is this tour important? Let me tell you about a woman I met in Monroe. She said how happy it made her to see LSU have ‘feet on the street’ to see first-hand the challenges people face every day in different communities. And that’s the driving force behind this tour...”
President Tate with Maggie Schatz, Delta Gamma president, during Greek recruitment.
Guest appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show before the UCLA football game.
The fourth annual “Putting with the President” kicks off the fall semester. The President was overheard introducing himself to students by saying, “Hi, I’m Bill.”
On the President’s Scholarship First Bus Tour across Louisiana, President William F. Tate IV stopped in New Iberia, where his caravan visited Cane River Pecan Company. President Tate is shown here with Jady Regard, chief nut officer, Cane River Pecan Company and a member of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.
President Tate with U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and Timothy Wayne during bus tour
46 Louisiana Lights debuts at Windrush Gardens
An immersive light show will illuminate the historic Windrush Gardens at Burden Museum & Gardens throughout December. This intergenerational celebration is a harmonious blend of nature, history, togetherness, and festive spirit.
On the Cover: In 1924, LSU Alumni News published its first magazine. LSU played its first football game in the newly completed Tiger Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, 1924. One hundred years later, this issue explores how AI has been integrated into LSU’s teaching, research, community and business collaborations, and students’ experiences. And, LSU Alumni Magazine is still going strong!
Publisher
LSU Alumni Association
Joe Carvalhido
President & CEO
Sally Stiel
Vice President
Marketing, Travel & Corporate Partnerships
Editor
Chris Russo Blackwood
Editor Emeritus
Jackie Bartkiewicz
Marketing Manager
Sarah Armstead
Tricia Reed
Advertising Sales
Art Director/Graphic Designer
STUN Strategic Creatives
Kimberly Mackey
Principal/Creative Director
STUN Strategic Creatives
Chuck Sanchez
Contributors
Barry Cowan, Brian Hudgins, Marc Stevens
Cover photos
LSU Media Services
Photography
Sarah Armstead, Aniya Hall, Brandli Greer, Sally Stiel, LSU Athletics, Amy Parrino, Chris Russo Blackwood, Mary Clare Trevison
Printing
Baton Rouge Printing
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Mario J. Garner, Chair Spring, Tx
Mark Kent Anderson, Chair-Elect Monroe, La.
Kathryn “Kathy” Fives, Immediate Past Chair Baton Rouge, La.
Dr. Jack A. Andonie, Director Emeritus Metairie, La.
J. Ofori Agboka, Carnation, Wash.
Michael B. Bethea, Madisonville, La.
David Braddock, Dallas, Tx.
Paul Buffone, Baton Rouge, La.
Dr. Corey Foster, Lake Charles, La.
G. Archer Frierson III, Shreveport, La.
James G. “Jimmy” Gosslee, Shreveport, La.
Leo C. Hamilton, Baton Rouge, La.
Erin Monroe, Baton Rouge, La.
Lauren Olinde Hughes, Houston, Tx. R. Scott Jenkins, New Orleans, La. Dr. Louis Minsky, Baton Rouge, La. Jeffrey M. Mohr, Baton Rouge, La. Jady H. Regard, Lafayette, La. Bart B. Schmolke, Alexandria, La. Rori P. Smith, Baton Rouge, La. Michael Woods, Shreveport, La.
LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the LSU Alumni Association. Annual donations are $75, of which $6 is allocated for a subscription to the LSU Alumni Magazine. The LSU Alumni Association is not liable for any loss that might be incurred by a purchaser responding to an advertisement in this magazine.
Editorial and Advertising
LSU Alumni Association
3838 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686 225-578-3838
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 by the magazine, the Association, or LSU.
CEO
100 Years of Magazines
This fall, we celebrate 100 years of the LSU Alumni Magazine and 100 years of Tiger Stadium. And, we all know how much the LSU community loves to celebrate. During that century, full of history and traditions, the LSU Alumni Association has continually shared what it means to our alumni to be part of this great university. We are also so happy to connect Tiger alumni and make so many memories with you.
This issue explores LSU’s last century and looks into the future as LSU integrates AI into research, academia, and students’ experiences.
The Alumni Association kicked off fall in Las Vegas, where a sold-out Traveling Tigers group enjoyed all Sin City had to offer plus a lights-out tailgate party, with Marc Broussard wowing the crowd.
Back at home, we are celebrating the results of the Tiger Nation Challenge during Homecoming Week. Our donations exceeded $100,000 and alumni participation increased dramatically. Thanks to all of our alumni and friends who contributed.
Our alumni chapters nationwide hosted Senior Send-off celebrations, welcoming incoming LSU freshmen. We look forward to partnering with LSU Admissions to help us reach out to these students throughout their journeys here and beyond. I also want to shout out to our newest affiliate chapter, the College of Business Alumni Chapter.
And finally, as we close out 2024, I want to wish all of our alumni a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous New Year.
Geaux Tigers!
Joe Carvalhido President/CEO
Alumni Association
Kickoff to the season – LSU athletic team coaches and players joined members of the Baton Rouge Alumni Chapter for a kickoff to the season celebration. A variety of sports memorabilia was auctioned, all benefiting the chapter’s scholarship fund.
Football Watch Parties – The Tampa Bay Alumni Chapter members gathered at Thomas P’s Sports Bar & Patio to watch the LSU Fighting Tigers Football team’s victory over the University of South Carolina Gamecocks or, as they said, “We escaped the chicken coop!”
Emily Dixon, Lydia Oberle, Mary Clare Trevison, "D-D" Breaux, Aimee Simon, and Janice Guitreau, front row; and Bob Blanchard, JP Chaze, Kiley Greathouse, and Jason Rosen, back row
Retired LSU Head Gymnastics Coach "D-D" Breaux with Jay Clark, LSU Head Gymnastics Coach
DeSoto chapter holds golf tourney – DeSoto Parish LSU alumni gathered at Cypress Bend Resort in Many to compete in a golf tournament, raising funds for future scholarship recipients in north Louisiana.
Thanks to our Golf Tournament sponsors!
Mockler Beverage
Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Zee Zee's Kitchen & Cocktails
Fred's Bar & Grill
Community Coffee
Unique Cuisine
Drago's Seafood Restaurant
Seven Three Distilling
Phil’s Oyster Bar
Beatbox Beverages
Superior Grill
BRQ Seafood & Barbeque
Triad/Newtron Group
Corey & Hannah Foster
Campus Federal
Coast ConcreteGregory Orkus
Exigo Technology Services
Gallagher Benefit Services
Jerry & Beverly Shea
Legacy Construction
MidSouth Extrusion
Staff Pro
The Braddock Family
Wesley Construction
Baton Rouge Rougarou TigerAire
Bayou Apparel
Bart and DeeDee Schmolke
Jimmy & Dianne Gosslee
Lewis Mohr Insurance
Offshore Technical Compliance
Robert Roth Jewelers
Stine Home and Yard Walker
Lauren and Kevin Hughes
Top Golf
Boot Up Customs
The Dr. Don Taylor Golf Classic was introduced in the early 2000s. The DeSoto chapter was founded in 1999 by Dr. Gil Rew. Rew said he continues to get messages from former scholarship recipients, who say they wouldn’t have been able to graduate from LSU without it.
John Russell and Steve Ensminger
Photo from the Shreveport/Bossier City Advocate
LSU Alumni Golf Classic – The 2024 LSU Alumni Golf Classic Tournament was a sold-out event. Pictured are Lance Mayeux, Ross Berthelot, Bryan Lanoix, and Will Harris, left to right in top photo; and Brian Lowe, Joe Schwartz, Robbie Rhodes, and Lane Daniel, left to right, bottom photo.
Snapshots
Football Fridays – LSU
Alumni Association kicked off Homecoming Weekend with one of its lively Football Fridays luncheons. This event featured LSU football greats, including Dr. Brad Davis, who caught a pass to win the 1972 Ole Miss game.
Carmen Parker, Sharon Smith, Sindee Roppolo, Buddy Breaux, Amy Parrino, Tom Breaux, and Wayne Parker
Chad Jones, Buddy Buras, Dr. Bo Strange, Dr. Brad Davis, Steve Ensminger, Christian Lacouture, and Eddie Kennison
Gordy Rush and Bunnie Cannon Dot Cannon with late husband Billy Cannon’s Heisman Trophy
Laura Kleinpeter, Paula Wilbert, Lori Newsom, and Lee Ann Howard
Hunt Palmer, Dr. Brad Davis, Marcus Randall, and Christian Lacouture
The LSU Alumni Association Welcomes Colin Jeter as Director of Development
The LSU Alumni Association was excited to receive checks from the Austin and San Diego chapters, for $30,000 and $105,000 respectively. Joe Carvalhido, second from left, and Amy Parrino received the Austin Chapter’s check from Lauren Pevehouse, left, and Bowen McCulloch, third from left. Presenting the San Diego Chapter check to Amy Parrino, left, and Joe Carvalhido, right, are Kevin Hellman, Jeff Matens, Pete and Pam Terrebonne.
The LSU Alumni Association team is thrilled to welcome Colin Jeter as the new director of development, where he’ll play a vital role in strengthening connections and advancing development efforts within the LSU alumni community. A former LSU football player and threeyear letterman from 2014 to 2016, Colin earned prestigious accolades, the Alvin Roy Award and the Eye of the Tiger Award, during his time on the field. After graduating from LSU, Colin enjoyed a successful stint in professional football before transitioning into the business world.
With Colin hailing from East Texas, he understands the importance of a strong network within LSU. Colin is dedicated to fostering a strong sense of community among LSU alumni, aiming to enhance engagement and support for the Alumni Association’s mission: to keep all Tigers connected to their beloved LSU. He aspires to be a guiding force, helping alumni understand the resources and opportunities available long after they leave the campus.
“It’s so important to invest in the people who claim our University as their own. What is LSU without the alumni who have come before us and will come after us?
The LSU Alumni Association is here to foster those connections to each other, no matter where your LSU degree takes you.”
Colin resides in the Baton Rouge area with his wife, Isabella, where they actively participate in their community and cheer on the LSU Tigers.
The Young Alumni Advisory Council (YAAC) represents the LSU young alumni population; therefore, members represent cities in Louisiana and across the United States as well as a wide range of industries.
The council serves as a streamlined focus group to provide key insight and feedback on engagement, development, and fundraising. Members include Derecka Alexander, Jada Alexis, Dat Hoang, Joseph Nittolo, and Andrew Hall, left to right, front row; and Kyle Stanley, Christian Cervantes, Connor Comeaux, Bowen McCulloch (Council Chair), Stephen Hetro, left to right, back row. Not pictured are Ayana Brown, Danielle Ford, Monique Harris, Arenn Martin (Council Chair-Elect), Justin Martin, Jessica Mosley, Alexandro Shelton.
Charlotte – Charlotte’s Senior Sendoff was held at Slingshot Social Game Club and offered duckpin bowling and LSU Bingo. Chapter members could also answer questions and let the students exchange phone numbers. Each student received a gift bag along with words of encouragement.
The Greater Houston Chapter – The Greater Houston Chapter welcomed new Tigers to the LSU family at its Twelfth Annual Houston Area Sendoff. On hand were Troy Blanchard, dean of the College of LSU Humanities and Social Sciences; Sally Stiel, vice president of marketing, travel, and corporate partnerships at LSU Alumni Association; Lindsay McCorory, manager of Parent and Family Programs; Roxann and Sheik Bacchus, Family Program Advisory Council members; Greater Houston Chapter Board President Angel Ardoin. Board members and volunteers present were Callie Barrilleaux, Cathy Brown, Lisa Bunch, Cheryl Fasullo, Billy Hicks, Susan Jackson, Julie Klibert, Geralynn Prince-Semien, and Kathleen Ponter. The event was held at the Bellaire Civic Center, and H.E.B. donated the food.
Caddo-Bossier – Gathering for the Caddo-Bossier Chapter’s Senior Sendoff were Rachel Magee, Madison Magee, and Doug Magee, right photo. Also enjoying the event were Fernando Ruggerio, Patrick Gallagher, Charlie Olivier, Melissa Olivier, Teri Flash, and Will Blanchard, top photo.
Asher and Katrina Owen
Raymond and Shannon O’Keefe
Senior Sendoffs at chapters around the country
Philadelphia
San Diego
Nashville
Dallas
Chicago
Las Vegas
Central Florida
Birmingham
By Amy Parrino
Traveling Tigers Enjoy European Journey
Our Great European Journey began with an exciting pre-program option in Amsterdam.
While there, we visited the Rijks Museum and saw acclaimed art by the great Dutch Golden Age Masters. Next, we ventured to Hoorn, a picturesque, seventeenth-century harbor town and key Dutch East India Company port, and spent a beautiful afternoon in Edam, legendary for its cheese.
Our group included Michael and Tamyra Palmer, Steve and Kim Clark, Erin and Mitch Krohl, Scott Smith, John Bassett and Dorothy Marchand, Trudy Nelson, and Wendy Waguespack. We had a delightful lunch at the Dam Hotel and enjoyed a walk through the town soaking up the ambiance and historic architecture. Since Amsterdam’s canals have UNESCO World Heritage status, gliding along these historic waterways on a canal cruise was a great introduction to this 700-year-old city.
Following the pre-program, we boarded the riverboat Amadeus Queen for the next leg of our journey. This meticulously crafted riverboat featured all the comforts of a refined hotel. Throughout our stay, we were pampered by the professional crew.
Our first excursion was to Cologne, Germany, one of the largest European cities in Medieval and Renaissance times. It’s also home to the world’s oldest perfume factory. But, it’s most famous for its magnificent Gothic cathedral, Kolner Dom.
We then sailed down the romantic Moselle River, the largest tributary of the Rhine, and docked in Cochem. We visited Reichsburg Castle, which has a stunning view of the river, valley, and town.
The highlight of our visit to Strasburg was Notre Dame Cathedral, an exquisitely ornamented gothic beauty. Then, it was on to Basel, Switzerland where we boarded luxury coaches for a drive to Lucerne and a visit to Mount Pilatus.
We departed Lucerne on luxury motor coaches for a beautiful scenic ride to the Gruyere region, including Lake of Gruyere, one of the finest artificial lakes in Switzerland, which is home to the black and white Fribourg cows that provide milk for Gruyere cheese.
After a scenic ride to the alpine village of Andermatt, we arrived in Zermatt, a world-class resort town tucked high amid the Swiss Alps with the mighty Matterhorn as a backdrop.
On the last evening of our journey, we joined our fellow travelers who had become new friends at our farewell reception, where we toasted one another and bid our goodbyes until the next trip.
Decades on the Geaux – Our Traveling Tigers pictured on one of the first guided tours, a multi-week tour of Europe, hosted by the LSU Alumni Association.
Visiting castles: a highlight of the trip
Traveling Tigers Take Over Vegas
The LSU Traveling Tigers and LSU Alumni Association hosted more than 2,500 attendees at LSU Tiger Nation Tailgate Las Vegas presented by Hancock Whitney.
The day was filled with surprises including a Louisiana-themed slot game created by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, and a pop-up performance by Grammy winning artist Marc Broussard to kick off Louisiana Economic Development's "Come Home, Louisiana" campaign launch. Additional partners included LSU Athetics' National L Club, Raising Cane’s, and Bayou Apparel. Broussard said it best: “Still blown away by the energy and positive vibes at HOB Sunday on the strip! Las Vegas may be far from Louisiana, but y’all made it feel like home. Honored to rep my roots by performing “Home,” the theme song for the state’s #ComeHomeLoisiana campaign. Keep spreading the word: Louisiana is moving forward. If you left, it’s time to move back.”
