ByLion
IN THIS ISSUE, MAY 4, 2020

May named Alumna of the Year
Channel recognized for Corona coverage
Student earns national OSH&E Scholarship

Teaching and Learning news
Student earns Media Fellows Scholarship
Honors Program celebrates students

Coronavirus Updates
Southeastern in the News
Professional Activities

BYLION STORIES

May selcted as Southeastern Alumna of the Year
Genny MayA public safety executive and retired U.S. Marshal has been selected as the Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association 2020 Alumna of the Year.
     Genevieve May, a 1974 graduate of Southeastern, will be honored at the Alumni Association’s annual awards evening this fall as part of Southeastern’s Homecoming Week.
     A longtime trooper who served as deputy superintendent with the Louisiana State Police’s Bureau of Investigations, May was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the U.S. Marshal for Louisiana’s eastern district. May rose through the ranks to lieutenant colonel and was the highest-ranking woman serving with the State Police at the time of her appointment. She is the first woman in Louisiana to be presidentially appointed to serve as a U.S. Marshal and retired from service in 2018. May is currently the intelligence director for the Department of Health and Human Services.
     “Excellence and caring are the two pillars of Southeastern success. Genevieve May exemplifies these two attributes in an extraordinary way,” said Southeastern Alumni Board President Richard “Dickie” Whitson. “Her professional accomplishments shine as beacons of excellence, while her commitment to community is an example of caring that we can all emulate.”
     A graduate of the FBI National Academy, May began her educational path at Southeastern, earning a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice. She earned her master’s degree in public administration from Louisiana State University, and a master of science degree in criminal justice from Southern University. May also earned master and doctor of philosophy degrees in urban studies from the University of New Orleans.
     In addition to serving public safety as an innovative leader and manger, May has served her country as a reservist in the U.S. Navy since 1986. She was called to active duty to serve the Defense Intelligence Agency and Joint Chiefs of Staff after Sept. 11, 2001. As a result of May’s contributions while serving on active duty, she was awarded the prestigious Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
     May gives back to her community in various ways. She has been involved and volunteered with the Girl Scouts for many years, volunteered for several Habitat for Humanity projects in both the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, served as the Girls Camp Director for the LSP Camp-Win-A-Friend for disadvantaged girls, and actively participated in numerous professional and service organizations. She has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans Board of Directors; the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Policy Administration Council Committee; the International Women’s Forum; and the Louisiana Center for Women in Government and Business Board of Directors.
     Honors and distinctions for May include, but are not limited to, the Louisiana Center for Women in Government and Business Hall of Fame Award; the University of New Orleans Distinguished Alumni Award in the College of Liberal Arts; the University of New Orleans Dr. Fritz Wagner Prize for Excellence in Planning in Urban Studies; and the Crimestoppers GNO Sheriff Harry Lee Lifetime Achievement in Criminal Justice Award.

Southeastern Channel wins national award for Covid coverage
The Southeastern Channel has won national acclaim for its coverage of the coronavirus impact on the Northshore.
     “Northshore News Update: Coronavirus on the Northshore” has won a national College Coronavirus Coverage Award given by the Society of Professional Journalists in conjunction with the Associated College Press, Society for News Design, College Broadcasters, Inc., and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
     The Southeastern Channel was honored from over 700 entries from 258 universities across the nation as one of three broadcast winners for newscasts during the past month. Other winners were Cronkite News at Arizona State University and the Northwestern News Network at Northwestern University of Chicago. Honorable mentions were Annenberg Media at the University of Southern California, the University of South Dakota, and Appalachian State University.
     The CCC Awards recognize excellence from college journalists for covering COVID-19 on their campuses and in their communities amidst campus closures and continuing online classes at home, said Southeastern General Manager Rick Settoon.
     Settoon said the judges, all professional journalists including those from CNN, praised the Southeastern Channel as “expertly adapted to excel in this difficult climate, resulting in a strong, smooth newscast. They have been consistently good every week. The stories, the story choices, the diversity, the mix- all were excellent.”
     “We’re extremely honored to be recognized as best in the nation by the prestigious Society of Professional Journalists, the world’s largest journalism organization,” said Settoon. “We’re so proud of our students who’ve stepped up big time to serve their communities during this crisis while having to complete online classes at the same time.”
     The weekly newscast provides timely information on the coronavirus, specifically for Northshore residents. It is a condensed newscast that spotlights critical services for those in Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, Livingston and Washington parishes provided by specific parish governments, school systems, hospitals, law enforcement, and business organizations.
     The information provided spans everything from coronavirus testing and school food distribution to small business disaster loans. Also included are phone interviews with parish and state officials, such as parish presidents Robby Miller of Tangipahoa, Mike Cooper of St. Tammany, and Layton Ricks of Livingston, and state representatives Richard Nelson of Mandeville and Randal Gaines of LaPlace.
     Others interviewed so far include Dr. Robert Peltier, chief medical officer for the North Oaks Health System, Director Bill Joubert of Southeastern’s Small Business Development Center, and Melissa Bordelon, CEO of the Greater Hammond Chamber of Commerce. Student reporters from the Southeastern Channel’s national award-winning newscast “Northshore News” have conducted interviews.
     Lorraine Weiskopf of Covington covers St. Tammany Parish. Although she graduates in May, WXXV-TV Ch. 25 (FOX/NBC) in Gulfport, Miss., has already hired Weiskopf as a news reporter.
     “I was thrilled to win this award, especially with many big-name universities placed alongside us,” Weiskopf said. “My team and I have put a lot of work into this, and I am so happy to see that it paid off.”

