Those were the immediate and enthusiastic words from Kimberly Reiter, PhD, when about the status of Stetson Showcase 2022.
Since 1999, Showcase has been a springtime tradition that celebrates the research and scholarly achievements of students from across the DeLand campus. Students from all years and schools are invited to participate. Hundreds of them share their research through presentations, portfolios, posters, readings, music and theater performances, art shows and multimedia work to the general public. And they present their programs in professional settings for audiences that include judges, faculty, fellow students and esteemed members of the community.
In essence, while many Stetson students have the opportunity to present their work at professional meetings across the country, Stetson Showcase has provided an additional opportunity for them to display their work to faculty, fellow students and interested members of the wider community.
For the past two years, however, the COVID-19 pandemic halted the big show, leaving students with only an online platform to share their prowess.
Kimberly Reiter, PhD
Yet, now the return of Showcase is only days away, set for April 12 — live and in person, with one session available for students, regardless of major, to present online. In addition, Stetson President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, was the scheduled keynote speaker.
Appropriately enough, the Showcase theme is “Resilience. Resurgence. Revival.”
“We have almost no students who remember what a normal Showcase looks like,” said Reiter, associate professor of history and long-time chair of Stetson Showcase. “The only students who remember what a normal Showcase looks like are in the graduating class, and they were freshmen who probably didn’t participate in Showcase 2019.”
Reiter, nonetheless, was anticipating a very busy day.
There will be as many as 10 concurrent sessions during the hours of 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.. That is followed by an evening reception, featuring Roellke’s keynote speech, “Higher Education at the Crossroads,” and an awards ceremony.
In the words of Kevin Riggs, PhD, professor of physics and the first leader of Stetson Showcase back in 1998, he is “grateful to be associated with Stetson’s undergraduate research symposium.”
Riggs made that statement about Stetson Showcase 2022 on April 12, during the return of a campus tradition following a two-year absence of in-person activity due to the pandemic. The 2020 event was canceled, and last year was limited to online participation.
“It is certainly the highlight of the academic year for me,” added Riggs, who chaired Showcase’s faculty organizing committee for 10 years before handing the reins to current chair Kimberly Reiter, PhD. “My favorite part of Stetson Showcase are the poster sessions … . I am consistently amazed by the high-quality research our Stetson undergraduate students are able to conduct with their faculty mentors, much of it publication quality.”
Indeed, there was much to be proud of, as nearly 200 students exhibited their academic prowess in a wide assortment of disciplines at venues across campus. Appropriately, the theme was “Resilience. Resurgence. Revival.”
There were, for example, poster presentations in the Rinker Fieldhouse; oral presentations at Elizabeth Hall, Sage Hall and Flagler Hall; art and digital arts exhibitions at the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center; musical performances at Lee Chapel; plus much more. Notably, the students had begun preparations for this day last summer, or even earlier, each with the help of faculty mentors.
In all, as many as 10 concurrent sessions were held throughout the day — with robust demonstrations of curiosity and intellect evident among students, faculty, staff and campus guests.
In turn, presenters received the chance to engage with visitors eye to eye.
Audience Interaction
“I definitely liked presenting in person instead of in an online format. … . Also, being able to see how the audience was reacting to what I was saying was a big benefit,” said Liam Leider, a junior majoring in political science who might continue that research as a senior and plans to attend graduate school.
Junior Liam Leider
Leider’s oral presentation was titled “SNAP and Social Media: Making More Effective Welfare Advertisements,” and was an extension of research papers he had written about food stamps in his Public Health Policy class as a sophomore. And he won an Honorable Mention for his efforts.
In his oral presentation, “The Toxicity of Positivity in the Modern World,” Jeremiah Rosario, a junior entrepreneurship major, was able to display his research on “how toxic positivity can negatively affect your life.”
“I’m glad I had the opportunity to present my topic for my final paper for Evidence-Based Management [class]. It allowed me to test out the waters of how my research could go with more collected data,” said Rosario, who found that toxic positivity is very common. The next stops for him are study abroad in Innsbruck, Austria, and a fall internship.
“I think it is wonderful to engage with peers on our research agendas critically and in person,” agreed senior Ryan Clifton, a double major in political science and economics.
