A L U M N I ' M A G A Z I N E Summer 2015, Volume 91, Number 2
2015 Hall of Distinction
From the
PRESIDENT/CHANCELLOR Alumni and Future Alumni Enact Change for the Better On May 15, thousands of LSU students made that much-anticipated walk across the stage, received their degrees, and joined your ranks as our newest generation of alumni. You should be proud to count them as part of your team, just as we are proud to count you as members of our loyal Tiger community. It is always an exciting moment to witness the excitement of our newest graduates as they embark upon life’s next journey, and we look forward to hearing about the success they achieve in the coming years. As we welcome this newest group and bestow upon them the title of “alumnus,” I have had the opportunity to once again reflect on the uniquely close-knit and supportive LSU Alumni Association this University is so fortunate to have. Each and every one of you serves as a positive reflection of our University’s standing. And, while your degree from LSU already means so much, our future alumni are poised to drive up the value of your credentials even more through exceptional achievements and awardwinning work. For example, Zachary Fitzpatrick, a biochemistry major, is one of only forty students from across the nation to receive the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. He is also a LaSTEM Research Scholar and LSU-HHMI Undergraduate Research Fellow, a Goldwater Honorable Mention recipient in both 2012 and 2013, and a finalist in this year’s Rhodes Scholarship competition. Mollie Smoak, a biological engineering major, was recently named LSU’s thirtyfirst Goldwater Scholar. Michael Beyer, a political science, is now LSU’s tent Truman Scholar. Maria Muñoz, a landscape architecture major, was selected as the undergraduate winner of the 2015 Olmsted Scholars Program – the second LSU student in two years to receive this national recognition. And LSU graduates Jasmeane Brock, have been named finalists for the 2015 Presidential Management Fellows. These are just a few of our most talented students. But for every Tiger receiving national accolades, there are hundreds who fly below the radar but make significant contributions to LSU, their communities, and their states. There were the nearly 1,000 students who rallied at the state capitol in May, asking the legislature to stabilize support for their University. And there are the 44,000 from across Louisiana who will receive an LSU education, leave our campuses and go out into the world to do great things and enact change for the better. That’s the LSU you and I both know. And it’s the LSU that will only get better with age.
F. King Alexander LSU President and Chancellor @lsuprez
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
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Publisher LSU Alumni Association
Contents
Editor Jackie Bartkiewicz Advertising Kelsey David Art Director Chuck Sanchez STUN Design & Interactive
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A L U M N I ' M A G A Z I N E Features 20 Hall of Distinction Alumnus of the Year Newton Thomas, founder and CEO of the Newtron Group, and Young Alumna of the Year Lori S. “Lolo” Jones, track Olympian, highlighted the roster of distinguished alumni inducted into the 2015 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction. Also inducted at the March 27 gala were J. Patrick Mulhearn, executive director of Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge; J. Tinsley Oden, vice president of research at the University of Texas at Austin; David M. Suarez, president of the Atlantic Company of America, of Washington, D.C.; and Herb Vincent, SEC associate commissioner of communications, of Birmingham, Ala.
18 43
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From the President/Chancellor
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President’s Message
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LSU Alumni Association News
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In Each Issue
A L U M N I ' M A G A Z I N E Summer 2015, Volume
91, Number 2
32 Around Campus 50 Focus on Faculty 52 Locker Room 56 Tiger Nation
Cover photo by Jim Zietz. Design by STUN Design & Interactive.
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Contributors Barry Cowan, Ed Cullen, Rebecca Docter, Bud Johnson, Tara Kistler, Mimi LaValle, Cherie Hager-Many, Nicholas Roberts, Meg Ryan, Jeannine Tate Photography Danny Brown, Sarah Brown, Mark Claesgens, Kan Colchran, Luke Davis, Kevin DeBennedetto, Ray Dry, Stephen Franz, Art Guerrero Photography, Johnny Gordon, Larry Hubbard, Laurel McGehee, Nicholas Nami, Rachel Saltzberg, Rebecca Stewart, Chris Weimer, Eddy Perez, Shane Stadler, Bob Tompkins/The Town Talk, Velvet’s Edge, Keri Lynn Walters, Jim Zietz Printing Baton Rouge Printing
28 Hall of Distinction Student writer Rebecca Docter takes a look at the ways in which the LSU chapter of the honor society Phi Kappa Phi fulfills its mission “to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.” The chapter has made great strides in both areas, bringing home a Chapter of Excellence Award – recognizing programs of academic excellence and outstanding community service – three times in the last five years.
Editorial Assistants Patti Garner, Brenda Macon, Meagan McDaniel
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 is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the LSU Alumni Association. Annual donations are $50, of which $6 is allocated for a subscription to LSU Alumni Magazine. Approval of Periodicals Postage Paid prices is pending at Baton Rouge, La., and at additional mailing offices. The LSU Alumni Association is not liable for any loss that might be incurred by a purchaser responding to an advertisement in this magazine. 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 © 2014 by LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE, 3838 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686
2015 Hall of Distin ction
Letters to the editor are encouraged. LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE reserves the right to edit all materials accepted for publication. Publication of material does not indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint by the magazine, the Association, or LSU.
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President and CEO
MESSAGE
Spring 2015: Budget Cuts, Tiger Advocates, Core Values, Hall of Distinction Grim scenarios of severe potential budget cuts to higher education surfaced in January, and your LSU Alumni Association immediately assumed a proactive role in protecting higher education and promoting the value of Louisiana’s flagship university. The response to our grassroots network Tiger Advocates was excellent, and we thank the thousands who made their voices heard by loudly roaring “No More Cuts.” There is, however, little budget information we can share, as the Louisiana Legislature went into session on April 13, at the same time the summer issue of the magazine went into production, and the session ended June 11, as the magazine is being delivered to you. For up-to-date information, visit sites01.lsu.edu/wp/budget. Despite the dismal budget news, the spring semester was a busy, productive, and most rewarding time for the Association team. A fun-filled afternoon of team building resulted in the adoption of our “Core Values” – what we believe in and stand for, how we treat others and expect to be treated, the foundation on which we make decisions. Those values – Tradition • Teamwork • Loyalty • Selfless Service • Communication • Respect • Excellence • Integrity – define the organization and portray its image. You’ll read more about this endeavor in the monthly E-Letter and future issues of the magazine. The induction of Alumnus of the Year Newton Thomas, Young Alumna of the Year Lolo Jones, J. Patrick Mulhearn, J. Tinsley Oden, David Moore Suarez, and Herb Vincent into the 2015 Hall of Distinction in March made for a memorable evening and raised the bar for future galas. Especially enjoyable were the performances of future School of Music alumni – virtuosos all – who paid musical tributes to each of the honorees. Meet the inductees and read about the event beginning on page 20. We criss-crossed the nation promoting joint membership, Tiger Advocates, and the value of an LSU education with Tiger faithful gathered for chapter-sponsored “gumbeaux” dinners, King Cake parties, and, of course, that rite of spring – crawfish boils. Our travels continue into the summer with Tiger Athletic Foundation and LSU Foundation, our Partners in Progress, on the annual Tiger Tour. In March, we joined our colleagues in Undergraduate Admissions for LSU On the Geaux recruiting events across the state and participated in Spring Invitational with the Office of Orientation. In ongoing efforts to build meaningful relationships with future alumni, we collaborated with Finance & Administrative Services and Student Life & Enrollment on the Spring Ring Ceremony; with the LSU Bookstore and other campus units on Spring Grad Fair; and with Student Government on Senior Stride – a reminiscent final walk through campus. We wound up the semester with a toast to May graduates at Senior Happy Hour the evening before graduation, and at commencement we welcomed these future alumni into the ranks of Proud LSU Alumni and Tiger Nation. They were encouraged to join an alumni chapter and begin giving back to their alma mater through service and gifts. There’s more to come, and we hope you’ll be a part of it all. Thank you for your continued support – and, if you’re in the Baton Rouge area this summer, stop by for a visit or plan a stay at The Cook Hotel (www.thecookhotel.com). Geaux Tiger Nation!
Cliff Vannoy President and CEO LSU Alumni Association
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From Our Readers IN WASHINGTON I graduated from LSU in 1962 with a teaching degree in math and a minor in library science. Since then I received a masters in librarianship from the University of Washington. I recall fondly my four years at LSU and look forward to the alumni magazine. I particularly like the Summer 2014 issue that had the Hall of Distinction and the cover with Miller and Bodin. I also enjoyed the Winter 2014 article “Something Special About Special Collections.” I enjoy your profile section. I am aware of the importance of highlighting LSU alumni and the chapters, but find that it dominates the magazine and is not that interesting to me. I also notice that there is very little diversity in our graduates and alumni. I would like to see more articles that reflect what LSU is doing in areas of research and programs that are effective.
Margaret A. James (1962 BACH HS&E) Arlington, Wash. IN CALIFORNIA We just received the most recent magazine. We really enjoyed the article on the photographer Jim Zietz. My husband, Bob (1973 BACH AGR, 1978 MAST AGR), and I are both alums, as is our son. More than twenty-five years ago (before our son was born), we purchased a framed photo of the Moonlight over LSU picture, the moon over Memorial Tower at dusk, that appears in the story. We purchased it through the LSU Alumni Association. It hangs over the mantle in our family room and used to be in my husband’s office at work. Obviously, we love it! We have purchased a few items over the years (before there was the gift shop) – a really nice lamp with the seal of LSU at the base and a very nice wristwatch with the same. I think it would be great to have some of Jim Zietz’s pictures available for sale. Geaux Tigers!
Nancy T. Bennett (1976 BACH HS&E) Fresno, Calif. IN OREGON Editor’s note: Both Jim Zietz and I heard from former LSU Magazine editor George Edmonston. JZ, One sure-fire way of hearing from someone you used to know is to put his photo in an issue of LSU Alumni Magazine, as you did with mine in this latest issue. Thanks very much. So many of the photos you included in the spread brought back fond memories of that brief time I had the privilege of working with you. I teamed up with a lot of photographers during my career and you were, and will always be, at the very top of the list of some fairly amazing people. Jackie, Honoring Jim’s photography…what a great idea and cover story for the magazine. Thanks so much for choosing a photo of me to be a part of your tribute to JZ’s work. Where stately oaks …
George Edmonston. Jr. (1971 BACH H&SS) Newberg, Ore. LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
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From Our Readers IN LOUISIANA We received the new LSU Alumni Magazine today, and I absolutely love it! You always do a good job, but this one is extra special. Looking at all of Jim’s pictures brought back so many memories. I know when almost all those pictures were taken and why they were taken.
Libby Paxton Retired editor, LSU Communications & University Relations I think that the latest LSU magazine was the best by far!
Jan Liuzza (1976 BACH BUS) Kenner, La. IN OHIO Hi, Barry, I want to let you know that I got a kick out of the Tiger Trivia column in the Spring 2015 LSU Alumni Magazine. Thomas Austin Kirby referenced in question 11 on page 53 is my father. I didn’t score highly on the quiz but enjoyed it. Interestingly, of the faculty listed in the question, I knew Professors Warren, Brooks, Howe, Russell, and, of course, Kirby! Keep up the good work,
Albert Kirby (1962 BACH H&SS, 1963 MAST H&SS) Cleveland, Ohio
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AND AT LSU To the editor, This year marks my thirty-fifth anniversary as a professor at LSU. It is also a year in which I have passed a significant chronological marker and am a one-year cancer survivor (may the people at Mary Bird Perkins be blessed). The concurrence of these events leads me to express my thanks to the people of the state of Louisiana for affording me the privilege of teaching their children. For all of the gloom and doom scenarios that might very much have to be confronted by the University, I know that I can assure our students and their families that the teachers in the classroom will continue their dedicated service as they have through hard times in the past. Like many faculty members, there are issues with LSU’s administration with which I have been concerned. These would include the ever-increasing cost of higher education that threatens the principle of accessibility upon which a land-grant college is dedicated. One also wishes that there were greater parity between athletics and academics. Certainly, our students could benefit from a more rigorous preparatory education, while I realize the difficulties that most school districts have in honorably maintaining standards. As is demanded at a Research One university, LSU faculty members are typically engaged in scholarly and scientific projects that are not always highly visible. Yet, it is this oftenunheralded labor that supports LSU in maintaining its place among the top-tier
of American universities. There is also an incredible amount of service provided by the faculty in advising students, managing the business of their departments, and promoting LSU’s visibility through participation in professional conferences. These three activities – teaching, research, and service – constitute the touchstones of an intellectual career. Many of these contributions are not readily evident but are each critically important for LSU’s continued success. With what experience I have with the habits of my colleagues, these standards will be conscientiously observed. There is no doubt in my mind that the faculty give 100 percent of their time teaching, as they do 100 percent of their time in research and service. When I had to take my first sick leave for a grueling (but at least for now successful) radiation and chemotherapy treatment, I did have cause to reflect on these thity-five years at LSU. There is no question that the University has provided me, and so many other faculty, with the opportunity to live the life of the mind. As we would all acknowledge the support provided by parents and mentors, there is something incredibly blessed in what has been afforded to us as professors. We have been supported and encouraged in pursuing the hallowed trinity of this examined life. How does one express proper gratitude to the people of Louisiana for allowing someone like myself to have such a privileged life? A life that can be realized through reading books, teaching about books, and writing books. The response, if put too simply, is thank you.
Kevin V. Mulcahy Sheldon Beychok Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Public Administration Membership Awardee, ATLAS Association for Louisiana Artists and Scholars (2008) Executive Editor, Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society (1997 – Present) Fulbright Distinguished Chair in American Studies, Budapest (2002-2003) Fulbright Senior Specialist, Transylvania, Romania (2009) Member, Fulbright Specialist Review Committee (2010-2011) Professeur Invité, Institut d’Etudes Politique de Strasbourg (2011 and 2013)
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LSU Alumni Association
NEWS
Dr. Fred Gillis “Gil” Rew Chair Mansfield, La. Gil Rew, a dentist in private practice, has since 2005 been an assistant adjunct clinical professor at the LSU School of Dentistry as a preceptor. He majored in zoology at LSU and graduated from the LSU School of Dentistry in 1978. Jan K. Liuzza Chair-Elect Kenner, La. Jan Liuzza is business manager of Elmwood Dental Center. She graduated from LSU in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Dr. Jack A. Andonie Immediate Past Chair Metairie, La. A retired obstetrician/ gynecologist, Jack Andonie graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1958 and from the LSU School of Medicine in 1962. Lodwrick M. “Lod” Cook Director Emeritus Sherman Oaks, Calf. Lod Cook, former chairman and chief executive officer of ARCO and co-founder and former vice chairman of Global Crossing, received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1950 and a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering in 1955. He also earned an M.B.A. at Southern Methodist University. He is co-founder and chairman of NeuroSigma, a life sciences company focused on the development of bioelectronics products used in innovative medical research.
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LSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors Stan Williams National Fund Chair Member, The Cook Hotel Board of Managers Fort Worth, Texas Stan Williams attended LSU from 1983 to 1986 before enrolling in pharmacy school at the University of Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1989. He is vice president of U.S. sales at Acist Medical Systems. Jon D. “Jay” Babb District 1 Vice Chair, The Cook Hotel Board of Managers Baton Rouge, La. Jay Babb is managing member of Exec•U•Store, a provider of records management solutions, with offices in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from LSU in 1980. Ted A. Martin District 1 Baton Rouge, La. Ted Martin is president of Floating Island Environmental Solutions, manufacturer of Biohaven Floating Islands, a manmade ecosystem that mimics naturally occurring wetlands. He graduated from LSU in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite District 2 New Orleans, La. Mary Lou Applewhite is a retired dermatologist and former staff member at East Jefferson General Hospital and Lakeside Hospital. She received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and zoology in 1951 and earned an M.D. from the LSU School of Medicine in 1955.
