Fall/Winter 2020, Volume 96, Number 3
CONNECTING GENERATIONS
From the
INTERIM PRESIDENT Reaching New Heights The pandemic has transformed the way we learn and live at LSU, but it hasn’t slowed the tremendous momentum of our great university. At a time when most universities across the country are struggling to maintain enrollment, retention, and graduation rates, we’re celebrating record high figures on all three fronts.
“Setting new records for enrollment, retention, and graduation rates would be an incredible achievement during any year, but to do it during a pandemic year is truly remarkable.”
This fall — for the third-straight year — we enrolled the largest freshman class in our history. The 6,690 full-time students who joined our LSU family represent a 9 percent increase over last year, and they helped boost our total enrollment to a record high 34,290 students. More importantly, the academic quality of our freshman students is not wavering as enrollment rises. The GPA of our newest class of Tigers reached an all-time high of 3.45, while the ACT is holding steady at a near record high of over 25.4. We also set a new enrollment record at Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College, with more than 800 freshman students whose average ACT of 32 and GPA of 3.81 are both the highest in the college’s history. Our campus community is also more diverse than ever before. Historically underrepresented students make up more than 30 percent of our freshman class, with Black students comprising 16.8 percent of the class — the highest in our history — and Hispanic student enrollment of 9.1 percent for the first time. Over the past decade, Black student enrollment at LSU has increased by 87 percent to 5,028, while enrollment of Hispanic students has risen 130 percent to 2,490. I’m incredibly proud of our enrollment increases and increasing diversification, which are a testament to the first-rate academic experience we provide at LSU, the exceptional work of our dedicated faculty and staff, and our ongoing work to create an even more inclusive and equitable campus culture. But our ultimate mission is to support and guide students to the proud day on which they graduate and leave LSU with a degree that positions them to earn above average starting salaries and mid-career earnings — and we’re excelling in those areas as well. Our retention rate of first-year students rose to almost 86 percent this fall, a record high, while our two-year retention rate increased to 75 percent. Our sixyear baccalaureate graduation rate rose to 66 percent, the second highest rate in LSU history, while our four-year bachelor’s graduation rate reached an alltime high of 44.1 percent, and our five-year rate rose to 61.9 percent. Setting new records for enrollment, retention, and graduation rates would be an incredible achievement during any year, but to do it during a pandemic year is truly remarkable. It’s evidence that LSU is moving in the right direction despite unprecedented disruption and that we will further flourish when we finally emerge from the pandemic. Stay safe, be strong, and Geaux Tigers!
Thomas C. Galligan, Jr. LSU Interim President and Professor of Law @lsuprez
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Contents
Publisher LSU Alumni Association Editor Jackie Bartkiewicz Advertising Emily Johnson
Feature
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24 LSU’s Human Anatomy Lab
By the time they get to college, really smart kids are used to knowing all the answers. Whether they rely on an app, all night study sessions, or a photographic memory, they can master material to excel on just about any test. They make Scantrons sing. They ace the MCAT and get into their choice of post-graduate program. The problem is: Medicine is about more than parroting back textbook answers. Success depends on a different kind of skill. It takes the ability to apply knowledge, navigate through uncertainty, make tough decisions quickly, and take action – and, that requires a giant leap from the world of science into the art of medicine.
In Each Issue 1
From the LSU Interim President
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LSUAA President Message
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LSU Alumni Association News
28 Around Campus 42 Locker Room 60 Tiger Nation
On the Cover Generations of Tigers across the globe connect to all things LSU through LSUTigerNation.com.
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Editorial Assistant Emily Johnson Contributors Bailey Chauvin, John Grubb, Libby Haydel, Adrian Hirsch, Rachel Holland, Emily Johnson, Mignon Kastanos, Steve Neumann, Alison Satake, Paul West
18 Connecting Generations: LSUTigerNation.com
While the coronavirus pandemic created a “new normal” working environment for much of the spring and summer, it did not prevent your Association from looking toward tomorrow, finalizing and launching already in-the-works strategies to benefit University alumni, faculty, and students. These new ventures, part of the new online platform LSUTigerNation.com, underscore the organization’s primary commitment – maintaining contact with and between alumni and keeping alive the traditions that are Forever LSU.
Art Director Chuck Sanchez STUN Design & Interactive
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Photography Darlene Aguillard/real life photos, April Buffington, Robert Friedman, Sean Gasser/InRegister, LSU Athletics, Chris Parent, M.C. Rollo, The Walls Project Printing Baton Rouge Printing BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Jeffrey M. “Jeff” Mohr, Chair Baton Rouge, La. Bart B. Schmolke, Chair-elect Alexandria, La. Beverly G. Shea, Immediate Past Chair New Iberia, La. Stanley L. “Stan” Williams Fort Worth, Texas
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Jack A. Andonie, Director Emeritus Metairie, La. Mario J. Garner, Spring, Texas J. Ofori Agboka, Seattle Wash. Mark Kent Anderson, Jr., Monroe, La. James G. “Jimmy” Gosslee, Shreveport, La. Leo C. Hamilton, Baton Rouge, La. Michael B. Bethea, Covington, La. R. Scott Jenkins, New Orleans, La. Karen Brack, San Diego, Calif. Matthew K. “Matt” Juneau, Baton Rouge, La. David B. Braddock, Dallas, Texas Michael J. Kantrow, Jr., New York, N.Y. Cassandra M. Chandler, West End, N.C. Kevin F. Knobloch, Baton Rouge, La. Kathryn ‘Kathy” Fives, Baton Rouge, La. Brandon Landry, Baton Rouge, La. Corey Foster, Lake Charles, La. Van P. Whitfield, Houston, Texas G. Archer Frierson, III, Shreveport, La. LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the LSU Alumni Association. Annual donations are $50, of which $6 is allocated for a subscription to LSU Alumni Magazine. The LSU Alumni Association is not liable for any loss that might be incurred by a purchaser responding to an advertisement in this magazine. Editorial and Advertising LSU Alumni Association 3838 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686 225-578-3838 • 888-RINGLSU www.lsualumni.org / jackie@lsualumni.org © 2020 by LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE, 3838 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686 Letters to the editor are encouraged. LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE reserves the right to edit all materials accepted for publication. Publication of material does not indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint by the magazine, the Association, or LSU.
Bank of America
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President and CEO
MESSAGE
“Tigers have always stood together in the face of adversity and emerged stronger than ever.”
The New Normal The coronavirus pandemic impacted everyone in one way or another, and we are still adjusting to a new way of life. Masks, gloves, sanitizing wipes, and social distancing – with X’s marking standing-in-line boundaries – are the way of the “new normal.” Handshakes, hugs, and high fives have been replaced with foot taps, elbow bumps, or a simple nod of the head. We missed “in-person” spring and summer commencements, hosting pre-game events, traveling to away games with fellow alumni and fans, and visiting with old friends at retired faculty/staff events. And, we missed each other. I take this opportunity to thank our dedicated employees, who for months have kept things running as smoothly as possible and kept us in touch with one another and with you. As quarantine eased, we settled into a “new normal” at work – essential employees, staggered schedules, Zoom meetings, and, of course, following the above-mentioned safety
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guidelines. We look forward to the day our entire team is truly together again. This issue’s cover story is a testament to the talent, resourcefulness, and dedication of your LSU Alumni Association staff. Plans for LSUTigerNation.com were underway when the quarantine went into effect in spring and launched during work-from-home efforts. This new online tool supports professional networking, job search, career building, and more by connecting generations of fellow Tigers. We hope it will help you take your next step. The pandemic forced major changes for our alumni chapters, whose main events take place in the spring and summer. The alumni staff certainly missed traveling across country to visit with hundreds of friends and to thank each and every one for their loyalty and support. Until this year, the summer and fall issues of LSU Alumni Magazine featured several pages of chapter activities, especially the popular crawfish boils, which provide good food, libations, and camaraderie while raising funds for chapter undertakings – primarily scholarships for future Tigers. Chapters have seen a significant drop in donations, and their ability to support their aspiring local students has been seriously affected. The Association was impacted also, and we are striving to find new and better ways to financially support our programs for faculty, alumni, and students. We have been serving LSU for more than a century, and we have a strong vision for the future. We need your help to reach those goals. Visit our website – lsualumni.org – to assist in these emergency efforts.
And, thank you to those of you who have already responded. I take this opportunity – and know you join me – in thanking our extraordinary team that readily and enthusiastically responded to the plight of those affected by Hurricane Laura. Their call for supplies to support relief efforts in SWLA communities was a huge success. Alumni, friends, and fans across the country donated countless items, which were distributed by staff members in mid-September. We are blessed to be able to “give back” to Louisiana in time of need. See page 12. It was with much sadness that we learned of the death of our friend and benefactor Lod Cook in September. Lod achieved phenomenal success and – remembering his experiences at LSU – used his standing and resources to make a difference at his alma mater. His hope was that his philanthropy would inspire his peers and the next generation of LSU alumni, fans, and friends to also give back to the University. Thanks to Lod Cook, LSU alumni and future alumni will chart their paths to successful lives. No one can be sure how things will play out in the future. We face many unknown challenges, but Tigers have always stood together in the face of adversity and emerged stronger than ever. In that spirit – in the spirit of Lod Cook – the LSU Alumni Association staff joins me in wishing you a safe and happy holiday season and all the best in the coming year. Forever LSU!
Gordon Monk President/CEO LSU Alumni Association AlumniLSU lsualumniassociation
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L ODW RICK MONROE COOK A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP AND LOYALTY 1928 - 2020
“I saw my role as a catalyst.”
L
OD COOK – the man behind the Lod Cook Alumni Center and The Cook Hotel – began life in small-town Louisiana. Hot water came from a kettle on a wood-burning stove, he was third in his class of five graduates of Grand Cane High School, he lived and milked cows in the “old cow barn” to earn room and board while at LSU, and he started his career as “an engineering trainee digging ditches.” From those humble roots, Lod Cook achieved phenomenal success – and remembering his remarkable experiences at LSU, he used his standing and resources to make a difference at his alma mater, in Louisiana, and around the world. Lauded for unparalleled leadership exploits and business acumen as chief executive officer of ARCO, he was thrust into the political arena and worked at arm’s reach with Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton,
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and Jimmy Carter, and working relationships with these commanders in chief grew into close friendships. Presidents Bush, Ford, and Carter were special guests at the grand opening of the alumni center in 1994, and Bush returned for the dedication of the LSU War Memorial and the dedication of the Lod & Carole Cook Hotel and Conference Center. In remarks made at the twentieth anniversary celebration of the Lod Cook Alumni Center, he recalled being asked years back by then-LSU Alumni Association President Charlie Roberts, “How does the Lod Cook Alumni Center sound?” “I had to ‘sleep on it’ – having one’s name on a building is a little daunting. But I was excited about doing something different. ARCO traditionally endowed chairs and funded scholarships in honor of outgoing chairmen. I wanted to direct funds as a lead gift for the alumni building. I never had the notion that the building was to exalt me but rather
LSU Legend Alumnus Extraordinaire 1986 Alumnus of the Year
my name might be a focal point, a leverage to attract financing. I saw my role as a catalyst. I would not have been a part of it – nor would this Association be the extraordinary organization that it is today – if one man had not asked me, “What do you think of the Lod Cook Alumni Center?” Lod Cook was a visionary. His gifts enabled the creation of structures and businesses that generate revenue to continually support LSU and its thriving community. His hope was that his philanthropy would inspire his peers and the next generation of LSU alumni, fans, and friends to also give back to the University. He was proof that success
can be had through the love of people and the love of life. Thanks to Lod Cook, LSU alumni and future alumni will chart their paths to successful lives filled with love by “influencing the middle,” as he did. An interviewer once asked Lod Cook what he’d like people to say about him when he passed from the ”great stage of life.” Cook replied: “I always kid people that on my headstone, they’d write, ‘Gee, what a guy!’” Indeed he was. See In Memoriam on page 67
THE ENTIRE LSU TIGER NATION THANKS YOU! GOD BLESS YOU. To honor Lod Cook’s legacy and ensure that future generations of alumni have a place to call home at their alma mater, please consider a gift to the Lod Cook Memorial Preservation Fund to support restoration and upkeep of the Cook Campus facilities. Contact Amy Parrino, Senior Vice President-Planned Giving, at 225.578.3835.
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LSU Alumni Association
NEWS
Chapter Events
Charlie Oliver, left, and Allison Walsh.
Mary Lee Jansen, left, and Melissa Olivier.
Caddo-Bossier Senior Send-Off – Caddo-Bossier chapter board
Incoming LSU students pick-up their LSU Bound signs.
members Karen Peace, Melissa Olivier, Charlie Olivier, Allison Walsh, and Mary Lee Jansen congratulated incoming LSU Tigers and their families at a Senior Send-Off Drive Thru at East Ridge Country Club in July. Some fifty students headed for Baton Rouge were presented LSU Bound signs, future alumni koozies, and LSU swag through their car windows to wish them well as they embarked on a new educational journey.
LSU Bound – More than 200 new Tigers picked up their LSU Bound signs during a drive-thru Senior Send-Off hosted by the LSU Alumni of Greater Baton Rouge chapter in August at The Cook Hotel.
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LSU Alumni Association News
Central Florida Golf Tourney
By Paul West
Walk-On's Bistreaux Orlando team members serve golfers great Louisiana food.
Jordan West finishing his drive on the longest drive hole.
Don Simmons bidding on auction items.
Golf tournament coordinators Orlando Torres, Paul West, Chris Gearity, Debi West, Stephanie Lopez.
The LSU Alumni of Central Florida chapter hosted twentytwo teams at the 5th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament in August at Celebration Golf Club in Kissimmee, Fla. Fountain Buick GMC Auto Mall, the main sponsor, along with the newly opened Walk-On's Bistreaux in Orlando and other loyal sponsors made the event a success. The tourney brought in more than $7,000 for the chapter’s scholarship endowment. 2019 LSU sports commerce graduate Payton Braggs.
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There was not a winner of the holein-one 2020 GMC Yukon XL Denali prize, but everyone had a great time.
Door prizes were given to all golfers and plenty of raffle and auction items helped raise additional scholarship funds. Walk-On's hosted a food tent offering beignets, crawfish etouffee, and turkey wraps, and the Steer Steakhouse served up sliders from its food tent. Both restaurants provided snacks for golfers during the event. Abita provided beer, and PepsiCo provided water and soft drinks. Box lunches were served, and prizes were awarded at the conclusion of the tournament. Next year’s event is scheduled for April 17 at Bill Frederick Park in Orlandeaux!
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LSU Alumni Association News
Snapshots
From left, Amy Parrino, Jamie Bice, James Roundtree, Brandli Greer, Frank Bernath, Renee Horton, Gaines Garrett, Sally Stiel, Jade Ethridge, John Mayleben, Tammy Abshire, and John Grubb.
Association volunteers set up shop at the Lake Charles Courthouse. Hurricane-damaged Capital One Tower is in the background.
The Andonie Sports Museum was headquarters for collecting donated relief items.
Tammy Abshire, left, and Rachel Rhodes.
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Lending a Hand after Laura – Following Hurricane Laura, the LSU Alumni Association put out a call for supplies to support relief efforts in Lake Charles, La., and other SWLA communities. The response was a huge success, with alumni, friends, and fans across the country donating countless items, which Association staffers distributed the items at the Lake Charles Courthouse in mid-September.
Olympic ‘Metals’ Still Precious to Hardin Family
Linda Hardin Caston and Billy Hardin.
Precious metals have been soaring on the stock market recently, and they are still highly valued at the Andonie Sports Museum. The Olympic medals – gold and silver – won by the late Glenn “Slats” Hardin received a visit from two of the track star’s family members in August – three-time All-American and Olympian Billy Hardin and his sister, Linda Hardin Caston.
Slats Hardin won the gold medal in the 400 meter hurdles at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He captured the silver at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics in the same event. He also won two events – the 440 yard dash and the 220 yard low hurdles to lead LSU to the 1933 NCAA track and field championship. Billy Hardin was the 1964 NCAA 400 meter hurdles champion and the 1964 U.S. Nationals 400 meter hurdles champion, and he participated in the 400 meter hurdles in the 1964 Olympic Games. The museum features a display of the medals and other artifacts of one of the few father-and-son combinations in U.S. Olympic history. Both Hardins – Glenn and son Billy – were NCAA hurdling champions for LSU and members of the U.S. Olympic team.
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LSU Alumni Association News
Your Board of Directors Getting to Know Bart Schmolke, Chair-elect
Bart Schmolke, an independent financial advisor with Financial Solutions Group in Alexandria, La., joined the board in 2017 as an atlarge member. A thirty-seven year professional in the financial industry, Bart started his career in 1983 with A.G. Edwards & Sons, and from 1988 to 2008, he served on the President’s Council with A.G. Edwards. Bart graduated from Bolton High School in 1974 then attended LSU where he earned a bachelor's degree in finance in 1978 and an MBA in 1980. Bart is active in numerous civic and professional organizations in the community. He served as a board member and held leadership positions in Kiwanis Club of Alexandria, Cenla Tiger Booster Club, Rapides Coliseum Authority, Alexandria Dixie Girls, Centre Court Lions Club, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce, and since 2003 has co-hosted “Tiger Talk” sports radio show. He is a longtime member and supporter of the Tiger Athletic Foundation and the LSU Alumni Association. Bart and his wife, Diane “DeeDee,” have two children, Brian and Brittany, and five grandchildren – Luke, Lily, Lydia, Laurel, and Madelyn.
LSU Alumni Association Chair-elect Bart Schmolke and his wife, DeeDee.
What’s your favorite thing about your career? I truly enjoy helping people reach their financial goals, particularly helping people save for a comfortable retirement or helping young adults start an investment program for later years and also help them invest for their children’s college education. It is definitely a serious responsibility, but also an honor, to have clients who trust your judgment and your sincerity for their financial well-being. What experiences had significant impacts on your life? In my professional career, I would have to say all of the really bad stock markets, for example losing approximately 25 percent in one day in October 1987, the collapse of the Internet bubble in the early 2000s, and the financial meltdown in 2008-2009. We learn a lot during difficult times, and these were truly tough for investors and their financial professionals. In my personal life, getting married and having children has to be the most significant. As all who have children know, there are no true playbooks – you learn on the go and you do the best you can, but we all have trials and tribulations with our children, particularly our teenage children. What is your most memorable accomplishment? Finding a great lady who would marry me and stay with me through all of the good and tough times. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? To be able to have some conversations with friends and family who have passed on. Just to tell them how much I miss them and thank them for being a part of my life. What was your favorite place on campus as a student? Now? As a student my favorite place was the SAE house; lots of fun was had over my years on campus. Now, I would say Tiger Stadium and Alex Box Stadium. What does it mean to you to serve your alma mater and fellow graduates through the Association? It is an honor to serve with so many outstanding people on our board and work with the Association staff. All of these people care deeply for the University, and it is heartwarming to know that there are so many that truly love LSU like I do. Right now it is a very tough time but to serve with people of such high character helps me know we will get through these times.
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LSU Alumni Association News
Letters from Our Scholars
I will be attending LSU in the fall to pursue a degree in elementary education. I have wanted to be an early childhood teacher since I was a little girl. I love to see the light bulb go off when a concept finally clicks in a child's brain. Throughout my high school career I have worked at my elementary school in the aftercare program and “nannied” in my hometown. These experiences have been very rewarding to me and have furthered my passion toward becoming a teacher. Thank you for your generous donation to the College of Human Sciences & Education. Because of your donation, I am the recipient of the Etta Obier Endowed Alumni Scholarship. Both of my parents work outside of the home, my father as a firefighter and my mother in the hospital setting. These funds will help in reducing the cost of my education. Upon graduation I plan to return to my hometown and teach in a local elementary school. Again, I want to express my gratitude; my family and I are extremely grateful for your donation. Arlen Dehon, New Orleans, La.
It is my pleasure to humbly accept the Etta Obier Endowed Alumni Scholarship. I graduated from Lusher Charter School. Growing up I was fortunate enough to attend a good school and was even more blessed when I was able to get into Lusher. This was not only a relief to me but to my mother as well, being my main support system. Lusher has opened me to many opportunities, people, and has taught me many life lessons over the years. It is also where I was able to find my perfect college and career choices. I have made so many bonds and memories with my teachers as opposed to the three other schools I had attended prior to Lusher. Being in such a welcoming, diverse environment made me realize how impactful teachers really are. Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world and can influence a child's life in all aspects not just academically. Going to different types of schools also enlightened me as to how important it is to have a solid foundation of learning because, truth be told, it starts in kindergarten. This realization, combined with my energetic attitude and love for kids prompted me to go into the early childhood education to make a difference. Important lessons and habits start all the way from the beginning, whether it be learning numbers or remembering to recycle. In looking for the right college, I was not sure where I wanted to go but knew what I wanted to study. I began looking at schools that had good programs in education, and I was happy to see LSU on the list. Initially, I was unsure – but after visiting and finding out that I would be able to assist and learn at a school near campus, my answer was clear. The LSU UREC also may have had a small impact on my decision! Thanks to your assistance, I will be able to follow my dreams and make an impact on the world through education. This scholarship award is a weight lifted from my family's shoulders as well as my own, in knowing that the burden on them will not be too heavy. Micah Allen, New Orleans, La.
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Thank you for your generous Etta Obier Endowed Alumni Scholarship award. I was ecstatic and thankful to hear that I was selected as a recipient of your award. In the College of Human Sciences & Education, I am majoring in dual certification in general/special education for grades first through fifth. My dream career is to be an elementary school teacher or administrator, and I believe Louisiana State University’s education program will prepare me to teach children efficiently based on the students’ strengths and weaknesses. The financial assistance you provided for me is already putting me in the right direction to achieve my goal. By receiving this generous scholarship award, I will be able to devote more time to my studies and motivate myself to achieve exceptional grades. Thank you again for your immense support. You have my word that I will work extremely hard as a Louisiana State University Tiger and eventually give back to my alma mater and future students. Lauren Pete, Metairie, La.
I was very pleased to learn that I was awarded the Julia Kate Gerald Endowed Alumni Scholarship. I am writing to thank you for your generous donation, which I will use toward my education this school year. I am pursuing a degree in early childhood education. Attending LSU has been a major milestone for my family, as I am a firstgeneration college student. This has truly motivated me to put in countless hours of work and dedication toward my education. Growing up, my mother and grandmother took care of children in their homes. When choosing a major, this made me realize that I had a special connection with children and that I desired to teach them. With this being said, receiving this scholarship validates all of the hard work I have put into my education. My family and I are extremely thankful and honored for your contribution towards my education. Kaylor Goodyear, New Iberia, La.
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to you for considering and appreciating my application for the generous 2020 LSU Alumni Association International Student Scholarship. I was thrilled to learn I was one of the recipients of your scholarship, and I am deeply grateful for your support. I am a Spanish doctoral student in anthropology and geography, with a minor in linguistics. For the last four years, I have been investigating the black market in antiquities from the archaeological and legal perspectives, so as to understand how the international crime in cultural heritage property works and what measures can be taken to deter it. This semester I am enrolled in my last required course, and I plan to take my general exams at the end of the year. I expect to graduate in August 2022 and continue my researching career with a postdoctoral position. By awarding me the scholarship, the financial assistance you provided lightens my educational expenses significantly and allows me to concentrate more on writing my dissertation. In addition, it greatly increases the sense of belonging to the LSU community and the honor of wearing the purple and gold colors once I graduate and go back to Europe. This scholarship is remarkable evidence of the support that international students receive from LSU and its extended organizations, such as the LSU Alumni Association. We feel welcomed, included, and appreciated. Thank you again for your generosity and support. Irene MartĂ Gil, Prairieville, La.
Six Named to Young Alumni Advisory Council Six alumni were named to the LSU Alumni Association Young Alumni Advisory Council (YAAC) in August.
Newly selected members of the sixteen-member YAAC are: Jeremy DeCuir, private wealth relationship manager, Merrill Lynch, Inglewood, Calif.; Kristen Dufauchard, associate director/communications, New York University, New York, N.Y.; Remington Freeman, associate director/student activities; Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y.; Chantelle George, founder and lead consultant, Chantelle George Consulting, New Orleans, La.; Jourdan Williams, assistant media counsel, NASCAR Media Ventures, Charlotte, N.C.; and Jack Zeringue, associate, Sidley Austin LLP, Dallas, Texas. Continuing to serve on the council are: Mark Kent Anderson, corporate sales, Mid South Extrusion, Inc., Monroe, La.; Alden Cartwright, vice president/sales and marketing, Edelberg and Associates, Baton Rouge, La.; John Lierley, channel sales manager, Verkada, Austin, Texas; Carlton Miller, attorney, FWD. us, Washington, D.C; Philip Ollendike,
risk consulting manager, Ernst & Young, Houston, Texas; Katy Stuart, account supervisor, The Marketing Arm, Dallas, Texas; Truman VanVeckhoven, financial advisor, Morgan Stanley, New Orleans, La.; Adam West, commercial banking, Progressive Bank, Shreveport, La.; Theo Williams, associate//investor relations, Cadre, New York, N.Y.; and John Woodard, development manager, Stirling Properties, New Orleans, La. The YAAC provides key insight and feedback on engagement, development, and fundraising. Through the group, members have the opportunity to reconnect with their alma mater and network with fellow alumni while working to better support young and future alumni to build increased and enhanced connection to each other and to the University. The council's overall goal is to generate ideas and initiatives that enable the Association to serve and provide value to this demographic. The council has met throughout the year via conference call due to the coronavirus pandemic. In-person meetings will resume in 2021. For more information, visit lsualumni. org/blog/young-alumni-advisory-council.