Senior Ryan Clifton
His oral presentation was titled “Political Incentives and Provision: Patterns of Public Good Provision Across Regime Types,” involving the analysis of a 157-country panel data set. “My conclusions indicate that regime consolidation is an important mediator for public good provision, leading democracies and authoritarian regimes to provide more public goods,” said Clifton, who is headed to Duke University’s political science doctoral program.
Student Achievement
Research excellence, clearly, was everywhere.
Senior Stevie Simpson
Feeling “like I really pushed myself,” Stevie Simpson is set to graduate in three years. Majoring in biology, she presented a poster on the “Differences in Flower Preference for Pollen Collection between Male and Female Agapostemon splendens.”
As such, Simpson became something of a bee expert, even as her research results proved inconclusive.
Simpson hypothesized that if pollen types were collected and examined on male and female Agapostemon splendens, males would have more diverse set of pollen, and females would have overall more pollen on their bodies. In the end, the differences were not considered “significant.”
“That was a learning experience,” she said, “because I didn’t realize that just because your results aren’t ‘significant’ doesn’t mean the results are bad. It just means there are plenty of opportunities to continue the study.” Also minoring in sales, Simpson plans for take a step back after graduation in May and assess the possibility of merging biology and sales as a career.
Senior Lauren Baker
Similarly, senior marine biology major Lauren Baker isn’t quite sure if marine mammals or terrestrial animals will be in her future. Having already completed an internship in the marine world, she chose a Showcase project called “Strains of Pathogenic Bartonella Among Central Florida Rodents.”
Baker studied 140 rodents to measure the presence of Bartonella bacteria strains. For about four months, she spent approximately two hours weekly in the field (near Lake Woodruff and Blue Spring) plus one hour per week of lab time.
Baker’s hypothesis that Bartonella strains would differ among rodent species was supported by her research. “Studies such as these can better our understanding of the mammalian immune system for illness prevention,” she said, later adding that “now I have a sense of what’s required for [marine mammals and terrestrial animals].” Baker hopes to go directly into a job involving animal care.
For Kirsten Pruim, a senior majoring in biology with a minor in public health, research on “The Effects of Artificial Light on Antioxidant Capacity in Ilex vomitoria,” has illuminated her world since last July. The study centered on antioxidants in yaupon holly plants and how certain types of light impact their antioxidant capacities.
Senior Kirsten Pruim
The overall data trends showed the antioxidant capacity of the yaupon holly grown in red light was significantly higher than the plant grown in natural light, among other results.
“The goal was to get a better understanding of how light regulates antioxidant production,” she said, pointing to the hope of potentially increasing antioxidant yields for humans in consumables such as teas and fruits.
Ryan Dockery, a junior majoring in business systems and analytics, said he’s in the process of getting a job for United Airlines over the summer that “will hopefully lead me into a corporate position with Delta Airlines.” Yet, as a Bonner student, that didn’t prevent him from helping to assess service needs of the Chisholm Community Center in DeLand.
Junior Ryan Dockery
His research uncovered a need for a system to identify when students are falling behind in their studies before it becomes an issue on their school report cards. His oral presentation earned him an Honorable Mention. As a Bonner scholar with minors in management and community engagement, Dockery is now working to address that need.
Impressed? Reiter, associate professor of history and chair of the Stetson Undergraduate Research Committee and Stetson Showcase, offered deep appreciation and respect to the participating students for a promising restart to a time-honored event.
“The Undergraduate Research Committee is delighted that everything went so well!” Reiter commented. “The judges all confessed that the presentations were hard to evaluate, and two venues — Music and Art — insisted on two first-place Maris Awards, as they simply could not decide. That’s what we like to hear. The students enjoyed themselves. One told me she had looked forward to this since she was a first-year student, and was thrilled that Showcase returned in time for her to present.
“All in all, Showcase 2022, a cold jump-start of a Stetson tradition, lived up to the theme of Resilience, Resurgence, Revival. It laid the foundation for a stronger and anticipated Showcase next year. Now that students have once again seen a full Showcase, many look forward to next year.”
Showcase Reception And Awards
President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD (bottom right) was joined by enthusiastic students.
