44 minute read
Tiger Nation
Tiger
NATION
1960s
James "Skipper" Kendrick
(1968 BACH ENGR], president of Kendrick Global Enterprises, received the Board of Certified Safety Professionals Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing his lifetime contributions to the safety profession and work toward reducing injuries and illnesses in America's workplaces. He also was named Fellow by the American Society of Safety Professionals and National Safety Trainer of the Year.
DEGREES BACH Bachelor’s Degree MAST Master’s Degree PHD Doctorate SPEC Specialist DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine MLIS Master of Library & Information Science JD Juris Doctorate (LSU Law School) LLM Master of Laws MD Medical Doctor (LSU School of Medicine) DDS Doctor of Dental Science (LSU School of Dentistry)
COLLEGES/SCHOOLS AGR Agriculture A&D Art & Design C&E Coast & Environment H&SS Humanities & Social Sciences SCI Science BUS Business HS&E Human Sciences & Education ENGR Engineering M&DA Music & Dramatic Arts MCOM Mass Communication SCE School of the Coast & Environment SVM School of Veterinary Medicine SW Social Work
C. Stokes McConnell, Jr.
(1969 BACH H&SS, 1972 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Banking and Finance Law and Public Finance Law.
1970s
John W. Barton, Jr. (1971 BACH H&SS, 1976 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Real Estate Law.
Murphy J. Foster III (1979 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Construction Law, Labor Law-Management, and Litigation-Construction. He also was recognized as Lawyer of the Year in the area of Litigation-Construction.
Gregory D. Frost (1977 BACH H&SS, 1981 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Government Relations Practice and Health Care Law.
Patricia A. Hair (1970 BACH BUS), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Commercial Litigation.
Leo C. Hamilton (1973 BACH H&SS, 1977 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Administrative/ Regulatory Law, Employment LawManagement, and Labor Law-Management. Paul M. Hebert, Jr. (1970 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Family Law.
Michael R. Hubbell (1978 BACH BUS, 1980 BACH BUS, 1987 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Transactions/UCC Law and Real Estate Law.
Michael Hunt (1974 BACH BUS, 1977 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and LitigationConstruction and ranked as Lawyer of the Year in Bet-the-Company Litigation.
Eve B. Masinter (1979 BACH H&SS, 1982 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Employment Law-Management, Labor Law-Management, and Litigation Labor and Employment.
Van R. Mayhall, Jr. (1971 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Government Relations Practice, Insurance Law, Litigation-Regulatory Enforcement, Litigation-Securities, Litigation and Controversy-Tax, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Reinsurance Law. He also was recognized as Lawyer of the Year in Corporate Law.
Robert P. McCleskey, Jr.
(1979 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Admiralty and Maritime Law.
Michael Meagher (1971 BACH BUS) is CEO and chief investment officer of Semita Asset Management in Houston, which has been acquired by The Mather Group, a wealth management firm with offices across the country.
Kay Cowden Medlin (1974 BACH H&SS, 1977 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, and Mediation.
Malcolm S. Murchison (1977 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Energy Law, Mining Law, Oil and Gas Law, Environmental Law, Litigation–Environmental, Natural Resources Law, and Real Estate Law.
Gas Law. F. John Reeks, Jr. (1979 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Energy Law and Oil and
Claude F. Reynaud, Jr. (1974 BACH BUS), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Antitrust Law, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, LitigationAntitrust, Litigation-Intellectual Property, and Litigation-Mergers and Acquisitions. Randy P. Roussel (1977 BACH BUS 1984 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Banking and Finance Law and Real Estate Law.
Joseph L. "Larry" Shea, Jr.
(1978 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, LitigationEnvironmental, Litigation-Labor and Employment, Litigation-Real Estate, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants, Oil and Gas Law, Personal Injury LitigationDefendants, and Real Estate Law. He also was named to Chambers USA 2022 in Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas.
David R. Taggart (1979 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Employment Law - Management, Energy Law, LitigationConstruction, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants, and Oil and Gas Law.
Benton Toups (1977 BACH H&SS, 2000 JD) an attorney with Cranfill Sumner, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Employment Benefits Law.
Sarah Vance (1971 BACH H&SS) received the 2022 Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service Award, “the most prestigious award to be bestowed upon an Article III federal judge,” in recognition of her distinguished and exceptional service. Vance earned a JD from Tulane Law School in 1978. James G. Wyly, III (1975 BACH BUS), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Defendants and Transportation Law.
1980s
Richard Arsenault (1980 JD) recently chaired a Baylor Law School LLM Litigation Management program and spoke in Vancouver, Canada, on Mass Torts – A Primer for Handling a Mass Tort Docket. He was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Admiralty, Maritime Law, Mass Tort Litigation, and Class Actions, and will be included in the 2023 edition of U.S. News “Best Law Firms.”
Finance Law. Robert L. Atkinson (1980 BACH H&SS, 1983 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Banking and
Jude C. Bursavich (1983 BACH H&SS, 1988 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Litigation-Health Care. He also was recognized as Lawyer of the Year in the area of Litigation-Health Care.
David R. Cassidy (1982 BACH H&SS, 1972 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Litigation and Controversy-Tax and Tax Law.
Kenneth Champagne (1987 BACH BUS), senior vicepresident of business services at Confie, is serving the second year of a two-year term as a memberat-large of the Society of Louisiana CPAs
board of directors. He is a past president of the LCPA Baton Rouge Chapter.
David M. Charlton (1980 BACH BUS, 1983 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law.
