Spring/Summer 2016 Southeastern Louisiana University Magazine

ROTC Returns

PANAM A

Southeastern’s CSI

Southeastern brings Army ROTC back to campus, pg. 22

Southeastern’s partnerships in Panama continue to grow, pg. 17

Forensics classes teach the science of solving mysteries, pg. 36

SOUTHEASTERN S P R I N G / S U M M E R

S O U T H E A S T E R N

L O U I S I A N A

U N I V E R S I T Y

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M A G A Z I N E

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY S P R I N G / S U M M E R

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M A G A Z I N E P RESI DENT

Dr. John L. Crain PROVOST & VI C E PR E S I D E N T FO R ACAD E MI C A FFA I RS

Dr. Tammy Bourg VIC E P R E SID E N T FO R AD MI N I ST R AT I O N & FI NA NCE

Sam Domiano VIC E P R E SI D E N T FO R U N I V E R S I T Y A DVA NCEM ENT

Wendy Lauderdale, CFRE Busting Myths article, pg. 33 V I C E PR E S I D E N T FO R ST U D ENT A FFA I RS

Dr. Marvin Yates EXEC UT IV E D I R ECTO R , PU B L I C & G OV ERNM ENTA L A FFA I RS

Erin Moore Cowser D IR ECTO R , MAR K E T I N G & CO MMUNI CAT I ONS

Mike Rivault D I R ECTO R , PU B L I C I N FORM AT I ON

Rene Abadie PH OTOG RA P HY

Randy Bergeron CO NT RI B U TORS

Tonya Lowentritt, Kemmler Chapple Kandace Formaggio Camry Boudy

Letters: Southeastern Magazine welcomes letters of 300 or fewer words. Letters may be used for publication unless the author states that it is not to be published. Letters may be edited for publication. Send submissions to Editor, Southeastern Magazine, Office of University Advancement, SLU 10293, Hammond, LA 70402 or mrivault@southeastern.edu.

Printing and distribution for the Southeastern Magazine provided by the Southeastern Foundation – southeasternfoundation.org.

COVE R PH OTO : Members of the latest class of Panamá Bilingüe donned native dress and demonstrated native dances as part of the entertainment.

table of contents 22

33 10

TOP 5 R AN K I N G

36

30

REA L-WORLD REA DY ACA D EMIC S

The Sport Management program has

The Office of Experiential Learning

been ranked in the top 5 nationally.

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33

takes hold of getting students real-world learning opportunities.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Professor Rhett Allain has been a

regular consultant on the hit

TV show, Mythbusters.

gives College of Education grant to aid in teacher preparation.

17 PAN AM A

Southeastern’s partnerships in Panama continue to grow.

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SOUTHEA STERN ’S C S I

Southeastern’s Forensics program

and classes teach the science of solving mysteries.

ROTC R E T U R N S TO SOU T H EA STERN

After decades of absence, Southeastern brings Army ROTC back to campus.

B USTING MYTHS

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F IRST G ENERATION

STUDEN TS S UCC EED

First Generation Scholarships are helping students build a strong future.

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

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president’s M E S SAG E

Alumni, Friends & Supporters, In my three plus decades at Southeastern as a student, faculty member and administrator, I have seen many changes to our beloved institution. The overall story has been one of growth and advancement, while always maintaining our primary goal of remaining a student-centered institution with a small-college friendliness and caring atmosphere. This has been made possible due to effective support, strategy, leadership, and strong student bodies through the years.

There are many areas I could point to regarding our growth as an institution – increasing enrollment from a few thousand students when I started here to 15,000 today; the expanding physical footprint of our campus to fulfill the needs of our students and the region; the introduction and expansion of academic programs for these same reasons – and many others. One area of which I am particularly proud is our international orientation.

When Southeastern started as a small regional junior college, international involvement was not a primary focus of the institution. However, as the world has changed and become more interconnected with a more global economy, Southeastern has evolved with it.

Through our international students, as well as some of our faculty and staff, our campus is rich in cultural diversity. Thousands of our students have studied abroad, gaining knowledge and a sense of cultures that only can be understood through direct experience.

Southeastern has also engaged with other nations and their universities and institutions to provide unique learning, exchange and research opportunities for students.

As you will read in these pages, one of our strongest international efforts focuses on South and Central America. This is a region that in the coming decades will be a significant economic partner with the United States and specifically the Gulf of Mexico states.

We hope to position Southeastern as an important participant in those endeavors through programs, both large and small, that provide our region and our students with ample resources to participate in the global economy.

As I noted, it is amazing how far we have come. Please enjoy this magazine and share it. As always, you are our greatest asset in spreading the word about our University.

John L. Crain P RESI DENT

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OUT

&

ABOUT

Madison

CHAUVIN Sophomore // Communication

Current involvement on campus

How Southeastern changed me I don’t know that Southeastern necessarily changed me, but it provided the perfect place to become a better version of myself, to grow personally and academically, to make new friends and give me another home in my hometown.

Phi Mu Fraternity, Public Relations Student Society of America, the ExCel Scholar Program, Auxiliary Services Student Advisory Board

Favorite thing about my major I love the independence that comes with being a communication major. Our field is so broad that we have free reign over how to concentrate our education to personally benefit ourselves now and in our future careers.

Favorite spot on campus Strawberry Stadium holds a special place in my heart.

Cheering on the Lions, win or lose, will always be an essential part of my college experience.

In 15 words or less, what is great about Southeastern?

Simply put, I’m a person not a number. I matter here. Everyone does.

Dream job I’d love to work in PR on a political campaign.

What do you think of Southeastern’s faculty and staff ?

SLU is often compared to a family, and the care and pride that our faculty and staff have in the students continues to prove that.

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SOCI AL

ME DIA

POSTINGS & COMMENTS FROM YOU

“

“ # LIONUP

for higher education.

The wind ain’t got nothin on the H.E.A.T.”

Southeastern is my future home and I couldn’t be more excited and honored to go there. #lionup.” @dylanMD16

“ There is

power in numbers!!”

-Belinda Niswonger FACEBOOK // ON “RESULTS OVER RHETORIC” AT THE CAPITAL

@sugar_maddy COMMENT ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION DAY AT THE CAPITOL

“Defeating USM & Baylor today! #lionup” @peytonlaine

“Wishing you all the best of luck! I know you all are going to kill it!”

– Micque Bouza Voges COMMENTING ON THE LION SPIRIT SQUADS’ PHOTO BEFORE COLLEGE DANCE AND CHEER NATIONALS

“Job Well Done! Lion Up! Lions Win!” – Eric Brown // COMMENTING ON ATHLETICS POST BEFORE TULANE BASEBALL GAME

"The sunset last night over #ThePat. 3 days people!!”

– Taylor Marceaux // ON SUNSET PIC OF BASEBALL FIELD

“LET’S GO LIONS! I’ve been looking for my pics in the Homecoming parade ‘85. #lionup” @charleanmilton

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“

A UNIVERSITY THAT CARES - I attended Southeastern as a starting point for my college career. After my freshman year I quickly realized this was the location where I wanted to complete my education. Why? Because the faculty cared about my education, my growth and my career path. I am grateful for the opportunity that I had professionally and personally at this university. Geaux Lions!!!

”

-Catherine McClemens LINKEDIN // REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT AT CARNEGIE LEARNING

“Congratulations to @slugreeks for raising $400 for the Southeastern Food Pantry! #SLUgreekweek16 #slugreeklife” @slugreeks

"I am personally taking a few online courses and have previously taken online courses.

I can easily say that I have learned a lot from these classes and having the option of taking them online really helped me a lot!"

“IT’S HOMECOMING Y’ALL!! #LIONUP #BROADWAY”

– Jacob Michael

@SoutheasternOSE

FACEBOOK // ON “RANKED #1 IN THE STATE FOR ONLINE COURSE OFFERINGS” POST

“Congrats Ashton Henderson that was an awesome play!”

“Watch out the next few years.

Ladner knows what he is doing.”

- Nathan Ford

– Duane Gougler

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK

“Homecoming week at SLU with my BFF” -Abby Brennan

“Still in shock that this field is my future home #LionUp.” – Camryn Kate INCOMING FRESHMAN ON GETTING SIGNED TO THE SOFTBALL TEAM

“Loved attending SLU & living in Hammond Class of 79” -Brenda Van Alphen FACEBOOK SPRING / SUMMER 2016

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New freshmen enrollment

Record Set SOUTHEASTERN EXPERIENCED INCREASES IN NEW FRESHMEN, NEW TRANSFER STUDENTS, AS WELL AS OVERALL ENROLLMENT THIS PAST FALL.

programs in communication, education, nursing, accounting and new media and animation, continue to attract new students, he said.

This year’s class of new freshmen increased by 122 students. Transfer students also increased by 15.3 percent.

In addition, Crain said, Southeastern’s new initiative, Real-World Ready – which emphasizes internships, service-learning courses, research and other hands-on experiences – demonstrates the university’s commitment to fully prepare students for the workforce and is having an impact on attracting new students.

“Our recent recruitment efforts emphasize the exceptional academic programs Southeastern offers,” said President John L. Crain.

Overall enrollment of all types grew by nearly one percent as well.

Computer science, information technology, engineering technology, as well as strong

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The Connect to Success program – a partnership between Southeastern and Northshore Technical Community College —provides post-secondary educational opportunities for students in the region who

are seeking admission to the university but don’t yet meet admission criteria. NTCC students participating in the program take their courses on the Southeastern campus and have access to its library, Student Union and other facilities. The program showed additional enrollment growth this fall, reaching 569 students, the highest in the program’s three-year history.

“We are continually seeking ways to meet the needs of students in the region and beyond by offering unique and purposeful options to succeed,” Crain said.

Foundation being laid

New Science & Technology Building Construction

UNDER WAY With the demolished remnants of a former dormitory and office building in the background, Southeastern officials and other guests broke ground Friday, November 20, to initiate construction of a new science and technology building.

The 70,000 square foot building is being built on the southeast corner of the campus at North Oak and Dakota streets. The $24.4 million facility is being funded through state Capital Outlay funds; no university operating funds will be used in construction.

