Special Issue of Ventures

Ventures

Vol. 4 | No. 1 | Fall 2011

Stevenson University

Building a University

EvEry Building T E l l s a s T o r y

What’s In a name? At Stevenson, It’s a Show of Support

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CONGRATULATIONS

100 Painters Mill Road

Owings Mills

Maryland

21117

410-363-3434

to our friends and colleagues at

Stevenson University for its growth

and vision that are transforming the

Owings Mills community and enhancing

higher education in Maryland.

Howard S. Brown

stevenson.edu | 3

Ventures is published four times a year by Stevenson University for its students, fac-ulty, staff, alumni, friends, and benefactors. No part of this publication may be repro-duced in print or digital form without prior permission from the publisher.

President

Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D.

Chair, Board of Trustees

Kevin G. Byrnes

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean

Paul D. Lack, Ph.D.

Vice President, University Advancement

Stevenson W. Close, Jr.

Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations, and Publisher

Glenda G. LeGendre

Editor Sherry E. Bithell

Design Atsuko O. Biars

Contributors

Brett Adams, John Buettner, Chip Burkey, Carolyn Douglas, Rebecca Gotsch, Matthew Laumann, Glenda G. LeGendre, Office of University Advancement

Primary Photographer

Maximilian Franz

Illustrations

istockphoto.com

Questions or comments about this issue? Please contact: Glenda G. LeGendre Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations Stevenson University 100 Campus Circle Owings Mills, Maryland 21117 443-352-4480 <[email protected]>

Please visit <stevenson.edu> for the latest news about the University.

Greenspring campus1525 Greenspring Valley RoadStevenson, Maryland 21153

Owings Mills campus100 Campus CircleOwings Mills, Maryland 21117

website: stevenson.edu : facebook.com/stevensonuniversity

Freshman Jaelin DeShields (No. 7) scored the first touchdown in Mustang football history when he caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from C. J. Hopson during the team’s inaugural game on Sept. 3 versus Shenandoah University.

contents

Greetings Stevenson University President Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D., and Board of Trustees Chair Kevin G. Byrnes share their perspectives on the growth of the Owings Mills campus.

Take a Tour: The Owings Mills Campus This handy guide will show you around the campus, including stopping points of note.

The Growth of Champions: SU Firsts Stevenson’s second campus is just one of the many ways that the University has broken new ground.

From the Mustangs’ Mouths The athletics program also has grown in leaps and bounds, thanks to the Owings Mills campus. Three athletic directors offer their thoughts on the program’s evolution.

Building a UniversityLearn how Stevenson added a second campus to help transform its vision of a 21st century university into a reality—a process that was fueled by both urgency and opportunity.

Every Building Tells a Story On Stevenson’s Owings Mills campus, each building has played an important part in the growth of the University, from the first residence halls to a former Colts facility.

What’s In a Name? At Stevenson, It’s a Show of SupportPart of the University’s growth can be attributed to the generosity of its friends, faculty, and other supporters—individuals whose names are now a part of the campus.

Vol. 4, No. 1 • Fall 2011

STEVEnSOn UnIVERSITy

Features

In This Issue

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4 | Ventures/Fall 2011 Special Edition

Greetings

More than a decade ago, the Board of Trustees and President Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D., felt that the University had to grow in size in order to remain

competitive. This was necessary for us to continue providing the support to our faculty and staff that would ensure a first-rate educational experience for our students. Yet at the same time, we were limited in doing so by the lack of space on the Greenspring campus, especially for student housing. The University was fortunate to identify the property adjacent to the former NFL Ravens training facility in Owings Mills. Additionally, Howard Brown, the owner of the property, was particularly interested in our mission, and he helped us develop a vision for the property. So we had the opportunity to purchase the land that would meet our strategic need for more space.

The initial development of the Owings Mills campus was centered on residence halls because we wanted to reach a broader set of students in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. We also knew that the new campus would allow us to expand our individual schools. Today, the Brown School of Business and Leadership and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies are located on the Owings Mills campus, as is housing for more than 2,000 students. Additional development targeted the need to enrich the student experience by building several student-centered facilities, including the Ratcliffe Community Center, the Caves Sports and Wellness Center, a new gymnasium, and a new stadium.

Today, I can say that the Board feels that we are poised to achieve our strategic goal of expanding the University while still providing an outstanding academic and personal experience for every student. This has always been the hallmark of our institution.

Kevin G. ByrnesChairman, Stevenson University Board of Trustees

It is not often that an institution of higher learning has the opportunity to promote and witness firsthand the transformation of a complex regional university.

