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Membership Profile

EDITORS Lauren Brown Sara Crow ART DIRECTOR Victoria DiPascal LSU Senior, Graphic Design CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jacquelyn Schulz Craddock Maggie Heyn Richardson Tim Rodrigue CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Darlene Aguillard Andrea Laborde Barbier Sarah Brown Kevin Duffy Stewart Humble Noah Kozinko Lyndsi Lewis LSU Museum of Natural Science Eddy Perez Collin Richie Tim Rodrigue Rachel Saltzberg Jim Zietz PRINTING Emprint/Moran Printing, Inc. To share feedback, please contact Sara Crow at scrow@lsufoundation.org or 225-578-8164. www.lsufoundation.org www.facebook.com/ lsufoundation www.twitter.com/ lsu_foundation

Dr. Frank Sanchez and wife Janet at a recent tailgate reception with LSU Foundation members

An Investment in Louisiana After his first eye exam at 15, Dr. Frank Sanchez knew he wanted to be an optometrist. That determination took him first to LSU-Alexandria, where he met his wife, Janet, on day one. The couple then transferred to LSU in Baton Rouge before moving to Texas when Frank was accepted into the University of Houston College of Optometry.

Now living in Marksville, LA, the two are still inseparable, even in business.

Janet has worked as business manager and bookkeeper for Frank’s optometry practice for the past 32 years.

The couple passed their dedication to education on to their children, Jessica and Jonathon, by teaching them a college degree would lead to success. “I’ve always been a big believer in academics,” Frank shared. “In today’s world, you have a chance of being more successful with a college education.”

Though neither graduated from LSU, Frank and Janet became members of the LSU Foundation seven years ago to support the state’s flagship university.

“I thought the work the Foundation was trying to accomplish was worthy of contributing to,” Frank said. “It was something I needed to do and wanted to do.”

The Sanchezes believe support for the university is necessary to maintain a strong flagship. “Support for higher education in this state is important if we’re going to grow as a state economically,” Frank explained. “We can do more as a state if we have a strong flagship university.” www.lsufoundation.org/membership

On the Cover

FOUNDATION 2

Our new mission, vision and values statements (p. 4) reflect our commitment to our donors and LSU. In this aerial view of campus, buildings are composed of words and phrases from these statements. Watercolor illustration by our student art director, Victoria DiPascal.

Cornerstone | Winter and Spring 2015 | LSU Foundation

INSIDE CORNERSTONE Winter and Spring 2015 • Volume 26, Number 2

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BEATING THE ODDS ... TO THE CEO’S SEAT p 18 • GIVING LIFE p 38 • BRIDGING THE GAP p 9 4

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WELCOME President and CEO BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sue W. Turner UNRESTRICTED GIFTS Tomorrow’s News SCHOLARSHIPS Inspiring Minds The Sound of Success A Half-Century of Excellence Honoring the Tradition He Began

18 WHAT WILL YOUR GIFT DO?

Beating the Odds ... to the CEO’s Seat

Thank You

22 FEATURE

Fundraising Priorities

32 LIFETIME GIVING Society for Engineering Excellence Education for Generations

34 SPECIAL PROJECTS

Rewriting History 36 CROSS-CAMPUS SUPPORT Finding the Diamonds in the Rough More than an Alumna 38 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS 39 HIGHLIGHTS

12 CURATING PHILANTHROPY Globally Competitive 14 PROFESSORSHIPS

All in the Family 15 ENDOW AN OAK

Lifelong Dedication 16 HONORING LOVED ONES

Board Member’s Legacy Honored

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THE LSU FOUNDATION INSPIRES AND SHEPHERDS PHILANTHROPIC GIVING TO LSU AND BUILDS LONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH DONORS WHO BRING LIFE TO CURRENT AND EMERGING UNIVERSITY PRIORITIES. Cornerstone | Winter and Spring 2015 | LSU Foundation

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Dear Friends, It has been my privilege to serve you, LSU’s most loyal supporters, as president and CEO of the LSU Foundation for the past 3 ½ years. This continues to be an exciting era in fundraising success for the LSU Foundation. Guided by our ambitious 2012-16 strategic plan, we are exceeding the goals we set for ourselves and just wrapped our second most successful fundraising year ever. Our endowed assets grew from $354 million to $395 million, largely as an outcome of market performance. We continue to work to increase our endowment through private giving to provide a perpetual stream of funding for the university.

We will soon break ground on the LSU Foundation Center for Philanthropy at the corner of Skip Bertman and Nicholson Drives. Locating such a center in a highly visible area of campus, close by premier athletic facilities, is a model successfully used by a few of our aspirant peer foundations. We expect to experience the same success with this permanent reflection of the vital role of academic fundraising to LSU’s future.

When I joined the LSU Foundation as interim president and CEO on July 1, 2011, I did so having retired from the banking industry several years before and with 30 years of service to the Foundation’s Board of Directors. I agreed to serve for six months, then accepted the Board’s invitation to extend my service through this year. The LSU Foundation Board recently formed a search committee that, working collaboratively with LSU President and Chancellor King Alexander, is building an improved development structure that is in the best interests of LSU. My successor will be president and CEO of the LSU Foundation and serve as LSU’s vice president of university advancement. He or she will establish and communicate university-wide fundraising priorities, coordinate fundraising activities on behalf of LSU, and work closely with the LSU-affiliated foundations to create a more functional advancement environment and a better experience for donors. All involved are deeply committed to hiring a highly qualified, dynamic leader, and we look forward to introducing you to him or her soon.

We have also adopted new mission, vision and values statements that reflect the nature of our commitment to LSU and you. Please take a moment to read those, below.

We fully recognize that you are the key to our success. Thank you for your continued support—it matters, and we appreciate your generosity.

Forever LSU,

G. Lee Griffin (MS Business, 1962) President and CEO, LSU Foundation

Mission

Vision

The LSU Foundation inspires and shepherds philanthropic giving to LSU and builds long-lasting relationships with donors who bring life to current and emerging university priorities. We support LSU in its quest to enhance the student experience, provide working capital to recruit and retain world-class faculty and staff, support life-changing research, and drive economic development. We are dedicated to stewarding each gift to maximize donors’ impact on making LSU one of the best universities in the world.

The LSU Foundation aspires to be a recognized leader among the country’s university-related foundations. Our work to inspire a culture that unites philanthropic desires with university priorities will position LSU to lead public universities in all aspects of academic excellence. We will set the bar in honoring the trust our donors place in us. We will exemplify integrity, accountability, and transparency as we steward every gift we receive.

Read our new values statements online at www.lsufoundation.org/missionvisionvalues 4

Cornerstone | Winter and Spring 2015 | LSU Foundation

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

Sue Turner stands with LSU’s Golden Girls at the 2012 Tiger Band Hall dedication.

William L. Silvia Jr. • Baton Rouge, LA Corporate Secretary

65+ Years of Tiger Spirit

Clarence P. Cazalot Jr. • Houston, TX Corporate Treasurer

Sue W. Turner’s dedication to LSU is more than 65 years strong. Having both earned their bachelor’s degrees from the university in the 1940s, she and her late husband, Bert, never wavered in supporting their alma mater.

“One of the many things I learned from Bert was the value of LSU in our community and the need for public support of its different colleges,” Sue said when she was inducted into the E. J. Ourso College of Business’s Hall of Distinction.

“My years of supporting LSU have given me a great appreciation for the various units that I have connections to, including the Museum of Art, College of Engineering, Business school, School of Music and College of Art + Design. I had the privilege of serving my deceased husband Bert’s unexpired term, and having done so, was re-elected to the Board. I have tried to follow in Bert’s path, as the work of the Foundation was always very important to him.”

A Plaquemine, LA, native, Sue has said that she now lives as close to LSU as possible, without actually being part of it, because “It is a great place to be, with so many things going on, in and around campus.”

Now the matriarch of Turner Industries, the industrial service company Bert founded more than 50 years ago, Sue has devoted her life to bettering LSU and Baton Rouge as a philanthropist and community activist. Notably, she is a strong supporter of faculty, historic preservation and the arts.

Within the community, she worked tirelessly to save BREC’s Magnolia Mound Plantation from demolition, and has served on several boards, including the Louisiana State Museum, BREC Foundation and Friends of Magnolia Mound Plantation.

On campus, she has served on the boards of the LSU Foundation, Burden Foundation and the LSU Rural Life Museum, as well as serving on the Forever LSU Art Museum Campaign Committee. Sue is an LSU Foundation Laureate Society member, designated as a Troy H. Middleton Laureate in recognition of her lifetime giving. Her generosity spans two campuses and more than 30 units. She has supported faculty through a chair and more than 10 professorships.

“What I have learned from the Board experience has given me a clearer picture of what the needs of the university are,” she shared. “I’ve enjoyed my service on the Board a great deal.”

In addition to her role on the LSU Foundation Board of Directors, Sue serves the university as a member of the College of Art + Design’s Dean’s Circle and the Society for Engineering Excellence. She has also received the President’s Award, Louisiana Association of Museums Award and Golden Deeds Award, and was recognized as a Tiger Leader in the LSU 100. She was a trustee for the National Trust for Historical Preservation, and was a founding member of both the Louisiana Association of Museums and, with Bert, the Pennington Council of 100.

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 R. 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

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UNRESTRICTED GIFTS

Tomorrow’s News The name Manship has been synonymous with media in Baton Rouge for more than a century. It began in 1909 when Charles Manship Sr. bought the city’s bankrupt newspaper and turned it into Capital City Press.

