a l u m n i
m a g a z i n e
Summer 2011, Volume 87, Number 2
Alumnus of the year The Honorable W. Henson Moore
A Message From the
Chancellor
A Trying Year for a Vibrant University The 2010-11 academic year has come to an end, and we celebrate the success of another class of LSU graduates. We wish them the best as they enter the next phase of their lives. Some will enter the workforce, some will pursue a higher academic degree, some will enter public service, some will defend our country. All will represent their alma mater with pride. In addition to extending my congratulations to our latest graduates, I must take this opportunity to thank the countless people who helped them reach their goals. Anyone reading this letter can likely take some credit for the success of our 2011 graduating class. Every alum who passed through LSU helped set a standard of excellence that inspired our young people of today to reach for greater heights. Every donor who helped fund scholarships, finance programs, and build buildings played a role in putting a diploma in our graduates’ hands. Special appreciation this year goes to LSU’s faculty and staff who taught, counseled, and provided support for our students under the cloud of budget cuts and an uncertain future. They never wavered in their commitment to our students during a time when it would be easy to lose focus in their work and lose confidence in higher education. It has often been said LSU’s greatest asset is its people. That has never been more evident than during the past year. In August we welcomed one of the largest, highestachieving, and most diverse freshman classes in school history. We recently completed a successful Forever LSU campaign during which thousands of friends and alumni invested in LSU’s future. And we have been bolstered by a group of business people who have formed the Flagship Coalition to fight for LSU’s future. It has been a trying year for all who care about LSU. But students have continued to study, faculty have continued to teach, friends and alumni have continued to contribute, and leaders have continued to work relentlessly because of their passion for the University. It takes a lot to discourage LSU people, and we can look back at the past academic year with particular pride because we have persevered through challenging times. We don’t know what the future holds for LSU. The next weeks and months will be important, but I have confidence that the decision makers who hold LSU’s future in their hands will recognize the importance of a vibrant flagship university and the people who make it strong.
Michael V. Martin Chancellor
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
1
Publisher Charlie W. Roberts
Contents
Editor Jackie Bartkiewicz Editorial Assistants Ryan Buxton, Patti Garner, Ben Wallace Advertising Kay Heath Amanda Haynes
a l u m n i
m a g a z i n e
12
Features 24 2011 Hall of Distinction 36 Ezra – Absolutely Southern Better Than Ezra, inspired by LSU and Louisiana, has made a healthy living singing about its home state. And through its affiliated charity, the Better Than Ezra Foundation, the band makes a point of giving back to those at home.
38 Breaking Point Imagine being able to know before an airplane element breaks, a helicopter blade cracks, or the brakes in a car fail. LSU’s Michael Khonsari has developed and method to avoid the dangers involved with machinery failure.
In Each Issue 1 A Message from the Chancellor 4 President’s Message
22 42 59
6 Forever LSU 8 LSU Alumni Association News 40 Around Campus 62 Locker Room 64 Tiger Nation
82
Art Director Chuck Sanchez STUN Design & Advertising Contributors Ashley Berthelot, Ernie Ballard, Ryan Buxton, Matt DeVille, Damian Foley, Melissa Foley, Toni Harrell, Bud Johnson, Aaron Looney, Brenda Macon, Scott Madere, Norm Marcocci, Ben Wallace Photography Brian Baiamonte, Matt DeVille, Megan Dixon, Kevin Duffy, Steve Franz, Hilary Bronwyn Gale, Larry Hubbard, Scott Madere, Rick Olivier, Eddy Perez, 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. © 2011 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 Guy Campbell III Chair, Monroe, La. Michael H. Woods, Chair-Elect, Shreveport, La. Gregory J. “Gregg” Cordaro Past Chair, Baton Rouge, La.
Cover: Alumnus of the Year Henson Moore. Photo by Eddy Perez Design by Chuck Sanchez/STUN Design
2 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
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. Patricia C. “Pat” Bodin, Houston, Texas John T. Shelton, Jr., Houston, Texas C. A. “Buddy” Brice III, Biloxi, Miss. Carl J. Streva, Morgan City, La. John S. “Johnny” Butler, Austin, Texas Susan K. Whitelaw, Shreveport, La. Robert W. Dugas, Baton Rouge, La. Lodwrick M. Cook, Director Emeritus Theresa M. Gallion, Tampa, Fla. Sherman Oaks, Calif. Ronald M. Johnson, Baton Rouge, La.
President/CEO’s
MESSAGE
The Cook Hotel – Not Just for LSU Tigers! As the spring semester came to an end, alumni chapters across the country were gearing up for annual crawfish boils, wine tastings, and other gatherings. LSU Alumni Association staffers have already traveled to Dallas, Houston, Austin, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Atlanta, with June and July bringing more opportunities for us to visit alumni and friends across the country. Looking forward, we are already planning for the tenth anniversary of the Lod and Carole Cook Hotel and Conference Center. Lod Cook, as well as many hotel donors and supporters, will join us on Oct. 7 for an exciting anniversary celebration. As you know, The Cook Hotel is free and clear of debt – thanks to so many of you. There are many opportunities and challenges in operating a 128-room hotel and conference center. To make the task even more demanding, there is no other independent alumni association that owns and operates a hotel – there were no models for us to use. But through the efforts and guidance of the Association’s National Board of Directors and The Cook Hotel Board of Managers, we have made this venture a successful operation and boon to LSU. Probably our most challenging problem is convincing the public that the hotel is open to the public. There is a perception that the hotel is only available for LSU events, for the LSU Alumni Association, or just for LSU alumni. That is not true. The hotel is open and available to all. Help us spread that word – the hotel is open to all (except on home football game weekends). Another concern has to do with room rates. Many guests request a “discount,” probably because we are located on the LSU campus. But, just as major hotels do, we must pay salaries, maintenance, and supplies. Please understand that we attempt to keep our rates competitive with local hotels. And know that our main concern is to provide an efficient, clean, and friendly place for you to stay. It takes revenue to make that happen. The hotel is operated by twelve professional staff, twelve contract housekeepers, and five students – a small staff indeed, but one that manages the operation extremely well. We get great satisfaction and take great pride in reading reviews that appear on various travel Web sites. Guests are impressed with the facility and most complimentary (maybe because it’s complementary!) of the breakfast, the excellent beds, and the clean rooms. Many who stayed at the hotel during hurricanes Katrina and Gustav call or write – and return – frequently. We look forward to celebrating the hotel’s tenth anniversary with many of you. Thank you making the facility a success. Forever LSU,
Charlie W. Roberts President/CEO P.S. Share the word about The Cook Hotel with your friends, relatives, and business associates. They’ll enjoy the Tiger hospitality. Visit us at www.thecookhotel.com
4 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
5
It’s a Wrap! Story and photos by Scott M. Madere
The Forever LSU campaign officially concluded on Dec. 31, 2010, and a spring thank you celebration recognized the many people who made the campaign a historic success. The Forever LSU Block Party offered an opportunity to look back at the generosity of friends and alumni, as well as to establish new traditions in supporting LSU.
Saying Thank You
“These generous donors have recognized that an investment in LSU is an investment in the future of Louisiana.”
LSU Alumni Association President and CEO Charlie Roberts greets block party guests.
6 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
On April 8, the campaign marked the successful completion of its activities as only Tigers can—by throwing a huge tailgating party outside Tiger Stadium and inviting all of LSU to join in. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and alumni made their way to the Forever LSU Block Party to take in beautiful weather, refreshments, and entertainment from the Bengal Brass band, LSU cheerleaders, and Tiger Girls. It was a chance for Forever LSU to say thank you to more than 61,000 contributors who helped the campaign exceed its $750 million goal. Since 2001, LSU friends and alumni have endowed hundreds of scholarships, professorships, and chairs. Many capital improvements have been made on campus, from the creation of the new Alex Box Stadium to the new habitat for Mike the Tiger. Construction crews are hard at work on the new Business Education Complex, as well as the new LSU Band Hall. Over the course of the campaign, LSU reached Tier One status among American universities for the first time in its history. These improvements and many more were made possible by giving to the Forever LSU campaign. “This is an unprecedented show of support from LSU alumni and supporters at a time when we face the prospect of unprecedented budget cuts,” says Henson Moore, campaign chairman. “These generous donors have recognized that an investment in LSU is an investment in the future of Louisiana. But their contributions are not a substitute for the basic budget support LSU needs from the state.”
The LSU Bengal Brass.
Congressman Henson Moore, chairman of the Forever LSU campaign, and Miss LSU USA 2011 Christina Famularo, thank the crowd for their support of the campaign.
Forever LSU Forever LSU made history in 2010 by exceeding its original goal of raising $750 million for the University. However, LSU’s need for support through private funding has never been greater. Every Tiger can make a difference at LSU.
Join the Effort The campus community was invited to participate in the University’s first faculty, staff, and student campaigns and encouraged to make a financial gift – no matter the size – during the month of April. This campus-wide initiative mirrors the community approach to giving that many of the country’s top universities have found to be critical to their continued success. Every donation, small or large, to these special campaigns is important. Increasing the number of donors who give to LSU greatly enhances the University’s ability to retain Tier One status and sends a positive message to alumni and friends regarding the value of supporting academics at LSU. Faculty and staff members are encouraged to donate through the LSU Foundation to benefit the academic area of the donor’s choice. Students are asked to contribute to the Pelican Promise Scholarship, the Student Life Leadership Award Scholarship, the Student Academic Support Initiative, and S.T.R.I.P.E.S (Student Tigers Rallying, Interacting, and Promoting Education and Service). Scott M. Madere is associate director of communications for the LSU Foundation.
Hundreds of LSU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends help celebrate the campaign’s success.
Jennifer Broadwell, research associate with the LSU Foundation, welcomes visitors to the Forever LSU Campaign Success Tent, where the campaign’s many achievements were on display.
LSU cheerleaders and Mike the Tiger perform for the crowd.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
7
LSU Alumni Association
news
Accolades Banquet Eleven Honored at 2011 Gala
By Matt DeVille Photos by Larry Hubbard
The LSU Alumni Association has many distinguished donors and volunteers who make everything the Association does possible. On the evening of Feb. 11, eleven notable supporters were recognized at the Accolades Banquet as Purple & Gold Award winners along with the Chapter Service Award recipients. The Purple & Gold Award is given annually to philanthropists who support the mission, programs, and activities of the Association. The Chapter Service Award recognizes those who have played major roles in the success and progress of their respective alumni chapters.
Purple & Gold Award Winners Judge D. Irvin Couvillion
Judge D. Irvin Couvillion
Tim and Charlotte Dietrich
Retired Special Trial Judge D. Irvin Couvillion, a native of Avoyelles Parish and currently residing in Baton Rouge, earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from LSU in 1956 and graduated from LSU Law School in 1959. He also holds an LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Couvillion served on the United States Tax Court from 1978-2001 and was appointed a special trial judge in 1985. Prior to his service on the Tax Court, he was engaged in tax litigation for a decade in Baton Rouge. Before entering private practice, he served from 19661973 as administrative assistant to U.S. Representative Speedy O. Long from Louisiana’s Eighth District. An active member of the LSU Alumni Association and former member of the Washington, D.C., Chapter, Couvillion has made a major donation to the Alumni Fund and endowed a Top 100 Scholarship. He also supports the Paul M. Hebert Law Center and the E.J. Ourso College of Business and LSU Foundation.
Timothy and Charlotte Dietrich
Don and Sally McGinty
8 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Tim Dietrich, president and CEO of Stonetrust Management Services, the management company responsible for the day-to-day operations of Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Company, earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1980 and an M.B.A. in 1985. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Louisiana and Texas and a former auditor with the Louisiana Department of Insurance. He and his wife, Charlotte, a graduate of LSU’s Paralegal Studies Program, are major benefactors of the LSU Alumni Association.
They have given for many years at the Premier Donor level and have established two Chancellor’s Leadership scholarships for graduates of Redemptorist High School, his alma mater. The couple also supports the LSU Flagship fund and the E.J. Ourso College of Business. Tim is a member of the Forever LSU Baton Rouge Steering Committee, a Premier Corporate Sponsor of Louisiana Looking Up 2010, and a board member of the MBA Alumni Association. He and Charlotte have a daughter, Melanie, age 8. They reside in Baton Rouge.
Don and Sally McGinty Don McGinty graduated from LSU in 1965 with a degree in business and is retired from Shell Oil Company. His wife, Sally, a graduate of LSUNO, now UNO, is also a graduate of the University of Houston and taught for twenty-nine years in the Fort Bend Independent School District. The McGintys have endowed a Chancellor’s Leadership Scholarship, have contributed a suite in their name in The Cook Hotel and Conference Center, and are major donors to the Alumni Fund. They have made gifts to the E.J. Ourso College of Business, the Cox Communications Center for Student-Athletes, and the new LSU Band Hall project and support LSU through the LSU Foundation. The couple resides in Sugar Land, Texas. They are longtime members of the Houston Alumni Chapter and active volunteers in several religious and community organizations. The McGintys are the parents of two children and list grandchildren as a hobby, along with gardening for Sally and LSU for Don. According to Don, “LSU ranks right behind God, family, and country, but Sally sometimes disputes that order!”
Stan and Carol Williams
Dallas Chapter
Stan and Carol Williams, of Fort Worth, Texas, are longstanding supporters of the LSU Alumni Association, contributing annually at the Chancellor’s Club level since 2002. They also pledged a six-figure gift to be made over the next decade. Stan attended LSU from 1983-1986 before enrolling in pharmacy school at Ole Miss. He received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in 1989 and is currently sales director for the southwestern United States for Abbott Vascular’s coronary division. Carol, a University of Alabama alum, is a pediatric dietitian at Cook Children’s Medical Center. The couple has two children, Maggie, 8, and Jack, 5. The family enjoys tailgating, travel, golf, and, of course, LSU football – proudly stating, “On Saturdays in the fall, I belong to LSU.”
The Dallas Chapter traces its beginnings to LSU’s appearance in the 1947 Cotton Bowl and credits it growth and success to members of all ages who share a passion for LSU – and have a lot of fun doing it. Chapter bragging points include a membership increase of 400 percent in the last four years; an ever-growing annual crawfish boil; expansion from one to four football view-in locations; extensive alumni recruitment of high school students, swelling the ranks of DFW students at LSU; initiation and completion of the Texas Specialty License plate campaign, which now exceeds 6,115 plates; Stan and Carol Williams completion of the chapter’s 501(c)(3) accreditation; and the selection of a chapter member to receive a Chapter Service Award in each of the last three years. Topping these achievements is the chapter’s scholarship fundraising campaign which has allowed it to fully endow the Fred & Marj Burley Endowed Dallas Alumni Chapter Scholarship for upperclassmen in the LSU Foundation and three Greater Baton Rouge Chapter members, from left, Marie and Barry Allen, Beth and Steve Tope, Sharon Pol, Paul Dupuy, Phillip Cancilleri, fully endowed Top 100 Charles Moniotte, Paula Dupuy, C. T. Taylor, and Jeanie Moniotte. Scholarships with the LSU Alumni Association.
Greater Baton Rouge Chapter In the fall of 2010, area active alumni reorganized the Greater Baton Rouge Chapter. Their emphasis targeted two areas: to learn more about what the University offers and to raise scholarship funds for future Tigers. Among the group’s monthly meetings have been visits to the campus dairy facility, the School of Veterinary Medicine oncology lab and dentistry department, the Fire & Emergency Training Institute, Super Mike – one of the nation’s most powerful computers, and the School of Mass Communication – to see how The Daily Reveille is published. The group has also enjoyed a night of star gazing at the LSU observatory, learned about resources at the University Rec Center, and heard Frank Wickes trace the growth of the Golden Band from Tigerland. In the fundraising arena, the chapter coordinates the local Tiger Tour visit, with proceeds going to support the chapter’s scholarship efforts. Greater Baton Rouge Chapter has an endowment of more than $100,000 and supports two Flagship Scholars Awards.
Dallas Chapter members, from left, John Pierce, Bob Brown, Marian BeBeau, Ken Hill, Harriet Robinette, Doyle Wilson, Linda Young, Ron Young, and Barry Willet.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
9
LSU Alumni Association News
Accolades Banquet Chapter Service Awards Kathryn L. Crossin, San Diego Chapter
Kathryn Crossin
New Orleans native Kathryn Crossin earned a bachelor’s degree cum laude in chemistry from LSU in 1978 and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston in 1982. Today she carries out biomedical research as an associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Scripps Research Institute in California. In the early nineties, Crossin received a notice from the LSU Alumni Association announcing the San Diego Chapter’s annual crawfish boil. At first inclined to ignore the flyer, she kept reading: “Crawfish from Louisiana” and “Local Cajun Band” – very good, she thought, but she was skeptical. Then she saw that ticket orders were made by sending a check to chapter treasurer Pete Terrebonne. “I knew that someone named Terrebonne had to be authentic Louisiana, so I sent my money,” she says. Crossin attended boils for several years before officially joining the chapter in 2003. Since that time she has served as secretary, president-elect, president, assistant treasurer, and treasurer/CFO. During her tenure as treasurer, the chapter became a California Public Benefit Corporation and received federal 501(c)(3) status.
Kent Lancaster, San Antonio Chapter
Kent Lancaster
After earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture and receiving his commission through LSU ROTC in 1974, Kent Lancaster served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force in key assignments around the globe. Soon after his first duty assignment, he and his wife, Janet, helped organize the first alumni chapter in North Carolina and have been continuous LSU Alumni Association members. Lancaster has served as president of the San Antonio Chapter for the past three years and with Janet has organized and hosted the Fall Kick-Off Party/Meeting for the past five years. Under his leadership, the chapter has established a formal scholarship application and review process for its three scholarship awards; revised its charter and by-laws; and established a Web site. The chapter’s activities include a Winter Meeting/Party with guest speakers, an annual Crawfish Boil, a Back-to-School Party for LSU students and their parents, and football game view-ins. Since retirement from the military in 2005 Lancaster has worked as a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton.
Stephen Ory, Atlanta Chapter
Stephen Ory
A second-generation LSU alumnus, Stephen Ory earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1980. His career started with McDermott, Inc., designing electrical systems for oil production platforms, and in 1983 he went to work for NASA building the Space Shuttle External Tank. Ory and his wife, Donna, moved to the Dallas suburbs where they raised two children, then to the Atlanta area where they now reside. His participation in Atlanta Chapter events progressed from a view-in attendee to board member to president. Over the past three years, the chapter has instituted several initiatives such as incorporation and becoming a tax-exempt entity. It has developed a user-friendly Web site and is currently trying to obtain LSU specialty license plates. The chapter has endowed two chapter scholarships and has plans for establishing a third scholarship in 2011. The Orys have three grandchildren, who, he says, “We miss since they live at Fort Hood, Texas, where my son-in-law is a soldier.”
