ByLion--April 28
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ABC-TV'S Robin Roberts to receive honorary doctorate at spring commencement ceremony
May 17
Southeastern will honor its most acclaimed alumnus, ABC's Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, with an honorary doctorate at its spring commencement ceremony
on Saturday, May 17.
Scheduled for 10 a.m. at the University Center, the institution will recognize
approximately 1,200 students who are graduating with bachelor's, master's and doctoral
degrees.
The honorary degree for Roberts was approved last year by Southeastern's governing
body, the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors.
"Robin has been a tremendous treasure for Southeastern, and we are proud to confer
upon her this honorary doctoral degree," said university President John L. Crain.
"Her personal and professional achievements have made her a true role model. She is
one of the university's foremost advocates and ambassadors."
A 1983 communication graduate and former basketball star, she learned her basic
broadcasting skills as a student-athlete working at the university's KSLU radio station
and as the part time sports director at Hammond's local radio stations. She entered
the broadcasting field upon graduation and eventually joined ESPN, hosting SportsCenter and contributing regularly to NFL Primetime. She joined the Good Morning America team in 2005.
Named Southeastern's Distinguished Alumna of the Year in 1996, the Pass Christian,
Miss., native has also been inducted into Southeastern's Athletics Hall of Fame and
the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame by the WNBA. In 2006, she was named one of the
NCAA's "100 Most Influential Student-Athletes" in conjunction with the NCAA Centennial
Celebration. Southeastern Athletics retired her jersey in 2011 with a ceremony in
the University Center.
Roberts, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, has been honored for her
efforts to call attention to the disease, receiving awards from the Susan G. Koman
Foundation and the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. She is the author
of several books, including From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By and My Story, My Song: Mother-Daughter Reflections on Life and Faith, co-written with her late mother Lucimarian Roberts and Missy Bucanan.
In 2011, Roberts underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat myelodysplastic
syndrome (MDS), a disease also known as pre-leukemia. In her honor, Southeastern students
embarked on a year-long program to educate the public and recruit potential bone marrow
donors for patients diagnosed with leukemia and other life-threatening blood diseases.
The program, called "Swabbin' 4 Robin," recruited a university record number of potential
bone marrow donors for the non-profit organization Be the Match.
Academic Honors Convocations scheduled
Southeastern's academic honors convocations have been scheduled. All convocations will be held in the Student Union Theatre on the following dates:
April 29
College of Science & Technology - 3:30 p.m.
April 30
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - 1 p.m.
May 1
College of Education and Human Development - 11 a.m. College of Business - 2 p.m. College of Nursing and Health Sciences - 6 p.m.
CPA Association President to present Southeastern's Business Ethics Lecture
The head of the American Institute of CPAs will present the annual Southeastern College
of Business Ethics Lecture at 7 p.m. on Wednesday (April 30).
Bill Balhoff, managing director and chief executive officer at Postlethwaite
& Netterville, will present the lecture, titled Professionalism – Quality – Integrity,
at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre. The free lecture is open to the general public.
Last year, Balhoff was elected chairman of the board of the AICPA, the world's
largest member organization representing the accounting profession. He joined the
Baton Rouge firm Postlethwaite & Netterville in 1976, shortly after graduating from
LSU. The company then had 22 employees and has grown into a Top 100 firm with more
than 600 staff members.
He also is a graduate of the National Banking School at the University of Virginia's
McIntire School of Commerce.
Balhoff has a lengthy service record to the AICPA, having served as vice chair
and a past Executive Committee chair of the AICPA Private Companies Practice Section,
which focuses on practice management. From 2003-2004 and again from 2008-2009, he
served as a member-at-large of the AICPA'S Governing Council. From 2005-2007 he was
a member of the organization's Board of Directors.
For more information on the lecture, contact the College of Business at 549-2258.
Southeastern's Wind Symphony sets concert for May 1
Southeastern's acclaimed Wind Symphony Orchestra will present its spring concert on
Thursday (May 1) at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Hammond.
Titled "Classic and Noteworthy," the concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. under
the direction of conductor Glen Hemberger, Southeastern director of bands. General
admission tickets are $10; Southeastern students are admitted free with their student
ID card. Tickets are available at the Columbia Theatre box office at 220 East Thomas
St., at columbiatheatre.org, or at the door on the night of the concert. Call 543-4371 for ticket information.