V. Thomas Clark (1986 BACH H&SS, 1990 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Administrative/ Regulatory Law, Commercial Litigation, Entertainment Law-Motion Pictures and Television, Government Contracts, Insurance Law, and Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants.
Jeanne C. Comeaux (1980 BACH H&SS, 1984 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of LitigationInsurance and Trade Secrets Law.
Warner Joseph Delaune
(1986 BACH BUS, 1991 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Patent Law, Technology Law, and Trademark Law.
Tim Doody (1980 BACH BUS), executive director at Chaffe McCall, was awarded the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants Distinguished Public Service Award, the organization’s highest honor for public service leadership. Doody served as president of the post-Katrina Levee Board and the Flood Protection Authority and volunteers with numerous organizations, among them, the St. Bernard Chapter of the American Red Cross and Operation Merry Christmas, and he chairs the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce. His family funds two endowed scholarships at LSU. Susan W. Furr (1986 BACH BUS, 1989 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Employment LawManagement, Labor Law-Management, and Litigation-Labor and Employment.
Amy Cazes Greene (1986 BACH BUS, 1991 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Litigation and Insurance.
Paul Guarisco (1984 BACH BUS), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Energy Regulatory Law and Utilities Law.
Jerry Jones (1983 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, Litigation-Environmental, and Litigation-Municipal.
David R. Kelly (1982 JD) was recognized in Best Lawyers as Lawyer of the Year in the area of Mass Tort Litigation Class Actions-Defendants, and Tax Law.
Lance J. Kinchen (1989 BACH BUS, 1992 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Tax Law.
Kevin Lavie (1981 BACH H&SS, 1984 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Admiralty and Maritime Law. Richard Leibowitz (1980 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Public Finance Law.
Leo Marsh (1982 BACH MCOM), recently retired as director of external affairs for AT&T in the New Orleans area, joined New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity as advocacy and community engagement manager. He has served on the boards of the Louisiana Museum Foundation, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, and other nonprofit organizations and was honored by the Young Leadership Council as a Role Model in 2016.
Tracy Averett Morganti (1988 BACH H&SS, 1992 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Banking and Finance Law and Corporate Law.
Trenton J. Oubre (1987 BACH BUS, 1981 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Litigation-Insurance and Workers' Compensation LawEmployers. He also was recognized as Lawyer of the Year in the area of Workers' Compensation Law-Employers.
Dwight "Trey" C. Paulsen, III
(1986 BACH BUS, 1989 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation/ Class Actions-Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation-Defendants.
Laura Sillars (BACH 1989 MCOM) was promoted to chief marketing officer at Adams and Reese. She was previously director of marketing and communications. Before joining the firm, she was vice president marketing manager for IBERIABANK. Early in her career she was producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show, involved in production of ABC's “ Good Morning America,” was vice president of programming for HGTV, and senior vice president of programming at the Hallmark Channel. Sillars, an active member of the New Orleans community, is currently serving on the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts Foundation Board.
Beverly A. Whitley (1986 BACH H&SS, 1990 JD), a partner at Bell Nunnally, was named to Texas Super Lawyers. Douglas K. Williams (1980 BACH H&SS, 1983 JD) was recognized in Best Lawyers as Lawyer of the Year in the area of Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants.
1990s
Erol Akdamar (1990 BACH H&SS) is president of Medical City Healthcare, the North Texas Division of HCA Healthcare based in Dallas. His responsibilities now include HCA Healthcare’s four Louisiana hospitals: Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Rapides Regional Medical Center, Tulane Lakeside Hospital and Tulane University Hospital and Clinic, bringing the division to twenty hospitals under his leadership. Brian E. Anderson (1995 MSW), professor of social work at Jackson State University, was appointed to serve a three year-term on the Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) Commission on Membership and Professional Development. He previously served two concurrent terms on CSWE's Commission on Educational Policy, and he is serving his final year final year as an elected board member of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors.
Jeffrey M. Barbin (1992 BACH BUS, 1998 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Gaming Law.
Bradley R. Belsome (1999 BACH AGR), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Railroad Law, Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants. He also was selected by a vote of his peers to be included in New Orleans Magazine’s 2022 list of Top Lawyers in New Orleans.
Frederick Braggs (1995 BACH H&SS) was named chief financial officer of LPA Design Studios in Irvine, Calif. With more than twenty years of years of experience including leadership roles with Steinberg Hart, Gensler and HOK, he has overseen large-scale projects across the U.S., China, and United Arab Emirates. Braggs is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Organization of Minority Architects. He holds an MBA from The Pennsylvania State University.
E. H. "Sonny" Bringol, Jr.
(1991 BACH ENGR), founder, president, and chairman of Victorian Finance, Pittsburgh, Pa., formed a partnership with Farmers Bank, Parsons, Tenn., providing the expertise of financial services professionals who will bring a new level of management experience and growth potential to the bank.
Virginia Y. Dodd (1993 BACH BUS, 1997 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Insurance Law and LitigationInsurance and ranked as Lawyer of the Year in Litigation-Insurance.
Jeffrey Fernandez (1996 BACH BUS) assumed the role of CEO of the Ochsner Health Plan in August. He was previously senior vice president and executive advisor. Prior to joining Ochsner, he served as senior vice president of Humana’s Medicare West segment, with responsibility for Medicare Advantage operations in seventeen states, including Louisiana. Fernandez earned an MBA from the University of New Orleans and a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.
Craig Freeman (1998 JD) was named interim vice-provost and dean of the College of Professional Studies at Oklahoma State UniversityTulsa. He currently serves as assistant dean and senior inclusion officer in the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the School of Media and Strategic Communications on the Stillwater campus.
