a l u m n i
m a g a z i n e
Spring 2014, Volume 90, Number 1
A Head Start on the Career path LSU’s Undergraduate Researchers Produce More Than Term Papers
From the
President/Chancellor Graduation – A Monumental Milestone As you know, graduation is a monumental life milestone. It marks a great accomplishment for the individual. For parents and the University community, it’s the fulfillment of seeing someone actualize their potential. But this spring, graduation means a lot more to LSU than it has before. LSU recently announced its graduation rate reached an all-time high of 69.1 percent, which is higher than our competitors’ average in the Southern region. It has increased swiftly over the past four years and is the culmination of efforts that began in the 1980s when admissions standards were implemented. And it’s a tribute to the commitment of our students, faculty, and staff that these numbers continue to rise. During the 2012-13 academic year, LSU awarded 6,093 degrees, which is the secondhighest total in University history. In other words, we’re more successful at graduating students than we’ve ever been before, and we’re achieving that success with a larger number of students. Graduation means something different to industry. Today’s employers see an LSU degree as a certification of quality. That is evident in the starting and mid-career earnings of LSU alumni being much higher than the average of our competitors. But we have to keep improving on the quality of the educational experience, and, to keep the momentum, LSU is overhauling its undergraduate research program named LSU Discover. It is designed to enhance student learning by strengthening and expanding undergraduate research across LSU’s varied curricula. It is also a part of the University’s reaccreditation process scheduled this year. To learn more about the program, visit www.lsu.edu/discover. Graduation also means something to our state government – solutions. In January, Gov. Bobby Jindal proposed a new fund based on degree production in high-demand fields and research innovation. It will be the first time Louisiana will have a funding plan tied to solving Louisiana’s workforce demands. In a separate but related point, Louisiana Economic Development made a major commitment to LSU to meet the workforce needs of IBM’s new services center in Baton Rouge, and LSU pledged to graduate more computer scientists. Imagine telling high school seniors that there is practically a job waiting at the end of college with a very high paying salary; it’s almost unheard of. If you know of any high school students who may be interested, please encourage them to at least look into computer science as a career path (csc.lsu.edu/). So when you think about spring at LSU, think about more than the spring football game and the College World Series. Remember that spring at LSU is also about achievement – and about graduation. And if you know any students currently attending LSU, remind them that their graduation begins today. Geaux Tigers!
F. King Alexander LSU President and Chancellor @lsuprez
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
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Publisher Charlie W. Roberts
Contents
Editor Jackie Bartkiewicz Advertising James Fisher Art Director Chuck Sanchez STUN Design & Interactive
a l u m n i
m a g a z i n e
Feature
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20 LSU Discover: A Head Start Several LSU programs allow undergraduates to work with faculty mentors to produce research results that have significant impact in their fields: the Chancellor’s Alumni Scholars program; ASPIRE, which is supported through the College of Humanities & Social Sciences; and the Chancellor’s Future Leaders in Research are just a sampling of these programs. The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) launched this spring, embraces the idea that undergraduates should be actively involved in learning, creating, researching, and developing ideas as part of the natural discovery process. Titled “LSU Discover,” the QEP expands opportunities for all LSU students to participate in projects that will give them not only a better understanding of their fields but also a leg up on their careers after they graduate. In “A Head Start,” Brenda Macon reveals the breadth and variety of talent among LSU’s undergraduates.
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In Each Issue 1
From the President/Chancellor
4
President’s Message
6
LSU Alumni Association News
32 Around Campus 44 Focus on Faculty 46 Locker Room 50 Tiger Nation
Cover photos by Eddy Perez and Johnny Gordon. Design by STUN Design & Interactive
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Editorial Assistants Patti Garner, Brenda Macon, Hannah McLain, Meagan McDaniel Contributors Ashley Arceneaux, Barry Cowan, Ed Cullen, Bill Franques, Emily Herrington, Danielle Kelley, Brenda Macon, Hannah McLain, Chante Pryer Photography Gary Allen, Commercial Properties Realty Trust, Johnny Gordon, Larry Hubbard, LSU Sports Information, Chris Parent, Party Pics, Eddy Perez, School of Veterinary Medicine, Jim Zietz Printing Baton Rouge Printing Editorial and Advertising Office LSU Alumni Association 3838 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686 225-578-3838 • 888-RINGLSU www.lsualumni.org / e-mail: jackie@lsualumni.org LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE is published quarterly in March, June, September and December by the LSU Alumni Association. A contribution of $50 or more for an annual subscription includes membership in the Alumni Association. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Please write to the address listed above. LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE reserves the right to edit all material accepted for publication. Publication of material does not indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint by the magazine, the LSUAA or LSU. © 2014 by LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE, 3838 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686 The mission of the LSU Alumni Association is to protect, promote, and foster the welfare of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College and to create and nurture mutually beneficial relationships between the University and its alumni and friends. The Association, using the talents and resources of alumni and friends of Louisiana State University, supports the University in pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and public service to future and current alumni. NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gil Rew Chair, Mansfield, La. Jan K. Liuzza Chair-Elect, Kenner, La. Jack A. Andonie Immediate Past Chair, Metairie, La. Lodwrick M. Cook Director Emeritus, Sherman Oaks, Calif. Scott L. Anderson, Monroe, La. Ted A Martin, Baton Rouge, La. Mary Lou Applewhite, New Orleans, La. Louis R. Minksy, Baton Rouge, La. Jon D. “Jay” Babb, Baton Rouge, La. Richard C. “Ricky” Oustalet, Jennings, La. Beverly Shea, New Iberia, La. J. Hals Benhard, Palmetto, La. John T. Shelton, Jr., Houston, Texas C. A. “Buddy” Brice III, Biloxi, Miss. Carl J. Streva, Morgan City, La. Guy Campbell III, Monroe, La. Susan K. Whitelaw, Shreveport, La. Gregg Cordaro, Baton Rouge, La. Michel H. Woods, Shreveport, La. Kathy Fives, Las Vegas, Nev. Ronald M. Johnson, Baton Rouge, La.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
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President/CEO’s
MESSAGE
Who’s Calling on You? Many of you know and understand the relationship to LSU of the three private fundraising organizations – the LSU Alumni Association, LSU Foundation, and Tiger Athletic Foundation. To some, the purpose of these organizations is confusing. In this issue I will explain the differences among them and how they function to support LSU. The LSU Foundation is LSU’s major fundraising unit – its development office, if you will. The Foundation solicits major contributions for colleges, departments, and units on campus, and its staff works closely with deans and department heads to develop and bring closure to all gifts. The Foundation has a close working relationship with the president/chancellor because finalizing large contributions requires his input and direction concerning the needs of the University as a whole. The Foundation is the only unit that conducts telemarketing fundraising, or “phonea-thons,” with staff supervising students who place calls to alumni and friends on behalf of individual colleges. Additionally, the Foundation solicits friends and alumni through direct mail and telemarketing on behalf of the Flagship Fund, which supports specific or general needs of the University. The Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF) directs fundraising to support LSU Athletics. Its primary effort is to generate financial support for athletic programs and facilities, but TAF also supports University academics and solicits general philanthropic support for special projects. All contributions to TAF earn donors priority points, which are used to determine the order in which TAF members receive tickets to various athletic events, most commonly away football games, the SEC Championship Game, and postseason bowl games. The LSU Alumni Association serves an entirely different role. The Association’s primary purpose is to keep alumni and friends connected to the University, and its method of solicitation is the membership contribution for the Alumni Annual Fund. Renewal notices, reminder letters, alumni travel brochures, and affinity partner offerings are sent via mail, but the Association does not use telemarketing to raise funds. The Association keeps in touch with alumni – and keeps alumni in touch with one another – through its 135 chapters around the world; LSU Alumni Magazine and the monthly E-Letter; through the Golden Tigers and LSU Tiger Band reunions; the Hall of Distinction and Accolades Banquet, which recognize alumni and friends; functions for retired faculty and staff; and other special events. So there you have it. These are the three organizations you recognize through mail, telephone, or personal visits that function solely for the benefit of LSU. And all three appreciate your dedication and support – past, present, and future.
Charlie W. Roberts President/CEO
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From Our Readers Dear Editor: As a graduate of LSU and a fan of all Tiger sports teams, no one is more pleased than I with the current revitalization of the basketball program as outlined in the article by Bud Johnson in the Winter 2013 edition of the LSU Alumni Magazine. I was, however, extremely displeased with the disparaging comments made about former player Andrew del Piero and believe such comments have no place in the alumni magazine. Yes, del Piero was not a great basketball player. He was, however, a member of the team – not because he could play the tuba but because, as with all members of the team, he was assessed by the coaching staff as being capable enough to be on the team as a contributing member of the squad. He made the team on merit, not as a circus act or a curiosity. The effort displayed by del Piero and the commitment he made to making himself a better player are qualities that should be celebrated, not, as in the article, snidely denigrated. However clever Bud Johnson may imagine himself to be, he does a great disservice to Andrew del Piero, all LSU athletes, as well as LSU alumni when he essentially mocks the efforts of del Piero. Johnson owes an apology to LSU alumni and more importantly to Andrew del Piero.
Gary Growe 1975 JD Bangor, Maine
Dear Editor: Attached is a photo of me and Joe Dae Burns (1947 BACH AGR, 1948 MAST AGR), of Jonesboro, La., taken somewhere in Germany just after the end of World War II. Joe was a forward observer of artillery with the 78th Infantry Division. I was company commander of Company F, 291st Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry Division. Somehow I learned where Joe’s unit was so I had my jeep driver take me there. We found Joe and had about a two-hour visit before I had to get back to my unit. We both went back to LSU after the war. We both got our degrees and both married – he to Helen and I to Mary Louise, two beautiful girls. We Ted Cox and Joe Dae Burns kept in touch for several years then went separate ways, each founding his own business. Joe’s daughter, Mary Helen, saw a photo of my wife and me in the December issue of the magazine, in which I said we lived in little hutments built on campus for GIs returning to LSU. She e-mailed me that her parents, Joe and Helen Burns, lived in one of the hutments. I wrote her back and told her I knew her parents and would like to get in touch with them. She gave me his office number, and we had a nice talk, both of us glad to get together again. Joe is 90 years old (I’m 93), and he still goes to his timber business office most every afternoon. We can talk together but can never walk together again. I use a walker in the house, but outside I have to go in a wheel chair, and I can’t travel anymore. Joe uses a walker to get around, and he doesn’t travel. His wife, Helen, is bedridden in a nursing home. I have written a book to make a point. We got together in Germany in 1945; now we get together again in 2014.
Edgar “Ted” Cox 1947 BACH AGR St. Charles, Mo.
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LSU Alumni Association
news
2014 Hall of Distinction Eight distinguished alumni will be inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction on April 4. Alumna of the Year
Patricia Curtis hewlett Bodin Pat Bodin, of Houston, received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from LSU in 1972. Bodin retired from ExxonMobil in 2008 as chief information officer and vice president of global information services. She is a former member of the LSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors and a member of the Dean’s Circle of both the College of Science and the E.J. Ourso College of Business. She also serves on the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. Bodin was inducted into the Business Hall of Distinction in 2005 and the Science Hall of Distinction in 2013. Young Alumnus of the Year
Adrian Vaughn Mitchell Adrian Mitchell, of Winnetka, Ill., chief financial and chief operating officer of Crate & Barrel, is also head of International Retail and eCommerce Operations, Global Supply Chain Operations, Architecture and Construction, Real Estate, and Facilities. Mitchell earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from LSU in 1996.
Jay Dardenne Louisiana Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from LSU in 1976 and a J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1979. Dardenne was re-elected to a four-year term as lieutenant governor in 2011 after serving one year in an unexpired term. He served four years as Secretary of State and fifteen years as a state senator.
John P. Havens John Havens, of Houston, is vice chair and holds the second largest ownership share of the Houston Astros, president of Seismic Exchange, and owner of Cala-Vie Health Spa in Vista, Calif. Havens graduated from LSU in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in geology.
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Charles E. Kaufman Dr. Charles Kaufman, chief of neurology at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, graduated from LSU in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and earned his M.D. from the LSU Medical Center in 1975. Dr. Kaufman and his wife, Elise, are generous supporters of numerous University entities, including the Greater Baton Rouge Alumni Chapter.
Bobby V. Page Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Bobby V. Page, deputy chief of chaplains, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, earned a bachelor’s degree in history from LSU in 1973 and was commissioned through LSU ROTC. Page assists the chief of chaplains on matters concerning the religious and moral welfare of all Air Force personnel and in directing the Chaplain Corps.
Peggy B. Scott Peggy B. Scott is executive vice president, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and treasurer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA). She is also president of the BCBSLA Foundation, having previously served four years as chair of the foundation board. She graduated from LSU in 1973 with a degree in accounting.
Doyle Zane Williams Doyle Z. Williams, of Canton, Ga., is dean emeritus of the Sam Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, founding dean of the School of Accounting at the University of Southern California, and former senior scholar at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in accounting from LSU in 1962 and 1965, respectively.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
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LSU Alumni Association News
Annual Meeting Past Presidents, Chairs Recognized
J. Hals Benhard, chair of the nominating committee of the National Board of Directors, recognizes outgoing board member Theresa Gallion, of Tampa, Fla., for her nine years of service.
Past board chairs, from left, Veil “Sonny” DeVillier, Dr. Louis R. Minsky, Gregory J. “Gregg” Cordaro, Jon D. “Jay” Babb, J. Hals Benhard, and Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite.
Past leaders of the LSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors were recognized at the Past Presidents & Chairs Luncheon on Nov. 22. The event was held in conjunction with the Association’s 2013 Annual Meeting.
Association President Charlie Roberts, center, welcomes new board members Steve Tope and Kathy Fives.
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Honored were Lucien Laborde, 19641965; the late J. Huntington Odom, 1973-1974, represented by his wife, Outgoing board chair Dr. Jack A. Andonie, Pat; Veil “Sonny” DeVillier, 1989; Association Executive Vice President Cliff Vannoy, and Lucien and Peggy Laborde. Dr. James R. Peltier, 1991; Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite, 1992; J. Hals Benhard, 1994; Jon D. “Jay” Babb, 2005-2006; Dr. Louis R. Minsky, 2007-2008; and Gregory J. “Gregg” Cordaro, 2010. LSU Alumni Association President Charlie Roberts welcomed guests, and Dr. Jack Andonie, chair of the Association’s National Board of Directors, presided over the business meeting. Dr. Gil Rew, chair of the finance committee, presented the financial report, and J. Hals Benhard, nominating committee chair, presented the slate of nominations and recognized outgoing board member Theresa M. Gallion, of Tampa, Fla., for her nine years of service. Unanimously approved to serve on the national board were officers Dr. Gillis “Gil” Rew, of Mansfield, La., chair; Jan K. Liuzza, of Kenner, La., chair-elect; and directors Ted Martin, District 1; Dr. Jack A. Andonie, of Metairie, La., At-Large; Stan Williams, of Fort Worth, Texas, National Fund Chair; and Kathy Fives, of Las Vegas, At-Large. Steve Tope was elected to a three-year term on the The Cook Hotel Board of Managers, and emeritus status was conferred upon Sam J. Friedman, of Natchitoches, La. All appointments were effective Jan. 1.
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LSU Alumni Association News
Chapter Events Tiger World Tour – In November 2013, members of the LSU Carolinas Chapter toured Tiger World, a zoo near Charlotte, N.C., dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and preservation of exotic animals. “We had about twentyfive people in purple and gold enjoying a picnic lunch in the sunshine before touring the facility,” writes Dan LaFayette. “A caretaker joined us to give us personalized information on the panther cubs and the lemurs, twenty-plus tigers, ten lions, and other animals at the facility. Mike the Tiger would be proud!”
