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Traffic changes planned for Southeastern Commencement May 15
Motorists and visitors planning to attend Southeastern’s commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 15, should anticipate heavy traffic and route changes affecting University Avenue (Hwy. 3234) between Interstate 55 and North Cherry Street.
Maura Donahue, vice president of DonahueFavret Contractors, Inc. and former chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will address more than 1,100 students receiving associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at the 10 a.m. ceremony in the University Center.
Mike Prescott, director of University Police, said the section of University Avenue between West Tornado Drive and SGA Drive will be restricted from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. that day. Local traffic will be allowed to proceed on University Avenue for as long as possible, but will be diverted through the campus as congestion increases.
Prior to commencement, the University Center parking areas are expected to be filled early, and all traffic on University Avenue will be diverted. Eastbound commencement traffic will be diverted to West Tornado Drive for parking at the University Center, and westbound commencement traffic will be diverted to the campus at SGA Drive.
Individuals requiring handicap accommodations should try to arrive as early as possible.
Three Southeastern Lion Traxx shuttle buses will be in operation before and after the ceremony to accommodate those parking in outlying areas or needing special transportation assistance, Prescott said.
Drivers not attending commencement are asked to use U.S. 190 (Thomas Street and Morris Street) or Natalbany Road (Hwy. 1064) to avoid University Avenue traffic.
Southeastern students wishing to return rental textbooks that day should wait until after 2 p.m. to do so.
Southeastern environmental video wins special jury award at WorldFest International Film Festival
A Southeastern-produced video has been awarded a Remi Special Jury Award at the 43rd annual WorldFest International Film Festival in Houston.
“American Crisis, American Shame: The National Consequence of Coastal Erosion,” a co-production of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies and the Southeastern Channel, was selected as the best video overall in the Ecology/Environment/Conservation division and named a finalist in the Grand Remi category (Best Film Overall). More than 4,400 videos were entered in the WorldFest competition, the third oldest film festival in North America.
The documentary – which premiered at Southeastern’s Fanfare last year – is the product of three years of research and writing by Samuel Hyde, Leon Ford Professor of History and director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies, and Keith Finley, assistant director. Using scores of photographs housed in the center’s collection, the film is part of a larger project that includes a traveling exhibit and lecture series, all funded by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant written by Hyde and Finley with the assistance of Biology Professor Nick Norton.
The Southeastern Channel co-produced the 30-minute documentary, which has received several other recognitions, including a Gold Medal at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, a Gold Award for editing in the national Aurora Awards competition, and an award from the Twin Rivers Film Festival.
“This is a very exciting win for us,” said Hyde, “because it brings additional exposure to our message that the rapid loss of Louisiana’s wetlands is a national emergency that ultimately will produce catastrophic results for the entire nation if not addressed immediately. The oil spill drives home the point of how fragile our wetlands truly are.”
“This is a very prestigious international honor in the film industry,” said channel General Manager Rick Settoon, “It reflects the quality we strive for in all productions at the Southeastern Channel. Steve Zaffuto, who directed and edited the piece, introduced a very fluid visual style to meld original and archival footage.”
The program aired statewide last fall on the Louisiana Public Broadcasting network and runs regularly on the Southeastern Channel.
“American Crisis, American Shame” is the fourth documentary produced by the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies in recent years. The work uses an original musical score composed by former Southeastern student Brian Hanson and includes interviews with a number of scientists currently engaged in wetlands research.
“American Crisis, American Shame,” a Southeastern Louisiana University video produced by the university’s Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies and the Southeastern Channel, was named the best video overall in the Ecology/Environment/Conservation division of the WorldFest International Film Festival in Houston. Pictured are, from left, Samuel Hyde, director of the Center, Keith Finley, assistant director, Steve Zaffuto, director and editor at the Channel, and Rick Settoon, Channel general manager.
Southeastern’s Jones elected president of B.R. purchasing group
Michael Jones, professor of marketing and supply chain management, has been elected president of the National Association of Purchasing Managers Baton Rouge Chapter.
Jones has worked toward establishing Southeastern’s College of Business Supply Chain Management (SCM) degree program, the first of its kind in the state.
The NAPM chapter is affiliated with the Institute of Supply Management and is focused on providing procurement personnel with education, research and communication about issues impacting the profession. Headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., the ISM is the oldest and largest professional association for purchasing managers in the world. With 40,000 members, the institute publishes several professional journals and issues the CPSM (Certified Professional Supply Management), the most rigorous professional credential available in the field.
