The UNO Magazine - Apple

INDIA/UNO:A Partnership for University Growth

14

Spring 2008

New OrleansT H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F


O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F U N O

Birds and Bees

When Baseball Went to War

Privateer Hoops Take Improbable Win

202830

In Memoriam

Dr. Homer L. Hitt, 1917–2008

Founding Chancellor of The University of New Orleans1958–1980

1T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E W O R L E A N S O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E

ChancellorTimothy P. Ryan (LA 71)

Vice Chancellor of AdvancementSharon W. Gruber

EditorMike Rivault

Contributing WritersSarah Bergez (GS ’01)Rob BroussardMonique Gardner (GR ’87)Christy HeatonMarcelle Highstreet (LA ’82, ’83, GR ’86)Amanda Davis HoskinsAllison Hotard (BA ’06)Mike RivaultJohanna Schindler

Editorial AssistanceSheila Hayes, Hayes Media

PhotographyJorge FrancoAdam PeltzTracie Morris SchaeferJohanna SchindlerScott McCrossen

Layout & DesignUNO Creative Services

Send Correspondence toUNO Magazine Editor, University of New Orleans, Homer L. Hitt Alumni Center, 2000 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans, LA 70148

Phone: 504.280.1158Fax: 504.280.1080email: [email protected]

T A B L E O F ContentsFeatures Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Faculty Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Student Spotlight

A Golden Idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

New Students to Start with a Bang . . . . .13

India/UNO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

The Birds & The Bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Sidebars

Robert T. Sims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Scholarships Key to Success . . . . . . . . . .24

Lakefront Arena 25 Years Later . . . . . . .25

Highlights

When Baseball Went to War . . . . . . . . .28

Athletics

Hoops Take Improbable Win . . . . . . . . .30

UNO Baseball Optimistic . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Giving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Alumni

Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Terence R. Flotte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Silver Blue Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Juan LaFonta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Alum Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

14INDIA/UNO:

A Partnership for University Growth

Privateer HoopsAn Improbable Win

Sex Ed Going to War

Baseball

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3030

2020

The UNO Magazine is published quarterly for UNO alumni and friends by TheUniversity of New Orleans. Articles represent the opinions of the authors and do not neccesarily reflect the views of anyone but the authors. Letters to the editor arewelcome and should be submitted via e-mail or typewritten and signed. Letters mustinclude the writer’s name and telephone number for verification. All letters are subjectto editing for brevity.

To inquire about alumni events or to join the UNO International AlumniAssociation, contact:Office of Alumni Affairs, The University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148

phone: 504.280.2586 • Fax: 504.280.1080 • E-mail: [email protected]

© 2008 The University of New Orleans Foundation

Birds and Bees

V O L U M E 3 3 — N U M B E R O N E , 2 0 0 8

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EventsC H A N C E L L O R ’ S R E C E P T I O N I N H O U S T O N

A C T R E S S J O L I E E N C H A N T S N E L S O N - U N O C H A R T E R S C H O O L S T U D E N T S

In October, Chancellor Ryan visited with Houston areaalumni and friends during a reception at the sleek andurbane Hotel Derek in the city’s Galleria district. Guestsenjoyed classic French hors d’oeuvres and drinks with aTexas twist by award-winning chef Phillipe Schmit from thehotel’s Bistro Moderne and listened to an update fromChancellor Ryan. In addition to covering the progress ofUNO since Hurricane Katrina, the Chancellor talked with theguests about the University’s upcoming 50th anniversary,which will be celebrated during the 2008-2009 academicyear. The anniversary will be commemorated with ayearlong schedule of special events and initiatives and thecreation of a 50th Anniversary Commemorative ScholarshipFund to recruit diverse, talented students.

In December, Actress Angelina Jolie visited with a group of eighth-grade girls at Medard Nelson-UNO Charter School who shared their Hurricane Katrina experiences. Jolie visited on behalf ofSave the Children’s Adolescent Journey of Hope program, which helps children confront andresolve the problems they face. Since Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, Save the Childrenhas been responding to the needs of children and their caregivers in Gulf Coast communities. Savethe Children's Katrina Recovery programs include structured play activities designed to restore asense of normalcy and strengthen children’s coping skills, trust and self-esteem.

T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E W O R L E A N S O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E

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F A L L F E S T F I L L S Q U A D W I T H F U N

The clear, dry weather added to the enthusiasm as the Library Quad filled with special activities forthe Student Activities Council's Fall Fest 2007 on October 10.

Participants jousted one another in the Gladiator ring and shoved and tussled on the sumo wrestlingmat – properly padded, of course.

There were painted faces and wild balloon toppers. Friends shared the experience by dancing tothe beat of the music provided by a DJ.

Fall Fest is the only event at which campus organizations can sell food on campus, so the culinaryofferings were many.

EventsK A B A C O F F S C H O O L S H O W S I T S F A R E I N N Y C

U N O S T A F F C O U N C I L L E A D S C A M P U S - W I D E F O O D D R I V E

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Faculty members, students and three graduates of the Lester E. Kabacoff School of Hotel, Restaurant and HotelAdministration represented The University of New Orleans, the Greater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association andthe New Orleans Marketing Corporation at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York City November11-13. UNO representatives handed out materials for each of the New Orleans organizations and broadcast NewOrleans marketing commercials supplied by the New Orleans Marketing Corporation.

Student James Whitacre, from left, Roy Robertson, property control manager, andstudent Devincen McKendall load donations from the annual UNO Staff CouncilHoliday food drive onto a truck for transport to the Second Harvest Food Bank ofGreater New Orleans.

For the fifth consecutive year, the staff member of theProperty Control Management and Office Suppliesdepartments helped the Staff Council distribute andpick up collection boxes across campus. In additionto those pictured, the Staff Council extended a special“Thank You” to Eddie Toscano, Christopher Gil,Michael Cook and Anthony McGuire for going theextra mile.

The Second Harvest Food Bank accepts donationsyear-round. For information, visit www.no-hunger.org.


U N O J U M P S T A R T L E A D S L A N D S C A P E P R O J E C T A T N E L S O N - U N O C H A R T E R S C H O O L

UNO students wash tires before incorporating them into planters at Nelson-UNOCharter School. Pictured, from left, are Jumpstart UNO team leader Ariayne Fortune,and American Society of Civil Engineers, Student Section members Josh Hutchinson,Jenni Schindler and Richard Morris.

Nelson-UNO pre-kindergarten studentsChristopher Haywood, fromleft, Fred Williams, Jr.,Christopher Landers, SyreetaPetit and Shamya Carterpreview the colorfulhopscotch in the play spot as UNO students, from left,Yelena Rivera, AndreaNettles and Mallory Davis paint.

Nelson-UNO Charter Schoolseventh-graders Dejaron

Skinner, from left, DariannaFrith and Jashan Brown paint a

Nelson-UNO Roadrunner inthe pre-kindergarten courtyard.

The pre-kindergarten courtyard at Medard H. Nelson-UNO Charter School in Gentilly received afacelift on November 30, thanks to students from The University of New Orleans who help toprepare preschool-age children for elementary school.

The beautification crew painted a four-square court, a hopscotch and a Nelson-UNO Roadrunnerin the courtyard. They built planters from recycled tires, and added further color to the play spotwith flowering plants placed in those containers as well as a specially designed wooden planter.

The College of Education and Human Developmentis accredited by the National Council on theAccreditation of TeacherE d u c a t i o n(NCATE) . Th i sacademic year the collegeis participating inan accreditationvisit to support thecontinuation of itsaccreditation status.

In addition to submitting a written InstitutionalReport, the college hosted a team of examiners fromOctober 27-31 to interview key stakeholders andobserve the college’s work on campus as well as inschools that support fieldwork for candidates. A galaevent was held for candidates from theundergraduate and graduate programs andpersonnel from schools that sponsor field workincluded in programs of study and/or employprogram graduates. The event was an opportunity toshowcase how the College of Education and HumanDevelopment has created a positive impact on PK-12students, schools and the community.

Following the visit, a recommendation foraccreditation is forwarded to the national Board ofExaminers and to the Louisiana Department of

Education for confirmation. Another component ofthe accreditation process includes the submission ofeach certification program to various nationalorganizations for review by external evaluators. Thisprocess assists the college in attaining a designationof “Nationally Recognized” for its various programs.

To date, all programs submitted have been positivelyreviewed. The UNO visit was coordinated by Dr.William Sharpton, Associate Dean of the college;Dr. Kyle Scafide, Director of Unit Effectiveness; andDr. Mary Cronin, professor and a member of theNCATE Board of Examiners. The faculty and staffworked diligently to prepare for the review and look

forward to its outcome.�

N E W S Briefs

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Accreditation Review

In order to circulate the UNO Magazine to a wideraudience, the magazine is now available online. Atwww.magazine.uno.edu, the magazine can be viewedas it appears in its print format. This allows themagazine to go beyond its printed circulation of fortythousand that is mailed to alumni and donors.

This will enable UNO to keep in contact withmany who otherwise might not receive theprinted version.

This ‘virtualmagazine’ is aninterim step that willultimately lead to afully interactive onlinemagazine format likemost national and regional

magazines.�

UNO Magazine Now Online

INDIA/UNO:

A Partnership for

University Growth14

Winter 2008



O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N EO F U N O

Birds and Bees

When Baseball

Went to War

Privateer Hoops

Take Improbable Win

20

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Paperwork for the accreditation process.

Dr. William Sharpton

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Gift of Instruments Music to Students’ Ears

Library’s Multipurpose Room Named In Memory of Douglas “Dougie” Hitt

Students at Pierre A. Capdau-UNO Early CollegeHigh School will soon strike a new note, thanks to a$30,000 grant from The Mr. Holland's OpusFoundation for musical instruments and methodbooks for students.

The grant award was made possible by MusicRising, a Gulf Coast recovery programadministered by the Gibson Foundation. MusicRising has raised more than $1 million to provideinstruments for professional musicians, schools andchurches in the region.

“Thanks to the grant, the students will immediatelybe exposed to instruments that they may not havehad tangible exposure to otherwise,” said PrincipalShannon L. Verrett. “Students who may not havehad the means to rent or buy instruments will not behindered by a lack of funds.”

“It would have taken years of fundraisers to matchthis grant,” said music teacher Taylor Lasseigne.“Now we are on track to put on our first concert

this spring.”�

The multipurpose room in the Earl K. Long Library,previously known as Room 407, was rededicated bythe Friends of the UNO Library on November 8, inhonor of the late Douglas “Dougie” Grace CallariHitt. The wife of UNO’s first chancellor, Homer L.Hitt, was commited to the library continued wellbeyond her years as First Lady of the University,1958-1980. She died on April 28, 2007, at age 85. Anative of Independence, Louisiana, she earned abachelor's degree in fine arts from LSU in 1959.Those who knew her recall that she lived with graceand courage and devoted herself selflessly to herfamily and friends. She was a homemaker, artist,voracious reader, storyteller and hostess. TheDouglas Callari Hitt Room, now commonly called“Dougie’s Room,” was filled for the dedication

ceremony. A reception followed.�


Capdau-UNO Early College High School music instructor TaylorLasseigne, right, helps students become acquainted with their newband instruments.

Dana Criswell, left, president of the Friends of the UNO Library;and Chancellor Tim Ryan are pictured at the Friends of the Librarydedication ceremony with Hitt family members, from left,granddaughter Stephanie S. Leefe, daughter Louvin H. Skinner,and granddaughters Susannah Pedalino and Johanna Skinner.

