Tulane Magazine March 2014 by Tulane University

TUlane THE MAGAZINE OF TULANE UNIVERSITY

something extraordinary President Scott Cowenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job well done.

sleepless in l.a. Search is always on for best and brightest students.

playing it forward Trombone Shorty Academy, keeping the music alive.

march 2014

moving forward

paula burch-celentano

beehive The Yulman Stadium construction site bustles with activity on Feb. 13, 2014. Construction is on pace for the stadium on Ben Weiner Drive between Willow Street and Claiborne Avenue on the uptown campus to open in the fall. The first Green Wave football game in the new stadium will be played on Sept. 6, 2014.

On the River On the cover: Tulane President Scott Cowen unwinds by the Mississippi as a riverboat rolls by. Photo by Jackson Hill

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L E T T E R

mark andresen

P R E S I D E N T ’ S

A Sentimental Journey by Scott S. Cowen As I write this column in early January, it occurs to me that I’m about half way between the announcement of my retirement last June and the last day of my presidency, which will occur at the end of next June. I mention this because a number of people have asked me how—after 16 years as Tulane’s president—I feel about retiring. As a matter of introspection, it’s interesting (to me, at least) to consider that how I have responded to that question has been determined largely by when it has been asked. Had you asked me how I felt in the immediate weeks and months after my announcement, I would have told you only that I felt like I was carrying on as I normally would. Things have proceeded pretty much in a business-as-usual way. Whether it’s the progress we are making on Yulman Stadium or Zimple House residence hall, the beginning of expansion of the Howard-Tilton library or the substantive planning for the capital campaign, it’s been a very active and typically busy start to the academic year. So initially, I don’t think my impending retirement and everything that will occur after that was really on my radar. But things change as I round the corner for the remainder of my term. For instance, each year, just before the winter break, I travel among Tulane’s campuses, personally handing out staff excellence awards. The staff members who receive the awards are not privy to that knowledge beforehand and are always very surprised to see me drop in on

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rounding the corner Anticipation mingles with a look back during this school year.

them during there workday, wearing a Santa hat and presenting them with a check that signifies the university’s gratitude for their ongoing contributions. There is always excitement, laughter and sometimes tears, and it is truly one of my happiest duties. This year that happiness was tinged by another, somewhat bittersweet feeling, as I understood that this was the last time I would be making the rounds and giving out the awards. In fact, everything I do now as president will be the last time I do it. I realize I’m already beginning to feel nostalgic—and I haven’t yet retired! And so, though I’ve tried to keep my emotions at bay, I am becoming increasingly more sentimental. I have been particularly moved— and deeply so—about people’s kindnesses to me about my years here. Many have made a point to share a story or a memory they have about experiences we’ve shared. And I am surprised when I look at my calendar and see that it remains full. I really thought those hourly slots would become empty by April or May but that does not seem to be the case at all! I’ve been in the academy for 40 years, taking the traditional route of starting as an assistant professor and going through the ranks, eventually becoming a dean then university president. For those who choose this career path, the steps are pretty clear. Until now. This is the first time in four decades that I’ve had to plan what to do next. There is no next rung on the ladder. In one form or another, my entire adult life has been set to the rhythms of the academic calendar. Now I have come to a point in my career that I’ve always rather dreamed about: to be at a place where I simply do the things I want to do when I want to do them. I will not retire from work, but I will pick and choose what interests me. And that basically comes down to two things. The first is to have a continued presence at Tulane and New Orleans doing things I enjoy: teaching, writing (I have a new book coming out in June and am beginning work on another one) and continuing with my youth development initiatives. The other is to continue to pursue and expand my interests in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors on a national and international basis. To have had the wonderful experiences that I have had, and still have a great passion and options to make a difference is an incredible blessing—one for which I am grateful.

TUlane C O N T E N T S Orientation Redux President Scott Cowen greets parents in the Audubon Zoo Tea Room in January 2006 after the Katrina semester shutdown.

2 PreSident’S Letter The next step 6 neWS

Michael A. Fitts named new President • NOLA

paula burch-celentano

school reform • Jazz archive • Who dat? Bobby Brown • Sinking cities • Bang away, baby • Brass bands • Income distribution in Latin America • Curling in on Itself by Teresa Cole • John Baron

13 SPortS Football in New Orleans Bowl • Baseball preview

Something Extraordinary

30 tuLAniAnS David Cass • Cowen Service Challenge • Carolyn “Pani” Kolb • Dr. Robert Grossman • Kelly Davis-Felner

The best of times, the worst of times and everything in between mark the tenure of Tulane President Scott Cowen. By Millie Ball

Sleepless in L.A.

31 Where Y© At! Class notes

Out on the road for weeks on end, Tulane alum and admission recruiting officer Jeff Schiffman (B ’05) is looking for a few good students. By Nick Marinello

35 FAreWeLL Tribute: Sheldon Hackney

Playing it Forward

38 WAVeMAKerS Ace Mallory • Rusty Pickering • Judith Fabian • Jill and Avie Glazer

Each week, high school students in the Trombone Shorty Academy gather on the Tulane campus to learn about the art and business of music, as well as lessons on life. By Mary Sparacello

40 neW orLeAnS Driving with the blinkers on

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New TwisT oN old TradiTioN ’Tit Rəx is a local krewe that parades in the Bywater neighborhood. Its founding members grew up making shoebox floats as children, a practice they lightheartedly continue today.

y e a h,

y o u

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT Editor’s Note: In response to “The Desegregation of a University” in the September 2013 Tulane, Reynold T. Decou (A&S ’67, ’79) wrote a letter describing his experience as the first African American undergraduate student to attend Tulane in the College of Arts and Sciences and live on campus in 1963. The New Orleans native and St. Augustine High School graduate recounted the harassment and prejudice he encountered as a 17-year-old trailblazer. In spite of the difficulties, he persevered and graduated from Tulane and went on to a distinguished career as a petroleum geologist. We'll have a “Dispatch” about Decou and his successful career working around the world in the June 2014 Tulane. Here is an excerpt of his letter: … I was asked by the Tulane administration to be quiet, selfeffacing, to try being immune to what may happen—and I did just that—kept Tulane from bad press, never evoked “the race card” during my entire time there as a student (did not transfer from other institutions like many in the article), and graduated on a 4-year schedule in May 1967, before practically everyone else featured in the article and after combatting numerous disgraceful humiliations and accusatory claims of certain biased professors. I did not let any of that deter me from my objective of completing my degree and integrating Tulane along the way. My primary goal was to get an education, breaking color barriers came second. My going to Tulane was all a matter of timing and being in the right place at the right time, or the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on your perspective. In any case, I did it all before anyone else; but, judging from your article and to use a contemporary military idiom, it’s as if “I was the stealth integrationist” with respect to Tulane University: I was quietly deployed, completed the mission, and

M A RCH 2014 TULA NE MAGA ZINE

w r i t e disappeared without anyone knowing what happened. … Reynold T. Decou, A&S ’67, ’79 Houston MORE HISTORY My personal observation [of the desegregation of Tulane], I believe, is relevant. I began working at Tulane in 1963 as the Assistant Director of Admissions for Cliff W. Wing, Jr., a faculty member in Psychology who was the newly appointed Director of Admissions. By then, the [Tulane governing] board’s earlier policy restrictions had been removed, so Cliff and I sought out candidates for undergraduate admission from all-black high schools in New Orleans and the region. As Ms. Jasmin’s article [“The Desegregation of a University,” September 2013] recounts, the registration of black students jumped from 11 in spring 1962 to 57 a year later. But the story, alas, does not end there. Having belatedly bitten the policy bullet, Tulane, regrettably, did little to make welcome those African American pioneers by way of providing much-needed academic or cultural support for them. When, after several years of such university detachment, the president rebuffed my proposal to create a part-time special office to funnel such support, I resigned, highly disappointed. Eventually, such support for those students was forthcoming; Tulane began in time to take more seriously its educational and ethical obligation to those black students. Tulanians now celebrate fifty years since that policy threshold was crossed. May the university’s leadership in the future exemplify more vision and courage than appears to have characterized the board during that volatile era a half century ago. Jack H. Schuster, A&S ’59 Claremont, Calif. OUT OF THE LOOP The article on the desegregation of Tulane was most interesting. At the time I was attending Tulane Medical School, and later on the Tulane

service at Charity Hospital. It is amazing just how insulated we medical students were from the civil rights movement, though I do recall hearing of the public school integration that took place in 1960. … But for the most part, I and my classmates were so involved in the learning of medicine, and becoming the doctors we wanted to be, it left little time to hear the news or even reading of newspapers or magazines. It makes me wonder why was I not more aware of what was taking place virtually in my own backyard, when I learn of those events today. Dr. Richard Finn, M ’63 Winston Salem, N.C. ’62 CAMPUS SIT-INS Thank you for the issue covering that time 50 years ago when Tulane did the right thing! … It was surprising to read about 11 black students registering in the spring of ’63 because I only knew of one. I’d think that a story about those 11 ‘pioneers’ is in order. They shouldn’t be forgotten. It was curious that I didn’t know any of the other 10 because being something of an information institution, I worked in the Snack Bar and Cafeteria and knew just about everybody on campus—and was known by most as the “queer cashier.” … The coverage of the October ’62 campus sit-ins also stirred a lot of memories. I was at my cash register for both. Richard Balthazar, A&S ’64 Santa Fe, N.M. MEMORIES OF BEATLES I still recall the 1964 Beatles concert at Tad Gormley [“He Loves Them, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” Tulane, December 2013] in New Orleans, although I was only 12 years old at the time, and no, I didn’t attend. Thomas Kelly, M ’78 Ft. Smith, Ark. ’TIT Rəx IS LOCAL I am writing on behalf of the krewe of ’Tit Rəx which I see is featured in your article “Gentry, Transplants and Newbies”

[December 2013]. … Of the thirteen founding members of ’Tit Rəx NINE are born and raised New Orleanians. … ’Tit Rəx was started by a group of (mostly) native-born New Orleanians in response to the ever growing largeness of everything, particularly at Mardi Gras. We thought it would be fun to play on the tradition of making shoebox floats in grammar school (something every native did as a child). … I am sure that there are new walking krewes that have been started by the most recent transplants (I have seen them. They can be glaringly obvious). We are not one of them. How is it that we became the poster child for a newbie krewe? Janine Hayes, ’Tit Rəx founding member and treasurer New Orleans NEW YORK ACCENT IN NOLA I enjoyed reading especially your article about ending segregation at Tulane. Very informative, and a reminder of how far we’ve come and how much better our society is than 50 years ago, at least with respect to improved (not perfect) social equality. I also enjoyed your whimsical article, “Lovable Lingo.” [September 2013] … While growing up in New Orleans, I, too, heard various accents in that cosmopolitan city. This was particularly true as I traveled to different parts of the city as a bill deliverer for New Orleans Public Service Inc. (NOPSI). I particularly recall while delivering electric bills in the so-called “Irish Channel” part of the city hearing a distinctly Brooklyn twang. Except for an occasional “y’all,” you would think you were in the New York Bronx! Bob Wilson, B ’55 Eugene, Ore.

Drop Us a Line E-mail us at: tulanemag@tulane.edu or U.S. mail: Tulane, University Publications, 200 Broadway, Suite 219, New Orleans, LA 70118

Letter From The Editor

TUlane M

Editor Mary Ann Travis

crEativE dirEctor Melinda Whatley Viles FEaturEs Editor Nick Marinello “tulanians” Editor Fran Simon contributors Curtis Akey Barri Bronston Catherine Freshley, ’09 Erika Herran Alicia Duplessis Jasmin Angus Lind, A&S ’66 Kirby Messinger Ryan Rivet, UC ’02 Mary Sparacello PAULA BURCH-CELENTANO

sEnior univErsity PhotograPhEr Paula Burch-Celentano sEnior Production coordinator Sharon Freeman

passing through Michael A. Fitts (left) and Tulane President Scott Cowen walk across the front campus on a misty, foggy day, such as New Orleans has in winter. It is Feb. 4, 2014. They are on their way to attend a Board of Tulane meeting, at which Fitts will be approved as successor to Cowen as president of the university. When board chair Darryl Berger (L ’72) announced Fitts’ selection later that day (see page 6), he said, “The university, 180 years old and counting, has been established in perpetuity to carry out its good deeds, while all of us who serve it, whether as an administrator, a trustee, a member of the faculty or staff or in any other capacity, we’re all just passing through, serving with as much love, devotion and affection as we can bring forth at any given time.” Both Cowen and Fitts have expressed the notion that they recognize that while they have a great say in steering the university like a ship of state, they are not on board forever. The ship sails on.

Cowen has written that the history of the university is something we all share in, “whether we are alumni, students, faculty, staff—or president. It is a tradition that is larger than any of us but is perpetuated by all of us by what we do.” And Cowen added, “It is a privilege and honor for me to be part of that tradition.” Fitts, acknowledging that he is just starting his ride, said, “Looking at Tulane from afar, it is an extraordinary institution with extraordinary possibilities. It is a worthy and noble enterprise.” Fitts expressed his appreciation to the board and the search committee that picked him. “I want to thank everyone here today for affording me this truly exquisite opportunity.” And for the first time publicly, Fitts got to say, “Roll Wave!” In other news, Nick Marinello, Tulane magazine features editor for 20 years, has left the the university to experience greener pastures in California. We’ll miss Nick’s wit, imagination and way with words. And we© ll try to carry on. —Mary ann travis

graPhic dEsignEr Tracey Bellina

free ipad and android versions of tulane are available.

PrEsidEnt oF thE univErsity Scott S. Cowen vicE PrEsidEnt oF univErsity communications Deborah L. Grant, PHTM ’86 ExEcutivE dirEctor oF Publications Carol J. Schlueter, B ’99 Tulane (ISSN 21619255) is a quarterly magazine published by the Tulane Office of University Publications, 31 McAlister Drive, Drawer 1, New Orleans, LA 70118-5624. Periodical postage at New Orleans, LA 70113 and additional mailing offices. Send editorial correspondence to the above address or email tulanemag@tulane.edu. Opinions expressed in Tulane are not necessarily those of Tulane representatives and do not necessarily reflect university policies. Material may be reprinted only with permission. Tulane University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Tulane, Tulane Office of University Publications, 31 McAlister Drive, Drawer 1, New Orleans, LA 70118-5624. march 2014/vol. 85, no. 3

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YULMAN STADIUM PROGRESS Construction is in full swing on the new, 30,000-capacity football stadium on the Tulane uptown campus. The stadium opens in fall 2014. Season tickets are available. Go to YulmanStadium.com, for more information.

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paula burch-celentano

Urban Schools New President Fitts “I am honored and humbled,” said Michael A. Fitts at the announcement in the Lavin-Bernick Center on Feb. 4 that he will become the 15th president of Tulane University on July 1, 2014. Fitts is currently dean and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania. “Let me say: I love Tulane and what it stands for,” said Fitts. “I am so looking forward to getting to know up close the entire Tulane community. The strengths of Tulane are like no other.” The appreciative audience of more than 300 students, faculty, administrators, board and staff members responded with a standing ovation to Board of Tulane chair Darryl Berger’s introduction of Fitts. In the eight-month search for the new president of Tulane, the board looked for many qualities and Fitts embodies them all, said Berger. Fitts is a distinguished scholar, an outstanding leader, a strategic thinker and a prodigious fundraiser. “We found the individual who is uniquely qualified to guide, inspire and lead Tulane,” said Berger. A native of Philadelphia, Fitts has an undergraduate degree (1975) from Harvard University and a juris doctor (1979) from Yale University. He began teaching at Penn in 1985 after serving as a clerk for civil rights advocate Judge Leon Higginbotham and as an attorney in the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. He was named law dean at Penn in 2000. Berger also praised Tulane President Scott Cowen, who shared the stage with Fitts, Berger and Tulane board presidential search committee chairs Rick Rees and Andy Wisdom. Cowen will step down on June 30, after serving as president for 16 years. “It is impossible to not at least reflect on how deeply and profoundly blessed we have been to have Scott as our leader,” said Berger. Cowen, for his part, said that he is “relaxed and relieved” that Fitts has been named president. He said, “This is a magnificent day for our university. Mike understands that being Tulane’s president is not merely a job or a position, it’s a labor of love.”—Mary Ann Travis

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Lofty Expectations Andy Wisdom, Darryl Berger and Michael A. Fitts (left to right) share the stage in the LavinBernick Center at the announcement of Fitts as the next president of Tulane University, effective July 1.

