SPRING 2020 | VOLUME 1
TEACHING • RESEARCH • SERVICE
1 SPRING 2020
PRESIDENT'S LETTER
FOLLOW PRESIDENT BRUNO |
@ulmpresident08
VICE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Dear Friends of the University,
2
Alberto Ruiz, Ed.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARKETING & UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Kelsey Bohl, Ed.D. (MBA ’13) DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Welcome to the first edition of the University of Louisiana Monroe’s Takeflight magazine.
as a social media post. However, there is more to it. Just as the radio waves transmitting data to our wireless devices are invisible; eventually digital stories and emails are deleted or archived and become invisible too.
Takeflight highlights several of ULM’s exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to unrivaled research, grant-funding, innovative academic methods, and community support programs.
We understand the responsibility to our community, colleagues, and stakeholders to share and preserve our stories the best way we can. The ink and paper of this magazine may not survive far into the future – but the accomplishments made at this university most certainly will.
In these pages, you will meet a College of Pharmacy researcher whose study of genetic mutations holds promise in treating some cancers. A faculty member in the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences is testing new severe weather forecasting equipment. Another is writing workplace safety guidelines for OSHA. For 29 years, two staff members have quietly placed volunteers at nonprofit agencies in the community through a program that ULM has sponsored since 1974.
At ULM, the future is now. I have never been more proud to say, “The Best is on the Bayou.”
Nick J. Bruno, Jr., Ph.D. President University of Louisiana Monroe
VP ACADEMIC AFFAIRS MESSAGE
TAKEFLIGHT
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Srdjan Marjanovic (BFA ’12) GRAPHIC DESIGN COORDINATOR
Shanette L. Washington (BFA ’02) DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR
Emerald McIntyre (BFA ’13) CONTRIBUTORS
Sharon Bratton Caroline Courville Joanna Franklin Mark Henderson Heather Pilcher Jeanette Robinson
TEACHING • RESEARCH • SERVICE
MISSION Takeflight magazine highlights teaching, research, and service to provide an overview of the significant achievements at the University of Louisiana Monroe.
Any letters or comments may be published and edited for length and style. Contents © 2020 by the University of Louisiana Monroe. All rights reserved.The University of Louisiana Monroe is a member of the University of Louisiana System.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Dear Readers,
email omc@ulm.edu
Teaching, research, and service are the three pillars of academics, and the pages of Takeflight will share the work done at ULM surrounding those three pillars.
You will read about a study abroad program that ULM faculty have led for 45 years, faculty members who have received significant grant funding to further their research in their respective fields, training given to Louisiana first responders in drone technology, and the Political Science 1001 series – all of which reach the external communities in Monroe and beyond.
You will learn of the stellar teaching faculty members are doing inside and outside of the classroom, the critical research that is taking place at ULM, and the public service, which often goes unnoticed, that faculty are providing to our communities.
Our faculty work tirelessly to ensure our students receive the best educational experience that ULM has to offer and have done an outstanding job. I am proud of the work done here and excited to share that in Takeflight.
Communicating the value of an education is difficult, as often it is presented in statistics and ratios. The articles in this magazine provide a broad view of the accomplishments and work done on the campus of ULM.
Hope Young
Send letters & comments to: The ULM Takeflight Magazine Office of Marketing & Communications 700 University Ave. Monroe, LA 71209–2500
During my 45 years in higher education in Louisiana, it has become clear that we must tell our own stories. In 2020, that should be as simple
In higher education, we are often asked, “What is the value of the university?” In my opinion, it is the work that is done by our faculty in the classroom, laboratories, and communities.
PRESIDENT
Nick J. Bruno, Jr., Ph.D.
MAKE A GIFT TO ULM web bit.ly/giveulm phone 318.342.3636
UPCOMING EVENTS
web calendar.ulm.edu
ADVANCE YOUR EDUCATION web ulm.edu/onlinedegrees email onlinedegrees@ulm.edu phone 318.342.3145
Go Warhawks!!
JOIN US & LIKE, SHARE, FOLLOW, WATCH & CHECK-IN
Alberto Ruiz, Ed.D. Vice President for Academic Affairs
universitylouisianamonroe ulmonroe ULM_Official
CONTENTS
SPRING 2020 | VOLUME 1 6 | RESEARCH
12 | TEACHING
Susan Lacey, Ph.D.
Cultural immersion
Researcher of the semester, Fall 2019
45 years of study abroad enhances academic experience
26-30 | MAKE A GIFT
ULM Foundation University supporters recognized
10 | SERVICE
Senior volunteers
3
ULM sponsors RSVP since 1974
14 | RESEARCH
Under Poverty Point
22
FEATURE
Secrets in the wind
Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Science Todd Murphy, Ph.D., is improving the accuracy of predicting severe weather using a state-of-the-art portable wind LIDAR device. ULM is one of only five universities in the country that has this technology.
Diana Greenlee, Ph.D., leads study of mysterious rise
16 | RESEARCH
Cancer and 1 gene Dr. Yong-Yu Liu making breakthrough discoveries
Nursing is a unique health care discipline, and research is the driving force behind many aspects of nursing practice.
19 | RESEARCH
Stop the noise John Herrock writing guidelines for OSHA
24 | —EBONY WATSON
M.S.N., Assistant Professor of Nursing
ON COVER The concept behind the cover illustration “Field of Opportunities” is inspired by the Japanese collaborative poetry genre called “Renga.” This practice is linked poetry in the form of a tanka or series of tank, with the first three lines composed by one person and the second two by another. Effective collaboration yields to something new. Each team member (Shanette Washington, Joanna Franklin, Jeanette Robinson, Emerald McIntyre, Srdjan Marjanovic) has ownership over the same concept, bringing a valuable set of perspectives and skills to the group, and yet each person is willing to merge individual ideas into bigger ones.
SPRING 2020
ON THE BOOKSHELF
Drowning is Inevitable
Reading Richard Matheson
Author: Shalanda Stanley, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Associate Director, School of Education
Editor: Janet Haedicke, Ph.D., Professor, English
In her debut young adult novel, “Drowning is Inevitable,” Shalanda Stanley, Ph.D., tells the story of a young woman, Olivia, who is navigating friendships and relationships in the wake of family tragedy. “The breathtaking debut explores the deep ties between legacy, loyalty, and love, even as it asks the question: How far would you go to save a friend?” Published by Ember, New York, NY
In this critical survey, Janet Haedicke, Ph.D., along with co-editor Cheynne Mathews, examines the works of Richard Matheson (1926-2013), whose career as an author and screenwriter molded the genres of horror and fantasy in literature, film, and television for over 60 years. This text provides the first critical overview of Matheson’s works, including novels, short stories, and adaptations for film and television. Published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham, MD
Times Are Altered with Us: American Indians from First Contact to the New Republic Author: Roger Carpenter, Ph.D., Professor, History “'In Times Are Altered with Us: American Indians from Contact to the New Republic,’ Roger Carpenter, Ph.D., offers a concise and engaging introduction to the turbulent 300-year-period of the history of Native Americans and their interactions with Europeans – and then Americans – from 1492 to 1800.” Published by Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken NJ
TAKEFLIGHT
University of Louisiana Monroe
Brief Introduction to Corrections (3rd ed.)
Co-author: Heather R. Pilcher, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Collections, Library
Author: Robert D. Hanser, Ph.D., Professor and Program Coordinator, Criminal Justice
Co-author: Cyndy Robertson, now-retired former Special Collections Librarian
Experienced correctional practitioner and scholar, Robert D. Hanser, Ph.D., provides a foundation of corrections that is grounded in research and theory with practical applications. This text illustrates the business a corrections practitioner experiences dayto-day in both institutional and community settings. This work provides students with a broad overview of how corrections work, from classification, security, treatment, to how and why correctional practices are implemented.
In this book, co-authors Heather Pilcher and Cyndy Robertson depict a visual history of the University of Louisiana Monroe through photographs. The book is arranged chronologically, so the reader can get a sense of the tremendous growth ULM has seen since its inception in 1931. “My main goal for doing this work was to promote the history of our school. We have a rich and wonderful history that Northeast Louisiana, as well as our alumni, can be proud to be a part of,” Pilcher said. Published by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press, Mount Pleasant, SC
Published by Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA
Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana: An Identification and Reference Guide Co-author: John Carr, Ph.D., Professor, Biology John Carr, Ph.D., along with co-author Jeff Boundy, provide a guide to identifying 147 amphibian and reptile species known in Louisiana. The book also provides information on their behavior, geographic range, populations, food and feeding habits, reproduction, and habitat. Written both for laypersons and experts, this work is beneficial for anybody interested in the biodiversity of amphibians and reptiles in the state of Louisiana. Published by LSU Press, Baton Rouge, LA
Photo by Emerald McIntyre
Arts and Culture Calendar ULM is a hub of arts and culture. Come enjoy our arts exhibitions, VAPA performances, or international student events. Events are free unless noted as a ticketed event. March 16 – April 23 23rd Annual ULM Juried Student Art Exhibition, Bry Art Gallery March 19 -22 March 19 – 21, 7:30 pm, March 22, 2pm VAPA presents Jekyll & Hyde musical, Brown Auditorium * March 20 ULM Voice Day, 2:30pm – 7:30pm, Biedenharn Hall March 21 Louisiana Horn Day, 9am-5:30pm, Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall March 31 ULM Brass Day featuring Dallas Brass, 9:30am – 7:30pm, Dallas Brass Performance, 7:30pm, Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall April 6 International Student Gala Banquet - Bayou Pointe Student Event Center * April 7 ULM Jazz Ensemble, 7:30pm, Brown Auditorium April 8 International Food Fair, 11am – 1pm, The Hangar * April 9 ULM Symphonic Band, 7:30pm, Brown Auditorium April 9 Holi Celebration, 5pm, Bayou Park April 17 Wine Over Water, 7pm – 10pm, ULM Library Bridge * April 21 University Chorale, 7:30pm, Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall April 22 ULM Flute Choir, 7:30pm, Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall April 23 Trumpet Studio Recital, 7:30pm, Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall
Paul Karlowitz, associate professor and director of the ULM Precision AG and UAS Research Center, and Stephanie Robinson, manager, trained 30 law enforcement officers, firefighters and first responders in the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (aka drones) and FAA Part 107 remote pilot certification.