Carolina Chapter members on a Tiger World tour.
Fighting Holiday Hunger – Bryan Fox, president of the Phoenix Alumni Chapter, along with Brad Diemer, of Texas A&M, and Andy Shortal, of Auburn, chaired the 2013 SEC Food Drive for the city’s St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. Seven area alumni clubs representing SEC universities collected 1,071 pounds of non-perishable foods to help fight holiday hunger. Dropping their normally competitive and occasionally adversarial stances to adopt a mood of cooperative collegiality, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas A&M alums worked during September and October to meet a major community need. The donations almost doubled that collected during the 2012 food drive.
Alumni from seven SEC universities took part in the food drive for St. Vincent De Paul in Phoenix.
Board member Kyle Walker and Saint-a-Claus Eric Dawson.
LSU Carolinas and Who Dat Carolinas teamed up for Saints vs. Panthers weekend events.
Saints vs. Panthers – During the 4th
Board member Renee Needleman and secretary Angela Koch.
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Annual Saints vs. Panthers Weekend on Dec. 21-22, 2013, the LSU Carolinas Chapter partnered with Who Dat Carolinas to host more than 250 Saints fans at Strike City in Uptown Charlotte for a Black and Gold Christmas Party. Proceeds from the silent auction, raffle, corn-hole tournament, and 15 percent of the food and drink sales at Strike City Aron Rougeou Smart, ex-Saints linebacker Vaughan were donated to the Gleason Initiative Johnson, and social chair Jenn Jenkins. Foundation. “We presented a check for about $3,000 to Team Gleason in February,” writes Dan Lafayette. The groups hosted more than 400 Saints fans for a Louisiana-style tailgate sponsored by Abita Brewery, serving up gumbo, jambalaya, red beans, and more. Donations collected during the tailgate benefit the LSU Carolinas Scholarship Fund.
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LSU Alumni Association News
LSU Legends Forum Honors Hamilton and Snearl
By Chante Pryer
The fifth annual LSU Legends Forum, which has become the signature event for the A.P. Tureaud, Sr., Black Alumni Chapter, honored 2013 LSU Legends Leo C. Hamilton and Gwen Snearl at the LSU African American Cultural Center on Nov. 22, 2013.
The LSU Legends recognition, presented by the chapter since 2009, honors outstanding individuals/groups who have maintained active engagement in the continued progress of LSU in association with the engagement of African-American students, faculty/staff, alumni, and the community at-large. Hamilton (1973 BACH H&SS, 1977 Paul Ivey, executive director of University College; 2013 LSU Legends Leo C. Hamilton and Gwen Snearl; State Rep. JD), a charter member of the original Pat Smith; retired Judge Luke Lavergne; Rachel L. Emanuel; Felicia Harry; John Shorter; B. J. Bellow; and Shaun Mena. Tureaud Chapter established in 1989, served as the first vice-president and president-elect. As president, he helped The two 2013 honorees establish the chapter’s first endowed scholarship effort. Hamilton helped reconstitute join a distinguished the present chapter, served on the 2013 Reunion Celebration Executive Planning group of LSU Legends. Committee, and formerly served on the Tiger Athletic Foundation Board of Directors. A partner in the law firm of Breazeale, Sachse, and Wilson, Hamilton is the first 2009 African American to serve as president of the Baton Rouge Bar Association and is currently president of the Louisiana Bar Foundation. Carolyn Collins Snearl, an academic counselor with the Center for Freshman Year in University Thomas Durant College, has a long history of devoted service to LSU and to students both past and present. The first person to hold the title of LSU minority student coordinator, 2010 her work with the Office of Minority Affairs is her signature contribution to the Mamye Lynn Hall University. Programs that she implemented such as Genesis, Harambe, MLK Day, Huel D. Perkins and the annual Robing Ceremony for graduates are mainstays on campus. Many believe that Snearl forever changed the way LSU celebrates African and African2011 American achievement. Allen Lee The forum was preceded by the 2013 Chapter General Body meeting in which a new Dr. Joyce Jackson slate of chapter officers and board members were ratified. The new officers are Gary Huntley (1989 BACH ENGR), vice president and president elect; Daniel Druilhet (2008 BACH H&SS), secretary; and Todd Schexnayder (1981 BACH H&SS), treasurer. 2012 New members at-large are Felicia L. Harry (1975 BACH MCOM, 1978 MAST Maxine Crump MCOM), of Thibodaux, La; Joaneane Smith (1997 MBA), of New Orleans; and Luke Bernette J. Johnson LaVergne (1982 JD). Ralph Tyson Following the presentation of the LSU Legends by chapter president Rachel L. Emanuel (1977 BACH MCOM, 1990 MAST MCOM), Shaun Mena (2004 BACH H&SS), special events chair, moderated the forum panel that addressed the topic, “Stand Your Ground Laws in Louisiana.” Panelists were Afi Patterson (2003 BACH HS&E) and State Rep. Pat Smith. Among those attending the event were Brandon Smith, chapter immediate past president; John Shorter, director of chapters and sports trips for the LSU Alumni Association; B.J. Bellow, assistant general manager of The Cook Hotel; College of Humanities & Social Sciences Dean Gaines Foster; Bridgett Brister, Renee Boutee Myer, LaKeitha Poole, Gwenevere and Gideon Carter, Joyce Jackson, Blane Grimes, Almeta J. Snearl, Deneen White, Bridget Jack, Shelia Duncan, J. Ashley Mitchell, and Kenyatta Esters.
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LSU Alumni Association News
Snapshots Job Well Done! – Trudi Schriber,
President Charlie Roberts with Tammy Brown, photo at left, and Trudi Schriber.
business manager for the LSU Alumni Association and Tammy Brown, director of sales for The Cook Hotel, received Louis and Lori Minsky Staff Leadership awards for their outstanding work performance in 2013. The awards were made at the staff Christmas luncheon on Dec. 19, 2013, an event sponsored annually by Kent and Yvonne Anderson, of Monroe, La. Schriber has been with the Association for eighteen years; Brown marked her twelfth anniversary in February. Dr. Louis Minsky serves on the National Board of Directors. Photo by Johnny Gordon
Ringing in 2014 – Revelers brought in the new year at The Cook Hotel at Kickoff 2014. The faithful pictured here made it to 1 a.m. celebrating to the sounds of After 8 as part of the comprehensive party package created for the third annual event. The package included appetizers, dinner, open bar, a hotel room, and breakfast on Jan. 1.
Dining Out – Jerry and Beverly Shea, of New Iberia, La., hosted their annual dinner for staff of the LSU Alumni Association and The Cook Hotel at Ruffino’s on Jan. 16. Jerry Shea is a past member of the Association’s National Board of Directors, and Beverly is a current member of the board. Photo by Johnny Gordon
Standing, from left, Charlie Roberts, Amy Parrino, Beverly and Jerry Shea, Mike Garner, and Jason Ramezan; seated, Cliff Vannoy and Mary Clare Horgan.
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LSU’s Best
Recognized
at Scholars Banquet
The 2013 Chancellor’s Alumni Scholars, from left, Chase Courville, Allen Davis, Jeffrey Carroll, Sabrina Valenti, Daniel Hulgan, Cullen Hodges, Jeremy Alcanzare, Chandler McArthur, and Nikka Khorsandi. Not pictured, Jonathan Gardner.
LSU’s top scholars, their parents, and the donors who made their scholarships possible were recognized at Scholars Banquet on Oct. 24, 2013, at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. The University’s top ten entering freshmen – the Chancellor’s Alumni Scholars, also known as Cain Scholars – received scholarships funded through the LSU Alumni Association from an endowment made in the memory of Ola and Ruth Cain by Gordon A. Cain and Mary H. Cain. Recipients were Jeremy Cabrido Alcanzare; Jeffrey Clay Carroll, of Jonesboro, La.; Chase Reed Courville, of Bossier City, La.; Allen Miller Davis, of Spanish Fort, Ala.; Jonathan Alexander Gardner, of Germantown, Tenn.; John Cullen Hodges; Daniel Joseph Hulgan; Nikka Yu Khorsandi, of Carencro, La.; Chandler Brent McArthur; and Sabrina Belle Valenti, of Niceville, Fla. Also recognized were the Flagship Scholars whose awards are funded through the
Photos clockwise: Jordan Renschler, of Matawan, N.J., recipient of the Ray and Gene Ziegler Family Endowed Flagship Scholarhip, with, from left, Mike Ziegler, Jan Ziegler, Joanne Ziegler, Bill Ziegler, Caroline Schneider, Alice Landry, and Dan Landry; Bill Bollinger, Kyle Lambert, and Jim Bollinger. Lambert holds the Malcom Bollinger Endowed Flagship Scholarship; East Baton Rouge Parish Endowed Flagship Scholar Alison Mikes with Paul and Paula Dupuy and Brian Root; Tracy Jones, Mary Lauren Wheelahan, Luke O’Quinn, and Candy Jones. Wheelahan and O’Quinn hold the D. Jones, Jr., and Evelyn H. Jones Endowed Flagship Scholarship, named for Tracy Jones’s parents.
Association by gifts from individual donors, organizations, and alumni chapters. Photos by Johnny Gordon and Gary Allen
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LSU Alumni Association News
Denver Loupe, Assistant Vice President Tracy Jones, Jerry Juneau, Executive Vice President Cliff Vannoy, and Jesse Walker.
Snapshots
Odrie Ortego, Charles Severence, and Steven Nicholson.
Terril Faul, Carruth and Mary McGehee, and President Charlie Roberts.
’Twas the Season – Nearly 300 retired University employees kicked off the holiday season at the Retired Faculty/Staff Christmas Celebration on Dec. 10, 2013, at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. The festivities included dinner, door prizes, Christmas caroling, and a visit from Jolly Old Saint Nick, and in the spirit of the season, those attending donated more than $3,000 to benefit the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, a project of the LSU Faculty & Staff Retirees Club. Photos by Johnny Gordon
Best dressed for the holidays – second-year-in-a-row winner Dan Fontenot and Cindy Sullivan.
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Toot Your Horn – The sounds of jubilation – led by LSU alum Graham Breedlove, first trumpeter for the U.S. Army Band – filled the O’Neal Lodge in The Cook Hotel on Nov. 22, 2013, the evening before the Texas A&M game. Breedlove was joined by Bill Grimes, the E. & D. White Professor of Music; his son Jonathan Grimes, drummer for the Baton Rouge band After 8; and pianist Mike Esneault, also an LSU graduate, for a special concert, which featured a host of musical standards, including a heartwarming rendition of “Amazing Grace,” and a vibrant rendition of the “Armed Forces Medley.”
Mike Esneault, Jonathan Grimes, Bill Grimes, and Graham Breedlove.
Billy Cannon, second from right, with the Breedlove family, from left, Lucy, Kelly, Chloe, Ryan, and Graham.
Graham Breedlove with Sugar Woods, left, and Phyllis Taylor.
Daughter Lucy Breedlove sings “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.”
Photos by Johnny Gordon
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LSU Alumni Association News
Snapshots Homecoming Huddle – Former Governor Edwin Edwards, guest speaker at The Cook Hotel on the Friday before Homecoming, is flanked LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors members Dr. Jack Andonie, left, and Dr. Gil Rew. Edwards was interviewed by Jim Engster, president of Louisiana Radio Network. Photo by Johnny Gordon
Ring Donation – Virginia Osborn, of Zachary, La., visited the Lod Cook Alumni Center in early December 2013 to donate the 1948 LSU Ring worn by her late husband, Retus W. Osborn, III, to the permanent ring collection. Photo by Johnny Gordon
Virginia Osborn and President Charlie Roberts.
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
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A
Start Career Path on the
LSU’s Undergraduate Researchers Produce More than term papers
By Brenda Macon | Photos by Eddy Perez and Jim Zietz
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At LSU, several programs currently in place allow undergraduates to work with faculty mentors to produce research results that have significant impact in their fields: the Chancellor’s Alumni Scholars program; ASPIRE, which is supported through the College of Humanities & Social Sciences; and the Chancellor’s Future Leaders in Research are just a sampling of these programs. With the recently announced Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that LSU has established as part of its reaffirmation of accreditation package, this trend toward hands-on research opportunities for undergraduates will increase exponentially. The QEP, which launches in fall 2014, embraces the idea that undergraduates should be actively involved in learning, creating, researching, and developing ideas as part of the natural discovery process. Titled “LSU Discover,” the QEP expands opportunities for all LSU students to participate in projects that will give them not only a better understanding of their fields, but also a leg up on their careers after they graduate. In this brief series of profiles on students who are already part of the research community at LSU, we endeavor to show the breadth and variety of talent among LSU’s undergraduates.
Undergraduates working with faculty mentors produce research results that have significant impact in their fields.
Bruno Beltran
College of Science, global leaders scholar, Flagship scholar, Goldwater Scholar Bruno Beltran, whose parents moved to the U.S. from Lima, Peru, before he was born, had originally intended to find a course of study at LSU that would lead him to medical school. However, he realized early on that he was bored by those classes. Instead, he found that advanced math and computer science were much more fun. Solving the riddles and challenges that math and science presented were far more compelling, but he found a way to combine that love of puzzles with his original desire to go into a medical field through research. When he arrived at LSU, Beltran knew no one. Very quickly, his classmates in the Honors College courses he was taking became his good friends. These same friends were involved in the LA-STEM program and encouraged him to become involved as well. Through the program, he has conducted research as an undergraduate that is at the level of that of a Ph.D. Boyd Professor Isiah Warner, the director of the LA-STEM program, helped Beltran find the perfect research match: He works with math professor Frank Neubrander on the advanced computational math that allows his fluid dynamics work with chemical engineering professor Krishnaswamy Nandakumar to become Beltran’s three-dimensional computer model that is designed to help doctors more quickly and effectively diagnose problems with blood flow in their patients. In essence, Beltran is modeling aneurism development to find a way to predict and perhaps prevent them from occurring. Beltran credits Isiah Warner for encouraging him to apply for the Goldwater Scholarship. As a student who decided to attend LSU because of TOPS, Beltran understands financial need. He is also concerned that funding has been cut for LSU’s LA-STEM program. Asked what he would tell legislators, he said, “Funding this program is not just about the small group of students who are involved. The program’s strength is the network of faculty and students who have created a community of cooperation and innovation. That network is far-reaching.” Asked about his experience in the Honors College, Beltran explained, “Honors College gives you a trajectory. You may come to LSU not knowing exactly what you want to do, but Honors College helps you get focused through guidance.” Asked about how LA-STEM has helped him, Beltran said, “With everything I’ve done, LA-STEM is the reason it worked!” To potential students who have heard that LSU is a party school or not quite up to the quality of other schools, Beltran advised, “If you look at yourself and think you’re too good for LSU, then you’re looking at it the wrong way. You can find whatever you want or need to succeed, to do what you want to do at LSU, and the people to help you do it.”
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CAtherine Fontenot
College of Science/Honors College, Flagship scholar, Truman Scholar Catherine Fontenot has always known that she wants to be a doctor. Her focus from high school through college has been to reach that goal. However, it wasn’t until she arrived at LSU as a student in the Honors College that she realized exactly what kind of medicine she wants to practice. Through independent reading, she found her perfect match: epidemiology. She wants to attend Harvard Medical School and become involved with Partners In Health, an organization that provides health care to some of the poorest people on earth.
