Dr. Terri Witek, English professor and director of the Sullivan Creative Writing Program at Stetson University, pictured far right, won the silver award in the Poetry category in the 2012 Florida Book Awards for her book

The Florida Book Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes, honors, and celebrates the best Florida literature and books about Florida published in the previous year. Begun in 2006, the Florida Book Awards is the most comprehensive state book awards program in the United States, and is the only one with a Spanish Language category. The successes and growth the Florida Book Awards have enjoyed in the last six years are testimony to the quality of authorship and the rich culture of books that exists and continues to prosper in Florida. Each year, winners receive either a gold, silver, or bronze medal within nine different literary categories: Children’s Literature, Florida Nonfiction, General Fiction, General Nonfiction, Poetry, Popular Fiction, Spanish Language, Visual Arts, and Young Adult Literature. For more information about the Florida Book Awards, go to http://floridabookawards.lib.fsu.edu/index.php.

“Terri Witek’s Exit Island is a book of voyages, both terrestrial and temporal—explorations mythical and poetic,” said author Barbara Hamby. “The reigning deities are Ariadne and Fernando Pessoa, and in verse lyrics and experimental. Witek creates a world filled with snake handlers, sea nymphs, sea chants, and mutinies…. Hold on, dear reader, this is a book like no other, a swirling microcosm of the tragic and playful, of betrayal and deep and abiding love.”

Exit Island also features images by visual artist and former Stetson professor Cyriaco Lopes, who now teaches at the City University of New York’s John Jay College.th snake handlers, sea nymphs, sea chants, and mutinies. Hold on, dear reader, this is a book like no other, a swirling microcosm Witek teaches poetry workshops and literature classes specializing in poetry at Stetson. She is the author of four other collections of poetry: The Shipwreck Dress (Orchises Press, 2008), Carnal World (Story Line Press, 2006), Fools and Crows (Orchises Press, 2003), and Courting Couples (winner of the 2000 Center for Book Arts Contest), as well as a scholarly book, Robert Lowell and LIFE STUDIES: Revising the Self (University of Missouri Press, 1993). She has published poems in Slate, The Hudson Review, The New Republic,The American Poetry Review, and other journals, and is the recipient of fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Hawthornden International Writers’ Retreat and the state of Florida. Her poem It was a Pretty Good Book was recently featured on the Poetry Daily website.

More information about Exit Island and other books by Terri Witek can be found on her website at http://terriwitek.com/books/exit-island/.

Today, Friday, April 5, Stetson’s duPont-Ball Library will celebrate 125 years as a federal depository library. Everyone is invited to join in the festivities from 3-5 p.m.

The School of Music has many exceptional programs scheduled throughout the month of April. This upcoming week alone features a concert tonight, Friday evening, April 5, highlighting the works of Stetson’s student composers, and Stetson will host Saturday’s Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion on April 6, followed up with a percussion ensembles concert next Saturday, April 13. The University Symphony Orchestra will perform next Friday evening, April 12. And, this Sunday, April 7, Piano Professor and Steinway Artist Michael Rickman will perform in a celebratory concert commemorating his 30^th anniversary at Stetson. Check out Stetson’s full cultural calendar for this semester here.

Sunday evening, April 7, everyone is invited to Movie Night at the Ballpark. Come join in the outdoors fun and bring a chair or blanket to claim your spot in the outfield at Melching Field at Conrad Park to watch the award-winning film, “Angels in the Outfield.” The event is free and open to the public; donations will be accepted and will go toward Stetson’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s (SAAC) Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society.

Speaking of films scheduled next week, “The Music Never Stopped” about the health/memory benefits of music therapy. Psychology professor Camille King and students, Susan Moore and Molly Moses, will answer questions about how the human brain responds to music therapy.

Students are reminded to register on Monday and Tuesday, April 8 and 9, for summer session and the fall semester.

Religious freedom is the topic of the Shurden Lectures, scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday, April 9-10. Brent Walker, special guest speaker, will speak on “First Principles: God-given, but government protected” on Tuesday. Wednesday’s lectures include “First Freedoms: Accommodate religion, but don’t advance it” at 3 p.m., and  ”Religion and Politics: How did we do in 2012?” at 5 p.m.  Everyone is welcome to attend free of charge.

Transaction Day, Thursday, April 11, is a day of engaged dialogue between students, faculty, staff, and community members on gender, gender roles and a full range of gender identity issues.

Taco Bar is open to students on Thursday, April 11 at 11 p.m. in the Commons. Support Zeta Tau Alpha’s Philanthropy Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. Catered by Moe’s.

Don’t forget to nominate your favorite professor for Stetson’s McEniry Teaching Award by going to the online nomination form. The deadline has been extended to April 11. This award will be presented at Commencement.

