Class of 2008 Honored at Senior Celebration, Commencement
Stetson University alumni are proud to welcome 492 new members from the Class of 2008! Leading up to the May 10 commencement, seniors gathered at the Meadows Alumni House for Senior Celebration. Alumni Board member Peter Matulis ’94 encouraged the seniors to stay connected to the university, telling them their relationship with Stetson doesn’t end with a diploma. Read more...

21 Alumni Participate in Inaugural Leadership Stetson Program
A small group of up-and-coming alumni got an inside look at the inner-workings of Stetson University at the first Leadership Stetson retreat in April. Leadership Stetson is designed to educate alumni about their alma mater in the hopes that they will become more deeply involved as university leaders. Read more...

Florida Resident Access Grant Remains Intact for Another Year
Thank you to all alumni, parents and students who contacted state legislators in support of the Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG) this spring. Funding for the grant, which goes to Florida students who attend Stetson and other private colleges and universities, was approved by the state Legislature for the 2008-09 academic year – although the amount awarded to each student will drop slightly, to $2,837. Read more...

Scholarship Donors, Recipients Bond at Annual Luncheon
Stetson supporters who have established scholarships and students who currently receive those scholarships celebrated together at the 3rd Annual Scholarship Benefactor Luncheon on April 13. Read more...

Alumnus Coordinates Stetson's Relay For Life 2008
On April 11, more than 500 students, faculty and staff participated in Stetson’s annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life, raising more than $30,000. Alumnus Paul Gloerson ’06, a community representative for the American Cancer Society, helped coordinate the Relay For Life Committee at Stetson again this year. Read more...

Alumni Make Homecoming 2008 Another Success
Homecoming 2008 was a great success! Hundreds of alumni reconnected with friends for a weekend packed with reunions, concerts and special events including the dedication of the new native plant garden, the first Run Around Stetson 5K, the 50th anniversary of Men’s Soccer and Student Government’s 100th anniversary. Visit the Homecoming 2008 Web site for a photo gallery of the weekend’s events. Read more...

Army Chaplain Attends Homecoming While on Leave from Serving in Iraq
U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan Bailey ’03 came home for some R&R from the war in Iraq and headed straight to DeLand for Homecoming 2008! Bailey relaxed by attending the Class of 2003 reunion, the Run Around Stetson 5K, Alumni Breakfast, Mosaics at Stover Theatre and the Mainstreet Mad Hatter Block Party. Read more...

Alumni Gather for Golf Tournament, Hockey Game
In addition to Homecoming 2008, two events were held recently to help alumni reconnect and network with old friends and classmates. Tampa Bay area alumni held a scholarship golf tournament, while Jacksonville area alumni enjoyed a night of ice hockey. Read more...

Alumnus, Student Both Named 'Stash' Meet through Phonathon
After unsuccessful attempts to reach Dr. Stanley Gryskiewicz ’68 during Phonathon, a student caller left a phone message and mailed a note with the P.S.: “I love your last name,” signing it with her nickname: “Stash.” Turns out “Stash” is Polish for “Stanley,” so Gryskiewicz was intrigued. The two “Stashes” met in person during Homecoming 2008. Read more...

Alumni Participate in Stetson's Model U.S. Senate
Two Stetson alumni played key roles during Stetson University’s 37th Floyd M. Riddick Model U.S. Senate in March. Former U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw Jr. ’61, JD ’66, gave the keynote address, while 1984 graduate Betsy Palmer served as parliamentarian. Read more...

Advertising Begins in Search for Stetson's Next President
The Presidential Search Committee has announced that Stetson is now publicly advertising its presidential search. Ads are being run in the Chronicle of Higher Education and other publications geared toward university leaders. Read more...

Students Receive National Award for Community Service
For the second consecutive year, Stetson has been named to the 2007 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. The award is in recognition of extraordinary volunteer efforts by the university and its students to serve area neighborhoods and disadvantaged youth. Read the rews release...

Family Enterprise Center Holds Conferences; Students Form Organization
The Family Enterprise Center is celebrating its 10th year and has been busy hosting a variety of conferences and forums related to family business. In addition, a group of Family Business students recently formed a new campus organization, the Future Leaders Association. Read more...

Feature Film Produced at Stetson and in DeLand Area Now Available on DVD
The First of May, a feature film produced entirely in the DeLand/West Volusia area and at Stetson University, is now available at large discount retail stores. Many of the locations in the film will be familiar to Stetson alumni. The film is a heartwarming family film about an unwanted young boy and a forgotten elderly woman who find running away to join the circus is really coming home. Read more about the Stetson connections to the film...