Active local chapters of ISM exist in both New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge affiliate provides a scholarship for Southeastern’s SCM majors and also sponsored the establishment of a new collegiate chapter of the organization.
Jones is a former president of the Baton Rouge Transportation Club. He joined the Southeastern faculty in 2002 and has been awarded the university’s President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He previously served on the faculties of the University of Southern Mississippi and Auburn University, Montgomery.
Gardening plants seeds of learning
At Woodland Park Early Learning Center in Hammond, the seeds of learning are being planted in pre-K and kindergarten students – in a very literal sense.
In an on-campus greenhouse and a forthcoming garden, the four and five-year-olds are learning the basic concepts of math, science, nutrition, responsibility and that all important characteristic of “working well with others.”
The project is the brainchild of Southeastern education professors Colleen Klein-Ezell and Camille Yates in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Called “Cooking Up a Storm,” because the initial concept was to teach children a nutritious approach to eating while hunkering down for a hurricane or other emergency, the service-learning project was funded by a University of Louisiana System service learning grant.
The concept expanded, however, as the university faculty, the school’s principal and teachers, and university students involved in the project recognized the potential to teach the kids other basic learning skills. Prior to the planting, the students read stories in the classroom, learning how seeds germinate into plants. Through the grant, resources and books about gardening and how to integrate it into education were purchased for the students and teachers.
“Let’s count the plants,” Jailee Hollars of Loranger says to her two young students in the greenhouse as she incorporates simple arithmetic into their session. “One, two, three…” the Southeastern senior education major counts the budding plants with the kids.
“It’s a wonderful source of ideas for ways to engage children in projects they will enjoy while learning such a variety of concepts,” Hollars said. “It’s good for us as students as well; we spend a lot of time in classrooms, and it’s great to get outside and remember just how inquisitive and interesting these kids are.”
Klein-Ezell said the project is a fun way to get kids involved in basic education, while providing valuable service-learning opportunities for student teachers to gain experience working with young children. Each child – and there are approximately 500 at Woodland – has his or her own plant to water and maintain.
Southeastern education major Jailee Hollars of Loranger counts the plants with students at Woodland Park Early Learning Center in Hammond. Counting with here are Lucas Slade and Malavia Jackson.
Davis named vice president of national association
Connie Davis, director of Auxiliary Services, was elected vice president of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services-South (NACS-South) at the group’s annual conference held recently in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Established in 1969, the organization was created to provide professional development programs and networking opportunities for college and university professionals working in the areas of auxiliary services and student support. The Southern region encompasses 14 states.
Davis was appointed to her position last year after having previously served as Southeastern’s associate director of Auxiliary Services since 2002. A member of the staff at Southeastern since 1994, she holds an undergraduate degree in management and a master of business administration degree, both from Southeastern.
Workshop highlights state incentive programs that support Louisiana businesses
Louisiana Economic Development (LED) will host a free business incentives workshop Wednesday, May 19, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Walker. Local sponsors include the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern Louisiana University, Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce and Livingston Economic Development Corporation.
The workshop is open to small business owners, certified public accountants, bankers and potential business owners interested in learning how to take advantage of the state’s financial incentives provided through LED.
The workshop will be held at the Livingston Parish Literacy and Technology Center, 9261 Florida Blvd., in Walker. Workshop presenters include representatives of the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Participants will learn about program rules and application processes for: Enterprise Zone, Industrial Tax Exemption, Restoration Tax Abatement, Research and Development, Small Business Loan Guaranty, Technology Commercialization and Quality Jobs.
Certified public accountants can also earn continuing professional education credits for attending the workshop.
There is no cost to attend but preregistration is preferred, and only preregistered attendees are guaranteed seating. For more information or to register, contact the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern at 225-664-6638, sbdc@selu.edu or www.lsbdc.org.
