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VenturesStevenson University Vol. 39 | No. 1 | Summer 2018 THE GROWTH OF Esports Page 8 Professional Minors Page 14 | New Student Commons Page 18 | Advancing the Mission Page 20 As seen on the cover of this issue of Ventures, Stevenson’s new Quad opened this spring on the Owings Mills campus. The Quad provides an attractive green space, gathering spot, and walkable link between the School of Business and Leadership, Garrison Hall, and Rockland Center. The Quad will continue to be developed in the coming year, with seating areas and other features on the horizon. We invite you to visit the Owings Mills campus to enjoy this scenic part of the Stevenson student experience. Starting with this issue, Ventures magazine is breaking new ground. The university will now produce two issues of the magazine each year instead of the previous four. This will allow us to present a more robust publication with additional news and stories about our students and community. Additionally, we will continue to produce an accompanying online version of Ventures with supplemental content such as additional photos, longer articles, and videos. If you haven’t done so already, visit us at Ventures stevenson.edu/ventures. News for alumni and friends of Stevenson University Vol. 39 | No. 1 | Summer 2018 President Elliot Hirshman, Ph.D. Chair, Board of Trustees FEATURES James B. Stradtner, CFA Vice President, University Advancement 8 Next Level: The Growth of Esports at Christopher R. Vaughan Stevenson University Vice President, Marketing and Digital Communications and Publisher One of the fastest-growing collegiate-level student activities, John A. Buettner esports has come to Stevenson. Learn about this exciting new Editor venture. Sherry E. Bithell Design New Professional Minors Give Students Atsuko Biars, Tiffany Reese 14 Contributors a Major Advantage Chip Burkey, Cierra Colón, Alison Cuomo, Samantha Brooke Murray, Emily Reely, Greg Stevenson has introduced five new career-focused professional Royce, Brandon Seidl, Dan Walker minors to give students an edge in a competitive job market. Advancing the Mission Contributors Meghan Culbertson, Judith Jackson, Allison Humphries ’11, Office of University 18 The Garrison Hall Student Commons Advancement Take a tour of the new commons that offers students more Photography opportunities to interact, play, and get fit. Maximilian Franz, Aaron Harris, Nora Long, Sabina Moran, Dan Siebenhaar, SU Photography Interns, Office of University Advancement Questions or comments about this IN THIS ISSUE issue? Please contact: Sherry E. Bithell, AVP, Marketing Communications 2 President's Perspective Stevenson University 100 Campus Circle Owings Mills, Maryland 21117 3 News Briefs 443-352-4483 [email protected] 20 Advancing the Mission Please visit stevenson.edu for the latest news about the university. 27 Class Notes No part of this publication may be reproduced in print or digital form without prior permission from the publisher. PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE This summer marks an important milestone. June 11 is the 10th anniversary of Villa Julie College becoming Stevenson University. This milestone is an opportunity to reflect upon the debt of gratitude the Stevenson community owes to the founders of Villa Julie College. It is also a moment to reflect upon the values of Stevenson and Villa Julie. Our close-knit community of caring faculty, staff, and students tie our past to our present. Similarly, our efforts to help students develop professionally mark another important continuity. Every day, our faculty and staff help our students experience opportunities to grow, develop, and reach their fullest potential—just as they did when we were founded 70 years ago. This heritage has produced many successes. In the past year, we successfully completed our Middle States reaccreditation process, and, in May, nearly 800 traditional and Stevenson University Online graduates crossed the stage to receive their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. As part of our focus on creating career connections for students, we are introducing five professional minors this fall. You will read about these and more in this issue. Since our last issue of Ventures, the university has renovated facilities for student activities in Garrison Hall, creating spaces for student clubs and organizations, a satellite fitness center, and facilities for our new esports club. We also created new green space in front of Rockland Center and Garrison Hall. This green space provides opportunities for communal gatherings as well as a walkable connection between our residence halls, Rockland Center, Garrison Hall, and the Brown School of Business and Leadership. Last, I am pleased to share that the first phase in the development of the Rosewood site is complete with the demolition of 20 buildings on the site. We are now working with the State of Maryland to prepare for site grading that will allow us to develop roadways, athletic fields, and recreational facilities. As we say here, it’s a great time