Summer 2022, Volume 98, Number 2
HALL OF ALUMNA OF THE YEAR D-D BREAUX
DISTINCTION YOUNG ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR JORDAN DAVIS
From the
PRESIDENT
LSU ABCs As you know, since arriving at LSU, I have developed a fivesided set of priorities to guide our university’s progress. We call it the Pentagon of Protection, or simply, the LSU ABCs: Agriculture, Biotechnology, Coast, Defense, and Energy. The rationale for selecting these five areas of focus was straightforward – each represents a significant challenge for our state, and thus, also exceptional potential and opportunity for growth, economic development, and improvements in quality of life for our friends and neighbors. In the last issue, I detailed some of our agricultural efforts. This time, I’ll walk you through our biotechnology goals. Louisiana is an incredible state, but our healthcare outcomes demand new research-based solutions. We rank fifth in the nation for cancer mortality, and yet there is no National Cancer
Institute-designated healthcare facility here. No Louisianan should have to leave the state to get top-notch cancer treatment. So we set the goal of aligning every asset across the eight-campus LSU Family of institutions toward the goal of achieving NCI designation, with our Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and LCMC Health serving as lead. A successful approach will require every faculty member with expertise in the biomedical realm, ranging from scientists in our School of Veterinary Medicine to Pennington Biomedical Research to LSU Health Shreveport and everywhere in between, to enhance research productivity and increase collaborative work. We knew that getting started would require a tremendous amount of momentum. To kickstart this effort, we joined forces with both Our Lady of the Lake and LCMC Health in New Orleans to leverage our goals into reality, resulting in the university’s largest-ever philanthropic gift: $245 million. Funds from these healthcare titans will support several health-related initiatives. An initial $50 million will develop a world-class cancer research program focused on earning the coveted NCI designation. Forty million will support the development of an end-to-end healthcare experience within the LSU Student Health Center while also providing support for under- and uninsured students. The LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans’ Baton Rouge branch campus will receive $20 million to strengthen physician residency and fellowship programs. A combined total of $25 million will go toward the construction of the LSU Interdisciplinary Science Building, future home of LSU’s College of Science, which is responsible for the education of more than half of Louisiana’s future physicians. Collectively, $15 million will establish a healthcarefocused research fund, distributed at my discretion to support cancer research at any LSU campus. Another $10 million will be used to develop a scholarship fund for nursing and allied health workforce needs. And finally, $85 million will be deployed to build an integrated sports medicine program advancing student-athlete health and wellness for LSU Athletics. We are grateful to our partners for their vision and generosity, as these funds provide the muchneeded catalyst to help LSU’s biotechnology efforts take flight. While we are incredibly proud of this record-breaking gift and the intense collaboration and prioritization it represents, we are also intensely cognizant that the real work must now begin. I’m proud to tell you that it has – our teams are busy at work applying for grants, aligning research portfolios, and securing new faculty whose work will take us closer to the mark necessary for NCI designation. It is a lot of work and an incredible amount of coordination, but every single member of the LSU family understands that the benefits are lifechanging, especially for those Louisianans who are economically challenged. This is what research universities do — they gather resources and strategically deploy everything at their disposal toward solving grand challenges that impact their communities. Cancer is an enemy worth fighting against, and I pledge to keep you all informed as we press toward this muchneeded goal. Sincerely,
William F. Tate IV
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2022
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Publisher LSU Alumni Association Gordon Monk President & CEO
Contents
Editor Jackie Bartkiewicz Marketing Manager Ally Richardson Marketing Assistant Emily Millet
8 Features 14 The Alumni Boards Retired LSU gymnastics head coach D-D Breaux and country music artist Jordan Davis highlighted the roster of distinguished alumni named to the 2022 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction. Also honored were Cate Heroman, a veteran teacher, administrator, advocate, consultant, coach, author, and Knock Knock Children’s Museum volunteer; Gil Rew, a retired dentist, past alumni chapter president, past member and officer of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors, and scholarship donor; and Ivory Toldson, national director of education innovation and research for the NAACP, professor of counseling psychology at Howard University, and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Negro Education.
From the LSU President
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LSUAA President’s Message
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LSU Alumni Association News
22 Around Campus 40 Locker Room 48 Tiger Nation
Principal/Creative Director STUN Design & Interactive Chuck Sanchez Contributors Steven K. Alexander, Barry Cowan, Elsa Hahne, Brian Hudgins, Rachel Holland, Bud Johnson, Presley Tyler
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Photography Dylan Borel, Megan Chesal, Dr. Joseph King, Jr., LSU Athletics, Emily Millet, Eddy Perez/LSU Communications & University Relations, Amy Parrino, Ally Richardson, Katherine Seghers/ LSU Communications & University Relations, Harrison Williams, LSU Athletics Printing Baton Rouge Printing
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Braddock, Chair Dallas, Texas Kathryn “Kathy” Fives, Chair-Elect Baton Rouge, La. Bart B. Schmolke, Past Chair Alexandria, La.
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In Each Issue 1
Art Director/Graphic Designer STUN Design & Interactive Kimberly Mackey
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Jack A. Andonie, Director Emeritus Metairie, La. Leo C. Hamilton, Baton Rouge, La. J. Ofori Agboka, Carnation, Wash. Lauren Olinde Hughes, Houston, Texas Mark Kent Anderson, Jr., Monroe, La. R. Scott Jenkins, New Orleans, La. Michael B. Bethea, Madisonville, La. Matthew K. “Matt” Juneau, Baton Rouge, La. Karen Brack, San Diego, Calif. Michael Kantrow, Jr., New York, N.Y. Cassandra M. Chandler, Hillsboro, N.C. Brandon Landry , Baton Rouge, La. Corey Foster, Lake Charles, La. Jady H. Regard,, Lafayette, La. G. Archer Frierson, III, Shreveport, La. Rori P. Smith, Baton Rouge, La. Mario J. Garner, Spring, Texas James G. “Jimmy” Gosslee, Shreveport, La. Stanley L. “Stan” Williams, Fort Worth, Texas LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the LSU Alumni Association. Annual donations are $50, of which $6 is allocated for a subscription to LSU Alumni Magazine. The LSU Alumni Association is not liable for any loss that might be incurred by a purchaser responding to an advertisement in this magazine. Editorial and Advertising LSU Alumni Association 3838 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686 225-578-3838 • 888-RINGLSU www.lsualumni.org / jackie@lsualumni.org © 2022 by LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE, 3838 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686
On the Cover Hall of Distinction Alumna of the Year D-D Breaux and Young Alumnus of the Year Jordan Davis. Photo: Eddy Perez
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Letters to the editor are encouraged. LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE reserves the right to edit all materials accepted for publication. Publication of material does not indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint by the magazine, the Association, or LSU.
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President and CEO
MESSAGE
Outstanding Alumni Recognized and Celebrated Congratulations to the newest members of the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction – Alumna of the Year D-D Breaux, Young Alumnus of the Year Jordan Davis, Cate Heroman, Gil Rew, and Ivory Toldson. These outstanding Tigers have distinguished themselves through their professional and personal achievements and loyalty to their alma mater, and we are proud to have recognized and celebrated their successes at the Hall of Distinction gala in April. We know you join us in congratulating them and thanking them for their support. See page 14.
“You are extraordinary ambassadors.”
And, hats off to 2012 Alumnus of the Year Johnny Butler, professor of management at the University of Texas, who was named to the Texas 10, the annual list of professors considered by their former students as having made a lasting impact on their lives. These individuals, through their experiences and accomplishments, set an excellent example and pave the way for current students – the future of the Association and the University. It’s time to make plans to cheer for the Fighting Tigers on the road with our Traveling Tigers. We’ll take care of everything – tickets, transportation, hotel accommodations, game-day transportation, pregame events, and more! We kick off the season against Florida State at the Superdome on Sept. 4. Other trips take us to meet the Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Arkansas Razorbacks, and Texas Aggies. See inside back cover. As always, thank you for the major roles you have played in creating and growing the LSU Alumni Association. You are extraordinary ambassadors in our efforts to reach and engage graduates, former students, and friends to support our programs of excellence – alumni and chapter events, faculty awards, legislative advocacy, professional networking and scholarships for our outstanding students. We couldn’t do it without you. Enjoy your summer vacations and outings, and if your plans bring you to Baton Rouge, be sure to stop by the Alumni Center for a visit and/or plan a stay at The Cook Hotel. We look forward to seeing you during football season. Geaux Tigers!
Gordon Monk President/CEO LSU Alumni Association AlumniLSU lsualumniassociation
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LSU Alumni Association
NEWS
Chapter Events
LSU Dallas – More than 300 Texas Tigers gathered at Longhorn Icehouse for the 2022 crawfish boil, feasting on 1,300 pounds of crawfish and enjoying the exciting live auction. Among the auction items were trips to the Bahamas, Tuscany, Argentina, Broken Bow, and Napa; a Billy Joel NYC Weekend; and a Joe Burrow framed autographed jersey.
Chapter officers, from left, Justin Montreuil, Alexa Guilliot, Bailey Kidd, Dena Lowe, Todd Escalona, Karen King, Julie Politz, and Aaron Garcia.
Courtland and Tiffanie Chaisson of Wildcat Brothers Distillery.
Sponsors Vickie and Al Guilliot of Builders & Painters Associates and BANDYOKE provided the musical equipment for the event.
Leo proudly displays LSU colors.
Crawfish in Acadiana – “We had a very successful crawfish boil with The Thompsons – from left, Ashley, Ryan, Scott, and Brittany – dig in.
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perfect weather,” writes Alexa Guilliot of LSU Alumni Acadiana. Some 100 Tigers feasted on 500 pounds of crawfish, chicken fingers, and jambalaya at Fernwood Park in Lafayette, La.” Entertainment was provided by Charlie Argo and Kyle Wilson, and future Tigers enjoyed face painting by Peekaboo Faces and playing on the LSU Fun Jump. Event sponsors were Builders & Painters Associates, Schilling Distributors, and Thompson, Smith and Leach.
Moe Allain and Jacque Allain take time out for a photo before diggin’ in.
From left, Angel Ardoin, crawfish boil director, Adoneca Fortier, and Jennifer Lofton, membership director.
From left, Callie Barrilleaux; Jennifer Lofton; Wiley Graham, vice president; Brooke Graham, president; Steve Stewart; Angel Ardoin; Lisa Bunch, past president; Jennifer Lindsay; Adonica Fortier; and Laurie Scott, auction chair.
LSU Houston Tigers gathered at Little Woodrow’s on Shepherd for the 2022 crawfish boil.
Houston Boil – More than 300 alumni and friends gathered at Little Woodrow’s on Shepherd for LSU Houston Chapter’s crawfish boil. “We served 1,400 pounds of crawfish from Boil House, had jambalaya cooked on site from Jambalaya Girl for non-crawfish eaters, held silent and live auctions, and enjoyed live music by the Keeshea Pratt Band,” writes Lisa Bunch, past president.
From left, Hunter Latham, John Martin Anthony with sons, Noah and Harry, and Tyler Adams
LSU Midland Tigers.
Midland Crawfish Cookoff – Midland Tigers attended a crawfish cook off sponsored by Down South Seafood and the Tailgate, enjoying crawfish races, a crawfish-eating contest, music, and more.
Giving Back – The Triangle North Carolina Alumni Chapter donated $3,000 to the Alumni Fund. Pictured are, from left, Joe Carvalhido, vicepresident of advancement; Gordon Monk, president; Jason Doré, chapter secretary; Paul Heroy, chapter president, Tracy Jones, assistant vice president of advancement; and Amy Parrino, senior vice president.
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LSU Alumni Association News
Chapter Summit 2022
Photos: Emily Johnson, Ally Richardson, Amy Parrino, Harrison Williams
The chapter leaders party took place at WalkOn’s Sport Bistreaux Corporate Office. LSU President William F. Tate IV welcomes Chapter Summit participants to LSU.
Before heading to a gymnastics meet at the PMAC, participants toured the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator.
Cheering for the Tiger gymnasts in “The Landing,” a special section on the PMAC floor with a view of all the action.
Alumni chapter officers from across the country gathered at Lod Cook Alumni Center in February for the annual Chapter Summit. LSU President William F. Tate IV welcomed participants. Coach Kim Mulkey, women’s basketball coach, was guest speaker at the Friday luncheon, and D-D Breaux, retired gymnastics coach, spoke at the brunch on Saturday.
Tureaud Chapter members, from left, Lyndon Darensbourg, Jeremiah Sams, Katrina Dunn, and Phaedra Abbott.
The workshop included sessions with campus experts among them, Tommy Karam, senior instructor of marketing; Luz Randolph, associate vice provost for diversity; Blair Napolitano, assistant athletics director/compliance; and Brian Hommel, director of trademark and licensing. Also on the agenda was a group tour of the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator and a gymnastics meet at which LSU gymnasts took on and beat the Auburn Tigers. During the summit, the Houston, Atlanta, A.P. Tureaud, and Little Rock chapters made donations to their respective scholarship endowments. LSU Houston Chapter board member Rebecca Briscoe, left, poses with Karla Lemoine, who was Briscoe’s academic counselor in the College of Human Sciences & Education in the late nineties.
Coach Jay Clark joins Chapter Summit attendees for a snapshot at the gymnastic meet.
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Chapter members, from left, Kyle Wall, Dallas; Josie Taylor, Atlanta; Bobbie Hebermehl, Dallas, and Bowen McCulloch, Dallas.
From left, Tracy Jones, Association assistant vice president; Wiley and Brooke Graham, vice president and president, respectively, of the LSU Houston Alumni Chapter; Rebecca Briscoe, sponsorship chair; Gordon Monk, Association president; and Rachel Rhodes, chapters director.
From left, Tracy Jones, Association assistant vice president; Adrian King, Tureaud Chapter president; Gordon Monk, Association president; and Tureaud Chapter officers Katrina Dunn, past president; Lynden Darensbourg, treasurer; Phaedra Abbott, vice president/president elect; and Jeremiah Sams, secretary.
