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COLLEGE OF HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
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ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
FALL 2017 • VOLUME 17, NO. 1
BIG REVEAL 8/14/17 BROWN AUDITORIUM | 10:30 AM
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TO VIEW THE VIDEO: bit.ly/ulm-big-reveal
COLLEGE OF HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
SOMETHING NEW HAPPENED
FROM OUR PRESIDENT
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Dear Alumni and Friends of ULM, If you have been on campus in the last few days, you’ve probably noticed the slight change of color in the cypress trees on the bayou and more students are wearing sweaters to their morning classes. Just as the seasons change each semester, the University of Louisiana Monroe changes too. Recently I presented the annual State of the University address and was pleased to report on some of the things which have happened, and are happening at ULM. I will share just a few with you here.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
For the second year, U.S. News & World Report has classified ULM as a national university. This is quite an honor that shows the programs we offer are competitive on a national level.
Dr. Nick J. Bruno President
We continue to increase the number of offerings, the most recent being the return of the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, which is expected in Spring 2018. Other new courses are gerontological clinical nurse leader, adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, post-baccalaureate account technolog y, Master of Arts in Communications through eULM and a dual enrollment juris doctorate/Masters of Public Administration. Our doctorate of physical therapy has been approved and we expect students in Fall 2019. I am pleased that the budgetary situation is brighter. Fortunately, so far this year there have been no state cuts. In fact, we saw a 5 % increase in state funding. That, with our 2.3 % increase in self-generated funds, brings our 2017-18 budget to $92.1 million. We have been able to hire 40 new faculty
TAKE FLIGHT!
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Nick J. Bruno, Ph.D. ULM President
members and 40 new staff members, bringing the university’s employees to around 800. Among those who have joined us are a new dean of Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences and School of Pharmacy, a director of athletics and a head baseball coach. Fall 2017 enrollment is stable. Looking at ULM’s direct impact on the community, the health sciences programs provide $19 million in services to 44,650 people. The 3,119 student internships are valued at $20.6 million. Being a community partner means promoting the arts and culture, and ULM did this by hosting 165 events which brought more than 84,000 people to the campus. There were 93 athletic events which 126,405 came to see. As you go through these pages you will see many of ULM’s exciting programs and dedicated people. One of our most exciting projects is a rebranding campaign with a powerful new logo which incorporates “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” In closing , I am extremely pleased that the ULM Foundation’s SOAR (Success, Opportunities, Achie ve, Renovation) Campaign, as of Sept. 1, 2017, is at $43,588,178 which is 79% of the $55,400,000 goal. SOAR is essential to the university’s continued success by providing scholarships, research funding, facilities renovation and so much more. Today ULM is progressive, strong and innovative. With your support and commitment, we will continue moving forward – because “The Best is on the Bayou.”
CONTENTS
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ON THE COVER As if looking through a window to the past, the cover image on this issue of ULM Magazine is a tribute to the foundation and history the university was built upon. The photograph is of Brown Hall with the football stadium in the background, prior to 1967 when the stadium was moved. In the center is the new ULM logo, an emblem whose elements are a symbolic combination of the six former names of the University. For the story of how the new branding campaign and the new logo developed, please see the story on page 6 by Director of Marketing and Communications Dr. Julia B. Letlow.
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COVER STORY
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CONTENTS
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ULM’S GREENLEE LEADING STUDY OF LAND SURROUNDING POVERTY POINT
LEGACIE S
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ULM FISHING TEAM AMONG THE NATION’S FINEST ANGLERS
36 TEAM OF DESTINY: A 1987 RETROSPECTIVE
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LEGACIES
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photo by Emerald McIntyre
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MAGAZINE FALL 2017 • VOLUME 17, NO. 1
EDITORIAL TEAM
PRESIDENT Nick J. Bruno, Ph.D. CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Lisa F. Miller (MS ’94) DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Julia B. Letlow, Ph.D. (BA ’02, MA ’05) DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Hope Young CREATIVE DIRECTOR Srdjan Marjanovic (BFA ’12) GRAPHIC DESIGN COORDINATOR Shanette L. Washington (BFA ’02) DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR Emerald McIntyre (BFA ’13) SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST & WATER SKI COACH Joey McNamara EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ULM FOUNDATION & ALUMNI RELATIONS Susan Chappell (BBA ’82, MBA ’87) PRESIDENT, ULM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION W. Adams Rodgers IV (BBA ‘98) DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AFFAIRS Sarah Mouton CONTRIBUTORS Vladimir Jakovljevic Mark Henderson Paul Letlow Jansen Nowell Avery Borrell Jeanette Robinson Paul Ware
Above, Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo takes a Pursuit party pic with the Warhawk cheerleaders. Bottom right, Head Football Coach Matt Viator talks about the upcoming season at The Pursuit.
ULM’s The Pursuit: Aim high in 2017-18 Fant-Ewing Coliseum was filled with University of Louisiana Monroe supporters, fans and alumni Thursday, Aug. 24 for the second annual ULM’s The Pursuit. The event is a kick-off for the 2017-18 academic and athletic year. The Pursuit is named after the Curtis P-40 “Warhawk” fighter planes flown by Gen. Claire Lee Chennault’s Flying Tigers during World War II. The ULM Warhawk mascot takes its name from the planes. ULM videos from the year were highlights of the evening, beginning with the “The Big Reveal,” which introduced ULM’s new logo. The first speaker was President Nick J. Bruno, whose presentation highlighted some of the accomplishments over the past year and some plans for the 2017-18 year.
The ULM Magazine is published for members of the ULM Alumni Association and friends of the University of Louisiana Monroe and friends of the ULM Alumni Association. Send letters & comments to: The ULM Magazine Office of Marketing & Communications 700 University Ave. Monroe, LA 71209-2500
The exciting new video “We Started on the Bayou,” which will be played on ESPN during televised Warhawks football games, was shown for the first time to an enthusiastic crowd. New Director of Athletics Nick Floyd spoke, as did new ULM Baseball Head Coach Mike Frederico, Women’s Head Soccer Coach Keyton Wheeler and Head Football Coach Mike Viator.
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Email: ulmmagazine@ulm.edu
Mary Elizabeth Bridges was presented with the Outstanding Faculty Member Award. Bridges is an instructor in psychology in the College of Business and Social Sciences and works closely with student-athletes.
Any letters or comments may be published and edited for length and style.
Long-time ULM supporter and active alumnus Buddy Embanato received the Scogin Award from the ULM Athletic Foundation.
Contents © 2017 by the University of Louisiana Monroe and the ULM Alumni Association. All rights reserved. The University of Louisiana Monroe is a member of the University of Louisiana System.
The event was sponsored by Ouachita Independent Bank and proceeds benefit the ULM Athletic Foundation.
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HOMECOMING OCTOBER 14, 2017
FROM THE DIRECTOR
MONDAY
10.9
THURSDAY
7 pm Kickoff Pep Rally, Malone Stadium*
TUESDAY
10.10
11:30 am ULM Retirees Luncheon, To RSVP, call 342-5421
WEDNESDAY
FRIDAY 10:30 am
10.11
10.13 Groundbreaking Laird Weems Center 4400 Bon Aire
5:30 pm
Reunions
SATURDAY
10 am Homecoming Awards Brunch, Library 7th floor $10 Tickets available online* 1 pm Homecoming Parade 1-3 pm VIP Alumni Association Tailgate, The Grove 4 pm Football Kickoff, ULM vs. Georgia State, Malone Stadium
*Visit ulm.edu/homecoming for a full schedule.
#ULMHC17
10.14
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5 pm University Mile, Hemphill Hall
10.12
6:30 pm Business Symposium Keynote Curt Steinhorst, Impact of Distractions on Productivity, Student Union Building
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DS A E E W TERH R DS A T C E L E SS N I S BU RD S BILLBOA EPHEMERA VEHICLE S SER VICE PR S OD EM UC TS PL OY EE S
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ULM BRAND
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BIG REVEAL 8/14/17
ES H NS EC O I E T SP NTA E S PRE G ORKIN W T E N TELEPHONE WORD OF MOUTH TRAD E SH DIR OWS E PU CT M BL AI L IC RE LA TIO NS
BY JULIA B. LETLOW
THE BIG REVEAL W
hat’s in a university’s identity? Many would say everything. It’s the heartbeat of an institution— its purpose, experiences, reputation, and memories. It’s the way a person feels when they think about the university or steps onto its campus.
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At ULM in the Office of Marketing and Communications (OMC) we have the privilege of safeguarding this identity, and it’s not an assignment taken lightly. In fact, it guides every step we take and decision we make. Lately, you may have noticed quite a few changes in ULM’s visual identity. We
thought it pertinent to share the story of how we ended up where we are today, with a brand-new, yet somewhat familiar look.
In 2015, the OMC team began conducting extensive research on the university’s identity, or what we like to call “brand” in marketing jargon. It’s important to note that a brand is not simply just a logo, slogan, or a billboard. While a brand includes all of those components, it also includes intangible elements — an attitude, pride, how a person speaks about and perceives the university. All of these factors work together in harmony to create the overall brand. While combing through the many archives available, holding focus groups with
— community members, students, faculty, staff, alumni — and conducting one-onone interviews, it became evident that the university’s brand could be enhanced. This was an extensive process, and numerous themes emerged; many of which will be used in marketing endeavors for years to come. But most importantly during this exercise, it became clear that the only way to identify ways to strengthen the brand was to first acknowledge the university’s rich history. And we found many facts about this great institution that continue to be strong and true. The university began in Monroe,
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During this time, the Junior College became a part of the Louisiana State University System in order to maintain funding and continue to provide higher education in northeast Louisiana. The LSU seal that marks this pivotal time in history can still be found above the door of Caldwell Hall. In 1967, the institution gained financial stability, began awarding four-year degrees, and took a huge leap forward with the
designation as Northeast Louisiana State College. In 1970, the momentum continued with the new name, Northeast Louisiana University. And in 1999, 18 years ago, the official name became University of Louisiana Monroe. As we continued to research, it became clearer that with every name change ULM took a step forward in strength and stature. Instead of viewing change as a weakness, it was undeniable that it propelled us forward as an institution into who we are today. These changes, we realized, should be honored and respected. We also learned that ULM’s strengths are evident in many different areas, including our ever-expanding academic programs that continue to prepare student after student in their respective fields. The beauty found on campus has always been second to none with
Bayou DeSiard winding directly through the heart of campus. The buildings that originated with Brown Hall now sprawl out over an impressive 238 acres, and the iconic art-deco remains a consistent architectural theme. Student life is still as vibrant as ever and growing at record speed. The examples of strength and progression were evidenced over and over again, but we recognized that these characteristics mostly speak to what we “do” as a university. After speaking with so many of you, it became clear that ULM’s strengths are not only found in what we do — our accomplishments, new buildings, programs or events. Our strength lies in how people feel while they are here — it is that sense of family and belonging from the first moment they step foot on this campus — that is what truly sets ULM apart from the rest. ▶
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
Louisiana, on Sept. 28, 1931 in Brown Hall, named after Mr. T.O. Brown, Superintendent of the Ouachita Parish School System, who had the vision to bring post-secondary education to this region. The university started under the name Ouachita Parish Junior College, and began to thrive, but our country would soon face trying times during the Great Depression.
BIG REVEAL 8/14/17 www.ulm.edu
An early photo of the ULM campus.
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BIG REVEAL 8/14/17
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BIG REVEAL 8/14/17
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Our takeaway from the entire market research process was that it is the time spent here on campus surrounded by the beauty of the bayou that continues to connect everyone. It brought generations together from days past, it continues to do so on this very day, and it will continue for future generations — hence our two new slogans were born: “Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.” and “The Best is on the Bayou.”
BIG REVEAL 8/14/17
Once we had the right concept in place it was important to identify a strong and concise visual identity to accompany it — a logo. We set the bar high for ourselves, and wouldn’t accept mediocrity. A strong logo has to be a number of things: historic, memorable, enduring, visually appealing, and most of all, meaningful. A great university logo also finds a way to incorporate three major elements: (1) the full name of the institution — University of Louisiana Monroe (2) The university acronym — ULM (3) and an identifiable icon — the Warhawk. Our Creative Director, Srdjan Marjanovic, designed many different logo options, and ultimately designed one that fulfilled all of these requirements and tested remarkably well with many different focus groups. During the design process, it was important to find common denominators that resonated with all generations. In order
IDENTITY YESTERDAY. TODAY. TOMORROW.
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photo by Srdjan Marjanovic
Evolutionofofthe theULM ULMlogos logosthroughout throughout Evolution thehistory history 1931
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Shared ULM logo elements from the past:
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sans serif font style
Fundamental criteria: Strong, Historic, Memorable, Enduring, Visually Appealing, Meaningful
Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow – University Logo:
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The Warhawk sculpture as basis for the new academic concept using the NLU’s acronym typeface form placed in the center of a circular shape with institution’s full name in a sans serif typeface form on a circular path from previous logos from the past (1931-2006).