John Pierce, Dallas Chapter John Pierce earned a degree in animal science from LSU in 1966, began a sales career with Monsanto in 1968, and ended a marketing career of nearly forty years in 2005 to join his wife, Vicki, in retirement. At that time Chapter Service Award recipient Harriet Robinette asked him to serve on the Dallas Chapter board. Since becoming membership chairman in 2007, Pierce has seen membership increase
10 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
from 156 to 600 active members and has increased the chapter’s e-mail list from 425 to 2,000. He was instrumental in obtaining LSU specialty license plates for Texas, and in June 2009 – just ten months after the campaign kick-off – the chapter exceeded its quota of 1,900 sets of plates. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, LSU’s effort was the fastest, most successful campaign for specialty plates in the department’s history. To date, there are more than 6,115 LSU plates in Texas. The chapter excels at raising scholarship funds – and awareness of LSU – throughout Dallas-Fort Worth. The “20K in 2010” challenge to raise funds for scholarship awards has earned the chapter the Purple & Gold Award for philanthropy this year.
John Pierce
R. Gary Taylor, Tarrant Tigers Chapter Gary Taylor, a 1975 business graduate, R. Gary Taylor is deputy regional administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and former deputy director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. He retired from the Louisiana Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve in 1992 with twenty years of service. Gary helped charter the Fort Worth alumni chapter – the Tarrant Tigers – and worked closely with his wife, Linda (a 2008 Chapter Service Award recipient), and a few die-hard alumni to make the chapter a reality. The Tarrant Tigers hosted its first view-in in 2005 and continues to grow, boasting more than 100 members. Taylor, who has served as treasurer since 2007, was responsible for the chapter’s 501(c)(3) status and was also successful in obtaining a sales tax exemption for the organization. The chapter is financially stable and offers two LSU scholarships each year. Taylor regularly acts as host at view-ins and coordinates the chapter’s two annual fundraising events, the crawfish boil and the fish fry. He also volunteers for LSU recruiting efforts at local high schools, and he most recently served on the 2011 Cotton Bowl Committee.
Larry Jones
Jones Named MVP – After Purple & Gold and Chapter Service honorees were recognized at the Accolades Banquet, LSU Alumni Association President/CEO Charlie Roberts announced a surprise award for Larry Jones, Association fundraiser extraordinaire. Amidst hearty applause and a lengthy standing ovation, a surprised and emotional Jones joined Roberts at the podium to accept the Association’s first MVP Award – a plaque inscribed with the words “Thank you for your outstanding contributions in helping our organization reach its goals. We commend you for your dedication, unwavering commitment, and top-quality performance and recognize you as our Most Valuable Player.” (See story on page 62.) LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
11
LSU Alumni Association News
Annual Bridal Show Attracts Hundreds Brides-to-be – and a few grooms-to-be – along with their wedding parties and families—checked out some of the many wedding-related services available in Baton Rouge and at the Lod Cook Alumni Center and The Cook Hotel at the third annual Bridal Show on March 13. Twenty-five wedding vendors were on hand to provide expert advice on everything from invitations to ice sculptures to the newly married couple’s first dance, and rooms and terraces throughout the center were decorated to resemble reception, dinner, and wedding ceremony venues. Unique Cuisine, exclusive caterer for the Cook complex, provided elegant buffet tables of reception food. A fashion show presented by Bridal Boutique and After Five gave guests a close-up look at bridal and wedding party attire, and dozens of young ladies took home valuable door prizes provided by vendors and the LSU Alumni Association. Photos by Megan Dixon/MB Portraits
Thanks to Our Vendors MB Portraits • Ocken Photography • Cake Goddess • Couture Cakes • Cupcakes N Cream Gilded Lily • Silver Sun • Dubois Expressions • Paper N Things • After Five Tuxedos Bridal Boutique • Lokka Med Spa • The Dermatology and Aesthetics Institute Gala Productions • Fleur Du Jour • Narcissus Affairs • New Orleans Ice Sculptures Ric Seeling’s • Complete Music and Video • Reliant Transportation • Geauxing Places Travel • X-pert DJ • Paris Parker Salon and Spa • Mockler Beverage • Doug Olinde LLC
12 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
13
LSU Alumni Association News
Dennis Day, Herman McKey, Al Aubin, and Frances Snowden.
Snapshots Farewell, Good Friends – Career employee Lou Staples, affectionately known as “Director of First Impressions,” retired in February after twenty-six years with the LSU Alumni Association. She managed the alumni gift shop for several years and was receptionist at both the old Alumni Center and the Lod Cook Alumni Lou Staples, Amy Parrino, Mary Clare Roth, and Center. On Feb. 3, her colleagues sent her Brandli Roberts. off in grand style to pursue her hobbies – grandchildren, cooking, and gardening. On March 31, employees gathered again to say so long to Al Aubin, who joined the Association’s building maintenance/engineering staff in 2001. An electronics guru, he was always there to solve problems big and small for staff and visitors alike. Best wishes to both in their next life adventures. Photos by Larry Hubbard Lunch with the Topes – Steve and Beth Tope treated LSU Alumni Association staffers to a lunch at their home on Jan. 26, thanking the Association for nominating her for the Peoples Health Illustrious Alumnus award, which she received at the Alabama vs. LSU game last fall. Cliff Vannoy, Amy Parrino, Steve and Beth Tope, Charlie Roberts, Mary Clare Roth, Jason Ramezan, and Mike Garner. Photo by Matt DeVille
14 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
2011 Calendar of Events June 30
Retired Faculty/Staff Independence Day Celebration
July 22
Alumni/Hotel Board of Directors Meeting/Annual Meeting/Past Presidents and Chairs Luncheon
August 5
Summer Commencement
September 3
LSU vs. Oregon at Dallas (Cowboys Stadium, Arlington) (Traveling Tigers)
10
LSU vs. Northwestern State (H)
14
FreshFest
15
LSU vs. Mississippi State at Starkville
19-20
Senior Celebration
24
LSU vs. West Virginia at Morgantown (Traveling Tigers)
30
Band Reunion
October 1
LSU vs. Kentucky (H) and Band Reunion
8
LSU vs. Florida (H)
10
The Cook Hotel 10th Anniversary
15
LSU vs. Tennessee at Knoxville (Traveling Tigers)
21
Golf Tournament
22
LSU vs. Auburn (H)
November 5
LSU vs. Alabama at Tuscaloosa (Traveling Tigers)
10
Scholars Banquet
11
Alumni /Hotel Board of Directors Meeting
12
LSU vs. Western Kentucky (H) – Homecoming
15
Senior Ring Ceremony
19
LSU vs. Ole Miss at Oxford (Traveling Tigers)
26
LSU vs. Arkansas (H)
December 6
Retired Faculty/Staff Christmas Party
16
Fall Commencement
The LSU Alumni Association invites you to attend the
2011 Annual Meeting 12:00 noon Friday, July 22, 2011 Noland-Laborde Hall, Lod Cook Alumni Center RSVP to Amy Parrino at 225-578-3835 or amy@lsualumni.org
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
15
LSU Alumni Association News
Snapshots
Ninety Years Young -- Four frequent visitors to the Lod Cook Alumni Center will help each other celebrate a milestone in 2011 – officially becoming nonagenarians. The four gentlemen, all LSU retirees, former colleagues, and longtime friends, were born in 1921, three of them on nationally notable days. Alumni Center docent John Capdevielle, former director of student housing, turned ninety on May 6; Jess Walker, Boyd Professor Emeritus of geography and anthropology, will celebrate his ninetieth birthday on the Fourth of July; Gene Tims, professor emeritus of electrical and Nonagenarian Tigers, from left to right, Oscar Richard, Gene Tims, John Capdevielle, and Jess Walker. computer engineering on Halloween, Oct. Photo by Matt Deville 31; and Oscar Richard, former director of public relations, on Dec. 7, the date of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The birthday boys have long gathered for coffee on Monday mornings during Capdevielle’s shift at the reception desk at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. They also get together with fellow retires at monthly LSU Retirees meetings and to talk over a cup of coffee at the Shaquille O’Neal Lodge at The Cook Hotel. Happy Birthday, Tigers.
16 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Spring Game – LSU football great Josh Reed autographed prints, helmets, footballs, and other memorabilia at The Cook Hotel before the Spring Game on April 9. The Rayne, La., native emerged as the first great player of the Nick Saban era, capturing first team All-SEC honors and subsequently earning All-America honors as well as the coveted Fred Biletnikoff Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s top wide receiver. After his LSU career, he spent eight seasons with the Buffalo Bills. Photo by Matt Deville Purple and Gold Runs for the Pink – More than 11,500 breast cancer survivors, advocates, and volunteers turned out for the fifteenth annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at LSU on Feb. 19. Among the 350 teams taking part in the race/ walk were two teams from the LSU Alumni Association who donned pink, along with their purple and gold, to support friends and loved ones.
“Hit the Road Lumps” team, from left, Kelley Heath, Kay Heath, Tyler and Mallory Schexnayder Heath, Blake and Amanda Lightsey Cason, and Derek Duplantis.
Alumni staffers, front, left to right, Brandli Roberts, Amanda Haynes, Megan Wheelahan, Shari Covington, and Trudi Schriber; back, John Kazusky, John Shorter, and Emily Berniard.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
17
LSU Alumni Association News
Chapter Events Tampa Bay Execs – The Tampa Bay Chapter’s spring crawfish boil was the main topic of interest at the winter meeting of the chapter’s executive committee. Proceeds from the event help to fund Tampa Bay’s Chancellor’s Leadership Scholarship, Top 100 Scholarship, and a local scholarship to encourage Tampa-area students to attend LSU. Front, left to right: Suzanne Ochsner, Virginia Johnson, Sally Prescott; back, Mary Lou England, Doug Herbert, Scott Springer, Jason Wightman, Roy Brady, David Bilyeu, and Skip Colborn.
South Florida Board – Members of the South Florida Chapter Board of Directors met on Feb. 23 to discuss plans for the May 7 crawfish boil, among other items on the agenda. According to chapter member Gus Karger, “There is no question that Eric Brumfield has the chapter going strong with several new people actively involved.” Left to right: Bill Spillers, Shirley Karger, Eileen Perry, Kent Felder, Delfin Hernandez, Susana Guerra-Brumfield, Eric Brumfield, Kevin Polk, Ryan Rogers, Bill Stevens, Thomas Willis, Felipe Arenas, and Gunther “Gus” Karger.
Panhandle Mardi Gras – Forty members of the Panhandle Bayou Bengals rode or walked in the Pensacola Mardi Gras Parade on March 4. “This year’s entry marked the chapter’s fifth year of having a float and its fifteenth year of participation,” says John Spurney, chapter president. The event, held in downtown Pensacola, attracted more than 60,000 revelers.
By Toni Harrell
Queen Toni Harrell, chapter president, and King Nic Bencaz, president-elect.
Left: Zach Stovall, Dena Brister, Karen Potter Jones, Casey McDonald, Corey Martin, and Leslie Andre. Right: Bobby and Lisa Schock with Mark and Rhonda Cusumano.
18 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Mardi Gras Madness in Florida
Nic Bencaz, Ursula Myers, and Roger Stout at the Mardi Gras Street Party.
LSU alumni in Central Florida started 2011 with a BANG! The chapter recently re-established its non-profit status, increased its membership, and has several new events and opportunities for Tigers to celebrate and build a sense of Tiger community in the Sunshine State. Events include a rotating monthly Happy Hour, an inaugural Mardi Gras Ball, and in July a Tiger Send-Off for students headed to LSU in the fall.
The Mardi Gras Ball, which took place on Feb. 26, attracted Tigers from the Atlantic Coast, the Tampa area, and even some from South Florida who joined in for a night of food, fun, and friends! One thing is for sure – no matter where we live, we certainly like to pass a good time! On March 5, President Toni Harrell and President-Elect Nic Bencaz were crowned king and queen at the Mardi Gras Street Party sponsored by Mojo’s Cajun Bar and Grill in downtown Orlando. Several chapter members showed up to support and promote the local chapter, and Mojo’s made a donation to the group’s scholarship fund.
National Capital Chapter Spring 2011 was a busy time of the year for LSU alumni and faithful in the National Capital Chapter. Friends gathered at the usual watering holes, Bailey’s in Arlington, Va., and the 18th Amendment on Capitol Hill, to watch the Tigers compete in the SEC basketball tournament and on March 4 helped the charity Hungry for Music at a Louisiana Dance Party fundraiser at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria. Veteran dance instructors were on hand to give Cajun and zydeco dance lessons with live music provided by Squeeze Bayou and the Junkyard Saints. The chapter held its annual Mardi Gras Party at the Bayou Bakery in the Clarendon section of Arlington, feasting on such Louisiana delicacies as Cajun chicken,
By Norm Marcocci
andouille sausage, gumbo, shrimp, and jambalaya, as well as King Cakes, beignets, and hurricanes. Revelers also took in the annual Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade. Tiger alumni teamed up with local Tulane alums to watch the LSU-Tulane baseball game on April 5 at the Blackfinn Saloon in Washington, D.C., and football fanatics turned out in droves for the spring scrimmage game view-in on April 9 at the Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill. On May 7, alumni and faithful traveled by bus to Plains, Va., to attend the Virginia Gold Cup, a steeplechase race celebrating its 86th year. LSU shared a tent on University Row with alumni from Tulane, UL-Monroe, Loyola, and Northwestern State. To join the e-mail list for upcoming events contact dclsualumni@yahoo.com or visit www.lsudcalumni.com.
Specialty Plates for Maryland Efforts continue to make license plates with the LSU name and logo available to Tigers in Maryland. Only twenty-five people are needed to sign up. Eligible vehicles include cars, pick-up trucks, and SUV’s. Contact Norm Marcocci at normLSU88@yahoo.com with your name, e-mail address, telephone number, and current Maryland license plate number. Do not send money, checks, or Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration forms at this time. Once the minimum number of sign-ups has been received, you will be contacted with additional instructions. For more information, contact Marcocci at 703-263-9771.
Wine Tasting – Under the guidance of LSU alum and assistant winemaker Don Laborde, members of the Northern California Alumni chapter celebrated the opening of Francis Ford Coppola’s new restaurant, Rustic, in Geyserville, Calif., located in Alexander Valley in Sonoma County. Laborde chose wines that complemented each course, starting with a Director’s Cut Chardonnay with the Caesar salad, a delicate pinot noir with the grilled salmon, a rich and sumptuous cabernet with the grilled steak and vegetables, finishing with a late harvest semillon that contrasted nicely with the salted LSU-inspired Coppola Diamond beignets. Laborde crafted a Plum Label Petite Sirah in Collection label. honor of his alma mater. An added treat, especially for car enthusiasts, says chapter member Lana Scott, is viewing Coppola’s classic Tucker sedan – which he drives in local parades – on display in the gift shop. And, she adds, “The alumni group owes a debt of gratitude to Denny North, past president, and to Don for making this event leisurely, gratifying, fun, and educational.”
Alexis and Teddy Bounds
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
19
LSU Alumni Association News
Chapter Leadership Workshop Attendance, Contributions Break Record
Story and photos by Matt DeVille
More than sixty chapter representatives from across the country were on hand for the 2011 LSU Alumni Association Chapter Leadership Workshop held Feb. 12 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. The theme of this year’s event was “The Blueprints to Success.” “This was the best workshop we have had since I have been in charge of our chapter program,” said LSU Alumni Association Vice President of Alumni Relations Jason Ramezan, who has overseen chapters for the Association for the past eight years. “We had the highest turnout we’ve ever had. Our speakers were top notch, and the enthusiasm from our chapter reps was evident. They were really having a good time.” ESPN 104.5 radio personality Matt Moscona, host of Baton Rouge’s most popular sports talk show “After Further Review,” served as the keynote speaker. Moscona captivated the group with his own story of growing up in Baton Rouge, his decision to attend LSU over Notre Dame and Texas A&M, and his ascent to the top spot in local sports talk radio. Session speakers included Mary Feduccia of LSU Career Services, Chris Henry and Mandy Hoffman from the LSU Office of Admissions, and Barry Willett, Webmaster for the Dallas and Fort Worth chapters.
More than sixty alumni chapter representatives took part in the annual Chapter Leadership Workshop.
Atlanta Chapter – Christopher Tilley, Gale Ory, Steve Ory, and Charlie Roberts
Austin Chapter – Jorge Barro, Will Washington, and Charlie Roberts.
Greater Baton Rouge Chapter – Paul Dupuy, Steve Tope, Marie Allen, Beth Tope, Barry Allen, Paula Dupuy, Sharon Pol, and Charlie Roberts.
Dallas Chapter – Bob Brown, Ron Young, Linda Young, Harriet Robinette, Marian BeBeau, Ken Hill, Doyle Wilson, John Pierce, and Charlie Roberts.
Denver Chapter – Randy and Monica Bahem with Charlie Roberts.
Tarrant County Tigers (Fort Worth) – Gary and Linda Taylor with Charlie Roberts.
LSU Alumni Association CFO Mike Garner and President/CEO Charlie Roberts
20 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Tiger Walk Three breakout sessions covered a variety of topics including increasing volunteers for chapter functions, generating more sponsorships, and chapter scholarships. These sessions were headed by John Spurny, Pensacola, Fla.; Gil Rew, Mansfield, La., and Mary Parker, Office of Admissions. A dozen LSU alumni chapters made check presentations to the LSU Alumni Scholarship Fund during the day. It was a record day for contributions, with checks totaling $105,250. “This is a real tribute to what our chapters do for the LSU Alumni Association,” said Charlie Roberts, president and CEO of the Association. “They are the lifeblood of our scholarship program. Without the help of our chapters, who knows where we would be.” After a full morning of activities, the group boarded buses and headed to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for a guided tour of the new basketball operations facility, which opened last spring. The group was then treated to lunch at a popular Baton Rouge sports bar, Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar.
Looking for that
PERFECT GIFT?
Remember your special Tiger
Greater Houston Chapter – Joe Wesley, Julie Klibert, and Charlie Roberts.
Panhandle Bayou Bengals (Pensacola) – John Spurney , Charlie Roberts, and Larry Scheetz.
with a personalized Tiger Tile and make them a permanent part of LSU history. Tiles are available on Tiger Walk, the entrance to the Lod Cook Alumni Center, and Tiger Plaza, in front of the Jack and Priscilla Andonie Museum.
Central Virginia (Richmond) Chapter – Markie Russell and Charlie Roberts
San Diego Chapter – Kathy Crossin and Charlie Roberts.
Northeast Oklahoma (Tulsa) Chapter – Keith Huffman and Charlie Roberts.
Wilmington Chapter – Michael Chittum and Charlie Roberts.
Contact Brandli Roberts at 225-578-3852 or order online at www.lsualumni.org.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
21
Golden Tiger’s Passion
Tradition of
Giving
Scholarships, Professorships By Ryan Buxton Photo by Matt DeVille
“That’s the common bond – all of us have a passion for LSU.”