Douglas Harris has set out to find out what is working and what is not in New Orleans public schools. Harris, associate professor of economics, holds the first University Endowed Chair in Public Education at Tulane. He founded the Education Research Alliance to study the radical overhaul that New Orleans public schools have undergone since Hurricane Katrina eight years ago. “What is being done in New Orleans is truly historic and could influence not only current and future generations of children in New Orleans, but the future of the nation’s urban school systems,” he says. The Education Research Alliance is housed within the Tulane School of Liberal Arts and works with the Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives and with the numerous government agencies and education nonprofits involved in New Orleans schools. “We hope to help our local partners look to the future and try to help the system improve,” Harris says. Since Harris arrived at Tulane about a year ago, the research alliance has amassed a rich database of pre- and post-Katrina school-related information. New Orleans leads the nation in the percentage of public school students enrolled in charter schools—84 percent in the 2012–13 school year, according to the Cowen Institute’s most recent report on the state of public education in New Orleans. Charter schools generally receive public funding but operate privately. “New Orleans is the only city to have completely upended the traditional school district model,” Harris says. The alliance has begun a monthly Research Brown Bag Series to present research to educators and policymakers that is both rigorous but also meaningful for school system improvement. “We think we need to learn from this incredible experiment,” Harris says. “Everybody is watching very closely.”—Mary Sparacello

In That Number Hogan Jazz Archive

WEALTH OF MUSIC The Hogan Jazz Archive is the leading research center for the study of New Orleans jazz and related musical genres, including New Orleans ragtime, gospel, blues, rhythm and blues and Creole songs. Among its holdings are oral history interviews with musicians, family members and observers that document the stories surrounding the emergence of jazz in New Orleans from the late 19th century forward. Other holdings include sound recordings, film, photography, sheet music, personal papers, records of the American Federation of Musicians local 174-496, ephemera and realia.

1,222

Oral History WAV files digitized from interviews conducted by William Russell and Richard B. Allen with New Orleans jazz pioneers. There are more than 1,630 cumulative hours of interviews.

786 Photographs by renowned artist and lithographer Ralston Crawford are now available via the Tulane University Digital Library in the Ralston Crawford Photography Collection.

Images are available in the papers of Dominic James “Nick” LaRocca whose Original Dixieland Jazz Band made the first commercial jazz recording in 1917.

30 60,000 infographic by tracey bellina

Years the Hogan Jazz Archive newsletter, The Jazz Archivist, has been in publication. Current and back issues are available on the Hogan Jazz Archive website.

1958

The year that the Hogan Jazz Archive was established through a grant from the Ford Foundation at the behest of intrepid scholar Richard B. Allen and Tulane history department chair William Ransom Hogan.

78s, 45s, 33s, tapes, cylinders and CDs comprise the Recorded Sound Collection at the Hogan Jazz Archive.

10,000 630 The total number of images housed in the archive’s vast graphics collection.

Selections documenting 100 years in the history of local music publishing are housed in the newly digitized Louisiana Sheet Music Collection.

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Known as “The Tulane Tornado,” or “Beltin’ Bobby Brown,” as he was identified in the 1946 Jambalaya yearbook, Dr. BoBBy Brown (M ’50) played on the Green Wave baseball team in 1945 before heading to the Big Apple to play for the New York Yankees. He attended Tulane Medical School during the offseasons and graduated from medical school in 1950. Brown says he’s grateful that Tulane allowed him to be a ballplayer and a medical student and that the tradition of student-athletes continues at the university. During his six-year career with the Yankees, Brown played 548 regular season games as a third baseman. His lifetime batting average was .279 with 22 home runs and 237 RBI. He appeared in the World Series in 1947, 1949, 1950 and 1951. Brown missed a season and a half due to his military service during the Korean War (he’d earlier served in World War II) before he ended his playing days. He retired from Major League Baseball after the 1954 season. He was a cardiologist in Dallas–Ft. Worth, Texas, until the early 1980s when he became vice president of the American League Texas Rangers. Brown was president of the American League from 1983–91. He served as a member of the Players Relations Committee and on several managing committees in the baseball structure until his retirement in 1991. It was Brown—and not the MLB commissioner—who presented the Toronto Blue Jays with the World Series Trophy after the

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courtesy tulane athletics

Who Dat? Doctor at Bat

American League squad won the World Series during the 1992 and 1993 seasons. When Greer Field at Turchin Stadium opened on the Tulane campus after Hurricane Katrina,

Brown threw out the ceremonial first pitch during that February weekend in 2008. He declared the new stadium, “terrific,” pointing out what a far cry it was from the

open space on McAlister Drive where he played in the 1940s and only 30 to 50 fans watched the games. Brown still lives in Ft. Worth. —Curtis Akey

YELLOW RIBBON UNIVERSITY Tulane is ranked No. 2 by

U.S. News & World Report on its inaugural list of Best Colleges for Veterans in the National Universities category.

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Coastal Flooding Banging, Torbjörn TörnqvisT

Not All Noise

“Sea-level rise will become our biggest enemy,” in terms of flooding in coastal areas, says Törbjorn Törnqvist, professor and chair of earth and environmental sciences at Tulane. But there is another factor at work in sinking coastlines that often does not get as much attention as rising seas. And that is coastal subsidence. Scientists at the International Workshop on Coastal Subsidence held in New Orleans in November addressed the issue of the rapid rate of subsidence, especially in “mega cities,” such as Jakarta, Indonesia. The workshop was sponsored by the Water Institute of the Gulf in partnership with Tulane University and Deltares, an applied coastal science institute headquartered in The Netherlands. Mead Allison, a Tulane professor of earth and environmental sciences and director of physical processes and sediment systems for the Water Institute, was the lead organizer of the workshop. Like New Orleans, many major cities were established in deltaic regions where powerful rivers dispersing sediment built up land over millions of years. Now these highly populated areas with extensive infrastructure are in peril because of the twin problems of sea-level rise and coastal subsidence. “In several cases, subsidence rates are way higher than rates of sealevel rise,” says Törnqvist. “That makes the whole problem worse because sea-level rise in itself is a big problem.” The goal of the workshop was to discuss causes of coastal subsidence, research into rates of subsidence (on which there is still much work to be done, says Törnqvist) and how coastal subsidence can be mitigated. The 40 workshop attendees were top-level scientists representing a wide range of disciplines. For example, Törnqvist said that at a breakfast session he sat next to a botanist and a geophysicist. But “they were having an interesting exchange about the GangesBrahmaputra Delta in Bangladesh,” says Törnqvist. “Both of these people have important things to contribute to the understanding of subsidence.” After the scientific workshop, a short course open to policymakers and the general public was held on the Tulane uptown campus. The short course, Soft Soils Need Solid Governance, attracted 50 participants. —Mary Ann Travis

Field Trip Mead Allison, center, professor of earth and environmental sciences, leads scientists on a New Orleans levee tour concentrated on the effects of subsidence, hurricanes and wetlands loss and ways to restore and protect the area.

Babies have a natural proclivity for banging, but what may seem like haphazard movements (and a lot of noise) are actually providing researchers at Tulane with important data on how humans learn to use tools. A study led by Bjorn Kahrs, a postdoctoral research scientist in Tulane’s Department of Psychology, suggests that tool use develops gradually, beginning in infancy when banging is uncoordinated through early toddlerhood when it is more precise and efficient. “The movements are all over the place at 6 months old,” Kahrs said. “But through the second half-year the moves become more consistent. It’s almost a straight up and down movement, which is what you do when you hammer at something.” The study, which was published in the journal Child Development, examined the developmental trajectory of banging movements and its implications for tool use development. Kahrs, along with psychology professor Jeffrey Lockman and student Wendy Jung, studied the movements of 20 babies ranging in age from 6 to 15 months at the Tulane Infant and Toddlers Development Project laboratory. Using digital motion-capture technology, the researchers covered the arms and chests of the babies with reflective markers that could be detected by the high-speed motion-tracking cameras. The babies were handed toy hammers, and then allowed to bang to their hearts’ content. As they banged, software transformed the images from the cameras into moving three-dimensional images of the activity. “The way in which they used their hands went from one that was random to one that was consistent with aiming for a target,” Kahrs said. The project is part of a more extensive child development study being funded by a $1.6 million award from the National Institutes of Health. The study is also analyzing how infants develop hand-to-mouth coordination during the first year and how they develop early writing skills.—Barri Bronston

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UNDER THE RADAR Peter Ricchiuti, founder and director of the Burkenroad

Reports at the A. B. Freeman School of Business, has co-written Stocks Under Rocks: How to Uncover Overlooked, Profitable Market Opportunities (FT Press), a funny, informative guide to investing in small, regional companies often ignored by Wall Street.

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john margaretten

Wealth in Latin America

Roll With It While the musical heritage of New Orleans is diverse and rich, brass band music has become one of the most iconic forms of music emanating from the city. In his book Roll With It: Brass Bands in the Streets of New Orleans (Duke University Press, 2013), Tulane musicologist Matt Sakakeeny takes a look not only at the music, but also the culture and community that revolve around the genre. Sakakeeny, an assistant professor of music, has long been drawn to the music produced by “roving ensembles of horns and drums,” but beyond the distinct sound, he sees brass band music as a microcosm of the city’s “differentness.” “When people ask ‘what is New Orleans music, what is so distinct, what is so different?’ just point them to a brass band and they’ll get the picture pretty quick,” Sakakeeny says. “Only in New Orleans do we take a tuba and some marching drums and make funky dance music with it.” Sakakeeny says he chose to view brass bands through an academic lens because he believes the bands and the relationship they have to the community are a way to pull back the curtain on many aspects of New Orleans from the tourism industry to second-line parades and jazz funerals. “The reason I decided to study brass band music from a scholarly perspective is because I thought I could get an understanding of what made the whole city tick through this one musical ensemble,” Sakakeeny says. “They not only provide the soundtrack to many of the city’s events, but they create the energy and the feeling and the sense of what it means to be in New Orleans and appreciate it here. Because of that, they’ve marched off the streets and into the clubs and concert halls and festival grounds that we go to when we want a taste of New Orleans.” The book includes illustrations by Willie Birch.—Ryan Rivet

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Distinct Sound The Rebirth Brass Band has brought hip-hop into the brass band tradition.

How effective are the fiscal policies of a nation in reducing poverty and promoting economic equality? The analysis of how governments collect taxes and then redistribute money through social spending and subsidies is central to an ongoing, international project led by Nora Lustig, the Samuel Z. Stone Professor of Latin American Economics at Tulane. The project is called Commitment to Equity (CEQ), and for five years Lustig and her team have tracked fiscal policies in a number of Latin American countries. “We want to know who are the people bearing most of the burden of taxes and who are the people getting the most benefits through government transfers and public spending on education and health,” says Lustig. Tulane hosted a conference in October where papers were presented on 12 Latin American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, as well as the United States. Despite the tendency by many people to think of Latin America as a homogeneous entity, the papers describe quite the opposite. “We find a lot of diversity in terms of redistribution and poverty reduction that different governments are able to achieve,” says Lustig. Studies of other countries are in initial stages, and Lustig expects the project to eventually comprise research on 17 continental Latin American countries and the Dominican Republic. “My ultimate aim is to bring the CEQ results into the policy debate and influence the policy decisions taken in these countries,” says Lustig, The CEQ method is also being applied in other parts of the world in a project with the World Bank. CEQ is a joint project of the Center for Inter-American Policy and Research and the Department of Economics at Tulane, with the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, D.C. —Nick Marinello

courtesy of teresa cole

Gallery Teresa Cole

Teresa Cole’s art fuses together her life experiences and international travel. In Curling in on Itself (pictured here), viewers are invited into Cole’s 2010 journey to West Bengal, India, where she was an artist-in-residence with the Khoj Kolkata International Artist Residency. During her trip, she walked along the streets of India, taking in her surroundings. The street noise was excessive. The temperature was warm. And passersby moved with energy similar to that in New York. Then there was the traditional dress of the continent —the sari. Cole had long wanted to incorporate the beautiful garment into her work somehow.

“I had previously taught a workshop at a university in India, and I would see the students using old saris to clean up,” says Cole. “It was then that I decided to use saris in my work because I thought, ‘these are too beautiful to use as rags.’” Prior to her arrival at the New Delhi International Airport on Jan. 1, 2010, Cole completed an assortment of relief prints on paper. In the printmaking process, she carved blocks of wood and then inked only the raised areas of the blocks’ surfaces. When the blocks were pressed against paper, ink was transferred, leaving behind her designs. For safekeeping, Cole carefully carried the more

than 300 6-inch-by-21-inch block prints in her carry-on bag for the 17-hour flight from Chicago to India. Not long after her arrival in the city of Khoj Kolkata, Cole acquired multiple saris and began creating Curling. The process involved laying the saris on the floor, painting glue onto them and attaching the paper relief prints to the sari fabric. The 40 or so different prints, backed in fabric, were then cut out, rolled at one end and punched with holes so that they could be hung from a gallery ceiling. Cole says that her intent with Curling is “to examine the malleability of sensory knowledge through layering, enlarged marks and magnified views.

Relationships are formed between abstraction and representation, the simple and the complex, confusion and order.” Curling was one of two art installations that Cole created as part of a sixperson exhibit at the Harrington Street Arts Centre in Kolkata. Since 2010, Curling has been exhibited in American galleries including Whitespace in Atlanta and the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans in a show called NOLA Now, curated by Amy Mackie. Teresa Cole is an associate professor in the Newcomb Art Department and holds the Ellsworth Woodward Professorship in Art. —alICIa DUPlessIs JasMIN

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Interview John Baron, Professor Emeritus of Music How did you decide upon music as an academic field of study? I have been involved with music since I was born; my mother practiced her violin at my crib. She had me composing at 4, studying the piano at 6, and playing the violin at 7. In turn, my father was a philosopher and started the philosophy department at the University of Wisconsin. When I went to Harvard, I found professors of musicology stimulating, whereas my abilities as a violinist were limited. So I combined the professions of my parents. Most people, when they think about music in New Orleans, they think about jazz, but isn’t that just part of the story? New Orleans jazz is so unique and so important to American culture and has had such a profound influence on world culture. But I discovered 45 years ago, when I moved to New Orleans, that there is a thriving scene for classical music here— symphony, chamber music, opera—and a lot of people who love it and nurture it. How did classical music of the 19th century inform the creation of the current New Orleans’ musical culture? By the 1830s, we had outstanding instrumentalists and vocalists, trained at the leading European conservatories. We also had composers, publishers, instrument builders and even music critics who made musical standards very high and had us rivaling most of the major cities of Europe and outclassing almost all American cities. By the end of the 19th century, any musician born and bred in New Orleans would have benefitted from these high standards, and that certainly was the case with nearly all the early jazz musicians.

What are your plans for retirement? I started by visiting my grandchildren, who have worn me out. This spring I have returned to teach a music history class. After that, I haven’t figured it out yet, other than I will sleep longer and take longer meals. There are still several scholarly projects I am working on, and I hope to start practicing the violin more regularly. And of course, I will have more time to spend with my wife, who also just retired.—RYAN RIVET

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You’ve retired after 44 years of teaching. What will you miss most about working at the university? The students who have kept me on my toes. And my colleagues, including both teachers and staff.

100 percent Tulane was one of four schools honored with the 2013 American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Award. Presented by the Touchdown Club of Memphis, the AFCA Academic Excellence Award recognized Tulane, Georgia, Rice and Stanford for recording a 100 percent graduation rate for members of its 2006 freshman football student-athlete class.

