Southeastern faculty, staff receive top awards at convocation
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
by: Tonya Lowentritt
SOUTHEASTERN FACULTY AND STAFF HONORED AT CONVOCATION - Southeastern Louisiana University opened the 2021-22 academic year Friday (Aug.
13) with its fall convocation that included presentation of the President’s Awards
for Excellence, the university’s highest honor for faculty and staff. From left are
award recipients Jean Fotie, Lily Brooks, Rebecca Davis and Cally Berner.
RETIRED SOUTHEASTERN PROFESSOR HONORED AS PROFESSOR EMERITA – Retired Professor of Health Studies Millie Naquin, right, was honored at Southeastern
Louisiana University’s fall convocation. Presented by Southeastern President John
L. Crain, Naquin received the Emerita faculty award.
HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University opened the 2021-22 academic year
Friday (Aug. 13) with its fall convocation that included presentation of the President’s
Awards for Excellence, the university’s highest honor for faculty and staff.
The event also included announcement of faculty tenure and promotion, emeritus
faculty award, and recognition of service awards to faculty and staff who have worked
at the university for 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years.
Receiving the President’s Awards for Excellence were Assistant Professor of Photography
Lily Brooks, excellence in artistic activity; Professor of Organic Chemistry Jean
Fotie, excellence in research; Associate Professor and Program Director in Communication
Sciences and Disorders Rebecca Davis, excellence in teaching; and Director of Event
and Conference Services Cally Berner, excellence in unclassified staff service.
Over a decade of sustained creative research and production, Brooks has developed
a series of interrelated projects that speak to the depth of her commitment and potential
as an artist. Her photography has been featured in 37 exhibitions, eight of which
were solo shows. Her artwork was included in eight exhibitions in 2020. Brooks has
also curated exhibitions and organized lectures, conferences and symposiums, and her
artwork has been featured on NPR and reviewed by the Los Angeles Times.
For Fotie, developing a relevant and nationally competitive research program
with a major focus on creating solutions for real life problems has always been at
the center of his ambition since he began his Southeastern career 12 years ago. His
research areas include development of therapeutics for malaria, collaboration with
local industry to increase productivity, and development of chemical means to capture
and sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide. His research activities produced 25 refereed
journal articles, of which 13 were co-authored by Southeastern undergraduates, four
book chapters, and one provisional patent.
Davis’ philosophy of teaching has always been to make the material relevant to
the real world, even before this was an initiative at Southeastern. A faculty member
since 2003, she said her education in clinical audiology provided a relevant foundation
for her teaching. Davis’ teaching methods have been supported and recognized within
the university, as well as nationally and internationally in publications and presentations.
She is the only audiologist in a program dedicated to training speech-language pathologists.
Berner leads a team of three in creating positive customer experiences in the
University Center, Student Union and other rental spaces on campus. She believes that
providing quality service is imperative to the success of any organization. In addition
to her university service, Berner also serves her community in a variety of ways.
She has worked as a committee member and volunteer for the Sweet 16/Ladies Top 28,
volunteered for the St. Joseph Catholic School Annual Fair, and volunteered at St.
Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School.
The term “Emeritus” is a title awarded to only a few select individuals in recognition
of distinguished and extraordinary service. Receiving the Emerita faculty award was
Professor of Health Studies Millie Naquin. Naquin joined the Southeastern faculty
in 1993. She co-directed the Excellence in Health and Education Project, which trained
individuals throughout the state in health education curricula. She also founded annual
summer institutes on campus to provide professional development to both school and
community health educators, especially in HIV prevention.