A purchase intended to create a nonpartisan news source for Baton Rouge was also, however unintentionally, the beginning of a media dynasty.

Manship began the family’s relationship with LSU in 1922, when he built a new newspaper publishing facility and outfitted an adjacent newsroom dedicated for the use of LSU journalism students.

“The entire university is so important to Baton Rouge, the growth of Baton Rouge and the development of Baton Rouge,” said Richard Manship, Charles’ grandson, explaining the family’s passion for the university. “We love LSU. We know the importance of LSU to our community.

We have all the faith in the world of everyone at the entire university.”

Richard, president of Baton Rouge news station WBRZ, shared that the family supports the entire university— including a recent major gift to the Center for Academic

Richard Manship in his office at WBRZ

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Success—but contributions to the Manship School of Mass Communication ultimately help the family business. “It would be silly not to take advantage of the school there, and help make it as good as it can be, so we can reap the benefits of the graduates.”

During the school’s recent centennial celebration, Richard, along with siblings David, Dina and Douglas Jr., pledged an unrestricted $163,000 gift to the Manship Excellence Fund. “I know how important an unrestricted gift can be at certain times,” Richard shared. “I think it allows the administration to be a little more creative in what they do.”

The unrestricted gifts in this fund allow the school flexibility to allocate the dollars where they are most needed, such as faculty and student travel to conferences and competitions or program and equipment upgrades. “When you think about it, who are we to try and figure out how [a university] should go about educating the students?” Richard reflected.

He shared that he and his siblings trust the school’s administration and faculty. “I really think that where they are now, they’re ahead of the curve,” he said, explaining the school’s emphasis on ensuring courses reflect the everchanging world of media. “We’re educating people for our future, not for now.” manship.lsu.edu

SCHOLARSHIPS

Retired philosophy professor Dr. Ed Henderson

Inspiring Minds Thirty-eight years after enrolling in one of Professor Edward H. Henderson’s philosophy courses at LSU, Don Broussard still remembers how it felt to explore life’s great questions for the first time.

Broussard says he has never forgotten Henderson’s powerful, yet relaxed, ability to expose students to the world traditions of thought.

“His lectures were always interesting, and frequently profound,” said Broussard. “He was not only a first-rate philosopher and teacher, but he came across as someone you could trust to give you good counsel regarding school and career issues. He was one of the best professors I had at LSU, and continued to be one of my favorites after LSU Law and graduate school at Catholic University and Georgia Tech.”

Henderson, a beloved professor of many LSU students, retired in 2012 after a 46-year career in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences’ Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies. There, he not only inspired his students in the classroom, but his enthusiasm for fostering learning also helped spawn the LSU Honors College.

Francis Landreaux, a former student and graduate assistant who worked with Henderson in the philosophy department for several years, is leading an effort to establish an endowed scholarship in Henderson’s name, funded through the generosity of former students, colleagues and friends.

“Ed has had a huge impact on my life and that of many others,” Landreaux shared, explaining his decision to make a lead gift of $10,000 to start the scholarship. “He was always accepting of students, and made the classroom an experience that encouraged thinking on the deepest level. I wanted to do something to honor Ed that would have a lasting impact and keep his legacy alive forever at LSU.” With $20,000 given so far, the scholarship effort is halfway to the endowment level, which will enable the fund to perpetually benefit deserving Honors College students majoring in philosophy.

Early in his career at LSU,

Henderson helped create courses in the Honors Division, a new program that provided opportunities for high-level students during a time when LSU, like many state universities, lacked admissions standards. Henderson and a few other faculty members taught small sections of humanities courses. His sections included the great philosophers and the development of Western civilization. The Honors Division led to the establishment of the LSU Honors College, where Henderson eventually served as associate dean.

“I really expect that many of those whose lives were touched by Ed will also want to contribute,” Landreaux added.

Professor of Philosophy Mary Sirridge worked with Henderson for 35 years and says he was a natural at distilling complex concepts for a broad spectrum of students. No matter their fields of study, Henderson’s students walked away with a deeper understanding of, and a new appreciation for, philosophy and religion.

“He was a first-rate lecturer, and that’s a real talent,” said Sirridge. “It demands both deep understanding of the material and clarity of thought. He was always so interested in helping students learn and in developing their particular interests.” hss.lsu.edu

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Scholarship recipients Haley Deshotels and Jonathan Melancon meet Dr. Mahlon Poche before performing with Tiger Band.

The Sound of Success When the sun finds its home in the western sky it is a field of glory for sure But much more than that it is a sacred place And it is Saturday night in Death Valley - Dan Borne, 2011 The last three lines of Dan Borne’s “Tiger Stadium” poem fittingly portray LSU’s athletic prowess. Yet, to Dr. Mahlon P. Poche, it’s the progression of The Golden Band from Tigerland as they burst forth the first four notes of “Hold That Tiger,” the traditional pregame salute, that holds his excitement.

A Saturday night in Death Valley would not be the same without the Tiger Band, which contributes heavily to the atmosphere of spirit and pride, as well as the university’s commitment to a legacy of excellence.

Excellence, extending into valuing higher education, has always been a focal point in Poche’s life, as his parents encouraged him to work hard and strive for a life filled with choices and opportunities. He said, “I lean into the words my parents continually reinforced: ‘If there is a will, there is a way’ and ‘Give it 110 percent.’ Today, I still live by their encouragement.” Athletic and academic undergraduate scholarships to Nicholls State University, coupled with rigorous coursework, enabled Poche to pursue medicine at

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Tulane and post-doctoral studies in family medicine at LSU Earl K. Long Hospital.

“I’m grateful for the mentorship and opportunities given to me,” he shared, explaining why he chose to establish the Dr. Mahlon P. Poche Jr. Scholarship. “This scholarship with LSU University College provides the same to young, aspiring students who excel in the classroom and work hard while playing a musical instrument, marching in the band, and attending daily practices. I feel I can be a part of the spirit of Tiger Band by rewarding these high-achieving students.”

The endowed scholarship is awarded to full-time undergraduate students enrolled in University College who are members in good standing with the LSU Tiger Band.

LSU Color Guard member Haley Deshotels, mass communication freshman, and chemical engineering sophomore Jonathan Melancon, who plays cymbals for Tiger Band, are the first two scholarship recipients.

“Seeing and meeting Haley and Jonathan has been a remarkable experience,” Poche shared. “Knowing they have worked hard in the band all season while maintaining high academic records makes me proud for them and for LSU. Seeing them in their band uniforms made me proud, filled me with emotion, and brought me to tears.”

“On behalf of all the students working to overcome financial difficulties to achieve their dreams, I would like to thank you again for all that you are doing,” Deshotels expressed to Poche.

“I am truly honored to be a part of these young students’ lives,” says Poche. “I hope someday they can be donors in some small way, because this feeling of giving is joyous. And may the spirit live in us, forever L-S-U.” uc.lsu.edu

Bridging the Gap Given its attention-grabbing research and academics, significant military history, and formidable athletics, LSU has never been a stranger to excellence. Scholarships are essential pieces of the university’s incomparable puzzle.

This school year, the College of Art + Design hosted its first annual scholarship reception to thank donors and honor the achievements of its dedicated students. Ace Torre and his wife, Regina, are ensuring their scholarship recipients experience all the college has to offer.

What began as an architectural engineering program in 1933 has evolved into an exceptional college, one of the few institutions that offer the same four disciplines as legendary German art school Bauhaus. Torre asserts that an understanding of each discipline is necessary in the “real world.”

“Any time you go out to do any large project, you’re going to be involved with all the other disciplines,” Torre explained. “With each discipline, there’s a different language, a different mentality and outlook on how things fit together. So, the broader the base of the individual, the greater the aspect of understanding and coordinating all those disciplines.”

The 1971 landscape architecture alumnus studied for two years at the American Academy in Rome, after receiving the Rome Prize in 1974.

The highly selective fellowship is awarded annually to emerging artists and scholars from 11 art and history disciplines. He shared that his Italian experience made him realize both the design and the technical benefits of interdisciplinary thinking.

Torre, owner of Torre Design Consortium in New Orleans, believes so strongly in the idea of a wellrounded education that he created a scholarship in each of the college’s disciplines—architecture, art, landscape architecture and interior design—to

promote interdisciplinary study.

The scholarships provide a way to “reward bright young talent looking to reach out to the other disciplines” while offering financial assistance.

Torre explained that, while his tuition was just $65 each semester, many students today struggle to afford higher education. “It was trying to take those who worked hard, who reached out to the other disciplines but had an economic need, as well, to help.”

Five similarly minded students received the Regina and Ace Torre Scholarship—in their respective disciplines—at the September reception. Torre shared that he hopes the interdisciplinary mindset required for the scholarships will help develop and encourage better professionals, with higher levels of work, to create better products.

“It was logical for me to promote that,” Torre said, reiterating, “It’s an amazing thing that LSU has all of those four disciplines in one college.” design.lsu.edu

Regina and Ace Torre Scholarship recipients Neha Jain (Interior Design), Tyler Detiveaux (Architecture), Kathryn Boutte (Landscape Architecture) and Zach McLaine (Architecture); at right, Nicholas Lopes (Art History)

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A HalfCentury of Excellence Every scholarship has a story.

That story may be who inspired its creation, how it was funded, or the donor’s deep love for LSU. Whatever the story, the purpose is always to help a student receive a quality collegiate education. Fannie Guy’s story has been supporting students for more than 50 years.