Nikka Khoursandi
College of Science, Chancellor’s Alumni Scholar/Chancellor’s Future Leaders in Research Program Nikka Khoursandi, a first-year student majoring in biological sciences, is a Chancellor’s Alumni Scholar and a participant in the Chancellor’s Future Leaders in Research program. At Lafayette High, he was part of the Academy of Health Careers, which introduced him to the possibilities within the field of medicine and helped him decide on a focus when he arrived at LSU. Currently, Nikka works with Assistant Professor Louis Haber and graduate assistant Raju Kamal in the area of physical chemistry, synthesizing both gold and silver nanoparticles to better understand their properties. This work has opened up new horizons for Nikka. “Before this semester, I would have never thought I would have been interested in physical chemistry, but after working in the lab and learning about some of the concepts it is quite possible I may pursue a career in this field,” he commented recently. Nikka anticipates graduating in spring 2017 and contemplates a wide range of higher education options afterward.
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LSU students participate in projects that will give them not only a better understanding of
Jonathan Lambert
School of the Coast & Environment/College of Science, Udall Scholar Jonathan Lambert, who is not only majoring in coastal environmental science in the School of the Coast & Environment but also in marine biology, is additionally a student in the Honors College. He was named a 2013 Udall Scholar, becoming the third student ever at LSU and the second in the School of the Coast & Environment to receive this prestigious honor. Even before he earned the Udall award, however, Lambert was already well acquainted with scholarly accolades. Throughout his time at LSU, he has sought out and taken advantage of opportunities to participate in meaningful research. Shortly after he arrived on campus, he became involved with the Coastal Flooding Research Group, investigating the multiple meteorological, oceanographic and geographic factors that influence the height, extent, and duration of storm surge flooding. In part because of the interest and promise he showed early on in research, he received the prestigious Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in his sophomore year. This award gave him the opportunity to spend ten weeks working full time during the summer between his sophomore and junior years in a research internship at the NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Md. There he participated with a group researching the effects of climate change on vegetation in the Rockies and the effects of ocean acidification on Puget Sound organisms at the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Wash. With an anticipated graduation date coming in May 2014, he plans a career in research, anticipating graduate school in fall 2014.
their fields but also a leg up on their careers after they graduate.
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morgan Taylor
College of Music & Dramatic Arts/School of the Coast & Environment Morgan Taylor likes to keep busy. This senior from Houston is a triple-degree candidate (B.A. in music; B.M. in performance; and B.S. in coastal environmental science) who is also pursuing a minor in leadership development. Oh, and she is also in the Honors College, where she serves as an R.A. in the Honors residential hall, East Laville. Added to that, she is the chair of an environmental committee through Student Government, where she represents the College of Music & Dramatic Arts, and she also serves on the MDA Student Council; she is a Pellar Fellow, performing music in hospitals and nursing homes, as well as traveling with that group to creative entrepreneurship events; and she plays club tennis on LSU’s 16th-ranked tennis team. Did we mention her penchant for taking the maximum course load, as many as 23 hours, every semester? And then there is her coastal environmental research with one of the top microbial ecology researchers in the world. The eldest of four children, Morgan realized while she was a student at the John Cooper School in Houston that she needed to find a university that would offer her not only all the academic and service opportunities that she craved but also a very good scholarship. “How can you get much better than free?” she mused. Because of her high ACT score, LSU made her an offer like no other school—a full four-year academic scholarship. Of course, LSU is also close enough to Houston— without being too close—so that she could go home whenever she needed. She also wanted to participate in the Honors College, which has its own residence hall and many opportunities for students to network and learn together. Not until she arrived, however, did she discover the real diamond in the rough: LSU’s five-year-old undergraduate program in coastal environmental science is one of the top programs of its kind, with world-renowned faculty performing some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Morgan’s research mentor in the program, Aixin Hou, is a highly respected microbial ecologist who encourages Morgan’s natural curiosity. Morgan helps to document lab specimens in Hou’s microbiology laboratory, where the team is investigating the impact of oil-degrading bacteria on the naturally occurring vibrios, or marine bacteria, in the northern Barataria and Breton Sound. “It wasn’t until I started working in the lab that I began to notice all the publications that Dr. Hou has produced,” Morgan said with awe. “She’s making a real impact in coastal ecology.” This research fits well with Morgan’s own concern for the environment. Besides working on coastal research, she also chairs the Student Government’s Campus Affairs and Sustainability Committee and is a member of a student organization on campus called ECO (Environmental Conservation Organization) that works toward sustainability, energy efficiency, and alternative transportation at LSU and in the greater Baton Rouge community. Through these organizations, she helps organize and execute several events, such as the campus Trash Bash, during the year that are focused on making the world a cleaner place. Morgan plans to use all of her academic and social pursuits in her future career. She intends to continue into graduate studies, perhaps in the UK, in environmental science, working ultimately toward a Ph.D. After she completes her education, she wants to bridge the gap in communication between science and politics. She expects to be involved in creating environmental policy that will help the Gulf Coast region and the world as a whole. One conversation with this whirlwind leader/scientist/musician, and you come to believe she will do just that—and so much more.
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Hannah McLain Manship School of Mass Communication/ Honors College, Flagship scholar, Global Leaders Program
Hannah McLain, a sophomore, participates in the Global Leaders program and works with Professor Nicole Dahmen in the area of visual communications. She spent many hours during the 2012 presidential campaign examining photos of the two major candidates—Obama and Romney—to determine the ways in which the media portrayed these two men. Hannah found the research fascinating, especially gaining a behind-the-scenes look at how the process unfolded. Because she was part of the Global Leaders program, her research was part of her scholarship. Hannah’s concentration is in the area of public relations, and she is also pursuing minors in art history and business. After she graduates, she plans to continue her education in graduate school.
MEredith Will
Humanities & Social Sciences/Honors College Since middle school, when her mother introduced her to the Harry Potter series, Meredith Will knew she wanted to pursue a degree in English literature. Then in high school, she was further inspired by one of her English teachers, who introduced her to Shakespeare—particularly to the play Hamlet. Meredith was fascinated by the character Ophelia and the ways in which the character is portrayed on stage and in film. Her work at LSU with Alumni Professor Anna Nardo has given Meredith the opportunity to explore that character while preparing her for graduate school. Meredith first began to think about an undergraduate research project while, as a sophomore, she was in Professor James Garand’s honors research methodologies seminar. As part of the course requirements, she designed a research project that revolved around the symbols and underlying meaning in the characters of both Ophelia and Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the ways that those characters are represented in both stage and film. Garand encouraged her to apply for the ASPIRE program through the College of Humanities & Social Sciences to pursue her project beyond his course, and Alumni Professor Anna Nardo agreed to be her research sponsor and mentor. After a year working with her mentor one-on-one, Meredith has conducted substantial research and has been invited to at least two professional conferences to present her work. Her first professional presentation was in September 2013, when she presented a paper at the Gulf Medieval and Renaissance Conference among literary professionals, faculty, and graduate students. As the only undergraduate in her session, she held her own and was well received. She also presented her work in October 2013 at the Blackfriars Conference, which incorporates performance with academics. She credits her experience in the ASPIRE program, and particularly Anna Nardo, for her success with this project, saying, “The research I have been performing under her guidance has further cemented my goal to become an English professor, especially because research is an integral part of the work of a professor. I greatly appreciate all of Professor Nardo’s time and effort while working with me on this project. The ASPIRE project has become my Honors thesis, and I am continuing to work on it.” Meredith will graduate from LSU in May 2014 and intends to enter graduate school in the fall. Her experience in the ASPIRE program has given her a definite edge on that next step toward her goal.
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Brenda Macon is an editor in the Office of Communications & University Relations and former editor of Kaleidoscope, the College of Humanities & Social Sciences magazine. ON THE WEB www.lsu.edu/ discover
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By Brenda Macon and Matt Landrieu | Photos by Jim Zietz and Eddy Perez
LSU Discover Scholars Trey Duplantis
Arienne Ferchaud
Camryn Johnson
Trey, a music major in the College of Music & Dramatic Arts, has studied advanced applications in computerassisted music composition. While at LSU, Trey has participated in a computer music applications training program at the Institut de RecherchĂŠ et Coordination Acoustique/Musique, a part of the National Centre for Contemporary Art in Paris. Additionally, he works within the Experimental Music and Digital Media group and is a composer and performer in the Laptop Orchestra of Louisiana. Two of his original musical works were featured at the annual SEAMUS (the Society of Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States) Conference in April 2013.
Arienne, a May 2013 graduate of the Manship School of Mass Communication, earned a degree in mass communication with a concentration in digital advertising. She has participated in several research experiences, including the Summer Research Opportunity Program at Pennsylvania State University, and conducted original research on campus, working with professors at the Manship Media Effects Lab. Arienne is currently pursuing a graduate degree in the Penn State College of Communications.
Camryn, a biological engineering major in the College of Engineering, expects to graduate in May 2014. She has participated in several research experiences, including the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) International Research Experience for Undergraduates at the Ecole Nationale SupĂŠrieure des Mines: Microelectrons Center of Provence in Gardanne, France, and the NNIN Research Experience for Undergraduates at Cornell University: Cornell NanoScale Facility in Ithaca, N. Y. She has presented her research at meetings of the Biomedical Engineering Society and the NNIN Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Convocation and has had her research published in NNIN REU Research Accomplishments.
College of Music & Dramatic Arts
Manship School of Mass Communication
College of Engineering, Flagship Scholar
Laura Kelly
College of Human Sciences & Education and School of Veterinary Medicine Laura is a May 2013 graduate of the College of Human Sciences and Education with a degree in kinesiology. She worked for multiple semesters in the Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. From her work in the laboratory, Laura coauthored one published article and two manuscripts that are currently in preparation. Additionally, she coauthored six abstracts that have been presented at national and international scientific meetings. Laura is currently in the occupational therapy program at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.
s
In anticipation of the Fall 2014 launch of LSU Discover, the quality enhancement plan (QEP) that accompanies LSU’s reaccreditation process, the eleven senior colleges, the School of Veterinary Medicine, and the Honors College selected twelve students who epitomize the goals of undergraduate researchers. These students were honored in fall 2013 during halftime at the LSU vs. Arkansas football game and will be working with the LSU Discover coordinators to promote the program throughout Spring 2014.
Jonathan E. Lambert School of Coast & Environment
Jonathan, a double major in coastal environmental science with a marine concentration in the School of the Coast & Environment and biological sciences in the College of Science, anticipates graduating in May 2014. He is also a student in the Honors College, pursuing Upper Division Honors in coastal environmental science. He has participated in notable research experiences, including at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, at the LSU Southern Regional Climate Center, and at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center – Biospheric Science Lab. He has earned several prestigious awards, including an Udall Scholarship and the NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship.
Corey Landry Honors College
Corey, a bioengineering major in the College of Engineering, expects to graduate in May 2014. He is also in the accelerated master’s program in the College of Engineering and is a student in the LSU Honors College. He has participated in a number of research experiences, including work in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and at the Bioelectric Systems Group (imec) in Leuven, Belgium. Corey has earned several prestigious accolades including the LSU Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Scholars Award and the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.
Jacob D. McAlpin
Derek Miketinas
Jacob, a chemistry major with a materials concentration in the College of Science, anticipates graduating in May 2014. He is pursuing Upper Division Honors in chemistry from the Honors College. He has completed a research project, which led to three coauthored publications based on that work, in both the chemistry and physics departments on campus. He has also presented at two national conferences of the American Chemical Society. Additionally, at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, he participated in the NanoJapan International Research Experience for Undergraduates.
Derek is a May 2013 graduate of the College of Agriculture with a degree in nutritional science with a concentration in dietetics. While at LSU, he worked with faculty and staff in the School of Human Ecology and at Pennington Biomedical Research Center on a College of Agriculture Research grant that he was awarded. His research focused on dietary analysis using digital photography of free-living individuals. Derek presented his research at the Experimental Biology Meeting in Boston, Mass., and at the Gamma Sigma Delta undergraduate poster competition. His research abstract was published in the FASEB Journal.
College of Science, Flagship Scholar
College of Agriculture
Angela Sansone
Douglas Secrest
Jackson Voss
Angela, a student in the PK3 Teacher certification program in the College of Human Sciences & Education, anticipates graduating in May 2014. She worked on a research project in East Baton Rouge Parish targeting early literacy. Her research helped her identify an intervention to increase journal writing in a kindergarten-aged child using an evidencebased intervention from the literature on the use of picture prompts. This research study not only assisted the target child, but also demonstrated an intervention the child’s teacher could use with other children in the kindergarten classroom.
Douglas, a May 2013 graduate of the E.J. Ourso College of Business and the LSU Center for Internal Auditing program, received a degree in accounting and passed the Certified Internal Auditor exam. He participated in several research experiences and produced an honors thesis, “The Impact of U.S. Tax Policies and Louisiana Social Programs on Poverty,” in the Honors College. Douglas has earned several awards, including the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation 2013 Esther R. Sawyer Research Award and the Distinguished Communicator certification from the Communication Across the Curriculum program. He was also a University Medalist.
Jackson, a political science major in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences, expects to graduate in May 2014. He is also a student in the Honors College pursuing Upper Division Honors in political science. Jackson conducted original research as part of the Humanities & Social Sciences ASPIRE Undergraduate Research Program, coauthoring a paper and presenting it at the International Society for Political Psychology Conference. Jackson was also selected as a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at the Junior Summer Institute of the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.
College of Human Sciences & Education
E. J. Ourso College of Business
College of Humanities & Social Sciences
Jessica Wasiloski College of Art & Design
Jessica graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2013 from the College of Art & Design. While at LSU, she completed a multi-semester research project centered on designing temporary housing facilities for port workers in Port Fourchon, La., which has lost 87 percent of its habitable land in the last decade. Jessica recognized the need to create a building that represents the everchanging environment of the area, selecting materials and designing the facility “to move, grow, and reflect change” over time. Her honors thesis title references this experience: “Temporal Hotel: Architectural Response to a Fluid Landscape.”
Matt Landrieu, a Truman Scholar, is a May 2014 degree candidate in the College of Human Sciences & Education.
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
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Noteworthy
Around
campus
Andrea Hansen was named the Marie M. Bickham Chair in Landscape Architecture in the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. Hansen was a lecturer in landscape architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She holds a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and civil engineering from Stanford University and a dual master’s degree in landscape architecture and architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a recipient of several awards, including the George Madden Boughton Prize, the Warren P. Laird Award, the William M. Mehlhorn Scholarship, and the Van Alen Traveling Fellowship. Roy M. King
Andrea Hansen
Gus Kousoulas
Daniel T. Layzell
Seung-Jong Park
Graca Vicente
Roy M. King, director of athletic bands at LSU and a faculty member in the School of Music, was named Band Director of the Year by the Epsilon Chapter of the Phi Beta Mu international bandmasters fraternity. King leads the award-winning LSU Tiger Marching Band, serves as conductor and director of the LSU Symphonic Band and the Bengal Brass Basketball Band, and is faculty adviser for Kappa Kappa Psi, the national band fraternity. Gus Kousoulas, professor of virology and biotechnology at the School of Veterinary Medicine, has been named associate vice chancellor of research and economic development. Kousoulas received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and his master’s in biophysics and Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from Pennsylvania State University. He received postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago working in the laboratory of National Academy of Sciences member Bernard Roizman and served as a research assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco prior to his LSU appointment. Kousoulas joined the LSU faculty in 1988 and became full professor in 1994. Daniel T. Layzell, vice president for finance and planning at Illinois State University, was named LSU’s vice president for finance and administration. The new position serves as the chief financial officer for the state’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge, as well as the chief financial officer for the statewide operations of LSU and all its campuses. Layzell will report directly to LSU President F. King Alexander, serving as chief adviser to Alexander and the LSU Board of Supervisors on all fiscal and administrative matters. Seung-Jong Park, associate professor of computer science with a joint appointment in the Center for Computation & Technology, or CCT, along with co-investigators Joel Tohline, Sean Robbins, Lonnie Leger, K. Gus Kousoulas, and other senior faculty, received an NSF grant of $947,860 for a project aimed at bringing “Big Data” computational capabilities to separate University research groups. Samsung Electronics is also participating in the project as an industrial collaborator. The project, titled “CC-NIE Integration: Bridging, Transferring and Analyzing Big Data over 10Gbps Campus-Wide Software Defined Networks,” will empower scientific breakthroughs at LSU by providing researchers with advanced information technologies and cyber infrastructure. Graca Vicente, the Charles H. Barré Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, was awarded a grant worth more than $2 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue research on a project titled the “Initiative for Maximizing Student Development.” The project, which she directs, provides research training, academic development, and career opportunities in the biomedical and behavioral sciences to underrepresented minority graduate and undergraduate students.