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The ULM established year symbolism of re-connecting with the source of ULM history. The Warhawk has the same sense of stature as the Warhawk sculpture on campus. The six feathers or breaks on the letter L symbolizes the six name changes.
illustration by Srdjan Marjanovic
photo by Paul Ware
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BIG REVEAL 8/14/17
Chief Communications Officer Lisa F. Miller presents the new rebranding campaign “The Best is on the Bayou” during The Big Reveal in August.
to do this, we included graphic elements from every prior logo into the new one. The circular shape was recycled from logos past and the circle happens to be the strongest of all geometric shapes. The Warhawk head embedded in the letter “L” is an abstract illustration of the Warhawk head found in the large statue that anchors the campus. The six indentions found on the stem of the “L” mark the six times the university has served this region under different names.
Jarrod Breithaupt, an alumnus and current staff member whose entire immediate family graduated from the university, said
– JARROD BREITHAUPT
After testing the logo with multiple groups, it became apparent that by incorporating all of the elements from past logos that each generation was resonating with it, and it is our hope they will continue to for generations to come.
“I think the new logo perfectly ties together the old cultures of NLSC and NLU and the new culture of ULM. I believe it is allencompassing for our identity. It pays homage to the past, embraces the present, and blazes a new trail into a bright-looking future.” S cott McDonald, a communit y businessman, supporter, and alumnus sent the university a message describing his experience at The Big Reveal, “I appreciate the time, effort, thought and care that went into re-developing this logo. I believe it is so important for all to know how much research was done to pull all these elements together. I first started tagging along with my folks on that campus in the mid-60’s as they continued their education in graduate school, so the images presented today made my eyes well up with tears.” This university that so many of us have called our own over the years continues to be that sparkling gem on the bayou. It is an honor in the Office of Marketing and Communications to find ways to share its many accomplishments, heritage and uniqueness with the world. And it is with great expectation that this new look will continue to unite the past, represent the present, and embrace the future. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow…The best has been and always will be, on the bayou.
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On August 14, the new marketing campaign along with the new logo and concepts were unveiled at “The Big Reveal” in Brown Auditorium. Lisa Miller, Chief Communications Officer, gave a captivating talk on the evolution of the campaign and the new logo to a packed house. Her presentation was recorded live and will be reproduced digitally. Since the big reveal, the feedback from the campus and community has been astounding.
“I think the new logo perfectly ties together the old cultures of NLSC and NLU and the new culture of ULM. I believe it is all-encompassing for our identity. It pays homage to the past, embraces the present, and blazes a new trail into a bright-looking future.”
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
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These sisters were born and reared in West Monroe, Louisiana, and now oversee three successful clothing boutiques across the state. And it all started at the University of Louisiana Monroe. After graduating from West Monroe High School, Cindy enrolled at the university in 1979. “It was such a great time to be a part of the college,” says Cindy. “Everyone was involved and participated in events. From athletic events to concerts on campus, we built such a great camaraderie in the student body.” Cindy, an elementary education major, danced as a Warbonnet all four years, leading the team as a co-captain her junior year and captain her senior year.
Just two years later in 1985, Debbie joined her sister at the university as a fashion merchandising major and the two danced alongside each other on the Warbonnet team. Debbie also became a member of Phi Mu sorority and was very active on campus as well. She delved into her classes, soaking up as much knowledge as possible to fulfill her dream. “I had always dreamed of owning my own boutique and always had a fascination with fashion,” says Debbie. “As a little girl, I would write out the outfits that I planned to wear each month. But didn’t have an extensive wardrobe so I would figure out different ways to wear things and mix and match But I never wore the same thing in a month!”
– CINDY STONE
Over the last 28 years, since they first opened their doors, Debbie and Cindy have used the foundation of their college education and experience to build their business. “Not only do I still use those core lessons and basic knowledge on a daily basis, but we embrace the university as part of our community,” says Debbie “We think it is so important to stay connected and appreciate the treasure that we have in our own backyard.” Debbie and Cindy have remained connected by speaking to classes about their experience, attending athletic events and donating to fundraisers and special events. “Whether you went to NLU or ULM, the university is a part of your life and your community and we have to embrace that,” says Cindy. “We have such great memories and experiences from our time and are excited to be able to give back and allow a new generation to have those same experiences to treasure for a lifetime.” The ULM Alumni Association reaches, connects and celebrates alumni and friends to build lifelong relationships, and commit to the university’s missions of academic freedom, scholarship, diversity, excellence, integrity and service. We represent alumni who honor the traditions of our university and who share a sense of achievement and pride. We create a network of professionals, establish scholarships and advocate for our university through community engagement. Members of the Alumni Association, like Debbie and Cindy, support countless initiatives, and annual memberships are just $35. To learn more or to become a member, please visit our new alumni network at ulm.edu/alumni.
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Cindy graduated in 1983 and started a career in education. When Debbie graduated in 1985, she worked in the fashion industry as a buyer. There she gained experience in merchandising and a true understanding of the fashion industry. She still yearned to own her own boutique, and in 1989, an opportunity presented itself. “A local boutique was available to purchase with two locations, one on Forsythe and one in the mall,” says Debbie. “So Cindy joined me and we each ran a location And that is how Herringstone’s was born.”
Debbie’s daughter, Hanna Herrington Lavergne, a 2009 graduate of the University of Louisiana Monroe, opened a second Herringstone’s location in Lafayette. This year, they brought Monroe native Claire Kostelka on board to open a third store, Heirloom by Herringstone’s in Youngsville, Louisiana.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
“It was amazing to be on the field of Malone Stadium and look up and see people packed to the top,” recalls Cindy, who also participated in the spirit group for the basketball team and led drill team camps in the summer for local and regional high school groups.
“Whether you went to NLU or ULM, the university is a part of your life and your community and we have to embrace that. We have such great memories and experiences from our time and are excited to be able to give back and allow a new generation to have those same experiences to treasure for a lifetime.”
“Girls needed suits and we paired skirts and jackets to give them an updated, youthful look,” recalls Debbie “It was hard to find so we definitely filled a need. And two decades later, we are still dressing girls on homecoming courts … and their moms!”
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Cindy operated the store in the mall for two years, and then they consolidated and ran the flagship shop on Forsythe together. And just as Debbie and Cindy had experienced the pomp and circumstance of football games and homecoming at college, they continue the tradition as their store has become known as homecoming headquarters in the fall.
indy Stone and Debbie Herrington are perfect examples of entrepreneurial spirit, generosity and success, all in their own hometown.
photo by Emerald McIntyre
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COLLEGE OF ARTS, EDUCATION & SCIENCES
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COLLEGE OF ARTS, EDUCATION & SCIENCES
BY MARK HENDERSON
ANCIENT PAST MEETS
HI-TECH PRESENT â–¶
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ULM ARCHEOLOGIST USING GPS TO MAP AREA AROUND POVERTY POINT
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COLLEGE OF ARTS, EDUCATION & SCIENCES www.ulm.edu
ULM professor and Poverty Point World Heritage Site archeologist Dr. Diana Greenlee (right) and archeologist Alesha Marcum walk a field near Poverty Point where they are using GPS to mark the locations of artifacts as they are found.
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photos by Emerald McIntyre
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COLLEGE OF ARTS, EDUCATION & SCIENCES
Dr. Diana Greenlee, explains sections of a core sample taken at Poverty Point. Top left, Greenlee holds a recently unearthed ancient spear point and bottom right, she holds a clay cooking ball, hundreds of which have been found at Poverty Point.
T
he untrained eye sees a pebble, about the size of a pea.
The trained eye sees in the peasized particle a piece of pottery, a tiny part of an intricate puzzle.
“When we walk the fields, we look for artifacts. We flag each artifact and come back with GPS to log the location.” – DR. DIANA GREENLEE
Dr. Diana Greenlee, Poverty Point station archaeologist and University of Louisiana Monroe adjunct professor, has been working to put the pieces together since coming to ULM in 2006. Greenlee studied anthropology at the University of Washington and inquired about the ULM position on the advice of her graduate school adviser who retired and moved to Natchez, Mississippi. The Poverty Point World Heritage Site is an archaeologist’s dream laboratory. The state park just outside Epps in West Carroll Parish was home to a sophisticated Native American Indian culture about 3,400 years ago. The site is known for enormous earthen mounds and ridges, and a large, flat plaza. The earthworks are unique in design. Research indicates the Native Americans who built the mounds did not raise crops but relied on hunting, fishing and gathering wild nuts and fruits.
The ridge is the beginning of an upland, providing safety from flooding. Mississippi floodwaters never covered Poverty Point. The uplands also provided deer and wild foods the dwellers could forage. But below Macon Ridge is the Mississippi River plain. It provided fish and other swampbased foods. The Mississippi River provided one more essential thing for Poverty Point. Trade. More than 78 tons of stone and ore were imported to the site from distances up to 1,000 miles away. Much is known about Poverty Point. Even more is not. The land teases scientists with its mysteries. New research at Poverty Point is looking beyond the traditional boundaries of the World Heritage Site in hopes of revealing clues to the biggest mystery of all. “The one big question,” Greenlee said, “is what happened at the end. Did they just go away? Maybe they depleted their resources. Or did they disperse into smaller groups? We don’t know.” The answers come slowly and through a process of elimination. “We don’t know why they built the mounds,” for instance, Greenlee said. “We ▶
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She believes the Poverty Point builders decided on the spot on the eastern edge of the Macon Ridge, which marks the western terminus of the Mississippi River plain, because “this setting is what we call
an ecotone,” the cusp of two ecosystems. Both spearheads and fish hooks have been discovered on the grounds.
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probably won’t ever know. But we know, through research, that they are not burial mounds and they weren’t platforms for buildings.”
shovels are used to scoop shallow samples. Among the content in the recent scoops of samples have been siding from an old home, some rubber but also slivers from tools and pieces of pottery.
Field research is more about eliminating hypotheses than discovering a holy grail.
The wet spring slowed the gathering of artifacts, but the work soon shifted into high gear. In June, Greenlee hosted ULM field schools. Students came from the University of Southern Alabama and Binghamton University in New York. More than 30 students stayed at the Poverty Point field school dormitory, which can house up to 40.
The state of Louisiana owns and manages Poverty Point. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in June 2014. Poverty Point is also a National Historic Landmark and a National Monument. It is the largest, most complex archaeological site of its age in North America.
Greenlee knows better than to expect a huge revelation. She’s eager, though, to see what the land will offer up.
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The original site plan had five mounds, six concentric C-shaped earthen ridges and a large, flat plaza. A sixth mound was added about 1,700 to 2,000 years later. Historically, research at Poverty Point concentrated within the confines of the park. In February, ULM entered into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism providing for $148,300 in funding for an archaeological investigation of the landscape around the Poverty Point World Heritage Site. Greenlee said the impetus for the project rose from the World Heritage process. Researchers are fanning out to explore 19,422 acres in West Carroll and East Carroll parishes within a radius of about 5 kilometers from Poverty Point. The 5-kilometer radius is regularly used in archaeology as a common boundary for daily foraging among huntergatherers in a resource-rich environment. Greenlee has been able to hire two archaeologists to work on the project, operate field schools and to purchase equipment. On this day, 14 students and a faculty member from Mississippi State University were cleaning samples in water and cataloging their findings. The property being explored is privately owned. Most of it is prime farmland. The tilling, planting and harvesting have taken their toll over the years. Greenlee says there’s no way of knowing what has been lost. “You work with what you find,” she said. With permission of the landowners, the researchers - professionals and students - head out to the fields.
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“When we walk the fields, we look for artifacts. We flag each artifact and come back with GPS to log the location,” Greenlee said. In areas where surface visibility is limited,
“The idea is to enhance the experience of the visitor by being able to tell a fuller story,” she said.
“By documenting the spatial patterning of artifacts, we hope to understand the full range of landscape use through time.” – DR. DIANA GREENLEE
After the field work is done, Greenlee will supervise the building of a database of the researchers’ findings in order to map the distribution of tools and pottery and put them in the context of how the land was used then and now. “We are interested not only in how the people who built the Poverty Point earthworks used the landscape, but also how earlier and later people used the area,” Greenlee said. “We assume that there is a continuous distribution of artifacts across the landscape and that variation in the density and characteristics of artifacts corresponds to different use histories of the land. By documenting the spatial patterning of artifacts, we hope to understand the full range of landscape use through time.” Dr. Jeffrey Alvey, a visiting faculty member from Mississippi working with the students onsite, said his students are getting valuable experience learning how to do archaeological surveys. In return, he said, the students are helping Greenlee to determine how far the people of Poverty Point roamed, what they did out there and whether “there were any outlying contemporary communities outside the core Poverty Point site that supported it,” similar to ancient suburbs. Dean Nones, one of the archaeologists hired for the program and a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native, said working on the project has provided the opportunity to further develop his skills and apply his knowledge. He knew he wanted to do this work since he was 2 and his parents took him to see “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” at a drive-in.