ULM trains, law enforcement, first responders in drone technology By ULM OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
A University of Louisiana Monroe social media hashtag is #takeflight – and that’s what happened when a select group of Louisiana law enforcement, firefighters and first responders were trained in drone technology by the team from the ULM Precision AG and UAS Research Center. Paul Karlowitz has been on the ground at ULM for more than 20 years teaching aviation and UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) – aka drone – technology in the College of Business and Social Sciences. Karlowitz has 46 years as a professional aviator, including 20 years as a U.S. Air Force pilot. In 2014 he helped establish and became director of operations for the ULM Precision AG and UAS Research Center. In fall 2019, Karlowitz’s expertise was tapped by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety to lead its first training class on how to operate and become licensed to fly UAS. He, along with Stephanie Robinson, aviation major and manager of the research center who is an FAA Part 107 drone pilot, traveled to the LSP Joint Emergency Training Services Center in Zachary weekly from Sept. 19 through Nov. 2 to teach the Friday class. The ULM team gave instructions on the complexities and techniques
of managing UAS and FAA Part 107 certification. In 2018, a $90,000 Delta Regional Authority Workforce Development grant entitled “Training the Trainer Using Unmanned Aerial Systems” was awarded to Karlowitz and other UAS-qualified ULM faculty to teach people how to operate and become certified in UAS. “There is more to using a UAS than sending it up in your backyard,” Karlowitz said. “These are expensive and complex devices. The technology is advancing rapidly with new applications and uses, including those for law enforcement/fire/first responders. Operators must know how to use the equipment properly, understand the technology, and be certified by the FAA to fly UAS.” Anyone flying a drone for other than hobby use needs an FAA Part 107 certificate. “The recent arrangement with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety has proven to be of benefit for all involved,” Karlowitz said. “They needed UAS training along with FAA Part 107 (Remote Pilot Certificate) training. It matched perfectly with our DRA grant.” Thirty law enforcement/fire/first responders and one officer from the ULM Police Department completed the training.
■
April 30 Music Honors Recital, 7:30pm, Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall *ticketed event For more events, visit calendar.ulm.edu
SPRING 2020
April 24 Spring Dance Fusion, 7:30pm, Brown Auditorium*
RESEARCH
6 TAKEFLIGHT
Susan Lacey named Fall 2019 Researcher of the Semester HEALTH-IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS REACH RURAL RESIDENTS By ULM OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
The University of Louisiana Monroe Office of Sponsored Programs and Research and the Research Council named Susan Lacey, Ph.D., the Fall 2019 Researcher of the Semester. Lacey holds the Kitty DeGree Eminent Scholars Endowed Chair and is a professor in the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences.
"She has inspired faculty to increase scholarship through conducting research, writing grants and presenting at conferences. We are blessed to have her as a part of our school.” —DR. WENDY BAILES, PH.D.
Director, Kitty DeGree School of Nursing
“I'm honored to be selected as Researcher of the Semester at ULM. In my role as the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing Endowed Chair, I have the privilege of working with exceptional nursing faculty and assist them in writing journal articles and grants. I also work with dedicated co-investigators in conducting large-scale research projects for USDA and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. None of this work could be done without the commitment of my colleagues, the support of my director, Dr. Wendy Bailes, and the entire OSPR staff,” said Lacey. Bailes, Ph.D., Director of the School of Nursing, said having Lacey as a faculty member is “a game-changer.” “Through Susan’s generosity as chair, we have been able to bring nationally known speakers to Monroe to conduct workshops with the entire nursing faculty and nursing leadership. In addition, she has inspired faculty to increase scholarship through conducting research, writing grants and presenting at conferences. We are blessed to have her as a part of our school,” Bailes said.
Photo by Emerald McIntyre
About SUSAN LACEY, PH.D. Since joining ULM in 2017, Lacey has received almost $200,000 from the USDA to help seniors in Northeast Louisiana manage high blood pressure through storytelling. “The USDA Storytelling grant videotapes senior citizens in Northeast Louisiana parishes who are managing their high blood pressure well. We share these videos with those who are less wellmanaged. The goal of the project is to reduce their emergency room visits, hospitalizations and unplanned provider visits over the course of the two-year funding period,” Lacey explained. Lacey said the $96,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation Screening for Life grant will provide health care
• B.S. in Nursing, University of Southern Mississippi
screenings and education events for citizens in Northeast Louisiana.
• M.S. in Nursing, University of Texas at Austin
“The Screening for Life grant screens and educates residents in eight rural parishes in Northeast Louisiana about cancer, diabetes and depression and makes appropriate referrals,” Lacey said. “Also, individuals will be recruited and trained as community health workers to serve as health coaches within their own communities. The goal of this project is to improve health outcomes by early screening and intervention over the three-year funding period.”
• Ph.D. in Family Life Education and Consultation, Kansas State University
Lacey actively collaborates with colleagues in nursing and other programs to promote scholarship and research. For example, she developed and taught workshops in writing
• More than 50 publications and nine book chapters
▶
• Robert Wood Johnson and Northwest Foundation grant, Clinical Scene Investigator (CSI) Academy 36 leadership and quality program for staff nurses saw over $10 million in savings, preventing avoidable hospital errors in the 16-month period. • President, American Association of Critical Care Nurses • Member and Edge Runner award winner, American Academy of Nurses • Editorial Board for the Journal of Nursing Care Quality and Journal of Nursing Administration
• Holds a patent for a clinical decisionmaking software
7 SPRING 2020
RESEARCH
“WHAT’S YOUR STORY: IMPROVING HYPERTENSION OUTCOMES USING DIGITAL STORYTELLING” A $170,000 GRANT FROM USDA. USES DIGITAL STORYTELLING TO HELP CONTROL HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. 39 PARTICIPANTS FROM NELA SENIOR CENTERS WERE VIDEOTAPED TELLING THEIR STORIES. IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR THOSE WITH HYPERTENSION. for publication and grant writing.
SCREENING FOR LIFE
A $96,679 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. Provides health care screenings and education events.
TAKEFLIGHT
Serves Union, Morehouse, Richland, East Carroll, West Carroll, Tensas, Madison and Bienville parishes. The three-year program began Aug. 1, 2019. The ULM College of Health Sciences and College of Pharmacy partner with Ochsner LSUHSC-Monroe and local organizations to present screenings and train Community Health Workers.
“These are two topics that are important to promote faculty research. Susan has the knowledge needed to make research understandable and provides suggestions that make research attainable for faculty teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels,” said Debra Craighead, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Nursing. Alberto Ruiz, Ed.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs, said Lacey’s expertise aligns with ULM’s goals to increase research and become a leading health sciences university. “Dr. Lacey was recognized as an American Academy of Nursing’s Edge Runner for her contributions to transforming the health care system,” Ruiz said. “She is a significant researcher and leader in the School of Nursing. Her professionalism and accomplishments are an asset to the university.” Lacey developed a training program to provide staff nurses with new skills to improve patient outcomes and hospital finances. It was adopted by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. She has more than 50 publications and serves as an editorial board member for two nursing journals. Lacey holds a patent for software used for clinical decision making. At ULM, Lacey established the annual Lambda Mu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Scholarship Conference in Monroe, spearheaded the first College of Health Sciences Research Day and created the Kitty DeGree Nursing Innovation Center. John W. Sutherlin, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research, commented, "Because of hard-working faculty across all of our colleges, ULM is engaging in research that impacts the community. Dr. Susan Lacey is a fine example of a professor devoted to her students by developing meaningful funded programs."
■
TALKING POLITICS Photos by Kaylee Sadler
(Top photo) Panelists at the February 2020 “Middle East 1001” discussion, from left, Mahmoud Sheikh-Khalil, M.D., Imam of the Islamic Center of Northeast Louisiana, and from the ULM Political Science program, Professor Joshua Stockley, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor Jessica Schofield, Ph.D. Left, Patrick Exmeyer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Political Science, served as moderator at “Middle East 1001.” Right, An audience member speaks at the February panel discussion “Middle East 1001.”
The first session was held in November 2019 regarding the impeachment process. “Impeachment 1001: The process, ethics, and political lessons from impeachment proceedings” discussed the actual process of impeachment in the United States, ethical issues behind the process, whistleblower laws, and examined the lessons learned from past presidential impeachment proceedings. Panel members included Joshua Stockley, Ph.D., Jessica Schofield, Ph.D., Patrick Exmeyer, Ph.D., and Bob Noel, J.D.
“We wanted to use this 1001 series to help people feel confident that they have enough information about complicated political issues to make their own informed decisions. Many people that I speak with today express a desire to know more about political events but feel that it is difficult to find accurate, unbiased information. These panels allow us (the Political Science faculty at ULM) to serve this need in our own community. We can provide accurate background information without the ideological pressure that listeners receive from many major news sources,” stated Schofield. The second session in the series was “Middle East 1001: Where presidents, policies, and religions meet” held in February 2020. The panel discussed recent actions taken by the U.S. in the Middle East, including a history of IranianU.S. relations, the effect of foreign policy on presidential approval ratings, and the importance of a knowledge of Islam to understanding the
Middle East. The Middle East panel discussion included Stockley and Schofield, with Exmeyer moderating the panel. Cardiologist and Imam of the Islamic Center of Northeast Louisiana Mahmoud SheikhKhalil, M.D., also joined the panel to discuss Islamic beliefs and implications of policy decisions from an Islamic perspective. The third and final session in the 1001 series will take place in April 2020. “The 1001 lecture series has provided our students and community with an invaluable opportunity to learn more about significant contemporary issues facing our country. If we are to become better citizens, then it is important to know what is happening in an unbiased and factual fashion. I am proud that the Political Science program at the University of Louisiana Monroe can provide this service to our community,” stated Stockley.
■
SPRING 2020
With the 24/7 news cycle, social media, and constantly changing technology platforms that deliver information, finding reliable sources regarding timely political issues is challenging. Political Science faculty at ULM developed a series of panel discussions aimed at general education about difficult political issues. The sessions are free and open to the public.
SERVICE
10 TAKEFLIGHT
Illustration by Srdjan Marjanovic
Seniors Step Up To Serve SOCIALLY SIGNIFICANT PROGRAMS REACH FROM THE OUACHITA TO THE RED RIVER By HOPE YOUNG
Rita Massey and Teresa Gadberry connect dots. They are modern matchmakers.
connected with the community, linking their interests and skills with volunteer opportunities.
Their job at RSVP: To answer the SOS messages for help from area nonprofits and health care facilities ASAP.
It’s been going on for 46 years. All that time, the University of Louisiana Monroe has been the sponsoring agency for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, one of the largest volunteer networks in the nation.
“We recruit people who are 55 and older who want to do some volunteer work in the community,” Massey said. In the process, they keep about 300 seniors active and
Together, they’ve placed thousands of volunteers
everywhere from the West Ouachita Council on Aging to helping the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office deliver food boxes. Annually, the volunteers donate approximately 100,000 hours of service. Almost daily, RSVP volunteers are at places such as Chennault Aviation and Military Museum, St. Francis Medical Center and St. Vincent DePaul Pharmacy. Some RSVP volunteers are trained in emergency response, search, and rescue. Others work with those with special needs. Massey and Gadberry form the team at RSVP of Ouachita, which serves Ouachita and Union parishes. In their 30th year of working together, Massey is the director and Gadberry is the administrative assistant. Their work is funded annually by a federal grant from Senior Corps; this year it is $113,383. Placing seniors in volunteer roles serves two functions. The volunteers increase the capacity of what a nonprofit can do, or they help soften what might be a threatening environment, like a large hospital, by becoming the friendly face that greets apprehensive families.
