LSU FOUNDATION
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SUMMER and FALL 2014
Membership Profile
Cornerstone EDITORS Lauren Brown Sara Crow ART DIRECTOR Virginia Otto-Hayes LSU Senior, Graphic Design CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ernie Ballard Linda Foster Benedict Jacquelyn Schulz Craddock Gigi Gauthier Sonya Gordon Ginger Guttner Kristen Higdon Dawn Jenkins Dr. Jeff Kuehny Mimi LaValle Christy O’Neal Jennifer Roche Val Vogel CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrea Laborde Barbier Karli Beard Lauren Brown Dawn Jenkins Eddy Perez Rachel Saltzberg Jim Zietz PRINTING TriStar Graphics Group, Inc To share feedback, please contact Sara Crow at scrow@lsufoundation.org or 225-578-8164. www.lsufoundation.org
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Dick and Sherri Alario, with LSU Football Coach Les Miles, are active members of the LSU Foundation, LSU Alumni Association and Tiger Athletic Foundation.
Purple and Gold Passion Dick and Sherri Alario have shared a passion for LSU since they first met 39 years ago through their involvement in the LSU Greek community. Having both received bachelor’s degrees from LSU in 1976—she in education, he in broadcast journalism—the couple has supported their alma mater for more than 30 years and been Foundation members since 2008. Dick described his and Sherri’s continued support of the Foundation as a great way to give back to LSU, saying, “The Foundation makes it easy. It’s user-friendly. We can donate to the Foundation, we can get involved in the Foundation’s mission and know that the contributions we make and the efforts that we put forth support programs and the university to improve.” While the couple is most dedicated to supporting the College of Human Sciences & Education and the Manship School of Mass Communication—Dick delivered the school’s commencement
address last fall, and their daughter, Stacee, is a Manship grad—they are ardent about all things LSU. “We’re passionate about the brand LSU,” Dick said. “We’re identified with LSU and LSU sports in the Houston energy community, and we couldn’t be happier.” Dick also supports LSU through his company, Key Energy Services, Inc., for which he established a 1:1 matching gift program so that employee gifts to LSU are essentially doubled. For the past three years, Key has also been the primary supporter of the Houston LSU Tiger Tour. “It’s pretty clear to us that the contributions are being used in the right way,” Dick said of the Foundation. “And that without them, LSU would not be able to compete or even keep up with other universities who have had long-standing philanthropic support or large endowments.” www.lsufoundation.org/membership
Meet Our Cover Girl
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Lindsey Bennett has served the LSU Foundation for two years as a student worker for our director of donor relations. She graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, and will spend the next year as a Disney intern. In her four years at LSU, Lindsey has been involved with several campus organizations and has held leadership roles in Delta Gamma, Student Government, LSU Ambassadors and STRIPES.
INSIDE CORNERSTONE Summer and Fall 2014 • Volume 26, Number 1
Behind every gift to the LSU Foundation is an individual or organization determined to advance the quality of education.
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TEACHING GENERATIONS p 34 • PRESERVING MUSIC p 27 • A VISION FOR LOUISIANA p 12 4 5 6
WELCOME President and CEO
30 ENDOW AN OAK 32 HONORING LOVED ONES
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Frank W. Harrison, III LARGE-SCALE FUNDRAISING Breaking New Ground Exceeds Goal
42 SCHOLARSHIPS Star Students Coming Home
38 PROFESSORSHIPS Cultivating Generosity Making Music
44 STUDY ABROAD
40 TEACHING AWARDS
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46 JOE DEAN SR. MEMORIAL EFFORT LSU FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS
10 CAPITAL PROJECTS Business Education Complex Update Tiger Spirit? It’s on the House! A Vision for Louisiana 16 CULTURE OF GIVING 18 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS 20 MATCHING GIFTS Des Racines Profondes 21 THANK YOU FOR GIVING 24 YOUNG ALUMNI GIVING BACK 26 PLANNED GIVING
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THE LSU FOUNDATION FOSTERS PRIVATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR LSU, THE LSU AGCENTER, AND THE LSU PAUL M. HEBERT LAW CENTER. Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
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Dear Friends, By the time the next issue of Cornerstone is in print, we will be well underway with construction of the LSU Foundation Center for Philanthropy. This summer, we will break ground on the site of the old Alex Box Stadium. Our building, at the corner of Nicholson and Skip Bertman drives, will kick off the Nicholson Development Project, LSU’s initiative to transform the corridor along Nicholson Drive between LSU and downtown Baton Rouge. This is the last underdeveloped tract of land adjacent to the campus core, a highly visible, central location that will allow us to engage donors in “the home of academic fundraising.” In addition to efficient, open workspace for our team, there will be a variety of event spaces that we will open up to our campus colleagues (gratis) for donor events, and we will celebrate the importance of philanthropy to LSU through modern, engaging displays. We look forward to keeping you informed about our progress, and to welcoming you upon the project’s completion in the fall of 2015. In early February, three months ahead of schedule, the LSU College of Engineering announced the success of a record-breaking capital campaign to enhance and expand the college. More than 450 individuals and corporations pledged $52.5 million to the Breaking New Ground campaign, which was publicly launched in April 2013. Their commitments, including 20 gifts of at least $1 million, more than fulfilled the college’s commitment to a $100 million public-private partnership to renovate Patrick F. Taylor Hall and construct a chemical engineering addition. We congratulate Dean Rick Koubek, who, with the support of the LSU Foundation, led this successful endeavor. Meanwhile, the LSU Law John P. Laborde Energy Law Center has already established itself on campus as one of LSU’s top-flight programs. It is the first such center in Louisiana and one of a handful in law schools nationwide, preparing lawyers to address the full range of 21st century issues in the complex energy sector and to assume leadership roles in industry, government and the academy. With the leadership of John Laborde’s $2 million gift to the program, other donors have invested in the center, but additional private gifts will enable its development into the premier center of its kind. As we continue our efforts to double annual fundraising by 2016 and significantly grow our endowment, projects like Breaking New Ground and the John P. Laborde Energy Law Center enable us to help LSU introduce stellar enhancements and programs, and they allow donors the opportunity to join together to make big ideas a reality. Sincerely,
G. Lee Griffin (MS Business, 1962) President and CEO, LSU Foundation
Thank You! Scholarships. Research. Study Abroad. Big Ideas. Service. Professorships. Leadership. Endowments. Capital Projects. Memorials. If any of the stories in this issue inspire you to give, please visit us online:
www.lsufoundation.org/cornerstonegiving At right, clockwise from top left: LSU students Cessali, Madaline, Arturo, Oscar, Leighanna and Cody
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Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
Leading the Legacy Frank W. Harrison is a legacy name at LSU, where three generations of Harrisons have received degrees. Frank W. Harrison, Jr. was instrumental in helping the LSU Foundation in its early stages, and only left the Foundation’s Board of Directors to pass the torch to his son, Frank W. “Billy” Harrison, III. Billy is now leading the Harrison family legacy of giving back to LSU. He shared that being asked to join the Foundation’s Board of Directors was an honor. “I give my time and money to the Foundation in order to further the academic resources of LSU. I want to see LSU continue to be a tier one academic institution benefiting,
primarily, the students in Louisiana. I want to do everything I can to ensure LSU continues to maintain the quality of education that it has already successfully established and help raise the bar of academics even higher.” In his nearly 15 years of active involvement with the Foundation, Billy has seen LSU alumni and friends develop a more philanthropic mindset. “From my father’s generation, to my generation, to the younger generation, the Foundation has tried to cultivate, through outreach to alumni, a culture of giving back to the academics of LSU,” he said. Billy shared that this evolution of philanthropy will continue to grow with the Foundation’s proposed new building across from Tiger Stadium. “We need a higher visibility … and a presence on campus that says ‘We are the Foundation.’” He added that the Foundation also needs more space on campus for its staff and development officers. In the next five to 10 years, Billy would like to see the Foundation grow to include offices in other key LSU alumni cities, like the office recently opened in Houston. He would also like to see more development officers hired by the Foundation, and an endowment that has doubled in size. “We are a tier one academic institution now, and we don’t want to backtrack. The Foundation needs to work with LSU in academic fundraising efforts to help ensure that LSU retains our deans and professors, and keeps the professor-tostudent ratio small.” “LSU is, first and foremost, an academic institution,” he explained. “The Foundation is here to support LSU academically, and to ensure our students get the best possible education. The best way to do that is to give back to the university with your time and money.” science.lsu.edu
Frank W. Harrison, III and his wife, Ann, are residents of Houston, Texas, and are dedicated supporters of the Department of Geology & Geophysics in the College of Science. In 2012, Billy was named to the College of Science Hall of Distinction and was designated a Tiger
Board of Directors OFFICERS Gary L. Laborde • New Orleans, LA Chairperson of the Board T. Cass Gaiennie • Shreveport, LA Chairperson-Elect of the Board G. Lee Griffin • Baton Rouge, LA President and Chief Executive Officer William L. Silvia Jr. • Baton Rouge, LA Corporate Secretary Clarence P. Cazalot Jr. • Houston, TX Corporate Treasurer
DIRECTORS Mark K. Anderson • Monroe, LA J. Herbert Boydstun • Baton Rouge, LA J. Terrell Brown • Baton Rouge, LA Robert H. Crosby III • New Orleans, LA Laura L. Dauzat • Marksville, LA William T. Firesheets II • Baton Rouge, LA Frank W. “Billy” Harrison III • Houston, TX Charles A. Landry • Baton Rouge, LA Laura A. Leach • Lake Charles, LA David B. Means III • Mansfield, LA W. Henson Moore III • Baton Rouge, LA William B. Owens • Alexandria, LA James R. Peltier • Thibodaux, LA D. Martin Phillips • Houston, TX Sean E. Reilly • Baton Rouge, LA John F. Shackelford III • Bonita, LA Jeffrey N. Springmeyer • Houston, TX Robert M. Stuart Jr. • Baton Rouge, LA Sue W. Turner • Baton Rouge, LA Burton D. Weaver • Flora, LA Felix Weill • Baton Rouge, LA
EX OFFICIO F. King Alexander President and Chancellor LSU William B. Richardson Vice President of Agriculture and Dean of the LSU College of Agriculture Jack M. Weiss Chancellor LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center
Leader in the 2011 LSU 100 awards. He is actively involved in the College of Science Dean’s Circle, Tiger Athletic Foundation and the LSU Alumni Association. Billy is the co-founder and co-general partner of Houston Energy, L.P.
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LARGE-SCALE FUNDRAISING
Breaking New Ground Exceeds $100 Million Public-Private Partnership Goal On Feb. 3, three months ahead of schedule, the College of Engineering announced the success of a recordbreaking capital campaign. Publicly launched in April 2013, more than 450 individual and corporate donors pledged $52.5 million in private funds, fulfilling the college’s commitment to a $100 million public-private partnership to renovate Patrick F. Taylor Hall and construct a new chemical engineering addition. On Oct. 2, 2012, Gov. Bobby Jindal punctuated the role of LSU’s College of Engineering in Louisiana’s economic development initiatives by announcing the support of $50 million in capital outlay funding for the $100 million project—provided that donors also gave $50 million. “We are grateful for the hundreds of donors who stepped up to the plate to make this partnership a reality,” said Jindal. “Experts say they have never seen an industrial expansion like the one currently under way in our state, but they also say we are going to need to train and attract even more people to fill the demand for all the jobs coming to Louisiana. That’s why we are laser focused on making sure we have the tools to prepare our students so they can fill the jobs in the pipeline. This partnership will help accomplish that goal.” The $100 million renovation and expansion will support Louisiana’s engineering workforce needs. Upon completion, the college expects to almost double the number of graduates, from 650 to 1,150 engineers, computer scientists and construction managers annually. “The engineering expansion is an investment in our students and their careers,” said President and Chancellor
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F. King Alexander. “It will also attract the top faculty who will work with students to solve some of our state's greatest problems. The speedy success of the campaign demonstrates the confidence of our alumni and industry in LSU Engineering.” Alumni, industry partners and other donors committed $52.5 million dollars to the project, an unprecedented show of support that made Breaking New Ground LSU’s most successful short-term fundraising effort. “This is one of the great moments in the history of LSU's College of Engineering,” said Dean Rick Koubek. “A moment defined by the generosity and support of a remarkable group of donors, along with the commitment from Governor Jindal and the state. The momentum of their investment will position the college to take a leading part in securing Louisiana's position as a national leader in research and education.” Coleman and Partners, Perkins + Will was selected as the architectural firm to transform LSU's engineering campus. Construction is slated to begin this fall, with an estimated completion scheduled for fall 2017. Academic space impacted by this project totals 380,000
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
square feet. Updated labs, combined with the quality education already offered at LSU, will provide students more practical, hands-on experience to better prepare them to enter the global marketplace. Madison Longwell, a first-year biological engineering student, said of Breaking New Ground, “Improved teaching and research spaces, an enhanced senior design capstone space, and engineering projects on display will inspire and reinforce a sense of pride and motivation for students. LSU is breaking new ground! With improved recruiting, facilities and student preparedness, the LSU College of Engineering will have a positive impact on the state of Louisiana, and the nation as a whole.” Visionary projects like Breaking New Ground maximize the impact of philanthropic support by leveraging state dollars with the generosity of private donors. As the LSU Foundation continues in its efforts to raise at least $60 million annually for LSU by 2016, large-scale initiatives like this one will provide for the successful attainment of that goal while positioning LSU as a leader in academic excellence. eng.lsu.edu
Founded in 1908, the College of Engineering offers 11 undergraduate degree programs and confers approximately 650 bachelor’s degrees per year, ranking it in the top 10 percent of engineering colleges nationally for graduates. In 2013, it became the largest academic college in the LSU system and the fifth fastest growing engineering college in the nation. One hundred and thirty-five faculty members engage in education, research and commercialization, with a strategic focus on research indigenous to Louisiana: energy and environmental sustainability, and natural and built infrastructure.