LSU Atlanta Chapter officers, from left, Stephanie Schmidt, secretary; Chase Curtis, Young Alumni chair; and Josie Taylor, president.
From left, Gordon Monk, Association president; Kelly Carmen, Little Rock Chapter chapter president; Rachel Rhodes, chapters director; and Tracy Jones, Association assistant vice president.
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LSU Alumni Association News
Snapshots
From left, front row, Amy Parrino, Sherry St. Aubin, Bart Schmolke, Dee Dee Schmolke, Cheryl Fasullo, Debbie Monk, Brittany Ernest, and Rachel Rhodes; back row, Joe Carvalhido, Rolland St. Aubin, Gordon Monk, Lee Butler, Peter Fasullo, Allen Bertin, Susan Bertin, Liz Butler, and Alex Grashoff.
Coulter McMahen and Brittany Ernest.
Great Futures Honorees Brittany Ernest, alumni fund coordinator at LSU Alumni Association, and Coulter McMahen, a member of the Young Alumni Council, were named 2022 Great Futures Honorees by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana. This honor is awarded to individuals based on their professional achievements, leadership, philanthropic endeavors, and desire to give back to the local community.
From left, Craig Rathjen, Joe Carvalhido, Andrew Brien, Katie Brien, Brittany Ernest, Gordon Monk, Donna Rathjen, Rachel Rhodes, Dee Dee Schmolke, Bart Schmolke, Bob Bradford, Debbie Monk, Susan Berlin, Allen Berlin, Amy Parrino, Garrett Longwell, and Harry Longwell, IV.
Shriners College Classic – LSU alums were among the fans cheering on the Tigers in Houston’s Minute Maid Park at the Shriners Children's College Classic. Six teams – LSU, Baylor University, University of Texas, University of Oklahoma, UCLA, and the University of Tennessee – took the field for the nine-game tournament. The Tigers fell 6-1 to the No. 1 Texas Longhorns. Photos: Amy Parrino
OOPS! Photos of the 2021 Annual Meeting that appeared in the Spring 2022 issue were taken by Johnny Gordon/JG Photography, not the photographer credited.
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Abigail Hoover, Brittany Auzenne, Jasmine Simpson, and Taylor Perrodin try on graduation gowns.
Graduating LSU cadets Shane McGrath, Davis Little, John Chandler, and Daniel Turnbull.
One-Stop Shopping – Spring 2022 degree candidates took care of graduation details – invitations, class rings, caps and gowns, and senior portraits – during Grad Fair. Future alums signed up for the Recent Grad Program, a joint venture with the Tiger Athletic Foundation, and received their first "LSU Alumni" gear along with all of the benefits of membership, including Young Professional Networking events and access to affordable athletic tickets.
Greeting soon-to-be-grads were, from left, Emily Millet, marketing assistant; Joe Carvalhido, vice president of advancement; and Brittany Ernest, alumni fund coordinator.
Photos: Amy Parrino
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LSU Alumni Association News
We’re Here for YOU!
Gordon Monk, Tracy Jones, Claire McVea, and Karla Lemoine.
Front, Jamie Lejeune, Courtney Bloch, Jaclyn Walker, and Dee Bullock; back, Trudi Schriber, Landon Jordan, and Cooper Knecht.
The LSU Alumni Association staff helps you stay connected with your alma mater – and your fellow graduates – through social and professional networking, print and social media, a worldwide chapter network, special events, volunteer opportunities, and more. We welcome your input and encourage you to share with us your suggestions for continued growth and success. LSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 225-578-3838
info@lsualumni.org
THE COOK HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER 225-383-2665
reservations@lsualumni.org
EXECUTIVE Gordon Monk, President & CEO Joe Carvalhido, Brittany Ernest, Amy Parrino, and Tracy Jones.
gordon@lsualumni.org
Tracy Jones, Assistant Vice President/ Operations & Advancement
tracyj@lsualumni.org
Claire McVea, Vice President/Human Resources
claire@lsualumni.org
Karla Lemoine, Assistant to the President
karla@lsualumni.org
BUSINESS Landon Jordan, Chief Financial Officer
landon@lsualumni.org
Trudi Schriber, Business Manager
trudi@lsualumni.org
Jamie Lejeune, Accounting Director
jamie@lsualumni.org
Jaclyn Walker, Accounts Receivable & Billing Coordinator
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jaclynw@lsualumni.org
Courtney Bloch, Accountant
courtney@lsualumni.org
Cooper Knecht, Receptionist
receptionist@lsualumni.org
Dee Bullock, Receptionist/Event Manager
receptionist@lsualumni.org
ADVANCEMENT Amy Parrino, Senior Vice President/ Advancement & Planned Giving
amy@lsualumni.org
John Gauthier, Manager/Shelton Gift Shop
john@lsualumni.org
Anita Henderson, Sales Associate Joe Carvalhido, Vice President/Advancement
joe@lsualumni.org
Brittany Ernest, Alumni Fund Coordinator
brittany@lsualumni.org
Tracy Jones, Assistant Vice President/ Operations & Advancement
tracyj@lsualumni.org
Frank Bernath, Facilities Manager
frank@lsualumni.org
Frances Snowden, Building Services Manager
frances@lsualumni.org
Shaun Franzen, Maintenance Engineer
shaun@lsualumni.org
Renan Maldonado, Maintenance Engineer
renan@lsualumni.org
Anita Henderson, John Gauthier, and Amy Parrino.
ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT & MARKETING Sally Stiel, Vice President/Alumni Engagement & Marketing Brandli Greer, Director of Events & Sports Trips Rachel Rhodes, Chapters Manager Ally Richardson, Marketing Manager Emily Millet, Marketing Assistant Jackie Bartkiewicz, Editor/LSU Alumni Magazine
sally@lsualumni.org brandli@lsualumni.org rachel@lsualumni.org ally@lsualumni.org emilym@lsualumni.org jackie@lsualumni.org
Renan Maldonado, Shaun Franzen, and Frances Snowden. Not pictured, Frank Bernath.
HUMAN RESOURCES Claire McVea, Vice President/Human Resources
claire@lsualumni.org
THE COOK HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER John Grubb, Vice President/ Hotel & Conference Operations Consuela Gowan, Director of Hotel Operations/ Assistant General Manager Tammy Brown, Director of Sales Leah Mellem, Conference Services Coordinator Kenneth Driggers, Office Manager
jwgrubb@lsualumni.org consuela@lsualumni.org tammy@lsualumni.org
Ally Richardson, Emily Millet, Brandli Greer, Sally Stiel, Jackie Bartkiewicz, and Rachel Rhodes.
leah@lsualumni.org kenneth@lsualumni.org
Shanea Robinson, Night Auditor Vicky Washington, Executive Housekeeper Cade Reinninger, Chief Engineer Caleb Ware, Maintenance Engineer Terry Smith, Maintenance Engineer Kirkland Hutson, Maintenance Engineer From left, Consuela Gowan, Johhn Grubb, Vicky Washington, Leah Mellem, Tammy Brown, and Cade Reinninger. Not pictured, Kirkland Hutson, Shanea Robinson, and Kenneth Driggers.
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HALL OF DISTINCTION D-D BREAUX, JORDAN DAVIS HIGHLIGHT INDUCTIONS
Honorees’ photos by Eddy Perez/LSU Communications & University Relations Celebration photos by Johnny Gordon/JG Photography
Retired LSU gymnastics head coach D-D Breaux and country music artist Jordan Davis highlighted the roster of distinguished alumni named to the 2022 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction. They were inducted on April 1 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center along with Cate Heroman, a veteran teacher, administrator, advocate, consultant, coach, author, and Knock Knock Children’s Museum volunteer; Gil Rew, a retired dentist, past alumni chapter president, past member and officer of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors, and scholarship donor; and Ivory Toldson, national director of education innovation and research for the NAACP, professor of counseling psychology at Howard University, and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Negro Education. Dan Borné, LSU’s “Voice of the Valley,” served as master of ceremonies for the awards ceremony and music was provided by pianists Doug Pacas and Javin Bowman.
LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors Chair David Braddock, left, and Association President & CEO Gordon Monk congratulate, from top, Alumna of the Year D-D Breaux, Young Alumnus of the Year Jordan Davis, Cate Heroman, Gil Rew, and Ivory Toldson’s sister, Johnita Scott, and mother, Nicholy Johnson, who accepted the award on his behalf.
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The LSU Alumni Association annually recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves and the University through their careers, their personal and civic accomplishments, their volunteer activities, and their loyalty to their alma mater.
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D-D BREAUX Alumna of the Year D-D Breaux
D
-D Breaux, retired head coach of LSU Gymnastics– and the longest tenured coach of any sport in SEC history – built the LSU program into a national powerhouse during her fortythree seasons. As the “Dean of Coaches,” she represented the University at the highest level in the gym and in the community, dedicating her life to LSU and the more than 200 gymnasts she coached over the years. During her tenure, Breaux maintained LSU’s reputation as one of the premier collegiate gymnastics programs in the country with more than 800 wins under her leadership. The Tigers placed among the Top-10 teams nationally thirty-one times, won fifteen individual national titles, forty-four SEC titles, 266 AllAmerican honors, ninety-one All-SEC honors, and Breaux was named SEC Coach of the Year on nine occasions. She is considered a pioneer of collegiate gymnastics and women’s sports. Since her first season in 1978, she advocated for her program and built it from the ground up. At the beginning of her career, the Lady Tigers trained in a corner of the Carl Maddox Field House. They now utilize the top gymnastics training facility in the world. Breaux earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education in 1976 and a master’s degree in physical education in 1978.
Member, LSU College of Coast and Environment Advisory Council • Member, Governor’s Council for Fitness and Sports • 2022 College of Health Science and Education Hall of Distinction Class • 9 SEC Coach of the Year Honors • 9 Regional Coach of the Year Honors • Member, USA Gymnastics Region 8 Hall of Fame • Member, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame • 8 NCAA Championship Finals Appearances (2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) • 35 Consecutive NCAA Regional Appearances • 30 NCAA Championships Appearances 15 Individual National Titles • 19 Regional Titles 1 Honda Award Recipient • 3 AAI Award Winners • NCAA Woman of the Year Finalist • 266 All-America Honors • 22 SEC Champions with 44 SEC Titles • 93 AllSEC Honors • 160 Scholastic All-Americans • 7 SEC Gymnasts of the Year • 6 SEC Championships I believe LSU is a “Treasure Chest” – a chest that holds the jewels of our future. LSU is the foundation upon which I have been able to build my career. LSU gymnastics is the source of great pride for me and for Louisiana. LSU has provided an opportunity to build a gymnastics program that allows young women to grow, learn, achieve, graduate, and have dreams come true. For me, LSU represents all those – past and present – who have walked its grounds. It holds the keys to our future. At LSU, with the support and enthusiasm of many, I have had my own dreams come true.
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JORDAN DAVIS Young Alumnus of the Year Jordan Davis
M
CA Nashville recording artist Jordan Davis has traveled coast to coast performing his hit songs, but his home state of Louisiana, and his alma mater remain close to his heart. Davis is a native of Shreveport and earned a degree in environmental science from LSU in 2011. His Gold-Certified debut studio album, Home State, is influenced by growing up in Louisiana and features songs and stories that started in Baton Rouge. The multi-Platinum-selling country star boasts numerous recognitions and awards, including four No. 1 hit singles, the most recent being his two-week No. 1 hit “Buy Dirt” featuring country superstar Luke Bryan. “Buy Dirt” was nominated for Music Event of the Year on the 55th Annual CMA Awards, the first of his career. Davis has performed “Buy Dirt” on NBC’S 3rd Hour TODAY, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryan. Davis has been named an “Artist to Watch” by Billboard, Rolling Stone, CMT, Pandora, Shazam, Amazon Music, Sounds Like Nashville, The Tennessean, SiriusXM, Whiskey Riff, and more. In 2019, Davis received a nomination for an Academy of Country Music (ACM) award in the New Male Artist of the Year category. In 2018, Davis released his debut album, Home State, which features his three consecutive No. 1 hits: Platinum-Certified “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot,” the Double Platinum-Certified “Singles You Up,” and the Platinum-Certified “Take It From Me.” He was named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2018 as well as Country Aircheck/Mediabase’s Most Heard New Artist of 2018. In 2019 he won Best New Country Artist at the iHeart Radio Music Awards and was a two-time nominee for ACM New Male Artist of the Year. Davis has since accumulated more than two billion streams worldwide. The hit maker released a six-song, self-titled EP featuring collaboration with pop super star Julia Michaels titled Cool Anymore and in 2021 released his new eight-song EP, Buy Dirt. Davis co-wrote every song on the EP except for “Blow Up Your TV,” inspired by John Prine, who he cites as one of the most important influences on his life and music. Davis has toured with the likes of Kane Brown, Rascal Flatts, Jake Owen, Kip Moore, Brett Young, and Old Dominion.
From my first trip to Baton Rouge for a LSU-Florida game, I knew that I was going to graduate from LSU. I have been super fortunate to travel to a lot of different universities and to this day none of them hold up to LSU. I’m obviously biased, but there is an energy on that campus that is tough to put into words. I truly feel that my time and experiences at LSU shaped the person I am today. I chased three different career paths while at LSU and with very switch there were professors and administrators there to guide me every step of the way, from day one to graduation. I am forever grateful for the person LSU helped me become, and I am so proud to say that I am an LSU Tiger.
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CATE HEROMAN Catherine Curtis “Cate” Heroman
C
ate Heroman – teacher, administrator, advocate, consultant, coach, author, and volunteer – has distinguished herself as a true LSU Tiger who pursues excellence, equality, and access to high-quality early childhood educational programs for Louisiana’s young children. During more than forty-five years as an educator, she has worked with children and families in schools, education districts, the Louisiana Department of Education, military programs, Head Start programs, public/private schools, and childcare centers. Heroman’s vast experience prepared her for her role as vice president of Teaching Strategies and for writing The Creative Curriculum for Preschool and Teaching Strategies GOLD, revolutionary in the field and used to this day. Her book Making and Tinkering with STEM: Solving Design Challenges with Young Children won the 2018 EXCEL award presented by Association Media and Publishing. A sought-after keynote speaker, Heroman provides STEM-based professional development workshops for educators both nationally and internationally. Currently, she is leading the Making Spaces Initiative for Knock Knock Children’s Museum of which she is a founder and former chair of the Board of Directors. As part of this national program, she inspires educators from diverse backgrounds and schools in a three-parish area to bring high-quality early STEM experiences to children and families in their communities. Heroman earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1974 and a master’s degree in education/reading in 1977.