Trahicia Rubin and Michelle Broussard with Las Vegas showgirl Christian, Charles, Kim and Charles Cannon
Marc Broussard entertains
Michael Wiethop and Sarah Felton
Alicia Gholar and Tiffany Myles
Kelly Long, Rodney and Nan Davis, Amber Stolp, and Brook McPheeters
Brian and Jennifer Wright, Marianne Derorer
Machita Eyre and Aimee Simon show their Bengal Belles spirit
Dani O’Quinn, Kim Holmes, Louisiana Ambassador Charles Favors, Tonya Burch
Fans gather at LSU Tiger Nation Tailgate
LA Office of Tourism custom slot game
Kim Morgan and Chrystal Musgrove
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser welcomes the audience
Susan Wahlers and Cathy Meuller
Traveling Tigers' Trip to Columbia S.C.
What a win it was!
Traveling Tigers jetted off to Columbia, S.C., where the LSU Fighting Tigers triumphed over the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. It was another great Traveling Tigers sports trip with memories made at WilliamsBrice Stadium.
Wayne Mitchell, Randy and Kayla Tomey, and Denise Mitchell "FroBros" at Williams-Brice Stadium
Roger Greer, Kelly Spears, Floyd Alleman, Albert Laiche, and Nikki Jones
Evan and Madelyn Fontenot, Kimberly and Kynan Fontenot, Blake St. Cyr
Charter flights are the way to go!
Randy and Mary Raudabaugh
A century Of LSU milestones, paving the way for AI and the next chapter
The year 1924 marked a lot of new beginnings for LSU.
The entire campus was moving from downtown Baton Rouge to formerly green fields of three plantations pieced together to form 650 acres for new campus buildings. Brick-by-brick, Alumni Hall was moved from the old campus and became The Journalism building, heralded as the oldest building on the “new” campus. LSU’s enrollment was 1,448 students.
BY CHRIS RUSSO BLACKWOOD
LSU President, Col. Thomas Duckett Boyd, wanted to reach beyond buildings and offer correspondence courses by mail and extension classes at locations outside of the main campus. Thus, in 1924, LSU Continuing Education was born.
On Thanksgiving Day, LSU’s football team played Tulane University in front of 12,000 fans in the newly completed Tiger Stadium.
In 1924, LSU Alumni News first published a new concept for an alumni magazine to keep the 2,400 LSU alums informed.
One hundred years later, in 2024, LSU’s campus is more than 2,000 acres, with 250 buildings, 1,200 live-oak trees,
six lakes, an arboretum, military memorials, and Native American ceremonial mounds. Spring 2024 enrollment was 37,881.
Since 1924, LSU’s Continuing Education has had more than 2 million enrollments.
Tiger Stadium now seats 102,321 fans in what has become one of the most iconic venues in college football.
And, LSU Alumni Magazine is still going strong! What’s next?
This issue explores how artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated into teaching, research, community and business collaborations, and students’ experiences.
100 Years
in Death Valley
BY CHRIS RUSSO BLACKWOOD
he Advocate Sports Columnist Scott Rabalais grew up two miles from Tiger Stadium and covered the LSU Tigers since 1992. He’s already written two books about Tiger Football, but his latest, 100 Years in Death Valley, starts by marking a special place in time.
The year 1924 carries a lot of history for the university, which was beginning its move from the downtown campus to the present location.
The previous downtown stadium, dubbed State Field, was easy to abandon for the new edifice, open in both end zones with no lights and seats for 12,000. Rabalais (1980 BACH H&SS) says for that first game in November, versus Tulane, the Green Wave took the train to the campus and dressed en route. Meanwhile, the Tigers dressed at the old downtown campus took cars to what is now Swine Palace and walked down to the stadium. Although most of the campus was still under construction, fans could hear ringing chimes from Memorial Tower, another of the first structures to be completed. A grainy photo, retrieved from The
Rabalais uncovered a photo of actress Meg Ryan, wearing an LSU letter jacket, walking up and down the sidelines watching then-husband Dennis Quaid as he was filming Everybody’s All American. Fourteen Heisman Trophy winners from different schools have played in Tiger Stadium.
Then, there are the stadium announcers, so much a part of Tiger Stadium lore. The late Sid Crocker held that position from 1955-1985, followed by Dan Borne, who temporarily relinquished the duty to Bill Franques just this season.
The structure has evolved through the years: the lights were added in 1931, and the north and south end zones were closed for more seating. Upper decks, Stadium Club, and suites were all part of the piecemeal growth.
“Tiger Stadium has a mystique that other places don’t have,” says Rabalais.
“On the radio, for a long time, WWL (New Orleans) broadcast the night games across the country. And, since most college games were played during the day, a lot of people listened to LSU at night. (Former LSU Coach) Mike Archer used to cut (legendary Penn State Coach) Joe Paterno’s yard
in State College, Pennsylvania, and he remembered listening to LSU games at night as a kid. It’s the South, the Bayou, and those Cajun people… they’re different from everyone else. It’s the ‘theater of the mind’ people build up.”
All that said, there is nothing like being inside Tiger Stadium on game night.
“When you’re there against a big opponent and the stadium’s rocking, this is the place you want to be if you care about sports,” says Rabalais.
Rabalais estimates he’s attended some 300 games in Tiger Stadium as a neutral sportswriter.
“It’s hard not to take it for granted,” he says. “When the band plays and the team runs out on the field, it’s still a thrilling moment. I look at it and think, ‘This doesn’t exist everywhere.”
Rabalais covered the recent Summer Olympics in Paris and marveled at Europeans’ vaulted view of Tiger Stadium.
“College sports really doesn’t exist in Europe. They were blown away that I lived mere miles away from Tiger Stadium.”
100 Years in Death Valley, How Tiger Stadium Became One of the Most Legendary Venues in American Sports, Pediment Publishing, is available at Pediment.com.
A peek inside the book
New book marks 100-year anniversary of Tiger Stadium
WHEN ASKED, “HOW IS LSU WORKING TO INTEGRATE AI?” CHAT GPT
GENERATED THIS RESPONSE:
“LSU is actively incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into various facets of its operations and curriculum. This includes integrating AI into the classroom where students showcase innovative solutions for healthcare, farming, and research. Additionally, LSU has integrated AI into more than 40 classes for the upcoming spring semester, as part of an initiative to enhance educational offerings with AI technology. Furthermore, LSU collaborates with Baton Rouge businesses to showcase AI solutions, with applications ranging from healthcare diagnostics to industrial processes. The university’s commitment to AI extends to research collaborations with other institutions and the Department of Energy to develop AI models for nuclear safety. Moreover, LSU offers certificates and certifications in AI and related fields, demonstrating its dedication to modernizing educational programs. LSU’s efforts in AI extend beyond academia, as evidenced by collaborations in competitions like the Xprize Wildfire Competition to build advanced wildfire prediction and detection. Furthermore, partnerships with healthcare providers and athletic departments showcase LSU’s use of AI-enabled digital stethoscopes for application in athlete health and medical diagnostics. Through these diverse initiatives, LSU is at the forefront of integrating AI into various sectors, showcasing its commitment to harnessing the power of AI for innovation and advancement.”
After doing my research, I can say this summary is on target! ChatGPT trained mostly on local media sources, including newspapers and television outlets. According to Google, Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a set of technologies enabling computers to perform various advanced functions, including seeing, understanding, translating spoken and written language, analyzing data, making recommendations, and more.
“It’s the biggest technological advance of my lifetime,” Microsoft founder Bill Gates told Oprah Winfrey during her recent ABC Special, “AI and the Future of Us.”
To introduce that program, Oprah declared, “We are in for the ride of our lives.”
The AI train has been off and running at LSU for some time. The university’s website defines AI as “an interdisciplinary field combining mathematics, statistics, cognitive science, and computing to solve complex problems using large datasets and highperformance computers.”
In this issue, we explore a few of the ways LSU is integrating AI throughout its operations and curriculum.
LSU PROVOST ROY HAGGERTY’S APPROACH TO AI
BY CHRIS RUSSO BLACKWOOD
Although Artificial Intelligence has been discussed for decades, a breakthrough seven years ago with the introduction of Open AI-fueled widespread access to the technology.
LSU Provost Roy Haggerty compares this following intellectual revolution, which he calls the democratization of AI, to the invention of the Gutenberg Press, which democratized book publishing.
“Before, these tools were only available to large corporations, like Google, Meta, and Microsoft, and scientists at research labs, except in their simplest forms like Alexa and Siri,” says Haggerty. “Now, so many new things are possible.”
Haggerty began his immersion into AI by working to understand the technology behind ChatGPT, using API to code some of his simple apps while pondering what AI strategies LSU should employ.
“We introduced a winning strategy, not the common path, which is to hire as many AI experts as possible. Instead, we put AI to use in as many places as possible: teaching, research, improving students’ experiences.”
“We expected some success, connecting students with organizations to solve a problem,” says Haggerty. “But it was far more successful. The first semester we had students in computer science, mechanical engineering, physics, math, and business.’
Student teams have worked with such diverse groups as Louisiana farmers, LSU Health Science Center, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, BASF, and The Advocate. And, after graduation, the job market for AI-trained students is wide open.
“One of our business students went to Microsoft in a job that required eight years of experience by showing the curriculum from this class,” says Haggerty.
For faculty, Haggerty says the ways to apply AI to teaching are endless: tutoring, creating syllabi, and research projects.
“AI is not coming to take your job,” says Haggerty. “Now, humans and AI work together. It’s such a fascinating time. With a little training, everyone can use AI to help them in their jobs.”
Teaming with local businessman Henry Hayes, CEO of DisruptReady, Haggerty engaged a third AI expert, Dr. James Ghawaly, a senior research scientist in AI and Machine Learning at the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute, to create a class that develops AI solutions for local businesses and organizations. With different but complementary business skills, this trio put together the class in six weeks and first offered HNRS 3035 in the fall semester of 2023.
When a colleague recently asked how much money is spent on marketing LSU online courses, Haggerty used ChatGPT4, which has an upload function, to analyze the data.
“What could have taken me eight hours to do took seven minutes.”
Also on the horizon is MikeGPT, LSU’s own generative AI, which will consolidate information on LSU websites.
Haggerty warns that this mass adoption of AI will have unforeseen consequences.
“The Protestant Revolution resulted from the invention of the printing press,” he says.
Roy Haggerty
ANDREW SCHWARZ SEES A BRIGHT AI FUTURE WITH COLLABORATION
BY CHRIS RUSSO BLACKWOOD
elf-described techno-optimist Andrew Schwarz created an LSU MBA program around emerging technologies six years ago, one of the first to teach artificial intelligence for business – and AI had not arrived in full force yet.
“The role of the Business School is to sit on top of AI,” explains Schwarz, LSU professor, Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship & Information Systems and professor and MBA online advisor, Flores MBA Program. “Back then, we were teaching strategies around AI and exposing students to different branches of it.”
These days, in addition to his work in the classroom, Schwarz is a popular speaker and conducts workshops around the state.
In October, LSU launched a prompt engineering class for students across the university. The seven-week online class teaches the process of designing and refining prompts to guide AI models in producing the desired results.
“Prompting is moving outside the traditional university to continuing education which will expand our reach as well,” says Schwarz. “You see an engagement with the community – like in the Provost’s class. You see LSU being a leader in that area –something to watch.”
“The other reason I am so optimistic is I am meeting students across all the state universities, and they’re telling me what they’re doing with AI, and I’m amazed.”
While helping a social media group develop techniques for writing prompts, Schwarz used a concept called personas to define the target customer. He was amazed that the data came back with the type of messaging, the best platforms to use, and the time of day that would see the most engagement.
“AI doesn’t take the human out of it; really, the way to think about it is ‘augmented intelligence,’” he says. “We become partners in driving some outcomes. Keep in mind that we as humans define the prompt and the problem. AI is incapable of defining the problem.”
Schwarz is a big advocate of federal regulations for AI as an emerging technology.
Andrew Schwarz
“For instance, if you go on Facebook and say something inflammatory, Facebook cannot be held liable for that,” he explains.
“But, if you’re on ChatGPT and something comes out that’s inflammatory or you don’t know where that data came from, we don’t know if we can hold AI companies liable for that.”
Schwarz also points out another interesting fact about AI: It can’t look forward, only backward.
“If you don’t believe me, ask it for a stock prediction or who LSU is going to play next year.”
Focusing on the bigger picture, Schwarz sees AI as an integral tool in solving critical quality-of-life issues. He describes a colleague using Alexa and AI to predict
signs of dementia through speaking and voice changes. There’s an AI and digital modeling grant for LSU researchers studying the coast and wetland restoration. Schwarz is also a big fan of intersectional collaboration and is involved in a project with underserved communities in Lafayette and Chalmette high schools that is already underway.
“This is a testament to the university, but we can’t go it alone,” says Schwarz. “We need our alumni to help us navigate. Stay engaged with us. Come to us with opportunities and ideas. We can tackle big problems with big solutions, but we need our alumni, the private sector, and the university to come together to solve them.”
LSU ATHLETICS FIRST COLLEGE SPORTS PROGRAM TO USE AI TECHNOLOGY FOR EARLY DETECTION
Eko Health, a pioneer in applying artificial intelligence (AI) for the early detection of heart and lung diseases, LSU Athletics, and Our Lady of the Lake Health are teaming up to elevate and enhance LSU’s elite studentathlete heart health and preventive care programs.
Eko Health will outfit LSU’s world-class Sports Medicine team with Eko’s FDA-cleared CORE 500 digital stethoscopes and accompanying software platform, including FDA-cleared AI algorithms for detecting atrial fibrillation (AFib) and heart murmurs, a leading symptom of structural heart disease.
The donation makes LSU Athletics the first college sports program to implement Eko Health’s cutting-edge medical devices and AI algorithms to care for student-athletes. Healthcare providers from Our Lady of the Lake Health, LSU Athletics’ Championship Health Partner, will use the digital stethoscopes enhanced with AI during physical exams to address studentathlete concerns and as a critical preventive heart health tool.
Eko Health Commercial Vice President Joseph Authement is a former LSU student-athlete on the swimming team who understands firsthand the power of preventive medicine.
“Medical innovation has evolved tremendously since I was at LSU, notably with AI changing the game in preventive medicine. While it wasn’t heartrelated, my LSU swimming career was cut short due to preexisting health issues, which may have been identified earlier with today’s available technology,” said Authement. “As an avid LSU fan and Louisiana native, I’m honored to represent a technology that can help save the lives of studentathletes in the future.”