Fifty years is a long time, and Carl Streva used every one of them to find ways to better himself, his community, and the University. Two years ago, Streva, a 1957 LSU mechanical engineering graduate and current member of the LSU Alumni Association’s National Board of Directors, received an honor of the utmost importance to him – induction into the Golden Tigers, an organization with membership reserved for alumni who graduated from LSU at least fifty years before. Streva, a successful businessman and a major donor to the University, says being invited to join the Golden Tigers was a meaningful moment. “That’s a party I had to wait fifty years to go to,” Streva says. Streva’s dedication to LSU shows through in more ways than his Golden Tigers membership. He has created a number of scholarships and given other donations to the University in order to take care of those who are now where he was more than half a Carl Streva century ago. Streva, of Morgan City, La., is vice president of Streva Distribution Company, a wholesale beer and soft drink firm. During his high school and college days, he worked closely with his father to learn the ins and outs of the business. “I learned how to drive on the beer trucks,” he says. “My father at the time didn’t own a personal car, and they taught me how to drive so I could use the truck.” Streva said he always figured he would join the family business but wanted to pursue a mechanical engineering degree to develop some important skills. “I wanted the engineering degree for the mathematics and the technology of the engineering courses,” he says. Streva and his late wife, Glenda, found themselves facing an empty nest when their three children all moved away from home and looked for something new to take them into the next stage of their lives. He felt contributing to LSU was the next step, and for a man to whom family is important, it made sense – Streva and his family have a total of seven degrees from the University. “I said, ‘It’s time for us to start giving back. We fought hard for our kids, we got them where they are, they’re on their own. We cut the cord, and it’s time for us to do something else,” he explains. Streva and his wife started two scholarships – one for engineering students and one for nursing students, to represent their respective fields of study. But before the funds could reach endowment level, Glenda passed away, which motivated Streva to finish what the couple started. “That gave me the impetus to finish hers,” he says. To honor his wife’s career as a registered nurse, he brought to reality the Glenda Wooters Streva Alumni Professorship in Basic Sciences for outstanding faculty teaching pre-nursing and allied health students. More donations followed, including two other professorships in Streva’s name. He says donating to the school and participating in the Association are gratifying because it unites him with others from various backgrounds who all share one thing. “That’s the common bond – all of us have a passion for LSU,” he says. Ryan Buxton, a print journalism major in the Manship School of Mass Communication, works with The Daily Reveille.
22 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
23
2011 Hall of Distinction Henson Moore Named Alumnus of the Year By Matt DeVille Photos by Eddy Perez
A diverse and exceptional collection of LSU alumni were honored on April 1 as the LSU Alumni Association saluted its 2011 Hall of Distinction induction class. More than 250 people were on hand as seven inductees were recognized at the annual black tie gala at the Lod Cook Alumni Center. “Since its inception, 216 individuals have been inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction, a prestigious group of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to our University, our state, and our nation,” said Charlie Roberts, Association president and CEO. “This year’s honorees are no exception. This year, countless nominations were received from the fields of art, business and industry, music, politics, medicine, research, and sports. Each of our honorees has distinguished himself in his career, personal and civic accomplishments, volunteer activities, and loyalty to LSU.” The HonorableW. Henson Moore, former U.S. congressman and executive director of
24 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
the Forever LSU campaign, was introduced as the 2011 Alumnus of the Year. Graham Breedlove, world renowned trumpet soloist with the Army Blues jazz ensemble, received Young Alumnus of the Year honors for 2011. Breedlove joined fellow musicians for the invocation, a spirited rendition of “America the Beautiful” then energized the crowd with an a cappella rendition of the Tiger Marching Band’s “Geaux Tigers” cheer. Other inductees included West Virginia neurosurgeon Dr. Julian Bailes, Alexandria architect Jeffrey Carbo, Lafayette kinesiology professor and gymnastics textbook author Dr. Gerald George, Baton Rouge contractor Art E. Favre, and Robert “Mac” Wallace, of Houston, a trustee and officer of the Clayton Foundation for Research.
Members of the 2011 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction, from left, Alumnus of the Year Henson Moore, Jeff Carbo, Art Favre, Young Alumnus of the Year Graham Breedlove, Dr. Julian Bailes, Dr. Jerry George, and Mac Wallace.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
25
2011 Alumnus of the Year
The Honorable W. Henson Moore W. Henson Moore, Louisiana statesman, distinguished public servant, and major LSU supporter, holds three degrees from the University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in government in 1961, a Juris Doctorate in 1965, and a master’s degree in government in 1973. A Distinguished Military Graduate of LSU Army ROTC, he served on active duty with the U.S. Army Military Police Corps in Germany following graduation. In 1967 Moore joined a Baton Rouge law firm and in 1975 was elected to serve as U.S. Representative, Sixth District of Louisiana. After an unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate in 1986, he practiced law with a Washington, D.C., law firm, leaving at the request of President George H.W. Bush to join his administration as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy then as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff. He returned to private practice in 1993 and in 1995 was named president and chief executive officer of the American Forest & Paper Association. The University community was delighted when Moore accepted chairmanship of Forever LSU: The Campaign for Louisiana State University, the largest fundraising effort in the University’s history. His active involvement – as spokesman and fundraiser – and his dedication and contagious spirit of philanthropy made a difference – for his alma mater, future generations of students and faculty, and for Louisiana. Thanks to his leadership, the campaign reached and exceeded its $750 million goal. Henson Moore’s public service and involvement with numerous forprofit and non-profit boards have earned him numerous honors and awards, among them the Secretary Gold Medal - U.S. Department of Energy, induction into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame, induction into the 1991 LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction, the LSU Greek Excellence Award, and the Chancellor’s Sesquicentennial Service Award. A member of the LSU Foundation and LSU Alumni Association, Moore is co-chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee, a board member of the Louisiana Flagship Coalition, and a member of Cadets of the Ole War Skule. He and his wife, Carolyn, reside in Baton Rouge and have three children, William Henson IV, Jennifer McGehee, and Cherry Duckworth.
26 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
2011 Young Alumnus of the Year
Graham Breedlove Graham Breedlove, a trumpet soloist with the Army Blues jazz ensemble, part of the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” in Washington, D.C., earned a bachelor’s degree in music from LSU in 1993. He holds a Master of Music and Performer’s Certificate from Indiana University and is a member of the International Trumpet Guild, American Federation of Musicians, and Jazz Education Network. A trumpet player since age twelve, Breedlove has performed in more than twenty countries on four continents, with headliners representing more than one-hundred Grammy nominations, among them Ray Charles, Ramsey Lewis, Wynton Marsalis, and Doc Severinsen. The Graham Breedlove Quintet appears regularly at the Kennedy Center and was invited by the Obama administration to perform at the White House. He appeared as soloist, composer/arranger, or lead player on five CDs with Army Blues and was musical director, soloist, and composer/arranger of “Voodoo Boogaloo,” the debut recording by Swamp Romp, a Louisiana-music group composed of Army Blues members. In 2008, he participated in a USO concert tour of Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As a sideman, Breedlove has appeared on more than one hundred recordings, including back-toback Grammy winning CDs in 2004 and 2005 with Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer. He won first prize in the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Solo competition in 1995 and appears in Trumpet Greats, a biographical dictionary of famous trumpet players since the 1700s. Breedlove and his wife, Kelly, a 1994 LSU graduate, reside in Vienna, Va., with their children Lucy, Ryan, and Chloe.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
27
Julian E. Bailes, Jr., M.D. A recognized leader in the field of neurosurgery, Dr. Julian E. Bailes is professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University School of Medicine. He earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies from LSU in 1978 and his M.D. from LSU School of Medicine in 1982. With a special interest in neurological athletic injuries, Bailes has been a team physician at either the NFL or collegiate level for twenty-two years. Since 1992, he has been the neurological consultant to the NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA), which has sponsored his research on the effects of head injuries on professional athletes. He is medical director of the Center for Study of Retired Athletes and chair of sports medicine for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He has had more than 100 publications concerning various aspects of neurological surgery, including three books on neurological sports medicine, and performs editorial duties for numerous medical journals. Bailes has been honored as one of the U.S. best neurosurgeons for eight consecutive years in America’s Best Doctors, and U.S. Top Surgeons since 2006. He is the chairman of the board of the West Virginia Health Information Network, serves as medical director of Pop Warner Football, and is a member of NFLPA Brain Injury Committee and director of its Second Opinion Network. He is also founder and director of the Brain Injury Research Institute and adviser to the National Collegiate Athletic Association for brain injury in collegiate sports. Bailes and his wife, Colleen, have five children - Julian III, Megan, Billy Jack, Melanie, and Clint.
28 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Jeffrey Carbo Jeffrey “Jeff ” Carbo, founder and principal of Jeffrey Carbo Landscape Architects, earned a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from LSU in 1985. With more than twenty-four years of experience, he holds professional licensure as a Registered Landscape Architect in Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas. He also holds professional certification in the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards, earned in part through meeting or exceeding professional experience requirements. Carbo is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and served as president of the Louisiana chapter in 2000. In 2005 he was elected to the Class of Fellows of ASLA. His firm’s work has been featured in such publications as Landscape Architecture, House and Garden, Better Homes and Gardens, Garden Design, Southern Living, and Southern Accents and has received more than thirty-five awards for design excellence at both state and national levels. Actively involved with his alma mater, Carbo is a member of the College of Art & Design Dean’s Circle, serves on the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture Alumni Advisory Council, the Naming Committee, and the Conrad Lecture Series Committee and is a board member of LSU Hilltop Arboretum. In 2007 he received the College of Art & Design Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a member of the LSU Alumni Association, Tiger Athletic Foundation, and LSU Foundation and served on the Forever LSU Campaign Cabinet. Carbo and his wife, Wendy, have a son, ten-year-old William. They reside in Alexandria, La.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
29
Art E. Favre Art E. Favre, owner and president of Baton Rouge-based Performance Contractors, Inc., a $660 million general industrial services company, graduated from LSU in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in construction. An active supporter of LSU and the College of Engineering, Favre serves as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council and the Board of Directors of the Construction Industry Advisory Council for Department of Construction Management and Industrial Technology. He has also served as past president of the LSU Construction Industry Advisory Council. He is a member of the LSU Alumni Association, the LSU Foundation, and TAF. Favre is active in numerous professional and civic organizations, among them, the American Association of Cost Engineers, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance, Louisiana Right to Work Committee, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Board, Blueprint Louisiana Board, and the City Club Foundation of Baton Rouge. Among his many honors are the LSU Greek Excellence Award, the ABC Pelican Chapter Merit Shop Man of the Year Award, induction into the LSU Construction Management Hall of Fame, the LSU Department of Construction Management Distinguished Patron award, induction into the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction, and Marketer of the Year Award by the SME of Greater Baton Rouge. Prior to founding Performance Contractors in 1979, Favre worked for Lurgi-Knost Engineers and Constructors, the Fluor Corporation, and Universal Corporation. Under his leadership, Performance Contractors has received four National Construction Safety awards and numerous National Excellence in Construction awards. Louisiana Contractor Magazine has recognized Performance Contractors four times for having the Best Industrial/ Manufacturing project in the state. Favre has two children, Scott and Shelley, and three grandchildren, Brandon, Elizabeth, and Christian.
30 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Gerald S. George, Ph.D. Dr. Gerald S. “Jerry” George, professor emeritus of kinesiology at University of Louisiana-Lafayette, earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees at LSU in 1966 and 1970, respectively, and received his master’s degree from Springfield College in Massachusetts. While at LSU he was a member of the gymnastics team and was LSU’s first varsity gymnastics coach, serving from 1968-1970. Prior to joining the ULL faculty, he taught at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. An internationally recognized authority in the biomechanics of sport, George has served as author, contributor, and/or senior editor to more than ten textbooks, 120 articles, and nine funded grants, and his writing, research, and lectures are well-known in the gymnastics world. His most recent book, Championship Gymnastics, is currently the best-selling gymnastics textbook and is being used in thirty countries. George is a charter member of the International Society of Biomechanics in Berne, Switzerland, and during his career was a member of and leader in numerous professional organizations and activities. Over the years, he has received dozens of professional awards for teaching, scholarship, and research and was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1996. He is a popular lecturer and clinician sought out by gymnastics professionals throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and China. George and his wife, Janet, live in Lafayette. They have five children, Tasha, James, Michael, Karen, and Lauren.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
31
Robert McGehee Wallace Robert McGehee “Mac” Wallace is a trustee and officer of the Clayton Foundation for Research and its supporting groups, which are engaged in medical research at eleven institutions in the United States and Switzerland. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from LSU in 1953 and graduated from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Advanced Management Program in 1972. While at LSU, Wallace was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, was named to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, and was a Distinguished Military Graduate of Force ROTC. He retired from the U.S. Air Force at the rank of major. In his professional career, Wallace worked as business manager for various TRW INC. divisions for eighteen years and was business manager of the law firm Fulbright & Jaworski, Houston, for four years. He was also on faculty of the LSU Paralegal Studies Institute and an instructor in law office management at LSU. Wallace and his wife, Anne, a 1954 LSU graduate, are major donors to the LSU Alumni Association and The Cook Hotel & Conference Center and were honored with a Purple & Gold Award in 2009. Last November, he was named a Peoples Health Illustrious Alumnus, an honor given to an LSU graduate who has “demonstrated the value of an LSU education by a history of achievement.” Wallace and Anne, his best friend for more than six decades, reside in Houston and have two sons, Bruce and Bill; a daughter, Mary; seven grandsons, a granddaughter, their spouses, and a great-grandson.
32 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
33
2011 Touring Tigers
34 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
35
Better Than Ezra members Jim Payne, Kevin Griffin, Tom Drummond, and Michael Jerome. Photo by Rick Olivier
LSU, Louisiana Inspire Better Than Ezra By Damian Foley
In the late 1980s, Better Than Ezra was a typical LSU rock band, its members attending classes during the week and singing songs they’d written about people they knew on the weekends. “I lived on State Street,” says singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kevin Griffin (1989 BACH HSS). “’State Street State of Mind’ came from State Street, and a lot of the images in the song ‘Rosealia’ were about some friends who lived on State Street. Baton Rouge definitely inspired the band musically in the early days.” But it took less than a decade for Griffin to lead the band away from Tigerland and to music’s promised land, when their debut album “Deluxe,” with its megahit single “Good,” went platinum. The rest of the decade saw Better Than Ezra put their stamp firmly on the charts with three more Billboard Mainstream Rock top-10 hits with “In the Blood,” “King of New Orleans,” and “Desperately Wanting.” The new millennium produced its share of high points for Better Than Ezra too, as “Extra Ordinary,” “A Lifetime,” “Our Last Night,” and “Juicy” all cracked the top-30 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 charts. But through the band’s rise to rock royalty, there has always been one simple, grounding constant for Better Than Ezra: The Pelican State. In addition to the songs directly inspired by their time at LSU, many of the band’s other songs have Southern Louisiana coursing through their veins, including “Southern Girl,” “King of New Orleans,” “WWOZ,” and “A Southern Thing.”
36 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
“All through the history of the band, rhythmically and lyrically, Louisiana is all through it,” says Griffin. And what of “Desperately Wanting?” The song widely rumored to be about Griffin’s experiences with the Kappa Sigma fraternity at LSU? Not true, says Griffin. “Jim Payne (touring keyboardist/ guitarist) and I were in the Kappa Sigma fraternity at LSU,” says Griffin. “For some reason it got out that ‘Desperately Wanting’ was about being a pledge, but the reality is it had nothing to do with that. But all around the country, whenever we play it, guys in their [Kappa Sigma] shirts love it.” While Better Than Ezra has made a healthy living singing about Louisiana, the band also makes a point of giving back to its home state. The band’s
Tom Drummond, bass, and Kevin Griffin, vocals and guitar, trade their musical instruments for power tools to construct a play yard at Bethune Elementary in New Orleans. Photo by Eddy Perez
Don't think that that it's so strange and worthless in your eyes, well we're quite content in a State Street state of mind.
affiliated charity, the Better Than Ezra Foundation, has helped the New Orleans Fire Department and Audubon Zoo and in 2010 set its sights on helping students at New Orleans’ Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary. Bethune, in a low-income area of New Orleans, has 350 students, and while almost all of them qualify for free or reduced lunches, they are extremely academically talented. In 2009, every fourth-grade student passed the LEAP test, with 14 percent testing as “advanced” in English and a further 79 percent testing at “mastery” level. Enter the band, which provided the students with the school supplies they needed and then went the extra mile to give them something they won’t quickly forget. “I told them, ‘We don’t have any toys for the pre-K kids, we don’t have anything for them to play with,’” says Principal Mary Haynes-Smith. “And so they said, ‘We’ll get back with you.’ Then they came and met the kids and said they’d do a play yard.” Better Than Ezra doesn’t plan on stopping with school supplies and playgrounds either. “We’ve adopted this school,” Griffin adds. “We are talking about setting up a scholarship for them and helping these kids through. The foundation has become bigger than the band; we’re just the mouthpiece for it now. It started off with modest expectations, but it’s really taken off. You get to a point where you’re doing what you do and you want to give back. It sounds cliché, but it’s true.” A band that formed and paid its dues at LSU is now making a point of giving back to students in Louisiana. That’s good. Damian Foley is a creative writer/editor in the Office of Communications & University Relations.
- Better Than Ezra, “State Street State of Mind”
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
37
By Ashley Bethelot | Photos by Eddy
Perez
W
e live in a world almost completely dependent upon machinery, but our dependence has limitations. Everything that moves can and will break, especially metals under strain. And when they fail, the consequences can be catastrophic. Michael Khonsari has developed and proven a novel method to avoid the danger that comes with reaching the breaking point. Under the direction of Khonsari, Dow Chemical Endowed Chair in Rotating Machinery, the Center for Rotating Machinery in the College of Engineering has developed a method to determine when metals under repeated back and forth stress will reach their breaking point. This discovery has the potential to save the industry millions of dollars – and also save lives. “It has far-reaching implications… this isn’t going to impact just one industry or field,” says Khonsari. “Machines impact our everyday lives, from automobiles to aviation, and breakdowns can cause immense complications. We’re working to minimize those while maximizing efficient output.”
Imagine being able to know before an airplane element breaks, a helicopter blade cracks, or the brakes in a car fail. Chemical plants, for instance, rely on vast amounts of machinery to run efficiently and safely at all times. An emergency shutdown of just one piece of machinery could cost millions of dollars at best; at worst, it can cost lives. “We have determined that most metals respond similarly when subjected to external cyclic stress that causes fatigue. While any kind of repetitive stress – bending, torsion, tension, and compression – results in an increase in temperature, the moments before breakdown are precipitated by a sudden, drastic rise in temperature,” says Khonsari. “What’s more, we’ve determined that as a metal degrades, the amount of disorder generated within it keeps rising to a maximum value just before it fractures. And this maximum value happens to be a unique property of the metal. This discovery means we can anticipate the moment of failure and shut down before that moment arrives.” Khonsari’s research team found that degradation results in disorder within a material and increases its entropy, a thermodynamic principle manifesting itself in an increase in temperature. They hypothesized that, at the moment of material failure, the total accumulated entropy is constant and independent of frequency, load, or specimen size. The research was originally published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society Everything that moves can and will break, especially metals under strain. Michael Khonsari has developed a method to of Mathematical, Physical & Engineering Sciences. avoid the dangers involved with machinery failure.
