Hatter Ready

Early Research in Cell, Molecular & Developmental Biology

Lynn Kee | Fall 2024 | Credit

Three juniors in the Biology Department are participating in faculty-mentored research experience in Lynn Kee's laboratory. They are learning new techniques to measure protein levels in painted lady caterpillars.

Enhanced Research Experience in Cancer Biology

Roslyn Crowder | Fall 2024 | Credit

Students enrolled in this immersive experience study medicinal plants. Plants contain phytochemicals that often have medicinal properties, including anticancer properties. Plant growth conditions influence phytochemical composition, including soil nutrients, pH, temperature and weather. Students design a greenhouse experiment where plant growth conditions are altered. After growing the control and experimental plants for 4-6 weeks, students analyze changes in phytochemical composition. This immersive experience combines chemistry, botany, cell biology and environmental science. Students learn the interconnection between these fields and how plant responses to the environment can be exploited to improve the medicinal plant properties.

Mentoring Students in High-Intensity Independent Research

Jean Smith | Fall 2024 | Credit

Isabelle Condor da Silva (C'27), Kelly Gende (C'26) and Bella Grace Parker (C'25) are completing independent research projects studying fungal cell-cell fusion under Jean Smith's mentorship. The students perform experiments in the laboratory independently, meet with Professor Smith one-on-one and participate in weekly meetings with the entire Smith lab. They are gaining valuable skills that will help them excel in future courses and make them more competitive for opportunities outside Stetson.

Enhanced Marine Ecology Lab

Corie Charpentier | Spring 2025 | Credit

Professor Charpentier's Spring 2025 Marine Ecology course will include student engagement in living shorelines research in collaboration with a valued community partner, the Riverside Conservancy, Inc. Restoring coastal shorelines to their natural habitat is a top priority amongst diverse stakeholders in the Indian River Lagoon system. However, we are still learning how to best quantify the positive impacts of shoreline restoration. This spring, the Marine Ecology lab will include an 8-week immersive experience where students visit living shorelines, participate in biodiversity surveys and collaborate in small groups to propose new strategies for effective ecological monitoring of living shorelines.

Chess

John Rasp | 2024-2025 | Credit

This immersive opportunity contributes to the University's emphasis on relationship-rich education and provides an introduction to the game of chess. After presenting the basic principles of the game, winning chess strategies and tactics are covered. Students should be capable players by the end of the semester. Chess requires ability in strategic thinking, analytic decision-making and problem-solving - skills that are readily transferable to a variety of real-world contexts.

BSAN Enhanced Lab

Bill Sause | Spring 2025

Enhanced Lab: Instructor-led lab time will be available to all interested students to work on programming problems, coursework, industry projects, real data and materials. This immersive activity enhances courses such as Python Programming for Analytics, Databases and Big Data, Applications Development for E-Business and Virtual Reality in Business and Society.

RAs

Shahram Amiri | Spring 2025

In this immersive environment, apprentices will participate in the activities of a research lab, conducting original research with a faculty member on their research projects. Under the Professor's guidance, the apprentices will perform duties essential for the lab. Activities may include running research participants, administering surveys or other instruments, collecting, entering and analyzing data and assisting with disseminating research findings through conference presentations and publications.

Analytics and Professionalism Program

Fred Augustine | TBD

This immersive opportunity would provide an Analytics and Professionalism Program certificate aimed at increasing experiential learning content through curricular or co-curricular activities. A certificate program would allow students to receive recognition and effort for their participation and apply to the professionalism requirement. The activities may include instructor-led seminars, cultural events, certifications, networking, meetings and participation in or completion of a series of activities.

Digital Credentialing

Joe Woodside | 2024-2025

Experientially oriented, this program provides opportunities to earn digital badges, certifications or micro-credentials that include employer-verifiable evidence of knowledge and academic achievements. This immersive activity expands the existing partnership with Stetson Career Success and the Board of Trustees to offer students the ability to gain advanced industry-recognized credentials such as Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Excel, along with additional credentialing areas such as SAS, Alteryx, Qlik, Access and Tableau.