Donor Showcase The LSU Foundation and the LSU College of Engineering offer special thanks to the alumni and corporate partners who contributed $1 million or more to ensure LSU Engineering students have state-of-the-art facilities where they can study, learn and grow. All named spaces are pending approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors.
Phyllis M. Taylor
At the April 20, 2013, kickoff of Breaking New Ground, campaign co-chair Phyllis M. Taylor announced a $15 million gift commitment to honor the legacy of the late Patrick F. Taylor and accelerate the momentum of the campaign. The pledge is the largest private donation to the College of Engineering in its history. Patrick F. Taylor graduated from LSU with a petroleum engineering degree in 1959. In 1979, he founded the Taylor Energy Company. It became the only solely owned independent company to explore for and produce oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico.
Turner Industries Group, LLC
The Bert and Sue Turner Family, of Turner Industries Group, LLC, unanimously supported a $5 million gift from Turner Industries to name the Department of Construction Management in honor of the late Bert S. Turner, a 1943 alumnus. “The Turner family wanted to honor Bert for his many contributions to Louisiana, in particular higher education,” Roland Toups, chairman and CEO of Turner Industries Group, LLC, said of the gift. “This is one of the many ways to remember him while, at the same time, supporting and expanding the opportunities for LSU’s future construction management students.”
RoyOMartin
Jonathan E. Martin, chairman and CEO, industrial engineering alumnus, and Roy O. Martin III, president and CFO, mechanical engineering alumnus, both of Martin Companies, L.L.C., announced a $2 million gift commitment to the project. Roy also volunteered as a campaign steering committee member. On behalf of his family, Jonathan shared, “It is important for our family to carry on my grandfather’s values of integrity, commitment and stewardship. The Martin family is honored to support both Louisiana and LSU through this contribution.”
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Ron and Gail Cambre
Ron Cambre is a 1960 chemical engineering graduate and former chairman, president and CEO of Newmont Mining Corporation/Newmont Gold Company. He and wife Gail, an LSU alumna, live in Covington, Louisiana, and Denver. The Cambres were among the earliest supporters of the effort to expand and renovate Patrick F. Taylor Hall and construct a chemical engineering addition. Ron also served on the campaign steering committee for the project.
Baker Hughes
Global oilfield service company Baker Hughes is a longtime supporter of LSU through both recruiting and philanthropic support. Its generous gift to Breaking New Ground will be recognized in the completed facility through the naming of a Baker Hughes Lecture Hall where LSU engineers will receive instruction and learning. This proposed expansion and upgrade will enhance the attributes of the LSU Engineer by providing increased student engagement in the classroom and also improving the hands-on experience for each student.
Art E. Favre
Favre’s longtime support of the college includes a major gift to Breaking New Ground, for which he served as a volunteer on the campaign steering committee. In recognition of his and his company’s close relationship with the college, the facility will include a Performance Contractors Construction Management Learning Complex. Favre, an LSU alumnus, said of the gift, “We should all take the time to give something back to the next generation. Each of us must get involved in the educational process."
BASF Corporation
A sustainable living laboratory funded by BASF Corporation will be the first of its kind in the Southeast region. The new lab will promote problem-based teaching and research to develop solutions focused on sustainable development and better understand research and implications of environmental stewardship. Using a lab-lease concept, researchers may submit proposals, which will be evaluated on innovation, relevance and benefits, and community impact.
Chevron, Inc.
Chevron’s contribution will establish an engineering student academic support center, as well as a reservoir mechanics and rock and fluids property teaching laboratory in the Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering. Funding for the center will facilitate the development of a more interactive educational process that incorporates student projects, industry engagement and case studies into the engineering curriculum. The new lab will focus on rock and fluids properties and reservoir mechanics and will give research groups an opportunity to engage in collaborative exploration of data and results.
DOW Foundation
Dow’s gift to Breaking New Ground will go toward the construction of the Dow Student Leadership Center, which will be focused on allowing students the opportunity to cross-collaborate, develop leadership skills and promote the philosophy of community service and social responsibility. The DOW Foundation is also supporting a process control laboratory in the new addition for the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering. It is the company’s largest gift to the college to date; LSU is one of only 15 Dow Strategic Universities in the U.S.
Ed and Karen Schmitt
Ed is a 1969 LSU chemical engineering graduate and former chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Gulf Corporation. He and wife Karen, an LSU alumna, live in Denham Springs, Louisiana. They were early supporters of the effort to renovate and expand Patrick F. Taylor Hall and construct a chemical engineering addition and were among the first donors to make a major gift to the effort.
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Entergy Louisiana
The Entergy Power Systems Teaching Complex will be a teaching/research lab and classroom complex for use by the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. As the first teaching and research complex of its kind at LSU, specifically designed to address energy challenges, it will help transform education by promoting innovative research and teaching for application of how energy resources impact the energy supply on a national scale.
Freeport-McMoran Oil & Gas
An interdisciplinary learning space will be supported by a gift from Freeport-McMoran Oil & Gas. In this new centralized, collaborative environment, students of all engineering disciplines will work on assignments targeted at industry initiatives and needs. Sustainable materials and design components will be implemented to develop problem-solving opportunities for learning. The space will also facilitate industry interaction with the college.
George A. Daniels
The late George Daniels received his Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from LSU in 1963. Before he passed away in 2011, George was recognized by LSU for his lifelong support and his commitment through a planned gift with LSU as a named beneficiary. While he was living, Daniels also contributed directly to the effort to build a new home for his former department; he was one of the first supporters of the project.
The Longwell Family
The Longwell Family Foundation’s contribution to Breaking New Ground includes plans for a new lecture hall recognizing the Norma and Harry Longwell Family. Harry served as co-chair of the Breaking New Ground campaign with Phyllis M. Taylor. A native of Alexandria, Louisiana, he earned a degree in petroleum engineering from LSU in 1963 and is former executive vice president of ExxonMobil.
Rene R. Joyce
Rene Joyce is a 1970 alumnus of the College of Engineering. He and wife Kay live in Houston. The college expects to recognize Rene’s generous contribution to the Breaking New Ground campaign through the naming of a lecture hall in the new and renovated facility.
Carol and Randy Limbacher
Randy Limbacher is a 1980 LSU Engineering graduate. He and wife Carol live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Limbachers’ gift provides general support of the Breaking New Ground campaign. The college expects to recognize their support through the naming of a lecture hall in the new and renovated facility.
MMR Group
MMR Group’s donation will further elevate the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management’s prominence by providing state-of-the-art learning spaces to better prepare its students for successful employment in the construction industry. MMR’s gift will fund a Building Simulation and Information Modeling Studio and an Advanced Materials and Methods Laboratory. Both labs will support the construction management undergraduate curriculum and provide innovative research opportunities. Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
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CAPITAL PROJECTS
Business Education Complex Update The E. J. Ourso College of Business may have cut the ribbon on its Business Education Complex two years ago, but exciting advancements are still taking place. Enrollment in the college has grown by 30 percent in two years, a new dean is settling in, and faithful alumni and friends are eager to show their support through transformational gifts. The most recent major gift to the college was donated to name an undergraduate classroom the “G M McCarroll Family Classroom.” The classroom, equipped with the latest audiovisual equipment, seats 120 people and is on the first floor of the complex’s undergraduate wing. McCarroll said of his gift, “LSU, and particularly the College of Business, needs all the support, both financially and otherwise, that we as alumni can provide. There are many opportunities to participate in the ongoing efforts to continue strengthening and improving LSU. After touring the new BEC and seeing the contributions that many of my friends and colleagues had made, it became clear to me that this was a great opportunity for me and my family to participate in such a successful campaign. The College of Business is working hard to attract and educate top students, and I want our students to have the best faculty and facilities we can provide.” McCarroll received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance in 1981 and is the founder, president and CEO of Fieldwood Energy LLC in Houston.
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Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
He serves the college as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council and Dean’s Circle. bus.lsu.edu
Tiger Spirit? It’s on the House! Texas Rep. William Callegari and his wife, Ann, have supported LSU for more than 30 years. “We just want to give back,” Bill said. “LSU was good to me while I was there … I never wanted to go anywhere else but LSU.” Bill earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of Engineering in 1963. He shared, “The professors and staff in Agriculture and Engineering were especially good to me. They were very encouraging through my four years at LSU.” A half-century later, Bill and Ann continue to show their appreciation for that experience. Recently, the couple made a gift to help fund the Breaking New Ground campaign and provide ongoing support for the W.A. Callegari Environmental Center at the LSU AgCenter. “I have an allegiance to both,” Bill said. “Deep down, I felt an obligation to help both engineering and the environmental center.” The Breaking New Ground campaign (pages 6-9) was a year-long public-private fundraising effort to support the renovation of Patrick F. Taylor Hall and construction of a chemical engineering addition. The effort is poised to help LSU increase Louisiana’s engineering workforce by nearly 50 percent in the next five years. The W.A. Callegari Environmental Center was established in 1999 and is the AgCenter’s research and training facility for water and air quality and composting organic waste. Located on an 8-acre site, the center serves researchers, agriculture producers, private communities, government agencies, and the general public in the areas of composting, water quality, air quality and bioenergy. Bill said he was drawn to the idea of the center because he had developed a business based in the same field of water systems, wastewater systems and other environmental issues. “[The center] was an opportunity for me to
Alyssa LeBlanc, student worker, has been working at the W.A. Callegari Environmental Center while pursuing a speech therapy degree.
give back and establish something that could help not just the university, but the entire state,” he explained. Back home in Texas, Bill loves the university—loudly. While sitting in the Texas House of Representatives, he has a unique presence. “Whenever my phone rings, everybody knows whose it is because mine plays the LSU pregame show,” he shared, adding, “It’s my way of making sure they know who’s the best.” The Callegaris, both natives of Cottonport, Louisiana, have also given to the Lod Cook Alumni Center and actively participate in numerous pro-
grams across campus, with Bill named to the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction and the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction. Their love for LSU has spread throughout three generations: they have two sons and two grandsons who have attended the university. The center named in Bill’s honor, and his and Ann’s multiple other gifts, celebrate how fondly Bill remembers his time at LSU. “I just want to make it possible for other kids to enjoy and benefit from an LSU education as I was able to do,” he said of the support. lsuagcenter.com eng.lsu.edu
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A Vision for Louisiana Senator J. Bennett Johnston, a 1956 graduate of LSU Law, spent his 32-year political career advancing energy initiatives for the country. As a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from its creation, and as its chairman and ranking member for much of his time in office, Johnston was either directly or indirectly responsible for all energy legislation considered by Congress between 1973 and 1996. When Johnston was announced as LSU Law’s 2012 commencement speaker, Chancellor Jack Weiss said of his knowledge of energy law, “His years of service to the state of Louisiana and our nation as a senior statesman in Congress have positioned him as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on energy law and regulation.” In addition to his public service, Johnston’s energy and environmental efforts are reflected through the J. Bennett Johnston Science Foundation. “We did it to honor his vision of higher education in the state and the region: that the only way we’re going to be able to compete is through higher education and science,” Mary Johnston Norriss, the foundation’s president, said of their efforts to establish the foundation and decision to support the LSU John P. Laborde Energy Law Center. The foundation announced an
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(Top Left) Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (Above) LSU Paul M. Hebert Law School
$800,000 challenge gift to the Laborde Center. The gift will propel the law center’s efforts to raise $20 million to support the center and make it a selfsustaining program. Norriss said the science foundation’s goal is to have the gift matched dollar-for-dollar. The gift, and an additional $200,000 match from LSU Law, will be used to establish an
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
endowed internship program, bearing Johnston’s name, in government energy policy. Johnston said internships acquaint students with career opportunities, and acquaint companies with the skills and abilities of students. “We want to give more opportunity to these law students and custom-train them for great energy
“I believe in the mission of the energy law center. I believe it can become an outstanding national center.” - Sen. J. Bennett Johnston
jobs around the country,” he said. Norriss added that the internships will provide exposure to the energy law industry. “The internships will allow students to get hands-on experience in seeing how politics affect policy in energy and law.” The energy law center, created in 2012, serves as an academic center for comprehensive instruction and research in energy law. It is the first of its kind in Louisiana and one of a handful in law schools nationwide. It will prepare lawyers to address the full range of 21st-century issues in the complex energy sector, as well as to assume leadership roles in industry, government and the academy. The center has already developed coursework for a new student credential, an energy law concentration that will be implemented in the fall 2015 semester, and is collaborating with other LSU units to develop interdisciplinary coursework. It has also established the LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources, a student-edited academic journal focusing broadly on energy and its relationship to other areas of law. “Energy is Louisiana’s biggest and most important business, and the LSU law school has a special role in promoting the oil and gas business in Louisiana,” Johnston shared. “We have
a vision to make LSU law school the Westpoint of energy law.” “One of the things that makes the world go ‘round is energy,” Norriss said, explaining the importance of the center to the country. She added that LSU has the expertise needed, situating it perfectly to house a world-class energy law center. Johnston and Norriss serve on the center’s advisory council, which
Johnston described as an outstanding group of lawyers and industry, business and community leaders who will help guide and mold the center’s structure to adapt to energy needs nationwide. He will serve as chair of the council. “I believe in the mission of the energy law center,” Johnston said. “I believe it can become an outstanding national center.” law.lsu.edu
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The LSU John P. Laborde Energy Law Center will: • • • • •
Train future advocates and leaders of the energy sector by providing sophisticated expertise in energy law that is grounded in the science, economics, engineering and business of energy. Take advantage of the uniquely comprehensive “energy laboratory” provided by Louisiana. Primarily focus on law relating to energy exploration, production, development, transportation and finance, with an environmental perspective. Provide ongoing, continuing, cutting-edge professional development for lawyers and leaders of the energy sector. Provide a supportive environment for applied research and policy as a foundation for economic growth and development.
