LSU Alumni Magazine Winter 2025-26

A Winning Team for LSU’s Future Proven leaders will guide the next era of excellence and impact

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At LSU, we build teams that win, and November 4, 2025, marked a historic moment for the LSU enterprise as the Board of Supervisors named a new team of proven leaders to guide the university system and flagship campus into its next great era of excellence and impact.

Dr. Wade Rousse was named President of the LSU System, and Dr. James Dalton will become Executive Vice President of the LSU System and Chancellor of LSU A&M in Baton Rouge.

As President, Dr. Rousse will focus on aligning and growing all campuses.

“LSU is a tremendous institution and has a globally recognized brand, and I truly believe our beloved university's best days are ahead of us,” Dr. Rousse said.

Dr. Rousse is a Louisiana native who brings decades of experience across higher education, the business world, and deep research in economics. He most recently served as President of McNeese University. In just his first year as President, McNeese achieved its first enrollment increase in 14 years, with a 13% rise in firsttime freshmen and full-campus housing occupancy for the first time in more than two decades. Dr. Rousse secured an $8 million public-private partnership for the Liquefied Natural

Gas Center of Excellence, expanded corporate sponsorships fourfold, and led multimillion-dollar facility naming initiatives.

A first-generation college graduate and Louisiana native, Dr. Rousse earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an MBA from the University of New Orleans, and a B.S. in business from Nicholls State University. His research includes publications in the Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions & Money.

“In the coming weeks and months, we will thoughtfully put leaders in place who will drive progress, accountability, and share our sense of purpose. I will work each day to demonstrate that I am worthy of the trust the Board has placed in me, and I will work to earn the trust of every member of this LSU family,” Dr. Rousse said.

Dr. Dalton will oversee the Baton Rouge campus and lead research efforts across the system—including the LSU AgCenter, Health Centers in Shreveport and New Orleans, and Pennington Biomedical Research Center—with a shared vision of becoming a top 50 research university. LSU’s research enterprise will now report as a unified system, reflecting the collaborative strengths of our institutions.

“I'm excited for this next chapter in my life. I'm excited for this partnership. And more importantly, I'm excited for the future of LSU under our leadership together,” said Dr. Dalton.

Dr. Dalton is an academic leader, researcher, and innovator who has served as the Executive Vice President and Provost at The University of Alabama since 2020. Under his leadership, the university achieved a 60% increase in sponsored research awards. Dr. Dalton led major institutional initiatives to enhance

student success, expand research productivity, and modernize the academic programs. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), Dr. Dalton was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019 in recognition of his contributions to biomedical research and academic leadership.

“I look forward to leaning into what's going on on the Baton Rouge campus, learning what's going on across the state, meeting the leadership of the university, the faculty, staff, and students, and working together with them and Dr. Rousse to lead this great university forward,” Dr. Dalton said.

LSU Board of Supervisors Chair Scott Ballard said the decision to split these two roles had been under consideration since he assumed the role of Board Chair.

“During the search for a new President, it became clear to the Board that these candidates’ unique strengths and shared vision presented an opportunity to strengthen LSU’s leadership structure,” Ballard said. “Individually, their unique strengths advance our mission, ensuring LSU wins at every level — in academics, research, athletics, and service.”

The Board’s action follows a nationwide search guided by the Presidential Search Committee, which included faculty, staff, students, alumni, and business leaders from across Louisiana.

These appointments mark a pivotal moment as LSU continues to strengthen its statewide leadership in agriculture, biomedicine, coastal research, defense, and energy, while expanding research excellence and advancing student success across all campuses.

Rachel Holland

Photo by Eddy Perez

Dr. Wade Rousse and Dr. James Dalton

54 Secret Society Neckwear is nod to clan that perpetuates the tie

Nathan Green started Secret Society Neckwear, whose name is a subtle nod to the idea that those who still wear neckties are in a quiet little club together. Since he didn’t grow up with a lot of money, he said it also pays homage to the alluring appeal of Ivy League clubs and the secret societies around the world.

On the Cover – LSU’s Triple Crown status places it among the top 1% of universities in the country, securing land, sea, and space grants. This distinguished designation takes federal dollars in grants, which the university matches, and reaches out to communities throughout the state with significant economic impact.

Publisher LSU Alumni Association

Joe Carvalhido

President & CEO

John Schiller

Chief of Staff

Sally Stiel

Vice President

Marketing, Travel & Corporate Partnerships

Editor

Chris Russo Blackwood

Editor Emerita

Jackie Bartkiewicz

Tricia Reed

Advertising Sales

Art Director/Graphic Designer

STUN Agency

Kimberly Mackey

Principal/Creative Director

STUN Agency

Chuck Sanchez

Contributors

Barry Cowan, Brian Hudgins, Kate Beske, Rachel Holland, Chloe Richmond, Mitchell Scaglione, Sally Stiel, Jordanne Guerin

Photography

Brandli Greer, Eddy Perez, Sally Stiel, Amy Parrino, Jordanne Guerin

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mark Kent Anderson, Chair Monroe, La.

James G. “Jimmy” Gosslee, Chair-Elect Shreveport, La.

Dr. Mario J. Garner, Immediate Past Chair Spring, Tx.

Dr. Jack A. Andonie, Director Emeritus Metairie, La.

J. Ofori Agboka, Carnation, Wash.

Michael B. Bethea, Madisonville, La.

David Braddock, Dallas, Tx.

Paul Buffone, Baton Rouge, La.

Dr. Corey Foster, Lake Charles, La.

G. Archer Frierson III, Shreveport, La.

Erin Monroe, Baton Rouge, La.

Lauren Olinde Hughes, Houston, Tx.

R. Scott Jenkins, New Orleans, La. Dr. Louis Minsky, Baton Rouge, La. Jeffrey M. Mohr, Baton Rouge, La. Jady H. Regard, Lafayette, La. Bart B. Schmolke, Alexandria, La. Ilene Sheldon, West Hills, Ca. Michael Wascom, Naples, Fl. Michael Woods, Shreveport, La.

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LSU’s Triple Crown status: a source of pride and economic impact

LSU joins the top 1% of this country’s universities as a Triple Crown designee for having land, sea, and space grants.

The Triple Crown is most famously associated with thoroughbred horse racing – awarded to a three-year-old horse that wins the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in one season. It’s a rare achievement with only 13 horses claiming that title since 1875. But, generally speaking, the designation of the Triple Crown is the achievement of winning three top prizes.

LSU’s rare status is celebrated in this issue. We show how federal dollars, matched by LSU, flow through the university and into communities across the state, resulting in an enormous economic impact. LSU reaches out to individual farmers, fishermen, and students, and the effect is tremendous.

Also, in this issue, we capture our LSU Alumni Association’s busy fall, including our Football Friday events, Senior Send Offs, and our annual Golf Tournament. We recognize LSU Athletics Hall of Fame winners and the retirement of Charles Alexander’s No. 4 jersey. Among the academic colleges, there were more celebrations like the Silicon Bayou Gala, the Vet School’s International Exhibition on Animals in Art, and the Ourso College of Business’ Hall of Distinction, all featured in this issue.

As we look forward to the holiday season and the conclusion of 2025, the LSU Alumni Association continues to connect Tigers with Tigers worldwide through many programs and events: Traveling Tigers, the Alumni Business Network, and Networking on the Geaux, just to mention a few. We invite you to join us by becoming a member and/or sponsor.

Wishing all of our alumni and friends a wonderful Christmas and a healthy, Happy New Year!

Geaux Tigers!

Joe Carvalhido President/CEO

LSU Alumni Association

AlumniLSU

lsualumniassociation

The Birmingham Alumni Chapter held a Senior Send Off to welcome new LSU Tigers. Pictured are: Azarea McCaslin, Tatyana Moore, Eva Watts, Bailey Cox, Ja'Maya Dial, and Madison Turner, front row; and Jimmy Sears, Nia Brown, and Ava Howard, back row.

The LSU Carolinas Alumni Association held a Senior Send-Off event, sending some of the newest Tigers off with a roar. Attending the event was special guest Lauren Bernardo, a member of the LSU Swim Team and a freshman last year, who was able to offer tips and advice.

The Greater Houston Chapter welcomed more 80 new Tigers and their families for an unforgettable introduction to the LSU experience at its 13th annual Houston Area Senior Send Off. Students and their parents were greeted by university representatives, volunteers, and Greater Houston Chapter board members, who shared valuable insight into academic programs, student services, campus life, and the many world-class facilities LSU has to offer. On hand were John Schiller, LSU Alumni Association chief of staff, Morgan Lee, director of development, LSU Foundation; Tiambe Kuykendall, and Ursurla Willams, family program council members. Board Members and volunteers present were Callie Barrilleaux, Cathy Brown, Jacob Dorsett, Cheryl Fasullo, Julie Klibert, Marcy and Dave Knox, Jennifer Lindsay, and Laurie Scott. The Send Off is a warm embrace into the LSU Family.

Members of the East Texas LSU Alumni Chapter gathered at Rotolo’s Pizzeria in Tyler, Tx. for a senior send-off that welcomed three new Texas Tigers into the fold.

Jason Grigsby, Mike Moock, Helen Moock, Timera Garrett, C’Yonna Morris, Amy Holland, Donna Parma, Rayven Leadon, Shannon Teagarden, Mike Thomas

Welcome Timera Garrett, C’Yonna Morris (middle), Rayven Leadon

Members of the LSU Denver Alumni Association welcomed a large contingent of incoming LSU freshmen into the fold during their annual Senior Send-off event, held last summer.

The San Diego Alumni Chapter welcomed an array of new Tigers, the Class of 2029, at a Senor Send Off summer event.

The LSU Alumni Chapter of Central Florida held its annual summer Senior Send Off Party at the home of Mark and Dawn Wehrum in Orlando in July. Each incoming LSU Freshman received a Tiger 'Geaux Bag' which included an LSU tumbler and other LSU swag. Jambalaya was served. Students participated in an LSU Trivia game, with prizes awarded. The event was sponsored by a group of local alumni donors and coordinated and attended by alumni board members Paul and Debi West, Kris and Nicole Cowart, and Kathleen Gathers.

Tiger freshmen hailing from the state of Florida were welcomed by members of the Tampa Bay Alumni Chapter at a summer event.

Charles Alexander joined other LSU football greats for the LSU Football Friday luncheon held on the eve of the LSU vs. University of Florida football game, where Alexander’s No. 4 jersey was retired during halftime ceremonies. The event provided guests with momentum toward LSU’s win over the Gators in the first SEC game of the season.

DeSoto Parish LSU Alumni Chapter members gathered at Cypress Bend Resort in Many for their annual golf tournament, which raises funds for future scholarship recipients in North Louisiana. The Dr. Don Taylor Golf Classic was introduced in the early 2000s, and continues to grow each year, bringing alumni and the community together.

Colin Jeter and Jared Mitchell

Shea Dixon and Matt Moscona

Jacob Hester, Matt Flynn, and Matt Moscona

Ricardo Souto, Georgina Souto, Daisy Navarro, and Nestor Navarro

Colin Jeter, Jared Mitchell, Kevin Faulk, and Charles Alexander

Joe Bienvenu, Russel Bienvenu, Dr. Steven Kautz

A trio of former football players – Brad Wing, Russell Shepherd, and Todd McClure – joined sports radio host Hunt Palmer for a lively discussion at LSU Alumni Association’s Football Friday before the LSU vs. the University of South Carolina game. Other guests included Verge Ausberry, LSU athletic director, recruiting expert Shea Dixon, and sports talk show host Matt Moscona and Gordy Rush from Guaranty Media.

Brad Wing, Russell Shepherd, Todd McClure, and Hunt Palmer

Photos by Jordanne Guerin

Jane Verrett, Kristie Daspit, and Sharon Pol

Verge Ausberry and Matt Moscona

Kathy Entes and Doug Compen

Debra Tarter, Kathryn Greene, Pat Stakenborghs, and Peggy Gwynn Poche

Dr. Christopher Butler, Dr. Ashlee Butler, and Karla Schultz

The LSU Alumni Golf Classic Presented by Coca-Cola was held September 8 at the University Club of Baton Rouge, home of the LSU Golf Teams. The tournament, presented by Baton Rouge Coca-Cola, brought alumni, fans and businesses together for friendly competition, networking, and plenty of Tiger Spirit. Sponsors included: TRIAD the Newtron Group, LAVA Technology Services, Campus Federal, Cornerstone, Exigo Technology Services, Faulk & Winkler, Golfballs.com, Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, Mid South Extrusion, Regions, OnSite Concrete Solutions, Schmolke Investment Team, Simpson Sports Engineering, Jerry & Beverly Shea, Staff Pro Workforce Solutions, Stiel Insurance Group, Wesley Construction, Bayou Apparel, Bocock Brothers, Topgolf Baton Rouge, Lauren Hughes and Guaranty Digital Media. Additional food and beverage sponsors included: Beat Box, BRQ, Community Coffee, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Fred’s, Mockler Beverage Bud Light, Phil's Oyster Bar & Seafood Restaurant, Seven Three Distilling, Small’s Sliders, Superior Grill Highland Road, Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux & Zee Zee’s Kitchen & Cocktails.

Chicago Alumni Chapter members joined fellow SEC alums in Chicago at Lincoln Park for the annual SEC Kickball Tournament.

Robert “Bob” Bennett donated his 1973 Class Ring to the LSU Alumni Association for the Class Ring Collection, showcased in the lobby of the Lod Cook Alumni Center. Bennett (1973 BACH AG, 1978 MAST AG) and his wife, Nancy, have been active members in the Alumni Association and loyal supporters of the Association's annual fund and scholarship programs.

The culmination of halftime ceremonies of LSU’s Homecoming Game vs. the University of South Carolina was the introduction of the Homecoming Court and the announcement of the king and queen: T’Senre Gray and Kalayna Walker. Gray is a senior from Lansing, Mi., who is majoring in Construction Management. Walker, a senior from Gilbert, Az., is double-majoring in Communication and Entrepreneurship. These students exemplify what it means to be LSU royalty, leading with heart, pride, and purpose.

Amy Parrino and Robert "Bob" Bennett

Joe Carvalhido, president/CEO of the LSU Alumni Association with members of the Homecoming Court

LSU Interim President Matt Lee; T’Senre Gray and Kalayna Walker, 2025 LSU Homecoming King and Queen; and Mimi Lee

Members of the San Diego Alumni Chapter traveled to Baton Rouge to present a check for $105,000 to the Alumni Association for its scholarship fund. On hand to receive this generous donation were Joe Carvalhido, LSU Alumni Association president/CEO, and Amy Parrino, LSU Alumni Association senior vice president of scholarships and planned giving.

The Baton Rouge Alumni Chapter hosted its Sports Kickoff at the Tiger Stadium Suites to usher in all of the new sports seasons. Guest speakers included coaches from a variety of LSU Athletics teams, who energized the crowd in preparation for another outstanding year of LSU sports.

LSU Golden Girls got the crowd into the spirit

Sharon Pol; Bennie Brazell, LSU assistant track coach; and Debbie Heroman

Glenn and Jenny Kidder, Sonja Laborde, Tracy Jones, and JP Chaze

A large crowd gathered for LSU coaches’ inspiring remarks

Mike the Tiger was on hand

Joe Carvalhido, Kelly Hellman Nowakowski, Kevin Hellman, Amy Parrino, Karen Brack, and Bill Brack

Leo Hamilton honored With Golden Deeds Award

Leo Hamilton, former board chair of the LSU Alumni Association and longtime board member, was presented with the Golden Deeds awards in November.

The Golden Deeds Award is sponsored by The Advocate newspaper and the Inter-Civic Council of Greater Baton Rouge to honor a recipient who has been outstanding in making the community a better place to live and work.

Hamilton began his path of community service while still an undergraduate student at LSU, working with the Consumer Protection Center of Baton Rouge, a local nonprofit. After graduating from LSU Law School in 1977, Hamilton worked on the staff of the legislative counsel for both the state Senate and House of Representatives.

When the two governmental bodies’ work was separated, Hamilton became legal counsel for the Senate Committee on Labor, then for the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. He was named the assistant secretary of the Office of Labor under Gov. Buddy Roemer.

After more than two years in the position, Hamilton left to practice law with the small firm of Blache, Perkins and Koch. It later merged with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, where Hamilton is now an attorney.

Hamilton is a founding member of both the Baton Rouge chapter of 100 Black Men and the local Young Leaders Academy. He has also volunteered with Big Buddy, a youth mentoring program.

He also served three consecutive three-year terms, and as president in one of those terms, on the board of trustees of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, known as FranU, which went from being solely a nursing school to a university offering multiple degrees, including master’s and doctorate programs.

Hamilton and his wife, Gwendolyn Patterson Hamilton, who has worked with many nonprofits, have three daughters and a granddaughter.

Hamilton, a member of the LSU A Cappella Choir as an undergraduate, was part of a lunch conversation resulting in the River City Jazz Coalition, which partners with the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge to bring a jazz performance series to the city every year. Next year, the coalition marks 20 years.

Leo Hamilton

By Lauren Giffen

LSUAA Advancement Corner

At the LSU Alumni Association, we believe in the power of Tigers supporting Tigers. Through sponsorships, partners help us build meaningful programs, expand our reach, and create unforgettable experiences for alumni, students, and fans across the globe. As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, we’re proud to offer a variety of unique sponsorship opportunities that put your brand in front of Tiger Nation while supporting LSU Alumni’s mission.

SIGNATURE EVENTS

• Tiger Nation Challenge – Our annual giving campaign brings Tigers worldwide together in support of the LSU Alumni Association. Sponsoring this event provides direct visibility with thousands of alumni engaged in philanthropy.

• Coast to Coast Crawfish Boils –These beloved springtime gatherings connect alumni in cities nationwide. Sponsors can connect with LSU fans through signage, digital promotion, and on-site activations.

• LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction –This prestigious annual gala awards honorees with the highest distinction for an LSU Alumnus. This sponsorship offers an elegant platform to align with excellence and tradition.

NETWORKING & ENGAGEMENT

• Networking on the Geaux Series – Hosted in cities across the country, these events bring Tigers together for professional development and alumni connections. Partners gain exposure with LSU professionals in top markets nationwide.

• Football Fridays – On-campus lunchtime celebrations at the Lod Cook Alumni Center during football season attract hundreds of fans each weekend. Sponsors benefit from brand presence in the heart of Tiger Game Day.

TRAVELING WITH THE TIGERS

• Traveling Tigers & Tailgates – Our away-game travel program provides premium experiences for alumni and fans on the road. Sponsorships include on-site visibility, hospitality opportunities, and brand alignment with loyal travelers.

DIGITAL & MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS

• Social Media Partnerships – With a combined reach in the tens of thousands across multiple platforms, digital sponsorships allow brands to reach Tiger Nation directly where they scroll, share, and celebrate the spirit of LSU.

• LSU Alumni Quarterly Magazine – Distributed to alumni worldwide, this publication showcases LSU’s impact while offering advertising and sponsored content opportunities for brand exposure and storytelling.

• LSU Alumni Business Network –Dedicated to supporting Tigerowned businesses, this initiative highlights partners and encourages Tigers to shop and support fellow alumni.

STUDENT & CAMPUS PROGRAMMING

• Sponsorships directly impact student experiences, from leadership workshops and career development programs to campus events that keep students engaged with the association and to learn how it can support them in future career endeavors. Sponsoring these efforts ensures the next generation of Tigers continues to thrive.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026

As we move toward 2026, we will expand and elevate these opportunities, offering more creative ways for partners to connect with LSU alumni and friends worldwide. From national events to local chapter programming, your sponsorship directly fuels our mission and extends your brand’s reach within one of the most passionate alumni bases in the country. Partner with the LSU Alumni Association and make your mark on Tiger Nation. Together, we can create experiences and traditions that will inspire generations of future Tigers.