LSU was an important time of transition in my life between high school and adulthood. On LSU’s beautiful campus, I grew as a person while gaining independence and important life skills. There were so many choices open to me as an LSU student – I could take part in the SGA, a sorority, volunteer for a local nonprofit, and even cheer for the Tigers as an LSU Pom Pom girl! I had so many opportunities to learn and practice leadership skills. In the College of Education, I became grounded in my fundamental beliefs about how young children learn best. Most important, though, were the relationships I built with other students and faculty through campus organizations, activities, and classes. And now, close to fifty years since graduation, I continue to network with friends and colleagues from my college days. Forever LSU!
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GIL REW Gil Rew, D.D.S.
G
il Rew has been engaged in the practice of general dentistry for forty-three years and has earned awards for the active involvement and leadership roles in numerous professional and civic organizations at local, parish, and state levels. High on that list and close to his heart is LSU. Rew’s enthusiasm for and devotion to LSU is easily demonstrated. He helped organize the DeSoto Parish Chapter of the LSU Alumni Association and served as president for fifteen years. Under his leadership, the chapter raised more than $420 thousand dollars to support local and endowed scholarships and awards, including three Top 100 Scholarships, the Dr. and Mrs. Gil Rew Chapter Scholarship, and the Dr. and Mrs. Gil Rew Dental Rural Scholars Track Initiative Scholarship at the LSU School of Dentistry. A longtime member of the Association’s Board of Directors, he served as board chairman as well as chair of the Nominations, Finance, Investments, and Executive committees, was a member of The Cook Hotel & Conference Center Board of Managers, and served as National Fund Chair for two years. He funded an Alumni Professorship, and he sponsors two exhibits in the Jack & Priscilla Andonie Museum and a room at The Cook Hotel. Rew earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1974 and graduated from the LSU School of Dentistry in 1978.
LSU has always been a big doorway of opportunity for educational, personal, and professional growth and development. These opportunities have blessed me with great relationships, a profession, and an opportunity to pay back that debt through the LSU Alumni Association.
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IVORY A. TOLDSON Ivory A. Toldson, Ph.D.
I
vory Toldson is the National Director of Education Innovation and Research for the NAACP, a professor of counseling psychology at Howard University, and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Negro Education. Toldson was appointed by President Barack Obama as the executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHIHBCUs) and charged with devising national strategies to sustain and expand federal support to HBCUs. He also served as senior research analyst for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and was contributing education editor at The Root, during which time he debunked some of the pervasive myths about African-Americans in his Show Me the Numbers column. He was named in the 2013 and 2014 The Root 100, an annual ranking of influential African-American leaders, and his research was featured in The Foundation Center’s report, Building a Beloved Community, highlighting his role in shaping sponsored programs for Black male achievement. Among his numerous awards are the Equity Champion Award from the New York City Department of Education; Outstanding Alumni Award from Penn State Black Alumni Association; Top 25 Forensic Psychology Professors, ForensicsColleges.com; and the Emerging Scholar designation from Diverse Magazine. Toldson earned a degree in psychology from LSU in 1995.
LSU was my home away from home for four years, providing me with unparalleled educational opportunities, nurturing mentorship relationships, leadership opportunities, and lifelong bonds. The foundation that I received from LSU made me a better person and gave me the competitive advantages I needed to earn master’s and doctoral degrees. As a summer scholar, I learned how to navigate the large university in an intimate learning community. Being the chairperson of the Black Culture Committee was my first experience running a meeting and managing a budget – skills that serve me well to this day. Working at the Junior Division as Dean Carolyn Collins’s assistant gave me a sense of pride and responsibility. Cross registering at Southern University gave me a meaningful snapshot into the HBCU experience, as I solidified my bond with LSU. In total, LSU was everything that I needed to become the person I was meant to be. I could not imagine my life without the place and people that make LSU the heartbeat of Louisiana and icon for the world.
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2022
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Around
CAMPUS
Corina Barbalata, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is working with University of Michigan and Michigan Technological University researchers to design motion-planning algorithms for underwater robots to gather data from these shipwrecks that will then be sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The nearly $99,000 project will focus on developing new technology and innovative methods to advance autonomous capabilities of marine robotic systems for search and survey of shipwreck sites. Samuel J. Bentley, vice president of the Office of Research & Economic Development, the Billy and Ann Harrison Chair in Sedimentary Geology, and a sedimentologist in the Department of Geology & Geophysics, and Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy, associate professor of research in chemistry education and assistant dean for diversity and inclusion in the College of Science, were elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in the newest class of AAAS Fellows. Aaron Bivins, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is researching pathogen detection in water at LSU and has joined forces with researchers to study wastewater on international flights. Bivins cofounded the COVID-19 Wastewaterbased Epidemiology Collaborative, a group that has 1,200 members around the globe. Laura Hensley Choate, acting associate dean for academic programs and services in the College of Human Sciences & Education, was named interim director of the School of Education. Choate, the Jo Ellen Levy Yates Endowed Professor, has been with the counselor education program since
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Noteworthy 1999 and is the coordinator of Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Ashley Collins was named executive assistant to the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School.
Craig Colten, professor emeritus of geography and anthropology, is among eleven geographers nationwide bestowed the highest honor by the American Association of Geographers (AAG). He received 2022 AAG Honors and received the Gilbert White Distinguished Public Service Honors for his many contributions as a government employee during his early career and as an academic. Colten has studied the historical geography of hazards for more than thirty-five years Melissa Crawford will serve as assistant director of data and communications in the Office of Strategic Initiatives in the Graduate School.
Hunter Gilbert, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received a grant from the Board of Regents and the Louisiana Space Consortium, which he and his students will use to construct a soft robot in his lab in Patrick F. Taylor Hall. The first six months of the project will focus on modeling, simulation, and design and the last six months will focus on experimental evaluation using a newly constructed testbed. Rui Han, assistant professor of mathematics, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant from the NSF Analysis Program for his research in Schrödinger operators on
lattices. The award provides nearly half a million dollars to fund research over five years, support the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program each summer for three years, and support PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Matt Hiatt, assistant professor in of oceanography and coastal sciences, received a five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award for his coastal hydrological research. The grant will fund research on variability in the time it takes for water to move through river deltas and how that movement indicates water quality and ecosystem health. Charles Lee, associate professor of comparative biomedical sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine, is exploring how auditory perceptual experiences are generated by neural circuits in the brain. Lee has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health for $1.8 million over five years to conduct the study, Bilateral Integration of the Auditory Scene. Kimberly J. Lewis was named executive vice president and chief administrative officer. She was most recently Louisiana secretary of revenue. She will work with senior leadership at all LSU campuses and serve as chief advisor to the president and the LSU Board of Supervisors on all fiscal and administrative matters. Guoqiang Li, the Major Morris S. & DeEtte A. Anderson Memorial LSU Alumni Professor and holder of the John W. Rhea, Jr. Professorship of Mechanical Engineering, was named associate vice provost of academic strategy in the Graduate School.
Kam-biu Liu, the George W. Barineau III Professor and chair of the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences, was named an American Association of Geographers 2022 Fellow, a national honor recognizing scholars who have made significant contributions to advancing geography. Julie Anderson Lively was named executive director of the Louisiana Sea Grant College (LSG). An associate professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources and LSG’s fisheries specialist, Lively began her career at LSU in 2010.
Michelle Livermore, Janet D. and Herman Moyse III Professor of Social Work, was named director of the School of Social Work.
Jared Llorens, dean of the E.J. Ourso College of Business and professor of public administration, was appointed by President Joe Biden to a member role within the Federal Salary Council, an advisory body of the executive branch that provides recommendations on pay differentials for federal employees. Wilfred Major, associate professor of classical studies, received the Society for Classical Studies 2021 Award for Excellence in Teaching of the Classics at the College and University Level. The organization represents and promotes the advancement of “the study of ancient Greek and Roman languages, literatures, and civilizations.” Shahab Mehraeen, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is a co-principal investigator with Farzad Ferdowsi of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Hamze Davarikia of McNeese State University on a project that focuses on developing a smart grid capable of operating itself during a hard freeze or natural disaster. Janna Oetting was named associate vice president of the Office of Research & Economic Development in the humanities, social sciences, and allied fields. She is a professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders and a member of the interdepartmental Life Course and Aging Center.
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Around Campus
Olalekan Michael Ogundele, assistant professor of anatomy and neuroscience in the School of Veterinary Medicine, received a $548,445 grant from the National Science Foundation to study neural circuits that govern novelty and context discrimination behavior. Fatima Rivas, assistant professor of chemistry, and her research team discovered a promising new treatment for an aggressive form of breast cancer with limited treatment options called triple-negative breast cancer, or TNBC. Compared to other types of breast cancer, TNBC has a shorter overall survival rate, and is more common in women of color and women under forty. Mingxuan Sun, associate professor of computer science, and researchers from the University of Iowa aim to find a solution to the growing challenge of discriminatory decisions that may be introduced in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems.
Noteworthy Alex Valiaev, a technology commercialization professional, was named director of the Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization. He has international experience from working in different industries and organizations across three continents and five countries. Graca Vicente, Boyd Professor of chemistry and the Charles H. Barré Distinguished Professor of chemistry, was named winner of the 2022 SEC Faculty Achievement Award for LSU, which recognizes extraordinary teaching and research. Winners receive a $5,000 honorarium and become their campus nominee for the SEC Professor of the Year Award. Chen Wang, assistant professor of computer science, is working with third-year PhD student Long Huang on a gripping-hand verification method that ensures a smartphone is being held by the owner before displaying potentially sensitive content in the form of an incoming call, email, reminder, or app notification.
Fahui Wang, the Cyril & Tutta Vetter Alumni Professor and former chair of the Department of Geography & Anthropology, was named associate dean of the Graduate School. Kristen Williams was named director of public assistantships research in the Office of Strategic Initiatives in the Graduate School.
Tyrslai Williams-Carter was named assistant dean of mentorship, education, and research in the Office of Strategic Initiatives in the Graduate School. The family of Durwood Joseph Newton created an LSU AgCenter professorship in sugarcane variety development in his name to honor their father and grandfather. The Newton professorship recognizes the grit and dedication to family, community, farming, and education that the family’s five generations of farmers have experienced first hand. Thirty-eight students in the E.J. Ourso College of Business completed the third cohort of the Venture Capital Apprentice Program (VCAP), a project formed in collaboration with NexusLA, Innovation Catalyst, and the Red Stick Angel Network. Also participating in this cohort were business consultants from LSU Innovation Park. LSU was honored by the Arbor Day Foundation with 2021 Tree Campus Higher Education recognition for its commitment to effective urban forest management. The University has received the Tree Campus USA designation ten years in a row. LSU was selected as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing Amazon’s hourly employees who live in Louisiana access to online and oncampus bachelor’s degrees and short-form college credit certificates, or MicroCreds.
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TIGER TRIVIA
The E.J. Ourso College of Business, in partnership with b1BANK, will expand opportunities for LSU business students and military veterans. The relationship will bolster support for students in commercial banking by establishing an endowed scholarship and increasing resources for the college’s commercial banking initiative. The fourteen member universities in the Southeastern Conference maintained their status as doctoral universities with the highest level of research activity, as designated by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. This top designation recognizes the nation’s most elite research universities. According to Carnegie Commission data, fewer than four percent all U.S. educational institutions are included in the classification, and the SEC is one of only four NCAA conferences with all its members in the top category. The College of Engineering improved in rankings with the release of the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Engineering Graduate Schools list. The graduate program was ranked T-109 overall and T-72 among public institutions, tying Kansas State University, the University of Miami, and Mississippi State University. Last year, the graduate program was ranked T-113 overall. LSU was designated as one of sixteen new Centers of Excellence for Wastewater Epidemiology by Ceres Nanosciences, which makes products to improve life science research and diagnostic testing. The centers are supported by an $8.2 million award from the National Institutes of Health Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics( RADx) Initiative.
1. In which sport did the Tigers win a national championship in 1932? Tennis Track and field Football Fencing 2. What did Thomas Boyd do after he graduated from LSU in 1872? He was a professor of He was commandant of cadets mathematics at LSU at LSU A and B None of the above 3. When did the Endow an Oak program begin? 1993 1860 1896 1958 4. What was the department that became LSU Online & Continuing Education called when correspondence courses and courses of study outside of the normal classroom were established in the 1920s? LSU on the World Wide Web LSU at Home The Law Enforcement The General Extension Division Training Program 5. Who was the first person to become the LSU system president after serving as chancellor of the Baton Rouge campus? William Jenkins William Tecumseh Sherman William Davis Cecil Taylor 6. Which law professor helped establish the Family Court of East Baton Rouge Parish? Paul Hebert Harriet Spiller Daggett Wex Malone Benjamin Taylor 7. When did the observatory on top of Nicholson Hall open? 1926 1936 1939 2005 8. For whom was the observatory named when it opened? David Vance Guthrie W. L. Kennon James Nicholson Arlo Landolt 9. What is the observatory’s present name? James Nicholson Observatory Charles Coates Observatory Thomas Atkinson Observatory Arlo Landolt Observatory 10.Which former US vice president earned his master’s degree at LSU in 1940? Hubert Humphrey Dan Quayle Joe Biden Richard Nixon 11. Aside from being LSU’s band director, what other band did Castro Carazo lead? The Louisiana Kings The Mamou Playboys The Louisiana National The Royal Canadians Guard Band 12.What was REGGIE A robot that picked up litter around campus One of the names considered for Mike the Tiger
An automated telephone registration system None of the above
Tiger Trivia is compiled by Barry Cowan, assistant archivist, Hill Memorial Library. Answers: 1::b; 2:c; 3:a; 4d; 5:a; 6:b; 7:c; 8:a; 9d; 10:a; 11:c; 12:b
The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at the Manship School of Mass Communication is spearheading an oral history initiative to preserve the legacies of Louisiana’s female political leaders in partnership with universities across the state. Lead partners are Waggonner Center at Louisiana Tech University, the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and the Department of History at Xavier University of Louisiana.