About FOSTER GRANDPARENTS • Foster Grandparents is a program of Senior Corps, a division of the Corporation for National and Community Service. • Foster Grandparents are placed in rural schools to assist with at-risk students. Participants receive a small stipend and some expenses. • In 2015, the ULM RSVP Program agreed to administer the DeSoto Parish Foster Grandparents Program. In 2016, ULM began managing the Caddo/Bossier Parish Foster Grandparents Program. • In 2020, DeSoto Foster Grandparents has 40 participants and a federal grant of $241,459; Caddo/ Bossier Foster Grandparents has 57 participants and a federal grant of $344,181.
At the same time, seniors benefit. Research has linked social isolation and loneliness that sometimes come after retirement to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, or Alzheimer’s disease. People who engage in meaningful, productive activities with others, however, tend to live longer with a higher sense of purpose. These activities seem to help maintain their well-being and may improve their cognitive function, studies show. And the volunteers have the satisfaction of helping others. ULM Foster Grandparents Program Another popular Senior Corps Program is Foster Grandparents. From the ULM RSVP office, Massey and
Gadberry manage DeSoto Parish Foster Grandparents and Caddo/Bossier Foster Grandparents. Foster Grandparents places senior volunteers in rural classrooms to provide mentoring, nurturing, and support for at-risk children. Unlike RSVP, Foster Grandparents volunteers are paid a small stipend, $2.65 per hour (which increases to $3 on April 1), and commit to 20 hours a week. They receive mileage and a small stipend for meals. The volunteers must also meet income eligibility requirements. The programs are funded by two federal Senior Corps grants, $344,181 for Caddo/Bossier and $241,459 for DeSoto. There are 57 Foster Grandparents in Caddo/Bossier and 40 in DeSoto. Meticulous recordkeeping and budget oversight are mandatory in managing these programs. The outcome of these projects is measured in positive interaction between people, not in profit statements.
About RSVP • RSVP – Retired Senior Volunteer Program – is a program of Senior Corps, a division of the Corporation for National and Community Service. • RSVP connects people 55 and above with nonprofit organizations needing part-time volunteers willing to work a few hours each week, or on special projects. • Since 1974, ULM has been the sponsoring agency for RSVP. • RSVP has about 300 participants and is funded by a CNCS grant of $113,383. • Rita Massey, Director, and Teresa Gadberry, Administrative Assistant, have worked together for more than 29 years.
“They (Foster Grandparents) love the kids, and the kids love them. We have an in-service once a month and they talk all about their kids,” Massey said. At the beginning of the school year, the teachers assess the students assigned a Foster Grandparent. The children are reassessed at the end of the year, with some impressive results. “For 98 percent of them, they make good progress,” Massey said. “A lot of the students call them ‘Grandma.’ It’s really a heartwarming thing for the child, and the parents,” Massey said. “For some of the children who have such a bad home life, this is the only positive thing that they have.” Massey foresees a decline in programs such as RSVP and Foster Grandparents due to decreases in federal funding, which will be a loss for the seniors, the children and the community. There is no talk of closing in Monroe, and Massey and Gadberry hope it stays that way. “It’s been a great run, we’ve loved it,” Massey said.
■
11 SPRING 2020
TEACHING
Illustration by Shanette Washington
YEARS OF STUDY ABROAD By KELSEY BOHL, Ed.D.
TAKEFLIGHT
Study abroad is an experience that significantly enriches a student’s academic journey. With the global society and workforce of today, students are required to have cultural competency skills that education abroad can provide. Students are challenged when entering a new country and gain a sense of independence through navigating a new region, and study abroad provides a unique outlet for students to apply what is learned in the classroom by becoming immersed in the language and culture. The University of Louisiana Monroe Modern Languages department has been leading study abroad programs to Mexico and Costa Rica for 45 years. The study abroad program can be attributed to the leadership of Carlos Fandal, Ph.D., former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of foreign languages. In 1975, ULM partnered with Tulane University to offer the first study abroad trip for teacher education students to Mexico. Ruth Smith, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the School of Humanities in the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences, led the first study abroad group of eight students to Mexico City. Study abroad courses are now led by faculty, Smith, Mary Blanche Wortham, and Charles Holloway, Ph.D., in Yucatan, Mexico, and San Jose’, Costa Rica. Through partnerships with ULM and the Centro de Idiomas del Sureste in Mexico and Instituto Profesional de Estudiantes Extranjeros in Costa Rica, the ULM Modern Languages department offers the only ULM faculty-led undergraduate study abroad program. The trip changes between Costa Rica and Mexico each year, and students are immersed in the Spanish language and culture of each region during a two-week trip. Study abroad courses are offered to all students; not only Modern Language majors. Students live with host families during their time abroad. Host families are registered and vetted through the partner institutions, and most families have been participating as hosts in Mexico and
Courtesy photo
Participating in the ULM study abroad program in Mexico in summer 2019 were, from left, front row: director Charles Holloway, Ph.D., Skylar Orozco, Elizabeth Hancock, Savanna Gonzalez, Scarlett Lester and Carol Holloway; middle row: Shelby Cook, Amber Waterhouse, Emily Healy, Melanie Deal, Sadaf Helforoosh and Torianne Servais; and back row: Bonnie Hemphill, Ashtin Houghton, Luke Vaughn, Jessica Marvin and Colby Glatter. Costa Rica for years.
and faculty leaders.
“The students develop very close relationships with their host families. We had a host family from Costa Rica come visit their student, and many of them stay in touch through social media,” stated Smith.
“When I lead the orientations for my trip, I always open the session with ‘this is a study abroad experience’, stated Smith, “Students need to understand this is not a tour. The purpose is to study and to improve their Spanish”
Students go through a rigorous process to attend the study abroad trips. First an application with a letter of intent is submitted, then students attend numerous orientation sessions to prepare. “Our orientation begins a year before in order to start preparing the students,” said Wortham, leader of the Costa Rica trip and Spanish instructor. Orientation sessions address essential Spanish skills, culture shock discussions, and logistics of the trip. Preparation is critical for both the students
“We have built a relationship with these institutions over the years, and I think they truly appreciate the kinds of students we bring abroad,” stated Holloway, professor of World Languages and leader of the Mexico study abroad program. For some ULM students, attending the study abroad trip is the first time they have left the country or even the state of Louisiana. Students find creative ways to fund their education abroad from selling raffle tickets to crowd funding websites. The Mexico and Costa Rica study abroad programs are the highlight of students’ academic careers. “I think back about all the trips we’ve done, about these students and how well they did and how well they represented the university, themselves, and the country,” said Smith.
■
“As a ULM study abroad student, I experienced Latin American culture in a stimulating way when I immersed myself in Costa Rica. When exploring the streets of downtown San Jose, I was able to confirm my ever-growing love for the Spanish language and truly see how far I've come with it. For me, this is the best opportunity provided by ULM as my cultural appreciation education is just as important as my acquisition of the Spanish language itself. This trip was a highlight of my time at ULM,” stated senior Modern Languages student Tabitha Birdwell. SPRING 2020
Senior Communications and Spanish major Emily Healy has attended both sessions in Costa Rica and Mexico. Healy states, “It puts you in an atmosphere unlike anything here in the United States. At ULM I study in a classroom, but when I went to Costa Rica and Mexico I was surrounded by the language and culture constantly. It gave me many opportunities to practice Spanish outside of my comfort zone. Those experiences made me thankful for all that I had learned so far, and it had also made me realize that I have so much more to learn– which is exciting! It lit a fire in me and made me want to absorb as much as I could while I was there. Since I've returned to ULM, I've been trying my best to learn as much as I can in anticipation for my next adventure abroad!”
In summer 2019, Holloway, and students attending the Mexico study abroad were honored by the host school, Centro de Idiomas del Sureste with a tree planted on the campus symbolizing the 45 years of friendship between ULM and CIS.
RESEARCH
• The site outside Epps in West Carroll Parish is one of only 24 World Heritage Sites in the United States. • The earthwork site dates from about 1700 to 1100 BCE. • Researchers are trying to determine whether a high spot in the central plaza is manmade. • The team is using highresolution 3-D ground penetrating radar and other research methods.
14
• Poverty Point is the most complex archaeological site of its age in North America.
TAKEFLIGHT
(Top photo) A LIDAR topographic surface model of Poverty Point World Heritage Site identifying different areas of the site. (Bottom left) High-resolution 3D ground penetrating radar is used to examine the earth below the West Plaza Rise. (Bottom right) The historical marker at Poverty Point World Heritage Site near the West Plaza Rise. In the background, ground penetrating radar equipment is pulled across the rise (see related photo to the left). Photos courtesy of Diana Greenlee
New Technology Tackles Ancient Riddles RESEARCHERS USE RADAR TO STUDY HIGH SPOT IN POVERTY POINT'S WEST PLAZA RISE Photo by Emerald McIntyre
By HOPE YOUNG
An ancient people shaped the contours of Poverty Point World Heritage Site millennia ago. Today, scientists still try to unlock its secrets. Much of the research, documentation, and preservation of the site are a result of the work of station archaeologist Diana Greenlee, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor of Archaeology in the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences at the University of Louisiana Monroe. Poverty Point World Heritage Site in West Carroll Parish is Northeast Louisiana’s global treasure. The site attained its status in 2014, when approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It’s one of only 24 World Heritage Sites in the United States and 1,121 worldwide. Greenlee led the process to nominate and secure the UNESCO designation.
DIANA GREENLEE
VISITING POVERTY POINT Poverty Point World Heritage Site offers visitors the unique opportunity to experience and learn about the earthworks and those individuals who raised them from the ground. The $4 admission fee provides access to the museum, film theatre, hiking trail, driving tour, seasonal tram tour, and interpretive events. Children (3 and under) and senior citizens (62 and over) are admitted free. Poverty Point is east of Monroe on Louisiana 577. The park is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, call 888-926-5292 or 318-926-5492 or follow Poverty Point World Heritage Site on Facebook.
“Poverty Point World Heritage Site is a remarkable earthworks site built by people who lived by fishing, hunting, and gathering wild plant resources. Dating from about 1700 to 1100 BCE, the site is known for its five earthen mounds (a sixth mound was added by a later culture), six C-shaped earthen ridges, and a large central plaza,” Greenlee said. The Poverty Point World Heritage just outside Epps is the largest, most complex archaeological site of its age in North America. Greenlee 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 it is the cusp of two ecosystems. 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 swamp-based foods.