Kelsey Funes (1994 BACH H&SS, 1997 JD), a partner at Phelps Dunbar, was recognized as a 2022 Real Estate/Construction Law Trailblazer by the National Law Journal. She recently served as co-chair of the American Bar Association’s 2022 Forum on Construction Law Annual Meeting in New York City and serves on the executive committee of the Center for Planning Excellence.
J. Alan Harrell (1994 BACH H&SS, 1997 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Litigation-Environmental.
Scott N. Hensgens (1993 BACH H&SS), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Litigation-Intellectual Property, and Trademark Law. He also was recognized as Lawyer of the Year in the area of Litigation-Intellectual Property.
Karleen J. Green (1994 BACH BUS, 1997 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Employee Benefits Law and Litigation-Labor and Employment. Care Law. Emily Black Grey (1998 BACH H&SS, 2000 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Health
Marshall Grodner (1983 BACH H&SS, 1990 JD), a partner at McGlinchey Stafford, was elected a Fellow in the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. Marshall is a Fellow and the immediate past president of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers; past president of the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys, Inc.; chair of the Commercial Finance Committee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section; and a Fellow in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
Katherine Karam (1991 BACH H&SS), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Insurance Law and Litigation-Insurance.
Qui Tam Law. Catherine Maraist (1998 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Litigation-Health Care and
Leslie Petty (1995 MAST H&SS), associate professor of English and chair of the department at Rhodes College, was presented the 2022 Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service, which honors a current faculty member who has established an outstanding record of service to the college. Petty joined the Rhodes faculty in 2003 as an assistant professor of English after earning a doctorate from the University of Georgia.
David E. Redmann, Jr. (1994 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation-Defendants. He also was selected by a vote of his peers to be included in New Orleans Magazine’s 2022 list of Top Lawyers in New Orleans.
Gregory Thomas Stevens
(1999 BACH H&SS, 2004 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Commercial Litigation.
2000s
Bart C. Bacigalupi (2004 BACH BUS), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Banking and Finance Law.
Colin Cambre (2004 BACH BUS), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Admiralty and Maritime Law.
Jessica Cormier (2001 BACH BUS), vice president of talent development at Allinial Global, was elected to a two-year term as a member-at-large of the Society of Louisiana CPAs board of directors. She is a past president of the LCPA Baton Rouge Chapter.
Carroll Devillier, Jr. (2006 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Litigation-Health Care. Madison DeWitt (2008 BACH H&SS, 2011 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law.
David C. Fleshman (2008 BACH H&SS, 2011 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Construction Law and LitigationConstruction.
Druit G. Gremillion (2007 BACH H&SS, 2011 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the area of Insurance Law.
Alexandra Cobb Hains
(2009 BACH AGR), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Litigation-Labor and Employment.
Rachael Jeanfreau (2007 BACH H&SS), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Labor and Employment Law-Management and Litigation-Labor and Employment.
W. Bradley Kline (2006 BACH BUS, 2009 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Banking and Finance Law and Commercial Transactions-UCC Law. Brandon Lagarde (2001 BACH BUS, 2004 JD), director of the tax services group at Postlethwaite & Netterville, is serving the second year of a two-year term as a member-at-large of the Society of Louisiana CPAs board of directors He earned a master’s degree from the University of Florida.
Matthew M. McCluer (2008 BACH H&SS, an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Labor and Employment Law-Management, LitigationLabor and Employment.
Michael Mims (2008 BACH MCOM, 2011 JD) a partner at the law firm Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Mass Tort Litigation/Class ActionsDefendants. He also was selected by a vote of his peers to be included in New Orleans Magazine’s 2022 list of Top Lawyers in New Orleans.
Kate Bernacchio Mire (2007 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law.
Katie Myers (2006 BACH H&SS, 2009 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers in America in the area of Insurance.
Jacob E. Roussel (2008 BACH ENGR, 2012 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Construction Law and Litigation-Construction.
Natalie Taylor (2003 BACH H&SS, 2007 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named Best Lawyers in America list in the areas of Product Liability Litigation-Defendants. She also was selected by a vote of her peers to be included in New Orleans Magazine’s 2022 list of Top Lawyers in New Orleans.
2010s
Joe Barksdale (2011 BACH H&SS), NFL star turned musician, joined the Players Choir in the live shows of “America’s Got Talent,” adding his vocal sound – a blend of blues, soul, jazz, and rock – to the talents of current and former NFL players for the chance to win a million dollars in prize money. The first episode aired in August and was followed by six weeks of live shows.
Danielle L. Borel (2011 BACH BUS, 2014 JD), a partner at Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was elected secretary of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and will assume the chair in August 2024. She also was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property Law, and Litigation-Intellectual Property.
Joshua S. Chevallier (2011 BACH MCOM, 2014 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea (Shreveport), was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America the areas of Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, and Oil and Gas Law.
Kelsey A. Clark (2012 BACH H&SS, 2015 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants, Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation-Defendants. Ashley Gill Gable (2011 BACH H&SS, 2014 JD), a partner with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Energy Law and Intellectual Property Law.
Matthew R. Lee (2016 JD), an associate with Bradley Murchison Kelly & Shea, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in Commercial Litigation.
Katherine Cicardo Mannino
(2010 BACH MCOM, 2013 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Health Care Law, Labor and Employment Law-Management, and Litigation-Labor and Employment.
Molly McDiarmid (2010 BACH MCOM, 2013 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the area of Litigation-Labor and Employment.