For more information on sponsorships and events, please contact Lauren Giffin, Vice President of Development at lauren@lsualumni.org.

LSU Welcome Week

The LSU Alumni Association was excited to participate in several events to welcome students to campus for the fall term. Such great energy surrounded Welcome Week and these events, including First Day of School photos, Twilight Ceremony, the President’s Hat Bar, and Family Weekend. With all of the students back, the campus is truly alive.

TRIPLE CROWN DESIGNATION: LSU IS A LAND, SEA, AND SPACE

GRANT UNIVERSITY

A

BY CHRIS RUSSO BLACKWOOD

conduit that allows federal dollars to flow through the university to impact individuals and the state's economy directly

LSU allocates federal and universitymatched dollars to make a significant economic impact throughout Louisiana, thanks to its unique status as a land, sea, and space grant university. Although these are three very distinct programs, there are common threads.

“It’s the most effective way for federal dollars to have an impact back home,” says Robert Twilley, LSU vice president for Research and Economic Development. “I’m a firm believer in universities building that conduit between the national agenda and developing what the state needs. You get so much more out of that federal dollar back home because these are partnerships with specific federal agencies.”

ROBERT TWILLEY

LSU vice president for Research and Economic Development

Twilley adds that all three programs serve as pipelines for workforce development. Each is managed by a different federal agency: land grant by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); sea grant by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and space grant by NASA. One major difference is the size and scope.

The scale of the land grant, established by Congress through the Morrill Act in 1862, is significant. The LSU AgCenter has locations in all 64 Louisiana parishes.

“It places LSU statewide,” says Twilley. “We are a statewide university because of the Extension Service and research stations throughout the state. The No. 1 economic impact is through our rice varieties and the production of rice.”

Louisiana is the third-largest riceproducing state, behind California and Arkansas, and is always in contention to be the No. 1 sugar cane producer.

“A lot of people don’t realize the significance of the forestry program in Louisiana,” says Twilley. “Most of our

forests are privately owned. It is really fascinating now that, due to the chemistry, wood is being used to develop all these new products in new areas to fuel our energy needs. Researchers are breaking down the chemistry of wood and putting those molecules into different kinds of fuel.”

When you say land, sea, and space grants, that means LSU is a leader in having national impact and impact at the state level where it affects people’s lives.”

LSU was designated by Congress as the nation’s thirteenth Sea Grant College in 1968. While smaller, Louisiana Sea Grant is no less significant, as it supports the fishing industry in Louisiana, which ranks as the nation’s second-largest commercial fishing industry (behind Alaska) and the second-largest sports fishing industry (behind Florida). There are nine extension offices, including an oyster hatchery in Grand Isle, extending into 13 parishes. Because of its emphasis on coastal erosion, Sea Grant dollars also help communities design projects to help reduce their flood exposure, and in some cases, even help reduce the cost of flood insurance.

“One of the most important things is helping the fishing industry deal with federal regulations,” explains Twilley, who headed up Louisiana Sea Grant for nine years. “Most significant was the turtle exclusion device – the hottest

federal regulation we had to deal with. We tried to help shrimpers learn how to insert those devices properly so they don’t get fined. It’s a free program through the extension service. We go onto the boats and show them how.

“They would flounder with all the federal regulations and not be innovative,” he says, adding that there are so many regulations because most waters are public and federally owned and managed. “Innovation is the key to today’s economy. No one is more familiar with margins than farmers and fishermen. That margin is connected to innovation, and that innovation is connected to LSU. Innovation requires a huge amount of overhead. LSU has taken that burden of overhead and offers it for free to farmers and fishing communities.”

Twilley adds that LSU even hired an agent fluent in Vietnamese who could translate outreach products into Vietnamese to reach that sector.

The cooperation between LSU’s AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant is unusually synergistic. They work together with rice and crawfish farming operations. And, with Louisiana Sea Grant, there’s more than traditional fishing; there’s oysters, alligators, and crawfish, with that production being No. 1 in the nation.

Finally, the LSU Space Grant Program, officially designated in 2005 and managed by the Louisiana Space Grant Consortium (LaSpace), is a different animal, says Twilley.

“It’s much more of an academic program; it does not have an extension service. It has a really strong impact

on our students and the research for faculty, and also funding for students, both graduate and undergraduate.

“In some respects, we have an outreach program. We go into schools to help build high school STEM programs. But the program is very much dedicated to NASA to build a pipeline of engineers, mathematicians, and scientists starting at the high school level. Space used to just be NASA. Now, we’re helping to build workforces for all these companies that have their own space operations.”

All three of these grant partnerships are under constant review, with performances conducted regularly.

“The partnerships granted to land, sea and space are almost immeasurable,” says Twilley. “We have more of an impact on national strategies,” says Twilley. “It broadens our impact. And, we affect people’s lives directly.”

It’s the most effective way for federal dollars to have an impact back home. I’m a firm believer in universities using that conduit to build a relationship between the national agenda and developing what the state needs. You get so much more out of that federal dollar because these are partnerships with specific federal agencies.”

LSU: A LAND GRANT UNIVERSITY LSU-LED TEAM WINS $7M E-RISE AWARD FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

BY ELSA HAHNE

First E-RISE grant to Louisiana will create jobs and solutions to transform agricultural wastes into liquid fuels for transportation, opening new revenue streams for Louisiana’s farmers and the state’s chemical industry.

The latest big energy win for LSU and Louisiana leverages both of the state’s leading industries and core research priorities for LSU—energy and agriculture.

“This extraordinary award, $7 million, shows how LSU researchers are creating solutions that support Louisiana’s economy, our farmers, and most important industries,” LSU Interim President Matt Lee said. “We continue to build strong teams that bring innovation and jobs and allow us to do what we do best—win for Louisiana.”

“Through this team’s research, Louisiana will make more diesel, jet fuel, and gasoline using biomass,” said John Flake, associate vice president of research and a professor of chemical engineering at LSU. “This is a natural fit for Louisiana for two reasons. We are kings of biomass, and we have the capacity to refine, blend, and ship liquid fuels. All huge advantages.”

LSU’s statewide team is led by Ingmar Schoegl, associate professor of mechanical engineering in the LSU College of Engineering, in partnership with Dorin Boldor, professor of biological and agricultural engineering in the LSU AgCenter with a joint appointment in the LSU College of Engineering. Education and research partners include Louisiana Tech University, Southern University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and River Parishes Community College, all of which already collaborate on research and workforce development as part of the LSU-led $160 million FUEL project, also funded by the

National Science Foundation (NSF) and announced last year.

The LSU-led team will transform biomass and electricity into liquid fuels for transportation and train a bigger workforce to support bio-electric fuel technologies.

While FUEL works to position Louisiana as the world’s energy leader by helping the state produce more energy and more globally competitive chemicals and fuels, the team led by Schoegl is specifically focused on new ways to create liquid fuels from agricultural waste. Both projects leverage Louisiana’s plants, pipelines, ports, and people to drive energy innovation for economic impact.

Most of the state’s chemical manufacturing plants are located along the Mississippi River, which theoretically could collect more than 40% of the nation’s agricultural wastes by barge to Louisiana for processing into high-value liquid fuels. In Louisiana, the state’s leading producers of sugarcane, timber, and lumber could integrate new fuel production facilities with their existing processing plants and use their residual biomass to make fuels they can either sell or use in their own operations.

“This is all about linking up agriculture and the chemical industry here in Louisiana and turning waste into value,” Schoegl said. “Louisiana is like a switchboard with all the pipelines we have that distribute fuel across the country. So, we already have the existing infrastructure to make this work, and the Mississippi River that

If you ride by any one of our 11 raw sugar mills throughout Louisiana, you’ll see mountains of sugarcane bagasse that has collected over the years. In total, about three million tons are added each harvest season. Bagasse is a waste product and expensive to move, and wherever it goes, it costs money to store or takes land out of production. This research project led by LSU to turn bagasse into fuel could make our state’s number-one row crop industry even more sustainable and profitable to keep us producing for another 200 years.”

Atticus Finger, director of research for the American Sugar Cane League

can transport products very efficiently. Basically, this is the most logical place to perform this research and make it practical and profitable for industry to use while educating a larger technical workforce to run it all.”

“The beauty of this project is that we couple two seemingly separate

industries to create a new generation of products that can be used in the petrochemical industry in Louisiana,” Boldor said. “All the state’s sugar mills generate mountains and mountains of sugarcane bagasse, which is their leftover product. And it’s just sort of sitting, in the open field, because they can’t use it for anything—only a small fraction is used to power their operations during harvesting season. So, this is ripe for us to use as feedstocks in our processes, improved by the electrochemical technology that is being developed here at LSU.”

E-RISE is an acronym for EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence. The full name of the NSF award is E-RISE RII, where the last three letters stand for Research Infrastructure Improvement, which includes teambuilding. LSU’s statewide team represents a wide variety of disciplines, from chemistry and chemical engineering to agriculture, computational modeling, and economic analysis.

“Joining this team marks a significant milestone for our institution,” said Donovan Thompson, dean of River Parishes Community College’s Energy Sciences Division and executive director of its Energy Partners for Innovation and Collaboration (EPIC) consortium. “Together with LSU and our partners, we’ll develop cuttingedge course modules and workshops

focused on bio-electric fuel technologies—a field entirely new to our college’s curriculum—and provide students with hands-on, work-based learning experiences to prepare them to be leaders in the rapidly evolving energy expansion.”

The novelty of Schoegl’s team’s research will be to combine electrochemical processing with biomass pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is the heating of an organic material, such as biomass, in the absence of oxygen. You typically get three products: a gas, a liquid, and a solid char residue. The liquid is usually separated into two fractions—a lighter part made up of mostly water, acids, and alcohols, and a heavier, oily part that is similar to petroleum. Historically, makers of biofuel or biodiesel have burned the gas, purged the light liquid, and used only the oil, with the char residue being discarded or added to soil. Schoegl’s team, meanwhile, will allow liquid fuels to be made from the gas and both parts of the liquid, while the char, which has a high carbon content, could be converted into other types of products.

DORIN BOLDOR professor of biological & agricultural engineering in the LSU AgCenter

INGMAR SCHOEGL associate professor of mechanical engineering in the LSU College of Engineering

LSU: A SEA GRANT UNIVERSITY

HEALTH OF ALGAE BLOOMS TIED TO HEALTH OF

SEAFOOD INDUSTRY AND INDIVIDUALS

DR. SIBEL

BARGU ATES Professor in the LSU College of Coast and Environment

KRISTI TRAIL Executive director of Pontchartrain Conservancy

Scientific research is best compiled when collaboration is involved, and for a sea grant university like LSU, working together is a core piece of its foundation.

Kristi Trail, executive director of Pontchartrain Conservancy, is an LSU alumna who graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering in 1996 and 1998, respectively.

Trail oversees day-to-day operations for the Pontchartrain Conservancy, an institution that focuses on all things water and the 16 parishes that comprise the Pontchartrain basin. This includes algae, something that’s very prominent around the Gulf Coast.

During her time at LSU, a professor of Trail’s introduced her to Dr. Sibel Bargu Ates. Dr. Bargu Ates has a bachelor's degree in biology from Istanbul University, and a master’s

BY CHLOE RICHMOND

degree in chemical oceanography and a doctorate degree in biological oceanography from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Toward the end of 2006, Dr. Bargu Ates made her way to LSU. She’s currently a professor for LSU’s College of Coast and Environment in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences. Aside from her teaching duties, she also heavily researches and studies harmful algae blooms, coastal work, estuaries and Lake Pontchartrain.

“I study those blooms and what promotes their abundance, what type of toxin they produce and what might be the impact on organisms and also human health,” Dr. Bargu Ates said. “I’m studying the human impact, as well as climate change.”

Not every species produces toxins, but they can be “small but mighty,”

Dr. Bargu Ates said. This is one of the reasons why this research is so important, because we can’t know for sure what’s safe and what’s not unless we study it.

Algae has its positives, as it provides the Earth with much of its oxygen supply and provides vital nutrients and antioxidants for the environment. Sometimes, there’s too many nutrients present once algae blooms start to spread, and this is when it becomes an issue.

When an abundance of algae is present in a body of water, there’s an overflow of nutrients that may lead to algae dying. This poses a problem because when nontoxic algae starts to die, it leads to limited oxygen production.

Dr. Bargu Ates explained that “nutrients are wonderful if there are not too many,” but due to the Mississippi River’s proximity to Louisiana and how other states contribute nutrients to the river, it leads to the coast of Louisiana and can have “negative environmental consequences for organisms.”

Water organisms can suffocate because of this, which leads to the creation of hypoxic zones. Hypoxic forces organisms in a specific area to abandon it because of the lack of oxygen, which can have negative impacts on communities that thrive from catching fish.

These human impacts are what Dr. Bargu Ates mainly studies. She said LSU has played a huge role in her research, especially when she first joined staff.

“They immediately helped me to develop these projects,” Dr. Bargu Ates said. “I received one of my first

grants from Louisiana Sea Grant to be able to start the work, which was awesome. Whenever I needed additional support, they were always there [and] supported me.”

Dr. Bargu Ates started studying Lake Pontchartrain in 2008 and Trail became the executive director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy in 2016. A few years ago, they came together to discuss their research regarding Lake Pontchartrain and algal blooms. This is when they decided it’d be a good idea to open the conversation up to other researchers around the state.

“LSU has all these amazing resources,” Trail said. “[Dr. Bargu] and I got to talking and said, ‘There are so many people interested in algae in South Louisiana, studying it, researching it.’”

Because many stakeholders and researchers from other universities and around the state have previously reached out to Trail and Dr. Bargu, they knew it’d be beneficial to bring everyone together to share research and findings. So, they organized and hosted a meeting with help from the university in April to do just that.

Prior to the meeting earlier this year, Dr. Bargu and Trail organized a session once before. It really only consisted of the Pontchartrain Conservancy and Dr. Bargu’s LSU team, Trail said, and it occurred in February 2020. The meeting in April was far larger than that.

“We really just wanted to do some information sharing,” Trail said. “We had about 50 people in attendance, almost all local. Name the university, they were there. State agencies, federal agencies… we had a really good spread.”

With Louisiana being a state so dependent on the fishing, toxic algae can have a great impact on the state’s economy.

“Understanding what algae is, where it comes from, and what potential impacts it may have on those of us that use our waterways in Louisiana [is important],” Trail said. “That’s exactly why all of the researchers’ research is so important. The point of the meeting was to understand who is studying what. What are the folks at UL looking at, what are the folks at LSU looking at, the folks at Tulane and UNO?”

The meeting Trail and Dr. Bargu Ates organized earlier this year was one for the history books, and their plans for collaboration and innovation with scientific leaders around the state will only continue to grow. With everyone coming together to share knowledge and identify next steps in unison, algal bloom research overall will keep improving, especially thanks to the support of LSU.

“I really want to thank LSU for hosting us for the event,” Trail said. “We were happy to sponsor it and partner with LSU on it and hope that we can continue to work with [them] as a proud LSU alum.”

“The rest of America consumes seafood from Louisiana, Dr. Bargu Ates said.“The health of the seafood that we share with our people in the nation, in our state, needs to be safe… We need to remediate that to make sure that whoever loves the seafood, they will get clean and healthy seafood that they consume… People eat oysters, shrimp and all of these lower trophic level organisms [that] are prone to get these toxins [from toxic algal blooms].

HINKEL LITTLE STAR

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR PUTTING GALAXY’S

SMALLEST STARS IN FOCUS

BY BRIAN HUDGINS

To understand the universe’s smallest stars, Dr. Natalie Hinkel embraced a big-picture view.

Hinkel, assistant professor of Physics & Astronomy, is the principal investigator of a mission proposal to obtain funding through the NASA Pioneers Program. The mission involves building and launching a highresolution spectrograph that would fly around Antarctica and measure the galaxy’s smallest stars, known as M-dwarfs. “These stars are so small, they are pretty much at the limit of having fusion in their interiors,” Hinkel said.

Hinkel is trying to measure the composition of M-dwarf stars, which is incredibly difficult to do from the ground. The ultimate goal is to better understand the interior makeup of small planets to determine if they might

be habitable. It’s not currently possible to measure the composition of planets outside our solar system. Since stars and planets are formed at the same time and from the same materials, we can use the composition of the star as a proxy for what’s in the planet.

Hinkel’s initial interest in stars strengthened during her late high school and undergraduate days in Ohio. Instead of focusing on a single star or planet, Hinkel examined how they all work together. She obtained a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and did an internship at UCLA. “I realized what I really wanted to do was study the chemistry of stars,” Hinkel said. “When I started applying for grad schools, I looked specifically to research the composition of stars.”

Considering her parents are scientists (Earth science and geology),

Photos by Eddy Perez

it became easy for Hinkel to see a career path. “I wanted to make sure what I did was my own choice and that I had a passion for it,” she said. “Even before coming to LSU, I was a research scientist with no teaching (element). I wanted to see what that path was like.

Hinkel’s path to Baton Rouge teamed her with many scientists at Southwest Research Institute, Indiana University, University of Texas at Austin, and partnering with StarSpec. Their effort to determine which planets are inhabitable requires bridging astronomy, biology, geology, and other sciences. The size of M-dwarfs and interference from the Earth’s atmosphere make them difficult to examine from Earth. “These really small M-dwarfs shine not in the optical light, but in the infrared,” Hinkel said. “We know very little about these M-dwarfs because we have to get above Earth’s atmosphere to observe their composition. It’s not a picture-taking process. We are looking at their spectra at different wavelengths.”

The funding Hinkel and her team have applied for would necessitate building an instrument from scratch, which will take a few years. Around the end of year three, tests are done in New Mexico to make sure everything is working and proper data is being obtained. Then the research instrument comes crashing back down to Earth. Hinkel and her peers recover it, put

it back together, and send it down to Antarctica. “We would launch sometime around December in the last year of the project to get as much data as possible,” Hinkel said. “We expect to get 300 stars and measure the composition of 12 elements, which is way more than we have ever done from the ground before.”

The testing – which uses instruments with parachutes – is a vital low-cost step between using a ground-based telescope or a satellite. The instrument crash and rebuild is tough emotionally on team members. “There is a joke in the field that ballooning kind of breaks your heart because it’s so difficult to do, but it’s also such an important function,” Hinkel said.

The balloon usage enables researchers to test everything and make sure it works before expanding to something much more expensive. “Satellites can be anywhere from $50 million to $250 million,” Hinkel said. “Balloons can be anywhere from $5 million to $20 million. You test out instrumentation and data techniques –a lot of important work that would be so difficult to do off a satellite – expensive and time consuming.”

Hinkel is in her third year at LSU. She calls herself a planetary astrophysicist because she tries to connect stars and their planets. She enjoys the interdisciplinary approach that includes communicating with

DR. NATALIE HINKEL assistant professor of Physics & Astronomy and JOSEPH SHULZE Postdoctoral Researcher

people in the Department of Geology and Geophysics. There is a lot of overlap and collaboration examining the interior structures of Earth and other solar system bodies, which is directly applicable to Hinkel’s study of exoplanets. Undergraduates and gradiuate students are also a vital part of the team. A handful of them work with Hinkel on one of her long-standing, cherished research projects.

Hinkel is both the architect and maintainer of the Hypatia Catalog database, the largest non-NASA database covering elements inside of stars with and without planets. The project is a product of Hinkel’s dissertation. She compiled data in 2010-12 and published a paper in 2014. Dr. Caleb Wheeler is the developer for the Hypatia Catalog website, database, API, and science-data pipeline.