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Around Campus
In Focus
From left, Patti Exner, President Lorry Trotter, Phil Chenevert, Martha Cedotal, and Daryl Dietrich. Photo: Bill Cochran
LSU Retirees – Phil Chenevert, retired OLLI recorder of audiobooks for Librivox, spoke about "The Strange Origins of Our Many Superstitions" at the February meeting of the LSU Faculty and Staff Retirees Club. Do you avoid walking under ladders? Would you ever take the thirteenth of anything? Chenevert discussed the origination of those superstitions and others such as broken mirrors, the four leaf clover, rabbit foot, knocking on wood, and the belief of unseen forces. To learn more about OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute), visit lsu.edu/continuing-education/olli-lsu/.
Distinguished Research Masters Named Wesley Shrum and Peter Clift were named Distinguished Research Masters by the Office of Research & Economic Development.
Wesley Shrum
Peter Clift
Elizabeth Cruzado
Jin Gyun Lee
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Shrum, professor of sociology, was recognized for his scholarship in the arts, humanities, social, and behavioral sciences, and Clift, the Charles T. McCord Endowed Professor of geology and geophysics, was recognized for his research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In addition, the LSU Alumni Association and the Graduate School presented Distinguished Dissertation Awards presented to two doctoral students whose research and writing demonstrate superior scholarship. Elizabeth Cruzado, who received her doctorate in geography and anthropology, earned the award in arts, humanities, and social sciences. Jin Gyun Lee, who holds a doctorate in chemical engineering, earned the award in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
U S E YOU R LO U D E ST ROAR
Join Tiger Advocates Get involved now to protect LSU and higher education in Louisiana. We want LSU TIGER NATION – alumni, friends, fans, future alumni, faculty, and staff – to be well informed on legislation that might impact YOUR University.
WHY SHOULD YOU BECOME A TIGER ADVOCATE: Help support the future of our state’s most gifted future alumni.
Tiger Band Recognized – The College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) recognized the LSU Tiger Marching Band for its November 2021 show “Land of the Free Because of the Brave” and invited Kelvin Jones, Tiger Band director and assistant director of bands in the LSU School of Music, to present at the 2022 CBDNA Southern Regional Conference in Columbia, S.C. “Land of the Free Because of the Brave” comprised such recognizable works as “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” James Brown’s “Livin’ in America” and a medley of Armed Forces service tunes.
Keep vital research going to address our state’s most pressing problems. Support University parish extension offices throughout the state that spread the wealth of LSU research. Help LSU continue to produce alumni community leaders across the state.
WHAT DOES BECOMING A TIGER ADVOCATE MEAN? You will receive email notifications at critical times when your voice needs to be heard in the Louisiana Legislature. With just a click or call, your legislators will know LSU TIGER NATION is closely monitoring legislative decisions that impact LSU. Your legislators represent YOU. Show them you are for LSU.
Signing up is easy & free and taking part requires a minimal investment of your time. Show your Love for LSU by signing up at lsualumni.org/tiger-advocates
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Around Campus
In Focus
Hip Hop Champs – The LSU Tiger Girls took home the Hip Hop national title during the 2022 UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships in Orlando, Fla. It was the third national title won by the LSU dance team in program history. The team competed in the Division IA Hip Hop and Jazz divisions, competing against twenty-seven other schools in the Jazz division and finishing in eighth place. The LSU Cheerleaders competed against fifteen other schools in the Cheer Division 1A, advancing to the finals and finishing sixth overall.
Science Hall of Distinction
O. Carruth McGehee
John W. Fleeger
The College of Science recognized five individuals who have distinguished themselves in their endless Mark S. Hafner Kenneth R. Hogstrom Alice Baker Holoubek pursuit of excellence and fervent dedication to scientific leadership. Named to the 2022 Hall of Distinction were O. Carruth McGehee, professor emeritus of mathematics; John W. Fleeger, professor emeritus of biological sciences; Mark S. Hafner, former director of the LSU Museum of Natural Science and professor emeritus of biological sciences; Kenneth R. Hogstrom, former director of the LSU/Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Medical Physics Program and professor emeritus of physics and astronomy; and the late Dr. Alice Baker Holoubek, a pioneering woman physician, medical educator, civic leader, and humanitarian.
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Coreil Named to Ag Hall of Distinction LSU Alexandria Chancellor Paul Coreil was one of three Louisiana agriculture icons inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction in March. Also recognized were Don Molino, Louisiana Radio Network farm broadcaster, and Jim Monroe, former assistant to the president at Louisiana Farm Bureau. Coreil started his career as a Sea Grant agent in Cameron and Calcasieu parishes in 1978. In 1998, he moved to private industry, serving as wetlands
administrator for Burlington Resources. He returned to the LSU AgCenter as the assistant director of environmental programs and was named extension director in 2001. He retired as extension director in 2013, became the interim chancellor of LSU of Alexandria and then retired. He emerged from retirement in 2019 to begin a second stint as chancellor of LSUA and has made increasing enrollment and student retention, developing new degree programs, and modernizing the campus his top priorities.
LSU Alexandria Chancellor Paul Coreil.
Jim Michie.
Herb Vincent.
Manship Hall of Fame – The Manship School of Mass Communication honored the accomplishments of four distinguished mass communication professionals at the Manship School Hall of Fame gala in March. Joining the current 130 members of the Manship School Hall of Fame were the late Donna Britt, retired WAFB-TV broadcaster, journalist, and anchor; the late George Lockwood, former Manship School faculty member and a longtime editor at The Milwaukee Journal; Jim Michie, former director of news media services for U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Herb Vincent, associate commissioner for communications for the Southeastern Conference and former senior associate athletics director at LSU. Photos: Dylan Borel
Mark Ballard, accepting for his wife, the late Donna Britt.
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Around Campus
CHSE Hall of Distinction
From left, College of Humans Sciences & Education Dean Roland Mitchell, Jackie Ducote, Carolyn Hargrave, Doris Collins, Laura Lindsay, D-D Breaux, and Russell Mosely.
Six outstanding alumni were inducted into the College of Human Sciences & Education Hall of Distinction in February. Retired LSU Gymnastics Coach D-D Breaux received the Alumna of Distinction Award, presented to individuals who distinguished themselves and the University through their careers, personal and civic accomplishments and volunteer activities, and embody our college’s vision to geaux change lives. The Changemakers Award is the ultimate honor and exemplar of what CHSE strives to be – not sideliners but changemakers. Recognized this year were members of the Huey P. Long Field House Leadership Team – Carolyn Collins, associate vice chancellor and dean emeritus; Jackie Ducote, community leader and Manship School Hall of Fame honoree; Carolyn Hargrave, former provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs; Laura Lindsay, former dean of the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education; and Russell Mosely, founder and developer of Long Farm Village and owner of Mosely Law Firm.
Dutton Scholarships Awarded LSU Campus Life awarded twelve female students Tom W. Dutton scholarships recognizing their participation and leadership in campus and community service activities. They are Kayla Hall, junior/studio art, Baton Rouge; Summer Didier, junior/kinesiology and Ella Otken, sophomore/biological sciences, Denham Springs, La.; Juliette LeRay, sophomore/mass communication, Hammond, La.; Sanaa Alam, senior/ biological sciences, Lafayette, La.;
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Harlee Rowe, senior/sociology, Prairieville, La.; Emily Seighman, junior/ biochemistry, Walker, La.; Kennedy Simon, senior/psychology and sociology, Beaumont, Texas; Fatimat Badmus, graduate student/ chemistry, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria; and Subbah Mir, graduate student/ English, Gujrat, Pakistan. The late Tom W. Dutton’s bequest established the award in 1969. Dutton served as a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors from 1940-1967. He also served as vice chair and the chair from 1940-1944 from 1950-1952 respectively.
Martins Create Scholarship, Research Award Roy O. Martin, III (1982 BACH BUS, 1985 MBA) and Kathy Kilpatrick Martin (1983 BACH HS&E, 1985 MBA) expanded their support for the E.J. Ourso College of Business with a $650,000 commitment to graduate scholarships and faculty research. The Kathy and Roy O. Martin III Graduate Scholarship will encourage graduates from LSU Alexandria, the Martins’ hometown, to pursue graduate degrees at LSU.
Roy and Kathy Martin.
The Martins also established the Kathy and Roy O. Martin III Faculty Research Award. This fund will be available to Ourso College faculty and professionals-inresidence whose research explores topics such as renewable energy initiatives, improved health outcomes for the state, coastal restoration and sustainability, agricultural advancement and sustainability, data science, or artificial intelligence.
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Around Campus
Photos: LSU Communications & University Relations
Six Professors Recognized as ‘Rainmakers’ Six faculty members who are leaders in their respective fields were selected by the Office of Research & Economic Development to receive the Rainmaker Award. Rainmakers are faculty members who balance their teaching and research responsibilities while extending the impact of their work to the world beyond academia. EMERGING SCHOLAR - ARTS, HUMANITIES, SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE Nichole Bauer, associate professor of political communication, investigates the persistence of women’s underrepresentation at nearly every level of political office in the U.S. EMERGING SCHOLAR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICS David Vinyard, assistant professor of biological sciences, investigates the chemical mechanisms used by plants and some microbes to convert solar energy to chemical energy through photosynthesis. MID-CAREER SCHOLAR - ARTS, HUMANITIES, SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE Julia Buckner, professor of psychology and director of the Anxiety and Addictive
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Behaviors Laboratory & Clinic, is a licensed clinical psychologist who supervises clinical services conducted by trainees. MID-CAREER SCHOLAR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICS Thomas Corbitt, associate professor of physics and astronomy, conducts research aimed at understanding how quantum effects limit the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors as well as developing metrology techniques to improve on this limit. ARTS, HUMANITIES, SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, the Cecil “Pete” Taylor Endowed Professor of Literacy, Leadership and Urban Education, directs the LSU Writing Project, coordinates the doctoral program in educational leadership, and has developed a pathway to literacy leadership. SENIOR SCHOLAR - SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHEMATICS Robert R. Twilley, professor of oceanography and coastal sciences, and former executive director of the Louisiana Sea Grant Program, has researched some of the largest ecosystem restoration efforts in the world.
LSU Military Museum Grand Opening
Goldwater Scholar – LSU
LSU paid tribute to its military heritage with the opening of the William A. Brookshire LSU Military Museum in Memorial Tower on April 7. Taking part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony were, front row from left, Rob Stuart, president, LSU Foundation; Christin Meeker, architect, Fusion Architects; John Garrison and Lori Garrison, son-in-law and daughter of William A. Brookshire; LSU President William F. Tate IV; Gov.
John Bel Edwards; Rémy Starnes, chair, LSU Board of Supervisors; Jay Dardenne, Louisiana commissioner of administration, and Mary Werner, past chair, LSU Board of Supervisors. Back, Henson Moore, president, Cadets of the Ole War Skule; Jake Netterville, immediate past president, Cadets of the Ole War Skule; Cody Bates, national vice commander, American Legion; and Matt Borman, president and CEO, Tiger Athletic Foundation.
junior Cale Locicer, of Metairie, La., an Ogden Honors College student studying chemistry in the College of Science, was named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar, the thirty-ninth in LSU’s history. He was selected from a pool of 1,242 students nominated by 433 institutions. Locicero’s goal is to pursue a doctorate in organic chemistry and conduct research in organic reaction development for applications in the biomedical sciences and drug discovery.
Photo: Eddy Perez, LSU Communications & University Relations
Book Tour Kick Off – Sewing
Jake Smith, an instructor in the Rucks Department of management, left, with Sewing Down South business partners Jerry Casselano, center, and Craig Conover. Photo: Katherine Seghers/LSU Communications & University Relations
Down South's Craig Conover successfully leveraged his role on Bravo's “Southern Charm” to turn his passion for sewing and home décor into a thriving business. His book, Pillow Talk: What's Wrong with My Sewing, was released in the spring, and the first stop on the book tour was LSU’s Business Education Complex to share lessons on entrepreneurship with students in the Flores MBA Program. “I want these students, and everyone else that reads my book, to know that they have the full potential to make their dreams a reality at any age," Conover said.
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Around Campus
LSU Now Home to the Wyatt Houston Day Collection
Original manuscript of the music cues for Langston Hughes’s poem “Ask Your Mama.”
“The acquisition represents a commitment and an opportunity for an evolving, diverse, and inclusive LSU.”
The Wyatt Houston Day Collection of Poetry by African Americans, the most important private collection of Black poetry, now belongs to LSU. The LSU Libraries Special Collections will house the more than 800 items previously owned by book collector and dealer Wyatt Houston Day. This collection includes works from the eighteenth century, the Harlem Renaissance, and through to the twenty-first century. “This collection allows for a dynamic understanding of canonical African American poets and offers numerous avenues for new research and appreciation of the poetic voice of African Americans throughout American history,” said John Miles, curator of books at LSU Libraries Special Collections. “The acquisition of these books makes LSU an important research site for anyone interested in American literature and African American culture, as well as affording students the chance to materially confront this genre’s grand sweep, political importance, and remarkable intellectual contribution to the nation and the world.” Among the main works in this collection are a first edition of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s rare second book
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from 1895 Majors and Minors once owned by the Frederick Douglass family and inscribed to his niece; a collection of books by Pulitzer Prizewinner Gwendolyn Brooks, as well as a broadside published following the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.; and the original typed manuscript of the music cues for Langston Hughes’s twelve-part poem “Ask Your Mama,” inscribed by Hughes to poet Amiri Baraka, also known as LeRoi Jones. Appraised by antiquarian Henry Wessells of the James Cummins Bookseller in New York, the Day Collection is valued at $612,940.00. But because of Day’s desire to have the works live at an educational institution, part of the collection was gifted in order to be used and appreciated in perpetuity. The acquisition represents a commitment and an opportunity for an evolving, diverse, and inclusive LSU. “The Wyatt Houston Day Collection complements existing literary holdings at LSU, but it also means an enormous boost to the representation of works by writers who have been historically marginalized. The acquisition of this collection is a significant contribution to LSU's efforts as they relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Stanley Wilder, LSU Libraries dean.