“Our commitment to providing clinically excellent care for our studentathletes means we’re only using the latest, most-sophisticated technology to help them to perform to the best of their ability,” said Micki Collins, LSU Athletics Associate Athletic Director and Director of Sports Medicine. “Identifying potential heart issues early is essential to ensuring they can safely compete and is emblematic of our dedication to our Core Values. We’re incredibly thankful to the Eko Health team for their generous donation and look forward to deploying their technology across our Sports
More than 500,000 U.S. clinicians use Eko Health devices, and each of its AI algorithms has been demonstrated in multiple published clinical studies to identify heart health concerns with high levels of sensitivity and
“Early detection of arrhythmias and murmurs is vital for everyone – but especially LSU student-athletes who are constantly pushing their bodies to perform at a high level,” said Kelechi Akamiro, MD, CAQSM, sports medicine physician at Our Lady of the Lake Health. “As the sports medicine providers for LSU Athletics, we are highly trained to use traditional stethoscopes to identify signs of these conditions during routine exams. However, these new digital technologies have the propensity to assist us in detecting irregularities or problems with even greater precision.”
Eko Health devices will be integrated into LSU Sports Medicine staff exams starting this Summer before the 2024-2025 academic year.
Joseph Authement, Eko Health commercial vice president and LSU alumnus,
LSU RESEARCHERS EMPLOY AI TO MANAGE CHRONIC DISEASE
LSU researchers hope to revolutionize chronic disease management by teaching an artificial intelligence engine to analyze protein interactions, which are crucial to understanding what causes illnesses.
“Proteins are the body’s building blocks. All of us are nothing but a network of proteins,” said Supratik Mukhopadhyay, an LSU Center for Computation & Technology professor. “When normal protein interactions are disrupted, it can result in disease.”
By analyzing protein interaction networks, the researchers hope to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying autoimmune disorders, chronic inflammatory conditions, and the aging process, said Adam Bess, a computer sciences doctorate candidate and the lead on this DeepWellness team.
“The goal is to leverage AI and machine learning to understand better how disruptions in these pathways contribute to immune system dysfunction and accelerated aging,” Bess said. “Unraveling these complex biological processes is a key focus area for enhancing disease management and improving health spans.”
The insights could lead to new therapeutic approaches and preventive strategies that more effectively treat immune-related diseases and enhance longevity.
DeepWellness will offer personalized health recommendations, such as intermittent fasting or specific exercises tailored to the person’s protein interaction network.
“Our goal is to extend a person’s health span by providing customized wellness strategies based on the person’s unique protein interactions,” Mukhopadhyay said.
DeepWellness has reached an advanced stage of development, and the researchers are working with the LSU Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization (ITC) to pursue intellectual property protection for their discovery.
The researchers believe clinical applications could be available within two years. They hope to market DeepWellness to physicians, insurance companies, employers, and individuals.
"Our goal is to extend a person's health span by providing customized wellness strategies based on the person's unique protein interactions."
Supratik Mukhopadhyay
LSU GRADUATE’S AI-POWERED PATH TO SOLVING PROBLEMS, IMPROVING LIVES
rowing up in Montana, LSU graduate Dylan Wichman (2023 BACH EGR) is familiar with wildfires. But his interest in trying to stop them set him on a path of working with artificial intelligence. He says he started learning about AI in 2017, during his sophomore year of high school.
“My ‘access’ was basically watching YouTube videos. When I first started learning, I was trying to understand basic models so I could make them myself.”
“For a high school science fair project, I had the idea to find a way to help prevent wildfires,” Wichman says. “I was already interested in coding, so I thought I could create a program as my project, and that’s when I started to learn about AI. I saw the potential to use AI to try to predict where wildfires would occur before they start to help inform and assist firefighters.”
His project placed third in the international science fair in the computer science category, and he was put in contact with the U.S. Forest Service, which incorporates fire prediction into its work. “Coincidentally, the ‘fire lab’ was only 200 miles from my hometown.”
Wichman knew he wanted to attend college out of state and applied to LSU for computer science.
“During my Stamps Scholarship interview process, we had dinner with LSU faculty, and the professor I was sitting next to, Dr. Qingyang Wang, told me about a wildfire project being led by Dr. Supratik Mukhopadhyay,” Wichman says. “That's when I really started leaning towards attending LSU, since I could basically keep researching
what I had already been working on the past few years.”
After learning he received the Stamps Scholarship, choosing LSU was a “nobrainer,” he says.
“Something that really drew me to LSU was the southern culture; it is about as different as you can get from Montana,” Wichman says. “My experience at LSU was great. It took a while to get used to the weather, but I met a lot of friends, had great professors, and got to watch some of the best college sports teams in the country! I was also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, which was a big part of my experience at LSU. I met some of my best friends there, made professional contacts, and had a great support system during my time as a student.”
Wichman would become a research assistant under Dr. Mukhopadhyay and part of the DeepFire team using AI to build a system to predict and detect wildfires.
“DeepFire is trying to use AI to detect wildfires anywhere in the world using a combination of a prediction and detection model. I was in charge of the prediction, creating the prediction model, and finding relevant data to train it on. This involved staying on top of the latest developments in the AI field, as well as trying to come up with novel methods to use in our model,” Wichman says.
After graduation, Wichman returned to Montana to continue his work in AI.
“I am a research engineer at Bentley Systems. The focus of my role is applying artificial intelligence to different
engineering problems. Since my job is remote, I moved back to Montana and spend most of my free time fly fishing and being in the mountains,” Wichman says.
He might be far from Baton Rouge, but Wichman says his time at LSU set him up for success.
“The research experience I gained at LSU has been invaluable in preparing me for my current role as a research engineer. I also took multiple AI-related courses during my time at LSU. LSU has clearly made a point to be at the forefront of this rapidly growing field, so I never felt like I was “missing out” on learning about new AI developments.”
What does he see as the future of AI?
“I think my field, like most, is going to be greatly transformed by AI. AI will help engineers become more efficient, informed, and effective at their jobs. Change is coming, but there are new developments in this field every day, so it is very hard to make predictions as to what the future will look like.”
“I think the best everyone can do is to familiarize themselves with new AI developments and to keep an open mind when it comes to using AI in their jobs. Being on the forefront of such a fast pace and emerging technology is very exciting for me.”
“While attending LSU, you will have access to world-class research and faculty while still being a part of an SEC school and all of the fun and excitement that goes along with that. LSU is definitely one of a kind in that regard. Everyone knows about how good we are at sports, but I don’t think people know that we are also a research powerhouse.”
On behalf of the LSU Alumni Association and proud LSU alumni across the country and around the globe, congratulations and welcome to Tiger Nation. You have earned it. You have met many challenges and overcome many hurdles, and we are proud of you and all that you have accomplished.
No matter where you live, the LSU spirit is there – and you'll find fellow alumni to support you in your new endeavors and show the world just how awesome LSU graduates are. Our more than 135 alumni chapters around the world provide connection and camaraderie, and we hope you’ll unite with your fellow alums to keep the Tiger spirit alive.
To take advantage of all we have to offer you, visit LSUAlumni.org/recentgrad. Again, congratulations and Geaux Tigers!
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UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
Bachelor of Science
Ryan Michael Downes
Jessica C Dufrene Adriana Fernandez Lestage
COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
Bachelor of Arts
Taylor Kranson Williams
Averie Leda Konopka
Jerica A Ledet-Medellin
Shelby Marie Pugh
Beau J Ruttley
Jade Renee’ Smith
Allyson Stewart
Bachelor of Fine Arts Faurie Renee Ferchaud
E. J. OURSO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Bachelor of Science
Andrew McCall Alley
Abby Elizabeth Arceneaux
July Alejandra Guadalupe
Arita Flores
Arianna Marie Arman
Abigail Lynn Branton
Mykell Broughton
Charles D Buckhanan Jr.
Fernando Jose Daubuisson
Elisa Raquel Devereaux
Noah Anthony Frederick
Jonathan Scott Gambill
Gabriele Garabelli
Jazlyn Chanse Gladney
Macie Grass
Katelyn Joy Graves
Cole Roldon Griffith
WenWen Guo
Meredith Paige Hendry
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Bachelor of Science
Michael E Clesi
Amber G Crowe
Eduardo Espinosa Martinez
Ian Thomas Gourgues
Gabriel Gustavo Medina
Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering
Han Wang
Andrew W Whitehead
Bachelor of Science in Construction Management
Oscar Carlo Maldonado
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
Caleb Lawrence Gryder
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering
Colby James Mitchell
Dylann Anise Sellers
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Matthew Reese Konzelman
Thomas D Smith
Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Construction Management
Giovanna Balén
Thomas Barry
Thomas Bolen
Juan Andres Contreras
Ron Christopher Hill Jr.
Heath Holden Horridge Jr.
Natalie Marie Johnson
Megan McKenzie Jordan
Benjamin E Kahle
Jacob Seymour Klein
Austin William Long
Brenna Virginia Grace
Mahony
Glenn Edward Martinez
Elizabeth C Massey
Emanuel William Matthews
David Coleman Mills Jr.
Camren Monson
Ethan Philip Montandon
Henry Herbert Morley
Amy Navarro Robles
Lexi Ngo
Mason Cade Page
Lauren Nicole Perales
Krista Nicole Prescott
Katie Marie Preston
Payton Rose Rangel
Slade Matthew Roy
Justin M Savoie
Garrett Mason Scarle
Catherine Nicole Sims
Marcus Stephen Vasquez
Sydnee Taylor Vaughn
Clint Aaron Dyke
Shawn C Garnes
Charles H Goff
Stephen James Guillaumin
Charleen Howie
O’kai Z Hughes
Samuel Edwin Jones
Angela L Kennedy
Nicholas Clinton Kirkwood
Maryann Torres Knopps
Davis Winn Martin
Cameron Scott McCall
Carey G McGovern
Kash Matthew McMahon
Kirbye C McName
Nicholas E Miller
Ashley T Miller
Blanca A Morris
Bradley G Morris
Nicholas C Parks
COLLEGE OF HUMAN SCIENCES & EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science
Bennett Lewis Andres
Collin David Andrews
Emma Elise Arceneaux
Ryan Emanuel Barnes
Cendall Dynette Barton
Jillian Blander
Erin Bodenheimer
Beau William Bordelon
Kaylah J Broussard
Nia Monique Brown
Corbin Zane Chitwood
Karsyn Joseph Crider
Jouet Marie Curtis
Jake Charles D'Antoni
Robert Emmett Darrah IV
Andrew J Duval
Garrett J Edwards
Claude Abraham Felix
Jerika Gibson
Haley Ginn
Cason Luke Gomez
Olivia Graham
Grant Nicolas Griffin
Jacobian Kareem Guillory II
Montserrat Gutiérrez Lavenant
Tarren J Hartman
Cade Alexander Hebert
Deountre Damon Pierre
Henderson
Truc Thanh Hoang
Cassidy Ramese Howden
Makayla A James
Destiny Ja’Nae Jones
Carson Neal Jones
Nevaeh Owens Jones
Heather James Justice
Ashton Kelly
Kevin N Perry
James J Place
Charles Eli Reisman
SirLinda Antonia Smith
Laura M Suarez
James A Swartz
Colleen Thompson
Anthony Maurice Wade
Richard Glenn Weir
Briauna Williams
Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Facilities Management
Carlos G Orozco
Micheal S Palmore
Undergraduate Certificate in Construction Management
Tanya Gaytan Arredondo
Jorge Nieves Benavides III
Ryan Michael Cahill
David Casillas Ramirez
Jacob D Davis
Aaron Gagnon
Walter James Knapke
Letonia Renea Mingo
Adrian Victor Rivas
Chace Schork
James Patrick Sprenger
Corniche S Vance
Roger D Welborn Jr
Brennan Alan King
Jacob Wayne LaHaye
Taylor Langlois
Jasarayea Rashanasia
Passionette Lattin
Joshua R Lee
Damien Stephon Lewis Sr
Antoine M Liddell Jr.
Kallie Paige Lodrigue
Madison Lynn Lonegrass
Chloë Jelissa Long
Noah William Mariana
Allie
Elizabeth McCain
Michael James McElwee III
Kaleb Joseph-Reid Melson
Kylie Elizabeth Monteaux
Tucker Morgan
John P Morgan
Gabrielle M Nguyen
Chinonso Richard Ntukogu
Cameryn Quinn Sophia Nugent
Johnny Lee O'Bryant III
Emily Elizabeth Oller
Logan W Orange
Loong Pancoast
Aarti Nitin Patel
Brianne Taylor Pearce
Tori Pellerin
Annabel Day Phillips
Nicholas Alexander Quintal
Sandeep Pulakhandam Rao
Toby Ray Richard
Tyshaun M Robinson
Katherine Anne Roesel
Luke Christopher Rogers
Payton Anne Rogers
Samuel Eduardo Salinas
Karli Seay
Lance Tylan Shiflet
D'mante Jospeh Sims
Michael W Smith
Welton C Spottsville
George Stoupe
Edward Aaron Telles
Iris Reneé Thomas
Joel Denbri Thompson
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Bachelor of Arts
Raneem Bassim Aburahma
Rashad Najee Addison
Jada Haley Allen
Hector Osvaldo
Alvarez-Trochez
Alexis Katherine Antolik
Tyler M Arbon
Victoria Arnona
Karan N Baker
Lyndsee Joy Belliotti
Victoria Trinity Bello
Charles André Blanchard
Elliot James Borthwick Hoff
Jenna Claire Bourgeois
Chaslyn D Brown
Blake Owen Bufkin
Kathryn Eileen Burke
Erick Castaneda
Kennedy Basco Chouest
Myles Izuchukwu Chukwura
Robert Fallon Culpepper
Dylan Wayne Davis
Doriane Lizzie Dor
Perri Elizabeth Eason
Samuel B Farr
Tharuka Clinton Fernando
Dadriana L Ford
Kara R Gary
Hailey M Griffin
Daija M K Grimes
John Jack Frederick Griswold
Endiah Guyton
Malik Wesley Hall
Kaylen Renee’ Henderson
Kathleen Greer Hixon
Eden Robinson Hornsby
Liam L Hutchins
Destiny Jaelyn Jackson
Erica Nicole Jelks
Gianne Marion Johnson
A'Jaysia Amaya Joseph
Maci Lynn Liberto
Jennifer Lima
Alexander John Llauger
Abigail Ellen Long
Enjoli Janae’ Loyd
Brandon Lu
Taylor J Martin
Kelsey McDuff
Londyn Margaret McGehee
Christian Kirk Michelet
Eden Echo Moncivaez
Lillian Claire Moore
Jake Antonio Murillo
Destinee Ha Nguyen
Presley A Nutter
Summer I Perkins
Tyrese Devon Pickney
Ainsley Morgan Reeves
Christian Rhea
G. Chandler Robinson
Claudio Ignacio Romero
Beltrán
Sara Elizabeth Santaniello
Miguel Savoy
Emma Kate Scherer
Rachel Elizabeth Sensebe
Erin Kavanaugh Shea
Kiersten Nicole Simon
Shania Gabrielle Sims
Isabella Marie Smith
Brooklynn Rose Souza
Melisse Danielle Speligene
Arian Jenna Spohn
Garret Gordon Spring
Hannah Elizabeth Steimel
Bradyn Deshawn Swinson
Bryce W Tieman
Anna Claire Trahan
Sarah Jane Underwood
Dianne M Washington
Shanai Lauryn Watson
Rachel Morgan Webber
MANSHIP SCHOOL OF MASS COMMUNICATION
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication
Braelyn M Brown
Anna Elizabeth Cline
Guillermo Gabriel Cordon
Alexandra Christina Henderson
Brinon Scott Kruitho
Brielle Grace Lee
COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMATIC ARTS
Bachelor of Arts
Emma Nicole Stevens
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Jaylin Kyler Anthony Darensbourg
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Bachelor of Science
Alissa R Auer
Berkeley Spring Baudouin
Benjamin Box
Andrew Jacob Broussard
Jasmine Belen Brown
Kayla V Brown
William Nicholas DeNooyer
Elena Dilworth
Emily Quynh Nhu Do
Michelle Flores-Acosta
Makinsay Elyse Fredricks
Avan Gittelson
Swati Haldar
Priya Janae Hill
James Joseph Till
Clay M Upton
Devin M Wagor
Ayanna Alexis Wallace Miles Frazier
Bachelor of Music
Ethan David Barker
Jayla M White
Caitlyn Reneé Whitley
Jacob S Whittle
Tynia L Wiggins
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
Aristotle Abraham II
Jaylin De'Sean Armwood
Blayne Michel Brown
Barbara A Douthat
Megan Voiselle Collins
Alyssa Victoria Comeaux
Jacob David Dale
Mason A Efferson
Tobias Charles Fabregas
Michael Deshown Ford
Zachary Hess
Isiaha James Hilliard
Eddie Joseph Kennison III
Bailey Simone Lewis
Chyren Cantrell McGuire
Devin Melancon
Juan Francisco Molina Moreno
Marialena Burton Morris
Samrat Mukherjee
Benjamin Nippolt
Ronald Riggs
Destiney Imani Watson
Bachelor of Social Work
Toni Gwynn Ludwig
Allie Peyton Moore
Madeleine Shay Williams
Talajha Michorion Hunter
Cristina Kelly
Courtney Alexis Lair
John LeBlanc II
Ryan M MacDonald
Kelly Olivia McMorris
Bella Rita Moushleb
Kahlé Perret
Elizabeth Marie Romeo
Nichelle Lynn Scura
Jamison Smith
Joseph Stelly
Emma Nicole Stevens
Kyron Lael Thomas
Sephora Lul Vaccaro
Aaliyah Denise Vernon
Paige Margaret O’Connor
Christopher Erik Palacio
Alex C Price
Isabel Victoria Rivera Valenzuela
Bachelor of Science
Indya D Bobb
Kailin Raine Bradley
Summer Rayne Brown
Jamison Rae Douglas
Adonis Marquis Hughes
Seton A Hulin
Christina Alexus Lampshire
Connor B Larose
Adam R Ledet
Jacie Lynn Mayers
Alyssa Michele McClure
Sunya Fatima Mirza
Bella Rose Pscenicka
Bianca Mayah Raymond
Jeremi Pryce Reed
Angela Celeste Romero Barron
Karissa SanMiguel
Braden Dwayne Winters
Abby D Wyatt
Emy M Youngblood
Fahad Waqas
Avery Joseph Williams
Bachelor of Science in Geology
Sade A Dennis
COLLEGE OF THE COAST & ENVIRONMENT
Bachelor of Science in Coastal Environmental Science
Kin Long Chiu Olivia Anne Hebert Annie Elizabeth Lamke
Lilith May Meng Austin Wade Wittig
PINKIE GORDON LANE GRADUATE SCHOOL
GRADUATE CERTIFICATES
Analytics
Czamantha Bello
Gregory John Buisson Jr.