Hinkel’s LSU team – Dr. Joseph Schulze, two grad students (Kameron Gausling and Caroline Davis) and one undergrad (Abigail Reynolds) – form the Rock Stars Research Group. They assist on projects surrounding the catalog which started with 4,000 stars and now has accessible data on more than 13,000. Hinkel’s endeavors at LSU and beyond started with a big universal picture.

“Stars are a big ball of gas,” Hinkel said. “That gas collapses on itself, a star explodes and sends material all over the universe. That cycle is so cool!”

Around CAMPUS

Pamela Blanchard, an associate professor in the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education, received the Davidson Award for Individual Stewardship Achievement from the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation for her substantial contributions to coastal resiliency, education, awareness, and stewardship.

Willis Delony, LSU Boyd Professor of Piano and Jazz Studies, was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame for his dedication to excellence in music education.

Lake Douglas, professor emeritus of landscape architecture, has been awarded the Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF)’s Stewardship Excellence Award in recognition of his “inspiring, determined, and passionate advocacy on behalf of the cultural landscape legacy of New Orleans, the State of Louisiana, and the Gulf South, and commitment to promoting the profession of landscape architecture.”

Tracy Evans, executive director of development at the LSU Foundation, has been named the new development lead for the LSU College of Art & Design.

LSU Computer Science & Engineering Assistant Professor Umar Farooq recently received a nearly $300,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) SaTC CORE award for his groundbreaking research project, which tackles a critical challenge in today's digital age: helping users find mobile apps that meet their needs without compromising their privacy. This competitive award will allow Farooq

Noteworthy

and his team to develop a novel genre of privacy-aware recommender systems to guide safer app choices.

Mette Gaarde, Les and Dot Broussard Alumni Professor, LSU Department of Physics and Astronomy, was named a Boyd Professor, the highest academic honor bestowed upon faculty members.

John Maxwell Hamilton, Hopkins P. Breazeale LSU Foundation Professor, Manship School of Mass Communication, was named a Boyd Professor, the highest academic honor bestowed upon faculty members.

Steven Heymsfield, professor of Metabolism and Body Composition, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, was named a Boyd Professor, the highest academic honor bestowed upon faculty members.

Michael Khonsari, Dow Chemical Endoweld Chair and profefssor in the LSU Deparmtnet of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, was named a Boyd Professor, the highest academic honor bestowed upon faculty members.

Nina Lam, a leading researcher in the field of GIS, or geographic information systems, is the subject of a special issue of Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing Journal co-edited by Jane Read, Lam’s former student and an associate professor of Geography and Environment at Syracuse University, and Michael Leitner, the Carl O. Sauer professor in the LSU Department of Geography and Anthropology. Lam has explored a wide array of interests throughout her

50-year career - from remote sensing to environmental health to sustainability and disaster resilience. Lam serves as the Abraham Distinguished Professor of Louisiana Environmental Studies in the Department of Environmental Sciences.

LSU Computer Science and Engineering Associate Professor Kisung Lee was recently awarded a $569,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to continue his research on efficiently analyzing large-scale graph data in AI.

Alexander Mikaberidze, professor of history, Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair, College of Arts & Sciences, LSU Shreveport, was named a Boyd Professor, the highest academic honor bestowed upon faculty members.

LSU Craft and Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering Assistant Professor Olufemi “Femi” Olorode recently received a $500,000 NSF CAREER Award for his cutting-edge energy research that will improve hydrogen gas storage in solid hydrate structures.

R. Kelley Pace, professor in the LSU Department of Finance, was named a Boyd Professor, the highest academic honor bestowed upon faculty members.

The Consulate General of France in New Orleans decorated Darius A. Spieth, San Diego Alumni Association Chapter Alumni Professor in the LSU School of Art and Design, with the rank of Chevalier (knight) of the Ordre des Palmes académiques, recognizing his distinguished contributions to French culture, scholarship, and

education. The ceremony took place Sept. 9 at the Résidence de France in New Orleans and was presided over by Consul General Rodolphe Sambou.

Dr. Christopher Trapani has been nominated for the Prince Pierre of Monaco Foundation’s International Prize for Musical Composition, widely recognized as one of the most significant honors in contemporary music.

Dr. Allison Young, assistant professor of art history, has been named a 2025-26

Smithsonian American Art Museum research fellow. As a Patricia and Phillip Frost Senior Fellow, Dr. Young will devote her fellowship to her forthcoming book Paper Trails: On Art and History in Plantationocene Louisiana

LSU Online marked a huge milestone ahead of the LSU vs. Florida game, gathering outside Tiger Stadium to celebrate serving more than 30,000 learners across the LSU System. Achievements like this show that LSU Online is more than just programs; it’s a community.

TIGER TRIVIA

1. What two buildings were in the space now occupied by Lockett Hall?

The YMCA building and the The Union and Mike the Methodist Student Center Tiger’s cage

The System Network LSU Press and the Computer Center and the Journalism Building

Print Shop

2. When was the first official Code of Student Conduct issued? 1860 1926 1958 1969

3. When were the first classes in Landscape Architecture offered? 1906 1941 1956 1969

4. Who taught the first classes in Landscape Architecture?

Neil Odenwald Van Cox

Robert Reich Margaret Stones

5. According to the disciplinary rules of 1903, how many demerits would cause a student to be dismissed?

100 in a year 100 in two years

100 in one term 10 in one month

6. Which state universities were once junior colleges administered by LSU?

McNeese and UL-Monroe Southeastern and Northwestern Southern and Louisiana Tech Loyola and Tulane

7. Which offensive scheme did the Tigers use in the 1958 national championship season?

The wishbone The wing-T

The pistol The power-I

8. What event in 1957 delayed the completion of the Main Library? A hurricane An earthquake A flood A steel strike

9. What items of clothing were freshmen required to wear in 1931? A beanie A black armband Black socks All the above

10. What kind of contest was held between freshmen and sophomores at Homecoming in 1931?

A food drive A fashion show A tug-of-war A beauty contest

11. What would happen if the freshmen won the contest above? They could discard their They could get into the football beanies, black socks, game for free and armbands

They could get free drinks The sophomores had to do at the soda fountain their laundry

12. When was the Louisiana Space Grant Consortium established? 1958 1991 2005

Tiger Trivia is compiled by Barry Cowan, assistant archivist, Hill Memorial Library.

Interim President Matt Lee, Kappie Mumphrey, and Mimi Lee

LSU Research Brings Savings to Agriculture, Industry

By Ted Griggs and Grace Myers LSU

LSU researchers develop ‘wettability spray’ – What if farmers could grow more food with fewer chemicals?

What if grease and food manufacturers didn’t have to throw away millions’ worth of botched products?

LSU researchers are turning those “what ifs” into “what’s possible,” helping industry find solutions to their, and the world’s, most pressing problems.

Farmers spend billions each year on fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, yet up to 95% of these chemicals miss their targets. Overspray often washes into waterways or drifts into nearby communities. LSU

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Amy Xu and graduate student Sulochana Mudiyanselage developed a water-based “wettability spray” that makes agrochemicals stick to crops more effectively. Made from some of the same ingredients found in shampoo, the spray increases crop production while lowering costs and waste.

“Cutting pesticide use by just 5% each year would save U.S. farmers more than $1.5 billion,” Xu said.

Grease-monitoring system could save millions – Meanwhile, Mechanical Engineering Professor Michael Khonsari and postdoctoral researcher K.P. Lijesh have patented an automated sensor system that takes the guesswork out of the surprisingly delicate process of making grease. Heating, cooling, and mixing affect the way grease, ketchup, mayonnaise, yogurt, peanut butter, and hot sauce form and flow. Even small variations in temperature or timing can ruin a whole batch.

Traditionally, workers with decades of experience have judged readiness by sight or smell.

The LSU-built system continuously tracks production in real time, predicting the grease’s final consistency and alerting workers if something goes off course.

“LSU’s monitoring system could save the grease industry millions of dollars every year,” Khonsari said.

Xu and Khonsari are both looking for opportunities to field test their inventions with Louisiana partners. To collaborate or license these technologies, contact techlicensing@lsu.edu.

The Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization’s (ITC) mission is to turn university research, creative works, and engagements into meaningful and valuable products. Whether it’s helping a faculty member patent a discovery or negotiate a licensing deal, ITC fosters innovation and drives advances that benefit the residents of Louisiana, the United States, and the world.

Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization

Amy Xu, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry

Leaf on the top has not been treated with ‘wetability spray; leaf on the bottom has been treated, so liquids coat the surface and stick

Michael Khonsari, Dow Chemical Endowed Chair, Mechanical Engineering

Silicon Bayou Gala announces new curriculum, Tech Awards and Future of Technology Fund

Louisiana Technology Award winners

LSU’s Division of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) hosted its inaugural Silicon Bayou Gala at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center in September to bring together entrepreneurs, faculty, alumni, industry leaders, and students in a celebration of technology and innovation across Louisiana.

With tuxedos and gowns alongside robots and student projects, the gala embodied its theme: Code. Culture. Celebration. The gala, hosted by comedian and entertainer Brett Duggan, also launched the Louisiana Technology Awards, created to recognize organizations and individuals shaping Louisiana’s growing innovation ecosystem.

The 2025 award winners were Encore CO2, Fastest Growing Startup; Integer Technologies, Emerging Leader; and MasteryPrep, Best Overall Organization. In addition, LSU CSE unveiled the Silicon Bayou List 2025, spotlighting trailblazing companies and organizations making contributions to the state’s technology sector. Honorees included CodeGig, Office Apps, Integer Technologies, BRBytes, Obney.ai, Trendsic Corporation, MasteryPrep, Encore C02, FarmSmarter.ai, and TraceSecurity.

The gala also celebrated academic excellence within LSU by recognizing faculty and staff for their outstanding contributions in research, teaching, service, and collaboration. Among the highlights were the Order of Thor Medal, a national award presented by the Military Cyber Professionals Association, which was awarded to LSU CSE Professor Golden Richard.

Other honorees included Andrew Webb for Outstanding Collaboration; Aisha Ali-Gombe for Outstanding Service; James Ghawaly as Rising Faculty; Elias BouHarb for Excellence in Research; Anas Mahmoud for Excellence in Teaching; and Nathan Brener for Lifetime Service. Entergy Chief AI Officer Andrew Quick received the LSU CSE Hall of Distinction “Eye of the Tiger” Innovator Award for his leadership in advancing AI and technology.

Caitlyn Coco received the Steel Magnolia Award, which honors individuals who embody strength and grace.

One of the most impactful announcements of the evening was the creation of the Future of Technology Fund, seeded by a $250,000 gift from an

anonymous LSU alumnus. The fund will support LSU students, faculty, and division initiatives, ensuring that Louisiana continues to lead in innovation and research.

The gala also marked the official announcement of LSU’s submission for a new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence (BSc AI).

“The program is designed to be one of the best in the country, preparing students not just to use AI but to build it from the ground up,” said Ibrahim Baggili, LSU CSE chair. “By teaching the principles of artificial intelligence from first principles, LSU aims to graduate students who can create transformative AI technologies while addressing ethical, social, and technical challenges head-on.”

The gala was chaired by Alaina MetzSmith, with Caitlynn Coco serving as Vice Chair and Ali Ghosn as Web Chair.

Jeff Foster, president, Mindcreek; Renea Foster; Felecia Stevens; and Craig Stevens, president, Genesis 365, and CSE board member

Felipe Fronchetti’s robot bartender

Ourso College of Business recognizes outstanding alums

The LSU Ourso College of Business inducted three alumni into its Hall of Distinction and recognized Laust Helmig with the Outstanding Young Alum Award at an October event.

The three outstanding alumni recognized are Kurt Ainsworth, Patrick Evans, and Stephen Toups.

Ainsworth (2004 BACH BUS), co-founder and CEO of Marucci Sports, a global leader in baseball and softball equipment, started the business in his backyard shed in 2004.

Evans (1993 BACH BUS), UBS Financial Services senior vice president and wealth management and senior portfolio manager, co-founded and leads the WTC Investment Group, a Texas-based team managing nearly $750 million in private asset claims.

Toups (1988 BACH BUS), chief executive officer of Turner Industries, who has served 28 years in multiple leadership roles at Turner Industries, is a recognized industry leader. He served as the past chairman of the National Center for Construction Education & Research.

Helmig (2011 BACH BUS), vice-president in Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs in New York, co-leads a team advising ultra-high-net-worth clients, including Fortune 500 executives, private equity and hedge fund principals, entrepreneurs, and business owners.

Kurt Ainsworth Patrick Evans

Stephen Toups Laust Helmig

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION ON ANIMALS IN ART:

Thirteen artists participated in this show, which ran through October at the LSU Veterinary Medicine Library. Animals in Art began in 1987 to highlight the importance of animals in the lives of people and the planet. An opening reception drew more than 100 and featured the music of Dennis Parker, Derryl and Helen Haymon Professor of Cello, School of Music and Dramatic Arts.

The Long Purple Line

A Military History of LSU and the Heroism of Its Cadets and Associates

The Long Purple Line chronicles the military history of LSU from its founding in 1860 through all wars to the present. Author Ronald J. Drez unfolds that history through the actions and testimony of those who were there and who stepped out onto this nation’s battlefields to create a military legend that would rival the famous Long Gray Line at West Point.

As a land-grant university with a military commitment in the form of a Cadet Corps, LSU was destined to become a major contributor of distinguished military personnel in all of this country’s engagements.

LSU formed one of the first federal officer training units and has supplied an impressive array of military officers for all the armed services. During World War II, only West Point, the Naval Academy, and Texas A&M fielded more officers for the war effort. Two generals hailing from LSU would become Commandants of the Marine Corps. And, LSU’s own William T. Sherman’s credentials place him among the top generals in United States history.

As the drama of each chapter’s action unfolds, readers will find themselves caught up in the roar of the battlefield, witnessing moments of gallantry by LSU cadets, alums, teachers, and associates. Drez highlights the extraordinary courage of LSU servicemen and women, a prerequisite on the battlefield and the very essence of the high standard of LSU’s military history and tradition. The book is available at lsupress.org

Laura Wright

Sandra Reeves

Frankie Gould

Around Campus

New LSU degree programs address workforce shortages

DOCS begins new Coastal Meteorology degree program

– The Department of Oceanography & Coastal Science's (DOCS) new Bachelor of Science program, Coastal Meteorology, is designed to help address an urgent workforce shortage – the need for local meteorologists who understand the unique challenges faced by coastal communities in the face of extreme weather.

“Our goal is to be sure our students, both new and those continuing LSU students who switch into our degree program, feel comfortable in the new program and familiar with the resources in place to help them in their path to success,” said Robert Rohli, the program’s director and a DOCS professor. Some 20 students are enrolled in the program, which is offering classes such as Atmospheric Science for the Coast, OCS 1013, taught by Steve Caparotta, WAFB chief meteorologist.

“OCS 1013 is our version of an ‘Intro to Weather’ course — but with a coastal twist. Designed for everyone from future coastal meteorologists to weather enthusiasts, the class explores how the atmosphere works, from solar energy and global circulation patterns to the role of moisture in our climate,” said Rohli. “We’ll also take a closer look at coastal weather hazards like thunderstorms, flooding, and hurricanes — giving students the knowledge to understand better the skies above and the forces that shape life along the coast.”

Another offering is Hurricanes and Typhoons, a Communication Across the Curriculum (CXC) course.

"This course is designed with the idea that students will be able to fully understand all aspects of tropical cyclones, including meteorology, history, climatology, and ecological/societal impacts. In particular, students will have been provided with knowledge that will help them understand global, regional, and local hurricane trends and impacts, while giving them the ability to better tackle hurricane activity when it may affect them personally," said Nicholas Culligan, a DOCS alumnus and adjunct professor who teaches the course.

Students in the program can take advantage of opportunities such as internships with partners like the Louisiana Office of State Climatology and the National Weather Service, and the many research opportunities available throughout the College of the Coast & Environment.

In Caparotta’s class, students were assigned a location on the coast to track its weather throughout the semester. They are also plotting surface weather observations on a map – the same way meteorologists would see them.

Students in Hurricanes and Typhoons are building skills in one of the most crucial areas for a meteorologist: communications.

“This course provides a unique opportunity for students to practice reading, writing, and speaking about scientific material at a technical level, as well as the chance to translate complicated topics for the general public to consume,” said Cullligan. “Reports, presentations, and regular discussions will be had concerning current topics, scientific articles, and documentaries, and students will be expected to read, write, and speak in both technical and everyday language."

WAFB Chief Meteorologist Steve Caparotta teaches Atmospheric Science for the Coast this fall as part of the new Coastal Meteorology program

New Bachelor of Science in Nursing program underway in Baton Rouge – This fall, LSU launched a new instructional site on its Baton Rouge campus for its nationally recognized Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.

The expansion comes as Louisiana faces one of the most urgent nursing shortages in the country. The state is projected to have the 12th largest registered nurse shortage by 2026, and some forecasts estimate a 42% shortfall in nurses by 2030.

LSU Health New Orleans’ School of Nursing is consistently ranked among the top 10 nursing schools in the nation, with graduates serving as health care leaders across Louisiana and beyond.

Baton Rouge pre-nursing students have long expressed a strong preference to complete their nursing degrees without relocating. In a recent survey, a majority of pre-nursing students indicated they would apply to the LSU nursing program if it were offered in Baton Rouge.

“We’re producing more registered nurses with a bachelor’s degree, and this expansion is a key part of ensuring that our pre-nursing students have an option to stay local,” said Demetrius Porche, dean of LSU Health New Orleans.

Students at the Baton Rouge instructional site will receive the same rigorous, high-quality curriculum as those at the New Orleans campus, delivered through a combination of in-person instruction and synchronous distance education.

Clinical training will be provided through secured partnerships with Woman’s Hospital and Our Lady of the Lake, offering students hands-on experience in real-world health care settings. Students will also benefit from highfidelity simulation labs and immersive learning environments that mirror hospital units.

Initial enrollment started with 30 students in the first semester, increasing to 60 in the second, and eventually reaching 90 students. The traditional nursing track spans three years of full-time study, with cohorts admitted each fall and spring. The first Baton Rouge cohort is expected to graduate in May 2028.

New Master’s of Public Health and Epidemiology Program begins – LSU also began a new two-year master’s degree program in public health and epidemiology this fall. Amid rising demand for public health professionals, the program will equip future leaders with the skills needed to address critical challenges in disease prevention, health advocacy, and epidemiologic research across the state.

The program draws on interdisciplinary faculty expertise and strong health care partnerships across LSU campuses and partners, creating a pipeline of professionals ready to respond to Louisiana’s most pressing health needs.

Locker ROOM

By Mitchell Scaglione

Charles Alexander’s No. 4 jersey retired at LSU v. Florida game

LSU former running back Charles Alexander’s No. 4 jersey was retired during halftime festivities of the football game against the University of Florida at Tiger Stadium. The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist played at LSU from 1975 to 1978.

“When the phone rang, I had zero idea what it was about,” he said. “The call knocked me off my feet. I truly did not expect it. The first people I told were my daughters, and then I started reminiscing about the stories, the hard work, and how grateful I was that it finally happened.”

A native of Galveston, Texas, Alexander arrived at LSU as an underrated football player with remarkable speed. In his freshman year, he averaged just 2.8 yards per carry with limited playing time. During the 1976 season, he averaged 5.7 yards per carry, setting the stage for two exceptional seasons in which he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy each year—a feat only matched by LSU legend Billy Cannon.

“When I first got to LSU, I wasn’t sure if I was even a legitimate college running back. But, over time, I started believing in myself. This moment makes all of that worthwhile.”

Alexander joins Billy Cannon, Tommy Casanova, and Jerry Stovall as the fourth player to have his number retired and displayed on the façade in the south end zone of Tiger Stadium. He is also the 15th athlete or coach in LSU Athletics history to have his jersey retired, alongside greats like Shaquille O’Neal, Skip Bertman, and Sylvia Fowles, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September.