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The project has depended on the willingness of landowners to have strangers walk through their crops. Some have requested the teams wait until the crops are harvested, but no one has refused.
“It’s interesting to learn how invested people are in their landscape,” said Alesha Marcum of Tennessee, the other archaeologist hired to work on the project.
“The response from the landowners has been terrific,” Nones said. The property owners are told that any artifacts found on their land will be returned if they wish after they have been properly entered into the database. They also have a standing invitation to participate in the research occurring on their land. The landowners, mostly farmers, also have the option to donate the artifacts to Poverty Point. If donated, the artifacts will be boxed and added to the those collected over the years. The collection is stored at Poverty Point and managed by Alisha Wright, collections manager for the past 19 years. Greenlee said the landowners will be told when artifacts are discovered.
Marcum is looking at how today’s property owners are using the land as compared to the past, but she notes the strong attachment to the land endures. “It’s the same today as back then,” Marcum said. Some 3,400 years ago, a people populating northeastern Louisiana along Macon Ridge excavated soil in what research indicates were 50-pound basket loads. About 15.5 million of these loads were moved to construct Mound A at Poverty Point, the second largest Indian mound in the United States. No one knows why.
COLLEGE OF ARTS, EDUCATION & SCIENCES
– ALESHA MARCUM
“My hope is that they might want to learn how they can protect the area where there was a finding,” for instance, when building sheds or making other improvements to their property.
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
“It’s interesting to learn how invested people are in their landscape.”
And while Nones hasn’t had to run away from rolling boulders, he did have to high-tail it away from a mother black bear whose cub was in a tree near where he was working since working on the project.
Today, scientists are digging in the ground around Poverty Point again. This time with small shovels and augers, hoping to find answers to questions the ancient civilization left in its wake.
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photo by Emerald McIntyre
www.ulm.edu
Dr. Diana Greenlee, center, Poverty Point station archaeologist and ULM adjunct professor, is joined by archaeologist Alesha Marcum of Nashville, Tenn., left, and Alisha Wright, Poverty Point collections manager, right, after checking a field near Poverty Point where several new finds were marked by GPS and collected for research.
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COLLEGE OF HEALTH &LEGACIES PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
LEGACIE S
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“How honored I am with this Legacy alum feature and it is with gratitude that I continue important work as a ULM Foundation board member. The impact this University had in my life remains viable and the future of many is crucial.”
CINDY ROGERS A 40-YEAR CAREER IN HEALTHCARE CINDY ROGERS, a lifelong resident of West Monroe, retired three years ago from a 40-year career as a healthcare executive in both clinical and leadership capacities. Cindy earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the University of Louisiana Monroe, and holds a master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Her diverse career included multiple roles within the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, St. Francis Medical Center and St. Patrick’s Psychiatric Hospital. Her administrative responsibilities spanned both inpatient and outpatient services including skilled nursing facility, acute rehabilitation, long term acute hospital, psychiatric services, home health, hospice, emergency preparedness, and disability/elderly housing.
“Today I chair the Kitty DeGree Foundation,
Cindy’s executive leadership positions included President/CEO of St. Patrick’s Psychiatric Hospital, Interim President of PACE Baton Rouge, Vice President St. Francis Medical Center, President of St. Francis Medical Center Foundation, and the on-site administrator for St. Francis North. She is licensed as a Board Certified Social Worker in Louisiana as well as a Licensed Nursing Facility Administrator. She served as a trustee with the Louisiana Hospital Association; serving as the 2010 Chair. She was active in the American Hospital Association; serving on AHA’s Region 7 Policy Board. Cindy served a six-year term as the Louisiana Regent for the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is the recipient of multiple awards/
recognitions: • 1981 listed in Outstanding Young Women in America • 1988 Woman of the Year for Ouachita Parish, • 1996 honored as founder of Communities Acting to Benefit Louisiana’s Elderly (C.A.B.L.E.) • 2001 Rotary Paul Harris Fellow • 2003 Governor’s Recognition for her leadership in Emergency Preparedness for N.E. • Louisiana Hospitals • 2009 American Hospital Association’s Grassroots Champion for Louisiana • 2015 Monroe Chamber of Commerce Rambin- Silverstein Lifetime Achievement Award • 2016 awarded the Louisiana Hospital Association Lifetime Achievement Award “How honored I am with this Legacy alum feature and it is with gratitude that I continue important work as a ULM Foundation board member. The impact this University had in my life remains viable and the future of many is crucial,” she said. She is married to her high school sweetheart Dennis Rogers and is a member of Highland Presbyterian Church.
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Cindy is a member of the ULM Foundation and has current and past leadership roles in: Ouachita Council on Aging, ARCO, United Way, Cancer Foundation League, CASA, Communities Acting to Benefit Louisiana’s Elderly and Iberia Bank. She is a trustee and past chair of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce.
a legacy foundation of one of this community’s most cherished philanthropists,” Cindy said. “If you have not seen her name or picture on the ULM campus you are not looking. Among Kitty’s priority interests was ULM. She consistently supported the advancement of ULM with her personal and financial resources and she did it with pride and joy.”
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“My time as a graduate student at ULM not only prepared me to make the transition from classroom teacher to administrator, it also enabled me to continue to kindle my fire for educating myself and others.”
TWAINNA FORTNER CALHOUN PRINCIPAL AT GOOD HOPE MIDDLE SCHOOL Following a legacy of family educators, TWAINNA FORTNER CALHOUN has an over 22-year career in the Ouachita Parish School System. For the past 12 years, she has been principal of Good Hope Middle School. Twainna has also served as a classroom teacher and assistant principal. In 1999 she was honored as Teacher of the Year at A.L. Smith Elementary School and in 2006 was a finalist for Louisiana State Principal of the Year. Twainna holds memberships in several professional organizations and is certified through the National Institute of School Leadership and Louisiana Principals’ Induction Program.
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Twainna has been dedicated to elementary education since graduating from Ouachita Parish High School in 1991. She earned her Master of Administration and Supervision and 30-plus graduate hours from the University of Louisiana Monroe. “My time as a graduate student at ULM not only prepared me to make the transition from classroom teacher to administrator, it also enabled me to continue to kindle my fire
for educating myself and others,” she stated.
throughout our district.”
Her undergraduate degree in elementary education is from Grambling State University. She had the privilege of studying at Harvard University through the Southern Education Foundation. Twainna has completed 15 doctoral hours through Louisiana Education Consortium.
Along with being a general member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Twainna is a sustainer of the Monroe Junior League where she served as the education chairperson. She has served as Monroe Symphony League Book Fair volunteer, Big Brother/Big Sister Advisory Committee member and was nominated as the Quota Club Woman of the Year in 2006. Twainna is a member of Pleasant Green Baptist Church where she has served as a Sunday school and vacation Bible school teacher, is active in the S.E.E.D. ministry and is a member of the children’s ministry.
As a principal, Twainna guides her staff and students through a focus on college and career readiness. She has also made a commitment to working with ULM’s School of Education and helping to foster the educators of tomorrow through the residency program. Ouachita Parish Schools Superintendent Don Coker, Ed.D., congratulated Twainna on being selected for Legacies and praised her work in education, saying, “I am very proud of Mrs. Twainna Calhoun and her proactive approach to educating the students at Good Hope Middle School. Mrs. Calhoun has represented Ouachita Parish as the 2017 Principal of the Year and as a state finalist, she continues to be a great role model for our students, teachers and administrators
Twainna was born in Ouachita Parish to the late Wesley Fortner Jr. and Lula JoAnn Fortner. Of all things achieved in her life thus far, Twainna considers her greatest accomplishments to be her 18year marriage to Abram Calhoun Jr. and the honor of being a mother to her three daughters, Lauren, 14, and 6-year-old twins, Layla and Ava. Her family enjoys traveling, reading, and “enjoying the little things in life!” she said.
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“ULM taught me how to think, stay the course and find a way to build a good life. In my college years ULM helped me become a man who would not quit, but roll up his sleeves to get a job done.”
JOHNNY L. REEVES PRESIDENT AND CEO OF DIXIE SHELL HOMES OF AMERICA, INC. JOHNNY L. REEVES was born in August of 1930 to Charlie M. Reeves and Addie Hortman Reeves. He grew up in Epps during the Great Depression. The poverty and hardships of those years as a boy in West Carroll Parish created in Johnny a deep caring for the welfare of those less fortunate and a vision of what faith, education and hard work could accomplish. Good natured from birth, Johnny could always see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. After graduating from Epps High School, Johnny enrolled at the University of Louisiana Monroe. In 1953 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
As an ROTC cadet in college, when Johnny graduated he was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the Military Police Corps. He served a two-year deployment to Korea.
From 1955 to 1959 Johnny was a control tester for ArkLa Gas of Shreveport. In 1960, he married Carleen Griffin. Then Johnny was ready to begin finding his “end of the rainbow” with his bride and the values that had taken root in his life. That same year, he opened Dixie Shell Homes of America, Inc., and remains president and CEO to this day. Dixie Homes was formed to sell, construct and finance residential housing, which is the foundation for its success over the last 57 years. The storage buildings were added later to the Dixie Homes offerings. Over the years, Johnny’s business has expanded through Louisiana into Arkansas and Texas. Today Johnny is recognized locally, regionally and nationally for his contributions to the home building industry.
His professional memberships, many of which include holding office, are; Northeast Louisiana Home Builders Association since 1975; Louisiana Home Builders Association; National Association of Home Builders; and Louisiana Licensing Board for Residential Contractors. The Reeves are members of First United Methodist Church of West Monroe where supporting faith-based ministries is important to Johnny. He has been a member of the West Monroe Rotary Club for 25 years, which allows him to help the disadvantaged, especially children. Johnny’s philanthropy extends to his alma mater with regular giving to ULM, “to allow northeast Louisiana and even distant lands to be places where poverty is beaten back and opportunities flourish,” he said. Johnny and Carleen have two children and three grandchildren. Johnny summarizes his odyssey with these words, “I want to thank ULM, God, my family and friends for their investment, support and love that have opened doors of possibility to me for such a blessed life.”
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“ULM taught me how to think, stay the course and find a way to build a good life. In my college years ULM helped me become a man who would not quit, but roll up his sleeves to get a job done,” Johnny said.
His tour over, Johnny returned to Epps, and continued to serve another six years in the U.S. Army Reserves. Johnny was honorably discharged with the rank of captain.
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COLLEGE OF HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
“Health Sciences practitioners – such as nurses, pharmacists, and others - have the potential to address the growing healthcare disparity we are experiencing across the country.” – DR. GLENN ANDERSON in Amarillo, including being a founding faculty member in 1996.
Glenn Anderson Jr., became Dean of the College of Health & Pharmaceutical Sciences & School of Pharmacy in August. BY HOPE YOUNG
ANDERSON
COLLEGE OF HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES & SCHOOL OF PHARMACY UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP
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r. H. Glenn Anderson Jr., Pharm. D., began Aug. 1 as the Dean of the University of Louisiana Monroe College of Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Dean of the School of Pharmacy.
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Since 2011, Anderson has been at Marshall University School of Pharmacy in Huntington, W.V., where he most recently served as Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Administration, and Research and Associate Dean of Academic and Curricular Affairs. He was a founding faculty member of the
Marshall School of Pharmacy in 2011. “I am excited Dr. Anderson is joining ULM. He has an impressive background as a scientist, faculty member and administrator, and I am confident he will do a stellar job here. I know that everyone will welcome him and his family as they begin this new chapter in their lives,” said Eric Pani, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs. From 1996 to 2011, Anderson held multiple positions at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Pharmacy,
He earned his Pharm. D. from Ohio State University in 1994 and his Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Drug Information, from Ohio State in 1996. Anderson is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Anderson said he sees the College of Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Pharmacy as poised to significantly improve healthcare in northeast Louisiana. “Health Sciences practitioners – such as nurses, pharmacists, and others - have the potential to address the growing healthcare disparity we are experiencing across the country,” Anderson said. “This represents a true opportunity to ‘make a difference’ in the lives of patients. The College of Health and Pharmaceutical Sciences, housing the diverse programs that it does, is uniquely positioned to address such disparity and make a difference in our community. That’s exciting, that’s something I want to be part of.” Anderson filled the position of Dean Dr. Benny Blaylock, who retired from administrative duties and returned to the classroom.
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WILLIAM H. PRYOR, JR.
ULM Magna Cum Laude graduate, Pre-Law, 1984 Attorney General for the State of Alabama, 1997-2004 Youngest Attorney General in the United States, 1997 Federal Judge for United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, 2004-present
WILLIAM H. PRYOR, JR.