In 1959, LSU alumnus Charles Guy made a pledge to create an endowed scholarship in memory of his mother, who played the organ for 40 years at First Baptist Church in Mansfield, LA. Guy fulfilled his pledge to the fledgling LSU Foundation by the end of 1961, marking the Fannie Guy Memorial Scholarship as one of the Foundation’s oldest awards.

The scholarship has grown from one $150 award each semester to supporting five students from DeSoto Parish this past spring. “I feel very honored to get a scholarship that was created so long ago,” shared biochemistry sophomore Jessica Wellborn. “It makes me feel that I met the expectations that others have met for the last 50 years, and that I can still keep the bar set high.”

As president of the parish’s LSU Alumni Association chapter, Dr. Gil Rew now serves as the scholarship’s steward, and so receives thank you letters, the list of recipients and the annual endowment report. “It is amazing to see how a gift of initially around $10,000 has been wisely invested to yield a scholarship total of over $55,000 today, while it has benefited the residential housing needs of DeSoto Parish female scholars,” Rew said of the gift’s impact.

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Fannie Guy Memorial Scholarship recipient Jessica Wellborn

He continued, “A gift today can yield blessings and benefits for generations, as has this one, in aiding students to receive the support they need to obtain a highly acclaimed LSU degree.”

Wellborn shared that the scholarship was a welcome reward for her hard work in high school. “I pushed myself my junior and senior year by taking all of the dual enrollment and AP classes that were offered to prepare for college,” she said. “Then, to get a little extra money for college expenses was such a relief.”

Wellborn graduated from her high school as valedictorian and student of the year.

“LSU provides an excellent faculty, environment and facility for a world-class education,” Rew said. “Yet, philanthropic gifts provide that environment, and make provisions for the support system a student needs to do their best in availing themselves to the blessing of LSU.” www.lsufoundation.org

Cornerstone | Winter and Spring 2015 | LSU Foundation

Honoring the Tradition He Began When Leo Comeaux received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from LSU in 1955, he was a first-generation college student unknowingly beginning a legacy.

His father’s education had ended in third grade, but would be followed by the educational success of the elder Comeaux’ son and grandchildren.

Of Leo Comeaux’s four children, his three daughters continued in his footsteps to receive their chemical engineering degrees. This past spring, Comeaux’s granddaughter followed suit.

“He’s been a big inspiration for us,” Comeaux’s youngest daughter, Tricia Delaney, shared. “All of us felt our parents were very instrumental in keeping academics in front of us.”

As Comeaux’s 80th birthday

approached, Delaney, her sisters and their brother, Michael, who graduated from the Air Force Academy, decided to honor their father with a chemical engineering scholarship in his name.

“We wanted to give back to the school in a meaningful way,” Delaney said, explaining that all three sisters attended LSU on scholarships. “LSU was obviously very good to the three of us. It’s a tradition, and it’s family. LSU, in a very big way, is part of our family.”

Delaney and her sisters, Lori Annestrand and Lisa Vander Laan, were able to use ExxonMobil’s 3-to1 charitable matching program to maximize their dollars. Delaney and Vander Laan, plus all three sisters’ husbands, are ExxonMobil employees, and Annestrand is a former employee.

“They make it very easy to give,”

Delaney said.

The scholarship will be awarded to a chemical engineering student from Louisiana, a requirement that Delaney said reflects their father’s past. “We’re all hoping to continue a young person’s education and help them achieve their goals in what we think is a very honorable and valuable profession.”

Comeaux shared that LSU provided him with the opportunity for an affordable education and the foundation for his career. To have a scholarship named after him provides a meaningful way to ensure his family’s legacy at LSU continues for generations. “I was really touched by what they did,” he said. “I feel privileged to have children like that.” eng.lsu.edu

Leo Comeaux’s daughters present him with the Leo C. Comeaux Chemical Engineering Scholarship at his granddaughter’s graduation from the College of Engineering.

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Prekindergarten students Lyric Gage (left) and Ty’Juan Palmer learn to draw self-portraits in their September ArtWorks class.

Relative Art With billboards lining the nation’s highways and interstates, the family behind Lamar Companies is no stranger to advertising. What sisters-in-law Jennifer and Winifred Reilly personally advertise, however, stands out in a different way.

Both women throw their support behind projects and exhibitions at the LSU Museum of Art. Winifred shared that she believes the museum makes a vital contribution to Baton Rouge’s culture.

“As an artist myself, I believe that art can be a powerful force for progress and social change, and that the LSU museum is doing a lot to advance and enhance life in Baton Rouge, both for artists and the community at large,” she said.

This season, Winifred is supporting two exhibitions that she says have helped push forward the state of contemporary art in Baton Rouge.

Rooted Communities: The Art of Nari Ward is the result of the Harlem-based artist’s one-year residency as the Nadine Carter Russell Chair at the College of Art + Design. “I supported this project because there are not many opportunities for people in Baton Rouge to be exposed to an artist of Ward’s caliber,” she explained.

LSU Professor Kelli Scott Kelley’s Accalia and the

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Swamp Monster reflects on both Louisiana and her personal history by drawing from folklore and fairy tales. Winifred explained, “[Kelley] is an important example of a Baton Rouge-based artist doing groundbreaking contemporary art projects that demonstrate the great potential for contemporary art in Baton Rouge.”

Jennifer is passionate about developing excellent educational opportunities for children. ArtWorks is an innovative museum/school-based arts program that provides students and faculty at White Hills Elementary with a free, creative, integrated arts initiative.

“I am a big believer in arts education,” Jennifer said, explaining, “Children develop the ability to think critically and to express themselves effectively through the arts. We all need spiritual and creative experiences to develop as a whole people.”

The program, led by Lucy Perera, the museum’s coordinator of school and community programs, began last school year. During one week each month, children learn art vocabulary and visual skills. Perera said they will track the children’s progress over the years to determine how learning about the arts has affected other parts of their education.

“I believe that LSU’s ArtWorks is not only giving children creative learning opportunities,” Jennifer shared, “but is building a partnership that will result in many ripples for students and for our community for many years to come.” lsumoa.org

Globally Competitive

More than three decades ago, LSU researcher Ted Parker brought ornithological prestige to the university when he, along with friend and fellow ornithologist Scott Robinson, set the World Big Day record.

A “Big Day” is a popular sport among competitive bird-watchers in which birders, either individually or as a team, compete to spot as many bird species as possible within 24 hours.

Since the Parker-Robinson duo in 1982, the record 331 spotted species has been unmatched. Unmatched, that is, until a quartet of researchers and ornithologists decided to reinforce LSU’s stronghold on the title.

In October, the two doctoral students, a Museum of Natural Science research associate and a Peruvian ornithologist observed 354 bird species during a single day in Peru. For Robb Brumfield, museum director, and Roy Paul Daniels, professor in Biological Sciences, the Big Day signifies more than bragging rights.

“For us, it’s an amazing accomplishment to hold this record,” he explained. “But ornithology, the science of studying birds, holds equal importance to us. This bird watching event brings awareness about the great science we’re doing at the museum.”

The Big Day was a catalyst for heightening publicity of, and raising funds for, the museum’s ornithological research program. LSU is not only a premier institution for training and research among burgeoning ornithologists, but also houses the largest bird tissue collection of any museum in the world.

The museum is working with scientists across the globe to reconstruct the tree of life for every known bird species on the planet.

“That’s a big, very expensive project, with an international team of collaborators involved,” Brumfield shared. “The LSU tissue collection is the bedrock of that project.”

The museum is also credited with the discovery of 41 bird species—sometimes named in honor of loyal donors—compared to John James Audubon’s 25.

“In the Museum of Natural Science here, you’ve got a great research program that is training scientists who graduate and move on to prestigious biodiversity institutions around the world,” Brumfield said. “All of that research and training takes financial support.”

From unique birding expeditions for graduate students to vital research contributions, that financial support continues to enable LSU’s Museum of Natural Science to be a world-renowned ornithology resource. “Why not be the best,” Brumfield posed, “like we are at a lot of things?” lsubigday.org museum.lsu.edu This Saffron-headed Tanager is one of the 354 bird species the LSU team spotted on their record-breaking Big Day.

PROFESSORSHIPS

All in the Family

Throughout his career as a lawyer, Huntington Odom had many successes.

He was a partner at a Baton Rouge law firm, served as treasurer for the Louisiana State Law Institute, and was formative in shaping the state’s last constitutional revisions to benefit LSU. With every success, he reflected on the importance of his LSU education.

“He felt a deep obligation to the university and the law school,” Pat Odom said of her late husband. “If he said once, he said a million times, ‘All the success I’ve had, I owe to the university, the education I got there, and to the law school.’”

Huntington showed his lifelong appreciation for the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center by creating the James Huntington Odom and Patricia Kleinpeter Odom Professorship through a bequest in his will.

“They thought so much of the professors, at that time, and had such a regard for them,” Pat shared. “He valued the very good teachers that he had, and he wanted to make sure the law school had the money to hire the best in the country.”

Pat explained that there is a great need for philanthropy at LSU because donors provide funds the state cannot.

“We need to support the university,” she said. “They need the money.”

Just as the endowed professorship will carry Huntington’s name for generations, generations of his family carry on his name—and legacy. James Huntington “Hunter” Odom III is currently in his first year at the law center.

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Hunter Odom stands with his grandmother, Pat Kleinpeter Odom, on the steps of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

Huntington’s grandson first pursued his medical degree, but after completing the master’s program at Mississippi College, returned to Baton Rouge to continue the family’s legal heritage. “I’ve always hoped to go to law school at some point or another,” Hunter said. “This is what my great-grandfather did. This is what my grandfather did.”

