LSU Alumni Magazine - Summer 2010 by LSU Alumni Association

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Summer 2010, Volume 86, Number 2

2010 Hall of Distinction

A Message From the

Chancellor

LSU at the Crossroads

Higher education in Louisiana has changed dramatically over the last two years and remains in flux as a result of severe state budget conditions. The future of adequate state funding for higher education is not promising, and only change remains the constant for all whose budgets include state assistance. As the flagship university in Louisiana, it is incumbent upon LSU to seek new paths for success. Flagships do not resist change; they lead it. Thus, we are developing a plan that will allow us to dictate our own change, a plan that, through the next decade, will produce higher quality graduates, significant discovery through more robust research, and deeper community engagement. Every great institution, company, or organization comes to a crossroads in its development when it must choose a path, and LSU is choosing an avenue of greater selfreliance as a means to accomplish its broader mission to the state and the nation. LSU is in a unique position to produce the people, the research, and the results to make the future brighter, and to do this we must take a greater role in determining that future. We will not only produce more graduates who will fill jobs; we will create mature business leaders who will create jobs. Our researchers will address the important problems of the state, including issues unique to our region such as coastal erosion. It is our goal to make LSU a force in developing a vibrant economy with a thriving citizenry for a better Louisiana, nation, and world. The plan comprises three components and is intended to give LSU the resources necessary to be less dependent on the fragility of the state budget. We must stop living from budget to budget if we intend to maintain the upward trajectory that we have earned in recent years. Indeed, LSU has proven it can perform when given the proper resources. Beginning in the late 1980s when we increased entrance requirements, continuing with the successful Flagship Agenda launched in 2003 and, most recently, with the funding increases afforded by the state from 2007-2009, LSU has improved its graduation and retention rates, added faculty, advanced research, and improved academic facilities while achieving Top Tier status. We can’t – and we won’t – allow that improvement to be reversed. The three-part plan – “The LSU Plan for Greater Impact on Louisiana” – calls for change, focus, and autonomy. I invite you to review this important plan for LSU’s future at www.lsu.edu/budget (see also page 6). This plan calls for a combination of significant internal transformation and necessary external assistance that can provide LSU the philosophical direction and financial freedom to chart a consistent course of excellence. As LSU marks its 150th anniversary, we will take this opportunity to celebrate a rich history that has brought us to this crossroads. We are committed to transforming this great university into a truly remarkable university, one that will boldly lead the change in Louisiana higher education that will make our state and our citizens equally remarkable.

Michael V. Martin Chancellor

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Publisher Charlie W. Roberts

Contents

Editor Jackie Bartkiewicz Editorial Interns Lindsey Meaux, Ellen Zielinski Writer/Photographer Matt Deville

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Advertising Kay Heath Art Director Chuck Sanchez STUN Design & Advertising Contributors Ernie Ballard, Ashley Berthelot, Ed Cullen, Don George, Matt Dunaway, Bud Johnson, Roy Kron, Scott Madere, Norm Marcocci, Holly Phillips, Andrew White

Features 34 OLLI at LSU The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at LSU – OLLI at LSU – has something for everyone over 50.

36 BioPulse

Research by LSU’s John Caprio led to the development and licensing of the BioPulse lure, guaranteed to reel in the big one.

40 The Green Team

Dr. Craig Greene and fellow LSU alums lend a helping hand in Haiti.

Departments 1 A Message from the Chancellor 4 President’s Message

6 Forever LSU 8 LSU Alumni Association News 44 Locker Room 48 Focus on Faculty 50 Around Campus 58 Tiger Nation

Photography Mark Claesgens, Steve Franz, Larry Hubbard, Eddy Perez, Chuck Sanchez, Jim Zietz Printing Baton Rouge Printing Editorial and Advertising Office LSU Alumni Association 3838 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686 225-578-3838 • 888-RINGLSU www.lsualumni.org / e-mail: jackie@lsualumni.org LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE is published quarterly in March, June, September and December by the LSU Alumni Association. A contribution of $50 or more for an annual subscription includes membership in the Alumni Association. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Please write to the address listed above. LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE reserves the right to edit all material accepted for publication. Publication of material does not indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint by the magazine, the LSUAA or LSU. © 2010 by LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE, 3838 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4686 The mission of the LSU Alumni Association is to protect, promote, and foster the welfare of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College and to create and nurture mutually beneficial relationships between the University and its alumni and friends. The Association, using the talents and resources of alumni and friends of Louisiana State University, supports the University in pursuit of excellence in teaching, research and public service to future and current alumni. NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gregory J. “Gregg” Cordaro Chair, Baton Rouge, La.

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Summer 2010, Volume 86,

Number 2

Cover: In a star-studded event led by Alumnus of the Year Dr. Billy Cannon and Young Alumnus of the Year Mary Sixkiller, ten “Who’s Who” of LSU alumni, were inducted into the 2010 Alumni Hall of Distinction on April 16. Cover photo by Jim Zietz.

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Guy Campbell III Chair-Elect, Monroe, La. Patricia C. “Pat” Hewlett Bodin Past Chair, Houston, Texas

2010 Hall of Distinction

Scott L. Anderson, Monroe, La. Jan K. Liuzza, Kenner, La. Jack A. Andonie, Metairie, La. Ted A Martin, Baton Rouge, La. Mary Lou Applewhite, New Orleans, La. Louis R. Minksy, Baton Rouge, La. Jon D. “Jay” Babb, Baton Rouge, La. Charles H. Moniotte, Baton Rouge, La. J. Hals Benhard, Palmetto, La. Richard C. “Ricky” Oustalet, Jennings, La. C. A. “Buddy” Brice III, Biloxi, Miss. John T. Shelton, Jr., Houston, Texas John S. “Johnny” Butler, Austin, Texas Carl J. Streva, Morgan City, La. Robert W. Dugas, Baton Rouge, La. Susan K. Whitelaw, Shreveport, La. Theresa M. Gallion, Tampa, Fla. Michael H. Woods, Shreveport, La. Ronald M. Johnson, Baton Rouge, La. Lodwrick M. Cook, Director Emeritus Sherman Oaks, Calif.

President’s

MESSAGE

Good News on Several Fronts On April 16, the LSU Alumni Association held a memorable Hall of Distinction Awards Banquet (see page 18). The presentation of Dr. Billy Cannon as Alumnus of the Year, Marty Sixkiller as Young Alumnus of the Year, and eight other distinguished inductees made for an unforgettable evening. Congratulations and thanks to all our honorees. Another outstanding graduating class received their diplomas on May 21. We wish them well in their future careers and urge their support of the Association. Once again, chapter season is upon us, with crawfish boils seemingly scheduled in every city that’s home to LSU alums from coast to coast – Tampa, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Diego, Wilmington, N.C., and many others. This is an exciting time of year for alumni, friends, and supporters to meet, enjoy crawfish, and talk about LSU. Many of these events provide excellent fundraising opportunities for chapters, as well as the Association. Help us reach our goal of 20,010 members in 2010 by joining the national Association today. Construction on the new Band Hall is expected to begin in July; it will open in early 2012.The planned 19,500-square-foot facility will be built on Aster Street, next to the band practice field near the north gate of the campus. Our thanks go to those of you who supported the project and especially to state Sen. Robert Adley and his wife, Claudia; Ben Mount, Jaye Brice, and countless others. Most importantly, the Forever LSU Campaign is nearing its final six months, and the goal of $750 million is attainable. Remember, your contributions to the LSU Alumni Association, LSU Foundation, and Tiger Athletic Foundation are counted toward the goal, but you must make your contribution on or before Dec. 31, 2010. This will be the greatest fundraising achievement in LSU history. A tremendous thanks goes to the Hon. Henson Moore, who has served as chair of the unprecedented campaign. We shall be forever grateful to him. If you and your family or friends plan trips to the area this summer, let us show you our great Southern hospitality. Stop by the Lod Cook Alumni Center for a visit, or better yet, spend a few days with us at The Cook Hotel. Thank you for your continued generous support of the University and the Association.

Forever LSU,

Charlie W. Roberts President LSU Alumni Association

P.S. Visit our new Web site at www.lsualumni.org.

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From Our Readers To the Editor: I write in response to my recent spring issue of LSU Alumni Magazine. I always enjoy reading the magazine. In this issue, you wrote of the coming 150th anniversary of LSU and, in Your Alumni Dollars at Work, featured a very accomplished freshman engineering major from Bossier City. Miss Wheelahan was pictured attractively dressed, wearing a pretty blouse and neat blue jeans. I, too, am from Bossier City. I graduated from LSU in the spring of 1961, almost fifty years ago. That half century has brought many changes. During my sophomore year, the year before LSU would celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding, a sorority sister and neighbor in the dormitory was punished; she was campused (disallowed from leaving campus for any reason for a period of days). For what was she punished? She had been seen by the Dean of Women wearing blue jeans at a laundromat in Tiger town. No LSU coded was allowed to wear jeans, or similar garb, in public. My sorority sister went to medical school that fall of 1959. After my 1961 graduation, I went to graduate school at the University of Arizona and was surprised to see blue jeans, even shorts, on young women in my classes. A few years later, my younger sister attended LSU; women students were beginning to wear jeans, sometimes covered by a raincoat.

Tiger Tiles Leave a permanent mark at LSU with a tile on Tiger Walk or Tiger Plaza. Donate a tile in memory of a loved one or give one as a gift for any special occasion. Tiles are available in 4”x 8” and 8”x 8” sizes, and prices range from $100 to $500. Tiger Walk is the entrance to the Lod Cook Alumni Center; Tiger Plaza is in front of the Andonie Museum. For information, contact Brandli Roberts at 225-578-3852 or order online at www.lsualumni.org.

Billye Zoa Lovern Steinnagel Pound Ridge, N.Y.

DiD You Know? There are onlY 7,500 dues-paying members of the National LSU Alumni Association? And where do we rank compared to SEC schools in our division? noT #1. . . but DEAD lAST!

let’s get out of the cellar in the SEC west. in conjunction with lSu’s sesquicentennial celebration this year, we’ve kicked off a national campaign 20,010 in 2010 to increase membership. Show your Tiger pride – and start enjoying Association benefits - by joining or renewing your membership in the national lSu Alumni Association today.

To start enjoying Association benefits today visit www.lsualumni.org or call 225-578-3838.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU’s Impact on Louisiana Big Changes Ahead as LSU Leads State’s Economic Recovery By Scott M. Madere Photo by Mark Claesgens, Courtesy of the LSU AgCenter

Tucked away on the edge of the LSU’s campus, hidden within the colossal structure of the Louisiana Business and Technology Center, a promising company quietly goes about the business of revolutionizing medicine. TransGenRx creates technology that will make the production of certain medicines more efficient, lowering cost and boosting production. On a rare break from business meetings, the soft-spoken executive vice president of TransGenRx, Dr. Richard C. Cooper, describes how he envisions his small company taking off. “Right now we are still a startup company, but we’re sitting on the brink of really being able to make a huge difference in the lives of people and the medications they take,” says Cooper, whose company already holds more than twenty patents and employs fifty total full- and part-time workers. TransGenRx is a research partner with LSU and has the potential to become a major force in the future of biomedicine. Though the company is a possible game-changer in the way millions of patients worldwide receive medical care, TransGenRx is only one of the 516 businesses that have started after receiving assistance from the business incubator housed on campus. In turn, those 516 businesses have created more than 9,400 jobs, many of which are filled by LSU graduates, providing a vital, educated backbone for Louisiana’s labor force. It is a role that LSU has embraced from its very beginnings, 150 years ago: producing needed workers that can propel the state’s economy into vitality and diversity. Each year, LSU sends more than 6,000 job-ready workers into industries as varied as engineering, medicine, and the arts.

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But just as important is LSU’s ability to generate leaders. “We will not only produce more graduates who will fill jobs; we will create mature business leaders who will create jobs,” says Chancellor Michael V. Martin. In Louisiana alone, 964 LSU graduates currently hold the title of president, CEO, owner, or founder of a business. Fifty-one of the top 100 corporations in Baton Rouge – as well as thirteen of the state’s largest construction firms – are headed by LSU graduates. The number of internationally known companies that consider LSU a “preferred university” for recruitment continues to grow: Shell, Chevron, Ernst & Young, ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Marathon, Schlumberger, CenterPoint Energy, Fluor, Deloitte & Touche, KPMG, and Grant Thornton are among them. As great as LSU’s impact on Louisiana’s economy can be, it remains vulnerable to budget cuts in a particularly fragile economic environment. In the future, philanthropic support for LSU research, student scholarships, professorships, and infrastructure improvements will play an even greater role, as the University becomes even more directly involved in the viability of the Louisiana economy. It is clearer than ever that available labor, leadership, and opportunity in the economy results from the success of LSU academics and research. And these areas rely directly on the support of alumni and friends of LSU, who give philanthropically to the University through the Forever LSU Campaign. “The future of adequate state funding for higher education is not promising, and only change remains the constant for all of us whose budgets include state funding,” says Martin. “As the flagship university in Louisiana, it is incumbent upon LSU to seek new paths for success.”

Forever LSU:

The Campaign for Louisiana State University is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in LSU's history with a goal of raising $750 million by 2010. World-class institutions like LSU need world-class endowments to position them among leading public institutions in higher education. Please visit www.foreverlsu.org today because now, more than ever, FOREVER depends on YOU.

Anticipating funding reductions for the next three fiscal years, the University is implementing the “LSU Plan for Greater Impact on Louisiana.” Several aspects of the LSU plan are consistent with the LA GRAD Act, recently proposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal. “The plan is three tiered and is intended to give LSU the resources necessary to be less dependent on the fragility of the state budget. We must stop living from budget to budget if we intend to maintain the upward trajectory that we have earned in recent years,” says Martin. The three-part plan calls for change, focus, and autonomy. Change refers to the way the University conducts business, becoming more efficient in its operation and streamlining its budget. At the same time, LSU will seek to increase revenues by becoming more entrepreneurial and more diverse in its business endeavors. In addition, LSU will place greater emphasis on its fundraising efforts, such as Forever LSU. Focus refers to identifying those areas that are LSU’s strengths and most likely to positively impact the future of our state. “During this time some units will be reduced, and others will be eliminated, with the goal of emerging as a leaner and more focused university,” says Martin. LSU also intends to increase student enrollment, with a goal of 5,000 new students per year. Attracting transfer students and student retention will also be a priority area. Lastly, LSU seeks autonomy to manage its business effectively, such as by determining its own tuition and fees. Currently, state universities must seek approval from the state legislature to increase those revenue sources. LSU also seeks the ability to carry forward surpluses from budget year to

budget year, creating an incentive to reduce costs and save money. The complete LSU Plan for Greater Impact on Louisiana can be found online at www.lsu.edu/budget. Creative planning is a necessary approach for LSU to address its major budgetary issues in the coming years. It’s that kind of thinking at LSU that helped launch TransGenRx, years ago. Cooper’s original job at LSU was to create methods of fighting disease in channel catfish. But his work showed greater promise . . . the kind of promise that needed university support. “The LSU AgCenter gave me the freedom to be creative and to pursue the avenues that research has led us,” says Cooper. “A lot of places, if they hire you to work on something, they want you to work on that specific area. The LSU AgCenter has allowed me to be creative, and there’s no other university that I know of that would have allowed me to do what I’ve done here.” Every Tiger can have an impact on LSU’s future, which drives the growth of Louisiana’s economy. The next student scholarship or research program that receives support could one day provide jobs and prosperity for your friends and neighbors.

A TransGenRx employee conducts research at LSU on protein-based medications. TransGenRx is a biotechnology company started from research developed at the LSU AgCenter.

ON THE WEB: www.foreverlsu.org

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU Alumni Association

news

Brides 2010 Second Annual Bridal Show a Rousing Success The temperature was chilly outside on March 21, but the mood was warm and festive inside the Lod Cook Alumni Center, the setting for the LSU Alumni Association second annual Bridal Show.

By Matt Deville Photos by Matt Deville and Larry Hubbard

Mallory Schexnayder Heath

More than 300 people, including ninetythree brides-to-be, attended the event, at which twenty-two vendors displayed their wares for the young ladies who came in search of fresh ideas for the big day. “For our second annual show, this was Janice Capone, Ashley Capone, and Charlotte Berniard. quite a crowd,” said Emily, coordinator of the event. “We had a positive response from both our brides and vendors. We look for next year’s show to be even better.” Door prizes were awarded throughout the three-hour event. An hour-long fashion show featured dresses from Alfred Angelo worn by a dozen models. Tours were offered of the Lod Cook Alumni Center, as well as The Cook Hotel, and Noland Hall, the primary venue for the event, was decorated to resemble a reception setting. Tastings were provided by the Association’s exclusive caterer, Unique Cuisine. “This is the first bridal fair I’ve been to, and I’ve found it very helpful. Everyone has been so nice, and I’ve gotten lots of good ideas. And my favorite food is the grilled vegetables!“ –May 2012 bride-to-be Stephanie Mitchell “I’ve already booked my reception here, and we came to sample the food, which is delicious! This is definitely helpful.” –May 2011 bride-to-be Amanda Rock “I enjoyed modeling for the Lod Cook Bridal Show because I got to plan my wedding by experiencing it. I am able to – among other things – try the food, speak to the jeweler, try on the dresses, and wear the make-up. It is so refreshing and convenient to see so many local vendors in one place.“ –May 1, 2010 bride Mallory Schexnayder Heath “This is a wonderful event, and the facility is beautiful. We’ve had such fun, and I’ve gotten a lot of great ideas for my wedding.” –September 2011 bride-to-be Ashley Capone

Thanks to the 2010 Bridal Show Vendors and Sponsors: Kleinpeter Photography • The Cook Hotel • The Cut Flower • Saunders Lux Jewelers The Perfect Wedding • Gilded Lily • Paper & Things • Perfect Wedding Guide • After Five Tuxedo • Cake Goddess • Lokka Med Spa * Hair/Bridal Beauty Consulting • Sensation Sounds Music • Malcolm Travel and Cruise • Alfred Angelo • Bridal Boutique • Treasured Video Productions • Professional Limousine • DuBois Cake Shop • Patti Smith Photography Aimeezing Faces Photography

Sponsors The Cook Hotel • Coca-Cola • Doug Olinde (Specialty Linens) • Unique Cuisine Amy Phuphanich and Amanda Rock

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BOOK AN EVENT Contact Amanda Haynes at 225-578-3838 or visit lsualumni.org.