38 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
“The science base that underlies modeling and analysis of machine and structure reliability has remained substantially unchanged for decades. And unfortunately, a significant gap exists between available technology and science to capture degradation of machinery and provide early failure prediction,” says Khonsari. “Fortunately, we were able to make significant strides toward closing that gap.” Using infrared cameras and cutting-edge computer technology, the team ran tests analyzing bending and torsional stress of common metals such as aluminum and stainless steel. The thorough testing proved their hypothesis – the total accumulated entropy before fracture occurred was constant. In other words, it is a metal property. This led them to their next line of questioning. “We essentially found an end to the life of certain materials in which you can monitor entropy accumulation to avoid catastrophic failure, so why not use this information to automatically stop the machine when the system reaches, say, 90 percent of its life?” says Khonsari. “Computerized monitoring systems and the algorithms and signal relay capable of doing so were all developed here at LSU. Naturally, there was a process of trial and error, but it’s all been tested and verified now. It’s the real thing.”
Khonsari submitted invention disclosures describing the technology to the LSU Office of Intellectual Property, Commercialization and Development and two patents are pending. The office is currently investigating licensing and commercialization opportunities. “Before our venture into this area, research relating to fatigue was slow and incremental,” says Khonsari. “Now, we’re looking at potentially transformative new ideas. There are possibilities for this to be applied in nearly every aspect of our lives. Imagine being able to know before an airplane element breaks, a helicopter blade cracks, or the brakes in a car fail. Things like this are possible through future applications of our work. And it all happened at LSU by a team of researchers at the Center for Rotating Machinery.”
ON THE WEB: www.eng.lsu.edu
Michael Khonsari, Dow Chemical Endowed Chair in Rotating Machinery, center, and graduate students Medhi Amiriand and Mehdi Naderi work on the fatigue testing apparatus.
Ashley Berthelot is a research editor in the Office of Communications & University Relations and editor of LSU Research.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
39
Noteworthy
Around
campus
Saundra McGuire
Kevin Carman
Erwin Poliakoff
Robin McCarley
Six researchers from the College of Science have been honored with the rank of “Fellow” by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, the world’s largest scientific organization. Having six AAAS Fellows in one year ranks LSU among the top 10 percent of universities with individuals receiving the honor. LSU ranked second in the SEC, tying with Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina and fourth among twelve national peer universities. LSU’s newest AAAS Fellows are Kevin Carman, dean of the College of Science; Robin McCarley, Barbara Womack Alumni Professor of Chemistry; Saundra McGuire, professor of chemistry and assistant vice chancellor for learning and teaching in the Division of Student Life and Enrollment Services; Erwin Poliakoff, Roy Paul Daniels Professor of Chemistry; Frederick Rainey, Gregory Cannaday Burns Professor of Biological Sciences; and Edward Seidel, professor of physics. Professor Emeritus of Environmental Sciences Ed Overton was named Communicator of the Year by the Public Relations Association of Louisiana in January for his contributions to public understanding of the 2010 BP oil spill. Overton played a pivotal role in communications relating to the spill, giving hundreds of interviews for local, national, and international news outlets and even appearing as a guest on the "Late Show with David Letterman." The award is given to individuals who have demonstrated a high degree of skill in communicating effectively through the use of one or more of the mass media. Suzanne Marchand, professor of history, received two nationally competitive awards for her latest effort, German Orientalism in the Age of Empire. The American Historical Association named Marchand the 2010 recipient of its celebrated George L. Mosse Prize, and the American Library Association noted the book’s excellence by selecting it for the prestigious “Outstanding Academic Titles of 2010” list.
Frederick Rainey
Edward Seidel
Ed Overton
A book published by the Historic New Orleans Collection, or HNOC, chronicling historical furniture forms, was co-written by College of Art & Design Professor Emeritus H. Parrott Bacot and features photography by Jim Zietz of the Office of Communications and University Relations. Furnishing Louisiana: Creole and Acadian Furniture, 1735-1835 is the first major book to examine the early furniture of the Mississippi River valley and is a much-anticipated addition to the field of decorative arts scholarship. Bacot served as curator of the LSU Museum of Art before becoming its director and, later, executive director of the LSU Museum Complex. He also taught art history at LSU. Zietz, senior photographer and information technology coordinator for the Office of Communications & University Relations, began his photographic career at age fourteen. Away from LSU, he works on his personal photography, which he exhibits in galleries and group shows around the country. Dr. Jack D. Holden (1962 MD) was a contributing author. J. Gerald Kennedy, William A. Read Professor of English, is the University’s 44th Boyd Professor. Kennedy came to LSU in 1973 and has remained on campus ever since, with the exception of one year in France at the Université de Lille as a Fulbright lecturer. He recently appeared in the PBS documentary Paris: The Luminous Years. Kennedy received a Ph.D. from Duke University. He is currently working on Writing America’s Narrative: Literary Nationalism in the Age of Poe. He has served as president and vice president of the Poe Studies Association and as vice president and member of the board of directors of the Hemingway Foundation. He is a past recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship and the National Endowments for the Humanities Fellowship. In 1981, he founded the LSU in Paris program and in 1998 was named LSU Distinguished Research Master.
40 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Jerry Ceppos, a veteran newspaper editor and dean, professor, and chair of journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, has been named dean of the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, effective July 1. He succeeds Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost John Maxwell Hamilton. For the past three years, Ceppos has served as dean, professor, and Fred W. Smith Chair in Journalism at the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. From 1999-2005, he served as vice president for news at Knight Ridder and previously was executive editor and senior vice president, managing editor, and associate editor of the San Jose Mercury News. He has also worked for The Miami Herald and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Ceppos has taught courses in journalism, media and politics, media management and mass communication at Santa Clara University, San Jose State University, and the University of Nevada, Reno. Russell Carson, assistant professor of kinesiology, Xiangli Gu, a doctoral candidate, and Melinda Solmon, interim chair, were selected for national honors by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, or AAHPERD. Carson received the Mabel Lee C/U Award for his outstanding potential and meritorious service to the profession through scholarship, teaching, and professional leadership. Gu received the Research Consortium Graduate Student Research Award, chosen from among seventy graduate student submissions. Solmon received the Curriculum and Instruction Honor Award from the National Association for Physical Education and Sport for significant contributions through scholarship or service in the area of physical education curriculum and instruction.
Suzanne Marchand
H. Parrott Bacot
J. Gerald Kennedy
Jerry Ceppos
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
41
LSU Alumni Around Campus Association News
The Cinderella Project Making Prom Dreams Come True
By Aaron E. Looney Photos by Eddy Perez
“I remember... prom was a big deal. I’m really excited... to help less fortunate students out there be able to enjoy prom.”
Sarah Dupree, co-founder of The Cinderella Project.
Assistant Professor Lisa Barona McRoberts, left, and her apparel design students create dresses for The Cinderella Project.
42 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
In the spring, high school students across the country look forward to certain rites of passage. For young women who are juniors and seniors, this includes finding that perfect dress to wear to their annual prom event. Some students, however, may not be able to afford formal dresses for such occasions, which can ultimately have a negative effect on their self-esteem. Twenty-six students in the Textile Science, Apparel Design and Merchandising, or TAM, Division of the School of Human Ecology did their part to help those less fortunate students, as they joined with The Cinderella Project to help create and distribute prom dresses this season. “It’s an honor to be on this journey with The Cinderella Project,” says Lisa Barona McRoberts, assistant professor of human ecology. “The group’s deep commitment fosters positive self-image in teenage girls across Louisiana. Our participation in this endeavor affords us the opportunity to impact our community while instilling social responsibility in our students and integrating eco-conscious design and production techniques. We’re humbled to be assisting in the fulfillment of The Cinderella Project’s mission.” McRoberts explains that as part of her senior-level apparel production course, the students design a mini-collection of three garments. Their second garment, what she calls a “socially responsible” piece, was donated to The Cinderella Project. “I had the opportunity to make this a service-learning course for our seniors,” McRoberts says. “It’s given us an opportunity to give to our community, teach our students about responsibility and, hopefully, to create an impact so that as designers they will incorporate this into their practices.” Her students took existing dresses that might not be able to be distributed and repurposed the usable materials to create new dresses that can be used as part of the program, while respecting the environment.
Sarah Dupree (1998 BACH HSS), cofounder of The Cinderella Project, says her organization collects more than 8,000 dresses each year. Of those, only about one-third can be distributed within the organization’s guidelines. “What we’ve done in the past, and this year as well, is that the dresses we don’t use, we give to the LSU Textiles Museum for use at its sale to help raise funds for their projects as well,” Dupree says. “We’ve given things that have archival value as well. They’ve been a good help to us in moving forward, especially in this year.” Martha Landry, a senior design student from Baton Rouge, says she was happy to be working with The Cinderella Project. “This is a great opportunity to help people that may be in a situation where they can’t afford a prom dress,” she says. “I remember when I was in high school, and prom was a big deal. I’m really excited to be able to help less fortunate students out there be able to enjoy prom.” As part of the cooperative endeavor, a fundraiser fashion show titled “The Cinderella Project Runway” was held in March at the Lyceum Ballroom in Baton Rouge. The show featured garments designed and created by TAM students and LSU alumni who are local designers. These included Anthony Ryan Auld, Natasha Marie, Molly Stackhouse, Julie Thibodeaux, and Sarah Winn. “This is a first for our program and probably the biggest thing we’ve done to date,” Dupree says. “We are thrilled to partner with the talented students in LSU’s School of Human Ecology. By hosting this unique showcase event, we hope to inspire high school students to strive toward achieving their future academic and professional goals, whether they are in fashion design or other pursuits.” ON THE WEB www.huec.lsu.edu, www.ccell.lsu.edu, www. cinderellaprojectbr.org Aaron Looney is an editor in the Office of Communications & University Relations.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
43
LSU Alumni Around Campus Association News
Residential Colleges Living and Learning Under One Roof
By Ryan Buxton Photos by Larry Hubbard
Though it doesn’t take long for new University students to learn to bleed purple and gold, stepping onto LSU’s sprawling campus for the first time can be daunting. Luckily for students looking to find their way among the masses, the University offers a solution to build relationships, scholarship, and success all under one roof with its residential colleges.
The University’s residential colleges are specialized living quarters that combine academic and social pursuits, bringing the close-knit qualities of a smaller school to the distinct bigness that is LSU. Students find a comforting sense of encouragement and belonging in the eight different residential colleges, the focuses of which include information technology, business, mass communication, engineering, agriculture, s cience, the first year experience, and the Honors College. Tuan Tran, a biological sciences freshman and resident of the science residential college in Evangeline Hall, says living with peers who have similar goals adds a special dimension to the college experience. Tran serves as president of the Horseshoe Community Council, composed of students from Evangeline, Annie Boyd, Louise Garig and Highland halls, and says involvement in the residential college has had plenty of benefits. “They [residential colleges] allow you to interact with people who can easily relate to you,” Tran says. “They make the college experience better because they give residents a direct link to a community Steve Waller, left, director, and Jay High, communications manager of Residential Life, in the courtyard of the new of scholars.” Residential College Complex. This idea of cohort learning, in which students achieve their goals through sharing the experience, is an integral part of the “Cohort learning is an residential college system, according to Nik Clegorne, assistant director of student life. And students in resident colleges aren’t just interacting with other students. They’re also integral part of the residential involved with a helpful network of supporters that can be especially important to someone college system.” who is new to the University, says Mel Lazo, a mathematics sophomore and a senator in the Acadian/West Laville Community Council. “Especially if you are a freshman or transfer student, res colleges help students transition into LSU by surrounding you with other students you can relate to, [resident assistants] and peer mentors who understand what lies ahead of you in your college career and faculty that will assist students with any problems or concerns,” Lazo says. Having faculty members work with the residential colleges not only ensures that residential activities supplement classroom learning, but also allows students to see their teachers in a different light, Clegorne says. “When you live there day and night, you see a faculty member with their children and their family, and you start to recognize they’re people, too,” he says. This enriched on-campus living experience comes with concrete academic benefits, according to Director of Residential Life Steve Waller. “Residential colleges have consistently done better as far as retention, academic performance, and graduation rates,” Waller says. Students who live in residential colleges have a strong retention rate from their first to second year, a time Waller says is pivotal for creating a strong foundation to set up students for a timely graduation.
44 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
And while significant benefits of residential colleges, like retention rates, can only be observed once a student has spent a year on campus, other advantages of the system are noticeable from the time a student first tours the University. Residential colleges are an effective part of the recruiting process for prospective students and their families, says Robert Rohli, associate professor of geography and anthropology and faculty director of the residential colleges program. “The residential college program really serves as a good recruiting tool … to give one extra layer of assurance to that student and their family that they’ll be part of a community,” Rohli says. Clegorne says he often sees the tangible positive effects of the program, for instance, the time he was faced with a student who committed an infraction and faced possible removal from his residential college or from campus altogether. But losing his place in the residential college was the most frightening part for the student. “The thing that mortified him most was being removed from the residential college,” Clegorne says. “He says if he left the residential college, being kicked off campus didn’t matter.” Seeing a student so firmly tied to the residential college experience was a moving realization, Clegorne says. “That to me stands out as bigger than any kind of general statistic – to have this flesh and blood sitting in front of me, tears welling up,” he says.
Residential College residents Tuan Tran, left, and Mel Lazo chat with Residential College Faculty Director Robert Rohli, an associate professor of geography and anthropology.
ON THE WEB www.studentlife.lsu.edu Ryan Buxton, a print journalism major in the Manship School of Mass Communication, works with The Daily Reveille.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
45
LSU Alumni Around Campus Association News
LSU 100 Fastest Growing Tiger Businesses Honored
The inaugural LSU 100.
