Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´

Berlin: From Space to Place

Twenty-one students spent eight days documenting, researching, and capturing physical and expressive relationships they observed during a study abroad trip to Berlin in spring 2017.

“When you’re just reading about something and seeing pictures of it, it’s interesting, but it’s not nearly as captivating as when you’re actually there,” says Julia Clites, Visual Communication Design ’18, and one of the students on the trip.

Another student on the Berlin trip had never traveled internationally. “Stevenson has prepared me to be more self-confident and outgoing,” says Stephen Schlegel, Visual Communication Design ’19. “Even though it was a completely foreign and alien place to me, I felt confident in my abilities as a photographer.”

The photographic images they came home with were featured in an art exhibition on campus titled Berlin: From Space to Place. The students’ photographs explore Berlin’s built environment. The exhibit is thematically organized around relationships that exist between humans and built environments; between humans and natural environments; and between natural and built environments.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´â€™s School of Graduate and Professional Studies Rebranded as Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ Online

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´â€™s School of Graduate and Professional Studies has announced its change to a new name and brand: Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ Online. The rebranding stems from the desire to position the School more directly as an online education provider, leader, and innovator.

“Stevenson’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies has been delivering career-focused, online degrees for more than a decade in areas such as nursing, healthcare, forensics, and business technology,” said Joyce Becker, Dean of Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ Online. “We also have an understanding of today’s working professionals who want online education coupled with supportive faculty and success coaches who can help them strike a successful balance of work, life, and education. The brand ‘Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ Online’ helps us make that message clearer in the marketplace.”

One benefit of the change, Becker said, is the addition of new, fully-online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs as well as modernizing and enhancing current online and hybrid degree programs. Another benefit will be the creation of upper division, lower division, and post-baccalaureate certificate programs in a variety of specialized fields that could provide further professional development opportunities.

For current and prospective traditional undergraduate students at Stevenson, there will be additional options for bachelor’s-to-master’s degree programs based on the growing number of master’s programs.

“Just as with our School of Graduate and Professional Studies, students who complete a Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ Online program will earn a Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ degree and diploma,” Becker added.

Since 2002, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ has pioneered delivering master’s and bachelor’s programs to working professionals seeking to complete a degree or use a degree to advance their careers. In 2006, it launched its online Master of Science in Forensic Studies program and as of 2017, offers 13 online master’s, seven online bachelor’s, and four online certificate programs in areas such as nursing, healthcare management, forensic studies, forensic science, cyber forensics, STEM teaching, literacy education, communication studies, and business technology management.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ Professor Receives Prestigious Award for Virtual Reality Work

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Assistant Professor of Digital Rhetoric at Stevenson’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Amanda Licastro, was recently awarded the (ADHO) for her paper entitled “Teaching Empathy through Virtual Reality.”

Licastro presented her paper at the highly competitive Digital Humanities Conference in Montreal where around 2,000 people competed for the honor to be named a Paul Fortier Prize winner. The award, given for the best paper by a young scholar, honors late University Distinguished Professor of French, Paul Fortier, for his long, active career in humanities.

ADHO panelists described Licastro as a trailblazer in the digital humanities field as her paper illustrated the potential of virtual reality in a teaching context.

“This project demonstrates the potential for digital humanities to foster a deeper, human understanding, specifically by focusing on and exploring the question of empathy in an educational context,” ACH representative to the ADHO awards committee, Micki Kaufman said. “The project illustrates the possibilities that innovative teaching provides as well as the power of digital humanities to foster greater social engagement and understanding through pedagogy.”

Licastro said she was stunned, but deeply honored to receive the Paul Fortier Prize. She strongly believes in Stevenson students’ and hopes to demonstrate that everyone has boundless potential as humans.

“My presentation gave me the chance to showcase the innovative ingenuity of our students, and to demonstrate the power of collaborative, project-based pedagogy,” Licastro said. “Introducing any new technology into a learning environment is risky, but I believe it is vital to prepare our students to be leaders in their chosen industries, which means making the most cutting edge tools available to them for consideration.”

Licastro added that she is an English professor, yet taught herself the skills necessary to understand digital technology and teach it to others. She encourages students to explore the unknown and learn new skills that are outside of their comfort zones.

Licastro has been with the University since 2015.

For more information on Stevenson’s Digital Humanities program, visit Stevenson.edu.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ is the third-largest independent university in Maryland with more than 4,100 students pursuing bachelor’s, master’s, and adult bachelor’s programs at locations in Stevenson and Owings Mills.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´â€™s Art Community Grows with the Addition of Two New Directors

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ announces the appointment of Harlan D. Parker, Ph.D., as Music Director and Conductor of the Greenspring Valley Orchestra and the appointment of Beverly Gandolfo, Choral Director.