“The fans will always remember me,” Alexander said. “It’s an awesome feeling. As long as Tiger Stadium is there, that number will be up there. It’s one of the biggest honors a player can get.”

The first player in SEC history to surpass 4,000 career rushing yards, Alexander claimed twenty-seven school records. He remains third in all-time career touchdowns, with 40, and in career rushing yards, totaling

4,035. In 1979, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Charles Alexander 12th overall. He continued playing in the NFL for seven years, highlighted by an appearance in Super Bowl XVI.

“Playing in Tiger Stadium is incomparable to anywhere else,” Alexander said. “I played all over the country, even in the NFL with the Bengals, but nothing compares. Back then, it was about 70,000 fans, and by my senior year, it expanded to 80,000. That place is electric. If you can’t get hyped to play in that stadium, something’s wrong with you.”

In 1980, after his rookie season, Alexander earned his bachelor’s degree from LSU. When he retired from football in 1985, Alexander worked at the LSU Academic Center for Student-Athletes and the Tiger Athletic Foundation before returning to Texas to work in the oil and gas industry.

“From LSU, I learned that to be successful, you have to enjoy what you do, be consistent, and work hard.” Alexander said. “That mindset shaped everything I did after football.”

Charles Alexander with family and dignitaries at halftime presentation

Charles Alexander views the unveiling of his number at Tiger Stadium

Anthony Hickey joins prestigious Kentucky Basketball Hall of Fame

Former LSU Men’s Basketball player Anthony Hickey was inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame in September. Hickey played for LSU under coaches Trent Johnson and Johnny Jones (1985 BACH MCOMM) from 2011 to 2014 before transferring to Oklahoma State University.

During his time at LSU, Hickey played in 96 games over three seasons, starting in 85 of them. In his final season with the Tigers, he led the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio and ranked 20th in the nation in that category. Hickey finished his LSU career with 216 steals, placing fifth alltime in LSU history.

Ranked tenth all-time in career assists, Hickey totaled 360 over his 96 games played. Throughout his career, the guard had many notable moments, highlighted by two buzzer beaters against Mississippi State. Hickey drove into the lane and scored with 1.4 seconds left in overtime to give LSU a 69-67 win in the PMAC on February 14, 2012. The following year, he hit an eight-foot runner with three seconds left to lift LSU to a victory over Mississippi State on February 2, 2013, in Starkville. Hickey also had eight steals in a game against Texas A&M on January 23, 2013, tying him for the second most in a game. A feat matched by guard Tremont Waters on the same day five years later, in a game also against Texas A&M.

Hickey attended Christian County High School, where in 2011, he led his team to the state tournament at Rupp Arena under the guidance of Head Basketball Coach Kerry Stovall. Hickey and the Colonels advanced to the Sweet 16 thanks to his speed and athleticism. He received All-State First Team honors from the Courier-Journal.

After the season, the Kentucky Lions’ Club named Hickey Mr. Basketball, the highest individual award for high school basketball players in the State of Kentucky. The Kentucky Mr. Basketball is the third-oldest award of its kind in the country and dates back to 1954, when Walter Vernon Hatton received the first award. Hickey became the second player to attend LSU after winning this prestigious award, following in the footsteps of 2003 Mr. Basketball Ross Neltner. Neltner was a Tiger from 2003 to 2005 and was part of a team that participated in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

Hickey built a lengthy career in Europe, playing in various leagues. He is currently with Amici Pallacanestro Udinese, a professional team in Italy.

Hickey finished his LSU career with 216 steals, placing fifth all-time in LSU history.

Anthony Hickey inducted into Kentucky High School Hall of Fame

Anthony Hickey, LSU Basketball player 2011-2014

LSU Athletics Hall of Fame Inducts six new members

“Each of the inductees in our 2025 Hall of Fame class epitomizes athletics, excellence and a commitment to character and integrity.”

The LSU Hall of Fame added six new members at a September event at the Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge.

Two coaches, John Brady and J. Perry Cole, and four student athletes, Rheagan Courville, Ronald Dupree, Cornelia Gayden, and Temeka Johnson, joined 160 other former distinguished Tigers in the Hall of Fame.

Inductees are chosen by the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame Election Board, which selects former student-athletes with national recognition and coaches with significant contributions to LSU Athletics. Candidates must also demonstrate excellent character to complement their academic achievement and hold a college degree.

“Each of the inductees in our 2025 Hall of Fame class epitomizes athletics excellence and a commitment to character and integrity,” said LSU Director of Athletics Scott Woodward. “This prestigious honor is well-earned based on the significant contributions each of these outstanding individuals has made to our university.”

John Brady, LSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach from 1997-2008, guided the Tigers to their third Final Four appearance in school history. During Brady’s tenure, the Tigers secured SEC titles in 2000 and 2006, reaching the Sweet 16 and Final Four, respectively. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in both of those seasons. Brady coached three SEC Players of the Year and four SEC Freshmen of the Year. He remains involved with the basketball program, currently serving as the color analyst for the LSU Sports Radio Network.

J. Perry Cole coached the LSU Men’s Golf Team from 1933 to 1943. During his time, the Tigers claimed five SEC titles and won national championships in 1940 and 1942. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and obtained two degrees from LSU. Throughout his 41-year career, Cole held roles as a mathematics professor, Dean of Student Affairs, and Director of Student Life. He was also instrumental in the construction of the Memorial Tower at the center of LSU’s Campus and in founding the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Photos: LSU Athletics

LSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductees Ronald Dupree, Temeka Johnson, Rheagan Courville, Cornelia Gayden, and John Brady

Rheagan Courville was part of the LSU Gymnastics Team from 2012 to 2015. During her time, she secured consecutive NCAA vault national titles in 2013 and 2014. The Baton Rouge native also won the 2013 SEC all-around championship and earned 23 All-American honors in gymnastics. Academically, she was recognized on the SEC Academic Honor Roll four times before graduating from LSU in 2015. Currently, Courville is employed at GK Elite Sportswear, the company that makes the Tigers’ competition leotards each season.

Ronald Dupree played for the LSU Men’s Basketball Team from 2000 to 2003 and earned All-SEC honors in all three seasons. He led LSU to a regular-season championship in 2000 before the team reached the Sweet 16. Dupree ranks in the Top 10 in both scoring and rebounding, a feat achieved by only Shaquille O’Neal, Rudy Macklin, Bob Pettit, and Tasmin Mitchell. He played six years in the NBA and returned to LSU to earn his degree in 2015. Dupree is one of several former Tigers currently on the LSU Men’s Basketball staff, serving as the team’s general manager.

Cornelia Gayden, a member of the LSU Women’s Basketball Team from 1992 to 1995, holds the No. 1 spot for career three pointers made, 337. She made 105 in the 1994-1995 season alone, the top mark for three pointers made in a single season at LSU. In February 1995, Gayden scored 49 points in a game against Jackson State, a record that still stands as the LSU Record for most points in a game. She graduated from LSU in 1997 and remains No. 4 on the LSU all-time scoring list with 2,451 points.

Temeka Johnson played for the LSU Women’s Basketball Team from 2002 to 2005. During her time, she guided the Tigers to two Final Four appearances in 2004 and 2005. In 2005, she received the Nancy Liebermann Award for the best point guard nationwide and still holds the school’s all-time assist record with 945. She graduated in 2004 and went on to a successful WNBA career, winning Rookie of the Year in 2005 and helping the Phoenix Mercury secure the 2009 championship.

By Kate Beske

Rising country artist’s roots at LSU

Timothy Wayne travels around the country touring with his music while studying at LSU.

When he was younger, growing up in Franklin, Tn., he says his only aspiration was to join the U.S. Marine Corps. Doubt held him back from his desire to sing.

“I’d always wanted to do it, just never thought I could, didn’t have enough faith in myself,” Wayne said.

That changed after he participated in a karaoke competition in his junior year of high school. He says people began supporting him, telling him he should sing, and he started to believe in himself as a singer.

Wayne says his mom talked him into going to Broadway in Nashville, a strip of honky-tonks and eclectic bars representing the musical soul of the city. He got on stage at Legend’s Corner, a live music bar, and performed three songs. When he made the move to go off stage, the crowd asked for one more song.

He chose to sing a cover of “Luckenbach, Texas” by Waylon Jennings, and says that when the first G chord struck, he saw a cowboy ask a lady at the bar to dance. They went to the middle of the floor and started two-stepping.

Wayne says his parents followed them on the dance floor soon after, then some more relatives joined, and

then people began coming in off the street. Then and there, he realized he liked the way it felt, and he wanted to sing.

“It was kinda my aha moment. This is what I really want to do, was that moment right there,” he says.

Another important moment in his music career occurred while recording music with his producer and uncle, Tim McGraw. He says that after producing his first three or four songs, they sat down for lunch. McGraw said he needed to tell him something.

“Your aunt really likes your music, I think she might like it more than mine.”

Wayne said, though it was just his aunt and uncle complimenting his music, from a professional standpoint, they’re some of the best in the business, since his aunt is Faith Hill.

“To hear people that’ve gone to the heights they have say you’re good, we want to support you, you can do this, that was a really impactful moment,” Wayne said.

When he toured LSU during his high school years, he fell in love with the campus. Between that and having family close by, he decided to attend. He says he also felt more at home at LSU than on any other college campus he visited.

A history buff, Wayne chose to study history at LSU. He finds it important to have a backup plan because in music, there are no guarantees.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or who you know or where you come from or where you’re at, you can be at the top one day and at the bottom the next hour,” Wayne said.

Wayne says he’s able to balance his music career with attending LSU because he has a great team. His mom does most of the scheduling because, if it were left to him, he says it would be a “discombobulated mess.” He also couldn’t balance it all without a lot of gasoline, he noted.

LSU ALUMNI’S

GIFT GUIDE

A GUIDE TO SMALL LUXURIES FOR GIVING OCCASIONS

Ames Layne

SPARKLE + EXCITE + UNITE! Designed by LSU Alumna Amy Chenevert, the OG of GAMEDAY EVERYTHING! Shop the thoughtfully designed Hadley clear bag, Original Gleaux Girl Sequin jacket, mix it up with a varietyof fun spirit straps & privacy pouches to make the clear bag policy more FUN to follow! It doesn't stop at the stadium – our travel bags and beach totes all designed to celebrate every special moment, from GAMEDAY to GETAWAY! www.ameslayne.com

Bocock Brothers

Art Of Words

The perfect gift! LSU’s Tiger Stadium handwritten with the date, opponent and score of every win by the Tigers from 1894 thru their 2020 championship game – 812 wins in all! Word artist Dan Duffy handwrites tiny letters and numbers to create images of iconic people, places & moments in history - check out the full collection at artofwords.com!

Celebrate Tiger pride with a gift that speaks of legacy and craftsmanship. The LSU Cigars Bundle combines our 20-count Habano box, Mike the Tiger cutter, and gold-trimmed lighter—scan the QR code and make this collector’s set yours before it’s gone.

Casual Carats

Branded Bills

Show your Tiger pride this holiday season with premium LSU hats from Branded Bills. Crafted for comfort and built to last, each hat features officially licensed LSU designs that let your spirit shine on and off campus. Perfect for gifting or treating yourself—because true fans wear their stripes year-round. Geaux Tigers!

Show your Tiger pride in style with Casual Carats’ officially licensed LSU ring and gameday-approved jewelry. Designed for comfort and sparkle, our rings combine bold team spirit with everyday wearability—perfect for tailgates, holiday celebrations, and beyond. Whether treating yourself or gifting a fellow fan, these unique accessories let you celebrate LSU with sophistication and flair. The ultimate gameday essential! www.casualcarats.com

GCI Outdoors

FOSTER

FOSTER elevates Tiger tradition with timeless style. Discover our officially licensed LSU Mahjong tiles—crafted for spirited game nights—and our collection of luxurious men’s accessories, including silk bow ties, pocket squares, and cummerbunds. Each piece blends collegiate pride with sophisticated design, making the perfect gift for every LSU fan. Celebrate the season with FOSTER.

Get ready to cheer on the LSU Tigers in comfort and style with an NCAA Licensed GCI Comfort Pro Rocker™ Chair. Rep your school while enjoying unmatched comfort with patented rocking technology. gcioutdoor.com/collections/gci-outdoor-x-ncaa-licensed-gear

Haspel

Give the gift of effortless style with Haspel. From timeless seersucker suits to sharp sport shirts and refined accessories and gifts, every piece brings a touch of New Orleans charm and lightweight comfort. Perfect for the man who appreciates tradition with a twist—Haspel gifts are made for good times, great looks, and unforgettable style. #DamnRight

Hedi-Pack

GEAUX ANYWHERE. SHOW YOUR PRIDE. Take your Tiger spirit on the road! Officially licensed LSU hook Velcro patches pair perfectly with our custom backpacks—designed for alumni who never leave their purple and gold pride behind. Whether you're at the airport, on campus, or around the world, rep LSU wherever you geaux.

Backpacks + Patches = Tiger Style That Travels. Get yours now!

Hummer’s Galore

Heritage Gear

Can’t get enough LSU Tigers gear? The Heritage Gear LSU bags and accessories are the perfect addition to your collection. Heritage Gear products are made to last a lifetime. These pieces are perfect to show off your LSU pride. Use Code: GEAUX25 for 25% OFF or scan the QR code.

www.heritagegear.com

Love bird watching? Hummer’s Galore has got you covered! These all glass hummingbird feeders have no rival when it comes to quality and style. Check out the LSU collegiate feeder and all Hummer’s Galore products at chewy.com, amazon.com, wayfair.com or at your local retailers.

Kyle Cavan

JeanTherapy

JeanTherapy is your premier New Orleans area shop for LSU gameday apparel and accessories for women, men, and kids. You’ll find licensed and original-design vintage tees, soft knits, socks, hats, and our signature Hawaiians. We ship nationally, with free shipping for purchases over $100. Woman-owned and in operation for 23+ years, with locations Uptown and in Lakeside Mall. www.jeantherapy.com

From game days to holiday parties, show your Tiger pride in style with the LSU Collection by Kyle Cavan Jewelry. Shop NEW charms and give the gift of LSU this holiday season.

LSU Alumni Gift Shop

Shop for LSU Tigers alumni apparel, gifts, accessories, and more for the whole family! We’ve got everything you need for every season! Visit us in store or shop online for the best purple and gold gear.

Located in the lobby of The Cook Hotel, 3848 W. Lakeshore Dr., Baton Rouge, LA, 70808 lsualumni.org/giftshop

LSU Traveling Tigers Vacations

Whether you’re eager to join one of our signature sports trips, indulge in luxury cruises, explore the world’s natural wonders, or immerse yourself in the cultural richness of select destinations, the LSU Alumni Association offers a diverse range of sports, leisure, and educational travel packages to suit your interests.

Lsualumni.org/traveling-tigers

MiniJerzeys

MANO'S Wine

MANO'S WINE, an officially trademarked partner of LSU, will donate 20% of sales from its LSU Collection back to the LSU Alumni Association. Shop custom-etched graduation, championship collector's series, wedding bottles and more! Shop the Mano's Wine LSU Collection Now!

Geaux Tigers! MiniJerzeys are officially licensed 5″x7″ replicas of LSU gameday jerseys and make the perfect holiday gift. Each includes a hanger for the tree and an acrylic stand for year-round display. With football, basketball, baseball, and marching band designs, these unique collectibles let LSU fans show their spirit at tailgates, parties, sports caves, the office, on wine bottles, or as ornaments. www.minijerzeys.com

Moving Forward Designs

Elevate your game day look with Moving Forward Designs’ exclusive LSU collection. Featuring rhinestone-embellished jackets, blazers, totes, and more, each piece blends luxury fashion with Tiger pride. Perfect for gifting alumni, parents, and fans, our couture-inspired apparel adds sparkle to every celebration. Make this holiday season unforgettable with bold, spirited styles—because LSU pride deserves to shine as bright as you do.

Sky Lotz

Light up your LSU pride with officially licensed Sky Lotz LED Neon Signs and wearable Fan Chain! Hand-built in the USA, each sign features adjustable brightness, premium materials, and free shipping. Perfect for your tailgate, office, or man cave. Elevate your fan experience—because when passion meets performance, Tiger spirit shines brightest. Crafted for fans, by fans.

Stewart Simmons

SoSis

Fierce, fun, and full of color – this exclusive SoSis Signature Tee features the stunning "Tiger King" artwork by the incredibly talented Allison Dillard. With bold brushstrokes, vibrant hues, and metallic gold accents, this design brings the wild to life. Screen-printed to perfection, it's wearable art you won't want to miss. A true standout piece!

Stewart Simmons is a spirited apparel brand redefining game day style with playful prints, bold embellishments, and timeless silhouettes. Made for women, by women, each piece is thoughtfully crafted, empowering fans everywhere to celebrate the community they love with confidence. Every officially licensed design gives back to your university, so you can show off your spirit with pride and purpose—on game day and every day. www.stewartsimmons.com

Two Funny Girls

Show your Tiger pride with our LSU logo and skyline cups! Each 10-count set comes packaged in a bag tied with a bow—perfect for tailgates at Death Valley, hostess gifts, or graduation celebrations. Available in durable plastic or classic disposable styrofoam, these cups work for coffee, cocktails, or any beverage. Ready to ship and game-day approved, they’re the ultimate way to celebrate LSU spirit in style! twofunnygirls.com

Home is Where the Heart Is for designer Olivia Westbrooks

By Chris Russo Blackwood

For Olivia Westbrooks (2004 BACH A&D), home has always been where her heart is.

As a child in Lafayette, she was fascinated by watching The Discovery Channel’s Christopher Lowell transform interior spaces in 30 minutes. With her TOPS scholarship in hand, Westbrooks interviewed for and was accepted as one of 36 students in LSU’s interior design program in the late 1990s. She embraced the intense experience, found her passion for residential design, and, after graduation, moved to Atlanta, where she felt being in a “major city” would give her access to higher-end residential design opportunities.

Laughing about faxing and snail-mailing her resume in those early days of the internet, Westbrooks talked about her early jobs, as a visual production staffer for architect George Reece and as an interior designer for an upscale residential design firm, where she helped design homes in far-flung places in Canada and the Turks and Caicos. Then came the housing crash of 2008, and she lost her job.

In 2009, she started her own business, where she enjoyed the creative freedom that entrepreneurship affords, but quickly realized how much more owning a company entails.

“I was 27 years old and didn’t know what I was doing,” she explains. “I was not much of a salesperson then, and you have to be. It lasted four and a half years.”

By then, Westbrooks was married and one of her two daughters had been born.

“I went to work for a residential builder, which was an amazing experience,” she says. “In the construction world, you are developing communities, model homes, playgrounds and single-family homes.”

Although Westbrooks fell in love with the construction process and all of its jigsaw-like puzzle pieces, she felt stymied by some of the restrictions involved. When the high-end firm where she previously worked called her back, she returned to work there for three more years. Then, another external force –COVID-19 – rocked her world and caused Westbrooks to ponder her and her family’s future.

“By that point, I had 16 years of work experience. I had learned so much and met so many amazing people. The decision to go off on my own was intentional this time.”

Olivia Westbrooks and Luke McFarlane

Luke McFarlane and Olivia Westbrooks

Olivia Westbrooks Interiors is now in its fifth year.

Most of Westbrooks’ trips home to Lafayette are joyful, but on one, where she joined her father at the real estate closing table to sign papers selling their family home, Westbrooks still remembers fighting back the tears.

“It’s who you are: happy in your childhood home, if you’re lucky enough to have one. Ours was built in the 1970s with yellow Dutch ovens. It was very difficult to sell it.”