As the nightcap to Stetson Showcase 2022, a reception and awards ceremony was held at the Marshall & Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center. Approximately 110 students attended the event, which featured a keynote address by Stetson President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD. In addition, presentations were made for the Maris Awards for Excellence in Showcase, the Dr. Leonard Nance Award for Excellence in Justice Research and grants to 2022 SURE scholars.
Roellke’s speech was titled “Higher Education at the Crossroads” — detailing that as the global COVID 19 pandemic penetrated the United States in early 2020, colleges and universities found themselves scrambling to address the ongoing public health crisis. (Officially, Roellke was the 2022 Grady Ballenger Lecturer, named after Grady Ballenger, PhD, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who arrived at Stetson in 1998 and established Stetson’s first undergraduate-research symposium.)
Award Winners
LEONARD NANCE PRIZE
Emily Keck Expanding Access to Black History in Volusia County Through Digital Storytelling
MARIS FIRST-PLACE POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Kaira Thevenin Exploration of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Small Tumor Antigen in Transformation & Tumorigenesis
Maria Snee The effects of habitat on the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in rodent reservoirs
Jay Stearman Students’ Perception of Campus Green Spaces and Community Gardens
HONORABLE MENTION POSTERS
Emily Baillargeon The effects of elevated supplemental magnesium on axolotl embryonic development
Justin Piel JETSCAPE: Interfacing with Rivet and Comparisons to Pythia
Ashley Russell Comparison of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation potential among Pine Flatwood sites that vary in time since fire
Sinai A. Ramos Planas Emotion Regulation Mediates the Relationship Between Neglectful Parenting and Anxiety
MARIS FIRST-PLACE ART AND DIGITAL ARTS PRESENTATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS
Andy Ramirez-Garcia The Hidden Forest
Jade Ammones e.g.
MARIS FIRST-PLACE JUNIOR MUSIC RECITALS
Abbey Brodnick, Piano
Kaylan Hernandez, Voice (Soprano)
MARIS FIRST-PLACE ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Kendall Buck Improving Food Waste to Drive Sustainability
Meghan Landsberg The Ones We Lose to Lies: The Role of QAnon in the Destruction of Personal Relationships
Bec Hett Interfaith Relations on Stetson’s Campus
Kellie Baier Identifying the primary reservoir of Borrelia burgdorferi present in central Florida
Madison Wilkerson Family and Friends’ Influence on Internalized Stigma of Mental Health
HONORABLE MENTION ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Liam Leider SNAP and Social Media: Making More Effective Welfare Advertisements
Maria Gaglio Did You Remember that Correctly? Analyzing the Effects of Leading Questions and Stimulus Modality on Memory Recall
Heather Osterhouse Leitmotifs and Topic Theory in Undertale
Ryan Dockery Academic Analysis of Elementary Students Performance
Moomal Jatoi Analysis of Fos-immunoreactive Neurons in the Gustatory Cortex and Behavioral Responses in Rats to Intra-Oral Infusion of a Sucrose-Quinine Mixture
Shadia Muñoz-Najar Does compulsory voting affect COVID mortality rates?
SURE Awards For 2022
Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience Grants (with mentor):
Yahia Adla (Michael King, PhD) The Effects of Spilanthol on Behavioral Responses to Salty Taste.
Chloe DeYoung (Jean Smith, PhD) Analyzing the function of Fus1 during cell fusion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae,”
Brandon Evans (Cynthia Bennington, PhD) Effects of competition and fire suppression on the growth of two sandhill understory plants, Aristida stricta and Pityopsis graminifolia
Molly James (Jason Evans, PhD) The Potential Effectiveness of Vertical Rain Gardens in the Mitigation of Stormwater Runoff and Pollution.
Catherine Kraft (Leander Seah, PhD) Speaking of Dictators: Stalin’s Soviet Union, Mao’s China, and the Language of Personality Cults
Alexa McDonough (William Nylen, PhD) Legacies of War: Argentina’s Catholic Church During the Dirty War and Beyond
Andrea R. Mingo (Danielle Lindner, PhD) Food Allergies, Anxiety, and Disordered Eating
Lily Paternoster (Ekaterina Kudryavtseva, PhD) Uneasy: Commodification of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Lauren Radesi (Michael Eskenazi, PhD) An Exploration of the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Nature Based Therapy
Osmara Rodriguez (Emily Mieras, PhD) Domesticity in Nineteenth Century Suburbia; Ideal vs. Reality
Dylaney Sabino (Nathan Wolek, PhD) Investigating The Daisy Patch Using Max Gen~
Mario Saponaro (Luca Molnar, MFA) Living in a State of Mind
Madison Skelton (Sarah Cramer, PhD) How do agricultural and food practices and identity interact with one another within Mayan culture?