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Parker brings a wealth of experience to his new position having been the conductor of The Peabody Wind Ensemble and Coordinator of the Music Education Division at the Peabody Institute of the John Hopkins University since the fall of 1990. He also held the position of Music Director and Conductor of the Peabody Youth Orchestra between 2007 and 2016 where he nearly tripled the number of members.

Parker is currently a member of The American Bandmasters Association, an organization whose membership is by invitation. He is a past president of The Conductors Guild and is active regionally, nationally and internationally as a guest conductor, having worked with professional musicians and students from all 50 states and over 40 countries.

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Gandolfo is also bringing decades of experience to Stevenson as she has been involved in community and professional musical theatre for nearly 50 years. Gandolfo taught choral music and directs the Carroll Singers, a 50-voice community chorus based in Westminster. She is the pianist and choir director at Emory United Methodist Church in Upperco, Md. Gandolfo remains in demand as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator and accompanist.

“We are very fortunate to have two gifted and talented music educators joining the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ community,” said Mark Lortz, Director of Bands. “The University Singers and the Greenspring Valley Orchestra at Stevenson will continue to thrive under our new leadership.”

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ is the third-largest independent university in Maryland with more than 4,100 students pursuing bachelor’s programs at locations in Stevenson and Owings Mills as well as online master’s and bachelor’s programs.

Stevenson Visual Communications Design Alumna to Address Incoming Freshman at Convocation, August 24

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Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ will celebrate the start of the 2017-2018 academic year and welcome new students and their families during its annual Convocation, Thursday, Aug. 24, at 4 p.m. in the Owings Mills Campus Gymnasium. This year’s event will feature a keynote by Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ alumna Bryna Stello Colley ’06, visual communication design professional and co-founder of Foundry 19, a local web design agency.

Colley, a Baltimore native, graduated summa cum laude from Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ in 2006 with a B.S. in Visual Communication Design. After her time at Stevenson, Colley landed a job at B. Creative Group (BCG), a highly regarded design and marketing agency in Baltimore where she secured several national accounts due to her creative competence and attention to details.

Following several years at BCG, Colley joined forces with another Stevenson alumna, Rebecca Smith Biello ’06, to start their own business, 2Fold Collective, where they hired numerous Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ visual communication design graduates as interns and employees.

Colley is now partnering with a web development company to launch her most recent brand, Foundry 19, a web agency located in Owings Mills across from Foundry Row. Local clients include Mercy Medical Center, former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and the Maryland Polo Club. Colley continues to give back to Stevenson serving as guest speaker and a member of Stevenson’s Advisory Board.

Stevenson’s annual Convocation brings together all members of the University community—from new and returning students and their families to faculty, administrators, and staff—to celebrate the beginning of the new academic year. This is a particularly exciting fall as SU welcomes the University’s seventh president, Elliot Hirshman, Ph. D., who began his term on July 3, 2017.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ is the third-largest independent university in Maryland with more than 4,100 students pursuing bachelor’s programs at locations in Stevenson and Owings Mills as well as online master’s and bachelor’s programs.

PHOTOS: Governor Hogan Holds Rosewood Press Conference at Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´

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Governor Hogan, Senator Bobby Zirkin and Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ President Elliot Hirshman deliver remarks on Thursday, July 6 regarding Stevenson’s acquisition of the Rosewood property.

The Rosewood property marks another historic milestone for Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´. The sale of the former Rosewood Center property was approved by Maryland’s Board of Public Works during its June 7 meeting in Annapolis. Stevenson, per the sales agreement, will use State grants totaling $16 million to complete the environmental abatement and remediation of the Rosewood site before the State transfers final deed to the property.

The 117-acre Rosewood site sits adjacent to Stevenson’s existing Owings Mills and Owings Mills North campuses and will nearly double the total acreage of the University. While no final plans for the site have been determined, the agreement calls for Stevenson to use the site for educational purposes. The University’s tentative plans, after completion of environmental clean-up and remediation, include developing new educational facilities and recreational resources for its students and the community.

Thank you to everyone involved in making this possible.