S P O R T S

Play Ball! A Winning

With talented new team members as well as experienced hitters and pitchers on the squad, the 2014 Green Wave baseball season, which began Feb. 8, promises to be exciting. After the team lost 11 seniors to graduation last season, an infusion of new talent was necessary. The Green Wave brought in 19 newcomers to the program and its recruiting class was ranked in the top 25 by both Baseball America and Perfect Game. In addition to the influx of new players, the Green Wave returned a few top hitters from a season ago, including senior outfielder Andrew Garner and Conference USA AllFreshman team member Richard Carthon. On the mound, Tulane will rely on a slew of returning pitchers, including Randy LeBlanc and Tyler Mapes, to start contests, while 2013 Freshman All-American Ian Gibaut will continue to hold down the back end of the bullpen. This is head coach Rick Jones’ 21st season as the skipper of the Green Wave. Toward the end of the 2013 campaign, he joined an exclusive club of current head coaches who have won 800 contests at their current schools. —Curtis Akey

parker waters

Season

The Green Wave football team capped off a winning season (7-5) with an invitation for postseason play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. It was the first winning season and bowl bid for the team since 2002. In spite of gritty play against University of Louisiana–Lafayette in front of a record New Orleans Bowl crowd of more than 54,000 on Dec. 21, 2013, the Green Wave fell behind early and came up short in its comeback bid, losing 24-21. UL jumped on the Green Wave in the first half, converting two turnovers into 14 points and leading 21-0 in the second quarter. Redshirt freshman quarterback Devon Powell came in for junior quarterback Nick Montana and rallied Tulane with 21 unanswered points. “For three quarters of the game, I thought we played pretty well,” said Tulane head coach Curtis Johnson. “The effort was great, and we made a great comeback. We’ll get it next year.” Senior running back Orleans Darkwa scored three touchdowns and was named game MVP. Darkwa finished the game with 83 yards on 16 carries and became the first player on a losing team to receive the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl MVP honor.—Ryan Rivet

Bowl-eligible Win The football team celebrates the 14-7 victory over Tulsa on Oct. 26, 2013. That win made the team bowl-eligible, resulting in a bid to the New Orleans Bowl in December.

on the mound Tyler Mapes is a returning pitcher for Green Wave baseball this year.

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M A R C H 2014 TULANE MAGA ZINE

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Something

Extraordinary THE bEST Of TIMES, THE WOrST Of TIMES AnD EvEryTHInG In bETWEEn MArk THE TEnurE Of prESIDEnT SCOTT COWEn.

by Millie Ball

A Leader at Ease Scott Cowen sits on the steps of Gibson Hall, the administrative hub of Tulane from which he’s led the university for 16 years.

White-haired, 6-foot-2 Scott Stephen Cowen, Tulane’s 14th president, wondered aloud in his inaugural speech how the university’s achievements would be judged 16 years later. What, he asked, might others say about his goal to create a “high-touch culture that values community engagement, the human spirit and individual initiative”? Charismatic and splendidly attired in the president’s Tulane-green robes on the stage of McAlister Auditorium, Cowen talked about fulfilling the promise of Tulane, intellectual and personal growth, self-discipline, and said “we must occasionally dream together—and dream big.” He quoted Albert Einstein: “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Oh, Scott—no one calls him Dr. Cowen—little did you or anyone else anticipate that you would: • create a firestorm by re-evaluating the university’s Division I athletics program, which the board retained after all that public angst; • cause an even greater furor by eliminating Newcomb College as a college for women and retooling the School of Engineering; • with “many others,” as you’re quick to say, raise more than $1 billion for the university; • be a force behind building a new football stadium on campus and help create an institute for public education reform in Louisiana; • dye your hair football-turf green and other colors (but never purple) for big football games; • stay at Tulane 16 years, when you originally thought you’d be in New Orleans maybe 10 years; • come to embrace New Orleans and Tulane so passionately that you and Marjorie plan to live here after you leave the presidency on July 1, 2014. • But above all, that after Hurricane Katrina hit on Monday morning, Aug. 29, 2005, you would lead Tulane beyond anything anyone imagined in 1998. When things come to an end, it’s time to look back.

1998 Scott Cowen joins Tulane as its 14th president.

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A BIG TULANE BANNER “I remember the Saturday before Katrina,” says Cowen from his spacious, white-walled conference room in Gibson Hall that offers a view of Audubon Park. “I was standing before 3,000 people, wearing Bermuda shorts and a yellow Tulane polo shirt. It was move-in day for the students.” He told them and their parents: “Welcome, and now you’ve got to go home.” Cowen and a few of his senior administrative team stayed in the Reily Student Recreation Center, sleeping on air mattresses and playing tug-of-war with a door lashed by wind and rain. Like most in the city, they thought the storm wasn’t so bad when skies cleared Monday afternoon. “I didn’t know that within 24 hours all hell would break loose,” says Cowen. “It was a lake behind us and in front of us. We lost all power. We lost all sewerage.” They jumped into Reily’s swimming pool to cool off and bathe. They broke into vending machines for food. Satellite phones didn’t work, and neither did cellphones in the 504 area code. “Finally, on Friday, we got out using a boat, then a golf cart, then a dump truck we crashed through the fence at the zoo so we could go to The Fly at the river in Audubon Park,” Cowen says. “We had a big Tulane banner, so the helicopter pilot could see us.” Cowen’s chief of staff, Anne Banos, had booked rooms at a Houston hotel. “This was Friday, and I still didn’t know what was going on in New Orleans,” Cowen says. “I couldn’t sleep, and that night, about 2 o’clock, I went to the fitness center to use a treadmill. It had a TV on it, and for the first time I saw pictures of New Orleans and what had happened. “I started to cry.” Cowen called Marjorie about 3 a.m. “I said I have no idea what to do. I don’t know where anybody is. I don’t know who to call. I don’t know where to begin.” Cowen’s eyes tear up, and he stares at an invisible spot on the white wall. “She asked me, ‘What do you usually do in highly stressful situations?’ “I said, ‘I make lists.’ “She said, ‘Well, then you’d better start making lists.’”

1999 The university’s unified commencement ceremony debuts, becoming one of Tulane’s most anticipated traditions.

2002 Tulane is named one of the “Hottest Schools in America” by Newsweek magazine

M A R C H 2014 TULANE MAGA ZINE

2003 President Cowen emerges as a national leader in reforming NCAA Division I athletics.

‘HOW CLOSE WE CAME’ So Cowen and his staff of 15 made lists and decisions. The uptown campus was two-thirds flooded; the downtown campus —the hospital, public health and medical school—were flooded. They attempted to get in touch with some of the more than 7,000 Tulane employees and 13,000 students. They eventually came up with three scenarios for the Board of Administrators. First was to permanently close the university. Second was to make 10–15 percent cuts across the board. Third was to “strategize how to make reductions by retaining programs that were academically strong and unique and to downsize or eliminate those that were not.” After settling on the third option, the next question was: “How do we reimagine ourselves so students will come here as a school they want to attend rather than a lesser version of what had been before?” Cowen says. By December 2005, they had a renewal plan. They consolidated all undergraduate programs, including Newcomb College, into a college named Newcomb-Tulane, eliminated some engineering departments and started the School of Science and Engineering. They also reduced athletics programs by half and laid off 900 employees. Reaction was instant, and resentment lingers even now. Do his critics bother him? “No,” Cowen says. “I understand their feelings but it’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback. Few people really know how close we came to not reopening.” A grandson was born days before Katrina, and, Cowen says almost wistfully, “I didn’t see him for two years.” Marjorie Cowen says, “I lost my husband for a year and a half, at least. He worked night and day.” It took five to six years to work out Tulane’s issues, Cowen says. Freshman enrollment plummeted in 2006, to just 876; but by 2009, numbers were back to almost 1,600 and total enrollments and student quality were at all-time highs. SOMETHING NOBODY KNEW Cowen’s views of New Orleans and the country changed. He spoke out and was rewarded for his efforts. He received The Times-Picayune Loving Cup for community service in 2010. Gambit weekly chose him

2004 Construction begins on the Wall Residential College.

2005 In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, President Cowen and the Board of Administrators present the Renewal Plan, a series of broad changes to reorganize the university into a smaller, more focused institution.

President Cowen is appointed to the city’s Bring New Orleans Back Commission and charged with leading a committee to reform and rebuild the city’s failing public school system.

as New Orleanian of the Year in 2011. President Obama appointed Cowen to the White House Commission for Community Solutions. Time magazine included him among the 10 best university presidents. He was chair of the American Association of Universities. Cowen received honorary degrees from his alma mater, the University of Connecticut; the University of Notre Dame; and Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University, where he taught and was dean of the Weatherhead School of Management for 23 years. He also received an honorary degree from Brown University, where he once so badly wanted to attend as an undergraduate that it was the only place he applied. Brown turned him down. Devastated and angry, Cowen scrambled and got into the University of Connecticut. “I said to myself, one day I’m going to accomplish something in my life so Brown would regret its decision and would be proud to have me as an alum.” In 2007, Brown’s president called to offer him an honorary doctorate. At the trustees’ dinner, honorees were urged to reveal something about themselves nobody knew. Cowen looked at Marjorie and asked, “Should I?” The trustees all were shocked. And apologized. BIG BEAR After college, in 1968, Cowen joined the Army, serving primarily in Turkey close to the Russian border, a post that he says gave him needed maturity. He earned a master’s and doctorate at George Washington University, and taught briefly at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa. He spent 23 years at Case Western Reserve’s Weatherhead School of Management, beginning as an assistant professor and leaving after 14 years as dean and a chaired professor. He met, then married Marjorie there in 1990 after his first marriage of 16 years ended, as did hers. She had three children; Cowen, one. They became a close family, and friends compared Marjorie and Scott to Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. She had a job handling all nonacademic matters at Weatherhead. Life was good. When the offer from Tulane came in 1997, Cowen recalled, “I decided to say no. But Marjorie said she thought it was a good fit, and, as usual, I took her advice.” They settled into the 15,000-square-foot, Beaux Arts Tulane University president’s house at No. 2 Audubon Place, on a guarded street off St. Charles Avenue, adjacent to Tulane.

2006 The Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life is dedicated.

Former presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush address graduates at the first post-Katrina commencement ceremony.

Tulane becomes the first major research university to integrate public service into its core curriculum.

Marjorie has tousled blondish hair, is slender and stylish, looking at least a decade younger than her real age. Being honest, and she always is, Marjorie says she has Parkinson’s disease, so she has less energy to be as involved in the last few years. “Where do we live? On the second floor, mainly in our bedroom, which is like a huge hotel suite.” It’s been a busy life for both, but there’s a loneliness of leadership, says Debbie Grant, vice president for communications, a colleague and confidante. Cowen lists a few other close friends, such as Rabbi David and Shannie Goldstein and Jimmy Reiss—a veteran of the Tulane Board of Administrators, Tulane Business School Council and New Orleans Regional Transit Authority—whom Cowen calls “an older brother.” Reiss recalls visiting Cowen’s house two weeks after Katrina. “Here was this big bear of a man in a T-shirt and shorts, no shoes— it was hot as Hades—sitting on the kitchen counter sipping a little Mogen David wine he’d found. … We were all picking on chicken bones and crackers and whatever else we could unearth,” Reiss says. “What we loved about it was seeing Scott as our friend, our neighbor and our teammate in the very beginning of the recovery of our city.” Most of Cowen’s friends describe him as “a bear of a man” because of his size and personality, with one adding quickly, “a bear in a good way.” Both Reiss and Cowen’s longtime best friend, James Ratner, from Cleveland, say he’s the same person in private that he is in public and cite his sense of humor and talent for interacting with people. “When you need Scott, he’s there for you,” says Ratner. Marjorie says, “His strongest suit is in complicated or tricky situations; he’ll tell me or whoever how to resolve the situation.” She added, laughing: “He thinks he’s an authority on everything, and nine times out of 10 he’s right.” TWO THINGS Scott Stephen Cowen was born July 27, 1946, to Helen and Stanley Cowen, in Metuchen, N.J., 28 miles southwest of Newark. Cowen’s face brightens when he mentions his mother, “the coolest lady, an extrovert, who danced more and partied more than everybody else.” She worked at home, caring for Scott and his older sister, Joan Cowen Garthwaite. They were raised in an interfaith family. Scott’s sister is a devout Roman Catholic, and he is Jewish as is his wife. Stanley Cowen pushed his children to achieve. He could be generous at times, but Cowen says, “He had a difficult childhood, and he made mine difficult, too.”

Tulane Center for Public Service opens, serving as a liaison for faculty, students and community organizations involved in service learning.

President Cowen cofounds the Fleur-de-lis Ambassadors, a group of New Orleans civic leaders who spread the message nationwide that post-Katrina New Orleans is an economically viable, livable city with a recovery plan in progress.

After a 30-year hiatus, the Tulane Univeristy Marching Band re-forms.

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The young Scott had trouble finding words. Garthwaite, a former school librarian in Union, N.J., says, “When he was in kindergarten, our grandparents asked him how he liked school. He said, ‘Me a monster.’ “My father interpreted, ‘He is a monitor for his row in school.’” Few in those days understood dyslexia’s affect on reading and speech. “My father would make me leave the dinner table if I couldn’t say a word,” Cowen says. He punished him for bad grades by banning television. A second-grade teacher tutored Scott for free and told his parents she thought something was physically wrong. Surgery for crossed eyes helped, but the dyslexia remained undiagnosed and Cowen still struggled in school. In ninth grade, he was in tier 11, the school’s lowest academic level. “Then two things changed: I started doing well in school, becoming a B+ student, and I was a pretty good athlete, which got me some popularity and confidence.” Cowen was class president or vice president for three years, made all-state in football, was captain of the football team, student body president and received the award as the student who did most for Metuchen High School. As a senior, he was in the top tier. A teacher of European literature who was tough on Scott-the-jock never knew how much he influenced him. One day, livid at a stunt Cowen pulled, he told him, “One of two things will happen, Mr. Cowen. You will be a colossal failure or you’re going to do something extraordinary.” “That stayed with me,” Cowen says. Years later, Garthwaite remembers visiting her brother one weekend and seeing him hunched over the television on Saturday morning, watching cartoons. “What are you doing?” she asked. He said he watched cartoons so he could see what he had missed as a child.

STARBUCKS, DECAF Cowen doesn’t have time to watch TV these days, though he does exercise, and has lost 50 pounds, documented through public updates on campus. He tools around Tulane in a Subaru Forester, as close to Tulane olive (if not blue) as possible, and practically is a celebrity. Students, staffers and strangers come up to say hello and shake his hand. He always stops and asks them about themselves. Every day, he says, he checks two things: the school’s money and applications for admission. Both look good. While waiting for a meeting to start in the conference room, he’ll fiddle with his iPhone (which Marjorie confesses she’d like to flush down the toilet, he’s on it so much) and sip from a to-go cup of Starbucks, decaf, skimmed milk. Once everyone arrives, he listens intently. He might interject an idea, then give an oftenrepeated response, “You develop the program, I’ll find the money.” And before you realize it, it’s over and he’s out of there and on to the next meeting. His spacious personal office is across the hall and filled with natural light from large windows. The desk is uncluttered, but there are pictures of his grandkids under the glass, and framed photos of him and Marjorie. Greeting visitors in front of Cowen’s desk are two wooden statues resembling his golden retriever, Gibson, who died a year or so ago. One sports a Santa hat, with a green T for Tulane in fake ermine. During his tenure as president, Cowen has worn the hat one day each December, when he gives out Awards of Excellence to 10 Tulane employees, chosen by supervisors and a committee. Each winner receives a $1,000 check from the university, and dinner at the Cowens’ home. “Giving out these awards is the most fun I have every year,” he says.

“Tulane is stronger and better today than before the storm.” —Scott Cowen

2007 The Scott S. Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives opens to improve K-12 education in New Orleans and beyond.

The Tulane National Primate Center begins a $68 million expansion.

M A R C H 2014 TULANE MAGA ZINE

2008 Greer Field at Turchin Stadium, home of Green Wave baseball, opens.

The university sees the successful completion of the $700 million “Promise and Distinction” fundraising campaign.

