The Colonel Fall 2015

the magazine of NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY

COLONEL

THE

FALL 2015

COLONEL PRIDE RENEWED Page 24

MEET THE COLONELS’ OWN CSI Page 49

A NEW HOME, A FRESH RECIPE FOR SUCCESS:

Nicholls gets down to the business of a four-year culinary degree Page 36

The Big Picture

A Bird’s-eye View An aerial drone from T. Baker Smith engineering firm captures a glimpse of Elkins Hall from a rare vantage point. Built in 1948 as Nicholls’ first academic building, Elkins Hall remains a campus and community icon overlooking Bayou Lafourche.

Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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the magazine of NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY

COLONEL

THE

FALL 2015

FEATURES

24 30 36

Redefine. Rebuild. Renew.

The Colonels football team has a new leader in first-year head Coach Tim Rebowe, and he’s “all in” when it comes to involving the community in designing a game plan for success.

Just Skimming the Surface Distinguished Service Biology Professor Dr. Raj Boopathy has conducted applied research on everything from TNT to bacteria-ridden bayou water, but he is most proud of his students’ achievements in his lab and beyond.

A Recipe for Growth The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute has a new, state-of-the-art home, and it’s expanding the opportunities menu for four-year culinary students.

ON THE COVER Culinary sophomore Demetrius Stewart serves an entrée of beef fillet with sweet potatoes, beet greens, grape tomatoes and four-peppercorn demi-glace for Chef Amelie Zeringue’s soups, stocks and sauces class in the new Ledet Culinary Arts Building’s Louisiana Seafood Kitchen.

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1 The Big Picture 4 A Letter from the President Colonel Pride 5 5 6 8 10 11 12 14

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One Team Member, One Pride Campus Makeovers Meet the New Faces of Nicholls On the Hunt for Floral Diversity Bass Fishing Team Catches National Attention Colonels Out of the Country Nicholls Education Program Produces Award-winning Teachers 15 Gettin’ Techie with It 16 Whatcha Got Cookin’?

The Red Zone 18 Colonel Fan Outlook 20 Colonel Champs 22 New Announcer Brings Voice Plus Video to Colonel Nation

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DEPARTMENTS

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44 Alumni House 44 44 45 46 47 49 50

Adding More Colonel Pride to Your Community Then & Now: Homecoming Bonfire Colonel Notes Serving with a Smile Awards for Excellence/Outstanding Alumni The Crime Scene Chemist In Memoriam

52 Campus Cornerstone 52 52 53 54

The Impact of Your Gifts to Nicholls Rebirth of the Nicholls Fountain Honor Roll Providing Students a Free Passport to International Travel 57 The Gift of Time 58 Nicholls Benefactors Cook Up Opportunities for Culinary Students

64 A Colonel of Truth Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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THE

FALL 2015

COLONEL the magazine of NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY

University President Dr. Bruce T. Murphy Vice President for Dr. Neal Weaver University Advancement Executive Director of Monique Crochet (BS ’98, MEd ’00) Alumni and External Affairs Director of Marketing Stephanie Verdin (BA ’06) and Communications

NICHOLLS FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIRMAN Donald T. “Boysie” Bollinger

PRESIDENT Christopher H. Riviere (BS ’78)

VICE PRESIDENT Daniels Duplantis (BS ’69)

SECRETARY/TREASURER Arlen “Benny” Cenac Jr. (BS ’79)

BOARD MEMBERS Hunt Downer (BS ’68) Alexis A. Duval (BS ’92) Hugh E. Hamilton R.E. “Bob” Miller (BA ’75) Pat Pitre (BS ’72) NICHOLLS ALUMNI FEDERATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT Archie Chaisson III (BS ’08)

PRESIDENT-ELECT Paula Rome (BS ’02, MBA ’13)

VICE PRESIDENT Cody Blanchard (BS ’10)

SECRETARY Lance Ledet (BFA ’11)

TREASURER Susan Gilbert (AS ’76, BS ’79, MEd ’88)

PAST PRESIDENT Tommy Eschete (BA ’80)

BOARD MEMBERS Margo Badeaux (AS ’84, BS ’11, MBA ’14) Chuck Bourg (BA ’93) Hal Callais II (BS ’12) Dr. Tammy Cheramie (BA ’90, MEd ’93) Michael Hebert (AS ’98, BGS ’03) Dr. Leslie Jones (BS ’91, MEd ’92) Dr. Marilyn Kilgen (BA ’66) Jenna Portier (BA ’06) Stephen Watson (BS ’97, MBA ’98) THE COLONEL EDITORIAL STAFF

EDITOR Terry Trahan Jr.

ART DIRECTOR Jerad David (BA ’00)

PHOTOJOURNALIST Misty Leigh McElroy (BA ’06)

CONTRIBUTORS Marcelle Bienvenu • Jamie Bustos Zachary Carlton (MA ’13) • Emily Clausen Dr. John Doucet (BS ’84) • Sharon Doucet (BA ’78) Jonah Giroir (BA ’14) • Jessica Harvey (BA ’06) The Colonel is the official publication of Nicholls State University and is published twice a year by the Nicholls Foundation, Nicholls Alumni Federation and Nicholls Office of University Marketing and Communications. We welcome your story ideas, suggestions, alumni news and feedback.

Contact The Colonel at: P.O. Box 2033 • Thibodaux, LA 70310 Phone: 985.448.4141 • Email: terry.trahan@nicholls.edu

4 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

President Bruce T. Murphy snaps a selfie with Megan Luke (BS ’15) and her mother, Dawn Luke. For the fourth consecutive year, Nicholls awarded a record-breaking number of degrees with 1,375 in 2014-15.

Campus Renewal Dear Nicholls Alumni and Friends, Shortly after Tim Rebowe was hired as the university’s new head football coach, RENEW became a rallying cry among teammates, students, campus employees and Colonel fans — a community who believed in building a stronger, more competitive, more engaged Nicholls football program.

But RENEW is more than an athletics mantra. The entire Nicholls State University campus is undergoing its own rejuvenation. For starters, a new slate of administrators is bringing fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the campus. The opening of the state-of-the-art Lanny D. Ledet Culinary Arts Building has ushered in new growth opportunities for the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute. Renovations to Talbot Hall, athletic facilities and petroleum services classrooms have positioned the university to better recruit talented students. Already this fall, Nicholls attracted its bestprepared class of first-time freshmen in university history.

Even the magazine you hold in your hands has been reinvented. Rather than continuing to produce separate publications for the university (Voila!), alumni (The Colonel) and donors (Allons), Nicholls has launched a new comprehensive magazine for all audiences. The Colonel will now come out twice a year, in the fall and spring, to keep you informed about the university’s latest accomplishments and initiatives — and how you can play a part in them.

A key component of the campus renewal process will be increasing student enrollment from 6,100 to 8,000. We’ve taken the first step toward this ambitious goal by not raising tuition this year, helping ensure that a Nicholls degree remains affordable and accessible. But your support will be critical as we move forward. After speaking with many of you, I know that Nicholls made a profound impact on your lives. I invite you to share your Colonel Pride stories with us and in your community. Our vision is for Nicholls to be the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Bayou Region. Together, I know we can achieve that and much more.

With Colonel Pride,

Dr. Bruce T. Murphy President

TEAM MEMBER PRIDE

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR, UNIVERSITY POLICE

COLONEL SINCE 1998

Larry White (BA ’02) What is it like to be a criminal investigator on a college campus?

Like at any other law enforcement agency, I investigate all minor and serious crimes, which ranges from interviewing suspects and collecting evidence to making arrests and preparing cases for prosecution. I also coordinate with other agencies, prepare all crime stats, manage the evidence room and our equipment inventory, and coordinate event security and safety escort services. Nicholls is full of bright students trying to make the best of their college years, but it’s inevitable that incidents happen. Students are learning about themselves; they’re learning how to make decisions on their own. We all messed up as students, but we found a way through. My job is to not just look at situations from a law enforcement perspective but to do what’s best to help students.

Not too long ago, you were a Nicholls student yourself. What was your college experience like?

When I graduated from Zachary High School, I ventured out a bit and came to Nicholls to study government and criminal justice. I didn’t get my first car until my senior year of college, so I worked on campus and kept busy. I found a student job in residence life and eventually became president of the Residence Hall Association and a housing director, managing a 20-member staff. I owe a lot of my management style and people skills to Sabrina Laurent [former director of residential services, now assistant director of recreation]. She saw something in me that I knew I had, but she helped bring it to fruition. She’s my biggest motivator.

What led you to return to campus?

I was working as a corrections sergeant at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, otherwise known as Angola, but I wanted to get back on the other side of corrections – law enforcement. I’d be in a store or at the mall, and when something bad would happen, I would gravitate toward the problem rather than away. That’s how I knew. It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about rank. I knew I had more to contribute. I saw a Nicholls job posting for a housing police officer, and because of my student background, it was the right fit.

Since then, I’ve held nearly every position in University Police.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

A former manager told me, “Larry, never fall in the love with the job. The job will let you down every time. Fall in the love with the work.” Being a university police officer requires a lot of sacrifices, but if you’re satisfied with the work, you can overcome the stress and the challenges.

Why are you proud to be a Colonel?

It’s insurmountable, immeasurable to calculate how much this institution has given to me and others. When I think of each person’s accomplishments once he or she graduates from Nicholls or retires from here, it’s evident that Nicholls helped contribute to his or her success. And I get to be a part of that.

– Stephanie Verdin Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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Colonel Pride

Campus Makeovers

T

ake a stroll on the Nicholls campus and listen closely. That’s the sound of progress — the sound of construction crews making facility improvements designed to enhance the student experience and provide opportunities for personal and academic achievement. The projects noted here are just a few of the most recent and ongoing

improvements making Nicholls a consistent leader in higher education. – Terry Trahan Jr.

TALBOT HALL

Cost: $8.9 million Funding: State funding and private contributions Expected Completion: Fall 2016 Year Opened: 1970 A Nicholls icon is undergoing a major facelift. Come fall 2016, the Mary M. Danos Theater in Talbot Hall will be a state-of-the-art, ADAaccessible performance venue, outfitted with an expanded lobby and entranceway. The renovation will also include improvements to the building’s roof, two classrooms, campus TV and radio stations, and the addition of over $850,000 in technology to enhance student learning.

The Mary M. Danos Theater is undergoing a technological and structural facelift that will furnish the theater with new seating, curtains, flooring and state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment.

Talbot Hall’s lobby is being expanded to include an indoor staircase and additional crowd space.

Talbot Hall, opened in 1970, is getting a revamped exterior complete with updated lighting, landscaping and park benches.

Conquering nursing certification exams

POINTS 6 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

National test results confirm that Nicholls has one of Louisiana’s strongest nursing departments. In 2014, 91.96 percent of Nicholls undergraduate nursing students passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses on their first attempt, surpassing the state and national average. In May, all nine students graduating in the first Nicholls class of the Master of Science in Nursing program passed their national certification exam to become board-certified family nurse practitioners.

ELLENDER HALL

Cost: $3.6 million Funding: Student-generated fees Expected Completion: Spring 2017 Year Opened: 1967 Nicholls is getting rid of its 1960s-style communal showers and embarking on a three-phase renovation plan designed to give Ellender Hall a much-needed makeover. Renovations to the six-story housing facility began in December 2014 and will focus on two floors each spring. Phase one, completed in 2015, included the first and sixth floors. Phase two will update floors four and five, while phase three will conclude the renovations on floors two and three. Once renovations are complete, all student rooms will feature private bathrooms, new flooring, double-insulated windows and a fresh coat of paint. In addition, the lobby’s windows and restrooms have been updated.

Ellender Hall’s renovated lobby features updated lounge furniture, restrooms and windows.

GOUAUX HALL

Cost: $250,000+ Funding: State funding and industry contributions Completion: August 2015 Year Opened: 1981 When the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute moved out of Gouaux Hall and into the new Ledet Culinary Arts Building, the Department of Petroleum Engineering Technology and Safety Management saw an opportunity to renovate the vacant space. Gouaux Hall renovations, included three classrooms, updated LED lighting, new flooring and ceilings, and technology upgrades designed for PETSM students. The hall’s entryway has already received a facelift with a courtyard featuring stained concrete, landscaping and park benches. Future plans include the addition of labs designed for well control and drilling simulation as well as process safety management.

Gouaux Hall’s recent renovations expanded classrooms, updated LED

lighting, installed new flooring and ceilings, and equipped rooms with technology upgrades designed for petroleum engineering technology and safety management students.

Greek renaissance

The number of Nicholls students joining Greek organizations has been skyrocketing in recent years. This fall set a Nicholls record with 185 women going through sorority recruitment. Just 10 years ago, an entire chapter may have had about 50 women. Now, sororities have that many new members each fall. Due to growing interest, Nicholls has started the extension process to add a fourth sorority to campus. Today, about 650 Nicholls students are active members of Greek organizations.

Quality of business programs reaffirmed

Since 1983, the Nicholls College of Business Administration has been among the top programs in the world, and that distinction continues. In March, the College of Business and its accounting program went through a successful review process and received reaccreditation from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). The hallmark of excellence in business education, AACSB accreditation is earned by fewer than 5 percent of the world’s business programs.

Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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Colonel Pride

MEET THE NEW FACES OF NICHOLLS ALEX ARCENEAUX

DR. NEAL WEAVER

HOMETOWN: Welsh, Louisiana

HOMETOWN: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

PREVIOUS POSITION: Registrar at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington

PREVIOUS POSITION: Vice president for institutional advancement at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas

ATTRACTION TO NICHOLLS: “Nicholls was always in the back of my mind. I knew a few Nicholls employees and had cousins who attended Nicholls. It wasn’t that different from my previous institutions, and I saw that the university was offering strong programs that had the potential to do very well. Weather was also a factor; nine months of gray clouds in Washington didn’t bode well for me.”

ATTRACTION TO NICHOLLS: “Nicholls has a beautiful campus with dedicated people and a real connection to the needs of the community.

But Nicholls is not perfect, and people here were saying, ‘Let’s try something different.’ I like to be innovative and believe there’s a better, more efficient and effective way to do higher education, so I was looking for a place that would be willing to try new things. As the saying goes, ‘To catch lightning in a bottle, you have to be willing to stand in the rain.’”

Chief of Staff

Vice President for University Advancement

APPROACH TO NEW POSITION: “My role is to coordinate and integrate university processes and policies and look for ways to make them more efficient and effective. My style is to approach each project collaboratively by bringing together the key individuals who have insight into an issue and can help solve a problem. During my first Faculty Senate meeting, I was asked to look into electronic time sheets for faculty, who were still using paper forms. I saw this as an inefficiency and met with faculty, the CFO, the controller’s office, payroll and IT staff to coordinate the online migration of faculty timesheets.

Within months, we had pulled together to make it happen.”

FUN FACT: Ran for political office (Welsh Town Council) at age 21 — and lost, a “blessing in disguise” leading to a career in higher education

APPROACH TO NEW POSITION: “My philosophy is to get as many people as possible focused around the ideas and programs that can improve the university.

Sometimes those ideas come from within the university, and sometimes they come from donors. The goal is to start conversations with people about how they can help Nicholls grow enrollment, hire faculty, develop programs that make a local impact and bring in students from farther away so that they stay here and boost the economy. When we have these conversations with donors, they understand how they can get involved and leave a legacy.”

FUN FACT: Was a New York Jets free-agent placekicker for “not long enough”; one of his three sons, Brett, is on the Colonels basketball team

8 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

DR. LYNN GILLETTE

RONNIE RODRIGUEZ

HOMETOWN: Courtland, Virginia

HOMETOWN: Slidell, Louisiana

PREVIOUS POSITION: President at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nevada

PREVIOUS POSITION: Vice chancellor for business and administrative affairs at Delgado Community College in New Orleans

ATTRACTION TO NICHOLLS: “What I saw before I interviewed, during my interview and every day since is an incredible focus on students and student learning. Nicholls offers extraordinary, high-quality academic programs with great faculty that have amazing academic and professional credentials. The leadership team that Dr. Murphy has assembled is impressive and exciting. Also, this is overwhelmingly the friendliest place I’ve ever been. Frankly, Thibodaux takes hospitality to a level that I didn’t know existed.”

ATTRACTION TO NICHOLLS: “I attended Nicholls before and after being activated for Operation Desert Storm. The people at this university treated me so well before, during and after my tour of duty, and that always stuck with me. In addition to Nicholls, I attended the University of New Orleans and graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, so I had a history with the Louisiana higher education system. After 22 years of working in government accounting for school boards, state agencies and higher education, I thought that returning to Nicholls would be a great opportunity to give back to the university that had been so supportive of me as a student.”

Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

APPROACH TO NEW POSITION: “My leadership and management approach is to build a great, tight relationship with the deans so they are action-oriented and moving fast. We’ll be aggressive and entrepreneurial in developing new programs, such as bringing back criminal justice and computer science and looking at many more areas. We already have task forces looking at how to make Nicholls Online more robust and how to assess and reward prior learning.

The deans and I are also working on being able to better articulate the quality of our academic programs and the benefits to students.”

FUN FACT: Grew up on a working farm with an identical twin, Bob; both brothers played baseball at the University of Richmond and earned doctorates in economics from Texas A&M University

Chief Financial Officer

APPROACH TO NEW POSITION: “Teamwork is key as we adapt to the changing financial environment. Our system office is working to stabilize our state funding, but the rest is up to us to work together and be forwardthinking. In this day and age, we need to look at more innovative approaches and find other ways and efficiencies. We’re considering sustainability models that could create energy cost savings and examining more flexible options for student payment plans. We’ve also assembled a great group of people from across campus to review the budget and create more transparency.”

FUN FACT: Shot archery and hung out with rock star Ted Nugent one afternoon at a Raceland archery shop while Nugent taped a video in support of Operation Desert Storm troops Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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Colonel Pride Nicholls by the Numbers:

RESTORING THE COASTLINE By 2050, an area nearly the size of Rhode Island will be under water if Louisiana’s coastal land loss continues at its current rate. As the closest university to the Louisiana coast, Nicholls is determined to be a part of the solution. Here’s a snapshot of the impact that Nicholls biology faculty and students have made in the past two years:

OVER 16,000

coastal plants grown and harvested at the Nicholls Farm

20,515

shrubs, grasses and trees planted in coastal habitats

3,000

linear feet of dune restored on Fourchon Beach

1 acre of marsh newly restored on East Raccoon Island

15 sand live oaks planted on East Raccoon Island, forming a nesting bird habitat

2,742 POUNDS of trash removed during beach sweep on Elmer’s Island

1,500-PLUS service

hours contributed by 240 volunteers to restoration projects

8 collaborative partners

including Shell Oil, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Wisner Foundation

On the Hunt for Floral Diversity

“I

t’s all about attraction.

It’s all about sex.”

That’s how Dr. Jane Carlson, assistant professor of biological sciences at Nicholls, sums up the role of evolution in flowers, the botanist’s primary research focus.

Flowers are pretty for a reason, she says. Their main purpose is to attract pollinators needed to fertilize plants.

But why does so much diversity exist in plants?

This past summer, Carlson, a native of upstate New York, set out to find an answer to that question in the fields of South Africa, where the protea is as abundant as the Louisiana iris in Southern wetlands. She knew exactly what she was looking for — she had been studying protea for eight years and had been to South Africa several times before — but this time her research was sponsored by a National Geographic grant and she was able to bring along three Nicholls biology students to gain valuable field experience. What Carlson learned is that a scientist never stops learning.

“People are influenced by evolution every day and are benefiting from our increased understanding of evolution,” she says.

Carlson’s office isn’t filled with sketches of ape becoming man; rather, her walls paint a picture of floral diversity courtesy of natural selection, with a few South African tapestries and folk art souvenirs thrown in for a touch of culture.

While it is true that Louisiana’s Bayou Region offers an entire Sportsman’s Paradise of plants waiting to be studied, the botanist says South Africa’s climate produces the perfect conditions for growing thousands of species, including the protea, that

10 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

Assistant Biology Professor Dr. Jane Carlson has an obsession with pink — as it relates to protea flowers. The botanist has been traveling to South Africa to conduct National Geographic-sponsored research on why pink seems to be the protea’s natural insect repellent. Photo by Chris Carlson

help to answer some of the toughest questions proposed by evolution.

For example, Carlson studies flower color differences, similar to differences in human eye and hair color. She is trying to understand what current environmental factors cause diversity in plants and examining patterns of color to understand the relationship between pigment production and evolution.

“Red and pink flowers, for instance, are most common in locations with high populations of insect pests,” Carlson says. “Pink seems to be protecting the flowers from the insects. This could mean there is natural selection for pink to be more common, but I’ve never actually tested it.”

Carlson compares her hypothesis to similar research on why humans living farther from the equator tend to have blue eyes and those living near 0 degrees latitude tend to have brown eyes. It all goes back to building convincing evidence for natural selection.

Back home, when not analyzing her field notes on protea, Carlson turns her attention to the native hibiscus, which can be used for wetlands restoration projects. The botanist grows the plants at the Nicholls Farm and compares them to other species growing naturally north of Louisiana. The goal is to learn which species are best for wetlands restoration.

As the Nicholls scientist continues on her quest to unlock the secrets of floral evolution, she is already planning her next trip to the Mother Continent. She will study protea when she goes, but she has an ulterior motive.

“Bringing students to South Africa is incredible, but bringing South Africa to Nicholls contributes to our university’s mission of expanding our global reach,” Carlson says. “This is a step in the direction of attracting students from other countries. It’s making us part of the world and expanding our horizons.”

– Terry Trahan Jr.

Bass Fishing Team Catches National Attention News flash: Nicholls has an award-winning bass fishing team, and its members are reeling in national attention.

Before collegiate anglers Tyler Rivet and Allyson Marcel left for Lake DuBay in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in early July, few knew the Nicholls Bass Fishing Team existed, much less that the team was having success in local waters. That all changed when Rivet and Marcel appeared a week later on the Web and national TV, grinning cheek to cheek, wearing red and gray jerseys and holding a bag of bass that would put them in first place on day two of the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship.

“LSU was actually the first team to weigh in. They walked up and said, ‘We don’t have any fish, but our fellow Louisiana team does,’” says Marcel, a nursing junior from Houma. “That day, we had the biggest bag in the tournament.”

And the entire country saw it.

Although the fishing duo later surrendered their first-place standing to Texas A&M University and the University of Minnesota, they held on to finish third out of 81 schools. The impressive finish qualified Rivet and Marcel for the individual competition, making Marcel the first female angler to reach that bracket. She was eliminated in the first round, but Rivet reached the semifinals with his catch.

“It was one of the best trips of my life,” says Rivet, a petroleum engineering technology sophomore from Raceland. “You can’t replay that, unless you go again.”

The nearly two dozen members of the Nicholls Bass Fishing Team, along with their sponsor, Alyson Theriot, assistant professor of education, are already planning to participate in the next Bassmaster and Fishing League Worldwide tournaments. Their eyes are set on drawing enough attention to host a regional competition at Nicholls and invite nearly 400 collegiate anglers to Sportsman’s Paradise, an attainable goal that would have seemed out of reach when Rivet established the team two years ago.

