care workers through 3D printing at Stetson, with initial thoughts centered on making needed face shields. However, in consulting with Susan Ryan, MLS, dean of Stetson’s duPont-Ball Library and Learning Technologies, too many hurdles were present, and the approved plastic material wasn’t available. That’s when Skelton, again with the help of former students, turned her focus to ear guards. The ear guards were a comfort item and not considered personal protective equipment. They provide health care workers relief from THE SPREAD OF GOODWILL In time of pandemic need, Hatters helped Hatters, as the Stetson community rallied in relief of their own and their neighbors. BY CORY LANCASTER AND MICHAEL CANDELARIA Providing meals to hospital work­ers and first responders as a way of saying thank-you. Launching an effort to help locally owned restaurants. Creating mobile shelters as an “ICU in a Box.” Establishing a student emergency fund and stocking the campus food pantry, plus ensuring supplemental federal dollars. Those are only a few examples over the past several months of Stetson faculty, staff and students pitching in to assist others during the COVID-19 pandemic. Never before have we witnessed such harrowing, unprecedented circumstances that have impacted both lives and liveli­hoods. In response, seldom have we seen such collective giving. Call it The Spread of Goodwill. Andy Pargh 26 STETSON | Summer 2020 Left: Stetson Innovation Lab Manager Tony Ganus helped to make ear guards, using 3D printers. Below: Associate Professor Skelton hands out ear guards to first responders at Reedy Creek Fire Department. Stetson Associate Professor Michele Skelton, PhD, stands in the background (green shirt) with, among others, AdventHealth DeLand Foundation President Lorna Jean Hagstrom ’64 (red pants) and Dr. Christopher Riccard ’08 (also holding sign).28 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 29 the constant pressure of the shield’s elastic security strap on ears and back of the head. As a result, there were fewer safety and materials restrictions. The guards were printed in PLA (polylactic acid) plastic, which is biodegradable, nontoxic and strong. Then the race was on to merge handouts of the ear guards at the hospitals with the scheduled deliveries of food. Innovation Lab staff members Tony Ganus and Chris Finkle handled the exacting operation of 3D printing. Ganus printed 100 plastic ear guards from his home, using a lab printer. Finkle, who lives near cam­pus, used several printers at the lab to make 200 more over two full days. Following that effort, Ryan and her husband, Tandy Grubbs, PhD, Stetson professor and chair of chemistry, sanitized and individually packaged the ear guards — with Ryan noting it didn’t hurt that her husband also “knew plastics.” Synergy in action. Ample appreciation, too. Prior to the event at Advent Health DeLand, Christopher Riccard, MD, a 2008 Stetson alumnus and former student of Skelton’s, lauded her approach to teaching, saying, “She was truly a friend, mentor and family to everyone.” Following the delivery of food April 23, he spoke about “generous support,” adding, “I know our providers/staff appreciated it.” The same for Kristen Krier ’13, an emergency room nurse at Halifax Health Medical Center. Krier recently had shared her professional experiences with students from Skelton’s class in advanced anatomy. She called the gesture of gratitude an “act of kindness that reminds us we aren’t alone, and we are appreciated for our hard work.” “This precisely exemplifies the spirit of Stetson, people coming together as a community to accom­plish a common goal,” Skelton commented. “I am very grateful to be a part of the team that through the generous donation of the Pargh Foundation had the opportunity to express our thanks to our health care heroes, especially my health science alumni, for caring for our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.” CHEF SURPRISE Stetson Associate Math Professor and chef Hari Pulapaka, PhD, usually raises money for a good cause by cooking a big meal, inviting a bunch of people to his downtown DeLand restaurant and asking them to donate while they’re eating. In March, with all the health precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, that kind of fundraiser wasn’t an option. Instead, Pulapaka launched his first GoFundMe page to raise money to help the waitresses, cooks and other restaurant workers in downtown DeLand who were laid off or saw their hours drastically reduced since the outbreak. By early April, the COVID-19 DeLand Restaurants Employees Fund had raised $17,575 and counting. The need was real. “We have applications from some single mothers who have children to take care of, cooks who have been laid off or have reduced hours, where their income is very minimal and they literally need to eat,” Pulapaka said in April. “It’s fairly desperate.” Then, within days, he wrote the first checks from the fund. The maximum award will be $750. “It’s really not a whole lot of money, but it’s a shot in the arm,” he said. “It buys [people] another week, another two weeks, and gives them some hope and that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.” Pulapaka, co-owner of the acclaimed Cress Restaurant in downtown DeLand, said the pandemic impacted his own restaurant. At the same time, he helped others. “I am very grateful and thankful for the overwhelming support,” the professor/chef said. “I have never asked for money so strongly before, and frankly it’s the response that drives me and the overwhelming need that I have seen.” HATTERS CARE Stetson officials began hearing from students with financial emergen­cies not long after the university moved classes online in mid-March and most students moved back home. In response, Stetson created the Hatters Care (COVID-19 Emergency Fund) — raising more than $28,500 in only the first five days. In early June, the tote board read $104,830.07, exceeding the goal of $100,000 to help students with unexpected expenses and financial challenges. By early April, the Financial Aid office had received an almost-imme­diate 134 requests for financial assistance related to the pandemic. Those requests included students who needed to repair their laptops to take courses online or had to upgrade their Wi-Fi service at home. Another had to book a sudden flight home for $1,500. Students submitted an online application for the emergency assis­tance, with supporting documentation. The awards were in the range of $500 to $1,000. “Our concern is using this money to make sure that students are fed and housed, and can survive until they get back to work again,” said Heidi Goldsworthy, director of Stetson University’s Office of Financial Aid, at the time. “They’re not huge amounts. The nice thing about