LSU Alumni Magazine - Summer 2023

2023 HALL OF DISTINCTION

A ndrew w hitworth

A my B ritt A in

Dear LSU Alumni,

The last time I wrote you, I gave you a preview of our statewide bus tour. Now, I want to let you know what it was like. By now, you know I don’t like to exaggerate, but my friends –it was a game changer. We traveled around the state, covering more than 1,000 miles in four days, taking LSU to the people of Louisiana.

We left campus at 6 a.m., headed for our original campus in Pineville, which was built in 1860 with a $105,000 investment by the state. There, we announced the results of our latest economic impact study, showing that our university contributes $6.1 billion in impact to Louisiana’s economy. That’s quite the return on our state’s initial investment

more than 160 years ago. Then we visited the RoyOMartin plywood factory in Chopin, met with alumni and friends in Natchitoches, and welcomed Dr. David Guzik, LSU Health Shreveport’s new chancellor.

We kicked off the next day by having breakfast with some amazing LSU Shreveport faculty and student cancer researchers at Strawn’s Eat Shop then swung through Minden before having a lovely luncheon with alumni, elected officials, and other friends in Monroe. From there, we visited the site of Monroe’s future cancer center, then went through Central Louisiana for a celebration at the RoyOMartin headquarters in Alexandria.

Day three started off by having breakfast with some Lecompte locals at Lea’s Lunchroom, then we hustled over to Jeanerette to learn more about one of the state’s staple crops, sugar cane. Senator Bret Allain hosted our group and took us through the entire growing and harvesting process, complete with a visit to the St. Mary Sugar Co-Op. We ended that section of the day with lunch at the Yellow Bowl, where we met with local agriculture leaders who praised the LSU AgCenter’s continued development of sugar can varieties.

Full of crawfish bisque, we headed to the source of another one of Louisiana’s most prized and precious industries, the Lawson crawfish farm in Crowley, where I had the chance to put on some hip waders and get a little dirty pulling some crawfish traps myself.

We closed the day racing to Lake Charles, where city officials and LSU researchers took us on a sobering tour of the leftover hurricane damage still impacting area residents. LSU professor and state climatologist Barry Keim and LaHouse director Carol Friedland showcased LSU and the AgCenter’s efforts to better protect the region. We had dinner with area alums and officials to share stories and swap opportunities for future collaboration.

The final day started in Convent, where we visited the Shell facility, which is in the midst of its transition into the company’s energy hub of the future – also the centerpiece of our partnership with them. From there, we went into New Orleans, where we had oysters with the Cvitanovich Brothers at Drago’s and discussed LSU researchers’ impact on the oyster industry. From there, it was a short jaunt down the road to the Port of New Orleans, where we announced a cyber-defense partnership with southeast Louisiana’s five major ports.

We closed down the tour with a Northshore reception, visiting with friends, faculty, alumni, and elected officials at the Southern Hotel.

I already loved this state, but the Scholarship First Tour took that to the next level. This is my home, and yours, and I fully embrace LSU’s role in making protecting our past while securing our future. I’m not going to stop bragging about my adopted state and my wonderful university, and I invite you to do the same. We’ve got so much greatness in store, and I look forward to sharing more wonderful news in the very near future.

Sincerely,

William F. Tate IV

Contents

Features

16 2023 Hall of Distinction

Thursday Night Football analyst

Andrew Whitworth and Washington

Post investigative reporter Amy Brittain highlighted the roster of distinguished alumni named to the 2023 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction.

Also inducted were Donald Remy, deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs; Donna DeesThomases, founder of the Million Mom March; Alexander Pierre “A. P.” Tureaud, Jr., a retired educator and the first Black student to enroll at LSU; James B. “Pepper” Rutland, founder and president of MMR Group; and Nancy Perrier, a surgical oncologist and professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The

Publisher

LSU Alumni Association

Joe Carvalhido

President & CEO

Editor

Jackie Bartkiewicz

Marketing Manager

Ally Richardson

Marketing Assistant

Sarah Armstead

Art Director/Graphic Designer STUN Design & Interactive

Kimberly Mackey

Principal/Creative Director STUN Design & Interactive

Chuck Sanchez

Contributors

Barry Cowan, Elsa Hahn, Rachel Holland, Brian Hudgins, Steve Neumann, Marc Stevens, Presley Tyler

Photography

Sarah Armstead, Johnny Gordon/JGPhoto, Brandli Greer, John Grubb, Aniya Hall, Tarun Kakarala, LSU Athletics, Corinne Martin, Amy Parrino, Eddy Perez/LSU Communications & University

Relations, Katherine Seghers/LSU Communications & University Relations, LSU Athletics, Sally Stiel, Mary Clare Trevison

Printing Baton Rouge Printing

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kathryn “Kathy” Fives, Chair-Elect Baton Rouge, La.

Mario J. Garner, Chair-Elect Spring, Texas

David Braddock, Immediate Past Chair Dallas, Texas

Jack A. Andonie, Director Emeritus Metairie, La.

J. Ofori Agboka, Carnation, Wash.

Mark Kent Anderson, Jr., Monroe, La.

Michael B. Bethea, Madisonville, La.

Karen Brack, San Diego, Calif.

Paul Buffone, Baton Rouge, La.

Corey Foster, Lake Charles, La.

G. Archer Frierson, III, Shreveport, La.

James G. “Jimmy” Gosslee, Shreveport, La. Leo C. Hamilton, Baton Rouge, La.

Lauren Olinde Hughes, Houston, Texas R. Scott Jenkins, New Orleans, La. Brandon Landry, Baton Rouge, La. Louis R. Minsky, Baton Rouge, La. Jeffrey M. Mohr, Baton Rouge, La. Jady H. Regard, Lafayette, La. Bart B. Schmolke, Alexandria, La. Rori P. Smith, Baton Rouge, La.

LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the LSU Alumni Association. Annual donations are $75, of which $6 is allocated for a subscription to 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.

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2023 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction

Photo: by Eddy Perez

Hall of Distinction Highlights Spring Events

Congratulations to our newest Hall of Distinction inductees – Alumnus of the Year Andrew Whitworth, Young Alumna of the Year Amy Brittain, The Honorable Donald Remy, Donna Dees-Thomases, Alexander “A.P.” Tureaud, Jr., James B. “Pepper” Rutland, and Dr. Nancy Perrier – whose achievements we recognized and celebrated at the annual gala in March. These individuals have distinguished themselves and their alma mater through their personal and professional accomplishments, and they are an inspiration for all of us. Meet these outstanding Tigers in this issue.

Alumni chapter volunteers across the country participated in Admitted Student Receptions, where alumni were able to meet potential students and answer any outstanding questions they may have had about the LSU experience. The chapters also kicked off our Coast to Coast Crawfish Boils in March. These annual fundraisers help provide LSU scholarships to students across the country – and bring LSU alumni, friends, and fans together for networking and celebration. You’ll find coverage of many of these events online, and we’ll share the big picture of the impact our chapter boils have in the fall issue.

Congratulations are also in order for the LSU women’s basketball team for bringing home the national championship trophy, and LSU gymnastics team, which finished fourth in the NCAA Championships. Read all about their exciting seasons in our Locker Room section.

Football season will be here before you know it! We look forward to visiting with you at home games and hope you’ll join us on the road to cheer for the Fighting Tigers as they take on Florida State, Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama this year and start planning early to take part in the Vegas Kickoff Classic in 2024. We take care of everything – transportation, tickets, hotel accommodations, gameday transportation, pregame events, and more! For information on our sports trip travel packages, visit geaux.lsualumni.org/travel.

If you’re traveling our way this summer, be sure to stop by the Lod Cook Alumni Center for a visit – and plan to spend a few days with us at The Cook Hotel.

In closing, you may recall that in my first president’s letter – in the spring issue – I said it was a privilege to serve you as president, to help grow this excellent organization that serves alumni, faculty, staff, and students. Thank you again for welcoming me to the “family” and for your continued support. We couldn’t do it without you.

Geaux Tigers! Joe Carvalhido President/CEO

LSU Alumni Association AlumniLSU lsualumniassociation

“Thank you again for welcoming me to the “family” and for your continued support.”

LSU Alumni Association

Chapter Events

Dinner with the Sheas – LSU Alumni Association and Cook Hotel employees always look forward to “Dinner with the Sheas,” an annual event hosted by Beverly and Jerry Shea and Harriet Shea, major supporters of numerous University programs. This year’s dinner took place at the Pie Bar at Cane River Pecan Company in New Iberia, La.

Admitted Student

Reception – Welcoming and visiting with future Tigers from Orange County during the Admitted Student Reception at the Westin Hotel in Costa Mesa, Calif., were, from left, Murlyn Burkes, SoCal Alumni Chapter board member; Charles Favors, chapter president; Olivia Cassin, associate director of LSU Admissions; Phil Verpil, director of LSU Admissions; and Ham Hooman, chapter board member.

Gumbo Cook-Off – LSU Carolinas Mardi Gras Gumbo Cook-off took place in February at Hi-Wire Brewing in Charlotte. Fifteen Tiger chefs volunteered their time and gumbo-cooking skills and shared their tasty results with more than 250 attendees, raising more than $2,000 for the LSU Carolinas Scholarship Fund. King cakes were served and provided by Nancy Focht, and DJ Festivus entertained the crowd, which broke out in a second line.

Photo: Amy Parrino

From left, The Roux-Stirs – John Windell, Colin Cathorne, Bronson Stewart, and Brady Mattox, third place; Calcasieu Cookers – Elizabeth Phares and Brian Shirley, first place; and Krewe Rouxgaroux –Johnathan Reynolds, second place.

From left, Pat Bloodworth, Mary Comeaux Glover, Vickie Blanchard, and Phil Gagnet.

Phil Gagnet and Mary Comeaux.

Chapter Summit

Alumni chapter officers from across the country gathered at Lod Cook Alumni Center in February for the annual Chapter Summit. Leighann Westfall, LSU Athletics executive director of external relations, was guest speaker at the Friday luncheon, and Kathy Fives, chair of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors, spoke at the luncheon on Saturday.

The workshop included sessions with campus experts, among them, Phil Verpil, director of LSU Admissions, Olivia Cassin, associate director of LSU Admissions; Lindsay C. McCrory, manager of Parent & Family Relations/ Division of Student Affairs; Brian Hommel, director of LSU Trademark and Licensing; Taylor Jacobs, associate director of LSU Athletics Strategic Initiatives; and Blair Napolitano, assistant director of LSU Athletics Compliance.

Also on the agenda was a group tour of the LSU Vet School and a gymnastics meet at which LSU gymnasts took on and beat the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Houston Chapter made at $30,000 donation to its scholarship endowment.

Photos: Sarah Armstead, Mary Clare Trevison, Sally Stiel

Chapter Summit attendees gather for a group shot.

Touring the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

Josie Taylor, Sally Stiel, and Jennifer Marra.

Left to right: Brandli Greer, Sally Stiel, and Josie Taylor.

A.P. Tureaud, Sr. Chapter members Phaedra Abbott, Adrian King, and Jeremiah Sams.

Houston Alumni Chapter leaders Jennifer Lofton, Kathleen Ponter, Brooke Graham, and Wiley Graham.

Greater Houston Chapter leaders Jennifer Lofton, Brooke Graham, Wiley Graham, Angel Ardoin, Lauren Hughes, and Kathleen Ponter with Mary Clare Trevison, chapters manager, and Joe Carvalhido, Association president.

Chapter leaders gather with Jay Clark, gymnastics head coach.

Cheering on the Tigers at the LSU- Georgia gymnastics meet.

Jeremiah Sams of the A.P. Tureaud, Sr. Chapter with Sydney Andre, Brittany Ernest, and Brandli Greer.

Amy Parrino, center, with SoCal Chapter members Murlyn Burkes, and Suzanne Erdelyi.

Austin Hatcher, Paul West, and Debi West of the Central Florida Chapter.

Panhandle Bayou Bengals Chapter members Peggy Arnold and John Spurny with Tracy Jones.

Looking for Gran Dude –

Photographs of Gil Rew, a longtime, active member and officer of the LSU Alumni Association and the DeSoto Parish Alumni Chapter, and LSU Hall of Distinction inductee, have appeared in this publication many times over the years. And his eight-year-old granddaughter, Ava Rew Britton, keeps track of “Grand Dude’s” photos.

“My granddaughter, Ava, went to the mailbox this evening and came in announcing to her mom, ‘This is the best day ever,’ as she sat down to read,” Rew writes.

“They thought it was a toy magazine, but it was the latest issue of the LSU Alumni Magazine. She not only reads it cover to cover but also looks for my pic. I guess you guys overexposed me in the past. She told her parents, ‘It’s like playing Where’s Waldo, but better.’”

“We love the mag,” Rew continues. “It is the best and most effective communication tool LSU has. Thanks for making all of our lives better. She is right – best day ever!”

EDITOR’S NOTE TO AVA: Grand Dude didn’t make the Spring 2023 issue, but here he is just for you!

LSU Ring Donation – The late Larry Michel’s class ring was donated to the LSU Ring collection by Nanette Harms (1972 BACH HS&E), left, and his widow, Judy Michel, in February. Michel, a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication in 1967 and a master’s degree in speech in 1969.

LSU Retirees – Chuck Boeneke, associate professor dairy science, was guest speaker at the Faculty/Staff Retirees Club meeting in March. The club, which meets monthly for talks, tours, and social activities, is open to all LSU retirees and their spouses. Contact lsu.faculty.staff.ret.club@gmail.com.

Ava Britton peruses each issue of LSU Alumni Magazine

Karen Overstreet, Chuck Boeneke, and Patty Exner. Photo: John Grubb

Houston Tigers Roundup

Mario Garner, president-elect of the LSU Alumni Association Board of Directors, hosted a dinner in March for several Houston-area LSU alumni to share the mission, importance, and benefits of being an active member and supporter of the Association, whose programs benefit and support their alma mater.

A roundtable discussion provided excellent feedback on ways to attract new members who could help grow and strengthen the Association through involvement, engagement, and financial contributions.

Joining Garner were co-host Amy Parrino, Association senior vice president of advancement; Houston Alumni Chapter officers Wiley Graham, vice president, and Brooke Graham, president; and several long-time supporters who shared their reasons for being active members.

Welcome to LSUAA – Joining the LSU Alumni Association team this spring were, from left, Lauren Giffin, director of development and cultivation; Madison Douglas, major gifts officer; and Aniya R. Donald, front desk agent, The Cook Hotel.

Maggie Olinde, Mo Rolfs, Amy Parrino, Lauren Hughes, Aaron Wang, and Kevin Hughes.

The long, long table at the Roundup.

Mac and Ann Wallace.

Ann Callegari, Amy Parrino, and Bill Callegari.

Sherry St. Aubin and Amy Parrino.

Photo: Sarah Armstead

NCAA Women’s Basketball –

The LSU Alumni Association partnered with the LSU National LCLUB and LSU Women’s Basketball team to host a series of events surrounding the NCAA postseason, including pep rallies, tailgates, team sendoffs, and victory celebrations. The Traveling Tigers were in full force in Greenville, S.C., and Dallas, Texas cheering on the team for its first National Championship win in school history. Local sponsors of the events included Visit Baton Rouge,

in Tigerland.

Raising Cane’s, and Fred’s

North Carolina LSU alums Glenn and Kathy Marcel enjoy the Women’s Basketball Playoff festivities in Greenville.

Greenville locals and LSU alums Jim Baumgardner and Camille LaSalle Culbertson joined the Tiger Nation Tailgate for the Elite Eight.

Asheville brothers Marty Fisher and Ron Fisher in Greenville cheering the Tigers at the team sendoff party at the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament.

Coach Kim Mulkey and Pam Cook Forrest at the Final Four playoffs. Forrest was one of four first athletic scholarship recipients in 1974.