High tech for ancient discoveries The site is slow to unveil its mysteries, including the creation and significance of the West Plaza Rise. In search of answers, Greenlee and
a team of visiting archaeologists and scientists conducted cutting-edge research in late November using high-resolution 3-D ground penetrating radar to explore the West Plaza Rise. To complement the GPR, coring, magnetic susceptibility, soil analysis and previous magnetic gradiometer surveys were incorporated into the study. Greenlee believes the research will help determine the formation of the West Plaza Rise, which could be manmade, and its use by ancient civilizations. Results from the study are expected in March. Funding for the 3-D GPR study, over $36,000, is from the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, Advocates for Poverty Point, and the Spatial Archaeometry Research Collaborations Program. The SPARC Program is based at the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies at the University of Arkansas and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. In addition to Greenlee, researchers included: Rinita A. Dalan, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology at Minnesota State University Moorhead; Arne Anderson Stamnes, Ph.D., of the Terrestrial, Marine and Aerial Remote sensing for archaeology research group of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Thurman Allen, a soil scientist with experience describing and interpreting soils at archaeological sites including Poverty Point; and Michael Hargrave, Ph.D., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research & Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, who has been conducting geophysical research at Poverty Point since 2006. On one Saturday, the public was invited to see the 3-D GPR in action, and to talk with archaeologists about this and other research at the site. Poverty Point is a Louisiana State Park as well as a World Heritage Site. “There is an intriguing high spot in the relatively flat plaza at Poverty Point … Based on its location relative to other earthworks and several post circles, we think the West Plaza Rise could be a significant, yet underappreciated, part of this amazing created landscape,” Greenlee said.
■
15 SPRING 2020
RESEARCH
Setting Rogue Genes Straight STUDY OFFERS HOPE OF A BREAKTHROUGH IN CANCER TREATMENT By MARK HENDERSON | Special to the University of Louisiana Monroe
A team of researchers, including a pharmacologist at the University of Louisiana Monroe, has written a study that points to a possible treatment for a variety of cancers, targeting a mutation in one particular gene. The paper has been published online and is featured in the February edition of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, the top journal in the cancer therapeutic field. The research shows that injecting Ceramide-Rubusoside nanomicelles into mice can correct the mutation in the p53 gene and reverse the cancer process.
TAKEFLIGHT
Yong-Yu Liu, M.D., Ph.D., a pharmacologist in the ULM College of Pharmacy, said publication of the research reflects 10 years of work and holds promise in the treatment of colon, lung, and ovarian cancers. “We know cancer is a common disease, and we know that a key issue is gene mutation,” Liu said. Inside the DNA of human cells are thousands of genes, and scientists have identified triggers for several forms of cancer. “And the No. 1 recent cause of cancer is the mutation of p53.” YONG-YU LIU, M.D., PH.D. Photos by Emerald McIntyre
Scientists have known for years about the link between the p53 mutation and cancer. Toxins in the environment, among these tobacco smoke and ultraviolet light,
▶
“When you are passionate about what you do, you want to come to a place that lets you focus on that. I love this place.” —DR. YONG-YU LIU
credits ULM for providing the atmosphere to do his research
SPRING 2020
Dr. Yong-Yu Liu, right, working with Ph.D. students Kartik Roy, left, and Sagor Roy, center.
RESEARCH
P53 GENE
damage the gene. That gene, when healthy, produces a protein that fights off cancer and is known as a tumor suppressor. A mutation changes the way the gene behaves. In some cases, the gene simply stops acting as a suppressor. But in 73 percent of the cases, when p53 mutates, Liu said, the result is a missense mutation in which“the protein function changes. It no longer has its anticancer function. In fact, it begins to promote cancer,” Liu said. And 42 percent of all cancers are linked to the mutation.
18 TAKEFLIGHT
Its role in causing ovarian cancer, however, is what concerns Liu and others on the research team the most. “Younger women are most prone to get ovarian cancer, and that’s why we believe it’s most vital to study it,” He wants to give these victims a chance at a normal life span. Medical research takes time, however. Progress is measured in years. Ten years ago, Liu and his fellow researchers were experimenting with a single cell with a p53 mutation inside the laboratory when they discovered the introduction of Ceramide, a metabolite, was able to reverse the mutation. But the team faced a roadblock in furthering their research. “Ceramide is not water soluble. It cannot mix with water,” Liu said. “Because of that, we could not get it into the bloodstream.” For 10 years, the team searched for a solution. Finally, the team determined treating Ceramide with the natural sugar substitute Rubusoside increased the solubility of Ceramide,
allowing for the injection of nanomicelles into laboratory mice with the p53 mutation. The treatment restored the tumor suppression function of the p53 gene in the mice while showing no harm to noncancerous cells. “That’s major progress,” Liu said. In addition to the publication of the findings, Liu said, the team has applied for patents with hopes of a pharmaceutical company showing interest in licensing the treatment for field studies. Co-authors of the study with Liu are Sachin K. Khiste, Kartik R. Roy, Mohammad B. Uddin, Salman B. Hosain and Ronald A. Hill of ULM’s College of Pharmacy; Zhijun Liu of LSU Agricultural Center’s School of Renewable Natural Resources; Xin Gu of LSU’s Health Sciences Center in Shreveport; and Sami Nazzal of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Dallas, Texas. Liu, who was born in China and attended medical school there, studied three years at the University of Rome, worked in Canada and UCLA before joining ULM’s faculty, said the work is not done. “We have lots of work to show how our process works. Many won’t believe it,” Liu said. He credits ULM for providing the atmosphere to do his research. “When you are passionate about what you do, you want to come to a place that lets you focus on that. I love this place.”
■
• Toxins in the environment, among these tobacco smoke and ultraviolet light, damage the p53 gene. • Once mutated, the p53 gene, which normally fights off cancer, can actually cause cancer. • Researchers have discovered Ceramide, a metabolite, can reverse the mutation, but it is not water soluble and could not be injected into the bloodstream. • New research finds that treating Ceramide with the natural sugar substitute Rubusoside increases Ceramide’s solubility and has been injected successfully into laboratory mice. • Findings indicate the treatment returns the p53 gene to normalcy with no observable side effects in the mice.
John Herrock, Director of the ULM Asbestos and Mold Analysis Lab and industrial hygiene instructor
Photo by Emerald McIntyre
Employees at a small landscaping company operate lawn mowers and trimmers whose roar cuts through the humid summer air. Sawmill workers contend with the whine of metal cutting through wood, different saws emitting different pitches. The clanking of glass rises over the hum of equipment as workers at a bottling plant watch the process. All that noise, noise, noise takes a toll on one’s hearing. Soon, however, business owners will be able to access training materials to help their employees prevent hearing loss in the workplace. ULM coming to osha.gov John Herrock, Director of the University of Louisiana Monroe’s Asbestos and Mold Analysis Lab, is developing those materials after receiving $31,396 through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. Herrock is an industrial hygienist, specializing in making the workplace as safe as possible against environmental dangers. The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program helps small businesses and other groups protect the health and safety of their employees by making high-quality safety and health training materials available at no cost. Herrock’s focus is
▶
RESEARCH
SOUND ADVICE
John Herrock developing material for OSHA on preventing workplace hearing loss By MARK HENDERSON | Special to the University of Louisiana Monroe
19 SPRING 2020
RESEARCH
HEARING LOSS on preventing occupational noise-induced hearing loss. That material, primarily as a PowerPoint presentation, will appear on the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration website – osha.gov. “Noise in the workplace is a big problem. Large companies have all the resources they need and do a good job in protecting their employees, but Moms and Pops do not,” Herrock said. “This will be a service primarily to small businesses.” Hearing loss is the most common workplace injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is most likely to occur among manufacturing and industrial workers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 20,000 workplace hearing loss cases occur annually, and about 24 percent of hearing loss in the United States has been attributed to noise in the workplace.
• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 20,000 workplace hearing loss cases occur annually.
TAKEFLIGHT
• Up until now, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration website provides no training material to help small business owners and their employees deal with noise in the workplace. • John Herrock, Director of the University of Louisiana Monroe’s Asbestos and Mold Analysis Lab, is compiling such training material, emphasizing a team approach to the problem. • Hearing loss occurs gradually and may not be recognized until after retirement. • The training material will be turned into OSHA by the end of September.
“We’re not talking about accidents where someone gets hurt, but everyday workplace environments that, over time, can affect a person’s wellbeing. It’s what I teach,” Herrock said. Herrock is using his teaching background and professional experience to develop a guide that he discovered was lacking on the OSHA website. Noise as a health hazard “OSHA established a noise standard in 1971-72,” Herrock said. At first, he said, OSHA kept busy creating regulations but did not offer training. OSHA states that an employer must implement hearing conservation programs for employees if the noise level of the workplace is equal to or above 85 decibels for an average eight-hour time period. A large company can add an industrial hygienist to measure sound levels and implement countermeasures. But there was little help for small business owners. Workers had even fewer options. Once the internet came along, OSHA started developing training materials that both employers and their workers could access. Herrock discovered much of what was on osha.gov dealt with avoiding life-
Photo by Emerald McIntyre
John Herrock with students in an industrial hygiene class.
threatening accidents. “I checked out the OSHA website one day and discovered there was no noise material. Noise was not on the list of OSHA’s priorities. After all, 5,300 people die at work in the U.S. each year,” Herrock said. “Sound is a forgotten health hazard. There are no fatalities. We’re looking at a quality of life issue. Hearing loss may not show up until after retirement,’ Herrock said.
JOHN HERROCK • John Herrock earned a B.S. in biology in 1984 and an M.S. in biology in 1986, both from ULM. • Herrock has more than 33 years’ experience in industrial hygiene. His corporate career began in 1987 with Manville Corporation. • In 1993, Herrock became an industrial hygiene consultant, working throughout the U.S. That same year, he began teaching industrial hygiene at ULM. • Herrock continues teaching in the Toxicology Department and is the manager and an analyst at the Toxicology Asbestos and Mold Analytical Laboratory and serves as the College of Pharmacy Environmental Health and Safety Officer.
In developing the training material, Herrock will be emphasizing a team approach to protecting hearing, with responsibility falling on both worker and boss. He will suggest to employers to make repairs and upgrades to equipment that might still be working but has grown increasingly louder. “A muffler may be going bad on a trimmer, or bearings may need replacing,” he said. He also will suggest investing in new technology, buying quieter machines with noise-canceling technology, or installing a quiet room that provides a sound barrier between the worker and the equipment. The last resort, Herrock said, are sound-reducing ear coverings. Access to the training material may help employees protect their hearing away from work as well, Herrock said. That’s important, Herrock said, because it’s not always easy to determine whether gradual hearing loss is solely a result of long-term exposure to noise in the workplace. “Employers can’t control what happens outside the workplace,” Herrock said. A worker may enjoy noisy hobbies, such as shooting, riding an ATV, or working in a workshop. Herrock delivers his presentation to OSHA by the end of September. After OSHA reviews it and recommends any changes, Herrock will direct some pilot training before the material goes up on OSHA’s website.