Such developments are truly historic and can only come from the support of a dynamic board of trustees and other individuals as well as the work of a first-rate leadership team.

The Owings Mills campus is truly the culmination of a dream of 11 years of collaborative planning. From the expert guidance of Howard Brown at David S. Brown Enterprises to the outstanding craftsmen, engineers, and architects who built the campus, we have tried to create an environment worthy of our talented students. Stevenson’s new campus is the result, and it is already becoming the heart of the University.

Although the Owings Mills campus initially focused on adding much-needed student housing, it rapidly became an important extension of Stevenson’s vision of becoming a national leader in career education. Wooded Way, a facility offering a 15,000-square-foot executive suite dedicated to career planning, has been designed as a state-of-the-art career advising space for our students. Such space planning has helped us assume a career leadership role whereby we emphasize a strategic planning process called Career ArchitectureSM.

The addition of the Owings Mills stadium, gym, and sports complex also helps support our goal of being a national leader in Division III athletics. We believe that our new 3,500-seat stadium is one of the finest in the nation. Designed to support our football, lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey teams, it includes a spacious weight room, guest boxes, and extensive locker rooms. The stadium will be an important showcase for local, regional, and national sporting events.

We are all very proud and honored to have been part of building a 21st century university that seeks to serve its students in achieving their career goals, participating in athletics events, and taking part in other key experiences to become successful citizens of the region. It has been an exciting journey.

Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D.President, Stevenson University

Stevenson University President Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D., (left) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Kevin G. Byrnes (right)

stevenson.edu | 5

Building aUniversity

F E A T U R E

By David McKay Wilson Special to Stevenson University


When Stevenson University built its first University-owned residence halls in Owings Mills in 2004, the project featured four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments that could be converted to market-rate rentals if students didn’t want to live there.

Yet Stevenson students came in droves, filling all 550 beds that first year. This fall, more than 2,000 students moved into the University’s residence halls in Owings Mills, including the 520 who now occupy two new halls that opened late this summer. On Sept. 10, the Stevenson Mustangs football team played its first home game at the University’s new stadium, which also houses a fitness center where students are getting in shape behind the glassed-in façade that faces Owings Mills Boulevard.

The commuter school once known as Villa Julie College has transformed itself into the increasingly residential institution called Stevenson University with its two distinctive campuses that are located six miles apart in northwest Baltimore County.

“We had a vision, and we had a sense of urgency,” says Stevenson President Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D. “We knew that unless we changed our character, we would be unable to survive.”

FEATURE | BUilDing A UnivERSiTy

Students look out of Rockland Center toward residence halls.

stevenson.edu | 7

TraNsFormiNg a VisioN iNTo realiTy

The rapid development of the 75-acre Owings Mills site has played a central role in Stevenson’s emergence as Maryland’s fastest-growing four-year independent university. During the past decade, Stevenson’s enrollment has risen from 1,500 to 3,250, with the number of students living on campus growing from 200 to 2,000. The development of Stevenson’s graduate programs in business, technology, nursing, and forensics has also helped fuel its growth.

The University dates back to 1947, when the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur bought the Seven Oaks mansion in Greenspring Valley from The Johns Hopkins University. The Sisters established a two-year college for women who were training to become secretaries in the medical and legal fields. The College became independent from the Church in 1967, went co-ed in 1972, and has since expanded its academic offerings, including today’s array of undergraduate and graduate programs.

Villa Julie College renamed itself Stevenson University in 2008 and sharpened its focus on educating its students for 21st century careers in business, education, nursing, and criminal justice. It also developed an intercollegiate athletics program that’s making a name in Division III sports and creating the kind of buzz that generates college spirit.

Nicole Lee ’12, a biology major from Pasadena, Md., has lived on the Owings Mills campus since 2008. She lived in the two-person suites at Western Run and Susquehanna halls her first two years, then moved to the four-bedroom apartments with three roommates in 2010 and 2011.

“Lacrosse is huge, and the Saturday afternoon games are fun,” she says. “The guys get dressed up and write out M-U-S-T-A-N-G-S in green on their chests.”

Student life at Owings Mills revolves around campus-wide activities, such as the outdoor movies shown on

a big screen in a residence hall quad; the Patio Jams at Pandini’s, one of the eateries in the Rockland Center; or the campus’ version of Saturday Night Live, with entertainers on hand to perform. On weekends, a school shuttle bus may carry students to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor or to the Towson Town Center Mall for shopping. Outside the residence halls, students play three-on-three on the complex’s basketball court; nearby, male and female students play volleyball in the sand.

