Spring 2018, Volume 94, Number 1
PRESIDENT 'S ALUMNI SCHOLARS LSU'S BEST & BRIGHTEST
From the
PRESIDENT
Will You Accept the Challenge? Recently, I shared the release of our new strategic plan with you, and outlined the challenges it identified. Today, I want to let you know that we are busy celebrating the great impact LSU has on Louisiana and the nation beyond our borders through the lens of our new plan. Our state and our nation need LSU students, faculty, staff, and alumni. In short, they need you – your talent, your vision, your scholarship and research – to solve the grand challenges facing our society. LSU campuses – from Shreveport to New Orleans – train the artists, historians, writers, and filmmakers who contribute to the arts and culture driving our $7 billion tourism industry in Louisiana. LSU research works toward finding solutions that bridge the coast, energy, and environment to mitigate the nearly $5 billion loss in production associated with coastal erosion. We foster research to the tune of nearly $500 million in grants annually and contribute $5.1 billion in economic impact to Louisiana every single year. We contribute to the health and wellbeing of our citizens by training the physicians and medical professionals who care for your friends and family and revolutionizing drug development and disease treatment. We are transforming K-12 education in the state not only by educating thousands of Louisiana teachers but also by paving pathways to college through programs such as the Capital Area Promise. And, perhaps because two out of three LSU graduates leave with zero debt, unburdened and ready to take on the world, one of the most defining characteristics of the LSU community is that of leadership. We are proud of all that our alumni have already accomplished and look forward to the great places they will lead our state. The success of LSU is measured by the impact of our research and academics, the success of our graduates, and our effect on Louisiana. That’s why our strategic plan focuses on the six challenges mentioned previously . . . challenges that leverage those things we do best into real change for our state. These are not simple problems to address, and the solutions will not happen overnight. But I hope you’ll join me and the entirety of the LSU community in saying, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.
Sincerely,
F. King Alexander LSU President @lsuprez
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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Publisher LSU Alumni Association
Contents
Editor Jackie Bartkiewicz Advertising Mignon Kastanos Art Director Chuck Sanchez STUN Design & Interactive
Feature
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14 LSU’s Best and Brightest Future Alumni President’s Alumni Scholars and Flagship Scholars – and the donors who funded their scholarships – were recognized at the LSU Alumni Association Scholars Banquet in November. Today’s scholarship program traces its roots to 1960, when a dozen young men and women received the first Freshman Scholarship Program awards created by the LSU Alumni Federation (now Association). The first scholarships were one-time cash grants of $800 each. In 2017-18, awards were made to 200 scholars who are supported for eight semesters and enjoy work and research opportunities, as well.
In Each Issue 1 4 6 22 34 36 48
From the President President/CEO Message LSU Alumni Association News Around Campus Focus on Faculty Locker Room Tiger Nation
On the cover: President F. King Alexander and the President’s Alumni Scholars, from left, Allison Benelli, Kristen Bohnet, Leah Potylchansky, Colin Hebert, Jaxon Cade Adkins, Payton Silburn, Adam Bobbs, Sarah Cagle, Alexis Booe, and Henry Kantrow. Photo by Johnny Gordon and Ashlynn McCormick/JG Photography. Design by STUN Design & Interactive.
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Editorial Assistants Patti Garner, Karla Lemoine, Brenda Macon Contributors Hailey Auglair, Barry Cowan, Ed Cullen, Jacqueline DeRobertis, Bud Johnson, Tamara Mizell, Alison Satake, Rachel Spangenthal, Danielle Kelley Tolbird Photography Anthonly Alvarez/Downbeat, Mark Claesgens, Ray Dry, Steve Franz/LSU Athletics, Johnny Gordon, Indie Plate, Keena Kareem, Mignon Kastanos, Olivia McClure/LSU Ag Center, Ashlynn McCormick, Christa Moran, Eddy Perez/LSU Strategic Communications, Cody Willhite/LSU Strategic Communications, LSU Sports Information, Andrew Newman, Chris Parent/LSU Athletics, Elizabeth Shaw Printing Baton Rouge Printing NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Susan Whitelaw Chair, Shreveport, La. Leo C. Hamilton Immediate Past Chair, Baton Rouge, La. Jack A. Andonie Director Emeritus, Metairie, La. Lodwrick M. Cook Director Emeritus, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
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Karen G. Brack, San Diego, Calif. Jeffrey M. “Jeff” Mohr, Baton Rouge, La. David B. Braddock, Dallas, Texas A.J.M. “Butch” Oustalet, III, Gulfport, Miss. Stephen T. “Steve” Brown, Sherman Oaks, Calif. Fred G. “Gil” Rew, Mansfield, La. Kathryn “Kathy” Fives, New Orleans, La. Oliver G. “Rick” Richard, III, Lake Charles, La. Mario J. Garner, Pearland, Texas Bart B. Schmolke, Alexandria, La. Matthew K. “Matt” Juneau, Baton Rouge, La. Beverly G. Shea, New Iberia, La. Kevin F. Knobloch, Baton Rouge, La. Van P. Whitfield, Houston, Texas Brandon Landry, Baton Rouge, La. Stanley L. “Stan” Williams, Fort Worth, Texas
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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 Office LSU Alumni Association 3838 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686 225-578-3838 • 888-RINGLSU www.lsualumni.org / e-mail: jackie@lsualumni.org © 2018 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.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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President and CEO
MESSAGE
Gratitude Our cover story speaks volumes about the quality of future LSU alumni and the incredible success of the LSU Alumni Association’s fifty-eight-year-old scholarship program for first-year students. And the credit goes to LSU alumni.
“Thank you. Appreciate it. Owe you one. Thanks. ty. thx. Obliged. Bless you. Shout out. Grateful.”
The Freshman Scholarship Program was established in 1960, a result of an alumniinitiated effort to provide financial support for freshmen. As a result of the contributions by alumni and friends to the First Annual Alumni Fund, the Alumni Federation (now Association) established the scholarship program, hailed as “an outstanding example of worthwhile alumni activity,” according to accounts in the LSU Alumni News. As you’ll find out, beginning on page 14, the program has grown beyond the originators’ wildest dreams. We join our scholars and their parents in saying “Thank You.” Indeed, there are many messages of gratitude in this issue – a testimony from President’s Alumni Scholar Kristen Bohnet in the Investing in Tigers ad; a news item about November’s Thank a Donor Day; a “Thank You” ad for October’s Tiger Nation Challenge; and thank-you notes from our scholars in the feature story. And, you’ll be seeing such posts in every magazine this year, messages from faculty, staff, alumni, future alumni, donors, and friends who take pride in showing their support of and are grateful for the support they receive from the LSU Alumni Association. Our donors – whose “motto” seems to be “Give Back by Paying Forward”— are an inspiration to all of us here at the Association. Their giving is a stimulus to reach out and help even more, in myriad ways. Donations to the Association are not limited to scholarships. Donors’ dollars also support prestigious professorships, faculty enhancement awards, and numerous mutually beneficial program activities for alumni, faculty, staff, and future alumni. As a result, the Association is dedicated to enhancing the alumni experience as we network, inform, engage, and inspire. For example, the Chapter Leadership Summit, Tiger Band Alumni Reunion, Hall of Distinction Gala, Past Presidents/Chairs Luncheon & Annual Meeting, and Retired Faculty/Staff events bring alumni and friends back to campus for a good dose of Tiger Spirit. Of course, what better place to stay while in Baton Rouge than The Cook Hotel – everyone’s favorite “home away from home.” Traveling Tigers sports trips, pregame Tiger Tailgates at the Maravich Assembly Center, and Touring Tigers worldwide excursions are extremely popular. Through our campus partnerships in Collegiate Club, Spring Invitational, LSU on the Geaux, LSU BOUND, STRIPES, and Food Truck Round-Up, we connect early on with future alumni. We send graduates off in style through our participation in Grad Fair and Ring Ceremony, and, finally, our own Graduating Seniors Open House. Alumni and friends around the world gather for chapter events dubbed “Parties with a Purpose,” which not only help Tigers stay connected to each other and their alma mater but also provide an extra measure of support for future alumni to attend LSU. None of this would be possible without your investment in us – your willingness to voluntarily share energy, enthusiasm, talents, and resources. We are grateful to you, our valued ambassadors. Please continue to encourage all in LSU Tiger Nation to join you in supporting our 113-year legacy of sponsoring programs of academic excellence and enhancing the alumni experience. We can’t say it often enough – “Thank You.” In gratitude,
Cliff Vannoy President/CEO
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@LSUAlumniPrez LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
LSU Alumni Association
AlumniLSU
IÂ AM COLLABORATIVE. I AM CREATIVE. I AM CULTURALLY ADEPT. I AM GLOBALLY ENGAGED. I AM INNOVATIVE. I AM TRANSFORMATIVE.
LSU fosters six competitive values in our graduates that equip them with the skills necessary to change the world.
LS U S TRATEGIC P L AN 2 0 2 5 L E A D I N G L O U I S I A N A . I M PA C T I N G T H E W O R L D . strategicplan.lsu.edu
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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LSU Alumni Association
NEWS
2017 Annual Meeting Whitelaw, Ewing Named to Top Board Posts
Photos by Johnny Gordon
Alumni Professors Bradley Schaefer, Lynn Kennedy, and Ram Devireddy.
Past presidents or chairs of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors, from left, Dr. White Graves, Hals Benhard, Jerry Shea, Scott Anderson, Jay Babb, Dr. Louis Minsky, and Dr. Gil Rew.
Dr. Ed Jeffries, Jerry Shea, and John Shelton. Jerry Dumas, Debbie Monk, Gordon Monk, and LSU Alumni Association Vice President Tracy Jones.
Susan Whitelaw and Randy Ewing were named chair and chair-elect, respectively, of the LSU Alumni Association Global Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting and Past Presidents & Chairs Luncheon in November. They will serve one year terms, which began on Jan. 1. Whitelaw, a partner in Whitelaw, Rice & Green CPAs, Shreveport, La., represents District 5. She has served on the board since 2010. Ewing, a former Louisiana state senator and president of Ewing Timber in Quitman, La., was also re-elected to a threeyear term representing District 6. He joined the board in 2015. Four other members were also re-elected for three-year terms beginning Jan. 1: Kathy Fives, a business consultant in New Orleans representing District 2; Karen Brack, of San Diego, an airborne electronic hardware engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, at-large; Steve Brown, of Sherman, Oaks, Calif., a retired western U.S. sales manager with Sundyne LLC, at-large; and Brandon Landry, cofounder and co-owner of Last in Concepts and Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar, at-large. Ending terms on the board and honored with resolutions attesting their outstanding devotion, leadership, and support were Jay Babb, a board member since 1997; Ted Martin, who was elected to the board in 2001; and Dr. Louis Minsky, who joined the board in 1994. Rosemary Ewing, Linda Vannoy, and Alumni Professor Marybeth Lima.
Michael Tipton, LSU Vice President for Student Affairs Kurt Keppler, and LSU Vice Provost for Diversity Dereck Rovaris.
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2017 Board of Directors Chair Leo Hamilton, left, and LSU Alumni Association President Cliff Vannoy congratulate outgoing board members, from left, Jay Babb, Ted Martin, and Dr. Louis Minsky.
Past presidents/chairs attending the luncheon were Dr. White Graves, 1983-84; Hals Benhard, 1994; Jerry Shea, Jr.,1999 and 2000; Scott Anderson, 2003 and 2004; Jay Babb, 2005 and 2006; Dr. Louis Minsky, 2007 and 2008; and Dr. Gil Rew, 2014 and 2015. “Tiger Nation and the leadership of LSU thank each of you for your outstanding service to the Association,” said President and CEO Cliff Vannoy. “You were an integral part of the organization for many years and played major roles in our successes.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: To avoid “a
perceptual, if not actual, conflict of interest, particularly as it applies to financial and funding matters,” Chair Elect Randy Ewing resigned his position on the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors following his installation as a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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LSU Alumni Association News
Snapshots
Michelle Meir, Willa Dietz, Eark Weidman, Albert Meir, and Thomas Dietz.
Jerald Juneau, Don Delaville, Gil McMurry, and Barbara Delaville.
Longtime special-events pianist and January 2018 retiree Doug Pacas receives a token of appreciation from Brandli Roberts, director of on-campus events.
Chancellor Emeritus Paul and Nancy Murrill.
James and Christine Robinson, Emily Hubbard, LSU Alumni Association President Cliff Vannoy, and Susan Reed.
Perry Prestholdt, Martha Cedotal, and Paul Ivey.
’Twas the Season – More than 250 retired faculty and staff gathered at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on Dec. 5 for the annual Christmas gala. They were treated to lunch, joined in caroling, played bingo, and, in the spirit of the season, contributed more than $900 to benefit the Food Bank of Greater Baton Rouge, a project supported by the LSU Faculty & Staff Retirees Club. Photo by Johnny Gordon
Connie and Willis Stelly with Dot Rumfellow.
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THE LSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION GLOBAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Susan K. Whitelaw Chair Shreveport, La.
Leo C. Hamilton Immediate Past Chair Baton Rouge, La.
Stanley L. “Stan” Williams National Fund Chair Fort Worth, Texas
Karen Brack San Diego, Calif.
David B. Braddock Dallas, Texas
Stephen “Steve” Brown Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Kathryn “Kathy” Fives New Orleans, La.
Mario J. Garner Pearland, Texas
Matthew K. “Matt” Juneau Baton Rouge, La.
Kevin F. Knobloch Baton Rouge, La.
Brandon Landry Baton Rouge, La.
Jeffrey M.“Jeff” Mohr Baton Rouge, La.
A.J.M.“Butch” Oustalet III Gulfport, Miss.
Fred Gillis “Gil” Rew Mansfield, La.
Oliver G.”Rick” Richard III Lake Charles, La.
Bart B. Schmolke Alexandria, La.
Beverly G. Shea New Iberia, La.
Van P. Whitfield Houston, Texas
Jack A. Andonie Director Emeritus Metairie, La.
Lodwrick M. Cook Director Emeritus Sherman Oaks, Calif.
THE COOK HOTEL BOARD OF MANAGERS
Michael Valentino Chair New Orleans, La.
John D. “Jay” Babb” Baton Rouge, La.
Calvin Braxton Natchitoches, La.
Sam Friedman Chair Emeritus Natchitoches, La.
James W. Moore III Monroe, La.
Oliver G. “Rick” Richard III Lake Charles, La.
Stephen M. “Steve” Tope Baton Rouge, La.
Stanley L. “Stan” Williams Fort Worth, Texas
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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LSU Alumni Association News
Snapshots A New Regent – Randy L. Ewing was
Richard Lipsey, left, immediate past chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents, congratulates newly installed Regent Randy Ewing.
sworn in as a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents in December. A timber businessman from Quitman, La., Ewing represented District 35 in the Louisiana Senate from 1988 to 2000 and was senate president in his last term. He is president of the Louisiana Forestry Association and served with Council for a Better Louisiana, Steps to Success, and Louisiana Methodist Foundation, and he is a past member of the LSU Alumni Association Global Board of Directors.
Kudos – and Welcome! – The LSU Alumni Association is well represented in the community’s professional and networking organizations, thanks in large part to staffers at The Cook Hotel. Congratulations are in order for John Grubb, vice president of Hotel & Conference Operations, who assumed presidency of the Baton Rouge Lodging Association for the two-year term 2018-20. Tammy Brown, director of sales, is an ambassador for the Better Business Bureau and a board member for Women & Wine Networking. Danielle Gueho, senior sales manager, is an ambassador for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Association of Builders & Contractors and serves on the events/programs, membership, and hospitality committees for the Greater Baton Rouge Society of Human Resource Management. A hearty welcome goes out to Julie Boyd, who joined the team in January as sales manager. Boyd is president of the Ascension Hospitality Management Association for the two- year term 2018-20.
From left, Danielle Gueho, Julie Boyd, Tammy Brown, and John Grubb.
WBR Chamber – The West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce events and ambassador committees were treated to a holiday lunch at The Cook Hotel in December.
Standing, from left, Danielle Gueho, Beth Olinde, Sandra Hughes, and Brittany Weaver; seated, Bonnie Hedges, administrative assistant; Jamie Hanks, executive director; Sharon William, membership director; and Paula Bernard.