Planning for Your Future

Tara Schuwerk | 2024-2025

This workshop series is primarily designed for students majoring or minoring (or thinking about it) in Communication and Media Studies and/or Journalism, but all students are welcome. We will emphasize internship, career and graduate school preparation, networking and discussions with Stetson University alumni. This colloquium will position students for a more successful future after graduation.

Intergroup Dialogue Working Group

Erik Johnson | Spring 2025

Demographers predict that the United States will be a majority-minority nation by 2045. In that context, experience and training in listening, speaking and understanding across differences are essential to any liberal arts education. Erik Johnson, Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies and a member of Stetson's Africana Studies program, is a trained Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) facilitator. IGD facilitates productive conversations across differences in social identities, such as race, gender, class and ability. These conversations are necessary to cooperatively create and implement solutions to problems facing our communities locally, nationally and globally. As part of Hatter Ready, the IGD Working Group will provide an immersive forum for participants to engage in constructive, coalition-building conversations within and outside the campus. Other possibilities include training students as IGD facilitators and Professor Johnson is available for classroom visits to help introduce or integrate IGD components into courses. Any student, faculty or member of Stetson's campus community interested in exploring the possibilities of IGD is invited to contact Professor Johnson!

Teaching TAs and RAs

Katya Kudryatseva | 2024-2025 | Credit

Students assume leadership positions and teaching assistants for established classes or as research assistants, mentored by faculty on significant resume-building projects. In Fall 2024, she is offering ARTH 385 ISY: Writing About Art, where she is mentoring the Bluemner student curator on the exhibition catalog for the forthcoming Bluemner show in Fall 2025. In Spring 2025, Kudryavtseva will teach the Exhibition Concept Development and Design course and Curation: Practicum (2 units), which will culminate in the Venetian Mosaics Exhibition at the duPont Gallery.

Community Engagement and Internship Coordinator

Nathan Wolek | 2024-2025

Bolstering internships and community involvement for Creative Arts students (Art, Museum and Curatorial Studies, Digital Arts, Theatre Arts).

ARTS 399

Luca Molnar | Spring 2025 | Credit

In spring 2025, students will receive portfolio reviews, giving them one-on-one feedback from Studio Art and Art History faculty on their artwork. This will also introduce them to professional practices in the contemporary art world, including exhibiting and selling work, career directions and graduate school.

Economics Dept. Colloquium

Khushbu Mishra | 2024-2025 | Credit

In this immersive experience, all students taking upper-level Economics classes come together on Friday afternoons 4-5 times a semester to meet and discuss real-world economic issues that they would normally not have time to do in class. Some topics include black markets (drugs, prostitution, etc.), human bias in artificial intelligence and economics of relationships (marriage, dating, etc.). Students come out of this experience more informed and ready to hold conversations on complex and interesting topics.

Senior Project Proposal + Conference

Khushbu Mishra | Fall 2024 | Credit

Students in this immersive experience spend time finding an economics problem that interests them and then find research papers on that topic, find data and prepare a solid research proposal that feeds into their senior thesis. Some excellent topics that students have worked on are: the impact of NFL stadiums on local cities, birth order and future earnings, economic insecurity and cultural backlash. Students come out of this experience with real-world experience of conducting independent research and often find lucrative jobs and graduate school placements due to this research experience.

Econometrics Lab

Alan Green and Ranjini Thaver | Fall 2024 | Credit

In this immersive, students run data analysis and learn all the steps to get the data to tell a story. In the growing world of more data and data-driven marketing, companies are looking for candidates who can understand data analytics, so this lab prepares our students for both the job market and graduate school.

Mentored Learning Experience (RA/TA)

All faculty (except Barnes + Witek) | 2024-2025

Research Assistantships in English bring students to the source. Sometimes this means exploring archives (both in person and digitally) or collecting and analyzing data on how students write and navigate language. Sometimes it means research quests for obscure stories and esoteric processes to help a poet or novelist build a world. Research assistantships in English always cultivate challenging, flexible collaborations.