The building is being constructed on the site of Southeastern Hall, a former dormitory and office building that was built in 1948, and an adjacent parking lot.

“This is a transformational project for Southeastern for a number of reasons, including workforce development, as we continue to evolve the university to fulfill our mission of serving our region,” said Southeastern President John L. Crain. “This is a well-planned facility that will be staffed by highly specialized faculty teaching and mentoring a growing number of students in these technical areas.”

He added that the new structure, along with the park area being developed across the street and a new parking lot, will create an inviting and impressive new visual entrance to the university along a highly traversed route from the interstate to campus.

“Occupational forecasts indicate there are thousands and thousands of STEM-related jobs that need to be filled right here in Louisiana,” said Rep. Chris Broadwater, who was instrumental in shepherding the building project through the state’s Capital Outlay process.

“If we don’t have the capacity to train these workers to fill these jobs, these students will leave the state.”

He added that the building will be important as well for Northshore Community and Technical College. Through partnerships, NTCC students will have access to the excellent programs and facilities should they chose to transfer to Southeastern.

Randy Moffett, former president of Southeastern and the University of Louisiana System, said the new building is the result of a long-term vision developed by a lot of people over a number of years.

“It has the potential to be the cornerstone of Louisiana higher education on the Northshore,” he added.

The project has been in the development stages since 2007. Total construction time is estimated at 17 months, making the facility possibly ready for the fall 2017 semester. The three-story facility will house components of several programs, including computer science, information technology, engineering technology, industrial technology, and the occupational, safety, health and environment program.

In addition to faculty offices and technology-rich classrooms, the building will have specialty labs for computer science, engineering and industrial technology, material testing, machine and manufacturing, automation and robotics, industrial hygiene and fire protection, and electronics and drafting.

Architects for the project are Holly and Smith Architects of Hammond; general contractor is Percy Matherne Contractors, Inc. of Baton Rouge.

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Southeastern recognized by national groups for student leadership, engagement & impact on communities Southeastern has been recognized with a Student Actions Award by the organization Purposeful Networks.

Purposeful Networks honors undergraduate schools for demonstrated student leadership, momentum and engagement in activities that positively impact communities and the planet.

Southeastern is the only public university in Louisiana among the 125 schools in the nation being recognized for excellence this semester.

“It is truly an honor to be listed alongside other top universities for the actions of our students,” said President John Crain. “Service to others and engagement with our communities are basic values we try to instill in all of our students. The activities cultivate a sense of partnership among the students and help strengthen their leadership and organizational skills, which are vital to success in the workplace.”

Crain noted that student organizations are heavily involved in fund-raising for non-profit organizations and in community service events, such as “The Big Event” held every year, where hundreds of students gather on a specific day to carry out service projects throughout the region.

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SOUTHEASTERN MAGAZINE

For their efforts, Southeastern also has earned a position on the President’s Higher Education Honor Roll for Community Service for the past four years.

Additionally, the university is expanding student-engagement opportunities this year by increasing the number of experientiallearning opportunities through its Real-World Ready initiative. This plan involves merging classroom instruction with hands-on activities to achieve a more intensive learning experience.

“The power of student leaders to build community and inspire action for causes and programs they support is tremendous. We are proud to spotlight the individual and collective impact of undergraduate students across the country,” said Kristine Sturgeon, president of Purposeful Networks. “From encouraging positive everyday activities like donating blood or volunteering to organize campus-wide events and fund-raising, our next generation of leaders is making a measurable impact.”

For more information on the network, go online to purposefulnetworks.com.

Phi Kappa Phi Chapter

HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE Southeastern’s honor society Phi Kappa Phi was recently recognized as a Chapter of Excellence, the highest commendation a chapter can receive from the organization.

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. The award is given to chapters that excel in recognizing and promoting academic excellence in all of higher education and engaging the community of scholars in service to others.

She also recognized the efforts of last year’s president, Associate Professor of Mathematics Danny Acosta.

Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America.

Southeastern was one of only 29 chapters nationwide to be recognized as a Chapter of Excellence.

Chapter President Cindy Elliott, head of the Department of Teaching and Learning, said the honor recognizes the chapter’s recruitment efforts and programs designed to promote academic excellence.

The chapter presents scholarships to students, obtains national grants from Phi Kappa Phi to support literacy efforts in area schools and libraries and holds its annual Student-Faculty Quiz Bowl during Homecoming Week.

Above: Annual Faculty-Student Quiz Bowl held during Homecoming Week.

Below: New Phi Kapa Phi inductees.

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SOUTHEASTERN SPORT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM LISTED AS

No. 5 in nation The sport management program at Southeastern was named No. 5 among the 50 Most Affordable Urban Schools for the profession in 2015.

SMG, an international sport marketing and venue management corporation, created the listing based on a review of 158 U.S. institutions that offer four-year bachelor’s degrees in sport and/or fitness administration/management and located in an urban or city setting.

Criteria for the selection included internship opportunities, such as professional football, basketball or baseball teams and other opportunities, and net price for attending the institution. Southeastern was cited for its proximity to New Orleans and its robust internship opportunities, as well as the employment of its graduates in a variety of sport and recreational settings.

“We are honored to receive this recognition for offering a strong program that provides a variety of real-world ready opportunities for students in our growing sport management academic program,” said Eddie Hebert, head of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies.

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SOUTHEASTERN MAGAZINE

Hebert said Southeastern in 2008 was the first university in Louisiana to offer a program in sport management and currently has 100 students pursuing the degree. Southeastern is the only program in Louisiana included in the SMG listing.

The degree, he said, combines foundational coursework in business areas, such as accounting, marketing and management, with kinesiology. “The focus is to apply business principles in the sport, recreation and fitness industry,” he said.

“We are in a geographical location that’s ideal for a student looking to go into the field,” he said. “Located close to New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Southeastern has been able to develop partnerships with organizations such as the New Orleans Saints, the Pelicans and the New Orleans Sports Foundation, all of which have given our students opportunities to learn from professionals in the field.”

Likewise, he said, Baton Rouge offers a variety of recreational and sport businesses where students can gain valuable experience, including the BR Recreation Department, youth and adult soccer leagues, fitness centers and other opportunities.

Other partnerships have been developed with the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Louisiana Special Olympics, the Mandeville Sports Complex, New Orleans Superdome and Smoothie King Arena and the Sun Belt Conference Headquarters.

Southeastern students earn

speech-language-hearing awards Two graduate students in Southeastern’s communication sciences and disorders program have earned awards based on their achievements.

Caprice Lee of Monroe was selected to be a participant in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Minority Student Leadership Program (MSLP), while Megan McMillin of Shorewood, Ill., received a $1,500 graduate scholarship from SPALS, the Speech Pathologists and Audiologists in Louisiana Schools. Both are graduates of Southeastern’s bachelor’s program in communication sciences and disorders.

McMillin is a former player for the Southeastern Lions volleyball team, who was named a winner of the President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences when she graduated last year. She also was named to the Southland Conference’s All-Academic Team and received the conference’s F.L. McDonald Postgraduate Scholarship. She intends to work in a school setting after she earns her master’s degree.

Caprice Lee

Lee was one of only 40 students nationwide to be selected to participate in leadership training at the 2015 Convention in Denver in November. As an MSLP participant, she took part in leadershipfocused educational programs and activities at the convention designed to help build and enhance leadership skills and gain an understanding of how the association works.

Megan McMillin

Southeastern’s accreditation reaffirmed by Southeastern’s application for reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) was approved in December at the SACSCOC annual meeting in Houston, university officials announced.

“The university is held responsible for clearly demonstrating and documenting that we meet all standards and have the highest commitment to institutional integrity, accountability and quality improvement,” Crain added.

President John L. Crain said the SACS Board of Trustees voted to reaffirm the university’s accreditation for another 10 years with no stipulations. Southeastern has been accredited by SACSCOC since 1946.

The current review process requires completion of a self-study compliance audit that addresses approximately 100 standards with significant documentation that each standard is being met.

“This is the capstone accreditation for the university,” Crain said, “and I am proud of the strong efforts of our faculty and staff who worked so hard to ensure a successful outcome.”

Crain said Southeastern has been preparing its application for the last several years. The application demonstrates how Southeastern meets high standards that cover every aspect of the university, including its mission and governance, financial and physical resources, institutional effectiveness, student services, faculty qualifications, athletics, quality of educational programs and library resources.

Following a review by an off-site committee, an on-site Reaffirmation Committee evaluated various documents, conducted inspections and interviewed faculty, staff and students during a three-day visit last spring.

The review process also requires development of a quality enhancement plan (QEP) that addresses an area designed to enhance student learning at the university. Southeastern selected a Real-World Ready campaign designed to enhance opportunities for students to practice skills in a setting authentic to their intended careers. Internships and partnerships with businesses and agencies, service-learning courses, field experiences, undergraduate research and other opportunities are all part of the experiential learning process.

“These learning opportunities are current, pertinent, performancebased, and practical applications of knowledge and skills experienced within the curriculum,” Crain said. “The Real-World Ready campaign represents an exciting opportunity to enhance student learning while also helping increase the university’s retention and graduation rates, key factors in how universities are now being evaluated.”

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SOUTHEASTERN GRADUATE BIOLOGY PROGRAM

ranked 6th in nation

Southeastern’s graduate program in biological sciences was ranked sixth in the nation in the fall Biology Grad Rankings posted by the website graduateprograms.com.

Southeastern was the only institution from Louisiana included in the listing of the top 25 biology graduate programs in the country.

Among the 15 categories reviewed were academic competitiveness, affordability of living, campus safety, career support, education quality and faculty accessibility and support. Southeastern’s ranking is above Yale and Harvard, putting it in good company with Duke, Carnegie Mellon and Tufts University to round out the top tier of rated schools.

“This is a testimony to the quality and commitment of our faculty, many of whom are internationally celebrated biologists,” said Dean of the College of Science and Technology Dan McCarthy. “The master’s program in biology draws graduate students from throughout the country, and when they graduate from here, they are typically placed in some of the strongest doctoral programs for further study.”