—Johanna Schindler

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N E W S BriefsUNO congratulates Coach Joe Pasternack, coach ofthe UNO men’s basketball team, Jane Brooks, chairof the UNO Department of Planning and UrbanStudies and Rachel Kincaid UNO’s chief of staff andassistant to the Chancellor. These UNO staff andfaculty members received local recognition andkudos for their achievements from Gambit Weeklyand City Business in 2007.

Coach JoeP a s t e r n a c k ,who receivedGambit’s “TopForty UnderF o r t y ”recognition, isa New Orleansnative whostarted hisb a s k e t b a l lcareer at ParkCountry Day

School inMetairie. Heenrolled at the

University of Indiana, where he learned coachingfrom one of the best: the legendary coach BobbyKnight. Pasternack later became a student managerfor the Indiana basketball team and then was draftedas an assistant coach for the University of Californiaat Berkeley. He now is the head coach for the

UNO men’sb a s k e t b a l lteam. GoPrivateers!

Rachel Kincaidwas named oneof CityB u s i n e s s ’“Women of the

Year” for 2007. Kincaid obtained her master’s degreein business administration from UNO and works inthe Chancellor’s office as chief of staff and assistantto the Chancellor. She also manages UNO’sfinancial relationship with Louisiana’sCongressional delegation. Rachel was instrumentalin securing funds for the university after Katrina.Kincaid spent a lot of time in Washington D.C.persuading congress to help schools in New Orleans.Rachel is a native of Tennessee and received herbachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis.

Jane Brooks was also recognized in City Business’“Women of the Year” for 2007. She has been a

member of theUNO facultysince 1976where shecoordinates theH i s t o r i cPreser va t ionP l a n n i n gcourse of study.Brooks isa c t i v e l yinvolved inc o m m u n i t y -based historic

preservation tor e v i t a l i z e

diverse neighborhoods of New Orleans. She has alsobeen involved in several post-Katrina recoveryprojects serving as a member and as a planner forcitywide development projects. Ms. Brooks is anative of New Orleans and holds degrees inlandscape architecture from LSU and the HarvardUniversity Graduate School of Design.

UNO is proud of their outstanding faculty and staffmembers. Congratulations again to our winners fortheir excellence in dedication and hard work!�

Women/Men of Distinction

Joe Pasternack

RachelKincaid

Jane Brooks

—Elisabeth Bains

There were voices from all over the globe inattendance, but the song lyrics were belted out inEnglish at The University of New Orleans, Divisionof International Education, Metropolitan Collegebarbecue on October 26.

The festivities marked 35 years of InternationalProgramming at UNO. Since 1973, more than12,500 students and adults have studied in UNOsummer and semester-long programs offered inAustria, Costa Rica, France, Italy, Spain, CzechRepublic, Brazil, Australia, the Netherlands, Slovakia,Greece, England, Scotland, Belgium and Germany.

The event also marked the 10th anniversary of theCritical Languages Program which offers instructionin 20 less-commonly taught languages to more than800 students. The languages offered are: Arabic,Czech, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Modern Greek,Hindi, Hebrew, Russian, Urdu, Swedish, Norwegian,Haitian Creole, Romanian, Indonesian, Korean,Turkish, Bulgarian, Malaysian, Polish and Swahili.

The Division of International Education's IntensiveLanguage Program, launched in 1995, has offeredEnglish classes to more than 1,350 students from 90different countries. About 500 of these stuents havegone on to work toward a degree from UNO.

At the anniversary celebration on the lawn of theNewman Center, several students in the Intensive English Language program entertained the crowd bysinging in English. Among them was Marcio Pereira

de Jesus of Brazil who sang the Delta blues as if he hadknown English all of his life. Joining Marcio for severalunrehearsed duets was Takeshi Shimmura of Japan.

Students in the Intensive English Language programhave come from the following countries: Algeria,Angola, Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh,Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba,Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia.

France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India,Idonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,Lithuania, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, Moldova,Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua.

Niger, Oman, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, SaudiArabia, Segegal, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain,Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Turkey,Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine,Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam and Yemen.�

UNO International Education Marks 35 Years


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—Johanna Schindler

Marcio Pereira de Jesus, Brazil, and Takeshi Shimmura,Japan, playing duets for the first time.

Shweta Jha, Nepal, and Susan Wagy, Egypt.

F A C U L T Y FocusP L A N N I N G & U R B A NS T U D I E S

Dr. Nick Spitzer, Urban StudiesProfessor, traveled to Beijing, Chinawith colleague Robert Baron to speak atmajor national universities, theChinese Academy of Sciences and theChinese Folklore Society. Their travelwas arranged by the Asian Society tomark the translation of Spitzer andBaron's edited book, Public Folklore, intoChinese. The Chinese are strugglinggreatly with rapid modernizationeroding historic communities andlandscapes, not to mention air andwater quality. Spitzer and Baronaddressed the complexities involved inmaintaining tradition in the face ofgrowth.

A N T H R O P O L O G Y

Dr. David Beriss, Associate Professor ofAnthropology and Chair of theAnthropology Department, published“The Restaurants Book: Ethnographiesof Where We Eat,” (Berg Publishers,2007) a collection of essays he editedwith David Sutton (Anthropology,Southern Illinois University). Thecollection brings together essays byanthropologists about restaurantsaround the world, including “CulturalRevolution” theme restaurants inChina, the politics of family restaurantsin Italy, the making of “local”atmosphere in chain restaurants inIllinois and, of course, the role ofrestaurants in making the uniqueculture of New Orleans. This is the firstcollection of essays to bring anethnographic perspective to the study ofrestaurants.

M U S I C

Ed Petersen, Associate Professor, wasrecently featured in the ChicagoTribune article about Von Freemen, aworld-renowned jazz saxophonist whohelped shape Petersen’s craft. Thepaper noted, “Petersen always hasembraced Freeman's risk-taking ways,pushing beyond his mentor'sprecedents into even stranger harmonicrealms.”

James Hammann, Assistant Professorof Music, presented a paper at theAnnual Conference on Organ Music atThe University of Michigan in October.He also presented a lecture recital on themusic of Dieterich Buxtehude for theCommunity Concert Series of Beeville,Texas. In November he participated asorgan soloist and accompanist in aconcert to celebrate the tenthanniversary of the pipe organ heinstalled at Woodland PresbyterianChurch in New Orleans. During themonth of December he guest conductedtwo concerts with the New OrleansCivic Symphony, and on twenty-fourhour notice performed the organ part ofthe Saint-Saens "Christmas Oratorio" atSt. Patrick's Church.

H I S T O R Y

Dr. Arnold R. Hirsch, Urban StudiesProfessor, recently completed his termas president of the Urban HistoryAssociation (UHA) and was honored atthe Association’s annual meeting. Hedelivered a “presidential address” on“The Katrina ‘Conspiracies’” at thejoint meeting of the UHA and theAmerican Historical Association (AHA)in Washington, D. C. Hirsch has also

published an essay entitled “Fade toBlack: Hurricane Katrina and heDisappearance of Creole NewOrleans,” in the December, 2007 issueof The Journal of American History. Hewas also recently interviewed for theLehrer News Hour on PBS.

Dr. Madelon Powers, AssociateProfessor, recently presented the paper"Any Bar in a Storm: How BarroomTraditions Helped Save New OrleansPost-Katrina," at the AmericanHistorical Association Convention,Washington, D.C., January 4, 2008.The session title was "Sociable Shelters."

Jeffrey K. Wilson, assistant professor,recently published “EnvironmentalChauvinism in the Prussian East:Forestry as a Civilizing Mission on theEthnic Frontier, 1871-1914,” CentralEuropean History 41.1 (March 2008): 1-44; and “Imagining a Homeland:Constructing Heimat in the GermanEast, 1871-1914,” National Identities 9.4(December 2007): 331-349. He alsoreviewed the following books: DavidBlackbourn, The Conquest of Nature.Social History 33.1 (February 2008);James Retallack, The German Right,1860-1920. Canadian Journal of History42.3 (Winter 2007); and FrankUekoetter, The Green and the Brown.German Studies Review 30.3 (October2007). His conference participationincludes the following: Organized panel“Contesting the Commons: GermansNegotiating Nature at Home andAbroad, 1870-2000” and presentedpaper “The “German Forest” betweenIdeal Values and Real Estate: DefiningProperty Rights in Prussia, 1871-1914”at the German Studies Association.San Diego, October 2007.

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P O L I T I C A L S C I E N C E

Marc R. Rosenblum, AssociateProfessor of Political Science, has beendoing public policy work on issuesrelated to US immigrationenforcement, including technical issuesrelated to employer verification ofemployees work authorization status inparticular. He recently testified beforethe House Subcommittee onImmigration, Citizenship, Refugees,Border Security, and International Law(“Problems in Current EmploymentVerification and WorksiteEnforcement,” April 24, 2007) as wellas chaired a staff briefing on CapitolHill (“The E-Verify Program,”September 21, 2007). He also deliveredlectures on the politics of USimmigration policy at the World AffairsCouncil of New Orleans and the USCouncil on Foreign Relations.

E N G L I S H

Matt Roberts, Instructor in English,has two essays nominated for thePushcart Prize this year. One for"Donny Isn't There When Tom CallsMe for a Ride" in the Summer 2007issue of The Cimarron Review, and theother for "Pre-vasectomy InstructionNo. 7" in the Fall/Winter 2007 issue ofNinth Letter.

P S Y C H O L O G Y

Kevin W. Greve, Professor ofPsychology, was elected to Fellow Statusin the National Academy ofNeuropsychology on November 16,2007. Fellows are elected based ontheir record of significant contributionsto the science and profession ofneuropsychology.

E N G I N E E R I N G

Dr. Bhaskar Kura, Professor of Civiland Environmental Engineering anddirector of the UNO MaritimeEnvironmental Resources andInformation Center, has beenappointed to the Environment Groupof Governor-Elect Bobby Jindal'sEconomic Growth Transition AdvisoryCouncil.

Dr. Edit Kaminsky Bourgeois,Associate Professor of ElectricalEngineering, is the Technical ProgramCo-Chair for IEEE Globecom 2008(Global Telecommunications)conference. Globecom is a premiereIEEE conference in the area ofcommunications and networking. Thisyear it will be held in New Orleans andis chaired by Richard Miller of AT&T.The technical program she co-chairs willconsist of 11 Technical Symposia -withover 1000 papers presented-, a Designand Developer's forum, workshops, andtutorials.

Dr. N.J. Mattei, Associate Professor,Civil and Environmental Engineering,has attended her first face-to-facemeeting of the Committee OnLicensure and Ethics in Austin, Tx inJanuary of 2008. C O L E i s o n e o f

the const i tuent committees thatis directly under a American Societyof Civil Engineers Board-levelCommittee on Professional Practice.Recent committee activities includedeveloping a white paper on specialtycredentialing of civil engineers beyondthe Professional Engineering license.Future issues include potentialUS/Canadian licensing comity as wellas development and refinement ofcontinuing education products inengineering ethics.

Dr. AbdulRhaman Alsamman,Assistant Professor, ElectricalEngineering, is leading the expansion ofthe Cluster Project: A 64bit Linuxcomputational cluster with over 80processors is hosted in the College ofEngineering and available to faculty forprojects that require intensivecomputations. It was most recently usedby Dr. Martin Guillot (Dept. ofMechanical Engineering) to runsimulations for the Corps of Engineers topredict storm surge. This year the clusterwill be expanded to over 200 64bitprocessors and multi-terabytes of storage.The EE Department hopes to use thehigh-performance computing of its newcluster to improve the region's researchcapabilities in the wake of Katrina.