The concert will feature a range of classical music, including "Variations on
a Korean Folk Song" written by composer John Barnes Chance in 1965. The piece is based
on music Chance heard in South Korea while serving in the U.S. Army.
Also on the program are "Second Suite in F" by English composer Gustav Holst;
"American Overture for Band" by Joseph Wilcox Jenikins; "An American Elegy" by Louisiana
native Frank Ticheli, now serving as professor of composition at the University of
Southern California; "Symphony No. 4" by David Maslanka, who recently presented master
classes at Southeastern; and "Canzona" by Peter Mennin.
The concert will include the Louisiana premiere of "Everything Beautiful" by
American composer Samuel R. Hazo.
For more information, contact the Southeastern Department of Fine and Performing
Arts at 549-2184.
Southeastern's Business Honor Society named exemplary chapter
Southeastern's chapter of the International Honor Society of Beta Gamma Sigma has
been named an exemplary chapter for the 11th year.
The award is presented annually to those chapters whose activities and programs
during the previous year promoted the society's principles and purpose.
Members of Beta Gamma Sigma must be in the business field and rank in the top
10 percent of the junior or senior class or the top 20 percent in graduate school.
In addition to this honor, the chapter has qualified to participate in the annual
scholarship program, which awards scholarships to deserving student members of the
chapter.
BUSINESS CHAPTER HONORED – Displaying their certificate as an exemplary chapter are Kris Jones, left, faculty advisor, and Anna Bass, faculty president of the university's chapter.
Southeastern to train health coaches to help reduce hospital readmissions
Southeastern's College of Nursing and Health Sciences is initiating a program with
North Oaks Medical Center intended to reduce the number of patient readmissions to
the Hammond hospital.
Funded by a three-year $351,989 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
the Louisiana Delta Health Coach Program will train university students and health
care professionals to work as health coaches with patients discharged from the hospital.
Targeted patients will include those with diagnoses of heart attack, chronic obstructive
lung disease, congestive heart failure and pneumonia.
"These are patients who are particularly prone to hospital readmissions, which
can be extremely expensive for private insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid,"
said Ann Carruth, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and principal
investigator for the grant. "We expect this program to reduce readmissions among this
patient population by at least 10 percent."
Health coaches are individuals trained to provide follow-up consultation with
patients after they are discharged. The coaches check to make sure these patients
are following their physicians' instructions for home care, including taking medications,
following a prescribed diet, using appropriate therapies and scheduling follow-up
visits with their physicians.
Project coordinator Ralph Wood, a professor of health education and promotion,
said under the grant, Southeastern will provide training for health coaches, drawing
from the pool of students in the university's Department of Kinesiology and Health
Studies and Department of Health and Human Sciences. After training, the students
will participate in an internship at North Oaks. The first students to participate
in the internship opportunities will students pursuing a bachelor of science degree
in Health Education and Promotion.
She said the program also will utilize registered nurses and additional health
care professionals from North Oaks Health System and other area medical facilities
to educate and support health coaches.
"Patient follow-up after discharge from the hospital with his or her primary
care physician is critical," explained North Oaks Senior Vice President of Patient
Services Shelly Welch. "Through this program, coaches and health care professionals
will work together with the patient and his or her family to make sure the follow-up
appointment happens. We also will be able to provide additional education, answer
questions and link the patient to community resources that may help promote the healing
process."
"Studies show that a significant number of patients need this kind of 'nudge'
to keep them on track with their self-care," said Carruth. "Not following prescribed
at-home care is one of the leading causes of hospital readmissions."
She said Medicare keeps careful track of patient readmissions and has started
penalizing hospitals financially when readmission rates start to increase. Nationwide,
nearly 20 percent of hospitalized Medicare patients are readmitted to the hospital
within 30 days of their discharge, incurring additional testing and procedures. The
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid estimate readmissions cost an estimated $17 billion
annually.
The grant includes the Livingston Economic Development Council and the Tangipahoa
Economic Development Foundation as members of the consortium to address the readmission
issue. The economic development agencies will help to demonstrate that the health
coaching program could save millions in lost revenue, as well as create future employment
positions in the field of health coaching.
Southeastern student named state's first top broadcaster by LAB
A news anchor/reporter at the Southeastern Channel has been named the first top student
broadcaster in the state of Louisiana.
Erika Ferrando, a senior from Mandeville, was named Student Broadcaster of the
Year by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters recently at its 2014 Prestige Awards
luncheon in Baton Rouge.