Remington Freeman
Kristen Dufauchard
Jourdan Williams
Jeremy Decuir
Jack Zeringue
Chantelle George
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CONNECTING GENERATIONS
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CONNECTING ALUMNI, FANS, FRIENDS
W
hile the coronavirus pandemic created a “new normal” working environment for much of the spring and summer, it did not prevent your Association from looking toward tomorrow, finalizing and launching already in-the-works strategies to benefit University alumni, faculty, and students. These new ventures, part of the new online platform LSUTigerNation.com, underscore the organization’s primary commitment – maintaining contact with and between alumni and keeping alive the traditions that are Forever LSU. “LSUTigerNation.com is the ‘geaux-to’ resource for LSU alumni, fans, and friends,” said Association President Gordon Monk. “It provides the resources needed to learn, grow, and thrive, while connecting generations – personally and professionally – to share insights, L S U T I G E R N AT I O N . C O M experiences, and perspectives.” PROVIDES THE The platform keeps users RESOURCES NEEDED connected to all things LSU – news T O L E A R N , G R O W, and events, fellow Tigers across AND THRIVE, WHILE the globe, and alumni chapters. CONNECTING And, it offers new, exclusive G E N E R AT I O N S – content, including a mentorship P E R S O N A L LY A N D program, as well as job search, P R O F E S S I O N A L LY – professional networking, a TO SHARE INSIGHTS, variety of virtual events, and EXPERIENCES, AND career-building opportunities. PERSPECTIVES.
LSU NEWS AND CONTENT
Find official updates from LSU Alumni Association, including LSU news, alumni spotlights, athletics news, research, Tiger Advocates, Traveling Tigers, and more, in the main feed.
CHAPTER GROUPS
Join a local chapter group and/or an affinity chapter group during the sign-up process. Read and share chapter-related content, find chapter events in your area, and engage with fellow Tigers.
JOB SEARCH BOARD
The LSUTigerNation.com job board, integrated with LSU's Handshake job board, offers a variety of open positions. The Association works directly with organizations’ HR departments – specifically, with their HR professionals who are LSU Tigers – to grow content at all levels of experience and across all industries. Users are encouraged to post information about open positions in their organizations that provide good opportunities for fellow Tigers.
MENTORING
Mentoring via LSUTigerNation.com is an extremely valuable tool and an excellent way to “give back” by supporting and advising a fellow Tiger. The Association provides helpful resources to guide you along the way and provide best practices on how to build a mutually beneficial mentor-mentee relationship.
PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING & DIRECTORY
Forming professional relationships on LSUTigerNation.com is a great way for Tigers to expand their networks and find help during career transitions. It can be used to find alumni in similar industries, connect with old classmates, and create "online" relationships at virtual events and official in-person chapter events such as happy hours, crawfish boils, LSU Football watch parties, and golf tournaments.
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LSU ALUMNI FOUNDING MENTOR PROGRAM The LSU Alumni Mentor Program provides opportunities for alumni and friends to “give back” to the University as advisers to those just launching their careers or seeking advice on their career journeys. Any active member on the platform has the opportunity to establish mentor-mentee relationships. LSUTigerNation.com even does the heavy lifting - using profile attributes to suggest good matches based on professional goals. LSU Alumni Association named nine LSU Alumni Founding Mentors who represent years of experience in a variety of areas and industries – some work in the public sector, some are entrepreneurs, some represent global organizations such as Nike, Google, and Amazon. These experts are sharing their successes, failures, and advice through monthly virtual "Tiger Talks" so that the entire LSU Tiger Nation community can benefit from their knowledge. Read more about each of them below.
J. Ofori Agboka, of Seattle, Wash., is vice president of
global customer fulfillment at Amazon and previously served as executive director of human resources global corporate staffs at General Motors. He began his career as an intern at GM in 1996 and advanced in leadership positions in manufacturing, labor relations, and human resources across the globe. Previously, Ofori was executive director of human resources for North America, the Middle East, and North Africa. He also served as executive champion of GM’s African Ancestry Network – Employee Resource Group, and was actively involved in fundraising and community service for the UNCF, American Cancer Society, Detroit’s NEYIC Adopt-A-Child, and various mentoring programs. He has been recognized by Savoy Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America and was the recipient of Automotive News’ 2017 Rising Star award. Ofori holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from LSU and completed the GM Transformational Leadership Program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He is an at-large member of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Cassandra “Cassi” Chandler, of West End, N.C., is CEO
and managing partner of Vigeo Alliance, a leadership and talent risk assessment and skills training firm, an adjunct professor at Pace University in New York, and head of Chandler Consulting Group. She has enjoyed a distinguished career as an innovative strategist identifying and addressing emerging cyber and fraud risks in the banking industry and as a senior executive within U.S. government services and the financial services industry. Chandler has served as a leader and advisor on the global diversity and inclusion boards of one of the world’s top multi-national banks and at LSU, and she currently serves as an independent federal monitor with the New York Police Department. She retired as senior vice president for business operations and senior global investigative services executive at Bank of America, which she joined after retiring from the FBI with twenty-three years of service as assistant director, U.S. Senior Executive Service. She also served as an attorney in the Office of Legal Counsel and Special Agent in Charge of the Norfolk Field Office. Chandler earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and English from LSU and a juris doctorate from Loyola University in New Orleans. She serves on the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors as an at-large member.
20 LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
Andrew Dunckelman, of
Washington, D.C., leads the education and economic opportunity team at Google’s philanthropy, Google.org, heading up philanthropic investments in computer science education, digital skills, and the future of work. Previously, he led Google’s grant making in its international markets. Prior to Google, he worked at The Bridgespan Group in Boston, a strategy consultancy for the social sector spun out of Bain & Company. Dunckelman earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from LSU, graduating Phi Beta Kappa; an MPA in nonprofit management from Indiana University, where he serves on the Distinguished Alumni Council; and an MBA with distinction, from Harvard Business School. He has been a featured speaker numerous times, including at the SXSW EDU Conference and Festival in 2019.
K. Renee Horton,
Space Launch System quality engineer at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La., worked as a student and started her career as a mechanical test engineer at the agency. In 2016, she was elected president of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) – the second woman to hold the office. She has served the physics community abroad as a member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics Women in Physics Working Group and currently serves on several advisory boards dedicated to a diverse inclusion in physics. In 2017, she was elevated to a Fellow in the NSBP, the highest honor bestowed upon a member. Horton has spoken to audiences across the world and was an invited speaker for the first International Women and Girls Day at the United Nations, the Essence Power Stage, the March for ScienceNew Orleans, and an LSU College
of Engineering commencement ceremony. She is the author of Dr. H Explores the Universe, Dr. H and her Friends, and Dr. H Explores the ABCs. Horton earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from LSU and a doctoral degree in material science from the University of Alabama, the first African American to graduate from the university in this field of study.
Michel Kantrow,
of New York City, is the founder, CEO, and managing partner of Makeable, The Innovation Company. Makeable works with clients, businesses, and organizations across the intersection of strategy, design, and technology to make and take new products, services, businesses and brands to market. With twentyplus years of experience working with Fortune 500 and venturebacked companies industries, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the company’s clients, partners, and teams, among them, American Express, AnheuserBusch/In-Bev, City Harvest, Kimberly-Clark, MTV, Nickelodeon, the NY Knicks, Priceline, Sephora, and TNT. The Webby, Fast Company, Mashable, PSFK, New York Times, Entrepreneur, Esquire, Communications Arts, and the Cannes Advertising Festival have recognized his work. Outside of the office Kantrow pursues involvement and leadership in the innovation, creative, and technology industries at large, serving as an executive member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, judge of the Effies, and as an investor/board member/ advisor in a variety of startups. He is a leader, advocate and supporter of the arts – as a board member of Performa, board member/vice president of the National Arts Club, and an advisor to the Kitchen and
to emerging artists. Kantrow earned a bachelor's degree in English from LSU and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a member of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Bhrett McCabe is a sports psychologist and founder of
The MindSide, a performance consulting organization in Birmingham, Ala. He works with professional, amateur, and collegiate athletes, focusing on mental strength and keys to success, and is a resource for golfers on the PGA, Web.com, and LPGA tours and recognized by coaches, publications, and training organizations. He has provided main-stage presentations for the National PGA Teaching and Coaching Summit, speaks regularly for the Titleist Performance Institute, and provides content for Golf Magazine. As the sports and performance psychologist for the University of Alabama Athletic Department, McCabe works with coaches and athletes to overcome struggles of performance and manage the psychological burden of athletic injuries. Numerous collegiate programs across the country, among them Florida State University, Samford University, Missouri State, and Texas State use him for consulting services. The author of The MindSide Manifesto: The Urgency to Create a Competitive Mindset and The Game Plan, he also hosts the weekly Secrets to Winning podcast. McCabe holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in psychology from LSU and completed his psychology internship at the Clinical Psychology Training Consortium, Warren Alpert Brown Medical School, in Providence, R.I. As an LSU undergraduate, he was a four-year letterman on the baseball team and a member of two National Championship teams, three SEC championship teams, and three College World Series teams.
Tanya Morning, of Beaverton, Ore., is senior director of
employee relations at Nike, leading innovative employeerelations strategies to provide support and solutions globally. A Nike employee since 2017, she worked a stint in the Netherlands, leading an employee relations team that supported stores, corporate offices, and distribution centers across twenty-seven countries in Europe, South Africa, and United Arab Emirates. She previously held corporate human resources positions “TIGER TALK: CAREERS IN CORPORATE with Lowe’s, Target, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY and Harrah’s Casino.
L S U A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N P R E S E N T S FEATURING ANDREW DUNCKELMAN”
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VIRTUAL SERIES
The Adulting 101 Virtual Webinar Series – lsualumni.org/blog/adulting101 – features LSU alumni sharing life skills helpful to new graduates transitioning into the “real world.” There has been two releases with topics including budgeting, public speaking, leadership development, time management, buying a first home, meal prep, and more.
BASIC INVESTING, SAVING, & DEBT BUYING YOUR FIRST HOME COVER LETTER & RESUME WRITING INSURANCE BASICS MEAL PREP MENTAL WELL-BEING PHYSICAL WELL-BEING PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING PUBLIC SPEAKING
RECENT VIRTUAL EVENTS
Morning earned a bachelor's degree in business with a concentration in human resources management from LSU and a MBA from the University of Phoenix.
Melissa Valiquette is a vice president with The Walt
Disney Company. She is the leader responsible for EPCOT®, one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, the world’s premier family vacation destination. Since joining Walt Disney World Resort in 1995, Melissa has held a variety of roles across multiple lines of business, including guest relations, costuming, entertainment and park operations. Early in her career, Melissa had the honor of serving as one of the resort’s Walt Disney World Ambassadors during its 25th anniversary in 1997. In that role, Melissa represented the cast members of the Walt Disney World Resort, serving as a goodwill emissary to the world—and traveling alongside Mickey Mouse. Melissa has held executive leadership roles in entertainment and park operations at both EPCOT and Magic Kingdom Park. She was also part of the 2005 opening team for Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Disney’s first theme park in China. In June 2015, Melissa was named vice president of EPCOT, where she leads a team of more than 8,000 cast members at the park. In this role, she oversees the park’s operations, signature festivals, future park development and is responsible for EPCOT’s world-class guest service. Melissa proudly upholds the legacy of The Walt Disney Company, serving as a steward of the renowned Disney heritage and the international spirit of EPCOT. She graduated from Louisiana State University and resides in central Florida with her family.
Theo Williams is a supervisory special agent with the
FBI, currently assigned to the Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit at the FBI Houston Division. An eleven-year veteran with the FBI, he has served as a relief supervisor and was the Child Exploitation Task, Force Coordinator; was assigned to the Safe Streets Task Force in El Paso, Texas; investigated major gangs and drug trafficking; and provided training to non-government organizations and local, state, federal, and foreign law enforcement agencies. He has received the FBI Medal of Excellence Award and Free the Captives Excellence Award for fighting teenage human trafficking, as well as FBI incentive awards. Prior to his FBI service, Williams was an aerospace engineer for ILC Dover at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and he served in the U.S. Air Force. Williams was a four-year letterman for the LSU Tigers and earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies. All alumni have the opportunity to create a free user profile on LSUTigerNation.com. Full access including job search, the mentoring program, and chapters is included as a benefit of alumni association membership. Take advantage of this great resource - visit LSUTigerNation.com today to create your user profile and start networking with fellow Tigers. The easiest way to get your profile uploaded with your current professional details is to connect using your LinkedIn login. We can't wait to connect with you on LSUTigerNation.com soon. Mignon Kastanos is director of marketing and communications and Emily Johnson is the marketing assistant at the LSU Alumni Association.
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How a centuries-old kinesiology class challenges highachieving students to discover whether they’re ready for a future in high-tech medicine.
BY ADRIAN HIRSCH
24 LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
By the time they get to college, really smart kids are used to knowing all the answers. Whether they rely on an app, all night study sessions, or a photographic memory, they can master material to excel on just about any test. They make Scantrons sing. They ace the MCAT and get into their choice of post-graduate program. The problem is: Medicine is about more than parroting back textbook answers. Success depends on a different kind of skill. It takes the ability to apply knowledge, navigate through uncertainty, make tough decisions quickly, and take action – and, that requires a giant leap from the world of science into the art of medicine. Many students don’t discover whether they thrive in that environment until they’ve invested time and money to enter a medical graduate school. But, the School of Kinesiology has one of the few programs that allow students to experience that transition as undergraduates. Since 2007, prosection and dissection classes have taught undergraduates how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and use the scientific method to explore the unknown.
WHERE
THE SCIENCE OF ANATOMY MEETS THE ART OF MEDICINE
After observing an anatomist dissect a cadaver in prosection class, kinesiology students perform dissection themselves in dissection class.
OUR BODIES ARE GOING TO HANDLE THE ILLNESS AND RECOVERY DIFFERENTLY. UNDERSTANDING THAT UNIQUENESS IS IMPORTANT; BUT, IT’S REALLY HARD."
Melissa Thompson, assistant professor of professional practice.
NO COURSE LIKE IT ON CAMPUS During prosection, students observe an anatomist dissecting a cadaver. In dissection class, students perform dissection themselves. “There’s no course like it on campus,” said Dennis Landin, professor of kinesiology, one of the cadaver lab’s founders and chair of the LSU Institutional Review Board. Before they can apply for the two advanced courses, undergraduates must excel in introductory anatomy classes. Even with that preparation, “From the minute the class starts, they’re amazed at the complexity of human body,” Landin said, “the way it’s wonderfully and fearfully made.”
TEACHING THE ART OF SCIENCE While they appear distinct in a colorcoded atlas, structures in the body can be difficult to identify. So, “The biggest challenge is helping the students to change their mindset,” said Melissa Thompson, assistant professor of professional practice. “The highachieving students don’t like the fact we don’t always have concrete answers,” Thompson said.
Ryan Pontiff, center coordinator of clinical education at Concentra Houston.
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Dennis Landin, professor of kinesiology.
That ambiguity mirrors the reality of medical practice. For example, a battery of tests may not result in a clear diagnosis. And, patients with an illness or injury rarely present with identical symptoms. “Our bodies are going to handle the illness and recovery differently,” Thompson explained. “Understanding that uniqueness is important; but, it’s really hard.” That lesson has not been lost on students like 2020 graduate Maritza Martinez, who plans to attend medical school. “My ninety-year-old patient’s body will look different than a thirtyyear-old’s,” she said “You learn to treat someone based upon a range of factors because everyone is different.”
AN AMAZING ADVANTAGE While there are good virtual anatomy programs, “Dissection is the epitome of anatomy—the absolute peak,” said Landin. “Nothing compares to it.” Even though she grew up in the digital age, Martinez agrees. “The world is so technology based; but, the best learning comes from doing it yourself,” she said. “There’s no better tangible experience than holding a
Maritza Martinez, a 2020 graduate, plans to attend medical school.
HONORING THE LEGACY OF
DR. MONROE J. RATHBONE JR. AND BARBARA F. RATHBONE
brain, a heart, or a lung with COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] in your hands – it helps you see things differently.” These days, it’s not only medical schools that use cadavers in teaching. Medical, dental, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician’s assistant, nursing, and other programs routinely require dissection and advanced anatomy. While attending LSU from 2006 to 2011, Ryan Pontiff took advanced anatomy and worked as a teacher’s assistant in the anatomy lab. After graduation, he entered Texas Women’s University’s School of Physical Therapy. “There were eight LSU grads in that class, which was unusual,” said Pontiff, who is now the center coordinator of clinical education at Concentra Houston. “Those who had cadaver lab had an easier time in the difficult gross anatomy class than others.”
A GENEROUS GIFT Since the class started in 2007, LSU’s prosection and dissection classes have been conducted at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Thanks to a $1 million gift from the Rathbone family, an expanded state-of-the-art lab will be a part of the renovated Huey P. Long Field House and accommodate more students. “Having this hands-on experience with cadaver dissection is a huge advantage for anyone going into the medical field,” Martinez said. “And, what is college really for? To prepare us for our next step in life.” Adrian Hirsch works with the LSU College of Human Sciences and Education.
WHEN THE RENOVATED HUEY P. LONG
Field House opens, the Dr. Monroe J. Rathbone, Jr., and Mrs. Barbara F. Rathbone Cadaver Lab will provide the state's future doctors, nurses, researchers, and medical professionals with unprecedented access to the pinnacle of anatomy classes. With a generous $1 million gift from the Rathbone family, the college will relocate the lab from the School of Veterinary Medicine to the heart of the LSU campus and expand DR. MONROE J. RATHBONE, JR. its capacity to offer state-of-the-art anatomy instruction. Naming this particular lab to honor the lives of cherished grandparents may seem a little peculiar. But, it makes complete sense to one of the family's youngest members, Brittney Rathbone. "I love [this gift] because of the connection," she explains. "My grandfather was a surgeon here, and my uncle and two cousins' husbands all practice in Baton Rouge." An LSU kinesiology major, Brittney Rathbone graduated from LSU School of Nursing in 2019 BARBARA FAURES RATHBONE and works as cardiac ICU nurse in New Orleans. "Understanding the body and how it works gives me such as an advantage as a nurse," she continues. "I literally cannot imagine not having [the cadaver lab] experience. It's amazing that LSU offers top students that experience as undergraduates in the kinesiology department." Even beyond the lab itself, "the Huey P. Long Field House is very special to our family," Brittney continues. "Both of my grandparents were very involved in LSU fraternities and sororities. The Field House had dances and was the center of student activity on the campus. So, they probably spent countless days and nights there." Barbara Faures Rathbone and her husband, Monroe J. Rathbone Jr., were high school sweethearts, and both attended and graduated from LSU. Barbara graduated the College of Arts & Sciences in 1946. After completing his undergraduate work on the main campus, Monroe J. Rathbone, Jr., graduated from the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans in 1949. A renowned general surgeon, Dr. Rathbone cofounded and served as chairman of the board of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center for twenty-seven years. He also served as medical director of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center for twelve years. The elder Rathbones distinguished themselves as community leaders as well as tireless volunteers. They were committed to making Baton Rouge and LSU a place for families to grow and prosper. Tragically, Barbara and Dr. Monroe J. Rathbone Jr. died together in an automobile accident in Virginia in 1998. Over the years, friends and family have honored their memory with philanthropic gifts to MBP/OLOL's Rathbone Society, the LSU Foundation, College of Music & Dramatic Arts, and the LSU Alumni Association, among other organizations.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
27
Around
CAMPUS
Noteworthy Mark Batzer, a Boyd Professor and the Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite Distinguished Professor of biological sciencs, was among thirty-eight academic inventors named to the National Academy of Inventors. Batzer, along with former graduate student Dale Hedges and current staff scientist Jerilyn Walker, holds multiple patents in forensic DNA analyses that have been commercialized. In addition, he and his research group have published more than 290 original research articles, including many with undergraduate, graduate student, and postdoctoral coauthors.
Mark Batzer
Nichole Bauer
Kevin Benham
Stephania Cormier
Willis Delony
Zhiqiang Deng
Tammy Dugas
Nichole Bauer, assistant professor of political communication, Manship School of Mass Communication and Department of Political Science, was awarded more than $100,000 in a three-year grant by the Louisiana Board of Regents to support her research examining citizens’ responses to female-dominated political institutions and political leadership. The grant will fund her project entitled “Feminizing Political Institutions: Does Increasing the Number of Women in Politics Change How Citizens Stereotype Political Institutions?” Kevin Benham, the Jon Emerson/Wayne Womack Design Professor and assistant professor of landscape architecture, was awarded a Rome Prize 2020-2021 fellowship to advance his research on transhumance. The fellowships, presented by the American Academy in Rome, support advanced independent work and research in the arts and humanities. This year, fellowships were awarded to twenty-two American and two Italian artists and scholars. Stephania Cormier, the Werner Chair Professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and Rebecca Christofferson, assistant professor of pathobiological sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine, developed a saliva-based test to help track COVID-19 in K-12 school children and teachers in Baton Rouge. The initiative received mention during congressional hearings when Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services Admiral Brett Giroir testified that such programs are part of the robust surveillance system needed to track COVID-19. Willis Delony, a Boyd Professor and the Virginia Martin Howard Professor of Piano & Jazz Studies, was named LSU’s honoree for the 2020 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award. Delony is one of the nation’s leading classical and jazz crossover artists, with a performance career spanning more than four decades. The individuals selected for the Faculty Achievement Award represent the best academics throughout the SEC and become his or her university's nominee for the SEC Professor of the Year Award. Zhiqiang Deng, professor of civil and environmental engineering, was awarded a $750,000 award from NASA and a $750,000 matching grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents for his project Satellite-Assisted Forecasting Environment for Improving Oyster Safety (SAFE Oyster). It was selected for the federal award by the NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Program Office. Deng proposes using innovative NASA satellite-based information products to enhance the forecasting of norovirus and vibrio risks of oysters harvested along Louisiana and other Gulf Coast areas. Tammy Dugas, professor of comparative biomedical sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine, was named head of the department's biomedical research program and advanced degrees. Dugas joined the faculty in 2014.
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Judith Anne Garretson Folse, professor of marketing, coauthored an article accepted for publication by the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. "The Interplay Between Business and Personal Trust on Relationship Performance in Conditions of Market Turbulence" discusses how businesses need to engage with customers during times of turbulence. The focus of this article is on both business and personal trust and the value of its combination, based on firm data. Mara Gibson, associate professor of composition in the School of Music, will pursue a unique music composition project for bassoon and orchestra inspired by the lithographs of M.C. Escher. She was awarded a $32,300 grant from the Awards to Louisiana Artists and Scholars (ATLAS) program of the Louisiana Board of Regents, to fund the project titled, “Escher Keys,” which will explore the interactive possibilities between the bassoon, an instrument lacking in repertoire, and the orchestra, investigating the ideas of negative and positive space. Cassandra Glaspie and Michael Polito, assistant professors of oceanography and coastal sciences, are among twenty U.S. faculty selected for the Early-Career Research Fellowships. Now in its sixth year, the fellowship is awarded to emerging scientific leaders who are prepared to work at the intersections of environmental health, community health and resilience, and offshore energy system safety in the Gulf of Mexico and other U.S. coastal regions.