On Saturday, April 13, Stetson will welcome approximately 1,200 special guests, including 385 potential Hatters and their families to Hatter Saturday.

Earth Day at Stetson will be celebrated Saturday, April 20. Everyone is invited to the “Keeping it Green” Earth-friendly activities and environmental education for all ages planned for the day.

Be sure to check out all Stetson University events on the online calendar on Stetson Today. Keep up with all Hatter Athletic schedules at GOHATTERS.COM.

In their research, Wilson and Burke compared the contracts of 65 Intercollegiate NCAA Division I men’s basketball head coach salaries from 2009-10 school year with the contracts of the 68 coaches from the 2011-12 school year. The results reveal extreme inflation in incentives for head coaches of competing NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams, specifically for non-automatic qualifying (non-AQ) teams – teams that come from conferences whose football teams do not automatically qualify for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). In their research they found that among coaches at the non-AQ conference schools, the average total pay in 2009-10 was $357,440; in 2011-12, it was $513,872, a significant increase of almost 44 percent.

The incentivization for athletic and academic team performance is often the reason for these huge increases. For example, if a team’s GPA goes up then the coach’s financial reward is higher. Using Rick Pitino, head coach at the University of Louisville, as an example, if his team has an average GPA of 2.5, he receives  a $50,000 bonus; 2.75, $75,000; 3.0 $100,000. In addition to GPA, coaches’ contracts also can include incentives for academic progress rate and graduation rate.

The research also reveals an increased gap between automatic qualifying (AQ) schools (teams that come from conferences whose football teams automatically qualify for the BCS)  and non-AQ schools in the potential compensation for both athletic and academic incentives. AQ schools increased their potential pay for athletic incentives  by 70 percent between 2009 and 2012, but dropped in average academic incentives  by 45 percent during the same time period. However, the non-AQ schools potential pay for athletic achievements increased 118 percent between 2009 and 2012, while the potential pay for academic achievements increased by nearly 1,000 percent.

The statistics demonstrate the extreme differences between what the AQ schools and the non-AQ schools pay for both academic and athletic achievements. Wilson and Burke state in their journal article that the success of non-AQ teams could “explain the increase in amount of athletic and academic incentive clauses being placed in non-AQ conference schools’ coaching contracts. To retain top coaching talent, non-AQ conference schools might become more ‘creative’ in contract structure, thereby adding more athletic and academic team performance incentives to coaches’ contracts as a way to increase overall compensation. Furthermore, non-AQ conference athletic directors may be increasing the amount of academic incentives in these coaches’ contracts as a means of continuing to emphasize the term ‘student-athlete.’”

“The business of college athletics has grown exponentially in the last 20-30 years,” said Wilson. “Athletics directors are now CEOs of multi-million dollar programs. Coaches are getting paid three to four times as much as university presidents. More and more schools are entering the ‘arms race’ – increasing coaches’ salaries, building new athletic facilities, keeping up with the Joneses in order to attract the top recruits.

“We are simply reporting what’s being done. We are identifying this trend,” said Wilson. “Do I see this stopping? No, because we have some realignment with conference affiliation all being driven by TV money. It would appear college athletics, from a marketing and advertising standpoint, can bring large visibility to universities that maybe other areas cannot. Colleges are using athletics to market their universities. Athletic success can bring huge increases in unique visitors to a school’s website, huge increases in college merchandise sales and thousands of people to a university’s campus.”

Citing a dearth of empirical research in this area, Wilson said that there is room for additional research and expansion to other sports such as football or women’s basketball.

Some information for this research was obtained from USA Today, which has published a second article on this topic citing the research. Neither Stetson University nor Queens University of Charlotte provided information on coaches’ salaries for the research. Click to read the the research article in the journal.

Michael Rickman, Steinway Artist and professor of piano, will celebrate his 30th anniversary at Stetson University at his celebratory recital Sunday, April 7, 3 p.m., in Lee Chapel.

Hailed by the New York Times, Daytona Beach News-Journal and newspapers around the globe for his brilliance on the piano, Dr. Michael Rickman, Steinway Artist and Professor of Piano, will celebrate 30 years teaching at Stetson University with a much anticipated recital on Sunday, April 7, at 3 p.m.

Upon entering his studio in Presser Hall at Stetson, one might feel slightly intimidated by the two grand pianos that sit side by side or the numerous diplomas and accolades that grace the walls. Instead you will find the presence of a worldly, knowledgeable man who is personable, well studied and a master of his instrument.

With roots in Asheville, N.C., he completed his degrees at Mars Hill College and the University of North Texas. The many influential teachers of his profession, of whom he speaks so highly, included the late Grace Potter Carroll, Richard Cass, Jack Roberts, and Karen Shaw.