When the sun sets, students head to nearby restaurants along Owings Mills Boulevard, be it Edo Mae Sushi and New York Pizza or Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill. Others may hoof it to the nearby Safeway to procure fixings for dinner in their apartments.

“It was fabulous on Fridays,” says Lee. “We’d go out shopping and come back with food for our Fiesta Fridays, where we’d invite our friends over to make tacos.”

As a science major, Lee has most of her classes on the Greenspring campus, a 12-minute ride on one of the Stevenson shuttle buses. During her junior year, she scheduled her classes so she could take a shuttle to the other campus at 10 a.m. and be back to Owings Mills by 3 p.m.

“It only takes 12 minutes,” she says. “If we were on a big campus, it could take 15 minutes to get to class. It’s just that we aren’t getting that exercise.”

sTraTegy meeTs opporTuNiTy

The building project—financed in large part with $130 million in tax-free bonds from the Maryland Health and Higher Education Facilities Authority—has also become a labor of love for Howard S. Brown, the prominent Owings Mills builder who dreamed of a vast retail-and-office development in one of the northwest Baltimore County’s prime commercial corridors.

Instead, the land has become a mixed-use development, with restaurants and shops along Owings Mills Boulevard and the Stevenson campus taking over the hillside behind the stores. The Howard S. Brown School of Business and Leadership now stands as the campus’ academic centerpiece.

Since 2004, Brown’s company has constructed 13 residence halls with about 2,000 beds; the business school building; two student centers; and a gymnasium, and has renovated the Baltimore Ravens’ former training facility. Stevenson also bought two Brown office buildings, turning one into a residence hall and another into classroom and office space.

“This began as an opportunity to help the school grow, and it wasn’t my intent to do anything more than build the first apartment project,” says Brown, whose development company, David S. Brown Enterprises, was founded in 1937 by his father. “But then the relationship continued to grow. It got momentum and really took off.”

Manning says Brown’s enthusiastic response to Stevenson’s building proposals provided the synergy needed to create a college campus so quickly.

“Howard Brown has the same kind of nervous system that we have,” says Manning. “He couldn’t build the buildings fast enough. We have the same level of impatience.”

While no new buildings are immediately on the drawing board, there is conversation about further expansion of Stevenson’s Owings Mills campus. Just to the east of the campus lies the state of Maryland’s former Rosewood Center, a treatment center for the mentally ill that was closed in 2009. Stevenson is in discussions with the state about

“We had a vision, and we had a sense of

urgency,” says President Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D.



purchasing some of the Rosewood property.

The Owings Mills campus evolved after years of town-gown tensions in Stevenson, with the College looking to expand on its 60-acre campus along Greenspring Valley Road. Residents, however, opposed the College’s ambitions, contending that student housing—particularly the associated traffic, noise, and wastewater issues—wasn’t compatible with the horse farms and large tracts of private land along the winding road.

Helping the Greenspring residents was Baltimore County zoning, conceived in the 1970s to preserve the region’s rural character while promoting growth in urbanized corridors. Greenspring Valley Road was on the rural side of the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line in a zoning category designated as “agricultural preservation.”

By the end of the 20th century, College officials accepted the fact that expansion in Greenspring was off the table. They also knew that to survive in the higher-education marketplace of the next century, they needed residence halls to recruit students beyond the reach of those who could commute from metropolitan Baltimore. Officials also wanted to create an athletic facility that could both expand its student base and create the kind of college experience young adults seek.

The College had begun its search for housing options in the 1990s. In 1993, Villa Julie leased rooms for 23 students at the former Comfort Inn on Reisterstown Road, about six miles west of Greenspring. By the late 1990s, there were about 200 students living at what was called Wooded Way when its owners decided to sell. Villa Julie—in what turned out to be good luck—lost its bid to buy the building, which was torn down to build a Target. The College then moved its residences to an apartment complex five miles east of Greenspring, the Colony at Towson, which had close to 300 students who were interspersed with non-student renters.

Yet the College owned neither Wooded Way nor the Colony, and

neither option provided the kind of college-campus experience desired by today’s young adults.

“The Colony turned out to be really hard to manage,” recalls Timothy M. Campbell, Stevenson’s Executive Vice President, Financial Affairs, and Chief Financial Officer.

In the late 1990s, Campbell worked with MacKenzie and Associates to identify possible building sites in Baltimore County’s urbanized corridors. While the College’s goal initially was to find property for residence halls only, the leadership team started to think of the broader picture.

shapiNg The 21sT CeNTury uNiVersiTy

The search intensified in 2000 with the arrival of Manning as president. By 2002, the property search had been narrowed to three parcels. The Owings Mills site won out, in part due to its immediate neighbor to the north: the training facility of the Baltimore Ravens, which at the time was owned by the city of Baltimore. According to rumor, the Ravens would be moving to a new facility.