New Hatter Tennis Club Goes to Championships
The new Hatter Tennis Club, which became an official student organization in January, competed in the USTA (United States Tennis Association) State Campus Championship this spring. Though the club didn’t place in competition, members had an opportunity to play tennis against students at many other Florida colleges.

Bernard Weiner Memorial Lecture Series Established at Stetson
The new Bernard Weiner Memorial Lecture Series at Stetson University held its first lecture this spring. Peter Black, the senior historian at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, was the inaugural speaker. The lectures, to be given annually, will explore a variety of issues related to the Holocaust. Read more...

Alumni Enter Sports Hall of Fame; New Women's Basketball Coach Named
Two former athletes from Stetson were inducted into the Stetson Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming 2008, and the university has named a new Women’s Basketball coach. Also read about Men’s Basketball Coach Derek Waugh’s contract extension and Brian Bocock’s success with the San Francisco Giants. Read more...

Dr. Michael King Receives McEniry Award at Commencement
Dr. Michael King, a professor of Biology and expert in neuroscience, was named winner of Stetson’s 2008 McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching. A member of the College of Arts & Sciences faculty since 1993, King has been chair of the university’s Health Professions Advisory Committee since spring 1995 and is former chair of the Biology Department. Read the news release...

Roland George Team Captures 8th Win at RISE Competition
Stetson’s student investments team is continuing its winning streak! The Roland George Investments Program took its eighth top honor at the University of Dayton’s annual Redefining Investment Strategy Education (RISE) Symposium. The Stetson team won first place in the undergraduate fixed income category. Read the news release...

ECHO Grant Received for Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center
The Volusia County Council approved a $600,000 Volusia ECHO grant March 13 toward Stetson’s new Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center, which will soon be constructed. The new $2.2 million art center will include two galleries – one to house selections from Stetson’s extensive collection by Modernist painter Oscar Bluemner (1867-1938); the other for the university’s permanent collection. Read the rews release...

Students Explore Opportunities at University Career Services Job Fairs
University Career Services offered two job fair-style events this spring for students seeking summer and full- or part-time employment or internships. The Annual Career Expo took place March 26, with participation from more than 50 companies. The Spring Festival took place April 10, with company recruiters visiting from 12 traditional business-focused organizations. Read more...

Stetson College of Law Again Ranks Among Top 100 Law Schools
The 2009 U.S. News & World Report has ranked Stetson University College of Law among the nation’s top 100 law schools again this year. U.S. News also ranked Stetson Law first in the nation for trial advocacy and No. 6 for legal writing. Read the news release...

Students Learn the 'Business' of Etiquette at Catered Dinner
University Career Services offered an etiquette dinner for students in March, giving them an opportunity to enjoy a catered meal as well as learn general dining etiquette that is often needed during a job interview, company recruiting event or other professional engagements. Read more...

Stetson Faculty, Alumni, Students Featured in the Media
“In the News” features this month include a national magazine story about Stetson’s Roland George Investments Program, written by a student in the program; a national magazine story about the Vera Lea Rinker Native Plant Garden at the President’s House; and a newspaper story about Student Government celebrating its 100th anniversary at Homecoming 2008. Read more...

Upcoming Alumni Events - Join Your Hatter Friends
Alumni Board members in Washington, D.C., invite alumni to a May 22 event at the Florida House to discuss their vision for creating an active and involved alumni group. The Michigan alumni committee is planning a June 7 alumni family outing at Kensington Metropark in Milford. In addition, the SWFL Hatter Classic Golf Tournament is scheduled for June 21 in Fort Myers. Off to School Parties throughout Florida will be scheduled in July and August to welcome incoming freshmen and their families into the Stetson family. See dates and venues...

Spread the Word About H@tMail
If you know classmates or friends of the university who are not receiving this e-newsletter, please let them know it’s a great way to keep current on Stetson news and events. Alumni can get on the list by updating their e-mail address using Hatternet's Alumni Profile. All others should send an e-mail to the Office of Alumni Relations with their contact information.

The Hatternet Community is 3,887 Members Strong and Counting
It's never too late to join the online Stetson community! Hatternet is designed to keep Stetson alumni in touch with the university and their former classmates. Through the creation of an editable Alumni Profile, you will be able to access a wide variety of Alumni Association forms, features and programs without repetition of data entry! Signing up is easy. New users should “register” to create their Hatternet profile. Former users of the Alumni E-mail Directory and Career Networking System should try logging in with the e-mail under which they were previously registered. Visit the Alumni Association Web site for more Hatternet information.