Kevin Murrell (2018 BACH ENGR), a mechanical design engineer contracted through Jacob’s Engineering Group at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, works with a team of about 100 NASA engineers since 2019 to design the new xEMU (Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit) spacesuit. The xEMU suit will serve as a prototype if aerospace companies choose to design their spacesuits using it.
Kristin Oglesby (2015 BACH BUS, 2018 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Corporate Law and Tax Law. Clinton Rasberry (2018 BACH ENGR) joined Argent Trust Company as audit associate. He most recently was a partner at Crestview Woods and previously served as a partner at Rasberry Land & Minerals. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and holds an MBA and a master’s of management in energy from Tulane University.
Elizabeth Reed (2015 BACH H&SS ) joined Hallett & Perrin in the firm’s construction, healthcare and litigation practice groups. She received a JD from Tulane University Law School.
Katie Sample (2012 BACH H&SS, 2013 MAST H&SS) appeared on the Food Network’s “Big Bad Budget Battle” in August. The episode, titled “Leftover Lessons,” is available to stream on Discovery+. Sample, a speech pathologist who specializes in autism spectrum disorder, finds that recreating recipes opens the door for conversation beyond her flavor-packed Cajun cuisine.
Amber Tyler (2017 MAST BUS) was named director of admissions and records at Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, N.C. She also was appointed by the Goldsboro City Council to serve a three-year term on the Commission on Community Relations and Development. She serves on the United Way of Wayne County Community Investment Committee and the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce W.I.S.E Women’s Committee and is a Guardian ad Litem and ambassador for the Restorative Justice Program.
2020s
Michelle Matter (2021 MBA) joined the Scan Foundation in Long Beach, Calif., as a senior policy analyst.
WEDDING BELLS
Newlyweds Hailey and Bailey Tinsley. Photos: Bradley King /Second Line Photography
Simpson-Tinsley Nuptials
Hailey Simpson (2020 BACH SCI) and Bailey Tinsley (2020 BACH MCOM) exchanged vows on June 25 at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Hailey is the daughter of Mark (1988 BACH H&SS) and Leah (1991 JD) Simpson. Bailey’s parents are Craig and Tiffany Tinsley.
The couple met during Scholars Weekend in 2016 and both earned prestigious scholarships. Hailey received a Stamps Scholarship and was named a Louisiana Service and Leadership (LASAL) Scholar. Bailey was awarded a President’s Alumni Scholarship. At commencement, both were recognized with College Honors and as University Medalists, and Hailey was selected as one on the 2020 Tiger Twelve.
Following a reception at the Pavilion of Two Sisters the newlyweds departed for a honeymoon in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
Bailey is an account manager at Versa Creative, and Hailey is a third-year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine.
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation
In Memoriam
Former State Representative and U.S. Congressman Anthony Claude “Buddy” Leach (1956 BACH H&SS, 1963 JD), Jr., passed from this world on Aug .6, in Baton Rouge. Buddy was born in Leesville, La., on March 30, 1934. He was educated in Vernon Parish public schools and graduated from LSU. He then served his country in the U.S. Army in Military Intelligence. After his military service, he came back home and earned his Juris Doctorate from LSU Law School. He then began practicing law in Leesville. Buddy was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1967, then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Fourth Congressional District, serving from 1979-1981.
After returning to his law practice in Leesville, he was re-elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1983. Following his legislative career, he transitioned to the family business, serving as president of Sweet Lake Land & Oil Company in Lake Charles. Buddy served on the board of directors of Merchants & Farmers Bank in Leesville for more than forty years. He served as chairman of the board from 2002-2021. Always active in the Louisiana Democratic Party, he served as chairman from 2010-2012.
Buddy lived his life in service to all, with the Leesville Lions Club and Masonic Lodge of Slagle, La., being two of the many service organizations that were very dear to his heart. Buddy loved the state and people of Louisiana and took great pride in his work in service to both. He believed in the power of education and that everyone is worthy of a seat at the table.
1940s
Ruth Elaine Beattie Johnson, 1946 BACH H&SS, June 11, 2022, Grand Prairie, Texas Dee Walker Jones, 1943 BACH MCOM, Oct. 8, 2022, Seattle, Wash. Norma Miller Martin, 1942 BACH AGR, Sept. 24, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Frankie Broome Platte, 1948 BACH HS&E, Oct. 9, 2022, Moss Point, Miss.
1950s
Leonard Joseph Breaux, 1959 BACH BUS, July 30, 2022, Pierre Part, La. Sarah Susan “Sarah Sue” Day, 1958 BACH AGR, July 17, 2022, Zachary, La. Thomas Harold Garrett, 1959 BACH BUS, July 20, 2021, Haynesville, La. Rivers Eugene “Gene” Hargroder, 1958 BACH AGR, Sept. 3, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Theodore Burton “Ted” Harp, 1959 BACH ENGR, July 31, 2022, Fort Worth, Texas Gordon Albaugh Hughmark, 1955 MAST ENGR, 1959 PHD ENGRE, July 10, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Stanley M. Maillet, 1958 BACH ENGR, Sept. 10, 2022, Bossier City, La. Frank Leon Maraist, 1958 JD, Aug. 8, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Johnny Mack O’Conner, 1959 BACH AGR, 1963 MAST HS&E, Oct. 1, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Gerald P. “Jerry” Schwalb, 1952 BACH AGR, July 18, 2022, Abilene, Texas Randolph Louis Smith, Jr., 1958 BACH H&SE, 1965 MAST HS&E, Oct. 11, 2022, Gonzales, La. Flira Fae Everett Storms, attended 1950s-1960s, Aug. 29, 2022, Lompoc, Calif.