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Stevenson Welcomes New President Elliot Hirshman

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Elliot Hirshman, Ph.D.
President, Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ welcomes Elliot Hirshman, Ph.D., who begins his term as the University’s seventh president on July 3, 2017. He joins the University after serving as president of San Diego State University (SDSU) since 2011 and previously as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

“I am honored to be joining the Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ community,” said Hirshman. “There is so much great work happening here—the integration of career preparation with liberal arts, cultural and artistic events, athletics—that I want to nurture and support. I see Stevenson as a diverse, close-knit community, one where our people are wonderfully supportive of the students and each other.”

“We are so honored to welcome Elliot to Stevenson,” said Claire E. Moore, Vice President of Student Affairs, who served as the University’s Interim President since December 2016. “His enthusiasm for our history, our mission, and the special community that we are comes through so clearly. This enthusiasm, and his depth of experience in academic administration, will be essential as we continue the evolution of Stevenson over the coming years.”

Prior to his career at SDSU and UMBC, Hirshman served as chief research officer at the George Washington University and chaired the Department of Psychology there and at the University of Colorado at Denver. He began his academic career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hirshman earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in economics and mathematics from Yale and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from UCLA.

He has been married to Jeri Hirshman for nearly 28 years. Jeri is a registered nurse who enjoys participating in local and national film festivals. Their daughter, Wendy, graduated from Muhlenberg College and is now married and living in Northern Virginia. Their son, Nathan, is a student at the Duke University School of Medicine. To learn more about Hirshman, visit stevenson.edu/president.

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´, known for its distinctive career focus, is the third-largest independent university in Maryland with more than 4,100 students pursuing bachelor’s programs at locations in Stevenson and Owings Mills as well as online master’s and bachelor’s programs.

Six Stevenson Students Selected for Prestigious National Security Scholars Program

On June 14, 2017, the Independent College Fund of Maryland (I-Fund) celebrated the following six Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ students chosen for the 2017 National Security Scholars Program (NSSP):

  • Kayla Bias (CACI)
  • Andrew Garver (Raytheon)
  • Rebecca Gruver (Booz Allen Hamilton)
  • Briana Lassiter (Lockheed Martin)
  • Ronald Wilson (CACI)
  • Meghan Wrigley (Leidos)

The prestigious program offers substantial scholarships, assistance with national security clearance processing, internships, and the possibility of future employment to students who attend an I-Fund member college or university.

The NSSP scholars each received between $6,500 and $10,000 in scholarship funds, Top Secret/Security Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearances, and paid summer internships at the National Security Agency (NSA) or one of eight corporate NSSP Partners:

  • Booz Allen Hamilton
  • CACI
  • Leidos
  • Lockheed Martin
  • ManTech
  • Northrup Grumman
  • Raytheon
  • Tech USA Government Solutions, LLC

Now entering its 19th year, the NSSP has awarded $3.4 million in scholarships to more than 300 students attending an I-Fund member college or university. Through the NSSP, the I-Fund aids in the critical and increasing need for qualified, security-cleared agents to support the intelligence and defense industry in Maryland and the nation.

Biotechnology Major Ashley Babyak Lands Internship at the National Cancer Institute

Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´’s 2017 graduates are going great places!

Ashley Babyak, a ’17 Biotechnology major, is currently working at the National Cancer Institute as a post-baccalaureate intern. She is participating in a research project on chemotherapeutic resistance in melanoma and alternative methods. She’ll then be applying to medical school next year.

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If you’re interested in pursuing a career path in the sciences, then Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ is a great college option for you. Check out the Beverly K. Fine School of the Sciences today!

Please Note: MTA Eliminating Bus Route Service to Greenspring Campus

On June 18, 2017, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is implementing many changes to its bus network across the region. According to the MTA, this new initiative is known as BaltimoreLink and is a “complete overhaul, and rebranding of the core transit system operating within the city and throughout the greater Baltimore region.”

Among the changes being implemented by the MTA is the elimination of its Bus Route 60 service to Stevenson’s Greenspring campus due to lack of ridership. Again, this becomes effective June 18.

Please note: This does not change Stevenson’s own Shuttle Services between our campuses, and Stevenson will continue to provide our Shuttle Service to students, faculty, and staff (with a valid Stevenson ID) between the Owings Mills Metro Station and the Owings Mills campus.

Shuttle service is available each hour between the Owings Mills campus and the Greenspring campus in the summer, and on the ½ hour during the Academic year.

Should you have questions with regard to Âé¶¹ÊÓÆµÃâ·ÑÔÚÏß¹Û¿´â€™s bus schedule, our Transportation Department can be reached at 443-352-4346 or campus ext. 4346.

For more information on MTA’s route changes across the Baltimore region, please visit .