The lifelong angler discovered collegiate fishing while in high school and was headed for LSU to join the school’s bass fishing team. When Rivet learned about the opportunity to study petroleum engineering technology in his own backyard at Nicholls, he enrolled as a Colonel but vowed to start a fishing team at the university. He rallied the support of a few friends, secured Theriot as a sponsor and led his first Nicholls Bass Fishing Team meeting just a month into his first freshman semester.

“This all started because I just wanted to fish in college,” Rivet says.

“Once you fish collegiately, you’re hooked.” – Terry Trahan Jr. Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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Colonel Pride

Colonels Out of the Country To successfully prepare students for today’s global economy, Nicholls State University has expanded its reach well beyond the banks of Bayou Lafourche.

Through study abroad programs, mission trips, research initiatives and unique travel opportunities,

CUBA In September 2015, shortly after Cuba and the U.S. reopened their embassies, President Bruce Murphy joined 15 other U.S. university administrators on a presidential mission trip to Cuba, organized by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities to establish international educational partnerships.

Nicholls continues to explore ways to recruit international students and expose local students to other cultures.

12 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

Costa Rica The most popular destination for Nicholls study abroad, Costa Rica is a culturally vibrant classroom for students from the College of Business Administration, Department of Languages and Literature, and the University Honors Program.

Brazil In January 2015, the Nicholls Camerata student string ensemble performed as the Orchestra-in-Residence at the prestigious International Music Festival of Santa Catarina.

England University Honors students have the unique opportunity to live on the University of Plymouth campus while exploring British historical sites. Best of all, the program is nearly free to students. See page 54 for story about this program’s benefactor.

France Nicholls has partnered with the National World War II Museum in New Orleans to offer a summer trip to Normandy for college students and history enthusiasts interested in touring European battlefields with experienced Nicholls history faculty.

France The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute is the only U.S. member of the prestigious Institut Paul Bocuse Worldwide Alliance and sends three students to study culinary arts in France each summer.

Europe Nicholls Europe is Louisiana’s second-oldest international study program, offering students and community members the chance to travel and study in various European countries.

China Each May, Dr. En Mao, associate professor of computer information systems, leads a 10-day trip to China, where students explore the world’s second-largest economy through tours of Hyundai Motors Factory, the Ministry of Commerce and multinational businesses as well as cultural sites.

Jordan Dr. Richmond Eustis, assistant professor of English and Spanish, was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach courses at the University of Jordan for the 2015-16 academic year.

South Africa In June, three students joined Dr. Jane Carlson, assistant biology professor, on a research trip to Cape Town, South Africa, to study plant diversity through a National Geographic Society grant. See story on page 10.

RECRUITING INTERNATIONALLY THROUGH EDISON CHOUEST As Nicholls strives to increase international student enrollment and Edison Chouest Offshore continues to build its worldwide workforce of 14,000 employees in over a dozen countries, a recent partnership between the two organizations strengthens both initiatives. In May, Nicholls and Chouest announced that out-of-state and international Chouest employees and their family members will have the opportunity to attend Nicholls for the same price as Louisiana residents. Nicholls will waive international/out-of-state fees for eligible students and provide them with opportunities for internships and networking. The partnership has already attracted three students to Nicholls this fall from Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, and Florida.

Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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Colonel Pride

Nicholls Education Program Save the Date Produces Award-winning Teachers

October 7 Career Day 8-11 Nicholls Players production of “Two Rooms” 17 Nicholls Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony, Home Football Game vs. Houston Baptist 26-27 Bayou Region Business Institute 31 Family Day, Home Football Game vs. Northwestern State November 5 Marie Fletcher Lecture Series 7 Colonel Day 9 Nicholls Foundation Dinner 11 Veterans Day Ceremony 12 Bite of the Arts 14 Senior Day, Home Football Game vs. Central Arkansas 14 Thibodeauxville Fall Festival 15 International Student Banquet December 4 Chamber Singers Christmas Dinner 10 Nursing Pinning Ceremony 11-12 Commencement January 20 Stuff Stopher Women’s Basketball Game vs.

Northwestern State 25 Stuff Stopher Men’s Basketball Game vs.

Northwestern State February 13 Baseball Alumni Day and First Pitch Banquet March 2 7 9 16 17

Home Baseball Game vs. LSU Alumni Golf Classic Alumni Awards for Excellence Ceremony Etiquette Dinner Greek Songfest

Visit nicholls.edu/calendar for more details on upcoming events.

L

ocal classrooms are filled with Nicholls-trained educators, many of whom have been recognized as among the best in the region. In the Lafourche Parish School District, 27 of this year’s 28 Teacher of the Year honorees are Nicholls graduates. In 2014, all 28 of the parish’s top teachers had earned their degrees from Nicholls.

The recognition has even extended beyond local school districts — Summer Skarke (BA ’99), an eighthgrade English and reading teacher at Lacache Middle School in Terrebonne Parish, was named 2016 Louisiana Middle School Teacher of the Year.

“I always had a hunger for learning, but Nicholls gave me the tools and support I needed to instill that love for learning in my own classroom,” Skarke says. “The motivation, encouragement and critiques from my professors still remain with me today.”

Nicholls remains the largest producer of local teachers — over 80 percent of Bayou Region educators are Nicholls graduates, with Lafourche Parish relying on the university to supply over 90 percent of its teachers.

“The College of Education works collaboratively with the parish to help enhance the skills of our teachers so we can continuously supply our classrooms with highly qualified educators,” says Dr. Jo Ann Matthews (BS ’85, MEd ’96), superintendent of Lafourche Parish schools. “These teachers are very knowledgeable and well versed in curriculum and teaching strategies.”

Dr. Leslie Jones (BS ’91, MEd ’92), dean of the College of Education, credits her faculty’s real-world experience and program’s partnerships with local schools for providing Nicholls education graduates with the tools they need to achieve continued success in their field.

“Our faculty members have

14 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

Nicholls education alumna Summer Skarke (BA ’99) was named 2016 Louisiana Middle School Teacher of the Year. She is an eighth-grade English and reading teacher at Lacache Middle School in Chauvin.

practical experience and bring a high level of enthusiasm to the classroom,” Jones says. “Our education majors begin observing and teaching lessons in local school districts at the sophomore level. When they make that key transition to a career in K-12 schools, valuable experience is already there.”

To remain a leader in professional development, the College of Education adapts to changes in student populations. As the modern student becomes increasingly tech-savvy, for example, education

instructors are creating classroom environments that reflect this new style of learning.

“As times change, there’s a need for our educators to remain current,” Jones says. “We work with our district partners to identify these needs. This gives us an opportunity to model at such a high level, which attracts a higher level of student. Consistently producing top teachers of the year confirms and provides reinforcement to what we’re doing, and serves as a great motivator for Nicholls to remain a leader in education.” – Terry Trahan Jr.

Gettin’ Techie with It

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rowing up, Dr. Cynthia Vavasseur mastered her multiplication tables and read literary classics in an ordinary classroom filled with wooden desks, educational posters and a chalk-stained blackboard that disappeared in a cloud of dust with each clap of the eraser.

Years later, in the 21st century, chalk dust is no longer needed to make a blackboard disappear — technology has done a good job of that. Now Vavasseur is teaching future educators how to use the rapidly evolving technology that is reshaping the modern classroom.

Vavasseur, associate professor of education at Nicholls and selfprofessed “tech nerd,” says she has never taught two semesters the same way because educational technology — her research focus — is everchanging. The rising significance of technology in the classroom means all Nicholls education majors must take at least three hours of educational technology their sophomore year so they understand how to best communicate with today’s students. Nicholls is one of only two universities in Louisiana to offer a Master of Education in educational technology, instructed entirely online.

“When I got here in 2008, we had

a lab full of PCs that were from a grant but hanging on by a thread.

The lab has been replaced twice, now with a mix of Macs and PCs so our students get experience using both,” says Dr. V, as her students call her.

“We also received a grant to equip every classroom with interactive whiteboards so our future educators will know what they are doing when they get their own classrooms. The modern classroom just doesn’t exist without technology.”

To address this instructional need, Vavasseur teamed up with Associate Professor Dr. Frances Crochet (AS ’81, BA ’83, MEd ’88) to develop the Technology Assisted Reading Interventions project, which has equipped an entire education classroom with iPads.

The technology was funded by one of 14 Board of Regents grants that Nicholls received in 2014, totaling $1 million in faculty research and community outreach projects.

“The project allows education majors to use specific apps on the iPads to instruct small groups and go one-on-one with kids who are struggling in reading,” Vavasseur says. “This allows all of our candidates to have one-on-one training for teaching in settings where every student has an iPad. They need to be ready for that.”

Associate Education Professor Dr. Cynthia Vavasseur, far right, demonstrates the use of educational technology, which all Nicholls student teachers must incorporate into lesson planning. Three of Lafourche Parish’s instructional technology directors are graduates of the College of Education’s master’s program.

Because educational technology evolves so rapidly, Vavasseur, who in 2012 was named one of the Top 50 Innovators in Education by the Center for Digital Education, works diligently to keep up with the field’s latest advancements. Flipped learning, for example, encourages students to brush up on readings and lectures as homework so interactive learning can take place in the classroom, while augmented reality apps on tablets bring lessons to life, such as a 3-D, interactive periodic table of elements. This past summer, Vavasseur invited graduate assistant Sara Dempster (BS ’13) to join her at the International Society for Technology in Education’s annual conference so she could get a firsthand look at these techniques

being implemented.

“It’s all about giving the students more hands-on experience,” Dempster says. “With technology, students make deeper connections with the things they are learning.

Great teachers figure out the best ways to use the technology for the students.”

Vavasseur smiles, knowing she is getting through to her “ed tech” students.

“Nicholls is producing some incredible educators who are ready for the changes in technology,” she says. “But it’s important to remember that technology is not the teacher. Technology is the vessel.

You still have to be an effective teacher. The tech is only as good as the teacher.” – Terry Trahan Jr.

Nicholls Stocks Team Paying Dividends

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he Nicholls finance program is full of bull — in the world of stocks, that’s a good thing. Last February, for the third time in four years, College of Business faculty Dr. John LaJaunie and Dr. Shari Lawrence led a rising team of five finance students — Dane Granier, Elizabeth Hoerner, Samundra Kharel, Tiffany Lefort-Durocher and Joseph McClelland — to compete in the finals of the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Research Challenge held in Houston, Texas. The challenge requires teams to analyze

an assigned company and provide a buy-sell-hold recommendation on the company’s stock. In 2014, Nicholls competed against 23 other schools including LSU, Tulane University, the University of Texas and Texas A&M University, and the Colonels placed second — outscoring all teams except Rice University. – Terry Trahan Jr.

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Colonel Pride Whatcha Got Cookin’?

GRIDIRON GRUB with Chef Marcelle Bienvenu, instructor

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et’s be honest, campus life in the fall is all about football Saturdays — parking the truck outside the stadium, covering the tailgate in Colonel red and firing up the grill with fellow fanatics.

When I’m in charge of the tailgating menu, I keep it simple. With a little planning and prep work, all that’s left to do is pack up the ol’ picnic basket, fill the ice chest and head out to Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium.

Cajun Party Burger Servings: 4 or 8 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 4 pickled jalapeños, chopped 1 tablespoon minced onions 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons hot sauce 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2 cup dry, fine Italian breadcrumbs 2 eggs 1 round bread, like Vienna or sourdough, 10-12 inches in diameter, halved lengthwise 2 tablespoons butter, melted 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated 4 large lettuce leaves 1 large tomato, sliced mayonnaise Dijon mustard

Combine the ground beef, jalapeños, onions, garlic, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, breadcrumbs and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Once the ground beef mixture has chilled, remove the mixture from the refrigerator and heat the grill. Shape the mixture into a large patty, about 1-inch larger than your round bread and 1 1/2 inches thick.

Place the patty on the grill over medium heat and close the lid. Cook for 20 minutes on one side, then turn it and cook for another 20 minutes.

Butter each half of the bread. Place the bread halves (inside of the bread down) on the grill and toast for 3-4 minutes.

Remove both the burger patty and bread from the grill. Place the burger on the bottom half of the bread. Dress the burger with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise and mustard. Top with the top half of the bread; press down firmly, but gently. Cut into wedges to serve.

When not teaching in the kitchens of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, Chef Marcelle Bienvenu enjoys writing cookbooks and food columns.

Offer a buffet at your next Colonel tailgate. Additional recipes for muffulettas and Mexican cheesecake are available at nicholls.edu/culinary.

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FIND OFFICIALLY LICENSED

COLONELS CLOTHING & APPAREL AT THESE LOCAL RETAILERS

Bed Bath & Beyond

Johnny’s Men’s Shop

Three Stitches

Thibodaux

Thibodaux

Birdsall Jewelry

Mary’s Embroidery

Tiger T’s

Thibodaux

Thibodaux

Nicholls Bookstore

Rouses Supermarket

Walmart Thibodaux and Houma

CVS

Sports Avenue

Walgreens Thibodaux

Houma

Thibodaux

Thibodaux

Thibodaux

Thibodaux and Houma

Houma and Slidell

Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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The Red Zone COLONEL FAN OUTLOOK:

Top Things to Anticipate for Nicholls Athletics in 2015-16 Nicholls vs. LSU baseball returns to Didier Field for rematch

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ebruary 2015 was a particularly sweet month for Colonel baseball fans. After beating American East favorite Stony Brook twice at home, the Colonels traveled to the much-revered Alex Box Stadium — and dominated the No. 4-ranked LSU Tigers. The 6-3 upset generated much fan enthusiasm, which will come in handy when LSU treks to Thibodaux for a rematch at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 2.

“It’s been five years since LSU played at Didier Field, so we’re excited to be able to bring a big rivalry game to this region,” says head Coach Seth Thibodeaux. “It benefits the school and the program to host as many great games and opponents as we can.”

Nicholls recruits ESPN New Orleans and Walk-On’s Bistreaux

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alk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar may have been started by two purpleand-gold-wearing basketball players, but the restaurant’s newest location in Houma is proudly sporting some Colonel red and gray. On Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., the popular sports bar becomes home to the Tim Rebowe Show, the coach’s official radio show on ESPN New Orleans 100.3 FM KLRZ. This August, Nicholls announced a partnership establishing KLRZ as the flagship station for all 11 Colonel football games this season. In addition

to game coverage, the live weekly show from Walk-On’s, hosted by Ken Friedlander (BA ’70) and Bryant Johnson, will feature interviews with Colonel coaches and players plus discussions with Rebowe.

“To be associated with ESPN New Orleans and Walk-On’s, the No. 1 sports bar in the country, provides a great opportunity for us to get out to our fan base in Houma and beyond,” says Brandon Ruttley (BS ’05), associate athletics director for external affairs. “For Nicholls athletics to be branded with these two major entities is incredible.”

Stopher Gym gets stuffed – twice

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he crowd makes all the difference. As fans packed the gym for last year’s Stuff Stopher game, they were treated to a nice victory over the University of New Orleans along with a killer one-handed dunk from JaMarkus Horace. The stellar play sent the crowd into an uproar and attracted the attention of ESPN. Men’s basketball fans will fill the seats again at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25 for the 2016 Stuff Stopher game against Northwestern State. The Colonel women’s team, led by 2015 Southland Co-Head Coach of the Year DoBee Plaisance, will host its must-see Stuff Stopher game against Northwestern State at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 20.

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$5 million of renovations begin on Colonel baseball park

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n just a few years, the Colonel baseball complex will be considered one of the best in the league, thanks to $5 million of state and private funding for Didier Field renovations.

Best of all, fans won’t have to wait long to start seeing improvements.

The original press box, which had long been outgrown, has already been moved to the Nicholls Soccer Field to make room for a new, elevated press box and hospitality suite with a concession stand on the ground floor. An upgraded sound system and new field lighting will be installed before the 2016 season opener.

This summer, the next renovation phase is expected to begin with construction of a field house for baseball operations and a roof over the main grandstand. Additional plans include enclosing the hitting cages to create an indoor facility, building a new park entrance and adding landscaping.

“The ambitious renovation plans show that our school and administration are completely committed to helping Nicholls baseball be the best we can be,” says head Coach Seth Thibodeaux. “The improvements will bring tons of pride to guys who have played here, but they will really be a game changer in recruiting. These plans will make our facilities among the top in the league.”

Stopher Gym gets new video scoreboard, locker rooms

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he 1960s-era Stopher Gymnasium is no longer the outdated facility that fans and players once remembered. Men’s basketball locker rooms, lounges and coaches’ offices have been renovated. The athletic training room has been relocated to a larger location to accommodate more training tables and equipment. And

most recently, new scoreboards have been installed along with a 27-foot high-definition video board. Next on the agenda are extensive renovations to the volleyball locker rooms and offices. Slowly, Stopher — once built for physical education courses — is morphing into an athletics facility that Colonels can take great pride in.

Nicholls golf gets second swing at Atchafalaya tournament

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he Nicholls men’s golf team went more than 30 years without hosting a local collegiate tournament. Now, the Colonels are looking to host their second-annual Atchafalaya Intercollegiate at Idlewild Golf Course in Patterson. Last year’s inaugural event attracted eight teams from across the country to take on the par-72, 7,398-yard course. This season’s tournament on Feb. 22 and 23 is expected to draw a dozen teams including South Dakota State, University of Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota State, Central Arkansas and Houston Baptist.

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The Red Zone

COLONEL CHAMPS Stephanie Barnett The Aussie Ace

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ame an athletics award, and there is a good chance Nicholls tennis standout Stephanie Barnett received it in 2015. Player of the Week.

Check. Player of the Year. Yep, three. Student-Athlete of the Year? You bet.

Barnett not only raked in all of these individual awards last season but also carried the Nicholls women’s tennis team to new heights. After leading the Colonels to the postseason for the first time since 1999, Barnett’s second year lifted Nicholls to a program-record 20 victories, a share of the Southland regular season title — the program’s first in 20 years and second in school history — and an appearance in the Southland Tournament Finals. Not bad for someone who was recruited online.

Like with most international student-athletes, YouTube and Skype are what connected Barnett, a native of Melbourne, Australia, to Nicholls tennis head coach Meenakshi Sundaram.

“Coach Meenakshi contacted me and said he was looking to build the Nicholls tennis team. I hadn’t heard of Nicholls but saw the invitation to play here as an opportunity to get a great education in the States,” says the elementary education junior. “Coach showed interest in my skills and wanted to help me improve my game.”

Barnett enjoyed some success as a freshman by posting a 15-6 record in singles — splitting her time on the No. 1 and 2 courts — and went on to be named Second Team All-Southland. In 2015, she worked hard to perfect her swing and dominated the opposition with an 18-3 mark in singles, playing all but one match at No. 1 and going undefeated in conference with an 11-0 record.

The tennis champ’s play didn’t go unnoticed, as she was named Player of the Year by the Southland Conference, Louisiana Sports Writers Association and Nicholls.

Barnett also garnered Southland Women’s Tennis Student-Athlete of the Year for her combined success on the court and in the classroom.

One thing missing from Barnett’s trophy case is a conference championship ring. Last season, the Colonels came up short in the SLC Tournament with an upset loss in the finals.

“It was one of the hardest losses I’ve ever had,” Barnett says. “It definitely puts it into perspective of how big a deal it is and makes you want it even more.” – Jamie Bustos

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Spencer Valdespino The ‘Forward’ Thinker

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enior forward Spencer Valdespino is the most decorated athlete in the history of Nicholls soccer — and one of the most decorated athletes in school history. The Florida native’s outstanding performance could be the pride of any university, but she chose to be a Colonel. When head Coach Dylan Harrison called to recruit her, she had just one question.

“I asked for a picture of the dorms,” Valdespino says. “As soon as I saw you could have a private door, two people to a bathroom and upgrade to an on-campus apartment, I knew instantly I would be going to Nicholls.”

The once-shy freshman, overlooked by many schools because of her stature, has come out of her shell after three years of consistently garnering national attention for Nicholls athletics.

“I’ve been able to grow into a leadership role, especially for the younger players who are coming in,” Valdespino says. “I can vocalize myself a little more at practices because each year I’ve gained more confidence in myself to give advice and help others.”

What hasn’t changed is Valdespino’s loose, humorous personality, both on and off the field. It’s part of her strategy to reduce negative stress and keep her nerves at bay. Staying in shape is also an essential part of her game plan.

“I really enjoy going for walks and bike rides. It’s how I get away for a bit,” she says. “I throw some earbuds in and jam to some Broadway musical playlists.”

A soccer player for life, Valdespino never stops seeking to build on her past successes. The senior has set the bar high: 2014 All-Southland First Team, Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s 2013 Player of the Year and Nicholls career record holder for goals scored, shots attempted, gamewinning goals and points per game, among countless other achievements.

Performing at a high level is nothing new for the star athlete. As an eighth-grader, she made the national finals of the NFL’s Punt, Pass and Kick competition, finishing first in the nation in her age group and second overall.

As Valdespino enters her final season as a Colonel, she is keeping her options open come graduation in May. Playing soccer professionally is high on her short list, as is becoming a sports journalist for her favorite teams like the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Cubs.

“I really don’t want to start my life in the real world just yet,” Valdespino says, “but if for some reason soccer doesn’t work out, being an athlete has taught me time management and how to multitask — and I hear there is a lot of that in the real world.” – Zachary Carlton Colonel football players high-five senior soccer forward Spencer Valdespino during her victory lap after tying the school record for career goals. Valdespino broke the record Aug. 30, when she scored her 34th career goal against Southern University.

Photo by Jamie Bustos

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The Red Zone

New Announcer Brings Voice Plus Video to Colonel Nation

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Nicholls play-by-play announcer Bryant Johnson kicks back in the John L. Guidry Stadium press box. Johnson is in his first year capturing every moment of Colonel athletics action.

22 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

nlike traditional play-by-play announcers, Bryant Johnson won’t confine himself to the radio booth. The new assistant athletics director for communications hopes to become known among Nicholls fans as the Voice — and the Face — of the Colonels.

“I don’t know that there’s another job like this in the country,” the Orange, California, native says. “Nicholls has really given me the opportunity to carve out my own niche.”

When he’s not calling games on the airwaves, Johnson is on the sideline, in the locker room and at practice videoing interviews with Colonel student-athletes and coaches.

Throughout the week, he posts short video features as well as game recaps that combine video footage with audio from his radio broadcast. A collection of his best videos is pooled into a 30-minute Colonel football show airing on WHNO-Channel 20 on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. during football season.

“Nobody got into play-by-play to carry a camera and edit film, but younger broadcasters are starting to approach this as a hybrid job,” Johnson says. “This generation is used to behind-the-scenes footage and short video bursts. I can take advantage of the access I get from traveling with the team and then share that with fans.”

Johnson spent the past five years as the director of sports broadcasting at KSPK-FM/TV in southern Colorado, where he called more than 100 football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, softball and lacrosse games each year for Adams State University. But the allure of announcing for a Division I program drew him to Nicholls.

“It’s rare to find a full-time broadcasting opportunity for a Division I program,” he says. “I would have been willing to move anywhere, but Nicholls had so many attractive qualities — the rebirth of its football program, established success in baseball and a basketball program that literally plays everywhere in the country.”