Hunter’s great-grandfather, John Fred Odom, was a local lawyer, a judge and the district attorney in the inquisition of Gov. Huey P. Long’s assassination. The lineage goes further still with his great-great-grandfather, Rep. James Manley Odom, who served in the state legislature. Hunter shared that he feels a sense of responsibility with his family history. “One of the things I’m most proud of is my name,” he said, adding, “Being here at LSU Law School is an honor and a dream come true. This is where I’m supposed to be.” www.law.lsu.edu

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ENDOW AN OAK

The Quadrangle at LSU

Lifelong Dedication Throughout his life, John Staples was passionate about his many connections to LSU. “Once he gets in it, they’re stuck with him,” his wife, Jane, said of her late husband’s sense of dedication.

The Staples’ sons, Doug and Bowman, recently honored their father’s memory with one more longlasting connection.

John came to LSU to study education and history in the early 1940s. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1948 and his master’s degree in 1951.

During John’s time at the university, his uncle, the late Professor Charles Henry Staples, became a mentor to him.

Charles, a former head of LSU’s Department of Dairy Science, served such an integral role in John’s life that

he established the Professor Charles Henry Staples Scholarship to honor his uncle. The scholarship was funded by a lifetime of quarterly donations from John.

While at LSU, John joined Kappa Sigma fraternity, for which he served as chapter president. Years after graduating, he continued his commitment to the fraternity by serving in a national position.

John was also a member of the 1942 ROTC class that was called to fight in World War II; he was later called to serve again, this time in the Korean War. Back home, he became involved with the Cadets of the Ole War Skule, a group of men and women who celebrate the university’s rich military history and traditions. The group, founded in 1955 by several cadets, strives to preserve and strengthen a spirit of camaraderie among its members, to foster and perpetuate patriotism, to strengthen a sense of individual allegiance to LSU, and to promote public awareness of the value of LSU’s military contributions.

John’s passion for LSU and the campus community extended beyond the gates of the university’s core.

For 60 years, he frequented campus as a member of University United Methodist Church, and as an LSU football season ticket-holder.

“It’s just another one of those things where he was locked in tight to the university,” Doug said.

Bowman added that all of John’s activities helped him to stay active. “It kept him moving. They filled up his life.”

As a tribute to their father’s lifelong dedication to LSU, Doug and Bowman gave John a permanent LSU connection by endowing an oak outside of the military science building. They and their family previously endowed an oak in memory of Doug and Bowman’s brother, David.

The Endow an Oak program was introduced in 1993 to improve the poor health of the then-underfunded live oaks across campus. Fifty percent of each gift builds the oak endowment, and the other half can be used immediately by LSU’s arborists.

Doug explained why the family honors loved ones through the Endow an Oak program, sharing, “LSU wouldn’t be the campus without the oaks.” www.lsufoundation.org/oaks

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From left, Laura Goodrich Watts, Henry Goodrich Jr., College of Science Dean Cynthia Peterson and Gil Goodrich at an October lunch celebrating the Goodrich family

Board Member’s Legacy Honored The late Henry Goodrich’s attendance at LSU was almost an assumption. His father and great-greatgrandfather were both alumni, just as two of his three children eventually became.

His passion for the university, however, was his own.

Henry graduated in 1951 with his bachelor’s in geology, a degree program he chose after hearing the reputation of a particularly difficult biology professor. “That began a love of geology and, later, oil and gas and the oil and gas exploration business,” Henry’s son Gil said.

Henry built his career in oil and gas, eventually forming Goodrich Oil Company, and later serving as chairman emeritus of NYSE-listed Goodrich Petroleum Corporation, of which Gil now serves as vice chairman and CEO. Gil shared that his father believed in hard work and success, but, more importantly, honor and integrity, “which, I think, marked him as a leader in the oil and gas industry.”

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Throughout his career, Gil said, “he always stayed close to LSU, the College of Science and Geology. He was very passionate about higher education in Louisiana and strengthening the LSU flagship in Baton Rouge. He believed very strongly that improvement of the university would come through dedicated endowments and improving the quality of the university in higher education.”

Henry’s lifelong commitment to LSU included serving on the LSU Foundation’s Board of Directors for 25 years, with a term as chairman from 1987-88. The College of Science recently showed its appreciation of his service and stellar career by inducting him into their Hall of Distinction.

Knowing the importance of philanthropy at LSU to his father, Gil and his family are naming the north entrance of the LSU Foundation Center for Philanthropy in Henry’s memory. “It was something he cared greatly about,” Gil said.

“He loved people, and he loved life. He was very generous of both his time and his money. He had great compassion for other people.”

“I and my family, given his love of the university and passion about the LSU Foundation, thought this was a very appropriate way to honor him and the things that were important to him.” science.lsu.edu

Healthy Determination Dr. Margaret Tims Younathan spent her life educating others on good nutrition. From food and nutrition classrooms at Oregon State University, University of Arkansas and LSU; to nutrition workshops in Sierra Leone and Jamaica; to her family’s dinner table, Younathan ensured everyone around her knew the importance of a healthy diet.

“She was very focused on better health through nutrition,” Dr. Janet Younathan said of her late mother.

“For example, my mother was deeply concerned about childhood obesity and its effect on adult health. This focus developed early in her career, decades before it came into general public awareness. She was certainly a woman ahead of her time.”

“She worked very hard both at home and at her job,” Dr. Carol Younathan added, saying that her mother had a healthy, home-cooked meal on the table every night of the week for her family.

Carol explained that Margaret was thorough when teaching food labs and nutrition classes, making certain her students understood the chemistry and nutritional value of each food they prepared. “She wanted them to really understand what they were doing.”

Last year, the sisters teamed up to continue Margaret’s work through an endowed scholarship in her name.

The scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior in the College of Agriculture who intends to pursue a dietetic internship, a program required to become a registered dietician. Janet explained, “LSU does not offer this program. So, students that need this training must go elsewhere, often moving out of state. This scholarship will help offset the expenses associated with that training. Our goal is to build

LSU dietetics students provide cooking demonstrations at the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market.

on the excellent academic curricula already offered in [LSU’s Food Science and Food and Nutrition] departments.”

They began funding the award with help from the matching gift program that Janet’s employer offers.

The scholarship will be completely funded in 2015, and a bequest from Janet’s estate will increase the award.

The sisters shared that they hope the Dr. Margaret T. Younathan Scholarship will help students extend Margaret’s vision of a healthier population. “Students that get this award will be able to further their education,” Carol said. “Not only

further their own education, but perhaps go back and teach other students, so that the information is propagated on a continuous cycle to always give back.”

Janet continued, “Assisting LSU students in completing a dietetic internship is a very appropriate way to remember our mother, because she was committed to good health through proper diet. In the larger picture, our vision is that this award will inspire its recipients to follow in her footsteps and do their part in helping others achieve their health goals.” www.coa.lsu.edu

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Beating the Odds ... to the CEO’s Seat Sitting in Douglas Secrest’s office, the honors, awards and diploma that cover his wall, and the litany of titles under his belt—most recently partner and CEO of healthy fast food chain Spotter’s—may tell a casual observer something about the man on the other side of the desk.

But they certainly won’t tell his story.

The 29-year-old was raised in Baker in a single-parent household, a fate that came full circle when he became a single parent himself during his senior year of high school.

He began welding in 11th grade, and used his inherent determination, perseverance and business savvy—skills he learned as a boy by observing restaurant management while his mother waited tables—to move up in rank. He was offered a position in a welding start-up and spent the next few years helping to manage and grow the Walker fabrication shop.

“It got me interested,” he shared. “What can I really reach if I went and educated myself? Turns out, I’m a little smarter than I gave myself credit for.”

He enrolled at Baton Rouge Community College in 2006.

After three years of night classes, he decided he could be more successful with a bachelor’s degree in hand.

The E. J. Ourso College of Business boasts a challenging curriculum for most students. But for a nontraditional student who is re-learning long-forgotten study habits, solely financially responsible for a daughter nearing preteen age, and working full time, a full class load can be near impossible. “Keen time management was vital.”

Secrest shared that the financial burden of a college education, especially when raising a child, was one of his greatest obstacles. Days came when he was unsure where his next rent check would come from. Several scholarships, including the Richard A. Roy Memorial Scholarship, Redhawk Capital Corporation Scholarship, and Georgia Pacific/Clint M. Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, helped him make ends meet. “I don’t know what I would have done,” he said. “I don’t think I could have afforded LSU. Scholarships make it happen ... Scholarships give [students] the opportunity to completely change the course of their life.”

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Douglas Secrest with daughter Makaylee

He knows from experience.

Secrest graduated from LSU, with honors, in 2013. A college education transformed this welder into a successful businessman with no plans to slow down. Spotter’s currently has three locations, with plans to open a fourth—in downtown Baton Rouge—in fall 2014. Secrest hopes to grow the chain to 100 locations within five years, and 1,000 locations within 10. Eventually, he hopes to step back from the day-to-day operations and re-visit his education.

He has his eyes on LSU’s Flores MBA program, and, after that, “at least one PhD.” And, a determination to one day fund scholarships like those he received.