"The Southeastern Channel has given me so many opportunities that give me real
world experience," Ferrando said. "I have learned to produce news shows, anchor, report,
conduct interviews, edit my video, and shoot my own work. I feel prepared to enter
this industry because I have been taught exactly what it takes to work in this field."
The Louisiana Association of Broadcasters, or LAB, is made up of all television
and radio stations in Louisiana. Ferrando was presented the award by Sandy Breland,
general manager of FOX 8 News in New Orleans and former GM at both WWL-TV in New Orleans
and WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge.
Ferrando, a communications major with a concentration in electronic media, was
selected over all other college undergraduate, graduate and high school students in
television and radio from throughout the state of Louisiana. It was the first time
the LAB has bestowed the student award.
"It is a tremendous honor to win Student Broadcaster of the Year," Ferrando said.
"The Louisiana Association of Broadcasters is an extremely prestigious organization.
Being the only student awarded alongside the best professionals in the state made
this award very meaningful. I am so thankful for this recognition because I have such
a strong passion for news reporting. "
Ferrando is an anchor, reporter and producer for the Southeastern Channel's student
newscast, "Northshore News," named one of the top four college television newscasts
in the country by College Broadcasters, Inc. She recently won "Best in the South"
recognition for "Television Hard News Reporting" given by the Southeast Journalism
Conference made up of all universities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama,
Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
Ferrando also recently won honorable mention Emmy recognition for News Story-Serious
News in the Suncoast Region (southeast U.S.) of the National Academy of Television
Arts and Sciences. In addition, she won a Mark of Excellence Award for Television
General News Reporting given by the Society of Professional Journalists in Region
12 (Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee).
ONE OF NATION'S BEST- Erika Ferrando, a Southeastern senior from Mandeville, was named Student Broadcaster of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters recently at its 2014 Prestige Awards luncheon in Baton Rouge. It was the first time the LAB has bestowed the student award.
Kinesiology and Health Studies hosts 2014 ASK KHS Symposium
On April 10, the Department of Kinesiology & Health Studies hosted the Annual ASK
KHS Student Symposium. The event provides Kinesiology and Health Studies students
and alumni an opportunity to participate in a professional conference where they get
to see, hear from, and interact with professionals who work in fields associated with
the KHS degree programs.
The speakers for this year's ASK KHS included Ray Castle, LSU Athletic Training;
Gerald Drefahl, Functionally Integrated Training and Therapy; Johnny Braud, Louisiana
Special Olympics; Donna Scales, Woman's Hospital, Center for Wellness; Lydia Kuykendal,
Louisiana Cancer Prevention and Control Program; Sean Brady and Lucais MacKay, SLU
Track and Field; Frank Schneider, Albany High School; Darrell Cherry, North Cypress
Fitness Center; Mack Chuilli, Traction Center for Sport Excellence; and Millie Naquin,
SLU KHS Graduate Program.
The day was highlighted by a keynote address by Dr. Melinda Sothern, of the LSU
Health Sciences Center School of Public Health and an expert on childhood obesity.
Sothern addressed the growing epidemic of childhood obesity and discussed the current
status and consequences of childhood obesity evidenced by research she and colleagues
have conducted. She closed by describing initiatives to promote healthy weight among
children and the essential components of effective weight management programs.
In addition to speaker presentations, ASK KHS included an internship fair involving
staff from internship sites and senior KHS interns. Students were able to talk to
site representatives, get information about future internship opportunities, and interact
with current interns about their experiences.
Students present research at UL System Academic Summit
Six Southeastern students presented the results of their undergraduate research at
the third annual University of Louisiana System Academic Summit on April 11-12, at
the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The students, the titles of their projects, and their faculty mentors were Sushovit
Adhikari (Physics) "Evaluation of Thin Film Coating Adhesion with Michelson Interferometer,"
with Dr. Sanichiro Yoshida; Grace Chenevert (Computer Science) "Finger Tip Tracking
using the Microsoft Kinect," with Dr. Sebastian van Delden; Amal de Alwis (Mathematics)
"Fixed Point Theory of Matrix Families" with Dr. Tilak de Alwis; Elizabeth Kimball
(Chemistry) "Ortho-alkoxylation of Diaryl Ketoxime Ethers" with Dr. Debra Dolliver;
Hannah Matherne (Communication) "Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC: A Legal Analysis
of Conglomerate Ownership of Radio Broadcasting" with Dr. Joe Mirando; and Banessa
Umana (Business Management) "The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business
Idea" with Dr. David Wyld
The Academic Summit is an annual celebration of academic excellence at UL System
universities. It encompasses a system-wide service-learning conference, an undergraduate
student fine art exhibition, an undergraduate student performing art exhibition, and
an undergraduate research conference. The Fourth Annual Academic Summit will take
place in April 2015 on the campus of Louisiana Tech University.