Independent Studies

2 faculty per year | 2024-2025 | Credit

Students design their own semester-long courses of study and work closely with English faculty.

Reflective Writing in Advising

Faculty with advisees | Fall 2024

Reflective Writing in Advising empowers students to shape and re-shape the story of their personal, academic and professional development. This written component of advising affords students space and time to consider why they make the academic choices they do, how the academic choices they make inform their career paths and how they can translate the experiences in the major into career, professional and life skills.

Wetlands Systems

Ben Tanner | Spring 2025 | Credit

In Wetlands Systems (ENSS 330), students will be engaged in a variety of hands-on projects at a variety of off-main campus locations, including collecting and processing real groundwater and hydrology data using the groundwater wells and wetlands at the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center, collecting and processing wetland biogeochemistry and soils data at Longleaf Pine Preserve, studying biological adaptations to the wetland environment at Doris Leeper Park (this trip also typically includes a canoe/kayak excursion), studying coastal wetland soils and vegetation at Ponce Preserve Park, studying freshwater wetland systems at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, learning about different wetland core collection techniques using the wetlands at the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center and also in Lake Beresford (using the pontoon boat) and using real Army Corps of Engineers Criteria and techniques to delineate a real wetland at the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center. These are practical skills that are frequently used by environmental professionals.

Brown Hall Teaching Garden and FOOD 230P

Wendy Anderson | Spring 2025 | Credit

Students enrolled in Growing Food in Cities (FOOD 230P) design, plan, plant, maintain and harvest produce in the Brown Hall Teaching Garden both during class and outside of class. They take field trips to explore other urban food production spaces within West Volusia County.  As a final project, they design and plan a future urban food production space and program that is shovel-ready.

Enhanced GIS Course and Lab

Olusola Adetoro | 2024-2025 | Credit

In the GIS course sequence, ENSS 201 and 301, students immerse themselves in developing the skills of physical and digital mapping techniques, including field surveying techniques, traditional and digital mapping and spatial analysis. Mastering the ArcGIS and other spatial analysis software are skills that are in high demand in the job market. Students apply their skills to community-based projects by providing real mapping services to campus and community organizations. Through that project, they develop a relationship with a community partner to identify the partner's needs, then find and archive data to generate helpful maps and spatial analysis for the organization.

CFP Program Capstone Experience

Gio Fernandez | 2024-2025 | Credit

FINA 423 is a year-long, financial planning case-based capstone experience. Along with the curricular component of developing and presenting comprehensive financial cases, there will also be extracurricular including case competitions, financial planning presentations and showcases to the community and speaker events.

Advanced Anatomy Lab at UCF

Michele Skelton | Spring 2025 | Credit

The Advanced Anatomy immersive experience will provide students the opportunity to attend one or more sessions in the Anatomy lab (cadaver lab) at UCF College of Medicine. In some sessions, students will shadow a group of first-year medical students during their cadaver lab dissection session. In other sessions, students will participate in a guided lab experience with the instructor at UCF COM Anatomy lab (Spring semester only). Students attending a session will be required to complete a lab orientation session that includes a bioethics discussion on the use of human cadavers. Students will also be required to attend a content-specific lecture associated with the lab material, including use of the Anatomage virtual dissection table, to prepare for the visit. There will also be a post-lab debriefing session to reflect and talk about the learning experience. Students will get an experience in the field of Anatomy at an immersive level that they cannot get at most undergraduate institutions. They will work closely with the instructor in a small lab group of students as well as have the opportunity to work with a small group of medical students and medical school faculty.

History Workshop

Participating History Faculty | 2024-2025

The History Workshop is a new, exciting and distinctive program. Few history departments nationally offer such an undergraduate program. Student participants will work closely with History professors on a wide range of unique projects, including senior theses, independent studies, research assistantships, teaching apprenticeships, reading groups, internships and travel courses. Students and professors will meet as a group to share and exchange ideas about their projects in a collaborative format. Thus, students will enjoy wonderful research and learning experiences, build relationships with professors and network with other students as part of a History community at Stetson and even after graduation.