Carl J. Streva District 3 Morgan City, La. Carl Streva is vice president of Streva Distributing Company, a wholesale beer firm. He graduated from LSU in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Richard C. “Ricky” Oustalet District 4 Jennings, La. Ricky Oustalet, a 1971 LSU general studies graduate, is president and general manager of Bubba Oustalet Ford-Lincoln-Mercury-Toyota, Inc. Susan K. Whitelaw District 5 Shreveport, La. Susan Whitelaw, a partner in Whitelaw, Rice & Green CPAs in Shreveport, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from LSU in 1971 and completed work in accounting at LSU Shreveport, after which she earned CPA designation. She is actively involved in the Caddo-Bossier Alumni Chapter, for which she has served as treasurer for several years, as well as in other civic organizations. Randy Ewing District 6 Ruston, La. Randy Ewing, president of Ewing Timber in Quitman, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from LSU in 1966. He served as a state senator representing the 35th District from 1988 to 2000 and was senate president during his last term from 1996 to 2000. Ewing was inducted into the E.J. Ourso College of Business Hall of Distinction in 1999.
Karen Brack At-Large San Diego, Calif. Karen Brack, an airborne electronic hardware engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at LSU in 1984 and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of California-Irvine in 1988. Stephen T. “Steve” Brown At-Large Sherman Oaks, Calif. Steve Brown graduated from LSU in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Since 1990 he has held various leadership and management positions with Sundyne LLC. He joined the SoCal Alumni Chapter in Los Angeles in 1985
and served as president in 1996-97. An active member of the organization, he received Chapter Service Awards in 1993 and 2000. Dr. Carney A. “Buddy” Brice At-Large Biloxi, Miss. Buddy Brice, a board certified pediatric dentist at the Pediatric Dental Clinic in Biloxi, earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from LSU in 1974 and a D.D.S from the LSU School of Dentistry in 1978. He completed postgraduate work in pediatric dentistry at the LSU School of Dentistry in 1980 and opened his dental clinic that same year.
Gregory J. “Gregg” Cordaro At-Large Baton Rouge, La. Gregory Cordaro is a partner with Berkadia, the U.S. leader in apartment sales and financing with over $17 billion in 2014, and was recently named “Louisiana Real Estate Broker of the Year” by the United States Chamber of Commerce. He graduated from LSU in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in business finance. Kathy Fives At-Large Las Vegas, Nev. Kathy Fives, a founding member and president of the Las Vegas Alumni Chapter, earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from LSU in 1980. She is a business
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LSU Alumni Association News
management consultant and has held both field and management positions. Leo Hamilton At-Large Baton Rouge, La. Leo Hamilton, a partner in the law firm Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, is a 1973 graduate of LSU and a 1977 graduate of the LSU Law School. A charter member of the A.P. Tureaud, Sr. Black Alumni Chapter established in 1989, he served as the first vice-president and president-elect and helped establish the chapter’s first endowed scholarship. Ronald M. Johnson At-Large Baton Rouge, La. Ron Johnson, community liaison for East Baton Rouge Parish Acceleration Academy, earned a bachelor’s degree in music
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LSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors education in 1972, a master’s in educational media in 1974, and a specialist in educational media in 1976, all from LSU. Dr. Louis R. Minsky At-Large Baton Rouge, La. Louis Minsky, a practicing family physician, received his bachelor’s degree in microbiology from LSU in 1981 and earned his M.D. from the LSU School of Medicine in 1985. He is chief deputy coroner of East Baton Rouge Parish and EBR Parish Medical Officer with the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security. Beverly Shea At-Large New Iberia, La. Beverly Shea holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human
ecology from LSU. A community volunteer, she currently serves on the Shadows-on-the-Teche Council and the Parish Foundation. She and her husband, Jerry, are major University benefactors and have received the Purple & Gold Award for philanthropic support of the Association. John T. Shelton, Jr. At-Large Member, The Cook Hotel Board of Managers Houston, Texas John Shelton is the retired vice chairman, executive vice president, director and chief operating officer of Texas Olefins Company and its petrochemical subsidiary, Texas Petrochemical Corporation. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from LSU in 1953.
The Cook Hotel Board of Managers Michael Valentino Chair New Orleans, La. Michael Valentino, managing partner of French Quarter Hotels, graduated from LSU in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In 2009 he was named to the New Orleans Hospitality Strategic Task Force. Jon D. “Jay” Babb Vice Chair Baton Rouge, La. Jay Babb is managing member of Exec•U•Store, a provider of records management solutions, with offices in Baton Rouge and Lafayette. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from LSU in 1980. Sam Friedman Chair Emeritus Natchitoches, La. Sam Friedman, president of Dimension Development Company, a hospitality management company, received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from LSU in 1958 and a J.D. from the LSU Law School in 1961. He served on the LSU Board of Supervisors from 1984 to 1990, serving one year as chairman. Calvin Braxton Natchitoches, La. Calvin Braxton, an Alumnus-By-Choice, is president and chief executive officer of Braxton Land Company, president of Natchitoches Ford Lincoln, and president of Winnfield Memorial Funeral Homes in Natchitoches and Winnfield, La.
James Moore III Monroe, La. James Moore III is regional director of operations at InterMountain Management, a hotel management company based in Monroe, La. He is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University. John T. Shelton, Jr. Member, The Cook Hotel Board of Managers Houston, Texas John Shelton is the retired vice chairman, executive vice president, director and chief operating officer of Texas Olefins Company and its petrochemical subsidiary, Texas Petrochemical Corporation. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from LSU in 1953. Stephen M. “Steve” Tope Baton Rouge, La. Stephen M. “Steve” Tope, an Alumnus-By-Choice, is an active member of the Greater Baton Rouge Alumni Chapter, and administrator for the Charles McClendon Foundation.
Ex Officio
Cliff Vannoy President & CEO
Mike Garner Treasurer
Claire McVea Secretary
Stan Williams Fort Worth, Texas Stan Williams attended LSU from 1983 to 1986 before enrolling in pharmacy school at the University of Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1989. He is vice president of U.S. sales at Acist Medical Systems.
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LSU Alumni Association News
Thank You Notes From Our Scholars, Present and Past When our scholarship recipients write notes of thanks to their donors, they also express their appreciation to the LSU Alumni Association. We are always delighted to hear from them and want to share a few of their sentiments with our readers. The “Your Alumni Dollars at Work” ad (page 13) is taken from Chancellor Alumni Scholar Cole Kirkpatrick’s letter. Here are a few more from 2014-2015 scholars. I would like to thank you for my Flagship Scholarship. This scholarship certainly played a large role in my decision to come to LSU, and I’m so excited for what the next four years have in store for me. I’m a mechanical engineering major, and after my time at LSU I plan to work in the automotive engineering industry. Thanks again. – William Breaux, Eva Keller Munson Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship. I would like to start by thanking you for funding my scholarship. I will take this opportunity to become the best I can be. I plan to graduate and start my own business. I will make sure your money does not go to waste. I will work harder than anyone to succeed. – Cole Ellwood, G. Williams Endowed Flagship Scholarship.
And, a note from an alumna: I am forever indebted to LSU for the education I received and for the Maud Ryder Scholarship awarded to me during my senior year. In an effort to pass it forward, I offer this small check in hopes that someone else may also find it easier to complete her education at LSU. Please include these funds in the Maud Ryder Scholarship fund in the LSU Alumni Association. – Eleanor Favrot Stevens (1971 BACH AGR) Editor’s note: As determined by the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships, the University’s top ten entering freshmen (resident and nonresident) are awarded the Chancellor’s Alumni Scholarship. Flagship Scholarships are awarded to students with an ACT score of 33 to 36 or an SAT (critical reading and math) score of 1440 to 1600, as well as a 3.0 cumulative computed, six-semester high school GPA.
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YOU R A LUM N I DOL L A R S AT WO R K
Cole Stevens Kirkpatrick Du Quoin, Illinois Civil Engineering Chancellor’s Alumni Scholar
I just finished my first year at LSU, and I love it! Without the generous scholarship funded in memory of Ola and Ruth Cain by Gordon A. Cain and Mary H. Cain, I would not have been able to attend. I am from a small town in Illinois, and knew I wanted attend college out of state. I visited LSU and fell in love; the campus is beautiful. Visiting pushed me toward this school, and it became number one on my list. I knew I could not attend without a large scholarship and was determined to get it. The Chancellor’s Alumni Scholarship gave me the opportunity to fulfill my wish. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I can honestly say I am now a Tiger for life! The civil engineering curriculum is challenging, and I am committed to succeeding in order to honor this scholarship. The financial generosity provided by the scholarship allows me to concentrate on my education and brings me one step closer to my goal. I hope that one day I will be able to help other students in the same way. To donate to or to endow a scholarship, visit www.lsualumni.org or call 1-888-RING-LSU
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LSU Alumni Association News
Chapter Events
Chapter President Will Lord with members Betsy McCraine, Bob McCraine, Clay Duarte, Janine Williams, Joe Williams, and Jan Cox.
Parents-to-be Renee and Nicholas Whitley stocked up on decorations for the baby’s room.
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The Carroll family of Coupland, Texas, shows off its winnings from the auction and raffle. From left, Nathan Carroll, a family friend, Charles Carroll, Gabrielle Carroll, and Shannon Carroll.
Austin Gumbeaux – More than seventy-five Tigers, including LSU Alumni Association staffers Jason Ramezan and B.J. Bellow along with LSU’s Houston-area recruiter Ashley Wright, attended the Austin chapter’s Gumbeaux Dinner on Feb. 21 at St. Edwards University. “We raised more than $3,700 during the live auction, which brings our total scholarship endowment to over $100,000,” writes chapter secretary Kathy Nugent-Arnold.
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LSU Alumni Association News
By Cherie Hager-Many
Mardi Gras in Las Vegas-LSU Style Members of the Sin City Tigers were hard at work for a Mardi Gras Celebration like no other. The Springs Preserve asked us to help, and we delivered! More than 2,700 people joined us – they had to close the gates due to overwhelming response! – on the beautiful Preserve’s grounds for music, parades, games, and food.
Clyde Fontenot, Brian Hager, Cherie Hager-Many, Paul May, Carolyn Streva, and Adam Causey.
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Sin City volunteers made more than 120 King Cakes, and 1,500-plus Beignets, not to mention ten gallons of café au lait – and we raised more than $4,000 in four hours. Vegas folks really like King Cakes and beignets, and we even considered the need for a disclaimer that we were not responsible for beignet addiction. We made the news – which made us very happy, in spite of the aching muscles. The Springs says they want us back next year, and they’ll open the whole park – 10,000-plus people. We’re going to need a bigger oven!
CONGRATULATIONS
NEWTON B. THOMAS LSU ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOYALTY AND DEDICATION TO THE COMPANY AND ITS EMPLOYEES. CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS MOST DESERVING HONOR!
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LSU Alumni Association News
Tigers Tee Up for Golf Tourney
Photos by Luke Davis
The Tiger Athletic Foundation team, first place net winner, from left, Joe Carvalhido, Bartley Bourgeois, Abboud Thomas, and Brian Cohn.
The Taylor, Wellson, Politz & Duhe team, first place gross winner, from left, Scott Rainwater, Ryan Zumo, Chris Caswell, and Jeff Gautreau.
Twenty-two teams of golfers took part in the LSU Alumni Association Golf Tournament at University Club on March 17.
The Al Williams team, second place net winner, from left, Mike Barnett, Williams, Billy Watts, and Billy Sanders.
Prizes were awarded in first place gross and first, second, and third place net categories, with the Taylor, Wellson, Politz & Duhe team taking home the first place gross prize – The Suite Experience. Team members Scott Rainwater, Ryan Zumo, Chris Caswell, and Jeff Gautreau will each receive a stay at The Cook Hotel and tickets to the first home football game as guests in the Association’s Tiger Stadium Suite. Other winning teams were the Tiger Athletic Foundation, first place net; the Al Williams team, second place net; and the L’Auberge team, third place net. Mike Mallet won closest to pin 8; Billy Watts, closest to the pin 5; Brian Davis, closest to the pin 13; Stan Barbier, closest to the pin 16; and Chase Bostick, long drive on 17.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! Suite Experience Sponsor The Cook Hotel Putting Contest Real Sports Fundraising Tee Box Sponsor Walk-Ons Hole-in-One Sponsor Gerry Lane Golf Ball Box Sponsor DSLD Homes Food Sponsors Unique Cuisine, Doe’s Eat Place, Walk-Ons Beverage Sponsors Mockler Beverage, Baton Rouge Coca-Cola, The Cook Hotel Sign Sponsor Action Advertising & Flags The L’Auberge team, third place net winner, from left, Josh Pope, Cody Simon, Ryan Hernandez, and Michael Nelms.
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Special Thanks Practical Promotions, Community Coffee, Terry Ginn, Liberty Mutual, Raising Cane’s, Shep Platt DDS & Dustin Kidder DDS Family Dentistry, Hollywood Casino, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dennis Denicola, 104.5 & 104.9 ESPN Baton Rouge
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thomas, jones highlight
2015 HALL OF DISTINCTION ewtron Group founder, owner and CEO Newton Thomas and track Olympian Lori S. "Lolo” Jones, of Prairieville, La., highlighted the roster of distinguished alumni named to the 2015 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction. Thomas, Alumnus of the Year, and Jones, Young Alumna of the Year, along with four other distinguished alumni were inducted on March 27 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. The Hall of Distinction recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves and LSU through their careers, personal and civic accomplishments, volunteer activities and loyalty to their alma mater. The designations are the highest honor awarded to a graduate of LSU. Also inducted were J. Patrick Mulhearn, executive director of Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge; J. Tinsley Oden, vice president of research at the University of Texas at Austin; David M. Suarez, president of the Atlantic Company of America, of Washington, D.C.; and Herb Vincent, SEC associate commissioner of communications, of Birmingham, Ala. As part of the recognition of these exceptional alumni, six virtuosos – exceptional future alumni of the School of Music – honored the inductees with musical tributes. Honoring J. Patrick Mulhearn was doctoral student Arisia Gilmore, of Denver, Colo., playing the French horn; J. Tinsley Oden – undergraduate Mary Katherine Schober, of Sibley, La., piano; David Moore Suarez – undergraduate Wilbert Gilley, of Louisville, Ky., clarinet; Herb Vincent – doctoral student Shelby Lewis, of Nashville, Tenn., trumpet; Lolo Jones – master’s degree candidate Erin O’Shea, of Marietta, Ga., flute; and Newton B. Thomas – master’s degree candidate Ariana Douglas, of Appleton, Wisconsin, soprano.
Honorees’ photos by Jim Zietz • Family and guest photos by Johnny Gordan Thanks to Our Sponsors: Faulk & Winkler • Unique Cuisine • Community Coffee • Rickey Heroman’s From top, this page: Lolo Jones and mom Lori Counter-Jones; Sarah, Owen, Patrick, and Jack Mulhearn; Newton Thomas and soprano Ariana Douglas. Next page, left to right from top: Herb Vincent, center, with brother-in-law and sister Gary and Gail Adams, wife Jamey, daughter Kennedy, parents Margaret and Herb Vincent, Sr., niece Kristin McKinley, and sister and brother-in-law Susan and Rick McKinley; J. Tinsley Oden, center, with son John Walker Oden, wife Barbara, and daughter and son-in-law, Lee and Nick Hazel; Newton Thomas, center, with son-in-law and daughter Jim and Katherine Inzer, wife Betsy, and daughter and son-in-law Lindsey and Tom Easterly; David Suarez, center, with, sister Becky Hendry, sister Kimberly Brousseau, wife Susan, and sister Jackie Millican; Pianist Mary Katherine Schober and J. Tinsley Oden; Lolo Jones and flautist Erin O’Shea; French horn player Arisia Gilmore and J. Patrick Mulhearn; Herb Vincent and trumpet player Shelby Lewis ; and David Suarez and clarinet player Wilbert Gilley.
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The LSU Alumni Association annually recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves and the University through their careers, their personal and civic accomplishments, their volunteer activities, and their loyalty to their alma mater.