Tulane is again named one of the “Hottest Schools in America” by Newsweek magazine.

2009 Tulane launches the Office of Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives to foster the development of solutions to social challenges.

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OVERLOOKING THE RIVER But work dominates. Between Sept. 1 and June 30 each year, Cowen figures he has traveled out of state 50 to 60 percent of the time, mainly for fundraising. He has raised nearly $1.2 billion for Tulane since 1998. When asked about those who insist Tulane received more than enough Katrina money from FEMA, Cowen sighs, then says, “We did get about $100 million from FEMA. But our losses were in excess of $650 million, and even with insurance, we didn’t come close to covering our losses.” Another common question is why Tulane has dropped in the college ratings in U.S. News & World Report. “It’s true that in 1996 Tulane was ranked 34th, and three months after I arrived in July 1998, we were 44th,” he says. “But the magazine had changed its methodology. They put a lot more weight on retention and graduation rates, and for decades our rates lagged those of other schools. That change alone explains the drop.” Tulane’s most recent rank is 52. “The reasons are related to another change in methodology last year and the Katrina impact ... in three years our ranking will be improved, but there will be those who say it’s because I’m gone.” Cowen talks about these matters at the dining table in his twobedroom condo at One River Place in downtown New Orleans, occasionally glancing at the Mississippi River. Marjorie listens from the sofa. The Cowens plan to live here fall through spring. The rest of the year will be in Cleveland and East Hampton, N.Y. Cowen seems more relaxed in the condo. “Tulane is stronger and better today than before the storm and in the process we reimagined the university as an engaged institution that makes a difference in people’s lives. I’m very proud of that legacy,” he says. He says he’s pleased with the quality and size of the faculty, and the student level of interest in service programs. Tulane is the first major Trusted Adviser research institution to integrate public service Scott Cowen and his into the core curriculum. For example, archiwife, Marjorie, keep tecture students regularly design post-Katrina each other grounded. houses one year, and build them the next. They’ll make New There’s also the Cowen Institute, another Orleans their partpost-Katrina project to improve public educatime home after tion in New Orleans and the state. A partnership he retires from the Tulane presidency. with Lusher High School in New Orleans is an

“To do real and permanent good in this world.” Andrew Carnegie, The Gospel of Wealth, 1900

Time magazine names President Cowen one of the 10 best college presidents in America.

The Weatherhead Foundation pledges $50 million to establish university professorships for outstanding faculty members.

President Cowen receives Carnegie Corporation Academic Leadership Award.

2010 President Cowen is elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the world’s most prestigious honorary societies.

President Barack Obama appoints President Cowen to the White House Council for Community Solutions.

The Times-Picayune awards President Cowen its Loving Cup, which each year honors a New Orleanian who has worked unselfishly for the community.

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outgrowth of that. Cowen smiles when asked how the institute was named after him. He explains a Tulane trustee made a surprise major gift and directed the institute be named after Cowen so he would know what it felt like to have “something named for you while you are still alive.” The new stadium and club, which will open in the fall, are a major deal. About 30 strangers approached him at the airport recently, he says. “Not one went to Tulane. They sold hot dogs or programs or were ushers [at the old Tulane Stadium]. But they all loved Tulane, and thanked me for paving the way for the new stadium.” As for what he didn’t accomplish that he wanted to, Cowen says, “I won’t talk about that until I’m not president anymore.” How does he think he’ll handle retirement? “This job is 24 hours a day year round,” he says. “It’s your identity. But I remember where I came from, and know I can go back.” He’s written a book about New Orleans, The Inevitable City: The Resurgence of New Orleans and the Future of Urban America that will come out in June. He has another book in the works and plans to teach at Tulane. “My friends who have retired as college presidents tell me they love not having the pressure. But they say they miss the power, the ability to go anywhere and to get something done.” Then he smiles and says, “My wife has always kept me grounded and I am looking forward to my encore career.” ON THE SIDELINES On a warm, humid December night, the New Orleans Bowl is being played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Cowen is the only man there with dyed green hair, accented by a white capital T in the back. He paces nervously, engrossed in the game. In the last seconds, after a fierce fight, Tulane loses to the University of Louisiana–Lafayette by three points. Cowen shakes his head. He then stands by himself on the sidelines, and, as each dejected Tulane team member walks off the field, Cowen applauds them. When Scott Cowen turns to leave the Green Wave’s final game at the Dome, a section of Tulane fans spots him. They stand and cheer.

McAlister Place is turned into a pedestrian mall. It is the first of several phases in the “Unified Green Master Plan.”

2011 Two years after committing $50 million to create universitywide professorships, the Weatherhead Foundation pledges an additional $50 million for student scholarships.

M A R C H 2014 TULANE MAGA ZINE

The Hertz Center practice facility opens on the uptown campus for the Green Wave men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams.

THE NITTY GRITTY Scott Stephen Cowen Born: July 27, 1946 President of Tulane University: 1998–2014 Hometown: Metuchen, N.J. Spouse: Marjorie Children: Four (three, Marjorie’s; one daughter, his) Religion: Jewish Undergraduate: University of Connecticut Fraternity: Tau Kappa Epsilon Master’s and doctorate: George Washington University Favorite restaurants: Camellia Grill, Peche, Gautreau’s, Commander’s Palace, Upperline Surprising news: Just started private yoga lessons (in addition to daily workouts at home) Guilty snacks: Heath bars and York mints from a colleague’s office refrigerator Daily read: Times-Picayune and New York Times delivered to home; New Orleans Advocate, Wall Street Journal, USA Today Bedside table holds: Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and The Wild Heart of Football by Rich Cohen, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson Favorite Jazz Fest moment: Backstage with Bruce Springsteen Extra point: Leading the effort to reform the BCS in 2003 and ultimately end the Bowl Championship Series by making the case for winning schools from smaller conferences. Next year there will be a four-school playoff. (An eight-game playoff would be a touchdown, believes Cowen)

Tulane announces plans to build Yulman Stadium as the university’s on-campus football arena. The stadium will be completed in fall 2014.

Weatherhead Hall opens as a student residence complex.

Gambit newspaper designates President Cowen “New Orleanian of the Year.”

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Mr. T Scott Cowen has regularly dyed his hair Tulane green for home football games, to the delight of students.

2012 President Cowen is named chair of the Association of American Universities.

The Donna and Paul Flower Hall for Research and Innovation opens on the uptown campus as a catalyst for Tulane’s science and engineering programs.

The renovated Devlin Fieldhouse opens on the uptown campus as home to the Green Wave men’s and women’s basketball teams and women’s volleyball team.

The university dedicates Benenson Plaza, a gathering spot located adjacent to Newcomb Hall. It is a key part of the campus’ “Unified Green” project.

2013 Work begins on the Zimple House residence hall and the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library addition.

President Cowen announces his retirement from the Tulane presidency.

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Sleepless in L.A.

OuT ON THE ROAD FOR WEEKS ON END, TuLANE ALuM AND ADMISSION RECRuITING OFFICER JEFF SCHIFFMAN IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD STuDENTS. by Nick Marinello Leave the horseshoe drive in front of Gibson Hall, travel down St. Charles and Carrollton avenues until you reach the I-10 on-ramp. Take it and head west—through Kenner, Baton Rouge, Crowley, Jennings, Houston, El Paso, Las Cruces, Tucson, Redlands, West Covina, into Los Angeles and out to Santa Monica—all the way to the highway’s very end—Exit 1A—where the ocean meets the continent. There, on this particular evening, in the Carousel Ballroom of the Doubletree Hotel, you will find Jeff Schiffman, 1,900 miles from home and busy, busy, busy at work. It’s a Sunday afternoon in late September, and Schiffman is two weeks into a 44-day recruitment trip. A senior officer in Tulane’s admission department, Schiffman is what you might call a fisher of students, and tonight he’ll be casting a wide net. “I’ve got 157 RSVPs from high school students; 397 if you include parents,” says the 30-year-old Schiffman, who is smartly sporting a jacket, bow tie and loafers as he efficiently lines up row after row of Tulane baseball caps onto a table positioned just outside the ballroom’s large double doors. “I’ve never seen so many people respond.” Tonight’s event is one of 55 such mega-events that the university’s 12 recruitment officers hold across the country each year. Schiffman, a Tulane grad himself (Business ’05), has been working the Southern California beat for the past four years. Last week he pitched Tulane to students at more than 20 high schools in and around Santa Barbara and the San Fernando Valley. In the coming week, he’ll

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visit two dozen more in the L.A. area before jumping aboard a flight to Beijing in an effort to expand Tulane’s undergraduate reach to Asia. If all goes according to plans, he’ll be back in New Orleans by the end of October, exhausted but having scattered the seeds for next year’s incoming class far and wide. Finishing the display of caps, he turns to another table and opens a box filled with admission pamphlets and marketing pieces (that he helped to write and design), neatly laying them out alongside an array of his business cards. For the occasion, Tulane has flown out three current students (all Schiffman recruits) who hail from Southern California. They’re here to offer a little peer-to-peer information about the university, but at the moment they are assisting in arranging a display of attendee nametags. It’s 45 minutes to showtime when Schiffman moves into the ballroom and begins to fiddle with the audio-video equipment he positioned earlier in the center aisle. He traces a wire, then another,

nick marinello

The Search Is On Clockwise: Jeff Schiffman meets with prospective students in Santa Monica, Calif. He breaks out his laptop to answer emails during lunch. He always delivers his pitch with enthusiasm. Keeping fit is essential. “Home” in his Hollywood hotel, Schiffman looks west.

joel tinker

plugs in the jacks, pushes a button and another button and—boom— Trombone Shorty is blasting from the ballroom’s PA system. (The slogan “Only at Tulane, only in New Orleans” is key to his sales pitch.) A quick adjustment, and the music swings at a more palatable volume. As with all of the Tulane recruitment officers, Schiffman is a kind of one-man band: AV technician and event stylist, showman and spokesman, salesman and, to the thousands of high school seniors just dying to get into Tulane, gatekeeper. He’s even his own travel agent. He has booked every hotel and every rental car for his six-week trip. He’s developed the intricate itinerary of schools that he visits and has cultivated relationships with administrators in each. He keeps notes on each school visit

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Diversions

joel tinker

“Monday Night Football” begins in full daylight on the West Coast. Schiffman watches the New Orleans Saints at the FiveOFour bar in West Hollywood, clapping along with fellow alum Andrew Moss and high-fiving the story’s author.

and a record of every student in Southern California who has been admitted to Tulane. And he name-drops shamelessly. “So when I go to, say, Dana Hills High School, I can be like, ‘Yeah, I just talked to Rheanna,’ or at Laguna Beach I can say, ‘I just talked to Zack. He’s spent his gap year in Chili.’” The high school counselors love it, he says, when he can demonstrate that he’s stayed in touch with their former students. If you think this is calculating and cynical, you’re only partly right. Schiffman is absolutely a canny recruiter: cunning in crafting his message and systematic in executing its delivery. But cynical? Not likely. Too enthusiastic; too passionate. If anything, he’s an idealist, albeit an efficient one. And he truly believes that his alma mater is a very, very cool place. Tonight will be another tour-de-force performance on what he calls his “never-ending trip.” He will play for prospective students and their parents a 30-minute video about the university that he produced and he will follow it with a breathless, 45-minute appeal for why they should consider a school located half-a-continent away. He tells them at the outset that there are no bad colleges in America, only bad fits, and then invites the young people in the audience to imagine themselves fitting in at Tulane. Drawing from his own experiences as a student, he describes Tulane as a perfectly sized university where you can “walk to class and see 10 people you know in the morning and walk back in the afternoon and not know anyone.” He talks about diversity and how the average student comes from 945 miles away and how he was the first Jewish guy his Mississippi roommate had ever met. He mentions a faculty member who occasionally holds class in his uptown home over a “New Orleans–style brunch.” He talks about the on-campus football stadium that is being constructed and how NFL great Joe Montana’s son, Nick (himself a SoCal boy), is the team’s quarterback. He mentions Tulane’s 255 student clubs and 144 study-abroad programs and 9-to-1 student-faculty ratio and 120,000 living alumni. He says, “The social experience you will get in New Orleans is second to none,” and regales his audience with descriptions of Mardi Gras and restaurants and festivals, and tells them a joke about his first parade. He talks about public service and community engagement, and how the entire city will be their campus. He asserts that he doesn’t take stock in most rankings but notes that Princeton Review has ranked Tulane as No. 2 for faculty accessibility and No. 4 for happiest students. He then closes by giving sage advice on navigating the sometimes tricky application process.

By the time he’s finished, the audience seems happily dazed, maybe mesmerized, glowing with the anticipation of possibilities. And 35 minutes later, the room is still buzzing like a cocktail party as Schiffman is surrounded by those who either have specific questions about the university or who just want to make personal contact with the man who will be reviewing applications. “If one person decides not to apply after a presentation, I’ve done my job wrong,” says Schiffman, finally alone and gathering together the leftover brochures at night’s end. “Every person in that room should now apply to Tulane.” As usual, the baseball caps have all been taken. ALWAYS SOMETHING The four bottles of 5-hour Energy are clattering against the breath mints and Chapsticks loaded into the ashtray of Schiffman’s rental car. It’s Monday morning, and he’s negotiating the Los Angeles rush hour with the assistance of the GPS fastened to his windshield and a radio turned to an adult rock station on Sirius/XM. Today’s schedule is relatively light; he’ll be visiting only four schools, which means Schiffman won’t have to scarf lunch in his car seat. “All my clothing is in the laundromat,” he says, making a mental note to retrieve them at some point. Wearing a slender, polka-dotted necktie and purple socks decorated with clouds and lightning bolts, Schiffman acknowledges his tidily impish sense of style. “I always try to do something to make me distinctive,” he says. Since being nearly wiped out by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and suffering an immediate and significant drop in enrollment in 2006, Tulane has steadily restored confidence among applicants and in the last several years reached record levels in terms of quantity and quality of student applications. A large share of the credit goes to the cohort of admission counselors who tirelessly peddle the value of a Tulane education in a competitive and often chaotic marketplace. “My first day on the job at Tulane was six weeks before Katrina,” says Schiffman, who, like so many others, lost everything in the storm. “I was working for a closed school in a city that was flooded and every question was about Katrina, Katrina.” That took about five years to change. “Finally, it started to stop. I mean, a nice transition to crime, crime, crime. And then people realized that New Orleans wasn’t that unsafe and there was a nice, smooth transition into cost. How expensive Tulane is. The cost of higher education. There’s always something.” The first stop this morning is at Campbell Hall, a prestigious private school in North Hollywood. He’s set up the appointment with

“If one person decides not to apply after a presentation, I’ve done my job wrong. Every person in that room should now apply to Tulane.” —Jeff Schiffman

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the school’s academic counselor, but he’s never sure how many kids will be waiting to hear his pitch. Schiffman misses the exit, a potentially devastating development in the ruthless L.A. traffic, but the GPS has his back. A few turns on surface streets and the unflappable admission officer is back en route. In fact, he arrives a bit early and he spends the gift of extra time in his car answering the some 80 email messages from prospective students that have landed in his inbox this morning. The questions vary: Where do I send my art portfolio? Do all students stay on campus? What are your study abroad options? Can I take business courses? Who can I speak to about an architecture major? “A girl once asked me about the availability of Blue Bell ice cream in New Orleans,” says Schiffman as he scrolls through the messages. Inside the counselor’s tiny office at Campbell Hall, Schiffman is joined at a table by seven seniors. All eyes are riveted on him as he begins to talk, giving a reprise of last night’s presentation, minus the financial aid stuff that he only trots out for parents. No bad schools … good fit … Nick Montana … New Orleans–style brunch … 945 miles … restaurants … festivals … community service … more restaurants … Princeton Review …. He delivers the joke about his first parade, based on the first time he and his dad visited New Orleans from his hometown in Maryland. “So we leave the hotel and the whole street has been shut down because there’s this huuuuge parade rolling by us. And they were throwing all this great stuff and I was so into it. I looked at the guy next to me and said, ‘What is the parade for, anyway?’ And he looks back and says, ‘Duh, it’s Saint Joseph’s Day.’” It’s a good joke and usually gets a laugh, but this time it seems it’s lost on the kids around the table who smile back politely. Oh well, the day is young.

follow-up messages to the students he’s met or reading their applications. In between, he remotely manages the admission office’s social media pages, oversees the some 150 campus tours guides, writes entries into his admission blog and edits the annual Tulane admission magazine. “I love it,” he says. Ask him how he can tolerate the pace, as well as living out of a suitcase for six weeks, and he says that when on the road it’s important to maintain a sense of your normal life. “I am really, really, really big on health and fitness,” he says. “So I map out a lot of my travel based on how much gym time I can get.” For instance, on Wednesday he’s scheduled for a 6 a.m. spin class in a gym not far from his first school visit. Tonight, he’ll go for a jog in Runyon Canyon, a park located in West Hollywood. “And it’s important to have fun. You have to enjoy yourself or you would literally go crazy.” WHO DAT! It’s third and six, and the Saints have the ball on Miami’s 33-yard line. They’re up 7-3 on “Monday Night Football,” and the FiveOFour bar on Hollywood Boulevard is bursting with black-and-gold expatriates and rocking by the time Schiffman arrives halfway through the first quarter. A huge fan, Schiffman is loathe to miss a Saints game, no matter where he is. He considered bringing his laptop to answer emails during the game, but thought better of it. Good choice. The Saints are on their way to blowing out the Dolphins 38-17, and there will be no work tonight. Schiffman watches the game with a small group of friends that includes fellow alum Andrew Moss (Business ’10), who moved to Los Angeles to be an actor. Wherever he travels, says Schiffman, there is always a group of fraternity brothers and other Tulane alumni whom he can hang with. “You have to go out with your friends,” he says, offering another prescription for a bout of road weariness with a touch of homesickness. Yeah, you right. And looking around the FiveOFour, with its racially diverse patronage, abundance of Saints jerseys, circular chants of “Who Dat!” and the smell of fried shrimp coming from the kitchen, you can almost—almost—think you’ve made it back home. Some 1,900 miles, give or take. Only in New Orleans, only at Tulane. The slogan’s a keeper.