Nicole Herman, Monica Mitchell, and Stephanie Mitchell

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU Alumni Association News Story and photos by Matt Deville

Senior Celebration Attracts 1,400 It seems cliché to call it a “one-stop shop,” but that is exactly what it is. Senior Celebration is the “perfect storm” for graduating seniors. With studying for finals, brushing up that resume, and making future plans, the last thing a senior wants to worry about is buying senior supplies. Cap and gown, senior portraits, graduation rings: who has time for that? Senior Celebration combines all of the intricacies of graduation into one event. “It’s all in one place,” said Meghan Wheelahan, an education major from Bossier City. “You can get it all done at one time and not have to worry about it.” More than 1,400 seniors passed through the doors at the Lod Cook Alumni Center for the two-

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day event, held Feb. 25-26, and some 350 of those joined the LSU Alumni Association. “It was good to see so many of our seniors make the commitment to join the Association,” said Jason Ramezan, vice president of alumni relations. “They are the future of our organization.” Food for the event was provided by Domino’s Pizza, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches, Chick-Fil-A, and Unique Cuisine. Drinks were provided by Baton Rouge Coca-Cola. Other vendors included Balfour, Barnes & Noble, Campus Federal Credit Union, and the Shelton Gift Shop. University departments on-hand included Career Services, Student Aid & Scholarships, Registrar, Graduate School, and Finance & Administrative Services. ON THE WEB: www.lsualumni.org

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU Alumni Association News

Charlie Roberts visits with Bryan Fox, president of the Phoenix chapter.

Chapter Events

Las Vegas chapter members gather at PT’s Gold.

Way Out West

Story and photos by Matt Deville

LSU Alumni Association President Charlie Roberts, along with Association staffers Amy Parrino, Jason Ramezan, Matt Deville, and Herman McKey represented the national association at events in Las Vegas and Phoenix on Feb. 18 and 20, respectively. More than forty people attended the Las Vegas event at PT’s Gold, a local sports bar in west Vegas. Outgoing Chapter president Lou Fives, Roberts, and incoming chapter president Scott Hebert spoke to the gathering in an evening filled with good food and plenty of LSU spirit.

Wilmington, N.C. – Tigers in and around Wilmington celebrated Mardi Gras to the live music of Jack Jack 180. The event took place at the Masonoboro Forest Clubhouse on Jan. 30.

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The Baton Rouge contingency moved on to Arizona two days later where chapter president Bryan Fox and some thirty Phoenix chapter members welcomed the group to an outdoor affair at the Sunset Café. Uncharacteristically, the desert climate wasn’t as receptive to the purple-and-gold gala. Temperatures dipped into the upper 40s as the group huddled under a pavilion to avoid a drizzling rain. However, with delicious food at the Sunset Café, outstanding merchandise from the Shelton Gift Shop, and a spirited call-to-arms by Roberts, the evening was a rousing success.

Bowl Tickets for Wounded Warriors – Prior to the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s Day, the LSU Alumni Association donated sixty game tickets to the Florida Citrus Sports Military Affairs Committee for distribution to local Wounded Warriors. The Warrior Transition Command (WTC) is a new 1-star command under U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) that serves as the organizational focal point for the Army’s Warrior Care and Transition Program. The WTC’s mission is to successfully transition wounded, ill, and injured soldiers and their families back to the Army, or to civilian life, through a comprehensive program of medical care, rehabilitation, professional development, and personal goals. There are currently just under 9,000 soldiers in twenty-nine Warrior Transition Units on military installations across the United States and Europe and nine Community Based Warrior Transition Units (CBWTUs) across the nation, including one in Orlando, Fla. Johnny Nelis, of the FCSports Military Affairs Committee, contacted Col. Patrick Connors, Chief of Operations, Plans, and Training for the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command in Washington, D.C., to arrange for distribution of the tickets. Connors, also an active FCSports Military Affairs Committee Member, provided the majority of the donated Capital One Bowl tickets to the Orlando-based CBWTU for use by Wounded Warriors and the unit’s cadre. The remaining tickets were given to local active duty military members, veterans, and their supporters from the Orlando-based U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), which builds and delivers simulators and training systems to units across the world. The ticket donation was coordinated by Association Vice President Jason Ramezan and Rae Connelly, president of the Orlando Alumni Chapter.

Houston Crawfish Boil Attracts Hundreds Story and photos by Matt Deville

The setting might have been downtown Houston, but there was definitely a Louisiana feel to the afternoon. More than 600 LSU alumni and friends turned out for the annual Greater Houston Alumni Chapter Crawfish Boil on April 10 at Wild West. There was no better place to host an event in the state of Texas than a country and western dance hall. The setting was different than you’d expect for a crawfish Former LSU left guard Mike Anderson loads up on boil, but those in attendance enjoyed the crawfish at the Greater Houston Crawfish Boil at Wild West. shelter of the western-themed night club in downtown Houston. Light rain fell throughout the morning and early afternoon of the event, but the clouds parted by mid-afternoon and purple-and- gold-clad partygoers enjoyed hot boiled crawfish and a full-slate of activities. “It was a great event,” said Josh Anderson, president of the Greater Houston Alumni Chapter. “We couldn’t have been Bottom: Former LSU linebacker Joe Wesley, Greater Houston Chapter board member, visits with LSU alums at the April 10 crawfish boil. happier with the turnout. It was

the biggest event we have had to date, and it keeps getting bigger.” The soggy start to the Saturday didn’t hamper the fun as a line formed early outside Wild West and remained in place for most of the afternoon. Over 3,500 pounds of crawfish was prepared by Country Club Crawfish, complete with spicy corn on the cob and potatoes. The chapter hosted a silent auction of a number of impressive items donated by various members. A live auction was also held with attendees bidding on bigger-ticket items such as autographed jerseys and LSU football season tickets. The high point of the day was the winning bid of $8,400 for four tickets to the Nov. 6 LSU vs. Alabama game in Tiger Stadium. “We set a record with the number of tickets sold for the auction at 4,100,” Anderson added. The official tally hasn’t been completed, but Anderson said the auction (silent and live) brought in over $17,000 while sponsorships for the event totaled more than $21,000. Title sponsors for the event included Houston-based companies ND Trak and Semp Check, as well as Woodrow’s of Houston.

D.C. Chapter Update By Norm Marcocci

During basketball and baseball seasons, members of the Washington, D.C., Alumni Chapter gathered at their favorite watering holes, the 18th Amendment on Capitol Hill and Bailey’s at the Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, Va., to cheer on the Tigers. Both places are also the locations for upcoming football season view-ins. The chapter continued its tradition of spreading goodwill by undertaking another community service project on Feb. 20. Alumni and faithful spent the day putting together and delivering more than 100 grocery bags for We Are Family, an organization dedicated to helping the city’s senior citizens. On May 29, the chapter teamed up with other Louisiana alumni associations in the D.C. area for the annual crawfish boil – Bayou Fete VII – at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria. More than 1,500 people feasted on five tons of crawfish, jambalaya, corn, potatoes, and sausages; fifty kegs of beer; and sodas and ice cream. Live music was provided by a Louisiana band. Members can still sign up for LSU license plates. Contact Norm Marcocci (see below) and provide your name, e-mail address, phone number, and current Maryland license plate number. You will be contacted later with further information and instructions. The D.C. chapter’s next event, the 2nd Annual Nationals Night, will be held in conjunction with the Louisiana State Society at 7:05 p.m. on July 31, when the Washington Nationals take on the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Ballpark. Tickets are $9 each, plus a nominal handling fee. To purchase tickets, visit www.nationals.com/lsulss. Fans are urged to wear LSU purple and gold or Louisiana-themed clothing for a group photo for LSU Alumni Magazine. Free Nyjer Morgan bobble heads will be given out to everyone, including children, while supplies last! After the game is over, those attending will decide as a group where to go for food and drinks. For additional information about the chapter or any of these events, contact Marcocci at 703-263-9771 or NormLSU88@yahoo.com. To join the chapter’s e-mail list, write dclsualumni@yahoo.com.

ON THE WEB: Chapter Web site: www.lsudcalumni.com Louisiana State Society Web site: www.louisianastatesociety.org

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU Alumni Association News

Story and photos by Matt Deville

Webster Parish Johnson Steps Down after 25 Years J.C. Johnson has dedicated the last twenty-five years of his life to LSU.

“J.C. Johnson has done so much not only for the chapter here in Webster Parish but also for the LSU Alumni Association as a whole.”

For the past quarter-century, Johnson served as the president of the Webster Parish Alumni Chapter, and since 1990 has served on the LSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors. His reign officially ended in early March when he stepped down as the president of the northwest Louisiana-based chapter. In a congratulatory dinner at Dorcheat Seafood in Minden, Johnson was honored for his service by the chapter’s board of directors, with Association President Charlie Roberts on hand to lead the salute. “J.C. Johnson has done so much not only for the chapter here in Webster Parish but also for the LSU Alumni Association as a whole,” Roberts said. “We appreciate his years of dedicated service and generosity to the chapter and the national association.”

Serving on the Webster Parish Chapter Board of Directors are, left to right, Jimmy Hall, Claude West, Fred Elzen, Gary Haynes, George Tigner, Sarah Haynes, Dr. Zach Goodman, Kay Elzen, Benny dePingré, Dr. Ciff Salmon, and Jim and Jeanne Branch. Not pictured are Sherb Sentell and Dr. Amanda Williams.

LSU Alumni Association President Charlie Roberts congratulates J.C. Johnson.

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Johnson was honored with thunderous applause by the board members present. Johnson, president of J.C. Johnson FordLincoln-Mercury in Minden, served as the president of the Webster Parish Chapter since 1985. An Alumni-By-Choice, he is a past recipient of the Chapter Service Award. Kay Elzen was elected the new president of the chapter. Serving with her on the incoming Board of Directors are Jimmy Hall, Claude West, Fred Elzen, Gary Haynes, George Tigner, Sarah Haynes, Dr. Zack Goodman, Kay Elzen, Benny dePingré, Dr. Cliff Salmon, and Jim and Jeanne Branch, Sherb Sentell, and Dr. Amanda Williams. The Webster Parish Chapter has endowed a Chapter Scholarship, a Top 100 Scholarship, and an Alumni Professorship, which is held by Ray Ferrell, professor of geology and geophysics.

LSU Alumni Association

Upcoming Chapter Events June 1

Jackson Tiger Tour Contact kellylandry@lsu.edu

Covington Tiger Tour Contact kellylandry@lsu.edu

Twin Cities, Minn., Crawfish Boil john.m.chandler@comcast.com

Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Tournament jeff@sojlaw.net

Morgan City Tiger Tour Contact kellylandry@lsu.edu

Fort Worth Chapter Fish Fry lsutarranttigers@sbcglobal.net

July

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BBQ pits, seating and sunning areas

Contact kellylandry@lsu.edu

New Construction for Sale

Units are built along a private lake/courtyard

10-11 DeSoto Parish Golf Weekend 15

Walk to Tiger Stadium!

Baton Rouge Tiger Tour

Contact Mike Haffner @ 225-757-5938 or nnmx86@aol.com Visit our website at www.highlandhideawaybr.com

btope1@lsu.edu

August 7

Ouachita Parish (Monroe) Golf Tournament GCampbell@sbsitlaw.com

Birmingham Chapter Student Send-Off bthomas@centralleasing.com

Tulsa Chapter Kick-Off party tulsatiger@cox.net

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU Alumni Association

Snapshots

Retired Special Trial Judge D. Irvin Couvillion (1956 BACH BUS; 1959 JD), left, shown with LSU Alumni Association Development Officer Larry Jones, made a generous contribution to the Alumni Fund in February. Couvillion, a native of Simmesport, La., served on the United States Tax Court from 1978-2001.

Former LSU Alumni Association Vice President/CFO Susan Ballard, right, accepts a donation from John F. Smith, director of community affairs for Hollywood Casino, for the Hollywood Casino Endowed Chancellor’s Leadership Scholarship. The endowment was established in 1995.

Band Leader – LSU Alumni Association President Charlie Roberts sat down with WBRZ-TV reporter Luke Margolis on April 6 to film a segment on the Tiger Band for “LSU at 150 – Past, Present & Future,” a program commemorating the University’s sesquicentennial anniversary. It was Roberts’ involvement with and knowledge of the band – as an undergraduate and graduate student; as a student director under William F. Swor; as leader of the LSU Cheerleaders and Basketball “Pep” Band; and as author of the History of the LSU Band – that attracted the camera crew to talk to Roberts about a variety of topics concerning the Golden Band from Tigerland. The piece was filmed at the Tiger Band Exhibit in the Jack & Priscilla Andonie Museum and aired on Baton Rouge’s ABC affiliate WBRZ Channel 2 on April 15.

16 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

P&G Award - During a recent trip to Baton Rouge, James C. “Jim” Flores (1981 BACH BUS; 1982 BACH ENGR) was presented the Purple & Gold Award by LSU Alumni Association President Charlie Roberts. Flores, right, is chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Houston-based Plains Exploration and Production Company. Flores, and his wife Cherie, were recognized on Feb. 5 at the annual LSU Alumni Association Accolades Banquet, which they unable to attend. Roberts, along with Chancellor Michael Martin, left, met Flores at the Baton Rouge airport. Flores, who was the 2007 LSU Alumnus of the Year, made the lead gift in founding the Flores M.B.A. program in the E.J. Ourso College of Business.

Photos and captions by Matt Deville

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

18 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Hall of Distinction

a Who’s Who of LSU Alumni Highlighted by Alumnus of the Year Dr. Billy Cannon, the 2010 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction was a star-studded event.

Louisiana State University has a tradition of graduating students who go on to achieve national and international prominence – leaders in education, agriculture, the arts and sciences, government, commerce industry, technology, and social advocacy. 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.

By Matt Deville Photos by Matt Deville and Chuck Sanchez

The numbers of awards he has received is almost too long to list. From the 1959 Heisman Trophy to induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, Dr. Billy Cannon has been recognized throughout his lifetime for achievement both on and off the football field. On Friday, Aug. 16, he added another. This time, it didn’t have as much to do with his athletic prowess as his lifetime dedication to LSU. Dr. Cannon was named 2010 Alumnus of the Year as he and nine others were inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction. Marty Sixkiller, who has excelled in the film industry at DreamWorks Animation in Los Angeles, was tapped the 2010 Young Alumnus of the Year. “When (LSU Alumni President) Charlie (Roberts) approached me and said I had been selected Alumnus of the Year, I declined the invitation,” Cannon said humbly during his acceptance speech at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. “I told him to go back and tell them to vote again.” The vote was again unanimous by the selection committee, and Cannon was inducted in to the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction as the 46th Alumnus of the Year. “We were so honored to have Dr. Cannon as our 2010 Alumnus of the Year,” Roberts said. “He has been such an ambassador for LSU. Indeed, this was one of the most outstanding groups of inductees we’ve ever had for the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction.” Also inducted were Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Ambassador to Liberia; Jeff Kleinpeter, president of Kleinpeter Farms Dairy; Maj. Gen. Ron Richard, USMC (Ret.), CEO of the Tiger Athletic Foundation; Dr. Eugene C. St. Martin, Sr., retired clinical professor in urology, LSU School of Medicine-Shreveport; East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore; Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Mike Strain; Collis B. Temple, Jr., owner/executive director of Harmony Center, Inc.; and Trey Trahan, president of Trahan Architects.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Alumnus of the Year

Dr. Billy Cannon Baton Rouge native and All-American halfback at LSU in 1958 and 1959, Billy Cannon led the Tigers to their first national championship. He won the Heisman Trophy as a senior and remains LSU’s only Heisman winner. Indeed, he received virtually every honor that could be bestowed on an individual, including All-America accolades in 1958 and 1959 and UPI Player of the Year in 1958 and 1959. Cannon’s 89-yard punt return on Halloween night 1959 against Ole Miss is ranked as one of the most dramatic plays in college football history. A three-year letter winner for the Tigers (1957-59), he was also a two-time first-team All-SEC selection (1958-59) and a two-year letter winner in track and field at LSU, excelling as both the 100-yard dash and the shot put. Billy Cannon enjoyed a superb nine-year career in the American Football League – with the Houston Oilers and the Oakland Raiders – and ended his pro-football career in 1970 with the National Football League’s Kansas City Chiefs. He was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. After retiring from professional football, he earned his D.D.S. at the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree at Loyola University in Chicago and today is dental director at Angola State Penitentiary Dr. Cannon and his wife, Dorothy, reside in St. Francisville. They have four children, Terri, Gina, Billy Jr., and Bunnie.

Honorees’ photographs by Jim Zietz.

20 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Young Alumnus of the Year

Marty Sixkiller Marty Sixkiller, media tools supervisor at DreamWorks Animation, graduated from LSU in 1992 with a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design. While at LSU, he was a member of the Tiger Band drumline, the LSU Symphonic Band, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the Graphic Design Student Association. With more than eighteen years in the motion picture/ film/computer graphics industry, he has worked on the production and post-production sides, as well as in management. While a student and after graduating, Sixkiller worked as a 3D animator at Video Park in Baton Rouge. He spent two years with EDEFX Group in Miami, Fla., as a CGI animator and joined DreamWorks in 1995. His film projects include, among numerous others, Shrek the Third, Shrek 2, Over the Hedge, Flushed Away, Madagascar, Antz, Kung Fu Panda, and the current hit How to Train Your Dragon. Among his many commercial projects are Shrek 2 promotional commercials, Spring: Angry, Louisiana Lottery: Straight, and Pillsbury Doughboy: Avalanche. He also owns and operates a freelance graphic design/ Web consulting firm, Killer Design & Consulting. Sixkiller is a member of the Bay Area Alumni Association in San Francisco and an active member of the Association for Computer Machinery, Association International du Film dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Animation, and Cornerstone Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Joan, have two children, Cole and Chloe. The family resides in San Ramon, Calif., where he pursues his hobbies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; photography, percussion, golf, and scuba diving.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Jeffrey Andrew Kleinpeter Jeffrey Kleinpeter, president of Kleinpeter Farms Dairy, earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from LSU in 1984 and set out on a career in the construction industry before joining the family business in 1987. He assumed presidency of the business in 2004. Under his leadership – and with a team of 1,400 cows – the dairy expanded operations statewide and doubled the size of the staff. In 2008, the Kleinpeter Farms established the state’s only ice cream plant, using Louisiana products in their flavors. In 2008 Kleinpeter Farms Dairy was named “Business of the Year” by the Baton Rouge Business Report and Junior Achievement; “Best Place to Work” by Louisiana Life Magazine; and received the “Clean Business of the Year” award from Keep Baton Rouge Beautiful and the “Legion of Honor” award from Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. Kleinpter serves on the boards of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Better Business Bureau, and American Gateway Bank and is a member of the LSU Department of Food Science Advisory Board. He was named one of “9 to Watch” in 2008 by 225 Magazine and a “Power of 9” volunteer by WAFB-TV in 2009. Kleinpeter and his wife, the former Debbie Cooper of Vidalia, have one daughter, Taylor, who attends Southeastern Louisiana University. His stepdaughters, Jennifer Barton and Heather Poole – each with four children – live in Alexandria and Baton Rouge. Like Kleinpeter Farms Dairy, he says, “we’re literally spreading out across the state.”