“Education gave me the knowledge to take my intrinsic skill sets, intrinsic motivation and ambition, and maximize its potential,” he said. “Now, I’m an education junkie.” business.lsu.edu

Thank You When donors create a professorship at the LSU Foundation, they are providing the university an opportunity to attract, retain and reward outstanding faculty. Professorships provide resources to recognize professors’ academic achievements, and empower them to better themselves, their students and LSU through research and innovative teaching methods.

Mr. and Mrs. LeGrange, I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank you for your generosity in the establishment of professorships in the LSU Accounting Department. I am the holder of one of these professorships (U.J. LeGrange Endowed Professorship), and I hope you find that your contribution is being put to good use.

My name is Jared Soileau, and I am originally from a small town north of Lafayette (Washington, LA). I graduated from LSU with a BS in Accounting in 1997 and returned in 2001 to pursue an MBA. Working in the field of public accounting and industry as an internal auditor and information systems auditor with several companies piqued my research curiosity, and teaching internal training planted the bug in me to pursue my PhD at the University of Memphis.

I am currently wrapping up my fourth year at LSU. I teach Accounting Information Systems and provide some assistance to Dr. Glenn Sumners and the students of the LSU Center for Internal Auditing. I am also involved with Accounting PhD students through service on the Accounting Department’s PhD Committee, as well as several dissertation committees this year. I also have been recently appointed as the E. J. Ourso College of Business representative on the LSU Honors College Board. In addition, I serve on the Institute of Internal Auditors Academic Relations Committee and the Association of Healthcare Internal Auditors Publications committee.

My research interests are primarily tied to corporate governance and auditing. Currently, a co-author and I have a forthcoming article related to accounting quality of reverse merger public market entrants. We are also working on another study related to religious university affiliation of Audit Committee members and earnings quality.

The professorship that I hold through your generosity will be used to support travel and conference registration for this year’s Accounting Information Systems Educator conference in June. In addition, we are awaiting feedback on a paper related to the impact on Accounting Standard 5 (ASS) on Audit Quality and Fees from the American Accounting Associations annual conference. Pending acceptance of the paper for presentation, funds from the professorship will also be used to support a PhD student’s travel and conference registration fees to present the research at the conference in Atlanta this August. In addition, the remainder of funds is being considered to assist in obtaining access to datasets related to research interests.

Again, thank you for your support of the E. J. Ourso College of Business and the LSU Accounting Department.

Sincerely, Jared S. Soileau Assistant Professor of Accounting LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business

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Two Two simple simple words words can can speak speak volumes. volumes.

Thank you!

Your Your gift gift is is the the lifeblood lifeblood of of LSU’s LSU’s quest quest to to enhance enhance the the student student experience, experience, invest invest in in the the recruitment recruitment and and retention retention of of world-renowned world-renowned faculty faculty and and talented talented staff, staff, support support life-changing life-changing research research and and drive drive economic economic development. development.

Your Your investment investment today, today, no no matter matter the the size, size, will will pay pay dividends dividends forever. forever.

Thank Thank you you for for supporting supporting LSU. LSU.

Geaux Give

lsufoundation.org/2014gift lsufoundation.org/2014gift

A lot of great things are happening at LSU. This fall, we enrolled our most academically gifted class and the third largest freshman class in our history. We also welcomed our most diverse student body, as well as more first generation students than we’ve seen in the last five years. Add to that last year’s recordbreaking graduating class and our historic 69.1 percent graduation rate, which far exceeds the national average of 55.5 percent, and it’s abundantly clear that things are moving in the right direction.

A degree from LSU remains an excellent value that yields incredible results in the marketplace. Among our country’s flagship universities, LSU graduates rank ahead of alums from such universities as Alabama, Ohio State and the University of North Carolina in both early and mid-career salaries. Our tuition is 24 percent below the national flagship university average, which means our graduates start their professional lives unencumbered by excessive student loan debt.

We work hard to remain affordable and be excellent stewards of the state funds we are given, but that share continues to shrink. In terms of spending, LSU is near the bottom in per student expenditures compared to other flagship universities. Still, we continue to produce outstanding students who excel personally and professionally, and we provide a return of $5 for every $1 the state invests in us. In any business, that’s a great return on investment.

As we look to the future, we hope you will continue to make LSU part of your charitable giving plans. Your support is critical to our success in educating and graduating students, recruiting world-renowned faculty, producing life-changing research and driving economic development for the state of Louisiana and beyond.

Thank you for choosing to support LSU. Sincerely,

F. King Alexander LSU President and Chancellor

Fundraising Priorities Each donor, each dollar, each reason to give … adds up to an immeasurable impact on LSU. At $68.6 million, the 201314 fiscal year marked the LSU Foundation’s second largest fundraising year ever, exceeding our goal of doubling annual fundraising (which has averaged $30 million per year) by 2016. The most significant investment by our donors last year was in the College of Engineering’s Breaking New Ground effort, to renovate and expand Patrick F. Taylor Hall and construct a chemical engineering annex. Exciting, innovative projects like that one abound at LSU. Among those are the initiatives included in LSU’s new fundraising priorities, a mix of academic and construction opportunities that are each tied to a project or program with far-reaching impact on current and prospective LSU students, faculty, staff and/or the community.

The following pages showcase a few of these priorities. Additional details and opportunities to give are available online:

www.lsufoundation.org/priorities

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Center for Academic Success The Center for Academic Success provides students with strategies, support and tools needed to be successful in their majors, stay in school and graduate in a timely manner. Many students admit they would not have passed critical courses without this free service—which could not be available without philanthropic support.

A Gateway to Success

In their university experiences, many students face at least one or two challenging courses with the potential to derail their academic paths and future careers. In the past, these roadblocks might have caused them to drop out of school, change majors, lose scholarships or graduate at a much later date. Such issues can also cause them to accrue much unnecessary debt. Fortunately, we know that with strategic learning support, students are able to surmount these obstacles and achieve their goals.

The Center for Academic Success, based in LSU Student Life & Enrollment, serves as the university’s academic support unit for all LSU students, offering programs and services key to increasing student success and persistence, while promoting skills transferable to their professional lives. Services are intended to reduce D, F or W grades in required courses, which result in delayed admission to their senior colleges and/or graduation.

These programs are designed to prevent students from becoming discouraged or losing financial aid because of poor grades or slow/no academic progress, which improves the students’ confidence and prepares them to succeed. By helping students to find their own paths to success, the university also improves its retention and graduation rates.

Campus Reach

Currently, the Center for Academic Success serves over 33 percent of LSU students and 65 percent of first-year students. Despite its limited capacity, the multidisciplinary Shell Tutorial Center in LSU’s Middleton Library is host to approximately 27,000 student visits each year. Student demand has outpaced current resources. With additional funding, the center can make an even greater impact on students’ lives and successes.

Proven Results

Student retention is a major focus of LSU and the Louisiana Granting Resources and Autonomy for Diplomas (or “LAGRAD”) Act, and it is a key factor within U.S. News and World Report College Rankings. The ACT 2010 “What Works in Student Retention” report revealed that three of the top five practices impacting student retention are

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tutoring programs, advising interventions with special student populations, and comprehensive learning centers.

The Center for Academic Success has documented the effectiveness of each of these services at LSU. Multiple sources of data show students who use the center’s services increase GPAs, course performances, persistence and selfefficacy. Success in professional careers depends greatly on solid thinking skills. Employers seek independent decision makers and problem solvers who are capable of applying their knowledge to job challenges.

Supplemental Instruction

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of free, weekly study group sessions offered for students enrolled in historically challenging courses. Each SI session is guided by a trained peer leader who has taken the course and is prepared to share what he/she has learned. Leaders attend the class and work in close association with the instructor so that sessions are relevant to the material being covered.

Students who use SI are retained at higher rates and earn an average of a half letter grade higher than those who do not attend. SI improves student retention, graduation, learning and academic performance. SI leaders also benefit.

They communicate with diverse groups, gain experience in positions of leadership and service and learn the content of their discipline at a much deeper level.

Academic Empowerment Initiatives

By teaching practical, efficient learning and study strategies and offering academic coaching/consulting, the center motivates and empowers students to succeed academically, personally and professionally. Students are taught to develop metacognitive, higher order, critical thinking skills that help to streamline the learning process and improve overall time management.

• The Center for Academic Success is consistently recognized by its peers as one of the nation’s premier learning centers.

• High-risk students who attend the IMPACT Learning Strategies Program not only double their chances of remaining at LSU, but also obtain a 0.50.7 percent increase in their GPAs. • Each year, the Supplemental Instruction program hosts around 25,000 visits. www.lsufoundation.org/priorities lsu.edu/cas

Melissa Brocato Director 225-578-5293 mbrocato@lsu.edu DeShanna Brown Director of Development LSU Student Life & Enrollment 225-578-0388 deshannabrown@lsu.edu

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Student Recruitment & Enrollment Center The renovation of Pleasant Hall, home of Enrollment Management, will create an identifiable and spirited place to welcome visitors. Students’ experiences visiting LSU will be more intuitive and clear, and the renovation will incorporate LSU spirit and graphics for a special introduction to our unique campus.

Recruiting Students

Recent, extensive state budget cuts have been especially challenging for Enrollment Management. With a ratio of 1 staff member to 430 newly enrolled first-year students, this unit of LSU Student Life & Enrollment is greatly understaffed at about half the size of its peers. By comparison, the University of Alabama has a ratio of 1 to 138.

Enrollment Management has a key role in not just recruiting students, but also introducing them to opportunities to become involved at LSU and plan for their careers. Insufficient funding in this area can affect the caliber of students LSU attracts and retains.