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alumnus of the year
Newton B. Thomas business executive, philanthropist
Newton B. Thomas graduated from University Lab School in 1962 and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from LSU in 1967. While a student, he played catcher for the LSU baseball team, was a cheerleader, and was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. Thomas began his career with Southern Instruments, an industrial controls contracting company, as an estimating engineer. From 1967 to 1971, he held the positions of chief estimator, vice president of estimating and construction, and general manager, and he was promoted to president in 1971. In 1973, with two fellow LSU electrical engineering graduates, Thomas formed what is now the Newtron Group (NGI), one of the country’s largest privately owned specialty industrial construction companies. Founded on “Core Values and Beliefs” developed by Thomas, NGI has grown to a $300-$450 million company employing between 1,500 and 3,000 people. This value system encouraged Thomas to foster a legacy by creating the Newton B. Thomas Support Foundation, which will ultimately own NGI, thus allowing the corporation’s profit sharing and charitable giving plans to be perpetuated. NGI has garnered numerous awards including Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s Large Private Company of the Year Award (twice, with the last given in 2012), the Louisiana Free Enterprise Company of the Year Award, and the first Baton Rouge Better Business Bureau Manship Ethics in Business Award. In 2012, ENR Magazine ranked NGI the seventh largest industrial electrical contractor in the country. Thomas was founding chairman of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the College of Engineering and a member of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Advisory Board. He was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction in 1994. He serves on the Board of Trustees and is past chairman of AMIkids of Baton Rouge, a non-profit rehabilitation program for adjudicated youth in the juvenile justice system, as well as past chairman of AMIkids National Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. For his work with youth, Thomas received President Bush's 1000 Points of Light award. Thomas and his wife, the former Betsy Reich, have two daughters, Katherine and Lindsey. Katherine and husband Jim Inzer have three children, Harper, James, and Thomas. Lindsey and husband Tom Easterly have three children, twins Benjamin and Sydney, and Madeline.
“I credit LSU for the broad-based education that has enabled me to pursue my lifetime career goals and create lifelong friends. The varied life experiences at LSU have encouraged and enabled me to attain and have a diverse and fulfilling life.”
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young alumna of the year
Lolo Jones olympian
Lolo Jones, an American track-and-field and bobsled athlete, graduated from LSU in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, the three-time Olympian, three-time world champion, and American record holder overcame incredible odds, coming from a childhood of homelessness to competing as an Olympian on three separate occasions, with the fourth in mind around the corner in Summer 2016. While at LSU, Jones won three NCAA titles and garnered eleven AllAmerican honors. She specializes in the 60- and 100-meter hurdles and more recently competed as a brakeman on the U.S. national bobsled team. She won indoor national titles in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in the 60-meter hurdles, with gold medals at the World Indoor Championship in 2008 and 2010. She was favored to win the 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but tripped on the penultimate hurdle, finishing in seventh place. She went on to win silver at the 2008 World Athletics Final. Jones is the American record holder in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.72. She won a gold medal in the mixed team event at the 2013 World Championships, and she represented the U.S. at the 2014 Winter Olympics, making her one of the few athletes who have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Through her organization, the Lolo Jones Foundation, the Olympian strives to empower and inspire individuals who face serious socioeconomic hardships to realize their full potential through engaging community programs and initiatives. She focuses primarily on single mothers, families of incarcerated loved ones, poverty stricken communities, and youth. The Lolo Jones Foundation uses education as a tool against poverty to encourage others to live a life full of purpose despite hardships and/or setbacks Lolo Jones is, indeed, a world-class athlete, as well as a world-class individual – one committed to giving back and inspiring those who are walking in the rough places she once walked to pursue their dreams and never give up.
“LSU provided a great foundation for my Olympic career. I wouldn’t be an Olympic athlete without the LSU track team. Coach Dennis Shaver encouraged me to dig in, and that’s exactly when my dreams started coming true.” LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
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J. Patrick Mulhearn film industry executive
J. Patrick Mulhearn, executive director of Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge, earned two degrees from LSU, a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1997 and a master’s degree in liberal arts in 2000. Originally from Natchez, Miss., Mulhearn started out in film studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder then transferred to LSU in 1994. Mulhearn, founder and past president of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association, has headed the operations of the Celtic Media Centre since September 2009. He was previously assistant director of film and television for the state of Louisiana having joined Louisiana Economic Development (LED) in 2006. He began his career working as an advertising copywriter at the Weill Agency in Baton Rouge, then served as marketing producer at WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge and at WWL-TV in New Orleans. His work on WWL-TV’s “Spirit of Louisiana” campaign earned him a Regional Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Today, Mulhearn runs the first and largest design-built studio facility operating in the Gulf South. Celtic Studios has hosted numerous productions including Sony’s Battle: Los Angeles, NBC Universal’s Battleship and Oblivion, Summit’s Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn, and 20th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four. Mulhearn was selected as one of the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s 2009 “Forty Under 40,” one of “2010’s People to Watch,” and “2013’s Top 25 Local Twitter Accounts to Follow” by 225 Magazine. He was listed on the “Silicon Bayou 100” in both 2012 and 2013, and in 2014 was appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal to the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross Capital Area Chapter. Mulhearn and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Jack, nine, and Owen, five. The family resides in Brusly, La.
“The decision to get my degrees from LSU literally defined my life. The degrees certainly prepared me for my career. But the University introduced me to the people and the culture of South Louisiana, and that has made all of the difference in my world. I met my future wife on an LSU Abroad trip to London. We made it a point to get married outside of LSU football season. I thanked the good Lord that our kids were not born on a game day. My love for Baton Rouge and the Tigers compelled me to dedicate my life to creating jobs and new opportunities for everyone else who loves it here as much as I do. I am proud to know that, when I leave this world, I will leave it as an LSU Tiger. Forever LSU.”
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J. Tinsley Oden
engineer, educator, administrator J. Tinsley Oden, associate vice president for research at the University of Texas at Austin, earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from LSU in 1959. He earned a master’s degree in civil engineering and a Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from Oklahoma State University, and he has been awarded six honorary doctorates. The founding director of the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, Oden holds the Cockrell Family Regents Chair in Engineering #2 and the Peter O’Donnell, Jr. Chair in Computer Systems. He is a professor of aerospace engineering, engineering mechanics, mathematics, and computer science. The author of more than 600 scientific publications – books, book chapters, conference papers, and monographs – he is on the editorial boards of twenty-nine journals, and serves on numerous organizational, scientific, and advisory committees for international conferences and symposiums. Oden is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He is a Fellow of seven international scientific/technical societies: IACM, AAM, ASME, ASCE, SES, SIAM, and BMIA. He is a Fellow, founding member, and first president of the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics and a Fellow, founding member, and past president of the International Association for Computational Mechanics. He is a Fellow and past president of both the American Academy of Mechanics and the Society of Engineering Science. He has received numerous prestigious awards for his work. In 2012, the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics established the J. Tinsley Oden Medal to recognize “outstanding and sustained contribution to computational science, engineering, and mathematics.” Most recently, Oden was honored in Japan as the 2013 Laureate for the Honda Foundation Prize for his role in establishing the field of computational mechanics. Oden is a member of the LSU Alumni Association and a generous supporter of the LSU College of Engineering, and he maintains an active research connection with University faculty. He was named to the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction in 1988. Oden and his wife, Barbara Clare, have two children, Lee and Walker.
“LSU holds a special warm place in my heart – when I began on a road to adulthood, scholarship, science, engineering, new friends, and new surroundings that forever changed my life.”
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David Moore Suarez architect, preservationist
David Moore Suarez, president and chief executive officer of the Atlantic Company of America, Inc., in Washington, D.C., graduated from LSU in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. While pursuing his degree, he attended LSU’s program at the University of London at Goldsmith where he studied architecture history throughout Great Britain and in Rome and Paris. Suarez has more than thirty years of experience specializing in the stabilization, restoration, and preservation of historic buildings and structures. Before establishing the Atlantic Company in 1989, he was president of Landmark East, Inc., with offices in Dallas and Washington, D.C. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), International Concrete Repair Institute, and National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Atlantic Company of America is one of the nation's pre-eminent historic restoration firms, with a National Register portfolio of accomplishments including such notable projects as the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and National Gallery of Art, the U.S. Treasury Building and Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Constitution Hall, the National Archives Building, headquarters for the National Geographic Society, the U.S. Department of State Headquarters, Woodlawn Plantation at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Suarez received ABC’s first place Eagle Award in national competition for Excellence in Construction for the Stabilization and Preservation of the Washington Monument. He credits his company’s success to a dedicated team of restoration specialists whose technical expertise and discipline is matched by their energy, enthusiasm, and vision. He maintains close ties with LSU, acting as an ambassador for the University in his professional and social interactions, encouraging students to explore opportunities at the University, and highlighting the accomplishments of other LSU graduates with whom he is associated. He was chosen for the LSU “Only One” 2009 alumni campaign. Suarez and his wife, Susan, have a son, sixteen-month-old Davidson Hays.
“The spirit and culture of LSU runs deep in my family and has always been at the core of my heart and soul. My LSU upbringing, experience as an architecture student, and many successful years of a professional career are all reminders of just how much my life has been enriched by LSU. Quite simply, LSU is in my DNA.”
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Herb Vincent
sports communicator, author
Herb Vincent, associate commissioner for communications for the Southeastern Conference, graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1983. Before joining the SEC, Vincent held the dual position of associate vice chancellor for communications and university relations and senior associate athletic director. He was, during his career at LSU, associate athletic director for external affairs, associate athletic director for communications, sports information director, and assistant sports information director. He left LSU for a brief time for a stint with College Sports Southeast in Birmingham, Ala. After graduating from LSU, Vincent began his career in sports media with the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League and also worked for the Los Angeles Express of the USFL, the University of Southwestern Louisiana Athletic Department, and the SEC. Vincent’s long association with LSU and LSU sports began in 1979, his freshman year, and over the years he worked with five athletic directors and seven football coaches. His knowledge and expertise – and his passion for his alma mater – is revealed in the book LSU Football Vault: The History of the Fighting Tigers (College Vault). He assisted in developing the movie Ole War Skule: Stories of LSU Football and was instrumental in bringing the highly successful and popular Bayou Country Superfest to Tiger Stadium. Under his direction, the Office of Communications and University Relations originated the “Love Purple, Live Gold” campaign, which resulted in the largest and most diverse recruiting class in LSU history. Vincent is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America, from which he has received a 25-Year Award and awards for numerous publications. Vincent and his wife, Jamey, have a daughter, nineyear-old Kennedy – a future Tiger. The family resides in Vestavia, Ala.
“LSU provided the foundation for everything that came after my college experience. LSU gave me a passion for my profession, an appreciation for friendship, a thirst for greater knowledge, and gratitude for life. To be an LSU graduate means something special and something deep that can only be understood by fellow alumni.” LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
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Founded in 1897 LARGEST, OLDEST AND MOST SELECTIVE ALL-DISCIPLINE HONOR SOCIETY
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS
have achieved distinction
REACHING OUT
involved in the society writer
John Grisham ELITE STUDENTS
President
Jimmy Carter
MEMBERSHIP IN PHI KAPPA PHI IS BY INVITATION ONLY.
HONOR SOCIETY NASA ASTRONAUT
PHI KAPPA PHI A Community for Scholarship and Service
WENDY Netscape founder
James Barksdale PROGRAMS
BY REBECCA DOCTER PHOTOS BY SARAH BROWN
ADULT LITERACY ADVOCATES OF GREATER BATON ROUGE
GEAUX
BIG BATON ROUGE
storied history, with notable alumni
A DOZEN AWARDS, RANGING FROM $250 TO $1,000
amazing company
community outreach initiatives active members WHO STEPS UP
1,000
CHAPTER OF MADE EXCELLENCE GREAT AWARD STRIDES 28 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
HILE THE HONOR SOCIETY PHI KAPPA PHI has a storied history, with notable alumni ranging from Hillary Clinton to writer John Grisham, the LSU chapter has seen a few rough patches. Richard Vlosky, director of Louisiana Forest Products Development Center and Crosby Land & Resources Endowed Professor of Forest Sector Business Development in the LSU AgCenter, is president of LSU’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter. He was active before he was named president, serving first as a member and then as a vice president. According to Vlosky, the chapter had dwindling membership and “was just sort of floating along” before he assumed the presidency. After taking over, he made it his goal to turn things around. He has spent his years as president trying to spread awareness and develop programs of value that will make students want to join. Under his leadership, the group has grown and now boasts close to 1,000 active members.
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Left: LSU Board of Supervisors Chair Ann Duplessis, center with LSU Chapter Phi Kappa Phi officers, from left, President Richard Vlosky, Executive Secretary Regina Leingang, Treasurer Julia Ledet, and Vice President Michael Keller. Center: Phi Kappa Phi Executive Director Mary Todd. Right: LSU Phi Kappa Phi members volunteer at the Geaux BIG Baton Rouge day of service project.
EMBERSHIP IN PHI KAPPA PHI
is by invitation only. Juniors in the top 7.5 percent of their classes, and seniors and graduate students in the top 10 percent of their classes, as well as faculty and staff who “have achieved distinction” are qualified. Phi Kappa Phi members are eligible for a host of scholarships and awards, including fellowships, love-of-learning grants, scholar and artist awards, study abroad grants and literacy grants, in addition to many corporatepartner discounts at places such as Apple and Bank of America. The LSU chapter is led by faculty, instructors, and members of the community who serve as officers and – since Vlosky became president – by student vicepresidents. Each semester, an invitation is sent to student members, requesting that they consider becoming a vice-president. “Eight to ten students are selected each year,” Vlosky said, “It’s just a matter of who steps up.” Madaline King and Jonathan Aker, both seniors in political science, are serving in that role this year. “It’s a really elite group of students, so you’re in amazing company,” King said. Aker said he accepted the organization’s invitation because he knew Vlosky prior to joining, and King explained that she had heard of the society’s merit. “Sometimes I think there’s a perception among students that these honors organizations are a dime a dozen, kind of meaningless in a way,” Aker said. “I think we really try our best to give out lots of scholarships, and that we’re making a big effort, at least this semester, reaching out, doing a lot of community service projects. “We don’t want them [members] to sign up and forget about us.” In February, the chapter held its spring induction and awards ceremony at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. A dozen awards, ranging from $250 to $1,000, some of which were co-funded by the LSU Alumni Association, were handed out. Special guests at the event were Mary Todd, executive director of the Phi Kappa Phi National Office, and Ann Duplessis, chair of the LSU Board of Supervisors, who received an honorary medallion.
IT’S A REALLY ELITE GROUP OF STUDENTS, SO YOU’RE IN AMAZING COMPANY. ” 30 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
THE HONOR SOCIETY OF PHI KAPPA PHI FOUNDED IN 1897 and headquartered
Student vice presidents, from left, Emily Hodges, Deepthi De Silva, Clay Hyde, Stephanie Sharuga, Thu Nguyen, Davis Cowles, Madaline King, and Jonathan Aker.
Phi Kappa Phi takes part in a number of community outreach initiatives, all of which, according to Vlosky are student planned and driven. These events are important, he explained, “because Phi Kappa Phi values service as well as scholarship, and they also keep members involved in the society.” For the past three years, the chapter has conducted year-long book drives to benefit Teach for America. Student Vice President Thu Nguyen led the effort this year. In March the chapter partnered, for the fifth year, with Adult Literacy Advocates of Greater Baton Rouge, a group that provides adult education programs, for “An Evening with Great Authors.” This year’s event featured Baton Rouge resident Gary L. Stewart and Susan Mustafa, authors of the New York Times bestseller The Most Dangerous Animal of All, a book chronicling Stewart’s search for his father, who he claims is the Zodiac Killer. More than $6,000 in proceeds benefited the adult literacy organization. This year, for the first time, Phi Kappa Phi members were among the more than 1,300 volunteers participating in Geaux BIG Baton Rouge, a one-day service project involving LSU students and Baton Rouge residents working together in areas of need in the city. They worked at the Lutheran Cemetery, the second oldest cemetery in Baton Rouge. The site is home to more than 7,000 graves, some dating back to the late 1800s. “We all wanted to get involved in some way, and we were really hoping to do something that crosses both campus and community,” said King, “We thought that [Geaux BIG Baton Rouge] kind of involved both aspects, and it would be a lot of fun. It was a first-time experience for a lot of us.” The LSU chapter has made great strides during Vlosky’s tenure. Phi Kappa Phi annually recognizes chapters that demonstrate outstanding community service and promote academic excellence with a Chapter of Excellence Award. Phi Kappa Phi at LSU has been recognized three times in the last five years, most recently in 2014. Rebecca Docter, a junior in the Manship School of Mass Communication, is co-managing editor of The Daily Reveille. ON THE WEB www.pkp.lsu.edu
in Baton Rouge, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society. The LSU Chapter, #043, was founded in 1930. Some of the organization’s more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, writer John Grisham, and Netscape founder James Barksdale. Membership in Phi Kappa Phi recognizes and rewards academic success. Equally important, the society provides its members access to exclusive resources and benefits designed to serve their academic and professional needs.