LSU Alumni Association President and CEO Joe Carvalhido with LSU Head Coach Kim Mulkey, Coach Bob Starkey, and LSU Women’s Basketball alumni from 2004-2008. During Carvalhido’s time with Women’s Basketball, he was part of five of LSU’s Final Four appearances, three Southeastern Conference regular season titles, and the 2003 SEC Tournament title.

LSU Traveling Tigers Marie Constantin, Tonya Stiel, Sally Stiel, Deborah Woodward, Steve Woodward, Dr. Evelyn Hayes, and Helen Pope get ready to cheer the Tigers on in Greenville.

Rebecca and Kelly Holleman, and Beverly and Jerry Shea celebrate the LSU Women’s Basketball’s first National Championship in Dallas.

Halluin

Scholarship – The 2023 recipients of the Albert P. Halluin Memorial Alumni Scholarship are Chloe Heitmeier, of Cedar Park Texas, and Brittany Ratliff, of Houston, seniors pursuing bachelor’s degrees in biological engineering with an emphasis on nanotechnology.

Halluin was a pioneer biotechnology patent lawyer.

The LSU Alumni Association welcomed the Class of 2027 at the LSU Admissions - Destination LSU event this spring with their LSU Bound signs. The future is bright with these new Tigers!

LSU Alumni Association Vice President Tracy Jones congratulates Brittany Ratliff, top, and Chloe Heitmeier, recipients of the Albert P. Halluin Memorial Alumni Scholarship.

Baton Rouge native and LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction inductee Mark Grant directed his first Men’s NCAA Final Four on CBS as lead director.

THE LSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Board of Directors

THE COOK HOTEL BOARD OF MANAGERS

James W. Moore, III Chair Baton Rouge, LA

Sam J. Friedman Chair Emeritus Natchitoches, LA

Calvin Braxton Natchitoches, LA

Kathryn “Kathy” Fives Baton Rouge, LA Eric Arender Slidell, LA

William “Chuck” Credo, III Metairie, LA

Tommy Morel New Orleans, LA

Andrea “Andi” Oustalet New Orleans, LA

Stephen M. “Steve” Tope Baton Rouge, LA Stanley L. “Stan” Williams Fort Worth, TX

Beverly Shea New Iberia, LA

Corey Foster District 4 Lake Charles, LA

James G. “Jimmy” Gosslee District 5 Shreveport, LA

Leo C. Hamilton At-Large Baton Rouge, LA

Lauren Frances Olinde Hughes At-Large Houston, TX

G. Archer Frierson, III At-Large Shreveport, LA

Paul Buffone At-Large Baton Rouge, LA

R. Scott Jenkins District 2 New Orleans, LA

Mario J. Garner Chair-Elect Spring, TX

J. Ofori Agboka At-Large Carnation, WA

Mark Kent Anderson, Jr. District 6 Monroe, LA

Michael B. Bethea At-Large Covington, LA

David Braddock Immediate Past Chair Dallas, TX

Kathryn “Kathy” Fives Chair Baton Rouge, LA

Karen Brack At-Large Mill Creek, WA

Louis R. Minsky At-Large Baton Rouge, LA

Jady D. Regard District 3 Lafayette, LA

Bart B. Schmolke At-Large Alexandria, LA

Rori P. Smith At-Large Baton Rouge, LA

Jeffrey M. “Jeff” Mohr District 1 Baton Rouge, LA

Brandon Landry District 1 Baton Rouge, LA

Jack A. Andonie Director Emeritus Metairie, LA

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.

ANDREW WHITWORTH, AMY BRITTAIN HIGHLIGHT INDUCTIONS

hursday Night Football analyst Andrew Whitworth and Washington Post investigative reporter Amy Brittain highlighted the roster of distinguished alumni named to the 2023 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction.

Whitworth, Alumnus of the Year, and Brittain, Young Alumna of the Year, were inducted on March 31 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center along with Donald Remy, deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs; Donna Dees-Thomases, founder of the Million Mom March; Alexander Pierre “A. P.” Tureaud, Jr., a retired educator and the first Black student to enroll at LSU; James B. “Pepper” Rutland, founder and president of MMR Group; and Nancy Perrier, a surgical oncologist and professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dan Borné, LSU’s “Voice of the Valley,” served as master of ceremonies for the awards ceremony and music was provided by pianist Doug Pacas.

HONOREES’ PHOTOS

Eddy Perez/LSU Communications & University Relations

CELEBRATION PHOTOS

Johnny Gordon/JG Photography, Eddy Perez

ndrew James Whitworth, an analyst for Amazon's broadcast crew for the National Football League’s “Thursday Night Football on Prime Video,” was an LSU sophomore on the BCS National Championship winning team in 2003, and nearly 20 years later led the Los Angeles Rams to win Super Bowl LVI, the team’s second championship. In 2021, Whitworth was also named NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year.

The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, recognizing excellence on the field and in the community, paid tribute to Whitworth and his wife, Melissa, for their commitment to investing within their communities. From founding the BigWhit77 Foundation to offer leadership and guidance to young people, to providing housing solutions in Los Angeles, their impact has touched countless families and continues to do so.

While with the Los Angeles Rams, Whitworth supported more than thirty foundations and continues to support his community through the LA Regional Food Bank, LA Unified School District, Make a Wish, Boys & Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity, St. Joseph Center, United Way, and many more.

Whitworth’s NFL recognitions include:

Four-time Pro Bowler

Two-time First Team All Pro

2018 NFLPA Alan Page Community Award

2021 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year

He received the following awards and honors as an LSU Tiger:

2005 Second Team All-America, Walter Camp Foundation

2004 First Team All SEC, SEC Coaches, AP 2004 First Team All SEC, SEC Coaches, collegefootballnews.com

2004 Second Team All SEC, AP 2002 First Team Freshman All America, Sporting News, Football Writers Association

2002 SEC All-Freshman Team, SEC Coaches, Sporting News

Whitworth graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general studies from the College of Humanities & Social Sciences in 2005. He and his wife Melissa have four children Sarah, Drew, Michael and Katherine. Whitworth recently returned to Death Valley in 2022 as honorary captain of the Tigers’ victorious game against Alabama.

LSU is home and family. My time at LSU is integral to the man I am today and the career I was able to have. I developed relationships with teammates and coaches that I still hold very closely to mine and my family’s hearts today. It is an honor and privilege to support and be a part of the LSU family. Being able to come back to Death Valley this past season was so surreal, and I am forever grateful to be a Tiger.”

Young Alumna of the Year

my Brittain, an investigative reporter with The Washington Post since 2013, has specialized in coverage related to criminal justice and sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct. Her podcast, “Canary: The Washington Post Investigates,” was named by Apple Podcasts as one of the top twelve podcasts of 2020 and won the 2021 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and the Edward R. Murrow Award.

She was part of a team of Post reporters to win the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting for a groundbreaking database effort to track fatal police shootings. She received a George Polk Award for reporting on steroid abuse by law enforcement, a Mirror Award for breaking the story of sexual misconduct by TV host Charlie Rose, and a James Beard Award for investigative reporting. She was twice named a finalist for the Livingston Awards, which honor the top young journalists in the United States.

Brittain, a 2009 LSU mass communication cum laude graduate, was a reporter for The Daily Reveille. She also holds a master’s degree from the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University.

She was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Summer Commencement ceremony and frequently visits campus to address Manship School of Mass Communication classes, the LSU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and to serve on various discussion panels. She also speaks to future journalists at colleges and universities, among them, Arizona State, Columbia, the University of Missouri, Georgetown, NYU, and George Mason University.

Brittain is a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and a past program coordinator and mentor for Press Pass Mentors, an organization that paired Washington Post journalists with D.C. high school students. In her community, she volunteers for People Animals Love (PAL) with the family Bernedoodle, Dolly, and during the pandemic helped coordinate virtual reading sessions for children to read to dogs over Zoom.

Brittain and her husband, Arman Sheybani, a 2008 LSU biological sciences graduate, live in Arlington, Va., with Jasper, their newborn son, and four-year-old

More than a decade ago, LSU became a second home for me when I first set foot on campus. I gained confidence at LSU because my professors and peers believed in my potential as a journalist. I think they saw something in me before I saw it in myself. I still feel at home when I come back to visit. My best friends are LSU alumni. Most of my family are, too. I met my husband in the Quad, under the oak trees. There’s something about the place that just sticks with you over time and continues to draw you back in, even through many seasons of life.

It’s a special place. I am forever proud to be an LSU alumna.”

he Honorable Donald M. Remy, is a leader, speaker, executive, advisor, attorney, humanitarian, former military officer, and former athletics administrator. He was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the ninth deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2021.

Remy earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from LSU in 1988 and a juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law in 1991. While at LSU, he was involved in the Student Government Association and ROTC and was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Following graduation – carrying on a long tradition of family military service – he was commissioned into the U.S. Army, eventually becoming a captain.

Before his appointment to VA, he was chief operating officer and chief legal officer at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), where he oversaw all strategic planning, operations, budget management, and legal affairs for America’s Higher Education athletics activity. He advised the NCAA governance cabinets, committees, and boards of all three Divisions, and he was central to improving NCAA business, operational, and legal strategies.

In prior government positions, he served as deputy assistant attorney general, Department of Justice; assistant to the general counsel, U.S. Army; detailee, Office of the Secretary of Defense; and law clerk, 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In the private sector, he was an executive vice president, chief compliance officer, and deputy general counsel at Fannie Mae. In his legal career he practiced at the international law firm of O’Melveny & Myers handling complex class action litigation, and served as partner and global practice group chair in the Law Firm of Latham & Watkins. Remy is also involved in a number of memberships and associations, including the A.P. Tureaud Sr., Black Alumni Chapter. He and his wife Alicia

LSU provided the key ingredients for the gumbo of my life. I enjoyed incomparable experiences offering lasting memories and lessons. Starting with the world-class education that widened the aperture of my world perspective. As a resident assistant, I learned skills that made me a great mentor and later in life, a great father. ROTC put me on the path to effective leadership. As chair of the Black Culture Committee, I acquired knowledge about governance, government, and the contributions of people who looked like me.

And oh, to be an LSU Tiger: the school spirit exhibited through athletics permeated everything on and off campus and taught me about community and diversity! Yet, few things had a more lasting impact than Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Through Greek life I made and maintain some of the best friends in my life.

Simply put, when all my student days were done and the shady stately oaks and broad magnolias were but a memory in my heart, I was well prepared to use my time on this earth as a man molded with fidelity to make a difference. I hope that in some small measure, I have – and in the LSU way, I will never stop trying.”

onna Dees-Thomases graduated from LSU in 1979 with a degree in journalism, and later received her master’s degree from Northwestern University. Dees-Thomases’ professional career – primarily at the CBS Television Network – ranged from publicizing comedy gags at the Late Show with David Letterman to amplifying some of the most dramatic world events that otherwise might have been just another story on CBS News.

Her highest profile role was serving as lead spokesperson during the forty days a CBS News crew was held captive in Iraq at the start of Desert Storm in 1991. In his memoir “Forty Days,” correspondent Bob Simon wrote that Donna “managed the flow of information during our captivity so effectively that neither the truth nor our survival prospects were compromised.”

Dees-Thomases left CBS in 1994 shortly before the birth of her first daughter, Lili. After the birth of her second daughter, Phoebe, she returned in a newly created position as co-director of communications for the Late Show with David Letterman. As evidence of her widely respected reputation, and a win for women, the co-directorship was the first CBS sanctioned job share for mothers.

In 1999 during a Late Show vacation week, Dees-Thomases was so outraged over a White Supremacist’s attack on a Jewish day camp in California, she used her public relations skills to launch the Million Mom March held on Mother’s Day 2000. It was the largest protest ever held on the National Mall in the pre-social media age.

In 2004, she penned “Looking for a Few Good Moms,” a memoir about organizing on a grand scale. The book was honored by Oprah with a “Chutzpah Award” for its boldness.

Dees-Thomases returned to CBS News in 2004 to help publicize the storied career of Dan Rather as he retired from the anchor desk. In 2005 she launched an unprecedented public service initiative called “Katrina’s Missing” in which she convinced the entire CBS Network (followed by CNN) to use its airtime to help reunite Gulf Coast families separated by Hurricane Katrina. “Katrina’s Missing” earned her a place in the Manship Hall of Fame at LSU in 2014.

She left CBS in 2013 to begin filming her first documentary “Five Awake.” Winning BEST LOUISIANA FEATURE at the 2016 New Orleans Film Festival, “Five Awake” tells the story of the women advocating for legislative reforms to lower Louisiana’s tragically high rate of domestic violence homicide.

In 2021, Dees-Thomases was featured in Glamour Magazine’s hardcover book “30 Years of Women Who Have Re-Shaped the World.” The book’s forward sums up the selection as a celebration of 100 women “who place civic engagement squarely in front of their

I credit every success in my life to LSU, especially to Dr. Elsie Hebert’s public relations class. Dr. Hebert taught me how to use publicity to uplift worthy causes. And, as lagniappe, that class connected me to a mentor – Dan Borne. Mentors, as we know, play life-changing roles in shaping careers—as did mine. I’ve tried to pay that gift forward by mentoring others. I will be forever grateful.”

lexander Pierre “A. P.” Tureaud, Jr., was the first Black undergraduate to attend LSU. He enrolled in 1953 after his father, A. P. Tureaud, Sr., who fought to overturn segregation nationwide, sued the school for his son’s right to attend.

Tureaud was expelled after an initially successful lawsuit, and though the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the ruling, he completed his undergraduate studies at Xavier University of Louisiana, then earned a graduate degree in rehabilitation counseling from Columbia University in New York. In 2011, fifty-eight years after his expulsion, LSU awarded Tureaud an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

Tureaud taught for ten years in public schools in New Orleans, Washington, DC and White Plains, NY. For the next twenty-six years he was the director of special education in the White Plains School, retiring in 1996. In addition to adjunct teaching at Hunter College, College of New Rochelle and Pace University. Tureaud received a sabbatical grant to study special education programs in Africa and Europe.

Actively involved with LSU’s A. P. Tureaud, Sr. Black Alumni Chapter and other University activities, Tureaud is the recipient of the chapter’s Legends Award and was the keynote speaker at the 2019 College of Art & Design Spring Commencement ceremony, at which he received an Honor Award for his contributions to education. The university stated Tureaud “became a symbol of integration in higher education and paved the way for future minority students.”

Tureaud was guest speaker and honoree at the dedication of Tureaud Hall, named for his father, and the unveiling of his father’s portrait at the LSU African American Cultural Center and the Student Union.

Tureaud now enjoys his leisure time as a free-lance educational consultant, gardener, artist, public speaker, and author. Tureaud and Rachel Emmanuel co-authored A More Noble Cause: A.P. Tureaud and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Louisiana, A Personal Biography, chronicling his father’s more than four decades of efforts for civil rights.

Tureaud and his wife, Fay Darensbourg, have two sons, Alexander Pierre Tureaud, III and Andrew Philip Tureaud, Sr., and two grandchildren, Amanda Paige Tureaud and Andrew Philip Tureaud, Jr.

My personal journey with LSU began seventy years ago and has been a unique and transformative experience. After numerous legal challenges were resolved I entered LSU anticipating a demanding and exciting academic experience of challenges, making new friends and finding a rewarding career path. Instead, rejection, isolation, and racial prejudice destroyed my expectations for success. Fifty-five days after entering, I left LSU.

In 1988, thirty-five years later, I was invited to witness and celebrate the inauguration of the A. P. Tureaud, Sr. Black Alumni Chapter. This historic event helped me resolve my issues with the university and heal the hurt that harbored within me.