For Johnson, what’s most fulfilling about college announcing is feeling like a part of the team and watching student-athletes experience the lows and highs of trying to master a sport in a limited time. As far as his play-byplay style, Johnson describes it as energetic, passionate, observant and detail-oriented.

“When people listen to a broadcast, they want to feel like they’re there,” Johnson says. “Sports rewards the person who’s most prepared, so I take a coach’s mentality in doing my research and watching film in preparation for a game. But you can’t script anything on game day. That’s why it’s so intoxicating.” – Stephanie Verdin

NICHOLLS BASKETBALL Season Tickets Now on Sale Starting at $75 Season ticket purchases include ALL men’s AND women’s home games for the entire year.

To purchase your season tickets, visit WWW.GEAUXCOLONELS.COM or call Tyler Knowles at 985.448.4790.

GROUP TICKETS: Fans interested in purchasing group tickets can visit the ticket office in Barker Hall, call 985.448.4790 or email tyler.knowles@nicholls.edu.

Groups must purchase 20 or more tickets in order to take advantage of the ticket price discount. Groups only pay $5 per ticket, as opposed to our regular selling price of $7. Groups will also be recognized over our public address system during the game.

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24 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

First-year head Coach Tim Rebowe ushers in a new era of Colonel football

by Terry Trahan Jr. photos by Misty Leigh McElroy Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 | 25

with a trip to the playoffs in 1996 after finishing the prior season 0-11. The good news is that Rebowe has the formula for repeat success: He has built and maintained relationships with retired coaches, like Nicholls’ first football head Coach Bill Clements, who still drop in and share a few pointers. He has built key relationships with Louisiana high school coaches, allowing him to recruit 26 players — all from Louisiana — and LSU transfers as part of his first signing class. Perhaps most importantly, he has built lasting relationships with his players, who Coach Tim Rebowe draws X’s and O’s while drafting a game plan for the new era of Colonel show their respect for him with a no-quit attitude football. The first-year head coach is focusing his immediate efforts on recruiting promising on the gridiron. Rebowe knows his veteran players local talent and building interpersonal relationships with his players and coaches. finished the 2014 season feeling discouraged, but he also knows what caliber of leadership is needed to im Rebowe makes his way down make eye contact, and the coach walks over to his motivate a discouraged team to put the past behind them and focus on the task at hand. the Fan Day meet-and-greet line, biggest little fans. His signature puts the finishing The proof is in returning players from the stopping every couple of feet to touch on the day’s most valuable works of art. winless 2014 roster buying the “all in” attitude meet a player’s family for the “I had never seen that before — it was a pretty first time or to reconnect with a special experience,” Rebowe says. “That kid is going that Rebowe and his staff are selling. In 2015, being “all in” means honoring the Colonel Code of Nicholls staffer from the mid-90s to remember that and come to the games in the Commitment: Be accountable, compete, be positive, when he coached defensive backs future. That’s how you build up a great fan base.” adapt and find a way. and special teams under Coach “We refer to it as ‘the code,’ and our players Darren Barbier. For the first-year ll n uilding elationships know it,” Rebowe says. “It’s a set of core values head coach, interacting with the that we try to live by. It’s for everyday life, not just community is just as important as finding a way to on the football field. I truly believe it will help these make a full roster of college guys buy into his 2015 His deep-rooted connection to the Bayou Region is part of what attracted Rebowe, a Norco native, guys even when they’ve moved on from here.” team’s “all in” mantra. to the head coach position at Nicholls.

He has lived It’s this attention to the individual and not just “I’m a people person — that’s my personality. I here. He has coached here. He has achieved success the athlete that has already formed lifelong bonds want to bring this whole Bayou Region community here, having helped produce a winning 8-4 record between the coach and his staff and players. together to be excited about Nicholls football,” Rebowe says. “It’s important that our community gets to know our players underneath those helmets. Trust me, the players love it when kids know who they are.”

Near the right entrance of the stadium, Rebowe stops to do a double take. Six-year-old Trevor LeBlanc and friend Matthew Jimenez are covered in permanent marker from the forehead to the belly button. As their on-field Colonel role models search their arms for available real estate to sign autographs, they locate Rebowe — one of the few names missing on their canvases. The three

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Six-year-old Colonel fan Trevor LeBlanc scores Coach Rebowe’s autograph at Fan Day.

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A I :B

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“Success is about us as coaches getting our guys to trust us and believe in us and leave it on the field for us. This formula can work anywhere if it’s executed properly.”

—Head Coach Tim Rebowe

“One of the things I told the team when I got here — and I tell the coaches all the time — is that one of our goals is to develop some lifelong relationships. I told the players, too, that they have to develop relationships with other guys on the team and with coaches,” Rebowe says. “You know, I’ve coached some great people along the way — not necessarily always star players, but great individuals. Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve had players call and come back because that relationship was built. In fact, I had a player call a while back, a player I coached when I was here in the ’90s, to say, ‘Hey, Coach, I know I can call you any time for anything.’ That’s what this is all about.”

All In: Defining Success Rebowe has been making an impact on the football field since his early days at Destrehan High School, where he has taken the field as both a player and a coach. The 1987 LSU graduate led the coaching staff at Destrehan from 1992–94, when he was recruited

by Barbier to coach defensive backs at Nicholls.

“I had always wanted to coach in college, so I took a shot at it,” Rebowe says. “That first year, I came in with high hopes, and we went 0-11. You never think that could happen. We were

coaching hard, and the kids were buying into it and believing what we were doing. We had a great group of guys that never quit and stuck with it.

The next year, with the same guys and some key transfers, we went 8-4.”

Having been part of the biggest turnaround in FCS history, Rebowe spent six years at Nicholls before joining the staff at the University of Louisiana at Monroe for a brief stint coaching cornerbacks. In 2004, the defensive strategist moved to Lafayette to take on his biggest coaching opportunity to date.

During his 11-year tenure as an assistant coach with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Rebowe watched his star athletes lead national rankings, garner All-Sun Belt recognition and get drafted into the NFL. Under head Coach Mark Hudspeth, he helped the team secure four consecutive New Orleans Bowl victories and win a conference championship.

“Mark was a big inspiration, but I can’t be Mark here at Nicholls. I have to be Tim Rebowe,” the head coach says. “What I can do is take some things I liked from other coaches and take some things I didn’t like and fit them into my coaching personality.

Success is about us as coaches getting our guys to trust us and believe in us and leave it on the field for us. This formula can work anywhere if it’s executed properly.”

All In: Keeping It in Focus A week before the Colonels are set to play their season opener, Rebowe is kicked back behind his desk. It’s Friday afternoon on week one for college football, and the head coach is uncannily relaxed, a platter of boiled shrimp half-peeled and eaten on the table beside him. This is the Rebowe that the coach’s wife, Kim, and two children — Samantha, a project manager at BBR Creative ad agency in Lafayette, and Tyler, a finance senior and former infielder on the Colonel baseball team — know at

TAG-TEAMING Football players and soldiers share a common mission: Protect the home turf when on defense and battle to advance across the trenches when on offense. To accomplish the mission, they must work together. Nicholls President Bruce Murphy and head Coach Tim Rebowe are making sure the 2015 Colonel football team doesn’t forget that.

This season, each man on the roster has been issued a set of dog tags by Murphy, who served 21 years in the U.S. Army. In the military, dog tags mean that a soldier is never forgotten, never alone. At Nicholls, each set of tags is engraved with the player’s name and the team’s “all in” mantra. Before each game, all players toss one of their tags into a helmet and pull out a tag belonging to a teammate, giving each player a set of tags etched with his name and the name of a teammate he is playing for.

“Everybody will be playing for another brother that week,” Rebowe says. “The beauty of it is that a defensive tackle might be playing for an offensive lineman. It’s all about having each other’s back.”

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“Back then, Tim and my family supported me.

Now I get to support Tim.” —Rusty Rebowe

planned, he addresses what he didn’t like and wraps up the coaching opportunity with a one-onone pep talk. When the play does go as planned, he is always there to deliver a high-five, a helmet tap or a hug along with a smile of approval.

“We want these guys to be competitive. Being competitive is being in games and having a chance At the heart of a sideline huddle, Rebowe motivates his team to play “all in” for the season opener against the ULM Warhawks in Monroe, to be successful,” Rebowe says. “Last year, some of his first game as a college football head coach. the games weren’t competitive. It got out of control early, and we have to correct that. At the same time, home. His team has a bye the “If you can recruit in this game, you have a place you can never go in and say how many wins you’re first week of the season, a rare in coaching forever,” Rusty Rebowe says. “And you going to have. Success for us will be measured by opportunity to take a breather from have to learn to be yourself. I believe being himself putting a good, quality product on the field. We’re training camp and spend time with family is what earned Tim this job.” going to play hard, fast and physical and get the before surrendering to a round-the-clock Nicholls Athletics Hall of Famer Rusty Rebowe game to the fourth quarter. At the end of the fourth schedule. was perhaps as close as Nicholls has ever gotten quarter, we’ll look up at the scoreboard and see “We love watching Tim on the field because he’s to the Heisman Trophy. The then 5-foot-10-inch, where we are — then we’ll move on to the next one.” so different from at home. During a game, he’s 210-pound linebacker was never nominated, but For Rebowe and the Colonels, each opportunity all in, but at home he’s not loud at all,” Kim says. most coaches he faced from 1974-77 would likely to suit up and take the field gives them a reason to “Home is his escape.” agree that he should have been. The linebacker “renew” what they are fighting for — pride in their All the coaches and players have been released went on to play professionally as a free agent with school and teammates. The word “renew” made for the weekend, but Rebowe isn’t ready to escape the New Orleans Saints in 1978. Forty years later, such an impression when Rebowe introduced the from his office just yet. He can’t get the magnitude Nicholls defensive players are still trying to reach concept to the campus last spring that the team of the upcoming first season of his head coaching and break his seven school records, including 655 has adopted it as an official slogan for what is career off his mind. career tackles and 23 tackles in a single game. expected to be a new era of Colonel football.

“This is like coming back home for me. I know the “I owe my football career to Nicholls because “Renew is about us moving forward but not area. I know the history of this place,” Rebowe says, the school took a chance on me when other schools forgetting our past traditions,” Rebowe says. staring at a facts sheet featuring an illustration wouldn’t,” Rusty says. “You have to play for someone, “We’re building a new foundation, and we of a former star Colonel — No. 41. “I was here in and I went out there and played for my school, Coach have quality guys who believe in what the ’70s when my brother, Rusty Rebowe, was an Clements and my family. Back then, Tim and my we’re doing. They’re starving for All-American and played football at Nicholls. I was family supported me. Now I get to support Tim.” success and want to see how in high school coming to the games with my dad. far we’ve come — they’re I remember all the great players back then. I’m to see all the All In: Renewing the Competitive Spirit ready trying to get them back involved.” hard work start The Colonels are rebuilding, and Rebowe is relying to pay off.”

As practice for the 2015 season opener gets on his extensive network of experienced coaches underway, Rebowe lines up with his big guys up and past players to help him produce a successful front, spouting off audibles and directing traffic program that will continue to get stronger with each from a defensive mind’s point of view, giving new class of recruits. Some of the best advice he has his O-line the inside information they need to received came from his brother. get their job done. When the play doesn’t go as

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Colonel Spotlight

Michael Henry

The 1,000-Yard Rusher

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ushing for 1,000 yards in a single season is no easy feat for a college running back. Since completing its first full season in 1972, Nicholls football has had only three players reach the milestone: Nakia Lumar (1996), Tuskani Figaro (2013) and last season, Michael Henry.

A native of Baton Rouge, Henry rushed for 1,005 yards as a junior, despite missing one game of the challenging 2014 season. Even with the adversity of going 0-12, Henry believes there were valuable lessons to be learned from last season.

“Football is definitely a game that helps you out with life,” the star running back says. “Going through tough times, it’s not the easiest thing to wake up every morning and come to practice when things are going like that. But at the same time, it made us tougher, mentally stronger and helped us come together.”

A Second Team All-Southland running back last season, Henry has won the praise of both coaching staffs he has played for at Nicholls.

Along with being appointed team captain of every game last season, Henry was selected by first-year head Coach Tim Rebowe to represent the Colonels at this year’s Southland Conference Media Day. “All the guys look to Michael as a team leader,” Rebowe says. “When he’s wearing a Nicholls jersey, he’s giving it all he’s got. He takes time to shake hands and get to know our community — our fans.”

Henry’s dedication carries over to

the classroom as well. The marketing major was recently nominated for the National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Awards, comprised of student-athletes who earn a minimum cumulative 3.2 GPA. While Henry is the one who successfully balances football and academics, he is not shy about giving credit where credit is due.

“That’s something that my mom instilled in me at an early age. I wasn’t allowed to play football unless I had a certain GPA,” Henry says. “And both coaching staffs have been great.

They stress that playing football is not enough — you have to bring more to the table.” – Jamie Bustos

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JUST SKIMMING THE SURFACE A look at Distinguished Service Biology Professor Dr. Raj Boopathy’s career milestones and how he’s inspiring the next generation of scientists

by Terry Trahan Jr. photos by Misty Leigh McElroy 30 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

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icholls biologist Dr. Raj Boopathy knows how to make vinegar from TNT.

He can also turn a staple crop like sugarcane into ethanol fuel. But Boopathy is no Houdini. These chemical changes come only after years of dedicated research, of which the two-time Fulbright Scholar has conducted plenty.

A Professor with a Purpose “Dr. Raj,” as the biology professor’s protégés know him, has spent the past 16 years of his prolific career instructing microbiology and environmental biology courses at Nicholls. Along the way, he has assembled a resumé of graduates who have gone on to become surgeons, veterinarians, marine biologists, doctoral candidates and professors.

“Now being in medical school, I know that Dr. Raj’s teaching and support were critical in my personal and professional development,” says Nicholls alum David Samaha (BS ’13). “He encouraged me as an undergraduate researcher to apply

for scholarships, presentations and competitions that not only strengthened my personal resumé but also garnered national attention for Nicholls.”

At any given time, Boopathy’s research lab in Gouaux Hall is occupied by about seven student lab assistants sharing a good laugh with their mentor as they test variables for their latest projects.

“I’ve always wanted to train future scientists because I believe you learn better if you have a hands-on experience,” Boopathy says. “I try to find students who are interested in research and invite them into my lab.”

In April 2015, Nicholls biology senior Anthony Naquin presented his Boopathy-mentored research at the prestigious Posters on the Hill exhibition held annually in Washington, D.C. Naquin’s research focused on the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes and bacteria in the Thibodaux sewage treatment plant, which serves 15,000

CAUTION: ‘EXPLOSIVE’ RESEARCH AHEAD Nicholls biologist Dr. Raj Boopathy has spent much of his life asking questions about his environment. Fortunately, his questions typically lead to answers with solutions that benefit society. Here are Boopathy’s three favorite research projects that eventually led to unexpected results: TNT = Vinegar The U.S. had a problem: Back during World War II, every state in the country had ammunition manufacturing plants that produced explosives, but no one thought about the contaminating effect on the land. The University of Notre Dame hired Boopathy to figure out how to convert TNT into a harmless product. Thankfully, his research didn’t blow up as he discovered a way to make vinegar using explosive chemicals.

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The Oil Spill Oversight Following the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, few scientists were thinking about the oil that settled on the ocean floor — except Boopathy. He took on the project and learned that anaerobic bacteria (those without oxygen) are capable of eating away the oil with the help of sulfate and some extra time.

Ethanol Production 101 Back when unleaded gas was nearing $4 per gallon, the U.S. Department of Energy tasked Boopathy and biologists from four other Louisiana universities with finding a way to produce ethanol fuel from sugarcane waste.

The $3 million project took seven years, but the research did indeed produce ethanol.

“My hope is that my students learn how to make science apply to the real world. Science has to have a purpose. Proving a concept is good, but what good is it if it doesn’t benefit society?”

— Dr. Raj Boopathy

Distinguished Service Biology Professor Dr. Raj Boopathy and biology senior Richard Grabert of Thibodaux analyze water types in an experiment involving antibioticresistant bacteria.

people in rural southeast Louisiana.

He was one of 60 students out of 500 applicants around the country invited to participate in Posters on the Hill.

Having a student achieve such a high academic honor was nothing new for Boopathy. Two years prior, Samaha put Nicholls on the Council on Undergraduate Research’s radar when he too presented undergraduate research at Posters on the Hill.

“My hope is that my students learn how to make science apply to the real world,” Boopathy says. “Science has to have a purpose. Proving a concept is good, but what good is it if it doesn’t benefit society?”

Mentoring Biology’s Rising Stars Students graduate, but research goes on. Fortunately for Boopathy and his fellow biology faculty, new stars always appear in August, ready to shine a new light on research already in progress.

Boopathy’s latest research focus is an extension of the project Naquin began piecing together two years ago, which has evolved to target antibiotic-resistant bacteria called carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE).

“It’s a huge problem in hospitals all over the world,” Boopathy says. “We’re trying to find out how widespread it is.”

While Boopathy is lecturing classes and reviewing scholarly articles stashed among the thousands of papers towering along his office walls, biology students like SGA vice president Mary Sauce and newest freshman protégé Cameron Belding are collecting water samples from Bayou Terrebonne and Bayou Lafourche and analyzing the bacteria at three different salinity levels: fresh water, brackish water and salt water. Their goal is to find out what is happening to CRE in each water environment. The thinking is that the brackish environment may mimic the slightly salty human gastrointestinal tract, thereby potentially producing results that can help scientists understand how the dangerous bacteria spread among humans. The research falls right in line with Boopathy’s “science with a purpose” philosophy.

“Drinking water coming out of the treatment plants is really clean, but a lot of us come in daily contact with bayou water. This bayou water is seriously polluted,” Boopathy says. “Eventually, antibiotic resistance will spread. We are looking at this environmental source to

see if there is any other way this will get into the human population.”

How Not to Waste Waste Boopathy has been asking questions related to the human population since moving from his native India to the United Kingdom as a postdoctoral researcher in the 1980s. Fresh out of college, he found himself in Glasgow, Scotland, figuring out how to use bacteria to clean up waste from the fermentation and distillation processes used to produce Scotch. A year later, he traveled southeast to Bologna, Italy, to study more waste — this time waste produced by the country’s large chicken population.

“Italy has a huge chicken manure problem,” Boopathy says. “We researched how to convert chicken manure to natural gas — methane — which is used to generate electricity, which in turn can be used to power chicken farms.”

His published research on the subject attracted the attention of a University of Missouri professor who had received a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to develop a solution for eradicating the pungent odor produced by Midwestern pig farms. Having already conducted Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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extensive research in “converting poop to a usable energy source,” Boopathy was invited to join the research team in Columbia, Missouri. Their findings are still being used by farmers.

An ‘Explosive’ Opportunity Eager to explore new areas in his field, Boopathy answered a call from the University of Notre Dame to conduct research on a problem dating back to the 1940s.

“I was offered to do research on converting the explosive chemical TNT into a harmless product,” he says nonchalantly.

Boopathy discovered a way to convert TNT into vinegar and landed his “first real job” with the Department of Energy in Chicago. In time, the lack of job security associated with governmental policy changes every two years led the biologist to seek a stable, permanent faculty position in higher education.

“I had never heard of Nicholls, but

Boopathy looks on as biology senior Richard Grabert collects a water sample from Bayou Lafourche. The sample will be analyzed as part of ongoing research on antibiotic-resistant bacteria that has already sent Nicholls alum Anthony Naquin (BS ’15) to Capitol Hill to present his findings.

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people here were so nice to me when I came down for my interview,” Boopathy says. “That’s why I took the job.”

At Home at Nicholls Now in a Southern coastal environment, Boopathy embraces the opportunity to get up close and personal with his new home.

In the years since arriving at Nicholls, he has secured over $10.6 million in grant funding to conduct applied research, including studies that found E. coli

AN ALUM TO WATCH

surviving in saltwater oyster beds and anaerobic bacteria eating oil that had settled on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 oil spill. Both findings produced unexpected, significant results.

Moving inland, Boopathy accepted a challenge by the Department of Energy to convert waste material from sugarcane to ethanol fuel. The solution, he discovered, rested in the plant’s sugar that was hardest to reach. After breaking down leaf litter and bagasse, the sugar would surrender and get converted into usable fuel. The $3 million project lasted seven years and brought together biologists from Nicholls, Louisiana State University, Tulane University, Southern University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

“The government eventually shut down the project because gas would have to be $5 per gallon in order for this process to be commercial,” Boopathy says. “It’s really all tied to the petroleum industry.”

These days, Boopathy’s research is focused back on water and waste. Along with his antibiotic-resistant bacteria project, he is currently editing a book on wastewater management in the shrimp aquaculture industry. Set for release in 2016, this research will accompany the over 125 articles and 10 book chapters already published by the prolific biologist and respected mentor. As impressive as his career numbers are, the distinguished service professor of biological sciences sees them as merely stats. He measures his success by the success of his students.

“Many universities have worldrenowned scholars on faculty, and we are fortunate to have Dr. Raj among ours,” says Dr. John Doucet, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Dr. Raj could serve as professor anywhere in the world, but he has chosen Nicholls as his home — and we are proud to have him.”

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icholls biology graduate Anthony Naquin (BS ’15) never took a class with Dr. Raj Boopathy. It was the professor’s reputation for producing top student researchers that brought the two together.

“Dr. Raj is so well known nationally and internationally for his work in environmental science, and I wanted to be a part of that,” Naquin says. “If you have an idea, he wants you to go out and test it.

He encouraged me, but he wasn’t over my shoulder trying to tell me what to do. He wanted it to be my research.”

For three years, Naquin and Boopathy researched everything from turmeric powder to antibiotic resistance genes in wetlands, ultimately producing a published report that Naquin presented in April 2015 at the prestigious Posters on the Hill exhibition in Washington, D.C. He was one of 60 students out of 500 national applicants invited to share his findings on Capitol Hill.

“When we got the paper on antibiotic resistance genes published, Dr. Raj encouraged me to go to Posters on the Hill as a representative of Nicholls,” Naquin says. “It was exciting that the work that we’re doing at Nicholls — not just Harvard or Johns Hopkins — is receiving national attention and may help to solve some big problems.”

Speaking of Harvard, the private university was on Naquin’s short list prior to his decision to stay in his hometown of Thibodaux. Nicholls got the nod because the pre-medicine major knew he would walk away with a “quality education at an affordable price.”

“The best decision I ever made was to come to Nicholls because the university is so reputable among medical schools in the state.

I graduated debt-free,” Naquin says. “At Nicholls, the full college experience is waiting — it’s about getting involved and making opportunities for yourself.”

While at Nicholls, Naquin was named Mr. Nicholls 2015, served as president of his Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and participated in the Student Government Association, Nicholls Student Alumni Association, Biology Society and the University Honors Program, among others.

Away from campus, he worked as a phlebotomist at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, gaining quality experience in the medical field.

Currently, Naquin is studying to become a specialized physician at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

– Terry Trahan Jr.