Professional Selling in Practice

Dena Hale and John Riggs | Fall 2024 | Credit

Students practice a series of role plays that provide immediate feedback for the growth and enhancement of their selling skills. Students complete a variety of role plays with the professor while other students in the group observe. We discuss best practices and feedback details. This teaches students how to be lifelong learners, self-develop and provide valuable feedback to colleagues. It is taken as part of the Centurion Sales Team requirement or just for additional practice and may also be taken as a two or 4-credit elective (SALS390).

Student-Entrepreneur Pitch Competition Mentorship

The Prince Entrepreneurship Leaders Program is an opportunity for serious entrepreneurship students. This immersive program provides guidance and support for those who are serious about launching their own scalable business either while at Stetson or after graduation. It also gathers a group of students who represent the university at local and national pitch competitions. Prince Leaders have accumulated over $100,000 in non-dilutive capital for their businesses and have been featured in national and local media, including television shows such as The Big Idea.

Study Abroad to Bordeaux, France

Carol Azab | Spring 2025 | Credit

Students will go on a week-long study abroad experience to relate course topics to the study of wine and destination marketing, immerse themselves in French culture and understand and appreciate history, art and food. They will also receive guest lectures from experts.

Marketing Pre-Professional Organization

Scott Jones | 2024-2025

The Marketing Club helps students explore pre-professional interests and opportunities. Throughout the academic year, more information about professional activities and talks will be shared.

Mathematics in the Community

Michael Schroeder | 2024-2025 | Credit

In this immersive experience, students studying math and related majors tackle real-world, data-driven research problems from the community. Students first meet with their local partners to learn about the problem, then work as a group to solve it using the theory and concepts learned in their classes at Stetson. Students emulate a consultancy group in that they find solutions to open-ended questions and present their results and recommendations to the client that "hired" them.

Collegiate Programming Competitions Training

Hala ElAarag | Fall 2024 | Credit

Students in this immersive are training to participate in collegiate programming contests. On October 5, they are participating in an online ACM collegiate competition. On November 16, they will compete at the ACM Southeast collegiate competition (held in Miami at Florida International University).

Ensemble Tours

All applied faculty participating in Hatter Ready | 2024-2025 | Credit

Every year, at least one of the School of Music’s large ensembles embarks on a national and/or international tour, showcasing the incredible talent of our students. Performing in diverse locations exposes musicians to a variety of audiences, helping them hone their stage presence and adaptability. The rigorous process of rehearsing and performing a demanding repertoire in multiple settings encourages students to refine their technical skills, deepen their musical understanding, and strengthen their resilience. Beyond the music, the tour fosters teamwork, leadership, and communication, all while creating a strong sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. For both the performers and the communities they visit, the tour is a transformative experience.

Stetson in New York

All applied faculty participating in Hatter Ready | 2024-2025

Each year, the Stetson in New York program offers an extraordinary opportunity for students to perform in one of the world’s most renowned concert venues. Selected soloists and chamber ensembles perform at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Participation is determined through a competitive audition process, held every fall, where students demonstrate their technical skill, musical interpretation, and stage presence before a panel of external judges. This process provides experience in professional audition settings, helping students refine their preparation and performance skills. Performing at Carnegie Hall is more than a milestone; it is a transformative experience that challenges students to elevate their artistry, build confidence, and represent the excellence of the Stetson University School of Music on a national stage.

Chamber Ensemble

All applied faculty participating in Hatter Ready | 2024-2025 | Credit

A chamber music ensemble consists of a small, student-led group, typically with three or more members and one faculty coach. In MUSE 331, students have the opportunity to form their own ensembles, promoting entrepreneurial thinking and collaboration. While the chamber music coordinator and other faculty are available for guidance, students are encouraged to take the initiative in assembling their groups and selecting their repertoires. Groups meet for at least one hour each week for coaching. At the end of the semester, each ensemble showcases their progress in a concert, with some groups also participating in the prestigious “Stetson in Carnegie Hall” experience.