Judith Anne Garretson Folse Mara Gibson
Cassandra Glaspie
Michael Polito
Jenifer Godfrey
Gabriela González
Michael Henderson
Martin Johnson
Nancy Isenberg
Sigrid Kelsey
Jenifer Godfrey was promoted to assistant dean of admissions and recruitment at the School of Veterinary Medicine. Godfrey joined the school in 2017 as director of admissions and enrollment. In addition to overseeing admissions, she teaches a course on ethics and jurisprudence. Gabriela González, Boyd Professor of physics, was elected as a general councilor of the American Physical Society for 2021. The council oversees all activities of the society including publications, scientific meetings, membership, prizes and awards, and educational activities. The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $138,613 to Manship School of Mass Communication researchers Michael Henderson, director of the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, and the late Martin Johnson, Kevin P. Reilly, Sr. Chair in Political Communication and dean of the Manship School of Mass Communication were awarded $138,613 by the National Science Foundation to further research on social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana. The NSF Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant will their study, "Pandemic Anxiety, Recovery, and Inequality: Evaluating Institutions and Policy in a Coronavirus Hotspot.” Nancy Isenberg, the T. Harry Williams Professor of American History, had her biography of Aaron Burr cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in a landmark ruling over presidential immunity from criminal proceedings. Isenberg penned the prizewinning biography, Falling Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr, in 2007. Sigrid Kelsey, LSU Libraries, was named to the editorial board of Library Diversity and Residency Studies, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles on the social justice project of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the library profession and curricula. Kelsey led the implementation of LSU Libraries Diversity Residency Program and has administered it since its implementation in 2018.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
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Around Campus
Noteworthy Jonathan Levesque, IT manager and building coordinator at the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes (CCACSA), is serving as the fortieth president of the LSU Staff Senate. Levesque joined CCACSA in 2012, after serving as the technology coordinator at Redemptorist High School. He also worked for several technology companies after serving in the U.S. Navy on the USS Pittsburgh.
Jonathan Levesque
Lori Martin
Kevin Nickelberry
Jun-Hong Liang
Nikki Fargus
Patricia Persaud
Jun-Hong Liang, associate professor in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences received a five-year National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (NSF CAREER), which recognizes junior faculty who “have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.” The award will support his research into how ocean bubbles play an important role in upper ocean dynamics and in air-sea gas exchange and will enrich the curriculum in physical oceanography and outreach activities at LSU and in local communities. Lori Martin, professor of African & African American Studies; Nikki Fargus, women’s basketball coach; and Kevin Nickelberry, men’s basketball assistant coach are among the notable African Americans who have formed a new nonprofit organization, the Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS), with a mission to connect and inspire people to boldly advocate for racial, social, and economic justice for Blacks in sports. Officially launched in September, ABIS works to foster a culture of equity and inclusion in all aspects of sports. Visit www.weareabis.org. Patricia Persaud, assistant professor of geology and geophysics, was named a 2020–2021 fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, joining an impressive class whose work will span the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts. As the Edward, Frances, and Shirley B. Daniels Fellow, Persaud will pursue an individual project in a community dedicated to exploration and inquiry. Her research focuses on identifying the risk of humaninduced earthquakes in Louisiana. Photo: April Buffington
Cyntha Peterson, dean of the College of Science, was elected to the board of directors of the Environment and Health Council of Louisiana. Cyntha Peterson
James H. Spencer
Dandina Rao
Mingxuan Sun
Dandina Rao, professor of petroleum engineering, was named editor-in-chief of Petroleum Science and Technology, an international journal that publishes original, high-quality, peer-reviewed research and review articles that explore various aspects of the petroleum industry. James H. Spencer was appointed vice provost and dean for the LSU Graduate School, effective Aug. 3. He was also appointed a professor in the School of Architecture. He was most recently a professor of city and regional planning and associate dean of the College of Architecture, Arts & Humanities at Clemson University, as well as Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East West Center in Hawaii. Spencer holds a bachelor of arts degree from Amherst College, a master's degree in environmental management from Yale University, and a doctorate in urban planning from UCLA. Mingxuan Sun, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, received the NSF CAREER Award for her “Privacy-aware Predictive Modeling of Dynamic Human Events,” project, which is supported by the NSF Information & Intelligent Systems Division. The $422,815 grant runs from June 2020 to May 2025. Sun is expected to develop a series of novel models and algorithms to analyze dynamic human events.
30 LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
TIGER TRIVIA 1. Who was named Most Valuable Player in LSU’s first BCS National Championship in 2003? Matt Flynn Justin Vincent Anthony “Booger” McFarland JaMarcus Russell 2. When was Paul Dietzel’s first season as football coach? 1955 1958 1966 1980 Graça Vicente
Tyrslai Williams-Carter
3. What was the first fraternity to be established at LSU? Zeta Beta Tau Sigma Chi Tau Kappa Epsilon Kappa Alpha 4. When could LSU students first participate in Navy ROTC? 1860 1916 1971 1989 5. Who was the first Black professor to teach at LSU? Julian White Huel Perkins Kirt Bennett A.P. Tureaud, Jr.
Gretchen Schneider
An LSU team received the University’s first – and Louisiana’s second – MARC award from the National Institutes of Health to boost diversity in biomedical research. Craig Wooley The Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) T34 program for juniors and seniors interested in pursuing advanced degrees in biomedical or behavioral sciences. Graça Vicente, the Charles H. Barré Distinguished Professor of chemistry and IMSD program director, is principal investigator (PI). Co-PIs are Tyrslai Williams-Carter, director of research, education, and outreach programs in the Office of Strategic Initiatives, and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Isiah Warner, Boyd Professor and the Phillip W. West Professor of surface and analytical chemistry. Gretchen Schneider, manager of public relations and community outreach in the Department of Chemistry, is program manager. Craig Wooley was named LSU’s chief information officer (CIO) in August. He was most recently CIO at Wright State University and previously served as the assistant vice president for information technology at the University of South Florida (USF). He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology and a master’s in instructional technology from USF.
6. Which LSU professors conducted Louisiana’s first complete geological and topographical survey? Henry Howe and Samuel Lockett and Richard Russell Frederick Hopkins Fred Kniffen and Sam Wilson Thomas Boyd and David Boyd 7. What was the title of the study in question 6? Louisiana, Its Land and People Louisiana, This One’s for You A Louisiana Journal Louisiana As It Is 8. Which dormitory was named for an LSU alumna killed in 1944 while saving other Marines from a burning building? Joan Miller Hall Grace King Hall Germaine Laville Hall Lizzie McVoy Hall 9. What were the campus radio station’s call letters before they became KLSU? WPRG WLSU KFGC All of the above 10. What was LSU’s first student-published literary magazine? Delta Southern Review Pell Mell Whangdoodle 11. How was construction of the Memorial Tower paid? Taxpayer funding A combination of a fundraising program led by the American Legion and an appropriation from the Louisiana Legislature An appropriation from LSU president Thomas Boyd wrote Congress a personal check to cover the expenses 12. With which other university did LSU discuss a proposed merger in 1971? Southeastern Louisiana University of Southwestern University Louisiana Southern University SOWELA Technical Community College Tiger Trivia is compiled by Barry Cowan, assistant archivist, Hill Memorial Library. Answers: 1:b; 2:a; 3:d; 4:c; 5:a; 6:b; 7:d; 8:c; 9:d; 10:a; 11:b; 12:c
Isiah Warner
LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
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Around Campus
Noteworthy LSU Press received a Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). "A Humanities Mission Endangered: Sustaining LSU Press" will provide support for day-to-day operations in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. LSU Press was one of 317 successful applicants chosen from among more than 2,300 applications. The LSU Libraries T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History received $10,000 in emergency relief from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) as a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to fund a graduate assistantship for the 2020-2021 academic year. LSU received the 2020 Sustainability Innovation Award from the Association of Physical Plant Administrators. The award recognizes and promotes “unique and innovative sustainable practices in the educational facilities and campus environments, ultimately embedding them within the educational institution.” LSU has licensed access to a vast library of bioremediation microbes to the national environmental services firm Cameron-Cole. The library was developed by Environmental Sciences Professor Emeritus Ralph Portier over almost forty years as he and LSU helped private companies as well as local, state, and national government organizations mitigate a wide range of environmental hazards in the U.S. and across the globe. LSU received the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity, or HEED, Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. This is eighth year LSU has been named as a HEED Award recipient. In U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 edition of Best Colleges, LSU is ranked in the top tier for Best National Universities for the thirteenth straight year, and the undergraduate petroleum engineering program ranks second overall. The University is ranked thirty-sixth among flagship universities nationwide – ahead of other flagships such as West Virginia University, University of Rhode Island and the University of Nevada – and seventy-first among public universities – ahead of public peers such as Kansas State University and Oklahoma State University. LSU remains as the highest ranked public university in Louisiana, and in the SEC, LSU ranks ahead of the University of Arkansas, University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University.
32 LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
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Around Campus
In Focus
Jason Doré, president of the Star & Crescent Foundation.
The Star & Crescent Foundation, the nonprofit foundation established by Kappa Sigma Fraternity at LSU, awarded more than $160,000 in scholarships to 141 LSU students in financial need this fall, including thirty-one students from Baton Rouge.
"We're honored to award a record number of deserving students with scholarships this year and are immensely proud to continue supporting excellence within the LSU education system," said Jason Doré, foundation president. "All of these young men and women are outstanding examples of what it means to be an LSU Tiger, and we're proud to invest in their futures." Hailing from more than forty cities across ten states, the winners – both full- and part-time students enrolled in LSU’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs this fall - received scholarships in amounts ranging from $500 to $3,000.
Four Named to LSU Board of Supervisors Governor John Bel Edwards named four new members to the LSU Board of Supervisors in July.
Collis B. Temple, Jr.
Patrick C. Morrow, Sr.
Raymond R. “Randy” Morris
Richard Zuschlag
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Joining the board are Collis B. Temple, Jr. of Baton Rouge, chief executive officer, Harmony Center, 6th Congressional District; Patrick C. Morrow, Sr., of Opelousas, La., founding partner Morrow, Morrow, Ryan, Bassett & Haik, 5th
Congressional District; Raymond R. “Randy” Morris, of Monroe, La., founder, West Carroll Health Systems, 5th Congressional District; and Richard Zuschlag, of Lafayette, La., president of Acadian Ambulance Service, member-at-large. The new members replace Blake Chatelain, James Moore, Stephen Perry, and Bobby Yarborough, whose terms expired June 1.
Building Name Evaluation Committee As part of ongoing efforts to cultivate a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse campus community that is welcoming to all, Interim President Thomas Galligan named sixteen individuals to the newly formed Building Name Evaluation Committee. The faculty, staff, students, and alumni serving on the committee are: • Verge Ausberry (staff) - LSU Athletics Executive Deputy Athletic Director/Executive Director of External Relations • DeMetris Causer (student) - Black Law Students Association Member • Stone Cox (student) - LSU Student Government President, Board of Supervisors Member • Jason Droddy (staff) - Associate Vice President, LSU Board of Supervisors • Katrina Dunn (alumna) - LSU National Diversity Advisory Board, President of the A.P. Tureaud, Sr. Black Alumni Chapter, Practice Administrator, Coowner, Auburn Urogynecology and Women’s Health • Theresa Gallion (alumna) - LSU Foundation National Board member, TAF Board of Directors, Partner at Cornell Smith Mierl Brutocao Burton, LLP • Tina M. Harris (faculty) - Douglas L. Manship, Sr.-Dori Maynard Endowed Chair of Race, Media, and Cultural Literacy, Manship School of Mass Communication • Tyler Hunt (student) - Black Women’s Empowerment Initiative Scholar
• Dawn Jenkins (staff) - College of Science Director of Communications • Trey Jones (staff, ex-officio member) Deputy General Counsel • Jonathan Levesque (staff) - IT Manager and Building Coordinator, LSU Staff Senate President • Mandi Lopez (faculty) — Director Laboratory for Equine and Comparative Orthopedic Research, LSU Faculty Senate President • Theda Daniels-Race (faculty) - Michel B. Voorhies Distinguished Professor • Dereck Rovaris (staff) - Vice Provost for Diversity • James Stoner (professor) - Hermann Moyse, Jr. Professor of Political Science • Devin Woodson (student) - Black Male Leadership Initiative Co-chair Any committee recommendation to remove a building name will be evaluated first by the existing Naming Committee, followed by Executive Vice President and Provost Stacia Haynie, Interim President Galligan, the Board Academics Committee, and the LSU Board of Supervisors. The committee is part of a broader effort to eliminate racism on campus and create a living and learning environment that not only embraces individual difference but also thrives because of it. At the Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity Leadership Retreat in July nine committees were created to bring the action items outlined in the Diversity & Inclusion Roadmap 2020-2022 to fruition in a timely manner.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
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Around Campus
Unity Rally
Photos: Chris Parent/LSU Athletics
LSU and Southern University students, student-athletes, coaches, and staff at the “Enough is Enough: Rally for Unity.”
LSU and Southern University students, student-athletes, coaches, and staff gathered at Free Speech Alley on June 12 for the “Enough is Enough: Rally for Unity.” Both schools coordinated the event, which allowed participants to share their respective experiences at the predominantly white university and the historically black university.
"What's happening right now in our lifetime is we are witnessing the demand of social change and equal justice in the wake of the death of George Floyd," said Nikki Fargas, LSU women’s basketball coach. "We are seeing how communities from all over the world are demonstrating their support to condemn all racism. Through our platforms, we always want to strive to promote a culture where racism and inequality are not tolerated. It's about hearing and engaging, and being diligent in our efforts. As a community we can be the change, we will be the change."
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LSU Fall Enrollment, Retention Rates at an All-Time High For the third-straight year, LSU has broken the record for the largest and most diverse freshman class in University history. This year’s 6,690 freshmen enrolled surpasses last year’s record of 6,126 freshmen. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, overall enrollment at LSU is at an all-time high of 34,290, and the University also saw high marks for retention and graduation rates.
With a record-breaking 6,690 full-time freshman enrolled, diversity of the class is also at an all-time high. The freshman class is made up of 16.8 percent Black students, topping the 15.8 percent of Black students in the 2018 class. Hispanic students in the freshman class is also a record high of 9.1 percent for the 2020, exceeding the 8.1 percent in the 2019 class. Students who identify as either American Indian, Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian, Hispanic, and two or more races make up more than 30 percent of the total freshman class this year. In the last ten years, LSU has seen overall enrollment of Black students increase 87 percent to 5,028 and Hispanic student enrollment increase 130 percent to 2,490. With the growth of the freshman class, the quality of student entering LSU has not wavered. The GPA for the freshman class is an all-time high close to 3.5, and the ACT has remained steady when compared to previous classes at over 25. The Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College is seeing record-breaking numbers as well, with freshman enrollment exceeding 800 students for the first time in the college’s history. The freshman honors class also has an average ACT of 32 and average GPA of 3.81 – both new records as well. LSU continues to retain students at record rates. First-tosecond-year retention is at a record high of 85.8 percent, while first-to-third-year retention is also up from last year to 74.8 percent. LSU is also seeing high marks in baccalaureate graduation rates. The six-year baccalaureate graduation rate (not including students who successfully complete a transfer preparatory program such as pre-nursing and pre-allied health) for freshman entering LSU in 2014 is 65.7 percent, the second highest in LSU history. In addition, the five-year baccalaureate rate for freshman entering in 2015 is 61.9 percent, the second highest five-year rate in LSU history. Records broken by the 2020 LSU student body: Total enrollment of 34,290; freshman enrollment of 6,690; Black freshman enrollment of 16.8 percent; Hispanic freshman enrollment of 9.1 percent; GPA for the freshman class of 3.4; Ogden Honors College exceeds 800 new freshman for the first time ever; Ogden Honors College freshman average ACT of 32 and GPA of 3.81; first-to-second-year retention of 85.8 percent; first-to-third-year retention of 74.8 percent. Near records for 2020 LSU student body: Six-year baccalaureate graduation rate for freshman entering LSU in 2014 is 65.7 percent; five-year baccalaureate rate for freshman entering in 2015 is 61.9 percent; average ACT of freshman class of 25.4.
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WHAT DOES BECOMING A TIGER ADVOCATE MEAN? You will receive email notifications at critical times when your voice needs to be heard in the Louisiana Legislature. With just a click or call, your legislators will know LSU TIGER NATION is closely monitoring legislative decisions that impact LSU. Your legislators represent YOU. Show them you are for LSU.
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
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An MBA for Working Professionals
Around Campus
Flores Executive MBA Flex
By Bridget Conrad
Times are changing, and so is the landscape of business education. In the past, there were two types of curriculum – campus-based classes and online classes. Now, amid the largest disruption ever in higher education, the E.J. Ourso College of Business is one of the first business colleges in the south to introduce a flexible hybrid MBA format that gives students the best of both campus-based and online instruction. The Flores Executive MBA Flex track will provide professional students with an innovative approach to learning, making it easier for them to manage their time effectively.
“With our Flores Executive MBA Flex format, we are providing new opportunities for our students. We’ve rethought our delivery, so students get the in-depth mastery of our academic business disciplines, but now we’ve added an experiential learning component. Through this track, students have opportunities to work on consultative projects with companies, delivering solutions to those companies in real-time,” said Flores MBA Director Dana Hart. “Students will see that they are adding value to companies but will also have a peer-learning, academic experience. Throughout this track, students are consistently working with a network of peer MBA students to maximize the overall potential of their MBA experience.” Launching in January 2021, this format is a total of thirty-six credit hours, taking twenty months to complete. On-campus residencies take place one weekend a month, creating more flexibility for students who are working professionals. Students will focus on things like professional/career development, executive Flores Executive MBA Flex students get the in-depth mastery of academic business coaching, and experiential learning on Friday afternoons, disciplines with an experiential learning component. with Saturdays designated for classroom instruction. Today, business education is very much an evolving landscape. “The traditional pillars remain the same – marketing, finance, accounting, strategy – “The E.J. Ourso but how we deliver these courses is different now. You are seeing programs College of Business move away from their full-time, campus-based delivery to go exclusively online. is one of the first We still wanted to capitalize on the on-campus experience, where students can develop relationships, but at the same time maintain flexibility with online business colleges in classes,” Hart said. The Flores MBA Program considered moving to a part-time hybrid delivery the south to introduce for some time, and the pandemic was the driving force that accelerated the a hybrid MBA format.” conversation. It has forced many businesses to disrupt what they do, and now, many business schools across the country are thinking differently about the MBA experience. Candidates want to maximize their time, effort, and value, so LSU strives to demonstrate a value proposition to its candidates and stakeholders. The Flores Executive MBA Flex may have a different delivery, but it’s still relevant, and students will get a substantial experience with a tangible return on investment on the overall MBA degree. Bridget Conrad is assistant director of communications and external relations at the E.J. Ourso College of Business.
38 LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
Around Campus
Baton Roots Community Farm
By Alison Satake Photos: The Walls Project
LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio will partner with The Walls Project to develop a master plan for the Baton Roots Community Farm, which opened last year in North Baton Rouge.
Baton Roots Community Farm opened last year in North Baton Rouge as a restorative landscape to support healthy lifestyles, mental welfare, and environmental security. With recent support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio will partner with the nonprofit organization The Walls Project, which operates Baton Roots Community Farm at BREC Howell Park, and Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome’s HealthyBR initiative, to develop a comprehensive master plan and site design for the 115-acre site. LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio faculty and students will lend their expertise in design and engineering to help develop the plan with the local community, BREC, and Build Baton Rouge, the parish’s redevelopment authority.
“At the LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio, our creative faculty and students come together to reimagine communities and spaces.”
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“The LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio will facilitate design studios where our students and faculty will work collaboratively with artists and design consultants to help develop a master plan for the Baton Roots Community Farm. Our intention is to help this valuable community space expand in scope from urban agriculture to creative place making by incorporating public art with community gardening, green infrastructure and urban ecology,” said Nicholas Serrano, LSU assistant professor of landscape architecture, who is a principal investigator for the project. Baton Roots Community Farm grew from the mayor’s Geaux Get Healthy initiative, a project of HealthyBR, to improve the well-being of citizens by promoting active lifestyles and access to fresh foods in one of the city’s largest food deserts. “We are honored to be selected by the NEA for this prestigious grant. Baton Roots is the culmination of eight years of building partnerships to elevate our impact with arts, workforce, and community health programs. The Walls Project welcomes all residents of Howell Park and leaders from across the city to be a part of the planning process. Together we will explore ideas for community amenities at the farm like a new event pavilion equipped with an outdoor demonstration kitchen, farmers market, and a public art system throughout the entire park to inspire the imagination and encourage exercise among people of all ages outdoors,” said Casey Phillips, The Walls Project executive director. Baton Roots Community Farm opened in January 2019 during MLK Fest with the intergenerational Harmony Garden and is expanding to four acres of farm rows to yield 200,000 pounds of fresh food in North Baton Rouge. It currently offers multiple programs including a youth urban agriculture training program, Hustle & Grow, and “Garden In a Box,” which promotes backyard gardening to
promote healthy eating and food security. The new NEA Our Town grant will fund the development of a comprehensive master plan engaging artists, designers, engineers, students, and residents to repurpose an additional 115 acres of an abandoned golf course in a flood-prone area of North Baton Rouge. “At the LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio, our creative faculty and students come together to reimagine communities and spaces. Through our design studios, they put ideas onto paper, which will serve as the blueprint for the Baton Roots Community Farm for years to come,” said Traci Birch, LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio director. The Walls Project will lead community dialogue sessions with neighborhood residents, local artists, food access advocates, churches, and students to begin the process of developing creative concepts and ways to integrate arts, education and healthy living into cultural assets for a part of Baton Rouge that has endured decades of disinvestment and systemic poverty. Baton Roots Community Farm is one of fifty-one programs recently awarded an Our Town grant by the National Endowment for the Arts. “These awards demonstrate the resilience of the arts in America, showcasing not only the creativity of their arts projects but the organizations’ agility in the face of a national health crisis,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “We celebrate organizations like the Baton Roots Community Farm for providing opportunities for learning and engagement through the arts in these times.” Alison Satake is associate director of research communications, Division of Strategic Communications and Office of Research & Economic Development.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
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Locker
ROOM
Eagles Found Likely Successor To Bednarik: LSU’s Bo Strange The Bednarik Award is given to the College Defensive Player of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club.
LSU’s Bo Strange was the twenty-eighth player chosen overall in the 1961 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles wanted him to replace their legendary linebacker Chuck Bednarik. He declined their offer and graduated from the LSU School of Medicine in 1965.
“Now retired in his eighty-first year, Strange lives in Asheville, N.C., and is even more confident today that he made the right decision.”
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Philadelphia’s search for a successor to Iron Man Chuck Bednarik intensified in the 1960 football season. Bednarik was nearing the end of a remarkable fourteen-year career as the last player in National Football League history to play both offense and defense. A trade was unlikely. Nobody in the NFL would give up a player that approached Bednarik in ability and accomplishment. He had made All-Pro eight times, an unmatched achievement in that era. The American Football League had burst onto the scene in 1960 to complicate matters. The two leagues would again compete for college talent. But the Eagles believed they had located an heir apparent: LSU’s Bo Strange, also a center and linebacker. His size, speed, stamina, and leadership met the criteria of Philadelphia scouts in their effort to find a replacement for Bednarik. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Strange also had the academic requirements essential for admission to the LSU School of Medicine. And his mother was rooting for the med school. Her oldest child, Virginia, had already reached that goal. Bo was the twenty-eighth player chosen overall in the 1961 NFL draft. By choosing Strange in the second round – ahead of such future pro stars a Fran Tarkenton – the Eagles had made a statement. Strange was a player they highly valued. They didn’t want to risk losing him in a later round. Philadelphia had seen his game film. The Eagle scouts had witnessed Strange making big plays in two all-star games. They were convinced that he could be groomed into a solid successor for their legendary linebacker. Bo had played only one college season— 1960 — as a center and linebacker, although he had excelled at both positions at Baton Rouge High. He was LSU’s starting right tackle for two seasons, including the 1958 national championship campaign. He was a second team All-SEC selection as a senior in 1960. It appeared that the Eagles were smarter than a tree full of owls. No other NFL team had scouted Strange as thoroughly as Philadelphia. But they missed one significant item: Strange was a member of the All-SEC Academic team. His major was pre-med. Even as competition for players between the NFL and AFL became heated, pro football was not in Bo’s plans. The AFL’s Denver Bronco drafted Strange in the third round, but they were never a factor. After the draft, Strange received a registered letter from the Philadelphia ball club. It contained an offer to sign a contract for $16,500 and a bonus check of $3,500. That was more money than Paul Dietzel was being paid as LSU’s head football coach. But after family discussions (his father was Clarence “Pop” Strange, a member of Dietzel’s coaching staff), Bo thanked the Eagles for their interest, and told them he was going to enter LSU’s medical school in the fall. He returned the bonus check to Philadelphia. “I told them I was going to med school at the Senior Bowl,” Strange recalled. “My sister was already in med school. My parents were educators. They made sure we were good students at every level. Our goal from an early age had been med school.” His brother David followed Bo at LSU as a football player and attended dental school. Although Strange planned to attend med school, he played in two post-season games – the Blue-Gray game in Montgomery, Ala., and in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., which were popular venues in the sixties for professional coaches and general managers. It provided them the opportunity to watch prospects in practices and games and to discuss the possibility of a pro football future with the players.
