Top Stories:

• Stetson University was recognized as a model for its use of prepaid debit cards for students’ college-sponsored accounts, according to a report to Congress from the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Stories about the report and Stetson appeared in The New York Times, US Officials News and other media outlets, Dec. 15-16.

• Stetson University hired University of Maine baseball coach Steve Trimper as its new head baseball coach, according to the Portland Press Herald and numerous other media outlets on Dec. 16-17.

• Will Mason, ’14, co-founder of San Francisco-based UploadVR, was named Jan. 3 as one of the “Forbes 30 under 30: Media” for 2017, a list that identifies “today’s leading young change-makers and innovators in the U.S.,” according to Forbes. Mason was named with Upload co-founder Taylor Freeman, 26, and is editor in chief of the company’s editorial site, which focuses on accelerating growth of the consumer virtual-reality industry and hosts events to help bring virtual reality to the public. Mason graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies from Stetson.

• A story in the Sunshine State News on Dec. 27 and other media outlets in Florida listed the alma mater of the state’s top legislators and noted two Stetson graduates: Senate President Joe Negron,a Stuart Republican, and Sen. Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican and the Senate budget chairman.

• Stetson University history major Mari Hanley will appear on the Jeopardy! College Tournament, which will be taped Jan. 8-12, according to the orlandosentinel.com on Dec. 27, and numerous other media outlets nationwide, including The Charlotte Observer Online, the Fresno Bee Online and the Associated Press. The tournament is set to air Feb. 13-24.

• K.C. Ma, the Roland George Chair of Applied Investments and Director of the Roland George Investments Institute, was quoted in an article in U.S. News & World Report on Dec. 20, entitled “Key Indicators Show a Robust Economy in 2017.” In a slideshow that accompanied the article, Ma said he does not expect a long-term slump ahead because the markets currently aren’t in a bubble, like the housing bubble of 2008, which brought a market meltdown and a slow recovery.

• K.C. Ma, the Roland George Chair of Applied Investments and Director of the Roland George Investments Institute, was quoted in an article, entitled “How Investors Can Generate Higher Returns From the January Effect,” in TheStreet on Jan. 4. “The well-known ‘January effect’ refers to the stocks’ superior returns during January,” Ma said.

• The British Psychological Society’s Research Digest mentioned Christopher Ferguson, Stetson Associate Professor and Co-Chair of Psychology, in an article on Dec. 22, citing an article that Ferguson co-authored in Current Psychology on Dec. 15 that found introductory psychology textbooks “have difficulty covering controversial topics with care, and that whether intentionally or not, they are frequently presenting students with a liberal-leaning, over-simplified perspective, as well propagating or failing to challenge myths and urban legends,” Research Digest wrote. Stories about the study appeared in other media outlets, including HeatStreet on Dec. 28.

• A study conducted by Christopher Ferguson, Stetson Associate Professor and Co-Chair of Psychology, was cited in a story in the New York Post on Dec. 19, entitled “Why violent video games are good for kids.” The study showed “video-games actually caused real-life violence to decrease,” according to the story.

• Valrie Chambers, Stetson Associate Professor of Accounting, co-authored an article, entitled “Theft Loss Eligibility Is Broader for Estates Than for Individuals,” in The Tax Adviser on Jan. 1, 2017, explaining the IRS codes and court cases that govern how taxpayers and estates can take a theft loss when a company commits fraud.

• Hari Pulapaka, Stetson Associate Professor of Math and Computer Science, and his wife Jennifer Pulapaka were mentioned in an article, “The Worst Food Trends Of 2016, According To A Pissed-Off Chef,” in Food Republic and received a good review (“overdue”) for their efforts to reduce food waste at their downtown DeLand restaurant, Cress Restaurant, and help install a high-temperature composter at Stetson University.

• Law Professor Charles Rose is quoted in the Dec. 20 Tampa Bay Times article, “Police Search Raises Debate,” and in the Dec. 26 Daytona Beach News-Journal story, “Study: Firearm killings climb in years since Florida’s stand your ground enacted.”

• Law Professor Judith Scully is quoted in the Dec. 19 Tampa Bay Times article, “Pinellas case highlights questions over kids’ ability to consent to police search.”

• Law Professor Paul Boudreaux wrote an opinion article about abolishing the Electoral College that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel and Palm Beach Post.