The inaugural class of LSU 100: Fastest Growing Tiger Businesses were recognized at a luncheon held at the Crowne Plaza Baton Rouge on April 8. The 100 companies, all headed by former LSU students, were chosen from among some 300 businesses nominated for the honor. Chancellor Michael Martin congratulates William M. “Bill” Gray, Cory N. Parrott, John David “JD” Braddock, and David B. Braddock of Broad Oak Energy, of Dallas, the #1 company in the inaugural LSU 100. Photos by Kevin Duffy
“We could not be more excited about celebrating the growth of these Tiger-owned and Tiger-led businesses”
46 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Hosted by LSU and the LSU Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute, or SEI, the LSU 100 celebrates the success of LSU graduates and recognizes the impact of LSU on the local, regional, and national economies. “The turnout was wonderful, and we could not be more excited about celebrating the growth of these Tigerowned and Tiger-led businesses,” says Jill Roshto, director of development for SEI. “We look forward to celebrating more success stories like this next year.” The Top 10 LSU 100 companies were announced at the luncheon, and Broad Oak Energy, Inc., of Dallas, led by David B. Braddock (1974 BACH HSS), claimed the number one spot for 2011. Braddock, who serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Broad Oak Energy, shared his company’s recipe for
high achievement, which led to Broad Oak Energy experiencing compound growth of 464 percent during the competition’s parameters. “Build a presentation that develops your business plan and a financial model to understand your capital needs,” Braddock advises. “Plan for success, hire smart people, and give them your vision in order to execute your plan.” Joining Braddock at the event were LSU alumni and Broad Oak employees John David, “JD” Braddock (2003 BACH HSS), senior landman; Cory N. Parrott (2003 BACH ENGR), operations manager; and William M. Gray (1977 BACH ENGR), senior reservoir engineering adviser. Also ranking in the Top 10 are Public Properties LLC. Joubert Law Firm, General Informatics, Ryan Gootee General Contractors LLC, Gatorworks Web Design LLC, Construction Management Solutions LLC, Doerle Food Services LLC, Petro TV LLC, and Worley Catastrophe Response. Partnering with the SEI for the event were Gatorworks, Postlewhaite & Netterville, the LSU Alumni Association, XDesign, and New Leaf Design Solutions. ON THE WEB www.bus.lsu.edu/sei
2011 LSU 100 and Their Tiger Leaders Top 10 • Broad Oak Energy, Inc. David B. Braddock 1974 John David “JD” Braddock 2003 Cory N. Parrott 2003 William D. “Bill” Gray 1977
• Billy Heroman's Flowerland William J. Heroman, Jr. 1971 Susie Heroman 1971 • Bizzuka, Inc. John Munsell 1982 Chris Vaccari 1984
• Public Properties LLC Ben R. Butler 1985
• C&C Technologies, Inc. Thomas Chance 1982
• Joubert Law Firm John “Johnny” Joubert 1993
• Cane River Pecan Company Jady H. Regard 1992
• General Informatics Mohit Vij 1997
• Central Louisiana Capital Corporation Brian Douglas Campbell 1974
• Geoshield Burns Mulhearn 2003 Beau Dingler 2005
• Ryan Gootee General Contractors, LLC Ryan Gootee 1996
• Champion Management John Philip Stagg 1992
• Gladden Sales, Inc. Sterling W. "Buck" Gladden III 1979
• Gatorworks Web Design LLC Brian Rodriguez 2006 Charlie Davis 2003
• Coldwell Banker J. Wesley Dowling & Associates James D. "Jimmy" Gosslee 1971
• Global Data Vault, LLC Will Backache 1980
• Construction Management Solutions, LLC Kyle G. Flettrich 2005
• CorrectHealth Carlo Musso 1982
• Go Kahuna, LLC Gary J. Anderson III 1972 Haggai Davis II 1986
• Doerle Food Services, LLC Carolyn Doerle 1980
• D. Honore Construction LLC Dwayne Honore 1987
• Gulf South Research Corporation Suna Adam Knaus 1988
• Petro TV, LLC Ethan J. Cheramie 1995
• Gulfgate Construction, LLC J. Andre Soileau 1996
• Worley Catastrophe Response Michael Worley 1984
• Danos & Curole Hank Danos 1971 Eric Danos 1997 Paul Danos 1999
• Abita Brewing Company, LLC David Blossman 1990 Troy Ashley 1996
• DQSI, LLC Shelly Stubbs 1995
• Airtrol, Inc. Stephen W. Pol 1975 Francis C. Jumonville, Jr. 1977 James R. Garon 1962 • All American Medical & Chiropractic Dr. Nelson J. Curtis III 1995 • Associated Grocers, Inc. J.H. Campbell, Jr. 1973 • Audubon Engineering Company, LLC Bob Rosamond 1985 Ryan Hanemann 1985 J. Denis Taylor 1987 • Bar Z Adventures, Inc. Carrie Jordan Little 1980 • Baton Rouge Physical Therapy Lake Rehabilitation Centers Dacia Alexander 1989 Melanie B. Sawyer 1981 Richard E. Lane 1974 Tyler J. Lafauci 1976
• Dexcomm Jamey Hopper 1980
• E-claim.com, LLC Thomas J. Brown 1988 • EMCO Technologies Janice H. Pellar 1973 C. Patrick Cuntz 1986 • Excalibur Exhibits Peggy Rehm Swords 1971 • Excelerant Christina Burton Harper 1992
• Happy's Irish Pub Jack Warner 2000 Brandon Landry 2001 • Health Care Options, Inc. Annette Austin 1996 • Hollingsworth Richards Automotive Group Mike Hollingsworth 1983 Polly Lemoyne 1982 Gaye Hollingsworth 1982 • Horizon Wealth Management LLC, Pete Bush 1990 Jeff Reboulet 1988 Brooke Gautreau 2003 • Houston Energy, LP Billy Harrison 1979 Ronald Neal 1977
• F.H. Myers Construction Corp. Fred H. Myers 1970 Rachelle M. Albright 1995 Ryan P. Myers 1997
• Hybrid Racing William Davidson 2005
• Functionally Integrated Training & Therapy, Inc. (FITT) Gerald J. Drefahl 1998
• Immense Networks, LLC Bret Esquivel 2007 Darren Kattan 2008
• Franklin Industries, LLC Perry J. Franklin 1998
• InfiniEDGE Software Czarina Walker 1998 • Interactive E- Solutions Brandon Foreman 2000
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
47
LSU Alumni Around Campus Association News
• Internet Retail Connection Steven Musumeche 2003 • ISC Constructors, LLC Jerry Rispone 1985 Edward L. Rispone 1972 • J.P. Oil Company Chris Van Way 1984 • JBA & Associates, Inc. John Anderson 1983 • Jeffrey Carbo, FASLA, Landscape Architects, LLC Jeffrey K. Carbo 1985 Michel E. Lanaux, Jr. 1994 Kevin K. Neal 1987 • Kean Miller Hawthorne D'Armond McCowan & Jarman LLP Gary A. Bezet 1976 G. William Jarman 1970 • Key Energy Services, Inc. Dick Alario 1976 • LeBlanc's Food Stores (Pay-Less Supermarket) Marcy J. LeBlanc, Sr. 1980 Randal "Randy" LeBlanc 1979 • Letterman's Blue Print & Supply Co. Steven T. Perret 2010 • Lipsey's, LLC Richard A. Lipsey 1961 • Lisa D. Traina, CPA, LLC Lisa DeLaville Traina 1982 • LUBA Workers' Comp David J. Bondy, Jr. 1974 • McInnis Brothers Construction, Inc. Harry E. McInnis 1966 George E. McInnis 1968 M. Phillip McInnis 1973 • MMR Group, Inc. James B. "Pepper" Rutland 1972 Leeland Kilpatrick 1986 Rodi Rispone 1989 John Courville 1978 • NK Boutique Sari Turner 1981 • Otey White & Associates Otey White 1983 • Performance Contractors, Inc. Art Favre 1972
• Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions Robert J. Burns, Jr. 1988 John W. Perry, Jr. 1978 Robert S. Dampf 1979 Glen Scott Love 1980 Myron A. Walker, Jr. 1976 • Perry, Atkinson, Balhoff, Mengis & Burns, LLC John W. Perry, Jr. 1978 Daniel R. Atkinson, Jr. 1987 Daniel J. Balhoff 1988 Joseph W. Mengis 1992 Robert J. Burns, Jr. 1988 Randi S. Ellis 1997 • Plains Exploration & Production Company James C. Flores 1982 • Rickey Heroman's Florist & Gifts Richard B. Heroman 1976 Deborah S. Heroman 1977 • Roedel Parsons Koch Blache Balhoff & McCollister Larry M. Roedel 1973 J. Kent Parsons 1981 John D. Koch 1976 Tom E. Balhoff 1970 Stephen G. McCollister 1983
• Technically Advanced, Inc. Kurt Whitcher 2005 • The Face Place of Louisiana LLC Marti D. Battaglio Pourciau 2001 • The H Agency, Inc. Winnie Brignac Hart 1989 Lorrie Brignac Lee 1989 • The Lemoine Company, LLC Leonard Lemoine 1979 • The Newtron Group, LLC Newton B. Thomas 1967 • The Olinger Group, Inc. Jude A. Olinger 1990 • The Roux House Jack Warner 2000 Brandon Landry 2001 • The Shaw Group, Inc. J.M. Bernhard, Jr. 1976 • TraceSecurity, Inc. Peter Stewart 1992
• Roma Food Group, Inc. Fernando Martinez 1989
• Turner Industries Group, LLC Thomas H. Turner 1978 Bert S. Turner 1943 (deceased) Suzanne Wilbert Turner 1947
• Roofing Solutions, LLC Tupac A. De La Cruz 2003
• USA Technologies Inc. Stephen P. Herbert 1986
• RoyOMartin Roy O. Martin III 1985
• Varsity Sports Jenni Peters 1981
• Schumacher Group William C. Schumacher 1980
• Vintage Realty Company David M. Alexander 1980
• Sexton & Hebert, Attorneys at Law R. Gray Sexton 1966 Eric Todd Hebert 1992 Suzanne Fournet Sexton 1974
• VooDoo BBQ & Grill Antonio "Tony" Avila 1997
• SGS Petroleum Service Corporation Brian Haymon 1985 • Sparkhound, Inc. Shawn Usher 1998 Mike Phillips 2000 • Stirling Properties, LLC James E. Maurin 1970 Gerald Songy 1974 Lewis W. Stirling, III 1977 Grady K. Brame 1977 • STUN Design and Advertising Chuck Sanchez 1996, 2004
48 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
• Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, L.L.P. Harry J. "Skip" Philips, Jr. 1972 W. Arthur Abercrombie, Jr. 1966
• Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar Jack Warner 2000 Brandon Landry 2001 • Window World of Baton Rouge, LLC James Roland 1971 • Zehnder Communications Inc. Jeffrey S. Zehnder 1989 Michael C. Rainey 1989 Nominations for next year’s LSU 100 will open July 15. For more information, contact Jill Roshto at jrosht1@lsu.edu or Jarett Rodriguez at jtr@lsu.edu or call 225-578-0313.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
49
LSU Alumni Around Campus Association News
Zack Godshall A Second Trip to Sundance
By Ernie Ballard Photo by Hilary Bronwyn Gale
Filmmaker and screenwriter-in-residence Zach Godshall.
“We made the lowest budgeted movie ever that’s gone to Sundance for a feature film.”
50 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
For many filmmakers, getting a film shown at the Sundance Film Festival is a lifelong dream, but for LSU alumnus and screenwriter-in-residence Zack Godshall, it was only the beginning. Godshall (2002 BACH HSS) had his directorial debut in 2007, with Low and Behold selected to be shown at Sundance, and when Lord Byron was shown there this past year, he became the first Louisiana filmmaker to have two films selected for the prestigious festival. “The first film festival I’d ever gone to was Sundance Film Festival, and it was the first film I’d made. It was totally overwhelming,” says Godshall, the 2009 Louisiana Filmmaker of the Year. Low and Behold was the first feature-length narrative, dramatic film by a Louisiana filmmaker to play at Sundance since Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape in 1989. Based on real events, Low and Behold was filmed on location in New Orleans about eight months after Hurricane Katrina. “We had kind of wanted to do a fictional story with some kind of real-world elements, unscripted elements,” Godshall says. “After [Katrina], we started saying maybe this would be an interesting way to do that because here’s a huge story, but maybe we can tell a small story within this bigger context, and it would maybe have a certain quality.” Godshall learned a lot from his first Sundance experience and went to this year’s festival with a different mindset. “You get all of this energy for eight weeks building up to it, and when you’re there, it’s ten days of just mayhem, photo shoots, and interviews and these parties with famous people at them,” Godshall says with a laugh. “Then when it’s over, it’s back to Lafayette, living in the spare room of my parents’ house.” While the glamour and bright lights of the Hollywood scene drew him in during his first Sundance visit, ultimately it wasn’t the experience that he wanted during his second trip to the festival. “It was really great and an honor to be there, but I felt like I didn’t get what I really needed to get out of it,” he says. “This time around, I thought it would be better to kind of approach it in a realistic way, so I tried to hang out with filmmakers and meet other likeminded people.” Filled with a cast of eccentric characters, each pursuing dreams and missions of their own making, Lord Byron paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of the strange and lonely world of its title character, a middle-aged, late-20th century romantic who’s confused and torn about his own ambitions and desires. “This film I made, Lord Byron… made it for almost no money with a very small group of friends and non-professional actors in Lafayette and then to bring this movie to Sundance was, for me, a really big deal,” Godshall says. “It was the first film with an all Louisiana cast and crew to go to Sundance, so that was pretty cool.”
Lord Byron was made for less than $1,000 with a crew of only Godshall, a friend, and his friend’s sister, who could only help part time. “We made the lowest budgeted movie ever that’s gone to Sundance for a feature film,” Godshall says. “The fact that, that is true is unbelievable.” The film made its Louisiana premiere in April at the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge. “I do think that it’s always a proud moment for me to show one of these films here in Louisiana,” Godshall says, “because then it’s kind of like, this is where we made it, this is kind of in a way who [we] really want to like it more than anyone.” Godshall earned an M.F.A. from UCLA and has taught at LSU for four yearsl. “I had this idea that I’d rather teach instead of trying to work in the industry,” he says. “I thought that was a good idea, and it just worked out that I was able to get this position here at LSU, which has been like a strange premonition or something, or like a dream. It’s been really good. I’m really thankful to be here.” ON THE WEB www.english.lsu.edu Ernie Ballard is director of media relations in the Office of Communications & University Relations.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
51
LSU Alumni Around Campus Association News
Noble Cause Civil Rights Symposium Celebrates the Life of A.P. Tureaud
By Melissa Foley Photo by Jim Zietz
Bob Mann, Rachel Emanuel, A.P. Tureaud, Jr., D’Army Bailey, and Keith Finley.
“They had an expectation that they would go back to Louisiana . . . to make the lives of their children and their grandchildren better. And they did that.”
52 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
At the corner of South Stadium Drive and Forestry Lane sits Tureaud Hall. Named in 1990, many on LSU's campus are unaware of the legacy of the building's namesake, the late civil rights pioneer A.P. Tureaud. The University honored Tureaud during a Civil Rights Symposium in April in conjunction with the release of A More Noble Cause: A.P. Tureaud and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Louisiana published by LSU Press. A More Noble Cause, the first comprehensive account of Tureaud's life, is the culmination of more than twenty years of research. It was written by LSU alumna Rachel Emanuel, director of publications and electronic media at Southern University Law Center and the writer and producer of the documentary Journey for Justice: the A. P. Tureaud Story, and A.P. Tureaud, Jr., LSU's first African-American undergraduate student. The book offers insight into Tureaud’s public struggles and personal triumphs, giving readers a candid account of a remarkable champion of racial equality.
Tiger Trivia
ON THE WEB www.lsublackalumni.com Melissa Foley is an editor in the Office of Communications & University Relations
1. Who were the Mamselles of the late 1960s? Baton twirlers LSU’s fashion modeling squad Women students who lived The homecoming court in Pleasant Hall 2. Which U. S. Marine Corps base is named for an LSU alumnus? Camp Perry, Ohio Fort Polk, La. Camp Lejeune, N.C. Camp Pendleton, Calif. 3. Which university was formerly a junior college administered by LSU? Nicholls State University Southern University Southeastern Louisiana University Centenary College 4. How long did E.S. Richardson serve as president in 1939? Less than 1 year Less than 1 month Less than 1 week Less than 24 hours 5. What was the name of the plantation upon which the present campus was built? Nottoway Oakley Gartness Magnolia Mound 6. Who donated the original chimes in the Memorial Tower? Col. Edward G. Schlieder Col. Thomas Boyd Gov. John M. Parker Gen. John Archer Lejeune 7. When was the first Alex Box Stadium completed? 1926 1937 1941 1943 8. Before the Pete Maravich Assembly Center was constructed, where did the Tigers play basketball? They didn’t play until the In the Gym-Armory PMAC was constructed In the John M. Parker Coliseum Both B and C 9. James W. Nicholson served as president in the late nineteenth century but also taught what subject? Mathematics French History Art 10. The Corps of Cadets had four cannons: two with bronze barrels, two with cast iron. The bronze cannon barrels are still on campus but what happened to the cast iron barrels? They were returned to the army They were exchanged for newer models They were scrapped during a They were returned to Fort World War II scrap drive Sumter 11. According to the 1909 regulations, could students living in the barracks wear civilian clothes on campus? Yes, whenever they wanted Never Only on Sunday Only under “exceptional” circumstances 12. What living arrangements were made for women (who weren’t from Baton Rouge) when they were first allowed to enroll as students in 1906? They were required to live in They slept on cots in Garig Hall boarding houses approved by the University They lived in the Pentagon Barracks They had to rely upon the kindness of strangers Tiger Trivia is compiled by Barry Cowan, assistant archivist, Hill Memorial Library. Answers: 1.b, 2.c, 3.a, 4.d, 5.c, 6.a, 7.b, 8.d, 9.a, 10.c, 11.d, 12.a
For the panel discussion moderated by Robert Mann, co-director of LSU's Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs, Emanuel and Tureaud were joined by D'Army Bailey, a retired judge and founder of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, and LSU alum Keith Finley, assistant director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern Louisiana University. The discussion touched on various aspects of the civil rights movement and the role Tureaud played in ending segregation in Louisiana. "My parents were both college-educated people, having attended Howard University," said Tureaud. "They had an expectation that they would go back to Louisiana and take their education and work with others to make the lives of their children and their grandchildren better. And they did that." Tureaud touched on what it meant for him to be back at LSU more than fifty years after having integrated the undergraduate ranks in 1953, a difficult period in his life that culminated with the court revoking his admission only eight weeks after enrolling. "I never thought that I would ever want to step on this campus again when I left," he said. "All of the people that worked with me for years never knew that I had this history because it was just too painful and too anxiety producing to relive again." It took thirty-five years for Tureaud to return to the University. But that first trip back helped open the door to telling his story about his time at LSU and his involvement in the civil rights movement. "Rachel and a group of students contacted me in 1988 and invited me to come here and speak," Turead explained. "I did come, and it was truly a remarkable experience. From that point on, I left and went back to New York and began sharing my involvement in the civil rights movement with people who were interested in the movement. It opened up opportunities for me to talk with other people." Tureaud says he is encouraged by the diversity the University is embracing and hopes this generation of students is having the college experience that he was denied. "I think that I've been welcomed back here five or six times to various events, and each time I come I look at how the University has grown physically and how it's grown in its diversity, how it's grown in its diverse faculty, and how it hopefully is welcoming people who need to have this kind of experience," he said. In addition to Tureaud Hall, the A.P. Tureaud, Sr. Black Alumni Chapter of the LSU Alumni Association is named for the senior Tureaud. "There are generations of students, staff, and faculty who haven't heard his story, and don't know A.P. Tureaud," said Emanuel. "They don't know why there is a building on campus named for him or why the chapter bears his name. More people need to know about him and his tremendous contribution to our lives."
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
53
LSU Alumni Around Campus Association News
Photo Ops Laborde Professor – Don LaBonte, interim director and professor in the LSU AgCenter School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences, was named to the Lucien and Peggy Laborde Professorship in Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences on March 9. The Labordes’ children, Laura Dauzat (1971 BACH AGR), Tommy Laborde (1981 BACH AGR), Luke Laborde (1976 BACH AGR), and Janine Williams (1978 BACH AGR), provided funds for the professorship in honor of their parents. Lucien Laborde earned his bachelor’s degree in 1937 and was awarded a Doctor of Science honoris causa in 1991. Peggy, the first female agronomy major at LSU, graduated in 1947.
City Year Partners – In March LSU
Front row, left to right, Don LaBonte, Lucien and Peggy Laborde, and Tommy Laborde; back, Janine Williams, Laura Dauzat, and Luke Laborde.
54 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
became the first public university in the country to formalize a give a year Partnership with City Year, joining the ranks of twenty-nine private institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University, and New York University. Taking part in the agreement signing and celebration were Jennifer Eplett Reilly, cofounder of City Year, Inc.; Pete November, Jennifer Eplett Reilly, Pete November, Chancellor Mike City Year vice president of recruitment, Martin, and Brandon Smith. admissions, and alumni affairs; Chancellor Mike Martin; and Brandon Smith, LSU community affairs liaison. City Year is a leading national youth service organization that unites young adults in a year of full-time service to mentor at-risk students to help them stay in school and on track to graduate.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
55
LSU Alumni Around Campus Association News
Photo Ops Science Hall of Distinction – Six new
Ronald D. Alvarez
Richard D. Anderson
James W. Robinson
Maj. Gen. Jasper A. Welch
members were inducted into the College of Science Hall of Distinction on May 6. They are Dr. Ronald D. Alvarez (1979 BACH SCI, 1983 MD), vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Albert H. Meier Carlo C. Christina the late Richard D. Anderson, Boyd Professor Emeritus of mathematics; Carlo C. Christina (1951 BACH SCI), a petroleum and exploration geologist whose expertise led to the development of several significant oil fields in Louisiana and Mississippi; Albert H. Meier, professor emeritus of zoology and physiology, whose career saw the development of a promising therapy drug for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and lipogenesis; James W. Robinson, professor emeritus of chemistry, pioneered many of the techniques and built some of the earliest models of the instruments used in the field; and Maj. Gen. Jasper A. Welch (1952 BACH SCI), a celebrated military scientist with the U.S. Air Force.
CEE Distinguished Alumni – Sherri Hammond LeBas (1985 BACH ENGR), Song-kai Yan (1989 PHD ENGR), and Shahram Sarkani (1980 BACH ENGR, 1981 MAST ENGR), left to right, were inducted into Civil & Environmental Engineering Hall of Distinction in February. LeBas, a professional civil engineer with more than twenty-five years in state service in Louisiana, is secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development. Yan served as instructor of various courses, including water distribution and wastewater collection and hydrology and is a member of the CEE External Advisory Board. Sarkani, professor of engineering management and systems engineering, designed and administers the off-campus graduate certificate master’s and doctoral programs. Yan passed away on March 29. Sherri Hammond LeBas, Song-kai Yan, and Shahram Sarkani
Smiley Anders
56 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Timothy Cook
Andrea Clesi McMakin
Manship Hall of Fame – Those inducted into the Manship School of Mass Communication Hall of Fame on May 6 were Smiley Anders (1959 BACH MCOM, 1971 MAST MCOM), Andrea Clesi McMakin (1978 BACH MCOM, 2010 MAST MCOM), and Timothy Cook, who was inducted posthumously. Anders, who has worked for The Advocate since 1973 and written a column six days per week since 1979, is one of the most recognized journalists in Louisiana and across the country. McMakin worked for more than thirty years at WBRZ-TV, starting as an intern in May 1977 before working her way up to full-time reporter and news anchor. Cook held the Kevin P. Reilly, Sr. Chair in Political Communication in 2001.
Ourso Hall of Distinction – David J. Bondy Jr., Garret “Hank” Danos, Teri G. Fontenot, Shaquille O’Neal, and David P. Steiner were inducted into the E.J. Ourso College of Business Hall of Distinction on March 18. Bondy (1974 BACH BUS) is a founder and CEO of LUBA Casualty Insurance Company, a regional company headquartered in Baton Rouge that provides coverage to some 5,000 businesses and 130,000 employees. Danos (1971 BACH BUS) is the CEO and president of Danos & Curole Marine Contractors LLC. Aside from his roles as CEO and president of Danos & Curole, Danos serves as a member of the Executive Subcommittee of Offshore Operations. He is a former chairman of the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry and serves as a member of the LSU System Board of Supervisors, representing the Third Congressional District. Fontenot is the president and CEO of Woman’s Hospital, a hospital for obstetrics, newborn care, and women’s cancer care. O’Neal (2000 BACH HSS), a player for the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics, is also an entrepreneur and entertainer. Steiner (1982 BACH BUS) is the CEO of Waste Management, Inc., the leading provider of waste and environmental services in North America.