Bret Duplechien
Zahra FalahAsl
Christian M Fritz
Seth Brian Gray
Adam Walter Hineline
Halee R LeBoeuf
Madison B Moses
Jessica R Price
Archival Studies
Tamara L Bascom Bordon
Leah Michelle Duncan
Carolina Garcia
Alexander Pennell Hewes
Victoria J Koren
Sarah Ann Krans
Michelle B LeBlanc
Raquel P Lopez
Henry Brandon Motty
Sarah Elizabeth Schnadelbach
Margaret Elaine Solie
Mary Alice Waddell
Econometrics
Arafat Aziz
Nikkolas Adam Monceaux
Anh Duc Tri Nguyen
Simin Sattari
Sarang Talpur
Education Specialist
Melissa Johnson
MASTERʼS DEGREES
Master of Accountancy
Sydnie Elizabeth Duncan
Master of Applied Statistics
Tianyu Chen
Pinxu Huang
Rajat Pruthi
Master of Arts
Isaac Gyan Ayeh
Summer Marie Bowen
Isaac Dean Carson
Katrail Davis
Molly Grace Decker
Alaniss Pauleth Heredia
Kiana Howerton
Georgios Kogias
Kaci Lally
Julia LeJeune
Akua Lulani Lewis
Sydney McManus
Haley Lynn Mims-Crawford
Aditi Murali
Taiwo Moyofoluwa Ogundeyi
Jillian Hope Primeaux
Heidie Mattie Randle
Gregory Adam Renoud
Caroline Rebecca Scherzer
Lauren Ashleigh Schiro
Rachel L Smith
Melissa Reeves Speary
Master of Arts in Liberal Arts
E'Yanna Yvette Davis
Sanaa C Dotson
Kiya Deshae Johnson
Master of Arts in Teaching
Richard Kai McCurley
Donna Grace Moore
Michelle Maria Perez
Kelsy Bre Robbins
Gregory Thomas
Master of Business Administration
Justin E Adkisson
Obiugo Christopher Ugo
Akujuobi
Maisa Al Rayyes
Samaa Mazen Al-moukdad
Anita A Anwusi
Meredith Grace Arnold
Sierra Loren Ballard
Cade M Blanchard
Kayla Alyssa Broussard
John Austin Davis
Noah Thomas DeWerff
Bret Duplechien
Colton Turner Garrison
Ian Joseph Givens
Jenna Elaine Guidry
Leslie Harvey
Emerging Information Technologies for Business
Brandon M Anderson Sr.
Kayla Alyssa Broussard
John Austin Davis
Devan Desai Kling
Environmental Health Sciences
Cassandra G Kidder
Environmental Modeling and Analysis
Kristine M. Mueller
Financial Analytics
Olivia Y Bianco
Peyton W Heap
Darren Lamar Herman
Grant Connor Hickingbottom
Joshua S Higdon
Jeremy Lee Hood
Courtney Nicole Howell
Emma M Johnson
Devan Desai Kling
Mia Cathryn Kugler
Luke C Lemonier
Jake Matthew Miller
Tyrie K Norman
Philip Thomas O'Neill
Gregory Evan Roy
Maria E Skrmetti
Natalie Christine Smith
Andrew Alexander Stec
Lauryn Sweet
Maya Tahan
Chloe Danielle Tart
Aran Teixidó Garcia
James M Truett
Hailey Ann Van Lith
Wilhelm David Waguespack
Nichole Marie Galbraith
Wilson
Abigail Marie Wostbrock
Master of Education
Rikki Jean Lookingbill
Barbara Liseth Maldonado
Andrew John Mazarakis
Tamara L Powell
Ogheneofega Irhirhi
Jonathan Daniel Persaud
Healthcare Systems Engineering
Juan Diego Guzman-Noguera
Materials Science and Engineering
Nkechi Alexandra Kingsley-Etumah
Mathematics for Advanced Secondary Instruction
Carla LeMaire LeBlanc
Records and Information Management
Obiugo Christopher Ugo Akujuobi
Wendy Ann Bourg
Hope McCorkle
Sonia A Nelson
Vicki Jo Tamborello
Strategic Communication
Katharine M Bailey
Urban and Community Education
Kristen Dawn Retana
Christopher Sunkeon Song
Logan John Smith
Alexandria Shantel Turner
Master of Fine Arts
Matthew Jones
Cecelia Anne Moseley
Joelle Colleen Nagy
Cameron Savage
Master of Library and Information Science
Ashley N Abraham
Robert W Barrere IV
Tamara L Bascom Bordon
Vicki Lynn Bell
Wendy Ann Bourg
Ashley Collins
Molly Grace Decker
Leah Michelle Duncan
Claire Elise Farmery
Carolina Garcia
Jordyn B. Holcomb
Kaitlyn E Holt
Timothy Houlihan
Kari Lynn Johnson
Robert Maer
Elizabeth Kaye Morgan
Desery Hinerava Peterson
Mia Z Reiser
Noelle Grace Robinson
Sarah Elizabeth Schnadelbach
Margaret Elaine Solie
Mark Anthony Solorzano
Vicki Jo Tamborello
Christina Marie
Turiano-Sander
Mary Alice Waddell
Heather T Zeng
Master of Mass Communication
Katharine M Bailey
Master of Music
Jacquelyn Shelby Ancelet
Master of Public Administration
David L Burns II
Morgan Grace Dingler
Christian Robert Duborg
Olnick Duverge
Khanh Ariel Pham Gibbs
Jennifer Lea Holland
Shonda D Jones
Shannon E Kelly
Garrett Layne Kirkland
Robert Yancy LeGrande
Diamond Champagne London
Yolanda Michelle Thierry
Paris Vinnett
Master of Science
Bhawana Acharya
Oluwaferanmi David Agbolade
Gyaneshwar Agrahari
Emmanuel Adetayo Akoja
Mariangela Alessandri III
Danielle Zena Almanza
Maxwell Peprah Amponsem
Tameka Anderson
Olivia M Anderson Heil
Arafat Aziz
Gabrielle Teresa Bailey
Michael G Barnard
Gregory DeVonte’ Bennett
Shaharia Jaman Bhuiyan
Pradipta Biswas
Rachael Lyn Blair
Mónica Luz Bonilla-Negrón
Mary Olivia Broussard
Joseph V Brown
Hayden Bumgarden
Darnevin Canor Camille
Andrea Salomé Cerrato Castellanos
Robert Christopher Cesternino
Shayne Charles
Indeara Orlean Chenevert
Christine Hayoung Cho
Dante Esteban Compean
Makiah Ciera Conley-Siller
Tyler Jerry Crebar
John Paul D'Amato
Alyana Janae Davis
Jack Henry Decuir
Michele Faraone Dellinger
Emily Ann DeVoie
Aakankshya Dhakal
Santiago Diaz-Laguna
Mollie Marie Dimise
Prantho Malakar Dipta
Theresa Diane Douglas
Sheamus Collin Doyle
Joel W DuBois
Zahra FalahAsl
Christian M Fritz
Michael Gamble
Darius Durell Griffin
Alexis Symone Gros
Jana Grounds
Zhiwei Guo
Raeleen Gutierrez
Sydney Nicole Harris
Brody Hawkins
Brandie Raquel Hayes
Fiona Herzog
Alexa Rae Hinton
Tanvir Hossain
Jean Louis Houellemont
Md Muzahidul Islam
Darius Jones
Kennedi Jean Kay
Cassandra G Kidder
Walter Kornegay
Richard Maurice Lesieur
Etienne LeSuer
Ashley Littlefield
Michael J Lizzi Jr
Kelley Marie Lynch
Adam John Mallett Jr
Alaiyah M Malone
Haley Ann Marquette
Dustee Jane Matthews
John Richard Meyer Jr
Sunil Modukuri
Nikkolas Adam Monceaux
Anthony Morin
Alexis Nguyen
Anh Duc Tri Nguyen
David Nguyen
Jaché Niesha Kelley
Christopher Thomas O'Brien
Gentry Lea O'Neal
Rhys Lyndon Parker
Bhavana Patla
Aimee Y Pecina
Michael Casey Piorkowski
Madison Plaisance
Damon L Ploger
Kwabena Poku-Agyemang
Shalillian Monique Pope
Lauren Ann Power
Carlos Fernando Quintero
Chendhu Priya Rasiraju
Ariyana Enola Reed
Quinn Rhyne
Kai Hadiah Rivers
Brea Symone Rogers
Laken Shea Russell
Larissa Anahi Salinas
Simin Sattari
Savannah Faith Schoenherr
Samantha E Schwippert
Alexandria Chynasha Shelly
Mohammad Abir Chowdhury
Shovon
Saralyn Lloyd Smith
Deryck Ravendranath Somaru
DOCTORAL DEGREES
Musical Arts
Jeremy Gdaniec
Thomas Andrew Owens
Scott Purcell
Lixi Qin
Natasha Sieczkowska
Nataie Marie Stepaniak
Philosophy
Cristina Abarno
Sidney Faith Stewart
Kevin R Stoner
Aakilah Iman Strappy
Trent Allan Stromberg
Strzynski Rose Strzynski
Isabella Nicole Suarez
Sarang Talpur
Maya Elena Tessler
Derrick Wayne Thomas Jr.
Jaude' M Thomas-Bryant
Gabriela Tomescu
Sara Katherine Trevino
Jamie L Turner
Harrison Walker Valentine
Francisco Valle
Logan Nelson Vallee
Wendy Anntoinette Walker
Joselyn Elise Wallace
Terry Paul Wilson Jr.
Lance Fisher Yates
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Monsuru Olatunji Dauda
Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Sudhir Bharati
Daniel A Gallegos
Santosh Ghimire
Rafin Hasan
Shekhar Mahat
Manika Rana Bhat
Master of Science in Construction Management
Trey D Aymond
Seana M Essex
Erin Lynn Griswold
Liam Michael Hudock
Derrick Raloronda Hughes Jr.
Dylan Thomas Jacoby
Robert Matthew Luke
Kastan Lee Martin
Hunter McCraine
Anthony J Tabasco
Sueed Ajibola Willoughby
Master of Science in Digital Media Arts and Engineering
Jose Donaldo Villatoro Oyuela
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
Md Tanvir Emrose
Michael Joseph Martin II
Master of Science in Industrial Engineering
Gregory Derrick Borja
Terry Lee Geraldsen Jr.