Dr. Leo Daniel, Visiting Professor,Mechanical Engineering, was recentlyappointed as member of an AIAAAcademicAffairs Committee.

Dr. Rasheed Azzam, DistinguishedProfessor of Electrical Engineering, hasbeen appointed for a second three-yearterm as member of the PublicationsCouncil of the Optical Society ofAmerica (OSA) effective January 1, 2008.


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S T U D E N TSpotlight

Choosing to go to college is a life choice, and everystudent’s situation is not the same. Some peoplechoose to go to college right after high school toimmediately start on the road to a degree. Somepeople travel or join the work force. Some peopledon’t even think about it. Some life journeys lead toa formal college experience and some do not. But nopath is written in stone and college can be foranyone, and here 65 is the lucky number.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

The University of New Orleans understands that it isnever too late to get a college education and hascrafted a program to assist senior citizens in realizingtheir dreams. The Golden Ager program is designedto encourage those 65 years of age and older to enrollin credit classes at UNO. It has been made possibleby state legislation which exempts people age 65 andover from payment of tuition and fees at all publiccolleges and universities in Louisiana. While it maybe free - don’t be fooled – that does not mean it is a

“free ride!” The sameacademic regulationswhich apply to thestudent body in generalalso apply to GoldenAgers. This includes allthe regular things likeclass attendance, testing,course prerequisites, andadmission requirements.

The program is housedin the Metropolitan College and currently has about60 Golden Agers enrolled. Some of these studentsare seeking a degree and others take classes simply forpersonal enrichment. The Metropolitan Collegeprovides classes they know these students areinterested in as well as placing classes in multiplelocations throughout the city. “Several of ourGolden Agers are interested in writing theirmemoirs.” Natalie Seither, Coordinator of AdultStudent Services, commented: “They are activepeople who want to reach personal goals.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT TIMING

Betty Purcell is a 66-year-old student who is takingadvantage of the program. “I have been trying to getan education for years,” she says with a sigh. Bettyhas had a life filled with close encounters withclassrooms, but no serious pursuit ever materialized.She started attending classes at several points in herlife, but had to stop due to the business of day-to-dayliving. An education was a life dream she continuedto put off for family … until now. She is an activemember in her church, an establishedbusinesswoman and finally, an enrolled student!“People come first. I knew I would get to aneducation eventually, but I always put my family first”she says. Betty always new she would go back toschool. “I have always loved reading and have tried tolearn from all my life experiences. I love to learn”.

This semester she is taking French, English and acomputer course. When asked about pursuing adegree she said “I am not looking for a degree.I want to take as many English classes as possible. Iwant to write a book.” It is her passion for her faiththat drives her to want to be an author. She wants toshare her experience, all of her life trials throughfictional novels and hopes to inspire people. “I wantto have an impact on people’s lives. I want to havean impact on New Orleans,” she explains.

Betty is a passionate woman who has not given up ona dream, and her tenacity has led her to TheUniversity of New Orleans.

Carl E. Drichta, Ph.D.C, Interim Dean, commentedabout the program, “These are very special students.Like all students here, they want to be here. They areresilient and self-motivated and truly want to learn.They are life learners.”

The Metropolitan College offers several programsthat help people learn at all ages. Golden Agers arejust one of many. For more information on what theMetropolitan College has to offer check out their

website. www.metro.uno.edu �

A Golden Idea

Betty Purcell preparing for class.

by Sarah Bergez (GS ’01)


What do you get when you combine 20 spirited andinvolved UNO Orientation Leaders, a thousand plusincoming UNO students, and a variety of activitiesand presentations? ORIENTATION 2008!

It’s a new yearand a neworientat ionseason. Wehave selectedt w e n t youtstandingstudents to beOrientationLeaders thisyear: AmonieJ o h n s o n ,A n n eJ a m i s o n ,B r a n d i e

Doskey, Brett Hornsby, Calvin Captville, FrederickJohnson, Jessica LeJeune, Jessica DeLaneuville, JessieNunes, Jevon Thompson, Johnny DeGruiter, JonasDominique, Keelin Billue, Lacey Manning, Luis Bueso,Michael Warren, Randy Marvin, Ravenne Eschette,Shannon Zorn, and Tamara Geffrard.

One of the most important components of asuccessful Orientation Program is having a strongOrientation Leader Team. Orientation Leaders areable to offer new students something that staff andfaculty cannot: current UNO student experiencesand perspectives. The leaders range from presidentsof organizations to resident assistants in UNO’shousing facilities to International Students toTransfer Students to Lab Assistants to Greek Lifemembers. All five Academic Colleges are representedby the Orientation Leaders. They are a well-roundedgroup that represent UNO and are eager to work withUNO’s newest class.

Our New Student Orientation Department hasworked hard to create a program for incomingstudents that will showcase the many positiveopportunities available to students. This year

freshmen, transfer students, and adult students willbe able to attend programs designed especially fortheir needs. It is extremely important for incoming-students to receive information and assistance thatwill give them a stronger connection to UNO.

When students arrive on campus to attend classes, itis hoped that they are motivated to take ownership oftheir experiences and become involved in and outsideof the classroom. Orientation will be the first step inputting this plan into motion. Orientation Leadersalong with UNO faculty, staff, and other studentleaders will provide new students with the resourcesthey need to start a new and exciting chapter in theirlives. The following offices/departments willparticipate in Orientation: Admissions, Athletics,the Bursar’s Office, Campus Activities, Financial Aid,Learning Resource Center, Registrar, HousingOffices, and many more!

Something new for 2008 Fall Freshmen OrientationProgram is the addition of an overnight stay.Pontchartrain Hall is UNO’s newest on-campushousing facility and it will be the site for orientationSpending the night gives students a chance toexperience life in the residence halls. OrientationLeaders will also be present in the halls and help leadevening activities for new students. Orientationpromises to be a fun and informative experience forall and we look forward to working with all ofUNO’s incoming students.

The New Student Orientation Office, which hasrecently become a part of the Office of Admissions,is also now responsible for producing AdmissionsCampus Programs. The efforts of all Admissionsstaff members combined with our student leadershas produced positive and engaging programs whichinclude: Fall Transfer Student Open House, AdultsConsidering College, Get to Know UNO (theannual open house), the Fall Counselor Luncheon,and five free ACT Prep Workshops. With consistentcollaboration of UNO Offices, the office is certainto continue to bring solid programs to all incoming

students to The University of New Orleans.�

New Students to Start with a Bang

Jessie Nunez, Shannon Zorn, LaceyManning and Jevon Thompson.

by Christy Heaton

14

INDIA/UNO:INDIA/UNO:

15

With 1.2 billion residents India has become a greatmarket for many companies, and a desired target formany more. The numbers tell the story. With agrowing middle class, agrowing literacy rate, agrowing population, andgrowing education levels aswell as a rising standard ofliving, India will be aformidable economy. Andif Dr. Bhaskar Kura andDr. David Gladstone haveanything to do with it,India will also be a sourceof growth for UNO.

Alea Cot, Director of theDivision of International Education, was able to putthe pieces of a puzzle together that originated thenewly minted, “India Initiative.” “I knew that theChancellor was interested in recruiting in India froma conversation we had in the fall of 2006. From thereI knew Dr. Gladstone was very familiar with India aswell as Dr. Kura. Bringing them together with keyDeans lit a fire under a burgeoning project,” said

Cot. This was the impetus for something that willlikely grow and flourish in the coming years.

Dr. Kura is from theHyderabad Region ofthe Andhra Pradeshstate of India and hasmany contacts, familyand friends to call on.Dr. Gladstone spendstime each year in Indiaand has spent yearstraveling and studyingthere as well. This levelof familiarity helped getthe first fact-findingtrip started. With seed

money from the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Sciences,Engineering and Metropolitan College as well as theOffice of Research and Sponsored Programs and theOffice of Enrollment Management Kura andGladstone were able to make a trip in April of 2007and meet with several government officials as well askey universities. “The interest on the Indian side isincredible. We were very well received,” noted Kura,

by Mike Rivault


India/UNO

A PARTNERSHIP FORUNIVERSITY GROWTHA PARTNERSHIP FOR

UNIVERSITY GROWTH

Dr. Bhaskar Kura and Dr. David Gladstone with Indianapplicants.

“Several universities were quickly interested insigning a Memoranda of Agreement with UNO.”

Another key component of the trip was to visit withU.S. Consular offices to ensure the appropriategovernmental officials understood the current statusof New Orleans. “Some consulate officials haddenied visa requests by students wishing to studyhere based on the idea that New Orleans was still inan uninhabitable state,” commented Kura.Gladstone and Kura wanted to ensure that therewould be no official impediment to students comingto UNO based on false information.

The next step in the process was to develop ameaningful plan of action. Gladstone and Kuraassembled a plan with several recommendations. Thefirst recommendation was simple and based on somekey cultural understandings and the Indian reaction

from the UNO fact-finding trip – recruit graduatestudents in India. Because Indians place a great dealof value on American higher education and Englishis widely used in Indian high schools, colleges anduniversities, the growing middle class finds sendingfamily members to the United States a worthyoption. Evidence of the potential for UNO to garnernew students was demonstrated in the fact that thefact-finding trip resulted in ten applicants thatturned into eight new UNO students for the fallsemester of 2007.

Their recommendations also noted that specificUNO programs would likely yield a solid returnbecause of the particular needs in India. In additionto the often sought after computer science andengineering fields, Urban Planning, FilmProduction, Business Management and Hotel,Restaurant and Tourism are growing sectors in India.

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Charminar Mosque in Hyderabad’s old city center.

17

Its film industry is the largest in the world. India’spopulation and economic diversification are growingso fast that brand new cities are being planned andbuilt. Tourism in India is seeing enormous growth.With targeted recruiting in these areas, UNO canlocate new students in India. “Once we get thisprogram going, we fully expect to see a sizeable surgein applications and new students. We absolutely haveto ensure that we are capable of accommodatingthese students,” said Gladstone.

Kura and Gladstone also developed some veryspecific recommendations that will aid on both thebroadest and most specific levels. Kura explained thatthere are U.S. State Department affiliatedpromotional organizations that aid Indian students inresearching universities in the United States. There isa minimal annual cost to have UNO materialsdisplayed for area students. “This places ourinformation right in front of far more students thatwe could actually recruit face to face,” stated Kura.

Other recommendations include beginning aminimal advertising presence, fostering exchangebetween UNO officials and Indian educationalofficials, establishing a study abroad program inIndia, as well as a significant proposal of potentiallystarting a U.S. accredited fourth year undergraduateprogram in India. This fourth year program wouldallow for an easy transition for many Indian collegegraduates to attend a U.S. graduate school. Manyundergraduate programs in India are three-yearprograms. A fourth year program sponsored by UNOwould enable the student to acquire extra hours ofcredit before entering a U.S. graduate program.“This would certainly be a large undertaking,” notedGladstone, “but one with huge implications.”


Children gathered for UNO visitors “photo session.”

India/UNO

Jorge Franco working with applicant.