Chancellor Mike Martin, David Bondy, Teri Fontenot, Hank Danos, E.J. Ourso College Dean Eli Jones, and LSU Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Jack Hamilton.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
57
LSU Alumni Around Campus Association News
Robert A. Deason
Roy Martin
Photo Ops
Stephen Moret
Distinguished Engineering Alums -- The LSU College of Engineering welcomed three new inductees, Robert A. “Bob” Deason, Roy O. Martin III, and Stephen Michael Moret, to its Hall of Distinction on April 7. Deason (1970 BACH ENGR) is former president and chief executive officer of J. Ray McDermott and maintains a professional relationship with the company as a consultant. Martin (1982 BACH ENGR, 1985 MBA) is president and CFO of Roy O. Martin Lumber Company LLC, Martin Timber Company LLC, and Martin Companies LLC. Moret (1995 BACH ENGR) is secretary of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development. Cusimano Lab Dedicated – Charles Cusimano (1951 BACH ENGR) cuts the ribbon to the Equine Physiology and Pharmacology Laboratory, which was dedicated in his honor in March. Cusimano, a major supporter of the School of Veterinary Medicine, played a pivotal role in establishing the school’s Equine Health Studies Program. A former member of the LSU Board of Supervisors, he began his service in 1974 and served as chairman in 1995-1996. He was admitted to the LSU Law Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Engineering Hall of Distinction in 1999. Violet Cusimano, Charles Cusimano, and LSU System President John Lombardi.
58 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
a l u m n i
m a g a z i n e
Advertise
with us! More than Renovation Celebration – the LSU Student Union celebrated the completion of its four-and-a-half year renovation on March 4. Festivities opened with a second line and included live music, giveaways, and King Cake for the first 500 people attending. Photo by Eddy Perez
70,000
readers Four issues annually Competitive rates For more information visit www.lsualumni.org/magazine or contact Kay Heath at 225-578-3337 or kheath@lsu.edu
Woodin Hall – A naming ceremony for Martin D. Woodin Hall, formerly the Agriculture Administration Building, was held in April. During his tenure at LSU, the late Martin D. Woodin served as president and executive vice president of the LSU System, dean of the College of Agriculture at LSU-Alexandria, and head of what is now the Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness. Committed to serving LSU and the people of Louisiana, Woodin dedicated his professional career to academics, research, and public service. He was recognized numerous times for his expertise in teaching and research in agricultural economics. Photo by Eddy Perez LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
59
William W. “Bill” Demastes
Focus on
Faculty
San Diego II Alumni Professor of English By Brenda Macon
Over the years, William W. “Bill” Demastes has garnered numerous campus awards, including the LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence award in 2000 and the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2002. In 2009, he was also recognized as a “Rainmaker,” one of LSU’s top 100 faculty members. One of his most prized awards was the Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2010 for his work with first year students because the students themselves nominated him.
Demastes joined the LSU faculty in 1989 and has been an Alumni Professor since 2009. The travel stipend that accompanies this professorship has enabled Demastes to attend conferences and dramatic performances that enhance both his research and his classroom instruction. “I’ve wanted to find a way to say ‘thank you’ for the Alumni Professorship ever since I received it,” Demastes said. “If it weren’t for the funding from this position, I would have had a much more difficult time trying to keep up with what’s going on in contemporary drama. The travel budget from the professorship has provided me with the ability to go to New York and London to attend first-rate productionsand meet playwrights who are creating new material. I’ve been able to bring the perspectives of these writers back to my students and to share with them my Alumni Professor Bill Demastes with Tom Stoppard on the opening night of the revival of Stoppard’s play The Real Thing students’ perspectives on their work. at the Old Vic Theatre in London in April 2010. During a recent trip to New York City, for example, he was able to attend a performance of John Guare’s A Free Man of Color, a play that has a great significance for Louisiana. Set in New Orleans just before the Louisiana Purchase, the play presents issues – such as those related to race, class, and culture – that are relevant in the New Orleans of today. After the play, Demastes met with Guare and discussed the possibility of bringing the play to Baton Rouge in the near future. Perhaps even more important in terms of both his teaching and his research was a “With the [Alumni recent meeting with Tom Stoppard. Demastes has been interested in Stoppard’s work for Professorship] travel stipend years, particularly in the play Arcadia because of the ways in which Stoppard blurs the line I’ve been able to bring the between art and science in that work. As a result of his interest, Demastes is currently writing a book, to be published in 2012, on the playwright and his plays. When he met with perspectives of these writers Stoppard, with whom he has been acquainted for some time, he brought with him some of back to my students and to his students’ papers about Stoppard’s work. share with them my students’ “I first told him that students sometimes have a hard time understanding what he’s about, and Stoppard rather gruffly said, ‘Well, they’ll just have to figure it out for themselves.’ perspectives on their work.” Then I read from one of my students’ papers: ‘The definition of art according to Tom Stoppard is seeing something without searching for its name.’ He grinned and said, ‘Yeah, they’re figuring it out.’” Making connections with professionals in the field and with students in the classroom is one of the many reasons why Bill Demastes is one of LSU’s top ranked faculty. Brenda Macon is a Baton Rouge writer/editor and editor of Kaleidoscope, the College of Humanities & Social Sciences magazine.
60 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
61
MVP Larry Jones
Locker
ROOM
He Reached Out and Touched Thousands; His ‘Friends’ Donated Millions By Bud Johnson
Larry Jones receives his MVP Award from LSU Alumni Association Chairman of the Board Guy Campbell III. Photo by Larry Hubbard
Larry Jones contacts his “friends” with phone calls and hand-written notes. Photo by Matt DeVille
62 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Timing, they say, is everything. Larry Jones is a master of timing. The LSU Alumni Association’s all-time fund raising champion, Jones was recently celebrated as the Association’s Most Valuable Player at the Accolades Banquet. He has raised more than $35 million dollars in contributions. In honor of his unrivaled production, a scholarship in his name has been started. Virtually every stop in Jones’ career seemed to propel him and the people around him to new heights. His accomplishments at the Association paralleled the organization’s rapid growth and the development of the Lod Cook Alumni Center, The Cook Hotel and Conference Center, and the Jack and Priscilla Andonie Museum. “He is truly our Most Valuable Player,” says Charlie Roberts, president and CEO of the Association. “No one has done more for the Association than Larry Jones.” Roberts hired Jones in 1989. His first assignment was to secure donations to endow professorships, scholarships, and the Alumni Fund. There was no guidebook to follow and little supervision. “I made up my mind to see as many people as possible,” Jones recalls. “It was mostly cold calls. I first targeted Exxon employees in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Houston, and Dallas. Exxon gives a three-for-one match for their employees’ charitable donations. A $5,000 gift for four years by an LSU alumnus at Exxon could turn into a $100,000 endowed professorship. LSU is No. 1 in Exxon matching funds received, ahead of Texas A&M and the University of Texas. We then expanded our contacts and began calling on alumni across the state, as well as Memphis, Tenn.; Little Rock, Ark.; Jackson, Miss.; and Atlanta.” Jones’ career as a fund raiser for the Association began after he had turned the page on a successful run as a football coach and sports administrator. It was an opportunity to make his mark in an organization that needed his gifts: discipline, dedication, and a history of hard work. His life was filled with interesting twists. As a high school prospect, Larry’s official visit to LSU included the big game with Tulane in New Orleans in November 1950. There were 80,000 people in old Sugar Bowl Stadium that day. The game was almost cancelled. Some Tulane students had pulled off the biggest heist in the history of college rivalries. They stole Mike the Tiger. LSU’s mascot was returned and the game was played, but Larry’s recruiting trip ranks with the most memorable stories of that genre. Captain Larry Jones got out of the Air Force just in time to join Paul Dietzel’s coaching staff at LSU in the fall of 1958. The Tigers won the national championship that season. Jones followed Dietzel to Army and South Carolina. He was the defensive coordinator twice at Tennessee with notable success. He was also an assistant at Kansas, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Jones was the head coach at Florida State University for three years, leading the Seminoles to a bowl game in his first season. He returned to LSU in 1979 as an associate athletic director for Paul Dietzel, as NCAA compliance officer. Before heeding the call of his alma mater, Jones turned down an opportunity to join the Dallas Cowboys scouting department. During his coaching career, Bill Parcells, Mack Brown, Steve Sloan, and Lou Holtz were his assistant coaches, and current LSU assistant coach Johnny Chavis played for him at Tennessee. In 1982, he was named National L Club Man of the Year. Before joining the Association, Jones did a couple of stints as LSU acting athletics director. He became a full-time development officer for the Association in 1989. Twenty-two years later, Jones can look upon campus landmarks that were not there when he arrived – the alumni center, hotel, and museum mentioned above, as well as Tiger Walk and the LSU War Memorial – with considerable pride. He had a significant role in the fundraising efforts for each. Those buildings were hardly the limits of his performance. Open heart surgery in 2003 did not slow him down. Unable to travel, Jones contacted his “friends” with phone calls and hand-written notes. He soon discovered that he could make even more contacts with this method. The results were
more satisfying, and he generated millions for endowed professorships, scholarships, and even a chair in landscape architecture. “I love LSU,” Jones says. “I get a lot of satisfaction out of what I do. The people I talk with are special. LSU means a lot to them and they are generous in their giving. I owe so much to LSU. LSU is my life. I hope I have given back some of what I owe the University.” How does he handle rejection? Like most ex-athletes and ex-coaches, Larry never gives up. On those occasions when his “friends” are unable to make a donation, Jones sends them a hand-written note and encloses a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope so they “can use it when they are able to make a contribution.”
1954 LSU Football Tiger Larry Jones.
LSU varsity footballers, from left to right, All-American Sid Fournet, Al Doggett, Larry Jones, and Gary Dildy.
Photo 1954 Gumbo
Photo 1955 Gumbo
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.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
63
Tiger
NATION
1950s
Rod Whalen (1958 BACH SCI) has been named head coach of the Lady Mulerider tennis team at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Ark. Whalen was a twotime collegiate conference tennis champion at Southern State College, now SAU, and was named a Distinguished Alumni by the university in 2007. As a fire team leader flying Navy helicopter gunships in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam and Cambodia during the Vietnam War, he still pursues his love for tennis by sharing a smallish city park in a nearby city with several artillery batteries. “The batteries of guns synchronized their firing with my toss for serve,” he says. “Not quite the fictitious Apocalypse Now, but close enough for the real thing.” Whalen earned his master’s degree from the State University of New York Empire State College. 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/Schools AGR Agriculture A&D Art & Design HSS Humanities and Social Sciences SCI Science BUS Business EDUC Education ENGR Engineering M&DA Music & Dramatic Arts MCOM Mass Communication SCE School of the Coast & Environment SVM School of Veterinary Medicine SW Social Work
1960s
Jimmy Field (1963 BACH BUS, 1966 JD), a Baton Rouge attorney, was recently elected chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) for the third time during his tenure on the LPSC, which began in 1996. In addition to his service on the LPSC, Field has been extensively involved with other regulatory organizations related to the electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, and water industries, including membership on the Electricity and Natural Gas Committees of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and co-founding, and serving as vice president of the Entergy Regional State Committee. As an attorney, he practices in the areas of corporate and probate law. His wife, Laura, and their four children, Jim, Mark, Shannon, and Brittany, are also LSU graduates. Charles W. Groetsch (1966 BACH, 1968 MAST, 1971 PHD HSS), dean of science and mathematics at The Citadel School, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is one of only ten scholars nationwide to be recognized by the AAAS in the field of mathematics and the only one in South Carolina. Groetsch spent much of his career at the University of Cincinnati. In addition to serving as dean, he holds the Traubert Chair in Science and Mathematics. The Journal of Integral Equations and Applications, an international research quarterly, dedicated the 2010 summer and fall issues to Groetsch for his contributions to the field of mathematics. In January 2010 he delivered the keynote address to the first Symposium on Inverse Problems and Applications in Ixtapa, Mexico. H.V. “Vernon” Myers, Jr. (1962 BACH ENGR) was sworn in earlier this year for a four-year term as mayor of Palatka, Fla.
Editor’s note: The name of the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S) has been changed to College of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS); the College of Basic Sciences (BASC) is now the College of Science (SCI).
64 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
C. Stokes McConnell, Jr. (1969 BACH HSS, 1972 JD) has joined the Baton Rouge office of Adams and Reese law firm as special counsel. McConnell has more than thirty years of public finance law experience and is a former leader of the Long Law Firm’s public finance practice. He has served as bond counsel for the State of Louisiana, the Louisiana State University System, and Louisiana Office Facilities Corporation, as well as numerous state and local public agencies, public trust authorities, housing authorities, and industrial development boards. McConnell has extensive experience as underwriters’ counsel for both national and regional investment banking and represents state and municipal issuers with an emphasis on transactions benefiting nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and public and private higher education institutions. He regularly serves as a panelist at the annual National Association of Bond Lawyers Workshop and is a frequent speaker on healthcare finance and on continuing disclosure responsibilities in public finance. He is licensed to practice law in Louisiana and the District of Columbia. Martin E. Simmons (1961 BACH HSS) has joined Stites & Harbison PLLC in Nashville, Tenn. Simmons is a banking and finance attorney with more than forty years of experience with bank and non-bank acquisitions and a variety of regulatory issues for the Office of Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve Board. Previously, he was of counsel at Frost Brown Todd, LLC and general counsel, principal financial officer, and corporate secretary at First American Corporation. As chairman of the Lawyers Committee of the American Bankers Insurance Association, Simmons was involved in negotiating and drafting the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act on Financial Modernization. He serves as counsel to the Real Estate & Banking Group at Stites & Harbison.Simmons holds a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
1970s
David Bondy (1974 BACH BUS), CEO of LUBA Workers’ Comp, Baton Rouge, was inducted in the E.J. Ourso College of Business Hall of Distinction in March. The honor is bestowed on individuals for significant contributions in business, academia, government, or the community. Bondy was recognized for his time with various professional groups, including the Dean’s Advisory Council and the Louisiana Association of Self Insured Employers, of which he was a founding member. Lee Butler(1978 BACH HSS), a partner in Adams and Reese’s Houston office, has been named commissioner of the Memorial Villages Police Commission, a common
municipal police department for the cities of Bunker Hill, Hunter’s Creek, and Piney Point, Texas. Butler serves as a litigation practice group leader and is a former executive committee chairman and Houston office partner in charge at the law firm. He is an active member of the Texas Bar Association, Houston Bar Association, Louisiana Bar Association, Associations of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, International Association of Defense Counsel, and Texas Association of Defense Counsel and is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. John Heffron (1974 BACH SCI), of Alexandria, Va., retired from the U.S. Navy in 2005 at the rank of Captain and joined Lockheed Martin. He writes: “My background is in submarines. My last job in the U.S. Navy was in the Virginia Class Submarine Program, where I was the program manager
and delivered the lead ship of the class, USS Virginia (SSN 774). I work for Lockheed Martin in the Undersea Systems division and right now am in business development, working to increase our submarine business with the Commonwealth of Australia, which is embarking on a new submarine development and construction program. My first job [with Lockheed] was running our office in Marinette, Wis., where we built and delivered the Navy’s first Littoral Combat Ship, USS Freedom (LCS 1). I got back in the submarine business late last year. If all goes well, we will be relocating to Australia for a year.” Sparky Harry Koerner (1974 BACH M&DA) recently judged the Blinn College “Buccaneer Jazz Festival” in Brenham, Texas, listening to fifteen 4A & 5A high school jazz ensembles. “American jazz is alive and well in Texas high schools,” says Koerner, who
Alums Celebrated at Greek Gala The LSU Greek Community held its seventh annual Greek Gala on March 17 to honor alumni nominated by their member groups. Louisiana Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, a member of Sigma Chi fraternity, was master of ceremonies at the event, and Chancellor Mike Martin was a special guest. Honored for their accomplishments in their professions, their communities, and on behalf of their Greek organizations were Mag Wall (1959 BACH EDUC), Chi Omega; Ann Bowlus Storey (1976 BACH HSS), Delta Delta Delta; Judith “Judi” Polivka Betts (1964 MAST EDUC), Alpha Omicron Pi; Kathleen Forte Cooper (1976 BACH HSS), Delta Gamma; Nancy Trahan (1994 BACH HSS), Delta Zeta; Yolanda Martin Singleton, Delta Sigma Theta; MJ Madison, Kappa Alpha Theta; Donna Jolly (1974 BACH EDUC), Kappa Delta; Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas (1966 BACH EDUC, 1989 MAST EDUC), Kappa Kappa Gamma; Peggy King (1971 BACH EDUC, 1977 MAST HSS), Phi Mu; Amanda Rothrock (1995 BACH BUS), Pi Beta Phi; Veronica Rome Crowe, Sigma Alpha; Hope McPhatter (2010 MAST), Sigma Gamma Rho; Reneé Bourgeois Payton (1998 BACH AGR), Zeta Phi Beta; Judy Weaver, Zeta Tau Alpha.
Also, Bill Mollere (1968 BACH HSS), Acacia; John Douthat, Alpha Gamma Rho; Michael Larisy, Delta Chi; Sam Thomson (1965 PHD PSI), Delta Kappa Epsilon; Jim Flores (1982 BACH BUS), Kappa Alpha Order; Randy Gurie (1969 BACH BUS, 1979 MAST EDUC, 2002 PHD EDUC), Kappa Sigma; Lane Grigsby (1967 BACH ENGR), Lambda Chi Alpha; Kyle Carmouche, Phi Gamma Delta; Trent L. James (1966 MD), Pi Kappa Alpha; Matthew Ross, Phi Delta Theta; Joe Dean (1955 BACH EDUC), Sigma Chi; Oliver G. “Rick” Richard (1977 JD), Sigma Alpha Epsilon; Clayton W. Lowery (1984 BACH BUS), Sigma Nu; Sid Gale (1963 BACH BUS), Sigma Phi Epsilon; and John S. Hightower (1967 BACH BUS), Theta Xi.
Chancellor Mike Martine, center, with Greek Gala honorees John S. Hightower and Reneé Bourgeouis Payton.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
65
Tiger Nation is chairman of the fine arts department at College of the Mainland, Texas City, Texas. He is also principal trumpet in his thirtieth year with the Galveston Symphony Orchestra, leader of Sparky’s Jazz Express, which performs in the Houston/Galveston area, and president of the Texas Jazz Educators Association. Visit him at www.sparkysjazzexpress.com. Thad D. Minaldi (1979 BACH BUS, 1982 JD), of Lake Charles, La., was elected chairman of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Board of Directors at the annual meeting in February. He was elected for his first term on the board in 2000 and formerly served as chair of the Corporate Governance Committee of the board, as well as board chair of Southern National Life Insurance Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Cross. He
66 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
practices law in the areas of mineral rights, oil and gas exploration and production, landowner issues, business, banking, and indigent criminal defense.Minaldi was a four-year football letterman and the 1978 defensive team captain for the LSU Tigers. Robert M. Smith (1970 MBA) has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Iberville Bank. Smith had served for four years as president and CEO and as a board member of Fidelity Bank in Baton Rouge. He began his banking career with Louisiana National Bank in 1980 then served for twenty-two years as an officer with Citizens Bank, where he was a member of the bank’s board of directors. Smith received his undergraduate degree from Millsaps College in 1977 and graduated from the School of Banking in the South in 1988.