NCAA Division I universities around the U.S. have double—and in some cases triple—the employees, scholarships to award, and top-notch facilities for recruiting.

We are the only SEC school without a new admissions and recruiting center, giving those universities a competitive edge over LSU. The University of Alabama recently became the number one choice for National Merit Scholars, with 126 in last year’s first-year class compared to LSU’s 34.

LSU’s sports program is in the top five in the U.S. because of its facilities and ability to recruit the best student athletes in the country. Investments in Enrollment Management will give us the same chance to recruit the best students in the nation.

Pleasant Hall & LSU Student Union

In February 2012, the firm Remson Haley Herpin Architects was commissioned to perform a study of the current operations and facilities within the lobby and surrounding spaces at Pleasant Hall, as well as areas of the LSU Student Union used for recruiting.

Ruffin G. Pleasant Hall, named for the late LSU alumnus, LSU Tiger Marching Band co-founder, and former governor of Louisiana, is located near the intersection of Dalrymple Drive and Highland Road, just inside the North Gates of LSU. One of the most prominent buildings on LSU’s

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historic main campus, the facility has undergone several transformations since its opening in 1931 and has been home to Enrollment Management for several years. Pleasant Hall is one of the first places a prospective student and his or her parents visit at LSU. Currently, the building is in poor condition, and the design pales in comparison to the modern, engaging spaces offered by our peer institutions.

A significant renovation to Pleasant Hall and the creation of a Prospective Student Tour Center in the LSU Student Union could set an elegant and progressive tone for the first impressions of LSU. The scope of the project includes five major components: exterior plaza renovations; lobby and restroom renovations; student aid and scholarship spaces; an admissions assembly area in the LSU Student Union; and window replacement and exterior improvements.

Project Highlights

Among the objectives of this project are to improve the visitor experience to include a vibrant introduction to LSU; use the existing space and assets of Pleasant Hall more efficiently; make the lobby and restrooms code-compliant, modern and attractive; provide for a front-of-house (but private) space for scholarship, admissions and financial aid meetings with students and parents; and install secure entry points for the enrollment management area.

• LSU’s 14 recruiters cover all 50 states and are responsible for recruiting undergraduates, with one recruiter dedicated to transfer students.

• In the last three years, LSU has recruited its three largest, most diverse first-year classes.

• Thanks in part to efforts to recruit top-quality students, LSU’s graduation rate is the highest it has ever been. www.lsufoundation.org/priorities lsu.edu/admissions lsu.edu/financialaid Dr. David D. Kurpius Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management 225-578-3113 kurpius@lsu.edu DeShanna Brown Director of Development LSU Student Life & Enrollment 225-578-0388 deshannabrown@lsu.edu

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E. J. Ourso College of Business Endowment The E. J. Ourso College of Business transforms lives and molds leaders. As Louisiana’s flagship business institution, we are renowned for stimulating economic development, promoting entrepreneurship and fostering new enterprises.

We set the standard for specialized programs like internal auditing, financial planning and business analytics. Endowed funds will support continued excellence for our future graduates.

Global Reach

Housed in the Business Education Complex, which opened in fall 2012, the E. J. Ourso College provides students and faculty one of academia’s most beautiful campus environments in the world for learning and discovery. We challenge our faculty and students to use the resources made available to them to excel in their careers and to make significant contributions to the economy and society. In graduating exceptional accountants, economists, financiers, information analysts, emerging managers, marketers and entrepreneurs, we fuel growth at home and abroad.

Building our endowment will allow us to maintain our exceptional level of teaching, instruction, scholarship and student programs for generations to come.

Diversified Scope

The E. J. Ourso College includes the departments of accounting, economics, finance, information systems & decision sciences, marketing and the Rucks Department of Management. U.S. News & World Report ranks our LSU Flores MBA Program as the best financial value after graduation, and our Certified Internal Auditing program is considered the standard both domestically and internationally. We are meeting the need for “Big Data” experts with our new Master of Analytics program, and we also house the Public Administration Institute, the Real Estate Research Institute, the Division of Economic Development and the Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute.

Our Vision

We are committed to providing a professional learning environment for the Louisiana and the Gulf South region that advances knowledge and cultivates tomorrow’s business leaders. We will do so by striving not just for academic excellence, but also by pursuing our ideals of discovery, learning, diversity and engagement.

Our goal is to enhance a dynamic, philosophical mindset through guidance and teamwork that expands the viewpoints of our faculty and students, and those of

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all citizens and business innovators to solve economic, governmental and sociocultural problems for the positive development of society. We will prepare our graduates for rewarding lifelong careers and instill in them a never-ending desire for knowledge and wisdom. Additionally, we will continue to pursue distinction in our research and education endeavors with a steadfastness that only great commitments deserve. As stewards of the public trust, we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of performance, professionalism and integrity.

The Results • • • • • • •

The LSU Flores MBA Program is 37 among public institutions in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Business Schools” ranking for 2015.

Bloomberg Businessweek ranked us sixth among top undergraduate business schools in the nation for return on investment.

The LSU Center for Internal Auditing program is considered to be the premier internal audit program in the world.

Bloomberg Businessweek’s latest undergraduate rankings place our programs at 130 overall and 67 among public schools.

In 2010, LSU was the seventh world-class business school to be invited to join the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities program.

The LSU Flores MBA Program’s full-time track was named by U.S. News & World Report as having the lowest debt load upon students after graduation.

Eduniversal again included the Department of Finance and Public Administration Institute in its ranking of the Best 4,000 Master’s Programs for 30 majors.

www.lsufoundation.org/priorities business.lsu.edu Karen Deville Senior Director of Advancement 225-578-6407 kdevill@lsu.edu Krista Allen Director of Development 225-578-1520 kalle24@lsu.edu Norisha Kirts Director of Development 225-578-5866 norisha@lsu.edu

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College of Engineering Endowment The LSU College of Engineering is one of the five fastest growing engineering colleges in the country. The college is dedicated to educating engineers who can transform ideas into reality, to improve the quality of life and solve society’s problems. Endowed funds will provide perpetual support for future LSU Engineers.

The LSU Engineer

Improving lives. Transforming Louisiana. Changing the world. The LSU College of Engineering cultivates professionals who are leaders and who have a strong awareness of global issues, an entrepreneurial spirit, and great communication skills.

Educational opportunities are showcased in such unique offerings as an on-campus oil well-control research and training facility; environmental research and field work regularly conducted in the nearby coastal areas and bayous; and a senior design project that replicates a true designbuild process, then stresses teamwork to bring it to life.

LSU Engineers graduate with the ability to succeed because their experiences in the program prepare them for the workforce. We produce engineers, construction managers and computer scientists who are critical and holistic thinkers with a lifelong love of learning; skilled communicators, leaders and hands-on problem solvers; adept at working within a team and on their own and well-grounded in sound technical knowledge and understanding; entrepreneurial spirits; and fully engaged in community, society and the world.

A robust endowment will enable the college to endow both new and existing programs that support these goals and allow us to educate the next generations of engineers.

Planning for the Future

In February 2014, the College of Engineering announced the success of Breaking New Ground, 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 and expand Patrick F. Taylor Hall and construct a chemical engineering addition. The project positions the college to take a leading role in securing Louisiana’s place as a national leader in research and education.

Louisiana, like the rest of the world, depends on engineers for economic development, growth and success. In recognition of the important role our engineers, construction managers and computer scientists will play in the future

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of the state, the College of Engineering developed a fiveyear strategic plan to capitalize on its current success and continue to excel.

This 2010-15 blueprint set a bold statement for the college’s mission, not just to graduate engineers, computer scientists and construction managers, but to provide the next generation of leaders for industry and society. The plan cleared a pathway to success through eight key strategies: preparing LSU Engineers for a dynamic world; conducting research to improve quality of life; student recruitment and diversity; improving and diversifying Louisiana’s economy; enhancing retention; improving the college’s visibility; developing diverse streams of support; and providing an environment in effective decision making.

The Impact of the College of Engineering

The College of Engineering is the flagship engineering program representing Louisiana and a national leader in the key areas of energy and environmental sustainability and natural and built infrastructure.

The college offers 11 fields of study: biological, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, mechanical and petroleum engineering; construction management; and computer science.

Through these curricula, the College of Engineering educates the next generation of engineers, computer scientists, construction managers, researchers and educators to solve critical problems that affect and improve human lives through research and innovation. It also expands and diversifies Louisiana’s economy through outreach and entrepreneurial activities, with the construction management program producing the largest percentage of entrepreneurs in the college.

• • •

The College of Engineering, LSU’s largest college, is in the top 10 percent of U.S. engineering colleges for number of graduates.

Almost half of Louisiana engineering and construction manager positions annually are filled

by LSU alumni.

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.

www.lsufoundation.org/priorities eng.lsu.edu

J. Steven Covington Senior Director of Development 225-578-3456 • scov@lsu.edu Ryan Cooney Associate Director of Development 225-578-8738 • rcooney@lsu.edu Kris Elmore Associate Director of Development 225-578-4986 • kelmor1@lsu.edu

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LSU Foundation Center for Philanthropy The LSU Foundation Center for Philanthropy will kick off the Nicholson Development Project, a campus initiative that will transform the corridor between Skip Bertman Drive and downtown Baton Rouge. The LSU Foundation’s 40,000-square-foot, three-story building will occupy a portion of the former site of Alex Box Stadium.

Doubling Annual Fundraising

The LSU Foundation’s new Center for Philanthropy will be a permanent reflection of the vital role of academic fundraising in LSU’s future.