■
SPRING 2020
About
Todd Murphy, Ph.D., standing, and senior Atmospheric Science students Brandon Cohen, left, and Lillian Frazier, center, with the university’s portable wind LIDAR instrument. The LIDAR measures wind speed before a storm to predict speed and direction.
Time is short, although the partly cloudy sky overhead deceives. The National Weather Service in Shreveport has tracked a fast-moving dangerous storm for hours, from east-central Texas, across the state line. Trees are down in Shreveport. It’s heading to Monroe and the University of Louisiana Monroe campus. Foreboding clouds pile up along the horizon to the west, like a suddenly appearing mountain range. The wind begins to gust. It’s clear the region is about to get pummeled.
RESEARCH
But storms like these are fickle. Unlike hurricanes, which cut a wide swath of destruction, these hit with laserlike, although arbitrary, precision. One house is spared. Another, two blocks away, is demolished by the winds. No one yet has been able to tame storms, but a new piece of equipment acquired by ULM’s Atmospheric Science program holds the promise to understand better what will happen before the storm hits. The equipment takes on nature’s laserlike thrusts with a laser of its own: a portable wind LIDAR. The target? The gusty wind that precedes the storm.
22 TAKEFLIGHT
TODD MURPHY'S
LASER FOCUS
ON STORMS ULM's LIDAR a new tool to forecast dangerous weather
By MARK HENDERSON | Special to the University of Louisiana Monroe
The LIDAR was acquired through a $274,875 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Infrastructure Program, said Todd Murphy, Ph.D., Endowed Professor in Geosciences, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Atmospheric Science. Murphy said the equipment, unlike a Doppler radar that scans with microwave signals, uses a laser. LIDAR derives its name from Light Detection and Ranging. The Doppler radar tracks the storm itself. The LIDAR can only be used before the rain arrives. How it works The LIDAR instrument fires rapid pulses of laser light at a surface. A sensor on the instrument measures the amount of time it takes for each pulse to bounce back. Light moves at a constant and known speed, so the LIDAR instrument can calculate the distance between itself and the airborne material with high accuracy. By repeating this in quick succession the instrument builds up a complex “map” of the surface it is measuring. “The LIDAR sends out a pencil-thin beam in rapid succession. It is sensitive to the aerosols, dust, and bugs that are in the air. The beauty of it is that those are carried by the wind, and we can get fast updates about what the wind is doing at a specific point before the storm,” Murphy said. By determining how the wind is changing speed and direction – its shear – meteorologists
• ULM ACQUIRED THE LIDAR THROUGH A $274,875 GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. • RAPID PULSES OF LASER LIGHT WILL PICK UP AEROSOLS, DUST, AND BUGS IN THE WIND, ALLOWING FOR A DETERMINATION OF THE WIND’S SPEED AND DIRECTION. • ULM IS ONE OF ONLY FIVE UNIVERSITIES TO HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY. • FOUR OR FIVE STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE TRAINED ON THE LIDAR EACH SEMESTER. • THE GOAL IS TO LEARN HOW TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT A STORM LIKELY WILL DO BEFORE IT HITS BY STUDYING THE WINDS THAT PRECEDE IT. can get a better handle on how much of a threat the storm poses to the area being monitored. “It maps out every 30 seconds what the winds are doing immediately before the storm. That can help us by telling us how fast the atmosphere is changing, will the storm dissipate, or is it possible for the storms to form a tornado,” he said. ULM has purchased a truck to mount the equipment, about the size of a small dormitory refrigerator, in its bed. When a storm threatens, a team will head out with the truck, and a computer will allow the operator to set the parameters for the LIDAR to measure. Murphy said when the LIDAR is not in the truck, he may position it on the roof of Hanna Hall at ULM where the program is housed or out in a secure area near the department’s Doppler radar, feeding readings around the clock. That data will then be shared on the department’s website. From there, the National Weather Service will be able to access the data, if needed. Students and storms Students will learn to take readings and compare those with what the storm does. Eventually, the students will be able to use their data to forecast storms. “As an undergraduate program, we’re a teaching program,” Murphy said. “Research always has some student aspect. The goal is to get students more experience gathering data. When we go out, we’ll always have three
to four people in the truck, including students.” The goal is to train four or five students on the equipment each semester, Murphy said. Some of the uses for the technology are to help pilots gauge wind shear, engineers establish locations for wind farms, and meteorologists to better understand what a storm will do. Before students go out storm chasing with the LIDAR, however, they will be introduced to the technology on campus with an examination of simple physics. “Our first project will be to take measurements on the campus bayou. We will scan up and down the bayou in the late afternoon or evening, what we call the transition hours,” Murphy said. “The students should discover that the wind moves faster over water than over the nearby land. That’s because land brings more friction.”
23 About TODD MURPHY, PH.D. • B.S. in Meteorology, University of South Alabama • M.S. in Atmospheric Science, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Although Atmospheric Science is only an undergraduate program, the addition of the LIDAR gives ULM prestige. “We are one of five universities to have one of these,” Murphy said.
• Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Already, LSU has expressed an interest in using ULM’s LIDAR to help with a study of air pollution in Baton Rouge; an Alabama university wants to use it for a study on sea breezes.
• 2018 named ULM Endowed Professor in Geosciences
Murphy expects the LIDAR will increase ULM’s attractiveness to students. “It’s a great recruitment tool. It should provide us with a high quality-student base.”
■
• 2014 joined ULM’s Atmospheric Science Program as Assistant Professor, School of Sciences, College of Arts, Education, and Sciences
• Faculty adviser for ULM student chapter of the American Meteorological Society • Research interests: radar meteorology, integrated approaches to remote sensing of the atmosphere and boundary layer, atmospheric waves, severe local storms, external effects on tornadogenesis, public perception to severe weather
SPRING 2020
TEACHING
Ebony Watson – Preparing the next generation of health care professionals By HOPE YOUNG
With a smile that lights up a room, Assistant Professor of Nursing Ebony G. Watson, M.S.N, focuses as intently on her students at Kitty DeGree School of Nursing, as she did on the patients in her care during 14 years as a registered nurse. In 2004, the Northeast Louisiana native began her nursing career in Memphis, Tenn., as an intensive care unit nurse. Later, she and husband, Harrington Watson, III, returned to her hometown of Monroe, where she worked as a medical-surgical nurse. In 2012 she joined the nursing faculty at the University of Louisiana Monroe in the College of Health Sciences. The transition from nursing in a medical setting to instructing nursing students in a higher education setting was a natural evolution for Watson.
TAKEFLIGHT
“The aging population and the lack of practice among most college professors piqued my interest and led me from the bedside to the classroom,” she said. “I believed my energetic spirit, relatable communication, and my dedication to lifelong learning would positively affect all students I encounter.” Watson encourages students to understand their “metacognition” – the awareness of their own learning processes and apply that selfknowledge to improve their study skills. She fosters the development of critical-thinking skills and strengthening decision-making abilities.
“My longing passion for promoting education, accountability, and encouraging self-actualization to future health professionals is a treasured opportunity.” —EBONY WATSON
Assistant Professor of Nursing
“Nurses make significant clinical decisions when caring for patients, such as what to assess in a patient and which interventions are best to utilize. Thus, linking Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in the classroom helps students make effective, timely, and appropriate clinical decisions in response to the broad political, professional, and societal forces present in today’s health care environment,” Watson said. Health care research Watson’s research interests span from children and teens to college students. “Nursing is a unique health care discipline, and research is the driving force behind many aspects of nursing practice. My research studies range from newborn issues to concerns affecting adolescents to young adulthood,” Watson said. “I target these areas because the benefits are great when implemented.” Her research includes a study of “Sexual Knowledge and Behaviors in Adolescents,” and the “Safe Sleep A-B-C-D-E Project.” She surveyed students at a local high school about sexual education and found increased knowledge improved their judgment. Watson said the best approach to talking with adolescents about sex is “upfront and honest.” The project on safe sleep focused on teaching new and expectant mothers the proper way for an infant to sleep. Funded by a grant from the Living Well Foundation, the project was in response to the alarming rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). “We tried to make sure new moms and expecting moms knew how their baby should sleep at night and during naps,” Watson said. “We followed up in six months and then a year to find out how the baby and the mother were doing.” Watson’s other research resulted in her manuscript “Collaboration between Faculty and Students: A model for implementing nursing research” and contributing to the fifth edition of “Portable RN: The All In One Nursing Reference.”
Photo by Emerald McIntyre
Assistant Professor of Nursing Ebony Watson, standing, brings her years of experience as a nurse into the classroom.
She introduced the Men in Nursing event in 2019. Watson is currently writing a grant to provide scholarships for disadvantated students. By involving students in research, Watson helps the next generation of nurses understand all the “moving pieces” required to conduct and conclude a project. “I’ve had students who were able to input data and assist in obtaining the data. It gives them the chance to see the one-on-one of what the research entails. They have the opportunity to go through the process and are enlightened on all aspects,” Watson said.
make a conscious effort to establish rapport with the first interaction. Students who connect with their professors are more likely to ask questions about difficult subjects and discuss areas of concerns and thus receive valuable assistance from their faculty,” Watson said. A self-described “motivator by habit,” Watson helps students unravel challenges first by engaging, and second by organizing. “More often than not, students need to release the stressors and hear how different approaches to the issues can be resolved by identifying what is a priority and what is not. I am highly successful in assisting students in recognizing what deters them and develop a time-sensitive approach to remedy them,” she said.
The Kitty DeGree School of Nursing has an almost perfect passage rate on licensing exams and 100 percent placement of graduates. It is a demanding curriculum requiring students to meet rigorous academic standards and complete hours of clinical rotation. For Watson, it is a priority to connect with students who are struggling or overwhelmed.
Instructor, researcher, mentor, and motivator all describe ULM’s Ebony Watson, but how does she see herself?
“In my attempt to enhance their learning and secure their success in this program and or life, I
■
“I excitedly take on new challenges to assist students in their improvement in study skills, critical thinking, and mastering life skills. My longing passion for promoting education, accountability, and encouraging self-actualization to future health professionals is a treasured opportunity,” she said.
SPRING 2020
Watson is involved in the ULM Emerging Scholars program and Screenings for Life, which is funded by a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation.