STUDENT RESEARCH – Pictured at the academic summit are, front row from left, Sushovit Adhikari, Banessa Umana, Grace Chenevert, Hannah Matherne and Amal de Alwis. Back row, from left, are Gerard Blanchard and Elizabeth Kimball.
Action News
ABC-TV's Robin Roberts to receive honorary doctorate at Southeastern commencement
ceremony May 17
http://www.actionnews17.com/news/all/artmid/494/articleid/12459/abc-tv%E2%80%99s-robin-roberts-to-receive-honorary-doctorate-at-southeastern-commencement-ceremony-may-17-
Former SLU president Dr. Clea Parker dies
http://www.actionnews17.com/news/all/artmid/494/articleid/12440/former-slu-president-dr-clea-parker-dies
Associated Press ABC's Robin Roberts to get honorary doctorate from Southeastern, her alma mater
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/e33ffcdca1a341fdb3472cb1b85ce042/LA--People-Robin-Roberts
BR Advocate ABC's Robin Roberts to get honorary degree
http://theadvocate.com/home/8960936-125/abcs-robin-roberts-to-get
SLU to honor 'Good Morning' co-anchor
http://theadvocate.com/news/livingston/8924498-123/slu-to-honor-good-morning
Insurance Newsnet Southeastern to train health coaches to reduce hospital readmissions
http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/04/16/southeastern-to-train-health-coaches-to-help-reduce-hospital-readmissions-a-490691.html
New Orleans Advocate Former Covington police chief applies for job at SLU
http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/news/politics/8991937-171/former-covington-police-chief-applies
NO Times Picayune Robin Roberts to receive honorary doctorate at SLU commencement
http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2014/04/robin_roberts_to_receive_honor.html
SLU student from Mandeville named state's top student broadcaster
http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2014/04/slu_student_from_mandeville_na.html#incart_river
SLU Alumni Association to host meet and greet with new Southeastern basketball coaches
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.sportsnola.com/sports/local-sports-news/slu-news/607938-alumni-association-to-host-meet-and-greet-with-new-southeastern-basketball-coaches-on-april-28.html&ct=ga&cd=CAEYAioTODc2MjYzMjU5NTc1Mzk4MjE4MTIaNzEzOGI1ZTc2NThmNTE1Nzpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNG_0Tu04wQQvmzVzYYoFmQXY4jbsw
This Week in Athletics
The Southeastern baseball, softball and track teams will be in action during this
week in Southeastern Athletics.
The Lion baseball team (27-17, 12-9 Southland) will open the week with a home-and-home
versus No. 2 Louisiana-Lafayette. The Ragin' Cajuns visits Hammond on Tuesday, while
SLU returns the trip on Wednesday. First pitch for both games will be 6 p.m.
On Friday, Southeastern hosts Nicholls State at 6 p.m. to open a three-game series.
The series then moves to Thibodaux for a 6 p.m. contest on Saturday. Sunday's series
finale at 1 p.m. will be in Hammond.
The softball team (19-25, 10-14 Southland) closes its regular season this week.
On Wednesday, Southeastern welcomes LSU for a 6 p.m. contest. The Lady Lions then
will head to Natchitoches for a three-game series that opens with a 2 p.m. doubleheader
on Saturday. Sunday's series finale is set for 12 p.m.
Southeastern heads into the regular season's final week a game and a half out
of the sixth and final spot in the Southland Conference Tournament. The league tournament
is scheduled for May 8-10 in Hammond. Tickets are on sale now by contacting the Southeastern
Athletics Ticket Office at 549-5466 or visiting LionSports.net.
The Southeastern men's and women's track and field team will close out its preparation
for next week's Southland Conference Indoor Championships. The Lions and Lady Lions
will compete in the Black and Gold Invitational on Saturday in Hattiesburg, Miss.
All of this week's baseball games will be broadcast live in the Hammond area
on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net. LionVision subscribers can access a live video stream of all of this week's baseball
games and Wednesday's softball game at LionSports.net. Weather permitting, the Southeastern-LSU softball game will be televised on tape
delay by the Southeastern Channel (Charter Channel 18).