• Law Professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy’s paper, Dark Money As a Political Sovereignty Problem
ranked no. 4 among top downloads on the topic of election law in SSRN for Oct. 22-Dec. 21, and was mentioned in the Election Law Blog on Dec. 21.

Other News:

• Stetson University’s Director of Wellness and Recreation, Colleen Vanderlip, was quoted in a story by the Private University Product and News (PUPN) in the December issue about Stetson implementing programs and providing resources to promote wellness and a healthy lifestyle among its students.

• Colton Lightner, an infielder for the Stetson University baseball team, was featured in a story on Dec. 20 in The Sarasota Herald-Tribune about college and pro baseball players hosting a holiday, youth baseball clinic in Venice.

• Stetson University students Braden Mattingly, of Perry, FL, and Collin Settnek, of Marienville, PA, are registered to compete in the 2017 YETI FLW College Fishing tournament season that will kick off  Jan. 14 at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, GA, for the first of three regular-season stops in the Southeastern Conference. A full field of college teams will be competing for a top award of $2,000 and a berth in the 2018 College Fishing National Championship, as reported by WOLO-TV, the ABC News affiliate in Columbia, S.C., on Jan. 4 and other media outlets.

• Kimberly Flint-Hamilton, professor and chairwoman of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Stetson University, was hired by Lawrence University in New York as the associate dean for diversity and inclusion after a national search, according to The Journal on Dec. 22 and Inside Higher Ed. She starts her new job in January, the article said.

• Stetson University student Elizabeth Triece hosted two podcasts of Renown Belief on Faith Fit Radio on the Diocese of Orlando website during Advent in November and December, discussing such topics as her upcoming graduation from Stetson, how God has a plan for her and everyone, and how students could focus on the true meaning of Christmas during final exams.

• Manatee High School quarterback A.J. Colagiovanni announced his commitment on Twitter on Dec. 21 to play football for Stetson University, according to the Bradenton Herald. “He polished off his senior season with 2,384 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 255 rushing yards this past fall,” the newspaper reported.

• Stetson University lacrosse player Lauren McDonald was quoted Dec. 16 in the Naperville Sun (in Naperville, Ill.) about the school district there considering adding the sport at three high schools. McDonald said the sport opened up many opportunities for her in high school and college.

• Sarasota artist Kevin Costello, who lectures in the Elderhostel program at Stetson University, was quoted Dec. 27 in an article, entitled, “On a Mission to Turn Florida Retirees Into Entrepreneurs,” on nextavenue.org, a national public media website, and on Forbes.com.

• The Dec. 29 Future Lawyer reports that former law professor William McKinley “Mickey” Smiley has died, and a family memorial will be held at Stetson Law in Gulfport.

• News of the upcoming Wills for Warriors program at Stetson has run in the Gulfport Gabber.

Alumni in the News:

• Timothy O’Keefe, CPA, was recently appointed the dean of the College of Business at the University of West Florida after being the interim dean since fall 2013, according to the Voyager on Jan. 4. O’Keefe graduated from Stetson University with a bachelor’s in business administration.

• Jessica Cogo has joined the Palm Coast Chiropractic Center as a chiropractor, according to a press release Dec. 23. She graduated from Stetson University with a bachelor’s in Health Science with a minor in Psychology and Biology.

• According to the Jan. 4 State Capital News Feed, Law alumnus Bob Dillinger has announced his last term as Pinellas/Pasco public defender.

• According to the Jan. 3 Tampa Bay Newswire, Law alumnus and Tampa associate Christopher Cavaliere has been elected to the Board of Directors of Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts (TBBCA).

• The Dec. 27 Sarasota Herald-Tribune mentions Law alumnus Rep. Julio Gonzalez, R-Venice, who filed proposal (HJR 121) to allow overrides of court rulings, for consideration during the 2017 legislative session.

• According to the Dec. 24 State Capitol News Feed and SaintPetersBlog, Law alumna Allison Steele is leaving the St. Petersburg law firm she has helped build, Rahdert, and going solo.

• According to the Dec. 24 Satellite PR News, Law alumna Mary King attended a CLE on tax and probate in Orlando.

• The Dec. 18 Florida Business Daily announced that Law alumna Jessica Dareneau, a former insurance defense attorney, has been announced as the newest hire for Lumina Analytics.