Colonel alumni magazine, spring 2013

Alumni Magazine of Nicholls State University

Homeward bound After 10 years, President and Mrs. Stephen Hulbert — and their beloved pug, Max — leave Nicholls and head toward retirement and family.

Page 10

What’s a Yeti doing at Nicholls?

Page 6

Culinary grad opens gluten-free bakery Page 7

New alumni director living her dream Page 15

Spring 2013

Colonel The

Colonel

Colonel The

Nicholls State University Alumni Federation Spring 2013

In this issue

ADMINISTRATION

Features 7

Finding the sweet balance in life Because of her milk allergies, Nicholls alumna and pastry chef Kelly Boffone couldn’t eat most of the treats she baked — until now. Her new gluten- and dairyfree bakery has become a hit in Metairie.

10

One last lap A lot changed during Dr. Stephen Hulbert’s decade as Nicholls president. On the eve of his retirement, he talks about the proud accomplishments, tough challenges and personal changes of the past 10 years.

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT Dr. Stephen T. Hulbert VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Dr. David Boudreaux DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AFFAIRS Monique Crochet (BS ’98, MEd ’00) ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AFFAIRS Jessica F. Harvey (BA ’06) DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS Renee Piper

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR Stephanie Detillier (BA ’06) ART DIRECTOR Jerad David (BA ’00) PHOTOGRAPHER Misty Leigh McElroy (BA ’03) WRITERS Jessica F. Harvey (BA ’06) Tyler Knowles Bridget Mire (BA ’13) Renee Piper Jenna Portier (BA ’06) Clyde Verdin Jr. (BA ’08)

2012–13 ALUMNI FEDERATION OFFICERS PRESIDENT — Stephen Peltier (BS ’75) PRESIDENT-ELECT — Eddie Hebert (AS ’71, BSN ’92) VICE PRESIDENT — Richie Naquin (BS ’93) SECRETARY — Gayle Tauzin (BS ’73) TREASURER — Tommy Eschete (BA ’80) PAST PRESIDENT — Stella Lasseigne (BA ’67, MEd ’80)

Departments 1

4

Then and Now Colonel Chatter In your words; A transformed campus Remember when?

2

Around Campus 20 things you might not know about Dr. Leslie Jones; Chef John Folse Culinary Institute facility coming soon; Four degrees and counting

6

The Red Zone Baseball embraces Fifth-Inning Yeti; Colonel to Watch: Spencer Valdespino

15

Alumni Federation News Alumni director off to bold start; Honoring Colonel supporters

18

Colonel Notes Alumni updates; When your son becomes your patient; 8 Nicholls women grab attention of NY Times; Catching up with the Noels; Innovative teacher connects with chemistry students; In memoriam

2012–13 BOARD MEMBERS Margo O. Badeaux (AS ’84, BS ’11); Archie Chaisson III (BS ’08); Luke Ford (BA ’63, MEd ’69); Susan Gilbert (AS ’76, BS ’79, MEd ’88); Philip “Trey” Greco (BA ’95); Dr. Leslie Jones (BS ’91, MEd ’92); Herbie Kimble (BS ’75); Paula Rome (BS ’02)

CONTACT INFORMATION The Colonel is published twice each year by the Nicholls State University Alumni Federation.

Send comments and address corrections to: Office of Alumni Affairs Nicholls State University P.O. Box 2158 Thibodaux, LA 70310 Phone: 985-448-4111 Email: alumniaffairs@nicholls.edu Web: nichollsalumni.org Social media: facebook.com/nicholls.alumni.federation twitter.com/alumninicholls linkedin.com, Nicholls Alumni Networking Society

Colonel Chatter

In Your Words

A

Q

Find a mentor! A mentor will help guide you on a career path that is right for you, give the advice that you will not want to hear and will hopefully be someone you look up to or strive to be in your profession!

Justin Bourgeois (BS ’10)

We asked the Nicholls Facebook community to give advice to the freshman class of 2014. Here are a few of the highlights. Thanks for sharing, and keep commenting on the Nicholls Alumni Federation’s Facebook page.

Study — you won’t get a degree without it. Make friends — you’ll need people in your life to help you get through it all, good and bad.

Marilyn Birchenough (BS ’76)

Don’t just be a student, but stand out by becoming part of various organizations. Make the best of college life!

Hollis Wilson Davis (BA ’12)

As much as you might want to just lie low your freshman year… don’t! Join something. Belonging to a group Schedule some fun classes will make your college years along with your required far more memorable. Your classes and studying are but courses. Painting, basic piano, Use the St. Thomas Aquinas one part of the whole college acting, etc. A lot of learning Center for late-night cramcan be done outside of the experience. Soak it all in, and ming sessions before finals. I formal classroom. think there is a coffee machine enjoy every moment.

Randy Mayeux (BS ’07) Karen Bahle Gard (BS ’84) in there and a restroom, so you can brush up and throw Get involved! Nicholls has so cold water on your face when many organizations that evit’s time to be awake and go ery student can find one that take the test. interests them. You will make David LaGrange (BS ’85) lifelong friends and memories during your time at Nicholls, so make the best of it and leave with no regrets!

Jan Terrell Daughety (BA ’05) Be very patient with this economy. Go after a long career, and don’t worry about money.

Sharoye Taylor (BGS ’95)

Make sure your classes are your top priority. If you can’t make the grades to stay in school, then you can’t enjoy everything else [Nicholls has] to offer.

Brandon Fahey (BS ’12) Make sure the major you are studying matches up with the job you expect to have when you graduate.

David Gravois (BA ’07) Keep an open mind. Dropping a class isn’t the end of the world, and neither is changing your major.

Brandy Wright Burbante (BA ’10)

? n e h ber w

m e m e R

picking d n a n natio d on ing the r u o t feaste t i o d n e t e r B a gan , Tab he st nk Lani Before nations i a r m F o n er n e mmy 88. Oth re freshm 9 1 w o y l up Gra l a e D f fish icatu ds with at Craw r included car t e crawda h c o r t yea d nette C ies tha t i v and An i aces an t r s e e f u y g a o hD . , pir Crawfis Knights al rides v e i h n t r d a c n gs, ay a drawin y Otis D b s e c to n a ue pho g o perform r i P is La iling bout th a s e by ema i r s o e t i s r r o u o mem Share y sh Day fi w a r u.

C r holls.ed c i or othe n @ s affair alumni

The

Colonel SPRING 2013

1

Around Campus

20 Y

things you might not know about Dr. Leslie Jones

ou might expect 43-year-old Dr. Leslie Jones (BS ’91, MEd ’92) — the newest and youngest member of the Nicholls dean’s club — to be a bit unsure and tentative. You’d be wrong. Jones, who was named dean of the College of Education in April 2012, leads with a quiet confidence that’s born out of her strong faith and rooted in deep family ties.

Her calm, reflective, lead-by-example leadership style might make you think she’s a pushover. You’d be wrong again. Jones is a disciplined leader who expects a lot from her staff. In fact, one faculty member has chosen the Mission Impossible theme song as Jones’ ringtone because “she’s always expecting us to jump through hoops!” No surprise that this teacher of teachers was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in high school.

1. I love eating the fried vegetable platter at Flanagan’s, and I won’t feel guilty about it.

2. I have a phobia of dogs.

3. “Ham Doodle Ham” was my childhood nickname because I like ham so much.

4. I was the 1987 Homecoming queen of Assumption High School, and in 1988 I crowned my sister.

5. All of my siblings — one brother and two sisters — have names that begin with L and are electrical engineers.

6. I wake up at 3:15 a.m. to exercise.

I’m in bed by 8:30 or 9 p.m. every night.

7. My favorite hobby is cutting grass.

8. Listening to gospel music on my ride to and from work relaxes me and helps me prioritize my day.

9. The only place I’ve ever lived is Napoleonville.

10. At 5 years old, I had spinal meningitis,

and I wasn’t expected to survive.

I believe God worked a miracle in my life.

11. I’ve always been close to my siblings, but growing up, we did

have fistfights. That’s how I learned I’m not a very good fighter.

12. I walk 4 miles every day.

13. My favorite song is “Take me to the King” by Tamela

Mann, and a close second is “I Never Lost my Praise”

by Tramaine Hawkins.

14.

My 12th-grade English teacher tore up my term paper because she thought I hadn’t done my best work. I was furious.

15. I’m afraid of heights.

16. I can really relate to Halle Berry. She’s had a lot of personal adversity, and I really admire her courage for sharing her struggles so openly.