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The undergraduate and graduate programs at the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture received top rankings from DesignIntelligence magazine. The November/December 2013 issue of “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools” ranked the undergraduate program as number two in the nation and the graduate program as number three in the nation for the year 2014. The programs have consistently ranked within the top five in the nation for the past decade, and both programs have been ranked in the top three since 2008, with the undergraduate program holding the number one ranking for four years since 2007. TopManagementDegrees.com has ranked the E.J. Ourso College of Business No. 10 in its recent listing of the world’s fifty most beautiful business schools. Using publicly available data from the National Center for Education Statistics and other credible publications, the site creates rankings of the best management degree programs in a variety of specializations as well. The college is one of six American institutions in the Top 10, and the only SEC school to make the list. LSU’s six-year graduation rate has once again increased to an all-time high – 69.1 percent, up from last year’s rate of 66.7 percent. This marks six years in a row that LSU has reported a graduation rate of more than 60 percent.
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In Focus
Around Campus
Dr. Jack Andonie, chair of the LSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors throws beads to Tiger fans during Homecoming Parade.
LSU President King Alexander and his wife, Shenette, in their first LSU Homecoming Parade.
Homecoming 2013 – It was a festive weekend on campus as LSU celebrated Homecoming on Oct. 26. A week of alumni events, reunions, and student activities culminated with the annual Homecoming Parade that rolled through campus Saturday morning and crowning of the 2013 Homecoming King and Queen at the LSU vs. Furman football game that evening. Emma Arceneaux, a senior majoring in biological sciences, from St. Joseph, La., was crowned Homecoming Queen. Alex Cagnola, a senior majoring in biological engineering, from Lafayette, La., was crowned Homecoming King. Photos by Chris Parent
Homecoming King Alex Cagnola and Homecoming Queen Emma Arceneaux.
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Tiger Trivia 1. How many football games has LSU played against the University of Iowa? One Two Three Four 2. When did LSU and Iowa play for the first time? 1893 1958 2004 2013
Mike’s Caretakers Recognized – Caring for Mike the Tiger is a huge responsibility, and fifty-six students and three veterinarians have provided care for the live mascot since 1936. As part of homecoming festivities, past and present LSU School of Veterinary Medicine veterinarians and student caretakers – representing five of the six Mikes and including the veterinarian and student caretakers for Mike VI – were honored on the field in Tiger Stadium between the first and second quarters of the Furman vs. LSU football game on October 26. Taking part in the recognition on the field were Dr. John Allender, Mike IV; Philip Amon, Mike III; Dr. David Baker, current attending veterinarian and professor of laboratory animal medicine; Dr. Adam Caro, Mike VI; Dr. James “Sonny” Corley, Mike IV; Daniel Cutler, current caretaker; Dr. Wendy Day, Mike V and Mike VI; Dr. John DeVun, Mike IV; Dr. Kelly Folse, Mike VI; Dr. W. Byron Garrity, Jr, Mike IV; Dr. Leeth Harper, Mike V; Dr. Donald J. Harris, Jr., Mike IV; Robert Lank, Jr. Mike III; and Paul Marks, Jr., Mike III. Photo courtesy School of Veterinary Medicine.
3. Where did LSU and Iowa play for the first time? Orlando Tampa Baton Rouge Iowa City 4. How many basketball jersey numbers have been retired? Three Four Five Six 5. Who was the first basketball player coached by Dale Brown to be named All-American? Pete Maravich Rudy Macklin Johnny Jones Shaquille O’Neal 6. Which building on campus was named for the civil rights attorney who helped the first African American students gain admission to LSU? A.P. Tureaud Hall Thomas D. Boyd Hall David F. Boyd Hall Campbell B. Hodges Hall 7. Which dormitory was razed to make way for the Business Residential College? Power Hall Blake Hall Graham Hall Laville Hall 8. When was the LSU Medical School established? 1860 1877 1926 1931 9. According to the 1937-1938 Student Handbook, under what conditions could women students “visit a house where men reside exclusively?” Never Only if accompanied by a chaperon approved by the Dean of Women Only if the men and women B and C remained outdoors in plain view 10. In the 1930s, what time was taps sounded on weeknights for male students living in the barracks? 11:30 p.m. 10:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Midnight 11. According to the cadet regulations of 1908, how often were cadets required to take a bath? Daily At least twice a week At least once every seven days As often as necessary to maintain basic cleanliness 12. When was the School of Music established? 1860 1877 1906 1915 Tiger Trivia is compiled by Barry Cowan, assistant archivist, Hill Memorial Library. Answers: 1:b, 2:c, 3:a, 4:c, 5:b, 6:a, 7:c, 8:d, 9:b, 10:a, 11:c, 12:d
Mike the Tiger caretakers were recognized during homecoming.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Winter 2013
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Around Campus
In Focus Distinguished Scholars –
Boyd Professor Thomas Klei, Distinguished Research Masters Bradley Schaefer and James Cassidy, Distinguished Dissertation Award recipients Adam Pratt and Sarah Caudill, and Graduate School Dean Gary Byerly.
To acknowledge exceptional achievements in research and scholarship, the Office of Research & Economic Development presents two faculty members with the Distinguished Research Master Award and the LSU Alumni Association recognizes two graduate students for excellence in their academic efforts with the Distinguished Dissertation Award. Named Distinguished Research Masters earlier this year were Bradley E. Schaefer, professor of physics and astronomy, and Carl Freedman, the James F. Cassidy Professor of English. Adam Jeffrey Pratt received the Josephine A. Roberts Alumni Association Distinguished Dissertation Award in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and Sarah Caudill received the LSU Alumni Association Distinguished Dissertation Award in Science, Engineering, and Technology. Photo by Jim Zietz
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
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Around Campus
In Focus
Front row, from left, Thomas Easton “Tom” Stagg, Jr., of Shreveport, La.; Ford E. Stinson, Jr., representing his father, the late Ford Edwards Stinson, Sr., of Benton, La.; retired Navy/Naval Reserve Capt. William Bruce King, of Greenwell Springs, La.; retired Marine Col. Ray Caldwell Dawson, of Baton Rouge; retired Air Force Col. Warren R. Hull, Sr., of Baton Rouge; retired Air Force Col. Elwood C. “Woody” Tircuit, of Baton Rouge; back, from left, retired Army Lt. Col. John M. “Jack” Jolissaint, Jr., of Baton Rouge; retired Army Col. George K. Todd, Jr., of Burke, Va.; Army Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Wade Talley, of Washington, D.C.; retired Army Col. Ernest W. “Butch” Lutz, of Vicksburg, Miss.; Army Reserve Lt. Col. Nicholas J. “Nick” Lorusso, of Baton Rouge; and Wame Waggenspack, representing his father, the late retired Army Col. Warren N. Waggenspack.
Military Hall of Honor – LSU paid tribute to its military history on Nov. 22-23, 2013, at LSU Salutes, sponsored by LSU and Cadets of the Ole War Skule. As part of the weekend-long celebration, a dozen distinguished alumni were inducted into the military Hall of Honor during ceremonies at the LSU War Memorial on the Parade Ground. Photo by Ray Dry
Keynote speaker Michael Papajohn. Dan Borné and Miss LSU Hilary Tuttle, who received her own ring at the ceremony.
LSU Rings spend the night before the ceremony in Mike the Tiger’s Habitat.
Ring Day – The 338 students who received their LSU Rings at the fall Ring Ceremony on Nov. 17, 2013, enjoyed a special treat – the presentation of a tiger-sized LSU Ring to Mike the Tiger, who is on hand for ring presentations each semester. Voice of the LSU Tigers Dan Borné was emcee, and Hollywood star and stuntman Michael Papajohn delivered the keynote address. Miss LSU Hilary Tuttle, a May 2013 grad and current LSU law student, assisted with ring presentations and also received her LSU ring. The Ring Ceremony is sponsored by Student Life & Enrollment, Finance & Administrative Services, and the LSU Alumni Association. Photos by Party Pics Mike dons his special tiger-sized LSU Ring.
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
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LSU Family Association
Around Campus
Connecting Families to Students and the University By Danielle Kelley
The Carillo family, from left, son Adam, Juan, Joanne, son Ian, and daughter-in-law Caroline.
“The Family Association is a fantastic way to stay connected to LSU without pestering your student.”
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Students and alumni of LSU have a special bond to the University. Now, families of current students can be connected as well through the LSU Family Association, which keeps members abreast of University news and events while fostering school spirit. “There are so many parents in the Family Association who aren’t [LSU] alumni,” says Juan Carrillo, Family Association Council co-chair. “This is their first opportunity to get connected to LSU.” The Family Association gives parents a chance to be “alumni-by-choice,” Carrillo says. Carrillo graduated from Louisiana Tech University, while his wife and Family Association Council co-chair Joanne Carrillo is an LSU alumna. Their son Ian is a 2012 LSU alumnus, and son Adam is a junior at LSU. “The first two years Ian was in school, we were in Dubai,” Carrillo says. “The Family Association is a fantastic way to stay connected to LSU and your student without pestering your student.” Carrillo recalls it was difficult to stay in touch with his son because they were ten time zones apart. But because of the association’s communication updates, the Carrillos were still able to stay connected. There are more than 6,000 Family Association members, according to Josh Garland, the association’s assistant director of development. The association is “for all members of the family – not just parents – of current students,” Garland says. “Some people refer to us as a glorified PTA, but that’s not true. We are much more than that as we are a direct link to the University, offering communication, support, and events to engage parents and families.” Membership dues are $125 for four years, and the tax-deductible donation goes through the LSU Foundation to support scholarships, the Student Life Emergency
The LSU Family Association team, front, from left, Erin Kenna, student assistant; Paige LeBlanc and Carrie Hebert, graduate assistants; Aimee Frierson, assistant director of parent and family programs; back, Josh Garland, assistant director of development; and Darrell Ray, assistant vice chancellor for Student Life & Enrollment
Support Fund, and Campus Collaboration Grants. Onehundred $1,000 scholarships have been awarded through the association. The Student Life Emergency Support Fund grants money to students who experience emergency events such as apartment fires. Campus Collaboration Grants are given to two student organizations to “collaborate on a new student initiative to foster an atmosphere of collaboration,” according to Garland. Each semester, the Family Association hosts LSU Family Weekend, a three-day event open to all students’ families, not just those involved in the association. The weekend is centered on a home football game in the fall and a baseball game and crawfish boil in the spring. Garland hopes to add a gymnastics meet to the schedule this spring. “I think it’s a great way to meet other families from all over the U.S., and it’s a great avenue to connect with your kids,” Carrillo says. The association also hosts sendoff parties for incoming students in conjunction with LSU Alumni Association chapters across the country. In previous years, parties have been held in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Memphis, Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans – and the list is growing. “Incoming freshmen get to meet other people in their area,” Garland says. “It is an opportunity for students to make friends before the first day of class, and it allows parents to meet other parents in order to build a support network in their area.” Students make friends and families ease their concerns through the Family Association. Carrillo says he enjoys helping other parents make the transition of sending their children to college. “[I love] seeing the face of a new parent coming to you and saying, ‘I have this question. I’m going to ask you because you’re another parent,’” Carrillo says. “This is the way for the parents to get the passion [for LSU] and everything that LSU brings.”
Danielle Kelley, a senior in the Manship School of Mass Communication, holds a communications internship at the College of Engineering and is a Manship Ambassador. ON THE WEB http://family.lsu.edu/lsu-family-association
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Around Campus
Water Campus LSU’s Commitment to the Coast Gains Traction
By Ashley Arceneaux Photos courtesy Commercial Properties Realty Trust
LSU’s new river model will attract coastal scientists from around the globe.
The Water Campus, to be located just south of the Mississippi River Bridge in downtown Baton Rouge, will house more than 2,000 occupants when fully built.
“We’re right at ground zero. There’s no better place to build this campus.”
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Louisiana’s rich, unique coastal systems are crucial to our nation’s economy, with the world’s largest port system, more oil production than anywhere else in the United States, and containing the world’s most traveled waterway. But this same area is critically endangered. While 40 percent of the country’s wetlands are in this state, 80 percent of the nation’s wetland loss occurs here. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Louisiana has lost approximately 1,900 square miles of land since 1932, and a recent LSU study shows the state stands to lose more than sixty miles of critical hurricane evacuation routes due to subsidence. In other words, Louisiana is on a coastal precipice that truly needs – and deserves – expert attention. LSU’s history of excellence and leadership in coastal research has had tremendous impact on the state’s coastal crisis, but the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill served as a reminder that there’s still a long way to go before the biggest issues are addressed and resolved. The announcement of plans for a worldclass Water Campus in downtown Baton Rouge, which includes an LSU and Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority-led $16 million small-scale physical model of the Mississippi River, offers real hope for a real solution. The model will span 190 river miles, from Donaldsonville to the Gulf of Mexico, and will use precisely selected and calibrated synthetic sand to simulate the sediment transport characteristics of the Mississippi River. It will be one of the largest, most dynamic models in the world and will attract coastal scientists from around the globe. Construction of the 50,000 square foot facility is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2014.
“On behalf of LSU and its more than 200 coastal researchers, we are proud to partner in this endeavor with the Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority to save Louisiana’s coast,” said LSU President F. King Alexander. “The upgraded Mississippi River Physical Model is a promising step toward identifying real solutions that use the power of the river to address our coastal needs.” Other portions of the approximately 30-acre Water Campus, which will be built just south of the Mississippi River Bridge in downtown Baton Rouge, include the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the Coastal Education & Research Facility/The Water Institute of The Gulf. The Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Commercial Properties Realty Trust will develop and manage the master planned campus designed by Dover, Kohl & Associates. The area is programmed to house scientific, engineering, construction, and governmental agencies to create a vibrant experiential environment designed to develop process-based predictive models that link physical and ecological processes. When fully built, this urban, riverside campus anticipates more than 2,000 occupants and will inspire international collaboration with other global water campuses and universities. “This collaboration will not only help our coastal issues in Louisiana but will impact every coastal community from the Maldives to Maine,” Alexander said. “We’re right at ground zero. There’s no better place to build this campus.”