our students is that they’re not asking for large amounts. They’re being reasonable with their asks.” In addition, the university identified other funding to help students. The U.S. Department of Education, for example, allowed colleges and universities to use their remaining federal work-study funding for the year to help students in need, under the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program. At Stetson, that totaled approximately $150,000, available for undergraduate students who receive need-based Federal Pell Grants and who suffer unexpected financial setbacks from COVID-19. Further, the Stetson Business School Foundation board approved a $10,000 donation to the Hatters Care fund for students who are business majors to receive immediate assistance by submitting an online appeal. Among the results, a student whose mom has COVID-19 and was furloughed received aid. The student went home to care for younger siblings. Another student was helped after losing three family members to COVID-19. His two younger brothers also were infected and in the hospital. There was no income and no health insurance. Toward the end of May, Stetson had awarded nearly $900,000 in COVID-related financial assistance to students, according to Goldsworthy. On the Hatters Care fundraising website, Lynn Schoenberg, dean of students, and George Alderman, Student Government Association president, noted that “COVID-19 is presenting unanticipated challenges for many of our students and their families” and that “times like these test our resilience and resolve.” Additionally, Schoenberg and Alderman concluded: “But such times also bring out the best in people. They remind us of the Hatter spirit that has long rallied and sustained our strong sense of community.” ICU IN A BOX Stetson alumna Stephanie Hollis ’94 saw the tent hospitals appearing in New York City and knew her company could help provide an alternative for the fight against COVID-19. Hollis earned an undergraduate degree in exercise science and attended medical school at the University of Florida. Now an anesthesiologist, she has worked in “top-notch medical facilities and barebones field hospitals” around the world. So, she knows firsthand the benefits of working in a walled health care facility, including the ability to thoroughly disinfect treatment rooms. In 2005, Hollis and her husband, Brian Bosley, co-founded Solar Stik, which provides solar and portable power to everything from sailboats to the U.S. military in remote locations around the world. The company, based in St. Augustine, not far from Stetson, also partners with World Housing Solution in nearby Sanford to provide rapidly deployable modular hospitals, able to be assembled in hours and provide uninterrupted power, even if the power grid goes down. In early April, the two companies held a demonstration at the Sanford manufacturing plant to show how their “ICU in a Box” could be used in the coronavirus pandemic. The mobile shelter was powered by Solar Stik batteries that are charged by solar panels, wind or, when needed, a backup generator that only comes on long enough to recharge the batteries. The system ensures uninterrupted power for ventilators and other medical equipment, even in power outages. “Employing the MDMI [modular deployable medical infrastructure] will be a step in the right direction for the fight against COVID-19 and other global pandemics to come,” said Hollis, who is another former student of Associate Professor Michele Skelton, PhD. It wasn’t the first time Solar Stik teamed up with World Housing Solution. A few years ago, portable medical clinics were provided to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, according to Stetson alumnus George Winsten ’18, who joined Solar Stik after graduating with degrees in Environmental Science and Political Science. “We have units that are ready to ship that can fit in a standard shipping container and can be set up by six people in a couple of hours with no tools,” Winsten said. “They are completely insulated. They are completely powered and self-sufficient. They can have beds. They can have medical equipment. They can provide over 380 square feet per person, everything that is required based on FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] and CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines.” While Hollis and Winsten hope the modular hospital units won’t be needed, the Stetson alumni stand ready. “When we started seeing these sort of tent hospitals going up in places, we got on the phone,” Winsten said. “It was a simple sort of switch to turn these over to a COVID-19 solution.” Professor/chef Hari Pulapaka, PhD MEAL MONEY One more example: the Hatter Food Pantry, including meal cards. Located in the Student Counseling Services office on campus, the Hatter Food Pantry is a confidential, free service available to students during office hours. The pantry is lined with shelves of canned goods, snacks, pasta, oatmeal and other food. It was established in 2013 by Nicole Currie, an administrative specialist in Student Counseling Services. This spring, Stetson Dining Services began offering a special promo­tion to help students in need: Donate two meals in the Lynn Dining Commons for the price of one at $10.61 plus tax. The meal cards were provided to the Hatter Food Pantry for distribution to students. Stetson Dining Services had already been selling meal cards for people to donate to the Hatter Food Pantry. The pandemic prompted the special promotion. “This was a system that we designed a little over a year ago to allow students to be able to give back with the use of their leftover HatterBucks,” said Candra Reid, senior director of Stetson Dining Services. “Our normal system is one meal card for the cost of one, but as an additional way to help, we wanted to boost that offering a little more, so we are changing it and offering the two meals for the price of one.” “I love that they can get a hot meal, more of a variety of food options to choose from, like fresh fruit, fresh veggies and meat,” Currie com­mented in April. “Options to make a meal in their room can be very limited.” As it turned out, thanks to widespread generosity, students were able to have options — and received emergency relief. Health care heroes from Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital enjoyed ice cream from Sweet Spot and received ear guards from Stetson. Julianne Turnbull Purdy ’08, a physician assistant-certified, is with Skelton.30 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 31 Yes, “destiny” is a big word, freighted with epic, Shakespearean overtones — the stuff of kings and mythic warriors. Yet, there may not be a more precise word to describe that shirt. With “Stetson” emblazoned on the front in arty, cursive