Before beginning his current post at Stetson University in 1983, he served on the faculty of William Woods and Westminster Colleges in Fulton, Mo., and at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. It was at the suggestion of colleagues, Dr. and Mrs. Rich, who felt Rickman could make a substantial contribution to this private, central Florida university that he, with some trepidation, applied for the position at Stetson. It was during the interview phase, when he witnessed the level of student achievement and the professionalism of his future colleagues, that his decision came with ease.

Over the years, Rickman’s contributions to not only the University but also to his profession, have been more than substantial. In 1990 he received the Homer and Dolly Hand Award for Creative Activity and Research and, in 1995, was the recipient of the most prestigious faculty award granted by Stetson University, the William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching. One of his most significant achievements came in 2009 when Rickman was named to the prestigious roster of Steinway artists, consisting of approximately only 1600 pianists worldwide.

With international performances in Latvia, Chile, Bolivia, Italy, Germany, Austria, Toronto, London, and Paris as well as in Miami, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, Louisville, Kansas City, Sacramento and at the Alice Tully, Bruno Walter and Carnegie Halls in New York, Rickman’s performances have received exceptional praise from audiences and the media worldwide. Rickman and his students have impressed audiences for the past seven years at the Orfeo (formerly Schlern) International Music Festival in Northern Italy.

As he approaches the milestone of teaching 30 years at Stetson, he is grateful for the many students whom he has seen excel and who have themselves created magnificent careers. His face lights up when he speaks about teaching Master Classes during which students and the general public witness Rickman’s teaching of other students. His passion for the piano, for music making and for the continued success of his beloved students is obvious.

With thoughts to the future, Rickman’s greatest desire is to see a first-class performing arts center on campus. He looks to the skills of the new dean of the School of Music to help develop this dream and envisions a time when students, alumni and members of the community will enjoy outstanding music in this new center.

As he approaches his milestone recital on Sunday, April 7, he is excited about the works he chose to include, which took great consideration. Rickman’s Faculty Recital, featuring his celebrated skills on the piano, will take place in Lee Chapel inside Elizabeth Hall at 3 p.m. on Stetson’s DeLand campus, 421 N. Woodland Blvd.

Tickets are free to the Stetson University community with ID, and concert series card holders. For more information, contact the School of Music at www.stetson.edu/music, or call the Ticket Office at (386) 822-8950.

Click here to enjoy the Schubert posthumous Sonata in A Major, one of the works Rickman plans to perform at his celebratory recital April 7. Rickman was also interviewed live on WSBB Radio on Tuesday, April 2, AM 1230 and AM 1490.

Stetson Law teams shown here with the competition judges at the Indiana Supreme Court. Photo by Brooke Bowman.

Stetson University College of Law students won the National Professional Responsibility Moot Court Competition in Indianapolis, Ind. Stetson students also won all six of the possible awards, sweeping the competition.

Two teams of Stetson students beat teams from around the country to compete against each other in the final round, presented at the Indiana Supreme Court. The Stetson team of Kevin Crews, Erin Okuno and Morgan Vasigh won the final round, competing against the Stetson team of Adriana Corso, Erin Dolan and Michelle Reilly.

Stetson students Corso, Dolan and Reilly won the Best Petitioner Brief Award. Crews, Okuno and Vasigh won the Best Respondent Brief Award. Okuno was also named Best Oralist in both the preliminary and final rounds.

This is the second year in a row in which a Stetson team has won top awards at this competition. Last year, the Stetson team won the Best Oralist Overall, the Best Respondent Brief, as well as the entire competition.

“At Stetson, we focus on preparing and developing the whole advocate, and our students were remarkably prepared, thanks to the assistance of numerous attorneys and alumni who came to judge the teams’ practices,” said Stetson’s moot court adviser and professor Brooke Bowman. “The judges recognized that the Stetson students were the best advocates—in writing and orally—at this competition. These judges also commented on the students’ impressive level of professionalism.”

Stetson professors Bowman and Roberta Flowers coached the Stetson teams.

To learn more about advocacy at Stetson, visit www.law.stetson.edu/advocacy.

DuPont-Ball Library is celebrating 125 years as a federal depository library. Originally, Stetson University’s library was on the second floor of DeLand Hall.

On April 5, Stetson University’s duPont-Ball Library will hold a reception from 3-5 p.m. on the main floor of the library to celebrate its 125 anniversary as a federal depository library. Everyone in the Stetson community is welcome to attend the celebration which will include refreshments, displays and a brief program including a presentation from the city of DeLand. DuPont- Ball Library is the oldest federal depository library in Florida opening in 1887.