Ashley Arceneaux is director of research communications in the Office of Communications & University Relations. ON THE WEB www.lsu.edu/coast
Dear Fellow Tigers,
and across the ghborhood, in my town, an LSU alum. In my nei f sel my l LSU cal to ud pro t, I am that I am a member of the As a former LSU studen that I support LSU, and er, Tig a am I t y tha ntr ow cou kn friends p Tigers across the great state of Texas, all my d Chair, my goal is to kee Fun nal tio Na 4 n, 201 ’s ’s missio the Association to support the Association Alumni Association. As mni engagement in order alu se rea inc to and y e. vic rsit public ser connected to their Unive in teaching, research, and ictory y’s pursuit of excellence rsit ive Un the e s as they compete for “V anc ete enh thl to which is and former student-a t ren cur our nter low Wi 4 fol 201 ny of you competed in the As LSU fans, I know ma U track star Lolo Jones LS r me for , nth lliday, mo Ho st tive sports. La r Tiger Trindon bsled team. And, forme for LSU” in their respec bo n’s me wo A’s US m of “Love Purple Live , as a member of Tea This is a great example II. Olympics in Sochi, Russia VI XL wl Bo er Sup to love and nver Broncos, played in are many other reasons wide receiver for the De t about athletics. There jus t no is ily fam U LS er of the Gold.” But being a memb standing University. at makes this such an out l and state tax dollars wh is t tha h the decrease of federa support LSU, and wit n eve , ard bo the oss one of the many ked programs acr King Alexander discussed F. LSU boasts nationally ran ent sid Pre , ine gaz ma dcareer a recent edition of this earch universities of mi to higher education. In 34th among 167 public res ked ran ly ent rec when s wa low y y e Universit tion is relativel reasons to love LSU. Th t. In addition, LSU’s tui cen per 20 top the in U du tinues to pro ce which places LS e. Furthermore, LSU con earnings for graduates, rag ave al ion nat the and outh, or peer institutions rs than Princeton, Dartm compared to many of our has more Truman Schola y rsit ive Un the le, mp r exa top-quality graduates. Fo ven years. ele t pas er of the National LSU the r Columbia ove U by becoming a memb LS for e lov r you w sho and advancing LSU’s l upon you to With this in mind, I cal ect impact in maintaining dir a e hav can you th, y for six straight years. r as little as $10/mon ked a Top Tier universit Alumni Association. Fo ran n bee has y rsit ive & World Report. The Un ranking in the U.S. News Up and Roar” about. we can all “Stand Right rships, professorships, Now that is something iversity by funding schola Un the ist ass s llar do r iation, you ony and As a member of the Assoc as the LSU Ring Cerem for student events such ds fun e vid pro lden Tigers s; Go ard aw and y ult nd fac such as the Tiger Ba ms gra pro i mn alu d fun p President Graduation Fair; and hel gram, and much more. Tigers, the chapter pro ng uri To , ers , and Tig ing vel soc reunions, Tra spirit” of the As iation rs the “heart, soul, and pte cha i mn alu the ls cal Charlie Roberts r this year. ed with your local chapte are not, I call I urge you to get involv apter, thank you. If you Ch er of the National mb me a y ead alr University are If you resources for our great s who provide valuable nd usa tho the join to upon you through membership. Forever LSU, Stan Williams Chair 2014-15 National Fund
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
43
Ravi Rau
Focus on
Faculty
A Big Believer in the American University System By Emily Herrington
“Anyone can appreciate physics because it’s mostly about patterns and ideas.”
Ravi Rau sees physics a bit differently from most. Rau, the Robert Stobaugh Endowed Professor of Physics, said his field of study is more closely related to the liberal arts than most realize. “I feel physics is very much a liberal art; that’s where it belongs in the University,” he says. “It’s as much part of our culture as appreciating music or art.” In fact, Rau is currently working on a book about ideas in physics, which is aimed at audiences both in and outside the field. He says anyone can appreciate physics because it’s mostly about patterns and ideas. “It’s a pity we’re so intimidated by physics,” he says. “When I look at a painting or listen to music, I enjoy it. Now I know that someone in that field sees much deeper into it, but at least at some level, it seems to me, everyone should feel the same for physics.” Rau has taught physics at LSU for forty years, reaching all levels from freshmen to graduate students. He typically teaches the same courses for two years then changes it up. So, he says, he’s gone through a lot of courses in LSU’s physics department. And though he enjoys teaching at every level, juniors and seniors are his favorites to teach because they appreciate more sophisticated ideas in physics. Rau laughs when he says he didn’t think he would stay in Louisiana for forty years. He was wary when he arrived in Baton Rouge straight from India because he knew little Ravi Rau about it and had only been to cities like Chicago and New York – almost a “different country from the South.” But it was here that Rau started a family, established a home in the physics department, and advocated for the American Association of University Professors. He’s no stranger to the Baton Rouge daily, The Advocate, for which he’s penned a few letters to the editor. He points out that during his four decades at LSU he has seen decline due to budget cuts but has also seen student quality improve because of higher admission standards. Rau considers himself a big believer in the American university system. He appreciates the broad education students receive from being required to take both liberal arts and science and math courses, and he thinks everyone benefits from professors doing both research and teaching. There is a division between research and teaching in the Indian system, he explained. Outside of the physics and academic world, Rau is an avid reader and consumer of music, theater, art, and media. He also enjoys gardening and traveling, but doesn’t have a favorite destination – there’s beauty in all places, he says. “People might not know about the general breadth of knowledge that I put value in, and I think it’s important. I hope students I encounter in classes or that I influence other ways do pick that up from me.” Emily Herrington received a bachelor’s degree in mass communication in December 2013.
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
45
Locker
ROOM By Bill Franques Photos courtesy LSU Sports Information
Pitching Ace – Junior right-hander Aaron Nola is LSU’s No. 1 pitcher. He was SEC Pitcher of the Year and an All-American in 2013.
“I feel as if I’ve been handed a big pile of clay, and it’s up to me to try to make something beautiful out of it.”
Mainieri Optimistic About Baseball Tigers LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri enters his eighth season with a highly optimistic outlook as he seeks to lead the Tigers to their second straight College World Series appearance in Omaha, Neb. “We’re very encouraged by the intensity and energy that our team has displayed,” said Mainieri, who has directed the Tigers to one national championship, three College World Series appearances, two SEC overall titles, four SEC division titles, and four SEC tournament championships in seven seasons. “The fall practice period revealed a lot about our players, and it gives us strong momentum heading into the season. We’ve learned a lot about the players who can play significant roles for us this spring, and I’m very pleased with the work ethic and chemistry developing within the squad. I think our fans will enjoy watching a very talented and
dynamic group of Tigers in 2014.” LSU, the 2013 SEC Western Division and SEC Tournament champion, was the NCAA Tournament No. 4 National Seed last season and played host to and won both the NCAA Regional and Super Regional and earned the 16th CWS berth in school history. The Tigers’ fifty-seven victories last season matched the SEC record, and LSU posted the nation’s best winning percentage (57-11, .838). LSU was ranked No. 3 in the 2014 Collegiate Baseball newspaper preseason poll, and the preseason ranking is LSU’s highest since 2010, when the Tigers began the year at No. 2. “It’s a significant honor any time our program is recognized with such a high ranking, but we realize we have a lot of work to do,” Mainieri said. “Last season was one of the greatest in LSU baseball history, but this is a new year with a new team. We can’t just pick up where we left off last year in Omaha. We play a very challenging 56-game regular-season
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The 2014 Tigers Primary Returning Position Starters Player Pos. Cl.-Exp. B/T Avg. HR RBI Notable Alex Bregman SS So.-1L R/R .369 6 52 2013 National Freshman of the Year Christian Ibarra 3B Sr.-1L R/R .305 6 39 2013 First-Team All-SEC Sean McMullen OF Sr.-1L L/L .314 2 30 2013 SEC All-Tournament Team Mark Laird OF So.-1L L/L .307 0 18 2013 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll Andrew Stevenson OF So.-1L L/L .193 1 14 Batted .363 in 2013 Northwoods League
Top Newcomers - Position Players Player Pos. Cl. B/T Hometown (2013 School) Danny Zardon INF Conner Hale INF Kramer Robertson INF
Fr. Jr. Fr.
R/R R/R R/R
Pembroke Pines, Fla. (American Heritage HS) New Port Richey, Fla. (State College of Florida) McGregor, Texas (Midway HS)
Primary Starting Position Players Lost Player Pos. Exp. B/T Avg. HR RBI Reason for leaving
Lettermen Returning/Lost
18/15
Position Players with Starting Experience Returning/Lost
9/7
Pitchers Returning/Lost
8
Newcomers
19
(13 high school players; 6 JC transfers)
Mason Katz 1B 4L R/R .370 16 70 4th-round draft choice of St. Louis Cardinals Raph Rhymes OF 3L R/R .331 4 46 15th-round draft choice of Detroit Tigers JaCoby Jones 2B 3L R/R .294 6 31 3rd-round draft choice of Pittsburgh Pirates Ty Ross C 3L R/R .217 3 32 12th-round draft choice of San Francisco Giants
Primary Pitchers Returning Player R/L Cl.-Exp. W-L ERA IP BB SO Notable Aaron Nola R Jr.-2L 12-1 1.57 126 18 122 2013 First-Team All-American Cody Glenn L Jr.-2L 7-3 2.68 84 17 38 20.1 straight IP w/o an earned run to start 2013 Kurt McCune R Sr.-3L 4-1 2.66 23.2 6 18 Freshman All-American in 2011
Top Newcomers - Pitchers Player R/L Cl. Hometown (2013 School) Brady Domangue Jared Poche’ Parker Bugg
R L R
Jr. Fr. Fr.
Houma, La. (LSU-Eunice) Lutcher, La. (Lutcher HS) San Diego, Calif. (Rancho Bernardo HS)
Primary Pitchers Lost Player R/L Exp. W-L ERA SV IP BB SO Reason for leaving Ryan Eades R 3L 8-1 2.79 0 100 32 78 2nd-round selection of Minnesota Twins Chris Cotton L 4L 4-1 1.16 16 46.2 3 47 14th-round selection of Houston Astros
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Locker Room
LEADERSHIP – Shortstop Alex Bregman, a 2013 AllAmerica selection, provides leadership in the field for the Tigers. He was the Brooks Wallace award winner as the nation’s best shortstop and was the selected as the National and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2013.
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schedule, and each game is critical in determining the direction of our season.” The 2014 roster features eighteen lettermen, including nine position players with starting experience and eight pitchers that recorded innings last season. The LSU veterans are complemented by a talented class of nineteen newcomers that was ranked No. 6 in the Perfect Game recruiting ranking. “I feel as if I’ve been handed a big pile of clay, and, as the sculptor of that clay, it’s up to me to try to make something beautiful out of it,” Mainieri said. “We’ve recruited an outstanding class of players, and we’re excited to work with them and form a team that can hopefully return to the College World Series, and this time come home with the big trophy.” LSU features two 2014 preseason all-Americans – junior right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola, a 2013 first-team All-American and the SEC Pitcher of the Year; and sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman, a 2013 first-team All-American, the National and SEC Freshman of the Year and the Brooks Wallace Award winner as the nation’s best shortstop. Other returning position players include senior All-SEC third baseman Christian Ibarra, senior outfielder Sean McMullen,
junior outfielder Chris Sciambra, junior catcher Tyler Moore, junior outfielder Jared Foster, sophomore outfielder Mark Laird, sophomore outfielder Andrew Stevenson, and sophomore catcher Chris Chinea. Nola is joined on the pitching staff by seven other returning hurlers, including senior right-handers Kurt McCune and Nate Fury, junior left-hander Cody Glenn, junior right-hander Joe Broussard, sophomore right-handers Hunter Newman and Mitch Sewald, and sophomore left-hander Hunter Devall. “We’re heading into the season with a lot of new players and some outstanding returning veterans that will form the core of our team,” Mainieri said. “We think we’ve assembled an excellent group of players that are willing to work extremely hard. We created a highly competitive atmosphere during fall practice, and the players responded very well. As a staff, we need to continue to figure out how the pieces of the puzzle will fit together to give us another ball club that will challenge for a berth in Omaha.” Bill Franques is senior associate sports information director for baseball.
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Tiger
NATION
1940s
William J. “Billy” Heroman, Sr (1944 BACH ENGR) received the third Fred C. Dent, Jr. Patriotism Award from the Capital City Republican Women on Nov. 22, 2012, at the Commandant’s Luncheon during LSU Salutes. The award, presented by Elizabeth Dent Sumrall on behalf the organization, recognizes a distinguished veteran who has given tirelessly of himself to serve God and country.
1950s
Eileen Simon (1950 BACH ENGR) was selected by the University of Notre Dame Club of Greater Cincinnati to receive the club’s 2014 Exemplar Award for exemplary lifelong service to humanity. Simon worked for IBM, who sponsored her post-graduate work at Degrees BACH Bachelor’s Degree MAST Master’s Degree PHD Doctorate DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine JD Juris Doctorate (LSU Law School) MD Medical Doctor (LSU School of Medicine) DDS Doctor of Dental Science (LSU School of Dentistry) Colleges/Schools AGR Agriculture A&D Art & Design 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
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Columbia University. Her community service has spanned church, civic, educational, and political involvement and she is highly regarded in all quarters for her stellar ethics, keen intellect, unwavering conviction, and ever-present grace and charm. She and her husband, Jim Simon, have been married for sixty years and have six children. The couple is active in their parish, community, and with the local Notre Dame Club in Cincinnati. Douglas Perret Starr (1950 BACH MCOM) was a professor of journalism for thirtyseven years at Florida State UniversityTallahassee, the University of Texas-Denton, and Texas A&M University, from which he retired in 2010 as professor emeritus. Following his retirement, he taught two years at Mississippi College-Clinton on a parttime basis. Starr served as a petty officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War. He was an Associated Press newsman for thirteen years in New Orleans; Jackson, Miss.,; Miami; and Tallahassee, Fla.; worked for five years in public affairs with the Florida insurance commissioner; and served as head of the Florida Department of Commerce for three years. Starr earned a master’s degree in rhetoric and public address in 1970 and a doctoral degree in communication theory in 1972 from Florida State. He and his first wife, the late Millie Emory, to whom he was married for fifty-four years, had four sons and a daughter, two granddaughters, three grandsons, and one greatgranddaughter. He has been married to Carolyn Scanlon for five years. See Tigers in Print, page 59, for information on his book Working the Story.
1960s
Daniel B. Lestage (1963 MD) was installed as the twenty-eighth president of the International Academy of Aviation
and Space Medicine during the 61st International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine in Jerusalem, Israel. A native of Jennings, La., Dr. Lestage is a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and retired vice president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. He was inducted into the LSU Military Hall of Honor in 2005. Lestage and his wife, Helen, reside in Fleming Island, Fla. W. Shelby McKenzie (1964 JD), an attorney with Taylor Porter, was named by Louisiana Super Lawyers magazine as a 2014 Super Lawyer in the area of insurance coverage. John F. “Jack” Robichaux (1966 BACH H&SS, 1969 JD) of Lake Charles, La., has been awarded the National Title Professional (NTP) designation by the American Land Title Association (ALTA), the national trade association of the land title insurance industry. The designation recognizes land title professionals who demonstrate the knowledge, experience, and dedication essential to the safe and efficient transfer of real property. Robichaux is a member/ manager at Robichaux, Mize, Wadsack & Richardson/Ironclad Title. He has served on the board of the Louisiana Land Title Association since 2004 and served as president from 2010 to 2011. He serves as a member of the House of Delegates of the Louisiana Bar Association, ALTA’s Government Affairs Committee, and the Notary Study Committee for the Louisiana State Legislature. He is a member of the Southwest Louisiana Title Examiners Round Table and the Southwest Louisiana Realtors Association. Edgar H. Silvey (1969 BACH H&SS), chief executive officer of the Baton Rouge Clinic, received the 2013 Harry H. Harwick Lifetime Achievement Award from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and the American College of Medical
Practice Executives (ACMPE). The award, the highest recognition presented by the organizations, is given to an individual who has displayed a lifetime of achievement, making outstanding, nationally recognized contributions to the healthcare administration delivery and/or education with emphasis on the advancement of group practice. W. Luther Wilson (1965 BACH H&SS, 1968 JD), an attorney with Taylor Porter, was named by Louisiana Super Lawyers magazine as a 2014 Super Lawyer in the area of personal injury medical malpractice: defense.
