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2024 CSI Summer Camp Enters its 18th Year

This Summer 2024, ������Ƶ CSI Summer Camp has entered its eighteenth year.  For the last 18 years, ������Ƶ's CSI Summer Camp has provided high school students with exciting hands-on experience with criminal investigation and trial.

Every summer, the program offers four camps. Each camp treats a different murder case. To solve the case, the participants go through the various stages of investigation from collecting evidence to preparing the case for trial.They work with and hear from Ph.D. criminal justice professors and researchers as well as field practitioners such as law enforcement and corrections officers, lawyers, medical examiners and many more.

This summer, the program expects over 140 campers coming from various U.S regions and beyond. Below is a glimpse of some of the fun and exciting events planned for this summer's camps:

• A Trip to National Transportation Security Administration Training Center 
• Trip to Atlantic County Jail
• Trip to a morgue
• A number of exciting speakers
• Mock trials

To Learn more about ������Ƶ's Summer CSI Program, click the link below.

 Follow the Camp on Facebook 

Psychology Faculty Present at the International Academy of Intercultural Research Conference

Psychology professors Nordia Scott, Zornitsa Kalibatseva and Kaite Yang presented at the Biennial Conference of the International Academy of Intercultural Research (IAIR), which was held last July at Temple University in Philadelphia. The conference brings scholars and practitioners from across the globe to highlight their research and practice of intercultural work.

The three psychology professors presented their research in a symposium, led by Zornitsa Kalibastseva, entitled "Culture, Climate, and Community in College Settings: Resilience and Growth in Navigating Change." The faculty presentations were:

1. "Shifting the Focus: The Role of Institutional and Racial/Ethnic Protective Factors in Promoting Resilience in An Intercultural Campus Climate" by Nordia Scott

2. "Identity, Country Climate, Campus Climate, Discrimination and Mental Health Among U.S. College Students" by Zornitsa Kalibatseva 

3. "Student Multicultural Attitudes and Ethnocultural Empathy in Psychology Classes” by Kaite Yang

For more information about IAIR Conference click

For more information about each of these presentations, you can access the conference Book of Abstracts . (Pages 46-47 )

Thank you Dr. Scott, Dr. Kalibatseva and Dr. Yang for this invaluable contribution to the crucial conversation about intercultural relations and relationships!

David Burdick & This Year's Aging Festival Receives Kudos from the Deputy Commissioner of Aging

Kaylee McGuire, Deputy Commissioner of Aging & Disability Services at the New Jersey Department of Human Services, has recently posted on LinkedIn her praise of this year's (2023) Annual Successful Aging Festival, which took place at the Galloway Campus last May.

Ms. McGuire congratulated ������Ƶ and Dr. David Burdick, in particular, for his great work and that of his whole SCOSA team in organizing such a great event: "It was an honor to present the Governor's Older Americans Month proclamation, and celebrate the abundant resources & classes available to older adults in the region," she noted.

Great work Dr. Burdick and all the SCOSA team!

To see Ms. McGuire's post on LinkedIn, click 

CSI Summer Camp at ������Ƶ

Christine Tartaro and Joshua Duntley, two of our Criminal Justice faculty members, have led another successful and fun CSI Camp this summer. They co-founded the camp in 2007, and it has continued to grow ever since. This summer, they have offered four camps:

Camp 1: June 25 - 29, 2023

Camp 2: July 9 - 13, 2023

Camp 3: July 16 - 20, 2023

Camp 4: July 23 - 27, 2023

The camps attracted over 140 participants, and 133 were on the waitlist. The campers, who worked in teams to investigate and solve complex murder mysteries, represented 14 different states and Puerto Rico.

Some of the highlights of this year's CSI Camp included:

1. Accident reconstruction
2. Visits to the ������Ƶ virtual dissection lab
3. Trips to the Atlantic County Jail, TSA Training Center, and the county morgue
4. A number of guest speakers that provided participants with information about careers in the law and social work

The list of guest speakers included Dan Tracy, an attorney; Heather Maderia, a funeral director; Dena Tartaro, a Senior Program Development Community Service Specialist with Atlantic County; Kim Schanz, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice; and William McKnight, Teaching Specialist of Criminal Justice.

To learn more about ������Ƶ CSI Camps, click  HERE. 

 you'll find the CSI Camp's Facebook page where you will be able see pictures of the campers while in action.

BSW Student Selected for National Task Force

Jessica Nash, a Bachelor of Science in Social Work student, has been selected to serve for two years on the advisory board for the National Military Advisory Network (MFAN). After an extensive application and interview process, she was among the lucky forteen (14) who were selected from a pool of 440 total applicants.