“An athletic facility was one of our critical needs and would have been a

real bonus,” says Campbell. “We knew that if we decided to build in Owings Mills and then pulled off purchasing the Ravens site, we would hit a home run. And then it actually happened.”

The rumors Campbell had heard about the Ravens moving to an improved training facility proved true. By the time construction had begun on the College’s first housing project, the Ravens had announced their intention to build a new practice facility.

“Our Owings Mills campus is an accidental, serendipitous, entrepreneurial venture, open to innovation,” says Paul D. Lack, Ph.D., Stevenson’s Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean. “It has worked well for everyone involved. It’s good for Owings Mills. It’s good for Stevenson. And it’s good for our neighbors in Greenspring. It helped keep that campus pristine.”

Teresa Moore, executive director of the nonprofit Valleys Planning Council, says Manning’s decision to develop Owings Mills turned the tide in Greenspring.

“It was time for the College to expand and they found the other site,” says Moore. “They’ve gone out of their way to be good neighbors, and they now act like you’d like a neighbor to act.”


Timothy M. Campbell, Stevenson’s Executive Vice President, Financial Affairs, and Chief Financial Officer (left) and Builder Howard S. Brown (right)

stevenson.edu | 9

By 2005, the city had sold the College the Ravens facility, which had become somewhat rundown since it was built in 1979 for the former Baltimore Colts. Brown renovated it into the Caves Sports and Wellness Center, which includes offices for school health professionals, classrooms, and locker rooms for Stevenson’s student-athletes.

Adding the athletic facility provided a strong draw to the Owings Mills campus. Once it was renovated, professors started holding small classes in some of its rooms. Those were such a success that College officials looked to bring more classes to Owings Mills and in 2005 bought one of Brown’s office buildings, which now houses offices and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. New buildings since then include more residence halls and the business school building, which is home to a state-of-the-art mock trial courtroom. Today, 51 percent of Stevenson’s classes are held in Owings Mills.

“The University has become an anchor for Owings Mills,” says Lack. “And it’s great working here. You never know what’s going to be happening next.”

About the writer: David McKay Wilson, a freelance journalist, has written for publications at 84 colleges and universities, including Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Harvard, Dartmouth, and University of Chicago. A veteran journalist with 33 years in the business, he has written regularly for The New York Times and worked for Gannett for 21 years in the northern suburbs of New York City. His 2011 cover story for Amtrak’s Arrive magazine profiled six top U.S. educators.


“In recent years, Stevenson University has grown from a small, two-year college

to a university that serves our entire region. With the emergence of its Owings Mills campus and the start of its first football

season, this is an exciting time for Steven-son. As someone who has supported the

transformation of this university, first as a Councilman and now as Baltimore County Executive, I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Kevin Kamenetz Baltimore County Executive


TAKE aTOUR:The Owings Mills CaMpus

SUITERESIdEncES

WOOdEd WAY

nEW RESIdEncE HAllS

GARRISOn HAll

ROcKlAnd cEnTER

stevenson.edu | 11

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E v E ry

B u i l d i n g

T E l l s a

s T o ry

on stevenson’s owings mills campus, buildings and places aren’t merely bricks and mortar—rather, each has played a

part in the growth of a university.

nAME: apartment QuaddATE: opened in fall 2004dETAIlS: the first university-owned residence halls, the seven apartment buildings that comprise the apartment Quad house more than 540 students. as are most buildings on the owings mills campus, the residences are named after valleys in maryland: Long Green hall, cromwell hall, Greenspring hall, Worthington hall, dulaney hall, shawan hall, and Belfast hall. each 1,200-square-foot apartment features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and a full kitchen.

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F E A T U R E

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nAME: � caves sports and Wellness centerdATE: purchased from the city of Baltimore in 2005dETAIlS: Built in 1979 for the then-Baltimore colts, this facility was the site where several mayflower moving vans showed up one snowy night in march 1984 to—illegally—move the team to indianapolis. once the Baltimore ravens came to town, this was their training facility until they moved to their current one in 2004. today, the caves sports and Wellness center features a fitness center, a racquetball court, athletic staff offices, and a hydro-therapy room. the second floor is dedicated to classrooms, Wi-Fi study areas,

nAME: ratcliffe community centerdATES: opened as avalon community center in 2004; renamed in honor of the late Donald B. Ratcliffe on oct. 1, 2009dETAIlS: this ever-evolving space originally was built in conjunction with the apartment Quad to give students living on campus a place to hang out; play foosball, pool, and ping pong; and watch television. today, it also has a coffee shop and convenience store and hosts the residence Life and security offices. coming soon, it will be revised once again based on student feedback.

a commuter lounge, and faculty offices as well as housing the Wellness center, which includes a part-time physician and a nurse-practitioner.