70 HOURS PER WEEK “It’s a theatrical performance,” says Schiffman, now back in his car and off to the next school. “The second you start to act bored you’ve lost everyone,” he says. “There are some days when I do this presentation seven times—six high schools and one evening event.” During his fall tour, Schiffman typically puts in 60 to 70 hours per week. After he finishes visiting schools—and if he’s not doing an event or college fair or case study program—he’ll go back to his hotel room or maybe a coffee shop and spend another couple of hours sending

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total UNDERGRaDUatE ENRollmENt

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6000

5989

6000

6151

6443 6514

5993

5741 5845

5000

5218

5000

Schiffman, second from left, middle row, poses with the rest of the undergraduate admission staff. It has taken massive effort and teamwork to build back Tulane’s admission numbers after Hurricane Katrina.

6403

5112

5239

5452

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3000 3000

2001

2002

2003

2004 2006

2007

2008 2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

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Play it

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Forward

M A R C H 2014 TULANE MAGA ZINE

Each wEEk, high school studEnts in thE trombonE shorty acadEmy gathEr on thE tulanE campus to lEarn about thE art and businEss of music, as wEll as lEssons on lifE.

by Mary Sparacello it is a tuesday night in a band room on the tulane campus, and the air is filled with the sounds of new orleans—that distinctive and enthusiastic rhythm that evokes second-line parades and encourages dancing. the music is coming from a group of new orleans public high school students playing a modern brass band song they composed. titled “duck soup,” the song begins with two teenage boys on drums. they are joined by two more teenagers on sousaphones, then at bandleader donald harrison Jr.’s prompt, by young musicians playing the piano and more horns. the students are participating in the trombone shorty academy, the brainchild of new orleans native and musical prodigy troy “trombone shorty” andrews. one evening a week after school, 20 students gain training in musical performance; another group attends a weekly music business class. launched in January 2013, the academy is a partnership of the trombone shorty foundation and the new orleans center for the gulf south at tulane. the trombone shorty academy’s mission is twofold: mentoring underserved high school musicians who are talented and motivated and perpetuating the unique musical heritage of new orleans. “a big part of what makes new orleans so special is that we pass down our traditions,” andrews says. “we take an active role in keeping it alive. that can only happen if we make sure that the youth in our city understand it, where it comes from, and why it matters. by passing the torch, the flame remains bright.” one of the young performers who wants to carry that torch is trumpeter revert powell. “i want to do this with my life,” says the 17-year-old, who has already played some gigs in french Quarter venues and performed on french Quarter streets with his brother and fellow class member revon andrews. “but i don’t want to just stay in new orleans. i want to be on a worldwide stage and play different types of music. i want to take it a step farther, just like troy did.” TANGIBLE EVIDENCE the trombone shorty foundation grew from andrews’ horns for schools project, in which he donated from his own line of quality musical instruments to schools across new orleans. the idea originated with a pair of air Jordan shoes andrews remembers wearing in his youth. when he donned the sneakers he felt transformed, he says. Just wearing something that featured the name of basketball star michael Musical Legacy Jordan inspired him to play better ball. when a trombone shorty andrews grew up and was in a position to pay academy student blows his horn, taking it forward, he hoped the musical instruments would have the same effect on young musicians. lessons from some “troy represents to a lot of people what the of new orleans’ great air Jordans represented to him,” says martha musicians.

murphy, who is on the board of the trombone shorty foundation and a longtime tulane supporter. “he’s tangible evidence that they can succeed if they try.” andrews hails from faubourg treme, considered the oldest black neighborhood in america and the birthplace of jazz. he was brought up in one of the city’s celebrated musical families and is the grandson of r&b legend Jessie hill, known for his hit “ooh poo pah doo.” when andrews was 4 years old, he began playing in brass bands in the streets and onstage with brother James andrews. his nickname comes from those early days when his trombone towered over him. by the time he was 18 years old, he was on tour backing rock musician lenny kravitz. andrews has collaborated with a wide variety of musicians, such as kid rock, hip-hop artist mos def and the country music singers the Zac brown band. a highlight of his career was performing at the white house in 2012. and last may, he and his band, trombone shorty & orleans avenue, played the prestigious closing set at the new orleans Jazz and heritage festival, a slot previously held by the neville brothers. andrews’ vast musical connections benefit the students in his academy. Zigaboo modeliste, drummer for the legendary new orleans funk band the meters, put in a guest appearance at a class last year and led the young musicians in a rousing rendition of the band’s hit, “cissy strut.” “that was the most amazing experience,” says 17-year-old saxophonist Jasmine batiste. “he taught us to play it the original way.” these days, 28-year-old andrews and his band thrill audiences around the world. his touring schedule is packed, but he still considers new orleans home and spends his off-time in the city. “as a young musician growing up in new orleans, a lot of people looked after me, especially the older musicians,” says andrews. “they taught me how to play, about the business side of making music, and how to carry myself as an individual. without that support and guidance, i wouldn’t be where i am today. now that i’ve learned some things and had some success with my own music, i wanted to do the same to give back what was given to me. it’s what we do in new orleans.” IMMEDIATE SYNERGY andrews first became associated with tulane on may 19, 2012, when president scott cowen awarded him with the president’s medal, in recognition of his community service work with horns for schools. the idea for partnering his fledging foundation with tulane came from murphy, who also is on the tulane president’s council and chairs the board of directors of the murphy institute at tulane, which was established in 1980 by her father, the late charles h. murphy Jr. murphy and andrews first met about a decade ago at one of his shows at the new orleans nightclub, the blue nile, when he noticed

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that she appeared uncharacteristically glum. “He came up to me on a break and said, ‘I’ve Top: Music director seen you for years in the audience and you’re Donald Harrison Jr. always smiling, but you’re not smiling today. prompts students. What’s wrong?’” When he got back on stage, Middle: Talented horn he invited her up to join him for a song. They players improvise. have been friends ever since, with Murphy Bottom: A pianist serving at different times as a mentor/unofjams in the Dixon ficial adoptive mother. She describes Andrews Hall band room. as charismatic and one of the most gracious and unassuming people she knows. “My life is so much richer because of my association with Troy.” The Trombone Shorty Foundation partnership with Tulane was a natural fit, says foundation director Bill Taylor. “There was an immediate synergy between where we wanted to go and what Tulane was already doing,” he says. “Tulane is committed to being a part of and supporting the community at large,” continues Taylor, adding that the collaboration benefits Tulane students. “As a student coming to Tulane and being in New Orleans, you do have this amazing opportunity to connect with and be a part of one of the most unique cultures in the world. A big part of that culture is the music.” The draw of New Orleans music—and the opportunities at the Trombone Shorty Academy to learn from master musicians—has inspired George Wilde, a 2013 Tulane graduate and Chicago native, to stay in New Orleans after graduation. He is now the academy’s assistant music director, but while he was still a college student, he interned at the academy to fulfill the public service graduation requirement. He plays guitar and manages psychedelic funk band Sexual Thunder!, works part-time at Preservation Hall in the French Quarter and runs NolaWilde, the music event-planning business he started while he was a Tulane student.

ryan rivet

Tuesday Class

ryan rivet

SPELLBOUND Despite his heavy touring schedule, Andrews is involved in Trombone Shorty Academy auditions and has taught a few classes, jamming with the students and offering words of motivation. “The more you learn, the more opportunities you’ll have down the road to be successful,” he says, when asked what advice he has for aspiring musicians. “By building a musical foundation and increasing your knowledge, doors will start opening up that you never even imagined. Then one day you will be in a position to teach the next generation.” Andrews has chosen successful artists to lead the music performance and business academies in his stead. Two-time Grammy Award-winning music engineer Chris Finney helms the business institute, which gives up-and-coming musicians instruction in everything from recording and marketing to event organization and production. Andrews admits that as he was growing up as a musician, he sometimes learned business lessons the hard way. He hopes the course will “make it easier on the next generation.” Directing the music performance academy is Donald Harrison Jr., a world-renowned musician and New Orleans cultural icon. Harrison, a saxophonist and bandleader, mastered his art by performing with jazz greats including Art Blakey, Lena Horne and Miles Davis. He is wellknown in New Orleans as chief of the Congo Square Nation, a New Orleans cultural group, and son of the late Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr. A character based on his life has appeared on the HBO series “Treme.” And he is notable for his commitment to mentoring younger musicians. As such, he directs the intern program at Tipitina’s, where he taught Andrews when the latter was a high school senior. As music director of the Trombone Shorty Academy, Harrison instructs his teenage charges to play music, but he also imparts life lessons. On one occasion, he started class by going around the room and asking what everybody wanted to be when they grew up. Most said they

M A R C H 2014 TULANE MAGA ZINE

Star Power

ryan rivet

Trombone Shorty (whose friends call him by his given name, Troy) Andrews (center) drops by for a session with awed young musicians.

wanted to pursue careers in music, but there was also a surgeon-intraining, a future mechanical engineer and a Xavier University student studying pharmacy. Harrison emphasized to students the importance of discipline, whether their future leads to music, science or medicine. “Your work ethic will produce results in all aspects of life,” he said. To a 14-year-old who proclaimed that he wanted to be a drummer for a hip-hop band, Harrison advised practicing enough so that the music becomes as second nature as reciting the ABCs. And, later in the class, as the students practiced brass band music, he preached the importance of showmanship. “The music is the star,” he said. “None of us is the star. Our job is to make people happy. If you’re the only person who’s happy you might as well stay at home and play for yourself.” Joe Dyson Jr., a drummer who has studied with Harrison and performed in his band, came into the band room near the end of one class as a personification of Harrison’s message. He played the drums, stunning his audience into silence by expertly switching gears as Harrison directed him to play a variety of different beats—modern second-line, old-time second-line, bossa nova, hip-hop, and on and on. The students were spellbound. Sixteen-year-old Eldridge Andrews couldn’t get the smile off his face—even 20 minutes later. “Did you see that?” the young snare drummer asked incredulously. “He was doing what I want to do.” Trombone Shorty Academy students will get the chance to show off their skills when they perform in May at the second annual Shorty Fest, a benefit concert for the Trombone Shorty Foundation. The music business institute students will fully participate in putting on the show. A “FULL-BODIED” PROGRAM Since its inception in January 2013, the Trombone Shorty Academy has doubled in size. While the music performance classes were available at the outset, the Fredman Music Business Institute began this January. Andrew Fredman, a 1988 alum, and his wife, Kerin, have been longtime Tulane supporters, and after watching a broadcast of a Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue performance, they were so impressed they chose to support the academy’s expansion. “We feel strongly about giving Tulane students the opportunity to engage with the community and mentor young musicians,” says Andrew Fredman. “At the same time, New Orleans students will pick up skills that will take them far in life. The institute will show them opportunities, avenues for careers they may not have been aware of.”

Rob and Susan Goldstein, who graduated from Tulane and Newcomb College in 1977 and 1978, respectively, were already backing several music education programs in New Orleans when they discovered and decided to support the Trombone Shorty Academy. “What better way to ensure that when my grandkids go to Tulane they’ll be able to enjoy the same music that I’ve enjoyed,” Rob Goldstein says. In addition to Murphy, the Goldsteins and the Fredmans, other notable supporters are past parent Cliff Greenberg and Nancy Rebold, a 1988 Newcomb graduate and her husband, Matt. Such donors ensure that the program remains free for students, which organizers say is vital. With more donations, Taylor says, the academy will continue to expand. “When these students learn about their musical heritage, what ends up happening is that they connect with an incredible history dating back to people like Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet,” he says. “This is the continuation of that legacy.” Murphy envisions a “full-bodied” program in the future that prepares the students musically, fostering in them the ambition and expectation to succeed but also offering the tools, such as academic tutoring, that make success possible. “I think what we have here is a program that is only beginning to see its potential,” she says. Current students appreciate how fortunate they are to study each week with the musical icons helming the Trombone Shorty Academy. High school senior Jourdan Johnson plays the trumpet and he speaks softly but urgently. “These are leaders I can look up to,” he says. “They used to be like us. When they were growing up they had help, and now they’re teaching us.” New Orleanians feel fierce pride in the city’s unique culture and love to see their traditions appreciated on an international stage. Andrews is one of a small cadre of musicians taking New Orleans music, making it his own and achieving worldwide fame. That’s why Murphy and so many others in the city have enjoyed seeing Andrews’ success grow through the years. “Now it’s hard to walk down a street with him in New Orleans,” Murphy says. “It’s like walking around with Elvis.” And the students in the Trombone Shorty Academy are destined to be the culture-bearers of a new generation, taking New Orleans music, adding their own individual touch, and laying it before the world. “All of us involved with the Trombone Shorty Academy are going to say the same things about these kids in the coming years that we’re saying about Troy now: Isn’t it fun to watch their successes?” Murphy says. “All of us in New Orleans are watching.”

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GIVE HER A HAND Jill Meyers (NC ’71) is a seven-time world bridge champ. She won the Venice Cup in Bali, Indonesia, in the fall, making her the most-titled woman in World Bridge Federation history.

T U L A N I A N S

REBECCA STUMPF

Legacy of Service

Returning Veterans David Cass (TC ’97) is the CEO and co-founder of Uvize, an education technology startup focused on academic planning tools for veterans. After serving as a naval aviator for seven years, Cass ended his military service teaching naval strategy and leadership courses to Naval ROTC students at the University of Colorado–Boulder. During his time as a professor, Cass noticed many first-year students struggling to successfully adapt to college life. He was particularly interested in the difficulty returning veterans were having transitioning from the military to academics. “CU faculty and staff were sending veterans my way to advise simply because I am a veteran,” Cass says. “Advising is great but I found that it works significantly better when coupled with peer mentors. A university generally has hundreds or thousands of veterans on campus. The problem is these veterans, both staff and students, are never under the same roof. I looked for a service that provided a quick way to connect a student with the expertise they need when they need it. I could not find what I was looking for so I started Uvize.” Cass published The Strategic Student in 2011 and launched Uvize in 2013. The company is one of 20 to participate in the Kaplan EdTech Accelerator program and has rolled out the online version at Duke and Norwich universities. “We want a Uvize community in every college that serves any veterans in their student body,” Cass says. “We estimate there are about 3,000 schools with a veterans service office. We want to be the technology for every one.”—Ryan Rivet

M A RCH 2014 TULA NE MAGA ZINE

Academic Planner David Cass addresses the needs of veterans when they transition from the military to college life.