Less than a year later, Westbrooks received a curious email from Hallmark, asking her to audition for a new reality show being filmed in the greater Atlanta area. Her publicity manager, Erica Tapiarene, followed up. The show, “Home is Where the Heart Is,” takes audiences inside a house that has been inherited or holds special familial meaning, and is overdue for a facelift.

“When she described it to me, I got goosebumps. It felt very personal to me. I remembered how difficult it was to sell my family home. It felt like divine intervention.”

As divine plans go, Westbrooks won the role to star alongside actor Luke Macfarlane, a Hallmark star, after a successful chemistry test Zoom call.

“It was a Tasmanian Devil of an experience,” says Westbrook, explaining they had to design 12 spaces in 10 days. They were on camera on Day 11.

“TV is a completely different world. The part felt very natural to me – problem solving, dealing with clients. Learning how to be a personality on TV took time. Luke was great. He’s a Juilliard-trained actor who learned to be unscripted.”

The show began airing in February and all six episodes are now streaming on Hallmark Plus.

Westbrooks’ favorite episode features a young woman living in her family home after her father died from COVID complications.

“I could tell how badly she needed closure. She needed to make this house hers. And, her dad was in the Navy, my dad was in the Navy. We’re both Daddy’s Girls.” Because Westbrooks loves the creative process, she began painting several years ago, which led to more opportunities. One of her landscape paintings is featured on Episode 2 of “Home is Where the Heart Is.” Another was chosen for an Interior Design Show Home in Atlanta.

Westbrooks’ husband, Michael, and daughters, Mya and Morgan, also paint. By the end of 2024, Westbrooks was exhausted, and a hip injury had her in a wheelchair. This gave her more time to ponder the future.

“Relax,” is the first item on her agenda. Next, Westbrooks wants to build her brand beyond interior design, and she thinks the Hallmark family might be just the place to do that.

Olivia Westbrooks

Secret Society Neckwear is nod to clan that perpetuates the tie

By Chloe Richmond

Nathan Green has always been interested in showing personality in fashion – he wanted to be a hair metal lead singer as a kid – but an LSU professor is to thank for kickstarting his love for neckwear.

When Professor Randy Gurie invited Green (2005 BACH BUS) and a few of his friends to his annual Christmas party following the completion of a senior-level course on leadership, they all thought it’d be cool to show up in bow ties since Gurie always wore one himself.

“I had no money to go buy one, so I went to the local thrift store,” Green said. “It was impossible to tie, but somehow I fashioned it to work, which had me curious about bow ties.”

Green’s bow tie collection only grew from there since “there would always be something [he] was looking for but couldn’t find.” This pushed him into a general neckwear obsession after the joy he found in making something himself that was otherwise unattainable due to high price points.

“They were cheaper than the ties I couldn’t afford, so it made them attainable,” Green said.

Green, 42, was born in ShreveportBossier, and graduated from LSU with a degree in entrepreneurship. After he graduated, he worked in the steel

industry for a short time but quickly realized his heart was in fashion and retail.

In 2012, this led him to Sid Mashburn, a “fairly new” retail store at the time in Atlanta where Green started in sales, then managed the tailor shop and eventually the entire men’s Atlanta flagship store. When his wife got a job offer in Birmingham, he transitioned into a different management role, overseeing the company’s operational business.

“It was nice for a kid from the Southeast to have an opportunity in retail without having to move to New York or L.A.,” Green said.

While in Birmingham, a 103-year-old family-owned business named Shaia’s got wind that Green was in town and recruited him to join its staff. Shaia’s ownership has been passed down through generations. Ken Shaia, fourthgeneration family member and owner, re-ignited Green’s passion for making his own ties.

“He said, ‘You love neckwear,’” Green said. “’ You wear a tie every day to work; you’re one of the few guys that still does that, even in a retail setting. Why don’t you start your own thing?’”

Although he’s made some bow ties in the past, Green said those are much easier to make than neckties. So naturally, he worried about taking

Photos by Claire Middlebrooks

steps toward his own business. He was thinking “I got a pretty good thing going here,” so why take the jump? He answered his question.

“Because if you’re waiting for the perfect time, it’s never going to happen,” Green said. The idea to start a business was always there, “but sometimes life gets in the way and things have to be put on the back burner.” So, when Shaia tossed him some silk fabric and gave him the weekend to figure it out, he got to work on his life’s dream.

“All it takes is the first step,” Green said. “Once you get the ball rolling, everything else kind of just starts to fall into place.”

In July 2024, Green started Secret Society Neckwear. The name is a subtle nod to the idea that those who still wear neckties are in a quiet little club together. Since he didn’t grow up with a lot of money, he said it also pays homage to the alluring appeal of Ivy

class and the secret societies around the world.

“People tell me all the time, ‘Nobody wears a tie anymore,’” Green said. “I’m thinking, well, people certainly still wear ties. So, that kind of tongue-in-cheek became our tagline. No one wears a tie anymore … but us.”

When Secret Society Neckwear first kicked off, Green hosted a big launch party in the store and sold out of the first collection in anything that wasn’t a basic solid. His most recent collection is a fun line with brighter colors and cool patterns.

Green also shared how they’re working on some custom designs, which is new for his team. He likes to sell ties “with a cool edge,” so the design process is one of his favorite parts.

“Sometimes when you see a fabric, something about it speaks to you and you just know that you have to put that

in the line,” Green said. “You always have to have the stripes and the neat little patterns … but the ones just left of center are always the ones that speak to you when you’re going through fabric archives.”

As Green’s journey as a business owner evolves, he also continues to learn more about neckties. After many years in retail, he’s learned that there’s more to wearing a tie than dressing to impress. After working under several designers, he’s gleaned information from them that shows how ties also promote manners.

“The message it sends to those around you is, ‘I care about you, and I want to present (myself) to you in the right way because you’re important,’” Green said. “The more we care about those around us, the nicer we are, the better society becomes.”

By Brian Hudgins

Getting Down to Business

Jamie Ensley (1987 BACH BUS) grew up along the banks of Fightingtown Creek, where his family has lived in Georgia’s Fannin County for more than 160 years.

However, his life-changing moment came in Baton Rouge – courtesy of Dr. Lamar Jones, an emeritus faculty member of the Department of Economics.

Ensley originally enrolled at LSU to study architecture, but a junior-year course with Jones opened up a new avenue. Jones told Ensley, “Have you ever thought about economics?”

Ensley, the Senior Advisor for Capital Access at the U.S. Small Business Administration, works under the leadership of SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. The presidential appointment Ensley received earlier this year enables him to help build upon the efforts of small business owners throughout the country.

“I worked at TCBY in Bocage Village (when I was enrolled at LSU),” Ensley says. “To be up here in Washington D.C. in SBA leadership … I am like the dog that caught the car.”

The daily mission is to assist small businesses through the 7(a) Loan Program, the SBA’s primary business loan program that provides loan guaranties to lenders that allow them to provide financial help for small businesses. It is a need Ensley saw take on added importance in the last handful of years.

“During the pandemic, I made about 300 PPP loans,” Ensley says. “Having banks process those loans saved the businesses and the employees.”

Ensley’s first employee experience happened before he reached LSU. There were few high school or college jobs in Blue Ridge, Georgia. There was a new McDonalds. Ensley worked the summertime morning shift.

“I had to do shift prep work and work the grill,” Ensley said. “I owe McDonalds so much. One in eight Americans have worked at McDonalds.”

Ensley experienced a surreal moment when he had a chance to meet the McDonalds corporate leadership team on the White House lawn during an event.

“I shared my first job story with them – a full-circle moment I’ll never forget,” he says. “It reminded me how every step in life, no matter how humble, can lead you to places you never imagined.”

That journey has been a 28-year trek. After Ensley graduated from LSU, he started his banking career in Atlanta’s Buckhead district. Ensley made his first SBA loan a decade later in 1997.

“I saw firsthand how access to capital could transform an empty storefront into a thriving business complete with employees, customers and a ripple effect of growth,” Ensley says.

Commitment to public service and advocacy prompted Ensley to serve on 27 nonprofit boards, including 17 years on the national board of the Log Cabin Republicans, where he served as the national chairman. During that time, Ensley signed three amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of marriage equality and he was the second witness in the federal lawsuit against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in Riverside, California, a case that led Judge Virginia Phillips to order an immediate stop to the discriminatory policy.

Ensley’s early-career Atlanta work has turned into a worldwide communication effort. When representatives of South Africa, Italy and nearly four dozen other countries want to compare their small business practices to the U.S. model, they come to SBA headquarters.

“I am living in the good old days right now,” Ensley says. “These are things I never thought I would do in a lifetime – making SBA policy and advising a leadership team.”

Ensley has a physical example of LSU lessons and leadership housed in his Capitol Hill office. It’s a replica of the 2003 BCS National Championship trophy.

“That is a daily reminder of where I come from,” Ensley says. “I will love and support LSU until the day I die. During my SBA career, I have always made it a point to lend in Louisiana whenever possible – because I owe the people of Louisiana for the education that changed my life.”

Slick Chicks line of adaptive clothing adds fashion and style to practicality

By Chloe Richmond

Slick Chicks founder Helya Mohammadian is used to adapting to the circumstances. She’s done it her whole life.

When Mohammadian and her family immigrated from Iran to the United States, they first called Ruston, Louisiana, home. The “very small, tight knit” community was a complete 180 degrees from what she said she was used to.

“It opened up my eyes to something that we all take for granted every day, and I think that’s just getting dressed,” Mohammadian said. “It sets the tone for your day, so imagine struggling with that.”

“A lot of my upbringing was very mixed, as far as being an immigrant and adapting to life in the South,” Mohammadian said. “It made me want to expand my wings even further and take what I learned there and just broaden that.”

That’s why going to LSU was so right for her. Here, she studied fashion design, a choice that was probably the easiest to make in her life.

“I always knew that I wanted to be in fashion design, probably from the age of 10,” Mohammadian said. “I still have sketches from when I was younger that my parents have saved.”

After Mohammadian graduated in 2004, she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. It was always a dream to immerse herself in the culture and fashion community that New York had to offer. Yet, the motivating factor to start her own clothing company didn’t spawn out of the glitz and glam of the Big Apple. It was more personal than that, she said.

When Mohammadian’s sister underwent a routine C-section, she said the two of them had a conversation about the struggles she faced during post-surgery recovery. It was the everyday, mundane tasks that stressed her sister the most, like bending over or changing her clothes.

These are things that one does every day, and Mohammadian was unsettled after hearing her sister’s distress.

“Something as simple as clothing should meet you where you’re at in your life,” she said.

So, she did some research on adaptive clothing that would help ease her sister’s mind, but was unfortunately met with few options, like medical products and adult diapers.

A sampling of garments from Slick Chicks

Helya Mohammadian with Slick Chicks display

“I felt like that wasn’t going to restore someone’s dignity or make them feel comfortable in their own skin,” Mohammadian said.

She decided to take a shot at adjustable underwear. She cut a pair open and added some side fasteners to create her first prototype, which she gifted to and still belongs to her sister.

Mohammadian realized more people beyond postpartum moms could benefit from this, and that’s when Slick Chicks started to come to life. She quit her job right before her sister got pregnant because she wasn’t happy with the work she was doing, so it felt like the stars aligned for her to pour into something bigger.

After more research and trial and error, Mohammadian began to design products that allowed for accessibility for everyone, something she said shouldn’t be a luxury but rather a standard.

“It opened up my eyes to something that we all take for granted every day, and I think that’s just getting dressed,” Mohammadian said. “It sets the tone for your day, so imagine struggling with that.”

For Mohammadian, making adaptive clothing more accessible also meant making it more fashion-forward. She said a big part of her brand’s mission is to make fashion something everyone can find joy in, because clothing plays a huge role in our confidence levels. When she started her research, she said adaptive clothing was generally “sterile” and treated as “an afterthought.”

Another factor Mohammadian considers in every fashion design decision is what the community needs, rather than what she wants to produce. She said one issue with some fashion designers is the desire to create something without consulting the target audience.

Slick Chicks relies heavily on its consumers’ stories, taking every product’s success and failure into consideration. One recent story that stuck with her came from a quadriplegic customer who couldn’t use regular bras. After trying out a Slick Chicks product, Mohammadian said the customer sent in a message to let the company know “it helped them feel independent and look good.”

“Hearing from real people with their real stories and their experiences, them sharing that is so important for our brand,” Mohammadian said. “Those kinds of stories, that’s my why. That’s why I started this company and continue to do it every day.”

The next step for Slick Chicks is mass distribution, because to Mohammadian, the idea of making Slick Chicks’ products more accessible and available in person is something that could benefit thousands of people.

“We’re not trying to check any boxes; we just really want more people to have access to adaptive clothing,” Mohammadian said.

Earlier this year, Mohammadian’s designs launched in Target and CVS.

Continuing to elevate her business on a national level is certainly the goal, but in a thoughtful, empathetic way. She attributes her success to the fact that she’s consistently remained passionate about her work and truly wants to help others.

“I would say for anyone that’s reading this, and aspiring founders — start small, be scrappy, and keep your mission front and center,” Mohammadian said.

Former fashion designer/shopaholic finds purpose as life coach

By Kate Beske

Isabel Varela was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and applied to LSU to pursue a career as a graphic designer. She wanted to own a business and get into fashion but wasn’t sure how to get started. After seeing some of her friends enter the fashion world in New York, she changed her major.

Varela graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in Apparel, Merchandising, and Textiles in 2008. She says her experience at the school was great, and she had a professor who helped her see fashion in a new way, playing a significant role in her college education.

Varela worked in retail management and event production in Baton Rouge. After graduating, she went to Paris and China before settling in Dallas. She started a fashion business after she applied at a fashion event and noticed people became interested in her designs. She built her first brand, in which her designs were locally produced, and she worked for a local designer and a public relations company.

“As you can tell, I’m a hustler, so I always had a lot of jobs,” Varela says.

To focus on her business, she quit her two other jobs, got into Texas Next Top Designer and sold her clothes in five stores. She also got the opportunity to dress socialites, including the wife of Emmett Smith, former running back for the Dallas Cowboys, and Dawn Neufeld.

After being in Dallas for six years, Varela realized she was struggling with her mental health and was $100,000 in debt from her clothing business. She was 28 when she got a wake-up call. Varela hadn’t paid her rent or utilities, and her car was at risk of being repossessed. She had to make a change.

She enrolled in a debt management program, found a therapist and got a full-time job doing alterations at Nordstrom since she couldn’t make her brand profitable.

At 30, Varela moved to New York City and rebuilt her business while working as a tailor. She then launched

an alteration business and Airbnb out of the apartment she shared with a roommate, which she calls hardcore New York living.

After launching her alteration business, she says she became a celebrity master tailor and worked with clients such as Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. Hard work allowed her to pay off her debt in seven years.

In 2015, Varela watched the movie “The True Cost,” a documentary focused on the people who make fashion for the world, which she says changed her entire world again. After watching, she wanted to make more sustainable clothing.

Three years later, she made her own award-winning documentary about decluttering her closet, showing how hard it is to have a clothes addiction. She says although it was hard to talk about at the time, people were most interested in hearing about her shopping addiction, and how she got through it.

This led her down a different path, where she began speaking about making her documentary. Varela decided to transform all her leftover clothing creations that didn’t sell into art exhibits to show the physical and mental burden of the fashion industry.

“It’s like I kinda did a complete 180 from where I was, and really being able to turn your pain, your gifts, and talents into something better,” Varela says.

At 36, she founded her company, Repurpose Your Life, where she helps women entrepreneurs scale their businesses and ensure they are sustainable and mission-driven. Building this business allowed her to turn her pain into purpose so no one else has to go through what she went through.

“You get a whole holistic viewpoint on how to build a business and a life in a better way and a healthier way that really helps our planet, too,” she says.

Varela suggests that students understand the why and intention behind what they’re doing and should be more curious, asking more questions.

Isabel Varela in the white jumpsuit at her Repurpose Your Life Retreat

Isabel at an investor pitch night at Columbia University for her company Repurpose Your Life

Tiger NATION

1960s

1970s

C. Stokes McConnell Jr. (1969 BACH H&SS, 1972 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Richard Arsenault (1977 H&SS, 1980 JD) spoke at a Mass Tort Conference in Las Vegas, at the Mass Tort Puerto Rico seminar, and was invited to speak at the Perfect Law Global Class Actions and Mass Torts Conference in London and the LF Dealmakers Eighth Annual Forum in New York.

DEGREES

BACH Bachelor’s Degree

MAST Master’s Degree

PHD Doctorate

SPEC Specialist

DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

MLIS Master of Library & Information Science

JD Juris Doctorate (LSU Law School)

LLM Master of Laws

MD Medical Doctor (LSU School of Medicine)

DDS Doctor of Dental Science (LSU School of Dentistry)

COLLEGES/SCHOOLS

AGR Agriculture

A&D Art & Design

C&E Coast & Environment

H&SS Humanities & Social Sciences

SCI Science

BUS Business

HS&E Human Sciences & Education

ENGR Engineering

M&DA Music & Dramatic Arts

MCOM Mass Communication

SCE School of the Coast & Environment

SVM School of Veterinary Medicine

SW Social Work

John W. Barton, Jr. (1971 BACH H&SS, 1976 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

David R. Cassidy (1972 BACH H&SS, 1975 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

J. Paul Drury (1977 BACH H&SS) received his doctorate degree in history from Liberty University in July. Drury and his wife, Khiam, are retired and live in Baton Rouge.

Murphy J. Foster III (1979 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Gregory D. Frost (1977 BACH H&SS, 1981 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Leo C. Hamilton (1973 BACH H&SS, 1977 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America.

Michael R. Hubbell (1978 BACH BUS, 1980 MAST BUS, 1987 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Eve B. Masinter (1979 BACH H&SS, 1982 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

1980s

Van R. Mayhall, Jr. (1971 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Robert L. Atkinson (1980 BACH H&SS, 1983 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Jude C. Bursavich (1983 BACH H&SS, 1988 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Katherine Conklin (1980 MCOMM) of McGlinchey Stafford was recognized among the “Women of the Year” by New Orleans CityBusiness.

David M. Charlton (1980 BACH BUS, 1983 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

V. Thomas Clark (1986 BACH H&SS, 1990 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Jeanne C. Comeaux (1980 BACH H&SS, 1994 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Lance J. Kinchen (1989 BACH BUS, 1992 JD)of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

John B. King (1981 BACH BUS, 1981 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Trenton J. Oubre (1987 BACH BUS, 1991 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America.

Todd Schexnayder (1981 BACH MCOM) was sworn in as the 110th president of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge. The Rotary Club of Baton Rouge is the fifth-largest Rotary club in the United States and the sixth-largest in the world. He is a retired human resources executive and currently serves on the board of directors for Fidelity Bank, headquartered in New Orleans.

1990s

Douglas K. Williams (1980 BAH H&SS, 1983 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Dana Massett (1995 BACH BUS) has joined the Houston trial firm Bissinger, Oshman & Strasburger (BOWS). Massett represents insurance, manufacturing, energy, and financial services clients in litigation.

Catherine Breaux Moore (1993 BACH AG, 1997 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson is included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Melissa M. Shirley (1993 BACH H&SS, 1997 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Thomas R. Temple, Jr. (1998 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

2000s

B. Troy Villa (1990 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Stephen R. Whalen (1986 BACH BUS, 1990 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Nicole Gould Frey (1996 BACH BUS, 2000 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Emily Black Grey (1997 BACH H&SS, 2000 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America.

Catherine M. Maraist (1998 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America.

Tricia Thibodeaux (1994 BACH ENGR), Fluor’s vice president, Global Health, Safety, Environment (HSE) and Quality, was named the recipient of the Construction Industry Institute (CII) 2025 Richard L. Tucker Leadership & Service Award. The Richard L. Tucker Award is CII’s highest individual recognition, celebrating those who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of the institute’s mission. The award is named after Dr. Richard L. Tucker, the founding director of CII, which is a consortium of owners, contractors, and academia focused on improving delivery in the capital projects industry.