THE B IS O THE B
ULM Magna Cum Laude graduate, Pre-Law, 1984 Attorney General for the State of Alabama, 1997-2004 Youngest Attorney General in the United States, 1997 Federal Judge for United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, 2004-present
COLLEGE OF HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES www.ulm.edu
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
COLLEGE OF HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
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BEST ON BAYOU
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NEW NURSING DEGREES IMPORTANT ADDITIONS TO ULM PROGRAM
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he University of Louisiana Monroe continues to set the standard in health care education with the addition of the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) program.
COLLEGE OF HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
In July the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing began its first class in AGPCNP, which is a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Approximately 20 registered nurses were enrolled, according to Dr. Rhonda Hensley, Associate Director of the ULM Graduate Nursing Program and associate professor in the school of nursing. The AGPCNP joins the Gerontological Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) program, which began in 2016 and will graduate its first class in December 2017.
“ULM has needed this for years and we are all so excited to see this dream come to fruition.”
“As a CNL, they can take charge of a unit and they become the clinical expert and researcher,” Henley said, adding the primary focus is on the clinical management.
– TRACI JORDAN
“It’s like putting a big gold seal on the door of the hospital,” she said.
AGPCNPs are educated to provide comprehensive treatment of acute and primary health care needs of adults and geriatric aged patients.
requirements for a career in nursing. However, the health care industry, and the patients, are seeking more specialized training. These are demands Kitty DeGree School of Nursing is meeting in these post-graduate programs.”
CNL students focus on mid-level and upper management in agencies working with the healthcare of all patients, with an emphasis on gerontology.
University Health Conway Director of Nursing Traci Jordan, MSN, RN, works directly with the MSN programs, and two of the graduate students are on her staff.
IN THE PRESENT, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
“ULM has needed this for years and we are all so excited to see this dream come to fruition. I’ve always encouraged my staff to further their education, especially those that I see future leadership capabilities in. These new degrees will help to expand opportunities for many nurses who are wanting to advance in leadership or advanced practice,” Jordan said.
These programs are two of the most highly demanded MSN degrees in nursing today, according to Director of Nursing Emily Doughty. Doughty, who retired June 30, and Hensley, were instrumental in securing both degrees at ULM. “We felt like we needed to add the gerontology to prepare our graduates for the skills needed for the future of health care (management and gerontology),” said Doughty. “In the health care arena, there is a major concern about a workforce educated to care for the rapidly growing elder population.” Doughty said local health care professionals came to ULM asking for more advanced education for nurses and more MSN programs.
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“Practicing professionals in the community approached us. They see the need first-hand and we are working to fill that need,” Doughty said. “There was a time when a bachelor’s degree in nursing was enough to satisfy the
The CNL program prepares graduates with the management skills needed to operate facilities or clinical health care settings devoted to older patients.
Jordan earned her undergraduate nursing degree in 1998, but had to travel for her MSN. “When I obtained my master’s degree I had to go out of town. I would have much rather attended my local university,” she said.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMS AGPCNPs treat patients age 13 and above. The term “gerontological” can be confusing since the meaning refers to the study of aging and older adults. The combination of “AdultGerontology” is to distinguish the focus of care from pediatrics (the care of infants and children) to the care of adolescents through aging adults.
Having CNLs on staff is an advancement hospitals and health care facilities are proud to have, according to Hensley.
Brittany Killins, BSN, RN, is an instructor at Kitty DeGree School of Nursing, and also a graduate student in the CNL program. “I am fortunate to be enrolled in a rigorous and high-quality program where the faculty members truly value my education. With the growth of America’s aging population, gerontological clinical nurse leaders will be of great benefit within health care,” Killins said. “In addition to the convenience of this online program, I thoroughly enjoy attending clinical and gaining new knowledge from experienced health care professionals within the community.” Both online degree programs have stringent acceptance requirements, including a current RN license, GPA of 2.8 or higher, at least two years working as an RN, and more. In addition to the six semesters of coursework, AGPCNPs must complete 640 clinical hours. CNL students must complete 440 clinical hours while enrolled in the program. The advanced nursing degree programs are supported by the local medical community, with clinical hours being performed at Glenwood, St. Francis Medical Center and University Health Conway. These clinical hours are performed under the guidance of a preceptor, who is a professional working in the field. Many students will also be placed with physicians in clinics outside of the Monroe area. “I love them going to rural communities,” Hensley said.
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COLLEGE OF ARTS, EDUCATION & SCIENCES
Students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry will have the option to declare a concentration in medicinal chemistry, biochemistry or forensics chemistry. BY HOPE YOUNG
CHEMISTRY BACK ON TRACK; DEGREE RETURNS IN SPRING 2018
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he Louisiana Board of Regents approved the reinstatement of the University of Louisiana Monroe Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree at its regular meeting in July.
“It gives us the opportunity to focus on areas recognized around the state as our hallmark.” – DR. NICK J. BRUNO
In 2011, about 100 degrees at state universities were removed due to budget cuts, including chemistry at ULM. Dr. Nick J. Bruno was pleased with the board’s decision, saying, “It’s a great program for us as it is the foundation of many health sciences. Regaining chemistry adds a significant opportunity for those students who are interested in going into a health science or science track.” Anne Case Hanks, Ph.D., Director of the School of Sciences, said reinstating the chemistry degree is an important step for the university.
Chemistry classes are already offered,
The Board of Regents also approved going forward with a doctor of physical therapy program by developing a full proposal. Bruno said establishing a doctor of physical therapy is a progressive move, allowing the university “to expand our health sciences footprint.” “It gives us the opportunity to focus on areas recognized around the state as our hallmark,” he said. Bruno, however, stressed that the sciencebased curriculums are only one aspect of the programs offered by the university. “This does not detract from our other programs in any way,” he said. “We have excellence across the colleges, which continue to develop programs to attract new students to the university, which I encourage.”
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“This strengthens not only the School of Science, but ULM as a whole,” said Hanks, who plans to have the degree program in place for Spring 2018.
and with the redesigned chemistry degree program students have the option of declaring a concentration in one of three areas, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry or forensics chemistry, as well as remaining on the traditional chemistry degree path.
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BY OLIVIA BARFIELD AND JOEY MCNAMARA
SPORTSMAN’S
PARADISE
ULM FISHING TEAM AMONG NATION’S BEST
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CAMPUS NEWS
he bayou is the heart and soul of the University of Louisiana Monroe. Any given day one can see skiers from the water ski team on one side of the levee and students exploring the bayou on kayaks and canoes on the other. However what concerns the ULM Fishing Team lives beneath it. The ULM Fishing Team is a registered student organization open to all students of the university. Each month, the team hosts a scrimmage tournament on local bayous and rivers around Monroe to determine which members will represent ULM at local tournaments and regional tournaments. Competing against schools like Louisiana Tech, LSU, Texas A&M, Baylor University, UL Lafayette, Arkansas Tech, and LSUShreveport, the team has to qualify on the regional level to qualify for nationals. They compete in tournaments hosted and sanctioned by Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) and Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS). “It feels great and it is a privilege to get to compete against the best college anglers in the country,” said Nicholas Joiner, a senior agribusiness major. Recently, the University of Louisiana Monroe’s fishing team won fourth place at the YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship bass fishing tournament on Wheeler Lake in Rogersville, Alabama, over the Memorial Day weekend.
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The win tops off a season of national success for ULM as they are also currently ranked 7th out of 108 in Cabela’s School of the Year 2017 ranking. Representing ULM, Joiner and Tyler
Stewart, a senior business administration major, took fourth place. They were also the highest placing team from Louisiana. ULM took four teams total to the national tournament, three of which qualified on the Ouachita. At nationals, the team of Joiner and Stewart caught 38 pounds, 5 ounces over three days. The team of West Monroe natives competed against colleges from all over the U.S. in the 150-boat field. In 2016, Stewart and Joiner qualified for the national tournament after winning first place at the FLW College Regional bass fishing tournament on the Ouachita River last year. Looking to the 2017-2018 season, the ULM team will participate in a YETI College Fishing regional qualifier on the Red River this semester for a chance advance to the 2018 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship. Joiner will return to fish for one last year and looks forward to another successful season. Stewart, a senior business administration major, will begin his professional bass fishing career in the next year. “It’s nice to end my college career on a good note and to have some forward momentum going into my first year pro this upcoming season,” Stewart said. 2017 Fall ULM Fishing Team: Jacob Andrews, Wes Banks, Hogan Beckley, Jackson Blackett, Kris Chamberlain, Tyler Craig, Slade Daniels, Koby Dortch, Hunter Freeman, Nick Joiner, Spencer Lambert, Luke O’Neal, Zoe Poole, Brandon Powers, Luke Prejean, Stihl Smith, Tyler Stewart.
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CAMPUS NEWS
“It feels great and it is a privilege to get to compete against the best college anglers in the country. So to finish so high up, it was great.” – NICHOLAS JOINER
photo by Jansen Nowell
www.ulm.edu
ULM Fishing Team members Nicholas Joiner holds a nice bass from the bayou while teammate Tyler Stewart holds the rod that caught him.
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TRANSFORMATIONS
CAMPUS NEWS
THE FACILITIES, GROUNDS AND BUILDINGS AT ULM ARE IN A CONTINUOUS STATE OF IMPROVEMENT AND RENEWAL. FROM MAJOR BUILDING PROJECTS TO “WELCOME WARHAWKS” SIGNS, SOMETHING IS ALWAYS IMPROVING WHEN THE BEST IS ON THE BAYOU. L CLUB HOUSE The ULM L Club’s biggest goal in recent years is finally becoming a reality this fall with the completed renovation of the house. A new patio, social room, windows, roofing, kitchen, flooring, and appliances are just some of the upgrades for the house. The L Club board can’t wait for its members to gather at the L Club house, located on Bon Aire Drive on the edge of The Grove within walking distance of Malone Stadium. The first big event in the updated L Club house comes on Sept. 30 with the ULM Hall of Fame reunion.
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For naming rights to the building, rooms, memorials and more information, contact Ronnie Dowling at 318-450-8244 or cowboydowling@ gmail.com. Want to join the L Club? As a former athlete, coach, manager, trainer, mascot, cheerleader,
Warbonnet, ski team member, Ten Little Indian or Hawkline member you are invited to join the ULM L Club. Whether you’re up for renewal or coming on board as a new member, now is the time to join the L Club for the 2017-18 season. Opt for an annual membership for $50 or join as a lifetime member for $600. Annual membership to the L Club and Alumni Association is $85 or $100 per couple. The L Club is funded exclusively through the financial support of its members. L Club members enjoy socializing in the Tailgate Terrace scene at every home football game. It’s one of the perks of becoming a member. LAIRD-WEEMS CENTER In May, Susan Hoffmann, president of the University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation, announced the Foundation’s plans to construct a $1.5 million administration center on campus for the ULM Foundation and Alumni Affairs team.
“We are excited to see the connections with alumni, friends, faculty and students are growing and bringing a spirit of excellence and innovation to our campus.” – SUSAN HOFFMANN
The football program continued to utilize Brown until Malone Stadium opened in 1978. Although the men’s and women’s track teams have called the facility home for 50 years, there have been no major renovations to the building since its relocation. Because of its aging track, it had been four years since ULM played host to a home meet at Groseclose Track. The architectural rendering for the Laird-Weems Center.
The new center, located at 4400 Bon Aire Drive alongside Bayou DeSiard as a welcoming point of entry to the campus, is scheduled to be completed in 2018. Following a competitive solicitation process for a design-build project, Blue Heron Homes, L.L.C. has been contracted as the designbuild contractor and Catalyst Design, L.L.C. is the architectural firm. The two-story, historic collegiate design facility will be approximately 9,500 square feet with 6,748 square feet heated.
A fundraising appeal and request for proposal were issued in 2016, and the design-build contractor selected this quarter 2017. In recognition of the vision and leadership set forth by Billy Laird and Don Weems, their families and friends have generously invested in the 4400 Bon Aire center and it is named in their honor as the Laird-Weems Center. “The ULM Foundation’s vision of a regionally top university with a compelling campus experience attracting students and alumni has inspired us to this innovative new construction to reinvigorate our role and connection with the community,” said Hoffmann. “We are excited to see the connections with alumni, friends, faculty and students are growing and bringing a spirit of excellence and innovation to our campus.”
