SU News, Notes, and Achievements
Fall 2024
Berman Family Performing Arts Center Rising
Construction continues on the new Sandra and Malcolm Berman Family Performing Arts Center, but two of the building’s signature features—the Herman and Walter Samuelson Foundation Theater and the Music Performance Stage—are fast taking shape. When finished, the Berman Family Performing Arts Center will also include Fine Foundation Lobby, Bozzuto Family Box Office, Peggy and Yale Gordon Trust Lighting and Audio Control Room, Mangione Family Marquee, scene shop, and support spaces.
Stevenson and CCBC Partner on “Degrees to Succeed” Transfer Program
Stevenson and the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) have partnered to offer transfer students a seamless and efficient path toward earning a bachelor’s degree through the “Degrees to Succeed” program. Participating students earn their associate’s degree at CCBC before transferring to Stevenson where they can begin pursuing their bachelor’s degree as a third-year student.
$150k in Gifts Support Scholarships for Nursing Students
Stevenson University has received two gifts totaling $150,000 in support of scholarships for undergraduate students in the university’s Sandra R. Berman School of Nursing and Health Professions. These generous donations were made possible by the estate of the late Stevenson Trustee Ted Herget and by Judith A. Feustle, ScD, RN, who retired in 2022 as Associate Dean and Chief Nurse Administrator after a 31-year career at the university.
“On behalf of our entire university community, I would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Judy and honor the memory of Ted Herget,” said Dr. Elliot Hirshman, President of Stevenson University. “Their gifts will help to ensure that another generation of Stevenson nurses go on to serve the healthcare and wellness needs of our greater community.”
Men’s Beach Volleyball Wins National Title
Stevenson Men’s Beach Volleyball won its first national championship title with a 3-2 victory over Webber International University on November 17 at the 2024 AVCA Beach National Championships in Huntsville, Alabama.
Stevenson Recognized as “Best Value School” in 2025 U.S. News Rankings
Stevenson has once again been named among the nation’s “Best Value Schools” by U.S. News and World Report. The 2025 Best Colleges listings, released September 24, rank Stevenson among the “Best Value Schools – Regional Universities (North)” and “Best Colleges for Veterans.”
Biomedical Engineering Program Receives ABET Accreditation
Stevenson’s Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Rollins-Luetkemeyer Foundation Commits to Third Year of Matching Pledges for Middle-Income Student Scholarships
Stevenson is pleased to announce the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Scholars Program for Middle-Income Students provided more than 50 scholarships to incoming students in the Fall 2024 semester. The program was created in December 2022 with an initial pledge of $250,000 in matching funds from the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Foundation, Inc. The Foundation has generously committed to continuing their support and pledge matching for a third time.
Student Achievement and Career Connections
Students Help Merriweather Post Pavilion Share Its History
This semester, students in The Mill Agency—Stevenson’s full-service, student-run advertising, design, and communications agency within the School of Design, Arts, and Communication—have worked with the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center to research and share the history of the renowned Merriweather Post Pavilion concert venue.
Students Receive Hands-On Lesson in Real Estate Management
Students in Stevenson’s Future Real Estate Leaders (FREAL) and Financial Management Association (FMA) clubs recently toured the Anthem House mixed-used development in Baltimore. Located in the Locust Point neighborhood, Anthem House is a luxury apartment community that also includes retail and commercial spaces.
Marketing Students Help Nonprofit Promote New History Tour by Boat
This fall, students in Professor Jeannine Morber’s MKT 320 Advanced Digital Marketing course worked with local nonprofit Baltimore Heritage to help launch its new Baltimore by Boat tours. The boat tours, sponsored by PNC Bank and the National Park Service, take visitors through the Inner Harbor while highlighting important moments, people, and places from the last 300 years of Baltimore’s history.
Student Wins Micro-Grant for Innovative App
Arman Khan, a Computer Information Systems major, was awarded a $300 micro-grant for his app, RunRec, at the Maryland Student Startup Networking Dinner organized by the Pava Marie LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship in Baltimore. He will be representing Stevenson in the next round for one of nine $50,000 Pava LaPere Innovation Acceleration grants. This program aims to support tech-based student entrepreneurs who are enrolled at a university in the Baltimore-Towson-Columbia area.
Psychology Student Published in Academic Journal
Elizabeth Russo, a junior Psychology major, was selected to have her paper, “Exploring Trauma Across the Lifespan in the Context of Homelessness,” published in Illuminate, the undergraduate journal of the Northeast Regional Honors Council.
Students Receive Scholarships from Maryland Society of Accounting and Tax Professionals
Accounting majors Anaya Harris and Jubelo Oyeniran were selected by the Maryland Society of Accounting and Tax Professionals (MSATP) to receive two of its prestigious scholarships.
Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics and CIS Students Participate in Annual Hackathon
Eight Stevenson students from the Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics and Computer Information Systems programs participated in the 10th Annual Hackathon at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) in October. The students selected a problem, wrote code to address the issue, and demonstrated their work to others. The event brought over 340 participants together for a weekend of workshops on AI, machine learning, game development, team building, networking, and friendly competition.