The rankings were based on ratings and reviews from current or recent graduate students with a requirement that a minimum threshold of student surveys are completed. More than 75,000 students in 1,600 programs participated in the review process.

A sample of student comments from the Southeastern review included: “There are great people present in the program and staff members that sincerely want to see you succeed.”

“I believe SLU offers a great mix of diverse faculty and some excellent mentors who truly seek to help students succeed in what they do.”

“Our graduate students receive outstanding and individualized training,” said Chris Beachy, head of the Department of Biological Sciences. “Our graduate faculty have outstanding publishing success in professional journals, they obtain external funding from nationally competitive sources like the National Science Foundation, and they are recognized and honored for their career work by various specialist organizations.”

Southeastern, Nunez sign agreement on business programs Southeastern and Nunez Community College in Chalmette have reached an agreement facilitating the transfer of Nunez business administration students into Southeastern’s business bachelor’s degree programs.

The agreement provides an easy transition for students graduating with an Associate of General Studies in business administration concentration from Nunez who intend to pursue a bachelor’s degree program in business.

The agreement – known as a 2+2 articulation agreement – is a cooperative endeavor between a two-year community college program that offers associate degrees and a four-year institution that provides students with an easy transition through the sharing of application and admissions information, transcripts and other records.

The agreement was signed by Southeastern President John L. Crain and Nunez Chancellor Thomas R. Warner.

“Our agreement with Nunez Community College opens the door for qualified students with two-year degrees to further their education in a seamless manner,” Crain said. “Southeastern collaborates with 12

SOUTHEASTERN MAGAZINE

institutions in the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) as we work cooperatively to advance the success of higher education students. Doing so addresses important workforce development needs for the state and is in the best interest of students.”

“Our partnership with Nunez provides more avenues for community college students to achieve their dreams of furthering their education. It also provides opportunities for students who may not have otherwise considered completing a bachelor’s degree,” said Antoinette Phillips, interim dean of the Southeastern College of Business.

She said students will take 60 credit hours at Nunez, which include most of their general education coursework, including math, English, science, social studies, humanities and basic business administration.

Their remaining 60 hours at Southeastern will focus primarily on business coursework under one of the college’s departmental programs. Southeastern offers business degrees in the departments of accounting and finance, management and business administration, and marketing and supply chain management.

YOU S A I D I T

a [ somewhat ] scientific P OLLING of ALUMN I THE TYPE OF VEHICLE I DRIVE:

DO YOU HAVE GRANDCHILDREN?

35.2% SUV 42.2% YES 57.8% NO

32.4% SEDAN 20% TRUCK 7% SPORTS CAR 4.9

%

FAVORITE ROOM of the house

VAN

0.4% MOTORCYCLE

57.7% LIVING/MAIN ROOM 16.7% BEDROOM

THE TYPE OF VEHICLE I Wish I DROVE

12.9% KITCHEN 10.5% FRONT PORCH

34.4% SUV

1.6% BATHROOM

21.9% SPORTS

0.7% DINING ROOM

20.8% TRUCK 17.5% SEDAN 3.3% VAN 2.1

%

MOTORCYCLE

I WOULD RATHER:

66.4% GO TO A NICE RESTAURANT 33.6% MAKE A GOURMET MEAL AT HOME

DO YOU HAVE A FIREPLACE in your house?

67.5% YES

32.5% NO

Do you use it regularly?

41.5% YES, but only when it’s really cold 25.7% NO, too much trouble 22.8% YES, whenever it is even a little chilly 9.4% NO, I like it cold 0.6% YES, I’ll turn down the A/C to make it cold inside and light a fire

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

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COLLEGE OF EDUCATION RECEIVES GRANT FROM

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

S

outheastern recently received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of being named to one of five Teacher Preparation Transformation Centers. These centers are designed to bring together higher education institutions, teacherpreparation providers and K-12 school systems to share data, knowledge and best practices with the intended outcome of preparing highly qualified teachers.

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Southeastern is the only teacher preparation program in Louisiana invited to participate.

Funding for the projects amounts to a total of $34.7 million over three years. Each center is expected to test different approaches in various contexts to better understand teacher-preparation practices that are most effective. The Transformation Centers will be guided by a common set of indicators and outcomes while testing different approaches.

Each center includes several universities. Southeastern’s College of Education will be part of the University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation (U.S.PREP) National Center based at Texas Tech University.

Southeastern will receive approximately $534,000 over the threeyear period, explained Shirley Jacob, interim dean of the College of Education. Other universities participating in U.S.PREP are Jackson State University, Southern Methodist University, the University of Houston and the University of Memphis.

“We know through years of experience that one of the main impacts on students’ learning is the presence of a highly-effective, qualified teacher,” Jacob said. “This project is intended to help all teacher preparation programs better prepare our teacher candidates to be successful in the classroom.”

“District personnel will interact with university faculty to strategically coordinate teacher education candidate field placements and residencies in our school district,” she added. “This collaboration has the potential to positively impact the work we are doing to prepare teachers for the 21st Century classrooms.”

U.S.PREP and its coalition members are expected to achieve several specific quality objectives, including preparing new teachers who possess exceptional content knowledge and teaching skills; developing a program culture focused on continuous improvement using outcome and design-based research data; ensuring teacher educator effectiveness is elevated through professional develop programs based on solid research; enhancing the common school and university vision of preparation of teacher candidates through collaborative implementation; and developing an effective peer-topeer university model that helps jumpstart a revolution of improved teacher preparation programs.

“We are looking forward to working cooperatively with Ascension Public Schools and St. Charles Public School System next fall on this project” Jacob added. “Their leaders are dedicated to continuous quality improvement among their own teachers and in assisting Southeastern create a new generation of highly skilled and competent teachers.”

Southeastern maintains one of the largest teacher preparation programs in Louisiana. Currently approximately 800 students are enrolled in the teacher preparation program.

The overall goal of U.S.Prep is to produce exemplary new teachers for their partner school districts who outperform new teachers prepared in other teacher preparation programs. The districts partnering with Southeastern are the St. Charles Parish School District and the Ascension Parish Public School District.

“We have worked closely and very cooperatively with both these districts for years now. They have served as sites for our teacher candidates to practice their student teaching under the supervision of one or more of their own highly competent teachers,” Jacobs said. “They are fully committed to the goal of improving their own instructors, as well as helping us develop a high quality generation of new teachers.”

“We welcome the opportunity for our district to be engaged in the development and implementation of a transformative teacher preparation program,” said Patrice Pujol, former superintendent of Ascension Public Schools. “We look forward to our district, school and teacher leaders collaborating with university faculty to assure that teacher education candidates are strategically placed with strong mentors in the schools.”

Felecia Gomez-Walker, superintendent of St. Charles Parish Public Schools, noted that the district and Southeastern have collaborated over many years to develop an excellent student teaching experience for future teachers. This has led to development of a one-year apprenticeship model now in effect.

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DI D

you K N OW?

By the

NUMBERS

A Global Institution

44

nations international students come from

over

50 nations alumni currently reside in

12

average number of study abroad programs per year

22

150

participating in study abroad per year

international institutions Southeastern partnerships for

cooperative exchanges, projects and research - hailing from

16

average number of students

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nations

feature S TO RY

Southeastern grows relationship with

PANAMA

by Tonya Lowentritt and Rene Abadie

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE GROWS Central and South America have been strong trade and economic partners with the United States for generations, but in the past decade that relationship has become increasingly important – and Southeastern has launched initiatives that help that relationship.

According to the American Association of Port Authorities, since 2005, the tonnage of trade between Central and South America and the United States has almost tripled. The tonnage of trade with Panamá alone has more than tripled. This growth is expected

to accelerate with the opening of the expanded Panamá Canal this summer. The expansion will shorten significant trade routes between Asia and the United States with ports along the Gulf Coast standing to take in a significant portion of this trade.

Four of the top 10 ports in the United States are in South Louisiana.

The Port of South Louisiana, Port of New Orleans and Port of Baton Rouge, numbers one, six and eight respectively, are all within a one hour driving distance from Southeastern. Because of this, the university is well positioned to serve as a resource.

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SOUTHEASTERN PANAMÁ CONNECTION When Southeastern began a working relationship with the Republic of Panamá in the 1990s, the goal was to help Panamánian businesses in the areas of management, marketing and the use of technology. It was part of a long history of friendship with Latin American nations instituted by the university’s Latin America Business and Development Initiative. From this friendship, Southeastern has developed multiple programs with Panamá.

For more than 10 years, Southeastern’s College of Business has maintained a 10-day study abroad program, which allows U.S. students the opportunity to visit the Latin American country and to learn more about its culture and businesses. The program receives strong support from the Universidad Latina de Panamá’s Dr. José Barrios Ng, 2015 recipient of an honorary doctorate from Southeastern. Through this program, present-day students have reconnected with Panamánian graduates of Southeastern, such as Juan Diego de Obaldia, commercial director for Del Monte of Panamá, and Irma Zambrano, New Product Development and Innovations, Cervecería Nacional.

GRADUATION DAY – Panamanian students who participated in Panamá Bilingüe at Southeastern pose for a group photo following their graduation.

The College of Business also began a 2+2 Cooperative Transfer program with Universidad Latina de Panamá in 2010, in which students can take their first two years’ of courses at Latina and then enroll in Southeastern to complete the last two years of their education.

One of the most innovative programs that has developed from Southeastern’s relationship with Panamá is the current Panamá Bilingue program, an outgrowth of a pilot program started in 2009.

PROGRAM GROWS FROM 2009 PILOT “Southeastern is proud that the seeds for this program were planted years earlier in the form of the English for Life pilot program developed by the Latin America Business Initiative,” said Aristides Baraya, director of the initiative, who has a long history of developing educational relationships with Latin America. “Because of the success of this pilot, Southeastern was one of the first universities contacted in 2015 by the administration of President Juan Carlos Varela to participate in the Panamá Bilingüe program,” said Baraya.

BUILDING LANGUAGE SKILLS – Students use Southeastern’s language lab in order to build their skills in English.