Guest speakers include Mary Alice Baish, assistant public printer and superintendent of documents for the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C., and DeLand Mayor Bob Apgar. Both guest speakers will make brief remarks and a special presentation to the library. In addition to the speakers, there will be displays about the history of the federal depository library at Stetson, including unusual or historically significant government documents. Other federal depository libraries in Florida will be represented.

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by the United States Congress to ensure the American public has access to government information. A federal depository library holds federal government documents and is able to make  federal government publications available to the public without cost. Usually the publications are received through shipments of print and microfiche documents from the GPO. In recent years, ever-increasing numbers of these documents have been released in electronic and digital format.

In 1909, the library collection moved to Carnegie Library Building now known as Sampson Hall.

DuPont-Ball library is considered to be a “selective depository” which means it has chosen to receive only a subset of what the GPO offers. It holds about 23 percent of what is available to depository libraries. Most of the materials received by the library through the depository program are carefully selected to support the curricular and research needs of Stetson students and faculty. Currently, there are approximately 350,000 government documents in the library’s collection, and thousands more government publications available electronically through the library’s online catalog.

“There are economic benefits to participating in the program,” said Barbara Costello, government documents and research librarian for duPont-Ball Library. “It allows Stetson access to resources that the library might not have been able to afford to purchase.”

The Stetson library started in 1887 as a small book collection of 1,200 to 1,300 volumes on the second floor of the east wing of DeLand Hall. In 1889, the library officially became known as Sampson Library in honor of C.T. Sampson who contributed to purchasing the books in the library. In 1892, the library’s collection moved to the first floor of Elizabeth Hall, and in 1909, the collection moved into the Carnegie Library Building now known as Sampson Hall. The Carnegie Library Building was funded by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation and the collection jumped from 4,000 to 15,000 volumes. The duPont-Ball Library, named after a Stetson trustee Jessie Ball DuPont, opened in May 1964.

For additional information, contact Barbara Costello, at bcostell@stetson.edu or 386-822-7185. You can read a comprehensive history of Stetson’s library online.

by Lauren Robbins

The Class of 2013 formed their class year in this photo taken at Orientation Day four years ago.

Happy Spring! The beginning of April at Stetson University traditionally means the time when Stetson students, especially seniors, are working hard to complete final projects as deadlines approach. The 2013 Showcase of research and creative arts, scheduled this year for April 16, will feature the greatest number of projects since the program debuted in 1999. To enable students to attend, classes will be cancelled that day, and everyone is encouraged to attend.

Hatter baseball and other sports are in full swing. All home games are included in the calendar below. Be sure to check out all Hatter sports at GOHATTERS.COM. For more of what’s happening in Hatter Country this week, check out the calendar below:

Music Concerts:

• University Chamber Orchestra – Tuesday, April 2, 7 p.m., Anthony Hose, conductor, Lifepoint Community Church, DeLand
• Music by Student Composers- 7:30 p.m., Lee Chapel

Friday, March 29

• GOOD FRIDAY – University Holiday
• Softball vs. Northern Kentucky- 1 p.m., Patricia Wilson Field
• Baseball vs. Kennesaw State- 6:30 p.m., Melching Field at Conrad Park

Saturday, March 30

• Habitat for Humanity Build- 8 a.m., Meet on CUB Steps
• Women’s Tennis vs. USC Upstate- 10 a.m., Mandy Stoll Tennis Center
• Softball vs. Northern Kentucky- Noon, Patricia Wilson Field
• Baseball vs. Kennesaw State- 1 p.m., Melching Field at Conrad Park
• Men’s Tennis vs. USC Upstate- 2 p.m., Mandy Stoll Tennis Center

Sunday, March 31

• Easter Sunday Chapel Service, 5:30 p.m., Lee Chapel
• Francophone Movie Night – The Silences of the Palace-6 p.m., Sampson 129

Monday, April 1

• Cardio Yoga- 12:15 p.m., Hollis Center Dance Studio
• PRIDE Week: Juicy Justine- 8 p.m., Stetson Room

Tuesday, April 2

• Gentle Yoga- 5 p.m., Nite Lights – Above the bookstore
• GPS: Guide for Proactive Success- 5:15 p.m., Sage 257
• Habitat for Humanity Meeting- 6:15 p.m., Hollis Center Classroom
• Catholic Campus Ministry Meeting- 8 p.m., 103 Allen Hall
• PRIDE Week: Juicy Justine- 8 p.m., Stetson Room