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A Recipe

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for GROWTH The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute moves into a new home

by Terry Trahan Jr. photos by Misty Leigh McElroy One of Nicholls’ most popular programs is poised for growth with the opening of the stateof-the-art Lanny D. Ledet Culinary Arts Building. The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute moved into its new 33,000-square-foot home in August and is already filling the building’s six kitchens with the savory aroma of Cajun and Creole cooking.

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perate Louisiana’s premier culinary arts program in half of a biology building with low ceilings, winding hallways and classrooms containing sinks designed to wash away ingredients that don’t belong in a food pantry. Back in 1995, that’s what the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute was asked to do. Gouaux Hall gained a new tenant, and the first Nicholls culinary faculty, staff and students moved in with it.

Fast-forward 20 years. A lot can happen on a campus in that time: Nicholls has been led by three presidents, new facilities have been dreamed up and constructed, and Nicholls culinary students are no longer competing for prep counters and cooking on propane burners. The latter is a big deal for young chefs with aspirations to someday create their own menu and run the back of the house as an executive chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant. Of

course, not all culinary students have such goals, but those that do know Nicholls’ new Ledet Culinary Arts Building provides them with the tools they need to consider that dream a possibility.

“Being able to always have access to a stove-top burner is the greatest gift,” says culinary junior Justin Webb, who enrolled at the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute when friend Hillary Scott, a senior at the institute, visited his high school — her alma mater — in Allen, Texas, and recruited him with the promise of a stateof-the-art facility and one-of-a-kind food culture. “After spending two years in our old building, I appreciate what we have now. It’s a lot easier to work in the Ledet kitchens because there’s a lot more space.

If we would’ve had these kitchens two semesters ago when I was in baking and garde manger, it would have been a lot easier for the instructors to teach and for us to learn.”

Fab Lessons in Fab Kitchens In the Richard B. Peltier Kitchen, where all the meat fabrication and garde manger magic happens, Adjunct Instructor Chef Nathan Richard hauls in a wild-caught alligator and rests the day’s main protein ingredient on stainless steel prep stations.

Richard, a charcuterie expert and the executive chef at Kingfish in New Orleans, acquires about 75 alligator tags each September during gator season. One of the gators becomes a teaching tool for Nicholls culinary students, who get a thorough lesson on proper butchering techniques.

Once the lesson wraps up, the Louisiana delicacy’s meat is preserved and stored in walk-in freezers for use throughout the semester.

“Chef Richard is a huge role model for us,” says culinary senior and Thibodaux native Brady Chaisson, who shares a hometown with the executive chef. “The

Meet Lanny D. Ledet An avid outdoorsman known for his Southern charm, Lanny David Ledet (AS ’07, BS ’08) grew up in the hunting and fishing community of Lafitte, Louisiana. Under the guidance of employer Arlen “Benny” Cenac (BS ’79), Ledet quickly rose through the ranks at Golden Ranch Plantation — a 50,000-acre property in Gheens featuring swamp tours, hunting expeditions, charter fishing tours and birding adventures. As manager of the plantation, the Nicholls business graduate proudly supervised all Golden Ranch activities, including the entertainment of over 500 guests a year at the property’s 19th-century “Big House.” Ledet passed away in a helicopter crash on Jan. 19, 2012, but his legacy for promoting and preserving Southern hospitality and Cajun and Creole cuisine will live on as future generations of culinary students discover their passion inside the Nicholls facility named in his honor.

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Bistro: Back at Home

The Ledet Building’s pastry kitchen houses individual prep station with wooden countertops and commercial mixers and ovens. Of the four-year Nicholls culinary program’s six concentrations, pastry is the most popular.

new meat fab kitchen gives him plenty of space to spread out and pass down significant cultural traditions. A few weeks back, he brought in a whole hog for the week’s lesson.”

The meat fabrication kitchen is one of six Ledet Building kitchens, each designed to provide culinary students with an optimal learning environment for the courses taught in those rooms. The Louisiana Seafood Kitchen, for example, houses stocks, soups and sauces, producing that signature, savory aroma that wafts out of gumbo pots. Down the hall, the building’s sweet spot — the pastry kitchen — features rows of individual workstations with wooden countertops as well as enough commercial-grade mixers and ovens to make a professional bakery jealous. Gone are the days of hand-mixing and wasting time waiting for one batch to bake so another can go into the oven. The general skills kitchen, equipped with additional stovetops, allows for future expansion at the culinary institute.

In the Burguieres Family Teaching and Demonstration Kitchen and Classroom, where Chef John Folse taught the first class in the Ledet Building, students look up at the ceiling-mounted monitors for a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening on the prep counter below. Complete with wooden cabinets, natural stone countertops and cutting-edge cooking equipment, the kitchen looks like a set designed for the Food Network. Although national TV personalities won’t be hosting a show in the room, the kitchen is equipped with recording equipment should a request for capturing a cooking class or show come in.

While all Ledet Building kitchens serve a specific purpose, the Bistro Ruth kitchen is the one stealing the spotlight. Located to the left of the lobby, Bistro Ruth is where the culinary institute’s Colonel pride is best showcased. The 96-seat restaurant, with its suspended chandeliers, upholstered seating and oversized portrait of namesake and Ruth’s Chris Steak House founder Ruth Fertel, invites the community to Nicholls for a memorable evening and fine-dining experience, hosted entirely by the university’s culinary students. From creating the menu to preparing and serving the meals, advanced students learn the ins and outs of displaying hospitality and operating a fullservice restaurant — practical experience that makes them highly marketable when searching for that first professional job out of college.

“Bistro made me open my eyes and realize a lot about myself,” says culinary junior and Prairieville native Lacie Hall about the institute’s rite of passage.

“You’ve grown up when you get out of there. It’s a challenging experience, but it shows you who really wants to be here.”

Bistro has been serving the community since 1999, but guests who dined there in

Chef John Folse instructs Nicholls culinary students on the first day of class at the new Lanny D. Ledet Culinary Arts Building. The state-of-the-art, $12.6 million facility enables culinary program expansion, including the potential to increase enrollment, establish a master’s in culinary arts and attain American Culinary Federation accreditation.

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Bistro Ruth, named in honor of New Orleans restaurateur and Ruth’s Chris Steak House founder Ruth Fertel, is the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute’s student-run, fine-dining restaurant featuring 96 seats and a private Chef’s Table and President’s Dining Room.

The latter rooms seat six and 16 guests, respectively, and may be reserved for private dining and organizational meetings.

its earliest days at Gouaux Hall probably wouldn’t remember the experience as finedining. For starters, it was hosted in a classroom, and there wasn’t much elbow room.

“Back then, you’d come into the classroom at Gouaux Hall, and nine sixtop banquet tables would be grouped together in that one classroom,” says Chef Don Kasten (BS ’04), assistant culinary professor and coordinator of Bistro activities. “It was more like a catered event instead of a real restaurant. Everyone sat at the same time.”

Bistro took on a restaurant feel in 2010, when it moved to the Carmel Inn in Thibodaux. The atmosphere in the front of the house had improved, but the dozen students assigned to the back of the house had to work in a hotel kitchen designed for six chefs.

The new Bistro Ruth, now at home at the Ledet Building, features a stateof-the-art kitchen that can comfortably accommodate 16 students. For the first time, Nicholls culinary students are able to deliver a true fine-dining experience in a restaurant that has been custom-

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designed to maximize space for their guests and themselves.

“Being back on campus opens up so many opportunities, from being able to source food from our own kitchens to considering bringing back summer lunch service at Bistro,” Kasten says. “Just being back together and having that camaraderie in our home means so much.”

In addition, the institute’s administrators are now able to entertain the possibility of offering non-credit courses, giving the Bayou Region community access to another educational outlet for learning about the significant role food plays in Cajun and Creole culture.

“How thrilling it truly is to finally have a first-class facility in which to teach not only classical cooking skills and food service management practices, but also Opening Doors to Culinary Success to have this wonderful space in which to teach the history and tradition of south As culinary students enjoy the perks Louisiana culture and cuisine,” says of spending their first semester in a Chef Randy Cheramie, instructor and building designed specifically for them, spokesman at the institute.

Chef John Folse Culinary Institute Nicholls culinary students are grateful faculty are already writing the recipe for to be the recipients of such a quality the institute’s future. The move into the education in a first-class facility. They Ledet Building means serious discussions know the priceless experiences they gain can be had on doubling enrollment to 600 in each of the kitchens will set them up for students, attaining American Culinary real-world success.

Federation accreditation, adding a “To see our culinary institute grow into Master of Science in culinary arts, and something so much more makes me excited attracting more specialized adjunct as a community member, as a future alum, and full-time faculty — all program as a foodie,” Chaisson says. “Once you get enhancers that had no chance of coming an education here, it opens up so many to fruition in the Gouaux Hall facilities. doors elsewhere.”

A Perfect Fit

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wo topics generate a lot of buzz among young chefs in the Ledet Building’s student lounge: upcoming Bistro services and Assistant Culinary Professor Chef Monica Larousse’s product development and evaluation class. Both present opportunities to step away from the stove and learn essential skills in business, management, hospitality and marketing needed to become a culinary industry leader, but the latter is the course that takes them most out of their comfort zone. Product development, required in the four-year Nicholls culinary curriculum, encourages students to blend research and creativity to produce a marketable kitchen or food item that appeals to amateur and professional chefs, as well as consumers.

Past products developed by Nicholls students include cat food made from blue crab byproducts and vegan jello called Vell-O, among others. Last year, culinary senior Arlo Spear wanted to bring something completely new to the table. Having dabbled in graphic design in high school and researched the capabilities of 3-D printing, he sought a way to apply this emerging technology to the modern chef ’s needs. If only he could find an operable 3-D printer and discover a practical reason to use it.

“One day, I opened up my knife case, and my knife had slipped out. The blade was damaged. As a college student, I don’t have extra money to buy new knives, and sharpening them is very timeconsuming, so I knew I wanted to make a knife sheath,” Spear says. “I went to the Lafourche Parish Library in Thibodaux to do some research, and that’s when I heard a familiar humming noise next to the cookbooks section.”

There it was — a 3-D printer. Spear just needed to design the sheath, program the software he was already familiar with, acquire the plastic filaments needed for printing, and hit the print button.

Each 3-D printer is programmed for a specific material, ranging from plastic to chocolate. The Lafourche Parish Library’s machine prints with polylactic acid plastic, a product of corn sugar — bonus points for Spears. The culinary student worked with friend Ross Lancon (BS ’15) to design a custom, honeycomb-pattern sheath for a paring knife, which took about an hour to print.

“It was one of the coolest products I’ve ever seen come out of this class,” Larousse says. “It’s inspiring to watch how they take something they are really good at and apply it to the culinary field.”

Larousse hopes to eventually make product development a two-semester course, with the first semester focusing on the research and development method, and the second targeting marketing strategies and manufacturing.

Since creating his prototype, Spear has designed and printed about six knife sheaths. His goal is to have a sheath for each knife in his set and eventually turn the mandatory class project into a lucrative business venture.

“This kind of personalization and protection is a big thing for chefs these days,” Spear says.

“I’m confident there’s a substantial market for it.” – Terry Trahan Jr.

All four-year culinary students, including senior Arlo Spear of New Orleans, take a product development and evaluation class in which they create practical food and kitchen items. A class first, the custom knife sheaths developed by Spear were made with a 3-D printer housed at the Lafourche Parish Library in Thibodaux. Each sheath can take up to four hours to print.

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Where Are They Now? Michael Gulotta

Executive Chef/Owner | MoPho

A signature dish on executive Chef Michael Gulotta’s (BS ’04) MoPho menu, crispy-fried buster crab is paired with curried watermelon, roasted eggplant and heirloom tomatoes.

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ward-winning restaurateur Chef Michael Gulotta (BS ’04) remembers exactly what he felt when he gave up his chef de cuisine title at John Besh’s flagship Restaurant August to open his own dining room.

Terror.

Gulotta’s MoPho launched in January 2014 in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood.

The restaurant’s farm-to-table concept fuses traditional Big Easy menu staples with adventurous Vietnamese flavors and has already been named New Orleans Magazine’s 2014 Restaurant of the Year and Gambit Weekly’s 2014 Best New Restaurant. In addition, MoPho was the only New Orleans establishment to be nominated for Bon Appétit magazine’s 2014 list of America’s Best New Restaurants. Having received so much positive attention, the Nicholls culinary alum’s nerves have settled a bit, but he still often stops to remind himself of his industry’s No. 1 rule: “You’re only as good as your last meal.

You have to make sure people are in your restaurant because the plaques on the wall aren’t going to keep the doors open,” Gulotta says. “What I most appreciated about my instructors at the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute was that they had been through it, owning their own restaurants and running restaurants for other people. They always brought that real-world aspect to class.”

Two years into his MoPho venture, Gulotta is confident Nicholls provided him with the tools he needs to achieve long-term success.

“It’s like buying a house or having a kid — you’re never really fully prepared,” he says.

“You just hope you have what you need in your toolbox to get it done. That’s exactly what I had when I graduated from Nicholls — a wellequipped toolbox.” – Terry Trahan Jr.

Chef Vaughn Trannon

Private Chef & Entrepreneur | Trannon Culinary

Amanda Radosta Rouchon

Assistant Executive Pastry Chef | Sucré

C

hef Amanda Radosta Rouchon (BS ’08) has a sweet gig.

Since 2009, the Nicholls culinary alumna and New Orleans native has been mastering the art of crafting perfect macarons, chocolate bars, gelato, marshmallows and other mouth-watering treats inside Sucré’s confection studio in the Big Easy. Rouchon took over assistant executive pastry chef duties at the popular desserts boutique two years ago, giving her the opportunity to invite fellow Chef John Folse Culinary Institute graduates and students into the bustling kitchens for a taste of the real world.

“I hope to inspire these young chefs who join us here at Sucré by teaching them tips from working in the industry,” Rouchon says.

For pastry students who don’t get a coveted externship in the Sucré studio, Rouchon makes the 60-mile trip to Nicholls each Monday to instruct a pastry course at the culinary institute.

At Sucré, Rouchon navigates the confection studio’s three rooms — cold sweets, baked goods and packaging — like a hyper Lucy Ricardo capable of handling any task in need of a helping hand, even picking chocolates off a conveyor belt. She has done it all and earned the respect of her dedicated team who daily produce thousands of individually wrapped confections and countless tubs of gelato, shipped fresh to the boutique’s French Quarter, Magazine Street and Lakeside Shopping Center locations.

“It all sells,” Rouchon says. “I’m really proud of what we have here. I like to think I have one of the sweetest jobs in town.” – Terry Trahan Jr.

K

nives are to a chef as a football is to a quarterback. Recognizing this essential need, private chef and Nicholls culinary alum Chef Vaughn Trannon (BS ’03) developed the Trannon Culinary Cook Collection, a line of chef ’s gear featuring satchels and luggage designed to store all the tools needed to get the job done in the kitchen.

For so long, traveling for chefs meant packing knives and tools in a tackle box or plumber’s kit. Having taken a product development course at the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, Trannon knew he could change that.

“I didn’t feel like a fisherman or a plumber, so I sought out something that would better fit my needs as a private chef,” says Trannon, who currently resides in Las Vegas. “When I couldn’t find a product like that, I created it.”

Larger and more practical than traditional knife bags or rolls, Trannon’s Traveling Culinarist bags provide extra space for specialty tools, even ones that are usually difficult to haul around.

Managing the online-based Culinary Cook Collection requires Trannon to keep popular items in stock while working to design and fill custom orders. Despite his busy schedule, the Detroit-born entrepreneur still finds time to get creative in the kitchen. His latest venture is TC Treats, a wholesale Vegas-based bakery serving select casinos that combines the pastry and business skills he learned at Nicholls. – Emily Clausen Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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Alumni House

Then & Now

Adding More Colonel Pride to Your Community As a Thibodaux native and longtime resident, I’ve heard the same comments from community members and college students for years. They want Thibodaux to feel more like a college town. They wonder why there isn’t more Nicholls pride. They keep hoping that people wearing Colonel red and gray will one day outnumber those sporting Tiger purple and gold.

Well, that day is on the horizon. Nicholls banners are going up along Canal Boulevard, Tiger Drive and in the downtown district. The university has launched a new marketing campaign — One Pride, Colonel Pride — to capture the success stories of proud Nicholls students, alumni and supporters. Enthusiasm for Colonel athletics is on the rise and so are the sales of Nicholls merchandise.

To help Nicholls increase its presence in the community and build more pride among its graduates, the Office of Alumni Affairs has undergone some changes. In my new role as executive director of alumni and external affairs, I will continue to oversee alumni initiatives while also representing the university at civic meetings, increasing Nicholls’ involvement in local programs and events like Thibodeauxville, and forming more community partnerships within the tri-parish area.

To help me spread Colonel pride beyond the Bayou Region, Nicholls has hired Katherine Gianelloni (BS ’14) as the alumni engagement coordinator. In this brand-new role, Katherine will travel across the Southeast to host Nicholls alumni events and reconnect graduates with their alma mater. Bursting with energy and Colonel passion, Katherine is looking forward to building a stronger Nicholls with your help.

Community and alumni support for Nicholls is more important than ever. Higher education was the hot-button topic during this legislative session, and it’s critical that we keep it a priority for our elected officials. This fall, I encourage you to speak to your community leaders about the importance of Nicholls, reconnect with your alma mater by attending a Nicholls event, and make a trip to Thibodaux to watch as Colonel pride grows stronger each day.

HOMECOMING BONFIRE

Rekindling a Tradition

A

lumni who attended the earliest Homecoming bonfires remember the Colonel camaraderie on those special evenings.

“The bonfire generated a lot of excitement on a cool autumn night in 1975,” says Louisiana Supreme Court Justice John Weimer (BS ’76).

“A large crowd had gathered to celebrate the Nicholls football team’s winning streak, which led to the Colonels winning the conference championship that year.”

The first bonfire was held in 1966 as a spirit rally following the Homecoming parade.

Like at other colleges and universities, the popular event grew to become an anticipated annual Homecoming tradition.

Nearly 50 years later, Nicholls students continue to host the fall bonfire, now accompanied by lively music and that same

Come Home Colonels,

Monique Crochet (BS ’98, MEd ’00) Executive Director, Alumni and External Affairs monique.crochet@nicholls.edu 985.448.4110

44 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

2014

Colonel camaraderie in a family friendly atmosphere.

“The joy on the faces of the past Homecoming king and queen as they handed over the torch to their successors to light the current year’s bonfire made all the Homecoming preparations worthwhile,” says Debbie “Raz” Raziano (BA ’74), former Nicholls alumni director and Homecoming chair.

Nicholls alum and employee Liz McCurry (AS ’89) remembers the Homecoming

1975

1972

Colonel Notes 1960s Peggy Doucet Rome (BA ’61) published the book “Tell Me Your Soul Story” (2015), available as an e-book on Amazon.com.

1970s

bonfire from her days as a student and later as a parent.

“Attending the annual bonfire was fun and a great time meeting up with friends,” McCurry says. “As an alum with children, it was awesome carrying on the tradition.

My children, Tiffany Lefort Durocher (BS ’13, MBA ’15)

Richie Clements (BA ’73), owner of Clements Insurance Services in Chalmette, is the president of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents.

recognized the need to foster university pride through the rekindling of favorite Nicholls traditions. The bonfire returned as the follow-up to

“The bonfire, to me, represents the eternal flame that burns within every Nicholls State University student. It’s the symbol of the constant hard work we put into our education.”

— Mark Robichaux, senior psychology major

and Adam Lefort, always looked forward to riding in the Homecoming parade. The lighting of the bonfire was so exciting for them.”

The annual bonfire disappeared in 2006 but was resurrected in 2014 when McCurry’s son, Adam, then president of the Student Government Association,

the Student Programming Association’s Alive at Five concert and was constructed by the Student Veterans Organization.

“The bonfire, to me, represents the eternal flame that burns within every Nicholls State University student,” says Mark Robichaux, student veteran and senior psychology major. “It’s the symbol of the constant hard work we put into our education.”

Following the successful 2014 bonfire, veteran and junior petroleum services major Amy Delatte says she “felt more interaction with the student body at the bonfire than at any other event, seeing all the different student organizations working together.”

Chelsie Bergeron (BA ’14), 2013 Homecoming queen, says she was “ecstatic and nervous” after being told the bonfire would burn again.

Bergeron was one of two former Homecoming royalty to light the fire for the first time since 2006.

“The night of the bonfire, I couldn’t wait to start the festivities,” Bergeron says.

“I knew this event would bring out so many students, even families and friends of Nicholls State University.

Once the bonfire was lit, I was so proud. I hope the Homecoming kings and queens to come have as much fun as I did!” – Jessica Harvey

Kathy Aloisio (BS ’75) is the director of elementary schools for the Lafayette Parish School System.

Mark Plaisance (AS ’82, BA ’83) works as the chief public defender in Lafourche Parish.

In fall 2015, he argued the case Henry Montgomery vs.

State of Louisiana before the U.S. Supreme Court. He also has a private practice at which he primarily does appellate work.

James Tuttle (AS ’82, BS ’83), a Vietnam combat veteran, currently commands Chapter 825 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart in Houma.

Col. Iris Ann Brown Reedom (BSN ’86) serves as U.S. Air Force Academy Command Nurse and 10th Medical Doug Haydel (BS ’75, MEd ’83) Group Chief Nurse Executive retired after 40 years coaching at Robins Air Force Base in track and teaching at West Georgia. She directs, mentors Thibodaux Middle School and and oversees 218 nursing Thibodaux High School. service personnel caring for 30,000 patients via 25 clinics Mark Campo (BA ’76) earned and runs clinical education his Master of Science in and training programs. strategic information and leadership from the Dr. Janice Thompson-Sanchez National Defense University (MEd ’86) works as an in Washington, D.C. He instructional coach focused has worked with the U.S. on mathematics at Benjamin Department of Defense and Franklin Elementary is the founder of Capital Mathematics and Science Leadership Associates.

School in New Orleans. She was Queen Zulu Select for Don Champagne (BS ’78) the Krewe of Zulu during the is the executive director 2015 Mardi Gras season. for Kean Miller and was featured in the April issue B. Troy Villa (BS ’86) was of the “Greater Baton Rouge named to the 2016 edition of Business Report.”

“Best Lawyers.” For the past 25 years, Villa has worked 1980s as an attorney, based in Baton Rouge, specializing Daniel Gaiennie (BS ’81), in business transactions and vice president of business development and engineering advisory services. at LEEVAC Shipyards in Covington, oversees LEEVAC’s sales, marketing and engineering.

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Alumni House

Serving with a Smile 2015 JAMES LYNN POWELL AWARD RECIPIENT: LUKE FORD JR.

A

lways donning his signature suit, fedora and warm smile, Luke Ford Jr. (DIP ’54, BA ’63, MEd ’69), recipient of the 2015 James Lynn Powell Award — the highest honor awarded to a Nicholls alumnus — has spent a lifetime humbly serving his alma mater.

Since earning three degrees from Nicholls, Ford has remained a committed alum who is highly respected and active both on the Nicholls campus and in the Thibodaux community.