From that fantastic experience to the present, the officers and members of the chapter have been a beacon of leadership and accomplishment. They have graciously included me in their activities and initiatives with university administrators, faculty, students, the LSU Alumni Association, and community organizations to provide opportunities for inclusion and equity at LSU.

My journey continues, and I sincerely thank each person responsible for making this honor a reality.”

ames B. “Pepper” Rutland is founder, president, and CEO of MMR Group, Inc., the nation’s largest privately owned merit shop electrical and instrumental contractor. Dedicated to excellence in electrical and instrumental construction, maintenance, and technical services, over the years the company has expanded throughout the country and across the globe.

Before founding MMR Group in 1991, Rutland was chair and CEO of MMR Holding Corporation and president, CEO, and executive vice president of Matthews-McCracken-Rutland Corporation. In 2000, he established the Southwestern Power Group, a leading force in renewable energy markets, and in 2007 began work on the SunZia energy project. He played major roles in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts with Fluor/FEMA.

A graduate of Baton Rouge High School, Rutland attended LSU on a football scholarship. He was a member of the 1971-1972 All SEC Academic Team and captain of the team in 1972. He earned a bachelor’s degree from LSU in 1972 as a member of the first graduating class from the construction technology program, now the construction management program.

Rutland is a corporate sponsor of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, supports an employee wellness center, and is a founding member of the Miracle League at Cypress Mounds, a nonprofit organization created to give children with any type of disability or special needs the opportunity to play baseball as a part of a team and an organized league. He supports the College of Engineering through the mentoring of construction and engineering students and has established two engineering laboratories.

His numerous honors include the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction Award, induction into the College of Engineering Society for Engineering Excellence, Baton Rouge Business Report “Best Places to Work” recognition and, most recently, Baton Rouge Business Report 2022 Hall of Fame Laureate.

Rutland and his wife, Connie, have three children, Kennan, Michael, and the late Jeffrey Rutland, as well as

LSU has been a great place for me. It has helped me forge the foundation of who I am and contributed greatly to the successes I've had throughout my career. I continue to be amazed at the talent which comes from my alma mater, and for that I owe this University much gratitude. I will always be “Forever LSU.”

ancy Perrier is a tenured surgical oncologist and a Ruth and Walter Sterling Endowed professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She leads the section of Surgical Endocrinology as chief and is associate medical director of the Multidisciplinary Endocrine Center.

The section sees a high volume of patients and is recognized for excellent outcomes, nationally funded research, and a top-tier fellowship program. It is the hub of surgical training for endocrine tumors and syndromes and is a base for surgical oncology, surgical endocrinology, endocrine neoplasia, and general surgery for multiple institutions.

In addition, with Perrier at the helm, the program has grown to include multidisciplinary translational research platforms and internationally recognized training. Trainees are those who extend onto productive academic and clinical surgical careers. The investigative and translation efforts have led to the development of robust platforms for sporadic and hereditary endocrine tumors and cancers. The team has brought together an international collaborative group that aims for identifying prognostic factors and novel therapeutics for personalized care.

Perrier’s scholarly works comprise of more than 360 peer-reviewed publications and forty-two book chapters, and three textbooks. Her internationally recognized expertise and interests extend from endocrine tumors, innovative surgery, value of care, and best in care guideline algorithms.

Perrier is highly regarded among her peers for technical mastery, clinical excellence, integrity, initiative, effectiveness, and leadership skills. She serves in multiple capacities at MD Anderson, including clinical chair of the institution’s value initiatives. Her influence extends across multiple organizations where she has served the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) and International Association of Endocrine Surgeons (IAES) and is influential senior author on practice guidelines.

She currently serves on the council of the American Board of Surgery (ABS) and the Complex General Surgical Oncology Specialty Board. She has been tapped as a Master Surgeon Educator, Governor of the American College of Surgeons and immediate past vice president of the Southern Surgical Association.

Perrier earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from LSU in 1989 and a Doctor of Medicine degree from LSU Medical School in 1993. She also has a master’s degree in healthcare management from Rice University’s Graduate School of Business and a value

LSU means purple and gold – pure heart and gold shimmer. I am immensely grateful to this university for affording the development to balance left and right brain. The academic program believed and invested in a “wonder-er.” The social program established robust, lifelong networks and relationships. This support brought confidence to a girl from Opelousas to be curious, knock to open doors, and create novel pathways. LSU trusted me to test and be innovative, take responsible risks, and go beyond its boundaries with novel exchange abroad programs. This took me out of my comfort zone and set a trajectory for life. Did I mention that most importantly, it was at LSU that I met Dan Perrier.”

Around CAMPUS

Alena Allen, deputy director for the Association of American Law Schools and professor of law at the University of Arkansas School of Law, will assume presidency of the Paul M. Hebert Law Center in July. Allen earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University New Orleans and is a graduate of the Yale Law School. She was a law clerk for Samuel H. Mays, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, and Paulette J. Delk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee; an associate in the healthcare group at Arnold & Porter’s Washington, D.C.; and the employee benefits group at Baker Botts in Houston.

Ibrahim Baggili, professor of computer science and cybersecurity, received the Order of Thor medal from the Military Cyber Professionals Association recognizing his meaningful and enduring contributions to the U.S. military cyber community at the organization’s national convention in May. He also spoke at the gathering, known as HammarCon, alongside scholars and leaders in the broader military cyber community of interest.

Laurie Braden, executive director of University Recreation (UREC) received the National IntramuralRecreational Sports Association Foundation Leadership Award recognizing the dedication of a person or group that has actively participated in fulfilling the foundation’s purpose of providing its members meaningful opportunities for scholarship, research, and personal and professional development. Under Braden’s leadership, the UREC has been renovated to the state-of-the-art national model for collegiate recreation and will surpass 750,000 visits during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Noteworthy

Irene Brisson, assistant professor of architecture, received a Getty/ACLS Postdoctoral Fellowship in the History of Art for her project “Kreyòl Architectures: Design in Dialogue in Haitian House Building.”

Eric Burns, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, is part of an international research team that determined the brief burst of high-energy light that swept through the solar system on April 15 came from a supermagnetized stellar remnant known as a magnetar located in a neighboring galaxy. The finding confirms long-held suspicions that some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are cosmic eruptions detected in the sky almost daily, are in fact powerful flares from magnetars relatively close to home.

Laura Hensley Choate, Jo Ellen Levy Yates Endowed Professor, was named director of the the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education, effective April 1. She was previously interim director of the school.

Hany Hassan, professor of civil and environmental engineering, is co-principal investigator on a project with Arora Engineers to develop a statewide guideline on the provision of pedestrian fatalities on Louisiana’s high-speed roads. The project received a $175,000 grant from the Louisiana Transportation Research Center and LA DOTD to find out what can be done to decrease fatalities.

Michael Johnson, assistant professor of management, had his article “Do These Jeans Make Me Feel Fat? Exploring Subjective Fatness, its Workplace Outcomes, and Rethinking the Role of Subjectivity in the Stigmatization Process,” published by Personnel Psychology. It draws on stigma theory, and integrates it with medical

research, to explore the workplace implications of subjective fatness, or how big one feels.

Matt Lee, vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture, was selected as a member of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development.

Shyam Menon, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his work on understanding how solid particles in gas flows interact with material surfaces. A better understanding of this interaction could impact safety and standards for components commonly used in aerospace and power generation

Jyotsna Sharma, assistant professor of petroleum engineering, is leading a team of researchers and LSU and Southern University engineering students to develop and demonstrate a novel, multifunctional distributed fiber-optic sensor (DFOS) that will immediately detect a radiation leak. The project is funded by a $500,000 grant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the first NRC research grant LSU has ever received.

Prasanta Subudhi, professor, LSU AgCenter, received a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to improve the sustainability and profitability of rice cultivation through climate-enhancing research innovations.

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center has been the leading provider of nutrition science for the U.S. Department of Defense for more than three decades. Now, through a new federal

award of $3.6 million, researchers Tiffany Stewart and Jennifer Rood will launch four additional projects to improve the health, performance, and resilience of the American solider and Louisiana guardsmen and cadets.

LSU President William F. Tate IV and LSU alumna Kim Hunter Reed, commissioner of higher education, were among Forbes Magazine’s list of Top 10 Black higher education leaders.

Chen Wang, assistant professor of computer science, received a $470,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand his research on variety of smartphone functions as well as notification privacy. He is developing research into hand gripping as a verification method to unlock smartphones instead of using fingerprint, facial ID, PIN number and/or voice recognition, all of which can be duplicated and reused.

Ying Wang, associate professor of mechanical engineering, received a Board of Regents grant to design a non-metal rechargeable battery for use on Earth and in space that could one day replace lithium batteries, which are expensive and not sustainable.

Rui Zhang, associate professor of physics, received a $786,000 grant for his research to improve radiation treatment outcomes for patients by improving a commonly used radiation therapy technique known as Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT).

• The Provost’s Fund for Innovation in Research announced $1.1 million in faculty research grants to thirty-three projects supporting sustained strategic priorities for the University and for Louisiana. Ranging from the discovery of new antibiotics to underground storage of hydrogen, a low-carbon alternative to oil and gas, to how to effectively remove so-called “forever chemicals” from drinking water and the environment, the projects involve seventy-seven faculty across eight colleges and schools. This is the largest LSU investment in seed funding for faculty research in LSU history.

• The Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering is the first in the country to offer a formal concentration in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). While other institutions are also adding courses, tracks, or certificates related to this topic, Louisiana’s position at or near the epicenter of carbon capture and storage activity adds to the opportunities available to LSU students.

TIGER TRIVIA

1. When was the first Alumnus/Alumna of the Year award conferred?

1905

1958

1934

1966

2. Who was the first person to be named Alumnus/Alumna of the Year?

Roy Young Edwin Edwards

Lodwrick Cook Shaquille O’Neal

3. Which Lady Tiger basketball player is the all-time career scorer?

Seimone Augustus Sylvia Fowles

Joyce Walker Marie Ferdinand

4. Who were the coaches for the player above?

Jinks Coleman and Barbara Swanner and Sue Gunter

Barbara Swanner

Sue Gunter and Bob Starkey and Van Chancellor

Pokey Chatman

5. When did women’s basketball become a varsity sport at LSU?

1906/07 season

1969/70 season

1932/33 season

1975/76 season

6. According to the Student Handbook from 1934-35, what time were rooms required to be cleaned for daily inspection in the men’s barracks?

7:30 AM

9:00 AM

8:00 AM

What inspection?

7. What was Acadian Hall called when it first opened?

John M. Parker Hall Pan American House

Joan C. Miller Hall

James F. Broussard Hall

8. What was Dodson Auditorium called before it received its present name?

Prescott Auditorium

Woodin Auditorium

Lockett Auditorium

Parker Auditorium

9. How long is the term of service for members of the LSU Board of Supervisors?

Two years

Six years

Four years

Ten years

10. What was the first religious center on campus?

St. Alban’s Episcopal Christ the King Catholic University United Methodist Baptist Collegiate Ministry

11. When was the LSU Rural Life Museum established?

1926

1995

1970

2001

12. On what former plantation was the Rural Life Museum established?

Nottoway Oak Alley

Houmas House Windrush

Tiger Trivia is compiled by Barry Cowan, assistant archivist, Hill Memorial Library.

Around Campus

Noteworthy

• LSU researchers and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center are using the Louisiana coastline as a living laboratory to develop a set of engineering and design strategies to protect the Army’s coastal infrastructure and its people. The concept is outlined in Developing Engineering Practices for Ecosystem Design Solutions (DEEDS). University of Delaware researchers are also participating.

• The E.J. Ourso College of Business is among the top fifty Online MBA Programs list of the nation's most outstanding business schools, according to The Princeton Review® in its Best Business Schools for 2023 ranking. The program was included as one of 243 best oncampus MBA programs it recommends to prospective students.

• LSU partnered with Our Lady of the Lake Health, Louisiana’s largest acute-care provider, to operate the Student Health Center. The hospital’s historic $170 million investment as LSU’s Championship Health Partner includes a $40 million

commitment to develop an end-to-end healthcare experience within the Student Health Center and provide in-kind care to uninsured and underinsured LSU students.

• LSU is working with industry to put students on the frontlines of the global fight against cyberattacks. The establishment of a student-run Security Operations Center (SOC) at LSU, with a counterpart at LSU Shreveport, will enhance the security posture of the LSU System. The SOCs will leverage shared resources and threat intelligence across Louisiana and create a blueprint for as many as thirty-one institutions of higher learning in the state to protect themselves from cyberattacks.

• The LSU Center for Internal Auditing, is expanding to include a greater focus on cybersecurity risk and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and has been renamed the LSU Center for Internal Auditing & Cybersecurity Risk Management (LSUCIA&CRM).

• LSU is partnering with Spin, a San Francisco-based company, to provide electric scooter transportation for students, faculty, staff, and visitors on campus. The initiative is part of a Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering micromobility research project on transportation sustainability and efficiency. The project is part of the research portfolio of the Transportation Consortium of South-Central States (Tran-SET), an LSU-led U.S. Department of Transportation collaborative partnership among eleven institutions across five states.

• LSU and the U.S. Secret Service entered into an agreement for technology and talent development in cyber for state and national security. The Memorandum of Understanding strengthens the interactions and collaborations in research, talent, and outreach, and initial engagements span computer science and cybersecurity, athletics, and continuing education.

MBA Abroad

Full-time and online LSU MBA students recently visited Barcelona, Lisbon, Singapore, and Vietnam as part of a study abroad program.

Pictured are EMBA Flex students at the Pace Institute of Management in Ho Chi Minh City, where Solutions Director Dan Bass discussed economic, social, and political dynamics in Vietnam.

Bald Eagle Release – Women’s Basketball Coach Kim Mulkey, accompanied by Mark Mitchell, professor zoological medicine, and firstyear veterinary student Alec Filson, opened the crate to release a bald eagle treated by the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Hospital. The eagle was unable to fly and appeared to have injuries consistent with being involved in combat with another eagle. Vet Med veterinarians, staff, and students provided the eagle with supportive care, including fluids, analgesics for pain control, antibiotics, and surgery to help remedy his ailments.

LSU Launches Global Learning Program

Students in the Pre-Scholars Academy (PSA) traveled to Dakar, Senegal, in March as part of the program’s first global experience.

Established by the Office of Retention & Student Success, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, College of Human Sciences & Education, and E. J. Ourso College of Business, the initiative serves to identify students who have not yet reached their full scholastic potential and to support them in unlocking any barriers to college success. More than 250 students have enrolled and completed the program.

“An international experience is one of the most valuable educational opportunities that any student can have,” said Roy Haggerty, LSU executive vice president and provost. “I am proud of LSU for offering this opportunity to these exceptional students.

The goal is to equip students with a better understanding of leadership, course preparedness, and resources available at LSU and expose them to the world beyond Louisiana. The itinerary explored six of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Students had the opportunity to learn Senegal’s Wolof language, visit informal settlements to understand the realities of sanitation in host communities, and meet local Senegalese families, among other immersive events. The program introduced the students to Senegal’s rich culture and its strong ties to Louisiana.

LSU secured a grant from the Institute of International Education to cover the cost of the scholars’ passports.

Photo: Eddy Perez/LSU Communications & University Relations

Photo: LSU Flores MBA

PSA students gather for a photo at the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar.

Distinguished Research Masters, Dissertation Award Recipients

Recognizing their exceptional research and scholarship, Fahui Wang, the Cyril & Tutta Vetter Alumni Professor of Geography & Anthropology, and Guoqiang Li, the Major Morris S. & DeEtte A. Anderson Memorial LSU Alumni Professor of Mechanical Engineering, were named Distinguished Research Masters by the Office of Research & Economic Development.