Benton Toups (1997 BACH H&SS, 2000 JD) has been appointed to the North Carolina State Human Resources Commission by the North Carolina General Assembly. Toups is a partner in the Wilmington office of Cranfill Sumner and serves as chair of the firm’s Employment Law Practice Group.

Chris Bennett (2007 BACH H&SS) of Houston, a Texas partner with Weil, Gotshal & Manges, was named to The Best Lawyers in America 2026.

Christopher D. Billings (2003 BACH H&SS, 2008 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Carroll Devillier, Jr. (2006 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

David C. Fleshman (2008 BACH H&SS, 2011 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Mario Garner (2002 BACH SCI) was named president of Dignity Health East Valley, which includes Dignity Health Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers, and Arizona General Hospital — Mesa in Phoenix, Arizona. Garner is also a member of LSU’s National Alumni Association.

Garner will be joining Dignity Health East Valley from St. Luke’s Health - The Vintage Hospital, an affiliate of CommonSpirit Health in Houston, Texas. Garner officially began in his new role in October.

Tiger Nation

Donnie Jones (2003 BACH BUS) was named to the All-Quarter Century Football Teams for LSU and the Philadelphia Eagles. The All-Quarter Century Teams consist of the best players at each position over the last 25 years.

Jones, who set several records at LSU, was a four-year starter and letterman for the LSU Fighting Tigers Football Team under Head Coach Nick Saban. He was twice named All-SEC and was a member of the 2003 National Championship team. He played for 15 years in the NFL, earning All-Pro honors twice and a 2017 Super Bowl Championship with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Eric B. Landry (2002 BACH BUS, 2006 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Christopher A. Mason (2001 BACH H&SS, 2004 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Christopher J. Matt (2007 MAST BUS) has joined JECohen, a New Orleansbased wealth and investment management firm, as a financial advisor.

Stanford B. Ponson (2008 BACH BUS), an associate in Dilworth Paxson’s general litigation practice in Philadelphia, was named in Best Lawyers to Watch, a publication recognizing lawyers practicing for ten years or less.

James R. Raines (2004 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

2010s

Andrew Blackwood (2014 BACH H&SS) joined the St. John’s United Methodist Church staff as director of The Shepherd’s Market.

Danielle L. Borel (2011 BACH BUS, 2014 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson was named to the 2026 Best Lawyers in America list.

Briana R. Falcon (2013 BACH M&DA, 2019 JD) has joined the Arnall Golden Gregory LLP (AGG) Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property practice groups in Washington, D.C.

Philip Giorlando (2015 BACH BUS, 2018 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson is included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Adam Guarisco (2018 BACH BUS, 2024 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson is included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Michael Ledet (2017 BACH H&SS, 2022 JD) has joined the New Orleans office of Ogletree Deakins as an associate. His practice focuses on employment law.

Kelsey C. Luckett (2012 BACH H&SS, 2015 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson is included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Lawson Nguyen (2018 BACH H&SS) has joined the Baton Rouge office of Breazeale Sachse & Wilson, where he focuses on commercial litigation.

Kristin Oglesby (2015 BACH BUS, 2018 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson is included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Sarah Perkins (2018 BACH H&SS, 2022 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson is included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

James Reed (2014 JD) has joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck of Washington, D.C. as an intellectual property attorney from Crowell & Moring. Reed joins as of counsel and will be based out of the firm’s recently announced New York office.

2020s

Robert M. Schmidt (2012 BACH H&SS, 2017 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson is included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Jordan S. Varnado (2016 BACH H&SS, 2020 JD) of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson is included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Thomas Kadair (2020 BACH BUS) and Theresa Kadair (2023 BACH BUS) were the recipients of the 2025 Parade of Homes People's Choice Award. Thomas Kadair is the owner of Kadair Construction, located in Baton Rouge, where he leads all residential and commercial construction. Theresa Kadair is Kadair Construction’s Operations Manager, overseeing the company's financials, acting as a point of contact for clients, subcontractors, and vendors, handling all marketing efforts, and overseeing project execution.

In Memoriam

Hugh Douglas Braymer passed away on Aug. 19, with a memorial service in Baton Rouge on Aug. 22.

He was instrumental in establishing the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and maintained a research program there, eventually retiring as LSU Vice President of Academic Affairs Emeritus and Professor Emeritus.

In 1966, Braymer became an assistant professor in the LSU Department of Microbiology. He spent the next 34 years at LSU, achieving the rank of full professor, holding a joint appointment with the LSU Agricultural Center, and serving as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the LSU System. A highlight of his tenure at LSU was his sabbatical as a visiting professor of molecular biology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is survived by his wife, Gail.

Gregory D. “Greg” Elliott (1981 BACH EGR) passed away Aug. 14 in Pine Prairie, La.

He began his professional journey with Chevron Corporation. His expertise and leadership quickly earned him a position at Chevron’s overseas headquarters in San Ramon, Calif., where he served as a well test engineer and later joined the international drilling team. From 1989 to 1996, Elliott planned and drilled complex wells across Africa, Europe, Asia, South America, and the former Soviet Union.

In 1997, Greg founded Workstrings International, headquartered in Lafayette, La., a pioneering company in the premium drill pipe rental market. Under his leadership, Workstrings became an international leader and was acquired by Superior Energy Services in 2001, and Elliott continued to lead with vision and innovation.

He was inducted into the LSU College of Engineering Hall of Distinction and the Society for Engineering Excellence in 2017. He also served on the College of Engineering’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Elliott supported the Gregory Dale Elliott Dean’s Seminar Suite in Taylor Hall, the Greg Elliott Laboratory Support Fund for Petroleum Engineering, the PERTT Lab Student Workers Support Fund, the Engineering Recruitment and Retention Scholarship, and the LSU Alumni Fund. He is survived by his wife, Melissa, and a host of family, friends, and faithful employees.

T. Gregory Guzik, retired LSU professor of physics and former director of the Louisiana Space Grant program, died Aug. 19.

He received the 2020 NASA Outstanding Public Leadership Medal, one of NASA's most prestigious honors. In the course of his career, he traveled to every continent of the world, including four times to Antarctica where he stayed at the research station in McMurdo, Antarctica, trying to detect cosmic rays by sending a specially designed instrument, ATIC, to the top of the atmosphere via a giant helium balloon. LSU students had an opportunity to participate, including a flight to McMurdo in a military cargo plane, and survival training in the ice and mountains of Antarctica. Subsequently, he participated in research with CALET, an instrument on the International Space Station investigating cosmic ray sources and building upon the scientific groundwork laid by missions like ATIC.

He helped bring the Highland Road Park Observatory—which houses a sophisticated digitally controlled telescope— to life in Baton Rouge. A minor planet discovered at the observatory, 85878 Guzik, was named after him. He started LaAces in 2003, allowing Louisiana students to launch and test micro payloads carried to the edge of space by balloon, and HASP in 2006 to accommodate more sophisticated payloads and nationwide student participation. He is survived by his wife, Jane; twin sons, Glen Alexander Guzik, and Kyle Andrew Guzik; and daughter, Kelsie Anne Guzik.

Harriet Babineaux Shea passed away July 23 in New Iberia, La.

She graduated from Mount Carmel Academy and attended the University of Louisiana. She was working at The Daily Iberian when she married Jerry Shea, Sr., on Aug. 21, 1949. They have six children, 21 grandchildren, and 36 great-grandchildren.

Shea was the youngest of her 11 Babineaux siblings, a devoted wife to her husband Jerry Sr. for 69 years, a loving mother, a proud grandmother, and a doting great-grandmother.

Her five children survive her: Jerry Shea, Jr. and wife Beverly; Mary Shea Zaunbrecher and husband Russell; James Shea and wife Virginia; Kelly Shea Holleman and husband James; Ellen Shea Mullen and husband Greg; and Beth LaSalle Shea, widow of Steven Shea, Sr.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Shea, Sr, son Steven Shea, Sr.; granddaughter Allison Shea; and great-grandchildren Andrew and Katherine Shea.

Shea, fondly known as Mrs. America, and her husband, Jerry, Sr., were loyal and active members of the LSU Alumni Association. They enjoyed traveling with the Traveling Tigers as well as helping Beverly and Jerry Shea host an annual dinner for the LSU Alumni Association staff in New Iberia.

They were honored with the association’s Purple and Gold Award for their philanthropic support of scholarships and the building campaigns for the Lod Cook Alumni Center and The Cook Hotel.

Patricia “Patti’ Lynne Palmer Stark passed away July 25. A native of Lake Charles, she attended LSU and graduated from McNeese State University.

She is survived by two sons, Gus and Rudy Stark; her sister, Polly Norman; and her brothers, Paul, Mike, and Danny Palmer.

Newton Buckner Thomas (1967 BACH EGR) graduated from LSU Laboratory School in 1962 and enrolled at LSU on a baseball scholarship. He played catcher for the LSU Tiger Baseball Team. He was also an LSU varsity cheerleader and member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

During college, Thomas picked up a nickname, "Neutron,” from his college engineering buddies because they jokingly claimed he was "all mass and no energy." Shortened to "Tron," the nickname served as the genesis for the name of the company he co-founded in 1973.

After graduating, Thomas took a job with Southern Instruments, Inc. in Baton Rouge, an industrial controls contractor specializing in control systems in the petrochemical, refining, paper, and power generation fields. Four years later, in 1971, Thomas took over as the company's president.

In May 1973, with the help of two business partners, Thomas co-founded Newtron, Inc. Today, the company is known as The Newtron Group, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023. It operates across the United States through multiple subsidiaries with offices throughout the country, including offices in Louisiana, Texas, Nevada, and California. The group of companies collectively employs approximately 5,000 people. After Thomas acquired sole ownership of the company in 1996, he steadily grew it into one of the largest industrial electrical and instrumentation specialty construction companies in the United States.

Thomas was inducted into the LSU College of Engineering's Hall of Distinction. In 2015, Thomas was named LSU Alumni Association’s Alumnus of the Year. In 2018, Thomas was also inducted into the Baton Rouge Business Report's Hall of Fame.

In 2019, Louisiana Public Broadcasting honored Thomas with its "Louisiana Legend" award.

He is survived by his wife, Betsy Reich Thomas; two daughters; and six grandchildren.

Louis Joseph Lambert, Jr., (1964 BACH H&SS) passed away Sept. 22 in Sorrento, La.

He was elected to the Louisiana Senate, then to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, serving for 18 years, before returning to the Louisiana Senate. Lambert is also a former member of the LSU Board of Supervisors and was inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in 2024.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Smith Lambert, two sons, and one daughter.

Albert Hays Town, Jr. (1958 BACH EGR, 2013 MAST SCI) passed away July 25. He lived most of his life in Baton Rouge. He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. At LSU, Hays met his wife of 68 years, Marguerite Gay May Town, who predeceased him. In 1988, the couple started the St. Elizabeth Foundation, a nonprofit adoption agency, providing support and care to pregnant women in Louisiana. The organization placed more than 600 babies. Hays established the Baton Rouge Citizens to Save Our Water organization, dedicated to preserving Baton Rouge groundwater.

He was named “Man of the Year” by the national chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, received the “Angel in Adoption Award” from the U.S. Congress, and the “Leadership for Life Award” from Louisiana Right to Life. He was also honored by the LSU Alumni Association as a distinguished alumnus in 2019.

Hays is survived by his six children, 21 grandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren.

1940s

Virginia A. Major, 1946 BACH BUS, Aug. 30, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

1950s

Dr. Paul Michael Bagalman, 1958 BACH SCI, 1961 MD, June 23, 2025, Metairie, La.

Ramsey Augustus “Bookie” Falconer, Jr., 1954 BACH HS&E, Aug. 26, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

James Alton “Jim” George, 1956 BACH H&SS, 1962 JD, Sept. 28, 2025, Gulf Breeze, Fla.

Samuel Houston Harris, 1955 BACH BUS, Sept. 23, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

David Thompson Harvey, 1958 BACH ENGR, Aug. 22, 2025, Winter Park, Fla.

Kenneth Gabriel “Ken” Hirschey, Sr., 1956 BACH BUS, Aug. 4, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Jerome Philip “Jerry” Leggio, 1957 BACH H&SS, Oct. 1, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Bertis Joseph Robert, 1950 BACH MCOM, Aug. 23, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Shelby Lawrence Robert, 1958 BACH AG, Aug. 3, 2025, Gonzales, La.

Oliver Sims Robinson, 1958 BACH BUS, Aug. 31, 2025, Baton Rouge, La. 1960s

Robert Joseph “Bob” Barry, 1961 BACH BUS, Oct. 5, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Barbara Barbier Bullock, 1968 BACH, HS&E, Sept. 6, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Janice “Jan” McDaniel Cedars, 1967 BACH H&SS, 1992 MAST SCI, July 15, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

John Maynard Evans, 1965 BACH AG, Aug. 25, 2025, Plaquemine, La.

Lillie Petit Gallagher, 1960 BACH H&SE, 1974 MAST MCOMM, Oct. 12, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Frank Hugh Kean III, 1961 BACH BUS, 1965 JD, Sept. 12, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Brother Ivy LeBlanc, S.C., 1967 BACH BUS, Sept. 26, 2025, Jefferson, La.

Larry Emerson Purdue, 1968 MAST HS&E, Oct. 5, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Glen Michael Richard, 1965 BACH AG, 1967 MAST AG, Aug. 17, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

David Eugene Shanks, 1969 BACH H&SE, July 15, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Carole Lemoine Tilley, 1963 BACH MATH, June 9, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

John Benard Richard, 1960 MAST H&SS, Aug. 31, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Betty Ruth Williams Riner, 1961 BACH HS&E, July 15, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Joan Demers Schouest, 1963 BACH H&SS, 1978 MAST H&SS, Sept. 23, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

John Henry Weller, 1966 BACH ENGR, Sept. 3, 2025, Merritt Island, Fla.

1970s

Dianne Marie Donham Buhler, 1975 BACH A&D, Sept. 21, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Samuel Joseph Crifasi, Jr., 1972 BACH AG, Aug. 7, 2025, Westminster, Va.

Cathey Chustz, 1978 BACH BUS, 1987 MAST SCI, Aug. 27, 2025, Greenwell Springs, La.

Rev. Thomas P. Duhe’, 1972 BACH HS&E, Sept. 15, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Tommy Edmonson, 1976 MAST H&SE, July 25, 2025, Georgetown, Tx.

Horace Thomas “Tommy” Goodroe, Jr., 1976 BACH HS&E , Sept. 5, 2025, Greenwell Springs, La.

Gilbert Anthony “Gil” Guidry, 1971 BACH BUS, Oct. 11, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Ann LeBlanc Guercio, 1977 BACH HS&E, July 19, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Larry Kent Henderson, 1970 BACH HS&E, Aug. 7, 2025, New Iberia, La.

Richard Clay Howell, 1973 BACH H&SS, Aug. 23, 2025, Jackson, La.

Gary R. Magee, 1970 BACH BUS, Sept. 13, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Carroll Ray Marchand, 1976 BACH H&SS, July 11, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Christopher Marlin Moody, 1978 JD, Oct. 10, 2025, Hammond, La.

Thomas Dewey Newsham, 1973 BACH H&SS, Aug. 11, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Molly Bain White Nicosia, 1974 BACH HS&E, 1979 MAST HS&E, Aug. 10, 2025, Zachary, La.

Michael Lloyd “Mike” Rinehart, 1979 BACH EGR, June 23 2024, Natchez, Ms. Gary Roberts, 1976 BACH A&D, Aug. 26, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

William Steen “Bill” Stuart, Jr., 1978 BACH SCI, Aug. 31, 2025, Zachary, La.

Annis Dowden Tarver, 1972 BACH HS&E, 1987 PHD H&SE, Oct. 4, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Dianna Underhill, 1971 BACH H&SE, July 4, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Jeffrey Brian Vicari, 1979 BACH BUS, Sept. 18, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Robert Allan Wissner, 1976 MAST H&SS, June 27, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Barbara Adams Zeigler, 1970 BACH HS&E, 1999 MAST H&SS, Aug. 6, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

1980s

Barbara Barbier Bullock, 1988 BACH HS&E, Sept. 6, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

David Stephen Sutton, 1982 BACH ENGR, 1984 MAST ENGR, 1987 PHD ENGR, Sept. 15, 2025, New Roads, La.

Xenia Tillery, 1985 JD, Sept. 14, 2029, Potomac, Md.

Kendra Swain Trahan, 1985 BACH EGR, Aug. 4, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Elizabeth “Betty” Ber Pace Waggenspack, 1982 BACH H&SS, Sept. 2, 2025, Lafayette, La.

James A. “Jim” Wainwright III, 1984 BACH BUS, July 27, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

1990s

Brandon Hugh Baker, 1994 BACH H&SS Oct. 1, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Mary Cummings de Wet, 1992 BACH MCOM, July 28, 2025, Manville, N.J.

Guy Francis Schexnaydre, 1990 BACH ENGR, Oct. 10, 2025, Gonzales, La.

Milton Hallman

Retired Professor

School of Music & Dramatic Arts

Aug. 21, 2025

Mableton, Ga.

2000s

Tacie Lane Goetting Rabalais, 2001 BACH ENGR, July 16, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

2010s

William James Borskey, 2010 BACH H&SS, July 15, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.

Ret. Judge J. David Orlansky (1952 BACH BUS)

Retired U.S. Magistrate

Jay Perkins

Associate Professor Emeritus

Manship School of Mass Communication

July 20, 2025 Washington, D.C.

Jerome A. Planchard

Former professor

LSU Chemical Engineering

Sept. 4, 2025 Baton Rouge, La.

Austin John David Sumner

Retired Neurology Chair

LSU Health Sciences

Aug. 25, 2025 Burlington, Vt. A memorial gift to the LSU Alumni Association in the name of a family member, friend, or classmate is a caring way to pay tribute to a person’s life and accomplishments. To make a gift or for more information, call 225.578.3838 or 1.888.746.4578.

Tigers in Print

Russell Fielding (2010 PHD SCI) Breadfruit Columbia University Press

Breadfruit trees are staples of the tropics, bearing cantaloupesized green-skinned fruits whose taste and texture resemble potatoes. More than 3,000 years ago, breadfruit fueled the Pacific voyages of discovery that settled islands throughout Oceania. In the late eighteenth century, the British expedition that ended with the mutiny on the Bounty aimed, but failed, to introduce breadfruit to the West Indies as food for enslaved African laborers on sugar plantations. A later voyage led to the fruit’s widespread distribution and its complex role in modern Caribbean food cultures. In recent years, breadfruit has been touted as a tool for sustainable development and as a “superfood” with both health benefits and culinary versatility.

In Breadfruit: Three Global Journeys of a Bountiful Tree, Russell Fielding tells these stories and many others, exploring breadfruit’s fascinating global history and varied present-day uses. Bringing together extensive research and vivid travelogues, including learning directly from local agriculturists, chefs, scientists, and holders of traditional knowledge, he provides an immersive narrative of breadfruit’s contributions. Fielding argues that breadfruit’s history comprises two journeys: first, from its origins in Southeast Asia across the Pacific; and second, its transplantation to the Caribbean. Today, a third journey is taking place, one that is spreading breadfruit throughout the world.

Fielding is an associate professor at Coastal Carolina University. He is a geographer who studies sustainable food systems in the world’s coastal and island settings.