22 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Hillar Clement Moore, III East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from LSU in 1977. An FBI-trained crime scene investigator, he worked in the district attorney’s office while pursuing his Juris Doctorate from Southern University, from which he graduated magna cum laude in 1989. He was in private practice before he was elected district attorney. Moore is a member and past president of the Baton Rouge Bar of Criminal Justice, a member and past board member of the Baton Rouge Bar Association, and a member of the Louisiana Bar Association. Active in community affairs, he is president of the LSU Baseball Coaches Committee and Ecumenical House board of directors and serves on the boards of Sam’s Helping Hands and Dellucci’s Dream Foundation. He is a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church Men’s Club and Catholic High School Men’s Club. He also served on the boards of Bishop Sullivan High School and the Paula G. Manship Branch of the YMCA, coached Baton Rouge Tigers baseball, and was named YMCA Coach of the Year for basketball, soccer, and baseball. Moore and his wife, Dawn, have three sons, Hayden, Hillar IV, and John Michael, who keep him busy coaching youth baseball.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Maj. Gen. Ronald G. Richard, USMC (Ret.) Major General Ron Richard, a decorated U.S. Marine Corps retiree, is chief executive officer of the Tiger Athletic Foundation, a private corporation dedicated to supporting LSU and its athletic programs. A native of Basile, La., he earned a bachelor’s degree in history from LSU in August 1968 and immediately joined the Marine Corps, completing basic training in 1969. He also earned a master’s degree in international relations from Salve Regina College. During his military career, he served in posts around the world, rising steadily in rank. Colonel Richard was Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations during the Persian Gulf War and was promoted to Brigadier General in 1993. He was assigned as Commanding General of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., in 1996, where he was promoted to his current rank. His final assignment was Commanding General of the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Among his military honors are the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Combat “V” and gold star in lieu of a second award, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with combat “V” and gold star, and Combat Action ribbon with gold star. He was inducted into the LSU military Hall of Honor at LSU Salutes in 2004. Major General Richard and his wife, the former Dolores Bertrand of Basile, have four children – Rachel, Ryan, Anne Marie, and Katherine.

24 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Dr. Eugene Charles St. Martin Dr. Eugene St. Martin earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from LSU in 1940 and an M.D. from Tulane University Medical School in 1944. He completed a urology resident program in 1946 and a preceptorship in urology in 1950. A founding physician of the LSU Shreveport Medical School, a founding member of the LSU Health Sciences Foundation of Shreveport, and past president of Shumpert Medical Center, Dr. St. Martin has retired from his position as clinical professor in urology and family practice. A Diplomat of the American Board of Urology and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, he is founder of the Ark-La-Tex Urological Society, founder and past president of the Louisiana State Urological Society, and past president of the Louisiana State Medical Society, Shreveport Medical Society, Society of Pediatric Urology, and Southeastern Section of American Urological Association. Dr. St. Martin was an early member of the LSU Foundation, a past president and generous supporter of the LSU Alumni Association, and is a benefactor of the College of Basic Sciences. He was named to the college’s Hall of Distinction in 2008 and received the prestigious American Urological Association Gold Crane Award in 2007. Dr. St. Martin and his wife, the late Peggy Dean, have three children, Eugene Jr., Charlean Dickson, and Celeste Wedgeworth. He lists his hobbies as golf, hunting, travel, cooking – and eating!

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Dr. Mike Strain Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain attended undergraduate school at LSU and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 1983. A large animal practitioner and owner of Claiborne Hill Veterinary Hospital in Covington, La., Strain committed himself to public service early in his career. He has served in a variety of capacities in the community and in professional organizations – as parish president and state board member of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, president of the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association, a lieutenant in the Special Operations Division of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff ’s Office, and member and chair of numerous state agricultural and industry commissions. Strain served as state representative for House District 74 from 1999-2007 and was sworn in as commissioner in 2008. He is actively involved with the School of Veterinary Medicine and was instrumental in establishing the school’s equine program while serving in the Louisiana Legislature. He also participates in student Ph.D. projects, collaborates on publications, and works on policy and funding for the school. He received the School of Veterinary Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003, the St. Tammany Parish Alliance for Good Government Legislator of the Year Award in 2001 and 2008, and the Future Farmers of America Honorary American Degree in 2009. Dr. Strain and his wife, the former Susan Searcy, have two children, Michael and Melissa.

26 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Collis B. Temple, Jr. Collis B. Temple, Jr., graduated from LSU with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education in 1974 and 1979, respectively. A three-year letterman on the Tiger Basketball team, he earned All-SEC and Academic All-SEC honors and was the University’s first African-American to receive a basketball athletic scholarship. From 1974-76 he played professional basketball with the San Antonio spurs and the Seattle Supersonics. A native of Kentwood, La., Temple is the owner and executive director of Harmony Center, Inc., a system of residential health and mental health facilities serving foster children, the developmentally disabled, and adjudicated youth and adults. Temple has served on the board of directors of the LSU Alumni Association, Tiger Athletic Foundation, National L Club, and LSU Junior Division Advisory Board. He was one of fifteen basketball players voted by fans to the AllCentury Team and named National Club Member of the Year. He has coached and mentored some of LSU’s top athletes, including Glen Davis of the Boston Celtics, Tyrus Thomas of the Chicago Bulls, and Early Doucet of the Arizona Cardinals. He served as chairman of the Baton Rouge Park and Recreation Commission when it received the prestigious National Gold Medal Award for Excellence and serves on the boards of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission, Baton Rouge Sports Foundation, East Baton Rouge Parish Planning and Zoning Commission, and was a founding board member of the Big Buddy Program and BREC Sports Academy, formerly known as the Baton Rouge Sports Academy. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Mount Zion First Baptist Church. Temple is married to Baton Rouge City Court Judge Kelli Temple and the father of three sons, Collis III, Elliott, and Garrett, and a daughter, Colleen.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Linda Joyce Thomas-Greenfield Since graduating from LSU in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Linda Thomas-Greenfield has lived in seven countries on three continents and is presently serving as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia. She was nominated for the post by President George Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2008. Thomas-Greenfield, a native of Baker, graduated from LSU in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and earned a master’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin. Prior to joining the Department of State, she taught political science at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., and she joined the Foreign Service in 1982. Thomas-Greenfield is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service at the Minister Counselor Level with foreign assignments in Nigeria, The Gambia, Kenya, Jamaica, Pakistan, and Switzerland. Her domestic assignments were in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and in the Office of the Director General of the Foreign Service. Before assuming her ambassadorship, she was principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau for African Affairs and before that served as deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration In 2007 she received the Presidential Meritorious Service Award and in 2000 was the recipient of the Warren Christopher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Global Affairs. From 2003-04, she was a member of and president of the 46th and last Senior Seminar, the State Department’s most prestigious senior development program. Thomas-Greenfield and her husband, Lafayette, have two children, Lindsay and Lafayette II.

28 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Victor F. “Trey” Trahan, III Trey Trahan, president of Trahan Architects, one of the fastest growing sports architecture firms in America, graduated from LSU in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. An internationally recognized designer, Trahan’s design for the renovation of the historic Gym-Armory to the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes won numerous national awards and resulted in a traveling exhibition. His firm’s other LSU projects include the east and west side expansions of Tiger Stadium, the design of Tiger Park – which last year won the AIA Baton Rouge Rose Award for Design Excellence – and the LSU Golf Practice Facility, as well as the LSU Sports Complex master plan. Trahan was lead architect on the Louisiana Superdome renovation project after Hurricane Katrina and stadium planning and work for Auburn University, University of Cincinnati, University of North Texas, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi. He was recently chosen to design the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum. His ecclesiastical projects, St. Jean Vianney Catholic Church in Baton Rouge and Holy Rosary Church complex in St. Amant, La., are among the most published sacred architecture projects in the world. Trahan’s work for LSU Athletics earned him the distinguished Purple Jacket award, and his support of the College of Art & Design has resulted in his sponsorship of a lecture series. He has received three National AIA Honor Awards in five years and won three international design competitions. In 2009, he was one of twenty-two American architects featured in Arquitectos Americanos recognizing the work of America’s most outstanding architects. Focusing on professionalism in client service and excellence in design, he was honored with the Baton Rouge Company of the Year award on behalf of Trahan Architects.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU’s Sesquicentennial Year Centennial Celebration As part of LSU’s centennial celebration in 1960, College of Education students Shirley Piper, Carolyn Johnson, Glenda Gaar, and Pat Lamonda, left to right in the photo at right, donned vintage costumes to serve as hostesses at a reception at the LSU Faculty Club. Three of the ladies returned to campus for the college’s own centennial celebration in 2009 and took time out to recreate the photograph on the Faculty Club stairs. Baton Rouge area residents and lifelong friends, they have enjoyed varied careers in education, and each served at as a classroom teacher. From left to right are Shirley Piper Lichtenstein (1960 BACH EDUC; 1965 MAST EDUC; 1968 CERT), Glenda Gaar Lofton (1961 BACH EDUC; 1971 MAST EDUC), who donated the 1960 photograph to the College of Education archives, and Pat Fletcher Williams (1961 BACH EDUC).

THE

PERFECT

SEASON “Bud Johnson’s account of LSU’s 1958 season is magnificent. The Perfect Season captures the excitement of that magical season while also bringing the reader back in time to re-live one of the greatest years in the history of LSU football. It’s a must read for any LSU enthusiast, especially one who has a passion for Tiger football.” – LSU coach Les Miles

To order visit www.lsualumni.org/shop or call 225.383.0241. Copies are also available at Shelton Gift Shop in the Cook Hotel, 3848 West Lakeshore Dr.

30 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Licensed Tiger By Lindsey Meaux Photo by Larry Hubbard

Trivia By Barry Cowan

How much do you know about LSU’s history? See how well you do on the sesquicentennial trivia quiz. Quizzes will appear in each issue of LSU Alumni Magazine throughout the sesquicentennial year. Answers appear at the bottom of the page. 1. When did LSU play its first intercollegiate baseball game? 1870 1893 1906 1922 2. Which university was the baseball team’s first opponent? Ole Miss Alabama Cal State Fullerton Tulane 3. Who was LSU’s longest-serving baseball coach? Harry Rabenhorst Skip Bertman Turtle Thomas Smoke Laval 4. What was the age range for admission in 1860? 18 to 29 15 to 21 12 to 20 There were no age restrictions 5. Could married men be admitted as cadets in 1860? Yes No 6. When was authorization given to begin construction of sorority houses on campus? 1960 1906 1910 1938 7. Who was the first Louisiana governor to graduate from LSU? John McKeithen Huey P. Long Ruffin G. Pleasant Mike Foster 8. Which U.S. vice-president earned a master’s degree in political science at LSU? Spiro Agnew Hubert Humphrey John Nance Garner Joe Biden 9. Which Oscar-winning actress majored in drama at LSU in the late 1940s? Elizabeth Taylor Marilyn Monroe Natalie Wood Joanne Woodward 10. What was the first book published by LSU Press to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize? Twelve Years A Slave Under Stately Oaks A Confederacy of Dunces The Neon Bible 11. What were two of LSU’s selling points in 1905? Electric lights and pure artesian water The Pentagon Barracks Coeds No scarlet fever 12. Who was the first African American student to enroll at LSU? A.P. Tureaud, Jr. Roy Wilson Maxine Crump Pinkie Gordon Lane Barry Cowan, associate librarian in Hill Memorial Library, is a member of the LSU Sesquicentennial Executive Committee. Answers: 1.b; 2.d; 3.a; 4.b; 5.b; 6.a; 7.c; 8.b; 9.d; 10.c; 11.a; 12.b

An Aggie by birth and a Tiger by choice, Jonathon Szymanski is a native of Wallis, Texas, where he grew up 74 miles from the home of the Longhorns. Since Szymanski’s arrival at LSU in 2003, his blood has “turned purple” —and he sports a Louisiana license plate inscribed with “LSU1860” to prove it – an especially apt salute to his alma mater as it marks its sesquicentennial this year. When it was time for him to order a Louisiana license plate, a court-ordered injunction prevented Szymanski from ordering an LSU specialty plate. “They stopped all specialty plates in Louisiana, so I couldn’t get one,” Szymanski explains. “I had to be creative. I was playing around, and I just typed in LSU1860. My plate is a regular white Louisiana one with Louisiana in red on the top.” Affixed to the rear of Szymanski’s pickup truck, he describes the plate as “pretty neat” and says strangers, colleagues, and friends comment on it frequently. Szymanski, who is principal of Port Allen Middle School, came to LSU to work on his second master’s degree in education and earned his doctorate in educational leadership and research in May 2010. On receiving his master’s degree, Szymanski purchased an LSU graduation ring – which, he says, he will wear proudly until the day he dies – and now plans to have “Ph.D.” engraved on it. “I wanted to go to get my doctorate at a school I really liked,” Szymanski said of his decision apply to LSU. “I love LSU – I really fell in love with it.” And though he received his undergraduate and first graduate degree from Texas A&M, he says students, faculty, and staff have been “extremely nice” and welcoming. “LSU’s a very good place,” he said. “It’s a [heck] of an institution. Professors are more than generous. You can’t ask for much more.” Lindsey Meaux is a senior in the Manship School of mass communication, concentrating in public relations.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Sesquicentennial

Calendar of Events LSU: Building an American Renaissance on Tour

This statewide tour is made possible by the Louisiana Department of State Museums Division, operated by Secretary of State Jay Dardenne.

May 14-June 25, 2010

Imperial Calcasieu Museum, 204 West Sallier St., Lake Charles, La.

July 31-September 11, 2010

Masur Museum 1400 South Grand St., Monroe, La.

September 14-October 18, 2010

Louisiana’s Old State Capitol (Baton Rouge) 100 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge, La.

October 30, 2010-January 1, 2011

The Arsenal at the Cabildo (New Orleans) 701 Chartres St., Jackson Square, New Orleans, La.

32 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU Day Rescheduled

LSU Day, which was scheduled for Saturday, April 24, was postponed until the fall due to expected severe weather. Although LSU Day was billed as a rain or shine event, safety was the University‚s top priority and, after consulting with the Louisiana Office of State Climatology and the National Weather Service, used all information currently available to make the difficult decision to postpone the event because of the potential for hail, lightning, damaging winds, and tornadoes. The new date for the event had not been sent as the magazine went to press. The date will be announced through the University Web site – www.lsu.edu – as well as on the LSU Alumni Association Web site – www.lsualumni.org – and will be published in the Association’s monthly E-Letter.

LSU Serves the World

The mission of LSU Serves the World is to encourage LSU’s students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends to be more fully engaged in their communities through voluntary service. LSU Serves the World provides the resources and support for individuals to find a place to volunteer time, talents, resources and energy to make communities stronger and to reflect on that experience. In this online mechanism, visitors can learn more about community engagement; find opportunities for service activities with campus, city, state, national, and international groups; pledge the LSU Commitment to Community; and read inspiring stories of others who have served. LSU Serves the World will feature four signature service events – one each quarter – to bring students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the community together to serve.

LSU Fall Fest – Sept. 17, 11 a.m., Quadrangle and ExxonMobil Quadrangle

Each fall, the LSU chancellor officially welcomes both new and returning students to the University in the annual tradition known as Fall Fest. Held on the Friday before an LSU Tigers football game, the celebration features a food court, exhibition booths, performances by the Golden Band from Tigerland, and a welcome from Chancellor Michael Martin. The sesquicentennial Fall Fest will feature more performances, more booths, and more food than ever before as LSU goes all out to infuse the campus with Tiger spirit. While the crowd mingles and enjoys free food and drinks, select fraternities put on a step show, the LSU Marching Band performs timeless seasonal standards, the Tiger Girls dance, and the cheerleaders lead the assembled masses in cheers to get them ready for the upcoming home football game.

“Treasures of LSU” Book Launch – Sept. 30

LSU students and staff members will give the story behind each treasure illustrated, explain how LSU acquired it and what its significance is to the University. Treasures of LSU will be distributed and sold on the general retail market in the fall. Two versions will be produced — 250 copies of a limitededition hardcover version and 2,500 copies of a soft-cover edition.

LSU Salutes – Nov. 5

LSU Salutes is an opportunity for the Ole War Skule to recognize and honor all those who served with distinction in the Armed Forces of the United States of America, with special guests including all veterans and former and current cadets. By resolution of the LSU Board of Supervisors in March of 1998, LSU Salutes was established as an official University observance. It occurs each November on the Saturday of a home football game that falls nearest to Veteran’s Day.

LSU Homecoming – Nov. 8-13

When outsiders look at LSU, they typically see three things – a good football team, a good time and a good education. But a closer look shows a number of gems hidden throughout the campus that bring LSU to life and give the oaks and arches a very distinct personality. These gems are captured in the book Treasures of LSU, a high-quality, large-format book that showcases many of the University’s treasures and brings them to life through a series of interpretive essays and vibrant photographs. One hundred examples of artwork, artifacts, and architectural highlights will be featured in the book, which will be published by LSU Press specifically for the sesquicentennial celebration. Essays written by

Homecoming is a time-honored tradition for alumni, students and members of the LSU community. Last year, the University celebrated 100 years of Homecoming, and this year the celebration will take note of LSU’s sesquicentennial. Homecoming is celebrated all week long with student competitions, charity drives, a coronation, and parades. The week of activities wraps up with a home football game at Tiger Stadium Nov. 13.