script, it would become her destiny. CALCULUS OF TRUCK LIFE Johnson, who was born Arielle Metzger, and her sibling didn’t have to sleep on the floor of the truck. With the deadline to get out of their foreclosed home looming, her father used his handyman skills to tailor the truck, the box on wheels he had purchased, to meet his family’s needs, including a horse-sized, black-and-white-splotched Great Dane named Lord Have Mercy. The dad built bunk beds for his kids. Storage bins were craftily arranged to hold canned food, laundry and tools. Bank deposit bags — the place for toiletries and other small items — were hung in rows on a wooden panel. The dad would land occasional odd jobs, and the children had been receiving Social Security payments since their mother’s death. So, a bit of money was coming in, but not much. “And we had food stamps,” Johnson noted. Yet, the family’s ingenuity had its limits. There was no way to heat food, and there was no cold storage for perishable items. “Obviously, we couldn’t have the fresh fruits and the fresh vegetables and the best of foods,” Johnson said. “But we did have the opportu-nity to have a can opener and have canned food. That was amazing because that was our little survival thing.” Johnson was attending Seminole High School, and her sibling remained in school, too. “I don’t think my teachers knew, but I know that my friends had an idea,” she recalled. For homework, she and her sibling went to the library. “They had computers, the electricity and such. When it came to after dark and I still had homework, we would connect a battery and a converter and — boom — you had light,” she said with a soft laugh. “My dad was just so clever that way.” Literally, they lived in a “mobile” home. That Johnson occasionally refers to the box truck as an “RV” is understandable. There was little recreation, though, and few places to park. The search was almost nightly. “Downtown Sanford has a lot of stores,” said Johnson. “They would have some trucks every now and then parking there, and we needed to blend in. We stayed behind various stores that knew about us and would allow us to stay back there.” The parking lot at a Sanford library became a favorite spot. In the calculus of truck life, that library provided more than just ready access to computers. “The library was a spot where we knew we would be around people, no one could hurt us, and there were other big trucks there, too,” Johnson said. Similarly, there was a YMCA, where they had a membership and were able to shower. “In the YMCA lot, we parked more towards the back,” Johnson added. “That way, in the morning, people wouldn’t see us and they wouldn’t suspect anything, at least when they drove in. But we were completely visible by the pool area.” And there was Lord Have Mercy. The family gave the Great Dane that name because, as Johnson described, anyone who saw her would proclaim, “Lord have mercy, that’s a big dog!” Each night, the family felt secure knowing Lord Have Mercy was there, vigilant. MOVIE NIGHT There was a movie night, too. Johnson can’t recall what movie she and her friends saw one night. But she does remember their laughter, their smiles. Amid the harsh rigors of truck life, it’s that movie night that remains, as she called it, “my most powerful memory to this day, that I love so much.” “I knew we were very poor most of my life,” Johnson said. “Just the way that we were living and seeing my friends and how they lived — their clothes, their homes.” Johnson “really wanted to hang out with my friends,” and she made it happen, even if it meant revealing herself. “We only had the beach truck, and my bold self said, ‘Hey guys, I have like this really cool truck that can carry everyone, no seat belts, let’s go to the movies!’” They went, with her dad at the wheel. “Sure enough, they saw my whole life in that truck,” Johnson said. “They saw the beds, they saw my dressers, they saw our dog, all of it. I can’t tell if it just didn’t click with them at the time, or if they just truly didn’t care, because it didn’t change who I was. “Gosh, I don’t remember what movie we saw. All I remember is afterwards when we were sitting in the YMCA parking lot, and there’s like this drainage ditch with a big grassy field, what would be a retention pond but it was dry in the middle of the summer. I just remember sitting there with my friends, chitchatting and looking around and seeing how happy we were. My friends were there for me when no one else was.” AUTUMN HOPE RISING Johnson’s mother had passed away in early 2000, when Autumn was 3 years old. Her father, a self-employed carpenter and handyman in Central Florida, had been hit hard by the Great Recession triggered in 2008. Work evaporated. The family, including Autumn’s younger sibling, lost its home to foreclosure in May 2010. Johnson’s dad used his last $1,000 to buy a big, boxy, used beach-concession truck, and the family moved into it with their meager possessions. Home became wherever Johnson’s father could find an inconspicuous place to park the truck at night in the Sanford area, one county away from the Stetson campus in DeLand. That treasured green and gray baseball tee would soon bring about yet another profound change to Johnson’s young life. For a Class of 2020 whose members conquered rare challenges to reach their goals, the resilience of Autumn Hope Johnson offers an emblem of their optimism and promise. BY R I C K D E YAMPERT THE TEE When Autumn Hope Johnson spied a Stetson University T-shirt in a Sanford soup kitchen in 2011, she had to have it. “I immediately loved it because it was a baseball T-shirt, and I was very much a tomboy,” said Johnson today, who was 14 at the time. “I never was able to buy my own clothes. So, I would pick up things here and there from soup kitchens that gave away clothing.” The journey of Autumn Hope Johnson ’20 first became a national story in 2011. The cameras were back in May. Photo: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio Photo: courtesy of MDK Photography 32 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 33 CALCULUS OF THE HEART For Johnson and her family, sometimes the calculus of truck life yielded to the calculus of the heart. Even eating canned food had a benefit. “We would share it with other homeless individuals because it’s just something you can store real quick,” she said. “You put it in a bin, and it doesn’t go bad.’ Yes, they shared with others. “Absolutely. We didn’t have a lot to eat, but there was not much need for that,” Johnson explained. “During the summer, it was a little difficult, but during school they provided the lunches [through the National School Lunch Program for students in need]. Every now and then, yeah, we would get little treats for ourselves, but we would do as much as we could to help other homeless individuals around us. We didn’t have much, but whatever cash we did have, we would try to help. We would buy food, fast food, water, whatever, and we would hand it to that individ­ual and tell them that we were praying for them.” During another, much shorter segment, Johnson is shown as her dad drops her off at school. She is wearing her treasured Stetson baseball tee. The moment is brief. It turned out to be big. Word spread quickly throughout the Stetson community about the homeless girl sporting a Stetson T-shirt on “60 Minutes.” University staff reached out to the television show’s producers. Mere weeks later, Johnson and her family met with Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, PhD. “She took us down to Boston Coffeehouse [just south of the campus],” Johnson said. “That was our first experience in DeLand, and it was absolutely wonderful. That’s when I knew that I love the city. I love the people; I love the campus. It was amazing.” Libby offered a deal: If Johnson could graduate from high school with at least a 2.0 GPA — and with “no trouble,” Johnson remembered also hearing — she would receive a full scholarship to Stetson. Johnson entered the university in fall 2016. First, however, more profound changes awaited her. “60 MINUTES” COMES CALLING As the Great Recession ravaged the nation, spurring massive unemployment, particularly among the housing and con­struction industries, homelessness spiked. “60 Minutes,” the CBS television news show, decided to produce a segment on Central Florida homeless families who were living in cars and other vehicles. The segment, titled “Hard Times Generation,” aired Nov. 27, 2011. Johnson and her family were featured prominently. When reporter Scott Pelley asked “What’s it like?” to live in a truck, the 15-year-old replied: “It’s an adventure … . It’s not really that much of an embarrass­ment. I mean, it’s only life. You do what you need to do, right?” The “60 Minutes” crew filmed Johnson and her sibling studying at the library, then showed Pelley interviewing the two children in front of their truck-home. Pelley asked them what education means to them. “It is everything to us,” Johnson replied. “I plan to be a child defense lawyer. If I focus on my studies, I have that opportunity.” After Johnson expressed her compassion for other homeless people and a desire to help them, Pelley commented, “You sound very adult to me. You had to grow up pretty fast.” NEW START ENTIRELY In July 2013, Johnson and her sibling separated from their father and entered foster care. Anyone who meets her would be struck by Johnson’s sunny smile, her openness about her life, the buoyancy in her voice and her general manners — punctuating conversations with an occa­sional “yes sir” or “yes ma’am” that actually sounds down-home friendly and not the least bit perfunctory. This topic, though, wasn’t easy for her. Johnson grew reserved when talking about separation from her father, leaving that chapter of her life expressed in these simple, carefully chosen words: “He wasn’t in the best position to take care of us.” Entering foster care brought about another ending, one that Johnson labeled as “a little bittersweet.” The siblings had to give up Lord Have Mercy, their beloved, affectionate Great Dane. “To this day, I don’t know where she is. I don’t know if she’s alive. Great Danes have short life spans. I love her so much, but now I’m really sad,” Johnson said. She and her sibling were shuffled among three foster homes until, on Jan. 4, 2014, they moved into the home of Christopher Johnson, a retired Baptist minister, and his wife, Alicia, in Clermont, west of Orlando. The foster home would become what Johnson refers to as her “forever home.” In July 2014, she and her sibling were adopted by the Johnsons. Her new life was symbolized by her new name. Arielle Metzger became Autumn Hope Johnson. GOD, THE LEOPARD AND ‘GIMME’ That change begat others and, almost inevitably, brought God. In the calculus of a life lived in shadows cast by a parent’s death, and in the calculus of truck life, a light entered the equation. “I didn’t understand any of the things that happened to me when I was little — why any of that happened,” Johnson said. “I knew there was a God, but I didn’t affiliate myself with anything Christian. I called myself agnostic, but I didn’t really know what that meant at the time. I ques­tioned God: ‘Why God? Why are we here? Why do I deserve this? What did I do? How can I better please you?’ I knew He was there, but I wasn’t striving to have that relationship with him. It was just ‘Gimme gimme gimme gimme. Whatever I want, Lord, you’re supposed to be providing that for me.’ “So, yeah, I did — I asked those questions. Any person in their right mind would ask those questions.” Those questions, she revealed, were a way to “constantly remind myself: ‘I know what I’m going through now stinks, and it sucks and no one should have to go through it.’ But my spirit has always just been ‘All right, we’re going to look at the positive, we’re going to keep moving forward’ because … .” Johnson hesitated before adding, “That’s survival. You stay still and a leopard’s going to get you, you know. It’s just always been survival: ‘Let’s just keep moving forward. It can only go up from here.’” In the calculus of truck life, even leaving behind a tiny home on wheels can be fraught with inner chaos. So was moving into the new home. Actually, traumatizing. “I found out my foster dad was a pastor, and I didn’t want anything to do with it at first,” Johnson said, a soft chuckle coloring her remembrance. “I wanted to push it away just because I liked the lifestyle I was living. I had an addiction to smoking, and I knew Christian people were all like ‘Oooo, no smoking!’ That’s what scared me the most — the rejection of things I did and I liked to do. But thankfully, I knew this was our last chance [including her sibling], that we didn’t have other places to go, and I quit ‘cold turkey.’” And transformation occurred. After a month of living in the Johnson home, she “fell in love with Jesus, and I accepted him as my Lord and savior, and we [she and the Johnsons] started talking about adoption. As time started rolling by, I just loved these people more and more.” She now had “a new identity and name, a new start.” Left: Associate Professor Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD, has served as a close mentor to Johnson. Photo: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio Autumn Johnson and her family were featured as part of “Hard Times Generation,” aired Nov. 27, 2011, on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” Photo: courtesy of MDK Photography34 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 35 “I want to use my story to be able to encourage