After receiving his diploma from the two-year Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, Ford served in the U.S. military for three years before returning to his alma mater, now a four-year college, to pursue a career in education. For the next decade, he taught grammar classes and coached football, basketball, baseball and track at Thibodaux College High School, East Thibodaux Junior High School and Thibodaux High School while advancing his own education at Nicholls.

“I still meet up with a lot of my former players,” Ford

says. “I enjoyed coaching everything, but I really enjoyed coaching junior high athletics because those sports were just getting organized around that time.

The 1966 basketball season was the best — we had great camaraderie with the kids and could just play the game without worrying about all the records.”

Ford went on to serve as principal at Thibodaux High School for 15 years before finishing his career as Title I director for the Lafourche Parish School Board.

“Nicholls gave me an understanding of what teaching was,” Ford says.

“The university was everything to the students.

The instructors didn’t want to see how many people they could flunk out of here. They wanted to see how many people they could save.

My professional objective through my years as a teacher and administrator has been to help students both individually and as a group to obtain the best education possible. Students need to know that someone

1990s

by Northwestern State Blake Orgeron (BS ’92) is the head softball coach at Central University of Louisiana.

Lafourche High School.

Brent St. Germain (BA ’93) is Charles “Chuck” Bourg (BA the president of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. ’93) is the facilities manager for the Mercedes-Benz Trudy Voisin Hebert (BA ’97) Superdome, Smoothie King is an advocate counselor Center and Champions for the Office of Workforce Square in New Orleans.

Development at the Urban He was formerly employed

Trisha Hukins (BGS ’91) published her first novel, “The Grinding Season” (2014).

Jacque Blanchard (BSN ’92) is the director of the cardiac catheterization lab at Terrebonne General Medical Center.

46 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

is genuinely interested in their welfare and progress.”

Thibodaux Mayor Tommy Eschete (BA ’80) gained respect for Ford as a community leader while working alongside him on the Nicholls Alumni Federation Board.

“I have always been impressed by Mr. Luke’s determination, hard work and effectiveness,” Eschete says. “I have rarely come across a person who was so eager to volunteer regardless of the request. Whether he is representing our university at a sporting event, an alumni function or a fundraiser, he always enjoys being there.”

Serving the community runs in Ford’s veins. His father, Luke Ford Sr., was a volunteer fireman, church usher, volunteer for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and community baseball umpire. Following in his father’s footsteps, Ford is a member of the Thibodaux Lions Club, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Knights of Columbus, Tiger Club at Thibodaux High School and Cardinal Club at E. D. White

In addition to his Nicholls accolades, Luke Ford Jr. (DIP ’54, BA ’63, MEd ’69) was named 2015 Alumnus of the Year by E. D. White Catholic High School’s Alumni Association.

Catholic High School.

At Nicholls, the proud Colonel strives to give back to the university that he says gave him so much. With his infectious sense of humor, Ford says he is grateful for the 20-plus years he served on the alumni board because it gave him the opportunity to be “an old guy with the young people.”

“I never wanted to be president of the Alumni Federation,” Ford says. “I just thought I should give something back. I owe the school a lot. I really believe they took care of me and my

family. I enjoy coming back here and working with the great people here because Nicholls is important to the community.”

Ford’s love and deep appreciation for Nicholls has already been shared with the next generation of his family.

His son, John Ford (BS ’84), and daughter, Lisa Ford Ray (BS ’85), are both Nicholls graduates. The family’s patriarch doesn’t expect it to end there.

“I can’t see my children’s children not attending Nicholls,” Ford says.

– Jonah Giroir

League of Greater New Orleans at their satellite office in Houma. She works with the Bayou Region Pilot Program by training participants in workforce fundamental skills.

citizen during a New Orleans naturalization ceremony at the National World War II Museum, where he is the chief operating officer.

Stephen Watson (BS ’97, MBA ’98), a native of Scotland, became a U.S.

Minh Le (AS ’98, BS ’99) opened Alumni Grill at 1130 Highway 1 in Thibodaux.

Previously, Le was the executive chef at Spahr’s Seafood.

2015 Awards for Excellence 2015 Outstanding Alumni MARIE FLETCHER DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Honoring a non-classified Nicholls employee or retiree with superior professional and civic accomplishments.

Dr. Albert Davis (BA ’69)

Dr. Albert Davis retired in February after 35 years of service to Nicholls, where he has served as interim vice president for academic affairs, dean of University College and novelist in residence, among other faculty leadership roles. Davis has overseen expansion projects for the Nicholls culinary and petroleum engineering and technology programs and was recently named dean and professor emeritus.

HONORARY ALUMNI

Recognizing non-graduates who are strong supporters and contributors to Nicholls

Gerald “Jerry” and Lola Ledet

Gerald “Jerry” and Lola Ledet of Houma have taken a special interest in Nicholls over the years, having started three scholarships in honor of their dedicated Shield Coat employees, funded a faculty professorship in environmental biology, attended university events regularly and remained staunch supporters of higher education.

RAMON LABAT SERVICE AWARD

Honoring Nicholls civil service employees who have gone beyond the call of duty in assisting students and demonstrating exceptional professionalism

Kim Brown & Jennifer Cazenave

Administrative assistants in University College, Kim Brown has dedicated 25 years, and Jennifer Cazenave has served 17 years at Nicholls; both are highly regarded for their professionalism, dedication and service to students.

Angelle Babin (BS ’99, MEd ’04) is principal at R.J. Vial Elementary School in Paradis.

School Counselor of the Year finalists and was honored at a White House ceremony in January.

Jennifer Degruise (BA ’99, MEd ’09), a school counselor at Montegut Middle School and Pointe-Aux-Chenes Elementary School, was named one of five 2015

Summer Lirette Skarke (BA ’99) was named 2015 State Middle School Teacher of the Year. She teaches eighth-grade reading and English at Lacache Middle

College of Arts & Sciences Windell Curole (BS ’74)

Windell Curole has served as general manager and executive secretary of the South Lafourche Levee District for the past 35 years. He is recognized as a national authority on levee systems, emergency management, hurricane safety and Louisiana coastal structure.

College of Business Administration Edward Bouterie (BS ’72)

Edward Bouterie is a certified public accountant who has held various positions with local and national firms, including his current team at Bourgeois Bennett LLC in Houma and Thibodaux. His expertise includes tax return preparation, accounting, auditing and advisory services for a broad spectrum of clients.

College of Education

Dr. LaDonna Saxon (MA ’99, SSP ’99)

Dr. LaDonna Saxon serves as the clinical psychologist and health behavior coordinator for the VA North Texas Health Care System in Dallas, the second largest VA system in the nation. She is specialized in introductory, intermediate and advanced training in the areas of mental health and organizational change.

College of Nursing & Allied Health Dr. Michael Landry (BS ’80, BSN ’89)

Dr. Michael Landry’s teaching, research and service in the nursing field have spanned many educational institutions, including American Sentinel University in Aurora, Colorado, where he currently instructs graduate nursing courses. A surveyor for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Landry has secured grants totaling $4.3 million and authored numerous publications and presentations on intensive care, mental health and psychiatric nursing.

University College

Donald Kasten (BS ’04)

Donald Kasten serves as the Bistro Ruth restaurant coordinator and assistant professor at the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute. An inspiration to his students and fellow faculty members alike, he teaches future culinary professionals how to deliver exceptional dining room service and exceed the expectations of their guests.

School in Chauvin.

2000s Linzie Green (BGS ’00) is an operator for Sinclair Wyoming Refining Co. Leith Adams (BS ’02, MS ’04), former biology instructor at Nicholls, is the co-owner

and brewmaster at Mudbug Brewery in Thibodaux.

The Rev. Jacob Lipari III (BS ’02) serves as the associate pastor for St. Bernadette Parish in Houma, anoints the sick at Terrebonne General Medical Center and celebrates Mass at Vandebilt and E.D. White Catholic High Schools.

Jill Melancon Matherne (BA ’02) and Brennan Matherne (BA ’03) announce the birth of daughter Norah Jane Matherne on April 7.

Jeremy Perque (BA ’03) and Lindsay Barocco Perque announce the birth of daughter Lillian Claire Perque in May 2014.

Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

47

Alumni House Ali Tabor (BS ’03, MBA ’05) married Joe Balfantz on July 11. Ali is the professional development coordinator for the University of San Francisco.

Dr. Dionne D. Nichols (MEd ’04) is the director of the Quality Enhancement Plan at Southern University at New Orleans. She is also the author of three children’s books, “The Adventures of Ariel and Ron” (2014), “The Amazing World of Emyri” (2014) and “Terrific Tootie” (2015).

Dianne Yeates (MBA ’04), COO for Terrebonne General Medical Center, was recognized by “New Orleans CityBusiness” as a 2014 Woman of the Year honoree.

Timothy Clements (BA ’05) of Clements Insurance Services in Chalmette received the 2014 Professional Insurance Agents National Young Insurance Professional of the Year Award. Timothy and Melinda Rome Clements also announce the birth of son August Gerard Clements on Jan. 29.

Dr. Darryl Holliday (BS ’05) is an assistant professor and food science coordinator at Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans.

Mia Trosclair Matherne (BA ’05) was named 2015 Lafourche Parish Teacher of the Year for the high school division. She teaches at Central Lafourche High School.

Jacqueline Blanchard (BS ’06) opened Coutelier NOLA, a Japanese knife shop, on Oak Street in New Orleans.

Previously, Blanchard

worked at San Francisco’s Benu, a Michelin three-star restaurant.

Kyle Carrier (BA ’08) is the sideline reporter for Colonel Sports Radio Network.

Lauren Ledet Bordelon (BA ’06) is the adult services and public relations librarian for the Terrebonne Parish Library System.

Becky Breaux Gautreaux (BS ’08) received the 2015 Young Dietitian of the Year Award from the Louisiana Dietetic Association. She is an area nutrition agent in Franklin for the LSU Ag Center.

Travis Gravois (BS ’06) is a State Farm agent and Bayou Cane Fire Department board member. He is on The Young Professionals of South Louisiana’s board of directors and received the 2014 Terrebonne Parish Young Achiever Award.

Shane Kliebert (BS ’06, MEd ’14) was named 2013-14 St. James Parish Teacher of the Year. He teaches at St. James High School, where he has served as a defensive coordinator for the football team, head of strength and conditioning, and social studies department head.

Raymond Legendre (BA ’06) is a writer for Fordham Law School in New York City.

Dr. Philip Menard (BS ’06) earned his doctorate in business information systems from Mississippi State University and is an assistant professor of information systems at the University of South Alabama.

Kristen Turnage Anselmi (BA ’07) and Anthony Anselmi announce the birth of son Anthony Anselmi Jr. on June 3.

Kristen Fillmore (BA ’07, MEd ’10) married Dylan Harrison on July 25.

48 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

Center, where he directs the preparation and service of 1,000 meals per day at a 250bed hospital.

Justin Owens (BS ’09) and Sarah Bourgeois Owens (BA ’11) announce the birth of daughter Amelia Anne Owens on Feb. 3.

Lana Waguespack Daigle (BA ’11) is the music director at E.D. White Catholic High School, where she teaches music theory and band classes, manages the marching band and directs the concert band.

Nolan Dumas (BS ’11, MBA ’11) works as a financial 2010s planner specializing in Mindy Guidry (BS ’08) married retirement income planning Jamie Chauvin (BS ’10, Robin Haney (BGS ’09, BS MBA ’14) works as a network at DL Wealth Management ’15) on Nov. 23. Mindy is in Houma. administrator at Thibodaux the education and program Regional Medical Center, coordinator at the Bayou Robert Blackburn (BME ’12) where he is responsible Country Children’s Museum for the operation and teaches band at Grand Caillou in Thibodaux. maintenance of all computer Middle School in Houma. and technology systems.

Martha Marmolejo (BS ’08) was Phillip Boudreaux (BA ’12) is a named 2015 Lafourche Parish Elise Hotard (BFA ’10) married news anchor and reporter for Teacher of the Year for the KWBJ-TV in Morgan City.

Corey Blanchard (BFA ’10) on elementary school division.

Jan. 10. Elise is a designer and She teaches at Galliano Kyle David (BGS ’12) is a front-end developer at 365 Elementary School.

Connect in New Orleans, and recruiter for MSI International Corey is a fine arts instructor in New Orleans.

Clyde Verdin (BA ’08) is an at Fletcher Technical associate sports information Community College in Bijeta Prasai (BS ’12) received director at Louisiana State the James Robinson Award Schriever.

University, where he works in Analytical Chemistry with the volleyball and Bryan Samaha (BS ’10, MBA from Louisiana State softball teams. ’15) is the network operations University for outstanding doctoral research. administrator at Thibodaux Patrick Blanchard (BS ’09) and Regional Medical Center.

Michelle LeCompte Blanchard Harold “Hal” Callais II (BS (BS ’11) announce the birth ’13) is the managing director Lindsey Sterling (BS ’10) is of daughter Abigail Faye and CIO of Callais Capital the pastry chef at The Lab Blanchard on Aug. 6, 2014.

Management. Harold and Handcrafted Coffees and Kristen Dumas Callais (BS Comforts in Lafayette.

Megan Dolese Cologne (BS ’09) ’10) announce the birth of was named 2015 Lafourche son Oliver Daniel Callais on Danny Authement (BS ’11, Parish Teacher of the Year for MS ’13) is an instructor of June 17. the middle school division. mathematics at Nicholls.

She teaches at Lockport Zachary Carlton (MAT ’13) Middle School.

Allison Leese Bergeron (BS ’11, is the assistant director of MS ’13) teaches introductory media relations for athletics Mark Duhe (BME ’09) works math courses at Nicholls and at Nicholls. as the band director at St. manages student workers Thomas More Catholic High and graduate assistants in the Lillie Connor-Flores (BA ’13) is School in Lafayette. the reviews and critical Web Mathematics Enrichment editor of “Technoculture: An Workplace Lab. Timothy Mohon (BS ’09) is the Online Journal of Technology director of food and nutrition in Society.” services at Tulane Medical

The Crime Scene Chemist

I

n a standard lab coat and multicolored cowboy boats, Rebecca Nugent (BS ’01) rattles off a few of her biggest career assignments: a drug trafficking incident involving 50-plus kilos of cocaine, the state’s largest seizure of meth (over 400 pounds) and a recent first-degree murder capital crime case.

It’s an unusual workload for a marine biology graduate, but being the chemistry manager for the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab brings unique opportunities to her desk every day.

The Labadieville native has testified in court 21 times. She’s dusted for fingerprints and collected evidence at crime scenes.

She’s submitted reports that have helped convict criminals and even convinced judges to give tougher penalties for distribution of so-called synthetic marijuana.

“In this line of work, you quickly realize that with every analysis you are potentially taking a person’s life and liberty away,” says

Nugent, who manages a staff of 25 in the toxicology and drug analysis units. “We become the scientific link in the chain between law enforcement and the judicial system.”

Coming from a long lineage of Nicholls graduates, the forensic scientist never questioned where she’d attend college. Always interested in biology, Nugent initially set out to become a veterinarian before realizing she’d have to put animals to sleep. Thanks to years of watching “Shark Week,” she opted for marine biology instead.

“I walked right into Dr. Earl Melancon’s office and said, ‘I want to volunteer to work with you,’” Nugent says, referring to the now-retired Nicholls biology professor.

“That first semester, I was gluing, measuring and cutting PVC pipe for his water circulatory system, but he quickly gave me an opportunity to help with his oyster grant research for the next three and a half years.

Dr. Melancon and Dr. Gary LaFleur really inspired young biology majors that they

could become scientists and have cool careers.”

Upon graduation, Nugent earned a master’s degree in coastal restoration and ecology, and she started conducting plant and soil analysis for the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Her workdays were mostly spent collecting samples in the marshes and recording observations of invasive plants and animals.

After learning that her job was being outsourced, she applied at the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab upon prodding from her uncle, a retired state police officer.

Hired in 2004 in the drug analysis unit, Nugent underwent a crash course in drug chemistry and forensics, including how to analyze marijuana under a microscope, how to make meth and crack cocaine, and how to provide expert testimony in court.

“It’s really amazing what ‘CSI’ has done to today’s juries,” says Nugent, who has since been promoted to chemistry supervisor and now manager, the lab’s

Matthew Jewell (BS ’13) serves as the special assistant to the majority whip Rep. Steve Scalise.

Hans Allen (BA ’14), U.S. Marine Corps veteran, opened Silver Wolf Comics in Morgan City in December 2014.

Esther Ellis (BS ’14) is the dietician for Rouses Supermarkets, where she oversees health screenings, shopping tours and nutrition classes.

Gavin Johnson (BA ’13) received a graduate fellowship to pursue his doctorate in rhetoric, composition and literacy at The Ohio State University. Earlier this year, he earned his master’s degree from North Carolina State University.

Melissa Cloutet (BS ’14) works as an outreach coordinator for Lori Leblanc LLC, where she performs outreach work for the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association.

Cera Boatwright Jewell (BSN ’14) works as an intermediate care advanced heart failure nurse at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.

Rebecca Chiasson Nugent (BS ’01), chemistry manager of the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, oversaw the scientific analysis of 9,000 toxicology cases and 8,000 drug cases last year. For years, the lab’s most common drug analyzed has been marijuana, but synthetic marijuana has recently overtaken cocaine for the second most commonly abused drug.

highest civilian ranking.

“They know what we’re talking about when we say DNA, but they expect all kinds of forensic evidence and sometimes it’s not there.”

The largest and only statefunded facility of its kind in Louisiana, the crime lab processed 22,000 requests last year for scientific analysis of evidence from various law enforcement agencies.

Although Nugent only oversees chemical evidence — analysis of suspected illegal substances and screening of blood and urine

for drugs or alcohol — she spent five years on the crime scene team. Highly respected across the country, the lab is often the first in the nation to identify new drugs.

Thanks to increasing interest in the field, Nugent says a typical opening in the crime lab attracts 250 to 300 candidates.

“This wasn’t the field I thought I’d go into as a freshman” Nugent says, “but I definitely feel like I’m putting my education to a worthwhile cause.”

– Stephanie Verdin

Gabrielle Marcello (BS ’14) is in her first year in the Louisiana State University New Orleans Physician Assistant Program.

Students. He teaches math at the Career Magnet Center in Lockport.

Brady Robinson (BA ’14) teaches English as a second language to high school students in Thailand.

Kostas Smith (BA ’15) is in his first year of law school at the University of Southern California.

Jeremy Smith (BS ’15) plays basketball professionally with the South Adelaide Panthers, Tyler Dufrene (BS ’15) was elected to serve on Phi Kappa a team that competes in the Australia Premier League.

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Alumni House

In Memoriam FACULTY/STAFF

aerospace industry, and was a member of the original faculty at Nicholls. He retired as a mathematics instructor at Delgado Community College.

Ida Anderson Bush (MEd ’69) of Belle Rose on Dec. 10.

The first African-American faculty member hired at Nicholls in 1971, Bush served Laurie Hebert (AS ’93) of as an instructor of special Schriever on Jan. 17 at education until 1993. age 42. She worked at Nicholls from 2000-15 as an Henry “Dollar Bill” Carr of administrative coordinator in Napoleonville on Jan. 4. He the Department of Languages was a member of the Nicholls and Literature, Office of custodial staff from 1970-87. Records and Registration, and Department of Page Marie Collier of Raceland Petroleum Services and on July 1 at age 81. She taught Engineering Technology.

English at Nicholls from 1963-84.

George Kaslow of Gray on Jan. 1 at age 60. A professional Newton Grant of Brooklyn, chef from Bronx, New York, New York, on March 22 at Kaslow was an associate age 90. A U.S. Navy veteran, professor of culinary arts at he worked for an arm of Nicholls from 1990-2014 the Manhattan Project and led the university’s that developed the atomic international culinary bomb, spent 10 years in the exchange program sponsored

by the Southern United States Trade Association. After retiring from Nicholls, he served as assistant manager and consultant at Zen Sushi in Houma.

Dr. William Long of Decatur, Alabama, on Jan. 31 at age 86. He was a distinguished service professor at Nicholls and owner of a consulting business serving Louisiana farmers.

Sidney Montz Jr. of Thibodaux on May 31 at age 84. He was a former registrar at Nicholls, having served the university from 1963-88.

Frank Poskey Jr. of Raceland on March 11 at age 59. From 2010-15, he was an instructor of petroleum engineering technology and safety management at Nicholls.

Louis Rodriguez of Newark, New Jersey, on Nov. 21, Mildred Talbot Melancon of 2014, at age 81. From Labadieville on April 6 at 1958-71, he held various age 91. She was retired from academic positions at Nicholls as a housemother of Nicholls including instructor Mead Hall. of commerce, head of the Department of Business Angele “Angie” Barkate Montz of Administration and dean of Thibodaux on May 25 at age the College of Business. He 91. She worked in the Testing later served as president of Center at Nicholls from Midwestern State University 1963-93. in Wichita Falls, Texas, for 20 years.

ALUMNI Julie Bienvenu Chauvin (BA ’76) of Houma on May 21 at age 81. She retired as a certified librarian at St. Matthew’s Episcopal School.

Darrel Brown (BS ’13) of New Orleans on July 25, 2014, at age 22. He was a defensive captain for the Colonel football team.

James “Jimmy” Dagate (BS ’77) of Houma on Jan. 2 at age 60.

He practiced law for more than 36 years and served as an assistant district attorney for Terrebonne Parish.

Mary Grace Johnson Dalton (1985-92) of Erie, Colorado, on July 9 at age 46. The 1987 Pirogue and Homecoming Queen, she was the owner, head chef and Cajun

Campus Trailblazer Dr. Bonnie Bourg, 1927-2015 When Dr. Bonnie Bourg joined the charter faculty as Nicholls opened its doors in 1948, the 21-year-old health and physical education instructor arrived at a one-building campus with no auditorium, no residence halls, no gymnasium or stadium, no traditions. During the next 41 years, Bourg helped the campus mature into a full-fledged, four-year university with an active student body. She wrote the Nicholls alma mater, founded The Nicholls Worth student newspaper, brought the first nationally chartered Greek organization to campus, and advised student government and the yearbook staff, among several other campus contributions.

50 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

“There is not a part of the university that she didn’t touch in some way. Not one part,” says Dr. Eugene Dial, vice president for student affairs as well as a friend and neighbor to Bourg. “She took the time to really listen to students, identify their issues and implement a plan to address them. Students left her office feeling that they had an advocate.”

Bourg, who died April 1 at age 88, was the first female administrator at Nicholls, retiring in 1990 as vice president emerita for student affairs. Established upon her retirement, the Bonnie J. Bourg Lecture Series will continue to bring nationally distinguished women to campus each year in her honor. – Stephanie Verdin

ambassador of Big Mama’s Cajun Cooking Catering Co., where she shared Louisiana culture with the Boulder, Colorado, area and beyond.

Leonce Davis Jr. (BA ’67, MEd ’70) of Houma on Feb. 8 at age 86. A U.S. Navy veteran, he was an accountant with Texas Oil Co. for more than 50 years.

Stephen Duet (BS ’15) of Thibodaux on Aug. 10 at age 22. A member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, he was a former student worker at the Nicholls Recreation Center.