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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LSU Alumni Association News
Chapter Events
Cliff Vannoy, Emily Berniard, Paul and Debi West, Sally Stiel, and Tracy Jones.
Scholarship Dollars – Paul and Debi West, center, vice president and president, respectively, of the Central Florida Alumni Chapter presented at $15,000 check to the LSU Alumni Association in November to boost the chapter’s Flagship Scholarship coffers. Photo by Ray Dry
To find a chapter near you visit, www.lsualumni.org/chapters.
SAVE THE DATE C E L E B R AT I N G T H E T U R E A U D C H A P T E R AT 3 0
The A.P. Tureaud, Sr. Black Alumni Chapter will host a reunion celebrating its thirtieth anniversary on Oct. 19, 2018, with an exciting event that includes live performances of exceptional alumni entertainers in jazz and zydeco. “The Tureaud Chapter’s 2018 Reunion, set for the weekend of the LSU home football game against Mississippi State, will engage LSU alumni and friends in a festive and celebratory atmosphere of fellowship and diversity, and we enthusiastically welcome all who would like to volunteer, support, and attend,” said Nicole Molière, chapter president.
Look for information on the Tureaud Chapter website, www.lsublackalumni.com. To volunteer, contact Rachel Emanuel, at rachele11@att.net.
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Orlando-area Tiger fans gathered for a pig roast before the Arkansas game, left, and at the Broken Cauldron taproom prior to the Citrus Bowl.
LSU Orlandeaux – The Central Florida Chapter hosted a cochon de lait at the Arkansas football game view-in, roasting a pig while watching the Tigers roast the Hogs to win the game. Members and guests were welcomed to a pregame tailgate at the Broken Cauldron before the Citrus Bowl, offering fare from two food trucks outside the taproom along with beer selections inside. The annual crawfish boil is scheduled for April 21, and visitors to the Orlando area are welcome to join in the festivities. Geaux to www.lsuorlandeaux.com for information on upcoming events.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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BEST & BRIGHTEST Top Scholars, Donors Honored at Scholars Banquet
Photos by Johnny Gordon & Mignon Kastanos
ome of LSU’s best and brightest future alumni – President’s Alumni Scholars and Flagship Scholars – and the donors who funded their scholarships were recognized at the LSU Alumni Association Scholars Banquet in November. “We are fortunate to have so many
The President’s Alumni Scholars, also
alumni and friends who generously
known as Cain Scholars, receive awards
support our future alumni through
funded through the Association from an
Association scholarships,” said LSU
endowment made in memory of Ola and
Alumni Association President and CEO
Ruth Cain by Gordon A. Cain and Mary H.
Cliff Vannoy said. “They are the heart and
Cain. The top ten entering future alumni
soul of the program, and without their
receive this scholarship. Residents and
support, many of these young men
nonresidents receive the full cost of
and women may not have attended
attendance for eight semesters. The
LSU. Investment in Tigers truly
current value for Louisiana residents
transforms lives.”
is approximately $32,000 per year; for
Indeed, as President’s Alumni
nonresidents, $49,000 per year. The
Scholar Payton Silburn writes,
award also includes a $2,000 study
“Without this funding, I am not sure
abroad stipend and the opportunity to
how I would be able to afford my
earn up to an additional $1,550 per year
education. You have truly changed
by participating in the President’s Future
my life forever.”
Leaders in Research Program.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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I am excited for the future I have planned, a future made possible because of this scholarship. The 2017-18 President’s Alumni Scholars are Jaxon Cade Adkins, a chemical engineering major from Jasper, Ala.; Allison Olivier Benelli, a coastal environmental science major from Duluth, Ga.; Adam Joshua Bobbs, a mechanical engineering major from Lafayette, La.; Kristen M. Bohnet, a mechanical engineering major from Spring, Texas; Alexis G. Booe, a chemical engineering major from Alexandria, Va.; Sarah Elizabeth Cagle, a microbiology major from Lafayette, La.; Colin Gregory Hebert, a computer science major from Baton Rouge; Henry J. Kantrow, a chemical engineering major from Baton Rouge; Lea Rebecca Potylchansky, a mechanical engineering major from Bellaire, Texas; and Payton Joseph Silburn, a management major from Houston, Texas. Nearly 200 future alumni were named Flagship Scholars. These awards are funded by individual donors, organizations, and alumni chapters. Resident recipients receive $3,500 per year and nonresidents, $20,500 per year. Flagship Scholars can earn up to an additional $1,550 by participating in the President’s Student Aide Program, which provides an opportunity to work on campus in one of LSU’s many departments. The Ray & Gene Ziegler Family Flagship Scholarship, established by former Top 100 (now Flagship) Scholarship recipient Bill Ziegler and wife Joanne, along with brother Mike Ziegler and sister Alice Ziegler Landry, perfectly exemplifies “paying it forward” by giving back. The scholarship is a tribute to the Zieglers’ parents in gratitude for “their efforts and sacrifices that opened the door for each one of our college educations and experiences.” “My education allowed me to be successful enough in life to have the luxury of choosing worthy charitable causes to support . . . and my experience has been that there will be just plain awesome rewards,” writes Bill Ziegler. “These scholarship programs recruit and reward some extraordinary young men and women who join the LSU family every year. These scholarships will help those students achieve their full potential. For us, being a part of enabling their experience and success is a reward beyond measure.”
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PARTIES WITH A PURPOSE
In addition to the President’s Alumni and Flagship scholarships, the Association awards Global Leaders and departmental scholarships funded by individuals and chapters. Many of these more than 400 awards are supported through chaptersponsored events dubbed “Parties with a Purpose,” especially spring crawfish boils. “It doesn’t get much better than hot crawfish with all the trimmings to bring Tigers together, and proceeds from crawfish boils and other events help grow funds dedicated to scholarships and professorships,” said Vannoy. Proceeds generated through sales and silent auctions, as well as membership donations, have helped to increase scholarship and professorship coffers more than $4 million, according to Vannoy. The LSU Alumni Association awarded $489,413 in scholarships to 617 recipients enrolled in the 2017-18 school year. To donate to or endow a scholarship visit, lsualumni.org/giving.
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1. Twins Michael Bohnet, a Flagship Scholar, and Kristen Bohnet, a President’s Alumni Scholar, of Spring, Texas. 2. LSU Alumni Association Chief Operating Officer Steve Helmke and President’s Alumni Scholar Cade Adkins. 3. Scholarship recipients pose for a group shot at the 2017 Scholars Banquet held in November at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. 4. LSU Alumni Association President Cliff Vannoy, center, with, from left, President’s Alumni Scholars Alexis Booe, Colin Hebert, and Allison Benelli, and Flagship Scholar Stephen Watson. 5. Flagship Scholar Hunter Bates, second from right, with family members Dylan Bates, Shari Bates, and Mike Bates. 6. Flagship Scholar Scott McKenzie, center, with parents Elissa and Charles McKenzie, left, and scholarship donors Candy and Tracy Jones, LSU Alumni Association assistant vice president of development. 7. Flagship Scholar Nicholas Bertucci, center, with mom and dad Anne and Payton Bertucci. 8. Robert Manfredo, Flagship Scholars Lauren Hingle and Tamra Manfedo, and Carol Manfredo. 9. Flagship Scholar Lydia Rewerts, center, with Carl Rewerts and Karen Rewerts.
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WITH GRATITUDE
Notes from a few of our scholars 2
I was lucky enough to receive scholarships that will help me accomplish my academic goals. You are a huge part in making that happen for me. Thank you so much for supporting my education. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the opportunities you have made available. LSU was definitely the right choice for me. Thank you for helping me realize my fifth-grade dream. • Taylor Brock, Alumni Scholars Endowed Flagship Scholarship
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Cain family and the LSU Alumni Association for making it possible for me to attend LSU. I have worked hard and done well, and I owe my opportunity to be here to this scholarship. • Cade Adkins, President’s Alumni Scholar
I was fortunate enough to receive the Helena Taylor Thorgeson Flagship Scholarship, and I appreciate the opportunities such generosity has presented to me. I am majoring in chemical engineering and minoring in history and Arabic. In the future, I plan to study in New Zealand and England. I am excited for the future I have planned, a future made possible because of this scholarship.
I am so grateful for having been accepted as the recipient of the Bujol Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship. Thank you so much; this will surely help me as I continue my education. I am in chemical engineering, just as Mr. Bujol was, and I’ve made many new friends in the ChemE department who share the passion that Mr. Bujol had. I’m excited to see what the future holds.
• Noah Smith, Helena Taylor Thorgeson Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship
• Matthew Ieyoub, Robert Bujol Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship
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Thank you for your donation to the Flagship Scholars Program. This scholarship makes it possible for me to attend LSU. I know my years here will greatly influence the person I become, so I cannot thank you enough. My first semester was challenging but rewarding, and I am optimistic about soon going forward to medical school. In all honesty, I have no idea what the Lord has in store, but so far He has given me so much confirmation. • Erin Carmon, CFMM/FOREVER Flagship Scholarship 7
No words can describe how truly grateful and honored I am to be a President’s Alumni Scholar. This scholarship has made it possible to attend LSU and pursue my dreams. I am a coastal environmental science major, and my goal is to help protect the natural environment in every way I can, here in Louisiana and elsewhere. Thanks to the scholarship, I have the opportunity to begin doing research in my major and get great hands-on experience. Again, thank you for your generosity to me and my fellow scholars. I am truly blessed to be here. • Allison Benelli, President’s Alumni Scholar
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LSUAA SCHOLARSHIPS PRESIDENT’S ALUMNI SCHOLARS
Ola & Ruth Cain Endowed Presidents Alumni Scholarships Jaxon Cade Adkins • Jasper, Ala. Allison Olivier Benelli • Duluth, Ga. Adam Joshua Bobbs • Lafayette Kristen M. Bohnet • Spring, Texas Alexis G. Booe • Alexandria, Va. Sarah Elizabeth Cagle • Lafayette Colin Gregory Hebert • Baton Rouge Henry J. Kantrow • Baton Rouge Lea Rebecca Potylchansky • Bellaire, Texas Payton Joseph Silburn • Houston, Texas FLAGSHIP SCHOLARS
Cari & David S. Dawson Endowed Flagship Scholarship Merritt Addison • Alpharetta, Ga. Azalie & Euell Norman Sanders Endowed Flagship Scholarship Abbas Al-Hassani • Metairie East Baton Rouge Parish Endowed Flagship Scholarship Christopher Alumbaugh • Baton Rouge Greater New Orleans Chapter Al Bellott Endowed Flagship Scholarship Conner Apffel • New Orleans Linda C. Holley Achord Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Mason Arnold • Lombard, Ill. Mr. & Mrs. Frank A. Albarracin Endowed Flagship Scholarship Caleb Ayton • Destrehan Lora Maye Barrow Cross Endowed Flagship Scholarship Caitlin Barra • Dallas, Ga. William Chapman Cook Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Hunter Bates • Grand Cane Greater New Orleans Chapter Mildred Guichard Endowed Flagship Scholarship Tiago Beaulieu • New Orleans Catherine Furlow Boles Endowed Flagship Scholarship Samantha Beekman • West Monroe Walter Ballard Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Thomas Bergeron • Thibodaux James T. “Jake” Staples Endowed Flagship Scholarship Joseph Berret • Baton Rouge Julius Bilisoly Endowed Flagship Scholarship Destiny Bertucci • Kenner Tammany Tigers Endowed Flagship Scholarship Nicholas Bertucci • Mandeville Bart B. & Diane Schmolke Endowed Flagship Scholarship Finn Bicknell • Mandeville Woody and Pat Blanchard Endowed Flagship Scholarship Adam Birmingham • Slidell Caddo-Bossier Tom Tanner Endowed Flagship Scholarship Tyler Blank • Lake Charles Billy & Ann Harrison III in Honor of Frank W. & Pat Harrison Jr. Endowed Flagship Scholarship Michael Bohnet • Spring, Texas
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Malcom Bollinger Endowed Flagship Scholarship Marlee Bourgeois • Gonzales Tammany Tigers Alumni Chapter Joseph A. "Mickey" Champagne Endowed Flagship Scholarship John Brasher • Covington Azalie and Euell Norman Sanders Endowed Flagship Scholarship Hall Braud • Baton Rouge Alumni Scholars Endowed Flagship Scholarship Taylor Brock • Springfield, Va. Frances M. & John W. Saladin, Sr. Endowed Flagship Scholarship Josh Brooks • Baton Rouge Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jeffrey Brothers • New Orleans Tampa Bay Area Chapter Endowed Flagship Scholarship Catherine Bruns • Orange Park, Fla. Lee Berwick Endowed Flagship Scholarship Breanna Burkhead • Lake Charles Jacqueline & Robert Capell, III Endowed Flagship Scholarship Ethan Burnett • Gonzales Frederic Dougherty Broussard Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Maddux Campo • New Orleans Greater Houston Alumni Chapter Endowed Flagship Scholarship Timothy Cannon • Houston, Texas CFMM/FOREVER Erin Carmon • Columbus, Ohio Leland S. Major Endowed Flagship Scholarship Thomas Carriere • Mandeville Stephen C. Kemerling Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Madison Casabat • Mandeville Barry D. Root Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Robert Celentano • Baton Rouge Glenda W. and Carl J. Streva Endowed Flagship Scholarship Seth Chapman • Berwick Dalton J. Woods Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship Daniel Cheng • Dubach Dallas Alumni Chapter Dr. William R. Knight Endowed Flagship Scholarship Alexandra Chetty • Frisco, Texas LSU Alumni of Central Florida Flagship Scholarship Kody Chirinos • Covington Class of 1931 Percy Brown Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Abdallah Choumar • Baton Rouge Class of 1937 Endowed Flagship Scholarship Maura Coker • Spring, Texas Juanita Steele Peck Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Margaret Collet • Youngsville Judge D. Irvin Couvillion Endowed Flagship Scholarship Anna Colson • Biloxi, Miss.