17. I’m a believer. I have faith, and it works for me.

18. My worse habit is plain M&M’s.

19. I do wish people were kinder to one another — opening doors, smiling, being more patient.

20. My first job was as a student worker/tutor in the freshman division at Nicholls.

— As told to Renee Piper 2

SPRING 2013

The

Colonel

Join us at the rec

Around Campus

Dues-paying alumni can now join the Callais Memorial Recreation Center at $300 for six months. If you graduated between spring 2003 and summer 2012, your membership is free for as many semesters as you paid the fee.

Visit nicholls.edu/recreation to learn more.

Chef John Folse Culinary Institute facility coming soon

F

or Chef Randy Cheramie, March 4 was a “long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, dream-come-true day.” After years of trying to secure necessary construction funds, Nicholls administrators broke ground on a 33,000-square-foot facility for the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute.

“When I first began teaching here as an adjunct faculty member in 1999, I was told the new facility was a mere two years away,” says Cheramie, who is now executive director of the institute. “So yes, this day was a long time coming but worth the wait. I am very confident that upon its completion the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute will be the epicenter of culinary education in the south-central region.”

The new $12.6 million facility will feature four teaching kitchens, a restaurant kitchen and dining area to accommodate the student-run LeBistro (currently operating out of the Carmel Inn), and a demonstration center. Located at the corner of Highway 1 and Bowie Road, the one-story, industrial-style building will allow the program to grow in size — by accommodating more than 500 students — and in scope — by expanding its course offerings.

Currently, Nicholls culinary faculty teach about 300 students in about 9,000 square feet of space inside Gouaux Hall. Previously, the university had planned to move the culinary institute to the Rienzi Plantation House, which the J.B. Levert Land Co. donated to Nicholls. However, the site proved too small, and the restoration work required to meet the institute’s needs would have been too costly and perhaps damaging to the plantation’s historical nature.

Construction of the new culinary facility, which is being built thanks to state funds and private donations, will take about a year once the project goes out on bid and work begins.

“This new facility will help us in our mission to teach future generations about the art of Cajun and Creole cooking,” Gov. Bobby Jindal said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “At the same time, we’ll give students the tools to find job opportunities in the hospitality industry. This institute also benefits companies within the hospitality industry who need a pipeline of skilled workers to fill their jobs. Today’s groundbreaking is truly a win-win-win for our students, our restaurant industry and our state.” — Stephanie Detillier

Four degrees and counting

T

attooed on Ernesto Finales’ right arm is the phrase, “My whole life is thunder.” Relaxation is obviously not a top priority for the passionate, slightly over-the-top Finales, who has earned four degrees from Nicholls and is working toward one more.

The College of Education graduate assistant holds bachelor’s degrees in history, government, general studies and sociology. He is also working toward a master’s in psychological counseling from Nicholls and eventually plans to earn a doctorate, though he hasn’t decided on a field.

“I think it’s important to be a Jack of all trades,” he says. “I don’t like talking about things I don’t know about, so I try to know about a lot of things.”

Finales enrolled at Nicholls on a partial scholarship just a month after finishing high school. Following his first summer here, he spent a semester at the University of New Orleans, where he had a full scholarship, but returned to Nicholls for the smaller class sizes. “When auditoriums of 200-plus are the norm, you tend to remember sitting in a class of 25 with a professor who remembers your name,” he says.

By taking at least the maximum number of hours each semester and scheduling classes every summer session and winter intersession, Finales finished his first three degrees in four years. “I know the course overload sheet better than I know my home address,” he says, grinning. “I’m not into breaks; that’s not me. I can take a break when I die.”

An only child who was born in Cuba and came to Louisiana as an adolescent, Finales cites his mother as his greatest inspiration.

“I’m only here because she worked really hard and brought me here. Because she gave me that opportunity, I don’t want to let her down,” he says. “It’s always, ‘What else can I do? Where else can I go? What other things can I learn to make her proud?’”

Eventually, Finales would like to teach at Nicholls and inspire students to study as many subjects as interests them.

“One thing I love about Nicholls is the sense of family. A lot of the professors were students here, and I think that’s amazing,” he says. “I like the idea of one generation of Colonels teaching the next.” — Bridget Mire The

With four Nicholls degrees in hand and one in progress, Ernesto Finales doesn’t have much free time, but when he does, he enjoys traveling, reading several books at a time and listening to his vinyl record collection.

Colonel SPRING 2013

3

4

SPRING 2013

The

Colonel

The restaurant next to the student union snack bar opened in 1989 as Le Bistro, a sandwich shop. In 2001, Godfather’s Pizza took over the space, but more renovations came in 2011. Now, the pub-style restaurant is known as The Colonel’s Retreat — a nod to the popular off-campus nightclub of the ’70s and ’80s.

[Student Union]

In 1964, former Nicholls president Vernon F. Galliano opened his first new campus facility — the Acadia Hall cafeteria and student activities complex. In 2007, the cafeteria — now named in honor of Galliano — was extensively renovated from the inside out with modern lighting and furniture, specialty food serving stations and an outdoor eating area.

[Galliano Cafeteria]

Although John L. Guidry Stadium has sported different Colonel graphics over the years, its elevator had not been replaced since its 1972 opening. Emergency funds from the state made it possible for Nicholls to replace the elevator car and shaft while sprucing up the stadium’s exterior with sleek architectural elements, an illuminated red “N” and a renovated lobby.

[Guidry Stadium]

f you haven’t driven through the Nicholls campus in the past few years, you’ll be surprised at how different and crisp it looks. While Elkins Hall remains the university’s architectural icon, several new facilities have cropped up along Bowie Road. Older buildings have been freshened up with new facades and bold interior spaces. Dingy dorms have been torn down and replaced with modernistic suite-style residence halls. Here’s photographic proof of how your alma mater is forging ahead:

I

A transformed campus

Then & Now The Mary M. Danos Theater in Talbot Hall will soon undergo renovations, including new seating, lighting, sound system, curtains, flooring, walls, ceiling and ADAcompliant accommodations. Construction is expected to begin this summer. To contribute to the renovation fund, call 985-448-4134.

Extreme campus makeover

The

Colonel SPRING 2013

5

In 2006, while waiting for the recreation center to be built, Nicholls added cardio equipment inside of the racquetball courts at the student union. The Callais Memorial Recreation Center, which opened in fall 2012, now features a cardio room with more than 40 treadmills, bikes, ellipticals and other machines. The facility also includes a weight room, walking track, gymnasium and fitness studios. — Misty Leigh McElroy and Stephanie Detillier

[Cardio Room]

Since 1972, Powell Auditorium had not changed much, but the College of Business’ needs had. In 2012, the auditorium-style seats were replaced with larger chairs and classroom-friendly tables with electrical outlets for laptops. The overhaul also included new projector technology and wireless Internet. Peltier Auditorium has also been completely renovated, and Danos Theater (formerly Talbot Theater) is next on the agenda.

[Powell Auditorium]

Generations of Nicholls students remember the outdoor hallways of Zeringue and Millet halls, built in 1964 and 1965 along Acadia Drive. In 2008, both dorms along with Long and Mead halls were torn down. New Millet and Zeringue halls were opened in 2008 along Bowie Road featuring modernized suites, high-tech computer labs, TV and game rooms, and study areas.

[Millet-Zeringue]

5

Our own Super Bowl champ

The Red Zone

Congratulations to NFL cornerback Lardarius Webb (BGS ’08) and his Baltimore Ravens teammates for winning Super Bowl XLVII. Although Webb didn’t play in the game due to a knee injury, he will be sporting a championship ring and preparing for a comeback season. Look for an in-depth story on Webb in our upcoming publications.

Baseball embraces Fifth-Inning Yeti

O

n Feb. 20, at the first home game of the Nicholls baseball season, a white, furry abominable snowman ran across the field in the fifth inning. No one in the stands or the dugouts, not even Coach Seth Thibodeaux, knew what the odd-looking creature was or why he was at the game.

But he’s been back to almost every game since.

The Fifth-Inning Yeti — the unofficial Nicholls baseball mascot — has quickly become a quirky yet beloved presence, spawning funny YouTube videos and even Yeti T-shirts. The Yeti took a break from running the bases to answer a few questions:

Colonel to Watch Spencer Valdespino

A Yeti at Nicholls? In South Louisiana? How did you get here?

Yeti pitch for University of Alaska Anchorage back in school days. But when Yeti finish college ball and was not allowed to play in major leagues, Yeti sense of purpose and meaning grew smaller. People start to turn on Yeti and laugh, so Yeti leave.

Yeti has seen many states before landing here in South Louisiana. Not sure how Yeti was going to handle the warm weather, but Yeti adjusting well with help of meat locker where Yeti sleep. People have taken Yeti in and show Yeti attention, so Yeti stick around.

Why did you pick baseball of all Nicholls sports?