The LSU Foundation is self-supporting, raises more than $30 million annually for LSU, and returns millions each year from its operating budget to support campus initiatives. A center for philanthropy that is prominently located in a highly visible area of campus, close to premier athletic facilities, is a model successfully used by the University of Florida and Texas A&M University. The successes of these aspirant peers have inspired elements of the LSU Foundation’s four-year strategic plan, which includes doubling annual fundraising.

These peers have shared how their fundraising efforts have been impacted by having attractive buildings located next to their respective football stadiums. Texas A&M Foundation CEO Dr. Eddie Davis, who was interim president of the university, said, “In the decade following the building construction (1999), fundraising doubled.” University of Florida Foundation Executive Vice President Carter Boydstun said their building is constantly used by university colleges and units for meetings, donor events, receptions, etc.

Carter stated, “Our building is a godsend. Marketing of the University of Florida Foundation and our presence in our own home next to ‘the swamp’ is an attraction to people of great wealth.”

Celebrating Philanthropy

The lobby, parallel to Nicholson Drive and facing Tiger Stadium, will showcase transformational giving and the excellence in scholarly pursuits that such gifts make possible. Throughout the space, images and text will collectively illustrate the impact of giving to LSU and recognize those who have been most generous to our university. Permanent art installations and donor recognition will establish a spirit of giving, setting the tone for the atmosphere of the building and the guests it welcomes.

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Sharing Space

The LSU Foundation Center for Philanthropy will be a prime location for highlighting the power of giving to LSU, providing development professionals and deans with accessible, attractive space in which to meet with and host donors. Throughout the year, the building’s event spaces will be used for tailgates, receptions, dinners and meetings attended by donors to LSU’s wide range of academic and creative arts units.

The LSU Foundation’s new location presents an important opportunity to engage donors in “the home of academic fundraising” while offering them accessibility to the university’s most popular sports venues. The LSU Foundation Center for Philanthropy will be visible to hundreds of thousands of sports fans (all current or prospective donors) and others who visit campus.

Unite a Growing Team

The LSU Foundation is in dire need of space that is properly laid out, accommodates the current team, allows for future growth, and serves as an accessible, professional environment in which to welcome donors. Whereas the LSU Foundation currently occupies four disparate locations, this new building will unite the team in a highly visible, centrally located area. Current rent costs will instead be invested into the space; once the project is fully paid for, those dollars will be dedicated to special initiatives for LSU. The first floor will provide multipurpose space to honor donors and host events, and the third floor will serve as a conference center and entertaining area with terrace access and stadium views. The second floor and a portion of the first floor will be composed of open-concept, efficiently arranged work areas.

Naming Opportunities

Naming opportunities are available for exterior spaces and entrances, as well as on all three floors of the building.

The 2013-14 fiscal year was the LSU Foundation’s second most successful fundraising year ever.

As of June 30, 2014, the market value of the LSU Foundation’s investment assets was $535 million.

The LSU Foundation has made more than $260 million in expenditures for colleges and units over the past 10 years. www.lsufoundation.org/priorities

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Society for Engineering Excellence In October, the College of Engineering inducted new alumni and friends to the Society for Engineering Excellence in recognition of lifetime commitments of $1 million or more to the college. Each member’s philanthropic commitment to support students, faculty and research helps ensure the college is positioned to educate the best future engineers.

“The generosity of LSU’s Society for Engineering Excellence members is integral in providing state-of-the art resources to educate the next generation of computer scientists, construction managers and engineers,” said Dean Rick Koubek. “As champions of our program, the members’ association also helps propel the college’s research initiatives and recruit top faculty.”

2014 inductees are as follows: Oscar “Dub” Andras, a 1957 chemical engineering alumnus, and wife Mary, of the Andras Foundation, have been strong supporters of the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering.

BASF Corporation, a strategic partner that has supported scholarships, professorships and student

organization initiatives, recently announced a contribution to establish a sustainable living laboratory, the first of its kind at LSU and in the Southeast region.

Rene R. Joyce, a 1970 mechanical engineering alumnus and the executive chairman of Targa Resources, and his wife, Kay, have endorsed the engineering campus expansion.

The Guidry Foundation was established by Mark and the late Carolyn Guidry, and their children and spouses: Gayle and John Dilley, Mike and Barbara Guidry and David and Jennifer Guidry. The Foundation presented transformative contributions for the Division of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the College of Engineering.

MMR Group, Inc. provided a philanthropic gift to establish two new laboratories: a building simulation and information modeling studio, and an advanced materials and methods laboratory. The labs will help prepare LSU construction management students for career advancement.

James “Pepper” Rutland, president, MMR Group, Inc. and 1972 LSU construction technology alumnus, remarked about joining the society, “MMR is proud to join this esteemed group who support LSU’s College of Engineering and its mission to deliver a world-class education in an environment that promotes innovation and leadership.” eng.lsu.edu

John Dilley, Gayle (Guidry) Dilley, Mark Guidry and Mike Guidry at the College of Engineering’s Society for Engineering Excellence event

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Sonja and Luke Laborde pose with their grandson, Indie James Barbier, while Indie’s mother and LSU Foundation contributing photographer, Andrea, shoots.

Education for Generations The Laborde family’s passion for LSU began nearly a century ago.

Though it was the height of The Great Depression, Lucien’s parents encouraged higher education, and taught their sons and daughter the French concept “noblesse oblige,” that service to God and country is a noble obligation. Lucien and wife Peggy in turn, instilled this love of education and commitment to service in their children, adding LSU to their list of obligations.

“I always had a love of learning, and that carried on throughout my career,” Lucien’s son Luke said. Luke, who was top of his class throughout school, recently earned his third degree from LSU, a doctorate of renewable natural resources.

Two years ago, he discovered that he also loves teaching. When his

department found itself short-staffed, he voluntarily put his doctorate work on hold to take over a few classes. “[It’s] one of the best decisions I think I’ve made,” he shared. “I enjoy interacting with the students. They make you so optimistic about our future.”

Luke and his wife, Sonja, decided to find additional ways to help students, and offered to help fundraise for the College of Agriculture’s goal of 100 new freshman scholarships. “The truth is that alumni want to help,” Sonja said, explaining that a tangible project like scholarships inspires them.

“LSU alumni are wonderful.”

The college is halfway to its goal, and Luke is confident that all 100 scholarships will be funded by next fiscal year. “We’re not going to be able to raise 100 endowed scholarships right away, but we can raise $100,000

every year,” he said. “We need to make believers of our College of Agriculture alumni association members in terms of what we can do.”

The couple has included a bequest to the college’s scholarship program in their will, but they also give annually because they believe the need is immediate. “Our hope is to start the gift before we die,” Luke said. “This is what we can do right now.”

“LSU gave us such opportunities,” Sonja added. “We’re both very humbled by that and grateful that we had such opportunities, and would like to see other young people have the same opportunities.”

Luke shared that “Leaving a Legacy,” doesn’t quite express their goal. “What we want to leave is an opportunity.” www.coa.lsu.edu

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Rewriting History If every story has two sides, the Battle of New Orleans is the poster child of storytelling.

Some regard it as an unnecessary epilogue to the War of 1812, as the treaty to end the war was signed hours after the two-week battle began. Others consider the battle to be a victorious end to the war, and an integral component of shaping both Louisiana and U.S. history.

Ronald Drez takes the latter stance. The author of LSU Press’s The War of 1812, Conflict and Deception asserts that the British strategy and the successful defense of New Orleans, through the leadership of Gen. Andrew Jackson, affirm the serious implications of the climactic battle that firmly secured the Louisiana Purchase territory for the U.S. “It truly was the final revolution,” stated LSU alumnus Fred Atchity. LSU Foundation Board member Henson Moore, part of the commission selected to commemorate the battle’s bicentennial celebration, approached Atchity to

This painting of a War of 1812 battle graces the cover of Ronald Drez’s novel.

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support publication of the book, which was, at the time, not yet completed.

Atchity went a step further. He spoke with his brother, Ken, with whom he owns Atchity Brothers Entertainment.

Together the brothers not only made a donation to help underwrite the book, but also hired Drez as historical advisor for his research-inspired movie they are producing.

“The book and the movie will set history straight on how important that war was, and what a great victory it was,” Fred said.

The movie is planned to begin shooting in spring 2015 and to be released for the 2015 Battle of New Orleans Bicentennial celebration.

Through the use of primary sources, Drez provides a deeper understanding of Britain’s objectives, as well as an accurate and compelling account of the battle. “Our movie is going to be authentic,” Fred shared, adding that after completion of the film, the brothers plan to send copies of both the book and the movie to high schools and colleges throughout Louisiana. “Maybe that will help teach the people in Louisiana how important the battle was.” lsupress.org

Coming Home Transitioning to college life is rarely easy, and certain things inevitably make it more difficult. Navigating admission and course policies. Finding a community.

Re-learning how to be a civilian.

Enter the LSU Veteran & Military Student Services Center.

“The first two years [at LSU], because the center didn’t exist, each semester I contemplated going to another school,” shared Adam Herpin. “Since the center opened, I’ve had a place to go, and the support system has made it much easier for me to be a student.”

Herpin, who served in the Coast Guard for four years, said that, upon enrollment at LSU, “the LSU system didn’t seem able to accommodate veterans that well. The infrastructure wasn’t built that way. I had to find loopholes.”

Once the center opened, issues that typically took Herpin weeks to resolve were rectified within a day by the center’s coordinator.