“The government of Panamá recognizes that their high school graduates who are fluent in English have much greater employment opportunities than citizens who are limited by only their native language of Spanish,” Baraya explained.

FIELD TRIP – Students get the opportunity to participate in field trips in order to use their English language skills in everyday settings. Included among the field trips was a visit to a plantation in the area.

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Ongoing Panama Canal expansion.

During his campaign for president, Varela promised to grow Panamá into a fully bilingual country, said Tará Burnthorne Lopez, Southeastern’s Dorcas and H.N. Capron Jr. Endowed Professor of Marketing, who directs the program.

Hammond-based campaign by area clubs and organizations collected more than 50 used bicycles that the students – who reside in a nearby apartment complex – use to traverse the campus and Hammond.

“To fulfill his promise, he offered a multi-faceted plan and branded Panamá Bilingüe, which included making English classes more accessible to school-aged children, English training for workforce development, and finally teacher training,” she added.

“The primary goal of the Panamá Bilingue program at Southeastern is to improve participants’ English language skills in the areas of speaking, listening, pronunciation, conversation, vocabulary and reading,” said Lopez.

Southeastern hosts Panamánian teachers for the teacher training portion of the program. When the Panamánian teachers come to Southeastern, they switch roles and become students for one semester, taking classes and participating in everyday life at the university, Lopez said. The experience provides the Panamá visitors with a valuable opportunity to become immersed in the language and culture of the United States.

“The program is rich in opportunities for participants to immerse themselves in the English language, both inside and outside of the classroom,” she added. “Classroom instruction offers targeted and intensive English training, while extra-curricular activities and excursions allow for more informal practice in native settings.”

“President Varela’s plan for teacher training involves training 1,000 teachers per year for the next five years in English-speaking countries,” said Lopez. “The first 500 teachers began classes at universities across the United States and in England in January of 2015. This program is a top priority of the Varela administration.”

Over 100 Panamánian teachers have completed the program on Southeastern’s campus since it began in January of 2015. A

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Because the participants in the program are certified teachers, Lopez added, the program also offers content in the area of teaching.

Classroom visits to area schools allow the teachers to observe best practices in education, teaching methodology, and classroom management. Instruction addresses topics such as classroom management, writing lesson plans, setting course objectives, assessment, and leadership/mentoring, all while continuing to expose the students to the English language.

Monthly excursions and weekly cultural seminars give students the opportunity to explore the American culture in a relaxed and open atmosphere, Lopez said. The students have enjoyed excursions to locations such as the Baton Rouge State Capitol, Gonzales shopping outlets, Rosedown Plantation, New Orleans, Pass Christian, Miss., and Southeastern’s Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station.

On their own, the students developed a Spanish language tutoring service and designed a flyer to promote it to all Southeastern students. The students have also hosted events in which they perform traditional dances and serve traditional food for Southeastern students.

Beyond the classroom, she said, the Panamánian teachers have participated in a variety of activities. They participate in school observation field trips at area elementary schools, such as Southeastern Lab School, Tucker Elementary, Holy Ghost, Hammond High and Hammond Westside Elementary Montessori.

They have also had opportunities to participate in classes and workshops with the College of Education and Communication and Languages Department.

JOINING THE FUN – Members of the latest class of Panamá Bilingüe donned native dress and participated in Southeastern’s annual Fais Do Do crawfish boil this spring. The group also demonstrated native dances as part of the entertainment.

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feature S TO RY LONG HISTORY WITH LATIN AMERICA Southeastern has a long-time relationship with nations such as Panamá, as well as other Latin American countries.

The university was the first U.S. institution to enter an agreement with the Free Trade Zone of Colon, Panamá, making Southeastern the zone’s educational partner. The agreement was signed by the College of Business and Luis G. Gomez, president of the Free Trade Association of Colon, and will provide opportunities for executive and professional development for the zone’s more than 3,000 international companies, their executives and 33,000 workers.

Other opportunities include exchange programs, international internships and trade missions with the second largest free trade zone in the world.

The agreement opens the door for greater opportunities for Southeastern students and faculty, especially those interested in international business, said Baraya, who serves as the international adviser and a member of the board of directors of SME Observatory of Costa Rica. The Observatory is a joint effort of four Costa Rican public universities and is intended to generate competition and economic development of small and medium businesses through information collection and policy development.

Because of its role in international educational initiatives, Southeastern was the first U.S. public university to receive the prestigious Ibero-American Council for Excellence in Education Award. The award was presented by a consortium of 18 agencies in Latin America for excellence in educational programs and relationships with Latin American nations.

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RETURNS

A

fter an absence of more than 20 years, Southeastern has reinstituted its on-campus U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Program (ROTC).

The program, originally started at Southeastern in 1969 during the Vietnam War, was closed in 1995 due in large part to declining numbers and retrenchment by the military as a result of budget constraints. More than a thousand students are estimated to have gone through the program during those years.

After the Southeastern ROTC classes were no longer offered on campus, the program became affiliated with the Army ROTC program at Southern University in Baton Rouge in order to provide some option for students still wishing to pursue ROTC. “We are pleased to re-introduce our students to ROTC military science classes on the Southeastern campus. Increasingly, students are looking for options that include military service, either for several years or as a career,” said President John L. Crain. “Southeastern’s previous experience with ROTC was successful in helping to prepare future military leaders. We wanted to make this an easier option for those students seeking to become officers.”

Sergeant First Class Rob Dunn leading physical training

During the break in operations, Crain said Southeastern students were still able to participate in ROTC, but had to take their military courses through Southern University’s Army program or LSU’s Army and Air Force programs. Participating Southeastern students, however, had to travel to Baton Rouge in order to participate. This move brings the Army program back to Southeastern’s campus.

Southern Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Brian Bissonnette is filling the same role at Southeastern and leads the overall program as

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Southeastern ROTC cadets prepare for inspection in this 1976 photo.

it gets established. Currently 12 students at Southeastern – both male and female – are taking military science classes at Southeastern.

“A lot of our students are in the National Guard, and they want to work on getting commissioned as an officer,” said Bissonnette.

“They met the criteria that we look for: good quality candidates who see military service as an option, either for a career or to gain the knowledge and leadership skills.”

Bissonnette has served in the Army for 25 years, mostly in military intelligence. Prior to joining the Southern University ROTC program in 2003, he completed the Army’s Command and General Staff College and served in various capacities in two tours in South Korea, as well as serving in Iraq and at the NATO Headquarters in Lisbon, Portugal.

He has a great deal of experience to offer as he leads the program.

Any student can take the military science classes as an elective, but students seeking scholarship funds from the military must make an additional commitment. Enrollment in the program at this level carries with it an eight-year commitment – four years of active service and four in the Ready Reserve – with varying degrees of scholarship support depending upon options selected. First Class Sergeant Rob Dunn explained, “There is a great deal of support for those students wishing to make the active duty commitment.

Scholarships can be a significant benefit for most students.”

Gary Sandifer of Hammond, who entered the ROTC program in 1971 and is a founding member of Southeastern’s ROTC Alumni Chapter has been working with other members of the chapter to help Southeastern put the pieces of the puzzle together to bring SPRING / SUMMER 2016

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back ROTC. Sandifer said he was excited to learn the university was adding the program to its curriculum.

“Dr. Crain deserves a lot of credit for this; when he was convinced of the value of ROTC, he put this project on the fast track,” Sandifer said.

ROTC Alumni Chapter President Steve Worth of Hammond also expressed his happiness about the reinstatement decision.

“It was a great experience, and I’m glad to see Southeastern students will have this option once again,” said Worth, who served 13 years in the Army as a Black Hawk test pilot. “ROTC taught me a lot in the areas of leadership and how to work with people.”

The chapter has approximately 35 members and raises funds to provide scholarships for ROTC participants.

The original concept of obtaining an ROTC unit at Southeastern dates back to 1939, according to a history prepared by retired Lt. Col. Preston C. Rodrigue, a member of the Southeastern class of 1973.

The first official application was filed in 1941, and subsequent reapplications were made over the years. With strong political support from the late Sen. Allen Ellender and other Louisiana congressmen, Southeastern was approved in 1969 to receive an ROTC unit to address troop and military leadership demands for the Vietnam War. Interest in Southeastern’s ROTC program was steady with about 100 students enrolled per year. The ROTC building, now Range Hall, was completed in 1970 and dedicated by Gen. William Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. forces in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968.

Southeastern has been named a “Military Friendly School” by Victory Media four times in the last several years for demonstrating its commitment to assisting active and reserve military service members in a wide range of areas. In addition, Southeastern was included in the first listing of the Louisiana Governor’s Military and Veteran Friendly Campuses. With the addition of ROTC, Southeastern intends to play a leading role in supporting the needs of both veterans and future military leaders.

TOP: Southeastern ROTC graduates have served in the armed forces throughout the world. Showing their Lion pride while standing in front of one of Sadam Hussein’s many palaces in Baghdad, Iraq, are, from left, Lt. Col. Vincent Tallo (’90), Ralph Dykes (’91) and former Southeastern student Lt. Col. David Dancer.

BOTTOM: First Lt. Roger P. Williams, a member of the military faculty at Southeastern, teaches a class in military science on campus to a group of SLU cadets who are part of the newly instituted ROTC program.

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ABOVE: ROTC cadets pose for a group photo in 1980 in front of the rappelling tower that was used on campus as part of their training.

RIGHT: Gary Sandifer of Hammond (’76), center, one of the original founders of the Southeastern Alumni Association’s ROTC Chapter, talks with other graduates of the program at the Association’s annual Awards Banquet. Shown are Lt. Col. Scott Adams (‘90), left, and Col. Ralph Harris (‘83), who are both now retired.

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media SHE L F

Bedell

RELEASES NEW POETRY COLLECTION

by Tonya Lowentritt

M

ost writers work with a “sense of space,” basing their work naturally on what they know. For Southeastern English Professor Jack Bedell – author of several volumes of poetry – that “space” is the southeast Acadiana region, specifically the city of Houma and its surrounding rural area. His latest work, Elliptic, again taps into his knowledge of the geography, culture, and people of that unique part of Louisiana.