Nicole Steiniger (Terence Farrell, PhD) Do pygmy rattlesnakes exhibit behavioral fevers in response to infection by a fungal pathogen?
Tom Sussan (Corie Charpentier, PhD) Examining the comparison of substrate location for eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica spat settlement and the effect of boat wake on settlement in the Mosquito Lagoon, Florida.
Grayson Taber (Dr. Holley Lynch, PhD) Imaging Early Developmental Stages of Butterfly, Vanessa cardui
Kaira Thevenin (Kristine Dye, PhD) Exploration of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Small Tumor Antigen Localization in Transformation and Tumorigenesis
Nicole Verdecia (Corie Charpentier, PhD) Quantifying the Diversity and Settlement Rate of Organisms Along a Living Shoreline in Mosquito Lagoon
Katie Wedderstrand (Kimberly Reiter, PhD) The Bone Wars as a Study of Paleontological Growth in Western America
If you have attended one of our conferences in the past, then you know that you’re in for a half-day jam-packed with an inspirational keynote from a sitting university president, informative and interactive leadership development workshops, and opportunities to expand your professional network.
Limited scholarships to cover the registration fee are available, thanks to the generous support of Prez Roellke. Apply here on/before April 7, 2022.
Tap the EventBrite link to join us and/or share with a colleague and your professional networks. Questions? Contact [email protected] or [email protected].
The pandemic has changed, and will continue to change, how women navigate their careers and the future of work in the context of their lives. If you are interested in exploring these topics and more, we invite you to join us as we plan ACE (American Council on Education) Women’s Network events at Stetson in 2021.
On Thursday, February 17 12-1pm we will host the 2022 Kick-off Meet & Greet Luncheon.
At the kick-off luncheon, we will connect and re-connect, and learn about what you want to do as a network this year. Bring your lunch and a colleague!
About ACE: Stetson University is a proud Presidential Sponsor of the ACE Women’s Network of Florida. The ACE Women’s Network is a national system of networks within each state with the goal of advancing and supporting women in pursuing higher education leadership. ACE aims to develop programs that identify, develop, encourage, advance, link and support (IDEALS) women in higher education careers. Our network is open to all, irrespective of gender identity.
“Housing is a fundamental human right, along with access to nutritious food, appropriate healthcare and a quality education. We must build a better, more just world for our children and youth.”
Those are the familiar words of Stetson Professor Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD, the Jessie Ball duPont Endowed Chair of Social Justice Education. And she is backing them up. Again.
The 2021 Poverty and Homelessness Conference, an event Shankar-Brown founded in 2013, is scheduled to take place virtually on July 10, 9 a.m. to noon (Eastern time). Registration currently is open, and all are welcome to join.
The conference is a collaborative effort among Stetson, Volusia County Schools, Volusia United Educators and, most recently, the Florida Educators Association. Also, the conference partners with the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), where Shankar-Brown now is a vice president and continues as a longtime executive board member.
The NCH is a national network of people who are currently experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, along with activists and advocates, community-based and faith-based service providers, and others. Its singular mission: to end and prevent homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights are respected and protected.
Since its debut, the PHC has held a similar mission while steadily being recognized throughout the state and nation as an exemplary model for equity-centered community-engagement and social justice.
“The conference is a grassroots movement that prioritizes child well-being, and our initiatives are deeply rooted in equity and designed through impactful campus-schools-community partnerships, with the goal of building healthier communities and advancing justice in our world,” Shankar-Brown said. “We must disrupt injustice and mindfully focus on equity.
“The conference is a true embodiment of Stetson’s mission and values, especially as it actively reflects social responsibility.”
While the conference is being held virtually this summer — to continue promoting public health and to expand access during these challenging times — the hope is for the conference to return to an in-person format on the Stetson campus in spring 2022.