Wang was honored for his scholarship in the arts, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences; Li for his research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

LSU’s Economic Impact

The LSU Alumni Association and the LSU Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School presented Distinguished Dissertation Awards to two doctoral students whose research and writing demonstrate superior scholarship.

Eunhan Cho , a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Kinesiology, earned the Distinguished Dissertation Award in Science, Engineering, and Technology.

Kimberly Davis (2021 MAST HS&E, 2022 PHD HS&E), a data analyst at Penn State University’s Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform, received the Josephine A. Roberts LSU Alumni Association 2023 Distinguished Dissertation Award in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

LSU supported $6.1 billion in Louisiana economic output, over $2.4 billion in statewide earnings and an estimated 45,700 direct and indirect annualized jobs in fiscal year 2021-2022. This equals $690 of output per Louisianan and $13.85 for every dollar of Louisiana state funding provided to LSU.

Fahui Wang. Guoqiang Li.

Eunhan Cho. Kimberly Rogers Davis.

Sixth Grade Day

LSU’s eighth run of “Sixth Grade Day,” a day of academic exhibits and touring for middle- school students, took place in March. Presentations about humanities, science, engineering, the arts, and agriculture took place, and tour stops included visits to the Museum of Natural Science, Shaver Theatre, PMAC, and LSU Dairy Store.

Since 2016, LSU has welcomed more than 15,000 sixth graders to its campus.

Sixth Grade Day is a program of the Capital Area Promise, a collaborative effort among LSU, Southern University, Baton Rouge Community College, and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. It was established to create more pathways to college and careers, and jumpstart conversations with students and families around college readiness.

Largest-Ever Investment for Faculty Research

The Provost’s Fund for Innovation in Research announced $1.1 million in seed-funding faculty research grants to support sustained strategic priorities for the LSU and Louisiana. It is the largest LSU investment in seed funding for faculty research in University history.

FACULTY RESEARCH PROJECTS SPANNING MULTIPLE PRIORITIESAGRICULTURE, BIOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, COAST AND ENVIRONMENT, DEFENSE AND CYBERSECURITY AND ENERGY

• Dimitris Nikitopoulos, College of Engineering

• Ipsita Gupta, College of Engineering

• Weishan Huang, School of Veterinary Medicine

• Supratik Mukhopadhyay, College of Coast & Environment

• Marcio de Queiroz, College of Engineering

• Yimin Zhu, College of Engineering

• Fabio Capra-Ribeiro, College of Art + Design

• Terrence Tiersch, College of Agriculture

• Noemie Elgrishi, College of Science

• Achim Herrmann, College of Science

• Yen-Fang Su, College of Engineering

• Gregory Thom, College of Science

• Jill Trepanier, College of Humanities & Social Sciences

• Suniti Karunatillake, College of Science

• Kelli Kelley, College of Art + Design

• Benjamin Kahan, College of Humanities & Social Sciences

• Michelle Zerba, College of Humanities & Social Sciences

FACULTY LEADING BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Eileen Haebig, College of Humanities & Social Sciences

• Mario Rivera, College of Science

• Nicholas Fears, College of Human Sciences & Education

• Alex Garn, College of Human Sciences & Education

• Craig Hart, College of Science

• Kevin Hoffseth, College of Engineering

• Yong Lee, College of Science

• Karen Maruska, College of Science

• Anastasios Vourekas, College of Science

• Sibei Xia, College of Agriculture

FACULTY LEADING COASTAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Huanping Huang, College of Humanities & Social Sciences

• Carol Wilson, College of Science

• Yi-jun Xu, College of Agriculture

FACULTY LEADING ENERGY RESEARCH PROJECTS

• Kunlun Ding, College of Engineering

• Xiangyu Meng, College of Engineering

• Ying Wang, College of Engineering

Jeffrey Springer, an IT specialist in the Department of Geology & Geophysics, works with students at a topography exhibit.

Photo: Katherine Seghers/LSU Communications & University Relations

Matt Lee Named VP for Agriculture

Matt Lee was named vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture in March after serving as interim vice president and dean since August 2022.

“Matt’s leadership has already yielded positive results for the AgCenter and the College of Agriculture, and his guidance in terms of research and infrastructure will continue us on the path to top-ranked standing in America,” President William F. Tate IV said. “Agriculture is a key part of our Scholarship First Agenda, serves as the state’s secondlargest industry and is critical to our national security. Growth in agricultural research and technology will not only improve our reputational standing – it will also secure our future.”

Lee has served in a variety of roles at LSU, including interim executive vice president and provost, vice provost for academic programs and support services, and senior associate vice president for research. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees from LSU and is a graduate of the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard University.

Lau Named M&DA Dean

Law Veterans – The LSU Law Veterans Advocacy Club hosted a "Veterans in the Legal Field" event in March to provide resources and advice to active military personnel and military veterans who are interested in attending law school. The distinguished panel of guests, pictured with LSU Law Interim Dean Lee Ann Wheelis Lockridge, included Charlton Meginley (JD 2002) Jim Letten, Harry J. “Skip” Philips (1972 BACH H&SS, JD 1983), Jay O’Brien (JD 1999), Mike Walsh (1979 BACH H&SS, JD 1983), David Rozas (JD 2004), and Lucas Schenk (JD 2020).

Eric Lau assumed deanship of the College Music & Dramatic Arts in July. He was formerly dean of the Honors College and the University College at the University of New Mexico.

A saxophonist, active performer, and teacher, Lau presented concerts, masterclasses, and clinics throughout the U.A., Europe, Puerto Rico, and Brazil, and as a concerto soloist has been featured at the National and Regional North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and the Roswell Symphony. He cofounded a saxophone quartet, Iridium, that has produced four professional CDs and eight world-premiere recordings and is a regular performer with the New Mexico Philharmonic, the Santa Fe Symphony, and the Santa Fe Opera.

Lau earned a bachelor’s degree in music from LSU and was a member of The Golden Band from Tigerland. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees in musical arts from Michigan State University.

Poet’s Descendants Discover Their Roots

After fifty years of searching for their grandfather’s longlost publications as part of a family genealogical project, two cousins from Maryland, Renee Anderson and Sharon Young, had no idea that they would find what they had been searching for more than 1,000 miles from home. Young reached out to the Library of Congress for help and discovered that LSU Libraries Special Collections has a signed, first edition of Gems of the Soul: A Book of Verse and Poetic Prose, written by their grandfather Harry Wilson Patterson in 1938.

“After searching for so many years, to be able to call LSU and say, ‘That’s my grandfather!’ makes the whole thing come alive in a different way. It’s not just a book on a shelf. It gives it energy. It has made a family be proud of their legacy. It is such a gift,” Anderson said.

LSU acquired Patterson’s book as part of the Wyatt Houston Day Collection of Poetry by African Americans, which LSU purchased in 2022. It was among the first items cataloged and listed online, which enabled the Library of Congress to find it just in time when Young contacted them in January 2023.

Anderson and Young discovered that LSU had not only his book but also a broadside of his poem "Sleep On!" which he wrote in honor of the lives lost on Pearl Harbor Day during World War II and which had not been cataloged yet. “Sleep On!” won him a citation from the U.S. Navy and was distributed around the world.

Patterson, born in North Carolina in 1897, served in World War I. He attended the Howard University School of Religion and by 1938 was serving as an ordained minister. During World War II, he worked as a draftsman and artist for the Navy. He retired from government service in 1952. In a brief autobiography in Gems of the Soul he wrote, “I am determined not only to serve this present age, but to leave an imprint upon the sands of time, that the coming generations may rise up and call me blessed. I shall leave to my children a heritage of which they may be proud.”

“The autobiography at the beginning of the book gave us so much information about our family that we didn’t know about. It was like a roadmap for us to go all the way back to 1897,” Anderson said, “So many things have come out of this. It’s not just about the book. It’s about how much we are learning still. It’s like an awakening—that’s the best way I can describe it.”

“While Patterson may not be a particularly well-known poet, this story represents exactly the type of realworld impact we want this collection to have on members of the public,” said John David Miles, curator of books at LSU Libraries. “It highlights the scope and vibrancy of African American poetic accomplishments and the importance of this collection for Louisiana and beyond.”

“Having it at LSU means it lives on forever. I’m honored that it will live on forever,” Anderson said.

Harry Wilson Patterson.

“Having it at LSU means it lives on forever.”

CRS Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary

Robert Twilley Named VP for Research

Governor John Bel Edwards joined officials from LSU, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, and local and federal elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the LSU Center for River Studies (CRS).

Since opening in 2018, the CRS has hosted more than 15,000 visitors, among them federal and state politicians, scientists and engineers from around the world, coastal advocates, students and educators of all ages, and artists.

The CRS is home to the 10,000-square-foot Lower Mississippi River Physical Model, an invaluable tool managed by CPRA staff and operated by LSU. Its primary goal is to help planners, scientists, and engineers obtain a better understanding of sediment management in the lowermost Mississippi River.

Robert Twilley was named vice president for research and economic development after serving as interim vice president since October 2022.

“Robert’s leadership as the interim vice president has already made a positive impact on our research endeavors,” President William F. Tate IV said. “A new study shows that LSU’s economic impact on our state equates to $6.1 billion each year. It is absolutely essential that we have the right person for this job, and Robert’s expertise in this area is exactly what LSU and Louisiana need.”

An expert in the field of coastal and environmental sciences, Twilley is founder and former director of the LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio and a professor of oceanography and coastal sciences. He was vice president for research at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and executive director of Louisiana Sea Grant.

Twilley holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from East Carolina University and a doctorate from the University of Florida.

Chip Kline, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority chair, and Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Photo: Katherine Seghers/LSU Communications & University Relations

LSU Research Recognizes Rainmakers

Six LSU faculty members received Rainmaker awards from the Office of Research & Economic Development recognizing sustained and continuing work as well as the impact that work has had on the academic community and beyond.

The Rainmakers, at the early, middle and senior stages of their careers, have established track records in securing external research funding and publishing in high-impact journals. The award is made possible in partnership with Campus Federal Credit Union.

EMERGING SCHOLAR

Arts, Humanities, Social & Behavioral Science

Yu April Chen, assistant professor of education, applies advanced statistical and qualitative methods to study community college transfer students, STEM success among underrepresented student populations, and the experiences of international students.

EMERGING SCHOLAR

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

Emmanouil

Chatzopoulos, associate

professor of physics and astronomy, is a theoretical and computational astrophysicist specializing in supercomputer simulations to understand extreme astrophysical events.

MID-CAREER SCHOLAR

Arts, Humanities, Social & Behavioral Science

Sunyoung Park, associate professor of education, researches

organizational culture and behavior, learning and performance in the workplace leadership and research trends.

MID-CAREER SCHOLAR

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

Z. George Xue, associate professor of oceanography and coastal sciences, researches physical-bio-geochemical modeling, coastal and ocean carbon cycling, and coupled atmospheric-hydrological modeling.

SENIOR SCHOLAR

Arts, Humanities, Social & Behavioral Science

Mark Samuel Wagner, professor of Arabic, focuses his research on classical Arabic literature, Arabic vernacular literature, Islamic law, and MuslimJewish relations.

SENIOR SCHOLAR Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

Shengmin Guo, professor of mechanical engineering, researches in the fields of thermal fluids, instrumentation, power generation, laser additive manufacturing, and high-temperature materials.

Photos: LSU Communications & University Relations

President’s Day, ROTC Awards

LSU paid tribute to its military heritage on March 23 at the President’s Day Parade and Change of Command Ceremony at the LSU War Memorial on the Parade Ground.

Rear Admiral Dion D. Anglish, vice director J4, Joint Staff, U.S. Navy, and Colonel Corey M. Ramsby, commander, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Maxwell Air Force Base, served as members of the Pass in Review team.

Following the parade, America’s future military officers were honored for their accomplishments at the annual Joint ROTC Awards Ceremony. The Corps of Cadets includes the LSU Army and Air Force ROTC and Southern University Navy ROTC. The annual event is sponsored by LSU and Cadets of the Ole War Skule.

Tom W. Dutton Scholarships

LSU Campus Life awarded the 2022 Tom W. Dutton Scholarship to ten female students recognizing their participation, leadership, and outstanding service in campus and community activities and a 3.0 gradepoint average. The award carries a $250 or $500 stipend.

Dutton was a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors from 1940-1967, serving as vice chair and chair from 1940-1944 and 1950-1952, respectively.

Recipients are Morgan Ashley Bourque, senior, Management and Human Resources, Gonzales, La.; Kennedy Cook, junior, Ogden Honors College, Biological Sciences, Grand Prairie, Texas; Emily Demps, sophomore, Ogden Honors College, International Management, Atlanta; Grace Gandy, doctoral student, Leadership and Human Resource Development, New Orleans; Bethany A. Hager, doctoral student, Leadership and Human Resource Development, Taunton, Mass.; Meghan Hodges, doctoral student, Comparative Literature, Baton Rouge; Sara Martin, senior, Ogden Honors College, Political Science and Sociology, Watson, La.; Silvia Jessenia Murillo Miguez, doctoral student, Nutrition and Food Science, Quevedo, Ecuador; Angel Elizabeth Puder, senior, Political Science and African and African American Studies; Houston; and Ankita Rathour, doctoral student, English Literature and Global Film, Bihar, India.

Photo: Tarun Kakarala

Scholarship First Inaugural Tour

LSU President William F. Tate IV traveled a 1,000-mile winding route around Louisiana in March, learning more about some of the state’s key industries, listening to stakeholders, and visiting with alumni and elected officials to ensure alignment of LSU’s statewide priority in serving Louisiana.

During the tour, LSU made two momentous announcements. At the site of LSU’s original campus in Pineville, La., the University announced that LSU supported $6.1 billion in Louisiana economic output, over $2.4 billion in statewide earnings, and an estimated 45,700 direct and indirect annualized jobs in fiscal year 2021-2022. To cap off the tour at the Port of New Orleans, a partnership with Louisiana’s largest ports to advance cyber talent and protect critical infrastructure was announced. The tour also stopped in Convent to learn more about how Shell, one of LSU’s partners, is preparing for the future of energy to maintain Louisiana’s position as the nation’s energy powerhouse.

These are only a few of the exciting moments Tate shared along the tour. Visit lsu.edu/blog to learn more about how Scholarship First is working to elevate the lives of Louisianans in every parish.

MONDAY, MARCH 13

President Tate and the Scholarship First tour bus departed from LSU’s Memorial Tower bright and early, with a special send-off from Coach Kim Mulkey. After a stop for boudin, the bus headed to LSU’s original campus in Pineville for an important economic impact announcement, then rolled through Natchitoches – the Meat Pie Capital of

– stopping in Shreveport for the evening.

Louisiana

Photos: Eddy Perez/LSU Communications & University Relations

The inaugural Scholarship First tour covered more than 1,000 miles in four days, winding from Baton Rouge through Pineville and Shreveport and back down through Monroe and Lake Charles, with many stops in between.

President Tate learned about the crawfishing industry at Lawson's Crawfish and Rice Farm in Crowley.

The LSU team visits with Senator Bret Allain to get an up-close look at sugar cane farming in Jeanerette.

President Tate visited with LSU Shreveport faculty and students studying plant-based cancer treatments using the school’s Cyber-Collaboratory. Pictured with Tate are Larry Clark, LSUS chancellor, left, and Dr. David Guzick LSU Health Shreveport chancellor.

President Tate talked with Congresswoman Julia Letlow and Rep. Francis Thompson at a gathering in the home of Randy and Cherry Morris in Monroe.

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

Tuesday took President Tate on a picture-perfect road trip through North Louisiana with stops in the Minden –the Friendliest City in the South – and other sites in Sportsman’s Paradise, giving way to glimpses of the state’s agricultural past and its future. After a lunchtime social in Monroe, the bus made its way back to Central Louisiana for a reception hosted by LSU alumnus Roy O. Martin in Alexandria.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

After breakfast at Lea’s Lunchroom, the bus departed from Lecompte, making its way through New Iberia to the “Sugar City,” Jeanerette, to learn more about the importance of sugarcane to the Louisiana economy. Next up, a mad dash to Cajun Country to harvest crawfish in Crowley, before ending the day in Lake Charles.