“Many of the poems in this new collection deal with coastal erosion and wetlands loss along the Gulf Coast, particularly on the coast of southeast Louisiana where I was born and raised,” said Bedell, a three-time nominee for the position of Louisiana’s poet laureate.

“The effects of the rapid loss of wetlands, aided in part by the hurricanes we’ve suffered in recent years, and disasters like the Deep Water Horizon oil spill, played a large role in the composition of this book,” he added.

Elliptic is the second installment of the Louisiana Series of Cajun and Creole Poetry (La Série de Louisiane de Poésie des Acadiens et Créoles) by publisher Yellow Flag Press of Lafayette. The series was initiated to highlight the work done by exceptional poets of Franco-American descent.

Jack Bedell

Breakwater It is not recovery: No way to lure coastline back into place, recall silt already gone to Gulf.

More like conception, as helicopters lift piles of christmas trees into air, drop them in bundles along the marsh line.

Reeds will grow in soil trapped here.

Shrimp will hide as these ponds fill in, Ducks will land in flocks to feed. All new gifts against the water’s need.

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A graduate of Northwestern State University, Bedell earned his master of fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of Arkansas, then took a job teaching at the University of Missouri. He later earned a doctorate at the University of LouisianaLafayette.

The discomfort of living in what was to him a foreign environment led Bedell to return to Louisiana and to Southeastern, where he now serves as coordinator of creative writing and editor-in-chief of the university’s literary journal, Louisiana Literature, or La Lit as it is generally known. He is a 1997 recipient of Southeastern’s President’s Award for Excellence in Artistic Activity and in 2007 received a Louisiana Governor’s Art Award.

North Carolina poet Heather Ross Miller said of Bedell’s work: “Jack Bedell is an artist who means business. He does not live in an ivory tower, but in Louisiana, a real place. His words bring the history, beauty and power of his native place to life. He seeks to reflect Louisiana and the existence of its people, tragic, funny, heartbreaking, crazy and magnificent.”

Elliptic is available through the publisher. Bedell is the author of several other volumes of poetry, including At the Bonehouse, What Passes for Love, and Come Rain, Come Shine, all published by Texas Review Press and available through Amazon.

GERMAN AUTHORS

short story collection

by Rene Abadie

R

ecently-retired Southeastern English Professor Norman German likes to observe people that many would call “misfits.” And it permeates much of his writing.

Dead Dog Lying, a series of his short stories, was published recently by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press.

Placed along the I-10 corridor from New Orleans to Texas, Dead Dog Lying shines a light on society’s misfits and is largely based on events and characters the author has experienced, dreamed or witnessed over his life. Many of the characters in the stories take their names from towns along the corridor, such as Elton, Jennings, Iota, Cecilia and Henderson.

“Norman German’s stories are filled with clever wordplay and witty turns of plot. His expert use of description and metaphor demonstrates his longtime experience as writer and teacher,” said Tim Gautreaux, Southeastern writer-in-residence and author of The Missing and several other novels.

“In Norman German’s mesmerizing stories of south Louisiana, the ordinary is the fantastic, and the fantastic becomes the everyday,” adds Gerald Duff, author of Dirty Rice and Blue Sabine. “Horror and wonder live side by side in these powerful tales of haunted states of mind. Dead Dog Lying takes hold and will not let go.”

A native of Lake Charles who earned his doctorate from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now ULL), German is the author of several other works, including A Savage Wisdom, an imaginative reconstruction of the life of Toni Jo Henry, the only woman executed in Louisiana’s electric chair; and the baseball novel SwitchPitchers, copies of which reside by special request in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Norman said he dreamed about a boy with antlers and made him the protagonist of “Deerboy,” whose title character gains the gift of athletic prowess.

The story “Controlled Burn” uses a prescribed ecological fire as the metaphor for a female game warden’s barely controllable rage at her abusive father, on whom she exacts revenge in a unique way at the story’s end. “The Girl and the Green Gas Can” is based on a relative’s childhood predilection for sniffing gasoline until she passed out.

The tale “Ditchboy” is based on the real-life English girl Hayley Okines, who died of progeria, the disease that prematurely ages its victims eight years for each year they live. “She was 17 – or in ‘progeria years’ and thanks to new life-extending drugs – 136 years old when she died,” he said.

Dead Dog Lying is available through the publisher, Amazon and other outlets.

Norman German

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Diamond at alumni field

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Getting Ready for the

RealWorld

by Kandace Formaggio

“What should I be when I grow up?” It’s a common question most college students ask themselves. Choosing a career path and finding a good fit can be a daunting task. However, Southeastern’s RealWorld Ready initiative is helping students answer this question well before they walk across the graduation stage.

Every 10 years, Southeastern creates a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) to use as its platform while undergoing reaccreditation.

Southeastern’s newest QEP, the Real-World Ready (RWR) initiative, is helping students prepare for “real world” employment after graduation.

RWR emerged and developed from a multi-year conversation (2011-2014) with students, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, and community partners on how to improve student learning. The groups recognized the need to expand the classroom beyond its four walls and help students connect what they are learning in the classroom to actual career-specific experiences.

“Our goal is to create new course-driven experiential learning opportunities, as well as coordinate and expand existing experiences,” says Dr. Jayetta Slawson, Director of the Office of Experiential Learning.

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The university currently offers experiential learning activities, including service-learning, civic engagement, internships, study abroad, research, and creative activity, in many of its degree programs. One of the program’s ultimate goals is for every undergraduate degree program to offer experiential learning courses

by Summer 2019.

Slawson says feedback from current RWR courses has been positive. These experiences have re-energized students, increased participation and discussion in the classroom, and are allowing students to see in action what they are learning in books and the classroom.

RWR is being implemented and supported in a number of different ways, she noted. The Experiential Learning (EL) Team, which consists of various faculty and staff members, promotes Real-World Ready activities, mentors faculty and students, and presents training workshops.

Professor of Social Work Dr. Lolita Boykin serves on the EL Team as the liaison for the Department of Health and Human Sciences.

“The EL Team helps train faculty in ways to incorporate a RWR component in their courses; we also help them with the process of applying for RWR grants,” says Boykin.

Faculty members are encouraged to apply for grants to add or enhance a RWR component in their courses. There are 36 official RWR courses currently being offered. Twenty-five of those were available to students this spring. As more RWR courses become available, more students will have the option to choose courses with these experiential learning components.

Marketing Instructor April Kemp teaches Social Media and Digital Marketing, one of the newest RWR courses being offered. In this course, students work in groups and develop marketing plans for partner businesses. Students are getting a chance to take what they learn in the classroom and then present professional marketing proposals in front of executives at companies such as Copeland’s, Eddie’s Frozen Custard, and the Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center.

Of the students in Kemp’s class, English major and recent graduate Kirsten Mixon believes experiences in Real-World Ready courses are invaluable in helping students succeed post-graduation. Business administration major Reginald Huff feels a student can only learn so much in a classroom. Real experiences with real situations, he said, give students a competitive advantage when looking for a job.

“Students’ creativity and confidence levels are soaring the more and more they work with their clients. They are learning industry knowledge through interaction and collaboration with each other and their clients,” says Kemp. “The RWR initiative is more than just a class. It is offering students a robust, hands-on opportunity to take what they are learning in the classroom into an authentic, professional setting while reflecting back on what they are learning.”

“Critical thinking and self-reflection are two elements that are helping better prepare students for careers in education,” says teaching and learning Instructor Stacy Jemison. The College of Education has always been at the forefront with RWR, utilizing field experiences and student teaching as specific forms of experiential learning, building foundational skills in students step-by-step. Students begin by observing in the classroom, then they move to organizing lessons, teaching in short time blocks under a supervisory teacher, and finally spending an entire semester as a teacher candidate, logging 280 hours of face-to-face instruction in a classroom under a mentoring, experienced instructor.

“In the real world, teachers have to go through an evaluation process to determine what their students are thinking and how they are learning,” says Jemison. “The RWR component in our classes has added a more reflective element to field experience. Now not only do students question how they did something, but they reflect on why.

This allows students to develop into better practitioners by reflecting on their own effectiveness as teachers.”

Students are also getting behind the RWR initiative. Five student ambassadors, one from each academic college, serve on the RWR Advisory Council and promote the importance of experiential learning among their peers.

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“Our role is to encourage students to go beyond the requirement of their courses and become involved in their future careers through professional and student organizations, service learning, professional development and workshops, and networking, “ said Caroline Pixberg, RWR student ambassador for the College of Education.

Nursing and Health Sciences student ambassador and athletic training major Anthony “Tony” Miller promotes the initiative among his peers, presents the program to first-year students, and encourages instructors to apply for grants to make their courses “Real-World Ready certified.” “RWR is a great program with great potential just waiting to be tapped,” Miller said.

The RWR initiative is not replacing theories or concepts students learn in the traditional classroom; instead, through experiential

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learning students will be able to put those theories and concepts to work. They are given opportunities to gain career-specific knowledge, to develop into professionals by improving communication skills and cultivating professional behaviors, and to reflect and think critically about their work identifying strengths and weaknesses that will help them make better decisions in their future careers.

Soon, students in every major will have the opportunity to not just learn about the work they will be doing after graduation, but to actually do the work.

“Our RWR team is working hard to improve the culture and environment of learning. We have chosen to adopt proven learning strategies to get our students workforce-ready,” Slawson said. “The Real-World Ready initiative is here to promote student growth and development and help them gain meaningful experiences which will help them flourish in the real world.”

after O FFI CE H O URS

Southeastern's Mythbuster

by Rene Abadie

W

hen the popular TV show Mythbusters completed its final season this year, one Southeastern professor certainly misses the questioning curiosity and exciting experiments the hosts have broadcast over the past 14 years.

Physics Professor Rhett Allain is a strong advocate of sharing scientific views with the general public and breaking the science down to a more easily understandable form by lay people. So the Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters was a natural draw for him.

Southeastern Associate Professor of Physics Rhett Allain assists elementary education major Christina Klein of Ponchatoula in a class.

In 2011, the hosts of Mythbusters – special effects specialists Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman – tried to include the scientific explanation for one of their episodes on auto collisions. Some errors in that episode caught Allain’s attention.