Dr. John E. Karl Jr. Memorial Flagship Scholarship Michael Constans • New Orleans Caddo-Bossier John Doles Endowed Flagship Scholarship Hannah Cottrell • West Monroe Tim & Nan Barfield Endowed Flagship Scholarship Zachary Crawford • Baton Rouge Albion B. Cross, Jr., M.D. Endowed Flagship Scholarship Guy Cresson • Metairie Glenda W. & Carl J. Streva Endowed Flagship Scholarship Caroline Curet • New Iberia Sertoma Club of Opelousas, Inc. Endowed Flagship Scholarship Thomas Curry • Broussard A. Carl Duncan, Jr. Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Courtney Davis • Clinton, Ohio Explore Enterprises Endowed Flagship Scholarship Will delaBretonne • Baton Rouge Julian Carruth Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Sydney Delcambre • Baton Rouge Citizens Bank & Trust Company of Plaquemine Endowed Flagship Scholarship Collin Devillier • Brusly Russell M. & Betty H. Bankston Endowed Flagship Scholarship Riley Donahue • Mandeville Ray & Gene Ziegler Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship Robert Donnell • Hattiesburg, Miss. Leon E. Hay Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Eli Dubuisson • Slidell Deborah & James Gentry Endowed Flagship Scholarship Noel Dudeck • Birmingham, Ala. Sheila & Carl Abshire Endowed Flagship Scholarship Elizabeth Duncan • New Orleans Jacob Barto Swanson, Jr. Endowed Flagship Scholarship Benjamin Ebrahim • New Orleans Alan M. & Patricia Fiorenza Endowed Flagship Scholarship Victoria Faulkner • The Woodlands, Texas Shirley & Michael Fleischhauer Endowed Flagship Scholarship Keenan Flynn • Topeka, Kan. Barbara & Glen Farber Endowed Flagship Scholarship Ian Fogarty • New Orleans Harry Hardy/S.A. "Buzz" Williams Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jayce Frederic • Baton Rouge Bayou Bengal Booster Club Endowed Flagship Scholarship Melanie Frederic • Lutcher Mr. & Mrs. J. Norwell Harper, Sr. Endowed Flagship Scholarship Daniel Giangrosso • Mandeville Edna Earle & Joe Mattei Endowed Flagship Scholarship Fund Richard Gogreve • Metairie Caddo-Bossier James J. Crawford Endowed Flagship Scholarship Eleanor Golson • Shreveport
Polly Gibbs Endowed Flagship Scholarship Taylor Goss • Iowa Charles P. & Tammara Darnell Endowed Flagship Scholarship Matthew Granier • New Orleans Byrum & Jan Teekell Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jackson Green • Monroe Mike & Darlene Hillman Endowed Flagship Scholarship Mimi Grieb • Cumming, Ga. W.H. Hollingsworth Endowed Flagship Scholarship Lloyd Guillot • Covington Albert L. & Judith F. Hermann Endowed Flagship Scholarship Mason Guillot • Baton Rouge Charles L. Jones Endowed Flagship Scholarship John Harris • Baton Rouge Larry Jones Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Madison Hasenkampf • Baton Rouge Larry Jones Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Ashley Hassenboehler • Baton Rouge Robert Thomas & Rita Wetta Adams Endowed Flagship Scholarship Lauren Hingle • Baton Rouge Ron & Linda Young Dallas Alumni Chapter Endowed Flagship Scholarship Matthew Hosman • Fort Worth, Texas Greater New Orleans Chapter George Kalil Endowed Flagship Scholarship Peter Howard • New Orleans Greater New Orleans Chapter - Sterling Temento Endowed Flagship Scholarship Peyton Howard • New Orleans Mr. & Mrs. Lucien Laborde Endowed Flagship Scholarship John Howe • Baton Rouge James W. Joyner Endowed Flagship Scholarship John Howell • Prairieville Robert Bujol Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship Matthew Ieyoub • Lake Charles Professor Mike Voorhies Endowed Flagship Scholarship Emma James • Baton Rouge Dr. & Mrs. W. Chapman Lee Endowed Flagship Scholarship Luke Jeanfreau • Metairie William S. Peck, Jr. Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jennifer Johnson • Lafayette
Ray & Gene Ziegler Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship Matthew Johnson • Baton Rouge Lincoln Parish Alumni Chapter Endowed Flagship Scholarship Sidney Jones • Covington Lofton Staffing Services Endowed Flagship Scholarship Evan Keller • Duson Harry D. & Jo Anne J. Martin Endowed Flagship Scholarship Youngone Kim • Mandeville Ray & Gene Ziegler Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jacob Klooster • Brentwood, Tenn. June & John McClain Endowed Flagship Scholarship Margaret Knight • Helena, Ala. Charles & Mary Barre Endowed Flagship Scholarship Joseph Lahaye • Ville Platte Michael & Tracie Woods Endowed Flagship Scholarship Alexander Landry • Baton Rouge Linda A. & Karl W. Moore Endowed Flagship Scholarship John Landry • Crowley Ruth A. Pitre Endowed Flagship Scholarship Sophie Landry • Baton Rouge Michael F. & Roberta Nesbit McDonald Flagship Scholarship Jarod Larriviere • Metairie G. Williams Endowed Flagship Scholarship Benjamin Laswell • Birmingham, Ala. James S. & Paula McHugh Endowed Flagship Scholarship Grant Lonero • Ponchatoula Louisiana Charities Endowed Flagship Scholarship Brian Long • Baton Rouge Greater New Orleans Chapter Kurt Schlotterer Endowed Flagship Scholarship Kristin Lonsberry • New Orleans Patrick Mestayer Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Daniel Loper • Denham Springs Barbara Modisatte Gill Endowed Flagship Scholarship Alisa Lytvyn • Morganville, N.J. Bill Ray Modisette Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Alexander Mackel • Metairie Elberta Pierce Forsythe Endowed Flagship Scholarship Celeste Maffei • Metairie Evelyn Schaefer & Norman J. Luke Endowed Flagship Scholarship Isaiah Mallmann • Baton Rouge
Mr. & Mrs. Julian R. Carruth Endowed Flagship Scholarship Tamra Manfredo • Baton Rouge Charles & Jeani Moniotte Endowed Flagship Scholarship Fund Gianna Mayberry • Denham Springs Anne & Mac Wallace Endowed Flagship Scholarship Anthony McCall • Houston, Texas Robert E. & Earleene Dryer Nolan Endowed Flagship Scholarship George McCracken • Baton Rouge Tom D. Jones, Jr. & Evelyn H. Jones Endowed Flagship Scholarship William McKenzie • Baton Rouge Russell Norwood, Jr. Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Joshua McKinney • Suwanee, Ga. Stan & Peggy Granberry Endowed Flagship Scholarship Christopher Miller • Baton Rouge William R. & Letitia Bell Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jacob Miller • Crowley Barry L. Ostrolenk Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Olivia Mipro • New Orleans Greater New Orleans Chapter Jan Liuzza Endowed Flagship Scholarship Rachel Mipro • New Orleans Lancelot P. & Hsien W. Olinde Endowed Flagship Scholarship Aaron Mixon • Springfield Washington, D.C. Alumni Chapter Endowed Flagship Scholarship Karsyn Modeski • Glen Burnie, Md. Larry G. Franceski Endowed Flagship Scholarship Oleksandr Molchanov • Belle Chasse Pam & William L. Walker Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jackson Munsell • Lafayette Desoto Parish Alumni Chapter Dr. Donald Taylor Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jessica Murphy • Benton Janet & Michael D. Hebert Endowed Flagship Scholarship John Musser • New Orleans Ouachita Parish Alumni Association Don Redden Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Shelby Myers • Baton Rouge Barbara & Tom Gregory Endowed Flagship Scholarship Julia Nauman • Baton Rouge
Alumni and friends who generously support our future alumni through Association scholarships are the heart and soul of the program, and without their support, many of these young men and women may not have attended LSU. LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
19
Without this funding, I am not sure how I would be able to afford my education.
Scott S. Houston Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Caroline Neck • Lake Charles San Diego Chapter Endowed Flagship Scholarship Charles Nelson • Los Angeles, Calif. Mary Parker Endowed Flagship Scholarship Christopher Nelson • Baton Rouge Kaye DeVillier Person Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Braden Nyboer • Baton Rouge Norma & Harry Longwell Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jessica Pastor • Baton Rouge Lousie & Monte Ragland Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jaime Pellicero-Calvo • Baton Rouge Sugar Woods Endowed Flagship Scholarship Ryan Perry • Carencro Louie C. & Carrie W. Reinberg Endowed Flagship Scholarship Nicole Petit • Kenner John W. Rhea Endowed Flagship Scholarship Tiffany Pham • Baton Rouge Emitte & Birdie S. White Endowed Flagship Scholarship Marie Plunkett • New Orleans William A. Richards, Jr. Endowed Flagship Scholarship Sai Pochana • Baton Rouge Patrick & Tami Mulligan Endowed Flagship Scholarship Benjamin Poulson • Frisco, Texas Dr. Charlie W. Roberts Endowed Flagship Scholarship Emilia Ranzino • Lafayette Benjamin Howard Robinson Endowed Flagship Scholarship Lydia Rewerts • Mandeville St. Bernard Chapter Endowed Flagship Scholarship Henry Reynaud • New Orleans Azalie & Euell Norman Sanders Endowed Flagship Scholarship Stephen Richards • Metairie Robert E. Sappenfield Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Mark Richardson • Tickfaw H B Sartor Endowed Flagship Scholarship Alexandra Rivett • Prairieville Kathryn Berwick Endowed Flagship Scholarship Brianna Robertson • Slidell Steve & Sheri Scott Endowed Flagship Scholarship Andrew Rodrigue • Kenner Warren A. Dotty Sevier Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jacob Rogers • New Orleans Beverly & Jerry Shea, Jr. Endowed Flagship Scholarship Emily Rone • Mandeville Steven Patrick Shea, Sr. Endowed Flagship Scholarship Keegan Rooney • Kenner Quota Club of Baton Rouge Endowed Flagship Scholarship Gabrielle Rotolo • Baton Rouge
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Gertie Lee Arbour McNeely Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Robert Rovira • Baton Rouge Murray A. Spindel Endowed Flagship Scholarship Alejandro Rubiano • Baton Rouge Dr. Tom & Cathy Greene Endowed Flagship Scholarship Judson Russell • Athens, Texas Dallas Alumni Chapter Endowed Flagship Scholarship Emily Rutherford • Carrollton, Texas Eugene Rozas & Larry Jones Endowed Flagship Scholarship Austin Saizan • Prarieville Rapides Parish Alumni Chapter Endowed Flagship Scholarship Sara Sayer • Youngsville Drs. Hubert Owen & Darrell Tate Endowed Flagship Scholarship Kyle Sellers • St. Francisville Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Harvell Endowed Flagship Scholarship Bradley Shafer • Kutztown, Pa. Sherry Stagg St. Aubin Endowed Flagship Scholarship Matthew Sharp • Gretna Lee Berwick Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship Alex Sheets • Prarieville Marjorie Gianelloni Thompson Endowed Flagship Scholarship Benjamin Smith • Humble, Texas Helena Taylor Thorgeson Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Noah Smith • Birmingham, Ala. David M. Thornton Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jeffrey Snoddy • Gallatin, Tenn. Webster Parish Endowed Flagship Scholarship Michael Snow • Prairieville Wells Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship James Sonnier • Covington Harry L. Willett Foundation Endowed Flagship Scholarship Matthew Spitchley • Mandeville Barbara Womack Endowed Flagship Scholarship Lee St. Pierre • Baton Rouge Diane Coco Zody Endowed Flagship Scholarship James Stapp • New Orleans Azalie & Euell Norman Sanders Endowed Flagship Scholarship Shane Strander • Covington Azalie & Euell Norman Sanders Endowed Flagship Scholarship Andrew Sturdivant • Schertz, Texas Katherine D. Harris Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship Noah Tate • Walker Caddo-Bossier Lloyd Lenard Endowed Flagship Scholarship Talia Teplitzky • Monroe
Azalie & Euell Norman Sanders Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jeffrey Tepper • Mandeville Azalie & Euell Norman Sanders Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jack Thibodeaux • Baton Rouge Caddo-Bossier Lady Jane Tanner Endowed Flagship Scholarship Benjamin Thomas • Crowley Lancelot P. & Hsien W. Olinde Endowed Flagship Scholarship Rebecca Tierney • O’Fallon, Mo. The Caddo-Bossier Hunter Huff Endowed Flagship Scholarship Maddie Tinsley • Shreveport Alumni Scholars Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jaya Touchet • Geismar Alumni Scholars Endowed Flagship Scholarship Gabriella Townsley • Robert Azalie & Euell Norman Sanders Endowed Flagship Scholarship Nicholas Tran • Geismar Ray & Gene Ziegler Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship Cullen Unsworth • Metairie Adler Family Endowed Flagship Scholarship George Villaume • Lake Charles Helena Taylor Thorgeson Memorial Endowed Flagship Scholarship John Waldvogel • Metairie Marjorie Gianelloni Thompson Endowed Flagship Scholarship Raymond Walters • Lafayette Lewis C. & Katheryn Price Endowed Flagship Scholarship Noah Walther • New Orleans East Baton Rouge Parish Endowed Flagship Scholarship Stephen Watson • Baton Rouge Mr. & Mrs. J. Franklin Bayhi Endowed Flagship Scholarship Camille Wetekamm • Mandeville The Caddo-Bossier Thomas F. Ruffin Endowed Flagship Scholarship Matthew White • West Monroe The Caddo Bossier Thomas F. Ruffin Endowed Flagship Scholarship Aeriana Williams • LakeCharles The Shelton Foundation Endowed Flagship Scholarship Mary Williams • Baton Rouge Greater New Orleans Chapter Houma Orthopedic Clinic Endowed Flagship Scholarship/ Thomas W Mason, Jr. Lt Col USAFR Ret Endowed Flagship Scholarship Fund Noah Willsea • Baton Rouge Houma Orthopedic Clinic Endowed Flagship Scholarship Eliza Zeringue • Thibodaux Metropolitan Kiwanis Clubs William R. Eason Endowed Flagship Scholarship Jennafer Zimmerman • Baton Rouge
HOW IT BEGAN
I
n 1960, LSU alums initiated an effort to fill the gap in the University’s
scholarship program, which at the time provided “greater assistance to students above the freshman level.” As a result of the contributions by former students and supporters to the First Annual Alumni Fund, the Alumni Federation [now Association] established the Freshman Scholarship Program – hailed as “an outstanding example of worthwhile alumni activity,”
The first Alumni Federation Freshman Scholarship recipients were:
according to accounts in the LSU
Jacquoline Anders • Baton Rouge*
Judy Ann Savoie • Houma
Alumni News.
Peter Anderson • Norco
E. Ann Thompson • Houston, Texas
“Here is a concrete illustration
Glenn Earl Crain • Franklinton
Dixie M. Williams • Monroe
of what can be accomplished
Michael C. Gremillion • Cottonport
William E. Wynn • Lake Charles
when thousands of alumni . . .
Harry R. Hill • Woodville, Miss.
Karen M. Young • Ponchatoula
make financial contributions to
Frank L. Pritchard • Metairie
the progress of LSU,” said A.R.
Harold B. Reiter • Shreveport
Johnson, III, a past president of the federation. The first scholarships were cash grants of $800 each, awarded to twelve young men and women. Over time these evolved into the Top 100 Scholarships and the
The first recipients of the Freshman Scholarship Program awards. Photo from LSU Alumni News (October 1960)
Recipient Harold Reiter, today a professor of mathematics at the University of North CarolinaCharlotte, writes:
semesters and enjoy work and
“I'm the same head-shaven kid whose picture appeared in the alum magazine in 1960. The scholarship came as a big surprise to me. I found out about it during what I recall as the first or second week on campus. “I was planning to work in the library, as I did in following years, but the award enabled me to concentrate on my courses and to get off to a good start. I enjoyed meeting the other scholarship students and my very strong honors calculus class with Eakin, Ristroph, Mills, McCain, Lang, Kees, Cowsar – all of whom became good friends. And they still are. “As I complete my fifty-fourth year of teaching, I wonder how much better some of my best students could do in my class if only they didn't have to work twenty to thirty hours a week besides their full load of courses. Too bad, I think, because students can get so much more from college if that is their main focus.”
research opportunities.
*Editor’s note: Jacquoline is the correct spelling.
Chancellor’s Alumni Scholarships and are now known as the Flagship Scholarships and President’s Alumni Scholarships – this year given to more than 200 future alumni. Unlike the first recipients, who received a one-time award, today’s President’s and Flagship scholars are supported for eight
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
21
Noteworthy
Around
CAMPUS
Evolutionary biologist and natural historian Prosanta Chakrabarty, associate professor of biological sciences and curator of fishes at the LSU Museum of Natural Science, was selected as a TED 2018 Senior Fellow, joining a class of change-makers from around the world. He was recognized for his extraordinary work and contributions as a TED 2016 Fellow.
Prosanta Chakrabarty
John Maxwell Hamilton
Bryan McCann
Golden Richard III
Gerald Kennedy
Kalliat Valsaraj
Golden Richard III, professor of computer science, has been at the forefront of memory forensics research well past its beginnings in academia more than a decade ago. Since then, the issues of data breaches, crippling viruses, etc., have seemingly outpaced solutions. Richard’s work on the subject, however – recently aided by a more than $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Secure & Trustworthy Cyberspace program – seeks to close that gap. John Maxwell Hamilton, the Hopkins P. Breazeale Professor of Journalism and founding dean of the Manship School, was named to the Historical Advisory Board for the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission. Established by an Act of Congress in 2013, the commission serves to educate, honor, and commemorate what is considered America’s most forgotten war. The commission is building the National World War I Memorial at Pershing Park in Washington, D.C., through private donations. Boyd Professor of English Gerald Kennedy, LSU’s resident Edgar Allan Poe expert, shared his expertise on America’s spookiest poet in a new PBS documentary that aired in October, just in time for Halloween. The film, Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive, featured Kennedy and other American literature experts as they explain the story behind Poe’s tragic and twisted life. Kennedy suggested the movie’s name, explaining that Poe felt crushed by the weight of the nation’s culture at the time. Kennedy has written and published eight books on Poe, and this was his third time appearing as a commentator for a Poe documentary. Bryan McCann, assistant professor of communication studies, received the National Communication Association’s 2017 Karl R. Wallace Memorial Award, given annually to foster and promote philosophical, historical, or critical scholarship in rhetoric and public discourse. McCann was honored for his proposed book project, The Idea of the Negro: Debating Black Protest Fiction after the Harlem Renaissance.