LSU Laborde Energy Law Advisory Council 2014 Priya Radhakrishnan Aiyar – Washington, DC Robert B. “Skip” Allen (’75) – Houston, TX Scott Angelle – Lafayette, LA Dr. Stuart Bell – Baton Rouge, LA Jacques Besnainou – Washington, DC Caroline Blitzer-Phillips (’96) – New York, NY Dan Borné – Baton Rouge, LA Mark Boudreaux (’84) – Baton Rouge, LA Marcus Brown – New Orleans, LA Maryam S. Brown (’00) – Washington, DC Lori Cameron (’79) – Dallas, TX William M. Comegys (’74) – Shreveport, LA Ed Comer – Washington, DC Ryan M. Crespino – New Orleans, LA John Davies – Baton Rouge, LA Dr. Christopher F. D’Elia – Baton Rouge, LA
Donor Investments for the Energy Law Center • • • • •
John P. Laborde (’49) contributed the lead campaign gift of $2 million, establishing a double-endowed chair in energy law and a significant programmatic endowment fund. John T. Nesser III (’73) and family, including Amanda Nesser Moeller (’05) and J.T. Nesser IV (’99), provided the first gift to the center—a $600,000 endowed chair. Liskow & Lewis created a $200,000 endowment for a visiting professorship in energy law. The Law Center hosted the inaugural Liskow & Lewis Visiting Professorship Lecture in fall 2013. Two additional endowed professorships were given in support of the program by Edward Womack Jr. (’83) and Sen. Jackson B. Davis (’40) and his wife, Rosemary. The Louisiana Board of Regents has matched $1.2 million in funds for endowed chairs through two competitive applications for funding.
John N. Estes III (’83) – Washington, DC Calvin Fayard (’69) – New Orleans, LA G. Lee Griffin – Baton Rouge, LA Joseph L. Hargrove Jr. (’75) – Shreveport, LA Johnnie W. Hoffman (’79) – Houston, TX Jonathan Hunter (’87) – New Orleans, LA Hon. Brian Jackson – Baton Rouge, LA Hon. Chris C. John – Baton Rouge, LA Hon. J. Bennett Johnston (’56) – Washington, DC Leonard L. Kilgore (’76) – Baton Rouge, LA Adam Knapp – Baton Rouge, LA Dr. Richard Koubek – Baton Rouge, LA Cliffe F. Laborde (’76) – New Orleans, LA John P. Laborde (’49) – New Orleans, LA James E. Maurin – Covington, LA Marjorie McKeithen (’91) – New Orleans, LA Mark W. Menezes (’81) – Washington, DC Hon. W. Henson Moore III (’65) – Baton Rouge, LA John Patrick Morris, Jr. (’97) – New Orleans, LA
Key Fundraising Initiatives • • • • • • • • •
Annual and endowed funds to support internships and externships in the energy sector Annual and endowed student scholarships for joint-degree and master’slevel students studying in the Energy Law program Support for special symposia and speaker programs Support for the Energy Law Moot Court Teams Support for a Junior Scholars Fellowship Program in Energy Law Support for a distance education initiative for Energy Law Additional faculty support through endowed professorships in Energy Law Support for cutting-edge faculty research in Energy Law Endowment to support operations of the Energy Law Center
John T. Nesser III (’73) – Houston, TX James W. Noe (’97) – Houston, TX John B. Noland (’70) – Baton Rouge, LA Mary Johnston Norriss – New Orleans, LA Patrick S. Ottinger (’73) – Lafayette, LA Daryl Owen (’81) – Washington, DC Frederick J. “Rick” Plaeger II (’77) – Houston, TX Robert R. Rabalais (’89) – Houston, TX Robert K. Reeves (’82) – Houston, TX Oliver G. “Rick” Richard III (’77) – Lake Charles, LA Kimberly L. Robinson (’98) – Baton Rouge, LA Prof. Robert Rosner – Chicago, IL Yvette K. Schultz (’08) – Houston, TX Robert G. Szabo (’72) – Washington, DC Hon. Wilbert “Billy” Tauzin (’67) – Washington, DC Uisdean R. Vass (’85) – Scotland Stephen Waguespack – Baton Rouge, LA Kenneth L. Wallach – New York, NY Susan S. Wallach – New York, NY
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Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
Focus on Energy: A Look at LSU’s Energy Research Energy Frontier Research Center LSU is home to one of 46 new multimillion-dollar Energy Frontier Research Centers that will pursue advanced scientific research on energy. Of these 46, five, including LSU’s, focus on research into catalysts for energy applications. Headed by Dr. James J. Spivey in the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, LSU’s EFRC is called the “Center for Atomic-Level Catalyst Design” and will examine new ways to use advanced computational tools to accurately model catalytic reactions, thereby providing the basis for the new design of catalysts. “Our research focuses on the development and characterization of heterogeneous catalysts,” Spivey explained, adding, “The study of these materials is an essential element in meeting the challenges in producing clean, affordable energy.” eng.lsu.edu Hydraulic Fracturing Lab Juan Lorenzo, associate professor of geology and geophysics, and Arash Dahi Taleghani, assistant professor of petroleum engineering, have received funding to simulate real fracturing treatments through the establishment of a hydraulics fracturing lab, the first of its kind at LSU. Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is the process of inducing a crack or conduit for hydrocarbon flow in the Earth’s subsurface. Hydrocarbons, used to produce both petroleum and natural gas, are stored in the pores of the rocks; production from low-permeability formations can be improved by cracking these rocks. Researchers in the lab will have access to very small, high-frequency sensors capable of listening to up to 2.5 million hertz—about 100 times more sensitive than the human ear. They
will be used for extremely precise seismic monitoring. A super computer will collect the large amounts of data that the sensors will produce. eng.lsu.edu science.lsu.edu PERTT Lab LSU is the only university in North America where future petroleum engineers can get hands-on training in well control at a full-scale research and training facility. The LSU Petroleum Engineering Research & Technology Transfer Laboratory is a versatile research environment for performing multiphase flow experiments on fieldscale tubulars at high pressures. Since the lab’s development in the early 1980s, donors have invested $2 million, including Donald W. and Gayle A. Keller’s gift to fund a classroom there and support ongoing facility needs. The lab has full-scale equipment and instrumentation for conducting research related to borehole technology. The lab originally assembled most of this equipment for blowout prevention research and training activities. eng.lsu.edu Biofuels Grant In 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded a five-year, $17.2 million grant to the LSU AgCenter to enhance and speed up the process for developing biofuels and biochemicals from high-fiber sugarcane varieties and sweet sorghum, another nonfood crop. The grant is part of a $136 million package the USDA gave to five universities with the overarching goal of helping to generate rural jobs and decrease dependence on foreign oil. The LSU AgCenter was selected because of its successful track record in biofuels development using sugarcane and in working with the sugarcane industry, according to John Russin,
PERTT Lab
AgCenter vice chancellor. The economics of converting nonfood crops into fuel and other products is a major part of the grant, and extensive analyses of all the production scenarios will be conducted by the AgCenter. “We have to address issues of harvesting, processing, storage, pretreatment and conversion,” Russin explained. “We are trying to find ways to make this industry economically feasible.” lsuagcenter.com
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
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CULTURE OF GIVING
Dr. James Robinson at his home in Baton Rouge
You Either Feel it or You Don’t Dr. James Robinson intended to live in Baton Rouge for only one year. He and his late wife, Winifred, made the move in 1955 after he received an offer to work at LSU. The couple quickly fell in love with the warm climate, a welcome change from their cold, rainy home in England. They felt it—not just the weather, but also the community and excellence of LSU. After his one year at LSU, James left to work as a chemist at Standard Oil. He has lived in his house on the university lakes since. James eventually returned to teach chemistry and instrumental analysis at LSU, where he was able to achieve many of his career accomplishments, including writing the first textbook on
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instrumental analysis; researching acid rain; and lecturing worldwide. The Robinsons’ giving history with LSU began when the couple, both music lovers and pianists, became involved with Patrons of the LSU Opera. James’ contributions have continued with the donation of a Broadwood grand piano (a gift from Winnie shortly after they moved into their home) to the School of Music, and through establishing the Winifred Robinson Memorial Piano Scholarship and the Robinson Graduate Analytical Chemistry Endowed Award. “I think it’s the right thing to do,” James said. “I think it’s a beneficial thing to do. As long as I’ve got something to give, I’m going to give it.” The endowed award, known as the Robinson Award, is given annually to the graduate student deemed by the department’s faculty and dean to be the best future analytical chemist. It is not simply a monetary award, but also one of great prestige. “I think science is the way ahead
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
for mankind,” James shared of why he supports the College of Science. “Things have improved incredibly while I’ve been alive.” He added that he also supports the School of Music because, “I love music. When I was 17, in the arrogance of youth, I didn’t know whether to go into music or science.” Ultimately, though, he decided to study science because he was not willing to practice the hours necessary for success as a pianist. Winnie, whom James described as a “one-only edition,” is the namesake of the music scholarship. He shared that he fell in love with her the minute he met her, and enjoyed a 65-year-long marriage. The scholarship has been awarded to one piano student, whose recital James attended and about whom he said, “I’ve got no question he’s going to do well. Putting motion into music can’t be learned. You either can or cannot. You either feel it or you don’t.” cmda.lsu.edu science.lsu.edu
Legacies Live on Through Grateful Students Chaning Simmons always knew LSU was for her. LSU stood out for the junior both for its achievements in the College of Engineering and for being close to her family in nearby Walker. “My dad has worked in the petrochemical industry my whole life, which sprouted an interest in chemistry at an early age,” Simmons said, adding, “In high school, I took all available higher-level science and math classes to prepare myself for college. Once I began college classes, I knew that I was pursuing a degree in something I loved learning about, and was confident that I had chosen the correct career path for me.” Simmons is the current recipient of the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering’s Floyd S. Edmiston, Jr. Scholarship. She shared that the scholarship has provided her with several significant advantages in pursuing her degree. “This scholarship supplies me with funds needed to pay tuition, buy books, pay lab fees and other expenses without having to take out student loans,” she explained. “With these expenses covered, I am able to work less and devote more time toward my studies. I also have a feeling of accomplishment knowing that my hard work has been recognized, and this motivates me to work even harder to reach my goal.” The scholarship is one of five funds created by Evelyn Edmiston Howell, a 1947 College of Agriculture graduate. Howell, who has funded two scholarships (named for her brother and late husband, respectively) and three professorships, said she and her husband have always believed strongly in education. “It’s a joy and a privilege to be able to give to the LSU Foundation with these fellowships and scholarships,” she shared. “It makes it easier for others to achieve their life goals.” Stefan Wojkowski, recipient of the Paul N. Howell Endowed Memorial Scholarship, is also working to build a foundation for his career in chemical engineering. Wojkowski said, “Entering my final years of school, the benefits of this scholarship will be instrumental for books and other materials for my upper-level courses.” He added that the distinction of holding the scholarship encourages him to strive for academic excellence in his curriculum. Howell said she is grateful for the letters she often receives from scholarship and professorship recipients. They detail not just how the awards were used, but also recipients’ achievements and hopes for the future. “That brings me joy and appreciation in return,” she said. She created the Floyd S. Edmiston, Sr. Professorship in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management to honor her father. The award will benefit a field faculty member who is
Chaning Simmons
actively engaged in teaching or research. Howell shared that she established the Grace Drews Lehmann Professorship Fund in Human Ecology “to honor a very special person.” Lehmann, Howell’s close childhood friend, was stricken with polio just before the vaccine was released. Though she lived largely in an iron lung and a rocking bed, Lehmann remained an inspirational, loving presence for Howell. “Whenever we went to see that young lady, she was never without a smile,” Howell shared, adding, “She was truly remarkable.” In honor of the former chairman of Howell Corporation, Howell also established the Donald W. Clayton Professorship to aid instructors in the Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering. “Any time we give and any time we have given, we’ve found that we’ve been the recipients of so much more than we’ve been able to give,” she said. eng.lsu.edu www.coa.lsu.edu Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
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COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
The Business of Education Hands-on learning is an important complement to classroom lessons about environmental issues. Several local corporations have dedicated gifts to this purpose through school programs at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden.