“My first rule for science advising says that you don’t have to be 100 percent correct, but you can be 100 percent wrong,” said Allain, who has been writing a physics blog, “Dot Physics,” since 2008.

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TANKER CRUSHED -- It worked. But only after Jamie and Adam dropped a concrete block on it to dent it.

Photo courtesy of Discovery Channel Professor Allain consulted on the tanker episode.

Allain criticized the segment in a blog post; the producers and hosts read the blog, then got in touch with him about serving as a physics adviser.

“They have had science advisers in the past, but not one specifically focused on physics,” explained Allain, who has worked on approximately 20 episodes. “My job is to take something complicated and make it short and easy to understand. They generally accepted my explanations, and I also helped select some of the myths to be featured.”

Allain generally works with the producers, but has met the hosts via Skype. Among his favorite episodes are the floating lead balloon, the train tanker collapse, and the analysis of the classic question “will a bullet fired from a gun hit the ground at the same time as one that is dropped?”

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“Neither host is a scientist; they both come from a movie special effects background,” he said. “That’s what makes the show appealing.

These are just normal guys, not scientists, who are willing to tackle various questions. Basically they do science fair projects, but on a much larger scale. There’s value there because it does get people excited about science.”

Allain makes his own efforts to get people thinking about science. In addition to his blog, he writes a regular column for Wired Magazine and for their online website. He is also the author of several books, including Just Enough Physics, which goes over the basic science in a first semester college or high school physics course; Geek Physics – Surprising Answers to the Planet’s Most Interesting Questions, which draws questions from movies, TV shows and viral videos; and the National Geographic book Angry Birds Furious Forces: The Physics at Play in the World’s Most Popular Game.

For Superbowl 50 earlier this year, he wrote an article for Sports Illustrated that examined the physics behind the building of a “better” football. While the game itself has undergone changes over the years, he said, the football itself has changed little.

In his article, Allain explains the physics involved in changing the shape of the football: could it be thrown further or with greater velocity, and what impact would it have on the game?

The online piece was turned into a video by Sports Illustrated for use on its website. Filming was conducted at Southeastern using several SLU players, including one of Allain’s own students. The article and accompanying video can be found at wired.com/2015/10/how-touse-physics-to-build-a-better-football/.

Is Allain concerned he will ever run out of questions?

“My ideas just come from being alive. I see stuff all the time that can relate to physics in some way,” he said. “Sometimes this will come from a movie I’ve seen or a cool YouTube video. Other times, I find stuff just in everyday life, like looking at the differing prices of LEGO pieces or wondering why different batteries cost different amounts.

I take lots of pictures of stuff – you never know when you’re going to need them; and I keep a list of blog ideas which come faster than I can write about them. So I have a huge list of ideas that I can always do.”

Allain didn’t always want to be a teacher. “I wanted to be a supercool physicist. But once I ended up teaching labs in graduate school, I was hooked. Teaching and learning physics attracted me in a way that made it more interesting than playing video games.”

Bottom Left: IN ANOTHER GREAT MYTHBUSTERS MOMENT, Adam and Jamie managed to lift a car with a vacuum cleaner.

Above: Applying physics to football Allain observes as a Sports Illustrated cameraman films Lion running back Rasheed Harrell for a video on the magazine’s website. Allain reviewed the impact that changing the shape of the football could have on the game.

Photo courtesy of Discovery Channel.

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by Rene Abadie

Student Skylar Erickson prepares a carcass with clothing to be placed for long term decomposition observation.

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O

n a cool fall day, Erin Watson-Horzelski sifts through the leaf litter surrounding a decomposing beaver and comes up with a handful of wriggling bugs feasting on the carcass.

“This is what you are looking for at a crime scene,” said the Southeastern forensic entomologist to a group of officers and deputies associated with the Hammond Police Department and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. “You have to think like an insect; the bugs are hiding in the leaf litter and surrounding area.”

Watson-Horzelski is the state’s only doctoral-level forensic entomologist and one of only about 20 in the nation; as such she is frequently called upon to testify in homicide cases regarding the time and other factors associated with the death of a victim. And, since police are frequently gathering data at crime scenes, proper collection of specimens are important clues that enable officials to piece the details together. She works to ensure the officers collect information in a way that will stand up in a court of law.

Her forensics teaching in the Department of Biological Sciences, in tandem with courses in chemistry and biochemistry, are providing students with the opportunity to apply scientific principles to crime scenes. The university also offers a degree in Criminal Justice that can supplement the scientific knowledge and prepare students for work in law enforcement.

Forensics is a growing field in crime detection, aided largely by advances in biology, microbiology and biochemistry. Television shows such as CSI have popularized forensics as an exciting potential career, and students are increasingly attracted to it, Watson-Horzelski said.

“Students are definitely highly motivated to investigate the field because of TV shows such as CSI,” adds Chemistry Instructor Tino Ladogana, who teaches forensics in chemistry. “That gives the field an initial interest by students, who soon learn, for the most part, this is basic chemistry only applied to a crime scene or investigation.”

Watson-Horzelski has the experience of having testified in a wide range of cases in Louisiana and other states. She knows first-hand what prosecutors and defense attorneys will be asking as they explore crime scene investigation and reliability of the data collected.

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Casey Schibler, left, and Heather McGettigan place samples to be tested in a centrifuge in one of Southeastern’s chemistry labs. Students have access to modern equipment that can be found in most professional forensics labs.

She holds these programs for law enforcement officials periodically, teaching the participants about the life stages of flies, beetles and their cannibalistic predictors that surround a decomposing carcass and how to collect live and preserved samples. The crime investigators learn the impact of weather conditions, such as ambient temperature, humidity, ground conditions and other factors.

independent entomology research using a large adult pig carcass.

Watson-Horzelski has mentored more than 30 undergraduate students in forensics research.

“You have to be flexible in the field,” she explains. “If you’re trying to preserve live specimens, such as maggots, you need to feed them.” She recommends carrying small frozen meatballs to keep the bugs alive, and she recalls how one investigator ran to a fast food restaurant to pick up a raw burger patty in an emergency.

Halstead noted there is much to learn if you’re willing to put in the work.

The majority of students interested in forensics take WatsonHorzelski’s course and are also benefiting from her real-world experience and knowledge. In the field, she emphasizes the importance of collecting data and samples at least daily, photographing the specimen, and measuring ambient temperature and the temperature of the maggot mass at the site.

And for live specimens, she emphasizes, “These are your babies. Take care of them. The first arrivals are very important.”

Senior Leslie Halstead of Prairieville took Watson-Horzelski’s forensics class last year along with Amanda Bergeron. Now both are completing undergraduate independent research for the spring and summer semesters to further their learning by conducting 38

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“This research experience is critical to our students’ readiness for the real world,” she added.

“I had always been interested in forensics; I mean who wouldn’t be with all the cool crime scene shows on TV these days,” Halstead said.

“After taking this class, I realized that there is a lot more to forensics.

I never thought I would like the entomology side of forensics, but the bugs are starting to grow on me, so to speak. It’s something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life and being happy while doing it.”

DeAnn Lemus of Belle Chasse is looking to combine her undergraduate degree in criminal justice with a graduate degree in biological sciences that will include doing research work under Watson-Horzelski.

“This class is a basis of what I aspire to do in the future,” said Lemus, who worked with a team of three other students in her class to plant their own crime scene. Each team was responsible for placing a carcass – a large bird, armadillo, rabbit, and nutria – complete with clothing to simulate a real crime scene. The students surrounded their “decomposition islands” with wire fencing to keep them undisturbed by humans or animals.

“I always wanted a criminal investigation career,” Lemus added. “To work in forensics in criminal investigation, a hard science background is necessary. Everything we’ve learned in this class is going to come to good use in my career in the future. And having Dr. Watson as my guide the next couple of years, I couldn’t have it better. She’s got one heck of a resume.”

“This class has been a real eye-opener for me,” said Skylar Erickson of Slidell as she dressed her armadillo carcass for her group project.

“Dr. Watson provides us with amazing examples from her personal experiences and cases, and you truly get a feel for what you could be doing in the forensics field. You get ample opportunity to get handson, real-time projects to understand this field of science.”

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Ladogana said Southeastern offers a forensics concentration in chemistry, and more than 25 students have been drawn to the field.

The concentration is supplemented with several courses in criminal justice so students can learn the applications of science to law enforcement.

“Chemistry is good for this,” he added. “It’s fairly easy now to screen for drugs, alcohol and DNA. But costs are nearly always a factor, especially at the state and local levels, so it’s important the students learn to be cost-effective. You can’t send everything to the lab to be analyzed.

In recent years, employment in forensics has expanded considerably, he explained. Whereas the local medical examiners office and FBI have traditionally had opportunities for graduates, that field now includes agencies such as Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Wildlife and Fisheries and Homeland Security.

“Unlike the TV shows, though, you’re not going to have access to the very high tech equipment that is portrayed, simply because the shows tend to exaggerate what can actually be done,” Ladogana said.

“For example, photo enhancement software is not nearly as accurate an identification tool as it is portrayed in the television shows.”

“Our forensics course and other chemistry courses provide a very general overview for the student, including details on what they may encounter at a crime scene,” he explained. “We teach them some field experiences, such as collecting blood samples and DNA.”

Both scientists agree that much of the collection work is not done by forensics experts in the field. That frequently is left up to the chemists, biologists and technicians working in the lab.

He emphasized the importance of learning how to preserve evidence through backup and redundancy.

“We stress the importance of trying to get whatever specimens or data at the scene as possible,” he said. “If you have to go back to the scene, you may have to get a warrant, which is time consuming.”

“Forensics is the application of basic scientific principles for a specific purpose,” Watson-Horzelski said. “Here we are applying scientific information to the biological and ecological characteristics of the deceased or the crime scene. It’s a lot of fun, but by the end of the day, it’s still science.”

He said students at Southeastern are learning on the same chemical analysis machines and using the same processes in the university labs that they would be using in a forensics laboratory.