Yeti always love baseball; it help Yeti with anger issues and teach Yeti patience. Very Zen. Plus have you ever seen a Yeti play baseball? That’s right; this Yeti is the first and only Yeti to play.

Why the fifth inning?

Yeti was running from big mosquito-looking beast.

And before Yeti know it, Yeti was in left field in middle of fifth inning. Yeti startled fans and players, but Colonels came back and won game. After game, Coach Thibodeaux found Yeti behind outfield and ask Yeti to run across outfield in fifth inning of every game in exchange for raw meat and a place to sleep. Yeti could not turn down offer.

Have you met our mascot, Tillou, yet?

Yeti met Tillou about 17 moons ago and did not like him at first; he chase Yeti with big sword.

Since then, Yeti and Tillou have become friends, almost brothers. Yeti like to play pranks on Tillou, and he fights back with that sword again, but we get along for the most part. He hate when Yeti hides his hat.

What will the Yeti do when baseball season is over?

Yeti try not to think about the end of baseball season. But Yeti plan to stick around Thibodaux as long as the Colonels and Coach Thibodeaux will have Yeti. Yeti give you favorite quote by Roger Hornsby: “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”

— Tyler Knowles Editor’s note: Yeti has not yet enrolled in a Nicholls English course, but we’ve suggested that he spend his offseason learning grammar.

6

SPRING 2013

The

Colonel

Freshman forward Spencer Valdespino grabbed her spot in Nicholls women’s soccer history during her first season. In addition to setting several single-season records, she also now holds the all-time record in shots per game and shots on goal per game.

Major: Mass communication Hometown: Spring Hill, Fla. Your teammates’ nickname for you: When last season ended, I got an award from the conference, but they misspelled my name. Now I’ve got half of the team calling me “Spender.”

Goals for upcoming season: To continue to get better personally, but also to be as good of a teammate as I can.

Life away from the field: I love bike riding. My bike’s name is “Hypo,” and it’s one of my most prized possessions. Jess Coates [freshman from Australia] and I ride together a lot and sometimes bike to and from practice.

Unexpected factoid about you: Growing up, I really wanted to do the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition. I just thought it would be cool getting involved in something that girls don’t usually do. The first year I went all the way to the finals in Tampa Bay, and from that point I was just hooked on it. [As an eighth-grader, she finished first in the nation in her age group and second overall.]

— As told to Clyde Verdin Jr.

Finding the

sweet balance in life

For customers with allergies, Nicholls alumna Kelly Boffone is truly the PeaceBaker. Inside her Metairie bakery, all pastries, biscuits, cupcakes and sweet treats are dairy- and gluten-free.

By Renee Piper

The

Colonel SPRING 2013

7

M

oist blackberry lemon muffins, bite-size chocolate donuts with sprinkles and a cake-size cinnamon roll drizzled with icing beautifully line the granite countertop at The PeaceBaker in Metairie. Customers quickly become more than a bit overwhelmed by pastry chef Kelly Boffone’s (BS ’01) wide-ranging sugary selections of iced scones, cupcakes and cookies. So surprised by the unexpected menu, those who stop by The PeaceBaker are regularly moved to tears.

“Almost every day someone new comes in and cries,” Boffone says. “They’ll ask, ‘What’s gluten-free?’ and I’ll say, ‘Everything.’

And then they’ll ask, ‘What’s dairy-free?’ and I’ll say, ‘Everything.’”

Up until now, New Orleans-area customers with allergies and special diets have been extremely limited in their baked-good choices. When they realize they can choose from all of The PeaceBaker’s delicious-looking items, it’s an emotional experience.

Before Boffone opened her bakery at 6601 Veterans Blvd. in August 2012, she too was pastry-deprived. Food sensitivity issues, particularly her cow’s milk allergy, made following standard recipes impossible and prevented her from enjoying most of the pastries and baked goods she created. But that didn’t discourage her from pursing her lifelong pastry chef dreams.

“I always knew I wanted to bake; I’ve been doing it since I was a kid,” she says. “When all of my friends were watching cartoons on Sunday mornings, I was there with my grandpa watching Justin Wilson and Nan Can Cook on PBS.” Following graduation from Archbishop Chapelle High School, Boffone found a job in a local bakeshop, which reinforced her passion. Soon after, she enrolled at Nicholls, becoming one of the first students to complete the culinary arts bachelor’s degree program.

“Nicholls gave me everything I needed for professional success, and just as important, it gave me a real college experience — a real college life that you just don’t get at other culinary schools,” Boffone says.

In the 12 years since she graduated from the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, Boffone has been a pastry chef at Charley G’s restaurant in New Orleans; a faculty member at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in St. Paul, Minn.; and the executive pastry chef at Emeril’s, New Orleans.

“Being the executive pastry chef at Emeril’s is the dream job for any pastry chef, but it got me soul searching, looking inside

8

SPRING 2013

The

Colonel

myself,” she recalls. “I discovered that I missed baking and getting my hands in things. I wanted to do simple items — not such elaborate stuff.”

While contemplating her future, Boffone spent a lot of time in the kitchen experimenting with dairy-free recipes. Through her research, she discovered that no bakeries in the area offered sweet treats for customers with food allergies.

Excited about the challenge of creating good-tasting, made-from-scratch baked goods sans cow’s milk and gluten, she decided that her bake shop would focus on this underserved customer base. News travels fast in this community of baked-good-deprived folks, and people soon began coming from near and far to taste The PeaceBaker’s wares.

“I wanted to wait a couple of weeks to open so we could try out all the recipes in the new ovens and make sure everything was just right,” she says. “I displayed the three test items we made one day on colorful cake plates, and I heard a knock-knock on the door. I said, ‘Oh, we are not open yet,’ and literally people were like, ‘Please, I see you have things ready. Is that a scone, a muffin?

I’d really like just one,’ and I said, ‘OK.’ Word got out fast, and the next week I said, ‘OK, we really have to start making things to sell!’”

It’s been almost a year since The PeaceBaker — aptly named for the peaceful effect these specialty baked goods have on customers’ stomachs — first opened its doors. The shop has clearly grown into a place where folks want to hang out and linger a bit, and its décor — energetic, colorful and just a bit funky — is reflective of the owner’s infectious, passionate personality. Up at 2 a.m. and at work by 3 a.m. to begin baking, Boffone is fully committed to keeping her menu seasonal and evolving for her loyal clientele.

“We have to make everything fresh daily because our shop is small, the shelf life is short and quality is critical,” she says. “Each morning, I decide what to bake that day based on what’s fresh and in season. If it’s blueberry season, we bake blueberry coffee cake, scones and muffins.”

Not one to sit on her dairy- and gluten-free laurels, Boffone has big plans for The PeaceBaker’s future. She’s busy scouting the perfect location for a second shop, and her five-year goal is to open an allergy-friendly café that sells take-andgo meals, something not currently available for her dietary-challenged clientele.

But Boffone doesn’t just view herself as an entrepreneur and chef. She has a deep-seated need to use her culinary skills to bring emotional experiences to customers, to connect people with similar struggles and to enrich and support the community she lives in.

“Baking is my calling, but The PeaceBaker is really about so much more than just serving baked goods to allergy-sensitive customers,” Boffone says.

“I want The PeaceBaker to be all about community and helping people by providing a friendly gathering place, donating our tip-jar proceeds to local charities and displaying local artwork. It’s about using my God-given talent to make a difference.”

The

Colonel SPRING 2013

9

10

SPRING 2013

The

Colonel

As he looks forward to retirement, Dr. Stephen Hulbert takes a moment to look back at his presidency.

by Stephanie Detillier

The

Colonel SPRING 2013

11

hen Dr. Stephen T. Hulbert arrived at Nicholls in July 2003, he quickly became known as the university president who regularly walks his pug, Max, across campus — taking time to talk to students and observe campus happenings along the way. Now, nearly 10 years later, as he and his wife, Becky, begin their final lap with Max around Nicholls, Hulbert reflects on the decisions, crises and accomplishments that will define his legacy.

When you first came to Nicholls, you said you’d stay for five years. It’s been 10. What’s kept you and Becky here for this long?

What’s kept us here is the very nature of South Louisiana. It’s about the people. It’s about the culture.

It’s about the food ... and the 21 pounds, at least, that I’ve gained.

I’m glad you mentioned it. I wondered if it was rude to ask how much weight you had put on.

Let’s put it this way. I stopped counting at 21 pounds.

Well, I don’t blame you. What South Louisiana food will you miss the most in Prescott, Ariz.?

Oysters in any form. I jokingly say you all thought I came here for the Nicholls presidency; I came here for the Louisiana oysters. I love them raw, charbroiled, grilled, sautéed, in gumbo, fried, you name it. That will be a loss. There’s no question about it.