Students from The Dufrocq School mailed thank you letters to volunteers after a memorable field trip.
Dow
Weyerhaeuser
The Dow Chemical Company recently awarded the AgCenter a $10,000 grant from the DowGives Louisiana Community Grant Program, designed to support projects tied to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curricula, economic development or sustainability. The grant will enable construction of an outdoor classroom space in the children’s garden that will serve as a teaching shelter. The shelter will offer classroom capacity and shade to visitors of the children’s garden, an area built to show teachers and parents how to teach math and science skills to children through gardening. Wooden tables and benches will be built for activities and small group exercises. A storage area will provide space for gardening tools, watering cans and other educational supplies.
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The Botanic Gardens’ Trees & Trails program will soon cut the ribbon on an educational pavilion, funded in part by a $20,000 donation from The Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund. The gift is part of Weyerhaeuser’s ongoing mission to support education and community outreach as good stewards of nature and business. The pavilion will provide a space for up to 120 students at a time to participate in Project Learning Tree, a nationally acclaimed program that emphasizes strengthening problem solving, critical thinking, and team building skills. More than 1,400 children from 17 schools participated in the program in 2012-13. The space will feature ceiling fans, old New Orleans brick columns and an open-hearth brick fireplace for cooking demonstrations and expanded lessons in nutrition.
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
Albemarle
Contributions from Albemarle Foundation will fund five new school gardens. Through gardening, children can learn about science, mathematics, English, environmental studies, family and consumer sciences, health and art. Gardens help students understand where fresh food is grown and provide them firsthand learning experiences about the importance of plants, nature and the outdoors. This summer, LSU AgCenter school/community garden specialist Dr. Kiki Fontenot will lead workshops about class gardens for teachers. She will demonstrate how to build and sustain a garden, and how to integrate that garden into their curricula. The training will include demonstrations in the model children’s garden at the Botanic Gardens. lsuagcenter.com
David Jordan with Robert Ruiz
Lessons in Diversity
ExxonMobil Corporation and the College of Engineering are working together to encourage and assist talented minority students in earning degrees in engineering and pursuing STEM careers (i.e., careers in science, technology, engineering and math). The ExxonMobil Scholars program, a mentorship-centered approach to career preparation, provides students from underrepresented groups access to a network of industry professionals who are committed to ensuring the students’ time at LSU is a success. In response to the success of the scholars program, ExxonMobil has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting diversity in STEM with a gift of $250,000, bringing the company’s total contribution to the program to
$750,000. This year, African-American and Hispanic engineering students with aspirations toward STEM careers have joined the next class of ExxonMobil Scholars. Scholars like David Jordan, a junior in mechanical engineering, benefit from both financial support and ongoing one-on-one mentorship from employees. Jordan said of the personalized support, “Talking with my mentor, Robert Ruiz, about his experience as an engineering student and his current work environment has helped me manage my expectations as I prepare to enter the job market.” Scholars consistently identify the mentor-protégé relationship as key to their success at LSU, and they welcome the opportunity to give back once they embark on professional careers. “As a mentor, I have the opportunity to work with a scholar on an individual basis and share my experiences of college, interviewing and the transition to the workplace,” shared Ruiz, a cracking and hydroprocessing instrument engineer. “I feel that this paired relationship gives the scholar an advantage and promotes success.” ExxonMobil also contributes to professional and personal development programs and events in the college to help the scholars gain a better understanding of skills used by engineering
professionals. “The ExxonMobil interviewing seminar provided me with a lot of useful information about the interviewing process, résumé writing, as well as techniques for a successful interview,” Jordan shared. Scholars are selected based on a proven superior academic background, early engineering or science exposure, and participation in leadership and community outreach efforts. Preference is given to African-American, Hispanic and Native American students. To remain in the program, scholars must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Last year, thanks in part to academic and career development support, the ExxonMobil Scholars program had an 81 percent retention rate and an average cumulative GPA of 3.5. Several participating students hold leadership positions as engineering organization officers and members of nationally competitive teams. Since its inception in 2003, the ExxonMobil Scholar program has mentored 24 LSU College of Engineering graduates. Five former scholars became full-time employees at ExxonMobil. During the 2013-14 academic year, there were eight active scholars, including two who are participating in cooperative education experiences, with one at ExxonMobil. eng.lsu.edu
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
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MATCHING GIFTS
Lillie and George Gallagher in their home
Des Racines Profondes: Deep Roots Lillie Petit Gallagher’s heritage is deeply rooted in the French culture of South Louisiana. Her father’s family owned the only general store in the predominantly French-speaking community of Cutoff. Her mother’s family owned a restaurant in the same town. Lillie and her husband, George, celebrated her rich cultural background through a gift to her alma mater that honors her parents. George was an ExxonMobil engineer, so the couple was able to leverage the company’s 3:1 educational matching gift program to establish the Lillian Defelice and Sampson J. Petit Professorship in French for Business. Lillie shared, “My whole family had been in business, so I wanted to
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establish an opportunity for French and business to be explored and used in whatever way it could help LSU’s French department,” she shared. The matching gift program has allowed her and George to maximize their donations, Lillie said, explaining, “It’s fantastic. It gives Exxon employees the opportunity to make a difference. Your small donation can be leveraged. It allows the employees to have a stake in college programs that are near and dear to their heart, and make a difference in people’s lives.” The matching program is available to both current and retired employees and their annuitants, which recently enabled the couple to celebrate Lillie’s roots even more deeply. Lillie said they decided to create a scholarship partly because George attended college on a scholarship. “Had he not had the opportunity to go to school on scholarship, he probably would not have had the opportunity to go to school and have an engineering degree, which then went on to a 50-year
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
association with Exxon,” she said. She added that George’s career provided travel opportunities that allowed them to see much of the world. She and George are grateful for these opportunities, and are passing them on to students. Lillie explained, “We feel it’s important for students to be exposed through travel. So, hopefully, some of this scholarship program will enable students to travel to different parts of the French-speaking world.” The Lillie Petit and George Clark Gallagher Scholarship in French Studies will provide students with funds to supplement tuition or travel. “I am very close to my French roots, and I was motivated to continue that connection with the French in Louisiana,” Lillie said, adding that it can be difficult for people to feel a connection to their heritage. “I was hoping that through this scholarship and professorship, it would provide that opportunity for young students.” hss.lsu.edu
LSU Press Books Receive Local and National Recognition Awards season is not just for movies. In January and February, six LSU Press books of poetry and nonfiction were recognized with national and regional awards. Two of the six recipients were underwritten by donors.
Concert Life in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans By John Baron Concert Life in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans, an exhaustively researched exploration of 19th-century classical musical culture in New Orleans, received an honorable mention for the PROSE Award for Single Volume Reference in Humanities and Social Sciences. During the 19th century, New Orleans thrived as the epicenter of classical music in America, outshining New York, Boston and San Francisco before the Civil War, and rivaling them thereafter. While other cities offered few, if any, operatic productions, New Orleans gained renown for its glorious opera seasons. Resident composers, performers, publishers, teachers, instrument makers and dealers fed the public’s voracious cultural appetite. Tourists came from across the U.S. to experience the city’s thriving musical scene. Until now, no study has offered a thorough history of this exciting and momentous era in American musical performance history. John H. Baron’s Concert Life in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans impressively fills that gap. Baron’s work details all aspects of New Orleans’s 19th-century musical renditions, including the development of orchestras; the surrounding social, political and economic conditions; and the individuals who collectively made the city a premier destination for world-class musicians. Baron includes a wide-ranging chronological discussion of nearly every documented concert that took place in the Crescent City in the 1800s, establishing Concert Life in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans as an indispensable reference volume.
Swamper By Amy Griffin Ouchley The Southeast Region of the National Association of Interpretation has named Swamper: Letters from a Louisiana Swamp Rabbit the Outstanding Interpretive Book of 2013. Swamper, a fictitious swamp rabbit, lives in the bottomland hardwood forest, or overflow swamp, which is a very real environment. In 12 “letters” addressed to his human friends, Swamper shares his vivid observations about life in a Louisiana swamp. With excitement and captivating detail, he explains ecological concepts, such as food webs, energy flow, decomposition and reproduction. He recounts adventures like escaping his predators, the great horned owl and the red fox, and swimming for his life after a flood forces him to find higher ground. The alert swamp rabbit even describes the seasonal migration of birds and the monthly phases of the moon. This children’s book, underwritten by Friends of Black Bayou, Anna S. Ham, Karen Nichols and Ann B. Smith, educates young readers about the interconnected life cycles in a natural habitat, and helps them develop a deeper appreciation for this delicate ecosystem. lsupress.org Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
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THANK YOU FOR GIVING The scholarships LSU Foundation donors provide allow students opportunities they might not otherwise have. Scholarships open the door to college, research, travel, activities with other students, community service—limitless opportunities to grow, learn and discover before walking across a commencement stage clad in a purple mortarboard and the promise of a bright future.
Thank You for Second Chances Thank you very much for your support of LSU. I am the 2014 recipient of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society-Bayou Chapter Scholarship. Please allow me to tell you about myself. I was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, the youngest of three children. In high school, I excelled in the classroom, was a member of the varsity baseball team, the student council, and the National Honor Society. However, by my junior year, I was in the thralls of addiction, and everything else in my life took a back seat to my habit. After enrolling at LSU in the fall of 2010, I left in the spring of 2011 to fight my addiction. I returned to LSU in the fall of 2012, sober for the first time in years, and began my journey at LSU for the second time. Since returning, my education has assumed an important role in my life, second only to my sobriety. I have currently been sober for over 31 months. From the time I was old enough to fully understand the concept of a higher education, I knew I would be an LSU Tiger. My mother, my father, my sister, and my brother all attended LSU; it was in my blood. I was accepted to Tulane University and the University of Texas, but never gave any serious thought to attending either school. While building the foundation of my sobriety in Dallas over the course of 2011 and 2012, I was determined to return to LSU. Facing immense pressure to stay in Texas to continue my education, my mind agreed, but my heart had other plans. I moved back to Louisiana in May of 2012 and began taking the necessary steps to return to school. LSU gave me a second chance, and I have not disappointed. This school means the world to me. Currently, I am a junior pursuing a degree in finance. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I should graduate in the spring of 2015. My family has strong ties to the insurance business in Lafayette, so that seems a natural fit in terms of a career path. I am, however, also interested in investment banking. I want to make a name for myself independent of my family, but I am not opposed to joining the family business later in life. My family stood by me every step of the way as I recovered from addiction, and I am eternally grateful to them. Following my withdrawal from LSU in 2011, I lost the entirety of the scholarship money I received coming out of high school. Upon my return to LSU, I managed to have the LSU Centennial award reinstated, but could no longer receive TOPS money. I went from paying no tuition to paying almost full tuition upon my return to LSU. Much like everything else in life, sobriety has been capitalized on and turned into a business. I am grateful to the professionals that helped me overcome addiction, but that help came at a steep price. These two facts make this scholarship profoundly meaningful to me. I was burdened with guilt and shame that I had cost my family so much money over the course of two years, but this scholarship is hard evidence that focus and determination can lead to redemption for someone like me. Once again, thank you for your support of LSU and its students. Please realize that it is deeply appreciated and has not gone unnoticed. Sincerely, Caleb E. Andrus Finance Junior
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Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
Thank You for Education I am writing to express my thanks for the support you have provided for my education through the Science Honors Scholar Award. I was deeply honored and grateful to have been selected for this award, which was an important part of my decision to attend LSU. My family resides in Mandeville, Louisiana, where I attended Fontainebleau High School and was named a valedictorian, National Merit Finalist, and earned a 36 on the ACT. Upon my graduation, I was excited to begin pursuing a major in biochemistry at LSU. I have loved the classes I am in thus far and enjoy being surrounded by such a vibrant campus every day. It is nice to continue my education alongside other individuals who are as passionate about their fields of study as I am about mine. In addition to coursework, I have a position in the Batzer Lab of Comparative Genomics as a research assistant. I am currently focusing on identifying mobile elements in the gorilla genome that are specific to gorillas so that they can be used to further elucidate the evolutionary history of primates as a whole. Beyond my academic interests, I am also an avid swimmer and musician. I try my hardest to keep those aspects of my life as alive as possible on a day-to-day basis. Looking forward, I hope to study abroad in Spain to immerse myself in the Spanish language. My future plans involve attending dental school and possibly specializing in either prosthodontics or orthodontics. I began gravitating towards this plan my senior year in high school. Early on, my goal was to be a successful business owner. I hadn’t decided what service or product I was going to provide or how to accomplish the success portion of my dream, but the prospect of being my own boss was enough to draw me in. Once I reached high school, I decided that I would set my entrepreneurial plans aside to pursue my love of science and math in the field of biomedical engineering. Towards the end of my junior year I realized more and more that the people-loving side of me may be stifled in a large engineering firm. Eventually, I combined aspects of both my prior plans and settled on the field of dentistry. The way I see it, I’ll provide a major service to my community, getting to know patients who come through my practice, while using the latest biomedical technology. On top of this, I’ll have the sense of freedom and control that comes with owning a private practice. Although I have my head filled with plans for the future, I never forget that the education I am receiving at this very moment was provided by your generous donation. I shall be forever grateful that you laid the foundation for my education and will offer me the opportunity to actually achieve what had only been a dream a year ago. Thank you again. Sincerely, Thomas Beckstrom Biochemistry Senior
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
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YOUNG ALUMNI GIVING BACK
Freshmen participate in STRIPES.