Bo made a big impression on pro scouts at the Senior Bowl, highlighting an outstanding game by blocking an extra point attempt in the fourth quarter of a 33-26 South victory. He met with Philadelphia representatives several times in Mobile. One of the ball club’s representatives was Eddie Khyat, a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and a former Tulane player who had been a Senior Bowl participant. He was then an active member of the Eagles. When medical school was mentioned in the discussions, Philadelphia made a persistent run at Strange. The Eagles offered to help him get admitted to Temple. Its quarter system would allow Bo to attend medical school while playing pro football. After some consideration, Strange concluded that attending Temple would take him twice as long to complete his medical education. He declined the offer. But that didn’t stop Philadelphia from paying him the ultimate compliment. They wanted Bo to be the player to replace one of pro football’s legends: Chuck Bednarik. Now retired in his eighty-first year, Strange lives in Asheville, N.C., and is even more confident today that he made the right decision. He is mentally alert with a vivid memory for the people and events of his youth. There are no lingering reminders of football injuries. He performed knee surgery, but never needed corrective surgery for himself. He had no concussions. For that he is grateful. Bo’s family connections to LSU continue. They began in the 1930s when his father played tackle for the Tigers’ Sugar Bowl teams. His son, Chip, owner of Unique Cuisine, has been providing the food service for the LSU Alumni Association for eighteen years.
Locker Room is compiled and edited by Bud Johnson, retired director of the Andonie Sports Museum and a former LSU Sports Information director. He is the author of The Perfect Season: LSU's Magic Year – 1958.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
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Locker Room
Photos: LSU Athletics Creative Services
In forty-three years, D-D Breaux had the pleasure of leading the Tigers to three straight second place finishes in the NCAA championships and thirty-five consecutive NCAA regional appearances.
“D-D had a vision for what the program could become. She had seen how the sport had been embraced around the world and she knew it could happen here.”
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Her Vision Realized, D-D Breaux Retires had none. Maddox gave Breaux some What will D-D Breaux do next? advice at one of their early meetings. It probably hasn’t been done before. Certainly not in retirement. “I’m going to tell you no a lot,” he warned. “Don’t let that discourage you. Those who have witnessed her Come back with a Plan B.” long career have observed her Breaux didn’t forget that. She kept winning against long odds. From asking until the program gained a dark and dusty corner of the national prominence. Then came her Carl Maddox Field House she ultimate request – a first-class practice carried a gymnastics program facility. Joe Alleva liked it, but he to the mountain top of the sport. must have blinked when he saw Discouragement only made her the numbers. more determined. She endured to D-D’s determination and enthusiasm were vital to the completion of see her vision for LSU gymnastics the glistening LSU gymnastics become reality. Some of her jousts with several athletic directors should have been recorded. She survived temporary setbacks, making her stronger for the next challenge. They didn’t fully appreciate her perseverance. They never swam across the Mississippi River. D-D did it as a teenager. Rodney Dangerfield could have been the patron saint of LSU gymnastics in the first twenty-five years of its existence. It got no respect. One athletics director gave the new women’s basketball coach Breaux’s office. D-D found out when her key wouldn’t fit her office door. Another AD fired her assistant coaches and told Breaux to replace them with graduate assistants. A third AD wanted to terminate the sport. “D-D had a vision for what the program could become,” said Bill Bankhead, the godfather of LSU gymnastics. “She had seen how the sport had been embraced around the world, and she knew it could happen here.” Breaux was grateful to Carl Maddox, the athletics director who hired her in 1978. She valued steadfast supporters like Bankhead, the director of minor sports, who had rallied resistance when her program was threatened, and baseball coach Skip Bertman, who shared his resources when she
practice facility. Most say it’s second to none. But, it needs a better name. That has probably occurred to those in authority. In the longest coaching reign in SEC history – forty-three years – this two-time national Coach of the Year had the pleasure of leading the Tigers to three straight second-place finishes in the NCAA championships and thirty-five consecutive NCAA regional appearances. She even selected her successor. Jay Clark is one of the nation’s outstanding coaches, as well as a recruiting and marketing whiz. He had walked the plank at Georgia. Breaux always believed she was a better judge of coaching talent than most athletic directors she had known. So, she brought Clark to LSU as her associate coach in 2014. Then elevated him to co-head coach in 2019. D-D built a premier program. All of the essential ingredients for success were in place: • A one-of-a-kind practice facility • Big crowds • One of the best young coaches in the country to replace her • Talented young athletes
Everything seemed set for this day. But at some point, Breaux must have mused as she neared this decision: “Retirement is such a man thing.”
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Locker Room
Football Quiz Bowl 1. Who was LSU's most highly decorated assistant in 2019? 2. Which LSU assistant ranked in second place in national awards?
James Cregg, 2019 Offensive Line Coach of the Year.
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1. Joe Brady. LSU’s 2019 passing game coordinator attracted more national attention than any Tiger assistant coach, winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. 2. If your answer was offensive line coach James Cregg, go to the head of the class. Cregg’s LSU linemen won the Joe Moore award as the nation’s best offensive line, the first time the Tigers earned that honor. And Cregg was voted the Offensive Line Coach of the Year. Greg Studrawa won that award as LSU’s offensive line coach in 2011. The LSU offensive line of 2019 was instrumental in helping the Tigers field the first offense in NCAA history that featured a 5,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers, and a 1,000-yard rusher. LSU’s offense led the country in both scoring and total offense and set numerous SEC and school records en route to a 15-0 record and a national title. With Cregg’s offensive line leading the way last season, LSU ranked fifth nationally on third down with a 50.89 percent success rate, and ranked fifth in red zone touchdown percentage, scoring fifty-five times in seventy attempts. Cregg has another rebuilding assignment when LSU plays again. Only one starter – senior right tackle Austin Deculus (6-6, 331) – returns from a year ago. Ed Ingram, a 6-3, 315-pound junior is another likely starter at left guard. In 1,151 plays last season, he allowed only one sack, according to LSU sports digital media reporter Cody Worsham. When AllSEC guard Damien Lewis was injured in the Peach Bowl, Ingram replaced him for sixty-eight plays in the win over Oklahoma. Freshmen Thomas Perry (66, 329) and Marlon Martinez (6-4, 325) are probable backups.
Under classmen, two sophomores and eight freshmen, dominate the o-line room. The two sophomores – Dare Rosenthal (6-7, 327), who started four games last year, and Cameron Wire (6-6, 311) – are expected to play most of the minutes at left tackle, although a graduate transfer from Harvard, Liam Shanahan, (6-5, 304) could be a factor there as well as at other positions up front. The center position is wide open. Junior Chasen Hines (6-3, 349), a converted guard, and freshman Joseph Evans (6-1, 319), a converted defensive lineman, will compete for playing time with Ivy Leaguer Shanahan. At right guard, one Cregg’s prize recruits, Anthony Bradford (6-5, 365), and Kardell Thomas (6-3, 326) will wage one of the most competitive battles of the pre-season. A top incoming freshman, Marcus Dumervil (6-5, 310), should be a backup at tackle. Cregg continued his recruiting foray into Michigan (he landed Bradford from Muskegon last year), getting a commitment from one of the nation's top high school tackles Garrett Dellinger, a 6-6, 290-pounder from Clarkston, Mich., for the 2021 class. Ed Orgeron hired Cregg to replace Jeff Grimes who became the offensive coordinator at Brigham Young in 2018. Cregg's first major accomplishment was to stabilize the LSU offensive line that season. LSU had eight players start at least one game on the offensive line that year. The Tigers used a total of seven combinations on the offensive line in thirteen games in 2018. Prior to joining LSU in December of 2017, Cregg spent four seasons as the assistant offensive line coach for the Los Angeles Chargers. He held the same position at previous NFL stops with the Denver Broncos (2014-16) and the Oakland Raiders (2007-08). He won a Super Bowl with the Broncos in 2015. According to Cregg, only one college coach could have persuaded
him to leave the NFL – Coach O. “I wouldn't have come back to college football to work for anybody else besides Coach O,” Cregg told the listeners of ESPN Baton Rouge radio upon joining the LSU staff. Orgeron and Cregg coached together for one season at Tennessee in 2009 and three additional seasons with Southern Cal in 2010-13, which included Orgeron’s eight-game interim head coaching role with the Trojans. Some of the great coaches of the game were linemen as players – Vince Lombardi, Paul Bryant, and John Vaught, to name a few. Bryant was
not only one of college football’s winningest coaches, he was one of the best amateur psychologists of his day. Bryant borrowed offensive and defensive schemes from other coaches. But he understood that people win games. He was as good as anybody at connecting with his people. The Bear expressed it this way: “If anything goes bad, I did it. “If anything goes semi-good, we did it. “If anything goes really good, then you did it. “That’s all it takes to get people to win games for you.”
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Locker Room
All-American Kiya Johnson was one of the nation’s best gymnasts as a freshman. She was named SEC Freshman of the Year, the first LSU gymnast to be recognized since April Burkholder, and she won twenty-two event titles and three All-America honors in her first year. Johnson, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, owns career highs of 10 on vault and beam, 9.975 on floor, and 9.90 on bars.
The arrival of the highly regarded Haleigh Bryant to the LSU gymnastics team could push the Tigers over the top. CollegeGymNews.com ranked Bryant the No. 1 incoming freshman in floor and vault, No. 2 in all-around, and No. 7 in uneven bars.
48 LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
Predicting The Future: Three National Champs
Thelma Davies, a sophomore sprinter from Philadelphia, Pa., ended her freshman season with a 200-meter dash time that ranked No. 5 in the NCAA (22.80) and the No. 14 time in the 60-meter dash (7.23). Coach Dennis Shaver hopes Davies will reach her peak in national competition this year.
Prediction: LSU will win multiple national championships in the same calendar year. Selecting the year is above my pay grade. It’s just a matter of time. The coaches have built nationally prominent programs. They have been recruiting too many good athletes to be locked into the role of eternal contender. One of these years, the depth of talent and a minimum of injuries will favor the Tigers.
Our predicted winners for an LSU trifecta are – gymnastics, beach volleyball, and women’s track and field. These teams have an excellent opportunity to win national championships in the same school year. Since there is no “One and Done” in these sports, there is a good chance the Tigers can achieve this gaudy goal. Recruiting success should help LSU stockpile talent on these three teams. These teams have gifted coaches, elite athletes, and a national brand. Tonea Marshall's three fastest times of 2020 – They have been the noteworthy 7.86, 7.89, 7.89 – made her the second hurdler in NCAA history to have three performances challengers for several years. Jay Clark, of 7.90 or faster in the 60-meter hurdles. She is Russell Brock, and Dennis Shaver are currently the Tigers’ most highly decorated track athlete – five-time All-America, four-time All-SEC, highly regarded coaches and recruiters. 2020 Women’s South Central Region Indoor Track Clark has proved that he can recruit Athlete of the Year, 2020 Corbett Award winner, great gymnasts. Brock has lifted beach 2020 Bowerman watch list. The senior from Arlington, Texas, appears headed for her best year volleyball into a national power with in Tigertown in 2021. talented players. And Shaver continues to recruit an endless line of swift and gifted track and field performers to Bernie Moore Stadium. All three programs have consistently been ranked among the nation’s best in their sport. Last season Kiya Johnson was named SEC Freshman Gymnast of the Year and Region 1 Freshman of the Year. She is expected to be an even more polished and productive performer this season. This year’s recruiting crop features Haleigh Bryant, another national standout. She will also be a favorite to become the SEC Freshman Gymnast of the Year and Region 1 Freshman of the Year. These two young women are capable of the leading the Tigers to the promised land. In beach volleyball, Kristen Nuss and Claire Coppola, were named “Pair of the Year” and All-America in back-to-back seasons – 2018 and 2019. Their success in the sand has been largely responsible for making LSU one of America’s elite teams in their sport. LSU track athletes like Tonea Marshall, the third fastest women’s hurdler in NCAA history, and sprinter Thelma Davies, a 2x All-America in 2020 with outstanding performances in the 60 meters and 200 meters indoors, should rank with the nation’s best in those events. In some special year, these three women’s programs will enter the championships as the favorite and they will capture the prize. Best of all, one or more of these programs has what it takes to linger in the winner’s circle. A
championship will only ensure that America’s top athletes will continue to keep Tigertown high on their priority list for collegiate competition. Softball is also a nationally ranked sport – not far behind these three programs. A few more premier players could lift softball into a major contender’s role soon. Women’s tennis is making great progress. But now is the time for gymnastics, beach volleyball, and women’s track and field to reach legendary status, joining forces and winning national championships in a memorable year. It would give each sport a long-term boost. It could happen any year. In LSU sports history, great teams changed the course of Tiger football. The football teams struggled immediately prior to a perfect 10-0 season in 1908. LSU struggled to a 5-5 record in 1957 before winning the national championship in 1958 with an 11-0 season. Those teams made a difference for their sport. The 1908 Tigers popularized the game and increased attendance. The 1958 Tigers solidified Louisiana as the team’s recruiting base. What did those teams have in common? Legendary athletes. Doc Fenton was the star in 1908. Billy Cannon was everybody’s All-America in 1958.
LSU’s two winningest beach volleyball players – Kristen Nuss, left, and Claire Coppola – have been largely responsible for the Tigers’ rise to the top in national rankings. Coppola and Nuss were previously named two-time, pre-season All-America selections and two-time CCSA Pair of the Year. They make the LSU team a national contender again in 2021.
Tigers’ Aucoin Named Video Coordinator of the Year LSU’s Doug Aucoin was named the 2019-2020 Bob Matey National Video Coordinator of the Year by the Sports Video Association. He is the first ever to become a twotime winner of the award. Aucoin previously won this honor in 2010. The twenty-three-year veteran maestro of football video has been a five-time selection as the SEC’s Video Coordinator of the Year. He recently provided the football coaches with a technological assist to be more productive during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aucoin utilized Zoom to bring the coaches and players together in the age of social distancing. He helped the football staff install their offensive and defensive systems with the team—all from the comfort of their homes. And, Zoom allowed Coach O to conduct tours of the LSU facilities for recruits and their families when all were abiding by stay-at-home mandates due to the virus. Aucoin has been assisting the LSU staff with player development and scouting of opponents through film and video since 1997. His latest “tool” to assist the coaching staff and team in game preparation is
a room inside the Football Operations complex. It’s called the Walk Through Room. By standing on a fifty-foot-wide turf floor, you can look at a twelve-foothigh wall and see the Alabama (or a designated opponent) offense facing you. It is a major breakthrough in film study for college football. It gives the Tigers a life-sized view of their opponent every week. Just as Orgeron and his staff must stay on top of changes in the game, Aucoin’s task is to find and utilize the latest technology to assist the Tigers in preparing for a game. Prior to coming to LSU, Aucoin held similar positions at Tulane and for the New Orleans Saints, where his father, Erby Aucoin, also a creative pioneer in the field, directed the filming of practices and games for the NFL team. The elder Aucoin also assisted LSU Coach Paul Dietzel in 1958 while serving as a photographer for The Advocate. Just days prior to LSU’s 10-7 win over Florida, Don Scully, captain of the 1956 Tigers, lost his life in an automobile accident while serving in the military. Dietzel’s team took the field against Florida running past Erby Aucoin’s floor-to-ceiling image of Don Scully.
Doug Aucoin, LSU Athletics video director.
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LSU SUMMER 2020 GRADUATES CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES! On behalf of the LSU Alumni Association and proud LSU alumni across the country and around the globe, congratulations and welcome to Tiger Nation. You have earned it. You have overcome many hurdles – especially in the last few months – and we are proud of you and all that you have accomplished. No matter where you live, the LSU spirit is there – and you'll find fellow alumni to support you in your new endeavors and show the world just how awesome LSU graduates are. Our more than 135 alumni chapters around the world provide connection and camaraderie, and we hope you’ll unite with your fellow alums to keep the Tiger spirit alive. To ensure that you have as many resources as possible to help you succeed during this important transition in your life, the LSU Alumni Association is providing a free one-year membership to August 2020 graduates. To take advantage of all we have to offer you, visit lsualumni.org/August2020Grad. Again, congratulations and Geaux Tigers!
Gordon Monk President & CEO
50 LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE Bachelor of Science Shayson G. Fu Cidney Raynette Grigsby
Hannah Clare Hayden Abigail Helen Kahrs
Lauren Nicole Kindrachuk Marianna Denise Morrison
Jazmine Elaine Pittman Brittany Nicole Tallent
Grace Angelle Tucker
Ryan Carson Jude
Sidney Marie Rosso
Kristin Marie Selle
Ricardo Alejandro Najarro Victoria Alycia Regueira Christopher L. Rigney Jeremy Stephen Rosen Jonathan Alexander Ryan Javier Sanchez Tovar Walter Lee Scott Nathan Lee Singleton
Bianca Soto Gabrielle Frances Terrebonne Curtis Scott Thompson Samuel Luke Tuminaro Preston Jace Vaughn Sydney St. Claire Watson Junhao Zhao
COLLEGE OF ART + DESIGN Bachelor of Fine Arts Toyoun Cho
Pedro Giovanni Gutierrez
Bachelor of Interior Design Kaegan Jacqueline Case
Marianne Mercedes Newall
Camille Catherine Royerre
E. J. OURSO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS Bachelor of Science Abdullah Rashid Abdullah Al Makhmari Dustin Michael Bickham Dustin Michael Bickham Gene James Brauns, II Claire E. Buckley Molly Elizabeth Burgess Megan Elizabeth Campbell Priscilla Castrellon
Brandon C. Chevalier Firas A. Choumar Amber Le Dang Seth Ragan Daugherty Nicholas Keagan Finley Jackson Cole Green Griffin Mack Guzan Lesa Renee Hall
Alyssa Nicole Helak Cole Andrew Held Austin Chase Henriksen Frank Graham Holloway Megan Kennedy Blaine Austin Lund Qasim Hameed Mehr Andy T. Mejia
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Bachelor of Science Walter Lee Scott
Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering Kendall Tynea Raymond
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Hashem Hussain Abdullah Chelsea Victoria Benton
Andrew Philip Hendrickson Matthew David Pearl Richard Joseph Oubre, III Tommy Duy Pham
Peyton Alexander Smith Acca Elizabeth Stoute
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Christopher Michael LaForge
Bachelor of Science in Construction Management Corey Christopher Free
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Brian Scott Johnson
Edward Peter Krass, IV
Alejandro Miguel Sevilla-Vanegas
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Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Ethan Wood Eisenhardt
Connor Crosswell Stone
Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering Ahmed Ibrahim Alawadhi
Eisa Mohammed Alzarooni Priyankkumar H. Patel
Dominic Jay Vasquez
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Construction Management Sydney Bankston Victoria Catherine Conoly
Taro Kyllonen Russell Wayne Milam
Jarvus Joseph Ryes Richard Ellis Zettler
COLLEGE OF HUMAN SCIENCES & EDUCATION Bachelor of Science Brandon Thomas Adam Schyler Hampton Alexander Andre Ricky Anthony Liseth Abigail Avila Jeremy Sinjin Barba Maitland Elizabeth Bean Mercedes Nashawn Brooks Nicholas John Brossette Andrew Paul Brouillette Clint John Brownell Jr. Kalyn Dianne Caston Sydney Franchesca Cockburn Erin Marie Coomey Joshua Floyd Daniels
Caroline Shelly Danziger Peyten Ross Davis Erica Ann DeLaneuville Ajha Nicole Dortch Nicholas Joseph Doucet Kaitlyn Michelle Fagan Shetrell Anicia Fisher Tylar LeeAnn Foster Darryl Joseph Gallo Brady Michael Goings Kevin Michael Gueniot Julia Frances Hackman Drake Simeon Hale Janelle Hernandez Matthew Patrick Hughes Robinson Elizabeth Humphrey
Ta’Vion DeShawn Jefferson Taylor Symone Jiron Quishon Stephanie Jourdan Cameron Collingwood Karkoska Sanad Mohammad Khalaf Matthew James Klotz Serenity Laine Lanclos Marcus James Leydecker Abigail Elizabeth Martin Breanna Elizabeth Matherne Payton Catherine Mayo Nicholas Darrick Mayon Tracy Rakelle McBride
Cassidy Ann McCarthy Allison Elizabeth Meador Christian Alexzander Miller Zachary Ryne Minton Nicholas James Nagrowski Ryan Louise Nash Jasmine Lynette Notto Cameron Marshall Owens Clarke Denise Parham Jamal Colby Pettigrew Rachel Lynn Piper Ally Renee Pipkin Wilani Keson’De Porter Kounty Jack Price Shelby Lynn Putfark Christian Allen Ratliff
Jaelyn Zhanet Richard-Harris Paige Nicole Robichaux Nicolas Rodriguez Nicholas Da’Michael Rogers Caroline Elizabeth Ruggles Peyton Shaye Salsbury Reed Allen Saunders Jon Paul Segura Gabriel Michael Sonnier Victorya Mattice Stallworth Bennett Evan Stein Marlon S. Taylor, III Drew Elizabeth Tran Kyle Russell Tyson
Bachelor of Social Work Amanye La’Shaye Wilkerson
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES Bachelor of Arts Lauren Victoria Abington Molly Jean Alimia Patrick Owen Angelette Sarah Elizabeth Armstead Kolby Jené Balthazar Tyler Brandon Bergeron Heidi Brooke Bieber Steven David Boudreaux Michael Murphy Brame Jr. Shemia Ann Burns Bailey Marie Caillouet Kourtney Abriana Campbell Jordan Elizabeth Champ Samuel Brooks Clutter Patrick Clifford Cole Rashaad Deante Cooper
Cameron Marie Cormier Mary Margaret Couvillion Douglas Kayla Nicole Dukes Caroline E. Fontenot Sean Riley Fore Grace Elizabeth Galeziewski Grace Elizabeth Galeziewski Emily Keene Gilliland Krista Rae Goldbard Hannah Elizabeth Greer Conner James Gregerson Grace Duffel Grundmann Gregory Kyle Hamilton Matthew Patrick Hemphill
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Donald Ray Hunter Katie Elizabeth Johnson Tyler Joelle Johnson Rachel Nicole Jordan Brooke Justus Adam Zachary Kimball Julia Beth Lannon Jerkalynn Torrolanda Lawrence James Ductriet Le Ana Catherine Love Daniel Alexander Loving William Tristian Maddox Najai Dalice Martin Gianna Rose Mayberry Andrew Sterling McWilliams
Clay Caras Milneck Gabi Elizabeth Mistric Kirby Laurel Morris Alyssa Marie Mulligan Madeleine Marie Murphy Haley Thurman Newberry Addison Edward Nick Kendall Tynea Raymond Katherine Louise Riecke Allyson Mae Riedl Francisco Jose Sanfiel, II Kelly Ann Satter Emily Diann Scroggs Ervin Tadarro Smith Denise Michelle Steels Madison M. Street Brooke Ashley Tassin
Cameron Will Thomassie Grayson Julia Touchard Elizabeth Ann Turnage Connor Lane Vaughan Landon Gates Weeks Macey Noelle Williams Hannah Elizabeth Wilson Gibson Marc Wolverton Sarah Jae Yarbrough Brianda Lucero Zapien-Vargas Evan Micheal Zizzi
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Faustine Enome Aifuwa Brennon Lynn Albarez Santiago Alvarez Jordan Payne Armstrong Kyle Lee Baker Carolyn Christina Benjamin Ellie Annette Blackwood Patrick Ross Campesi