2006: The Hulberts have a little fun while riding in the Nicholls Homecoming parade.

12

SPRING 2013

The

Colonel

Why would you want to leave that all behind?

Why retire — and give up fresh oysters — now?

Becky and I have heard for a long time, “Why are you going to leave us? Don’t you love us?”

People in South Louisiana are truly unique, and we can say that after living in five distinct parts of the country. Everybody here has such a sense of resilience, a commitment to family and community, a very welcoming nature. It’s an extraordinary place to live.

But if you ask anyone why they’re here, they will say because of my family, my children, my grandchildren, my cousins, my sisters, my whatever. Well, we’re going to Arizona, where we have a niece and nephew, a great-nephew, a son and daughter-in-law, and a grandson. It’s about family. It is time for us to enjoy family full time.

How old is your grandson now?

On May 31, when I turned 69, Rowan turned 6.

I forgot y’all share a birthday. What does he call you?

Grampy.

Grampy? That’s so sweet. I’m sure he’s been looking forward to you and Becky moving closer. But it must be a bittersweet time for you. What are you going to miss about Nicholls? I know it surely won’t be the chicken you are served at nearly every campus function.

It’s definitely not the banquet chicken. Becky and I have had chicken prepared in every imaginable recipe. But I will miss the sense of accomplishment in providing stewardship to a university I truly love. That sounds awfully highfalutin. But there is a wonderful sense of satisfaction in taking care of an institution like Nicholls — leaving it better than you found it.

You certainly have a laundry list of accomplishments to be proud of, but how does that sense of satisfaction balance with the burden of having to make very difficult decisions?

I could cry. I will not miss waking up at 2 a.m. and not being able to get back to sleep. I relate to people, and I’ve had to lay off people I know and care about. Sometimes I can’t discern the difference between night and day or weekend and weekday.

It can be, at times, very painful. It can also be very lonely because you have colleagues who become good friends, but they never share the same burden that you do totally. It is yours alone as president of an institution. Fortunately, I have a partner in my wife, Becky, who fully understands the role of president.

And on top of that, your tenure was filled with unthinkable crises — both natural disasters and manmade budget disasters. How have you coped with that stress and frustration?

Honestly, I’ve gained 21-plus pounds. I take it out on eating. I don’t mind saying it. Fortunately, I was brought up in a family of executives, and I thought from my youngest age that I would have jobs like this. There’s been a lifelong conditioning that I will have responsibility, and I will handle it.

You were brought up in a family of bankers and corporate officers. What did you imagine you’d grow up to be?

Actually, I wanted to be a teacher. When I was in high school and college, it was the John Kennedy era, and it was all about serving the public. I thought teaching would be a wonderful career. Then I met seventh- and eighth-graders. I knew I wasn’t meant to be a teacher, but at that time I was in college and I was kind of interested in the way universities ran.

So I earned a master’s degree and a doctorate by the time I was 27.

A doctorate at 27? Wow! You started your path to presidency early.

It just was a natural progression. I had thought about the presidency when I was 27 and was the president’s assistant at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

And for Becky, being married to a university president meant that her career would be that of the president’s wife. Was she on board with that plan from the beginning?

Well, we met in grad school in the same program, so we were already on the same road together. There was no surprise there. Also I was marrying a girl who had grown up as a “military brat” living all over the country. What intrigued me about her was she saw life as an adventure. Becky wanted to continue to move about the country, and I found that exciting. I grew up in New England in a family that had lived in the same town, going to the same church for almost 300 years.

I was one of the only members of my family to leave.

Your family sounds like a lot of people around here.

Sounds like an awful lot of people around here.

I can easily relate to the people of the Bayou Region.

What role has Becky played in your Nicholls presidency?

Becky has been my partner in all of this. If you talk about an ability to get through difficult times, it’s because she’s my sounding board and support base.

She cares about this university as much as I do. She protects me on occasion from me being my worst enemy. She always gives me the unvarnished truth.

How about your other partner in crime, Max? Did you expect him to steal your thunder as much as he did?

Well, Skipper Dean did at the University of Montana-Western.

You had another campus dog before Max?

Skipper Dean lived with us for 13 years in Colorado, Rhode Island and Montana. I have used Skipper Dean and Max because it is very hard for undergraduates to speak to the president of the university if they know he’s the president. At any university, no matter the size, the majority of the students don’t interact with the president. If you’re walking a dog, students stop to pet him, and you talk. I’ve had students on this campus pet Max and look up at me and say, “You must be the president.” I say to them, “What am I, chopped liver? You know my dog, but not me?”

How old was Max when you arrived in Thibodaux?

He was about a year old. Max was born in Montana, but his whole life has been here. Although I will tell you if there’s a very cold day in February, Max Hulbert goes out that door and says, I like this.

You get to the middle of July, and his smashed-in face cannot take the heat and humidity.

I remember when you, Becky and Max first moved onto the Nicholls campus — right in the middle of Tropical Storm Bill. Back then, you were quite unprepared for the weather. You didn’t even own an umbrella.

I jokingly say I knew a lot about Nicholls before I came here, but you folks didn’t tell me a damn thing about hurricane season. I knew more about earthquakes in Montana. The last thing my predecessor did before retiring was to close the university. We woke up the next morning, and I brought Max down in my hands. He was a little thing. And I walked out on the stoop of the Alumni House, where we were staying temporarily. There was no lawn, just water. Poor Max, I put him down on the patio, and he looked and turned around and walked back inside.

Not the most welcoming experience for a group of Northerners.

No, but then about an hour later, we came out, and there was this ruckus going on — coeds in shorts and T-shirts, no shoes, playing mudball in the water. It was beautiful. I was thinking, “It sure is a very different culture here.” But it was also the attitude of people that impressed me, “Hey, the storm has passed; let’s get together and enjoy.”

Well, you can certainly say you gained a tremendous amount of hurricane experience during your tenure. What did you learn from the aftermath of Katrina and Rita?

If there’s anything I’m proud of, it’s to have been here during the aftermath of Katrina and to see the resilience and giving nature of the people in this region. There was no state government to step in, and the federal government clearly wasn’t prepared. How did we survive and take care of 12,500 people during the course of 50 some-odd days? We did it because the nature of our people is to help out. As people’s

freezers thawed, they took out shrimp, crawfish, you name it, and they made jambalaya. They came here and fed people. I had never experienced anything like that, and it was part of the reason why even under the worst circumstances you want to live here. These are wonderful people who care about and take care of each other.

They even care about and embrace Northerners — Yankees, if you will?

Cajuns say that they don’t necessarily like outsiders — Yankees, or anything else — but they meet you and they’re warm; they meet you twice and they try to figure out some connection with you.

But you know, there’s still a group of Nicholls alumni who think of you as the Northerner who came in and took away the Colonel mascot.

What’s your take on that?

Get a life! Honestly, get a life. If your love of Nicholls is so shallow that the loss of your Colonel mascot, a cartoon character that was created after we lost our wonderful ROTC program and the

2003: Hulbert stays up late to serve students at Midterm Breakfast, a campus tradition.

reflective of the vibrant university that Nicholls had become. It was hurtful to some members of our community. I have no problem with the decision, and, by the way, it was the least consequential of hundreds of decisions I made. It gave me no sleepless nights.

I’m guessing the state budget cuts gave you the most sleepless nights?

One of the reasons I know it’s my time to go is I’ve developed a level of anger with Louisiana government that is almost unmanageable. I can’t be of value much longer because when I speak, I speak in anger. I know when to control it, but I’m getting to the point

“ ” you all thought I came here for the Nicholls presidency; I came here for the Louisiana oysters.

cadet colonel, then I’m sorry for you. You have a right to your opinion, but your love of Nicholls should be for everything Nicholls stood for while you were getting your degree and what it stands for today — opportunity.

The Colonel mascot that I found in 2003 was a pathetic caricature of Yosemite Sam and the Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. It was not

where I don’t want to. We’ve had one budget cut after another to the point that we’ve lost track of the numbers. No one from Baton Rouge has taken the time to ask: What is this doing, how is this affecting people, can we mitigate this? We’re just in a freefall of one cut after another without anyone showing the least bit of concern about what’s happening to students, and that is a tragic lack of leadership and stewardship.

2005: Stopher Gym becomes home to thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

The

Colonel SPRING 2013

13

2013: Gazing out of the rec center’s second floor, Hulbert reflects on how much the campus has grown since 2003.

Are you concerned to leave Nicholls in someone else’s hands during these trying times?