Ethics Bowl

David DiQuattro and Joshua Rust | Fall 2024

Ethics Bowl is a team-based competition that analyzes real-world ethical dilemmas through thoughtful, respectful discussions. Unlike traditional debates, it emphasizes collaboration and critical thinking. Participants develop public speaking skills and explore diverse perspectives, making it an ideal opportunity for students to engage with complex societal issues and enhance their ethical reasoning.

Experimental Philosophy Lab

Joshua Rust | Credit

The upper division class's philosophy lab component, Experimental Philosophy, offers a hands-on, experimental approach to testing philosophical concepts and theories. Students can design and conduct their experiments, fostering critical thinking and creativity in philosophical inquiry. Additionally, they will collaborate with peers, assisting in the development and execution of others' experiments. This lab aims to bridge the gap between theoretical philosophy and practical application, encouraging students to engage in theoretical questions using experimental methods.

LGBTQI+ Reading Group

Susan Peppers-Bates | Fall 2024

Stetson University's LGBTQI+ Reading Group provides a welcoming space for students to explore and discuss diverse literature that celebrates LGBTQI+ voices and experiences. Focusing on fostering thoughtful conversations, inclusivity and community, the group offers a supportive environment for those passionate about storytelling and expanding their understanding of LGBTQI+ perspectives.

Philosophy Idle Talk

Joshua Rust, David DiQuattro, Melinda Hall and Susan Peppers-Bates | 2024-2025

Idle Talk, hosted by the Stetson Philosophy Department, offers an informal space for students to engage in lively, thought-provoking discussions on a wide range of philosophical topics. Open to all, this group encourages curiosity and critical thinking in a relaxed, conversational setting.

CPOR Survey Researchers Program

Steven Smallpage | 2024-2025

The Center for Public Opinion Research (CPOR) creates and implements high-quality surveys on local, state-wide and national issues. Students participate directly in every step of the process: data collection (phone surveys, primarily), data compilation, data analysis and interpretation.

Model Senate

Kelly B. Smith | Spring 2025

Each year, the Model Senate - now entering its 53rd year - attracts students from across the nation to portray the role of a sitting United States Senator. Students from Bellarmine University, Bridgewater State College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Southern College, Goucher College, Santa Fe State College, the University of North Florida, the University of Florida, the University of Louisville, the University of Alabama and Valdosta State University have participated alongside Stetson students in the three-day event.

Professional Development Workshop

Elizabeth Plantan | 2024-2025 | Credit

The professional development workshop prepares political science majors for their academic and professional lives beyond Stetson. This includes career panels with successful alumni from the department, workshops on applying to law schools or graduate schools, how to find an internship in political science and how to apply for prestigious external fellowships (i.e., Fulbright, Truman, Marshall, etc.). Each month, the workshop hosts an informational event open to all Stetson students and a closed workshop for students enrolled in the course to work on building professional skills. The first open workshop was held online on September 11 on "Applying to Law School," which featured an alumnus of the department who is a current Stetson Law 1L student, Stetson pre-law advisor Professor Joshua Rust and Stetson Law Director of Admissions Darren Kettles. Students who attended learned more about applying to law school from the student, advising and admissions perspectives and had the opportunity to ask questions during an extended Q&A session. In the closed workshop, enrolled students discussed their list of prospective law or graduate schools, LSAT or GRE study plans and how to draft a professional email requesting a letter of recommendation. While the workshop events are open to all Stetson students, students who register for the 1-credit POLI390 Special Topics in Political Science: Professional Development Workshop commit to planning and attending all events during the semester to earn credit.

Stata/R Workshop

Grace Park| Fall 2024

Through the STATA workshop, students learn skills that are useful for research but are more advanced than can be covered in introductory empirical analysis courses.