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OUT

there

SOUTHEASTERN IS THE PROUD HOME OF SOMETHING UNIQUE TO THE REGION, ITS OWN STUDENT-FOCUSED BROADCAST

FM radio station -

KSLU 90.9 FM

by Camry Boudy

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What started as a radio club run by students evolved into a broadcast station, launching in 1974.

From its humble beginnings to today, the station serves as a training ground for communication students who can receive a hands-on education and learn radio from the inside out. The station has gone from operating only a few hours a day from funds dedicated by the Student Government Association and self-assessed from the student body, to a 24-hour, publically funded radio station.

W

hen it initially launched, the station operated on only 10 watts of power and could be heard by the local Southeastern community area only. With multiple investments by the university, the wattage has grown and, with it, the audience. The station now operates at over 3,000 watts and can be heard in Denham Springs, Covington, and Kentwood. As growth continued, so did innovation.

In 1988, the station ushered in computer-based broadcasting by installing a digital touch screen operating system, the first of its kind in the South.

The transformative moments at the station continued when KSLU became an early adopter of web broadcasting and became a global entity via the Internet in 1996.

KSLU has given hundreds of students the exposure and experience needed to flourish in the broadcast industry.

Many alumni are currently working in the broadcast field.

One of the best known is Good Morning America host Robin Roberts, who took her turn as a station announcer while a student.

General manager Todd Delaney is committed to giving students the most comprehensive and advanced experience possible. From script writing, to digital production work, to broadcasting live on the air, each student receives the training necessary to broadcast on the radio and land a job in the field from day one. “We know that our students can jump right in the control room seat after graduation.

They are job-ready,” said Delaney.

The station broadcasts a wide array of content to satisfy audiences both at Southeastern and throughout the region. KSLU is the only local station that serves as a testing ground for new and regional artists. There are also specialty programs, such as “Rock School,” which takes on specific topics regarding rock; “Café Italia,” which gives a nod to the region’s Italian American heritage by featuring music of that culture; “Local Static,” which features music of the nearby region; “Rincon Hispano,” that features music from around the Hispanic world, and other topical talk programs and specialty music programs.

“It’s important for us to focus on creating unique programs that

attract the university audience and the population at large as well.

We hope to be a resource for both populations,” added Delaney. The station also produces newscasts that serve the community.

With a recently launched new website – kslu.org – streaming is even easier, and the station now has audiences in well over 60 different nations. It truly has a global reach, as it is now in its fifth decade.

KSLU has been recognized repeatedly for its work and quality. It is now home to many awards including the Marcom Gold Award, many Communicator of Excellence awards, and the Collegiate Broadcasters Award. It was also recently named as the No. 2 college radio station in the south by the Southeast Journalism Conference What’s next for KSLU? With the station’s effort to increase its levels of public financial support, new doors can open to allow it to maintain the newest technologies and innovations. In the future KSLU would like to begin archiving all programs online and launch innovative projects with new digital platforms.

KSLU has served Southeastern students in information, music and hands-on experience and the community with unique programming for over 40 years. Delaney is confident that its best days are still ahead.

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International Student-Athletes

Thrive at Southeastern

By Kemmler Chapple

STAR ON THE COURT & CLASSROOM: Senior captain of the Southeastern tennis team Renee Villarreal has been named to the AllSouthland Conference team every season. She has also maintained a 4.0 GPA as a finance major and at graduation earned the President’s Medal for Academic Excellence. She is a native of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico 44

SOUTHEASTERN MAGAZINE

athletics

S

ince Southeastern joined the Southland Conference prior to the 1997-98 season, the Lions and Lady Lions have won 28 conference championships. The Southeastern soccer and tennis teams have combined for 15 of those league titles.

While other sports may have a greater following in the United States, tennis and soccer are two of the most played games around the world.

Southeastern head tennis coach Jason Hayes and head soccer coach Blake Hornbuckle have capitalized on their respective sports’ worldwide popularity by bringing in international studentathletes to build championship foundations in their respective sports.

Hayes’ teams have been almost exclusively comprised of international players. From 200508, the Lions tennis teams won 48 consecutive Southland Conference matches, three Southland Conference Tournament championships, three Southland Conference regular season championships and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament.

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Southeastern’s tennis team is made up entirely of international student-athletes. Pictured from left are Natalie Duran, sophomore, Cancun Mexico; Dany Raygadas, sophomore, Queretaro, Mexico; Lucia Bustamente, sophomore, Guayaquil, Ecuador; Dalina Dahlmans, sophomore, Selfkant Hillensberg, Germany; Renee Villarreal, senior, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; Ceci Mercier, sophomore, Montevideo, Uruguay; Madina Vorotnikova, sophomore, Moscow, Russia; and Margaux Kaltenbacher, junior, Lausanne Switzerland.

Hands full of Southland Conference championship rings and unprecedented success were not all that the players on those teams had in common. All of those championship players were from outside of the United States. The top player on that team was Emilija Arnaudovska, who was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year in each of her final two seasons. The Skopje, Macedonia, native was inducted into the Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.

To Hayes, both the university and the student-athletes benefit from the international student-athletes’ membership in the tennis program.

“As an American, it’s sometimes hard for us to look objectively at our own country,” Hayes commented. “Our international studentathletes view playing sports and studying in the United States as a privilege and an opportunity to enhance their lives. A lot of them come over here and never leave, while the ones that do go back to their home countries with a degree from Southeastern benefit greatly in their chosen professions.

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“Our international student-athletes are given an opportunity to thrive here,” Hayes continued. “As a tennis program, we don’t just benefit from their successes on the court. Our student-athletes from outside the United States come here and excel in the classroom, while becoming immersed in the Southeastern community.”

Hayes continues to provide international student-athletes with opportunities to this day. This year’s Lions’ roster features players from Mexico, Ecuador, Germany, Switzerland, Uruguay and Russia.

In addition to having a winning record on the court, all eight have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or above with three carrying a 4.0 GPA. “Sometimes people will ask me if our players speak English,” Hayes said. “I always laugh and tell them that not only do they speak English, but most of them speak three or four languages fluently. For our student-athletes to come here and be so successful academically is remarkable.”

athletics

TOP RIGHT: International players on Southeastern’s soccer team include freshman Sophia Olsson of Lysekil, Sweden, and senior Gisenia Utreras of Brompton, Ontario Canada.

RIGHT: Southeastern junior goalkeeper Hope Sabadash of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, has twice been named the Southland Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player.

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“Our Canadians have been a big part of their program and have

proved

that they come here and thrive in any situation.”

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athletics

Soccer Coach Blake Hornbuckle

Tennis Coach Jason Hayes

The current standout of the group is senior Renee Villarreal, a native of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Villarreal has taken full advantage of the athletic and academic opportunities she’s been given as a Lion. On court, she has been named All-Southland Conference every season and ranks fourth in school history in career singles victories.

The president of the Southeastern Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Villarreal has maintained a 4.0 GPA as a finance major and has multiple Academic All-District and Southland Conference All-Academic honors to her credit.

“The Canadian student-athletes have been great for our program,” Hornbuckle commented. “What sets them apart is their work rate in everything they do, whether it be on the field or in the classroom.

Our Canadians have been a big part of the program and have proved that they come here and thrive in any situation.”

“Renee is the ideal student-athlete, international or otherwise,” Hayes commented. “There is no one single superlative that I can use to accurately describe her, because she excels at everything she does. She’s the captain of our team, our best player, the president of SAAC, a 4.0 student and involved in the community.

“I guess the best word to describe her is complete,” Hayes added.

“Because there’s nothing she does that she does not dedicate herself to completely. She’s the type of person, athlete and student that you’re fortunate to coach maybe once or twice in a lifetime.”

While Hayes’ teams have featured student-athletes from all continents with the exception of Antarctica, Hornbuckle has taken a more focused approach to bringing in student-athletes from outside the country.

In total, the Southeastern soccer program has had over 30 studentathletes from Canada under Hornbuckle’s tutelage. Among those are Southeastern Athletics Hall of Famers Kim McNally and Courtney Coutu Martin.

Like Hayes, Hornbuckle has a current once-in-a-lifetime studentathlete from outside of the United States on his current roster. As a junior in 2015, goalkeeper Hope Sabadash became the first AllAmerican in program history. In her three seasons in Hammond, the Mississauga, Ontario, Canada native has twice been named Southland Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player and led the Lady Lions to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

“Hope elevates the level of the team,” Hornbuckle said. “She’s very organized and provides a calmness that benefits the whole team. At the same time, she displays a competitive drive and will to win that her teammates are motivated to match.”

Sabadash and Villarreal are shining examples of the opportunities afforded to international student-athletes as members of the Southeastern athletics family. Villarreal has been named the Southeastern Female Athlete of the Year each of the past two seasons. In 2013-14, she could not claim it by herself, however.

She shared the honor with her fellow international studentathlete Sabadash.

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CLASS

notes

CLASS

notes

K E E PI N G

in touch

’5 2 | A. J. B OD K E R of Ponchatoula, former teacher and principal of Ponchatoula High School for 35 years and supervisor of Southeastern’s student teachers from 1988 to 2003, recently retired from the Board of Commissioners of North Oaks Health System, where he has served for 12 years.

’67 | CAR ROLL N OX DEVA NE of New Orleans has published a memoir of her world travels over several years. Sleeping between the Rails: A Woman’s Odyssey chronicles her five-and-a half years of travels that started shortly after her graduation by hopping a Spanish freighter to Barcelona and working her way through 32 countries. The book traces two parallel journeys: the external and physically challenging one of world-wide travel and the spiritually challenging one of self-discovery. The book is available on Amazon.

’7 1 | COL. J OH N D. KENNEDY of Houston was reappointed to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. Originally appointed to the Port Commission in 2012, he previously served as City Manager of the City of Nassau Bay, Texas. He retired from the U.S. Army after 27 years of military service.

’76 , 13 | PAT R I C E P UJ OL of Gonzales retired this year as superintendent of Ascension Parish Public School System to assume the position of president of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET). A teacher and administrator for 39 years and last year’s College of Education Alumna of the Year, Pujol will work with the institute to provide educator effectiveness solutions in teacher leadership.