“Improvements to Brown Stadium and Groseclose Track are long overdue,” ULM President Dr. Nick Bruno said. “These improvements will provide multiple benefits to our teams, the community and the region.” ULM Facilities, Inc., will administer the project, with its anticipated cost of approximately $5 million. The Monroe/West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau made a very sizable and generous contribution. “Obviously that track serves as a community asset. You see people running, jogging and walking out there all the time. It will continue to serve the community as well as the athletic teams,” Bruno said. New offices for track and soccer coaches, locker rooms, equipment storage areas and public restrooms will all be part of the planned first-floor improvements. The press box will be renovated and overall exterior aesthetics and the parking lot will see improvements too. ULM is aiming to complete the project by the spring of 2018. Originally erected as a Works Progress
The women’s soccer program made its debut in 1999 at Brown Stadium and played seven seasons there. The team moved to the ULM Soccer Complex next to The Grove in 2006 but will regain a lighted field and other improved amenities. ULM’s commitment to preserve the facility means that student-athletes will continue adding chapters to Brown’s lore for years to come. STUDENT EVENT CENTER Construction is on schedule for the new $7 million student event center, located on Bayou DeSiard at the site of the former natatorium. The facility will include a ballroom that will seat 550, a theatre that will seat 83, an outside amphitheater, and a practice area for ULM’s spirit groups. There will also be a large deck area overlooking the bayou. Tim Brandon Studios of West Monroe and Traxler Construction of Monroe are responsible for the architecture and construction. “This facility will do so much, not just for ULM but for this community. It will provide a beautiful facility that members of the community can gather, whether it’s for a wedding or reunion or for a conference, and comfortably seat 550 in here and provide our teams – our dance team, our cheer squads — a permanent place where they can practice,” said ULM President Dr. Nick J Bruno. The facility is scheduled to open in fall 2018.
BROWN STADIUM The artist’s drawing of the exterior and parking lot at Brown Stadium.
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“The Laird-Weems Center is a tremendous asset not only to the campus, but to the region,” said ULM President Dr. Nick J. Bruno. “With this project the Foundation makes clear its dedication to ULM and its vision for the continued progress of the university.” The University of Louisiana Monroe’s storied Brown Stadium is receiving some long-awaited
CAMPUS NEWS
In 2014, the ULM Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping ULM grow by facilitating major fundraising efforts, began discussing renovations to the Anna Gray Noe Alumni Center which was built in 1974. The estimated costs to renovate the existing structure to comply with building code requirements and needed functionality were close to the cost of new construction.
loving care, including stadium renovation, and construction of a new track and soccer fields at 340 Warhawk Way.
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Administration project for $45,000 in 1938, Brown Stadium stood across the bayou as home to the football team for nearly three decades. As the campus expanded, the university relocated the steel-frame structure to its current location in 1967. The relocation contract of March 15, 1966 included building a new track.
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SWEARINGENS CREATE LEGACY WITH ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP
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r. Lawson and Mrs. Sharon Swearingen have established an Endowed Professorship in Political Science at the University of Louisiana Monroe, funded by a $60,000 contribution.
Swearingen said their decision to endow the professorship was largely influenced by his own experience as an undergraduate student in political science (ULM Class of 1966) and later as a law student.
Swearingen will create a lasting endowment to support our outstanding faculty who directly impact our students’ lives and eventual success,” Berry said. “We sincerely appreciate the Swearingens’ gift.”
The announcement of the Swearingens’ legacy was made June 14 at the ULM Library, which was constructed under Swearingen’s tenure as university president from 1991 to 2001.
“I had a great four years here and it prepared me for what was ahead. I went to Tulane Law School … I was in a class with graduates of Princeton and Stanford and Notre Dame, University of Chicago, Duke and Vanderbilt and all these. I was as well prepared as any of them because of the education I received here,” he said.
Another factor for the Swearingens in creating the endowed professorship, is the couple’s personal connection to the university.
CAMPUS NEWS
“It’s fitting that we have this event in the library because Dr. Swearingen was instrumental in getting it built,” said President Nick J. Bruno in his welcoming remarks. “It is a legacy we all enjoy.”
After completing law school, Swearingen returned to ULM where he was an assistant
“Sharon and I met here. I may not have met her except I was president of the student government and this beautiful, vivacious brunette came up to qualify for freshmen class treasurer, and the rest is history. We will celebrate our 50th (anniversary),” he said.
“It’s fitting that we have this event in the library because Dr. Swearingen was instrumental in getting it built.”
photo by Jeanette Robinson
– DR. NICK J. BRUNO Swearingen practiced law in Monroe for 22 years, and during that time served for 11 years in the Louisiana State Senate. Swearingen noted the need for studying politics, especially in today’s political climate.
Holding the check for $60,000 to establish the Lawson and Sharon Swearingen Endowed Professorship in Political Science at ULM are, from left, Dr. Josh Stockley, Dean Ron Berry, Lawson and Sharon Swearingen and President Nick J. Bruno.
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“Although he left the university (retired), he remained connected. He and Sharon continued to be supportive of this university,” Bruno said. “On behalf of your university, thank you so much for your gift … gifts to our students and gifts to our faculty that help our students, there is no greater gift.”
professor of business law. Dean Ron Berry of the College of Business and Social Sciences, thanked the Swearingens for their vision in creating the endowed professorship. “The generous investment from former President and First Lady Lawson and Sharon
“Everyone in this room recognizes the importance of politics. Politics affects every area of our lives in this community and this state and this nation. Whether it’s economical, social, physical, social, mental state or even religion. It impacts everything.” Dr. Josh Stockley, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the ULM Honors Program, thanked the Swearingens for the endowed chair saying, “It’s going to benefit faculty, but ultimately, I think it is going to benefit our students, and ultimately our community.”
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A CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS NEWS
BY HOPE YOUNG
ULM, MISS. COLLEGE PROVIDE PATH TO
DUAL JD/MPA PROGRAM T
he University of Louisiana at Monroe and Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss., have entered into an agreement that will provide an opportunity for students to attend both institutions concurrently in pursuit of both a Juris Doctorate ( JD) and a Master of Public Administration (MPA). Students would apply separately to each institution, and receive the MPA from ULM and the JD from MC. As part of the arrangement, students could apply up to six semester hours from the MPA toward their JD degree, and up to 12 hours from their JD toward their MPA degree.
– DR. JOSHUASTOCKLEY
“The dual MPA/JD degree program with MC Law will separate ULM from other online-only MPA programs and will broaden career opportunities for our graduates in the fields of public administration and law,” Stockley said. “We are excited to establish this partnership with MC Law, as they are an accredited legal institution with an outstanding reputation for producing respected legal scholars.” In June the University of Louisiana System Board of Directors approved the Memorandum of Understanding between President Nick J. Bruno and MC President Lee Royce.
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“We anticipate that this dual award arrangement would be implemented Jan., 8, 2018, at the earliest,” stated ULM Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Camille.
“The dual MPA/ JD degree program with MC Law will separate ULM from other online-only MPA programs.”
Joshua Stockley, ULM School of Behavioral and Social Sciences Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, said offering the dual MPA and JD programs creates more opportunities for ULM students.
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BY HOPE YOUNG
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
MICHAEL FEDERICO STEPS UP TO THE PLATE AS BASEBALL COACH
I
n the summer, University of Louisiana Monroe President Nick J. Bruno named Michael Frederico the 12th head baseball coach in the history of the university.
being drafted. He started his coaching career as graduate assistant and volunteer coach at Southern Miss in 1997. The Golden Eagles participated in the 1999 NCAA Regional during his last season there.
Team captain, head coach, pitching guru, recruiting ace and winner are just some of the terms used to define Federico. He is a Louisiana native, born in Slidell, and has more than 20 years of experience in the college baseball coaching profession.
ATHLETICS
The last nine seasons Federico was at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, where he served as assistant coach, responsible for pitchers and catchers. During those nine seasons Southern Miss won five Conference USA Championships and participated in four NCAA Regional Tournaments. The 2017 season culminated in a school record of 50 wins. His time at Southern Miss was also highlighted by 21 players being drafted including 14 pitchers. In 2012, Southern Miss was recognized for a recruiting class that ranked third nationally and in 2015 Federico was named Assistant Coach of the Year by Conference USA. In the 2015 season Southern Miss posted a conference low ERA of 3.14 while setting a school record with 10 shutouts. Prior to joining Southern Miss in 2009, Federico was an assistant baseball coach at the University of Memphis, Tennessee, again responsible for pitchers and catchers. He helped lead the Tigers to a NCAA Regional appearance in 2007, its first berth since 1994. Memphis enjoyed back-to-back 30-plus win seasons in 2006 and 2007. During his five years at Memphis, the Tigers had 12 players drafted including seven pitchers.
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Federico enjoyed tremendous success as a head coach at Meridian Community College in Mississippi, leading his squad to two World Series appearances in his three seasons as head coach. He was honored as Region XXIII and Southeastern District Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, he led the Eagles to 46 wins and finished in ninth place in the World Series tournament. His time at MCC also included 15 players and 9 pitchers
Federico began his collegiate career at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss., where he was the starting catcher. Hinds participated in back-to-back Junior College World Series appearances. He continued his playing career at Southern Miss where Federico served as team captain his senior year. Pictured above, ULM President Nick J. Bruno, right, presents new head baseball coach Michael Federico with his ULM jersey. Below, Michael “Coach Fed” Federico with his wife Hannah and children Brycen, Isabelle and Hayden. photos by Emerald McIntyre
Federico attended Pope John Paul II High School in Slidell, where he was named AllState, All District, All Metro as a catcher and team captain. He is married to the former Hannah Sosa of Bush and has two sons, Hayden and Brycen and a daughter, Isabella.
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photos by Emerald McIntyre
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The new University of Louisiana Monroe Director of Athletics Nick Floyd speaks at a press conference this summer. BY MARK HENDERSON
AD NICK FLOYD:
ULM PROGRAM HAS 4 POINTS T “We want to win. That’s important. That’s why they keep score,” Floyd said. “We will position ourselves to be competitive in all sports in the Sun Belt Conference.” But Floyd said he refuses to win at all costs. He explained he will build the ULM athletic program based on a four-plank policy emphasizing principles: • ULM will operate at the highest degree of integrity. “We will never give up principles for a victory,” Floyd said. • An emphasis will be placed on student athlete welfare, he said. “We will provide our student athletes with the best experience they can have – and they will graduate.” • Everyone associated with the program will represent ULM in a positive way, Floyd said. • The program will be fiscally responsible. Floyd promised to be very aggressive in pursuing money to support the program, but committed to managing those funds responsibly. Floyd said supporters in the room are vital to the success of ULM athletics. “We need you to be a part of us. We can’t do this all by ourselves.”
“It’s a quiet movement that’s gaining momentum,” Bruno said, and believes Floyd will quicken the pace. He said all who know Floyd point to four characteristics that will help ULM – he’s a man of integrity who works hard, is committed to success and has demonstrated an ability to build networks within a community.
FLOYD’S BACKGROUND Floyd came to ULM after serving since 2001 in athletics administration at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. In 2004 he was named executive associate director of athletics. At ECU, Floyd’s responsibilities included financial and operational oversight of a $40 million per year athletics program. With his leadership, there were record-setting donations, ticket sales and attendance. During his career at ECU, Floyd served as senior associate director of athletics (200103) and interim director of athletics (200304). Floyd is familiar with the region, having spent 12 years at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. His athletic management roles at USM included assistant athletic director (1986-88), associate athletic director (1988-94) and senior associate athletic director (1994-98). Prior to joining ECU, Floyd served as
Nick Floyd
Conference USA Associate Commissioner (1998-2001) in Chicago, Ill. Floyd’s passion for college sports and education is part of his upbringing. His father was a football coach and administrator and for 12 years the athletic director at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. His mother was a lifelong high school educator. At the news conference, Floyd paid tribute to his parents and mentors. The chance to be an AD is one of the reasons Floyd chose to come to ULM. But there is more. It puts him closer to his daughter, who lives in Mississippi. Floyd introduced his wife, Elizabeth, and his daughter, Suzanne. Floyd also said the community won him over. “There’s a deep caring and love for this institution in this community,” he said.
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Bruno said the hiring of Floyd was the next step in the continuing effort to build the athletic program. “We can say we have a lot of work to do, and we do,” he said, but pointed out some recent highlights, including
the hiring of a new baseball coach, the softball team’s winning of 30 games for the first time, the women’s tennis team winning the Sun Belt tournament and improvements in basketball.
ATHLETICS
he University of Louisiana Monroe’s new Director of Athletics Nick Floyd says he intends to lead the program to success on the field, but not at the cost of giving up principles.
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FEATURE STORY
Players and cheerleaders celebrate the 43-42 win over Marshall that made the University of Louisiana Monroe, then Northeast Louisiana University, the I-AA National Champions 30 years ago in 1987.
BY PAUL LETLOW
TEAM OF DESTINY:
A 1987 RETROSPECTIVE T
his season ULM’s unforgettable “Team of Destiny” celebrates the 30th anniversary of its 1987 National Championship.
“It was just a great season and so unifying,” former head coach Pat Collins said. “Not only for our football team and our school but also for the whole community. It was unbelievable how people rallied around that football team. It just made you so proud. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal.”