Wednesday, April 3

• #Politics: The Social Media Revolution in Putin’s Russia, 4 p.m., Rinker Aud., LBC
• Sand Volleyball vs. North Florida- 2 p.m., Sand Volleyball Courts
• APVMA – Representative from Ross University- 6:15 p.m., Sage 221
• Gays in the Military: Why the All-Volunteer Force- 7 p.m., Library 25L
• Stetson Speakers Bureau Meeting- 7 p.m., LBC 220
• Cheerleading Clinic- 7:45 p.m., Hollis Gym / Rinker Fieldhouse
• PRIDE Week: Prayers for Bobby- 8 p.m., Cross Cultural Center

Thursday, April 4

• DUI Promise-  4 p.m., Rinker Auditorium
• Screening of – Brother-  6 p.m., Russian Studies Center
• Trilogue of the Abrahamic Faith- 6:30 p.m., Allen Hall
• Tournees French Film Festival- 8 p.m., Rinker Environmental Learning Center
• Poetry at an Uncouth Hour- 9 p.m., Nite Lights
• PRIDE Week: Rocky Horror Picture Show- 11 p.m., Lee Chapel

Friday, April 5

• duPont-Ball Library Federal Depository 125th Anniversary -3 PM, Library (Main Floor)
• PRIDE Week: Gay Prom- 8 p.m., Allen Hall

Ongoing exhibits:

• Digital Arts Senior Exhibition continues through April 5, Hand Art Center
• Oscar Bluemner’s Germany: Juxtaposing Jerichow – Hand Art Center. Runs through April 29.

by Shelby Scraper and the Stetson Today Team

Katie DiGirolamo (above) and Jordan Dierickx won twice on Friday. Courtesy: Linwood Ferguson

Stetson sand volleyball juniors Katie DiGirolamo (Brandenton, Fla.) and Jordann Dierickx (Jacksonville, Fla.) have been named the Atlantic Sun Conference Pair of the Week, the league announced on Wednesday.

DiGirolamo and Dierickx went a perfect 4-0 on the week and also helped lead Stetson to a 4-0 mark as the Hatters registered the first two regular season conference wins in A-Sun sand volleyball history.

Those historic wins came at Florida Gulf Coast on Friday as DiGirolamo and Dierickx defeated FGCU’s no. 3 pair of Olivia Mesner and Linds Childs 2-0, 2-1, battling through a hard-fought third set in the second match to win 17-15.  They also swept Florida Atlantic’s no. 3 pair 2-0, 2-0 at home on Tuesday, rallying from 11-3 and 19-16 deficits to win 21-19 in the first game.  They went on to win the next three games 21-14, 21-9, 22-20.

After starting the year at the no. 5 spot, DiGirolamo and Dierickx have moved up to the no. 3 position, and they have won five straight matches overall.  They own a 9-2 record on the season.

It is Stetson’s second A-Sun Pair of the Week selection this season.

The Hatters (7-4, 2-0 A-Sun) will travel to the JU Easter Sand Tournament this Friday and Saturday to face Jacksonville twice, and the College of Charleston and Florida State once.

“Stetson teacher-scholars facilitate transformational learning in our students,” said Provost Elizabeth Paul, who made the announcement Wednesday, March 27. “They are themselves passionate lifelong learners who, through their scholarly, creative and professional engagement, make important contributions to the advancement of knowledge, disciplines and society. And they are leaders of the continual progress of Stetson University in realizing our important mission. Each and every one of these individuals exemplifies teacher-scholar excellence. I celebrate their accomplishments and thank them for their inspiration and impact.”

Cindy Bennington – Promotion to Professor of Biology

Bennington

Dr. Cindy Bennington has conducted ecological research in Alaska, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Florida.  At Stetson, she teaches courses on ecology and botany; she actively engages students in research on arctic and temperate plant species. Central Florida’s dry, sandy, nutrient-poor soils, coupled with a rich diversity of animal attackers, provide ample opportunities for her to pursue long-standing interests in plant adaptation to stressful environments.  She also regularly involves Stetson students in environmental service-learning projects both on and off campus.  Currently, she and Dr. Karen Cole, Director of the Gillespie Museum, are working to develop the Volusia Sandhill Teaching Landscape, a project adjacent to the Museum where visitors can learn about the longleaf pine ecosystem that historically dominated the sandhills of central Florida.

David Bjella – Promotion to Professor of Music

Bjella

A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cellist David Bjella has had a multi-faceted career as a teacher, chamber musician, orchestral player, and soloist. He directs the Chamber Music program at Stetson and is Co-Principal in the IRIS Chamber Orchestra.  He is also a member of the Inman Piano Trio. One of the featured IRIS chamber musicians for the Naxos-released CD “Music of Stephen Hartke,” chosen by the New York Times as a “Top 10 Classical Recording of 2003,” Bjella has held appointments as Visiting Associate Professor of Cello at Florida State University and Professor of Cello at the University of Central Florida. He has also taught in the Valade Master Teacher program at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.