Read more

Lorraine WeiskopfSOUTHEASTERN STUDENT FROM ST. TAMMANY PARISH RECOGNIZED FOR CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE – Southeastern student Lorraine Weiskopf of Covington was recently recognized for her coverage of the coronavirus in St. Tammany Parish on the Southeastern Channel’s show “Northshore News Update: Coronavirus on the Northshore.” The Southeastern Channel won a national College Coronavirus Coverage Award given by the Society of Professional Journalists in conjunction with the Associated College Press, Society for News Design, College Broadcasters, Inc., and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

 

Communication student awarded Washington Media Fellows Scholarship 
Brianna HawkinsCommunication major Brianna Hawkins of Carencro was among the spring 2020 Washington Media Fellows scholarship winners. Receiving a $1,500 scholarship, Hawkins credits support services at Southeastern for helping her with this achievement.
     “I would recommend that everyone use support services on campus when applying for scholarships,” Hawkins said. “I know that helped me represent Southeastern as one of 15 univiersities in the country to have scholarship recipients.”
     To apply, Hawkins wrote an essay, participated in an interview and submitted her professional resume and letter of recommendation to the Washington Media Scholars Foundation. Hawkins said she worked with both Career Services and the Writing Center to ensure her application was as close to perfection as possible.
     Hawkins also represented Southeastern on its journalism team at the Southeast Journalism Conference in February. She has worked as a staff reporter for the Lions Roar and is looking forward to a career in public relations.
     According to its website, the Washington Media Scholars Foundation works to fulfill its mission of “creating scholarship, educational and career advancement opportunities for college students interested in strategic media.”

Alison Garaudy 

Southeastern student earns national OSH&E Scholarship
A Southeastern senior majoring in occupational safety, health and environment has been awarded a national scholarship from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
     Alison Garaudy of Loranger received the $5,000 award based upon her cumulative grade point average, a submitted essay on why she entered the program, and her commitment to obtaining professional certification upon her graduation.
     “This scholarship means a lot to me. It has made a substantial difference in helping to fund my education, and I am extremely honored to be a recipient,” Garaudy said. “It has also boosted my confidence and helped assure me that my hard work is paying off. I am happy to know that my voice has been heard and potential was found in it.”
     As an anticipated December graduate, Garaudy wants to apply her newly acquired knowledge to making workplaces safer and more productive for current and future workers.
     “With climate change being such a prominent issue, protecting the environment is also especially important to me, so I want to make sure any company I work for is environmentally conscious and doing what they can to protect future generations,” she explained. “I would love to incorporate more environmental sustainability into my life and work, and I am very interested in working abroad at some point.”
     One of Garaudy’s biggest goals is to influence the safety culture around her.
     “I hope to educate the people I work with, so they can have a better understanding of why we go out of our way to be safe, especially when it seems like extra hard work for nothing,” she said. “We all have the right to work in a safe environment where we can stay healthy, but it takes individual efforts to make that happen.”
     The Southeastern OSH&E program was recently ranked among the top 20 best values in OSHE programs in the country by the website collegevaluesonline.com. The ranking is based on quality of academics; value, which includes tuition affordability and financial aid; and the calculated average return on investment data, a guide to the success of students graduating from the program.
     The website valuecolleges.com also ranked the program among the top 25 in the country in best value occupational safety and health degrees. The ranking is based on reputation, based on “U.S. News & World Report;” return on investment, based on payscale data; and cost, based on online tuition as reported to IPEDS.
     The OSH&E program is nationally accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc. The program grew from a two-year associate’s degree program to a four-year bachelor of science program following considerable input from managers at area industries who reported a significant need for safety, health and environmental professionals. The program prepares students for a variety of positions, including roles of environmental safety and health specialists and safety supervisors.