There has been no good time to choose to leave. I waited to announce my retirement in April because I wanted to stay through the legislative session and help provide as much stability for Nicholls as possible. By doing it that way, I was still able to play a role in the decisions that needed to be made before the new budget comes up for July 2013.

But as I said when I came here in 2003, a president who stays longer than 10 years is not adding value to the institution. The members of the university community become accustomed to the style of that president. They learn how to adjust to it. I happen to think that transitions in leadership can be exciting times of opportunity even in the most difficult and challenging times. It’s a fresh set of eyes; it’s a fresh perspective on how to lead a university. I think Nicholls will gain immeasurably by a transition of leadership.

What’s the most crucial thing for your successor to understand about Nicholls?

First and foremost, respect and trust the people and the culture of this region. My biggest concern is whether my successor will value the culture that is the Bayou Region and the role that Nicholls has had in this region over the years. New presidents tend to come in and feel empowered and want to make changes based on their past experience.

This region has determined what Nicholls is by its needs. Yes, we need to continue to move forward.

But if you think about our new initiatives, each one is designed to meet the needs of the service region. It would be tragic to disrupt things and say, “That isn’t Nicholls; Nicholls should be this.”

Anything left undone on your to-do list?

14

SPRING 2013

The

Colonel

You can’t help but think about the future. We have some exciting programs underway at this university. I think the opportunities in petroleum services and maritime management are clearly some of the most exciting ones. The future of Nicholls Online is an exciting opportunity. I’d love to see the whole health area mature even further. We have a master’s in nursing now; why not a doctorate in partnership with other institutions? Culinary needs to have greater partnership with our own dietetics and business programs, and we need to be embracing culinary’s role in the hotel-restaurant industry. If I had years ahead of me, I would also be challenging this university to truly engage undergraduate students in service and research.

What do you think will surprise the next university president?

Change is occurring so quickly that new people coming in will have to be extraordinarily creative, and they’re going to have to work to maintain a traditional university and a university that is electronic, that reaches out to people in different ways than we ever have before. And they are always going to be faced with financial challenges.

So what’s your advice?

I would say, put yourself aside. Put the university first as a steward. Make your decisions around the future of the university and it being there to serve the region. If you do that, I think you’re going to be satisfied, and you’re going to leave this university with a sense of accomplishment and success.

So what will the transition from president to retiree be like for you?

For a lot of people, it is hard to understand what it’s like to be a university president. From the moment you start the job until the day you end it, you live that job. People ask me in town, “Do you fish? Do you hunt?

Do you play golf?” No. Becky and I watch Nicholls tennis matches, go to basketball games, recitals and all the rest. We participate in events, whether they’re dinners or festivals. So in some ways we’re starting over again and allowing ourselves to do things we used to do 17 years ago before our life became dictated by a university calendar. This is going to be about what Becky and Steve Hulbert want to do, not about what a university president and his wife should do.

Well, what do you and Becky enjoy doing in your downtime?

We watch the Food Channel and HGTV. Then we try some of the recipes we’ve seen. I like to barbecue and grill. I’m going to love the fact that I’ll be in Arizona, where the weather permits grilling throughout the entire year. No mosquitoes.

You’ll be cooking your own meals now, something you didn’t have to worry about as president.

What presidential perk will you miss most?

My answer is almost the opposite of what you’re looking for. I’m going to enjoy regaining privacy.

What we treasure is privacy, and there is no such thing in a university presidency. There’s always somebody at the house from full-time staff, landscape crews, plumbers, electricians, crews delivering supplies, food services setting up for parties or events. You’re never alone. The one thing I’m going to enjoy is the private time with Becky and Steve Hulbert together enjoying life.

Do you think you’ll walk in the kitchen and wonder why the coffee hasn’t been made yet and breakfast hasn’t been cooked?

Fortunately, Becky does a lot of cooking.

But yeah, you become very accustomed to being taken care of.

What do you envision retirement looking like?

I envision a heavy amount of travel while we can still do it.

Any places in particular?

Becky and I have been on about 18 cruises together, so there aren’t a lot of places that we haven’t been, but we look forward to getting back to Istanbul, Turkey because that’s one of our favorite locations.

Any books on your shelf waiting to be read?

I have a collection of probably 350 books related to the life of Abraham Lincoln. That’s my hobby. I have read about 80 percent of them, but I would like to spend some time studying them in depth.

Do you think you’ll stop working entirely?

I would hope to work with the Registry for College and University Presidents, which in the simplest terms is a temp organization that places presidents and vice presidents in assignments on two- and four-year campuses where there is a need for an interim appointment. I also intend to do some consulting with regard to crisis management, assessment and accreditation, and NCAA athletics administration.

What emotions do you think will be going through your head as you, Becky and Max drive away from campus, one last time?

It will be very painful. We really feel a love for this university, its people and this region. It’s going to be enormously difficult. We are going to enjoy retirement. But we are not going to enjoy moving away from here. I remember the day in February of 2003 when we were offered the Nicholls job before the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System, and Becky literally broke down sitting before the board and cried. I held back. But I can tell you Becky and I will cry a good deal more when leaving. Fortunately, we have wonderful friends here, so we look forward to our return visits.

The Colonel wins gold

The Colonel alumni magazine won the gold award for periodicals improvement in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District IV Accolades competition. Help us keep improving your magazine by sending us feedback and suggestions at alumniaffairs@nicholls.edu.

Alumni Federation News

Alumni director off to bold start

S

he says she was born with energy. But after meeting the passionate, zippy Monique Crochet, you’ll probably assume she’s running on a steady coffee infusion — because this much energy just doesn’t seem natural.

Crochet has not paused since she became the new Nicholls alumni director in early March.

Almost immediately, she created a Twitter account — twitter.com/alumniNicholls — and transitioned to online ballots for alumni board voting. A couple of weeks into the job, Crochet and assistant director, Jessica Harvey, created the Nicholls Student Alumni Association to ensure that future generations start supporting their alma mater before they even graduate. Within a month, 46 students had joined as members.

“Nicholls is all about the relationships that are built among students, faculty and staff,” says Crochet (BS ’98, MEd ’00). “Now, my vision is to help broaden those relationships by connecting students, alumni and the community.”

For Crochet, the alumni director job has been her dream since 1998 — with a winding road of experiences that prepared her for the challenge.

The E.D. White graduate first enrolled at Nicholls in 1986 but then left college to pursue a full-time job instead. Years later, after realizing she could only go so far without a degree, she returned to Nicholls as a child, family and social services major.

“Nicholls never made me feel like I was less of a student for having to take remedial classes,” she says.

“I was so scared to death when I was finally ready for English 101 that I went to talk to the professor, Al Cowan. ‘You don’t realize how much life experience you’ll bring to this class,’ he told me. ‘You may not have made a 36 on the ACT, but you came to meet your professor. How many other students do you think I’ll see before class starts?’”

The encouraging words fueled Crochet. The nontraditional student joined the Student Programming Association and found a part-time job in Student Life. After graduation, when nearly all of her classmates left to pursue their master’s in social work, she stuck around campus, pursuing her master’s in higher education administration.

“Students make you feel so young; there’s so much energy here,” says the equally energetic Crochet. “After that, I was sold on staying on campus.”

Crochet worked at Nicholls from 1998 to 2003, holding positions such as adjunct instructor of family and consumer sciences, grant coordinator, interim director of the Louisiana Center for Women and Government, and director of continuing education.

Wanting to try something different, she then embarked on a career in pharmaceutical sales, which she describes as a “strange beast” that taught her how to have tough skin, forge deep professional relationships and be politely persistent.

But after seven years in medical sales, including a stint in Houston, Crochet missed her Thibodaux family. On a whim, she cold-called Mayor Tommy Eschete, asked for a job and quickly

became the city of Thibodaux’s marketing and public relations director.

“Tommy took a chance on me, and I just loved getting to know the city from the inside out and working with a wide variety of people,” she says.

“

I’m back at my favorite place in my favorite city.

”

“Now at Nicholls, what I’m doing is very similar.

I’m back at my favorite place in my favorite city.

I pinch myself and say, ‘I’m really the Nicholls alumni director.’”

Crochet’s immediate goals include growing the federation’s social media presence; creating an alumni e-newsletter; hosting alumni gatherings at home football games; and ultimately increasing alumni membership. Crochet is looking into a suggestion to create a Nicholls parents’ council and other ideas.