Earning Their STRIPES Before LSU students step foot in a classroom, they are encouraged to show their stripes. STRIPES is a four-day program that prepares incoming students for the transition to LSU by teaching them what it means to be a Tiger. These new Tigers earn their stripes by learning LSU history and traditions, meeting other first-year students, identifying opportunities to get involved, finding out about academic resources/support, and exploring the campus. The incoming students play games and activities that test their LSU knowledge, hone their Cajun dancing skills, engage in a mock lecture with a faculty member, participate in bonding activities, and learn the alma mater.
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The program launched in 2000 with only 65 students. In 2005, alumnus Charles Barney made a game-changing gift of $1.1 million to expand the program, more than doubling its size. STRIPES now reaches 900 first-year students each summer. Students who participate in STRIPES have higher retention and graduation rates than their peers who choose not to participate. Beverly Suffern, a 2011 chemical engineering alumna, shared, “I had family friends who went to STRIPES before I went to LSU who said how much fun it was and recommended that I attend. When I decided that I was going to go to LSU, it was the first thing that I signed up for. I couldn’t wait to learn all the traditions and the football cheers in Tiger Stadium.” Suffern chairs the program’s alumni council, which works to develop a strong alumni base that supports bringing STRIPES and its traditions to incoming students. Several council
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
members have invested in the program by funding students’ registration fees. Suffern explained, “The donation is our way of showing our commitment to the STRIPES program. It will cover the registration of a student with financial needs. It is a small way to make sure that someone has the experience at STRIPES that means so much to all of the council members.” Though the idea of alumni giving began with the council, all STRIPES alumni are encouraged to contribute however much they are able to the program’s scholarships and activities. “STRIPES is the first impression of the university for incoming students,” Suffern shared, adding, “It is what gets incoming freshmen excited and ready to start their college journey. It lays the foundation for getting involved, understanding how the different aspects of the university work, and generating overall love for our great university.” stripes.lsu.edu
Adopt-aStudio Over the next two years, LSU’s Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture will get a facelift. The school’s recently launched Adopt-aStudio invites alumni (with a focus on recent graduates) to help update the studio spaces where they once honed their own art and design skills. “The Adopt-a-Studio program is an effort to raise the quality of the studio spaces at the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture,” explained the school’s director, Bradley Cantrell, explaining, “The effort will engage our vast and generous alumni group in order to provide state-of-the-art furnishings and equipment for current students.” The school is reaching out to alumni who have graduated within the past decade for modest donations. These alumni, who are likely to remember the declining state of the studio equipment, will be offered giving levels associated with tangible deliverables to help them visualize what they are building for future students. “Any chance we get to engage our recent grads in the growth of our school is a moment to feel passionate about,” said Cantrell. Cantrell shared that this program will engage young alumni by providing them with a clear understanding of exactly where their money is going, and is important to provide updated studio furnishings and equipment. “Young alumni have recently come out of the design studio as students and are now working in firms across the world,” Cantrell said. “Their close attachments to this environment and clear understanding of how their giving [could] be put to use should inspire passion.” The program will include class challenges for these “Graduates of the Last Decade,” as the school has named the alumni, encouraging friendly competition among the classes. Which class year will raise the most funds? design.lsu.edu/rrslaadoptastudio
A landscape architecture senior works using studio equipment that will be replaced through support of Adopt-a-Studio.
Adopt-a-Studio Suggested Donations: (Items represent the impact of each gift.) $25 $50 $100 $250 $350 $500 $750 $1,000
Desk Stool Display Board Bookshelf Task Chair Projector Screen Work Bench/Station Projector Flat Panel Display for Studio Instruction
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PLANNED GIVING
Gwen Fairchild Director of Planned Giving gfairchild@lsufoundation.org
“You’d like to think you know what’s going to happen to your money, and that’s where the Foundation is good. You’re trusting people to do it.” - Dr. George Jones
Jane Henslee Associate Director of Planned Giving jhenslee@lsufoundation.org
Mona Becnel Planned Giving Specialist mbecnel@lsufoundation.org
1860 SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP: Recognizing Your Generosity
SAMPLE BEQUEST LANGUAGE: Defining Your Gift
Membership in the LSU Foundation’s 1860 Society is awarded to anyone who submits documentation—through a letter of intent or a copy of the relevant portion of one’s will—naming the LSU Foundation as a beneficiary in his or her estate. Gifts can include trusts, insurance policies, annuities and retirement plans, among other options.
I give, devise and bequeath to the LSU Foundation, including its successors and assigns, a 501(c)(3) qualified charitable organization whose role includes the acceptance, management and disbursement of funds in support of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, [insert either: (a) the sum of $_________________; or (b) _____________% of my estate; or (c) the rest, residue and remainder of my estate.] This gift should be used [insert either: (a) at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the LSU Foundation; or (b) in connection with the NAME OF PARTICULAR PROGRAM for the BENEFICIARY COLLEGE/SCHOOL/UNIT.
Members enjoy special “thank you” benefits, including a campus parking pass and invitations to university and LSU Foundation events. If you plan to make a bequest to the LSU Foundation for the benefit of a unit or college at LSU, the LSU AgCenter or the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, your will and/or trust should name the legal entity “LSU Foundation” to clearly indicate the intent of your bequest. Gifts to “LSU” or “Louisiana State University” become state funds, whereas gifts to “LSU Foundation” are private dollars managed for and invested by the Foundation on behalf of the college or unit(s) you wish to support. Letter of intent and membership roster: www.lsufoundation.org/1860society
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Any AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIPS/PROFESSORSHIPS established or funded with this gift should be designated as the [INSERT TITLE]. In the event that one or more of the programs that are the intended beneficiary of this gift should cease to be offered by Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the LSU Foundation shall have the discretion to determine an appropriate alternative use or uses of the funds after considering my original intent and the university’s needs. www.lsufoundation.org/plannedgiving
Preserving Music Dr. George and Mrs. Klileen Jones began giving to LSU in 1984. That first contribution helped establish the Carleton Liddle Memorial Scholarship Fund, which honored Klileen’s former professor in the School of Music. Though the Joneses’ support has grown more diverse in the past three decades, with contributions made to LSU Opera, LSU Libraries and the College of Engineering, among others, their commitment to supporting LSU has remained constant. They have also included LSU in their estate plans—to ensure that support continues beyond their own lives. Both alumni, the couple said they give back to LSU out of gratefulness. George received his bachelor’s degree in 1942 in chemical engineering, and his medical degree from LSU Health New Orleans in 1953. Klileen earned her bachelor’s degree in 1949 and her master’s degree in 1950, both from the School of Music. She began teaching shortly after, and, along with funds from his GI Bill, was able to support George as he went to medical school. Klileen said much of their giving is dedicated to the School of Music because, “We need music in this world now more than ever, and LSU has a top-rated School of Music that needs and deserves our support.” In celebration of this appreciation for music, she has included a bequest of half of her estate to the School of Music, through the LSU Foundation. A bequest (page 26) is a gift of cash, property or another asset made in a donor’s will or through a living trust. The gift is unrestricted, which will allow the school the flexibility to allocate the funds where they are most needed. “We trust the LSU Foundation to carry on its tradition as an important continuing foundation for the university,” Klileen shared. “There are a lot of things you could leave it to, but you’d like to leave it to
George and Klileen Jones
something that’s ongoing,” George said. “You’d like to think you know what’s going to happen to your money, and that’s where the Foundation is good. You’re trusting people to do it.”
Klileen added, “With the cost of college tuition now, it is even more important that we make scholarship funds available for students at LSU.” cmda.lsu.edu
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Gifts of Life Insurance
Life insurance can be an excellent way to make charitable gifts to an organization of your choice. Typically, a series of relatively low annual premium payments will cost far less than the final benefit the insurance will provide to the charity you choose—and if the payments are made directly to the charity, they are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Planning techniques that are properly structured can provide a family with peace of mind knowing that their philanthropic goals, as well as their assets earmarked for family members, will be kept intact. Following are other ways life insurance can be used as “leverage” to support your favorite charity, nonprofit and/or alma mater. •
Charitable Gift Annuity
A charitable gift annuity is a contract between a donor and a charity that provides lifetime income for one or two persons, who need not be related, and can help individuals meet their financial and charitable goals at the same time. This is an ideal solution for donors who would like to give, but may be afraid of outliving their money. A CGA can be cash or stock, but not rolled over from an IRA or 401(k). It can be created for heirs, but the annuity rate is determined by the age of the beneficiary. Choosing to establish a CGA through the LSU Foundation enables the donor to contribute to his or her selected unit at LSU, the LSU AgCenter or the LSU Law Center after death. Benefits include: • • • •
Receiving a large tax donation the first year Quarterly payments of non-taxable income Bypassing capital gains if established from stock proceeds Membership in the 1860 Society (page 26)
The LSU Foundation requires that a CGA be at least $25,000, and the donor be at least 60 years old. Rates for CGAs are determined by the American Council on Gift Annuities. If the issuing charity does not receive at least 10 percent of the remainder of the CGA upon realization, the donor may be taxed on the entire amount of the CGA.
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•
•
•
Assign or “tithe” a portion of the insurance to your charity. An example could be assigning the LSU Foundation 25 percent of the death proceeds of a life insurance policy. This can be done even if the policy is already in force. Name the charity as the policy’s “contingent beneficiary.” If the “primary beneficiary” pre-deceases the insured on the policy, the charity could be named as next in line for the proceeds. Replace appreciated assets in an estate with tax-free life insurance benefits. If properly designed, certain tax benefits could be gained. Use trusts, such as grantor trusts, to create income to fund life insurance premiums.
Work with your legal and tax advisor to explore the best sources of income to meet your goals, and work with a life insurance specialist to determine your most competitive options.
About the Author: Val Vogel is president of Burns, Vogel & Associates, Inc. in Kenner, Louisiana. He holds the designations of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and has his Life and Health Licenses. He is the author of Broker Executive, Your Life Insurance Broker: The Strategic Business Partner You Didn’t Know You Needed.