 

Teaching and Learning news
The Department of Teaching and Learning continues to be a leader in the field of teacher preparation. Faculty redesigned coursework and field experience requirements, prior to the state-wide requirement for year-long residencies. Working with US PREP, a national center focused on supporting high-quality university-based teacher preparation, Southeastern implemented a year-long pilot residency program before it was a requirement.
     The residency program is now being rolled out by other universities within the state, and nationwide. With ongoing experience in supporting teacher candidates through a year-long residency, Southeastern is sharing its knowledge by supporting other universities as they prepare to make this same transition.
     The Department of Teaching and Learning continues to work collaboratively with US PREP, and on Tuesday April 28, Director of Clinical Practice and Professional Development Jordan Ahrend, and Instructor and Site Coordinator Dr. Melanie Lemoine, presented in the online event, “Partners in Transformation: Interactive Virtual Learning Series Practice-Based Coursework and Quality Control Gates.”
     Ahrend and Lemoine covered topics including curriculum mapping, course alignment with competencies, candidate competencies, coursework transformation, and establishing performance gateways.
     The online presentation hosted 35 participants from universities in Louisiana and across the country, including McNeese State University, Portland State University, Touro University, Texas A&M, Sam Houston, San Diego State University, and University of the Pacific.

Honors Program celebrates spring award winners 
Unable to host the traditional spring recognition ceremony, the Honors Program announced its 2019-20 award winners online on April 29. Students submitted videos, biographies, and photos to create a gallery for the virtual celebration.
     Included in the honorees were 10 students completing the Honors thesis this semester. This is the highest achievement an Honors Program student can attain. It marks them as dedicated scholars in their chosen majors.
     To earn the Honors Diploma students must complete 15 hours of freshman and sophomore Honors credits, nine hours of upper-level Honors credits in their major, HONR, or study abroad, and author and successfully defend a Senior Honors thesis.
     The following students are on the path to graduating with the Honors Diploma this semester and will receive two silver honors cords to wear at graduation marking their achievement: Katelynn Bartholomew, AHSS, Karley Bordelon, AHSS, Pedro Jimenez Antenucci, S&T, Kristen Johnson, NHS, Grace Klein, NHS, Mollie Millet, AHSS, Surah Moss Muhammad, NHS, Ryker Rowe, AHSS, Andrew Sherman, S&T, and Lindsey Watkins, AHSS.
     The virtual celebration also announced the 2019-20 Honors Student of the Year, biological sciences major Tyler Tran, pictured below. Each year the Honors Program selects one student who exemplifies the very best spirit of academic achievement, community citizenship, and other-oriented service for this award.
     “Tyler Tran is one of the best-rounded candidates for this award I’ve ever seen,” said Honors Director Dr. Claire Procopio. “He’s a great student. He has presented his research on phylogenetics with Dr. April Wright’s lab at professional conferences. He is a leader in multiple campus organizations including Honors Ambassadors, DOA, and BUgS. with a serious service mindset. He balances all of that with working and volunteering with underprivileged kids to inspire them to pursue STEM careers.”