Taking the Lead in Cyber Security, Military Studies LSU‘s eight campuses joined forces with private industry, federal, and state law enforcement, military, and other partners to accelerate cybersecurity and defense studies at LSU, strengthen and grow its ROTC program, develop a new generation of talent and technology, build a Cyber-Military Corridor on campus, and position LSU as a leading cyber and defense institution for the state and nation. “This is our ‘Sputnik moment,’ and we must be bold and visionary in securing the safety of our nation,” said LSU President William F. Tate IV. “Just as Sputnik underscored the importance of technology and research, the world today underscores we urgently need the very best to protect everything from small businesses to our ports and manufacturers. With these initiatives, LSU is expediting the expansion of LSU Board of Supervisors Chair Rémy Voisin Starns, Cadets of the Ole War Skule Past President Richard Lipsey, Governor John Bel Edwards, and LSU President cybersecurity research and talent development for William F. Tate IV cut the ribbon at the newly designated cyber-military corridor. all, and we’ll do it in exciting ways for our students Photo: Katherine Seghers/LSU University Relations & Communications and faculty.” This past year, LSU was the only university in the country invited by the National Security Agency to apply for its prestigious Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations, a technical, interdisciplinary, higher education program firmly grounded in computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering disciplines with hands-on applications via labs and exercises. Only twenty-two institutions nationwide hold the distinction and LSU anticipates being the next university so designated. LSU and key partners have combined resources to recruit and hire leading “ . . . we must be cyber experts, with scholarships and professorships to support the new hires. bold and visionary Guiding these new initiatives are two structures focused on growing LSU’s expertise in cybersecurity, coordinating space and assets, and collaborating to in securing the explore the intersection between cybersecurity and military studies. safety of our The Alignment for the Pursuit of Excellence in Cyber Security (APECS) will serve as the new initiative for investment in cybersecurity. APECS reimagines nation.” how existing and new expertise, space, programs, and partners across all eight LSU campuses can be oriented for cyber talent and technology development, to prepare technically sound cyber warriors to proactively defend Louisiana’s most critical assets. The Institute for Advanced Military and Defense Studies will serve as the programmatic intersection of cyber and ROTC, enabling a leadership development opportunity like no other in the nation and reestablishing LSU as a national leader in military, defense, and security studies. To support academic, ROTC, and engagement initiatives, LSU designated a new cyber-military corridor on its Baton Rouge campus, with the previously named Louisiana Emerging Technology Center as the cornerstone. The adjoining LSU’s Center for Computation & Technology allows for future development and collaboration on one of the most highly visible corners of campus, and enables engagement between LSU’s cyber experts, military and ROTC programs, and the agriculture corridor to seed future collaborations and partnerships.
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Around Campus
By Steve K. Alexander
Oak tree at Williams Hall. Photo: Eddy Perez/LSU Communications & University Relations
“ . . . put your hands on a living thing, some almost a century old.”
Protecting LSU’s Live Oaks Sightings of majestic live oaks are commonplace for those who travel Highland Road or any of the other roadways through campus. These trees are a campus treasure worth an estimated $50 million, and their presence is largely due to one man – Steele Burden, LSU’s landscaper from 1932-1970. During his tenure, he planted many of the roughly 1,200 live oaks on campus today. Time has demonstrated he chose well. To touch one of his trees today is to put your hands on a living thing, some almost a century old. These trees shaded their surroundings long before us, and will continue to do so long after we’re gone. In addition to their beauty and longevity, live oaks benefit campus in other ways. Their dense canopies of leaves provide cool shade, release oxygen, and take up carbon dioxide and pollutants like soot from air. The roots stabilize soil and absorb rainfall to prevent local flooding. The limbs support bird nests and provide habitat for growth of ferns, mosses, and lichens. And live oaks produce lots of acorns, a favorite food for animals, including squirrels and birds such as blue jays. Burden’s live oaks were decades old when I arrived on campus in 1972.
Driving around then, the first ones I spotted lined the Parade Grounds along Highland Road and the shore of Campus Lake along South Stadium Drive. Now, when my wife and I visit campus, those trees are still there – but like me, much older. Some of their branches now sag in places, touching the ground. Several years ago, I learned about the Endow an Oak program, a fund began in 1993 specifically to benefit our campus’ live oaks. In this program, a chosen campus live oak can be endowed for $4,000, with half going to the endowment fund and half to an operations account. A portion of the latter is used to design and install a plaque in honor or memory of a person selected by the donor. I can think of no better way to help ensure these stately trees continue to thrive. Please consider contributing to the Endow an Oak program to protect the lasting beauty of our campus for all Tigers – past, present and future. Visit www.lsufoundation.org/oaks.
Steve Alexander, a member of the LSU Alumni Association, LSU Foundation, and supporter of the Endow an Oak, holds master’s and doctoral degrees in marine science. He and his wife, Pamela, have endowed four live oaks.
LSU Ring Collection – The LSU Ring Collection, on display in the Lod Cook Alumni Center, is a lasting tribute to donors and a reminder of their unique experiences as LSU Tigers. The popular exhibit includes class and commemorative rings dating from 1905 to 1989 and is viewed by thousands of visitors every year. If you have a ring to donate – your own or that of a relative or friend – contact Cooper Knecht at 225-578-3838. Rings must be appraised by a professional/licensed jewelry appraiser.
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2022
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SpaRTAN Lab – Transforming Healthcare
Around Campus
By Elsa Hahne
The computational human phantoms developed in the LSU SpaRTAN lab are high-resolution renderings of human bodies, including blood, bone, organs, and tissues. One of the advantages of visualizing the whole body in 3D is to be able to safely study its dynamic response, interactions between tissues and organs, and slight differences between them. Photo: Megan Chesal
“This is the best program in medical physics I’ve been able to find. So, here I am.”
On a day-to-day basis, LSU medical physics graduate student and Louisiana Space Grant Graduate Research Fellow Megan Chesal might not feel like Leonardo da Vinci as she sits at her computer in her apartment in Baton Rouge, trying to understand the complex workings of the human body by creating highly intricate drawings. But she’s nevertheless following in his footsteps by using technology to describe biology. Chesal develops human phantoms, which are computational 3D replicas of entire bodies. These virtual alter egos or avatars can be used for medical research to help predict outcomes without having to experiment on living beings. Chesal’s long-term goal is for her research to help in the fight against cancer, which can be treated with radiation. More immediately, however, her focus is on space radiation and its effects on the human cardiovascular system. Space radiation effects, to both soft and condensed matters, is the primary focus of the LSU SpaRTAN lab, which she helps manage. Chesal and her fellow students are all studying radiation effects under the supervision of Jeffery Chancellor, assistant professor of physics and astronomy. The students research radiation in space, working on ways to protect astronauts and equipment from harmful background radiation, while some also look at it as a positive, in the context of medicine. In either scenario, radiation has the power to disrupt or kill cells – whether those are healthy cells or cancer cells. The phantoms Chesal is developing can be used to study space radiation deposition and topology throughout the body as well as for other purposes, such as predicting and visualizing the distribution and accumulation of any matter or medication that enters the body. “Our lab is unique in that we conduct research that can impact both space travel and cancer care; but helping to treat cancer was the reason I went into medical physics and it’s still something I want to do and feel passionate about,” Chesal said. The process of building a human phantom starts with a scan, such as an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Through advanced computational techniques, that data is then translated into virtual 3D. Chesal’s daily challenge is to make these renderings increasingly accurate and more detailed. She spends a lot of time thinking about how to computationally describe and delineate thin and particularly radiosensitive tissues, like oral mucosa and intestinal linings. Perhaps the most obvious implication of Chesal’s work is more personalized medicine. With more advanced algorithms comes the promise of anyone being able to have their own computational phantom, on which medical researchers could conduct experiments, preventing what can be costly, risky, and heartwrenching trial and error in real life. Originally from Natchitoches, La., where her father manages a manufacturing plant for scroll compressors for air conditioners and her mother directs the office at the local Catholic basilica, Chesal first came to LSU in 2014 for a bachelor’s degree in physics with a minor in history, and then decided to stay for a master’s in medical physics – which now is looking more and more like it will pivot into a PhD. “I have tried to leave LSU and Louisiana, but I keep being reeled back in,” Chesal said. “This is the best program in medical physics I’ve been able to find. So, here I am.” Elsa Hahn is assistant director of creative strategy in the LSU Office of Research & Economic Development.
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LSU Launches Watershed Effort with Healthcare Partners
$170 million investment by Our Lady of the Lake is largest in history of LSU; $75 million investment by LCMC Health will transform cancer research and treatment in the region. Photo: LSU Communications & University Relations
Our Lady of the Lake and LCMC Health have committed to investing $245 million in LSU over the next ten years to transform healthcare in Louisiana. The combined commitments include $160 million in support of academics and $85 million in support of athletics. “As Louisiana’s flagship university, LSU has an inherent commitment and responsibility to elevate our state,” said President William F. Tate IV. “This landmark chapter in our longstanding partnerships with Our Lady of the Lake and LCMC Health epitomizes our capacity to transform the lives of our fellow Louisianans. Together, we will pursue the first NCI-Designated Cancer Center in the region, catalyze STEM transformation in Louisiana, strengthen the talent pipeline for the future of healthcare, alleviate financial barriers to quality healthcare for our students with financial need, and provide elite healthcare to our student-athletes.” Our Lady of the Lake committed $170 million to set a new standard for healthcare delivery, research, and education. This unprecedented
level of investment establishes Our Lady of the Lake as LSU’s exclusive Championship Healthcare Partner. Our Lady of the Lake is investing $85 million each in academics- and athletics-focused initiatives. The leadership commitment will be recognized through the proposed naming of the Our Lady of the Lake Interdisciplinary Science Building. LCMC Health committed $75 million to revolutionize cancer research, treatment, and outcomes and ensure a sustained talent pipeline for the state’s healthcare industry and is LSU’s lead clinical partner in the vision for ascending the LSU Health New Orleans/LCMC Health Cancer Center to an NCI-Designated Cancer Center. The investments are part of LSU’s $1.5 billion Fierce for the Future Campaign, the largest campaign for higher education in the history of Louisiana. Fierce for the Future unites LSU’s campuses statewide in pursuit of a common goal: to generate solutions for the people in Louisiana that hold the promise of making profoundly positive impacts around the world. To learn more, visit fierceforthefuturecampaign.org.
“Together, we will advance, create, learn and win. We are champions for Louisiana!”
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An Impressive Start for Brian Kelly
Locker
ROOM Photos: LSU Athletics
Brian Kelly, head coach.
Matt House, defensive coordinator.
Mike Denbrock, offensive coordinator.
“ . . . it won’t be long before LSU becomes competitive again.”