Vida Vega Galliano (BA ’64) of Cut Off on April 10 at age 87. She taught third grade at Galliano Elementary School for 30 years.

Houston Gervais Jr. (BS ’68) of Raceland on Jan. 20 at age 70.

He worked as an agricultural chemical sales representative at Bel Chemical and then as a farm operations manager at Laurel Valley Plantation.

James “Jim” Gueydan (honorary alumnus) of Houma on March 14 at age 98. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran, he operated the Legg Mason investment firm office in Houma.

Darryl Hamilton (1982-86) of Pearland, Texas, on June 21 at age 50. A standout athlete who holds the Nicholls baseball record for stolen bases, Hamilton played for five MLB teams over 13 seasons before retiring with the New York Mets in 2001.

He was an on-air analyst for the MLB Network.

Camille Charles Henry (BS ’64) of Franklin on July 1 at age 73. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he was a computer instructor at Marshall Junior High School.

Catherine “Tina” Bordis Howell (BA ’69) of Napoleonville on Sept. 5 at age 69. She was a longtime educator in Assumption Parish.

Patricia Wallace Jackson (BA ’69) of Lockport on March 18 at age 69. She retired from Larose Cut Off Middle School after working more than 33 years in education.

Ronald King (1960-69) of Houma on April 15. A Vietnam veteran, he retired from Superior Oil/Mobil Oil Co.

Chad Labat (BA ’04) of Houma Carolyn Jones Moore (BA on Jan. 3 at age 35. ’75, ME ’79) of Thibodaux on March 17 at age 65.

Madeleine “Leenie” Delaune She retired from Schriever Landry (BA ’75) of Lockport Elementary School after on Jan. 14 at age 90. Landry working more than 36 years worked for the Louisiana in education.

Department of Social Services.

Patricia “Pat” Pitre (BA ’91, MEd ’94) of Galliano on Aug. Bonnie Bell Lyons (MEd ’68) of 14 at age 55. She was a library Thibodaux on April 3 at age media specialist at Hahnville 82. She was the principal at High School.

Branch Elementary School and served as district and Gerard Rodrigue (DIP ’50) state president of the Retired of Thibodaux on Jan. 18, Teacher Board.

2015. He was a teacher in Lafourche Parish and a Peter Mire of Kenner (BA founding parishioner of St. ’77) on Feb. 28 at age 60.

Genevieve Catholic Church He worked for the U.S. in Thibodaux.

Post Office for 38 years in Nederland, Texas; Thibodaux; Elisse Monet Stine (BS ’01) of and in Kenner.

Thibodaux on March 14 at age 40.

Colonel Advocate Al Danos Jr., 1946-2015

Larose businessman Al Danos Jr. didn’t graduate from Nicholls, but he treated the university as if it were one of his children.

“Like a father would, he loved bragging about Nicholls and was honored to be a part of it,” says his daughter René David. “He knew that without Nicholls, a lot of local high school students would not have had the opportunity to get a college education.”

Before passing away on Jan. 23 at age 68, Al, a Nicholls Foundation leader, helped raise over $1.5 million to renovate the Mary M. Danos Theater and then worked with Sen. Norby Chabert (BA ’01) to

secure additional state funds for expanded renovations to Talbot Hall. Avid supporters of education, Al and his wife, Mary, also contributed to the university’s AllSteinway piano initiative, established a scholarship for first-generation college students and funded faculty professorships in education and nursing. To recognize their generosity and advocacy, the theater under construction in Talbot Hall will honor Al and Mary.

“As his children, we hope to keep that legacy going by continuing to support Nicholls and helping it thrive, just as our parents wanted,” David says.

– Stephanie Verdin

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Campus Cornerstone The Impact of Your Gifts to Nicholls It’s always humbling to look through the extensive Honor Roll list of donors who have supported the university over the past year. Some of the names are quite familiar — businesses and individuals who have consistently contributed to Nicholls for quite some time. Just as exciting are the new names — recent graduates and reconnected alumni along with companies and community members who have recently discovered a compelling campus project to support. Combined together, all donors form a powerful support network for Nicholls as it faces new opportunities and unexpected challenges in the years ahead.

I want to thank each of you for your past support of the Nicholls Foundation. Whether you sponsored a significant project, purchased a ticket to a fundraiser or gave $10 to an online crowdfunding campaign, the impact of your donation is significant and enhances the Nicholls student experience.

Because of your generous gifts, the Nicholls Foundation has been able to support several worthy projects across campus.

For starters, funding has made many facility improvements possible including the opening of the new Lanny D. Ledet Culinary Arts Building for the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, upgrades and renovations to classrooms for the petroleum engineering technology and safety management program, and an extensive overhaul of the men’s basketball locker room, offices and players’ lounge. Your contributions have provided support for the statewide Bayou Sales Challenge, undergraduate research projects and the new Nicholls Bass Fishing Team, which finished third overall in the Bassmaster National Tournament.

As the university navigates through the 2015-16 academic year, we know that additional opportunities will arise, and the Nicholls Foundation will play a critical role in securing the financial support needed. As you consider your gift this year, feel free to contact me or the Office of University Advancement to discuss the needs of Nicholls and how you can play a part. All of us at the Nicholls Foundation thank you for your continued support and commitment to the education mission of the university.

Sincerely,

Christopher H. Riviere (BS ’78) President, Nicholls Foundation

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REBIRTH of the Nicholls Fountain

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t’s been the site of countless graduation pictures, bayou-side picnics and midnight swims. The Nicholls Fountain on Highway 1 has been an icon for the university and the city of Thibodaux since 1965. So when it stopped working due to extensive mechanical problems, the university and community took notice.

In its first attempt at crowdfunding, the University Advancement team launched an online giving campaign to raise $25,000 during the month of February. The initial $15,000 would go toward repairs such as a new electrical system, pump, filter and paint job. The remaining $10,000 would establish a maintenance fund, ensuring that Nicholls would always have available resources to keep the Fountain working.

Fountain memories and donations quickly poured in from across the region: “Where I got my first kiss from my new girlfriend, now my wife, in August 1976. Keep that fountain working.” – Spuddy Faucheux (BS ’80) “My dad, Gene VanCampen, was the first athletic trainer at Nicholls.

The Nicholls athletic dorm was my first home because my parents were the house parents. My sister and I lost our parents in a car accident and know the Fountain would be something they would have supported.”

– Heidi Raines “My earliest memory of the Nicholls Fountain is when I was a toddler, and I loved my noonie so much but I was ready to get rid of it. So my parents took me to the Nicholls Fountain, and I threw it in there.”

– Katelyn Terrell, marketing junior from Thibodaux More than 250 people supported the campaign, with nearly 100 of those contributors being first-time Nicholls donors. Repair work began the week after the $25,000 was secured, and Nicholls held a rededication ceremony to turn the Fountain back on April 23, its 50th anniversary. Due to the campaign’s success, University Advancement plans to continue using crowdfunding to generate support for meaningful campus initiatives.

“It was very unusual to raise $25,000 so quickly, but also very exciting,” says Dr. Neal Weaver, vice president for university advancement. “I hope it shows people that if everyone rallies around an idea with whatever they can bring, something very positive can result. When the university and community agree on what needs to be done and what’s important, things can happen very quickly.” – Stephanie Verdin

Honor Roll Includes gifts to the university from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 Multiple efforts have been made to publish an accurate, comprehensive list. Please call 985.448.4134 to report an error or omission.

$10,000 & ABOVE

James Alexander American Association of Drilling Engineers/Lafayette Chapter Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Foundation Inc. Ralph Bates Ben Bordelon Bobby & Linda Burguieres Byron E. Talbot Contractor, Inc. Charles Michael & Blanche Callais Capital One Bank Arlen Benny Cenac, Jr. Chevron Products, Co. Community Foundation of Acadiana Roy Daigle & Kathryn Gradle Daneco, LLC Allen J. Danos, Jr. Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. David & Mary Duplantis Duplantis Design Group, PC ExxonMobil Corporation Quentin & Marie Falgoust Galliano Marine Services, LLC Greater New Orleans Foundation Gregory & Brenda Hamer Harvey Gulf International Marine, LLC Blake Hebert Bradley Hebert Earl Hebert Julie Hebert Edward Jones JP Morgan Chase Michael Kieffer Ruth Kohler John & Colleen Kotts Major Equipment & Remediation Marine Systems, Inc. Midsouth Bank R. E. Bob Miller Morgan City Oilfield Fishing Rodeo Bruce & Jeanne Murphy National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Nicholls Alumni Federation Norman Swanner Big Boy Fund, Inc. Otto Candies, LLC Raising Cane’s Rouses Joe & Gina Sanford SEACOR Marine, LLC Shell Exploration & Production Co. Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc. Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc., Delta Section

South Central Industrial Association Synergy Bank Terrebonne General Medical Center The Coca-Cola Co. The Fertel Foundation The Giardina Family Foundation The John & Clara Brady Family Foundation The Lorio Foundation The Peltier Foundation Thibodaux Regional Medical Center UBS Financial Services Inc. U.S. International Media

$5,000 TO $9,999

American Culinary FederationBayou Chapter Aries Marine Corporation Bollinger Shipyards Chad Boudreaux Michael & Christine Bourgeois Billy Brown Buquet Distributing Co., Inc. Brett Candies Candy Fleet, LLC James Cantrelle Coastal Commerce Bank Cooper Collins Todd Danos Wynette Defelice Entergy Corporation Jake & Andie Giardina Kathleen Gros Patrick Hagen Hooters of Louisiana, LLC Juliann Ianni J & J Ranch Produce, Inc. John J. & Mary Ayo Jones L & M Botruc Rental, Inc. Lafourche Parish Mayors Committee on Disability Issues Louisiana Lottery Corporation Manning Passing Academy Jeramy Meacham Robert Mingoia Carolyn Moreau Morgan Stanley Morris P. Hebert, Inc. Bill Nofh Bobby Orgeron Peoples Health Network Mark & DesLey Plaisance Stephanie Hebert Insurance Agency, Inc. Sysco Resource Services, LLC Terrebonne Parish Consolidated

Government Thibodaux Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Seth Thibodeaux Vanguard Vacuum Trucks, Inc.

$1,000 TO $4,999 A & G Refrigeration, Inc. A.S.I. Federal Credit Union Acadia Land Surveying, LLC Acadian Companies ACS Flooring Group, Inc. Advanced Graphic Products, Inc. Carla Alleman Austin Allen American Society of Safety Engineers Bayou Chapter Amerigroup Corporation Anesthesia Associates of Opelousas APMC Bobby Arceneaux Bryan Arceneaux Gerald Arceneaux Ardoin McKowen & Ory LLC Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Amy Ashton Aspen Clinic Association of Government Accountants, Baton Rouge Chapter Ray & Patricia Autrey Jay Baker Bancroft Enterprises, LLC Robert Barbera Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC Brett Barker Richard H. Barker, III Alexander Barnes Allayne Barrilleaux Ashley Barrios Ron & Jackie Bartels Bayou Chapter ASSE Michael & Veronica Bednarz Matt Bernard Stephen Bernard Better Waste Disposal Lester Bimah Harold & Jane Block Jerald Block Matthew & Elizabeth Block Block Law Firm Andrea Bollinger Charlotte Bollinger Christopher Bollinger Ann Boudreaux

David & Carol Boudreaux Thomas & Tana Boudreaux Roger & Carolyn Bourgeois Bourgeois & Associates, Inc. Bourgeois Bennett, LLC CPAs/ Consultants Clara Brady Stacy Brady James Brandt Breaux Petroleum Products, Inc. Beau Brooks Rickey Broussard Brown Advisory Glenny Lee Buquet Burke Thibodaux Wings, LLC DBA Wingstop Hugh Caffery Stacy Calhoun Camille & Braxton Hebert Memorial Account Gloria Callais Cat Enterprises McDonald’s Cenac Marine Services, LLC Charles C. Theriot & Co., CPA’s LLC Norby Chabert M. J. Cheramie Chic Chateau Interiors, LLC Kirt Chouest Chris Fakier Insurance Agency, Inc. Cintas Corporation Leslie & Sandra Clement Community Bank Daniel Conrad Trey Cortez CP Contractors, LLC Kenneth & Maria Cruse Kristie Currie Cypress Bayou Casino & Hotel Daigle Himel Daigle Garret Hank Danos Brad Dantonio Emily D’Arcangelo O’Neil Darden Darifair Foods, Inc. Albert Davis Lori Davis De La Houssaye Animal Hospital Eugene & Brenda Dial Glenn Diedrich Divinity Home Health Services, LLC Domino Sugar Corporation Milton & Jean Donegan John Doucet Hunt Downer Kathy Dugas Leonard Duhé

Lana Duke Daniels Duplantis Alexis Duval E Healthcare Solutions, LLC E-Learning Center, LLC Jorda Elliot Tim & Nicole Emerson Enterprise Holdings Eric Andolsek Charitable Fund, Inc. Louis & Marguerite Erwin Thomas Eschete Chris Fakier Michael Fakier Ronald Falgoust Woody Falgoust John Ferrara Flynn-Manceaux-ArcementPizzolato Annette Fontana James Fontenot Shirley Ford Miles & Christine Forrest Marcus Fox John & Donna Fraiche Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation Milton Friberg Nick & Elaine Fry Garden Fresh Salsa, Inc. Patricia Gaubert Gaubert Oil Walter Gaudet Anthony & Jolie Giardina Brent Gonzales Eugene & Toni Gouaux Grand Isle Shipyard, Inc. Philip Greco Jared Gros Kevin Gros John Grosch James & Grace Gueydan Hugh Hamilton Hancock Bank/Whitney Bank E.M. Harold Leo & Carolyn Hebert Teresa Hebert Hilti, Inc. Historic New Orleans Collection Bill Hochstetler Home Furniture Co. Randall Howard Lawrence Howell Lucas Huddleston Lisa Huffty Inland Seafood, Inc.

Interfraternity Council of Nicholls Greek Council of Nicholls Joe’s Septic Contractors, Inc. John Deere Thibodaux, Inc. Leslie Jones Jones Insurance Services, LLC Jubilee Festival of The Arts & Humanities Ladecia Keller Robert Kelton Kilgore Industries, LP Earl King, Jr. Betty Kleen James Knight Kohler Foundation, Inc. Joseph & Sandra Kolwe Judith Kountoupis LA Society of Professional Surveyors Henry & Kim Lafont Toby Lafont Lafourche Parish Tourist Commission Denny & Lisa Lanaux Lancescaping, LLC Barry & Debbie Landry Mark Lane Lapco Manufacturing, Inc. Christian Lapeyre Teri Larisey Davey Larmann Lori LeBlanc Dawn Ledet Jerry & Susan Ledet Lance Ledet Legatus of Houma-Thibodaux LHA R&D, LLC Peter Liechty Timothy Lindsley Kenneth Lirette Louisiana Restaurant Association LPL Financial M. Bergeron & Co. CPAs, LLC Neil Maki Marvin Marmande Martin Companies, LLC Jo Ann Matthews Andrea McConn Philip McMahon Kirk Meche John Melancon Thomas Meyer Mitchell Eye Care Associations, LLC Montco Offshore, Inc. T. Moran Christopher Morton

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Campus Cornerstone Providing Students a Free Passport to International Travel

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N & M Rentals, LLC Andrew Naquin Francis Naquin Robert Naquin Bill Nash New Orleans Fish House, Inc. New York Life Insurance Nicholls Education Association of Teachers Normand Northwestern Mutual Financial Network of Louisiana, LLC NVI, LLC DBA Nondestructive & Visual Inspection On Demand Publishing, LLC Onshore Materials Charles Ordoyne Orthopaedic Sports Specialists of Louisiana Paradigm Investment Group, LLC Partners Electrical Services Robert Patrick

Paul’s Agency, Inc. John Pawlowski William & Alice Pecoraro Grace Peltier Henry & Jennifer Peltier Stephen & Martha Peltier Jay Pennison Performance Energy Services, LLC Phelps Dunbar, LLP Nicholas Piazza Piccadilly Restaurants, LLC Larry Picciola Picciola & Associates, Inc. Patrick Pitre Jody Plaisance Beau Porche Prospect Station Inc. Frank Puglia Quatro Mach Outfitters Heidi Raines R.C. Houma Group Allen Rebstock

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organ City business owner R.E. “Bob” Miller (BA ’75) has never explored the picturesque countryside of England nor the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica. Thanks to his generous support, however, nearly 200 Nicholls honors students have been able to travel to either country practically free of charge.

“I wish I had traveled overseas when I was younger,” Miller says. “I couldn’t afford to visit Europe then, and now I’m too busy. But the Nicholls honors students and faculty send me emails, letters and pictures of their international adventures, and that encourages me to keep giving.”

As the first major contributor to the University Honors Program, Miller says he began supporting the program simply because he was asked by fellow Morgan City resident and friend Dr. Alice Pecoraro, former Nicholls vice president for academic affairs.

“One day, she brought me down to Thibodaux when a group had just returned from England,” recalls Miller, founder and president of Major Equipment and Remediation Services. “I got to meet program director Dr. John Doucet (BS ’84), who is the only real Renaissance man I’ve known, and Diana Stoute [BS ’05], a young honors student from Morgan City.

I assumed the students were all liberal arts majors, so I was surprised to see how many pre-medicine and science majors had made the cultural trip. I listened to them talk about their experience, and you could see

this sparkle in their eyes. Something about the trip had really changed them.”

Since 1999, Miller has been contributing to the Nicholls Foundation to support the travel expenses of those Nicholls honors students and faculty selected to study in either Costa Rica between the fall and spring semesters or England between the spring and summer semesters. As word spread that Nicholls honors students now had the opportunity to study abroad at almost no expense, the trips became a powerful recruiting tool.

Miller knows that without his support, international travel opportunities would be out of reach for many students, just like they were for him.

A former police sergeant and detective, Miller first enrolled at Nicholls at age 27. An injury convinced him to pursue a degree in criminal justice, but an engaging history course altered his plans. After earning history degrees from both Nicholls and Penn State, Miller returned to Morgan City during the ’80s oil slump and built a successful company providing services and technology to oil companies throughout the Gulf Coast.

“My parents were poor, but they taught us that to be human is to help other people,” Miller says. “The more I give, the more I participate, the more gratifying it is to see these young adults come back from these lifealtering experiences.” – Stephanie Verdin

Linda Redden REJ Properties Inc. Republic Finance Restore or Retreat, Inc. Jerome Richard Christopher & Brenda Riviere Robert Riviere William Riviere Jeff Roberts Fran Robichaux Francis Robichaux Howard Robichaux Rotolo’s of Thibodaux Donny & Kara Rouse Seacor Marine, LLC Ryne Simmons Richard Smith Wm. Clifford & Jo Anne Smith Society of Petroleum Engineers Josh Son South Louisiana Bank Southern Lodging, LLC

TJM Restaurant Management, LLC Tom Quinn & Associates, LLC Brandie Toups Chad Toups Duane Toups Trademark Construction & Remodeling Trapp Cadillac Chevrolet, Inc. Unifirst Holdings, Inc. University of Sports Publications Co., Inc. Valentine Chemicals, LLC Bruce Vicknair David Vicknair Ernest Vicknair Vida Paint & Supply Evan Villemez John Waldrop Walmart Walter Birdsall Gregory Walters Waste Connections, Inc.

Southland Dodge Chrysler Jeep, LLC Southland Drugs No. 2, Inc. Southland Steel & Supply Co. Spahr’s Seafood Co., LLC State Farm Foundation Dina Stillinger Sunshine Bus Sales, Inc. Alvin Swanner Sysco Food Services of New Orleans, LLC Byron Talbot Chris J. Terracina Terrebonne Motor Co., Inc. Terrebonne Parish School Board The Bedford Group, LLC The Benevity Community Impact Fund The Gray Foundation Laura Theriot Thibodaux Chamber Of Commerce, Inc. Thibodaux Lions Club

Neal & Kristi Weaver Weimer Gros Flores, LLC Lee & Geri Welch Whitney Bank Larry Wiltz Christina Wong Wong Lodging Bryan Wynn XLR8 Sports Club, LLC

$500 TO $999

Advanced Online Products Advantous Consulting, LLC All American Paint & Supply, Inc. Lauren Allen Allied Shipyard, Inc. American South Financial Amma Consulting, LLC Anderson Financial Group Gary Arceneaux Shell Armstrong Paul Aucoin

Jean Ayo Paul Babin Michael Bailey Jennifer Baker Kristen Barbera Barker Honda Robert Barnes Donald Batiste Donaldo Batiste Bayou Lafourche Arts Council Bayou Sports Foundation, Inc. Dwayne Bebee Jeremy Becker Michelle Bernard Matthew Beyer Mark Bilello Kajuan Billings Shane Blouin Blue Runner Foods, Inc. A.L. Borne Andre & Carolyn Borne Ron Boucher Chester & Anne Boudreaux Jerome Boudreaux Joseph Boudreaux Mary Boudreaux Lauren & Michael Bourg David Bourgeois L. V. Bourgeois Vernon Bourgeois Jamie Bouterie Richard & Mary Anne Bouterie Alex J. Breaux Harold Breaux Kevin Breaux Rene Breaux Brinker International Thomas Broom Charles Caillouet Kenneth Caldwell Rowland Caldwell Corey Callais Natalie Campbell Kelly Candies Sid & Kelly Candies Nicklus Caplenor Cardiovascular Institute Of The South Travis Carrell Danny & Belinda Cavell Century 21 Acadia Realty, Inc. Chackbay Nursery & Landscaping, Inc. Archie Chaisson Craig Cheramie Minor Cheramie Ryan Cheramie

Tony Cheramie Kevin Chiasson Perry Chiasson Margaret Chouest Classic Business Products Inc. Drew Clement Core Agencies, LLC Jenna Cornes Nathan Cotten James Cundiff William & Allison Curth Natalie Daigle Keith Davis Michael Davis Dealer Computer Services, Inc. Dave & Mona DeFelice Del Tank & Filtration Systems Kirk Delatte Delta Music, Inc. Delta Zeta Sorority Mike & Linda Detillier L. Clifton Dickerson Gregory & Therese Dobard Chris Domangue Robert Nolan Dumas Duplantis Design Group, PC Stephen Duplechain David Elias Patrick Ellender Carroll Falcon Dean Falgoust Marshall Faulk Final Finishes, LLC First American Bank Charles Folse Ruth Foret Foret Land & Tree, LLC Frankoinia Fine Wines, LLC Mickey Friberg David Fuhrer Mary Fuhrman Trisha Fuhrman Mitzie Galjour Kyle Gauthreaux Michael Gautreau Gordon E. Dove State Representative Nicole Gould Earl Gravois Linzie Green Brendon Gros Kerry Gros Michael Gros Norris Guidry Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. Paul Hale E.G. Hebert Leo Hebert, III

Patrick Hebert Jason Higgins John Hildenbrand Malik Hossel Howco Metals Management, LLC Stephen & Becky Hulbert Donna Hymel Megan Hymel Christopher Jackson Patrick James Jacob Jennings Henry Johnson Stan Johnson Albert Jones Jason Jones Stephen & Mary Kees Todd Keller Debbie Kelly Buckley Kessler Hannah Kidder Marilyn Kilgen Shane Kliebert Edith Klutts Peter Knoop John Knowles Frank & Elizabeth Kowle Frank Kowle, Jr. Michael & Deanna Lafont Marvin & Barbara Lagarde Mark LaHaye Jacqueline & James LeJeune Lanaux & Felger, CPAs, APC Kallie Landry Madeline Larose Cindy Larpenter Louise Ledet Dylan Legendre James & Joyce Leonard Lipsey’s John Lombardo Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, LLC Louisiana Steam, LLC Lauren Luce M & D Draft Report Wes & Betsy Magee Dustin Malbrough Marine Transportation & Towing Glenn Mason Louis Mason Mason Gulf, LLC Masse Contracting, Inc. James Matassa Bart Matis Matrix Unlimited, LLC Wanda McCulloch Jonah McManus MCR Management, Inc.

