During its 129th Commencement, held May 8 and 9, 2015, Stetson University graduated 720 students; 166 graduate students and 554 undergraduates. At the Undergraduate Awards and Recognition ceremony, and three commencement ceremonies, Stetson University presented several awards honoring outstanding students and exemplary faculty.

William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching is considered Stetson’s most prestigious award for faculty. It is awarded to a faculty member chosen by students and other faculty. Excellence in classroom teaching is the primary criterion, though other factors, such as intellectual growth, professional competency, academic activities outside the classroom, and service to students and the university as a whole may be considered. The recipient of this year’s McEniry Award is Elisabeth Poeter, Ph.D., associate professor of German. (Pictured l to r: Beth Paul, Eric Kurlander, Elisabeth Poeter, Wendy Libby.) The award was presented at the Saturday commencement ceremony by Eric Kurlander, Ph.D. , professor of history, and last year’s recipient of this award.

A native of Germany, Poeter came to the United States in 1975, and began her second educational career in foreign language and literature studies. She spent one year at the University of Barcelona as part of her undergraduate studies in Spanish before completing her Ph.D. in German Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. She joined the Stetson University faculty in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures in 1995. During her tenure at Stetson, she spent one year at the Padagogische Hochschule in Freiburg, Germany, where she taught courses in German women’s literature and mentored students in their studies to become elementary and secondary school teachers. At Stetson, she has served as director of the gender studies program and serves as the director of the university’s summer program in Freiburg, Germany.

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award is presented annually to the man and the woman in the graduating class whose nobility of character and dedication to service sets them apart as examples for others. This prestigious award is among the highest recognition given to a graduating senior and is given jointly by Stetson University and the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation in New York. This award was created nearly 100 years ago to honor Sullivan’s life of service to others. Elizabeth Paul, Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, presented this year’s Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards to graduating seniors, Rachel Luke and Brian Rodriguez.

Rachel Luke, as described by one nominator: “She gives of the limited time she has towards service on campus and the community around her.” Another writes: “She is a student who truly understands that service is not merely something you do; it is a commitment to a lifestyle.” Luke’s varsity tennis coach appointed her as captain noting her strong work ethic. She is the recipient of the Girl Scout Gold award and received her high school’s highest award for integrity and exemplary character, The Patriot Award. Additionally she was awarded the national United States Tennis Association sportsmanship award. Despite her busy schedule, she maintains her academic excellence and is routinely on the Dean’s list. Luke will be entering Optometry school next year.

Brian Rodriguez is graduating with a major in music with an outside field in business and has a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.8, despite participating in many co-curricular activities. A voice student of Craig Maddox, D.M., associate professor of voice, Rodriguez is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi (Business Fraternity), Pi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Stetson’s American Choral Directors Association and American Marketing Association. He serves as a valued team member of Lee Chapel’s Recording Crew. He is an artistic collaborator in the many performances presented, serves as mentor in music and business classes and works as a summer intern for Norwegian and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. As several nominators write, “Brian unselfishly gives of his time and talents… His nobility of character, unfailing dependability and integrity, and dedication of service, is a model for us all.”

Etter McTeer Turner Award is named for Stetson’s first woman dean of students, and is presented to the student who shows outstanding academic achievement, leadership, personal character, integrity and service to the community. Provost Paul presented this year’s award to Viviana Vasiu, English major, who came to Stetson from Romania, and in April was inducted into Stetson’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious liberal arts and sciences honor society in the United States. “In addition to maintaining a 4.0 GPA, her leadership involves being on the student conduct board and Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity,” one nominator wrote. “Additionally, she formed an organization against cyber-harassment, she speaks five languages, she is a member of the rowing team, and an accomplished writer.” Vasiu will be attending Law School this fall at the Stetson University College of Law.