Roman Antony Davis Bailey Ann Dixon Lavar Michael Edwards Rachel Ariana Farrar Sara Catherine Fincher Trey-Anthony Francois Victoria Michelle Gillette Sophia Rose Hartley
Megan Rená Kennedy Ricky LeBlanc Sarah Grace McGreggor Krystal Rose Mejia Elizabeth Anne Miller Eric De’wayne Monroe Emily Mary Moore Travez Iziah Moore
Hillary Savannah Mouton Abbigail Nicole Tuttle Marisa Marie Naccari Rebekah Brignac Vercher Hayes Thomas Perrilloux Kejuan Dwayne Washington Matthew Joseph Robinson Zeshan Shahid Troy Ross Simoneaux Jr. Mark Martin St. Romain Jr. Emily Lynn Turner
Kayla Ann Chacon Casie Danielle Champagne
Mallory Michelle Comeaux Carmen Renee Fontenot Cole Michael Gaudin
Isabel Catherine Gibson Faith Alexis Harris Amber Nicole Hornsby
Bachelor of Science Michael Joseph Austin Taylor Marie Bourque Faith Elizabeth Brown
Kyreal Jackson Tiara Marie Lansky She’niya J’ne Lee
MANSHIP SCHOOL OF MASS COMMUNICATION Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication Madison Elise Day Frances “Annie” Edick
Alaina Rose Hebert Madison Ali Myers
Aubry Dylan Procell Kennedi Iman Spurling
Camille DiRosa Vulcano Connor Clark Young
COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMATIC ARTS Bachelor of Arts Alexandra Lee Nicholson
Rachel Morgan Omar
Bachelor of Music Daniel Alexander Loving
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE Bachelor of Science Aubrey Di Barrett Ethan Paul Bartel Ellen Margaret Briley Brittany Rose Collins Mallory M. Comeaux
Lynnvi Tramvi Dang James Robert Gregory Valencia Olivia Henderson Kyreal A. Jackson Dakota Marie Kutcher
Stephanie Lynne Mayer Chibuozo Onyekachukwu Mmonu Uyen Thu Nguyen Megna K. Patel
David Harrison Rollins Charles Pendleton Tompkins Alexandra Jane Walsh
Madison Elizabeth Williams
Bachelor of Science in Geology Stephanie Anne Matthews
Mallory Ray Pilié
COLLEGE OF THE COAST & ENVIRONMENT Bachelor of Science in Coastal Environmental Science Hannah Kimberly Gordon Nadia Ayman Abdel Kader Ayoub Hamed Lacey Jessica Melancon Michael Joseph Plets Nadia L. Romero
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GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEGREES GRADUATE CERTIFICATES Analytics
Early Childhood Education
Sean Michael Peters Patrick Michael Sofranec
Carlye Anna Breuhl
Archival Studies
Geographic Information Science
Joseph McMahon Lachajczyk Sean Michael Neary
Luz Mireya Castro Morales Tanvi Mukesh Shah
Records and Information Management
Urban and Community Education
Courtney Leigh Britton
Tiffany Leondra Davis Relius Jabbar Johnson
School Librarianship Tyesha Danielle Evans
Veterinary Medical and Biomedical Annelise Lissette de la Houssaye
MASTER'S DEGREES Master of Accountancy Brett Paul Lorio
Isabella Davis Miller
Rachel Marie Sileo
Haoran Liu
Baoling Wang
Master of Applied Statistics Luke Anthony Aucoin
Master of Architecture Andrea Nicole Barrios
Seyedeh Zahra Fattahi
Master of Arts Karissa Lyn Bailey Madeline Spearman Blocker Kelsey Catrice Fox Sarah Christian Holmes Logan Stagg Istre
Halie Jean Taylor Jerkins Relius Jabbar Johnson Ferin Ellesse Jones Emily Claire Kemp Dennis Robert Koch
Joy Ngelor Watchese Meredith Louise Percy Franklin Antone Soares Danielle Ashly Stager Karmen Renay Williams
Allison Lyon Comeaux Jennifer Lynn Jablonski Maegan Prejean Lewis Wesley Stuart Rodgers Santina Louise Swiger
Saul Garcia Kaitlyn Leanne Gray Rodney Scott Hutson Tina Huynh
Cory Johnson Jeffrey Todd Littlejohn Jacob Stephen Manus Sean Solanus Mulvey
Taylor Benjamin Nobles Christopher Patrick O’Connor
Tiffany Leondra Davis Caroline Louise Groos
Falen Simone Johnson Emily Breaux Pettaway
Jess Elaine Schaben
Jessica Lindsay Maddocks Ian James Park Kyle Joseph Peruch
Clare Madeline Samani Hunter Daniel Stabler Narges Tavakoli
Emery Kate Tillman Matthew Douglas Zorn
Gabriel Duncan McBride Sean Michael Neary Katie Amanda Pennington Jennifer Carol Razer
Brett Russell Williams Susan Elizabeth Witte
Master of Business Administration Corey Brandon Cheeks John Brian Clopton Christopher Andrew Davis Edwin Rolando Garcia
Master of Education Jeanette Lee Bankston Carlye Anna Breuhl
Master of Fine Arts Christopher George Fazekas Burns Samantha Marie Combs
Master of Library and Information Science Amy Kathlyn Alred Breanna Nicole Benson-Pearce Creighton Matthew Durrant Tyesha Danielle Evans
Ashley Ann Hebert Jessica Rena Joseph Joseph McMahon Lachajczyk Madeline Claire Mahony
Master of Mass Communication Evan Gabriel Fernandez
Eboni’ Brianna Register
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Master of Music Robert Charles Burton Austin Franklin
Katherynn Hildegard Hamilton Kourtney Holmes
Ericka Jeannine Kudry Yiqing Ma
Ahmed Khaled Hassan Gad Lauren Gatenby Gina Nicole Groseclose William Henry Hicks Troy Devin Jacobs Fettah Kiran Alexandria Savannah Leake Ran Li Ting Lin Kevin Douglas Lindsey Timira D’Iman Adore Lockheart Mark Coleman Maher Peter Taiji Mates John Kihara Mathaga Andrew Scott McGuffey Stephanie Marie Moothart
Kritee Niroula Jennifer Cheri Pulsifer Farhana Sultana Shanta Rachel Louise Snider Caleb Benjamin Taylor Jessica Lynnette Tolan Kerrin Elizabeth Toner Andrea Lucia Velasquez Stephanie Lianglei Wang Joshua Alexander Wolpert Hao Zuo Eduardo Arias Ragan Elise Benton Adrienne Alicia Breaux Cody Matthew Cartwright Ashli Nicole Coggins
Monica Nicole Cook Stacy Lavette Davis Mark Allen Fritz Desirae La’Saundra Gibson Heather Anne Hall Meagan Christianne Jackson Trenae Siobhan Leonard Stephany DeAnn Lewis Sacha Lyn-Nicole Lyson Megan McCann McManus Richard James Means, II Porsche’ Porscha Paige Jordan Tyler Rheams John David Te’at
Md. Ariful Hassan Mojumder Md Nafiur Rahman
Jennifer Michelle Whipple
Nick Francis Castjohn Nelson Gaetano Rodriguez
Michael Joseph Tourgee Michael Brian Williams
Shelly Diane Long Kerri A. Peterson
Kelly Jean Reber
Master of Science Praja Adhikari Carlos Aguilar Miranda Ethemaaduddin Ahmed Benjamin Glen Aker Ricardo Santos Aleman Michelle Marie Anderson Leslie Alejandra Aviles Lopez Hanna Marie Bauer Aimee Beaudette Arjan Bhandari Jeanne Esther Weis Bloomberg Monique Gabrielle Boudreaux Lorena Cisneros Audrey Joann Copeland Marcelline Eugénie Marguerite Dechenaud
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering Qi Lei
Behnam Safavinia
Master of Science in Civil Engineering Anu Abraham Patrick Gabriel Duffy
Abedalqader Ahmad Idries David Patrick May
Master of Science in Construction Management Srikanth Sagar Bangaru Yamini Kodavatiganti
Entai Xu Olaleye Eniola Bakare
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Farhana Afrin
Master of Science in Engineering Science Ahmad Ebrahimi
Arshil Gandikota
Master of Science in Industrial Engineering Lou Toua Carine Vi
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering Dae Won Kim
Master of Social Work Xi Du Rachel Rae Emick
Dawn Kathleen Ambrose Heatwole
Certificate of Education Specialist Angela Bradley Christal L. Carroll Frankie Digirolamo Day Elizabeth G. Elizardi
Leiflyn Kay Gamborg Chelsie Ann Giffin-Davis Nathan Wayne Hite Brent Allan Johnson
Markecia Che’nell Lyons Catherine Perry Rosenfeld Caroline Concepcion Tolentino
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CANDIDATES FOR DOCTORAL DEGREES Prasanna Kumar Acharya
Kirill Bryanov
Yuankai Dong
Andrian Harabaru
Kinesiology, PhD Professor Arend W. A. Van Gemmert “Neuromotor Control of the Hand During Smartphone Manipulation”
Mass Communication and Public Affairs, PhD Professor Raymond J. Pingree “Agenda Cueing in Aggregated Newsfeeds”
Biochemistry, PhD Professor Craig Hart “Characterization of Drosophila Boundary Element Associated Factor BEAF-32B Interactions with Transcription Factors and Chromatin Remodeling Complexes”
Music, DMA Professor Dennis Parker “Transcription for Cello of the Second Violin Sonata in F Minor Op.6 by George Enesco”
Ramazan Aydogdu
Jackie Rae Victoriano Calhoun
Sociology, PhD Professors Yoshinori Kamo and Samuel Stroope “Gender Equality, Tolerance, and Well-being in Turkey: The Role of Religion”
Kinesiology, PhD Professors Alex C. Garn “An Investigation of Athletic Buoyancy in Adult Recreational and Club Sport Athletes”
Alexandra Morris Benoit
Psychology, PhD Professors Thomson E. Davis, III and Steven G. Greening “Interactions Among Amygdala Volume, Cortical Thickness, and Structural Connectivity in Youth: Relationship with Emotion Regulation”
Social Work, PhD Professor Timothy Page “Examining Relationships Between Early Childcare Teachers’ Adult Attachment Orientations and Quality of Interaction in the Infant Classroom”
Rupsa Bhowmick Geography and Anthropology, PhD Professor Jill C. Trepanier “Western Southwest Pacific Tropical Cyclone Frequency and Intensity Related to Observed and Modeled Geophysical and Aerosol Variables”
Karin Julia Bichler Physics, PhD Professors Gerald Schneider and Phillip Sprunger “Morphology and Dynamics of Bottlebrush Polymers”
Candice Roché Boucree Accounting, PhD Professor Jacquelyn Moffitt “Earnings Management of Leaders and Laggards”
Farid Bouya
Peter James Castagna
Kaiyu Chen Civil Engineering, PhD Professors Xiuping Zhu and Hongliang Zhang “Source Apportionment of Ozone and Its Health Effects in North China Plain and Southeast United States”
Alexander Houston Cleveland Chemistry, PhD Professor Rendy Kartika “New Synthetic Transformations Utilizing Styloxyallyl Cations and Epoxonium Ions as Reactive Intermediates”
Stuart Karl Dameron Music, DMA Professor John Dickson “A Conductor’s Guide to Dale Trumbore’s ‘How To Go On’”
Nirmal Dhakal
Civil Engineering, PhD Mathematics, PhD Professor Mostafa Elseifi “Identification of Top-down, Professor Bogdan Oporowski Bottom-up, and Cement “Some Results on Seymour’s Second-Neighborhood Conjecture Treated Reflective Cracks Using Convolutional Neural Network and on Decompositions of and Artificial Neural Network” Graphs”
Walter McFarland Bridges Mathematics, PhD Professor Oliver Dasbach “Combinatorial and Asymptotic Statistical Properties of Partitions and Unimodal Sequences”
Caleb Scofield Doan English, PhD Professor J. Gerald Kennedy “Pacific Crosswinds: Antebellum American Fiction and the Transpacific World”
56 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2020
Mark Ira Duhon Biological Sciences, PhD Professor Michael E. Hellberg “The Evolution of Bivalve Shell Matrix Proteins”
Laura Gayle Fallon English, PhD Professor Malcolm Richardson “Constructing Sanctuary: Refuge and Asylum in Late Medieval Literature”
Nicole Francesca Fassold Music, DMA Professor Lin He “The Concurrent Prevalence of Modernism and Romanticism in Operas Performed Between the World Wars, Exemplified by Ernst Krenek’s Jonny Spielt Auf”
Michelle Pennington Grantham-Caston Curriculum and Instruction, PhD Professor Cynthia DiCarlo “Investigating Leaderships Styles of Childcare Directors”
Elizabeth Watts Griggs Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences, PhD (PBS) Professor Ronald Thune “Edwardsiella Ictaluri is Capable of Persisting in Channel Catfish by Evading Host T Cell and Cell Death Responses”
Xin Gui Chemistry, PhD Professor Weiwei Xie “Design, Synthesis and Characterization of new Superconductors”
Harriet LaJade Hammond Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences, PhD (CBS) Professor Arthur Penn “Adult and Maternal Waterpipe Tobacco Smoke Exposures Alter Immune Responses of the Lung and Modify Offspring Susceptibility to Allergen-Induced Asthma”
Rachel Roxann Harman Biological Sciences, PhD Professor James T. Cronin “Habitat Fragmentation and Range Margin Effects on Dispersal and Interactions Between Competitors”
Keith Michael Hernandez Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, PhD Professor Michael J. Polito “Insights to Gray Seal (Halichoerus grypus) Foraging Ecology from Stable Isotope and DNA Metabarcoding Analyses”
Silu Huang Physics, PhD Professor Rongying Jin "Electrical, Magnetic, and Termal Properties of Semimetallic XMnPn2 (X = Ba, Eu, Pn = Sb, Bi)”
Clara Jane Huesing Biological Sciences, PhD Professors Heike MunzbergGruning and Jacqueline Stephens “Anatomical Organization and Distinction of the Sympathetic Inputs to iBAT and iWAT in the Mouse”
Shazia Humayun Educational Leadership/Research, PhD Professor Kim Skinner “Past, Present and Future of the Foreign Professional Development Programs in Pakistan”
Niloufar Iravani Music, PhD Professor Dinos Constantinides “The Seven Valleys for Orchestra and A Study of Music Composition Pedagogy”
Cody Lee Johnson Civil Engineering, PhD Professor Celalettin Emre Ozdemir “The Medium-Term and EventScale Tropical Cyclone-Driven Morphodynamics of a Vulnerable Barrier System with Emphasis on the Role of Backbarrier Wetlands”
Zackeus Dontrell Johnson
Danielle Sarah Lazerson
Kelsey Marie Lopez
Abah Philip Omale
Educational Leadership/Research, PhD Professors Jennifer Curry and Petra Robinson “Access Granted: The Journey of Conditionally Admitted FirstGeneration College Students at an HBCU”
Accounting, PhD Professors Kenneth Reichelt and William Buslepp “Does Auditor Tenure Matter? Audit Partner Rotation and Industry Specialization in the U.S.”
Chemistry, PhD Professor Isiah M. Warner “Antimicrobial Strategies for Topical Applications”
Geology, PhD Professor Juan M. Lorenzo “Fault Kinematics at Active and Passive Margins: Implications for Tectonic and Sedimentary Evolution”
Keilor L. Kastella Music, DMA Professor Willis Delony
Samuel Obadiah Kellar Physics, PhD Professor Ilya Vekhter “Quantum Criticality in Strongly Correlated Electron Systems”
Fatemeh Khamespanah Chemistry, PhD Professor Andrew W. Maverick “Copper and Ruthenium Pyridyltriazole Complexes and Their Reactivity Toward Carbon Dioxide and Water”
Shana Sanam Khan Curriculum and Instruction, PhD Professor Kim Skinner “The Experiences of International Students Regarding English Proficiency and Policy in a Higher Education Setting”
Sunghyun Kim Psychology, PhD Professor Melissa Beck “Previous Experiences Drive Attention”
Krystal Marie Kirby
Chau Bao Le Curriculum and Instruction, PhD Professor Kim Skinner “Spatial Production and Nomadic Subjectivities in a Buddhist Learning Space”
Blase Matthew LeBlanc Biological Sciences, PhD Professor Steven Hand “Insights into Desiccation Tolerance: Properties of Late Embryogenesis Abundant Proteins from Embryos of Artemia franciscana”
Mary Grace Tucker Lemon Renewable Natural Resources, PhD Professor Richard F. Keim “Characterization of Shallow Subsurface Hydrology in Large, Fine-Grained Floodplains”
Song Li Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, PhD Professor Robert R. Twilley “Nitrogen Dynamics in Response to Deltaic Succession, Anthropogenic Fertilization and Hurricane Events in a Mississippi River Delta Using Continuous Flow-Through Incubations”
Haoran Liu
Physics, PhD Applied Statistics Professors Owen Carmichael and Oceanography and Coastal Kenneth Matthews Sciences, PhD “Applications of Advanced Professor Kehui Xu Structural and Functional MRI “Sediment Transport and Methods” Geomorphological Evolution in the Transgressive Ship Danielle Marie Klein Shoal, Louisiana: Insights Curriculum and Instruction, PhD from Geophysical Obervation, Professor Jacqueline Bach Modeling, and Machine Learning “Empathy, Fiction, and an Studies” Educational Ecosystem: A Narrative Case Study of a High Sijing Liu School ELA Classroom” Mathematics, PhD
Whitney Anne Kroschel
Professor Susanne C. Brenner “Multigrid Methods for Elliptic Optimal Control Problems”
Renewable Natural Resources, PhD Professor Sammy King Yang Liu “Floodplain Forest Regeneration Kinesiology, PhD Dynamics in the Lower Mississippi Professor Senlin Chen River Alluvial Valley” “Characterizing Middle School Students’ Physical Literacy: A Sequential Mixed Methods Study”
Kieran Leigh Lyons English, PhD Professors Chris Barrett and Pallavi Rastogi “The Language of Rats: Unwelcome Animals and Interspecies Connection in Contemporary Anglophone Fiction”
Anthony Thomas Marasco
Marcella Giuliana Otto Kinesiology, PhD Professors J. Michael Martinez and Chris Barnhill “Exploring the Role of Engagement Among Sport Volunteers at College Football Bowl Games”
Varada Menon Palakkal
Music, PhD Professors Jesse Allison and Edgar Berdahl “Bendit I/O: A System for Extending Networked Performance Techniques to Circuit-Bent Devices”
Chemical Engineering, PhD Professor Christopher Arges “Engineering Ionomer Materials for Addressing Ohmic Resistances in Electrochemical Desalination and Waste Heat Recovery”
Hassan Marzoughi Ardakani
Julie Parrish
Business Administration, PhD Professor James R. Van Scotter “Identifying Human Trafficking Networks in Louisiana by Using Authorship Attribution and Network Modeling”
Curriculum and Instruction, PhD Professor Renee Casbergue “Making Meaning in Tandem: How Kindergarteners Comprehend and Interact with Digital and Traditional Texts”
Ilayna K. Mehrtens
Benjamin Beau Peterson
Psychology, PhD Professor Mary Lou Kelley “The Relative Impact of Risk and Protective Factors on the Psychological Functioning of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth”
Chemical Engineering, PhD Professor John C. Flake “Brominated Carbon Materials As Positive Electrodes for Nonaqueous Lithium-Bromine Batteries”
Jose Rodolfo Mite-Caceres
Petroleum Engineering, PhD Professor Andrew Wojtanowicz “Development of Water Coning Control Design Metrics in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs”
Plant, Environmental Management and Soil Sciences, PhD Professor Brenda Tubana “Cover Cropping in SoybeanCorn Rotation System: Economic, Agronomic and Soil Fertility Impact”
Jane Helen Noble Curriculum and Instruction, PhD Professor Kim Skinner “Valuing Voices: Construction of Meaning Through Discursive Interactions During a Critical Service-Learning Partnership”
Daniel Alexis Norena Caro
Samir Prasun
Saurin Hiren Rawal Chemical Engineering, PhD Professor Ye Xu “Theoretical Investigation of Metal-O2 Batteries”
Cholena Russo Ren Chemistry, PhD Professor Robin McCarley “Behavior of Iron Species and Free Radicals in Ambient PM2.5 and PM Surrogates”
Chemical Engineering, PhD Professor Michael G. Benton “Metabolic Network Analysis of Filamentous Cyanobacteria”
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Jerry Franklin Reynolds, II
Soyeon Seo
Christopher Lee Sumner Jr.
Social Work, PhD Professor Cassandra Chaney “The Role of an Educational Intervention in Addressing Parent Spectator Behaviors in Louisiana Youth Sports”
Music, DMA Professor Lin He “A Biographical Introduction of the Korean German Composer, Isang Yun and an Analysis of Eastern Folk Elements in His ‘Lina Im Garten’”
Chemistry, PhD Physics, PhD Professor Robin McCarley Professors Ilya Vehkter and Ka Ming Tam “Synthesis, Characterization, and Investigation of Metal Ion “Identifying Structure Transitions Quenching in Fluorescent Carbon with Machine Learning Methods” Dot Surrogates for Particulate Matter Black Carbon and Phillip Douglas Hardenbergh Evaluation of Cellular Health Wall Effects Due to the Surrogate Physics, PhD Materials” Professors Jonas Fontenot and Wayne Newhauser Sean Michael Swetledge “Towards Optimizing Quality Biological Engineering, PhD Assurance Outcomes of Professors Cristina Sabliov and Knowledge-based Radiation Jangwook Jung Therapy Treatment Plans Using “Polymeric Nanoparticles as an Machine Learning” Antioxidant Delivery System for Age-Related Eye Disease” Haoyan Wang
Philip Ross Richard, III Psychology, PhD Professor George Noell “Video-based Interventions: Teaching Adults and Preschoolers”
Raylea Danelle Rideau
Georgia Leigh Shaheen Psychology, PhD Professor Thompson E. Davis, III “Parenting and Pediatric Anxiety: Examining Pediatric Anxiety Sensitivity as a Mediator”
Educational Leadership/Research, PhD Professor Jennifer Curry “A Chance for Success: Understanding How Latinx Students Make Meaning of Federal Work-Study Employment”
Jin Shang
Danissa Victoria Rodriguez Caraballo
Computer Science, PhD Professor Seung-Jong Park “A Study on the Improvement of Alejandra Sofia Torres Data Collection Centers and its Rodriguez Analysis on Deep Learning Based English, PhD Applications” Professor Sue Weinstein Akai Crystal Smith “Documenting Desire: Addressing Educational Leadership/Research, the Educational Needs of Undocumented English Learners” PhD
Computer Science, PhD Professor Doris Carver “Information Retrieval-Based Optimization Approaches for Requirement Traceability Link Recovery”
Farnaz Safdarian Electrical Engineering, PhD Professor Amin Kargarian “Temporal Decomposition for Multi-Interval Optimization in Power Systems”
Computer Science, PhD Professor Mingxuan Sun “Predictive Modeling of Asynchronous Event Sequence Data”
Dipak Singh
Gregory D. Tomlinson History, PhD Professor Suzanne Marchand “Reshaping an Earthly Paradise: Land Enclosure and Bavarian State Centralization (1779-1835)”
Professor Roland W. Mitchell John Arthur Underwood “The Road to the Presidency: Educational Leadership/Research, A Case Study of HBCU PhD Organizational Culture and Its Impact on the Career Progression Professor S. Kim MacGregor of Women of Color” "Evolution of Computational Elana Klein Schwartz Thinking Contextualized in a Vann Edmond Smith Teacher-Student Collaborative Psychology, PhD Learning Environment” Geology, PhD Professor Alex S. Cohen Professor Sophie Warny “Social Capitalization as a James Jaran Alpinio Upright “Palynology and Paleoclimatology Positive Emotion Regualation of the Chicxulub Impact Crater in Psychology, PhD Strategy in Individuals At-Risk Professor Anna Long the Early Paleogene” for Developing A Schizophrenia“A Component Analysis of Spectrum Disorder” Samantha Nicole Spitler Implementation Planning: Ronson Renard Scott Sr. Examining Mechanisms Psychology, PhD That Underlie a Teacher Nutrition and Food Sciences, PhD Professor Jason Hicks Implementation Support Strategy” Professor Subramaniam Sathivel “Individual Differences in Prospective Memory Aftereffects: “Designed and Developed Ariana Marie Vargas The Role of Working Memory Delivery Systems Containing Educational Leadership/Research, Capacity and Inhibition” Extracted Astaxanthin from PhD Crawfish, Procambarus clarkii, Professors Joy Blanchard and Using a Novel Combined Ethanol Lindsay Marie Stewart Ashley Clayton Flaxseed Oil Ultrasound Assisted Curriculum and Instruction, PhD Closed Extraction System and Its Professor Kerri Tobin “A Case Study of the Campus Anticancer Activity in Vitro” Climate for Diversity at an “Delving Into the First Year: A Hispanic-Serving Institution: Case Study of the Novice Teacher Cordarrell D. Self Perspectives from Latinx Induction Experience” Undergraduate Students” Communication Studies, PhD Professors Ashley Mack and Bryan McCann “Ties That Bind: Black Familyness and the Politics of Contingent Coalitions”
58 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2020
Nicholas Ryan Walker
Kinesiology, PhD Professor Neil Johannsen “Body Temperature and Cardiovascular Control During Exercise in the Heat: Implications for Special Populations and Athletic Performance”
Pengfei Wang Civil Engineering, PhD Professors Xiuping Zhu and Hongliang Zhang “Understanding Air Pollutants and Meteorology Interactions Using Chemical Transport Models”
Aeryel Dominique Williams Educational Leadership/Research, PhD Professors Roland Mitchell and Ashley Clayton “A Case Study on Alternative Spring Break: Supporting Black Women at an HBCU”
Elizabeth Kelsey Wilson Psychology, PhD Professor Frank M. Gresham “Generalizability of Multiple Measures of Treatment Integrity: Response Card Intervention”
Stephen Michael Wolfe Political Science, PhD Professor James Stoner “Protestant Experience and Continuity of Political Thought in Early America, 1630-1789”
Yinhuan Xie Chemistry, PhD Professor Robin McCarley “Substrate-Based Small Molecule Ratiometric Fluorescent Probes: Quantifying Human Cancer Associated NAD(P)H: Quinone Oxidoreductase-1 Activities in Biological Samples”
Dan Yang Economics, PhD Professor Fang Yang “Household Income, Consumption, and Savings in China”
Matthew Alan Yeomans Kinesiology, PhD Professors Jan Hondzinski and Marc Dalecki “Eye-Hand Coordination Varies According to Changes in Cognitive-Motor Load and Eye Movements Used”
Xiaoliu Zhang Chemistry, PhD Professor Daniel Kuroda “Solvation Structures and Dynamics of Small Molecules: Experimental and Computational Studies Using Carbonyl Vibrational Modes as Probe”
Zhiming Zhang Civil Engineering, PhD Professor Chao Sun “Data-Driven and Model-Based Methods with Physics-guided Machine Learning for Damage Identification”
Xu Zhou Petroleum Engineering, PhD Professor Mayank Tyagi “Data-Driven Modeling and Prediction for Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Using Seismic and Petrophysical Data Analyses”
Limited copies of this issue are available. To receive a copy, send name, address, and $6 postage/ handling to Grad 2020. LSU Alumni Association, 3838 W. Lakeshore Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70808
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2020
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Tiger
NATION
1960s
Beth Courtney (1965 BACH HS&E), president and chief executive officer of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, received the National Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society 2020 Alumni Achievement Award. Nominated by the Baton Rouge Area Mortar Board Alumni Chapter and endorsed by the Blazer Chapter at LSU, Courtney was honored as a communicator, broadcaster, producer, community leader, and an outstanding alumni member of Mortar Board. Patrick C. Morrow, Sr. (1969 BACH H&SS, 1972 JD), senior partner in the firm of Morrow, Morrow, Ryan, Bassett & Haik, announced the funding of fifteen $2,500 scholarships for students in St. Landry and Evangeline parishes for the 2020-2021 school year. Six of the recipients are enrolled at LSU.