Insurance for the Future Martha Richard never attended LSU, but she recognizes how the university has impacted her life. Richard said her late first husband, architect T. Byron Smith, came from a middle-class background, “but LSU enabled him to do so many things. He accomplished so much in his lifetime that I felt he would want me to give back on his behalf, for everything he was able to do with his life.” Soon after Smith passed away, Richard bought a single premium life insurance policy on herself that will benefit LSU on Smith’s behalf. “It’s something that my financial advisor suggested to me,” Richard said, adding that she received a charitable deduction for the amount she paid on the premium. “I think it’s a great thing to get in front of people, because it’s something they can do now that will turn into so much more in the future,” she shared. Richard’s insurance investment will double when realized, benefiting the College of Art + Design, but she also helps students now. After her husband’s death, Richard began celebrating his birthday by giving to the Thomas Byron Smith Memorial Scholarship. The award is given to an upperclassman studying architecture, a five-year program. “I want it to go to somebody who is committed to the program,” Richard shared. This year, which would have been Smith’s 70th birthday, Eva Rodriguez was named the scholarship recipient. Rodriguez shared that when she married in December 2012, finances quickly became tight as she and her husband worked toward their respective degrees. “It came in a time when I really needed financial support,” Rodriguez shared. “When I got the scholarship, my husband and I were thrilled to be receiving that help. It definitely gave us some relief financially. It’s so
Thomas Byron Smith Memorial Scholarship recipient Eva Rodriguez meets Martha Richard in the Robert Reich Courtyard outside of the Design Building.
encouraging to know that there are people out there like Mrs. Richard that want to help you fight for your education and support you through it.” Richard shared that establishing the scholarship is something she knows her late husband would have wanted. “Because of what LSU provided to him as far as income and improving his life, he accomplished so much,” Richard said. Smith loved giving back, one time helping a stranger get home for
Christmas. “He just pulled out his wallet and gave them the money to get back,” Richard shared. “He had an incredible heart. He really did.” Richard said that she hopes the scholarship will help its recipients achieve the same quality of life she and Smith shared through their love of architecture and travel. The life insurance policy, which will provide unrestricted funds, is intended to help the school where it is most needed. design.lsu.edu
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ENDOW AN OAK
The Oaks at LSU The roughly 1,200 oak trees on LSU’s campus are as much a part of the university as are its students, faculty, staff and historic buildings. These towering beauties are so integral to the campus experience, in fact, that LSU’s alma mater begins, “Where stately oaks and broad magnolias shade inspiring halls / There stands our dear Old Alma Mater who to us recalls ...” Steele Burden, LSU’s landscaper from 1932 through 1970, planted many of LSU’s live oak trees, which have been valued at $50 million. Burden’s careful planting was done with the future in mind, a legacy continued by those who endow his majestic work. The Endow an Oak program was introduced in 1993 to improve the poor health of many of LSU’s oaks, for which declining care was an unfortunate consequence of budget limitations. Since its introduction, Endow an Oak has successfully garnered critical funds to support the care and maintenance of LSU’s most treasured natural “residents.” LSU also provides funding, but the needs far exceed these funds as the oak trees mature and as more trees are planted. Many of LSU’s majestic trees show signs of splitting or
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other decline. Gifts to the Endow an Oak program funnel resources that can be used immediately to address pressing needs with the at-risk trees. Gifts of any amount may be made to support the general care and maintenance of LSU’s oaks. Specific trees can be endowed for $4,000 (campus oaks) and $50,000 (Quad oaks). Fifty percent of each gift builds the oak endowment, and the other half can be used immediately by LSU’s arbor management team. Only income earned, not principal funds, is spent from the oak endowment. All of the Parade Ground oaks have been endowed, but there are hundreds of opportunities still available to endow oaks campus-wide. Donors can also endow other types of campus trees through this program. Each endowed oak is marked by a customized, permanent bronze plaque installed near the base of the tree. A tree may be named for a donor or in memory or in honor of someone. For information about the locations of available trees, please contact Pinki Diwan, director of special projects, at pinkid@lsufoundation.org or 225-578-3839. www.lsufoundation.org/oaks
Endowing a Legacy Throughout her two decades as guidance counselor at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, Millie Guichard touched countless students’ lives. “She was very inspirational, and she worked tirelessly to place students in colleges all over this country, and probably around the world, for that matter,” said Holly Houk Cullen, whom Guichard helped significantly through difficult times. “If a student was looking to go to college somewhere, and that individual needed financial assistance or any kind of help whatsoever getting into that particular campus, she was there to help them, to make sure that it happened.” Cullen shared that Guichard’s job was never over. She worked long hours to maintain an awareness of the opportunities for her students, and helped many students through serious personal issues. Betty Quaschnick Lennon, Cullen’s lifelong friend, added that Guichard often attended former students’ major life events, including Cullen’s wedding. “Every student that went through Franklin while she was a counselor became her family,” she said. “She treated all of the students like they were her own.” Lennon, Cullen and other alumni showed their appreciation for Guichard
by endowing an oak at LSU when her health began to decline. Cullen and Lennon created a Facebook group, an easy way to reach out to former classmates and draw support for the endowment. “Reading people’s comments shows the impression she made,” Cullen said. They met the threshold for the endowment within a year. “When I think of LSU’s campus, the oak tree immediately comes to mind as one of the iconic images of campus,” Cullen shared. “One of the reasons it is such a wonderful, scenic place is because of the oaks. I feel like the oak represents strength and persistence and courage, and all of the things that Millie was about.” Cullen and Lennon were able to delight Guichard with a framed photo
of her tree (below) before she passed away last summer. “Of all the colleges, [LSU] was near and dear to her heart. She was a huge LSU fan, and she recruited into her 80s for LSU,” Cullen said. Cullen, who serves the university as an assistant vice chancellor in the Office of Communications & University Relations, would often mail recruiting materials to her former mentor. “She loved receiving those materials and being aware of everything that was going on on campus. She just adored LSU.” Lennon added, “The expression that y’all have, ‘Love Purple, Live Gold,’ she embodied that. That describes Millie Guichard to a ‘T.’ She wanted nothing but the best for everybody.” www.lsufoundation.org/oaks
From left, Betty Quaschnick Lennon and Holly Houk Cullen stand at the oak honoring Millie Guichard.
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HONORING LOVED ONES
Brad Bella, photographed during his fifth-grade year
Mr. Dynamo Brad Bella could probably best be described as vibrant. “Mr. Dynamo” began each morning excited to go to school at University Laboratory School on LSU’s campus. He loved baseball, championed the underdog and, like many fifth-grade boys, was a little mischievous. The summer of 2001 was exceptionally hot, and Brad was, as usual, active. The combination masked his early symptoms of thirst, exhaustion and moodiness. During his family’s annual vacation to Florida, his
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symptoms worsened. After a visit to the beach’s clinic, he was diagnosed with a stomach virus. When his father tried to wake him the next morning, Brad was in a coma. He passed away from undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes before he reached the hospital. While planning Brad’s funeral, his family wanted to find a way to honor him. Aware that he was happiest at school, the Bellas decided on a scholarship at U-High. “He loved U-High,” his mother, Grace, shared. “That was his joy. That was his passion.” An opportunity to contribute to the Brad Bella Memorial Achievement
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Award was listed in Brad’s obituary, and the funds instantly began pouring in. “We were very fortunate, between family, friends, coworkers, many who knew my husband through all his careers,” Grace said, adding that the minimum requirement to endow the award was met before she and her husband, V.J., met with a school representative. The scholarship was first conferred the following May. The award, which began at $500, is given each year to a senior who embodies Brad’s characteristics. The student, chosen by faculty, must already be accepted to a university, demonstrate excellent character, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and have played baseball for at least two years at U-High. More than a decade later, Brad’s friends and family continue to give to the scholarship. Because of their collective generosity, the award is now $1,000. When a student is awarded the scholarship, he is given a letter from Grace and V.J. “You have been chosen for your love of baseball, and for your academic success,” it reads. “He touched the lives of everyone he met in such a positive way. Remember his good qualities tonight, and smile in his memory. Take this award and use it to your fullest benefit, as Brad would have done.” Brad’s impact was—and continues to be—felt by many. In addition to the scholarship, Brad’s name lives on through the school’s pond, named for Brad by a classmate’s family, and a classroom dedicated in his honor by an anonymous donor. “He was a very loving child,” Grace shared. “He was just a light. He was very caring. He expected a lot of his friends, and he expected a lot out of people.” Grace explained that when she lost Brad, she mourned the milestones he missed. “Having died at age 11, there was so much potential there,” she said. “For me, there’s a joy in knowing his memory will live on through this award. The joy he liked to give people in life, he’s now giving through this scholarship.” www.uhigh.lsu.edu
(Left) Neff at his graduation in 1916 (Right) Thomas Neff’s sheepskin diploma, signed by R. G. Pleasant, Thomas Boyd and Thomas Atkinson
Dedication to Education Thomas Wallace Neff was born in a small South Louisiana town in 1890, but his father ensured he didn’t stay there long. “My great-grandfather was basically a farmer, and at an early age, much to my great-grandfather’s credit, decided that his son needed to have an education of higher learning,” said Charles Neff, Thomas’ grandson. When Thomas was 15 or 16, he traveled to Baton Rouge, found a room to rent, and finished his high school career there with the understanding that he was going to college. Charles said that Thomas’ father didn’t have much money, so he made sure his son understood, “You’re going to have to work to put yourself through school, but you must get a degree at LSU.”
Thomas did work throughout his time at LSU. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering in 1916, served in World War I, then came back to work at LSU, where he taught physics and mechanical engineering for 43 years before retiring in 1960. “He liked being a teacher and being with students,” Charles said. He added that when Thomas became eligible for retirement, he requested to remain at the university for five more years. Even when those five years came to a close, it was difficult for Thomas to say goodbye to the university where he had spent his career. “He was passionate about the school and the football team, as well as education,” Charles shared. “When I was small, that’s all I ever heard, was constantly ‘Young man, get your education. Get your education. Get your education.’” Charles said that because of this mantra, when his grandfather passed away, the one personal effect he
wanted was Thomas’ diploma. Though Charles is not an LSU alumnus, he was inspired to honor his grandfather’s dedication to education and the university through a donation to the College of Engineering’s renovation and expansion of Patrick F. Taylor Hall. “Education was everything to him,” Charles shared. “I felt it would be a tribute to make some contribution toward that engineering school, where he basically spent his whole life.” Charles’ gift is part of the College of Engineering’s successful $100 million Breaking New Ground campaign (page 6). He hopes this donation will help the college be a premier school, and to provide excellent facilities to continue the legacy of good education for engineering students in Louisiana. “And, in a small way, if my grandfather’s name is somewhere on the building, that would just be wonderful.” eng.lsu.edu
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Teaching Generations In 1994, nearly 15 years after he began teaching mathematics at LSU, Dr. James Oxley and his colleagues established the department’s first graduate student teaching award. “We started that because other universities had teaching awards for the best mathematics graduate students,” he said. “It was suggested that our department should have such an award.” The award, given each semester, was initially funded through faculty contributions that James had solicited. Four years later, James lost his 20-year-old son, David, who was living in James’ native Australia. “One of my colleagues, Jimmie Lawson, suggested that this teaching award, which I had set up, should be renamed in memory of David,” James shared. Soon after, James and his wife, Dr. Judith Oxley, an adjunct associate professor in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences and faculty member at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, endowed the fund. James, Judith and their daughter, Margaret, wanted to further their tribute to David. “All of us liked the idea of Endow an Oak, and we liked the idea of having some place on the campus that was special, that would be associated with our son,” he shared. Margaret scoured the campus for the perfect tree, settling on the oak between Dodson Fountain and Audubon Hall in the Quad. The tree became even more special to James when his colleague, Lawson, had his photo taken there after becoming a Boyd Professor. When James was named a Boyd Professor in 2012, he, too, took his photo at the tree, kneeling next to the memorial plaque that now bore both of his children’s names. Margaret, an LSU alumna, was working as an activities director at a
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David Oxley; Margaret Oxley
nursing home in Baton Rouge when one of the residents suggested she become a teacher. “During the time that she was a teacher, she got a huge amount of joy from being a teacher, and a huge amount of satisfaction from the fact that she could say, ‘I’m a math teacher,’” James said. “She recognized the importance of teaching, and the effect that it can have on changing people’s lives. She was proud to be a teacher.” James shared that the stimulation from being around a large group of people in a classroom aggravated her epilepsy. Margaret passed away from a massive seizure in 2009. “A month after she died, we gave out the teaching award, and that semester, it was named after both of our children,” James said. “We subsequently decided that it would be better to have a separate award for Margaret, for people majoring in
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mathematics education.” James said the common theme of the two awards is teaching, because every person has had a teacher who has played a significant role in shaping their career choice or who they are. “By offering rewards like this, it encourages the students who get the awards, and recognizes that their contributions to teaching are profound.” Both awards grant the student recipients $500, but James and Judith have pledged to increase the amount to $1,000. “I think everybody talks about the value of education, but I don’t think enough can be said about how powerful education is in influencing the lives of the students we see,” James shared. By helping and encouraging future teachers through the named awards, David and Margaret will continue to influence students’ lives for generations. math.lsu.edu
Students in the College of Agriculture plant tulip bulbs.