KITTY DEGREE
The Kitty DeGree Bell Tower Society THE KITTY DEGREE BELL TOWER SOCIETY HONOR ROLL IS NAMED FOR THE UNIVERSITY’S MOST GENEROUS CONTRIBUTOR, DR. KITTY DEGREE. BELL TOWER SOCIETY MEMBERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED AT LEAST $50,000 TO THE UNIVERSITY AND HAVE EXTRAORDINARY HISTORIES OF SUPPORT TO ULM. THEIR NAMES ARE PERMANENTLY INSCRIBED ON ULM’S “WALL OF HONOR” LOCATED IN THE ULM CONFERENCE CENTER.
26 TAKEFLIGHT
KITTY DEGREE devoted her life to bettering her community. This true philanthropist showed unparalleled dedication to ULM. DeGree died on Oct. 25, 2012, leaving a lasting legacy as part of the ULM family. DeGree’s commitment to ULM ensured the remarkable progress of several university programs and facilities. Kitty’s capital gifts include: the Kitty DeGree Computer Center, which is the key student resource area of the Clarke M. Williams Student Success Center; the Kitty DeGree Pharmacy Student Resource Center and Library; and the Kitty DeGree Speech and Hearing Center. DeGree also provided funding for the focal part of the University Library and Conference Center, including the entry tower. The Kitty DeGree Bell Tower is now an icon and was included in an official university logo in recent years. After an additional seven-figure gift to the university, the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors approved the naming of the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing in June 2012. On April 12, 2013, the university unveiled Kitty DeGree Hall, which houses the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing.
TOWER SOCIETY $1,000,000 AND ABOVE Kitty DeGree Chip Lyman Ella S. Johnson Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Thomas H. & Mayme P. Scott Foundation Emy-Lou Biedenharn Foundation David & Sharon Turrentine Stephen W. and Ernestine M. Brown CenturyLink Contractors Educational Trust Fund John and Billie Smith Jonathan and Sheila Davies Dr. Judy H. Diffley Chase St. Francis Medical Center Coca-Cola Refreshments Linda and Eric Liew Glenwood Regional Medical Center Lallage F. Wall The William D. Hoover Family Susan Denmon Banowsky William S. Banowsky, Jr. Nancy J. Johnston Estate of Hanna Spyker Monroe/West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau Milburn and Nancy Calhoun BAYOU SOCIETY $500,000 - $999,999 The Radio People Estate of Mildred Summers Maurer Patrick and Catherine Mitchell Mary Goss Charities Bennie and Nelson Abell Stephanie and Nelson Abell Louisiana Department of Insurance The Strauss and Mintz Families Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company, Inc. Regions Bank North Louisiana Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic LA State Licensing Board for Contractors Buck and Libby Anderson
Willis-Knighton Health System James and Lynn Moore Bruce and Lizabeth Boulware Capital One Bank Johnny’s Pizza House John E. Huntsman and Sharon D. Harrison Elsie Webb Charles Freeman Stamper Bruce and Carol Hanks City of Monroe Carole and Tex Kilpatrick Kilpatrick Funeral Homes OUACHITA SOCIETY $100,000 - $499,999 Don Beach JPS Equipment and JPS Aviation Bonnie and Frank Maxwell, III The News-Star Clarion Inn and Suites John F. and Lucy Shackelford Guy and Loura Barr Carolyn and Harold Bates Bancroft Bag, Inc. T.O. Bancroft, Jr. Bernard W. Biedenharn P & S Surgical Hospital Origin Bank IberiaBank Joe and Linda Holyfield Michael H. Woods Lawrence J. Danna Entergy Services, Inc. Charles H. and Kay McDonald Kay and Hugh McDonald State Farm Insurance Companies Lev and Anne Dawson The Martin Foundation Central Management Company Teddy and Susan Price Graphic Packaging, Inc. Stephen M. Futrell Elee and Terri Trichel Mary Jo and B. J. Robison Dixie Shell Homes and Self Storage Johnny and Carleen Reeves Ronnie Ward Toyota of Ruston Ronnie and Sharon Ward
Lance and Tammy Jarrell Stanfill Louisiana Associated General Contractors Duke and Liesha McHugh Monroe Athletic Club Walgreens Comcast Cable Tag Rome Cayce and Vicky Hand Family Lincoln Builders, Inc. Evans Oil Company Sissie and Gary Jones Freddy and Reba Nolan Jay and Teri Lewis KTVE Channel 10 and KARD Fox 14 George L. Luffey Progressive Bank American Business Women’s Association Clarke and Mary Kathryn Williams Harold and Helen Turner Frances Hammond Linda Noe Laine Foundation KNOE TV Estate of Lewis Marvin McKneely Southern Pines f/k/a Calvert Crossing and Pine Hills Jack and Debbie Blitch J.D. and Annie Greco Noe Corporation, LLC Louisiana Cancer Foundation Evelyn and Jeff Johnson Alltel Corporation Mid South Extrusion Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation John and Debbie Luffey Geneve A. Castles Morris & Dickson Company, LLC Jim Doull James and Dot Mock Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association – LIPA Drew and Joe Farr Louisiana Lottery Corporation Vantage Health Plan, Inc. Waterfront Grill Ouachita Independent Bank Robert R. and Bobbye Earle John B. Gardner ULM Bookstore James Machine Works, Inc. The Atrium Hotel and Conference Centre Hixon Autoplex Lamar Advertising Van-Trow Toyota TBA Studio Tim and Jolie Brandon Land 3 Architect Jim and Debbie Rivers J.W. Wong Knowledge Enrichment Foundation John W. and Shiangling L. Wong Geo Surfaces Catfish Cabin of Monroe The Hearne Family Scott Powerline and Utility Equipment Leon and Gayle Miletello Tommy and Mary Barham Brian and Maxine Laird Moreau
Marsala Beverage, Inc. Lawson and Sharon Swearingen Lawrence A. Robinson Estate of James S. Taunton AT&T Lawrence I. White Louisiana Pain Care Julie and Dewey Weaver St Francis North Hospital Auxiliary John and Karen Wells Kirby and Susan Arceneaux Shawn D. and Donna Kay Murphy Dale and Jimmy N. Dimos AmSouth Bank Jody and Bishop Johnston ADIDAS Glen L. Davison Betty C. Ley Gary and Jan Luffey Sparks Nissan Kia Ryan Auto Group Ouachita Parish Chapter of the ULM Alumni Association James Kurt and Irmgard Kahn Fisher Phillip R. Smith Fred A. and Lillian Marx Mike and Loretta Ashbrook Christopher Youth Center Faulk Collier Moving & Storage Hertz Rent-A-Car Davis and Denise Hardy Larry and Cecille Bradley OEDC Land Corporation The Sol Rosenberg Family John and Rosemary Luffey Aramark Ouachita Parish Women’s Republican Club Stewart, Donna, Stewart, Jr.and Erich Cathey Brookshire Grocery Company Nick J. and Linda C. Bruno Katherine and Jerry Warner Michael C. Echols First National Bank Jim Taylor Chevrolet Dansby’s Taylor Rental Center Thomas Dansby, Sr. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation of Louisiana Action Moving and Storage, Inc. George T. Walker Loucille G. Kinsey Lynn and Gail Lincecum Delta Ridge Implement, Inc. Randy Morris West Carroll Health System ONB Educational Trust Fund Paul Fink William T. And Kandy A. Little BancorpSouth Bank JBJ Foundation, Inc. Harry and Mary Lou Winters Raising Cane’s Suzzie Jackson Waste Management, Inc. Tim R. and Wanda Holcomb Scott Truck and Scott Idealease ESPN
Randy and Rosemary Ewing Louisiana Board of Pharmacy Charles E. “Chuck” Finley Kathryn Huff Insurance Agency Ken and Kathryn Huff OPUS Broadcasting Newcomer, Morris, and Young, Inc. Ray & Melba Scurlock Mark and Janet Mitchell Ken and Mary Parnell Renwick The Community Foundation of North Louisiana The Toggery/Her Toggery Salvador Scaccia Bertha Marie Masur Gorn Bob and Donna Brooks Steel Fabricators of Monroe, LLC Tom Scott, Jr. Scholarship Foundation Dan R. Johnston CORNERSTONE SOCIETY $50,000 - $99,999 William F. Crowder Moore Oil Company, Inc. Marilyn and Lou St. Amant CVS Health Sidney R. Wilhite Ken and Carol Holland Home Builders Association of Northeast Louisiana American Petroleum Institute KAQY TV Keith Ouchley Linda and George Campbell R. Stewart Ewing, Jr. Tom and Sue Nicholson Downtown Monroe Lions Club Shirley Buchanan TEXO Biedenharn Foundation Ed and Betty Davis John and Cyndy Perry Daniel and Trudi Wood Outback Steakhouse The Links at Muny, LLC Joey and Cyd Jacobs Lee Edwards Mazda Catherine and William R. “Billy” Boles Aeneas Williams Dealerships Marty and Catherine McVay Doug and Glenda Gates Otten T.J. and Wanda Shuflin David Doles McDonald’s Overton Brooks VA Medical Center Indian Aquatic Club Como Charitable Foundation, Inc. Michelle Egan Luv N’ Care, Ltd. HomesPlus Manufactured Housing, Inc. St. Francis North Hospital Blake and Juanita Pitre Ecoutez Press Ltd. Peter and Nancy Illing Louisiana Real Estate Commission Louisiana Tom’s Vending Yvonne and Kent Anderson Busch Media Group
Frenchmen’s Bend Gold & Health Club Thomas & Farr Agency, Inc. The Doug Pederson Family Harvey Marcus Eckerd Corporation Foundation Shirley Boyce John and Susan Jackson FedEx Express Billy and Florinell Laird Jackie and Ellen Yeldell Dan and Hope Robertson Guide Corporation Sandy and Thomas C. Dansby, Jr. Cross Keys Bank Wal-Mart Foundation American Medical Response Van E. Pardue Bobbie and Tommy Matthieu Christopher and Erin Horrell Estate of John H. Smith, III Cindy and Dennis Rogers Rig Site Rental, LP Rusty and Lisa Haile Fiesta Nutrition Center, Inc. Anne and Elton Kennedy Cooper Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Inc. Wimbledon Health Partners Louisiana Machinery, Inc. Central Oil & Supply Corp. Judy and Francis Huffman Tom and Karen Torregrossa Stagg Cattle Company Estate of Ernest Duncan Holloway La Capitol Federal Credit Union Richard and Cheryle Dickenson Violet L. Liner Joe and Sandra Banks West Carroll Health System St Francis Medical Center Auxiliary James A. Thom, III Kenneth and Ann Wilson Jeanne R. And John H. Pere R. Britton Katz Farmers Grain Terminal, Inc. Leazel and Scott McDonald Northwest Louisiana Chapter of the ULM Alumni Association Richland State Bank Interstate Automotive Group TXI Texas Industries Simmons Sporting Goods Scott and Livvy Nunnelee Ray L. Crowell Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Louisiana AmWins Group, Inc. E. Orum Young AT&T Wireless Your Local Dodge Dealers Estate of Louise Briley Leake GlaxoSmithKline Estate of Gertie M. Allen Green Jim and Louise Altick Nonie and William McKie Doll and Ken Vines Basil and Gail Doles
27 SPRING 2020
IN MEMORIAM
The George T. Walker Heritage Society THE GEORGE T. WALKER HERITAGE SOCIETY HONORS THOSE GENEROUS DONORS WHO HAVE INCLUDED THE UNIVERSITY AS A BENEFICIARY IN THEIR WILLS OR HAVE MADE OTHER PLANNED ESTATE GIFTS SUCH AS CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES, LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES, AND CHARITABLE TRUSTS. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF CHARITABLE ESTATE PLANNING, VISIT GIFTS.ULM.EDU
Dr. Walker, the university’s president from 1958-1976, is one of the individuals most responsible for the growth of this outstanding institution of higher learning. In retirement, Walker remained among ULM’s civic boosters and was a familiar face at football games and other university events.