1960s
Michael Jules Ardoin, 1961 BACH H&SS, Aug. 27, Baton Rouge, La. Monte Beth Miller Banks, 1961 BACH HS&E, 1962 MAST HS&E, May 14, 2020, Homer, La. Beatrice Lynn Sparks Boesch, 1967 BACH AGR, Aug. 8, 2022, Greenwell Springs, La. Willard B. Dugas, Jr., 1963 BACH HS&E, June 29, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. R. Craig Dupuy, Sr., 1969 BACH BUS, Sept. 1, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Harry Friedman, 1961 BACH BUS, July 19, 2022, New Orleans, La. Rodney Douglas Hendrick, 1962 BACH H&SS, 1965 MAST H&SS, Aug. 27, 2022, Baker, La. Maxwell Gantt “Max” Kees, Sr., 1967 BACH H&SS, 1970 MAST H&SS, Aug. 19, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Franklin McKenzie Kyle, Jr., 1960 BACH AGR, 1963 MBA, Oct 2, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Joseph Earl Landry, 1963 MAST ENGR, 1966 PHD ENGR, Aug. 16, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Joseph E. Michalik, Jr., 1968 BACH SCI, 1972 MD-NO, Sept. 29, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Harry A. Michel, 1969 BACH BUS, July 8, 2021, Parkland, Fla. Nancy Crossland Moon, 1967 BACH H&SE, 1986 MAST HS&E, 1991 PHD HS&E, Sept. 9, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Carolyn Kleinpeter Morris, 1966 BACH HS&E, 1968 MAST H&SS, July 13, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Stacia Roberts Pangburn, 1966 BACH H&SS, 1967 MSW, July 27, 2022, Ventress, La. Henry Franklin Rounsaville, Jr., 1960 BACH BUS, Sept. 10, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Henry Floyd Rusk, 1966 MAST HS&E, Aug. 20, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Charles Lee Shepard, 1962 BACH ENGR, Oct. 10, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Genevieve B. Simms, 1961 MLS, July 20, 2022, Opelousas, La. Dionysis P. “Dennis” Simopoulos, 1968 BACH H&SS, Aug. 7, 2022, Athens, Greece Jennifer Bell Taylor, 1968 BACH H&SS, Sept. 12, 2022, Mangham, La. Michael J. Uter, 1969 JD, Sept. 9, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. John William Williams, 1960 BACH ENGR, Oct. 10, 2022, Baton Rouge, La.
1970s
Guilera Rafael Juantorena Aguilera, 1975 MAST ENGR, 1977 PHD ENGR, Sept. 17, 2022, Batno Rouge, La. Charles Stephen Barbre, 1972 BACH HS&E, Sept. 16, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Clifton O. “Cliff” Bingham, Jr., 1970 BACH H&SS, 1973 JD, Aug. 26, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Anupam DasGupta, 1972 MAST SCI, 1977 PHD SCI, June 26, 2022, Freehold, N.J. Glen Preston Eggers, 1978 BACH BUS, July 24, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. William Patrick “Bill” Eskew, 1975 BACH A&D, 1978 MAST A&D, Retired Director of Facility Design, July 20, 2022, Baton Rouge, La.
John Heidingsfelder, 1970 BACH H&SS, 1973 MD-NO, Sept. 12, 2022, High Point, N.C. Charles Lee Hinton, 1972 BACH AGR, Aug. 25, 2022, Baker, La. Michael Rene “Mike” Hood, 1979 BACH H&SS, 1987 MAST H&SS, Aug. 9, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Wilbert J. “Dub” Legendre, Jr., 1974 BACH H&SS, July 28, 2022, Plaquemine, La. Nora Morgan Jenkins, 1978 BACH H&SS, 1988 MLS Sept. 21, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Warren Joseph Mayeux, Jr., 1979 BACH BUS, Aug. 25, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Thomas Chalmers “Tom” McKowen, IV, 1974 BACH AGR, 1977 JD, Aug. 4, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Margaret Moore Morgan, 1973 MAST AGR, Aug. 14, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Robert Henry “Bobby” Schmolke, 1971 BACH BUS, 1975 JD, July 7, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Sheila Steim Talamo, 1970 BACH H&SE, Sept. 6, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Sit L. Wong, 1978 BACH A&D, Aug. 28, 2022, Baton Rouge, La.
1980s
Pedro J. Cobos (1983 BACH ENGR), Sept. 16, 2022, San Pedro Sula, Honduras John Clyde Miller, 1988 BACH BUS, Aug. 7, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Jonathan Dicks Reily, 1985 BACH H&SS, Aug. 30, 2022, Asheville, N.C Marna Amey Bass Shortess, 1982 BACH H&SS, Sept. 1, 2022, Baton Rouge, La.
1990s
Gordon Ray “Gordy” DeRouen, 1994 MBA, July 20, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Kevin Garon, 1999 BACH BUS, July 31, 2022, West Palm Beach, Fla. Gregory Mark Gouner, 1994 JD, Aug. 22, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Cristin Forbes Ponjuan, 1999 BACH H&SS, Sept. 12, 2022, Baton Rouge, La.
2000s
Joan Denham Port, 2000 BACH HS&E, Oct. 7, 2022, St. Francisville, La.
2010s
Caroline Adele Semerad, 2011 BACH H&SS, Aug. 9, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Alaina Stanton, 2016 BACH AGR, July 23, 2022, Geismar, La.