Daniel L. Thomas (1978 BACH ENGR, 1980 MAST ENGR) has been named head of Oklahoma State University’s department of biosystems and agricultural engineering by the OSU/A&M Board of Regents. He will assume his new duties on June 27, leaving his position as professor and head of the LSU Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering and the LSU Agricultural Center. Thomas was inducted into the first class of Diplomats for the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, equivalent to board certification, in 2005, and was named a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2006. In 2009, he was elected vice-president of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute and will serve as president-elect and then president through terms ending
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
67
Tiger Nation September 2012. Prior to joining LSU in 2003, Thomas was a faculty member in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He earned his doctoral degree in agricultural engineering from Purdue University in 1984.
1980s
John Collins (1982 BACH ENGR), formerly of Baton Rouge, was named public works director of Grand Island, Neb., and assumed his new duties in March. Collins retired from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development in 2008 after a twentynine-year career, starting as an engineering specialist and moving up through the ranks. He is a Six Sigma Black Belt, which is a certification in productivity that uses quality control and management techniques to remove production defects. Nursing in the Storm: Voices from Hurricane Katrina (Springer Publishing) by Sandra Cordray (1989 MAST MCOM) and Denise Danna (1975 BSN, 1985 MN, 1999 DNS LSU Medical Center) received a 2010 PROSE Award from the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and a Book of the Year Award from the American Journal of Nursing (AJN). ThePROSE Award is given by the Professional and Scholarly Publishing division of AAP. Nursing in the Storm won in the Nursing and Allied Health Sciences category. The AJN awarded the book second place honors in the category Public Interest and Creative Works. Nursing in the Storm takes the reader inside six New Orleans hospitals – cut off from help for days by flooding – where nurses cared for patients around the clock.
Mark Edwards (1984 BACH SCI) has been named a vice president of Halff Associates, Inc., one of the nation’s leading engineering/ architecture consulting firms. He joined Halff in 1990, bringing with him six years of environmental and petroleum experience. He is a senior geologist and team leader with the Oil & Gas Services Division and is responsible for developing solutions, project management, regulatory negotiations, and technical issues on complicated projects. Edwards is a registered Professional Geologist in the states of Texas and Wyoming and a registered Corrective Action Project Manager. He is a member of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, North Texas Gas Processors Association, American Association of Groundwater Scientists and
Engineers, and North Texas Association of Environmental Professionals. He works out of Halff ’s Richardson, Texas, office. Jim Engster (1981 BACH HSS), president of Louisiana Radio Network and host of The Jim Engster Show on WRKF Public Radio, received the YWCA Greater Baton Rouge 2011 Racial Justice Award on April 14. The prestigious award recognizes exceptional and creative contributions toward the elimination of racism. Engster was cited for his tireless on-air advocacy of racial and social justice. His tenure as news director of Louisiana Radio Network was highlighted by national recognition for coverage of the gubernatorial election featuring Edwin Edwards, David Duke, and Buddy
Information Sought on Civil War 18 Cadets of the Ole War Skule is looking for descendants of the eighteen LSU students who died during the Civil War. These are the only students who lost their lives as a result of a military conflict whose names are not inscribed on a campus memorial. A plaque inscribed with their names will be mounted in Memorial Tower when it is renovated to house the LSU Military Museum. The students – listed in order of date of death and parish – were: 1. George Compton, July 21, 1861, Rapides 2. Lawrence Sexnayder or Sexneider, Oct. 26, 1861 3. Samuel Ruffin Gray, Nov.7, 1861, Simmesport in Avoyelles 4. JW Moody or Mundy, Feb. 20, 1862, DeSoto 5. William Hickman Ringgold, May 25, 1862, Rapides 6. Seth Andrus, June 16, 1862, St. Landry 7. AM Tauzin, Aug. 23, 1862 8. George Brow, 1862, Pointe Coupee 9. William G. Swilly, May 4, 1863, Rapides 10. Charles L. Comes, July 1, 1863, Ascension 11. Jacques Dupre, July 3, 1863, Opelousas in St. Landry 12. Wiley M. Barrow, Dec. 14, 1863, West Baton Rouge 13. Albert Bringhurst, 1863, Alexandria in Rapides 14. Philogene H. Couvillion, Feb. 6, 1864, Avoyelles 15. Francis Marion Kind, Aug. 12, 1864, East Baton Rouge 16. John D. Workman, Sept. 22, 1864, Cheneyville in Rapides 17. Alexandre Arceneau, 1864, Lafayette 18. Robert Wilkerson, Plaquemines Readers with information about relatives of any of these individuals should contact cadets@lsu.edu.
68 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
In Memoriam 1930s
1960s
Sidney V. Arbour, Jr., 1936 BACH, Feb. 12, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Lillian Angela Cohen Beale, 1936 BACH, April 2, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Todd G. Cole, Alumni-By-Choice, Feb. 5, 2011, Coral Gables, Fla. Laura Fourrier Diel, 1938 BACH, April 7, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Thomas Edward Glaze, 1936 BACH, 1960 PHD, Feb. 1, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Louise Jolly Kearny, 1938 BACH, Jan. 31, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Hiney K. Kent, 1937 BACH, Jan. 17, 2011, Jackson, Miss. Robert Babington “Sonny” McCall, Jr., 1939 BACH, March 7, 2011, Baton Rouge, La.
Eugene “Gene” Marion Bologna, 1963 BACH, April 2, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Arthur J. Boudreaux III, 1968 BACH, 1972 JD, Feb. 24, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Norma Lee Bradford Brown, 1969 MAST, Jan. 25, 2011, Blacksburg, Va. Mary Alice Coxe Buzzell, 1968 BACH, March 2, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Frances Davidson Cole, 1968 BACH, 1970 MAST, Jan. 15, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Pearlie “Faye” Jenkins, 1968 MAST, April 15, 2011, Denham Springs, La. Susan Daigle Mathews, 1966 BACH, March 21, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Isaac James “Jim” McNeilly, 1965 BACH April 17, 2011, Jennings, La. Louis Felix “L.F.” Romero, 1965 BACH, Feb. 1, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Leo H. Shelby, 1960 MAST, Retired Associate Professor of Education, March 14, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. John Blocker Thornton III, 1968 BACH, Feb. 17, 2011, Shreveport, La. Clifford DeWitt Watson, 1962 MAST, Feb. 26, 2011, Berwick, La. Milnar Rudolph Watts, 1960 BACH, March 16, 2011, Garland, Texas
1940s John Jasper Barnes, Sr., 1949 BACH, 1953 MAST, April 6, 2011, Walker, La. Msgr. Harry E. Benefiel, Jr., 1948 MBA, March 13, 2011, Lafayette, La. Robert Joseph Bujol, 1943 BACH, Feb. 16, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Barbara Beaud Deville, 1946 BACH, March 16, 2011, New Roads, La. Statie Preston Eggers, 1948 BACH, Jan. 19, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Robert L. Frye, 1949 BACH, 1954 MAST, Feb. 4, 2011, Springhill, La. Philip Kirkpatrick Jones, 1941 BACH, 1948 JD, Feb. 19, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. James Kimbro Maguire, M.D., 1948 BACH, 1952 MD, Jan. 13, 2011, Memphis, Tenn. Georgia O. McCormick, 1945 BACH, Feb. 8, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. George Manning Simon, Jr., 1949 BACH, Jan. 20, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. E. Morgan Stuart, Jr., 1948 BACH, 1951 MAST, Feb. 19, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Ruth Szabo, 1943 BACH, March 28, 2011, Lafayette, La. Evelyn Boyd Martindale Thom, 1940 BACH, April 1, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Carl Clinton Williams, Jr., 1948 BACH, 1965 MAST, Jan. 17, 2011, Midlothian, Va.
1950s Thelma Lee Bankston, 1950 MAST, March 26, 2011, Hammond, La. Narlene Wallace Barr “Skip” Boss, 1950 BACH, March 19, 2010, Huntington Beach, Calif. Lynn Paul “Bootsie” Bouchereau, 1957 MAST, Feb. 18, 2011, Donaldsonville, La. David Henry Garrett, 1951 BACH, 1958 JD, Feb. 19, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Leon Geismar, 1950 BACH, March 16, 2011, Gonzales, La. Frank Guidroz, Jr., 1950 BACH, 1956 MAST, Feb. 13, 2011, Greenwell Springs, La. Ernst J. Leidner, Jr., 1959 BACH, 1960 MAST, Feb. 6, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Mary Annelies Ohlmeyer Martinez, 1958 BACH April 16, 2011, Plaquemine, La. Arthur Morgan, 1957 BACH, 1960 MAST, Feb. 1, 2011, Pittsfield, Mass. Jerry W. Netterville, 1950 BACH, Feb. 25, 2011, Hattiesburg, Miss. Cara Beasley “C.B.” Russell, 1950 BACH, Feb. 5, 2011, Denham Springs, La. Lloyd Benton Smith, Jr., MAST 1953, Feb. 3, 2011, Hickory, N.C. Darwin Soler, Sr., 1950 BACH, March 3, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Hilgard O’Reilly Sternberg, 1956 BACH, March 2, 2011, Berkeley, Calif. Clark W. Taylor, 1957 JD, Feb. 19, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Joe Tandy, 1952 BACH, 1957 MAST, Jan. 22, 2011, St. Francisville, La. Joanne Lyles White, 1950 BACH, March 12, 2011, Alexandria, La. Bettie Jean Womack, 1950 BACH, March 9, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Diana C. Zody, 1956 BACH, Feb. 4, 2011, Dallas, Texas
Carol C. Abadie Alumni-by-Choice Feb. 21, 2011 Peachtree City, Ga.
David Conroy Former Member and Chair, LSU Board of Supervisors March 28, 2011 Metairie, La.
Jeanne Leiby Professor of English and Editor, The Southern Review April 19, 2011 Baton Rouge, La.
1970s Daniel Edwards “Dan” Brabham, 1972 BACH, Jan. 23, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Kenneth R. Clem, 1973 MAST, 1977 PHD, April 13, 2011, Humble, Texas Patsy Ruth “Pat” Hutter, 1976 BACH, March 2, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Kevin Patrick McClanahan, 1971 BACH, Feb. 23, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Franklin D. Pritchard, 1971 BACH, 1973 MSW, Feb. 8, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Lloyd Lester Sensat, Jr., 1975 BACH, Feb. 18, 2011, New Orleans, La. John Edward “Buddy” Van Valkenburg, 1977 BACH, Jan. 26, 2011, Baton Rouge, La.
1980s Robert Cunninghame Davidge, 1989 BACH, 1998 MAST, Jan. 27, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Nels Christian “Chris” Kjeldsen, 1986 BACH, 1994 MAST, Jan. 22, 2011, Middlebury, Conn. Julie Ann Honeycutt Loesch, 1983 BACH, March 3, 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Son-Kai Yan, 1989 PHD, March 29, 2011, Baton Rouge, La.
1990s Jackie Lyn Goodwin, 1993 BACH, March 2011, Baton Rouge, La. Ursula Irene Anna Goldsmith, 1997 MAST, 2001 CERT, 2001 PHD, March 14, 2011, Baton Rouge, La.
2000s Nathan B. Carse, 2007 MAST, Feb. 8, 2011, Harrod, Ohio Levy Jarrod Kimble, 2009 BACH, March 3, 2011, Houston, Texas Marshall Ray Vince, 2008 BACH, March 3, 2011, Brusly, La.
Maurice C. “Poppy”Morrisette Dean and Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Medicine March 21, 2011 Baton Rouge, La.
Robert W. Scheffy, Sr. Alumni-by-Choice Feb. 24, 2011 Baton Rouge, La.
Gregory W. Stone Director, LSU Coastal Studies Institute Feb. 17, 2011 Baton Rouge, 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 2011
69
Tiger Nation Roemer in 1991 and coverage of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. In 2008 he was named Communicator of the Year by the Public Relations Association of Louisiana. Kevin Hayes (1987 BACH HSS), a partner in Adams and Reese’s Baton Rouge office, has been re-elected to the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association, or LSBA, for 2011-2012. Hayes serves the LSBA as House of Delegates Liaison to the Board of Governors, member of the House of Delegates, member of the Bar Governance Committee, board liaison to the Public Information Committee and board member of the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education. He is also president of the Association of Louisiana Lobbyists and former president of the Baton Rouge Bar Association, on which he served five terms. He received the 2001 Outstanding Young Lawyer of Louisiana award from the LSBA and the 2002 Judge Joseph Keogh Memorial Award from the Baton Rouge Bar Association. Todd A. Pourciau (1988 BACH HSS, 1999 MAST HSS, 2006 PHD EDUC) has been named director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He previously served as senior assistant vice chancellor for research at LSU. Pourciau is the center’s inaugural director and is charged with creating a center of excellence focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning. He has been active in the higher education scholarly community since pursuing his doctorate in leadership at LSU and has presented at annual conferences of the American Educational Research Association, Southwest Educational Research Association, Association for the Study of Higher Education, and Texas A&M Assessment Conference. He was also selected for the Leadership Southeast Texas Class of 2011.
70 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Harry L. Spencer (1981 BACH BUS) joined JetBlue Airways in April in the newly created position of vice presidentcompensation and benefits. Prior to his appointment with JetBlue, Spencer spent more than a decade with Time Warner Inc., as vice president-global benefits and human resources operations. He previously served in benefits and finance positions at Exxon Mobil Corporation. John Tarleton (1984 BACH BUS), of College Park, N.Y., director and chief compliance officer of LavaFlow, Inc., is the first donor to make an ongoing commitment to help sustain the Securities Market Analysis Research and Trading, or SMART, Lab at LSU by committing $6,000 annually for two years. The SMART Lab functions as a real-world trading floor complete with forty-four workstations, streaming ticker, two Bloomberg terminals, data feeds, and modern trading analytic software. Through the SMART Lab, students manage a $1 million equity portfolio. According to Tarleton, the lab is a benefit he would have enjoyed during his collegiate career. “When I was a student, we made our ‘trades’ in imaginary portfolios on index cards using the data published in the Wall Street Journal,” Tarleton says. Nestor J. Vicknair, III (1986 BACH ENGR), a Merrill Lynch financial advisor, appeared on the “America’s Top 1,000 Advisors: State-by-State” list in the Feb. 21 issue of Barron’s magazine. This is the third consecutive year he has been recognized by Barron’s for his accomplishments. Vicknair joined Merrill Lynch in 1992 and is currently serving as managing director-investments in the firm’s Houston office. In his role, he serves as a senior portfolio manager and manages more than $1 billion in client accounts across the country.
Dr. Kevin R. Ward (1985 BACH SCI) was named Inventor of the Year last year by Virginia Commonwealth University Tech Transfer. The 2010 Billy R. Martin Innovation Award was presented to Ward in recognition of his pioneering work in developing a wide range of novel and significant inventions vital to the care of critically ill and injured patients. Ward, professor and associate chair of the university’s department of emergency medicine, also serves as director of research and is a founder and senior fellow at the VCU Reanimation Engineering Science Center, a multidisciplinary team of researchers. He has generated more invention disclosures, patent applications, and licensed inventions than any other VCU researcher or inventor. Ward earned his M.D. at Tulane University School of Medicine and did postgraduate work at the University of Pittsburgh, Ohio State University Medical School, and Henry Ford Hospital.
1990s
Tony Barnett (1999 BACH BUS) has been appointed director of marketing for the USO in Arlington, Va. Prior to joining the USO, Barnett spent eleven years with the Walt Disney Company, most recently as senior marketing manager for Radio Disney in Burbank, Calif. Barnett received his M.B.A. from California State University in Northridge, Calif. The USO is a private, nonprofit organization that provides support programs and entertainment for members of the U.S. military.
Tigers in Print Lee Trepanier (2000 MAST HSS, 2001 PHD HSS) Eric Voegelin and the Continental Tradition: Explorations in Modern Political Thought (University of Missouri Press) Twentieth-century political philosopher Eric Voegelin is best known as a severe critic of modernity, and much of his work argues that modernity is a Gnostic revolt against the fundamental structure of reality. While Voegelin’s analysis of those philosophers is at times scathing, his work also bears marks of their influence. In Eric Voegelin and the Continental Tradition: Explorations in Modern Political Thought editors Lee Trepanier, associate professor of political science at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, and Steven F. McGuire present a review of the trajectories of Voegelin’s thought and outline what often is portrayed as his derisive critique of modernity. The book evaluates the political philosopher – one of the most original and influential thinkers of our time – by examining his relationship to the modern continental tradition in philosophy. Rachel Emanuel (1977 BACH MCOM, 1990 MAST MCOM) A More Noble Cause: A.P. Tureaud and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Louisiana (LSU Press) Throughout the decades-long legal battle to end segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement, attorney Alexander Pierre Tureaud was one of the most influential figures in Louisiana’s courts. A More Noble Cause, by Rachel Emanuel and Alexander P. Tureaud, Jr., is both the
powerful story of one man’s life-long battle for racial justice and the very personal biography of a black professional and his family in Jim Crow-era Louisiana. Emanual is director of publications and electronic media at Southern University Law Center and producer of the documentaries Journey for Justice: The A. P. Tureaud Story and Taking a Seat for Justice: The 1960 Baton Rouge SitIns. Tureaud, an educational consultant, is a retired school administrator, artist, and public speaker. Bryan Flanagan (1971 BACH GS) So, You’re New To Sales Each day scores of people enter the sales field. Some are young, some are more mature, but most have never studied the art of selling and few know where to begin. So, You’re New To Sales removes the guesswork of how to achieve success as a skilled sales professional. This book is written from the viewpoint of a successful salesperson who struggled early in his sales career. Flanagan joined Zig Ziglar Corporation in 1984 and has worked throughout the world helping salespeople enhance their sales results and deal with the emotional demands of the profession. Flanagan
believes selling is a process, not an event, and your “personality” can only take you so far. In this, his second book, he addresses the sales P.R.O.C.E.S.S. methodology – applying a process to selling efforts. Christina Beach Thielst (1986 BACH HSS) Social Media in Healthcare: Connect, Communicate, Collaborate (Health Administration Press) The growth of social networking has been dramatic, and the applications are quickly finding their way into healthcare organizations. In her new book, Social Media in Healthcare: Connect, Communicate, Collaborate, Christina Thielst, a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, provides an overview of the social media tools healthcare organizations are using to connect, communicate, and collaborate with their patients, physicians, staff, vendors, media, and the community at large. It describes the major social media applications and reviews their benefits, uses, limitations, risks, and costs. It also provides tips for creating a social media strategy based on an organization’s specific needs and resources.