Debbi Dinkins – Promotion to Professor and Associate Dean of the duPont-Ball Library

Dinkins

Debbi Dinkins, Associate Dean of the duPont-Ball Library, works closely with the Dean of the Library on administration and planning.  She is responsible for all aspects of Technical Services, including acquisitions, cataloging, periodicals, and computer systems.  Dinkins manages the library’s materials budgets and operating budgets.  She oversees the acquisition and cataloging of the library’s collections, which include over 300,000 volumes of books and bound periodicals, more than 70,000 electronic books, and access to over 64,000 electronic journals.  Management and maintenance of the 46 public computers in the library are also her responsibility. Dinkins’ research and professional interests include patron-driven acquisition of eBooks, library collection evaluation, and cataloging.  Her articles have been published in such journals as College and Research Libraries and The Journal of Academic Librarianship.

Tishia Dunham – Promotion to Associate Professor of Legal Skills

Dunham

Tishia Dunham teaches legal skills and is Director of Bar Preparation Services.  Prior to joining Stetson’s faculty, Professor Dunham practiced law in the areas of employment law, commercial litigation, and real property with an emphasis on community associations.  Dunham teaches and writes primarily in the area of state constitutional law. She is the co-author of Florida Constitutional Law: Cases and Materials (Carolina Academic Press, 2013).

Glen Epley – Awarded tenure as Professor of Teacher Education

Dr. Glen Epley has been a sportswriter for a metropolitan daily newspaper, a high school history teacher, a professor at three universities, a deputy superintendent of the Volusia County Schools, and an executive with Brown & Brown, Inc., one of the premier insurance brokerages in the nation and world.  Since joining Stetson, Dr. Epley teaches primarily in the graduate program for educators who are pursuing masters’ degrees in educational leadership.  His specialties are school law and school finance.  He also teaches a seminar on the legal rights of students in public schools.  Dr. Epley’s research focuses on constitutional jurisprudence as it affects public schools, and he has published in NASSP Bulletin, Phi Delta Kappan, Education Law Reporter, Kappa Delta Pi Record, and The Clearing House, among others.  He is a frequent presenter at national conferences on school law and school finance.  His current research project involves the legal concerns for school officials when they attempt to regulate student speech off school grounds on the internet and social media sites.

Eric Kurlander – Promoted to Professor of History

Kurlander

Dr. Eric Kurlander teaches classes on modern German, European, and world history. His recent book, Living with Hitler (Yale, 2009), examines the ways in which German liberals negotiated, resisted, and in some ways accommodated the Third Reich. He is also author of The Price of Exclusion: Ethnicity, National Identity, and the Decline of German Liberalism, 1898-1933 (Berghahn, 2006). His articles have appeared in Central European History, The Journal of Contemporary History, The Historian, and other journals.  Kurlander has held fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Historical Institute, and other granting agencies.  He is currently at work on two additional book projects:  a textbook co-authored with colleague Dr. Kimberly Reiter, The West in Question: Continuity and Change (Pearson-Longman), and Nazi Monsters:  A Supernatural History of the Third Reich (Yale trade division, forthcoming).

 Lance Long – Awarded programmatic tenure and promoted to Professor of Legal Skills

Long

Lance Long joined Stetson after having taught legal research and writing at J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, and at the University of Oregon School of Law. Before teaching, Professor Long practiced with Morrison & Foerster in Orange County, California and Hill, Johnson & Schmutz in Provo, Utah. His practice focuses on appellate and motion practice in the areas of intellectual property, contract, and construction law. Professor Long’s scholarship currently centers on empirical analyses of language patterns in appellate briefs and opinions. His two most recent articles, “Does the Readability of Your Brief Affect Your Chance of Winning on Appeal?” and “Clearly Using Intensifiers is Very Bad—Or Is It?” were published, respectively, in the Journal of Appellate Practice & Process and The Idaho Law Review.

Brigid Noonan – Promotion to Professor of Counselor Education 

Noonan

Dr. Brigid M. Noonan, Ph.D., LMHC, NCC, ACS, chairs the Department of Counselor Education.  She has more than 19 years of clinical experience working with a range of diverse clients, with a focus on addiction, eating disorders and depression, disability, career issues, and sexual identity.  Her research focuses on international counselor education, advocacy and social justice, working with families, and sexuality and spirituality.  Her recent articles have been published in such venues as International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling and Professional Issues in Counseling.  She is also co-author of a chapter in Handbook of Counselor Preparation:  Constructivist, Developmental, and Experiential Approaches (Sage, 2011).

