ENGLISH IVY

LIGHT: This plant prefers shaded area and can be scorched in a hot, sunny exposure. In pots, these plants are quite cold hardy. They thrive in brightly lit areas inside the home.

WATER: The English ivy needs to be watered every two to three days as needed to keep moist during rooting period.

PRUNING: Occasional pruning keeps the plants compact and attractive.

This ornamental evergreen vine has become a popular choice for those looking for an attractive container plant. English ivy can be trained into topiaries of various shapes or grown in simple planter.

Alumni Spotlight

ULM Alumnus: Dhu Thompson

DHU THOMPSON CHARTS HIS OWN PATH. After graduating from Neville High School, Dhu enrolled at ULM, then NLU, with no particular career ambitions in mind. After one year, he took off and explored his love of the outdoors, backpacking and floating rivers, reveling in the beauty and promise of America. His respect for land conservation and a desire for something bigger landed Dhu at a few other higher education institutions across the US before finally coming to his senses. Returning home, Dhu sought out the advice of NLU History professor Dr. Richard Chardkoff. Dhu needed an educational foundation and a degree to open doors, and he wanted to get started as soon as possible. He obtained a degree in liberal arts and immediately took a job with Central Bank as a management trainee. Dhu climbed the banking ladder, becoming an officer and then Vice President in Commercial Lending, before leaving to work in the plastics industry. After another brief stint with Bank One, Dhu realized he didn’t want to be a banker and set his sights a little higher, purchasing a then financially-defunct plastics company in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Combining his appreciation for entrepreneurship and his love of conservation, Dhu believed he could turn the business around.

Delta Plastics manufactures polytube used to irrigate farms, and while the new irrigation style dominated the market, the used plastic clogged local landfills. Dhu developed a recycling system to convert the used tubing to post-consumer resin used in the can liner industry. Thompson founded Revolution Bag in 2010, and marketed the can liners directly to users, acquiring clients such as NYC schools, Ford Motor Company, NFL stadiums, Las Vegas casinos, and the Library of Congress. Now, Revolution Bag is one of the largest post-consumer resin manufacturers in the US. Thompson loved building a legacy and producing a product with the lowest carbon footprint on the market. He notes, “With entrepreneurs, money may be a measure of success, but they are more often motivated by a love of the game.” Surrounding himself with smart, talented people, absent intimidation, and welcoming collective input grew his world and business immensely.

Thompson’s banking background provided knowledge of business opportunities and financial requirements. In mentoring budding entrepreneurs with notable intelligence and financial acumen, Thompson often identifies a lack of experience and self-confidence. He recognizes achievements and peer recognition as the building blocks of self-confidence. Those things take time. Entrepreneurship tests a person’s resolve and truly lets people see their capabilities. With a firm belief in challenging individuals, Thompson sponsors the Arkansas Governor’s Cup. The contest consists of university students from across that state working alongside entrepreneurial professors, presenting business models to a judging panel. The models involve marketing, financial analysis, everything required to bring an idea to a business form. Over the last 12 years of Thompson’s involvement, several of those businesses have come to fruition. In 2020, Dhu approached ULM President Ron Berry about starting a similar competition in Louisiana. With the help of Cathi Hemed, ULM’s Director of External Initiatives, and members of the ULM Foundation, the first annual Pelican Cup will take place in April of this year. 15 applicants are competing at the inaugural event, and the awards ceremony will feature elevator-style pitch presentations. The top 3 winners will receive from $25,000-$10,000 dollars to bring their business ideas to the public. This event significantly opens the business world to young adults, many of whom possess no financial backgrounds. Exposure to business formats and plans brings potential entrepreneurs from various academic disciplines to the corporate table. The combination of a sound vision and a vigorous work ethic produces the corporate leaders of tomorrow. Thompson plans to grow the Pelican Cup, like its sister competition in Arkansas, to include numerous universities across the state of Louisiana. As a proud ULM graduate, Dhu Thompson believes in the power of young minds. His legacy, alongside several successful businesses and an environmentally-friendly product, is giving back to his community and this region by inspiring student leaders to show up and show out. The Pelican Cup will provide the access and guidance that potential entrepreneurs need to become prosperous community leaders and innovators. Dhu Thompson is a testament to the potential of ULM graduates in changing their world for the better.

The ULM Alumni Association reaches, connects and celebrates alumni and friends to build lifelong relationships, and commit to the university’s missions of academic freedom, scholarship, diversity, excellence, integrity and service. We represent alumni who honor the traditions of our university and who share a sense of achievement and pride. We create a network of professionals, establish scholarships and advocate for our University through community engagement. Members of the Alumni Association support countless initiatives, and annual memberships are just $35. To learn more or to become a member, please visit our new alumni network at ulm.edu/alumni.