"MFAN is a nonprofit organization that supports the well being of our military community through research, peer engagement and resources.As a member of the advisory board, I have the opportunity to amplify the voices of fellow military families and connect them to the support they need throughout their military careers and beyond. #TeamMFAN I can’t wait to get to work and see all that we accomplish together!" Jessica Nash.To learn more click 

We are very proud of Jessica. She is one of our very engaged students. She received ������Ƶ's BOT Fellowship this year. The fellowship will support her project of creating an online platform that will allow students to buy, sell and swap used textbooks.

Congratulations Jessica!

Center for Economic Development & Financial Literacy Named After Late Professor Elizabeth Elmore

After five decades of teaching economics within the School of Social  & Behavioral Sciences at ������Ƶ, Dr. Elizabeth Elmore passed away last December. In honor of her memory, her husband has a made a $2 million committment to support ������Ƶ's work as it relates to late Elizabeth Elmore's passion for economics and finance.

For more information, please click HERE.

SOBL Faculty Member Demonstrated How Atlantic City Metropolitan Area Economy Is Recovering

Dr Oliver Cooke, Associate Professsor of Economy, researched the status of the economy in the Atlantic City Metropolitan area and shared his findings with the community in the Summer 2023 edition of the South Jersey Economic Review, for which he is also the editor. The analysis demonstrated how the economy of the region continues to recover from the 2020 COVID recession that the region has endured for the last couple of years.

To read the June 14th Media Release about the Review, click HERE.

To read the complete Review, click HERE.

SCOSA Held Another Successful Aging Festival Last Spring

350 seniors from Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean Counties attended SCOSA's annual Aging Successfully Festival last May. In addition to over 8 informative and fun sessions and presentations, over 40 exhibitors and vendors provided key information and resources to these seniors. 

Dr. David Burdick, SCOSA director and professor of psychology, observed that in his four decades of work in gerontology, “There did not used to be so many community-based services, and it is so important to connect our older residents with all of these resources to help them continue leading their lives on their terms. That means ‘aging in place’ for many of today’s elders.” 

"The energy just takes you away, " Cindy McNellis, executive director of the Atlantic County Office on Aging, remarked about the vibrant event room.

You can read the full press release HERE.

For more information about SCOSA program, click HERE.

Another Winner of the Board of Trustees (BOT) Fellowship for Distinguished Students

Kimberly Sanchez, a senior in Social Work, was another recipient from the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences of the BOT Fellowship for Distinguished Students last spring. The award will support Kimberly's project to create an event for first generation Latino/x students and their families. The event will be designed to help these students get a sense of belonging while at ������Ƶ. The project will also contribute to the university's retention efforts.

For more information and to read about the other BOT Fellowship recipients, click HERE.

Congratulations Kimberly!!

Archaeological Field Methods Students Featured on 6ABC News

6abc News featured Professor Bobbi Hornbeck and her students in yesterday afternoon's daily news (Thursday, June 1, 2023). The 6abc news reporter showed the students and their professor in action, excavating through unexpected historical artifacts found on the property of the Museum of Cape May County.

This was part of  a new archaeology field methods class developed by Dr. Hornbeck to provide students with hands on experience and a peak into the history of south Jersey. The story is embedded below.

Thank you Dr. Hornbeck for putting together this course and for providing students with this great opportunity!

Pictures from the class can be found . 

New Students Inducted into Academic Honor Societies, 2022-2023 School Year

School of Social & Behavioral Sciences programs held a number of graduating ceremonies for the 2022-2023 school year and inducted over a hundred students into the following academic honor societies:

• Criminal Justice
• Political Science, 
• Psychology, 
• Social Work, 

Click  HERE for the names of the inductees.

Congratulations to all the inductees!

Damaris-Anne Spring Chose ������Ƶ's Sociology & Anthropology Program Over 20 Other Programs 

������Ƶ Now recently featured Damaris-Anne Spring, a Sociology & Anthropology sophomore and a preceptee of Dr. Christina Jackson. Damaris chose ������Ƶ over twenty other colleges and universities and walked away from "about 2 million in scholarships". Her decision was the result of the great reviews she heard about ������Ƶ's Sociology & Anthropology (SOAN) program and its enagaging and interactive courses.  “They [her friends in the SOAN program] were telling me all about these courses and how they weren’t just by the book,” Spring said. “They said classes were more discussion-based and places to bounce ideas off of each other...” To read more about Damaris and her future goals, click HERE.

Thank you, Damaris, for choosing ������Ƶ and the SOAN program! We love having you!

Alan F. Arcuri and Linda J. Wharton Pre-Law Fund Award

This spring, two students from the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences received a Pre-Law Fund Award. Madison Giust and Julia Graf, both having a concentration in Pre-Law, were awarded the Alan F. Arcuri and Linda J. Wharton Pre-Law Fund Award to support them in their journey to law school.

The fund was established by Kris Acuri in memory of her late husband and Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Alan F. Arcuri. This spring  the award was renamed to include Dr. Linda J. Wharton, one of SOBL's Political Sciences professors and a Pre-Law Advisor. 

Click Here to learn more.

Congratualtions Madison and Julia!