Jason Palmer – Awarded programmatic tenure

Palmer

Jason Palmer joined Stetson after teaching legal writing and oral advocacy at George Washington University Law School. Most recently, he worked for the Department of State, representing the United States in international arbitration cases before the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal. He also spent four years in Switzerland working as a claims judge for the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Accounts, adjudicating claims of victims of Nazi persecution; for the United Nations Compensation Commission, coordinating review of Palestinian claims against Iraq as a result of its invasion and occupation of Kuwait; and for the Europa Institute at the University of Zurich, creating and teaching a course for Swiss lawyers on U.S. legal writing. Before working in Switzerland and at the Department of State, Professor Palmer spent several years in private practice in Washington, D.C., focusing on commercial litigation and international arbitration.  He is author of numerous articles on international law, and he has served as editor of several legal journals.

Leila Roach – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Counselor Education

Roach

Dr. Leila Roach coordinates the Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling Program. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an approved supervisor for Mental Health Counselors in the state of Florida and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). Dr. Roach has 22 years of experience counseling children, adolescents, adults, couples and families, including members of the Deaf community, in a variety of settings. She has advanced training in play therapy, couples counseling, and disaster mental health. Her research interests include wellness in counseling and counselor education, the personal and professional development of counseling students, and spirituality in counseling.

 Joshua Rust – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Philosophy

Rust

Dr. Joshua Rust is the author of two books, John Searle and the Construction of Social Reality (Continuum, 2005) and John Searle (Continuum, 2009). He is also a coauthor of several articles in empirical philosophy concerning the behavior of ethicists as compared to other academic professionals. On the lighter side, he has coauthored two essays (with Dr. Susan Pepper-Bates) at the intersection of popular culture and philosophy: one on True Blood and the other on Harry Potter. Areas of interest include metaphilosophy, explanation, social construction, and Wittgenstein. He is also interested in the history of 20th century analytic philosophy and ancient philosophy. Joshua is the secretary/treasurer for the Florida Philosophical Association, co-chair on the Values Steering Committee, and a member of the Social Justice Lecture Series Committee.

 Ranjini Thaver – Promoted to Professor of Economics 

Thaver

Dr. Ranjini Thaver, born in South Africa, completed her bachelor’s degree, with honors, in Economics at the University of Cape Town, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in Economics at the University of Notre Dame. She has taught at Stetson since 1992. She developed the first university-based microcredit program in the world, located in a poverty-stricken area in DeLand, and in Manio Village, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. She has partnered with local and national organizations to deliver economically empowering programs to the poor, such as personal finance education workshops, and volunteer income tax preparation (VITA). She is recipient of Stetson University’s McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has presented her research at international, national, and local conferences, and at universities such as Cornell, Notre Dame, and Mary Washington College.

Chris Tobler – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Finance 

Tobler

Dr. Chris Tobler teaches both undergraduate and graduate level course in finance and in the Executive MBA and JD/BMA programs.  His teaching interests include investments, corporate finance and risk-management.  His scholarship focuses on derivatives, asset pricing, and the role of overvaluation in mergers and acquisitions. He has published in various journals including the Journal of Finance and Accountancy, Banking and Finance Review and the International Journal of Global Business and Economics.

Louis Virelli – Promoted to Professor of Law

Virelli

Louis Virelli teaches courses in administrative law, civil procedure, constitutional law, and federal pretrial practice. He co-coaches two of Stetson’s moot court teams and is faculty advisor to the Freethinkers Rhetoric Society and the Stetson chapter of the American Constitution Society.  Prior to joining Stetson, Professor Virelli served as a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.  He also taught legal research and writing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, where he was named best oralist in the law school’s Keedy Cup moot court competition and served as articles editor on the Journal of Constitutional Law. Professor Virelli clerked for Judge Franklin S. Van Antwerpen of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Judge Leonard I. Garth of the Third Circuit.  He has written on constitutional interpretation, congressional power, the teaching of evolution in public schools, and the role of scientific information in the regulatory process. His articles have appeared in such journals as the Miami Law Review, the Northwestern University Law Review Colloquy, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, and the Administrative Law Review. 

Becky Watts – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies 

Watts

Dr. Rebecca Watts’ teaching and scholarship centers on the application of rhetorical theory and criticism to public culture, including Southern culture, political culture, and popular culture. She is interested in organizational crisis rhetoric as well as internet communication as a way of increasing participation in public culture (in everything from political culture to sports culture).  Her book, Contemporary Southern Identity: Community through Controversy (University Press of Mississippi, 2008), applies rhetorical theory and criticism to Southern culture specifically and public discourse in general.