Donald “Don” Bruce
Professor, Retired College of Art & Design Sept. 20, 2022 Baton Rouge, La.
Jerry Ceppos
Dean, Manship School of Mass Communication William B. Dickinson Distinguished Professor in Journalism July 29, 2022 Baton Rouge, La.
Nancy Claire Denham Administrative Coordinator, Retired Office of the Registrar Sept. 10, 2022 Baton Rouge, La.
Michael F. “Mike" McDonald
Alumnus By Choice Sept. 15, 2022 Baton Rouge, La.
Marguerite Helen Jurick Spustek
LSU Student Health Center, Retired Sept. 4, 2022 New Orleans, La.
A memorial gift to the LSU Alumni Association in the name of a family member, friend, or classmate is a caring way to pay tribute to a person’s life and accomplishments. To make a gift or for more information, call 225.578.3838 or 1.888.746.4578.
Tigers in Print
J.A. Adams (1994 BACH H&SS, 1997 MAST H&SS, 2000 PHD H&SS)
Bomb Cyclone Atmosphere Press Oksana is a pawn in a chess game she doesn’t fully comprehend, one she can’t escape. The young Ukrainian spy recruited by Russia’s SVR purposely fails in her assignment to obtain the coordinates of a lost nuclear bomb from Mykola, a Ukrainian-American immigrant who had traveled to Crimea to locate the bomb. Instead, Oksana falls in love with her target and must defect to the U.S. or risk imprisonment or death as a traitor to Russia. While Mykola’s Ukrainian friend Vladyslav fights with the Ukrainian resistance against the pro-Russian separatists, Russian agents search for their elusive spy in the U.S.
Pete Bush (1990 BACH BUS) and Bill Bush (1987 BACH MCOM)
The Runway Decade: Building a Pre-Retirement Flight Plan in Your Fifties Horizon Media
If you're like many future retirees in their fifties, you're facing a milestone in the next decade that can feel like an overwhelming deadline: retirement. If you're also a business owner or corporate executive, the pressure is greater because people outside your family depend on you. Are you prepared? Perhaps you have all the elements – robust savings, ample 401(k) investments, adequate insurance, even a rough exit plan at work – but you haven't connected them in a comprehensive strategy. In The Runway Decade, financial advisors Pete Bush and Bill Bush provide an insider's look at how to simplify the complex process of planning for retirement. Their unique, holistic approach includes all areas of wealth, from social security benefits and Medicare coverage to charitable giving and tax planning. You can control your future – as long as you have the right tools. With worksheets and exercises available in each chapter, The Runway Decade is your roadmap for navigating the crucial years before retirement so you can provide, protect, and prosper for yourself and those who depend on you.
H. Dale Hall (1979 MAST AGR)
COMPELLED H. Dale Hall, LLC
COMPELLED unfolds the journey of a young U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist being thrust into the controversial world of national conservation issues and the methods used to resolve them. The evolution of conservation history is told through the eyes of a first-hand witness to the first court challenge to the U.S. Clean Water Act and its protection of Waters of the United States, the introduction of expertise in environmental contaminants to unveil the harm of environmental pollutants in federal water development projects, the history of how conservation in the United States was championed by hunters and anglers, the often painful history of the northern spotted owl and the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), western water wars, and the complete story of the listing of the polar bear as America’s first threatened species under the ESA as a result of global warming. This epic journey also identifies the only real pathway to solving these complex issues: by opening the door for cooperative efforts and building trust between seemingly opposing interests.
Melvin L. Hawkins (1977 JD)
Daniel's Fourth Kingdom: Fulfilling the Times of the Gentiles WestBow Press
Although there is broad consensus among Bible prophecy scholars that the times of the gentiles will continue until the return of Jesus Christ, the century-old, traditional interpretation holds that Daniel's fourth, gentile kingdom (the Roman Empire) ceased to exist in AD 476 in the West at Rome and, therefore, must be "revived" politically in the beginning of the seven-year
tribulation period. That prevailing viewpoint is obscuring a clear understanding of the continuing existence of the fourth kingdom as well as its fulfillment in history of important prophecies related to the end times. Peters forewarned about this potential interpretation problem in The Theocratic Kingdom (1884). Daniel's Fourth Kingdom: (1) establishes that the divided Roman Empire still exists today and explains why that fact matters regarding the season of Christ's return; (2) respectfully questions the traditional interpretation; (3) exhorts the church to love not the temporal kingdoms of this world but, instead, to embrace her gospel-inspired, Holy Spiritempowered, love-driven, apolitical, evangelical mission to share the gospel with all nations while expecting the possibly imminent pretribulation rapture; and (4) invites all readers, believers and skeptics alike, to consider the relevance of the Bible concerning world history, current events, and the future.
Ruth Laney (1966 BACH H&SS, 1972 MAST H&SS)
Cherie Quarters LSU Press
Before he became an awardwinning writer, Gaines was the son of sharecroppers in Cherie Quarters, the workers’ community of River Lake Plantation in Pointe Coupée Parish, La. Drawing on decades of interviews and archival research, Ruth Laney explores the lives and histories of the families, both kin and not, who lived in a place where “everybody was everybody’s child.” Built as slave cabins in the 1840s, the houses of Cherie Quarters were cold in winter, hot in summer, filled with mosquitoes, and overflowing with people, but the residents made these houses into homes. Laney describes aspects of their daily lives – work, food, entertainment, religion, and education – then expands her focus to the white families who built River Lake Plantation, enslaved its people, and later directed the lives of its Black sharecroppers.