LSU 150 is sponsored by AT&T, BlueCrossBlueShield of Louisiana, Campus Federal Credit Union, Raising Cane’s, Coca-Cola, Entergy, and ExxonMobil.

book your next event at

The Cook Hotel & Conference Center

One of Louisiana’s Most Popular Locations for Meetings, Wedding Receptions, and Social Events.

www.thecookhotel.com 1-866-610-2665 3848 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Never Stop Learning

OLLI at LSU

By Andrew White Photos provided by LSU Continuing Education

Charging through Victory Tunnel in Tiger Stadium, the group has one goal in mind: have fun and enjoy the experience. Hands reach to touch the “WIN” bar over the tunnel’s entrance, but they don’t belong to the LSU football team. The hands are those of seasoned learners entering Death Valley as part of an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at LSU, or OLLI at LSU, course. Above Left: OLLI students taking the “Behind the Scenes of LSU Athletics” course enter Tiger Stadium through Victory Tunnel. Above Right: St. James Place Chapter members, from left, Marilyn Rosenson, Louise Couvillion, and Jackie Launey.

“Behind the Scenes of LSU Athletics” offered OLLI members an inside look at college athletics. Members participated in guided tours of LSU athletic facilities, including Tiger Stadium and the new Alex Box Stadium. Led by coaches and administrators, OLLI members learned about the day-to-day challenges of running a college athletic program. The sports course is one of more than 100 courses offered each year to members of OLLI at LSU members, a community of adults age 50 and older that fosters lifelong learning through courses designed to challenge, inform, and enrich. OLLI boasts more than 900 members in three chapters: Lagniappe Studies Unlimited Chapter and St. James Place Chapter in Baton Rouge and the Felicianas Chapter in St. Francisville. Members pay an annual membership fee and a modest registration fee for each course, which are offered in the fall, spring, and summer. Tom Moore, chair of the OLLI at LSU advisory council, has been involved with the program for thirteen years. Moore has been an instructor and a course coordinator for several courses and helped organize the “Behind the Scenes of LSU Athletics” course. “The whole concept of OLLI at LSU is to create new senior learning experiences,” Moore says. “Whether your interests are in history, opera, art, or science, OLLI at LSU has something for everyone. My wife, Margaret, and I share different interests, and we’ll often take a variety of courses and then discuss what we’ve learned with one another.” A unique feature of the program is the direct involvement of the members in the course development process. “OLLI courses are suggested and planned by members, not by LSU staff,” says Doreen Maxcy, director of the program. “Member-led committees and leadership help direct the evolution of the program. OLLI members delight in the challenge of creating new, interesting courses each term.” Robert Evans, a member since 1996 and a past president, refers to OLLI at LSU as the “best kept secret in Baton Rouge.” “I graduated from LSU in 1958 with a degree in chemical and petroleum engineering,” Evans says. “I didn’t have many electives while I was in school. So, later in my life, OLLI at LSU gives me the opportunity to take courses on subjects I’ve always been attracted to.” Both retired and active LSU faculty, as well as community experts, teach OLLI courses. There are no tests or grades. Instructor Miriam Overton is an expert in religious studies and medieval philosophy. During the spring semester, Overton taught “God in a Box,” examining a methodology for working with ancient sacred texts. “What I enjoy most about teaching at OLLI at LSU and this age group is their enthusiasm for learning, their intellectual curiosity, and their engagement with the subject matter,” Overton explains. “The members bring such a wealth of knowledge to the classroom that it creates a deeper learning experience for everyone.” OLLI at LSU also offers local field trips. Members have recently traveled to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, Honey Island Swamp, the Islamic Center of Baton Rouge, and Poverty Point State Historic Site. In the spring, OLLI members traveled to Mary Ann Brown Nature Preserve as part of a new monthly “Nature Walks in the Felicianas.”

34 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Left to Right: 1. Felicianas Chapter members pose for a photo at the Governor’s Mansion. 2. OLLI members tour the LSU AgCenter Sugar Cane Research Station in St. Gabriel, La. 3. “Coffee Queen” Claire Fontenot, of the Lagniappe Studies Unlimited Chapter. 4. Tom Moore, left, chair of OLLI at LSU, and longtime member Louis Curet.

Whether your interests are in history, opera, art, or science,

OLLI at LSU has something for everyone. Josette Lester and her husband, newcomers to the St. Francisville area, found their membership in the Felicianas Chapter an easy way to meet new people. “Participating in OLLI at LSU has improved my life in so many ways, and I have met some of the most wonderful people you would ever hope to know,” says Lester. “It has given me something meaningful and fulfilling after retiring, and its courses have stretched my mind and allowed me a glimpse into a world that I never thought I would explore.” OLLI at LSU traces its roots back to a 1994 article written by the late Baton Rouge physician Dr. Charles Prosser, recommending that people should continue learning for as long as they are able. The article inspired Ann McCrory, an LSU Continuing Education staff member, to develop an enrichment program for seasoned learners age 50 and older. She approached then-Dean Dean Fritz McCameron about organizing night courses for older adults off campus, and the LSU “Live and Learn” program was created, initially attracting about seventyfive members. Membership grew steadily after the program changed its name to Lagniappe Studies Unlimited – to correspond with LSU initials – and began offering daytime courses at convenient off-campus locations. In 2007 Continuing Education applied for and won its first grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation, and the program became an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, one of 120 institutes located on university and college campuses throughout the United States. The Bernard Osher Foundation has awarded OLLI at LSU three $100,000 grants, and in April made a $1 million endowment gift to the program for demonstrating success and sustainability. The endowment will provide support for the OLLI program and keep membership and registration fees low. YOU AND OLLI OLLI at LSU holds regular “Coffee & Lagniappe” events that are open to the public. Individuals age 50 and over who like to learn are invited to socialize, enjoy refreshments, and learn from guest speakers. For details about upcoming programs and membership information, visit www.outreach.lsu.edu/OLLI or call 225-578-6763.

Summer 2010 OLLI Courses

July 5 - July 30, 2010

Advanced French • Beginning Han Cajun Culture, Music and Dance – Folk Art • Container Gardening Louisiana Novels • Conversation Countdown to Conflict • Fodor and Punishment • Healthy Step Health with the Lebed Method

d Building Pottery

• Clementine Hunter • Contemporary in French

Dostoevsky’s Crime

s, Move to Better

• Interpreting Stories Psychologically • Introduction to Computers Legends and Legacies of Pearls • Life Writing Louisiana and the United States

in the Edwards Years • Mosaics • Pastels with Pizz azz • Surfing 101: Introduction to the Internet • Two Literary Views of Cajun Life • The Drawing Basics • The Great War – History and Poetry • The Legend s and Legacies of Pearls • The Supreme Court in 201 0 • Two Literary Views of Louisiana Cajun Life • Women and Minorities in the Media • Wonderful Worms– Eat My Garbage/ Feed My Flowers • World War I

Andrew White is a communications assistant in LSU Continuing Education.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

BioPulse Lure LSU Science Helps Reel in the Big One

By Ashley Berthelot Photos by Eddy Perez

John Caprio developed technology that allows the BioPulse lure to stimulate taste reflexes in fish.

Fishing, a supposedly relaxing pastime, all too often becomes a frustrating series of near misses and lost chances for the recreational sportsman. This frustration is magnified for those who make their living through fishing in professional tournaments; a near miss on the pro-fishing circuit can mean the difference between lucrative endorsement deals and a catastrophic six-figure loss. But what if there was a way not only to attract any fish in the area to your lure but also to make them take the bait? That’s where LSU’s own John Caprio came in, developing and licensing scientific technology that takes the mystery out of reeling in the big one. Caprio, the George C. Kent Professor of Biological Sciences and a specialist in aquatic vertebrate taste and smell systems, studies the chemosensory systems of a number of common fresh and saltwater fish species. He has spent much of the last three decades researching and perfecting technology based on the natural impulses of a fish’s sensory systems, using the fish’s biology to increase the odds of making a catch. Caprio discovered the specific natural stimuli that activate a fish’s taste sensors, resulting in nerve reflexes that cause it to ingest food – or an appropriate fishing lure. “If you look at how chemosensory input occurs in both our brain and that of a fish, you’ll see that smell input is to forebrain whereas taste input is to the back, the highly reflexive part of the brain,” says Caprio. “The take-home message from this is simple: fish learn and associate particular scents as food, but taste is an actual reflex for them. The taste of particular natural chemicals triggers a feeding response.” In other words, if a fish is exposed to certain taste stimuli, it cannot control its urge to bite. Obviously, this has huge implications for the fishing industry, but the technology doesn’t stop there.

From Research to Licensing LSU’s Office of Intellectual Property worked closely with Caprio in the early stages of his technology’s formation all the way through the licensing agreement with Mystic Tackleworks, a company dedicated to developing scientific fishing lure systems. “This was an exciting advancement,” says Associate Vice Chancellor for Intellectual Property, Commercialization & Development Pete Kelleher. “We evaluated Caprio’s design, assisted with the patent process, and negotiated the licensing agreement with Mystic Tackleworks.” LSU still owns the intellectual property developed by Caprio but licenses its use to Mystic Tackleworks, further proof that LSU researchers develop and contribute practical, applicable technology to communities outside of academia. Mystic Tackleworks licensed Caprio’s technology and brought in other fish sensory specialists in order to complete the new and groundbreaking Biopulse Lure System, which works by relying on decades of scientific studies on fish sensory systems.

36 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

It all started at LSU, where John Caprio designed the technology responsible for the BioPulse Lure System’s unique approach to catching fish. “Because Mystic Tackleworks consulted me, along with Dr. Richard Fay, a leading expert in fish hearing, and Dr. Craig Hawryshyn, one of the world’s top researchers in fish visual studies, we were able to look at this issue from a scientific position to develop a lure that would Greg Silks, a professional fishing guide in California, displays provide the appropriate natural stimuli a striped bass caught at night using the BioPulse lure. to the various sensory systems (vision, hearing, taste, smell, mechanoreception) used by fish to locate prey and also to bite a lure,” says Caprio. While other companies have developed lures that appeal primarily to a single sensory system of a fish, BioPulse is the only one based on providing the appropriate stimuli for each of the critical sensory systems used by the fish in the capture of prey. And it all started at LSU where Caprio designed the technology responsible for the system’s unique approach to catching fish.

Swimming Tongues At LSU, Caprio’s primary research animals are channel catfish, which he refers to as “swimming tongues” because of their highly sensitive taste system. Catfish don’t have scales like other fish, but skin covered with taste buds. Catfish are often in water with little to no visibility and tend to rely more heavily on their sense of taste (and smell) over vision. Bass, however, use primarily visual cues to hunt but do pay attention to a few known chemical cues. Once a prey item or lure is taken into its mouth, it undergoes an extraordinarily fast evaluation by the animal’s taste system. If the item doesn’t taste like food, bass can expel it rapidly, which is one reason why these fish are so difficult to catch. The BioPulse lures provide the appropriate natural stimuli that induce these and other species of fish to attack the lure. Greg Mitchell, founder, chairman, and chief science officer for Mystic Tackleworks, is excited about the science his company was able to utilize through Caprio’s research and development. “We are literally light years ahead of what’s out there right now,” Mitchell explained. “We won the ICAST Award in 2008, the world’s top prize for fishing lures at the industry’s largest competition, and this year we received the Pitney Bowes Award for the most promising new technology in the state of Connecticut [Mystic Tacklework’s home base]. We couldn’t have done this without teaming up with the world’s leading experts like John [Caprio].”

Self-aware sensing system monitors the lure’s luminosity when it’s in the water Advanced swim design features reproduce prey-like motion Scientifically developed acoustical output emits sound frequencies appropriate to prey levels Uses visible and specialized UV light wavelength-based stimuli dependent upon depth in the water column Bite compression cavity releases natural and pure feeding stimulant chemicals that make biting a “reflex” event Sci-X Neuro-Stimulant Injection System Ambient light and parabolic surface reflectors Sci-X scientifically engineered feeding stimulant pressurized injection canister BioFlush anti-microbial cleaning solution squeeze bottle The BioPulse lure has its roots at LSU.

THE LURE OF FISHING www.bio-pulse.com or www.biology.lsu.edu Ashley Berthelot is an editor in the LSU Office of Communications & University Relations.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Fishing Team Makes

Competitive Splash

By Holly Phillips Photo by Eddy Perez

As the sun rises over Falcon Lake near Zapata, Texas, everything is still. The sun’s colors warm the surrounding trees, the birds come to life, and the bass wake in their proper shelters beneath the water. But on that January morning, those waters quickly gave way to forty boats entered in the National Guard FLW College Fishing Tournament. LSU fishing team founders Logan Mount and Blake Carrier.

Three of those boats belonged to Louisiana students and fishermen who would take second, third, and fourth places in the tournament. And, yes, there is an LSU fishing team. Animal sciences senior Blake Carrier and wildlife ecology sophomore Logan Mount represented LSU in purple and gold jerseys, taking second place in the tournament after weighing in six bass – 28 pounds, 13 ounces – making it their personal and team bests. The LSU-Shreveport team took third place and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette team placed fourth. The tournament paid the LSU team $5,000, half for the club fund and half for the University, but the real prize is qualifying for the National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championships. This season marks the second year the LSU team has been an official group. Carrier said it started out with nearly ten members and this year boasts nearly twenty-five. The team works on a point system so each person gets a chance to compete. “We give out points for attending meetings,” Mount said. “We have skills challenges and also award points for participating in tournaments.” The National Guard tournament is the country’s largest for college bass clubs. Each competition requires its own set of research for the teams participating. Fishing tactics depend on the weather, time of year, what type of fish is being caught, their habitat, mating habits, and living conditions. “You really have to do your homework,” Carrier said. “We scout the lake; find out the weather predictions, how deep the water is, and the contour of the area. There’s nothing like being on the water, with no traffic, no noise; just you and the fish.” Holly Phillips is an editor in the LSU Office of Communications & University Relations.

38 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Congratulations, Class of 2010 If you joined the LSU Alumni Association at Senior Celebration, you’ll enjoy the benefits of membership – including the quarterly magazine – for a full year! Whether you’re a new grad or a member of the class of 1960 or 2009, LSUAA membership is the best way for you to reconnect with former Tigers and your alma mater. Join today! Visit www.lsualumni.org for details.

TOP OFF YOUR SUMMER IN TIGER STYLE!

The ShelTon GiFT Shop 3848 West Lakeshore Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 • 225.383.0241 (Located in the lobby of The Cook Hotel)

Shop online: shop.lsualumni.org LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

The Greene Team Helping Hands in Haiti

By Lindsey Meaux Photos provided by Dr. Craig C. Greene and Dr. Brent Bankston

After viewing coverage of the widespread destruction caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti and spending the night in prayer, Dr. Craig C. Greene (1996 BACH A&S; 2000 MD) received an early morning phone call from two ministers at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge. They explained that the greatest need in Haiti was for orthopedic surgeons. On Jan 17, he was on a plane.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Craig Greene with youngsters at Good Samaritan Hospital and orphanage in Haiti.

“We would draw pictures of what we were doing to explain to the people.”

40 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

A week later, Greene was joined by orthopedic surgeons Dr. Brent Bankston (1982 BACH A&S; 1986 MD) and Dr. Larry Ferachi (1976 MD) and family practice physicians Dr. Brad Gaspard (1994 BACH BASC; 1998 MD), and Dr. Craig H. Greene (1973 BACH ENGR; 1978 MAST ENGR; 2000 MD). The earthquake shook Haiti 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital and home to 2 million people. Greene described the environment that met the team five days later as “beyond anything we can comprehend.” He and his fellow doctors flew into the Dominican Republic, taking a bus into Haiti. Located several miles away from the devastation, Greene says the team did not come faceto-face with the devastation at the quake’s epicenter. The group worked out of Good Samaritan Hospital, an orphanage and hospital in Jimani, about a 15-minute helicopter ride away from the devastation. They were met with “bare” operating equipment and communication barriers, and the widespread need for medical attention quickly became a challenge. “It was [overwhelming] in that there were far more patients than we could . . . treat,” Greene explains. “We had very bare operating equipment. We were able to use what we had to sort of stabilize and help folks as much as possible.” Within the first four days of the weeklong trip, the group performed about sixty orthopedic surgeries on patients – about half children, half adults – who spoke Spanish, French, and Creole. According to Greene, it was difficult to communicate with those in need of different kinds of medical attention because the patients were “terrified” of having a limb amputated. “Oftentimes, we had several different translators,” Greene says. “We would draw pictures of what we were doing to explain to the people.” Despite the communication barriers, the patients were very grateful, often uttering, “Gracias, Americano,” roughly translated into “thank you, American,” to the volunteers.

Greene Team

Volunteers A number of Tigers are among the many volunteers working with The Greene Team. Dr. Steve Abramson (ABC)* Top: Orthopedic surgeons Dr. Brent Bankston, left, and Dr. Larry Ferachi at work in Haiti. Bottom: Dr. Brent Bankston and two young friends, one of whom sports an LSU cap.

Though Haiti has a 70 percent AIDS rate and the figures were initially a safety concern, the team was not in danger, according to Greene. There are eight groups of volunteers, dubbed the “Greene Team,” that have been on weeklong rotations in Haiti during the spring. In addition to working with the Good Samaritan Hospital, the group is also involved with a Love A Child clinic that has been transformed into a hospital. Greene says a friend created The Greene Team in Haiti, a fan page on Facebook with more than 4,000 fans and a Twitter page with more 711 followers. The fan page also serves as a way for the more than fifteen volunteers to stay in touch and coordinate future trips. “I think that this orphanage will have some long-term orthopedic needs,” Greene says of future trips to Haiti. “I could see myself going there once or twice a year on a more predictable basis.”