others, because a lot of people who go through these situations, they don’t come out the same way that I have.”continue to serve on the PHC planning committee, now in the role of a Stetson alumna. Both Shankar-Brown and Johnson expect their work together to endure. Shankar-Brown currently is working with Johnson on publications and presentations. “Our collaborative advocacy and social justice work will continue onwards. Autumn and I both are values-driven. We share a deep commit­ment for child advocacy and human rights, and moreover we now share the priceless gift of friendship. Our paths have become forever interwo­ven,” Shankar-Brown said. Johnson graduated with a degree in sociology and a minor in reli­gious studies. A few days after completing her undergraduate degree, she was in front of the CBS cameras again — this time being interviewed on campus for “CBS This Morning,” a segment that aired in late May. Appropriately, the setting was in Palm Court under the warm gaze of the John B. Stetson statue. Fondest memories at Stetson include the friends she made through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, who “were always there when I needed them, whenever I said, ‘Hey, I need a prayer.’” Small classrooms provided the “amazing experience” of being able to “really talk to professors one-on-one.” The experience on campus can best be summed up in these words from her: “I love it a lot.” UNIVERSITY DAYS Autumn Hope Johnson graduated from Seminole High School in spring 2015. Following a year of study at the Word of Life Bible Institute, she graduated from there the next spring and entered Stetson in fall 2016 to major in sociology. That course of study wasn’t coincidental. Consider these words: “I honestly never saw myself as completely 100% homeless,” she revealed. “The sociology part of me comes out where there is a hierarchy of homelessness. You’re not truly homeless even if you’re living in a vehicle because you have that shelter, that protection. You have a lot of resources that honestly a lot of others don’t. If we were to live on the street, I would say absolutely we were homeless. But I think because we did have that truck, that gave me stability enough to say, ‘OK, I am better off than a lot of other people.’ Sure, I didn’t have a ‘home,’ but define home. Ultimately, a lot of people define it as where you feel comfortable, where your family is, that kind of stuff.” Three years after arriving on campus, in pursuit of that degree, life experiences led to her senior research project, titled “The Relationship Between Youth Displacement and Adult Homelessness According to Labeling Theory.” For the project, she interviewed people served by The Neighborhood Center of West Volusia, which provides emergency shelter, transitional housing and employment-seeking services for the homeless and those in crisis. For starters, wary the center’s clients might see her as a girl who “grew up living this high life” and wouldn’t “understand what it’s like to live a hard life,” she decided to share her story with them. “They were like, ‘What?! How did you even get here?’” Johnson said. “It was an exchanging of stories instead of ‘Oh, just let me get your stories.’ I wanted my interviewees to see that it does matter to me, and that I wasn’t there just to do a project, but to make a difference and hope that this can help.” Waylan Niece, the center’s operations director, was struck by how she had “overcome difficult obstacles in her life.” “She has the vision and compassion to work with the vulnerable population in our community and whatever community she ends up being in,” Niece commented. “She has the passion to create lasting change, whether it’s at the local level or the systemic level.” Johnson also served on Stetson’s annual Poverty and Homelessness Conference, which was founded by Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD, associ­ate professor and the Jessie Ball duPont Endowed Chair of Social Justice Education. Additionally, Shankar-Brown is an executive board member of the National Coalition for the Homeless. The Poverty and Homelessness Conference is a collaborative endeavor rooted in civic agency, equity and justice. Shankar-Brown invites Stetson students across disciplines to be a part of the steering committee, providing opportuni­ties to gain leadership and critical 21st-century skill sets. In front of hundreds of attendees at the 2019 Poverty and Homelessness Conference, with Shankar-Brown by her side, Johnson shared her story. While she was at the podium, one could hear a pin drop. “Autumn was an outstanding PHC [Poverty and Homelessness Conference] student leader during her time at Stetson,” said Shankar-Brown, who served as a close mentor. “Through the PHC, she was able to draw from her own journey and use her voice, sharing her passion for child advocacy and further developing her leadership skill sets. I am incredibly proud of her. She exemplifies courage, resilience, determina­tion and compassion. And Autumn truly embodies her middle name, hope. “Supporting her journey, professionally and personally, is deeply rewarding. While sharing knowledge, experiences, insights and guidance with Autumn, and engaging together in reflective practice, I also learn so much from her. Mentoring is a mutually giving gift, for which I am grateful.” Johnson also shared similar feelings of gratitude for Shankar-Brown, who she refers to as an “outstanding role model.” Johnson is thankful for her genuine support and guidance, which have been instrumental in her academic and personal journey. Further, although Johnson graduated this spring, Johnson will “I think because we did have that truck, that gave me stability enough to say, ‘OK, I am better off than a lot of other people.’” Johnson, shown here with Shankar-Brown, was riveting at Stetson’s 2019 Poverty and Homelessness Conference. THE FUTURE Now, she moves on from Stetson. Or, perhaps not. Johnson will be getting married in August. Her fiance is not a Stetson student. Shankar-Brown will be a part of their ceremony, sharing an original poem and blessings for the couple. After taking a few months to “enjoy my marriage,” Johnson will be “hitting the books hard for the LSAT.” Long ago, in that segment for “60 Minutes,” Johnson stated that she planned to become a lawyer. It just might happen, as she hopes to attend law school “anywhere and everywhere — who­ever will take me, I’m going to go.” Maybe back at Stetson with the university’s College of Law in Gulfport. After all, the Stetson past-president remains a big fan. Said Libby, “I really congratulate her on her graduation, her engagement and her future. And I really hope she goes to Stetson Law.” Regardless, Johnson has a story, and she wants to be a “voice” for children. “I want to use my story to