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The former Northeast Louisiana University football team finished 13-2 overall and capped that memorable season with a 43-42 win over Marshall in the I-AA title game. The campaign featured last-second victories, high-scoring shootouts and legendary figures like Collins and quarterback Stan Humphries, who remain a major part of school lore. “It became a point where we just didn’t give
up when games looked out of reach,” former AllAmerica offensive lineman John Clement said. “We worked that much harder and we actually knew we were going to win a lot of these games. You look back and there were probably seven games where we could have quit, but we knew we were going to win and we did it. The further I get away from it and look back, the less I believe what we did. It’s just amazing.” ULM is still the only university from Louisiana to win the I-AA championship. As they have in past milestone years, members of that team will reunite this fall on the University of Louisiana Monroe campus to celebrate battles won, reminisce and catch up on the years since their time together. The most recent reunion came in 2012 when ULM’s L Club inducted the entire 1987 team into the
“It became a point where we just didn’t give up when games looked out of reach.” – JOHN CLEMENT
school’s Hall of Fame.
Much has changed in the past three decades on campus. Beyond the university name change and switch in mascots from Indians to Warhawks, the football program now competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision or what was known as Division I-A. The campus itself has been transformed too -- old landmarks like Olin Hall are gone, replaced by updated living quarters. The impressive library, opened in 1999, stands tall along the bayou. These former players are older too of course, but still bound together across time by the memories and lessons of their heroic season. Their accomplishments are a huge part of ULM’s tradition. “I’ve yet to come across anything in life other than immediate family that had that family relationship like we had in that locker room,” Michel said.
“He knew what kind of players he needed to go recruit,” Humphries said. “He was a guy you loved to play for. He could motivate you to play. He wasn’t afraid to have a good time together, but when it came time to practice we had to get it right.”
The fourth game, with the most amazing and exciting finish in school history, provided evidence that this team was special and started the whispers of destiny. With 16 seconds to play and no timeouts in Natchitoches, ULM went 87 yards and scored on a 48-yard pass from Humphries to tight end Jackie Harris for a 33-31 victory over Northwestern State. “We were already halfway to the bus when the last couple of plays happened,” Clement said. “The ball bounced off four people and Jackie Harris caught it. It really taught me not to give up and think that you can’t do it.” ULM flirted with danger at Northwestern but that wasn’t the wakeup call the team needed. A week after winning on a “Hail Mary” pass, the team endured a crushing 48-28 loss to Lamar, a team that would finish 3-8. The loss would also cost Humphries his starting job for three games as back-up Walter Phythian came in and threw for 209 yards and ran for 102.
“We had some tough times,” Collins said. “We were number one in the nation when we went to Lamar and got beat. We came back and were all down in the dumps. That’s when we made a change and it proved to be a good change for that particular ballgame.” Phythian would start against defending I-AA champion Georgia Southern the next week and direct a 26-17 victory. Humphries never saw the field as ULM utilized four field goals by star kicker Teddy Garcia. ULM fell again the next week as Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) won at Malone Stadium, 17-7. Humphries and Phythian alternated at quarterback, a plan that failed as ULM gained just 226 yards. “We stunk it up,” Collins said after the game as his team slipped to 5-2. “Sloppy wasn’t the word for it. I don’t know if there is a word for it.”
“We believed in our coach,” said former defensive back Richard Green. “Pat Collins had that heart. He was that type of person. He kept everybody thinking the same way that he did.”
Collins had a knack for pushing the right buttons on a team though, and he was prepared to make the necessary adjustments.
Humphries was the triggerman in an offense that was nearly unstoppable. ULM averaged 414.9 yards and 30.4 points per game that season. Humphries threw for 2,622 yards and 22 touchdowns during the regular season and added another 1,397 yards and 11 touchdowns in four playoff victories.
“We split time with them and got beat by USL,” Collins said. “We made the firm decision that we were going to go with Stan and Walt understood that. He didn’t like it but he understood. All of a sudden, boom! It all worked itself out.” “Coach Collins and his coaching staff were good with just giving you enough to figure it out without doing it all for you,” Michel said.
“He had some monster games in the playoffs,” Collins said. “It was unreal.” The defense was the best in the Southland Conference during the regular season, allowing 303.8 yards and 19.9 points per game. Games were higher scoring in the playoffs but the defense made plenty of timely plays when needed.
After the loss, Collins made the change back to Humphries at quarterback, igniting the offense that would overwhelm opponents for the rest of the season. “He knew how to push at the right time and when to pick you up and give you a pat on the backside when you were down,” Clement said. In the next game Humphries passed for 388 yards and three TDs to beat McNeese 37-10. These eventual champions would not lose again. ▶
FAST START AND THEN A LULL Quarterback Stan Humphries looks for an opening in ‘87. Humphries threw 22 touchdowns in the regular season and 11 in the playoffs.
BACK ON TRACK The ninth game brought a 34-24 win over
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“We always liked to say that we bent but didn’t break,” said former linebacker Duke Marcus. “Yeah, we gave up some points but we came up with some plays when we needed to.” The opening chapter to 1987 was satisfying enough.
Terry Jones stops a Natchitoches defender in the nailbiter that ended with a 33-31 ULM victory over Northwestern.
FEATURE STORY
Collins, a member of the Louisiana Sports Halls of Fame, was the dynamic coach who stirred all the ingredients together.
Those road victories were followed by a 26-14 triumph over Nicholls State in the first home game before a crowd of 19,683, as fullback Tommy Minvielle burst 55 yards for a touchdown on fourth down and Cyril Crutchfield intercepted two passes.
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
“We’ve kept all these guys together over the years,” said former offensive lineman Blair Michel. “They are like, ‘I can’t wait to bring my kids back to show them. This is what we talk about all of the time. This is what I tell them.’”
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The team rolled to 44-7 routs in each of the first two games, crushing rival Louisiana Tech before the biggest crowd in Tech history (24,975)—the fifth consecutive win over the Bulldogs—and then slamming Southwest Texas (now known as Texas State).
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Division I-A Southern Miss, led by future NFL quarterback Brett Favre. ULM was the only I-AA school to beat a I-A team with a winning record that year as Southern Miss finished 6-5.
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
ULM claimed a share of the Southland Conference title in Week 10 by beating North Texas, 24-23, in the “Southland Showdown,” as Humphries threw for 310 yards. The game was another example of the team’s increasing flair for heart-stopping performances. After leading 21-0, ULM faltered and allowed North Texas to come back. A North Texas touchdown with 1:23 remaining narrowed the score to 24-23. Good fortune intervened again for ULM, as North Texas coach Corky Nelson elected to kick the extra point instead of trying for two and the win. Shockingly, Keith Chapman’s kick hit the right upright and bounced back. Chapman, perfect on PAT’s all season, had missed and ULM had won.
32 quarterfinal win over Eastern Kentucky is the stuff of legends. Humphries passed for 486 yards and gained 521 yards of total offense. Garcia, who missed two field goals earlier in the game, boomed a 48-yarder with 14 seconds remaining to win it for ULM. Collins called it the most exciting game he’d ever coached. “The loudest I ever heard that stadium was when Teddy kicked that 48-yard field goal,” Collins said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a crowd that loud. It was unbelievable. I haven’t forgotten it to this day.” Incredibly, ULM would top that performance for excitement with a double-overtime thriller the next week to advance to the championship game. In the 44-41 semifinal win over Northern Iowa at Malone Stadium, ULM squandered a 21-0 lead, then let Northern Iowa tie the game at 41-41 on a touchdown and two-point conversion.
“Even when things got bad, there was always that feeling that we would find a way to come back and win a football game,” Collins said. “We had a great kicker and an outstanding quarterback with Stan, outstanding receivers and running backs and we played great defense when we needed to.”
FEATURE STORY
Even as a co-conference champion, ULM needed a Week 11 win over Arkansas State to claim one of the 16 I-AA playoff spots. Arkansas State wasn’t even in the Southland anymore after leaving in 1986. But because ULM couldn’t schedule all three of the new teams in the Southland, the Arkansas State game was a designated conference game. After falling behind 21-0 in the first half, ULM rallied to win 31-21. Humphries threw for 351 yards and a touchdown to carry the team into its postseason for the ages. “Lord-a-mercy, what a game,” Collins declared when it was over. POSTSEASON DRAMA ULM enjoyed the good fortune to play host to three playoff games at Malone Stadium, which certainly helped the cause and built momentum for the team.
“When we won it, those potatoes came flying out of the stands,” Collins said. “I told those players to put their helmets back on. Those things were like rocks.” THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME The I-AA season concluded that year in the Minidome, the quirky indoor home of Idaho State. ULM and the Thundering Herd from Marshall put on a show in a nationallytelevised game that produced more than 1,000 yards of total offense. Humphries tossed three touchdowns and passed for 436 yards. His quarterback counterpart Tony Peterson threw for 474 yards. ULM needed its own comeback this time after trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter. Humphries directed the game-winning drive and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 7:19 remaining. “I remember the talk that I gave to the offensive line and the players on the sideline when it was looking real rough,” Collins said. “I said, ‘Are we really just satisfied just to get to this game? Or are we going to be satisfied if we win this game?’” Garcia’s PAT stood as the winning margin, thanks to a few timely plays from a ULM defense that had drawn criticism by allowing more than 400 yards per game through the playoffs. “You had to be a big-play defense,” Collins said. “You had to come up with a big play every so often to keep you in the ballgame. That’s what we did.”
Teddy Garcia kicks a 48-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining for a 33-32 win over Eastern Kentucky.
In the first overtime, Northern Iowa lost a fumble at the ULM 3 while Garcia missed a potential game-winning field goal. In the second overtime, Garcia found redemption with a 41-yard field goal. Northern Iowa’s kicker missed his 38-yard attempt and ULM – despite giving up 547 yards – was headed to the title game in Pocatello, Idaho.
The beleaguered unit, which gave up 576 yards in the championship game, contributed a fumble recovery by Richard Green at the ULM 7 with three minutes left and a 14-yard sack by Troy Brown. Finally closing the door on Marshall, safety Perry Harper intercepted a pass with 56 seconds remaining to seal the win. “Something I took from it was you never give up,” Green said. “There’s always a better outcome to a bad situation. When you think you’re totally out of it, you’ve got a teammate or
“It was wild and it was crazy,” Humphries said. “People were excited about what was going on. They kept talking about how close the games were and how much scoring was going on. It was during the holidays so we didn’t have the huge, huge crowds. But the people who were there were into it.”
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The first-round playoff game on Nov. 28 was the calm before the storm for ULM. The team had a dangerous rematch with North Texas, but took care of business with a 30-9 win at Malone Stadium. Linebacker Duke Marcus recorded 16 tackles and an interception, as the defense delivered its best performance of the playoffs. Here’s where it really got interesting. Back at Malone Stadium the next weekend, ULM’s 33-
Coach Pat Collins surrounded by players after another win during that powerhouse season of ‘87.
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In 2012, the L Club inducted all the members of the 1987 team into the ULM Hall of Fame.
somebody that can do something big.” “Once or twice is lucky,” Clement said. “But when you do it five, six, seven times throughout a season, it’s not luck anymore. It’s just the way the guys played together and the way we fought.” BACK TO THE FUTURE
– DUKE MARCUS
“All of us were kids back then,” Michel said. “I went to Northeast as a 17-year-old freshman in college. The biggest thing that stuck out to us after years of thinking about it was, what a great way to learn to grow up with a leader like Pat Collins and the rest of his coaching staff. We all think that what molded us into the people we are today are the lessons that we learned there.” Since banding together in 1987, players and coaches have enjoyed continued successes in life too. A few like Humphries and tight end Jackie Harris played pro football but they also own businesses, work in law enforcement, farming, sales, banking, coaching and other professions. “I’m proud to have been associated with those guys,” Collins said. “It was a special group. We emphasized the academic part of it so much to get it right. I’m not surprised at all at the successes these guys have had in whatever fields that they chose to go into.” Sure, they won the title at the end. Yet they also learned lessons for a lifetime while giving ULM and its fans an amazing thrill ride along the way.
“It taught me throughout life not to quit anything,” Clement said. “You can go forth and
Coach Pat Collins with his 1987 trophy for Chevrolet Coach of the Year for Division I-AA.
there’s no limit.” “What we did then, said Michel, “reflects on what a lot of us are now.” TO THE VICTORS … In addition to the 1987 NCAA I-AA Championship trophy, ULM also won the Kennedy Cup, awarded annually by the National Football Foundation and the Timmie, the championship trophy presented by the Washington (D.C.) Touchdown Club. Each player also won his personal championship trophy, a $285, 10-karat gold ring, crested by a garnet stone and big “1” in synthetic diamonds. Head coach Pat Collins won the Chevrolet (voted by CBS Sports) and Football News Coach of the Year Awards, while defensive tackle Claude Brumfield and offensive tackle John Clement were named consensus first-team All-Americans; quarterback Stan Humphries and kicker Teddy Garcia were first-teamers on at least one All-America squad; and defensive back Cyril Crutchfield was a second- team selection. – Honors compiled by Bob Anderson
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Said Marcus: “We learned things like teamwork, coming together for a common goal, hard work and working through adversity. All of that is so true in what I do every day.”