Charlotte Chun (2010 BACH H&SS)

Earliest Memories: Discover the Psychology of Memory, Explore Cross-Cultural Stories, and Reconnect with Your Past

Embark on an unforgettable journey into the depths of human memory with your guide, Charlotte Chun. Drawing on her expertise in neuroscience and cognition, Chun takes you on a rich exploration of our earliest childhood memories and what makes these early imprints so special. Earliest Memories artfully weaves together an explanation of the science of memory, a never-before-seen collection of first memories from around the world, and a dive into the philosophical mysteries of memory and nostalgia. Explore the nuances of how memory works, how it evolves, and how it shapes our identity. Read fascinating stories from diverse cultures that tap into the shared experience of universal memory. Deepen your connection with your own past as you uncover the narratives that define who you are. Earliest Memories takes you on an extraordinary voyage deep into the heart of remembrance that will change your understanding of memory forever.

Jordan LaHaye Fontenot (2018 BACH H&SS)

Home of the Happy Harper Collins

On January 16, 1983, Aubrey LaHaye’s body was found floating in the Bayou Nezpique. His kidnapping ten days before sparked “the biggest manhunt in the history of Evangeline Parish.” But his descendants would hear the story as lore, in whispers of the dreadful day the FBI landed a helicopter on the family’s front lawn and set out on horseback to search for the 70-year-old banker.

Decades later, Aubrey’s greatgranddaughter, Jordan LaHaye Fontenot, asked her father, the parish urologist, to tell the full story. He revealed that to this day, every few months, one of his patients will bring up his grandfather’s murder, and the man accused of killing him, John Brady Balfa, who remains at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola serving a life sentence. They’ll say, in so many words: “Dr. Marcel, I really don’t think that Balfa boy killed your granddaddy.”

Home of the Happy unravels the layers of suffering borne of this brutal crime—and investigates the mysteries that linger beneath generations of silence. Is it possible that an innocent man languishes in prison, still, wrongly convicted of murdering the author’s great-grandfather?

James L. Decker (1972 BACH SCI, 1975 MAST SCI) Reviving the Heart of Leadership Advantage Books

Written for corporate leaders in every field, Decker offers the basics of compassion and servant leadership. His non-healthcare friends say that the pressures he has experienced in his 47-year career are significantly more intense than those in the typical corporate world. Considering the notion “that which does not kill me, only makes me stronger,” he tells the story of his journey.

Decker hears complaints from friends and neighbors about how difficult it is to navigate the healthcare maze. Something is wrong. And the problem, Decker suggests, is that well-meaning leaders may not realize the damage of an authoritarian style of leadership. Talk to nurses. Talk to long-term employees. They are not happy. They are unfulfilled. Company loyalty is gone. Exercising good “judgment in administration” is a trait that

all good leaders should possess. Decker fears some of the problems the healthcare system is experiencing today result from poor judgment by key decision-makers. He has been in pressure-filled situations where he felt no escape from brutal management decisions. Decker seeks to get the attention of board leadership. The local business leaders serving on boards across America need to ask themselves the same questions. They often make decisions without regard to employee morale and failing loyalty. A different focus might be the best remedy for what ails us. Could a healthy dose of compassion, servant leadership, and better judgment be just what the doctor has ordered?

Don Akchin (1973 MCOMM)

The After Work: Finding Fulfilling Alternatives to Retirement

The kick-back-and-do-nothing retirement of decades past is no longer an option for any but the very wealthy, posits author Don Akchin. But don’t despair –although retirement is not possible, what is feasible is a purposeful, enjoyable AfterWork

In The AfterWork: Finding Fulfilling Alternatives to Retirement, author Don Akchin demonstrates that The AfterWork promises to be far better than retirement. With longer lives after the end of our careers, you have many opportunities to fill those bonus years with great, life-affirming adventures. Freed from adulting obligations, you have the license to try new experiences, test-drive a new career, maybe even start up a new business—with far less at stake if things don’t work out. In this book, you’ll meet others who made the transition from career to postcareer and explore the range of rich alternatives you can choose from to make your AfterWork years fun and fulfilling.

In The AfterWork, you will meet people who chose to continue their careers indefinitely; people who combine part-time work with part-time play; people who have discovered new purpose through volunteer activities; and people who fashion whole new careers in later-life by starting new businesses, monetizing hobbies, or diving into creative pursuits. You’ll also learn about potential obstacles, such as managing the transition from work

life to AfterWork life and maintaining healthy relationships.

Matthew Patrick Hughes (2020 BACH HS&E)

The King’s Warrior: Becoming the Man Christ Desires

The King's Warrior: Becoming the Man Christ Desires aids in rediscovering the Warrior Christ of Scripture: the one who commanded demons into submission, cleansed the temple with righteous fury, and from His cross roared, "It is finished" as He crushed the serpent's head and conquered sin itself.

Through the examinations of David, Gideon, Joshua, Samson, and others, God's blueprint for masculine strength is unveiled. Each chapter demonstrates how ordinary men were transformed into spiritual warriors, guiding modern men to reclaim their divine authority, develop unshakeable courage, and combine strength with sacrificial love.

The King's Warrior calls men to the ancient path of warrior-priests and prophet-kings, embracing their true identities and stewardships in Christ.

WEDDING BELLS

Helen Alford McDavid’s (2021 BACH BUS, 2022 MAST BUS) and Nathan McDavid’s (2022 BACH BUS, 2023 MAST BUS) journey together began during an accounting internship in 2020. Their paths had actually crossed earlier at LSU, where both majored in accounting and shared classes. At LSU, they created many special memories together, including Nathan being the LSU mascot and Helen being a member of the Tiger Band. On May 19, 2024, Nathan proposed on the field at Tiger Stadium. The couple tied the knot on May 31 at St. James Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge.

President Donald Trump has nominated Louisiana state school board member Paul Hollis (1994 BACH H&SS) to run the U.S. Mint, which is responsible for producing American coin money.

The Mandeville Republican described himself as a numismatist, someone who intensely studies the history and manufacturing of coins.

Hollis spent a decade working for Blanchard and Co., a rare coin and precious metals firm in New Orleans. He also owned a rare coin business and published a book, “American Numismatist.”

His appointment requires U.S. Senate confirmation. The Mint director serves a five-year term, reporting to the U.S. Treasury secretary. Hollis would oversee six manufacturing plants, where American coins and honorary medals are made, as well as the Mint’s 500 law enforcement agents. The director is also in charge of the U.S. government’s gold reserve in Kentucky, known as Fort Knox.

Since 2024, Hollis has represented District 1 on the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which includes St. Tammany and portions of Jefferson, Orleans, and Tangipahoa parishes. He previously served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2012-23.

BABY BENGALS

Hugh William Latimer (2010 BACH H&SS) and Carissa “Cari” Rae Stech Latimer of Clemson, S.C., welcomed Charlotte Rae Latimer on June 11.

Mitchell Richardson was born on Feb. 12, to proud parents Cullen Richardson (2017 BACH BUS) and Annaleigh Drost Richardson (2017 BACH H&SS).

Mitchell comes from a long line of LSU Tigers. His maternal grandparents, Ann Cacioppo Drost

and Will Drost, met at LSU and both graduated in 1993. His paternal grandfather, Craig Richardson, earned his juris doctorate degree from LSU Law School in 1994. Mitchell’s uncle, Charles Drost, played LSU football and graduated in 2024.

His great-grandfather and namesake, Mitch Drost, attended LSU and even lived in the dorms inside Tiger Stadium.

His great-great-grandfather, Bill Lawton, was a devoted LSU supporter and donor—most notably recognized by the Lawton Room at Tiger Stadium.

Baby Mitch is already saying, “Geaux Tigers!”

Paul Hollis

LSU SUMMER 2025 GRADUATES CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES!

On behalf of the LSU Alumni Association and proud LSU alumni across the country and around the globe, congratulations and welcome to Tiger Nation. You have earned it. You have met many challenges and overcome many hurdles, and we are proud of you and all that you have accomplished.

No matter where you live, the LSU spirit is there – and you'll find fellow alumni to support you in your new endeavors and show the world just how awesome LSU graduates are. Our more than 135 alumni chapters around the world provide connection and camaraderie, and we hope you’ll unite with your fellow alums to keep the Tiger spirit alive.

To take advantage of all we have to offer you, visit LSUAlumni.org/recentgrad. Again, congratulations and Geaux Tigers!

President &

CEO

JOIN NOW!

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

Bachelor of Science

Anna Noelle Albritton

Cooper Thomas Borst Adrienne Gabrielle Hippard

COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN

Bachelor of Arts

Lauren R Baquet

Emma Kathryn Danos Audrey Cathaleen Floyd

E. J. OURSO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Bachelor of Science

Julia Elise Amar

Lorraine Marie Antill

Cole Alexander Bartlett

Madelyn Jo Blalock

Micale Christine Braud

Olivia Kay Michele Buckles

Hannah Elizabeth Cambre

Mason James Chauvin

Daniel Chowdhury

Price Aiden Combes

Clara-Li Del Nero Corrigan

Bryce Michael Davis

Claire M Dunbar

Juliet Ejiaga

Jonathan Francisco-Francisco

Kara Danielle Ganyer

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Bachelor of Science

Tiernan A. Dautle

Alton J Dupre

Alyx Olivia Whipp

Paul Alexandre Yeon

Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering

Atula A Danivas

Thomas Graham Rhymes

Bachelor of Science in Construction Management

Brian James Bordelon Jr. Gavin P Hudspith

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Jacob J Hebert

Andrew John McFeaters

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering

Assane Samuel Christian Ndiaye

Brennan Connor Williams

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Gavin Bonifacio Bonilla Russell

Logan Matthew Johnson

Terrilyn A Legier

Trieu The Pham

Kaelyn Michelle Smith

Shane Anthony Tenorio

Duncan McCrady Woods

Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Construction Management

Danita Berry

Kelly H Brady

Dawson Samuel Brogan

Kyla M Johnson Ava Shane Miller

Walker Macdaniel Noble

Marco A Garcia

Kristian C Garrett

Kagan Riley Gentry

Abigail Elise Haik

Jonathan Alexander Hamilton

Kayla Allison Harlow

Margaret Ann Hidell

Leo Augustus Huber

Derrick Sylvester James Junior

Brandon Bucci

Jake Richard Czerwinski

Courtney Espinoza

Jessica Brianne Ellis

Eli T Gaughan

Nathan James Haacker

Reed Matthew Hacker

Jacob T Jurken

Cori Sadique Keyes

Aric K Lechuga

Cheryna Whetstone Lewis

Ayush Malla

Alexander Allen Mathews

DeMarcus J McClain

Aileen Habib Mondo

Conner Holman Morgan

Kiara Nicole Perry

Stefan Joseph Poggioli

COLLEGE OF HUMAN SCIENCES & EDUCATION

Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

Angelina Anh Thư Nguyen

Bachelor of Science

Alexandra Gail Ackoury

Stafford Agee IV

Payton M Anderson

Shane Appelbaum

Asia Gabrielle Arceneaux

Colin D Benoit

Sophie Virginia Benoit

Brant Austin Billingsley

Paul D Bingham

Madison K Bonner

Kevin Booker

Connor Renee Boswell

Katelynn Michelle Branch

Tiayana LeRay Bryant

Rex Nicholas Carlson

Ann Chen

Mary Brigid Clanton-Calnan

William Magee Cordle

Dominic Rinaldo Cortello

Matthew R Crawford

Giovan Cuevas

Caden Michael Cutinella

Caroline Claire Daigle

Owen M Daigle

Julianne Renee Davis

Brittani Davis LeJeune

Bradford Scott Day

Michaela Kim de Villiers

Jackson G Demouy

George Dittman

Myles Stirling Doherty

Virginia Louise Edrington

Trinity Jordan Fegan

Sebastian Fernandez Cabrera

Trey Lyndon Fuqua

Sora Kemoni Glover

Anna Kassidy Halphen

Christian Chandler Hawkins

Christopher Hilton

Lily Alexis Hughes

Josette E Kaminski

Veronica Loyola Kelley

Anthony William Key

Caroline Rebecca Kissinger

Michael G Knox Jr.

Rhylie Nicole Krahn

Willow Emmaline Lamphier

Grahm Alexander Landry

Luke Gregory Landry

Jacob R LeJeune

Caleb Joseph Livergood

Rebecca Danielle Magri

Shakeem Tyrelle McKay

Jokobe Ryan McDonald

Alexander Lewis McDougal

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES

Bachelor of Arts

Madelyn Adams

Madison Angelle Myers

Camryn Drake Alexis

Sahar Ali

David Kristopher Arch

Sawyer Pendry

Elaina Rose Ruiz

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Jaden Elizabeth Broussard

Madalyn Danielle Kempton

Brent James Leslie

Anna Lin

Maci Jane Logan

Patrick Montana Mockler

Cameron Bryce Morrison

Destyne Rene' Nethken

Hung Nguyen

Tuan Kiet Nguyen

Katharine Rosenblad

Dalia Salloum

Slade C Savage

Arianna Rakel Serra

Matthew Smith

Aaron Street

Harvard Taylor

Tolliver Demoan Washington

Tristan West

Jabbar B White

Thomas Michael Wilcox

Jacob Lewis Wilson

William L Wright

Joseph R Yates

Janna Marie Young

Lauren M Zeigler

Mallory C Ardoin

Luis Eduardo Arrieta Vallarino

Dominique Nicole Bacil

Miranda W McIntosh

Katherine Connolly McMahon

Jake Austen Neslony

Ryan A Otaola

Riley Ann Pavlik

Josh H Pearson

Amani S Pittman

Skye Lamar Price

Ashton Phillip Quinn

Kobe Miles Russell Roberts

Alejandra Maria Romero Salinas

Samuel E Romero-Atkins

Brianna Elizabeth Ruiz

Raj Rashid Rupani

Rajean Severe

Brock Alexander Shadle-Colon

Emma Grace Shannon

Brionna Marvalous Smith

Christie Lee Spell

Camron M Stewart

Alexander Balthazar III

Ansley Kate Barlow

Diamond T Bell

Gabrielle Alysse Kraemer

Austin Keith Perkins

Ayat Qatum

Megan M Rivera

Anna Sanderson

Ethan Alexander Selph

Owen Matthew Vincens

Katelyn N Wood

Undergraduate Certificate in Construction Management

Courtney Lynn Airhart

Daniel James Brewer

Daniel C Brotz

Brandon Shea Chapman

Konner Randall Alan Davis

Zortashi A . S Gaines

Lewis Karter Kilby

Daniel E Lock

Dwight J McCoy

Michael Miller

Luca Francesco Naurato

Raven Odom

Eric Simon Salazar

Sheina Marie Salinsky

Kenneth Allen Trahan

Nola Stone

Emma C Theobald

A’Mya Deshae Thomas

Justin Blake Thompson

Stacie S Vanier

Amber M Vaughn

Nathan Michael Vicknair

Ethan M Walker

Alexander L Webber

Garriel Alyxandra White

Tommie Lelia Wilkins

Audrey V Wilson

Caitlin Ravae Woods

Bachelor of Social Work

Maura Alaine LeBleu

Katie Renee Tuminello

Olivia Verde

Laryn Camille Billizon

Georgia Anne Bringard

Sophie Mae Broussard

Jarman Mario Brown Jr.

Kaitlyn Senai Brown

LaMonica Adel Carey-Brown

Allysan Joseé Cleveland

Sierra Michelle Cody

Reagan T Courville

Amber Grace Gonzalez Vega

Kori Imani Lynn DeJean

Emma E DeLee

Alli Jeanne Desselles

Taelor Nicole Dozier

Amelie Susan Evans

Sydney Jean Faulk

Jude Thomas Forti

Jarvis Tramaine Fountaine Jr

Kassidy Ann Gaines

Danielle Nichole Glenn

Daniel Robert Goldsmith

Troiyah Jada Gougisha

Sydney Grace Grafals

Margaret Elizabeth Green-Gerard

Kevin D'Lover Hardman Jr.

Joshua Andre Harrell

Jacob Patrick Harris

Wyatt Anthony Hayes

Brylan T Henderson

Cole Henson

Nicholas Taylor Holloway

Rachel-Claire Huye

Nicole Maria Jimenez Roque

Casse Loy Johnson

Colin Michael Jolivette

Emily Gabrielle Jones

Kate Elia Khoury

Natasha E Landrum

Katherine Avery Leaber

Katharine M Lee

Margaret A Linn

Gianna Renee Lorenzo

Elliott Broussard Lynd

Ethan W Maestri

Aiden Michael Manuel

Camille Marie May

Joseany Laurina Pindali

Mosquito Mbakassy

Ashaad Micheal McCray

Rileigh E McCulloch

Paitlyn Micaiah McDonald

Brady John Menzina

Nicole Monceaux

Zander A Morgan

Benjamin G. Morter

Chandria Lashima Muse

Adam Khan Nazir

Hannah Nguyen

Lam-Nghi Ngoc Nguyen

Alexandria K Nkongchu

Sarah A Pace

Anna Grace Parker

Alisha Paudel

Sydney Melana Gobert-Payne

Marielissa del Carmen

Perez-Padilla

Kier F. Peter

Julia Rae Poole

Jenae’ Carletha Preddie

Christopher Ramirez

Naudia Danitra Resnek

Ahzuly Reyna-Melendrez

Carrie Laiken Ross

Julianna Eloise Rumpb

Rebeca Nicole Schulz

Erin M Seaman

Colin Michael Smith

Jenny Victoria Sobalvarro

Alexandria S Stallworth

Emily E Taylor

Remi Jules Trahan

Kenzie Payge Vickers

Nijah Nicole Viltz

Ethan Edwin Vogin

Asia Arion Washington

Dimetrius White

Trinity Michel Wicker

Mya Jonae Willians

Danielle Wilson

Mekhi Wingo

Kelly Anne Zack

MANSHIP SCHOOL OF MASS COMMUNICATION

Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication

Quinlin A Bruhn

Liam Randal Haley

Anna Claire Hessburg Madison Keyser

COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMATIC ARTS

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Sydney E Sanchez

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

Bachelor of Science

Sydney Joy Barker

Hannah Lyn Bodden

Caroline Grace Carter

Nyibol Choch

Dorene Minh Chu

Alexander Paul Creel

Bailey Patricia Danflous

Diana Vũ Đinh

Danielle Elise Gipson

COLLEGE OF THE COAST & ENVIRONMENT

Bachelor of Science in Coastal Environmental Science

John Charles Kwasny Jr.