“We are all legacies of Nicholls, and Nicholls’ reputation is our reputation. From the day we set foot on this campus and from this day forward, we are directly tied into our alma mater. We are Nicholls graduates! Every now and then, don’t forget to come home.” — Stephanie Detillier The

Colonel SPRING 2013

15

Honoring Colonel supporters 16

SPRING 2013

Hugh Hamilton

The

Dr. John Green

R.E. “Bob” Miller

Harvey Peltier Award recipient

Honorary Alumnus Award recipient

James Lynn Powell Award recipient

Hugh Hamilton is known to make bold statements about the people and programs he loves. The former local president of Hibernia Bank wore a fish costume at the New Orleans aquarium when proposing to his wife. And, at the annual Women’s Night Out fundraiser, he boldly sings “I Love You” from Barney & Friends.

Behind Hamilton’s colorful antics, however, lies a natural leader.

As a past president of the Nicholls Foundation and Colonel Club (now the Colonel Athletic Association), Hamilton helped both organizations significantly grow their memberships. He has long supported Nicholls athletics financially — by becoming the first corporate sponsor to donate more than $100,000 — and personally — by annually hosting a New Year’s dinner for the men’s basketball team. Hamilton’s big personality is contagious, motivating others to support the Colonels, too.

Diagnosed with polio at a young age, Dr. John Green was the last survivor of the iron lung ward in his Louisville, Ky., hospital. When he got to college, his advisers tried to steer him away from pursuing a biology degree. Yet the everpersistent Green earned a doctorate in biological sciences and joined the Nicholls faculty. “The cat with nine lives has nothing on John Green,” says Dr. David Boudreaux, vice president for institutional advancement.

Green never used his crutches or wheelchair to get lesser assignments; in fact, he was often the first one over the side of the boat and into the water on research expeditions.

Admired for his compassion and wit, the former department head and dean is now a retiree — but an active retiree who attends Nicholls events and continues to inspire the Colonel community.

To visit England’s historical sites or explore Costa Rica’s diverse environment is an eye-opening experience but a pricey one — out of reach for the typical college student. However, thanks to scholarships funded by history graduate R.E. “Bob” Miller (BA ’74), Nicholls honors students have the opportunity to study in Plymouth, England and Costa Rica.

As founder and president of Major Equipment and Remediation Services, Miller knows the importance of international exposure. His Morgan Citybased business provides equipment and environmental services for the global oil industry. And he’s also strongly supported the arts, helping Nicholls achieve “All-Steinway” status and contributing to the Danos Theater renovations.

As one of the university’s most loyal donors and one of the community’s most respected business leaders, Miller continues to leave his mark on Nicholls students and oilfield professionals.

Colonel

Alumni Federation News

Jenny Thibodaux

Ferdie and Billy Ledet Honorary Alumni Award recipients

Corporate Mark of Honor recipient

Marie Fletcher Distinguished Service Award recipient

W hen the phone rings, Jenny Thibodaux pauses for a moment before greeting the caller: Is she working in the Nicholls development or institutional advancement office today? Or is she in alumni affairs?

Although she is technically an administrative coordinator for development, Thibodaux has not had a permanent desk to report to since 2010.

As Nicholls offices lost their administrative assistants and were not able to hire replacements, Thibodaux filled some of those gaps — without a pay raise. She represents the new reality at Nicholls: employees who perform multiple job duties across various areas of responsibility. She consistently volunteers at Nicholls functions and assists in obtaining auction items for fundraisers. And no matter at which desk she’s working or what event she’s helping coordinate, Thibodaux does whatever’s needed with her signature smile.

With a stroke of his brush, Billy Ledet can capture the essence of someone — whether it’s Drew Brees proudly holding up his son after winning the Super Bowl or two local siblings posing in their parents’ living room.

The renowned portrait artist and muralist began sketching superheroes at age 12 and developed his talent by studying paintings at St. Joseph Abbey and painting murals in Korea while serving in the U.S. Army. Ferdie, his high school sweetheart and wife, works as his business manager, keeping track of commissions and art lessons. Thanks to the generosity of the Ledets, his original artwork is often up for bid at Nicholls fundraisers, and his portraits prominently hang in campus buildings. And when a new Nicholls president is hired soon? Billy will surely capture his or her personality in paint.

Entergy strives to improve the quality of life — not only by powering homes but also by empowering people through its investments in education, low-income initiatives and diversity programs. Throughout the years, Entergy Louisiana, led by CEO Phillip May, has been most supportive of Nicholls by contributing to many campus fundraising events, including Bite of the Arts, Women’s Night Out and the Sponsor A+ Scholar event.

Beyond the campus, Entergy is committed to helping people in need and improving the local community. While producing and providing electricity for its customers, Entergy has partnered with organizations to ensure that children from low-income families have access to preschool. In turn, Nicholls benefits directly from these initiatives that help plant the educational seed in students at an early age. After all, these 4-year-olds are potential future Colonels.

Math anxiety — it’s a real thing. But students aren’t the only ones panicking over math — so are some math teachers. As an assistant professor of math at Nicholls, Dr. DesLey Plaisance (BS ’81, MS ’83) has studied how university instructors can better prepare future math teachers so that they have less math anxiety and pass on more positive math experiences to their students.

That’s just one example of Plaisance’s dedication to her field and tremendous value to Nicholls.

Since returning to her alma mater in 2007, she has held several roles in the math department and was recently named the director of graduate studies.

Beyond the classroom, she is engaged in campus events — giving generously to campus fundraisers and supporting the Nicholls Foundation. By any calculation, Plaisance embodies the loyalty and commitment that Nicholls prides itself on.

Ramon J. Labat Service Award recipient

Phillip May, Entergy

The

Dr. DesLey Plaisance

Colonel SPRING 2013

17

Colonel Notes Member of the Nicholls Alumni Federation Friend Dr. Betty Kleen, former Graduate Studies director who retired after teaching business at Nicholls for 33 years, was awarded the title of professor emeritus.

1960s

viously chancellor of Louisiana Victims of Crime, Training and of the Louisiana Academy of Sciences. He will serve for two State University at Alexandria. Technical Assistance Center. years each as president-elect, Mary Chaisson (BA ’75, MEd president and past-president.

Dr. O. Cleveland Hill (BS ’73, ’85) is special counsel for the MEd ’79), College of Education dean at Nicholls from Judiciary Commission of Louisi- Mitchell Theriot (BS ’85) was 1999 to 2006, was awarded ana, which reviews allegations of elected to the Louisiana First the title of professor emeritus. judicial misconduct and recom- Circuit Court of Appeals, He is currently an associate mends sanctions. She is also a District 1, Division B. professor of education at Our member of the bar associations Keith Menard (BGS ’86) is the Lady of Holy Cross College in in Florida and Louisiana. head football coach at Central New Orleans.

1980s Lafourche High School.

Dr. Marilyn B. Kilgen (BA ’66), who retired after teachDebbie Raziano (BA ’74), ing biology at Nicholls for 41 years, was awarded the title of who retired after serving as Nicholls alumni director for professor emeritus.

32 years, was awarded the Brian Gueniot (BS ’69) owns title of director emeritus of Brian A. Gueniot Consulting alumni affairs. and coordinates the Executive Mentor Program at Loyola Lyndel Williams (BA ’74), training director for the Texas AssoUniversity of New Orleans. ciation Against Sexual Assault, was appointed to the Criminal 1970s Justice Advisory Council by David Manuel (BS ’70) is Texas Gov. Rick Perry. He is president of Drury University also a consultant for the Departin Springfield, Mo. He was pre- ment of Justice’s Office for

Gary Barbaro (BS ’80) has been selected for induction into the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame. The former All-Pro defensive back also announced the Chiefs’ draft pick during the second round of the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

1990s Bruno Ruggiero (BA ’90), director of university printing and design services at Nicholls, will serve as the director of district scholarships for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, District IV.

Dr. John Doucet (BS ’84), College of Arts and Sciences Marshall Crooks (BGS dean at Nicholls, has been ’94) and Christie Hymel nominated to serve as president Crooks (BGS ’92, MEd ’04)

are community advocates for Autism Awareness and Court Appointed Special Advocates .

Andy Simoncelli (BA ’94), a professor of mass communication at Nicholls, was a guest lecturer on social media at the Pole Universitaire Leonard de Vinci in Paris in March.

Kyle Duplantis (BA ’95) is assistant vice president and business banking relationship manager for IBERIABANK southwest Louisiana.

Barbara Watts (BS ’99) is the 2012-2013 president of the Morgan City Society of Louisiana Certified Accountants South Central Chapter.

Greg Wood Jr. (AS ’99, BS ’99) is the vice president of operations at GAGE Telephone Systems Inc. in Baton Rouge.

In November, the Greater

When your son becomes your patient

D

r. Ahmad Alexander (BS ’06) knew that his own childhood had inspired his audiology career path. But little did he know that his decision would impact his son’s childhood, too.

A Vacherie native, Ahmad underwent three years of speech therapy after being hit by a truck while trying to cross the street when he was 5 years old.