The 2020 conference was canceled the day before it was scheduled last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the 2019 conference, DeLand Mayor Robert F. “Bob” Apgar presented a proclamation and thanked Shankar-Brown for her transformative vision and leadership to fight poverty and homelessness.
The number of adults, families, children and youth living in poverty and experiencing homelessness has doubled in the past decade and continues to surge across the nation, especially in the state of Florida. Meanwhile, the pandemic has “magnified and exasperated social inequalities and an already dire housing crisis,” Shankar-Brown said.
In pre-pandemic years, the PHC was heavily attended on campus.
“Housing instability and lack of basic human rights were daunting realities long before the pandemic due to systemic and structural issues that enable and perpetuate injustice, but COVID-19 has further pushed millions into poverty and homelessness. Economic and racial justice merit our immediate attention,” she explained.
In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at Stetson, Shankar-Brown is deeply immersed in public policy and civic engagement efforts at the federal level, state and local levels. The PHC continues to mobilize a wide audience and intentionally bring together diverse stakeholders, including but not limited to district leaders, preK-12 teachers, school administrators, counselors, social workers, nonprofit leaders, congressional members, child advocates, students, academics, community thought leaders and others.
Each year, the conference invites key experts to lead educational workshops while also amplifying the voices of individuals with lived experience of homelessness, including children and youth, and discussing intersectional connections to race, gender, sexuality and the environment.
“Poverty and homelessness are deeply connected and rooted in racism, and anti-racism efforts must be centered if we are to end and prevent homelessness,” Shankar-Brown noted. “It is imperative to understand intersectional connections too, such as the fact that LGBTQI+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness, and that there are critical connections including homelessness and environmental justice, homelessness and disability justice.
The PHC leadership team: (l-r) Rajni Shankar-Brown, PhD; Primrose Cameron, PhD; Dianne Martin-Morgan and Jennifer Watley
“In addition to illuminating human rights issues connected to poverty and homelessness, courageously and collaboratively brainstorming innovative solutions, and actively working to support the academic and social-emotional well-being of our children and youth, the PHC aims to affirm diverse voices and cultivate empathy.”
Shankar-Brown believes that affirming diversity and growing empathy are vital to this work. “It is imperative to bending the arc toward justice,” she commented.
Shankar-Brown has dedicated her life to addressing injustices through getting in “good trouble” and living her values. A past recipient of Stetson’s Hand Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievement and Stetson’s prestigious McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching, she thoughtfully models civic engagement and actively supports students, along with her own two children, in developing multifaceted skillsets and being positive change agents as she finds inspiration in the teachings and wisdom of legendary civil rights leaders. They include Congressman John Lewis, who says, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Keynote speaker Matt Morton ’06
This year, the conference features alumnus Matt Morton ’06, PhD, as the keynote speaker. He holds a doctorate degree and Master of Science in evidence-based intervention and policy evaluations from the University of Oxford, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Stetson.
Morton has expertise in youth development, youth homelessness and the evaluation of complex interventions and evidence-based practice. He has led the youth homelessness agenda at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. He has worked as an adviser in the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, and he was a key contributor to the development of the U.S. government’s national strategy to end youth homelessness and efforts on addressing child trauma. Additionally, he has worked on youth, poverty, gender and labor programs and policy as an economist and social protection specialist at the World Bank.
Further, Morton’s prior work experience encompasses teaching graduate-level courses at the University of Oxford, consulting for the European Commission and other organizations on policy evaluation, and serving as a Congressional Fellow in the U.S. Senate and as a Policy Fellow at the Eckerd Family Foundation.
Shankar-Brown and Morton have crossed paths for years, even before Shankar-Brown joined Stetson’s faculty, both sharing a passion for humanity, sustainability and social justice. They are in the process of collaborating, with plans to engage in research and civic engagement projects together, especially with Morton and his family recently moving back to Florida.
Christina Garcia
Christina Garcia is another featured speaker. She is Taina/Chicana, originally from San Francisco. When she was a child, her family experienced homelessness and housing instability. And, with both of her parents struggling with drug addiction, she was subjected to sexual and physical abuse and neglect. She grew up in the foster system and subsequently with gangs in the Mission District
As an adult, Garcia spent years living on the street addicted to drugs. Ultimately, she was sent to prison, where she completed two consecutive rehabilitation programs upon release. Today, she serves as the senior director of housing assistance at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, with the focus on helping to get others off the street.