TAKEFLIGHT
Walker authored numerous academic and professional journal articles as well as several books on accounting and business education. Of his five copyrighted books, two were written during his retirement, The Building of a University (1991), which examines the early years of ULM, and the biographical Emy-Lou Biedenharn: Her Life and Legacy (1999). Emy-Lou Biedenharn was a worldrenowned contralto from Monroe and the daughter of Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola. In 1938, Walker married the former Mary Ellen Neal (1911–2002), his college sweetheart. They had a son, George T. Walker, Jr., of Monroe and a daughter, Ellen Claire Stephenson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Walker died of a lengthy illness at the age of 98. In addition to his children, Walker was survived by five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. In 1997, the Louisiana Board of Regents awarded Walker its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his ongoing dedication to higher education. He is also honored by the Mary Ellen and George Thomas Walker Scholarship Endowment through the ULM Foundation.
Buck and Libby Anderson Thomas O. Bancroft, Jr.* Guy and Loura Barr Florence J. Blackstock* Jack and Debbie Blitch Scherck Bogen* Larry* and Cecille Bradley Stephen and Ernestine Brown Carl and Kaye Cloessner Curtis and Laurinda Crenshaw Ray Crowell Lawrence Danna Thomas* and Attie Day Kitty DeGree* Dr. Judy H. Diffley Jimmy and Dale Dimos Michael Echols Douglas and Kristy Farr James Kurt* and Irmgard Kahn* Fisher Billy and Patti Gammel Charlotte Diane Gilbert* Maurice and Anita Gold Ronald and Judith Graham J.D. and Annie Greco Frances D. Hammond* Ressa and Joe Harris John E. Huntsman* and Sharon Harrison Terry Michael Hays Ernest Duncan Holloway* John James Nancy J. Johnston Dan R. Johnston* Britton Katz Tex* and Carole Kilpatrick William “Billy”* and Florinell Laird Paul and Carolyn Lasseigne Betty Ley Violet Liner Chip Lyman Marjorie Malone* Mildred Maurer* Claxton and Caroline Mayo Charles “Charlie Mc” and Kay McDonald Hugh and Kay McDonald Lewis Marvin McKneely* James* and Dorothy* Mock Shawn and Donna Murphy Lawrence and Ann Robinson Tag Rome * – In Memoriam
Rodger Ross Linda and Paul Sabin Brenda Hensley Smith John and Billie Smith John H. Smith, III* Hanna Spyker* Charles Freeman Stamper Lawson and Sharon Swearingen James Taunton* Elee Trichel George T.* and Mary Ellen* Walker Jerry and Katherine Warner Elsie Webb* James E. Yeldell*
The University of Louisiana Monroe Associates THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS DESERVE SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP SUPPORT AS UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATES. FROM JANUARY 1, 2019, THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2019, THESE ASSOCIATES INVESTED $1,000 AND ABOVE TO THE FOLLOWING AFFILIATE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: THE ULM FOUNDATION, THE ULM ATHLETIC FOUNDATION, THE ULM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, AND KEDM PUBLIC RADIO. OUR UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATES PROVIDE THE MAJORITY OF PRIVATE SUPPORT ANNUALLY... WE HONOR AND THANK YOU! Mr. Billy Carreto Mr. & Mrs. Stewart A. Cathey, Sr. Mr. Stewart Causey Mr. & Mrs. Ryan E. Chappell Roberta and Pedro Chavarria Mr. & Mrs. William Cheek Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Christian Mr. & Mrs. Robert Clark Mr. Robert Clark Ms. Toni Coble Dr. & Mrs. Henry S. Cole Mr. Curt Collins Coach & Mrs. James M. Collins Dr. & Mrs. Don T. Conlee Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Coons Mr. Jorge Coral Mr. Adam Cossey Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey R. Counts Mr. Don Couvillion Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Craft Mr. John R. Crain Mr. Camile Currier Dr. Lawrence Danna Dr. & Mrs. Jonathan J. Davies COL & Mrs. William G. Davies Mrs. Gretchen Dean Mr. & Mrs. Sidney L. Denny Mr. & Mrs. Gareld E. DeWitt, Jr. Dr. Judy H. Diffley Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy N. Dimos Dr. & Mrs. Maynard Dolecheck David and Hollye Donald Laura and Todd Dooley Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Dorman Terry and Susan Duke Ms. Ellen Eade Mr. & Mrs. Robert T. Eberle Mr. & Mrs. Michael Echols Mr. Robert Edwards Ms. Charlotte Eich Mr. R Stewart Ewing, Jr. Mr. Steven Farmer Mr. & Mrs. Douglas T. Farr Mr. Paul Farr Mr. & Mrs. Elton R. Farrar
Dr. & Mrs. Ronald E. Fields Mr. Morgan Flemister Mr. Trey Fluitt Mr. Stephen Futrell Mr. & Mrs. Gregory G. Gammill Ms. Beverly Gaushell Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence A. Giambelluca Mr. & Mrs. Gerald A. Giardina Mr. & Mrs. Ray Glasgow, Jr. Mr. Kevin Goldman Dr. & Mrs. William D. Gordon Mr. & Mrs. Gary G. Graham Mr. Brandon Green Mr. & Mrs. Toby T. Green Mr. & Mrs. James A. Greenlaw Mr. & Mrs. Rory Gresham Mr. Christopher R. Grigson Mr. John Guice Mr. & Mrs. Steven C. Gullatt Dr. & Mrs. Raymond Haik, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Myrt T. Hales, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Henry Hamner Mr. & Mrs. David M. Hampton Mr. J. Keith Hanchey, R.Ph. and Dr. Janet L. Hood-Hanchey Mr. & Mrs. William B. Hanks Dr. & Robert D. Hanser Mr. Claude T. Harris Mr. & Mrs. William W. Harrison Mr. & Mrs. Michael Harvey Mr. & Mrs. Larry J. Head Ms. Rene Hebert Mrs. Gin Heflin Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Herold, III Leigh and John Hersey Mr. Adam T. Holland Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth W. Holubec Mr. & Mrs. Joe Holyfield Mr. & Mrs. Joe Holyfield Mr. & Mrs. Christopher D. Holyfield Mr. & Mrs. Leo B. Honeycutt, III Dr. Janet L. Hood-Hanchey and Mr. J. Keith Hanchey Ms. Lena Hoonakker Mr. & Mrs. Christopher M. Horrell
SPRING 2020
Congressman and Mrs. Ralph Abraham Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Adams Mr. & Mrs. John L. Albritton Mr. & Mrs. Jerry M. Allen Mr. Chris Allen Mr. Harold Anderson Mr. Kent Anderson Milt and Toni Andrews Mrs. Eugenie Ardoin Dr. & Mrs. Raymond Armstrong Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Aron Mr. Paul Aron Mr. Mackie Ashton Mr. Lance Auttonberry Mr. Jeffrey Babcock Mr. & Mrs. Daniel S. Bacon Mrs. Ashley Barbo Mr. & Mrs. Guy Barr Mr. & Mrs. James O. Barry Mr. Harold Bates Mr. & Ms. Joseph R. Beard Mr. & Mrs. Jeffery T. Beene Ms. Paula Belle Ms. Michelle Bemis Drs. Ronald and Christine Berry Mr. & Mrs. Murray Biedenharn Dr. Sandra C. Blake and Mr. John C. Blake Mr. & Mrs. Barry J. Boudreaux Dr. Jessica & Mr. Jacob Brady Dr. Edward Brayton Dr. Julie & Mr. Tracy Breithaupt Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Brooks Ms. Lillian Brown Mr. Jerry Brown Mr. Nathan Brown Dr. & Mrs. Nick J. Bruno Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin B. Buffington Ms. Virginia Buller Mr. & Mrs. Ronald D. Bush Louis Caldwell Mr. & Mrs. John D. Cameron Dr. & Mrs. Michael A. Camille Mr. Guy Campbell, III Mr. & Mrs. George M. Campbell Mr. & Mrs. Larry Cansler
Mr. Erik J. Hsu Mr. and Mrs. Robert Huffer Dr. Larry Humble Mr. & Mrs. Paul E. Hutcheson, Jr. Mr. J. Michael Inzina Mr. & Mrs. John C. Jackson, II Mr. Charles E. Jackson, III and Dr. Gwenn V. Jackson Mr. & Mrs. Anthony D. Jacola Mr. Robert James Mr. David Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey L. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. J. Bishop Johnston, III Mr. J. D. Johnston and Dr. Jan T. Bagwell Mr. & Mrs. Courtney Joiner Mrs. Angylyn Jones Mr. & Mrs. John F. Jones Ms. Dolores Jones-Brown Mr. William Justice Mr. Rakesh Karn Ms. Michelle Keeley Paul and Anna Keliher Mr. & Mrs. Derek S. Kennedy Mrs. Wendy Kreps Mr. & Mrs. Albert J. Ku Mr. & Mrs. Martin Kushner Mrs. Christel Laine Mr. & Mrs. William Land Mr. Cecil Lara Dr. Rebecca LaRochelle Mr. & Mrs. Johnny E. Lawrence Mrs. Helen Ledbetter Mr. & Mrs. Brett A. Lemoine Mr. & Mrs. Phillip M. Lester Mr. & Mrs. Jay A. Lewis Mr. & Mrs. Eric Liew Mr. & Mrs. Howard L. Lincecum Ms. Violet Liner Ms. Kate Lowery Mr. & Mrs. John L. Luffey, Jr. Mr. Chip Lyman Mr. & Mrs. Stanley L. Maas, III Mr. & Mrs. Ray A. Mabile Mr. Harvey Marcus Mr. & Mrs. Charles Marsala
The University of Louisiana Monroe Associates
30 TAKEFLIGHT