Pete Melby (1970 BACH A&D, 1973 MAST A&D)
Third in Line Book Baby Penny Chatham, a member of the House of Representatives, takes her husband and their three children to south Louisiana and Mississippi swamps, marshes, and nearshore waters on an inspection trip. Three years ago she was involved in water wars between Louisiana and Mississippi. Her work with the Pearl River and flood water in the Mississippi River brought back wild oysters and other marine life in Louisiana and Mississippi estuaries. Due to the success of restoring estuary water, she and Louisiana's Senator Long sponsor a bill to restore coastal waters along the nation's coastlines. Their Sustainability Bill would also reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels and work toward conversion of homes to become energy efficient through using regenerative technologies. While on the inspection tour, Representative Chatham's stand on reducing carbon emissions is gravely challenged by a group of influential business leaders.
Angela M. Thomas (2002 BACH H&SS, 2007 MAST H&SS)
Faith Fighting in Pink: Cancer’s Many Faces KDP and Amazon
If you are looking for statistics and technical jargon, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a no holds barred look at the struggles of living life with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, then you have come to the right place. I am not a writer, but I do have a story to share and tips to make this journey through cancer a bit easier. If you have just been diagnosed or know someone who has, this book is key to providing the understanding needed to fight, win, and recover like a bad chic.
By Brian Hudgins
Gretchen Sheirr, the Houston Rockets president of business operations. Photo: Houston Rockets
Gretchen Sheirr (2000 BACH SCI) started with the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets in ticket sales in 2001, a handful of years after Rockets teams led by Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon won consecutive championships in the nineties.
The rebuilding phase contained great opportunity. “We were in the process of building a new arena, the Toyota Center,” Sheirr said. “We were fortunate to be successful. We drafted Yao Ming in 2002. Watching someone that young carry that much grace was very impressive.”
As the Rockets established themselves in a new home, Sheirr moved up from ticket sales. Two decades later, she is the president of business operations – overseeing marketing, communications, team events, and global strategy and innovation. It is a climb that enabled Sheirr, who was born in Houma, La., and moved to Spring, Texas, to witness Houston’s growth from many angles.
Harris County created the Houston Sports Authority in 1997. The presence of the Houston Astros in a new downtown stadium and the Rockets in the Toyota Center provided a jolt to the area. “Downtown became more of an area to live, work and play,” Sheirr said. “That was absolutely a catalyst. Sports mean so much.”
That was one lesson Sheirr did not need Houston to teach her – the emotional value of sports. Sheirr’s childhood gymnastics experience translated well into her relatively late start in diving. “There were enough similarities that I caught on to diving,” Sheirr said. She had recruiting trips as a future collegiate diver to both the University of Alabama and LSU. “LSU had a clear advantage,” Sheirr said with a laugh.
Once she got to Baton Rouge, the swimming and diving programs provided Sheirr a community within LSU. A marketing class taught by Jenny Peters later gave Sheirr insight into the mechanics of putting on a live event that markets a service. Business writing courses helped Sheirr settle on a more detailed plan. “I learned a lot through exploring potential career paths,” Sheirr said. “I knew I was going to work in business.”
Ticket sales in 2001 meant manually processing paper tickets compared to current online sales. As she took on new responsibilities for the Rockets, Sheirr solidified relationships with season ticket holders. She has seen the growth of the team through multiple seasons, as experienced squads led by James Harden and Chris Paul routinely propelled the Rockets to the playoffs.
The last two draft classes have netted Houston former LSU Tiger Tari Eason, guard Jalen Green and forward Jabari Smith. It is an exciting time for Sheirr. “They are living out their dreams,” Sheirr said. “We are watching this beginning and helping them connect to the city.”
Away from the arena, Sheirr’s bond with Houston includes being a founding board member of WISE Houston and serving on the board of March of Dimes Houston. She and her husband, Ken, live in The Woodlands with their twin teenagers. “My biggest priority is our twins,” Sheirr said. Brian Hudgins is a Houston native who enjoys SEC sports and covering a variety of subjects as a freelance writer.
Kd Amond (2008 BACH H&SS) is a writer, director, and editor who, on May 10, released the first movie in the United States to feature only one actress. Amond directed the first one-woman feature film Faye.
The film, of the horror genre, is set in a cabin on the Louisiana bayou. Faye, a self-help author, retreats to this cabin on the bayou to gain inspiration and motivation for writing her upcoming book.
Throughout her stay at the cabin, Faye is haunted by a figment that turns out to be her grief and repressed emotions taking the form of her own self. Faye then faces all five stages of her grief, which results in her overcoming the despair of losing her husband.
Sarah Zanotti, who plays Faye in the film, and Amond had just finished writing a script for a different movie when Zanotti told Amond she wished to be in a movie, one in which she was the only actress. Zanotti already had the first scene in her mind, and from there Amond came up with the idea to make her a selfhelp author who is falling apart.
“The seed was planted by Sarah just wanting to be in a movie by herself, and that hasn’t been done by a woman so I said, ‘let’s do it.’ It’s the first horror movie to ever do that, and this is the first one in America,” Amond said.
Amond described that directing a movie with only one actress gave her more freedom on set as opposed to directing multiple actors. “There’s a certain amount of freedom of responsibility with only filming one actor,” she said. “I also knew everything about this movie was unorthodox. It was cool, and definitely had a certain amount of freedom that you don’t have normally.”
LSU Tiger décor hangs from the walls of the cabin in which movie takes place. “My family is a bunch of Tigers. The reason we came down to Louisiana is because my aunt had a cabin on the bayou, and she said we could use it,” said Amond.