Tulane alumni, alumni clubs and organizations founded and led by alumni are getting on board with the Cowen Service Challenge. The Tulane community has a goal of volunteering 750,000 hours of service from August 2013 to May 2, 2014, to honor retiring Tulane University President Scott Cowen. When Martha Lavin (NC ’84), a medical social worker for Kaiser Permanente and adoption caseworker at Jewish Family and Children’s Services in the San Francisco area, was planning a three-week trip to New Orleans in January and February, she got in touch with HELP NOLA, a program of the Tulane Center for Public Service, to find out about volunteer opportunities. Lavin, the parent of two Tulane students, signed on for 15 hours of service per week with the For the Children reading-assistance program. Mack Sigman (A&S ’81), who serves with Wounded Warriors in Falls Church, Va., an organization that provides computer training for veterans; and Louis G. Cameron Jr. (E ’62, B ’64), who serves with the Bull Creek Foundation in Austin, Texas, an organization that leads volunteer projects to preserve and protect an environmentally sensitive watershed and water-supply creek, are among other alumni who have already submitted service challenge hours. Youth Rebuilding New Orleans, co-founded by William Stoudt (B ’11) and Robert F. Whitman Jr. (A&S ’73), devoted a week of service in January to the challenge. And the New Orleans Fruit Tree Project, founded by Megan Nuismer (PHTM ’12), dedicated hours from its fundraiser on Dec. 4, 2013. Cowen Service Challenge hours include time volunteered at nonprofit, community, school, faith-based and civic organizations. To sign on, go to 750K.tulane.edu. Alumni clubs around the world have plans to devote the month of May to various service projects to continue the Tulane legacy of service to communities.—Fran Simon

Dispatch Carolyn “Pani” Kolb W H E R E

Y ’ A T ! .

1930s The March of Dimes honored J. DUDLEY TALBOT (M ’38) this fall as one of the outstanding obstetrics/gynecology physicians in the Bossier-Shreveport, La., area. Talbot, who delivered more than 6,000 babies during his career, retired in 2000. He will celebrate his 100th birthday in April. Talbot and his wife, the late GWENDOLYN BUHLER TALBOT (NC ’42), were married for 75 years. In November, WILLIAM D. FUTCH (M ’39) was awarded the Legion of Honor Medal, which is France’s highest distinction. Futch, who also is the recipient of six Bronze Stars for his service with the U.S. Army Medical Corps, landed at Omaha Beach just after D-Day. He resumed his medical career as a general practitioner in St. Petersburg, Fla., upon completing his time in the service.

GEORGE CARY (M ’55) co-authored the paper “Biomarkers for Traumatic Head Injuries With Implications for Diagnosis and Management of Traumatic Head Injuries.” It was presented to the AMSUS (Association of Military Surgeons of the United States)–The Society of Federal Health Professionals in fall 2013 in Seattle. Smashwords.com has published a digital book by PEDRO A. GELABERT (A&S ’56) entitled Historia del Movimiento Ambiental en Puerto Rico (History of the Environmental Movement in Puerto Rico). The book, written in Spanish, describes the environmental movement during the past 50 years. EUGENIE RICAU ROCHEROLLE (NC ’58) received a Foundation Fellow Award from the Music Teachers National Association. Her recent publications include solo and duet piano collections as well as several piano trios. One is named “Crescent City Connection,” for the twin bridges in New Orleans. Rocherolle will be included in the 2014 editions of Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the East. 1960s MIREILLE MODENBACH GROVIER (NC ’60) and JAY GROVIER (A ’61), married 52 years, reside in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. Among many endeavors in San Miguel, Mireille Grovier started a program that introduces 5-year-olds to opera, classical music and fine art. Jay Grovier is a retired architect whose field of expertise ranged from schools to hospitals to major shopping centers. He maintained a successful design business, Design Comment, in the San Francisco Bay area for 20 years.

PAULA BURCH-CELENTANO

1950s EDWARD VAN AMERONGEN (A ’52) writes to say he spent the summer traveling around the world, swimming in “most major seas and lakes.” He rode the Trans-Siberian Express and visited St. Petersburg, Russia. Yet, “nothing to date has compared with the marvelous years I spent on campus,” he writes.

STORYTELLER Carolyn “Pani” Kolb (NC ’63) has been a writer since she was 12. It’s a calling—and a compulsion, she says. A New Orleans native, she worked as a Times-Picayune reporter covering Hurricane Betsy and has lived in the city for more than 50 years. She’s written guidebooks, including The Dolphin Guide to New Orleans (1984; first edition, 1972). And she’s currently a monthly columnist for New Orleans Magazine. Her columns are the basis for New Orleans Memories: One Writer’s City (University Press of Mississippi, 2013), a collection of essays on food, Mardi Gras, literature and music. Kolb brings a reporter’s attention to detail, a writer’s ear and a historian’s sensibility to her writing. (She earned a PhD in urban history from the University of New Orleans in 2006, finishing up her dissertation in the midst of the Hurricane Katrina chaos.) She also is an adjunct lecturer in the Tulane School of Continuing Studies. New Orleans Memories is a cultural history, says Kolb. “It’s not the history of great men and battles and dates. It’s more a history of the people who are not so recorded.” Kolb covers lots of ground in the book, including spooky apartments she lived in, sweet and savory dining experiences and the influence of the 1969 film Easy Rider on Mardi Gras. “An affirmation of memory” is what Kolb hopes that readers take away from the book. Kolb, a former president of the Newcomb Alumnae Association, says, “I think everybody should respect their own lives and their own personal memories. “Look back … because it helps you look forward and it helps you appreciate the things that are going on right now.”—MARY ANN TRAVIS

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PRIME LODGING Historic Oak Hill Inn in Natchez, Miss., owned and operated by Donald McGlynn (A&S ’74) and Douglas Mauro won top B&B in the USA and ranked third in the world in TripAdvisor’s annual Travelers’ Choice Awards 2014.

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DOUG ADKINS (L ’63), ROLAND BASSETT (L ’63) TOM MCCLELLAN (A&S ’60, L ’63), TERRY BRADLEY (L ’63) and EARL LATIMER (L ’63) were honored as 50-year lawyers at the 2013 Texas State Bar Convention in Dallas. RUSSELL W. STEELE (A&S ’63, M ’67) received the Master Pediatrician, Spirit of a Leader Award from the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the Tulane University School of Medicine. ERROL BARRON (A ’64) announces the publication of Roma Osservata: Rome Observed by the Tulane School of Architecture. The book is a collection of watercolors and drawings with an essay comparing the Eternal City to New Orleans. Barron holds the Richard Koch Chair in Architecture. Barron’s next book is about the Tulane uptown campus. ELENE BEERMAN MILLER (UC ’64), after living for 50 years in Knoxville, Tenn., with her late husband LEONARD M. MILLER (A&S ’58), has moved back to New Orleans, where she married JOSEPH BLOTNER (L ’57) on Dec. 30, 2012. MARTHA FEARON MIMS (NC ’68) is an attorney in private practice representing children and parents in Child Protective Service cases and practicing juvenile law. She has been an attorney for 31 years and a patent attorney for 20 years. Mims has three children: Julie, Lisa and Christopher, and three grandsons. She lives in Round Rock, Texas. DANIEL B. LESTAGE (PHTM ’69) was installed as president of the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine during the organization’s recent 61st congress in Jerusalem. Lestage, who is a native of Jennings, La., is a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and retired vice president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. He and his wife, Helen, reside in Fleming Island, Fla.

1970s The most recent book by GARY R. LIBBY (G ’71), Reflections: Watercolors of Florida, won the 2013 bronze medal in the Florida Book Awards. Libby is director emeritus at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach, Fla. He is the recipient of lifetime achievement awards from the Florida Art Museum Directors Association and the Florida Museum Association. In October, EDGAR H. SILVEY (PHTM ’71, B ’88) received the Harry H. Harwick Lifetime Achievement Award, which is the highest recognition from the Medical Group Management Association and the American College of Medical Practice Executives. Silvey has served as CEO of The Baton Rouge Clinic in Baton Rouge, La., for the past 25 years. The latest novel by RONA SIMMONS (NC ’72), The Quiet Room, was published by Deeds Publishing of Atlanta in January. Since retiring from a career in corporate finance in 2011, Simmons has published several books. Simmons will travel the Southeast conducting readings and signings of her novel this spring. KEITH V. ABRAMSON (A&S ’75), an attorney in Montecito, Calif., published Coogan Accounts for Kids and two related e-books. Abramson has published more than 200 articles, books and speeches on estate, business, tax, financial and insurance planning. The dermatological practice of MARY P. LUPO (NC ’76, M ’80) is alive and well. As reported in the December Tulane, she’s retiring from teaching. But she continues her private practice at her clinic, the Lupo Center for Aesthetic and General Dermatology, in New Orleans. M.E. Sharpe has released the second edition of Entrepreneurship: Venture Initiation, Management and Development, co-authored by TIM MESCON (A&S ’76), who is president of Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga.

We are asking all students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of Tulane to celebrate President Cowen’s legacy of supporting healthy and vibrant communities through direct community service. By May 2, 2014, we need to complete 750,000 hours of service in New Orleans and around the world. Please help us reach our goal—register today at 750K.tulane.edu.

M A RCH 2014 TULA NE MAGA ZINE

1980s STEVE FOLEY (UC ’80), former Green Wave quarterback and Denver Broncos cornerback and safety, returned to New Orleans in October for a “Breakfast With Steve Foley” event sponsored by, among others, Life Resources Ministries and WHNO-TV. Foley was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. He resides in Colorado where he co-owns a land development company. STEVE GIDWITZ (B ’80) is president of NCAComp, which provides workers’ compensation self-insurance solutions to employers in Buffalo, Rochester and upstate New York. Gidwitz was previously the company’s chief operating officer. Gidwitz joined NCAComp in 2002, when it was called Neuman Claims Administrators. JAY MAZZA (A&S ’83, G ’85) announces the publication of Not Just Another Thursday Night: Kermit Ruffins and Vaughan’s Lounge by Threadhead Press. Mazza has been a fixture of the New Orleans’ music scene since 1979, and has been documenting it in local publications for three decades. He is the chairman of the Big Easy Entertainment Awards and blogs at www. thevinyldistrict.com. Mazza appeared together with ALEx MCMURRAY (A&S ’91) at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2013 during both weekends. GARY GITTELSON (A&S ’84) was selected to be a back judge for the California Interscholastic Federation’s Division One San Diego section high school championship football game at Qualcomm Stadium. The game was finally decided in the third overtime period. Gittleson also worked the Division Three championship game at Qualcomm as a back judge in 2011. ANTHONY ROBINS (A ’86) is vice president of global real estate and store design for Tiffany & Co., which opened a new store at Canal Place in New Orleans in December. Robins lives in New York. JOHN STRASBURGER (A&S ’86) joined Winston & Strawn as a partner in the Houston office, where he will continue his complex commercial litigation practice. Strasburger also is the current board chair of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers and serves on the national board of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, based in Washington, D.C. MARK J. CHARNEY (G ’87) retired as professor emeritus in 2012 from Clemson University, where he worked for 27 years. Following retirement, Charney and his wife, SAPPHO HUMAN CHARNEY (G ’84), moved to Lubbock, Texas, where Charney took over the position of chair of the theatre and dance department at Texas Tech University. Sappho Charney works from home for Park Seed as an advertising executive and copywriter. The couple has 20-year-old twins, Alice Randel and Julian Spence, whom they adopted as infants.

Dispatch Robert I. Grossman 1990s CATHERINE CARLTON (NC ’90) was elected vice mayor for the city of Menlo Park, Calif., which is in Silicon Valley. DAVID W. MOORE III (B ’90) announces publication of The Shroud, a piece of fiction about three priests trying to bring about the second coming of Jesus by cloning DNA from the Shroud of Turin. The book is based on a screenplay by Joseph Ferina and Joseph Mashburn. KAREN BOLLINGER DeSALVO (M ’92, PHTM ’92) joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., as the national coordinator for health information technology in January. In October, DeSalvo was named one of Governing Magazine’s nine public officials of the year. JENNIFER VAN VRANCKEN DWYER (NC ’92, L ’95) is now chief operating officer of Jefferson Parish, La. She joined the parish government as chief administrative assistant for business, civic and film industry matters in 2010.

W. BRETT MASON (L ’93, ’94) has joined the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance. Mason is a Martindale AV-rated partner in the Baton Rouge, La., office of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson. He joined the firm in 1997 and represents businesses in the transportation industry. BETH SOLOMON MORITZ (NC ’93), an English teacher at Pattonville High School in St. Louis, received a 2013 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award. She was teacher of the year for her district in 2013. Her husband, JASON MORITZ (A&S ’92), works as a project manager for MasterCard. The couple lives in Chesterfield, Mo., with their two boys, Jake, 13, and Josh, 10. CAROL MILLER (L ’97) announces that her debut mystery, Murder and Moonshine, was released by Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press in December 2013. The book, set in southwestern Virginia, is the first in a series. Miller was featured in the “Breaking In” column of the November/December 2013 issue of Writer’s Digest magazine. IAN C. BARRAS (E ’99), a registered patent attorney with Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux in New Orleans, is secretary of the Intellectual Property Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association for 2013–14. 2000s HEIDI METCALFE (NC ’00) married Samuel Van Dusen Lewis in Bluffton, S.C., on April 20,

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NICOLE JACKSON ANGST (NC ’93) and her husband, Frank, announce the birth of Andrew Jackson Angst on Oct. 1, 2013. Nicole Angst is an attorney for the Metropolitan Sewer District, and Frank Angst is a staff writer for Blood-Horse magazine. The family lives in Louisville, Ky.

MEDICAL LEADER Dr. Robert I. Grossman (A&S ’69) visited the Tulane campus in November at an event hosted by the Premedical Society, meeting with students and imparting his unique perspective on medical school admission and success. After all, Grossman has an intimate knowledge of the experience of applying to medical school because of his position as dean and CEO of NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. Since Grossman’s arrival at NYU Langone in 2007, it has grown in size, scope and prominence. “I never aspired to this job,” says Grossman. “I was always in the moment and focused on trying to be the best that I could be.” When Grossman graduated from Tulane with a plan to pursue a medical degree, he never dreamed he would someday run a world-renowned medical center. “I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time,” he says. “You take that luck and you work incredibly hard and hopefully you’re successful.” Described as an “eternal optimist,” Grossman’s optimism was put to a test when he faced one of the biggest challenges of his career after Hurricane Sandy hit the Eastern Seaboard. The hurricane caused unprecedented damage to NYU Langone’s patient care, research and education facilities and required the safe evacuation of 322 patients. But in the weeks following the devastating storm, Grossman and his executive leadership team stood strong and led the medical center to reopen quickly—and even stronger than before.—KIRBY MESSINGER

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Dispatch Kelly Davis-Felner 2013. The couple lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Sam Lewis is an associate in the Law Offices of Melissa Betancourt. Heidi Lewis is an associate director of publicity at HarperCollins Publishers, promoting celebrity and pop culture books and authors within the It Books division. Editor/publisher STEPHANIE CARTER (NC ’01, G ’07) announces the return of Edible New Orleans, the free quarterly, after a three-year hiatus. Carter is the founder of OKRA, the online magazine of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. She is an alumna of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked as a chef in three countries. HALEY BORUSZAK BORISOFF (NC ’02) and her husband, Shawn Borisoff, announce the birth of Brynn Isla on Aug. 31, 2013, in London. The Hollywood Reporter honored BEN DAVIS (B ’02) among “Hollywood’s New Gen Class of 2013.” Davis is vice president for scripted programming at AMC cable network, where he has worked on “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead.” He is now working on “Turn” and “Halt & Catch Fire.”