FEATURE STORY
“We learned things like teamwork, coming together for a common goal, hard work and working through adversity. All of that is so true in what I do every day.”
Fast forward to the present, when these men still take great pride in all that they accomplished in 1987. ULM and the community that thrilled in their season then is always proud to welcome them back.
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BY HOPE YOUNG
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
NCAA RECOGNIZES 3 ULM TEAMS
FOR ACADEMIC STRENGTH
photo by Jonathan Weiss/Bigstock.com
ATHLETICS
T
he NCAA has named three University of Louisiana Monroe athletic teams to the top 10 in Division I for outstanding academic achievements.
Coach Keith Richard is extremely proud of the basketball athletes, and credits the hard work of many people in reaching this milestone.
The Warhawks men’s basketball, men’s golf and women’s cross country teams have each received the Public Recognition Award for an NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate in the top 10 percent of all squads in their sport.
“Seven years ago, our program was academically at rock bottom,” Richard said. “Through a team effort, from Dr. Bruno to appointed committees, academic counselors, athletic and academic administration staff, assistant coaches and student athletes, we now are being recognized nationally how well this program is doing academically. As an alumnus and the head coach, it has been extremely gratifying to be a part of.”
The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams. The top APR score is 1,000. Men’s golf and women’s cross country both scored a perfect 1,000 and Warhawks men’s basketball scored 995. All three coaches were thrilled with the awards and acknowledged the intense demands on student athletes.
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Golf coach Tim Baldwin said, “I am very proud of our team for their commitment to excellence on the golf course and in the classroom. Our players have bought in and will continue to set new standards for the program and university.”
Women’s cross country coach J.D. Malone said this is an important honor for student athletes off and on the field. “I’m very proud that our women’s cross country team is being recognized for having achieved this high honor. It reflects the hard work put in not only in athletic training but also in the classroom,” Malone said. ULM Director of Athletics Nick Floyd congratulated the coaches and the student athletes for their achievements.
“We are proud that these three programs are ranked among the best in the nation in the team APR rankings, and it shows a commitment by these respective coaches and student-athletes to achieve at the highest level,” Floyd said. “Congratulations to Coaches J.D. Malone, Keith Richard, and Tim Baldwin and the student athletes under their direction, they certainly deserve this recognition for this tremendous accomplishment.” ULM is among only 306 Division I schools chosen for Public Recognition Awards. This year, 1,203 teams were recognized for academic performance: 746 women’s teams and 457 men’s teams or co-ed teams. The total number of teams being recognized increased by 132 from a year ago, largely as a result of an increase in perfect scores. Scores for programs in the top 10 percent ranged from 984 to a perfect 1,000, with 1,090 teams earning a perfect score. The most recent APRs are multiyear rates based on scores from the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years.
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photos by Emerald McIntyre
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Anne Lockhart
Hannah Livingston
BY JOEY MCNAMARA
ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS
ALUMNI HONOR
LOCKHART, LIVINGSTON GOLDEN Arrow Award – ANNE LOCKHART The Golden Arrow Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an alumnus or alumna for outstanding personal and professional achievement. The 2017 winner is Anne Lockhart, former Monroe Chamber of Commerce board chairman and recent retiree from the ULM Foundation & Alumni Relations. Lockhart is very involved with the Monroe community. In 2002, Lockhart was elected to the Chamber of Commerce as board chairman. She was the first woman to hold this role. To this day, she serves on the boards of the Junior League, United Way of Northeast Louisiana, and the Chamber of Commerce.
Known for her passion and dedication to all her projects, Anne’s upbeat and positive energy are contagious and only matched by her dedication to the ULM community.
In 2010, Lockhart received the prestigious ULM Alumni Association’s Service Award. When reminiscing on her time at the University, “the best part about my job [was] that it provided me a chance to become friends with people who are also passionate about this university.” RISING Young Alumni Award – HANNAH LIVINGSTON The Rising Young Alumni award is given to an alumnus or alumna who exemplifies school spirit, appreciates the value of education and makes time to engage with their alumni community. The Rising Young Alumni Award is presented to Hannah Livingston. Livingston currently serves as the regional representative for U.S. Sen. John Kennedy. She is responsible for representing Kennedy and supporting constituents in the area. She uses this position to keep the Louisiana senator
aware of all events, awards and recognitions that ULM receives as well as other issues and concerns that impact constituents in Northeast Louisiana. Prior to her position with Sen. Kennedy, she worked at CenturyLink as a senior strategic analyst. She also was the campaign director for the senate campaign of Stewart Cathey, Jr. and also as a political consultant in Northeast Louisiana. Livingston earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2010 from ULM and received her Master of Business Administration in 2011. Since graduating, Livingston has a been an active member of the Ouachita Parish Alumni Association and serves on the Wine over Water committee. She regularly helps with Night of Champions and serves as the sole community member for the ULM Quality Enhancement Plan Steering Committee for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Accreditation. “ULM gave me numerous opportunities through various student leadership roles while receiving my undergraduate degree, “remarked Livingston, “[ULM] gave me a diverse and amazing group of life-long friends, the confidence and courage to be a leader in my community, and lastly, ULM helped me realize my true passion in life, serving others.”
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In 2017, Lockhart was the recipient of the prestigious Ramblin-Silverstein Award by the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. The award criteria is based on a nominee’s contributions over many years of service, leadership ability, and evidence of their personal, professional and business integrity
Lockhart received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from ULM in 1986. Prior to her degree, she studied at Louisiana State University before becoming a bank teller. Lockhart then worked her way all the way from entry-level bank teller to the vice president of commercial lending. Using her experience in commercial banking, she worked for the ULM Foundation for 20 years.
44 BY MARK HENDERSON
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
ULM FOUNDATION PRESENTS
6 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE photo by Emerald McIntyre
FOUNDATION AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Six faculty and staff at the University of Louisiana Monroe were recognized Thursday with the prestigious ULM Foundation Award. Presenting the awards were Foundation Executive Director Susan Hoffmann, left, and ULM President Nick J. Bruno, right. Winners were, from left, front, Andria Price, Kelli Cole and Dr. Matthew E. Talbert and in back, Hoffmann, Karen Witek accepting for her husband, Dr. Aaron J. Witek, Dr. Pamela Higgins Saulsberry, Dr. James Boldin and Dr. Bruno.
F
our University of Louisiana Monroe faculty members and two staff employees were the 2017 winners of the ULM Foundation Awards of Excellence. The awards were presented Aug. 18 as part of ULM President Dr. Nick J. Bruno’s State of the University address at Brown Auditorium. This was the annual presentation of the awards, with each winner chosen based on a set of standards determined by a selection committee. DR. MATTHEW E. TALBERT, assistant professor of biology in the School of Sciences, was presented the Award for Excellence in Research. Talbert and a team of student researchers are studying the effects of altered diets on fruit flies in hopes of unlocking the secret to human obesity.
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“Being obese is not a health concern on its own,” Talbert says. “Not all obese people become ill. But many do.” Certain illnesses recur in unhealthy obese people, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Talbert is searching for the trigger, that moment. “I want to know what causes a person to go
from obese and healthy to obese and sick.” Among the findings so far: The lifespan for flies with altered diets are cut in half. These same flies demonstrate cardiac difficulties, insulin resistance and sluggishness. Talbert’s first manuscript as senior author has been prepared and submitted to Cell and Molecular Life Sciences for publication in 2017. At the Endocrine Society’s Endo 2016, Talbert’s graduate student presented a poster at an invited symposium for students from minority backgrounds. If an educator’s success can be found in his or her students, consider this: Of his past and present research students, four undergraduates have been accepted to medical school while four are pursing enrollment in biomedical PHD programs. Although Talbert teaches 12 contact hours of some combination of lecture and laboratory work each semester, including upper level and graduate courses in genetics human physiology and biomedical ethics, he believes the most important work comes in the research lab. “In the lab, what I feel to be the ultimate classroom, my students and I
generate and share ideas in a setting in which they chart our mutual successes or failures, elevate one another with mutual expectation, acquire practical skills in our discipline and push at the boundaries of fact in the field.” DR. JAMES BOLDIN, an associate professor of music at ULM, won the 2017 ULM Foundation Award for Excellence in Creative and Artistic Activity. Boldin has been on the music faculty teaching French horn since 2012. He has had the distinction of hold the Dr. William R. Hammond Endowed Professorship in Liberal Arts and the L.M. McNeely Endowed Professorship in Humanities. During his career at ULM, Boldin has traveled nationally and internationally as a clinician, soloist, author, arranger, performer and educator. His performances and presentations have taken him to San Diego; Chicago; Memphis; Highland Heights, Kentucky, for the International Women’s Brass Conference; Los Angeles, where he performed the world premiere of Gary Schocker’s In Arkadia for horn and
field of study,” Witek says.
He also participated in a series of performances and master classes in Thailand at Mahidol University, Silpakorn University and the Royal Thai Navy Music School. The trip was funded in part by a Career Advancement Grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts. Boldin authored the grant request.
Accomplishments by Witek’s students include:
Boldin plays with three different regional orchestras. He is the fourth horn for the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, third horn for the Rapides Symphony Orchestra and is the principal horn for the Monroe Symphony Orchestra. “Performing with these ensembles is important not only for my own artistic development, but also because it allows me to share what I have learned from these experiences with my students,” he says.
DR. AARON J. WITEK, assistant professor of trumpet, is the winner of the ULM Foundation Award winner for Excellence in Faculty Teaching. Unable to attend, his award was accepted by his wife, Karen Witek. Witek, the Emy-Lou Biedenharn Endowed Chair, Instructor of Trumpet from 2013 to spring 2016, has been on the ULM faculty since 2013 and served as assistant director of athletic bands from 2014 to 2016. As assistant director of athletic bands, he designed the drills, arranged music, conducted rehearsals and organized the band travel. Witek’s recruiting efforts increased the size of the band by 29 percent from 2014 to 2015. In 2016, the ULM winter color guard, under his direction, won the Louisiana state championships. Witek is responsible for teaching applied trumpet to undergraduate and graduate music majors, trumpet studio, directing the trumpet ensemble, coordinating and coaching chamber music ensembles, assisting with administrative duties in the brass area and performing with the faculty ensemble in residence: Black Bayou Brass.
• Participation by the ULM Trumpet Ensemble for the first time last year in the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Anaheim, California. The ensemble performed at the conference and was the only Louisiana group invited. DR. PAMELA HIGGINS SAULSBERRY knew early in life that her ambition was to help people. As a social worker, she has committed her life to just that. “After I began working at the University of Louisiana Monroe there was never a time when I was not involved in service provision either on campus, in the community or in the region,” Saulsberry says. That commitment to helping others has earned Saulsberry the ULM Foundation Award for Excellence in Service. Saulsberry joined ULM in 2008 as department head of the social work program. Since 2014, she has been director of the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, professor of social work and the program coordinator. She is a past recipient of the Northeast Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation Service Award, CAMEO Award for Outstanding Leadership in Education for March of Dimes, Association of Black Social Workers’ Regional Humanitarian of the Year, Delta Sorority Woman of FIRE Award for Community Service and Together We Can “Linda Christmas” Families and Children Award. She serves on the Masur Museum of Art Board of Directors and has previously served on the GO Care Board of Directors. She has been instrumental in developing the MLK Day of Service. She has grown the program to include students, staff and faculty from across the campus, and individuals from across the region. She always works with a community partner to help those in need through the Day of Service. For the past three years, Saulsberry has been a volunteer reader for the United Way of Northeast Louisiana’s Read Learn Succeed program. Saulsberry, in reflecting on her service, says, “Taking the time to sit and read to and with a young child may not seem like a major contribution to some. However, this seemingly small but important volunteer service exemplifies my service philosophy, which the following quote from Martin
Price was selected because of her significant contributions to the college, the university and the community. Price joined ULM in July 1990 as a secretary in the Department of History and Government and the Department of Foreign Languages. In May 2004, she was promoted to administrative assistant III in the CAES, and she moved to her current position in December 2013 when the College of Arts and Sciences merged with the College of Education and Human Development. In her role, Price works closely with graduating seniors, auditing their transcripts and degree plans before submitting them to the registrar and prepares checkout materials for the seniors to submit to the registrar. She collects and uploads syllabi of courses into the Flightpath system. She supervises student workers and assists students, faculty, administrators and visitors. Price also is an active member of Macedonia Baptist Church, where she has been involved in the church’s annual “Back to School New Shoes Give-A-Away.” KELLI COLE is the winner of the ULM Foundation Award for Excellence in Service – Unclassified Staff. She is a research analyst in the Office of Assessment and Evaluation and an instructor in the School of Humanities. Since joining ULM in 2005, Cole has served as Staff Senate president, the ULM United Way Campaign Coordinator and Committee Commencement chair. She has been an active member of the Monroe Junior League since 2014. Cole has volunteered at a local soup kitchen and the Back to School Bash at Lenwil Elementary and served as Volunteer Coordinator for the League’s activities at the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk, the PAWS Pet Parade, the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo Day, Chennault Aviation Museum, the Center for Children and Families, the Salvation Army and Mercy Multiplied. Cole also is deeply involved at Grace Episcopal Church and School, which her son attends. At the school, she is serving on the Fall Festival, Gator Greenery and Gala Silent Auction committees. She co-wrote the school’s strategic plan. At the church, Cole has taught Adult Sunday School, Children’s Church and has led a workshop for Working Parents of Young Children.