Years later, after serving in the U.S. National Guard, he enrolled at Nicholls and started searching for the right major. “As I was touring the speech clinic on campus, it brought back memories,” Ahmad recalls. “I thought that pursuing this career would 18

SPRING 2013

allow me to give back in a way that others helped me.”

After graduating from Nicholls, Ahmad started the audiology graduate program at LSU-Shreveport and married Dekeshia Anderson (BS ’07), a fellow Colonel he met through the Baptist Christian Ministry.

W hen their newborn son, Elijah, failed his hearing screening, Ahmad’s career took on a different meaning.

Initially doctors diagnosed Elijah with an ear infection caused by fluid buildup, but Ahmad insisted on more tests.

Three months later, he learned that his son had severe to profound permanent hearing loss in his left ear.

“When I found out, I did The

Colonel

cry,” he says. “I had counseled patients and parents of newborns with hearing loss, but you never understand how you’ll deal with it until it hits home.”

Ahmad and Dekeshia began using sign language with Elijah, who learned to sign for “milk” and “more” before he could speak. Now, at 5 years old, Elijah doesn’t even wear a hearing aid; he uses his right ear to compensate for the loss.

For Ahmad, the personal experience has led him to grow even more passionate for his career. About two years ago, he rejoined the military as an Army audiologist — helping ensure that soldiers, who are constantly exposed to danger-

ous noise levels, are wearing hearing protection and being properly treated. Currently, he’s based at Reynolds Army Community Hospital in Fort Still, Okla., but this summer he will become the hearing program manager for Army health clinics in Bavaria, Germany.

Joining him will be Dekeshia, Elijah and their youngest son, Micah, who was luckily born without any hearing loss.

“There’s a possibility we may never find out what caused Elijah’s hearing loss,” he says. “But it’s made me realize that maybe I chose this profession for a different reason, one I didn’t even know at the time.”

— Stephanie Detillier

Dr. Ahmad Alexander (BS ’06) is an audiologist by day and night. At home, he and his wife, Dekeshia (BS ’07), work closely with Elijah, pictured above, who has a severe hearing loss in his left ear.

Photo courtesy of Abilene Reporter-News

Send us your wedding and baby news

Colonel Notes

Did you recently get married? Or welcome a baby Colonel into the world?

In our next issue, we’ll start including alumni wedding and birth announcements along with career updates in our Colonel Notes. Send us your news at alumniaffairs@nicholls.edu.

Baton Rouge Business Report ments for deepwater oil and named him to its 2012 “Forty gas drilling and assesses the impact of air guns on marine Under 40” list. mammals and sea turtles.

2000s Vaughn Trannon (BS ’03) is Holly Goetting (AS ’00, BS ’01) the personal chef of the CEO is the executive chef at Charley of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. He also sells a popular G’s in Lafayette. line of chef products, such as Randy Richard (BS ’01) the Traveling Culinarist lugowns Randy Richard Ag Con- gage, which is sold at national sultant Inc. and is a biological and international trade shows. technician at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Sugarcane Dr. Dixie Plaisance Gautreaux (BS ’03) earned a doctorate Research Unit in Houma. in 2008 from Louisiana State Rachel Wade (BGS ’02) teach- University. She is an associate es special education at Hattie professor of chemistry and Watts Elementary School in physics and Faculty Senate president at Our Lady of the Patterson.

Lake College in Baton Rouge.

Letha Dawson Boudreaux (BS ’03, MS ’05) teaches science, Dr. Christopher Bonvillain (BS biology and marine science at ’04, MS ’06) earned a docSt. Stanislaus College in Bay St. torate in renewable natural resources from Louisiana State Louis, Miss.

University.

Perry Boudreaux (BS ’03, MS ’06) works for the Bureau of Dr. Ryan Bonvillain (BS ’05) is Ocean Energy Management a postdoctoral fellow for the in New Orleans, where he con- Center for Stem Cell Research ducts environmental assess- and Regenerative Medicine at

Catching up with the Noels

I

n our spring 2012 issue of The Colonel, we profiled Jacob Noel (BSN ’06) and his wife, Amanda Meche Noel (BSN ’07), who were using their nursing credentials and Christian faith to minister to at-risk youth in El Salvador.

In August, they moved back to Louisiana to further pursue their medical careers. Jacob recently took the MCAT exam in hopes of going to medical school, and Amanda is working in the nursery department at a local hospital. Both will continue taking three to four mission trips each year with Healthcare Ministries.

“With this group, we’ll use our nursing knowledge to take teams of doctors, dentists, nurses and other healthcare professionals to various places and provide much-needed medical care,” Jacob says. After medical school and residency, the couple plans to return overseas to continue their medical and ministry work.

Tulane University School of and an honorary member Medicine. of the Westwego Volunteer Fire Department. She is also Amanda Talbot Percle (AGS the cadet (junior firefighter) ’05, BA ’09) owns PregoBel- coordinator for the Little lies, a home-based business Caillou Fire Department as that creates casts of pregnant well as recording secretary women’s stomachs and turns for the Terrebonne Parish them into keepsakes.

Fire District 7 board and the Terrebonne Parish Recreation Heather Gros (BA ’06) is a District 7 board. branch assistant with Lafourche Parish Public Libraries.

2010s Becky Breaux Gautreaux (AS, Katie Authement (BS ’10) is BS ’08) is the Louisiana State an agricultural science research University AgCenter’s area technician at the USDA Sugarnutrition agent for St. Mary cane Research Unit in Houma. and Terrebonne parishes.

Cody Blanchard (BS ’10) Amanda Guillot (BA ’09) is an and Ben Jones Jr. (BS active volunteer with Little ’11) launched What Now, Caillou Fire Department an events-driven magazine,

Serving

in March. Both serve as copublishers and co-editors of the free, monthly publication.

Patrick Martinez (BS ’10) is a chef at Pierre Part Café — Seafood and Steak, a new restaurant in Pierre Part featuring Creole and Cajun cuisine prepared with fresh, local ingredients. He previously was the sous chef under Chef Donald Link at Saint Herb in New Orleans.

Lee Schexnayder (BS ’11) works in the acquisitions department for the 72d Medical Group at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City.

e

f i l f o e c i p up the s

S ’10, der Walt (B of Eben van y a serves a tr eigne MBA ’13) ss a L e Patric crawfish to 6) as Emily S ’7 Oncale (B SN ’08) Richard (B h rg e ’77) Lindb S (B Richard and Wade ig in at the to d get ready h Boil. ni Crawfis m lu 2013 A

imese T Y N f o n attennsetit oLimited hoping to mepeatresod mfor b a r g n e wom wasn’t pre ed the Su 8 Nichollswriter Nathaniel Rich bonamrdent on train culture. Butht ehire five-hour ride from

imes nd assig spent ing Pedro a New York T onalities for his story ladies who s ll o h ic rically, play N e rs f e st o p y p h g u g in ro in st g h intere a rowdy hoo!”, laug e daux 8” — ing “Choo-c m a re lair Ford Le sc the “Thibo s e rl (BA ’86), C ke Cha a ry L A o g ” (B to . re s ll r a e p G v u w e ir Schri Giscla atch the ringue To h how to “c S ’85), Alice , Debbie Ze on) teaching Ric ootz” Claudet Foret (B cos Toups (MEd ’75) ded Nicholls orientati u n e “C D tt s e ri tt (a e h ir ll C o la , C le.

(BS ’85) dge Trosc Rich’s artic isa Ford Ray A ’71) and Barbara Bu duction to o zine, visit tr ga in a l (BS ’86), L u M (B rf s es s Toup the colo rk Tim p o e u Y o m T a ew c ie e N k b 3 ic d ’71), V ion — an the March o Crazy.” ing impress appeared in on a Train and Not G h ic h w , made a last ry e full sto d 47 Hours To read th ow to Spen “H h rc a se d m an nytimes.co The

Colonel SPRING 2013

19

Win a trip to Oregon

Colonel Notes

vs.

Donate $20 to help fund scholarships for Nicholls student athletes, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a football trip for two to watch the Colonels take on the Oregon Ducks on Aug. 31. The deadline to enter is June 30. Visit geauxcolonels.com or call 985-448-4790.

Innovative teacher connects with chemistry students

W

Mixing demonstrations and enthusiasm leads to a positive student reaction for national award-winning chemistry teacher Anna Cole (BS ’90).

allet-size senior portraits, prom pics and Homecoming dance shots fill half a dozen bulletin boards in Anna Cole’s classroom and laboratory at Central Lafourche High School. The photos span her 20-plus years of chemistry students — many of whom adored their teacher but weren’t fond of the subject matter.