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

On the final day of the tour, the bus hustled down to Convent to visit with Shell, then over to the Big Easy for lunch at Drago's and a discussion of oyster farming in Louisiana. From there, the group visited the Port of New Orleans to make an exciting partnership announcement, then ended the day celebrating on the Northshore with LSU family and friends.

President William F. Tate IV, center, with, from left, Laura Mellem, chief of staff, Port of New Orleans; Melanie Montroll, chief, Harbor Police Department, Port of New Orleans Harbor Police Department; Katie Klibert, vice president/commissioner, Port of South Louisiana Board of Commissioners; and Chett Chiasson, executive director, Greater Lafourche Port Commission.

The Scholarship First Tour stopped in Convent to visit with the University’s partners at Shell and explore the future of energy innovation for Louisiana.

Preserving Mementos of War and Service

By Elsa Hahn

Personal documents belonging to active-duty military and veterans, such as handwritten letters, emails, photos, and social media posts, help humanize the American war experience and become part of our shared history – but not if they’re lost, hidden, forgotten, or destroyed.

An LSU researcher is now offering resources to help make sure the latter doesn’t happen.

For the vast majority of Americans, mementos that tell stories of war are found in archives and museums. But for those who serve in the military, these objects are also found in attics and garages, in closets, and under beds – and, increasingly, on digital devices, such as cell phones and computers. Some of these keepsakes eventually make their way into archives and museums, donated by veterans and their families, but when they don’t, some aspect of the story of the American war experience inevitably goes untold.

“I kept coming back to this question; how do you pass down a bunch of emails?” said Edward Benoit, III, associate professor in the LSU School of Library & Information Science and director of the Virtual Footlocker Project. “You probably don’t.”

Benoit is a military veteran, and so was his father. When his father, a retired Air Force officer, died in 2011, Benoit inherited his physical footlocker, a box filled with handwritten letters, photographs, journals, and other memorabilia.

“As a trained archivist, I couldn’t help wondering how the people I served with, especially with the advent of social media around the time of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, would pass on their memories,” Benoit said.

Over the past five years, Benoit has conducted research with activeduty military and veterans and gathered resources to make it easier for those who serve to preserve their memorabilia for themselves and others. He has developed two sets of curricula that are now freely available on the Virtual Footlocker Project website. One is for active-duty military and veterans, and the other trains archivists and cultural heritage workers on how to work with service members and veterans.

“For those serving in the military and for veterans, as well as archivists and museum professionals, the resources provided as part of the LSU Virtual Footlocker Project serve as a comprehensive guide to documenting and safeguarding a legacy of service,” said Kimberly Guise, senior curator and director for curatorial affairs at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. “These valuable sources can give us a glimpse into the individual experiences of those in service –the insecurities, the inspirations, the everyday – that are incredibly relatable and key to sharing the stories of those in wartime.”

While World War II has been thoroughly documented, the same isn’t true of later wars, including the war in Korea between 1950 and 1953. Preserving mementos from all wars is essential to balance the historical record, Benoit argues.

“Helping soldiers and archivists save military memorabilia.”

Edward Benoit, III, shown here during his first week of basic training, is now an associate professor in the LSU School of Library & Information Science and director of the Virtual Footlocker Project.

Retired Air Force Major Edward Benoit, Jr., far left, sent handwritten letters back home, many of which were stored in a footlocker, the inspiration for the LSU Virtual Footlocker Project.

Army veteran and archivist Tara Garbutt helped shape the Virtual Footlocker Project as part of its many focus groups and is pursuing her second master’s degree at LSU.

“People forget about the Korean War all the time,” Benoit said. “There was a poll several years ago that found a majority of people thought the Korean War lasted eleven years than its actual length because M*A*S*H, the TV show, lasted eleven years. People’s interpretation of the Korean War pretty much became M*A*S*H, even though M*A*S*H was a satire about Vietnam that just happened to be set in Korea.”

An Army veteran who participated in Benoit’s research as part of a focus group is New Orleans resident Tara Garbutt. Inspired by the research and wise from her family’s experience of

losing “a lot of stuff” after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 when they had nine feet of water in their house, Garbutt is now pursuing a second master’s degree to become an archivist at LSU in Baton Rouge.

“I’ve always loved history,” Garbutt said. “As a veteran and archivist, I see the value in LSU’s Virtual Footlocker Project because I didn’t really think of saving my military stuff, and I lost a lot. That teaches you something.”

Elsa Hahn is director of Strategic Research Communications in the Office of Research & Economic Development

Kimberly Guise, senior curator and director for curatorial affairs at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

Locker ROOM

Record-Setting Run

LSU Women’s Basketball Claims First National Championship

As the final seconds of the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship ticked away, LSU Coach Kim Mulkey held back tears but ultimately was overcome with emotion. The No. 3 seeded Tigers defeated the No. 2 seeded Iowa Hawkeyes, 102-85, to claim the first national championship in program history.

“With about 1:30 to go [in the game], I couldn’t hold it. I got very emotional. That’s really not like me until that final buzzer goes off, but I knew we were going to hold on and win this game,” Mulkey said in her postgame interview. “I don’t know if it’s the mere fact that we’re doing this in my second year back home. I don’t know if it was the fact that I am home. … I don’t know if it was looking across at LSU. I don’t know what it was, but I lost it.”

The road to championship glory wasn’t an easy one. During the offseason, the second-year coach had to “Piece it 2gether,” the team’s mantra this season.

After returning just one contributor from last year, Mulkey brought in nine new pieces – freshmen and transfers

– to build out her squad. Despite the odds, the team sprinted out the gates to a 23-0 start, and ultimately finished the season 28-2 before earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

LSU began the tournament hosting No. 14 seed Hawaii and No. 6 seed Michigan in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center after being selected as a host site for the first two rounds. They defeated both teams handily by an average margin of 23.5 points.

The Tigers traveled to Greenville, S.C., for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. After a hard fought, back-andforth, three-point win against No. 2 seed Utah, and a decisive defensive performance against No. 9 seed Miami, LSU secured their spot in the Final Four.

An incredible fourth-quarter comeback from the Tigers over No. 1 seed Virginia Tech secured a spot in the title game against Iowa.

LSU’s title run was led by AllAmerican sophomore forward Angel Reese, who tallied 128 points and 91 rebounds and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. But after two first-quarter fouls saw the Baltimore native sidelined after

“With about 1:30 to go [in the game], I couldn’t hold it. I got very emotional. That’s really not like me until that final buzzer goes off, but I knew we were going to hold on and win this game.”

The Women's Basketball team poses for a photo with the National Championship trophy.

Jasmine Carson (#2) and Last-Tear Poa (#13) celebrate on the court with Coach Kim Mulkey. Carson banked in a three-point shot as the halftime buzzer sounded.

just nine minutes of action, the Tigers needed an offensive spark, and they found it in an unlikely hero: graduate student guard Jasmine Carson.

She came off the bench shooting 7-7 from the field, including five 3-point shots. By the time the first half came to a close, Carson had scored 21 points, and the Tigers had amassed a 59-42 lead that they would never relinquish.

“This was the game of my life. I won a national championship on the biggest stage possible,” Carson said. “Everybody’s journey is different. You should just embrace your journey. I couldn’t have wanted a better ending than for it to end like this.”

Carson’s performance propelled LSU’s offense to a day that rewrote the record book. The Tigers’ broke NCAA Tournament marks for most points in a quarter (32), points in a half (59), and points in a National Championship game (102), and broke the LSU singleseason record for 100-point games (6). Reese added 15 points and 10 rebounds to secure her 34th doubledouble and set the NCAA record for double-doubles in a season.

But it wasn’t just offense that helped the Tigers claim their first championship. The Tigers needed to find an answer for Iowa’s superstar and National Player of the Year, Caitlin Clark.

Clark had been dominating the NCAA Tournament, averaging 32.0 points per game, including scoring 41 in the Hawkeyes Final Four victory against defending champions South Carolina which ended the Gamecocks perfect season.

Fifth-year senior guard Alexis Morris had the unenviable task of defending Clark for most of the contest. Despite allowing 30 points, Morris' defense played a huge role in containing the Hawkeye junior. Clark shot just 40.8% from the field, her lowest percentage in her last three games, and couldn't find her rhythm for long stretches of the game.

"She didn't keep them from scoring, they're that good," Mulkey said of Morris. "But what she did is she made every shot they took a little bit more difficult instead of easy.”

The game was an incredible display of competitive moments and offensive fireworks, which was watched by millions.

Rewriting the Record Book

Most Watched NCAA D1 Women’s Basketball Game on Record (9.9 Million Viewers)

First D1 women's basketball coach to win championships at two different programs (Kim Mulkey)

NCAA Record for Double-Doubles in a Season (Angel Reese - 34)

NCAA Tournament Record for Points in a Quarter (32)

NCAA Tournament Record for Points in a Half (59)

NCAA Tournament Records for Points in a Championship Game (102)

LSU Record for 100 Point Games in a Season (6)

According to Nielsen Fast Nationals, the matchup drew 9.9 million across all networks, and became the most-viewed NCAA D1 women’s college basketball game on record. The contest’s viewership peaked at 12.6 million and jumped 103% from 2022.

“I felt like I helped grow women’s basketball this year,” Reese said. “I’m super happy and excited, so I’m looking forward to celebrating into next season.”

Locker Room is compiled and edited by writer and sports lover Marc Stevens, project manager at STUN Design. Marc has covered LSU Athletics and written for local publications including The Daily Reveille and DIG Magazine

Locker Room photos provided by LSU Athletics.

Angel Reese jumps with joy as the clock hits zero and crowns the Tigers as National Champions.

A Champion’s Reception

LSU Women’s Basketball Team, Fans Celebrate First-Ever Title

Coach Kim Mulkey donned a sparkly purple jacket emblazoned with Tigers as she and her squad paraded across campus and down Victory Hill, while thousands clad in purple and gold lined the streets to celebrate the program’s first National Championship.

The parade ended, but the festivities continued as fans packed inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to hear from the team as well as guest speakers, including Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.

“Louisiana always had faith in you, but more importantly, you had faith in yourselves, and you were smart enough to not listen to all of the experts who said you didn’t have a chance,” said Governor Edwards. “Instead, you worked hard, you demonstrated excellence, and you competed. And as a result, you won the first ever basketball National Championship in the history of Louisiana State University.”

Mayor Broome also stepped up to the podium to praise the Tigers and called up Coach Mulkey to present her the key to the city.

Outgoing senior guard Alexis Morris was the lone contributor that returned from last year’s roster. She thanked the Tiger faithful for the devotion they showed throughout the season.

"LSU, thank you. I appreciate your love, your unwavering support and for believing in us," Morris said. "I just want you all to know I love you with all my heart."

To close out the celebration, LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward presented Morris and the Tigers with the 2023 National Championship Trophy.

As Morris hoisted the trophy above her head, fireworks burst, golden streamers fell through the air, the LSU Bengal Brass Band began to play, and the team led the crowd in the “Geaux Tigers” cheer.

It was an iconic ending to a storybook chapter in the history of LSU sports, and when the Tigers take the floor next season, they will have a new name: Reigning National Champions.

“LSU, thank you. I appreciate your love, your unwavering support and for believing in us...

I just want you all to know I love you with all my heart.”

Fireworks and purple and gold streamers fill the PMAC to cap off the championship festivities.

Coach Kim Mulkey celebrates with Tiger fans while riding in the championship parade.

Thousands of LSU faithful lined the streets of campus to cheer on the women's basketball team.

LSU Gymnastics’ Magical, Improbable Run Ends at NCAA Championship

All season long, the sixth-ranked LSU Gymnastics team fought through injuries and defied the odds to be one of the final four squads competing at the 2023 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championship.

The Tigers started their postseason journey tying for first place with No. 11 Oregon State in the second round of the Denver Regional. But the script was flipped in the regional final after No. 14 Denver, the lowest-ranked team, shocked the field and took first.

LSU came back in the final rotation to secure a tie with No. 3 Michigan, and, after a tense few minutes while the judges conferred, it was announced that the Tigers won the tiebreaker to upset the Wolverines and advance to the next round.

They used their momentum to win the national semifinal with a 197.475 score to earn their ninth-ever berth to the NCAA Championship. LSU was joined in the Final Four by No. 2 Florida by virtue of a second-place finish in the semifinal.

“This team has been so gritty this entire year. They keep doing what they

have to do,” said Coach Jay Clark. “I’m just so proud of this team and [I am] enjoying the ride. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose. They’re leaving their mark on this program regardless of outcome.”

Unfortunately, Clark’s squad ran out of magic and their improbable run was cut short.

The Tigers posted a 197.5250 score which saw them at the bottom of the standings. Despite LSU's last-place finish, junior Haleigh Bryant spent the day rewriting the record book.

She scored a 9.95 on the bars, 9.9875 on vault, and tallied a 39.725 allaround to set the team records at the NCAA Championship. As a team, the Tigers’ vault score of 49.525 set a new program mark at the event.

“We’ve been riding the wave and going where it takes us. The adversity of this team has been spoken about so much and you saw the fight in them today,” Clark said. “At the end of the meet, I just told them how in awe I am of them. I want them to enjoy these moments.”

“At the end of the meet, I just told them how in awe I am of them. I want them to enjoy these moments.”

The LSU Gymnastics team hoists the 4th place trophy at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship.

Haleigh Bryant poses while performing her routine during the NCAA Gymnastics Championships.

Purple and White Tie 32-32 National L Club Spring Game

The LSU football team competed in the National L Club Spring Game, the annual intramural contest to end spring practice. This year’s format continued the offense and defensive scrimmage that was started in 2022.

The Tigers’ offense was labeled the White team while the defense was Purple. After a back-and-forth game, both squads couldn’t be separated and the matchup ended in a 32-32 tie.

The offensive highlight of the day was returning starting quarterback Jayden Daniels. The senior quarterback completed 10 of his 11 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns dazzling the thousands of Tiger fans in attendance.

“We think he is committed to being the best quarterback in the country,” Head Coach Brian Kelly said. “We've seen that in his work ethic. I think he was on the verge of moving in that direction throughout last season. His play dictated that until he got injured, and I think he's picked up where he left off last year.”

The play of the day may have been the first snap. Daniels completed a pass to senior wide receiver Kyren Lacy who made a one-handed catch and weaved his way through the defense for a 70-yard touchdown to give White a 7-0 lead.

Lacy’s four catches led the receiving corps, and he totaled 92 yards and a touchdown. But, the offense wasn’t the only team producing highlights.

Freshman linebacker Whit Weeks intercepted freshman quarterback Rickie Collins and returned it all the way to the endzone for a 55-yard pick six which gave Purple a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.

At the halftime break, Purple had extended their lead to 29-14, but a comeback performance from White saw the teams separated by one point with less than a minute to go.

After a pass break up awarded the defense two points, Purple led 32-29 as White lined up for a 34-yard field goal attempt. Redshirt Sophomore Kicker Damian Ramos split the uprights as time expired to secure a draw for the offense.

The Tigers will begin their 2023 campaign against Florida State in Orlando as part of the Camping World Kickoff. Kelly’s squad will be looking to avenge last season’s loss, after the Seminoles blocked an extra point with no time remaining to win 24-23 in the 2022 opener.

LSU freshman Whit Weeks (#40) intercepts a pass from freshman quarterback Rickie Collins. Weeks returned the ball 40 yards for a touchdown.

“We think he is committed to being the best quarterback in the country.”