DEGREES BACH Bachelor’s Degree MAST Master’s Degree PHD Doctorate SPEC Specialist DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine 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
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Joseph Arthur Simon (1960 BACH BUS, 1967 MAST H&SS), of Shreveport, La., received the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation 2020 Colonel Joseph Alexander Award (biography or autobiography) for The Greatest of All Leathernecks: John Archer Lejeune and the Making of the Modern Marine Corps. Winners receive a gold medallion, a commemorative brick along the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park pathway adjacent to the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and a cash prize, if applicable. Photo: M.C. Rollo
1970s
Rodolfo J. "Rudy" Aguilar (1979 BACH BUS, 1982 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Insurance Law, and Litigation-Mergers and Acquisitions. Samuel A. Bacot (1970 BACH H&SS, 1972 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was recognized by Best Lawyers in America as a 2021 Lawyer of the Year in the area of Litigation-Real Estate and named to the list of Best Lawyers in America in the area of Land Use and Zoning Law. Richard A. Curry (1973 BACH H&SS, 1977 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Litigation-Environmental. Larry Feldman (1972 BACH H&SS, 1974 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Bet-the-Company Litigation and Commercial Litigation. Mark Fullmer (1976 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was recognized by Best Lawyers in America as a 2021 Lawyer of the Year in the area of Venture Capital Law.
Jon Ann H. Giblin (1976 BACH HS&E, 1994 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency, and Reorganization Law. Leo C. Hamilton (1973 BACH H&SS, 1977 JD), a partner in Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, was recognized by Best Lawyers in America as the 2021 Lawyer of the Year for Administrative/Regulatory Law and was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in the aeras of Employment Law-Management and Labor LawManagement. Hamilton is a member of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. Grady Hazel (1970 BACH BUS, 1971 MBA), chief financial officer of the Dunham School, Baton Rouge, was honored for his service to the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA) and the accounting profession with a scholarship established in his name. The annual Grady Hazel Scholarship will be awarded to an accounting major at a Louisiana university. Hazel is a past executive director of the LCPA. Michael D. Hunt (1974 BACH H&SS, 1977 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America and was appointed to a three-year term on the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. H. Alston Johnson, III (1970 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was recognized by Best Lawyers in America as a 2021 Lawyer of the Year in the area of Bet-the-Company Litigation. Mary Terrell Joseph (1970 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the area of Banking and Finance Law.
Kathleen A. Manning (1974 BACH HS&E, 1977 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants and Product Liability Litigation-Defendants. Richard E. Matheny (1979 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Robert P. McCleskey, Jr. (1979 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Randy P. Roussel (1977 BACH BUS, 1984 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was recognized by Best Lawyers in America as a 2021 Lawyer of the Year in the area of Banking and Finance Law. Michael H. Rubin (1975 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Appellate Practice, Bet-theCompany Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and LitigationBanking and Finance. James J. Schnabel (1975 BACH SCI, 1980 PHD SCI, 1984 MD-NO), of Oklahoma City, Okla., made an irrevocable donation to establish the Simon Chang Biochemistry Support Fund honoring Professor Emeritus Chang’s profound impact on him while a student at LSU. The fund will provide general support of the Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences and its teaching and research activities, including but not limited to, equipment, labs, faculty, and students. Schnabel, a pathologist retired from Ameripath Diagnostic Pathology Services, is president of the LSU Alumni Central Oklahoma Chapter.
Stephen P. Strohschein (1978 BACH BUS, 1981 JD) joined Hinshaw & Culbertson law firm in New Orleans, La. Previously with McGlinchey Stafford, Strohschein is qualified as a specialist in business bankruptcy law by the American Board of Certification and recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation Bankruptcy 2006-2020.
1980s
Ricardo A. Aguilar (1983 BACH BUS, 1986 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, LitigationBanking and Finance, Litigation-Bankruptcy, Litigation-Mergers and Acquisitions, Litigation-Real Estate, and Litigation-Trusts and Estates. Heather LaSalle Alexis (1988 BACH H&SS, 2000 MPA) joined Hinshaw & Culbertson law firm in New Orleans, La. Previously with McGlinchey Stafford, was selected as an LCLD Fellow (Leadership Council on Legal Diversity) in 2016. She earned a JD from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Richard Arsenault (1980 JD) was nominated for 2020 membership in Premier Lawyers of America and was recognized as Acquisition International's Leading Trial Attorney of the Year for Louisiana as part of the Leading Advisor Awards. During the summer, he spoke at the Mass Tort Symposium in Cancun on the topic of Plaintiffs' Steering Committees and was asked by the American Bar Association to author two chapters in A Practitioner's Guide to Class Action with LSU Interim President Thomas C. Galligan, Jr., and Jaime L. Dodge, a professor at Emory law School.
Jonathan C. Benda (1986 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Mark N. Bodin (1984 BACH ENGR, 1988 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the area of Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants. Mary Broussard (1983 BACH MCOM) was named director of governmental affairs for the SJB Group. Broussard has twenty-five years of experience in the electric utility business having recently retired from Dixie Electric Membership Corp. as manager of economic development and held a board seat on the National Rural Electric Economic Developers Association. She previously retired from Entergy. In 2015, the Livingston Economic Development Council honored her with the annual Robert “Bob” Easterly Award for her work in economic development. Broussard is active in Rotary. Kenneth Champagne (1987 BACH BUS), senior vice president, Premium Finance Business Unit with Confie, is serving the second year of a two-year term as member-atlarge of the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). He is past president of the Baton Rouge chapter. Warner Joseph Delaune (1986 BACH ENGR, 1991 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America. Mark C. Dodart (1986 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
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Michael D. Ferachi (1986 BACH BUS, 1989 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Litigation-Banking and Finance, and Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law. Susan W. Furr (1986 BACH H&SS, 1989 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was recognized by Best Lawyers as a 2021 Lawyer of the Year in the area of Litigation-Labor and Employment. R. Marshall Grodner (1983 BACH H&SS, 1990 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Commercial Transactions/UCC Law and Equipment Finance Law. Thomas H. Kiggans (1984 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Robert Kimbro (1980 BACH BUS), owner of SageWay, New Orleans, La., received the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA) Distinguished Public Service Award. Throughout his career in accounting until his retirement from Ernst & Young in 2018, after having spent twelve years as the managing partner, Kimbro served on several nonprofit boards including the Childrens Bureau of New Orleans, the United Way of Southeast Louisiana, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Most recently, he has volunteered with GiGi’s Playhouse New Orleans, a nonprofit whose mission is to empower individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Errol J. King, Jr. (1986 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
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Kevin J. LaVie (1981 BACH H&SS, 1984 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Steven J. Levine (1984 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was recognized by Best Lawyers in America as a 2021 Lawyer of the Year in the area of Litigation-Environmental. Scott D. Mattson (1982 BACH H&SS) retired from teaching in June. After earning his commission in the Air Force at LSU, Mattson served on active duty from January 1983 to May 1995. "We arrived in Cheyenne, Wyo., in February 1994," he writes. "When I separated from active duty we decided to settle in Cheyenne. I joined the Wyoming Air National Guard in 1997 while working on my teaching certificate. I was a traditional guardsman and taught junior high and high school from 1998-2011, when I retired from the ANG at the rank of major. I continued teaching until retiring this June." Marshall M. Redmon (1987 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Kim Hunter Reed (1987 BACH MCOM, 1995 MPA), Louisiana commissioner of higher education, received the Exceptional Leader Award from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, cited for her role in launching a state push to double the number of adults with postsecondary credentials by 2030. John O. Shirley (1986 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Eric J. Simonson (1986 BACH BUS) joined Hinshaw & Culbertson law firm in New Orleans, La. Previously with McGlinchey Stafford, he was named Ones to Watch by New Orleans CityBusiness in 2017 and is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association. He received a JD from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. S. Jess Sperry (1985 BACH BUS, 1988 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the area of Real Estate Law. Patrick A. Talley, (1982 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was recognized by Best Lawyers in America as a 2021 Lawyer of the Year in the area of Railroad Law.
1990s
José Arce (1997 DVM), president and co-owner of Veterinary Medic Miramar Animal Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and one of the first natives of the U.S. Commonwealth to serve on the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) Board of Directors, achieved another first last summer when the AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) named him the 2020-2021 president-elect. Arce was a member of the HOD from 2000 until joining the AVMA Board in 2014. Jeffrey M. Barbin (1992 BACH BUS, 1998 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Lori Boeneke (1994 BACH BUS), chief financial officer of Wampold Companies, Baton Rouge, received the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry Award. Boeneke serves on the Heritage Ranch Christian Children’s Home Board of Directors as treasurer and head of the finance and HR committees.
Jennifer Woods Bollich (1994 BACH HS&E) was admitted to the Global Field Program at Global Field Program at Miami University in the Earth Expeditions: Connected Conservation course. She completed a Conservation Campaign project in which she and fellow graduate students used research-based literature to create inquiry-based lesson plans and activities on behalf of Centro de Educacion, Ciencia y Conservacion. Bollich, a secondary science teacher at STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee, lives in Ventress, La. Lisa Marie Bunch (1997 BACH H&SS) is serving her fifth term as president of the LSU Houston Alumni Chapter. She has served on the board since 2008 and held multiple roles. Bunch is a founding member of the Houston SEC Alumni Group, a captain at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, serves on the Texas Bowl Committee, and volunteers with multiple other charities. A senior hospital surgical representative, she holds an MBA from Saint Joseph's University. Virginia Y. Dodd (1993 BACH BUS, 1997 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Edmund J. Giering, IV (1990 BACH HSS, 1994 JD, 2005 MBA), general counsel of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, was named the 2020 recipient of the Outstanding In-House Counsel Award for distinguished service by a nonprofit in-house counsel by the Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association, Business Law Section. Giering currently serves on the LSU Law John P. Laborde Energy Law Center Advisory Council and the E.J. Ourso College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council. Karleen J. Green (1994 BACH BUS, 1997 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
J. Alan Harrell (1994 BACH H&SS, 1997 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Marlon D. Henderson (1997 BACH SCI, 2001 DDS-NO), a general dentist at Henderson Dentistry, Shreveport, La., was awarded the National Dental Association (NDA) 2020 President's Award. Henderson, current vice-president of the NDA, was selected to participate in the American Dental Association's Institute for Diversity in Leadership 2020-2021 program. He is a former president of the Pelican State Dental Association, former member of the Louisiana Health Care Commission, and former board member of the LSU School of Dentistry Alumni Association. Christine Hoang (1999 BACH H&SS) attended the Writers Lab with her comedy “Fly Girl.” An attorney, Hoang, a child of Vietnamese refugees, entered her "second act" – writing – after her daughter started Pre-K. “Fly Girl,” her first screenplay, was a 2020 Tribeca Film Network selected feature, 2019 Austin Film Festival Pitch Finalist, and 2019 Sundance 2nd Rounder. Hoang's goal is to write broad comedy feature films and TV shows for universal audiences. Launched in 2015, the Writers Lab is produced by co-founders Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon and New York Women in Film & Television and supported by Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Oprah Winfrey. Ronnie L. Johnson (1990 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the area of Insurance Law. Christine Lipsey (1994 BACH H&SS, 1982 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the area of Commercial Litigation.
John A. “Jay” Montalbano (1999 BACH BUS), a partner with Hannis T. Bourgeois, was named the 2020-2021 chair of the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). A past president of the Baton Rouge chapter, he has served on the board since 2016. Jean-Paul Perrault (1991 BACH BUS), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the area Insurance Law. Patrick Ragan Richard (1993 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Shannon S. Sale (1999 BACH H&SS), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the area of Mass Tort Litigation-Class/Class Actions-Defendants. Terri Broussard Williams (1999 BACH MCOM) is the author of Find Your Fire: Stories and Strategies to Inspire the Changemaker Inside You, a No. 1 Amazon New Release, No. 1 Amazon Best Seller for Women in Politics, and No. 6 Cosmopolitan Best Non-Fiction Books of 2020. Williams is a member of the LSU National Diversity Advisory Board.
2000s
Riley Busenlener (2002 JD), of Metairie, La., received the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA) Special Recognition Award. He is vice president of the Valuation Advisory group and chairs LCPA's forensic, litigation, and valuation services committee.
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Joseph J. Cefalu (2009 BACH BUS, 2012 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the area of Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants. Ryan Christopher (2002 BACH MCOM) of New York, N.Y., was appointed global director of product marketing at PubMatic, one of the largest independent, omnichannel supply-side platforms (SSP) in the programmatic advertising space. Koby J. Coulon (2001 BACH ENGR) was appointed chief engineer at Gulf Coast Pre-Stress Partners, in Pass Christian, Miss. A native of Bunkie, La., Coulon received his Professional Engineering License (PE) in 2007. David C. Fleshman (2008 BACH H&SS, 2011 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the areas of Construction Law and Litigation-Construction. Rowdy Gaudet (2007 MBA) was named managing director at Emergent Method, a management consulting firm in Baton Rouge. He was most recently assistant chief administrative officer to East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broom and previously served as infrastructure director of the disaster recovery unit and as chief of staff at the Louisiana Office of Community Development. Druit G. Gremillion (2007 BACH H&SS, 2011 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the area of Insurance Law.
Sarah Homann (2006 BACH SCI), assistant professor in the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology at Vanderbilt's Medical Center, received her Master of Public Health degree from Vanderbilt University in May and completed her practicum with the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. Homann earned her MD from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Rachael Jeanfreau (2007 H&SS), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the areas Labor and Employment Law-Management and Litigation-Labor and Employment. Kyle LaFerney (2007 BACH A&D) was promoted to associate at Parkhill, a multidisciplinary firm that provides comprehensive architectural and engineering design services. A client manager in the site development and planning sector, LaFerney has nearly fifteen years of experience partnering with public clients and assisting in the management of their capital programs. He and his wife, Robin, have been married for ten years and have two sons, Cade and Myles. Ali Landry (2009 BACH MCOM) was named executive director of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts Foundation in July. Landry was previously senior director of development for the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences. Jason MacMorran (2002 MAST BUS), a director with Postlethwaite & Netterville's Consulting Services Group in Baton Rouge and leader of the firm's litigation niche, is immediate-past chair of the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA).
Sunny Mayhall (2008 BACH MCOM), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the area of Corporate Law. Matthew M. McCluer (2008 BACH H&SS), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the area of Labor and Employment. Mukti Patel (2002 BACH BUS, 2004 MAST BUS), associate partner with Hannis T. Bourgeois, Baton Rouge, received the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA) Women to Watch Emerging Leader Award. She is involved with Our Lady of the Lake’s Children’s Hospital, Volunteers of America, Youth Oasis, and Habitat for Humanity. Erik Piazza (2004 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
Jacob E. Roussel (2008 BACH ENGR, 2012 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the areas of Construction Law and Litigation-Construction. Brian Schmolke (2006 BACH H&SS), a financial advisor with the Schmolke Investment Team, Alexandria, La., received his Certified Financial Planner™ designation in April. Stewart Spielman (2000 BACH H&SS) joined Hinshaw & Culbertson law firm in New Orleans, La. Previously with McGlinchey Stafford, Spielman is certified as a business bankruptcy specialist
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64 LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
by the American Board of Certification and the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He was selected as an LCLD Fellow (Leadership Council on Legal Diversity) in 2014. He received a JD from Tulane University Law School. Megan Volpert (2006 MFA) won the Georgia Author of the Year award for her book, Boss Broad (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2019). Volpert, author or editor of more than a dozen books on popular culture, including two Lambda Literary Award finalists, is an American Library Association honoree. She has taught public high school English in Atlanta, Ga., for more than a decade and was 2014 Teacher of the Year. She writes for PopMatters and has edited anthologies of philosophical essays on the music of Tom Petty and the television series RuPaul's Drag Race. Photo: Robert Friedman
A. Grady Williams, IV (2007 JD), an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.
2010s
Danielle Borel (2011 BACH BUS, 2014 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, received the American Bar Association’s (ABA) 2020 On the Rise-Top 40 Young Lawyers Award. Active in the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA) and the American Bar Association (ABA), she received the LSBA Young Lawyers Division Bat. P. Sullivan, Jr. Chair’s Award and ABA Health Law Section Emerging Young Lawyers in Healthcare Award. She serves on the board of directors, chairs the advisory board, and serves on the fundraising committee of Lighthouse Louisiana. Borel was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the area of Commercial Litigation. Timothy G. Byrd (2014 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the area of Commercial Litigation.
Kelsey A. Clark (2012 BACH H&SS, 2015 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the area of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action-Defendants and Product Liability Litigation-Defendants. Benson Edagwa (2012 PHD SCI), associate professor of pharmacology and experimental neuroscience at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is a key inventor of a potential HIV eradication strategy that could allow people to feel a sense of normalcy while living with HIV. He also created a novel means to prevent HIV infection that could allow people with or who are at risk of acquiring the virus to take medicines once a year. Sarah Edwards (2011 BACH H&SS), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas Commercial Litigation and Financial Services Regulation Law. Jennifer Zundel Forest (2011 MAST BUS), an internal auditor with RoyOMartin, was elected to a two-year term as a member at-large of the Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA). She is a past president of the Central Louisiana chapter and served as the chapter's Emerging CPA Council representative. Taylor Jacobsen (2014 BACH A&D, 2020 MAST A&D) was named business development director of design and planning services at SJB Group. Jacobsen, founder of Urban Canvas Studio and an United Aerial, an aerial data collection and management company, and also worked with landscaping companies CALLISONRTKL and Studio Outside. He holds a remote pilot’s license and belongs to the National UAS Crediting Program NUSCAP, American Society of Landscape Architecture, Louisiana Business & Technology Center, and SENSE’s Baton Rouge Business Entrepreneurship. He is active in Habitat for Humanity and is a founding father of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.
David Koke, III (2019 BACH BUS), of Lafayette, La., joined the Picard Group, a national governmental affairs and consulting services firm. He served on the committee staff for the Natural Resources Committee; Agricultural, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development Committee; and Ways & Means Committee in the Louisiana House of Representatives. In addition to his work in the legislature, he assisted on a number of election campaigns through advocacy, marketing, and fundraising efforts. Koke participates in fundraising events to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association and is a member of the705, an organization for young leaders. Catherine Breaux Moore (2015 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson, was included in the 2021 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the area of Health Care Law. Kristin Oglesby (2015 BACH BUS, 2018 JD) joined the Baton Rouge office of Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson as an associate in the corporate practice group. Previously, she served as judicial law clerk to the Hon. S. Kyle Duncan in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Duane Patin (2013 MAST A&D), a colonel in the U.S. Army, graduated from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle, Pa., with a master's degree in strategic studies on June 5, 2020. A native of Breaux Bridge, La., Patin earned his bachelor’s degree at University of Louisiana-Lafayette in 1996. His next assignment will be chief of staff at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Polk, La.
2020s
Alexa Candelora (2020 JD) joined the Baton Rouge office of Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson as an associate in the casualty litigation practice group.
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BABY
BENGALS Molly McRae Hirsch (BACH BUS 2009) and Leon Hirsch, III (BACH BUS 2009), along with Grandad Leon Hirsch (BACH BUS 1973) and a contingency of aunts, uncles and a godfather – all LSU grads – welcomed Mason James Hirsch to the world at 1:40 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2020, in Houston, Texas. Mason weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 oz., was 19.5 inches, and upon arrival said, “Coach O, put me in and Geaux Tigers!” Lisa Rogillio Ramsey (BACH HS&E 2012) and her husband, Thomas “TJ” Ramsey, of Denham Springs, La., announce the birth of twins Carter and Reid on Jan. 15, 2020. Carter weighed 5 lbs. and 10 oz.; Reid, 4 lbs. and 15 oz. Big sister Elizabeth “Lizzy” Ramsey welcomed them home. Lisa writes: “The pregnancy seemed to center around LSU football. The gender reveal took place during the halftime of the LSU vs. Vanderbilt football game, using a decorated box filled with either two LSU cheerleader teddy bears or two LSU football teddy bears. The opening revealed two quarterback bears meaning identical twin boys were on the way. I went into labor and watched the Tigers complete a perfect season from my hospital room. My doctor joked that I could not give birth during the game since she was going to the championship game that evening. The boys held off, and mom, dad, and big sister Lizzie celebrated that perfect season with the Tigers.” Ashley M. White (2009 BACH H&SS) and Michael P. Rosalez (2020 MSW), of Hammond, La., celebrated their marriage with a reception at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. “We now have more news to announce,” writes Ashley. “Our first child, Scarlett Moore Rosalez, was born June 10, 2020. She was three-and-a-half weeks early, weighing in at 7 lbs. and 20 ins., and is ready to be our newest Tiger Tailgater.”