Donna Boue (1987 BACH MED) Scott Champagne (1996 BACH EDUC) Eric Chapman (1984 BACH MED) Catalina Escobar (1999 BACH EDUC; 2000 BACH A&S) Dr. Mark Field (ABC) Mindy Forsyth (2002 BACH EDUC) Cathy Greene (1972 BACH A&S) Jason Greene (1988 BACH EDUC) Jeff Hebert (1988 BACH A&S) Rose Johnson (1989 BACH BUS) Dustin Lancaster (2009 BACH BASC) Ricky Lane (ABC) Dr. Randy Lea (1975 BACH A&S); 1979 MD) Dr. Chad Loup (1993 BACH BASC) Holland Nader (ABC) Kevin Riche (1997 BACH BASC) Amy Reid Sanders (1967 BACH AGR) Dr. James Taylor (1991 BACH BASC) Dr. Adam Whatley (1990 BACH BASC) David Yerger (1986 BACH BUS) Dr. Chris Turner (1994 BACH BASC) *Alumni By Choice

Lindsey Meaux is a senior in the Manship School of Mass Communication, concentrating in public relations.

Volunteer Vet Lafayette veterinarian and director of the Louisiana State Animal Response Team Dr. Renee Poirrier (1988 DVM SVM), traveled to the Dominican Republic and Haiti in February to join an international coalition of animal emergency aid workers. She responded as a member of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Emergency Relief Network, in support of the Animal Relief Coalition of Haiti (ARCH), which is jointly led by IFAW and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). During the week-long trip, Poirrier and a team of volunteers set up community clinics in several villages where they treated more than 1,200 animals. Poirrier is pictured with Bill Tanguay, a volunteer from the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

2010 Touring Tigers

www.lsualumni.org/contribute 1-888-RING-LSU (toll free) 42 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

2010 Touring Tigers

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Locker

ROOM By Matt Dunaway Photos by Steve Franz/LSU Sports Information

A pioneer of the game, Yvette Giroaurd was inducted to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005.

“Her dream was to be an integral part of something special, but she had to wait.” Yvette Girouard officially opens her field of dreams by cutting the ribbon on opening day at Tiger Park.

44 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Yvette Girouard’s Focus: A Softball National Championship for LSU

For nearly a half century, Yvette Girouard has had the smell of the ballpark in her nose. Her love affair runs deep with the simple sound of when bat-meets-ball. The Broussard, La., native remembers her hands being entrenched in dirt as she built her first ballpark when she was seven years old with her brother, Karl. The feeling of the cool grass on their feet as they shoved the lawn mower across the yard. Add in a chicken-wire backstop, and Girouard had turned her neighbor’s backyard into a field of dreams. But before she even put on a glove or swung a bat, Girouard knew she had a lot of work to do if she wanted to show the neighborhood boys what she already knew. Her dream was to be an integral part of something special, but she had to wait. Girouard wasn’t allowed to play organized baseball so she took up volleyball, the only female sport offered at Comeaux High School. She was a fast learner and graduated from Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, as the school’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1976. Five years later after high school softball started in Lafayette Parish, Girouard received a call from her alma mater asking her to be the architect of their softball program. Her mother, Rose Mary, helped make the team’s uniforms, while her father, Alton, painted the ballpark’s outfield fence. She would drive the team van on the road. Piece-by-piece, Girouard would spin straw-into-gold. Over two decades, she took a team from the ground floor with no scholarships and a $3,000 budget to one the nation’s perennial powers. Her fairy tale ending was becoming a reality. Then Girouard received another phone call; one that would change her life. It was LSU, her biggest rival, asking her to coach the Tigers. It wasn’t an easy decision, but Girouard ultimately decided to cross the river. Her first season – in 2001 – was an instant success as LSU matched a school record with fifty-nine victories en route to the program’s first clean sweep of the SEC Western Division, SEC Regular Season, and SEC Tournament championships. Sparked by SEC Player of the Year Britni Sneed, LSU knocked out Girouard’s former school, Louisiana-Lafayette, in the regional championship game to punch its ticket to the Women’s College World Series. The 2004 Tigers took it to the next level and notched its third SEC titles sweep in four seasons. LSU rolled through NCAA Regional play and returned to the WCWS. The Tigers came within seven outs of the national championship game as Kristin Schmidt, the tournament’s MVP, nearly pitched LSU to three wins in one day.

The 2004 team returned to the Women’s College World series and held a program-best No. 2 ranking on two separate occasions in the ESPN/USA Softball Top 25.

Girouard continued to mold All-American after All-American for life after softball. Then, in 2009, she ushered LSU into the next chapter of its storied history with the opening of the new Tiger Park. Girouard placed her personal touch on the state-of-the-art facility by giving the architects many of the ideas for the park’s unique features, including the arches at the front of the stadium and the 1,000-seat outfield berm where she can watch kids roll down the hill. Girouard’s legacy continues to grow, and her effect on LSU has been powerful. The 2005 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee has more than 1,200 victories, making her the fourth-winningest coach of all-time. With a list of accomplishments and awards that speak for themselves, what’s left for one of the game’s pioneers who has won more than 75 percent of her games on the collegiate level? Bring college softball’s ultimate prize to the Capitol City. Girouard’s mind and energy are squarely focused on bringing home LSU’s first softball national championship. Matt Dunaway is associate sports information director for LSU Athletics. ON THE WEB: Follow the Tigers on www.lsusports.net

LSU celebrates its first Women’s College World Series appearance as LSU knocked out Girouard’s former school, Louisiana-Lafayette, in the championship game.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Locker Room

By Bud Johnson

Borrowed Glove, Home Run Swing

Led Adcock to a Big League Career

A resourceful coach, a natural athlete, and a borrowed baseball glove produced one of the great sports stories in LSU history.

“After the 1947 season, a Cincinnati Reds scout came to Baton Rouge to sign two Tigers to professional contracts. The scout added Adcock to the package. Joe Bill was the only one of the three to have a major league career.”

46 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

World War II was still raging in March of 1945 when baseball coach Red Swanson saw an opportunity to upgrade the Tiger team. Swanson, a line coach in football, replaced Harry Rabenhorst during the war years as LSU’s basketball and baseball coach. He asked one of the basketball players, Joe Bill Adcock, a center from Coushatta, La., to join the baseball squad. Adcock was a rangy, natural athlete with so little baseball background that he didn’t own a glove. Swanson watched Adcock take batting practice. He was impressed by the fluid swing of a natural hitter. He was sure that Adcock, in time, would be a good addition to the lineup. Coach Swanson turned to Sinclair Kouns, a first baseman from Shreveport and made a request. “Sinclair,” Swanson said, “lend your mitt to Joe Bill and let him take some grounders at first base.” Adcock spent the rest of the day at first base and soon became the starter at that position. He was LSU’s first baseman for three seasons – 1945-46-47, and he was one of the key players on the Tigers’ SEC championship team in 1946. “He was raw in the field,” recalls Mel Didier, a pitcher for the Tigers in those three seasons. “But he worked hard to get better. He could hit. His background was as a softball player in high school. The first baseball game he ever played was at LSU.” Sinclair Kouns got his glove back. But first base and a place in baseball history belonged to Joe Bill Adcock. After the 1947 season, a Cincinnati Reds scout came to Baton Rouge to sign two Tigers to professional contracts – catcher Red Knight and shortstop Hoss Gremillion. They pleaded with the scout to

sign Adcock, who had become one of LSU’s top hitters. The scout added Adcock to the package. Joe Bill was the only one of the three to have a major league career. What a career it was. He spent seventeen seasons in the big leagues, most of it with the Milwaukee Braves. Adcock hit 336 home runs, had 1,122 runs batted in, and hit four home runs in one game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954. The Braves won the World Series in 1957. Adcock made the All-Star team in 1960. He managed the Cleveland Indians for one season and spent several years managing minor league teams before going back to his farm in Coushatta to raise horses. Adcock died May 3, 1999, at age 71 in Coushatta. He was elected to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the LSU Hall of Fame. Bud Johnson, director of the Jack & Priscilla Andonie Museum, is a former LSU Sports Information Director and author of The Perfect Season: LSU’s Magic Year – 1958. Contact him at bud@lsualumni.org.

Photo credit: Glove used with permission of gasolinealleyantiques.com

The 2009 Alumnus of the Year, Jerry Dumas, Salutes the 2010 Alumnus of the Year

Dr. Billy A. Cannon

“We want to thank you, Billy, for what you have done for LSU.” - Jerry Dumas, 2009 Alumnus of the Year

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Focus on

P. Lynn Kennedy

Faculty By Lindsey Meaux Photo by Larry Hubbard

P. Lynn Kennedy, Crescent City Tigers Alumni Professor, began his career at the University after receiving his Ph.D. in agricultural and applied economics at the University of Minnesota. Prior to receiving his doctorate, he received an M.S. from the University of Oxford in England and a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colo. Kennedy has been a Tiger since 1994. We asked him about his experiences in his last sixteen years at LSU. Our questions and his responses follow: How did you choose LSU? Since my area of research and teaching interest is international agricultural trade, LSU’s location on the Mississippi River – just north of where most of our agricultural products are exported – was the perfect place. How did you become interested in international agricultural trade? I grew up on a farm in Colorado, and that's how I got interested in agriculture. I was originally thinking I might go back [to Colorado] and become a farmer, but I wanted to do something more. I was on a Rotary Scholarship at the University of Oxford at the time. That's how I became interested in international trade. Since I wanted to do agriculture, I decided to just combine the two and go in that direction. What classes are you currently teaching? This semester I’m teaching AGEC 2003, Introduction to Agricultural Economics. Other courses I’ve taught include Introduction to Agribusiness, International Trade (at both the graduate and upper-level undergraduate levels), and the capstone course in agribusiness. Which class has been your favorite class to teach? Why? Even though this is my first time teaching Introduction to Agricultural Economics, it is my favorite class because it gives me the opportunity to interact with freshmen and sophomores who are in the earlier stages of their education. I like being a part of helping them to think critically about their world. What programs have you been involved with at the University? I’ve been involved with the Les Voyageurs student ambassador selection committee for the College of Agriculture and the Chancellor’s Alumni Scholarship Committee, and I am currently on the Faculty Senate. What do you do in your spare time? I like to read, but my wife and I have three kids so I spend a lot of time going to soccer games with them. I also play in a worship band at church. There’s a lot going on with three children. What has been your most positive experience at LSU so far? I've been impressed with the sense of community that is LSU. That really becomes apparent after a graduation ceremony. Students, alumni, and faculty all sing the alma mater, and at the end, when everyone sings “Forever LSU,” you can really sense the pride that this community takes in this institution. What has being an alumni professor meant to you? It's really meant a lot to me. One thing it's done is help me feel more tied in with Louisiana, especially since my professorship is sponsored by the Crescent City Alumni Association in New Orleans. It makes it feel more personal when your professorship is sponsored by alumni of the University. It’s really an honor, and it also gives you an incentive to do your best because you know that you’re representing that alumni group. Lindsey Meaux is a senior in the Manship School of Mass Communication, concentrating in public relations.

48 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Around

Sea History

campus

Audio Archives Capture Coastal Memorial By Roy Kron Photos provided by Don Davis and Carl Breaseaux, courtesy Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Blanchard, Man Carrying Alligator Carcass, Manchac, August 1954.

The Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, or LSG, has engaged in a multi-tiered project to recognize and record the lives, livelihoods, and voices of residents from Louisiana’s threatened coastal communities before they are lost. The project began more than four years ago when LSG produced the Web film series “Shrimp Tales” featuring photographs and interviews with fishermen discussing the changes and challenges of their profession. “Reflections on Chandeleur,” completed in 2009, documents the island chain’s lighthouse and landscape through donated photographs and interviews with anglers, scientists, and naturalists. Now, a more aggressive approach to collecting and sharing oral histories is taking place. “We’re putting more resources into the project and covering more of the Louisiana coast,” says Roy Kron, LSG outreach and communications director. “One day, the people who experienced the coastal zone lifestyle as we know it will be gone, and it’s likely some of our coastal communities will be gone. It is imperative that traditional knowledge in these towns and villages be captured so that the memories of their custodians can be preserved for current and future generations.”

Grand Isle Memories Jack Britt, Oysters, Sister Lake, August 1954.

Building a pirogue. Courtesy Morgan City (La.) Archives.

50 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

In partnership with the Louisiana State Museum, LSG helped Earl Robicheaux, producer of “Losing Louisiana: Oral Histories of Coastal Land Loss,” “Voices of the Atchafalaya,” and “Atchafalaya Soundscapes,” produce a new collection, called “Grand Isle Diaries.” Robicheaux captured interviews with Grand Isle residents recounting memories about their community. Once transcripts of the interviews are complete, the audio and text will be posted online. But what appears on LSG’s Web site now is a “soundscape.” “It basically takes the hours of recordings and condenses them into an hour-long story about Grand Isle’s founding and history up through recent hurricanes,” says Robicheaux. “It doesn’t matter if the listener is from Louisiana or not; they’ll

understand the importance of Grand Isle after listening.” Full versions the materials, transcripts, and original audio tapes will be archived and made available at Hill Memorial Library. “This, and all the oral histories collected, is a long-term project,” says Kron. “The value of the transcripts can’t be underestimated. Transcribing is one of the most labor-intensive parts of the process, but it’s one of the most valuable. Listening to ten hours of audio takes ten hours, but reading the transcript of ten hours of audio takes substantially less time. For researchers and others who want to mine these histories, the text is critical.”

Almost Endlesss Another segment of the project involves oral histories focused on shrimping, landholding companies, cypress harvesting, and the oyster and cattle industries of Louisiana’s coastal communities. With the support of LSG, recently retired LSU research professor Don Davis and Carl Brasseaux of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have undertaken the work. “There are so many doors that open up once you get started,” says Davis. “You might be talking to someone about shrimping and that leads you to the topic of shrimp drying platforms. Then you start talking about Chinese and Filipino immigrant involvement in shrimp drying – which has never been formally documented, to my knowledge. That takes you down another path. It almost is endless.” Brasseaux and Davis have already recorded dozens of hours of audio and video interviews and have scanned and stored tens of thousands of images, all of which will also be available at Hill Memorial Library. And excerpts from a number of these oral histories will be turned into Web films, podcasts, and electronic video kiosks in museums across the state. ON THE WEB: www.laseagrant.org/ comm/diaries.htm, www.seagrantfish.lsu. edu/people/shrimptales.htm, and www. laseagrant.org/lighthouse/index.html

Relative of David and Thomas Boyd Visits LSU for the First Time By Ernie Ballard Photo by Eddy Perez

The Boyd name is well known to anyone who has stepped foot on LSU’s campus. There are buildings named after David Boyd, who served as superintendant for what was then the Seminary of Learning of the State of Louisiana and as LSU’s president in 1884; Thomas Boyd, who served as LSU’s president in 1896; and Annie Boyd, who was David’s daughter and one of the first women to enroll at LSU. There’s also the prestigious designation Boyd Professor. The Boyd brothers, David and Thomas, were key leaders during LSU’s early years, including its move to Baton Rouge. Needless to say, the Boyd family is an instrumental one in LSU’s history. On Feb. 17, another part of the Boyd family tree was welcomed to campus for the first time. Jane Heaton, great-granddaughter of David Boyd and great-niece of Thomas Boyd, along with some of her friends and family, visited LSU’s campus to reminisce and see the University her relatives were a part of shaping. While on campus, Heaton visited with Chancellor Michael Martin to talk about LSU’s history, the Boyd family and, of course, LSU athletics. Heaton lives in North Carolina, so this fall’s LSU vs. University of North Carolina football game was a topic of interest, along with LSU’s basketball game with UNC in last year’s NCAA Tournament. After meeting with Martin, Heaton, husband Chris, and other friends who made the trip, toured both David and Thomas Boyd halls. After a brief walk through the Quad area, they visited Hill Memorial Library to see information in the archives on the Boyd family. Heaton was able to see old family photos, David Boyd’s Civil War-era sketchbook, some of his exams from when he was a student at the University of Virginia, and other family papers and documents. During their trip to Louisiana, the Heatons also visited Cheneyville, La., to see the plantation home that belonged to the family of David Boyd’s wife, Esther Wright.

Jane Heaton and Chancellor Michael Martin

Ernie Ballard is an editor in the LSU Office of Communications & University Relations.

Groundbreaking for Business Photo by Tim Rodrigue

Ground was broken for construction of the Business Education Complex on March 19 during a ceremony that included a large number of dignitaries, among them Governor Bobby Jindal, Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden, Chancellor Michael Martin, and Provost Astrid Merget. The new facility is expected to open in the summer of 2012.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Around Campus

Constant Named Grad Dean W. David Constant (1977 BACH ENGR; 1980 MAST ENGR; 1984 PHD ENGR), the Humphreys T. Turner Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at LSU, has been named dean of the LSU Graduate School. He had served as interim dean since May 2009, Constant joined the LSU faculty as an assistant professor in 1984 and rose through the ranks to become a full professor, teaching in the departments of petroleum engineering, chemical engineering, and civil and environmental engineering. He served as the director of the Hazardous Waste Research Center; as the director of the U.S. Geological Survey Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute; as the acting director of the Remote Sensing and Image Processing Lab & Institute for Recyclable Materials; as the coordinator for the environmental engineering program; and as associate dean and interim dean of the College of Engineering. He has taught a wide range of engineering courses at LSU, has served as a mentor and adviser for a number of LSU engineering students, has been sought as a consultant by more than fifteen private corporations and entities, and is a member of multiple professional organizations in the engineering disciplines. Constant has received numerous engineering and teaching awards, is a member of several engineering honor societies and has been widely published in numerous academic journals. He has authored or co-authored seven book chapters, has directed dozens of theses and dissertations for LSU students, and has been appointed to a number of University committees and councils over the years.