Caroline Beth McPherson

Anna Kathryn Krieger

Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

Joshua Anthony

Ella Grace Arceneaux

Annie Catherine Beard

Madison Noel Ben

Christian Blackburn

Garrett Lamar Boyd

Joshua Allen Cargile

Joslin J.M. Cousin

Griffin M Curtis

Shy Day-Wilson

Rose E Dufrene

William John Gayle IV

Kellie M Gibson

Jardin Xavier Gilbert

Kimble Hallcy

Jeremiah Hodge

Colin Michael Hulin

Kailey Elizabeth Johnson

Emery Jones Jr

Kennedy Marie Landry

Benjamin Mark Lanier

Alexis Malone Malone

Derian Jamar Moore

A'mya R. Price

Cole Parker Purmort

Jordan Amani Rhea

Rivers Guy Romero

Joshua Chibueze Chinomnso Okparaocha

Michael Peterson Sistrunk

Campbell W Southwell

Falon Railyn Travis

Iveth Arely Umaña Alemán

Sam A Vallejos

Precious White

Devin Irene Wright

Bachelor of Science

Sophia Nassim Abbahou

Kayla Gabrielle Bell

Isabella Rose Brune

Amelie Elaine Chadwick

Jayleen Ducelus

Isabelle Ena Fitzmorris

Rachel E Hargrove

Deborah Rosie Johnson

Taylor Reese Myers

Thanh Kaitlyn Phuong Nguyen

Elise Adriana Nicosia

Mackenzie Kathryn Paradis

Dhruvi Alkeshbhai Patel

Anita Sahdiieva

Brianna Nicole Scott

Jordan Elizabeth Wyatt

Simoneaux

Catherine Siena Snow

Taylor T Williams

Thais Angelica Wise

Greta Isabella Streckfus

Rachel Sou Kay Wong

Caleb Joseph Guidry

Maurice Knight III

Dylan Michael Miller

Lauren Grace Mouton

Monica Nguyen

Lauren Leigh Osafo

Zainah Mazen Salameh

Amaree Micah James Smith

Kendall Mark Soileau

Stergios Alexandros

Sotiropoulos

Kelsea Nicole Stewart

Paradise Jane Terrebonne

Malika Dechell Thomas

Hunter Ackal Wilson

Sara Zare

Rachel Alexis Morgan-Ashley

PINKIE GORDON LANE GRADUATE SCHOOL

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES

Analytics

Cade Acosta

Olivia Yvonne Bianco

Krysten Derriana Paulette

Goodman

Jose Angel Hernandez

Mason Christopher James

Brett John Jetton

Allison Nicole Kimbrough

Khanh Nam Le

Lanarea Mikell Sims

Mai-Lee T. Smith

Madeline Telford

Applied Depositional Geosystems

Bailey Evelyn Wycoff

Archival Studies

Abigail Amerson

Elizabeth Katherine Bell

Erika R. Brathovde

Faye Catherine Daigle

Clara M. Driscoll

Haley E Fenner

Natalie Grace Budovec

Samuel Gould

Charles Herring

Emma Gabrielle Kruse

Alexandra Mangus

Devon Matson

Jeffrey Allen Miller

Tyla R Parks

Logan R Settoon

Katherine Switala-Elmhurst

Gabrielle Martese Walker

Cybersecurity Risk Management

Charles Martin Armstrong

Derrick J McKitt

Noah D Wood

Education Specialist

Nancy Pacella Herin

Patrina Renee Milton-Pugh

Emerging Information

Technologies for Business

Keegan Cook

Alexandra Forneris

Benjamin Lewis Gregory

Brandon Charles Johnson Jr.

Frank J Marullo Jr.

Benjamin Simonowicz

Alina Sylvester

Environmental and Energy Policy

Oluwafemi Awolesi

Environmental Health Sciences

Daniela Kaegi

MASTERʼS DEGREES

Master of Applied Statistics

Emily Schneller Conrad

Master of Arts

Lauren F Betzer

Lori Kate Cook

Matthew Russell Corbacho

Evan Crocker

Grace Carolyn Deitsch

Grace Ellen Dunn

Aliya Wynn Marie Godoy

Tamara Angle Hitt

April King

Cliora J. Newbold

Michelle Nicole Norello

Justin Michael Norwood

Chloe Nicole Pellegrin

Justin I Plummer

Gracen Irene Price

Austin Gregory Starkey

Morgan Angelle Stelly

Kimsey J Stewart

Joaquín Tapia Guerra

LaMona S Wallace

Xinying Zou

Master of Arts in Teaching

Catelyn Greene Miller

Stephen A Herin

Samuel P Lovretich

Aline Marie-Jeanne van den Bold

Annina M Wells

Master of Business Administration

Neal Acharya

Jackson Antonio Alexander

Taryn Aurelia Alves

Cendall Dynette Barton

Louis-Alcee Steele Billeaud

Joshua F Bonnett

Jenna Scott Bridges

DeWorange Joseph Brown Jr.

Wilson Scott Buhrer

Bryce James Burmaster

Grace E Cambre

Ryan Christian Castellon

Taylor Kristina Cicetti

Joshua Lee Courtney

Shaylee Covill

Callie R Crawford

Steven Douglas Crossiln

Raul De La Fuente

Jason Patrick Decawski

Elijah Pardes Devir

Colin Paul Ducote

Avery Grace Dunavant

Emile Durio

Amanda Karen Udeogu

Stella Grace Falterman

Julia Grace Fontana

Jackson Paul Fontanille

Grace Elizabeth Fox

Devon Paige Garrison

Leigh Erin Giggans

Financial Analytics

William E Amass

Jeremy Randall Doggette

Francisco José Méndez Márquez

Ashley A Gorrell

Evan Haik

Jake T Hanks

Angel Harper

Sarah Kathryn Hartline

Reginald Maurice Hill Jr.

Nicholas Reed Hopkins

Madelyn Howell Lape

Jaden Rashan Jackson

Macy A Jones

Elise Marie Juneau

Jacques Luke Juneau

Jeffrey Lewis Kahn Jr.

Breyton K Keneker

Zachary Douglas Kent

Brandon A Kershaw

Lindsey Claire LaFleur

Briana Sway Lavigne

Bailey C Lawrence

Alex Hoang Le

Lauren Olivia Leep

Juliette Judith LeRay

Mary Helen Lott

Princeton LaDarius Malbrue

Ella Ashley Marrus

Mitchell K Mason

Sara Mae McNicoll

Blake Dean Mears

Jenna Renee Meaux

Katherine Rose Melancon

Brea A Miles

Isabella Marina Minick

Douglas Lee Montazella Jr

David Newcomb

Katherine Ann O'Konski

Victoria Lynne Pace

Erick Quiroga

McKenna Ashlyn Ramsey

Christopher A Rives

Evelyn Giovana Robles

Emily K Rodrigue

Brandon James Roldan

Isabelle A. Rowan

Slade Matthew Roy

Callie E Scheuermann

Ceion A. Hagan

Brendan Stegner

Michael Thomas Tecosky

Blake Anthony Tillman

Helle Tuxen OLY

Paris Gabrielle Vercher

Michelle Renee Villarreal

Adam Bruce Williams

Laurel Kathryn Williamson

Master of Education

Sarah Elizabeth Boyle

Lauren Patricia Branstetter

Caroline Nicole Hall

Meah LaPointe

Holly Comeaux Trahan

Zachary J. Twyman

Jack Morgan Warner

Master of Fine Arts

Amber M Baggette

Instructional Coaching

Kelsey Broussard Sikes

Morgan Curry

Preparing Future Faculty

Mustapha Osuolale Bello

Andraé Lamoine Holliday Jr.

Sydney Martina Butts

Daniel Daigle

Marina DeYoe-Pedraza

Craig D Ester Jr.

Peter N Froehlich

Amber S Hart

Kayla Michelle Jackson

Alex C Jacobs

Maura Elizabeth McErlean

Chase Louis Tyler Romero

Emmanuela Sakeenah Wade

Master of Library and Information Science

Nathan Abdy

Kaitlyn Amuso

Elizabeth Mary Ashikyan

Jenna L Caruso

Lee A Cline

Destani Nicole Clement

Chloe Jordan Devereaux

Naomi Douglas

Brittni Lea Duhon

Caitriana E Dougherty

Meghan Anne Flanagan

Lauren E Frederick

Mary Greiner

Sarah Nicole Hobbs

Katherine Thomas Jackson

Kylie Sloane Lott

Victoria Michelle Louviere

Ashlyn D Maifield

Sarahrose Mattox Chung

Marisa Mercer

Kylie Elizabeth Montealegre

Kathleen Marie O'Hara

Meagan N Pugh

Alexis L Randall

Heather M. Ritter

Seth Elisha Roy

Shelby Stafford

Rachel Nachelle Stewart

Stephanie M. Sutton

Laura Grace Watts

Benjamin Richard Wendt

Master of Natural Sciences

Aaron Michael Finley

April Lynn Laneaux

Master of Public Administration

Tamera Trenee' Castle

Stacey Michelle Dabbs

Matthew Edward Duffield

Jackie Gabriel

James Cole Jobe

Caleb C Krueger

Diego Gabriel Lee

Haley Elizabeth McInnis

Jamie Michael Piatt

Rebecca A Sullivan

Michael J Traylor

Hailey Louise White

Rachel Lauren Woodruff

Records and Information Management

Diana Isabel Aguirre-Oliva

Mandy Comeaux Hatman

Karen K Pierce

Danielle Denise Porter

Aimee Tapie Syrdal

Urban and Community Education

Lacey Marie Cunningham- Spencer Kristin Ashley Robair

Master of Science

Salma Akther

Jacopo Aldrighetti

Alexandria S Alleva

Nnonye Asonye Willis

Ayodeji Samuel Ayiti

Sierra Loren Ballard

Hayden P Barrios

Tyler D Beachnau

Justine Elizabeth Beeman

Jeremy Michael Bisek

Michael Calvin Bond

Erin Brakob

Joseph Andrew Brown

Kevin A Brueggemann

Haleigh Alexandra Bryant

Purity Kemunto Bundi

Tonya Robinson Cain

Michael Joseph Cali Jr.

Rodolfo Castillo Jr.

Lily Ellen Cataldo

Caleb Bayer Cavness

Tyler Joseph Comeaux Sr.

Lexie Michele Corbin

Anastasia Emanuette Cray

Sandra Ileana Devine

Jamie E Dismukes

Jake R. Duhé

Emily Elizabeth Fisher

Kurt Friday

Dailin M Fuego

Brittany Gabriel Galloway

Sajani Ghaju

Wynter Gray

Kaylei Alexandrea Green

Angelica Marie Hammond

Saif Nabil Hassan

Brent Albert Hebert

Ciara Marie Heiser

Madison Humphries

Dominick Hurtado

Zachariah M. Issa

Alexis M Johnson

Amanda Katherine Johnson

Meghan E Vandal

Sherri Edwards Johnson

Jacob Darwin Jones

Sophia Jungling

Brantley P Kerns

Joseph Khoury

Ryan Thomas Klutts

Jaclyn Leah Kranjec

Gabriel A LoCoco

Abel A Lopez

Mikaela G. Magness

Thomas P Maletta

Shanice N Manning

Cristofer Mauricio Martinez

Steven Colby Hugh Means

Logan Thomas Miller

Mamuna Mahjabin Mita

Claire Moran Miller

Kyle C Murray

Oladayo Daniel Oluleye

Ayomide Oluwabusola Oyefara

Matthew Parker

Brent Allen Perkins

Camren Taft Pitre

Shaghayegh Rabbanian

Madison Don Raborn

Angela Renee Ramirez

Jacob Edward Reinhardt

Sonia Rodriguez Ibarra

Angelica S Rogers

Ryan John Roy

Sarah A. Roy

Roberto Saldana

Kimberly Rose Salta

Lauron Scott

Elizabeth Sexton

Mohamed Sadiq Shaik

Cecilia Mae Shanks

Elly Raye Smith

Jared Marcel Smith

Rakem Antonio James Spencer

Cole Morgan Statler

Shannon Christine Stemaly

Jordan Neal Stewart

Payton Stewart

Amber Deneigh Stokes

Kylee L Sulser

Zachary A Taylor

Kayla Alise Thomas

Rodriguez M Thomas

Lucinda Lynne Thorburn

Mikaela Tibbs

Quynh-Tram Thi Tran

Brennan Paul Uzee

Jonathan Vallejo

Christian Jed Verry

Lily Vowels

Shamarria Shantyia Walker

Eden Patricia Walkowski

Karen Henry Williams

Latrina Jean Williams

Lucas Williamson

Ashton R Wood

Jason Brock World Turner

Joell Jonathan Wright

Zachary Zajko

Dana Jan Zaro

Master of Science in Biological and Agri

Engineering

Kassidy Brooke Porche

Master of Science in Chemical Engineering

Ashwin Antony

Ahmad Arshadi

Nusrat Jahan Rifat

Soundarzo Tasnim

David Ebe Ukuku

Master of Science in Civil Engineering

Gbenga Emmanuel Daniels

Ebenezer Etsiwah

Benjamin Ard Fernandez

Master of Science in Construction Management

Mahdi Bonyaniakbarabadi

Jason D Kaimal

Ammy Freeman

Fatemeh Ghafari

Eric Worthington Hewitt

Alexander Bryant Jones

Timothy Ira Mackintosh

Alexis Giovanni Montes De Oca

Colin John Neubert

Christopher P Ramirez

Jose German Ramirez

Kevin William Riechers

Ehsan Shourangiz

Scott Austin Slater

Coleman Richard Smith

Maryam Soleymani

Tochukwu M Ukaegbu

Baylie Mackenzie Welch

Master of Science in Digital Media Arts and Engineering

Matin Esmaeili

Neda Parandian

Master of Science in Industrial Engineering

Krystal E Ashby

Jonathan Darrell Estes

Kathryn E Greiner

Rachana Niroula

Daniel Alexander Thompson

DOCTORAL DEGREES

Musical Arts

Devin E Gilbreath

Sijing Guo

Zi-Yun Luo

Ronald David Rodriguez Herrera

Jee Won Shin

Maria Elise Thomas

Philosophy

Armita Abdollahi Govar

Zakaria Afsharbakeshloo

Nousha Afshari

Ehsan Ahmadi

Jiten Amar Ahuja

Omar Subhi Hasan Alawneh

Hussein Alqrinawi

A K M Kazi Fakhrul Muyeed Aurnob

Mandy Barefoot

Kelli Jones Bates

Amber Mignon Brown

Michaela Webber

Jobelle Santiago Bruno

Master of Science in

Mechanical Engineering

Julian Jaeson Lee

Setayesh Yavari

Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering

Edem Teko Mensah

Master of Social Work

Macie Bernard Adams

Mararia Kirk Adams

Sandra Denise Alexander

Kirsten Amber Allen

Melanee Kay Anderson

Jose M Avila

Janea Almeta Gray Bedford

Alandria Sharade

Ledet-Brackens

Dylan Pax Britt

Haley Sykes Brock

Brittania Ling

Amanda F. Bruchhaus

Monica R Burrus

Cameron Alicia Carter

Chad Cashio

Bailey Michele Citizen

Gina M. Cole

Kiesha Marie Conner

Jasmine Jay Coons

Paige Coutinho

Brooklyn Ericksen Danos

Jordyn Alexandra David

Jordan Ridley Burkes

Megan McKenzie Callahan

Roberta de Castro Canton

Wenjia Cao

Christal Carroll-Johnson

Hannah Marie Chapman

Xiaobing Chen

Monazil Hoque Chowdhury

Maxwell Cole

Eamon Callahan Corbett

Kadaja D Cryer

Krishna Prasad Dahal

Jack Dalberg

Heeya Datta

Anisha Deria

Dominique C'mone Dillard

Ross Divers

Allison Smith Dupré

Benjamin Dodson Elmore

Yash Flora

Ewart E Forde

Heather Oliver Freeman

Iris Teresa Davis

Lauren Michelle Davis

Natia V Davis

Nikaizha Ra’Zhona Davis

Shelby Danielle Doctrow

Jennet Duncan

Tephanie J Dural

Megan Nicole Durasin

Dalashia Janee Edgerson

Jennell M Ellis

Katie L Evans

Trina N Evans

Melodie Noele Everritt

Patrick M Ferland

Claire Kathryn Fleming

Emily Calliope Foret

Naomi P Glogauer

Shonnetta LaDawn Green

Desree I Greer

Isabella Haydu

Melinda Lea Hester

Katherine Darlene Hollander

Melody Denise Hollins

Anna Rose Horton

Una Hu

Shastidy Renae Hughes

Madelyn Grace Humphries

Joshua Hutchinson

Erika Michelle Irizarry

Donyelle Marie January

Krystal Karlentha JaCole

Johnson

Margaret Julia Furtner

Hashir Mamoon Gauri

Arpita Ghosh

Oceann Stanley Gittens

Kennedy A Guillot

Heru Handika

Md Nazmul Haque

John Caldwell Hendershot

Adam Joseph Hogan

Warren Albert Hovis

Stephania Imbachi Ordonez

Corai Ellisa Jackson

Trinity Alexis Johnson

Joshua T Jordan

Ravi Joshi

Arjun Khadka

Euijun Kim

Lucas Michael Kurkowski

Christian Olivia Ledet

Shantell Renee Lee

James Leung

Parker Alexandra Levins

Ryleigh Breanna Justice

Jason Wilbur Kidwell

Anne H King

Ashley J Kyriakos

Sarah Beth LaBranche

Keith Douglas Lee

Jaymee Diaz Legaspi

Erin Leonhardt

Randal Patrick Longbottom

Kiya Makayla Love

Shawna Lynch

Clora Applewhite Mabry

Mary E.J. Mahoney

Ana 'Gracia Irene Mayberry

Elizabeth McCrory

W. Faith McElroy

Christian Mercer

Monica Andrea Morejon

Susan L Morganstern

Lauren Ann Murphree

Thea E Narkiewicz

Rebecca Neal Clark

Cierra D Nichols

Michalla Grace Nixon

Alena Kathryn Pace

Molly Dale Peterson-Cross

Caroline E Philyaw

Jordan Michael Pierre

Yolanda Ann Price

Lidia Ramirez

Sarah K Rentrop

Adam Norman Rochette

Yuxia Li

Wei Liu

Andres F Lizano-Villalobos

Candice Leigh Marti

Iván Martínez Espinoza

Michael Dennis Masucci

Sarah Bethany McClure

Mohamed Mohamed

Parsa Molaei

Leah L.K. Moran

Paige Elizabeth Morris

Aheli Saloka Giron-Mukerji

Mwembezi Aaron Nyelele

Alina Oktiabrskaia

Sarah E. Pardue-Bourgeois

Harsh Parekh

Josiah Wheary Pearsall

Nila Pradhananga

Christopher Morgan Reed

Tristan M Reynoso

Sheila Rodríguez Machado

Nuwanthi Namali

Samarawickrama

John Rosario

Aaron Anthony Rushing

Andrew Ruuth

Armando Salais

Kailyn C Savage

Brittany Shay Saxton

Taniel Bejae' Scruggs

Elizabeth Marie Sherer

Julia Jeanette Shiryaev

Ka'Liah Sibley

Charles S Skinner

Addie Reid Smith

Elizabeth Hedgepeth Spencer

Samantha Arden Stanley

Allison N Stockwell

Alexis M Tippmann

SiaRyah L Turner

Aidan Lynn Valentine

Kristin Nicole Van Dyke

Donald Allen Venable

Alana Jade Vest

Michelle Vogt

Belle Vion Wadley

Abby Rose Weiss

John Lewis Wellman

Kyra Nicole Wells

Leslie A Wilson

Kathryn Ann Womelsduff

Natalie Renee Sheppard

Stacy Lee Stingle

Jingya Sun

Clarence Sutton III

Celeste Marie Tevis

Shriya Thakkar

Derek Trent Thompson

Evante Cortez Topp

Huu Dat Tran

Aaron C Trigg

Erin H Tsai

Erin Pamela Vaughan

Sorawit Viwanthananut

Sorena Vosoughkhosravi

Douglas Kassan Waddell Sr.

Clinton Joel Walker

Leshan Wang

Sara Yihua Wang

Yutian Zeng

Murad Zeynalli

Matthew Lane Weller Zink

Lori Garrison, an LSU Foundation Board of Directors member, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree in August in recognition of her transformative philanthropic impact on LSU academics. Garrison carries forward the legacy of her late father, LSU alumnus Dr. William A. Brookshire, by leading the Brookshire Foundation’s longstanding support of LSU students. Garrison and her family have provided nearly 2,400 scholarships for working students and have been leaders in supporting military veterans and their families through the LSU William A. Brookshire Military & Veterans Student Center, William A. Brookshire LSU Military Museum, and William A. Brookshire Veterans Law Center.

Ben Harrington (2025 BACH ENGR) witnessed

the June crater-side eruption of Kilauea, on the southeastern side of the Big Island of Hawaii, during his graduation trip with his family. This 24th eruption produced lava heights up to 1,200 feet!

Proudly wearing their LSU gear for the historic moment were his father, Dan Harrington, Ben, and his mother, Suzy Harrington.