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In Memoriam Lodwrick Monroe Cook, III (1950 BACH H&SS, 1955 MAST ENGR, 1990 Honorary Doctor of Science), a successful businessman and philanthropist, passed away Sept. 28 in Sherman Oaks, California at the age of 92. A Louisiana native, growing up in Grand Cane, Cook received degrees in mathematics and petroleum engineering at LSU, the latter after a tour of duty in the U.S Army as a First Lieutenant stationed in Germany. Later, while working, he finished an MBA program at Southern Methodist University in 1965. Cook’s professional career began in 1956 as an engineering trainee with Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO). He quickly ascended the corporate ladder, eventually becoming the CEO and Chairman of the Board. Under his leadership, ARCO was hailed as the Best-Managed U.S. Company, with profit margins approached by few and returns on equity equaled by none. In 1988, he was featured on the cover of Forbes magazine for his negotiating skills and leadership. After thirty-nine years with ARCO, he retired in 1995 and was named Chairman Emeritus. From 1998 to 2002, Cook was Co-Chairman of Global Crossing, Ltd., which built the first global fiber-optic telecommunications network connecting more than 200 cities. Most recently, Cook served as Chairman of NeuroSigma, Inc., a medical device company approved by the FDA for pediatric treatment of ADHD with future additional uses in development. Cook served as a director on numerous additional boards including Lockheed-Martin Corporation, Litex, Inc., and Castle & Cooke. Cook was also a Trustee of the Aspen Institute. Cook’s connection to LSU remained strong. He served on the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors for twenty-seven years. He made the lead gift for the construction of the Lod Cook Alumni Center, dedicated on May 20, 1994. The LSU community, along with former U.S Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush, and Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards, celebrated the opening of the new facility, which he envisioned would open doors for many alumni and future graduates. Cook and his wife, Carole made the lead gift for construction of the Lod & Carole Cook Conference Center, also known as The Cook Hotel located on the LSU campus. The facility, the only privately owned and operated alumni association hotel in the country, was dedicated on Oct. 21, 2001. Cook was named a Louisiana Legend by Louisiana Public Broadcasting in 1995. Cook's philanthropy had a particular focus on education, youth, and minority programs. He was a Trustee of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation and former Chairman and Lifetime Trustee of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. He was also a member of the Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors at Oxford University in England, and served on the board of advisors of the Carter Center of Emory University Board of Directors. In 1994, upon appointment by HM Queen Elizabeth II, Cook was invested by Prince Charles with the insignia of Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) for his contribution to Anglo-American relations and support for philanthropic projects around the world. In 2001, the Points of Light Foundation presented Cook with the first George Bush Corporate Leadership Award for his leadership role in supporting employee volunteerism and corporate citizenship. Since 1970, Cook and his family have resided in the Los Angeles area. His local community interests include serving as a member
of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles (of which he was Founder Chairman) and Life Regent of Pepperdine University. Cook also had a long association with Junior Achievement having been former National Chairman and Trustee from 1987-1989 and was National Director Emeritus. In 2000 he was inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame. His financial contributions and work with the Library Foundation of Los Angeles led to the dedication of the Lodwrick Cook Rotunda in the library's downtown Los Angeles location. Cook received the Golden Plate Award and was inducted into the American Academy of Achievement in 1992. Cook was presented by Sigma Chi with the Significant Sig award in 1979 and later the Semi Century Sig for fifty years of membership. In addition to his Honorary Doctorate from LSU, he was elected to the LSU College of Engineering Hall of Distinction, and he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law from St. Augustine College, Honorary Doctor of Laws from Pepperdine University, Honorary Doctor of Laws from Cal Lutheran University, and Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Cal State Dominguez Hills. Cook was honored with more than 500 awards, commendations, certificates, and proclamations throughout his lifetime. Cook was married for thirty-five years to his beloved wife Carole, who passed away in 2010. He is survived by his first wife, five children, and ten grandchildren who will celebrate his life for the rest of theirs. James R. Peltier (1950 BACH H&SS, 2005 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters), of Thibodaux, La., a retired oral and maxillofacial surgeon, died on May 22, 2020. He earned his DDS from Loyola University. He served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, interned at Duke University Hospital, and did his residency at Charity Hospital. Peltier was past president and founder of the Louisiana Society of Oral Surgeons, past president of the Southeastern (U.S.) Society of Oral Surgeons, and a diplomat of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He held fellowships in the American and International College of Dentists and was chief of the medical staff and a director on the hospital board at St. Joseph's Hospital. He was former chairman of Argent Bank, a director of Hibernia National Bank, and past president of numerous organizations, including the Thibodaux Rotary Club and the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce. Peltier was the only person in LSU history to be elected chairman of the Board of Supervisors, president of the LSU Alumni Association, and president of the LSU Foundation. He served as chairman of the board of CABL (Council For A Better Louisiana) and PAR (Public Affairs Research Council) and was secretary/treasurer of the Lafourche Arc for more than sixty years. He received the Durel VFW Award for outstanding citizenship, Tri-Parish Volunteer of the Year award, Inaugural Louisiana Dental Association Distinguished Achievement award, the Thibodaux Chamber Kennedy award; was named to the E.D. White High School Hall of Fame, named LSU Alumnus of the Year, named Outstanding Community Businessman by Beta Gamma Sigma of Nicholls State University, and selected by Arts & Antiques Magazine as one of American's Top 100 Collectors. Peltier also served aboard the Hospital Ship HOPE in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
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Tiger Nation
In Memoriam Charles M. Smith (1951 BACH H&SS, 1955 MD-NO), of Sulphur, La., a retired physician, passed away on Sept. 15, 2020. After completing medical school, Smith enlisted in the U.S. Air Force’s Flight Surgeon Program and spent twenty one months overseas in the Azores. After his discharge, he started a residency program in family practice in Lafayette, La., and was then recruited for a family practice in Sulphur. He was elected coroner of the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office, a position he held for twenty years. In addition to serving as a physician, Smith supported his community through his generosity and many volunteer commitments over the years. He was a Rotarian and directed the parish heart drive fund, polio drive, and immunization programs. In retirement, his philanthropic efforts were inspirational. He was a benefactor of the Methodist Children’s Home of Southwest Louisiana, funded scholarships at McNeese State University
for local students interested in medicine, served on the board of the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, and donated medical furniture and equipment from the original 1927 Sulphur medical practice to the city’s Brimstone Museum. Inspired by his personal experiences as a cancer survivor and his desire to improve patient care and cancer treatment in Louisiana, he established the Dr. Charles M. Smith Chair of Medical Physics & Health Physics Program in partnership with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. The academic-clinical partnership, which serves the critical needs of Louisiana, is one of the strongest accredited medical physics programs in the country. Smith was a charter member of College of Science Dean’s Circle and served on the Dean’s Circle Executive Committee. He was a member of the LSU Foundation’s Laureate Society and the Forever LSU Society (formerly named the 1860 Society). He was a 2009 Hall of Distinction honoree and was inducted into LSU’s Alumni Hall of Distinction in 2017.
1940s
Peggy Wilson Martin, 1956 BACH H&SS, Aug. 3, 2020, New Orleans, La. Gerry Elizabeth Roy Mathews, 1956 BACH HS&E, June 1, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Hallie Loy McCarter, 1956 BACH HS&E, Sept. 12, 2020, Midland, Texas John Wells “J.W.” Melancon, Sr., 1950 BACH ENGR, Aug. 28, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Joseph Allen Nadler, Jr., 1959 BACH BUS, Sept. 17, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Easton Joseph Pitre, 1954 BACH H&SE, 1966 MAST H&SS, May 13, 2020, Golden Meadow, La. Henry Glynn Pylant, 1950 BACH ENGR, June 4, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Oran Andrew Ritter, 1957 BACH ENGR, 1968 MAST ENGR, Aug. 24, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Iris Jean Altrogge Soulé, 1956 BACH HS&E, May 30, 2020, O’Fallon, Ill. William Patrick Stewart, Jr., 1951 BACH ENGR, July 23, 2020, Monroe, La. Genevieve Fuselier “Genny” Aillet Thomas, 1957 MLS, Aug. 2, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Kathleen McHenry Wilkins, 1950 MLS, July 25, 2020, Lufkin, Texas Madeline N. Wright, 1950 BACH H&SS, Aug. 4, 2020, St. Francisville, La.
Gerard Arthur Becnel, 1949 BACH HS&E, July 6, 2020, Lake Charles, La. Oley L. Cross, 1947 BACH BUS, June 19, 2020, Denham Springs, La. Rita Winifred Montegut Davis, 1947 BACH HS&E, May 14, 2020, Oviedo, Fla. John Wayne "Mickey" Dupuy, 1946 BACH BUS, June 13, 2020, Metairie, La. Frances McInnis Anderson Fish, 1949 BACH H&SS, May 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Gloria Harlow, 1948 BACH AGR, July 30, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Gladys McDonald “Mac” Olinde, 1948 BACH HS&E, May 31, 2020, New Roads, La.
1950s Don Adams, 1957 BACH BUS, May 9, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Lenore Elizabeth Evans "Nonie" Banks, 1952 BACH HS&E, 1954 MAST H&SS, 1972 PHD HS&E, June 17, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. George Noah Baquet, Jr., 1958 MD-NO, June 29, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Patricia Bergeron, 1955 BACH A&D, July 15, 2020, The Woodlands, Texas James Madison Bouanchaud, 1953 BACH BUS, June 7, 2020, New Roads, La. James Logan Brown, 1950 BACH H&SS, May 28, 2020, Austin, Texas George Robert Burleson, 1955 BACH SCI, March 2, 2020, Las Cruces, N.M. Marilyn Hill Catchings, 1954 BACH HS&E, 1980 MAST HS&E, Aug. 15, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. David A. DeBeouf, 1955 PHD BUS, July 20, 2020, McComb, Ill. Huey James Dufrene, 1957 BACH BUS, Sept. 10, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Sarah "Sally" Frances Helm Evans, 1957 BACH HS&E, July 22, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Mary Fay Lapeyrouse Freshley, 1954 BACH HS&E, May 22, 2020, Lafayette, La. Norma Alford Garner, 1952 BACH HS&E, May 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Russell John Gremillion, 1957 MAST HS&E, July 15, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Biaggio Anthony “Blaise” “Bill” Guarisco, 1955 BACH ENGR, May 5, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Robert Harold Hodges, 1956 JD, Sept. 5, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Charles Baad Kahao, 1951 BACH BUS, Sept. 16, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Kenneth F. Kuzenski, 1957 MSW, July 23, 2020, Rosa Beach, Fla. Leo Lambert, Jr., 1951 BACH HS&E, June 2020, Gonzales, La. Elsie Patricia Olinde “Pat” Laurent, 1948 BACH M&DA, June 28, 2020, New Roads, La. Hal Bailey "Buck" MacMurdo, 1956 BACH AGR, July 19, 2020, Baton Rouge, La.
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1960s Jane Louise Arbor, 1961 MLS, Sept. 17, 2020, Wichita, Kan. Mary Kathleen Brian Arceneaux, 1967 BACH H&SS, May 15, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Alison Hubbard Ashton, 1969 BACH AGR, July 22, 2020, Durham, N.C. Homer Ed Barousse, Jr., 1969 JD, Aug. 6, 2020, Crowley, La. Victor Hilary Barousse, 1960 BACH BUS, June 20, 2020, New Orleans, La. Sharon Ann Milton Bezdek, 1969 BACH HS&E, retired from Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Economic Development, Aug. 26, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Julius Ladell Birch, 1960 BACH ENGR, Sept. 19, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Thomas Allen Boone, 1969 BACH BUS, 1970 MBA, July 25, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Joseph Roy Chustz, Jr., 1960 BACH H&SS, Aug. 4, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Leon DeMent, Jr., 1968 BACH H&SS, 1971 MD-NO, July 15, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. James "Jim" Euel DeLaune, Sr., 1966 MAST HS&E, July 23, 2020, Denham Springs, La. Ronald Ruhl Donaldson,1960 BACH H&SS, Aug. 3, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Donald Beauchamp Fisher, 1964 BACH AGR, May 9, 2020, Highlands, N.C. Kenneth Maxwell Frith, 1961 BACH ENGR, April 29, 2020, Rocky Branch, La. Lloyd Funchess, Jr., 1963 BACH HS&E, July 26, 2020, Baton Rouge, La.
Michelle Menton Gauthier, 1964 BACH H&SS, July 18, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. John Lawrence Gibbens, 1964 BACH H&SS, June 25, 2020, Lockport, La. Emmett Casey Heitmeier, 1967 BACH AGR, April 30, 2020, Melbourne, Fla. Carol Conerly Hopper, 1967 BACH HS&E, 1970 MAST HS&E, May 17, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Nathan “B” Knox, 1965 BACH BUS, July 4, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Jules Burton LeBlanc, III, 1966 BACH H&SS, 1969 JD, May 23, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Milford Lee, 1967 BACH H&SS, July 27, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Meredith Hoag Lieux, 1969 BACH SCI, 1986 JD, Retired Professor of Botany, Aug. 25, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Hiram Louis Lyles, 1969 BACH H&SS, 1992 MPA, May 10, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Iris May Guarisco Marionneaux, 1965 BACH HS&E, Aug. 28, 2020, Walker, La. Larry David Michel, 1967 BACH H&SS, 1969 MAST H&SS, May 18, 2020, Mobile, Ala. Joseph Henry Mitchen, 1964 MAST SCI, May 7, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Kenneth Wayne Peyton, Sr., 1968 BACH BUS, July 13, 2020, Denham Springs, La. Shelby L. Roper, 1963 BACH H&SS, Aug. 8, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Gerald Joseph “Jerry” Smith, 1968 BACH H&SS, June 9, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Norman James Stafford, Jr., 1960 BACH AGR, Aug. 1, 2020, Franklinton, La. Bobby E. Stanley, 1966 BACH BUS, July 10, 2020, Port Allen, La. Toni Lyn Edwards Stephenson, 1967 BACH H&SS, May 2020, Boulder City, Nev. Sharon Ann Smith Storey, 1968 BACH HS&E, June 4, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Louis Joseph Thibodeaux, 1962 BACH ENGR, 1966 MAST ENGR, 1968 PHD ENGR, Professor, School of the Coast & Environment, Aug. 18, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Glenn Robert Timmons, 1966 MAST AGR, May 15, 2020, St. Francisville, La. William Joseph Torres, 1966 MD-NO, June 18, 2020, Houma, La. Alfred Denman "Dennie" Wall, Jr., 1964 BACH ENGR, July 27, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Jean Claire Barlow Wattigny, 1966 BACH H&SS, April 18, 2020, New Iberia, La. Eleanor Elaine Webb, 1965 BACH HS&E, 1978 PHD HS&E, July 15, 2020, Baton Rouge, La.
1970s Joseph L. “Joe” Anjier, 1977 MBA, July 27, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Walter Bennett Atkinson, 1971 BACH AGR, July 21, 2020, Brandon, Miss. Elizabeth Nell Dubus “Beth” Baldridge, 1973 MAST H&SS, Aug. 30, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. John Edward “Jack” Bride, 1972 JD, April 11, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Thomas W. Bunce, 1970 BACH H&SS, May 24, 2020, Henrico, Va. Francis Raphael “F.R.” Cavell, Jr., 1972 BACH H&SS, March 30, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Janice Smith Cox, 1972 MAST HS&E, June 20, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Patsy Ree "Patti" Coxe, 1973 BACH A&D, June 18, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Jonathan P. Dowling Professor & Hearne Chair of Theoretical Physics June 5, 2020 Baton Rouge, La. Robert Taylor Nethken Retired Associate Professor of Engineering July 3, 2020 Baton Rouge, La.
Lou Delaunay, 1979 BACH H&SS, June 15, 2020, Austin, Texas Catha Elise Gaines Duhe, 1976 BACH HS&E, Sept. 2, 2020, Gonzales, La. May Yvonne Fuller, 1973 BACH HS&E, 1982 MAST HS&E, May 7, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. David E. Gaudin, 1974 BACH H&SS, 1977 MD-NO, May 10, 2020, Hammond, La. Barbara Sutton Kavanaugh, 1978 MLS, July 26, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Steven W. Parnell, 1978 BACH H&SS, June 14, 2020, Laurel Hill, La. John Frank Prestigiacomo, 1977 BACH H&SS, 1983 MD-NO, 2002 MBA, August 11, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Roy Dwayne Roberts, 1979 MAST HS&E, May 29, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Doris Pierce Sandifer, 1978 BACH HS&E, June 28, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Llewelleyn Ray Sibley, attended 1974-1977, July 20, 2020, Opelousas, La. Dennis R. Trombatore, 1976 BACH H&SS 1977 MLS, July 8, 2020, Austin, Texas
1980s Marc John Bitner, 1988 BACH H&SS, 1995 JD, July 16, 2020, New Orleans, La. Pamela K. Ellender, 1985 BACH H&SS, July 4, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Thomas Hobbs “Tom” Fletcher, 1987 BACH H&SS, May 24, 2020, Montreal, Canada Maureen Elizabeth Regan “Beth” Grissom, 1986 BACH HS&E, June 28, 2020, Johnsburg, Ill. Mary Shea Miller Heider, 1989 BACH H&SS, April 3, 2020, Denver, Colo. Zoe Frances Howard, 1980 BACH A&D, May 15, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Judy Derouen Koonce, 1982 MLS, May 27, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Francis Anthony “Frank” Manale, Jr., 1984 BACH ENGR, Aug. 20, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Daniel Andrew Pressley, 1983 BACH H&SS, June 9, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. André Carolyn W. Ray, 1983 BACH BUS, Sept. 17, 2020, Baton Rouge, La.
1990s John Kincaid Carpenter, 1993 BACH MCOM, May 13, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Cathy Joyce Pettway Greenwald, 1991 MAST HS&E, Aug. 19, Baton Rouge, La. Martin Johnson, 1991 BACH MCOM, Dean, Manship School of Mass Communication, Sept. 28, 2020, Baton Rouge, La.
2000s William Bruce King, 2008 MAST ENGR, June 8, 2020, Greenwell Springs, La. Richard Bailey Macmurdo, 2000 BACH H&SS, July 20, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Frederick "Fred" Reuben Posey, 2004 MAST AGR, Aug. 31, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Dee Dee Reilly, 2002 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, July 19, 2020, Baton Rouge, La. Carol Mae Cox Stuart, 2001 MAST H&SS, August 2020, Walker, La. Terry J. Thomas, Jr., 2003 BACH H&SS, July 28, 2020, Baton Rouge, LA. John William Wright, 2006 PHD M&DA, June 9, 2020, Lafayette, La.
2010s Matthew "Matt" Vaughn Hopkins, 2013 BACH ENGR, July 25, 2020, Baton Rouge, La.
Ralph Izard Professor Emeritus, former Interim Dean and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Manship School Sept. 3, 2020 Athens, Ohio Fred Z. Oustalet Alumnus By Choice July 17, 2020 Jennings, La.
Robert J. “Bob” Koch Retired Professor of Mathematics Aug. 11, 2020 Baton Rouge, La.
Hazel Correne Newton Retired Professor of Leadership & Human Resource Development Aug. 9, 2020 Sun City, Ariz.
Ward Plummer Boyd Professor of Physics July 23, 2020 Baton Rouge, La.
A memorial gift was made in memory of John W. Fetzer, who died on July 2, 2020, in Baton Rouge. Fetzer attended LSU in 1943. A member of the LSU baseball team, he was elected to the Hall of Fame and was co-organizer of the Baton Rouge Kids Baseball Clinic. If you would like to make a gift to the LSU Alumni Association in memory of a family member, friend or classmate, please contact our office for additional information at 225-578-3838 or 1-888-746-4578.
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Tiger Nation
Tigers in Print Al Comeaux (1987 BACH MCOM) Change (the) Management: Why We as Leaders Must Change for the Change to Last (Lioncrest Publishing) There’s a reason two-thirds of organizational change initiatives are unsuccessful and an estimated $2 trillion is wasted on change each year: change efforts are largely one-dimensional. Now Change (the) Management brings a second dimension to the conversation. In addition to setting rational goals, leaders also must become deeply involved in the change process— not outsourcing it to others. They must pull their people through the change, reaching them on an emotional level rather than pushing change on their people transactionally. Using both science and well-told stories that illustrate the need for this fundamentally new way of thinking, this book finally speaks straight to leaders to help them re-think how to manage change…and even how to lead every day. Instead of drawing on the work of outside observers, Change (the) Management draws on the author’s decades of experience in-seat as a change champion and senior executive at well-known companies as well as decades of research on the subject of organizational change.
Up (2004), examined leadership characteristics of those bold enough to imagine, create, and successfully lead schools within the new educational reform initiative. The second, Journeys of Charter School Creators: Leadership for the Long Haul (2019), followed up with the original leaders fifteen years later – asking what had changed, what hadn't, and what they had learned from their leadership journeys. In Changing to Charter, Shore and her co-authors zeroed in on a subcategory of the initial group of leaders, those who started out as traditional public or private school principals, then made the decision to "convert" their schools to public charter school status. As one reviewer comments, this is "the book that every person interested in better schools for our children must read."
Rebecca Martin Shore (1980 BACH HS&E) Changing to Charter: How and Why School Leaders Convert (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers)
Darlyne G. Nemeth (1971 MAST H&SS, 1973 PHD H&SS) with Janna Glozman Evaluation and Treatment of Neuropsychologically Compromised Children: Understanding Clinical Applications Post Reitan and Luria (Academic Press)
Changing to Charter is the third in a series of books that are the result of two decades of study of successful leaders of charter schools across the United States. The first book, Adventures of Charter School Creators: Leading from the Ground
Evaluation and Treatment of Neuropsychologically Compromised Children: Understanding Clinical Applications Post Luria and Reitan defines what executive functions are, discusses differences in executive functioning between
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normative children and those with special education needs, identifies how best to perform neuropsychological assessments of executive function using both qualitative and quantitative measures, and presents the best treatment interventions for improvement. The book makes special note of the contributions of A.R. Luria, from Russia, and Ralph M. Reitan, from the U.S. as the "fathers" of modern neuropsychology to help readers understand current advances in theory and clinical applications relating to executive function. Joseph Arthur Simon (1960 BACH BUS, 1967 MAST H&SS) The Greatest of All Leathernecks: John Archer Lejeune and the Making of the Modern Marine Corps (LSU Press) The Greatest of All Leathernecks is the first comprehensive biography of John Archer Lejeune (1867-1942), a Louisiana native and the most innovative and influential leader of the U.S. Marine Corps in the twentieth century. As commandant of the Marine Corps from 1920 to 1929, Lejeune reorganized, revitalized, and modernized the force by developing its new and permanent mission of amphibious assault. The son of a plantation owner from Pointe Coupee Parish, Lejeune enrolled at LSU in 1871, aged fourteen. Three years later,
he entered the U.S. Naval Academy, afterward serving for two years at sea as a midshipman. In 1890, he transferred to the Marines and ascended quickly in rank. During the Spanish-American War, Lejeune commanded and landed Marines at San Juan, Puerto Rico, to rescue American sympathizers who had been attacked by Spanish troops. A few years later, he arrived with a battalion of Marines at the Isthmus of Panama, part of Colombia at the time, securing it for Panama and making possible the construction of the Panama Canal by the United States. He went on to lead Marine expeditions to Cuba and Veracruz, Mexico. During World War I, Lejeune was promoted to major general and given command of an entire U.S. Army division. After the war, Lejeune became commandant of the Marine Corps, a role he used to develop its new mission of amphibious assault, transforming the corps from an ancillary component of the U.S. military into one of its most vibrant and essential branches. He also created the Marine Corps Reserve, oversaw the corps’s initial use of aviation, and founded the Marine Corps Schools, the intellectual planning center of the corps that currently exists as the Marine Corps University. As the author masterfully illustrates, the mission and value of the corps today spring largely from the efforts and vision of Lejeune. Linda Colquitt Taylor (1974 BACH HS&E) The ABCs of LSU (LSU Press)
Band Drumline stops on Victory Hill. Cymbal, snares, bass give us a thrill! To the Ag Center Dairy Store for a cold treat, Delicious ice cream tasty and sweet." Included are beloved mascot Mike the Tiger, baseball at Alex Box Stadium, the chiming Memorial Tower, dancing Golden Girls, the Quad, the Greek Theater, and much more. Glynn Young (1973 BACH MCOM) Dancing Prince (Dunrobin Publishing) A mother’s last words, a father’s final message, and a strange painting: Michael Kent-Hughes faces personal tragedy, one that leads to longlasting damage to the relationship with his youngest child, Prince Thomas. As the young boy grows to adulthood, he finds his own way in life, as the estrangement from his father continues. But in the boy’s hands and heart will lie the future of the kingdom. Dancing Prince is the moving conclusion of the Dancing Priest series. Steve Zaffuto (1991 BACH MCOM) Essential Knowledge for the Aspiring Media Professional (Routledge Press Essential Knowledge for the Aspiring Media Professional provides readers with the skillset needed to produce professional, high-quality video content in today’s competitive media landscape. The author draws on over two decades of industry experience to offer strategies for how to develop a sense of design, adopt a holistic
approach to the media production process, and craft a distinct idea for a project’s intent and form. In five indepth chapters, the book delves into topics ranging from pre-production and planning processes to technical considerations and post-production methods. It concludes with an overview of career opportunities for aspiring media-makers. This book is an invaluable resource for students and professionals alike looking to hone creative production techniques within a broad range of formats and environments, particularly those requiring effective marketing and advertising-oriented content. Terri Broussard Williams (1999 BACH MCOM) Find Your Fire: Stories and Strategies to Inspire the Changemaker Inside You (Movement Maker Publishing Looking for inspiration from real women changing the world right now? Look no further. Find Your Fire will ignite your potential with powerful stories and no-nonsense advice. You'll meet social justice warriors, elected leaders, activists, social entrepreneurs, and other extraordinary women on a mission of change. Named #6 Best Non-Fiction Book of 2020 by Cosmopolitan Magazine and an instant Amazon #1 New Release and #1 Best Seller, this book will give you the tools to turn the vision for your own movement into a reality.
Tiger Nation's youngest generation will delight in The ABCs of LSU. Rhymed verse and colorful drawings introduce children to the landmarks, history, activities, and traditions of Louisiana's flagship university. Each page of the book highlights a different letter of the alphabet: "Tiger
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The Enduring Bonds of Brotherhood By John Grubb
Delta Tau Delta fraternity brothers, from left, LSU Alumni Association Chairman Jeff Mohr, Association President and CEO Gordon Monk, and former Chairman Jerry Shea prior to a board meeting at the Lod Cook Alumni Center.
“Fraternity roots run deep.”
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Fraternal organizations have long existed at LSU and helped forge not only friendships but also enduring bonds between young men and women that led to institutional creations – marriages, companies, private foundations, and yes, kids. For the most part, these bonds have centered primarily on friendships, some so strong they cross decades and generations.