Elizabeth “Kip” Webster
Milen Yakimov
Kalliat Valsaraj, vice president for research and economic development, the Charles and Hilda Roddey Distinguished Professor in Chemical Engineering, and the Ike East Professor in Chemical Engineering, received the 2017 Jacobs Professor of Excellence Award presented by the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes. The award, sponsored by Jacobs, one of the world’s largest technical, professional, and construction service providers, recognizes Vallsaraj’s passion, dedication, and work. Elizabeth “Kip” Webster, assistant professor of kinesiology, was named a Fulbright Scholar. Considered a top specialist in physical activity behaviors and motor skill competency in pediatric populations, Webster traveled late last year to the Czech Republic to work with the education faculty at Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic. During her visit, she gave two oral presentations, introduced three practical lessons for students, and visited primary schools in the area. Milen Yakimov, the Michael F. and Roberta Nesbit McDonald Professor of Mathematics, was named to the 2018 class of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society in recognition of his contributions to noncommutative algebra and service to the community. Yakimov was one of sixty-three individuals chosen from the society’s 30,000 members.
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The College of Engineering and Our Lady of the Lake have partnered to create a new healthcare systems engineering collaborative. The partnership, similar to programs at Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Georgia Tech, and Northwestern, will focus on working with industrial engineers, clinicians, and patients to identify and solve healthcare-related problems. Pending Louisiana Board of Regents and LSU Board of Supervisors approval, students will be able to enroll in classes for this program in the 2018-19 school year. Courses will all be online and open to students and healthcare professionals around the world. The E.J. Ourso College of Business received a $5.6 million grant from the Charles Koch Foundation to support the Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute (SEI), an interdisciplinary institute fostering entrepreneurship through educational initiatives, applied research, and outreach. LSU “earned its ears” in November with selection as a distinguished Disney College Program institution. LSU students are finding a bit of career magic through the program, at a rate of more than twenty-five students per year. This creative take on an internship for credit provides students with the opportunity for hands-on work experience in Disney parks and resorts while receiving academic credit through personal and career development coursework. In U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best Online Programs ranking, the LSU Online master’s degree in construction management is ranked twelfth among public colleges and universities and sixteenth overall. LSU Online Flores MBA Program is ranked forty-first among public colleges and universities and fifty-first overall. The magazine also ranked the best online programs that help veterans reduce the cost for school. LSU’s master’s in construction management ranked tenth in engineering programs for veterans, and LSU’s online MBA ranked twenty-fifth in online MBA programs for veterans. The College of Engineering maintained its Top-20 status in the 2018 rankings of Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs, finishing T-12 among public institutions and T-16 overall.
Investing in Tigers, Transforming Lives I am a freshman from Houston, majoring in mechanical engineering and aiming toward minors in business and geology.
I loved growing up in Texas, but by the end of high school, I was ready for a change. I visited several schools out of state, but the beauty of the campus and the friendliness of the people called me to LSU. After receiving the President's Alumni Scholarship, I knew LSU would be the perfect place to invest in my passions and explore new opportunities without financial burden. The generosity of this scholarship has allowed me to concentrate on my career path and take advantage of both the quality education and the plethora of different organizations and activities on campus. I have joined a sorority, gotten involved in Freshman Leadership Council as a part of student government, and begun leadership training in Young Life campus ministry, allowing this school to become my home away from home. I have loved experiencing a new place and a new culture, and I could not have done so without this scholarship. Because of your contributions to the LSU Alumni Association, LSU is able to attract more students like Kristen every year. This doesn’t just make a difference now; it makes a difference for the future, for students like Kristen will be tomorrow’s top scientists, educators, and business leaders. And you make that possible.
KRISTEN BOHNET President’s Alumni Scholar
To contribute to or endow a scholarship, visit www.lsualumni.org/giving or call 225.578.3838.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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Around Campus
In Focus Hymel Receives Floyd Edmiston Award
LSU AgCenter and LSU College of Agriculture award winners.
Among LSU AgCenter and LSU College of Agriculture faculty and staff honored at the annual conference in December was Thomas Hymel, who received the Floyd S. Edmiston Award, funded through the LSU Alumni Association, for his work as a fisheries agent for the AgCenter and the Louisiana Sea Grant. Hymel has worked in fisheries and the geographic information system (GIS) mapping area for much of his thirty-two year career. Other award winners were Terri Crawford, Claudia Husseneder, Mike Salassi, Julie Anderson-Lively, Thu Bui, Leslie Davis, Anne Dugas, Julie Falgout, Carol Franze, Rusty Gaude, Kevin Savoie, Mark Shirley, Dominique Seibert, Evelyn Watts, Carlos Astete, Joey Blackburn, Dorin Boldor, Phillip Jung, Lavrent Khachatryan, Youngchan Kwon, Elizabeth Martin, Dorel Moldvan, Pranjali Mule, Cristina Sabliov, Hope Guidry, Darlene Reagan, Manuel “Boo” Persica, Edward McGawley, Reagan Errera, Marlene Janes, Zhijun Liu, Bill Owens, Yixuan Dong, Jian Zhang, Glen Gentry, Kurt Guidry, Charlotte Guerin, Elaine Henderson, Cassandra Rattle, Gaye Richard, and John Sonnier. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter
From left, Faron Cedotal, Martha Cedotal, Coach Paul Mainieri, Pat Triche, and Marion Territo.
Speaker Ashley Mullens, center, with, from left, Roger Hinson, Ken Koonce, Joy Bagur, and Bill Brown.
LSU Retirees – Coach Paul Mainieri talked about his thirty-five year coaching career, including his eleven seasons at LSU, at the November meeting of the LSU Faculty and Staff Retirees Club. Ashley Mullens, coordinator of the LSU AgCenter medical marijuana program, updated cub members about the initiative at the January meeting. Photo by Mark Claesgens
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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Around Campus
In Focus
Front row, left to right, LSU President F. King Alexander; Betty Laville Bagot, sister of Cpl. Germaine Laville; O. Fred Loy; Ann Scharfenberg, sister of Cpl. Germaine Laville; Gov. John Bel Edwards; back row, Maj. Ian H. “Sniffer” Rowe; Brig. Gen. Bob Efferson; Tommy Gayle, son of Willis Gayle; Dr. Richard A. Keller, son of Col. Richard J. Keller; Cadets of the Ole War Skule President John W. Milazzo, Jr.; and Charles Ray Smith.
Military Hall of Honor – Eight distinguished LSU alumni were inducted into the LSU Military Hall of Honor during LSU Salutes 2017, sponsored by the University and Cadets of the Ole War Skule. Inductees included Gov. John Bel Edwards; retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Bob L. Efferson of Austin, Texas; the late Willis W. Gayle of Lake Charles, La.; the late U.S. Army Col. Richard J. Keller of Hahnville, La.; the late U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Germaine C. Laville of Plaquemine, La.; O. Fred Loy of Baton Rouge; U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Ian H. “Sniffer” Rowe; and Charles Ray Smith of New Roads, La. Photo by Cody Willhite/LSU Strategic Communications
POW/MIA Chair – A new seat in Tiger Stadium – the Chair of Honor – was unveiled at the LSU-Arkansas game in November. Located on the ground level in the north end zone, the seat is a tribute to prisoners of war and soldiers who are missing in action. The chair will be a permanent fixture in the stadium and will remain empty and guarded by ROTC cadets during home football games. Similar seats are planned for the Maravich Assembly Center, Alex Box Stadium, and Tiger Park. Photo by Chris Parent/LSU Athletics
This unoccupied seat is in honor of those who are still prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA) and symbolizes there will always be a place in Tiger Stadium awaiting their return.
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TIGER TRIVIA 1. Who published the first L Books in the 1890s? LSU Press The YMCA The LSU News Bureau The Tower Information Service 2. What time did daily barracks inspections begin in the 1930s? 7:30 a.m. At reveille 9:30 a.m. 7:30 p.m. 3. Cadets were required to maintain rifles belonging to the Department of Military Science. True False 4. Which of the following recommendations for studying were students given in the 1940s? Eliminate all possible distractions Do not become too comfortable and relaxed Have plenty of fresh air All of the above 5. What was Twilight Hour in the 1940s and 1950s? The time when female students The time cadets performed were to return to their dormitories evening guard duty Between 7 and 8 p.m. when Between 7 and 8 p.m. when symphonic instrumental music smooth jazz was played in the was played from the Memorial Field House Lounge Tower’s sound system 6. Which assistant football coaches became managers of the LSU Union? Charles McClendon and Carl Maddox and Don Purvis Abner Wimberly Ben Enis and Clarence Gaynell Tinsley and Raymond “Pop” Strange Didier 7. Which members of the 1958 National Championship football team were sons of LSU coaches? Billy Cannon and Max Fugler Don Purvis and Tommy Davis Durel Matherne and Billy Hendrix Johnny Robinson and Charles “Bo” Strange 8. How much were the total expenses to attend LSU, including books, tuition, and room and board in the 1871-72 academic year? $470 $1,040 Seven head of cattle TOPS paid for everything 9. What was the Tiger Train? The train chartered to bring Tigers fans to the Tulane game An early form of campus transit in the 1960s
A Day to Say Thanks – The LSU Alumni Association joined the LSU Foundation and Tiger Athletic Foundation on November 8 for Thank a Donor Day, a collective project to express gratitude to supporters of the organizations. At various locations across campus, students, faculty, and staff penned messages of appreciation to donors on postcards and posters, learned about how philanthropy affects their LSU experience, and enjoyed free pizza and cold drinks.
10. When did the School of Music move from the pentagon barracks on the downtown campus to the present campus? 1925 1932 1941 1958 11. Who is considered the “dean of coaches” at LSU? Charles McClendon Skip Bertman Dale Brown D-D Breaux 12. When was the first act of the Legislature passed to provide funding for LSU? 1853 1860 1869 1886 Tiger Trivia is compiled by Barry Cowan, assistant archivist, Hill Memorial Library. Answers: 1:b 2:a 3:a 4:d 5:c 6:b 7:d 8:a 9:c 10:b 11:d 12:a
Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff took part in the first Thank a Donor Day.
The train chartered to bring Tigers fans to the Rice games The bus service from campus to downtown
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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Around Campus
In Focus
The 2017-18 Rucks Fellows, from left, Lucy Simon, Andrew Broussard, Sarah Stalnaker, Ashlee Huval, Mallory Guillot (2017 BACH BUS), Chris-Annie Joseph, Diana Chern, Madison Stein, and Amanda Laliberte. Not pictured is Heather Adams (2017 BACH BUS).
Rucks Fellows – Ten students in the William W. & Catherine M. Rucks Department of Management were recognized last fall as Rucks Fellows. Selected by the faculty, the Rucks Fellows represent the highest level of academic achievement among senior management majors. To enrich their development as future business leaders, these students receive opportunities not available to others, including the chance to interact with faculty and business leaders at special events, preferential enrollment in management courses, recognition during graduation, and the right to identify themselves as Rucks Fellows. The program is supported through a gift from William Rucks (1979 BACH H&SS) and his wife, Catherine.
From left, President F. King Alexander; John Hardin, director of university relations for the Charles Koch Foundation; LSU Foundation President and CEO Bryan Benchoff; LSU alumni and supporters Emmet and Toni Stephenson; entrepreneurship fellows Sakeenah and Firdaws Ashiru; Ourso College of Business Dean Richard White Jr., and Executive Vice President and Provost Richard Koubek.
Major Grant – A major grant that will expand entrepreneurship research, education, and outreach was announced by the E.J. Ourso College of Business in November 2017. The Charles Koch Foundation provided $5.6 million to support the Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute, an interdisciplinary institute fostering entrepreneurship through educational initiatives, applied research, and outreach. Photo by Eddy Perez/LSU Strategic Communications
28 LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
Accepting the 2017 Innovation Park Company of the Year Award for Lubricity Labs were, from left, CEO Boyce Clark, Alden Clark, Robin Keller, Amy Burris, and Steven Jackson.
LBTC founder Charles D’Agostino, center, with 2017 Hall of Fame Award winner Martin Walke, vice president of economic development with the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (LPFA), left, and Jim Parks, LPFA CEO.
Innovation Awards – The Louisiana Business Technology Center (LBTC) at LSU Innovation Park celebrated its twenty-ninth anniversary in November by honoring its top clients, innovators, and student workers. Founded by Charles D’Agostino (1970 BACH SCI, 1972 MBA) in 1988, the LBTC documented the creation of nearly 10,000 Louisiana jobs and assisted client companies in raising more than $169 million in equity and investments. LSU Innovation Park encompasses LSU’s research park and supports five business incubators: LBTC, LBTC Student Incubator, Pennington BioTech Initiative, Louisiana Emerging Technology Center, and the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator. The LBTC was named the National Business Incubation Association Incubator of the Year and the LSU Innovation Park has been named the Association of University Research Park’s Emerging Research Park.
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Around Campus
Jennifer Baumgartner, Ray Castle, and Tara Landry.
In Focus HS&E Awards – The College of Human Sciences & Education 2017-2018 Awards, recognizing the outstanding contributions of faculty and staff, were presented to Scott E. Wilks, associate professor, School of Social Work, Distinguished Research Award; Jennifer Baumgartner, professor, School of Education, Distinguished Teaching Award; Guillaume Spielmann, assistant professor, School of Kinesiology, Early Career Award; Margo Abadie, associate Margo Abadie, Scott Wilks, and Guillaume Spielmann. professor, School of Social Work, Engagement Award; Ray Castle, professor, School of Kinesiology, Outstanding Faculty Service Award; and Tara C. Landry, admissions coordinator, School of Social Work, Outstanding Staff Service Award.
Front row, from left, Doug Page, Don Meyer, Gary White, Allen Roussel, Bernard Trappey, Marcy Hardy, Karen Gordon, and Mike Babin; back, Harold Young, Bob Simmons, Bob Lewis, and Glenn Melton.
Vet Reunion – The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine graduated its first class in 1977. Thirty-five students, all from Louisiana, received the first DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) degrees bestowed by LSU. In November 2017, twelve members of the class returned to campus for their fortieth anniversary reunion. Also celebrating milestone reunions that day were the classes of 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012. The LSU SVM is one of only thirty veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. In its history, the LSU SVM has granted 2,989 DVM, 183 master's, and 244 doctoral degrees.
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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New Insights into the Earth's Evolution
Around Campus
By Alison Satake
Photomicrographs of fresh olivine (large green, blue and pink crystals) and glass inclusion (lower left inset). Komatiite volcanic rocks from the threebillion-year-old Weltevreden Formation are the freshest yet discovered from Earth’s early Archean. Trace elements, radiogenic and stable isotopes from these rocks and olivine separates provide key evidence for evolution of Earth’s mantle. Photo provided by Keena Kareem
“These rocks preserve signatures of processes that occurred over four billion years ago and that are still not completely understood.”