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald A. Mason Dr. & Mrs. William G. McCown Mr. & Mrs. Lynn E. McCready Mr. & Mrs. Scott McDonald Dr. Charles McDonald Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. McDonald Mr. Michael W. McGee Mr. & Mrs. Keith A. McGough Mr. & Mrs. Gaylan D. McLin Mr. Quinton Medaries Mr. & Mrs. Karl P. Meeks Mr. & Mrs. Gary D. Merchant Elizabeth and Ed Miller Mr. Al Miller Senator & Mrs. Fred H. Mills, Jr. Mrs. Jean Mintz Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Mock, Sr. Mrs. Vada Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. James Moore, III Mr. Matthew Moore Mr. & Mrs. James W. Moore, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. David Moore Judge & Mrs. Milton Moore, III Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy K. Moore Mr. & Mrs. Brian A. Moreau Mr. Tim Morrison Mr. Jay Mount Mrs. Denise Names Mr. & Mrs. Mark J. Neal Ms. Laura Neumann Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Nicholson Dr. & Mrs. Jon L. Nickelson Mr. & Mrs. Freddy Nolan Mr. & Mrs. Kevin S. Nunnelee Mr. & Mrs. Kurt G. Oestriecher Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas P. Olinger Mrs. Teri O'Neal Mr. & Mrs. Michael S. Page Dr. & Mrs. Eric A. Pani Mr. & Mrs. Shawn G. Patrick Mr. & Mrs. John W. Perry, Jr. Mr. Jonathan Perry
Lannie and Tracy Philley Markey W. Pierre Mr. & Mrs. Walter J. Pierron, Jr. Victor and Beth Pisano Mr. & Mrs. Barry K. Powers Mr. & Mrs. Micah J. Pulliam Mr. & Mrs. Timothy D. Quinn Mr. & Mrs. Thomas V. Rabb, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Ray, Jr. Mr. Daniel Raymond Mr. Jeff Ready Mr. Charles Reed Mr. & Mrs. Jamey Rhea Mr. & Mrs. Keith G. Richard Mr. & Mrs. Keith G. Richard Mr. James Rightsell Mr. & Mrs. Dan W. Robertson Mr. & Mrs. R. Jack Robison Mr. & Mrs. August T. Rocconi Mr. & Mrs. Adams Rodgers, IV Mr. Dave Rogers Mrs. Cindy Rogers Mr. Tag Rome Mr. Emmett Roulaine Mr. Kyle Russell Mrs. Donna Saterfiel Mr. & Mrs. Michael Savoy Mr. & Mrs. George H. Schaeffer Ms. Claire Scioneaux Mrs. and Mrs. C. Ray Scurlock Mr. & Mrs. Stephen K. Seale Mr. Ben Sheets Mr. & Mrs. T. J. Shuflin, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Singley Mr. Lawrence Sisung Mr. & Mrs. John M. Smith Donald and Peggie Spicer Mrs. Mary Spicer Mr. & Mrs. Louis J. St. Amant Mr. Charles Freeman Stamper Mr. Martin Steffenson Mr. Stephen Stephenson
Mr. & Mrs. Grier Stephenson Dr. & Mrs. David W. Stewart Mr. & Mrs. John Storey Mr. William G. Swander Mr. & Mrs. Joe Tannehill Kerry and Stacy Taranto Hank and Laurie Tarver Clinton and Rachel Thibodeaux Mr. & Mrs. Larry R. Thomerson Senator & Mrs. Francis C. Thompson Mr. & Ms. Todd M. Tonore Mr. & Mrs. Gerald M. Tonore, II Mr. & Mrs. George T. Torregrossa Mr. & Mrs. Elee Trichel Mr. & Mrs. Douglas R. Turner Mr. & Mrs. David W. Turrentine Mr. Daniel Tynes Mr. & Mrs. James L. Vallee Mr. & Mrs. William R. Vallery Mr. & Mrs. John P. VanVeckhoven Mr. Steven Venters Mr. Stephen Vial Mr. and Mrs. Matt Viator Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth G. Vines Mr. & Mrs. Paul E. Von Diezelski Senator Mike Walsworth Mrs. Ruth Ward Dr. & Mrs. Jerry W. Warner Brooks and Karen Watson Martha and Danny Weant Mr. & Mrs. Dewey F. Weaver, Jr. Mr. Ralph M. Webb Mr. & Mrs. John S. Wells, CPA Mr. & Mrs. Dean K. White Mr. & Mrs. Clyde R. White Mr. Barry O. White Mr. & Mrs. Larry N. White Mrs. LaDonna White Mr. & John Mark Wilhite Mr. & Mrs. Glen L. Williams Dr. Adrienne Williams Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Williamson
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth W. Wilson Mr. John Winchester Mr. James Wodach Mr. Russell Woodard Mr. & Mrs. Kevin R. Woods Mr. & Mrs. Michael R. Wright Ms. Maria Yiu LA Construction Group, LLC Jay Russell Campaign Charitable Adult Rides & Services, Inc. W. Elton Kennedy Foundation Border Olympics, Inc. Noe Asset Management, LLC Cajun Industries, LLC Walton Construction - A. Core Company, LLC National Public Media Learfield Communications, Inc RSUI Indemnity Company Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC Blue Heron Homes, LLC Janise Mcmillon Insurance The Dial Family Foundation Pearson Education Como Charitable Foundation, Inc. Enterprise Holdings Foundation Skent-n-Dent Schwab Charitable Trinity Diamonds West Monroe Civitans Club Jaydee Corp. Express Employment Professionals Tisdale Converting LLC Ruston Farmer's Market Waste Connections, Inc. M. J. Kelly Company Arkansas Levee Gallery Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Smith Capital Holdings, LLC Big Shot Bob Enterprise, LLC
Photo by Emerald McIntyre
The University of Louisiana Monroe Associates David Toms Academy Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Gray Television Grp Oleolive LLC The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation of Louisiana Business Connections, Inc. Workforce Development Board 83 Stewart A. Cathey Companies, LLC Southern Strategy Partners LLC Northeast Delta Human Services Authority HET Consulting, LLC In-Sync Accounting & Consulting State Farm Louisiana Board of Pharmacy Park Hill Fine Art Portaits Dream Wash Express Segue Science Labs LLC S & B Drugs Donald Farms Inc. The Reserve on Bayou Desiard, LLC Lagniappe Rehabilitation Services Harris, Madden & Powell Stallings & Associates CPA's, PLLC LaSalle Management Company R2 Rentals LLC Curt Collins Farms St. Paul's United Methodist Church National Christian Foundation Alabama Specialty Drug Testing, LLC Lamyville Investors, LLC D B Real Estate, Inc Lousiana Bancshares, Inc Caridad Foundation Community Certified Development Corporation Jim Taylor Chevrolet Boydland Consulting, LLC Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts
Louisiana Plastic Industries, Inc. Pfizer Inc Louisiana Pharmacists Association B & L Marine Flair Jewelers Medical Pharmacy, Inc. Homeland Federal Savings Bank Caldwell Bank & Trust Co. Johnny's Pizza House Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation St. Francis Medical Center Auxiliary Grand Council Chapter Masonic Foundation of LA Ouachita Parish Women's Republican Club CenturyLink Cross Keys Bank Strauss Interests Walgreens Mary Goss Charities Architecture + Monroe/West Monroe Convention & Visitors Bureau Garrett & Garrett CPA's James Machine Works, Inc. AOSS Medical Supply, Inc. Contractors Educational Trust Fund Insurance Systems, Inc. Unique Trophies & Awards J. E. Dupuy Flooring & Acoustical, Inc. Mid South Extrusion, Inc. Regions Bank Glenwood Regional Medical Center Origin Bank Friendly Finance Corporation Catfish Cabin of Monroe Central Management Company North Louisiana Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic Van-Trow Toyota Thomas H. & Mayme P. Scott Foundation Lincoln Builders, Inc.
Evans Oil Company, Inc. Holyfield Construction Lazenby & Associates, Inc. Fiesta Nutrition Center, Inc. Centric Federal Credit Union Traxler Construction Co. Scott Truck Entergy Services, Inc. Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company, Inc. Franklin State Bank & Trust Co. Robertson Fruit & Produce, Inc. Waterfront Grill The Woman's Clinic Vantage Health Plan, Inc. Progressive Bank Northeast Louisiana Arts Council JBJ Foundation, Inc. ULM Alumni Association OEDC Land Corporation The Martin Foundation IberiaBank M i t c h i n e r- G i t t i n g e r F a m i l y Foundation Farmers Grain Terminal, Inc. Louisiana Cancer Foundation for Research and Education The Medicine Shoppe Bart Dornier Insurance Agency, Inc. Kitty DeGree Foundation CVS Health TBA Studio Mixon, Carroll & Frazier,PLLC Ron Bush Insurance Agency, Inc. Dianne Wroten Insurance Agency, Inc. Scott Powerline & Utility Equipment Harper Family Foundation Anderson Community Development Foundation Kimpa Hayes Boyd, CPA, LLC Greg Manley, Jr. Insurance Agency, LLC
First National Bank Integrity Capital Research, LLC Jean and Saul A. Mintz Foundation First United Methodist Church Richland State Bank Northminster Church Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company The Radio People Hand Construction, LLC Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Garvin Enterprises, Inc. Coastal Risk Services Opierx, Inc Sparks Nissan Kia Newman, Oliveaux, & Magee, LLP Ronnie Ward Toyota of Ruston Nabholz Charitable Foundation Land 3 Architect Tag Rome Insurance Agency, Inc. Arthur J Gallagher & Co. Morehouse General Hospital Gordon's Drug Store, Inc. B & J Pitre Pharmacy, Inc. Louisiana Charities Trust Little & Associates, LLC Doug Perry Wholesale Cars, Inc. HomesPlus Manufactured Housing, Inc. McCK Enterprises LA State Licensing Board for Contractors Randall's Fine Meats Argent Financial Group, Inc. Marion State Bank Bayou Benefit Counseling, LLC CRC Insurance Services, Inc. Paramount Healthcare Consultants McKay Consulting The Paper Market, LLC
31 SPRING 2020
700 University Avenue • Monroe, LA 71209-2500 Member of the UL System • AA/EOE
Alumni Association Ouachita Parish Chapter I N V I T E S
F R I D AY
APRIL
17
20 2 0
Y O U
T O
AT T E N D
DRESSY CASUAL
$60
Food & Wine Sampling
B O AT RIDES
7-10 p.m. ULM CAMPUS BRIDGE
Entertainment by Flashback 5
TICKETS & MORE INFO :
ulm.edu/wine
In case of rain, the event will be held in Bayou Pointe Student Event Center. Photo by: Prajal Prasai