to be a Mustang! I hope you enjoy this issue of Ventures and learning more about your university. Elliot L. Hirshman, Ph.D. 2 | VENTURES/SUMMER 2018 NEWS BRIEFS New Vice President for Student Affairs Named Stevenson University has appointed Tiffany Sanchez as Vice President for Student Affairs. Sanchez, who most recently served as Interim Dean of Student Life at Johns Hopkins University, started on Feb. 15. Sanchez brings more than 20 years of experience in student affairs and residence life, including the past 15 years overseeing student programming, housing, health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, and student conduct. She joined The Johns Hopkins University in 2013 as Associate Dean of Student Experience where she provided leadership for student orientation and the first-year experience as well as student arts programming, fraternity and sorority life, and student leadership and involvement. Previously, she served as Director of New Student Programs at American University, 2001-2013, and held positions with Youth for Understanding International Exchange and Heidelberg College in Ohio. Sanchez is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and holds a Master’s in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Read about our new Vice President of University Advancement Tiffany Sanchez on page 23. Rosewood: Preparing the Way for Our Future In summer 2017, Stevenson University reached an agreement with the state of Maryland to acquire the former Rosewood Center property in Owings Mills. The 117-acre site is adjacent to Stevenson’s existing Owings Mills campus and nearly dou- bles the total acreage of the University. The Rosewood project proceeds as scheduled with the completed remediation and demolition of 20 buildings on the site this spring. Stevenson’s next step will be to secure the permits needed from the State of Maryland to begin grading the site. Site grading will help us set the stage for the future development of infrastructure such as roads, athletic fields, and recreational facilities. We are excited about the possibilities that Rosewood will offer our students. Stay tuned for updates. STEVENSON.EDU | 3 NEWS BRIEFS Student Design Agency Provides Real-World Career Connection Last fall, students in the inaugural Design Center course taught in the School of Design learned first- hand how it is to work for more than one client. The course, co-taught by Stephanie Verni, M.F.A., Professor of Business Communication, and Inna Alesina, M.F.A., Assistant Professor of Art, served as an integrated marketing communication agency during the fall semester, tasking students with understanding clients’ needs and concerns. The first client of the 18 students in the course— who were business communication, graphic design, and film and moving image majors—was the School of Design itself. Their mission: to establish a new Design Center. Students researched possible names and created brand identities to showcase the in-house, student-run agency. These were pitched to faculty in the School of Design who ultimately chose the name “The Mill at Stevenson University.” Once The Mill was established, the students focused on their second client, the Eastern Communication Association (ECA). Leeanne Bell McManus, Ph.D., Professor of Business Communication, was in charge of planning the annual convention for ECA in Pittsburgh, Pa., held April 25-29, and she worked with the students in The Mill course to promote the event. Students created collateral such as invitations, brochures, convention logos, 30-second videos, and social media messages to spread the word about Pittsburgh, ECA, and the convention. Founded in 1910, the Eastern Communication Association is the oldest professional communication association in the United States, and Stevenson students were able to work with scholars, teachers, and other students from across the region. Students from The Mill also presented on a panel at the convention, sharing their experiences of working with a client based on what they learned in the classroom. 4 | VENTURES/SUMMER 2018 NEWS BRIEFS Director of Bands Leads U.S. Army Band This spring, Mark Lortz, Interim Director of Music and Director of Bands, had the honor of directing the United States Army Field Band as they prepared for the Norsk Militær (Norwegian Military) Tattoo. The tattoo, which was held April 20-21, is a military music show held every two years with participants from Norway and abroad. With more than 800 participants on stage, it is Norway's largest indoor show. Lortz was contacted by the Army Field Band— one of six premiere military bands in the world—to help design the show and then teach it to the band members. “Many of the band members have never had marching experience, except for boot camp,” Lortz explains. “I met with the design team to get an initial idea of the program and offer suggestions on what would be the most impactful moments of the show.” He also spent several rehearsals with the band working on marching fundamentals, choreography, and musical performance.

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