Beginning Fall semester 2019, Flagler College will offer majors in International Business, Social Entrepreneurship and Computer Information Systems.

The Historic St. Augustine Research Institute, a group that contributes to local historic preservation efforts, have awarded their annual William L. Proctor award of $1,000 to Dr. Denise Bossy for her most recent book, “The Yamasee Indians From Florida to South Carolina” (University of Nebraska Press, 2018) for its outstanding scholarly work pertaining to the Yamasee Indians. HSARI hosts this juried award competition for writing focused in the areas of history, archaeology and historic architecture related to St. Augustine.

It's official: Flagler College has the top athletics program in the Peach Belt Conference. On the back of strong performances by all six of its spring sports, Flagler College captured for the first time the 2018-19 PBC Commissioner's Cup as announced by the league at its annual awards dinner at the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island on Tuesday, May 28. In addition to the Cup, Flagler won its eighth Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award.

This past spring’s trip of 10 students to study the New York art scene marked 10 years of learning on-site. Department of Visual and Performing Arts Chair and Associate Professor Sara Pedigo devised the trip a decade ago to provide direct exposure to an art world that can’t be recreated here in St. Augustine. The typical student makeup includes majors in fine art, graphic design and art history.

Communication Department Chair and Assistant Professor Tracey Eaton traveled to Mexico City in April. There, he met with members of the Border Center for Journalists and Bloggers to speak on two topics: Investigative journalism and mentoring.

The annual Flagler College Power of the Purse® fundraiser was once again an unparalleled success, attracting over 340 enthusiastic supporters to the College’s historic Ponce de Leon Hall on May 9. The sold-out event kicked off with a cocktail/mocktail reception, a silent auction of designer purses and a jewelry raffle and culminated with a luncheon in the Grand Dining Room, including memorable comments from several noteworthy speakers.

Tours of the Hotel Ponce de Leon, a national historic landmark now home to Flagler College, kicks off its summer schedule today by running tours on the hour starting at 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. each day.

At this year’s annual Alumni Weekend, a luncheon on Friday, May 17 recognized the Charter Classes and a ceremony on Saturday, May 18 honored 50 alumni of distinction.

Cathy (Forson) Rhoten '72, Nancy Sirmons '72, and Steven Shafer '03 were inducted as the 16th class of the Flagler College Athletics Hall of Fame Thursday evening at a banquet sponsored by Carrabba's Italian Grill at the Virginia Room in the Ringhaver Student Center. The event is part of the College's annual Alumni Weekend.

After excelling at the Florida chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda, FBLA-PBL, state leadership conference, four students from Flagler College-Tallahassee will travel to San Antonio, Texas. They will compete against more than 1,800 of America’s best and brightest college students at the PBL National Leadership Conference on June 24–July 2.

Flagler College Hospitality and Tourism Management program Director and Assistant Professor Zach Cole, Ph.D., was recently honored with an award on behalf of Flagler at the annual State of the Tourism Industry Celebration. The event, which is hosted by the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau, VCB, was held at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort.

Approximately 400 Saints will return to their alma mater May 16 to 19 and reconnect with their Flagler family during the college’s annual Alumni Weekend.

Angela Brav, a hospitality industry veteran, and Bradley Brown, corporate treasurer for Ally Financial, Inc. are the newest trustees of the Flagler College Board of Trustees. Their tenures will begin on May 23.

The Flagler College baseball team placed three of its members on the All-Peach Belt Conference Teams, which were announced last Thursday evening at the pre-tournament banquet at the First Coast Technical College's Character Counts Conference Center. Aaron Anderson and Robert Girgis earned first-team honors while Sean Lawlor took home second-team accolades. Anderson was the recipient of the Elite 15 Award presented by the Education Advisory Board (EAB).

On May 4, three Flagler College students attended the district American Advertising Federation awards, the ADDYs, for their work on various advertising campaigns. The ADDYs is the largest awards competition in the industry and is highly regarded as the most difficult advertising award to earn, recognizing excellence and the highest creative standards in advertising.

The Crisp-Ellert Art Museum (CEAM) and Flagler College announced the third bi-annual Juried Alumni Exhibition, opening with a reception for the artists on Friday, May 17 in conjunction with Alumni Weekend. The opening reception will take place from 5-7 p.m., with a special performance by artist Kevin Mahoney, Class of 2014, at 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and the exhibition will continue through June 14.

Flagler College handed out diplomas to 422 seniors on Saturday at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, including 36 locals from St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach. In the spirit of the day known as ‘Star Wars’ day, President Joseph G. Joyner greeted the graduates by saying, “I know where my force comes from, and I hope you find yours too.”

On Monday, April 29, Flagler College recognized seven employees who have announced their retirement. The Presidential Address and Farewell Ceremony was immediately followed by a reception in the Solarium.

Two recipients for the Fall 2019 semester have been chosen for the newest Flagler scholarship, the LEAD Fund. Selected incoming male students will receive funding in the form of a scholarship as well as support through the LEAD Fund mentorship program. The mentorship component will pair each student with a member of the advisory board for monthly mentorship sessions.

Pauline Tainton, ’19, was accepted to present her paper, titled “The Tidepod Challenge – Crisis Turned Into Success,” at the 29th Annual SSCA Theodore Clevenger Undergraduate Honors Conference. This undergraduate conference focuses on the study and practice of communication. It took place April 3-7 in Montgomery, Ala.