Peter Hanna
Austin James Irwin
Peter John Schulte
Master of Social Work
Madison Allemand
Wanda Denise Alsobrook
Madelyn Jayne Antle
Elizabeth Avila
Kelly Bause
Rachel Bennion
Lauren Maddie Bischoff
Cody L Bochert
Savannah Christine Brewster
Terrance Bridgers
Bailey Renee Brooks
Morgan S Brush
Tara L Clayfield
Kara Nicole Crawford
ZaCureyia Davis
Callie Micque Dean
Dimond Breonne' DeCuir
Leilani June DeGennaro
Jennifer DiSilvio
Ryan James Earl
Bresha Deniece
Eddington- Collins
Anika Lundy Ellis
Lexi Marie Fitzpatrick
Allison Forlenza
Alexia Fotopoulos
Jessica Michelle Freibert
Maggie Ann Fuselier Miss
Andrea Marie Gautier
Corinne J Gentry
Michaela M Hamilton
Sarah Catherine Hardy
Laura Haywood
Oana Cristina Herrington
Sarah Ann Hill-Martin
Jonnie Rose Hontanosas
Emily Claire Hunt
Jaclyn Elizabeth Johnson
Minnette Allen Jones
Lakelyn A Keller
Caden Bryce Kendrew
Maddison Gabrielle Kidder
Kathryn Grogan Kilpatrick
Camryn Grace Knight
Mackenzie C Knighten
Kaitlin C Knoche
Alissa Ann Knott
Jami Leigh Kreft
Kayla Nicole Lambert
Jesse Tyler Lang
Kayla Mae Lauterbach
Breana L LeBouef
Anna Kuhlmann Leiva
Jacqueline Lemus Lopez
Taylor Latrice Luttrell
Jade Mariah Matthews
Jason Daniel McClurg
Jennifer Marie McGee
Christa Miles
Imani Moore
Hannah D Muttillo
Joshua Paul Phillips
Brianna Bertrand Pontiff
Rachel Ann Pope
Rebecca L Potts
Dustin Lloyd Pounds
Meghan L Powell
Cassandra Jane Rippy
Sarah A Rodgers
Dannessa Leniz Rodriguez
Ariana Alicia Sims
Sarah Michelle Soliday
Cody D Stirling
Felisha Marie Tapia
Sarah Thill
Zorida Tricoche
Special DeCarroll Ventroy
Katherine S Walker
Jamiya Synthiea Washington
Arika Tenee' Washington
Macie Faith Webb
De’Asia Larkell White
Alicia Christine Williams
Courtney Linn Williams
Kem'Michelle Renee Williams
Katelyn Elizabeth Yopp
Varad Vinayak Agarkar
Prerna Agarwal
Aziz Ahmed
Erik G Alvarez Valenzuela
Rita Aoun
Saber Aradpour
Susannah Jean Aronson
Victoria N Bailey
Arun Banjara
Pratik J Barge
Anshumitra Baul
Vanessa Begat
Brayden Andre Blanchard
Lucinda Boyd
Jennifer L Brown
Brianna Estelle Cairney
Junyan Chen
Peiyao Chen
Ka Hei Cheng
Megan E Chesal
Jensen Chotto
Kevin Earl Christiansen
Stephanie Colin
Brandon Joseph Conrad
Alison Leigh Crisp
Xiongming Dai
Priscilla Alexandria Devora
Aldo Duarte Vera Tudela
Tiffany Duong
Brandon Eich
Hope Eseose
Cassie Chanel Feck
Alvaro Gustavo Garcia Lira
Anoosheh Ghaderi
Ilerioluwa Segun Giwa
Scott Grimmell
Farida Guechoud
Stephanie R Gullage
Stav Haldar
Kenetha L Harrington -Jolivette
Hope McPhatter Hickerson
Leigh Danielle Honeycutt
Dustin Michael Hughes
Mary Elizabeth Janille
Hyepock
Jason H Janeaux
Zachary Jermain
Soheil Kafiliveyjuyeh
Emily Claire Kemp
Samantha F Kennedy
Jiyoung Lee
Sergio Martin Lopez-Caceres
Sarah Oliver Ludwig
Jiantao Ma Ye Ma
Adelodun Ridwan Majekobaje
Rachel Matthews
Himanshu Singh Mehra
Md Manik Mia
Robert Allan Mirabello Jr
Graeme Edward Baglow
Morgan
Justin Tyler Morris
Fatemeh Mostafavikhatam
Henry Brandon Motty
Shashank Muley
Ernest Ojiambo Nachaki
Scott Dyer Nelson
Shania Anthea Lena Nichols
D Nicolas Oakey-Frost
John Christian Ebreo Ontoy
Khawlah Naif Otayf
Carly Penn
Jamie Mara Phelps
Rochelle Nayantara Picardo
Paige Nicole Picou
Rajat Pruthi
Anthony Dakarai Robinson
Patricia F Rodrigues
Kali Dawn Rogers
Ashley Victoria Bundy Rogers
Alison Ruby
Laurie Bourgeois Salvail
SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
DOCTORAL DEGREES
Nichole Wierschem Santee
Joshua Scott
Tyler Robert Sheldon
Elizabeth Ann Shoenberger
JoHannah hitney Smith
Christopher Sunkeon Song
Kyle Terrell Kristopher Stanley
Keegan Riley Stansberry
Kenneth Edward Sutherland
Andrea Lynn Tepe
Stacey R Terrio
Mohammad Imran Hasan Tusar
Latasha Lynn Valenzuela Hernández
Marcus Sean Venable
Katy Elizabeth Venable
Jillian Vogel
River Waits
Ashley R. Walker
Paige Ashley Weir
David Earl Whitchurch
Jeffrey S White
Jillana Cavalier Williams
Courtney E Williams
Mehmet A Yetim
Jianguo Yuan
Wenqiang Zhang
Yuanyi Zhang
Marina Eva Garcia
Around CAMPUS
Keena Arbuthnot has been appointed Dean of the Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School. In this role, Arbuthnot will oversee more than 160 graduate degree programs, including doctoral programs in more than 50 major fields of study, as dean of Louisiana's most extensive and comprehensive provider of graduate education. She will continue to serve as vice president and chief data officer, in addition to holding the Joan Pender McManus Distinguished Professorship in the College of Human Sciences & Education.
Michael Khonsari, an LSU mechanical engineering professor, was named an Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The distinction recognizes individuals for “lifetime service to mechanical engineering research and education, particularly through technical books, and trendsetting research papers.” Khonsari was also recently named a Highly Ranked Scholar by ScholarGPS. In its inaugural lifetime rankings, he is ranked third in the field of tribology (the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion), tenth in the field of lubrication (the control of friction and wear by the introduction of a frictionreducing film between moving surfaces in contact), and 175th in the field of mechanical engineering. He also recently received the 2024 Ralph Beard Award from the National Lubricating Grease Institute for “significant and continuing work in research or development and acceptance of new tests within the grease industry.”
Noteworthy
Yingmei Cheng is the new Lloyd F. Collette Endowed Chair of Financial Services, LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business. She previously served as the Patty Hill Smith Eminent Scholar in Finance at Florida State University’s College of Business, where she led the college’s Ph.D. program in finance and taught undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral courses in finance and economics.
Chen Chen, an LSU assistant professor of biological sciences, has discovered a potential treatment for the most malignant forms of cancer by fusing two proteins, one that slips past the tumor’s defenses carrying a second protein to kill the tumor. For now, Chen and her team are focusing on lung cancer. The disease kills 1.6 million people worldwide each year. The researchers recently won a National Institutes of Health grant to further their research.
Hal “Thomas” Lin, an LSU Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering professor, received a nearly $630,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his latest research project: taking characteristics from mud dauber nests and the root systems of fungi to design 3D-printed soil for sustainable, durable, and cost-effective earthen buildings. More than three billion people worldwide live in earthen buildings, which are gaining popularity in Europe, Western Australia, Canada, and California because of their ecofriendly and cost-effective credentials.
The 3D soil printing process begins by mixing soil with fungal spores and
natural fibers, creating a soil-fungal mixture for optimal plasticity. The soil is printed and compacted simultaneously, allowing the fungal root structure to grow, reinforce, and waterproof the structure. Finally, the mixture dries, further enhancing the earthen walls' strength. Lin acknowledges that the idea of living in an earthen building might evoke mental images of primitive or uncomfortable structures, but the type of structures he’s proposing are anything but.
“Earthen buildings today can be as sophisticated and stylish as any contemporary structure, with the added advantage of natural insulation, excellent indoor air quality, remarkably small embodied energy, and a significantly reduced environmental impact,” Lin said.
Tracy Blanchard now serves as LSU’s Director for Disability Services. Blanchard most recently served as assistant dean and associate director of Student Advocacy & Accountability (LSU CARES). Tracy has also worked as an academic counselor and brings previous experience in Disability Services here at LSU.
LSU Boyd Professor of History Suzanne Marchand has been elected to serve as president of the American Historical Association (AHA) for 2026. The AHA is the largest professional association for historians in the world. Before this appointment, she will serve as vice president for 2025.
Gabriela González, Boyd Professor of Physics, Louisiana State University Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been elected vice-president of the American Physical Society.
Heather McKillop won the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, Trent University. McKillop is considered a leading authority in the field of Maya archaeology and is one of the most important archaeologists of the past century who has enhanced the world’s understanding of the coastal Maya of Belize.
Shafiqul Chowdhury, professor of veterinary medicine, was named a Bayh-Dole Coalition 2024 Face of American Innovation for developing a bovine respiratory disease vaccine.
Aimee Badeaux receives award
The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) presented Aimee Badeaux (2015 PHD HS&E) with the Program Director of the Year Award during its 2024 Annual Congress in San Diego.
As the inaugural program director of the first nurse anesthesia program in northern Louisiana, Badeaux is a champion of the interests of both faculty and students. She was instrumental in developing Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s (NSU) Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program. As NSU’s Director of Doctoral Studies, Badeaux won the Educator of the Year award for 2021-2022.
Badeaux obtained her doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction from LSU. She also earned a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia from Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
TIGER TRIVIA
1. How many seats did Tiger Stadium have when it opened in 1924? 102,000 79,000 24,000 12,000
2. When were the south end zone seats added to Tiger Stadium? 1936 1953 1979 2006
3. What other campus building did the south end zone addition compete with for funding?
The main library The Union
The Life Sciences Building Acadian Hall
4. Huey Long was instrumental in having the dormitory rooms added to Tiger Stadium. True False
5. For what purpose was the Parker Coliseum used in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?
A triage center A storage area for first aid supplies A shelter for displaced animals A shelter for farm equipment
6. When was the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History established? 1926 1941 1979 1991
7. Which campus research institute was named for one of the first Boyd Professors?
The Eric Voegelin Institute The Philip West Institute
The Henry George McMahon The Wex Malone Institute Institute
8. Which long-time dean of the law school served as acting president of LSU from 1939 to 1941?
Ira Flory Paul Hebert Henry George McMahon Thomas Atkinson
9. When were sororities first established on campus? 1860 1906 1909 1962
10. When was the Gumbo first published? 1900 1926 1958 1965
11. When the Main Library opened in 1958, how were the books moved from their original home in Hill Memorial Library? By hand By allowing students to check out books from Hill and return them to the new library By truck By conveyor belt
12. What idea to add extra parking on campus in the 1960s was devised but (thankfully) not implemented?
Allowing cars to park in Bulldozing the Campus Mounds Tiger Stadium
Allowing cars to park in Allowing cars to park on the golf the Parker Coliseum course
Tiger Trivia is compiled by Barry Cowan, assistant archivist, Hill Memorial Library.
New LSU Library construction expected to begin in 2026
Construction of a new $152 million library at LSU is expected to start in 2026 in a new location.
According to The Advocate, the new Library Learning Commons will be located between South Campus Drive and South Stadium Drive near Field House Drive. It’s part of a strategic plan to create another quadrangle close to Patrick F. Taylor Hall.
The former Middleton Library will be demolished. The new building is expected to open in spring 2029. State funds and private donations will pay for the library, Paul Favaloro, LSU interim executive director of planning, design, and construction, told The Advocate. The electrical engineering building and the Manship Research Facility will be torn down to make room for the new building. Electrical engineering will move to Jessie Coates Hall, and the Manship Facility will move to Pleasant Hall.
The new Library Learning Commons will be designed to create more involvement and collaboration, a trend among today’s institutions.
In early 2025, the LSU College of Engineering, in collaboration with Halliburton and ExxonMobil, will begin drilling a third research well at its PERTT— Petroleum Engineering Research, Training, and Testing—Lab on LSU’s campus.
This new, one-of-its-kind will enable students, researchers, regulators, and the industry to study CO2 in all three phases under realistic field conditions. The research will include testing and developing safety and monitoring technologies, understanding CO2 flow behavior in various downhole conditions, and validating the predictions of computer models or bench-scale experiments at the field scale.
The new well will not be operational or inject CO2 into the subsurface. The well will be solely used for research purposes, and LSU expects it to have significant research value.
“The project is part of a broader vision to position LSU as a national leader in demonstration-scale energy research, which will include other aspects of lowcarbon technologies, such as CO2 capture and use, electrification, hydrogen processes, sustainable fuel production, and more,” said Karsten Thompson, LSU Petroleum Engineering professor and lead on the project. “The new well can be used for education and training, which is important because injection wells are being assessed across many parts of our state. More broadly, research on sensing, monitoring, and leak detection of CO2 will support safe and reliable carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) operations in Louisiana and throughout the world.”
LSU Film and Television Program Receives LED grant to grow workforce
Louisiana Economic Development awarded nearly $200,000 from the state’s Entertainment Development Fund to the LSU film and television program to help grow the talent pipeline for the state’s film production workforce.
LSU will use the grant to expand faculty in its Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television program, which partners with the digital art program in LSU’s School of Art and the digital media arts and engineering program in LSU’s Center for Computation & Technology. A new full-time faculty member will help advance the program into previously untapped digital and
virtual filmmaking arenas.
This three-year reimbursable grant marks LSU's second Entertainment Development Fund grant. In 2021, LED awarded LSU a five-year, $1.25 million entertainment workforce grant to create LSU’s virtual production program, a dedicated curriculum and production environment to cultivate a new generation of students fluent in virtual and augmented reality, emerging cinematic techniques, visual effects, and digital animation technologies.
The virtual production program now impacts 15 courses and hundreds of students across disciplines, has served as a central asset in a winning Heisman
campaign, hosts a children’s show, and led to nearly $8 million in funding from NASA for a digital twin of the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
Louisiana maintains about 10,000 jobs in the film industry. It sees almost $1 billion in annual film revenues, making the state one of the country's fastest-growing and most stable environments for film production and education. In the past decade, Louisiana has been the production home of more than 400 motion pictures and numerous television series and documentaries. Since 2002, the state’s skilled crew base has grown by more than 400 percent.
Karsten Thompson
Five researchers receive NSF Career Awards
Five LSU researchers have been awarded the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious grant for early-career faculty. Each was chosen because of their potential to serve as lifelong academic role models in research and education and their ability to integrate their work within the context of their organization’s mission. At LSU, that mission is outlined in the statewide university’s Scholarship First Agenda, which aims to advance research in agriculture, biomedicine and health, coastal resilience, defense and cybersecurity, and energy.
Corina Barbalata, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the LSU College of Engineering, develops underwater robots and autonomous systems. Her project will enable small underwater robots to automatically survey and collect samples from the sea floor.
Jimmy Lawrence, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the LSU College of Engineering, works on polymers for functional materials. His project involves Bottlebrush polymers.
Understanding and controlling their structure can create new properties to improve a wide variety of things, from contact lenses to the recyclability of plastics.
Hai Lin, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the LSU College of Engineering, works to advance sustainable, durable, and cost-effective construction methods inspired and assisted by nature. The project explores the techniques of mud daubers, combined with the strength and stretch of fungal root systems, which could be used to build better homes.
Kevin Smiley, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at the LSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences, investigates disaster vulnerability–how environmental change, such as climate change, impacts some communities more than others in different ways.
Wang, a former assistant professor in the Division of Computer Science and Engineering at the LSU College of Engineering, works to advance cybersecurity, mobile security, and privacy. Chen Wang will develop AI algorithms to remove all micro signals from the audio and video data of online meetings without degrading the user experience.
Corina Barbalata Jimmy Lawrence
Hai Lin Kevin Smiley
Chen Wang
By V. Todd Miller
Louisiana Lights debuts at Windrush Gardens
It began as a simple wish to make Baton Rouge a holiday tourist destination for families and friends to make memories that would last a lifetime. Now, as Louisiana Lights: Where the Holidays Shine is set to debut, that wish is coming true.
The immersive, multi-night light show will illuminate the historic Windrush Gardens at Burden Museum & Gardens. The natural beauty of the gardens will dazzle the senses through artistic uses of light to create a winter wonderland that will need to be seen to be believed, said Bill Stark, director of the LSU Rural Life Museum.
“We’re not only creating a new tradition for our community, but we are also ensuring the sustainability of the Burden family’s gift and one of Louisiana’s most unique and treasured assets for future generations,” he said. “It's an intergenerational celebration, a harmonious blend of nature, history, togetherness, and festive spirit.”