Second Chance for a Giving Spirit Laura Lynne Smith was destined to be a teacher. She believed in education, was immeasurably creative, and received fulfillment from loving and nurturing children. Before she ever found her home in a kindergarten classroom, she found it in the College of Agriculture. “The College of Ag was, and is, a unique place in that they find a way to welcome everyone,” said Dr. Sharon Naquin, Smith’s sister. “They view the students as individuals and look after them well beyond their graduation date.” Smith lost her battle with leukemia in 1988, but Naquin has ensured her name lives on in the college. Naquin worked in the college for nearly two decades, first as an associate professor and, more recently, as an adjunct professor. Several years ago, Naquin established and largely funded a student awards ceremony as a way to honor Smith. “It was for her, and for her legacy,” she shared. “I wanted her memory to be part of that campus.” Naquin is leaving the college soon, and has found a new way to ensure Smith’s name lives on. “There was almost a connection we had while I was there, and I still want that
connection for her, even though I won’t be there or can’t be there,” she said. Naquin, along with her daughter, Laura Blair, recently established the Laura Lynne Smith Memorial Scholarship. The endowed gift is a second chance for juniors in the College of Agriculture who have lost their TOPS funding. “They deserve a chance to go on and to further their academic studies,” Naquin explained. She added that many students have a tendency to lose TOPS after their first or second year in college, “and then they get serious about going to school, and the money’s lost.” Naquin said that Smith touched many lives. “So many people reached out to us, to me and to our family, telling us how special she was and how they still, in some way, hadn’t forgotten her or, in some cases, hadn’t gotten over her.” This scholarship, while keeping Smith’s name alive, will also keep her giving spirit alive. Naquin shared, “I want to be able to allow somebody else to touch others’ lives and have such a positive impact like she did.” www.coa.lsu.edu Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
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Once-ina-Lifetime Impact Belle didn’t have one home—she had several. Will Simmons adopted the chocolate Labrador retriever when he began his Air Force career in North Carolina. When Will started his Iraq tour, Belle stayed with his parents, Bob and Julia. “She became a member of the family and, in many ways, was comforting to us when he was in harm’s way,” Bob said of Belle’s time with them in New Jersey. “As overjoyed as we were when Will returned safely from Iraq, it was a sad day when Belle left our home to join him in Florida, where he was stationed.” Bob said she became more of a family dog over the next two years. When Will’s job required him to travel, Belle spent weeks, sometimes months, with relatives in Louisiana. “Everyone loved Belle, and she loved everyone.” In 2009, during a stay with Bob and Julia, Belle’s appetite was “off,” and her health began to decline. After an examination, she was diagnosed with kidney failure due to advanced Lyme disease. The family lost her in November 2011. “I have heard it said that there is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ dog,” Bob said. “If that’s true, then Belle was our once-ina-lifetime dog.” After Belle passed, Bob, a member of the first class to graduate from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, quickly began working with the school to establish The Belle Fund for VectorBorne Disease Research. Over the next two years, Bob and Julia built the fund through consistent contributions that were matched by Bob’s employer, Merck. The fund supports the school’s research on vector-borne diseases in animals. A vector-borne disease, like Lyme disease, is a bacterial or viral
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The Simmons family (from left, Belle, Will, John, Julia and Bob)
disease transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. “Lyme disease—which is rampant in New Jersey—as well as other tickborne diseases, poses significant health risks for both animals and humans worldwide,” Bob explained. “The LSU SVM has a long history of researching
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tick-borne and other parasitic diseases. “Our hearts were broken when we lost Belle,” he continued. “A cure for Lyme will come too late for her, but hopefully some day we can help prevent another family member or pet from suffering a similar fate.” www.vetmed.lsu.edu
From left, MaryKatherine Callaway, director of LSU Press, with Leslie Green and her parents, Drs. Ed and Linda Green
Cover to Cover Leslie Green’s love of books began as a child, but her career with books at LSU Press began in 2003. Four years into her time at the Press, The Southern Review, also at LSU, recruited her. In 2011, she was able to work for both when the two literary publishers merged. Green shared her love of working for both established entities by saying, “It makes a difference to be able to work in a place where you actually care about the mission.” The Southern Review, started in 1935 at LSU, is a quarterly literary journal that publishes poetry and short stories, and was hailed by Time
magazine as “superior to any other journal in the English language.” The Southern Review receives so many writers’ works of creative nonfiction, fiction and poetry that it is only able to publish 1 percent of submissions. LSU Press, also established in 1935, is one of the oldest, largest and highest achieving university presses in the South. It has published more than 2,000 books, garnering over 500 awards—including four Pulitzer prizes. When Green’s 10-year work anniversary approached, her parents, Drs. Ed and Linda Green, chose to honor her accomplishment by creating the James Dudley Wells Memorial Endowment, named in memory of Leslie’s late older brother. “They’ve always supported everything I’ve done,” Green said. “I’ve always gone in the direction of visual art, and this ended up being a nice
marriage of the two.” Leslie said her brother’s voracious appetite for reading is what sparked her own interest in books when she was a toddler. A swimmer, lifeguard and SCUBA diver, Wells studied marine biology at LSU but also loved reading. The endowment supplements The Southern Review’s operations, which are largely funded by the state and sales of the journal. It allows the organization to use the gift where it is most needed, such as enabling staff to attend professional development conferences and bring in authors for readings. “I believe [literature] is a really important part of civilization, and it’s important to our legacy in Louisiana and the world to publish what we do,” Leslie explained. “If we don’t support it, it’s going to go away.” lsupress.org • thesouthernreview.org
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PROFESSORSHIPS
Cultivating Generosity Dr. Neil Odenwald’s legacy at LSU began his senior year at Mississippi State University, with the presentation of a paper written by LSU Professor Robert S. Reich. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in ornamental horticulture, Odenwald pursued his master’s degree at LSU. “During my first couple of days at LSU, a friend and I came across an office that had Dr. Reich’s name on the door,” he said. “After realizing this is the same person whose paper I had studied and presented, I had to knock.” Once Odenwald explained his plans to study horticulture, Reich convinced him to go another way. “I walked out of there and I was pursuing my master’s in landscape architecture,” Odenwald laughed. “It was just that simple.” In 1972, Reich invited him back to teach at the school, which helped Odenwald understand the vital role of alumni. “Reich, who was director at the time, was always conscious of alumni and their importance to the school,” Odenwald explained. “Their support assisted in funding scholarships, speakers and trips that enriched the program.” After Reich retired, Odenwald became the director and worked to
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(Top Left) Dr. Neil Odenwald (Above) Examples of Dr. Odenwald’s work
implement the same practices. During his tenure as a professor and director of the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, Odenwald encouraged students to explore landscapes through travel, in addition to using resources such as the LSU Hilltop Arboretum. “I loved teaching because of the students,” he said. “For me, every Monday was just as good as a Friday.” Through his love of plant materials and planting design, Odenwald has made a significant impact on the people and gardens in the South. Most recently, his contributions have been recognized by the College of Art + Design’s efforts to establish a professorship in his name. “Looking back at my career at LSU in teaching, I find that there are two elements that were absolutely essential in education for landscape architecture,” Odenwald said. In addition to travel, he said the lecture series, provided through professorships, is vital to the school. “When I was director, I relied heavily
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on that enrichment for the program.” He continued that by providing resources not normally available, the professorships allowed the school to attract “top-notch” professionals as guest lecturers. The Neil G. Odenwald Distinguished Professorship will be used to recruit and retain outstanding faculty at the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. The professorship will focus on instruction in plant materials, planting design and natural systems, ensuring these subjects continue to have a prominent place in the curriculum. Odenwald is honored to have the professorship in his name, but he is more excited that the fund’s resources will bring emphasis to the area he taught. “It’s not about Neil Odenwald. It’s an honor, but I want to be sure that natural sciences will always be a part of the program. With limited resources, there have to be other means to help this program grow and continue to be strong.” design.lsu.edu
From left, Femi Euba, Louise Kinney and Andreas Giger
Making Music Though Louise Kinney did not graduate from LSU, she has a deep appreciation for what it produces. “I really enjoy the music,” she said. “I don’t have any music education of my own. I just love music.” Her love for the university’s music and theatre programs shows through her season subscriptions to LSU Opera and Swine Palace, her frequent attendance at the School of Music’s concerts, and certainly through the scholarship and two professorships she supports. “It’s such an asset to the community,” Kinney said of the university, adding that private funding for LSU is necessary to supplement state funds. Kinney’s late husband’s career with ExxonMobil makes her contributions eligible for the company’s matching gift program. “That makes
it easy to donate,” she said. “It makes [contributions] go a long way.” Over a three-year period of consistent giving and matching funds from Exxon and Louisiana, the couple was able to establish the Louise and Kenneth Kinney Professorship. The award is one of the first to benefit a professor in the Department of Theatre. Femi Euba, playwright and professor of theatre and English, is the second recipient of the award. Euba, who has been teaching at LSU for 25 years of his 40-year career, shared that receiving the professorship has benefited him significantly. Because of the award, he has been able to conduct research in libraries outside of Baton Rouge; purchase up-to-date equipment for his writing and research; and supplement departmental travel funds for literary conferences. Andreas Giger, professor of musicology, is the most recent recipient of the couple’s second endowed professorship, the Louise and Kenneth
“I feel, without the arts, we’re a poorer society.” - Louise Kinney L. Kinney Professorship in Opera. “The professorship primarily means a recognition of my work at LSU as a teacher and scholar,” he shared of the award’s significance. Giger said he is able to pursue research with fewer financial constraints and offer students valuable travel and networking opportunities. Both professors express gratitude to Kinney for her deep appreciation for, and dedication to, the arts. “I felt like the arts are always the low man on the totem pole,” Kinney said, adding that she also supports the College of Engineering, Kenneth’s alma mater. “I feel like the arts are so important, but they’re so often neglected. I feel, without the arts, we’re a poorer society.” cmda.lsu.edu
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TEACHING AWARDS
From left, Robert Perlis, chair of the Department of Mathematics; Stephen Shipman, associate professor of mathematics; Guillermo Ferreyra, interim dean of the College of Science; and Terry Latiolais, former chair of the College of Science Dean’s Circle Executive Committee
An Excellent Surprise March 17 began like any other morning for Stephen Shipman, but soon took a delightful turn. The associate professor of mathematics was teaching his 11:30 a.m. Math of Resonance class when three unexpected guests arrived. Guillermo Ferreyra, College of Science interim dean; Robert Perlis, mathematics chair; and Terry Latiolais, former chair of the college’s Dean’s Circle Executive Committee, walked to the front of the class. Assuming the men needed to make an announcement, Shipman dutifully took a seat beside his students. The dean spoke. Ferreyra offered words of praise about Shipman’s accomplishments and commitment to his students. All three men then presented the inaugural Dr. Marion “Soc” Socolofsky Award for Teaching Excellence to the surprised professor.
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“Stephen embodies Socolofsky’s dedication to teaching and mentorship,” Ferreyra explained. “He advises student clubs and has mentored students from high school to PhD. The successes of his students are a testament to his stellar teaching ability. It was an honor to present him with the first Socolofsky Teaching Award.” Last year, the college’s Dean’s Circle Executive Committee established the Dr. Marion “Soc” Socolofsky Award for Teaching Excellence. It celebrates Socolofsky’s contributions to the college by recognizing members of the faculty who have shown an exemplary commitment to academic excellence through teaching and mentorship. Students and faculty members submit nominations that are reviewed by the committee, which chooses recipients. The award honors the legacy of the late Socolofsky, who was a fierce advocate for students and one of the college’s most influential leaders and educators. Throughout Socolofsky’s 36 years at LSU, he served as head of microbiology for 20 years; taught more than 12,000 students; advised more
Cornerstone | Summer and Fall 2014 | LSU Foundation
than 250 master’s and PhD students; and was a member of the Dean’s Circle. “He had quite an impact,” said Dr. Jim Lange, a member of the Dean’s Circle and Executive Committee who personally felt that impact. Socolofsky supported Lange’s graduate school application and offered him a teaching assistantship, even though he was not Socolofsky’s student. “The people he impacted came to appreciate what he had done for them.” Shipman received a plaque and a monetary award in recognition of his exemplary teaching and commitment to student mentoring and engagement. He shared that the award itself represents the importance of a professor’s role in students’ lives. “The delight in seeing a student mature and succeed and find enjoyment in her or his learning experience has always added an extra dimension to my profession,” said Shipman, adding, “I appreciate the significance of this award and will continue to do my best to live up to Dr. Socolofsky’s example by caring for my students.” science.lsu.edu
From Student to Teacher Senior Ariel Jones of New Roads, Louisiana, is the first recipient of the new Dr. Saundra Yancy McGuire Outstanding Supplemental Instruction Leader Award in the LSU Center for Academic Success. Supplemental Instruction is an academic support program that uses peer-assisted study sessions. This free service is offered by the center and LSU’s colleges. The purpose of SI is to increase retention and graduation rates and improve student grades and academic performance within targeted, historically difficult courses. “Being an SI leader is not a job, and it’s not an obligation,” Jones said of her peer-to-peer tutoring role. “It is such a privilege, and I am just so honored to be awarded with this, especially in the name of Dr. McGuire, because she has done so many things for this field of education. I’m just so thankful and appreciative that I was recognized, and really, words cannot describe it.” McGuire retired from LSU last summer after serving the university for 14 years. For 10 of those years, she was director of the Center for Academic Success, a unit that received national and international acclaim during her tenure and continues to garner accolades and awards. The generosity of her colleagues and friends through gifts to the LSU Foundation enabled the center to establish the award last year. It honors McGuire’s accomplishments and the impact she has had on the center, LSU students and the campus community. Jones will graduate next May with degrees in biochemistry and Spanish. In addition to serving as an SI leader in organic chemistry for two years, she is part of the Honors College and is an LA-STEM Research Scholar. Jones was selected to receive the award for having characteristics displayed by McGuire: leadership, service, scholarship and a love of learning and teaching. “Ariel has done an outstanding job
Ariel Jones
of balancing a demanding academic load with her responsibilities as an SI leader,” shared Susan Saale, the Center for Academic Success’ associate director for academic support. “She is always looking for ways to make her sessions more meaningful for the students attending them while staying with the SI model, centered around collaborative learning.” In her role as an SI instructor, Jones facilitates regularly scheduled, informal review sessions in which students compare notes, predict test items, develop organizational tools, and discuss readings. Students learn how to integrate course content and study skills while working together.