The Tigers walk through the tunnel before taking the field for the National L Club Spring Game.

Coach Brian Kelly watches his team from the field in Tiger Stadium.

Tiger Nation

1 960s

Lewis T. May (1969 BACH A&D, 1992 MAST A&D) was re-elected to the board of directors of the Jeffersonian Institute. The institute’s focus on issues of the environment, health, education, and opportunities for the underserved community, will benefit from May’s work at Rice University’s James Baker Institute where he served in a similar capacity on the board as a founding member of The Texas Center for Society and Health.

1

970s

Richard Briede (1977 BACH BUS), senior funeral director and market ambassador for Lake Lawn Metairie Cemeteries and Funeral Home, was named president of the Sugar Bowl Committee for 20232024. Elected to the committee in 1995, Briede has served on the executive committee and as a Sugar Bowl officer. He is a member of the board of directors of the Crescent City Tigers, the New Orleans chapter of the LSU Alumni Association; the Semreh Club, which operates the Mardi Gras Krewe of Hermes, a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade krewe founded in 1937; and the New Orleans Track Club.

John Grubb (1988 BACH MCOM, 1990 MAST MCOM), vice president for Hotel & Conference Operations/Cook Hotel & Conference Center, was named vice-chair of Campus Federal Credit Union Board of Directors. He previously served as board secretary.

Rose Hudson (1989 MPA), president/CEO of the Louisiana Lottery Corporation, was selected as a member of the Committee of 100 for Economic Development.

DEGREES

BACH Bachelor’s Degree

MAST Master’s Degree

PHD Doctorate

SPEC Specialist

DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

MLIS Master of Library & Information Science

JD Juris Doctorate (LSU Law School)

LLM Master of Laws

MD Medical Doctor (LSU School of Medicine)

DDS Doctor of Dental Science (LSU School of Dentistry)

COLLEGES/SCHOOLS

AGR Agriculture

A&D Art & Design

C&E Coast & Environment

H&SS Humanities & Social Sciences

SCI Science

BUS Business

HS&E Human Sciences & Education

ENGR Engineering

M&DA Music & Dramatic Arts

MCOM Mass Communication

SCE School of the Coast & Environment

SVM School of Veterinary Medicine

SW Social Work

William “Dub” Henning Jr. (1975 BACH H&SS) and his wife, Susan, of Lake Charles, La., gifted Houston Methodist’s Nantz National Alzheimer Center (NNAC) $1 million to support Alzheimer’s research.The NNAC is the premier research center in the south and central U.S. for the care of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s, a disease that impacts one in nine Americans.

Jim Roland (1971 BACH BUS) CEO of Window World, was honored as a Hall of Fame Laureate by Business Report and Junior Achievement in March.

1 980s

Richard Arsenault (1980 JD) moderated the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame panel at the Mass Torts Made Perfect seminar in Las Vegas. He received the 2023 Avvo Rated Top Lawyer rating and was invited to serve another three-year term on the National Board of Trial Advocacy's Complex Litigation Specialty Program. He recently chaired an MDL Conference: Managing Mass Torts, Key Litigation Updates and Lessons Learned in Tucson, Ariz.

James Milano (1986 BACH H&SS, 1986 BACH HS&E/ H&SS, 1989 JD) joined McGlinchey Stafford as a partner in the firm’s Financial Institutions Compliance practice group in the Washington, D.C. office. He reviews and designs proprietary loan documents and advises clients on home equity and appreciation sharing products and sales leaseback programs.

1 990s

Mark Emonet (1995 BACH BUS) was appointed president of Lipsey’s in April. He was previously senior vice president and chief financial officer and will maintain his role as CFO. Emonet’s career at Lipsey’s spans twenty-three years.

David McDougal (1999 BACH SCI, 2001 BACH H&SS), assistant professor in the Neurobiology of Metabolic Dysfunction Laboratory at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, was awarded a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of Health to support his research project titled “Evaluating the Role of Hypoleptinemia in Impaired Counterregulatory Responses to Hypoglycemia” to study prevention and treatments for hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, in people with type 1 diabetes.

Darrel Papillion (1990 BACH H&SS, 1994 JD), a partner in Walters, Papillion, Thomas, Cullens, Baton Rouge, was nominated by President Joe Biden as a trial judge on the U.S. Eastern District of Louisiana.

Wayne T. Stewart (1991 MAST H&SS, 1994 PHD H&SS) was promoted to equity partner at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins, Guice, Noah & Perkins, focusing on special education and Section 504 law. Stewart is a licensed psychologist in Louisiana, specializing in school psychology and is a qualified mediator in Louisiana for child custody and visitation. He holds a juris doctorate from Loyola University in New Orleans, and a bachelor’s degree from Duke University.

Benton Toups (1997 BACH H&SS, 2000 JD) was named to the 2023 North Carolina Super Lawyers List

finance, and public school law. Alvarez also serves as city attorney for the City of Port Allen, La.

Whitney Broussard (2008 PHD C&E) joined Freese and Nichols coastal resources team in the newly opened Lafayette office. An ecologist who specializes in the application of geospatial technologies to coastal and water resource issues, he has twenty years of experience in coastal restoration science, water management and GIS and will lead the team in providing client support, strategic guidance, project management, and deep local expertise. Broussard holds a master’s degree in geographic information systems from Pennsylvania State University.

Bradie James (2003 BACH H&SS), founder/president of Tiger Research Group, partnered with LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) to share research published in the Journal of Cannabis Research. Lead authors are James and Kevin Murnane, director of Basic Science Research for the LSUHS Louisiana Addiction Research Center. The mission of Tiger Research Group is to change the stigma of cannabis through education and research.

Bryan Jeansonne

Terri Broussard Williams (1999 BACH MCOM), head of Social Justice Policy and Partnerships at Amazon Public Policy, received the Board of Business Advisors Member of the Year Award from the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) and the Corporate Roundtable Member of the Year Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL). Both awards recognize William’s impact as a policy change agent and social impact strategist.

2000 s

Evan M. Alvarez (2004 BACH ENGR, 2008 JD, 2008 MBA) was named partner at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins, Guice, Noah & Perkins, advising private and municipal clients in multiple areas, including construction law and litigation, government contracts, governmental affairs, public

M. Laurin Council (2000 BACH SCI), a dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon at Washington University School of Medicine, was elected 2023 president of the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society. A professor of dermatology, she is also director of dermatologic surgery. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American College of Mohs Surgery, a member of the board of directors of the American College of Mohs Surgery, and president of the St. Louis Dermatologic Society. In the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society, she served as presidentelect in 2022 and as councilor in 2020 and 2021. She is vice speaker of the Missouri State Medical Association. Council earned her medical degree in 2004 and an executive MBA in 2022 from Washington University.

Joseph Darbonne

(2007 BACH BUS) joined JD Prime Investment Services in Lake Charles, La., as a financial consultant. He is active in his community and a founding member of the professional band Flamethrowers. He and his wife, Dominique have two children.

(2002 BACH H&SS), owner of Lakeland Title, joined the board of the Open Health Care Clinic, a nonprofit organization that provides access to primary and preventive health care in underserved communities. An alumni leader of LSU Theta Xi fraternity, he supports several local, nonprofit organizations through sponsorship and volunteer service, including Adult Literacy Advocates of Greater Baton Rouge and the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts. He is the host and producer of “In the Abstract,” a podcast focused on real estate transactions and legal issues. He holds a JD from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law.

Kristi W. Richard (2004 BACH BUS, 2009 JD), an attorney with McGlinchy/ Stafford, and a professor of business law at LSU, participated in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 2023 class of Fellows, a program designed to identify, train, and advance the next generation of leaders in the legal profession. Richard is involved in numerous legal and community organizations, including the Greater Baton Rouge YWCA and the Junior League of Baton Rouge.

Tiger Nation

Miah Stutts (2008 BACH BUS) was named chief financial officer (CFO) of HCA Midwest Health, Kansas City, Kan. She was previously CFO for St. David’s Medical Center, at the Central West Texas Division, and prior to that was CFO of the Northern Virginia market for HCA Virginia Health System. She served HCA North Texas Division in such roles as CFO for Medical City Denton and Medical City Lewisville and as controller and vice president of finance for Medical City Dallas. Stutts began her career as financial audit manager for HCA Healthcare in Nashville.

2010s

Remington Angelle (2013 BACH BUS), an associate with McGlinchey Stafford, received the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award for his work with Southern University Law Center’s expungement initiative.

Joe Eagan (2012 BACH BUS) was appointed general manager of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home & Cemeteries. A sixthgeneration funeral home

director, Eagan previously served as general manager of four Dignity Memorial funeral homes in the Greater New Orleans area – Leitz-Eagan Funeral Homes, H.C. Alexander Funeral Home, Grace Funeral Home, and St. Lazarus of Bethany Memorial Garden. He is a member of and serves on the boards of the Jefferson Chamber Young Professionals and St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce, is vice president of the Louisiana Funeral Directors Association, and a member of the Krewe of Thoth. Eagan holds an MBA from the University of New Orleans.

Elise Frederic (2010 MAST HS&E), a first grade teacher at Lakeside Primary in Prairieville, La., received a $25,000 national Milken Educator Award which celebrates, elevates, and activates the teaching profession. She is among forty outstanding educators presented the award this school year.

John Oliver (2011 BACH A&D) joined Freese and Nichols coastal resources team in the newly opened Lafayette office. He will provide landscape architecture services, focusing on design and coastal

community resiliency. Oliver holds a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

2020s

Samela Macon (2020 MAST HS&E) was promoted to vice president of operations for Buckner Children and Family Services (BCFS), a nonprofit serving vulnerable children and families in Texas, providing leadership, oversight, supervision, and management for domestic and international programs and activities. Most recently, she was vice president of domestic programs and support services at BCFS and also served as foster home developer, foster home development supervisor, and program director of foster care and adoption. A licensed Child Placing Agency administrator, she was a Buckner Mentee in 2008 and received the Buckner Leadership Award in 2014. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Lamar University.

WEDDING BELLS

Jergenson-Koenig Nuptials

Madeline Koenig (2019 BACH ENGR) and Seth Jergenson exchanged vows on Jan. 14 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Baton Rouge.

The wedding reception at the Lod Cook Alumni Center was truly a gathering of Tigers. The bride’s parents, Kevin (1988 BACH H&SS, 1991 JD) and Danielle Koenig (1987 BACH BUS); her uncle, Paul Koenig (DVM 1989); and her cousin Joshua Koenig (2017 BACH ENGR), as well as numerous relatives, law partners, colleagues, and friends in attendance are all proud LSU alumni.

The newlyweds honeymooned in Portugal and Spain. They reside in Brusly, La.

BABY BENGALS

Welcome Tigers!

Eloise Jane Field earned her legacy Tiger stripes when she entered the world on Jan. 31, welcomed by proud grandparents Katherine (Jensen) and Bob Boccaccio, both 1981 broadcasting journalism graduates.

Eloise’s LSU legacy is long. Her great-uncle Holley Heard played football for the Tigers in the ’30s, her great-grandparents Bruce and Virginia (Heard) Jensen graduated from LSU in the ’40s, her great-grandma Sharyl (Woodson) Schaepe attended in the ’60s, and a host of aunts and cousins are Tiger alums as well.

Eloise’s mom and dad, Gabriella and Jake Field, who live in Colorado Springs, have promised to teach the little Tiger the words to the LSU fight song as soon as she can talk.

Laura Martin Hollier (2013 BACH A&D) recently welcomed son Lucas Royce Hollier, pictured here with proud grandpa Roy. O. Martin, III (1982 BACH ENGR, 1985 MBA).

In Memoriam

1940s

Harding William Bossier, 1949 BACH ENGR, Feb. 16, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Juanita Mae Nesbit “Toot” Metz, 1944 BACH HS&E, 1977 MAST HS&E, BACH MAST, Feb. 24, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Richard “Dick” Sherburne, 1948 BACH AGR, Feb. 7, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

1950s

Albert L. Bossier, Jr., 1954 BACH H&SS, 1956 BACH ENGR, Nov. 14, 2021, Covington, La.

William H. “Wick” Cooper, Jr., 1957 BACH BUS, 1963 JD, Feb. 9, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Lee Charles Hargroder, 1959 BACH H&SS, Feb. 3, 2023, Gonzales, La.

Janellyn Pickering “Jane” Kleiner, 1958 BACH MCOM, 1965 MAST MLS, 1974 MAST MCOM, Feb. 1, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Pamula Bowden Lanaux, 1958 BACH H&SS, Jan. 19, 2023, Covington, La.

Hypolite Theophile Landry, Jr., 1956 BACH H&SS, 19960 MD-NO Baton Rouge, La.

Barbara Clare Hebert Magruder, 1955 BACH HS&E, Feb. 11, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Edward James Morris, III, 1957 BACH ENGR, 1975 MAST ENGR, Feb. 28, 2023, Porter, Texas

Edward J. Rynes, 1957 MAST H&SS, Nov. 11, 2022, Cleveland, Ohio

Mary Mims Rynes,1954 BACH H&SS, 1957 MAST H&SS, Feb. 1, 2023, Cleveland, Ohio

Raymond L. Spence, 1958 BACH H&SS, Jan. 3, 2023, Richmond, Va. Curry St. Pierre, 1955 BACH ENGR, March 5, 2023, Belleville, Mich.

1960s

Henry Feazel “Hank” Anderson, 1965 BACH ENGR, Feb. 15, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Eleanor “Ellie” Williamson Dent Brown, 1965 BACH H&SS, 1987 JD, March 28, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

William Haskell “Bill” Brown, 1962 JD, March 17, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Judith B. Petrie Bullion, 1962 BACH AGR, 1965 BACH HS&E, Feb. 24, Baton Rouge, La.

Robert Bruce “Bob” Butler, III, 1961 BACH SCI, 1963 JD, Jan. 25, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Ronald Lee Daniel, 1961 BACH HS&E, 1966 MAST HS&E, April 1, 2023, New Roads, La.

Raymond Day, 1966 BACH HS&E, Feb. 23, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Edwin Lamar “Ed” Hackler, 1964 BACH AGR, March 14, 2023, Prairieville, La.

John Adam Hebert, Jr., 1966 BACH AGR, 1969 MAST AGR, 1971 PHD AGR, Professor of Agriculture, Feb. 23, 2023, Raceland, La.

Sue Terry Johnson, 1967 BACH HS&E, 1970 MAST HS&E, March 29, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Samuel F. McInroy, III, 1964 BACH H&SS, Feb. 22, 2023, Corning, N.Y.

William Boyd “Bill” Owens, 1967 BACH BUS, 1967 JD, March 16, 2023, Alexandria, La.

Jack Parker, 1960 MSW,1973 PHD AGR, Dean of University College, April 8, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Roger Elliot Penton, 1970 BACH AGR, March 8, 2023, Montgomery, Texas

Anita H. Rollo, 1960 BACH ENGR, 1967 MAST ENGR, Jan. 23, 2023, Kerrville, Texas

Douglass W. Svendson, Jr., 1965 JD, March 26, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Paul Wayne Tyler, 1960 BACH HS&E, March 3, 2023, Indian Trail, N.C.

Carolyn Engelhardt Wiese, 1960 BACH HS&E, 1963 MAST HS&E, March 26, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

1970s

Ronald “Ron/Ronnie” David Babin, 1972 BACH ENGR, Feb. 14, 2023, Prairieville, La.

Donald Lee “Don” Bellue, 1977 BACH H&SS, April 8, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Frederick Joseph Borne, Jr., 1978 BACH ENGR, 1983 BACH ENGR, Feb. 14, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Ronald Felix “Ron” Boudreaux, 1971 PHD H&SS, Baton Rouge, La.