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Gladstone and Kura have received a great deal ofsupport and enthusiasm for their proposals and areexcited about the potential benefits this could bringto UNO. In late summer 2007, the seniormanagement at UNO agreed to the importance ofthis project and also agreed to send a team back toIndia for further recruiting. Gladstone, Kura, JorgeFranco, Assistant Director for InternationalAdmissions, and Adam Peltz, Counselor for TransferStudents, made the trip to specifically recruitstudents for the fall 2008 semester.

The team advertised information sessions forstudents interested in studying in the United Statesat UNO. Interested students came and broughtfamily members along with them. Kura andGladstone would give the general presentation andthen those who were interested in applying wouldapply on the spot with Franco and Peltz.

Peltz summarized the type of student that showed upfor the information sessions that were conducted,“Not only were the people we met with incrediblygracious, most of the students were really top notchstudents – that speaks well for UNO.”

The trip exceeded all expectations. Franco reportedthat the team was able to meet with approximately300 interested students and have received 256applications as of magazine press time. “We havearound 30 students that are already here in thespring semester, and have another 45 that areadmitted for the fall. But we expect many more asthey have until June 1st to apply.”

Franco also noted, “One of the things that wasimportant to us was to be able to expedite theadmissions process from this first meeting. In orderto do this we processed their applications

Looking at digital photos with a Saints fan.

India/UNOimmediately, contacted the appropriate graduateprogram and admitted the students within twoweeks. Also, during the processing we kept in regularcontact with the applicants.” By expediting theprocess and admitting students as soon as possible,UNO increases the likelihood that the admittedstudent will actually enroll. “We don’t want to leavethem waiting for too long. We want to ensure thatthey truly understand how much the university wantsthem as students,” he concluded.

At just about a year into its conception, the “IndiaInitiative” has built excitement and yieldedimmediate results for UNO. “This is somethingthat is limited only by us. We have a willingpopulation and all we have to do is reach out to

them,” stated Kura.�


19

Gladstone and Kura presenting UNO information.

20

THE BIRDS &

THE BEES

THE BIRDS &

THE BEES

20

21

Human sexuality is a subject that provokes a varietyof responses in people from shock to discomfort torapt attention. The “birds and bees” metaphor aside,sexuality remains a very personal and private subject.However, possible discomfort with the topic, has notinhibited enrollment in UNO’s Psychology 1520class. There are generally plenty of students,enrolled. Just ask Professor Allyson Bennett.

Dr. Bennett’s class is filled to capacity with morethan 300 students. It is her second semesterof leading them through the twists andturns of the complexities of humansexuality.

Dr. Bennett took over the instructionof Psych 1520 in 2007 after thedeparture of Dr. Bruce King. Dr.King was a dynamic teacher, andthe course was a favorite of UNOstudents. According to Dr. King’spage on Wikipedia, the courseholds UNO records for thehighest enrollment and thecourse most taken by students.When he announced that hewas leaving UNO to chairthe psychology departmentat Clemson University,he met with Dr.Bennett. They foundthey shared a similarperspective on the importance of human sexualityeducation.

She has retained the general scope of the course. Itcovers a broad range of areas from cultural andhistorical perspectives on sexuality to pregnancy andchildbirth to the influence of lifespan on sexuality.

Dr. Bennett also uses the text Dr. King wrote for thecourse, Human Sexuality Today. It is one of thebestselling human sexuality textbooks in print.

Dr. Bennett may not have changed the coursesignificantly, but she brings a fresh point

of view, “I’m trying to help studentsbecome more comfortable with theirown sexuality, but also trying to help

them take responsibility for it.”She continued describing herapproach, “I want them tocome away from this courseopen to other people’ssexuality and to not makejudgments. An educationin human sexuality can bea great tool in learning toaccept others.”

She finds the section focusingon sexual health to be the mostgratifying to teach because itholds the most surprises forstudents, “They often don’trealize how easy it is to contractsexually transmitted diseases(STD), and how they can affectyour life, particularly if theygo untreated.”

For all the giggles and one-liners thesubject of human sexuality may inspire, it is relevantto students’ lives, and particularly important toyounger students. According to an Emory Universitystudy, freshmen under the age of 20 are more likelyto contract an STD than students who aresophomores, juniors or seniors. A recent trendeliminates sex education classes in middle schools

Birds &Bees

by Amanda Davis Hoskins

Bennett’s class listening intently.


22

Birds &Bees

22

and high schools or the curriculum presents onlylimited information to the students. This trend ineducation makes college-level human sexualitycourses even more important. The Center forDisease Control estimates that as many as one in twopeople will contract an STD before the age of 25.

Many of the most common STDs can beasymptomatic and hard for individuals to detect.They also can have long-term effects on reproductivehealth and cause other medical complications. Dr.Bennett’s course is a safe, secure environment forstudents to learn how to protect their own healthand have sense of the role sexuality plays in theirindividual lives as well as in society.

Dr. Bennett has been a New Orleanian since the age ofnine, when her family moved to the city. She receivedher undergraduate degree from UNO, and did hergraduate work at the University of Alabama. Duringone of her first classes at UNO, Adolescent Psychology,she realized that psychology was her calling. Dr.Bennett says, “It felt like I’d found my niche. It waskind of like coming home after a long trip—a sense ofcomfort and knowing where you belong.”

Her emphasis during her graduate studies was onforensic psychology and law, and she has workedextensively with adolescents and individuals withmental disabilities. Currently, in addition to herwork with students at the University of NewOrleans, she teaches at Loyola University and is inprivate practice, specializing in therapy and

testing services.�

In August 2007, Dr. Robert T. Sims was named AssistantProfessor of Political Science and Director of the UNOSurvey Research Center (also known as the UNO Poll),succeeding founding director, Susan Howell.

Sims is a native of New Orleans and a UNOalumnus. As a doctoral graduate student, he was aresearch assistant with the Survey Research Center(SRC). He is thrilled to return to the University ofNew Orleans and brings awealth of experience in marketand opinion research.Previously, Sims conductedmarket research and publicopinion analysis at the MarketDynamics Research Group, Inc.,a New Orleans-based researchfirm. He has also served as aprivate consultant to politicalcandidates. He specializes inpolitical behavior/publicopinion, American politics, andresearch methods.

Sims plans to expand the media through which theSRC conducts its polling. In December 2007, underhis direction, the UNO SRC released the findings ofits most recent survey, “The Nation Looks at NewOrleans.” Using a quality of life approach, the SRCanalyzed the accuracy of national perceptions of thepost-Katrina recovery; performance by federal, stateand local governments; and corruption withinLouisiana. It represents the first time that the SRCconducted an online survey.

“The Nation Looks at New Orleans” revealed thatmisconceptions about New Orleans still persist.Some of the misconceptions are: most residents inNew Orleans still live in temporary housing, theFrench Quarter was one of the hardest hit areas, andparts of the city remain under water. However, thesurvey also provided compelling data for those whocontinue to seek federal funding for the city. Simsfound that people's willingness to financially support

the city is strongly related to their perceptions of whowas responsible for the problems that New Orleansexperienced. Among respondents who felt thefederal government was primarily to blame (49% ofthe total sample), 77% are willing to continue to usetax dollars for recovery. The percentage among thosewho blame the state government is 55%, and only36% believe the local government is at fault.

Sims is planning to increase thesurveys that the SRC conducts eachsemester. While continuing thetraditional telephone survey, healso plans more online surveys.The rise of cell phones and callerID make it more difficult to obtaingood coverage through telephonesurveys. Online surveys avoid thisproblem and allow for a gooddemographic sampling. The onlinemedia is used frequently in privateindustry and provides respondentswith the ability to react to visual

and audio presentations. Sims also hopes to expandthe scope of the UNO SRC with opinion research inLatin America on the relationship between religionand politics.

Dr. Sims is enthusiastic about the future of the UNOSurvey Research Center and the department ofPolitical Science. According to Dr. Sims, “We weredown after Katrina, but not out. We are movingforward with faculty members who are bringing freshideas and offering new opportunities for our students.UNO is an important university in this community.”

He is particularly proud of the UNO SRC, which isthe only survey research center in the metropolitanarea and the primary source of opinion research inNew Orleans. He is impressed that UNO PoliticalScience graduates often find employment in thepublic opinion research industry with many of themmanaging several of the survey research centers

across the country.�

Side

bars Robert T. Sims named Director of the UNO Survey

Research CenterBy Marcelle Highstreet (LA ’82, ’83, GR ’86)


Dr. Robert T. Sims

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Scholarships: A Key to SuccessBy Amanda Davis-Hoskins

In September 2008 UNO will celebrate its 50thanniversary. To honor the landmark year UNO isestablishing the Fiftieth AnniversaryCommemorative Scholarship Fund. It is hoped thatthis special fund will assist students and have a life-changing impact on their futures.

For many a student, it is scholarship money thatbridges the gap between the dream of collegeeducation and the reality of a degree. Current UNOstudents Danny Bourque and Jung Ho Kang areliving their dream because of scholarships.

FILM PRODUCTION MFA STUDENT DANNY BOURQUE

When Master of Fine Arts student Danny Bourquewas looking to continue his advanced studies in film,the University of New Orleans was an obviouschoice. Originally from Lafayette, Danny beganmaking short films prior to his undergraduate workat Trinity University in Texas. “I was amazed to seewhat you could do with the medium, and howaccessible it was,” he said about directing the firstshort. “Film is an amazing way of communicating anidea.” He was hooked from the start.

Danny began his graduate work shortly beforeHurricane Katrina, and was determined to finish hisdegree at UNO. He immersed himself in the NewOrleans culture, taking photographs for the TimesPicayune, and creating documentaries for thenewspaper’s website. Danny feels good about being

at UNO during thisimportant moment inNew Orleans history,“Here, people have acommon groundthey’re coming frombecause of the stormand the rebuilding. It’slike nowhere else.”

UNO has state of the art film facilities and offersvaluable working experience on major motionpictures. As he was planning his master’s thesis,Danny learned he was the recipient of the Louisiana

Amusement and Music Operators AssociationRobert Nims Memorial Scholarship for filmstudents. Through the generosity of the late RobertNims and his wife Jeri, the scholarship supports thestudents’ film thesis.

Without the scholarship, Danny would have beenresponsible for raising the funding, shifting his energyand focus away from his thesis. “It’s great to knowyou have the resources to make your film from thebeginning,” said Danny, “and it helps you concentratemore on the project, which makes it better.”

JAZZ PERFORMANCE BACHELOR OF FINEARTS STUDENT JUNG HO KANG

A native of Seoul,South Korea, Jung HoKang came to theUniversity of NewOrleans to study jazz inthe fall of 2005. Hislove of jazz led him toNew Orleans, a cityrenowned for its

musical heritage. After Katrina, Jung Ho foundhimself studying with a fellow UNO student at theUniversity of Texas at Arlington. Despite ascholarship offer from UT, Jung Ho wanted tocontinue his studies at UNO. It was the only placeto offer access to both a solid jazz curriculum and ahealthy local jazz scene. For him, there was simplyno other place to be.

After enduring great personal hardship to remain atUNO, the Music Department faculty intervenedand found scholarship funding for Jung Ho.Without this assistance, he probably would not havebeen able to further his education.

The promising young drummer is now playing withjazz greats like Warren Batiste on occasion. He isalso a regular with local jazz acts while he works onhis degree. For Jung Ho, the jazz he studies at UNOisn’t just a subject. “It’s like a religion,” he says.“And all the people who helped me continue my

education are like angels.”�

Lakefront Arena: Retrofitting 25 Years LaterBy Marco Perez, General Manager, Lakefront Arena

When Lionel Richie took the stage in 1983 for theLakefront Arena’s inaugural event, shows werelighter, the marquee was comprised of incandescentlight bulbs, and 10,000-person concerts were thenorm. Twenty-five years later, shows are heavier,LEDs are standard on marquees and 3,000 to 5,000seat mid-size concerts are the missing link in NewOrleans’ recovering entertainment market. Timeshave certainly changed.