RAs

Chris Ferguson, Danielle Lindner, Michael Eskenazi, Sarah Garcia | 2024-2025 | Credit

Within the psychology department, students who serve as research assistants (RAs) have the opportunity to work alongside faculty, getting hands-on experience in all aspects of research, including research design, data collection and analysis and publication. Current students are working across a wide range of topics, including language learning and eye tracking, crime and cognitive factors, body image and trans-cranial electrical stimulation.

TAs

Robert Askew | 2024-2025 | Credit

Psychology students who serve as TAs learn foundational teaching skills. They not only help faculty with daily course needs but also learn distinct pedagogies, facilitate discussions within the class, tutor students and find their own teaching style while building relationships with faculty and students.

Internships

Michelle Camden | 2024-2025 | Credit

Through course-credit-granting internships, students have the opportunity to apply what they've learned in the classroom to the real world. Internship opportunities are broad, as we have had students intern at over 50 locations and they include experiences within settings such as mental and physical health, law, social work, business and more. Simultaneously, students also learn psychological ethics codes in a small group setting.

Brain Fitness Academy

Sarah Garcia | 2024-2025 | Credit

The Brain Fitness Academy is a cognitive rehabilitation program for older adults living with dementia or cognitive deficits. Student interns work one-on-one with participants, helping with group-based cognitive, social and physical activities. Interns not only gain direct experience with patient populations but also learn about a range of cognitive treatments and gain research experience.

Planning for Healthy Cities

Asal Johnson | Fall 2024 | Credit

In Planning for Healthy Cities (PUBH 486), students work in small groups to conduct a project with a community partner. They meet with their partner organization to identify partner needs, then make a plan and implement it. Often, these projects are based in the chronically under-resourced Spring Hill Community of DeLand.

Sustainable Food Systems

Sarah Cramer and Luca Molnar | Spring 2025 | Credit

Sarah Cramer will be co-teaching with Luca Molnar. This is a spring break study abroad trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Students will have a rare opportunity to travel to Sao Paulo during Carnival and will spend the week visiting contemporary art galleries, food justice organizations, indigenous agricultural communities and more.

PUBH 305 Food Insecurity Challenges and Solutions

Robert Maglievaz | Credit

In Food Insecurity Challenges and Solutions (PUBH 305V), students learn theory in the classroom but provide 10 hours of volunteer service hours at The Neighborhood Center's Food Pantry to gain hands-on experience with the challenges of managing a food bank and to learn how to interact with compassion and professionalism the members of the community the food bank serves.

Religion and Games Club

William Chavez | Spring 2025

Wanna play and discuss games for hours at a time? Join the Religion and Games Club (RGC)! Through this faculty-initiated, immersive educational experience, students can play dozens of material and digital games in conjunction with lively discussion. Topics of interest include roleplaying, meaning-making, group worship, honor codes and adherence to sacred time. Students can join by emailing Professor William Chavez at [email protected] and eventually, they will be admitted to a Discord server for group chat. Participating students will together build the curriculum, decide how many times to play each game, what new games to buy, what to support through Kickstarter, etc. Students enrolled in RELS 300(E)V-JSEM (Religion and Video Games) and members of game-related student groups (e.g., Stetson HighRollers, Gamecrafters Club, eSports) are most welcome, along with anyone curious about something new. Previous game experience is not required. Please note in your email if you are interested in taking on expanded responsibilities in the planning and hosting of our weekly meetings (working directly with Professor Chavez as an RA or TA).

Community Education Project Internship Supervision

Sam Houston | Spring 2025

Professor Houston is an internship supervisor with the Community Education Project (CEP), Stetson University's higher education in prison program. In this "immersive," our CEP intern serves as both research and teaching assistant, researching and producing educational materials about mass incarceration and higher education in prison and planning and carrying out campus experiences to educate the Stetson community about CEP and societal issues connected to mass incarceration. Such campus educational experiences include movie nights, interactive walkthroughs, tabling, campus speakers and exhibits featuring scholarly and artistic work produced by CEP students. Our student intern primarily leads these efforts.