Penelope Kendall Bridges, 1976 BACH A&D, Feb. 3, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Jacob Leonard Canova, 1970 BACH H&SS, 1974 MSW, April 8, 2023, Cleveland, Tenn.

Elizabeth Wiley “Libby” Fisackerly, 1976 BACH HS&E, March 15, 2023, Killian, La.

Carl Keith Girod, 1974 BACH SCI, March 11, 2023, Prairieville, La.

Andre P. Guichard, 1976 BACH H&SS, Jan. 31, 2023, New Orleans, La.

Patsy Graham, 1970 BACH HS&E, March 14, 2023, Head of Island, La.

John Leslie “Jack” Hobgood, II, 1979 BACH H&SS, April 9, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Eleanor Ann Holleman, 1977 HS&E, Jan. 24, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Richard Ieyoub, former Louisiana Attorney General, April 10, 1983, 1972 JD, April 10, 2023, Baton Rouge, La

Robert Joseph “Rob” Mayeux, 1975 BACH H&&SS, March 14, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Robert B. McCall, 1971 BACH BUS, March 10, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Rita Faye Vidrine Patton, 1979 MAST HS&E, Feb. 13, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Polly Vordenbaumen Voorhies, 1970 BACH H&SS, Jan. 15, 2023, Del Mar, Calif.

Michael Wayne Wascom, 1971 BACH H&SS, 1975 JD, Retired Director, Institute of Environmental Studies, and Professor, College of Coast & Environment, April 6, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Kenneth Leo “Kenny” Wells, 1970 BACH A&D, April 1, 2023,Baton Rouge, La.

1980s

George Patrick Balhoff, 1980 BACH BUS, Feb. 6, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Kenneth Powers “Kenny” Buzbee, 1982 BACH BUS, 1992 JD, Jan. 14, 2023, Missouri City, Texas

Shirley Delores DeVard, 1985 BACH HS&E, Jan. 10, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Denise Marie Chambers Jones, 1985 BACH ENGR, March 28, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

John Leon Kidd, III, 1980 BACH H&SS, Feb. 5, 2023, Mandeville, La.

Robert Liptak, 1986 JD, March 24, 2023, Walker, La.

Margaret Lynn “Prissy” Nesom, 1982 BACH H&SS, Jan. 16, 2023, Watson, La.

Alice Carolyn Smith Sessions, 1980 MAST HS&E, Feb. 10, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Robert Wayne Trieschmann, II, 1989 BACH BUS, Feb. 23, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

1990s

Melanie Ann Vollmerhausen McRoberts, 1992 MAST HS&E, Feb. 18, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Clinton Logan Percy, 1996 BACH ENGR, Jan. 25, 2023, Windsor, Colo.

Peter Andrew Rowe, 1990 MLS, March 29, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Clany Soileau, 1998 MAST H&SS, 2002 PHD H&SS, Feb. 19, 2023

Travis Wilson “T Wall” Wall, 1994 BACH BUS, Jan. 19, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Jamie Wyble, 1993 MSW, Feb. 24, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

2000s

Anthony Robert Lacombe, 2020 BACH ENGR, March 18, 2023, Baton Rouge, La.

Jill Tucker Moore, 2009 MFA, March 21, 2023, St. Francisville, La.

Melissa Jennings, 2009 DVM, March 17, 2023, Houston, Texas

Steven Louis Franco Romero, 2002 BACH H&SS, Feb. 17, 2023, New Orleans, La.

Jason Howard Willie, 2000 BACH ENGR, March 3, 2023, St. Francisville, La.

2010s

Benjamin Curt Jackson, 2010 BACH ENGR, March 17, 2023, Fort Collins, Colo.

Benny Louis de Pingre Alumnus by Choice

March 13, 2023

Minden, La.

Ronald Douglas Hay

Retired Assistant to the Chancellor, Acting Dean/General College, CIO

Jan. 23, 2023

New Roads, La.

Ronald Mallen Knaus

Retired Assistant Professor, College of Coast & Environment, March 18, 2023, Nevada City, Calif.

Wallace C. McKenzie, Jr. Retired Dean of Music

Feb. 1, 2023

Baton Rouge, La.

Herman McKey Retired Maintenance Manager, Lod Cook Alumni Center

Feb. 11, 2023

Denham Springs, La

Edward Eamon McLaughlin Dean Emeritus, College of Engineering

Jan. 21, 2023

Gulf Breeze, Fla.

Bogdan Stanislaw Oporowski Professor of Mathematics

April 7, 2023

Baton Rouge, La.

Louie Max Scott

Former Associate Professor of Nuclear Science, Adjunct Professor of Physics & Astronomy, Campus/System Radiation Safety Officer

March 11, 2023

Baton Rouge, La.

Wayne K. Sims

Attended 1987-1991

April 12, 2023

Baton Rouge, La.

Anne Loveland Wheeler

T. Harry Williams Professor of History, Chair, Department of History

April 2, 2023

Baton Rouge, La.

James Eugene “Jim” Willis Retired Associate Professor of Business

March 14, 2023

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.

Tigers in Print

Steve K. Alexander (1976 PHD SCI)

Exploring Galveston: A Naturalist’s Guide to the Island

Self-Published

Along the upper Texas coast, Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula are among the state’s most ecologically diverse areas. The popular vacation spot is not only a beach playground for visitors, but also one of the top birding and fishing destinations in Texas.

In Exploring Galveston, Steve Alexander gives readers a look at the island through the eyes of a marine scientist who has wandered coastal Texas for more than forty years. Through a series of twenty-five stories, 115 photos, and maps to help lead the way, readers get an expert, guided tour of the best natural wonders Galveston has to offer.

After retiring from teaching, Alexander returned to his hometown of Galveston and soon became a Texas Master Naturalist. It was his thirteen years of field experiences as a Texas Master Naturalist that provided the material for Exploring Galveston

The book is dedicated to the memory of Alexander’s mentor and noted oyster biologist, Dr. Sammy Ray, founder of Sea Camp at Texas A&M University at Galveston. To Sea Campers, he was simply known as Papa Smurf. All book proceeds help fund Sea Camp scholarships.

Christopher Myron Claxton (2011 CERT LSUOnline )

Demons of Federal Misconduct: A Chicago Memoir!

Self-Published

Demons of Federal Misconduct:

A Chicago Memoir! is a remarkable story and testimony of God’s intervention into the U.S. justice system on behalf of two Christian businessmen and is based on true events and real people.

The author, an ordained Christian minister, longtime businessman, and Christian/business radio personality, gives a first-person account of how the Lord completely foiled the perceived demonic forces and influences, i.e., Ephesians 6:12 in the Bible, and used angels, spiritual warfare, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (both people of high integrity – and no integrity), and actual FBI transcripts to get the glory from his federal case against a well-known and famous antagonist.

Janis Pardue Hill (1999 PHD HS&E)

Telling His Story: POW #1000

LifeRich Publishing

The Japanese captain said: "You will all die here." The finality of his words was ominous, but they were the words of an enemy the American and Filipino captives had come to know as they were force-marched northward on the Bataan Peninsula. They took hope in the fact they had survived thus far. They had already witnessed the brutality of the Japanese guards on the infamous Bataan Death March as they bayonetted, shot, beheaded, or buried alive any who fell. But then came the camps where the POWs lived and walked with Death.

Such was J. C. Pardue's nightmare. In Telling His Story: POW #1000, Janis Pardue Hill, as primarily a compiler and editor, provides the details of his story. This memoir covers both his entry into the U.S. Army Air Corps and his experiences in, and after, World War II – the battle to hold Bataan; the surrender of Bataan; the brutal, inhumane treatment on the Death March and in the POW camps; as a slave in Japan, and as a survivor determined to live a Christian life.

Most prominent among her father's memories was the miracle of his Bible. Surviving a direct hit from a fragmentation bomb, confiscation in a POW camp, and disposal on a Hell Ship, his Bible always returned. His most treasured possession, that Bible came home with POW #1000, who attributed his survival to the faith acquired and absorbed from the weapon he considered the most valuable of all – his Bible.

Brian Holers (1989 BACH H&SS) Here on Earth Girl Friday Books

Fresh out of prison and looking to make amends to his son, Tommy Turner finds himself tangled up with a New Orleans mafia boss hell-bent on revenge and a past that just won’t leave him be.

After a two-year stint in a Louisiana prison for drug dealing, recovering addict and gambler Tommy just wants to reconcile with his ex-wife and young son, Jamey, and get himself right with God. Haunted by how his father’s destroyed football career, failed marriage, and untimely death affected his childhood, Tommy vows to do better by Jamey.

Enter Tommy’s childhood friend: Glenn Rosen. Glenn has stepped up to serve as surrogate father to Jamey in Tommy’s absence, and it’s brought joy and meaning to Glenn’s empty life. Now, fiercely protective of Jamey, Glenn sees Tommy as a deadbeat who will never amount to anything. But Glenn is also facing his own personal reckoning. A lifelong gay man, he has unexpectedly fallen for a woman. But Glenn has bigger fish to fry when Tommy’s bad choices impact Glenn’s orderly existence and threaten to destroy the life he has built.

When ailing New Orleans mafia boss Carlo Bianchi comes looking for Tommy with a bloody vendetta, chaos mounts, and Tommy and Glenn are forced to depend on each other to protect Jamey from an unsettling future. With a lifetime of disappointments behind him, can Tommy save his son from his own father’s legacy of a broken childhood?

Michal L. Ryan (1964 BACH BUS)

The Cook’s Night Off Carolina Cajun Publishing Company

An inexperienced cook’s step-bystep manual for the preparation of one special meal every week for fifty-two weeks. I started thinking about writing this book when reflecting on the many meals my wife and I have eaten since we were married almost sixty years ago. Some quick math says that totals about 65,700 meals. Okay, most breakfasts weren’t that big a deal, and lunch was often skipped or eaten away from home, so that

leaves us with about 21,900 evening meals. Allow for some dining out occasions, and we’re down to 18,780. Meals all lovingly prepared by my devoted wife! Well, about fifteen years ago, I decided to give my “cook” the night off. This “how to” manual is to show you how I did it. This step-by-step process is to allow you to give your cook the night off. This is to say that at least one night a week, you will prepare the meal while your wife takes a welldeserved break.

Joe Trussell (1995 BACH H&SS)

Vanagon to Louisiana – A TwoLane Reckoning Through Past and Present Sleeping Pigeon Publishing

Joe Trussell moved to Colorado nearly three decades ago, though he’s always proudly proclaimed himself a Louisiana man. But devastating news from an old friend brings an invitation to New Orleans – and the realization he hasn’t stepped foot in his home state in the last seven years . . . not since his mother’s cataclysmic death.

As he embarks on an overdue journey back to the Louisiana he unwittingly abandoned, Joe is challenged to reconcile his present with his once beloved past, all from behind the wheel of his trusty but temperamental 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon.

What has become of the people and places he turned his back on?

What happens when “Louisiana’s proudest representative and biggest fan” discovers he no longer belongs in the home at the core of

his identity? And is a 3,000-mile round trip from Denver to New Orleans in a thirty-five-year-old Volkswagen really the best way to find out?

In a sincere, vulnerable, and occasionally comical memoir, Joe drives the backroads of the Bayou State attempting to reconnect with all that he once held dear, come to terms with enduring grief, and find out if he is still the Louisiana man he once was.

Edward J. Walters, Jr.

(1969

Ipse Dixit: Ruminations on a Career at Law

Full Court Press

Not just a book for lawyers. Why do lawyers do what they do?

What’s it like to be a lawyer?

What’s right about lawyers?

What’s wrong with lawyers?

What does it take to win? Why do they lose? And why do they call it a profession?

Written throughout a long career in the courtroom, this collection allows the reader to take a deep look inside the legal profession and many of its prominent members. This book is not only relevant to lawyers and judges, regardless of where they practice, but it is also relevant to non-lawyers interested in what lawyers do, people who aspire to be lawyers, and people who have lawyers in their family and have to deal with them. Contained herein are many moving moments that may bring a tear to your eye, many humorous moments that may make you laugh, and pieces of advice, designed for lawyers, but applicable to all of us.

Proceeds from this title will be donated to the LSU Foundation – LSU Law School Classroom to Courtroom Project.

BACH BUS, 1975 JD)

By Presley Tyler

America is Everyone’s Oyster

Bea Gyimah, founder of the America, My Oyster Association (AMOA) was named the Greater Capital Area Champion and received the 2022 Champions of Service Award recognizing outstanding volunteers across the state. She received these accolades for her work with her nonprofit organization.

“I was honored to be recognized and excited be able to receive this award for the fact that I am a huge advocate for volunteerism. To me, the award meant knowing that my desire to help others understand themselves, their purpose, and that they have the power to make someone’s everyday life better in Louisiana and in America, was recognized,” she says.

Gyimah (2004 BACH H&SS) is recognized for her efforts to positively impact the lives of Louisiana’s students in a variety of meaningful ways. From producing a documentary series on the Class of 2020 to implementing a community-wide youth empowerment online certification program, AMOA seeks to inspire youth to become tomorrow’s leaders. “The award meant that other people, businesses, and organizations see the mission of AMOA. They recognize the work we are doing, the purpose of this work, and how it could change the lives not only of those in Baton Rouge but the lives of people across America. So, to be recognized within this capacity was a tremendous feeling,” she says.

The AMOA’s mission is dedicated to promoting multicultural awareness and understanding the diversity of individuals, communities, and cultures throughout America. “What we emphasize at the AMOA is that the word, America is your oyster. One of our components is education. We are advocates for higher and secondary education and multicultural education,” says Gyimah, an English and African American literature professor at Baton Rouge Community College.

Her volunteer service through the East Baton Rouge Parish Library led to the creation of the interactive program “Building a Better America Today,” a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) course available to the Baton Rouge community.

“We launched ‘Building a Better America Today with AMOA’ then had the second ‘Building a Better America with AMOA.’ We emphasize that participants are the future leaders of tomorrow. If they want to be leaders in their prospective fields, they start cultivating that role by having a foundation in DEI,” says Gyimah. “The program is also a great way to augment resumes. It was taught through LinkedIn learning and Udemy and brought to participants by the library. The classes were free; participants only needed an active library card. The program was recognized two years in row by Gov. John Bel Edwards and Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and honored this year for the first time by Volunteer Louisiana.”

As founder and leader of the organization, Gyimah recognizes that its success relies on the collaborative efforts of its members. “I have to say, AMOA is bigger than Bea Gyimah. I’m just one person. It is a collaborative effort of board of director members and AMOA supporters and volunteers. That is the mission – to utilize our collaborative efforts to recognize the diverse histories, the various struggles, and to celebrate the victories of all individuals of America,” she says.

Gyimah believes that with knowledge of multiculturalism and an empathetic understanding of multiculturalism, individuals can use the strengths of their diversities to create a better tomorrow. And, she believes that to create a better tomorrow, everyone must learn how to share compassion, which to her means giving what she has to others without expecting anything in return.

“I believe that what you can contribute to the lives of others is

“Giving what she has to others without expecting anything in return.”

Bea Gyimah.

often what you don’t get paid for. There are so many more rewards in life other than those I get paid for. The reward of being able to see someone benefiting, making someone’s life brighter and better, no matter how small it is or if it’s relatively big,” says Gyimah. “Knowing that I was able to do something that may have changed the trajectory of someone’s life for the better, cause them to feel a sense of self-empowerment, allow them to realize their purpose or that they need to improve on how they view and interact with others. If that helps them live a better life or motivates them to see something in themselves that they didn’t see, but I was able to see within them through their volunteering with AMOA, then it’s all worth it.”

Founded in 2016 by Gyimah, multicultural educators, and diversity consultants, AMAO serves as a cultural resource for individuals exploring, voicing, and appreciating the multiculturalism of the American experience.