Brian Kelly came to LSU with the best coaching credentials of anyone in its football history. He has already lived up to expectations by hiring a staff of winners and filling roster holes with experienced players from the transfer portal. Kelly’s accomplishments to date have made a lasting impression. It is obvious that our coach has been down this road before. He has been there and done that. He is knowledgeable, confident, and professional. In hiring a staff, building trust with his new team, recruiting high school stars and some of the best of the transfers, Kelly, as athletics director Scott Woodward said, “… checks all the boxes.” He’s steadily getting all the building blocks in place for the construction of a championship team. In this age of the transfer portal, recruiting never stops. LSU did well in getting some experienced hands through the portal. Only a few roster spots remain. This man was no career assistant coach. He’s been a head coach for thirtyone years. At Grand Valley State, Kelly won consecutive Division II national championships in 2003 and 2004. He was the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, leading the 2012 Fighting Irish to the 2013 National Championship game. His 2018 and 2010 Notre Dame teams made appearances in the College Football Playoffs. From nonstop interviews with prospective coaches, recruiting on the fly, evaluating his returning players, and targeting talent in the transfer portal, Kelly’s previous experiences served him well for a move into the highly competitive SEC. KELLY HIRED EXPERIENCED STAFF He sought experienced coaches to meet this challenge. His offensive coordinator, Mike Denbrock, had the same job at Cincinnati, a team that played in last season’s College Football Playoffs. His defensive coordinator, Matt House, was hired away from the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that had made it to the NFL playoffs. House had SEC experience, serving as a defensive coordinator at Kentucky for three seasons before his Chiefs assignment helped him win a Super Bowl ring. Brian Polian came with Kelly from Notre Dame where he was the special teams and recruiting coordinator. He will serve in the same capacity at LSU. Polian had been a head coach at Nevada. Kelly found prominent individuals with Louisiana backgrounds to strengthen home state recruiting. He left no stone unturned in finding coaches to compete in the nation’s toughest conference. Kelly’s staff includes men with strong Louisiana connections – Frank Wilson, the associate head coach and running backs coach who previously served the Tigers as recruiting coordinator. Joe Sloan, the quarterbacks coach, was the offensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech. New Orleans native Cortez Hankton, the receivers coach and passing game coordinator, served in the same capacity for Georgia, this year’s national collegiate champion. Brad Davis, the offensive line coach, a Baton Rouge native, is the lone holdover from the previous staff. RECRUITING FILLED SEVERAL HOLES Kelly’s reputation as an outstanding recruiter was enhanced by his recruiting blitz prior to his first spring training at LSU. Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels has been added to the quarterback room that already included sixth-year senior Myles Brennan, redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier, and true freshman Walker Howard. Kelly added both skill and depth at a key position and created a stir in Tigertown. Brennan will face a spring challenge from Daniels. However, both quarterbacks will get a test from a retooled LSU defense, which could greatly diminish the effectiveness of the two athletes. Their own LSU teammates – in spring scrimmages – will determine the eventual depth chart
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status of Brennan and Daniels. It will be that defense, trying to impress Matt House, their new defensive coordinator, that will greatly influence the selection of LSU’s No. 1 quarterback. Defensive end BJ Ojulari’s play may have a say in their final ranking. Or, conversely, a receiver like Kashon Boutee could make them both look like Joe Burrow. Kelly is eager to evaluate key position battles in the offensive and defensive line as well as those at cornerback and the celebrated duel at quarterback. The competitive activity will give the new staff an opportunity to fully evaluate the Tigers. LSU had major holes to fill for next season, and Kelly solved that problem by finding veteran personnel in the transfer portal. He and his staff wanted athletes that were standout players for their previous teams. Greg Brooks, Jr., and Joe Foucha, both starters at Arkansas, should strengthen the LSU secondary this fall. Brooks was a threeyear starter at cornerback, and Foucha was a starter at safety for the Razorbacks. The Tigers surprised most national recruiting analysts when they landed five-star linebacker Harold Perkins of Houston. He was rated as the top high school linebacker prospect in the nation. Perkins and high school signee DeMario Tolan may be the top freshmen linebackers in this class. And at a position of need, no less. West Weeks, the Virginia transfer, should help solidify LSU’s linebacker position. LSU’s most interesting transfer is Tre Mound Shorts (6-4, 326), an offensive lineman who was a four year starter and an FCS All-American at East Tennessee State. If he adapts to SEC competition, the Tigers will have done as well as anyone in securing proven players from the transfer portal. Another offensive line transfer that captured the fancy of the coaching staff is Miles Frazier (6-5, 305) who played last season at Florida International. He and Shorts should strengthen the offensive line. With most roster needs addressed, and a new staff filled with proven coaches, it won’t be long before LSU becomes competitive again.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING “It is the most significant hire at Death Valley in the twenty-first century.” –Jim Engster, President & Publisher, Tiger Rag Magazine For years, LSU fans hallucinated about former Notre Dame Coach Ara Parseghian shopping for a home in Baton Rouge and coaching the Tigers. Two generations later, Brian Kelly has departed the citadel of college football for the lure of being the fourth straight LSU coach to win a national championship. It is the most significant hire at Death Valley in the twenty-first century. “I’m really excited about the future of the Tigers under Coach Kelly.” –Mark Lumpkin, LSU placekicker in 1968-69-70 and SEC Javelin Champion in 1969 Lake Charles High senior Mark Lumpkin received a recruiting pitch from Notre Dame’s Ara Parseghian and LSU legend Alvin Dark on the same weekend in 1966. Lumpkin was waiting at O’Hare International Airport for his return flight home after a recruiting visit at Notre Dame with Coach Paraseghian. As Lumpkin stood at a magazine counter, someone approached him and said, “You need to go to LSU.” It was Alvin Dark, one of the most celebrated athletes in LSU history. Lumpkin knew him well. Dark was the brother-in-law of his high school coach Billy Lantrip. And Dark quickly gave Lumpkin some reasons why he should become a Tiger. Dark’s chance meeting at O’Hare had interrupted Lumpkin’s thoughts about his recruiting visit. All of the Notre Dame football history – all the Heisman trophy winners, the national championships, and Parseghian’s recruiting spiel had overwhelmed young Lumpkin. “The voice of someone from home brought me down to earth,” Lumpkin said. The timing of this chance meeting couldn’t have been more perfect from an LSU perspective. A few weeks later, Lumpkin signed with LSU coach Charles McClendon. “I know I made the right decision in choosing LSU. I believe Coach Kelly, the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, made the right decision, too. He’s just adding a new chapter to an already legendary career as a coach. I cherish the memories of Coach McClendon and my teammates at LSU,” Lumpkin added. “I’m really excited about the future of the Tigers under Coach Kelly.” “Coach Kelly has Tiger Nation hopeful, optimistic and looking forward to a bright future . . . ” –Gil Rew, Past President, Desoto Parish LSU Alumni Chapter and Past President, LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors Coach Kelly has Tiger Nation hopeful, optimistic, and looking forward to a bright future on and off the field. He certainly comes to our campus with a long history of success, high standards of personal integrity, and honest straight talk to those around the University. He is certainly a man who a parent of a prospective student or studentathlete would trust as a role model, counselor, and leader. “It’s an exciting time for LSU football . . .” –Jerry Shea, Jr., Past Chair, LSU Board of Supervisors and Past President, LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors It is an exciting time for LSU and LSU football. The hire of Coach Brian Kelly will bring consistency to a program in dire need of stability. Kelly, with the recent additions of Kim Mulkey and Jay Johnson, fit well with President Tate’s vision for the future.
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Locker Room
Matt McMahon Named Men's Basketball Head Coach Matt McMahon, a Naismith National Coach of the Year Semifinalist who led Murray State to the first 18-0 season in Ohio Valley Conference history in 2021-22, has been named the twenty-fifth head coach of LSU Men’s Basketball.
Matt McMahon, men’s basketball head coach.
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He arrives in Baton Rouge with a 154-67 record in seven seasons as the Racers’ head coach – including a 31-3 (.900) mark this season. The Oak Ridge, Tenn., native also led his program to four OVC regular season titles, three conference tournament championships, three NCAA Tournament appearances, two NCAA Tournament wins, and a 12136 (.711) record since 2017-2018. The 2021-22 OVC Coach of the Year, McMahon was the only mid-major coach on this season’s list of 10 Naismith semifinalists. Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Murray State, McMahon spent four seasons as an assistant under Steve Prohm, helping the Racers to four 20-win seasons, including a 2012 NCAA
Tournament appearance and the 2014 CollegeInsider.com Championship. McMahon arrived in Murray after one season under Buzz Peterson as an assistant coach for UNC-Wilmington (2010-11). Before that, he spent eight seasons at his alma mater, Appalachian State, where he was an assistant coach from 2002-10. He also spent one season as a graduate assistant at both Appalachian State (2000-01) and Tennessee (2001-02). A four-year letterman for Peterson at Appalachian State in 2000, McMahon finished his playing career with a Southern Conference championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in his senior season. In 117 games from 1996-2000, he hit 135 three-pointers, posting a career-high 45.5 percent mark from 3 in 1998-99. McMahon and his wife, Mary, have three children: Maris, Mabry, and Mason. Locker Room is compiled and edited by Bud Johnson, retired director of the Andonie Sports Museum and a former LSU Sports Information director. He is the author of The Perfect Season: LSU's Magic Year – 1958.
Mulkey Named AP National Coach of the Year
Kim Mulkey was named the AP National Coach of the Year following her first season as LSU’s head women’s basketball coach, leading the greatest turnaround by a first-year head coach in SEC history. This marks the third time Mulkey has been named AP Coach of the Year. She earned the award in 2012 and 2019 as well, both seasons in which she led Baylor to national championships. She was also a finalist for Naismith Coach of the Year this season. It has been a year since Mulkey came home to Louisiana to lead the Tigers. She took over a team that finished the previous season with a 9-13 record. “Be patient – understand it will not happen overnight,” Mulkey said at her introductory press conference. The Tigers went 26-6 during her first season, winning their most games since the 2007-08 season. They finished No. 2 in the SEC and were ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll of the season. LSU was 6-1 against ranked opponents in Coach Mulkey’s debut season and the Tigers hosted March Madness games as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, winning their first NCAA Tournament game since 2014. “One of my most enjoyable years ever in my career,” Mulkey, who is the only person in men’s or women’s college basketball history with national championships as a player, assistant coach and head coach, said after LSU’s second round loss to Ohio State. “I personally judge good coaches based on the talent they have on that floor and are they overachieving. Did we beat some people this year we should not have beaten? You bet we did. We beat a lot of ’em. We beat ranked teams. We didn’t start this baby ranked. We came from nowhere and just built it.”
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Locker Room
Curry Claims Second NCAA Title LSU swimmer Brooks Curry single-handedly doubled the swimming program’s NCAA individual titles in March with a win in the 100-free inside the McAuley Aquatic Center at Georgia Tech. He clocked in a time of 40.84, which broke his school record set in February at the SEC Championships. In the prelims, he finished in third place with a time of 41.19. “We are very proud of Brooks Curry and his outstanding accomplishments at the NCAA Championships,” head swimming coach Rick Bishop said. “His ability to finish races was outstanding. Brook’s double National titles capped off a great year for our Tigers and set the tone for a great next season.” Curry, a two-time national champion, won both individual national titles at the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. On Thursday, he won the first individual swimming championship in program history since Mark Andrews won the 50-free in 1988. LSU and its three participating athletes put together an impressive performance that yielded 85 points and a fifteenth-place finish. It is the highest finish for the Tigers since 1997 when LSU placed 14th. On the boards, Juan Celaya-Hernandez closed out his final NCAA Championship with an eighteenthplace finish on platform. He finished with a final score of 323.20.
Two-time national champ Brooks Curry. Photo: LSU Athletics
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LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2022
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Locker Room
From Standing Room to Tiger Stadium
Cadets drill for a crowd of spectators on the Parade Grounds at the downtown campus. Photo: Andrew Lytle
LSU played its first home football game against Ole Miss on Dc. 3, 1894, on the downtown campus Parade Grounds. Photo: Courtesy Charles East
The expression “Standing Room Only” was used proudly by purveyors of professional baseball early in the twentieth century after every stadium seat was sold. Standing room would then be sold at a lesser price.
Tiger Stadium on Thanksgiving Day 1924. The work was hurriedly completed. Photo: The Fighting Tigers
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LSU football’s first spectators had … only standing room. They stood around the playing field, the Parade Grounds of the Ole War Skule cadets, long before the University moved to the presentday campus in 1925. The old campus was just north of the Baton Rouge business district. The field was located across the street from the Pentagon Barracks, and near where the state capitol now stands. Before Dr. Charles Coates and LSU’s team played its first football game – against Tulane in New Orleans on November 25, 1893 – the practices attracted a small following. Cadets and townspeople, numbering about fifty spectators would stand around the practice field watching players
practice a sport that was new to almost everyone in the Deep South. Prolonged pushing and shoving took place until a referee called the play dead. One play could last as long as two minutes. Since most of its readers had never played or seen a football game prior to the 1890s, the local papers – The Daily Advocate, The New Advocate, and the Baton Rouge State-Times – had to educate and persuade the public to attend a game. One local paper suggested that its readers “have a picnic at the game.” Combining food and football would become all the rage, but not until the twenty-first century. The “auto buggies” hadn’t been developed yet, so tailgating would have to wait. STATE FIELD Football captivated Baton Rouge in 1896. The team was called Tigers by then, and they finished with a 6-0 record. As interest grew, LSU played most of its big games in New Orleans at a baseball park. On Nov. 16, 1901 the Tigers took the train to New Orleans and played Tulane before a reported crowd of 5,000, the largest ever in Louisiana at the time. By contrast, a good crowd at LSU’s “home field” – State Field – would number about 1,000.
The forward pass was invented in 1906, and after that the game became more like the one we know today. Passing opened up the game. The faster pace utilized speed and athleticism which attracted larger crowds. LSU’s great undefeated team of 1908 popularized the game further with passing, multiple laterals on the same play and long scoring runs. LSU’s State Field had a seating upgrade in 1911 for its spectators – a wooden grandstand seating 250. Most of those attending home games were still standing. The only way to accommodate big crowds was to play in New Orleans against prominent teams like Sewanee, Ole Miss, and Georgia Tech. The LSU-Sewanee game attracted 6,000 spectators in New Orleans in 1909. President William Howard Taft was in attendance for a few minutes that day. State Field got another significant boost in 1917. LSU moved its football field across the street to where the state capitol now stands. It had a 7,000-seat wooden grand stand that was built largely by a $3,000 donation from Tiger fan H.V. Moseley. Soon, that wasn’t big enough to seat the crowd. A Tulane game would attract over 10,000. But the best was yet to come. TIGER STADIUM State University was growing. The state acquired two plantations three miles south of Baton Rouge and LSU had a new campus in 1925. A 24,000-seat football stadium, known today as Tiger Stadium, was completed in time for the Tulane game of 1924. Just seven years later – in 1931 – Tiger Stadium expanded to 34,000 thanks to the creativity and persuasion of athletics director T.P. Heard. He learned that LSU had $250,000 designated for men’s dormitories and persuaded President James M. Smith to combine the new dorm rooms with a stadium expansion. Heard found another $7,500 and added lights to the new structure. LSU had a
larger stadium with 8,500 more permanent seats and in 1931 the Tigers ushered in “night football,” making an evening kickoff time more convenient to shopkeepers, farmers, and shift workers. The Works Progress Administration built many structures at land grant universities during the Great Depression, including LSU. Tiger Stadium and its dorm rooms expanded again in 1936 thanks to the WPA. Its seating capacity grew to 45,000, one of the South’s largest stadiums at the time. This stadium expansion kept pace with an LSU football growth spurt. The Tigers won SEC championships in 1935 and 1936 and played in three straight Sugar Bowl games. LSU had one more stadium addition involving Heard. It was completed in 1954 when Tiger Stadium was enlarged into a bowl seating 67,510. It involved a major controversy pitting Heard against President Troy H. Middleton, who insisted that a new library had priority over the stadium project. Heard campaigned for enlarging the stadium on two fronts – the Louisiana Legislature and the LSU Board of Supervisors. He got the stadium expansion attached to a bill that called for an addition to the LSU Medical School in New Orleans. If the Med School bill passed, so would the Tiger Stadium amendment. The bill passed. Heard also persuaded a majority of the LSU board members to give priority to stadium expansion. A 5-6 season in 1954 didn’t help those who campaigned for the South Stadium expansion. The empty end zone seats seemed to multiply with each loss. In December of that year, the LSU Board of Supervisors ended the tenure of LSU Coach Gaynell Tinsley. Heard was retired. Critics said Heard had called for stadium expansion too soon. But not by much. In 1958, LSU and Ole Miss, two unbeaten teams, played to a capacity crowd in Tiger Stadium – with Standing Room Only.