1970s
David Bondy (1974 BACH BUS), founder and chief executive officer of LUBA Workers’ Comp, has been appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal to the Louisiana Educational Television Authority as an at-large member. Vicki M. Crochet (1977 BACH H&SS, 1980 JD), an attorney with Taylor Porter, was named by Louisiana Super Lawyers magazine as a 2014 Super Lawyer in the area of employment and labor litigation.
Mark Hefter (1977 BACH H&SS, 1979 MAST H&SS), of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., was named associate vice president/ planned giving of the New York City-based American Technion Society (ATS), a fundraising organization that provides support for the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. Hefter was promoted from his position as director of planned giving because he has been responsible directly and indirectly for a major share of the ATS fundraising results. Technion, Israel’s premier science and technology university, is a major factor in the success of Israel’s high-tech economy. Hefter earned an L.L.M. in taxation from New York University in 1989. John F. McDermott (1978 JD, 1980 BACH BUS), an attorney with Taylor Porter, was named by Louisiana Super Lawyers magazine as a 2014 Super Lawyer in the area of tax. Harry J. “Skip” Philips, Jr. (1972 BACH A&S, 1983 JD), an attorney with Taylor Porter, was named by Louisiana Super Lawyers magazine as a 2014 Super Lawyer in the area of general litigation.
Patricia J. Whitten (1971 BACH H&SS), a partner in Franczek Radelet law firm in Chicago, is among the 125 Alumni of Distinction selected by IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Prior to joining the firm, Patti served as general counsel for the Chicago Board of Education and before that was in the Chicago Board’s law department, as the first female and youngest general counsel. Whitten is an active member of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) Council of School Attorneys. She was a member of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Education Law Section Council and the Committee on Law Related Education for the Public, which she chaired, and is a founding member and executive board member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys. In 2011, she received the Professional Achievement Award from the Chicago-Kent College of Law Alumni Board of Directors.
1980s
Brett P. Furr (1983 BACH H&SS, 1986 JD), an attorney with Taylor Porter, was named by Louisiana Super Lawyers magazine as a 2014 Super Lawyer in the area of banking.
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Tiger Nation
Susan Halsey (1980 BACH BUS, 1983 JD) was selected by Fort Worth, Texas magazine as one of Tarrant County’s 2013 Fort Worth “Top Attorneys.” The attorneys are chosen as the best in their field by their peers. Mary C. Hester (1981 MAST H&SS, 1994 JD ), an attorney with Taylor Porter, was named by Louisiana Super Lawyers magazine as a 2014 Super Lawyer in the area of estate planning and probate. Sarah Holliday (1984 BACH H&SS) was featured in the December 2012 issue of InRegister magazine as “a person of character” who “fights hard and consistently for herself and for those around her. . . . questions the status quo. . . . [and] wants to make the community a better place in which to live.” Holliday, who is currently battling breast cancer, launched the Pink Cupcakes Foundation to educate female teens about their bodies and breast health. Holliday chartered the Capital City Republican Women in 2010, making history as the first black president of a chapter of the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women. She has run for several political offices and was appointed commissioner to the Planning and Zoning Board by the Baton Rouge Metro Council. Holliday earned a master’s degree in counseling from Southern University and has been involved in Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the Junior League of Baton Rouge, Louisiana Association of Parliamentarians, National Federation of Republican Women, and the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women. She received the Woman of the Year award from the National Center for Urban Development in 2005, and she served on the boards of Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge, the Battered Women’s Shelter, and Catholic High Mother’s Club. She was also
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featured in “Everything Woman” in the January issue of City Social.
Chamber of Commerce. He earned a J.D. from Tulane University in 1996.
Thomas Hudnall (1988 BACH H&SS) has been promoted to the rank of colonel, U.S. Air Force Reserve and is stationed at Scott Air Force Base with headquarters American Mobility Command. He was formerly deputy commander, 507 Operations Group, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. Hudnall served as commander of the 465 Air Refueling Squadron and deployed as expeditionary air refueling squadron commander. The airmen and squadron under his command have been recognized with regional and national awards. A command pilot with more than 4,500 flight hours, Hudnall has served in multiple theaters of operation.
Perry Walker Terrebonne (1986 BACH BUS), an an attorney in White Castle, La., spoke at a seminar on Social Security Disability Law held in Baton Rouge in May 2013. Terrebonne earned a J. D. from Southern University Law Center in 1991 and am M.Ed. from William Carey University in Biloxi, Miss.
David L. “Dave” Kemmerly (1984 BACH H&SS) has joined Adams and Reese’s Baton Rouge office as special counsel. A governmental relations and health care attorney, Kemmerly spent more than eight years at Humana corporate headquarters in Louisville, Ky., as regional legislative manager and director of state public affairs. Prior to joining Humana he was associate director of governmental affairs for the Louisiana State Medical Society and served as legislative assistant to Congressman Buddy Roemer and as special assistant to Roemer during his tenure as governor. He served as a political consultant to numerous local, state, and federal campaigns. Kemmerly is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association. He served on the state government relations committee for America’s Health Insurance Plans; on the boards of the Florida Association of Health Plans, the Florida Insurance Council, the Florida Health Insurance Advisory Board for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, and the Kentucky
R. David Wheat (1985 BACH BUS, 1988 JD) a partner in Thompson & Knight law firm in Dallas was selected for inclusion in the 2013 “International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers” compendium book published by Who’s Who Legal. In addition, he is among the firm’s attorneys recommended by Tax Directors Handbook 2014, a directory that analyzes the tax capabilities of law firms and includes statistics and thought leadership articles from respected industry commentators.
1990s
Brad Jewell (1995 BACH BUS, 2004 MPA), vice president and chief financial officer of the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation in Baton Rouge, has been appointed to the Not-for-Profit Organizations Expert Panel of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for a three-year term. The panel, represented by select certified public accountants from across the county, seeks to represent the public interest and AICPA members through liaison activities with various industry groups and regulators, identify financial reporting/auditing issues, and work with various bodies towards resolutions, and advise and assist in the development of AICPA products and services related to the industry. Jewell is a member of the AICPA and the Louisiana Society for Certified Public Accountants.
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Tiger Nation
Alonzo Luce (1992 MPA, 1994 MAST HS&E, 1999 PHD HS&E), Gonzales, La., was named the 2013 Superintendent of the Year by the Louisiana Association of School Executives (LASE) and will compete for the national superintendent’s award from the American Association of School Administrators in 2014. As superintendent, he has led 4,000 students and thirteen learning sites in St. James Parish since July 2007. He came to his current positions after a successful career in education while simultaneously excelling as an officer in the U. S. Army. Following his first instructional assignment at Istrouma High School and Technology Magnet in Baton Rouge, Luce was named technology magnet coordinator and eventually assistant principal of instruction. Following his tenure at Istrouma, he was assistant director and technology coordinator for independent studies at LSU and spearheaded the technology change that helped the unit sustain its ranking as one of the nation’s top ten independent study programs. Kristen Lubaczewski Pettinato (1998 BACH H&SS) has been named director of chapter services for Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity headquartered in Lancaster, Pa. The nonprofit organization fosters the ideals of scholarship, leadership, and fellowship among college students and alumni at more than 130 chapters nationwide. Pettinato will be responsible for the consulting team which assists with recruitment, leadership development, and chapter management. C. deShea Richardson (1996 BACH BUS, 1999 JD), is a partner in the law firm of Harrison & Richardson. She joined the law offices of Paul E. Harrison in 2009 after
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developing a diversified practice that included both transactional and civil litigation work and was made a partner in 2012 when the firm became Harrison & Richardson. She handles workers’ compensation matters for both national and local clients, represents individuals and businesses in property, personal injury, and collection claims and counsels clients on wills and estate planning. Richardson is a member of the Covington Bar Association, Louisiana State Bar Association, and Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel. She is admitted to practice before all Louisiana state and federal courts as well as the U. S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Chris Trahan (1993 BACH H&SS) has joined Zehnder Communications as a public relations account executive. A veteran of marketing and communications, he previously served as director of communications and community engagement for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and as manager of federal relations for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education in Washington, D.C. He is a past president of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana.
Beverly Brooks Thompson (1993 BACH H&SS, 2005 MAST H&SS) has been named chief development officer for Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge. Thompson previously was vice president and executive counsel with Pursuant Ketchum in Dallas and director of Forever LSU: The Campaign for Louisiana State University, which exceeded its $750 million goal. She also served as director of external affairs for LSU Student Life & Academic Services. A Certified Fundraising Executive, Thompson was recently named to the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s Top Forty Under 40. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in human resource development at LSU.
R. Kyle Alagood (2007 BACH MCOM), a student at the LSU Law Center, is the National LGBT Bar Association Student Congress Regional Chair for the Southern I region. A published expert on government transparency and national security, before and during law school Alagood held various positions at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, including research associate for the Liberty and National Security Program, legal intern to the chief counsel, and legal intern for special projects. As an undergraduate, Kyle organized LSU’s largest-ever gay rights education event, the LSU Campus Colloquium on Homosexuality in Modern America. He earned a master’s degree in democracy and democratization from University College London.
Benton L. Toups (1997 BACH H&SS, 2000 JD), an attorney with Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog in Wilmington, N.C., was named by Business North Carolina magazine as one of the magazine’s Legal Elite 2014. Toups was recognized in the area of employment law.
2000s
Ryan Bilbo (2003 BACH BUS, 2009 MPA) and Secretary Kathy Kliebert accepted the Vision Award on behalf of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) at the 2013 Esri Health GIS Conference. The award is given to an
organization that has gone beyond the traditional use of geographic information systems within a health or human services organization. DHH was recognized for ongoing efforts that were highlighted in Kliebert’s presentation at the conference, “GIS: Not Just About Maps, How Data Visualization Changes the Health Business.” Matthew Edwards (2005 MAST M&DA), assistant professor of voice/musical theatre styles at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Va., has published several articles related to singing contemporary commercial music. They include “Audio Technology for Singers” in VoicePrints (November/ December 2012); “Preparing Your Students for College Auditions,” coauthored with Jonathan Flom, in American Music Teacher (August/ September 2013); “Musical Theatre Voice
Training: Think Outside of the Box” in Southern Theatre (Spring 2013); an interview with audition coach VP Boyle for Southern Theatre (Summer 2013); and “Why It’s Time to Add Pop/Rock to Your Voice Studio ” in VoicePrints (November/ December 2013). He is working on his first book, So You Want to Sing Rock ‘N’ Roll? His primary instructor at LSU was Robert Grayson. Mario J. Garner (2002 BACH SCI) has been named chief executive officer of New Orleans East Hospital. Garner began his administrative career in health care at Tulane University Hospital in New Orleans and most recently served as chief operating officer at Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin, Ga. Prior to that, he was chief operating officer at the Regional Medical Center of Acadiana in Lafayette, La.; associate administrator at West Houston Medical Center; and administrative
resident at Tulane University Hospital. Garner earned a master’s degree in health care administration from Tulane University and a doctorate of education in administration and supervision from the University of Houston. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, holds an assistant adjunct professorship appointment at Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, serves on the National Alumni Advisory Board for the LSU Office of Academic Affairs, and is a member of the A.P. Tureaud, Sr., Alumni Chapter. Bryan Jeansonne (2002 BACH H&SS), attorney and partner in Doré Jeansonne Law Firm, was selected by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report as one of the 2013 Top Forty Under 40.
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April L. Rolen-Ogden (2003 BACH H&SS, 2006 JD) has been elected a shareholder in Liskow & Lewis. RolenOgden handles the defense of traditional oil and gas disputes, legacy suits, personal injury matters, and commercial law matters, including the representation of manufacturers and distributors within various industries. She has handled claims and advised clients involving vessel explosions, drilling and completion accidents, well blowouts, and other oilfield tort claims, including land damage and surface and subsurface restoration suits. Aya M. Salem (2006 BACH H&SS), an associate at Conrad O’Brien, has been appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Rules of Evidence. The committee makes recommendations to the New Jersey Supreme Court in general rules that govern all court proceedings in New Jersey relating to evidence law and counsels the New Jersey Supreme Court on recent developments in evidence law. Salem earned her law degree from
Rutgers School of Law in 2010. She served as executive editor of the Rutgers Journal of Law and Public Policy. Séhzad Sooklall (2006 BACH MCOM, 2012 MPA), a second-year student at Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City, is the National LGBT Bar Association Student Congress Regional Chair for the Northeastern Region. He currently serves as treasurer for OUTlaw, Cardozo’s LGBTQ student organization. Last summer, Séhzad pursued an externship at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. Prior to law school, he worked at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, and during his undergraduate years, he worked for various nonprofits, including Advance Baton Rouge Charter School Association and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. While pursuing his master’s degree, he undertook a public administration internship at the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana. He also served on the board of Encore Academy, a New Orleans charter school focusing on the performing arts.
2010s
Alyssa Braden (2013 BACH MCOM) has joined Zehnder Communications as public relations coordinator. She was previously a public relations intern for the Ehrhardt Group and marketing and communications intern for Louisiana Economic Development. Paige Johannessen (2013 BACH BUS) is the first person from LSU’s new Certified Financial Planning (CFP) BoardRegistered Program to sit and pass the CFP Certification Examination, demonstrating that she has attained the competency level necessary to practice independently as a financial planner. The E.J. Ourso College of Business was named a CFP Program Partner by the CFP Board, a global association for financial service professionals that awards the Certified Financial Planner designation. The board’s mission is to award the designation and to uphold the ethical and competent standards of the financial planning profession.
Share Your News Share news of your new job or promotion, your wedding, honors, awards, new babies, and other
celebrations with fellow alumni. To submit an item and photos for publication, e-mail jackie@lsualumni.org or call 225-578-3370.
