The 40th annual Student, Faculty, and Staff Dinner occurred on November 21, 2024, in the Campus Center Event Room. Hosted by the Student Senate and Stockton’s Campus Religious Council, the event provided an evening of appreciation for faculty and staff while allowing students to connect with a faculty or staff member of choice.

The event began with a performance from the Stockton Music Union and proceeded with a brief program, MC’d by Vice President for Community Engagement Brian K. Jackson. The program included a word from the university president, Dr. Joe Bertolino. Also featured was a reflection on the event’s history from Dr. Yitzhak Sharon, one of the founders of the annual event and a distinguished physics professor at Stockton.

Additionally, Student Senate President Andrea Sandoval and Hillel President Hannah Schairer announced the winners of the Faculty and Staff of the Year awards. Faculty of the Year was awarded to Duo Helen Wei, Associate Computer Science professor and faculty associate at Stockton Center on Successful Aging, or SCOSA, while Staff of the Year was awarded to Tara O’Keefe, an Addictions Counselor Supervisor.

This year’s Harvey Kesselman Community Impact Award was given to Dr. Yitzhak Sharon in honor of his work over the years at Stockton University, including founding the Student, Faculty, and Staff Dinner. After the program concluded, guests were served a Chartwells-provided Thanksgiving dinner and dessert to enjoy with their peers and fellow faculty and staff.

“The annual Faculty, Staff, and Student Dinner was beautifully put together, and the food was delicious,” stated Laura Leonel, a sophomore at Stockton University. “This event [allows] students to spend time and network with a faculty or staff member and gives faculty and staff the chance to get to know their student on a deeper level.”