PHOTO FROM KELLY DAVIS-FELNER

PAUL HENDRICKSON (E ’02) earned his doctorate in systems engineering from George Washington University in November 2013. He is a major in the U.S. Air Force and is stationed at WrightPatterson AFB, Ohio. Hendrickson and his wife, Tessa, welcomed their first child, Noelle May, in May 2012. VICTORIA HOLSTEIN-CHILDRESS (L ’02) has joined Troutman Sanders as a partner in the financial services litigation practice of the firm’s Washington, D.C., office.

WELL CONNECTED Kelly Davis-Felner (SW ’92) knows the continuing Internet revolution will only be as successful as its next bright idea. Which is why she brings you … Wi-Fi light bulbs? Or how about smartphoneactivated thermostats? There’s even development of a Wi-Fi enabled tennis racket that will provide biometric data on a player’s stroke. Such innovations are “bit by bit” coming to market, says Davis-Felner, vice president of marketing for the Austin, Texas–based Wi-Fi Alliance, a who’s who of global companies that is pushing wireless connectivity in heretofore unexpected ways. She cites another technology that generated similar wonder among consumers when it first came on the scene: “I remember when the idea of a cellphone was completely novel.” “We’re on the second phase of the revolution, in the sense that Wi-Fi is extending into a range of everyday objects that we might historically think of as, if you’ll pardon the term, dumb,” adds Davis-Felner, who joined the Alliance in 2004—virtual prehistory in technological terms. “You’ll hear people one day saying, ‘How did I ever do without this?’ or ‘I can’t imagine a time when we didn’t have this.’” Davis-Felner is one of the most visible figures in the transition. She travels to Asia and Europe up to eight times a year promoting unbridled connectivity and its benefits—from better managing of household electrical consumption to enabling businesses to more effectively automate warehouses. In 2013, 25 percent of homes around the globe had Wi-Fi; during the same time, consumers bought 2 billion Wi-Fi devices. The numbers are climbing, as “seamless connectivity” becomes the way of the world. “People may express skepticism now because they haven’t experienced what it’s like to be able to monitor your external security cameras from your smartphone while you’re lying in bed, for example,” Davis-Felner says. “It’s one of those things that you have to experience to realize what a terrific benefit it is.”—ANDrEW FAughT

M A RCH 2014 TULA NE MAGA ZINE

MARTINA MUSMECI SALLES (PHTM ’03), a registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist, was appointed to the Louisiana State Board of Examiners in Dietetics and Nutrition by La. Gov. Bobby Jindal. She also serves as the Louisiana Dietetic Association liaison and is a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Salles received a proclamation from the St. Charles Parish, La., Council and parish president V.J. St. Pierre Jr. JEREMY COHEN (E ’04) married Diana Kost in May 2013 in Chicago. The wedding party included ADAM GREENFIELD (B ’04, ’05), BRANDON KAPLAN (B ’04) and MICHAEL EPSTEIN (B ’04). Since graduating from Tulane, Cohen received an MS and MBA from Columbia University. He is a director at AVOS Consulting, a boutique life sciences strategy consulting firm. Diana Cohen is a graduate of Northwestern Medical School and is an internal medicine resident at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. ASHLEY PAUL (NC ’04) married Jeffrey Hertz, a Chicago attorney, in October 2013. AMANDA SERUYA KATZ (NC ’04) and RACHAEL KATZ WALSH (NC ’04) were bridesmaids. RAÚL RUBIO (G ’04) announces the publication of his new book La Habana: Cartografías

INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE Michael Hochberg (’12), who majored in political science, landed an internship in the Office of Presidential Correspondence in Washington, D.C.

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Culturales by Aduana Vieja. The book examines the worldwide fascination with Cuba during the last century. Rubio, a Miami-born author who lives in New York, is a professor at John Jay College of the City University of New York. TIFFANY DELERY DAVIS (L ’05) is a shareholder of Liskow & Lewis, concentrating her practice on maritime and oilfield torts and contracts. PAM GILLETTE (PHTM ’06) is an associate and transplant administrator at the Transplant Institute of the University of Southern California. STEPHEN McNAIR (A ’06) is state director for historic sites of the Alabama Historical Commission in Montgomery, Ala. McNair and his wife, Lila, recently relocated to Alabama from Edinburgh, Scotland, where he completed a doctorate in architectural history from the University of Edinburgh School of Architecture. KATHRYN PARKER-KARST (PHTM ’06, ’13) is executive director of Market Umbrella, the nonprofit organization that operates the three Crescent City Farmers Markets in New Orleans and helps other markets nationwide. Parker is married to James Karst, an actor and a journalist at The Times-Picayune. The couple has three sons. CHRIS CALDERWOOD (B ’07) and KELLI STILLEY (B ’13) were married on Nov. 2, 2013, in Punta Mita, Mexico. Chris Calderwood is a managing partner at Calderwood Guven Kelting & Co., a tax firm specializing in corporate and international taxation. Kelli Calderwood is the manager of development at Texas Children’s Hospital. The couple resides in Houston. DANA E. DUPRE (L ’07) has been elected a member of Gordon Arata McCollam Duplantis & Eagan in the firm’s oil and gas transactions and litigation section in the New Orleans office. ZACHARY G. SCHURKMAN (’07) is an associate attorney at Furman Kornfeld & Brennan in New York. His practice is focused in the area of professional liability. He is secretary of the New York City Bar Association Tort Litigation Committee and lives in Manhattan, N.Y. ELLIOTT WIENER (B ’07), director of consumer insights with Razorfish, was named on Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” list in marketing and advertising. Wiener has experience in, among other areas, A/B and multivariate testing, statistical modeling and cookie-level media and site-side analysis. Wiener is president of the Tulane Alumni Club of New York. 2010s Since her graduation from Tulane, EMILY SWIETLIK (’12) has been working with the Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indian tribe to assist in preparing their suits. Her apprenticeship with the Big Chief has included a youth program in the Central City neighborhood.

Stephen Paul Jacobs, emeritus professor of architecture, of New Orleans on Jan. 5, 2014.

Floyd W. Lewis (B ’45, L ’49) of Maryville, Tenn., on Nov. 25, 2013.

Arnaud P. Texada Jr. (E ’36) of Dallas on Nov. 14, 2013.

Blanc A. Parker (B ’45) of New Orleans on Sept. 30, 2013.

Margaret Till Carney (NC ’37, G ’39) of New Orleans on Oct. 21, 2013.

John B. Chiaro (B ’46) of Grand Junction, Colo., on Dec. 2, 2013.

John F. Vogt Jr. (E ’38) of Metairie, La., on Nov. 24, 2013.

Richard James (A&S ’46) of Stroud, Okla., on July 17, 2013.

Chester A. McLarty (M ’40) of Oxford, Miss., on Nov. 23, 2013.

Mary H. Proctor (SW ’46) of Montgomery, Ala., on Nov. 30, 2013.

Floyd W. Newlin (L ’40) of New Orleans on Aug. 27, 2013.

Paul E. Baker Jr. (B ’47) of Pensacola, Fla., on May 16, 2013.

Walter B. Burwell (M ’41) of Henderson, N.C., on Nov. 29, 2013.

Ledyard E. Crites (B ’47) of Lubbock, Texas, on Sept. 26, 2013.

Arnold J. Levy (B ’41) of Metairie, La., on Nov. 14, 2013.

Mary Rymes Oliver (NC ’47) of Monroe, La., on Dec. 10, 2013.

Oscar J. Tolmas (A&S ’41, L ’43) of Metairie, La., on Dec. 2, 2013.

E. Lewis Clements (A&S ’48) of New Orleans on Nov. 6, 2013.

John S. Walker Jr. (A&S ’42) of Greenwood Village, Colo., on Oct 24, 2013.

Elizabeth Browne Fouts (NC ’48) of Hialeah, Fla., on Dec. 7, 2013.

Malcolm D. Arnoult (A&S ’43, G ’48) of Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 16, 2013.

Cortell K. Holsapple (M ’48) of Mount Vernon, Maine, on Oct. 3, 2013.

Leta Covington Batson (NC ’43) of Ridgeland, Miss., on Nov. 17, 2013.

Ralph Slovenko (E ’48, L ’53, G ’60, ’65) of Farmington Hills, Mich., on Nov. 3, 2013.

Edwin B. Groner (M ’43) of Corpus Christi, Texas, on July 13, 2013.

David T. C. Dunn (B ’49) of Metairie, La., on Nov. 23, 2013.

Norman G. Hamm (E ’43) of Littleton, Mass., on Nov. 11, 2013.

Joseph A. Gannon (A&S ’49) of New Orleans on Oct. 9, 2013.

Louis Richmond (A&S ’43) of Northbrook, Ill., on Nov. 9, 2013.

Gerald M. McMillan (L ’49) of McComb, Miss., on Aug. 7, 2013.

Dorothy M. Romano (UC ’43) of Metairie, La., on July 18, 2013.

Jay L. Molony (A&S ’49) of New Orleans on Nov. 9, 2013.

Michael E. Boustany (M ’44) of Lafayette, La., on Nov. 27, 2013.

Edmund M. Reggie (L ’49) of Lafayette, La., on Nov. 19, 2013.

Dorothy Jones Darby (B ’44) of Irving, Texas, on Oct. 9, 2013.

Katherine E. Ricks (NC ’49, G ’57) of Metairie, La., on Nov. 21, 2013.

Eugene C. Grace (E ’44) of Humble, Texas, on Oct. 3, 2013.

Murray Cohen (A&S ’50) of Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 22, 2013.

Edward G. Holmes (E ’44) of Atlanta on Oct. 8, 2013.

JoAnn Flom Greenberg (NC ’50, ’69, G ’71) of New Orleans on Dec. 18, 2013.

John McGraw III (E ’44) of Lake Charles, La., on Nov. 9, 2013.

George E. Passey (G ’50) of Birmingham, Ala., on Nov. 30, 2013.

Jack W. Pou (A&S ’44, M ’46) of Shreveport, La., on Nov. 7, 2013.

Melvin M. Printz (A&S ’50) of Sarasota, Fla., on Sept. 16, 2013.

June Conravey Kissgen (NC ’45) of Bush, La., on Aug. 19, 2013.

Vernon R. Ramke (A&S ’50) of Covington, La., on Dec. 14, 2013.

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PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT Dr. Rodney C. Jung (A&S ’41, M ’45, G ’50, ’53) of New Orleans died on Oct. 11, 2013. He defined contemporary public health in New Orleans, with contributions ranging from venereal disease control to the mosquito control commission to disaster management to the “Jung diapers” worn by the mules pulling the carriages in the French Quarter.

F A R E W E L L James M. Snedigar (B ’50) of Denham Springs, La. on Oct. 11, 2013.

Edgar W. Head (B ’58) of Pensacola, Fla., on Oct. 22, 2013.

Richard A. Graham (B ’66) of Windcrest, Texas, on Aug. 5, 2013.

Charles N. Claytor (A&S ’51) of Pensacola, Fla., on Nov. 19, 2013.

Donald H. Rockwell (M ’58) of Mobile, Ala., on Nov. 25, 2013.

Jerianne Heimendinger (NC ’66, PHTM ’75) of Manitou Springs, Colo., on Sept. 23, 2013.

Walter K. Grant Jr. (A&S ’51, E ’57) of Pascagoula, Miss., on Dec. 12, 2013.

Joseph S. Hernandez (E ’59) of Metairie, La., on Dec. 9, 2013.

Sally Barnes Link (G ’66) of New Orleans on Nov. 1, 2013.

Richard J. Johnson (A&S ’51) of Webster, Texas, on Oct. 30, 2013.

Maureen C. O’Connor (G ’60) of Mountain View, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2013.

Walter P. Little Jr. (M ’66) of Vestavia, Ala., on Dec. 13, 2013.

Michael J. Ruck (E ’51) of Seaside, Calif., on Nov. 26, 2013.

John H. Wachtel (A&S ’60) of Milton, Fla., on Oct. 11, 2013.

Charles A. Moffatt (G ’66, ’68) of Millbrae, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2013.

William R. Vanderwall Sr. (A&S ’51, SW ’64) of New Orleans on Oct. 23, 2013.

Michael A. Berenson (E ’61, ’63, L ’90) of New Orleans on Nov. 30, 2013.

Jack R. Payton (A&S ’66) of Washington, D.C., on Oct. 4, 2013.

Leon S. August (G ’52) of Baton Rouge, La., on Oct. 8, 2013.

John C. Brothers (A&S ’61) of Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 9, 2013.

Myriam B. Ares (PHTM ’67) of South Miami, Fla., on Dec. 1, 2013.

Salvador J. D’Amico (A&S ’52, G ’64) of Metairie, La., on Sept. 28, 2013. Lionel Ehrenworth (A&S ’52, M ’55) of Watchung, N.J., on Oct. 20, 2013. Glenn Langford Jr. (B ’52) of Decatur, Ga., on Nov. 6, 2013. Harry A. Burglass (L ’53) of Diamondhead, Miss., on Oct. 30, 2013. Audrey Breckwoldt de la Houssaye (NC ’53) of San Diego on Oct. 14, 2013. Milton J. Loeb Jr. (B ’54) of Dallas on Dec. 15, 2013. Albert W. Beacham (A&S ’55, M ’58) of Lafayette, La., on Nov. 27, 2013. Lloyd E. Gary (M ’55) of Texarkana, Texas, on Sept. 20, 2013. Paul I. Gomez (B ’55) of New Orleans on Oct. 29, 2013. James L. Tucker Jr. (M ’55) of Alexander City, Ala., on Nov. 14, 2013. August A. Van Jr. (UC ’55) of Metairie, La., on Nov. 13, 2013. Hans Weill (A&S ’55, M ’58) of Flat Rock, N.C., on Nov. 10, 2013.

Lloyd R. Deano (UC ’61) of Metairie, La., on Dec. 3, 2013. Philip E. James Jr. (A&S ’62, L ’64) of New Orleans on Nov. 22, 2013. Mary E. Meeks (SW ’62) of Gainesville, Ga., on Jan. 17, 2013. Judee Bourgeois Morovich (G ’62) of Metairie, La., on Sept. 30, 2013. William P. Boyd (G ’63) of Chapel Hill, N.C., on Nov. 19, 2013. Leroy G. Johnson (L ’63) of Thibodaux, La., on Oct. 17, 2013. Patrick Davis Moody Rogan (A&S ’63) of New Orleans on Nov. 10, 2013. Grant E. Mitchell (L ’64) of Chevy Chase, Md., on Sept. 10, 2013. Thomas W. Popham (G ’64) of Stillwater, Okla., on Sept. 27, 2013. Joseph E. Stolfi (A&S ’64) of Mansfield, Ohio, on Nov. 29, 2013. Howard M. Weinman (A&S ’64) of Wilmington, Del., on Nov. 2, 2013.

Jimmy D. Baines (G ’67) of Ithaca, N.Y., on Oct. 7, 2013. C. Marshall McKenzie (SW ’67) of Shreveport, La., on Sept. 30, 2013. Frieda L. Welch Miles (UC ’67) of Monroe, La., on Dec. 13, 2013. Marshall Sidney Redman (A&S ’67) of Austin, Texas, on Oct. 10, 2013. Thelma C. Groves (SW ’68) of Hurst, Texas, on Dec. 6, 2013. John F. Maybank (A&S ’68) of Charleston, S.C., on Oct. 31, 2013. Lloyd A. Pye Jr. (A&S ’68) of Destin, Fla., on Dec. 9, 2013. Ronald E. Antes (B ’69) of Houston on Oct. 4, 2013. Claudia Avner Newton (NC ’69) of Naples, Fla., on Oct. 11, 2013. G. Hamp Uzzelle III (L ’69) of Mobile, Ala., on Dec. 9, 2013. Jorge L. Bunag (B ’70) of East Brunswick, N.J., on Oct. 12, 2013. Bonnie MacHauer Herberger (NC ’71) of Hammond, La., on Nov. 23, 2013.