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The first 1.5 billion years of Earth’s evolution is subject to considerable uncertainty due to the lack of any significant rock record prior to four billion years ago and a very limited record until about three billion years ago. Rocks of this age are usually extensively altered, making comparisons to modern rock quite difficult. In new research conducted at LSU, scientists have found evidence showing that komatiites, three-billion-year-old volcanic rock found within the Earth’s mantle, had a different composition than modern ones. Their discovery may offer Benjamin Byerly (foreground) and Gary Byerly (backnew information about the first one ground) examine komatiite volcanic rocks from the Barberton Mountains of South Africa. billion years of Earth’s development and Photo provided by Gary Byerly early origins of life. Results of the team’s work was published in the October 2017 edition of NATURE Geoscience. The basic research came from more than three decades of LSU scientists studying and mapping the Barberton Mountains of South Africa. The research team, including LSU geology professors Gary Byerly and Huiming Bao, geology Ph.D. graduate Keena Kareem, and LSU researcher Benjamin Byerly, conducted chemical analyses of hundreds of komatiite rocks sampled from about ten lava flows. “Early workers had mapped large areas incorrectly by assuming they were correlatives to the much more famous Komati Formation in the southern part of the mountains. We recognized this error and began a detailed study of the rocks to prove our mapping-based interpretations,” said Gary Byerly. Within the rocks, they discovered original minerals called fresh olivine, which had been preserved in remarkable detail. Though the mineral is rarely found in rocks subjected to metamorphism and surface weathering, olivine is the major constituent of Earth’s upper mantle and controls the nature of volcanism and tectonism of the planet. Using compositions of these fresh minerals, the researchers had previously concluded that these were the hottest lavas to ever erupt on Earth’s surface, with temperatures near 1600 degrees centigrade – roughly 400 degrees hotter than modern eruptions in Hawaii. “Discovering fresh unaltered olivine in these ancient lavas was a remarkable find. The field work was wonderfully productive, and we were eager to return to the lab to use the chemistry of these preserved olivine crystals to reveal clues of the Archean Mantle,” said Kareem. The researchers suggest that maybe a chunk of early-Earth magma ocean is preserved in the approximately three-billion-year-old minerals. “The modern Earth shows little or no evidence of this early magma ocean because convection of the mantle has largely homogenized the layering produced in the magma ocean. Oxygen isotopes in these fresh olivines support the existence of ancient chunks of the frozen magma ocean. Rocks like this are very rare and scientifically valuable. An obvious next step was to do oxygen isotopes,” said Byerly. This study grew out of work taking place in LSU’s laboratory for the study of
oxygen isotopes, a world-class facility that attracts scientists from the U.S. and international institutions for collaborative work. The results of the study were so unusual that it required extra care to be certain of the results. Huiming Bao, head of LSU’s oxygen isotopes lab, said the team triple and quadruple checked the data by running with different reference minerals and by calibrating with other Huiming Bao standing next to the specially designed laser fluorination line used to isolate oxygen extracted independent labs. from minerals. "We attempted to reconcile the Photo provided by Gary Byerly findings with some of the conventional explanations for lavas with oxygen isotope compositions like these, but nothing could fully explain all of the observations. It became apparent that these rocks preserve signatures of processes that occurred over four billion years ago and that are still not completely understood," said Benjamin Byerly. Oxygen isotopes are measured by the conversion of rock or minerals into a gas and measuring the ratios of oxygen with the different masses of 16, 17, and 18. A variety of processes fractionate oxygen on Earth and in the solar system, including atmospheric, hydrospheric, biological, and high temperature and pressure. “Different planets in our solar system have different oxygen isotope ratios. On Earth this is modified by surface atmosphere and hydrosphere, so variations could be due either to heterogeneous mantle (original accumulation of planetary debris or remnants of magma ocean) or surface processes,” said Gary Byerly. “Either might be interesting to study – the latter because it would also provide information about the early surface temperature of Earth and early origins of life.”
Keena Kareem and Gary Byerly. Photo provided by Gary Byerly
Alison Satake is a research writer/editor in the LSU Office of Strategic Communications.
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Prof Balances Acting Career, Teaching
Focus on
FACULTY By Hailey Auglair Photo by Christa Moran
Joe Chrest and his students in the Music & Dramatic Arts Building.
“The satisfaction of performing does not require a performance to be universally seen or praised but does need commitment.”
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From acting in major films to teaching at the University, Joe Chrest, an adjunct professor in the College of Music & Dramatic Arts, is living his dream. Chrest began acting his senior year of high school when he took a speech class to overcome his shy habits. “They had us do an acting scene, and I found that I really enjoyed that,” he said. “It was much easier to be somebody else than to be myself in front of people. It just really clicked.” Chrest graduated in 1989, part of the University’s first Master of Fine Arts program. “When I first came to LSU, I was a graduate assistant. And I saw right then how much I loved [teaching],” he said. “If I was independently wealthy, I would either be an acting student for life or an acting teacher.” Despite his busy career, he finds time to teach “Introduction to Acting for the Camera.” According to Chrest, “It’s a dream scenario . . . like having your cake and eating it, too. I think the students enjoy someone who’s actually in the field. It’s not like I did it five years ago, or even three. I did it last week or yesterday. They teach me so much. They make me a better actor, and I think I’m able to bring the nuts and bolts of what’s going on and to help them to understand to love the process like I do.” Chrest’s favorite role was Frank-NFurter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Swine Palace, of which he is a founding member. Other films include 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, Deepwater Horizon, Free State of Jones, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2. He played four father roles since playing Jonah Hill’s dad in the
Jump Street films and was contacted about the role in Stranger Things while shooting Deepwater Horizon. Several roles are set in the 1980s. “I’ve been stuck, really since 2015, with an ’80s haircut,” Chrest said. “I haven’t been able to cut my hair the way that I want since, which was a huge bummer at the [Emmy Awards] because I had a $400 hair and makeup budget and I was looking forward to getting a really expensive Beverly Hills haircut.” Chrest said filming Stranger Things felt like summer camp because everybody “hung out.” The Duffer Brothers are young and passionate, and their energy trickles down and makes everyone excited about the process. “I was talking with Cara Buono, who plays my wife – it’s one of the best sets we’ve ever worked on,” Chrest said. “The guys work so efficiently that we’re in and we’re out. The irony is you’re usually looking forward to getting off work, but we would just be bummed out when it was time to go home.” Chrest emphasized the importance of working hard and loving what you do. The satisfaction of performing does not require a performance to be universally seen or praised but does need commitment. “I always try to answer to myself, I can make my art really any time, any place,” he said. “I don’t need someone to hire me or applaud it. I can get together with my friends and do a play no audience is going to come to, and I love that stuff.” Hailey Auglair is a sophomore in the Manship School of Mass Communication. Reprinted with permission of The Daily Reveille. The original article appeared in the Nov. 8, 2017 edition.
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Youth Dominates LSU Baseball Roster
Locker
ROOM Photos courtesy LSU Athletics
LSU’s Hall of Fame baseball coach Paul Mainieri must find a new double play combination, new starting pitchers, a new closer, and a new long ball hitter for the Tigers this spring.
“Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s game.” –Babe Ruth
Be grateful for those optimistic souls known as “coach.” They return year after year, eternally encouraged by another freshman’s potential. There stands Paul Mainieri, fresh from last season’s heart-break in Omaha, eager for another try at the brass ring. Surely the coach remembers last season. Mainieri lost one of his best hitters before the first pitch when Bryce Jordan went down with a knee injury in practice. Jordan would have been a valuable addition to the lineup at the College World Series. On the cusp of another championship run in Omaha, one of LSU’s best pitchers – Eric Walker – had a season-ending arm injury. Tommy John surgery sidelined Walker for this spring as well. Faced with rebuilding a pitching staff and replacing key hitters from last year’s NCAA finalists, Mainieri looks at a roster filled with new faces and sees opportunity. He seems energized by the skills of the new players. Of the thirty-two players on the current roster, seventeen are freshmen. Experienced pitchers are scarce. Of the nineteen pitchers on the 2018 roster, eight are freshmen and four are junior college transfers. “This is college baseball; you’re going to deal with this every year,” Mainieri said. “You’re going to lose guys to the draft early before they graduate; you’re going to have guys graduate. “I’ve never been one to make excuses because you’re young, and I’m certainly not going to start now,” Mainieri added. “We’ll overcome it.” Mainieri is the same upbeat coach he always has been. He is intent upon winning the SEC tournament again in Hoover and getting back to the College World Series in 2018. Let’s take a quick look at this year’s Tigers who have been rated as high as 9th in preseason rankings by USA Today.
What’s Missing? For one thing, the Fab Four – Greg Deichmann, Cole Freeman, Jared Poché and Kramer Robertson – an inspirational foursome that bypassed professional baseball in 2017 to try for a national championship. Their leadership inspired the Tigers last season and helped produce another SEC tournament title and another trip to Omaha. LSU must replace 100 percent of its weekend rotation. In addition to Poché, Alex Lange and Eric Walker are missing. Lange has moved on to pro baseball. Walker will spend this season rehabbing. The double play combination of Freeman and Robertson will be sorely missed. And there is not likely to be anyone on the roster this season with the home run power of Deichmann.
Who’s Available?
Caleb Gilbert (RHP, 6-2, 179, Jr.) will be the No. 1 starter. LSU fans remember his great performance in the College World Series last season against Oregon State. He allowed only one run in 7.2 innings. For the 2017 campaign, he was 7-1 with a 2.16 ERA. Zack Hess, last season’s closer, is expected to become the Saturday night starter. He was impressive as a freshman, posting a 7-1 record and a 3.12 earned run average. The 6-6, 215-pound right-hander looks the part of a late-inning reliever. Zack Hess, RHP Caleb Gilbert, RHP His 96 mph fast ball and wipe out slider should serve him well as the team’s No. 2 starter. The third weekend starter is Todd Peterson (RHP, 6-5, 224, So.), who was 3-1 with a 4.19 earned run average as a freshman. JC transfer Cam Sanders (RHP, 6-2, 170, Jr.), one of the bright pitching prospects of this year’s recruiting class, will start the season as Todd Peterson, RHP Cameron Sanders, RHP
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the No. 4 starting pitcher. Sanders will start the spring as the mid-week starter but he has the potential to move up. Mainieri made this comment on Sanders: “Cam may have the most electric stuff of any of the pitchers that we recruited.”
Bullpen Hopefuls Mainieri is pleased with the progress of several young pitchers who could play an important role in stabilizing the bullpen. Freshmen Ma’khail Hilliard (RHP, 6-0, 150, Fr.) and Devin Fontenot (RHP, 6-1, 175, Fr.) and, and sophomore Nick Bush (LHP, 6-1, 193, So.), who served in a relief capacity last spring, have been tabbed for late inning relief to start the season. Mainieri is excited about Hilliard’s curveball. Another freshman sensation, Daniel Cabrera, the team’s projected starter in left field, will also double as a lefthanded reliever. He must be a special if Mainieri wants him to pitch and play another position.
Blue Cross Blues
Ma'Khail Hilliard, RHP
Devin Fontenot, RHP
Nick Bush, LHP
Daniel Cabrera, IF/LH
Nick Storz, RHP
AJ Labas, RHP
Three of the Tigers’ most promising freshmen pitchers have had surgery, but all should give the Bengals a boost this spring: Nick Storz (RHP, 6-6, 255, Fr.), AJ Labas (RHP, 6-3, 215, Fr.) and Trent Vietmieir (RHP, 6-3, 210, Fr.). Labas, who had back surgery in December, is expected to miss the start of the season. Austin Bain, RHP Hunter Feduccia, C Vietmeier is set to pitch in the spring after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in the fall. Storz had surgery to remove a bone spur in his throwing shoulder last fall. He is expected to pitch in the early season. When this trio is finally healthy, the LSU bullpen could become a team strength. Mainieri is optimistic about the potential of the relievers, even though the staff is dominated by young pitchers. Two returning lettermen – senior Austin Bain (6-1, 188, Sr.) and Nick Coomes, INF/C sophomore Matthew Beck (6-7, 228, So.) – could strengthen the Bengal bullpen with steady performances this spring. Bain pitched 24.2 innings last season with 32 Ks, a 4.74 ERA and a 1-0 record. Beck was 1-0 with a 3.65 ERA in 24.2 innings.
Behind the Plate In replacing the stalwart Michael Papierski behind the plate, Mainieri couldn’t have done much better. Hunter Feduccia (6-2, 193, Jr.) may lack Papierski’s considerable defensive skills, but his bat will likely wind up in the middle of the order for the Tigers. Nick Coomes (.303, 24 RBI) and Braden Doughty (6-1, 175, Fr.) are capable backups.
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Locker Room
How About Defense?
Josh Smith, INF
Jake Slaughter, INF
Bryce Jordan, INF
Brandt Broussard, INF
Hal Hughes, INF
Chris Reid, INF
Mainieri’s best ball clubs have been noted for excellent defense. Mainieri must approximate the middle infield glove work of Robertson and Freeman or face an early departure in post season. Josh Smith (.281, 48 RBI), last season’s third baseman, will start 2018 at shortstop, bat at the top of the order and hopefully furnish the leadership that made Kramer Robertson special. Jake Slaughter (.257, 26 RBI), last season’s first baseman, is expected to start at third. Bryce Jordan (.293, 33 RBI), who could help replace the departed hitters, is the first baseman. Can anyone on this roster replace Cole Freeman’s clutch hitting, speed on the bases and flawless fielding at second base? Maybe nobody. But Brandt Broussard (5-10, 160, Jr.), another Delgado product, will try to fill that void. Hal Hughes (5-11, 165, Fr.), a slickfielding shortstop who impressed the coaching staff in fall ball, can provide defensive depth at third, short, and second. Junior Chris Reid (5-9, 187, Jr. ) is another are capable infield reserve.
Three Solid Hitters
Zach Watson, the team’s leading hitter as a freshman last season (.317, 9 HR, 37 RBI) is a fixture in center. Antoine Duplantis (.316, 61 RBI) returns to right field where he played Zach Watson, OF Beau Jordan, OF in 2016. They may be two of the Tigers’ most reliable batters. Freshman Daniel Cabrera (OF/LHP, 6-1, 185, Fr.), a .510 hitter at Parkview Baptist High, will play left. Senior Beau Jordan (.268, 29 RBI) and freshman Nick Webre (OF/DH/IF, 5-10, 190, Fr.) provide solid hitting replacements for Carbrera when he makes an appearance as a relief pitcher. No one in this group is expected to produce long distance drives like Deichmann did. But they should take up the slack in the RBI department. Webre plays first, left field and will find hitting opportunities as a DH.
Designated Hitter Depth
Beau Jordan (,268, 29 RBI) had this job last year. He has ample competition this spring. Cabrera, Webre, and senior Nick Coomes (.303, 24 RBI), a capable hitter recovering from hip surgery, will also get some at-bats as the DH. 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.
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Freshman Sensation Attempts Rare Double
Locker Room
Can Cabrera Succeed As A Two-Way Player? Daniel Cabrera isn’t your average college freshman. He rejected an opportunity for a professional baseball signing bonus – which, some say, could have reached $2 million dollars. Pro baseball is still Cabrera’s goal. But first he plans to satisfy the dream of playing baseball at LSU.
Photos courtesy LSU Athletics
Daniel Cabrera will attempt a rare double this year for LSU, playing left field and also serving as a relief pitcher for the Tigers. He did it throughout his high school career. Like a lot of coaches, Paul Mainieri believes you never have enough pitching.
“Daniel is going to be one of the very best players in our program for the next three years.”
Taking a chance on his future is not Cabrera’s only big news. He will try to become a two-way player for Coach Paul Mainieri. Not many succeed at playing a position and pitching, but he did it in high school, and he has the talent to try it again for the Tigers this spring. “His future in professional baseball is as a hitter/outfielder,” Mainieri said. “But he is one of the ten best pitchers we have. Because of that, I think it’s important that we utilize him both ways. Daniel is going to be one of the very best players in our program for the next three years. He has always been the best player wherever he’s been. He was considered the best player in New Orleans in his two years at John Curtis.” Cabrera hit .500 for Parkview Baptist last season with 25 RBIs. As a junior at Curtis High in River Ridge, he batted .393 with twenty RBIs, thirteen doubles, and three home runs. He could be ranked with LSU’s best hitters before his career as a Tiger ends.
What Kind of Hitter Is He? “He’s going to be a very good hitter,” Mainieri says. “He’s got a good eye at the plate. He doesn’t strike out much. He hits a lot of line drives. He also has the potential to hit home runs. In three years, I would be very surprised if we were not looking at a first- round draft choice. He is one of those kids like Alex Bregman, DJ LeMahieu, and Antoine Duplantis that come in and prove that they can play as a freshman.” Cabrera will be eligible for the Major League Baseball draft again in three years. Until then, it is in his best interest to improve his abilities as a hitter/outfielder. “Daniel is unselfish,” Mainieri said. “He has embraced being a two-way player to help LSU win. He’s a very talented ball player. His best days are ahead of him.” Cabrera was a two-way player at John Curtis High in River Ridge, La., for two years and at Parkview Baptist High in Baton Rouge, although a tender throwing arm limited him to only thirteen innings pitched at Parkview last spring.