John York – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Chemistry 

York

Dr. John York has expertise in inorganic, organometallic, and biological inorganic chemistry.  His research focuses on using transition metal compounds to perform important chemical transformations.  He is especially interested in understanding how copper can function in both biological and industrial systems to bind with important organic molecules like alkenes and thiophenes. In this research, Dr. York utilizes both synthetic chemistry and computational chemistry methods.  He is also active in the field of chemical education and develops innovative techniques and materials for teaching chemistry to undergraduate students.

Four annual awards and honors will be presented at the end of the year and who receives them may depend on you. It’s time to nominate your favorite teacher or colleague, fellow students or even yourself  for one of the distinguished honors listed below. For more information on these and other awards, stay current with Stetson Today.

William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching

The Faculty Senate of Stetson University invites each student and faculty member to nominate a Stetson professor for Stetson University’s highest teaching award, the William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching. All full-time teaching faculty members on the DeLand Campus are eligible, with the exception of the following recent recipients:  Dr. Terry Farrell, Dr. Camille King, Dr. Noel Painter, Dr. Michael King and Dr. Eugene Huskey.

The criteria for selection include excellence in classroom teaching, professional growth, intellectual stimulation given to the academic community outside the classroom, and service to students and the university as a whole.

“This award serves to recognize a faculty’s impact not only from an educational perspective, but also from a humanistic mentoring and inspirational perspective,” said Associate Professor of Chemistry Harry Price, member of the nomination committee.

Final selection will be made by a secret 2013 McEniry Nomination Committee. The winner will be announced during the Spring Commencement. The nomination form is online. The deadline for nominations is 8 a.m. Monday, April 8, 2013. 

Josephine Field Davidson Award for Integrity in Journalism

Any current Stetson students who have published journalism on any topic, in any medium, including online or in The Reporter, are eligible to win $500 in the annual Davidson Award for Integrity in Journalism.

Stetson faculty and editors at The Daytona Beach News-Journal will select a winner based on which submission best exemplifies the integrity, accuracy, clarity, and unselfish concern for others personified by the late Josephine Field Davidson, editor of The Daytona Beach News-Journal. (The award was established by Stetson alumni Bill and Sally Gillespie along with donations by friends, family and colleagues of the late editor of the News-Journal.) 

To enter:

• Choose up to three pieces of your best news, editorial, sports, or feature writing published during the past year, between April 1, 2012 and April 3, 2013.
• Submit original or legible copies (submissions won’t be returned) to Andy Dehnart via the English Department office (Flagler Hall room 224). If your writing is published online, you may submit links via e-mail to adehnart@stetson.edu.
• Include your name, 800 number, campus box number, e-mail address and phone number.
• Deadline: April 3 at noon.

Haven’t been published yet? Contact the staff of The Reporter (reporter@stetson.edu) to find out about contributing, and/or take JOUR 100 this fall to start learning about journalism.

Gender Studies Program’s Annual Ann Morris Essay and Creative Writing Contest 

The 2013 Gender Studies Program’s Annual Ann Morris Essay and Creative Writing Contest, with $500 in prizes to be awarded for Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Essays, Research, and Creative Non-fiction.  Deadline for submission is 3 p.m. on Monday, April 1.  Submit entries to Dr. Diane Everett, 221 Davis Hall.  Winners to be announced at the Annual Gender Studies Reception on April 18.

Contest Rules:

• Entries must in some way address the issues of gender, race, ethnicity, social class, and/or sexuality;
• Entrants must be currently registered undergraduate or graduate students;
• All entries must be typed, titled, and sealed in an envelope, with the contest name indicated on the front of the envelope;
• All entries should include a removable page with the author’s name, campus unit number, telephone number, email address, and Stetson University identification number;
• The Stetson University identification number should appear on each page of each entry, but no other identifying information should appear on the entry;
• An entry may be solely or jointly authored;
• An author may submit up to three entries (jointly-authored entries count as one); and
• An author should submit three complete copies of each entry.
• For more information, contact Dr. Diane Everett at ddeveret@stetson.edu.

Nominate senior speakers for commencement ceremonies 

For this year’s commencement ceremonies, three senior speakers will be chosen: one from the College of Arts and Sciences, one from the School of Music and one from the School of Business Administration. Senior Speakers typically are students with a solid academic record who have made significant contributions to the Stetson community through leadership and co-curricular involvement. They represent students who have fully engaged in the educational experience while at Stetson. The information provided within the nomination will be used to select 18 semifinalists (six from College of Arts and Sciences, six from School of Business, six from School of Music). The semifinalists for Senior Speaker will be notified and asked to submit an application which includes a description of the topic and a brief outline of their remarks. Nine finalists will be chosen to present their proposed speeches to a committee of faculty, staff and students for selection. It is acceptable for students to nominate themselves for Senior Commencement Speaker. Deadline for submission is Wednesday, April 10. Please use the following link to make your nomination: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H85K3T6.