“I didn’t even like chemistry in high school,” Cole (BS ’90) says. “It can be very dry and complex. If you don’t spice it up, you’re going to lose students. I try to do demonstrations and use visuals whenever I can, even though that means I have dishes piled to the ceiling.”

Cole’s methods for making chemistry a little less maddening have proven to be successful; last summer, she was one of 97 teachers to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Dr. Glenn Lo, associate professor of physical sciences at Nicholls, nominated Cole for the honor after witnessing how well prepared her former students were when they reached his classes.

Known for her laid-back, no-fuss, casual style, Cole says the award — which included a high-profile trip to Washington, D.C., and a $5,000 prize — pushed her out of her comfort zone a bit. Her daughter helped her buy a new wardrobe, and she had her first manicure and pedicure since her wedding day. She says the trip and awards ceremony were bittersweet because her daughters were dancing in Disney World at the same time, but it was also special because she took along former student and now fellow chemistry teacher Jamie Guillot (BS ’07) as her guest.

“It was the highlight of my career; I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” says Cole, who met Vice President Joe Biden and other dignitaries. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the nation’s best math and science teachers who were all sharing experiences that only teachers can appreciate.”

Cole recalls that when she graduated from Nicholls, she had two options: accept a lucrative job offer with a Baton Rouge lab or hold out hope that a chemistry teaching job would open up. She’s so grateful she chose the latter. And so are her students. — Stephanie Detillier

In Memoriam Friend Michael Voisin of Houma on Feb. 2 at age 59. He was the owner and CEO of Motivatit Seafoods and received an honorary Doctor of Commerce from Nicholls in December 2012.

Dr. Alva Harris of New Bern, N.C., on March 19 at age 84.

He was a professor of natural science from 1965 to 1988.

In 1973, he discovered a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico that spanned several hundred square miles.

Dr. John Harwell (attended ’69–’80) of Tyler, Texas, on Feb. Faculty/Staff 8 at age 92. He was a professor Marie Delatte Bourgeois of of psychology and counselor Thibodaux on Jan. 30 at age education from 1967 to 1985.

87. She was a Nicholls house Irma Stevens of Clinton, Ill., parent from 1971 to 1997. on Jan. 17 at age 88. She was a Muriel Foord Davis (MEd ’73) of Nicholls custodial worker from Raleigh, N.C., on Dec. 10 at age 1960 to 1985.

92. She was a counselor in Virginia, Kentucky and Louisiana, Alumni and she later taught counselor education and psychology at Lois Anne Richard Sumrall (DIP ’55) of Baton Rouge on Nicholls from 1971 to 1978.

Jan. 1 at age 77. She worked in public education for more 20

SPRING 2013

The

Colonel

than 37 years, retiring as prin- Donna Humberd (MEd ’80) of cipal of Baton Rouge Magnet Knoxville, Tenn., on Feb. 6 at High School. age 63. She was a social studies department head and taught Diana Trahan Milsted Hall in Jefferson Parish for 30 years. (attended ’59–’61) of Athens, Ga., on Nov. 14 at age 73. She Andrew Jon Braud (BGS ’92) owned a clothing store, Diana of Baton Rouge on Sept. 24 at Trahan’s Fashion House, in age 44. He worked in the casino Houma for 26 years. industry for 18 years, retiring as a table games assistant shift Lorraine Landry Ory (BA ’64) of manager.

Gramercy on Jan. 6 at age 70.

She taught elementary school Leslie Guedry (BA ’96) of Napofor more than 31 years. leonville on Nov. 27 at age 39.

She was a speech therapist for Charles “Chuc” Ryan (BS ’65) Assumption Parish Schools of Houma on Dec. 14 at age for 14 years.

73. He practiced law in Houma for 40 years.

Richard Zaunbrecher (AS ’00, BS ’01) of Vinton on Oct. James Broussard (BS ’80, MBA 24 at age 37. He was a senior ’04) of Houma on Jan. 16 at delivery consultant in logistics age 54. He was an online pro- and infrastructure with the fessor for Argosy University Operations Excellence Group and Axia College. in Rijswijk, Netherlands.

Rachel Ianni (MS ’11) of Springfield, Ohio, on Jan. 1 at age 26. She worked for the Indiana Dunes National Forest, Chicago Public Schools and The Field Museum of Chicago.

Hunter Robards (attended ’11) of Houma on April 13 at age 20. He worked at Measurement Technology Inc. Ross Mullooly (AGS ’13) of Houma on April 21 at age 22. The former Nicholls cross country athlete founded the Ross Mullooly Project, a nonprofit organization supporting cancer patients, while he battled cancer. Nicholls awarded Mullooly a posthumous associate degree in May.

In the Colonel Spirit

Embracing life

on the water’s edge Vic Lafont was supposed to be a fourth-generation shrimper, not a first-generation college student. But after embracing Nicholls, he decided not to leave — working initially as the athletics business manager and now as president and CEO of South Louisiana Economic Council. For Lafont, Nicholls is family, so as he helps generate economic growth in the region, he looks after his alma mater and helps connect fellow alumni with local employers.

W

hen I was 5 years old, I lost my right eye in a fishing accident. I knew I couldn’t shrimp for a living because of all the bacteria, but the idea of going to college was terrible. You’d just as soon have sent me to New York.

When I got here in fall 1973, I stayed in Long Hall and called my mom from the payphone every day. I’d say, “Mom, I’m really not happy.” She’d try to encourage me, “Baby, you have to try and do the best you can and gain you a trade.”

The minorities were protesting the school’s Rebel flag, panty raids were at their highest, and streaking had just hit the campus. I thought, “Where am I going to find this 40 miles offshore? This is interesting.” I came from a very close society down the bayou, so Nicholls opened up the world to me. It scared me, but I embraced it anyway like most Cajuns would when they see opportunity. I joined Phi Kappa Theta fraternity, worked two jobs and was a Danos & Curole roustabout during summers and holidays. I was surrounded by people I didn’t grow up with. I learned to get along with people I wouldn’t necessarily have had to get along with before, which is pretty cool. We were all different, but we had the same goal — to get a degree, a good one.

When I took this job at SLEC in 1990, I wasn’t hired for my economic development background. I was hired for my organizational skills; my very first task was to get the four bayou parishes to work together. When you walk through my doors, you probably need one of four things: You want to start a business and want to do it right.

You’re ready to take your business to the next level, but you need capital and a larger workforce. Your business is not located in this region, but you’d like to be here. Or you’re ready to break out into new markets nationally and internationally. I may not have all those services within my walls, but I help people find the resources they need.

I also help connect the dots between industries looking for new employees and Nicholls graduates. I’ve always been taught that if you take something out, you have to give something back. I don’t know where I would be today if Nicholls weren’t here. It was there for me; I need to make sure it’s there for everyone else.

That’s how I feel about it.

We all know Nicholls is here for academic purposes, but it’s been more than that for our communities. It’s been a hurricane shelter, the location of our first regional youth camps, the watering hole of this region and a safe place to resolve differences.

That’s why what happens to Nicholls is so critically important. We’re all on watch and guard in times of budget cuts.

I grew up as a child of risk. The icebox was full when shrimping season was good and not so full when it was bad. There’s something to be said about people who have settled in marshland. Other people saw liability while we saw opportunity.

We reinvent ourselves; we prosper in disaster. We live on the water’s edge. What a wonderful life.

— As told to Stephanie Detillier The

Colonel SPRING 2013

21

Colonel

NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID NEW ORLEANS, LA PERMIT NO. 385

The

Alumni Magazine of Nicholls State University

P.O. Box 2158 Thibodaux, LA 70310 Return Service Requested

COMING UP

before Stop by the alumni tailgating area 2013 Colonel football home games.

Lardarius Webb Football Camp.................................................. Saturday, June 22 Nicholls vs. Langston....................................................................Saturday, Sept. 21 Manning Passing Academy......................... Thursday, July 11 to Sunday, July 14 Nicholls vs. Arkansas Tech (Homecoming)............................Saturday, Sept. 28 Monster Piano Concert................................................................ Tuesday, Sept. 17 Nicholls vs. Northwestern.............................................................Saturday, Oct. 12 Sponsor A+ Scholar Wine and Food Extravaganza...............Wednesday, Oct. 2 Nicholls vs. McNeese (Family Day)...........................................Saturday, Oct. 26 Alumni Federation John Brady Golf Classic.................................Friday, Oct. 11 Nicholls vs. Central Arkansas...................................................... Saturday, Nov. 16

Parting Shot A touch of Colonel pride

Maddie McElroy (BSN ’12) from Bourg puts her own artistic spin on the classic graduation cap at the fall 2012 Nicholls Commencement ceremony.