The Dead Sea Scrolls Immersive Experience

Carmen Palmer | Fall 2024 | Credit

The Dead Sea Scrolls Hatter Ready immersive experience involves a unique opportunity for cross-institutional engagement. RELS 311H The Dead Sea Scrolls has partnered with an undergraduate-level Dead Sea Scroll course taught by Professor Matthew Goff, an established Dead Sea Scrolls scholar at Florida State University. The opportunity is unique because cross-institutional engagement is less common at the undergraduate level. Students in both classes share a meet-and-greet and three lectures: one lecture for each institution's faculty member to "guest" lecture and a third for a student-directed conference. For this third, culminating in a shared class experience, blended student groups (with equal numbers of students from both institutions in each group) organize a virtual meeting with their partner institution group members to plan responses to discussion questions regarding the course topic. This content then becomes the guiding content of the third class meeting, the online conference. All shared classes take place by Zoom, each in a Zoom conference room. This immersive experience also involves the opportunity for a Teaching Apprenticeship with a student who has previously completed the class.

Religious Studies Colloquium

Chris Bell | Fall 2024 | Credit

The course is meant to consolidate ways of thinking about religion, society and the world. Students take what they learn about doctrine, practice and history in other departmental courses and apply it to today's world by discussing how religion and religious motivations permeate culture, politics and current events.

Migration and Family Workshop

Karl Ng | Spring 2025

This workshop is designed not only to sharpen theoretical, critical thinking and research skills but also to assist students interested in pursuing graduate studies in developing sample papers, research proposals and other relevant application materials. In the first part of the workshop, students will read and discuss recent, important journal articles on social demography and international migration. Later in the class, students will formulate and present their research ideas and get feedback through peer review.

Community Engaged Courses

Rachel Core | Fall 2024 | Credit

Social Movements and Social Change (SOCI 300) is a community-engaged course that brings the concept of "social justice" alive. In the course, our students work with community organizations dedicated to alleviating inequality and enacting social change. In addition to completing a class project for an organization, students volunteer with a social change organization for 10-12 hours and submit an ethnography of a social movement.

Engagement with Latinx Culture

Joshua Deckman | Spring 2025

Professor Deckman will offer an array of immersive experiences, allowing students to engage with Latinx culture, social justice issues and community-building efforts in DeLand and beyond. A key initiative is La Casa Cultural Latina's collaboration with the Farmworkers of Pierson and Apopka, where students can co-construct a community garden or tutor children from farmworker families. This initiative provides hands-on learning while fostering solid ties between our students and local Latinx communities. La Casa will sponsor several garden workshops throughout the Spring semester, where students will learn about the Pierson community, assist in planting and harvesting garden produce and reflect on these experiences at the end of the year. We hope to identify a group of students by December who will be ready to begin work in early February.  La Casa Cultural Latina also regularly organizes programming that bridges the gap between campus life and the surrounding Latinx community. These include language partnerships with our ESL courses (overseen by Deckman), a series of talks on Latinx culture in the form of "fireside chats" (virtual Zoom talks) and interactive "Latinx Trails" that highlight key Latinx figures throughout the semester. Lastly, Professor Deckman plans an immersive trip to New York City during spring break. This trip is connected to his Urban Voices course, but students do not need to take the course to participate in the trip. It offers students a deep dive into the art, history and culture of Latine/x communities in the City. Students will visit institutes such as the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute and Hunter College's CENTRO de Estudios Puertorriquenos, participate in an oral history project in DeLand to donate to the CUNY DSI and attend culturally significant performances like La Gringa at Teatro Repertorio. These immersive experiences give students direct interaction with cultural, historical and social dynamics affecting Latinx communities, above and beyond what they would experience in the classroom.

Upper-Level German Studies

Alwin Franke | Spring 2025 | Credit