be able to encourage others,” she said, “because a lot of people who go through these situations, they don’t come out the same way that I have. They don’t come out looking at the light. They don’t come out positive and happy-go-lucky. They’re depressed. They have anxiety. They resort to drugs, alcohol, sex. They don’t care about themselves as much. I’ve always had this positive outlook.” Photo: Stetson University/Ciara Ocasio36 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 37 Extraordinary? Absolutely. Even historic. All students, including graduating seniors, were forced to complete the spring semes-ter remotely. For graduating students, however, it was their final undergraduate semester at Stetson. Also, the graduates’ 2020 Commencement was postponed, with the hope of rescheduling to later gather for two days of deserved recognition. So, while the students who successfully completed their coursework and other requirements within the prescribed period of time did become graduates of Stetson, their official celebration had to wait. (Approximately 750 undergraduate students graduated in May.) And yet, they responded with grace and resilience. In retrospect, it was not a surprise — such poise, tenacity and drive had become earmarks of their education on campus. The following is a compilation — not inclusive — of outstanding seniors across Stetson’s College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business Administration and School of Music. Graduates left their academic impacts on the university, and much more, in what turned out to be historic achievement. BY M I C H A E L CANDELARIA TIPCAP OF THE Extraordinary is the word. In the face of rapid change that came with COVID-19, the Stetson community — from administrators and faculty to staff and students — responded in truly uncommon fashion. Particularly the Class of 2020. CLASS OF 2020 In recent years, Stetson Commencement was held at nearby Spec Martin Stadium. This year, the big event was planned for indoors at the Edmunds Center on campus. 38 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 39 DAVID BERGSTRÖM Physics David Bergström, originally from Södertälje, Sweden, arrived at Stetson after a year of studying mechanical engineering at Central Connecticut State University. He left Stetson as the recipient of the Jack Gibson Endowed Physics Research Award for excellence on his senior research project, “The Drag Coefficient and Trajectory of a Rocket.” The project included study of the aerodynamic properties of rockets and the mathematical modeling of their trajectories. Majoring in physics with a minor in business systems and analytics, Bergström also was part of the Hatters soccer team that won the 2017 ASUN championship. He was named to the ASUN All-Academic Team in 2018 and inducted into the Sigma Pi Sigma physics honor society in 2019 before closing his Stetson career with multiple other academic prizes, such as Outstanding International Student 2020. Bergström plans a return to Sweden this fall to pursue a master’s degree in business and management from the prestigious Stockholm School of Economics. He hopes to use that degree, along with the skills obtained from his bachelor’s studies, to eventually work in finance. REILLY CASH Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies Reilly Cash’s interest in this dynamic, complex and culture-rich region of the world initially attracted her to Stetson’s Program in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (SPREES). Cash, however, didn’t simply become involved; she became a leader. Cash helped organize the program’s annual events, she served as a Russian tutor, and she advanced to Russian Club secretary/vice president. Her dedication led to winning Stetson’s Sergei Zenkovsky Prize in Russian Studies, reserved for the top student of Russian language and culture. In fall 2019, Cash spent a semester in Kyiv, Ukraine, and traveled to Russia and the Caucasus. Her study abroad honed her Russian skills and deepened her understanding of the Soviet Union, its aftermath and its lingering impact on international relationships in the Russian-speaking world, according to professors. Her senior project dealt with the complexity of those international relationships, focusing on the representation of the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict in documentary films. Cash plans to intern with the Armenian Volunteer Corps in Yerevan, Armenia. After a year or two working abroad, she hopes to pursue a position with the federal government in linguistics and/or international relations. DANIELA ANANT Communication and Media Studies and World Languages and Cultures Daniela Anant received the Michael McFarland Award for Outstanding Senior in Communication and Media Studies. The award recognizes a graduating senior, selected by the department faculty, who is outstanding in academics and who uses communication to contribute to the community, be it in the department, the university or the world beyond Stetson. A double-major, Anant also was named the Outstanding Senior among world languages and cultures students. She had a concentration in Hispanic studies. In addition, Anant was a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society (American first-year students) and Lambda Pi Eta (National Honor Society for Communication Studies), along with the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International. Described by professors as diligent, insightful, tenacious and smart, Anant also exhibited a quiet confidence and intellectual maturity that are beyond her years, they added. Those characteristics were exhibited as an intern at the U.S. Senate and as a digital and news intern at Hearst Media’s WESH 2 News in Orlando. Anant plans to take a year off before applying to graduate school. ABIGAIL (ABBEY) CRATER Aquatic and Marine Biology and Religious Studies Abigail (Abbey) Crater was outstanding in two distinct disciplines, receiving bachelor’s degrees in aquatic and marine biology and in religious studies. Crater completed a senior research project in marine biology (“Synchronous Air Breathing as a Response to Hypoxia Exposure in Two Size Classes of Juvenile Armored Catfish, Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus”), as well as a senior research project in religious studies that combined her interests in marine conservation and religious studies (“Creatures of the Deep: Aquatic Myths and How They Can Contribute to Marine Conservation”). She was named an Outstanding Junior in Religious Studies in 2019 and was inducted into Theta Alpha Kappa, the religious studies honorary society. Crater was a member of Circle K International, Hatters Down Under: Scuba and Snorkel Club and the Women’s Chorale. Also, among other places, she volunteered at a St. Johns River