■
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“Among all aspects of my job, the students’ educational success is my primary concern. I have had the pleasure of educating dedicated students who have been successful in competitions, admitted into graduate programs and becoming employed in their
• Placing as division finalists in the Music Teachers National Trumpet Competition;
ANDRIA PRICE, an administrative assistant in the College of Arts, Education and Sciences dean’s office is this year’s ULM Foundation Award for Excellence in Service -- Classified Staff.
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FOUNDATION AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
In addition, Boldin’s achievements include that of recording artist. His solo recording “Jan Koetsier: Music for Horn” was released on the MSR Classics label in 2013. Fanfare Magazine praised Boldin in a review for his “superb playing … on an extraordinarily high level of both technique and communicative abilities.” Two more recordings on the MSR Classics label are in the pipeline.
• Winning International Trumpet Guild scholarships;
Luther King Jr. epitomizes: “Everyone can be great. Because anybody can serve.”
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
harp; and Ithaca, New York.
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ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
COLLEGE OF HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
After establishing the SOAR campaign in 2013, the University of Louisiana Monroe has seen a surge in support from the community in an effort to propel the university forward during continued budget challenges facing Louisiana higher education. ULM’s constituents, with help from the ULM Foundation, have shifted the University’s future by helping to advance its mission of preparing students to compete, succeed, and contribute in an ever-changing global society.
SUCCESS www.ulm.edu
of its students is a major focus of ULM’s culture of excellence.
OPPORTUNITIES for innovative academics define ULM’s commitment to excellence.
ACHIEVING a competitive edge for ULM Athletic programs is a challenge that must be met.
SOAR with us, as we reach #newheights!
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ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
We are excited to help ULM continue its legacy of creating opportunities for people from northeast Louisiana and beyond. SU S AN BANOWSKY Producer
COLLEGE OF HEALTH & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
SOAR Campaign Total Goal
RENOVATION of existing facilities and building of new facilities ensures a quality livinglearning environment at ULM.
318.342.3636
By December 2018 Total Committed Toward Campaign
$46,378,063
Percentage of Goal Reached
83.7%
www.ulm.edu
ulm.edu/soar
$55,400,000
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ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
ALUMNI CL A S S NOTE S
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
photo by Emerald McIntyre
1948 Cecil Johnson is married to Esther Johnson. He is a retired high school teacher and resides in Slidell. He was a member of both basketball and baseball teams while at ULM.
1963
K. Joe Di Maggio resides in San Augustine, Texas and is married to fellow ULM graduate Millie Wendorf Di Maggio. Ronald Nader is married to Peggy Nader and resides in Longview, Texas. Virginia Kalinowski is married to Jerome Kalinowski. She is retired and resides in Bulverde, Texas.
1964
Elbert Dyer is married to Marian Dyer. He is retired and resides in Baton Rouge.
1966
Don Ross is married to fellow ULM graduate Janet Beard and resides in Knoxville, Tennessee. Julian Johnston is married to fellow ULM graduate Beth Johnston and resides in Calhoun.
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1969
Joyce Stringfield is married and resides in St. Louis, Missouri.
1970
James Galpin resides in Brookshire, Texas.
1971 Jerry Mcgowen is married to Gail Mcgowen and resides in Harvey. Michael Wainwright is married to Marty Wainwright and resides in Brevard, North Carolina.
1972
Charles Miller is married to Donna DeNiece Miller and resides in Monroe. Richard Cravatts resides in Framingham, Massachusetts. He has published over 400 articles, op-eds, and book chapters on topics including anti-Semitism, Israel, higher education, academic free speech, and Constitutional law.
advisor for Wells Fargo Advisors.
1980
Julie O’Brien resides in Phoenix, Arizona and is a manager for Telesoft. Rosie McDaniel resides in Lake Providence. Sharon Vines is married to William Vines. She is a corporate secretary for Rinchuso’s Plumbing & Heating. Renee Bellanger is married to Robert Moyer. She resides in San Antonio, Texas and is a professor at the University of the Incarnate Word.
Robert Wyche is married to Sherri Wyche. He resides in Benton and is a commander at Caddo Parish Sheriff ’s Office.
Maribeth Sherman is married to fellow ULM graduate Michael Stuart Sherman (’84). Maribeth is a special education teacher for Concordia Parish School Board. Michael is a pastor of Vidalia, Sevier Memorial and Jonesville for the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. They reside in Vidalia.
Byron Gauthibj is married to Colleen Gauthibj. He is retired and resides in Tomball, Texas.
Randy Shelly is married to Sarah Shelly and resides in Ovilla, Texas.
Wade Hebert is married and resides in Lake Charles.
Stanley Bass is married to fellow ULM graduate Alicia Bass. He resides in Dallas, Texas and is a police sergeant for the city of Dallas.
1973
1974 1975 1978
Jeffrey Hawley is married to Pam Hawley. He resides in Monroe and is a FVP and financial
1982 1983
Thomas King is married to Melissa King. He is a regional vice president of the Behavioral Health
49
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
Network for Hartford Healthcare and resides in Chaplin, Connecticut. Tieise Ardito is married to Tracey Ardito and resides in Monroe.
1984
David Weinell is married and resides in Destrehan.
1986
Susan Banowsky is married to William Banowsky and resides in Austin, Texas. Jay Jones is married to Karyn Jones. He resides in Monticello, Arkansas and is a financial advisor for Edward D. Jones & Co.
1987
Dorothy Minor resides in Monroe.
1988
Carla Turcotte is married to Robbie Turcotte. She resides in Minden and is center director for Sylvan Learning Center.
1992
Tami Rolen-Tharp is sales account executive for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. She resides in Eros.
1993 Donna Saterfiel is married to Charlie Saterfiel. She resides in Calhoun and is the CEO & President of Family Convenience Clinic.
1994
Kristen Nicholson resides in Metairie and is Associate Director of Marketing at Loyola University New Orleans. DeQuetta Sanders is a counseling psychologist for the Department of Defense and resides in Fort Rucker, Alabama. Julie Breithaupt is married to Tracy Breithaupt. She resides in Alexandria and is a pharmacy manager for Rapides Regional Medical Center. She was installed as the Louisiana Pharmacists Association President in July 2017.
1996
Lori Adams is married to fellow ULM graduate Jeff Adams and resides in West Monroe.
1998
Jessica Louque is married to Brien Paul Louque Jr. She resides in Monroe and is a general reference librarian for the University of Louisiana Monroe Library.
1999
Joseph Ventimiglia is married to Tiffany Ventimiglia. He resides in Farmingville, New York and is a teacher for North Babylon School District.
2001
2009
Leslie Wells is married to Christopher Wells and resides in Bellmore, New York. Adam Day is married and resides in Clinton, Mississippi. Maggie Generoso is married to fellow ULM graduate Ken Generoso. She resides in Monroe and is a Teacher at Monroe City School.
2010
Kelsea McCrary was a member of 31 Ambassadors, CAB and Student Publications while at ULM. She resides in Monroe and works in Recruitment Marketing for CenturyLink. Chrissy Williams resides in Monroe and is a teacher at Monroe City School.
2013
Amber Torres resides in West Monroe and is married to Manuel Torres. Danique van der Velden resides in New Orleans. Philip Petit resides in Farmers Branch, Texas. Miranda Andrews is married to Keller Andrews. She resides in Lubbock, Texas and is a research assistant at Texas Tech University. Brittany Carson was a member of American Meteorological Society while at ULM. She resides in Grand Forks and is a research assistant at the University of North Dakota.
2014
Lorie Lundy is married to Ben Lundy and resides in Brandon, Mississippi. She received her doctorate in educational leadership from Mississippi College in 2016.
Kathleen Durham resides in Houston, Texas and is a lead scheduler and planner for Jacobs Engineering.
Lakatisa Price is married to Toby Price and resides in Calhoun.
Rendi Dillard is married to Phillip Dillard and resides in Minden.
2004 2005
Jonathan Gaubert is married and resides in West Monroe. Antti Kemppe is married and resides in Jyvaskyla, Finland.
2008
Michael Davis is married to fellow ULM
Melissa Riley resides in Monroe and is a juvenile clerk for Ouachita Parish District.
Geena Nellis resides in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
2015
Whitney Rogers is married to fellow ULM graduate Matt Rogers. She is a clinical pharmacist for North Oaks Health System and resides in Madisonville.
2017
Allison Crotwell resides in Monroe.
www.ulm.edu
2007
photo by Emerald McIntyre
graduate Kristi Davis and resides in Monroe.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Carol Powell (’92, ’97) is married to Lynn Powell. She resides in Monroe and is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner for St. Francis Medical Center.
photo by Paul Ware
50
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
RETIREMENTS
ULMMAGAZINE FALL 2017
PRESIDENT: W. Adams Rodgers IV (BBA ‘98)
SEPTEMBER 2016 Melissa V. Melancon
PRESIDENT ELECT: Sara Benecke Brice (BA ‘90)
DECEMBER 2016 Coralie H. White Frances W. Gregory Mildred Lewis Roland Hendrix
PAST PRESIDENT: Brenda B. Dudley (BBA ‘84, MBA ‘86) VICE-PRESIDENT: Julie Harlan O’Brien (BA ‘80) SECRETARY-TREASURER: Wally Mulhearn (BS ‘85) REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS: AREA 1:
Ashley Aulds (BS ’14, MBA ’15)
AREA 2:
Brian Allen (B.A ‘90)
AREA 3:
Joseph Beard (B.S. ‘09)
AREA 3A: Matt Bridges (BS ‘05) AREA 4:
Todd Burgess (BGS ‘92)
AREA 4:
H. Wade Earnheart (BBA ‘72)
AREA 5:
Lance Futch (BBA ‘95)
AREA 5:
Renée Hebert (BA ’98, M.Ed. ’00)
AREA 5:
Dr. Jeff Hood (BA ‘91, MA ‘94)
AREA 6:
Jamie Hilburn (BA ’04)
AREA 6:
Gerald McHenry (BS ‘85)
AREA 6:
J. Eric Newton (MA ’11)
AREA 6:
Doug Nielsen (BA ‘08)
AREA 6:
Mary Ann Riddle (BA ‘74; BA ‘77)
AREA 7:
Eric Weatherly (BS ‘07)
AREA 7:
Paul Wilkening (BA ‘83, MA ‘85)
AREA 8:
Glen L. Williams (BA ‘60; BS ‘63)
Complete bios are available at
ULM.EDU/ALUMNI/BOARD.HTML
JANUARY 2017 Carolyn Gibson Underwood Debra Pierot Lisa C. Seymour FEBRUARY 2017 Carolyn Ann Collins Pasty D. Costello APRIL 2017 Anne A. Lockhart Reid Bernard Heflin MAY 2017 Kathryn M. McVay Patsy Jean Hall Shari F. Moreau JUNE 2017 Susan H. Rogers JULY 2017 Deborah A. Joyner AUGUST 2017 Bette Jo Kauffman
IN MEMORIAM Gale Ashley
Wystee Kerry
Pamela Baldwin
Virginia LeBlanc
Roger Beall
Teresa Martin
Pamela Bond
Charles McConkey
Alton Brown
Dan McDuff
Thomas Brunt
Angela Milby
Steven Busby
Jerry Morgan
Hazel Caldwell
John Myers
Clarence Caples
Helen Norris
Emma Carrol
Nelwyn Norwood
Debra Colvin
Samuel Ogden
Milton Craighead
Gary Parker
Ken Crawford
Anthony Pendola
James Cromwell
Joe Pike
Derward Culp
Maureen Plunkett
Charlene Dunn
Doris Pollard
James Eatmon
Sidney Rhodes
Doris Edwards
Jane Rowan
Laura Endsley
Jean Salter
Robert Fain
Roy Shelling
Mattie Foster
Eugene Sievers
Dolores Fox
Annie Smith
Thomas Godfrey
Bobbie Smith
Challie Griggs
Cynthia Smith
Carl Guinn
Floy Stevenson
Pamela Hailey-Coleman
Mark Temple
Virginia Hixon
Gary Thornton
S. T. Howell
Suzonne Walters
John Huntsman
Donald Weems
Ted Ivey
Christie Wheeler
Johnny Johnson
Wayne Woods
Artie Johnson
Ray Yarbrough
Sarah Johnson
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