Isiah Lavender, Dottie Vaughn, and Kehui “Kevin” Xu.
AMONG THE FACULTY AWARDS presented at the Phi Kappa Phi Spring Induction & Awards program in March were four awards, valued at $1,000 each, co-funded by the LSU Alumni Association. Recognized with Non-Tenured Faculty awards were Bryan McCann, assistant professor of communication studies; Isiah Lavendar, assistant professor of English; and Kehui “Kevin” Xu, assistant professor of oceanography and coastal sciences. Dottie Vaughn, business calculus coordinator and senior instructor in mathematics, received the Outstanding Instructor Award.
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Around
Noteworthy
CAMPUS
Mark E. Boyer, head of the University of Arkansas Department of Landscape Architecture, will assume directorship of the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture in July. A registered landscape architect in Louisiana and Arkansas, Boyer received his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Kentucky after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force and his master’s degree from LSU. He also served as interim associate dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture at Arkansas and co-director of the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center, a university-wide center focused on developing teaching excellence. Mark E. Boyer
Paul Frick
Scott C. Hagen
Kam-biu Liu
Paul Frick, an international leader in the areas of conduct disorder, aggression, and other behavior problems in childhood and adolescence, has been named as the inaugural recipient of the Roy Crumpler Memorial Chair in Psychology. Most recently, Frick served as a University Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of New Orleans and professor in the Learning Sciences Institute of Australia at Australian Catholic University. He is the recipient of the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy 2015 Robert D. Hare Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor reserved for the most eminent scholars in his field. Scott C. Hagen was named the John P. Laborde Endowed Chair for Sea Grant Research and Technology Transfer. Hagen comes to LSU from the University of Central Florida, where he was a professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental & Construction Engineering for more than seventeen years. He received his doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Notre Dame and his bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Iowa. Hagen also will hold the rank of full professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering along with an appointment in the Center for Computation & Technology.
Suzanne Marchand
Kam-biu Liu, George W. Barineau III Professor and Chair of the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences and recipient of the Siu Lien Ling Wong Visiting Fellowship, returned to his alma mater, the Chung Chi College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, in February to give five guest talks and deliver the keynote address, “Climate Change and Hurricane Disasters: Past, Present and Future.” Liu was appointed by the U.S. National Research Council as a member of the U.S. National Committee for the International Union for Quaternary Research, and he received the LSU Rainmaker Award and the Distinguished Faculty Award. Suzanne Marchand, Boyd Professor of European Intellectual History, was awarded a 2015 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award recognizing excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. She will receive a $5,000 honorarium from the SEC and is LSU’s nominee for the 2015 SEC Professor of the Year Award. To be eligible for the SEC Faculty Achievement Award, a professor must be a teacher or scholar at an SEC university; have achieved the rank of full professor at an SEC university; have a record of extraordinary teaching and a record of scholarship that is recognized nationally and/or internationally.
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Greg Watson, undergraduate coordinator and associate professor for the Reich School of Architecture, was named 2014–2015 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Distinguished Professor. The award, among the highest Greg Watson honors an architectural educator can receive, recognizes sustained creative achievements in the advancement of architectural education through teaching, design, scholarship, research, or service. Watson teaches first-year architecture and landscape architecture Jiandi Zhang students fundamental design principles, and he leads studios and seminars focused on materials, visualization, and representation. Prior to joining the LSU faculty, Watson served on the faculty at Mississippi State University, University of New Mexico, University of Minnesota, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He holds the Nadine Carter Russell Chair in Design. Jiandi Zhang, professor of physics and astronomy, has been named a Fellow of the American Physical Society, recognizing his exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise, including outstanding physics research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics, or significant contributions to physics education. Zhang joined LSU as a full professor in 2009. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from the Nanjing University of Science and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Science, and his Ph.D. in physics from Syracuse University. He served on the faculty of Shanghai Jiao Tong University from 1986 to 1989 and served three years as a postdoctoral fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the University of Tennessee prior to joining the Florida International University as a faculty member in 1998.
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Noteworthy
Around Campus
Megan Papesh
James Matthew Fannin
Ed Shihadeh
Francisco Hung
Parampreet Singh
James Moroney
Faculty recognized with Rainmaker Awards for Research and Creative Activity were honored in March at a reception sponsored by the Office of Research & Economic Development and Campus Federal Credit Union. Rainmakers garner national and international recognition for their innovative research and creative scholarship while also competing for external funding at the highest levels and attracting and mentoring exceptional graduate students. The 2014 Rainmakers are Megan Papesh, Department of Psychology, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Emerging Scholar; Francisco Hung, Cain Department of Chemical Engineering and Center for Computation and Technology, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Emerging Scholar; James Matthew Fannin, Department of Agricultural Economics, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Mid-Career Scholar; Parampreet Singh, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Mid-Career Scholar; Ed Shihadeh, Department of Sociology, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Senior Scholar; James Moroney, Department of Biological Sciences, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Senior Scholar. The College of Humanities & Social Sciences and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center are partnering to launch a new 3+3 program this fall, allowing students to receive a bachelor’s and law degree in six years. Students who meet the Law Center’s entrance requirements can apply for admission upon entering their junior year. If accepted, they will be eligible to begin studying at the Law Center during their fourth year at LSU. During that time, all completed coursework will count toward the final year of the undergraduate degree, as well as the first year of the law degree. LSU has received one of the largest gifts in the University’s history – a $40 million planned gift that will benefit both LSU athletics and academics. This marks the largest planned gift ever made to LSU. The anonymous $40 million donation, given by an alumnus and lifelong supporter of LSU athletics, will provide $20 million to the Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF) with the intent of benefiting student-athlete scholarships and facilities and $20 million to the LSU Foundation in support of student scholarships in the LSU College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. LSU was recognized as a Tree Campus USA designee for the third year in a row by the Arbor Day Foundation. The program was created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. LSU achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus treecare plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning projects. LSU is one of only four Louisiana universities to earn the designation. LSU Press was honored by two award bodies in February, the PROSE Awards and the Association of American University Presses (AAUP). Both awards recognize not only the author’s manuscript but also the expertise of the publisher. LSU Press received honorable mentions in two categories from the highly competitive PROSE Awards, which focus on titles that demonstrate a “commitment to pioneering works of research and for contributing to the conception, production, and design of landmark works in their fields.” Out of a submission pool of 275 books and 325 jacket and cover designs, the AAUP Book, Jacket, and Journal Show selected 46 books and 32 jackets and covers. Of those chosen, LSU Press was awarded four honors for expertly designed covers.
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The New Cool
Around Campus
By Mimi LaValle Photo by Shane Stadler
“The ‘solid state’ cooling process is significantly more energy efficient than the conventional, compressed gas systems on the market today.”
Refrigeration and air conditioning may become more efficient and environmentally friendly thanks to the patent-pending work of LSU physicists. The team of researchers led by Shane Stadler, professor of physics, has discovered a breakthrough magnetocaloric material that may change the energy industry, including air conditioning and food refrigeration. “The world refrigeration market is expected to increase by about $7-8 billion by 2018,” Stadler said. Therefore, his breakthrough has a significant economic impact as well as an impact on the energy industry and environment. Stadler’s research focuses on the next generation of magnetic cooling technologies, which are simpler in design, quieter and more environmentally friendly than conventional, compressed-gas systems currently used. “LSU’s basic research into low temperature physics and materials science has potential applications in areas related to energy, electronics, and the environment,” said Michael L. Cherry, chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy. “Stadler’s magnetocaloric materials program is an example of this research that appears to be directly relevant to energy development and Louisiana’s economy. It also provides excellent training opportunities for Louisiana’s students.” In this new technology, a magnetic field orders the material at ambient temperature, which raises its temperature above ambient. The excess heat is removed through a thermal medium, such as water or air, bringing the material back to ambient temperature. The magnetic field is then removed, the material becomes magnetically disordered and its temperature drops below ambient temperature, leading to a cooling
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36 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
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TIGER TRIVIA 1. Which dormitory was the first to be constructed on the present campus? Louise Garig Hall East Stadium Dormitory The Pentagon Dormitories Acadian Hall 2. Who was considered the major influence behind the concept and construction of the French House? James F. Broussard Huey P. Long Troy H. Middleton James P. Cole 3. Who was the first alumnus to become president of LSU? David Boyd Thomas Boyd William Hatcher F. King Alexander 4. When did the Department of History’s Fleming Lectures begin? 1860 1877 1926 1937 Front to back, postdoctoral researcher Tapas Samanta, undergraduate Daniel Lepkowski, graduate student Ahmad Us Saleheen, and undergraduate Emily Kramer.
5. How old are the Indian Mounds? Approximately 50 years old Approximately 5000 years old
Approximately 500 years old No one knows
effect. This “solid state” cooling process is significantly more energy efficient than the conventional, compressed gas systems on the market today. “We’ve studied these systems for a long time, and were fortunate to discover a system in which a magnetic transition coincided in temperature with a structural transition,” Stadler said. “That this magnetostructural transition occurs near room temperature is what makes it a strong candidate for magnetocaloric cooling devices of the future.” Stadler’s team’s technological discovery is a promising alternative for refrigeration and air conditioning that can reduce the use of harmful gas fluorocarbons. “We are excited about the potential applications that are available for Stadler’s technology,” said Andrew Maas, assistant vice president for research and technology transfer and director of the LSU Office of Innovation and Technology Commercialization. “The Department of Energy, General Electric, and other companies around the world have been working with magnetocaloric materials for some time. Stadler’s solution addresses many of the issues that these big players have encountered.” A group of entrepreneurs has expressed interest in the advanced technology, and after further testing, will look into developing commercialization opportunities utilizing it for the heating and cooling industry.
6. When did the second series of The Southern Review begin? 1965 1980 1985 2005
Mimi LaValle is external relations manager in the Department of Physics & Astronomy.
12. What is LSU’s estimated economic impact on Louisiana? $400 million $750 million $2.5 billion $3.9 billion
7. According to the Official Register of the Louisiana State University for the 1872-73 session, how many hours per day were cadets allowed for recreation? 1 3 5 None, all of their efforts were to be devoted to study and recitation 8. Which is the first sorority founded on campus? Chi Omega Delta Delta Delta Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Delta 9. What is the approximate seating capacity of the Greek Theatre? 1200 2500 3300 4100 10. Where was LSU’s golf course before one was constructed on campus? Webb Park City Park Howell Park The Parade Ground 11. When was the School of Library and Information Science established? 1926 1931 1958 1981
Tiger Trivia is compiled by Barry Cowan, assistant archivist, Hill Memorial Library. Answers: 1:c, 2:a, 3:b, 4:d, 5:c, 6:a, 7:b, 8:d, 9:c, 10:a, 11:b, 12:d | Winter 2015 LSU LSUAlumni AlumniMagazine Magazine| Summer 2013
37
TEDxLSU
Around Campus
Campus, Community ‘Connect’ at Annual Event By Nicholas Roberts
TEDxLSU 2015, left to right, John Gray, Prosanta Chakrabarty, Brian Wolshon, Rashaud Red, Michael Hatfield, Kurt Ristroph, Owen Carmichael, Tracey Rizzuto, Maxine Crump, Cole Wiley, John Besh, and Karen McKee. Photo by Rebecca Stewart/Photo-Video Creative Team
Delaney McGuinness and Marie Comeaux prepare 14,000 feet of string for the TEDxLSU set. Photo by Chris Weimar/Set Design Creative Team
In February, 450 attendees filled LSU’s Shaver Theatre for the third annual TEDxLSU. “Connect” was the theme for this year’s event. TED, a nonprofit organization, operates under the slogan “ideas worth spreading.” Speakers from all walks of life give talks on subjects related to academia, culture, and science. Local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, wherein x refers to the fact that it is an independently organized event. LSU’s Communication across the Curriculum (CxC), whose mission is to support faculty in enhancing students’ written, oral, technological, and visual communication skills, developed and spearheads TEDxLSU. Since 2012, CxC has championed TEDxLSU to help students transition from classroom training to a setting in which their skills and experiences are applied to a product seen by the Greater Baton Rouge area. The event brings local, regional, and statewide communities together to increase dialogue about issues and generate ideas that will move the state of Louisiana forward. CxC Associate Director Rebecca Burdette and Student Development Coordinator Melissa Thompson co-organized the event.
“The TEDxLSU internship The Experience CxC upped the ante this year by instituting the TEDxLSU Creative Team – forty-eight gave students the opportunity LSU students representing multiple colleges and majors – tasked with high-stakes to expand their experience deliverables in planning and implementing the event’s creative aspects. Social Media, outside of their comfort zones Public Relations, and Writing Team managed the event’s social media accounts and outreach strategy, provided content for a wide range of publications, and developed a and their classrooms.” brand for TEDxLSU. The Set Design and Production Team designed and erected the main stage and exhibit area. The Graphic Design Team created TEDxLSU brands for campus signage, T-shirts, cups, and various promotional materials, as well as Lamar Advertising and Visit Baton Rouge billboards along I-10. The Photo-Video Team produced exhibitor videos, video teasers, and on-site photography at all TEDxLSU events during the six months that the Creative Team was in action. During the process, team members participated in various workshops with community members. Local food blogger Jay Ducote presented a workshop on building an audience via social media; Hunter Territo, creative director at Xdesign, led a session on building relationships and working with clients, and Mary Ellen Slayter, CEO and founder of Reputation Capital Media Services, facilitated a brand journalism and marketing workshop for students creating content for 225 Magazine. When asked how the six-month unpaid internship benefitted them, students said they appreciated the opportunity to expand their experience beyond their comfort zones, and their classrooms. “This has been a wonderful experience,” said Sakeenah Ashiru, a member of the writing team. “As a fashion/lifestyle blogger, this was an opportunity to try something different and write in a different style. With the
38 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
assistance of the CxC staff, I was able to generate quality content that I can definitely take with me for the rest of my life.” Lindy Shea, manager of the graphic project, shared those sentiments, explaining that TEDxLSU will help her in her field of engineering. “Being in project management has been very beneficial because, as an industrial engineering major, project management is a huge part of our development,” Shea said. “So, this has been a great experience.”
The Speakers TEDxLSU 2015 featured twelve speakers, five of whom were LSU alumni or future alumni. Tracey Rizzuto (1984 BACH H&SS), an associate professor in the School of Human Resource Education & Workforce Development and a researcher at Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) talked about the relevance of social networks in regard to crime. Rizzuto explained that through community partnerships and action, violent crime has decreased and will continue to do so. Wetland ecologist Karen McKee (1993 PHD SCI), scientist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey, used the issue of coastal erosion to highlight the theme, telling the audience how natural ecosystems across the world are affected by the sea level rise and subsidence. According to McKee, the changes in the ecosystem will affect human communities both near and away from the coast. Kurt Ristroph, an Honors College junior majoring in chemical engineering and classical civilizations, shared information about his experience with VOLUMEN (Volunteering Our Library’s Universal Materials for Educational Needs). The project connects the East Baton Rouge public library system with parish schools to promote literacy by providing students access to electronic books. Dialogue on Race Louisiana Executive Director Maxine Crump chose racism to discuss the theme. According to Crump, who studied office administration while enrolled at LSU, the path to ending racism is through dialogue – engaging your children, your friends, and the places you have influence in your own life. Software developer and artist Cole Wiley (2012 BACH A&D) used computer science and sculpture to give the audience insight into how unrelated aspects of their lives connect. Wiley cited his senior biweekly art review as a major “ah-ha” moment for him in connecting software development and art. Wiley works in New Orleans as a software developer, hacker, sculptor, and organizer of Makers of NO, a creativity meet-up.