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.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
71
Tiger Nation Shauna Johnson Clark (1990 BACH HSS) was named partner-in-charge of the international law firm Fulbright & Jaworski LLP’s Houston office in March. A highly regarded employment lawyer, Clark has handled trial and arbitration cases across the country. She has been cited as a “Texas Super Lawyer” and “Texas Rising Star” in Texas Monthly, among the “Women on the Move” by Texas Executive Women, one of the Houston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” in 2009, among the Best Lawyers in America and as a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” in H Texas Magazine. Clients describe her as a “very impressive labor lawyer,” in Chambers USA. She received her J.D. cum laude from Tulane Law School. Edmund J. Giering, IV (1990 BACH HSS, 1994 JD, 2005 MBA), general counsel of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, was recently appointed by Chancellor Michael Martin to a three-year term on the Board of Trustees of the LSU Rural Life Museum. He currently serves as an at-large member of the board’s executive committee. Katharine “Katy” Crumby Nance (1999 BACH BUS, 2002 JD) has joined the law firm of Derren S. Johnson and Associates. Nance has more than eight years of experience in civil and commercial litigation and personal injury, with emphasis in the consumer bankruptcy field. She served as a judicial law clerk in the 14th Judicial District Court before entering the consumer bankruptcy field. Christine White (1995 BACH BUS), an attorney with Coats Rose, a legal services provider in New Orleans, was promoted to director. Formerly an associate with the firm, White represents management in labor
72 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
and employment law. Prior to joining Coats Rose, White served as a judicial law clerk to Pascal F. Calogero, Jr., former chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.She graduated cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law and was a member of the Loyola Law Review and a William L. Crowe Scholar. She is a member of the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, as well as the Federal Bar Association and Louisiana State Bar Association.
2000s
Cassie Arceneaux (2008 BACH HSS) has been named assistant directorcommunications, for the College of Engineering. Arceneaux was previously a marketing coordinator for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center before returning to LSU to pursue her master’s degree in mass communication, which she will receive in August. In her new role, she will facilitate and strengthen the college’s communication efforts with multiple target audiences to support the enactment of the college’s strategic plan and expand the college’s presence in a variety of electronic media platforms. C. Michael Connolly (BACH BUS 2008) received an M.B.A. from the University of Central Florida in December 2010 and is currently working as an analyst for the Nashville Predators NHL franchise. Jobe Dupre (2007 BACH BUS), a senior tax accountant with Bone Beebe of Bethesda, Md., and Alexandria, Va., recently passed the Certified Public Accounting exam and has the educational experience and ethical requirements for CPA licensing. Dupre joined Bond Beebe in 2010 and works in the tax department specializing in individual taxation and small business tax returns.
Share Your News
Brian Goh (2009 BACH SCI), a second-year M.D./ Ph.D. student at Johns Hopkins University, has been awarded one of thirty 2011 Soros Fellowships for New Americans, becoming only the second LSU graduate ever to receive the prestigious award. The two-year fellowship supports the studies of the nation’s most exemplary youth by providing tuition support and cash awards up to $50,000 toward any degree-granting graduate program in the United States. Goh graduated from LSU a perfect 4.0 GPA. While at LSU, he received a Goldwater Scholarship and a Howard Hughes Institute research award, and his research at Pennington Biomedical Research Center resulted in eleven publications, including one of the Top 20 articles in 2007 for the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. After finishing medical school, Goh plans to undertake a residency and continue his research on bone tissue regeneration. Alex Pucheu (2001 BACH BUS) has joined the Baton Rouge office of Adams and Reese law firm as special counsel. Pucheu has been practicing law since 2004 in public finance, banking, and real estate law. He has represented numerous public and private healthcare providers and has experience relating to financings as bond and as underwriters’ counsel for health care, education, and a variety of public facilities. In his public finance practice, he has practiced in virtually every area of both tax-exempt and taxable public finance in the states of Louisiana and Florida. He received his J.D. and B.C.L. from the Mississippi College School of Law in 2004.
Share news of your new job or promotion, your wedding, honors, awards, new babies, and other celebrations with fellow alumni. To submit an item and photos for publication, e-mail jackie@lsualumni.org or call 225-578-3370.
TIGER RAG
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
73
Tiger Nation
BABY
BENGALS
Future football Tiger Joseph D. Wesley (2002 BACH AGR) and his wife, Batrina Martin Wesley (2001 BACH BUS), of Houston, announce the birth of their son, Stone Alexander Joseph born at 8:18 a.m. on March 1. Proud papa says, “Stone is eagerly awaiting to carry on the tradition of playing football at LSU, like his Dad.” Baby Bengal Jude William Harvison was welcomed by Kyle W. Harvison (1999 BACH HSS) and his wife, Rebecca Weigel, on Jan. 21, weighing in at 9 lbs. 8 oz. The family resides in Minneapolis.
74 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Tammy Brown, director of sales at The Cook Hotel and Conference Center, proudly announces the birth of granddaughter Emma Marie Brown on March 22. Emma’s parents are Kristine and Dustin Brown, of Covington, La. Future Tiger Andrew Wesley “Drew” DeVille was born April 17 at Woman’s Hospital, weighing in at 8 lbs. 9 oz. and measuring 21 inches. Drew’s proud parents are Matt and Beth Bonner DeVille. Matt is director of communications and marketing for the LSU Alumni Association.
Harris S. Zeringue (2003 BACH ENGR) and his wife, Shelley Favre Zeringue (1999 BACH BUS) announce the birth of Baby Bengal Christian Robert on January 19. Christian weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. Shelley is director of donor relations and stewardship for the LSU Foundation. Kate Spikes (2001 BACH BUS) and husband Jeremy are proud parents of future Tiger Jack O’Neil born on Jan. 17. Kate is director of financial accounting and reporting for the LSU Foundation.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
75
Profile
Tiger Nation
Cellcontrol Technology Stops Distracted Driving By Ben Wallace Photo by Brian Baiamonte
From left: Joe Breaux, Rob Guba, Scott Springer, and Leigh Gilly
When thinking of technology meccas, Baton Rouge may not be the first city that comes to mind. But don’t tell that to Rob Guba [1985-1988] co-founder of Cellcontrol, the world’s leading technology to stop distracted driving for families and fleets. “It’s nice when we go meet up in New England [and] we’re proving them wrong,” says Senior Vice President Leigh Gilly (1994 BACH BUS). Cellcontrol’s product is a cabin module that can be self-installed into the on- board diagnostics (OBD) port of a vehicle. Using Bluetooth technology, the product establishes a connection with a patent-pending Cellcontrol Protection Halo, allowing multiple devices to be connected to the program. Cellcontrol’s unique approach to the technology is in the product’s placement. The device syncs with the car, so the application will only
engage when the car is in motion. Other applications only download to the phone, so if you sit on a bus or taxi, the phone will become locked then, too. According to Guba, the idea for Cellcontrol came about after seeing nationally publicized instances of distracted-driving auto accidents, including the Los Angeles train accident in September 2008. “[There had] to be a way to answer these problems with technology,” says Guba. Guba was working with TraceSecurity in Austin, Texas, when he and initial partners Sean Brown and Donald Powers designed the Cellcontrol foundation. He was lured back to his hometown– and into the budding Louisiana Technology Park – by the Louisiana Department of Economic Development. And his alma mater has proven to be a valuable networking resource for the company.
LSU Tiger Band Reunion 2011 Celebration Calling all former Band Members Golden Girls Tigerettes Color Guard members September 30 and October 1, 2011 LSU vs. kentucky Register online only (deadline September 15) Contact Brandli Roberts (brandli@lsualumni.org) or 578-3838
76 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Gilly, who was CEO of Capital Stone, Inc., became involved with Cellcontrol when Guba asked him to test the product with his construction fleet. After testing the product, Gilly knew Guba was onto something big. “I want[ed] to take advantage of this opportunity,” he says. Guba and Gilly have a strong LSU network. Gilly describes Joe Breaux [2007 BACH SCI], vice president of software engineering, as “the smartest Cajun” he knows and the “brains behind the stuff ” at Cellcontrol. And with the arrival of new CEO Scott Springer [1978 BACH BUS], who earned an M.B.A. from Harvard, their web of connections is increasing rapidly.
Guba also explained how valuable LSU has been as a great resource, one they will tap into for future employees. Gilly says his LSU degree is invaluable. “In dealing with companies nationwide, fleet companies, one of the things I have found is that LSU graduates have opened doors for [us],” says Gilly. ON THE WEB: www.cellcontrol.com Ben Wallace, a broadcast journalism major in the Manship School of Mass Communication, works with TigerTV and The Daily Reveille.
Snow Tigers – May 2011 graduate Brent Albertine and his mom, Anne, posed for a snapshot with a Tiger-style snowman at their home in Germantown, Tenn., during a winter snow. Brent’s brother, J.G., is a first-year law student at the Hebert Law Center, and dad Gary (1976 BACH BUS) played tennis for LSU and was SEC Athlete of the Year in 1976.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
77
Loving Two Cities
Tiger Nation
By Ben Wallace
Watching the purple and gold glitter sparkle in the toasty sun made them feel right at home. They cheered on LSU’s finest performers on a stage far away from both Tiger Stadium and Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
In fact, it was more than 8,000 miles away – in Hong Kong, where Baton Rouge natives and LSU graduates Tim and Cindy LaTour now make their home. During their time on campus, both Tim (1999 BACH MCOM) and Cindy (2000 BACH HSS) were actively involved with the on-campus ministry at The Chapel. Fast-forward several years and a few jobs later, and the LaTours were traveling to China with The Chapel’s mission team. “We had never been overseas and didn’t even have a passport, so this trip was an enlightening experience for us,” says Tim. On their return, the couple moved to Dallas for Tim to pursue a seminary degree. With only six months left in his studies, LaTour received a phone call from a pastor in Hong Kong that would forever change his life. “After a four-day visit, I accepted a job as the youth pastor at Island Evangelical Community Church,” he explains. “We moved here in September of 2004 and have been in Hong Kong ever since.” And that’s the reason he and his family, which now includes two daughters, five-year-old Lillian and three-year-old Violette, were lucky Photo courtesy LSU Sports Information enough to catch the Golden Girls and Tiger Girls on their recent visit to Hong Kong. The LSU ambassadors performed in the Cathay Pacific International New Year Night Parade, arguably the most beloved Chinese New Year celebration featuring thirteen ornately garnished floats. “So now we love two cities, Baton Rouge and Hong Kong,” Tim says, “[But] we meet people from all over the world here, and none of their hometowns sound as compelling as Baton Rouge. Nothing can ever replace Saturday Night in Death Valley, Cajun food, and Mardi Gras season.” Ben Wallace, a broadcast journalism major in the Manship School of Mass Communication, works with TigerTV and The Daily Reveille.
78 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
79
Profile
Tiger Nation
Purple & Gold - From the Front Cortez Assumes Command, Hangs LSU Flag
Lieutenant Colonel Elward P. “Pat” Cortez (1992 BACH A&D) assumed command of the 27th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division on the compound called COS Marez in Mosul, Iraq, on March 7. Lt. Col. Elward Cortez hangs an LSU flag in the dining facility at COS Marez in Mosul, Iraq.
Passing the colors.
80 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
He writes: “One photo is of me (I’m the guy with his back sort of to you) assuming the Battalion Colors in my change of command. The funny hats are called Stetsons and are a 1st Cavalry Division tradition. During the ceremony the Command Sergeant Major receives the colors from the honor guard and presents them to the outgoing commander. He in turn passes them to the next higher commander – our boss – and he presents them to me, the incoming commander. I then pass them back to the Sergeant Major and have assumed command. During my
time at LSU, I was in the ROTC program and a member of Bengal Raiders. Our mission here in Iraq will end in December. The state department will take over.” Cortez’s “boss” is also a Tiger — Col. Brian Winski (2000 MAST HSS), commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. In early March, Cortez hung an LSU flag in the dining facility. “When I hung the flag, it took all of two minutes to get the SEC fans going. Notice its location in front of Alabama’s banner. In fact, it is up front where it belongs. I have a bet with the soldiers in my battalion to pick a team and at the end of the season each soldier will do ten pushups for every loss his/her team takes. We have a few civilian contractors who are LSU and SEC fans. It will be a great college football year. I will try to get a photo of all of the LSU fans.“
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
81
Profile
Tiger Nation
Plan On It
Alumna Opens Austin Event Planning Company By Holly Phillips Photo by Michael Hooks/Hooked On Photography
Becky Navarro
82 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
It’s the place cards at the lavish company dinner, the flower arrangements at a store’s grand opening, the personalized three-tiered cake for a birthday party, the way the food is served at the rehearsal dinner and the music played at a wedding reception – the details are what make important events unique. But the details don’t just fall into place. The host must take on the challenge or look to an event planner – such as Becky Navarro (2006 BACH EDUC), who founded the event planning company Pearl Events in Austin, Texas, last year. Navarro says she got into event planning by mistake. “I was looking for teaching jobs and applied to be an assistant to wedding coordinators at a wedding venue,” she says. “I was the assistant for about six months and moved up from there. In one year, I planned around eighty weddings.” Navarro moved from wedding planning to social catering and event planning at Whole Foods in Austin and embraced opportunities to do off-site catering and planning for weddings, venues, and corporate parties for MTV, Facebook, CBS, and South By Southwest. “I think I could have seen myself teaching. Although it wasn’t my passion, I think I would have been happy,” she says. “I see a lot of friends struggle to find a job they enjoy. I am lucky; I kind of fell into this in a roundabout way, and I do love it.” Last June, Navarro and her husband, alumnus TJ Navarro (2006 BACH HSS), celebrated the birth of their first child, Pearl Marie. “I decided after I had her that I didn’t want to go back to work for someone else, and I was ready to start my own business,” Navarro says. “After being in the industry for almost five years, it was the perfect time.” Pearl Events hit the ground running, offering full-service planning for a variety of events.
“I specialize in weddings, but I have corporate parties on the calendar as well,” Navarro explains. “They are very different than weddings, and a lot of corporate clients won’t go to planners that do not have experience in the corporate world.” Navarro says many people think they would enjoy event planning, but they don’t realize the dedication that is involved. “Your life is to plan everyone else’s social life, which means you work on weekends, at night, and crazy hours,” she says. “I have to skip a lot of my friends’ life events because of my job.” When it comes to event planning, Navarro says her best practice is to make sure the guests aren’t worried about details. It is important that the planner stays level headed and fix any problem that arises. “Let everyone sit back and enjoy. When you don’t have a fullservice wedding coordinator, the bride is way too involved with decisions on the wedding day because she is the contact for all vendors,” Navarro says. “The bride and groom and family and friends should be stress-free on the day, week, and month before the wedding.” But even with the hard work, Navarro loves several aspects about her job. “I love the end of a wedding ceremony because the bride and the groom are the first couple to proceed out of the ceremony, and there I am to greet them,” she says. “I step back and watch the tears, happiness and squeals of joy with one another about the fact that they just got married.” For Navarro, that is what her job and her company is all about – creating memories to last forever. “I don’t wish to be the biggest or the priciest event-planning company in Austin,” she says. “I just hope that people will walk away from their event happy and joyful.”
“I am lucky; I kind of fell into this... and I do love it.“
Holly Phillips is a Web and new media development writer/editor in the Office of Communications & University Relations.
The Partners of the Law Firm of
Perry, Atkinson, Balhoff, Mengis & Burns, LLC John W. Perry, JR., Daniel R. Atkinson, JR., Daniel J Balhoff, Joseph W. Mengis, Robert J. Burns, JR., and Randi S. Ellis (Daniel R. Atkinson, SR., of counsel)
Are pleased to announce that
john W. Perry, III has become associated with the firm.
2141 quail run drive baton rouge, la 70808
telephone: 225-767-7730 www.pabmb.com
Insurance Law · Commercial Litigation · Mediation/Arbitration Estate Planning ·civil litigation
LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
83
Assignment Kyrgyzstan
Tiger Nation
Alumnus Follows Dream in Peace Corps By Ryan Buxton
“I needed to remind myself of what I had a passion to do.“
84 LSU Alumni Magazine | Summer 2011
Two years ago, Judson Moore (2007 BACH HSS) was looking for something to thrill him. So he jumped out of a plane. But skydiving didn’t give Moore the rush he wanted.
he had envisioned for himself, Moore realized politics might not be the place for him. Instead, through contacts he made while organizing SG’s on-campus music events like Groovin’ on the Grounds, Moore “I’m very disappointed accepted an offer to go on the road and to tell you jumping off work with huge names in music such a plane felt like eating as Taylor Swift and Breaking Benjamin. breakfast in the morning,” Following his successful stint in the music he says. “It just did not do world, Moore worked in marketing before it for me.” settling into his current job – working for Now the twenty-sevenhimself. He has clients around the world year-old LSU graduate for whom he creates Web sites and mobile has found something phone applications. that really gets his heart The job gave him the gift of time to pumping. From March reflect on his life and the goals he’s set for 2011 to June 2013, he’s himself. Through reflection, he realized he working as a community had strayed from his “plan A,” to find a way developer in Kyrgyzstan to serve others. “I wouldn’t trade any of and fulfilling his love for this for the world, but it wasn’t my calling,” service to humanity with Moore says. “I needed to remind myself of the Peace Corps. what I had a passion to do.” Though he’s diving Moore reinvigorated that passion and got headfirst into a totally serious about the Peace Corps. Though the new cultural experience, application process usually takes months, Moore says working with Moore went from being an applicant to a longstanding, successful being nominated for service in three days. organization like the Shortly after ringing in 2011, Moore was Peace Corps allows him told he’d been accepted to the program. to get past the nerves He started learning Russian, an official and focus on making language of Kyrgyzstan, as well as Kyrgyz, a difference. “There’s Judson Moore and hopes to be able to communicate in definitely that sense of Russian within six months. “If you live in a excitement and thrill and adventure, but country for long enough, you can’t help but it’s also being reined in with the safety and learn the language if you allow yourself to security of knowing who’s backing me and be exposed to it,” he says. the community I’m going to has requested As a community developer, Moore will me to be there,” he says. be working with a non-profit organization Moore knew the Peace Corps was for him in Kyrgyzstan, but he won’t know specifics when he was seventeen. He participated about his job assignment until he finishes in a youth exchange program in Germany, all his training in the country. “I’ll be the which he says piqued his interest in exotic American everybody wants to know international relations. “I had this great for the first ‘x’ number of days. But then sense of commitment to community, and that allure will wear off, and I’ll be that guy all of a sudden I had this mindset on the who doesn’t speak the language,” he says. international stage,” he says. “I’ll need to replace that fantasy of being That mindset followed Moore to LSU, exotic with something substantial and where he studied political science with something real.” a concentration in foreign relations and worked with organizations such as Student Ryan Buxton, a print journalism major in the Government. Just as he was preparing to Manship School of Mass Communication, graduate and embark on the political career works with The Daily Reveille.
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAI D Baton Rouge, LA PERMIT 159 Louisiana State University and A&M College 3838 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70808