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nAME: � athletic FieldsdATES: purchased from the city of Baltimore in 2005; the mustangs debuted here with a men’s lacrosse game on april 9, 2005dETAIlS: the two full-sized fields—used for men’s and women’s lacrosse and soccer, women’s field hockey, and now football—as well as one half-sized field were purchased along with the ravens’ former training facility.

FEATURE | EvERy BUilDing TEllS A SToRy

stevenson.edu |�

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nAME: � Garrison hall dATES: space was first leased in the building in 2004; the college purchased the building the following yeardETAIlS: originally intended for commercial usage, the building instead was used to accommodate the growing school of Graduate and professional studies. today, Garrison hall is still home to the school as well as to the admissions office, student Financial services, and the marketing and public relations office.

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nAME: � suite QuaddATES: the first of the three residence halls opened in 2005; the last opened in 2006dETAIlS: the suite Quad consists of three

buildings: Western run hall, susquehanna hall, and patapsco hall. each suite features two bedrooms (with two students in each) and a communal bathroom. the Quad also marked the debut of e-suds, an online laundry system that shares the availability of washing machines and dryers and contacts students via email, cell phone, or pda when their laundry is finished.

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nAME: � rockland centerdATE: opened in october 2006 dETAIlS: the hub of student life on the owings mills campus, the rockland center is the main dining establishment for resident students but also serves those who live off campus.

the first floor features the marketplace, a buffet-style dining area; pandini’s, an italian-style restaurant; and the mustang room, a meeting area for student-run clubs and organizations. the second floor houses a banquet room facility, two conference rooms, and the student affairs office.

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nAME: � GymnasiumdATES: announced in 2007 as part of a $20 million expansion project on the owings mills campus; opened in 2010dETAIlS: the design of the gym was directed by stevenson’s director of athletics, Brett Adams, who previously designed the one on the Greenspring campus. the two-story gymnasium,

which houses a basketball court, is adjacent to the caves sports and Wellness center and is the primary gymnasium for athletics events.

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nAME: � Wooded WaydATE: opened in august 2009dETAIlS: the name of this combined residence hall and office space hearkens back to the first student residence. in 1993, Villa Julie college arranged for 23 students to live at a comfort inn located just off reisterstown road on Wooded Way Lane, and the student residents—who numbered about 200 by 2000—fondly called their home-away-from-campus “Wooded Way.” although the comfort inn has long since

been replaced by a target, the name still resonates with alumni. the university decided to honor its storied past when it purchased the building that now hosts suite-style rooms and, on its first floor, the center for Learning Beyond and the office of career services at Wooded Way.

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nAME: � residence hallsdATE: august 2011dETAIlS: the growth of the student population and the continued demand for beds on campus necessitated building the newest residence halls. With the completion of these residences, the university can now offer housing for more than 2,000 students.

nAME: Brown school of Business and LeadershipdATES: Ground was broken in 2007 and the building opened in 2008; in april 2009, both the building and school were named in honor of howard s. BrowndETAIlS: administrators decided to take advantage of this space on the owings mills property to expand stevenson’s academic offerings. today, the 60,000-square-foot building includes a mock trial courtroom, traditional and high-tech computer classrooms, a law clinic, conference rooms, and the owings mills campus library.

FEATURE | EvERy BUilDing TEllS A SToRy

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School of Graduate and Professional Studies100 Campus Circle, Owings Mills, MD 21117 • accelerate.stevenson.edu

Need an extra incentive to earnyour graduate degree?

Complete two master’s courses and the third one is free.

Watch your career unfoldin any of our in-demand graduatefields. Stevenson’s School ofGraduate and ProfessionalStudies has a limited opportunityfor you. Apply and be acceptedin one of Stevenson’s master’sprograms. Complete just twocourses in the fall 2011 orspring/summer 2012 semestersand you’ll be eligible to takeyour third course free. That’sthree full graduate-level creditsat our expense.For more informationcall 443-352-4399or 1-877-531-7118.Visit us online for more details.accelerate.stevenson.edu

Information Sessions:Instant Decision Day

October 10, 2011, 11a.m.-2 p.m.Networking For KnowledgeNovember 17, 2011, 6-8:30 p.m.