MHIA, LLC Paul Minor Virginia Mire Gary & Lauren Bella Moore Brett Moreaux Morgan City Bank Morvant & Cavell Richard Morvant NAACP Nicholls Chapter Donald Nalty Anthony Naquin Brad Naquin Richard Naquin Natco Food Service Merchants Mark Normand Alaina Nugent Old Estate Art Gallery, Inc. William Oliver Larry & Lillie Ordoyne Michael & Marie Ordoyne P & J Oyster Co., Inc. Bryan Paille Patrick Parenton Michelle Parro Paul’s Agency, LLC Pensacola Sports Association, Inc. PGH Consulting, LLC James Philpott Pioneer Production Services Jimmy Ponder Matthew Porche Donald & Monica Portier Kenneth Portier Postlethwaite & Netterville Professional Equipment Services, LLC PRO-NSU Quality Sitework Materials, Inc. Robert & Judy Quinilty Balaji Ramachandran Randol, Inc. Ras Holdings, LLC Pere Reed Steve Richard Rig-Chem, Inc. Douglas Robichaux Michael Robinson Kelly & Kelley Rodrigue Lendon Rogers Philip Roth Richard Roth Gwain Roundtree Donald Rouse Bruno Ruggiero Safety Controls, Inc. Sam’s Club Of Houma Mary Sauce Richard Schega

Edward Schmitt Shaver-Robichaux Insurance Services Sigma Alpha Iota Theta Theta Music Department George Simoneaux Ben Smith Kade Smith Donovan Soignet Southern ENT Associates, Inc. APMC Southland Steel & Supply, LLC Southland Steel Jim Kraus & Ronney Picou Spahr’s Downtown Thibodaux Donald Spahr, Jr. State Farm Companies Foundation-Princeton Deborah Stevens Shane Stewart Neal Swanner T. Baker Smith, LLC Sarah Tani Terry Cambise, LLC Terry R. Wofford Insurance Agency, Inc. Courtney Teuton The James Agency, LLC The Young Professionals Of South Louisiana Thibodaux High School Damian Thomas Tommy & Martha Thomassie, III Kim Thompson Thompson Construction Co., Inc. J. Douglas Thornton Toups Insurance Agency, LLC R. M. Toups Travis Gravois Insurance Agency Kirk Trosclair Megan Varvaro Walter Voorhies Voyager Travel, Inc. Gloria Wagner Melinda Waguespack Richard Watkins Stephen Watson Craig Webre John & Penny Weimer Joe Whorter Robert & Robin Wittmann Laurie Wood Joe Mc Worther Thaddeus Zeringue

$250 TO $499 Accu-Line Surveying, Inc. Chet Adams

Bret Allain Raylan Alleman Tonya Allen Jody Amedee Anbo Services, LLC Antonie’s Restaurant Apple Inc. Archbishop Hannan High School Assumption Parish School Board Barbera Chevrolet Barker Buick GMC Kassie Barrancotto Jerry Barry Jack Becker Joe Bennett Debra Benoit Bob Bernard Beyer, Stagni & Co. Ed Bice William Bisland Ed Blackburn Malaura Blanchard Donald Bollinger Doris Bordelon John Bordelon Bordelon Marine Shipbuilders, LLC Connie Boudreaux Ron Bourgeois Sarah Brian Brooks Law Office C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates, LLC Patricia Caillouet Peter Caire Harold Callais Rita Candies Ryan Carter John Cavan Joel T. Chaisson Edwin Charles Leah Chase Laura Chauvin Camille Chiasson Aaron Cline Coming Home Inc. Conrad Shipyard, LLC Bobby Corte Lee Cortez Steven & Linda Crainich James Creekmore Marshall Crooks James Currie Craig Cypress D.A.N. Electric, Inc. DBJB, Inc. DBA Pro Tire/Autocare Dickie Daigle Jay Dardenne

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Campus Cornerstone Jerad & Christy David Herman Deemes Lawrence Dehart Walter Denny Destrehan High School Patrick Dolan Doug Robichaux Insurance Agency, LLC Helen Dufrene Steven Dugal Lana Duke Marcia Duplan Candace Duplantis E.D. White Catholic High School Sara Easterly Emile’s Furniture Enterprise Marine Services, LLC Jane Falgout Jan Farrington Allyse Ferrara J. Robert Field Robert Fields Foley Marketing, Inc. Kenneth Folse Beverly Foret Bruce Frazier Bart Fremin Donovan & Amanda Fremin Garon Electric, LLC Don Gaudet Henry Gaudet Susan Gilbert Gossen-Holloway & Associates John & Allene Green Jude Guidry Donna Guidry Lynn Guidry Hahnville High School Halimar Shipyard, LLC Michael Hanchar Ben Harang Mark Hartman Michael Hartman Thomas Hartman Hassell Wealth Management, LLC Boyd Hebert Maria Hebert Darlene S. Hixon Skipper Holloway Melissa Holman Robert Holmes Hossel Group Inc. Carolyne Howard Audie Hymel Sharon Hymel JMB Partnership, LLC John Curtis Christian School

Louis Joseph K Partners Houma, LLC Paula Kelly Pamela Kirkley Steve Koeppel Andre Kranedonk Walter Kulick John Lafargue Lafourche Telephone Co., LLC Philip LaHaye Rebecca Lanaux Donald Landry Rob Larose Jennifer Larussa Alex Lasseigne Law Office Of Leandre M. Millet LCVFD Fund Account Kevin LeBlanc Barry LeBoeuf David LeBoeuf Samantha LeBoeuf Amy Ledet Bryce Ledet Corey Legendre Lance & Stacy LeJeune M. J. Lepetich Louisiana Seafood Exchange, Inc. Clayton Lovell Rickey Lovell M&D Draft Report Bill Maddox Luke Manfre Martignetti Companies Mandy Martinolich Dick Mason Mattiace Properties, Inc. Shawn & Rebecca Mauldin Joey McGoey Cecily McMahan Melvin’s Restaurant of Houma, Inc. Shane Michael Menard Steve Miller Minor’s Beefmasters Pat Pitre Debrise Morel Tommy & Michelle Morvant Jodie Naquin Nicholls Rotaract Club A. Pierre & Teri Olivier Roberta Olivier Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission Kaine Osborne Gary & Leslie Palmer Elizabeth Pellegrin Drew & Linda Peltier Malcolm Peytavin Phi Mu Foundation

56 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

Aaron Picou Wayne Pierce J.P. & Renee Piper Wade Pitre Jacqueline Ponson Providence/GSE Associates, LLC Raceland Raw Sugar Corp.

John Raymond Gayle Raynal Deborah Raziano John Rea Gregory Reese Research Chefs Association Mandy Reulet Warren Reuther Andrew Rhodes Charles Richard Eugene Richard Stephanie Richard Richerand Asset Management LLC Danie Rickard Elizabeth Riviere Rob Roberts Sterling Robichaux Casey Rodrigue Christopher & Anne Rodrigue Jennifer Rodrigue Jay Roth Rock Ruiz Sales Club Cynthia Sanchez Angel Santiago Laurie Satriano Barbara Schwartzenburg Scurlock Electric, LLC Sea Level Construction, Inc. Armand A. Sinibaldi Siya, LLC SLEC Gary Smith, Jr. Bill Spear William St. Martin St. Tammany Box Co. Everett Stapler Greg & Monica Stock Stockard James, LLC Cody Stonger Thomas Taylor Anna & Louis Temple Terrebonne Parish School Board The Original Angelo Brocato Ice Cream & Confectionary, Inc. Theriot, Duet & Theriot, Inc. Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, LLC Mitch Thompson James Thornton Gregory Torres

Jeffery Trahan Joni Tuck Christopher Tucker Tucker Pool Service Lizbeth Turner University Honors Program Clyde & Stephanie Verdin Visit Baton Rouge Official Travel Resource Thomas & Margaret Weed Michael Wehby Chester Weimer Richard Weimer Stephen Whalen Barry Whitehead Keith Whitney Ronnie Wilson

$100 TO $249

A-Team Contractors Todd Adamietz Elaine Adams Adams & Johnson, CPAs Advance Physical Therapy AFCA Lawrence Albarado Larry Albright Robert Alexander Allied Risk Management Services, LLC Angelette-Picciola, LLC E. A. Angelloz, AIA Architect James Antley Curt Arcement Blain Arthurs Avsno Audio Visual Solutions B&B Rentals, Inc. B.A.S.S., LLC Mame Ba Barbara Babin Sage Babin Margo Badeaux Wayne Bagnell Jordan Barbera Angela Barker James Barker Donna Barras Jack Barton Derek Bascle Ava Basso Gwen Battaglia Courtnie Beaudean Payton Belanger Maxine Bell Robin Bell Belle Chasse Marine Transportation, Inc.

Michelle Benoit Sheard Ber Mike Bernard Albert Besson Best Rentals, Inc. Allen Bexley David Biondo Taylor Bland Blue Marine Transportation, Inc. Tony Bonadona Louise Bonin Becky Bonnecarrere Gary Bonvillain Leone Borne Ashley Boudreaux Brandt Boudreaux Christopher Boudreaux Connie Boudreaux Jeffrey Boudreaux Pamela Boudreaux Sheila Boudreaux Edward Bourgeois Morgan Bourgeois Ronald Bourgeois James Bouterie Karen Bouterie Donald Boutte John Bowie Charlotte Bracey Ellis Braud Penny Bravo John Breaux Lisa Breaux Brian J Benoit, D.D.S., A.P.D.C. Jedrick Brooks Noelee Brooks Burke Broussard Marc Broussard Myra Broussard Andre Brunet Susan Brunner Bullock Campbell Bullock & Harris, PC Mary Burnitt Kristin Buter Carolyn Caillouet James Caillouet Cajunmax, LLC Mike Callahan Alice Calloway Maria Camareno Laura Campbell Barry Canterbury Tessie Cantrelle Capital Preservation Carmel, Inc. DBA Ramada Inn Thibodaux

Robert Carpenter Glenn Carriere Herbert Carriere Carrot Patch Health Food Store Roderick Carter David Cassard Jennifer Cazenave CCW Construction Gwen Cenac Central Healthcare Services, Inc. Laura Cervantes Christopher Chaisson Arlene Chandler Charlotte A. Randolph Campaign Fund Megan Chauvin Ray Cinnater Robert Cisco CKB Consultants, LLC Laura Clapp Coral Clark Barbara Claudet Gary Clement Hope Clement Complete Occupational Health Johnny Conrad Byron Cook Gregory Cook Michael Cooper Cornerstone Theater Co. Todd Cowen Crescent Dental Monique Crochet William Crockett Julie Curole Albert Cyrus James Dagate Alaina Daigle Jerome Daigle Leslie Daigle Thomas Daigle Dalton LeBlanc Insurance Agency, Inc. Kathryn Dannerbeck Aaron Danos Adrian Danos Danos Terry Dantin Judy David Susan David David A. Waitz Engineering & Surveying, Inc. Kevin & Theresa Davis Blaine Degruise Bradley Deroche Todd & Allyson Diaz Rita Dickie

Campus Cornerstone Student Profile

The Gift of Time

N

ursing sophomore Jez Cheramie is applying to enroll in clinicals next spring.

As a scholarship recipient, he doesn’t have to work 40 hours each week to support himself financially while in college. This means more time can be devoted to studying and earning a clinicals acceptance letter.

A Cut Off native, Cheramie is one of four recipients of the Henry Lafont Jr. and Kim Corales Lafont First-Generation Scholarship, awarded to South Lafourche High School graduates enrolled at Nicholls as first-generation, full-time students.

“Having the first-generation scholarship allows me to focus on my schoolwork and spend time with the friends I’ve made here at Nicholls,” says Cheramie, who is employed part-time as a student worker in human resources. “I don’t have to carry a full-time job while going to school, and that helps me get the degree I need to do what I’ve

always wanted to do — become a nurse so I can help people, especially children. Nursing is a very involved curriculum. You have to have the time to hunker down and study to get into clinicals because only 60 students get in each semester.”

Cheramie, whose father is a boat captain for Edison Chouest Offshore in Galliano and mother is an accounts receivable clerk for Hercules Wire Rope and Sling Co. in Houma, says his parents have always supported his aspiration to attend college so he could establish a career in the medical field.

“My parents have always been very adamant about me getting a college education,” he says.

“Ever since I was little and first expressed interest in becoming a nurse, they have encouraged me to study hard so I could get a scholarship and make my dream a reality.”

Cheramie is combining his first-generation

scholarship with TOPS funding to cover tuition, fees, on-campus housing and a semesterly meal plan. Having these expenses covered means Cheramie has time to get involved on campus and hang out with friends to do what college students do — work out at the campus rec center, ride bikes around the track and cheer on the Colonels athletics teams. A member of the Nicholls Green Club, Cheramie often travels to Elmer’s Island near Grand Isle to pick up trash on the beach and catalog it in an effort to locate the source and prevent the trash from returning.

“I know other nursing students who have fulltime jobs, and finding time to keep up with their studies is very hard on them,” Cheramie says. “I’m thankful I have time to focus on my future and take a break once in a while to enjoy the best four years of my life.” – Terry Trahan Jr.

George Diedrich Greg Diez DMC Consultors, LLC Erin Donegan Michael Donegan Patricia Dornier Brent Douglas Mary Downer Ditch Alexander Doyle David Duet Jennifer Duet Barry Dufrene Tyler Duplantis Sherill Dupree Lance Dupuis Terry Durnin Becky Durocher Deborah Duval Sam Easterly Ed Blancher Service, Inc. Kim Elfert Allen Ellender Stephen Ellender Emily Elmore

John & Allison Ford Luke Ford Robert Foret Fournet & Fournet Pamela Fremen Cambron & Dianne Frost Megan Frost Yolanda Funderburk Daniel Gaiennie Dana Gaillory Steven Galtier Gator Financial, LLC. Michael Gauthier Butch Gautreaux Scott Gauthreaux Georgia Impact Gold Michelle Giardina Renee Giffine Charles Giglio Billy Giordano Julie Gisclair G. M. Givens Gregory Givens James Godfrey

Harris Refrigeration Service, Inc. Shawn Harrison Romona Hartman Sarah Hartman Craig Hebert Darrell & Marsha Hebert Eddie Hebert Lauren Hebert Lori Hebert Michel Hebert Stacy Hebert Katherine Heidenreich Amanda Helm Christopher Heltz Daniel Henry Lori Henry Henry Enterprises, Inc. DBA Daniel’s Fast Food Restaurant Billy Herbert Renee Hicks David Higgins Robert Hileman Terry Hill Brigid Himel

Eddie & Loretta Evans Hugh Evans Amanda Eymard Monty Eymard Alice Fakier David Falcon Scott Falcon Phyllis Falcon Susan Falgoust Debbie Faucheux Elaine Faucheux Michael Felterman Sue Ferachi Michael Ferachi Joanne Ferriot First United Methodist Church Donna Fitzgerald-Dejean James Flowers Janelle Folse L. J. Folse Randy Fontenot Rebecca Fontenot Ben Forbes Paul & Denise Forbes

Dex Gonzales Lori Gonzales Gotech, Inc. John Grabert Grafton Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery David & Rebecca Gravois Pamela Gravois Bianca Green Robert Greer William Gregg Matthew Gresham Gary Gros Harley & Nell Gros Michael Guidroz Guy Guidry Jonathan Guillot Glenn Gustafson Karen Hamilton Edwin & Angela Hammerli Laurie Hamner Brenda Hansen Gregory Harrington Douglas & Judy Harris

Donald Hingle Willie Holt Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Elise Hotard James Huggins Mark Hyssong Heidi Irwin Charles Ivey J.B. Levert Foundation, Inc. Alma Jackson James Jackson Jeray Jambon James Jeffery Jaques Jobert Clint Joffrion John E. Koerner & Company, Inc. Kim Johnson Martha Johnson Robert Johnson Ben & Mollie Jones Carolyn Jones Harvey Jones Thomas Joseph K & C Shipping, Inc.

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Campus Cornerstone Nicholls Benefactors Cook Up Opportunities for Culinary Students

C

hapman H. “Bobby” Burguieres Jr. and his wife, Linda, never attended college, but the successful Houma business owners recognize the value of higher education in the increasingly competitive, 21st-century job market.

As the owner and president of Magnum Mud Equipment Co., Bobby has watched south Louisiana ride the economic roller coaster since establishing his oilfield tank and logistics equipment supply company in 1981. Magnum Mud, the 2015 recipient of the Nicholls Corporate Mark of Honor Award, has grown into a lucrative business with 10 locations spread across Louisiana and Texas, and has given Bobby the opportunity to hire Nicholls graduates, including general manager Gary Daigle (BS ’92), for highly coveted oilfield jobs right out of college. But oil isn’t his only focus. He is equally connected to culinary arts and business administration.

The couple’s late son, Chapman “Bumper” Burguieres III (BS ’03, MBA ’07), excelled in the Nicholls business program, while their youngest son, Paul Burguieres, spent a year studying culinary arts at Nicholls’ Chef John Folse Culinary

Institute. The couple established an endowed firstgeneration scholarship in Bumper’s honor, but they sought to find a way to do something special for the culinary program as well. That’s when Dr. David Boudreaux, former Nicholls Foundation executive director, presented them with an opportunity to sponsor a kitchen at the state-ofthe-art Lanny D. Ledet Culinary Arts Building.

“When Dr. Boudreaux told us about the new culinary arts building, we decided to sponsor the demo kitchen and classroom because we knew a lot of time would be spent there,” Bobby says.

“We got to realizing that we’re getting older and have done well for ourselves, so we wanted to give back in areas we feel connected to. We feel a real connection to Nicholls because our sons were proud of what they accomplished here.”

As the couple walks into the Burguieres Family Teaching and Demonstration Kitchen and Classroom, they stop to marvel at the shiny countertops, spacious cabinets and first-class cooking equipment that provide a modern learning environment for training both the region’s and country’s next top chefs.

“This is money well spent,” Bobby says. “This is an incubator for these students. The South Louisiana community has a reputation for great food. With this new facility, I know a lot of executive chefs will come from this institute and work their way into top culinary jobs across the country. Linda and I feel good to be a part of all that.” – Terry Trahan Jr.

Donald Kasten Claire Kaye Barbara Kearns Brandy Kearns Debrah Kelly Terrence Kennedy Kenneth A. Landry, Inc. Keybank National Association Trust Brian Kiedrowski Kevin Kittrell Kenneth Klaus Donovan Kliebert Ramona Kliebert Darin Knauth Mary Knauth Chris & James Knobloch Philip Knoblock Lisa Kortright Carolyn Kramer Jill Krzycki Mary Labadot Laborde Marine Management, LLC

Erline Ledet William Ledet Lefevre’s Art Supply & Gallery O’Neil Legendre Stephanie Leonard Gene Lewis Keena Lewis Bryan Life John Lillie Loretta Lirette Glenn Lo Trepp Lombard Joan Love Jeffrey Luman Rebecca Lyons Thomas Lyons Pamela Macke Kyle Maggio Joel Mague Mary Mahoney Jon Mailhes Glenn Manceaux Cooper Manning

Catherine Menard Lee Meredith Davis Michael Vicki Miles Layne Mire L. Glen Mire Misty Detiveaux Insurance, Inc. Katie Mitchell Mike Mohler Karen Moore Mary Morton Dale & Karen Morvant David Murla Bryan Myers Alycee Naquin Craig Naquin Gary Naquin Lionel Naquin Michael Naquin Richie Naquin Debbie Nash Albert Navarro Nicholas Nelson

Lafayette Electrical & Marine Supply Daniel Lafont Lafourche Republican Women’s Club Toni LaHaye John LaJaunie Gail Landry John Landry Jennifer Lantry Vickie Larke Bryant Larose Ellis Larose Jared Lasserre Kathleen Lavigne Margaret LeBlanc Michael LeBlanc Tane LeBlanc Barry LeBoeuf Kenny LeBouef Stephen LeBouef Bryan Ledet Buddy Ledet Dylan Ledet

58 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

Lesley Marcello Robert Marcello Burton Marmande William Marmande Jimmy Marshall Durel Martin James Martin Karen Martin Sarah Masterson Karen Matherne Merrick Matthews Kandace Mauldin Ray Mayon, Jr. Heather McAllister Edmund McCollam Larry McDonald Robert McDonald K. A. McEvoy Susan McKenzie Ross McWhorter Ann Meche Meche Investments, LLC Jean Melancon

Anne Nicholson Michelle Normand NREC Power Systems, Inc. NTB Associates, Inc. Quint Ocker Harlan Oelklaus Byron Oncale Sam Orial Matthew Ory Adam Papa Allison Passman David Patterson People’s Drug Store, Inc. Monica Percle Mark Perque Amanda Peters Diane Peters PHS Industries, Inc. Aaron Pierce Lorita Pitre Mia Pitre Whitney Pitre Leonard Pizzolatto

DoBee Plaisance Tammy Plaisance David & Sheela Plater Kristy Poiencot Tommie Ponson Alvin Pontiff Port Ship Service, Inc. Herman Prager Christy Prejean Evelyn Preuss Quality Printing, LLC Chad Quick R56 Services, LLC M. Scott & Joy Rabalais Rain Out, LLC Pam Randazza Mary Raynal Russell Rebowe George J. Reed Julie Reed Michelle Reiss Greg Reynolds Charlene Richard Doyle Richard Dustin Richard Jennifer Richard Ray Riché Melissa Robertson Karen Robichaux Katelin Robichaux R. Robichaux Roy Robichaux Suzanne Robichaux William Robichaux Crystal Roddy Bobby Rodrigue Tessie Rodrigue Rodrigue’s Electric, Inc. Allyn Rodriguez Ronald Rodriguez R. Ronquillo Benjamin Roth Nicole Rudolph Kristine Russell Brandon Ruttley Cuiping Saam Saco Energy Services, Inc. Sandot, Inc. DBA Martinique Ted Savoie Robert Scelfo Frederick Schaefer David Schultz Janice Sevin Sharon T. Miller, LPC, LMFT Kathleen Shea Brendan Sheehan Harry Shields