Prior to suffering extensive damage due to HurricaneKatrina in August 2005, the Lakefront Arena at theUniversity of New Orleans was heralded as numberone among university arenas worldwide and in thetop ten for public assembly venues. Today, theLakefront Arena is reassembling the pieces of acomplex puzzle -- working to ensure that the Arena’sextensive repairs maximize the FEMA controlledbudget, adhere to the strict federal guidelines andconstraints dictated by the Stafford Act, and meetmodern day facility standards.

When the Lakefront Arena reopens in May 2008after being dark for nearly two-and-a-half years, the 25-year-old facility will sport a new look both inside andout. Here’s a look at how the Lakefront Arena hasworked to revive and retrofit its 25 year-old facility.

LAKEFRONT ARENA: TOP DOWN, OUTSIDE INThe necessity of the construction and restoration tothe Lakefront Arena began from the top down.

Katrina’s hurricane force winds obliterated theArena’s original roof and turned it into a destructiveweapon. Roofing debris and vent structurespenetrated the roof, resulting in water gushing intothe building through gaping holes.

With the facility now completely exposed to theelements, top priority was to install a new roof assoon as possible.

The new roof is a state-of-the-art modified bitumenroof system -- a more energy efficient roof with awind rating of 135mph. Lighter than the originalroof, the bitumen roof system will allow productiontechnicians to hang heavier shows, in terms ofsophisticated lighting and sound equipment, agrowing trend in the industry.

Hurricane Katrina also peeled away sections of theArena’s exterior metal fascia and sloped roof panels.Years of harsh sun reflecting off of LakePontchartrain had caused significant fading and theoriginal system of interconnected panels could notbe easily replaced. Engineers determined that thefacility would be repaired in two different ways. Oldvertical fascia would be removed, structural steeladded, and new fascia panels installed horizontallyin order to achieve higher wind resistant rating. Thenew lower sloped roof was installed over the existingroof, filling the spaces in between with insulation.The result is a double insulated and more energyefficient facility.


25

The Arena’s lighting control system and soundsystem were also destroyed. The original analogdimmer system was replaced with a digital system.This change in technology is another sign of thetimes. The sound system, which was recentlyoverhauled and upgraded shortly before Katrina willbe replaced one for one.

From the scoreboard to the seats, carefulconsideration of every detail of what must or can bereplaced or refurbished is critical to a successfulrestoration and transformation into a modern andviable facility. Every decision matters.

For example, by strategically moving the massivescoreboard from the center of the Arena to the wall,the Arena’s rigging capacity is significantly increased.This change allows for accommodating larger,heavier and more intricately rigged shows that theLakefront Arena can attract.

The Arena’s 8,700 destroyed seats will be replacedusing moisture resistant fabric -- dramaticallylowering the likelihood of future molding andminimizing damage from concession mishaps andoverall wear and tear. Concession stands will beupgraded to become full-service stands, offering avariety of food and beverage choices for guests andincreased revenue opportunities.

The estimated $25 million dollars in total repairsalso includes a new theatrical curtain winch system;

new concourse flooring and a new basketball court;and renovated restrooms, Star Suites, productionoffices, visiting team rooms, meeting rooms andskybox among other renovations.

MAKING A GRAND RE-ENTRANCE

Aside from the physical changes and construction,the Lakefront Arena brand identity will also take ona new look to celebrate a fresh start post-Katrina. TheArena hired a marketing and public relations firm,Keating Magee, to assist with the development of astrategic marketing plan to assist the Lakefront Arenawith its return to the university, community andentertainment industry in May 2008.

Among many tactics, the Lakefront Arena willintroduce an electrifying brand identity to helpreestablish the renovated Arena as the premier eventdestination for small to mid-size events in the GulfSouth. A strategic Public Relations effort will engagepromoters, agents and key stakeholders to create abetter understanding of the true viability of NewOrleans’ entertainment market post-Katrina. Onlinecommunications tools, FAM (familiarization) toursand media outreach will also be employed.

On May 2, 2008, the Lakefront Arena will open itsdoors for its first post-Katrina performance and theNew Orleans debut of Disney’s High SchoolMusical: The Ice Tour - a live fusion of songs, dance,and team-spirited fun inspired by the smash hit

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26

Roof damage.

Disney Channel Original Movie High SchoolMusical and High School Musical 2. University andhigh school graduations are also slated for return,including the first commencement of The Universityof New Orleans students since May 2005.

For over two decades, the Lakefront Arena hasmanaged to garner legions of concert-goers, familyshow fanatics, school-spirited graduates and sportsfans, as well as a host of promoters, agents andartists. It is with sincere anticipation andappreciation that Lakefront Arena opens its doors tothose who have treasured memories of Arena eventsand those who may come for the first time.

In just a few, but highly anticipated months,Lakefront Arena will once again join its counterpartsin the venue and assembly industry. With over 25years in the industry and a major hurricane underthe belt, the Lakefront Arena’s staff has experiencedit all and is eager to share their stories with their

fellow facility mangers and staff.�


Preparing for reconstruction.

28

HighlightsWhen Baseball Went to Warby Sarah Bergez (GS ’01)

If you have never been to the World War II museumyou are missing out on one of New Orleans premiermuseums. When you walk through the front dooryou immediately feel a certain excitement andemotion. Maybe it is the smiling veterans that greetyou at the door or the children watching in awe asthey walk past the Douglass C-47 fighter planehanging in the main hall. Regardless of what it is,you can sense that you have walked into a place thathas truly captured a period of time in history.

The current When Baseball Went to War exhibitdoes not disappoint visitors. The exhibit haseverything you would expect: balls, mitts, jerseys,game programs and photos of the great players of thegame. Though that just scratches the surface. Whenyou stop and really take it all in, you realize that thisis much more than memorabilia displayed in a room.It is in fact one of our greatest weapons duringWWII. Baseball gave our country more than a pasttime; it gave the country and the troops an escape.

Baseball played an integral part in American societyduring the war. It helped give the workers on thehome front a source of recreation andentertainment, even if a number of the star playerswere serving our country. Baseball also helped toraise funds for the military so that the troopsoverseas would have recreational equipment. Theywould be able to enjoy the national past time whilefacing the dire consequences of military life, even ifonly for a few hours.

Walking through the exhibit with the curator JeremyCollins, a person passionate about both the war andthe sport, made the exhibit even more fascinating. Itwas interesting to hear why each piece was chosenand what it meant to the exhibit as a whole. Thisexhibit, along with the conference was planned overa 10-12 months span and will be on display untilMarch 30, 2008.

There was some difficulty finding pieces that wouldbest fit the exhibit. The National Baseball Hall ofFame and Museum provided the majority of theartifacts and images that are found in the exhibition.There were also personal memorabilia loaned to theMuseum from players involved in the conference.

Speaking to Collins, you can sense the thought andenergy invested in this exhibit. “We were looking forartifacts and images that would not just point to All-Stars but that would show how ingrained baseballwas in American society during the war, wasimportant,” he noted.

Not all pieces were easy to acquire. The infamous“Green Light” letter urging Major League Baseball tokeep the game going for the duration of the war isactually Franklin D. Roosevelt’s own copy. Hispresidential Library provided the letter. FDR’sfamous words so eloquently stated,

Exterior of the National World War II museum.

29T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E W O R L E A N S O F F I C I A L

M A G A Z I N E

“I honestly feel that it would be best for the country tokeep baseball going. There will be fewer peopleunemployed and everybody will work longer hoursand harder than ever before. And that means that theyought to have a chance for recreation and for takingtheir minds off their work even more than before.”

The divergent artifacts across the exhibit all unite totell the story. Collins’ favorite piece is the v-mailfrom Harry Schiraldi to his mother. Although itmakes one brief mention of baseball, it shows thisyoung man, who knows he will be participating inthe invasion of France, relating to his mother whathe and his buddies are doing. And like a boy at

home in the States, Harryand his pals had beenplaying baseball, knowingthat in the next couple ofweeks some of them willhave paid the ultimateprice in the invasion. “Itshows how important thistwo-hour reprieve of abaseball game gave theseGI’s a sense of normalcydespite the epic strugglethat they were involvedin,” Collins explained.

Before the war, baseballhad been a common bond

b e t w e e nAmerica andJapan. Despite afour-year warthat gripped thetwo countries,they found acommon love forthe game. Apiece from theHall of Famesymbolizes thatrelationship. It

is a hard, rubberized ball stamped with Japanesewriting. This was a military-issued baseball that wasgiven to Japanese soldiers and picked up by anAmerican who served in the occupation of Japanfollowing the war.

For a person who isn’t an expert in either WWII orbaseball, this exhibit brings both to life in a way thatis easy to understand as well as moving. You don’thave to be able to read batting statistics or be ahistory buff to get the human message. Baseballreminded people what they were fighting for during

the war.�

Telegraph notifying family of Schiraldi’s death during DDayinvasion.

Schiraldi’s Vmail home describingnomalcy of playing baseball before theDDay invasion.

Baseball was a prewar point ofconnection between futureadversaries. (Photos courtesy of National WWII Museum and National Baseball Library.)

RALEIGH, N.C. – With 1.7 seconds left on theclock on an autumn Sunday afternoon at NorthCarolina State University, even the hardiest UNOfan had to be thinking, “Oh boy. This is notsupposed to happen.” After all, let’s be real - the pastthree years Murphy’s Law has been at workrepeatedly on the Lakefront, There was a well-documented natural disaster that crippled theAthletic Department’s budget; a quartet of UNOseniors are working with their third basketball coach,because the two prior coaches left for assistantpositions at major schools; and the team was still notat home in the UNO Lakefront Arena.

Yep, something was definitely going to go wrong.This was not supposed to happen. UNO was notgoing to beat the No. 21 ranked NCSU.

The Wolfpack, with banners representing national

championships, ACC championships and retiredjerseys of former greats like David Thompson, wasprimed for greatness again in 2007-08.

NCSU has two potential NBA lottery picksaccording to some. The Privateers, said first-yearhead coach Joe Pasternack, had two guys hoping towin the lottery.

The Wolfpack did not have a starter under 6’ 4”. ThePrivateers had one starter taller than 6’ 4”.

NCSU does not have to think about money thanksto a budget running deep into eight figures. ThePrivateers have a budget of $3.7 million.

The Wolfpack had more than 13,000 fans in thestands. UNO did not draw half that at home allseason last year.

Athletics


31

PRIVATEERHOOPS TAKESIMPROBABLEWIN AT NORTHCAROLINA STATE

By Rob Broussard

32

AthleticsNCSU has a palace for an arena, sharing it with theNHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. UNO shares it currentarena – the Human Performance Center – with avolleyball recreation league.

This was not supposed to happen.

It seemed like it wasn’t going to happen minutes intothe second half. The Wolfpack finally seemed to putaway the Privateers after UNO played NCSU to atwo-point margin at halftime.

But NCSU went on an 11-2 run to start the secondframe – claiming a double-digit advantage. EvenUNO Director of Athletics Jim Miller had to bethinking, ‘It was a nice run. Let’s make sure theguarantee check clears.’