Kelsey King is ready to welcome current and previous TEDxLSU speakers at the Healthcare Gallery. Photo by Laurel McGehee/Photo-Video Creative Team
Erik Scharff holds up “TEDxLSU” social media campaign letters. Photo by Kevin DeBennedetto/CxC Director of Operations
Nicholas Roberts, a first-year graduate student in the Manship School of Mass Communication, is studying strategic communication with a focus in advertising. ON THE WEB www.tedxlsu.com
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
39
Around Campus
In Focus
Wayne Gautier, Lorry Trotter, the Rev. Gerald Burns, Joy Bagur, and Freddie Martin. Photo by Mark Claesgens
Sherri LeBas, center, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development, with, from left, Terril Faul, Ken Paxton, Bill Brown, and Denver Loupe. Photo by Mark Claesgens
LSU Retirees – Sherri LeBas, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, spoke to members of the LSU Faculty & Staff Retirees Club during the group’s January meeting at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. In February, members learned about the new Water Campus from Tina Rance, director of marketing and special Ken Paxton, Patti Exner, Doreen Maxcy, Tina Rance, projects for Commercial Properties and Freddie Martin. Photo by Kan Cochran. Realty Trust. The campus is being developed in partnership with Louisiana and East Baton Rouge Parish governments, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Louisiana universities, and nonprofits. Later in the month, the group was treated to a private tour of Tiger Stadium and its facilities by Ronnie Haliburton, senior associate athletic director. In March, the Rev. Gerald Burns spoke about his passion for bird photography, and the group toured the Atchafalaya Swamp.
Science Hall of Distinction – The LSU College of Science held its eleventh annual Hall of Distinction ceremony on March 20 at the the Lod Cook Alumni Center. Inducted this year were renowned ornithologist and former director of the Museum of Natural Science John O’Neill, Professor Emeritus of Geology & Geophysics Arnold Bouma, represented by his wife, Leineke, Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences Meredith Blackwell, and Professor Emeritus of Physics & Astronomy Edward Zganjar. Photo by Rachel Saltzberg Front, from left, John O’Neill and Leineke Bouma; back, Meredith Blackwell and Edward Zganjar.
40 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
41
Around Campus
In Focus
Robert Stobaugh Endowed Alumni Professor of Physics Ravi Rau, left, and Physics & Astronomy Department Chair Mike Cherry, right, welcome physics and astronomy alums Robert Cross (2012 BACH SCI), Hannah Gardiner (2014 BACH SCI), and Christopher Peeler (2010 BACH SCI), to STEM Alumni Connect.
STEM Alumni Connect – The Office of Strategic Initiatives inaugural LSU STEM Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives, Boyd Professor, Philip W. West Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor Isiah Warner, far right, front row, with alumni at the inaugural STEM Alumni Connect.
Alumni Connect brought together the LSU community and alumni in the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines (STEM) who are pursuing doctorates and post-doctoral training at various universities across the country. The unique forum, held in February at the Lod Cook Alumni Center, provided an ideal setting for faculty recruitment and diversification opportunities. Since 2003, the LA-STEM Research Scholars and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professors programs have developed a strong and diverse contingent of LSU undergraduates who have gone on to pursue doctorates from outstanding institutions of higher education. Photos by Jim Zietz
42 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
Front row, from left, Jason Sharp, Frank Fontenot with mascot Luna, Nathaniel Duxbury, Garrett Yetman, and Brittany Haggett; back, Zachary David Oliver, Matthew Kinsey, Lukas Dretzka, Todd Dixon, Rachael Lindstrom, and Paul Clady.
Victorious – LSU Army ROTC cadets brought home the Commanders Challenge Banner from the 2015 Ranger Challenge in Camp Banding, Fla. The eleven-member Tiger Battalion team was one of fifty-seven teams representing the southeastern United States in the two-day competition. The challenge – a twenty-eight mile trek comprising eight obstacles – is a secret mission designed to enhance leadership development and test the team’s critical thinking and leadership abilities.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
43
Around Campus
In Focus
A.P. Tureaud, Jr., Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson, and portrait artist Ulrick Jean-Pierre.
Tureaud Portrait Unveiled – The LSU African American Cultural Center (AACC) and the A.P. Tureaud, Sr. Black Alumni Chapter paid tribute to Tureaud and his legacy with a portrait unveiling in Febraury. The featured speaker for the program was Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson of the Louisiana Supreme Court, and a special guest was portrait artist Ulrick Jean-Pierre, of New Orleans. Also taking part were President and Chancellor F. King Alexander, Vice Provost for Diversity Derek Rovaris, Sr., A.P. Tureaud, Jr, and Tureaud Chapter President Rachel Emanuel. Photo by Eddy Perez
2015 Hall of Distinction Inductees
Do you know an outstanding individual who
has made significant contributions to society and whose achievements have brought credit and distinction to LSU?
Nominations for 2016 Hall of Distinction inductees are now being accepted. For more information, please visit www.lsualumni.org or call (225) 578-3838.
44 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
45
Around Campus
In Focus
2015 Greek Excellence Award honorees gather at the 11th annual Greek Gala in March.
Greek Gala – Twenty-nine individuals were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in their communities, their professions, and their fraternity or sorority at the 11th annual Greek Excellence Gala on March 5. The gala, part of the Greek Excellence Program, celebrates the accomplishments of LSU Greek alumni and is a fundraising event for the LSU Greek community. Pictured, left to right front row, Mary McDonald Boston, Pi Beta Phi; Danielle Ford, Sigma Lambda Gamma; Christina Oatis Carter, Zeta Phi Beta; Patricia Simpson Merrick, Phi Mu; Dianne Worsham Rube, Zeta Tau Alpha; Kellie Michelli Barton, Delta Delta Delta; middle, James Parkerson Roy, Sigma Chi; George Bayhi, Kappa Alpha Order; James Lopez, Sigma Nu; Brent Norwood Caldwell, Kappa Kappa Gamma; Kathleen Dolese Gros, Delta Zeta; Frances Hochenedel Monroe, Chi Omega; Jennifer Norwood Artigue, Kappa Delta; Wayne Gauthier, Alpha Gamma Rho; Walter J. Leger III, Phi Gamma Delta; and back, Daniel Toro, Jr., Phi Iota Alpha; Michael Rolfsen, Theta Xi; Raymon Perkins, Phi Beta Sigma; Robert Bowlin, Pi Kappa Phi; Elizabeth Muenchinger Ferrell, Kappa Alpha Theta; William M. Golden, Jr., Phi Delta Theta; Glenn Arthur Weiss, Delta Chi; Ben Blanchard, Lambda Chi Alpha; Sammye Crawford, Alpha Phi. Photo provided by Greek Life
46 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
Shelter Medicine Grant – The School of Veterinary Medicine Shelter Medicine Program received a $300,000 grant from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) as part of the 24th annual Animal Care Expo held in New Orleans in March. The LSU program was established by a grant from the HSUS in 2007 to provide veterinary students with surgical and hands-on experience while also contributing to the needs of animal control facilities and animal shelters in underserved communities in Louisiana. The program has grown from having one faculty member and two students per U.S. Sen. David Vitter, Clinical Assistant Professor two-week block serving six shelters to Wendy Wolfson, School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Joel Baines, and Humane Society of the United States one faculty member, one fellow and an CEO Wayne Pacelle. average of four students per two-week block. Now, thirty shelters and four shelter programs at prisons receive assistance. The grant will provide funds for another full-time instructor for the program. Photo provided the School of Veterinary Medicine
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
47
Around Campus
In Focus HS&E Awards – The College of
Dean Damon Andrew, Alumna of Distinction Shirley Porter, Alumna of Distinction Mary Elizabeth Norckauer, and Distinguished Ambassador Brett Richard.
Human Sciences & Education paid tribute to its outstanding alumni and supporters on April 14 at Stadium Club South. Mary Elizabeth Norckauer (1945 BACH EDUC, 1949 MAST EDUC) and Shirley Porter (1977 MSW) received Alumna of Distinction awards, Brett Richard (2012 PHD HS&E) was recognized as Distinguished Ambassador, and AT&T received the Philanthropy Award for generous support of LSYOU. Faculty and staff honored were Jacqueline Bach, Distinguished Teaching; Kenny J. Fashing-Varner, Advocate for Diversity; Dora Ann Parrino, Outstanding Staff Service; Tracey E. Rizzuto, Engagement; Chad Seifried, Distinguished Research; Brian Soebbing, Early Career; and Melinda A. Solmon, Outstanding Faculty Service. Photo provided by College of Human Sciences & Education
48 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
49
Dominique Homberger Pursuing Diverse, ‘Especially Rich’ Research
Focus on
FACULTY By Johnny Gordon Photo by Johnny Gordon
Andrew Clinton Pereboom Professor of Ethology & Behavior Dominique Homberger.
“I pick and choose challenging and difficult projects because I can do it.”
Growing up in Switzerland, Dominique Homberger was told women didn’t become professors, but even from an early age she was showing signs of proving the social norm wrong. “As a child, I was nicknamed ‘professor’ simply because I like books, I like to think, and I like to teach,” Homberger said. Homberger, a professor of biological sciences, is the Andrew Clinton Pereboom Professor of Ethology & Behavior in the Honors College. She teaches courses at all levels, from introductory biology for non-majors, comparative anatomy, Honors College three-dimensional computer imaging, and evolution classes to advanced graduate courses and macroevolution seminars. Homberger joined the LSU faculty in 1979, and she said, “It was a good time . . . to arrive.” LSU wanted its faculty to do more research, and “I wanted to be one of the professors to do it.” Most of her research focuses on comparative anatomy – studying how structures function, how they are used, how they interact with their natural environment, and how they evolve. In her lab, she works with vertebrates such as sharks, alligators, birds, and humans. According to Homberger, many find her work challenging because her research projects are long term and focus on many different areas, among them the vocalization mechanism of songbirds, the evolution of birds from reptilian ancestors, and the functional anatomy of sharks. But, she said, that is what differentiates her research and makes it especially rich. “I feel like, at my level of professionalism, I should pick and choose challenging and difficult projects because I can do it, and I have the experience to do it,” she explains. Most of Homberger’s research is conducted with graduate students, many of whom aspire to be professors who teach, conduct research, and perform service. She trains them through her courses, as well as apprenticeships and dissertations. They are all expected to minor in veterinary anatomy so that they understand anatomy as well, she said. “Graduate students are interested in doing many different things,” Homberger said. “So my graduate students can be involved in different research. I mean, they have one project, but then they can see what the other students are doing and are able to compare alligators with human beings with birds, and so on.” Homberger has truly lived up to her nickname – “professor” – by constantly fulfilling her desire to learn more. She considers herself a “fundamental scientist who is intellectually curious,” and says she finds herself fortunate to be able to do the work she does each and every day. Meg Ryan, a sophomore in the Manship School of Mass Communication, is an entertainment writer at The Daily Reveille.
50 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
51
Locker
Jim Engster: Multi-Media Star
ROOM By Bud Johnson
Jim Engster, president of Louisiana Radio Network and Tiger Rag, is perhaps best known as host of the “Jim Engster Show.”
52 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
He gets paid for talking to famous personalities. Few people do it as well. And, sooner or later, he takes on a leadership role. He is Jim Engster, president of Louisiana Radio Network, president of Tiger Rag, president of the National Association of Statewide Radio Networks, and for five one-year terms, president of the Baton Rouge Press Club. Engster (1981 BACH MCOM) is best known as the host of the “Jim Engster Show.” In this assignment, he has interviewed such noteworthy newsmakers as journalist Carl Bernstein, California Governor Jerry Brown, Vice President Dick Cheney, former senator and presidential candidate Gary Hart, and nine Louisiana governors. His interest in a wide variety of topics, his tireless research, and his ability to secure interesting guests have earned him an impeccable reputation as a talk show host. A journalism graduate, Engster landed a job as sports director and news reporter for the Louisiana Radio Network in 1983. He became its president in 2010. In 1985, he began writing for Tiger Rag, known as “The Bible of LSU Sports.” When the opportunity presented itself in 2006, Engster became the general manager. He became president and publisher in 2010. As a sports editor of The Daily Reveille, he covered the 1981 Final Four in Philadelphia. He wrote a story about Bobby Knight’s fight with Louis Bonnecaze at the Cherry Hill Inn that was picked up by other media. “I was traveling with the LSU Alumni Association [then Federation] on that trip,” Engster recalled. “Somewhat surprising to Coach Knight, we were lodging at the same place several miles from Philadelphia. Knight purposely chose this location for his team to avoid distractions. He was angered by LSU fans yelling “Tiger Bait” every time they saw Indiana players. “Knight infamously shoved Bonnecaze into a trash can; cops converged with
guard dogs; Knight and Bonnecaze were ushered into a closed room. No charges were filed, and Indiana beat North Carolina for the championship in a game that ended well after midnight. President Reagan had been shot earlier in the day. There was discussion to not play the game, but the show went on at the Spectrum where LSU lost the last NCAA consolation game to Virginia, and Knight’s team won late into the night,” Engster necalled. Jim was named Communicator of the Year in 2008 by the Public Relations Association of Louisiana. He received the YWCA Racial Justice Award in Baton Rouge in 2011 and was inducted into the Manship School of Mass Communication Hall of Fame in 2012. He appears regularly as a political analyst on WAFBTV Channel 9 in Baton Rouge. Magazine contributor Bud Johnson recently caught up with Engster, and got him to share some highlights of the Jim Engster Show.
Who were some of your most famous guests in sports? “Olympic great Carl Lewis, baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, heavyweight champion Ken Norton, NCAA basketball’s winningest coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, professional football Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Y.A. Tittle, and Jim Taylor, in addition to LSU greats Billy Cannon and Bert Jones. “My other sports favorites include former LSU center John Ed Bradley, who has provided generations to come with words to capture the grandeur of Tiger Stadium in the second half of the 20th century and Dale Brown, who is the most quotable interviewee with whom I have shared a microphone.”
Who was one of your most memorable interviewees? “Immaculee Ilibagiza, 1994 Rwandan genocide survivor, who lived ninety-one days in a twelve-foot bathroom with seven other women as her mother, father, and two brothers were killed.”
What were some of the most surprising revelations from your guests?
How do you rate these nine Louisiana governors as interviewees?
“Donna Douglas and Max Baer of the Beverly Hillbillies, who appeared together and acknowledged that they had dated prior to being cast in the famous television program. Baer (Jethro) said a budding romance with Douglas (Elly May) was thwarted when she took him to church on their first date.”
“I rank them in this order: 1. John McKeithen. He had all the ingredients for a great interviewee: brilliance, confidence, candor, passion, humor, and anger. 2. Edwin Edwards. He could have been a comedian. 3. Buddy Roemer. As Tip O’Neil described him, ‘Often wrong, never in doubt.’ 4. David Treen. Surprisingly candid, he once advocated public executions. 5. Mike Foster. He actually liked taking calls from listeners. 6. Kathleen Blanco. She tried. 7. Bobby Jindal. Words without the music. 8. Jimmie Davis. Better singer than talker. 9. Bob Kennon. King of the monosyllabic responses.”
Who were some of your best interviewees in politics? “Carl Bernstein detailed the epic battle pitting the Washington Post against the White House in the Watergate story. California Governor Jerry Brown spoke of his transition from Jesuit seminarian to boyfriend of Linda Ronstadt and reputation as Governor Moonbeam in the seventies. Gary Hart ruefully observed that his foolish affair with Donna Rice may have changed history. Edwin Edwards, Larry King, and Jack Germond, all well into their eighties, provided humor and wisdom with their words but openly embraced their belief in no afterlife.”
Jim Engster, shown here with former LSU baseball star Todd Walker and LSU Alumni President Cliff Vannoy, interviews former Tiger greats at the Andonie Museum every fall. Photo by Ray Dry
The Jim Engster Show airs Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on WBRP-FM Talk 107.3 and on Louisiana stations statewide. Bud Johnson, director of the Andonie Sports Museum, is a former LSU Sports Information director and author of The Perfect Season: LSU’s Magic Year – 1958.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
53
Locker Room
Hoops Homecoming – A recent gathering of former LSU basketball players from the Maravich Era attracted former players and friends, including Tiger forward Danny Hester. Hester was a member of the 1969-70 Tiger team that finished second in the SEC behind champion Kentucky, and played in the NIT in Madison Square Garden. Also on hand were Greg Bernbrock, a former LSU assistant basketball coach, team pilot Buddy Hair, and ex-SID Bud Johnson, who compared memories of the basketball Tigers trip to the NIT at Madison Square Garden in 1970. The Tigers made it to the NIT’s Final Four that year. Photos by Danny Brown
Greg Bernbrock, Buddy Hair, and Bud Johnson.