Jones and her fellow instructors have all previously done well in the courses for which they lead sessions, and they attend all class lectures, take notes and act as model students. Jones explained, “One of the great things about being an SI leader is that we’re in a position to be able to touch so many people’s lives and to really make a difference. It’s a unique program. Not all universities have the funds to do a program like this. At LSU, for us not only to have this program, but to also have it free and available to students— It’s just really great, and so I really hope students look into it and take advantage of it.” cas.lsu.edu
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SCHOLARSHIPS
Star Students The Southeast Produce Council is on a mission to fund scholarships at all land-grant universities in the Southeast region of the U.S. Having already provided for students in Georgia and Florida, the STARS scholarship is now helping agriculture students at LSU. The scholarship program began in 2012 as a way to recruit top students for membership on the council, as well as to introduce them to the many job opportunities that the produce industry offers. Two $2,500 scholarships are awarded on an annual basis to each university supported by the effort. “The attention everyone gave their [STARS students’] development was inspiring and caring,” said Don Labonte, a professor in the School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences. “What a wonderful opportunity for these students. I know the process of getting the scholarship established was complicated, but it was worth it.” In addition to receiving a monetary award, scholarship recipients are invited to attend the council’s Southern Exposure Conference and Exposition, where they can meet more than 200 produce industry growers and shippers, as well as the nation’s leading retailers and food service distributors. “This scholarship would offer an incredible opportunity to meet and network with producers from across the southeast,” said recipient Kiersten Pazdera, who begins graduate work in horticulture this fall. “I would love to learn about the production process from those who have firsthand experience in the industry.” Pazdera joins Myles Thibodeaux as the second set of students at LSU to receive the award. Thibodeaux, a second-year graduate student who plans to work in wetland restoration and management, shared that the scholarship will enable him to purchase a new laptop for school. “Loss of wetlands is a huge concern for all Louisianians,” Thibodeaux said.
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Kiersten Pazdera
Myles Thibodeaux
“I would like to use my education to better serve the efforts to preserve our coast.” The Baton Rouge native said he chose LSU for its culture, proximity to family, climate and professors in the College of Agriculture. “I’ve benefitted a lot from the opendoor attitudes of our top scientists, “ he continued. “A lot of wetland research happens here, and we have some wellpublished scientists. It’s really cool to be able to talk to them about their research.” Pazdera, too, was drawn to LSU because it is close to her family, who lives in Prairieville. She shared, “I decided to pursue my master’s degree here because the professors are truly
invested in their students. They focus on strengthening our skills and knowledge in many different horticultural areas while allowing us to pursue our interests within the field.” After her master’s coursework, Pazdera plans to continue her studies, with a focus on researching irrigation systems used in fruit production. “Knowing how to grow food and care for plants is an incredibly useful skill,” she said. “I think that understanding the physiology of plants, as well as the process of growing food from seed to edible product, leads to a much deeper appreciation of our food, our growers and our planet.” www.coa.lsu.edu
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Lonnie and Carol Doré meet scholarship recipient Julian Sims at an April scholarship banquet hosted by University College.
Coming Home After 34 years living outside of Louisiana, Lonnie and Carol Doré reflect on the many changes they see at LSU. What hasn’t changed is their love for the university and desire to invest in students. “My LSU degree gave me the opportunity to get my foot in the door,” Lonnie said. “Then it’s all left up to you in regards to what you do with it. The harder you work, the luckier you get.” Since graduating from General College in 1976, Lonnie has built a career with Kellogg’s and eventually became vice president of sales. In 1977, he married Carol Simpson, his college sweetheart, who also has a degree from General College. As Lonnie’s career advanced, relocating every few years became a logistical enterprise Carol mastered quickly.
“Our family never would have been successful without Carol’s support,” Lonnie said. “She’s my best friend, a fantastic wife of 37 years, and a wonderful mother to our two daughters.” After Lonnie’s successful career with Kellogg’s, the Dorés felt ready to return home to Southeast Louisiana, a calling that also brought the couple back to LSU. “The investment in the university is visible, which brings high-quality talent into LSU,” Lonnie noted. “If you don’t have the infrastructure, you’re never going to get the top talent to come here.” The Dorés’ investment in LSU has come through the Lonnie J. and Carol S. Doré Family Scholarship, an annual endowed award given to a full-time freshman in University College. “We are so blessed that we can give back, and we feel honored that we can do this,” Carol shared, adding, “But it took a lot of hard work and saving to be able to make this investment. So, we
don’t take anything for granted, and we continue to work hard for other, future investments.” Julian Sims, a freshman from Spring, Texas, is the first recipient. He decided to go to LSU after visiting his older brother, a junior. He shared, “I was set on LSU, without a doubt. To have my brother on campus with me, that makes it an extra special LSU experience for me.” Lonnie advised Sims to take advantage of every opportunity, saying, “Work hard, and come out with good grades and high achievements. If you do that, there will be amazing opportunities ahead for you.” Sims responded, “Thank you so much for what you’re doing for not only me, but for everyone that you’re giving scholarships to. It’s going to mean so much to everybody, and it’s a great thing that the two of you are not only from here, but you’re coming home to give back. I think that’s amazing.” uc.lsu.edu
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STUDY ABROAD
Giving the World Every thought Roger Sullivan has about his late daughter, Joy, is colored by two things: the gift that she was to all who knew her, and that he lost her in a tragic car accident just before she was to attend LSU. From the moment they lost Joy, the family has tried to only let positive things be generated from the person she was and their memories of her. “She taught me more about how to live life than any teacher I ever had,” Roger said. “Time is measured in our lives by the date of her death. As bad as it has been losing her, we have never wanted her loss to be the last word. We remember ourselves and have hope that every person who knew her will always remember her, too.” Roger first fell in love with LSU as a boy scout, when his troop served as ushers in Tiger Stadium. A pastor by trade, he converted his wife (a Southeastern alumna) into a Tiger fan, and raised his three daughters in purple and gold. Their eldest daughter, Leslie, is now a doctor at LSU’s Student Health Center, and their second daugh-
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(Left) Joy Louise Sullivan (Right) Clockwise from top left, Leslie Sullivan Elkins, Ashley Sullivan Hawthorne, Shirley and Roger Sullivan
ter, Ashley, is an LSU alumna. “So, when it came to Joy, there was no other place,” Roger explained, adding that Joy eagerly anticipated her turn to become a Tiger. “During most of my life, I tried to give to LSU occasionally, but being a pastor and not making much money, my primary concern was to educate my girls,” he said. “Anything I gave to LSU was small in comparison to most, but it felt good to give something back.” Roger shared that he was unable to help pay for Ashley’s LSU education as much as he would have liked, and he never had the opportunity to pay for Joy’s. As a result, he feels like he owes it to his daughters and his parents, who
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funded his schooling, to help others. The family is in the process of endowing the Joy Louise Sullivan Memorial Travel Abroad Scholarship in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences. The award will help fund travel abroad for two students each year. Roger said, “Even though I may never have the opportunity to know any of the students who receive the help, they will know that the family of Joy Louise Sullivan cared.” He added that he hopes the recipients will gain the advantages of what seeing other parts of the world can bring “and, hopefully, they will be better people—better because Joy lived, and left her mark.” hss.lsu.edu
Jay Perkins Scholarship for Study Abroad recipient Shannon Roberts reports morning on-air news for Reveille Radio.
Reading, Writing and Rounding the World Shannon Roberts loves to write, is at home behind a radio microphone, and gets more than a little excited about Shakespeare. This summer, the print journalism junior will put down her pen, step back from the mic, and focus on her English literature minor in the most appropriate locale: the United Kingdom. Roberts is the first recipient of the Jay Perkins Scholarship for Study Abroad. She shared, “It makes it easier for me to be able to live my dream of going to England and studying English over there, and being able to experience all that it has to offer. England has always been my dream.”
The eponymous scholarship honors the recent Manship School of Mass Communication Hall of Fame inductee, who taught journalism at LSU for three decades before his recent retirement. Alumna Kelly Rucker Bingel described Perkins as one of the most influential people in her life. “The background that I got in his classes and working under him at The Reveille is what has made me successful in anything I’ve done professionally ever since,” she said. Bingel shared that Perkins taught her how to interview and speak to authority figures as equals. “When I was a newspaper reporter, that gave me the courage to interview CEOs or members of Congress.” Bingel now works as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill, where she interacts with members of Congress every day. “That skill is most important to me now as a lobbyist,” she said. Bingel and former classmates Robert Pierre and Al Comeaux decided to honor their professor’s retirement with the scholarship. At Perkins’ request, the award was designated a
travel abroad scholarship. Bingel said her own travel abroad experience was a valuable lesson for her as a student. “As Mark Twain said, ‘Travel is fatal to bigotry and ignorance,’” she offered. Roberts said she hopes the summer will provide a valuable experience for her, as well. “It’s going to be a time of independence and learning to be on my own.” The future radio personality hopeful will study theater and English literature in Edinburgh, Scotland. When class is not in session, she plans to travel the United Kingdom, with definitive stops at Stratford-upon-Avon and the Globe Theatre. “I hope that every journalism student who goes to LSU will know the name Jay Perkins,” Bingel said of the scholarship, explaining, “He was a great reporter, he was a great educator, and he deserves to be remembered by every student who goes to that school. I hope generations of students will be able to travel abroad as a result of this scholarship.” manship.lsu.edu
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remembering
Joe Dean Sr. “
“
Few men have influenced the game of basketball as diversely as Joe. His presence will be missed, but his impact will live on for years. I wholeheartedly support this effort!
Dick Vitale
ESPN College Basketball Analyst
Memorial Goal for the School of Kinesiology in the College of Human Sciences & Education
$2 Million to endow the
Joe Dean Sr. Sport Administration Program
Last November, LSU, Baton Rouge, and the national basketball community lost a legend. Joe Dean Sr.’s basketball career began at LSU, where he became the first LSU player to be selected in the NBA Draft. He earned his bachelor’s degree in health, P.E. and safety in 1955. After playing professional basketball, founding a basketball camp, and then working as a color analyst for major TV networks, Dean returned to his alma mater as athletic director. During his 14-year tenure at LSU, Dean worked tirelessly to build the School of Kinesiology. The school established the
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Sport Administration Program in 2009. It is now one of the fastest growing degree programs at LSU, and it is home to many student athletes who are pursuing careers beyond athletics. The College of Human Sciences & Education, with the support of the LSU athletics community, is leading an effort to establish an appropriate, meaningful and suitable tribute to Dean: naming the Joe Dean Sr. Sport Administration Program in his memory. The $2 million in private contributions needed to name the program in Dean’s memory will help create this enduring and fitting honor.
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A portion of the earnings from the Joe Dean Sr. Sport Administration Program endowment fund will provide scholarships for students in the program. Dean invested in everyone he knew, a kindness that may now be returned by investing in the effort to endow the Sport Administration Program in his memory. Memorial effort co-chairs are Matt McKay, Dale Brown and Robert “Bob” Pettit Jr. Please contact Wayne Miller, senior director of development, at miller@lsu.edu or 225-328-2954 for further information. www.lsufoundation.org/rememberingjoe
Commitment to Excellence
HIGHLIGHTS
Selected Corporate Gifts (Left) LSU students who have recently accepted internship or full-time positions with Chevron Corp. met with company representatives at a Feb. 19 lunch recognizing Chevron’s philanthropic commitment to LSU. Through its University Partnership Program, Chevron expects to give $1.06 million to the LSU Foundation this year in support of the colleges of Engineering, Science and Human Sciences & Education; the E. J. Ourso College of Business; the LSU Olinde Career Center; and the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.
(Right) LSU students, faculty and staff joined representatives of Phillips 66 at a luncheon held March 20 to celebrate the company’s commitment to developing future leaders and engineers. Phillips 66’s $50,000 donation to the LSU Foundation for the 2014-15 academic year will provide support to the College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Cain Department of Chemical Engineering.
LSU Foundation Colleague Milestones The LSU Foundation commits to excellence by prioritizing investment in our people. The following colleagues are celebrating milestones in their careers. We celebrate with them. Rhonda Rogers Armor is the Foundation’s first regional director of development. She serves every unit at LSU, the LSU AgCenter and the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center from the Houston regional office.
Mona Becnel, planned giving specialist, celebrates 10 years of service to the Foundation.
Monica Derozan, gift processing manager, also marks a decade of excellence at the Foundation.
Kris Elmore, associate director of development in the College of Engineering, earned her certification as a CFRE, a certified fund raising executive.
Jeff McLain, senior vice president of development, earned his master’s degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication.
This summer, the Foundation celebrates the career of Theresa Russo, controller. She retires in June after 23 years of service to the Foundation.
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FOUNDATION 3838 West Lakeshore Drive Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808
JONATHAN LAMBERT Coastal Environmental Science and Biological Sciences Class of 2014 Jonathan is a senior double majoring in coastal environmental science in the School of the Coast & Environment and biological sciences, with a concentration in marine biology, in the College of Science. Private contributions to LSU’s undergraduate research efforts enable students like Jonathan to gain career-related work experience before graduation. Jonathan has served as a summer research intern at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service; a research assistant at the LSU Southern Regional Climate Center; and a summer research intern at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Biospheric Science Lab. He has earned several prestigious awards, including a Udall Scholarship and the NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship.
lsu.edu/discover