However, UNO just would not go away. ThePrivateers went on a 14-2 run of their own, andsuddenly – for the first time all night – the 13,000RBC Center natives were getting restless as UNOgrabbed the lead with 9:33 to play.

NCSU’s Gavin Grant and company, which includedtalented freshman J.J. Hickson, regrouped. TheWolfpack continued to pound it inside and grabbeda seven-point lead with less than two minutes to play.Finally, it seemed. The little engine that could finallyslowed down. Even Pasternack, in the back of hismind, had to be preparing for the proverbial moralvictory speech.

And then, the gods of fairness got involved. UNOchipped away here, taking advantage of anintentional foul that led to four points in 13 seconds,and cut the margin there – getting it to one with 44seconds left. Then Bo McCalebb, one of four seniorswho have seen it all and then some at UNO, gotfouled with 14 seconds left. Even the mostpessimistic UNO fan knew there was no way that kidwas missing those free throws.

He didn’t, and UNO had a lead. NCSU’s Grant,though, let the seesaw ride continue with a lay-up thatgave the Wolfpack the lead with seven seconds to go.Finally, the Privateers were done. Until a tipped ballfell into the hands of T.J. Worley, a guy who spent2006-07 paying his own way at UNO after transferringfrom Delaware State and sitting out the season.Worley put up a desperation shot, admitting later thathad he actually realized three Wolfpack players hadhands everywhere around his face, he would havepassed it. And as the ball left his hands, Worley wasonly thinking about crashing the boards. As the ballsailed long, Murphy’s Law finally got revoked. Itbanked home, sending UNO’s bench into delirium.

Worley tipped away the long-range inbounds pass,and UNO – finally – could celebrate a 65-63 victory.

This was not supposed to happen. But it did. Andwhy? “It’s basketball,” Pasternack said. Ah yes, it’ssports. It wasn’t supposed to happen. But it did.

At press time the Privateers were 14 and 5.�

There is a buzz in the University of New OrleansAthletics Department and its circling around the2008 Privateer baseball team. Optimism prevails forthe first time in several years. And there are plenty ofgood reasons for the upbeat attitude.

The Privateer baseball program is coming off amemorable 2007 season, one that saw the Privateerscinch the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and awin over the number-one seeded Wichita State at theNCAA Wichita Regional.

This year’s Privateers could be even better. UNOreturns all of its top hitters and nearly every arm fromits pitching corps for 2008. Faced with one of the bestschedules in recent memory, UNO will need them.

It all starts with junior Johnny Giavotella. The JesuitHigh School product hit .385 last year with 15 home

runs and 65 RBIs. He was named the Sun BeltConference Tournament Most Outstanding Playerand also made the NCAA Wichita Regional All-Tournament team. This year Giavotella was nameda 2008 preseason first-team All-America secondbaseman by both Collegiate Baseball Magazine andthe National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

“Johnny is a guy who deserves every bit ofrecognition he gets,” said UNO head coach TomWalter. “To be a first-team All-America selection is atremendous honor, and there is no doubt in mymind that this young man is one of the best collegebaseball players in the country.” Giavotella will bepart of a UNO lineup that should be one of the mostexplosive in years.

UNO senior infielder/outfielder T.J. Baxter returnsand is riding a school-record 57-game on-base streak.Last year, Baxter had a career season with a .374average, 11 home runs and 60 RBIs. The New Jerseyproduct hit .395 during the last 57 games of theseason and was named the MVP of the Wow Caféand Wingery Cup Series, after helping UNO to aseries win over local rival Tulane.

Senior outfielder, Joey Butler, returns as well, givingthe Privateers another steady bat at the top of thelineup. Butler was an All-Sun Belt Tournamentselection and hit .340 with five home runs, 23 RBIsand 16 stolen bases – giving UNO speed, average anda little pop at the top of the lineup.

Surrounding the trio will be center fielder RyanEden, who showed huge potential as a freshman in2007 with a .364 on-base percentage in 27 games,and sophomore Nick Schwaner, who hit .353 as afreshman designated hitter last year.

“One through five, we are as solid as anyone in thecountry,” Walter said. “We will be depending onthose guys to really push this offense, but we aregoing to be very good one through nine.”

Other returnees to watch this season are: senior

UNO Baseball Optimistic for 2008


33

Johnny Giavotella at bat.

34

Athleticsoutfielder Mark McGonigle (.258, 1 HR, 16 RBIs lastyear), sophomore infielder/outfielder TyroneWethers (.326, 1 HR, 7 RBIs) and infielders JeradComarda (.224, 2 HR, 8 RBIs) and Nick Mitchell(.216, 1 HR, 5 RBIs).

UNO will also depend on some talented newcomers,including catchers Jeff Lanning (transfer fromNebraska) and Josh Vander Hey. Shortstop MichaelKnipper (River Ridge, La.) also impressed coachesduring the fall.

UNO will return its entire weekend rotation inpitching – led by senior right-hander Bryan Cryer.Cryer is beginning to dot the UNO record booksand could set new school marks for innings pitchedand strikeouts while moving into the top five in all-time wins.

Last year, Cryer’s ERA crept up to 5.34, but he stillmanaged an 8-4 record with 88 strikeouts in 111 1/3innings pitched. Saturday starter Justin Garciareturns after going 6-4 with a 5.74 ERA. Garcia gotthe start in the SBC tourney championship gamewin over Louisiana-Lafayette and kept the Privateersin it - despite throwing on two days rest.

Converted reliever Stephen Whalen will likely be theSunday starter. The Houston transfer, who began hiscollege career as an infielder, made 30 appearanceslast year and led the team with nine wins and a 3.61ERA. With a little better control expected in 2008,Whalen could be one of the surprises in the SBC.

With the new college baseball schedule in effect,pitching depth will be key and the Privateers do notlack the arms. Junior right-hander Ryan O’Sheacould be a mid-week starter while also working as thecloser on weekends. O’Shea went 2-5 with a 5.95ERA last year but was solid as a reliever towards theend of 2007.

Left-hander Matt Wagner (2-1, 3.92 ERA) will givethe Privateers a solid lefty out of the bullpen, whileUNO can also rely on right-hander David Burch (1-

1, 4.68 ERA) and Randy Verdin (0-0, 6.55 ERA).Newcomer arms that could make a quick impact areMatt Brown and Cory Myers.

“We have a lot of guys who can eat innings and getguys out,” Walter said. “We don’t have a lot of guyswho throw 90 miles per hour, but we have a numberof guys who know how to pitch. I feel very goodabout our rotation and our bullpen this year.”

The depth both on the mound and the plate will betested with a schedule that will see UNO play three

games against perennial standouts Tulane and LSU,as well as a two-game midweek series at Alabama.

The Sun Belt Conference sent three teams to NCAARegional play last year, giving UNO one of its bestschedules in years.

“We have a schedule that will certainly prepare us forthe postseason,” Walter said. “I think this is the mosttalented team we have had since I’ve been here. If wecan avoid injuries, continue to see the improvementin some of our core guys, I have no doubt that this

team can have a special season.”�

Justin Garcia in perfect form.

Scholarship Funds atThe University of New OrleansScholarships are important to students anduniversities alike. First and foremost, theyensure that qualified students are able to earn acollege education. Scholarships also aiduniversity recruiting efforts, and thereby helpbuild diverse and talented student bodies. AtThe University of New Orleans, two types ofscholarship structures help donors achievetheir philanthropic goals while helpingstudents and the university.

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS –PROVIDING PERPETUAL SUPPORT

An endowed scholarship ensures thatscholarship assistance exists in perpetuity. Theprincipal is invested and a portion of theearned income provides a stable funding sourcefor the scholarship.

With a gift of $25,000 or more, a donor mayestablish and name an individual endowedscholarship fund. This gift may be paidoutright or over a period of three to five years.Once the scholarship is fully funded at $25,000or more, award(s) are made during thefollowing year in order to give the fund time toaccumulate the necessary earnings. After theinitial funding for the scholarship is complete,the donor may make additions to the fund inany amount.

While gifts of $25,000 or more will establish anamed endowed scholarship, gifts of less than$25,000 are welcome and will help support theUNO Endowed Scholarship Fund.

SPONSORED SCHOLARSHIPS – NON-ENDOWED ANNUAL SUPPORT ANDAWARDS

Sponsored scholarships are non-endowedscholarships. Their funding does not exist inperpetuity; the gift amount is awarded in full.

With a gift of $1,000 or more, a donor mayestablish and name a sponsored scholarship.The donor may choose to structure it as anannual shcolarship or as a one-time scholarshipaward. Typically, the full amount of thesponsored scholarship must be received byJanuary in order to make the award(s) for thefall of the next academic year.

Donors who do not wish to name a sponsoredscholarship may also help support scholarshipsat UNO by making a gift of any level to theUNO Foundation Scholarship Fund.

TYPES OF GIFTS THAT FUNDSCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships may be funded with cash gifts andstock gifts. Through a will, a donor may alsoleave a scholarship bequest to UNO.

If you are interested in information on how to make a scholarship gift, please contact Marcelle C. Highstreet,Associate Vice Chancellor for Development at 504.280.6068.


35

by Marcelle Highstreet (LA ’82, ’83, GR ’86)

36

January 11, 2008

Dear Fellow Graduates:

For most of us, our timeat The University of NewOrleans was achallenging academicexperience. Few had theopportunity to fullyenjoy college life as webalanced extraordinarylearning experiences,jobs, and daily commutesto the campus. I know

that because of this, many of our undergraduatesover the past 50 years have felt they missed out onthe opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of campuslife that is so typical of many institutions.

Having started UNO as a commuter university – andworking under a Louisiana law that required openadmissions – the campus was forever a jumble of largenumbers both in and out of the classroom and anever-ending turnover of freshman and sophomores.If you were able to tough it out to your junior year, itfelt like breaking through the sound barrier. Youfinally earned a chance to know the soaringexhilaration of accomplishment and welcome.

I recently heard directly of an alumnus that while heunderstood that he owes his career to UNO, he hasnot stayed connected with the university. Thisencounter underscored several recent meetings andconversations of mine with members of AlumniAssociation board of directors as well as executives ofthe university. Many of my fellow graduates havefinally come to appreciate what was so hard earned atUNO only after entering into our professions andthe larger community.

Frankly, I came to this understanding myself only afew years ago, and at that point made a decision and acommitment to attempt to pay back UNO for all thatI had received as an undergraduate. I understood thisnot just as a debt to the university, but also to thestudents who will shape our collective futures.

With the approach of UNO’s 50th Anniversary, it isincumbent upon us, the alumni to expand and

enhance our connection with UNO, and for goodreason. In spite of the astounding programs andprojects that have been generated here and aportfolio of extraordinary accomplishments, theuniversity needs help refocusing and expanding inthe wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Now that we enter the third year since Katrina, a newgovernor and state legislature will make decisionsthat will impact the university and the region wellinto the next decade. I feel that we have anothervitally important legislative session ahead of us.

Here is my challenge to you: connect, re-connect, orenhance your connection to your alma mater … anddo it now. The Alumni Association’s GovernmentalAffairs Committee is carefully coordinating its effortsso that we can get an accurate message to the newlegislature regarding the importance of UNO to therebuilding of both Greater New Orleans and the state.

When the call goes out via email, help us make thecase before those who control the state’s budget. Nomatter where you live, you can help to get themessage across. We’ll show you how and why andwhen, but we can’t replace you. In addition to thesecommunications, we have planned another UNODay at the Legislature for this May as well.