S T E V E N S O N U N I V E R S I T Ypresents the

B A L T I M O R E S P E A K E R S S E R I E S

For more information on this year’s speakersand to purchase tickets visit

baltimorespeakersseries.org

100 Campus Circle, Owings Mills, Maryland 21117

stevenson’s growth has been valuable to the owings mills business corridor. today, adjacent to the owings mills campus, there are multiple restaurants—including subway, new york pizza company, dunkin’ donuts, Baskin robbins, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, outback steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, and edo mae sushi—and in most of them, students can use their meal plan Flex dollars. Located in the same area: a bank, hair salon, dry cleaner, tanning salon, cell phone and game system repair shop, martial arts academy, and storage facility. most recently, a stevenson university campus store opened across from the new stadium in fall 2011.

rEsTauranTs and

rETail

nAME: mustang stadiumdATE: september 2011dETAIlS: a ribbon-cutting in early september paved the way for the stadium—located along owings mills Boulevard—to provide seating for 3,500 fans of stevenson’s football, lacrosse, soccer, and field hockey teams.

stevenson.edu | 17

F E A T U R E

Tradition is important to any university, but for one that has seen as much change as Stevenson, it’s vital to maintain certain elements of its culture. One highly visible University tradition is that buildings are named after valleys in Maryland; hence, Dulaney Hall and Patapsco Hall.

Yet on rare occasions, Stevenson does break from this nomenclature system: when it comes to recognizing those whose contributions have made an appreciable difference at the University. On the Owings Mills campus, there are several people whom Stevenson has honored in this way.

» hoWard s. BroWn

A Baltimore builder and developer whose interest in Stevenson’s mission and purpose helped transform the leadership’s goals into an ongoing—and still-growing—reality, Howard S. Brown can claim the Owings Mills campus as part of his legacy. In recognition for his many contributions in making this campus come to life as quickly as it did, the University named its new business school for him in April 2009. Joining Stevenson in honoring Brown and unveiling the new Brown School of Business and Leadership were entrepreneur and publisher Steve Forbes, Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, and other dignitaries.

What’s In a name? At Stevenson, It’s a Show of SupportBy Sherry Bithell

In keeping with Brown’s generous spirit, a number of classrooms, meeting rooms, and conference rooms in the Brown School of Business and Leadership are named for donors whose contributions also helped build the school. (See sidebar at right.) Fittingly, the building also includes a donor wall that honors the individuals, corporations, foundations, and government funders who made leadership gifts and commitments to The Campaign for Stevenson University, which ran from 2005 through 2009 and raised more than $20.4 million for key funding priorities.

» DonalD B. Ratcliffe

A member of the Villa Julie College Board of Trustees for 30 years, Donald B. Ratcliffe played a vital role in the evolution of the institution. Ratcliffe, one of several local business leaders whom former President Carolyn Manuszak turned to for guidance, served on the Board from 1972 through 2002. During that time, he oversaw numerous changes at the College, including its expansion to a baccalaureate institution in 1984 and the start of

donors whose names grace rooms throughout the Brown School of Business and leadership include:

(From left to right) Architect Jaime Fishman, AIA; Stevenson President Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D.; Developer Howard S. Brown; Publisher Steve Forbes; Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown; and Stevenson University Board Chair Kevin G. Byrnes were a part of the official ribbon cutting for the dedication of the Howard S. Brown School of Business and Leadership, April 30, 2009.

• At Once Cleaning Services• Bank of America Foundation• George and Laura Bilicic• Thomas F. Brady• Marc G. Bunting ’91• George Clay Byrnes• Beverly Michael Close• Constellation Energy• D.F. Dent & Company• Henry D. Felton• Charles E. “Ted” Herget, Jr.• The MacDonald and Medifast Families• Kevin and Sara Manning• France-Merrick Foundation• McCormick & Co.• The Dorothy L. and Henry A.

Rosenberg, Jr. Foundation• John L. Stasiak/M. Nelson

Barnes & Sons, Inc.• James & Jacqueline Stradtner• Albert J.A. Young, Esq. and

Orsia Foudos Young, Esq. ’79• Universal Securities Instruments, Inc.

(Harvey Grossblatt, CEO)


its master’s programs in 1996. His goal of making higher education available to diverse and deserving students led him to be among the first sponsors of the Key Scholarship program. In 1988, Ratcliffe became Chairman of the Board of Trustees, a position that he held until June 2002.