JCPenney store contributes to after-school tutoring program
Kevin Daigler, left, manager of the Hammond JCPenney department store, presents a check in the amount of $1,909.66 to representatives of Southeastern and the Tangipahoa Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council (TADC) in support of the After School Achievement Program (ASAP). The program provides area elementary school children with math tutoring by Southeastern students and educational programs about substance abuse. The funds were raised at the store over two weeks in April through the “After School Roundup” in which customers were asked to round up their purchases to the next dollar with the contribution going to the program. The Hammond store was the top participant in the entire region, which includes 20 stores in south Louisiana and parts of Mississippi. Accepting the check from Daigler are, from left, Alexandra Raphael, AmeriCorps Vista member working in the Southeastern Center for Faculty Excellence; Tena Golding, center director; Lynn Hoover, AmeriCorps/VISTA volunteer with TADAC; Beth Abel, TADAC director; Southeastern student Jennifer Wold, kinesiology and health studies intern with TADAC; Rebecca Crittenden, TADAC program specialist, and her daughter LilyAnn, representing area school children.
Bunko for Basketball a success
Approximately 200 fans and supporters enjoyed the third annual "Bunko for Basketball," the annual fundraiser for Southeastern Lady Lions basketball sponsored by P.R.I.D.E. (Positive Role Models Involved in the Development of Excellence), May 8 at Twelve Oaks. Head Coach Lori Davis Jones emceed the spirited bunko games, while the guests browsed silent auction items and showed their support for the Lady Lions by purchasing special glassware decorated by the team members. All proceeds from the event will go to the P.R.I.D.E. Scholarship fund which provides financial support for post sports eligibility coursework for Lady Lions student-athletes. To date, the scholarship has been awarded to three players, who have all earned Southeastern degrees. During Bunko, P.R.I.D.E. also drew the winning ticket for a 2009 Genuine Buddy 50cc scooter, provided by Big Easy Scooters and Cycles of New Orleans and donated to P.R.I.D.E. by Mike and Denise Holly in memory of Mike Holly's father, a women's basketball coach. The scooter was won by Mike Lee of St. Amant.
This week in athletics
The Southeastern men’s track and field team will look to defend its Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship to highlight this week in Southeastern Athletics.
The Lions, which won their first Southland crown in 2009, and their female counterparts will head to Arlington, Texas for the 2010 league meet. The competition begins on Friday and runs through Sunday at Maverick Stadium on the UT Arlington campus.
The Southeastern baseball team (36-14, 18-9 Southland) will look to continue to climb the league standings this week. Winners of their last five league contests, the Lions are currently a half game back of second place Stephen F. Austin and two games behind Southland leader Texas State. Southeastern will head to SFA for a key three-game series, beginning with a 3 p.m. contest on Friday. The series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes with a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9).
Southeastern’s Southland Conference champion men’s golf team will find out where it will be headed for NCAA Regional play this week. The announcement is scheduled for 5 p.m. on www.ncaa.com. Regional play is schedule for May 20-22.
Monday, May 10
Men’s Golf, NCAA Regional Announcement, NCAA.com, 5 p.m.
Friday, May 14Baseball, at Stephen F. Austin, Nacogdoches, Texas, 3 p.m. (KSLU)*Men’s and Women’s Track and Field, at Southland Outdoor Championships, Arlington, Texas, All Day
Saturday, May 15Baseball, at Stephen F. Austin, Nacogdoches, Texas, 2 p.m. (KSLU)*Men’s and Women’s Track and Field, at Southland Outdoor Championships, Arlington, Texas, All Day
Sunday, May 16Baseball, at Stephen F. Austin, Nacogdoches, Texas, 1 p.m. (KSLU)*Men’s and Women’s Track and Field, at Southland Outdoor Championships, Arlington, Texas, All Day
* - Southland Conference contest
Professional activities
Drs. Lilly Stiegler and Rebecca Davis (Communication Sciences & Disorders) published an article entitled “Understanding Sound Sensitivity in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders” in the journal Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities.
Dr. Lynette Ralph (Library) and Beth Stahr (Library) presented the paper “When ‘Off-Campus’ Means Virtual Campus: The Academic Library in Second Life” at the 14th Off-Campus Library Services Conference in Cleveland on April 28. The paper was published in the Conference Proceedings and is scheduled to be published in the Journal of Library Administration later this year.
Dr. Hye-Young Kim (Chemistry and Physics) and Zachary K. Bond (undergraduate physics major) have published an article titled “Many-body van der Waals forces involving chains,” in the SPIE Journal of Nanophhotonics, Vol.4, 041560 (2010) in collaboration with Penn State researchers.
ByLion is published weekly online (bi-weekly during the summer session) for the faculty and staff of Southeastern Louisiana University. Send submissions to publicinfo@selu.edu, SLU 10880, fax 985-549-2061, or bring to Public Information Office in East Stadium. Submission deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
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