The enclosure of Tiger Stadium’s north end zone by WPA workers provided additional seating, athletic offices, and dormitory rooms. Photo: Louisiana State Library
Tiger Stadium was enlarged into a bowl seating 67,510 in 1954. Photo: LSU Sports Information
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Tiger
NATION
1960s
John Sibley “Johnny” Butler (1969 BACH H&SS), the J. Marion West Chair for Constructive Capitalism in the Graduate School of Business (Management), professor in the Management Department, the Darrell K. Royal Regents Professor of Ethics and American Society (Sociology), and faculty director of Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, was named to the University of Texas Texas 10, the annual list of professors considered by their former students as having made a lasting impact on their lives. Butler holds a doctorate from Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
DEGREES BACH
Bachelor’s Degree
MAST
Master’s Degree
PHD
Doctorate
SPEC
Specialist
DVM
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
JD
Juris Doctorate (LSU Law School)
LLM
Master of Laws
MD
Medical Doctor (LSU School of Medicine)
DDS
Doctor of Dental Science (LSU School of Dentistry)
COLLEGES/SCHOOLS AGR
Agriculture
A&D
Art & Design
C&E
Coast & Environment
H&SS
Humanities & Social Sciences
SCI
Science
BUS
Business
HS&E
Human Sciences & Education
ENGR
Engineering
M&DA
Music & Dramatic Arts
MCOM
Mass Communication
SCE
School of the Coast & Environment
SVM
School of Veterinary Medicine
SW
Social Work
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1970s
George B. Duke (1977 BACH ENGR), chairman and owner of Zippo Manufacturing Co., was honored by the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with the naming of a new building in his honor. The George B. Duke Engineering and Information Technologies Building, recognizing Duke for his longtime support of and service to the campus, will open in the fall. Duke pledged a $2 million gift, dedicated largely to equipping state-of-the-art engineering labs in the new building. Zippo previously contributed $1 million to support the computer information systems and technology program.
1980s
Richard Arsenault (1980 JD) recently chaired a Baylor Law School LLM Program regarding complex litigation management and resolution strategy. He also chaired the Miami HarrisMartin seminar regarding mass tort/MDL litigation and was selected for inclusion in the Top 50 Lawyers in America list. Mark Gauthier (1984 BACH BUS) joined Marcum, an accounting and advisory services firm, in Tampa, Fla. Prior to joining Marcum, Gauthier owned and operated a boutique advisory consultancy; founded and managed consulting practices in Big Four accounting firms; served as a leader and advisor to companies on operational and growth strategy and implementation; and secured numerous private equity, debt, and strategic partner funding for clients. Alonzo Llorens (1984 BACH BUS) was named a partner in Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, Atlanta. He focuses his corporate practice on capital markets and finance, mergers and acquisitions, securities compliance,
corporate governance, and minority business enterprise (MBE) certification and transactions. Tim McCarthy (1989 BACH BUS) joined Postlethwaite & Netterville in the newly created role of tax operations director. He is based in the firm’s Metairie, La., office. Denise C. Puente (1983 BACH MCOM, JD 1987), a commercial litigator practicing primarily in the areas of construction and surety law, was named managing partner of Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn, New Orleans. Stephen Stewart (1983 BACH MCOM) marked his fiftieth professional play production at the 2022 Houston Scriptwriters 10 x 10 Showcase with his newest work, "She’ll Have What He's Having," a play about "The MeToo Movement.” The play is Stewart’s sixth play in Houston production's fifteen-year history, and his other plays continue to be produced around the nation. In addition to communications, Stewart studied playwriting while attending LSU.
1990s
Tony Barnett (1999 BACH BUS), of Atlanta, was appointed vice president of marketing for Operation Homefront, leading the strategic development of marketing campaigns and securing brand partnerships and sponsorships to drive brand awareness and donor engagement. He was previously with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, USO, and Disney. Doreen Brasseaux (1996 BACH H&SS, 2001 MPA) joined Sequitur Consulting based in Baton Rouge after serving as president and CEO of the American Council
of Engineering Companies of Louisiana. Sequitur provides strategic planning, policy development, governmental relations, and stakeholder engagement services. Brasseaux retired from LSU as assistant vice president for University Relations. Rhoman Hardy (1991 BACH ENGR), senior vice president of U.S. Gulf Coast manufacturing locations for Shell Oil Company, was named to a four-year term on the LSU Foundation Board of Directors. He is a member of the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council; serves on the boards of Louisiana’s Community and Technical Colleges, Louisiana Chemical Association, Shell Pension and Provident Fund Trust, and Baton Rouge Area Chamber; and is a former board member of the Baton Rouge Arts Council and Capital
Area United Way. Hardy holds an Executive MBA from Rice University. He and wife, Jolene, have two sons, both of whom are LSU students. Shanika Jackson Martin (1997 BACH H&SS) was recently named director of culture and inclusion at Monogram Foods headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., responsible for creating and advancing the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. Previously, she managed corporate social responsibility, public relations, and government affairs for TruGreen and also served as a mayoral appointee leading multicultural and religious affairs for the City of Memphis.
Roger R. Messer (1997 BACH H&SS), a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was appointed to the rank of brigadier general and will serve as commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, ACC, Southwest Asia. He was previously deputy director of plans, programs, and requirements at Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. While at LSU, he was a four-year member of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) Det 310, the Flying Tigers. Terrel A. Thomas (1996 BACH BUS) joined Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson’s workers compensation group in its Baton Rouge office. She was previously an attorney with the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation
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Corporation, representing employers and the largest workers’ compensation carrier in Louisiana before the Office of Workers' Compensation, the U.S. DOL Office of Administrative Law judges, U.S. District Courts, Louisiana State District Courts, and Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal. She earned a JD from Southern University Law Center in 1999.
2000s
Bonnie Dye (2005 BACH BUS) joined Hinshaw & Culbertson, New Orleans, as a partner in the consumer financial services practice group. Dye is a member and treasurer of the New Orleans Women and Children's Shelter. She earned a JD from Tulane University Law School.
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Danza Huey (2008 BACH H&SS) created Mash Up card games for the 21st Century over-twenty-one crowd and the 21st Century kid, bringing back classic games with new twists. Huey, a first-generation LSU graduate, holds an MBA from Georgia Institute of Technology Scheller College of Business. While at LSU he was a member of LSU Summer Scholars, LSU Ambassadors, LSU Student Senate, and LSU Residential Life and worked with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and LSU Spring Invitational. He currently serves on the board of the National Black MBA Association/Atlanta Chapter as director of marketing content and is a member of The Gathering Spot. Visit mashupcards.com
Kyle LaFerney (2007 BACH A&D) was promoted to vice president of marketing at the architectural firm Parkhill. He joined the firm in 2019 and has served in multiple roles centered on business development and client relations, most recently as director of business strategy and client relations. Kyle, his wife, Robin, and sons Cade and Myles reside in Frisco, Texas, and he is a community volunteer with Frisco Family Services. Nancy Little (2001 BACH MCOM) was named director of alumni and corporate fundraising at The Dunham School in Baton Rouge. She was most recently assistant director for individual giving at Houston Ballet and also has held positions at New York City Ballet, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, and the LSU Office of
Communications & University Relations. She earned master’s degree in arts from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Texas A&M University Kingsville. Brian O’Connor (2006 BACH MCOM), principal of Veteran Enhanced Technology Solutions, was one of sixty individuals named to the 2022 Presidential Leadership Scholars program. The program brings together a diverse network of leaders to collaborate and create meaningful change in the U.S. and around the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
2010s
Vernon K. Dunn, Jr. (2018 PHD SCI) joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) as a research staff member for the Science and Technology Policy Institute. Dunn earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Xavier in 2010.
Seth Reich (2010 BACH ENGR), an attorney with Caldwell Cassady & Curry, Dallas, was promoted to principal. He joined the firm in 2018 and handles cases in state and federal courts throughout the U.S. He has served as trial counsel in matters involving patent infringement, contract disputes, contested trademarks, and trade secrets claims. Reich was named to the 2022 Texas Rising Stars list of the state’s top young legal practitioners.
Allyce Trapp (2016 BACH MCOM, 2020 MAST MCOM) was promoted to government affairs advisor at Adams & Reese, Baton Rouge. She was previously director of governmental affairs for the Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge and was a former associate at a full-service issues management communications firm. Jay Weisman (2012 BACH H&SS), a math and social studies teacher at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, was one of sixty educators nationwide to receive a Milken Educator Award and $25,000 cash prize. The award, sponsored by the Milken Family Foundation to celebrate, elevate, and activate the teaching profession, is the nation’s preeminent teacher recognition program, often hailed as the “Oscars of Teaching.”
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2020s
Claire Bermudez (2020 BACH MCOM) completed TEGNA’s Producer-in-Residence Program and is now serving as a morning show producer at KHOU in Houston.
Rachel Mipro (2021 BACH H&SS), former Reveille opinion editor, is among the top five winners of the Explanatory Reporting Competition of the 20212022 Hearst Journalism Awards Program. Her LSU Cold Case Project story, “Horrific 1960 Louisiana Killing of 4 Black Men Leaves Unanswered Questions,” which raises awareness about a racial injustice incident in Louisiana, earned her third place in the competition.
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BABY
BENGALS Erin Cadenhead (2007 BACH BUS) and her husband, Jason Arias, announce the birth of their daughter, Lilly Cade Arias, on Oct. 3, 2021. “Lilly’s stepsister, Ryland, made her LSU debut at the LSU-Texas A&M game last fall, and Lilly made her first appearance at a spring baseball game,” writes Cadenhead. “All of Lilly’s maternal aunts and her grandparents went to LSU – we’re a household of Tigers!” Melissa Hart Dean (2011 BACH MCOM) and Cameron Dean (2017 BACH HS&E) announce the birth of their son, future Tiger Jordan Becker Dean, on Nov. 4,
2021. Jordan was welcomed home by their daughter, Samantha, and the family pet, Rizzo. Jared and Jenny Adams Wooley (2011 BACH H&SS) announce the birth of their son, Patton Thomas Wooley, on March 15, 2022. Patton weighed in at 8 lbs. 8 oz. and was twenty-one inches long. He was welcomed home by his big brother, three-year-old Palmer Morgan Wooley.
WEDDING
BELLS
Levin-Lane Nuptials – Alexandria Levin (2005 BACH AGR) and Joseph “Joe” Lane were married in October 2021 in the bride’s hometown, San Clemente, Calif. The ceremony, an intimate, fall-inspired wedding, took place at a beachside country club where bride and one of her attendants, fellow Tiger Eaugelique Ware, posed for a photo while making the L hand gesture.
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In Memoriam 1940s Benjamin H. “Ben” Alsip, Jr., 1948 BACH AGR, 1949 MAST AGR, April 1, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Frances Lussan Greenfield, 1948 BACH AGR, Jan. 15, 2022, Plaquemine, La.
1950s Louis Anzalone, Jr., Jan. 21, 2022, Retired Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, 1956 MAST AGR, 1959 PHD AGR, Bellingham, Wash. Arletta Dornier Averett, 1959 BACH H&SS, Jan. 27, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Leslie Oliver Bickham, 1958 BACH AGR, Feb. 2, 2022, St. Francisville, La. Faye Underwood Brown, 1957 MAST HS&E, March 28, 2022, Baton Rouge, La Ursula Bogan Carmena, 1959 BACH H&SS, Feb. 9, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Lloyd Paul Champagne, Sr., 1950 BACH H&SS, 1954 MD, March 6, 2022, Scottsdale, Ariz. John Compton, Jr., 1957 BACH AGR, March 26, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Adrian L. Decker, 1957 BACH H&SS, March 30, 2022, Zachary, La. Sally Kelly Goynes, 1955 BACH HS&E, March 28, 2022, Pride, La. Michael Arthur Grace, Jr., 1957 BACH BUS, 1979 JD, March 25, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Roland Anthony Gravois, 1950 BACH ENGR, Jan. 23, 2022, Gonzales, La. Norman Lamar Koonce, 1954 BACH A&D, March 22, 2022, Sterling, Va. Lindsey Edward Landreneau, 1957 BACH H&SS, Feb. 11, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Vincent Webb Miranda, Sr., 1956 BACH H&SS, April 10, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Penrose Clyde St. Amant, 1959 JD, March 11, 2022, Gonzales, La. Emily Jane Richard Zeringue, 1957 BACH HS&E, Feb. 21, 2022, Baton Rouge, La.
1960s Joseph Earl Babin, 1966 BACH BUS, March 1, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Allen U. Bedell, 1960 BACH AGR, Jan. 3, 2022, Hot Springs, Ark. Joseph Oliver Bergeron, 1960 BACH ENGR, Jan. 16, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Lynn Anthony Brou, 1969 MAST H&SS, March 4, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. John Mitchell Carnahan, 1961 BACH BUS, Feb. 24, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Larry James Chaloupka, 1969 PHD HS&E, March 18, 2022, McKinney, Texas Patricia Louise Cheramie, 1966 BACH MCOM, Feb. 18, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Kenneth C. Corkum, Professor Emeritus of Zoology & Physiology, 1960 MAST H&SS, 1963 PHD H&SS, Nov. 15, 2021, Rogers, Ariz. Jack Albert “Bert” Dantin, Jr., 1963 BACH ENGR, Jan. 17, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Thomas Gaylord “Tom” Day, Jr., 1968 BACH BUS, February 2022, San Antonio, Texas Earline Marie Decoteau, 1964 MLS, Feb. 14, 2022, Killeen, Texas Wiley Ray Dial, 1967 BACH H&SS, 1971 JD, March 31, 2022, Jarreau, La. Edith Annette Repp Douthat, 1969 BACH AGR, March 31, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Felix Randall “Boomer” Garret, 1969 BACH H&SS, 1972 JD, March 10, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Bryan Ventis “Buck” Grantham, 1962 BACH AGR, March 18, 2022, Livingston, La. Thomas Joseph Hannie, Jr., 1964 BACH H&SS, Feb. 12, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Louie P. “Pete” Heard, 1960 BACH AGR, 1961 MAST AGR, Jan. 13, 2022, Brandon, Miss Sharon Lytle Hoffeld, 1963 BACH HS&E, 1965 MAST H&SS, Feb. 16, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. James Sidney “Jimmy” Holliday, Jr., 1962 BACH BUS, 1965 JD, March 18, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Rohan Benjamin LaFleur, 1965 BACH ENGR, March 12, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. William C. Morrison, 1963 BACH AGR, Feb. 18, 2022, Weatherford, Texas Rodney Gypsy “Gyp” Olsen, Jr., 1967 BACH AGR, March 22, 2022, Baton Rouge, La.