“The purpose of the organization is to preserve diverse histories, recognize diverse struggles, and celebrate the victories of all individuals in America. I wanted to bring together not only those who are from America but also those who immigrate to America,” she says. “We believe there are clear obstacles that perpetually pervade American life and culture, but we also believe with hard work, tenacity, perseverance, empathy, integrity, and resiliency you can become whoever it is you seek to become in America. We believe America is a land of opportunity and the proverbial oyster represents life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

“My America, Your America, Our America Writers,” Gyimah’s studentbased writers’ group project that published two editions of a Race and Ethnic Studies journal, inspired the creation of AMOA. The writing project transpired when Gyimah had the

idea for her students to write an ethnic autobiography.

“An ethnic autobiography is one in which the students talk about themselves and about having a level of awareness of themselves through how others view them. I linked it to W.E.B. Du Bois' concept of double consciousness and made it crosscultural. This double consciousness is the awareness of who you are and of how others seek to define you, so you must decide which awareness and mentality you will allow to dictate your life,” says Gyimah. “I made this relevant for the students by telling them that no matter who you are, you will in some way be discriminated against. No one is free from being misjudged, mislabeled, mishandled, or mistreated; but your power lies in what you do as a result. That led to the publishing of the race and ethnic journal.”

The project revealed to students the idea of utilizing double consciousness to create their own beautiful America, an idea central to Gyimah and her organization. It is her mission to teach individuals how to achieve their own beautiful America.

“I wanted students to realize that no matter who you are, where you’re from, what you have or don’t have, who or who doesn’t support you, America is still beautiful but only as beautiful as you make it. I wanted them to ask themselves, what they could do within their power and resources to make America better for someone else or for future generations,” says Gyimah. “That is how the journal came about. It was published in 2013 and 2015 and is in several libraries in Baton Rouge as well as the Library of Congress.”

Gyimah joined the Baton Rouge Community College faculty after earning a master’s degree from Texas A&M. “I was hired right out of graduate school for a teaching position at BRCC. The students enjoyed the way I taught the material. I made it resonate with

By Steve Neumann

A Series of Serendipities

Sarah Magruder (2001 BACH TK) hadn’t planned on majoring in finance before coming to LSU in the fall of 1997. She had contemplated becoming a veterinarian or a lawyer; but after learning more about both professions, she realized that neither ultimately appealed to her.

She also wouldn’t have imagined that, in 2019, she would start her own business, Savvy Oil & Gas Consulting (fka Safire), a company that specializes in severance tax and sovereign royalties for the petroleum industry that is based in Houston.

“My whole career has just been sort of happy accidents, where an opportunity landed in front of me, and I took it,” Magruder said.

The serendipity started in Magruder’s first semester at LSU when she was able to get a student job in the Center for Engineering and Business Administration building as part of her Honors College full academic scholarship.

“I worked in the MBA office for Kathy Bosworth,” Magruder said. “Because I was there all the time for my job, I took some business classes and really enjoyed that. That's how I ended up getting a degree in Finance.”

Fast forward a bit to Magruder’s senior year when companies were doing their annual on-campus interviews that spring. Magruder had enrolled in the LSU MBA program by that point, and Bosworth suggested she get some interview experience because she’d be doing an internship during the program.

“So, I went and interviewed and ended up getting job offers from three different companies: Enron, Arthur Andersen, and a smaller firm called Ryan & Co.,” Magruder said.

While Magruder wasn’t ready to enter the workforce just yet, she realized she could always come back later to finish her MBA. So Magruder took the offer from Ryan & Co., which had just opened a new office in Houston, and where she would be only one of eight people helping get it off the ground.

“That sounded fun to me,” Magruder said, “to be part of growing something instead of being a cog in a wheel.”

It was a good thing she went with Ryan, because a few months later Enron and Arthur Andersen became embroiled in an accounting scandal that resulted in the largest bankruptcy reorganization in U.S. history at the time.

In the aftermath, Ryan acquired a severance tax practice from public accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, thanks to new regulations and legislation to expand the accuracy of financial reporting for public companies. Magruder was invited to join the team, and she jumped at the chance to work in oil and gas.

For the next several years, Magruder learned the ropes of the oil and gas industry, and the complexities of severance tax accounting in particular when she transitioned to industry and spent 10 years managing teams at Swift Energy and Southwestern Energy. Equipped with valuable work experience, Magruder would get her MBA in accounting from the University of Houston in 2013.

“Of course, I would have loved to have gotten my MBA from LSU,” Magruder said, “but back then we weren't yet in this virtual world where I could have gotten it online.”

The following year, serendipity struck again, when Magruder was offered the opportunity to join KE Andrews, a state and local tax consulting firm.

“I built the severance tax team at KE Andrews from zero to a multi-million dollar practice in five years,” Magruder said. “But I was kind of just coasting along, and I thought, either this is going to be my career for 15 to 20 years, or I could do something else.”

“The only thing I hadn't done yet was start my own company,” she said.

While serendipity has played a part in Magruder being able to start her own

Sarah Magruder.

“My whole career has just been sort of happy accidents. . .”

business, she doesn’t leave her success entirely up to the forces of fate. For instance, almost all of her employees are either former clients or had worked for her at one point.

“I collect unicorns, as I call them,” Magruder said. “When I work with somebody who is great, I bring them with me or tell them if they ever retire or leave their role, they’ve got a job with me—so, I ended up with this kick-ass, super-experienced team with a lot of different talents.”

As icing on the entrepreneurial cake, Magruder was honored as one of Oil & Gas Investor’s 25 Influential Women in Energy in February by petroleum industry news publisher Hart Energy. Last year, she received the Trailblazer Award from the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Magruder has also been both a guest and host on several podcasts and is a frequent speaker at industry events.

And though Savvy Oil & Gas Consulting is only four years old, she’s already had offers to buy it.

“It was never my intent to create something and sell it off, that's not my motivation,” Magruder said. “I want the company to stay small and tight, and really develop our efficiency and technology to be able to better serve our clients and add value to the industry.”

By Brian Hudgins

Speaking with Strength

Two things turned Lauren Caspary (2009 MAST MED-NO) into a speech pathologist – her grandmother’s strength and childhood summers spent in Houston volunteering at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research at Texas Medical Center.

Before Caspary became a senior speech language pathologist at Texas Children’s Specialty Care – Sugar Land, she learned a lot about hospitals in Houston. “My grandmother was a polio survivor,” Caspary said. “Nita Weil – she contracted polio in 1952.”

Weil was twenty-two when polio greatly reduced her movement capabilities and made her respirator dependent. Weil’s strength led Caspary to becoming the director of volunteers at TIRR. “I managed the ventilator settings and there was a hierarchy of foods my grandmother could and could not eat,” she said. “She was my driving force why I wanted to be a speech pathologist.”

After Caspary completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of Houston, she earned a master’s degree and set her sights on giving brain injury patients a path to thrive. “I treat discharged neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients and acquired brain injuries from accidents, brain tumors and encephalitis, just to name a few,” she said.

For first-time parents, unfamiliarity with both the hierarchy of eating and the NICU environment can lead to tense moments. Parents often do not realize the large number of steps involved in going from a baby taking a bottle to eating a solid dinner. There is also the trepidation that comes from seeing the hospital in the rearview mirror. “Many people – once they leave the hospital – they ask: Now what? What do I do?” Caspary said.

The next step is often outpatient therapy. The NICU structure is replaced by a new base and set of developmental goals. Sometimes, frustration sets in for parents. “Outpatient therapy is a marathon, not a sprint,” Caspary said. “We are holding that parent’s hand to get where we want to be.”

The challenges come from many angles. First-time parents are in a new environment. Even for experienced parents, there is the common urge to compare a child’s progress to a sibling or children in other families. If one child did something a certain way, should that happen again? “A comparison chart sets up for big failures,” Caspary said. “Each patient moves at his own pace.”

It is a world Caspary entered with some solid backing from LSU. Her path was on medical footing rather than the school-based pathologist track. “I picked up so much medical knowledge and did an internship at Touro Infirmary in uptown New Orleans,” Caspary said. “I worked with traumatic brain injury patients and in the stroke unit. My background is all medical, and I don’t think I would have gotten that somewhere else.”

Texas Children’s is ranked No. 2 on the U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll. That standing means Caspary and her peers provide care for children from many regions throughout the U.S. The challenge of identifying issues is constant. “It’s not for the faint of heart,” Caspary said. “When you hear a child speak or see a child take food off a spoon . . . our wins are little, but they are big!”

Brian Hudgins is a Houston native who enjoys SEC sports and covering a variety of subjects as a freelance writer.

“. . . our wins are little, but they are big.”

Lauren Caspary.

AMERICA IS EVERYONE’S OYSTER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 57

them no matter what their ethnic background. I would pull apart the literature and find something they all could connect with. I believe if you speak to people in a certain way and you treat people a certain way, they will see the level of love within nearly whatever it is, because love resonates with everyone,” she says.

An innate desire to serve those in her community was instilled and nurtured within Gyimah by her mother, and this upbringing undoubtedly led to her ability to accomplish the many projects intended aimed to benefit those in need around her.

“My mom wanted everyone to feel included. She was all about inclusion before I even knew what the word inclusion really was. She would say ‘I can't give to one and not give to the other; if I can't give to all then I'm not going to give. I can't look over one person, I can't boost one person up and belittle someone else. It's not how it works; you must treat everyone how you want to be treated because you want someone to show that level of compassion to you but for you to do that you have to show that level to others, and if it's not reciprocated you know you treated someone right that’s what counts.’ We’re human beings and we’re bound to make mistakes, but I was brought up to try my best to be my best,” she says.

Gyimah’s childhood was filled with giving back to her community, and she never lost sight of those charitable values. She carried those values to LSU, which gave her a foundation of learning that led to the inspiration and fruition of her various charitable projects. “LSU inspired my desire to later create the AMOA. It was my professors and those literature courses I took at LSU that sparked within me a desire to learn more about the duality of being an American and a minority.

LSU brought this into being, helped to cultivate, and provided resources. It was almost as if it was a catalyst, a spark, ignited in me from being in those English and literature courses. So that was the premise of what I was able to do at BRCC, because I first was at LSU,” she says.

Gyimah recalls the time she thought about creating a student organization dedicated to the understanding of LSU’s multicultural student body. “I’ll tell you something, and it’s ironic. I remember there was an announcement in the Reveille asking students that if they wanted to start a student organization how they could contribute to the fruition of those organizations. I always wanted to have something that celebrated different cultures, but I didn’t pursue that announcement because I said to myself, ‘I'm just one student, I don’t know that many people to be able to start an organization, and I don’t even think I'd be able to do it.’

In my heart, though, it was something I wanted to do,” says Gyimah.

Though she didn’t believe she could create such an organization, she had the desire to do so, and after her student writing project her desire became a reality. She created her foundation based on an excerpt from Dust Tracks on a Road by one of her favorite writers, Zora Hurston: “Even in the helter-skelter skirmish that is my life, I have seen that the world is to the strong regardless of a little pigmentation more or less. No, I do not weep at the world – I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife.”

Gyimah was inspired by this passage, realizing that America was everyone’s oyster – and everyone could obtain a beautiful America by sharpening his or her oyster knife.

Presley Tyler is a junior majoring in mass communication.

By Rachel Holland

LSU Graduate Discovers Lost Mardi Gras Footage

“I want to save history,” said Mackenzie Roberts Beasley (2018 MLS).

Beasley helped uncover a piece of Louisiana history – long-lost Mardi Gras footage of the 1898 Rex parade. A family friend, who was the historian for Rex, asked Beasley for help finding any Mardi Gras Rex parade footage. Beasley, an audiovisual archivist, searched through Internet databases and even called friends for help.

"I had to actually ask my friend who was doing a medical residency at Yale, if I could get her login for her library and a particular database, the International Federation of Film Archives. There are only a couple places that have access to it,” Beasley said.

That’s where she discovered the footage was thousands of miles away from New Orleans, in the Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam.

“My educated guess: people would send films all across the world to see, but no one asked for them back. So, somebody who got it was able to show it in a theater, and then somebody kept it. Most movie companies never thought they would ever have value again. They thought they would be one-hit wonders,” Beasley said. “But I think this film is really important for Louisiana’s identity. It's really part of the culture. What you think of when you hear Louisiana? You think of Mardi Gras.”

While there’s no audio, the footage shows the spectacle of Mardi Gras, with ornate floats and costumes.

“I believe there are less than 500 people who do my job around the world,” said Beasley, who works at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art in Washington, D.C., digitizing and reformatting audiovisual material for scholars and researchers.

“If you create a piece of artwork, we don't archive the piece of artwork. We provide everything that the artist did, any renderings up to that point, his own personal collection, things

that are half done. So it’s more about the holistic idea of who the person is behind the art,” Beasley said.

Beasley decided she wanted to be a filmmaker when she was six years old. While studying film at the Savannah College of Art and Design, she watched a documentary about the National Film Registry that shifted her focus.

“The movie is called ‘These Amazing Shadows,’ and it’s about the National Film Registry, and that's when I thought film preservation would be really cool. It's stable, it's still working in film, and I love history,” Beasley said.

She continued her education with two master’s degrees, the first from Columbia University in New York, the second from LSU.

“My dad went to LSU. My grandfather went to LSU. My uncle went to LSU,” Beasley said. “When it came to looking at library science, I knew that LSU was highly ranked in this field and also a part of my family’s experience. There's a variety of tracks you can take. You can work in libraries, which is your quintessential neighborhood librarian position. There is government records, law librarianship, and archival. I went the archival track because that was audio visual.”

Beasley said her archival education and the degree itself are versatile.

“It opens up a lot of different doors. Even if you don't even go into an archive or library specifically, it teaches you how to organize information, which is a crucial skill set, I would say to any job, also, how you provide information to people. There are entire classes on how people find information. I think there's a lot of places that lack that knowledge.”

“People are still making videos to this day, and we’re going to get more collections from people who pass away, who have VHS or other types of video cassettes still in their homes. We’re going to get inundated with those items and library science helps

Mackenzie Roberts Beasley located missing Mardi Gras footage, tracking it down to Amsterdam.

Footage from the 1898 Rex parade was discovered by an LSU alumna. Photo: Eye Filmmuseum

you organize it. We ask ourselves, ‘How do we create the metadata to explain what these things are?’ The longevity of having something a bit more versatile is going to also prolong the amount of a career, too,” Beasley said.

For Beasley, her love for films came full circle, when the Mardi Gras film she helped discover was named into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry – where her inspiration to become an audiovisual archivist began.

“There are only a few films chosen each year because it's supposed to be a representation of the United States and what's culturally significant,” Beasley said. “This footage, showing New Orleans, is culturally significant, and it shows a portion of the United States and how different and unique our story is.”

Rachel Holland is director of content development in the Office of Communications & University Relations.

“I want to save history.”

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Tiger Nation Tigers Around the World

John H. Dalton –

The new submarine USS John H. Dalton bears the name of Louisiana native and former Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton, who served on two submarines USS Blueback and USS John C. Calhoun before departing active duty to pursue graduate education and a career in the private sector.

The Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine is designed to find and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships, as well as project the Navy's power onshore with Tomahawk cruise missiles and by transporting special operations forces.

Dalton attended LSU for one year before completing his undergraduate education at the U.S. Naval Academy. He was inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction in 2002.

Richard Lipsey

Recognized – Richard Lipsey

(1961 BACH H&SS), founder of Lipsey’s, a nationally renowned firearms distributor, was inducted into the National Shooting Sports Foundation Hall of Fame. The induction recognizes his work as a sporting goods retailer, his efforts encouraging coastal and wetland conservation while promoting ethics within the sport, his passion for education, his philanthropy, and his advocacy for the advancement of Louisiana, associated conservation efforts, and the firearms community.

Richard Lipsey and Joe Bartozzi, president/CEO of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.