What Kind of Pitcher Is He? “If he were a full-time pitcher, I think he could be one of the best pitchers on our team,” Mainieri said. “He throws 88 mph, and he has good command of his fastball. But he has an excellent changeup, and I think that’s his best pitch. He also flips a curve ball when necessary. He has the makings of three very good pitches. I don’t know if he will develop those pitches because of the time he will spend on his hitting.” Cabrera pitched twenty-three innings for Curtis in 2016, recording thirty-six strikeouts and a 1.22 ERA. He will be used as a relief pitcher and designated hitter (DH) on days he is scheduled to pitch, as the college rule allows. As Mainieri explains the rule: “You can be started as a DH in a game, be inserted as a relief pitcher, be removed as a relief pitcher, and remain in the game as a DH.”
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Mainieri sees Carbrera’s schedule like this: “If we schedule him to pitch as a reliever on a Sunday, we will DH him, and he has one or two days off before playing again on Tuesday or Wednesday. On days when he is not scheduled to pitch, he’ll play left field.”
The Challenge of Playing Both Ways Everything about playing both ways is a challenge — preparing to do so daily in practice, and in the execution of both on game days. Not many try it and very few succeed. The two-way player must be proficient in many different phases of the game. “It’s a unique guy who can do both,” Mainieri said. A position player must be accomplished in the complexities of both offense and defense. Just to prepare for both as a position player is demanding. Fielding for the outfield position takes a lot of practice. “He has to master going back on balls, coming in on balls, going to the line, going to the gap and be able to make all of the throws,” Mainieri said. Then there is the offense. “Hitting is a major part of the game, working on the different situations,” Mainieri said. “Players also have to spend a lot of time on base running and bunting.” The work load for pitching is staggering. Daily drills include side sessions in the bullpen – the long toss, which is necessary to build up arm strength, and the short boxes, which are required to improve command. The pitchers have to practice fielding their position. And they have to work on pickoff moves. The two-way player has the challenge of two separate workouts every day. It is physically and mentally demanding. If only Cabrera were twins.
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Locker Room
Photo Ops
Select Company – Derrius Guice became the fifth running back in LSU history to reach 3,000 yards in his final game as a Tiger. In the bitter 21-17 setback to Notre Dame in the Citrus Bowl, Guice caught two touchdown passes, gained 98 yards rushing, and joined the company of Kevin Faulk, Dalton Hilliard, Charles Alexander, and Leonard Fournette as a 3,000-yard rusher. On his final play, Guice came up inches shy of a touchdown, and the Tigers had to settle for a field goal. Photo by Chris Parent/LSU Athletics
Ray Gnat and daughter Ashleigh Gnat.
Gymnastics Recruiting 101 — Make sure there is a gifted gymnast in the family tree. Look how Ashleigh Gnat turned out. Now a graduate assistant on Coach D-D Breaux’s staff, she was just the best gymnast in America in 2017 and won the AAI Award that says so. Her mother, the former Joan Moore, was an Olympian in 1972 alongside Cathy Rigby. Her father, Ray Gnat, was on the LSU men’s team under coach Armando Vega in 1978-82. Her sister, Jenna, was an NCAA star at Alabama in 2004. Just to make sure the offspring got ready to follow in the footsteps of the parents, Ray Gnat owns a gym in Lake Mary, Fla. Photo by Ray Dry
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The Block — Tremont Waters’ first blocked shot as a Tiger was a memorable one. Houston’s Corey Davis, Jr. lofted a three-point attempt with LSU nursing an 80-77 lead and only seconds remaining. Waters climbed the ladder and blocked Davis’ shot as time expired. Photo by Steve Franz/LSU Athletics
Indoor Track — Jaron Flournoy sprinted to his personal best time of 6.71 in the 60-meter dash in LSU’s opening indoor track and field competition at the Purple Tiger Invitational in January.
1961 basketball Tigers Stanley Jacobs, left, and John Bailey.
Bad News/Good News – First the bad news. Kentucky defeated LSU in basketball, 74-71. But the good news was that LSU forward Duop Reath (6-11, 240) had one of his best games, scoring with hook shots and dunks against the Wildcats. Reath finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Even Kentucky coach John Calipari had words of praise: “He played really well and he’s going to have a good season.” Photo by Steve Franz/LSU Athletics
First Tigers to Beat UK – LSU paid tribute on Jan. 3 to the 1961 players who were the first Tigers ever to beat Kentucky in basketball. The surviving players, on hand for the LSU-UK game in January, were Stanley Jacobs of New Orleans and John Bailey of West Monroe. Other members of the team, now deceased, were Tom Conklin, Ellis Cooper, Maury Drummond, and George Nattin. The coach of the team was Jay McCreary. Photo courtesy LSU Athletics.
DIVERSE SPORTS CALENDAR WELCOMES SPRING There is a Tiger team in motion throughout calendar year. Some are winding down. Some are in mid-season. Others are just getting underway. Follow your favorite Tigers at lsusports.net.
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Locker Room
Different Strokes
Embracing Two Tiger Teams For a time, the gymnastics and baseball seasons run parallel. The response to each by fandom is varied, interesting, and begs comment. Gymnastics is the new kid on the block – in pursuit of a national championship. Their sport has not yet been universally embraced by the LSU fan base. However, an average attendance of 10,000 at home meets has attracted the attention of the national sports media and collegiate adinistrators. LSU baseball has been there and done that. Baseball is thoroughly analyzed by Tiger fans. Even at the Little League level, baseball receives intense scrutiny and strategic suggestions from its follow-ers. An Olympic sport with a rash of television coverage every four years, gymnastics hasn’t yet achieved knowledgeable discussion at Walk-Ons. As such, second guessing is not up to speed. What did D-D Breaux tell Ashleigh Gnat at crunch time? I have no idea, and neither do some of my buddies who spout advice freely in football, basketball, and baseball seasons. It was refreshing to observe the universal support of the LSU gymnastic team last season. Adjust-ing to a second straight second-place finish in the NCAA championships, the new-born gymnas-tics fans had nothing but positive comment for D-D Breaux and her team’s valiant bid to reach the mountain top. A similar result in baseball did not produce a similar reaction for Paul Mainieri and his Tigers. Why is that? The same fan who couldn’t tolerate imperfection from a football or baseball player cannot bring himself to criticize the shortcomings of a young woman in tears. Or, at least not yet.
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Tiger
NATION
1950s
Douglas Perret Starr (1950 BACH MCOM), professor emeritus of the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications at Texas A&M, recently moved from College Station, Texas, to live with his daughter in Sioux Falls, S.D. He shares news with readers: “I’m a World War II and Korean War Navy combat veteran. I helped the Vicksburg (Miss.) Post earn the Pulitzer Prize in 1954. I'm ninety-two years old and take one pill, for acid reflux. No other health problems. I look young because I laugh a lot, I get a
Degrees BACH Bachelor’s Degree MAST Master’s Degree PHD Doctorate SPEC Specialist DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine JD Juris Doctorate (LSU Law School) 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
haircut once a month, shave every day, and don't use a cane or other help walking. One other thing – in 1972, when I was teaching PR at Florida State University, I established the nation's second course in speech ghostwriting. It lasted at least ten years. The first course was at American University-Washington D.C. It lasted only one semester; I don't know why – almost every political officeholder and corporate CEO relies on a speech ghostwriter.” Starr earned master’s and doctoral degrees at Florida State University. After he retired from Texas A&M, he taught three years at Mississippi College-Clinton. Stay in touch at starr5606@gmail.com or drop him a line at 219 East 31st St., Sioux Falls SD 57105-3930.
Paul M. Hebert Law Center. Her judicial career began in 1984 when she was the first woman elected to serve on the Civil District Court of New Orleans. In 1994, her colleagues elected her chief judge, and later that year she was elected to serve on the Louisiana Supreme Court. She is the court’s twenty-fifth chief justice, its second female chief Justice, and its first African-American chief justice. Johnson was inducted into the LSU Law Center’s Hall of Fame in 1996 and named an Honorary Inductee into the LSU Order of the Coif. In 2004, she delivered the John H. Tucker, Jr., Lecture in Civil Law at the Law Center. She was inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction in 2016. Bill O’Quin (1967 BACH AGR), president of Financial Services Online, was elected chair of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center board of directors.
1960s
Neal Golden (1966 MAST H&SS) had his article "Jim Piersall's Tumultuous 1952 Season" published in the Fall 2017 Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Journal. Read it at www.sabr.org/ research/jim-piersalls-tumultuous-1952season.
1970s
Cordell Haymon (1968 JD), senior vice president of SGA Petroleum Service Corporation, was elected to a three-year term on the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center board of directors.
Rodolfo J. “Rudy” Aguilar, Jr. (1979 BACH BUS, 1982 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s Baton Rouge office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the areas of Business/ Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Closely Held Business.
Bernette Joshua Johnson (1969 JD), chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court since 2013, was named Distinguished Alumna of the Year by the LSU Law Center. Johnson was one of the first African-American women to attend the
Thomas N. “Tom” Bartkiewicz (1977 BACH BUS) had his article “The End of Progress” chosen as a “Best of On the Table 2017” selection in the year-end issue of Autoextremist. Visit http://www. autoextremist.com/on-the-table1/
SHARE YOUR NEWS Share news of your new job or promotion, your wedding, honors, awards, new babies, and other
celebrations with fellow alumni. To submit an item and photos for publication, e-mail jackie@lsualumni.org or call 225-578-3370.
48 LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
R.J. “Ronnie” Daigle (1975 BACH H&SS, 1979 MD-NO), was elected to a three-year term on the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center board of directors. John DeGravelles (1971 BACH H&SS, 1974 JD) was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by the LSU Law Center. DeGravelles was nominated by President Barack Obama in March 2014 to a seat on the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana, confirmed by the Senate in July of the same year, and is currently serving in that capacity. An adjunct professor at the LSU Law Center since 1994, he has taught maritime law at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki,
Greece, and in 2001 was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to teach the subject at Aristotle University. Art Favre (1972 BACH ENGR), president of Performance Contractors, Inc., was re-elected to a three-year term and serves as vice chair of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center board of directors. Larry Feldman, Jr. (1972 BACH H&SS, 1974 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s New Orleans office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the areas of Consumer Law and Business Litigation.
Christine Lipsey (1974 BACH H&SS, 1982 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s Baton Rouge office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the areas of Business/ Corporate, Real Estate, and Business. Kathleen A. Manning (1974 BACH HS&E, 1977 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s New Orleans office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the areas of Personal Injury-Products: Defense and Government Contracts.
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Eve B. Masinter (1979 BACH H&SS, 1982 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson in New Orleans, was named to New Orleans Magazine’s Top Lawyers list. Harry J. “Skip” Philips, Jr. (1972 BACH H&SS, 1983 JD), managing partner and executive committee member at Taylor Porter law firm, was recognized as a Distinguished Achievement honoree by the LSU Law Center. Philips was an Army ROTC distinguished military graduate, editor-in-chief of the Louisiana Law Review, and a member of Order of the Coif. He is an adjunct professor of law, teaching courses on professional responsibility, law and medicine, and insurance law. Prior to attending law school, Philips was an investigator in the public corruption section of the criminal division of the Louisiana Attorney General’s office. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a retired major general in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was last assigned as Commanding General, 377th Theater Sustainment Command in New Orleans, where he commanded more than 30,000 Army Reserve soldiers in the United States. E. Fredrick Preis, Jr. (1971 BACH BUS, 1974 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse and Wilson in New Orleans, was named to New Orleans Magazine’s Top Lawyers list. Stephen P. Strohschein (1978 BACH BUS, 1981 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s Baton Rouge office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana
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Super Lawyers in the area of Bankruptcy: Business and Banking.
1980s
Tom Adamek (1982 BACH BUS), president of Stonehenge Capital Company, was elected to a three-year term on the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center board of directors.
Ricardo A. “Richard” Aguilar (1983 BACH BUS, 1986 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s New Orleans office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Business Litigation. James A. Brown (1981 BACH H&SS, 1984 JD), a partner in the New Orleans office of Liskow & Lewis, was recognized as a Distinguished Achievement honoree by the LSU Law Center. Brown heads the firm's Commercial Litigation Section and the Professional Liability Practice Group, is a former member of the board of directors, and serves as its loss prevention partner. Brown serves on the New Orleans Ethics Review Board by appointment of the mayor. Cyril Clarke (1987 PHD VM) was appointed to the position of interim executive vice president and provost at Virginia Tech. Clarke earned his veterinary degree from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and joined the veterinary faculty at Oklahoma State after earning his doctorate at LSU. He was named dean at the Oregon State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007, then left to become dean of the Virginia-Maryland College
of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in 2013. Clarke previously served as a member of the boards of directors for the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and the AVMA Council on Education, as well as president of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He was one of the first to become a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. Katherine Conklin (1980 BACH MCOM), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s New Orleans office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the areas of Employee Benefits, Employment & Labor: Employer, and Estate Planning & Probate. Michael D. Ferachi (1986 BACH BUS, 1989 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s Baton Rouge office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the areas of Business Litigation, Class Action/Mass Torts: Defense, and Appellate. Brett Furr (1983 BACH H&SS, 1986 JD), a partner with Taylor Porter law firm, was elected immediate past chair of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center board of directors. Marshall Grodner (1983 BACH BUS, 1990 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s Baton Rouge office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the areas of Business/ Corporate, Real Estate, and Business.
Albert J. Meier (1984 BACH AGR, 1988 MAST AGR), professor of biology at Western Kentucky University (WKU)-Bowling Green, received the Distinguished Professorship Award, the university’s highest faculty honor, in August 2017. Meier was instrumental in efforts to focus attention on important environmental and conservation issues in the southeastern United States. He founded, with two coworkers, an All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; is a founding member of the Kentucky and Georgia Natural History Surveys; was appointed to the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board and served as acquisitions chair from 201317; was a member of the Kentucky
Climate Change Response Committee; and cofounded and serves as executive director/principal investigator of the WKU Upper Green River Preserve, a critical habitat for federally endangered species. Among his awards are the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund Board Stewardship Award for Best Preserve Management; Soil and Water Conservation Society Honor Award for his work on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program; co-winner of the KY Biological Diversity Protection Award; the WKU Ogden College of Science and Engineering Faculty Service Award and Science and Engineering Student Advisement Award; and the 2016 WKU President’s Sustainability Award. Meier earned a Ph.D. in 1995 from the University of Georgia-Athens.
Eric Simonson (1986 BACH BUS), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s New Orleans office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the areas of Business Litigation and Class Action/Mass torts: Defense.
1990s
Teresa Keating (1997 BACH ENGR), site director for Seadrift Operations, Dow Chemical, was named global director of Operations for Latin America and has joined the Operations Leadership Team in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Keating joined Dow immediately after graduating from LSU.
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2000s
Cody Carroll (2007 BACH BUS) and Samantha “Sam” Carroll, owners of Sac-a-Lait restaurant in the New Orleans Warehouse District and Hot Tails in New Roads, La., starred in the new Food Network show Cajun Aces in December. The culinary couple explored Cajun cuisine and culture in “Crawfish and Mirliton,” “Pigs and Figs,” “Turkey and Pecans,” and “Redfish and Okra.” Joseph J. Cefalu III (2009 BACH BUS, 2012 JD) was named a partner in Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson. He practices in Baton Rouge in the areas of casualty litigation, tort and insurance defense, and workers' compensation defense on behalf of employers, insurers, and self-insured funds. While in law school, he was a member of Louisiana Law Review. Amy Dye Domangue (2007 BACH MCOM) was named to the New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter Board of Directors. A principal at Domangue Consulting, she launched her career at
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Fleishman-Hillard and served on the leadership team of early stage healthcare companies and launched a marketplace for genetic testing called ALIS Health, a company that employs a women-led sales force to represent women's health genetic diagnostics. Domangue is co-owner/proprietor of Cafe Bon Ami in New Orleans. She earned an MBA from Tulane University. Bonnie E. Dye (2005 BACH BUS), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s New Orleans office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the areas of Consumer Law, Business Litigation, Bankruptcy: Business, and Government Contracts and was selected for the “Rising Stars” list. Melissa M. Grand (2005 BACH H&SS, 2009 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s Baton Rouge office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Business Litigation and selected for the “Rising Stars” list.