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Tigers in Print Ford Baker (1997 MSW) Time Out for a Better Marriage: The Husband Guide Volume 1 (LifeSystems Press) Husbands looking to step up their game will welcome the arrival of Time Out for a Better Marriage: The Husband Guide Volume I. Therapist Ford Baker wrote this succinct guide for husbands struggling in their marriages, and it is presented in a straight-talking format that men will relate to – using charts, graphs and problem-solving strategies. “Both spouses share responsibility for marital discord, and there are excellent books that are helpful to women. Not so for men,” Baker explains. “Many men were not taught effective relationship skills, which often leaves them feeling lost or confused. This book helps guys when the marriage begins to falter and the relationship is important enough for them to begin considering a different approach.” Kara Casanova (attended 1986-1988) Elvis the Penguin (WingSpan Press) You’ve never met a penguin like Elvis. Born in the Wildlife Habitat at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, this baby penguin’s pompadour-like topknot reminded everyone of the King, prompting the penguin keeper to name him Elvis. Not content just to look like his namesake, Elvis sets out to learn more about the King of Rock and Roll and discovers dancers, impersonators, and the bright lights of
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show biz. Elvis the Penguin has found his destiny, and nothing’s going to stop him now. Dodging security, stage hands, and rough-and-tumble penguins from the wrong side of the pool, this scrappy little guy is determined to be the best singing, dancing Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas. The book was illustrated by Anne Lipscomb, a currently enrolled art student. Robert Emerson (1960 BACH H&SS) What Really Happened to Wild Bill (Dream Catcher Publishing, Inc.) What Really Happened to Wild Bill is a believable detective story that blends actual events with a fascinating character study. It is told from the perspective of Sam Elliot, who retires and moves to Tangipahoa Parish in Louisiana to be near his family’s roots. He and his wife plan to spend the rest of their lives relaxing in a country home. However, by chance, Sam learns additional facts about the death years before of a friend, Wild Bill Jenkins. The discovery leads to a chain of events that reminds the reader of The Third Man and On the Road dangers. Sam and his colleagues have to sort out false leads and legitimate clues to discover what really happened to Wild Bill. David Kirby (1966 BACH H&SS) A Wilderness of Monkeys (Hanging Loose Press) A good life consists of the ability to
love and to work. But one can’t simply put a couple of family-sized cartons of love and work in a shopping cart and take them home. It takes a lot of earnest fumbling to find each and keep them in balance, which is why Kirby takes A Wilderness of Monkeys as his title. Recent reviewers of Kirby’s work have said “There’s no way to define the poems of David Kirby simply, but I’ll try. If you can picture an accomplished student of philosophy – a very likable guy – who wakes up one day to find himself as manic as a classic cartoon character, you have a pretty fair idea of the Kirby effect” and “You can always count on Kirby to deliver big, zany poems that’ll deliver as much humor as a night of stand-up and as much warped beauty as a highway truck stop.” Beth Moncel (2007 BACH AGR) Budget Bytes (Avery) When Beth Moncel found herself, like many twenty-somethings, barely making ends meet, she decided to cut down on the only expenditure she could – food. The trick was figuring out how to do so without resorting to peanut butter sandwiches at every meal. Armed with a degree in nutritional science and determined to eat healthily and well while cutting costs, she tackled the dilemma head on. By tracking costs with obsessive precision, Moncel learned which ingredients helped stretch her funds and which burned though them
fastest. Eager to share her tips and recipes, she launched her blog Budget Bytes, which soon attracted millions of readers clamoring for more. Whether you’re urban, rural, vegan, or paleo, Budget Bytes will delight both your palate and your pocketbook. Douglas Perret Starr (1950 BACH MCOM) Working the Story: A Guide to Reporting and News Writing for Journalists and Public Relations Professionals (Roman and Littlefield) Douglas Starr’s Working the Story: A Guide to Reporting and News Writing for Journalists and Public Relations Professionals, coauthored with Deb Dunsford, is for beginners as well as seasoned professionals. Best of all, it follows its own teachings: it is concise and to the point, easy to read, and understandable. The book provides the background every reporter and public relations professional needs to do the job, from how governmental bodies work to how to cover a board meeting, and it covers an array of topics: techniques for interviewing,
covering, and writing hard news stories, features, columns, and arts reviews; what public relations is, what it is not, and how it interrelates with news writing; and speech ghostwriting and preparing corporate spokespersons for crises, briefings, and hostile interviews. The book also includes practical appendices on everything from keyboard shortcuts to common word definitions and usages in news reporting, from freelancing to applying for a job. Chris E. Warner (1993 BACH H&SS, 1995 MPA) A Tailgater’s Guide to SEC Football – Volume IV (Wagon Publishing)
Chris Warner’s newest book is the definitive guide to Southeastern Conference football history, tradition, popular culture, and related folklore. A history of college football in the South precedes chapters on each school – their early histories; how they acquired their mascots, colors, and nicknames; where to go out to eat and drink in each college town; recommended bail bondsmen and hospitals; where to golf and shop; and fourteen authentic Cajun tailgating recipes named after each school. Volume IV of the series includes new chapters on expansion teams Texas A&M and Missouri, as well as a history of tailgating. This is the bible of SEC football.
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Alumni-By-Choice
Nancy Jo Craig (ABC), executive director of the Baton Rouge-based nonprofit Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council (CACRC), received the Jim Lynch Award for lifetime achievement in the field of computer refurbishment during the 2013 International Computer Refurbisher Summit (ICRS). Craig was recognized for her accomplishments during hurricanes Katrina and Rita, when she and fellow CACRC members provided relief agencies, schools, and devastated communities with computers and other electronic equipment. Under her leadership, CACRC has received the DEQ Environmental Leadership Award for Nonprofits in Pollution Prevention Category for the past five years. In addition to her work with CACRC, Craig is an active animal advocate and sits on
numerous boards including the Burden Foundation, the Rural Life Museum, and Baton Rouge Spay Neuter.
BABY
BENGALS
Robert James Broussard II (2005 BACH ENGR) and his wife, Molly Kinchen Broussard (2005 BACH BUS), of Zachary, La., announce the birth of their son, Hudson James, born on Oct. 28, 2013. Hudson weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. and measured 21 inches. He was welcomed home by his proud big brother, Rhett.
Josh Garland (2008 BACH H&SS, 2013 MAST H&SS) and his wife, Mary (2008 BACH BUS), proudly announce the birth of their son, future Tiger Owen Paul, on Oct. 25, 2013. Owen weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz. and measured 21.5 inches. Josh is assistant director of development for the LSU Family Association.
2014 Reunion
Golden Tigers
Honoring the Class of 1964
Reconnect with friends and classmates during a fun-filled day of activities highlighted by special recognition at LSU Spring Commencement.
May 15, 2014 • Lod Cook Alumni Center For information, contact Brandli Roberts at 225.578.3852 or brandli@lsualumni.org
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In Memoriam 1930s Kathryn Estelle McDonald, 1939 BACH BUS, Dec. 1, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Mary Ann Pruyn Meade, 1933 MAST HS&E, Jan. 11, 2014, Baton Rouge, La. Albert Carter Mills, Jr., 1935 BACH BUS, Nov. 12, 2013, Zachary, La. Frank Paul Turk, Jr., 1934 BACH ENGR, Nov. 3, 2013, Baton Rouge, La.
1940s Samuel Cefalu, 1949 BACH H&SS, Oct. 18, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Callie W. Cool, 1941 BACH BUS, Nov. 16, 2013, Central, S.C. Beverly Y. Craig, 1943 BACH H&SS, Dec. 12, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Ivy Creel, Sr., 1947 BACH AGR, 1963 MAST AGR, Dec. 2, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Lawrence Joseph Delaune, Sr., 1949 BACH ENGR, Nov. 12, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Louis J. Gebhart, 1949 BACH ENGR, Dec. 7, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Vivian D. Fleming, 1944 BACH H&SS, Jan. 12, 2014, Baton Rouge, La. Ernestine B. George, 1949 BACH AGR, Jan. 7, 2014, Lafayette, La. Lewis Hill, 1944 BACH AGR, 1959 MAST AGR, Nov. 4, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Frances Hewitt Townsend Jacocks, 1948 BACH H&SS, 1962 BACH HS&E, Dec. 17, 2013, Zachary, La. Claude John “C.J.” Naquin, Sr., 1948 BACH AGR, 1957 MAST AGR, 1964 PHD AGR, Nov. 9, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Humphrey Theodore Olinde, 1948 BACH BUS, Dec. 30, 2013, New Roads, La. Stewart B. Olive, 1948 BACH ENGR, Dec. 12, 2012, Orange, Texas Malcolm Joseph Prevot, 1947 BACH ENGR, Dec. 3, 2013, Berwyn, Pa. John B. Staples, Jr., 1948 BACH H&SS, 1951 MAST HS&E, Nov. 24, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Jane L. Strauss, 1949 BACH H&SS, Dec 25, 2013, Memphis, Tenn. Katherine Watts, 1942 MAST, Oct. 22, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Harold A. Whitman, 1949 BACH ENGR, Dec. 28, 2013, New Iberia, La.
1950s
John Avery Bertrand, 1952 MAST, Nov. 5, 2013, Crowley, La. Dominic Bonfanti, 1957 BACH ENGR, Nov. 18, 2013, Baton Rouge, La Robert H. Chabreck, 1956 BACH AGR, 1957 MAST AGR, 1970 PHD H&SS, Dec. 30, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Stephen Coco, 1953 JD, Jan. 8, 2014, Baton Rouge, La. Derward R. Copeland, 1950 BACH AGR, Dec. 30, 2013, Raleigh, N.C. Joe Dean, Sr., 1955 BACH EDUC, Former Director of Athletics, Nov. 17, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Robert Lee Dean, 1955 BACH HS&E, Nov. 17, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Sarah W. Finley, 1950 BACH HS&E, Nov. 10, 2013, Gambrills, Md. Lee P. Fournet, 1958 BACH ENGR, Oct. 30, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Terence M. Harris, 1955 BACH AGR, Jan. 10, 2014, Baton Rouge, La. Betty Jane Heard, 1951 BACH HS&E, 1954 MAST HS&E, Nov. 28, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Mary Frances HopKins, 1952 BACH HS&E, 1959 MAST H&SS, 1968 PHD H&SS, Alumni Professor Emerita of Speech, Nov. 6, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Florence Ann Jastremski, 1952 BACH H&SS, Dec. 1, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Carol C. Jumper, 1956 BACH BUS, Oct. 8, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Leslie David Kelleher, 1958 BACH AGR, 1963 MAST A&D, Nov. 12, 2013, Baton Rouge, La.
Winton W. Hymel, Sr. Former Associate Dean of Continuing Education Nov. 9, 2013 Baton Rouge, La.
Leroy J. Labat, football letterman in 1951-52, Jan. 16, 2014, Laplace, La. Betty Jean Lawrence, 1950 BACH HS&E, 1952 MAST HS&E, Nov. 19, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Lee Franklin Mason, 1950 BACH AGR, 1951 MAST AGR, Director Emeritus and Professor Emeritus, LSU AgCenter, Nov. 29, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. O.M. “Buddy” Pourciau, Jr., 1953 BACH AGR, Nov. 3, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Colleen C. Thian, 1950 BACH H&SS, Nov. 7, 2013, New Orleans, La.
1960s David Patrick Beach, 1965 BACH H&SS, Oct. 29, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Milton Bourgeois, Jr., 1969 BACH AGR, Dec. 26, 2013, Raceland, La. Robert Dardenne, 1968 BACH MCOM, Oct. 17, 2013, St Petersburg, Fla. Charles Defourneaux, 1965 BACH H&SS, May 27, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Edwin Thomas Evans, 1967 BACH H&SS, Nov. 6, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Frances T. James, 1962 BACH H&SS, Nov. 3, 2013, Waterproof, La. Vernon Lee Johnson, 1962 MAST AGR, Nov. 5, 2013, Hammond, La. Dan Brittain McGrew, 1960 BACH BUS, Nov. 5, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. James C. Odom, 1964 MD, Jan. 8, 2014, Lafayette, La. James S. “Jim” Peebles, Jr., 1966 MAST HS&E, Sept. 13, 2013, Cincinnati, Ohio Joan D. Smith, 1966 BACH BUS, Jan. 1, 2014, Baton Rouge, La. Stanford A. Smith, Jr., 1964 BACH ENGR, 1965 MAST ENGR, Dec. 2, 2013, Lafayette, La.
1970s
Virginia Switzer Berry, 1971 BACH H&SS, Oct. 14, 2012, Hattiesburg, Miss. R. Allen Eskew, 1971 BACH A&D, Dec. 10, 2013, New Orleans, La. Michael Madere, 1978 MSW, Nov. 19, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Edward A. Michel, 1970 BACH BUS, 1973 JD, 7, 2014, Donaldsonville, La. Marci Elizabeth Millican, 1977 BACH MCOM, Dec. 20, 2013, Lanexa, Va. Claude John Naquin, Sr., 1973 BACH BUS, 1977 JD, Nov. 9, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Clifford Treadaway, 1971 BACH H&SS, Dec. 19, 2013, Hempstead, Texas
1980s Eric S. Carr, 1986 BACH BUS, Dec. 24, 2013, Lafayette, La. Robert Davis, 1985 BACH H&SS, Oct. 31, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Norma Jean Dillion, 1982 CERT EDUC, Nov. 23, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Sharon L. Huffman, 1985 BACH SCI, Dec. 24, 2013, St. Francisville, La.
1990s Stephen D. Arbor, 1990 BACH BUS, Dec. 19, 2013, Baton Rouge, La. Joseph A. Meyinsse, 1995 PHD, Nov. 3, 2013, Baton Rouge, La.
2000s Laura Burckel Peterson, 2009 BACH SCI, Jan. 3, 2014, New Orleans, La.
2010s Timothy Guillot, 2010 BACH H&SS, Oct. 21, 2013, Baton Rouge, La.
Memorial Donation In memory of Frances T. James by Joseph T. James
Burl Noggle Alumni Professor Emeritus of History Nov. 6, 2013 Baton Rouge, La.
If you would like to make a gift to the LSU Alumni Association in memory of a family member, friend or classmate, please contact our office for additional information at 225-578-3838 or 1-888-746-4578. LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2014
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A Lifetime Endeavor By Jacqueline DeRobertis
Kenton Thibaut (2011 BACH HS&S), a recipient of a Blakemore Freeman Fellowship for Advanced Asian Language Study, is spending a year deepening her knowledge of Mandarin at National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan.
“Language is a portal into another culture. You can’t really understand another culture until you understand how people relate to each other,” said Thibaut. “Words “Language learning – it’s a have cultural resonance, and they have history to them, and they contain within them lifetime endeavor. It’s not like all of these ideas about what people value, and how people conceive relationships mastering a skill.” between others.” Thibaut discovered her love of Asian studies as a pre-freshman. Selected for the Honors College’s first summer trip to China, Thibaut spent two weeks learning about the history and culture of the country. According to Thibaut, the Honors College trip sparked her interest in Asian studies. Drawn to a new culture, Thibaut pursued and eventually earned a dual degree in political science and international studies with a concentration in global diplomacy. She minored in Chinese, Asian studies, and French. In addition to taking Chinese language courses at LSU, Thibaut also spent her senior year abroad at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. In 2011 Thibaut graduated with College Honors and received an Outstanding Thesis Award for her thesis Citizenship, Social Protest, and Possible Foundations for Institutionalizing Conflict Resolution in China. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to spend a year in Taiwan teaching English. “I think the best thing that came out of my grant is the realization that working for justice, working to help tear down the walls of oppression, is really what I want to do,” Thibaut explained. “I couldn’t be happy doing anything else.” The Blakemore Freeman Fellowship involves a year of high intensity language training. Thibaut will be taking the International Chinese Language Program. The course requires twenty hours of language study per week, split between cultural learning courses and standard grammar and writing courses – all taught in Chinese. “To do the work I want to do I need to have a more thorough understanding of the language, and a more thorough understanding of how the culture works,” said Thibaut. “My primary goal with the grant is to get the capability to access original Chinese texts to Kenton Thibaut at Tonhua Night Market. further my academic research.” Though she has what she describes as a “working proficiency” in Chinese, Thibaut said her learning is far from finished. “It’s important to remember that language learning – there’s no real end,” she said. “It’s a lifetime endeavor. It’s not like mastering a skill.” As for any future plans once she has achieved the language proficiency she desires, Thibaut hopes to engage in social justice using her political science and international studies experience. “I’d really like to be able to use my knowledge in this to create opportunities for women in Asia to get access to education or improve their abilities for civic participation,” Thibaut said. Jacqueline DeRobertis is the student reporter for the LSU Honors College.