Our courageous and visionary chancellor is workingto continue the pace of research and instruction tocontinue to improve our university daily. UNOremains among the treasured institutions of ournation, not just Louisiana. The elected leaders ofthis state need to know that our some 70,000graduates – many of them voters within Louisiana –support the chancellor’s vision and demand that itbe funded by the legislature.

As we prepare to celebrate our 50th Anniversary,please take time to come home to UNO this year.Let your alumni association know how we can help.Even more, join the association and give us some ofyour time and resources to help assure the future ofthe undergraduates to come.

Sincerely,

Terrence Verigan (ED ’71)2007-2008 PresidentUNO International Alumni Association

AlumniLetter from the President

37

Terence R. Flotte, MD, a widely respected physician-scientist, has been appointed dean of the School ofMedicine and executive deputy chancellor of theUniversity of Massachusetts Medical School(UMMS). Dr. Flotte officially began his new positionon May 15, 2007. In these roles, Flotte serves UMMSas chief academic and administrative officer of theSchool of Medicine, assisting in the developmentand implementation of a strategic vision for theschool’s future. Accordingly, he oversees all academicactivities of the basic and clinical sciencedepartments, including education and research forthe School of Medicine and the Graduate School ofBiomedical Sciences.

Flotte joins UMMS from the University of Florida(UF), where he was the Nemours Eminent Scholarand Chair of the Department of Pediatrics for theCollege of Medicine.

In accepting the role as dean, Flotte says he looksforward to capitalizing on UMMS’ existing strengths,while moving aggressively ahead in other strategicareas. “I look forward to helping the University ofMassachusetts Medical School maintain itsdistinctive academic focus. In the current era ofacademic health care, there is a pressingresponsibility for improved systems of care, ongoingquality improvement and fiscal responsibility.However, these imperatives must be balanced againstthe need to maintain a clear focus on the academicmissions that create the unique identity of greatteaching and research institutions,” he said.

Flotte received his undergraduate degree in thebiological sciences from The University of NewOrleans in 1982, and his medical degree from theLouisiana State University School of Medicine in1986. He graduated Summa Cum Laude fromUNO. He received numerous awards: College ofSciences Dean’s Award, Biological Sciences FacultyAward, Phi Beta Kappa Club Award, Phi Kappa PhiClub Award, Decennial Honor Award, BiologicalSciences Achievement Award, Dean’s List in theCollege of Sciences, and the Freshman ChemistryAward. He graduated first in his medical schoolclass, thereby earning the Chancellor’s Award fromthe LSU School of Medicine. Upon graduation, heserved his residency in pediatrics at Johns HopkinsUniversity. He went on to complete a pediatricpulmonary fellowship and postdoctoral training in

molecular virology in 1992 from John Hopkins.�

AlumniNew Dean of UMMS UNO Grad


Terence R. Flotte, MD

38

Silver Blue Gala Sparkled for a Good Cause

A B C D

E F G H

I J K L

M N O

Alumni

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The University of New Orleans International AlumniAssociation’s annual Silver Blue Gala was held from 8:00 p.m. to12:00 a.m., Saturday, December 1, 2007 at The Foundry at 333 St. JosephStreet. The Gala featured dancing, gourmet cuisine provided by Bella LunaCatering, and a live and silent auction. Guests danced the night away toSha’on and the Girls With Success, and John “Spud” McConnell of WWLserved as our guest auctioneer. A big hit with the crowd was the MignonFaget donated beautiful jewelry for the lockbox. All funds raised benefitedUNO student scholarships.

The Patron Party began at 7:00 p.m. Patrons enjoyed an early viewing of theauction boards, as well as received a special gift designed by India Stewart.Gregory C. Rigamer, our 2007 Alumnus of the Year served as HonoraryChair, and Jean Person and John Person and Laurie and Chris Clement werethe chairs of the event.

A. Sandra, from left, and Bobby Eason with Juana Ibanez.

B. Jim Meza, dean of the College of Education and HumanDevelopment, from left, with alumna Dr. Denise Charbonnet.

C. Patron gift designed by India Stewart.

D. Silver Blue Gala co-chairs Laurie and Chris Clement.

E. Greg Beaumont gestures as he urges televisionmeteorologist Bob Breck, left, to take a chance on the St.Nicholas altar.

F. Vera and Bill O’Brien.

G. Louvin Hitt Skinner and husband John Skinner

H. Susan Krantz, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, withAlumni President Terry Verigan.

I. Carol Short, left, with Lynn Luker.

J. Rene Toups with Charlie Hadley.

K. Honorary co-chairman Greg Rigamer, from left, withLenny Kapowski and Pat Gibbs.

L. Charlotte and Jim Conner with Monique Gaudin Gardner,director of alumni affairs.

M. Conny and Casey Willems.

N. Guest auctioneer Spud McConnell.

O. Joni and Wade Johnson, from left, with Larry Wink, Sr.,and Amy and Dan Schwarzenbach.

P. Michelle Lucas Huck and husband Jordan Huck.

Q. Gaylyn Danner, Rex Joyner and Donald Danner.

R. Sha’on and the Girls With Success set the stage forfestivities following the auctions.

S. Chancellor Tim Ryan and wife Louise Schreiner take to thedance floor.

T. Alea Morelock Cot, director of International Education,Metropolitan College, reacts to winning the lockbox jewelrydesigned by Mignon Faget.

U. Doug Fisher, from left, Krissy Goldman and Roberto Diazdel Valle.

P Q R S

T U

V X


40

Service

What started it all — As theson of retired bricklayerGeorge LaFonta andretired school teacherJoanne Bagneris LaFonta,Juan A. LaFonta grew upwith a fondness for the cityof New Orleans. Afterearning degrees fromUNO and SouthernUniversity at New

Orleans, he was determined to do his part to improvethe quality of life in his hometown. As a statelegislator, he is an advocate for improving commercein his district, throughout the city and the state.

Why UNO? — UNO was the place to attend becauseof the excellent education provided.

What I remember about UNO — I remember it washard, but so is life. I know that nothing worth havingcomes easy, and so I was prepared to go the course atUNO. It laid the foundation for my Juris Doctoratefrom Southern University Law School.

What I do today — LaFonta, a native of New Orleans,was elected in 2005 to represent District 96 in theLouisiana House of Representatives which includesparts of Gentilly, the French Quarter, Bywater andTreme. LaFonta is assigned to the House CommerceCommittee, House and Governmental AffairsCommittee, House Executive Committee and theHouse Special Committee on Disaster Planning,Recovery and Long-Term Revitalization. In July 2007,he became the first freshman member of the Houseto be elected chairman of the Louisiana LegislativeBlack Caucus. LaFonta is active in his communityand in the post-Katrina rebuilding efforts. He is amember of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., serves asa mentor with the Watson Memorial TeachingMinistry, and is an adjunct instructor at DillardUniversity. In fall 2007, LaFonta helped coordinatethe March on Jena, and was re-elected withoutopposition to continue to serve the citizens of

Representative Juan A. LaFonta (Democrat) District 96, Louisiana House of Representatives, UNO Class of 1997, Bachelor of General Studies

Privateers in public service

A T Y O U R

41

Lynne Slocovich April(BS ’62) retired eight years ago fromthe University of Alabama where she had been Director ofAccounting & Reporting. Since retirement, April has beenvolenteering to prepare taxes for low-and middle-income seniorcitizens. Currently April sits on two not-for-profit boards.

Andrew F. Flores (BA ’62) is the President and CEO GlobalMarketing Advisors. In his more than 29 year career as aprofessional economic developer, Flores has served as ExecutiveDirector of the Louisiana Office of Commerce and Industry;Vice President for International Business Development for theDallas Partnership; President of the Greater Tucson EconomicCouncil; Director of Business and Industrial Development forthe West Virginia Development Office; and Director ofInternational Trade and Investment for the Virginia EconomicDevelopment Partnership (VEDP). Additionally, he wasresponsible for International Trade Education, Virginia’s SisterState relationships and Foreign Embassy Relations. Flores is aCertified Economic Developer (CEcD), as designated by theInternational Economic and a grandfather of 10 grandchildren.

Leo T. Surla, Jr. (BA ‘62), has been the President ofMetaMetrics Inc. since its establishment in 1973. In 2006 heparticipated on a four-person MSI Team to develop theUSAID/Iraq Performance Management Plan for 2006-2008.He recently completed the Performance M&E Plan for theMCA-funded Customs Administration Modernization Programin Jordan and will provide the technical assistance for M&Eimplementation over the two-year project period. However, he isequally as proud to be the grandfather of seven grandchildren.

William H. Stiebing, Jr. (BA ’62) has been living in HotSprings, Arkansas since his retirement from the HistoryDepartment at UNO in 2005. He has been enjoying singing inthe Fun City Chorus, the local barbershop chorus, in his churchchoir, and in special musical programs in Hot Springs. Stiebingalso has been presenting illustrated lectures on biblicalarchaeology to the local archaeological society, the ShepherdCenter, and at two Hot Springs churches. The second edition ofhis latest book, Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture, is readyto go to the printer and should come out at the end of Januaryor early in February, 2008.

1960s

Kathleen Duplantis (GR ‘72) formerly the retired director ofthe Green Tree School for special-needs children inGermantown, died of liver failure December 11, 2007 at herhome in Loranger, LA. Duplantis became director of GreenTree, which educates students with serious emotionaldisturbances and autism, in 1989 after a 30-year career as ateacher and supervisor of special education for middle schoolsin Orleans Parish in Louisiana. Duplantis lobbied for statefunding and was founder and past president of the Alliance forApproved Private Schools in Pennsylvania.

Clifford Hall (SC ‘72) ran a private psychiatry practice from1976-1994 in New Orleans, until he moved to Virginia with hiswife, Laura Hall, and their three children. In Virginia, Hallworked for the Southwest Virginia Mental Health Institute werehe retired from in 2007.

Laura Branton Hall (LA ‘73) worked for the Orleans ParishSchool system for a number of years before moving to Marion,Virginia with her husband and three sons. She became veryinvolved in her town and has participated in a number ofboards including Board of Directors for the Virginia SchoolBoard Association.

Ronald D. Mogel (BA, ‘74) was recently named OMNIEnergy Services Corporation Senior Vice President and ChiefFinancial Officer of the Company. Mogel joins OMNI fromHorizon Offshore Inc. He most recently served as ExecutiveVice President and Chief Financial Officer of Horizon. Mogelalso acted as the company's Director and Vice President ofInternational Accounting and Tax from 1999 to 2005. Mr.Mogel also spent 10 years at Zapata Gulf Marine Corporation,the world's largest marine transportation company, where heserved as Controller and Assistant Treasurer/Secretary.

1970s

NotesA L U M


42

NotesA L U M

Jake St. Philip (BA ‘75) has been named by BIOLASETechnology, Inc. ,the world’s leading dental laser company, asChief Executive Officer of the Company and as a member of itsBoard of Directors. St. Philip has more than 25 years experiencein healthcare general management and sales leadership havingmost recently been in a senior leadership position with Dublin,OH-based Cardinal Health. St. Philip was formerly Senior VicePresident of Integrated Provider Solutions at CAH.

Deborah Parker Cains, PhD. (BA ‘76, GR ‘82) worked asan Assistant Professor of English at Southern University NewOrleans (SUNO) for 18 years. Now, she has her own writingconsultant business in New Orleans.