John V. Richey, 1967 BACH H&SS, 1970 MD-NO, Feb. 20, 2022, Ferriday, La. Phillip Charles Scardina, 1966 BACH BUS, Feb. 15, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Arnold T. “Doc” Stevens, Jr., 1968 BACH BUS March 22, 2022, Osyka, Miss. Harry Lee Thibodeaux, Jr., 1965 BACH A&D, Feb. 2, 2022, Pineville, La. Roy Charles ”Moonie” Winston, 1967 BACH HS&E, March 5, 2022, Birmingham, Ala.
1970s Arthur Howell Andrews, 1973 JD, March 23, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Michael Joseph Boudreaux, 1972 BACH ENGR, March 19, 2022, Lafayette, La. Robert A. “Buddy” Champion, 1979 BACH AGR, Feb. 24, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Richard Malcolm Cole, 1974 BACH H&SS, Jan. 24, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Gail Ellen Denham, 1978 BACH H&SS, March 4, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. John Evans Dutton, Retired Curator, LSU Rural Life Museum, 1973 BACH H&SS, March 27, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. James Saxon “Pete” Farmer, 1974 JD, Jan. 28, 2022, Bogalusa, La. William Francis “Bill” Font, 1971 MAST H&SS, 1975 PHD H&SS, April 8, 2022, Hammond, La. Barton Lee Frye, 1971 BACH H&SS, 1977 DDS-NO, March 11, 2022, St. Francisville, La. Douglas Fleet Herrin, Sr., 1977 BACH AGR, Feb. 15, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Shirley Sue Anderson Hill, 1979 MLS, March 9, 2022, Broussard, La. James Randall “Randy” Loyd, 1975 BACH BUS, Jan. 16, 2022, Dallas, Pa. Patricia “Pat” Morgan, 1972 BACH HS&E, Instructor of English (retired), Feb. 17, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Kathleen Noel Smith, 1972 BACH HS&E, March 11, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Merwyn Lamar Varnado, Sr., 1979 BACH H&SS, Jan. 16, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Teryl Lin Chambers Vincent, 1978 MSW, Feb. 15, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Mary Stella Woolfolk Williamson, 1975 BACH H&SS, 1978 JD, Feb. 11, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Dorothy Wallace Percy Woodside, 1971 BACH H&SS, March 15, 2022, St. Francisville, La.
1980s Paul Thomas “Paul Cat” Catalanatto, 1987 BACH H&SSm Feb. 18, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Amy Caroline Coe, 1984 BACH A&D, Feb. 5, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Aven Vernon Dearman, 1981 BACH H&SS, March 12, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Charles Wayne Dunaway, 1985 BACH BUS, Feb. 21, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. David Wayne “John” Floyd, Retired Executive Director, LSU Rural Life Museum, 1980 BACH H&SS, Feb. 22, 2022, St. Francisville, La. Judy Fate Barbay Hammonds, 1986 MAST H&SS, March 12, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Kevin Owens LaCour, 1982 BACH H&SS, Jan. 20, 2022, Prairieville, La. Juliette Landry Massey, 1985 BACH H&SS, Feb. 17, 2022, Zachary, La. Alan Patrick McGlynn, Jan. 25, 2022, 1987 BACH H&SS, 1992 JD, St. Gabriel, La. Joel Philip Oustalet, 1983 BACH H&SS, March 2, 2022, Jennings, La. Thomas Carlyle Stuckey, Jr., 1984 DVM, Jan. 30, 2022, Baton Rouge, La. Curtis A. Varnado, MBA 1982, March 22, 2022, Watson, La.
1990s John Ashley Barras, 1991 MAST H&SS, Feb. 14, 2022, Houma, La. Kimberly Carol Waters, 1993 BACH BUS, Pflugerville, Texas Jan. 22, 2022
2000s Charles R. Watson, 2008 MAST H&SS, March 3, 2022, Baton Rouge, La.
A memorial gift to the LSU Alumni Association in the name of a family member, friend, or classmate is a caring way to pay tribute to a person’s life and accomplishments. To make a gift or for more information, call 225.578.3838 or 1.888.746.4578.
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Paul Richard Baier George M. Armstrong, Jr. Professor of Law Judge Henry A. Politz Professor of Law Feb. 18, 2022 Baton Rouge, La.
Tigers in Print
Susan Hubbell Dawson Professor Emerita of Social Work March 6, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Joyce Marie Vince Dodds Retired Administrative Coordinator, Career Services Feb. 23, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Edward P. Dunigan Professor Emeritus/Department Head of Agronomy March 1, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Vincent Grenfell, Sr. Alumnus by Choice March 22, 2022 Houston, Texas Bruce Frederick Jenny Retired D.L. Evans Professor of Dairy Science Feb. 12, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Arlo U. Landolt Ball Family Professor Emeritus of Physics & Astronomy Jan. 21, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Fritz McCameron Professor Emeritus of Accounting Retired Dean, LSU Continuing Education January 19, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Shirley Ann White Retired Professor of Management Jan. 21, 2022 Baton Rouge, La. Martha Cornelia Yarbrough Professor Emerita of Music Education April 5, 2022 Baton Rouge, La.
Margaret Olson Tassin (1971 BACH AGR) Forms Management Book of Knowledge Margaret Olson Tassin and Louise Laperrière, members of the Business Forms Management Association, published online the Forms Management Book of Knowledge. Both authors spent careers in the forms industry and realized there were no formal training or education programs in that discipline. The book, paired with an online certificate program, aims to fill that gap and provide best practices. The book is not about forms design or development, although the subject is referenced in the book. It is about the multiple and varied areas and elements that affect forms, their development, use, and management throughout a life cycle that can last decades.
Wendy Barnes (1997 BACH H&SS) Landscape with Bloodfeud Scarred by nuclear smokestacks, oil wells, and surging floodwaters, and haunted by the legacies of slavery, racism, and French rule, the Louisiana of Landscape with Bloodfeud is disenchanted but still exerts an undeniable pull. Reckoning with displacement, ancestral guilt, and centuries of human and environmental exploitation, Wendy Barnes dissects the state's turbulent past as a microcosm of colonial oppression, westward expansion, and the birth of global capitalism. With an expat's detachment, our Louisiana-born speaker contemplates her fraught relationship with her home culture and her white working-class roots, raising questions about complicity and shame, as history "bleeds us all for its tax, some for more, / digging down into every wet wound, / digging down among the taproots, under old folks' / marble tombs or unmarked graves.
SHARE YOUR NEWS Share news of your new job or promotion, your wedding, honors, awards, new babies, and other celebrations with fellow alumni. To submit an item and photos for publication, e-mail jackie@lsualumni.org or call 225-578-3370.
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PROFILE
Tiger Nation
LSU Grad Named Tampa Tarpons Manager By Rachel Holland
Rachel Balkovec, the first woman manager in affiliated professional baseball history.
“Just being able to empower young people, and for me the vehicle is baseball.”
Rachel Balkovec (2012 MAST HS&E) is the first woman manager in affiliated professional baseball history. The New York Yankees named Balkovec the new manager for the team’s minor league Low-A affiliate team, the Tampa Tarpons. “LSU was an absolutely critical point in my career when I learned about elite level standards in championship programs. The coaches, players, and professors all played a huge role in developing a foundation on which to build a career in professional sports. I gained the confidence I needed to be at the next level through the mentorship I received at LSU,” Balkovec said. While studying at LSU, she was a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach. Balkovec is no stranger to Yankees’ pinstripes. In 2019, she joined the organization as a minor league hitting coach – the first woman to hold that position in professional baseball history. “Just being able to empower young people, and for me the vehicle is baseball. Being able to coach young men and help them grow and mature as people, more so than anything else, that really is the dream. To be able to empower people and show people what they’re capable of. I’m not talking about hitting a white ball; I’m talking about what they’re capable of as humans. So I really think that is the dream. To give everyone the opportunity to maximize the potential,” Balkovec said. After receiving a master’s degree in sports administration from LSU, Balkovec’s coaching career started in minor league baseball. “In 2014, I was with St. Louis Cardinals on one of their rookie league teams as a strength and conditioning coach. When it ended, I moved to the Dominican Republic and worked with a winter baseball team,” Balkovec said. She was the first woman to be hired as a full-time strength and conditioning coach in affiliated baseball. She also worked for the Houston Astros as their Latin America strength and conditioning coordinator and their double-A strength and conditioning coach. “Then I quit at the end of 2018 and went back to school, this time to Amsterdam for a year and completed my research for that degree in Seattle. Then I was hired by the New York Yankees as a minor league hitting coach. It’s been quite a journey, a little bit different, but I wouldn’t take any of it back,” Balkovec said. Rachel Holland is content manager at LSU Communications & University Relations.
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Understanding the Brain By Brian Hudgins
Stephanie Robert in the operating room. Photo: Dr. Joseph King Jr., MD, MSCE, FAANS
“The mentorship I received, even in such a large institution, it was so focused and dedicated.”
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When Stephanie Robert encountered a major barrier, she received a clear signal to surge forward. Robert (2008 BACH SCI), a senior resident in neurological surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, was an undergrad chemistry major at LSU when she met Graca Vicente, Boyd Professor of Chemistry and the Charles H. Barré Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. In 2007, Vicente was working on developing molecules that could cross the blood-brain barrier for drug delivery purposes. She served as a mentor for Robert’s senior thesis. “I fell in love with the brain,” Robert said. “I really found a fascination and awe of how the brain works.” Robert, a Metairie, La., native who moved to Huntsville, Ala., during elementary school, is the first physician and surgeon in her family. The chemistry department gave her a foundation to further pursue that goal. “LSU was where I learned how to do research; how to ask scientific questions, come up with a hypothesis, do experiments, and analyze that data,” Robert said. “It was what allowed me to really start learning about the brain, the physiology of it and how different and fascinating it is.” Robert received her medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, Ala. Neurosurgery offered her a career that combined her interests in surgery, the brain, and the neuroscience research she wanted to continue. The research paths have fanned out in multiple directions. Her PhD-level research, under the mentorship of Harald Sontheimer, professor and chair of neuroscience at the University of Virginia, focused on issues around the brain and brain tumors. She explored how tumors change the brain and how the brain responds.
“Patients with brain tumors often have seizures,” Robert said. “We looked at what the tumor is doing to induce this hyperexcitable peritumoral environment.” Since then, Robert has transitioned to examining how the brain responds to treatment of metastatic brain tumors, specifically after stereotactic radiosurgery. She also researches how infection and blood in the brain ventricles cause hydrocephalus (when ventricles in the brain enlarge), which can happen both with tumors and other pathologies that occur. “When it comes to the brain, there is still so much we don’t understand,” Robert said. “It’s the organ that makes us who we are. We see in patients who have dementia, they can be completely healthy otherwise, but they are not themselves anymore.” Those brain conditions present a different dynamic than pathologies in other areas of the body. “Cancer in the abdomen – there are a lot of consequences with that – but at the end of the day, you are still going to be you,” Robert said. “The brain is much different. A brain tumor can change your ability to move, to take care of yourself, and can quickly take away who you are fundamentally. I have always wanted to be a part of learning how it works and how we can fix the things that go wrong.” What nurtured that interest? LSU. Robert noted the influence of many of her professors and mentors, including the late James Wharton, chancellor emeritus, who served as chancellor from 1981-1988 and then taught general chemistry until his official retirement in 2008. “The mentorship I received, even in such a large institution, it was so focused and dedicated,” Robert said. Brian Hudgins is a Houston native who enjoys SEC sports and covering a variety of subjects as a freelance writer.
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Tigers Around the World BR Press Club – Sarah Holliday Jams (1984 BACH H&SS), chats with LSU President William F. Tate, IV, guest speaker at the March 7 meeting of the Press Club of Baton Rouge.
The Magic Jones New Orleans natives Arin Jackson (2007 BACH H&SS) and her sister, Alexis Jones (2010 BACH H&SS) – The Magic Jones – are part of the history-making GRAMMY® nominated group of twenty-six black artists and musicians known as the 1 Tribe Collective.
The Magic Jones, Arin Jackson and Alexis Jones.
Jackson of GRAMMY®-nominated group, Brownstone, and Jones, a singer/ actress whose performance credits include Tyler Perry's “A Madea Christmas,” as well as Kanye West's Sunday Service Choir, were inspired to create music that both children and parents could enjoy listening to, with the goal of increasing ethnic diversity in lullabies and nursery rhymes. “As an artist and mother of two young boys, I wanted to expose them to various elements of music as early as possible. During their toddler and pre-kindergarten stages, the options for the music we could enjoy together were somewhat limited which is why we sought to create this collection,” said Jackson, who resides in Atlanta with her husband and two children. “With so many families with young children under quarantine, it gave us the opportunity to collaborate again on something timely and meaningful” added Jackson. Prior to the collaborative project, the duo created R&B music for parents coping with homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of increasing ethnic diversity in lullabies and nursery rhymes. The lens of their work aligned squarely with the goals of the collective album before it was even created. In November 2021, the Recording Academy announced that All 1 Tribe was one of five albums earning a GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Children’s Music Album category. All 1 Tribe spans musical genres and is suitable for families and children of all ages. The tracklist addresses topics of STEM, vaccinations, family, Black history, and the beauty of differences. The collective’s single, “1 Tribe” brings the artists together for an energetic expression of universal belonging and unity.
WHAT’S YOUR VOLUNTEER PASSION? Send a photo of yourself “in action” and tell Tigers Around the World how and why you share your time and talents with others.
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