The John Hague Award for Distinguished Teaching in the Liberal Arts and Sciences celebrates Stetson’s tradition of excellence in teaching in the liberal arts and its devotion to scholarship, morality and friendship. These are the guiding principles of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honorary society. At the Undergraduate Awards and Recognition ceremony held on Friday, May 8, Karen Ryan, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, presented this year’s Hague Award to Kimberly Reiter, Ph.D., associate professor of History, specializing in ancient and medieval history.

Reiter serves as president of the Interdisciplinary Environmental Association (IEA) and also directs the Stetson field course in early English history, an on-site interdisciplinary study of the historic English landscape. She advises the Stetson chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the history honors society, is committee chair for the Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) grants, and organizes the annual Stetson Showcase, the campus-wide honors day in which Stetson celebrates undergraduate research. “Her work with undergraduate research has helped to make it a cornerstone of the Stetson academic experience,” wrote one colleague nominator. “The great success that Showcase has enjoyed, its growth in scope and disciplinary diversity, is in large part thanks to her tireless efforts.” Reiter was recently awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Enduring Questions grant. With this award, she plans to develop a new Junior Seminar for Stetson students on ideas of the natural.

ROTC Commissioning: At the ROTC Commissioning ceremony held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 8, four Stetson graduating seniors were commissioned as 2^nd Lieutenants in the United States Army: Chris Bethel, Lanielle Brown; Christopher Long; Scott M. Williams. The Army ROTC program provides students the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge necessary for commissioning as a second lieutenant. Brigadier General Terence M. Henry (Retired), United States Army, was the guest speaker for the 2015 commissioning ceremony.

The academic major, first duty station and unit assigned for each cadet follows:

• 2^nd Lt. Chris Bethel: (Business Management and Supervision); U.S. Army Reserve Military Intelligence
• 2^nd Lt. Lanielle Brown: (Biology); Active Duty Armor
• 2^nd Lt. Christopher Long: (Social Sciences); National Guard Unassigned
• 2^nd Lt. Scott M. Williams: (Management and Finance); Active Duty Armor

Faculty to Retire: The two Stetson professors who have elected to retire at the end of this academic year were announced at Commencement. They are Leonard Nance, Ph.D., associate professor of Sociology, and Jean West, Ph.D., professor of Music and former Dean of the School of Music.

The Hand Awards were established by Stetson Trustee Emerita and College of Law alumna Dolly Hand and her husband, Homer, to applaud faculty members who are not only dedicated teachers but also who have notable achievements in scholarship or creative work in their areas of expertise and who have made a difference in their local or larger communities. The Hand Award for Community Impact celebrates the achievements of faculty serving the needs of the community, both the Stetson community and the community beyond the campus. Provost Paul presented the Hand Award for Community Impact to two outstanding teacher-scholars at Saturday’s commencement ceremonies for their distinctive achievement and leadership:

• Stuart Michelson, Ph.D. member of the Stetson community since 2001, when he became the Roland & Sarah George Professor of Finance, has served as director of the Executive M.B.A. Program, dean of the School of Business Administration, and has served on many university and School of Business Administration committees and task forces. “He is a model teacher-scholar and university citizen,” said Provost Paul. “At Stetson, everyone is a leader of the University’s future vibrancy – Stuart exemplifies this commitment, contributing significantly to advancing the mission and excellence of the University.”
• Kimberly Flint-Hamilton, Ph.D. has been a member of the Stetson community since 1999 when she joined the faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, a department she currently chairs. She has served on numerous university and college committees and task forces including the Faculty Senate, and Tenure and Promotion Policy Committee. Her deep commitment to Stetson has manifested itself in extensive mentoring of faculty, particularly pre-tenure and visiting faculty across all disciplines and through myriad formal and informal venues. A quote from her nomination packet reads “Whereas many of us discuss and deliberate over our core values and of the practical application of social justice,” one nominating comment read, “we see in Kimberly one who actually lives social justice and promotes inclusive excellence among students, staff, and faculty.”

Stetson University College of Law commencement ceremony will be Saturday, May 16, 8:30 a.m., Gulfport, Fla., campus, 1401 61st St. S.