Visitors are invited to take an hourlong stroll through interconnected garden rooms exquisitely lit for the holidays, celebrating a garden where the past and present shine as one.
Louisiana Lights was made possible through a collaboration with Visit Baton Rouge. Jill Kidder, CEO of Visit Baton Rouge, believes a presentation of this magnitude is long overdue for the Baton Rouge tourism industry.
“As identified in our current strategic plan, the largest opportunity to boost visitation to Baton Rouge lies between the end of college football season and the beginning of Mardi Gras season,” she said.
LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens resident director Jeff Kuehny praised the dreamlike quality of the experience, emphasizing how unique it is to have it take place in a metropolitan city like Baton Rouge.
“It beckons guests to embrace the harmony of nature and artistry of light, transporting them into the serene oasis designed by Steele Burden in the heart of urban life,” he said.
Louisiana Lights will be held every Thursday through Sunday through Dec. 29. Each night’s first session will begin at 5:30 p.m., and the last will start at 8:30 p.m. Onsite parking will be $10.
Visit DiscoverBurden.com/LaLights for more information on ticket sales.
LSU-Southern cyber project protects nation’s electric vehicle infrastructure
A collaborative team at LSU and Southern University received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to address critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities in electric vehicle charging stations. LSU cybersecurity expert Elias BouHarb and his team discovered that these vulnerabilities pose significant risks, including the potential for hackers to access and exploit tens of thousands of EV charging stations connected to the power grid. This project aims to secure these systems and educate and train a more diverse cybersecurity workforce, leveraging the strengths of both universities. Electric vehicle charging and management stations are operated by many vendors throughout the United States who can access them locally and remotely. So can hackers, learned LSU cybersecurity expert Elias Bou-Harb, associate professor in the LSU Division of Computer Science & Engineering, during research for a landmark paper. As part of that work, Bou-Harb and his co-authors discovered 120 zero-day vulnerabilities, which are critical flaws in software or hardware that attackers can easily exploit, typically leaving vendors with zero days to prepare for such attacks.
“We were doing random scans for internet-connected devices when
we realized we’d indexed an electric vehicle charging management station, and our first question was, ‘Why are these even publicly available?’” BouHarb said. “We then found almost 30,000 online, many of which could be accessed remotely and had serious vulnerabilities, so we felt compelled to contact those vendors to allow them to rectify their networks and devices before we published our paper a few months later.”
Attacks on electric vehicle charging systems could potentially destroy cars by overloading batteries, leaking credit cards and other personal data from users, and disrupting the nation’s power and transportation infrastructure.
To solve this problem, Bou-Harb teamed up with Sudhir Trivedi, chair of the computer science department at Southern University. Together, they applied for a Computer and Information Science and Engineering, or CISE, research expansion grant from the National Science Foundation to pursue more detailed research while broadening access to cybersecurity education and training at minority-serving institutions nationwide. The broader partnership includes researchers at the University of South Florida and the University of Texas at San Antonio, a federally designated HispanicServing Institution, or HSI, and George Mason, an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, or AANAPSSI.
Around Campus Eclectic experiences in and around campus
GUIDED TOURS OF TIGER STADIUM
• Location: Tiger Stadium; 100 Tiger Dr.
• Contact Info: Athletics@lsu. edu; 225-578-4085
• Hours: Tours start at 4:30 pm; some start at 3 pm
• Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under
Guided tours begin at the Bill Lawton Room across from Mike’s Habitat. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and shows the Bill Lawton Room, the North Stadium Plaques, the Jeff Boss Locker Room, the Chute, the Ready Room, and the Tiger Stadium Field. Around 25 people are allowed per tour group.
Whether you’re visiting Baton Rouge or just looking for fun, unique local outings, check out these LSU-based settings (Bonus: seven are free of charge).
WILLIAM A. BROOKSHIRE LSU MILITARY MUSEUM
• Location: In the Memorial Tower; 92 Tower Dr.
• Contact Info: Milmuseum@lsu.edu; 225-334-2003
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 am - 3 pm
• Cost: Free
A showcase of artifacts and memorabilia reflecting the university’s rich military history and heritage. The museum features exhibits that show the history of ROTC at LSU and the involvement of LSU’s faculty, staff, and students in America’s wars and conflicts, the university’s military leaders, and Caders of the Ole War Skule (a nickname given to LSU).
LSU DAIRY STORE
• Location: 118 S. Campus Dr.
• Contact Info: 225-578-4392
• Hours: Fall and Spring: Monday-Friday from 10-5, Closed Saturday and Sunday; Summer: Monday-Friday from 11 to 4, Closed Saturday and Sunday
• Cost: Varies (Depends on what you purchase)
The LSU Dairy Store’s mission is to provide teaching and training to students. It is used as a training tool to stimulate the work of a full-scale commercial dairy processing plant where students may someday be involved. The Dairy Store also accomplishes LSU AgCenter research projects involving various dairy and food production applications. The meat sold at the Dairy Store comes from the farms on campus; the animals are raised by faculty and students to teach them vital skills related to animal raising, sustainability, and research for LSU.
• Hours: Monday through Sunday, Dusk - Dawn; office and public restrooms: Tuesday through Friday from 9 am to 4:30 pm
• Cost: Free
The Arboretum includes fourteen acres of Baton Rouge showcasing an extensive collection of Louisiana native trees and shrubs. It includes an old footbridge that overlooks a twenty-foot-deep ravine, trees that canopy the space, a bamboo grove, and a meadow with tall grasses and colorful wildflowers. The mission of the LSU Hilltop Arboretum is to provide a sanctuary where students and visitors can learn about natural systems, plants, and landscape design.
• Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 am - 3 pm; Friday and Saturday, 7:30 - 10 pm; Closed Sundays
• Cost: Free
LSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy secured funding for the 20-inch and 16-inch telescopes and the equipment needed to operate them. The 20-inch reflecting telescope has been used to discover dozens of asteroids. BREC supplies enthusiastic staff who are willing to answer questions about astronomy and space.
LANDOLT ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY
• Location: On the LSU campus, on the roof of Nicholson Hall on Tower Dr.
• Contact Info: 225-578-2261
• Hours: December 7, 2024, at 8 pm; Open once a month during the fall and spring semesters, on the Saturday best for moon visibility.
• Cost: Free
The observatory was built in the late 1930s and is not handicap accessible. In November 2005, there was a grand reopening for the observatory; it was named after Professor Arlo U. Landolt for being the core of the astronomy program at LSU for many years. The observatory allows public observation once a month each semester.
• Hours: The first Saturday of every month from 10 am - 4 pm
• Cost: Free
Science Saturdays at LIGO involve a chance to explore numerous interactive exhibits, approximately 50, housed in LIGO’s Science Education Center. It also offers a tour of the LIGO control room and gives an overview of the interferometer’s 4 km-long arms that reach into the loblolly pine forest. During the tour, you can also learn about artifacts from the detector.
LSU MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE
• Location: On LSU’s Campus in Murphy J. Foster Hall
• Contact Info: 225-578-2855
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am - 4 pm; Closes at 2 pm on Friday during the school year; Closed Saturdays and Sundays
• Cost: Free
The Museum of Natural Science is a research museum that aims to educate the public through exhibits and programs, houses a premier research staff committed to learning more about our natural world, and maintains collections that support this work. The museum houses the world’s most active and thirdlargest university-based collection of birds and the largest collection of genetic resources, such as DNA samples. The museum is among the nation’s leaders in terms of the size and diversity of its research collection.
LSU TEXTILE AND COSTUME MUSEUM
• Location: Human Ecology Building, 140 Tower Dr.
• Contact Info: (225) 578-1087, textile@lsu.edu
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 am - 4 pm; Sunday, 2 - 4 pm; Closed from 12 - 1 pm daily for lunch
• Cost: Free
The LSU Textile and Costume Museum offers changing exhibitions of regional, national, and international interest, including prehistoric and ethnic textiles and costumes as well as contemporary high fashions and high-tech textiles. The type of items displayed consist of apparel, accessories, household textiles, piece goods, books, patterns, and various items related to textile and apparel production, use, and care. The research at the museum includes studies of the technical, aesthetic, historical, and sociocultural significance of textile and apparel.
Locker ROOM
LSU Legends Inducted into 2025 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
Three Tiger legends who left enduring marks on their respective sports will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as part of its 2025 class. Among the inductees are LSU football and NFL standout Andrew Whitworth, gymnastics star April Burkholder, and boxing champion George “Bobby” Soileau.
Whitworth first garnered attention at West Monroe High School, helping lead his team to three state titles and two national high school championships before continuing his success at LSU. In 2003, he was a cornerstone of the Tigers squad that secured the team’s first national football championship in 45 years.
During his 16-year career in the NFL, he spent 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before moving to the Los Angeles Rams. In Whitworth’s final season, he was named the 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, and his career culminated with a Super Bowl victory in his final game.
While Whitworth dominated on the gridiron, Burkholder was shining in the PMAC, establishing herself as the most decorated gymnast in Tiger history.
A 14-time All-American, she captured the NCAA beam title in 2006 and holds the school record with 108 career victories. Her contributions helped elevate the gymnastics program into a national powerhouse and earned Burkholder the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year title twice during her career.
While Burkholder and Whitworth’s time representing the purple and gold is still fresh in the memory, Soileau’s achievements date back nearly 70 years.
He made a name for himself in a sport most Tiger fans haven’t seen on campus – boxing. Soileau won four state high school boxing titles starting in the eighth grade and, in his five-year prep boxing career, posted a 96-2-1 mark. After joining the Tigers, he claimed the 125-pound division NCAA National Title in 1956. Following the season, LSU’s boxing program disbanded and Soileau changed sports.
The Ville Platte native returned home and joined Sacred Heart High School as their football coach. He achieved 159 wins over 30 seasons, including the 1967 state championship. He is also recognized in the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame and is an inaugural inductee into the Louisiana High School Boxing Hall of Fame.
From the boxing ring to the gridiron to the floor, each of these former LSU athletes excelled in their respective sports and embodied what it means to be an LSU Tiger. As they join the ranks of Louisiana sports legends, these icons will ensure their legacies as Louisiana’s best.
Locker Room is curated and edited by sports writer and LSU Manship School of Mass Communication alumnus Marc Stevens. Marc is an avid sports fan, and Locker Room combines his passion for storytelling with LSU Athletics.
Photos: LSU Athletics
LSU and NFL standout Andrew Whitworth
LSU Gymnastics star April Burkholder
Boxing champion George "Bobby" Soileau
Locker Room
Nov 3
LSU Baseball Unveils 2025 Schedule
LSU VS. SAMFORD UNIVERSITY (EXH)
Nov 10 LSU AT UL-LAFAYETTE (EXH)
Feb 14, 15, 16 LSU VS. PURDUE FORT WAYNE
Feb 18 LSU VS. SOUTHERN
Feb 19 LSU AT NICHOLLS STATE
Feb 21, 22, 23
Feb 26
Feb 28
LSU VS. UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
VS. DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
VS. KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Mar 1 LSU VS. UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
Mar 2 LSU VS. SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Mar 4, 5
Mar 7, 8, 9
Mar 11
Mar 14, 15, 16
Mar 18
Mar 21, 22, 23
Mar 25
Mar 28, 29, 30
Apr 1
Apr 4, 5, 6
Apr 8
Apr 11, 12, 13
Apr 15
Apr 17, 18, 19
LSU VS. NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
LSU VS. NORTH ALABAMA
LSU VS. XAVIER (OHIO) UNIVERSITY
LSU VS. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
LSU VS. NEW ORLEANS
LSU AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
LSU VS. UL-LAFAYETTE
LSU VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
LSU VS. LOUISIANA TECH
LSU AT UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
LSU VS. NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY
LSU AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY
LSU VS. MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY
LSU VS. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
Apr 22 LSU VS. NORTHWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
Apr 25, 26, 27
Apr 29
May 2, 3, 4
May 6
May 9, 10, 11
May 15, 16, 17
LSU VS. UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
VS. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
LSU AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
LSU VS. GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY
LSU VS. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
LSU AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
After a tough 2024 campaign that ended at the Chapel Hill Regional, LSU will look to return to Omaha in 2025, but the road back won’t be an easy one.
LSU’s campaign features 32 games against teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, including six matchups against clubs that advanced to the College World Series. The early nonconference slate includes in-state games against Southern University, Nicholls University, and UNO, but the highlight will be an out-of-state trip.
The Tigers will travel to the home of the Texas Rangers, Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 26 to face off against Dallas Baptist. The Texas tour will continue at the Frisco College Baseball Classic from Feb. 28 to March 2, where the Tigers will take on Kansas State, Nebraska, and Sam Houston at Riders Field, home of the Frisco RoughRiders.
As the Tigers transition into conference play, their 30-game Southeastern Conference schedule is headlined by a weekend series against Tennessee and Texas A&M. From April 25-27, LSU will host the Volunteers in a match between the last two defending national champions. The following week, the Tigers will visit College Station for a battle against the Aggies.
Other matchups include series on the road against both SEC newcomers, Texas and Oklahoma. LSU will also travel to face Auburn and South Carolina. Within the friendly confines of Alex Box Stadium, LSU will host conference rivals Missouri, Mississippi State, Alabama, and Arkansas.
Despite the challenging schedule, the Tigers will likely be ranked alongside the nation’s best when the preseason polls are released. Coach Jay Johnson brought in a high-profile recruiting class filled with new faces that has LSU favored to make a deep run in the postseason.
The Tigers’ 56-game campaign kicks off at home against Purdue Fort Wayne at Alex Box Stadium on Feb. 14, as LSU aims to reclaim their spot among college baseball’s elite.
Tiger Stadium Upgrades for 100th Anniversary
Throughout the 2024 season, Tiger fans experienced a Death Valley unlike any other in the 100year history of the storied venue.
As part of its 100-year anniversary celebrations, Tiger Stadium has added significant upgrades to elevate the fan experience in Death Valley. These enhancements include state-of-the-art video boards, upgraded ribbon boards, advanced sound systems, and new LED lighting.
The most notable change is a new show-stopping scoreboard in the north endzone. It measures an impressive 5,624 square feet—more than double the size of the previous board. The new screen gives every fan throughout the stadium the ability to watch replays and highlights. Flanking the north board are two new speaker towers designed to enhance the auditory experience.
LSU also added boards in the east and west corners of the south endzone. The corner boards are 3,216 square feet and provide additional visual support to complement the main screen.
“When you look up at these massive boards, and it has all the information, all the bells and whistles, ribbon boards that are constantly feeding you information, it definitely helps for
the game experience,” said coach Brian Kelly.
The installation of new LED lights furthers the in-game experience. These lights allow for captivating light shows that sync with the excitement on the field, adding an extra layer of entertainment that aligns with the spirited culture of LSU football.
The Tigers also installed 11 new ribbon boards around the stadium. These boards span more than 2,350 linear feet across the east, west, and south sides of Death Valley and feature vibrant animations, graphics, and real-time game statistics. Additional LED lights were installed to illuminate “the Chute,” where the Tigers make their entrance, an effort to elevate the game day atmosphere for players and fans alike.
"Our fans are of our utmost priority and importance," LSU chief operating officer Keli Zinn said in an interview with the Daily Advertiser. "We wanted to concentrate on some things for the fans that really allow them to enjoy [the best parts of] Tiger Stadium."