Former Tiger forward Danny Hester and his wife, Jan.
54 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
Maravich Era players, from left, Danny Brown, Ralph Jukkola, Jeff Tribbett, former assistant coach Greg Bernbrock, Rich Hickman, and Randy Lamont.
Spring Football Conversation – LSU’s spring football game showcased bruising running backs like Leonard Fournette and Darrell Williams, gifted receiver Malachi Dupre, and the on-going battle at quarterback between junior Anthony Jennings and sophomore Brandon Harris. The White team defeated the Purples, 45-6 in the game, but it was the individual performances that captured the fancy of the fans. Overheard in the parking lot: Fournette is a favorite to capture national honors. Dupre may be the Tigers’ most talented target since Odell Beckham, Jr. And maybe, just maybe . . . LSU will play two quarterbacks this season. Photos by Stephen Franz
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2015
55
Tiger
NATION
1950s
Tommy Robinson (1959 BACH H&SS, 1963 MD), of Alexandria, La., was inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in March. He is the son of legendary LSU tennis coach Dub Robinson, who was inducted in 1986. With Tommy’s induction, the two become the first father-son inductees into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame. Tommy Robinson went undefeated in SEC competition in 1958, winning the No. 2 singles championship in the SEC tournament. In 1959, he teamed up with his brother, Johnny, to win the No. 2 doubles championship in the SEC tournament. After graduating from medical school, Robinson completed his internship and flight training in the U.S. Air Force. He Degrees BACH MAST PHD SPEC DVM JD MD DDS
Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree Doctorate Specialist Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Juris Doctorate (LSU Law School) Medical Doctor (LSU School of Medicine) 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
served as a flight surgeon in Vietnam and was both the Air Training Command and Military Airlift Command tennis champion. He played on the USAF tennis team at the All-Service tennis tournaments. Upon leaving the Air Force, Robinson completed his ophthalmology residence in New Orleans. He retired from practice after thirty-five years. He has been traveling to Mexico on eye mission surgery trips four or five times a year for more than thirty-seven years and has provided 15,000 eye surgeries. Photo by Bob Tompkins/The Town Talk
1960s
Alden L. Andre (1961 BACH HS&E) has been named chair of the Board of Trustees of Our Lady of the Lake College. He has served on the board since 2010. During his fifty-year career in plastics manufacturing, Andre held various managerial positions at the Baton Rouge Formosa Plastics Corporation and established two sister company plant sites in Pointe Coupee Parish. He has served on numerous boards, among them the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Chemical Association, and Capital Area United Way. Ezra A. “Bud” Brown (1967 MAST H&SS, 1969 PHD H&SS), Alumni Distinguished Professor of Mathematics in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., was recently recognized with the first-ever Sister Helen Christensen Service Award from the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) for outstanding service to the profession. Brown was selected based on more than forty years of service to the
organization and wider mathematics community, having served on a dozen committees and editorial boards at the national level and being a major force in the affairs and leadership of the local MAA section. He has refereed more than 120 papers for more than a dozen journals, reviewed more than 150 papers, organized a conference on number theory, served on the editorial board of The Electronic Journal of Combinatorial Number Theory since 1998, and delivered more than 100 invited presentations and colloquia. Brown holds a bachelor’s degree from Rice University. Richard Lipsey (1961 BACH H&SS), chairman of Lipsey’s, a wholesale firearms distributor, was awarded the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the shooting sports industry spanning over five decades. The award, the highest honor bestowed by the NSSF, was made in January at the 2015 SHOT Show State of the Industry dinner in Las Vegas. Lipsey provides philanthropic support and resources to shooting sports, hunting conservation, youth programs, and health- and wellness-related causes outside of the industry.
1970s
Constance F. “Connie” Anderson (1971 BACH HS&E, 1973 MAST HS&E) was named director of the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center Foundation. An experienced communication specialist with extensive experience in education, commercial, and cable television; free-lance film, video
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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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production; and special event, alumni, and public relations coordination, Anderson will develop, plan, and coordinate fundraising events; direct public relations efforts; and represent the hospital and Foundation through community involvement and activities. Lisa Marie Bunch (1979 BACH H&SS) was named president of the Houston Chapter of the LSU Alumni Association for 2015. Bunch has served in various roles on the chapter’s board of directors since 2008 and is one of the founders of the SEC Alumni Group in Houston. A territory manager for LifeCell Corporation, a medical company that supports biologic tissue used in breast and abdominal wall reconstruction cases, she was named to the Dynasty President’s
Club in 2014 as number one sales representative for three-year sales. She is a multiple years President‘s Club winner and product sales manager. Bunch is a committeeman at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (see page 72), and through her work with a singles ministry in her church, she created a divorce and dating blog www.geaux-girl.com. She holds an M.B.A. from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa. Charles B. Foy, Jr. (1978 BACH H&SS, 1984 DDS), of Madisonville, La., served as King Tchefuncte, reigning over the Krewe of Tchefuncte’s 2015 festivities, the theme of which was “The Krewe of Tchefuncte Gets a Reality Check.” Foy, a dentist in private practice in Madisonville since 1985, is a member of
Rotary International, Kiwanis Club, Knights of Columbus, Louisiana Academy of General Dentistry, Northlake Dental Association, and the Louisiana Dental Association (LDA). A past president of the LDA, he is a recipient of the group’s Distinguished Service Award. Foy and his wife, Anne, have three daughters, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Sarah. Joseph Glorioso (1974 PHD SCI), a worldrenowned scientist and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine genetics and biochemistry professor, has been named chair of the Scientific Advisory Council at Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT). He joined the University of Michigan Medical School in the late 1970s, attaining the rank of
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professor and assistant dean for research and graduate studies, and joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1989. At Pittsburgh, Glorioso served as professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, as well as the McEllroy Professor in Biochemistry until 2009. He continues his groundbreaking work in the development of herpes viral vectors for the treatment of cancer, chronic pain, and diseases of the central nervous system. Glorioso has served on ACGT’s Scientific Advisory Council since 2005.
SWLA Chamber Southwest Louisiana 2014 Civic Service Award in January, recognizing their outstanding leadership and service to the community.
Elizabeth A. McDonald (1974 BACH SCI, 1984 MD), a gastroenterologist in practice in Metairie, La., served as president of the LSU Medical Alumni Association from June 2014 to June 2015. After receiving her medical degree from the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, McDonald served a residency in internal medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center and earned a gastroenterology fellowship to Tulane School of Medicine. In 1972, McDonald was a Golden Girl with the Golden Band from Tigerland.
1980s
Don Piper (1973 BACH H&SS), author of 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life – the story of his neardeath experience – writes that the book is being made into a motion picture starring Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns) and Hayden Christensen (Star Wars, Jumper). Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho, Big Sur) directs. The movie was filmed earlier this year near Atlanta and will be released in November. Piper was on set and appears as himself at the end of the film. Piper is the author of four books that have sold more than seven million copies. Oliver G. “Rick” Richard III (1974 BACH MCOM, 1977 JD) and his wife, Donna, of Lake Charles, La., were presented the
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Stephen Rolfe Powell (1983 MAST A&D) has a solo exhibition, Bending Light, at the Headley-Whitney Museum in Lexington, Ky., through Aug 9. The exhibition explores the manipulation of light through glass using pieces from Powell’s Teaser, Whacko, Echo, and Screamer Series. Visit www. stephenrolfepowell.com.
Jenna P. Carpenter (1986 MAST SCI, 1989 PHD SCI), a national figure in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education, will be the founding dean of Campbell University’s proposed School of Engineering launching in 2016. Carpenter currently is the Wayne and Juanita Spinks Endowed Professor, associate dean for undergraduate studies, and director of the Office for Women in Science and Engineering at Louisiana Tech University’s College of Engineering and Science. In addition, she holds key leadership positions in several prestigious national engineering organizations, including serving as chair of the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenge Scholars Program. She is also a 2013 American Society for Engineering Education Fellow and a national evaluator for the ABET accreditation program. She was an Alumni Federation Fellow at LSU. Carpenter earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Louisiana Tech University, where she began her teaching career. Kara Casanova (attended 1986-1988), author of Elvis the Penguin, licensed the children’s storybook to ICARE, a nonprofit in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, to develop an anti-
bullying and social tolerance curriculum. The program includes lesson plans and activities for Pre-K through fifth grade students. ICARE specialists, school guidance counselors, and teachers will use the book and materials to engage students in a variety of discussions on bullying and social tolerance. The lesson plans use the story and images of Elvis the Penguin to help children define bullying and social diversity by identifying with the characters who are bullied in the story and discussing appropriate actions students can take to address bullying whenever they encounter it. Lance Kinchen (1989 BACH BUS, 1992 JD), a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Breazeale, Sachse, & Wilson, has been elected chairman of the YMCA of the Capital Area Board of Directors.
1990s
Amy Azano (1994 BACH H&SS), an assistant professor in Virginia Tech’s School of Education, is sharing, with University of Virginia Professor Carolyn Callahan, a $2 million grant to identify and increase the number of rural students in gifted programs, especially in high-poverty school districts in Virginia, through a program called Promoting PLACE (Place, Literacy, Achievement, Community, Engagement). Azano joined the Virginia Tech faculty in 2012. She is an affiliate faculty member with the Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research, serves on the steering committee, and leads the education research core. She received a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, where she served with Callahan as research faculty at the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, and holds a master’s degree from Old Dominion University. Azano’s research interests include rural literacies, place-
based pedagogy, and the literacy needs of special populations, particularly those in rural communities. She has published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals and has presented at national and international conferences.
Outstanding Alumna Award. Artigue holds a master’s degree in counselor education from the University of New Orleans. She and her husband, Brad (1997 BACH H&SS), live in Atlanta with their son, Alex.
received a Navy Achievement Medal. Higginbotham and his wife, Cherie, are active supporters of the Special Olympics, Boys & Girls Clubs of Atlanta, Feed the Children, March of Dimes, and the Atlanta Children’s Shelter.
Jennifer Norwood Artigue (1993 BACH H&SS) was named admissions director at Sophia Academy in Atlanta. Artigue, former director of admissions at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, has nearly twenty years of experience working on behalf of families as a counselor and volunteer coordinator. She has served on boards and committees of the Junior League, American Red Cross, and Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana. She initiated a national fundraiser for Kappa Delta benefiting child abuse prevention, for which she won the sorority’s 2014
Kevin Higginbotham (1999 BACH HS&E), managing director-wealth management and wealth management adviser at Merrill Lynch in Atlanta, was recognized on the Financial Times Top 400 Financial Advisors list. Higginbotham joined Merrill Lynch in 1999. He was named to Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in 2014, included as one of Financial Times Top 400 Advisors in 2013 and 2015, and named #1 in On Wall Street’s Top 40 Under 40 Advisors in 2010. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, he served on active duty during the Gulf War and
Todd D. Keator (1999 BACH H&SS, 2002 JD), a partner in the Dallas office of Thompson & Knight, was selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars 2015 in the area of Tax. Bruce Lubin (1996 BACH BUS) has joined the New York office of Kippman Jungers, a global legal recruiting firm, as a senior managing director. With more than fifteen years experience as a recruiter, Lubin has
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placed groups and individual partners at top-tier law firms around the globe and was instrumental in numerous office openings for AmLaw firms worldwide, including Miami, Mexico City, Caracas, São Paulo and Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Lippman Jungers, Lubin was vice president at Howard-Sloan Legal Search and managing director for Major, Lindsey & Africa in New York and Miami.
2000s
Christopher L. “Chris” Chauvin (2001 BACH H&SS, 2004 JD), an attorney in the Dallas office of Thompson & Knight, was selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars 2015 in the area of Business Litigation. Kellie Cundiff (2006 BACH M&DA), of Chicago, was a semifinalist in the Lotte Lenya Competition held in March in New York City. The event, sponsored by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, allows twenty-eight emerging singer-actors to perform their programs for adjudicators/coaches and receive immediate feedback in a coaching
session. Cundiff is active in the Chicago theater scene, appearing in many Jefferson-nominated productions in area theaters, including Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, Drury Lane Theatre, Theatre at the Center, and Fox Valley Repertory Theatre. Her recent roles include Mabel in Pirates of Penzance at Cohoes Music Hall in New York, Franca in The Light in the Piazza at Mad Cow Theatre in Orlando, Cinderella in Into The Woods and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte at Opera in the Ozarks. She was a featured artist in A Kurt Weill Cabaret at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre last fall and has toured internationally in her onewoman show The Sounds of Broadway. Mario Garner (2002 BACH SCI), chief executive officer of New Orleans East Hospital, received the American College of Healthcare Executives 2015 Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year, recognizing his work in the Crescent City and throughout his career. The award is given annually to an exceptional executive under age 40 who is an ACHE Fellow and holds a CEO or chief operating officer position in a healthcare organization. Last year, Garner was named one of Modern Healthcare’s Up & Comers, which recognizes accomplished healthcare leaders age 40 or younger. Garner holds a doctorate in education from the University of Houston and a
master’s degree in healthcare administration from Tulane University in New Orleans. In March, Garner served as keynote speaker for the Black Scholars Awards Program sponsored by the LSU Black Faculty & Staff Caucus. Nicole Hilton (2007 BACH A&D), a designer and project manager at Chasm Architecture in Atlanta, is the first African-American female LSU architecture graduate to become a licensed architect. She earned her licensure through the Architect Registration Examination in May 2014. Before joining Chasm, Hilton worked at McAfee3 Architects, a femaleowned, African-American firm headquartered in Atlanta, during which she obtained her LEED AP certification. As a registered architect in the state of Georgia, Nicole is currently leading projects for the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Fort Valley State University. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects. Photo by Art Guerrero Photography
Bryan Jeansonne (2002 BACH H&SS), an attorney and partner in Doré Jeansonne Law Firm, was elected chairman of the East Baton Rouge Parish Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF SUMMER EVENTS, VISIT
www.lsualumni.org/events/eventscalendar2.asp
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Scott Levy (2004 BACH MCOM and H&SS, 2010 JD), an attorney with Adams and Reese was named chair for the Baton Rouge Bar Association Young Lawyers Section Council (YLS), an organization for young and recently admitted lawyers. He served in a number of YLS roles, including chair-elect, secretary, and member-at-large. Levy was a law clerk for the Hon. Timothy E. Kelley in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court and in the Office of the Governor’s executive counsel’s office. He was an administrative aide with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Baton Rouge and has experience at the federal level with the U.S. Department of Education. Levy was named to Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s Top 40 Under 40 list in 2014. He is an alumnus of Leadership LSU Class of 2004 and while in law school was the LSU Law Center Student representative on the 2009 “Belly Up With The Bar” Committee.
Yvette Cooper Morlier (2003 BACH HS&E, 2004 MAST HS&E), of Covington, La., served as Queen Tchefuncte, reigning over the Krewe of Tchefuncte’s 2015 festivities, the theme of which was “The Krewe of Tchefuncte Gets a Reality Check.” She was a former member of the Covington High School Lady Lions volleyball and softball teams, a member of Kappa Delta Epsilon education fraternity at LSU, and a community 4-H sponsor. She is a recipient of the Cains Fellowship Award and former Teacher of the Year and is employed by the St. Tammany Parish School Board. Morlier and her husband, Paul, have two daughters, Chloe and Bella.
Michael McCracken (2014 PHD SVM) received a research associateship award at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies. His proposal was “Characterization of immune environment and viral kinetics in sites of dengue virus establishment as modulated by route of entry and vector exposure in a non-human primate model of dengue virus infection.” When McCracken first presented his work in 2011, there had been only three publications related to vertebrate responses to mosquito saliva and arboviruses. Since that time, the field has exploded, with McCracken at the forefront. He will continue to investigate the question of how immune responses relate to transmission with the Virology Division of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline in work that is related to the development of a dengue vaccine.
