U.S. Army physician and scientist named Southeastern's 2015 Alumnus of the Year
Monday, October 12, 2015 
by: Rene Abadie
HAMMOND – A U.S. Army physician and scientist recognized as an expert in incident
management, chemical and bio-terrorism risk analysis and risk reduction will be honored
as the 2015 Alumnus of the Year by the Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association.
Col. Stanley John Whidden of Fairfax, Va., who has completed a 38-year career
as an enlisted soldier and officer and who served in a variety of senior staff and
command positions, is a double graduate of Southeastern, earning a bachelor’s degree
in physiology in 1970 and master’s in chemistry in 1973 at Southeastern. He later
earned a doctorate in Physiology at Auburn University and his doctor of medicine degree
from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. He will be formally recognized
on Friday (Oct. 16) at the association’s Alumni Awards Evening to be held in the Student
Union Grand Ballroom.
Alumni Association Director Kathy Pittman said the award recognizes graduates
with unique accomplishments on a national or international level who continue to utilize
their degree from Southeastern to the fullest. A limited number of tickets for the
7 p.m. event are available by calling the Alumni Association at 1-800-SLU-ALUM.
Whidden has served in a variety of civil affairs and military operations positions
in the Middle-East, in Operation Just Cause in the invasion of Panama, In Operation
Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia, and in Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait, where he helped
manage the country’s reconstruction and recovery. He has also served with U.S. Forces
and the United Nations Somalia Logistics Command in Somalia.
Also to be recognized at the event is Matthew Magnuson of Baton Rouge as the association’s
Young Alumnus of the Year. A 2006 graduate with a degree in computer science, Magnuson
currently serves as chief technology officer for Associated Terminals, a large, diverse
cargo handling and logistical solutions company operating on the lower Mississippi
River and its sibling company, Turn Services which offers a wide range of services
for maritime fleets. He holds several patents for helping to determine vessel draft
and amount of cargo in a vessel.
At the awards evening, individual distinguished alumni from each of Southeastern’s
five academic colleges will be recognized. They include:
-- College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: David Armand of Hammond,
Southeastern instructor of English and author of several novels, including the “The
Pugilist’s Wife,” “Harlow,” and “The Gorge,” as well as a book of poetry titled “Deep
Woods.” He received his bachelor’s degree in English in 2004 and his master’s degree
in 2006.
-- College of Business: Robert Watkins of Robert, a 1975 graduate in accounting,
is managing partner of Wegmann Dazet & Company, where he oversees the operations and
finances for this top public accounting firm in New Orleans. He is a member of the
board of the Southeastern Foundation.
-- College of Education: Patrice Pujol, superintendent of the Ascension Parish
School System and the 2015 Louisiana Superintendent of the Year. Pujol has worked
in education for 38 years as a teacher, principal and in other supervisory positions.
She received her bachelor’s degree in1976 and her doctorate in educational leadership
in 2013.
-- College of Nursing and Health Sciences: Samone Cammon is a 2010 graduate
of Southeastern’s Kinesiology and Sports Management program, where she was named the
graduate of the year. She is currently a marketing specialist with The Wendy’s Company
in Alpharetta, Ga., and has worked with the company in various capacities since 2010.
-- College of Science and Technology: Ralph J. Daigle of The Woodlands, Texas,
a geophysical consultant for the oil industry, worked to form Petrus Energy, a privately
held company involved in Gulf coast exploration. He previously worked for other energy
companies, including PetroQuest Energy where he served as a director and vice chairman
of the board. He earned his bachelor’s degree in math with a minor in physics in 1970
after attending Southeastern on an athletic scholarship.