Robert L. Hatton (M ’56) of Jupiter, Fla., on Nov. 17, 2013.

Kenneth W. Fonte (A&S ’65) of Metairie, La., on Dec. 16, 2013.

E. Ann Thweatt (SW ’56) of Montgomery, Ala., on Oct. 26, 2013.

Hector H. Henry II (M ’65) of Concord, N.C., on Nov. 28, 2013.

Alan A. Hill (A&S ’73) of New Orleans on Aug. 23, 2013.

Peter J. Bertucci (E ’57) of Clarence, N.Y., on May 9, 2013.

Anne McKim Smith (NC ’65) of Bryn Mawr, Pa., on Oct. 18, 2013.

N. Barrett Self (M ’73) of Springfield, Tenn., on Nov. 12, 2013.

Frazer L. Rice Jr. (UC ’57) of Pass Christian, Miss., on Dec. 4, 2013.

Patricia Luther Chronis (SW ’66) of Chicago on March 21, 2013.

Melanie Iteld Barnum (NC ’74) of West Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 12, 2013.

M A RCH 2014 TULA NE MAGA ZINE

Jay D. Revelson (A&S ’72) of Lebanon, Ohio, on Oct. 23, 2013.

Tribute F. Sheldon Hackney Elizabeth Weber Levy (NC ’74) of Alexandria, La., on Sept. 27, 2013 Keith A. Luis (G ’74, ’85) of Austin, Texas, on July 28, 2013. T. Edward Weiss Jr. (G ’75) of Hampton, Va., on Oct. 1, 2013. Colleen I. Williams (SW ’76) of San Antonio on Dec. 14, 2013. Randy W. Lewis (B ’77) of El Paso, Texas, on Oct. 16, 2013. Cathleen M. Christian (NC ’78) of Mandeville, La., on Nov. 24, 2013.

William C. Thalheim (A&S ’79) of Gretna, La., on Nov. 16, 2013. Joseph D. Denman (M ’80) of Portland, Ore., on Oct. 2, 2013. Mark A. Glass (A&S ’80) of New Orleans on Nov. 29, 2013. Fred Hicks Jr. (UC ’80) of Thonotosassa, Fla., on Nov. 3, 2013. Wolfram H. Enseleit (G ’81) of Dothan, Ala., on Nov. 4, 2013. Kent Bowers (L ’82) of Harrisonburg, Va., on Oct. 5, 2013. Kenneth R. Hill Jr. (M ’83) of Middleburg, Fla., on Sept. 29, 2013. Lance Mathew Lisle (L ’83) of Vancouver, Wash., on Sept. 11, 2013. Elizabeth Stansell Robinson Brinson (UC ’84) of New Orleans on Oct. 30, 2013. Rodney S. Fizer (SW ’86) of Mount Blanchard, Ohio, on Nov. 29, 2013. Laura A. L’Esperance (NC ’87) of New York on Sept. 22, 2013. Charles G. Clary (B ’88) of Carriere, Miss., on Oct. 15, 2013. Jane Bevill Tabot (SW ’88) of Shawnee Mission, Kan., on Dec. 17, 2013. Dale E. Miller (A&S ’89) of Darien, Conn., on Dec. 5, 2013.

Photo FRoM thE tULANE ARChIVES

Lloyd A. Held Jr. (E ’79) of Covington, La., on Dec. 15, 2013.

F. Sheldon Hackney, president of Tulane University from 1975–80, died on Sept. 12, 2013, on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. Hackney left Tulane to become president of the University of Pennsylvania, a position he held until 1993. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed Hackney to chair the National Endowment for the Humanities, a post he held until 1997. TRANSFORMATION OF THE UNIVERSITY When I arrived at Tulane in 1976, Sheldon Hackney had been president of Tulane University for one year. For the four years of his presidency at Tulane, I was privileged to watch Sheldon transform Tulane from an academically strong regional university to a school with a national presence. This was, to a great extent, by bringing outstanding scholars and an ever stronger student body. I saw the public side of Sheldon. He was thoughtful, a consensus builder, and built a strong student body. But I also was able to see the private person. This was due in great part to the fact that Sheldon’s wife, Lucy, always at his side, enrolled and ultimately completed law school. Lucy was a student of mine, and she invited my family and me to No. 2 [Audubon Place, the president’s home]. Sheldon was funny and liked a joke. He delighted in the fact that he allowed my then small children to ride up and down on the elevator. He surrounded himself with interesting and stimulating guests and he loved to talk about politics, often playing the devil’s advocate to be sure that all sides of the issues were aired. When he agreed to take the presidency of the University of Pennsylvania, I and many of his colleagues were saddened. We had lost a great leader. But we knew that many great things were ahead for him. We were right. —PAUl BARRON Barron is emeritus professor at Tulane Law School. James Edward Ott (B ’90) of New Orleans on Nov. 6, 2013.

Patricia Lieveld (PHTM ’94) of San Antonio on Dec. 17, 2013.

Lionel Justin C. Zachery (B ’93) of Cedar Park, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2013.

David R. Osborne (TC ’96) of Potomac, Md., on Nov. 15, 2013.

Darwin J. Liao (M ’94, PHTM ’94) of Seattle on Dec. 10, 2013.

Dana M. Cerise (SW ’01) of Mandeville, La., on Oct. 6, 2013.

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FuNDRAIsINg CHALLENgE Tulane sophomores won the 2013 Class Challenge, a student-led campaign that was launched in November to raise awareness about philanthropy. Overall, the challenge brought in 234 student donors and raised more than $1,300 for the Tulane Fund.

W A V E M A K E R S

Power Forward

Endowed chairs are among the most important gifts to a university because they support stellar teaching and research while ensuring the advancement of knowledge for generations. This fall, two faculty members, Arachu Castro and Wayne F. Reed, were invested into endowed chairs at Tulane. Reed, professor of physics in the School of Science and Engineering and founder of the Center for Polymer Reaction Monitoring and Characterization, was invested as the second holder of the Murchison-Mallory Chair in Physics. The chair was established by a gift from the late Dr. Meredith “Ace” Mallory in honor of his wife, Patricia Ann Murchison. Mallory, a doctor, businessman, scientist and philanthropist, earned a medical degree from Tulane in 1944. Castro, an internationally recognized expert on infectious diseases and women’s health, is the inaugural holder of the Samuel Z. Stone Chair of Public Health in Latin America, Established by gifts from the Zemurray Foundation, the chair is named for the late grandson of its founder, Samuel Zemurray, a businessman, financier and philanthropist. The chair’s namesake, Samuel Z. Stone, was an internationally renowned author, researcher and scholar and emeritus member of the Board of Tulane. The Stone family continues an outstanding legacy of philanthropy at the university, providing for professorships, endowed chairs, scholarships, library holdings, research collections and centers and institutes.—Kirby Messinger

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Generations of Giving

Charles “Rusty” Pickering (E ’91) is on a mission to pay his good fortune forward. When Pickering was in high school, his dad offered him a deal: he could attend any university he chose, as long as he received a scholarship. Luckily, the Dallas native was offered a full-tuition scholarship from Tulane. “It was my engineering degree from Tulane that allowed me to become successful,” he says. Pickering earned a Tulane degree in biomedical engineering and then studied law at the University of Texas–Austin. He is now general counsel for Ingo Money, a financial technology company. He says the deep understanding of technology he gained at Tulane has been a valuable asset in his legal career. As president of the Tulane Alumni Association, he is doing everything he can to raise funds for scholarship support. “My ultimate goal is to fund multiple scholarships to provide other students the same opportunity I had,” he says. Pickering is working closely with the development team at Tulane and the alumni network to strategize ways to increase scholarship dollars for current and future students. “I give what I can each year,” he says, “but I am also compelled to make an even bigger impact by helping to raise money.” Scholarship support makes a tremendous difference, he adds. “Creating opportunities for other students and contributing to their success —that’s extremely powerful.”—Erika Herran For more information on how you can support scholarships at Tulane University, contact the Office of Development at 504-865-5794 or visit giving.tulane.edu.

Opportunities for Others Rusty Pickering, president of the Tulane Alumni Association and a former scholarship recipient himself, contributes to and helps raise funds for scholarships.

NEW CHAIR HOLDER Arachu Castro holds the Samuel Z. Stone Chair of Public Health in Latin America, one of the newest endowed chairs at Tulane.

GIFT TO jEwISH STUdIES Rabbi David Goldstein and his wife, Shannie, have made a generous gift to the fast-growing Department of Jewish Studies, in honor of Scott and Margie Cowen. Goldstein, rabbi emeritus of the New Orleans Touro Synagogue, has been an adjunct faculty member at Tulane since 1978, and he has watched Tulane’s Jewish studies program grow exponentially through the years.

W A V E M A K E R S

Judith Fabian (M ’70) attended Tulane at a time when female medical students were the vast minority. Nationally, only 7 percent of medical students were female. Tulane made the move to diversify the student population and Fabian was one of nine women to enter the School of Medicine—the largest class of females at the time. Now she has been inspired to give back to the Tulane University School of Medicine by including the medical school in her will. Fabian is funding an endowed chair position in the Department of Anesthesiology. Fabian was motivated to make a significant gift to Tulane after reflecting upon her time at medical school. Even though female medical students were a minority, she was always treated equally. In fact, she says that the school supported her when times were tough and tuition money was hard to come by. “Tulane gave me an opportunity, and I’ve achieved what I have because of Tulane,” says Fabian. After finishing her residency at Tulane, Fabian embarked on a career as an academic anesthesiologist. She was director of cardiac anesthesia at the Medical College of Virginia and later chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of New Mexico. Because of her interest in the needs of academic anesthesiology departments, she met with Dr. Frank Rosinia, chair of the Tulane Department of Anesthesiology, to see if her gift could make an impact within the department. Fabian was impressed with the work being done and felt that an endowed chair would aid Rosinia in his vision for the department’s future. “Dr. Rosinia has an inspiring vision for the department,” says Fabian. “He has a young and vibrant faculty that are thriving under his leadership.” The School of Medicine made an impact on Fabian’s past, and she is happy to be part of its future.—K.M.

Henkin Scholars

Tulane students have traveled around the world making a difference—opportunities made possible by the Judith and Morris Henkin Memorial Travel Scholarship Fund. Jill Glazer (NC ’85) and her husband, Avie Glazer, started the Henkin travel fund in memory of her parents, who traveled extensively and instilled that love for travel in their children. Jill and Avie Glazer are the parents of Kendall Glazer (’13) and Libby Glazer (’15). The Henkin ties to Tulane are strong: Jill’s brother Edward Henkin (A&S ’83) and her niece Sydnie Henkin (’12) are also graduates. “The award is something that would have been meaningful to my parents,” says Jill Glazer, a member of the Board of Tulane. “We are giving students the opportunity to do something they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise, something that may change their lives forever.” Three students are given the Henkin travel award every year. Among past winners are Michael Celone (’13), who volunteered in Ghana helping to restore vision to villagers in rural communities, and Amelia Conrad (’13), who brought much-needed supplies to a women’s shelter in Peru. Private support such as the Henkin award allows Tulane to offer students extraordinary experiences, says Newcomb-Tulane College dean James MacLaren. “I believe one of the strengths of a Tulane education is the opportunity provided for students to learn and grow from experiences outside of the classroom,” MacLaren says. “The outstanding generosity of Jill and Avie makes opportunities like these possible.”—Mary Sparacello

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Impact on Anesthesiology

Travel, Learn and Grow Jill and Avie Glazer support travel for students as a way to enhance the Tulane educational experience around the world.

GIFT FOR THE FUTURE

Judith Fabian has provided in her will for an endowed chair in anesthesiology at the medical school.

For more information on how you can support student awards at Newcomb-Tulane College, contact the director of development Jenni Daniel at 504-247-1651 or jdaniel9@tulane.edu.

T UL A N E MAGA Z I N E M A R C H 2 0 1 4

ANGUS LIND A 1966 graduate of Tulane, Angus Lind spent more than three decades as a columnist for The Times-Picayune.

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mark andresen

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Driving to Distraction by Angus Lind If you’ve ever been behind the wheel of a car in New Orleans, you’ve undoubtedly seen something totally unbelievable happening right in front of you that blows your doors off. Like sudden U-turns from the right lane, backing up on an interstate highway, four or five vehicles running a red light like connected tank cars. Hopefully, your doors only got blown off figuratively. There are a lot of “Top 10 Cities With the Worst Drivers” lists every year, and there are many deserving cities. For this column, I chose the 2013 survey of Slate, the online current affairs and culture magazine. Why? Because it looked at some 200 municipalities, used multiple ways of measuring driver incompetence, employed some educated guesswork and rated New Orleans at a lofty No. 6 position. Call my decision to use that survey unabashed civic pride. Now if you’re from Florida, you should get a badge of honor. Five of the top 10 cities, including No. 1 Miami, are on the list. There’s also No. 3 Hialeah, No. 4 Tampa, No. 7 Orlando, and No. 8 Ft. Lauderdale. My hat is off to the Sunshine State. The rest of the list includes No. 2 Philadelphia, No. 5 Baltimore, No. 9 Houston and No. 10 Providence, R.I. Props to all. And for those of you in the Tulane community all over the country who are right about now saying, “Wait a sec, I live in Boston, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., (pick your own city) and we have terrible drivers,” all I can say is: Work harder at it. As a 32-year newspaper columnist and observer of the passing scene here and in other cities, I can tell you that there are towns whose driving habits intimidate me more, such as Atlanta, Los Angeles and Dallas— but that’s because they are all large cities where you spend your time on interstates surrounded by drivers who are NASCAR wannabes. It’s not like that here. Many of the streets we travel on were originally intended for mule-drawn carriages. They are narrow. They curve. They dead

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HANDS ON THE WHEEL New Orleans motorists rank high on worst drivers’ lists.

end, suddenly. They change names. Many are one-way. And much of that is because we are a river city, where street patterns are dictated by the curves of the Mississippi River. It’s hard to believe in this day and age, but you can drive around virtually the entire metropolitan area without ever getting on an interstate highway. Really, about the only area of the city that is a perfect grid pattern with straight, perpendicular streets is the French Quarter, laid out by engineer Adrian de Pauger in 1722. The rest of the city streets resemble a web woven by Spiderman, having had a rough night in the Quarter. The main problem with New Orleans drivers is not that they are dangerously fast commuters —it’s that they are quirky, unpredictable pilots who seem to get distracted easily. Exhibit A: Expect drivers to turn anywhere, anytime without using a turn signal. If you signal, then you’re caving in, you’re actually letting someone know your intention. And that takes the fun out of driving. Exhibit B: There are way too many vehicles on our streets whose drivers do use turn signals. But they never turn, nor do they ever turn their signal off, and you’re left thinking, “Maybe he’s turning here. Nope. Maybe he’s lost and looking for a street. Nope.” He’s just oblivious to that flashing light on his dashboard. You feel like yelling, “Hey, cap, see that blinking light on your dashboard? That doesn’t mean the bakery has hot doughnuts. Turn that sucker off.” Throw in drivers dodging pothole minefields, people who text while driving (even though it’s illegal) and those who zone out when they talk on their cellphones, and it’s not at all surprising we earned a No. 6 ranking. What brings drivers to a dead stop in New Orleans? Nope, not a red light. It’s a sign that says, “Left turn protected on arrow.” There could be no cars coming for blocks, and the light is green, but the driver waits for that arrow. I guess the mentality is: You never know—NASCAR’S Jimmie Johnson might be test driving his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy on Carrollton Avenue. Which takes “better safe than sorry” to a ridiculous level. But that’s why we’re No. 6. EDITORS’ NOTE: In the December Tulane, our editors “corrected” Angus Lind’s copy to read, “In 1812, [Nicholas] Girod became the fifth elected mayor of New Orleans.” Girod was in reality the first elected mayor of New Orleans, which is what Angus originally wrote. We apologize to him, Mayor Girod and anyone who may have been confused by this faulty editing.

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For information on making a philanthropic impact at Tulane University, email shannon.woodward@tulane.edu or call 504-314-7272 or 1-800-999-0181.

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