Sara Shields-Menard Hyunju Shin Ben Shoemake Donna Silverii Jamie Simpson Shandrea Sinegal Kandi Singleton Helen Sinibaldi Beth Smith Eugene Sonnier Southeast Showcase Series Michael St. Martin G. Michael J. St. Romain J. St. Romain James Stafford Kristie Stapler Roy Sternfels Judy Stewart Adeline Summers Robert Swearingen Ginger Szush T.S. Kearns & Co. Debra Tacker Tanks-A-Lot, Inc. Eric Tate Elmer Tatum, Jr. Nancy Tehan Vicki Templet Nicholas Terracina Joe Teuton The Crimson Society Judy Theriot Karen Theriot Aggie Thibodaux Marie Thibodeaux David Thomas Martha Thomassie Delos A. Thompson, Jr. Margaret Thompson Troy Thompson Constance Thornton Anke Tonn Gerald Torres Tosky’s, Inc. Barbara Toups Gayle Toups N.P. Toups Theresa Toups Vickie Toups Treasures Pamela Tregre Bill Trosclair Tommy Tucker Tonya Tucker Janine Unger University of South Alabama Brandon Usey

V & T Painting, Inc. Vandelay Restaurant Group Tiffany Verdun Van Viator Mark Vice Kathryn Vicknair Katrina W. Vizier Andrew Vodicka Giselle Waitz Andrew Walters Shana Walton Matthew Wegener Tina Weimer Melanie Weisheit Sue Westbrook William Paterson University Timothy Williamson Fagan Willoughby Kyle Wilson Faye Wuestney Paul Wuestney Wyndham Vacation Ownership Xavier University of Louisiana Xi Zeta Chapter Sigma Theta Tau Brent Young Chadwick Young Marie Zannis Curtis John Zeringue Julie Zeringue Dawn Zorn

$1 TO $99

A & R Floor Center, Inc. A-1 Bail Bonds of Lafourche, LLC Joyce Aaron Craig Acosta Christopher Adams Darlene Adams Harold Adams Michael Adams Rosemary Adams Adams & Johnson Certified Public Account Beatrice Aex Michelle Aguilar-Hopel Timothy Aitkens Joshua Aizen Gerald Albert Angela Alexander Mariko Alfonso Denise Alfred Kenneth Alfred Marion Allemand Helene Allen Cassandra Alvarado Jan Alvarez Paul Amedee

Katy Ampe Louis Andolsek Drew & Cindy Andrews Shirley Andrews Joe Anjier Kristen Anselmi Peggy Arabie Annette Arboneaux Billy Arcement Kim Arcement Alex Arceneaux Irma Arceneaux Melody Arceneaux Monique Arceneaux Paul Arceneaux Phoebe Arceneaux Steven Arceneaux Megan Archer Julio Archila Laura Argueta Mayfield Armstrong Derek Atkins Cynthia Aucoin Jeffery Aucoin Linda Aucoin Lydia Aucoin Jenifer Auffenberg Danny Authement Joel Authement Katie Authement Terry Autin Allison Ayo Susan Aysen Alicia Babin Jessica Babin Lauren Babin Shaun Babin Troy Babin Homer Baham Michele Bailliet Damon Baldone Phillip Balsmeier Scott Banville William Barbera Cynthia Barberot Connie Barbier Ty Barbier Edith Barker Michael Barker Barbara Barnes Alex Barocco Donald Barrilleaux Brian Bartell Michael Bartnik Jack Barton John Barton Liz Bass

Mary Bass Larry Baudoin Marie Baudoin Blanche Baudouin Dennis Bayhi Bayouland Art, Nelson & Petronella Plaisance Mark Bazile Abby Beatty Lauren Beaudean Roger Beaudean Dawn Becker John Becker Ashlie Becnel Lona Becnel Melanie Becnel Ben Bell Robert Bell Terri Bell Donna Benda Earl Benoit Edgar Benoit Jessie Benoit Judith Benoit Martin Benoit Carla Benz Andrew Bergeron Barrie Bergeron Carolyn Bergeron Elizabeth Bergeron Lydia Bergeron Roy Bergeron Steven Bergeron Susan Bergeron Bush Bernard James & Lona Bernard Randal Bernard Ray Bernard Rob Bernardi Gregory Berthelot Riley Berthelot Stephen Berthelot Best Rentals, Inc. Teli Betemps Ashley Billello Erica Bilello John R Bilello Karen Bilello Yakima Black Cody Blanchard Dennis Blanchard George Blanchard Melanie Blanchard Richard Blanchard Elwyn Bocz Ian Bodin Brandon Bolden

Kent Bollfrass Louis Bollinger Sue Bollinger Wayne Bollinger George Bolton Rodrigo Bonato David Bonnaffons Christopher Bonvillain David Bonvillain Marikate Book Ramaraj Boopathy Melanie Boquet Kathleen Bordelon Michael Bordelon Frances Borders Ben Borne Charles Borne Daniel Borne Gregory Borne William Bossier Andy Boudreaux Britni Boudreaux Calvin Boudreaux Chad Boudreaux Elmo Boudreaux Greg Boudreaux Horace Boudreaux Joe Boudreaux, Jr. Kristie Boudreaux Melanie Boudreaux Monique Boudreaux Myrtle Boudreaux Nicole Boudreaux Ruben Boudreaux Sheila Boudreaux Terry Boudreaux Trevor Boudreaux Boudreaux Properties, Inc. Henri Boulet Mary Bounds Charles Bourg Doug Bourg Hamilton Bourg Bonnie Bourgeois Jeff Bourgeois Jennifer Bourgeois Jeremy Bourgeois Justin Bourgeois Kristy Bourgeois Shelley Bourgeois Rachel Bourgeois Randy Bourgeois Rose Bourgeois Rudie Bourgeois Thomas Bourne Edward Bouterie Cambria Bouzigard

Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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Campus Cornerstone Andrew Bowden Patrick Bowen Debbie Bowers Harry Boyer, Jr. Joyce Brady Scott Brandt Roland Brannon David Brantley Brandy Braud Maria Braud Chelsea Bray Clay Breaud Mary Breaud Brandon Breaux Claudette Breaux Damian Breaux Jaclyn Breaux Maureen Breaux Monica Breaux Patricia Breaux Tarra Bridges Mark Brinker Carol Britt Della Brock Robert Broggi G. Brooks Sandy Brooks Jo Ann Broussard Shelly Broussard Sheri Broussard Thomas Broussard Cheryl Brown Hazel Brown Jason Brown Jeremy Brown Paul Brown Rose Brown Sonya Buccola Mary Bujol Mary Ann Bulla Tiffany Buonopane Trina Burke Dianna Burrell Patricia Burt Catina Burton C.A.N. Enterprises Phillip Caballero John Caillouet Claudette Caldwell Cresside Caldwell Nancy Caldwell James Callahan William Calloway Celeste Cancienne Cancienne Law Firm David Carbo Jane Carlson

Geraldine Caro Julie Carpenter Robert Carpenter Patricia Carrier Ronald Carrier Martha Carroll Gerald Cassard Hoyt Cassel Luis Castaneda Debbie Cavalier Carla Cayette Mary Cedotal Cedotal Mortgage Co. Felix Cerna Ronald Ceruti John Chaisson Samantha Chaisson Brian Champagne Gregory Champagne Melvin Champagne Glenn Chance Louie Charpentier Magen Charpentier-Dufrene Gregory Chase Linda Chauvin Lloyd Chauvin Patricia Chauvin Jude Chenier Leroy Chenier Chase Cheramie Miriam Cheramie Tammy Cheramie Mary Chesser Brittany Chiasson Candace Chiasson Donny Chiasson Howell & Crystal Chiasson Kellen Chiasson Mark Chiasson Marnie Chiasson Shannon Chiasson Theresa Chiasson Todd Chiasson Vera Chighizola Deborah Cibelli John Clark Sylvia Clark Colleen Clarke Susan Claudet Marc Clause Brian Clausen Fred Clausen Barry Clement Catherine Clement Claire Clement Gary & Lorraine Clement Philip Clement

60 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

Richard Clement Katelyn Clements Richard Clements Melissa Cloutet Clubhouse for Kids, LLC John Clune Richard Coats Clothilde Cobert Bridget Coddou Patricia Coffman Anthony Collins Marty Collins Jill Comeaux Michael Comeaux Misty Comeaux Justin Connelly Daniel Conrad Gregory Cook Martha Cook Maggie Cooney Tracie Coons Lois Copeland Angela Corbin Kenneth Cortez Raquel Cortina Valerie Courville Caitlin Cowen Todd Coyle Lawrence Crist Gail Crochet Wad Crochet Mary Curole D. Lafont Consulting Group, LLC John Dabkowski Jeffery Daigle John Daigle Kimberly Daniels Allen Danos Erin Danos James Danos Judy Danos Toni Danos Ann Dantin Darleen D’antoni Tod Darcey Danielle Dares Darnall, Sikes, Gardes & Frederick Michael Darnell Micheal Dassau Ann David Joanne David Robert Davidson Rebecca Davis John de la Bretonne II John Dearmond Debbie’s Hair & Nails Shawn Degnan

Jeanne Delatte Kirk Delatte Mary Delaune Murphy Delaune Rick Delcoure Delta Financial Services Therese Demouy Thomas Dempsey Jessica Denke Amy Denley Kerri Denoux Todd Denson Kristy Deshotel Brian Desselles John Desselles Lori Detiveaux Raymond Didier John Dill Arthur Dillon Jennifer Dixon Paula Domangue Torrin Domangue Brandon Domingue Curt Domingue Stephanie Donaldson Jeff Donnes Allison Doran Kim Douglas Jack Downing Daniel Drennan Lloyd Dressel Claudia Dubret Lisa Duet Tiffany Duet Alisha Dufrene Barry Dufrene Casie Dufresne Jean Dugas Mona Dugas Paulette Dugas Sidney Dugas Gregory Dumas Chardonnay Dunbar William Dunckelman D. David Duplantis Keith Duplantis Laurie Duplantis Mark Duplantis Scott Duplantis Thomas Duplantis Wiltz Duplantis Albert Dupont Alvin Dupre Terry Dupre Gerald Durocher Janis Durocher Melissa Durocher

Tiffany Durocher Sean Ebner Lauren Edwards Jason Eiermann Krissi Eisenman Linda Ekiss Tracie Ekiss James Ellis Eric Escher Casey Eschete Mia Eschete Steve Escobar Robert Eshleman Tracey Esneault Lillian Espinoza-Gala Tina Esponge Corey Eues Raymond Eustlser Nicole Eymard Jay Fakier Amy Falcon Ernest Falgoust Gerald Falgoust Nicholas Falgoust Sabrina Falgoust Robert & Peggy Falgout Kevin Fambrough Nicholas & Catherine Fangue Lorna Farrar Don Faucheux M. J. Faucheux Margaret Faucheux Robert Faul Peggy Fazzio Fernard P. Genre, LLC Renee Ferreira Joseph Fertitta Donna Feyerabend Julia Filce Paul Finn Charles Finnegan Clay Fletcher Aric Flowers Beth Folse Mindy Folse Sarah Folse James Fontenot Marion Fontenot Quenton Fontenot Megan Foran Edison Foret Sarah Foret Bonnie Fortson Deborah Fournet Gladys Fournet Paul Fournier Denise Fox

Jesse Frazier Alison Frederick Joseph Fredrick Jessica Freeman Wendy Fremin Robert Frey Sylvan Friedman Anthony Fulco Mallory Fulkerson Valentin Gaja Tyler Galjour Timothy Gallagher Rhonda Garber Robert Garland Sarah Garner Glenn Gaubert Ralph Gaubert Steven Gaubert Cindy Gaudet Walter Gaudet Philip Gauthie Paul Gautreau Brenda Gautreaux Lee Gautreaux Geraldine Gayral Brent Gehbauer Lisa Gele’ Julie George Ruby Gervais Sara Gierman Ray Giguette Patricia Gilbert Patrick Gilbert John Gilmore Earl Ginter Kent Girard Glen Giroir Michael & Janet Giroir Steven Giroir Irwin Gisclair Emmy Givens John Glass Marilyn Gonzalez Jason Good Jerry Goss Kristie Goulas Lydia Goulas Gregory Gouner Johnny Grabert Craig Graffeo Christine Graham Sean Graham Tina Granger Brady Granier Jessica Granier Kelly Granier Heloise Grant

Gary Gravois Travis Gravois Mary Mahoney Gray Donald Grayson Green to Gold Consultants, LLC Julie Greenburg Debra Greene June Greer James Gregory Michael Gremillion Susie Gremillion Camille Griffin Cindy Griffin Edmond Gros Michele Gros Katherine Grossberg Michael Grow Jaime Guenard Pierre Guerin Sarah Guidroz Walter Guidroz Aaron Guidry Denise Guidry Gus Guidry Nicole Guidry Beau Guillot Kenneth Guillot Laurie Guillot Carol Roberts Gumpert Kindra Halverson Theresa Hamilton Rich Hargett Shelba Harlan Sonnie Harris Richard Hartley Jessica Harvey Cynthia Hataway Donnell Hatfield Elaine Hauler Shannon Hauler Eric Haydel Judith Haydel Haynes Van & Storage Angelle Hebert Becky Hebert Beth Hebert Danielle Hebert Dustin Hebert James Hebert Joey Hebert John Hebert Jude Hebert Linda Hebert Madeline Hebert Meagan Hebert Michael Hebert Morris Hebert

Nick Hebert Samuel Hebert Shae Hebert Raoul Hebert Brian Heck Elexia Henderson Bette Henry Susan Herpel Kevin Heuser Courtney Hicks Justin Hicks Kathleen Higgins Kellie Higgins John High Peggy Hileman Obie Hill D’antoine Hills Stacy Himel D. Leonard Hingle Kelly Hobgood Raymond Hodson Andrew Hoffmann C. Lindy Hoffmann James Hoffmann Susan Hoffmann Ted Hoffmann Sarah Hogan Peggy Hohensee Danielle Holland Henry Hollingsworth, III Michael Hollingsworth Douglas Holloway Seth Holloway Harvey Honore Elizabeth Hornsby David Horton Daniel Hrapmann Carol Hubbard Aaron Hubbel Thomas Hue Kathy Hunt Melissa Hutchinson Benjamin Hymel Shelby Hypolite James Irwin Natalie Isaacks Shay Ives J. P. Piper Camps, Inc. J. Wayne Plaisance, Inc. Nyeshia Jack L’keyah Jackson Heather Jahnke Taylor Jambon Carolyn James Sarah Jimenez Kalon Johnson Lynn Johnson

Perry Johnson Ray Johnson Emil Joller Benjamin Jones Cheryl Jones Joshua Jones Keith Jordan K. B. Kaufmann & Co., Inc. Melissa Kaintz Andrew Kearney Ana Kearns Dylan Kelley John Kelley David Kelly Luther Kelly Todd Kennedy Lloyd Kern Jonathan Kerry Sara Kidd Rachael Kilgen Jacob Kilgore Herbert Kimble David King Brigitte Kinsella Kjohanning Consultancy Shane Kliebert Suzanne Kling E. Paulette Kloeppel Klondyke Mini Mart Fuel Account Beverly Klopf Jim Klos Lori Knobloch Roland Knobloch Jackie Kocke Rachel Kulakowski Ruth Kullman Rene’ Labat Thomas Labat Gary LaFleur Eric Lafont Colette Lagarde David Lagrange Leland Lambert Ashleigh Lambiotte Stephen Lambousy Byron Landry Christie Landry Jennifer Landry Natalie Landry Lance LaPlante Laurie Larose Roxane Larousse Jackie Lasseigne Myrna Lasseigne Richard Lasseigne Todd Lasseigne Edna Latchem

COLLEGE OF

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Among the

top 5%

of business schools

worldwide

The Nicholls College of Business Administration and Accounting program have earned reaccreditation from the prestigious AACSB International “Accreditation validates the outstanding education that Nicholls business students receive while in college.”

Ed Bouterie

CPA/Director | Bourgeois Bennett CPAs

“AACSB accreditation, coupled with Nicholls’ unique maritime management concentration, ensures that we are hiring tomorrow’s top industry leaders.”

Robert Clemons

Vice President/COO | SEACOR Marine LLC

Learn more at

nicholls.edu/business Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

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Campus Cornerstone Fallon Laughlin Sabrina Laurent Michael Lawrence Jonathan Lazzarino Minh Le Brandon LeBlanc Daphne LeBlanc Edward LeBlanc Holly LeBlanc Kimberly LeBlanc Marie LeBlanc Michael LeBlanc Nicholas LeBlanc Ricky LeBlanc Robert LeBlanc Rodney LeBlanc Trevor LeBlanc Jacqueline LeBouef Kevin LeBoeuf Mary LeBoeuf Russell LeBouef William Ledbetter Byron Ledet Kathryn Ledet Louise Ledet Sherman Ledet Terrel Ledet Clair Lee Margaret Lee Oliver Lee Katrina Leftwich Clair Legendre Kim Legendre Randy Legendre Raymond Legendre, Jr. Anita Leggett Debra Lejeune Michael Lemoine Walter Lemoine Drake Leonards Gayle Levenson Al Levron Anthony Lewis Dixon Lewis Lynn Lewis Tyler Lewis Deborah Lillie Leo Lindner Lisa Littlejohn Kerry Lloyd Stephen Logan Martha Longman Louisiana Glass, Inc. Donald Loupe Mary Louviere Peter Louviere

Shirleen Louviere David Loveday Clayton Lovell Rosemary Lovell Iona Lyons - Brown Beverly Mabry Jan Madere Barbara Mahler Ben Malbrough Randell Malbrough Simone Maloz Jason Manola En Mao Steven J. Marcello Robert Marek Bryan Marlborough Marquis Management Group, LLC Thomas Marsh Mark Marshall Aaron Martin Diane T. Martin Rebecca Martin Maegan Martines Judie Martinez Mary Kelley Realty, Inc. Kristy Mascarella Sandra Mather Dawn Matherne Debra Matherne Joyce Matherne Michael Matherne Phyllis Matherne Thomas Mathews Mauri A. Agosta, APLC Mary Maurin Eugene Mayeaux Jewel Mayer George Maynard Paulette Mayon Timothy McCabe Sherrie McCully Elizabeth McCurry Gary McDonnell Earl McElroy Lucille McEvoy John McEvoy William McEvoy Mary McFarland Chris McGehee Jill McMellon Monique McMillan Jamie McWilliams Marlene Meades D. Mealy Barry Melancon Beverly Melancon

62 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

Earl Melancon Gretchen Melancon Joan Melancon Joshua Melancon R. Scott Melancon William Melancon Melancon Chiropractic & Wellness Clinic, LLC. Laura Melton Dale Menard Russell & Joy Menard Shane Menard Doris Menezes Pamela Menou John Meyer John Michelli Stephen Michot Fran Middleton Ann Miller Lauren Miller Mary Miller Anne Milneck Lisa Mimnagh Chad Mire Eric Mistretta Layne Mistretta Britney Mollere Marguerite Moloney Charles Monier Pauline Monnier Monsanto Co. Donald Montz Donald Moore Joe Moore Libbi Moore Zachary Morgan Bobbie Morris John Morris Mary Morris Stephanie Morris Chester Morrison Terrence Morton Jennifer Morvant Mark Mracich Thomas Muilenburg Rachel Mundell Sarah Munson Shawn Murphy Phyllis Mury Debi Myhand Rhett Myhand Benjamin Naquin Donna Naquin Gary Naquin Linda Naquin Loretta Naquin

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Nicholls State University • The COLONEL • Fall 2015 |

63

A Colonel of Truth

Periodically Speaking …

Illustration by Sharon Doucet (BA ’78)

by Dr. John P. Doucet

I

f you’re walking around campus in the fall and find yourself surrounded by an incessant drone of “shh-shh-shh-shh-shh-shhshh ...,” don’t worry. You’re not in Ellender Memorial Library, and you’ve not been caught talking aloud again by a choir of zealous librarians.

Instead, what you’re likely hearing is a chorus of tree-hugging cicadas.

Cicadas are those big, widebodied flies that traditional Cajuns call cigales du nuit, or simply cigales.

After maturing underground, wingless cicada young, called nymphs, dig themselves out of the mud in warm summer months, find a nice tree to climb, and then like little Incredible Hulks split their shells open to become noisy adults with wings. Those that have stayed underground for only a year are called annual cicadas.

Some large cicada populations stay underground maturing for a whopping 13 or 17 years; these are called periodical cicadas. Again, however, these have nothing to do with the library, despite the fact that there are publications on the library’s shelves called “annuals” and “periodicals.” I know it’s confusing.

Monitoring the emergence of periodical cicadas must be a long, lonesome task, like waiting for the U.S. men’s soccer team to score a goal in the World Cup. Lonely scientists who conduct such monitoring say Louisiana has recently experienced the emergence of a 13-year-old population called “Brood XXII.” Imagine the amazement of Brood XXII cicadas as they emerge.

When they went underground, the BlackBerry smartphone was on the cusp of release, George W. Bush was president and Nemo had yet to be found.

From high in one of Nicholls’ historic oaks, XXIIs, with their two large and three tiny red eyes, would be pleased to see that our nursing students have finally moved into their own building — Ayo Hall. Before the nymphs went underground, nursing students were still resuscitating manikins in Gouaux Hall just a few feet away from the formaldehyde-laden anatomy laboratory where many of their physician counterparts trained. The insects would also be pleased to see the new Lanny

D. Ledet Culinary Arts Building, which tells them that our culinary students have finally distanced themselves from the same smelly dissection laboratory.

If finally separating student training in nursing, cooking and cat dissection is not surprising enough for XXIIs, imagine their amazement at seeing the new student recreation center on new property across Bowie Road. As nymphs over a decade ago, they witnessed students vote against funding rec center construction.

However, just like the earliest appearance of Cabbage Patch Kids that startled their ancestors in Brood XX, this brood’s cicadas realize that anything can happen after spending over a decade sucking root sap in the muddy darkness underground.

No less amazed are 17-year periodical cicadas that have recently emerged. As young nymphs, these periodicals saw the blockbuster film Titanic win a record-tying 11 Oscars at the 70th Academy Awards and British author J.K. Rowling become a global sensation with the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Perhaps more importantly for students, the Dow Jones was

climbing, meaning that retirement portfolios of certain professors might be looking more immediately attractive.

On campus, however, the 17-year nymphs saw that it was a different story 17 years ago.

Completing course assignments required students to physically visit the library, living on campus meant sharing a room in a hall with communal showers, and, perhaps worst of all, there was a new biology professor named Doucet.

With five eyes each, adult periodicals emerging this year can surely see that our campus has improved in many ways since they went underground. So, if you find a motionless XXII cicada legs-up on a campus sidewalk, don’t assume that it’s down over the campus it remembers from its youthful nymph-hood. Remember that these periodicals burrowed beneath the very ground where the New Orleans Saints practiced during their summer training camp here about 13 years ago. A legs-up cicada has probably fainted and fallen from its tree perch after learning that the Saints have since won the Super Bowl.

Aside from being a poet, writer and editor, Dr. John P. Doucet (BS ’84) holds many titles: dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, distinguished service professor, director of the University Honors Program and Louisiana’s first certified public health geneticist.

64 | Fall 2015 • The COLONEL • Nicholls State University

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