Tyler Tran

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
Good News Southeastern

Adapting to Change: Sandy Summers

Sandy SummersAs the pandemic of COVID-19 continues, college students and faculty all across the world are continuing to put forth an effort to finish the spring semester the best way they can—despite all the challenges and distractions surrounding them.
     The same can be said for the Southeastern community. Faculty members have been working religiously to provide the best support and quality education possible for students through remote instruction to help protect them from the terrible health effects of the pandemic.
One faculty member in the Southeastern community who has been adapting and maintaining positivity throughout this global crisis is Workforce Talent Initiative Technology Recruiting Manager Sandy Summers.
     “Prayer and fresh air,” said Sandy. “Focus on the positives.”
     Summers has been serving in her manager position since last January, working in the College of Science and Technology’s new Workforce Talent Initiative.
     “Our goal is to create a pipeline that connects our students in science and technology to quality job opportunities and address workforce needs in the tech space,” said Sandy.
     Because her job role involves career development, she normally spends a lot of time collaborating with the Office of Career Services on campus, often meeting with students and companies there.
     “My duties toggle from a student focus to employer focus,” said Sandy. “I work with students to ensure they are “work ready” and prepared to enter the job market. There are a lot of graduates looking for work, so I want to make sure our Southeastern students stand out in a crowd of job applicants,” she said.
     From the employer focus perspective, Sandy is responsible for making sure employers are aware of Southeastern students and academic programs that will help students that fit their hiring needs.
     “I try to identify new processes / technologies in industry to ensure our students are being exposed to critical knowledge they will need in the workplace,” said Sandy.
     As for her adjustment to working from home during the pandemic, Sandy has adapted well from a technological perspective, which could be from her knowledge of technologies and her job to stay up to date on new tools and advancements.
     “My new best friends are Google Meet, Zoom, and Skype,” said Sandy. “One of the first webinars I attended when I transitioned to my home office was one hosted by Google with a ton of tools for working from home. As long as I have a way to connect with students and employers, I’m OK,” she said.
     One of the other adjustments Sandy has had to deal with is maintaining a balance between work and family life.
     “My daughters are home as well and I am trying to keep them on a schedule that includes classwork, chores / life skills, and exercise,” said Sandy. “I have to make sure I’m attentive to their needs, so I have to schedule in breaks to make sure they are OK,” she said.
     Sandy shared how her department is continuing to provide students with the same level of quality education and services from home. “Our changes are not significant in my opinion,” she said. “The delivery is a bit different, but the mission is the same. I will say overall it will have a positive impact on our department because we are being forced to embrace technologies we otherwise might not have adopted,” she said.
     A lot of reports in terms of education have been written about how COVID-19 will affect education from the student perspective. When it comes to the faculty perspective at Southeastern, Sandy discussed that the pandemic has forced the faculty to level up at a fast pace when it comes to adjusting.
     “It’s 2020,” said Sandy. “There are creative solutions to address some of the delivery issues some have described. It’s just a matter of identifying the issue and adjusting and adapting to it. It feels like this has been going on forever, but it’s only been a few short weeks. We have accomplished a lot,” she said.
     The transition to online learning has been a challenge for some students and even faculty. One concern involving online learning is that some faculty have not had experience teaching online. While some may look at this as a drawback, Sandy disagrees.
     “I don’t really see it as a setback,” said Sandy. “It’s a learning curve. Our faculty have been forced into a new way of doing things very quickly with no guidebook or manual,” she said.
     As for universities having huge enforcements of online teaching and the continued use of online resources for faculty, Sandy said that it’s an absolute requirement. “It’s a must,” said Sandy. “Now that we have experienced this crisis, we cannot move forward without preparing ourselves for the next “what if,” she said.
     For the impact that the pandemic has created and will have on future semesters, Sandy explained that she continues to believe that everyone will come out stronger with a fresh outlook.
     “I feel for those that have been directly impacted by the virus locally and globally,” said Sandy. “I choose not to dwell on the negative and to focus on the positive results of the pandemic. Stronger connections, value of family and friends, self-reflection, self-care, etc. I have faith that this will pass, and we will come out of this with a new and better perspective,” she said. 
     

Recent Coronavirus Communications

Student Financial Grants Available

From President John L. Crain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOUTHEASTERN IN THE NEWS

Baton Rouge Advocate
14 days in quarantine: Former Louisiana resident details her isolation after moving to Texas

Hammond Daily Star
Southeastern student wins at fast sell
Livingston Parish News

Southeastern to ‘Mask Up and Make a Difference’ for health care providers

Southeastern to distribute $5 million in relief grants to students affected by coronavirus

Marietta Daily Journal
Southeastern Louisiana University appoints Marietta native as department head
Nonperele.com
Stay-at-home science project: Use fire to push an egg into a bottle (Rhett Allain)

The Drum 
SLU professor wins $265K national grant

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Kathleen Campbell (Educational Leadership and Technology) had the article titled “School Principals’ and Classroom Teachers’ Perceptions of New Teacher Needs” published in the Southeast Journal of Educational Administration, Volume 19 (2), Spring 2020.

 

Submit Your Story

ByLion is published weekly online (bi-weekly during the summer session) for the faculty and staff of Southeastern Louisiana University. Submission deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Send Submissions to
Email: uccs@southeastern.edu
Mail to: SLU 10880, Hammond, LA 70402
Fax: (985) 549-2061
Or bring to the University Marketing and Communications Office in East Stadium.