While Death Valley may evolve, its heart remains the same. The upgrades, combined with the unwavering presence of the Tiger faithful, guarantee an atmosphere that will keep adding to the legacy of the iconic venue for another 100 years.
Angel Reese Dominates in WNBA Rookie Season
Fresh off an incredible LSU career where she shattered records and led the program to its first National Championship, Angel Reese continues her success in the WNBA with the Chicago Sky.
After being selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Reese earned a starting position despite her first-year status. Historically, WNBA rookies have faced challenges breaking into their teams’ rotations, but the Maryland native quickly established herself as an integral part of the Sky’s starting lineup.
“My teammates continue to tell me to keep shooting no matter how many times I miss, they always tell me to shoot it.”
“She is an absolutely relentless competitor,” said Sky General Manager Jeff Pagliocca. “She pursues the ball better than anybody I’ve ever seen. She’s a winner.”
Reese’s ability to crash the boards sets her apart and catapulted her into the league's spotlight. During her inaugural campaign, she led the WNBA with 446 total rebounds and set the record for the highest average in league history at 13.1 per game.
Her ability to position herself off the glass happens at both ends of the court. She ranked second all-time for rookies in defensive boards, falling just four shy of the record. Reese set the WNBA record for most offensive boards in a season – 172 – and finished 0.005 per game shy of the all-time best offensive rebounding average with 5.1 per game.
“I knew my motor for offensive and defensive rebounds is something I can always do,” Reese said. “Defense and rebounding wins championships, and I’ve won championships at every level by just doing that.”
Beyond her ability to crash the glass, Reese showcased her scoring skills throughout her first season, averaging 13.6 points per game and breaking the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles with 15. She has begun to expand her range, taking more three-point shots this year than she did throughout her entire college career.
“My teammates continue to tell me to keep shooting no matter how many times I miss, they always tell me to shoot it,” she said. “Being able to stretch out [the floor], I think it helps my teammates, so I’m going to be whatever my teammates need me to be.”
With her rookie season in the books, Reese has already solidified her role as a dominant rebounding force and crucial player for the Sky. If she continues to hone her offensive skills and evolve, she will quickly become one of the best players in the league.
Angel Reese, the No. 7 overall pick, joined the Chicago Sky
Angel Reese
Tiger NATION
1960s
Gerald R. “Jerry” Franzen of Florence, Ky. (1967 BACH SCI) recently celebrated 25 years as a permanent deacon of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Covington, Ky.
C. Stokes McConnell, Jr. (1969 BACH H&SS, 1972 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
1970s
Rodolfo J. “Rudy” Aguilar, Jr (1979 BACH BUS, 1982 JD)., an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
DEGREES
BACH Bachelor’s Degree
MAST Master’s Degree
PHD Doctorate
SPEC Specialist
DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
MLIS Master of Library & Information Science
JD Juris Doctorate (LSU Law School)
LLM Master of Laws
MD Medical Doctor (LSU School of Medicine)
DDS Doctor of Dental Science (LSU School of Dentistry)
COLLEGES/SCHOOLS
AGR Agriculture
A&D Art & Design
C&E Coast & Environment
H&SS Humanities & Social Sciences
SCI Science
BUS Business
HS&E Human Sciences & Education
ENGR Engineering
M&DA Music & Dramatic Arts
MCOM Mass Communication
SCE School of the Coast & Environment
SVM School of Veterinary Medicine
SW Social Work
John W. Barton, Jr. (1971 BACH H&SS, 1976 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
David R. Cassidy (1972 BACH H&SS, 1975 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Richard Curry (1973 BACH H&SS, 1977 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
David R. Dugas (1978 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Murphy J. Foster, III (1979 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Gregory D. Frost (1977 BACH H&SS, 1981 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Jon Ann H. Giblin (1976 BACH HS&E, 1994 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Leo C. Hamilton (1973 BACH H&SS, 1977 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Mary Terrell Joseph (1970 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Christine Lipsey (1974 BACH H&SS, 1982 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Kathleen A. Manning (1974 BACH H&SS, 1977 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Eva B. Masinter (1979 HS&E, 1982 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Lewis T. May (1971 BACH A&D) is the new chairman of the board of the REACH project in Texas. REACH is a college student volunteersupported non-profit organization focusing on providing families with the resources and education needed to attain financial self-sufficiency and overcoming multi-generational poverty. May is an associate principal and senior urban planner with Page in Houston.
Claude F. Reynaud, Jr. (1971 BACH BUS, 1974 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Michael H. Rubin (1972 BACH H&SS, 1975 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Harold K. Watson (1971 BACH H&SS, 1974 JD) with Chaffe McCall was recognized in the 2024 Edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, in the category USA Nationwide: Transportation: Shipping/Maritime Litigation, Band 3, for exceptional achievement in that field.
1980s
Richard Arsenault (1980 JD) received the “Making the World a Better Place Award” at the Lanier Trial Academy. He was also selected by the National Association of
Distinguished Counsel as a member of the Nation's Top One Percent and invited to speak at the Louisiana Law Review Annual Symposium on Class Actions, MDLs, and Complex Litigation.
Robert L. Atkinson (1980 BACH H&SS, 1983 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Robert "Bobby" Barousse (1982 BACH BUS) received the Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry Award from the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants. He serves as the CFO for Elmer Candy Corporation.
Jude C. Bursavich (1983 BACH H&SS, 1988 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Kenneth Champagne (1987 BACH BUS) is serving as treasurer of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. He is senior vice president of business services for Confie.
David M. Charlton (1980 BACH BUS, 1983 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Angie Christina (1986 BACH BUS), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Jeanne C. Comeaux (1980 BACH H&SS, 1994 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Katherine Conklin (1980 BACH MCOM), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Michael D. Ferachi (1986 BACH BUS, 1989 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
R. Marshall Grodner (1983 BACH H&SS, 1990 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Michael R. Hubbell (1980 BACH BUS, 1987 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
James A. “Jimmy” LeBlanc (1985 BACH MCOM, 1997 MAST BANK) was promoted to president/chief banking officer of JD Bank.
Lance J. Kinchen (1989 BACH BUS, 1992 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
1990s
John King (1981 BACH BUS, 1985 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Tracy Averett Morganti (1988 BACH H&SS, 1992 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Trenton J. Oubre (1987 BACH BUS, 1991 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Douglas K. Williams (1980 BACH H&SS, 1983 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Leah Nunn Engelhardt (1994 JD) with Chaffe McCall was recognized in the 2024 Edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, in the category Louisiana: Insurance Band 1, for exceptional achievement in that field.
Nicole Gould Frey (1996 BACH BUS, 2000 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Emily Black Grey (1997 BACH HS&E, 2000 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Marlon D. Henderson (1997 BACH SCI), immediate past president of the National Dental Association (NDA), was recently inducted as a Fellow into the USA Section of the International College of Dentists. He also received the NDA Past President’s Award at the 111th annual NDA Convention. Dr. Henderson is a general dentist at Henderson Dentistry, LLC in Shreveport.
Jean-Paul Perrault (1991 BACH BUS), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Charles F. Seeman III (1995 JD), an attorney with Jackson Lewis’ New Orleans office, was recognized by Chambers, an annual guide ranking leading law firms, for employee benefits and executive compensation practices. He was also named to the 2025 Best Lawyers in America list.
Melissa M. Shirley (1993 BACH H&SS, 1997 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
2000s
Kimberly Allen (2003 BACH A&D) with Studio BKA Architects of New Orleans won two Merit Awards for Interior Architecture and Residential Architecture at this year’s AIA Design Awards.
Amanda Austin (2009 PHD HS&E) was named 2025 Louisiana Principal of the Year in Iberville Parish. She serves as the director of the Math, Science, and Arts (MSA) Academy East in St. Gabriel.
Brad Barback (2008 BACH BUS, 2014 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.
Carrie Baker-Royer (2009 BACH HS&E), associate dean for medical education at Edward Via College of Osteopathic MedicineLouisiana, has been honored with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce Top 20 Under 40 Award.
Todd Barker (2007 BACH H&SS) has been named vice president at Argent Retirement Plan Advisors in New Orleans. Barker brings more than 16 years of experience in retirement plans and most recently served as principal and
director of new business at Retirement Strategies Group.
G. Wogan Bernard (2006 JD) with Chaffe McCall was recognized in the 2024 Edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in Real Estate, Band 3, and Banking and Finance, Band 3, for exceptional achievement in that field.
Monique Fondren Cain (2000 BACH BUS, 2005 MAST BUS, 2012 PHD HS&E), executive director and senior advisor, Office of the LSU Board of Supervisors,
accepted a two-year appointment for the Association of Governing Boards' Council of Board Professionals. The council comprises board professionals from across its membership who have shown exceptional understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing governing boards in
higher education, as well as chief executives and senior staff, and the evolving roles of board professionals. It is the first time an LSU board professional has been honored to sit on this prestigious council.
Jarrett Cohen, CEO and CIO of JECohen (2008 BACH BUS) has been appointed to the Schwab Advisor Services Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advocacy Board, which convenes firm leaders from across the country to cultivate diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Registered Investment Advisor industry.
Rachel Jeanfreau (2007 BACH H&SS), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Michael B. Lalor (2008 MAST H&SS) was recently promoted to the rank of major general. As commanding general of the U.S. Army Tankautomotive and Armaments Command, Maj. Gen. Lalor oversees a worldwide workforce of 15,000 people, a $30 billion annual budget, and the U.S. Army’s global ground equipment supply chain.
Eric B. Landry (2002 BACH BUS, 2006 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Christopher A. Mason (2001 BACH H&SS, 2004 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Jami Hollingsworth Redmond (2000 BACH H&SS) won Mrs Louisiana American in 2023 and went on to compete at Mrs. America in Las Vegas.
Kristi W. Richard (2004 BACH BUS, 2009 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
James Schneider (2007 BACH BUS, 2008 MAST BUS) serving a two-year term (2024-26) as a member at large on the board of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. He is president and managing partner of The Personnel Consulting Group and the immediate past president of the LCPA’s New Orleans Chapter.
Amanda S. Stout (2000 BACH H&SS, 2003 JD), an attorney with McGlinchey Stafford, is recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Jeffrey Thompson (2005 BACH EGR), an aviation civil designer, joined Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Indianapolis office. He will be responsible for airport design, project management, and overseeing aviation projects at various airports.
Natalie Ellender Whelton (2007 BACH H&SS) is a new shareholder with WMS Partners, a multi-family office with $6 billion in assets under management headquartered in Towson, Md. As a financial advisor and senior planner, Whelton assists clients on various topics, including estate planning, retirement planning, and wealth transfer strategies. She is Chair of the firm’s Tax Planning Committee and serves on the firm’s Community and Charitable Outreach Committee.
Laura Wiley (2004 PHD HS&E) is serving a two-year term (2024-26) as a member at large on the board of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. She is assistant department chair and undergraduate advisor, Distinguished Instructor for LSU, Department of Accounting, E.J. Ourso College of Business. Laura also serves as the Director of International Experience for the college.
2010s
Dani Borel (2011 BACH BUS, 2014 JD), a partner with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, is the 2024-25 Chair of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. As Chair, Borel is responsible for overseeing the network of some 32,000 young attorneys across the country.
Philip Giorlando (2015 BACH BUS, 2018 JD), an attorney with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, has been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Dr. Greta Goranova (2016 DVM) has joined CodaPet a network of veterinarians dedicated to providing compassionate end-of-life care for pets in the comfort of their homes.
2020s
Nicholas Dubuc (2020 BACH A&D) completed the requirements for his architecture license in Louisiana. As an architect at Kevin Harris Architect, LLC, his work focuses on residential additions/ renovations, residential new construction, and the preservation/adaptive reuse of historic buildings. He volunteers as a board member and education chair of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art.
Charles McKenzie (2024 BACH SCI) received Sigma Nu Fraternity’s Alpha Alumni Chapter Affiliate Award for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Richey Menard (2023 MAST HS&E), of Goldsboro. N.C. is assigned to the 333rd Fighter Squadron “Lancers” as an F-15E Formal Training Unit instructor. His squadron earned the prestigious 2022 Raytheon Trophy as the U.S. Air Force’s Top Fighter Squadron.
Alexcia R. Perilloux (2020 BACH H&SS, 2023 JD) has joined McGlinchey-Stafford’s Houston office as an associate to defend clients in financial services litigation.
Virginia Heard Jensen (1946 BACH HS&E, 1949 MAST HS&E) passed away Aug. 17. She was 99. Virginia and Bruce Henry Jensen met at LSU and married on the campus in 1947. The Jensens settled in Mansfield, La., where they raised their family. Virginia served in the DeSoto Parish School System for 26 years. She was active in the DeSoto Parish LSU Alumni Association and, in 2012, received the LSU Alumni Leadership Award/ Scholarship Endowment. The family appreciates a memorial gift to the LSU Alumni DeSoto Parish Chapter, specifically the Bruce and Virginia Jensen Scholarship Fund. Mail contributions to: LSU Alumni Association, 3838 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. Please note the following in the memo line: DeSoto Jensen Scholarship Fund.
Mary Olive Pierson (1966 BACH BUS, 1970 JD), one of the first female LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center graduates, died Sept. 9, 2024 in Baton Rouge. Pierson
In Memoriam
worked as a trial advocacy lawyer in Baton Rouge before serving on the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council and as chief administrative officer for Mayor-President Pat Screen. Pierson led the nearly 10-year legal fight against the incorporation of St. George recently. She was honored with the Curtis Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy Award by the Louisiana State Bar Association.
John Miller Tyler (1967 PHD SCI) and LSU Computer Science Professor Emeritus, died July 25 in Baton Rouge. He was 87. In 1970, Tyler began a 36-year career at LSU, where he was instrumental in bringing modern computing both to the campus and the state of Louisiana by serving as assistant director of the Computer Research Center, director of the Systems Network Computing Center, and assistant vice chancellor for computing. He planned and implemented several generations of mainframe computers and secured funding to install campus-wide ethernet at LSU. He also helped develop and support the largest public computer in Louisiana.
James Maurin, 1952 BACH BUS, Oct. 2, 2024, Donaldsonville, La.
Paul Stanislaus Melancon, 1958 BACH AG, July 29, 2024
Thomas Joseph Poole, 1956 BACH EGR, Aug. 12, 2024, Algiers, La.
Ruby Augusta Hooge Reviere, 1955 BACH HS&E, July 6, 2024, Friendswood, Tx.
Dr. William “Bill” Slaughter (1968 MAST BUS, 1973 PHD BUS) died Oct. 2 in Baton Rouge. He was inducted into the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business Hall of Distinction, recognizing his significant contributions to the university. He was a professor at Southeastern Louisiana University early in his career, returning to academia in 2009 as an adjunct professor within the E.J. Ourso College of Business MBA program. Slaughter received the LSU Chancellor’s Sesquicentennial Service Award, celebrating individuals who have gone beyond the scope of their job requirements to contribute time and talent to the university and the community at large. Slaughter founded SSA Consultants in 1970, using his strategic insights to help shape the success of hundreds of private and public sector organizations. He received a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Louisiana.
Louis West Stirling, 1952 BACH A&D, Aug. 16, 2024, St. Francisville, La.