Donald Whitehead, NCH’s executive director
Among the other conference speakers is Donald Whitehead, NCH’s executive director. Whitehead brings more than 20 years of serving and advocating for persons experiencing homelessness, including five years of experiencing homelessness himself.
“Donald is my colleague, friend and co-conspirator in justice, and he also served as a keynote speaker for the PHC previously,” Shankar-Brown noted. “NCH has recently launched a national campaign focused on ending homelessness, and I am looking forward to having Donald share more at our conference.”
Autumn Johnson ’20 spoke at the conference in 2019.
Also notably, two of Shankar-Brown’s mentees — both Stetson alumni — serve on the PHC steering committee and will be conference speakers: Chan’tial Vasquez ’16 and Autumn Hope Johnson ’20.
“I am incredibly proud and grateful for Chan’tial and Autumn,” Shankar-Brown said. “They are both multi-talented, resilient, dedicated, and amazing advocates and human beings. They embrace multidisciplinary knowledge. They embody compassion and lead purposeful lives as engaged global citizens.”
Chan’tial Vasquez ’16 with her mentor
Both Vasquez and Johnson describe Shankar-Brown as a “lifelong mentor” and an “inspiring role model” who continues to genuinely support their journeys and serve as an enduring light.
“The PHC is truly a collaborative enterprise. I am grateful to each member of the PHC leadership team, each dedicated and passionate community trailblazers who I also have the joy and privilege of calling my dear friends,” Shankar-Brown added.
That description also fits her former student Gina Calbeto ’19, chair of the Student Leadership Committee.
Calbeto, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, teaches in Volusia County and is pursuing a graduate degree in the higher education program at Florida Gulf Coast University. Calbeto shares that Shankar-Brown, whom she met at a presentation and talked with during Hatter Saturday, was one of the primary reasons she chose Stetson.
Gina Calbeto ’19
“Gina was selected as the 2021 First Year Teacher of the Year for DeBary Elementary School during this uniquely challenging year. I am proud of her, and this award is extra special, as DeBary is where Gina attended elementary school. And now here she is giving back in the school and community where she grew up and actively enriching the lives of children,” Shankar-Brown said. Partnering with FGCU, Shankar-Brown serves as Calbeto’s graduate internship supervisor and remains her mentor.
According to Shankar-Brown, education and social justice are her “life’s work and daily alarm clock,” along with her children, Valen Siddhartha and Romila Sitara, of course.
It is evident that she abundantly invests in her students.
Even after graduating from Stetson, students continue to stay in close contact with her — a powerful testament to Shankar-Brown’s impact as a teacher-scholar and as a leader making a difference on a global scale.
October 22, 2021 9-10 a.m. EST; join the watch party, register here TOPIC:What a long, strange trip it’s been! Dr. Martha Saunders, president, University of West Florida.
Dr. Saunders will share her leadership journey and lessons she’s learned along the way.
We had a great workshop today on Imposter Syndrome: What is it and What to Do With It! presented by Dr. Karen Griffin. As promised, attached is the presentation from today’s workshop.
Have a great weekend and I hope to see you on October 22nd at 9:00 a.m. ET for our virtual Coffee and Conversation with Dr. Saunders, President of the University of West Florida. I already sent the invitation and registration information to you.
Stetson University is committed to the professional development of FSEM faculty to build faculty capacity in writing, information literacy, general pedagogical tools, advising, and other learning areas core to the first-year seminar experience. Congratulations to our 2021 FSEM mini-grants winners!
Christopher de Bodisco, Assistant Professor of Economics
Katya Kudryavtseva, Assistant Professor of Art History
Julia Schmitt, Professor of Theatre Arts and Chair of the Creative Arts Department
Rajni Shankar-Brown, Professor and Jessie Ball duPont Endowed Chair of Social Justice Education
Ranjini Thaver, Professor of Economics
Chaz Underriner, Assistant Professor of Digital Arts
The FIEA Undergraduate Summer Research Experience fosters collaboration between intellectually motivated Stetson students and the University of Central Florida’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy graduate game-development program.
Congratulations to our FIEA Grant 2021 Winner: Connor Bradt