Aside from his service to the Board, Ratcliffe played another important role in the growth of the College: As founder of the architectural firm Donald B. Ratcliffe, A.I.A., Associates, Inc., he renovated and expanded several buildings on the Greenspring campus. He also oversaw the design and construction of the new Community Center on the Owings Mills campus, initially called the Avalon Community Center. Ratcliffe passed away on April 7, 2009, and later that year, the University renamed the building in his honor as the Ratcliffe Community Center.

» fRanciS X. Pugh, eSq.

Following his service in the U.S. Army, Francis X. Pugh, Esq., worked as an insurance claims adjuster while attending law school during the evening at the University of Baltimore, graduating magna cum laude in 1960. He then practiced law with the firm of O’Conor & Sweeney until 1969, when he was appointed as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland. In 1974, he was appointed as principal counsel to the Department of

Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, where he served until his retirement in 1997.

Yet despite having such an active career, Pugh has found time to mentor paralegal students since 1973, when he became the founding director of the paralegal program at Villa Julie College. This was the first such program in Maryland and is still the only nationally approved four-year paralegal program in the state. Pugh served as Director of the Paralegal Studies program until 1993 and has served as chair of the Paralegal Advising Committee since 1975. In 1989, he was the recipient of the Villa Julie College President’s Medal, and in 2003, he was presented with the Founder’s Award. Pugh continues to provide leadership as a member of the Stevenson University Board of Trustees, a position he has held since 2000. To recognize his significant and ongoing contributions to the University, in 2010, Stevenson named its new mock trial courtroom the Francis X. Pugh Courtroom.

» John l. StaSiak

John L. Stasiak touched the lives of many at Stevenson University through both example and his generous spirit. He first became involved with Villa Julie College in the late 1980s, serving as an advisor to President Manuszak, then becoming a charter member of the Delta Board, helping raise scholarship funds for the University, sponsoring four Key Scholarships, and serving as a member

of the President’s Advisory Council from 2001-2008. Stasiak’s avid interest in the life of the University could be seen from smaller gestures, too, whether it was providing a mascot’s costume, funding a special speaker, or supporting The Academic Link, where Stevenson students receive free tutoring and other academic services.

Stasiak began working for M. Nelson Barnes & Sons, the area’s leading mechanical contracting company, in 1963, rising through the ranks to be named its president 20 years later. While president, he turned down an opportunity to sell the company for a sizeable gain and

BELOW: Joan Ratcliffe, wife of the late architect and long-serving Stevenson trustee and board chair Donald B. Ratcliffe, was joined by family members for the dedication of the Ratcliffe Community Center on Founders Day 2009. Ratcliffe designed many of the buildings at Stevenson University. ON tHE RiGHt: Students can be found at the center enjoying its many amenities throughout the day.

FEATURE | WhAT’S in A nAME?

stevenson.edu | 19

It’s not often that dirt would be considered a particularly wanted gift, but Stevenson found itself in that very position when sites were being prepared for the new parking lot, campus entrance, and gymnasium in 2009. Builder David S. Brown Enterprises, Ltd., posted a sign along Owings Mills Boulevard advertising the need for fill dirt to complete the project, and in yet another case of serendipity in the evolution of this campus, it turned out that Owings Mills neighbor T. Rowe Price had 25,000 cubic yards of surplus dirt from the construction of two new buildings at its Financial Center Campus on Painters Mill Road. Far from being a dirty deed, the deal was a win-win for both parties: Stevenson saved the $250,000 it would have cost to buy fill dirt and T. Rowe Price was able to offload the excess dirt that it had expected to send to a rubble fill at a projected cost of about $300,000.

At tHE tOP: Stevenson students take advantage of the academic support services offered at The John L. Stasiak Academic Link. ABOVE: Several of John L. Stasiak’s former employees and colleagues attended the dedication of the Owings Mills Academic Link in his memory.

Stevenson University President Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D. (left), Mark Ruhe, Vice President for Real Estate at T. Rowe Price (right), and a dump truck filled with the fortuitous dirt.

ABOVE: Attorney and long-serving Stevenson faculty and Board member Francis X. Pugh, Esq., (center) was joined by his family for the April 29, 2010, dedication of the Francis X. Pugh Courtroom. tO tHE LEFt: The University’s state-of-the-art mock trial courtroom is the first of its kind in Maryland.

ask and yE shall rEcEivE

instead transformed it into an employee-owned organization—yet another indication of his philanthropic nature. Stasiak died on March 14, 2008; on April 11, 2011, the University dedicated the Owings Mills Academic Link, which is located in the Caves Sports and Wellness Center, in his honor.