’8 3 | ROB I N ROB E RTS , co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America, was one of three individuals honored in May by the V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the nation’s leading cancer research funding organizations.

She was recognized for bravely sharing her personal battle with the rare blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome shortly after defeating breast cancer. She is a member of the V Foundation’s Board of Directors.

’8 4 | LI SA FAU C H E UX BACA LA has been named the new director of secondary education for Ascension Public Schools. She began her career in education in Ascension Parish in 1986 and most recently served as supervisor of secondary education, where she worked in all four high schools and the system’s alternative school.

’8 9 | N AN E T T E M CAN N of Baton Rouge was recognized by Baton Rouge Business Report as one of the 2015 Influential Women in Business. She serves as principal of both Baton Rouge Magnet High School and Lee High School.

‘93 | PAM CALI BAN KSTON was recognized in February by Holy Ghost Catholic School in Hammond as the school’s Distinguished Graduate. She is a registered nurse and the author of the recently published children’s book Frizzy Frieda’s Gymtastrophe and the Sicilian American cookbook La Famiglia.

‘9 4 | H ART B OR D E LON of Hammond has been named market president for Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Co. He has nearly 15 years of experience in the financial industry.

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’94 | R U ST Y ROB B I N S of New Orleans, a business development manager at industrial contractor Topcor, was one of several single parents cooking with chef Jeff Henderson on the television show, Flip My Food. He competed in the “$10 Dinner” episode.

’95 | S H E R M AN M AC K of Albany, state representative of District 95, has been named chairman of the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee in the Louisiana Legislature. The committee addresses all criminal legislation dealing with crimes, sentencing, probation and parole, drug enforcement and other areas.

’96, 99 | LAVAN TA W I LLIA MS has been named Elementary School Principal of the Year for the Fort Bend Independent School District in Houston. After teaching several years in Baton Rouge, he moved to Houston, where he has held administrative positions at several schools.

‘9 8 | B R AN D ON F R I M AN has been appointed by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry to serve as the criminal division director for the Louisiana Department of Justice. He previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, where he prosecuted drug trafficking, crimes of violence and immigration matters.

’12 | K AI T LY N N J ON E S (also known as Kaitlynn Aisling) of Baton Rouge is currently working in information technology at the FMOL Health System. She recently completed her third novel, Die by Night. She also writes a regular blog, “Pure Dream.”

‘0 8 | LE S LI E BALLAR D has been named program director of North Oaks Medical System’s new dietetic internship program. She has worked at North Oaks as a community health educator.

‘12 | DA N I E L H U G G E T T of Baton Rouge has been appointed to a position as a NASA Pathways Engineering Student at the Kennedy Space Center. He has worked with both the John C. Stennis Space Center and the Marshall Space Flight Center and is currently a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at LSU.

‘13 | R E B ECCA LOR I N O POND of Ponchatoula in 2013 released her book, Theron Destiny, the first novel in a series. She has published 10 other books since then in the science fiction / romance genre.

‘11 | M AT T H E W SAU C I E R, director of property management with Gulf States Real Estate Services in Covington, was listed as “One to Watch in Real Estate” in New Orleans CityBusiness. He currently manages over 650,000 square feet of office and retail properties.

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giving BACK

Access = Su

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uccess Southeastern’s First Generation Scholarships Create Success

by Mike Rivault

S

outheastern was conceived by Linus Sims over 90 years ago in order to provide residents of a growing region access to education beyond high school. He foresaw that in order for the Northshore region to continue to develop, grow and prosper, its population must be educated. From those earliest days, Southeastern has been passionate about providing an increasing number of individuals with the opportunity to attain a college degree. In addition to its educational contributions, in many ways it has become a central cultural and economic feature of the region, too. It helped create a middle class in the area.

That mission continues to this day.

Today, access, or lack thereof, is about more than geographical location. As the costs of obtaining a college degree have increased significantly, many have found access more and more difficult. As well, families that do not yet have college graduates among their members do not always have the ingrained support mechanisms that automatically focus their younger generations on college.

In order to help alleviate some financial strain and continue its missionary path to provide access, Southeastern has launched several first generation scholarships with the help of very committed and generous donors.

The current first generation scholarships include the AT&T FirstGeneration Endowed Scholarship, the Cameron and Marcia Barr First-Generation Endowed Scholarship, the Clausen Family FirstGeneration Endowed Scholarship, the Hammond Jaycees FirstGeneration Endowed Scholarship, the James Ernest, May Hemby, and Holman Hemby Morgan First-Generation Endowment, the Myra LaRue First-Generation Scholarship and the Steve Cosse/Murphy Oil First-Generation Scholarship.

These scholarships are created to blend access and success. They are to aid in the financing of a degree for those who will represent the first generation in their family to complete a college degree.

With this help, their success will inspire future generations who also desire to obtain university degrees.

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giving BACK

Tia Ja’Neec HARRIS

Freshman // Kinesiology - Athletic Training Currently considering a double major in Sport Management.

Steve Cosse/Murphy Oil First-Generation Scholarship

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS?

WILL THIS INSPIRE YOU TO HELP OTHERS IN THE FUTURE?

My immediate career goal is to work overseas with athletes and travel to different countries doing what I love. My long-term career goal is to one day own a sports medicine clinic back home in Sugar Land, Texas, to become closer with my community.

Receiving this scholarship inspires me to help and support students like myself who have the motivation and the determination to work hard in college but aren’t financially able to attend. Just because you’re not financially capable of funding your college career shouldn’t mean that dream should be dead. Everyone who works hard enough for it deserves the chance.

HAS THE SCHOLARSHIP HELPED YOU? This scholarship has helped me and my family tremendously. It has motivated me to work diligently in school. My family is not only proud that I’m attending college, but they are proud that I am motivated and focused on completing my degree.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THE DONORS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP? I greatly appreciate the opportunity and the financial support to better my education. Being blessed with this scholarship has opened many doors and many opportunities that may have not been there otherwise. I am thankful to the former president of Murphy Oil Corporation, Steve Cosse, who started the scholarship, and Murphy Oil as well. It’s a phenomenal and a unique thing to see others still being active in the community and giving back to students who want an education.

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HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT? If I can help others in any way possible, I would give back to my school, communities in New Orleans and here at Southeastern. Giving back money and giving your time are valuable and remembered by the ones you support.

I hope to be involved with schools and students to share the importance of positivity and leadership that enable success.

HAS THIS SCHOLARSHIP MADE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF AND SUCCESS AT SOUTHEASTERN BETTER? Attending Southeastern has been a great opportunity and stepping stone to start a new chapter in my life. I was involved in high school but being involved in college is a completely different atmosphere. I have had the chance to meet many different people. Most importantly, I’ve started evolving into a strong person and confident leader.

Kaylie

PINKERTON

Junior // Nursing James Ernest, May Hemby & Holman Hemby Morgan First Generation Endowment

Paige

IMBRAGUGLIO Senior // Early Childhood Education Clausen Family First Generation Scholarship

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS?

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS?

After graduation, my goal is to become a pediatric nurse. I have always loved working with children and have a passion for the medical field; a career in pediatric nursing is a perfect combination of the two. I am very excited about the future and cannot wait to begin my career.

I love children and would like to become an elementary school teacher. I hope to teach first or second grade students.

HAS THE SCHOLARSHIP HELPED YOU?

Yes! Going to college is expensive, so I am grateful for receiving the Clausen Family Scholarship. The funds enabled me to be sure I could complete my degree.

The scholarship I received has helped me tremendously. Nursing school takes up a substantial portion of my time and can be very overwhelming. The scholarship has allowed me to take a semester off from work so I am able to focus more on my studies, while still having money to cover tuition and other things I need for school. Without it, I am not sure what I would have done this past year.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THE DONORS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP? I will always be grateful for the significant help. This scholarship came to me at a perfect time- it could not have worked out better for me and my current situation.

WILL THIS INSPIRE YOU TO HELP OTHERS IN THE FUTURE? If I am able to, I would love to pay it forward by helping others in the future.

HAS THIS SCHOLARSHIP MADE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF AND SUCCESS AT SOUTHEASTERN BETTER? This scholarship has increased my enjoyment and ensured my success. I am not sure how I would have made it through this last year of school without it. I know that my grades may have suffered if I would have had to take a semester off of work.

HAS YOUR ATTENDANCE AT SOUTHEASTERN INSPIRED OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE? My little sister is graduating this year and has every intention of going to college. She has told me multiple times that she wants to follow in my footsteps. She understands the importance of a college education and I fully support her in getting one.

HAS THE SCHOLARSHIP HELPED YOU?

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THE DONORS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP? Thank you for your generous donation! Because of it, I can continue to use the talents that God has given me and continue on the path where he leads me to seek and pursue a rewarding career in teaching.

WILL THIS INSPIRE YOU TO HELP OTHERS IN THE FUTURE? Yes, I would like to one day help others in the same situation as I am and donate to college scholarship programs.

HAS THIS SCHOLARSHIP MADE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF AND SUCCESS AT SOUTHEASTERN BETTER? Yes! This scholarship has taken some financial burden off of me, which by itself has increased my overall enjoyment of my time here at Southeastern.

HAS YOUR ATTENDANCE AT SOUTHEASTERN INSPIRED OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE? My presence at Southeastern has inspired my two younger cousins to attend.

I took them on a walk around campus, and they loved the atmosphere of Southeastern. They look forward to continuing their education here after they graduate from high school.

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An International Reach

5

%

Over 80% of Southeastern’s international students come from 20 nations represented by their home nation flag.

India

30

%

Republic of Korea

4

%

Nepal 56

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Honduras

3%

Canada

1%

China

Germany El Salvador

Moldova Philippines

Nigeria

Vietnam

2

%

The Bahamas

Colombia

France

Italy

Jamaica

Mexico

Ukraine

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NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 51 HAMMOND, LA

Office of Advancement, SLU 10293 Hammond, LA 70402 southeasternfoundation.org

SUCCESS: Southeastern was recently named by U.S. News

and World Report as top in Louisiana for students graduating with the least amount of debt.