David Helveston (2005 BACH BUS, 2009 JD), was appointed president and chief executive officer of the Pelican Chapter, Associated Builders and Contractors. Helveston was previously chief external affairs officer for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, leading various workforce development and governmental relations efforts. Rachael Jeanfreau (2007 BACH H&SS) was named a partner in Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson. She practices in the firm’s New Orleans office in the areas of labor and employment law and commercial litigation. She received her juris doctorate in 2011 from Tulane University Law School and was a member of Tulane Law Review. Quiana Lynell (2003 BACH M&DS), of New Orleans, took first place in the globally recognized 6th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Lynell received the top honor, known as the SASSY Award, an exclusive recording contract offer through Concord Records, plus a $5,000 cash award. Lynell has since worked alongside masters of jazz and the
American Songbook, such as Terence Blanchard, the Preservation Hall Band and Aaron Neville. Photo by Anthony Alvarez/Downbeat
Chris Nichols (2002 BACH ENGR 2007 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s Baton Rouge office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Intellectual Property and was selected for the “Rising Stars” list. Kristi W. Richard (2004 BACH BUS, 2009 MAST BUS; 2009 JD), an attorney in McGlinchey Stafford’s Baton Rouge office, was named to the 2018 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the
area of Business/Corporate and was selected for the “Rising Stars” list. Collis B. Temple III (2001 BACH BUS, 2001 MAST HS&E) was elected to a three-year term on the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center board of directors. Christina “Grace” Juneau Whiting (2007 BACH H&SS) was named president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) in Washington, D.C. She assumes the role from Gail Gibson Hunt, founding president and CEO, who will continue in an advisory role. The NAC is a nonprofit coalition dedicated to conducting research and developing national
programs for family caregivers and the professionals who serve them.
2010s
Leah Canaday Cook (2012 BACH H&SS, 2017 MBA, 2017 JD) joined Taylor Porter law firm in various areas of general commercial litigation. She was a former law clerk at Taylor Porter and other law firms in Baton Rouge and Houston and, prior to attending law school, was a deputy clerk at the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court. In law school, Cook was inducted into the Order of the Coif; was a member of Louisiana Law Review; received CALI awards in Legal Research & Writing II, Civil Law of Property, Criminal Law, Legal Traditions & Systems, and Employment Law; and was a member of the Ethics Committee.
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Caroline Darwin (2014 BACH MCOM, 2017 JD) joined Taylor Porter law firm in various areas of general commercial litigation. She was a former law clerk at Taylor Porter and served as a judicial extern for Judge Jewel E. “Duke” Welch at the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeals. In law school, Darwin was a Chancellor’s Scholar and earned the CALI Excellence Award in Legal Professions. She served as a member of the LSU Law Center Moot Court Board and was class representative on the Student Bar Association. She competed
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in the Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition as a member of the Admiralty Moot Court team, which won the national championship and award for best respondent brief in 2016 and second best respondent brief in 2017. Darwin also received an award for best oral advocate in the Robert Lee Tullis Moot Court Competition. Rosalie M. Haug (2014 BACH H&SS) joined Chaffee McCall as an associate in the firm’s New Orleans office. Haug earned her Juris Doctor degree in 2017 from Tulane University Law School,
where she served on the Tulane Law Review and was a member of the Moot Court Board. While at Tulane, she was a judicial extern to the Hon. Jay Zainey and the Hon. Eldon Fallon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
ABCs
David Winkler (Alumnus by Choice), of Faulk & Winkler, was elected secretary/treasurer of the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center board of directors.
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Distributed by Republic National Distributing Company LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018 55
Tiger Nation
Tigers in Print Chris Russo Blackwood (1978 BACH MCOM, 1986 MAST AGR) My Brother’s Keeper: A Thirty-Year Quest to Bring Two Killers to Justice (WildBlue Press) The moment he found out his brother was missing, Ted Kergan launched a relentless effort to bring two suspected killers – a teenagedprostitute and her much older grifter boyfriend – to justice and find Gary Kergan’s remains. Little did he know his quest would consume a fortune and take thirty years to reach a dramatic conclusion. Thwarted by the fact that his brother’s body could not be located and a new district attorney reluctant to prosecute as a result, Ted had to keep track of the killers from the New Orleans French Quarter to Las Vegas and points in between. In the meantime, the young prostitute became a registered nurse and split up with her boyfriend, who sometimes worked in the porn industry as well as dressed up as a clown for children’s parties, making it even more difficult to keep track of them. Sometimes it seemed that justice would never be served. Then, twenty-eight years after the murder, the advent of DNA testing and a sample of blood found in the trunk of Gary’s Cadillac gave his younger brother hope. Ted pushed to have the perpetrators charged with first degree murder and returned to face trial in the city where it all began – a trial at which one of the killers’ diary became the prosecution’s star witness. Glynn Young (1973 BACH MCOM) Dancing King (Dunrobin Publishing) Michael and Sarah Kent-Hughes arrive in Britain, to live permanently and prepare for the coronation. But forces are at work to frustrate Michael’s every move, with the aim of stopping
56 LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
him and stopping the coronation. As Michael assembles his staff and begins to find his way, he learns what it means to depend upon people and his faith. Dancing King is Young's third novel in the Dancing Priest series, which includes Dancing Priest and A Light Shining. Rachel L. Emanuel (1977 BACH MCOM, 1990 MAST MCOM) Southern University Law Center (Arcadia Publishing) The Southern University Law Center (SULC), founded in 1947, is a model for student body and faculty diversity. While once required by law to be an all-black institution, the school's founders and subsequent leadership created a legacy of providing access and opportunity to legal education that continues today. Graduates, beginning with the legendary civil rights attorney, political leader, and educator Jesse N. Stone, Jr., and others in the school's first graduating class of 1950, were trailblazers, and alumni are successful in law, business, government, and other careers in Louisiana and beyond. This book highlights these successes as well as the historical events that have shaped the institution. From studentled efforts to desegregate public accommodations to alumni leadership in achieving greater diversity in the Louisiana judiciary, SULC has and continues to produce lawyer-leaders who effect positive change.
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In Memoriam 1930s Sidney Nicolle Carruth, 1939 BACH BUS, Nov. 19, 2017, Covington, La.
1940s John Morgan Bass III, 1949 BACH ENGR, Nov. 22, 2017, Ridgeland, Miss. Adelaide Cazayoux Bondy, 1946 BACH HS&E, Dec. 11, 2017, New Roads, La. Walter Bynum Stuart III, 1943 BACH BUS, Jan. 10, 2018, Pensacola, Fla. Mortimer Francis Currier, 1949 MD-NO, Dec. 19, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Leo Ralph Dartez, Sr., 1949 BACH ENGR, Dec. 17, 2017, New Orleans, La. Eleanor Ann Coit Favrot, 1943 BACH AGR, Dec. 14, 2017, Port Allen, La. Mary Kenyon, 1948 BACH H&SS, Dec. 18, 2017, Red Lodge, Mont. Jane Porter Middleton, 1941 BACH H&SS, 1942 MAST HS&E, Nov. 11, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Hope Johns Norman, 1947 BACH H&SS, Nov. 7, 2017, Alexandria, La. Robert L. “Bob” Prejean, Jr., 1948 BACH BUS, 1949 MBA, Dec. 31, 2017, Donaldsonville, La. Lenton Sartain, Jr., 1948 JD, Nov. 17, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Willis Beals Scudder, 1942 BACH H&SS, Jan. 4, 2018, Alexandria, Va. Jeanne Patricia Mehler Tims, 1944 BACH BUS, Oct. 26, 2017, Baton Rouge, La.
1950s Emile Anthony “E.A.” Ackoury, Jr., 1956 MAST HS&E, Nov. 17, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Kermit Paul Braud, 1950 BACH AGR, 1964 MAST AGR, Nov. 10, 2017, Prairieville, La. Jules C. Dante, 1956 BACH HS&E, Oct. 25, 2015, West Monroe, La. James Allen “Jim” Dejean, 1950 BACH SCI, Dec. 8, 2017, Lafayette, La. Lewis S. Doherty III, 1950 BACH H&SS, 1951 JD, Dec. 31, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Bryan Joseph Dumez, Jr., 1955 BACH HS&E, 1961 MAST HS&E, Nov. 2, 2017, Houma, La. Wendell H. Hall, 1955 BACH HS&E, December 2017, St. Francisville, La. Frank Hilburn Hathorn, 1953 BACH AGR, Jan. 7, 2018, Baton Rouge, La. Hugh Bland O’Connor, 1951 BACH H&SS, Nov. 3, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Edward Francis Ward, Jr., 1957 BACH H&SS, Nov. 13, 2017, Baton Rouge, La.
1960s Ruth Harper Baham, 1967 BACH H&SS, 1971 JD, Dec. 3, 2017, Hammond, La. Kathleen Martin Boellert, 1963 BACH AGR, Nov. 3, 2017, Thibodeaux, La. Glenda Jeter Brundage, 1965 BACH HS&E, Nov. 15, 2017, Savannah, Ga. Robert Holmes Carpenter, Jr., 1967 JD, Dec. 8, 2017, Houston, Texas Ernie Wayne Feierabend, 1967 BACH ENGR, 1974 MBA, Nov. 30, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Reginald E. “Reggie” Goldsby, 1965 BACH H&SS, 1969 MD-NO, Dec. 18, 2017, Amite, La. Robert H. “Bob” Hester, 1967 BACH HS&S, 1971 JD, Dec. 3, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Tracy H. MCCollister, Jr., 1962 BACH H&SS, Dec. 31, 2017, Warner Robins, Ga. Beverly Jarrett Mills, 1964 MAST H&SS, Dec. 18, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Madeleine Crosby Moseley, 1968 BACH H&SS, Jan. 7, 2018, Baton Rouge, La.
Leonard C. Adams Professor/Department Chair Electrical Engineering Oct. 3, 2017 Baton Rouge, La. Stephen J. Bensman Retired Librarian LSU Libraries Jan. 4, 2018 Baton Rouge, La.
Forrest A. Davis Alumnus-by-Choice Dec. 17, 2017 Bossier City, La. William Elder Doll, Jr. V. F. and J. R. Eagles Professor Emeritus of Curriculum Dec. 27, 2017 Cobble Hill, British Columbia
William Randall Peay, 1969 BACH BUS, Nov. 22, 2017, Clinton, La. Cynthia Jo Picou, 1965 BACH H&SS, 1970 JD, Nov. 11, 2017, Albany, N.Y. Kenney Leo Riley, 1964 BACH H&SS, 1967 JD, Dec. 16, 2017, Gonzales, La. Francis Audley Smith, Jr., 1969 BACH BUS, 1972 JD, Jan. 4, 2018, New Roads, La. Donald J. Stabiler, 1964 BACH HS&E, Nov. 11, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. John Howell Taylor, 1968 BACH H&SS, 1971 JD, Nov. 6, 2017, Mangham, La. William Daniel Zollinger, 1962 BACH BUS, Jan. 4, 2018, Baton Rouge, La.
1970s Walter David Barnes, Jr., 1974 BACH HS&S, Nov. 4, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Kent E. Bordelon, 1974 BACH H&SS, Dec. 11, 2017, Gloster, Miss. John T. Bowman, 1974 MSW, Jan. 6, 2018, Prairieville, La. Barbara Jean Day, 1974 BACH H&SS, Nov. 18, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Yvonne Marie Henry French, 1972 BACH HS&E, 1975 MAST HS&E, 1979 PHD HS&E, Nov. 10, 2017, Ridgefield, Conn. Ernest Edward Martin, Jr., 1974 BACH H&SS, 1977 MAST H&SS, 1981 MD-NO, Dec. 15, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Bobbie Lanell Batchelor McFatter, 1971 MAST AGR, 1976 PHD AGR, Nov. 3, 2017, DeRidder, La. Maureen Mary McGrew, 1973 BACH H&SS, Nov. 25, 2017, Albuquerque, N.M. William J. Mitchell, 1970 MD-NO, Nov. 28, 2017, Prairieville, La. Georgia Ann Reine, 1973 BACH NURS, 1979 MD-NO, Nov. 29, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Daniel ”Danny” Robertson, 1973 MAST AGR, 1982 PHD. AGR, Nov. 15, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. James Miller “Jim” Terrell, 1975 BACH BUS, Nov. 10, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. William R. “Bill” Weatherford, 1972 JD, Nov. 27, 2017, Baton Rouge, La.
1980s Myrna Allen, 1989 BACH H&SS, 1991 MSW, Dec. 21, 2017, Denver, Colo. Jerry D. Dumas, Sr., 1984 BACH H&SS, Dec. 29, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Scott Joseph Folse, 1986 BACH H&SS, 1989 JD, 1996 MBA, Nov. 13, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Susan Loeffler Jeffries, 1981 MAST HS&E, Dec. 14, 2017, Gonzales, La. Thomas LeTard, Sr., 1980 BACH H&SS, 1985 MD-SHREVEPORT, Dec. 2, 2017, Biloxi, Miss. Barry J. Robert, 1983 BACH H&SS, 1987 DVM, Nov. 12, 2017, Blacksburg, Va.
1990s George F. Ballard, Jr., 1994 BACH BUS, Dec. 27, 2017, Baton Rouge, La. Eric C. Hebert, 1999 BACH A&D, Dec. 19, 2017, Thibodaux, La. Kirk McCoy Jones, 1998 MAST HS&E, Dec. 1, 2017, Denham Springs, La.
2000s Maggie Burke Daugherty, 2009 BACH H&SS, Nov. 3, 2017, Houston, Texas Cynthia A. “CC” DuBois, 2007 BACH H&SS, Jan. 2, 2018, Chicago, Ill.
Sarah Simmons East Former Business Manager The Southern Review Nov. 23, 2017 Baton Rouge, La.
Allan G. Pulsipher Former Executive Director Center for Energy Studies Nov. 16, 2017 Baton Rouge, La.
Herbert Gosa “Herb” Hicks Retired Professor of Management Jan. 6, 2017 Baton Rouge, La.
Mary Agnes Titkemeyer Former Faculty, College of Business Oct. 9, 2017 San Marcos, Texas
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.
58 LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2018
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Profile
Tiger Nation
Veteran, Lawyer, 5 Decades of Teaching
By Rachel Spangenthal Photos by Elizabeth Shaw
Professor Bill Crawford has been teaching at LSU for more than fifty years.
“I can’t imagine having done anything else.”
At eighty-nine years young, James J. Bailey Professor of Law and Director of the Louisiana Law Institute Bill Crawford (1951 BACH H&SS, 1955 JD) isn’t letting his age slow him down. "I’m gonna teach ’til they carry me out,” Crawford said. Crawford has been teaching at LSU for more than five decades. His lengthy career path started as a senior in high school, when he was drafted into the military. “I had to be deferred from the draft in order to graduate. But I was caught in the last draft for World War II.” After serving in the military, he headed to college. “I came straight out of service, still in uniform, and I enrolled at LSU,” Crawford said. He was only one year away from graduating when he made the decision to switch majors. “I heard the courses I would have to take and major in and said, ‘that’s not for me.’ I don’t know what reason it was, I really don’t, that made me say I’m going to take my final year in law,” he said. And once again, the military called. “I received my orders to report for Korea, so off I went for two years,” said Crawford. “Having a year of law school, they gave me the job as prosecutor in the AWOL violations. I tried eighty-five AWOL cases and won every one of them.” That experience led him back to Baton Rouge and to law school. Crawford said during that time, the law school was composed of mainly military veterans. He was editor-in-chief of the law review, “which gave me pretty good standing in the school.” He remembers the year he was sworn in and able to practice law: February 1955. He was also sworn into the federal bar. Crawford said he spent the next ten years practicing law in New Orleans when he had an epiphany. “I said to myself, ‘Is this what I want to do the rest of my life?’ At that point, the phone rang on my desk and it was Dean Hebert,” Crawford said. “It turned out Dean [Paul] Hebert had his eye on me and he was concerned after ten years in practice, I would be out of reach for him. But it wasn’t so. I came back to the law school.” The rest is history. If you ask Crawford why he has been teaching for so long, he admits he’s unable to put it into words. “I don’t have an explanation for that. You’d have to ask a bunch of other law professors,” said Crawford. “I by and large enjoy taking a subject and reducing it to its essentials and relaying that to the class. I can’t imagine having done anything else.” Rachel Spangenthal is a content coordinator in the LSU Division of Strategic Communications.