Stevenson University will continue to recognize those who support its mission and growth, including in the new stadium and other buildings and spaces that are sure to emerge as the University continues to evolve.


1The grOwTh Of ChaMpiOns:

SU FiRSTSThe Owings Mills campus has enabled Stevenson to break new ground—both literally and figuratively—in several areas, including SU’s first:

University-owned and managed student residences, which finished a fourth phase this fall, bring-ing the number of beds on campus to more than 2,000.

Student wellness center, the Caves Sports and Wellness Center, which offers primary care and counseling services as well as year-round events that promote health.

Football team, which kicked off its inaugural season on Sept. 3 and is coached by SU’s first head football coach, Ed Hottle. Coach Hottle previously served as the head football coach and assistant ath-letics director at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., where he brought back varsity football in 2005 and amassed a 27-20 record during his five seasons there.

Dedicated center for career services and the University’s Learning Beyond program, located at Wooded Way.

stevenson.edu | 21

2003: Original groundbreaking

2004: First apartment-style residence halls open

2005: First suite-style residence halls AND what is now the Ratcliffe Community Center open

2006: Rockland Center AND the Caves Sports and Wellness Center open

2007: Groundbreaking for the School of Business and Leadership

2008: The Brown School of Business and Leadership opens

2009: Wooded Way opens

2010: Gymnasium opens

2011: Mustang Stadium opens

9 years...ground- BrEakings riBBon cuTTings

The grOwTh Of ChaMpiOns:

Marching band, under the direction of Mark Lortz, who has spent the past 15 years as the marching band director at Westminster High in Westminster, Md. Lortz, who has arranged marching band music for high schools and colleges across the coun-try, has been recognized as one of the “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” by School Band & Orchestra magazine.

WoMen’s ice hockey team—the southernmost such team in NCAA Division III—and first coach shera Vis.

Stadium, which hosted its first game on Sept. 1—a field hockey match—and its first football game on Sept. 10.

Dedicated student union and activities center, rock-Land center.

Building dedicated to the School of Business and Lead-ership, named after hoWard s. broWn.

Undergraduate electronic mock courtroom—and not just at Stevenson but the first one in the state of Maryland.

11and

| Ventures/Fall 2011 Special Edition22

Paul Cantabene

Associate Director

of Athletics

Kathy Railey

Associate Director

of Athletics

Brett Adams

Director of

Athletics

“When President Manning, the Board, and the administrators decided that the

strategic plan for the University would include a goal of being a leader in Division III athletics, our staff worked to develop the most comprehensive program possible. Today, Stevenson truly fosters a competitive environment that will give student-

athletes an educational experience rich with teamwork, discipline, and leadership.”

“The people who work here don’t look back on what they have done

but instead at what can be achieved next for the students. The University gave its students some of the best facilities they could and did it in a first-class manner.

President Manning and his administrators are innovators, dreamers, and, most importantly,

leaders! I can only imagine what will be accomplished 10 years from now.”

“The student-athletes who helped form the teams for our initial NCAA

membership in the early ‘90s were truly entrepreneurs and visionaries. That spirit is

alive and well as we grow into a national contender in NCAA Division III athletics.

I’m proud of those pioneers as well as the student-athletes who are pursuing

excellence at Stevenson today.”

stevenson.edu | 23

Sodexo is the world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions – As a strategic partner with Stevenson University, Sodexo provided $1 million toward building the new Rockland Center kitchen and dining room on campus.

Making every day a better day

Congratulations to Stevenson University on the completion of the new Owings Mills campus!


ACCELERATEONLINE&

ONSITE

Arundel Direct Mailing, Inc.Baltimore, Maryland

At Once Cleaning ServicesA Division of PMM Companies

Bank of AmericaMaryland

Collegiate Marketing Concepts, Inc.Midlothian, Virginia

Crest Lock Co., Inc.Baltimore, Maryland

Curry ArchitectsTowson, Maryland

Greater Baltimore CommitteeBaltimore, Maryland

Hampton Inn Owings MillsOwings Mills, Maryland

M&T BankBaltimore, Maryland

McCormick & Company, IncorporatedSparks, Maryland

Medifast, Inc.Owings Mills, Maryland

TJ Distributors, Inc.MD, DC, DE, & VA

United Way of Central MarylandBaltimore, Maryland

Stevenson Universityfor its accomplishments in higher education and

the development of its thriving new Owings Mills campus.

We Salute

100 Campus Circle, Owings Mills, Maryland 21117

stevenson.edu

Special Issue of Ventures

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