cleanup, oyster bagging at the Marine Discovery Center and at the Samaritan Ministries Homeless Shelter Café. OLA BARTULA Health Sciences During her time at Stetson, Ola Bartula was especially active as both a top student in the classroom and a leader on campus. Bartula was part of the Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Honor Society for four years, and as a senior she was chosen as the AED president for the 2019-2020 school year. Just prior to graduation, she received the Health Sciences Scholarship and Service Award for outstanding academic performance and research skills, and commendable service to the Department of Health Sciences, Stetson and the DeLand community. In addition, Bartula was president of the Good Samaritan Volunteering Club during her junior and senior years, and she volunteered at the Good Samaritan Clinic for four years. She was vice president of the Stetson Astronomy Club during her senior year and was a member of the Stetson University Honor Council Society. Further, she volunteered as a lab assistant for organic chemistry, and she shadowed medical students at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Bartula is planning to attend medical school, beginning in fall 2021, with the hope of ultimately becoming a surgeon. CLASS OF 2020 | COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES SLAVINA “SALLY” ANCHEVA Economics and Political Science Sally Ancheva is a double-major in political science and economics. As an Edmunds Scholar, she came to Stetson with an exemplary record of achievement and lived up to that great potential. Ancheva was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha, Omicron Delta Epsilon and Phi Eta Sigma — all honor societies. While a student, she interned at the United Nations and at the European Parliament in Brussels. In May 2019, she worked on a campaign for the European Parliament elections in Bulgaria. In fall 2019, Ancheva was selected as a finalist for the Rhodes Global Scholarship and traveled to London for the elite competition. Her senior research project, “Economic Insecurity or Cultural Backlash? A Multilevel Analysis of the Reasons People Hold Populist Attitudes in Europe,” examined the factors that have led to an increase in populism in Europe. Ancheva plans to work as an accredited parliamentary assistant in the European Parliament for a year or two before pursuing graduate studies. 40 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 41 ADRIANNA DISLA Biology Adrianna Disla, from Puerto Rico, obviously enjoyed novel research during her time at Stetson — she worked on projects that involved local rodent species and tick-borne disease carriers. Disla came to Stetson as the beneficiary of the university’s Presidential Scholarship, a merit award based on outstanding high-school test performance and community service. She also received an Impact Fund Award, enabling her to experience a summer 2019 internship that earned her two awards in the 2019 Stetson Internship Showcase. As a result, Disla has left Stetson with a variety of career-related experiences in Florida, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. They included shadowing veterinarians during consults with patients and surgeries; working on animal habitat maintenance, water quality testing and food preparations; and being a member of a rescue team for marine animals. Further, while she began at Stetson being a bit unsure of herself, according to professors, Disla put those academic and work opportunities to good use, making the Stetson Honor Roll and earning Phi Eta Sigma distinction for classroom achievement. Plus, she helped the university by serving as a student ambassador, scheduling on-campus visits and guiding tours for prospective incoming students, among other duties. “It was just the most amazing journey of watching her get more and more confident and assured as she went along through her career,” commented Melissa Gibbs, PhD, professor of biology and director of Aquatic and Marine Biology. “She’s just been one of the most interesting transitions.” Receiving a Bachelor of Science in aquatic and marine biology, Disla hopes to eventually become a veterinarian. EVA DEISA Digital Arts Eva Deisa journeyed a long way to receive her bachelor’s in digital arts, literally and figuratively. Deisa is from Riga, Latvia, and professors commented that her art was something out of this world. As a student, Deisa was included in exhibitions that ranged from the “Juried Art Exhibition” at Stetson’s Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center to “The Cube Art Project” in Lincoln, Nebraska. Just prior to graduating, she created a virtual-reality experience for “Generational Shift 2020” at the Hand Art Center. The project featured stunning impressions played to music. Her works primarily were achieved digitally, inspired by her own everyday observations. For that effort, Deisa was the winner of Stetson’s Ethan F. Greene Award, which recognizes one student for significant achievement in the preparation and presentation of a digital-arts senior project. In describing the approach to that project, “Are We Seeing?” Deisa explained: “Our lives are revolving around our phones, social media and other people’s perception of us. We are stuck in a routine, a pattern without realizing it. I question these ideas a lot, and I try to find answers from within myself. I do so by making art. … With my work I am trying to make my audience aware of the routine and break it.” Plus, for good measure, she was a standout on the volleyball team. DAKOTA JOHN FIGUEROA History Dakota John Figueroa’s professors praised him for being “a model of liberal arts inquiry” and making “intuitive connections between ideas from different courses.” Not coincidentally, Figueroa was presented with the Gilbert L. Lycan History Award from the Department of History. He was a co-recipient with Dylan James Croup, who graduated in December 2019. Figueroa, a history major with a minor in American studies, was particularly well-rounded at Stetson. He was vice president of Stetson’s chapter of Alpha Zeta (first and oldest collegiate society for agriculture), a member of Phi Alpha Delta (pre-law chapter) and a member of the Stetson Honors Program. Other academic accolades included a Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience Grant and an Evans Johnson Research Grant from the history department. Both of those grants were used to research his senior thesis, “From Archenemies to Allies: Reassessing the Birth of the United States-Japan Alliance, 1945-1960.” Figueroa analyzed the factors that transformed the United States and Japan into staunch allies. He shared his findings at the prestigious national conference of Phi Alpha Theta, the undergraduate history honor society. Following