MLS Students Awarded Johns Hopkins Tuition Grant
In October, Alexandra Ginski and Marissa Hyland—both seniors majoring in Medical Laboratory Science—were awarded the Johns Hopkins Hospital Tuition Subsidy for Medical Laboratory Science students. The award provides tuition subsidies for both students’ senior year of study as well as clinical placements in the Department of Pathology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a guaranteed position after graduation.
Psy.D. Student Selected for Competitive Fellowship Program
Psy.D. student Revae Boykins, M.A., was selected to participate in the Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis’ 2024-2025 Psychoanalytic Fellowship Program. This program provides opportunities for advanced graduate students and early career professionals to explore psychoanalytic thought and practice through case studies, consultations, and meetings.
Psy.D. Students Present at American Psychological Association’s Annual Convention
Maggie Watson, M.A., and Lashauna Bellamy, M.A., presented posters at the 2024 American Psychological Association’s Annual Convention held in Seattle in August.
S3RP Students Conduct Innovative Summer Science Research
The 2024 Summer Science Scholars Research Program (S3RP) brought students and faculty together to collaborate on innovative projects including a potential cancer treatment, new forensic science materials, and a potential new treatment for Parkinson’s Disease, among other projects. The following students participated in the 2024 S3RP: Alyssa Ready, Biochemistry; Chloe Seluchins, Biochemistry; Cara Guagenti, Chemistry; Kayla Schnur, Chemistry; Andrew Davis, Biomedical Engineering; Alex Reimart, Biomedical Engineering; De’Nez Johnson, Biology; Sarah Rubelow, Biology; Andrea Hawkins, Biology; and Mike Merola, Biology.
Mustang Athletics Highlights
Stevenson’s student-athletes continue to excel on and off the field. Some of the top highlights from Fall 2024 are listed below. To view the latest Mustang athletics news, visit www.gomustangsports.com.
Football: Football posts eight on All-MAC team
Field Hockey: Gladstein, Bitting earn major awards; five Mustangs land on All-MACC squads
Men’s Basketball: Men’s Basketball captures home classic title with win over Brooklyn
Men’s Cross Country: Schindler Leads Mustangs at MAC Championships
Men’s Ice Hockey: McCanney becomes all-time point leader in 7-3 loss at Alvernia
Men’s Soccer: Seivers Slots All-MAC Commonwealth Second Team Honors
Women’s Basketball: Dixon and Jeselskis Notch 10-Point Evening as Mustangs Defeat Washington College (Md.)
Women’s Cross Country: Goffena Places 12th, Earns All-MAC Second Team Honors at MAC Championships
Women’s Ice Hockey: Mustangs earn first conference sweep with 4-1 win over Hood
Women’s Soccer: Sheahan, Williams and Knabe Receive All-MAC Commonwealth Honors
Women’s Volleyball: Masibo earns Second-Team All-MAC Commonwealth in Women’s Volleyball
Faculty/Staff Achievements
Jennifer White, Christopher Metzger, and Elena Volkova—all professors in the School of Design, Arts, and Communication—were featured in and contributed to the November 2024 issue of BmoreArt magazine.
Leah Aronhime, Affiliate Professor and Fashion Studio Manager, and fashion design student, Emily Pickett, collaborated with Inna Alesina, Professor of Art and Graphic Design, on a speculative design project focused on fashion and the environment. The project won a Notable Speculative Design Award at Core77 Design Awards 2024.
Guan Wang, Lecturer in Business Administration at the Brown School of Business and Leadership, successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, titled “How Text Information Helps Reduce Default Risk.” He is set to receive his PhD in Economics and Financial Engineering from Claremont Graduate University this December.
Jennifer White-Johnson, Adjunct Professor of Art and Graphic Design, recently traveled to Brazil to deliver a keynote to more than 200 teachers, special educators, autistic families, and autistic people at the Brazilian Ministry of Education’s international seminar: “Autism and Inclusive Education.”
Mark Lortz, Director of Music and Associate Professor of Music, presented his interactive session, “Inclusive Excellence: Overcoming Instrumentation Challenges with Adaptations,” at the Maryland Music Educators Association’s Fall In-Service, held in October.
Four faculty members of Stevenson’s Berman School of Nursing and Health Professions—Sarah Yeager, Clinical Assistant Professor, Nursing Simulation; Kelly Lucas, Clinical Assistant Professor, Nursing Simulation; Jamie Carter, Department Chair, Nursing; and Vanessa Velez, Director, Graduate Nursing—published their article “Professionalism and Communication Simulation for Freshman Pre-nursing Students” in the journal Clinical Simulation in Nursing.
Heather Harris, Professor of Communication, had her article, “The Strong Black Women of American Fiction: An Exploration using the Africana Media Representations Quadrants Model,” accepted by The Journal of Critical Studies and Media Communication.
Laura Steakin, Adjunct Professor of Nursing, had her manuscript, “Onboarding Foreign Educated Nurses: Best Practices for Nurse Educators,” selected for publication in an upcoming issue of the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development.
Mark Branson, Professor of Mathematics, and Sean Leavy, Adjunct Professor of Mathematics, presented a talk on “Engaging non-STEM Students through Quantitative Justice” at Mathfest 2024 in Indianapolis.