52 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Science in Theatre

Biologist, Playwright Leads Panel

have tangible effects on public science Vince LiCata, the Louis S. Flowers policy decisions.” Professor of Biological Sciences and Efforts toward improving science in a published playwright, organized a entertaining run the gamut. unique symposium at the 2010 meeting “We’re seeing lots of different approaches,” of the American Association for the says LiCata. “Everything from helping Advancement of Science, or AAAS. His make funny TV shows more science session, held in February in San Diego, friendly to producing professional Calif., married two seemingly disparate theatrical plays about science and scientists. topics – science and the theatre. There are even efforts to make science The meeting’s theme was “Bridging Science and Society,” and LiCata’s symposium on “Science in the Theatre” fit the bill perfectly. “Theatre has long served as a forum for introduction of new thinking, new attitudes, and new world views directly into the intelligentsia,” says LiCata. “As such, theatre is one of the most logical bridges between science and the arts, between science and society.” Getting more – and more accurate – science into the arts is a priority for both governmental funding agencies and private research foundations. “It has become increasingly clear that much of the public gain the majority of their understanding of scientific issues and the process of science from entertainment sources,” says LiCata. “Making sure that entertainment media dealing with science represent it as accurately as possible is more important than ever, since there is a good chance that what they portray will

fiction less pure fantasy and more realistic possibility.” Theatre, unlike film and television, affords a more complex exploration of scientific subjects, and successful efforts from both sides of the “great divide” have been produced in recent years. The bulk of the efforts have gone toward encouraging mainstream playwrights to write more science. LiCata’s symposium focused slightly more on scientists who have written and produced plays but presented from both sides of the two cultures. “Because the theatre serves as an incubator that feeds . . . film and television, accurate theatrical depictions of science . . . are important for improving understanding of science across all performance media,” says LiCata.

By Ashley Berthelot Photo by Eddy Perez

“Accurate theatrical depictions of science… are important for improving understanding of science across all performance media.”

Ashley Berthelot is an editor in the LSU Office of Communications & University Relations.

Chancellor’s Day Parade Photo by Eddy Perez

Chancellor Michael Martin joined the LSU ROTC cadre, University officials, and Cadets of the Ole War Skule on March 18 for the annual Chancellor’s Day Parade at the LSU War Memorial on the Parade Ground. The event features the LSU Corps of Cadets and the Southern University Naval Detachment and has been an LSU tradition since the University’s inception. The parade was especially significant this year as LSU celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding. At the review stand are, from left, Chancellor Michael Martin, LSU Commandant of Cadets Fred Guendel, Capt. Gerrard Hall, professor of naval science at Southern University, and Capt. William Conger, assistant professor of military science here at LSU.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Noteworthy

Around Campus

Devon Wade

Nina Asher

Tyler Crosby

Brian Gerber

Junior Devon Wade, of Houston, is among sixty students nationwide to receive the prestigious Truman Scholarship. He is the only student from Louisiana selected to receive the scholarship this year and is LSU’s first minority Truman winner. A sociology major with concentrations in criminology and African & African-American studies and a Ronald McNair Research Scholar, Wade will graduate from LSU in December. He is the University’s sixth Truman winner in eight years. Anna Normand Other LSU finalists were Reggie Galjour, of Cut Off, La., a 2007 recipient of the Houma orthopedic Clinic Endowed Top 100 Scholarship, and Joel Reborn, of Baton Rouge, who received the W.J. “Red” Evans Memorial Endowed Chancellor’s Leadership Scholarship. Both scholarships are funded through the LSU Alumni Association. Honors College junior Tyler Crosby of Bush, La., was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. A biological engineering major who will graduate from LSU in May 2011, he hopes to pursue a combined M.D. /Ph.D. and conduct clinical research into genetic therapies for diseases. Crosby was a Chancellor’s Alumni Scholar/Cain Scholar. Honors College junior Anna Normand of Opelousas, La., was named a Udall Scholar by the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation. A chemistry major, she will graduate in May 2011 and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in environmental science, concentrating on wetland science and policy, and then work for Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, or CPRA. Nina Asher, the J. Franklin Bayhi Endowed Professor of Education in the College of Education Department of Educational Theory, Policy and Practice, or ETPP, has been invited to serve on the Fellowship Review Panel for the International Fellowships Program of the American Association of University Women, or AAUW. She will review and rate master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral fellowship applications from women who are not United States citizens. Co-director of the ETPP Curriculum Theory Project, Asher was selected due to her broad expertise in curriculum and instruction related to globalization, postcolonialism, feminism, and multiculturalism. LSU Libraries staffers Stephen J. Bensman and Sigrid E. Kelsey received awards at the annual conference of the Louisiana Library Association. Bensman, a cataloger, received the 2010 Association of College & Research Libraries Louisiana Chapter, or ACRL-LA, Scholar Librarian of the Year Award, and Kelsey, electronic reference services and Web development coordinator, was awarded the 2010 Louisiana Library Association’s Anthony H. Benoit Mid-Career Award. Brian Gerber, associate professor in the Public Administration Institute housed in the E.J. Ourso College of Business, received national research awards for two articles he coauthored in 2008 and 2009. “Taken for Granted: Managing for Social Equity Performance in Grant Programs,” co-authored with Brian Collins of the University of North Texas and published in the Public Administration Review, received the Academy of Management’s Best Article Award in the Public and Nonprofit Division for 2009. “Political Insulation, Information Exchange and Interest Group Access to the Bureaucracy” co-authored with Christopher Reenock of Florida State University and published in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, was given the Beryl Radin Award for best article published in 2008.

54 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

The Communication Across the Curriculum program, or CxC, received the 2010 Program of Excellence Award by the Conference on College Composition and Communication, or CCCC, an association within the National Council of Teachers of English. The national organization typically grants multiple awards each year to higher education programs, but LSU was designated as the single recipient of the 2010 award. The program was cited as setting “the bar on innovation, commitment of resources and state-of-the-art execution” and for the “commitment from administration and faculty” to improving students’ communication skills. Two professors in the LSU College of Agriculture’s School of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development – Elwood F. Holton, the Jones S. Davis Distinguished Professor, and Reid A. Bates – received the 2010 Richard A. Swanson Research Excellence Award from the Academy of Human Resource Development. The award is given annually for the most outstanding article in Human Resource Development Quarterly, the field’s leading research journal. This is the second time both of them have won the prestigious award. The article, co-authored by doctoral graduate Lynda Wilson and titled, “Toward Development of a Generalized Instrument to Measure Andragogy,” is the first such effort to develop rigorous methods to measure andragogy, which is the leading model of adult learning.

Elwood F. Holton

Reid A. Bates

Jonathon P. Dowling

Researchers at LSU have invented an optical sensor that surpasses a quantum limit to sensitivity previously believed to be unbeatable. The breakthrough has a broad array of applications, from gravity wave observatories seeking to observe distant and bizarre astrophysical phenomena, to optical gyroscopes used in commercial navigation. The team, led by Jonathon P. Dowling, Hearne Research Chair in Theoretical Physics, demonstrated conclusively that this limit can be broken in a work that appeared recently in Physical Review Letters. Faculty members from the School of Architecture received two prestigious awards at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) in March. Professors Marsha Cuddeback and Frank Bosworth received a $7,500 prize from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) for their submission, “Building Momentum for Sustainable Community Development through Adaptive Reuse.” And, Professor Chris Theis, who is retiring in May after more than twenty years of service, received ACSA’s Distinguished Professor Award.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Stacey Simmons

Susanne C. Brenner

Saundra McGuire

Stacey Simmons, economic development director for the Center for Computation & Technology, and founder of the Red Stick international Animation Festival, was recognized as Louisiana’s Technology Leader of the Year at the 2009 Governor’s Technology Awards. Simmons also founded the Baton Rouge Area Digital Industries Consortium (BRADIC) and helped launch a digital media curriculum at the University.

Saundra McGuire, assistant vice chancellor for learning and teaching in the Division of Student Life and Enrollment Services and former director of the Center for Academic Success, is one of only seven individuals in the United States to achieve the Level Four Lifetime Learning Center Leadership Certification through the National College Learning Center Association, or NCLCA. She will be recognized at the national NCLA Conference this fall.

Susanne C. Brenner, a professor of mathematics who holds a joint appointment with the LSU Center for Computation & Technology, or CCT, has been named a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, or SIAM. Brenner, who has been with LSU since 2006, is the only fellow from a Louisiana college or university. According to the citation on the SIAM Web site, she is being recognized for “advances in finite element and multigrid methods for the numerical solution of partial differential equations.”

56 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Tiger

NATION

1960s 1950s

Dr. Milburn E. Calhoun (1951 BACH A&S; 1966 MD) celebrated his fortieth anniversary as publisher and president of New Orleans-based Pelican Publishing Co., Inc., in March. In operation since 1926, Pelican is a family-owned, independent general trade and children’s publisher committed to publishing books of quality and permanence on a wide variety of subjects. Dr. Calhoun worked in private practice for more than four decades while deepening his bookcollecting hobby. In 1961, he and his wife, Nancy, started Bayou Books, a rare and out-of-print book business specializing in Louisiana titles. In 1970, Dr. Calhoun, his wife, and his brother, James “Jim” Calhoun (1962 MAST A&S) purchased Pelican, which was then a struggling publishing house.

Degrees BACH MAST PHD DVM JD MD DDS

Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree Doctorate Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Juris Doctorate (LSU Law School) Medical Doctor (LSU School of Medicine) Doctor of Dental Science (LSU School of Dentistry)

Colleges AGR A&D A&S BASC BUS EDUC ENGR M&DA MCOM SCE SVM

Agriculture Art & Design Arts & Sciences Basic Sciences Business Education Engineering Music & Dramatic Arts Mass Communication School of the Coast & Environment School of Veterinary Medicine

58 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Lee M. Faucette, Jr., (1962 BACH EDUC; 1966 MAST EDUC) was inducted into the Warren Easton High School Hall of Fame in New Orleans on May 14, cited for his “outstanding contributions to the community and [his] profession.” Early in his career (1968), the longtime Baton Rouge educator was chosen Louisiana’s Outstanding Young Educator and in 1976 was named the first principal of Baton Rouge Magnet High School. He was inducted into the BRHS Hall of Fame in 1981 for his leadership in establishing the highly successful magnet program at the East Baton Rouge landmark school. And, in 1977, he co-founded Baton Rouge High’s FM radio station, WBRH.

James Holub (1966 BACH A&S; 1969 PHD A&S), professor of mathematics in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the professor emeritus title by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1969, Holub authored more than sixty articles in the field of functional analysis, with influential contributions to frame theory. He was a respected teacher at all levels of the curriculum and was active in curriculum development, playing a leading role in the development of the summer program in Northern Virginia and the development of a course designed for chemical engineering students. Holub assumed leadership roles in service to the university community, including two terms as department graduate program chair, many years as chair of the department teaching committee, and service as primary author of the department’s governance document.

1970s

Michael D. Carleton (1979 BACH A&S;1982 JD), a member of Woodley, Williams Law Firm, LLC in Lake Charles, has recently been named Louisiana State Chairman for the

American College of Mortgage Attorneys. The ACMA was formed by a number of lawyers located throughout the nation seeking to establish and maintain an integrated group of attorneys from each state experienced in the preparation of real estate mortgages, lending transactions secured by real estate, and related practice. The college seeks to improve and reform laws and procedures affecting real estate secured transactions and to raise the level of professional responsibility of lawyers practicing in this area. Mike and wife Jackie’s (BACH 1985) oldest daughter, Laura, a business major, is a member of the LSU track team. Their daughter Rebecca will begin her LSU career in the fall. Clark H. Cole (1977 BACH A&S), an attorney in general commercial litigation with Armstrong Teasdale LLP, St. Louis, is featured in the 2010 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, which ranks leading law firms and lawyers in various practice areas and by country and region. Cole received his J.D. from University of Missouri School of Law in 1980. Harry Hawks (1975 BACH BUS; 1977 MBA) retired in May as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Hearst Television, Inc., after a distinguished entrepreneurial and corporate career that included the last eighteen years in television. Hawks cofounded Argyle Television in 1992 and, in 1997, Hearst Broadcasting contributed the majority of its broadcast assets to Argyle in exchange for a controlling interest in the newly named Hearst-Argyle Television. Under Hawkes’ stewardship, the former Hearst-Argyle Television was the only media company to be named three times – in 2007, 2008, and 2009 – to Forbes’ list of “America’s 100 Most Trustworthy Companies.” Hawks was inducted into the LSU College of Business Hall of Distinction in 2002, elected to its College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council in 2005, and inducted into

LSU Alumni Association Alumni Hall of Distinction in 2006. Kyriakos S. Markide (1973 MAST A&S; 1976 PHD A&S), the Annie and John Gnitzinger Distinguished Professor of Aging at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, is the inaugural recipient of the Pearmain Prize for Excellence in Research on Aging from the Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. An internationally renowned expert on aging and health issues, Markides is best known for ongoing research of aging among Mexican-Americans that he began in 1976. He is also known for coining the term “Hispanic Paradox,” which refers to the relatively favorable health outcomes of immigrants despite such risk factors as below average socioeconomic status. Markides is the director of the division of sociomedical sciences in the department of preventive medicine and community health at UTMB and editor of the Journal of Aging and Health, which he founded in 1989, and editor of the Encyclopedia of Health and Aging, considered a definitive resource guide on aging.

1980s

William G. “Bill” Fontenot, Sr. (1985 BACH ENGR), of Alexandria, La., has been named group vice president for Cleco Power LLC, a subsidiary of Cleco Corporation, and will oversee the company’s generation and transmission operations. With Cleco for twenty-four years, he has held several leadership positions and has experience in marketing and development of merchant power businesses. Fontenot led the marketing and trading arm of Cleco’s nonregulated business and later served as chief restructuring officer after the collapse of the wholesale power market. He was also responsible for developing, constructing, and bringing into service Cleco’s largest generation unit, Rodemacher Unit 3.

Susan Halsey (1980 BACH BUS; 1983 JD) has been named managing partner of Jackson Walker LLP’s Fort Worth office and serves as the statewide chair for the firm’s real estate practice group, which includes forty lawyers in six offices. Halsey is chair of the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council (GFWREC) Founder’s Council and a current member of its board of directors and the past chair of the organization. She is an active member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and past president of the Greater Fort Worth Commercial Real Estate Women, Inc. She is a member of the Texas Bar Association, the Tarrant County Bar Association, and the Louisiana Bar Association. Marjorie A. McKeithen (1987 BACH BUS; 1991 JD), an attorney with Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrère & Denègre LLP, has been named to New Orleans City Business Leadership in Law class of 2010. Honorees are selected based on their contributions to the legal profession as well as their contributions to the community.

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Elizabeth Perry (1980 BACH A&D), art director at Harris, DeVille & Associates, Inc. in Baton Rouge, was awarded the E.A. “Pete” Goldsby Silver Medal Award for Lifetime Achievement by the American Advertising FederationBaton Rouge at the 2010 ADDY Awards in February. The award, the highest personal award bestowed by AAFBaton Rouge, is presented annually to the person who has made the greatest lifetime contribution of the advertising profession.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Tiger Nation Daniel Tate (1989 BACH ENGR) has been named plant manager of Rhodia, Inc.’s production site in Baton Rouge. Tate is responsible for the leadership and management of the 223-person facility, the company’s largest in North America. He was plant manager of Rhodia’s production site in Cincinnati, Ohio, and previously spent fifteen years in Baton Rouge holding various maintenance, operations, and technical management positions. Nestor J. Vicknair, III (1986 BACH ENGR), a financial advisor in Merrill Lynch’s Houston office, appeared on the “America’s Top 1,000 Advisors: State-byState” list in the Feb. 22 issue of Barron’s magazine.

1990s

Jennifer Boneno (1995 BACH MCOM) has been promoted to director of account services at Zehnder Communications Inc., a full-service advertising and public relations agency. She joined Zehnder in 2006 and was previously account supervisor. Prior to joining Zehnder, she worked for the San Diego-based advertising agency MeadsDurket, where her clients included the world famous San Diego Zoo, Omni Hotels, and the La Costa Resort and Spa. Lisa Bose McDermott (1990 BACH MCOM) has been named campaign manager for Arkansas Majority Leader Rep. Steve Harrelson’s 2010 state senate race. Harrelson is the only two-time majority leader in Arkansas’ history.

Bill Nicholson (1990 BACH DESIGN) has been named to the ownership group of Land Design Partners in San Antonio, Texas. He continues to serve as managing principal, a position he’s held since joining the firm in 2007. Nicholson has more than twenty years of experience leading projects ranging from 200-acre sports parks, multimile trail systems, regional parks, and recreation open space master planning to multifamily housing developments and resort golf courses nationally and overseas. He is active in the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Texas Recreation and Parks Society.

2000s

Jacob Lassetter (2002 BACH MUS), an adjunct faculty of music at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, presented a recital on Feb. 26 in the Noble Recital Hall of Jenson-Noble Hall of Music, performing works by Brahms, Gerald Finzi, Handel, and Maurice Ravel. Before joining Luther, he held teaching assistantships at the University of North Texas, where he earned his master’s degree, and at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he received his doctoral degree. He recently sang the title role of Delling in Eric Chasalow’s multimedia work “The Puzzle Master” at Luther College, Grinnell College, Coe College, and the University of Iowa. An active recitalist, he made his New York City debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. Lassetter has performed several roles with the Chautauqua Opera, the Des Moines Metro Opera, and through the Utah Festival Operas Festival Artist Program.

Adam Mitchell (2004 BACH BUS), of Meridian, Miss., has been named president of Mitchell Distributing Company, the second largest beverage distributor in the state. His presidency brings the family-owned company into its third generation. Mitchell played football for the Tigers while attending LSU. Jason Ramezan (2002 BACH MCOM) has been promoted to vice president of the LSU Alumni Association. He joined the Association in 2002 and served a variety of capacities, first as director of on-campus events and most recently as director of chapters and assistant vice president. Katherine “Katie” Taquino (2007 BACH A&S) will graduate in May from the University of San Francisco with a master’s degree in nursing. She has passed her California Nursing Boards and currently works for Kaiser Hospital in San Francisco.

BABY

BENGALS Terry Ann Barcena Lein (1987 BACH BASC) and Erik Lein, of New Bern, N.C., announce the birth of their future Tiger fan Thomas Edward on June 24, 2009.

Where Are You? Who are you? Where are you? What are you doing? Tell us and share news of your new job

or promotion, your wedding, honors, awards, new babies, and other celebrations with fellow alumni. Send your information, news items, and photos for publication to jackie@lsualumni.org or call 225-578-3370.