Vincent Michael 'Mickey' Virga, 1956 BACH HL&SS, Aug. 28, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
Stephen Scott Godail, 1985 BACH A&D, Oct. 23, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
David Wayne Guelfo, 1987 BACH EGR, Sept. 20, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
Maurice “Mo” Harmon, 1988 BACH EGR, July 25, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
Robert Anthony “Bob” Karam, 1984 BACH BUS, Aug. 22, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
Sarah Nancy McKinney Kent, 1981 MAST HS&E, Aug. 15, 2024, Hammond, La.
Timothy P. Maher, 1981 MD, Sept. 18, 2024, Mandeville, La.
Christopher Robert Parker, 1981 BACH H&SS, Sept. 12, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
Michael Blaise Salario, 1987 BACH EGR, Aug. 3, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
1990s
Christopher Louis Hufft, 1995 BACH BUS, Aug. 14, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
2000s
Christopher Healy, 2002 PHD H&SS, Aug. 21, 2024, Lafayette, La.
2010s
Joseph Edward Gibson, 2012 BACH EGR, Oct. 3, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
Sarah Elizabeth Dwyer Rafaleowski, 2012 BACH EGR, Sept. 10, 2024, Baton Rouge, La.
Jeffery Jay Cavana
Former Head Coach
LSU Swimming Team Sept. 3, 2024
Baton Rouge, La.
Donald L. Thompson Jr. Professor Emeritus
LSU Dept. of Animal Science July 29, 2024
French Settlement, La.
Tigers in Print
Dana Statton Thompson (2012 MAST A&D) and Stephanie Beene
A Slow Approach to Visual Literacy in Higher Education
ALA Neal-Schuman
Within A Slow Approach to Visual Literacy in Higher Education: Lesson Plans for Critical Discernment, authors Thompson and Beene demonstrate how this approach supports standards for higher education and the framework for visual literacy in higher education. Library workers, educators, and instructors will discover dozens of flexible lesson plans for teaching visual literacy, scaffolded by competency levels: novice, intermediate, and advanced, as ways to integrate slow looking into the classroom. Thompson is a research and instruction librarian at Murray State University in Murray, Ky., and assistant dean of Libraries. She is an Institute for Research Design Librarianship scholar and served as a member of the ACRL Visual Literacy Task Force. She is active in the International Visual Literacy Association and the Art Libraries Society of North America.
Meghan Ashley (2010 BACH H&SS)
Blueprint to Behavior
Self-published by Amazon and Ingram Spark
Blueprint to Behavior: Adapting to Autism in Your Family by Understanding Behaviors is rich with practical answers to the question, "What is my Autistic child communicating to me through their behaviors?"
From worksheets to enriching examples, this book covers the spectrum of how Autism presents itself and the care it requires. Meghan Ashley serves as a fountain of parental knowledge blended with therapeutic expertise,
shining a light on rarely talked about Autistic family dynamics. Autistic people have different ways of thinking, expressing, and processing information from the world around them. They need a different way of parenting that matches their unique worldview. Ashley is a mom to two Autistic sons and is Autistic herself. She worked as a mental health therapist and created the company M. Perfect Consulting as a therapeutic safe haven for women of color and Autistic adults.
For more information, go to www.mperfectconsulting.com.
Nikki Villagomez (2000 BACH A&D)
Culture+Typography
Culture+Typography: Examples in Font Pairings, Nikki Villagomez’s second book, focuses on font pairings by studying historical signs, manhole covers, ghost signs, neon signs, and hand lettering taken throughout her travels to understand how combining different typefaces can either enhance the visual impact or, in some instances, detract from it.
Villagomez serves as chief marketing officer for BRC, a CPA and Advisory firm in Greensboro, N.C. She was a member of the LSU women’s tennis team.
Edward J. Walters, Jr. (1969 BACH BUS, 1975 JD)
Ipse Dixit: Ruminations on a Career at Law
Full Court Press Publishing
This is not just a book for lawyers; it answers questions about lawyers, such as: Why do lawyers do what they do? What’s it like to be a lawyer? What’s right about lawyers? What’s wrong with lawyers? What does it take to win, and why do they lose?
This collection allows the reader to look deeply inside the legal profession. The book is not only relevant to lawyers and judges. Still, it also applies to non-lawyers interested in what lawyers do, people who aspire to be lawyers, and people who have lawyers in their family and have to deal with them. Contained herein are many moving moments that may bring a tear to your eye, many humorous moments that may make you laugh, and pieces of advice designed for lawyers, but applicable to all of us.
Ed Walters has been trying cases in courtrooms across America since 1976. He is an adjunct professor at the LSU Law School, where he and Baton Rouge attorney Michael Patterson (1971 JD) have taught an “on your feet” skills course entitled “Advanced Trial and Evidence” for more than 25 years.
All proceeds from this book are donated to the LSU Law School’s “Classrooms to Courtrooms” project, creating new state-of-theart courtrooms at the school.
Tim Slack
LSU sociology professor
Rural and Small-Town America: Context, Composition, and Complexities
University of California Press
The book paints a social scientific portrait of rural America and confronts common misunderstandings about rural people and places. A central premise is that social change abounds despite romanticized notions of rural America as the way things used to be.
Slack co-authored the book with Shannon M. Monnat, professor of sociology and Lerner Chair in Public Health Promotion and Population Health at Syracuse University.
Especially as contemporary society increasingly focuses on urban life, Slack and Monnat stress
the importance of learning from rural communities. They examine how social, economic, and demographic changes have created challenges and opportunities for rural America that have nationwide implications Slack has been the recipient of the LSU Rainmaker Award, LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award, and LSU Distinguished Faculty Award, all university-wide honors.
M. David
Egan
and
Jean
Egan (1966 BACH H&SS)
U.S. Go Home: The U.S Military in France, 1945-1968
Schiffer Military Publishing
Co-author and spouse M. David Egan commanded an ordinance company in France in the early 1960s and went on to a career in architecture. Jean Egan is an independent scholar and editor. Together, they researched 50 international archives and conducted more than 400 interviews in compiling this monumental study of the American presence in France
during the opening decades of the Cold War.
Graphics by illustrator Charles Tilley greatly enhance U.S. Go Home, as do tables that address the significant events and humanitarian operations of the U.S. Army and Air Force and the prominent achievements of each Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower (December, 1950 – April 1952) through Gen. Andrew Goodpaster, (July 1969 to November, 1974).
By Chris Russo Blackwood
PROFILE
Card enthusiast creates LSU-Themed Game
Danza Huey’s love for card games releases a memory portal filled with family, friends, and food at his grandmother’s home, where every Sunday, the card table was the center of activity. Thus, when Huey had time to ponder during the pandemic, his mind wandered to his grandmother’s house and the games they played. He wondered what happened to Old Maid, remembering how much he loved that game. The thought lingered until Huey decided to act upon it.
He made a test copy of his first card game, Party Card Mashup, and introduced it to friends during Labor Day weekend in 2021.
“I lied and told them it was something I found online,” he says. “I wanted to get their honest reaction. Their enthusiastic feedback told me I might be on to something.”
Party Card Mashup is a new spin on the classic Old Maid. You deal the cards and play pairs. Play “Party Cards” to give away cards and pick players to take a sip (of any beverage). Be the first person out of cards and pick a player to sip. The last person holding the MASH card loses.
“It’s a sipping game, not a drinking game,” Huey qualifies.
His latest edition, Party Card Mashup LSU Tailgate Edition, debuts this fall. The 81-card deck, licensed by the university, is an homage to Huey’s days on campus, where he was an LSU Ambassador and on the LSU Homecoming Committee. He credits his experience at LSU for his entrepreneurial spirit.
“Not being afraid to give something a try is what I learned most at LSU. If you fail, take what you learned and try again.”
After graduation in 2008, Huey joined AmeriCorps VISTA in New York City and was the only one in his class of 220 from Louisiana. In 2015, he earned his master's degree
in business from Georgia Tech and remained in Atlanta. Huey works in the “brand protection” area for Amazon. He participated in the Target Forward Founders accelerator program to help entrepreneurs break into mass retail. Then, he put his creative background to work.
“Everything you see on the website and the packaging, that’s all me,” he explains. “I have done art my whole life. I leaned into digital outlets to be creative. I bought a MacBook and taught myself Illustrator and Photoshop. YouTube was my best friend. I built a website using Square Space. And I learned Canva, my best tool for design.”
Huey has been a speaker at SXSW in Austin and at Entrepreneur Week events in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, where he noticed LSU and Southern University-licensed products. That was the impetus for the LSU Tailgate Edition. His licensing application was approved on his birthday this year, May 10.
“The best birthday gift ever,” he says.
With his Kickstarter campaign in full force, Huey hopes to start shipping Party Card Mashup LSU Tailgate Edition in November. His other games, Party Card Mashup – The Game and Party Card Mashup – Parade, are available on his website, www. partycardmashup.com.
From the vantage point of his secondary schools, McKinley Middle Magnet and Baton Rouge High, Huey, a first-generation college graduate, felt like LSU was his “neighborhood college.”
“Even though I was just ‘going up the street’ to college, my mind was blown. I met people from all over the country. I felt like LSU was a door to the world. It totally changed my perspective.”
That home, in South Baton Rouge, was a short walk to the LSU campus, where, as Huey says, “a door to the world opened.”
Party Card Mashup
Danza Huey
BeautyFindr app is gateway to appointment network
AnnaBeth Guillory
A new app, BeautyFindr, and its ever-growing platform are breaking the mold, bringing a new approach to making beauty appointments to life. AnnaBeth Guillory launched the app in March. Guillory (2007 BACH AG) developed the app concept in 2016 when she co-founded Blush Co., a blow-dry and beauty brand. While establishing that brand, she asked the simple question: “What is a way to connect to a larger clientele?”
“It dawned on me at that time that there really wasn't a platform where people can make a request for beauty services and go out to a large network,” Guillory said.” Fast forward to 2018, I was going to take my maternity pictures and they called me saying the stylist was sick and canceled. So, then I thought, ‘now what?’”
In 2023, Guillory decided to take the chance and create the app with the help of another LSU graduate.
Recently, she won first place in the @curateforwomen pitch competition and was awarded $10,000 to invest in BeautyFindr.
“People say, ‘this is genius,’” Guillory said. “‘Why has this not existed before?’
“This is such a luxury just how fast it is. They put in a request, and quickly, people respond to them. They are able to make appointments last minute. So, it's convenient and easy to use - the actual application is so user-friendly.”
Both professionals and clients use the app. Clients can pick their desired service, and any professional with an opening for the time, whether within the week or the hour, can accept them.
“The main categories are hair, makeup, permanent makeup, lashes, spray tans, and skin,” Guillory said. “It is very broad; with a number of services, you can book both for men and women. For example, there's coloring, cuts, hair treatments, styling for blow out, up-dos, half ups, even wig fittings, and hair extensions.”
More than 1,400 people have used the app, with 429 services requested through 88 businesses/professionals on the platform, generating more than $8,000 in revenue (based on the starting price for a service and not including any upgrades once the client is on-site). She hopes to make the app available to Android devices by the end of the year.
Guillory said that when creating an app, you must be very specific about its functions.
“When you're going through the logic of creating an app, if not this, then that, and then really thinking through what's the endgame. How do I want the user to finish in the end? What does that look like along the way? You really must be clear as to how you want that to look.”
The BeautyFindr app is available for iOS on the app store.
Home screen image
1933 LSU Championship Track Team watch discovered by wristwatch collector
LSU has had thousands of student-athletes make an impact on fields and courts. Dennis F. “Pete” Burge (1934 BACH HS&E) was a three-sport star athlete who ran track and played football and basketball. He passed away in 1978, but his special keepsake is still around. Robert Stokes, a retired IT consultant and wristwatch collector, was scrolling on eBay recently and saw a 1933 LSU National Track Championship watch being sold for $52.
“The person who sold the watch got it at a Baton Rouge real estate sale,” Stokes said. “What’s interesting is that finding a watch like this is hard on any given day on eBay. There are seven million watches for sale, and to find something engraved is very rare.”
After he obtained the watch, Stokes spent time determining to whom the watch belonged. Once he did, he spent hundreds of hours learning about Pete Burge’s life.
“I looked at the ‘D.F. Burge’ on the back of the watch,” Stokes said. “It said LSU, and with just some quick searching, it didn’t take long to figure his name was Dennis Burge and that he was always known as Pete.”
Stokes found out a lot about Burge’s life story. Burge enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a football coach and high school principal before retiring.
“What was really interesting is when you find that he was the high school coach of two of the most famous football players ever, Felix ‘Doc’ Blanchard and Jim Taylor,” Stokes said. “And during World War II, he was a district football hero in the country.”
LSU athletic memorabilia collector Shane Wells now owns the watch, where it will stay until the Burge family wants it back.
“There are so many great LSU athletic heroes - from Shaquille O'Neal, Pete Maravich, and Joe Burrow - and it's just interesting,” Stokes said. “I read all about Pete Burge and all the things he did, not only as a great athlete at LSU, but as a great coach, and what he did in World War II in the Navy, even ending his career as a principal in Baton Rouge High School.”
You can learn more about Burge’s watch and other collected wristwatches on timecapsule-watch.com.
Pete Burge’s 1933 engraved watch
Three-sport letterman Pete Burge
Watch inscription
Llano releases first debut album
Raquel Sáenz Llano (2019 MAST H&SS) released her debut album as a singer-songwriter, THE LLORONA 3.14, a fictionalized autobiography based on the renowned Hispanic myth and legend of The Weeping Woman or La Llorona.
Hailing from Medellin and now based in Boston, Llano is a songwriter, writer, and vocal performer who has been shaped by a unique blend of influences, combining her classical training as a soprano with a deep affinity for diverse genres such as rock, Colombian folkloric music, electronic music, and film scores. With a background rooted in her experiences as a Colombian woman, her artistic ambition lies in harmoniously melding opera's storytelling and vocal techniques
with the emotive styles of other musical genres.
THE LLORONA 3.14 is not just a collection of songs but a personal journey for the artist. It serves as the centerpiece of a larger creative endeavor, sharing its name with a novel she's concurrently crafting. Llano’s intricate compositions encapsulate themes of self-discovery, love, fear, and transformation, inviting listeners to join her on this emotional voyage. Drawing inspiration from the LatinAmerican myth of the weeping woman, La Llorona, the narrative breathes hope into its fabric.
Her vocal delivery shifts between lyrical and popular techniques, sometimes intertwining with spoken word akin to poetic recitation. These vocal intricacies are further complemented by electronic
arrangements inspired by revered artists like Björk, Enya, Kate Bush, and Whitney Houston.
She defended her LSU thesis about La Llorona in 2019. Llano was honored with the Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship from the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston.
Raquel Saenz Llano
WEDDING BELLS
The LSU vs. the University of Southern California game in Las Vegas Labor Day weekend prompted LSU alumna Frankie Clesi and her fiancée, Tom Evans, to tie the knot in the city known for its Little White Wedding Chapel.
Frankie and Tom chose LSU colors for their wedding. Frankie donned a beautiful purple and gold dress, and Tom wore a Haspel LSU seersucker suit. Tom was a particularly cooperative groom to wear this particular suit because although he loves LSU football, the native Ohioan loves the Ohio State Buckeyes more.
Frankie and Tom married on Sat., Aug.31, and they attended the LSU/ USC game the following day. The couple will reside in New Orleans.
Bill Foy (1973 BACH BUS) of Shreveport donated his class ring to the LSU Alumni Association collection.