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Profile
EE Grad Takes One Giant Leap After College By Raven Nichols
Marlou de Guzman.
After graduating in May, Marlou de Guzman (2017 BACH ENGR) received a phone call that resulted in a dream come true. The twentythree-year-old electrical engineering major was called for a job interview at MRI Technologies. MRI, along with other companies, was subcontracted to provide support services to the NASA Johnson Space Center’s Engineering Directorate and Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate. He soon found himself helping to design the electronics for NASA’s portable life support system, which functions as a backpack and provides an astronaut with a livable atmosphere inside his or her space suit. Not bad for one’s first job out of college. While minoring in robotic engineering, digital media, and Chinese, de Guzman participated in a number of extracurricular activities that tested his time management skills. “I wanted to balance it all and I set myself to do it,” de Guzman said. “Whatever I want out of life, I am going to get it.”
He was also in the Distinguished Communicators program, an initiative that provides students the opportunity to refine communication skills that enable them to excel in their chosen profession. As a member, de Guzman had the opportunity to meet with Renee Horton before she spoke at LSU’s Spring 2017 commencement. Horton, an LSU alumna and space launch system lead metallic/ weld engineer at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, immediately connected with de Guzman and his passion for robotics. That passion was evident when his senior design team placed second in the national University Student Design and Applied Solutions Competition. It was the first time the team competed, and de Guzman said the experience helped shape him into the person he is today. As a child, he dreamed of being an electrical engineer and working in robotics, but the thought of becoming an engineer for NASA felt out of reach. “I clearly underestimated myself,” Guzman joked. “Nobody, including myself, thought I would be doing what I am doing now,” he said.
“Nobody, including myself, thought I would be doing what I am doing now.”
Raven Nichols is a communications intern in the College of Engineering.
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Tiffany Lemon: Go For It, Do It, Explore By Jacqueline DeRobertis Photo by Eddy Perez
Ogden College alumna Tiffany Lemon.
“I had a very tangible sense of people believing in me that helped me to also believe in myself.”
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When Opelousas, La., native and Ogden Honors College alumna Tiffany Lemon (2013 BACH SCI) first arrived on campus, she knew something profound was beginning. “I remember moving to Baton Rouge and thinking it was the biggest city I’d had ever been to,” Lemon admitted. Lemon is a first-generation college student and current doctoral candidate in the area of population health sciences at Harvard University. Her travels and research have taken her miles beyond the biggest city she had ever seen and led her to explore her own place in the intersecting worlds of science and service. According to Lemon, her path to success begins and ends with her parents. “My mom is the fiercest proponent of education I have personally ever seen,” Lemon said. “She still continues to see things before I do and believe in me before I can see that I can do it myself.” Lemon entered LSU in biochemistry as a member of the Ogden Honors College and the Louisiana Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Research Scholars Program (LA-STEM). “I had a very tangible sense of people believing in me that helped me to also believe in myself,” she said. “I think it’s a critical component of what it means to support diversity and inclusion – recognizing some students don't have that context, and because they haven't seen people like them in these places. And so, in the absence of not seeing that represented, someone believing in you helps tremendously.” Lemon did it all at LSU – worked in a lab with biological sciences Professor Anne Grove, served as an Honors Advocate, interned with Ragon Institute in Massachusetts, received a Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention, conducted research in France one summer at the Pasteur Institute of Lille, and developed a thesis on the
“Characterization of MarR Homolog in Vibrio vulnificus.” While researching HIV and immune system dynamics, Lemon began to ask questions that were slightly removed from science. These questions, and a feeling that her time in Baton Rouge had not run its course, led Lemon to join Teach for America upon graduation in 2013. Working locally at Gardere Community Christian School, Lemon found a way to continue the tenets of community service, academic engagement, and mentorship that had inspired her undergraduate career. “I did every job under the sun,” Lemon said, laughing. “I am so thankful I decided to take that gap year. If anyone asks me personally, I say take that gap year to just get out. The academic space is amazing, and I love academic spaces, but it's not the world. Get out into the world.” At that point in her trajectory, Lemon realized that her person-to-person work on the ground level was pushing her away from biomedical research and toward public health. She applied and was accepted to Emory University in 2014 where she eventually received a master’s degree in public health with a focus in global epidemiology. While at Emory, her faculty adviser, a physician epidemiologist who studied HIV among incarcerated persons, gave Lemon the opportunity to explore how implementing intervention to increase awareness of HIV status could lead to prevention. At the end of her program, Lemon entered Harvard University – a decision to “reject comfort” in order to pursue her passion in a rigorous setting. To the next Honors College class, she asks a question “‘Why not?’ is always the question that I pose to myself,” Lemon said. “So go for it, do it, explore. It's the time to do that.” Jacqueline DeRobertis is a communications coordinator in the Ogden Honors College.
Profile
Louisiana People, Louisiana Product Growing up in Lake Charles, Trey Litel (1985 BACH BUS) and brother, Tim (1993 BACH AGR) took Contraband Bayou to reach the Calcasieu ship channel to fish. The bayou takes its name from a story that pirate Jean Lafitte hid his contraband on the banks of the stream.
By Ed Cullen
True or not, the story fits nicely with what the brothers are up to today. They make rum. “We started with the idea of making rum from Louisiana sugar cane,” Trey said. “There’s cane growing in this amazing top soil. I thought, ‘Why is there no world-class rum from a place like this.’” In 2011, the brothers and partner Skip Cortese made an initial investment of $12 million to build a distillery in Lacassine, La. Two years later, the distillery was in operation. Another $6 million went to an event center and a bigger warehouse. The distillery has won tourist destination awards the last two years, including the 2016 Louisiana Attraction of the Year. “Take Exit 48 from I-10,” Trey said. Tim and Cortese had done well with a tanker truck cleaning business. Trey was working for Bacardi rum. The trio founded Louisiana Spirits east of Lake Charles, La., to make Bayou Silver; Bayou Spice; Bayou Select, an aged rum; and Bayou Satsuma, a rum liqueur. Troy Landry, third from left, of the History Channel’s Swamp People series, joined Bayou Silver rum uses molasses and raw sugar from M.A. Patout the Louisiana Spirits crew for the company’s global launch event. From left, are and Son in Patoutville, La. The Iberia Parish cane mill has been in partners Trey Litel, Skip Cortese, and Tim Litel. business since the 1820s and has its own LSU connections. “What makes the difference,” Trey explained, “is the blend of molasses and sugar crystals and that we pasteurize to get rid of wild yeast. You can almost taste the sugar cane.” “Louisiana Spirits means Bayou Select is aged in bourbon barrels that give the rum a complex flavor of barrel the spirit of the people wood with a hint of vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch. “It’s good neat or over an ice cube,” Trey said. “It’s like a rum Old Fashioned. We’re of Louisiana.” the largest privately owned distillery in the United States, and we've teamed up with Stoli to be in forty-four states and, by early next year, in seventeen countries.” What did the brothers get from LSU? “My college days and experiences in Baton Rouge left me with a lifetime of memories, and I call Baton Rouge home today,” Tim said. “We all know our culture is unique, and I feel lucky to be a part of it. My only hope is that my children will feel the same way someday.” He likes the play on words of the rum company’s name. “To me, Louisiana Spirits means the spirit of the people of Louisiana,” he said. ON THE WEB For information on tours, visit bayourum.com or Louisiana Spirits on Facebook and Twitter. Ed Cullen, an LSU journalism graduate, is author of Letter in a Woodpile, a collection of his essays for National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” He is retired from the Baton Rouge Advocate where he wrote the Sunday column “Attic Salt.”
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Tiger Nation
Centenarian Proves Age is Just a Number By Rachel Spangenthal Photo by Elizabeth Shaw
Centenarian Julia Hawkins
“Well, I think I’ve always been active . . . I’m enjoying living.”
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Julia Hawkins (1938 BACH HS&E) has been an LSU Tiger for nearly a century. While a student studying education in the 1930s, she witnessed some amazing things – from LSU’s first live tiger mascot to a campus visit from Eleanor Roosevelt. During the 1934 football season, Hawkins and thousands of other students traveled by train to Nashville and watched the Tigers play Vanderbilt. Governor Huey P. Long arranged trains to bring the LSU student body to Nashville and helped pay their game tickets as well, according to Hawkins. “Huey Long was still around, and he would come out onto the football field with the team and lead the band or the Tigers,” Hawkins said. “One time we got to go to Tennessee for a game. I got to go on that trip, and I remember how much fun it was. Because we were short of money, all of us. I couldn’t have done that if Huey Long hadn’t gotten us really reasonable tickets.” Hawkins was born on Feb. 9, 1916. She moved to campus in 1934. While a student, she welcomed the first live tiger mascot to campus. “The day that he came, we declared a holiday. I don’t know who did it, but they closed off all the streets, and wouldn’t let the professors in. We had parades and cheered,” Hawkins said. In 1937, a famous First Lady also visited the campus while Hawkins was a student. “Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt came, and she was quite an interesting, wonderful woman,” Hawkins said. But her favorite memory at LSU is the first day of school, when she met her future husband, Murray Hawkins. They dated through college, and after graduating, Julia taught in Honduras for the United Fruit Company while Murray pursued his career in Oklahoma before joining the U.S. Navy. He survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. “Somebody came and called out on the river, they’ve bombed Pearl Harbor. Oh, that was just the most bombshell thing I could have
ever heard,” Hawkins said. “Pretty soon he got in touch with me and said, ‘Let’s get married by telephone.’” The two were married by telephone, the bride in Louisiana and the groom in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Julia Hawkins returned to Louisiana and continued to teach. Murray Hawkins joined the LSU faculty and, along with colleague Benjamin C. Craf, helped build the department known today as the Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering. The two welcomed four children. And, much later in life, Julia discovered a new passion. “I was biking. All the children were beginning to learn and we were biking as a family a lot,” Hawkins said. “And then when I was in my eighties, I started going to the senior Olympics.” She biked competitively in the senior games, collecting medals along the way but stopped competing when she realized she was the only woman in the race. Her children convinced her to try something new – running. And she hasn’t stopped, running the 50- and 100-meter dash in the Senior Olympics. In June 2017, Hawkins broke a world record in the 100-meter dash at the National Senior Games. A month later, she competed in her own backyard, at her alma mater. Hawkins raced in the USA Track and Field Outdoors Masters Championships at LSU’s Bernie Moore Track Stadium, with family and friends cheering her on. She said that race would be her last – but went on to break a world record for her age group. When she’s not competitively running, Hawkins is writing – sharing the stories of her life, the letters from her husband Murray. She credits her longevity to living a healthy life. “Well, I think I’ve always been active and I’ve always kept my weight down. And I’ve always tried to eat right, and I never smoked or drank,” said Hawkins. “I’m enjoying living.” Rachel Spangenthal is a content coordinator in the LSU Division of Strategic Communications.
Tigers Around the World
Ed Cullen on the road.
Tiger in Tacoma – Ed Cullen (1972 BACH MCOM) found a spot on a country road south of Tacoma, Wash., with Mt. Rainier as a backdrop, to pose for a photo last October.
Sarah Clayton and Larry Stuber.
Tiger Spirit – Sarah Clayton (1967 BACH H&SS) joined longtime friend Larry Stuber (1966 BACH ENGR) at the pregame tailgate at the LSU-Alabama game in Hilton head, S.C. “Larry acquired that wig in New Orleans at BCS game 2012 – it did not bring us a win then, either.
OOPS! We inadvertently omitted the name of Rachel Broussard LeBlanc (1952 BACH AGR) in the Eugene LeBlanc, Sr. “Family of Tigers” listing in the winter issue. The magazine regrets the error. Her name brings the list to fifty-seven Tiger alums in the family. When Mr. LeBlanc called to let us know about the omission, he said there is already one more name to add – and few more are on the way! He promises to keep us up to date.
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Tigers Around the World Another Texas Tiger – Maggie Williams (Class of 2021), of Fort Worth, Texas, who plans to major in business, is the newest Tiger in her family. Dad Stan Landry attended LSU and is currently serving as National Fundraising Chair on the LSU Alumni Association Global Board of Directors. Also on her list of Tiger Nation relations are uncles Adam Williams (1988 BACH A&D), of Baton Rouge, and Tyrone Williams (1970 BACH BUS), of St. Gabriel, La.; an aunt, Susan Williams (1971 BACH HS&E), of St. Gabriel, La.; and her godfather, Mike Wascom (1988 BACH BUS), of Washington, D.C.
Maggie Williams, second from right, proudly displays her LSU BOUND sign with brother Jack, dad Stan, and mom Carol.
Touring Languedoc – Enjoying a nine-day sojourn in the South of France last fall were Mike Thorne (1964 BACH H&SS, 1967 MAST H&SS, 1969 PHD H&SS) and his wife, Wanda Bourgeois Thorne (1964 BACH HS&E, 1968 MAST HS&E), of Starkville, Miss; Rick Revels (1972 BACH H&SS, 1980 JD) and his wife, Cecille, of Lafayette, La.; Greta Gautreaux Foster (2004 BACH AGR) & future Tiger Eliza Foster, of Hammond, La.; Tom Wade (1972 BACH H&SS, 1974 JD) and his wife, Marsha Mason Wade, (1968 BACH H&SS, 1978 JD); and alumsby-choice Linda and Bob Bowsher. Taking time for a photo op on the steps of the Chateau de Floure near Carcassonne, France, are, front row, from left, Wanda Thorne, Cecille Revels, and Eliza Foster; back row, Mike Thorne; Rick Revels, and Greta Foster.
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Tom and Marsha Mason Wade, left, with Linda and Bob Bowsher on top of the Chateau de Quéribus ruin in Southwest France.
U S E YOU R LO U D E ST ROAR
Join Tiger Advocates Get involved now to protect LSU and higher education in Louisiana. We want LSU TIGER NATION – alumni, friends, fans, future alumni, faculty, and staff – to be well informed on legislation that might impact YOUR University.
WHY SHOULD YOU BECOME A TIGER ADVOCATE: Help support the future of our state’s most gifted future alumni. Keep vital research going to address our state’s most pressing problems. Support University parish extension offices throughout the state that spread the wealth of LSU research. Help LSU continue to produce alumni community leaders across the state.
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.
Licensed to Brag – Michael David Wascom (1988 BACH BUS), of Washington D.C., a former managing director at American Airlines, displays his Tiger Pride with his "LSU 1" license plate. Dr. Jim Fleischhauer (1980 BACH SCI), currently living in Pensacola, Fla., has attended LSU football games since 1962, and boasts a "4EVR LSU" (Forever LSU) specialty plate. And, LSU alum Stan Williams, a member of LSU Alumni Association Global Board of Directors, proudly shows his Tiger stripes across Texas with his "FOR LSU" plate.
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.
Signing up is easy, free, and taking part requires a minimal investment of your time. Show your Love for LSU by signing up at lsualumni.org/tiger-advocates
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Tigers Around the World
LSU alum 1st Lt. Kurt Perque, holding the flag at right, with his platoon at Camp Taji, Iraq.
LSU at Camp Taji – First Lieutenant Kurt J. “Joe” Perque (2015 BACH H&SS) and his platoon hoist an LSU flag at Camp Taji, Iraq, after conducting air assault training exercises. Perque, platoon leader in the 10th Mountain Infantry Division in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, earned a degree in international studies and participated in ROTC. He was commissioned in 2015 and joined active duty infantry in 2016. The flag, which was flown at the Lod Cook Alumni Center/The Cook Hotel, is being escorted by 1st Lt. Lisa Lewis (2016 MSW), executive officer of the 10th Mountain Infantry Division, to Baghdad, to be flown at the U.S. Embassy. “Next I'm going to see if the aviation unit can get it some air time in neighboring countries,” Perque writes. “My intention is to have this flag flown over as much of the region as possible and get certificates and pictures to authenticate.”
Bud and Evelyn Johnson.
Fall Vacation – Bud and Evelyn Johnson, vacationing in New England and Nova Scotia, were drawn to the work of John Hooper, a famous artisan in Saint John, New Brunswick. His artwork is displayed in many parts of Saint John, and he has done sculpture for communities all over America. Bud, retired director of the Andonie Sports Museum, writes the LSU Alumni Magazine Locker Room section.
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.
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