60 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

In Memoriam Roger Lewis “Pop” Burford Professor Emeritus of Quantitative Business Analysis March 17, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

Frank R. Groves, Jr. Paul M. Horton Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering Feb. 14, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

1930s

Virginia Lee Moreland “Ginger” Willingham 1942 BACH March 11, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

Claiborne Dameron 1936 BACH; 1939 JD Feb. 12, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

1950s

Hansell Flynn Cross 1936 BACH; 1941 MAST Jan. 21, 2010 Conyers, Ga.

James Ellis Palmer 1937 BACH May 7, 2009 Guilford, Conn. Edwin Alonzo Smith, Jr. 1935 BACH Feb. 18, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

1940s

Eileen Ratteree Armstrong 1940 MAST March 4, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Evelyn Hunter Nelson 1949 BACH March 13, 2010 Coushatta, La. Benjamin E. Mitchell 1941 BACH; 1948 MAST Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Feb. 6, 2010 Pearland, Texas Travis Proctor Sandidge 1948 BACH Feb. 21, 2010 Crowley, La. David T. Simmons 1948 BACH Jan. 30, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Johnita F. Steinhilber 1945 BACH Dec, 6, 2009 Plantation, Fla.

John Leslie Babb 1950 BACH Jan. 26, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Ferdinand Carl Brenner, III 1950 BACH; 1951 MAST Oct. 23, 2009 Pasadena, Calif. Welton H. Brumfield, Jr. 1955 BACH Jan. 25, 2010 Amite, La. Edison Campanella 1952 BACH March 19, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

Staci Ann Pepitone Alumna-By-Choice Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration March 11, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

Lawrence Jerome Law 1951 BACH; 1958 BACH March 4, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

Gary L. Newchurch 1966 BACH April 2, 2010 Paincourtville, La.

John Bret McArthur, Jr. 1951 BACH April 1, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

Carolyn Saylor Hopkins 1966 BACH; 1970 MSW April 7, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

Linda Johnson Palmer 1958 BACH Feb. 19, 2010 Hammond, La.

Elton Gibson, “E.T.” Thompson 1962 BACH Jan. 30, 2010 Norwood, La.

Robert Beall “Buddy” Tudor, Jr. 1957 BACH March 14, 2010 Pineville, La.

Homer Wayne Wyble 1960 BACH March 27, 2010 Opelousas, La.

Henry Edward Wamsley, Jr. 1957 BACH Sept. 4, 2009 Lake Charles, La.

1960s

Edmund M. Bacon, Sr. 1960 BACH March, 19, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

James Ross Coxe, Jr. 1953 JD March 21, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Samuel William “Bill” Hazlip III 1951 BACH March 22, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. John C. “Jack” Jackson, Jr. 1955 BACH March 22, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Newty A. Jeansonne 1953 BACH; 1965 MAST March 6, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Martin Raymond Koch 1956 BACH March 10, 2010 Bayou Goula, La.

Norman G. “Jerry” Waguespack, Jr. Traveling Tiger March 5, 2010 Vacherie, La.

Karl J. Brodtman, Jr. 1960 BACH Jan. 23, 2010 Chesterfield, N.J. Jesse Coates, Jr. 1964 BACH Feb. 17, 2009 Baton Rouge, La. Barry Michael Daste 1960 MAST Jan. 30, 2010 Lafayette, La. Ronald Clayton Fontenot 1965 MBA Feb. 21, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

Charles A. Shropshire 1974 BACH March 6, 2010 Clinton, La.

1970s

Conrad Clement “Chee Chee” Barns, Jr. 1976 BACH March 4, 2010 Natchez, Miss.

1980s

Brian Francis “B.B.” Bruce 1980 BACH; 1986 MAST Feb. 24, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Greg Ellis 1981 BACH March 21, 2010 St. Gabriel, La. David Peeler 1983 BACH Jan. 26, 2010 Round Rock, Texas Eric Scott “Ric” Reimsnyder 1983 BACH Feb. 5, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Miles Carl Seifert 1980 MBA Feb. 28, 2010 Baton Rouge, LA

Paul Louis Bucher 1978 BACH March 20, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Donald Russell “Russ” Denham 1975 BACH Feb. 26, 2010 Baton Rouge, La. Edward Young Easterly 1976 BACH Jan. 9, 2010 Denham Springs, La. Suzanne Gerard “Suzie” Ehrlicher 1972 BACH Feb. 24, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

William Elnot Wakefield, III 1982 MAST March 17, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

1990s

Jeffery Lee Seale 1992 BACH March 15, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

2000s

Ruth Anne Mutrie 2003 BACH March 24, 2010 Baton Rouge, La.

Kenneth Louis Haydel 1976 BACH March 22, 2010 St. Francisville, La.

If you would like to make a gift to the LSU Alumni Association in memory of a family member, friend or classmate, please contact our office for additional information at 225-578-3838 or 1-888-746-4578.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Tiger Nation Happy Ninetieth – Fannie Sue Robinson Heard (1941 BACH EDUC; 1951 MAST EDUC), top left, celebrated her ninetieth birthday with friends and family, including daughter Rebecca Ann “Becky” Heard Fike (BACH 1967 EDUC), right, with a luncheon at the Stone Oak Country Club in Sylvania, Ohio, in March. The highlight of the event was a telephone call from the mayor of DeQuincy, La., informing the birthday girl that March 20, 2010, was proclaimed Fannie Sue Heard Day in her hometown. According to Fike, her mother “transplanted from Louisiana in 1977, but they’re but still drinking Community Coffee, making gumbo, and flying our purple/gold Tiger flags.”

HAPPY 92nd – Twins Faye Pierce Reid, left in both photos, and Raye Pierce Nelson (1939 BACH M&DA) recently celebrated their 92nd birthdays with a party in Highland Village, Texas, where Reid lives. Music majors, the twins toured Europe with the LSU Orchestra in the summer of 1938, just prior to the start of World War II. Faye played the violin, and Raye played the double bass. Both retired after long and successful careers as educators. Nelson resides in Tyler, Texas.

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Tigers in Print Nolde Alexius, Instructor in English & Judy Kahn, 1967 BACH A&S; 1970, Retired Instructor in English Best of LSU Fiction (The Southern Review) is a collection of the work of great fiction writers who have been associated with LSU as professors, undergraduates, graduate students, and editors. Beginning with three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Penn Warren, the anthology records the journey of the University’s prestigious literary tradition. Editors Nolde Alexius and Judy Kahn have collected twenty writers who have shared the LSU experience yet explore the craft of fiction with diverse and unique world views: John Ed Bradley writes of a failed LSU football hero, James Wilcox of the quirky interactions of a dysfunctional family on a camping trip, Moira Crone of a northerner’s firsthand experience of a Louisiana hurricane, Rebecca Wells of an anti-war cotton grower in the deep South, and Laurie Lynn Drummond of a legendary Baton Rouge policewoman’s experiences on and off duty. Ranging from traditional to experimental, each story is profound and entertaining. Gerald S. “Jerry” George, Ph.D., 1966 BACH EDUC; 1970 PHD EDUC Gerald George’s textbook Championship Gymnastics: Biomechanical Techniques for Shaping Winners (Designs for Wellness Press) presents an entirely new approach to the study and understanding of gymnastics movement. It bridges the gap between

theory and practice, seamlessly weaving together the “science” of biomechanics with the “art” of gymnastics movement for performers, teachers, coaches, and judges. David Kirby, 1966 BACH A&S In their new poetry anthology Seriously Funny, Barbara Hamby and David Kirby sought not light verse but poems that run the gamut from bleak to funny, working humor against darkness. Using poems from the Beats and the New York School as a starting point, the book presents a cross-section of poets from Charles Bernstein to Lucia Perillo, Tony Hoagland to Sharon Olds, and Jennifer Knox to Kevin Young. The selections and groupings showcase the incisiveness that many of the best contemporary American poets are able to command through their serious funniness. Todd V. Lewis, 1980 PHD A&S Whatever our task in the world, we inevitably must engage in communication. But we learn quickly that good communication is not always natural. In Authentic Communication: Christian Speech Engaging Culture (InterVarsity Press), Todd Lewis and Tim Muehlhoff offer help in understanding the broad field of human communication in Christian perspective. They assess the power of words, persuasion, and conflict management in an effort to improve our abilities to communicate forgiveness and shape the world we live in for the good.

Larry D. “Don” Piper, 1973 BACH General College Don Piper’s book 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life (Fleming Revell/Baker Publishing Group) has reached 5 million copies in worldwide sales. One of the bestselling books of the past decade, it appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers List for 168 consecutive weeks and received the Platinum Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association. His subsequent books, Daily Devotions and Heaven is Real; Lessons on Earthly Joy (Penguin/Putnam) have also appeared on bestsellers’ lists. Scott Philip Segrest, 2005 PHD A&S In America and the Political Philosophy of Common Sense (University of Missouri Press), Scott Segrest explores the personal and social meaning of common sense as understood in American thought and reflected in the writings of three paradigmatic thinkers: John Witherspoon, James McCosh, and William James. The first two represent Scottish Common Sense and the third, Pragmatism. It was common sense, he affirms, that underlay the Declaration of Independence and the founders’ ideas of right and obligation that are with us today and suggests that understanding this foundation and James’s refreshing view of it is key to maintaining America’s vital moral core.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

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Tiger Nation

Four Generations of Castillos By Jackie Bartkiewicz

LSU alum Ted Castillo, longtime sportswriter for Baton Rouge newspapers the State-Times, Morning Advocate, and The Advocate, tells us his granddaughter, Ali Castillo, received her bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in mass communication from LSU in December 2009, making her a fourth-generation Castillo Tiger graduate. Ali follows in the footsteps of her father, a 1979 physical education (now kinesiology) graduate; granddad Ted, who earned his journalism degree in 1948; and great grandfather Benito Castillo, who graduated in 1915 with a degree in sugar chemistry. Ali Castillo Other Castillo family members holding LSU degrees are Aliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandmother Marie-Louise G. Castillo, a 1967 elementary education graduate; an aunt, Marie-Louise Castillo Arcuri, who graduated in 1985 with a degree in accounting; great-grandmother Dolores Nichols Castillo Bullock, a 1916 education graduate; and Dolores Bullock Owen, a great aunt who earned her degree in music in 1954. Ali works for Tiger Weekly.

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Collis Benton Temple, Jr.

Congratulations on this prestigious recognition. We are proud of you. Your energy and drive continue to inspire us.

Your Family and The Harmony Center, Inc. Staff LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Tiger Nation

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Greek Excellence A number of LSU alumni were recognized with Greek Excellence awards at the 2010 Greek Gala celebration dinner on March 25. Cited for their impact on Greek life, community, and profession, were Desireé Honore (1987 BACH BUS), Alpha Kappa Alpha; Suzie Thompson, Chi Omega; Heather Cross (1999 JD), Delta Delta Delta; Jeanette “Jo” Reiser Bilisoly (1951 BACH BUS), Delta Gamma; Jane Skerkoske (1951 BACH BUS), Delta Zeta; Alexis Ray (2006 BACH A&S), Delta Sigma Theta; Norma Rutledge (1970 BACH EDUC), Kappa Alpha Theta; Gladys Reynolds Brown (1952 BACH EDUC), Kappa Delta; Donna Cambon Stuart (1978 BACH A&S), Kappa Kappa Gamma; Judy Champlin, Phi Mu; Cheryl Payne (1994 BACH BUS), Pi Beta Phi; Mary Leblanc Zaunbrecher (1999 BACH AGR), Sigma Alpha; Chanaé H. Jones, (2009 BACH EDUC), Sigma Gamma Rho; Debra Jones

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Tarter (1976 BACH AGR), Zeta Tau Alpha; Judge C. Lenton Sartain (1948 JD), Acacia; and Jerry Gaspard (1977 BACH AGR), Alpha Gamma Rho. Also, Alvin Cavalier, Alpha Phi Alpha; Grant Herrin (2007 BACH A&S), Delta Chi; Donald B. Bohn, Jr. (Alumni-byChoice), Delta Kappa Epsilon; John W. Barton, Sr. (1939 BACH ENGR), Kappa Alpha Order; Mark Cooper (1986 BACH BUS; 1989 MPA), Kappa Sigma; V. David “Sonny” DeVillier (1957 BACH A&S; 1960 JD), Lambda Chi Alpha; Cornelius Dowdell (2005 BACH A&S), Phi Beta Sigma; Barry Kilpatrick (1984 BACH BUS), Phi Beta Sigma; Ryan McGwyer (1994 BACH MCOM), Pi Kappa Phi; Henson Moore (1961 BACH A&S; 1965 JD), Sigma Chi; Peter N. Davis, Sigma Alpha Epsilon; Dr. James L. Jeansonne (1966 BACH A&S); Donald Daigle (1963 BACH ENGR), Sigma Phi Epsilon; and John J. Capdevielle (1942 BACH A&S), Theta Xi.

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Garage Soul Rock & Roll By Jackie Bartkiewicz

By Jackie Bartkiewicz

The Knuckle Sandwiches outside CBGB’s the night of their gig. Left to right: Andy Slater, Jon Laprade, Stephen Pitalo, Will St. Paul.

Sharing “some interesting LSU alumni crossover news” recently, alum and former LSU Magazine writer Stephen Pitalo (1990 BACH MCOM) says his band, the Knuckle Sandwiches – which boasts two other Tigers – just released its debut album, featuring a song about yet another alumnus, former Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Pitalo says he wrote the song to pay tribute to Humphrey, whose dedication to the civil rights movement was “very rock and roll.” “I’ve always been fascinated by the diversity of our famous alumni, from Rex Reed to Shaquille O’Neal,” Pitalo says. “But I always tell people that Hubert Humphrey is my favorite alumnus, although he only went to graduate school [at LSU]. He was a fixture in the civil rights movement long before the rest of the country caught on. His impassioned 1948 speech at the Democratic National Convention implored the party to add civil rights as a part of the platform. He WAS rock and roll, and consequently, I thought he deserved a big rock and roll song as a tribute.” Pitalo and former classmate Andy Slater (1988 BACH A&S) created the band “when they found themselves living in New York at the turn of the millennium,” he says. The two are joined by Will St. Paul (1992 BACH A&S) and Ed Henderzak (1995 BACH GC) – only drummer Jon Laprade isn’t an LSU grad – and created its sound out of the band’s love of 1960s garage rock and 1970s punk. “Sprinkle in some homage to New Orleans’ soul sounds, and garage soul was born,” says Pitalo, a self-described “content producer, which means producing, writing, directing, and webmastering projects,” for packratNYC, the company he launched in 2006. The band played throughout 2004-05, with gigs at various locations, including the legendary music venues CBGB and Arlene’s Grocery. Then its members moved on. While revisiting masters of the band’s original demo songs last year, Pitalo hatched an idea. “Since we’d never released an album, I proposed that we produce an EP,” he says, having produced the debut album of country rocker Scott Niolet (1995 BACH BUS). “Only two songs made the cut, so – between studios in New York and New Orleans – we recorded “Radio Smash” and “Hubert Humphrey.” The result is “The Little Phil EP,” available as a digital download on most major music sites. LISTEN www:reverbnation.com/theknucklesandwiches

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Tiger Nation

By Ed Cullen Advocate staff writer Reprinted with permission of The Advocate Photo provided by Linda Bergin

Linda Bergin speaks at the unveiling of a plaque recognizing the work of the Headland Preservation Group in Sydney, Australia. Peter Brown, HPG president, is at right.

“Bergin felt she had to show Australians what they would be losing to residential development if Defense had its way.”

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High Honor for LSU Grad Walks with her dog showed a former Baton Rouge woman a Sydney Harbor that many Australians had never seen. When Linda Bergin, 54, learned of a sweetheart deal between Australia’s Defense Department and Sydney developers, she saw it as “the thin end of the wedge” that would separate Australian citizens from land that belonged to them. This May, Bergin, a 1977 LSU graduate in computer science, will receive Australia’s fourth highest civilian honor, The Medal of the Order of Australia, for leading the preservation move that wrested 340 acres of prime real estate around Sydney Harbor from developers. Bergin is the daughter of Stella Woolfolk Williamson and the late Bob Williamson. A sister, Jeannie Williamson, lives in Baton Rouge. Another sister, Mary Jane Carpenter, lives in Madison, Wis. Bergin is a 1973 graduate of Episcopal High School. The May ceremony is an investiture, a formal ceremony at Sydney’s Government House. Bergin was honored as recipient of the OAM this January during Australia Day. Australia Day commemorates the Jan. 26, 1778, arrival of the British First Fleet of 11 convict ships at Sydney Cove, today the home of Sydney’s harbor opera house. Bergin left Baton Rouge in 1977 for New York where she got a master’s at Columbia. She married an Australian and emigrated in 1993. Divorced in 2005, Bergin credits thenhusband Brian with giving her the time and financial backing to wage what came to be called “The Harbor Campaign.” Brian Bergin suggested Linda look at The Presidio in San Francisco as an example of military land converted to public use. There were other people in Sydney “annoyed or angry” about the Defense Department’s relationship with developers, Bergin said, “but they didn’t go to the highest level. We approached the federal level in Canberra and the prime minister.” In 1996, Bergin felt she had to show Australians what they would be losing to residential development if Defense had its way. Long in the hands of the military, much of the harbor land was off limits to civilians. “It was sort of in my backyard,” said

Bergin who knew a high spot in George’s Heights from walks with her dog. The heights are in Mosman where some of Sydney’s richest residents live. George’s Heights affords a commanding view of Sydney Harbor. “The houses are enormous,” Bergin said. “Defense said new housing wouldn’t be visible, all sorts of nonsense.” The Defense Department was under pressure from the federal government to leave Sydney Harbor and move north to be closer to Indonesia. Defense maintained it was selling the harbor land to pay for the move and to effect remediation. “There was some heavy contamination - some of it really nasty contamination - at the bases,” Bergin said. The Sydney Harbor Federation Trust takes in North Head, Middle Head, George’s Heights, Chowder Bay, Cockatoo Island, the former marine biological station on South Head, Woolwich Dock (a dry dock), Macquarie Light Station (Australia’s oldest light house built in 1818 by a convict architect), Snapper Island, a training depot; Cockatoo Island prison and HMAS Platymus, a former industrial site that takes its name from the submarine tender ship that once docked there. “There were active bases with barbed wire,” she said. Preservationists “couldn’t get in there” to look around. There was also the fog of propaganda from the Defense Department to penetrate, Bergin said. “Defense had hired people to go into the community to make development seem attractive,” she said. Then, the Australian army offered to take Bergin and a reporter on patrol behind the barbed wire. “The army were on our side,” Bergin said. “They loved the history of the military there. They let me in with a journalist from The Bulletin, like Time magazine in the U.S. We got a two-page article that exposed Defense and developers’ plans. “They would have demolished the World War I hospital. The housing would have been next to the old sandstone buildings built by convicts and gun emplacements.” Bergin didn’t get a single threat from anyone.