Amond, from Livingston, La., earned her degree in English with a minor in film studies. “When I was at LSU, film and media studies was just a minor, so I picked it up as a minor and I graduated in English and creative writing. But all my focus classes where screen writing and adaptive screen writing,” she explained.
Amond had always been interested in film and the idea of a career in film. The LSU classes inspired her and solidified the idea of attending film school after graduation, which she did, earning a master’s degree in film production from the University of New Orleans.
“The classes and foundations of filmmaking and storytelling were instilled at LSU, and I’m still in touch with some of my professors,” Amond said. “One specifically from the horror genre, Dr. Tracy Stevenson Shaffer, she’s like the resident ‘horror’ expert, and she came to the Faye premiere. She’s been a huge support, and her class on the horror genre specifically was a big inspiration,”
Today, Amond is in the post-production process of releasing her upcoming movie The Unraveling. Presley Tyler is a junior majoring in journalism.
By Presley Tyler
Director Kd Amond breaks new ground.
By Abbi Rocha Laymoun
Scot McKenzie is living a childhood dream come true.
For LSU mechanical engineering graduate Scot McKenzie, working for SpaceX is nothing short of a childhood dream come true. The twenty-three-year-old from Baton Rouge wasted no time in pursuing his goals by working for NASA and now SpaceX, where McKenzie can work on rockets that will travel to the Moon and Mars one day.
“I’ve always had an interest in space and space exploration,” McKenzie said. “Growing up, I always liked messing with things and was always mathematically inclined. I wanted to know how things worked. My mom was always building and tinkering with things, and my grandpa was a civil engineer from LSU.”
When it came time for McKenzie to choose a university, LSU was at the top of his list. “I knew LSU had a strong engineering program and the newly renovated Patrick F. Taylor building,” he said. “I chose to major in mechanical engineering because it allowed me to be in a position where I could choose my own path.”
In 2019, McKenzie had a co-op at NASA Stennis Space Center. Then, in the summers of 2020 and 2021, he interned there again, serving as a propulsion test operations engineer and performing maintenance of facility systems.
“I made sure the valves opened and closed and made sure they had the proper instrumentation feedback, operating test-day things like liquid oxygen transfer to facilitate rocket engine part testing,” he said. “My work at NASA was a great entry into aerospace. I loved being in the control room or being outside all day making sure everything works. I really enjoyed problem solving, and it gave me the experience to apply at SpaceX.”
In June 2022, McKenzie packed his car and made the nine-hour drive to Brownsville, Texas, to work for SpaceX, a spacecraft engineering company founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Based out of Hawthorne, Calif., SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft at the Starbase site in Texas.
“Starship is the new rocket SpaceX is building,” McKenzie said. “It’s located at the Starbase development facility, and it’s going to be the biggest, most powerful rocket ever. It’s Musk’s goal to make life multi-planetary, and this is the rocket he’s going to use to do it.”
As a launch operations engineer, McKenzie deals with flight control and monitors launch pad activity, controls system valves and pressurizations, and commands operations for vehicle testing.
“It’s a lot to take in because there are a lot of different things going on that are a step above what I did at NASA, so it’s a learning experience but also a fun and incredible place to work,” McKenzie said. “One thing that shocked me was the incredible level of technology out here, everything from personnel safety to the software programs that allow virtual hands on the launch pad at all times. I’m able to use my prior knowledge to go to even bigger heights. I’ve gone from testing a stationary single rocket engine to prepping an entire vehicle for launch.”
As for living in Brownsville, McKenzie said the people have been nice and helpful, and the Starbase facility is one-of-a-kind. “The facility is really nice,” he said. “It’s a new place, so SpaceX is able to do exactly what they want with everything. It’s a whole new world out here.”
Abbi Rocha Laymoun is the media relations coordinator in the LSU Office of Communications & University Relations.
SHARE YOUR NEWS Share news of your new job or promotion, your wedding, honors, awards, new babies, and other celebrations with fellow alumni. To submit an item and photos for publication, e-mail jackie@lsualumni.org or call 225-578-3370.
Paying Tribute – Rich Hickman
and Randy Lamont, teammates of Pete Maravich, were among those remembering the “Pistol” at the unveiling ceremony in July.
WHAT’S YOUR VOLUNTEER PASSION?
Send a photo of yourself “in action” and tell Tigers Around the World how and why you share your time and talents with others.
Lillie "Pigeon" Thibaut (1943 BACH HS&E) who was the 1942 LSU Homecoming Queen, celebrates turning 101 years old. Happy 101st birthday!.
BABY BENGALS
Tiger Trio – Proud grandparents
Nancy Theisen Bennett (1976 BACH
HS&E) and Robert Bennett (1973 BACH BUS, 1978 MAST AGR) – clad in their LSU gear – welcome their first grandchild, future Tiger Macy Jane Bennett (Class of 2044!), born on Aug. 19 in Metairie, La. Macy’s parents are
John C. Bennett (2011 BACH MCOM)
and Sadie Mannino Bennett, who attended LSU before enrolling in the Xavier University College of Pharmacy.
Welcome,
Tiger! – Caleb
Austen Yates was welcomed to the world on June 29 by proud grandparents
Nolan (1972
BACH BUS, 1974 MAST BUS) and
Andrea Austen Schexnayder (1972
BACH HS&E). Their daughter, Shelley Yates, writes, “Dad has missed exactly one home football game in over sixty years, and mom was captain of the Golden Girls. You can tell from the photo that Caleb is already a diehard Tiger fan.”
Louisiana State University and A&M College 3838 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
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