The center also provides computers and career-building tools, essential resources to students like Lorena Zepeda, a business management senior who has served since 2004. “Most of us have families already,” she said.

“We’re not straight out of high school.

It’s tough going back to school when you also have financial responsibilities at home.”

Herpin said one of the most valuable resources is the sense of community the center provides. “A lot of veterans have a hard time connecting with the other students when they come in. This is the biggest reason I came.”

The benefits stemming from the Veteran & Military Student Services Center reach beyond LSU’s military population, though. Darrell Ray, assistant vice chancellor for student life, and Adam Jennings, coordinator of Veteran & Military Student Services, explain that the center provides an opportunity to connect the campus to its military foundation and educate the rest of LSU on the university’s role in shaping U.S. military history.

It is also an attractive benefit to prospective students. “Every university has veterans enrolled,” Ray said.

“It becomes more important for the institution to support the students, because they have different experiences and may have different adjustment issues.”

Jennings, who spent four years in the Army, shared that an increased veteran and military student population also increases campus diversity. “Because of the experiences veterans have had, they can bring a global perspective to the classroom.”

The center supports 20-40 students each day through admissions assistance, outreach and support services that Jennings and five workstudy participants provide. Jennings and Ray aim to build an endowment that will support an enhanced infrastructure and provide financial assistance to the veterans.

Jennings shared that financial assistance for the students is also needed because the GI Bill benefits are often not enough. “Most of them are transfer students and nontraditional students. Many students exhaust GI Bill benefits before they get here.”

A service that began two years ago has now become a second home to LSU’s warriors, and will only increase its benefits, Ray shared. “We’re now in a position to grow what we do.” lsu.edu/veterans

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CROSS-CAMPUS SUPPORT

Finding the Diamonds in the Rough Nadine Carter Russell has been a faithful supporter of LSU academics for almost 20 years. But, with a tendency to give to areas that reflect her personal interests, her history of giving is more varied than the students who walk the campus she loves.

“I think you should support the university you graduated from, because that’s how you got your start in life,” Russell said. “Your education is what gives you the basis for your career and your future life.”

Russell received her art history degree from LSU in 1967 before building her career in the world of art museums. This background initiated her dedication to the College of Art + Design and the LSU Museum of Art, while a love of music and animals prompted her support of the Schools of Music and Veterinary Medicine.

Within each unit, Russell gravitates toward overlooked projects.

“I learned a long time ago to try and find something that other people were not necessarily going to do,” she said, reiterating the giving pattern of her late aunt, Paula G. Manship, who created a chair in Russell’s name in the College of Art + Design.

“Sometimes, I look around, and it’s as simple as sending students off on foreign trips to understand that the world is bigger than just us,” Russell shared. While the objects of her donations may not always be glamorous—such as providing parking funds for students or furnishing a consultation room at LSU SVM—they are always needed.

“If you don’t have support from your alumni, you’re never going to be able to teach anyone else, because no one can afford to go there,” she said of the importance of philanthropy at the university. “The more alumni help the college, the less tuition is for the

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students, and the more students can get an education.”

Russell explained that she loves to support LSU simply because it makes her happy. “I like to see things improve. I like to see students happy, and I like to see the faculty happy, because that makes for good, quality education.” design.lsu.edu

Nadine Carter Russell sits with Nari Ward, the 2013-14 Nadine Carter Russell Chair, on his installment in the LSU Sculpture Garden.

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Claire Cagnolatti (right) with Sarah Clayton at a 2011 LSU Foundation tailgate reception

More than an Alumna For many, Christmas is a time for giving to those you hold most dear. But when you have eight siblings to shop for, it can be a bit much.

Nearly a decade ago, the Cagnolatti children replaced giving to each other with giving back. They take turns choosing a charity to receive their pooled monetary gifts.

When it was Claire’s turn, she chose purple and gold.

Having previously established a scholarship with her brothers to honor their father, the two-time LSU alumna decided to begin an elementary education scholarship in their mother’s name. Last Christmas, the siblings were able to put $12,000 toward the Clara Sevin Cagnolatti Scholarship fund, and several have pledged to give annually.

Cagnolatti has faithfully supported LSU for 26 years, including a planned gift, but it wasn’t until she served as the Dallas-area chairperson for the Forever LSU Campaign that she fully understood the options for larger gifts. “It may be difficult for someone to come up with a $25,000 check,” she explained, touting the benefits of corporate matching gift programs. “A small pledge of a couple of hundred dollars a month could make you a $25,000 donor.”

A gift to the new Tiger Band Hall was Cagnolatti’s first pledge. “We needed a new band hall in the ‘70s when I was there,” she said, explaining the urgency.

Next, she made a five-year, $25,000 commitment to the College of Engineering’s Breaking New Ground campaign— specifically, to support construction of the chemical engineering annex, the department from which she, her father, one of her brothers and her nephew all graduated.

The new building will provide better facilities that she says will “maintain the standard” of quality education she received at LSU. “I never lose sight of the fact that my LSU education is what prepared me for this career,” said Cagnolatti, vice president of chemical studies at Solomon Associates. “And I feel very blessed to have been successful at it.”

Cagnolatti shared that, every year, she receives a letter from a recipient of her father’s scholarship. “When you read a note that says, ‘I may have never even been able to attempt to afford school had it not been for this scholarship,’ that is a feeling money cannot buy,” she said. “This is an investment in the future. It changes lives.”

Cagnolatti’s passion for the university is deeply rooted in her family’s ties to LSU. “It’s a feeling. It’s an integrated part of our lives,” she shared. “I give because it’s more than just my alma mater. It’s a family tradition.” chse.lsu.edu

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Trey and Kim Bowman with Dr. Wayne Newhauser

Giving Life “Is the red dot gone?” 7-year-old Bella Bowman asked her parents when she woke.

Bella had just undergone brain surgery to remove the “red dot” tumor that had burdened the child for months.

Her parents, Trey and Kim, used a red dot to illustrate for Bella what was making her sick, and that the doctors needed to remove it while she slept.

Bella quickly recovered from surgery and moved to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, then to the University of Florida (Jacksonville), where she endured 33 radiation treatments, a number considered normal for her situation. Eight months later, she was sick again.

She’d developed radiation tissue necrosis inside of her brain stem from the treatments. Radiation tissue

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necrosis can sometimes be solved through hyperbaric oxygen treatments, surgery or chemo therapy.

Bella’s case, however, was rare.

Her necrosis was inoperable, and 60 hyperbaric oxygen treatment sessions and chemo therapy determined it was both irreversible and fatal. “Our daughter was cancer free when she passed away,” Kim shared. “It was the radiation damage that took her life.”

Trey and Kim created the Bella Bowman Foundation, a dream that had steadily been evolving during Bella’s treatments. With its three pillars of research, education and comfort care, the foundation was formed to help families of children with cancer.

“When someone tells you your child has cancer, your life goes in a different direction,” Trey said.

After the diagnosis, the family realized how little research explored tissue necrosis, particularly in pediatrics. “It’s an overlooked topic, and one that doesn’t have a lot of

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publicity around it,” Trey explained.

The couple found Dr. Wayne Newhauser, Dr. Charles M. Smith Chair of Medical Physics, who has researched radiation effects for the past 25 years.

The foundation recently announced a $75,000 grant to the LSU Medical Physics program—of which Newhauser is director—in partnership with the Mary Bird Perkins Center, where Newhauser serves as chief of physics. The grant establishes the Bella Bowman Foundation Radiation Necrosis Research Fund to aid Newhauser in his research. Kim hopes the research will determine what causes necrosis and how to stop it, as well as develop safer treatment plans.

“When we met Dr. Newhauser, what we wanted was, not to find a cure,” Kim said. “It was more for how to help these children live through their treatments.” www.bellabowman.org phys.lsu.edu

Commitment to Excellence Corporate Gifts (Left) AT&T awarded a $300,000 grant to LSU’s Louisiana State Youth Opportunities Unlimited program as part of the communications company’s Aspire project. LSYOU gives high school students at risk for dropping out access to teachers and computers on LSU’s campus so they can improve grades and enter post-secondary education.

The program will use the grant from AT&T to hold a five- or six-week summer program full of academic work, counseling and fun activities.

(Right) At an Aug. 23 reception, LSU students, faculty and staff joined the LSU Foundation in thanking Shell representatives for the company’s ongoing support of LSU. Shell was recognized for providing more than $150,000 to help support programs campuswide.

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.

Pinki Diwan, director of special projects, celebrates 20 years of service to the LSU Foundation. She was also recognized as 2014 Outstanding Professional Fundraiser by the Greater Baton Rouge chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Norisha Kirts, director of development in the E. J. Ourso College of Business, has been selected as one of Baton Rouge Business Report’s Top 40 under 40, as well as a participant in the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s Leadership Greater Baton Rouge Class of 2015.

Frank Briganti, senior programmer analyst, celebrates 10 years of service to the LSU Foundation.

Mike McCarty, senior systems engineer, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Software Engineering from the University of Phoenix.

The LSU Foundation has been named one of the 2014 Best Places to Work in Baton Rouge by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report.

We thank every one of our employees for their dedication, passion and hard work.

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12 FOOTBALL FIELDS WORTH OF COASTLINE DISAPPEAR EVERY THREE HOURS. LSU researchers work daily to protect and rebuild lost coastal land right here in our backyard. Louisiana is our home and the research conducted here is the best insurance policy we have.

To learn more about many of the solutions for our planet being discovered at LSU, visit lsu.edu/researchnews.