“I never even got a phone call. I think the developers just moved on to the next thing.” The Mosman Council is still miffed over the “big swimming pool, what they call a leisure center,” promised the parochial governing body in a deal with Defense, Bergin said. It’s never too late to fight for something if people are passionate about it, Bergin said. “This was very far down the track when I got involved. Defense had put out a brochure called ‘The Preferred Outcome’ that made it all look pretty terrific. Everyone was onside with Defense who’d done a lot of deals with developers. Chowder Bay was going to be a 99-year lease with yacht owners for their private use. “Politicians spend too much time in Canberra and Washington,” Bergin said.

“They aren’t aware of the things that are in the interest of the public. You have to make them aware.” Caught at a spa in Big Sur, Calif., where she was visiting friends, Bergin was planning on flying to Baton Rouge to visit family. Then, it was back home to her cattle ranch less than two hours drive south of Sydney. Though she misses the United States, Australia is home. “I’ve made a good life for myself,” she said. “I have good friends. I’m getting out of running the cattle ranch pretty soon. I feel like I’m a fortunate person in many ways.” This story appeared in the April 8, 2010, edition of The Advocate.

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Through a Precision Lens The works of Bay Area watercolorist Stephan Hoffpauir (1977 BACH DES) were exhibited in April at Cole Pratt Gallery in New Orleans, marking the architectartist’s first solo show. The Big Easy native has a perfectionist’s eye for the city, and his watercolor paintings depict New Orleans architecture with detail, including individual blades of grass and the mirror-like reflections of window panes. “Hurricane Katrina left me with a new sense of urgency to revisit and document familiar parts of the New Orleans that had managed to emerge almost unscathed from the storm,” Hoffpauir says. “These images have existed as paintings in my head for decades, a part of my mental landscape. Having spent my childhood in both the city and its suburbs, I was drawn not to well-known monuments and cityscapes but to examples of the area’s vernacular architecture – the unremarkable buildings and spaces which constitute the physical manifestations of the city’s everyday life. Though unrecognizable to outsiders, they are likely to be iconic images to locals.” Hoffpauir says he is as drawn to the overlooked spaces around buildings – parking lots, freeways, driveways, porches – as he is to the buildings themselves. “While these mundane details might be considered the detritus of modern life, along with the huge dumpsters, which were everywhere following Katrina, they also serve as clues to the life inside the buildings, providing a sense of continuity between the present and the past,” he explains. The artist uses watercolor techniques and technology in his work. Each painting begins as multiple digital photographs, which are manipulated and pieced together to achieve precise one-point perspective and remove or substitute compositional elements. For instance, the photograph for Orange Dumpster, Freret Street (2008) had a different, red dumpster in the shot before it was replaced with a rust-colored version he saw down the street. The “color and grittiness” was a better match for the stucco facade, he says. Hoffpauir lives in Oakland, Calif., and teaches interior architecture and design at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. He is the author of Architectural Illustration in Watercolor (Whitney Library of Design, 1989) and most recently wrote an article for American Artist called “Painting my Hometown from Photographs.”

Watercolorist Stephan Hoffpauir

Orange Dumpster, Freret Street

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Tigers Geaux Who Dat

Tiger Nation

Creole Queen Sings for the Saints By Jackie Bartkiewicz

Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat We’re going to the Superbowl Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat We’re going to the Superbowl There’s haters around that’s something we know but it don’t matter cuz we’re proud of that black and gold they say that we can’t but there’s one thing fo sho…New Orleans is going to the Superbowl Repeat Chorus The Brees’ll blow you away Henderson, he don’t play Meachem’ll beat cha have you saying Who Dat Who Dat Say Running with Bush and you just might get shook Messing with Sharper and you’ll get that ball took QB’s beware of Grant and McCray they’ll ruin your whole game Colston, Shockey and Gay will probably make your team say Repeat Chorus The NFC Championship boy, that game was a trip it sure was historic I’ll replay it if you missed it First it was 7,7 then tied @ 14, then tied @ 21, oh it was getting fun then tied @ 28, but Favre made a mistake with less seconds than 8 he threw an interception Porter caught it and it went to OT, Hartley kicked it for 3 and the rest is Saints’ History Repeat Chorus Bridge yes we are yes we are yes we are you might have tried but it didn’t work you left the dome with your feelings hurt you might think that we are wrong but New Orleans will finish strong

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New Orleans native Ashley Forrestier (2003 BACH MCOM) – the Creole Queen – released a new single in January inspired by the New Orleans Saints’ historic win over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship that guaranteed the team’s first appearance in the Super Bowl. Filled with pride and reflecting on what the victory meant to her hometown, which had been ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, the young songstress wanted to capture the moment in song. So she put pen to paper and created the music to express her enthusiasm – composing it in just two hours. The single was produced by New Orleans native Alverez the MostCold. “New Orleans is called the Big Easy for a reason. It’s big on music, fun, great food, and unmatched hospitality; and it’s so easy to love its culture, its character, and especially its people,” says Forrestier, who resides in Houston and is a paralegal at a law firm. “I’ve longed to write a song about a place I’m proud to call home. The Saints’ win just threw that one in my lap.” And the moniker “Creole Queen”? “There isn’t too much of a history behind Creole Queen,” Forrestier says with a laugh. “It’s something I just started to use. I love my Creole heritage – and the queen part just kinda’ came about.” ON THE WEB: www.MostCold.com/WhoDat www.facebook.com/AshleyMostCold

Ashley Forrestier – the Creole Queen

Tigers Geaux Who Dat

Former Students’ Commercial Airs During Super Bowl When they completed their upperlevel marketing class at LSU, Tracy Gagliardi (2009 BACH BUS) and Sarah Balcerowicz (2009 BACH BUS) had no idea they would be watching a semester’s worth of hard work air during a Super Bowl, especially a game in which the New Orleans Saints would be playing. The spot, which aired during Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7, is the result of a semesterlong relationship between Gulf Coast Bank & Trust and the E. J. Ourso College of Business. The bank worked with students in Judith Anne Garretson Folse’s Marketing Communication: Promotion class. The assignment was to develop and execute a communication strategy for a real-life

business, and the top commercials were posted on the bank’s Web site to be voted on by customers and employees. The spot focuses on the importance of “taking time to save” and highlights different milestones during one’s life, such as early childhood, school, graduation, and marriage. A light, cheery soundtrack plays throughout the spot, which the students chose to bring about a feeling of happiness and add to the spot’s emotional appeal. The song, titled “Gravel,” was written by Orba Squara, the stage name for singer/ songwriter Mitch Davis, whose songs have appeared in iPhone commercials and feature films. ON THE WEB: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=UIC6XSwHWKs

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Director Turns Mentor By Holly Phillips Photo by Jim Zietz

It was a black-tie affair held on a fall evening in New York City. In his pressed white shirt and black jacket, director and LSU alumnus Robert Zimmerman (1986 BACH JOUR) was attending the Public and Community Service Emmy Awards. His invitation arrived with a nomination for a Public Service Announcement in a Sponsored Commercial. As president and executive producer of his company, Piranha Pictures, Zimmerman created a PSA about the dangers of drunken driving, sponsored by the Governor’s Highway Safety Office and the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The commercial, “Booze it Enforcement: Kick a Bear,” imparts the message – drunken driving is about as smart as kicking a bear. Zimmerman didn’t always have his heart set on making Emmy Award-winning commercials. In fact, there were many days he questioned what to do with his career. A Baton Rouge native and the youngest of eight children, he looked to his siblings and father for guidance. “My father was a chemical engineer, which wasn’t what I wanted to do,” he says. “But even three semesters into LSU, I had no idea what to major in.” His brother asked him what he was interested in; Zimmerman knew that – movies and music. So he opted for journalism.

Creating Piranha After graduation, he interned with KALBTV in Alexandria, La., made contacts in the creative services department, and was later hired as a page at NBC in Los Angeles. He spent a year writing, acting in, and producing commercials as a production assistant and later worked as an NBC

Emmy® Award-winning producer and director Robert Zimmerman and students work on an entry for the Forever LSU Student Video Contest.

producer for a large advertising company. “[But] I really wanted to get out on my own,” he says. In 1994, Zimmerman and his wife, Tracy, started Piranha Pictures in Nashville, Tenn., then opened a second production company, Spot Producers, whose clients include Home Depot, Pizza Hut, Chevrolet, and Blue Cross, among others. Zimmerman visited campus during winter break to mentor the finalists of the Forever LSU Student Video Contest who received advice from him and access to equipment to reshoot and edit their creations. Zimmerman says students interested in film have such an advantage now because of the available technology. “Students here are working with the same programs and equipment I use as a professional,” he says. He left campus with a piece of advice for students interested in the film industry. “Only look to do this if this is what you want to do,” he says. “In any endeavor, if it’s what you love, it’s what you’ll be best at.” Holly Phillips is an editor in the LSU Office of Communications & University Relations. ON THE WEB: www.foreverlsu.org/ students

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Tiger Nation Photo by Steve Franz/LSU Sports Information

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Trailblazing Tigers Celebrating Ethnic Minority Firsts The University saluted its ethnic minority trailblazers – Tiger Torchbearers – from Tiger athletics, band, and spirit teams during Black History Month at halftime ceremonies at the LSU vs. Mississippi State men’s basketball game in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Making an impact on LSU tradition and diversity, these Tigers made their mark by having the courage to be the first to cross diversity “finish lines.” The trailblazers include Joanette Boutte, volleyball and women’s basketball; Myra Burrell Brown, softball; Fallon Bucker, women’s soccer; John Sibley Butler, Tiger Band; Mike Carter, men’s gymnastics; Kyle Copeland-Muse, women’s tennis; Ladeta Crowley; cheerleading; Paula Edwards, softball; Herman Harris, cheerleading; Lora Hinton, football; Paula Jackson, Golden Girls; Gary Joseph, baseball; Somalia Lindsay, women’s soccer; Joe Lott, wrestling; Saundra Mims Minor, Golden Girls; Claudeidra Minor, Golden Girls; Donald Newman, baseball; Debra Ross, women’s gymnastics; Michelle Spillman, women’s gymnastics; Collis Temple, Jr., men’s basketball; Edward Walker, baseball;

Elma Walker, pom pom squad; Mikell Williams, football; and Lloyd Wills Jr., track and field. Today, LSU athletics comprises 35 percent ethnic minorities and 39 percent women. And LSU legends have continued their Tiger spirit through legacies and involvement. Temple has passed on his love for Tiger basketball to his sons, Collis III and Garrett, both of whom excelled both on and off the court for the men’s basketball team. He is also an active member of the A.P. Tureaud, Sr., Black Alumni Chapter and was inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Association Hall of Distinction in April (see story on page 18). “The LSU journey was and is challenging, enlightening, contagious, but most of all, inspiring. Inspiring because of the many relationships formed and the sense of family one can develop,” Temple reflected. “The fellow honorees and I are part of a family of legacies. It’s the spirit of these legacies that I’ve shared with my children and that I hope radiates from this event.” Butler, another LSU pioneer, serves as a member of the LSU Alumni Association national Board of Directors and remains vested in the work of the University.

Tiger Torchbearers were honored during Black History Month at halftime ceremonies at the LSU vs. Mississippi State men’s basketball game.

72 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

2 01 0 football tr i ps are ready to take you along with Coach Les Miles and the LSU Fighting Tigers during another exciting year.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

Alumni

TAF Taps Theriot as Distinguished Alumnus

Awards

Bobby Theriot (1963 BACH BUS), of Houston, was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year at the 2010 Tiger Athletic foundation Academic Excellence Gala in February.

Bobby Theriot

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Theriot attended LSU on a combined baseball/academic scholarship. A three-year letterman, he played on the 1961 SEC Championship team and earned the team Scholastic Award each of his three years on the varsity team. He was also named Most Outstanding Student in the business college in his senior year and served as ROTC Corps Commander. He was commissioned through LSU ROTC as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and served his country as a pilot and flight instructor. He was discharged at the rank of Captain in 1968 and began what was to be a thirty-eight year career with Merrill Lynch. He retired in 2006 as a managing director. Theriot has been active with numerous civic and charitable organizations, among them, Boy Scouts, Rotary Club, and Galveston Railroad Museum, and he served on the boards of the American Heart Association and Houston YMCA. He is a member of the Finance and Executive Committees of the Tiger Athletic Foundation, serving as its treasurer. A generous donor to his alma mater, Theriot and his wife, Janet, have funded two professorships in business, underwritten an M.B.A. scholarship and funded a baseball scholarship in the Foundations of Champions scholarship endowment program, donated to the Business School Building Fund, The Cook Hotel, the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes, and are funding the LSU Players Locker Room at the new Alex Box Stadium. He was inducted into the E.J. Ourso College of Business Hall of Distinction in 2001, and the Theriots received an LSU Alumni Association Purple & Gold Award in 2007.

Outstanding Alumni Recognized by Colleges E. J. Ourso College of Business The LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business welcomed five new members into its Hall of Distinction on March 19. Those inducted were Thomas J. Adamek (1982 BACH BUS), a co-founding member of Stonehenge Capital LLC and president, managing director, and member of its board of managers; Donald J. Gauci (1987 BACH BUS), a partner with Ernst & Young; David L. Laxton III (1971 BACH A&S: 1975 MAST BUS), executive vice president and chief financial officer of Edgen Murray; Jerry E. Shea, Jr. (1972 BACH ENGR: 1974 MBA), president of The Bayou Companies Inc., of Bayou Coating LLC, and Shea Investments Inc, and member of the LSU Board of Supervisors; and Christel C. Slaughter(1975 BACH BUS; 1979 PHD BUS), a principal in SSA Consultants.

Left to right, Thomas Adamek, Jerry E. Shea, Jr., Ourso College of Business Dean Eli Jones, Christel C. Slaughter, Donald Gauci, and David Laxton III.

College of Basic Sciences - The College of Basic Sciences inducted

Clockwise from top left: Byrd Ball, Ellinor Behre, Clarence P. Cazalot, Jr., James Coleman, Sean McGlynn, Dale Poulter

six new members into its Hall of Distinction on April 30. They are Byrd Ball (1961 BACH BASC), retired vice president of business development at IBM and owner of a management/consulting firm that provides strategic planning for entrepreneurs; the late Ellinor Behre, scientist, researcher, educator, and pioneer for women in the sciences; Clarence P. Cazalot, Jr. (1972 BACH BASC), president and CEO of Marathon Oil Corporation; James Coleman (1958 BACH BASC; 1966 PHD BASC), a Boyd Professor Emeritus in LSUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coastal Studies Institute, authority on sedimentology and river deltas, and LSUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only member of the National Academy of Engineering; Dale Poulter (1964 BACH BASC) the Widtsoe Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Utah; and Sean McGlynn, Boyd Professor Emeritus of chemistry, former Dean of the Graduate School, and former vice chancellor for research.

College of Engineering - The LSU College of Engineering welcomed two new inductees to its Hall of Distinction on April 8. Sharon Cole (1981 BACH ENGR) is site director for Dow Plaquemine, Louisiana, and business manufacturing leader for the Chlor Vinyl Business. Gary Wooley (1969 BACH ENGR; 1970 MAST ENGR; 1972 PHD ENGR) is president of Wooley and Associates, Inc.

Manship School of Mass Communication - Those inducted into the into the Manship School of Mass Communication Hall of Fame on April 23 were political strategist James Carville (1970 BACH A&S; 1973 JD) , United Press International reporter and author Ken Englade (1960 BACH JOUR), and founder of the The Morning Advocate and radio station WJBO, the late Charles Manship, Sr.

Sharon Cole

Gary R. Wooley

James Carville Ken Englade Charles P. Manship, Sr.

LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010

LSU

Remembering 1932

Memoir

In 1932 the present campus and central buildings were brand new, and academic departments were settling into the new facilities. That was the year I transferred to LSU as a second semester freshman from Southeastern Louisiana College (now Southeastern Louisiana University).

By Don George

Everyone had to take “Speech,” so I registered, and after the first class decided to explore the building (the Music & Dramatic Arts Building). Speech was in the east wing, music in the west, and between them was the theater. I meandered down the hall and encountered a door with the sign “No Admission.” So, I went in. A lone man was struggling to take down portable Don George (1937 BACH A&S; 1951 MAST A&S; 1955 PHD A&S) of Hattiesburg, risers. I spoke up: “Looks like you are having a little Miss., retired as professor emeritus of trouble. Need any help? “ speech communication from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1978. “I could certainly use some,” he replied, introducing himself. “I’m Fritz Von Osthoff.” [Editor’s note: Von Osthoff was superintendent of building and grounds and resident architect at the University for thirteen years in the 1930s and 1940s.] I introduced myself and joined him. “I’ve got to get these down in the basement and store them,” he explained. “We push them down through that hole in the floor. I’ll go below and you can push them through to me.” The stands, made of 2” x 10” boards, were eight feet long but not too heavy. The risers were the big problem since they were bolted, and it was a struggle to handle them. We kept on until they were all in the basement and the trap door in the floor was closed. “I’m sure glad you came along,” Von Osthoff said. “Some students from the chorus were supposed to help take these down, but they didn’t show up, and we have to get the stage ready for a recital tonight. Are you in music?” “I’m not in anything yet,” I replied. “I’m just starting the second semester. I was exploring the building after class and looked to see what was in here.” That was my introduction to LSU. Von Osthoff applied for two student-work scholarships and recommended me for one of them, which I held until I graduated in 1937. Send your LSU memories – 400 words or less – to jackie@lsualumni.org.

Marmillion/Gray Media Congratulates

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TREY TRAHAN, FAIA COLLIS TEMPLE, JR. 2010 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction Inductees

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