Tuesday and Sunday's baseball games, as well as Wednesday's softball game will
be Cane's Challenge games. If the baseball team scores five runs or the softball team
scores three runs on a Cane's Challenge Night, fans can take their ticket to either
Hammond Raising Cane's by the end of the next business day to receive a free combo
with the purchase of another.
The Southeastern Alumni Association will also host a meet and greet with the
new head coaches of the Southeastern basketball teams on Monday from 4-6 p.m. at the
Alumni Center. The event will give fans a chance to interact with new head men's basketball
coach Jay Ladner and head women's basketball coach Yolanda Moore. Refreshments will
also be served.
Tuesday, April 29 Baseball, vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, Alumni Field, 6 p.m. (KSLU) (LionVision)
- Cane's Challenge
Wednesday, April 30 Baseball, at Louisiana-Lafayette, Lafayette, 6 p.m. (KSLU) (LionVision) Softball, vs. LSU, North Oak Park, 6 p.m. (LionVision) (Southeastern Channel)
- Cane's Challenge
Friday, May 3 Baseball, vs. Nicholls State, Alumni Field, 6 p.m. (KSLU) (LionVision)*
Saturday, May 4 Baseball, at Nicholls State, Thibodaux, 6 p.m. (KSLU) (LionVision)* Softball, at Northwestern State (DH), Natchitoches, 2 p.m.* Men's and Women's Track and Field, at Black and Gold Invitational, Hattiesburg, Miss.,
All Day
Sunday, May 5 Baseball, vs. Nicholls State, Alumni Field, 1 p.m. (KSLU) (LionVision)*
- Cane's Challenge
Professional activities
Dr. Michael Bisciglia (Sociology and Criminal Justice) presented "Types of Segregation and Location of
Migration on Rates of Hispanic Homicide" at the 77th annual meeting of the Southern
Sociological Society in Charlotte, N.C., April 2-5.
Dr. John Boulahanis (Sociology and Criminal Justice) was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award by the
Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society. The award was presented to him at their induction ceremony
on Sunday, April 13.
C. Roy Blackwood (Columbia Theatre and Fine and Performing Arts) served as a juror at ArtBreak on
the 30th anniversary of the K through 12 Arts celebration in Shreveport, La., April
10 and 11. Beginning with the second year, Blackwood has served 25 of the 30 years
and was honored at a dinner party/banquet along with other long-serving individuals.
Dr. Debra Jo Hailey (Department of Teaching and Learning) teamed with Dr. Michelle Fazio-Brunson and
Leslie Gregory Gruesbeck at the University of Louisiana System Academic Summit on
April 12 to present "Reading on the River---A Community Collaboration to Promote Early
Literacy." The event offers many ways to get students involved in service learning
and the voices of several student participants were incorporated into the presentation
in a variety of ways including brief presentations by Laura Gifford and Thomas Hailey.
Dr. Alan Cannon (Mathematics) visited the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith on April 10 - 12 to
serve as an outside program reviewer for the Department of Mathematics. During the
evaluation, he met with the Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,
the mathematics department head, mathematics faculty, and students.
Dr. Lucia Guzzi Harrison and Dr. Francesco Fiumara (Languages and Communication) were among the participants at the 2014 Kentucky Foreign
Language Conference in Lexington, April 10-12. Dr. Harrison presented her paper "Films
for the Italian Classroom: A Pedagogical Tool for Language and Culture." Dr. Fiumara
presented: "'Con la musica alla radio': Boosting interactional and cultural competences
in Italian by means of the radio booth." Additionally, Dr. Fiumara was invited to
talk to the graduate students at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. The
title of his talk was "Mambrino Roseo da Fabriano, Michele Tramezzino, and the popularization
of Spanish chivalric romances in Counter-reformation Italy."
James D. Kirylo (Teaching and Learning) conducted a presentation at the annual American Educational
Research Association (AERA) Conference in Philadelphia, Pa., in April. The title of
his presentation was "The Unfinished Completed Life of Paulo Freire in Light of the
Theological Virtues."
ByLion is published weekly online (bi-weekly during the summer session) for the faculty and staff of Southeastern Louisiana University. Send submissions to publicinfo@southeastern.edu, SLU 10880, fax 985-549-2061, or bring to University Marketing and Communications Office in East Stadium. Submission deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
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