Charles Willis (2004 BACH ENGR), Beth Willis, and Craig Ceccanti (2003 BACH BUS, 2003 BACH SCI), cofounders of Pinot’s Palette, recently announced that the paint-and-sip franchise awarded its hundredth franchise agreement. Pinot’s Palette currently has locations in thirty-one states and is expanding internationally with the signing of a master license agreement for as many as eight studios in Toronto and the Niagara Region over the next six years. The company’s honors include Franchise Business Review’s Top 50 Satisfaction Award (#1 in category), Entrepreneur’s 500 List Ranked, FastestGrowing Franchise List (#1 in Category), Top-New Franchise List, and Top Service Franchise List. (See the Spring 2013 issue of LSU Alumni Magazine at http:// lsualumni.org/alumni-magazine.)
Lacey Schexnayder Pyle (20025 BACH HS&S) writes: “Since graduating in 2005, I went on to earn another degree in graphic design. I live in north Atlanta with my husband and serve as “head cheerleader” (marketing director) of Jekyll Brewing, a craft brewery. Armed with the psychology degree I earned from LSU, I analyze consumer behavior, plan events that resonate with our market, and study patterns in our consumers’ spending habits. Since assuming this position in February, Jekyll’s tap room has seen record sales.” Nicholas J. Rauber (2003 BACH SCI), of Baton Rouge, received the 2015 New Dentist Award from the Louisiana Dental Association (LDA) in April. The award is presented annually to one LDA member who has practiced for less than ten years, and who has contributed to the betterment of mankind through civic involvement, public service, and unselfish devotion to the dental profession.
2010s
Marco Barker (2010 PHD HS&E), senior director for education, operations, and initiatives in Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and clinical assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was recently appointed to the National Advisory Council for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in Higher Education. NCORE constitutes the leading and most comprehensive national forum on issues of race and ethnicity in American higher education.
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Tyler Daniel (2011 BACH H&SS), of Washington, D.C., was named political director for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. He was previously Scalise’s legislative aide and deputy communications director. Daniel earned an M.B.A from the University of Mississippi and is currently pursuing a J.D. at Catholic University in Washington. Ellyn Gary (2012 BACH MCOM) has joined Zehnder Communications as a media coordinator for Visit Baton Rouge, Visit South Walton, and Zea Rotisserie & Grill. She previously worked on media campaigns and managing client projects for the Trumpet Group. Shauncey Hunter (2013 BACH MCOM) of Monroe, La., received the Women in Profession Award from Mississippi College School of Law during its annual Law Day ceremony. The award recognizes a second- or third-year female law student in good standing, who demonstrates a commitment to public service and participates to some degree in her law school’s student government or student body association activities. Hunter is the daughter of Gary and Beth Hunter. Veronica Ridgley (2013 BACH MCOM), of Metairie, La., was promoted to communications strategist and social media specialist at Gambel Communiations. Ridgley joined Gambel in 2013 and most recently was a
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communications coordinator and is a Hootsuite University Professional trained in social media strategy. Currently a candidate for an M.B.A. at the University of New Orelans, she is a graduate of the Committee for a Better New Orleans 2014 Bryan Bell Metropolitan Leadership Forum class and is a member of the Young Leadership Council, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, and Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. Abby Thevenot (2015 BACH MCOM) has joined Zehnder Communications as a public relations coordinator, assisting with the agency’s internal public relations and social media efforts. Thevenot was previously an intern at Zehnder, and she interned for the Academic Distinction Fund, a Baton Rouge nonprofit. Erika McManus Walter (2010 BACH MCOM, 2012 MBA) and Jon Walter were married on Nov. 22, 2014, at the Chapel of the Oaks in Baton Rouge. The reception was at the Country Club of Louisiana. Erika is press secretary for Congressman Steve Scalise, and Jon is director of “Special Report” with Bret Baier on Fox News. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pa., and also attended Penn State. The newlyweds reside in Washington, D.C, and are both proud Tiger fans.
BABY
BENGALS
William Thomas “Trey” Berniard III (2007 BACH H&SS) and his wife, Ashley Capone Berniard, of Houston (2007 BACH HS&E), proudly announce the birth of future Tiger William Thomas “Beau” Berniard IV at 1:56 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2015. Beau weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. Ashley also holds a physician’s assistant degree from the School of Allied Health at LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport. Cher Green Broussard (2004 BACH H&SS, 2007 MSW) and husband Matthew Broussard of Gonzales, La., announce the birth of their son, Roman Paul, born at 12:17 p.m. on Oct. 4, 2014. Roman weighed 9 lbs. 2 oz. and measured 20.25 inches long. Nicholas Robichaux (2006 BACH MCOM) and his wife, Amanda Haynes Robichaux (2008 BACH H&SS) proudly announce the birth of their daughter, Vivienne Bell, on February 3, 2015. Vivienne arrived weighing 8 lbs. 4 oz. and measured 21 inches long. Amanda is assistant director of chapters and sports trips at the LSU Alumni Association. Photo by Keri Lynn Walters
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Tigers in Print Aaron Beam (1967 BACH BUS) Ethics Playbook – Winning Ethically in Business With remarkable candor and energy, Aaron Beam shares his personal and professional insights through a different kind of business ethics book: a playbook that’s packed with practical ideas and principles that you can use in whatever career stage you find yourself. As the founding CFO of HealthSouth, Aaron participated in the corporate fraud that nearly destroyed the Fortune 500 company in 2003. Since serving prison time and paying restitution, he has spoken to over 250 audiences in corporate, educational and associational settings, challenging them to set a higher ethical bar for themselves and their organizations. But Ethics Playbook isn’t just for executives. It’s for anyone who works, or hopes to work, in business. Pete Bush (1990 BACH BUS) Jeff Reboulet (1988 BACH BUS) The Challenges of Big League Money: Early Career: Financial Advice to Help You Manage and Maximize Your Career Earnings (Horizons Solutions LLC) The opportunities a successful career in baseball can afford are incredible. But, it is a road littered with challenges. Big League Money outlines those opportunities and the associated challenges, and shares
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both timeless strategies and timely advice for managing and maximizing the career earnings of a professional baseball career. The authors’ goal is to “pay it forward” to future players by passing along the wisdom and experience gained over the past thirty years of being in and around the game of baseball and advising more than one hundred professional athletes. They approached Big League Money from the perspective that there are at least three different stages a player will go through during his career: Early Career, Career Prime, and Post Career. Matthew J. Hernando (2011 PHD H&SS) Faces Like Devils: The Bald Knobber Vigilantes in the Ozarks (University of Missouri Press) In the twenty-first century, the word vigilante usually conjures up images of cinematic heroes like Batman, Zorro, the Lone Ranger, or Clint Eastwood in just about any film he’s ever been in. But in the nineteenth century, vigilantes roamed the country long before they ever made their way onto the silver screen. Despite being one of America’s largest and most famous vigilante groups during the nineteenth century, the Bald Knobbers have not previously been examined in depth. Matthew Hernando’s exhaustive research, which includes a plethora
of state and federal court records, newspaper articles, and firsthand accounts, remedies that lack. This account of the Bald Knobbers is vital to anyone not wanting to miss out on a major part of Missouri’s history. Hardy Jones (1998 BACH H&SS) People of the Good God (Mongrel Empire Press) Hardy Jones is Cajun through his mother, and the Felice family is a blend of Native American, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Irish from the southwest Louisiana prairie. People of the Good God explores the search Hardy began in his twenties to understand Cajun identity and how the culture evolved into the new millennium. The collection of essays is a combination of self-exploration, food writing, travel writing, and music writing that creates a memoir that probes history, place, and culture. Carol Bloom Paine (1966 BACH AGR) Mary Rose: The Evolution of Love and Medicine in Victorian New Orleans (Exlibris Press) If you love New Orleans, are involved in medicine, have a history with Charity Hospital, or are charmed by the Victorian era, you will enjoy the story about the author’s grandparents, Dr. Jefferson Davis and Mary Rose
Bloom. Dr. Davis was the head of Charity Hospital in New Orleans from 1894 until 1903. Mary Rose was brought to New Orleans from Boston by the Daughters of Charity to train the staff at Hotel Dieu in the Lister method of sanitation. It is a fascinating period in the development of modern medicine with the start of transfusions, casting broken bones, X-rays, the beginnings of the Leper Colony in Carville, the first children’s hospital, and so many more marvels we take for granted today. The colorful New Orleans and the couple’s major religious differences add to this unique love story.
which are abundant in the estuaries and bays that line southern shores. Shrimp, he notes, are one of the last truly wild creatures that Americans consume in significant quantities. Pierce encourages today’s cooks to support local shrimp fisheries in order to help ensure that future generations will continue to enjoy Americansourced shrimp in abundance, and he explains how to procure the freshest shrimp throughout the cycle of seasons.
Jay Pierce (1995 BACH H&SS) Shrimp: A Savor the South Cookbook (University of North Carolina Press)
Johnny Smith, the main character of this novel, embodies the potent qualities that have spread New Orleans’ arts throughout the world. He calls the Crescent City the fountain of the Mississippi River as it draws America to its soul. He refers also to New Orleans as the heaven of the United States, as from its southernmost and central location, it illuminates with its culture the entire country. When people leave they carry the unique joys and laughter of the Big Easy. Their happiness is overwhelming
Recalling boyhood shrimping expeditions and summoning up the aromas and flavors of a southern shrimp boil or shrimp fry, chef Jay Pierce brings America’s favorite shellfish to center stage with fifty recipes for southern classics, contemporary dishes, and international delicacies. Pierce’s lively introduction focuses on the South’s fishing and culinary connections with shrimp,
when they return to the Crescent City. Johnny Smith left New Orleans with his flighty mother to go to Arizona as a teenager. As a man, he’s glad to live with her in the Big Easy and get back to enjoying the city’s culture and to reconnect with the rich ethnic backgrounds of his friends.
Richard Edgar Zwez (1974 PHD H&SS) New Orleans Energy: The Dynamic Culture in Its Citizens (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform)
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In Memoriam 1930s Doris Bentley, 1938 BACH HS&E, 1971 PHD HS&E, Feb. 7, 2015, Lafayette, La. Jonnie Harelson, 1934 BACH HS&E, March 23, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Catherine Martin, 1936 BACH HS&E, 1966 CERT HS&E, Feb. 23, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Gerald Walter, 1934 BACH ENGR, Jan. 14, 2015, Baton Rouge, La.
1940s Sara Barrow, 1946 BACH BUS, April 9, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Carol Bird, 1946 BACH MCOM, Feb. 22, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Angus Carruth, 1948 BACH BUS, Feb. 23, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Alvan Duchein Cazedessus, 1947 BACH M&DA, March 22, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Lawrence Jackson Demont, 1947 BACH H&SS, 1949 BACH AGR, Jan. 19, 2015, Howell Township, N.J. Delphin Hebert, Jr., 1943 BACH ENGR, Jan. 13, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Gerald LeBlanc, Sr., 1949 BACH ENGR, April 4, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Joseph Beauregard “JB” Olinde, Sr., 1949 JD, April 7, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Mortimer Squires, Jr., 1941 BACH ENGR, March 5, 2015, Baton Rouge, La.
1950s James Nicholas “Nick” Ashmore, 1965 BACH HS&E, Feb 8, 2015, Burke, Va. Walter Roland Bankston, 1954 BACH BUS, March 9, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Emmett Batson, 1959 JD, March 20, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Richard Bennett, 1958 BACH ENGR, Jan. 30, 2015, Alexandria, La. Mell Bolton, 1955 BACH HS&E, April 5, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Joel James Deville, 1952 BACH BUS, Jan. 24, 2015, New Orleans, La. E.P. “Ed” Edwards, 1952 BACH ENGR, March 27, 2015, Plaquemine, La. Daniel J. Fontenot, Jr., 1953 BACH AGR, 1963 MAST HS&E, 1982 PHD HS&E, retired 4-H specialist, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, March 27, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Boyd Gautreaux, 1955 BACH ENGR, March 19, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Martha Jane Grammer, 1954 BACH HS&E, 1957 MAST HS&E, April 2, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Kathryn “Kay” Nix Norwood Koehler, 1951 BACH MCOM, March 13, 2015, Roanoke, Va. Edward F. Kramer, Jr., 1951 BACH AGR, 1963 MD, March 3, 2015, San Antonio, Texas Theresa Landry, 1954 BACH HS&E, 1961 MAST HS&E, March 8, 2015, New Orleans, La. James LeBlanc, 1958 BACH BUS, Jan. 12, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. James Lindsey, 1952 BACH HS&E, 1959 MAST HS&E, Jan. 9, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Malcolm Montgomery, Jr., 1950 BACH BUS, Jan. 24, 2015, Port Gibson, Miss. Shirley Nolan Pourciau, 1952 BACH HS&E, Feb. 2, 2015, Baton Rouge, La.
Charles Sklar, 1956 BACH H&SS, 1959 JD, Feb. 27, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. James Slay, Sr., 1950 BACH H&SS, Jan. 13, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Theresa Spedale, 1955 BACH HS&E, Feb. 1, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Nancy Webb, 1959 BACH HS&E, 1963 MAST HS&E, 1978 PHD HS&E, Feb. 1, 2015, Lafayette, La.
1960s John David “Coach” Boughton, 1963 BACH HS&E, March 29, 2015, Vacherie, La. Harold A. Brown, 1967 BACH HS&E, April 6, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Henry Corkern, 1962 MAST H&SS, Dec 14, 2014, Baton Rouge, La. Carlos D. Fandal, 1960 BACH HS&E, 1962 BACH H&SS, 1968 PHD H&SS, Oct. 21, 2014, West Monroe, La. Dorothy Futch, 1963 BACH HS&E, 1968 MAST HS&E, March 8, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Jan William Henkel, 1961 BACH BUS, 1966 MBA, March 20, 2015, Athens, Ga. Peola Holliday III, 1964 BACH ENGR, Feb. 8, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Jack E. Jones, 1961 PHD AGR, Professor Emeritus of Agronomy, March 28, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Janet Pounds, 1966 BACH H&SS, 1969 MAST SCI, Jan. 24, 2015, Conroe, Texas Ben Segrest, Jr., 1962 BACH BUS, April 4, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Melvin Richard “Mel” Williams, 1961 MAST H&SS, 1964 PHD H&SS, Jan. 16, 2012, Sacramento, Calif.
1970s John Bergeron, Sr., 1976 BACH SCI, Jan. 11, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Martha Hall Burtt, 1972 BACH HS&E, Jan. 20, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Charlie Butler, 1976 BACH H&SS, Feb. 16, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Eldon Hopf, 1972 BACH AGR, March 22, 2015, Gloster, Miss. Judy Aguillard Moore, 1979 MAST MSW, Jan. 11, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Patricia Sullivan, 1978 BACH AGR, Jan. 31, 2015, Denham Springs, La. Richard Tucker, Sr., 1976 BACH MCOM, Jan. 29, 2015, New Orleans, La.
1980s Michael Danna, 1983 BACH MCOM, March 6, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Dorothy Gasquet, 1985 BACH H&SS, Feb. 21, 2015, Baton Rouge, La.
1990s Norman Augusta, Jr., 1991 BACH H&SS, Jan. 17, 2015, Baton Rouge, La. Mary Jane Russell, 1990 BACH H&SS, 2005 MAST H&SS, Jan. 6, 2015, Baton Rouge, La.
2000s James Langlois III, 2006 BACH, Feb. 9, 2015, Baton Rouge, La.