Tim Bracey (LA ‘77, GR ‘79) is the Senior Director at WestJefferson Medical Center. Some of his leadership roles includemanagement of two Fitness Centers, Bariatric Services, PropertyManagement & Specialty Shops.

Curtis Pace (LA ‘77) has been promoted to VicePresident, Midwest Region Sales at Disney-ABCDomestic Television. Pace will be based out of theChicago office. He will manage first-run, off-net

and theatrical sales for broadcast syndication within theMidwestern region. A 14-year veteran of the company, Pace mostrecently served as executive director, southwest region sales,based out of the Dallas office. He joined the company inFebruary 1994 as a sales trainee in the Burbank office andquickly moved up to account executive. Pace relocated to theDallas office in 1998 when he assumed the role of Director,Southwest Region Sales.

John Cresham (BA ‘79) attended law school at Tulane andgraduated in 1982. Upon graduation from law school, he got

married and moved to Washington, D.C. Cresham is currentlya tax lawyer and a certified public accountant. His wife, also alawyer, has been teaching high school for the last few years.Creshman has four children ages 21, 19, 17 and 13. Theycurrently reside in Rockville, Maryland. He is Vice Presidentand Deputy General Tax Counsel with the Federal Home LoanMortgage Corporation in McLean, Virginia. His family is alsoactive in the local community and he recently joined the Boardof the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless.

Jack Sloan (BA ‘79) is President of SloanFinancial Services, an independent financialservices firm located in Metairie. Sloan was namedby the U. S. Small Business Administration as the

2005 SBA Small Business Champion Runner Up in FinancialServices for the State of Louisiana. He was recently re-elected tothe Board of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. Sloan alsovolunteers with a number of charities including, LSU Stanley S.Scott Cancer Center, the American Cancer Society, and is a pastvolunteer for the American Heart Association and BigBrothers/Big Sisters of Greater New Orleans.

Randy Vickery (BA ‘79) has accepted the position of VicePresident of Sales and Marketing for Bloomfield Industries.Randy joined Wells Bloomfield LLC in 1996 and held thepositions of Director of National Accounts, Western RegionalManager, and Southwest District Manager. As the WesternRegional Manager, Randy was involved in assisting at theNAMA Quality Coffee Certification classes and is a member ofNAMA’s Coffee Service Committee. Randy got his start in thecoffee business as the Coffee Division Manager for KentwoodSpring Water in New Orleans.

Mark Charney (GR, ’80) recently left his position as Chair ofthe Department of English at Clemson University to take overas Director of Theatre in the Department of Performing Arts.Charney also works as National Coordinator of the CriticsInstitute and Dramaturgy Initiative through the KennedyCenter American College Theatre Festival. As a playwright,Mark has a production, 37 Stones or the Man who was a Quarry,opening in New York City in March. Charney is Features Editorand Literary Manager of The Loop, the nation's foremost online

playwriting magazine. He recently won awards for directing JaneEyre and Urinetown, through the Kennedy Center, and atClemson. Charney’s other awards include the Thomas GreenClemson award, the Bradley Award for Creative Mentoring, anda six time recipient of the Board of Trustees and Provost's Awardfor Faculty Excellence. Mark’s play Shooting Blanks will premiereat the New Works Festival in May of 2008.

Brian Credo M. D. (BS ’82) was recently selected for the BestDoctors in America listing as published in the 2007 “TopDoctors” edition of New Orleans magazine. He is an AssociateProfessor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Tulane University Schoolof Medicine, Dr. Credo has been very active in the area ofcommunity outreach regarding Teen Violence and SuicidePrevention, and has been a past recipient of the DistinguishedCatholic Graduate Award from the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

1980s

43

NotesA L U M

Christopher Youngs (GS ’90) builds affordable homes on theMississippi Gulf Coast. He has been on the coast for two years.

David Marshall (BA ’93) is currently employed as a softwareengineer for Surgient Inc., a software company based in Austin,Texas, which provides software solutions that leverage x86server virtualization technologies. Marshall is also a co-authorfor the book Advanced Server Virtualization: VMware andMicrosoft Platforms in the Virtual Data Center.

Elgin Weaver (BA ‘93) was hired in November ’07 as the newVP of Business Services at First Community Credit Union inHouston, Texas. She is responsible for all commercial lendingactivities and business products at the Credit Union.

Scott Farrell (GS ‘94, GR ‘97) is the CharterNetwork’s coordinator of administrative andfinancial services. He was previously executiveassistant to the dean of the UNO College of

Engineering.

Sandy Byrd-Maldonado (LA ‘96) serves asPublic Information Officer at the Port of NewOrleans for the past 13 years. During that time shehas earned the Port numerous industry awards

from associations like American Association of PortAuthorities, Transportation Marketing & CommunicationsAssociation, and National Waterways Conference, Inc.Maldonado also has experience as a commercial actress. She hasappeared in countless local, regional and national televisioncommercials such as Picadilly Restaurants, Burger King,AFLAC, and KFC. Maldonado has also appeared in industrialfilms, the series, Unsolved Mysteries, and a few movies.Additionally, she has 15 years or military experience with theU. S. Army Reserves.

Holly Houston (EN ‘98) currently Manager U-VerseOperations in the AT&T Southwest I/R Organization inHouston, Texas has accepted the position of Loop CapacityManager (LCM) with the Louisiana Planning Organization.She will be responsible for planning in multiple wire centers ofthe Houma/Westbank Turf of the South La District. Houstonbrings to the organization ten years of experience in the designengineering and capacity management disciplines in both thewireless and wireline industries.

Robert C. Penick, Ph.D. (GR ‘98, PhD ’05) has returned toUNO as an Adjunct Professor of Finance in the Finance andEconomics Department of the College of Business. He ispresently teaching Real Estate Finance in the evening andcontinues as the Vice President and CFO of Latter & Blum Inc.Realtors in New Orleans. He has also taught at SoutheasternLouisiana University in Hammond in the Marketing Department.


Robert Wooderson (BA ’84 GR’ 88) has been namedpresident of Gibbs Construction LLC. He began his career atGibbs in 1984 as a project engineer, while he was still in his lastsemester of college at The University of New Orleans. He workedseveral years in the field as an engineer and superintendentbefore moving into the office as a project manager. Most recently,he served as vice president, working in multiple capacitiestouching every aspect of the company’s operations.

David Schommer (ED ’84, GR ’89) is living near Jackson,MS. He is founder and bandleader of Mississippi Swing, a non-profit, all volunteer, 25 piece big band. The band has performedover 40 times for various organizations, private functions andcommunity events including: Governor Haley Barbour, theEpilepsy Foundation, the Metropolitan Supper Club, St.Dominic Hospital, MS Nurses Foundation, and the Pepsi Pops— along with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra.

Elizabethe Bogart Osborne (GS ’87, GR ’96) has returnedto Louisiana after a lengthy career in Washington DC.Currently, she is the CEO of The CLS Group LLC, a consultingfirm providing research, project management and eventplanning. Prior to the founding of the firm, Osborne was asenior executive for a trade association representing theconvenience and petroleum retailing industries. She also servedin several Republican campaign committees in research andpolitical capacities, and was appointed to the PresidentialCommission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forcesas a research analyst in the George H.W. Bush administration.Osborne has served in various Board and volunteer roles forwomen executives and at-risk youth. She and her family, reside inStonebridge in Harvey, and are glad to be back in New Orleansto support the rebirth of the city and region.

Christine Decker Sory (BA ’89) was recently promoted toDirector of Sales at the Maison Dupuy Hotel. The MaisonDupuy is located in the French Quarter.

1990s

44

Seleste Ruffin (BA ‘01), Martin Partarrieu (GR ‘03)married on January 13, 2008 in Disneyland. The couple residesin Dallas, Texas.

Lori J. Connors (GR ‘03, ‘05) is currently living inHuntsville, Alabama. She has been teaching Online Marketingand Marketing electives at Delgado Community College sinceJanuary 2006. Connors is also employed as the PR & MarketingCoordinator for the Valley Planet, an arts and entertainmentnewspaper in the Huntsville.

Lea R. Flowers, Ph.D (GR ’03, PhD ‘06) is an AssistantProfessor in the Department of Counseling and PsychologicalServices at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Ryan Eustis (BA ‘05) was recently hired as a Credit Analystfor Iberia Bank’s commercial loan dept.

Brad and Brian Schoolmeyer (BA ‘05) are twin brotherswho are the owners of Creole Technologies, LLP. Brad andBrian worked as help desk student workers at the UniversityComputer Center for 3 years. While in school, Brad and Brianstarted their business as a part time job; after graduation thebusiness grew into a full time job. Creole Technologies, akaCreole Tech, offers small business and residential computerrepair, networking, and web services.

Georgi Bienvenu (GR ’06) has been appointed programmanager for The Capital One-University of New OrleansCharter School. She previously served as assistant registrar forgraduation in the UNO Office of the Registrar.

Michael Villaraza (EN ’07) after graduating from UNO, hemoved back to Calgary, Canada. Villaraza recently got hisEngineer in Training designation with the engineering societyhere called APEGGA. He is working as an Entry level municipalengineer with Wardrop Engineering.

NotesA L U M

2000sALUMNI NOTICES AND INFORMATION:OUT OF STATE ALUMNI:

Are you interested in staying connected with your alma mater?Want to meet people from Louisiana or UNO that live in yourarea? Would you like to help with student recruitment? Contactthe following Chapter presidents for more information. If you areinterested in starting a chapter in your area contact the Office ofAlumni Affairs at 1-800-488-2956 or e-mail us at [email protected]

Austin ChapterContact: Marion Martin at [email protected]

Atlanta ChapterContact: Jennifer Greene [email protected]

Chicago ChapterContact: Denese Neu [email protected]

Dallas ChapterContact: Martin S. Sher [email protected]

Denver ChapterContact: Joseph Cruse [email protected]

Jacksonville Florida ChapterThis chapter is just getting started and is looking for new membersto help out.Contact Stephen Schuller [email protected]

Jamaica ChapterContact: Prudence [email protected]

New YorkThis Chapter is looking for members in the Northeast area.Contact: Monique [email protected]

Puerto RicoContact: Monique [email protected]

San Diego ChapterContact: David [email protected]

South Florida ChapterContact: Ed Kennedy [email protected]

Washington, D. C. ChapterChapter members hold an Alumni Mardi Gras Brunch each yearto coincide with the Washington Mardi Gras festivities. Contact: Andrea “Andi” [email protected]

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

P A I DNew Orleans, LAPermit No. 759

Office of University Advancement2000 Lakeshore DriveNew Orleans, Louisiana 70148

The UNO 50th Anniversary Commemorative Scholarship

Celebrating the past by investing in the future

In celebration of the University's 50th anniversary year, UNO isestablishing a commemorative scholarship fund in honor of all thededicated students and faculty that have established a tradition ofexcellence since the University opened its doors in 1958. This is your opportunity to be a vital part of the 50th Anniversary whilemaking a real difference in someone’s life.

To donate, for more information or to learn more, contactMarcelle C. Highstreet, Associate Vice Chancellor forDevelopment at 504.280.6068. You can also send donationsmade out to The University of New Orleans Foundation andmarked 50th Anniversary Scholarship Fund. Send to The University of New Orleans, Office of Advancement –Development, Homer L. Hitt Alumni & Visitors Center,2000 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans, LA 70148.

The UNO Magazine - Apple

Documents

Transcript of The UNO Magazine - Apple