a gap year, Figueroa is planning to attend law school with a concentration in either JENNA NOEL PALMISANO international or human-rights law. Aquatic and Marine Biology Jenna Palmisano won both the Dorothy L. Fuller Award and the Rachel Carson Environmental Science Award. The Fuller award is presented to the most overall outstanding senior in the areas of biology, aquatic and marine biology, and molecular biology. The Carson award recognizes the senior who has achieved exceptional academic standing and made extraordinary contributions through civic engagement on environmental issues. In addition to being a standout student, Palmisano was active in a wide variety of campus endeavors. Palmisano was a Stetson Peer Instructor for several years, and for the past year served as the lead peer instructor, supervising a staff of 17 other students. For her final three years on campus, she was a Gillespie Museum guide and Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem intern, helping with ongoing education and conservation efforts. Palmisano was a talented researcher, studying horseshoe crab ecology at the Marine Discovery Center and venomous snake biology at the Reptile Discovery Center. She received the “best student paper” award at the Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation for her investigation of lizards as host of an invasive parasite. Palmisano plans to apply to graduate programs next fall. For now, she is continuing her ecological research studies with Stetson research adviser Terence Farrell, PhD, with an eye on presenting and publishing their work. EMILY MAULE Art In her work “Unsettling Binaries,” art major Emily Maule explored grotesque vs. dreamy, dark vs. light, the sinner vs. the saint. “These opposites in life are what drives my creativity,” Maule described. That work was displayed at the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center on campus as part of the Generational Shift 2020 Creative Arts Senior Exhibition. Shortly afterward, Maule received the Ed Hamill Award for “outstanding senior,” presented by the creative arts, art, art history, digital arts and theatre departments. In “Unsettling Binaries,” as a view inside Maule’s world, she morphed the original images appropriated from the works of old masters (for example, the “Last Supper” by da Vinci) into either grotesque, neon creatures or more naturalistic humans with impressionistic brush strokes. “In a world seemingly black and white,” she concluded, “one realizes there’s bound to be a bit of color and thus complexity.” Maule plans to pursue an MFA and eventually work in either arts in medicine or in teaching. PHASIN GONZALEZ Chemistry Phasin Gonzalez was the winner of the American Institute of Chemists Foundation Outstanding Senior Award. Gonzalez consistently performed at the top of his class across all of his chemistry/biochemistry courses at Stetson. In addition, he served in a valuable teaching capacity as a student peer instructor in Organic Chemistry I and II classes during the past two years. In summer 2019, Phasin participated in a prestigious Research Experience for Undergraduates appointment at the University of Kansas, where he studied “The Microfluidic Affinity Selection and Electrical Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Blood Samples from Metastatic Cancer Patients,” a topic he would later use for his senior research project at Stetson. Phasin presented that research at the National 2020 Pittcon Conference in Chicago. Phasin’s ultimate ambition is to become a medical doctor. Following a gap year, he plans to take the Medical College Admission Test and apply to schools. CLASS OF 2020 | COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Shown with Ryan McCleary, PhD, a visiting professor 42 STETSON | Summer 2020 Stetson.edu/today | STETSON 43 CLASS OF 2020 | COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES MACKENZIE NALVEN Psychology Mackenzie Nalven studied all over the Stetson campus. She completed two majors — psychology and management — and minored in music as a violin player. Also, Nalven served as a writing tutor and was a member of the Business Ethics team. Nalven received an honorable mention at Showcase 2019, and the senior research project she designed as an extension of that work was accepted for presentation at the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) meeting. Although the meeting was canceled, Nalven’s senior research professor noted that hers was “the best written project in our class.” Another of her manuscripts was under review by the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. For those accomplishments and others, she was awarded the Outstanding Researcher in Psychology Award 2019-2020. Nalven will attend Vanderbilt University to pursue a Master of Education in leadership and organizational performance. JACOB MAUSER English Jacob Mauser excelled in his studies as an English major, receiving the Byron H. Gibson Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed by the English Department for scholar and university contributions. Also, he minored in philosophy and Russian language and culture. During his sophomore year, Mauser began working as a staff member at Touchstone, Stetson’s literary and arts journal. He eventually became executive editor and greatly helped to grow Stetson’s artistic community. He is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, English honorary society. In addition, he has served as master of ceremonies and photographer for Uncouth Hour, Stetson’s weekly open mic night, and worked as a photographer for the Hatter Network on campus. Mauser’s senior research was on John Donne’s Holy Sonnets. Also, his interest in Stetson’s Program in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (SPREES) led to study in Ukraine during summer 2019. TIFFANY OMS Philosophy With the early understanding that the study of philosophy was excellent preparation for law school, Tiffany Oms pursued such study at Stetson with great passion. Ultimately, under the guidance of Melinda Hall, PhD, associate professor of philosophy, Oms’ senior project centered on disability, stigma and the law. A primary focus was ways in which discrimination, both outright and de facto, have negatively impacted the lives of disabled people. Additionally, Oms regularly offered insightful suggestions for strengthening legal protections for people with a disability, and she kept a keen eye on reforms. Faculty members were impressed by her dedication, intellectual curiosity and sense of social justice, along with her friendliness. In law school, Tiffany wants to represent those who face disability-related obstacles. Also, she hopes to educate the community about disability rights, and break down stereotypes and stigmas that act as barr