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Good Friends, Good Neighbors A lasting friendship of sixty-eight years began at LSU in 1946 when Hubert Owen (1950 BACH H&SS, 1954 MD) and Darrell Tate (1950 BACH H&SS, 1954 MD) became SAE fraternity brothers. Darrell was from Osyka, Miss., Hubert from Newellton, La. They graduated from LSU together then went to LSU Medical School. They became roommates; that is, until I married Darrell in 1952. After they graduated from medical school, Darrell and Hubert went their separate ways – or so they thought. The army had some ideas of its own and sent both of them to Germany. Hubert had married, so now there were two couples. In Germany, our two families multiplied, and, with children, our number increased from four to eight. These two army doctors made plans to go into general practice together in Louisiana after their military service was completed. Darrell took a year-long surgery residency at Lallie Kemp in Independence, La., while waiting for Hubert to return to the states. To find a place to practice, the couples bisected Louisiana using their respective hometowns -- Carthage, Texas; Newellton; and Osyka and McComb, Miss. The lines crossed at Jennings, La. We visited the pretty little town and liked it. The big plus was the great Cajun food. We bought two houses – side-by-side – that would become our homes for the next eight years. That made it convenient because Liz and I had to share a car. She had it one week, and I had it the next, unless one of us would need it for something special. When one of the doctors decided to specialize, it seemed that our living next door would come to an end, but about twenty-four hours later, both families decided to move and stay together. The doctors would specialize in radiology at the University of Mississippi Medical School in Jackson, Miss. – but they remained LSU Tigers! We bought houses in Jackson – naturally, next door to one another. The contractor said our houses would not be ready on time, but he did have a house he could let one family live in until he finished one of the two new homes. He really didn’t know us very well. We took him up on the offer and decided to share the large home for the next couple of months. When the movers came to Jennings, they scratched their heads and said, “We have never moved two families out of two houses and into one house!” We totaled eleven living in this large home. I wish I had time to describe mealtime, bath time, or bedtime. The kids thought all of this was the greatest fun they had ever had. Just think, they wouldn’t have to beg to spend the night with one another anymore, and they could eat all of their meals together. We finally moved into our new homes, and for the next three years lived next door to one another on Beachcrest Drive. When the residency program was completed, our two families were trying to be brave about separating. After eleven years together, it would be hard to do. A phone call came from Lane Memorial Hospital in Zachary, La. The hospital needed only one radiologist, but since both doctors wanted to be near LSU, they decided to flip a coin to see who went to Lane. To separate after all these years just didn’t seem to be the right thing to do, so we all moved to Zachary and, you guessed it, built houses next to each other. Darrell and Hubert were the two radiologists at Lane Memorial Hospital until they retired in July 1991 – together, of course. All partnerships should run as smoothly as theirs did. Living side-by-side has been a wonderful experience for our children and all of us. We have been very supportive of each other in many, many ways. You might say we just stuck together. The doctors even delivered each other’s children. You should hear in detail about the LSU-Ole Miss delivery in 1961. No one went to that game, but we did listen to it on the radio. The baby was delivered at half time, of course. In retirement, we traveled together and attended LSU games together, something we couldn’t do when the doctors were practicing. One dream Darrel and Hubert fulfilled was establishing a Top 100 Scholarship (Flagship Scholarship). This friendship was just one of the great things that happened at LSU.
By Jeannine Tate
Dr. Darrell and Jeannine Tate with Liz and Dr. Hubert Owen at the 1991 LSU-Alabama match-up in Tuscaloosa.
Liz and Dr. Hubert Owen, left, Paul Buzhardt, and Dr. Darrell and Jeannine Tate at the LSU Alumni Association 2002 Scholars Banquet. Buzhardt, recipient of the Drs. Hubert Owen and. Darrell Tate Top 100 Scholarship (now Flagship Scholarship), earned a bachelor’s degree in basic sciences from LSU in 2006 and a medical degree from LSU Medical School in New Orleans.
“You might say we just stuck together.”
Editor’s note: The note attached to this story, a heartwarming account of a decades-long friendship that began at LSU, read: “I am not a writer, but this is a great and unusual story. Dr. Hubert Owen passed away on June 4, 2014, thus ending this story.” –Jeannine Hinton Tate (1951 BACH AGR). I hope you enjoy it.
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Tiger Nation
Richardson Wins Project Fit America Top Award By Ed Cullen Photo by Johnny Gordon
Going yard in baseball means hitting a homerun. When teacher Bonnie Baker Richardson (1975 BACH HS&E) and her students go yard, it means they’ve crushed another lesson in healthy living.
“When a parent tells me a child is eating something they wouldn’t before, I know our lessons are getting past the school yard to home,” said the 61-year-old, awardwinning physical education teacher at the FLAIM School. FLAIM stands for Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet. The school, at 802 Mayflower St., is the former South Boulevard Elementary School. Richardson is last year’s Project Fit America Teacher of the Year. Seven of Richardson’s thirty-one years teaching physical and health education have been at FLAIM where she has the enthusiastic support of school Principal Cheryl Miller. “Bonnie is one of the most engaged teachers I’ve ever had. She’s constantly working on her craft,” Miller said. FLAIM and three other Baton Rouge elementary schools – Buchanan, Ryan and Winbourne – received new playgrounds from Project Fit America, a non-profit organization in Boyes Hot Springs, Calif. The non-profit has given playground equipment to more than 800 schools in forty-two states. FLAIM’s playground was built in 2012. “The Fit America people come down annually to work with teachers,” Miller said. One of those visits probably had something to do with Richardson’s winning her national award last year. The award is nice, but Richardson would still be putting her students through their paces without the recognition. FLAIM and Richardson are a fit. “I had two children who came here,” she said. “The school has the flavor of the elementary Bonnie Baker Richardson, seated, the 2014 Project Fit America Teacher of the Year, school I attended, that small school feeling where everyone is surrounded by her students at FLAIM School in Baton Rouge. knows everyone.” “When I was in elementary school, we didn’t have a PE teacher,” she continued. “The classroom teachers brought us out for what amounted to a second recess.” What children didn’t get at school, they more than made up for at home climbing trees, building club houses, in pickup games of football and basketball, by skating, and by mowing the grass with mechanical lawnmowers. It was the military that noticed Americans weren’t what they used to be physically. “Physical activity helps During World War II, some soldiers had trouble climbing out of landing craft with learning. We get the wiggles packs on their backs. They couldn’t do pushups or run without getting winded. Today, out in the morning after many recruits have to get into shape BEFORE boot camp, Richardson said. Fit America program Richardson follows with her students calls for play breakfast.” andThe exercise outdoors along with classroom instruction and games that stress healthy eating. “We work on upper and lower body strength,” Richardson said. “We teach teamwork. Even if you don’t like someone, you have to work with people when you grow up and get a job. Children are in their own little worlds with computers and iPads. Physical activity helps learning. We get the wiggles out in the morning after breakfast. They walk and talk in the morning, like adults do.” Maybe all children at FLAIM don’t embrace Richardson’s classes, but most seem to, she said. “They meet me in the hall,” she said. “They ask, ‘What are we going to do today?’” Ed Cullen, an LSU journalism graduate, is author of Letter in a Woodpile, a collection of his essays for National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” He’s retired from the Baton Rouge Advocate where he wrote the Sunday column “Attic Salt.”
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Profile
Louisiana Inspires Music City Stylist Kelly Henderson remembers growing up influenced by many different mediums of art. A Baton Rouge native, Henderson (2004 BACH MCOM) brings up Louisiana festivals in particular, referencing the melding of music, fashion, and art they combine to bring art overload to attendees. “I think [Louisiana is] how I got into the whole creative world, and it’s a huge inspiration as far as wanting to be something in the arts as a job later,” Henderson said. Today, Henderson works as a makeup, hair and wardrobe stylist. She grew up sitting on her sofa watching red carpet coverage and, as celebrities walked by, she took in their clothing, hair. and makeup. Henderson liked how all of these elements worked together to create a cohesive image. However, while Henderson was intrigued by the stylist career, she did not start there. Henderson attended LSU as a mass communication major with a concentration in public relations. During her time at the University, she interned in Nashville, Tenn., for a publicist in the music industry. The Music City internship is what told Henderson Nashville was the right place for her next stage in life. “[I] kind of fell in love with the city and also just the music industry, so it was just the easiest place for me to come since I already had contacts,” Henderson said. After graduation, Henderson worked in Nashville at a public relations firm for a modeling agency where she met a makeup artist. She said working on the creative side as opposed to the business side increasingly interested her in a makeup artist career rather than public relations. Henderson used her public relations knowledge to help market herself in the competitive realm of makeup artists. She said her marketing ability differentiates herself from others because she’s been able to get clients faster. Becoming a stylist also helped Henderson make her way back to the
music industry. Today, she primarily works with musicians on music videos, photo shoots, and public appearances. Henderson said her primary client is country singer Dierks Bentley. She said whatever Bentley is working on that day, whether it be a music video for a new song, cover art for an album or an appearance on “The Late Show” with David Letterman, she’s there. Each scenario has Henderson prepare in different ways. For wardrobe, Henderson said everything is done beforehand. Shopping, fittings, and alterations all are planned before the day clothing is brought to the set. Hair and makeup are the exact opposite, with no preparation done before the day of. Someone shows Henderson the outfit or outfits for the day, and she takes inspiration from that. While Henderson’s job sounds like she has free creative reign, this isn’t always true. She said every styling job comes with its challenges. “A lot of times, [the client has] an idea of what they want to look like, so I can think something looks good … and they don’t necessarily agree,” Henderson said, “So [that’s] kind of the hardest part for me. Especially when I first started, is finding a compromise between something I felt proud of as my work but also making your client happy.” Throughout every project, Henderson remembers her start came from the “distinct culture” she grew up immersed in. She pays homage to it regularly, whether it be the name of her personal website, B.R. Louise – the B.R. stands for Baton Rouge – or how she styles someone while on set. “I’m so proud to be from Louisiana ... it is such a part of who I am and so I just wanted to take something of that with me,” Henderson said.
By Meg Ryan Photo courtesy Velvet’s Edge
Kelly Henderson
“I think [Louisiana is] how I got into the whole creative world, and it’s a huge inspiration as far as wanting to be something in the arts.”
Meg Ryan, a sophomore in the Manship School of Mass Communication, is an entertainment writer at The Daily Reveille. Editor’s note: Meg’s original article appeared in the Jan. 27 issue of The Daily Reveille.
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Tiger Nation
CrankCase By Ed Cullen
Mark Gabriel. Photo by Johnny Gordon
Erik Durr. Photo by Nicholas Nami
“I like the idea of being here. We’d like to hire LSU grads. LSU has done a lot for me.”
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Mark Gabriel (2009 BACH ENGR) and business partner Erik Durr (attended 2002-2007) who designed and marketed the CrankCase for iPhones, credit their LSU teachers with allowing them the freedom to “make our own mistakes.” This spring, Gabriel and Durr, who call their company Ampware, launched a campaign on the fundraising site IndieGoGo to begin production of the CrankCase, which will retail for $129. The duo has a second product, the CrankBox, which isn’t a smart phone case but charges devices via a USB port. The CrankBox will retail for $69. Placing an iPhone 5/5s or iPhone 6 in the CrankCase and turning a handle for one minute powers the phone for forty minutes and a tablet for twenty minutes. Five minutes of cranking powers a the phone for three hours and a tablet for an hour and a half. “You make power with our case,” Gabriel said, explaining the phone fits inside the CrankCase. “Competitors’ devices use batteries. If you’re stuck on Grand Isle and your phone runs out of power, you crank ours up.” “Mark and Erik were out-of-the-box thinkers,” said Chandra Theegala, professor of biological and agricultural engineering. “While most undergraduate students are focused purely on education and grades, these two were always interested in new inventions and novel products. It gives me immense pleasure in seeing them develop and market innovative products.” Gabriel, who is from New Orleans, says the CrankCase was born of a need he saw in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. “I’m kind of the idea guy,” he said. “Erik is the developer guy. He can make anything.” “We met at the LSU Biological & Agricultural Engineering machine shop, where I was working on a student engineering project,” said Durr, who is from Covington, La. “As it turned out, we were both into science and how things worked and started developing projects together.” Their professors trained them to “develop new ideas quickly,” Durr said. “We learned how to be resourceful and make the most of the materials we had on hand.” “Mark and Erik worked as a creative team as undergraduates,” said Marybeth Lima, Cliff and Nancy Spanier Alumni Professor in the Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering. “One could usually find Erik in our shop facilities working on tasks given to him by Tom McClure, our shop manager, or working on fabricating ideas created by him and Mark. “Mark liked to talk out his ideas and work with them on his computer, and, of course, the two would work in all these capacities and had a wonderful rapport with each other. Their innovative spirit and ‘hey, why don’t we try that’ attitude was always evident, and I am not at all surprised that their long-term collaboration has produced a successful innovation. “I am glad that Mark and Erik credit their LSU professors with the freedom and encouragement to pursue creative design,” Lima said. “I believe that one of the best things about the department is its focus on students. Our ‘it takes a village’ philosophy involves encouraging students to reach their highest potential as future professionals and as civic-minded people. I am proud of Mark and Erik and of all our alumni.” Though the partners continue to collaborate, Durr left school to work on a startup company borne from LSU research while Gabriel promotes Ampware and works on a master’s degree in advanced engineering materials at Southern University. Ampware’s CrankCase and CrankBox should be available to the public this fall, Gabriel said. “We could set up the company anywhere,” he said, “but Baton Rouge is my new home. I like the idea of being here. We’d like to hire LSU grads. LSU has done a lot for me.”
Tigers Around the World Bryan Fox on Philanthropy – “Community service and outreach are my passion,” writes Bryan Clark Fox (1981 BACH AGR), of Scottsdale, Ariz. Fox – along with her two sons – has been involved with btc (boys team charity), a service organization for seventh-to-twelfth-grade boys, for eight years. The organization works with seventeen philanthropies throughout Phoenix on special events and service projects, according to Fox, who has served as president of the 625-member btc Cactus League, as class team manager of Valleylife Philanthropy Liaison, and as vice president of TeamMates of btc, Inc., board. She was a Wish Granter for Make A Wish in Phoenix, served as president of LSU Phoenix Alumni, served on the North Ranch PTA Board and as a church volunteer on the altar guild, was a member volunteer in Dallas Junior League, and served on the Dallas LSU Alumni board. She has volunteered with Phi Mu Alumni in Dallas and Phoenix for thirty-two years. Bryan Fox, center, and fellow btc (boys team charity) volunteers at the 2014 Miracle League Philanthropy Halloween Carnival.
In Music City – Tiger Vermon Dillon (1981 BACH H&SS), left, a native of Bogalusa, La., and a resident of Xenia, Ohio, attended the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn., with his son Micah L. Dillon.
Vermon and Micah Dillon.
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Tigers Around the World
Tiger Nation
Lynda Wilson, second from left, with fellow volunteers at Make-A-Wish Santa’s Workshop at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., in December 2014.
SOCAL Volunteers – In addition to volunteering their time as board members of the Southern California Chapter, Lynda Swanson Wilson (1983 BACH MCOM, 2005 PHD HS&E), of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Cathy Barrett Mueller (1973 BACH SCI), of Torrance, Calif., spend part of their spare time as community volunteers. Swanson is a Wish Granter and performs medical outreach with MakeA-Wish Greater Los Angeles Chapter, Cathy Mueller delivers a Meals on Wheels dinner. which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Wish Granters are involved from the first meeting with the child to seeing their wish come true. “I never tire of seeing the sheer joy in a child’s eye when they receive their wish. It is a touching and humbling experience for me,” writes Swanson. “The Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles Chapter [employees] are themselves angels with the huge amount of love that they show these children. My volunteering for Make-A-Wish has been and will continue to be an unbelievable and tremendously rewarding experience.” Mueller, along with husband Donald, has volunteered with Meals on Wheels for more a decade, delivering meals to housebound citizens in the Torrance community. “More than a meal,” Meals on Wheels provides nutritious meals for, as well as a daily check on, senior citizens and helps them live independently in their own homes. A member of the local Meals on Wheels board, Mueller also helps prepare applications. “Volunteering with Meals on Wheels has been a wonderful way to give back to the community,” she writes. “It’s a hands-son experience, visiting with seniors and directly helping to improve their quality of life.”
A Bunch of Volunteering – In addition to her volunteer role as president of the Houston alumni chapter, Lisa Bunch (1997 BACH H&SS), of Cypress, Texas, shares her time and talents with with several organizations, among them, Women of Wardrobe and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR). “In March, I volunteer with the HLSR,” writes Bunch. “My role on the Commercial Exhibits Committee allows me to interact with show vendors and work in the Country Store. The money raised by the rodeo goes to scholarships for kids.”
Lisa Bunch
WHAT’S YOUR VOLUNTEER PASSION? Send a photo of yourself “in action” and tell Tigers Around the World how and why you share your time and talents with others.
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Published on Jun 3, 2015
The summer issue highlights the six new members of the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction, an impressive group including Alumnus of...