For three such friends – Gordon Monk, Jerry Shea, and Jeff Mohr – those bonds have kept them connected year after year to LSU where they began their college careers as fraternity brothers in Delta Tau Delta.
Gordon Monk Gordon Monk, a native of Leesville, La., did his undergraduate years at LSU from 1974-1978 and earned a master’s degree in public administration in 1984. He served in the Louisiana Legislative Fiscal Office for many years, retiring as legislative fiscal officer in 2012. Monk and his wife, Debbie, an ExxonMobil retiree, raised three children in Baton Rouge. They are active University volunteers and benefactors of several campus departments, including the LSU Alumni Association. Monk was named president and chief executive officer of the Association in May after serving as interim since October 2019. His connection to LSU through his fraternity was a vital link to the organization as he was considered for the interim role at the request of Jeffrey Mohr, a longtime friend and fraternity brother who would assume chairmanship of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors in 2020. “Coming from a small town and high school, LSU was a bit overwhelming. The fraternity gave me a sense of belonging to a group within the larger LSU community,” said Monk. “Delta Tau Delta gave me an avenue to
get involved in events at LSU that would have been very difficult as an individual. Delt attracted me because of the sense of belonging. I felt comfortable with the guys I met during rush. Having a fraternity house on the lake was a nice draw also.” Fraternity roots run deep, despite age differences, according to Monk. “I have stayed close with a number of brothers in person, more with the advent of Facebook. I have a neighbor that I see often and my internal medicine doctor was two years older than me. I do keep in close contact with my fraternity roommate from Bossier City. While my children attended LSU Lab School, I met a dad who served as chapter president about ten years younger than myself, and we’ve become good friends.” As a result of a disciplinary action a few years ago, the chapter is not currently on campus. “That has been a detriment to staying close to the fraternity. Before the closure, I would attend functions – especially around football season and chapter events,” he said. Monk was a part of his son Steve’s involvement with Delta Tau Delta at Vanderbilt. “I became friends with the fraternity’s CEO when Steve started Vanderbilt. During a student orientation meeting, the Greek Life table noted that Delta Tau Delta would return to Vanderbilt in Steve’s sophomore year, after an absence since 1920. I called the Delt Office and reached out about Vanderbilt and LSU. My son became a founding father at Vanderbilt, and I got to participate in the ritual and installation of the new chapter. It was a very moving time for me as a dad and a brother,” said Monk. “A brother with me from the Delt chapter at LSU was the chapter advisor for the Vanderbilt chapter.” “I met Jerry as a pledge, when he returned for a game or other event, and we ran into each other at events from time to time. Jeff was a pledge when I was a senior. We caught up on
the Traveling Tigers trip to Green Bay and have been close friends since that time,” he explained. “I have been involved with LSU and the Association for a very long time – LSU was very good to me and I try to pay them back as I can,” Monk said. “Some of the best years of my life were at LSU and the Delt experience was wonderful. I met my wife at a Delt event. Any success that I’ve had in life I owe to my parents and my time at LSU from an educational and social aspect.” Jerry Shea Born in New Iberia, La., Jerry Shea’s life seems one with many roadmapped points along the way – in hindsight, of course. It was a blind date with a young lady from Kentucky that began that course while he was a student and member of Delta Tau Delta. “The fraternity and brotherhood offered by the Delts provided bonding with other men to grow, learn, socialize, and work to better our communities. Sports attracted me to fraternity life initially, but meeting and making lifelong friends was important. I graduated from high school weighing 145 pounds, so did not play football, but playing it was always my love as well as basketball, volleyball, softball, and track,” said Shea. Shea and his wife, Beverly, married four years after meeting and began what is a truly full-family engagement with LSU, community service, and philanthropy that has far-reaching effects. “My dad took me to LSU football games while growing up. He was a petroleum engineer and attended LSU. My mother wanted me to go to Notre Dame, but I’d been a Tiger since birth and followed my dad’s lead to Baton Rouge, got my undergraduate degree in petroleum engineering, then stayed two extra football seasons to get an MBA. We still attend all home football games and many basketball games,” said Shea.
Beverly Shea earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human ecology. “LSU and the education, friends, and opportunities it afforded has played a major role in our ability to be able to give back some of our time, talents, and treasures. Beverly and I participated early on in our local alumni chapter, moved up to serve on the National LSUAA Board of Directors, and became the first husband and wife to both chair the board,” Shea said. Shea also served six years on the LSU Board of Supervisors, including a term as chair, and served on the board of the Tiger Athletic Foundation. His years of service to both LSU and the national fraternity have not gone unnoticed. Among his many awards and honors in business and in philanthropy, he was inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction in 2001 and awarded the Delta Tau Delta Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. “The staff of the Association has been the most important part of keeping our relationship going, as have people we met along the way. Dr. Jack Andonie, Lod Cook, and former LSU President John Lombardi were major influences in our lives,” he said. “Fraternity brothers Mike Candella, Art Favre, Sid Gonsoulin, and Clint Wainwright remain close friends to this day.” Jeff Mohr Jeff Mohr, president of Lewis Mohr Real Estate and Insurance Agency in Baton Rouge, graduated from LSU in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in management and administration and earned a master's degree in insurance management from Boston University. Mohr’s love for LSU runs deep – back to the days he joined Delta Tau Delta – and the brotherhood and connections the organization offered ultimately brought him to his current role as chair of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. “I had no desire to go away to college. I was content to attend and
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Jeff Mohr, Gordon Monk, and Jerry Shea at the national championship game in January.
“And three friends look back on a lifetime of memories while looking forward to making many more.”
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graduate from LSU and work in the family business. Of course, a lot of that was driven by the magic of football games,” said Mohr. “Plus, Coach Dale Brown had given everyone basketball fever, and those were some great times as a student. It is also a sense of pride. Pride is also a big part of what brought me to LSU.” Mohr’s first encounter with Shea was at a Delt crawfish boil with “Jerry Shea and the Cajuns.” He recalls: “I don’t know if Jerry will remember this, but I was a sophomore and said to Jerry, ‘Hey, put a few crawfish aside for my mom.’ As we were leaving, he handed me about five pounds and said, ‘These are for your mom’. Who does that – let alone a young twenty-something?” A member and officer of numerous civic and professional organizations, Mohr served as president of Delta Tau Delta House Corporation from 1992-1998 and president of the Southern Division House Corporation of Delta Tau Delta National Fraternity from 1994-1998. He also served on the fraternity’s National Insurance Advisory Council. Mohr remembers, too, reconnecting with Gordon Monk on the Traveling Tigers trip to Green Bay. “The Alumni Association is special. You feel part of something so much bigger. One of the big influencers is Traveling Tigers. They are always so accommodating and caring,“ said Mohr. Indeed, the connection was fortuitous. It was at a luncheon that the bonds of brotherhood and fraternity played a part in writing the future when in September of 2019, Association President Cliff Vannoy announced his retirement after thirtyeight years with the organization. Mohr, Gordon, and other fraternity brothers gather several times a year for lunch. “In September 2019, we happened to be dining at Willie’s, a local favorite
spot on Coursey Boulevard,” Mohr said. “It was that moment that the idea surfaced. “I knew Gordon was enjoying retirement, but I saw before me someone who could take the role as interim president while we conducted a search for a new president for the organization.” And take it he did. What was to come next was amazing. The Next Chapter “I never in my wildest dreams thought this would have been how events unfolded,” said Mohr. “To engage a friend who so graciously accepted a job as an interim CEO for an organization, only to have a global pandemic emerge and change the world forever, is not something anyone could have predicted. But, here is the person who steps up in those conditions and chooses to lead,” he said. Throughout the pandemic, the LSU Alumni Association and its many operations – The Cook Hotel, Shelton Alumni Gift Shop, Traveling Tigers, and LSU Alumni Magazine – have operated through the dedication of the staff and under the leadership of Gordon Monk. And three friends look back on a lifetime of memories while looking forward to making many more. “To me, the real story is how LSU, Delta Tau Delta, and the LSU Alumni Association brought three diverse individuals together. Great friends, brothers, and alumni . . . not a bad story,” said Mohr. John Grubb, an LSU retiree and LSU Alumni Association vice president, hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication. By day, he is general manager/operations manager of The Cook Hotel & Conference Center but is a reporter/writer at heart and has been a contributor to this magazine since 1988.
PROFILE
Pirates, Steelers and Tigers Ever since he was a little kid, LSU graduate and Lafayette-native Tyler Batiste (2009 BACH MCOM) has loved sports. Today, he is responsible for delivering sports news as the assistant managing editor of sports at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But his journalism work has focused on more than just sports, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think it really put into perspective how unimportant and important sports are at the same time. There are obviously much more important issues in the world, but without the escape and entertainment that sports regularly provides, there was a void in a lot of people's lives, both professionally and personally,” Batiste said. “A lot of my staff, along with myself, tried our best to pitch in where we could in other aspects of our news operation, and that's been a fun challenge for us all, but where we thrive and what we love is sports, for better or worse.” Batiste’s career began with his involvement with LSU student media. He worked for KLSU, then joined The Daily Reveille, working in a number of different positions. “I think I was only the third African American editor-in-chief of The Reveille. Obviously, some of my closest friends to this day are folks that I met through student media. It was a really big part of my life,” Batiste said. As a student in the Manship School of Mass Communication, Batiste attended a panel and had to introduce himself to one of the speakers – the executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That introduction would lead to an internship with the publication. “Seven years later, they were looking for talent, and they noticed I had previously interned there. Another editor reached out, and I ended up back where it started. But that was my only internship – where I am working right now,” he said. Before he moved to Pittsburgh, Pa., Batiste’s professional career started in Houma, La., with the Houma Courier, as well as the Daily Comet, the Thibodaux, La., newspaper. He started as a copy editor and page designer, then was promoted to the copy desk chief position. “The staff was only four people, but it was a lot of responsibility for someone who was only twenty-two. I am glad my editors gave me that opportunity and entrusted me with running that show,” Batiste said. In 2012, he traveled north, to the News Journal in Wilmington, Del., and oversaw the sports operation at night. “I was number two of the department, and I really got lucky that someone wanted to bring me on and help them run a sports department,” Batiste said. “Being only thirty minutes from Philadelphia, we covered the Philadelphia professional teams. You learned how to be part of a big market. It was a really good place to learn.” Finally, in 2014, Pittsburgh called, and he became a digital news editor for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s website, before moving back to sports. Batiste has been running that sports department for the last two years. “It can be stressful at times, but it’s what you sign up for,” he said.
By Rachel Holland
Tyler Batiste is assistant managing editor of sports at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“You learned how to be part of a big market. It was a really good place to learn.”
Rachel Holland is the content coordinator at the LSU Division of Strategic Communications.
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Haltzman Law Provides New Legal/Medical Model By Bailey Chauvin
Matthew Haltzman’s law firm provides in-house medical services to resolve client’s cases more efficiently.
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Matthew Haltzman (2010 BACH H&SS, 2014 JD) is reimagining the way his clients secure expert consultation for their cases through Haltzman Law Firm. Based in Fort Collins, Colo., Haltzman’s is the only law firm in the area with both a medical doctor and a toxicologist on staff. This in-house expert medical consultation allows the firm to resolve clients’ cases in a more cost-effective way.
Haltzman recognized a need for a new model during his four years as an attorney for a personal injury firm. He often found himself consulting with his father, a psychiatrist, in order to best serve his clients. “Being a psychiatrist, he has good insight into a lot of medical issues that span from things you would learn in medical school up to very specific issues in psychiatry,” Haltzman said. “I had unrestricted access to that kind of information.” This unrestricted access inspired him to open his own law firm in late 2019, which specializes in criminal defense and personal injury. Besides the firm’s three attorneys, it also employs Haltzman’s father as a medical consultant, two toxicology consultants, and an investigator/paralegal. Hiring an expert for a criminal or civil case under the traditional model is often a time-consuming, costly process. After the initial consultation and hiring, the client or attorney becomes responsible for the expert’s travel cost, time, and other case-based expenses, which can quickly add up. “It’s a very cost prohibitive model, and it gets very expensive for clients,” Haltzman said. “They often have to make a choice: ‘Is it worth hiring this expert for my case? Am I willing to spend this kind of money with no guarantees of success?’”
“This is an original design . . . . as far as I know, we're one of a kind.” In contrast, Haltzman’s firm gives its clients direct access to experts from the very beginning. With a client’s approval, the firm’s medical and toxicology experts screen their case for any issues that might be worth exploring. The attorney then presents the client with several options based on the experts’ initial opinion of the case, including having one of the firm’s experts write a report or hiring an independent expert. This initial expert screening process saves the firm’s clients money and helps its attorneys resolve cases more effectively. An attorney knowledgeable about the medical components of a case, such as mental health and addiction issues, can better explain an expert’s opinion to their client and advise them on how they should proceed. Likewise, the ability to clearly explain medical information to a judge during a trial can be beneficial. “With direct lines to toxicologists and medical experts, I’m able to educate myself,” Haltzman said. “We’re able to know something new about this case that helps us with the case we’re working on and any future case that comes in with a similar fact pattern.” From an early age, Haltzman was intent on becoming a lawyer and advocating for others. When it came time for him to choose a college, he knew he wanted to attend a “big school in the South” with a law program, which led him to LSU. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and history, Haltzman decided to attend LSU Law, which he describes as one of the biggest and most influential decisions of his life. “I’d put my legal education up against any lawyer’s law school; my education at LSU Law rivals, if not exceeds, what they got,” Haltzman said. “We had great professors, but not only that – we had a way of learning that gave us some real-world experience.” After graduating, Haltzman moved to Wyoming, serving as a special prosecutor for Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. He then practiced complex civil litigation at a firm in Cheyenne, Wyo., before moving to Colorado. Haltzman’s firm’s approach to expert consultation is unique to the Fort Collins area, and it may even be the first of its kind. “I don’t know of anyone with a pool of experts who have signed on to do consultations specific to a law firm,” Haltzman said. “This is an original design as far as we’re concerned. As far as I know, we’re one of a kind.” Bailey Chauvin is a political science junior and editor-inchief of The Reveille.
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Delivering Solutions: Innovating at USPS By Libby Haydel
Through her hard work and words of encouragement, Jayda Malveaux shows female engineering students that anything is possible.
“I really enjoyed my IE classes. They were all tailored to what I wanted to do . . .”
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As a minority and a female, Jayda Malveaux (2017 BACH ENGR) has worked hard to excel in college and now as an operations industrial engineer for the U.S. Postal Service in New Orleans. In her role with the USPS, she tries to improve the mail-sorting process, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“With letter volume going down, we can’t continue to have employees manually work that mail, so we brought in robots to sort the letter volume,” Malveaux said. “That way, we’re decreasing our cost in letters. Since package volume is increasing, we need to figure out what we need to do to increase efficiency. Pretty much every day it’s asking, what do we need to be doing to make things better while still figuring out where our biggest opportunities are? What do we need to do to get our service scores up and improve customer satisfaction?” After earning her industrial engineering degree, Malveaux went to work for USPS, even though she had quite a few other jobs to choose from. USPS had a two-year onboarding fast-track training program to learn the complex business and gave her time to work on process improvement. In those two years, she trained in Oklahoma and Washington, D.C., where she met other engineers. Malveaux credits her many internships, mentors, and the College of Engineering Office of Diversity for helping her navigate through college and lead her to where she is today. She grew up in Lafayette, La., attended Acadiana High School, and
initially wanted to pursue math, until her mother pointed out that she could aim higher. “One day, she told me I have more potential than that, not that there’s anything wrong with teaching math,” Malveaux said. “That’s when I branched out into the engineering world.” Malveaux thought she wanted to major in computer science at LSU until she attended the college’s Encounter Engineering Summer Camp, now known as Geaux Engineering, where she discovered she liked industrial engineering. “I really enjoyed my IE classes,” she said. “They were all tailored to what I wanted to do, from plant layout and supply chain to ergonomics, which all apply to my current job.” Part of the challenge Malveaux faced as a student was being a female in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math], recalling she was one of only a few females working during her internships. Today, she advises female engineering students to get ahead of the curve by getting to know their IE professors. “That will take you a long way,” she said. “You can take their class one semester, then the next semester use them as a mentor.” Malveaux spent last year volunteering with the Junior League of New Orleans, helping students prepare for RISE [Resident In-Service Examination] by teaching them math. She is now considered an active member and is going on her second year with JLNO. Libby Haydel is a communications specialist in the College of Engineering.
Start Your Forever AT T H E C O O K
Visit thecookhotel.com or call 225.578.3838 to set up a tour. Magazine 2020 P L A N N I N G BY A M Y B R E W E R O F W E D D I N G S TAY LO R M A D E â—? P H OTO BY C A I TLSU L I N Alumni B . P H OTO G R A |PFall/Winter HY
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Showing Up By Showing Out By Steve Neumann
Grant Blvd founder Kimberly McGlonn.
“I was inspired to launch Grant Blvd because I was determined to be of service not only to marginalized people but also to the planet.”
Kimberly McGlonn (2001 BACH H&SS, 2002 MAST HS&E, 2007 PHD HS&E) grew up on Grant Boulevard on the north side of Milwaukee, Wis., on a block that was a unique island in the city back then – it was the only block where there were Black and white people living as neighbors in an otherwise highly segregated city.
It’s also where McGlonn was exposed to a wide range of ideas about beauty, health, clothing, and poverty that would later inform her business, Grant Blvd, a social impact fashion company in Philadelphia. “I was inspired to launch Grant Blvd because I was determined to be of service not only to marginalized people but also to the planet,” McGlonn says. From sweatshirts and tees to runway styles, McGlonn’s company uses no new water and barely any new materials, and zero outsourcing. The small Grant Blvd team designs, cuts, and sews every piece of clothing in its collection. “Ultimately, the mission of Grant Blvd is to make clothes that are undeniably and reliably stylish, but to also center an approach to design within the fight for justice and reform,” McGlonn says. “For me, sustainability also means hiring women, particularly those that are returning citizens, immigrants, and those working through homelessness.” McGlonn credits her parents with the fervor behind her vocation. Both parents worked full-time at a post office, but in their spare time, her father worked with people living in poverty on the north side of Milwaukee who didn't have access to fresh food, and her mother volunteered at a women's correctional institute. “So there's all those little pieces of that house on that boulevard that made me think this was the way that I could show up,” McGlonn says. Before starting Grant Blvd, McGlonn was a teacher for eighteen years, and she was the only Black person on the faculty. But as she was teaching To Kill a Mockingbird to her students and trying to get them to think about the character Tom Robinson in a way that had some nuance, she found herself feeling disconnected. “And then I saw Ava DuVernay’s documentary, 13th,” McGlonn says, “and it elevated my understanding of the complexities and history of mass incarceration. So then I was like, ‘Okay, Kimberly, you know how this works. You know how being incarcerated creates these barriers. Teaching is great. What else are you going to do?’” McGlonn took inspiration from her mother, and spent a year learning about the fashion industry while working in the prison-industrial system. She started volunteering for Books through Bars, a program in Philadelphia that distributes free books and other educational materials to people who are incarcerated. (Today, for every Grant Blvd garment purchased, the company sends a book through the program.) It’s been three years since McGlonn resigned from teaching full-time, and Grant Blvd has been a resounding success. McGlonn even opened her first brick-and-mortar store in University City, Philadelphia this past spring. And as her own business continues to grow, McGlonn wants people to know that there's optimism about a new crop of social impact businesses that are driving every single day to put people on the planet first. “Hopefully,” McGlonn says, “what my showing up will do is give an affirming message for people who are trying to figure out how to navigate such horrible odds.” “Voltaire said we must cultivate our own garden,” she adds. “My garden is in Philadelphia, and I'ma weed the hell out of that garden. I'm gonna roll up my sleeves, put my head down, and get my hands dirty. That's all I can do with this life.” Steve Neumann is a freelance writer living in New Jersey. His website is https://stephenneumann.com/.
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The Right Stuff William “Bill” Conti (1963 BACH M&DA, 1985 HON) and Shelby Cox Conti (1965 BACH HS&E) are giving their alma mater one of the University’s biggest in-kind gifts in history – the original scores from Bill’s prolific career as a composer and conductor, including the iconic “Rocky” theme.
By giving these scores, the Contis will enable aspiring musicians at LSU – as Bill once was – to learn from his iconic work while ensuring its preservation in the long term. The William and Shelby Conti papers, to be held in LSU Libraries’ Special Collections, include his well-known film scores from “The Right Stuff,” the “Rocky” series, the “Karate Kid” series, “For Your Eyes Only,” and “Dynasty.” Read the story in the summer/fall issue of Cornerstone at lsufoundation.org/s/1585/17/interior. aspx?sid=1585&gid=1&pgid=3799
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.
OOPS! The degree information listed for Andrew Gravens in the profile “Cooking Up Kindness” was incorrect. It should be (2014 BACH H&SS). The magazine regrets the error.
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Scholarship Honors Rosalyn Fagan’s Legacy
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation
Rosalyn Fagan, seated, celebrated her 100th birthday in August 2019. Photo: Sean Gasser, InRegister, August 2019.
A scholarship endowment honoring LSU alumna Rosalyn Simmons Fagan was created earlier this year to encourage outstanding students majoring in education. The Rosalyn S. Fagan Endowed Scholarship will provide $1,000 a year – $500 in the fall and spring semesters – to a fulltime junior or senior pursuing a degree in education in the College of Human Sciences & Education. When fully endowed, the scholarship will support three students annually.
Jeanne Hebert (1968 BACH HS&E) shares a bit of information about her mother, Rosalyn Simmons Fagan (1958 MAST AGR), in whose name the scholarship was established by Jeanne and her husband, Larry (1969 BACH BUS). “My mother’s dream to become a teacher began when she graduated from high school at sixteen years of age. Her brother and sister (Orene Muse) made it possible for her to attend college by providing the funding. She attended Pearl River Junior
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College in Mississippi for one year, then Mississippi State College for Women. She attended LSU during the summers while working on her teaching degree at MSCW. After graduation, she taught preschool in Alabama until returning to Baton Rouge where she met my father, who rented a room from Aunt Orene. “Mother taught home economics at Pride High School and earned her master's degree in education in 1958. She served as state supervisor of home economics for several years before returning to teaching at the sixth-grade level, then fourth-grade level, at Highland Elementary School. During those years, she earned thirty hours over her master's degree and certification to teach French as a second language. She attended Paul Valery University in Montpelier, France, one summer to learn how to speak the language more fluently. ”My mother loved teaching and sharing her love of knowledge in all things. We hope those who benefit from our scholarship will strive for excellence in their teaching careers and have a love of learning they want to share with their students.”
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Carrying On the Tradition
From left, William Daniel – III, IV, and V.
William Daniel, V (2016 BACH ENGR, 2018 MAST ENGR), a thirdgeneration LSU petroleum engineering graduate, pays tribute to “great men and avid LSU supporters” – his father, William Daniel, IV (1978 BACH ENGR, 1994 MAST ENGR, 1996 MAST ENGR), and grandfather, William Daniel, III (1952 BACH ENGR).
Future Tiger – Five-year-old
Connor Rogers, son of Scott (2003 JD) and Tiffany Rogers, of Iowa, La., graduated from Pre-K and is a proud kindergartener on his way to LSU.
“My father was a research associate at the LSU Center for Energy studies while he was serving as a state representative for Louisiana, and he was inducted into the LSU Engineering Hall of Fame as part of the 2003-2004 class,” he writes. “When it was time for me to choose a university upon my graduation from University Laboratory School, my father told me, ‘You can go anywhere you want as long as it is LSU.’ There was never a question in my heart of where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do there. I can only hope someday I will have a son so that he can continue this rich tradition.”
Laura and René Ybarra with their sons from left, Owen (age 6), Maxwell "Max" (2), Nathaniel "Nate" (6), and Leo (age 1, front and center, and in photo at right).
Tipton Tigers – Michael Tipton (2005
BACH H&SS), his wife, Sarah Mecholsky Tipton (2015 MAST HS&E), and son Alexander welcomed Eleanor Rose Tipton to their family on Oct. 9, 2019.
84 LSU Alumni Magazine | Fall/Winter 2020
Laura Weems Ybarra (2009 BACH MCOM) and René Ybarra (2010 BACH BUS), of Seaside Calif., welcomed their fourth son, Leo Pierce, on Nov. 10, 2019. Leo weighed 8 lbs. 13 oz., was 20.5 inches long, and was welcomed home by brothers Owen, Nathaniel, and Maxwell. René Ybarra was promoted to major in the U.S. Army on July 1, 2020, and will earn his master's degree in systems engineering from Naval Postgraduate School in December. The family will soon relocate to Huntsville, Ala., where Ybarra will serve as an assistant program manager with the Missile Defense Agency at Redstone Arsenal.
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