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gift shop proofing
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Big Man, Big Wine By Ed Cullen
Gary and Marcy Eberle.
“He started the wine business in that part of California.”
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Friends, restaurateurs, and wine distributors in Baton Rouge and New Orleans like to say Gary Eberle (1971 MAST SCI), one of California’s vineyard pioneers, got his taste for fine wines in Louisiana. “I discovered wine in New Orleans,” said Eberle, 69, a native of Western Pennsylvania who played football at Penn State. In 1967, Eberle, with a degree in biology and secondary education, left Pennsylvania for LSU, where he would earn a master’s degree in vertebrate zoology. Working on a Ph.D. in genetics at LSU in Baton Rouge and Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Eberle found his way to better restaurants and their wine lists in the Crescent City. “I wasn’t a teetotaler,” Eberle said, “but I didn’t drink much. When I did, it was sweet wine – Boone’s Farm and Mateuse.” Then, one of Eberle’s professors introduced him to French wines. New Orleans wine broker Glen LeBlanc, who took a genetics class from graduate student Eberle, remembers Eberle’s professor as a “big Bordeaux man.” That was in the early 1970s. Less than ten years later, LeBlanc, who sold wine wholesale from 1979 to 2012, introduced Eberle’s wine to Louisiana. “When I got into the wine business,” LeBlanc said, “there were only sixty-three wineries in Napa Valley. Today, there are … Google it.” (According to Google, there are more than 400 wineries in the Napa Valley.) Eberle started his first winery at Paso Robles, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, a part of California wine country now called “the next Napa.” “There are 280 wineries in Paso Robles,” LeBlanc said. “Gary’s was the first big one. There were a few garage wineries, but he started the wine business in that part of California.”
Eberle had two older half brothers in the real estate business. One was in Pennsylvania; the other wanted to raise cattle in California. “I talked him into growing grapes,” Eberle said. Eberle had left the oaks of LSU and Audubon Park for Paso Robles, “Pass of the Oaks,” near San Luis Obispo. “I was looking for unfertile soil,” Eberle said. “Grapes are deeply rooted; they’re like little trees. There’s a lot of soil spectrum open to them.” “Plant grape vines in fertile soil, and you get abundant leaf canopy,” LeBlanc said. “Plant in poor soil, and you force the grapes to go deep for soil nutrients and minerals. The vines put their efforts into grapes.” Eberle opted for Syrah grapes, a variety that hadn’t been grown in the United States since before Prohibition. Talking from his office one Sunday afternoon during peak production, Eberle called himself a schmoozer. When the winery’s cranking, Eberle said he’s on the floor talking to workers. He may schmooze, but he’s still the scientist who came up with the commonly used “G-banding,” a method of visualizing chromosomes. “He loves South Louisiana,” said Eric Lacassin, wine and spirits manager at Mockler Beverage in Baton Rouge. “He loves LSU and New Orleans. He’s this big man in California wine making, but he’s a humble guy.” Eberle, who worked on a Ph.D. in enology [the study of wine and wine making] at U.C. Davis, is, indeed, a big man. “I used to be 6-3,” he said. “And, now, I’m about that wide.” These days, Eberle and wife Marcy get to Louisiana as often as they can, usually just before Mardi Gras or just after. “Mardi Gras isn’t a good time to sell wine,” he said. “Too busy. It’s impossible to get around in the Quarter.” Since Hurricane Katrina, Eberle spends as much time in Baton Rouge as he does New Orleans. “New Orleans is still big in the wine business,” he said, “but Baton Rouge has taken over a lot of the market since Katrina.” The big man with the big wine name likes the size of the Eberle Winery’s vineyard – forty acres – which has garnered some of the biggest prizes in the industry. “I don’t want to get any bigger,” he said. Known for his Cabernet Sauvignon and his boar label, Eberle means “small boar” or “son of the boar” in German, Eberle is also a big promoter of American Rhone varietal wines. He helped found a nonprofit organization dedicated to the wines whose grapes are native to France’s Rhone River Valley. Eberle and his compadres call themselves “The Rhone Rangers.”
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Story and photo by Hannah McLain
Artist and Professor Emeritus Edward Pramuk.
“The subtle techniques children use in art illuminate the significant aspects of their experiences.”
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Profile
Kennedy Assassination Through the Eyes of First Graders Artist Edward Pramuk did not expect his class of first graders to explore a national tragedy when he brought a giant American flag into the classroom to spark discussion in June 1964. During his three years of teaching art at Parley-Colburn Elementary in Elmira, N.Y., the LSU professor emeritus of art often began his classes with an object or topic of discussion. Pramuk brought a flag into class on Flag Day – a few months after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated – and asked the students where they had seen it before. One girl answered, “I saw that on the president’s casket,” and many of the students agreed, explaining that they saw it at Kennedy’s funeral on television. Pramuk didn’t watch TV at the time, and he asked the children to elaborate on what they saw. He realized that the children had had more exposure to the event than he might have guessed. After the discussion, Pramuk asked the children to draw their observations of Kennedy’s funeral and the American flag, and he has kept the drawings for fifty years since. The drawings, done in crayon on 12” x 18” paper, reflect the aspects of the funeral that affected the students most. Pramuk explained that children will often “invent a style to answer something.” For example, he notes that while the students probably watched the broadcast of the funeral in black and white, all of the drawings exhibit vivid color. Some of the drawings include flags with vertical stripes or flags with orange, red, and blue coloring. Many depict a hearse, the riderless horse, and the casket draped with a flag. One student drew John-John sitting all alone at a table in the White House having his birthday party a few days after the funeral.
Pramuk said that even though the drawing is visually simple, the idea behind it makes him emotional every time he sees it. He observed how the subtle techniques children use in art illuminate the significant aspects of their experiences. He pointed out one boy’s use of the baseline device children commonly use to indicate the ground; however, instead of drawing the line completely horizontal, the boy used a downward bending of the line to make a grave. Pramuk explained that children are full of content and ideas they want to express. “Drawing these pictures allowed them to start the process of what they wanted to say,” he said. Pramuk wants to donate these pieces to the Kennedy Library in Boston, but the library requires the names of all of the student artists. Only a few of the drawings have complete names, and although Pramuk was able to contact one student, he has not been able to find a list of the students in that 1964 firstgrade class. He hopes to generate awareness of, and interest in, the drawings, and wants to eventually find the names of the students to donate the drawings to the library. Pramuk says there is very little child art at the Kennedy Library, and he hopes to contribute to the collection someday soon. Hannah McLain is a sophomore in the Manship School of Mass Communication and the Honors College.
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Tiger Nation
All You Need Is Love By Mary Woods
Pearl Payne (1956 MAST HS&E), one of the first black females to graduate from LSU, would probably agree that John Lennon got it right when he said, “All you need is love.” Love seems to be a recurring theme throughout Payne’s life: love for family, teaching, continuing education, and LSU weave the fabric of her amazing life that includes thirty-seven years of teaching, multiple degrees and professional certifications, and a rekindled relationship with LSU that dates back to a challenging time during the Civil Rights era.
Born July 12, 1918, in Natchitoches, La., Payne knew she wanted to be a teacher when she was in the fifth grade. She was captivated by a teacher from Memphis who cared for students and would tell the class about things they had never seen before – sparking curiosity and encouraging learning. To someone from a rural community, learning about things such as traffic lights was interesting, and Payne soaked it all in. She sums up her own teaching philosophy as loving each and every child she taught. “I always had a saying: I never taught a child I did not like,” said Payne. Payne recently ran into a former student who recounted a story about the time Payne bought everyone in the class a set of marbles to end student bickering. She was happy that the small gesture had touched her student enough for him to remember it some fifty years later. Pearl Payne, one of the University’s first black female graduates, proudly displays her LSU diploma. “I could have scolded my class [when they misbehaved], but instead I gave everyone a five cent bag of marbles, and they “I always had a saying: were so proud of those marbles,” said Payne. “And by showing them love, they will try I never taught a child I to please you; so that’s why I really enjoyed my career in teaching. I liked the children, did not like.” and if they had a problem, it was my problem and I helped them through it.” The mother of three and grandmother and great-grandmother of nineteen, Payne was married for fifty-nine years to the late Lutrill Payne, Sr. Both are pivotal figures in LSU’s history. In 1951, Lutrill Payne, with the help of attorney A.P. Tureaud , Sr., of New Orleans, filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to integrate the LSU Graduate School and ultimately won a judgment in his favor. Lutrill Payne was the first African American to attend graduate school at LSU, paving the way for his wife and many other African-American students to enroll. According to Payne, every student applicant had to write a personal statement to be admitted. She vividly remembers what she chose to write on her postcard-sized paper. “I wanted to come to get a master’s degree to improve so I could better take care of students in my classroom,” said Payne. She remembers writing, “LSU is in the state where I’m living and I work in a school in this state, so I want to attend the state’s best university.” She entered LSU in 1953. Her memories of LSU during the early and mid-fifties are fond. “I remember eating lunch beside the faculty members and interacting with students of other races and nationalities,” said Payne. “I had a fine experience. They didn’t treat me any differently.”
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She recalls carpooling with fellow students from Natchitoches to Baton Rouge, living in the dorms during summer sessions, studying with her classmates – and a particularly difficult professor. “Dr. Fuller was never pleasant,” said Payne. “I had to present my report on teachers retirement. So everyone was shocked when he said, ‘That’s the best I’ve ever heard on that topic.’” Despite the compliment, Payne says she made a B in Fuller’s class. Payne’s pursuit of continuing education is impressive and indicative of her love for life-long learning. She obtained her post-graduate degree and several certifications while teaching and caring for her family. After obtaining her baccalaureate degree from what was then Grambling College, she earned a master’s degree in education at LSU, and later earned her 30+ (over thirty academic credits beyond the master’s) from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. Payne retired from teaching mathematics at Northwestern State University Laboratory School. “In thirty-seven years, I never once sent a child to the principal’s office,” Payne said with a combination of wistfulness and pride. She has returned to LSU many times over the years. She and her husband, who passed away in 1999, were active in the Tureaud Chapter, and most recently, at the age of ninety-five, she took part in the chapter’s September 2013 reunion. Payne has donated a scrapbook to the University documenting her achievements and those of her husband, including records of their trailblazing effort to integrate LSU. Hill Memorial Library’s exhibit “The Relentless Pursuit of ‘Equal:’ Integrating LSU,” includes an oral history by Payne and records from the scrapbook. (The exhibit runs through March 29.)
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Mary Woods is director of communications and public relations in the College of Human Sciences & Education.
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LSU Alumni Association, BRAC Help Alumna Return to Baton Rouge By Julie Laperouse
Michelle Clark and Scott Berg.
“I felt such a pull to come back and just needed someone to give me the chance to interview and sell myself as a candidate.”
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Michelle Clark (1988 BACH BUS, 1990 MAST ECON) is the impeccably dressed, fire-haired professional sitting in Garden District Coffee who looks a bit out of place among the coeds and literati. She has good reason to look a bit out of place. Although a native of St. Gabriel, a quiet town in Iberville Parish, she has called New York City her home for the past two decades. Michelle is one of thousands of alumni from the late eighties and early nineties who felt compelled to leave the region in order to follow their passion. Shortly after graduation she took her LSU bachelor’s and master’s degrees and headed to the bright lights of the fashion industry in New York. Though New York was able to entertain and employ her for many years, all the glamorous promotions and lavish parties couldn’t completely quash the piece of her that always called Louisiana home. “I’ve lived in New York and travelled to more than forty countries around the world, but the level of civility here is unmatched,” Clark said. “Don’t get me wrong, there are nice people in New York. They’re just too busy to invest in you. People here take the time to help you, whether it’s with your suitcase at the airport or with your professional development.” Clark had been casually looking for job opportunities in the Baton Rouge area for a few years with no luck. Her luck changed when a friend of hers met up with a representative from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) at an LSU Alumni Association crawfish boil in San Diego and told her about their joint initiative to help bring alumni back home. “I just knew this was going to be the connection,” said Clark. “The big national job boards never gave me much hope, but once I knew about this partnership, I immediately started making plans to come home.” Scott Berg (2005 MAST BUS), market president of Lee Michael’s Fine Jewelry, couldn’t be happier about New York’s lack of civility. Through the partnership
between the LSU Alumni Association and BRAC, he was connected with Clark within three weeks of her moving home. “We had an opening for an assistant store manager,” Berg said. “My manager, Anthony O’Connor (2010 BACH H&SS), brought me this resume and said ‘She’s ridiculously overqualified, but I think we should meet with her.’” Berg agreed. “I really related to Michelle. As someone who also went away and came back, you just have a different perspective. Being away helps you see how great this place is and what you have to offer to continue the growth.” Clark is filling a position at Lee Michael’s that didn’t need filling. Berg was so impressed with her experience and her desire to come back that he brought her on board and is working out the details as they go. Regarding this unconventional hiring culture, Berg says “To look at a resume, a piece of paper, and discount someone as overqualified is doing a disservice to your organization and to the candidate.” “Over-qualification discrimination” is a problem for many career veterans attempting to relocate back home. Clark says she felt it often as she submitted applications for jobs and even on interviews. “Companies need to realize that so many skills are transferrable among industries,” Clark said. “There are a lot of people out there like me, a nontraditional applicant from an industry such as fashion, but my skills in product management, marketing, and purchasing are applicable to dozens of different types of companies. I felt such a pull to come back and just needed someone to give me the chance to interview and sell myself as a candidate.” Julie Laperouse (2003 BACH MCOM) is director of talent development at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.
ON THE WEB talent@brac.org or brac.org/R3
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Tigers Around the World Thailand Tigers – Kristen Roth (2010BACH SCI) joined friend and fellow U-High graduate Abbie Hardy for a two-week tour of Thailand in December 2013. A highlight of the trip was an up-close visit with a Bengal tiger in Chiang Mai.
Kristen Roth
Tiger in Slovakia – Jessica Leigh Bourgoyne (1999 BACH AGR) has taken her love of teaching from the high schools in the Baton Rouge area to the far climes of Zilina, Slovakia. Working through the Canadian Language School, Bourgoyne teaches English as a second language to students of all ages. She finds common ground with her older students, encouraging them in conversation Jessica Leigh Bourgoyne about family, travel, and cooking. For Photo by Dawn Drury her younger students, however, she must grab their interest using themes close to her heart but a bit foreign to them. For example, Bourgoyne notes that one young Korean female student thinks it quite strange that she eats crawfish back home, yet this serves as a breakthrough to start discussions on Louisiana history, culture, and food.
Feliz Cumpleaños Debbie Benoit and her brother, Joe Benoit, celebrated his sixtieth birthday last fall in Ensenada, Mexico. The siblings are regulars on LSU Alumni Association Traveling Tigers jaunts.
Joe Benoit and Debbie Benoit.
LSUTUBA – Jacob “Jake” McCabe’s new vehicle license reflects his love of his home state, his alma mater, and his musical passion. McCabe (2013 BACH M&DA), of Marietta, Ga., was a music performance major at LSU, and he plays the tuba professionally “on the side.” He writes, “I was in Tiger Band for two seasons. I just got accepted to start training to be a financial adviser with Edward Jones. I start training in January, and I’m going to open up my office in downtown Atlanta in September.”
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Published on Mar 5, 2014
The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) launched this spring, embraces the idea that undergraduates should be actively involved in learning, crea...
